My 2013 theatre wish list
29/12/2012
Already have a quite choice collection of treats lined up for next year's theatre trips: Ben Whishaw on stage with Judi Dench in a John Logan play, James McAvoy doing Macbeth, Rowan Atkinson in Quartermaine's Terms and Mark Rylance in 12th Night in a proper theatre (yes I'm being provocative and no I haven't seen it yet).
But London is an indulgent parent to this theatre addict and as such I'm a spoilt child who always wants something more, so if London's theatre land really loved me it would offer up the following:
A young(er) Hamlet - The RSC has disappointed a little by going very traditional with its choice of Jonathan Slinger to play the Dane next year. There are so many great younger actors out there whom I'd love to see give it a go, in no particular order: Andrew Scott, Colin Morgan, Eddie Redmayne, Harry Melling, Luke Treadaway, Jack Gordon... go on remind me of the many I've missed. What I want is a youthful, contemporary production, it makes so much more sense when Hamlet is proper student age.
All female productions - The all woman Julius Caesar at the Donmar got me thinking about which other productions I'd like to see with a totally female cast and the different ways of approaching it. At the Donmar they used a play within a play concept to explain why there were no men but I'd be curious to see other interpretations. I'd love to see a woman play Hamlet for example or a lesbian Othello...
Rehearsed readings - This year I got to see the wonderful Benedict Cumberbatch doing Look Back In Anger and James McAvoy in Bajazet. More please, I love a rehearsed reading especially as it affords the opportunity to see someone on stage who's much in demand on the silver screen.
Ben Whishaw - Greedy I know when he's already appearing in Peter and Alice but it has been three years of absence from the boards, there is a lot of making up to do.
I have more but I don't want to be too greedy. What are everyone else's theatre wishes for 2013? Perhaps if we all tap our heels together at the same time...