EDWARD SHINES IN MUSICAL VERSION OF WILDE'S CLASSIC COMEDY

When Iqbal Khan’s dinky production switches to the countryside, the evening flowers into gorgeous bloom, revealing its best tunes and strongest performances. … The delightful Susie Blake as a guilt-etched Miss Prism steals the show twice; once alongside Edward Petherbridge’s wonderfully abstracted Dr Chasuble in a clever, cooing, emotionally coiled duet. (Read full review)

TELEGRAPH, 16/12/11

Susie Blake and Edward Petherbridge are sublimely funny as Prism and Chasuble, the latter all dotty distraction, the former a bulbous-eyed whirlwind of trapped novel-writing fervour. (Read full review)

INDEPENDENT, 19/12/11

The young lovers, Mark Edel-Hunt, Anya Murphy, Colin Ryan and Flora Spencer-Longhurst have their work cut out to hold their own against old hands Stefan Bednarczyk, Susie Blake and Edward Petherbridge. … It is the music that lifts this version of the old favourite from the very good to the outstanding. … Cecily's explanation of her instant falling for Algernon (‘Wicked’ is a high point, but even that is topped by Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble’s coy confession of late-blooming love (‘It All Began In A Garden’). (Read full review)

BROADWAYWORLD.COM,  14/12/11

Susie Blake and Edward Petherbridge as an adorable Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble really do great work, their duet ‘It All Began In A Garden’ is a delightfully sweet take on the birds and the bees. (Read full review)

THERE OUGHT TO BE CLOWNS, 14/12/11

Susie Blake and Edward Petherbridge as a delectable Miss Prism and Dr Chasuble were the undoubted stars of this show for me and brought the often overlooked emerging love between these two characters into wonderful full beam comedic light. I loved each and every moment they were on stage and their songs were simply perfect. Two great actors, enjoying themselves on stage with such a sense of fun is a pleasure to watch. (Read full review)

GSCENE.COM, 17/12/11

The stars of the evening are, without question, Susie Blake (Prism) and Edward Petherbridge (Chasuble) as the dotty and forlorn would-be-lovers. Their duet at the top of act two is, and would be, a showstopper in any production. (Read full review)

UK THEATRE WEB, 17/12/11

The duet ‘It All Began In A Garden’ is undoubtedly a highlight thanks to the delicious comedic marriage of Susie Blake as Miss Prism and Edward Petherbridge as Canon Chasuble. (Read full review)

WEST END WHINGERS, 22/12/11

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST: A NEW MUSICAL

Edward is currently rehearsing the part of Canon Chasuble in a new musical version of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. 

The book and lyrics are by Douglas Livingstone and the music by Adam McGuinness and Zia Moranne. The production is directed by Iqbal Khan who directed Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass, which is currently playing at the Vaudeville Theatre in London. The writer, broadcaster and former MP Gyles Brandreth is to play the part of Lady Bracknell.

The Importance of Being Earnest will run from 7 to 31 December at the Riverside Studios in Hammersmith. To see performance times and to book online, visit the theatre’s website.

This will be the third time Edward has appeared in what many regard as the most perfect comedy in English. He played Algernon Moncrieff in a New Zealand Players tour in 1958-9 and Dr Chasuble for the Actors’ Company in 1977.

LAND GIRLS AND DOCTORS

Edward has a guest role in series 3, episode 4 of Land Girls which airs on BBC One at 2.10 pm on Thursday 10 November. The episode is titled ‘Farewell My Lovely’ and Edward plays the part of Everard Proctor.


Edward will shortly appear in two episodes of another popular BBC One series, Doctors. The episodes are called ‘Great Expectations’ and ‘Crocodile Tears’ and Edward’s character is lawyer Bagley Grimsdale.

A CELEBRATION OF NICHOLAS NICKLEBY, 4 SEPTEMBER

On Sunday 4th September at 7.30pm in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, Edward and his wife Emily Richard will join David Edgar for A Celebration of the Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

Other cast members of the original production, who will take part, include David Thelfall, Suzanne Bertish, Christopher Benjamin, Janet Dale and Julie Peasgood.

The evening will comprise readings, chat, video excerpts and a brass quintet playing selections from Stephen Oliver’s wonderful score for Nicholas Nickleby.

Click here to book online through the RSC website.

INTERVIEW AND REVIEW RE SLIM CHANCES

Earlier in the week Edward recorded an audio interview for TheatreVoice in which he discussed his book Slim Chances and a number of his stage and television roles.

To hear the interview in full, follow this link. You can also download the mp3.

You can also read a review of Slim Chances published last Saturday on the British Theatre Guide website.

DREAMS AND CENSORSHIP, RADIO 3

If you missed this evening's airing on Radio 3 of David Pownall's 1993 play Dreams and Censorship, in which Edward plays William Shakespeare and Robert Stephens St John the Divine, you can 'listen again' by following this link.

There is still time, too, to hear Edward on last Wednesday's edition of Radio 4's Midweek. 

POST-SHOW DISCUSSION 14 JUNE

Following his sell-out solo Platform at the National Theatre, Edward (Tiresias in Sophocles' Antigone) will be on stage in the Main House at Southwark Playhouse to discuss and read excerpts from his newly published book Slim Chances and Unscheduled Appearances. 

Entry is free with a ticket to the performance on Tuesday 14 June 2011. The discussion will start at 9.30 p.m. after a short interval.

A book-signing will follow the event.

To book tickets for Antigone go online.

EDWARD ON BBC RADIO 4'S MIDWEEK

On Wednesday 25th May, Edward will be a guest on BBC Radio 4's Midweek, hosted by Libby Purves. He will be discussing his role in Antigone, which is currently running at Southwark Playhouse, and his recently published book Slim Chances.

The programme airs from 9.00 to 9.45 a.m. If you're unable to listen in at this time, or if you live outside the UK, you can 'listen again' on BBC iPlayer.

EDWARD AS TIRESIAS IN SOPHOCLES' ANTIGONE

Concurrent with his appearance in Coco at Sadler's Wells this summer, Edward is playing the part of the blind seer Tiresias in a new production of Sophocles' Antigone at Southwark Playhouse. The production is by Primavera and features a translation by Timberlake Wertenbaker.

Antigone is a play that speaks powerfully to each generation and which has previously been adapted by Cocteau, Anouilh, Brecht and Seamus Heaney, amongst others, and performed on one occasion by Nelson Mandela and his fellow inmates on Robben Island.

The production at Southwark runs until 18 June.

Performance times:
Monday to Saturday, 7.45pm
Saturday matinee, 3.15pm.

EDWARD IN COCO AT SADLER'S WELLS

Edward is appearing as Louis Greff in the European premiere of André Previn and Alan Jay Lerner's Coco as part of LOST MUSICALS 2011.

Coco is about Chanel’s dilemma as a woman in her 60s trying to maintain her reign as a leading designer in the youthful world of fashion. The original production opened on Broadway in December 1969 and starred Katharine Hepburn in her only stage musical.

This staged reading (with songs) is taking place at the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler's Wells, over four Sundays in May and June.

Performance times:
Sundays May 15, 22, June 5 at 4:00pm
Sunday June 12 at 1:30pm & 4:45pm

EDWARD'S BOOK, SLIM CHANCES, AVAILABLE NOW

Edward’s long-awaited memoirs, Slim Chances and unscheduled appearances, will be officially published in June 2011 by Pen Press, but, following a successful series of pre-release events this spring, is available now from Amazon UK, Waterstones and other retailers, and direct from Pen Press.

The book is a unique and marvellously rich anthology comprising 33 essays, 19 poems and a lavish selection of photographs and artwork. It also includes a foreword by Edward’s friend and colleague Sir Ian McKellen.

A wonderfully entertaining, incisive and often moving exposition of the very heart of the mystery of acting.