Features

INTERVIEW: Mathew Horne talks Rain Man

Features, Interviews, News, Touring
Rain Man UK Tour

Stage and screen star Mathew Horne talks to us about playing a role close to his heart in the stage version of hit movie, Rain Man. For anyone who doesn’t know the film, what’s Rain Man about? It’s a heart-warming story of love and tenderness between two brothers. It’s about a 29-year-old car dealer who believes the route to happiness is money and success. He’s a narcissist with a troubled past and he’s trying to keep his head above water. When his father dies, he discovers he has an autistic brother. He effectively kidnaps Raymond and they go on a road trip, where Charlie learns the route to happiness and peace is not money, success, cars and women, it’s love, family, connection and compassion. Why did you want to be part of this production? I wanted to get back to the theatre. I’d taken a year off theatre after doing … Read more

West End Transfer For Songs For Nobodies

Features, News, West End
Songs For Nobodies Ambassadors Theatre

Songs For Nobodies, where Bernadette Robinson re-creates five great singers of the past, is to transfer to London’s West End. After its European première at Wilton’s Music Hall earlier this year, this new play with songs will open at the Ambassadors Theatre on 10 January 2019, with previews from 7 January, and run until 23 February. It was written by Australian playwright Joanna Murray Smith whose works include Switzerland, which ran at Theatre Royal Bath until September 1, and Honour which is being revived at Park Theatre in London from 25 October. She wrote Songs For Nobodies specifically to showcase the extraordinary vocal ability of Australian singer and actor Bernadette Robinson. It features music from five iconic divas: Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Edith Piaf and Maria Callas. First performed in Melbourne in 2010, it was commissioned by its director Simon Phillips, former artistic director of the Melbourne Theatre Company whose … Read more

The enduring appeal of Abigail’s Party

Features, News, Regional
Abigail's Party

With new productions at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Hull Truck Theatre this month, Mark Ludmon examines the continuing popularity of Abigail’s Party With its dissection of marriage and social mobility to the sounds and tastes of the Seventies, Abigail’s Party was very much a play for its day when it was first staged in 1977 at London’s Hampstead Theatre. Attitudes to class and the impact of “women’s lib” and other changes in society were played out in the painfully awkward drinks party hosted by Beverly and her husband Laurence for their neighbours, young couple Ange and Tone and Sue, escaping her 15-year-old daughter Abigail’s eponymous party down the road. After it was adapted for BBC1 later that year, it was such a hit that it was broadcast several times, with one repeat gaining 16 million viewers (boosted by storms and an ITV strike), putting it firmly on the path … Read more

Lyric Hammersmith announces new shows and revives Ghost Stories

Features, News, Off West End
Leave To Remain Lyric Hammersmith

The Lyric Hammersmith is to premiere a new play with songs by the lead singer of Bloc Party, starring Tyrone Huntley, and bring back its break-out hit Ghost Stories as part of its season for spring 2019. The Lyric Hammersmith is to premiere a new play with songs by the lead singer of Bloc Party, starring Tyrone Huntley, and bring back its break-out hit Ghost Stories as part of its season for spring 2019. Artistic director Sean Holmes today announced the programming from January 2019 which is his last season as artistic director of the west London theatre after nearly 10 years in the role. From 18 January to 16 February, the theatre will stage the world premiere of Leave to Remain, written by TV scriptwriter Matt Jones with music by Bloc Party’s Kele Okereke. Directed by Robby Graham and designed by Rebecca Brower, it will star Olivier Award-nominated Tyrone … Read more

Lin-Manuel Miranda Surprises Bring It On Cast At Southwark Playhouse

Features, News, Off West End
Lin-Manuel Miranda visits the cast of Bring It On

Lin-Manuel Miranda surprised the young cast of the British Theatre Academy’s critically acclaimed production of his musical ‘Bring It On’ by watching the final show of their sold-out London summer season at Southwark Playhouse. Talking to the cast after the show, he told them: “You did an amazing job, it’s a very challenging show. I’m so proud and this was so wonderful. You made my wife cry! I came all the way from Cardiff, I wouldn’t have missed it! It was awesome. It was the first time i’ve seen it since 2013 and it just all came flooding back to me.” The British Theatre Academy’s youth production, directed and choreographed by Ewan Jones in The Large at Southwark Playhouse from 2 August – 1 September, has beeen one of London Theatre’s summer sensations, earning 4 star rave reviews from many of the national critics. Nominated for a Tony Award for … Read more

FIRST LISTEN: Comic Book Kind Of Love from Eugenius! with Rob Houchen and Laura Baldwin

Features, News, Video, West End
Eugenius-other-palace-tickets

Enjoy this great first listen to Comic Book Kind Of Love from the musical Eugenius! Eugenius!, with Book, Music and Lyrics by Ben Adams and Chris Wilkins, is the story of Eugene, a teenage boy whose nightly dreams of a distant world of heroes and villains could be the ticket to him creating his very own comic book movie in Hollywood. Joined on his amazing adventures by best friends Janey and Feris, our comic writing genius finds the superhero within, saves the world from earthbound villains – and those from distant galaxies – and along the way, falls in love! Eugenius! returns to The Other Palace for a strictly limited season from 1 September 2018.