Funding Threat as theatre company starts its second quarter-century.

Birmingham Rep are building up to their production of Philip Pullman's HIS DARK MATERIALS. In the version by Nicholas Wright, the production opens on Friday 13th March and runs till April 18th. This is a huge undertaking for the Rep but should be exciting in the Rep's large acting space. Details below are from the Rep's press release.

The consortium of the UK’s leading street arts festivals, confirms significant Arts Council England backing for a third year Seven commissions announced, including new work from Balletboyz II, NoFit State Circus and Punchdrunk First premiere 25 May in Castles in the Air, Penrith.

Ambassador Theatre Grup (ATG) owns some of the premium touring theatres round the country, including theatres in Woking, Richmond, Brighton, Bromley, Milton Keynes, Stoke-on-Trent and Glasgow. They're a major presence in London too, with the Donmar Warehouse, Trafalgar Studios, Duke of Yorks and Comedy Theatres among others. In a new deal costing some £90 million pounds ATG has acquired Live Nation's UK Theatres. This includes some capacious auditoria - Edinburgh Playhouse; The Auditorium, Grimsby; Liverpool Empire; Bristol Hippodrome; The Palace …

Dublin MACBETH: William Shakespeare. Abbey Theatre, 26/27 Lower Abbey Street, Dublin 1, until 15th May 2010 Mon-Sat Evening 7.30pm Sat Matinee 2pm Audio-described Sat 15 May 2pm. Runs 2hr 30min including interval. TICKETS: + 353 (0) 1 87 87 222 . www.abbeytheatre.ie Review: John McKeown April 21st . Dark tale with cheek and subtlety

After 58 years, at last they're letting is know what's been going on out of sight. Before the Library Theatre leaves for a peripatetic phase and ultimate installation in a new central Manchester home, they're holding a couple of Open (Half-)Days with a chance to view areas where a production is made and a performance controlled. These are the details:

Info about a new play at London's New End Theatre - 9th to 19th March, 2011 74 Georgia Avenue

FREE EVENTS PROGRAMME IN PECKHAM AT ROYAL COURT ’S THEATRE LOCAL, THE BUSSEY BUILDING . The Royal Court’s Theatre Local which opened to a sold-out run of debbie tucker greens new play truth and reconciliation, will host a series of free events and workshops showcasing local talent at The Bussey Building, Peckham from 24 Oct – 24 Nov. Renowned Spoken Word and Peckham based artist Inua Ellams will headline an evening of spoken word featuring a line-up of new local …

Exciting opportunity for choreographers at Wilton's Music Hall.

Freedom for its Citizens is rapidly disappearing in Turkey. What follows is part of a statement recently issued by the International Association of Theatre Critics. Worrying times . . .

The RSC's Queen Anne, reviewed here in December 2015, is going into the West End.

Apologies for our recent absence. Central servers have been upgraded and put everything off-line for a ouple of days. Bute we're back. Thaks for staying with us.

Nottingham. OUR COUNTRY’S GOOD: Timberlake Wertenbaker. 4Stars**** Nottingham Playhouse. www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk. Runs: 3h 0m: one interval: till 24th March. Performance times 7.30pm (matinées 1.30pm Thurs 15th and 22nd, 2.30pm Sat 24th). Audio Described at all performances. Review: Alan Geary: 13th March 2018. Splendid play. Fine production.

Shock closure of Derby Playhouse. We have been talking recently with Al Geary about Derby Playhouse rumours. Here's his on the spot, late night, note about what happened when he went to the opening night of Treasure Island . . .