Theatre Royal Stratford East, Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jonathan Harvey’s coming-out and coming-of-age story Beautiful Thing. Raphael Akuwudike (Ste) and Joshua Asaré (Jamie) will lead the cast and are joined by Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge (Tony), Shvorne Marks (Sandra) and Scarlett Rayner (Leah). Director Anthony Simpson-Pike says: “Beautiful Thing is an… Continue reading 30th birthday for Beautiful Thing
Month: August 2023
Paved with Gold and Ashes
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire of 1911 in New York killed about 150 people, mainly young women workers, though it might be more accurate to say they were killed by ruthless employers alongside other complacent, dysfunctional institutions. Julia Thurston’s play imagines five women workers caught up in that fire. We hear something of their migrant… Continue reading Paved with Gold and Ashes
I’ve Never Met Anyone Quite Like You Before
Warmly touching and physical, this autobiographical show from David Scotland is as much a story of working out how to love yourself as it is one of understanding your place in this world as an artist. A graduate of musical theatre and dance specialist from Bird College, his story unfolds against a carefully chosen musical… Continue reading I’ve Never Met Anyone Quite Like You Before
Meet super sleuth Aki Browne
She’s got the time, the curiosity, the resources—and a thirst for true crime. Meet Aki Browne—online sleuth like no other… A one-act play, Being Purple Aki, featuring the hunt for a real-life bogeyman / racist caricature, this is an absurd journey into the obsessive world of a digital detective. It’s at the White Hotel, Dickinson Street, Salford… Continue reading Meet super sleuth Aki Browne
Lucky Pigeons
This is a curiosity of a piece. The narrative involves a young person, Sam, who seems to want to play football, but has been told not to kick the ball until everyone is ready. Then comes a blowing of the whistle, a game that was almost played, friends who don’t seem to want to play… Continue reading Lucky Pigeons
Winnie and friends take seaside break
Disney’s Winnie the Pooh takes a Grand trip to the seaside. Winnie and friends bounce into The Grand Theatre August 14–16. Deep in Hundred Acre Wood, an exciting new adventure is about to happen… This musical adaptation is told through the eyes of characters that have played roles in the lives of children for generations. Created by… Continue reading Winnie and friends take seaside break
Henry VIII
When it comes to English royalty, Henry VIII must surely be the personality most often depicted across various art forms. In addition to numerous portraits and biographies, he continues to dominate the literary stakes on both page and stage, having recently been a central figure in Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall trilogy and, at one remove, Six. Not too long… Continue reading Henry VIII
Chester & London for Traces through Time
Fallen Angel Dance Theatre, the dance theatre company for people in recovery from addiction, presents its latest work Traces through Time at Storyhouse Chester (November 1) and The Royal Opera House’s Linbury Theatre (November 4). A collaboration with New Note Orchestra, this production has been devised to bring life experiences and stories to the stage. Fusing dance,… Continue reading Chester & London for Traces through Time
Jane/Norma
There have been many important moments in the long struggle for abortion rights. Among the legal consequences of these struggles, perhaps the most famous is the American 1973 Supreme Court ruling on Roe v Wade. Yet few of us have any idea who the names in the case referred to. Kiera Bell has created, from… Continue reading Jane/Norma
Matthew Kelly making Noises Off
Michael Frayn’s celebrated comedy Noises Off makes a stop at Blackpool Grand Theatre this October starring Liza Goddard, Matthew Kelly and Simon Shepherd. Frayn’s play-within-a-play hurtles at breakneck speed as it follows the on and off stage antics of a hapless touring theatre company as they stumble their way through the fictional farce, Nothing On. Liza Goddard’s extensive… Continue reading Matthew Kelly making Noises Off