The Infidel - The Musical, London
Turning films into musicals is nothing new (witness the imminent opening of Made In Dagenham) but, along with The Producers and The Book Of Mormon, this is part of another more recent trend: marrying music and dubious taste to religious themes. David Baddiel has penned the book and lyrics here, with Erran Baron Cohen composing the music (so you know that subversion is the key note). It’s the tale of Mahmoud, an ordinary East End Muslim who discovers not only that he was adopted but that his birth parents were Jewish, causing not a little cultural and religious chaos. The role played by Omid Djalili on screen is taken by Armenian comedian Kev Orkian.
Theatre Royal Stratford East, E15, to 2 Nov
MC
The Gamblers, On tour
Women don’t gamble, cheat, cuss, drink and hustle do they? Of course they do, and you can watch them in action in this new version of Gogol’s comedy, produced by Greyscale and directed by Selma Dimitrijevic. This rarely performed miniature has been dismissed by critics for its cast of “scoundrels” and its convoluted plotting. But if Dimitrijevic and her co-writer, Mikhail Durnenkov, can bring clarity and offstage action onstage, then this could have the punch of The Sting or David Mamet’s House Of Games. An all- female cast should add an interesting dimension to a play that in its original form could be seen as exploring how the absence of women makes men behave.
LG
The Witch Of Edmonton, Stratford upon Avon
The RSC’s mid-80s revival of this 17th-century domestic tragedy was a revelation, and now Gregory Doran offers a new generation the chance to see a play about witchcraft, revenge and everyday life in Jacobean England. Returning for the first time to the RSC since 1997, when she played opposite Michael Gambon in Yasmin Reza’s The Unexpected Man, Eileen Atkins takes the role of Elizabeth Sawyer, who is shunned by her neighbours in the village of Edmonton because they believe that she is a witch. So she decides to sell her soul to the devil and get her revenge on all who have wronged her. Part of a season celebrating Shakespeare’s peers that’s also included The Roaring Girl and The White Devil, Dekker, Rowley and Ford’s play should prove itself more than a curiosity.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre: Swan, Thu to 29 Nov
LG
The Small Hand, On tour
Novelist Susan Hill is responsible for the one of the longest-running London shows ever. Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap rules the longevity roost at 62 years, but The Woman In Black has been scaring the pants off punters, now at the Fortune Theatre, for 25 years and even spawned a film starring Daniel Radcliffe. Hill has been busy in recent years writing crime books, but now her work returns to the stage with an adaptation of her scarefest The Small Hand. It tells of an art dealer (played by Andrew Lancel) who comes across a derelict Edwardian house and when he approaches the front door feels a small hand touching his. Nightmares and panic attacks ensue as he tries to find out what’s going on around him.
MC
Off, On tour
Few circus shows have taken their inspiration from the study of neurology. Oliver Sacks’s The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat provides the jump-off point for this show from French ensemble Cie Kiaï, which features a very big trampoline and uses contortion, hip-hop, handstands and acrobatics to explore the mysteries of the human mind and the tricks our subconscious plays. Accompanied by electro music, it delves into the darker recesses of the mind and promises to make you think about the extraordinary nature of our brains.
LG
Belfast Festival At Queens
The theatrical offerings at the Belfast festival include everything from the Replay’s excellent TiNY (Duncairn Centre, Sat & Sun), a show for babies and their carers, to Thomas Ostermeier’s highly acclaimed take on Ibsen, An Enemy Of The People (Grand Opera House, Thu to 25 Oct). There are plenty of homegrown shows too, including the world premiere of The Holy Holy Bus (Waterfront Studio, Tue to 31 Oct), a comedy about a pilgrimage that leaves west Belfast to tour the holy sites of Ireland. There’s also more international work, including Peter Brook’s staging of The Suit (Lyric Theatre, 29-31 Oct).
LG
