Friday 28 February 2014

The Mistress Contract

Royal Court
26 February

There is a glass house
in the desert where
they carve their own
contract of coupling,
and the terms
of compensation;
sit there in the dark,
drink wine, make love,
safe in the strictures
of their love evasion.


The Mistress Contract runs at the Royal Court until 22 March
http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/the-mistress-contract

Tuesday 25 February 2014

Orlando

Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
24 February 

Here are time’s whippet fingers
running on, lifting the boy
who lies beneath the bowing oak tree
casting rhymes;
he barely breathes
before she has him by the ankles,
twirling his stockings,
barely a breath or rosebud kiss
upon his lover’s cheek,
a rush of ice beneath his feet
as he sweeps down the frozen river
to the sea, before
the last few seconds of the century
usher him on, a woman now,
learning the artfulness
of her own body
and the tricks that time may yet
have up her sleeve,
tugging her bodice, pulling her up
and on, into a circle, spinning,
lamp-lit, and the stark realisation
of the present moment.



Orlando runs at the Manchester Royal Exchange until 22 March
http://www.royalexchange.co.uk/event.aspx?id=778

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Ellen Terry with Eileen Atkins

Sam Wanamer Playhouse, Shakespeare's Globe
16 February

By golden candlelight
they tumble out: 
women of heart and wit;
weedy Ophelia, Viola pale,
cleverest Portia,
Beatrice strong as steel.


Ellen Terry with Eileen Atkins ran in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse at Shakespeare's Globe from 11 January - 13 February
http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/theatre/whats-on/sam-wanamaker-playhouse/ellen-terry-with-eileen-atkins

The Robbers

New Diorama
15 February
Bandits and shoe-boozers,
burning brains and writing up
the body count.
 

 Robbers by The Faction runs at New Diorama until 22 February

Saturday 15 February 2014

Gorilla

Polka Theatre
12 February

By night they go,
girl and gorilla, hat
and coat, into a city
of glittering windows,
tree tops, picnics
of cherries
and moonlight.
 

Gorilla runs at the Polka Theatre until 15 February

Thursday 13 February 2014

The Hotel Plays

The Langham
12 February
Pink Bedroom
Pale pink, this love nest
where love has wallowed, waited,
and wasted away.
 

Green Eyes
Drink from the bottle,
try to understand the cuts
on her legs, the lies.
 

Sunburst
She is at anchor,
washed up on pillows, wearing
her fate on a finger.



The Hotel Plays by Defibrillator Theatre 
run at the Langham Hotel until 9 March
www.thehotelplays.co.uk

Monday 10 February 2014

Brand New Ancients

Southbank Centre
29 January

Thursday, the sky is heavy
and the river slow;
two brothers kick up dust
and waste their time
as they grow up like gods
down on the streets,
strangers to themselves,
spinning their stories.


Brand New Ancients by Kate Tempest is now on a national tour until 20 April
http://brandnewancientstour.com/