Six Actors in Search of a Director

Dracula

The time is 1897. Mankind is on the cusp of vast technological change, scientific mastery and media innovation. As a new shadow looms over England, a small group of young men and women, led by Professor Van Helsing, are plunged into an epic struggle for survival. Blackeyed Theatre brings Bram Stoker’s timeless gothic thriller to the stage in a thrilling new adaptation by Nick Lane, showcasing their trademark ensemble performance style and featuring a haunting soundscape, powerful performances and innovative design for an exhilarating theatrical experience.

The Poltergeist

Sasha (Joseph Potter) was destined to take the art world by storm. At the age of fifteen pop stars wanted his paintings, and a new exhibition was going to make him a millionaire. But now he lives in a run-down flat with his out-of-work boyfriend, serves in a stationers, and no one’s even heard of him… what went wrong? Philip Ridley’s darkly comic new play is about art, family, memory, and being haunted by the life we never lived.

Tarantula

It’s a sunny, spring day in East London. On a street corner, two teenagers kiss. One of them is Toni (Georgie Henley). This is her first kiss. It makes her very happy. But someone is watching. Someone who doesn’t care about her happiness at all. And they’re about to change Toni’s life… forever. Philip Ridley’s thrilling new play is a startling exploration of identity, memory, love, and the lengths it takes someone to free themselves from the web of their past

The Wind in the Willows: The Musical

The hit British musical by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, featuring music and lyrics by Olivier-award winning composer George Stiles and lyricist Anthony Drewe. Join Ratty, Badger, Mole and the impulsive Toad on their crazy adventures spiralling from Toad's insatiable need for speed! Featuring eye-popping design, exuberant choreography and a glorious score, this spectacular show is full of comedy, heart and thrills.

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World

Blurring a true crime podcast with a thrilling ride down the rabbit hole of Wikipedia, Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World delves into the unsolved murder of Iranian pop star Fereydoun Farrokhzad. Javaad Alipoor’s gripping production explores violence, digital culture and postcolonialism, revealing the limits of search engines in solving a decades old case.

All's Well That Ends Well

Set against the backdrop of the First World War, this Stratford Festival production reimagines Shakespeare’s comedy of unrequited love. In a daring adaptation by Scott Wentworth, Helen will go to any lengths to win the acceptance of the man she loves. Filmed live at the Tom Patterson Theatre in September 2022, this version explores the moral ambiguities in Shakespeare’s classic tale of devotion.

Hamlet

This bold adaptation of Shakespeare’s iconic tragedy explores identity, family, and revenge through a modern lens. Directed by Peter Pasyk and starring Amaka Umeh, the first artist of African descent and liminal gender experience to portray Hamlet at the Stratford Festival, this production shines a light on contemporary issues of selfhood and morality. Captured live at the Festival Theatre in October 2022.

1939

Co-written by Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan, 1939 follows a group of Indigenous students in Canada staging a performance of Shakespeare’s All’s Well That Ends Well for the visit of King George VI. When they find parallels between themselves and the characters in the play, far from letting themselves be defined by colonial expectations, they set out to make Shakespeare’s bitter-sweet comedy defiantly their own. Captured live at Stratford Festival, 2022.

Henry VIII

Stratford Festival presents Shakespeare’s Henry VIII, a searing drama about one of England’s most romantic yet brutal periods. When King Henry falls for Anne Boleyn, he must somehow divorce Queen Katherine. The consequences will be momentous for the country – and disastrous for the king’s adviser, Cardinal Wolsey, who is losing his grip on power. Captured live at Stratford Festival’s Studio Theatre in 2019.

Othello

Rumours feed irrational jealousy in Shakespeare’s gripping psychological drama, filmed at the Stratford Festival in 2019. Othello and Desdemona defy racial prejudice by marrying, but deadly malice lurks where they least expect it. Nigel Shawn Williams’ contemporary adaptation exposes the racism and misogyny at the heart of this tragic tale.