Theatre News

Galas: Court Laws, Cardboard Seats & Grateful

| London's West End |

11 May 2010

A cast including James Nesbitt, Ewen Bremner, Kenneth Cranham, Joe Dempsie, Emilia Fox, Nitin Ganatra, Denise Gough, David Harewood, Nadine Marshall, Andy Nyman, Bill Nighy, Claire Skinner and Penelope Wilton will perform the multi-authored drama The Laws of War, which is presented by Human Rights Watch at the Royal Court Theatre Downstairs on Sunday 16 May.

The Laws of War is an original 90 minute piece written by Richard Bean, Ash Ditta, David Grossman, Kate Hardie, Rebecca Lenkiewicz, Polly Stenham, Tom Stoppard, Jack Thorne and Debbie Tucker Green, directed by Jeremy Herrin, and produced by award-winning film and television producer Judy Counihan on behalf of Human Rights Watch.

According to press material: “Drawing on the global experience of Human Rights Watch from Sri Lanka to Georgia, from the Democratic Republic of Congo and right to the heart of our own country, The Laws of War follows the fortunes of a rookie Human Rights Watch officer as she witnesses, close up and personal, the constant struggle to uphold the increasingly fragile framework of law relating to human rights.”

Human Rights Watch is an organisation dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. Their mission statement is to “stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice.”

For more info and tickets visit www.royalcourttheatre.com

Following its sold-out comedy night at the Hackney Empire last year, award-winning homeless people’s theatre company Cardboard Citizens is bringing its fundraising gala Bums On Seats to the West End on 14 June.

Staged at the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue (current home of Thriller Live), the evening will feature a line-up of comics including Stewart Lee, Daniel Kitson, Robin Ince and Josie Long, as well as “surprise appearances from the Cardboard Citizens crew”.

All proceeds will support Cardboard Citizens’ workshops, development and employability support programmes for homeless people. Click here for tickets.

In other gala news:

The New Players Theatre is staging a cabaret evening tomorrow (12 May) for Chennai Challenge, a small charity that guides young people from the UK through a training programme that culminates in a short term cross-cultural experience. Entitled One Night Only, the evening is compèred by Sally Riceman and promises “a showcase of the most exceptional, up and coming cabaret talent from London’s theatre circuit”, including sketch group The Chaos Theory, Sarah Louise Young and Frisky and Mannish. For tickets call 020 7478 0135.

Grateful, an evening of musical theatre and gospel music at Cadogan Hall on September 12 2010 will feature West End stars, a 20-piece band and the West End Gospel Choir to raise funds for the Intermission Youth Theatre, which “uses drama as a much-needed escape for young people from London’s innercity communities” . Anton Stephans, Leanne Jones, Hannah Waddingham, Melanie LaBarrie, Cassie Compton, Rebecca Caine, Ian Carlyle and Edward Baruwa are all scheduled to perform. For tickets call 020 7730 4500.