Things are quietening down a little in the run-up to Easter, particularly out of London, but the big news this week is National Theatre Wales's The Passion, a three-day event which takes place all over Port Talbot, and the Spill festival of performance and live art at the Barbican. The latter includes a piece by Romeo Castellucci, although not the one originally announced – The Minister's Black Veil (not apparently ready yet) has been replaced by On the Concept of the Face, Regarding the Son of God.
So let's begin this week's round-up in Wales, where landscape theatre specialists Wildworks are collaborating with Michael Sheen to create an epic piece of storytelling that takes place at various sites around the town and includes a Last Supper in a working men's club. It begins on Good Friday at 3pm on Aberavon beach and ends with the crucifixion as dusk falls on Easter Sunday. Most events are free, but buying armbands promises a better view. Still in Wales, Ian Rowlands' play Desire Lines continues at Chapter in Cardiff.
Over in London, things kick off at the Spill festival on Monday with Helen Cole's installation and performance archive of audience voices, We See Fireworks, and Harminder Judge's immersive installation, Do What Thou Wilt, and continues with work from Ranji Shah, Sylvia Rimat and Kings of England. Some great talks and salons, too. If that doesn't appeal, let me recommend Dan Rebellato's Chekhov in Hell at Soho, a clever, sardonic and moving take on modern life seen through the eyes of the great playwright which premiered at the Drum in Plymouth last Autumn. You also want to be booking in advance at Soho for Little Bulb's delightful Operation Greenfield in May.
Belt-Up's Macbeth is unlikely to be delightful at all, but it should be suitably atmospheric and sinister played out in the House of Detention in Clerkenwell from tonight.
The first new play for several years from Philip Ridley, Tender Napalm, is at Southwark Playhouse. What Now, tomorrow and Sunday, is a weekend of discussion and installation at the Siobhan Davies Dance Studios, and The Miniaturists are back at the Arcola on Sunday evening with new work that may be bite-sized but will almost certainly be satisfying. The Arcola has a double-bill of Mamet plays, Lakeboat and Prairie Du Chien, opening tonight. Several shows that have been touring head into London this week, including Moroccan circus outfit Groupe Acrobatique de Tanger who are at the MacRobert in Stirling this weekend and then at the South Bank Centre from Thursday with Chouf Ouchouf. The Half Moon's show for the very young, Rip, Fold, Scrunch is also at the Southbank from Wednesday. If you've been wondering about puppetry, this is your chance to discuss it at the monthly D&D satellite, which is on Tuesday at the People's Studio, hosted by Steve Tiplady and Penny Francis.
In the South West, Frankenspine continues at Bristol Old Vic, Andrew Hilton's fine Comedy of Errors still resides at the Tobacco Factory. If Shakespeare had ever taken to gangster rap, you'd have ended up with South African Greig Coetzee's Johnny Boskak is Feeling Funny at the Ustinov in Bath. The Globe is out on tour again this year with Dominic Dromgoole's pared-down version of Hamlet stopping off at the Strode Theatre in Street from Tuesday. From there, you could head down to Newbury and the Watermill, where Propeller are in residence. Head East and Mike Bartlett's sharply satirical Love, Love, Love arrives at the New Wolsey in Ipswich, while Lee Hall's terrific The Pitman Painters tours at the Arts in Cambridge.
In the North, the unendurably tough but very fine Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is at Northern Stage in Newcastle. Brad Fraser's tale of middle-aged female friendship 5 @ 50 opens at the Manchester Royal Exchange, and the rep season continues at the New Vic, Newcastle-under-Lyme, with Proof joining the well received The Rivals. But there's very little new stuff in the run-up to Easter. If you know of shows that really deserve a mention, do let us all know.
There are richer pickings in Scotland, where Hattie Naylor's tale of a childhood spent on the streets of Moscow, Ivan and the Dogs, hits the Traverse in Edinburgh, where Rona Munro's Pandas is already in residence. The latest from great children's company, Catherine Wheels, is called Caged – it's a version of Beauty and the Beast that sounds unmissable. You can catch it at Platform Easterhouse tomorrow and then touring. Pants on Fire's delightful retelling of Ovid's Metmorphoses is at the Tron, Glasgow from Thursday and the compellingly mysterious dance theatre piece, The Red Room, is at Dundee Rep for one night on Thursday. If you enjoy dance theatre check out Claire Cunningham's double bill ME (Mobile/Evolution) at Gilmorehill Theatre in Glasgow on Wednesday. Enjoy your weekend, and let me know what you're seeing and enjoying.
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