Barney Norris News

Reading Rep Theatre today announces that it has reached its funding target and raised over £1 million for a new cultural arts hub in Reading.

Alice Hamilton's directing work includes the Olivier-nominated Every Day I Make Greatness Happen at the Hampstead Theatre,The Weatherman at Park Theatre and While We’re Here at the Bush Theatre. She's now back at the Hampstead to helm Harold Pinter's The Dumb Waiter, which premiered here 60 years ago.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) have announced this year's six recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Initiative commissions. The commissioned writers are Kate Attwell, Mia Chung, Noah Diaz, Julia Izumi, Ife Olujobi, and Stacey Rose.

Celebrating its 10th anniversary with a ceremony held in the iconic Grand Hall of Battersea Arts Centre on Sunday 8 March 2020, the Off West End Awards once again celebrated the best of independent, fringe and alternative theatres across London.

Wiltshire Creative is premiering Barney Norris's new adaptation of Lorca's Blood Wedding as part of its spring 2020 season followed by major revivals of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Hay Fever plus star-studded productions of Shirley Valentine and Dial M For Murder.

Jeff Rawle (The Durrells, Hollyoaks and Drop the Dead Donkey) and Teresa Banham (Mary Wilson in The Crown, Netflix) lead the cast in Barney Norris's new adaptation of Lorca's Blood Wedding, commissioned and produced by Wiltshire Creative and Up In Arms to run at Salisbury Playhouse from 6-22 February 2020.

Today, The Watermill Theatre announces the appointment of four new Associate Directors as part of its Associate Artist Programme. The four emerging directors have been selected to work with the producing theatre to develop their skills and build experience as they embark on the next phase of their careers. Under the guidance of Artistic Director Paul Hart, each will take on roles ranging from Assistant Directorships to fully directing productions, all with the aim of nurturing their talents and extending their knowledge. These new appointments are a part of The Watermill's continued commitment to supporting emerging theatre-makers and nurturing the talent of the future.

Wiltshire Creative will premiere Barney Norris' explosive new adaptation of Lorca's Blood Wedding, retold in present-day Wiltshire, at Salisbury Playhouse in February as part of its 2019-20 Autumn Winter season.

LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art) summer season 2019 will run from 29 May to 17 July at the drama school's West London campus. Directed by industry professionals, the summer season marks the final productions of LAMDA's graduating acting and technical students as they prepare to embark on their professional careers. LAMDA graduates have gone on to enjoy illustrious careers on stage, screen and behind the scenes, with alumni including Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ruth Wilson and David Oyelowo. As part of its commitment to offer local residents increased access to the dramatic arts, half price tickets are available for Hammersmith & Fulham residents.

The Mother is a powerful, narrative dance production choreographed and directed by master storyteller Arthur Pita which has its London premiere at the Southbank Centre Queen Elizabeth Hall in June. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's dark tale, The Story of a Mother, this sumptuously designed production stars international dance superstar Natalia Osipova and award-winning contemporary dancer Jonathan Goddard.

Reading Rep Theatre today announces it will be launching a new cultural arts hub as its first permanent home in Reading, allowing the company to continue to expand as the town's only year-round professional producing theatre. The new space will house the multi-award-winning Reading Rep Theatre, led by Artistic Director Paul Stacey, and provide the facilities for the company to continue producing critically acclaimed and increasingly ambitious work, as well as delivering outreach opportunities to those with least access to the arts.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) are pleased to announce the complete casting for the world premiere of Continuity, the new play by Lortel and Drama Desk Award nominee Bess Wohl (Small Mouth Sounds, American Hero) and directed by Tony Award nominee Rachel Chavkin (Hadestown; Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812). The production will feature Max Baker (1984, The Explorers Club), Jasmine Batchelor (The River), Rosal Colon ('Orange is the New Black,' Between Riverside and Crazy), Curran Connor (Pidgeon, A Picture of Autumn), Garcia ('Tales of the City'), Darren Goldstein (Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes, The Madrid), Alex Hurt (Cardinal, The Whirligig) and Megan Ketch (The Big Wedding, 'American Gothic').

59E59 Theaters (Val Day, Artistic Director; Brian Beirne, Managing Director) is thrilled welcome the US premiere of KILLING TIME written by Zoe Mills and directed by Antony Eden. Produced by Word Mills and Dead Letter Perfect in association with the Stephen Joseph Theatre, KILLING TIME begins performances on Thursday, April 18 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 12. Press Opening is Thursday, April 25 at 7:30 PM. The performance schedule is Tuesday - Friday at 7:30 PM; Saturday at 2:30 PM & 7:30 PM; and Sunday at 2:30 PM. Performances are at 59E59 Theaters (59 East 59th Street, between Park and Madison). Single tickets are $25 ($20 for 59E59 Members). To purchase tickets, call the 59E59 Box Office at 646-892-7999 or visit www.59e59.org. 

The very stiffest of stiff upper lips is on display at Royal and Derngate in the premiere of Barney Norris's adaptation of The Remains of the Day.

Artistic Directors of Paines Plough James Grieve and George Perrin today announced the company's Programme 2019, marking the final season from the pair who will step down later this year after nearly a decade at the helm.

Miss Marple, The Queen and Margaret Thatcher will all take centre stage in Salisbury Playhouse's Spring 2019 season.

Artistic Director of Northampton's Royal & Derngate, James Dacre today announced that the venue will stage the world premiere of a brand new version by Mike Poulton of Henrik Ibsen's masterpiece Ghosts in April 2019, directed by Lucy Bailey, starring Penny Downie and Pierro Niel-Mee.

Up In Arms, in association with Pleasance and Ellie Keel, today announce the full cast for the world premiere of Annie Jenkins' In Lipstick. Alice Hamilton directs James Doherty (Dennis), Caroline Faber (Maud), and Alice Sykes (Cynthia). This marks the first collaboration of James Doherty and Alice Hamilton since their acclaimed multi-award-nominated work on Barney Norris' Eventide. In Lipstick opens at Pleasance, Islington on 11 January, with previews from 9 January, and runs until 26 January.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Samuel Hodges, today announces the company's Spring and Summer 2019 season.

Zach Wyatt will star as Anthony alongside previously announced Maisie Williams as Caroline in the UK premiere of Lauren Gunderson's I and You, which will be directed by Artistic Director Edward Hall on the Main Stage. Richard Molloy's Every Day I Make Greatness Happen, winner of the Nick Darke Award in 2017, will receive its world premiere Downstairs in September, and will star Sofia Barclay, Moe Bar-El, Jon Foster, Susan Stanley and Josh Zare.