12:21pm Wednesday 9th January 2008
THE Nuffield, at Southampton, is promising an exciting spring/summer programme. The theatre has lined up a season of great variety, ranging from contemporary classics, musical theatre, adaptations of famous books, exciting hip-hop theatre, new plays, family favourites and comedy to children's shows and even vaudeville.
The season opens with The President's Holiday, an exciting new play by Penny Gold. Part political thriller, part family drama, this Nuffield/Hampstead Theatre co-production opens in London this month and then transfers directly to The Nuffield from February 20 to March 8.
Other highlights of the season include new Nuffield productions of the family favourite, James and the Giant Peach (April 10 to 26) and the American classic, A Streetcar Named Desire (May 15 to 31).
Visiting productions include Blonde Bombshells of 1943 (March 17 to March 22), which is packed with swing-band hits, and Spies (April 1 to 5), adapted from Michael Frayn's acclaimed novel, which tells an equally engaging story from World War II.
The season will also present productions by a number of companies new to Southampton. Theatre O make their first visit with Delirium (May 1 to 3), a compelling adaptation of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, co-commissioned by London's Barbican Theatre.
Also new to The Nuffield is Jonzi D Productions, with Tag...Just Writing My Name (June 5 to 7). Associate company of Sadler's Wells, Jonzi D, has been at the forefront of British hip-hop and rapping since the early 'Eighties.
Plays in the studio include No Obvious Trauma (March 11 to 12) by Southampton-based company, Unpacked, the Nuffield's production of Spoonface Steinberg (May 12 to 14), a beautiful play by Lee Hall, the writer of Billy Elliot, and contemporary vaudeville by Voodoo Vaudeville (April 18), described by critics as "weird, unpredictable, hysterical and unique".
A busy comedy season sees main-house stand-up performances by Mark Watson (Feb 10), Jason Byrne (March 2), Russell Howard (March 9), Lucy Porter (April 13) and Paul Shina and Ivan Brackenbury(April 27) alongside studio Comedy Bar gigs, where acts include Russell Kane, Andre Vincent, Dan Antopolski and Pappy's Fun Club. The Nuffield also offers Saturday morning children's theatre from February to April.
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