theatre

Actors Masachika Ichimura and Takeshi Kaga, friends for around 50 years, will appear together as an 18-year couple in a new stage production. In comments reported by TV Asahi News, Ichimura joked that he might tease his longtime friend by being demanding during rehearsals. The pairing of two of Japan's best-known stage actors has drawn attention ahead of the run.

Dutch comedian and cabaret performer Peter Pannekoek has announced a megatour with dozens of shows for his new theatre production 'Demonen'. The announcement, shared via Cabaretinfo, reveals an extensive schedule of performances across the Netherlands. Fans of Dutch cabaret are following the news as tickets and dates for the new show are rolled out.

Faculty members from the University of Toledo's theatre programme are working together on a newly announced, high-profile commission for Opera Montana. The collaboration links the Ohio university with the Montana opera company on a professional stage production. Details about the work itself have not yet been made public, and the announcement has so far drawn limited attention beyond the university's own news outlet.

The Baillie Working Group is hosting a free virtual public reading and discussion of Joanna Baillie's 1810 play The Family Legend on 21 November. The event highlights Baillie's 'Highland play', regarded as an early example of the Scottish National Drama, inviting participants online to read and discuss the work together.

University of North Dakota Theatre will inaugurate its new Starcher Stage venue with a production of the musical 'The Addams Family'. The show will serve as the opening production for the space, marking a milestone for the university's theatre programme. Local audiences can expect the kooky, spooky family comedy on stage as the venue's debut.

The University of Hawaii's Kennedy Theatre has announced its upcoming season, which includes a production of the musical Little Shop of Horrors alongside moʻolelo storytelling and belly dancing performances. The programme reflects the theatre's mix of mainstream musical theatre and Hawaiian cultural storytelling, along with world dance traditions, offering a varied slate for audiences in the coming season.

Stars of the hit musical Wicked have shared which songs from the show they most love to perform, in a series of interviews with theatre writer Miriam Gillinson. The feature, published by the Guardian, highlights favourites from the show's catalogue of smash hits, including the belted anthem 'Defying Gravity', and asks performers what keeps songs fresh even after 1,700 performances. The show remains a dominant force on stage and screen.

The Guardian has reviewed The Standard of Living, a new stage play about Bloomsbury economist John Maynard Keynes, praising Rory Kinnear's performance. Critics highlight Kinnear's considerable charm in the lead role, bringing the influential economic thinker to life on stage. The production examines Keynes's life among the Bloomsbury Group and the ideas that shaped modern economics.

A comic sketch from the creator Josh Creations is drawing heavy attention for its take on a 'Paradise Theatre' experience, playing the outing for laughs. The piece has gathered well over a quarter of a million likes, with viewers sharing it as light entertainment and reacting to its jokes about going to the pictures.

Out of Box Theatre has mounted a production of Martin McDonagh's 'The Pillowman', and ARTS ATL's review describes the show as a wild ride into the dark. The critic's response is drawing attention to the company's staging of the disturbing comedy-drama, giving theatregoers in the area a new option to consider this season.

Wheeling's Capitol Theatre and WesBanco Arena are gearing up for a packed autumn season, according to The Intelligencer. The two downtown venues are expected to draw large crowds as their fall event calendars fill up, a boost for local businesses and the city's downtown entertainment district.

A Broadway musical adaptation of the 1984 film 'Beat Street', produced with Grammy-winning rapper Nas, has assembled its creative team. Playwright Kristoffer Diaz and director Schele Williams are attached to the project, which aims to bring the classic hip-hop and breakdancing film to the stage. The announcement has drawn attention from theatre and music fans tracking the show's progress toward Broadway.

Warnors Theatre in Fresno is bringing back 'The Gallows' as part of its boo and brew fest, combining craft beer with haunted-theatre entertainment. Attendees can tour the venue's infamous gallows attraction while sampling drinks, tying the historic theatre's spooky reputation into a seasonal Halloween event.

New owners have taken over the historic Carlsbad Theatre in Carlsbad, California, and plan to restore the long-standing downtown venue. As The Coast News reports, the project aims to bring the theatre back into active use, drawing local attention to the building's future and its role in the city's arts and downtown life.

The historic Rivoli Theatre on Indianapolis's east side is being revived, according to local reporting by Mirror Indy. The theatre, a longtime east side landmark, is the focus of renewed restoration efforts aimed at bringing the venue back into community use as part of wider neighbourhood revitalisation.

A theatre in Dover-Foxcroft, Maine is holding a screening of the classic comedy '9 to 5' as a fundraiser for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the children's book gifting program founded by the singer. Local audiences are being invited to enjoy the 1980 film while supporting early childhood literacy in the region.

Folger Theatre in Washington, DC has opened a new production of Shakespeare's 'Measure for Measure', a work long considered one of his 'problem plays' for its uneasy mix of comedy and moral ambiguity. Reviewers say the staging transforms the notoriously difficult text, presenting it as a story of revolution rather than a compromised comedy, and are praising the production's bold reinterpretation.

The Palace Theatre in Manchester has invited the public to a celebration of Peter Ramsey's retirement on October 28. The event marks the end of Ramsey's tenure with the theatre, and community members are being welcomed to attend and honor his contributions.

Theatre Northwest at Northwest Missouri State University has staged its First-Year Showcase, an event the student newspaper describes as 'monumental'. The showcase gives first-year students an early opportunity to perform and present their work on stage, highlighting the incoming class's talent to the campus community. Further details about the program and performances were not immediately available.

The Grandin Theatre, a historic cinema in Roanoke, Virginia, is undergoing renovations designed to expand its capacity to host live performances alongside film screenings. Local station WSLS reports the work aims to make the venue more versatile for concerts, stage shows and community events. The project highlights ongoing efforts to keep historic theatres active cultural hubs in their downtowns.