All the Latest Theatre News and Reviews from Concierge Desk

Archive for April, 2010

Trafalgar Studios

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Theatre tickets are still on sale for Harold Pinter’s compelling play The Caretaker at Trafalgar Studios, starring Jonathan Pryce as Davies.

The Caretaker premiered in 1960 at The Arts Theatre, before transferring to the Duchess Theatre. Pinter’s sixth play, it was the first to receive commercial success, and began his career as one of Britain’s most revered playwrights.

The Caretaker takes place in a dilapidated West London flat. After rescuing Davies, who turns out to be a tramp, from a bar fight, Aston invites him back to the flat. When Mike, Aston’s brother, returns he assumes Davies to be an intruder and attacks him. Mind and power games ensue between the two brothers and Davies in this terrific comedy.

Also at Trafalgar Studios London theatre is Holding The Man, based on the autobiographical book by Tim Conigrave, receives its West End Premiere.

The play, which has received great acclaim in Australia, tells the love story of Tim and John. Their relationship starts at an all-male school in Melbourne, and as they grow up together, discrimination, temptation and loss are thrown their way, all of which they survive. But there is one thing they can’t.

Booking is currently open for Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train by Stephen Adley Guirgis, brought to Trafalgar Studios by Synergy Theatre Project. Two convicts Lucius and Angel fight their demons as they face charges of murder.

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The Hampstead Theatre London

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

The Hampstead Theatre in London has been known for new writing for over fifty years. It is also renowned for experimental and contemporary adaptations, and will continue the trend this summer when theatre tickets go on sale and Tamasha, a British Asian theatre company, returns to the Hampstead with a Pakistan-set interpretation of seminal Spanish drama The House of Bernada Alba, written in 1963 by Federico Garcia Lorca.

The House of Bilquis Bibi features and all-female cast of nine actresses. The play centres on a widow, who imposes an eight year period of mourning upon her household, and her five daughters, whom she controls to an excessive degree. The daughters’ isolation is aggravated further by the period of mourning, and causes the tension to mount within the family.

The play is relocated to the Punjab region of Pakistan, in present day Jhang. Co-founders and artistic directors of Tamasha Sudha Bhuchar (writer) and Kristin Landon-Smith (director) report the town of Jhang to be “steeped in the popular tragic romance of Heer and Ranjha”.

Previous work from Tamasha includes a Bollywood style musical adaptatation of Wuthering Heights, also at The Hampstead theatre in London, and the hit film East is East. The company has recently announced a new season which includes Propeller at the Gate Theatre, a sequence of work-in-progress performances. The company is also working on ‘theatre circus’, a production exploring London’s long history and change, for the 2012 Olympics.

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Warhorse Extends

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

The multi award winning production of Warhorse, staged by The National Theatre, has extended its run thanks to ongoing theatre ticket sales. The show continues to sell out at Central London’s New London Theatre, delighting audiences of all ages with the heart wrenching tale of a horse drafted to fight in battle during World War One.

Warhorse premiered at The South Bank theatre in London back in October 2007, to a phenomenal response from audiences and critics. The production is co-directed by National Theatre resident director Marianne Elliot, and Tom Morris. With movement from Tom Sedgwick, Warhorse incorporates stunning puppetry to recreate the life of a horse from birth through to his journey for survival in the war. Music is by Adrian Sutton, lighting from Paule Constable and Rae Smith has designed the show.

Taken from the 1982 children’s book by Michael Morpurgo, Nick Stafford’s stage adaptation tells the story of Joey, a horse given to and trained by his loving friend and owner Albert, before being sold to the Calvary to fight in the Great War. Joey is shipped to France to fight, but Albert – who is too young to enlist – follows him on a perilous journey, determined to bring Joey home.

The play is also transferring to Broadway next year, and is set to play at The Lincoln Centre Theatre and The Vivian Beaumont Theatre in New York. Booking dates and casting are soon to be announced.

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Jersey Boys

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Jersey Boys continues its success at The Prince of Wales Theatre in the West End, with theatre tickets continuing to sell as it moves into its second year.

Imported from Broadway, this musical shows the true tale of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, as they fight their way from the wrong side of the New Jersey tracks to become an International pop sensation. The Four Seasons wrote all their own music and sold 175 million records all over the world before they were thirty years old.

Premiering in the UK on 18th March 2008 with theatre tickets selling at more than impressive rates, Jersey Boys has delighted audiences with familiar hits such as “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, “Oh What a Night”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Working My Way Back To You”, to name but a few. It won four Tony awards on Broadway for best musical, and the UK show received four Whatsonstage.com awards in 2009. Not only is that, but last years Olivier Awards named Jersey Boys Best New Musical.

Jersey Boys is also celebrating the addition of two new cast members. Eugene McCoy (Guys and Dolls, Mamma Mia!) will replace Philip Bulcock as Nick Massi, whilst Tommy Devito will be played by  Jon Boydon (Grease, We Will Rock You), who takes over from Glenn Carter. Stephen Ashfield and Ryan Molloy continue their award-winning performances as Bob Gaudio and Frankie Valli.

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