London Theatre 2014
Summer 2014 is suddenly shaping up to be one of the richest and most interesting in several years. While we’ll miss out on some fun shows and famous people — Kristen Davis (of Sex & the City fame), Kevin Spacey, and Angela Lansbury will all have finished their shows before we arrive — we will have so much more to work with this year by going in July.
First, there are the plays we will most likely see as a group: Titus Andronicus at the Globe Theatre is a must see, of course, for all the gore, but also because it is so rarely produced. We will also have the chance to see a version of Euripides’s Medea at the National Theatre, one of the most wonderful stages in the world. One of the major Greek tragedies, Medea explores questions of love and betrayal, and the lengths that one woman will go when cast aside by the man she loves.
We may also have the wonderful opportunity to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a stunning adaptation of Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel. The story follows Christopher, a boy on the autism spectrum, as he attempts to uncover the mystery of how his neighbor’s dog was killed. Using his powers of deductions, and relying on his uber-methodical sleuth-mentor Sherlock Holmes, Christopher strikes out on a path of questions and observations that ultimately shake his faith in the people he knows. You simply won’t believe how amazing this play is, situated in the reliable logics of mathematics and inductive reasoning!
But beyond the group plays, you also have a world of theatre opportunities that you shouldn’t miss out on. If you’re a fan of Henry VIII and the world that gave rise to this famous king, then you might enjoy seeing this summer’s stage adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bringing Up the Bones; both are on at the Aldwych Theatre.
The Harold Pinter Theatre offers us Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, a classic comedy about manners and anything-but. If you can’t get a good laugh out of Earnest, well, there’s simply no hope for you! If more serious theatre, and the delightful Bill Nighy, are more your taste, however, you might want to get tickets to the revival of David Hare’s Skylight at the wonderful Wyndham’s Theatre in the very heart of Soho/Leicester Square.
But if more fun and frivolity are you thing, be sure to check out the hilarious and comical Matilda, the sweet musical that stole all the big awards two years ago. Based on Roald Dahl’s famous novel for children, Matilda ones again shows that love and compassion always conquer fear, hatred, and deceit. One of the most beautiful songs from Matilda is “When I Grow Up,” a must-see on stage!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kdj_wLH7Unc
