902 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Apr 12, 2022 9:40:59 GMT
This is astonishingly good news for those of us who live in the west. Deborah Warner is new artistic director of the Ustinov, the little theatre behind the Bath Theatre Royal, taking over from Laurence Boswell who has done such a good job (some excellent European classics in his early years there, plus he put on the original UK version of Zeller's The Father there).
Warner is starting off with The Tempest (no casting yet) in July, August, directing that herself. Then there is a transfer of Britten's Phaedra from Royal Opera House and this autumn Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, neither directed by her. I have to say this is the most exciting theatre news I've heard in years - I've been a fan since those late 80s productions at the RSC of Titus Andronicus and King John and have seen as much as I can of her work since then (though I'm less keen on the installation stuff).
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Post by Jan on Apr 12, 2022 10:26:37 GMT
Warner is starting off with The Tempest (no casting yet) Fiona Shaw ? I rate Deborah Warner highly. It is a pity that for whatever reason she's never directed much at RSC and NT. I first saw her work in 1986 - Coriolanus for Kick Theatre. |
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403 posts
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Post by altamont on Apr 12, 2022 10:46:11 GMT
The Tempest (no casting yet) The brochure mentions Dickie Beau (Ariel), Gary Sefton, William Chubb and Stephen Kennedy |
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Post by nottobe on Apr 12, 2022 11:43:41 GMT
I was thinking maybe Fiona Shaw as Prospero as she was worked with Warner frequently. Probably not as they would have announced that from today.
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902 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Apr 12, 2022 11:49:53 GMT
The Tempest (no casting yet) The brochure mentions Dickie Beau (Ariel), Gary Sefton, William Chubb and Stephen Kennedy True. Anyone there big enough to play Prospero for her? I recognise William Chubb but the others are new names to me. Is anyone familiar with the work of Dickie Beau as he has a solo show on in the autumn. |
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Post by imstillhere on Apr 12, 2022 14:01:06 GMT
Slightly underwhelming season for me personally. Surprisingly little amount of new writing for the Ustinov. Perhaps the building's ambition has changed.
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Post by Jan on Apr 12, 2022 14:19:30 GMT
The brochure mentions Dickie Beau (Ariel), Gary Sefton, William Chubb and Stephen Kennedy Is anyone familiar with the work of Dickie Beau Yes. Sounds like good casting for Ariel to me. |
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1,863 posts
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Post by NeilVHughes on Apr 12, 2022 16:29:07 GMT
Agree,a good choice for Ariel, tempted for an away day especially if I can double up with something in the main house as there is a convenient 22:55 train back to London.
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902 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Apr 12, 2022 19:24:04 GMT
Slightly underwhelming season for me personally. Surprisingly little amount of new writing for the Ustinov. Perhaps the building's ambition has changed. New artistic director, new policy. Deborah Warner just doesn't really rate much new writing, I'm afraid. Doesn't think there's been a major modern playwright since Beckett. Though I enjoy a lot of recent playwrights, I do find that level of elitism rather appealing; it's clearly a minority view in the theatre. Music is going to play a fairly big role in the Ustinov in future, it appears - again with Britten and Purcell programmed it's going to be bracingly highbrow. |
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Post by Jan on Apr 12, 2022 20:30:02 GMT
Slightly underwhelming season for me personally. Surprisingly little amount of new writing for the Ustinov. Perhaps the building's ambition has changed. New artistic director, new policy. Deborah Warner just doesn't really rate much new writing, I'm afraid. Doesn't think there's been a major modern playwright since Beckett. Though I enjoy a lot of recent playwrights, I do find that level of elitism rather appealing; it's clearly a minority view in the theatre. Music is going to play a fairly big role in the Ustinov in future, it appears - again with Britten and Purcell programmed it's going to be bracingly highbrow. A few of her generation took a similar view. Adrian Noble for example. It’s not really elitist, just different. In London we have quite a few theatres dedicated entirely to new writing. We have a lot dedicated to a mix of new writing and revivals. But we don’t have a single one dedicated entirely to revivals. |
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902 posts
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Post by bordeaux on Apr 13, 2022 15:06:33 GMT
Agree,a good choice for Ariel, tempted for an away day especially if I can double up with something in the main house as there is a convenient 22:55 train back to London. Jitney may be your best bet 26th to 30th July. Great play, production got very good reviews in Leeds. I wonder if The Tempest is going to be done with a significantly reduced cast given the size of the Ustinov auditorium. |
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