London鈥檚 Almeida speaks up.
London鈥檚 Almeida Theatre is creating theatrical headlines by launching Figures of Speech, a major digital film project to coincide with Trump鈥檚 inauguration as 45th President of the United States.
As Almeida artistic director Rupert Goold, who is spearheading the film project, commented January 20, 鈥淚n the wake of 2016鈥檚 political events and ahead of the vast wave of international elections in 2017鈥攂eginning today alongside the inauguration of the new leader of the free world鈥�Figures of Speech will unearth the world鈥檚 most vital speeches for a new audience. We want to remember what leadership sounds like. At the Almeida we believe what changes opinion, narrative, momentum, are words. Words carefully crafted and meticulously delivered by inspirational women and men, wherever a meaningful audience can be found. It is up to us who hear these words, and watch these plays, to discover the truth.鈥�
The first, launched online January 20, features Vanessa Redgrave reading V谩clav Havel鈥檚 Words on Words. Throughout 2017, Figures of Speech will put history鈥檚 greatest speeches back on the map through a series of films read by an army of actors and young leaders released online, in partnership with the Guardian newspaper.
Goold also announced a spring and summer season of plays that will include Ben Whishaw returning to the theatre in Christopher Shinn鈥檚 new play Against, as well as a revival of Martin Crimp鈥檚 1993 play The Treatment, and the premiere of James Graham鈥檚 Ink that revolves around Rupert Murdoch鈥檚 1969 launch of Britain鈥檚 most influential tabloid newspaper The Sun.
The Lloyd Webbers are making the news.
It鈥檚 not just Andrew Lloyd Webber that is making the news, but also his son. While Lord Lloyd Webber will shortly have four musicals playing simultaneously on Broadway when last year鈥檚 London production of Sunset Boulevard transfers to the Palace to join the ongoing productions of The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and School of Rock, Sunset Boulevard is also to beginning September 16, prior to a regional tour. It will star Ria Jones as Norma Desmond, a Welsh-born actor who was Glenn Close鈥檚 standby for the London run and took over for four performances when Close was ill. Jones also originated the role of Norma Desmond in the original try-out of the show at Lloyd Webber鈥檚 private Sydmonton Festival.
Meanwhile Nicholas Lloyd Webber鈥擜ndrew鈥檚 38-year-old son鈥攊s entitled Fat Friends The Musical, based on a long-running TV series of the same name that ran five seasons after debuting in 2000. It will begin performances at the Grand Theatre in Leeds November 7, starring Jodie Prenger.
Casting and touring news鈥�
Wicked, which previously played a 15-city U.K./Ireland tour contemporaneously to its current West End outing at the Apollo Victoria, has to play a further ten cities in 2018.
Further casting has been announced for the new production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II鈥檚 Carousel that is being co-produced by English National Opera and the GradeLinnit Company for a run at the London Coliseum beginning April 7. Joining the Alfie Boe as Billy Bigelow and Katherine Jenkins as Julie Jordan are Nicholas Lyndurst as Star Keeper, Brenda Edwards as Nettie Fowler, Alex Young as Carrie Pipperidge, and Gavin Spokes as Enoch Snow.
Casting is now complete for the new production of Edward Albee鈥檚 The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? that will begin performances March 24 at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Joining the previous announced Damian Lewis and Sophie Okonedo are Jason Hughes and newcomer Archie Madekwe.
The U.K. premiere of Kwame Kwei-Amah鈥檚 One Love: The Bob Marley Musical that will run at Birmingham Rep from March 10 will star Mitchell Brunings, making his U.K. stage debut as Marley, with Alexia Khadime as his wife Rita. Her previous stage roles include Nabulungi in The Book of Mormon, Eponine in Les Mis茅rables, Elphaba in Wicked, and Nala in The Lion King. The Donmar Warehouse鈥檚 world premiere of Steve Waters鈥� Limehouse, beginning March 2, will feature Roger Allam (the original Javert in Les Mis茅rables) and Paul Chahidi (seen on Broadway in the all-male Mark Rylance Twelfth Night).
For further news鈥�
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