Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr’s enterprise is certainly an historic one: The Bridge is London’s first new wholly commercial theatre in 80 years. If its opening play isn’t the same landmark work, it’s nevertheless an auspicious start to a promising … Continue reading
How quickly should art react? The National’s Great Britain opened right on the heels of the 2014 phone-hacking trial, and here again the theatre is speedy with this response to the EU referendum. But, as with Brexit itself, the piece … Continue reading
The playwright discusses the revival of his politically charged play Magnificence. Read my full BroadwayWorld interview here
How did he get away with it? That’s the question Jonathan Maitland’s controversial new play addresses, juxtaposing national treasure Sir Jimmy Savile, feted by monarchs, prime ministers and cardinals, with the thuggish serial abuser. Savile’s cheeky asides – the knighthood … Continue reading
Seldom has there been such impassioned debate about whether a play has a right to exist. Writer Jonathan Maitland faced a barrage of criticism, with many accusing him of exploitation; others felt it was too soon for freshly unveiled horror … Continue reading
As The Queen gains an audience with the latest royal addition, her theatrical alter ego returns to the West End, with Kristin Scott Thomas inheriting Tony-nominated Helen Mirren’s role in Peter Morgan’s updated revival. Callaghan is out; au courant gags … Continue reading
While seven-way debate rages, broadcaster and debuting playwright Jonathan Maitland takes us back 25 years to a radically different political landscape: a time of regents, and of regicide. It’s 1990 – Thatcher the leader claiming divine right to rule, Geoffrey … Continue reading
Eighteen months on, and Ed Miliband is still intoning “Cost of living crisis” in the hope of persuading disillusioned voters that someone at Westminster understands their plight. Yet the gulf between rhetoric and experience seems ever widening, making art that … Continue reading
You would think the 2005 London bombings and their turbulent aftermath offer more than enough drama for an 80-minute play, but actor-turned-writer Damien Tracey adds to the mix political intrigue, romantic scandal, and not one but two ethnically charged revenge … Continue reading
