Latest news with #Rubasingham
Times
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
National Theatre's new boss: Our plays won't tell you what to think
Talk about a statement of intent: the National Theatre in London has issued two video trailers to plug its 2025/26 season, the first created by its new director, Indhu Rubasingham. One is a series of close-ups of women's blood-stained mouths, rhythmically chanting about how they found a man so 'sickening' that they 'chewed his face off'. This is to promote Rubasingham's staging of Euripides' great tragedy The Bacchae. It launches her reign at the National with what she promises to be 'wild anarchic energy' in a new rap version by the actor Nima Taleghani. Who, incidentally, has never written a play before. And the other trailer? It shows the Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera, dressed in Jacobean ruff and declaiming, 'To be or not
Daily Mail
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Stormzy to front new National Theatre diversity drive after signing up for 'top secret' project as legendary venue plans 'rap adaptations' of classic Greek tragedy
Stormzy will front a new National Theatre diversity drive after signing up for a 'top secret' project at the iconic London venue. The Croydon-born grime artist, real name Michael Omari Owuo Jr, has been scouted by newly appointed National Theatre boss Indhu Rubasingham as she looks to modernise and diversify its creative output. As the South Bank venue's first female and ethnic minority artistic director, Rubasingham has announced plans to stage rap adaptations of classic Greek tragedy, although Stormzy's involvement is yet to be clarified. The subversive move is part of a wider aim to build an international audience through the National Theatre's online streaming platform, National Theatre At Home. The £9.99 per month platform - originally launched in 2020 - will give subscribers the opportunity to watch theatrical productions from the comfort of home and create what insiders hope will be a ' Netflix for theatre' Irish actor Paul Mescal, fresh from his Hollywood breakthrough in Gladiator II, will also boost the theatre's international ambitions having signed up for a new production of Arthur Miller's classic Death Of A Salesman and Tony Murphy's A Whistle In The Dark. The productions will take place as part of Rubasingham's inaugural programme, with dates for the performances yet to be announced. Both 20th century plays will take place in the Lyttelton Theatre, and focus on dysfunctional family relationships, the struggle for identity, and societal and familial expectations. A Whistle In The Dark will later transfer to the Abbey Theatre, while a second pair of productions to run in the Lyttelton will be announced at a later date. Elsewhere, Sri Lankan actor Hiran Abeysekera will be the first non-white star to play Shakespeare's Hamlet in another forthcoming production. Euripides's The Bacchae will also be given a modern twist, with Rubasingham planning a rap adaptation of the iconic Greek tragedy. Other projects focusing primarily on themes of gender and race include The Story, an American drama about racial politics, and Cloud 9, a study on colonialism. Discussing the move towards a more modernist theatre on Tuesday, Kate Varah, the National Theatre's executive director, said plans to expand its streaming service would help attract audiences 'not just in our country, but in 184 countries around the world'. She said: 'It's no longer just about what happens here on the South Bank, the National Theatre is now a global theatre with an audience of 28 million per year.' Rubasingham is the seventh director National Theatre director since its was launched by Sir Laurence Olivier in 1963. Alongside Varah, she also works as the legendary venue's joint chief executive. Her 2023 appointment follows her role as boss of London's Kiln Theatre, where she attracted controversy after the venue refused to host an event associated with Israel.
Express Tribune
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
National Theatre taps Paul Mescal, Monica Barbaro, and Nicola Coughlan for new season
Paul Mescal, Letitia Wright, Monica Barbaro, and Nicola Coughlan are set to make their debuts at London's prestigious National Theatre, marking a major moment in their stage careers. The announcement comes as part of new artistic director Indhu Rubasingham's fresh lineup of productions, emphasizing global talent and diverse storytelling. Mescal will lead a repertory company at the Lyttelton Theatre in 2027, starring in A Whistle in the Dark and playing Biff in Death of a Salesman. Rubasingham highlighted that the Gladiator II star was selected not for his celebrity status, but for being "a proper theatre actor." Monica Barbaro will join Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner in Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by Marianne Elliott. Meanwhile, Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan will headline The Playboy of the Western World from December 4. Black Panther actress Letitia Wright will star in The Story, a new play tackling racism and media culture. Other major announcements include James McArdle, Clare Perkins, and Ukweli Roach starring in Bacchae, and Hiran Abeysekera leading a new Hamlet production in 2025. Rubasingham also announced partnerships with The Shed and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, aiming to take productions from London to international stages and schools. The National Theatre's evolving mission, Rubasingham said, is to create "state-of-the-world" plays that resonate across cultures, signaling a shift towards a more global, inclusive future for British theatre.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul Mescal, Letitia Wright, Monica Barbaro And Nicola Coughlan To Make Star Debuts At London's National Theatre
Gladiator II's Paul Mescal, A Complete Unknown's Monica Barbaro, Black Panther's Letitia Wright and Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan will be making their debuts at the National Theatre, regarded by many as Britain's top cultural institution. They're among a host of star names invited to tread the NT's boards by Indhu Rubasingham, the organization's new artistic director and co-chief executive. More from Deadline Rosamund Pike Set For National Theatre Debut In New Legal Drama From Suzie Miller, Who Created 'Prima Facie' For Jodie Comer CAA Signs Indhu Rubasingham, Artistic Director Of London's National Theatre 'Bridgerton' Star Nicola Coughlan Trashes UK Supreme Court Ruling On Definition Of A Woman The theatre chief also revealed that she and famed rapper and grime music genius Stormzy are developing a show that will be staged at the National at a later date. Mescal, who by the way has been known to rap, will lead a repertory company at the National's Lyttelton Theatre in 2027. There he will star in two plays: Tom Murphy's A Whistle in the Dark, about a married Irishman living in the Midlands who allows his three brothers to lodge with him and his young wife. Directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, it's a co-production with Dublin's Abbey Theatre, where McLaughlin is artistic director. The Irish-born Mescal will then play Biff in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, to be directed by Rebecca Fracknall, who worked with the actor on the celebrated Almeida Theatre production of Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire. Much sought after on stage and screen, Mescal was able to spread his commitment to the Williams play across well over two years in London and New York, all the while carving a schedule between stage runs where he could film Gladiator II with Ridley Scott and make time for Oliver Hermanus' Cannes-bound The History of Sound in which he stars opposite Josh O'Connor. He also had time to play William Shakespeare in Hamnet alongside Jesse Buckley, Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn. That Chloé Zhao-directed film begins a limited stateside release November 27. Mescal is also portraying Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes' Paul McCartney biopic for Apple. Rubasingham pushed back against suggestions that she and co-chief executive Kate Varah were seeking Hollywood names to bolster ticket sales. Rubasingham told Deadline that she wanted Mescal treading boards at the National because he's 'a proper actor, he's a proper theatre actor. It's about backing quality actors.' Same was true, Rubasingham said, of Barbaro, Oscar-nominated for her Joan Baez in James Mangold's Bob Dylan movie. 'We obviously knew she'd trained thoroughly in acting and dance and acting before we even approached her,' Rubasingham reasoned. Barbaro will join Lesley Manville (The Crown), fresh from her best actress Olivier Award win two weeks ago for Oedipus, and Aidan Turner, so good in Rivals on Disney+, in a major revival of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' Les Liaisons Dangereuses directed by multiple Tony- and Olivier-winning Marianne Elliott. The adaptation is by Christopher Hampton. Coincidentally, Manville played the ingenue Cécile de Volanges in the original 1985 production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. Coughlan will star in John Millington Synge's The Playboy of the Western World in the Lyttelton from December 4, again directed by Caitríona McLaughlin, with Éanna Hardwicke and Siobhán McSweeney. Wright will star in Tracey Scott Wilson's new play The Story, about a young reporter pursuing a hot lead and the racism and vitriol she has to endure. Rubasingham described the play as 'chillingly relevant.' It will be directed by Clint Dyer. James McArdle (Mare of Easttown), Clare Perkins (Wheel of Time) and Ukweli Roach (Big Mood) will lead Rubasingham's production of Bacchae into the Olivier stage from September 13. Written by Nima Taleghani from the ancient Greek tale about the God of theatre, it will feature designs by Robert Jones, choreography by Kate Prince and an original score by D.J. Walde. The show will be filmed for future streaming on National Theatre at Home. Robert Hastie will direct Olivier-winning actor Hiran Abeysekera (Life of Pi) playing the Danish prince in Hamlet at the Lyttelton Theatre from September 2025. The show will be also be shot for future National Theatre Live release in cinemas around the world. Rubasingham noted that Hamlet was the first production — starring Peter O'Toole — to be staged at the National Theatre in 1963. A new adaptation of The Jungle Book by Anupama Chandrasekhar, based on Rudyard Kipling's classic tale, will be directed on the Olivier stage by Rubasingham in time for the December 2026 holidays. The production will feature puppetry by Finn Caldwell and Nick Barnes. Co-chief executive Varah said the National has signed up to collaborate with The Shed in Manhattan and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, while Rubasingham added that she's always in conversation with Oskar Eustis at the Public Theater in NYC. Rubasingham declared that she's more interested in 'state-of-the-world plays than state-of-the-nation plays.' To that end, she and her team are pursuing partnerships with actors, writers, directors and designers from around the world and seeking 'artists that open the doors to audiences.' Productions will tour UK theatres and schools; indeed, many shows will be scaled down to be presented at schools here in the UK and over in Brooklyn in partnership with BAM. The National Theatre's now very much the International Theatre. Best of Deadline 'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3: Everything We Know So Far Everything We Know About The 'Reminders of Him' Movie So Far Everything We Know About 'The Phoenician Scheme' So Far
Telegraph
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
National Theatre makes diverse casting drive to appeal to global viewers
The new boss of the National Theatre will increase diverse casting in a bid to attract a global audience to its Netflix-style streaming platform. Indhu Rubasingham has announced her first season as artistic director, unveiling rap adaptations of Greek tragedy and a show involving Stormzy, the chart-topping UK rapper. The venue's first female and ethnic minority artistic director has also set out her 'international' priorities for the theatre. This includes expanding the global audience for National Theatre at Home, a £9.99 per month streaming service for productions that insiders hope to make into a 'Netflix for theatre'. The theatre, founded by Laurence Olivier in 1963, will seek to use the diversity of actors as part of this vision. Casting decisions will be made partly with a view to choosing actors who represent potential audiences in international markets, including India and Nigeria. Ms Rubasingham said that she would look at 'who is the big Nollywood [Nigerian film industry] star, who's the big Bollywood star that we could bring and work' that could 'open the door to new audiences, because they are seeing someone they really want to see'. The theatre will also look to work with writers and other creatives who can help to tell 'stories that cross continents' as part of plans to focus on 'international reach'. Ms Rubasingham said that she wants to 'bring the world to our stages, and take our stages to the world'. She added that she was interested in 'state-of-the-world plays, as opposed to state-of-the-nation plays'. 'New chapter' for theatre Her tenure features Hiran Abeysekera who will become the first non-white star to take on the title role in Hamlet and a rap adaptation of Euripides's ancient tragedy The Bacchae. The programme will feature The Story, a US drama about racial politics and media ethics, and Cloud 9, a work that comments on colonialism. There will also be an adaptation of Pride, a film about gay and lesbian activists who supported striking miners in 1984. International stars will also feature: Paul Mescal is to star in Death of a Salesman, while details of Stormzy's scheduled appearance in a show remain a closely guarded secret. Kate Varah, the National Theatre's executive director, has backed the ambitions to expand the theatre's streaming service, which was first launched in 2020. Speaking at London's South Bank, she said that the new chapter in the theatre's history would include reaching audiences 'not just in our country, but in 184 countries around the world'. She added: 'It's no longer just about what happens here on the South Bank, the National Theatre is now a global theatre with an audience of 28 million per year.' The specific sum generated by National Theatre at Home has not been made public, but the platform paid out £1 million in royalties to creatives in 2022. The focus on the potential revenue from the service comes amid tightening budgets, with the theatre highlighting a 52.5 per cent real-terms drop in its Arts Council funding since 2011. Hit productions are broadcast via the National Theatre Live scheme, which broadcasts live theatrical shows in cinemas and other venues. The scheme earned the theatre more than £10 million in 2023. The venue continues to attract top theatrical talent, including Aidan Turner and Lesley Manville, who will star in its upcoming production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. In 2023, Ms Rubasingham was chosen to become the seventh director of the National Theatre since its foundation. She also serves as its joint chief executive, alongside Ms Varah, in keeping with the theatre's dual leadership model. Ms Rubasingham previously led the Kiln Theatre in London, which was embroiled in a row during her tenure over the venue's refusal to host an event linked to Israel.
