Tennessee Williams: The silent centenary
March 21, 2011
We don’t like to moan (much) but where are all the London productions celebrating the late, great Tennessee Williams?
Shelley Lang and Lewis Hayes in the current Cock Tavern Williams season
His centenary falls this week, 26 March, but you would hardly know given the absence of any major London productions of his work. So hats off to the tiny Cock Tavern Theatre for running its current centenary season, including lost play I Never Get Dressed Till After Dark On Sunday.
Whilst home-grown talent such as Terence Rattigan deserve the incredible attention that his centenary is garnering this year (last year’s After the Dance, this year’s Cause Celebre and Flare Path to name but three), we would have liked to see something major in London to mark the occasion of Tennessee’s birth.
Williams may be constantly revived in the UK, the Donmar’s 2009 production of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Rachel Weisz being a good recent example, but his extraordinary influence on world theatre, and especially British theatre, deserves some recognition around his actual centenary.
LINKS
Your theatre week, 21 to 27 March 2011
March 21, 2011
This week sees a number of birthday celebrations, including two American theatre greats: Stephen Sondheim turns 81 after a riotous year of 80th birthday tributes culminating in his Olivier Special Award, and this week marks the centenary of the great Tennessee Williams.
Happy 2nd birthday Priscilla
Also Priscilla makes it to two years old this week as the Broadway production starts camping it up on the other side of the Atlantic, and Kneehigh Theatre Company follow their acclaimed production of Brief Encounter with another reimagining of a cinema classic, this time French movie The Umbrellas of Cherbourg.
Tuesday 22 March
Kneehigh’s new production of French film classic The Umbrellas of Cherbourg opens tonight at the Gielgud Theatre starring Joanna Riding and Meow Meow.
Happy birthday Stephen Sondheim, who is 81 today.
Wednesday 23 March
Priscilla Queen of the Desert is 2 today, having opened on 23 March 2009.
Thursday 24 March
Joanna Riding in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Dreamboats and Petticoats: Your last chance to enter the Dreamboats and Petticoats talent search, which ends at 9am on 31 March 2011.
Watch Frankenstein tonight in UK cinemas, starring Jonny Lee Miller as the Creature and Benedict Cumberbatch as Victor.
Saturday 26 March
SMASH! starts at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London starring Tom Conti, written by award-winning playwright Jack Rosenthal (Yentl).
The Centenary of internationally acclaimed playwright Tennessee Williams is today. He was born on 26 March 1911.
Cat cast announced
May 8, 2009
London cast of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof announced
The London cast of Broadway transfer Cat on a Hot Tin Roof has been announced. James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Adrian Lester will star in the Tennessee Williams revival, directed again by Debbie Allen.
The all black production proved a sensation on Broadway with sold-out performances and critical acclaim. Multi award winning performers James Earl Jones (The Great White Hope, Star Wars) and Phylicia Rashad (The Cosby Show) will reprise their roles of Big Daddy and Big Mama, joined by popular British actor Adrian Lester (Hustle).
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is an intense and emotional drama centred on a powerful Southern family’s reunion for the birthday party of the patriarch Big Daddy. Williams won a Pulitzer Prize for his 1955 play.
More details to be announced. Sign up for westendtheatre.com’s newsletter to be the first to hear about booking.
