Theatre July.qxp_Layout 1 20/06/2022 10:04 Page 3
Theatre
Theatre previews from around the region
The Silent Treatment Old Joint Stock Theatre, Birmingham, Fri 22 July
Award-winning performer Sarah-Louise Young - whose previous shows, An Evening Without Kate Bush and Julie Madly Deeply, proved to be big critical hits - makes a welcome return with a true story about a singer who loses her voice and embarks on an unexpected journey of self-revelation. Combining storytelling, physical theatre and song to explore how the body remembers what the mind forgets, the show is being presented at the Old Joint Stock prior to playing the Edinburgh Fringe next month.
Richard III
Romeo + Juliet
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-uponAvon, until Sat 8 October
Stafford Castle, until Sat 9 July
The hunch-backed, crooked, wicked, murderous and machiavellian Duke of Gloucester, better known - once he’s ascended the throne, of course - as Richard III, is perhaps the most powerful and evil of all theatre villains. Shakespeare’s brutal play follows Gloucester’s blood-soaked trail as he uses all his skills as a lover, a liar, a trickster and a tyrant to seize power and become the King of England. Arthur Hughes, who played Gloucester to great critical acclaim in the RSC’s springtime production of Henry VI Part Three - retitled Wars Of The Roses - continues in the role. The actor, who identifies as ‘limb different’, was born with a condition known as radial dysplasia, which affects one in 30,000 people. He has no thumb or radius bone on his right arm, and his right wrist is disfigured. His delight at playing Gloucester is tempered by a recognition of the ongoing battle faced by disabled actors. “I’m thrilled not only to be playing this title role at the RSC, but also that a major production of the play is putting disability centre stage. It’s sadly rare in many plays to find a leading disabled character, and with this production I hope we prove that disabled talent deserves to be in the spotlight.”
26 whatsonlive.co.uk
beautifully! And that’s a perfect word for it really, because the character is so lovely. She’s one that people can relate to - the down-to-earth one.”
Tom, Dick & Harry New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme, until Sat 9 July
Widely regarded as Shakespeare’s fifth tragedy, Romeo & Juliet tells a tale of forbidden and secret love. And although it tends to fair less well critically than the rest of the playwright’s high-profile works, its timeless themes ensure its continuing popularity. Indeed, it’s expected that up to 11,000 people will attend performances of this latest version, presented against the magnificent backdrop of historic Stafford Castle. Local actress Gill Jordan takes on the role of the Nurse. Gill is best known as her comic creation, Lazy Cow Syndrome sufferer and Queen of the Black Country Doreen Tipton. Hapless benefits scrounger Doreen, who was co-created by Gill and comedy writer David Tristram, became an online sensation back in 2012, since which time she’s evolved into one of the UK’s best-loved comic characters. “I’ve always brought history into my work,” says Gill, who’s been treading the boards for nearly 40 years. “So to be able to immerse myself into this great period of British history - through the costume and castle backdrop is all part of the excitement for me. “It’s the perfect role for me as a character actress, and it’s one of the best roles in the play. Hopefully I’m going to portray her
Tom, Dick & Harry is an ambitious reimagining of a daring escape attempt at a prisoner-of-war camp during World War Two. The story was memorably filmed as The Great Escape in the early 1960s. This all-new theatrical version benefits from previously classified war-archive information that wasn’t available when the movie was made. “There was so much to work from,” explains actor Michael Hugo, who not only stars in the play but also co-wrote it. “It was an absolute gift and almost too epic to pick one element. “We sometimes hear about the entertainment division of the army entertaining the troops, but usually in their own camps, not in a prison. For example, they had a theatre there, inside the prison. And this theatre was used to entertain the German staff as well the guards used to really look forward to the shows. They even worked together to help secure the lighting, props and costumes, all on the promise that none of it would be used for any naughty business like trying to escape or anything daft like that!”
