Key North-East Openings this March

OPENING 2 March 2011, Bus Stop , by William Inge, directed by James Dacre at Stephen Joseph Theatre.

A major Broadway hit and a classic of 1950s America, this warmhearted, wise and moving comedy became the iconic film starring Marilyn Monroe. Concerned with the extraordinary drama of ordinary lives, it follows the story of a night club singer and a rodeo star when they find themselves stranded at a bus stop 40 miles west of Kansas City.  The limited season continues until 12 March 2011.

OPENING 5 March 2011, Yerma by Federico García Lorca at West Yorkshire Playhouse.

Quercus Award winner Róisín McBrinn directs a new adaptation by Ursula Rani Sarma.  Transplanted from the suffocating heat of Spain to a barren landscape much closer to home; Lorca’s savagely beautiful play brings Yerma’s anguishinto heart-breaking focus. As the years pass, and the village women’s chorus of gossip about her at her childless marriage grows ever louder, Yerma’s happy relationship disintegrates, forcing her to one last irrevocable act. The limited season continues until 26 March 2011.

OPENING 16 March 2011, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, by Edward Albee, directed by Erica Whyman at The Crucible Theatre.

Set in the early 1960s, Edward Albee’s explosive play captures the mood of a society on the brink of massive change. Ferociously funny and emotionally raw, this is a compelling rollercoaster ride into the darkest depths of love and marriage. The limited season continues until 7 April 2011.

– Joanne Hartley