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Nick Smurthwaite

Nick Smurthwaite

Biography

Nick Smurthwaite has been writing about the performing arts for The Stage and other leading publications for more than 30 years.

Recent Articles

Nick Smurthwaite on his standout encounters from 40 years of interviewing for The Stage

Nick Smurthwaite on his standout encounters from 40 years of interviewing for The Stage

‘I’ve interviewed so many charmers – people you’d like to get to know properly,’ says Nick Smurthwaite of his career writing for The Stage, as he reflects on the publication, the people, the pandemic – and the passion that has driven him on
Emma Rice on bringing iconic novel The Buddha of Suburbia to the stage

Emma Rice on bringing iconic novel The Buddha of Suburbia to the stage

The director has loved Hanif Kureishi’s 1970s-set novel about a Pakistani teenager growing up in south London since first reading it in her 20s. She tells Nick Smurthwaite why the book remains relevant and how she set about adapting the work of one of her heroes
One hundred years of Dracula on stage: ‘Vampirism can be a metaphor for themes in modern life’

One hundred years of Dracula on stage: ‘Vampirism can be a metaphor for themes in modern life’

A century after Bram Stoker’s iconic character broke through on stage, Blackeyed Theatre is sending him back out on tour. Given the many audience preconceptions about Dracula, fashioning a show that avoids parody is key, its creators tells Nick Smurthwaite
A Raisin in the Sun: 65 years of Lorraine Hansberry’s pioneering play

A Raisin in the Sun: 65 years of Lorraine Hansberry’s pioneering play

As a fresh production of US writer and activist Lorraine Hansberry’s groundbreaking first play A Raisin in the Sun prepares for a UK tour, the director of the revival tells Nick Smurthwaite of the lasting impact of both the show and its writer
Abigail's Party: the enduring appeal of Mike Leigh's suburban tragicomedy

Abigail's Party: the enduring appeal of Mike Leigh's suburban tragicomedy

First played by Alison Steadman and now brought back to life by Tamzin Outhwaite, the central character in Mike Leigh’s tragicomedy about an Essex couple hosting a party has fascinated audiences for almost 50 years
The History Boys at 20: finding the right cast is key in Alan Bennett’s iconic play

The History Boys at 20: finding the right cast is key in Alan Bennett’s iconic play

Twenty years after it first took to the stage at the National Theatre then stormed the world, The History Boys is now back touring the UK. Director Seán Linnen tells Nick Smurthwaite how he’s respecting the original while still making sure it feels new for today’s audiences
How the history of Hello, Dolly! is influencing its West End revival

How the history of Hello, Dolly! is influencing its West End revival

As a new production of Hello, Dolly! opens at the London Palladium, Nick Smurthwaite talks to its director Dominic Cooke about how the show has always been influenced by its central performer
Brecht exhibition: piecing together a master playwright

Brecht exhibition: piecing together a master playwright

To develop his ideas, Bertolt Brecht would cut out images to form into collages. Nick Smurthwaite visits the performance-based brecht: fragments experience in London to find out how the German dramatist’s visual art impacted his theatre work
Rolling back the years: Starlight Express' bold beginning

Rolling back the years: Starlight Express' bold beginning

Forty years ago, after scoring a huge hit with Cats, Andrew Lloyd Webber set his sights on creating something the theatregoing public had never seen before. Nick Smurthwaite looks back at that ambitious original production ahead of a new revival in London
Miss Julie through the ages: the many faces of Strindberg’s masterpiece

Miss Julie through the ages: the many faces of Strindberg’s masterpiece

Miss Julie’s tale of lust, class and gender was controversial when it was published in 1888 but has been revived and reinvented time and again in the years since. Nick Smurthwaite looks back at its many iterations ahead of the latest 21st-century take on the play
The Stage

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