News, reviews, features and podcast on theatre across the UK
The British Theatre Guide Newsletter
No 1282: 20 September 2026
Editorial
It’s been a busy week at BTG this week, as you can see below.
My week began, as you can read in my feature, with a preview of the costume exhibition at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre, part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, the day before it was officially opened by the Duke of Edinburgh. I remember having the 10th anniversary leaflet on my bedroom wall, because that’s the kind of teenager I was, so there were plenty of reminiscences about past shows between me and other reviewers of a similar vintage, some of which we inflicted on the exhibition’s curator and the theatre’s current Artistic Director.
In the middle of the week, I had two interviews in one day for the podcast. The first was a lot of fun but isn’t yet released, so look out for that soon. The second was with the actors playing the title roles in a revival of the Kneehigh show from 2003 Tristan & Yseult, which is being revived by Emma Rice, the original director, with her namesake company.
John Leader and Nandi Bhebhe take on the roles of the protagonists in this 5,000-year-old Cornish love story. They reminded me of the story of a play I last saw 21 years ago and told me what it is like to be part of an Emma Rice production—I’ve yet to get to interview Rice herself, although I have tried.
After that, I made my first visit to Liverpool since the Council followed Manchester in changing their evening street parking from free to too expensive for me, but I was pointed to a nearby car park that was only double the cost of a bus into Manchester and back. But it was at the Royal Court, where they feed us as well, and it was the first stage adaptation of a film I loved back in 1985, so all worthwhile.
One article that felt very close to home is Steve Orme’s piece about a new theatre in Glossop, where I did a lot of amateur theatre in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. The building mentioned is where I helped to install temporary seating for a production of Guys and Dolls, carrying long scaffolding poles up two flights of stairs, on my 21st birthday, one of the shows I was in there. It will be very interesting to see what they make of it.
There has been a lot of doom-mongering about AI in the press lately: ex-employees of AI companies are promoting themselves as ‘truth-tellers’ about how AI will kill us all, while the AI companies themselves are not denying this but using it both as evidence of just how powerful their products are and to argue that they are the only ones who can save us if we let them self-regulate (would it be cynical to wonder whether some of these employees are as ex as they claim?)
There are huge benefits to modern AI technology, but obviously there are issues with how it is implemented. For one thing, the shortage of memory chips and electronic storage caused by them being gobbled up by AI companies means one of my computers now costs double what I paid for it just over two years ago. For creators, there is concern both that AI companies are feeding their works into the AI models without compensation or credit and that producers more interested in profit than true creativity will go straight to AI rather than human writers, artists, performers etc.
Playwright and screenwriter Jack Thorne, current President of the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain spoke about this in a speech at the South Bank Centre last weekend, and Philip Fisher has examined his arguments.
Finally, I was sad to read this week of the death of Stephanie Cole. I saw her once on stage give a lovely performance in Stella Feehily’s This May Hurt A Bit for Out of Joint, but, like many of you I’m sure, I’ve enjoyed a great many of her performances on TV.
The Manchester Royal Exchange Theatre's Mythic Reinvention exhibition looks back on its half century through a selection of costumes exhibited throughout the building.
Two people who have more than 20 years’ experience hosting theatre and comedy across the UK are opening the first professional theatre in the Derbyshire town of Glossop.
Nine days of art and live performances will be staged at venues and public spaces across Leicester city centre with the return of Journeys Festival International.
Revel Company Chordelia with Byre Theatre and Luminate at Byre Theatre, St Andrews
The Ballad of Johnny & June Trafalgar Theatre Productions, The Dodgers, Paul Dainty-TEG Dainty, Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor and La Jolla Playhouse at Leeds Grand Theatre
Private Peaceful (Joshua Beaumont and Matthew Emeny for The Production Garden in association with Exeter Northcott Theatre) - Harrogate Theatre, Harrogate, –
Iron (Best Girl Productions) - Hull Truck Theatre, Hull, –
The Haunting of Hill House (Wiltshire Creative in association with Theatr Clwyd) - Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury, –
The Haunting of Hill House (Mark Puddle with Alexander “Sandy” Marshall and Patrick Myles present a Wiltshire Creative production in association with Theatr Clwyd) - Salisbury Playhouse, Salisbury, –
When The Blackbird Sings (The Schwarzman Centre in collaboration with Creation Theatre) - The Stephen A Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities, Oxford, –
The Choir Of Man (Immersive Everywhere, Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Wendy & Andy Barnes and AK Theatricals) - Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, –
Waitress (Barry & Fran Weissler and David Ian for Crossroads Live) - Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes, –
