Features

Letters from the front: My Real War

monday 3 december

A continuing series of undiscovered works from World War I continues at Covent Garden's Tristan Bates Theatre with My Real War 1914-?, adapted from letters written by a young officer who was killed in 1916, opening on 3 December for a run to 8 December only.
Box Office: 020 7240 6283

tuesday 4 december

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays the title role in Othello, opposite Ewan McGregor as Iago, in Michael Grandage's new production of Shakespeare's tragedy of political ambition and sexual jealousy, opening at the Donmar Warehouse tonight (following previews from 29 November). Also in the cast is Kelly Reilly, returning to the Donmar where she last appeared in After Miss Julie, as Desdemona.
Box Office: 0870 060 6624

wednesday 5 december

The RSC presents the premiere of God in Ruins, a new commission written and directed by Anthony Neilson, opening tonight at Soho Theatre (following previews from 29 November), for a run to 5 January. Billed as "A Christmas Carol for the internet generation", it revolves around the Christmases of 11 single men who, according to Neilson, "are slaughtered by about 10pm on Christmas Eve and have nothing to look forward to on the day itself but several hours of self-recrimination, internet surfing and First-Person shooting".
Box office: 0870 429 6883

Sanity clause: Everett Quinton

friday 7 december

Everett Quinton of New York's Ridiculous Theatrical Company returns to London in Bitch Slapped by God, opening at the Drill Hall tonight (following previews from 5 December), for a run to 6 January. Described as a Christmas show like no other – "more rantomime than pantomime" – it interweaves a protest march by a million Santas, their mass-murder by the CIA and a host of nursery-rhyme characters into its satire of the Bush administration.
Box Office: 020 7307 5060

ALSO TONIGHT: Southwark's Union Theatre presents the 10th anniversary Union of Shorts, reviving five plays from their previous annual seasons of new writing, opening tonight (following previews from 5 December) for a run to 12 January.
Box Office: 020 7261 9876

saturday 8 december

Chichester Festival Theatre's highly acclaimed production of David Edgar's two-part adaptation of Dickens' The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby transfers to the West End's Gielgud Theatre, opening today (following previews from 5 December), for a run in rep to 27 January. Daniel Weyman plays the title role, with David Dawson as Smike, under the direction of Jonathan Church and Philip Franks.
Box Office: 0870 950 0915

monday 10 december

Rainer Werner Fassbinder's cult film classic The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, previously brought to the stage as an opera at ENO, is now staged in a site-specific environment at Southwark Playhouse, opening tonight (following previews from 6 December). This modern tragedy of power, desire and obsession is directed by Yvonne McDevitt and presented in a translation by David Tushingham.
Box Office: 08700 601 761

Christmas classic: Jane Horrocks

tuesday 11 december

Alan Ayckbourn's Christmas comedy classic Absurd Person Singular – first seen in 1972 – returns to the West End, opening tonight at the Garrick Theatre (following previews from 27 November), with a cast that includes Jane Horrocks, Jenny Seagrove, Lia Williams, John Gordon Sinclair, David Bamber and David Horovich. They play three married couples observed on successive Christmas Eves.
Box Office: 0870 890 1104

ALSO TONIGHT: the Menier Chocolate Factory’' production of Dealer's Choice, which opened there in October, transfers to the West End's Trafalgar Studios tonight (following previews from 6 December), with Samuel West directing a cast that includes Only Fools and Horses and The Vicar of Dibley star Roger Lloyd Pack, Samuel Barnett (Posner from the original production of The History Boys) and Malcolm Sinclair in a play that revolves around a weekly friendly poker game that doesn't turn out quite so friendly.
Box Office: 0870 060 6632

AND: Canada based The 7 Fingers, former members of Cirque du Soleil, bring LOFT, a whirlwind of trapeze, contortion, aerial acrobatics, dance, song and music to the Roundhouse from tonight (following previews from 6 December), for a run to 30 December.
Box office: 0870 389 1846

Puppet mayhem: Avenue Q

wednesday 12 december

Booking opens today for Get Into London Theatre's annual celebratory promotion, offering discounted tickets, some for as little as £15, on a range of musicals, comedies, dramas, ballet and opera. Participating shows include Avenue Q, Monty Python's Spamalot and The Lord of The Rings alongside plays such as The 39 Steps and Swimming With Sharks.
Ticket Hotline: 0871 230 1554

monday 17 december

The Broadway musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' The Mystery of Edwin Drood is revived in a new production at Croydon's Warehouse Theatre, opening tonight (following previews from 14 December), for a run to 24 February. Musical director Stefan Bednarczyk also plays the role of the chairman, who introduces the scenes and invites the audience to vote to decide the denouement of the unresolved drama.
Box Office: 020 8680 4060

Zoe Wanamaker and Simon Russell Beale

tuesday 18 december

Zoe Wanamaker and Simon Russell Beale are a middle-aged Beatrice and Benedick in Nicholas Hytner's new production of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, opening at the National's Olivier Theatre tonight (following previews from 10 December). The cast also includes Susannah Fielding as Hero.
Box Office: 020 7452 3000

ALSO TONIGHT: Highgate's Upstairs at the Gatehouse presents its annual Christmas musical, with Racky Plews directing and choreographing a stage version of The Young Ones, opening tonight (following previews from 15 December) for a run to 27 January. Best known as a film that starred Cliff Richard, it features such songs as Livin' Doll, We Say Yeah and the title song.
Box Office: 020 8340 3488

thursday 20 december

Final return season for Alan Bennett's The History Boys begins performances at the West End's Wyndham's Theatre from tonight, with Desmond Barrit starring this time as Hector, the school teacher who coaches the boys in life as well as culture.
Box Office: 0870 950 0925

Battle of the sexes: The Woman Hater

friday 21 december

Richmond's Orange Tree presents the world premiere of Fanny Burney's 1802 play The Woman Hater, opening tonight (following previews from 19 December) for a run to 2 February. Burney was the most successful woman writer of her day whose first novel, published anonymously, became a best seller, as did her next three novels, although only one play of hers was produced during her lifetime.
Box Office: 020 8940 3633

(Interested? For more details and to book direct, go to the Useful Links in the right-hand column. To find more on pantos and seasonal shows in and around London, go to the links below)