James T Harding - Page 31

Rehearsals begin today, 30th April, for Harvey Fierstein's acclaimed Torch Song Trilogy. The production will be directed by Douglas Hodge and will play at the Menier Chocolate Factory 30 May - 12 August. Full casting is confirmed as follows: David Bedella will be playing Arnold Beckoff, Joe McFadden will be playing Ed, Sara Kestelman will be playing Mrs Beckoff, Tom Harries will be playing Alan, Perry Millward will be playing David and Laura Pyper will be playing Laurel.

This double bill of the winners of the Arches' Platform 18 competition presents two one-hour plays as different from each other as they could possibly be: Thatcher's Children by Gary Gardiner and Beats by Kieran Hurley.

June Spoon and Phillip Fork host Pass the Spoon, a vibrant cookery show/opera mashup by David Shrigley, David Fennessy and Nicholas Bone. Mr Granules is coming to dinner, and the presenters must impress him with a Special Menu. Everything seems to be going to plan, but when the chops burn and Mr Granules starts to get angry, June and Phillip are tested to their admittedly rather unimpressive limits.

Tommy Sheppard, the new Fringe Director of the Assembly has announced that a newly refurbished Assembly Rooms will showcase forty producton as part of the Assembly Festival's programme for the 2012 Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August.

Folie a Deux Productions in association with seeitinyourhead will present SUMMER AND SMOKE by Tennessee Williams, directed by Rebecca Frecknall at The Vault, Southwark Playhouse, on the 13 - 30th of June, 2012.

THE LARAMIE PROJECT, written by Moises Kaufman and directed by Nathan Fogg will be presented at the Withrop Playhouse on April 27 & 28, May 4 & 5 at 8pm with matinees on April 29 & May 6 at 3pm.

First Run Theatre has announced the line up of its tenth season, which includes BROOKLYN BAGATELLE by Neville Mur, the SPECTRUM short play festival, OPEN SUNDAYS, ALL MAKES REPAIRED by Gerry Mandel and PREDICAMENT by Patrick Conroy. First Run theatre is the only professional theatre company in St. Louis dedicated to producing new plays by St. Louis regional playwrights.

Gary Milner will be joining real-life wife Sally Ann Triplett in the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! at the Prince of Wales Theatre from 11 June 2012. Milner, who will play Sam Carmichael opposite Sally's Donna Sheridan, most recently appeared on stage playing the title role in Pericles at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

The Old Globe's 2012-13 Season will feature the World Premieres of two new musicals: Allegiance - A New American Musical by Jay Kuo and Lorenzo Thione and A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder by Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak. The season also includes George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion in celebration of the classic play's 100th anniversary and the World Premiere of a new adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House by Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey and Kirsten Brandt. Two recent Broadway hits will make their San Diego debuts at the Globe: David Lindsay-Abaire's Good People and Jon Robin Baitz's Other Desert Cities. Rounding out the season are the West Coast Premiere of Bekah Brunstetter's Be a Good Little Widow and the Southern California Premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney's The Brothers Size.

With under a week to go before the 2012 HighTide Festival gets underway, Artistic Director Steven Atkinson has announced full casting for HighTide Festival 2012. Familiar names include Louise Brealey, Brendan Coyle, Russell Floyd, Elizabeth Hopper, Danny Kirrane, Lesley Nicol, Abi Titmuss, Rosie Wyatt, andMatilda Ziegler. Also announced are the guests for the HighMind Talks at the Festival, including Alan Bissett, Will Gompertz, Ben Hammersley, Owen Jones, Juliet Stevenson and Griff Rhys Jones.

The Summer Season at the Finborough Theatre continues with rediscoveries of EVENTS WHILE GUARDING THE BOFORS GUN and MERRIE ENGLAND. Commemorating the tenth anniversary of the death of playwright John McGrath, and unseen in a professional production in London since 1966, John McGrath's Events While Guarding The Bofors Gun opens at the multi-award-winning Finborough Theatre for a limited four-week season from Tuesday, 22 May 2012 directed by Robert Hastie. Merrie England plays at the Finborough Theatre for a limited run of nine Sunday and Monday evening performances and Tuesday matinees, opening on Sunday, 27 May 2012.

From 9th May Neal Foster and Alison Fitzjohn will take over the roles of Rex and Queenie in HORRIBLE HISTORIES - BARMY BRITAIN at the Garrick Theatre.

The 2012 Bistro Awards took place on Monday, April 23 at 6:30pm at Gotham Comedy Club. The 27th Annual Bistro Awards gala recognized 25 artists and shows for outstanding achievement in New York cabaret and jazz. Check out our extensive photo coverage of the evening, featuring host Jim David and the award winners.

Aspen's acclaimed Theater Masters will present its sixth annual "Take 10," an evening of six 10-minute plays from award-winning MFA graduate playwriting students across the country as part of its National MFA Playwrights competition on May 1st - 5th at Off-Broadway's The Studio Theatre on Theatre Row (410 W 42nd Street).

Construction is set to begin today on Columbia, Maryland's newest performing arts facility, Red Branch Theatre. To be located at 9198-H Red Branch Road in Columbia, Red Branch Theatre will become the new home to two theatrical organizations - Drama Learning Center and Red Branch Theatre Company.

'You're An NDN???' is an interactive performance piece with music by Mwalim: the tales and adventures of a Black Indian experience from the perspective of a Black Indian who grew up in a Jewish neighborhood. This free performance will take place on Thursday, May 3rd at 5:45 PM at the Dudley Branch Library, 135 Dudley Street, Roxbury, MA. This performance is free and open to the public.

From 26 July - 12 August 2012, the Criterion Theatre will present Playing The Games, a programme of work which will celebrate both artistic and sporting talent featuring emerging and established actors, comedians, musicians, playwrights and Olympians.

Three Roses Players and Venice Sky Productions will present the world premiere of LOVE STRUCK, by Dale Griffiths Stamos, directed by Maggie Grant, in a special limited run at the historic Beverly Hills Playhouse, May 11 through May 27, 2012. LOVE STRUCK stars Barbara Bain, Peter Van Norden and Nick Ullett, along with a supporting cast of 14.

Back for their 9th year, StarPlayers present their Musical Theatre Camps for Summer 2012 at Guardian Angels Church, 8260 Hudson Blvd., Oakdale, MN. There are four identical weeklong sessions: June 18-22, June 25-29, July 9-13 and July 16-20.

Thunder Rock by Robert Ardrey will be performed on May 3rd-13th by TBG Theatre, 312 W 36th St NY NY 10018.