From the category archives:

Russian Drama

14 post(s)

Blanche McIntyre gives a director’s-eye-view of The Seagull

30 April 2013

in Design, Directors, Regional Theatre, Russian Drama

INTERVIEW: BLANCHE MCINTYRE The director of John Donnelly’s radical new version of The Seagull, for Headlong and The Nuffield Southampton, talks to Judi Herman about her extraordinary staging, with designer Laura Hopkins, of Chekov’s great exploration of artistic creativity, unrequited love and the clashes between the generations.

Actor Paul Rhys explores Complicite’s The Master and Margarita

21 March 2013

in Actors and Performers, Books, International, Russian Drama

INTERVIEW: PAUL RHYS After seven years away from the stage, Olivier award nominee Paul Rhys returned as the Master and Professor Woland in Complicite’s staging of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita (Barbican, and tour). He tells Matt Trueman about sticking with a show for 18 months and why director Simon McBurney brings out the best in him.

Star actor Simon Russell Beale on playing Stalin

5 May 2012

in Actors and Performers, New Writing, Russian Drama, Theatre People

INTERVIEW: SIMON RUSSELL BEALE To mark the transfer to the National’s Olivier Theatre of John Hodge’s Olivier Award-winning play, Collaborators, about Stalin and Bulgakov, we’re sharing this short six-minute extract of actor Simon Russell Beale reflecting on the challenge of playing the dictator.

Director Lucy Bailey on her rejuvenated Uncle Vanya

30 April 2012

in Directors, London Fringe, Russian Drama

INTERVIEW: LUCY BAILEY The director talks to Heather Neill about her revival of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya, in a new version by Mike Poulton, which has enjoyed such a successful, sell-out season at The Print Room, the Bayswater studio theatre which she co-runs with Anda Winters, that it gets an extended further three-week run in June and July.

Director Howard Davies on The White Guard

5 May 2010

in Directors, Russian Drama

INTERVIEW: HOWARD DAVIES The director talks to Carole Woddis about his current production of Mikhail Bulgakov’s The White Guard (National), a play about Russia during the revolution which was Stalin’s favourite drama and is now staged in a new version by Andrew Upton. Recorded at the National.

London International Mime Festival 7

19 January 2010

in International, Live Art, Physical and Visual theatre, Russian Drama

MIME FEST SPECIAL Postshow discussion with director Dimitry Aryupin of Russia’s BlackSkyWhite about their show, USSR Was Here, performed as part of the 32nd London International Mime Festival, at the ICA. Hosted by Dr Dick McCaw, Senior Lecturer in Performing Arts at Royal Holloway, University of London. Recorded by Diana Damian.

Michael Pennington talks Chekhov

13 January 2010

in Actors and Performers, Russian Drama

CHEKHOV SPECIAL Actor Michael Pennington talks to Heather Neill about A Jubilee for Anton Chekhov (Hampstead Theatre), a week-long event hosted by him and Chekhov specialist Rosamund Bartlett which celebrates the playwright’s 150th anniversary and aims to raise money to save the White Dacha in Yalta, where he wrote some of his greatest plays.

West End Review: July 2009 (1/2)

24 July 2009

in Reviews and Roundtables, Russian Drama, Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama

WEST END REVIEW (1/2) Mark Shenton (Sunday Express) and guests David Benedict (Variety), Charles Spencer (Daily Telegraph) and Matt Wolf (International Herald Tribune) discuss Phedre (National), The Cherry Orchard and The Winter Tale’s (Old Vic) and Hamlet (Wyndhams). Recorded at Dewynters, London.

Actor Bella Merlin on acting

8 August 2008

in 19th-century Drama, Actors and Performers, Books, Russian Drama

1 Comment

FOCUS ON ACTING (2/2) Actor and teacher Bella Merlin, author of The Complete Stanislavski Toolkit (Nick Hern, 2007), talks to Aleks Sierz about how to recognise honest acting both on stage and on film. Recorded at Dewynters, London.

Actor Bella Merlin on Stanislavski

8 August 2008

in 19th-century Drama, 20th-century Drama, Actors and Performers, Books, Directors, Russian Drama

FOCUS ON ACTING (1/2) Actor and teacher Bella Merlin, author of The Complete Stanislavski Toolkit (Nick Hern, 2007), talks to Aleks Sierz about the importance of the ideas of Konstantin Stanislavski for performance today. Recorded at Dewynters, London.

Theatre legend Peter Brook speaks

15 January 2005

in 19th-century Drama, Directors, Russian Drama

PETER BROOK SPECIAL The world-famous director talks about bringing the love letters of Anton Chekhov and his wife Olga Knipper to the stage in a piece entitled Your Hand in Mine. Excerpt.

Review of The Mandate

29 October 2004

in Reviews and Roundtables, Russian Drama

THE MANDATE Nikolai Erdman’s post-Russian Revolution farce is revived by Declan Donnellan and reviewed by Patrick Marmion, John Nathan and Adam Scott. Heather Neill hosts.

Director Declan Donnellan of Cheek by Jowl (2/2)

27 May 2004

in Directors, Russian Drama, Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama

INTERVIEW: DECLAN DONNELLAN (2/2) The artistic director of Cheek by Jowl continues to muse on the company’s fortunes, and outlines current projects and future plans. Dominic Cavendish listens.

Director Declan Donnellan of Cheek by Jowl (1/2)

27 May 2004

in Directors, Russian Drama, Shakespeare and Renaissance Drama

INTERVIEW: DECLAN DONNELLAN (1/2) The artistic director of the legendary Cheek by Jowl theatre company – back with a vengeance with Othello – has a cup of tea with Dominic Cavendish.