With For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When The Hue Gets Too Heavy running in the West End, Ryan Calais Cameron scores again with his new play Retrograde, 90-minutes of real-time drama much more formally presented. It is set in the office of Hollywood lawyer Larry Parks in the 1950s where he and screenwriter… Continue reading Retrograde
Month: April 2023
Midlands artists invited to apply for Amplify Festival
Nottingham Playhouse is inviting applications from theatre-makers who would like to take part in the 2023 Amplify Festival, an annual celebration of artists from across the Midlands. To be eligible, companies or individuals must live in or be connected to the Midlands. Submissions can include physical theatre, spoken word, dance, devised, new writing, circus, clowning,… Continue reading Midlands artists invited to apply for Amplify Festival
Vignettes 4
For its fourth series of Vignettes, HER Productions seems to be pushing to the limit what can be achieved in short plays. Natasha (Tia Larsen) is ready for her close-up. She has always been a performer and is determined to make a lasting impression. But tonight, she seems to be having technical issues with the… Continue reading Vignettes 4
Equity petition against Northern Ireland arts cuts nears 12,000
A petition organised by Equity’s Northern Ireland branch protesting against proposed cuts of 10% in annual funding to the region’s arts and culture sector has reached nearly 12,000 signatures in one week. Growing support comes after Equity presented 11,000 signatures to Colum Boyle, the senior civil servant in the region’s Department for Communities, on April… Continue reading Equity petition against Northern Ireland arts cuts nears 12,000
Wodehouse in Wonderland
I’ve only finished a fraction of P G Wodehouse’s vast oeuvre—encompassing seventy-plus novels, dozens of plays and hundreds of short stories—but everything I’ve read of his voluminous output runs the gamut from excellent to outstanding. As a creator of what he referred to as “musical comedy without music”, he truly was a marvel. I’m far… Continue reading Wodehouse in Wonderland
Hippodrome creates department for new musicals
Birmingham Hippodrome is to have “the first in-house musical theatre department at a UK venue” in which it will develop new musicals. The Hippodrome says that by 2028, it wants to be recognised as the UK’s national theatre of new musicals. The department will be led by a head of new musical theatre whose specialist… Continue reading Hippodrome creates department for new musicals
Breeding
Breeding by Barry McStay is less about breeding and more about bureaucracy. How do you navigate the complicated and imperfect process of trying to adopt when you’re gay? That’s the journey of Zeb (Daniel Nicholson) and Eoin (Barry Mc Stay), who embark on their quest for the perfect family and the perfect life. For many,… Continue reading Breeding
Worcester theatre to host festival for young people
Worcestershire-based socially engaged arts company Mobilise and Worcester Theatres are to present the INSANE Festival, a free festival of arts and well-being for young people aged from 10 to 18 which will coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week. The festival will feature the première of Sickkk Icarus, a contemporary reimagining of the myth of Icarus. Presented… Continue reading Worcester theatre to host festival for young people
F**king Men
It’s perhaps not surprising Joe DiPietro’s provocatively named F**king Men is primarily about sex. It returns to the intimate Waterloo East Theatre with a bang up-to-date production, thanks to the influence of Steven Kunis as director. All the grit and testosterone of the original production, which debuted in London 15 years ago, is still there,… Continue reading F**king Men
Critics’ Circle Theatre Award winners
Having won pretty much every award available, for her performance in Suzie Miller’s Prima Facie Jodie Comer may have been considered a shoe-in for the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards too, but the big news is the Best Actress gong going to Patsy Ferran. Ferran joined the cast of Rebecca Frecknall’s A Streetcar Named Desire just four days before the… Continue reading Critics’ Circle Theatre Award winners