Theatre
Jane Eyre
In numerous productions, Sally Cookson has proved that the art of page-to-stage adaptation is alive and well. She captures the fragile heart of Charlotte Brontë’s novel in this tumultuous devised production first seen in two parts at Bristol Old Vic in 2014 and then in a shortened version at the National in 2015. It’s a show that understands the value of storytelling and gives joyous voice to its heroine, a fettered child who turns into a young woman determined to spread her wings. The first dates of a nationwide tour, this is a show to cherish.
The Lowry, Salford, 8-15 April; touring to 23 September
Joan
Gender and sexuality are examined with thoughtfulness and a genuine sense of fun in Lucy J Skilbeck’s take on Joan of Arc, which has run and run since it first popped up at Derby Playhouse in 2015. It’s well deserved, reinventing the troublesome medieval saint via cabaret, drag, hobby horses, stick-on beards and audience participation in the battle scenes. It boasts an engaging light touch but also examines gender politics that persist today.
Oval House, SE11, 11-22 April
An American in Paris
It’s not going to win any awards for putting women centre stage, and the plot would be invisible if it were any thinner, but Christopher Wheeldon’s reinvention of the 1951 movie offers lush Gershwin tunes and some heart-stopping balletic choreography. Winner of four Tony awards in 2015, this is a show that conceives postwar Paris as a magical, romantic place, and which delivers dance sequences with panache and joy.
Dominion Theatre, W1, to 30 September
It’s Not Yet Midnight
French circus collective Compagnie XY was last seen in the UK with Le Grand C, a quietly explosive cracker of a show. Now it’s back with an equally groundbreaking piece of contemporary circus that combines highly skilled acrobatics with the joyous beats of the lindy hop. This is not circus with a massive wow factor, but it is mightily impressive and vastly enjoyable nonetheless.
Roundhouse, NW1, 10-23 April
Men and Girls Dance
Fevered Sleep’s wonderful dance theatre show does what it says on the tin, putting trained male dancers on stage with girls who dance recreationally. The idea of grown men dancing with girls is of course highly charged in a society that treats adult contact with minors with such suspicion. The great pleasure of this beautiful show is the way it uses dance to see that relationship through a different prism, in an hour full of surprises.
The Place, WC1, 13-22 April
Dance
Betroffenheit
A welcome return for Crystal Pite’s astounding piece of dance theatre that confronts grief, addiction and trauma with unflinching honesty and choreographic invention.
Sadler’s Wells, EC1, 11-12 April
Whist
This interactive promenade performance promises to take its audience on a journey through the subconscious, a showcase of dreams and desires animated by dance, sound, touch and visual imagery.
Gulbenkian Theatre, Canterbury, 12-13 April
Smother
Fine dancing and acting in this innovative hip-hop piece exploring the vicissitudes of gay love, presented by 201 Dance Company.
Theatre Royal Stratford East, E15, 13 and 15 April; touring to 22 June
