Theatre News

Opening: Canary, Henry VIII, Paradise & Sons

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

OPENING TONIGHT, Monday 24 May 2010 (previews from 19 May),  Jonathan Harvey’s new play Canary, set in Liverpool over five decades, has its London premiere at Hampstead Theatre, where it continues to 12 June as part of a national tour.

ALSO TONIGHT (previews from 15 May), Henry VIII opens at Shakespeare’s Globe with Dominic Rowan as the meaty monarch. It’s the first time the play has been staged at the new Globe – a production of it in 1613 caused the original venue to burn down when a cannon misfired.

ALSO TONIGHT (previews from 22 May), the Cock Tavern in Kilburn presents Swing, an immediate response to this month’s general election (See News, 30 Apr 2010).


OPENING TUESDAY, 25 May 2010, Northern Broadsides’ production of The Canterbury Tales visits the Rose Theatre, Kingston this week (until 29 May) as part of a national tour.

ALSO ON TUESDAY, Bend it Like Beauty, a World Cup satire by South African Ben Voss, begins performances at the Oval House theatre, where it run until 12 June 2010.

ALSO ON TUESDAY, Richard Stirling‘s political comedy No Expense Spared premieres at Jermyn Street theatre, with a cast led by Joe McGann (See News, 13 May 2010). Until 26 June 2010.

ALSO ON TUESDAY, Trevor Michael Georges’ Otieno, set during the build-up to the Zimbabwe elections in 2008, opens at Southwark Playhouse, where it runs until 12 June.


OPENING WEDNESDAY, 26 May 2010 (previews from 19 May), Broadway legends Hal Prince and Susan Stroman direct an all-American cast led by Mandy Patinkin (See News, 13 Feb 2010) in the world premiere musical Paradise Found, based on the novel The Tale of the 1002nd Night, at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY (previews from 20 May), Ingredient X, Nick Grosso’s new comedy about addiction, opens at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, where it continues to 19 June.

ALSO ON WEDNESDAY, Dream of the Dog, starring Janet Suzman, transfers from the Finborough to Trafalgar Studios 2, where it’s booking until 19 June (See News, 20 May 2010).


OPENING THURSDAY, 27 May 2010 (previews from 19 May), David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker star in Howard Davies’ new production of Arthur Miller classic All My Sons at the West End’s Apollo Theatre (See News, 30 Oct 2009). It marks a return to the play for Davies, who also helmed the National’s multi Olivier Award-winning revival in 2000.

ALSO ON THURSDAY, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, by the late American playwright August Wilson, is revived at the Young Vic by artistic director David Lan, with a cast including Delroy Lindo, who starred in the play’s 1988 Broadway premiere. Until 3 July 2010.


OPENING SATURDAY, 29 May 2010, Monty Python’s Spamalot kicks off its first UK tour from New Wimbledon Theatre, with Jodie Prenger starring as the Lady of the Lake here and at other selected venues (See News, 16 Mar 2010).