Natalie Abrahami News

The Royal Opera House today launches its 2019/20 Season, unveiling an exciting range of new commissions, world premieres and much-loved revivals, supported by a diverse range of ticketed and free daytime events, activities and festivals for people of all ages.

Anna and Hans are married, in love and moving up in the world - but it is a world ruled by suspicion. Who can be trusted when everyone is listening? Can we ever escape our past?

With SS Mendi, a co-production with Isango Ensemble, opening this week at Royal Opera House, Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Samuel Hodges, today announces the full cast for a new staging of Peter Morgan's The Audience. Samuel Hodges directs Lizzie Hopley as Margaret Thatcher and Bobo MacDonald, Paul Kemp as all other Prime Ministers, Sharon Singh as The Equerry and Fay Burwell and Maddie Farmer share the role of Young Elizabeth, joining the previously announced Faye Castelow as Queen Elizabeth II. The production opens on 30 May, with previews from 24 May, and runs until 22 June.

With Peter Morgan's The Audience opening next month, Samuel Hodges, director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres today announces the company will be commissioning a new play about local pub, The Hobbit and its legal battle with a Hollywood film company over copyright infringement which began in 2012.

he JMK Trust, in partnership with Birmingham Repertory Theatre, today announce that Will Ashford receives the inaugural JMK Bob Carlton Bursary, which through the generous support of Bob's family, will fund a role as an Assistant Director at Birmingham Rep. This bursary has been established in Bob's name as an opportunity for a new director with a connection to the Midlands, where Bob hailed from.

National Theatre has announced its listings for May - October 2019. Check out the full lineup below!

Anna and Hans are married, in love and moving up in the world - but it is a world ruled by suspicion. Who can be trusted when everyone is listening? Can we ever escape our past?

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Samuel Hodges, today announces Faye Castelow as Queen Elizabeth II in the UK regional premiere of Peter Morgan's The Audience. The production, directed by Samuel Hodges, opens on 30 May, with previews from 24 May, and runs until 22 June. Further casting to be announced.

The National Theatre has announced its upcoming lineup for the first half of 2019.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Sam Hodges today announces the full cast for his production of Howard Brenton's The Shadow Factory which returns to celebrate NST City's first anniversary after opening the space with a sell-out run last year. The cast includes Denise Black (Lady Cooper/Ma Dimmock), Bethan Cullinane (Jackie Dimmock), Joe Tracini (Len Gooch) and Michael Fenton Stevens (Lord Beaverbrook) joining returning cast members David Birrell (Fred Dimmock/Hugh Downing), Catherine Cusack (Lil Dimmock/Sylvia Meinster) and Shala Nyx (Polly Stride). The production opens on 1 February, with previews from 30 January, and runs until 2 March.

The Trustees of the JMK Trust today announce that from 2019 the JMK Award will enter a new partnership with the Orange Tree Theatre, with the winner's production forming a core part of the theatre's annual programming. At this new home, the JMK Award will offer one director the opportunity to direct a full-scale Orange Tree show with the production values and nurturing guidance the building is famous for. The JMK Award, which had previously been resident at the Young Vic for seven years, forms part of the national programme for the The JMK Trust, running alongside the Regional Directors Programme.

The Gate Theatre have announced their next production, Dear Elizabeth, a two-hander by award winning US playwright Sarah Ruhl will be performed by a series of guest actors including Travis Alabanza, Jade Anouka,Tim Crouch, Tamsin Greig and Alex Jennings.

The National Theatre has today announced its new season

Charlotte Jones's new play for nearly a decade, The Meeting, is an emotional twister that evokes concerns about female empowerment, treatment of those who are different, and the limitations of religious teachings.

Director of Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Samuel Hodges, today announces Labour MP, Jess Phillips will join the writing team for the world premiere of Women In Power. The production sees some of the UK's most influential female voices, including Wendy Cope, Jenny Eclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi and Brona C Titley, come together to write this musical comedy based on the Greek classic, The Assemblywomen. Directed by NST Associate Director Blanche McIntyre, the production opens on 6 September at NST City and runs until 29 September.

Machinal, written by Sophie Treadwell, is based on the sensational 1927 trial of Ruth Snyder, a housewife who murdered her husband. It is a play largely about a woman attempting to find her own agency, with little success, despite the restraints of being a wife and mother. While the Almeida production boasts a wonderful set and the modern relevancy is clear, it ultimately falls short of its source material.

Full casting is today announced for Nuffield Southampton Theatres workshop production of Son of Rambow - The Musical, running at The Other Palace from 24 May - 2 June. Director of NST, Samuel Hodges, directs Gemma Goggin (Miss Smith), Scarlet Billham (Tina), Tom Mccall (Barry), Jon Tarcy (Didier), Richard Dempsey (Brother Joshua), Cat Simmons (Sarah) and Felix Warren as Will and Aaron Gelkoff as Lee. Son of Rambow - The Musical is an adaptation of the hit cult film featuring an original 80s pop soundtrack by two of the UK's most successful pop writers Miranda Cooper and Nick Coler with the book by Richard Marsh. This marks Cooper and Coler's debut in writing for the stage.

The Almeida Theatre presents its revival of Sophie Treadwell's Machinal, directed by Natalie Abrahami.

Nuffield Southampton Theatres today announces the launch of a new writer's group in partnership with the award-winning South West theatre company Up in Arms led by co-artistic directors Barney Norris and Alice Hamilton, to help writers from the local area develop their skills in writing for performance.

Further casting is announced today for Festival 2018 at Chichester Festival Theatre. Clive Rowe joins Matt Lucas, Caroline Quentin and Alex Young to lead the cast of the musical ME AND MY GIRL, which Daniel Evans directs at the Festival Theatre from 2 July - 25 August. Clive will play Sir John Tremayne, returning to Chichester following his appearance in Kiss Me Kate in 2012 which later transferred to The Old Vic.