Champagne is flowing in Sloane Square while cash and coke change hands in the back alleys of Soho. City trader Jonny slinks effortlessly through the city's dark underbelly, on the prowl for new and dangerous experiences. Desired, depraved and dragging his reluctant intern behind him, he leaves a trail of broken hearts and barristers' blood in his wake. Sung in a new English translation and set in the pre-credit crunch days of the early noughties, this is a heady mix of sex, violence and beautiful music. A fantastic new collaboration between Soho Theatre and the UK's hottest opera company, OperaUpClose, Winner of the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Opera Production for their brilliantly re-magined La Boheme.
Set in the notorious 18th Century lunatic asylum that gives the play its name, Bedlam is the story of how a cruel and unusual institution starts to crumble, after the arrival of an unassuming country girl.Nell Leyshon’s new play is an anarchic tale of madness and sanity, authority and incarceration and the arbitrary lines that separate them.Full of violence, romance and reverie, Bedlam made history in September 2010 when it became the first ever production by a female writer to be staged at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.
In 1930s Berlin – an intriguing city of Jazz and overground cabaret overpowered by the rise of Hitler and World War II – the daughter of a Jewish family falls in love with their black shabbes goy (a term used for those who assist Jews on the Sabbath with tasks forbidden to Jews within Jewish law). Fast-forward to the tale of a mixed-race couple in seemingly unprejudiced modern-day Brooklyn, where the same family is coping with a number of calamities. Shalom Baby is a touching and very funny exploration of love, family and friendship.
‘The Gulf is a graveyard. But come on in, the water’s fine… You’re coming with me on one fiery fucking bronco ride. Ask me nicely, and I’ll let you be on top.’Based loosely on the testimonies of more than one hundred Gulf of Mexico residents, We’re Gonna Make You Whole is a passionate magical-real political drama that follows the lives of five people brought together by environmental tragedy. Set in Louisiana, the play examines how the petrochemical industries have forever altered the lives and livelihoods of the people of the Gulf of Mexico.
Anne Elliot fell deeply in love with a handsome young naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, at the age of nineteen. But because he had neither fortune nor rank to recommend him, Anne’s mentor and friend, Lady Russell, persuaded her to break off the engagement. Eight years later, Anne has lived to regret her decision. She never stopped loving Frederick – and when he returns from sea a Captain, she can only watch as every eligible young woman falls at his feet. Can the pair rekindle a love that was lost but not forgotten? This new adaptation was commissioned and first produced by Salisbury Playhouse in 2011.
In this absurd and forceful play, two brothers, one weak, one strong, play out a primal scene of envy, cruelty and torture as the strong exerts his power and aggression over the weak. Involuntarily, the audience finds itself complicit in the brutality witnessed onstage through Gambaro's command of a powerful and irresistible black humour. Here the absurd becomes a harrowing metaphor of the most pure and raw reality. First performed in 1967, this is an early, yet startling brilliant, work by the internationally acclaimed Argentine playwright, Griselda Gambaro. Siamese Twins runs at Theatro Technis , London, 7-25 September 2011.
Monologues are an essential part of every actor’s toolkit. Actors are required to perform monologues regularly throughout their career: preparing for drama school entry, showcasing skills for agents or auditioning for a role. Following on from the bestselling first volume (2008), this book showcases selected monologues from some of the finest modern plays by some of today’s leading contemporary playwrights. These monologues contain a diverse range of quirky and memorable characters that cross cultural and historical boundaries. The pieces are helpfully organised into age-specific groups: ‘Teens’, ‘Twenties’, ‘Thirties’ and ‘Forties plus’.
Should some secrets never be kept no matter what the cost? Five women come together to help clear out a run-down cottage a week before the wedding of its new owner, Una. Joining her on this hen night of sorts are her two best friends, Kelly and Triona, her soon to be mother-in-law, Olive, and Olive’s best friend, Anta. But Una is keeping a secret that, if revealed, will destroy all hopes of her dream wedding and living happily ever after with the love ofher life. As the play unfolds we see the women, one by one, forced to confront awkward truths of their own.
Number 6: Thai soup with chicken, coconut milk, Thai ginger, tomatoes, button mushrooms, lemon grass and lemon leaves (hot). On a typical evening, anywhere in Europe, you walk into your local Thai/Chinese/Vietnamese restaurant, and the whole world is there. Everyone connected to everyone else, through this one place… The Golden Dragon is a funny and theatrical fable of modern life and migration, whisking you from your local takeaway to East Asia and back, revealing what really goes into that bowl of spicy soup. Are you hungry yet?
‘There’s no business like show business…’ How to Produce a West End Show demystifies the working world of live theatre. This is an insider account that maps an entry route into the industry and examines the challenges faced by West End producers. • How to budget and finance a show • How to assemble a cast and creative team • How to work with writers, directors and designers • How to book a West End theatre and a pre-West End tour • How to advertise and market your show A compelling read for anyone who works in or is interested in the theatre.