May 2024 · 5 minute read

GOAL

The U.K. National Theatre‘s hit production of play “Dear England” will return to its Olivier theater venue from March 10 – May 24, 2025, followed by a four-week run at its Theatre Nation partner, The Lowry in Salford, from May 29 – June 29, 2025.

James Graham’s Olivier award-winning play, directed by Rupert Goold, tells the story of the England men’s soccer team under Gareth Southgate. As this summer’s UEFA Euro 2024 soccer championship takes place, the acclaimed play will evolve to include it and continue to examine the role the England team and manager play in English society.

Director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris, said: “‘Dear England’ is a captivating examination of football, leadership and English identity that has already resonated with so many people, and we now have the unique opportunity of re-staging it with a script which will reflect the outcome from this summer’s Euros. In bringing the narrative right up to 2025, we acknowledge how pertinent and urgent the work is – a living, breathing play that cuts straight to the heart of our nation’s psyche.”

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Graham added: “To continue the life of ‘Dear England’ feels like coming top of the group and moving onto the knockout stages – it’s genuinely thrilling, and I’m so grateful to all the audiences who supported the show. Knowing that we welcomed thousands of people who had never seen a play before was a huge honor for us all, but also a responsibility. We hope to continue that mission in London and now in Salford too.”

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GLOBETROTTING FROM SINGAPORE

Mediacorp Singapore’s 26-episode Tamil-language drama “Mei” is the first from the outfit to be filmed in four countries, including Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Singapore and South Africa. In the series, the disappearance of Selvaraghavan, a businessman, plunges his family into a cat-and-mouse game with an underworld ring. Mayuri, his second daughter, is given an ultimatum by crime boss Lakshmi. Meanwhile, Arjun, an Investigation Bureau officer, uncovers the disappearance of his partner, Niroshini. As their paths converge, Mayuri and Arjun embark on a journey where each revelation brings them closer to the truth.

The series features a popular Singaporean cast including real-life siblings Eswari Gunasagar and Shamini Gunasagar, who play sisters onscreen for the first time, Saravanan Ayyavoo and more. The series is directed by Vel Murugan Deakerajen and S. Kumaran. It will be available on mewatch, Vasantham and Mediacorp’s YouTube channel from June 12.

SHORT WITH LONG LEGS

Indian filmmaker Suman Sen‘s Taiwanese short film “Cry Me a River” will have its world premiere at the Palm Springs ShortFest where it is in the competition for best international short  in the jury award strand, and it will have its European premiere at London’s Raindance Film Festival.

The film follows Xixi who works as a professional mourner, hired to weep at funerals. During one of her performances, she unexpectedly loses the ability to summon tears at will. As a result, she finds herself torn between conflicting emotions and embarks on a journey of self-discovery.

The cast includes Yi-Chieh Lee and Meng Hsuan Chu. The film is produced by Ivy Yu-Hua Shen, Dominique Welinski, Bo-Tsun Kuo and Sen.

APPOINTMENTS

Streamer BritBox International has upped Diana Pessin from SVP for global marketing to chief marketing officer. She will oversee all brand marketing and creative, title campaigns, partner and growth marketing as well as communications and publicity. She will report to Robert Schildhouse, president of BritBox North America and general manager of BritBox International.

“Diana’s experience in marketing at every stage of the funnel has helped BritBox achieve strong results this year, and under her leadership I am confident that we will continue to grow and expand the BritBox brand globally,” Schildhouse said.

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