Theatre News

Key Openings in the South-East Region This Fortnight

Among the more interesting openings in the South-East this fortnight are:

OPENING 2 July (previews from 29 June). Getting Here by Ivan Cutting bills itself as a promenade performance in two rooms and a corridor. It’s the summer touring production from Eastern Angles, of which Cutting is the artistic director, and is based on local real-life stories, especially those of the region’s migrant communities. Performances from 2 to 12 July are at Isaac’s Bar, a restored merchant’s house from the Tudor period on Wherry Quay. It then tours Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex until 25 July.

OPENING 6 July. High School Musical at the Norwich Theatre Royal. This stage version of the Disney Channel musical is for the young-at-heart whatever their ages in real years. It was a sell-out success at the theatre last year and returns by popular request. The run at Norwich ends on 11 July.

OPENING 8 July. Horrid Henry – Live and Horrid at the Cambridge Arts Theatre. It’s based, of course, on the books by Francesca Simon with illustrations by Tony Ross as well as the CITV television series. This stage adaptation is by John Godber, no less, and recently had a season in London. There are matinée and early evening performances until 11 July.

OPENING 9 July. Cymbeline is one of Shakespeare’s less well-known plays with most of the action taking place in a somewhat hazy version of Britain between the first thwarted invasion by Julius Caesar and Claudius’ more successful landings some 50 years later. It’s a touring production from Theatre Set-Up who specialise in open-air productions and has just been seen in Belgium, The Netherlands and Switzerland. After Bury St Edmunds Theatre Royal on 9 July it goes to Buckden Towers in Cambridgeshire (10 July), the Roman theatre at Verulamium (that’s St Albans to you and me) and Ingatestone Hall in Essex on 14 July.

OPENING 9 July. The Fisherman and the Turtle by Pat Whymark and Julian Harries comes to the New Wolsey Theatre Studio in Ipswich as part of this year’s Ip-Art Festival (the Ipswich performances of Getting Here are also a festival event). It’s a Common Ground production; the company is Lincoln-based but this particular story has Japanese roots.