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The importance of being Oscar
Micheál Mac Liammóir’s 1960 solo show intertwined the private and public life of Oscar Wilde with extracts from the great Irish wit’s work. Alastair Whatley, who directed The Importance of Being Earnest a few years ago, recently performed Mac Liammóir’s monologue at Reading Rep. A recording of that production, directed by Michael Fentiman, is available on Original Online Starting July 1st.
How did we get here?
Spice Girl Melanie C has always shied away from contemporary dance. “I thought it would be intimidating,” she said last year, on the eve of her Sadler’s Wells collaboration with Jules Cunningham and Harry Alexander. But “come with an open mind and it will make you think,” she urged of the contemplative piece devised by the trio. Free entry until July 25.
Shakes against the machine
With daily installments in the run-up to the July 4 general election, Rob Myles and the Chronic Insanity Theatre Company web series combines news headlines from the last 14 years of Conservative government with speeches by Shakespeare to demonstrate that “the challenges we now face are on the same tragic scale as some of his darkest works.”
Bonnie and Clyde: The Musical
In a sign of continuing tough times for live theatre, a tour of this musical about Depression-era burglars was recently cancelled due to poor ticket sales. But a filmed version is available at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, starring Jeremy Jordan and Frances Mayli McCann. on demand.
Tracks
With 16 songs drawn from a catalogue spanning half a century, all newly recorded, this Stephen Schwartz’s Handbook has three issues of Godspell, Pippin’s Corner of the Sky, Meadowlark from The Baker’s Wife (about to be revived in Menier chocolate factory) and Defying Gravity sung by four of Wicked’s Elphabas: Kerry Ellis, Rachel Tucker, Lucie Jones and Alice Fearn.
Village in Elsinore
What do you think of this site-specific theater? In 1964, the BBC broadcast a Hamlet film filmed entirely on location in and around the city. Kronborg Castle in Denmark. Christopher Plummer played the tragic prince, Michael Caine was Horatio and there were roles for Steven Berkoff, Lindsay Kemp and the late Donald Sutherland as Fortinbras. On iPlayer.
Starlight Express
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Starlight Express is back on the road in a triumphant new version in London Troubadour – is a great introduction to musicals for children. Yotoan audio platform that uses a cheerfully designed cube machine that plays “cards,” just released released a Starlight song card from the 1984 production (each with a colorful graphic for the machine’s screen) with story explanations in the middle.
Fold
French-Senegalese choreographer and former hip-hop dancer Amala Dianor’s show is an explosive hour that explores urban dance styles from around the world. Competitive, communal and irresistibly fluid, it will be touring Europe this summer, but is already in Art and Youtubefilmed at the Maison de la Culture in Grenoble.
Until the stars come down
Nottingham playwright Beth Steel is going from strength to strength. Following the huge success of The House of Shades at the Almeida, this wedding drama thrilled audiences at the National’s Dorfman Theatre earlier this year. Bijan Sheibani’s production is new to NT at home.
Through the cracks
Tear up the floorboards, with the help of augmented reality, to watch a world of drama unfold beneath your feet with this app created by Office of Everyone and English Touring Theatre. Each story focuses on someone who has disappeared in some way; the first, On timeis a queer romance written by Sonali Bhattacharyya, narrated by Ian McKellen, and starring the always excellent Sophie Melville. Available now.