Centre Stage on What's Peen Seen?: Jack Thorne

BAFTA award-winning Jack Thorne is a writer for Film & TV, with series such as Shameless and Skins firmly under his belt. After making a brave switch to the London stage, his latest play Mydidae went down a treat at Soho Theatre. Having now transferred to Trafalgar Studios in London's West End, we've had a little chat with Jack to find out how he's feeling, the truth behind his latest superb project (we raved about it here) and we discover why he loves his job so much. 

(Oh, and psst, we have a competition going here until the 8th March 2013 for you to win a signed poster for this very production.)

Blackshaw New Writing Night

Written by: Adam Jay (@AdamJBJay)

Upstairs at The Horse, London

What is more brilliantly warming on a cold February evening than a collection of brand new writing? The evening of plays, poetry and comedy sketches was at The Horse pub in Lambeth, by the Blackshaw Social Club.

FEATURE: What should you do this Valentine's Day?

... or rather, Valentine's Week?! Well, fear not, because if you're stuck for plans then we've got the resource right here to help you decide where you should be heading, and which theatre show to see to settle that love-based undecidedness. There are some cracking shows for you to check out, so all you have to do is answer the questions in the flow chart below - and answer them honestly - to find out which one we here at What's Peen Seen? and our friends at ATG Tickets think you should head for! On top of that, we've put together a sizzling hot offer for you.

COMPETITION: Win two tickets to a production of Romeo & Juliet!

This week we’ve got another exciting competition for you to enter. We’re giving our readers a chance to win two tickets to The Hiraeth Artistic Production of the classic love story Romeo and Juliet at the theatre Upstairs at the Gatehouse.

Centre Stage on What's Peen Seen?: Zuri Warren

Encompass Productions are staging a brand new production of Who is Moloch? written by Pamela Carralero and directed by Zuri Warren, playing at the Press Play House for a limited run. Below, director Zuri Warren tells us all about his anxieties, inspirations and challenges. 

Centre Stage on What's Peen Seen?: Isley Lynn

Isley Lynn is a playwright and poet whose work has been produced and supported by National Theatre Studio, Nabokov, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Arcola, BAC and IdeasTap. This year, she received Special Commendation from the inaugural Soho Young Writers Award. She recently graduated from the Royal Court Young Writers Programme.

FEATURE: Ultimate Characters in Theatre

From the works of Shakespeare to that of Arthur Miller, theatre has been blessed with many a great character. The figures of Hamlet, John Proctor and Eliza Doolittle are driving forces in their plays’ storylines, and are essential to the success of the piece. Indeed, without fascinating and finely drawn characters, a play and musical might amount to nothing more than a flop. Here is a list of ten of our favourite characters from plays and musicals, both from Europe and across the pond (in no particular order).

Encompass Productions presents: Bare Essentials III: The Emerging Artists Showcase

Written by: Kirstie Ralph (@kjralph)

Press Play House, London

An enigmatic variety show is the latest instalment of Encompass Productions’ Bare Essentials trilogy. The Press Play House provided an ideal location for the “emerging artist showcase”, with its blank open space design and informal atmosphere.

BLOG: Char's Stars

Written by: Charlotte Lewis (@charlypie)

The first of a continuous blog outlining the shows I've seen recently that I thought deserved special recommendation. More than that, I rave about actors that you should know about and be keeping a watch out for, including those on stage and those due to tread the boards in the coming weeks.

Feature: What Not to Miss in 2013

After a tremendous 2012, we can only have high hopes for what’s to come in the year ahead. Below, you will find the West End shows that we urge you not to miss, and which we’re very excited about.

Feature: Best Shows of 2012

2012 has seen a phenomenal boom in a range of fantastic theatre productions being produced not only in the West End but around the country. To welcome in the New Year we take a look back at our selection of the best shows of 2012.

Viva Tonight, Viva Forever!: the doors of Piccadilly Theatre open to one of the most anticipated musicals in the past decade

A brand new musical, based on the multi-million selling music of The Spice Girls opens its doors to previews tonight. 

This has likely been one of the most anticipated musicals of the decade, and now we actually get to see it. After the case was announced a while back, rehearsals commenced and previews are running until 11th December when the musical officially opens.

RADAR 2012 at the Bush Theatre: New Writing Beyond Its Definition

Written by: Peeny (@AdamPeeny)

Where's Peen been?
Bush Theatre, London

RADAR 2012 has been a festival centered on ‘new writing’ at the Bush Theatre, which was aimed at being “a platform to lead us forward”. On the final night, a genuinely interesting and thought-provoking platform from beginning to end saw some great speakers at the peak of their career discussing what ‘new writing’ means and means to them, where it can go from here, and even how it came about in the first place.

Forced Entertainment's 'The Coming Storm' at BAC

This coming Friday, the 23rd November, see's a special double-bill of Forced Entertainment and Tim Etchell's work take over Battersea Arts Centre, as the venue stages both performances and fills itself with their neon signs, music, and some jazzy cocktails that you're sure to never have tried before. We'll certainly be heading along, and letting you know exactly what we thought, but figured you might be keen to get some tickets too. 

Encompass Productions presents Bare Essentials II: The Emerging Artists Showcase

Written by: Samantha Wynn 

Battersea Barge, London

Last Wednesday saw Encompass Productions present the second edition of their new writing event. With Encompass hosting the event and featuring their own work and performers throughout the evening, they also chose to sit back and leave the limelight to be filled by other companies and artists performing their latest work. If any of you attended the first edition of Bare Essentials, you will remember that the Barge almost sank to the bottom of the Thames with the amount of people turning out to support these up and coming artists. Only half the expected amount of audience members attended on this cold November evening, but it didn’t stop those who did attend to show a warm welcome and support of the new, innovative work.

Theatre Uncut: Brand New StART

This week (tomorrow!) brings you an overwhelmingly exciting event that we think you must know about. 

Here's the good news: our good friends, Look You Made Productions, have teamed up with Theatre Uncut (who we have previously raved about, a lot, right here) to bring you an evening of rehearsed readings from some chosen playwrights, which include the likes of Neil LaBute and Anders Lustgarten. 

RADAR 2012 at The Bush Theatre: One Idea That Could Change Our Theatrical Landscape

Written by: Tom Woods (@Thomas_E_Woods)

Bush Theatre, London

Wednesday the 7^th of November marked the start of the Bush Theatre’s RADAR 2012 platforms. Kicking off with ‘one idea that could change our theatrical landscape’ they run until the 22^nd of November, and include sneak peaks of some fantastic new writing. If you haven’t already, I cannot urge you strongly enough to get a ticket and attend.

Blackshaw New Writing Night

Written by: Caroline Mathias (@caroveraclare)

Upstairs at The Horse, London

Blackshaw have been running New Writing nights for nearly two years, and have developed a format for the evening that really works. The audience are given wristbands so we can pop out between pieces, and each performance is followed by an opportunity to give feedback – either written anonymously or spoken into a dictaphone; and writers can pose specific questions if they want to know more about their audience’s response. This evening the programme featured four theatre pieces, but poetry, novel extracts and music are all accepted for this bi-monthly event.

Royal Opera House Cinema Season 2012/13

The Royal Opera House has announced its Cinema Season for 2012/13 which will see as many as six operas and three ballets screened into over 700 cinemas in 22 countries. Exciting, right?

The RSC: Much Ado About Nothing at the Noël Coward Theatre - a Social Media Call

Photography: Char (@charlypie)

Last week, we sent one of our critics to the Noël Coward Theatre to find out all about The RSC's latest production, Much Ado About Nothing. What follow are some cracking images, to rouse your desire to see what is set to be a brilliant production.