Letter from London: August 2006

I've been in London for about two months now. Moving to another country takes some adjustment, and I am still trying to master the seemingly random layout of streets and the idea that subways don't run 24 hours a day. I am also working on getting used to attending the theater sans air-conditioning and Playbills. On the other hand, I'll probably never get over my surprise and delight at the vast offering of theater in London.

Don't get me wrong. New York has been my home for almost 17 years, and I am a diehard fan of the New York City stage, but I am still shell-shocked or gob-smacked, if you will at both the quality of theater and the sheer number of productions in London. Theater is part of the fabric of the culture here; it is not just tourist fare. Knowing what's going on in the West End seems to be common knowledge among people of all ages—having incoming heavy hitters like Wicked and Dirty Dancing helps, no doubt. Another reason theater is part of the national conversation is likely because it is also part of primetime: the reality TV series The Play's The Thing resulted in the West End debut of first-time playwright Kate Betts' On the Third Day, and producer Andrew Lloyd Webber is turning to the masses read: TV audiences with How Do You Solve a Problem like Maria? to find a star for the upcoming production of The Sound of Music. I wonder if all casting will go this way, with spin-offs like How Do You Solve a Problem Like Sally Bowles? etc.

Remarkable Revivals
Two shows with indelible original productions have been given a fresh look this summer in their first West End revivals: Evita and Sunday in the Park with George. Both seem poised for Broadway.

Evita, the classic Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical explores the rise of Argentinian First Lady Eva Peron. For the most part, critics warmly welcomed Michael Grandage's Latin-tinged staging of the beloved piece. Of course, the story with this show is Elena Roger, the charismatic Argentine performer playing the iconic central character. Read more about the charming new star in Matt Wolf's Q&A. I think it gives the reader a real sense of this petite redhead's spark.

The unforgettable original production of Sunday in the Park with George, with Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters, holds a hallowed place in many theatergoers' hearts mine included. The West End transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory's moving production of Stephen Sondheim-James Lapine's mediation on pointillist painter Georges Seurat has managed to tighten and focus the musical without erasing what came before. There is a vulnerable quality to leads Daniel Evans and Jenna Russell that adds poignancy to the production. Inventive usage of video projection captures the vivid imagery without overwhelming the performers. Read more about Evans in Mark Shenton's Q&A with the star. You'll see how winning his honesty is.

Americans Abroad
Fortunately, the love affair between the West End and Broadway is still aflame, and there always seems to be a flow of productions across the Atlantic in both directions. Last season Broadway was rich with British-bred productions such as the Tony-winning The History Boys, John Doyle's staging of Sweeney Todd, Jonathan Kent's production of Brian Friel's Faith Healer with U.K. treasures Ralph Fiennes and Tony winner Ian McDiarmid—as well as star appearances by Eileen Atkins in Doubt and Jonathan Pryce in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. And let us not forget the imminent arrival of the original super nanny: Mary Poppins. The trend continues in the opposite direction with an American invasion of London. The Tony-winning musical Avenue Q began the most recent Yankee influx. American producers are now led by incomparable impresario Cameron Mackintosh to bring the distinctly New York show to the West End. Word of mouth remains rampant despite a less than warm welcome from theater critics here. If you can't get enough of this raunchy puppet show, check out our video and photo coverage of opening night as well as the Fresh Face on the delightful Jon Robyns, who plays Princeton and Rod. Other Americans in London include Patrick Swayze starring as Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls. Think he'll attend the opening of Dirty Dancing in the fall? I hope so! Juliette Lewis is making her West End debut in Sam Shepard's Fool for Love and Broadway regular Gavin Creel is flying into the West End's Mary Poppins.

As British as the Queen
If you like your British theater to be, well, British, breathe a sigh of relief; there is no dearth of offerings. Topping the list of hot tickets is Tom Stoppard's Rock 'N' Roll, starring Rufus Sewell, Sinead Cusack and Brian Cox. Hailed by critics who were seated amongst the likes of Mick Jagger, Cate Blanchett and Pink Floyd's David Gilmour at the press night, the show recently transferred from the Royal Court to the West End. If you prefer farce and who doesn't like to laugh?, Michael Frayn's Donkeys' Years and Philip King's See How They Run should fit the bill. If classic works are your bag, you have an abundance of riches from which to choose: there is nothing like seeing a play such as Antony and Cleopatra performed at Shakespeare's Globe on London's South Bank, and the bawdy entertainment of the Royal Shakespeare Company's The Canterbury Tales is much more fun that you might remember from reading it in school.

On the horizon are two American smash-hits: Wicked, starring Tony winner Idina Menzel, and the Tony-winning musical Spamalot. There is also serious fare such as Michael Sheen and Frank Langella headlining Frost/Nixon at the Donmar, the transfer of Voyage Round My Father with Derek Jacobi, and Kevin Spacey, recent Olivier Award winner Eve Best and Colm Meaney in A Moon for the Misbegotten at the Old Vic. And, of course, there's the biggest arts jamboree in the world: the Edinburgh Festival, which is going on right now. I'll go into more detail on all of this and so much more in my next letter, but if you haven't yet booked your flight to Old Blighty to catch these upcoming shows, what are you waiting for?

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