Latest news with #TheCrucible
Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Five great open air theatre shows to watch while London swelters this summer
London is hot right now. Literally. And it's only going to get hotter. Next week, it'll probably cool down a bit at the start and then get hot again. It's basically unbearable, but at the same time it's outdoor frickin' theatre season, baby. Where better to cool down than at an open air theatre with a gentle night breeze and glass of something cold, preferably watching something classy but not aggressively difficult. Here are five outdoor shows on right now or about to start that will take you outside the scorching concrete hellscape that is our beloved city. 1. The free outdoor musicals festival Is it possible to simply show tune your way through 30-plus degree heat? They'll be giving it their best try at West End Live this weekend, the two day festival at which the cast of pretty much every musical in town will be singing a song or two, for free, in Trafalgar Square. The catch? The best shows are early on the Saturday, and it'll hit capacity rapidly. Plus it'll be 'el scorchio'. For a complete guide including full line up, head here. Trafalgar Square, Sat Jul 21 and Sun Jul 22. 2. Shakespeare's daftest play The Globe has fine productions of Romeo and Juliet and Arthur Miller's The Crucible currently in its rep. But if tragic deaths and people named Goody are a bit much for your heat fogged brain, get down to its new production of Shakespeare's dumbest play. The Merry Wives of Windsor is a joyously silly romp in which his beloved character Falstaff – who dies offstage in Henry V, which is set in 1415 – is somehow not only alive but getting up to mischief with the womenfolk of Elizabethan England. It's a hoot! Shakespeare's Globe, Jul 4-Sep 20. Buy tickets here. 3. A YA thriller There'll be nothing trashy about the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's stage adaptation of Malorie Blackman's immortal dystopian race drama Noughts & Crosses. However, it's not going to be arty, impenetrable theatre: it's a thriller, a properly accessible, teen-orientated story that should get the pulse pounding enough to let you forget the heat. Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, Jun 28-Jul 26. Buy tickets here. 4. Shakespeare's darkest play (but fun!) Okay that was a bit of a shout back to number two: The Taming of the Shrew probably isn't really Shakespeare's darkest play, but taken at face value its account of how boisterous Petruchio breaks the spirit of the feisty Katherina is pretty damn problematic. But you can massage it to make it a lot less grim, and I gather that's the deal with this pop song-saturated production from the redoubtable Shakespeare in the Squares. They're midway through their annual tour of London's outdoor spaces – check out the schedule to see if they're coming near to you soon. Various venues, now until Jul 12. 5. Stand in the street and watch Rachel Zegler sing 'Don't Cry for Me Argentina' Jamie Lloyd's Evita revival has made worldwide headlines this week for its typically ballsy showstopper moment, wherein US star Zegler sings the anthemic 'Don't Cry to Me Argentina' from a balcony on Argyll Street. Nobody is suggesting that this constitutes an entire theatre show, but it's a uniquely London theatrical moment that will probably never be repeated in our lifetimes, and you do get a pretty banging song sung by a celebrity for five minutes or so at a time of day (around 9pm) when the temperature is finally something approaching 'pleasant'.
News18
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- News18
From Silenced To The Attorney: 10 Korean Movies Based On Real-Life Events
Last Updated: Miracle in Cell No. 7 follows the true incident of a man being falsely accused of the murder of a child before being exonerated in 2008. Korean film industry is popularly known for drawing inspiration from real-life events. Whether it is historical injustice, political unrest, or personal tragedy, Korean filmmakers master the skill of taking a real-life event and turning it into cinematic excellence. By capturing real-life incidents, these filmmakers provide a scope for the audience to resonate with the stories on a personal as well as emotional level. Here are the top 10 Korean films that are based on true events: This film is based on the true events recounted in Gong Ji-young's novel The Crucible, which sheds light on the horrific incident at Gwangju Inhwa School for Deaf students as they endure inhuman sexual abuse. After the release, the film led to the legal reforms in the country, including the abolishment of the statute of limitations for sexual crimes against minors and the disabled. 2. A Taxi Driver Based on the real-life interaction between a German journalist named Jurgen Hinzpeter and a Korean taxi driver, this film revolves around the Gwangju uprising in 1980 through the eyes of an ordinary Korean citizen. of Murder This film is based on the spine-chilling murders carried out by the Hwaseong Murderer between 1986 and 1994, when he killed a total of 15 women and girls, alongside committing multiple sexual assaults in the region of Hwaseong. Last Princess This historical film revisits the tragedy of Princess Deokhye, the last princess of the Joseon Dynasty, who was forced into exile at the time of Japanese occupation. The movie showcases Princess Deokhye's struggle with mental illness, loneliness, and her erasure from Korean history. Chaser Inspired by the real-life incident of Yoo Young-chul, this film follows the series of murders he committed in the early 2000s. The film also highlights a detective-turned-pimp chasing the killer who preys on women. 6.7:1 Into The Fire This historical war drama revisits the story of the Korean War, when 71 undertrained and unarmed South Korean student volunteer soldiers defended the Pohang Girls' Middle School against a North Korean battalion. In Cell No. 7 The film follows the true incident of a man being falsely accused of the rape and murder of a child before being exonerated in 2008. The film focuses on the mentally challenged man's life in prison and how he forms friendships while being locked up in a cell. This film takes inspiration from the infamous Cho Doo-soon case, where an 8-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a 57-year-old man in a public bathroom. The film follows the family's psychological and emotional struggle in the aftermath of this horrific incident. 18 Named after the starting date of the Gwangju uprising, the film provides a faithful depiction of the massacre of South Korean civilians by government forces and pays tribute to Gwangju citizens for their courage. 10. The Attorney This film is loosely based on the legal career of former South Korean president Roh Moo-hyun and follows the Burim case, where 22 students, teachers, and workers were arrested on fabricated charges under the National Security Law. First Published: June 11, 2025, 12:49 IST
The Star
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Broadway has found its Gen Z audience - by telling Gen Z stories
Kimberly Belflower knew John Proctor Is The Villain needed its final cathartic scene to work - and, for that, it needed Lorde's Green Light. "I literally told my agent, 'I would rather the play just not get done if it can't use that song,'' the playwright laughed. She wrote Lorde a letter, explaining what the song meant, and got her green light. Starring Sadie Sink, the staggering play about high schoolers studying The Crucible as the #MeToo movement arrives in their small Georgia town, earned seven Tony nominations, including best new play - the most of any this season. It's among a group of Broadway shows that have centred the stories of young people and attracted audiences to match. Sam Gold's Brooklyn-rave take on Romeo + Juliet, nominated for best revival of a play and led by Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler with music from Jack Antonoff, drew the youngest ticket-buying audience recorded on Broadway, producers reported, with 14% of ticket purchasers aged 18-24, compared to the industry average of 3%. The shows share some DNA: pop music (specifically the stylings of Antonoff, who also produced Green Light ), Hollywood stars with established fanbases and stories that reflect the complexity of young adulthood. "It was very clear that young people found our show because it was doing what theatre's supposed to do,' Gold said. "Be a mirror.' Embracing the poetry of teenage language The themes John Proctor investigates aren't danced around (until they literally are). The girls are quick to discuss #MeToo's impact, intersectional feminism and sexual autonomy. Their conversations, true to teenage girlhood, are laced with comedy and pop culture references - Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Twilight, and, of course, Lorde. Sadie Sink, left, and Amalia Yoo during a performance of 'John Proctor Is the Villain' in New York. Photo: AP Fina Strazza, 19, portrays Beth, a leader who is whip-smart and well-intentioned - but whose friendships and belief system are shaken by the play's revelations. "You have so much empathy and are so invested in her, but she still has these mishaps and slip-ups that young people often have,' said Strazza, nominated for best featured actor in a play. Some audience members have given her letters detailing how Beth helped them forgive themselves for how they handled similar experiences. The script is written in prose, with frequent line breaks and infrequent capital letters. Director Danya Taymor, nominated for best direction of a play a year after winning a Tony for another teenage canon classic, The Outsiders, was drawn to that rhythm - and how Belflower's depiction of adolescence captured its intensity, just as S.E. Hinton had. "There's something about the teenage years that is so raw,' Taymor said. "None of us can escape it.' Classic themes, made modern During his Tony-winning production of An Enemy Of The People, Gold found himself having conversations with young actors and theatergoers about climate change, politics and how "theatre was something that people their age and younger really need in a different way, as the world is becoming so addicted to technology,' he said. That conjured Romeo And Juliet. The original text "has it all in terms of what it means to inherit the future that people older than you have created,' Gold said. Kathryn Gallagher, left, and Havana Rose Liu appear in a scene from 'All Nighter' in New York. Photo: AP Building the world of this show, with an ensemble under 30, was not unlike building An Enemy Of The People, set in 19th century Norway, Gold said: "I think the difference is that the world that I made for this show is something that a very hungry audience had not gotten to see.' Fans, Gold correctly predicted, were ravenous. Demand ahead of the first preview prompted a preemptive extension. Word (and bootleg video) of Connor doing a pullup to kiss Zegler made the rounds. Man Of The House, an Antonoff-produced ballad sung by Zegler mid-show, was released as a single. With the show premiering just before the US presidential election, Voters of Tomorrow even registered new voters in the lobby. Audiences proved willing to pay: Average ticket prices hovered around US$150 (RM710). Cheaper rush and lottery tickets drew lines hours before the box office opened. Every week but one sold out. "The show was initially really well sold because we had a cast that appealed to a really specific audience,' said producer Greg Nobile of Seaview Productions. "We continued to see the houses sell out because these audiences came, and they were all over online talking about the ways in which they actually felt seen.' Building a Gen Z theatre experience with Gen Z Thomas Laub, 28, and Alyah Chanelle Scott, 27, started Runyonland Productions for that very reason. "We both felt a lot of frustration with the industry, and the ways that we were boxed out of it as students in Michigan who were able to come to New York sparingly,' said Laub. Rachel Zegler as Juliet, right, and Kit Connor as Romeo, during a performance of 'Romeo + Juliet' in New York. Photo: AP Runyonland was launched in 2018 with the premise that highlighting new, bold voices would bring change. This spring, Scott, known for playing Whitney in HBO's Sex Lives Of College Girls, acted off-Broadway in Natalie Margolin's All Nighter. "I was standing onstage and looking out and seeing the college kids that I was playing,' said Scott. "I was like, 'I respect you so much. I want to do you proud. I want to show you a story that represents you in a way that doesn't belittle or demean you, but uplifts you.'' Producing John Proctor, Scott said, gave Runyonland the opportunity to target that audience on a Broadway scale. Belflower developed the show with students as part of a The Farm College Collaboration Project. It's been licensed over 100 times for high school and college productions. The Broadway production's social and influencer marketing is run by 20-somethings, too. Previews attracted fans with a US$29 (RM123) ticket lottery. While average prices jumped to over US$100 (RM423) last week (still below the Broadway-wide average), US$40 (RM169) rush, lottery and standing room tickets have sold out most nights, pushing capacity over 100%. The success is validating Runyonland's mission, Laub said. "Alyah doesn't believe me that I cry every time at the end,' said Laub. Scott laughs. "I just want to assure you, on the record, that I do indeed cry every time.' Harnessing a cultural catharsis The final scene of John Proctor is a reclamation fuelled by rage and Green Light. Capturing that electricity has been key to the show's marketing. "The pullup (in Romeo + Juliet ) is so impactful because it's so real. It's like so exactly what a teenage boy would do,' said Taymor. 'John Proctor Is the Villain' is among a group of Broadway shows that have centred the stories of young people and attracted audiences to match. Photo: AP "I think when you see the girls in John Proctor screaming ... it hits you in a visceral way.' That screaming made the Playbill cover. "In my opinion, the look and feel of that campaign feels different from a traditional theatrical campaign, and it feels a lot closer to a film campaign,' said Laub. The show's team indeed considered the zeitgeist-infiltrating work of their sister industries, specifically studios like Neon and A24. In May, John Proctor Is The Villain finished its second "spirit week' with a school spirit day. Earlier events included an ice cream social - actors served Van Leeuwen - a silent disco and a banned book giveaway. For those not in their own school's colours, the merch stand offered T-shirts, including one printed with the Walt Whitman-channeling line said by Sink's Shelby: "I contain frickin' multitudes.' Julia Lawrence, 26, designed the shirt after the show's team saw her TikTok video reimagining their traditional merch into something more like a concert tee. "It's just so incredible to bring Gen Z into the theatre that way, especially at a time when theatre has never been more important,' said Lawrence. "In a world that's overpowered by screens, live art can be such a powerful way to find understanding.' - AP
South China Morning Post
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Why Gen Z are suddenly flocking to Broadway productions like Sam Gold's Romeo + Juliet
Kimberly Belflower knew John Proctor is the Villain needed its final cathartic scene to work – and for that it needed Lorde's 2017 song 'Green Light'. Advertisement 'I literally told my agent, 'I would rather the play just not get done if it can't use that song,'' the playwright laughed. She wrote Lorde a letter, explaining what the song meant, and got her 'Green Light'. Starring Sadie Sink, the staggering play about high schoolers studying Arthur Miller's 1953 play The Crucible as the #MeToo movement arrives in their small town in the US state of Georgia earned seven Tony nominations. It is among a group of Broadway shows that have centred on the stories of young people and attracted audiences to match. Advertisement
Gulf Today
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf Today
Broadway has finally found its Gen Z audience — by telling Gen Z stories
Kimberly Belflower knew 'John Proctor is the Villain' needed its final cathartic scene to work — and, for that, it needed Lorde's 'Green Light.' 'I literally told my agent, 'I would rather the play just not get done if it can't use that song,'' the playwright laughed. She wrote Lorde a letter, explaining what the song meant, and got her green light. Starring Sadie Sink, the staggering play about high schoolers studying 'The Crucible' as the #MeToo movement arrives in their small Georgia town, earned seven Tony nominations, including best new play — the most of any this season. It's among a group of Broadway shows that have centered the stories of young people and attracted audiences to match. Sam Gold's Brooklyn-rave take on 'Romeo + Juliet,' nominated for best revival of a play and led by Kit Connor and Rachel Zegler with music from Jack Antonoff, drew the youngest ticket-buying audience recorded on Broadway, producers reported, with 14% of ticket purchasers aged 18-24, compared to the industry average of 3%. The shows share some DNA: pop music (specifically the stylings of Antonoff, who also produced 'Green Light'), Hollywood stars with established fanbases and stories that reflect the complexity of young adulthood. 'It was very clear that young people found our show because it was doing what theater's supposed to do,' Gold said. 'Be a mirror.' Rachel Zegler (right) and Kit Connor, during a performance of 'Romeo + Juliet' in New York. Associated Press The themes 'John Proctor' investigates aren't danced around (until they literally are). The girls are quick to discuss #MeToo's impact, intersectional feminism and autonomy. Their conversations, true to teenage girlhood, are laced with comedy and pop culture references — Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, 'Twilight,' and, of course, Lorde. Fina Strazza, 19, portrays Beth, a leader who is whip-smart and well-intentioned — but whose friendships and belief system are shaken by the play's revelations. 'You have so much empathy and are so invested in her, but she still has these mishaps and slip-ups that young people often have,' said Strazza, nominated for best featured actor in a play. Some audience members have given her letters detailing how Beth helped them forgive themselves for how they handled similar experiences. The script is written in prose, with frequent line breaks and infrequent capital letters. Director Danya Taymor, nominated for best direction of a play a year after winning a Tony for another teenage canon classic, 'The Outsiders, ' was drawn to that rhythm — and how Belflower's depiction of adolescence captured its intensity, just as S.E. Hinton had. 'There's something about the teenage years that is so raw,' Taymor said. 'None of us can escape it.' During his Tony-winning production of 'An Enemy of the People,' Gold found himself having conversations with young actors and theatergoers about climate change, politics and how 'theatre was something that people their age and younger really need in a different way, as the world is becoming so addicted to technology,' he said. That conjured 'Romeo and Juliet.' The original text 'has it all in terms of what it means to inherit the future that people older than you have created,' Gold said. Alyah Chanelle Scott (left), Kathryn Gallagher and Julia Lester appear in a scene from 'All Nighter' in New York. Associated Press Building the world of this show, with an ensemble under 30, was not unlike building 'An Enemy of the People,' set in 19th century Norway, Gold said: 'I think the difference is that the world that I made for this show is something that a very hungry audience had not gotten to see.' Fans, Gold correctly predicted, were ravenous. Demand ahead of the first preview prompted a preemptive extension. Word (and bootleg video) of Connor doing a pullup to kiss Zegler made the rounds. 'Man of the House,' an Antonoff-produced ballad sung by Zegler mid-show, was released as a single. With the show premiering just before the US presidential election, Voters of Tomorrow even registered new voters in the lobby. Audiences proved willing to pay: Average ticket prices hovered around $150. Cheaper rush and lottery tickets drew lines hours before the box office opened. Every week but one sold out. 'The show was initially really well sold because we had a cast that appealed to a really specific audience,' said producer Greg Nobile of Seaview Productions. 'We continued to see the houses sell out because these audiences came, and they were all over online talking about the ways in which they actually felt seen.' Thomas Laub, 28, and Alyah Chanelle Scott, 27, started Runyonland Productions for that very reason. 'We both felt a lot of frustration with the industry, and the ways that we were boxed out of it as students in Michigan who were able to come to New York sparingly,' Laub said. Runyonland was launched in 2018 with the premise that highlighting new, bold voices would bring change. Producing 'John Proctor,' Scott said, gave Runyonland the opportunity to target that audience on a Broadway scale. Belflower developed the show with students as part of a The Farm College Collaboration Project. It's been licensed over 100 times for high school and college productions. The Broadway production's social and influencer marketing is run by 20-somethings, too. Previews attracted fans with a $29 ticket lottery. While average prices jumped to over $100 last week (still below the Broadway-wide average), $40 rush, lottery and standing room tickets have sold out most nights, pushing capacity over 100%. The success is validating Runyonland's mission, Laub said. 'Alyah doesn't believe me that I cry every time at the end,' Laub said. Scott laughs. 'I just want to assure you, on the record, that I do indeed cry every time.' Associated Press
