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The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Fleabag and Baby Reindeer superproducer Francesca Moody: ‘The next best play can come from anywhere'
Francesca Moody's name is a sign to pay attention. The Olivier-winning producer discovered the plays that led to two of the most successful TV shows in recent memory: Fleabag and Baby Reindeer. If a show has Moody's backing, it has a higher-than-average chance of soaring to success. But as Moody's recognition has grown, so has the pressure to create a hit. 'That is exciting,' she cautions as we slip into a small glass-walled room in her office off London's Leicester Square. She looks surprisingly calm given the restaurants' worth of plates she's spinning. 'But it's also terrifying. The stakes are higher than they used to be.' She's busy unleashing a new set of shows across the US and UK – including an entire miniature festival at the Edinburgh fringe – and has another Netflix show in development. Risk is part of the producing game, and Moody's threshold is high. She hadn't raised the money for Richard Gadd's Baby Reindeer until the week it was due to go on at the Edinburgh fringe in 2019. At that point, she didn't have much of a buffer for the money not coming through. 'I don't know what I would have done,' she concedes. These days, she has greater financial stability. But there's also more hanging in the balance. 'It's our company's money,' she says, 'our investors' money, and ultimately my name.' Moody now runs her own production company, Francesca Moody Productions, which has a knack, as she puts it, for 'finding unusual, kooky, sometimes auteur-led work that doesn't always immediately feel commercial'. It currently has nearly a dozen scripts at various stages of development, plus a film in the works and a first-look deal with Phoebe Waller-Bridge's production company. 'There are a few ideas on our plate now that we're just itching to get in the room,' Moody says. The list sounds exhausting, but she seems energised. Failures do happen. 'Things go wrong every day,' she says, 'on the good stuff, too.' But some mishaps are more marked than others. 'We had a musical called Berlusconi,' a cautionary tale about the former Italian PM, 'which was universally panned by critics.' She says it casually; this job demands rolling with the punches. 'I stand by the boldness of the idea, and it was such a collegiate group of creatives, it was almost comical that it didn't hit in the way we were expecting it to.' Good or bad, the role is all-consuming. Moody admits to an 'almost unhealthy relationship' with her work. 'It's so much more than a job,' she explains, searching for the right description for what fuels her. ''Vocation' sounds horribly wanky, but it's so all-defining. It would be really hard for me to unpick who I am without this.' And how does she spot a hit? She talks about intuition. 'I always think Fleabag is a great example of trusting your gut.' She first met Waller-Bridge and Fleabag's director Vicky Jones in Soho Joe, a now-defunct pizza place next to London's Soho theatre, to discuss producing a play they had commissioned. 'I remember it as a whirlwind of ideas,' says Moody. She was nervous and Waller-Bridge made her laugh. When she later heard about a short piece Waller-Bridge had written, which eventually became Fleabag, she leapt at the chance to work with her. 'I knew that Phoebe was an incredible actor who could spin comedy and tragedy on a dime,' she says. She locked Waller-Bridge in a room until she finished Fleabag. Her nose has continued to serve her well. She first read the script for Baby Reindeer on a train and didn't get off until she'd reached the last page. And it only took one song for her to fall in love with Jon Brittain and Matthew Floyd Jones's comedy musical Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!, which leapt from the fringe to the West End. 'You have to start with: Do I love this show? Is it like anything else I've ever seen before? You have to be 100% all in.' As with most of her hits, the Edinburgh fringe was the birthplace for Weather Girl, Brian Watkins' unsettling climate-comedy, which sees a weather reporter smiling her way through the apocalypse. This prophetic eco-monologue played in Edinburgh in 2024, sold out at Soho theatre earlier this year, and is soon transferring to St Ann's Warehouse in New York. On first reading, Moody says, 'it hooked me'. But she knew it needed work. Her team helped to guide it into what it is now: an absurd comedy that quickly tumbles into giddy climate disaster. 'I always try to think about the audience and whether they will connect with a character, so my notes on Weather Girl were largely bound up in that – but it was all there at the beginning,' she says. The show is currently in development with Netflix – and may well be another next big thing. On the other side of the world at the Edinburgh fringe, Moody is ushering in a new roster of shows. 'Edinburgh's not a place to be making money,' Moody says. 'It's a place to be investing.' This year, her investments include three shows and an entire month-long festival-within-the-festival. The first show is Ohio, an autobiographical folk drama by married couple and award-winning musicians the Bengsons, which gathered a keen following in the US and already has a transfer to south London's Young Vic planned. She's also bringing Seiriol Davies' camp historical musical How to Win Against History back to the fringe. (It started there nearly a decade ago.) Her third show is Garry Starr: Classic Penguins. 'It's the best version of clowning I've seen,' Moody says, 'and the most beautiful holding of an audience through quite exposing audience interaction.' She compares it to Julia Masli's cult hit, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. In recent years, Moody's name has become synonymous with success at the festival. 'We understand the conditions you need to facilitate a sense of something being exciting,' Moody asserts. 'That's 25% of the way there, in terms of building a bit of a hit.' A producer has to create more demand than a show can satisfy, she says. That means choosing a small enough venue that you can sell a show out and create a buzz. Sign up to Inside Saturday The only way to get a look behind the scenes of the Saturday magazine. Sign up to get the inside story from our top writers as well as all the must-read articles and columns, delivered to your inbox every weekend. after newsletter promotion Next comes the image: 'In a world that seems to be increasingly obsessed by star-led revivals or existing bits of adapted IP, you have to make a show feel like its own bit of original IP.' She points to Weather Girl. The eye-catching marketing image, of the lead actor's grinning face drowning in a pool of bright red, did a lot of work to make the new show recognisable. Perhaps most exciting is Moody's upcoming collective endeavour. As her company grows, she worries about 'not being in the weeds in the same way I used to be, creatively'. To rectify this, she wants to get back to her roots in fringe theatre and support artists in this prohibitively expensive climate. 'I came up through the fringe at a time just before it started to get really difficult to make work there,' she says. 'You couldn't make a show any more in the way we made Fleabag in 2013. Our two-bed flat was like £2,000 for the month. You'd be hard pressed to find that for less than six or seven grand now.' After many conversations about the difficulties of producing work, Moody decided to 'put our money where our mouth is'. The result is Shedinburgh. Originally conceived with writer and performer Gary McNair and producer Harriet Bolwell during the pandemic, it started as a digital festival where shows were livestreamed from two small sheds in London and Edinburgh. This year, they're turning the idea into an intimate, 100-seat live venue for the duration of the fringe. 'It was too good an idea to let go of,' she says. The programme is eclectic, with the 'shed-ule' consisting of one-off performances of old and new work from the likes of Sophie Duker, Maimuna Memon and Christopher Brett Bailey. Paying artists' travel, accommodation, plus a fee or a box office split, whichever is higher – an inversion of the typical method at the fringe – the project is made possible by investors who believe in its ethos. 'We wanted to imagine a bit of a utopia,' Moody reasons. 'It's a love letter to the fringe.' The fringe used to feel like a level playing field. 'Once you're there, the literary manager at the National Theatre can see your show. The theatre critic at the Guardian can see it. I can see it. Now, it's so much harder to just get there.' She places these struggles against wider concerns about the 'death of fringe theatre' – particularly with the recent cancellation of London's Vault festival – where so much emerging work begins. Shedinburgh is determinedly creating opportunities in spite of these difficulties. 'Theatre is my first love,' Moody says. 'We want to reinvigorate that sense that the next best play can come from anywhere, and inspire others to do the same.' Shedinburgh runs 1 to 24 August; Ohio is at Assembly Roxy, Upstairs, 30 July to 24 August; How to Win Against History is at Underbelly, George Square, 30 July to 24 August.
New York Post
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
What do tickets cost to see Sarah Snook in ‘Dorian Gray' on Broadway?
Vivid Seats is the New York Post's official ticketing partner. We may receive revenue from this partnership for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Featured pricing is subject to change. Sarah Snook is stretching the definition of 'one-woman show' on a nightly basis. The Emmy Award-winning 'Succession' actress — who was just nominated for a Tony — performs a whopping 26 (!) roles in 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' at Broadway's Music Box Theatre. Those parts include 'aristocrats, a bumbling artist, a cuckoo starlet and a vengeful brother' according to The Post, in their glowing 3.5-star review of the multimedia, Olivier-winning production that tells the story of a young man that makes a Faustian bargain to remain forever young in exchange for his soul. Advertisement 'It's an often breathtaking show with risk coursing through its veins,' The Post continued. 'If any of the army of cameras are on the fritz, if a single cue is missed, if sensational Snook skips a few lines, the whole impressive experiment comes crashing down.' While Snook is alone onstage, the high-flying show is anything but minimalist. Larger-than-life projections, pre-recorded videos, costume changes and props make for a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience dreamed up by Tony-nominated Kip Williams, who dreamed up the play in the depths of COVID, took it to Sydney's Roslyn Packer Theatre, then London's West End and now Broadway. If you want to see an inventive reimagining of Oscar Wilde's classic text before the Tony Awards on June 8 or before 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' officially closes on July 2, tickets are available for all upcoming performances. At the time of publication, the lowest price we could find on tickets for any one show was $139 before fees on Vivid Seats. Advertisement Other shows have tickets starting anywhere from $141 to $431 before fees. For more information, our team has everything you need to know and more about 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' on Broadway below. All prices listed above are subject to fluctuation. 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' ticket prices As of now, there are 63 performances of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' remaining at the Music Box Theatre including quite a few 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. matinees. Below you'll find dates and start times of the ten shows with the cheapest ticket prices listed chronologically. Advertisement 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' dates Ticket prices start at Friday, May 9 7 p.m. $139 Sunday, May 11 3 p.m. $147 Tuesday, May 13 7 p.m. $147 Wednesday, May 14 7 p.m. $147 Thursday, May 15 7 p.m. $147 Friday, May 16 7 p.m. $147 Friday, June 20 7 p.m. $145 Saturday, June 21 8 p.m. $141 Sunday, June 22 3 p.m. $145 Wednesday, June 25 2 p.m. $146 The show runs two hours without an intermission. (Note: The New York Post confirmed all above prices at the publication time. All prices are in US dollars, subject to fluctuation and, if it isn't noted, will include additional fees at checkout.) Vivid Seats is a verified secondary market ticketing platform, and prices may be higher or lower than face value, depending on demand. Advertisement They offer a 100% buyer guarantee that states your transaction will be safe and secure and your tickets will be delivered prior to the event. Still curious about Vivid Seats? You can find an article from their team about why the company is legit here. About 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' 'There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about,' Oscar Wilde wrote in his timeless 1890 novel that inspired the show. In the years since, the once-controversial text has continued to stay a part of the cultural conversation. Over the past 135 years, the book has been adapted for the stage, film and even television in 'Penny Dreadful.' For the uninitiated, the story centers on Basil Hallward's portrait of Gray. He's enchanted by Dorian's appearance and paints the young man. With the universal knowledge that his looks will fade with time, Dorian decides to sell his soul and asks that, in return, the portrait ages in his place. Snook and director Williams' latest version of the show brings this vapidity to the 21st century, employing multiple cameramen to pull off the stunt where the actress — who goes broad here rather than subtle like she did so expertly in 'Succession' — can play multiple roles at once. 'At one absurd point, like a scene out of a 1990s comedy movie, seven Snooks eat dinner together,' The Post explains. Big stars on Broadway There's never a shortage of star power in midtown Manhattan. Advertisement If you're hoping to see a film or TV icon live onstage, here are just five shows featuring household names currently running on The Great White Way and elsewhere in the Big Apple. • Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal in 'Othello' • George Clooney in 'Good Night, and Good Luck' • Kieran Culkin, Bill Burr and Bob Odenkirk in 'Glengarry Glen Ross' Advertisement • Leslie Odom Jr. in 'Hamilton' • Idina Menzel in 'Redwood' Want to catch another decorated production or two, too? Take a look at our list of all the cheapest tickets for Tony-nominated 2025 shows to find the one for you. This article was written by Matt Levy, New York Post live events reporter. Levy stays up-to-date on all the latest tour announcements from your favorite musical artists and comedians, as well as Broadway openings, sporting events and more live shows – and finds great ticket prices online. Since he started his tenure at the Post in 2022, Levy has reviewed a Bruce Springsteen concert and interviewed Melissa Villaseñor of SNL fame, to name a few. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Exciting season of performances at Stroud's Lansdown Hall
A vibrant series of performances is underway at the Lansdown Hall in Stroud. Flies on the Wall youth theatre kicked off its new season during February half term, with its production of Dangerous Games, a comedy spy thriller set during the 1948 London Olympics. The play, described as a fast-paced family-friendly show filled with drama and twists, was penned by Tessa Kemp and Jo Bousfield, and featured original music by Rob Kempner. Then, coming up in April, the troupe will present The Bacchae, with performances taking place on Friday, April 18 and Saturday, April 19. This ensemble production was developed in collaboration with Olivier-winning writer Adam Peck and is suitable for ages 10 and up. Closing the season in May will be a yet-to-be-announced production, promising further excitement for theatre enthusiasts. Tickets for all performances can be booked on TryBooking.
Telegraph
21-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Otherland: A deeply moving examination of womanhood
The thorny question at the heart of Otherland, Chris Bush's new play at the Almeida, is 'who'd be a woman?' The play doesn't try to offer pat answers to a question of such magnitude. One of its two main protagonists happens to be a transgender woman and, although the audience gains insights into the challenges this entails, gender reassignment isn't its overarching thrust. What Otherland does offer is a thoughtful and ultimately moving examination of womanhood and its implications – personal, familial, romantic and societal – in a world lacking gender parity and full of stereotypical expectations. This is a play that is interested in the choices and restrictions that women face and what is sacrificed in the name of love and self-determination. Bush, whose previous works include the Olivier-winning Standing at the Sky's Edge and Tony! The Blair Musical, is a transgender woman herself and is adamant about not wanting to be the poster child for transgender theatre. She achieves this by cleverly framing womanhood around the needs and desires of two very different characters. When the play begins, Jo, a cisgender woman is getting married to Harry (then Henry) who, unbeknown to Jo, is unhappy with the body they were born in and wants to live as a woman. Eventually, Harry levels with Jo and initially, it seems their relationship will survive this seismic emotional reordering. But five years later, the marriage has broken down. The rupture sends both of them on very distinct paths of self-discovery. Jo has to contend with her aversion towards having children when she meets new love Gabby who is desperate to be a mother. Harry has to negotiate her family reducing her transition to 'a distraction', tolerate the asinine things people say about her decision and learn, like many women have to, how to safely fend off the unsolicited attention of creepy men. Veering between narration and enactment on Fly Davis' sparely designed stage – where a simple rearrangements of chairs denote the tiers of Machu Picchu, a doctor's surgery or the prow of a ship – Otherland is remarkably compressed storytelling, squeezing great swathes of time into mere minutes. It's never disorientating because composer Jennifer Whyte's live band punctuates the timeline succinctly. In fact, the music works multiple duties here by heightening emotions, moving the story forward, containing the poetry and counterpointing the beautiful singing in close harmonies by the eight-strong female cast. Just before the interval, there is a choreographed moment that illustrates director Ann Yee's clarity of vision, where Jo and Harry's journeys elide metaphorically over their very different concerns about hormones. In the second half, the production leans into the poetic tendencies of Bush's language in surreal scenes that clearly pay homage to Guillermo Del Toro's The Shape of Water. My one small gripe is that the play is a little long, but that can be forgiven because this close study of the many complexities in the wide variety of female lives and identities serves as an affecting plea for connection and understanding.
