2024 rumoured shows

Has there been any Hecuba since Clare Higgins' twenty years ago? We could probably enjoy a revival of the Persians, Ajax or Iphigenia, but I doubt we'll see major revivals of Women of Trachis or Euripides' Helen.

I would love to see the San Wanamaker Playhouse stage one of Seneca's plays in the Elizabethan translations that influenced revenge tragedies.

There was also a very loose adaptation of Hecuba by Marina Carr done by the RSC in 2015. Didn't see it - though reviews were mixed.

The Donmar production in 2004 was great. Directed by Jonathan Kent with Clare Higgins in the title role and Eddie Redmayne and Tim Pigott-Smith in the supporting cast. Higgins won the Olivier for her performance.

The 2005 RSC version was, as Jan says, a car crash. There was, however, a great deal of off-stage drama.

The production was built around Vanessa Redgrave returning to the RSC after more than 40 years. It was due to open in Stratford then to London, Washington and New York. However the Stratford performances were cancelled to allow Redgrave to recover from an operation. During the rehearsals she and the director Laurence Boswell had an almighty falling out, to the extent that she refused to be in the same room as him. So whilst he continued to direct the company, she did her own thing. They pretty much only came together in the theatre and, not unexpectedly, there was a complete disconnect between leading lady and the rest of the cast. There were also rumours of Redgrave developing her own language for her own character and occasionally delivering lines which made no sense to her fellow actors or the audience. It opened to terrible reviews (most comparing it very unfavourably to the Donmar production). Once opened, and prior to the US run, Tony Harrison, who had written the, not very good, translation, stepped in to try and pull everything together.

By the time it got to the Kennedy Centre and BAM Boswell was no longer credited as director - in fact no one was - rather there was the strange billing of: "written by and developed for its U.S. engagements by Tony Harrison". The reviews were no better.

Almeida, yes.

What I remember about that Venessa Redgrave production was she had interpolated song/dance sections probably of her own devising. Quite embarrassing. I saw her a few times in other things and she was very good.

Sweeney Todd with josh groban would be nice. Although i suspect for a very short run it were to happen.

I think the west end needs a third production of Oedipus

No Ben Whishaw though, as potentially speculated for the prospective novel to stage adaptation.  

I still think he might be doing something at the Almeida. 

That production, at least, would sit well. Maybe Josh could open it for a short while before a re-casting.

With new shows recently confirmed for Ambassadors, Apollo, Duke Of York's and Haymarket - where does that leave any outstanding rumours? Anyone have any hints etc?

There is a post on Reddit and a couple of other tweets which seem to suggest that onstage at WOS last night, Stephen Daldry said Stranger Things is transfering to the Palladium.

www.reddit.com/r/TheWestEnd/comments/1aox3ag/stranger_things_is_moving_theatres/

x.com/stagetopage/status/1756955109160845665?s=20

Anyone?

Allegedly coming this way >> www.theatreroyal.org.uk/events/the-lover-the-collection/

POTUS is incoming, or so I hear. A smaller venue than in New York and I’d guess a much less starry cast.

West End