Now Reading
UK Theatre Preview – Who’s Treading the Boards in 2018

UK Theatre Preview – Who’s Treading the Boards in 2018

Ah, the New Year, cold, dark, dry evenings when the nation deprives themselves of all things that bring any joy to their lives while staring at the calendar desperately urging February to come round with a return to booze, bread, caffeine, sugar and all the good stuff basically.

Well don’t look so glum, there’s plenty of distractions out there to while away some time and help keep those resolutions on track, like a trip to the theatre for example.

What better way to make the most of the winter months then catching one of the many fantastic plays on offer in the UK. Here are some old faves and a few that look set to take theatreland by storm, while all will help keep you culturally relevant in the New Year and beyond.

London:

Glengarry Glen Ross – Playhouse Theatre (Till Feb 2nd)

You’ve got until 3rd February to see 80s Heathers heartthrob Christian Slater treading the boards in this David Mamet penned masterpiece.

Set against the backdrop of a cutthroat real estate agency and their relentless salesmen who’ll stop at nothing to sell off as much land as possible. The play explores greed and masculinity through the alpha male characters, it’s a pertinent topic in these thankfully changing times.

“Close the deal and you’ve won a Cadillac; blow the lead and you’re f****d.”

Get tickets HERE

Frozen – Theatre Royal Haymarket (9th Feb till May 5th)

Before you think we’re directing you to some Disneyesque sing-a-long, it’s actually a revival of the hugely successful Bryony Lavery play starring Doctor Foster actress Suranne Jones, as a mother whose child goes missing before being found murdered.

A psychological thriller that follows the lives of herself and the killer in the years that follow, and explores the notion of forgiveness.

Get tickets HERE

The Exorcist – Phoenix Theatre (Till March 10th)

This stage production of William Peter Blatty’s chilling novel has made a name for itself with some spectacular special effects. One for all you hardcore horror fans, this uncomfortable, gory, explicit stage show offers shocks and shrieks aplenty.

It certainly isn’t one for those with a weak constitution, having said that anyone unfamiliar with what the 1973 classic had to offer may end up watching from behind their hands.

Get tickets HERE

Bananaman The Musical – Southwark Playhouse (Till January 20th)

Credit: Pamela Raith

Classic tongue-in-cheek 80s cartoon superhero Bananaman gets a musical re-working in this novel and imaginative concept that promises laughs aplenty.

It might be a slight stretch for those not familiar with wimpy Eric and his blundering blue and yellow alter-ego, but as nostalgic nights out go, children of the 80s get together and rejoice.

Get tickets HERE

Black Men Walking – The Royal Exchange (18th Jan – 3rd Feb)

This promising sounding new play is inspired by the conversations of a black men’s walking group in the Peak District and delves into black British history and identity as the three hikers traverse the landscape.

An original soundtrack from rapper and producer Testament should help keep any tired legs marching. A UK tour follows its short run at the The Royal Exchange.

Get tickets HERE

Rita, Sue and Bob Too – Royal Court Theatre (9th Jan – 27th Jan)

Andrea Dunbar wrote her semi-autobiographical play for the Royal Court Theatre in 1982 when she was just 18. It’s a vivid portrait of girls caught between a brutal childhood and an unpromising future.

Hungry for adult adventure, Rita and Sue embark on a relationship with an older married man, the consequences of which are far-reaching. The play has not been without controversy having been axed amid concerns of exploitation and then reinstated due to accusations of censorship, but if they capture the originality of the 1987 cult film, it’s sure to be a winner.

Get tickets HERE

Mood Music – The Old Vic (21st April – 30th June)

Writer Joe Penhall (Netflix’s Mindhunter) and director Roger Michell (Notting Hill) team up for Mood Music, a production about songwriters, lawyers and psychotherapists arguing in a recording studio over who owns the rights to a hit song.

Rhys Ifans leads the way in this exploration of the dark side of the music industry.

Get tickets HERE

Around the country:

Frost/Nixon – Sheffield Crucible (February 22nd – 17th March)

Peter Morgan’s theatrical version of the legendary TV interviews of Richard Nixon by David Frost, receives a brand new production in the city of steel Sheffield.

Directed by Kate Hewitt this dramatization of the famous post-Watergate TV interviews,  is the first British performance since its award-winning stage in 2006.

Get tickets HERE

Grief Is The Thing With Feathers – Black Box Theatre, Galway /O’Reilly Theatre Dublin (16 March – 28 March)

Everyone’s favourite Peaky Blinder Cillian Murphy stars in this play based on Max Porter’s heartbreaking book about a widower trying to bring up his two sons while writing a novel, and their experiences of loss and grief.

It sees Murphy reunite with director Enda Walsh with whom he shared critical success and a breakthrough moment in Disco Pigs over twenty years ago.

Get tickets HERE

A Clockwork Orange – The Everyman Theatre, Liverpool (14th April – 12th July)

Anthony Burgess’s dystopic social commentary has been reimagined in this original adaptation at the wonderful Everyman Theatre in Liverpool.

Staying true to the central theme of the original novel – something for which Burgess was highly critical of Kubrick – this is sure to be a mesmerising, entertaining look at the nature of evil and the failings of society.

Get tickets HERE

The Last Ship – Northern Stage, Newcastle (March 12th – April 7th)

The UK premiere of Sting’s musical The Last Ship will take place in its spiritual home of the North-East, before embarking on an extensive nationwide tour.

With an original score and music and lyrics by Sting himself, there’s also some stardust in the form of Jimmy Nail making a rare foray into the public eye.

Centred around the character of Gideon Fletcher a sailor who returns home from sea to find the shipyard is closing and a community that is falling apart, this is sure to be a moving and passionate production.

Get tickets HERE

Home, I’m Darling – Theatre Clwyd, Mold, North Wales (25th June – 14th July)

Katherine Parkinson of The IT Crowd and Doc Martin fame takes to the Welsh stage to play a 1950s wannabe domestic goddess in Laura Wade’s dark comedy that explores the themes of marriage and being a perfect housewife.

The show transfers to the National Theatre in July.

Get tickets HERE

Click the banner to share on Facebook

The MALESTROM interviewees everywhere
View Comments (0)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top