Theatre News

Key South-East Openings – 1-13 June 2009

Anne Morley-Priestman

Opening I June. The Winslow Boy starts its national tour at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge. This intelligent new production by Stephen Unwin of Terence Rattigan‘s 1946 drama is superbly cast with Timothy West as the father of the naval cadet accused of theft, Claire Cox as his feisty daughter Catherine and Adrian Lukis as the barrister politician who becomes involved with their quest not just for justice but that right should be done, and be seen to be done. It runs until 6 June.

Opening 2 June. Write Me a Murder by Frederick Knott is also on a national tour which begins at the Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage. The cast of this thriller, full of all the plot twists which you would expect from the author of Wait Until Dark and Dial M for Murder, is led by Leslie Grantham and Christopher Villiers. The Stevenage run ends on 6 June but you can catch it at the Arts Theatre, Cambridge between 29 June and 4 July or at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester from 13 to 18 July.

Opening 2 June. The Comedy of Errors is the popular Shakespeare’s Globe production of the bard’s early farcical comedy based on one by the Roman author Plautus. Appropriately enough, it’s at the beautiful Georgian Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds until 7 June and then is played out-of-doors in the Master’s Garden of Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge from 18 to 23 August.

Opening 2 June. Beauty and the Beast in the stage version based on the Disney’s film of the same name plays at the Cliffs Pavilion, Southend as part of UK Productions’ current national tour. Many of Alan Menken‘s tunes are already well-known through previous productions but this is a chance to hear them in context. It runs until 6 June.

Opening 10 June. Deceptions is a new play by Paul Wheeler which starts its national tour at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester on 10 June. It’s a co-production with Ian Fricker and tells the story of a psychiatrist (played by Michelle Collins) and her latest patient, a young man with his own take on the nuances of psychology (Rupert Hill). What begins as a routine consultation ends as being something far more disturbing. The Colchester run continues until 20 June.

Opening 13 June. (preview on 12 June) Alice in Wonderland in a new adaptation by John Gardiner takes to the parks of south-east England, starting at the Sue Ryder Garden in Ely. This new production has music by Simon Humphreys and should be an excellent introduction to the Carroll fantasy for the young as well as stirring memories in older members of the audience. Cambridge Touring Theatre, judging by previous productions, is an ensemble which has learnt the difficult art of balancing children’s expectations with those of their parents. Costuming has always one of the group’s strengths. It’s out and about until 2 Augus