Carrie, London
The 1988 RSC musical adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie in Stratford has been described as “legendary”. For some, it was so bad it was good, a mouths-agape, Springtime For Hitler moment. It then died another death on Broadway and failed to make it to London. Three years ago, though, the tale of the revengeful adolescent with kinetic powers had something of a rehabilitation (the classic 1976 film version was re-imagined two years ago, too), as score and book were revamped by Michael Gore, Dean Pritchard and Lawrence D Cohen and it was revived successfully off Broadway. That production now gets its London premiere at Southwark Playhouse, with Evelyn Hoskins in the title role and Kim Criswell as her bible-bashing mother. Who doesn’t love a blood-soaked prom?
Southwark Playhouse, SE1, Fri to 30 May
MC
A Good Clean Heart, Cardiff
Cardiff’s first pub theatre has got off to a good start with challenging plays from Sarah Kane and Howard Barker. Now it looks closer to home with a brand-new piece, and one that’s bilingual to boot. Written by Alun Saunders, A Good Clean Heart explores how national and personal borders are defined by following the lives and fortunes of two brothers, Jay and Hefin, who are raised apart in different families and speaking different languages. But when Hefin tracks his brother down, the pair are forced to make choices and face a future that brings them close to disaster. Mared Swain, who previously worked at the Sherman, directs a production that will use innovative animated surtitles to create a truly bilingual theatrical experience.
The Other Room At Porter’s Cardiff, Tue to 16 May
LG
Bugsy Malone, London
On Wednesday, the revamped Lyric in Hammersmith has its first big opening night since it embarked on a £20m scheme to turn the theatre into west London’s answer to the South Bank (though the new show has been in preview for a couple of weeks). Youth work will feature prominently and, in recognition of that fact, it opens with a version of Alan Parker’s 1976 Prohibition era-set musical, with young people playing the gangsters. Among the shows in prospect next year is a stage adaptation of Sarah Waters’s Tipping The Velvet by Laura Wade of Posh fame.
Lyric Hammersmith, W6, to 1 Aug
MC
The Ancient Secret Of Youth & The Five Tibetans, Bolton
David Thacker directs one of his final productions as the Octagon’s artistic director, and it’s fitting that it’s written by one of Bolton’s favourite sons: Jim Cartwright. Best known for the modern classics Road and The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice, Cartwright is a writer with a light touch whose plays speak very directly to audiences. Denise Welch, well-known from Coronation Street, plays one of three friends who discover an ancient book that includes instructions for rituals that guarantee to turn back the clock.
The Octagon Theatre, Thu to 23 May
LG
Brighton Fringe
There’s something for everyone at the Brighton fringe, from the Spiegeltent on Old Steine hosting 31 days of cabaret and circus – with talent including Camille O’Sullivan (2-13 May) and David Hoyle (13 May) – to shows with pedigree such as Bucket Club’s Lorraine & Alan (21 & 22 May) and Show And Tell’s examination of grief, So It Goes (8-10 May). Unlike in Edinburgh, runs tend to be short, with the town a stopping-off point for longer tours. You’ll also find plenty of shows that have either been to Edinburgh or will be heading north later on, including Eggs Collective’s drunken bonanza, Get A Round (8-10 May). There’s plenty of local talent on show, too, such as the interlinked performances House and House 2 (7-10 May).
Various venues, Fri to 31 May
LG
Early Days (Of A Better Nation), Glasgow
It’s a good week at the Arches’ Behaviour festival, with tonight featuring Pete McMaster’s dance piece 27 (Sat & Sun), inspired by the deaths of Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and others at that age. There is also Ian Johnston and Gary Gardiner’s touching Dancer (Sat & Sun), a piece that makes everyone want to tap their feet. Then as we move ever closer to the general election, the brilliant theatre-makers Coney offer you the opportunity to cast a vote in a different way and context in the interactive Early Days (Of A Better Nation). Set in a fictional country devastated by war and division, the piece casts the audience as survivors of the conflict who must try to overcome their disagreements to build a new nation. Will it be better? Or will self-interest prevail?
The Arches, Tue & Wed
LG
