Lyric Hammersmith Theatre – The Theatre Playbook

Deafinitely Theatre makes Promise with Lyric Hammersmith

Deafinitely Theatre is bringing its latest production, The Promise, to the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre.

Coproduced by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, the show is co-written and directed by Deafinitely’s artistic director Paula Garfield and written with journalist Melissa Mostyn.

It will be performed at the Lyric Hammersmith from April 30 – May 11.

Rita is really confused. She can’t understand why the deaf education system she’s tirelessly championed throughout her teaching career is getting worse and worse, or why there is only one care home in the whole of England that looks after people in her language. On the Isle of Wight.

She’s also confused about where her family is, and why she can’t remember where the milk goes…

Performed in spoken English and British Sign Language (BSL) with captions, The Promise is set to address how dementia affects those in the deaf community and their families.

Cinderella cast set for Lyric Hammersmith Theatre panto

Tilly La Belle Yengo will star as Cinderella in this year’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre pantomime.

Cinderella is a bonafide boss-lady who runs her own business at Shepherd’s Bush Market. One day the most handsome Prince Henry, who dreams of a life less spare, wears a disguise to the Market and falls instantly in love with Cinderella. With the paparazzi in hot pursuit the Prince is forced to flee. And so begins the quest to unite the unlikeliest of likely romances, Cinderella and the hapless Prince. But will Cinderella’s step-sisters Muffy and Gusset and step-mother Lady Jelly Bottom get in the way of their happily ever after? Of course they will, it’s panto.

Written by Vikki Stone and directed by Tonderai Munyevu, Yengo is joined by Emmanuel Akwafo playing Lady Jelly-Bottom and Jodie Jacobs who will play the Fairy.

Charlie Cameron plays Muffy, Damien James plays Prince Henry, Meghan Treadway plays Gusset and Maya De Faria, Jerome Lincoln and Bella Macdonald join the Ensemble.

Set and costume designer is Good Teeth, with choreographer Arielle Smith, lighting designer Ciarán Cunningham, composer and arranger Corin Buckeridge, sound designer Nick Manning, musical director Adam Gerber, casting director Sophie Parrott and assistant director Mo Korede.

Cinderella is running from November 18, 2023 to January 6, 2024.

There will be further festivities with the return of Raymond Briggs’ Father Christmas, adapted by Pins and Needles, which runs from Wednesday, November 22 to Saturday, December 30. Directed by Emma Earle, the family production is filled with live music and puppetry.

Freema Agyeman meets God of Carnage at Lyric Hammersmith Theatre

Doctor Who and Dreamland star Freema Agyeman will star in the revival of Yasmina Reza’s savagely dark comedy God of Carnage.

Agyeman will play Veronique Vallon in the play when it opens at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, directed by Nicholai La Barrie.

Also joining the production is Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials) playing Alain Reille, Dinita Gohil (The Father and the Assassin) takes on the role of Annette Reille and Martin Hutson (Small Island) plays Michel Vallon.

When 11-year-old Ferdinand knocked 11-year-old Bruno’s two front teeth out, their parents meet up to have a civil conversation about the misdemeanours of their children in a suitably calm and rational way… what can go wrong? As night falls chaos ensues with explosive tantrums, name-calling and tears.

Reza’s comedy, translated by Christopher Hampton, is designed is by Lily Arnold. The lighting design is by Richard Howell, sound design and composition by Asaf Zohar and casting by Heather Basten.

Agyeman said: “I am beyond thrilled to be returning to the London stage, and where better than the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre, with its incredible history and tradition – a space where consistently solid, inclusive and high calibre work is created and shared. I’m also happy to be staying in the genre of dark comedy post Dreamland – God of Carnage made me gasp and guffaw in equal measure! I look forward to performing in this play alongside the fantastic cast and am very excited to be working with director Nicholai La Barrie whose enthusiasm is infectious!”