All stories by Chris Wiegand on BroadwayStars

Friday, December 15, 2017

The League of Gentlemen announce 2018 UK tour by Chris Wiegand

The dark comedy foursome are to hit the road, taking new show to ‘all the wonderful local places in our increasingly local country’Their three forthcoming reunion specials for the BBC ar…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:18AM
Monday, December 11, 2017

Five Little Christmas Monkeys review – maths plus music equals magic by Chris Wiegand

CentrE17, LondonReggae songs, monkey puppets and a duet with a mop all add up to a surreal show for two- to five-year-olds My daughter Hilda is four, her favourite number is five and she can…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:04AM
Thursday, November 30, 2017

Cillian Murphy to star in stage version of Grief Is the Thing With Feathers by Chris Wiegand

Enda Walsh to adapt Max Porter’s acclaimed novel about love, art and bereavement for Complicité theatre company’s Irish productionCillian Murphy is to star in an Irish stage version of …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:33AM
Wednesday, November 29, 2017

Mean Girls or David Mamet? - quiz by Chris Wiegand

As Lindsay Lohan prepares to make her West End debut in Speed-the-Plow, can you guess if these lines come from Mean Girls or David Mamet's plays?“I’m wearing a spinal halo.” Mean Girls…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:24PM
Monday, November 20, 2017

Ramin Gray of Actors Touring Company faces harassment allegations by Chris Wiegand

Eight women describe alleged cases of historic harassment against director who called for search for ‘Weinstein of British theatre’A leading director who called for a search for “the W…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:24PM
Wednesday, November 1, 2017

'It's very sweary!' What Labour MPs make of James Graham's political comedy Labour of Love by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Emine Saner

The mountains of leaflets, the WhatsApp groups, the election night panic … Harriet Harman, Tracy Brabin and David Lammy on what the play gets right – and wrong Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:42AM
Tuesday, October 24, 2017

It's business time as Flight of the Conchords announce UK tour by Chris Wiegand

Musical comedy duo Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement reunite for a string of live dates after solo roles in Hollywood and on TVOK, band meeting! The Flight of the Conchords have announced th…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:33AM
Monday, October 16, 2017

'Charming, soulful, a proper comic': Sean Hughes tributes – and his funniest jokes by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Tim Jonze

By his mid-20s he had scooped the Perrier award and landed his own TV show. But Sean Hughes never wanted to be a stadium standup. Mark Steel and Rhona Cameron pay tribute to a troubled talen…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:18PM
Tuesday, September 12, 2017

'Visionary, master diplomat – and absolute smoothie': stars pay tribute to Peter Hall by Interviews By Chris Wiegand and Imogen Tilden

He gave Peter Brook his big break, helped Elaine Paige conquer her fear, showed Griff Rhys Jones the joy of farce and dazzled a teenage Samuel West. They celebrate the great director who has…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:12PM

Toby Jones, Stephen Mangan and Zoë Wanamaker to star in The Birthday Party by Chris Wiegand

A star-studded new West End production of Harold Pinter’s classic play, directed by Ian Rickson, is scheduled for 2018It was famously savaged by theatre critics who dismissed it as “puzz…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:04AM
Friday, September 8, 2017

The food Network: play starring Bryan Cranston becomes immersive dining experience by Chris Wiegand

A limited number of tickets at the National Theatre’s production will allow audiences to watch the play from onstage restaurantIts intense plot may be enough to give anyone indigestion, bu…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:48PM
Saturday, August 19, 2017

The superhero and the standup: Spider-Man Tom Holland and his dad Dominic by Chris Wiegand

The star of Marvel’s blockbuster is the subject of his father’s comedy show at the Edinburgh fringe. They discuss the art of getting laughs, sending Spidey back to school and finding the…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:33AM
Friday, August 4, 2017

Edinburgh festival 2017: 10 shows to see by Chris Wiegand

A puppet blockbuster, a Bigfoot opera and a Northern Soul dance marathon all feature in the lineup of the 70th Edinburgh festivalEdinburgh Playhouse Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:18AM
Thursday, July 20, 2017

Barrie Rutter resigns from Northern Broadsides due to stagnant funding by Chris Wiegand

Artistic director and founder cites lack of increase in Arts Council England support for decision to leave the Yorkshire company next AprilBarrie Rutter is to step down as artistic director …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:12AM
Monday, June 26, 2017

Brexit Shorts: The End by Abi Morgan, starring Penelope Wilton – video by Jess Gormley, Noah Payne-Frank, Liese Spencer and Chris Wiegand

‘There’s no coming back from this’ … After 43 years together, Helen is shocked that her husband is leaving Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:36AM

Brexit Shorts: The Pines by Gary Owen, starring Steffan Rhodri – video by Jess Gormley, Noah Payne-Frank, Liese Spencer and Chris Wiegand

‘But if I don’t do this, what else can I do?’ … A Welsh dairy farmer reflects on the real cost of a flat white Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:36AM

Brexit Shorts: Shattered by Maxine Peake, starring Nasser Memarzia – video by Jess Gormley, Noah Payne-Frank, Liese Spencer and Chris Wiegand

‘People are petrified’ … An immigration lawyer in Manchester sees fear – and hope – in his community Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:12AM

Brexit Shorts: Burn by James Graham, starring Joanna Scanlan – video by Jess Gormley, Noah Payne-Frank, Liese Spencer and Chris Wiegand

‘I’m a warrior who’s been waiting for a war’ … Internet troll Carol whips up Brexit fury in Mansfield Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:12AM
Friday, June 23, 2017

Brexit Shorts: Giving voice to a divided Britain through new dramas by Chris Wiegand

The Guardian’s pioneering dramatic collaboration inspired by last year’s EU referendum offers characters who lay bare our complex national responses A year on from last summer’s Brexit…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:18AM
Monday, June 19, 2017

Leading playwrights create Brexit dramas for the Guardian by Chris Wiegand

As the Guardian launches Brexit Shorts, a series of online films about the seismic effects of the EU referendum, playwrights David Hare and Abi Morgan assess the UK’s political turmoilNine…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:12AM
Tuesday, June 13, 2017

Ruff ride: the everlasting battles and beauty of Shakespeare's Globe by Chris Wiegand

To mark the Globe’s 20th birthday, we raid the Guardian archives to see how it has divided critics, sparked academic arguments, faced down political protests – and weathered the British …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:36AM
Wednesday, June 7, 2017

'We must take a stand': the vital election issues – picked by young British artists by Harriet Gibsone, Hannah Ellis-Petersen, Kate Hutchinson and Chris Wiegand

Lily Cole wants a green century, Girli wants a housing revolution, and Liam Williams wants to boot out the billionaire club … some of Britain’s most talented young artists spell out the …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 04:36AM

Derek Jarman's punk classic Jubilee to be reignited on stage by Chris Wiegand

Toyah Willcox plays the time-travelling Elizabeth I in the Royal Exchange’s version of the film that caused outrage after 1977’s silver jubileeDerek Jarman’s anarchic punk film Jubilee…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:06AM
Friday, May 19, 2017

Martin Freeman and Sarah Lancashire to star in James Graham's Labour party comedy by Chris Wiegand

Labour of Love, to be staged in the West End, is the latest political play by the dramatist who has also written two short scripts about Brexit for the GuardianMartin Freeman and Sarah Lanca…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:12AM
Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Theatre director Michael Bogdanov dies aged 78 by Chris Wiegand

Welsh director was best known for The Romans in Britain, which led to an obscenity trial, and for co-founding the English Shakespeare CompanyMichael Bogdanov, the bold theatre director who s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 06:06AM
Thursday, March 30, 2017

New cast announced for West End hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Chris Wiegand

Stage adventure of JK Rowling’s grown-up wizard prepares to refresh its lineup, while Broadway production is in the worksThe new cast has been announced for Harry Potter and the Cursed Chi…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:31AM
Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Peppa Pig’s Surprise review – a squirting, snorting, exhausting show by Chris Wiegand

Duke of York’s theatre, LondonA puppet Peppa and her family have fun around the house in a touring stage version that stays close to the TV series and gets the kids singing and giggling �…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:42PM
Tuesday, February 21, 2017

So you want to be an artist? Then let the pros show you how it's done by Interviews By Chris Wiegand, Dave Simpson and Homa Khaleeli

DBC Pierre wrote in a fever, Frank Turner dabbled in thrash and Nikki Amuka-Bird jumped off a cliff. Artists reveal how they got to the top – and how you can tooThe actor: Nikki Amuka-Bird…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:54PM
Thursday, January 26, 2017

From Lisbon with love: Regina Advento on Pina Bausch's portrait of Portugal by Chris Wiegand

How do you capture the spirit of Lisbon? With a show featuring fado, sunbathing dancers and an enigmatic walrus. The Tanztheater Wuppertal star recalls making Masurca FogoIt’s bitterly col…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:42AM
Sunday, January 8, 2017

Perfume seller wins Bruntwood prize for play about welfare cuts by Chris Wiegand

Katherine Soper awarded £16,000 and residency at Royal Exchange for ‘first proper play’ about mental health and changes to the benefits systemThe UK’s biggest playwriting competition …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:33AM
Friday, December 30, 2016

The Guardian's Shakespeare Solos series continues with six new films by Chris Wiegand

Joanna Lumley plays Viola, David Threlfall is Prospero and Daniel Mays sees a dagger before him in our latest set of videos to mark the 400th anniversary of the playwright’s deathSix more …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 10:48PM