Month: February 2016

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory enters its fourth and final year at Theatre Royal Drury Lane 

The award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, continues to capture the imagination of audiences as it enters its fourth and final year at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals and has broken house records at Theatre Royal Drury Lane where it has been seen by over 1.8 million people since it opened in June 2013. It currently sits alongside Miss Saigon and 42nd Street in the top three longest-running productions of the last 50 years at the historic venue, one of London’s largest theatres.

A Broadway production will open in New York in the 2016-2017 season and tickets for a UK-wide tour will go on sale next year.

Over the course of the year the stage musical will take part in the nationwide celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Roald Dahl.

Jonathan Slinger, as Willy Wonka, continues his celebrated performance, as do the principal cast members: Barry James as Grandpa Joe, Ross Dawes as Mr Salt, Josefina Gabrielle as Mrs Teavee, Jasna Ivir as Mrs Gloop, Paul J Medford as Mr Beauregarde, Claire Carrie as Grandma Josephine, Lara Denning as Mrs Bucket, Myra Sands as Grandma Georgina and Kraig Thornber as Grandpa George. Chris Grahamson joins the cast as Mr Bucket.

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.

Joining the ensemble are Alexander Bartles, Lisa Bridge, Melanie Brown, Helen Colby, Ashley Cooper, Alastair Crosswell, Katrina Dix, Ryan Gover, Rebecca Hodge, Peter Houston, Thomas Inge, Mikey Jay-Heath, Joanne McShane, Ben Redfern, Ainsley Hall Ricketts, Johnathan Tweedie.

Remaining in the ensemble are: Andy Brady, Georgia Carling, Andrew Carthy, Sam Lathwood, Lucinda Lawrence, Steven Serlin, Robert Tregoning, Tara Verloop, Michelle White.

Tickets are currently available for performances up to Saturday 7th January 2017.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 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

Artistic Director Madani Younis announces major redevelopment of the Bush Theatre and new season of work 

• The Bush Theatre to be redeveloped by architects Haworth Tompkins
• New studio theatre gives second space
• Improved and upgraded backstage facilities for artists
• Fully accessible across all areas
• Increased sustainability

• New season of work will take place outside the current building:
• Boys Will Be Boys by Melissa Bubnic at Bush Hall
• This Place We Know in found spaces along Uxbridge Road
• The Neighbourhood Project in homes and streets of Shepherd’s Bush
• The Royale by Marco Ramirez at The Tabernacle

Launch video available here and short film with Madani Younis here

In 2016, as part of Madani Younis’ stated aim of creating a theatre that truly reflects the community in which it sits, the Bush Theatre will undergo a major redevelopment of its building from March, creating a new second space, improved backstage facilities and a new front-of-house area, and making the whole building fully accessible and more sustainable.

During the building works, the Bush Theatre’s programme will move out into the local community, embracing the buildings and people of West London. Shows will include: the European premiere of Boys Will Be Boys, about representations of women in the male-dominated world of the city and the first co-production between the Bush Theatre and Headlong; This Place We Know, a series of plays performed along the iconic and chaotic Uxbridge Road featuring new and established talent from the Bush Theatre’s history; The Neighbourhood Project, a community project in collaboration with Look Left Look Right and featuring residents of Shepherd’s Bush; and a revival of The Royale, the critically and publically acclaimed play based on the story of the first African-American heavyweight champion of the world. Booking for Boys Will Be Boys and The Royale opens today.

The redevelopment and off-site programme will cost £4 million, of which 90% has been raised already. Supporters of the project include Arts Council England and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham as well as generous trusts and foundations, local businesses and individual donors. The Bush Theatre continues to fundraise for the remaining 10% to deliver the project successfully and cement the theatre as a world-class venue in the heart of Shepherd’s Bush.

The redevelopment will unlock the potential of the Old Library: increasing the capacity of the theatre and creating a new studio theatre space. It will also provide much better facilities for audiences and artist, with nearly 50% more space in the bars and café areas, and a revamp of the backstage areas. Across three spaces – the auditorium, attic and the studio theatre – the Bush Theatre hopes to welcome around 15,000 more people per year to the venue.

Madani Younis, Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre, said:

“Whilst we are incredibly proud to be redeveloping our theatre for the next generation, a theatre should not be defined by its walls – which is why we want to go beyond them. We have the privilege of being at the heart of one of the most diverse places in the country, and at a cultural crossroads of everything that it is to live in London today. We want to create a building that embraces this, and work that celebrates this.

“It’s my hope that 2016 is not just remembered as the year that the Old Library ‘had some building work done’. I want this to be remembered as the year where Uxbridge Road became our stage, where we met new audiences, and where we discovered the voices whose work will form the bedrock of British Theatre for years to come. All too often, theatre in this country doesn’t reflect the culture of this country. By the end of this year, I hope that we can say with pride that this theatre truly represents the culture of the Uxbridge Road.”

Steve Tompkins, Director of Haworth Tompkins, said:

“We helped the Bush Theatre move in to its new home in 2010 and have been happily accompanying this brilliant, important theatre on its journey ever since. This phase of work should open up a whole new set of theatrical and communal possibilities for a theatre that has always punched above its weight.”

A first look at the production photos of the national tour of Shadowlands, starring Stephen Boxer as C.S. Lewis, Amanda Ryan as Joy Davidman and Denis Lill as Major W.H. Lewis ‘Warnie’.

They are joined by Simon Shackleton as Professor Christopher Riley, Jeffrey Harmer as Rev ‘Harry’ Harrington, Ian Marr as Alan Gregg, Richard Holliday as Dr Maurice Oakley and Shannon Rewcroft as Douglas, with Holly Smith and Alistair Higgins playing multiple supporting roles.

Directed by Alastair Whatley, William Nicholson’s play tells the love story of C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, and American poet Joy Davidman. The production opened at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on Thursday 18 February where it will run until Saturday 27 February, with a national press night on Friday 26 February. It will then tour the UK until Saturday 30 July. Tour dates: http://www.shadowlandstour.com

ACTRESS SAM WOMACK LAUNCHES EXCITING NEW ARTS THEATRE

Actress Sam Womack launched a project to create a new 400-seat theatre in Letchworth Garden City this week (22 February), as part of a £4million investment in the arts which also sees a gallery opening in the town later this week.

Sam, whose career has made her a household name in television and theatre, lives locally and is excited at the prospect of the first major professional theatre in the town, as an addition to the Art Deco Broadway Cinema.

She said: “It’s really exciting to have this new theatre locally, in this lovely building. We have had many happy visits to the cinema and I look forward to the theatre coming this autumn.”

The theatre marks a major investment in the arts by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, who are using the revenue from their unique Garden City legacy to make the town a major centre for the Arts.

Also opening in the town this Wednesday (24 February) is the new Broadway Gallery – with a major show by international modern art pioneer Richard Smith. Smith was born and raised in Letchworth Garden City and went on to have his work showcased at the Venice Biennale and the Tate Gallery.

Colin Chatfield, Chairman of Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation said: “It is great to have Sam Womack along to launch the build of our new theatre, and highlights the calibre of actors and shows we will attract when the theatre opens later this year. It’s going to be an exciting year for the arts in Letchworth.”

Work on the theatre begins in earnest on Monday, with builders working seven days a week in order to keep the work as short as possible while allowing the cinema to remain open. During the building work the cinema will be open Monday to Friday from 4pm, and from 3pm at the weekend.

Work has been carefully planned to ensure it is in keeping with the cinema’s beautiful Art Deco design. Dressing rooms and a stage will be added to Screen One so it can be changed from a cinema to theatre, and back, overnight, allowing it to host theatre, children’s shows, live comedy and acoustic music, as well as mainstream films. It will also create a new bar area and add an air cooling system.

The work will continue until late 2016 with theatre previews and back stage tours taking place in November ahead of the first theatre season in 2017. 

Further details of the theatre plans are available online at www.broadway-letchworth.com

YOUTH THEATRE SET THEIR SIGHTS HIGH

Members of ArtsSpark – Darlington Civic Theatre’s youth theatre, will be performing a play called Eclipse by Simon Armitage on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 February as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival.

As part of the Festival, youth theatre groups from around the country are each given a play to perform, specially written for young people. ArtsSpark members were thrilled to be given this challenging play to work on and have been rehearsing hard since October.

A representative from the National Theatre will attend a performance at the Civic Theatre to give valuable feedback to the actors. The group then have a further 2 weeks to fine-tune the play before taking it to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough on 12th March where they have the opportunity of being chosen to take the play to London for a performance at the National Theatre as part of the Connections Festival.

Eclipse is by Simon Armitage, professor of poetry at the University of Sheffield. The play is based around six friends who are interviewed by the police following the disappearance of a girl called Lucy Lime. The group had met Lucy beneath the cliffs on a Cornish beach just before a total eclipse of the sun.

The group have created a special ‘in-the-round’ performance space on the Darlington Civic Theatre stage to bring the audience even closer to the action.

Eclipse is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 23 February at 7pm and Wednesday 24 February at 1.30pm & 7pm. Tickets are priced £4 for adults and £2 for children.

Age recommendation 13+ (there is some strong language and adult themes)

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555

Karl Sydow and Out of Joint present

A VIEW

FROM ISLINGTON NORTH

MAX STAFFORD-CLARK DIRECTS

AN EVENING OF POLITICAL SATIRE

FROM ALISTAIR BEATON, CARYL CHURCHILL, STELLA FEEHILY, DAVID HARE AND MARK RAVENHILL

WITH MUSIC BY BILLY BRAGG

Arts Theatre, 18 May – 2 July 2016

“Politics has become too serious a matter to be left to politicians”

TS Eliot

Acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark will team up with some of the UK’s most celebrated playwrights for an evening of political satire: A VIEW FROM ISLINGTON NORTH, opening at the Arts Theatre in London on 18 May until 2 July, with a press night on 24 May.

In THE ACCIDENTAL LEADER and HOW TO GET AHEAD IN POLITICS, Alistair Beaton (Feelgood, Not the Nine O’Clock News, A Very Social Secretary) and Stella Feehily (This May Hurt A Bit, Bang Bang Bang, Duck) make merry with the machinations behind the closed doors of our major political parties.

David Hare (The Moderate Soprano, Stuff Happens, The Judas Kiss ) takes us inside George Osborne’s mind in AYN RAND TAKES A STAND

In The MOTHER, Mark Ravenhill (Shopping and Fucking, Mother Clapp’s Molly House, Candide) eyes the cost of our military adventures, as a soldier’s mother does all she can to avoid hearing the news she dreads.

And in TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE, Caryl Churchill (Love and Information, Escaped Alone, Top Girls) imagines a world where even language is sponsored…

Max Stafford-Clark said, “From Beyond The Fringe to Spitting Image to The Thick of It, political satire has never really gone out of fashion, and continues to act as a pungent corrective to political pomposity and ambition. Over a few years Out of Joint has accumulated a number of short plays, originally written for other purposes;  Caryl Churchill’s play Tickets Are Now On Sale formed part of a Theatre Uncut season, and Stella Feehily’s How to Get Ahead in Politics was written for a one-off occasion on the eve of the General Election.  And I’ve always wanted to revisit Mark Ravenhill’s searing play The Mother, since it was first performed at the Royal Court in 2008. It occurred to me then that we had the beginnings of a pertinent and provocative evening! Alistair Beaton and David Hare happily responded to an invitation to write new plays, Billy Bragg agreed to compose a new song, and there we had A View from Islington North.

Of course Islington North has long been estate-agent speak for Holloway – not only is it the political seat of the Leader of the Opposition but also, even more importantly, it has been Out of Joint’s home for over 20 years.”

The 39 Steps returns to York

Full steam ahead at the National Railway Museum when the cast of The 39 Steps rolled into York on Friday 19 February to promote the play, which comes to York next month. Richard Ede, Olivia Green, Andrew Hodges and Rob Witcomb arrived in character to the delight of the public.

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, The 39 Steps, brilliantly and hilariously recreated for the stage as the smash hit Olivier Award Winning Comedy.

Follow the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women.

This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller features four fearless actors, playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action.

The 39 Steps is a melodrama adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The original concept and production of a four-actor version of the story was by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. Patrick Barlow rewrote this adaptation in 2005.

The play’s concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film The 39 Steps to be performed with a cast of only four. One actor plays the hero, Richard Hannay, an actress (or sometimes actor) plays the three women with whom he has romantic entanglements, and two other actors play every other character in the show: heroes, villains, men, women, children and even the occasional inanimate object. This often requires lightning fast quick-changes and occasionally for them to play multiple characters at once. Thus the film’s serious spy story is played mainly for laughs, and the script is full of allusions to (and puns on the titles of) other Alfred Hitchcock films, including Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest.

Tickets: From £13.50

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/york

 Upstairs At The Gatehouse  9-28 February, The Radlett Centre 6 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Chris Burgess has written another fantastic review showcasing Jewish talent. This is a man who is passionate about the subject, and here he has had the near impossible task of picking only a few of the wonderful songs of Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein and Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick.

Can’t Help Loving That Man, Fascinatin’ Rhythm, Putting On The Ritz, The Lady Is A Tramp, You’ll Never Walk Alone and L’Chaim (Burgess loves to end with this – and who can blame him?) are just a few of the classics performed. With material like that, you really don’t need to do much in between, but in this show the performers talk about the composers’ lives, loves and careers, pulling the heartstrings with expertly judged song choices. Pogroms, integration, persecution and Jewish tradition and values are discussed and give insight into the composers’ and lyricists’ choices, along with some great one-liners from the men themselves.

Performers Jennifer Harding, Jessie May, Grant McConvey and Lee Ormsby are excellent, producing stunning 4 part harmonies and lovely solo numbers. Ormsby’s Ol’ Man River and  Harding and May’s Suppertime are particularly moving, while McConvey’s rendition of When Messiah Comes is worthy of the West End. The talented band – Neil MacDonald, Doug Grannell and Joe Pickering – plays with gusto, the look on MacDonald’s face when he has to make deliberate mistakes is a picture!

The smiles on the faces of the audience as the lights went up are the best review of this show. An uplifting, joyful evening filled with wonderful, timeless music.

Scriptography Productions and Arad Goch present:

Theatre Royal Haymarket   8 February – 19 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

“Do not holocaust me!!”

After the funeral of their grandfather, which one of them missed, three grandchildren spend the night in a cramped apartment trying to broach, or avoid, the subject of who should inherit Poppy’s chai. Daphna (Ailsa Joy), loudly devout and intelligent thinks it should be hers, because of its religious meaning, while Liam (Ilan Goodman), liberal and atheist, wants it for romantic and historic reasons. Jonah (Jos Slovick) just wants to keep the peace. Throw Liam’s non-Jewish girlfriend Melody (Antonia Kinlay) into the mix and the stage is set for an evening of vicious, petty and hysterical conflict.

Joshua Harmon’s lines are full of bile and venom, and portray those bitter arguments that can only happen between people who love and know each other too well. Daphna and Liam are mirror images of each other, one clinging on to her culture desperately and the other exploring new cultures to give their lives meaning. Both think the other judgemental and scornful and even use the same events as examples of the other’s disdain.

The quiet moments in between each round of verbal battering are exquisite, with the actors’ facial expressions and body language speaking volumes. When everyone has caught their breath, it all kicks off yet again, usually because of Daphna. As the arguments grow more frantic, the laughs come faster and bigger. These are very bad Jews indeed. Insults about the holocaust and the Nazis are thrown about, drawing gasps and howls of laughter from the audience.

Goodman is brilliant as Liam, uptight and quickly unravelling into a stuttering mess before melting down and becoming as vehement as Daphna. In one sublime moment he attacks her with a toothbrush, mind you, I think anybody would. Joy is a force of nature, playing Daphna like a hyperactive, manipulative teenager, always looking for weaknesses and eying her victims slyly before pouncing with her next verbal attack. Slovick has the quietest role as Jonah, mainly reacting to the louder characters with frustrated huffs and puffs, but proves that still waters run deep in the wonderfully measured final scene, which caused a fair bit of sniffling in the audience. Kinlay’s Melody is stereotypically WASPish, sweet and blonde. You can’t help feeling sorry for her, trapped in the apartment with such quick-witted people. She almost steals the whole show with her opera singing. Words fail me – simply hilarious.

Amongst the laughs this play has a lot to say about cultural identity, religion and family relationships, but most of all it is funny – bitingly, viciously funny. Arguments at home will feel third rate after this.