Following on from the huge success of its opening autumn season, the Criterion Theatre announces the next month of Criterion Presents, a unique programme of events and plays designed to challenge the traditional preconceptions of West End Theatre and cement the Criterion Theatre’s standing as London’s only independent theatre.
Stories Before Bedtime returns to the Criterion with an alternative Valentine’s theme on the 10th February. Twisted Love: an anti-valentines evening of unlikely love stories will see Irish actress Niamh Cusack reading Angela Carter’s ‘The Courtship of Mr Lyon’, Tom Hiddleston, recent star of Hollywood blockbuster Thor and Steven Spielberg’s Warhorse, reading the erotic Tennessee Williams short story ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’, and star of Men Behaving Badly Caroline Quentin reading extracts from Ovid’s hilarious ‘The Art of Love’. Tom Hiddleston said ‘It’s terrific that the Criterion Theatre are now programming events quite unlike the traditional fare of the West End. The prospect of standing on that beautiful stage and reading well-written stories aloud, in particular, is one that excites me. And given that everything that night will be geared at couples on dates, an evening of twisted love sounds like the right antidote.’
Stories Before Bedtime is a series of late-night readings, designed to champion the love of reading and stories and sees three classic stories or extracts that revolve around a central theme, read by well-known actors or writers. It’s designed to transport the audience back to a time when being read aloud before bedtime was a fundamental part of everyday life. It is also a celebration of the book itself, increasingly endangered with the rise of virtual libraries and reading portals. The series is a three-way partnership between the Criterion Theatre, The Reader Organisation, a pioneer of reader development and social change, and Vintage Classics, which holds the top 20th century classics list in the UK. All Stories for Bedtime ticket holders will also be delighted by a refreshing Hendrick’s Gin and tonic on arrival.
Stories Before Bedtime: Twisted Love
Friday 10th February, 10.30 pm
£12.50 (£10.00)
Buy Tickets Online: www.criterion-theatre.co.uk
By phone: 0844 8471778
