Sheffield Theatres have just announced details of their Spring/Summer season for 2013, which features Artistic Director Daniel Evans’ now trademark mix of big names and new talent with a focus on, and commitment to, art in the local region.
It’s worth noting that the Studio will be devoted entirely to premiering brand new productions, and that the tradition of holding a season of plays by the same writer (following the Michael Frayn and David Hare seasons of recent years) will not be repeated this time around; though Evans has said that this idea has not been shelved, rather moved to a new spot towards the end of the year.
The season begins with the previously announced production of The Full Monty, a new version of the hit 1997 film set in Sheffield. The film’s original scriptwriter Simon Beaufoy has also written the screenplay for the 2013 version, and Daniel Evans will direct a large cast including Kenny Doughty, Keiran O’Brien and Sidney Cole. The stripping steelworkers then tour the country following their residence at the Lyceum.
Also in February, the Crucible’s intimate Studio space will premiere Bull, the latest play from Mike Bartlett, which represents a real coup for Sheffield. The exciting young director Clare Lizzimore returns to the Crucible to helm Bull, following her excellent work on One Day When We Were Young last year as part of the Paines Plough Roundabout season.
The two major revivals this season are of works by DH Lawrence and Alan Bennett. For the former, Lynda Baron and Claire Price will take centre stage in March for a new version of The Daughter In Law, which sees the Crucible’s Associate Director Paul Miller direct Lawrence’s tale of a disintegrating family in a Derbyshire pit town. Alan Bennett’s The History Boys follows at the end of May – no cast has been announced yet, but Michael Longhurst will direct, fresh from directing Jake Gyllenhaal on Broadway.
Rounding off the season are two more intimate shows in the Crucible’s Studio. The intriguingly titled 20 Tiny Plays About Sheffield opens in April and sees the return of Sheffield’s People’s Theatre who promise, as the title suggests, 20 five-minute productions all about the Steel City. Finally, This Is My Family is a new musical comedy from Tim Firth, the man behind the phenomenon that is Calendar Girls. Daniel Evans will direct a cast including Janie Dee, Sian Phillips and Bill Champion.
For further details visit the Sheffield Theatres website.
