Theatre News

Opening: Umbrellas, Incredible & Remembrance

Editorial Staff
London's West End Off-West End

Amongst the major London openings, in the West End and further afield, this week are:

OPENING TUESDAY, 22 March 2011 (previews from 5 March), Kneehigh’s adaptation of Michel Legrand’s 1964 French film musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, starring Joanna Riding and cabaret artist Meow Meow and helmed by artistic director Emma Rice, transfers to the West End’s Gielgud Theatre, where it’s initially booking for a 30-week season through to 1 October 2011.

ALSO ON TUESDAY (previews from 17 March), new dance work The Most Incredible Thing, based on the Hans Christian Andersen story, choreographed and directed by Javier de Frutos and with music by chart-topping pop duo Pet Shop Boys, premieres at Sadler’s Wells, with a run to 26 March.

OPENING WEDNESDAY, 23 March 2011 (previews from 18 March), Latvian Aleksey Scherbak’s Remembrance Day is presented as part of the international season in the Royal Court Upstairs, running until 16 April.

OPENING THURSDAY, 24 March 2011 (previews from 23 March), women’s theatre company Clean Break return to the Soho Theatre building on the success of last year’s “Charged” season with a re-staging of three plays. “Re-Charged” includes Dancing Bears, That Almost Unnameable Lust and Fatal Light and will continue until 9 April.

OPENING FRIDAY, 25 March 2011 (previews from 22 March), Howard Goodall and Charles Hart’s The Kissing Dance, a musical adaptation of Oliver Goldsmith’s classic 1773 comedy She Stoops to Conquer, gets its professional premiere at Jermyn Street Theatre, where it runs to 23 April.

ALSO ON FRIDAY (previews from 23 March), Theatre503 open Neil Fleming‘s The Consultant. Drawing on his own experience as a journalist and consultant, Fleming explores the usefulness and value of management consultants against the backdrop of George Osborne’s cuts. Directed by Geoff Church, it runs until 16 April.

ALSO ON FRIDAY (previews from 22 March), the author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres‘ only play receives its professional premiere at Southwark Playhouse. Sunday Morning at the Centre of the World pays homage to a time de Bernières spent in Earlsfield, South London. Directed by Amy Draper, it runs until 16 April.

OPENING SUNDAY, 27 March 2011, Ian Marshall Fisher’s annual Lost Musicals season, showcasing a number of long-forgotten shows, launches at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells with The Band Wagon, a 1931 revue written for Fred and Adele Astaire.