The Old Vic is currently enjoying success with the Norman Conquests by Alan Ayckbourn and its planning to keep the special conversion to a theatre in the round for its next two productions in the New Year.
Kevin Spacey, the theatre’s Artistic Director returns to directing for the first time since the opening show of his reign, ‘Cloaca’ in 2004.

Running from the 22 January to 21 February, ‘Complicit’ by Joe Sutton is a contemporary political play about Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ben Kritzer, who finds himself hauled in front of a Supreme Court Special Prosecutor.

Following on from that production, opening on 5 March and scheduled to run until 9 May is a revival of Brian Friel’s ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’. The play is set in Donegal in the 1930s and tells the story of the five Mundy sisters. The cast includes Niamh Cusack, Andrea Corr, Susan Lynch and Michelle Fairley. It will be directed by Anna Mackmin.

After that, director Sam Mendes’ Bridge Project productions of The Winter’s Tale and Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, performed by an Anglo-American company led by Simon Russell Beale, Sinead Cusack and Hollywood star Ethan Hawke take over.

It looks like there will be even more theatre tickets to add to your Christmas present list.

It was only a few months ago that Ken Stott was in the West End in Yasmina Reza’s comedy, ‘God of Carnage’. Now he’s set to return from 5 February 2009 in a revival of Arthur Miller’s ‘View From the Bridge’. It will play at the Duke of York’s theatre.

Stott will play modern day tragic hero Eddie Carbone, the longshoreman who cares too much for his adopted daughter and descends from being a respected member of the community to a shell of a man.

The play was first produced in 1955 and last in the West End in 1995. The new production will be directed by Lindsay Posner, whose revival of ‘Carousel’ starring Lesley Garrett transfers to the Savoy Theatre this December. Posner’s other West end credits include ‘Oleanna’, ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, ‘A Life in the Theatre’, ‘Fool For Love’ and ‘The Birthday Party’.

Stott’s other stage credits include ‘The Misanthrope’, ‘Faith Healer’ and the original production of ‘Art’. He is perhaps best known for television shows like ‘Rebus’ and ‘Messiah’. He was also in the film’ ‘Charlie Wilson’s War’.

Miller’s ‘The Man Who Had All the Luck’ was revived at the Donmar Warehouse earlier this year.
2009 looks set to be a great year for the sale of theatre tickets.

BOOK THEATRE TICKETS FOR LA CLIQUE

Burlesque is currently one of the in demand genres of entertainment and fashion and La Clique ticks all the boxes. It is an eclectic mix of cabaret, exhibition, movement, sideshow, humour and dance and it is well worth a look.

Having just opened at the Hippodrome, Leicester Square, La Clique is only booking until February 1st 2009 so you should buy tickets now in order to see what all the fuss is about!

La Clique has been hugely popular at Edinburgh Fringe in recent years and has wowed audiences all over the world including Sydney, Montreal, Dublin and New York.

This is an irrestible show that is highly charged and highly entertaining with acts such as Captain Frodo (the Norweigan Contortionist), the Spanish stripper Ursula Martinez, London’s Miss Behave and Montreal’s Cabaret Decadanse with its’ mix of sensuous dance and Conrad the French transvestite and Lorraine ‘the old pro’.

Young and old alike can be assured of thoroughly enjoying La Clique but due to some nudity and risque moments, anyone under the age of 18 will not be permitted.

BOOK THEATRE TICKETS FOR LA CLIQUE

A stage version of the award winning Miramax  film ‘Calendar Girls’ is currently on tour and will open in the West End in the new Year, and run from 4 April to 27 June 2009 at the Noel Coward Theatre replacing ‘Avenue Q ‘, which is due to close after almost 3 years.

Patricia Hodge plays Annie (the part played by Julie Walters in the film) and Lynda Bellingham plays Chris (Helen Mirren on screen). They are joined by Gaynor Faye, Julia Hills, Elaine C Smith, Sian Phillips, Brigit Forsyth, Joan Blackham, Abby Francis, Gary Lilburn, Gerard McDermot  and Carl Prekopp.

Tim Firth wrote the film and has adapted it for the stage. His previous hits include ‘Neville’s Island’ which has become a staple of regional theatres. The play is directed by Hamish McColl, costumes by Emma Williams, designed by Robert Jones, music by Steve Parry and lighting by Malcolm Rippeth.

It is produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers who have promised that the £1.50 booking fee charged on London tickets will go, in full, to Leukaemia Research.

‘Calendar Girls’ tells the true story of a Woman’s Institute in Yorkshire whose members decided to pose naked for a charity calendar.

This promises to be a great London show in more ways than one.