s

News

Actress Isabelle Huppert to perform at London's Southbank Centre

Isabelle Huppert has announced a solo performance at the Southbank Centre that will see her read extracts by radical 18th-century philosopher the Marquis de Sade.

The French Academy award nominee will appear at the Southbank in June as part of its performance programme for 2018, which also includes a new project by Forced Entertainment and a show featuring Italian actor Isabella Rossellini and her dog.

Isabelle Huppert Reads Sade will take place on June 9, with Rossellini’s Link Link Circus running on October 23 and 24.

Forced Entertainment, which is now an associate company at the Southbank, will present a new version of Tim Etchells’ That Night Follows Day, featuring a cast aged between eight and 14. It examines the language used by adults and how it defines young people, and runs from December 11 to 15.

The programme coincides with the reopening of the Southbank’s Queen Elizabeth Hall and Purcell Room, which have been closed for renovation since 2015 and are due to reopen this spring.

Other highlights include Circus 1903, a new show featuring puppetry by Handspring, which was behind War Horse, and dance by choreographers including Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Rosie Kay, Wen Hui and Shobana Jeyasingh – whose company also becomes as an associate.

A programme of free performance and activities will take place over April 28 and 29, featuring work by Shobana Jeyasingh Dance, Zoo Nation Youth Company and BBC Young Dancer of the Year finalist Vidya Patel.

Elsewhere, Australian companies Windmill Theatre Co and State Theatre Company South Australia present the UK premiere of their take on the fairytale Rumpelstiltskin, which runs over Christmas.

The Olivier Award Society London Theatre

The Laurence Olivier Award are presented annually to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known as the Society of West End Theatre, but they were renamed in honour of British actor Laurence Olivier in 1984. 

The awards are given to individuals involved in West End productions and other leading non-commercial theatres based in London across a range of categories including plays, comedies, musicals, dance, opera and affiliate theatre. The Olivier Awards are recognised internationally as the highest honour in British theatre, equivalent to the BAFTA Awards for film and television, and the BRIT Award for music. The Olivier Awards are also considered the equivalent to the Broadway's Tony Awards and France's Molière Awards.

Since its inception, the awards have been held at various venues across London, and most recently the Royal Opera House since 2012. The 2017 Olivier Award were held on Sunday 9 April at the Royal Albert Hall. The ceremony was hosted by comedian Jason Manford. A highlights show was shown on ITV shortly after the live show ended. The winners were: Billie Pier (best actress), Jamie Parker (best actor), John Tiffany (best director), Matthew Bourne (best theatre choreographer)..