Dear theatre friend,
If another Christmas party and another glass of eggnog are not your cup of tea (sorry, must be the season!), you might have time for these:
Do you know Daniel Kitson? His storytelling shows have been sell-out hits at the Edinburgh Fringe for many years. He’ll be back at St. Ann’s with his newest, “The Keep”. I’ll be there.
Before you leave St. Ann’s website, be sure to book “Hamlet,” directed by the brilliant Yael Farber (Carol Tambor Award winner, “Mies Julie”) and read The Guardian review of the Dublin production. Then, get tickets for the return of “The Jungle,” a monster hit in both London and New York, which left me with an indelible impression of the plight of refugees. You can also read the praise-filled New York Times review here.
The 1st Irish Festival has been moved to January and the shows look interesting, deserving a peek. I can recommend “Maz and Bricks” at 59e59 , which I thoroughly enjoyed in Edinburgh. Also, if you’re a fan of 19th century farce, “London Assurance,” at the Irish Rep, is for you. It’s written by the decidedly un-Irish sounding playwright, Dion Boucicault.
Please go to 2nd Stage for tickets to Bess Wohl’s “Grand Horizons.” I’ve been a huge fan of Bess’s work since seeing “Small Mouth Sounds” at Ars Nova. A slightly earlier version of “Grand Horizons,” also directed by Leigh Silverman, was very successful at Williamstown last summer.
Once more in 2020, Jonathan Bank at Mint will be uncovering lost treasures. Next is “Chekhov/Tolstoy Love Stories,” adapted by the beloved Miles Malleson, who’s “Yours Unfaithfully” was unforgettably revived there.
Atlantic Theatre is bringing the Susan Smith Blackburn Award-winning, experimental playwright Alice Birch to U.S. audiences with “Anatomy of a Suicide,” which was well received in London, as evidenced by this Guardian review.
Forgive me for gushing about “My Name is Lucy Barton” starring the extraordinary Laura Linney. I can guarantee you’ll love this play, adapted from the Elizabeth Strout novel. I adored Laura’s ability to fill the stage with her quiet presence when it ran at the large, recently opened Bridge Theatre in London.
Looking ahead, another guaranteed-to-thrill piece is “Girl From the North Country”, by Conor McPhersonwith music by Bob Dylan. It will be transferring to Broadway after selling out at the Public and the Old Vic. Here’s the glowing New York Times’ review. It’s wonderful–I strongly suggest you get those tickets now.
For those of you unable to get to London for theatre immersion, may I suggest signing up for National Theatre Live? I noticed “The Welkin” will be coming to cinemas in May– just after pulling strings in order to see it onstage at The National in February!
In my next newsletter, I’ll be able to tell you more about “The Welkin” and several other post-Christmas London plays. Like Marmite, you have to grow up with seasonal pantomime shows (commonly known as “panto”) to truly like them, so I’m avoiding those.
In closing, please remember to donate to your favorite non-profit theatre companies before year’s end– just think of how much pleasure they give to you.
Best wishes for theatre-full holidays. I hope you find tickets in your stocking, and stuff some into everyone else’s!
Carol Tambor publishes a monthly newsletter, which announces worthy shows coming to New York, along with occasional information about London theatre and, of course, the Edinburgh Fringe.