An adaptation is always going to differ from its source material. Deal with it. A play can’t be the book, and neither can a movie; what’s necessary is to capture the mood and essence of the story and transplant it to a different medium.
You’ll have heard of Avenue Q before, of course, the delinquent boozy stepchild of Sesame Street. There’s a major touring production happening later in the year, but those who can’t wait and are down south would be well directed to this latest production from the Brighton Theatre Group.
Strangers on a Train is a welcome stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name, published in 1950 and turned into a film shortly thereafter by one Alfred Hitchcock.
Lord and West End legend Andrew Lloyd Webber is back with a brand new musical that revisits one of the biggest scandals of the Sixties.
Enlisting the help of Oscar-winning wordsmiths Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) and Don Black (Born Free), Stephen Ward tells the story of the Profumo Affair which rocked the Conservative government of the time.
One of the less popular of Shakespeare’s tragedies, it’s a rare treat to see a stage production of Coriolanus.
One of the main reasons it’s not in as popular as Macbeth, King Lear and Hamlet is audiences find Coriolanus impenetrable. Reflective moments are few and far between amidst scenes of blood and thunder and political intrigue. There is little in terms of soliloquies, which are hallmarks of his greatest plays.
The official trailer for Harry Hill’s new X-Factor spoof, I Can’t Sing! The Musical, has been unveiled.
Full of brash lights and gorgeous colours, Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert rolls into Brighton for the holiday season. What there is in plot, you could hide under two and a half sequins, but that hardly matters when the camp is pitched to the highest level and the audience are having a wonderful time.
A set of photos of Doctor Who star Matt Smith in the new musical adaptation of American Psycho have been released.
“I’m not sure about the songs but the special effects are supposed to be incredible,” was one friend’s response before heading off to see Ghosts at Brighton’s Theatre Royal. “Um, I think you might be thinking of a different show,” I replied. For, rest assured, there are no musical numbers or sexy encounters at a potter’s wheel in this, Stephen Unwin’s re-imagining of Henrik Ibsen’s 1881 play Ghosts, a miserable reflection on patriarchal society and family secrets.
Roald Dahl’s enduring tale of Charlie Bucket is nearly fifty years old. First published in 1964, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has captivated generations, with two screen versions cementing it in the public’s affections. Adapted by David Greig, with a fresh score from Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Smash) and direction from Skyfall director Sam Mendes, the story has now been re-imagined for the stage.