Aliya Al-Hassan - Page 80

We all need a bit of escapism now, more than ever. A musical, comedic magic show may sound like something for the children, but Nick Mohammed's show Mr. Swallow: Houdini, is resolutely amusing and surprising in equal measure.

You may have thought you had seen every possible version of Shakespeare's tragedy of Romeo and Juliet and yet the masterful Matthew Bourne manages to surprise you anew. Set in the sterile white of Verona Institute, where the young are forced into submission, this is the story as you will have never seen it before.

Back in 2011, it was nigh-on impossible to get a ticket for the National Theatre's production of Frankenstein. You may be forgiven for thinking the fact that Danny Boyle was directing the show was enough of a draw, but the news that Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch were not only starring in it, but also alternating the roles of Frankenstein and The Creature, sent fans into a frenzy. As part of the hugely successful run of National Theatre At Home shows, we are now gifted with seeing both versions again.

With all theatres closed to the current pandemic, BroadwayWorld caught up with the Orange Tree Theatre's Artistic Director Paul Miller about the realities of closing the theatre and his thoughts and plans for the future.

In 2015 the Orange Tree theatre staged Terence Rattigan's 1936 comedy French Without Tears to critical acclaim. It was such a hit that it was revived in 2016 and then proceeded to go on a successful nationwide tour. The story follows a group of young men who are attending a summer French school in order to pass a diplomatic exam. Their studies are interrupted by the beautiful Diana whose systematic temptation and seduction of several members of the group causes both chaos and heartbreak.

In many ways, the choice of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is a smart one from Shakespeare's Globe; it is a familiar-enough story to draw in a new audience, while satisfying those who have watched it numerous times. It does, therefore, seem a pity that the Globe has chosen this 2009 version of the world's most famous love story, as it fails to ignite very much passion in either the cast or the audience.

Polly Findlay's brilliant gender-bending production of Treasure Island for the National Theatre was a hit back in 2014 and now comes to a screen near you as part of their National Theatre At Home series.

After a hugely successful debut in 2018 at London's Old Vic Theatre and a subsequent UK tour, Emma Rice's highly theatrical adaptation of Angela Carter's Wise Children is a welcome and absurdist addition to the BBC's Culture in Quarantine series, filmed at York Theatre Royal in 2019.

Already in its third week, the Royal Opera House's streaming initiative #OurHouseToYourHouse, turned to Jonathan Miller's modern version of Mozart's Così fan tutte. The comedic plot surrounds two pairs of young lovers: Ferrando and Dorabella and Guglielmo and Fiordiligi whose affections are put to the test by an old 'philosopher', Don Alfonso. Women, he says, are never faithful; he therefore arranges for the two men to disguise themselves to test their partners, with the help of their maid Despina. What results is a poignant mix of comedy and tragedy as the women submit to each other's partners and the ruse is finally revealed.

After the riotous One Man Two Guvnors from the National Theatre At Home series, comes Sally Cookson's fervent adaptation of Jane Eyre. This intensely theatrical production is full of atmosphere and gothic chill. In these difficult times, it is three hours of escapism to a windy Yorkshire moor.

Wouldn't it be ironic that the time that the whole of the UK (and indeed the world) really fell in love with theatre was when no-one could actually go there? Millions of people who already love the performing arts are desperately missing their fixes. But now this virus is the great equaliser; everyone is at home, yet still want and need to be entertained.

The BBC is currently working on its Culture In Quarantine initiative, but the BBC's iPlayer and Sounds are already incredibly rich sources of drama, music, dance and comedy. Here are some of the highlights currently available.

Podcasts are a brilliant way of passing the time, while learning something new and being entertained at the same time. Here is our pick of some of the best to satisfy your cravings for theatre, dance and comedy.

As we all adjust to the new, strange reality, online entertainment and education has become even more vital. There are a wave of new initiatives and offers coming in all the time, but here is a short guide of where to start in your online theatre and entertainment fix.

Adapting a novel for the stage is fraught with difficulties; even more so when the novel is a literary sensation that has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. Afghan-American Khaled Hosseini's devastating 2003 first novel, The Kite Runner, has added difficulties as a play, as it spans 30 years and crosses continents in the process. This quietly devastating play debuted in 2013 in the UK at the Nottingham Playhouse and now returns for a country-wide tour.

Founded in 1980, the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre is small, but perfectly formed. Set above a pub in Earl's Court, it is best-known for producing new plays, as well as rediscovering works from the 19th and 20th centuries. Here is everything you need to know if you are travelling there.

Josh Azouz's play The Mikvah Project was a great success when it formed part of the Orange Tree's Directors' Festival last summer. It now returns in excellent form to explore the tentative and problematic relationship between two male characters in the setting of North London Judaism.

The Rose Youth Theatre has great form in developing new theatrical talent. With excellent performances by members in every Christmas production at the Rose, The Creature: Frankenstein Retold is an exciting opportunity to witness the professional debut for nine alumni of the group.

Covent Garden's iconic Royal Opera House is home to both The Royal Opera and The Royal Ballet. A theatre has been on the site since 1732, but since 1858 the current building has served as a central cultural site for London. During World War II, it was used as a dance hall, but then the decision was made to make it as home for both ballet and opera, opening in its current form in 1946. The beautiful venue has played host to opera legends such as Joan Sutherland and Maria Callas and also ballet greats such as Margot Fonteyn. Here is everything you need to know if you are travelling there.

Covent Garden's Royal Opera House continues its successful series of live screenings to over 1000 cinemas across the world. Dances at a Gathering / The Cellist is a chance to see two incredibly different ballets in one evening; both beautifully moving in their own ways.