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Dateline:
9th August, 2002
Fringe Audience
Walk-out
Members of the audience of Anthony Neilson's Stitching at the
Traverse walked out of the play's first performance, disgusted at the
subject matter, which includes masturbatory fantasies about the Moors
Murders and naked women being herded into an Auschwitz gas chamber.
Commenting in The Guardian, Neilson said, "If something shocks
me, I don't just walk away from it, I ask myself why I am shocked by
it.
"It is not my job to tell audiences a rose is beautiful. Everybody
knows that. My job is to see if there is a way to make a turd beautiful."
(See our review of the show here.)
Anderson in West
End in November
It was confirmed this week that X Files star Gillian Anderson
will make her West End debut this year. She will appear in the play
What the Night Is For, which will open in November, although
no actual date or theatre have yet be announced, nor have any details
of the other casting.
Gentlemen Join Art
The next cast for Yasmina Reza's hit comedy Art will be the comedy
trio, The League of Gentlemen. The three actors - Steve Pemberton, Mark
Gatiss and Reece Shearsmith - are best known for the black comedy TV
show.
Young Vic Opens with
Lawrence
The Young Vic is to open its autumn season with a revival of D.H. Lawrence's
play The Daughter-in-Law. Directed by David Lan, the play, which
was first performed at the Royal Court in the 60s, will run from 12th
September to 12th October (previews from 5th Sepember).
Gambon and Craig
to Star in Royal Court Opener
Michael Gambon and Daniel Craig are to star in the opening play of the
Royal Court's autumn season , Caryl Churchill's A Number, which
opens on 26th September (previews from 23rd) and runs until 16th November.
Mendes' Last Plays
Sell Out
Sam Mendes' last productions at the Donmar Warehouse, Uncle Vanya
and Twelfth Night, have sold out a month before they open. The
plays, which run from 5th September to 30th November, will then have
a month-long run at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York early
next year.
Autumn in Nottingham
Nottingham Playhouse has announced its autumn season. It opens with
Rat Pack Confidential, based on the book by Shawn Levy, adapted
by Paul Sirett This co-production with the Bolton Octagon will from
6th top 21st September anmd will then go on to Bolton and to Ipswich's
New Wolsey.
It is followed by J.M. Barrie's Mary Rose, a thriller, from
4 to 26 October 2002. The Christmas production will be Beauty and the
Beast, starring Kenneth Alan Taylor who also writes and directs. It
runs from 29th November to 18th January.
Circle
to Tour
One of the plays voted as being one of the top 100 in the RNT poll of
2000, Somerset Maugham's The Circle, is to tour this summer with
a cast led by Wendy Craig and Tony Britton. It will open in Malvern
of 27th August and go on to Guildford, Bath, Edinburgh, Greenwich and
Cambridge.
Extending
Two long-running West End shwos have further extended their booking
periods: Chicago is now booking until 30th March, 2003, and Blood
Brothers until 27th September, 2003.
Welsh Rock Opera
Revived
A Welsh-language rock opera, first performed in 1974, receives its first
ever revival this week at the National Eisteddfod. Nia Ben Aur
is based on Celtic myth: Ossian falls in love with Nia who lives in
Tir na n'Og, the Celtic fairyland. However he misses his home and family
and she agrees to his return, but warns that is he sets foot on the
ground in Tir na n'Og he will become an old man and die. He falls off
his horse and dies.
The first production was made up of songs with a simple interpolated
narrative. In the new production, Theatr na n'Og has commissioned Sion
Eirion to write the script. After the Eisteddfod performances, the show
will tour Wales.
(Story from Theatre in Wales:
thanks to Keith Morris.)
Carmen Silvera Dies
Actress Carmen Silvera, best known for her TV appearances as Madame
Edith in 'Allo 'Allo!, has died, aged 80. She was suffering from
lung cancer and had been given three months to live in April of this
year.
Although most of career from the 60s onward was in television, from
the 40s she appeared in rep and touring shows. Just last year she toured
in You're Only Young Twice with Brian Murphy.
She was born in Canada but her family moved to Coventry when she was
a child.
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