In this week’s issue of The Stage, actress Dervla Kirwan tells Matthew Hemley about her role in a new legal drama on ITV, and why she would be happy for her children to become actors, despite the modest wage and tough competition.
Since taking a big gamble in 2008 and introducing a broader programmed than just Shakespeare, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has continued to flourish. Alistair Smith asks executive director William Village what’s next for the outdoor venue.
This year’s Theatres Trust conference will explore how buildings can be converted into new theatres. With venues increasingly challenged by the demands of modern productions, it’s a timely debate, says AK Bennett-Hunter.
Also this week:
In the latest of a series of features looking at the power of social media to promote theatre, producer Neil Eckersley explores how he used YouTube to market the debut album by young composer Michael Bruce
Richard Jordan on the difficulties facing Dress Circle
Training: Big Dance will go national next year as part of the Cultural Olympiad London 2012 Festival. Susan Elkin turns the spotlight on the nine-day extravangza that encourages everyone to embrace dance as a part of their lives
Dear John: How do I incorporate comedy into my variety act while still keeping it polished and professional?
Backstage Focus: As designer Pamela Howard prepares to show her work at the 2011 Prague Quadrennial, she explains why an 18th-century recital hall and an abandoned factory are both perfect venues for her productions of Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu
Terence Rattigan, author of sell-outs such as The Winslow Boy and The Browning Version, fell spectacularly from grace and out of fashion in the wake of the Angry Young Men. As many of his plays are resurrected for his centenary, his biographer Geoffrey Wansell tells Nicholas Hamilton why he is elated by the renewed interest in the playwright and why Rattigan deserves greater recognition for his contirbution to British theatre
Insight: For some, that elusive place at drama school can be seemingly impossible to obtain. Susan Elkin looks at the one-year foundation courses available and how effective they can be at bridging the gap between ambition and achieving your goals
The Greatest Stage Actors: Daunting and thrilling, yet hidden from the limelight, John Wood is “sulphurous”, a “craftsman of the mind” — his Prospero for the RSC outshone even the great Gielgud, writes Michael Coveney
Artistic director of Berwick’s Maltings, Miles Gregory, has helped transform the outpost of English theatre into a thriving venue. He talks to Nick Awde about succeeding with ACE, refurbishments and gaining the audience’s trust
The Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme has given a leg-up to some of the leading lights of the performing arts in Britain. As his time on the 2010 programme comes to an end, one participant tells Jonathan Watson how he has benefited from his year-long placement at Sheffield Theatres
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