Theatre // Current

Whoopi Goldberg to take Sister Act to London

Whoopi Goldberg will open a musical version of her hit 1992 nun comedy "Sister Act" on London's West End next June.... more

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Shakespeare texts pledged to Globe

An American collector is to donate rare early editions of Shakespeare's plays to London's Globe Theatre, which... more

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West End producers want Jackson soundalike

Auditions are being held for a West End show based on the life of Michael Jackson. The producers are looking for a young black... more

ClareW
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Zorro the Musical a cut above the rest

A musical version of the saga of the Spanish-Californian hero with the mask and deadly sword sounds like a commercial bridge too... more

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Shrek the Musical: will Shrek be a monster hit on Broadway?

...Shrek the musical? Are they really going to ruin another great film by turning it into musical scmaltz?? Tell me it... more

purplefox
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United Kingdom Talk Video Thursday 30th Ocober 2008

Thursday's edition of my three times a week talk show.Watch the show here on CURRENT TV on Tues, Thurs & Sats. In... more

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McEwan writes liberetto on sexual obsession

Award-winning novelist Ian McEwan has written his first opera libretto, a story of sexual obsession centring around an overbearing... more

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Awkward: Uniqlo to Set Up Human Vending Machines, Ruin Shopping Forever

Not sure whether to find this cool or scary, but clothes retailer Uniqlo is bringing a new treat to shoppers in New York's... more

purplefox
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OPENING of Parental Alienation Play at Bleecker St. Theatre in NYC!!

Madmen and Dreamers presents: "The Children Of Children", which is a Rock Musical whose subject touches nearly everyone... more

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New show captures the famous before curtain rises

Anthony Hopkins, Ian McKellen and Cate Blanchett are among hundreds of famous faces captured during the intense moments before... more

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Katie Holmes debuts on Broadway to mixed reviews

Katie Holmes received mixed reviews on Friday for her Broadway debut in the revival of Arthur Miller's "All My... more

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Arts expected to take a heavy blow from financial crisis

Colin Tweedy, head of sponsorship consultancy Arts & Business, said, "This is going to be a particularly lean period.... more

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Anti-Scientology demonstrators crash Holmes' Broadway debut

Anti-Scientology protesters armed with banners and masks demonstrated just feet away from Katie Holmes' Broadway debut in... more

ClareW
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Kelly Brook on stage in a skimpy bikini

The 28-year-old English asctress/model appeared in a skimpy bikini on stage for the opening night of Fat Pig.

anaani
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dc Magazine Online---Hot New Social Media Website

Where should you be---in the next level in "Social Media Revolutions"! dc Magazine "by design is... more

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Arts and Lifestyle: Domestic Crusader

The presidential candidates don't argue over whether it is right to bomb Muslim countries, but rather over whether... more

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Iraq comedy holds mirror to crisis

BBC reports on the play Jib al-Malik, Jibu (Bring The King, Bring Him), written by leading Iraqi comedian, actor and playwright... more

SDLN
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To Be Straight With You: Dance and Drama Take On Gay Issues

Lloyd Newson's newest piece, "To Be Straight With You," is a blend of dance, drama, and journalism which explores... more

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Fire guts Egypt National Theatre

A fire has destroyed the main hall of Egypt's National Theatre in the centre of the capital, Cairo. More than 20 engines... more

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Government to provide free theatre tickets for young people

Young people are to be given free theatre tickets in a new government-funded scheme, it was announced this morning.

18- to 26-year-olds will be able to take advantage of free tickets from next February for two years. They will be available on a first come, first served basis for at least one performance on the same day each week.

In a briefing at the Labour conference in Manchester, culture secretary Andy Burnham announced that £2.5m of public money will be made available for the scheme, which will operate at up to 95 publicly funded venues including Birmingham Rep, the Young Vic and the National Theatre. Dance, music and other art forms are to follow, it is expected.

Mr Burnham said: "Theatre can change people's lives, it can give them new insights, it can broaden their minds and help them achieve their potential.

"The Tories regard this as a luxury for those who can afford it.

"There was a period in this country when, sport, culture and arts were seen as add-ons. [But t]his is what gives people quality of life."

Burnham denied the scheme was a gimmick, referring to the case of gallery and museum access, which has been free for many high-profile institutions since 2001 and is widely credited with having helped boost visitor numbers.

"The evidence speaks for itself," he said.

The idea of widening free access was recommended in Brian McMaster's report on the future of British arts, released in January, which suggested that admission charges to all publicly funded arts - whether a theatre, an opera house or a gallery - should be scrapped for one week a year.

It also builds on successful cheap ticket schemes such as the National's Travelex season and the RSC's £5 tickets for young people. Several high-profile theatres already offer pay-what-you-can evenings, while young person discounts are a familiar part of many theatres' ticket offering.

Mr Burnham launched the scheme at the Lowry while visiting the cast of Salford Macbeth, a community production involving both professional actors and local people.

He said it was an "accident" that he happened to be attending a rehearsal of Shakespeare's play about a Scot whose ambition drives him to scheme against his master. The culture secretary all but shares a name with the wood in the play that is central to that Scot's downfall. This parallel went unremarked.

"We might produce good drama in the Labour party at times," Mr Burnham said, "but at the end of the day we will bring the house down, and you will see the Labour members get behind [Gordon Brown] and support him and rise as one at the end of the performance."Young people are to be given free theatre tickets in a new government-funded scheme, it was announced this morning. 18- to... more