It isn’t all about the big West End productions, there are some great off-West End productions to keep an eye out for. Here is a few of Love London Love Culture’s tips:
Richard III, New Diorama Theatre: Shakespeare’s epic and bloody play is presented in The Faction‘s usual physical style. As a deformed soldier arrives back from the war, he sets his eye on a new target: killing his way to the throne. Featuring an ensemble cast of 21 performers, the production is directed by Mark Leipacher. Opens on the 5th January.
Nine Lives, Arcola Theatre: this is the new play from Zodwa Nyoni and it is the London premiere for the production that is directed by Alex Chisholm, which stars Lladel Bryant as Ishmael who has fled his home in Zimbabwe, where a fresh wave of homophobia threatens his life. He moves to Leeds – but will the strangers there accept him? Opens 6th January.
Jane Wenham: The Witch of Walkern, Arcola Theatre: set in 1712, decades after the witch hunts stopped, Walkern’s woman Jane Wenham is blamed for a tragic death and charged with witchcraft. The village is split between those who want to save her life and those who want to save her soul. Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s new play is directed by Ria Parry. Opens 7th January.
Grey Gardens, Southwark Playhouse: the European premiere of this musical based on a 1975 documentary, looks at the rise and fall of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s aunt and cousin, Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale. It stars Olivier Award winners Sheila Hancock and Jenna Russell and has won three Tony Awards. Opens 7th January.