Rakie Ayola News

On Sunday 25 June, Shakespeare’s Globe will host ‘Moving Stories’ in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in support of UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The event will include sketches, short plays and songs examining the experiences of refugees, and responses to the crisis.

The 2022 UK Theatre Awards winners have been revealed in a lunchtime ceremony at London's Guildhall. The biggest winner of the day was Leeds Playhouse, who won three awards including UK's Most Welcoming Theatre, Best Design for Laura Hopkins & Simon Wainwright for Dracula: The Untold Story and Best Performance in a Musical for Divina de Campo for Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Beautifully executed production is let down by a dud script

All new production photos have been released for The Glow by Alistair McDowall directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone.

The Glow, written by Alistair McDowell, will be playing at The Royal Court Theatre in Sloane Square, London from January 24th until March 5th, 2022. Press night will be on January 27th at 7 pm. Directed by Vicky Featherstone, the show features Fisayo Akinade, Rakie Ayola, Tadhg Murphy, and Ria Zmitrowicz. 

Though hardly an ideal start to the new theatrical year, we want to applaud all of the incredible casts, creatives, backstage and front-of-house staff who are working so hard to keep shows on. If you can support productions, please do – whether revisiting an amazing long-running show or checking out something new. And speaking of which: here are some of the most intriguing London additions for this month. Keep checking back for our reviews, interviews and features!

Fisayo Akinade, Rakie Ayola, Tadhg Murphy and Ria Zmitrowicz have been cast in The Glow written by Alistair McDowall and directed by the Royal Court Theatre's Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone. 

When Jack (Aneurin Bernard, Dunkirk) is found dead, a chain of events is triggered that draws his employees Anna (Laura Fraser, Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad), Nancy (Julie Hesmondhalgh, Broadchurch), Louie (Keeping Faith) and Cat (Heledd Gwynn; Ordinary Lies) into a fragile pact of silence, bound by a secret that will change their lives forever.

The Black British Theatre Awards 2020 championed the artistic excellence and achievements of the black creatives and performers across all aspects of theatre. The program's first television broadcast on Sky Arts highlighted a cross section of some of the 2020 award-winners. 

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival today announces the line-ups for two special ceremonies planned in tribute to the NHS, which take place on the opening weekend of the 25th annual festival, at the site of Luke Jerram's In Memoriam on Woolwich Common.

Eclipse Theatre, the UK's leading Black theatre company, has announced that its pioneering Eclipse Award will return for a second year.

Two of the most prevalent themes in Ed Thomas' new play, On Bear Ridge, are memories and language. Set atop a mountain in a rural location, presumably somewhere in Wales, butcher John Daniel (Rhys Ifans), his wife Noni (Rakie Ayola) and slaughterman Ifan William (Sion Daniel Young) are bunkering down in their run-down shop while the snow builds higher outside the front door.

London is never short of temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From highly anticipated musicals to mountaineering and Welsh apocalypse, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, interviews and features!

New production images have been released for the National Theatre Wales and Royal Court Theatre co-production of On Bear Ridge, at the Sherman Theatre.  

With just over a week to go until the production begins previews at the Sherman Theatre, get a peek inside rehearsal for the National Theatre Wales and Royal Court Theatre co-production of On Bear Ridge.

The first images from National Theatre Wales and Royal Court Theatre's production of On Bear Ridge have been released today. Check them out below!

Casting is today announced for the National Theatre Wales and Royal Court Theatre co-production of On Bear Ridge by award-winning writer Ed Thomas (House of America and Gas Station Angel, Royal Court; HinterlandY Gwyll BBCS4CNetflix). Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone (The Cane and Cyprus Avenue, Royal Court) and Ed Thomas will co-direct this semi-autobiographical story about the places we leave behind, the indelible marks they make on us, and the unreliable memories we hold onto.

Following sold-out runs at the National Theatre and in New York at the Park Avenue Armory, the NT and Neal Street Productions' critically acclaimed production of The Lehman Trilogy arrives in the West End, opening for a limited 16-week run.

Demi is the bastard son of a Nigerian woman and the Greek god Zeus. Half mortal, he has strong elemental power, but also possesses an insane talent in playing basketball. Spanning through Greek and Yoruba mythology, Inua Ellam's magical poem takes you back to the roots of performance.

We risk war. This is the consequence. Battle. Shield. Spear and sword. Conflict amongst the Gods. This must be avoided.'