The British Theatre Guide: News for 8th January, 2006

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Dateline: 8th January, 2006

Butterworth Replaces Churchill at the Court
Jez Butterworth's new play The Winterling will replace Caryl Churchill's Cloud Nine which she withdrew from the Royal Court's fiftieth anniversary season, citing the fact that she will be deeply involved in writing a new play as the reason. The Winterling, which will run in the Theatre Downstairs from 9th March (previews from 2nd) to 8th April, will be directed by Ian Rickson, who directed Butterworth's previous two plays at the Sloane Square venue, Mojo and The Night Heron. Rickson was to have directed Cloud Nine.

Another playwright (and a former Royal Court director) William Gaskill has also cancelled the production of his own play Sirens, a stage adaptation of James Joyce's Ulysses which he was to have directed as part of the celebrations, because he disapproves of the inclusion of a new play by Tom Stoppard, Rock 'n' Roll, in the season, which is advertised as a celebration of the Court's writers and directors, as neither Stoppard nor Trevor Nunn, who is due to direct, has any previous connection with the theatre.

It has been suggested by some that this was also the real reason for Churchill's withdrawal of her play but a spokemsna for the theatre told whatsonstage.com that, even though she might have private concerns, “Caryl would not ever use her work to censor the work of another writer.”

Dael Orlandersmith

Two New Tours
Dael Orlandersmith's Yellowman, a production from the Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, directed by Gemma Bodinetz, will begin a national tour at the Salisbury Playhouse on 26th January before going on to Leeds, Ipswich, Liverpool, Warwick, Oxford, Greenwich and Manchester. This will be the Liverpool theatres' first national tour.

Losing Louis, by Simon Mendes da Costa, opens a month later on 21st February at the Theatre Royal, Windsor. Directed by Robin Lefevre, it stars original cast members Alison Steadman and David Horovitch. It was premiered at the Hampstead Theatre in February last year and then transferred to the Trafalgar Studios. After Windsor it goes on to Oxford, Brighton, Richmond, Bath, Guildford, Malvern and Cambridge.

Whelan Revival Cancelled
The revival of Peter Whelan's The School of Night, starring Christopher Eccleston, which was due to open at the Comedy Theatre on 27th February (previews from 16th) has been cancelled. No reason for the cancellation has been given.

Sunday Extends and May Transfer
The Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George has extended it run by three weeks to 12th March. Meanwhile co-producer Daniel Babani has told Playbill that he is in “advanced discussions” about a transfer to the West End and hopes to make an announcement within four weeks.

Thatcher the Musical
Foresight Theatre, an all-female touring company, is to premiere Thatcher the Musical, with songs written by Jill Dowse and arranged by Mary Keith, directed by Naomi Cooke and Deborah Barnard, at Warwick Arts Centre on 7th February. The show will go on a national tour in the autumn, although no dates or venues have yet been announced.

According to the company, it will be "an irreverent romp through the life and times of Margaret Thatcher and her Government. Drawing on the traditions of West End musical, stand-up and the grotesque, the evening promises to be an all-singing, all-dancing bonanza hosted by the Iron Lady herself!"

Broadway Phantom Breaks Cats Record
The Broadway production of Phantom of the Opera will become the longest running musical ever on Broadway on 9th January, when it racks up 7,486 performances since it opened on 26th January, 1988, passing the record set by Lloyd Webber's Cats.

Almost eleven million people have paid around £339m to see the show at Broadway's Majestic Theatre.

Extending and Closing
The following have extended their booking periods:

The Emperor Jones (Gate, Notting Hill) to 14th January
Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace) to 21st October
The Blue Man Group (New London) to 3rd September
Cirque du Soleil's Alegria (Royal Albert Hall) to 12th February

Simon Gray's Otherwise Engaged (Criterion Theatre) will close at the end of its current booking period, 28th January.

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