The Chichester Festival Theatre will stage a new production of Half A Sixpence by George Stiles & Anthony Drewe in 2016.

The award-winning British songwriting duo have penned new songs for the musical which will feature alongside songs from the original score by David Heneker. The brand new production also includes a new book by DowntonAbbey’s Julian Fellowes, direction by Rachel Kavanaugh and choreography by Andrew Wright.

Half A Sixpence is based on the novel Kipps: The Story of A Simple Soul by H G Wells. It tells the story of Arthur Kipp, an orphan who unexpectedly inherits a fortune and climbs the social ladder before losing everything and realizing that you just can’t buy happiness.

The original production features music and lyrics by David Heneker and a book by Beverley Cross. It first opened at the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End in March 1963, and subsequently transferred onto Broadway in 1965 with Tommy Steele in the lead role. The Broadway production received eight Tony Award nominations that year, including Best Musical and Best Original Score.

A film adaption starring Steele was released in 1967, and featured choreography by Gillian Lynne.

George Stiles and Anthony Drewe have been writing musical together for over 30 years. Their work includes Betty Blue Eyes, Soho Cinders, Honk!, Just So and Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure. They also contributed new songs, dance and vocal arrangements for The Cameron Mackintosh/Disney production of Mary Poppins, and previously teamed up with Julian Fellowes for the West End production of The Wind in the Willows. They are also founding board-members of Mercury Musical Developments, which presents the annual Stiles and Drewe Best New Song Award

Half A Sixpence will run at Chichester Festival Theatre in the summer of 2016, with dates and casting yet to be announced.

Stiles & Drewe’s musical adaption of the Graham Greene novel, Travels With My Aunt, will also be presented at the venue next year, directed by Christopher Luscombe.

The Lyric Hammersmith have today announced full casting for Herons. Sophia Decaro and Max Gill return to the Lyric stage to play Adele and Billy having both starred in Bugsy Malone as Tallulah and Fat Sam in 2015. Ed Gaughan will play the role of Charlie Russell and Sophie Stone will play Michelle Russell. They will be joined by Billy Matthews, Ella McLoughlin and Moses Adejimi.

Fifteen years after its first production Simon Stephens’ unflinching and incendiary play Herons returns to the London stage in this timely, new production directed by the Lyric’s Artistic Director Sean Holmes.

Shot through with humour and menace, Herons is a disturbing portrait of adolescent violence experiences by fourteen-year-old Billy, who is tormented by local bullies. Humiliated beyond endurance, he is finally pushed to an act of vengeance. Herons is both a portrayal of brutalised no-hopers and a witty hymn for hope.

Moses Adejimi plays Darren.
Herons will be Moses’ professional stage debut.
Film credits include: The 10am, PC Crane and Footpaths.
Voice credits include: Rev.

Sophia Decaro plays Adele.
For the Lyric: Bugsy Malone.
Other theatre credits include: Wizard of Oz (London Palladium) and Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). Film and television credits include: Music, War and Love and Dani’s House.

Ed Gaughan plays Charlie Russell.
For the Lyric: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Island and Radioplay.
Other theatre credits include: The Birthday Party (Royal Exchange); Don’t Shoot the Clowns (Fuel/UK Tour) and Masque of the Red Death (Punchdrunk/National Theatre). Film and television credits include: Skeletons; Hummingbird; One Chance; Quacks; Danger Mouse; Black Mirror and Spy.
Ed Gaughan is an actor, writer, comedian, director and musician who works across stage, screen and radio. He also works as a director and consultant for top UK comics such as Josie Long, Milton Jones and physical comedy company Spymonkey. In 2011, his performance in Skeletons (directed by Nick Whitfield) earned him a nomination for the Peter Sellers Award for Comedy.

Max Gill plays Billy.
For the Lyric: Bugsy Malone.
Max trains at EDSA Performing Arts School, Hitchin.

Billy Matthews plays Scott.
Theatre credits include: Love And Information (Royal Court); The Comedy of Errors (RSC/The BRIT School); The Absence Of (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and Too Far (New Wimbledon Theatre). Film and television credits include: The Hooligan Factory; Harry & Paul; Henry IV Parts 1 and 2; New Tricks and One Night. Billy trained at The BRIT School in South London.

Ella McLoughlin plays Aaron.
Theatre credits include: Boys (Edinburgh Fringe Festival); Alice in Wonderland (Orange Tree Theatre) and Slick (National Youth Theatre).

Sophie Stone plays Michelle Russell.
Theatre credits include: Woman of Flowers (UK Tour); Frozen (Birmingham Rep/UK Tour); Two (Southwark Playhouse);The Bloody Great Border Ballad Project (Northern Stage/Edinburgh); Famous Five (Red Earth Theatre); In Water I’m Weightless (National Theatre of Wales); Pandora (Arcola); Mother Courage (National Theatre); Mine (Shared Experience) and several productions at Watermill Theatre. Film and television credits include: Dr Who; Mapp and Lucia; Holby City; Marchlands; FM; Casualty; Halo Boy and Coming Home.

Full cast includes Moses Adejimi, Sophia Decaro, Ed Gaughan, Max Gill, Billy Matthews, Ella McLoughlin and Sophie Stone.

Written by Simon Stephens
Directed by Sean Holmes
Design by Hyemi Shin
Lighting by Paule Constable
Sound by Nick Manning
Video Design by Lucy Ockenden
Dramaturgy by Joel Horwood

Herons
Friday 15th January to Saturday 13 February 2016
Mon-Sat 7.30pm; Sat 2.30pm. (No performance Mon 18 January & no matinee Sat 16 January)
Lyric Hammersmith
Lyric Square, King St, London W6 0QL
http://www.lyric.co.uk/

WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE &

CAPE TOWN OPERA PRESENT

MANDELA TRILOGY

TO TOUR THE UK AND IRELAND  FROM 24 AUGUST 2016

Wales Millennium Centre and Cape Town Opera are delighted to present the return of Mandela Trilogy, opening at Wales Millennium Centre on 24 August 2016, followed by a UK and Ireland Tour, finishing on 24 September 2016.

Mandela Trilogy, written and directed by Michael Williams with music by Peter Louis van Dijk and Mike Campbell, is a musical tribute to the life of Nelson Mandela and had its European premiere at Wales Millennium Centre in 2012.

Graeme Farrow, Artistic and Creative Director at Wales Millennium Centre said “Following its debut performances and fantastic reception at Wales Millennium Centre in 2009, we are delighted to be presenting Cape Town Opera’s Mandela Trilogyon a UK and Ireland tour next summer.  Showcasing the talent of the hugely gifted Cape Town Opera’s company, this production will offer audiences a wonderful spectacle with its exceptional cast, award-winning chorus and original score.  I’m delighted we are able to share the story of Nelson Mandela’s heroic and inspirational life, two years after his death. This tour is another step in the development of collaborative and exchange projects between the Centre and our strategic partner – Cape Town Opera.”

From tribal initiation rites on the banks of the Mbashe River, through the heady and rebellious jazz-fuelled days in Sophiatown, to incarceration and reflection on Robben Island and finally beyond, to freedom – this is the story of one of the world’s most iconic figures.

The amazing life of Nelson Mandela is brought vividly to the stage by Cape Town Opera in a large-scale celebration and tribute to the man who touched hearts and minds around the world.

Told in three parts by a cast and orchestra of over 60 South African performers, the music matches the vastly different phases of Mandela’s journey from freedom fighter to president.  The upbeat jazz and swing-influenced songs of Sophiatown are framed by musical styles more familiar in contemporary opera – with a dash of Xhosa folk music that grounds the production in its African roots.

Written by two different composers, each Act is in stark contrast to the others, but with an over-arching dramatic theme that shines a light on the life of an extraordinary man.

For more information, visit http://www.wmc.org.uk/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/WalesMillenniumCentre/

Twitter: @theCentre

TOUR SCHEDULE 2016

24-27 August                            Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff                  Now on sale

                                               www.wmc.org.uk                                         029 2063 6464

31 August-3 September            Royal Festival Hall at Southbank Centre        Now on sale

                                               www.southbankcentre.co.uk                         0844 847 9910

7-10 September                        Mayflower Theatre, Southampton                 Now on sale           

                                               www.mayflower.org.uk                                 02380 711811

14-17 September                      Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin                 Now on sale
www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie                      0818 719 377

Fiery Angel presents
PLAYS AT THE GARRICK

A YEAR OF UNMISSABLE THEATRE

LIVE CINEMA BROADCAST OF THE KENNETH BRANAGH THEATRE COMPANY’S PRODUCTION OF THE WINTER’S TALE TOPS UK BOX OFFICE

• BROADCAST OF THE SOLD OUT WEST END PRODUCTION TOOK £1.1M AT THE UK BOX OFFICE

• THE WINTER’S TALE WAS SCREENED TO 520 CINEMAS ACROSS THE UK AND 1,300 CINEMAS WORLDWIDE

• ENCORE BROADCASTS WILL BE HELD ACROSS THE UK THROUGHOUT THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD

• TRAILER AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE
  

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company’s sold out West End production of The Winter’s Taletopped the UK cinema box office last night as it was broadcast to 520 cinemas across the country in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment. Broadcast live from the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End to cinemas around the world, the critically acclaimed production took in excess of £1.1m at the box office in the UK alone, beating The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2 to claim the top spot. The full international box office takings will be calculated soon.

Internationally, The Winter’s Tale was broadcast to more than 1,300 cinemas, selling out screenings in countries including Portugal, Spain, Canada, Austria, Malta and Germany.

The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption, which opened to critical acclaim at London’s Garrick Theatre on 7 November, is reimagined in a new production co-directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh. Judi Dench plays Paulina opposite Kenneth Branagh as Leontes.

The cinema broadcast of The Winter’s Tale was directed by Benjamin Caron, who has also recently collaborated with Kenneth Branagh on the forthcoming series of Wallander, due to be broadcast on the BBC in 2016.

The Winter’s Tale will also be screened in US cinemas on 30 November. Encore broadcasts will be held across the UK throughout the Christmas period.

Kenneth Branagh said: “To be able to celebrate our production of The Winter’s Tale with cinema audiences is a true privilege. I would like to thank our partners at Picturehouse and the talented Benjamin Caron for enabling us to bring The Winter’s Tale to screens around the world.”

The full cast for The Winter’s Tale includes: Pierre Atri (Mamillius), Jaygann Ayeh (Archidamus & The Old Shepherd’s Servant), Tom Bateman (Florizel), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Vera Chok(Dorcas & First Lady), Jack Colgrave Hirst (Clown), John Dagleish (Autolycus), Hadley Fraser(Polixenes), Adam Garcia (Amadis), Rudi Goodman (Mamillius), Matthew Hawksley (Aegeum),Taylor James (Capnio), Pip Jordan (Shepherdess), Ansu Kabia (Cleomenes), Stuart Neal (Dion),Michael Pennington (Antigonus), Zoë Rainey (Emilia), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Michael Rouse (Gaoler & Mariner), John Shrapnel (Camillo), Kathryn Wilder (Mopsa) and Jimmy Yuill(The Shepherd).

The broadcast date for Romeo and Juliet, which plays at the Garrick from 12 May to 13 August, is 7 July 2016 and tickets are now on sale. The Entertainer will also be screened later in 2016.

The Winter’s Tale, Harlequinade / All On Her Own, Red Velvet, The Painkiller, Romeo and Juliet and The Entertainer make up the inaugural Plays at the Garrick season for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. For more information and to buy theatre tickets for these productions please see www.branaghtheatre.com

FROM PAGE TO STAGE SEASON OF NEW MUSICAL THEATRE TO RETURN IN 2016

Katy Lipson of Aria Entertainment is proud to announce that the celebrated From Page to Stage Season of new musicals will be returning again next year and will once again be held at the Tristan Bates Theatre from October 31st-December 3rd 2016.

This year’s season saw three rehearsed staged reading opportunities, one headline musical, a gala performance, and the celebration of four different pieces in the showcase evenings. Fifty-one actors were contracted for the main body of the season plus eight more participating in the opening Gala. There were seventeen people involved in the creative teams throughout the season, a total of eighteen writers involved with the main shows, and another fifteen involved in the Gala. In total we showcased work from over 16 new musicals and had 1350 audience members attend over 27 events which is a record 71% attendance.

Discussing the season, Producer Katy Lipson said, “It has been the most amazing month full of creativity and talent! A total joy to support such beautiful new and diverse musicals with such potential. We have had a record number of producing houses in and couldn’t be more delighted with the growing brand of From Page To Stage. Here is to 2016!”

Submissions for the From Page to Stage Season will officially open later in 2016, however, Aria Entertainment has an open submission policy year round for new musicals.

In 2014 and 2015 From Page To Stage was supported by Grant For The Arts.

 For more details about the season please visit

www.frompage2stage.com

@frompage2stage

Facebook/FromPageToStageMusicals

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY ANNOUNCES NEW INITIATIVE FOR YOUNG DESIGNERS: ‘THE IMAGINATION AWARDS’

• Video of Producer Caro Newling announcing the awards here

The award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, will launch The Imagination Awards in 2016.

The Imagination Awards are two separate awards which will each champion creativity and inspire the next generation of theatre makers:

• Charlie’s Challenge: a national award for 5-15 year olds, challenging students to share imaginative solutions to problems facing them, their school or the wider world.  

• Young Theatre Designer Award: a national competition for 16-18 year olds, seeking out and championing young people across the UK who have a talent for costume or set design.

Caro Newling, Producer, explained: “The Imagination Awards are our way of reaching out to young people across the nation who are creative, and interested in the arts and the business of theatre making. We hope the awards can encourage the creative thinkers of tomorrow.”

Charlie’s Challenge has been designed to be inclusive for all young people. The award encourages creativity in the classroom, and champions invention and imagination as valuable skills for any future career. The production will be releasing resources throughout the awards process which will help unlock the doors to the world of theatre, and showcase the opportunities in the arts that exist for young people interested in the process of theatre making and design.

The Young Theatre Designer Award will look for those who have already experimented with set and costume design, and also seek out aspiring artists and those with relevant skills who have not yet considered a career in the theatre industry.

Since opening in 2013, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has offered teachers numerous ways to explore the show through an educational ‘Page-to-Stage’ resource that includes activities and exercises for students to bring the musical to life in the classroom. January 2016 will see the launch of new official Charlie and the Chocolate Factory school workshops in the areas of drama, singing, dance, musical theatre and storytelling.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has also provided ten one-week paid backstage work experience placements and two eight-week paid internships through the Golden Tickets scheme, part of Warner Bros. Creative Talent, a programme of investment in skills and training for the UK creative industries.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory will present its first ‘relaxed performance’ on 19 January 2016. Presented in association with Mousetrap Theatre Projects, the relaxed performance is aimed at families with one or more children with special needs. It is designed to provide an opportunity for people with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory and communication needs, who require a more relaxed environment, to enjoy the show.

Further details of the Imagination Awards will be announced in the New Year. Anyone interested in finding out more should sign up to receive the Awards newsletter, athttp://www.charlieandthechocolatefactory.com/charlieandthechocolatefactory-education.asp

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has quickly become one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals, and recently celebrated its 1000th performance as well as winning a London Lifestyle Award for Theatre Show of the Year, as voted for by readers of the London Evening Standard. It also won two Olivier awards in April 2014, and has broken records at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it has been seen by over 1.7 million people since it opened in June 2013. It is currently taking bookings until December 2016.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is directed by Sam Mendes. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig, set and costume designs by Mark Thompson and choreography by Peter Darling.

The Official Cast Recording album is available on Sony Records, on CD and download.

This world premiere musical is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Langley Park Productions.

www.CharlieandtheChocolateFactory.com
Box Office: 0844 858 8877
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5JF
Booking until December 2016

NEWLY CREATED ‘TREE OF EXTINCTION’ SHOWS

SPECIES THAT ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME

        The Tree of Extinction shows seriously endangered species including the Honey Bee, Indian Elephant and the Great White Shark

        The Tree has been created to mark the premiere of Racing Extinction, the gripping new film from Oscar®-winning director Louie Psihoyos (The Cove), which exposes the hidden world of endangered species

        The film’s findings suggest man’s impact on the planet is driving the sixth mass extinction

         Racing Extinction to air Wednesday 2nd December at 9pm on Discovery UK

Ahead of the release of Oscar®-winning director Louie Psihoyos’ ground breaking film Racing Extinction, premiering on Discovery Channel UK on Wednesday 2^nd December, Discovery has recreated Charles Darwin’s ‘Tree of Life’. The newly created ‘Tree of Extinction’ looks at species that have recently become extinct, as well as showcasing species whose numbers are diminishing at rapid rates.  These include the Arctic Fox, the Emperor Penguin, the Common Snowdrop, the Honey Bee and the Indian Elephant.

The Tree of Extinction has five branches which span fish, birds, mammals, plants/trees and insects and showcases just a tiny fraction of endangered species in today’s world.

Racing Extinction exposes the hidden world of endangered species black markets and reveals shocking undercover footage of illegal animal trafficking. It speculates that we are approaching the sixth mass extinction. It is accompanied by the #StartWith1Thing campaign – Discovery’s call to action to create a worldwide movement. Discovery will ignite curiosity and global actions that people can take in four areas: fighting wildlife trafficking, reducing carbon emissions through use of green energy/transport, supporting green causes, and eating less meat – all by starting with one thing.

Dr David L. Roberts, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent said: “It is clear we are entering a time of immense environmental upheaval, with the most worrying outcome being extinction. Once a species is extinct that is millions of years of evolution lost, there is no coming back”.

Louie Psihoyos, Director of Racing Extinction stated: “With the help of Discovery I believe we can create a tipping point to create the change we need to preserve a planet that can sustain life for all species. There has never been a more important time in the world than to be alive now — the decisions we make in the next few years will impact the Earth and animal species for millions of years.”

Racing Extinction is on Wednesday 2^nd December at 9pm on Discovery Channel UK

#StartWith1Thing

discoveryuk.com

JOHN RUTTER’S REQUIEM

WORLD AIDS DAY 2015 –  ‘Time To Reflect, Remember & Celebrate’

Tuesday 1 December, 12 noon – 1pm

St Paul’s (The Actors’) Church, Covent Garden

FREE – ALL WELCOME

The Make A Difference Trust warmly invites you to a free performance of John Rutter’s Requiem onWorld AIDS Day 2015 – Tuesday 1 December, from 12 noon – 1.00pm, at St Paul’s (The Actor’s) Church in Covent Garden in London’s West End.

The one-hour performance of John Rutter’s glorious Requiem will be sung by a choir of professional West End singers past and present, conducted by Jae Alexander, and featuring soprano soloist,Rebecca Caine, with a reading by actor, Nickolas Grace.

The concert, which is subtitled ‘Taking Time to Reflect, Remember and Celebrate’, invites everyone to come together as one community – from those working in the HIV and AIDS sector and members of the theatre industry, to others who might wish to remember loved ones or simply support the cause and enjoy the performance.

This special event is being held to remember those people who the community has lost to AIDS, to reflect upon what has been achieved and what is still to be done in the fights against HIV and AIDS, and to celebrate over 25 years of fundraising and grant-making by the theatre industry for this cause.

Whilst the concert is free of charge, any donations made on the day will be used to continue the work of The Make a Difference Trust.

Originally founded as West End Cares in 1990 and later becoming Theatrecares, The Make A Difference Trust (www.madtrust.org.uk
) (aka MAD Trust & t/a TheatreMAD), is the theatre industry’s response to HIV and AIDS, raising funds for HIV and AIDS Projects that build awareness and provide care, support and education in the UK and Sub-Saharan Africa.

LISTINGS

DATE: Tuesday 1 December 2015

TIME: 12 noon – 1.00pm

VENUE: St Paul’s (The Actor’s Church)

TICKET PRICES:  Free admission (no ticket required); any donations will be gratefully received by The Make A Difference Trust

Sutton Theatres presents: