• News

    Dying for it – literally?

    According to The Sun newspaper, Kathy was taken to hospital yesterday “with a mystery illness after collapsing with crippling stomach pains”. Despite the wisdom of taking any Sun story with a pinch of salt, it has since turned out that Kathy has already been replaced as director for a play opening at the Almeida Theatre in March. In fact, the Almeida put out a barely noticed press release [Word doc] on 29 January that read: “Anna Mackmin will take over from Kathy Burke to direct the Almeida’s latest commission Dying For It – Moira Buffini’s new free adaptation of Nikolai Erdman’s satirical comedy The Suicide. Kathy Burke has unfortunately had to withdraw from the production at short…

  • News

    Death by satire

    Kathy will direct Dying For It, Moira Buffini’s new free adaptation of Nikolai Erdman’s satirical comedy The Suicide from 15 March until 28 April 2007 at the Almeida Theatre in Islington, London. The classic comedy was banned by Stalin before a single performance, and this “inspired by” verison centres on Semyon, unemployed, living in the hallway and watching his wife Masha slave all the hours God sends. When his last hope to earn money and gain self-respect disappears, he decides to take his own life. Word gets out and Semyon finds himself inundated with visitors begging him to die on their behalf. On the night he is to shoot himself they hold a…