That was October in London theatre-land
06/11/2016
* Had to leave my Jimmy Choos at home when I went to see Lunch and the Bow of Ulysses at Trafalgar Studios 2. The theatre had imposed a stiletto ban because of the wooden stage which you have to cross to get to your seat. Turned out to be one of the most interesting things about the play.
* St James Theatre, now under the ownership of Andrew Lloyd Webber, is to be renamed The Other Palace (see what they did there?) and will the ‘home of new musical theatre’. That’s one less theatre’s programme for me to keep tabs on then.
* With the announcement of new temporary venues and new fringe venues, Mark Shenton and Jake Orr asked the pertinent question: Does London need more theatres? (No - there are more than enough to keep me entertained as it is.)
* Daniel Radcliffe is returning to the London stage in what might possibly be the only Tom Stoppard play I like: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Stan-fav Joshua Maguire co-stars and it opens for previews at the Old Vic on Feb 25, 2017.
* Comedian Harry Enfield will make his stage debut at the Young Vic in the 1930s Hollywood-set comedy Once In A Lifetime. Previews from Nov 25.
* And finally Sophie Okonedo and Damian Lewis will star in Edward Albee's The Goat at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Last saw Sophie Okonedo on stage playing Ben Whishaw's wife in The Crucible and she was pretty amazing. Damian Lewis, was last seen sporting an impressive moustache in American Buffalo alongside John Goodman and Tom Sturbridge. The Goat runs from 24 March to June 24 2017.
Thesps spots Jade Anouka watching One Night in Miami at the Donmar and getting some personal serenading from 'Sam Cooke' (it is a great play, go and see it). Eddie Redmayne was spotted at The Globe, presumably having some down time before the promotional circus of Fantastic Beasts starts. And the press night of Amadeus (National Theatre) proved quite starry with Lesley Manville, Bill Paterson, Gemma Arterton, Nick Payne and Patricia Hodge.
Stage blood corner where you can never truly remove the stains
In the month of Halloween, happy to report that blood supplies have been restocked. First up their was a nose bleed from a punch in The Boys in The Band and then there was also sorts of gruesome bloody eyes (and an eyeball thrown into the audience) in King Lear at the Old Vic.