Never Mind The Blog… Here’s January 2018

John & George

One of my theatre resolutions for the year was to start a monthly feature to preview the comings & goings of Theatreland, with some extras thrown in for good measure. Hopefully as time goes on the logo will get some work done on it, but for the moment just don’t judge a book by its cover!

Lots & lots of shows have their first performances in London and across the country this month, including new productions of Pinter’s The Birthday Party, Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan, and Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well. The VAULT Festival kicks off towards the end of January, running until March and bringing an eclectic blend of shows together underneath Waterloo. Amadeus returns to the National, whilst Patsy Ferran stars in My Mum’s A Twat at the Royal Court, Dry Powder starts previews at the Hampstead Theatre, and Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties opens at Southwark Playhouse. E.M. Forster’s A Passage To India runs at Salisbury Playhouse (it comes to the Park Theatre later this year), The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe returns to West Yorkshire Playhouse, and Wales Millennium Centre’s ffresh hosts Faulty Towers: The Dining Experience.

To gain shows we also have to lose some, with Follies, Ink, The Jungle, The Twilight Zone, A Christmas Carol (Old Vic), Romantics Anonymous, and An American in Paris all taking their final London bows (amongst others). Elsewhere, The Arabian Nights has its final few performances at the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, and Debbie Isitt’s The One Hundred And One Dalmatians ends its run at Birmingham Rep.

I’d also like to send massive break a leg wishes to Charlie Stemp, who makes his Broadway debut in Hello, Dolly! on 20 January!

New releases: The Music Which Inspired Girl From The North Country (12th), Mindhunter OST (12th); The League of Gentlemen specials (15th), Peaky Blinders series 4 (22nd)

Reviews

As you might expect, I have a fair few reviews coming up this month! Confirmed so far are:

• The Crystal Egg Live, The Vaults
• Wine, Tristan Bates
• Lobster, Theatre503
• East, King’s Head Theatre
• Bunny, Tristan Bates
• Woman Before A Glass, Jermyn Street
• The Claim, Shoreditch Town Hall
• Ken, The Bunker Theatre

I also have my first couple of VAULT Festival bookings – GOLEM! Theatre’s Tomorrow Creeps, and Chivaree Circus’ Becoming Shades.

Any Other Business

Photo: Steve Tanner

I’m treating myself this week; I have just the one review lined up and I’m ‘off duty’ for the rest of my shows – making the most of Romantics Anonymous and An American in Paris, revisiting Girl From The North Country, and seeing La Bohème before that also closes. I also have the RSC’s Antony & Cleopatra, Bananaman, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk and Dry Powder to look forward to.

Outside of the auditorium, I’m taking one of Scena Mundi’s trial classes at St Giles-in-the-Fields: script adaptation.

Hot tips

Blog post: Love London Love Culture’s Picks of 2018: Exhibitions
Book recommendation: James Acaster’s Classic Scrapes

“Change is within all of us. It’s why life is such a thrill.”
Belle, A Christmas Carol (Jack Thorne)

Don’t miss!
My preview of GOLEM! Theatre’s Tomorrow Creeps (running at the VAULT Festival from 24-28th January).