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Production shot from THE OVERWHELMING 2006NEWS
updated 23 May 2008

TESTING THE ECHO

David Edgar's play following a group of students as they prepare to become British citizens. It's now completed its long tour but if you missed it you can buy the book for £3 plus postage. It includes a couple of fascinating essays and other material too. Order from the shop.

MIXED UP NORTH

Writer Robin Soans and OjO director Max Stafford-Clark have teamed up with LAMDA drama students to create this touching and entertaining new play. It's at LAMDA from 7 July - next year it will be given a full Out of Joint touring production. More info and booking.

ROUGH CUTS: THINK GLOBAL, F*** LOCAL

Years ago, sassy, bright women went into telly. Now they want to work for NGOs. Kabul’s like fucking Ibiza now. Heaving with pretty Sloaney girls. Quite good clubs. Plenty of drugs. I’m too old for all that now…

Humanitarians. By day, aid workers, saving the world in its darkest places. At night they drink, f***, party - move on. And then, at some point, they have to go home.

The Royal Court’s ROUGH CUTS offers a chance to preview the hottest new forthcoming plays. Stella Feehily (O go my Man, Duck) has been commissioned by Out of Joint to write a play about the private lives of UN and NGO workers. Watch the fascinating raw material being shaped into a vibrant, sexy and eccentric new play.

11 & 12 July at The Royal Court

THE MOTHER @ LATITUDE FESTIVAL

Following its run as part of the Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat event, another outing for Mark Ravenhill’s short play The Mother, starring Lesley Manville and directed by Max Stafford-Clark and Clare Lizzimore.

Sunday 20 July at the very cool Latitude Festival. Festival website.

GCE DRAMA WORKSHOPS

Max Stafford-Clark is now one of the listed practitioners for Unit 2: ?presentation of an extract of a play?. Out of Joint will soon be providing workshops at its base in Finsbury Park, with Max Stafford-Clark and actor Ian Redford. A work-pack will also be developed.

There will be more information to follow, however if you would like to register your interest please contact Maeve McKeown maeve@outofjoint.co.uk.

OTHER/OLDER NEWS............

Book cover of TAKING STOCKTAKING STOCK - the making of 9 legendary productions

Philip Roberts and Max Stafford-Clark's new book uses diary entries, interviews with people involved and other resources, to reveal the process of creating several of Max's productions, from his Out of Joint, Royal Court and Joint Stock days. Intimate and enlightening, the book was launched at the Royal Court in March and is available to purchase at an exlusive Out of Joint price.

“These rehearsal diaries are welcome. Stafford-Clark has an amazing track record… he tells a good story”
Aleks Sierz, The Independent

Buy Taking Stock and other books from our shop.

photo of comedian Shazia MirzaLighten up - Shazia Mirza on satire

To accompany our recent production of King of Hearts, in which the young heir to the throne falls in love with a Muslim girl, top comedian Shazia Mirza talks about satire and why it's 'time to lighten up'...

Click here to read Shazia's article.

THE OVERWHELMING NOMINATED

Max Stafford Clark's production of JT Rogers' Rwanda-set thriller has been nominated in the theatre category for this year's South Bank Show Awards.

The Overwhelming was produced by the National Theatre in association with Out of Joint. It was the first of JT's plays to be seen in the UK. The awards will be presented on 23 Jan, and broadcast on ITV1 on 28 Jan. Also nominated are Peter Morgan's play Frost/Nixon and the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch.

Click here for information on The Overwhelming.

ROYAL COURT ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR JOINS TEAM FOR NEW SHOW

Our forthcoming project is KING OF HEARTS by Alistair Beaton. OjO artistic director Max Stafford-Clark is recovering from the stroke he suffered in the summer, and between bouts of physiotherapy has begun the exciting process of casting the show.

We’re delighted that Max will co-direct the play with Ramin Gray. Since 2000 Ramin has been at the Royal Court, first as International Associate and currently as Associate Director, directing a host of new plays.

He has directed at Liverpool Playhouse where he also ran the Studio from 1992-94; in Paris at the Odéon Théâtre National de l’Europe, Théâtre National de Gennevilliers; and in London where he has directed at the Gate and Latchmere theatres.

Ramin directed the recent world premiere of David Greig’s play THE AMERICAN PILOT for the RSC.

Click here for more information about King of Hearts.

KING OF HEARTS - A NEW COMEDY

Princess Di, Wallis Simpson - why is it always affairs of the heart that send the Royals spinning into a tiz?

Enjoy the chaos as the popular, handsome young heir to the throne falls for a very unsuitable girl. Alistair Beaton wrote Feelgood which became a West End hit for us a few years back. Here, as ever, his writing is sharp, funny and bang on the money.

Click here for more information about King of Hearts.

NEW ADMINISTRATOR/EDUCATION MANAGER

A fond farewell to Tasha Ockrent, and a warm welcome to Rebecca Pilbeam, who joins the OjO team as Administrator and Education Manager. Rebecca has just returned from a year in Paris working on a PHD in theatre.

Contacts for all OjO staff are on our contacts page.


ONE MILLION TINY PLAYS ABOUT LONDON

Directed by Out of Joint’s Naomi Jones, Craig Taylor’s sweetly surreal tiny plays raised £1500 for The Hope Centre, Togo, at the Clerkenwell Theatre in July 2006. Thank you to all who came!

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NEW BOOKSALE BARGAINS!

Visit the OjO shop for plays at massively reduced prices. Recent hits The Overwhelming (£3!), O go my Man (£2.50), Talking to Terrorists (£2.50) and Sisters, Such Devoted Sisters (£2.50). Plus Caryl Churchill, Mark Ravenhill, David Hare, Timberlake Wertenbaker, and the DVD of She Stoops To Conquer

Click here to visit the shop.

WRITERS' TIPS

Read extracts from the Sliding with Suzanne workpack about how to get started as a playwright. Click here.