Opening: 2,000 Feet, Quiz, English & Globe Is Merry

Amongst the major openings in London this week are:

OPENING TONIGHT, Monday 16 June 2008 (previews from 11 June), Joseph Fiennes, Ian Hart and Phyllis Logan star in the European premiere of 2,000 Feet Away at west London’s Bush Theatre (See News, 9 May 2008). In Eldon, Iowa, a tiny community in the American heartland, the deputy sheriff (Fiennes) must enforce a new law banning sex offenders from living within 2,000 feet of anywhere children may gather. When the deputy has to evict his neighbour’s son AG, the new law hits home. Directed by artistic director Josie Rourke, it continues until 12 July.

ALSO TONIGHT, Jeffrey Solomon performs his semi-autobiographical solo play Mother/Son at the New End Theatre in Hampstead, continuing until 13 July.

OPENING TUESDAY, 17 July 2008, Richard Crane’s one-man black comedy The Quiz, performed by David Bradley, moves into the West End’s Trafalgar Studios 2 until 28 June as part of an ongoing tour (See News, 22 Apr 2008). Bradley’s character has been performing ‘The Grand Inquisitor’ for too many years. It’s always been his dream to die on stage like Kean, Irving and Tommy Cooper. Is tonight the night to make the ultimate leap?

ALSO ON TUESDAY, Headlong Theatre’s premiere production of Richard Bean’s cricketing comedy cum state-of-the-nation play, The English Game, arrives at Kingston’s Rose Theatre, the penultimate week in its national tour (See News, 29 Jan 2008). Sean Holmes directs a cast that includes Robert East, Trevor Martin, Rudi Dharmalingam and Tony Bell.

OPENING WEDNESDAY, 18 June 2008 (previews from 8 June) as part of this summer’s Totus Mondus season at Shakespeare’s Globe (See News, 7 May 2008), Christopher Luscombe directs the venue’s first production of The Merry Wives of Windsor with a cast including Christopher Benjamin as Falstaff and Serena Evans , Sarah Woodward and Sue Wallace as Mistresses Page, Ford and Quickly. It runs in rep until 5 October 2008 (previews from 8 June).

OPENING THURSDAY, 19 June 2008 (preview 18 June), not to be outdone by Christopher Benjamin, Roger Forbes takes on the title role in Falstaff, based on Robert Nye’s award-winning novel, which is on at the Croydon Warehouse until 13 July.

ALSO ON THURSDAY (previews from 17 June), Colourings is presented at Islington’s Old Red Lion theatre for a season to 5 July. The emotionally charged drama, about a middle-class young man coming to terms with his past through psychotherapy, is author Andrew Keatley’s debut play.

ALSO ON THURSDAY, the annual Greenwich + Docklands International Festival launches four days of free entertainment at various locations in south and east London, including a “theatrical track event”, celebrating the history of running, outdoors at the National Maritime Museum.

ON SATURDAY& SUNDAY, West End Live, the annual two-day showcase of the best that Theatreland has to offer, takes place in Leicester Square, with the Whatsonstage.com team in attendance.

– by Terri Paddock