London Theatre: 2009

London Theatre: 2009

23 December, 2008
by: Joe Harrod

London has the best theatre scene in the world – eclipsing even Broadway for exciting new shows and Hollywood stars treading the boards. From smash hit movie musicals to classic Greek tragedy via Shakespeare, sitcoms and everything in between, it's a dizzying scene. We thought we'd take a step back and let some of the key players in 2009 explain what they're most excited about, and why:

Whoopi Goldberg, Producer – Sister Act the Musical

'If you are fortunate enough to be a part of something wonderful, I feel it's important to pass the baton.  The story has changed because it had to. You're not going to see the same movie that you saw because of course I'm a thousand years old now and I can't do it, but I've found you a brilliant Deloris…

 
'We're not going to use the Motown music because Motown has other stuff that they're doing with their back catalogue [Boo! – Ed] but Alan Menken who's written all of the Disney music for ever has written an all-new score for us.'

Kevin Spacey, Director and Richard Dreyfuss, Lead - Complicit

Kevin Spacey: 'I am delighted that Richard is to join our fifth Season with Complicit and is coming to The Old Vic to take on this challenging role. He is a brilliant actor whom I've long admired and I'm thrilled that we are being given this opportunity to work together. It's great that he's coming to London and I think audiences are in for a real treat.'

Richard Dreyfuss: 'There is no greater place to be human than in front of humans. No greater way to reflect being human. No greater place than The Old Vic. I'm very excited to have a chance of not being fired before the opening. So far I'm batting 500. Stay tuned!'

Press - Mimefest - Various Venues

We've hand-picked some of the many shout-outs from the international press about the performers at the forthcoming Mimefest. (See John's preview)

Star turns include Collectif Petit Travers who 'gloriously explode circus stereotypes, providing an hour of acutely observed character play executed entirely through performances in juggling, trapeze and dance. An astonishing achievement.' [Total Theatre] and a scary Oedipus myth by Ex Machina: 'a great and serious intellectual quest…  must see.' [Ta Nea, Athens]

However we're most excited about Akhe Engineering Theatre whose literally explosive physical comedy has seen them crowned the darlings of Russian performance art, and dubbed 'theatrical magic' by our colleagues at The Independent, while crappy free-sheet Metro (whose stellar improvement is the talk of the town this year among commuters) have picked out The Idiot Colony's Redcape Theatre as 'Endlessly inventive [and] thoroughly disquieting'. And we do actually give some currency to what they say nowadays.


David Farr, Artistic Director - Lyric Hammersmith

Say Lyric and we think first of the outstanding West London theatre that consistently strives for bold, beautiful shows and has given us such delights as Metamorphosis and The Birthday Party in the last months, along with disappointing turkey Contains Violence. It's a fantastic fringe theatre and outgoing Artistic director David Farr has scored a major coup for 2009, securing Broadway Smash Spring Awakening for its UK transfer.

'Spring Awakening started… in a converted church. At its heart it's a small, beautiful musical. It happens to be so good it works on a larger scale. It's not a horrifically polished, over-commercial vehicle. What you are getting is… the same quality I saw in New York but with a fresh British talent. I can't wait to see the result. It's my swansong. The opening night of Spring Awakening is my final night at the Lyric.'


Barbican Media Relations – Shun-Kin

Barbican. The very word resonates with London culture. As per usual, they've prepared an exceptional programme of international theatre under their BITE umbrella, but they had this to say on the subject of Japanese spectacular Shun-Kin:

'Early in the year Complicite makes its sixth appearance in the Barbican Theatre with its highly anticipated new Japanese show Shun-Kin directed by Simon McBurney, inspired by two texts written by Jun'ichiro Tanizaki.  This production reunites the team that created The Elephant Vanishes, a huge hit during bite03, revived the following year due to demand. '

Thanks guys, your quote is a bit on the dry side, but it looks like a fantastic show nonetheless.


Alice de Sousa, Artistic Director - Greenwich Playhouse

Alice has taken the Galleon Theatre company from strength to strength with a fantastic year including transatlantic seasons and controversial Russian writing. She is also directing a movie based on The Duchess of Malfi this year but we wanted to know what would be in her theatre.

'In 2009 I'm particularly exited about the world premiere of my play - Aristides - the Outcast Hero - which will celebrate the little known story of Aristides de Sousa Mendes, who in 1940 disobeyed his government (Portugal's then fascist regime) and issued thousands of visas which saved some 30,000 people and established an escape route, where previously none existed, out of occupied France. This was used by some 1 million people fleeing Nazi persecution.'


Alistair Spalding, Artistic Director - Sadler's Wells

Alistair was our favourite respondent because he was excited about stuff going on all over London and not just at his own theatre. However, such festive goodwill deserves a straight plug and there's no doubt in 2009 Sadler's Wells will again be the most exciting dance venue in Europe.

'I'm very excited about our new Sadler's Wells production, Eonnagata which premieres here in February. The potential of this collaboration between one of the greatest contemporary theatre makers and two of the most accomplished artists from the dance world is a mouth watering prospect. I anticipate it to be the dance event of 2009 both at Sadler's Wells and around the world.'


Gary McQuinn, Producer - Priscilla Queen of the Desert

On the show: 'You can't create the Australian desert on stage. At one point we weren't even going to have a bus but in the end we thought we cannot do Priscilla on stage without Priscilla. But she has a few surprises up her frock. We think London audiences are far more open to new material - they are braver. Sometimes audiences in the rest of the world have to be led.'

On casting Jason Donovan as Tick: 'We're delighted. I think he was considered for the role in the film so there's a little bit of history.'


So there we have it – a bumper year for London theatre. And not even a mention for the National Theatre. Oh, go on then, we'll give them a plug even though they've all gone home for Christmas about two weeks ago. In 2009 they're branching out into West End production with the Michael Morpurgo classic War Horse which rolls up at the New London Theatre and is sure to be one of the most popular family shows of the year. The Times reckons War Horse 'makes you rejoice to be alive' and Spoonfed.co.uk commented 'the National, must be all excited about this one'.

Just time for us to give one further un-attributed plug, for a musical at the Royal Albert Hall starring Maria Friedman and Daniel Dae Kim, the moody one from Lost. The King and I is an all-time classic musical and this lavish production is bound to be a summer highlight.

It's worth mentioning that many of those quoted took the time and effort to wax lyrical about projects that they are not even involved with. That's the kind of people they are, but this isn't that kind of article. We thank them all. Except the National. Only joking! Jeez.

That's it – see you in the queue for ice cream!

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Joe Harrod