The Best Immersive Theatre Shows In London

The Gunpowder Plot

Journey back to the events of 1605 with this immersive theatre show, which follows Guy Fawkes and a group of conspirators plotting to blow up parliament. Taking place in a purpose-designed space beneath the Tower of London – the site where much of the prelude to the Gunpowder Plot actually took place – the show features a mixture of live theatre, technology and virtual reality, making you the protagonist with Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter films) taking on the digital role of Guy Fawkes. Visitors are tasked with infiltrating the plotters’ inner circle and making a dangerous attempt to escape the Tower. Expect a high-energy experience that engages all your senses, complete with motion simulators and impressive special effects.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by The Gunpowder Plot (@gunpowderimmersive)

When? Currently booking until September 2023

BOOK IT: gunpowderimmersive.com

The Burnt City

Acclaimed theatre company Punchdrunk returns to London for the first time in eight years with The Burnt City, which tells the story of the greatest Greek tragedy, the fall of Troy. Set across two Grade II-listed buildings in the company’s new home in Woolwich, The Burnt City takes viewers to a dystopian world where Greece teeters on the brink of victory. This is no traditional theatre experience: you’re invited to wander at your own will, opening doors and crawling through secret passages. Will you choose to follow the characters who emerge from the shadows? Or will you break free from the crowd and discover mysteries lying in wait at the heart of the labyrinth?

When? Currently booking until 23 September 2023

BOOK IT: punchdrunk.com

Dead On Time

Ever wanted to step into the crime novels written by the likes of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle? With the help of British Pullman, now you can. Hop abord the iconic steam train – journeying through picturesque Kent, starting and finishing at London Victoria – and be transported back to 1951, where a group of characters are making their way to London for the Festival of Britain. Disaster falls, however, when someone is found murdered. It’s up to you, along with your fellow passengers, to solve the case and find the culprit before it’s too late. Read more about the experience here

© The Other Richard

When? Dates throughout 2023

BOOK IT: belmond.com

The Murdér Express

Speaking of trains, climb aboard The Murdér Express, an immersive theatre experience set on a glamorous 19th century-style train in East London. Sip drinks from Pedley Street Station’s ‘Seven Sins’ Bar and enjoy food from MasterChef finalist Louisa Ellis as the mysterious story unfolds around you. As you journey to the (fictional) town of Murdér, expect to be joined by characters such as East End Costermonger Frank, music hall star Tilley and local antique dealer Cliff.

When? Currently booking until November 2023

BOOK IT: funicularproductions.com

The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience

Travel back in time to HG Wells’ dark Victorian England in a multi-sensory immersive experience, taking place at The Old London Metal Exchange. Using immersive theatre, virtual reality, augmented reality holograms and other cutting-edge technology, visitors will be able to experience the fictional Martian invasion narrated in HG Wells’ War Of The Worlds, and in Jeff Wayne’s musical interpretation of the story. Audiences will be guided along in small groups of 12 by live and virtual actors, as they walk, crawl and slide through different scenes: from drinking tea in a Victoria household while Martians roam outside to witnessing an enormous Martian Fighting Machine rise above them in virtual reality. The experience stimulates all the senses – you’ll smell the grass and feel the chill of the story’s famous Horsell Common, and feel the ground shake as the first cylinder lands. The total run lasts for 110 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission in the Red Weed Bar. Finish by enjoying a bite to eat and a drink at the steampunk themed bar.

When? Booking until 31 December 2023

BOOK IT: thewaroftheworldsimmersive.com

Witness For The Prosecution

Situated in the spectacular Chamber Room in the old London County Hall on the Southbank, Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution is London’s longest-running site-specific theatre production. A story of justice, passion and betrayal, viewers are immersed in court room surroundings as the gripping plot unfolds. Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. Will Leonard survive the shocking witness testimony? Will he be able to convince the jury – and you – of his innocence, and escape the hangman’s noose?

Photo by Johan Persson

When? Until 24 April 2024

BOOK: witnesscountyhall.com

Featured image: Dead on Time, courtesy of British Pullman © The Other Richard.

The post The Very Best Immersive Theatre Shows In London To Book Now appeared first on Country and Town House.

Interview: Pearl Mackie On Grenfell: In the Words of Survivors, The Diplomat & Tom Jones

© Pip

Hi Pearl, how’s life going at the moment? 

It’s pretty good! Busy; but that’s how I like it!

You can currently be seen in The Diplomat – can you give us an elevator pitch for the show?

Ooh OK. Career Diplomat Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) gets placed in the US Embassy London. She’d rather be in Kabul but, unbeknownst to her, London is full of twists and turns, and everyday she is juggling mounting pressure to solve an international crisis. Expect lots of walking and talking! Manila folders! Top secret documents! And that’s all before we get to Kate’s turbulent marriage to political star, Hal…

You play Alysse – can you describe her for us? 

So Alysse is Kate’s attaché, or assistant, and Kate is not what she was expecting! She struggles to find her feet with Kate at first – sometimes with hilarious consequences. 

What was it like playing her? 

Oh, it was great fun! We had such a wonderful time working together! The cast is great and the writing is so good that we all just felt really happy to be at work everyday. Sounds like a cliché, but we all just got on so well!

How did you get into character/prepare for the role? 

Oh my gosh, well Deborah’s scripts were so amazing, a lot of the info was already in there, and anything else we asked she had a wealth of knowledge and information on in order to help inform our roles.

Any funny stories from rehearsals or filming? 

So many. Filming the helicopter taking off and landing repeatedly was wild – those things are so powerful! I’m glad it was a wide shot, because all of our faces looked like we were skydiving! It took all the core strength we had not to be blown down! 

You’ve also got Grenfell: In The Words Of Survivors coming up – can you tell us about that project? 

I have. So this piece is a verbatim play, which means the writer, Gillian Slovo, has worked with survivors of the tragedy and the wider Kensington community and a good deal of the script is their testimony. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and Anthony Simpson-Pike, the play will run at the National Theatre in the Dorfman, from 13 July to 26 August alongside an in-depth community engagement programme, and will share the voices that are part of this important story and keep the tragedy of Grenfell part of the national conversation. I feel incredibly honoured to be part of a company that is amplifying the voices of survivors and bringing the tragedy of Grenfell back to public consciousness. For the survivors and the bereaved, it has never left the conversation, and it shouldn’t have for society, either.

Who do you play?

We all play survivors, as well as playing other people from the inquiry, and will play ourselves as well.

Which do you prefer – TV, film or theatre? 

I couldn’t choose. I love them both equally for totally different reasons and for the same reason – all we are is storytellers and these magnificent mediums allow us to tell stories.

And you’ve also got Tom Jones coming up on ITVX – busy time! What is that show about?

Haha, so busy! Tom Jones is a reimagining of the Henry Fielding novel, A History of Tom Jones: A Foundling. What’s different about our version is it is told from the perspective of Sophia Western, (one of!) Tom’s love interests – and she is mixed race. The show addresses her ethnicity early on, detailing that her mother was an enslaved woman and her father was a slave owner. But, aside from these serious origins, the show is really good fun! It’s about true love and how the course of it never runs smooth! It’s got a smashing cast, and everyone is really so funny in it! It was so fun to be a part of. I mean, filming in Belfast in a corset on a horse in the middle of winter was tough, and those cloth shoes do not keep the water out, but it was a really good laugh.

Pearl Mackie as Honour and Sophie Wilde as Sophia Western. © Mammoth Screen for ITV/ITVX.

What has been your favourite project to date? 

It’s so hard to say, but I’ve just started rehearsals for Grenfell: In The Words Of Survivors and it already feels like this might be the most important thing I have ever done.

Any more roles in the pipeline that you’re excited about? (If you’re allowed to tell us!) 

Haha, nothing I can talk about!

Who has been your favourite actor to work with in the past? 

Oh no, don’t make me choose! I’ve been so lucky to work with so many incredible actors

Who have you learned the most from in your career? 

You know what, our camera operator on Doctor Who, Mark McQuoid. It was my first TV job and he taught me so much about camera lens sizes and what that meant in terms of positioning and performance. It was literally invaluable.

What’s your dream role? 

I’d love to play Lady Macbeth one day. But also any kind of villain with a dark origin story would be great fun. 

What’s something you’d like to do more of? 

Gosh, musicals? And comedy. But I’d also love to do a really good horror or thriller. I am such a scaredy cat and I could probably never watch it, but an actor I worked with once told me that working on a horror film really helps you conquer your fear, so that sounds great!

What’s something you’d like to do less of? 

None! I love the balance of doing lots of different types of work – I think it keeps me on my toes.

Do you get to spend much time at home? 

Not as of last week! But usually I get a good balance of being home for a bit to chill in between jobs. 

Do you live in the town or the country? Which do you prefer?

Ahh, I’m a townie. South London girl through and through. 

How do you find balance in your personal and work lives? 

How does anyone?! I guess just trying to be as present as you can in the situations you are in and trying not to let one spill over into the other. Taking time to do fun things with my fiancée is important to us too.

© Pip

What do you do to wind down? 

Ugh, I need to get better at winding down. I just watched the season finale of Succession as my evening’s viewing, and that was not relaxing in the slightest!

What did you want to be when you were growing up? 

I have always wanted to be an actor!

If you could give advice to your 15-year-old self, what would it be? 

Wow. Umm, this too shall pass?! No, honestly, the chaos inside you will quiet and you will be able to find a way to channel it and be happy. Trust yourself, keep working hard, trust your friends and family and love yourself. You are amazing!

How can we all live a little bit better? 

Be kinder to each other. And ourselves!

Anything fun in the pipeline – professionally or personally? 

Yes, I’m getting married next year!

Quick Fire

I’m tuning into… Succession and Ted Lasso finales (devastated they are leaving our screens). Also looking forward to Silo on Apple. 

What I’m reading… Show Me the Bodies by Peter Apps. Research.

The last thing I watched was… Masterchef semi final

What I’m most looking forward to seeing… The Barbie movie 

Favourite film of all time… I think it’s mad to have one single favourite film – there are so many and they serve different purposes. Why would you limit yourself to just one?

Band/singer I always have on repeat… Beyonce. Just saw the Renaissance Tour live and she is the queen!

My ultimate cultural recommendation… I think the Basquiat King Pleasure exhibition might still be on in NYC. I saw it with my fiancée when we were there last year, and it is one of the most stunning exhibitions I have ever seen. They recreate his childhood home and his studio, and the insight it grants into his life is phenomenal.

Cultural guilty pleasure… Nah, no guilt here. Everything I love, I love proudly. 

Grenfell: In The Words of Survivors opens at The National Theatre on 13 July 2023.

The post ‘This Might Be The Most Important Thing I Have Ever Done’: Pearl Mackie On <i>Grenfell: In The Words Of Survivors</i> appeared first on Country and Town House.

Exciting Immersive Experiences in London To Book Now

start the slideshow

Featured image: British Pullman

The post Exciting Immersive Experiences in London To Book Now appeared first on Country and Town House.

Interview: 10 Years Of The HandleBards, A Sustainable Theatre Company

The travelling HandleBards troupe

Hey guys, you’re celebrating 10 years of The Handlebards – congrats! Can you give us a quick summary of who you guys are and what you do?

We’re a Shakespeare company with a difference, in that we cycle across the country (and sometimes further afield!) bringing shows to theatres and outdoor venues, celebrating Shakespeare’s stories in irreverent, comedic ways that have been entertaining people across the world for the past decade.

What inspired you to start the company?

We started off as a group of four friends with an insatiable sense of adventure and a fun little idea with a pun-tastic name. We wanted to see the country in an exciting, sustainable way, but do it slightly differently – so we decided we’d carry all of the set, props and costumes for two Shakespeare performances on the back of our bikes to keep ourselves (and our audiences) entertained!

What are the company’s sustainable aspects?

Everything we do has sustainability written into its lifeblood. Any show we produce will first start with a cycle tour, with the actors cycling around 30 miles between venues for around five or six shows a week – often for up to six months. A large majority of our sets, props and costumes are recycled – whether that’s from other people’s shows, from our own productions, or from second-hand and charity shops. And, in the past year, we’ve started picking back up with our international touring, during which we travel by train and public transport as much as possible.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HandleBards (@handlebards)

What can other theatre companies learn from you?

To be honest, we’re always learning from each other. We like to hope that we’re setting an example by touring in sustainable modes of transport wherever possible – be it on bicycles, trains or electric vans – and putting sustainability at the heart of what we do at every stage of the process.

What are some of the challenges you’ve faced?

Well, first of all, the UK isn’t particularly flat! So cycling around the country carrying everything with us can be quite the challenge. And we’ve ridden the waves of pandemics, funding cuts and some very extreme weather – but we’re still pedalling away!

When did you realise sustainability was an important cause to pursue?

We all came to the company from different backgrounds – a mix of university degrees and drama school degrees in circus, geography, chemistry and zoology – so we’ve always had a very good mix of scientific and artistic perspectives on the world around us. We have always known that sustainability was an important cause, but knew that we needed to find a way to tell the sustainability story in an entertaining way.

Cofounders Paul Moss and Tom Dixon

What makes you feel positive about a sustainable future?

When we started the company 10 years ago, we felt quite alone in the work we were making. Nowadays, we see a number of companies working with bicycle-powered sets, recycled sets, props and costumes, and constantly innovating with sustainable ideas. And for the past few years, we’ve toured with an electric van to carry our stage – and it’s gotten remarkably easier just in the past few years to find somewhere to charge it! It’s great to see the UK’s sustainable infrastructure having a strong buy-in from the government and industry alike.

How do the sets work?

It depends on the show – sometimes we carry absolutely everything in a trailer on the back of our bikes, or in a suitcase if we’re touring outside our summer season or internationally, and then for some of our larger-scale shows (like this year’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) we have an electric van carry a stage that is built at each venue.

You’ve also toured internationally – how does that work sustainably?

The benefit of building shows that fit onto the back of bikes is that they also fit well into suitcases – so, rather than carbon-heavy freight transport, we’re able to tour an entire show in our luggage. We fly as little as possible, visiting any European dates by train, and travelling between venues further afield by train or bus after minimal flying. Any flights we do use, we offset, but we know this isn’t a true solution. Eventually, we’d love to complete a round-the-world tour by train!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by HandleBards (@handlebards)

Why Shakespeare? Would you ever expand from Shakespeare?

There are a mixture of reasons as to why we produce Shakespeare. They’re great stories, and they deserve to be enjoyed by everyone. By presenting the shows in fun, irreverent ways, often in community settings, we hope to remove some of that feeling of elitism and show that we can all share in the joy of these stories. They’ve lasted 400 years in our western culture, so there must be something good about them!

We have expanded from Shakespeare, but by setting up a sister company called Slapstick Picnic. We’ve produced a couple of shows through that company so far – Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and a kids show called Gnora the Gnome’s Daytime Disco, and this year the company will be touring J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan across the UK from July to September.

It’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream this summer – which plays have you performed so far over the 10 years?

So many! If you’d like a list, it goes like this:

• Twelfth Night
• Romeo and Juliet
• The Comedy of Errors
• Macbeth
• A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Hamlet
• Much Ado About Nothing
• Richard III
• The Taming of the Shrew
• As You Like It
• The Tempest

Which is your favourite Shakespeare play?

I think we’re particular fans of the tragedies – Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth are some of our favourites. With our particular style, we love to have fun giving people what they least expect with those plays – not many people expect to be laughing their way through either of them, but they do!

The HandleBards at Southwell Minster

What’s a Shakespeare play you’ve never performed but would love to?

We’ve always talked about staging Titus Andronicus – plenty of Tarantino-esque blood, guts and gore – and a few people in pies. However, it might not quite fit the bill in the summer sunshine when people are tucking into their sausage rolls…

And what’s your favourite venue to perform in?

We have plenty of favourites, but a couple that we’ve been visiting since our very first year – and have been on the bill ever since – are Painswick Rococo Garden in the Cotswolds (always a fun, raucous audience) and Heeley People’s Park in Sheffield (where we always run community-focussed ‘pay what you can’ performances). They’re always an absolute joy to perform at.

Do you share your sustainable messaging at the shows? What is the audience reaction like?

At the beginning of each show, we let people know how many miles the tour has cycled so far, and encourage people to join us on our journey by following us on our social media.

What are your top tips for people at home to live a more sustainable life?

Get cycling! For small journeys (and many long ones), it’s by far the most enjoyable way to get around. And it’s cheaper and healthier than any other mode of transport!

The HandleBards are touring A Midsummer Night’s Dream across the UK until mid-September. Find your local performance at handlebards.com and stay up to date with their journey on Instagram @HandleBards.

The post Sustainable Shakespeare: 10 Years Of The HandleBards – Interview appeared first on Country and Town House.

The Best Musicals in London 2023

Photo: Helen Maybanks

Pretty Woman: The Musical

Where? The Savoy Theatre

When? Tuesday–Saturday evenings, with matinee shows on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Ends in London on 18 June 2023, before touring the UK this autumn.

The musical version of iconic 90s film Pretty Woman was poised to put on a sell-out season at the start of 2020, but then Covid happened. It’s back though, this time at the Savoy Theatre, with Aimie Atkinson and Danny Mac taking on Vivian and Edward, originally played by Julia Roberts and Richard Gere. Expect outstanding choreography from Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell alongside an uplifting original score from Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.

BOOK IT: london.prettywomanthemusical.com

Matilda The Musical

Where? Cambridge Theatre

When? Tuesday–Saturday evenings, with matinee shows on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Currently booking until 15 December 2024.

One for the kids (or the kids at heart), Matilda The Musical has made a big name for itself over the past few years, based on Roald Dahl’s popular children’s book, created by the Royal Shakespeare Company with lyrics by Tim Minchin. Having won seven Olivier awards in 2012, the musical received a film version at the end of 2022. If you’d like to experience the magic of the screen on stage, this is the one for you.

BOOK IT: uk.matildathemusical.com

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Where? Aldwych Theatre

When? Tuesday–Saturday evenings, with matinee shows on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Currently booking until 3 September 2023.

This acclaimed production about the life of artist Tina Turner smashed Box Office records when it debuted in 2018. It returned to the Aldwych Theatre last year, with Aisha Jawando taking on the role of Tina alongside Jammy Kasongo as Ike.

BOOK IT: tinathemusical.com

Frozen The Musical

Where? Theatre Royal Drury Lane

When? Wednesday–Sunday evenings, with matinee performances on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Currently booking until 15 October 2023.

From Disney instant-classic to stage phenomenon, Frozen The Musical has been wow-ing audiences young and old since it debuted on the West End in September 2021. Perfect West End winter viewing.

BOOK IT: frozenthemusical.co.uk

Helen Woolf (Glinda) and Nikki Bentley (Elphaba). Photo by Matt Crockett.

Wicked

Where? Apollo Victoria Theatre

When? Tuesday–Saturday evenings, with matinee shows on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Currently booking until 26 November 2023.

Now in its 15th year, Wicked is one of the longest running West End musicals of all time. No surprise to anyone who’s seen it: from the heart-warming story to its epic costumes and endlessly catchy songs, Wicked is a true masterpiece. Based on Gregory Maguire’s 1995 novel, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, the play re-imagines the Land of Oz, proposing an alternative universe to that of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. At its core, Wicked is the story of a deep friendship between two young women: the ostracised green Elphaba – later known as the Wicked Witch of the West – and beloved blonde Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.

BOOK IT: wickedthemusical.co.uk

Hamilton

Where? Victoria Palace Theatre

When? Monday–Saturday evenings, with matinee shows on Thursdays and Saturdays. Currently booking until September 2023.

If you haven’t seen Hamilton yet, where have you been? Lin-Manuel Miranda’s jewel of a hip-hop musical about America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton has garnered rave reviews worldwide – and the hype is going nowhere.

BOOK IT: hamiltonmusical.com

Les Misérables

Where? Sondheim Theatre

When? Monday and Wednesday–Saturday evenings, with matinee performances on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Currently booking until 30 September 2023.

The world’s longest running musical, Les Mis has returned to the refurbished and renamed Sondheim Theatre (formerly the Queen’s) for a limited seasonr. Set in 19th century France, the musical dramatises Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel about ex-convict Jean Valjean, who is hunted for decades by the policeman Javert.

BOOK IT: lesmis.com

The Lion King

Where? Lyceum Theatre

When? Tuesday–Saturday evenings, with matinee performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Currently booking until 15 October 2023.

This one needs no introduction. The theatrical version of Disney classic The Lion King returns to its London home for more than two decades this July, where it has been enjoyed by over 16 million people. Londoner Kayi Ushe takes on the role of Simba in his journey from wide-eyed cub to King of the Pridelands – a great one to see with the kids.

BOOK IT: thelionking.co.uk

Main image: Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Manuel Harlan

The post The Best London Musicals To Watch Now appeared first on Country and Town House.

A New Roald Dahl Musical Is In The Works

Fans of Matilda the Musical, it’s time to get excited: a brand-new Roald Dahl musical is winging its way to stages in the very near future. This time, it’s The Enormous Crocodile getting the stage treatment, co-produced by Leeds Playhouse and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

Following a large, hungry crocodile searching for a child to devour, global contemporary music will be at the heart of the production, with an eclectic score by composer Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab (who performs under the band name Sinkane). Starring a menagerie of mischievous puppets (directed by Emily Lim and brought to life by one of the UK’s leading puppetry directors and designers, Toby Olié), audiences will hear a rib-tickling book and lyrics by Suhayla El-Bushra, plus additional music and lyrics from Tom Brady.

‘With The Enormous Crocodile, we wanted to make a show that speaks to four-year-olds, delights their older siblings and treats their parents to some brilliant music,’ said Executive Producer Anna Schmitz and Artistic Director Jenny Worton. ‘The music is like Dahl’s stories in its capacity to capture audiences of all generations. It is at once dark, funny and compulsively moreish!’

James Brining, Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse, added: ‘Developing any new work is always an exciting process, but to be working with such a talented creative team and fantastic partners on genuinely iconic and well-loved material is a real thrill.’

Timothy Sheader, Artistic Director Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, said: ‘Watch out, there’s going to be a very big and extremely hungry crocodile on the loose in Regent’s Park next summer. Come and help us catch him before it’s too late! We’re thrilled to be working with our brilliant partners to share this story on stage.’

The Enormous Crocodile will debut at Leeds Playhouse on 2 December, running until 6 January 2024. The production will then head to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for summer 2024. 

The Roald Dahl Story Company was established in 2018 to create innovative productions inspired by Roald Dahl’s stories, collaborating with world-class artists and leading theatre producers. To date, the Company has produced a major new musical version of The Witches with the National Theatre, while four further productions remain in development.

Meanwhile, the Roald Dahl Story Company is also producing a new theatrical reading of The Magic Finger with the Unicorn Theatre, presented for online release for schools and families in spring 2024. Plus, there’s a Dahl-inspired large-scale circus project in development, featuring a range of the author’s beloved characters, cooked up by award winning director Polly Findlay in collaboration with Cirque Bijou and Stephen Long and Iain Sharkey (the minds behind many of Derren Brown’s TV and stage illusions).

Schmitz and Worton said: ‘We couldn’t be more excited to be able to reveal these new productions, which demonstrate our ambitions in making new work. Far beyond simply “putting the book on stage”, we want to create original pieces of theatre, which both capture the timeless appeal, characters and spirit of Roald Dahl stories and speak powerfully to today’s audiences. 

‘From puppetry to musicals, free digital productions to large-scale events, we’re working across theatrical forms and collaborating with extraordinary artists and producers to create shows that will illuminate the original stories in a new way, inspiring the next generation of theatregoers,’ said Schmitz and Worton. 

On The Magic Finger, they added: ‘We are passionately committed to reaching new audiences with our work, and are delighted that the online storytelling production of The Magic Finger will ensure that young people from all backgrounds can enjoy a theatricalised reading of this story in their classroom for the first time.’

Featured image: Jenny Worton (Artistic Director) and Anna Schmitz (Executive Producer). Photo by Jon Cartwright.

The post A New Roald Dahl Musical Is In The Works appeared first on Country and Town House.

This article is featured in our Great British Brands 2023 book. Check out the digital edition here or grab a physical copy today.

The Best New British Actors To Watch Out For In 2023

start the slideshow

Main picture: Photo by Avel Chuklanov on Unsplash 

The post 13 Up & Coming British Actors To Watch Out For This Year appeared first on Country and Town House.

Ruth Wilson On Her Upcoming Epic Marathon Performance – Interview

© Emilie Chen

In a staggering feat of endurance, Ruth, who is best-known for her roles in His Dark Materials, The Affair and Luther, will be on stage for an entire 24 hours. She plays Virginia, a woman in a relationship with Marty that has lost its spark – the same scene will be repeated over and over again between them.

Ruth will be accompanied on stage throughout not by one Marty, but by a revolving cast of a hundred men, non-binary and queer, most of them non-actors, none of whom will have either met or rehearsed with Ruth beforehand… This sounds like a recipe for creative madness.

‘It just felt like madness,’ confirms Ruth, describing her attraction to the role. ‘Something completely “other”. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, where I will learn as much about myself as those performing opposite me. It feels like a personal challenge rather than an acting job.’

Some challenge. How do you even prepare for something like that? ‘I’m not entirely sure how to prepare,’ says Ruth, ‘and perhaps it’s best not to, and just go with the chaos – I should invest in a few Red Bulls! But I’m willing this to be a personal exploration as much as an acting exercise. The unknown excites me.’

On the door tickets will be available throughout the 24 hours and the audience are allowed to stay as long as they like and come and go as they please throughout the performance. ‘I am hoping that people who have come at 8pm on Friday, may return at 8am in the morning to see how I’m holding up. Only a very few will choose to stay for the whole 24 hours and experience that whole journey with me.’

What does Ruth hope that the audience will take from the performance? ‘I think the repetition of the same scene will enable the audience to identify acute differences in human connection and interaction between the genders. It is a one-off for the audience as much as it is for me.’ No truer word was spoken.

Break Out Culture Episode #113

Can you tell us about who the 100 men are?

I don’t know, actually. Most of them are non-actors, and most are complete strangers. So there will be a few friends and family members of mine – personal acquaintances of mine that drop in to kind of help me out – so that’s about 10 people out of the 100. But most of them are people I would never have met before — they’re strangers. And like I said, they’re mainly non actors. The kind of idea is to get people coming on that don’t usually exist in this space, in this performance space, and aren’t familiar with it.

Can you give us a background on the play?

There’s two Australian creators called Nat Randall and Anna Bracken. The two of them created this play probably about five years ago in Australia. It was put on at a theatre festival, and became a huge hit at the festival. People that went to watch it kept wanting to go back and see how this woman was doing seven hours later or four hours later. 

The scene is inspired by a John Cassavetes film called Opening Night, which is about a woman in her 40s, an actress who feels like she’s losing her power. It’s about ageing, a woman ageing, and the way it’s shot is really about that grey line between performance and reality – how this woman becomes kind of method in the way that she’s performing. She sort of loses herself in the process of finding that character. So it is a play on all those things, really, happening in this piece. The scene is only five minutes long – five to seven minutes long, depending on how long the performer likes taking up the space, or I like taking up the space. They come on, they learn a scene, and I learned that scene too. They could improvise around a few bits. And that’s it. Then they go off again.

There’s a few things that happen in the scene. The repetition of the scene is quite interesting for an audience: there’s things that I will be doing that will be exactly the same each time choreographically, or movement wise, or something else I’m doing. And that makes the differences even more acute. But what I think you’ll find – what you should find – is that it will be a study of human nature, really. You’re watching all these men, and how differently they interpret that scene, how differently they deal with that environment, and that pressure, and that space – how differently they interact with me. Also, I will change according to my levels of tiredness and exhaustion, but also I will have to negotiate each person. And that will be, I hope, quite interesting for people to watch. There’s nothing planned. There’s no rehearsals, so I won’t have met any of these people before, and I have to just work out what they’re giving me and react off it.

Who has chosen who the 100 men are? And they’re all called Marty?

I’m called Virginia, and they’re called Marty. They are the names of the characters in the film. The Young Vic did quite a rigorous audition process. Many of the men didn’t know what they were auditioning for initially. So they were going along workshopping for something else. I don’t actually know the ins and outs of how they did it, but from that they gathered about 60 people. And then we have friends or friends of friends, or other people we’ve pulled in as well; we wanted as broad a range as possible – ages, backgrounds, races, identities.

And it’s about a relationship breaking down?

It can be interpreted how you like, really. It’s a complicated relationship scene. Actually, it’s not got a great deal of language, but there’s lots of air within it.

What drew you to it? And how on earth are you going to prepare for the 24 hours? Don’t you have to pee and everything?

Every two hours, I get a 15 minute break. So I do get to go off! But I have no real idea. I’ve never done anything like this before. I don’t know why I took it. I think I’m probably a bit mad. I sort of like these challenges. It felt so different to me. So unusual. I have never questioned the thought of doing it. We were supposed to do it three years ago, but COVID, of course, shut it down. For some reason, for me, this is a no brainer. Other people can psychologise that, but I find it really scary and really interesting at the same time.

Listen to episode #113 of Break Out Culture to hear more about what made Ruth take on this role, how she’s preparing herself, and all about her new TV series out in autumn.

19-20 May. A Young Vic and LIFT co-production, produced in association with Ruth Wilson, youngvic.org

The post For 24 Hours Only: Ruth Wilson On Her Upcoming Epic Marathon Performance appeared first on Country and Town House.

A New Museum Of Shakespeare Is Coming To London In 2024

In 1597, Romeo and Juliet was first performed on stage. Specifically, it was performed at Curtain Theatre, a playhouse located just outside of the City of London, home of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men – a playing company for which a certain Will Shakespeare was a writer. Flashforward to 2011, and inklings that the lost Curtain Theatre was situated around Curtain Road are confirmed. The remains of the theatre – rectangular, not round as expected – were discovered in archeological excavations by the Museum of London Archaeology (MOLA) team, including a 46 ft stage, tunnels under the stage and galleries, and small finds such as a hair comb, money boxes for entry fees, beads presumably from costumes, a statue of Bacchus, and a bird whistle thought to have been used for sound effects in performances of Romeo and Juliet. 

Flashforward again, and plans for what to do with this incredible site are finally revealed. Opening in 2024, The Stage will be an acre of public, living, office, retail and leisure space set within new and historical buildings crowned by the excavated Curtain Theatre, which will be publicly accessible for the first time via the new Museum of Shakespeare. Created by Bompas & Parr, as part of Cain International’s development of The Stage, here’s what to expect from the museum.

Curtain Playhouse excavation site. Courtesy of Museum of London Archeology.

What Is The Museum Of Shakespeare?

The Museum of Shakespeare is an upcoming immersive and interactive space that will transport guests to the 1500s to walk in the footsteps of William Shakespeare – London, the UK, and the world’s most renowned playwright in history. Guests can expect to learn all about Shakespeare’s life, inspirations and creative process, with original objects displayed for the first time and a projected reconstruction of the Playhouse, alongside multisensory experiences, and a chance to walk on the stage that once hosted some of Shakespeare’s most famous plays.

Starring a fantastical retelling of a day in the life of Shakespeare, innovative technology will be used to immerse guests in 1598, soaking up the sights, smells, sounds and people that inspired Will’s plays.

‘It’s fantastic that Elizabethan London’s longest-lived playhouse, which has so many stories to tell about creativity and opportunity, can adapt once more to show how performance worked, why it mattered, and why it still does today,’ comments Dr Callan Davies, University of Roehampton, author of What is a Playhouse?. ‘It offers the chance to meet Shakespeare in the play-ful culture of his age as well as ours, amongst businesswomen and ambitious stand-up comics, innovative craftspeople and bold storytellers.’

Public realm at The Stage. Courtesy of Cain International.

‘Leading the excavations on the site of the Curtain, one of London’s earliest and longest-lived playhouses that have transformed our understanding of Early Modern performance, has been an immense privilege,’ says Heather Knight, Senior Archaeologist at MOLA. ‘I am very much looking forward to the next chapter in the history of The Curtain when the Museum of Shakespeare opens its doors in 2024.’

‘The Museum of Shakespeare will bring a unique proposition of culture, entertainment and history to the heart of Shoreditch,’ says Jonathan Goldstein, CEO of Cain International.

Harry Parr, Co-Founder of Bompas and Parr, adds: ‘This will be Shakespeare as you have never experienced it before.’

When Will The Museum Of Shakespeare Open?

The Museum of Shakespeare will open in Spring 2024 in Shoreditch.

Featured image courtesy of Cain International.

The post A New Museum Of Shakespeare Is Coming To London In 2024 appeared first on Country and Town House.

Everything You Need To Know About British Pullman’s New Locomotive Murder Mystery

Review: British Pullman’s ‘Dead On Time’ Murder Mystery Experience

Victoria station is one of the busiest spots in London – especially at 9am on a Tuesday, when commuters find themselves rushing through the station to get to work (or simply fleeing across the country for a much-needed break). It inevitably seems quite odd, then, to find a slice of slow travel – and time travel, at that – tucked away on Platform 2. This is where the infamous British Pullman train service awaits. An impressive recreation of the past, British Pullman is comprised of glossy cream and brown carriages emblazoned with the train’s name in gold lettering. A peek inside one of the windows will offer glimpses of antique lamps, ornately set tables with vases of flowers and plush armchair-like seats in Art Deco patterns.

The Cygnus carriage

But really, a sneak peek through the window doesn’t do British Pullman any proper justice; hop on board and prepared to be wowed. We were lucky enough to call Cygnus our base for the journey. This is a gorgeous carriage decked out in shades of green and pink, with panelled walls decorated with glossy wooden sunsets. If you can, try and book one of the snug cabins at either end of the carriage, which give you a little more privacy (as well as an uninterrupted view of the décor and rolling countryside out the window). This polished glamour comes at the hand of renowned filmmaker Wes Anderson, who put together the new design in 2021. Cygnus, which was originally reserved for use by royalty and visiting Heads of State, was one of the carriages used in the special Festival of Britain rake in 1951 – making it a very fitting setting for the events we were about to witness.

Inside our cabin on British Pullman’s Cynus carriage (c) Charlie Colville

The reason we’re really here is to solve a crime: someone who was meant to be on the train has been found murdered, and it’s up to us to figure out who did it. But what kind of murder mystery would it be without some classic British charm? We’re taken back in time with the help of Private Drama Events to 1951, where a group of eccentric characters have just spent the last few days at the Festival of Britain and are now on their way out of the UK capital. One of them is the alleged killer.

While you settle in with a glass of champagne, take the time to browse through the Festival of Britain’s South Bank Exhibition Guide which has been placed neatly at your table. Use it to set the scene of the case and find clues for what happened (or become terribly confused, like we did), while the suspects, dressed in their finest attire, make their way up and down the carriages to chat with guests and help them get on the killer’s trail (or off it – like I said, terribly confused). This is the perfect opportunity to get to know the characters in all their splendour: gossip with socialite Catarina Ione, talk culture with artist Danny Zena, accept some Capebol tablets from Dr Bobby Cygnus and pick the brain of multi-million magnate Ivan Perseus to help you solve the case. The time is ticking, so we had to get cracking as soon as we got onboard.

The only thing tempting enough to distract us from our investigation was the food. Sequestered in our little cabin, we were treated to our own private dining affair, with the waiters popping in to deliver steaming plates of food to the table. Five courses may seem a little excessive, but with around five hours to whittle away onboard the team are able to put enough distance between each course that find yourself once again eager to sink your teeth into the meal in front of you.

Many of the ingredients used in the British Pullman kitchen on this occasion come from the rolling hills of Kent – with others sourced from further afield in the UK – and a quick chat with the all-knowing waiter handing over your plate will let you know exactly where each part of the dish heralds. From Cornish haddock rissole served on a bed of nasturtium and Cheltenham beetroot soup (poured artfully into your bowl despite the haphazard swaying of the carriage) to Romney salt marsh lamb with braised potatoes and a heaping board of British cheeses, chutneys and crackers, the menu is a love letter to the British countryside. It only got better with dessert; a rhubarb and vanilla roulade (a very Instagrammable ‘pink cake’ that tasted just as good as it looked).

Dessert was followed by the big reveal. Guests gathered in the middle of the carriage, notebooks in hand, to listen in on one of the actors as they unwound the case. Expect drama, expect laughs and even expect the occasional huff from those that almost had it. Our first hunch was correct, ironically, but we’d spent so much time digging for clues in the wrong place (and following many a dead end – do not trust the waiters) that we just missed the mark. Nevertheless, the ending reveal was spectacular, and after the excitement we were led back to our seats where a steaming cup of tea awaited us as we trundled our way back into Victoria. Case closed.

The cast of the British Pullman x Private Drama Events ‘Dead On Time’ experience (c) Charlie Colville

FINAL WORD

Where better to solve a murder than an old-fashioned train? Pull on your best Sherlock cap (or Poirot moustache), sink into the plush seats onboard and let yourself be whisked away on one of the most thrilling immersive experiences running right now. And as for who did it – book yourself a seat on the next train and you’ll find out…

BOOK

Tickets start at £540 per person and include a five-course meal and a bottle of wine for every two people. You can book your ticket today via belmond.com

Featured image: Private Drama Events, The Other Richard

The post Review: British Pullman’s ‘Dead On Time’ Murder Mystery Experience appeared first on Country and Town House.