A staple of the West End theatrical scene, Theatre Royal Drury Lane boasts 358 years of dramatic history. Having been built initially during the English Restoration (1660-1685) under the orders of English dramatist Thomas Killigrew and officially opening in 1663 during the reign of King Charles II, the venue is the capital’s oldest theatre building to still be in use. With significant events such at The Great Fire of London changing the face of London’s architectural landscape. Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber‘s most recent renovation of the premises, starting in 2019, marks the venue’s fourth rebuild by architects Haworth Tompkins. Now offering tours of the Georgian (1812), inspired Grade I listed building, Theatre Royal Drury Lane welcomes all to share in their journey so far.

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Having been awarded the Evening Standard Future Theatre Fund Award in Directing/Theatre-Making and one of three to receive the Jerwood Compton Fellowship this year alone, multi-talented writer and theatre maker Jamie Hale has very rightly been recognised for his work and contributions to the arts. The founder of CRIPtic Arts, an organisation established in 2019, dedicated to nurturing art made by d/Deaf and Disabled creatives, Jamie’s commitment to support fellow artists has been exemplary. A culmination of a year’s development programme, CRIPtic Arts present CRIPtic Pit Party, a powerful evening of sharing and performance.

Miss Jacqui.

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One of the world’s instantly recognisable musicals, Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Misérables returns with a UK and Ireland tour, starting off at the Glasgow Theatre Royal from Tuesday 23rd November and concluding at Wales Millenium Stadium Cardiff on Saturday 14th January 2023. Taking on the role of the iconic Eponine, musical theatre talent Nathania Ong makes her theatrical debut! Ahead of the tour, Nathania tells us more about what to expect.

Hi Nathania, you’ll be starring in the UK and Ireland tour of Les Misèrables from late November. How are you feeling ahead of the run?

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During what was an unpredictable time for creatives due to the impact of the pandemic, this left many professionals out of work in need of financial support. Inspired to help their fellow industry by curating a publication comprising of images and anecdotes from the industry’s broad spectrum of talent, Exeunt: The Stage Door Project documents the voices of some of the industry’s leading luminaries including Dame Judi Dench, Simon Callow, Michael Sheen, Robert Lindsay and Zoë Wanamaker amongst others. A hardback collector’s, Exeunt: The Stage Door Project is currently available to pre-order, with proceeds going to The Actor’s Benevolent Fund, ArtsMinds and the Theatre Artists Fund! Ahead of the release, Lloyd and Salvatore tell us more about the creation of the thoughtful book!

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With Christmas just upon the horizon, the festive season offers us a chance to celebrate the end of the year with a foray of magical events. Closing the year with an ensemble of incredible circus talent, LA CLIQUE presents displays of strength, stamina and fearlessness – awe inspiring acts that add a dash of sparkle to the West End’s Spiegeltent space.

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Courtesy of Scott Chalmers.

Craig Reid aka “The Incredible Hula Boy” is the award winning hula-hoop circus performer from Scotland, UK. Credited with “Best Specialty Act” from the London Cabaret awards, Slaughter and May “Performer of the year award” and multiple Guinness world records. He has just arrived back into London from Las Vegas where he has been performing with the hit show Absinthe at Caesars Palace. Craig from a young age had an extensive background in gymnastics, dance and theatre and has created performances that have been seen internationally. He Studied at The National Centre of Circus arts (Formally called Circus Space) where he graduated with a BA Hons degree in Circus arts specialising in hula-hoop. Past performances include the world famous La Soirée (West End London), American’s Got Talent, CabaRAE (Honolulu, Hawaii), Opium (The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas) and the Sydney Opera house with the show Velvet starring the disco icon Marcia Hines. Craig can currently be seen taking part in circus show La Clique at the Leicester Spiegeltent until the 8th January 2022. Craig tells us more about what to expect from the show!

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Having celebrated three decades of creating work championing the voices of South Asian creatives, Kali Theatre have marked the occasion with the publication of their latest project – 30 Monologues and Duologues for South Asian Actors. An innovative resource vital in ensuring representation within the arts, Kali have created a necessary body of work reflective of the South Asian diaspora’s experiences. Having recently  launched the book, Kali’s current Artistic Director Helena Bell tells us more about the compiling of the book and what to expect

Hi Helena, Kali Theatre have just launched 30 Monologues and Duologues for South Asian Actors. How are you feeling?

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Standing tall across the Neretva River, Old Bridge (Stari Most) – located in what was formerly known as Yugoslavia has overseen many a couple and passer by – two years younger than Shakespeare, the landmark having withstood the elements for centuries, making it of cultural and historical significance. Spanning from 1988 until 1992, Igor Memic‘s 2020 award winning Papatango New Writing Prize Old Bridge traces the mighty landmark’s final years before the the Croat-Bosniak war would see to its destruction, via the eyes of four residents.

Courtesy of Marc Brenner.

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130 years after Oscar Wilde’s infamous fable of narcissism and decadence, Dorian Gray is back in a rock musical adaptation. ‘Can you hear me?’ he asks in his opening ballad. The answer, over swishy synths and a store-bought drum track is, unfortunately, yes. Writer-director Linnie Reedman weaves in some pertinent advice from Wilde himself: ‘If one hears bad music, it is one’s duty to drown it.’ Wilde was thinking of conversation, but with Dorian: Rock Opera streaming to your living room, a stiff drink might also help.

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It’s said that we’re in the fourth Industrial Revolution, an era characterised by automation.  An era where various industries have slowly seen a shift towards automated technology. The increase in ‘Machine to Machine’ communication (M2M) and the ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT) –  The processing and sharing of data by physical objects via sensors, software and other technologies to other devices, systems and communication networks. An exploration of this new era of industry, Daniel Nicholas‘ Eugene questions the role of Artificial Intelligence within our lives and what this could mean for the possible resolution of societal issues.

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