Tag: Rehearsals

Rehearsals begin at the Young Vic for Beneatha’s Place

Take a look at the rehearsals of Beneatha’s Place, a satire written and directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah that will have its UK premiere at the Young Vic.

Inspired by the groundbreaking civil rights drama A Raisin in the Sun, Beneatha’s Place is about the power of knowing your history and the cost of letting it go.

1959. The first wave of independence is sweeping across Africa and Beneatha has left the prejudice of 1950s America for a brighter future with her Nigerian husband in Lagos. But on the day they move into their new house in the white suburbs, it doesn’t take long for cracks to appear, changing the course of the rest of their lives.  

Present day. Now a renowned Dean whose colleagues are questioning the role of African American studies for future generations, Beneatha returns to the same house in search of answers.   

Cherrelle Skeete (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) stars in the title role as Beneatha Younger, with Zackary Momoh (Seven Seconds) as Joseph Asagai/Wale Oguns, Sebastian Armesto (Leopoldstadt) as Daniel Barnes/Prof Mark Bond, Jumoké Fashola (The High Table) as Prof Shirley Jones/Aunty Fola, Tom Godwin (Best of Enemies) as Mr Nelson/Prof Gary Jacobs and Nia Gwynne (Tolkien) as Mrs Nelson/Dr Harriet Banks. 

Set and costume design is by Debbie Duru, lighting design by Mark Henderson, sound design by Tony Gayle, voice and dialect coach Esi Acquaah-Harrison, casting director Heather Basten, Jerwood assistant director Ellis and Jerwood trainee assistant director Tia-zakura Camilleri. 

Written and directed by Kwei-Armah, the Young Vic Theatre Artistic Director, it plays in the Young Vic Main House from June 27-August 5.

More information and tickets: www.youngvic.org 

The Crucible cast in rehearsals for Gielgud Theatre launch

Here’s the cast of Lyndsey Turner’s National Theatre production of The Crucible in rehearsals as the show makes its West End transfer to the Gielgud Theatre.

With set designed by Es Devlin, this contemporary new staging of Arthur Miller’s gripping parable of power and its abuse will play at the Gielgud Theatre from June 7 until September 2. 

A witch hunt is beginning in Salem. Raised to be seen but not heard, a group of young women suddenly find their words have a terrible power. As a climate of fear spreads through the community, private vendettas fuel public accusations and soon the truth itself is on trial.

Milly Alcock (House of the Dragon) will play the role of Abigail Williams with Caitlin FitzGerald (Succession) playing the role of Elizabeth Proctor and Brian Gleeson (Bad Sisters) the role of John Proctor.  Joining the previously announced cast is Karl Johnson as Giles Corey. 

The ensemble also includes Christopher Birch, Lucy Brindle, Grace Farrell, Chyna-Rose Frederick, Miya James, Ebony Jonelle, Tama Phethean, Amy Snudden, Nia Towle and Samuel Townsend.

Returning to the production following its sold-out run at the National Theatre are Fisayo Akinade as Reverend Hale and Matthew Marsh as Danforth.  Completing the cast are David Ahmad, Zoë Aldrich, Stephanie Beattie, Raphael Bushay, Henry Everett, Nick Fletcher, Colin Haigh, Nadine Higgin, Gracie McGonigal, Alastair Parker, Joy Tan and Tilly Tremayne.

Turner’s production of The Crucible originally ran at the National Theatre in autumn 2022.

Turner and Devlin are joined by costume designer Catherine Fay and lighting designer Tim Lutkin. Sound design is by Tingying Dong and Christopher Shutt. The composer and arranger is Caroline Shaw; and music director and arranger is Osnat Schmool; with casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham. They are joined by associate director Blythe Stewart; associate set designer Ellie Wintour; associate lighting designer Max Narula; fight director Bret Yount; lead intimacy directors Ita O’Brien and Louise Kempton; voice and dialect coach Kate Godfrey; dialect coaches Danièle Lydon and Hazel Holder; assistant music director Alice Grant and resident director Sophie Dillon Moniram.

James Graham’s Dear England kicks off rehearsals for National Theatre run

Rehearsals are underway on Dear England, a new play by James Graham coming to the National Theatre.

Telling the story of the England men’s football team under manager Gareth Southgate, the cast is headed by Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Southgate and Gina McKee (My Policeman) as Pippa Grange, sports psychologist and head of people and team development at the Football Association from 2017 to 2019.

The cast also includes Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford, Gunnar Cauthery as Gary Lineker, Will Close as Harry Kane, Crystal Condie as Alex Scott, Will Fletcher as Jordan Henderson, Sean Gilder as Sam Allardyce, Darragh Hand as Marcus Rashford, John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke, Adam Hugill as Harry Maguire, Albert Magashi as Jadon Sancho, Kel Matsena as Raheem Sterling, Abdul Sessay as Bukayo Saka, Lewis Shepherd as Dele Alli, Paul Thornley as Mike Webster, Tony Turner as Greg Dyke and Ryan Whittle as Eric Dier. Nick Barclay, Tashinga Bepete, Will Harrison-Wallace and Miranda Heath complete the company. The cast will also be playing additional roles as part of the ensemble.

Following Tammy Faye and Ink, writer Graham (Best of Enemies, Sherwood) reunites with director Rupert Goold (Spring Awakening, Judy) for what is described as a gripping examination of both nation and game.

Dear England boasts set design by Es Devlin, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Jon Clark, movement direction by Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, sound design by Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, video design by Ash J Woodward and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor. The dialect coach is Richard Ryder and associate director is Elin Schofield.

Dear England will play in the Olivier theatre from June 10 – 11 August 11.

Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, Tuppence Middleton and Janie Dee start rehearsals for National Theatre’s The Motive and the Cue

Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss, Tuppence Middleton and Janie Dee are in rehearsals for The Motive and the Cue, a new play directed by Sam Mendes for the National Theatre.

Opening in the Lyttelton Theatre on April 20, it is inspired by the making of Burton and Gielgud’s Hamlet. Richard Burton, newly married to Elizabeth Taylor, is to play the title in an experimental new production of Hamlet under John Gielgud’s exacting direction. But as rehearsals progress, two ages of theatre collide and the collaboration between actor and director soon threatens to unravel.

The cast also includes Aaron Anthony, Tom Babbage, Allan Corduner, Elena Delia, Ryan Ellsworth, Phoebe Horn, Aysha Kala, Luke Norris, Huw Parmenter, David Ricardo-Pearce, David Tarkenter, Kate Tydman, Laurence Ubong Williams and Michael Walters.

The Motive and the Cue was originally commissioned by Neal Street Productions and has been developed and coproduced by the National Theatre and Neal Street Productions. Set design is by Es Devlin, costume designer is Katrina Lindsay, lighting designer is Jon Clark, composer is Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, sound designer is Paul Arditti, video designer is Luke Halls, casting by Alastair Coomer and Naomi Downham and associate director is Zoé Ford Burnett.

The Motive and the Cue is at the National Theatre from April 20 to July 15.

Dancing begins at National Theatre

Rehearsals are underway for Dancing at Lughnasa, Josie Rourke’s revival of Brian Friel’s Olivier Award-winning play that opens at the National Theatre next month.

The starry cast includes Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls), Ardal O’Hanlon (Father Ted), Alison Oliver (Conversations with Friends) and Louisa Harland (Derry Girls), alongside Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Bláithín Mac Gabhann, Justine Mitchell and Tom Riley.

Set during harvest time in County Donegal, 1936, outside the village of Ballybeg, the five Mundy sisters battle poverty to raise seven-year-old Michael and care for their Uncle Jack. During the Festival of Lughnasa, Pagan and Christian meet and collide. The sisters fight, love, dance, yearn and survive, in this astonishing evocation of a family’s world on the brink of change.

Director Rourke said: “In my time as artistic director of the Donmar, we staged four works by Brian Friel. During those years, I was lucky enough to meet Brian and it was a joyous honour to be near this great man and his plays, which are defining works of the theatre. It’s a privilege to be the director of this revival for the National Theatre. It was on the South Bank that the seed of the play was planted with Friel and it was always his intention that this play be produced by the NT. I’m so happy to be working with this glorious cast and creative team to bring it to the Olivier stage.”

Sean Donegan, Lauren Farrell, George Turner and Caitríona Williams also join the company.

Set and costume design is by Robert Jones, the lighting designer is Mark Henderson, the choreographer is Wayne McGregor, the composer is Hannah Peel, the sound designer is Emma Laxton, the video designer is Douglas O’Connell and the casting director is Alastair Coomer.

Performances begin in the Olivier theatre on April 6 and run until May 27. nationaltheatre.org.uk.

Dirty Dancing back at the Dominion

Rehearsals are underway for Dirty Dancing, the smash hit musical based on this film of the same name.

Boasting heart-pounding music, breathtaking emotion and sensationally sexy dancing, the classic story follows Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives

The show also features a dazzling 35 songs, including Hungry Eyes, Hey Baby, Do You Love Me? and the iconic (I’ve Had) The Time of My Life.

The cast includes Michael O’Reilly as Johnny Castle, Kira Malou as Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman, Charlotte Gooch as Penny Johnson, Lynden Edwards as Dr Jake Houseman and Jackie Morrison as Majorie Houseman, as well as Georgina Castle, Danny Colligan, Colin Charles, Alastair Crosswell, Michael Remick, Lydia Sterling, Tony Stansfield, Chrissy Brooke, Inez Budd, Lily Laight, Hollie-Ann Lowe, Callum Fitzgerald, Nathan Ryles, Joel Benjamin, Shaquille Brush, Charlitte Coggin, Carly Miles, Sophia Mcavoy, Lee Nicholson, Ben Middleton and Ayden Morgan.

Kellerman’s Band features Richard John, Miles Russel, Tom Parsons, Morgan Burgess, Christopher Fry and Tom Mussell.

Dirty Dancing is at the Dominion Theatre from January 21-April 29, 2023.

Rehearsals underway for The Old Vic’s Sylvia

Beverly Knight and the cast of Sylvia are now in rehearsals ahead of the musical’s launch at The Old Vic next month.

Previews begin on January 27 for the show, which will tell the story of Sylvia Pankhurst – feminist, activist, pacifist, socialist and rebel – the lesser-known Pankhurst at the heart of the Suffragette movement who changed the lives of working women and men across the world.

Sylvia debuted as a work-in-progress back in 2018 and now returns to The Old Vic, blending dance, hip hop, funk and soul with original music by Josh Cohen and DJ Wade.

A ZooNation production, Knight heads the cast as Emmeline Pankhurst alongside Sharon Rose as Sylvia Pankhurst and Kelly Agbowu, Verity Blyth, Bradley Charles, Kimmy Edwards, Alex Gaumond, Jade Hackett, Sweeney Holdsworth, Stevie Hutchinson, Kate Ivory Jordan, Hannah Khemoh, Sinead Long, Jaye Marshall, Kandaka Moore, Antoine Murray-Straughan, Razak Osman, Jay Perry, Kirstie Skivington, Ellena Vincent and Malachi Welch.

Legally Blonde confirms Park Open Air cast

As rehearsals get underway for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s upcoming 2022 season, the full cast of its production of Legally Blonde has been unveiled.

Joining Courtney Bowman, who will take the lead role as Elle, are Gabriela Benedetti, Lucca Chadwick-Patel, Jasmin Colangelo, Allie Daniel, Joe Foster, Dominic Lamb, Esme Laudat, Liam McEvoy, Billy Nevers, Ashley Rowe, Shakira Simpson, Biancha Szynal and Paulo Teixeira (also Dance Captain).

Other cast previously announced are Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Emmett), Lauren Drew (Brooke), Vanessa Fisher (Vivienne), Isaac Hesketh (Margot), Nadine Higgin (Paulette), Alžbeta Matyšáková (Enid), Eugene McCoy (Callahan), Grace Mouat (Pilar), Alistair Toovey (Warner) and Hannah Yun Chamberlain (Serena).

When she is dumped by her Harvard Law School boyfriend, fashion merchandising major Elle Woods embarks on a drastic plan to win him back, only to discover that there is more to love – and definitely Elle Woods – than meets the eye.

Based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the MGM feature film starring Reese Witherspoon, the show is directed by Lucy Moss (Six). It is written by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin (music and lyrics) and Heather Hach (book).

Other creatives include Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong (dramaturg), Cat Beveridge (musical supervisor), Jean Chan (costume designer), Shanaé Chisholm (casting assistant), Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion Casting (casting director), Tony Gayle (sound designer), Phillip Gladwell (lighting designer), Ainsley Hall Ricketts (assistant choreographer), Laura Hopkins (set designer), Barbara Houseman (voice & text and season associate director), Majella Hurley (dialect coach), Ellen Kane (choreographer), Ingrid Mackinnon (season associate: intimacy support), Priya Patel Appleby (associate director), Chris Poon (associate musical director), Alexzandra Sarmiento (assistant choreographer), Amber Sinclair-Case (associate director) and Katharine Woolley (musical director).

Legally Blonde, which opens on May 13, marks the start of the Open Air Theatre’s 90th anniversary season. The line-up also includes 101 Dalmatians and Antigone.