Stratford reveals new season

The Theatre Royal Stratford East has announced details of their coming season of shows that will be performed between August and March 2015. The new season highlights the theatre’s longstanding commitment to championing new writing and delivering world-class musical theatre. The offer is clearly a popular one, as the theatre has achieved a 91% capacity across performances so far this year.

Kerry Michael, Artistic Director of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, said: “Musical Theatre fans are in for a treat as we premiere The Infidel – The Musical after a successful crowd-funding appeal earlier in the year. Audiences looking for the latest new writing can catch some great new work including John McCann’s Spoiling, Paul Grootboom’s Rhetorical and Roy Williams’ Antigone. We’re proud of our reputation for delivering the best panto in town. This year we’ve got a brilliant new version of Beauty & The Beast. Finally, following both critical acclaim and sell out success earlier this year, our landmark production of Oh What A Lovely War returns for a strictly limited run before going on a nationwide tour – so book early to see this iconic show at its home venue.”

SEASON DETAILS: AUG 2014 – MAR 2015

Monologueslam UK
18th Aug, 27th Oct, 15th Dec, 8pm
Presented by Triforce Promotions and Theatre Royal Stratford East, MonologueSlam UK is the ultimate showcase for actors from all backgrounds and profiles. Following a lengthy audition process, 20 actors are given the opportunity to perform for a welcoming audience and a panel of people in a position to move their careers forward.

Spoiling
28th August-13th Sep 2014
Following a run at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland’s leading New Writing venue, the Traverse Theatre, Spoiling is a new political satire that offers a unique take on Scottish Independence, days before the Independence Referendum on 18th September.
Written by emerging playwright John McCann, the show will be directed by the Traverse Theatre’s Artistic Director Orla O’Loughlin.

Rhetorical
14-18th Oct 2014
Theatre Royal Stratford East’s long-term collaborator Mpumelelo Paul Grootboom returns with an observant and entertaining exploration of a new play about South Africa’s second post-apartheid president, Thabo Mbeki. This new play is part of the biennial AfroVibes Festival that celebrates the performing and visual arts of South Africa.

The Infidel – The Musical
3rd Oct-2nd Nov 2014
Based on David Baddiel’s hit movie of the same name, The Infidel – The Musical will premiere at Theatre Royal Stratford East in October 2014, following a successful crowd-funding appeal that raised more than £55,000 earlier this year.
The hilarious and insightful show about identity, race and prejudice features book and lyrics by David Baddiel and music by Erran Baron Cohen. The show will be co-directed by David Baddiel and Theatre Royal Stratford East’s Artistic Director, Kerry Michael.

Beauty and the Beast
29th Nov 2014-17th Jan 2015
This sparkling, laugh-out loud and magical new version of Beauty and the Beast is the perfect Christmas treat for all the family.

Oh What A Lovely War
29th Jan-7th Feb 2015
After a sell-out run in 2014 coinciding with the First World War Centenary, Oh What A Lovely War will return to its home venue for a limited run in advance of a UK national tour. Built upon the songs that ordinary British soldiers sang during a war that killed ten million in four years, this musical entertainment production is a powerful comment against war. A riot of music and colour, brilliantly comic and deeply moving, this newly re-imagined production remains true to the spirit of Joan Littlewood’s 1963 original.

Antigone
19th Feb-14th Mar 2015
Critically-acclaimed playwright Roy Williams returns with a thrilling new version of Sophocles’ Antigone. The show will be created using integrated camera technology that will enable audiences to watch live streams of the play online. A National Schools Programme will be delivered alongside the show.