10:23am Thursday 29th July 2010
By Lorelei Reddin
PUNCHY dialogue and dry one-liners mark the start of the new autumn season at The Nuffield in a UK premiere of hazardously funny one-act Comedies By Woody Allen (September 22 to October 9), directed by The Nuffield’s artistic director Patrick Sandford.
These gloriously imaginative short plays about storytelling and wicked relationships – both in and out of marriage – brilliantly balance irony, savagery and laughter with Allen’s trademark wit.
English Touring theatre return to the theatre following last season’s hugely popular The Hypochondriac, with Rum and Coca Cola (October 13 to 16) directed by Rising Damp’s ‘Philip’ – Don Warrington. Let this gently humorous, bittersweet tale transport you to the beautiful island paradise of Trinidad, and the fiery heat of the Caribbean sun.
Take an extraordinary journey through an intoxicating world as the award-winning Gecko, fresh from an international tour, reinvent Gogol’s famous short story The Overcoat (October 19 to 23) – a blend of bold physicality, beautiful images, evocative music and dramatic storytelling.
Max Stafford Clark’s acclaimed company Out of Joint return with a sharp, boisterous and witty thriller The Big Fellah (October 26 to 30). Set among Irish Americans in New York, this dark and funny new play comes from the award-winning writer Richard Bean, and follows his Oliver-nominated comedy England People Very Nice for The National Theatre.
Other main house highlights this autumn include: The Meeting (November 2 and 3) – a dramatic tale that will take you right to the heart of the civil rights movement and to the centre of a debate that still rages today, Love Is In The Air (November 9) – an innovative new production that combines film, aerial work and music with the traditional form of Bharatanatyam dance and The Missionary’s Position (November 13) – an outrageous and flamboyant true story about one of England’s great eccentrics.
The theatre presents two site specific performances this season: Clod Ensemble present Under Glass (November 4 to 6), an enthralling performance in which a collection of human beings are contained in a series of glass jars and cabinets on The Nuffield’s Main Stage, and Look Left, Look Right – who charmed audiences with The Caravan last year – return with Counted? (October 13 to 15), a play about British democracy, performed in the stunning historic setting of the Bargate Monument.
Shows in the Studio include the return of Apples & Snakes’ bi-monthly performance poetry night 451 and the fast-paced spoof horror Is That A Bolt In Your Neck? (September 20 to 22) from critically acclaimed comedy trio Gonzo Moose. Other highlights include Etiquette (October 18 to 22 and 25 to 29), a theatre experience for just two people at a time, and Al Bowlly’s Croon Manifesto (November 22 to 24) a rip-roaring evening of 1930s music, theatre and dance!
Children’s shows to entertain the little ones include Blitz (October 30 and 31), which will see the Nuffield Studio transformed into the Blitz ravaged Britain of 1942, and a busy season of comedy sees some of the hottest names on the circuit, including Robin Ince (October 10), Julian Clary (October 17), Jeremy Hardy (October 31), John Shuttleworth (November 7) and Brendon Burns (November 14).
The season finishes with Dickens' festive family favourite A Christmas Carol (November 25 to January 8).
Tickets: 023 8067 1771 or visit nuffieldtheatre.co.uk.
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