This is London Magazine April Edition 2026 - Flipbook - Page 18
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UK PREMIERE OF JOHN PROCTOR
IS THE VILLAIN
The UK transfer of one of the most
anticipated shows of the year, the seventime Tony Award-nominated, John
Proctor is the Villain, by Kimberly
Belflower, directed by Tony Awardwinner Danya Taymor, arrives from a
sold out, critically acclaimed run on
Broadway and plays at the Royal Court
from 20 March to 25 April.
The third production in the Royal
Court’s 70th anniversary season, the
bitingly funny, fresh reimagining of
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, which
had its London premiere at the same
theatre in 1956.
Five young women running on pop
music, optimism, and fury are about to
shed light on the darkest secrets in their
small town. A story about girlhood,
power, and questioning the narratives
we’ve been taught.
‘One day, maybe, the new world we
were promised will actually be new...’
.John Proctor is the Villain is
presented by the Royal Court Theatre,
Wagner Johnson Productions, Wessex
Grove, Sonia Friedman Productions,
Runyonland and John Mara Jr.
The Royal Court Theatre champions
new, contemporary plays, fostering
innovative playwrights. Its intimate
space creates close audience
connections, making it a hub for bold,
socially engaging theatrical work.
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
DARK OF THE MOON
The world premiere of new musical
Dark of the Moon, based on the classic
1941 play by Howard D Richardson and
William Berney, will run at Charing
Cross Theatre from Monday 18 May to
Saturday 8 August. Directed by Georgie
Rankcom, the musical features a book
by Emmy® Award nominee Jonathan
Prince and music and lyrics by
Grammy® Award-winning and multiplatinum songwriters Lindy Robbins,
Dave Bassett and Steve Robson.
Dark of the Moon is a supernatural
tale of powerful witchcraft, small-town
prejudices and the power of love. This
timeless, spellbinding new musical
portrays the clash of two dynamically
polarised worlds – a charming rural
Appalachian town and the mystical world
of witches and warlocks from the Smoky
Mountains that loom high above. The
show’s unique musical score reflects
those conflicting worlds using a thrilling
blend of country/bluegrass and rock.
Georgie Rankcom
Barbara Allen, a human girl and John,
a curious witch-boy, find each other and
defy their communities to build a life
together. But will love conquer all, or
will they be haunted by a deal that was
made by the dark of the moon?
Originally written by Howard
Richardson and William Berney while
students at the University of Iowa in the
early 1940s, Dark of the Moon is loosely
inspired by the traditional Scottish
ballad Barbara Allen. Following its
original Broadway production by the
Shubert Organisation, the play has been
widely produced internationally and has
attracted notable performers and
directors including Paul Newman,
George C. Scott, Cicely Tyson and
James Earl Jones. Sir Peter Brook
directed a London production at the
Ambassador Theatre in 1949.
The story has recently re-entered the
cultural conversation through references
in the Stranger Things stage play The
First Shadow and the final season of the
hit Netflix series.
RETURN TO THE FOREST AT
SADLER’S WELLS EAST
Award-winning creators of
experimental theatre for children and
their accompanying adults, Theatre-Rites
are to celebrate their 30th anniversary
with Return to the Forest, a coproduction with Factory International
co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells.
The immersive dance and puppetry
production for ages 8+ explores heritage
and what we value, created with South
African choreographer Gregory Maqoma.
The show will play at Sadler’s Wells East
from 28-30 May.
Return to the Forest blends dance and
puppetry to create an immersive
production for families and children.
Through powerful movement and
mesmerising puppetry, it follows five
performers out of the museum and back
into nature, magically transported by
precious objects – including an Ishoba,
an ancient map and a Gelede mask –
which are yearning for their freedom.
With a surveillance camera watching at
all times, the daring questors stage a
heist. But can it really be one when the
objects are leading the way?
In a tale of curiosity and
transformation, this production offers
children and families a playful, thoughtprovoking exploration of what we value,
how we protect it and who our heritage
belongs to.
T H I S I S L O N D O N M A G A Z I N E • T H I S I S L O N D O N O N L I N E • w w w. t i l . c o m • @ t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g
