The Stage

Simpsons star Cartwright to make London debut in one-woman show

Published Tuesday 29 March 2005 at 13:25 by Alistair Smith

Nancy Cartwright, the actress who has provided the voice for cartoon character Bart Simpson for the past 17 years, will make her London stage debut on May 24.

My Life as a Ten Year Old Boy is Cartwright’s one-woman show relating her experiences as part of The Simpsons, which has become the world’s longest-running animated television programme and is watched by 40 million people in more than 100 countries every week.

The production made its UK debut at the Assembly Rooms last year as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Its London transfer will run at the Riverside Studios from May 24 to 29.

• Alan Bennett is to join Monty Python star Michael Palin for a special event to raise funds for the redevelopment of The Roundhouse in Camden. An Evening with Alan Bennett will be held on May 15 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The playwright will read a selection of his work and take questions from the audience, with the event hosted by Palin.

The Roundhouse, a Grade II* listed building, is currently being transformed into an international performance venue and creative centre for young people, with over 90% of the £28 million needed for the work already raised. Tickets for the event are available from the Prince of Wales’ box office.

• Full casting has been announced for Rufus Norris’ production of Blood Wedding, in a new version of Federico Garcia Lorca’s play by Tanya Ronder.

Running at the Almeida Theatre from May 5 to June 18, it will feature Adjoa Andoh, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jason Baughan, Paul Bhattacharjee, Daniel Cerqueira, Rosaleen Linehan, Hylnur Haraldsson, Maria de Lima, Lyndsey Marshal, Jess Murphy, Thekla Reuten, Sue Roderick and Assly Zandry.

The production will be designed by Katrina Lindsay with lighting by Tim Mitchell, sound by Paul Arditti and music by Orlando Gough.

• Oscar-winning playwright Tom Stoppard has adapted Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice into a 40-minute production to launch this year’s Shakespeare Schools Festival.

The play will be performed on April 5 at the Linbury Theatre, Royal Opera House by 11 to 16-year-olds from the National Youth Theatre and the festival itself. It will be directed by Paul Roseby, artistic director of the NYT and will be filmed and then screened by the BBC later in the year.