S P R I N G 2 0 2 5
WELCOME TO SPRING/SUMMER 2025
Welcome to the fourth edition of our exclusive Friends' Newsletter, where we take you behind the scenes of our bold international performances From the creative process to the final bow and even what happens beyond the stage we ’ re excited to share the artistic journeys that inspire us, offering you an insider’s glimpse into the world of The Coronet
In this edition, we dive into Martha Fiennes’ exhibition, reflect on our recent production of Pandora, share an update from our friends at the Norwegian Ibsen Company in Bergen, and explore a fascinating piece of Coronet history from the newspaper archives
Plus, stay tuned until the end for an exclusive first look at one of our yet-to-be-announced shows for the Summer 2025 Season!
Einkvan - Jon Fosse
MARTHA FIENNES YUGEN & NATIVITY
In February, The Coronet hosted its first exhibition of generative artworks, Martha Fiennes’ Yugen and Nativity
Yugen, displayed in The Coronet Theatre’s Main Auditorium, is inspired by the Japanese aesthetic concept of yūgen a sense of profound beauty and mystery that hints at a universe beyond full comprehension
This mesmerizing work explores the contrast between the material world and alternate planes of existence, blending reality with possibility, the seen and the unseen, the physical and the spiritual Featuring Salma Hayek Pinault in the central role, Yugen unfolds as a dreamlike, meditative experience, drawing the viewer into a constantly shifting landscape of light, movement, and emotion
Meanwhile, Nativity--presented in The Coronet Theatre’s Print Room Studio--was the first work to showcase Martha Fiennes' proprietary media creation technology, ©SLOimage This groundbreaking system employs a generative engine to drive events in real-time, generating a continuously evolving, non-linear, and non-looping narrative
Inspired by the tableaux portrayals of the Nativity scene by Italian Renaissance masters and fresco painters, Nativity reimagines these classical influences through a contemporary digital lens With no fixed sequence or repetition, the piece offers an endlessly shifting visual and emotional experience, creating an ever-changing meditation on divinity, symbolism, and storytelling in the digital age
Yugen in the Main Auditorium
Nativity in the Print Room Studio
Photos by Dmitri Djuric
SELF-GENERATIVE ARTWORKS
Yugen and Nativity occupy a unique space within contemporary art, operating within the hybrid film medium: generative moving-image artworks
Displayed on large screen projections, Fiennes’s work offered a distinctive viewing experience characterised by its spontaneity There were no ‘start' or ‘end’ times Instead, the works self-generated continuously Neither creator nor viewer had any idea what was going to happen next. As a result, the viewer was in complete control of their experience of the artwork, allowing them to come, go--and come back--to see how the work had evolved
Yugen and Nativity have enjoyed high profile global showcases, but before February they had never been exhibited together The Coronet Theatre was delighted to present both pieces-free to the public--because displaying them in conjunction allowed for a deeper engagement not just with the content of each piece but with the daring new medium in which they represent the vanguard of innovation
“Technology and art meet and merge, creating images that evoke mystery, wonder, and amazement Almost hypnotic ”
‘Well done, beautifully executed. Like watching a slow moving painting come to life.’ - Exhibition Visitor
‘Fantastic exhibition, deep and meditative show you can interact with.’ - Exhibition Visitor
THE WILD DUCK
BEHIND-THE-SCENES : LONDON AND BERGEN
At seventeen-years-old, Hermine Svortevik Oen was the youngest contributor to our 2024 season Playing Hedvig in Ibsen’s The Wild Duck, Hermine had the challenge of not only representing the joy and tragedy of the play, but also communicating it through Ibsen’s elevated Norwegian language Hermine was more than up to the task--in fact she was nominated for an Offie for Best Supporting Actress in a Play
As The Wild Duck transferred to Bergen in January, we asked Hermine to reflect on her experience:
Working on The Wild Duck has been such an amazing journey! Performing in London at the Coronet Theatre was like stepping into a dream The energy from the audience was incredible, and as I played Hedvig, I felt a real connection with everyone in the room
When we took the show to Norway, it was a whole new experience! Performing in Bergen, where Ibsen first premiered the play 140 years ago, was surreal A fun fact is that our show actually extended by ten minutes there because the audience was so engaged and understood our language! It was such a joy to share those moments with the audience!!
Looking back, I feel immensely grateful for this experience I’ve learned so much about the depth of Ibsen's work and the power of storytelling As well as I got to meet so much lovely people! Each performance taught me how to connect with an audience on a deeper level and reminded me of the beauty of live theater This journey has truly enriched my life in ways I never expected! I really hope to return someday both to The Coronet and magical London
Hermine is currently auditioning for drama schools here in London, and we wish her the best of luck!
Hermine and the cast of The Wild Duck backstage at The Coronet
Hermine working on Press for The Wild Duck in Bergen, Norway
Hermine and Kåre Conradi by the Henrick Ibsen statue at the National Theatre in Bergen, Norway
PANDORA
I GORDI / TEATRO FRANCO PARENTI
Our first performance of the 2025 Spring/Summer Season was Teatro Dei Gordi’s Pandora It was an hour of intense physical theatre, showcasing incredible mime and a diversity of different characters who came to use the public bathroom, where the show was set
Selected for the 2020 Venice Biennale, Pandora was originally developed around the themes of shame and taboo Gordi explored various concepts before settling on a public restroom, a space rich with unspoken social codes Here, they could highlight both the conformity and transgression of human behavior in a setting where societal expectations are both strictly defined and frequently broken
What unfolded was a whirlwind of 30+ vignettes, each introducing new visitors to the bathroom and their antics in between The performance was framed by a germaphobe, struggling to wash his hands without contamination a scene that felt like a clear nod to the COVID era, during which the project was first conceived. In his obsessive attempt to stay clean, he mistakenly throws away his glasses instead of a paper towel, only to return later, plastic bag in hand, to retrieve them.
The ensemble’s chemistry and timing were integral to the success of Pandora. Without dialogue, every gesture, movement, and interaction had to be meticulously crafted to convey meaning The actors rehearsed intensively to perfect their precision and comedic timing, ensuring that each moment landed with maximum impact This commitment to physical storytelling transformed an ordinary setting into a stage for universal human experiences at times hilarious, at others deeply poignant
With such a physical performance, the cast had to prepare rigorously, warming up with stretches and various exercises to make sure their reflexes and reactions would be in tune with each other and the audience
PANDORA WORKSHOP
Riccardo Pippa, the director of Pandora, led a workshop for London-based performers to learn about mask and physical theatre The class started off with some free-flowing movement exercises and then moved into exploring mask work
I had no idea the Coronet Theatre existed until I stumbled upon Pandora on Instagram I have now fallen in love, as you provide a style of theatre that isn’t mainstream but deserves to exist in the world I enjoyed every aspect of the workshop, the pace, the topic, the insight was all that I wanted and more I loved playing in the mask world, something that I've done before but not for a while Absolutely enjoyed it, and was perfect to also work with others in the industry The fact it was also free made it more accessible, and helped me out as a student who has to watch money all the time.
-Workshop Participant
DANCE AT THE CORONET
The Coronet is delighted to present two dance productions this spring, each devised by master dancers
Russell Maliphant Dance Company’s maliphantworks4 began performances in midMarch with AfterLight and In a Landscape (performed by Maliphant himself) Both pieces heavily explore the use of light and shadows These performances were the fourth in a series that Maliphant has collaborated on with The Coronet
Soon after in late March, Saburo Teshigawara performed Waltz with his long time collaborator, Rihoko Sato
A deeply poetic and personal work, Waltz offered a dynamic reflection on Teshigawara’s life
Through the flowing three-beat rhythm of waltzes spanning different eras and cultures, the performance evoked the dancers’ interior world heartbeat, breath, and memory creating a profound connection between audience and performer
RELIC
EURIPIDES LASKARIDIS
“The body is the medium through which my spaces come to life The action always evolves and revolves around characters who are touchingly real and painstakingly realised, yet unashamedly imaginary Through them open new territories that are – by sudden turns – hilarious and heart-rending, grotesque and affecting, frightening and absurd”
EINKVAN
DET NORSKE TEATRET
A NEW PLAY BY NOBEL LAUREATE JON FOSSE
Perhaps our most hotly anticipated play of the Spring 2025 Season, Einkvan will be a production to remember. It is the international premiere Jon Fosse’s latest play since winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2023
Einkvan will be presented in its original Norwegian dialect (Nynorsk) with English surtitles, which ensures that the authenticity and musicality of Fosse’s language remain intact while making the work accessible to a broader audience
Det Norske Teatret’s bold staging, envisioned by acclaimed Norwegian director Kjersti Horn, merges the intimacy of film with the raw immediacy of live performance This allows for a hyper-modern, digital production that makes Fosse’s work come alive with the immediacy that this technological approach creates
Two on-stage cameras capture every moment in extreme close-up, offering an unprecedented level of emotional proximity that forces the audience to confront the characters’ vulnerabilities in a deeply immersive way Horn, a Hedda Award-winning director, is known for pushing theatrical boundaries, and her vision for Einkvan amplifies Fosse’s signature poetic minimalism by placing the characters in single-frame isolation until the play’s harrowing climax
This intentional visual style reflects the emotional and psychological distance between the characters, emphasizing themes of disconnection and fractured identity themes that hold critical relevance today and resonate universally across cultures and languages.
Therefore, the pictures you see here are a sneak peek into what goes on behind the scenes. Meanwhile, the performances will be visible to the audience only on screens It is a testament to the cast that they can perform in such a minimalist way while maintaining the utmost urgency and emotional tension that the text requires
Behind the scenes of Einkvan
For the actual performance, audience members will only be able to see the actors on screen in an extreme closeup
After a year of discussion, on February 20th, we got the Spring 2025 Season of Poetry Culbs off to a flying start with a truly inspiring launch of Nick Makoha's latest poetry collection The New Carthaginians. With readings from Nick himself and the TS Eliot Prize winning Roger Robinson - introduced by cultural commentator Ekow Eshun who hosted a lively, frank discussion between the readings
There is a marvelous intimacy that develops between the audience and the poet which greatly adds to the understanding of a particular poem
Nick Makoha said "The New Carthaginians got the birth it deserved and for that, I am grateful There was a palpable chemistry between the venue, Ekow (host), Roger and myself The crowd could feel it and responded in kind For that reason,The Poetry Club is a regular on my calendar They always have interesting pairings of poets Then, there’s the audience totally engaged in both the poetry and the conversation "
Watch out for the next reading on May 22nd featuring Karen McCarthy Woolf who will be reading from Top Doll, which was shortlisted for last year ’ s TS Eliot Prize, which is shortly to be announced--hope to see you there!
OF AN ICON THE HISTORY PART 4
In this edition’s history corner, we delved into newspaper archives to uncover fascinating insights into The Coronet’s early days
IMMEDIATE SCANDAL AFTER OPENING
The Coronet Theatre opened on Monday, November 28th, 1898. Only a month later, its manager, Mr. Edward George Saunders, would receive a summons for keeping the theatre open and staging plays without a license. In a brilliantly calculated (yet illegal) move, Saunders had realized that it would be cheaper to pay the fine for illegally keeping the theatre open than obtaining a license This rifled Earl Russel, who was outraged at Saunders’ blatant disregard for the Council’s authority
In a dramatic twist, the Earl moved to have Saunders deemed unfit for a license altogether However, his motion failed when no one seconded it, allowing The Coronet to continue its run albeit with a price Saunders was fined £240, and the Council made it clear that future infractions would be met with more than just a financial penalty If the theatre dared to operate unlicensed again, the police would have the authority to enter and arrest any patrons in attendance Talk about theatrics!
JAPANESE
CONNECTIONS
As we prepared to host Saburo Teshigawara’s Waltz this March, we found ourselves reflecting on The Coronet’s long history of engagement with Japanese artists and Japanese-inspired works a tradition that dates back to the theatre’s very beginning When The Coronet first opened its doors in 1898, its inaugural production was the Japanese opera Geisha
A few years later, the renowned Japanese actor Madame Sadayacco made her London debut on our stage Though we only recently uncovered this historical connection, it feels like a perfect fit with the work we continue to present over 125 years later With even more Japanese projects lined up for our 2025 and 2026 seasons, we look forward to sharing more in the coming months stay tuned for updates in our next newsletters!
A special perk of being a supporter of the Coronet is that you get to hear the news about one of our new, yet-tobe-announced shows before anyone else. We are thrilled to present the UK Premiere of Taverna Miresia Mario, Bella, Anastasia this June (4th-7th), marking the highly anticipated UK debut of Mario Banushi.
Taverna Miresia Mario, Bella, Anastasia is a moving and personal exploration of the grief that a family endures after the loss of their beloved patriarch.The title, Miresia Albanian for kindness pays tribute to Banushi’s roots as an Albanian-born Greek artist, weaving themes of heritage, loss, and resilience into a powerful theatrical experience
A deeply poetic piece, Taverna Miresia Mario, Bella, Anastasia has a distinct dramatic structure, yet it doesn’t fall into narrative storytelling The performance follows a family through their grief each child, parent, and wife manifesting their emotion in a different physical and metaphorical manner We are extremely excited to bring this extraordinary production to London
Although Taverna Miresia Mario, Bella, Anastasia has not been publicly announced yet, members can secure their tickets now by calling our Box Office (+44 (0) 20 3642 6606)
TAVERNA MIRESIA MARIO BELLA ANASTASIA
