IN BRIEF Corporate strip-mining attempt at storytelling runs out of steam, but is an intriguing -if uneasy- ride
Perhaps I can start by quibbling with Annie Baker’s
characters’ arguing about the number of types of stories there are; to my mind,
there are only two types of story- the interesting and the uninteresting. Most
fall somewhere in between- as does THE ANTIPODES.
The power of storytelling to engage a collective
unconscious has always been prized. No surprise then that the shady “project”
that is happening here seems to be searching for some way to commodify this
process, almost to reduce it to the sterility of an algorithm.
Set in a soulless corporate boardroom with a psychotically
orange carpet and mountain of Perrier boxes at one end of the room, we are
introduced to an indeterminate group of people (with just one woman – who has
the best ideas and stories, natch, appropriated by the others, natch) whose only
vague discernible group talent seems to be attempting to tell stories. They
rely on Google a lot to plug the gaps in their knowledge.
Under the distracted eye of superficially
laid-back boss Sandy (played deliciously by Conleth Hill cutting a West Coast
vibe with distinct Trumpian overtones), fledgling stories come tumbling out.
“Stories are better than ever” declares Sandy, (a conscious or unconscious
paraphrasing of the countrywide ad line used for movies – just before tv crippled
their reign?). There is a great “power jerk” sequence where Sandy blathers on
about nothing for minutes while the group listen in rapt attention – simply because
he’s the one signing their paycheques.
There is manipulation everywhere in this set up;
when Eleanor uses her phone in the room she is pulled up by Arthur Darvill’s
character citing an “honour system”. And later he steals her ideas, as another
steals Josh’s explanation of time. There is no camaraderie here.
There are many unanswered questions here in this
uncertain room. “This is a great job” says Dave (a convincingly slimy Darvill)
several times. Each less convincing than the last. And when Hadley Fraser’s
inside-outsider Josh complains about his ongoing lack of security clearance, it
is he who is made to feel uncomfortable and apologetic.
The group’s participants consciously buy in to
the questionable nature of this setup, including choice phrases like “we’re
behind schedule” and other unquantified expressions designed to pile on the
pressure. When they uncomfortably cross boundaries of the personal/public
spheres, storytellers invoke a “cone of silence” on what they share, and play
the game of trusting it – yet all the time there is someone writing everything
they say into a laptop. The muddling of
truth and lies sits at the crux of all this. “I feel like you think I’ve made
something up” says one of the flakier storytellers who exits the boardroom for
a one-to-one chat with Sandy- and never returns.
Finally, the “project” collapses (rather like the
show’s own ending) as the show returns to the simplicity of Eleanor’s children’s
stories which have an honesty unmatched by anything else, which gives a sense
of relief with which to end the show.
The performances are all of a very high standard,
with Hill and Darvill already mentioned joined by Sinead Matthew as Eleanor and
Imogen Doel as laser-perky PA Sarah.
I particularly enjoyed writer Baker’s scorn for
technology and its fallibility, with the ever dropping out signals reducing an attempted
conversation to a half-empty crossword puzzle. She uses humour along the way
for a variety of effects- from the dumb to the plain weird, which is all
entertaining enough.
I have been intrigued by Baker’s work since THE FLICK sought to consciouslyslow audiences’ attention down, to make them wait, examine the pause, feel the emptiness. Perhaps she was happy to see that so many people never returned for the second act of that show, pitching in at around three and a quarter hours. Here, she almost physically excludes large swathes of the audience, with actors working with their backs to the audience on the long thrust stage. It can feel like Baker treats her audiences in a cavalier manner, but personally I like her audacity.
THE ANTIPODES had a short run at the National Theatre’s Dorfman auditorium, ending on November 23rd
Welcome to November’s show highlights. Here are my picks of the most interesting shows that you can find around London and the UK.
Off-West End
Opening
The new Boulevard Theatre’s opening production is GHOST QUARTET, an intoxicating musical of love, loss and spirits – of both the spectral and alcoholic kind. Three-time Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy’s hauntingly beautiful song cycle is a story about stories themselves; how we tell them, how we hear them, and how they evolve, intertwine and draw us in. With an intriguing cast including Carly Bawden and Zubin Varla this looks set to be a highlight, especially after the triumph of Malloy’s other show, the excellent PRELUDES which played at Southwark Playhouse in October.
But back to GHOST QUARTET. Rose has a problem. She’s been betrayed by her lover, a local tree-dwelling astronomer, with her very own sister. Rose seeks vengeance and a passing bear might just offer the answer. But his services come at a price: a pot of honey, one piece of stardust, a secret baptism – and a photo of a ghost.
A kaleidoscopic journey spanning continents, centuries and the cosmos ensues. But even through the fogs of time and a haze of whiskey, Rose can’t shake the feeling that she’s done this all before…
Dave Malloy is the writer of the Broadway smash-hit Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812. GHOST QUARTET runs until January 4th.
C’est Magnifique! Achieving the near-impossible task of translating a unique French movie to the stage, and doing so in some style, this AMELIE will bring a smile to your lips and warmth to your heart, as we follow our heroine helping others but finding it hardest to help herself. With a tuneful score and dynamic Audrey Brisson as Amelie, this is your passport to joie de vivre. Playing a season at The Other Palace Theatre in London from 29 November to February 1st.
At the Royal Court, Ed Thomas’s ON BEAR RIDGE plays until 23rd November
“One minute we had customers, the next minute there was no-one.”
In a lost village, blurred by redrawn borders, hidden under a crumb on the map, Bear Ridge Stores still stands. After a hundred years, the family butchers and grocers – a place for odds and ends, contraband goods, and the last petrol pump for 30 miles – is now silent.
But owners John Daniel (Rhys Ifans) and Noni (Rakie Ayola) are not leaving. They are defiantly drinking the remaining whiskey and remembering good times, when everyone was on the same side and the old language shone.
Outside in the dark, a figure is making their way towards them.
A semi-autobiographical story about the places we leave behind, the indelible marks they make on us, and the unreliable memories we hold onto.
#WeAreArrested (running from 13 November to 7 December) is Arcola Theatre’s first co-production with the Royal Shakespeare Company. It’s a vital story about the cost of reporting the truth in the age of fake news.
When a journalist is sent a
flash-drive containing critical evidence of illegal government activity, he is
duty-bound to publish the story. But with the nation destabilised and divided,
a sinister power is eroding the rule of law. What price will he pay for
speaking out?
Adapted from the book by Can
Dündar, who was arrested for publishing footage of Turkish State Intelligence
sending weapons into Syria, this deeply personal and universal story finds
urgent new life as authoritarian politics spread across the globe.
“It doesn’t feel like a disease, it feels like… falling in love. Your heart races, and your skin tingles. It’s perfect. At first.”
Running until 23 November, CHEMISTRY receives its European premiere at the Finborough Theatre
Steph struggles with chronic
depression. Jamie just overachieved himself off the deep end. When they meet in
their psychiatrist’s office, sparks fly and they stumble unexpectedly into a
beautiful relationship. But how do you trust someone else when you are already
in a battle with your own brain?
Last year, 70.9 million prescriptions for antidepressants were dispensed in England alone, while, in the United States, an estimated 15.5 million Americans have taken antidepressant medication for at least five years and over. With dark humour, a beautiful soundtrack and captivating visuals, CHEMISTRY is an intimate, frank and uncompromising examination of the chemicals we take and how they impact our ability to love.
GERM FREE ADOLESCENT is an OCD love story that asks: what exactly is ‘normal’ anyway…? Running until November 9th at The Bunker.
Ashley is 16. She’s lived in
Medway for 15 years and 6 months. She has 2,354 leaflets on sexual health. She
knows exactly how many she has, because she’s counted them 1,582 times… At 7.48pm
tonight, she will have been going out with Ollie for exactly 3 months, which he
thinks means it’s time to take their relationship to the next level; especially
given her position as their school’s resident expert on sexual health. But what
if counting leaflets can’t protect Ashley from getting hurt when she decides to
take her biggest risk yet?
1 in 10 young people experience a mental health problem, but how do you go about discussing this with your first boyfriend or girlfriend? Written by Natalie Mitchell, the play draws on her own mental health experiences, and the painful yet often funny stories collected during an extensive research and development process. Fierce and funny, serious and irreverent – this play will resonate with anyone who’s ever worried they’re not “normal.”
“He’ll look different. My little boy. When I get out. Like… to the picture I’ve got in my head. Be like meeting him all over again. Be a whole new start.”
The winner of the annual Papatango New Writing Prize is always worth seeing. This year’s winner, Samuel Bailey’s SHOOK, tenderly and honestly examines the young men society shuts away.
Instead of GCSEs, Cain, Riyad and Jonjo got sentences. Locked up in a young offenders’ institution, they trade sweets, chat rubbish, kill time – and await fatherhood.
Grace’s job is to turn these teenagers into parents, ready to take charge of their futures. But can they grow up quickly enough to escape the system?
Running at Southwark Playhouse until 23rd November.
“I’ve spent so much of my life wondering…passing people on the street… and now, yeah… you’re here”.
A World Premiere written and directed by Olivier Award-winning director Bijan Sheibani (Barber Shop Chronicles, The Brothers Size), THE ARRIVAL plays the Bush Theatre from 21 November to 18 January.
When Tom and Samad meet for
the first time, they are stunned by the similarities they share. In spite of
Tom’s adoption and all the years spent apart, the two brothers are joined by an
undeniable biological bond.
But as they become closer and their lives entangle, they realise that finding each other comes at a price. THE ARRIVAL is a taut family drama about obsession, betrayal and the human need to belong.
Following the sold-out hit MADAME RUBINSTEIN in 2017, Miriam Margolyes returns to Park Theatre in the World Premiere black comedy SYDNEY AND THE OLD GIRL.
Nell and Sydney Stock are at war – and it’s mutually assured destruction. After 50 years cooped up in the same shabby East London house where ghosts of a hard life still linger, the points scored in never ending arguments continue to bind the pair together. And then, there is the not so simple matter of the inheritance…
As the twisted game between mother and son reaches breaking point, the care worker finds herself an unwitting pawn, played from both sides. Nell will stop at nothing for her bitter triumph over Sydney – but he has his own plans on how to end this for ever.
Acerbic humour from the inimitable Miriam Margolyes in a rare London stage performance alongside co-stars Mark Hadfield and Vivien Parry make SYDNEY AND THE OLD GIRL a production worth seeing. Running Until 30 November.
“If I had Wings I’d fly.”
Following a run in Swansea, London audiences have a rare chance to see the renowned stage and screen director Sean Mathias revive his award-winning 1985 play A PRAYER FOR WINGS.
Rita lives in a derelict church in Swansea with her disabled mother, for whom she has been carer since she was ten years old. With Mam suffering from multiple sclerosis, and no family or friends to turn to for support, Rita fills her days with romantic dreams. She yearns for the love of a man, fantasises of escaping on a cruise ship to America and aches to fly away to a life of beauty and love.
With an all-Welsh cast, this mesmerising and darkly entertaining production tells a tale of bravery with startling humour and passion, exploring the intense conflict of care, family and interdependence, set against a woman’s hopes and dreams. The show runs at the King’s Head Theatre until November 23rd.
“I have to draw a new map. I have to be seen. For her. For all of us!“
Since her ordeal five years
ago, nineteen-year-old Nene rarely leaves home. Secure within her mum’s
embrace, Nene now keeps the outside world securely on the other side of her
bedroom window.
But weekly visits from her
best friend Lea start to fill the void and on one unexpected day, when she is
finally beyond the walls of her sanctuary with her vibrant, funny, and spirited
girlfriends, a long-forgotten spark is powerfully reignited in Nene, one which
will change her direction forever…
Chinonyerem Odimba’s poignant and life affirming new play UNKNOWN RIVERS is a testament to the extraordinary powers of female friendship – where there’s turmoil, trauma and hardship, there’s also love, bravery and hope, making it possible to go with the flow… and live. Odimba’s plays include Princess and the Hustler, which is currently on a UK Tour. UNKNOWN RIVERS runs at Hampstead Downstairs until December 7.
Nouveau Riche and Omnibus Theatre present QUEENS OF SHEBA at Battersea Arts Centre from 18 to 23 November.
At a London nightclub in 2015,
the lives of a group of friends were changed forever when confronted with
misogynoir – where sexism meets racism – in its most vicious form.
Turned away from a nightclub
for being “too black”, four passionate women re-affirm the joys of sisterhood
as they tell hilarious, moving and uplifting stories that shed light on the
lives of everyday women battling what shouldn’t be an everyday problem.
Written by Jessica L. Hagan, QUEENS OF SHEBA is an hour-long journey of laughter and reflection.
A HAUNTED EXISTENCEDIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS
Two interesting shows addressing gay history appear in November. The first, running from 7 to 9 November at Battersea Arts Centre, is set in the 1950s.
In A HAUNTED EXISTENCE, Tom Marshman weaves together history and hearsay to highlight turmoil, stigma and heartbreak and tell the story of Britain’s very recent, shameful past, through the lives of gay men living at a time when homosexuality was illegal.
In the early 1950s, 17-year-old Geoffrey Patrick Williamson was on the Exeter-to-Bristol train when he got into a conversation with another man – also travelling in his train compartment – who accused Geoffrey of making ‘improper approaches’. The other man was a Railway Officer in plain clothes. Geoffrey was arrested at the next stop. When questioned, Williamson revealed the names of men he had had sex with, so beginning a domino effect of arrests, prison sentences, aversion therapy and suicide.
Tom Marshman skilfully blends creative technology, music and projection as he retraces a forgotten true story.
At the White Bear Theatre until November 16th is DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS an intriguing show about a film made just after the end of World War One. In 1918-1920, there existed a brief, an ever so brief moment, a mere 20 months when sanity prevailed. Men held hands in public, Moscow and St Petersburg were gay and free from discrimination, and Germany, feeling the full brunt of blame had yet to establish itself.
In that tiny window of opportunity came something quite extraordinary. Four years after “Birth of a Nation”, before Valentino and Garbo there came a full-length motion picture so advanced in its depiction of same-sex love that it could have be written by modern gay rights activists.
The author, Claudio Macor, stumbled across the film on YouTube, gay history that demanded to be told. which inspired his show- the World premiere of DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS.
Off West End – Last Chance
Okay listen up, you have seventy-five years to be all you can be!
LITTLE BABY JESUS, a 2011 work by writer/performer Arinzé Kene, introduces three characters. Joanne is dipped in rudeness, rolled in attitude and is fighting to keep her life afloat. Sensitive and mature he may be, yet Kehinde struggles with an obsession for mixed race girls as he eyes his place on the social ladder. Rugrat, class clown and playground loudmouth, just wants to make it past GCSEs and keep their name on the tip of your tongue.
As their lives collide and intertwine, three extraordinary young people relay the moments they ‘grew up’. Three remarkable stories. Three incredible journeys.
Directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, winner of the JMK Award 2019, LITTLE BABY JESUS runs at the Orange Tree Theatre until 16 November.
Praised as “one of the freshest voices in American theatre” by the New York Times, Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker returns to the National Theatre (following acclaimed runs of her mesmerising shows The Flick and John) with her latest extraordinary play THE ANTIPODES. Their phones switched off, a group of people sit around a table telling, categorising and theorising stories. This is a world that is both familiar and fantastical. Their real purpose is never quite clear, but they continue on, searching for the monstrous. THE ANTIPODES asks what value stories have for a world in crisis. Playing at the National Theatre until 23 November.
FALSETTOS , the double Tony Award winning musical from James Lapine and William Finn finally gets its London premiere (courtesy of Selladoor Productions) at the Other Palace until November 23. Featuring a brilliant cast including Laura Pitt-Pulford (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), Natasha J Barnes (WASTED) and Daniel Boys (AVENUE Q) amongst others.
An amusing and poignant look at a modern family, FALSETTOS revolves around the life of a gay man Marvin, his wife, his lover, his soon to be bar mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbian neighbours, Originally created under the spectre of the AIDS crisis, this ground-breaking musical about family dynamics manages to remain buoyant and significant even as it moves towards its heartbreaking conclusion, which reminds us that love is all that really matters.
Until November 9th With five and four star reviews, Jerry Herman’s classic musical MAME is back- and how! When young Patrick goes to stay with his Auntie Mame, he walks into a fast-living world of fun and and joy. It will be a real treat to see two-time Olivier-winner Tracie Bennett (Follies) (pictured above, top right) as Mame, with the great Tim Flavin (above, left) and Harriet Thorpe (Absolutely Fabulous) (pictured above, centre) as Mame’s “old, old, old friend” Vera Charles. Get set for some high-octane musical fun! The celebrated score includes the rousing title number, plus “Open a New Window,” “If He Walked into My Life,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Bosom Buddies” and “That’s How Young I Feel.” Good to see that rising star producer Katy Lipson -who has now made so many excellent smaller-scale musicals – is starting to move into the bigger shows. Congratulations to everyone involved! MAME plays Hope Mill Theatre till November 9th. The show visits Northampton and Salisbury in January 2020, and must tour the whole country soon!
Touring the UK
If you love the Latin crossover music of Gloria Estefan you will enjoy ON YOUR FEET! It has had mixed but mostly positive reviews, unanimous in the musical content of the show. It looks good and sounds just great, with a brilliant band (worth the price of admission alone) who never let the energy flag.
Featuring 26 hits, this Tony Award nominated show ran on Broadway for two years, for over 750 performances. ON YOUR FEET!is the inspiring true love story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan and charts their journey from Cuba to the streets of Miami and finally to international superstardom. Featuring some of the most iconic pop songs of the era, including “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”, “Conga”, “Get On Your Feet”, “Don’t Want To Lose You Now” and “1-2-3” and many more.
ON YOUR FEET! is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and book by Academy Award® winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman). See it in November at Manchester, Belfast and Norwich before the show takes a break and returns in January 2020 to visit Canterbury and more into May 2020.
November brings two NTLive broadcasts to screens around the UK and further afield. On November 7th The National Theatre’s sold out production of HANSARD will be coming to a venue near you. And from November 28th you can enjoy Andrew Scott in Noel Coward’s PRESENT LAUGHTER, recorded earlier in the year at the Old Vic.
To find screenings in your area check out the schedule of NT Live website, details here.
Other Broadcasts
The recent spectacular West End revival of 42nd STREET will be screened in over 550 cinemas across the UK and Ireland from November 10th
Advertised as “Broadway’s greatest show on London biggest stage”, the production stars Emmerdale‘s Tom Lister (Julian Marsh), Philip Bertioli (Billy Lawlor), Clare Halse (Peggy Sawyer), and Bonnie Langford (Dorothy Brock).
The classic story of 42nd Street follows the lives of performers as they struggle to fulfil their dreams of stardom on Broadway. The show has a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin. It originally ran in London for five years and most recently its revival ran almost two years at the 2200-seat Theatre Royal Drury Lane.
Gaining five and four star reviews from critics and audiences alike, the huge cast of 60 and orchestra of 20 ensure that this will be a spectacular show to enjoy for all the family.
Welcome to October’s show highlights. Here are my picks of the most interesting shows that you can find around London and the UK.
Off-West End
Opening
From October 24th, the new Boulevard Theatre’s opening production is GHOST QUARTET, an intoxicating musical of love, loss and spirits – of both the spectral and alcoholic kind. Three-time Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy’s hauntingly beautiful song cycle is a story about stories themselves; how we tell them, how we hear them, and how they evolve, intertwine and draw us in. With an intriguing cast including Carly Bawden and Zubin Varla this looks set to be a highlight, especially after Malloy’s other successful show, the excellent PRELUDES which is playing at Southwark Playhouse until October 12th (see below).
But back to GHOST QUARTET. Rose has a problem. She’s been betrayed by her lover, a local tree-dwelling astronomer, with her very own sister. Rose seeks vengeance and a passing bear might just offer the answer. But his services come at a price: a pot of honey, one piece of stardust, a secret baptism – and a photo of a ghost.
A kaleidoscopic journey spanning continents, centuries and the cosmos ensues. But even through the fogs of time and a haze of whiskey, Rose can’t shake the feeling that she’s done this all before…
Dave Malloy is the writer of the Broadway smash-hit Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812.
BERYL Discover the inspiring story of Beryl Burton, the greatest woman on two wheels, in this revival of the 2014 trailblazing tale from writer Maxine Peake.
Beryl Burton MBE, OBE – twice World Road-race Champion, five times World Pursuit Champion – was never meant to cycle. In childhood, a serious illness left her with a weakened heart; doctors warned against strenuous exercise for the rest of her life. Yet, at 30, branded ‘the Yorkshire housewife’ and with no financial sponsorship, she became the first sportswoman in history to break a men’s competitive record.
Featuring a host of unforgettable characters and a great big dollop of Northern wit, Peake’s freewheeling play is the extraordinary true story of a woman who pushed at the limits, took on the status quo – and won. Playing at Arcola from 16 October to 16 November.
BABY REINDEER was one of the hits of this year’s Edinburgh Festival. When Edinburgh Comedy Award Winner Richard Gadd (Monkey See Monkey Do) offers a free cup of tea to a stranger, what appears to be a trivial interaction has ramifications far wider than he could ever have imagined.
This is a gripping debut play and chilling personal narrative exploring obsession, delusion, and the aftermath of a chance encounter. Directed by Olivier Award Winner Jon Brittain (Rotterdam), the show plays the Bush Theatre from 9 October to 9 November.
Bertrand Lesca and Nasi Voutsas are the internationally-acclaimed theatre makers behind EUROHOUSE and the award-winning PALMYRA. Their stripped-back shows play with humour, brutality and the impressive ability to flip between the two
Bert and Nasi return with a show entitled ONE. Locked in a deadpan double-act and a polarised world, they are both looking for a way to be together. But they get distracted by squabbles, insults, tap-dancing and one-upmanship. How will it end? You decide.
ONE plays at the Battersea Arts Centre until October 19th
The Finborough Theatre continues its interesting finds from America with the European debut of hit Off-Broadway play THE NICETIES by Eleanor Burgess which runs from 1 to 26 October.
“There is one appropriate way of responding to a woman of color who says, I have an idea to assert, and that is to shut up and listen”
America. 2016. Within the stately office of an elite university two women united by their vision for the future, but divided on how to get there, meet to review a history paper that asks one big question: has America reached the moment for its real, radical, revolution?
When a clash of ideas becomes a complicated discussion about race, the niceties begin to wear thin and one woman is forced to put everything on the line in order to make her case.
As their private dispute explodes into a public war, the devastating consequences of their good intentions are laid bare, as both student and professor ask: Have we left it too late to repair our divided society?
Highly-praised at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, here’s a quick London season for haunting musical ISLANDER, playing at Southwark Playhouse from 2 to 26 October.
Eilidh stares out to sea and dreams of a new life beyond her lonely island. Myth and reality collide when the tide washes a mysterious stranger onto her beach, changing her life forever. Epic storytelling, intimately staged with a contemporary Scottish folk-inspired score.
The two-hander cast of Kirsty Findlay (Olivier Award Nominated, Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour) and Bethany Tennick perform a whole host of characters, while weaving, building and layering their voices using looping technology to create an expansive, ethereal soundscape for the ears and imagination.
Okay listen up, you have seventy-five years to be all you can be!
LITTLE BABY JESUS, a 2011 work by writer/performer Arinzé Kene, introduces three characters. Joanne is dipped in rudeness, rolled in attitude and is fighting to keep her life afloat. Sensitive and mature he may be, yet Kehinde struggles with an obsession for mixed race girls as he eyes his place on the social ladder. Rugrat, class clown and playground loudmouth, just wants to make it past GCSEs and keep their name on the tip of your tongue.
As their lives collide and intertwine, three extraordinary young people relay the moments they ‘grew up’. Three remarkable stories. Three incredible journeys.
Directed by Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, winner of the JMK Award 2019, LITTLE BABY JESUS runs at the Orange Tree Theatre from 18 October to 16 November.
Playing to 19 October at the Greenwich Theatre, BROOKLYN THE MUSICAL was seen in New York in 2004 and now receives its European Premiere, starring Hiba Elchikhe (who was so good in FIVER at the Southwark Playhouse a few months ago) and John Addison (from the West End production of SCHOOL OF ROCK). The show also features Andrew Patrick-Walker (Bat Out of Hell), Sabrina Aloueche (We Will Rock You) and Emily-Mae (The Producers). The cast alone make it worth a look, but as yet I haven’t heard the score.
BROOKLYN THE MUSICALis a story within a story. A band of soulful street singers who meet up to share stories from their lives, and their story tonight: a young Parisian coming to America to search for fame and the father she never knew and the journey she embarks upon to find the soul of the city that bears her name.
Featuring a wide range of rock, pop and soul, these stories interweave to create an inspiring and touching musical that celebrates the energy and spirit of New York City.
Praised as “one of the freshest voices in American theatre” by the New York Times, Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Baker returns to the National Theatre (following acclaimed runs of her mesmerising shows The Flick and John) with her latest extraordinary play THE ANTIPODES. Their phones switched off, a group of people sit around a table telling, categorising and theorising stories. This is a world that is both familiar and fantastical. Their real purpose is never quite clear, but they continue on, searching for the monstrous. THE ANTIPODES asks what value stories have for a world in crisis. Playing at the National Theatre from 21 October to 23 November.
We just haven’t had enough shows about sperm recently. So here, from the folk who brought you the sell-out comedy hit Planet Earth III, PRIVATES: A Sperm Odyssey sees Luke Rollason (“amazingly entertaining” Ed Fest Mag), Christian Brighty (“hilarious” List) and Tom Curzon (“charming” Chortle) perform as three sperm on an adventure as big as life itself.
In this new, award-winning show, these plucky Privates must survive basic training, hostile white blood cells and the most dramatic ejaculation sequence ever seen onstage to be the first to fertilise the egg and become a beautiful baby. A very funny, fantastical and very frank look at how we talk about sex, and why. Playing at the Soho Theatre on October 31 to November 2nd.
Sometimes I wake up in the morning and all the missed opportunities of my life stare at me, grind me down until I’m nothing. Nothing but dust.
A new darkly comic, absurdist play by James Mannion, MITES is a sinister exploration of the manipulation that lies beneath relationships, in particular of those who are mentally vulnerable in society.
A lonely woman, abandoned by her husband, lives in an isolated house with her outspoken, anthropomorphic cat, Bartholomew. One day she is visited by Ken, a Pest Controller, who claims to be her ex-husband returned to her. Deceived by his lies and obsessed with memories of the past, the woman accepts Ken into her life, despite the sceptical protestations of Bartholomew. As her self-deception grows and Ken’s true intentions become clear, how will she survive the competitive machinations of her two male companions? And is there more to Bartholomew than meets the eye? MITES plays at the Tristan Bates Theatre from 7 to 26 October.
Off West End – Last Chance
Until October 12thFAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY is an unmissable, quietly devastating look at the dereliction of the UK’s social service through a hugely compassionate lens. In a run-down community hall on the edge of town, a woman has been cooking lunch for those in need. A choir is starting up, run by a volunteer who’s looking for a new beginning. A mother is seeking help in her fight to keep her young daughter from being taken into care. An older man sits silently in the corner, the first to arrive, the last to leave. Outside the rain is falling.
FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY is the culmination of a trilogy that began with BEYOND CARING – ‘Unforgettable’ (The Times) – and followed by LOVE – ‘the National’s play of the year, and then some’ (Evening Standard). Alexander Zeldin’s new play goes to the heart of our uncertain times. Playing at the National’s Dorfman Theatre from until October 12th.
Until October 12thPRELUDES is mesmerising – a true original. Based on a true story of the composer genius Rachmaninoff’s sessions of hypnotherapy, PRELUDES is an intriguing new musical by three-time Tony Award-nominee Dave Malloy (Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Ghost Quartet). It examines the crippling debilitation and harm the world can do to people, and how the dramatic and musical process can be used as therapy to restore them back into the fullest of creative lives. PRELUDES runs until October 12th at Southwark Playhouse.
Until October 12thANNA BELLA EEMA “Something is coming. It’s either the interstate or the end of the world”. Precocious child Annabella lives in a deserted trailer park. Schooled by her eccentric mother Irene, she learns to co-exist with the vampires, werewolves and monsters that lurk in the world outside. Desperate to ward off the new highway that threatens the demolition of their home, Annabella steps outside to build a girl out of mud. The girl comes to life. The girl is Anna Bella Eema.
Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour’s (Detroit, National Theatre) part ghost story, part fairytale, part coming-of-age fantasy, ANNA BELLA EEMA plays at the Arcola until October 12th.
Until October 13thTORCH SONG, Harvey Fierstein’s Tony-winning play about the life and loves of a drag artist in 1970s New York runs until October 13th at the Turbine Theatre in Battersea, next to the Power Station. This inaugural production at the venue is directed by Olivier-winner Drew McOnie
Until October 5thFOR SERVICES RENDERED A warm September afternoon in an idyllic English village. Tea is served on the terrace. Sounds of a tennis party float across the lawn. But this England has no place for the heroes of the First World War. No jobs to sustain them, no mantelpieces for their medals, and no money for their debts. Against the odds, three sisters must carve new paths in an uncertain world.
Somerset Maugham’s sharply observed and passionate play is a Chekhovian examination of desire, frustration and hope.
FOR SERVICES RENDERED runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre until October 5th, and is directed by JST’s Artistic Director, Tom Littler.
Continuing
FALSETTOS , the double Tony Award winning musical from James Lapine and William Finn finally gets its London premiere (courtesy of Selladoor Productions) at the Other Palace until November 23rd. Featuring a brilliant cast including Laura Pitt-Pulford (LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE), Natasha J Barnes (WASTED) and Daniel Boys (AVENUE Q) amongst others.
An hilarious and poignant look at a modern family, FALSETTOS revolves around the life of a gay man Marvin, his wife, his lover, his soon to be bar mitzvahed son, their psychiatrist, and the lesbian neighbours, Originally created under the spectre of the AIDS crisis, this ground-breaking musical about family dynamics manages to remain buoyant and satirically perceptive even as it moves towards its heartbreaking conclusion, which reminds us that love is all that really matters.
West End Opening
Opening October 8th Stephen Mangan leads this restyling (by comedy specialist Sean Foley) of the classic 1951 Ealing comedy THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT which originally starred Alec Guinness. All about a scientist who creates a miracle fibre which doesn’t wear out, the discovery is seized upon by both the mill owners and the trades unions who all want to suppress it. It will be intriguing to see how Foley works with the fifties nature of the story and manages to bring his own quirky eye to the story details. Reuniting Foley with Stephen Mangan, (they worked together on JEEVES AND WOOSTER to great success in 2016), this will be an interesting experiment in itself.
Opening Outside London
Manchester
Until November 9th Manchester is excited for this – and me too. After 50 years Jerry Herman’s classic musical MAME is back! When young Patrick goes to stay with his Auntie Mame, he walks into a fast-living world of fun and and joy. It will be a real treat to see two-time Olivier-winner Tracie Bennett (Follies) (pictured above, top right) as Mame, with the great Tim Flavin (above, left) and Harriet Thorpe (Absolutely Fabulous) (pictured above, centre) as Mame’s “old, old, old friend” Vera Charles. Get set for some high-octane musical fun! The celebrated score includes the rousing title number, plus “Open a New Window,” “If He Walked into My Life,” “We Need a Little Christmas,” “Bosom Buddies” and “That’s How Young I Feel.” Good to see that rising star producer Katy Lipson -who has now made so many excellent smaller-scale musicals – is starting to move into the bigger shows. Great good wishes from me to everyone involved! Previews from September 28th and playing till November 9th. The show visits Northampton and Salisbury in January 2020, and must tour the whole country soon!
Salisbury
5th – 29th OctoberHere is a most welcome revival of BREAKING THE CODE, a play first seen in 1986 when it starred Derek Jacobi. At the height of the Second World War eccentric genius Alan Turing was breaking the complex German code, Enigma, at Bletchley Park. Since his work was classified top secret for years after the war, no one knew how much was owed to him when he was later put on trial and publicly humiliated by the revelation of his sexuality. Hugh Whitemore’s compelling play intertwines an account of Turing’s most heroic hour with that of his betrayal by the nation he had helped in its darkest hour. Turing’s story went on to be told in the 2014 Oscar-winning film The Imitation Game, starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
Breaking the Code stars Edward Bennett and Julian Firth and is directed by Christian Durham.
Touring the UK
C’est Magnifique! Achieving the near-impossible task of translating a unique French movie to the stage, and doing so in some style, this UK tour of AMELIE will bring a smile to your lips and warmth to your heart, as we follow our heroine helping others but finding it hardest to help herself. With a tuneful score and dynamic Audrey Brisson as Amelie, this is your passport to joie de vivre. See it in October at Southampton until October 5th when the tour ends. The show then prepares for a transfer to London in November for a Christmas season at The Other Palace.
If you love the Latin crossover music of Gloria Estefan you will enjoy ON YOUR FEET! It has had mixed but mostly positive reviews, unanimous in the musical content of the show. It looks good and sounds just great, with a brilliant band (worth the price of admission alone) who never let the energy flag.
Featuring 26 hits, this Tony Award nominated show ran on Broadway for two years, for over 750 performances. ON YOUR FEET!is the inspiring true love story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan and charts their journey from Cuba to the streets of Miami and finally to international superstardom. Featuring some of the most iconic pop songs of the era, including “Rhythm is Gonna Get You”, “Conga”, “Get On Your Feet”, “Don’t Want To Lose You Now” and “1-2-3” and many more.
ON YOUR FEET! is directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and book by Academy Award® winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman). See it in October at Sunderland, Edinburgh, Sheffield, Cardiff and Manchester.
October brings another NTLive broadcast to screens around the UK and further afield. On October 17th The Bridge Theatre’s highly-acclaimed production of A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM will be coming to a venue near you.
To find screenings in your area check out the schedule of NT Live website, details here.
