Othello, Stratford-upon-Avon
Some of the cast from Polly Findlay’s current RSC production of The Merchant Of Venice reassemble to tackle Iqbal Khan’s revival of Shakespeare’s tragedy of betrayal and jealousy. This production is notable for not only having a black actor play the title role, but also that of the villainous Iago, who deceives Othello into believing that his wife Desdemona is unfaithful. Almost 20 years since he was last at the RSC in Faust and Julius Caesar, Hugh Quarshie returns to play the title role opposite Lucian Msamati – now best known as the mercenary Salladhor Saan in Game Of Thrones – who plays Iago. It will be intriguing to see what effect the casting of the leads has on the production and how it reimagines the play’s racial politics.
Royal Shakespeare Theatre, to 28 Aug
LG
The Motherfucker With The Hat, London
The Motherfucker With The Hat is about as far from Dr Seuss as you can get. Focusing on the volatile relationship between Jackie (played by Ricardo Chavira from Desperate Housewives), just out of jail and staying clean, and his childhood sweetheart Veronica, it’s a tale of love and addiction. Profane and funny, it won six Tony nominations on Broadway four years ago and comes from the pen of Stephen Adly Guirgis, whose Jesus Hopped The A Train played at the Donmar Warehouse in 2002, and who this year won a Pulitzer prize for Between Riverside And Crazy. Tricycle Theatre chief Indhu Rubasingham directs.
National Theatre: Lyttelton, SE1, Wed to 20 Aug
MC
Bianco, Cardiff
One of NoFitState’s most successful shows, this hugely enjoyable family promenade circus piece takes up residence in a big top next to the company’s headquarters in Cardiff, before heading off to Antwerp and Prague for the summer. It will definitely retain its potent raggle-taggle glamour and sense of magic, but even if you’ve caught this enduring show by this very fine British circus before, it’s sure to be worth a peep because there’ll be new acts and performers, giving this distinctive production a brand new spin.
Big Top on John Street, Fri to 27 Jun
LG
The Solid Life Of Sugar Water, Plymouth
Heading to the Edinburgh fringe this summer, the latest from the mightily talented Jack Thorne – who had a big hit for the Royal Court with his adaptation of Let The Right One In – is a collaboration with the wonderful Graeae, a company of disabled artists that is constantly pushing against expectations and at theatrical boundaries. Directed by Graeae associate Amit Sharma, it tells the story of Phil and Alice, a young couple whose lives have been hit by the tragedy of a stillbirth. Can their relationship ever recover or, forever haunted by the loss, will they spend their lives dancing around each other’s grief and be paralysed by an inability to speak with honesty about how they really feel?
Theatre Royal: The Drum, Mon to 13 Jun
LG
An Audience With Jimmy Savile, London
Is it too soon for a play about one of this country’s most prolific child molesters? Judge for yourself with An Audience With Jimmy Savile, starring impressionist Alistair McGowan as the twisted entertainer. It’s written by journalist and broadcaster Jonathan Maitland, whose Dead Sheep, about the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, also played at the Park Theatre recently. The writer, who argues that the public want to know why the scandal was allowed to happen, based his script on transcripts of interviews with victims, witness statements and official reports. “There are two sides to Savile and, whether you like it or not, the unpalatable truth is that he got to do what he did because, back then, he was entertaining and funny,” says Maitland. “He groomed the nation.”
Park Theatre, N4, Wed to 11 Jul
MC
Noises Off, Bolton
The relationship between theatres and universities is becoming increasingly close, as each party sees the opportunities that one can bring to the other. At Bolton, the relationship is more entwined than most, with current Octagon artistic director David Thacker stepping down to become the University of Bolton’s first professor of theatre. He’ll be back at the theatre directing two productions a year, but his swansong is Noises Off, Michael Frayn’s comic love letter to theatre itself. One of the funniest plays ever written, it’s a backstage farce that’s steeped in stage tradition and the larger-than-life characters of the theatrical profession. It’s a great choice for Thacker as he bids au revoir – if not a permanent farewell – to the theatre.
Octagon Theatre, to 4 Jul
LG
