378 stories by "Nick Smurthwaite"
When Riverside Studios reopens its west London base in two years' time, following an extensive redevelopment costing up to £50 million, it
Young actors looking at Clive Francis today, still fit and funny and youthful at 70, must feel in awe of his extraordinarily
It is 25 years since the death of Peggy Ramsay. She was the eccentric doyenne of theatrical literary agents for nearly half
Penny Downie looks visibly shaken. "God, I'm not nearly interesting enough," she exclaims when I show her the amount of space her
The patron saint of mediocrity is back. Antonio Salieri returns to the National Theatre to do battle with his arch nemesis Wolfgang
Laurie Marsh is a one-off. Not only does he confound every known cliche about property tycoons, being highly cultured and tirelessly philanthropic,
Whether it's a severed head, a talking toilet or an exploding house you're after, prop-makers and special effects company Artem has seldom
Even as a child growing up in the 1960s, Matthew Lloyd was saddened to find that his ancestor, the celebrated Victorian music
Possibly because he has been absent from our shores for five years, you feel the extraordinary journey of Kwame Kwei-Armah, from a
Front of house is the first point of contact between the customer and the theatre. Every theatre manager knows that it is
Since it was established 60 years ago, the National Youth Theatre has provided a launchpad for, among others, Daniel Day-Lewis, Helen Mirren,
The National Youth Theatre is often described as the best drama school we never had, but it has always fulfilled a very
Not all rookie set designers struggle to earn a living. After he'd graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 1982
It was the indifference of local authorities in the post-war period to the fate of their old theatres that led to the
East Suffolk's HighTide Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with a programme of new plays, innovative comedy and special events that
One of regional theatre's longest-serving chief executives, Peter Wilson, leaves the Theatre Royal, Norwich, this December after 25 years. Don't imagine for
Though he grew up in what he calls an atmosphere of "cultural aspiration", Mark Dakin has had more than his fair share
Even for those at the top of their game, designing productions can be a precarious existence. Award-winning designer Max Jones tells Nick
It is 22 years since Malcolm McKee and Christopher Luscombe had the idea for The Shakespeare Revue, which started out as a
Tragedy and comedy jostle for position in the plays of Sean O'Casey. Though he took his inspiration from the harsh realities of
One of the UK's most prolific and accomplished sound designers, Rick Clarke started out as a roadie and mix engineer for the
Gawn Grainger was off to Tuscany to work on his memoirs when he got the call from his agent, saying: "How would
While he may not have attained household-name status, Alan Dossor, who has died aged 74, was a major influence on some of
Stephen Sondheim says there were two shows that shaped his professional life " West Side Story, of which everyone has heard, and
What he lacked in stature (5ft 5ins), US theatre owner and producer James M Nederlander Sr more than made up for in
