Emma Lawton

As The Nottingham New Theatre’s 2014 autumn season draws to a close, Impact Arts joins Ben Williamson and James Bentley, director and producer of the penultimate in-house show: ‘The Ritual Slaughter of Gorge Mastromas’ by Dennis Kelly. Firstly, what is ‘The Ritual Slaughter..’ about? Ben: ‘Ritual Slaughter…’ follows the...

La Traviata began with an ethereal full moon beamed on to the backdrop of Nottingham’s Theatre Royal and a polite notice that Hye-Youn Lee was unwell and Anna Jeruc-Kopec was to play the role of Violetta. As the silhouette of Violetta appeared and the murmuring of the audience ebbed away Jeruc-Kopec made sure no one would be disappointed by the...

Money and marriage: a dangerous mix, and one that lies at the heart of Bedrich Smetana’s opera The Bartered Bride. Under the direction of Daniel Slater, Opera North first revived this comedy within a context of 1970s Soviet Czechoslovakia in 1998, creating interesting parallels with the era of its...

In order to experience 40%, the audience is asked to draw themselves away from the safe haven of University Park and out into the sprawling streets of Nottingham. A frantic double-checking of google maps, a short bus ride and a hesitant walk in the freezing winter fog gives an...

Entering the theatre with the knowledge that I was about to watch a play involving the persecution of homosexuals, I expected to leave feeling sickened. And I can’t lie, I still felt a strong urge to hurl abuse at the play’s cruel ringleaders, the vicious Nazi SS officers played...

Originally finding fame as an interval performance during the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest in Dublin, Riverdance, a music and theatre production characterised by impeccable synchronisation, has come to mean more than a visual celebration of Irish cultural heritage. It remains a global success loved by audiences worldwide, and it...

Created by Tom Piper, a set designer, and ceramic artist Paul Cummins, the Tower of London has been home to an art spectacular in honour of the 100th anniversary of World War 1: Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red. 888,246 poppies will fill the Tower’s famous moat, each...