Theatre News

Off-West End Announcements – 22 Jan 2010

Double The Dream

Judi Dench has
attracted so much publicity for the forthcoming production of A
Midsummer Night’s Dream
at the Rose, you’d think all other companies
would be scared off the piece. Bravo to Chickenshed then, who have bravely
announced a revival of their version to run concurrently with the Rose show
from 12-27 March. Trust the Cockfosters crew to find a fresh take on Shakespeare’s
fairy comedy. There’s nothing like a dame? Let’s wait and see, shall we.

Slaves to Fortune at 503

Theatre 503 starts the year as it means to go on with
Slaves (26 January –
20 February), a new and unflinching portrait of prison life by Rex Obana. As one
of the inaugural members of the 503Five, Obana was selected from hundreds of unproduced
playwrights for a year-long residency. He began Slaves while
working at HMP Wandsworth, drawing on the shared sense of fear between prisoners
and staff. Nadia Latif of the Tabular Rasa Theatre directs.

Greenwich Sticks LaBute In

More hard love next month at Greenwich Theatre, which receives
Dialogue’s acclaimed Neil LaBute

double bill, now combined into a trilogy with the UK
premiere of The Furies. Dialogue drew rave reviews for
Land of the Dead and Helter Skelter at
the Bush last year. The writer’s latest play treads more familiar ground – emotional
terrorism in modern day New York City. The Greenwich run from 23-27 February
comes mid-way through a tour of 12 venues nationwide.

Three’s A Lucky Number

Another trilogy beckons in the form of Durang
Durang
at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 15 Feburary – 6 March. Sample
one of New York’s most celebrated playwrights Christopher Durang, courtesy of Mind
The Gap Theatre Company and a mixed UK/US cast, marshalled by emerging director
Alicia-Dhyana House. And if three Durang plays weren’t enough for you,
performances will be followed by After Laugh, live comedy featuring
Edinburgh award-winners at 9pm.

And Finally…

Another new play from another new playwright. Ashmeed
Sohoye’s Rigged gets an outing at the Oval House after
impressing at the Unicorn last autumn. Central character Nathan has anger
issues, an addiction to fruit machines and an ASBO for criminal damage. Working
closely with Year 11 students, Sohoye wrote the play while resident literary
manager at Theatre Royal Stratford East. A full production team led by director
Natalie Wilson brings his vision to life from 16-20 February.