Tim Sheader has been the Artistic Director of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for quite some time now and what a brilliant job he makes of keeping the place both popular with audiences and in the news.
Musicals have been crucial to his vision. His past, highly acclaimed, staging of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will be revived indoors at the Barbican from 4 July to 24 August 2019 whilst outdoors at their Regent’s Park base the company look set to enjoy another Andrew Lloyd Webber hilt when they present a brand new staging of EVITA from 2 August to 21 September. The rise and fall of an Argentinian dictator’s wife be directed by Jamie Lloyd, who is currently overseeing the PINTER AT THE PINTER season in the West End. The press release reminds us that Lloyd was previously assistant director on Michael Grandage's production of Evita in the West End in 2006.
But the 2019 season will begin with a production of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning drama OUR TOWN, directed by Ellen McDougall (artistic director of the Gate Theatre) running from 16 May to 8 June. This is a fairly gentle piece about a small American Town that’s been a popular choice for community and school productions since it was written in 1938. The company has a good track record of successfully staging vintage Americana. A UK tour of their previous production of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD has been announced.
Kids seem to especially love Shakespeare in the open air and the Citizens Theatre Glasgow artistic director Dominic Hill will direct a new production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream from 28 June to 27 July. The company promise a version that will be suitable for those aged 12 and over.
Last year the theatre successfully branched out into producing opera with a critically acclaimed production of THE TURN OF THE SCREW. In 2019 they’re following this up with a new production of Engelbert Humperdinck's HANSEL & GRETEL, directed by Sheader in association with the English National Opera, that will run from 14 to 22 June.
Casting for all productions has yet to be announced.
There's so much talent in London theatre that those breaking through via smaller theatres don't always get the recognition they deserve. Here's my hot tips for who to watch out for.