Category: theatre

“A survey by the industry group Stage Directors UK found the average salary for directors in subsidised theatres was £10,759, far below the average national wage of £26,500. Some were being paid the equivalent of less than £1 an hour.”

Lyn Gardner: “Because although this is about money, it’s not just about money, it’s about the relationships between artists and venues and producers, and a proper and equal relationship between them that is not just a transaction but something that benefits and enriches all.”

“Khan Bonfils, who played key villains in two recent James Bond films and Jedi master Saesee Tiin in Star Wars: Episode 1 The Phantom Menace as well as the King of Siam in the 2000 revival of The King and I at the London Palladium, collapsed during rehearsals for the Craft Theatre Company’s upcoming production at The Rag Factory.

“Instead of our crafting a list, which invariably will leave off names that others feel should be included, an Edit-a-Thon empowers anyone to jump in as an editor. It allows all of us to fulfill a New Year’s resolution to make greater strides towards diversity and parity in American Theatre in 2015.”

Matt Trueman: “Theatre – and I write this with admiration and awe – is full of freaks and weirdos. Brilliant freaks and weirdos, yes, but freaks and weirdos nonetheless. Birdman totally gets that. … It nails that slippage between on- and off-stage, between fiction and reality; the way a play can bleed into an actor’s life … and appreciates the catatonic terror of stepping out in front of an audience.”

The total take was a 14 percent uptick over last year boosted by premium pricing, making 2014 the highest grossing calendar year on Broadway. And there was a 13 percent increase in attendance over 2013.

“Like most plays by 1927, this production features just a few actors and live musicians. A multitude of other people, animals and eerie, stylized scenes are part of the show. But they are all animated, projected onto a blank white sheet behind the live performers.”

“The Broadway musical The Last Ship will close on Jan. 24 despite an unusual attempt by Sting, its composer, to try to increase ticket sales and spread word about the show by joining its cast last month.”

He had his first successes in made-for-TV plays, but once shows like Playhouse 90 ended, he was unable for decades to get theaters to consider his plays. Even his lauded screenplays for To Kill a Mockingbird and Tender Mercies didn’t help his theater career. How did he find the strength to keep at it?

“In 2013, more than a quarter of all theatre tickets sold in Northern Ireland (27%) were for pantomime shows, with the north-east close behind at 24%. Pantomime was proportionally least popular in London (2%) and the north-west (11%).”