Latest news with #AlmeidaTheatre
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Dominic Cooke appointed as the Almeida theatre's artistic director
Dominic Cooke has been appointed as the new artistic director of the Almeida theatre in London, succeeding Rupert Goold in 2026. Cooke ran the Royal Court for several years and is an in-demand director with recent hits in the West End and at the National Theatre. 'Twelve years after leaving the Royal Court, I couldn't be more excited to be returning as an artistic director and to be taking the reins of this unique theatre,' he said. He described Goold's Almeida as 'a beacon of quality and innovation' and added: 'I'm hugely grateful to him and his team to be handed an organisation in such good health. I look forward to building on this legacy and to future adventures in this magical space.' A specialist in musicals, Cooke staged a celebrated revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies at the National in 2017 and reunited with one of its stars, Imelda Staunton, on an admired revival of Hello, Dolly! at the London Palladium last summer. His production of George Bernard Shaw's Mrs Warren's Profession, starring Staunton and her daughter Bessie Carter, opened at the Palladium last month. Other West End productions directed by Cooke include Medea with Sophie Okonedo and Good with David Tennant. During his time at the Royal Court he directed plays by Caryl Churchill, Tarell Alvin McCraney and Bruce Norris. He has also directed two feature films, The Courier (starring Benedict Cumberbatch) and On Chesil Beach (adapted from Ian McEwan's novel), as well as three episodes of The Hollow Crown for television. The chair of the Almeida board Tamara Ingram said Cooke is 'celebrated around the world and brings a wealth of experience both of running a theatre and as a consistently acclaimed, award-winning artist. We are greatly looking forward to what lies ahead and to seeing how his leadership defines the next chapter of the Almeida.' Goold called it a 'wonderful appointment' and said that Cooke's tenure at the Royal Court brimmed 'with confidence and new voices'. He added that Cooke 'will bring his many talents to bear on continuing the rich story of our great theatre'. It was announced last year that Goold will leave the Almeida to run the Old Vic, replacing Matthew Warchus. The Almeida's executive director Denise Wood is also standing down to pursue freelance projects. Recruitment for Wood's successor will begin shortly.
Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
1536 review — terrible Tudor drama descends into TikTok soap opera
Where to begin with this one? Commissioned as part of the new writers programme at London's Almeida theatre, Ava Pickett's debut, set in the year that Anne Boleyn was put to death, was the winner of last year's Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for women playwrights, and won a commendation in the George Devine Awards. All those judges clearly saw something in the script that escapes me completely. What you actually get is the kind of simplistic, feminist-lite drama about the evils of patriarchy that you normally encounter in a one-hour slot at the Edinburgh Fringe, where my instinct would be not to write a review to spare the feelings of everyone involved. And yet here it is, installed at the Almeida, one of London's
Daily Record
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
The death of Danny Dyer's mentor Harold Pinter prompted a 'spiral of madness'
The actor said he was 'lost' and 'angry at the world' after Nobel Prize-winning playwright Harold Pinter died in 2008. Former EastEnders actor Danny Dyer has spoken of the profound impact the death of his mentor had on his mental health. He said the passing of playwright Harold Pinter sent him into a "spiral of madness". Nobel Prize-winner Pinter cast Danny Dyer in his production of 'Celebration' at the Almeida Theatre in London way back in 2000. Dyer reminisced about staying over at Pinter's home and absorbing literature from notable scribes like WH Auden and CS Lewis in a recent interview on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, reported The Mirror. In 2001, 'Celebration' made its way to New York's Lincoln Centre, but Dyer faced a difficult incident onstage when he forgot his lines and had an "anxiety attack" following a night of drugs. The actor expressed his regret of disappointing his mentor, but shared how the playwright offered him comfort by wrapping his arm around him. The ex- EastEnders star reflected on losing touch with Pinter and learning of his passing in 2008. Dyer recounted his reaction, saying: "I hadn't spoke to him in a while. I did go off the rails for many years, and I found out by looking on the front of a newspaper. "Again, I'd been on a bender and I was coming home and I was going, I think I was going to buy cigarettes at the petrol garage, and I see it in the paper. 'Pinter dead'. This really sent me on a spiral of madness, really." He spoke of his guilt, saying: "The guilt of not being around him anymore and just being lost, I was a bit of a lost soul, and again, angry at the world." In April, US publication Deadline reported that Dyer was developing an idea for a play about his relationship with Pinter, whom he referred to as his 'mentor'. Dyer, who had his breakthrough in the 1999 film Human Traffic, also reflected on some of the documentaries he had made earlier in his career. The actor presented TV series Danny Dyer's Real Football Factories and Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men in the 2000s, the latter of which saw him interview gangsters and former terrorists. He said: "I'd made a few films and I just wasn't getting paid any money, and I was desperate to get onto the property ladder. "I was still living in a council estate at Custom House, living with my daughter (Dani) and (wife) Jo, and it's like, well, I'm famous, but I'm still living on a council estate. "And so then my house became a bit like Stonehenge, my little flat, and people would just stand outside waiting for me.' He revealed there was a tipping point when an attempted burglary forced the family to move: "There was a moment where someone tried to burgle our house and I was like 'we can't live here no more'." The opportunity to do a documentary with a veteran footballer came as a financial windfall, as Dyer recalled, "So I got offered to do a documentary with a real football veteran and I couldn't believe the money they was offering me, I thought, 'Oh, wow'". Yet, despite the financial benefits of taking the job, he shared that the experience left much to be desired, saying, "Now I hated it, because I didn't have a script, it was me on my own interviewing people, and interviewing dangerous people, by the way, but it got me on the property ladder." When quizzed on potential typecasting fears, he admitted he had no such luxury to worry: "I didn't have the luxury. You know, it's a bit uncouth, I can't watch them back now, I cringe at them." Dyer concluded with pragmatic frankness, acknowledging the financial necessity behind his choices: "But, you know, I needed to earn money, and I needed to get a house, and I needed to do the right thing." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
South Wales Argus
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Danny Dyer says mentor's death sent him into ‘madness'
Nobel Prize-winning playwright, Pinter, casted former EastEnders actor Dyer, 47, in his play Celebration, which was first staged at the Almeida Theatre in London in 2000. Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Dyer said he would stay at the playwright's house and learn about famous writers and poets like WH Auden and CS Lewis. In 2001, the play was transferred to New York's Lincoln Centre and during one performance, Dyer forgot his lines on stage and had an 'anxiety attack', having taken drugs and stayed out the night before. Danny Dyer reveals the death of his mentor led him into a 'spiral of madness' Dyer felt 'so bad about letting him (Pinter) down' but said the playwright put his arm around him and made him 'feel better about it'. Reflecting on his death in 2008, he said: 'I hadn't spoke to him in a while. I did go off the rails for many years, and I found out by looking on the front of a newspaper. 'Again, I'd been on a bender and I was coming home and I was going, I think I was going to buy cigarettes at the petrol garage, and I see it in the paper. 'Pinter dead'. 'This really sent me on a spiral of madness, really. Recommended Reading 'The guilt of not being around him anymore and just being lost, I was a bit of a lost soul, and again, angry at the world.' In April, US publication Deadline reported that Dyer was developing an idea for a play about his relationship with Pinter, whom he referred to as his 'mentor'. Danny Dyer's episode of Desert Island Discs will air at 10am on BBC Radio 4 and will also be available on BBC Sounds.
Daily Mirror
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Danny Dyer shares guilt after death of mentor sent him into 'spiral of madness'
The former EastEnders actor said he was 'lost' and 'angry at the world' after the Nobel Prize-winning playwright died in 2008. He expressed his guilt and how he was a 'bit of a lost soul' and 'angry at the world' Actor Danny Dyer has opened up about the profound impact the death of his mentor, acclaimed playwright Harold Pinter, had on him, describing it as a "spiral of madness". The Nobel Prize-winner cast the ex- EastEnders star, 47, in his production of 'Celebration' at the Almeida Theatre in London back in 2000. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Dyer reminisced about staying over at Pinter's home and absorbing literature from notable scribes like WH Auden and CS Lewis. In 2001, 'Celebration' made its way to New York's Lincoln Centre, but Dyer faced an onstage debacle when he blanked on his lines and succumbed to an " anxiety attack" following a night of drugs and revelry. Dyer expressed remorse for disappointing Pinter but shared how the playwright offered comfort, wrapping his arm around him to ease his distress. Looking back on losing touch with Pinter and learning of his passing in 2008, Dyer recounted his reaction, saying: "I hadn't spoke to him in a while. I did go off the rails for many years, and I found out by looking on the front of a newspaper. Again, I'd been on a bender and I was coming home and I was going, I think I was going to buy cigarettes at the petrol garage, and I see it in the paper. 'Pinter dead'. This really sent me on a spiral of madness, really." He spoke of his guilt, saying: "The guilt of not being around him anymore and just being lost, I was a bit of a lost soul, and again, angry at the world." In April, US publication Deadline reported that Dyer was developing an idea for a play about his relationship with Pinter, whom he referred to as his 'mentor'. Dyer, who had his breakthrough in the 1999 film Human Traffic, also reflected on some of the documentaries he had made earlier in his career. In the noughties the actor presented TV series Danny Dyer's Real Football Factories and Danny Dyer's Deadliest Men, the latter of which saw him interview gangsters and former terrorists He said: "I'd made a few films and I just wasn't getting paid any money, and I was desperate to get onto the property ladder. I was still living in a council estate at Custom House, living with my daughter (Dani) and (wife) Jo, and it's like, well, I'm famous, but I'm still living on a council estate. And so then my house became a bit like Stonehenge, my little flat, and people would just stand outside waiting for me.' He revealed there was a tipping point when an attempted burglary forced a move: "There was a moment where someone tried to burgle our house and I was like 'we can't live here no more'." The opportunity to do a documentary with a veteran footballer came as a financial windfall, as Dyer recalled, "So I got offered to do a documentary with a real football veteran and I couldn't believe the money they was offering me, I thought, 'Oh, wow'". Yet, despite the payday, he shared that the experience left much to be desired, saying, "Now I hated it, because I didn't have a script, it was me on my own interviewing people, and interviewing dangerous people, by the way, but it got me on the property ladder." When quizzed on potential typecasting fears, he admitted he had no such luxury to worry: "I didn't have the luxury. You know, it's a bit uncouth, I can't watch them back now, I cringe at them." Dyer concluded with pragmatic frankness, acknowledging the financial necessity behind his choices: "But, you know, I needed to earn money, and I needed to get a house, and I needed to do the right thing." Danny Dyer's instalment of Desert Island Discs is set to broadcast at 10am on BBC Radio 4 and will also be accessible on BBC Sounds.
