In this week’s issue of The Stage:
News Exclusive: Read how the Department of Media, Culture and Sport has been forced to admit to a series of embarrassing errors after an investigation by The Stage revealed it had been overstating the amount of money given to the arts by government by millions of pounds.
Broadway stagehands’ strike: Mark Shenton reports on the dispute closing New York’s theatres and assesses the impact it is having throughout the industry. Keep up to date with the latest on his blog, http://www.thestage.co.uk/shenton/
As it gets harder to translate new writing into plays on the stage, different methods are being used to develop it. Jo Caird considers whether traditional readings still have a role for authors trying to sharpen up their work
Maggie Brown on the current state of television drama
Arthur Smith on the blurring of distinction between stand-up and character comedy
Dear John: “How can I tailor my act for the corporate/party gigs market?”
Training: Since setting up a musical theatre school 20 years ago in a hall in Eltham, sisters Donna and Bonnie Sullivan’s business has flourished, enabling them to launch a successful agency and offer subsidised Further Education, writes Susan Elkin
Lookalikes special: The demand for celebrity and character lookalikes at parties, corporate events and premieres is rising, and it can be lucratve for those with a natural resemblance and a sense of cultural fashion, writes Mark Ritchie
Actor Andrew Garfield tells Phil Penfold about his role in Channel 4’s controversial new drama Boy A, which follows the story of two children who kill a girl of their own age. He also reveals what it was like working with Robert Redford on his recently released film, Lions for Lambs
Actor Tom Waite shares his experiences of working in Singapore for seven years with Nick Awde, while director Patrick Sandford tells Kevin Berry about the challenges of overcoming language and cultural barriers when working with foreign actors
As BBC3’s Tittybangbang enters its third series, the show’s stars Lucy Montgomery and Debbie Chazen tell Matthew Hemley they’ll be dropping the darker sketches — including the necrophiliacs and bare-bottomed Harrogate Ladies — in favour of less offensive material
Currently running at Hampstead Theatre, Anthony Sher’s new play The Giant eplores the conflict between two great artists competing to carve the statue of David — Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Roger Allam (Leonardo) tells Al Senter why he’s reluctant to return to the RSC and venture back into musicals
Proclaimed “the granddaddy of in-your-face theatre”, Anthony Neilson’s God in Runs comes to London’s Soho Theatre next week. The playwright talks to Aleks Sierz about his loose adaptation of A Christmas Carol and its all-male cast of 11 in need of merriment
Win the chance to learn a self-employed trade to give you peace of mind and boost earnings in between auditions and entertainment work, with £6,000 of training to be won
Notes for The Stage: In our final Notes for The Stage column, Paul Spicer, co-founder, assoicate director and star of the Notes from new York series, heralds the last stages of the cmpetition and looks ahead to a future full of compositional creativity
Backstage Focus: Sound designer Gregory Clarke has worked on successful shows such as Equus and The Emperor Jones, winning praise and an award along the way. He talks to Nick Smurthwaite about the delights of working on the more subtle aspects of a production
Makeup artist Ron Freeman worked with Luciano Pavarotti at the legendary tenor’s debut at Covent Garden and then throughout his career. He tells Brian O’Connell about getting to know the man behind the iconic stage persona
Showpeople: Interviews with technical theatre graduate Amber Tomlin, recipient of this year’s Diana Boddington Memorial Award; Ian Forrest, artistic director of Keswick’s Theatre by the Lake; Tarell Alvin McCraney, writer of The Brothers Size at the Young Vic
Plus all the usual news, reviews, national UK theatre listings and recruitment ads.
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