Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham – until Saturday 4th July 2026
Reviewed by Chris Jarvis
5*****
I was delighted to be asked to review the Nottingham performance of The Jersey Boys 20th Anniversary tour. A first for me, it has been seen by more than 30 million people and spent 12 years on Broadway and 9 years in the West End.
This biographical juke-box musical tells the story of four young Italian/American boys from New Jersey some of whom knew each other through childhood and others introduced by fellow musicians and writers. Nick Massi played tonight by Lewis Kennedy, had noticed Frankie Valli’s amazing vocal ability so introduced him to fellow band member Tommy DeVito (Carlo Boumouglbay) and later the famous actor, then musician Joey Pesci (Aiden Carson) introduced keyboard player and song writer Bob Gaudio (Toby Miles) to the group.
The stage is set in the early ‘60’s with these 4 musicians coming together under numerous band names, and variable success finally taking off under the name The Four Seasons – the original members Franki Valli – lead vocalist, with the 3 backing vocalists Tommy DeVito – lead guitar, Nick Massi – lead bassist and Bob Gaudio – keyboard.
As soon as they started playing, we were immediately transported back to the late 50’s/early 60’s with some sensational music, singing and dancing with similarities to African/American music. In fact, you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to 4 black singers.
It became known as doo-wop – a blend of rock and roll/R&B with rich vocal harmonies, often with nonsense syllables from the backing singers alongside highly choreographed dancing and moves. Luke Baker ‘nailed it’ tonight reaching Frankie Valli’s renowned falsetto notes with apparent ease, as well as the deeper tones in ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off You’ but all vocals were brilliant.
It’s a fascinating and true story that took us on a rollercoaster ride through the highs and lows of the band’s journey to success. We saw power struggles, band members falling out, links with the mob, massive mafia debts accumulated by Tommy DeVito, yet their ‘connection’ and support for each other came across, particularly from Frank Valli.
It’s not just a musical with fantastic songs – they’re there for a reason – to tell the compelling and fascinating true story. I learned a lot while being entertained!
The music is brilliant and it was great to hear all those back-to-back hits from the early sixties – Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Walk Like a Man …… that I remember my Mum singing along to!
In fact, I had no idea just how many amazing songs come from this collaboration of band members particularly writer Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe (Michael Levi), band manager/lyricist, that have been covered by a myriad of well-known artists since.
The acting was amazing and it was hard to imagine how difficult it was for the actors who were miming their instruments while a band of professional musicians played behind the scenes, to make it look so real while singing and dancing the dozens of different coordinated moves.
Frankie Valli now age 92, would be proud of the performance and I’d wholly recommend it.
A standing ovation for the finale showed the audience’s appreciation last night while also giving the opportunity to join in the doo-wop!
With The Guilty currently running at the theatre, the Donmar’s Artistic Director Tim Sheader and Executive Director Henny Finch today announce the full cast and creative team for A Month in the Country, by Brian Friel, after Ivan Turgenev.
Sophie Okonedo leads the company as Natalya Petrovna, and she is joined by Thomas Arnold (Arkady Islayev), Jessica Brindle (Katya), Susan Brown (Anna Islayeva), Rachelle Diedericks (Vera Aleksandrovna), Patrick Gibson (Aleksey Belyayev), Mark Hadfield (Herr Schaaf), Michael Hodgson (Alfanasy Bolshintsov), Jonathan Livingstone (Matvey), Alistair Petrie (Michel Rakitin), Daniel Rigby (Ignaty Shpigelsky), and Amanda Wilkin (Lizaveta Bogdanovna).
Joining Lyndsey Turner to complete the creative team are Leslie Travers (Designer), Max Pappenheim (Sound Designer), Tim Lutkin (Lighting Designer); Anna Morrissey (Movement Director & Intimacy Coordinator), Angus MacRae (Composer), and Lotte Hines CDG (Casting Director).
A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY
By Brian Friel
After Ivan Turgenev
Cast: Thomas Arnold (Arkady Islayev), Jessica Brindle (Katya), Susan Brown (Anna Islayeva), Rachelle Diedericks (Vera Aleksandrovna), Patrick Gibson (Aleksey Belyayev), Mark Hadfield (Herr Schaaf), Michael Hodgson (Alfanasy Bolshintsov), Jonathan Livingstone (Matvey), Sophie Okonedo (Natalya Petrovna) Alistair Petrie (Michel Rakitin), Daniel Rigby (Ignaty Shpigelsky), Amanda Wilkin (Lizaveta Bogdanovna)
Director: Lyndsey Turner; Designer: Leslie Travers; Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim;
Lighting Designer: Tim Lutkin; Movement Director & Intimacy Coordinator: Anna Morrissey;
A life of order, tranquillity and quiet restraint.
It’s enough to make you scream.
Natalya Petrovna looks to all the world like a contented woman, but the arrival of a penniless young tutor stirs a restless heart, igniting a spark of desire that sets the Summer ablaze.
A Month in the Country pits passion against propriety, as a cast of characters struggle to reconcile the lives they lead with the happiness they crave. Lyndsey Turner directs Brian Friel’s reworking of Turgenev’s most famous play.
With thanks to Season Supporter Charles Holloway OBE.
The Donmar Warehouse would also like to thank their Production Supporters for A Month In The Country, Charles J Burdick and Tiina Lee CBE.
Thomas Arnold plays Arkady Islayev. His theatre credits include Mnemonic, Oslo, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Cyrano de Bergerac, Mourning Becomes Electra, Three Sisters,The Stoppard Trilogy (National Theatre), A Very Expensive Poison, Fanny & Alexander, Dr Seuss’s The Lorax (The Old Vic), The Kids Stay In The Picture (Royal Court Theatre), Hamlet, Orlando (Royal Exchange Theatre), and Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead and The Master and Margarita (Complicité). His television credits include Doctor Who, Such Brave Girls, Wolf Hall, A Very Royal Scandal, A Spy Among Friends, Echt, Falling, I Hate Suzie, A Christmas Carol,The Aeronauts, MotherFatherSon, The Missing, War and Peace, Call the Midwife, Homeland, This is England ’86; and for film, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, Heart of Stone, Matilda: The Musical, The Murder Network, The Riot Club, Thor: The Dark World, Bel Ami, One Day, and The Golden Compass.
Jessica Brindle plays Katya. Her theatre credits include Christmas Day (Almeida Theatre), Emma (Rose Theatre Kingston), A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Much Ado About Nothing (Sh!t-faced Shakespeare), Top Girls; Absolute Hell (National Theatre), Pleasure and Pain (Citizens Theatre, Glasgow), Dream On (BBC Arts), and Used Blood Junkyard (Arcola Theatre). Her television credits include Sweetpea.
Susan Brown returns to the Donmar to play Anna Islayeva – she previously appeared in Julius Caesar, Making Noise Quietly, and The Wild Duck. Her other theatre credits include Under Milk Wood; Home, I’m Darling – Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Husbands and Sons, Harper Regan, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Playing with Fire, Cardiff East (National Theatre), Angels in America – Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play (National Theatre and Broadway), Image of an Unknown Young Woman, The Chairs, The House of Bernarda Alba (Gate Theatre), Good People (Noël Coward Theatre), If You Don’t Let Us Dream, We Won’t Let You Sleep, Goodbye to All That, Seagulls, Gibraltar Strait, Road (Royal Court Theatre); Saved (Lyric Hammersmith), The Contingency Plan (Bush Theatre), Dying for It, Butterfly Kiss (Almeida Theatre), Twelfth Night (English Touring Theatre), Iphigenia, Small Change (Sheffield Theatres), Bad Weather, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III, Easter (RSC), You Be Ted and I’ll Be Sylvia (Hampstead Theatre), Playing Sinatra (Croydon Warehouse, Greenwich Theatre), The Beaux’ Stratagem, The Way of the World, and A Woman of No Importance (Cambridge Theatre Company). Her television credits include Falling, Bridgerton, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, The Crown, It’s a Sin, Good Omens, Partners in Crime, Atlantis, Father Brown, Call the Midwife, Broadchurch, Silent Witness, Stella, Game of Thrones, Waking the Dead, Torchwood, Coronation Street (as series regular Connie Clayton), Pinochet’s Progress, Rose and Maloney, Brides in the Bath, Dalziel & Pascoe, When Hitler Invaded Britain, Blue Dove, Wire in the Blood, The Best of Both Worlds, The Vice, Where the Heart Is (as recurring character June Wrekin), Anorak of Fire, Taggart, Wokenwell, A Touch of Frost, September Song, The Riff Raff Element, Absolute Hell, Making Out, Nona, Prime Suspect, Road and Loving Hazel; and for film, Mary, Belle, Now Is Good, The Iron Lady, Brideshead Revisited, and Hope and Glory.
Rachelle Diedericks plays Vera Aleksandrovna. Her theatre credits include Mother Courage and Her Children (Shakespeare’s Globe), Pericles (RSC, and Chicago), The House Party (Headlong/Chichester Festival Theatre), A View From The Bridge (Headlong), The Walworth Farce (Southwark Playhouse), The Crucible, Our Generation (National Theatre), Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre), and The Band (Theatre Royal Haymarket and UK tour). Her television work includes Up To No Good,Grace, Andor and Speechless; and This Time Next Year and The Silence and the Noise.
Patrick Gibson returns to the Donmar to play Aleksey Belyayev – he previously appeared in Clyde’s and Sweat. His other theatre work includes Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo (Young Vic). His television work includes Dexter: Original Sin, Shadow and Bone, Before We Die, The Spanish Princess, The OA, The White Princess, Guerilla, The Passing Bells and Neverland; and for film, Play Dead, The Portable Door, Good Girl Jane, Tolkien, The Darkest Minds, In a Relationship, Their Finest, Property of the State, Cherry Tree and What Richard Did.
Mark Hadfield plays Herr Schaaf. His theatre work include Dr Strangelove (Noël Coward Theatre), Accidental Death of an Anarchist (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Cymbeline, Henry VI: Open Rehearsal, Tamburlaine, Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Talk of the City, The Seagull, Twelfth Night, The Canterbury Tales, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC), Notes from a Small Island (The Watermill Theatre), Dmitry (Marylebone Theatre), Sydney and the Girl, The Weatherman (Park Theatre), Vanya and Masha and Sonya and Spike, The Tempest, Jeffrey Barnard in Unwell, Man and Superman, Don Juan (Theatre Royal Bath), Pinocchio, Thérèse Raquin, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other (National Theatre), Road (Royal Court Theatre), Richard III (Almeida Theatre), The Painkiller (Lyric Theatre, Belfast; Garrick Theatre), The Meeting, Matchbox Theatre (Hampstead Theatre), Made in Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre), Jeeves and Wooster: Perfect Nonsense (Duke of York’s Theatre), Singin’ in the Rain (Palace Theatre), Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville Theatre), The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre), The 39 Steps (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Donkey’s Years (UK tour), Into the Woods (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Rookery Nook and Talent (Menier Chocolate Factory). For television his work includes Outlander, Maigret, From the Cradle to the Grave, Trollied, Wallander, The Wyvern Mystery, The Vice, and Headless; and for film, Belfast, Football Monologues, Girls’ Night Out, Mary Shelley’s Frakenstein, In the Bleak Midwinter, Felicia’s Journey, A Cock and Bill Story, and Hamlet.
Michael Hodgson plays Alfanasy Bolshintsov.His theatre work includes Waiting For Godot (Citizens Theatre Glasgow and tour), Macbeth (UK and US tour), Romeo and Juliet, The Shoemaker’s Holiday, Macbeth, The Mouse and His Child (RSC), Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, Strife (Chichester Festival Theatre), Treasure Island (Birmingham Rep), A Christmas Carol, Road, Catch 22, Get Carter (Northern Stage), Noir (Live Theatre), Oliver Twist (Regents Park Open Air Theatre), The Pitmen Painters (National Theatre, West End, UK tour, Broadway), The Wind In The Willows, The Devil’s Disciple (National Theatre), Bones (Hampstead Theatre), The Tower (Almeida Theatre), Brilliant Adventures (Royal Exchange Theatre), Death of a Salesman, The Last Yankee (Leeds Playhouse), The Three Musketeers (UK tour), Travels With My Aunt, Jane Eyre (West End), The Guise (Edinburgh Festival, Off-Broadway), and King Lear (Young Vic, Japan tour). His television work includes Smoggie Queens, Passenger, Accidental Farmer,George Gently, Skins, Spooks, The Ghost Squad, Instinct,Spit Game, The Visit, Angel Cake, Two Thousand Acres Of Sky, 55 Degrees North, The Babywar, Lawless, and Touching Evil; and for film, The Duke, The One And Only, The Lowdown, The Last Minute, Wonderland and First Knight.
Jonathan Livingstone plays Matvey. His theatre credits include A Ghost In Your Ear,Cash Cow (Hampstead Theatre), Troilus and Cressida, After Edward, Edward II, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe), Hamlet, Twelfth Night, Now We Are Here (Young Vic), Machinal (Almeida Theatre), The Caretaker (Bristol Old Vic), Our Country’s Good, Treasure Island (National Theatre), White Hot and Weak (Old Vic New Voices Festival), Superior Donuts (Southwark Playhouse), ‘Tis Pity She’s A Whore (Cheek by Jowl), 7 New Plays By Young Writers (National Theatre Studio), Pocket Comedy (Propellor), The Taming of the Shrew (RSC), and Pandora (Arcola Theatre). His television work includes Entitled, Bridgerton, Criminal Record, Peacock, The Pentaverate, Pls Like, Death in Paradise and Chewing Gum; and for film, Hard Truths, Trouble with Jessica, The Witches, Treasure Island and Still Life.
Sophie Okonedo makes her Donmar debut as Natalya Petrovna.Her theatre credits include Medea (@sohoplace) and Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre). Her television credits include Ratched, Slow Horses, andModern Love; and for film, Clarissa, Mouse and Janet Planet.
Alistair Petrie plays Michel Rakitin. His theatre credits include Hamlet (National Theatre and New York), Time and the Conways, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2,His Dark Materials, Playing with Fire (National Theatre), Shakespeare in Love (Noël Coward Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (West End and Australia), Troilus and Cressida (RSC and US), and Mine (Hampstead Theatre). His television credits include Sex Education, The Night Manager, Andor, Utopia, Death by Lightning, Funny Woman, The Following Events are Based on a Pack of Lies, The Terror, Emma, Cranford, The Forsyte Saga,Deep State, Sherlock, Undercover, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Agatha and The Midnight Murders, Genius,Year of The Rabbit, Harley and The Davidsons,The Game, Lucan, The Escape Artist, Whitechapel, The Whistleblowers, and State of Mind; and for film, Rogue One: A Star Wars Saga, Cloud Atlas, Rush, The Bank Job, The Mark of Cain: The Cursed,The Duchess, A Bunch of Amateurs, A Little Chaos, The Face of An Angel, Victor Frankenstein, Hellboy, Sulphur and White, Magpie, and Oddly Flowers.
Daniel Rigby plays Ignaty Shpigelsky. His theatre credits include One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre, Adelphi Theatre, Music Box Theatre New York), The Witches, Twelfth Night (National Theatre), Accidental Death Of An Anarchist (Sheffield Theatres, Lyric Hammersmith, Theatre Royal Haymarket – UK Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Play), Noises Off (Lyric Hammersmith, Garrick Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Frost/Nixon (Sheffield Theatres), Breaking the Code (Royal Exchange Theatre – Manchester Theatre Award for Best Actor), Holes (Arcola Theatre), Daniel Rigby: Berk In Progress, Daniel Rigby: Afterbirth, The Mothwokfantastic, Pleasance Comedy Reserve (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), The Count Of Monte Cristo (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Beyond The Front Line (The Lowry), Natural Selection (Theatre503), Great Expectations (Aberystwyth Arts Centre), All Quiet On The Western Front,The White Album, Burial At The Thebes (Nottingham Playhouse), Romeo and Juliet (Nuffield Southampton Theatres), and Hamlet (Barbican, UK tour). His television credits include I, Jack Wright, Harry Potter, Summerwater, Bladerunner 2099, The Ballad of Renegade Nell, Tom Jones, The Witchfinder, After Ever After, Landscapers, Defending the Guilty, Gameface, Timewasters, Flowers, Plebs, Sick Note, Gap Year, Jericho, Undercover, Big School, That Day We Sang, Agatha Christie’s Marple: A Caribbean Mystery, Black Mirror: The Waldo Moment, Cardinal Burns, The Function Room: Meet The Police, Eric & Ernie – BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor, Ideal, Watson andOliver, The Street, Lilies; and for film, Cold Storage, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain, and Stand Up Short and Flyboys.
Amanda Wilkin plays Lizaveta Bogdanovna. Her theatre includes The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (RSC), Bacchae (National Theatre), Otherland (Almeida Theatre), Dr Semmelweis (Harold Pinter Theatre), Shedding A Skin (Soho Theatre – also playwright, Verity Bargate Award winner), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hamlet, Gabriel, The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Globe), Emilia (Vaudeville Theatre), The Little Sob (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), White Teeth (Kiln Theatre), La Ronde (The Bunker Theatre), The 306: Day (National Theatre of Scotland), The Grinning Man (Trafalgar Studios), Pilgrims (Theatre Clwyd/HighTide Festival/The Yard Theatre), Hopelessly Devoted (Paines Plough and Birmingham REP), Arabian Nights (The Watermill Theatre), Blood Wedding, The Bacchae (Royal and Derngate),and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Marat/Sade (RSC). Her television work includes Delia, Am I Being Unreasonable?, Spent, Until I Kill You,High End Homeless, The Split, The Girlfriend Experience, Finding Alice, Unforgotten, Berlin Station,and Gavin and Stacey; and for film, Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!.
Brian Friel (1929 – 2015) is widely regarded as one of Ireland’s greatest dramatists, having written over 30 plays across six decades. He was a member of Aosdána, the society of Irish artists, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Irish Academy of Letters, and the Royal Society of Literature where he was made a Companion of Literature. He was awarded the Ulysses Medal by University College, Dublin. His major works include Afterplay, The Bear, The Yalta Game, Molly Sweeney, Wonderful Tennessee, Dancing at Lughnasa, Making History, The Communication Cord, Translations, Aristocrats, Faith Healer, Living Quarters, Volunteers, The Freedom Of The City, The Gentle Island, Philadelphia Here I Come!, and The Enemy Within; and other major adaptations include Hedda Gabler, Uncle Vanya, and Three Sisters.
Lyndsey Turner returns to the Donmar, having previously directed Far Away, Aristocrats, Faith Healer,Fathers and Sons, and PhiladelphiaHere I Come!. Other theatre credits include 1536 (Almeida Theatre, The Ambassadors Theatre), The Treatment (Almeida Theatre), Chimerica (Almeida Theatre, Harold Pinter Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Director) Coriolanus, Roald Dahl’s The Witches, The Crucible, Under Milk Wood, Top Girls, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, There is a War and Edgar and Annabel (National Theatre), Moonlight (Harold Pinter Theatre), After the End (Theatre Royal Stratford East), A Number (The Old Vic), Hamlet (Barbican), Girls and Boys, Posh, and Contractions (Royal Court Theatre).
Maximum two tickets per person – both need to be aged 35 or under at time of the performance. Subject to availability. ID will need to be shown at Box Office to collect tickets.
DONMAR DAILY RELEASE
New tickets on sale every day at the Donmar. Allocations of tickets will be made available every day for performances 7 days later. Tickets will be available across the auditorium at every price band.
ACCESS
The Donmar Warehouse is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium. There is a Loop system and a Radio Frequency system fitted in the main auditorium and there are also hearing loops at all the front of house counters.
ASSISTED PERFORMANCES If you require a companion to attend the Donmar, their ticket will be free. To book call 020 3282 3808 or email access@donmarwarehouse.com.
For all other access enquiries or bookings call 020 3282 3808.
DONMAR WAREHOUSE
Welcome to the Donmar, where anyone with a passion or curiosity for seriously good theatre belongs. In our powerfully intimate space, we make vivid theatre that transports. Our audience doesn’t sit in the dark; they lean into the light. You’ll want to be in the room and in the moment.
Led by Artistic Director Tim Sheader and Executive Director Henny Finch, the Donmar is an independent non-profit theatre in London’s Covent Garden.
We’re intent on making sure theatre thrives for the next generation by inviting in new younger audiences, inspiring original voices and building the workforce of the future.
We’re grateful for the loyalty and generosity of our many donors and supporters who share our commitment to making this happen.
Last night’s press performance of The Rocky Horror Show at Storyhouse Chester demonstrated, once again, why this iconic production remains popular decades after its debut, and why its cult following shows no signs of diminishing. Having seen this production three times now, I entered with very high expectations, and I am delighted to report that I was not disappointed
When I first watched the show, I was utterly enchanted by its spectacle and remarkable originality. However, my second viewing was rather disappointing, primarily because the audience’s reaction was lacklustre, even with a celebrity in the cast. Therefore, when I had the chance to attend press night at Storyhouse, I was eager for the complete Rocky Horror experience—and this audience certainly did not disappoint.
From the very beginning, the atmosphere was vibrant. Fans arrived in elaborate costumes, equipped with props and ready with perfectly timed, often irreverent yet hilariously clever callouts. The interactive traditions that characterise Rocky Horror were flourishing. By the time the first performance of “Time Warp” commenced, audience members were already on their feet, dancing and completely engaged. It was everything one hopes for from this show and more—an uninhibited, joyful celebration of theatre and community.
Stephen Webb’s portrayal of Frank-N-Furter was a standout for me. Having witnessed his performance during the 2022 World Tour, I was already aware of the high calibre he brings to the role, and he certainly did not disappoint. Webb takes command of the stage with both confidence and ease, fully embodying the character (not to mention the suspenders). His performance is charismatic, authentic, and utterly captivating, establishing a benchmark that is challenging to surpass.
Jackie Clune took on the role of the Narrator, and she was a true delight. Recognised by many from her work on Motherland, she adeptly managed the audience’s constant callbacks with remarkable quick wit, even cleverly responding to jokes about “Motherland reruns.” Her strong rapport with the audience enhanced the enjoyment of the evening even further.
James Bisp, as Brad, delivered a compelling and convincing performance, adeptly conveying Brad’s awkwardness and gradual unraveling with both subtlety and humour. Similarly, Haley Flaherty’s portrayal of Janet was equally impressive, reminiscent of her captivating performance in 2022. She expertly balances Janet’s innocence with her transformation, showcasing both vocal strength and emotional depth throughout.
Beyond the lead roles, the entire cast merits recognition for their outstanding ensemble performance. Each performer brought energy, precision, and dedication, ensuring that the show maintained its momentum throughout. The chemistry on stage was palpable, and the uniformity of talent throughout the production lent it a polished, vibrant, and thoroughly enjoyable quality from beginning to end.
This production reminded me precisely why I adore The Rocky Horror Show. The performances were outstanding, but it is the traditions and audience participation that elevate it to something truly remarkable. It was an absolutely brilliant evening.
Mother? Is a 1 hour play written and performed by Rachel Stockdale. It is based on interviews and workshops Rachel recorded with around 100 women and caregivers in the North East in an attempt to answer the question, “What and who is a mother?” The performance investigates a wide range of aspects of motherhood including adoption, fostering, IVF treatment, and women’s experiences of pregnancy and birth. It explores the definition of a mother in its broadest sense.
The set for this play represents a school nursery where there are lots of soft toys and a ball pool which is used to illustrate aspects of the narrative. Although Rachel is the only actor on stage, she is quickly able to change her demeanour, expression and tone of voice to represent a diverse range of interviewees. The only other technique used to represent the views of the women interviewed is recordings of other actors speaking the words of these women. One stand out recording for me is the recollections of a midwife from Trinidad who came to Britain as part of the Windrush generation.
During her 1 hour on stage Rachel gave a voice to the women she met as part of her research. Conversations with women about childbirth illustrated how women sometimes had their birth plans ignored and often had to endure a C section. In contrast to this distressing revelation Rachel shares observations of mums in the playground. This for me was one of the most amusing aspects of the play with the categories of mummies such as super fit gym mummy, the very posh mummy and the rather anxious mummy giving the play a laugh out loud moment.
Another aspect of this play which absolutely struck a chord was the mum who was rushing to take her children to school before work. Although it was quite funny, it was also poignant and I did connect with that mum! The use of puppetry around this point was quite simple but added an effective dimension to the play.
There were one or two stand out lines in this performance, one of which was, “It takes a village to support a mother” which I thought was an interesting twist on the usual idea that it takes a village to raise a child. The other stand out line for me was, “No body’s perfect, we’re just trying our best.” As a mother I would absolutely agree with this statement! I would love to see the themes explored from interviews developed further. The material used for this performance has the potential to grow.
Utopia Theatre, Sheffield – until Saturday 11th July 2026
Reviewed by Claire Moore
4****
I have to be honest, before my invite to view The Swamp Dwellers I hadn’t come across the Utopia Theatre in Sheffield. Speaking to others I was not alone but seems we have all been missing out on something rather special.
Founded in 2012 by Artistic Director Dr Mojisola Kareem, Utopia Theatre has built a reputation for bringing African stories and perspectives to audiences across the UK and beyond. Their productions combine powerful storytelling with thought-provoking themes, creating theatre that not only entertains but also encourages audiences to see the world from a different perspective.
On arrival, you’re guided through curtains into a small but striking performance space designed by Sarah Lewis-Cole. A raised platform sits at the centre, surrounded by walls and ceilings draped in raffia and fabric, making the entire room feel like part of the production rather than simply somewhere to watch it. With an audience of just 50, it creates an intimate atmosphere where you feel completely drawn into the performance.
Directed by Mojisola Kareem, this is the first UK production of the play in over 50 years. It’s hard to believe the play was written by Wole Soyinka in 1958 because the issues it explores still feel so familiar today. Inequality, greed, power and ego all sit at the heart of the story, reminding us that some of society’s biggest challenges haven’t changed as much as we’d like to think.
This one-act play runs for just over an hour and follows an impoverished family trying to survive in the swamps. Nature has not been kind. Floods have devastated their land and crops, turning everyday life into a constant struggle.
Parents Alu (Urielle Klein-Mekongo) and Makuri (Jude Akuwudike) have accepted this as simply the way life is, but their twin sons have left the village determined to build a different future for themselves in the city. One son has been gone for ten years but Igwezu (Joshua Roberts-Mensah) has returned as life in the city has not turned out as planned. Returning home offers little comfort, with the flooded swamps only adding to his despair.
The arrival of a blind beggar, played by Obi Maduegbuna, brings a quiet wisdom to the story. Although unable to see, he understands far more than those around him about the lives they lead and the inequality they simply accept.
Despite having so little themselves, Alu and Makuri offer him food and shelter without hesitation. It creates a striking contrast when Kadiye (Theo Ogundipe) arrives. Dominating the space through both his physical presence and commanding performance, Kadiye is a powerful figure. Worshipped by the villagers, it soon becomes clear that while they struggle to survive, he does not share in their hardship.
The intimacy of the space means every performance has to feel truthful, and the cast rise to that challenge brilliantly, sharing every emotion with honesty and conviction.
Overall, an incredibly powerful performance. It is productions like this that remind you why it’s worth stepping outside your comfort zone every now and then. If you’re in Sheffield, I’d highly recommend taking the opportunity to see it. You may discover a story, a culture or a perspective you wouldn’t otherwise have experienced.
MANCHESTER ARTS CHARITY 53TWO LAUNCHES £10K BIRTHDAY FUNDRAISER TO PROTECT ITS FUTURE, WITH CORONATION STREET CAMEO AMONG TOP AUCTION PRIZES
Manchester theatre charity, known for supporting disabled, disadvantaged and emerging artists, and popular with top UK comedians including James Acaster, Joe Lycett – as well as Andy Burnham, launches £10,000 birthday fundraiser to secure its future under the arches
The high-profile birthday auction features blockbuster prizes, including an extra role on ITV’s Coronation Street and exclusive artwork by internationally renowned Mancunian artist Stanley Chow
Events include Night at the Musicals on the 18th July headlined by West End actress Shona Lindsay and star-studded birthday dinner dance on August 1st featuring BAFTA nominated star Ruth Madeley
Manchester based award-winning theatre and arts charity 53two is celebrating its 10th birthday in July with a number of exciting events at the popular venue with the aim of raising £10,000 to help secure the future of one of the city’s most accessible and inclusive independent creative spaces.
Based beneath the Grade II listed arches under the Manchester Central Convention Centre, 53two has become a home for artists, audiences and community groups who might otherwise struggle to access theatre – surviving floods, the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, while continuing to champion creativity across Greater Manchester.
Over the last decade, 53two has welcomed some of the biggest names in comedy and television, including Joe Lycett, Sarah Millican and James Acaster, as well as the Line of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar and former Corrie star Michelle Keegan. This is all while remaining rooted in its founding mission: to remove barriers and create opportunities for artists and audiences across the city.
The thriving cultural hub is asking supporters old and new across the city for vital donations to help 53two continue its mission of supporting artists, creating opportunities for emerging creatives, delivering community programmes and ensuring independent culture continues to thrive in Greater Manchester. Unlike many larger arts organisations, 53two receives no regular Arts Council England funding and no core funding from Manchester City Council, making community support vital for its future.
Headline prizes during the fundraising month include the opportunity to appear as an extra on ITV’s Coronation Street and an exclusive one-of-a-kind original artwork of the iconic 53two arches by acclaimed Manchester illustrator Stanley Chow who recently designed the ubiquitous pop-art image of Andy Burnham used during his successful Makerfield by-election campaign. Indeed, Burnham has frequented the arches and has encouraged the 24 hour run to use 53two as their home for fundraising events for the un-housed community.
Additional exclusive experiences and prizes will also be announced in the coming weeks, with remote bidding available for those unable to attend in person.
The fundraising efforts will culminate on 1st August with a star-studded Birthday Dinner Dance. The gala will feature:
A headline performance by legendary Manchester poet Tony Walsh, debuting a specially commissioned poem, These Bricks They Speak.
Keynote reflections from BAFTA-nominated actor Ruth Madeley on the vital importance of accessible, independent spaces in the North such as 53two.
Hosting duties by renowned comedian and Manchester favourite Toby Hadoke.
A poignant performance by Sing Their Name, a community choir for those bereaved by suicide, which is funded directly by 53two’s PMA grant programme, which helps fund community-led, creative projects focussing on wellbeing, across the region.
Ahead of the gala, 53two will host a diverse mix of exciting events throughout July to bring people together and help raise at least £10,000.
Highlights include a Night at the Musicals on the 18th July headlined by West End star Shona Lindsay; a Silent Disco beneath the arches on the 24th July; and a special community birthday quiz on the 25th July. Other events include a ‘Clubbercise’ session on the 18th July, as well as ‘Pianoke’ on the 30th July.
As part of the celebrations, 53two will also launch a new lottery scheme, creating a sustainable way for supporters to contribute to the organisation’s future work and help keep the venue open, accessible and affordable.
Simon Naylor, Creative Director at 53two commented, “Ten years ago, we set out to create a home for creativity, community and possibility – a place where artists and audiences could come together without barriers. Along the way we’ve faced challenges we could never have imagined, from the pandemic and rising costs to the wider pressures facing independent arts venues across the country. But, thanks to the artists, audiences, volunteers, partners and supporters who believe in what we do, we’ve not only survived — we’ve grown into a vital creative home for so many people across Greater Manchester.
“As we celebrate this milestone, we’re not just looking back at everything we’ve achieved together, we’re asking people to help protect what comes next. Every ticket bought, donation made and auction bid placed will help us keep supporting artists, welcoming communities and making sure theatre remains accessible to everyone. The next ten years hold even greater possibilities, and we invite everyone who has been part of our story – or wants to be a part of it – to help shape the next chapter.”
To get your ticket to one of the events taking place in July during 53two’s fundraising month, or to make a donation and bid in the auction visit: 53two.com/ten
The New Adventures team has once again delivered a magnificent production: sexy, sultry, and beautifully danced throughout.
The story is set in 1960s Harmony, a small Italian American town where Dino Alfano (Alan Vincent) owns Dino’s Diner and Garage. Dino treats his wife, Lana (Ashley Shaw), poorly, and when handsome drifter Luca (Harrison Dowzell) arrives in town looking for work, she is quickly drawn to him.
Lana’s sister, Rita (Kurumi Kamayachi), tries and fails to intervene, while Luca is also attracted to Angelo (Harry Ondrak-Wright). These tangled relationships lead to passion, intrigue, and murder.
The entire cast is magnificent, with compelling detail unfolding across every part of the stage. As an audience member, you are drawn completely into the world of the production, from the heat and tension of a sultry day to the atmosphere created through lighting, movement, and performance.
Lez Brotherston’s set is brilliantly atmospheric, shifting seamlessly from the diner and garage to the jailhouse and a city nightclub. Chris Davey’s lighting and Paul Groothuis’s sound design enhance each location beautifully, creating a vivid setting that supports the dancers and heightens the drama.
The cast moved with precision and energy, responding to every beat of Terry Davies’ music and Rodion Shchedrin’s Carmen Suite, inspired by Bizet’s Carmen.
Sir Matthew Bourne has a remarkable gift for creating bold, groundbreaking productions, and The Car Man is no exception. I first saw The Car Man at the Royal Albert Hall nearly four years ago, and its impact and message feel just as powerful today.
The Car Man is dance at its very best: bold, expressive, and utterly compelling. The standing ovation it received last night was richly deserved.
JANE ASHER AND SAMANTHA WOMACK TO LEAD NEW UK TOUR OF DAISY GOODWIN’S BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT
Daniel Schumann, Lee Dean, and The Arts Theatre Cambridge today announce the full cast for the new UK tour of By Royal Appointment– the debut play of Daisy Goodwin, creator of hit ITV historical drama Victoria – directed by Anthony Banks.
Jane Asher and Samantha Womack will star as The Queen (Asher) and her Dresser (Womack). The play explores their relationship and how the pair created the public image of the world’s longest reigning monarch. They will be joined by David Robb as The Designer and Matthew Cottle as The Milliner.
By Royal Appointment is a co-production with Cambridge Arts Theatre and will open there on 21 September running until 3 October before touring to Nottingham Theatre Royal, Chelmsford Theatre, York Theatre Royal, Chichester Festival Theatre, Edinburgh Kings Theatre and Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury.
Further venues to be announced shortly.
Daniel Schumann and Lee Dean present
BY ROYAL APPOINTMENT
By Daisy Goodwin
Directed by: Anthony Banks;Designer: Jonathan Fensom
The late Queen Elizabeth II was famous for her discretion. She never said anything in public that could ruffle the lightest of feathers. But she had one way of expressing what she really thought – through her wardrobe.
By Royal Appointment is a funny, poignant and celebratory new play about the kind of power that only a Queen can wield – she charms the world through coats and admonishes her family through a carefully chosen hat. But the Queen herself is uninterested in fashion, her look is managed by her Designer, her Milliner and most powerful of all, her Dresser who was a working-class girl who goes from advising the Queen on the colour of her lipsticks to the real power behind the throne. But the Dresser, like all royal favourites is living on borrowed time.
By Royal Appointment is a behind the scenes peek into the world of our most popular monarch and the image she presented to the world.
By Royal Appointment was Daisy Goodwin’s debut play. Her most recent production of Victoria: A Queen Unbound was produced at Watermill Theatre in April 2026. For television, her writing credits include ITV historical drama series Victoria. Her novels include The Last Duchess, The Fortune Hunter, The American Heiress, Victoria and Diva, and she has curated eight poetry anthologies. Also, as a producer, her many credits include Grand Designs and Escape to the Country.
Jane Asher plays The Queen.Her stage credits include, Twelfth Night, The Circle (Orange Tree Theatre), A Song At Twilight, Moon Tiger (Theatre Royal Bath), An American in Paris (Dominion Theatre), Great Expectations (West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Gathered Leaves (Park Theatre), Pride and Prejudice (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Charley’s Aunt (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Importance of Being Earnest, Farewell to the Theatre, Bedroom Farce (Rose Theatre Kingston), The Reluctant Debutant (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), Before the Party (Queen’s Theatre), Blythe Spirit, Henceforward, House/Garden (Vaudeville Theatre), Festen (Almeida Theatre), Look Back In Anger (Royal Court Theatre, Criterion Theatre), Making It Better (Hampstead Theatre, Criterion Theatre), Measure for Measure, Romeo and Juliet, The Happiest Days of Your Life … (Bristol Old Vic, US tour), Old Flames (Bristol Old Vic), Peter Pan (Shaftesbury Theatre), Strawberry Fields, The School for Scandal, To Those Born Later (National Theatre), The Philanthropist (Royal Court Theatre, Mayfair Theatre, Broadway), The Shallow End, The Worlds Biggest Diamond, Treats (Royal Court Theatre), and Things We Do For Love (Gielgud Theatre). Her film credits include A Family Affair, Splinter, Burn Burn Burn, I Give It A Year, Alfie, Closing Numbers, Death at a Funeral, Deep End, Dream Child, Henry VIII and His Six Wives, Paris by Night, Runners, and for television, Crossing Lines, Pompidou, Eve, Stella, The Old Guys, Poirot: 3 Act Tragedy, The Palace, A for Andromeda, Crossroads, Miss Marple, The Mistress, Brideshead Revisited and The Mill on the Floss.
Samantha Womack plays The Dresser. Her theatre credits include Grease (Dominion Theatre), Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre), South Pacific (Barbican), Hope (Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool), The Addams Family, 42nd Street, Dear England (UK tours), and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (Gillian Lynne Theatre, UK tour). Her film credits include Mama’s Back, Breeders, Up ‘n’ Under, The Baby Juice Express, Dead Man’s Cards, Forgiven, One Night in Istanbul, Kingsman: The Secret Service, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, and for television, Demob as series regular, Hedda, Health and Efficiency, Minder, Pie in the Sky as series regular, Nicola Dooley, Game On as lead role, Mandy Wilkins, Sharman, The Grimleys, Babes in the Wood, Imogen’s Face as lead role, Imogen, Liverpool 1 as lead role, DC Isobel de Pauli, Strange as lead role Jude Atkins, Home Again, Mount Pleasant, Silent Witness, Buffering, The Marlow Murder Club, and EastEnders as series regular Ronnie Mitchell.
David Robb plays The Designer. His theatre credits include Private Lives, Armstrong’s Last Goodnight (Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh), The Taming of The Shrew, The Beggar’s Opera, The Promise (Chichester Festival Theatre), She Stoops to Conquer, An Audience Called Edouard (Greenwich Theatre), Cowardy Custard (Mermaid Theatre), Betsi (Haymarket Theatre), King Lear (Almeida Theatre), Half the Picture (Tricycle Theatre), An Ideal Husband (The Old Vic), The Haunting, Single Spies (UK Tour), The Audience (Apollo Theatre), and Grenfell: Value Engineering (Tabernacle Theatre, Birmingham Rep). His television credits include, I Claudius, The Winslow Boy, Wuthering Heights, Le Morte D’Arthur, Fanny by Gaslight, First Among Equals, Half The Picture, Wings, up The Garden Path, Strathblair, Highlander, Taggart, Monarch of the Glen, Ivanhoe, The Flame Trees of Thika, Princess Stallion, The Crow Road, Wolf Hall as series regular Thomas Boleyn, and Downton Abbey as series regular Dr Clarkson. His film credits include The Four Feathers, Regeneration, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Young Victoria, Sacrifice, From Time to Time, All Those Small Things, and Downton Abbey: A New Era.
Matthew Cottle plays The Milliner. His theatre credits include Hamlet,Our Country’s Good, A Small Family Business, The Habit of Art (National Theatre), A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story (Alexandra Palace, Birmingham Rep), Party Games! (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), Mrs Warren’s Profession (Theatre Royal Bath), Woman in Mind, The Deep Blue Sea, The Chalk Garden (Chichester Festival Theatre), HabeasCorpus, Communicating Doors (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Windsors: Endgame (Prince of Wales Theatre), Rough Crossing (UK tour), Wonderland (Nottingham Playhouse), How the Other Half Loves (Theatre Royal Haymarket), and Neighbourhood Watch (New York). His television credits include Down Cemetery Road, The Responder, Alice & Jack, Life After Life, Bridgerton, Outlander, Defending the Guilty, Endeavour, Traitors, The Windsors, The Dresser, Man Down, and Game On as series regular Martin Henson and for film, By the Throat, The Critic, Seize Them! The Personal History of David Copperfield, Bright Young Things, and Chaplin.
Anthony Banks directs. His theatre credits include Blithe Spirit (Salisbury Playhouse), Inspector Morse, Dial M for Murder, Steel Magnolias, Raz (UK tours), Blackmail (Mercury Theatre Colchester), Herding Cats (Soho Theatre), The Girl on the Train (Duke of York’s Theatre/UK tour), Footballers’ Wives (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), The Gap (Hope Mill Theatre), Mrs Warren’s Profession (Theatre Royal Bath), My Cousin Rachel (Theatre Royal Bath), Games for Lovers (The Vaults), Hogarth’s Progress (Rose Theatre Kingston), Strangers on a Train, Gaslight, DNA (UK tours), Twilight Song (Park Theatre), After Miss Julie (Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour), Cesario, More Light, The Eternal Not, Prince Of Denmark (National Theatre), Pignight (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Experiment (Soho Theatre), Herding Cats (Theatre Royal Bath, Hampstead Theatre, Digital transatlantic production, and Soho Theatre), Bassett (Bristol Old Vic), ReWrite (Westminster Hall/National Theatre) and The Hotel Plays (Grange and Langham Hotels, London). He was also Associate Director at the National Theatre 2004 – 2014 where he commissioned and developed a hundred new plays for NT Connections.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical is based on the 1994 film ‘The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. ‘Priscilla’ is about drag queens Tick/‘Mitzi’ (Kevin Clifton) and Adam/‘Felicia, (Nick Hayes) and trans woman Bernadette (Adele Anderson) who join together to road trip across Australia to perform and also for Tick to meet his nine-year-old son, Benji, for the first time.
It is a raucous riot of colour, light and sound thanks to Andrew Exeter’s set design. Highlights include a spinning disco ball as the curtain rises on each act, the ‘pun-derfully’ pointed Cock (atoo) sign delineating the Sydney club at which the show opens, and of course the gorgeously garish ‘Priscilla’ tour bus. Exeter’s lighting spans rainbows and trans flag colours but also a naturalistic sunrise at Ayers’ Rock, the group’s final destination. Contrasting as that does with the aggressive, urgent flashing lights illuminating the transphobic attack on Bernadette in the bar, it adds an extra layer of symbolism that queer people can rise out of the darkness, into the (spot)light and that even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. (Forgive the mixing of musicals and metaphors.)
Vicky Gill’s costume design is equally as flashy and flamboyant as Exeter’s lighting and just as effective, dressing Felicia and fellow drag queens full of feathers and flounce. Her simpler choices also signify the blurring of the gender identity lines within the characters and in much of the queer community as a whole. Tick, who is married to a woman, but attracted to men, wears a pink crop top and blue shorts – the colours of the trans flag.
Although Kevin Clifton, who plays Tick, is more than at ease with demanding, complex movement given his Strictly Come Dancing background, I actually found his slower scenes, when he dances with son Benji, impersonating Elvis and singing ‘Always on my Mind’ more impactful and sincere than the faster numbers like Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. At this performance Benji was played fantastically by Forrest Mahjouri, who definitely brought a lump to this reviewer’s throat with his unfailingly endearing, earnest acceptance of his nervous dad’s identity and job in what Tick euphemistically describes as ‘show biz.’
Billie Hardy also deserves praise as Tick’s estranged wife Marion, who still manages to put their son’s need for his father above her own frustrations of his nine-year exodus from his so-called family.
In the disco anthem Sisters Are Doing It For themselves, played in the interval, Annie Lennox and Aretha Franklin sang that ‘behind every man there had to be a great woman’ and nowhere is this demonstrated more clearly in ‘Priscilla’ than through the three Divas. Played by, Leah Vassell (Diva 1) Bernadette Bangura (Diva 2) and Jessie May (Diva 3) their passionate, powerful pipes would be equally at home in the heavens as Muses in Disney’s Hercules: The Musical or for Bangura and Vassell, perhaps one of the Dreamgirls.
On the one hand, I loved the maternal relationship between Bernadette (Adèle Anderson) and Adam/Felicia (Nick Hayes) when she comforts him after he is attacked going out in full drag in Coober Pedy. But I also felt uncomfortable when he was deadnaming her because that is highly taboo for cis people to do, so it felt like a double standard that was awkward to witness and understand. This discomfort was quickly overridden however, by the refreshing joyousness of her natural budding relationship with Bob (Peter Duncan) who is likeable and endears himself to the audience as like Benji, he defies the audience’s expectations and accepts her for exactly who she is. After all, the greatest thing is to love and be loved in return.
I hope I have been sufficiently convincing that you belong in a seat on this tour bus by July 4th before it rumbles off to its next venue, and I guarantee that, cis or trans, boy/man, non-binary person, woman or girl, you will definitely have a lot of fun!
CAST AND DATES ANNOUNCED — FIRST LOOK UNVEILED AS TICKETS GO ON SALE THIS WEEK
MOLIÈRE’S COMEDY MASTERPIECE
ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY DARREN RAYMOND
● Strictly Limited 7-week Season: Running from 4 September – 24 October 2026 at the Marylebone Theatre.
● Mark Rylance, the Oscar and Olivier Award-winner, stars in the titular role alongside the newly announced cast and creative team.
● Written and directed by Darren Raymond (Shakespeare’s Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Award 2025 recipient), Artistic Director of the award-winning Intermission Youth and Intermission Ensemble, the charity’s professional performance company.
● Bold, hilarious and heartfelt, Tartuffe (Remixed) reimagines Molière’s timeless comedy through the lens of a contemporary Nigerian–Jamaican family.
● Tickets from £20 featuring a dedicated commitment of 2,250 tickets priced under £30 across the run and a £20 lottery for every performance. Priority Bookingopens today at 12 noon, 30 June.General On-Salefrom12 noon, 1 July.
Tickets for the World Premiere of Tartuffe (Remixed) starring Oscar and Olivier-Award winner Mark Rylance will go on general sale this week for a strictly limited 7-week season from 4 September to 24 October 2026. Written and directed by Darren Raymond, this vibrant new adaptation of Molière’s masterpiece blends razor-sharp comedy, spoken word, music, and beautifully crafted rhyming verse. The production is a joyful celebration of faith, family, forgiveness, and the courage to speak truth to power.
Priority booking opens today, 12 noon, Tuesday 30 June and tickets from £20 will go on general sale at 12 noon,Wednesday 1 July. The production also unveils its cast and a first look at the striking production artwork.
Bringing the Afolabi-Williams family to life with Mark Rylance are Intermission Youth graduates Sara Mokonen (The Jungle, Playground Theatre and West End), Black British Theatre Award nominee Christopher Mbaki (Before I Go, Brixton House) and Morenike Onajobi (Taming Who?Arcola Theatre). The cast also features actors with long-standing ties to Intermission, Nakeba Buchanan, Craig Blake (The Harder They Come, Theatre Royal Stratford East), and Blanche Williams, while award-winning Sierra Leonean storyteller and actor Usifu Jalloh (The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives, Arcola Theatre) joins the lineup. This unique creative union offers a rare opportunity to witness an incredible collaboration on stage, bringing Mark Rylance, a long-serving trustee of Intermission Youth, together with some of the talent his advocacy has helped champion.
The outspoken Afolabi–Williams family gathers at Oga Afolabi’s mansion as preparations begin for the wedding of his daughter. With relatives arriving from far and wide, family traditions are in full swing, emotions are running high, and opinions are never in short supply. But when Tartuffe, a charismatic man of God who has won Oga’s unwavering trust, takes up residence in the family home, old wounds reopen, loyalties are tested, and faith itself becomes a battleground. As the wedding day draws ever closer, the family must expose the truth before everything they hold dear is torn apart.
The production also reunites Mark Rylance and ULTZ, the Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated set and costume designer, who have worked on multiple productions together including Jerusalem and Much Ado About Nothing. Simisola Majekodunmi joins as lighting designer (Relics, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding and Ghosts, Lyric Hammersmith); Once On This Island Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).
Tartuffe (Remixed) is presented by Marylebone Theatre, Patrick Myles & David Luff, Shakespeare Road in partnership with Intermission, co-produced with Alexander “Sandy” Marshall, Anthology Theatre, Glass Half Full, Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor, Tulchin Bartner Productions and Wild Yak.
Producers Patrick Myles and David Luff (Dr Strangelove, West End and Network, National Theatre and Broadway) are the stellar producing team who co-produced with the Marylebone Theatre on the recent hit The Price, starring Henry Goodman, which received rave reviews and played to sold out houses earlier this year.
Marylebone Theatre’s Artistic Director Alexander J Gifford says: “For many years, Darren has been creating amazing, “remixed” versions of Shakespeare’s plays for Intermission Youth. With Mark he has turned his hand to Molière and the result is a brilliantly funny, surprisingly poignant new play. Mark was born to play Tartuffe and I have no doubt that he will deliver another iconic stage-performance. I am tremendously excited to be partnering with Intermission Ensemble, some of whose professional actors have come up through the theatre company’s youth programme. The alumni are not just fantastically talented, but highly-trained and united by a spirit of family. I expect audiences to fall in love with Tartuffe (Remixed) and for it to be hailed as an outstandingly original, deeply moving version of the classic French comedy.”
Darren Raymondsays: ”The production is a massive nod to the next generation. Mark will be starring alongside some of Intermission Youth’s alumni. This isn’t just a performance; it’s a tangible bridge between a stalwart of the stage and the young talent he has spent years mentoring. I am thrilled to see our company’s signature style come to life, where original verse meets the raw, rhythmic tapestry of cultural sounds that define our modern society.”
Mark Rylance says: “Since 2009 I’ve adored Darren Raymond’s productions of Shakespeare, created for his Intermission Youth theatre company. So, I’m very excited to work with him directing Intermission Ensemble, a professional company, remixing Moliere’s satirical masterpiece.
“Darren’s genius for language and humour guarantees this will be a Tartuffe like no other. Our early rehearsals have been hilarious. The mix of a corrupt English missionary in a contemporary Nigerian–Jamaican family culture is bringing out the authentic cadence and revolutionary meaning of this classic play.”
In a major commitment to affordability to ensure access for lower-income families and new theatre audiences over 2,250 tickets across the run are priced at £30 and below, filling the equivalent of eight full houses. A lottery will also release a limited number of specially priced £20 seats for every single performance. Additionally, the production has partnered with dedicated schools, youth groups, and diverse community organisations to allocate heavily subsidised £15 tickets across 10 select performances.
CAST
Mark Rylance
Sara Mokonen
Morenike Onajobi
Christopher Mbaki
Usifu Jalloh
Craig Blake
Nakeba Buchanan
Blanche Williams
CREATIVES
Adapted and directed by Darren Raymond
Set design by ULTZ
Lighting designer Simisola Majekodunmi
LISTINGS
Dates: 4 September – 24 October 2026
Where: Marylebone Theatre
Address: Rudolf Steiner House, 35 Park Rd, London, NW1 6XT.
Times: Monday – Saturday 7.30pm, Wed & Sat 2.30pm
Captioned: Tuesday 7th October at 7.30pm
Audio Described (and Touch Tour): Saturday 17th October – matinee
