There’s busy season ahead in the Merlin this autumn, packed with live music and drama, comedy, puppetry, and world-class screenings. Here’s the offer for the rest of September:
On Friday 14th September, a memorably evening of jazz is promised with the Ian Bellamy Quartet, a new super-group, featuring Bellamy on saxophone, Jason Rebello on piano, trumpeter and bassist Percy Pursglove and Mark Whitlam on drums in a programme featuring both well-loved standards and original material by Bellamy.
Drums take centre stage when Taiko Meantime return to the Merlin on Sunday 23rd September with their new Resonance tour, which explores how the vibrations of one instrument affects another; how the exuberance of a single player energises the whole group, and how the force of many performers together shake the audience both physically and emotionally, promising to be a feast for the ears, eyes and internal organs!
Fresh from BBC Radio 4 and BBC One, award-winning comedian and musician Vikki Stone combines both talents in a show which is a mixture of songs and stand-up on Friday 21st September.
Ian McKellen takes on the role of King Lear in Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy, screened live from the National Theatre on Thursday 27th September. Jonathan Munby directs this ‘nuanced and powerful’ (The Times) contemporary retelling of Shakespeare’s tender, violent, moving and shocking play. The RSC offer is in lighter mode, as Shakespeare’s popular comedy,The Merry Wives of Windsor, is screened on Thursday 13th September and John Falstaff (played by David Troughton) gets his come-uppance.
There’s a fresh approach to a well-known story when Box Tale Soup present The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde’s haunting story of evil, debauchery and scandal. The performance, on Wednesday 19th September, features puppetry and a powerful original soundtrack.
Look out for even more in October, with a trio of poets, comedian Phil Jupitus, Aida and Samson et Dalila from the New York Met, Royal Ballet screenings, children’s theatre, the Tree Conference 2018 and a performance of Journey’s End from Merlin Theatre Productions. Finally, don’t miss Pip Utton ‘At Home with William Shakespeare’ on October 24th.
Further details of all shows at www.merlin theatre.co.uk.
