Hello, and welcome back to Week in Review, our roundup of industry-wide news. From stage to screens big and small, we’ve got you covered. It’s everything you need to know and all you can’t afford to miss.
Whistleblower accuses Chinese state of trying to cancel play
A whistleblower who inspired a play at Hampstead Theatre has accused Chinese security officials of pressuring her friends and family in a last-minute bid to force the production to close. Dr Shuping Wang, who exposed “blood-selling” and the spread of hepatitis and HIV in China two decades ago, said relatives and former colleagues in China are being asked to persuade her to stop the first UK production of The King of Hell’s Palace. The play by Frances Ya-Chu Cowhig opened on 12 September and is described as “an important story of individual bravery and sacrifice, of championing of the truth in the face of official suppression.”
A statement from Hampstead said: “The experience of live theatre is an essential gateway to reflection and open discourse on the most complex topics, and Hampstead Theatre will continue to champion freedom of expression, which is a vital element of healthy public debate and social understanding.” Wang, now an American citizen, told The Guardian that the pressure stems from how the play “will embarrass and damage the Chinese government and the reputations of specific officials.” She added: “I will still not be silenced, even though I am deeply sad that this intimidation is happening yet again.” Read more here.
Disney moves into Pinewood
The Walt Disney Company has signed a long-term lease at Pinewood Studios, in a move that means two of the UK’s key studios have been taken over by the US giants. Echoing Netflix’s decision to sign a 10-year lease at Pinewood’s sister site Shepperton, the move will be seen by many in the industry as Disney staking their equal claim to the best of UK actors and production talent. One British film producer said the news that two of the UK’s largest and best-equipped studios are now blocked out for a decade was “heartbreaking.” However, Disney was also thought the obvious contender for a permanent production base near London, having already shot five of the new Star Wars films in the UK alongside multiple Marvel films, with the company now taking over all the stages, backlots and production accommodation.
READ: Disney Sets Major Production Base at Pinewood, Home of 007
UK must adhere to EU copyright to protect performers
Equity is to lobby the government on the future of the EU Copyright Directive in UK law after the union set out how the directive, which protects performers from exploitation, is at risk of being reversed by Brexit. Introduced by the EU earlier this year, the directive promises performers the right to share in the success of a production through secondary and additional use payments, taking into account the revenue generated.
Stephen Spence from Equity said enshrining these principles into UK law “will enable performers to have a better chance of getting a decent and reasonable remuneration,” singling out buy-out contracts and single fees as unfair. Spence warned: “The fact that Brexit is on the horizon means we’re uncertain which direction this will go.” He added that if the directive was reversed by Brexit, it will be “one of the first examples of UK performers having a second-class situation in Europe.”
READ: Equity Engages With Fringe, Netflix, HMRC + More UK Union News
Immersive horror production delayed due to ‘scale and complexity’
The opening of new immersive horror show Variant 31 has been postponed for a second time, with producers citing “the sheer scale and complexity of the experience.” Due to open on 13 September, the immersive survival game is set across 35 floors of “movie-quality sets” and is billed as “Europe’s largest and most technically complex” experience. Originally due to open in April, the producers confirmed this week that Variant 31 will preview from 13 September and open to press in October.
BFI Musicals season to host Imelda Staunton and Kerry Ellis
A major season at the BFI celebrating musicals will see a series of stars appear at live Q&As, including Imelda Staunton, Kerry Ellis, and Clarke Peters. Alongside the cinema re-releases of classic musicals Tommy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and Singin’ in the Rain, the three-month season includes an immersive screening of the 1954 film Brigadoon in Edinburgh and special events starting in October. Read more here.
READ: What to See at the 2019 London Film Festival
The Duchess of Malfi comes to the Almeida
A new production of The Duchess of Malfi at the Almeida Theatre will star Lydia Wilson and be directed by Rebecca Frecknall. John Webster’s Jacobean tragedy tells a bloody story of revenge, as the recently widowed Duchess marries a man she loves but is punished for it by her corrupt brothers. Wilson, who was Olivier-nominated for her role as Kate Middleton in the Almeida’s acclaimed King Charles III, will play the title role. Frecknall is the Associate Director at the Almeida, and has previously directed Three Sisters and Olivier award-winning Summer and Smoke. The Duchess of Malfi opens 2 December and runs into January 2020.
READ: London’s New Theatre Boom: What You Need to Know
New drama from Gaby Hull
Crime drama We Hunt Together is now shooting for UKTV’s Alibi channel. Commissioned by BBC Studios and UKTV, it follows a pair of killers and the detectives who pursue them, and sees a former child-soldier and a magnetic-but-dangerous free spirit collide into a murderous romance. The crime-fighting duo will be played by Eve Myles (Keeping Faith) and Babou Ceesay (Dark Money), with the two murderers played by Dipo Ola (Baghdad Central) and Hermione Corfield (The Halcyon). Filming began this week in London, making We Hunt Together the second upcoming TV series in production from writer Gaby Hull. The other, Two Weeks to Live starring Maisie Williams, is in pre-production and will begin shooting in earnest from November. For more greenlit projects shooting soon in the UK, read here.
For more from Backstage UK, check out the magazine.