Boris exits the race to become Prime Minister鈥攂ut a Shakespearean biography to follow.
It was a week in which the theatre simply couldn鈥檛 compete. In the wake of the June 23 U.K. referendum that led to a vote for the country to withdraw from membership of the European Union, both of Britain鈥檚 major political parties went into meltdown, with the Opposition Labour party Members of Parliament launching a full-on attack on their elected leader Jeremy Corbyn. Then, the ruling Tory Party鈥檚 election to replace its leader, David Cameron鈥攚ho had announced his intention to stand down as Prime Minister after the failure of his campaign to remain in the Union鈥攂roke down into its own civil war.
At the eleventh hour, just as former London Mayor Boris Johnson who had led the Brexit campaign with fellow Tory Party cabinet minister Michael Gove was about announce his candidature for the post, Gove himself trumped him by declaring Johnson鈥檚 unsuitability for office, and saying he was standing himself. Johnson immediately withdrew from the race.
As veteran British political playwright David Hare has suggested in , 鈥淚t鈥檚 a revolution, and like all revolutions, it will eat its own. Nobody yet knows who鈥檚 going to end up with an ice-pick through their skull, but history had told us it was likely to be Boris Johnson. People who professed themselves shocked to discover, post-referendum, that Johnson told lies are like people who complain that Barbra Streisand sings. It鈥檚 what they do for a living.鈥�
When Gove announced his candidature, Johnson鈥檚 father, Stanley, was reported to have said, 鈥淓t tu, Michael?鈥� invoking the betrayal of Julius Caesar by Brutus in Shakespeare鈥檚 play. And as another , 鈥淭here is something about the ruthlessness of it all鈥擝oris felled by his trusted friend and deputy, just as he was within touching distance of the thing he has wanted all his life鈥攖hat takes the breath away. This was perhaps the most vertiginous fall in modern political history. Seven days ago the party was bracing itself for BoJo, trying to bury all those nagging doubts about his suitability for high office. Now he is yesterday鈥檚 man, seemingly undone like all good tragic heroes by his own fatal flaws. What rich insights he now has to draw upon for his most pressing current professional commitment, a forthcoming biography of Shakespeare.鈥�
Johnson is nothing if not resilient, and at least he has a book in the works. And here鈥檚 one that theatre people will be dying to read.
Faith Healer revived at London鈥檚 Donmar Warehouse with Tony winner Stephen Dillane.
The Tony-winning actor Stephen Dillane鈥攚ho won the accolade for transferring to Broadway in 2000 in the Donmar Warehouse鈥檚 production of Stoppard鈥檚 The Real Thing鈥攈as returned to the Donmar to star in a new production of Brian Friel鈥檚 Faith Healer. The play originally debuted on Broadway in 1979 in a short-lived production that starred James Mason, but has since become a contemporary classic.
Lyndsey Turner, who directed Machinal on Broadway and Benedict Cumberbatch鈥檚 Hamlet in London, is at the helm of a production that has already received two five-star notices since opening June 28. In The Guardian, , a 鈥渕agical play鈥� and a 鈥渂eautiful revival,鈥� and concluded his review with this lovely anecdote: 鈥淢ore than ever, the play struck me as a masterpiece: one in which Friel wrestles with the artist鈥檚 dependence on the unpredictability of inspiration. I was reminded of a famous story of Laurence Olivier who, having given a spectacular performance as Othello, was found in despair at curtain-fall. Told he had been brilliant, Olivier said: 鈥極f course, I fucking know it, but I don鈥檛 know WHY.鈥� That sense of inexplicable mystery lies at the heart of Friel鈥檚 play.鈥�
In , I wrote of the play that it has been 鈥渄one and redone in productions that have variously starred Patrick Magee, Helen Mirren, Ken Stott, Ian McDiarmid, Ralph Fiennes and Cherry Jones, among others, it now gets a cast to match any of those illustrious names in the superlative company of Stephen Dillane, Gina McKee and Ron Cook (the latter returning to the role of the manager, Teddy, that he previously played in a production in New Haven in 1994). ... Dillane鈥檚 Frank鈥攑erplexed, humbled and overwhelmed by the erratic nature of the gifts he may have鈥攊s poetic and powerful. Gina McKee brings a keen intelligence to the role of Frank鈥檚 wife, locked into an angry co-dependence with him. But best of all may be Ron Cook鈥檚 Teddy, providing the evening鈥檚 only laughs as he tells of some of the previous acts he has represented, but also full of humanity and humility.鈥�
Adam Cooper to star in world鈥檚 first immersive ballet.
The worlds of classical ballet and immersive theatre will collide for the first time this Christmas, when the seasonal favourite The Nutcracker will be staged in a 360-degree immersive environment being created in a new a 20,000 square foot temporary structure at Wembley Park, near the famous North London sports stadium, for performances from November 30-January 8.
Adam Cooper, who originated the role of the Swan in Matthew Bourne鈥檚 Swan Lake in the West End and on Broadway, will star as Uncle Drosselmeyer in a production directed and choreographed by Olivier-winning William Tuckett. In a press statement, he Tuckett commented, 鈥淭his is a completely fresh approach to a classic ballet. We鈥檙e excited that our production will enable us to bring the world of the Nutcracker to the widest possible audience; a world in which families can interact with dancers, visit our toy factory and travel through snow-topped trees. A cast of world class performers and classical dancers will make this a production that, whilst reimagining Tchaikovsky鈥檚 score, keeps all the beauty of the Sugar Plum Fairy and all the wonder of Drosselmeyer鈥檚 magic.鈥�
Dinner theatre comes with a Twits twist.
Another interactive show heading to London will see theatregoers invited to join Roald Dahl鈥檚 (in)famous Twits family for at the Vaults, near Waterloo station. The show marks the first time one of Roald Dahl鈥檚 titles has been adapted into a production specifically for adults. According to press materials, the evening will include a banquet of deliciously disgusting dishes, to be enjoyed with homemade cocktails: Mr. Twit鈥檚 special brew and Mrs. Twit鈥檚 potent punch.
More production and casting news...
The current West End production of the musical Funny Girl, currently at the Savoy Theatre through October 8, has that will kick off from Manchester February 20, 2017. There is no word yet on who will play the title role of Fanny Brice.
The Donmar Warehouse has announced two new productions for the fall season. This repertoire of all-female Shakespeare productions that will be play at King鈥檚 Cross Theatre. Actor, playwright and director Kwame Kwei-Armah is to return to the London stage to direct the U.K. premiere of Kemp Powers鈥檚 One Night in Miami..., beginning performances October 6, with a cast that includes Broadway actor Francois Battiste as Malcolm X. Josie Rourke (currently transferring the Donmar鈥檚 Privacy to New York Public Theatre) will direct Gemma Arterton in the title role of Shaw鈥檚 St Joan, beginning performances December 9.
For further news鈥�
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