Features

Top 5 theatre openings: 24 – 30 April

A new musical about the invention of Braille, Jude Law returns to the London stage and Emma Rice’s final season at the Globe gets under way

Tessa Peake-Jones and Andrew French in rehearsals for While We're Here
Tessa Peake-Jones and Andrew French in rehearsals for While We're Here
© Photo by Sam Taylor

5. While We're Here

Bush Theatre, 26 April to 27 May

The Bush Theatre unveiled its refurbishment with Jamie Lloyd's production of Guards at the Taj earlier this month, and now Barney Norris' new play will open at the Bush. While We're Here is about two former lovers who meet up in a southern English town and find they still have feelings for each other. It stars Tessa Peake-Jones and Andrew French, and Alice Hamilton directs. Not only is it a Norris world premiere, but it's also opening the new studio space at the theatre.

Click here to read six things you didn't know about the new Bush Theatre.


Indira Varma (Jennifer), Julian Ovenden (Andrew), Matthew Needham (Simon) and Aisling Loftus (Anne) in rehearsals for The Treatment
Indira Varma (Jennifer), Julian Ovenden (Andrew), Matthew Needham (Simon) and Aisling Loftus (Anne) in rehearsals for The Treatment
© Photo: Johan Persson

4. The Treatment

Almeida Theatre, 24 April to 10 June

Martin Crimp's play is about a film studio in New York, where people are treated like products for the sake of selling films. Director Lyndsey Turner returns to the theatre after her award-winning production of Lucy Kirkwood's Chimerica, and her cast includes Ben Onwukwe, Julian Ovenden and Indira Varma. We think this has everything it needs to be one of the hottest tickets in town.

Click here to read more about The Treatment


The Braille Legacy
The Braille Legacy
© Scott Rylander

3. The Braille Legacy

Charing Cross Theatre, until 24 June

Louis Braille lost his eyesight after a horrible accident in his father's workshop at the age of three. As an adult, he was determined to find a way to make it easier for blind and sighted people to communicate. He went on to improve on an existing system called 'night writing', and it was mostly completed by the time he was 15. Impressive. So impressive, Sébastien Lancrenon wrote this brand new musical about his story. It stars West End leading man Jérôme Pradon and will be directed by the excellent Thom Southerland.

Click here to read more about The Braille Legacy


Kirsty Bushell (Juliet) and Edward Hogg (Romeo) in rehearsals
Kirsty Bushell (Juliet) and Edward Hogg (Romeo) in rehearsals
© Photo: Robert Workman

2. Romeo and Juliet

Shakespeare's Globe, until 9 July

ENO artistic director Daniel Kramer directs Shakespeare's tragedy about the star-cross'd lovers at the Globe. It kicks off the Summer of Love season (Emma Rice's last at the helm), and stars Edward Hogg and Kirsty Bushell in the title roles. This production promises to look at the darker themes of the play, against a varied soundtrack ranging from classical to pop. Mozart-meets-Ed Sheeran, anyone?

Click here to read more about the Summer of Love season


Jude Law in Obsession
Jude Law in Obsession
© Jan Versweyveld

1. Obsession

Barbican, until 20 May

Jude Law returns to the London stage in Ivo van Hove's newest play Obsession. It's based on Luchino Visconti's 1943 film of the same name and follows Gino (Law) who has an affair with Hanna, who owns a petrol station with her husband Giuseppe. As their relationship goes on, Gino and Hana plot to kill Giuseppe. It sounds dark and tense and saucy and violent and Jude Law is great and we cannot wait to see this.

Click here to read a brief history of Ivo van Hove's Toneelgroep