Emily Hardy

Emily studied english and performed professionally before training as a multi-media journalist at the Press Association, and subsequently writing across a broad range of titles in the health, education and entertainment sectors. Her flair for theatre journalism stems from a life-long interest in the versatility and force of the form and a desire to make a positive contribution to the arts.

Cast Announced For One Of Those at Tristan Bates Theatre

News, Off West End
One Of Those at Tristanm Bates Theatre

Martin Ball (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Wicked, Mamma Mia and Top Hat) and Louise Bangay (Folk with Tom Morris, Cyrano de Bergerac at Chichester and Rock ‘n’ Roll at The Royal Court) are among the cast of Tom Ward-Thomas’ debut comedy. One of Those will be presented for a three-week run at the Tristan Bates theatre from Tuesday January 26 – Saturday February 13, 2016. The fast paced comedy, set on a train to Cornwall, challenges the classical stereotypes of age and background and explores the exciting beginnings of one relationship against the desperate cartwheels of another, with scenes switching between the past and present as the audience views the stages of their relationship from different perspectives. The cast also includes Amy Newton, Emma Kelly and the play’s writer Tom Ward-Thomas (Tartuffe, David Cameron in The New Prime Minister). One Of Those is produced by United Theatrical … Read more

Award winning Pipeline theatre take Kindertransport play on UK tour

News, Off West End, Touring
Transports Pipeline Theatre

Following the success of their 5* 2015 Edinburgh hit Spillikin, (nominated for the Carol Tambor “Best of the Fringe” award), Cornwall’s Pipeline Theatre revives its debut play Transports for a national tour in Spring 2016. The play – described by the Cornish Guardian as “brave, bold and brilliant” – tells the story of a volatile teenager who is shunted from one foster home to another in the 1970s, until she finds her new carer – an eccentric chatterbox, who keeps her Kindertransport past buried in a trunk.  As youth plays cat and mouse with age, their stories collide with devastating consequences. Weaving film and an evocative underscore,Transports, by turns funny and moving, is a journey not quickly forgotten. In a world where our media is full of images of a new refugee migration, Transports takes in the last great refugee crisis of WW2, to look at the consequences of displacement, … Read more

Sandra Dickinson To Play Lucille Ball in I Loved Lucy

News, Off West End
Sandra Dickinson

Sandra Dickinson (A Streetcar Named Desire, Not about Nightingales, Orpheus Descending) is to take on the title role of Lucille Ball in the UK premier of Lee Tannen’s bitter-sweet play I Loved Lucy! At London’s Jermyn Street theatre from 2 to 27 February, I Loved Lucy! by Lee Tannen paints a portrait of the iconic comedic entertainer and her life out of the spotlight. Awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Lucille Ball remains one of Hollywood’s best loved stars, remembered in particular for her role in the 1950s TV sitcom, I Love Lucy. Based on his best selling memoir, Tannen reveals what is was like being friends with Lucille Ball until the very end. Whereas most people who wrote about Ball never met her, Tannen (to be played in this production by Matthew Bunn) paints a rich personal portrait. Tannen first met Ball as a child but … Read more

CRITICS CHOICE: Emily Hardy’s Pick Of 2015

Reviews, Touring
Annie Uk Tour 2015

My pick of 2015 is neither a stroke of theatrical genius like the Almeida’s Oresteia nor a brilliant and original work of art like 1927’s Golum. It is in fact a populist musical, despised by many, dating back to the 1970s. NB: If squeaky-voiced, optimistic red-headed orphans conjure distressing memories of amateur productions past, look away now because my pick of 2015 is… believe it or not… Annie. Nikolai Foster’s fast-paced and punchy production – touring the UK until June 2016 – has given one very old dog a fresh lease of life. Annie, with new colourful choreography and a ‘funky’ edge comparable to that in Tim Minchin’s Matilda, can finally escape the chorus of groans that once accompanied its name. Thanks to this energetic reimagining, it’s once again acceptable to hum Charles Strouse’s Tomorrow (boy oh boy!) and soak up Thomas Meehan’s saccharine rags to riches story – just … Read more

REVIEW: Annie, New Wimbledon Theatre (On Tour) ✭✭✭✭

Touring Reviews
Annie Uk Tour 2015

Thanks to this energetic reimagining, Annie can finally escape the chorus of groans that once accompanied its name. It’s once again acceptable to hum Charles Strouse’s Tomorrow (boy oh boy!) and soak up Thomas Meehan’s saccharine rags to riches story – just as I did when I was seven. Foster’s fast-paced and punchy production – touring the UK until June 2016 – has given one very old dog a fresh lease of life, bringing Annie back for a new, let’s face it, more discerning generation. And they’ve done so with gusto.

The success of Headlong’s 1984 and its contribution to the future of theatre

Features, West End
1984 by George Orwell at the Playhouse Theatre

It was announced this week that, due to unprecedented demand, Headlong’s 1984 is extending its run at the Playhouse Theatre until August 23rd, prior to its second UK tour. The play itself reminds us of the dangers of following suit. The popularity of this anti-populist play therefore is a particularly pertinent indicator of some significant shifts in theatre. Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillian’s 1984 is more harrowing, chilling and stimulating than it is enjoyable. A bit like spending 1hr 41 minutes in a refrigerator – cold and bright – 1984 is brilliant if you like your theatre heart free and served up over ice. This is innovation as well as imitation; truthful to the novel and yet bold with interpretation. The writer-directors embrace the novel’s appendix, using it a framing device. The play gives voice to the book’s accompanying comment, opening in the seemingly familiar territory of a discussion group where … Read more

A Musical Love Story – Stuart Matthew Price’s ‘Before After.’

Interviews, West End
Stuart Matthew Price

“I couldn’t imagine never singing or performing again. It is my truest passion, and drives all the other projects that I attach myself to.” People talk about being in love with the industry – an intoxicating and enduring love for theatre that might never be topped. Despite being best known as a musical theatre performer, Stuart Matthew Price’s love for theatre is about more than just saying his lines. As beautifully as he sings the notes, Stuart wants more. He wants to write the notes too, shape and change the industry, help it to grow. As he’s now working professionally as a performer, a producer (United Theatrical Productions) and a composer, it is perhaps fair to say that Stuart has landed a whole handful of roles – for where theatre is concerned, he wants to play every part. Stuart’s new musical, Before After, had its first outing last week with … Read more

REVIEW: East Is East, Trafalgar Studios ✭✭✭✭

Reviews, West End
Jane Horrocks in East is East

East is East isn’t the searing feast of theatricality you might expect from Lloyd, but the hallmarks and flourishes of his Trafalgar Transformed season are plentiful. The worn, retro couches on set – contaminated by years of family life – inhabit the Khan home like relics, and designer Richard Howell’s lighting subtly divides the cramped and chaotic home allowing for intimate conversations to be drawn into focus.