Jon Nicholls

Actor, producer and director Martin Jarvis OBE (Just William, The Forsyte Saga, Eastenders, Doctor Who) has won the BBC Audio Drama award for Lifetime Achievement, presented at Broadcasting House’s Radio Theatre.

The finalists in the 2023 BBC Audio Drama Awards have today been announced, with a wealth of talent such as Toby Jones, Danielle Vitalis and Ken Cheng all in the running for the top spots.

Bristol Old Vic today announces a week-long extension of the world première of Dr Semmelweis, based on an original idea by Mark Rylance, and written by Stephen Brown with Rylance. The production opened on 26 January, and now runs until 19 February 2022. 

Production photos have been released for Manor, a timely new play by Moira Buffini (The Dig, Harlots), that opened in the Lyttelton for previews on 16 November and is running until 1 January.

There’s a huge amount going on in a short time in Colin Teevan’s The Seven Pomegranate Seeds, now showing at the Rose Theatre. Seven stories about maternal pain and loss from the women in the plays of Euripides are transported from classic mythology to modern-day scenarios. Despite this intriguing concept, the resulting production feel rushed and fails to live up to its potential.

In this darkly comic play, a violent storm is brewing and Diana, played by Nancy Carroll (The Crown) is struggling to keep the roof on her rundown manor house. As the storm sweeps the coast, an explosive mix of people unexpectedly arrive in search of shelter including Ted Farrier, played by Shaun Evans (Vigil), a charismatic leader of a far-right organisation. Stranded together, this group of strangers must survive the weather - and each other. 

Ayub Khan Din’s much loved modern classic East is East premiered at the Birmingham Rep back in 1996 before being adapted for the screen a few years later. In celebration of its 25th year the play arrives at the National Theatre for a limited run. Thanks to cleverly considered, often sensitive direction from Iqbal Khan and a strong and cohesive cast, the revival shows little signs of its age and instead feels as fresh, relevant, and engaging as ever.

Shannon Hayes will join the previously announced Niamh Cusack in the world premiere of Colin Teevan's The Seven Pomegranate Seeds directed by Melly Still.  This will be the second Rose Original production in Christopher Haydon's inaugural season as Rose Theatre's Artistic Director.

The cast will include Amy-Leigh Hickman as Meenah;  Irvine Iqbal as Mr Shah/Dr; Tony Jayawardena as George; Adonis Jenieco as Saleem; Rachel Lumberg as Annie; Noah Manzoor as Sajit; Joeravar Sangha as Maneer; Gurjeet Singh as Tariq; Sophie Stanton as Ella and Assad Zaman as Abdul.

In Leopards, by rising playwright Alys Metcalf, Niala will be played by Saffron Coomber. Niamh Cusack will be reuniting with director Melly Still in the world premiere of Colin Teevan’s The Seven Pomegranate Seeds.

Extra tickets go on sale to the public from Monday 19 July. Tickets for The Normal Heart, East is East, Manor and Hex on sale to the public from Friday 30 July. Learn more about all of the upcoming productions here!

Bristol Old Vic today announced a bold season for Autumn–Winter 2021/22. The programme includes new productions from brilliant talent, long-awaited new dates for world premieres and new ways to share those stories live and online.

Under Haydon's stewardship, the Rose's own work will be the priority, as demonstrated by the five Rose Originals in this upcoming season, but there will always be room on the theatre's stage for the country's leading touring shows as well.  This season's Rose Originals are a blend of new plays tackling significant contemporary issues and well-known titles reinvented for today.

With the final camera positions set in the auditorium, and demand high, Bristol Old Vic has today released the final theatre seats for its opening live-broadcast/in-person production Touching the Void.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Productions' critically acclaimed production of David Mamet's highly provocative drama Oleanna, directed by Lucy Bailey, will tour the UK this Summer from 8 June, visiting Cambridge, Bath, Southampton and Malvern, before transferring to the West End's Arts Theatre, London from 21 July to 23 October 2021.

Multi-award winning immersive audio production company releases 'The Fir Tree' by Hans Christian Andersen, an all new translation and adaptation narrated by Carl Prekopp with Les Dennis as the Fir Tree.

Rose Theatre reopened its doors to audiences last week following the end of the second national lockdown and has announced several upcoming shows for spring 2021.

Theatre Royal Bath is now presenting Betrayal. The show runs from 14 October to 31 October.

In the week that Dominic West appeared in a cringe-worthy “We’re still happily married” two-hander on the doorstep of his Wiltshire home with his deceived wife, the opening of Harold Pinter’s tale of betraying loved ones couldn’t be more timely.

The Sydney Opera House will host a vibrant showcase of live performance, interviews and musical footage to fundraise for the Actors Benevolent Fund (ABF), as part of its popular digital program From Our House to Yours on Saturday 11 July at 8pm AEST.