London Spotllight: September 2010
At the Donmar Warehouse, Stephen Sondheim’s Passion (September 10-November 27) stars Elena Roger, Scarlett Strallen and David Thaxton in a dark triangle about sexual obsession, capitulation and enabling. Jamie Lloyd directs and Christopher Oram designs.
Les Miserables celebrates its 25th anniversary at the Barbican with a second London company storming the 1832 barricades (September 14-October 2). The musical continues at the Queen’s, where Les Miserables has been ensconced for the past six years. Watch, too, for Flashdance The Musical which is a stage recreation of the hot-hot 1980’s celluloid musical. Or pay attention to the Galt MacDermot’s musicalization of William Saroyan’s Human Comedy (September 13-18) and the Nick Cave-Warren Ellis melodized Faust (September 25-30), both at the Young Vic.
Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn, who also directs, bring their great television series Yes, Prime Minister up to date at the Gielgud (September 16-January 15, 2011). For the major roles, James Hacker and Sir Humphrey Appleby, they’ve only got two of the town’s best comic actors, Henry Goodman and David Haig, to spout the hilarious politics-spoofing dialogue. At the Globe, Neil Leyshun’s Bedlam breaks out (September 5-October 1).
Well met, Shakespeare lovers. Nicholas Hytner, the National’s a. d., mounts his version of the Bard’s gander at misunderstood youth, Hamlet (September 30-October 27). It’s at the Denmark-large Olivier with the wonderful Rory Kinnear, Clare Higgins and Patrick Malahide featured as the troubled family unit.
Edward Hall, son of Peter and recipient of the extraordinary theater DNA, takes over at the Hampstead as artistic director and helms Shelagh Stephenson’s mystery-thriller Enlightenment (September 30-October 30). It’s likely to be a changing-of-the-guard entry not to be missed. Out at the Lyric Hammersmith, tune into Richard Bean’s The Big Fellah (September 21-October 16), directed by Max Stafford-Clark with Finbar Lynch headlining this IRA-oriented tale. There’s also Annie Baker’s weird and wonderful New York import, The Aliens at the Bush (September 15-October 16) about three slackers hanging out in a greasy-spoon backyard. The marvelous Peter Gill directs.
In the National’s Lyttelton, J. T. Rogers’ Blood and Gifts settles. The never-miss Howard Davies supervises a political thriller about Russia, Afghanistan and the CIA. The Royal Court’s Jerwood Theatre Upstairs welcomes Wanderlust by Nick Payne (September 9-October 9), directed by Simon Godwin. The promo material says “contains nudity and scenes of a sexual nature,” so best leave the kids at home. The Donmar Warehouse at Trafalgar Studios preems up-and-coming American playwright Beau Willimon’s Lower Ninth (September 30-October 23) wherein two Hurricane Katrina victims guard the body of a third on a water-surrounded roof.
David Mamet shows up at the Almeida with his House of Games (September 9-November 6) but it’s his screenplay adapted by Richard Bean and with Nancy Carroll in the Lindsay Crouse role as directed by Lindsay Posner. In it, a psychoanalyst thinking to help a patient bites off more than she can analyze. As for other adaptations, also pay attention to what Rachel Wagstaff does with Sebastian Faulks’ 1993 war novel Birdsong at the Comedy (September 18-January 15, 2011). The never-takes-a-day-off Trevor Nunn directs.
Michael Gambon puts his 35 minutes in on Samuel Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape at the Duchess (September 15-November 20). The somber meditation on a sad life is helmed by Michael Colgan. Also race to the Novello where Simon McBurney’s fab play A Disappearing Number (that makes mathematics thrilling) returns with the Complicite players intact (September 9-25).
Anthony Page directs Noel Coward’s racy-back-then-and-still Design for Living at the Old Vic (September 3-November 27). Lisa Dillon, Tom Burke and Andrew Scott star in Coward’s fictionalization of his platonic(?) romance with the married Alfred Lunt and Lynne Fontanne. Tiny Kushner at the Tricycle in Kilburn refers to five of the acclaimed Tony Kushner’s one-acts, kid-gloved by Tony Taccone (September 1-25). At the end of the month the quintet are succeeded by Arthur Miller’s underrated Broken Glass (September 30-November 27). The magnificent Anthony Sher toplines. For another special treat, take in father-son combo Timothy and Samuel West in Caryl Churchill’s enigmatic but irresistible and quite short A Number.
