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No country for old women: Old Ladies - at Finborough Theatre

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The day after seeing The Old Ladies at the Finborough Theatre , I was describing the play to someone in great detail: about three old ladies who lived in a rickety house in southern England in 1935. Based on Hugh Walpole’s novel and adapted by Rodney Ackland, it is the sort of story with enough believability, humour and mild thriller to stick in your mind. Perhaps it is the lure of this dark, forboding tale of a life without money, to be alone and to be old, that makes you feel attracted to this poverty porn. But then again, given the state of the world, the cost of living, an ageing population, or just the fact that it’s a dog-eat-dog world, it might as well be an every little old lady-for-herself, too. It’s a well-acted and staged piece that moves at a brisk pace, so there isn’t much time to think about it too much. And in the intimate (or should that be claustrophobic?) space of the Finborough, there’s nowhere to avert your eyes. Even if you wanted to.  The scene is a grim Cathe...

New cast photos: Shakespeare in Love


New cast photos from the production of Shakespeare in Love are out. The new cast took over at London’s Noel Coward Theatre on 12 January 2015.



The production’s second company stars Orlando James as Will Shakespeare opposite Eve Ponsonby as Viola De Lesseps.


Joining them in the cast, Nicholas Asbury plays Wessex, Neal Barry plays Henslowe, Richard Bremmer plays Tilney and Sir Robert De Lesseps.

Paul Brennen plays Fennyman, Suzanne Burden plays Queen Elizabeth, Ryan Donaldson plays Ned Alleyn, Edward Franklin plays Marlowe, Ncuti Gatwa plays Wabash, Gregg Lowe plays Sam, Andy McKeane plays Ralph, Peter Moreton plays Burbage, Joy Richardson plays Nurse, Charlie Tighe plays Nol and Stuart Wilde plays Webster.

The cast also includes Aaron Anthony, Jonno Davies, Peter Hannah, Nick Hart, Joshua Higgott, Sioned Jones, Sandy Murray, Ellie Nunn, Thomas Padden, Stevie Raine, Elliot Rennie and Florence Roberts.


The limited season ends 18 April 2015.

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