Motown Legend - A play about the life and death of Motown legend Marvin Gaye is to have its world premiere in Northampton. Roy Williams' Soul will open in May 2016 after several years' close collaboration with members of the singer's family. Gaye, whose hits include Sexual Healing and Let's Get It On, was shot dead by his father in 1984. "It's a dramatic thriller, not a musical," said James Dacre, the Royal & Derngate theatre's artistic director. "It will have the spirit and energy of Motown and will include music from the time."
In The Courts - Former New Order bassist Peter Hook is suing his ex-bandmates for millions of pounds in a bitter row over royalties. Hook claims he has lost out on more than £2.3m since the three other band members set up a company without him to handle the band's income in 2011. Hook has accused Bernard Sumner and Stephen and Gillian Morris of "pillaging" the pop group's assets. The trio say they have treated Hook fairly and that the guitarist's stake of the royalties is reasonable.
Digital First - The Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre are among 60 international arts organisations partnering with online giant Google for a new "first-of-its-kind" digital exhibition. The digital showcase allows audiences to view more than 150 interactive stories, from drama and dance to music and opera. Audiences will also be able to discover exhibits - including photos, videos and documents - from other organisations in the UK such as the Shakespeare's Globe, Sadler's Wells and Battersea Arts Centre. Part of Google's Cultural Institute, the exhibition also allows viewers to watch panoramic videos of productions and performances, including a scene from the RSC's Henry V starring Alex Hassell.
Youth Honoured - Artist and producer Youth will receive a top accolade at the 2016 Music Producers Guild Awards when he is presented with the PPL-sponsored Award for Outstanding Contribution to UK Music. One of the UK's most consistent and influential producers, Youth has been responsible for numerous hits from artists including The Verve, Embrace, Echo and the Bunnymen, Crowded House, The Orb, Sir Paul McCartney and The Charlatans. Among his recent projects was the co-production of Pink Floyd's final and largely instrumental album, The Endless River.
Model Theatre - London's Her Majesty's Theatre has been recreated out of Lego, using 57,992 bricks. The model has been built by Irish artist Jessica Farrell, who is known in the Lego community as Janet VanD. She said she had been looking to create a theatre out of Lego after seeing a wooden model on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum a few years ago. "I went to Her Majesty's Theatre with my family to see The Phantom of the Opera and we loved it. It was a magical night with a top-class performance in a gorgeous theatre. During the intermission I looked around the auditorium and thought 'this is it'," she told The Stage. The project took 11 months to complete and will be displayed in London from 11-13 December at the ExCel Centre for Brick2015, an exhibition of Lego.
(Jim Evans)
