xlO48

Theatre
Woman In Mind
The REP, Birmingham, Fri 13 - Sat 28 June
Mention Alan Ayckbourn and a list of brilliant observational comedies
springs readily to mind, including classics such as Season’s Greetings,
The Norman Conquests and Absurd Person Singular.
Although not as famous as the aforementioned offerings, Woman In
Mind certainly deserves to keep company with them in terms of its
quality, and is widely regarded as one of the playwright’s most affecting
works. Premiered in 1985 and marking Ayckbourn’s first use of
first-person narrative and a subjective viewpoint, it tells the story of
vicar’s wife Susan, whose best way of escaping the challenges of her
real-life family is to create a fantasy one. But when her two worlds
begin to overlap, it soon becomes evident that Susan is beginning to
unravel...
The Rape Of Lucrece
The Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon,
Mon 23 June - Fri 4 July
The Rape of Lucrece is a brilliant, brutal narrative
poem giving an account of the terrible crime of rape
and its dreadful consequences for victim and perpetrator.
As ever, Shakespeare goes beyond the obvious,
following the ramifications of the crime wherever
they take him, and in so doing shining a light on a
level of human behaviour that encompasses both
the bestial and the beautiful. This particular version
of Shakespeare’s famous work is described as ‘an
hypnotic evening of song and storytelling’, and stars
internationally acclaimed singer Camille O'Sullivan.
Propeller Theatre
New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham, Tues 3 - Sat 7 June
Mask work, animation, and both classic and modern film and music have all influenced
the work of the Worcestershire-based Propeller Theatre, a talented all-male
ensemble who seek to find ‘a more engaging way of expressing Shakespeare’. Having
toured extensively across the globe and bagged numerous awards for their highenergy
endeavours, the company is this month visiting Birmingham with a double-bill
of Shakespeare comedies - A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy Of Errors.
www.whatsonlive.co.uk 27