Theatre News

Opening: Bollywood, Boom!, Pandora & Shrunk

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

OPENING TUESDAY, 18 May 2010, a modern-dress version of Euripides’ Hippolytus, adapted by David Crook, opens at Kennington’s White Bear Theatre, where it continues to 13 June 2010.


OPENING WEDNESDAY, 19 May 2010, Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram’s classic children’s tales Guess How Much I Love You are brought to life by David Wood at the Rose Theatre, Kingston. It continues until 23 May, as part of a national tour.

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY, The Merchants of Bollywood charts the history of the world’s largest and most prolific film industry at the Peacock Theatre. Featuring a cast of 40 performers, the show is a “riot of swirling colours, high-energy music and sensational dance scenes”, choreographed by one of Bollywood’s top young choreographers, Vaibhavi Merchant. Until 5 June.


OPENING THURSDAY, 20 May 2010 (previews from 18 May), Jonathan Larson‘s multi award-winning musical Tick… Tick… Boom!,
about a young composer on the brink of turning 30 and falling into
oblivion, is revived at the Union Theatre, with a three-strong cast of
Leanne Jones (Hairspray), [Ashley Campbell and Adam Ryhs-Davies. Until 5 June.

ALSO ON THURSDAY, direct from New York and presented in association with Johannesburg’s Market Theatre, the body puppet-based show Elephant makes its London debut at Greenwich Theatre.

ALSO ON THURSDAY (previews from 18 May), Napoleon Noir, a new play by Marcus Heath exploring the life of Haitian revolutionary Toussaint L’Overture and featuring the Mighty Zulu Nation Dancers, premieres at Lost Theatre in Wandsworth, continuing for a three-week run.


OPENING FRIDAY, 21 May 2010 (previews from 18 May), Pandora, comprising five tales woven from real life local stories by writer Jennie Buckman, opens at the Arcola Theatre. Until 12 June.

ALSO ON FRIDAY, Shrunk, a darkly comic two-hander examining the responsibility of the psychoanalyst and therapeutic accountability written by Olivier Award-winner Charlotte Eilenberg (The Lucky Ones) opens at the Cock Tavern Theatre, running until 12 June 2010.