Only two months left of 2022, and there are some big shows opening!
This month sees the opening of a new production of Othello directed by Clint Dyer and starring Giles Terera at the National Theatre, as well as a new Mandela musical over at the Young Vic. Other shows to look out for include 2022’s Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award HighRise Entertainment’s The UK Drill Project at the Barbican Centre.
Make sure you book your tickets before they sell out!
Othello by William Shakespeare
A bright, headstrong daughter of a senator; elevated by her status but stifled by its expectations. A refugee of slavery; having risen to the top of a white world, he finds that love across racial lines has a cost. Wed in secret, Desdemona and Othello crave a new life together. But as unseen forces conspire against them, they find their future is not theirs to decide. Clint Dyer directs an extraordinary new vision for one of Shakespeare’s most enduring tragedies, with Giles Terera playing Othello.
Othello plays at the National Theatre from Wednesday 23rd November-Saturday 21st January.
Book tickets and find out more here.
Best of Enemies by James Graham
1968 – a year of protest that divided America. As two men fight to become the next President, all eyes are on the battle between two others: the cunningly conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and the iconoclastic liberal Gore Vidal. Beliefs are challenged and slurs slung as these political idols feud nightly in a new television format, debating the moral landscape of a shattered nation. Little do they know they’re about to open up a new frontier in American politics and transform television news forever… The sold-out, critically acclaimed and multiple award-winning hit, Best of Enemies transfers to the West End this November. Zachary Quinto makes his London stage debut playing left-wing icon Gore Vidal, with David Harewood reprising his role as the right-wing figurehead William F. Buckley Jr.
Best of Enemies plays at the Noël Coward Theatre from Monday 14th November-Saturday 18th February.
Book tickets and find out more here.
Mandela by Laiona Michelle, Greg Dean Borowsky and Shaun Borowsky
It’s 1960. Young activist, Nelson Mandela, rallies the people of South Africa to protest against the racial segregation of apartheid. In 1962 he is arrested and sentenced to life in prison, where he will spend the next 27 years, taken from his wife and children, as the fight for freedom sweeps his country. Infused with the rhythms of South Africa, this soaring new musical tells the extraordinary story of a man who changed the course of modern history – the sacrifices he made as a husband and father, and the global movement that inspired him and his comrades to keep fighting. The production is presented in proud partnership with Nandi Mandela, Luvuyo Madasa and the Mandela family.
Mandela plays at the Young Vic from Tuesday 29th November-Saturday 4th February.
Book tickets and find out more here.
The Wedding Speech by Purple Moon Drama
Rosemary is about to do a speech at her mother’s wedding. She’s not quite sure how to hit the right note as the relationship between Rosemary and her mother has been… less than rosy. The Wedding Speech is a piece that speaks to the impact of the primary relationship on an individual, and the blind spots it can create in a seemingly self-aware person. A co-dependent parental bond can become normalised and it can take years to unpick and heal from.
The Wedding Speech plays at Camden People’s Theatre from Tuesday 15th-Saturday 19th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.
Zombiegate by Matthew Gabrielli
Sophie and Jamie have just been cancelled, a misplaced selfie has gone viral, and the pair have been accused of mocking a dead child. But their troubles are only just beginning. As the real and digital worlds collide, their lives and friendship are ripped apart by algorithms, online mobs and an obsessive troll called Mr Punch. Zombiegate is a witty and empathetic debut play that gets behind the headlines and hashtags of internet trolls, scrutinising mob mentality and myths around cancel culture, and asks us to empathise with the people we find it hard to agree with.
Zombiegate plays at Theatre503 from Monday 7th-Saturday 19th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.
Flat Shoes in the Club? by Eme Essien
It’s Saturday night, the BIG girl’s night out and THIS girl is just trying to get ready on time. Enter her bedroom and delve into her world as she figures out what to wear, how to do her hair and exactly what to do when she gets there. Uncensored, dishevelled and sincere, Flat Shoes in the Club? is an honest look at the ever-changing expectations of societal standards, told through the voice of a young Black woman trying to navigate her world and stand out in many different spaces. With playfulness and humour, the show explores her world of image, relationships, and career aspirations as she constantly strives to reinvent herself and perform the best version of herself.
Flat Shoes in the Club? plays at Theatre503 on Friday 25th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.
Things I can Laugh About Now by Shakira Newton
In this coming-of-age, uplifting story of self-discovery and hope, we get an insight into what it means to grow up differently to the world immediately around you, and how that can skew your idea of home, friendship and most importantly, love. Is humour a good healthy coping mechanism for deteriorating mental health? Maybe not. But hey, at least she’s finally talking about it with someone! Things I Can Laugh About Now is a tragicomedy that contains themes of domestic abuse, suicide, and mental illness, and has strong language from the offset… but like most things in life, we’ll learn to laugh that all off.
Things I can Laugh About Now plays at Brixton House from Tuesday 1st-Friday 11th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.
Without Planning Permission! by The Black Men’s Consortium
The Black Men’s Consortium is a community-led exploration arts project in which Black men of African Descent meet to experience positive and meaningful interactions and discuss issues that matter to them. Without Planning Permission!, the group’s first staged production, explores themes that Black Men feel they have to deal with and be accountable for when it comes to protecting their communities. Set on the Mary Warner Estate during an emergency community meeting to discuss the changes that have affected the residents that live on the estate, Without Planning Permission! uses film, debates, and improvisation to understand how Black Men feel and the pressures that Black Men are under in this society.
Without Planning Permission! plays at Brixton House from Friday 11th-Saturday 12th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.
HighRise Entertainment: The UK Drill Project
Challenging myths about UK Drill music and its links to youth violence, this radically honest and direct show takes real-life experiences to explore the truths behind the headlines Developed through conversation with artists on the scene, the show explores the perceived relationship between musicality and criminality. With the criminal justice system putting this music on trial and the ensuing moral panic in the media, can we as a society really blame an art form for a spike in violence?
The UK Drill Project plays at the Barbican Centre from Thursday 3rd-Saturday 12th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.
The Frontline by Ché Walker
Another Saturday night on the streets of Peckham. How do you get ahead when you’re held back by historic bias, prejudice, and human weakness? It’s time to consider the lives of the people we choose to ignore. This urgent, state-of-the-nation, production will be performed by Theatre Peckham’s REP Company with direction from Suzann McLean.
The Frontline plays at Theatre Peckham from Thursday 10th-Saturday 12th November.
Book tickets and find out more here.