Kerrie Nicholson - Page 2

Recorded entirely in isolation with the actors using only what's available to them for props and staging and cleverly edited together, Brown's intimate, touching show about love, life, career and independence feels revitalised and re-energised

Founded in 2009, OperaUpClose's mission is to create 'innovatively staged, unintimidating, and crucially high quality English Chamber re-imaginings of well known work and premieres of new operas'. With 29 operas to date, a mix of classics and contemporary work, and an Olivier Award in 2011, there's no denying the hard work and success they've had in introducing opera, a seemingly formidable art form, to new audiences.

When Romantics Anonymous originally premiered at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in 2017, it received wonderful reviews and there was such a joyful buzz surrounding this show that I unfortunately didn't get to experience for myself. How lucky then, that the collaboration between Wise Children and Plush Theatricals has returned, this time to Bristol Old Vic before heading across the pond to Los Angeles and Washington D.C.

We are so excited to debut our Most Accessible Theatre category in the 2019 BroadwayWorld UK Awards! Here, BWW reviewer Kerrie Nicholson explains what Access means to her.

In his introduction to the play in the programme, David Hare remarks that: a?oeit's not just that Vanya soaks up a bewildering variety of interpretation... it's also, that, in the theatre, it's often hard to discern exactly what it's about.a?? This elusiveness characterises this specially commissioned production at Theatre Royal Bath very well: it's sumptuously staged with some brilliant performances, yet the changes of tone don't quite blend as well as they may.

In the preface to his new book, classicist Edwin Wong asserts: 'Today, tragedy is a tired art... this book aims to restore this revered art to its rightful throne by inviting, in nine chapters, dramatists to write risk theatre'. It's a brave claim, and the foundation for an insightful and compelling read.

Originally premiering in 2003, David Bintley's Beauty and the Beast may be turning sixteen this year, but this beautifully haunting and evocative adaptation of the original 18th century gothic fairy-tale proves its spell is as potent as ever.

When Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake received its world premiere in 1995, it ripped up the rulebook in terms of traditional dance and storytelling. It won over 30 awards internationally, including three Tonys and an Olivier Award, and paved the way for new generations of young male dancers. Returning in 2018 with a reimagining for the 21st century, this new production proves its legacy is as captivating, powerful and imaginative as it ever was.

In the sleeve for his debut album Only Dreaming Matt Croke writes: 'as a small boy I always loved listening to albums - I dreamt and hoped that one day I would be lucky enough to actually make one myself. Years later… here it is.' Currently playing the titular role in the West End production of Aladdin, Croke's Only Dreaming is a celebration of roles and songs he knows and loves, some roles he has played, other's perhaps to come. What is for sure though, is that the whole album shines with an infinitely likeable charm and ease.

True to their exciting form of challenging expectations with inventive adaptions, Bristol Old Vic's A Christmas Carol is a clever, witty and refreshing take on the beloved festive classic. At the heart of this production is the importance of rediscovering one's imagination and connecting with those you love, and how this changes perspective.

Rebecca Lock's previous work includes Mamma Mia!, Avenue Q, Mary Poppins and Heathers The Musical. She's currently starring as Lilli Vanessi in Kiss Me, Kate, beginning at Sheffield Crucible on 7 December.

Two and a half years into his appointment, Artistic Director Mike Tweddle gives us an update on life at Bristol's Tobacco Factory Theatres.

Premiering at London's Bush Theatre in 1993, and inspiring a film adaptation three years later that became a cult classic, Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing is currently playing at Bristol's Tobacco Factory Theatres. Set on a council estate during the 1990s, it explores the relationship between Jamie Gangel and his next door neighbour Ste, as they struggle to come to terms with their sexuality and face the prejudices of society.

Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard's Oscar-winning Shakespeare in Love was first adapted for the stage in 2014, and hailed as a triumph on the West End. Four years on, a new production sets out on a UK tour, and proves a delight from start to end

Continuing their thrilling Year Of Change, Bristol Old Vic brings an epic tale of survival to the stage for the first time as Tom Morris directs a breathtakingly inventive adaptation of Touching the Void.

Being a theatre critic is challenging, but I've noticed more and more frequently that being a theatre critic with the disability I have seems to be a more unique and difficult challenge…

Tennessee Williams' 1947 classic A Streetcar Named Desire explores the visceral side of human nature: violence, desire, power, loneliness and guilt. Winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1948, it's been adapted multiple times for stage and screen and is widely held as one of the greatest plays of the 20th century.

In a new UK tour currently playing at Bristol Old Vic, award-winning theatre company simple8 have joined forces with Northampton's Royal & Derngate to present Simon Dormandy's adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel A Passage to India.

Having enjoyed a wildly successful 2016 revival starring Glenn Close at the London Coliseum and a Broadway engagement in 2017, it seems fitting that Sunset Boulevard has embarked on a UK tour following a run at Leicester's Curve. With Artistic Director Nikolai Foster at the helm, this new production is a sleek, sophisticated and utterly riveting take on an Andrew Lloyd Webber classic.

Having also played host to The Mandela Trilogy opera and new musical Only The Brave, it seems that the Wales Millennium Centre seems to be making a name for itself when it comes to mounting new productions. In its latest venture: Tiger Bay The Musical audiences are transported back to Cardiff in the 1900's, celebrating the heritage and events that shaped it into the city we know today, all woven together with a score by local composer Daf James and an array of Welsh talent in its cast.