All stories by Laura Barnett on BroadwayStars

Thursday, April 25, 2013

2013 Olivier award nominees: 'No, I haven't written a speech' by Laura Barnett

Nerves, speeches, practising their fake-congratulation face " five nominees for this year's Olivier awards, including Luke Treadaway and Hattie Morahan, tell Laura Barnett about one of theat…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 01:30AM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 20, 2013

#aiww: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei " review by Laura Barnett

Hampstead theatre, LondonOn 3 April 2011 Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was arrested at Beijing airport. Then began a Kafkaesque nightmare: 81 days in detention without trial; accused of being a s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:05PM[SHARE]
Saturday, April 13, 2013

Is this a new golden age for ticket touts? by Laura Barnett

Do resale websites selling seats to hit shows at grossly inflated prices pose a genuine threat to London's theatreland?It's Saturday night on Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End. A crowd…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:00PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, April 9, 2013

An economist's view of The Low Road by Laura Barnett

Bruce Norris's play skewers the failings of capitalism, but ignores some sensitive and nuanced debatesIn broad terms, I'm sympathetic to the central theme of this play by Bruce Norris. From …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Sunday, April 7, 2013

Wallander's Krister Henriksson: 'I'd like to play King Lear' by Laura Barnett

When Wallander actor Krister Henriksson memorised a downbeat Swedish novel, he didn't expect this efforts to produce a theatre smash hit. He tells Laura Barnett about playing the West End, h…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:59PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Keith Allen, actor " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

Actor Keith Allen talks about his kids Lily and Alfie, his love of Shelley and why he is no cowardHow did you get into acting?I'd done performance art sporadically from about 1976 " very per…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:57PM[SHARE]
Saturday, March 23, 2013

Proof " review by Laura Barnett

Menier Chocolate Factory, LondonThe line between madness and genius; the degree to which we resemble our parents; the difficulty of ever really proving the relationships that exist between t…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:05PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Kristin Scott Thomas, actor " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

The English Patient star talks about her big breakthrough, bad reviews " and why her worst performance is always screening on cable TVWhat first drew you to acting?Wanting to be somebody els…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:59PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Kathryn Hunter, actor " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

The actor talks about men playing women, her selfishness, and why theatre isn't the new footballWhat first drew you to acting?The inevitable school plays. I found doing them quite odd, but I…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:00PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 22, 2013

Eleanor Lloyd: theatre producer " profile by Laura Barnett

'The subsidised sector is facing difficult times, but it would be wrong not to be grateful for what we've already got'Job: Theatre producer.Age: 33Best known for: Producing a wide range of s…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 08:46AM[SHARE]
Thursday, February 21, 2013

Erica Whyman: deputy artistic director, Royal Shakespeare Company " profile by Laura Barnett

'What's the best thing about British theatre? Our sense of humour. And the worst? Endless conversations about funding' Job: Deputy artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, as of J…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:08AM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Indhu Rubasingham: artistic director, Tricycle theatre " profile by Laura Barnett

'I have a science background and it just felt like directing was using both halves of my brain: the creative and scientific sides'Job: Artistic director of the Tricycle theatre in Kilburn, L…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:22AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Laurie Sansom: incoming artistic director, National Theatre of Scotland " profile by Laura Barnett

'I directed The Duchess of Malfi when I was in the sixth form. Naturally, I gave myself the main part: it must have been painful'Job: Incoming artistic director of the National Theatre of Sc…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 05:31AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Antony Sher, actor " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

'My low point? A cocaine dependency that finished in 1996. I look back with regret'What first drew you to acting?Growing up in Cape Town, I was a very shy, weedy little kid " I didn't fit in…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 11:59AM[SHARE]
Monday, February 4, 2013

How we made: The Vagina Monologues by Laura Barnett

Eve Ensler: 'I did the first shows solo: I was terrified. Then women started lining up to tell their stories'Eve Ensler, writer and performerI didn't set out to write a play about vaginas; I…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:48PM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 17, 2013

Actor Sophiya Haque dies aged 41 by Laura Barnett

Former Coronation Street star, who had been appearing in West End production of Privates on Parade, has died after having been diagnosed with cancer Continue reading...

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:31AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Brian Cox on his first RSC performance, Titus Andronicus by Laura Barnett

'It's really the most interesting thing I've ever done in the theatre'Looking back over my career, there are many things I'd have done differently. But sometimes you're lucky " you get a par…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:00PM[SHARE]

Laura Wade on her early play, White Feathers by Laura Barnett

'Reading this play over again makes me cringe " it's melodramatic and too neat " but I admire my past self for the meticulous planning'In my final year at Bristol University, I wrote a play …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:00PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, December 19, 2012

A bodyguard's view on The Bodyguard by Laura Barnett

A good close-protection officer should be a bit wooden, says bodyguard Richard Aitch, but you wouldn't entrust your life to the one in The BodyguardLloyd Owen, the actor who plays bodyguard …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 03:00AM[SHARE]
Friday, December 14, 2012

Best theatre of 2012, No 6: Noises Off by Laura Barnett

Lindsay Posner's production of Michael Frayn's brilliant farce, which reveals the barely-controlled chaos lying behind any show " and any life " had the author in stitchesOn the night I wen…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:09AM[SHARE]
Saturday, December 8, 2012

The Bodyguard " review by Laura Barnett

Adelphi, LondonAmong the recent glut of stage musicals based on blockbuster films " Shrek; Dirty Dancing; Legally Blonde; Ghost " this new show, drawn from the 1992 movie, has some of the st…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:06PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 28, 2012

How to act: stage stars share their acting tips by Laura Barnett

What makes a great stage actor? As a competition to find Britain's best am-dram society gets under way, old hands Roger Allam, Miriam Margolyes and others offer a few words of adviceRoger Al…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:30PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Stephen Sondheim, composer " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

'Do I have any regrets? I'm sorry I didn't have children. And I like all my shows " except one'What first drew you to composing?When I was 11, my parents divorced. My mother had custody and …

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:30PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Rufus Norris, theatre director " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

'You need stamina in this game: I was 36 before I earned £10,000 a year'What got you started?[The director] Brian Astbury made me do it. He ran Arts Threshold, a basement fringe theatre i…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:23PM[SHARE]
Saturday, October 20, 2012

Loserville " review by Laura Barnett

Garrick, LondonAnyone who's been in central London recently must have noticed the rash of posters for this new musical, written by former Busted musician James Bourne (several of the songs a…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:04PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Penelope Skinner, playwright " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

The writer of The Village Bike on Shakespeare, the first time the national papers reviewed her show and why she loves Dolly PartonWhat got you started?When I was 28, I went to see a play cal…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 02:01PM[SHARE]
Saturday, September 8, 2012

Carl Djerassi: scientists aren't just Frankensteins or Strangeloves or nerds by Laura Barnett

The inventor of the pill, who is also a prolific writer of fiction, talks about his latest play " a comedy about chemistryIt says a lot about Carl Djerassi that his first venture into litera…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:04PM[SHARE]
Friday, August 10, 2012

Theatre work gives children a voice " through adults by Laura Barnett

Adults too often tune out and miss what children are really saying, says a new play called Monkey BarsThree women are sitting close together, heads bent, gossiping. "I know what deja vu is,"…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 07:04PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Brendon Burns, comedian " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

'Standups don't get groupies? That's a myth perpetuated to put girlfriends at ease'When did you first realise you were funny?Probably when I was four. My brother and sister used to make me w…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:51PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Theatre Delicatessen: the pick-and-mix performers by Laura Barnett

Bush Bazaar, Theatre Deli's new project, invites the audience to haggle with actors over how much to pay " just one of their pioneering shows that ask questions about the value of artHow muc…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 09:09AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Simon McBurney, actor and director " portrait of the artist by Laura Barnett

'Theatre people are all liars, charlatans, scavengers and fly-by-nights'What first drew you to theatre?I don't really remember being drawn. As a child, acting just seemed like a natural exte…

SOURCE: The Guardian at 12:38PM[SHARE]

All that Chat

2025-2026 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 12, 2025: Call Me Izzy - Studio 54
Sep 16, 2025: Art - Music Box Theatre
Oct 08, 2025: Beetlejuice - Palace Theatre
Nov 13, 2025: Oedipus - Studio 54
Nov 16, 2025: Chess - Imperial Theatre
Mar 23, 2026: Giant - Music Box Theatre
Apr 06, 2026: Becky Shaw - Hayes Theater
Apr 16, 2026: Proof - Booth Theatre
Apr 26, 2026: Drama Desk Cut-Off