While London’s theatre scene may be holding its breath for Hamilton, there’s a lot to be excited about between now and October 2017. For starters, the King’s Cross Theatre – an unconventional but innovative venue behind the train station that is currently home to the charming Railway Children and the stunning In the Heights – has a new programme coming in September. They are even building new theatre spaces to accommodate their ambitious programme!
The current headliner, which has been spread over social media for a couple weeks, is a partnership with the Donmar Warehouse to celebrate Shakespeare 400. This collaboration not only aims to re-imagine its three plays with all-female casts but also to attract young audiences to the classic playwright with an attractive ticketing scheme. Touted as ‘an event four years in the making’ on publicity material and backed by a stellar cast and production team, the programme has promise.
These shows – The Tempest, Julius Caesar, and Henry IV – open from 23rd September. Each stars Dame Harriet Walter (Sense and Sensibility, Atonement, Man Up) and is directed by Phyllida Lloyd (CBE, director of Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady). The first show is a new production, but the former two have appeared in various forms at the Donmar’s own space in 2012 and 2014 respectively. Considering that these productions were extremely well-received during their original runs, one hopes that the revivals and pairing with The Tempest adds even more flair and achievement. Additionally, in an enticing more for London’s young population, a quarter of the seats will be given away for free to those under 25 – if you’re eligible and want to be considered, go to http://www.donmarwarehouse.com/mailing-list to sign up for your chance to see these performances for free.
Regardless of age, the shows are available to book now from https://www.donmaratkingscross.com/get-tickets and can be booked separately or as part of a ‘trilogy day’ – one Saturday, three shows. Intense? Yes. Exciting? At this stage, it looks like it will also be an affirmative answer. Individual tickets cost £20-£45 (previews £17.50-£42.50) and trilogy days cost £50-£120. For fans of new adaptations of classic texts, these pieces look incredibly promising – at least the Donmar/King’s Cross certainly have huge plans for this production! The purpose-built venue to be constructed next to the already-existent King’s Cross Theatre will hold 420 seats, and The Tempest is set to transfer to New York after its run here.
It seems like the King’s Cross Theatre will be one of the more exciting theatrical places to be this fall – here’s to hoping that this ambitious programme lives up to expectations and delivers on its ground-breaking promise!
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