Conversations, dispatches and ideas from the Bush Theatre.
The Bush Theatre will reopen in March 2017 with two, fully-accessible spaces: the Theatre and the Studio. The venue will open with a series of special events (“Making Space”) in March to include Black Lives, Black Words.
The currently announced season of work runs Apr-Nov 2017.
“With the global political context shifting, and the emergence of pervasive right wing politics, it’s more important than ever that artists and theatres agitate as well as entertain.” – Madani Younis
Guards at the Taj by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph opens the Theatre. It will be directed by Jamie Lloyd and designed by Soutra Gilmour. Barney Norris returns to the Bush, following the success of Visitors, with his rural touring company Up in Arms, for a new play called While We’re Here about a town full of memories. This will open the Studio.
The European premiere of Hir by Taylor Mac battles against domestic patriarchy in mid-west America. It will be directed by Nadia Fall who returns to the Bush after Disgraced. Nassim Soleimanpour, who’s taking Broadway by storm with White Rabbit Red Rabbit, will be on stage for the first time with the self-titled Nassim in the Studio.
A co-production with Sheffield Theatres, Of Kith and Kin by Chris Thompson concludes work in the Theatre. Everyone knows you can choose who your friends are. This production gets to the heart of what happens when you can choose your family too. Lastly, Sophie Wu’s witty play Ramona Tells Jim is about the gravity of young love and confession.
We’ve appointed three new Associate Artists on attachment to the Studio: Milk Presents, Deafinitely Theatre and ANTLER. Milk Presents make daring, accessible performance that transcends gender and sexuality. He company is made up of artists Ruby Glaskin, Adam Robertson and Lucy J Skilbeck. Deafinitely Theatre is an independent, professional Deaf-led company. ANTLER is an award-winning company, telling stories through theatre and film.
The Associate Artists will work alongside three Project 2036 practitioners – a programme that will offer a Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BAMER) playwright, director and producer a £10,000 bursary each year. Supported by the Leverhulme Trust, the first intake of artists is: Alison Holder (Producer), Rikki Henry (Director) and Hannah Khalil (Playwright).
These artists join our Emerging Writers’ Group (EWG). It aims to support writers over a sustained period of time and help encourage work on a new full length play. Class of 2016 EWG are:
