Monday
Anthony Neilson’s Unreachable is very funny and a little bit heart-breaking at the Royal Court, which also has its Open Court season of plays, installations, music and talks created and programmed by under-24s. Queens of Syria is at West Yorkshire Playhouse for one night only. IF: Milton Keynes International Festival continues with Rimini Protokoll tonight and look out for Graeae’s foot-stomping Reasons to be Cheerful from Thursday, and plenty of street theatre and outdoor performance over the weekend.
Tuesday
Verity Standen’s gorgeous and deeply emotional Hug is at the Tobacco Factory in Bristol until Thursday. Company Three, who produced the brilliant Brainstorm, consider what it’s like to be at school in 2016 in The Future at the Yard in Hackney Wick. The Globe’s touring production of Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by Nick Bagnall, takes up residence in the Bodleian Old Schools Quad in Oxford. Emma Rice’s heartfelt The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk plays Kneehigh’s the Asylum at the Lost Gardens of Heligan near St Austell. Prior to the Edinburgh fringe, Paines Plough’s Roundabout takes up residence at Hackney Showroom with previews of Alan Harris’s Loves, Lies and Taxidermy, Luke Norris’s Growth and the children’s show I Got Superpowers for My Birthday. Lost Dog’s terrific dance theatre piece Paradise Lost takes up residence at Wilton’s Music Hall for the rest of the week. It’s your last chance this week for Andy Arnold’s pitch black revival of Martin McDonagh’s The Lonesome West at the Tron in Glasgow. A new musical version of The Hunting of the Snark is at the Sherman in Cardiff.
Wednesday
Now We Are Here, directed by Ian Rickson at the Young Vic, tells the stories of four LGBTI refugees living in the UK. Another former Royal Court artistic director, Dominic Cooke, directs Caryl Churchill’s short play Pigs and Dogs, inspired by Uganda’s 2014 anti-homosexuality act, at the Royal Court. At the National Theatre, Howard Davies’ revival of Seán O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars is in previews. Charlene James’s Cuttin’ It will make you angry and sad at Sheffield Crucible Studio.
Thursday
Derby Theatre’s annual Departure Lounge kicks off four days of discussions, workshops and performances including Annie Siddons’ How Not to Live in Suburbia, Greg Wohead’s Celebration, Florida, and work in progress from Caroline Horton. Tempting Failure, a festival of international performance and noise art, begins today and continues over the weekend at various London venues.
Friday and the weekend
Nitrobeat’s Pit Party, featuring the work of eight spoken word, theatre and music artists, is at the Barbican’s Pit under the direction of Benji Reid. On Saturday night Peter Pan in Scarlet, Geraldine McCaughrean’s official sequel to JM Barrie’s masterpiece, gets its world premiere at the New Vic in Newcastle-under-Lyme, where it will run until August.
