A Christmas Carol at Arts Theatre starring Simon Callow
October 24, 2011
Simon Callow presents Charles Dickens’s classic tale A Christmas Carol in a magical performance that is by turns hilarious, heart-breaking, visionary, a celebration of goodness, a plea for justice and a promise of redemption.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL is the most famous book Charles Dickens ever wrote and one of the most daring. As the Ghosts spirit Scrooge from his past to his present to his future, Dickens plunges the reader cinematically from the miser’s dank and creaking house to riotous festivities, from cosy hearths to graveyards. And all the time the author’s voice, tender, savage, magisterial, is present.
In this bicentennial production, Simon Callow and Tom Cairns, have created a work of total story-telling: hilarious, heart-breaking, visionary, a celebration of goodness, a plea for justice and a promise of redemption.
Simon Callow, one of the nation’s best loved stage and screen actors, returns to Dickens after huge international success with ‘The Mystery of Charles Dickens’ (West End and Broadway), ‘Dr Marigold and Mr Chops’ and ‘Being Shakespeare’.
A Dish of Tea with Dr Johnson tickets at Arts Theatre starring Trudie Styler
June 13, 2011
Max Stafford Clark directs this delightful, acclaimed production adapted from James Boswell’s Life of Samuel Johnson, starring Ian Redford as Samuel Johnson, Russell Barr as a host of characters from James Boswell to King George III and Trudie Styler as society hostess Mrs Thrale.
A British Subject tickets at the Arts Theatre starring Nichola McAuliffe
June 13, 2011
Following a hugely successful run in New York and the Edinburgh Festival, Nichola McAuliffe writes and stars in an extraordinary, true-life tale of international politics and the media about Mirza Tahir Hussain, a British Subject who spent 18 years on Death Row.
The Killing of Sister George tickets at the Arts Theatre starring Meera Syal
June 13, 2011
Meera Syal stars as actress June Buckridge, who plays a beloved nurse in a popular radio soap but in real-life is the gin-guzzling, cigar-chomping opposite of the sweet character she plays. This new production of Frank Marcus’s classic, controversial play is directed by Iqbal Khan and also stars Belinda Lang.
Park Avenue Cat tickets at the Arts Theatre in London
June 13, 2011
Slinky, sexy comedy from LA writer Frank Strausser starring Coronation Street’s Gray O’Brien, Josefina Gabrielle, Tessa Peake-Jones and Daniel Weyman. Directed by Glen Walford (Shirley Valentine).
Exclusive Photo shoot with Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi as Bette and Joan
May 31, 2011
Exclusive photo session with the stars of Bette & Joan at the Arts Theatre in London
Last week in the Spectator, Lloyd Evans said that the “fascinating and hilarious show” Bette & Joan, the bio-stage play about Hollywood legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, “has the makings of a cult hit”.
That’s certainly what the producer of Bette & Joan, Ann Pinnington, is hoping. Ann told westendtheatre.com this week at an exclusive photo shoot with the two stars of the show, Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi, that a number of rival productions about the two Hollywood stars are circling London, but that she wanted her production to be the first to land.
So earlier this month, the Arts Theatre got to host the world premiere of Anton Burge’s new play, which tackles the long-running feud between Hollywood rivals Bette Davis and Joan Crawford and is set in the stars’ dressing rooms on the back lot of Whatever Happened To Baby Jane, the 1961 cult movie they both starred in.
Both Dobson and Scacchi put in extraordinary performances in the play. Scacchi’s uncanny portrayal of Bette Davis goes much further than an impersonation of the infamously fiery actress, and is a surprisingly intense and emotional performance. Dobson manages to make sense of the complex, contradictory Joan Crawford, and imbues the role with an innate and skilful humour that delights from beginning to end.
Whether Bette & Joan becomes a cult hit is to be seen but Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi have certainly given the play a damn good start.
Bette & Joan is directed by Bill Alexander and ends its run at the Arts Theatre on 25 June 2011.
Photos exclusively for westendtheatre.com by Roy Tan. Roy Tan said: “When you shoot a two-hander like Bette & Joan, especially a play about two feuding divas, you brace yourself for some diva action of your own! That wasn’t the case here. Anita and Greta are clearly enjoying every minute of appearing together and had great fun on the set of the show at the Arts Theatre during the shoot. Given that I shot them between a matinee and evening performance, they were more than happy to slap on the slap, which is an especially big ask for Greta who has to transform herself during every show into Baby Jane!”
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Bette & Joan
World premiere of new play Park Avenue Cat starring Corrie’s Gray O’Brien
May 30, 2011
Former Corrie actor Gray O’Brien, who played killer Tony Gordon in the long-running soap, is set to tread the boards in London this summer.
Gray O'Brien to star in Park Avenue Cat
The Coronation Street actor will star in new US comedy Park Avenue Cat by Frank Strausser at the Arts Theatre in London, from 1 July 2011.
O’Brien will co-star with Josefina Gabrielle (Sweet Charity), Tessa Peake-Jones (Only Fools and Horses) and Daniel Weyman (Nicholas Nickleby) in the show, which gets its world premiere at the Arts.
The comedy features a love triangle set over couples therapy, and is directed by Glen Walford and produced by Louise Chantal.
Park Avenue Cat replaces current Arts show Bette & Joan, which runs at the theatre until 25 June 2011.
LINKS
Book tickets to Park Avenue Cat at the Arts Theatre
Book tickets to Bette & Joan at the Arts Theatre
Photos: Bette and Joan at the Arts Theatre starring Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi
May 12, 2011
Production photos for new play Bette & Joan, which tackles the long-running feud between Hollywood stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
Bette & Joan, a play by Anton Burge, has had its world premiere at the Arts Theatre starring Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi as the famous movie icons. The show is directed by Bill Alexander, whose credits include the RSC, National Theatre and annual West End Christmas show The Snowman.
LINKS
GRETA SCACCHI in Bette & Joan
April 27, 2011
Greta Scacchi stars as Bette Davis in Bette & Joan at the Arts Theatre in London
Greta Scacchi will star in the world premiere of a new play this spring, based on the long-running feud between Hollywood movie stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
Bette & Joan by Anton Burge will star Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi as the famous movie icons, at the Arts Theatre from 5 May to 25 June 2011. The show will be directed by Bill Alexander.
Greta Scacchi grew up in Italy, England and Australia. Her stage credits include Michael Blakemore’s West End production of Uncle Vanya alongside Jonathon Pryce and Michael Gambon, which became the movie Country Life, and the Peter Hall directed production of Bath Theatre Royal’s Private Lives.
Film work includes Heat and Dust, The Ebony Tower, White Mischief and The Player. In 1996 she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Rasputin and she was also nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Broken Trail in 2007.
Book tickets to Bette & Joan at the Arts Theatre in London
ANITA DOBSON in Bette & Joan
April 27, 2011
Anita Dobson stars as Joan Crawford in Bette & Joan at the Arts Theatre in London
Photo: © Roy Tan
This spring Anita Dobson will star in the world premiere of a new play based on the long-running feud between Hollywood movie stars Bette Davis and Joan Crawford.
Bette & Joan by Anton Burge will star Anita Dobson and Greta Scacchi as the famous movie icons, at the Arts Theatre from 5 May to 25 June 2011. The show will be directed by Bill Alexander.
Anita Dobson’s theatre credits include the title role in the UK tour of Hello Dolly and her 2004 Whatsonstage award-winning performance in Thoroughly Modern Millie at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Also Budgie, with Adam Faith, Tom Stoppard’s Rough Crossing, My Lovely Shayna Maidel and Gertrude in the English Touring Theatre production of Hamlet. She was last seen on stage in Tim Firth’s West End production of Calendar Girls.
On TV her best known role is as Angie in BBC serial drama EastEnders. Other credits include Red Dwarf, Rab C Nesbitt, Split Ends, Dangerfield, Sunburn, Casualty, Holby City, Hotel Babylon, The Last Detective, The Stretch, Urban Gothic and The Bill. Film work includes Sweet Revenge.
Book tickets to Bette & Joan at the Arts Theatre in London
