That was November in London (and beyond) theatre land or Martin McDonagh month
02/12/2017
Beginning, National Theatre
You wait ages then two Martin McDonagh plays come along...
* The Bridge Theatre announced a new play by McDonagh, The Very Very Very Dark Matter which opens in October 2018 and not only that it stars Jim Broadbent.
* Before that, in June, The Lieutenant of Inishmore is being revived by Michael Grandage at the Noel Coward Theatre from June starring Poldark's Aidan Turner.
* Grandage is also reviving John Logan's play Red which he originally directed at the Donmar. Alfred Molina returns as artist Mark Rothko while Alfred Enoch will play his assistant Ken. It is at the Wyndhams from May and is really good although I'll always be grateful I saw it in a small theatre.
* Elsewhere, Paines Plough is transferring three of its Edinburgh hits - Black Mountain, How To Be A Kid and Out Of Love - to run in rep at the Orange Tree Theatre in Richmond from Jan. And for those who do this sort of thing, you can see all three plays in one day.
* Carey Mulligan returns to the stage in Dennis Kelly’s Girls and Boys at the Royal Court from February next year.
* The fabulous play Beginning transfers from the Dorfman to the Ambassadors theatre from January.
* Tom Burke has set up a theatre production company with Israeli theatre director Gadi Roll. Their first production is Don Carlos at the Nuffield Theatre in Southampton from October.
* Stan-fav Maxine Peake takes on Beckett’s Happy Days at the Royal Exchange Manchester from May.
* And the cast of the Old Vic's Fanny & Alexander has been announced and includes Penelope Wilton, Lolita Chakrabarti and Jonathan Slinger. Opens for previews on 21 February 2018.
Thesp spots
Quality not quantity in November: Olly Alexander was spotted by Poly in Shoreditch, Maureen Lipman was seen in Covent Garden, Lex Shrapnel was watching Albion at the Almeida as was Benedict Cumberbatch and his Mrs, with Mr C whooping loudly for Vinette Robinson at the curtain call.