Rona Kelly - Page 4

Embracing the darkness of the play and space, we are 'cabined, cribbed, confined, bound in to saucy doubts and fears' alongside Macbeth in Polly Findlay's terrifying and thoughtful production.

Edward Bennett returns to the Royal Shakespeare Company for his third season, appearing in Polly Findlay's Macbeth. As the production comes to London, Bennett gives us an insight into Findlay's rehearsal room, discusses how Macduff is similar to previous roles he's played here, and also shares his own superstitions surrounding the Scottish Play and theatre...

Sandy Grierson returns to the London stage in othellomacbeth, taking on the roles of Cassio and Macbeth in one show. No stranger to doubling, Grierson previously played the roles of Faustus and Mephistopheles in the Royal Shakespeare Company's acclaimed production of Doctor Faustus in 2016, the parts decided with the lighting of matches. Taking us through his thoughts on and experience with Shakespeare, Grierson shares Jude Christian's vision of the two plays and just why they chose (and to an extent needed) to 'f*** with them a bit'.

Phone rings, door chimes, in comes Marianne Elliott, ushering in a new age of adaptation with her. Almost 50 years since it opened on Broadway, Company returns to the West End. Reworked, though respectful of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's original material, this hopefully opens the door for more reimaginings with love filling the London stage.

'But men are men...' Gender is taking centre stage in the current climate, telling her story not history. From new writes like SIX and The Old Vic's Sylvia, to the reframing of classics from a female perspective, the Liverpool Everyman's female led Othello and the Globe's Imogen prove the relevance of these texts to modern audiences. Elayce Ismail and Jude Christian's othellomacbeth is a hybrid of these: retelling two of Shakespeare's greatest plays, with the emphasis on the women and new additions. While bold it may be, the result is a mixed bag of 'confused events, new hatch'd to [this] woeful time'.

Having played Sir Toby Belch in the National Theatre's Twelfth Night last year, Tim McMullan returns to the Olivier for another Shakespeare play: Antony and Cleopatra. Taking on the role of Enobarbus, he shares the challenges and rewards of playing this character in this particular space and time.

Welcome to the next installment in our Special Effects series, celebrating the worlds off stage from some of the UK's biggest shows on stage. Last month, we dissected blood, guts and more with The Lieutenant of Inishmore and Tamburlaine. This time, we're exploring the setup required to leave characters like that, 'Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike'. Tech Assistant Stage Manager for Bat Out of Hell, Gary Wall has been with the production since its first run in Manchester. Talking bats and bikes, Gary reveals the 'backstage ballet' that is automation, and just how many cues a show of this scale has. 

Actor Joshua McGuire returns to the National Theatre this year, to appear in David Hare's new play I'm Not Running. Chatting to him during rehearsals, Joshua shares his love of new writing, what the play is (and is definitely not) about, and his journey from audience to actor at the National.

West End shows will find themselves in good company later this month. Company returns to the London stage in a reworked version by Marianne Elliott, set in the modern day and featuring gender swaps of characters. Jonathan Bailey take on the roles of Paul and Jamie respectively. Sharing their experiences of Sondheim, the two talk rehearsals, what could drive them crazy, and throw down the gauntlet to Hamilton!

It's been a busy summer for actor Bryan Dick. As performances finish for one show, rehearsals get underway for another one...or rather two! A double bill for the Rose Theatre Kingston, Hogarth's Progress features The Art of Success and the world premiere of The Taste of the Town. Catching up on how rehearsals are going, Bryan shares his thoughts on tackling characters with real life counterparts, from William Hogarth to Ernie Wise.

It's that time of year again. Commuters watch and wonder, as waves of people cram onto their rush hour trains. You can spot them a mile off, thanks to their lightsabers, corsets, and this year blindingly bright Hawaiian shirts. It can only mean one thing: Secret Cinema is taking over London. Just a few weeks after Blade Runner - The Final Cut wowed audiences, Secret Cinema presents William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. A night of music, mischief and Queen Mab, come seek happy nights and celebrate a summer of (brawling) love.

National Youth Music Theatre's season is well underway at The Other Palace. With casts and creatives featuring young people, NYMT's work develops up and coming talent on stage and off. The latest show to open is The Beautiful Game, which also stars veteran actor Jasper Britton. Talking to us during rehearsals, Jasper reveals his tips for learning lines, what his day job is, and how his own start in acting is intertwined with the start of NYMT.

Ever wondered what goes into creating your favourite productions? Those moments of magic (or macabre) where you go 'How did they do that?!' In our new Special Effects series, we'll be discovering how the worlds on stage come to life by exploring the worlds off stage, talking to the creatives and crews from some of the UK's biggest shows and theatre companies. This month, we're looking at stage blood and effects in two infamously bloody shows. We spoke to the Company Stage Manager on Michael Grandage's The Lieutenant of Inishmore and the Designer of the Royal Shakespeare Company's Tamburlaine, who shared their practices (and a few secrets).

Founded in 1976, the National Youth Music Theatre exists to create opportunities and provide training for young people, interested in the world of musical theatre. From playing the piano in auditions to Artistic Director, Jeremy Walker's journey through National Youth Music Theatre is one to be shared. Talking to us about the ambitions of NYMT and the upcoming season at The Other Palace, he reveals just why the work they do is so important.

If Tyrone Huntley could sum of the last few years, it would be just one word: 'Crazy!' From working with wonderful teams of creatives such as Sonia Friedman, to playing Judas in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's acclaimed Jesus Christ Superstar, 'the possibilities are endless' for this young actor.  This summer, Tyrone is set to feature in Homos, or Everyone in America, the European premiere of this play. Catching  up during rehearsals, he shared his excitement for taking on this role, thoughts on the last few years, and what advice he would give to others on a similar trajectory.

Last week, Secret Cinema Founder Fabien Riggall spoke to us about ten years of SC. Looking back on his past learnings, he also shared his excitement for what the future holds, including Secret Cinema Presents Romeo + Juliet. In the run up to this event, we caught up with Matt Bennett, the Creative Director. Hearing about his journey from audience member to artistic control, Matt let us in on some secrets ahead for this summer's show including an exclusive...

For over a decade, Secret Cinema has been creating imaginative and immersive worlds for audiences to explore and experience. Combining music, theatre, art and (of course) film, it's an artform and night out unlike any other. The next world awaits this summer and it's one which 'has been on the cards for a long time': Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet. Founder Fabien Riggall takes us back to the early roots of Secret Cinema, explains why they've chosen this world this year, and looks ahead to the future.

It's big...it's green...and no, it's not just the park! This summer, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre stages Little Shop of Horrors with rehearsals currently underway.  Though his character Seymour may be 'full of broken dreams', Marc Antolin certainly isn't. Taking on his dream role, Marc shares his favourite songs from the show and why he loves returning to Regent's Park.

Exit the King marks the first time Eugène Ionesco work has been performed at the National. Playing on the vast Olivier stage, this absurdist play features a cast of just six actors, an intimate staging. One of those is actress Debra Gillett, making her return to the National. With the production opening tomorrow, Debra shares how rehearsals have been going and looks ahead to how Exit the King will resonate with audiences and actors alike.

Following on from a timely Rome Season, the Royal Shakespeare Company again looks to the past to inform the present, with a West End transfer of Imperium - I: Conspirator & II: Dictator. And who can blame them? With politics and personages all too familiar, Rome and its Republic make the perfect subject for audiences today. A historical (and hysterical) retelling, one particular detail unfortunately remains the same between then and now.