Dateline 29th October, 2000
Strindberg, Tantalus and Noh for the Barbican
BITE:01 (Barbican International Theatre Event 20001), which runs from May to October next year, will feature the London premiere of Peter Hall's production of John Barton's Tantalus, the UK premiere of Robert Wilson's A Dream Play (Strindberg) and two modern Noh plays, directed by Ninagawa.
Out of Joint remembers Dunbar
Directed by Max Stafford-Clark, Out of Joint will revive Andrea Dunbar's 1982 comedy success Rita, Sue and Bob Too, originally commissioned by the company, at the Soho Theatre in December. Along with Dunbar's play, written when she was eighteen, the company will also present Robin Soans' A State Affair, which deals with life on British council estates in the last twenty years.
Dunbar continued top live on the Buttershaw Estate, Bradford, after her success until she died in 1990 at the age of 29. Soans' play is based on stories collected by the company in July this year when they visited the estates in which Dunbar grew up in Leeds and Bradford.
Stones extends
Marie Jone's comedy hit Stones in His Pockets (Duke of York's) has extended its booking to April 2001. From 18th December the alternate cast - Louis Dempsey and Sean Sloan - will take over from Sean Campion and Conleth Hill.
Another musical closes early
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the off-Broadway hit which opened at the Playhouse in September, is to close early, on Saturday 4th November, having been booking until January. This is the third West End early closure to be announced in seven days. The others were The Guardsman (with Greta Scacchi and Michael Pennington at the Albery) and The Seven-Year Itch (with Daryl Hannah at the Queen's).
Daldry named Best Director
Stephen Daldry has been named Best Director in the British Independent Film Awards for his first film, Billy Ellott. The film won awards in another three categories: Best Screenplay (Lee Hall), Best Newcomer (Jamie Bell) and Best Film. Julie Walters was nominated for Best Actress, but was beaten by Gillian Anderson.
Poetry reading at the Duke of York's
Ralph Fiennes, Juliet Stevenson, Imogen Stubbs and Harriet Walter are to take part in a poetry reading at the Duke of York's Theatre on 26th November in aid of the Arvon Foundation. Also taking part will be Poet Laureate Andrew Motion.
Peters and Mendes together
The New York Post reports that Bernadette Peters is to make her West End debut in the musical Gypsy, directed by Sam Mendes.
The Hobbit is coming
Glyn Robbins' adaptation of Toplkien's The Hobbit is expected to come to the Queen's for a five week season from 13th December, after a national tour. The show, which is aimed at children, will be directed by Roy Marsden.
"Never mind the music. Enjoy the scenery!"
Reactions to the latest historical musical to hit London, Napoleon the Musical, have been lukewarm at best, with plenty of praise for the design but very little for the music.
According to The Times, it has "music that often went tum-tum, lyrics that regularly went plonk-plonk, and rhymes that sometimes left me wishing no such thing as rhyme had been invented", whilst the Evening Standard said "the songs are unmemorable and unhummable."
Louis de Bernieres at the Dylan Thomas Festival
Louis de Bernieres plays the narrator in his "updated" version of Under Milk Wood at the Dylan Thomas Festival in Swansea, which runs until 9th November.