The Laurence Olivier Awards 2008

Do you want to get free theatre tickets and have a say in the Laurence Olivier Awards 2008? Well now's your chance! The Society of London Theatre are looking for people to attend and judge shows in 2007 and the Society will provide a free pair of tickets for each show they ask you to judge. You could be asked to attend upto 60 performances in the year, so I guess living in or near London would help. You need to complete an application form and provide a critique of a recent show. Full details are available on the Official London Theatre website.

Theatre Museum, Covent Garden Looks Set To Close

Despite a campaign to keep the Theatre Museum in Covent Garden open, it looks now like it will have to close. High profile actors are still trying to keep the Museum open but it looks like the contents of the Museum wil be moved to an existing Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington. The Independent Online carries a fuller story.

Alan Bennett's The History Boys Out On Film In October 2006

Like their first film collaboration, the Oscar-nominated, BAFTA-winning feature The Madness of King George, director Nicholas Hytner’s and screenwriter Alan Bennett’s The History Boys began life at London’s National Theatre where Hytner is Artistic Director. The History Boys opened in May of 2004 and following a sold-out run, went on to win numerous prizes. After a hugely successful regional and world tour, in April 2005, The History Boys took Broadway by storm, selling out performances and sweeping a grand total of six Tony Awards.

As in the original National Theatre production, the film’s cast is led by Richard Griffiths, Clive Merrison, Frances de la Tour, and Stephen Campbell Moore, with Sacha Dhawan, Samuel Anderson, Dominic Cooper, Andrew Knott, Samuel Barnett, Russell Tovey, Jamie Parker and James Corden reprising their roles as the boys. New characters in Alan Bennett’s film adaptation are Penelope Wilton as the art teacher Mrs. Bibby, Adrian Scarborough as the Physical Education teacher Mr. Wilkes, and Georgia Taylor as Fiona, the Headmaster’s alluring secretary.

The History Boys was filmed over a period of six weeks on location in England in Watford and Yorkshire.

You can find out more about The History Boys by visiting amdram.co.uk's new Film Section.

Trevor Nunn Doesn't Care About How You Solve A Problem Like Maria!

Trevor Nunn (who has directed musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber) has publically spoken out against the "reality" TV show "How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria". Trevor Nunn will be directing Ian McKellen in King Lear at the RSC in March 2007 and says he has no plans to run "auditions" for any of his shows in the style of the TV programme.