Stage: Balance

The Theatre Royal Brighton continues to programme for all tastes

It may not be obvious why a theatre the size of Brighton’s historic Theatre Royal offers such a diverse range of entertainments, from one nighters to extended seasons, from ballet, contemporary dance and opera to hit juke-box musicals, from Shakespeare and cutting edge new drama to classic farce and comedy. There is a reason, though, and for all those who poo-poo the very commercial productions that they bring to town, it’s time to get real.

The Theatre Royal is a commercial enterprise, dependent upon ticket sales – bums on seats, to be blunt – if it is to survive. For every crowd pleasing musical and West End blockbuster that fills the place for a week, they have the neccessary income to support those less popular shows, shows that many of us really want to see. No crowd pleasers, none of the more interesting but less commercial material. It’s as simple as that and I applaud them for it.

2015 has, as usual, a diverse programme of crowd pleasers and stimulating new works. Rambert Dance Company are back with Rooster, Moscow City Ballet present the classics The Nutcracker and Swan Lake and Ellen Kent returns with Rigaletto and Madame Butterfly.

Peter James’ best selling Dead Simple is staged and stars Tina Hobley, a sure fire sell out for the city’s favourite author once again.

If you like your theatre loud and raucous then Return to the Forbidden Planet, the rock ‘n’ roll Tempest returns once more; if you crave disco, then why not try the new musical version of Saturday Night Fever?
The nation’s favourite play The History Boys is back too, Alan Bennett at his very best, and Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia is a masterly work that explores the delicate relationship between the past and the present. This is a new collaboration between Theatre Royal Brighton Productions and English Touring Theatre and is directed by Blanche McIntyre, hailed as one of theatre’s hottest new directors.

My top tip is A Mad World, My Masters, Sean Foley’s updating to 1956 of Thomas Middleton’s Jacobean romp.
For full details of all shows, visit www.atgtickets.com