Marianka Swain - Page 29

Welsh-Breton theatrical collaboration 'Merch yr Eog' (The Salmon's Daughter), a unique co-production by Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and Teatr Piba, begins a UK and Brittany tour next week. The play, which explores one immigrant's sense of belonging and stars Welsh-born, Brittany-inhabiting singer-songwriter Lleuwen Steffan, is accompanied by an app that translates the show for audiences not familiar with the languages. Arwell Gruffyd explains its genesis.

Following the 10th anniversary West End gala performance of WICKED on 27 September, creator Stephen Schwartz joined current and past performers from the show on the Apollo Victoria Theatre stage, and then at a suitably greenified afterparty.

As an actor, Nigel Harman's numerous credits include EastEnders, Guys and Dolls, Downton Abbey and Shrek The Musical, the latter of which he also directed. He's now helming the revival of a Steven Berkoff double bill: Lunch, about an abortive one-night stand, and The Bow of Ulysses, revisiting the couple after 20 years of marriage. The plays star Shaun Dooley and Emily Bruni, and begin at Trafalgar Studios on 6 October.

The Strictly Come Dancing stars were out in force for the West End opening of Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace's stage show The Last Tango at Phoenix Theatre. Former judge Arlene Phillips, current competitor Laura Whitmore, pro dancers Giovanni Pernice, Neil Jones, Katya Jones and Chloe Hewitt, It Takes Two commentator Karen Hardy, and former competitors Ali Bastian and Jimi Mistry, the latter now married to Cacace, all attended the show, which blends Argentine tango with ballroom and Latin styles.

Last night, Wicked marked an impressive 10 years in the West End with a special gala performance, attended by dozens of past cast members, such as Kerry Ellis, Oliver Tempsett, Louise Dearman, Willemijn Verkaik, Savannah Stevenson, Gina Beck, Alexia Khadime, Diane Pilkington and Danny Mac, and members of the original creative team, including Stephen Schwartz and Joe Mantello.

Wicked held a special gala performance last night at the Apollo Victoria Theatre to mark 10 years in the West End - a milestone guaranteed to make many in the industry green with envy. Current stars Rachel Tucker, Suzie Mathers, Anita Dobson, Oliver Savile and Mark Curry performed for an audience packed with past Elphabas and Glindas, as well as the original creative team, including composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz

Damian Buhagiar's credits include the UK tour of Jersey Boys and Bugsy Malone at Lyric Hammersmith. He's now returned to the West End production of In the Heights in the role of Sonny, which he originated at Southwark Playhouse in 2014, in time for the show's first birthday at King's Cross this Friday.

Ventriloquist Nina Conti got her break when Ken Campbell specially devised Let Me Out!!! for her in 2001, and she's since won numerous awards, headlined shows, appeared in Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration. She's now on a major UK tour with improvised show In Your Face, which sees audience members donning masks and becoming live semi-puppets. The show comes to New Wimbledon Theatre on 3 October.

It's hard for people to grasp the possibilities of something like virtual reality or 360 film, as most don't have a frame of reference yet, so the best thing is to show them,' explains Toby Coffey, the National Theatre's Head of Digital Development. 'That's a big part of our job at the moment: inviting people into this new world.'

Actor Ian Hallard has done a range of work, from musicals and Shakespeare to phone-hacking play Great Britain at the National Theatre and TV staples like Doctor Who and Poirot. He also co-wrote a Poirot episode with his husband Mark Gatiss, and the pair are now starring together in a revival of Matt Crowley's seminal play The Boys in the Band, which changed the landscape of gay theatre on its Off Broadway premiere in 1968. It begins previews tomorrow at Park Theatre, where it plays until 30 October, and will then tour to Manchester, Brighton and Leeds

The stage version of David Walliams' hit children's book GANGSTA GRANNY is coming to the West End next summer following an extensive UK tour - more details here. Today, Walliams joined the cast - Gilly Tompkins as Granny, Ashley Cousins as Ben and Umar Malik as Raj - and director/adaptor Neal Foster for a launch event at a spot Gangsta Granny would no doubt have her eye on: Hatton Garden's Bedazzl Diamonds. 

The Globe is breaking bad. Cymbeline comes to us as Imogen - subtitled Renamed and Reclaimed, properly recognising that Imogen has far more to say than her royal father - but that's just the start of Matthew Dunster's bold, urban revamp. The king runs a coke empire. The exiles have a weed greenhouse. The court dresses in Adidas tracksuits, Cloten is a football hooligan, while Skepta and Sicario soundtrack each strip lighting-illuminated tableau, revealed by the parting of slaughterhouse plastic curtains.

The current racial crisis in America might seem too urgent, too horrific, for us to be constantly seeking historical stories, but Suzan-Lori Parks's play cycle makes a vividly articulate case for the long thread running from 19th-century slavery to 2016 debate over entrenched ethnic hierarchies and the nature of freedom. Originally staged at New York's Public Theater in 2014, Jo Bonney's acclaimed production now makes a welcome visit to the Court, where this intimate epic unspools unhurriedly and mesmerisingly.

Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill will star in a new production of multi Tony and Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Edward Albee's WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? directed by James Macdonald.

Actor Andy Moss is best known for his roles on TV dramas like Hollyoaks, Doctors and Cutting It, but he's currently taking on a very different challenge: the UK tour of Ghost the Musical, performing alongside Sarah Harding.

Sean Holmes has been Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith since 2009. Memorable productions during his bold and varied tenure include Three Kingdoms, Saved, Bugsy Malone, Ghost Stories, the Secret Theatre programme, and the Olivier Award-winning Blasted. Next up is a revival of Mark Ravenhill's provocative Shopping and F***ing.

Gleb Savchenko and Kristina Rihanoff are to appear live on stage together in London's West End at the Adelphi Theatre. The former stars of 'Strictly Come Dancing' will make two amazing performances of their smash new show, titled 'ONE MORE DANCE', at 3pm and 7:30pm on Sunday 11th December 2016. 

Yesterday, Richmond Theatre launched their Christmas pantomime, SLEEPING BEAUTY, in appropriately fairy tale fashion at London's Kew Gardens. Making a welcome return to panto is Maureen Lipman, who stars at the Wicked Fairy, with Lauren Hood as Sleeping Beautya and CBeebies presenter Chris Jarvis as Chester the Jester. Sleeping Beauty runs December 2-January 8, 2017.

Ian McKellen plays 'Spooner', Patrick Stewart plays 'Hirst', Owen Teale plays 'Briggs' and Damien Molony plays 'Foster' in Sean Mathias' production of Harold Pinter's No Man's Land, which had its West End press night last night at Wyndham's Theatre following a UK tour. No Man's Land was first performed at Wyndham's in 1975 with Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, following its premiere at the National Theatre.

John Barrowman has been confirmed as the performing emcee for the European premiere of Disney's Broadway Hits at the Royal Albert Hall next month, as a small number of extra tickets are released for this hugely popular show.