Letters from the Theatre

The National Theatre has unearthed a play from the archives, written in 1978 by British playwright of Guyanese origin, Michael Abbensetts. Its premiere was a great success that same year, coinciding with the television series Empire Road, which was also…

“Much Ado About Nothing” is one of those productions that doesn’t just start at the coat check—it begins right from the theater’s façade. There, bathed in a pink-golden glow, are the enormous faces of Tom Hiddleston and Hayley Atwell—Benedick and…

What does London’s theater scene have in store for audiences in the first month of spring? Gains and losses, as always. We’ll lose a few gems, gain some new ones, and we’re here to tell you about a few right…

Chekhov has always been an important playwright for the English stage—just think of recent landmark productions, from Uncle Vanya with Andrew Scott to The Seagull starring Emilia Clarke. And now, a new addition: Three Sisters is playing at the Sam…

Director and playwright John Retallack staged “Mariupol”, a play by Katya Haddad, at The Cockpit theater with the support of the David Nott Foundation. This is the first staging of the play after a successful reading at Oxford’s The Old…

This Merchant of Venice—with the added subtitle 1936—is pinned to the stage floor, like a model, with push pins, two scenes sharply contradicting the classic content of Shakespeare’s play, yet entirely comprehensible in the context of its new interpretation. The…

Alright, there is one comedy in this selection—but otherwise, prepare yourselves for catharsis. Catharsis is when the audience empathizes deeply with the characters, and this state, as the ancient philosophers believed, purifies and ennobles the viewer—or at least emotionally. Whether…

“The Tempest” in Drury Lane is one of the most talked-about premieres of the year. The production and the portrayal of the main character have already sparked heated debates, but one thing is clear: this performance will go down in…

The play “Our Treasure” by Evgenia Berkovich was shown in London. Last week, Chameleon Theatre brought “Our Treasure” to London—a Christmas parable from the independent theatre project “Daughters of Soso.” The touring performances took place at the Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre.…

December. A magical time for wishes, advent calendars, gifts, and vacations. Therefore, our December selection will not have anything unexpected, dramatic, or terribly distressing. Only joy, only gifts, only amazing theatrical experiences, shrouded in a sparkling haze of happiness. It’s…

Getting to Stratford-upon-Avon, the legendary town where Shakespeare was born and buried, from other cities in England is not always the easiest thing to do, especially during the autumn and winter months.

John Galsworthy’s “The Forsyte Saga” is a grand novel of immense and utmost importance not only to English but also to world literature. A Nobel laureate, Galsworthy wrote about what he knew best—people, their loves, and desires. The vivid depictions…