The new season presented by OVO at the Maltings Theatre in St Albans has been announced.
Featuring drama, opera, comedy, music and song, the highly entertaining autumn programme opens on September 7 with A Room of One's Own performed by Rebecca Vaughan.
The Maltings Theatre is currently celebrating 10 years since artistic director Adam Nichols and his company OVO took over the running of this popular venue in the heart of St Albans.
Strong female leads power OVO’s productions this autumn. There's Vinegar Tom, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and Hedda Gabler, while Dyad Productions opens the autumn season with their richly reimagined one-woman show, A Room of One's Own.
Tickets go on sale at 9am on Tuesday, August 17. Visit www.ovo.org.uk for more details.
Here's 6 shows worth watching at the Maltings Theatre during the autumn season.
1. A Room of One's Own
From September 7 to September 11
Based on Virginia Woolf’s classic, A Room of One's Own is performed by the multi-talented actor, writer, and producer Rebecca Vaughan.
A 21st century take on Woolf’s celebrated pre-TED talk, this show is created specifically in response to the changing shape of theatre during the pandemic.
2. The Mikado
September 21 to September 24
The UK’s most versatile opera company, Charles Court Opera, presents its hugely entertaining production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s evergreen comic opera, The Mikado.
This punchy and hilarious satire promises to be a treat for operetta lovers and newcomers alike.
3. Fake News
September 30 to October 2
Journalist turned writer/performer Osman Baig stages his dazzling, critically acclaimed, one-man show, Fake News.
A budding young journalist lands a dream internship at the country’s biggest online news organisation.
There, he stumbles on an earth-shattering story and decides to click publish. There’s just one problem: the story is completely untrue…
4. Les Liaisons Dangereuses
From October 12 to October 23
OVO presents a smartly remixed, musical version of Christopher Hampton’s classic social drama.
Two former lovers come together in pre-revolutionary France to corrupt the innocent and the virtuous for selfish kicks and fresh sexual conquests. But when they turn on each other, it’s win or die!
Shocking, seductive and hilariously funny, OVO presents this theatrical classic for the #metoo generation with an intimate and fiercely physical production featuring live Bridgerton-influenced musical accompaniment.
5. Vinegar Tom
From October 28 to November 6
Award-winning director Matthew Parker presents OVO’s production of Caryl Churchill’s searing drama.
Vinegar Tom examines gender and power relationships through the lens of 17th-century witchcraft trials in England.
6. Hedda Gabler
From November 16 to November 27
Closing the autumn season is OVO’s new production of Henrik Ibsen’s classic drama.
Directed by OVO’s associate director Janet Podd, Ibsen’s startlingly resonant masterpiece is brought to life in OVO’s bold and thrilling new production.
Playful, free spirited and unpredictable, Hedda struggles with an existence devoid of intimacy, excitement or enchantment.
Trapped in her new home, this dangerously irresistible woman rushes headlong towards a disaster that will embrace all those who have fallen fatally under her spell.
OVO artistic director Adam Nichols said: “We’re so excited about this autumn’s programme with its wide variety of productions and emphasis on strong female protagonists.
“I’m extremely proud to be presenting Osman Baig’s outstanding one-man show Fake News, hot on the heels of its run at the Bridge Theatre in London, and A Room of One’s Own whose run we had to cancel last year due to the pandemic.
“I’ll be directing Les Liaisons Dangereuses and I’m delighted Charles Court Opera continue their association with us by bringing their very funny production of The Mikado to The Maltings stage.
"Matthew Parker will bring Caryl Churchill’s blistering Vinegar Tom to life and I can’t wait to see what Janet Podd does with Hedda Gabler, one of my favourite dramas."
Adam added: “We recently completed seven weeks of drama, music, opera, and comedy at The Roman Theatre Open Air Festival where we more than doubled our audience from last year.
"And we were delighted to take our Roman Theatre production of The Winter’s Tale to the fabulous Minack Theatre in Cornwall for 10 days in July.
"The timing was great as we opened on Freedom Day when theatres were finally allowed to host capacity audiences; it was an emotional and memorable night!
“This year has been a continuing roller-coaster in juggling rules and regulations with the presentation of a huge variety of theatrical treasures to audiences in St Albans, Cornwall and online.
"I’m also extremely proud to be able to say that this year – 2021 – marks 10 years since we at OVO took over the running, management, and programming of The Maltings Theatre.”
Tickets for the autumn season are on sale from August 17. Visit www.ovo.org.uk for more details.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here