The Royal Court and Regent’s Park Open Air theatre were among the victorious venues at Sunday’s Olivier awards, which recognise the cream of London’s Theatreland. But there was reason to celebrate in the Netherlands, too. The bold West End productions Oedipus and The Years, which picked up four awards between them, have their origins at Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA).
The theatre’s artistic director is Eline Arbo, who adapted and staged a version of Nobel prize-winner Annie Ernaux’s The Years for an all-female cast. After its success in the Netherlands, Arbo was invited to London’s Almeida theatre to direct the show with British actors. Among them was Romola Garai, who won the Olivier award for best actress in a supporting role, while Arbo was named best director. The production received rapturous reviews and has transferred to the West End where its run (which ends on 19 April) has been accompanied by regular reports of audiences fainting during its abortion scene.
