Month: May 2017

ROMEO AND JULIET & TWELFTH NIGHT

By William Shakespeare

The Watermill Theatre

Part of York International Shakespeare Festival

York Theatre Royal is delighted to welcome the internationally acclaimed Watermill Theatre who will be visiting the city to be part of its International Shakespeare Festival, taking place citywide between 13 – 20 May 2017.

Based in a watermill in rural West Berkshire, The Watermill Theatre has become one of the very best producing theatres in the UK and has toured the world from Buenos Aires to Singapore. The company’s work ranges from Shakespeare and classic plays to new writing and their bold approach has led to the reimagining of large-scale musicals using actor-musicians, to breathe fresh life into familiar shows.

ROMEO AND JULIET,

16 May 7.30 pm, 17 May 2.30 pm, 20 May 7.30pm

A powerful and explosive new production of Shakespeare’s immortal tale of an all-consuming love. This ensemble production with live music, is directed by the company’s new artistic director Paul Hart, whose productions for The Watermill Theatre include, Great Expectations, Heroes, Journey’s End, The Tempest and who has directed for Propeller and The Donmar Warehouse.

TWELFTH NIGHT

18 May 7.30pm, 19 May 7.30pm, 20 May 2.30pm

A sparkling innovative production of Shakespeare’s timeless tale of shipwreck, seduction and mistaken identity. Re-imagined and transported to the 1920s during the Prohibition Era, the action is played out to a scintillating soundtrack of live jazz music, in the spirit of Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong and Django Reinhardt.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

ROMEO AND JULIET

16 May 7.30 pm, 17 May 2.30 pm, 20 May 7.30pm

TWELFTH NIGHT

18 May 7.30pm, 19 May 7.30pm, 20 May 2.30pm

Pre show talk 19 May, 7pm by Professor Judith Buchanan

TICKETS: £28 – £14 (Plus booking fee £1.50)

Book tickets for both shows and receive a £5 discount

By telephone: 01904 623568

online www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

York International Shakespeare Festival 13 – 20 May, Citywide

http://esfn.eu/festivals/york

NATIVITY! THE MUSICAL AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE FOR CHRISTMAS

Leeds Grand Theatre is delighted to announce that it will host the World Premiere tour of Nativity! The Musical for its Christmas season this year.  The new musical will take to the stage from December 20^th to January 6^th.

Ian Sime, General Manager, said: “This is the production’s first outing and we have got it at Christmas; it could not be more perfect for us.”

The Nativity! film series is one of the most popular UK Christmas film franchises of recent years and its Bafta Award-winning writer and director, Debbie Issit, is also behind the stage production.

She said of this week’s cast announcement: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with this incredibly talented and hilariously funny musical theatre cast who are going to be brilliant in Nativity! The Musical. It truly will be an emotionally soaring, feel good experience with beautiful singing and amazing choreography.”

Daniel Boys (The Boys in the Band, Avenue Q, Spamalot) will play Paul Maddens, Sarah Earnshaw (Wicked, Scrooge, Spamalot) is Jennifer Lore and Simon Lipkin (Avenue Q, Rock of Ages, Guys and Dolls) is Mr Poppy.

Every child in every school has one Christmas wish, to star in a Nativity, and at St Bernadette’s School they’ve decided to mount a musical version; Mr Maddens and his crazy assistant Mr Poppy struggle with hilarious children, unruly animals and a whole lot of sparkle and shine to make everyone’s Christmas wish come true.

Featuring the favourite sing-a-long songs from the smash-hit films including Sparkle and Shine, Nazareth and One Night One Moment Nativity! The Musical promises to be the perfect feel-good Christmas comedy for all the family.

Nativity! The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Wednesday December 20^th 2017 to

Saturday 6^th January 2018

Tickets are on sale now priced from £20.50 to £46

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Winner of a Record-Breaking Nine Olivier Awards

Including Best New Play

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Parts One and Two

Will Open on Broadway

Spring of 2018 at the Lyric Theatre

www.HarryPotterThePlay.com

Sonia Friedman, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions, producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, have today confirmed that the production will have its Broadway premiere in the Spring of 2018 at the newly renovated Lyric Theatre in New York. As previously announced, the Lyric Theatre is currently undergoing a complete redesign and transformation in preparation for the North American premiere of the production.

The official opening will be on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Preview performances, casting and all further details will be announced in the coming months.

Tickets will go on sale in the Fall of this year via the official website only, and details of how and when tickets can be purchased will be released soon. Visit www.HarryPotterThePlay.com to sign up for the mailing list to stay up to date with the latest news and updates.

Last month, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child became the most awarded production in the history of Britain’s Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking nine awards including Best New Play and Best Director. The production has won 22 major theatre awards in the UK since opening last July in London, including the Evening Standard Best Play Award.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne, directed by John Tiffany. The production is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening) or on two consecutive evenings.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage. The critically acclaimed production received its world premiere in July 2016 at the Palace Theatre in London where it continues to play to sold out houses.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child features movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music & arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting byNeil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison, music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe.

It was always difficult being Harry Potter and it isn’t much easier now that he is an overworked employee of the Ministry of Magic, a husband and father of three school-age children.

While Harry grapples with a past that refuses to stay where it belongs, his youngest son Albus must struggle with the weight of a family legacy he never wanted. As past and present fuse ominously, both father and son learn the uncomfortable truth: sometimes, darkness comes from unexpected places.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

Pleasance Theatre 2 – 21 May.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Becoming Mohammed is a little gem of a play, tackling tricky issues with humour and integrity.

Tom (Jack Hammett) has converted to Islam and is soon to marry Aminah (Nadia Lamin). When his sister Sarah (Philippa Carson) turns up on his doorstep after 2 years, Tom just can’t find the right moment to tell her his news. Only after trying to force sausage rolls upon him does Sarah guess that he has become a Muslim. Her shock and bemusement at his choices is portrayed beautifully, with Sarah even wondering why he didn’t choose Scientology instead.

This subject could have been approached in a well-meant, po-faced manner, but writer Claudia Marinaro has based the play on director Annemiek van Elst’s own family’s experience when her brother converted to Islam, and it is full of great jokes, authentic sibling dynamics, and most importantly, love.

Tom, who changes his name to Mohammed during the play, is full of puppyish enthusiasm about his new life, but Sarah has seen his teenage fads come and go and is convinced that this is just another fleeting interest at first. Her own need to cling onto the past, rooting through boxes of memories and junk that their mother left them, makes her incredulity that Tom has moved on to a new life even more painful. As most siblings do, when they disagree, Tom and Sarah revert to toddler tantrums and neither will back down. These arguments are fantastic – petty, childish and instantly recognisable.

It is down to the thoroughly modern Aminah to sort out the warring pair. When Sarah rails about the sexism of praying separately, Aminah just calmly tells her that you need to choose your battles. Aminah and her brother Musa’s (Jonah Fazel) moderate approach to life is in stark contrast to Tom’s idealistic naivety. Musa and Aminah’s reactions to eggs and rocks thrown at the mosque is conciliatory, while Tom wants to retaliate. He begins a one-man mission to build bridges between the Muslim and surrounding communities without thinking through the consequences for Aminah and himself. The pragmatic Musa deals with the issue, choosing to risk his relationship with his sister rather than risking her safety. This gives Musa a bit of weight as a character, as he comes across as a sweeter, Muslim version of David Brent at times.

The discrimination and suspicion that Muslims face is laid bare in the second act, but Marinaro’s Muslim characters shrug off these situations and accept them as a fact of modern Western life. There are some extremely emotional and excruciatingly honest questions asked, and Marinaro doesn’t try to answer them, instead showing what can be achieved through mutual understanding and acceptance.

The set design and lighting are crisp and clean, with some fantastic pieces of nostalgia hiding in the plastic boxes lining the room. The cast are fantastic – Jack Hammett is full of energy and enthusiasm as Tom, and his petulant reactions to Sarah are very funny. Philippa Carson has some hysterical moments during their arguments, and keeps Sarah believable and vulnerable. Jonah Fazel’s light touch keeps Musa loveable, and Nadia Lamin shines as Aminah, giving her a feisty strength – she may wear a hijab, but the men can’t walk over her.

I really didn’t expect to be laughing so much about this subject matter, but this has obviously been a labour of love for Marinaro and van Elst, and the warmth and hope fills the theatre. Becoming Mohammed is a fantastic production that NEEDS to be seen by a wider audience.

Funnier than the black death! Spamalot is back in a brand-new production from Selladoor Productions and Mercury Theatre Colchester. Spamalot transfers from its critically acclaimed run in Colchester and will open on 11 September 2017 at Blackpool Opera House before embarking on a UK tour for 2017/2018 also visiting Korea in June as part of Selladoor Worldwide’s ongoing International strategy.

Lovingly ripped off from the hugely successful 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, this spammier than ever production is a riotous comedy full of misfit knights, killer rabbits, dancing nuns and ferocious Frenchmen. Join King Arthur as he travels with his hapless Knights of the Round Table on a divine mission to locate the illusive Holy Grail – with uproarious consequences.

Spamalot was the winner of the 2005 Tony Award for Best New Musical, while it enjoyed a victorious West End run. This hilarious show is written by Python legend Eric Idle, who has been entertaining the British public for over 50 years. The funnyman also wrote the score alongside John DuPrez, famous for his work on Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life amongst a host of other big-name scores.

Selladoor’s recent tours include Footloose, American Idiot, Avenue Q and Little Shop of Horrors. With star cast to be announced, the company includes; Bob Harms, Sarah Harlington, Marc Akinfolarin, Norton James, Matthew Pennington and Gleanne Purcell-Brown.

Spamalot is directed by Daniel Buckroyd, designed by Sara Perks with choreography from Ashley Nottingham. Lighting is designed by David W Kidd and sound by Chris Bogg.

David Hutchinson, Executive Creative Producer for Selladoor Worldwide, said:

“We are delighted to be working with the Colchester Mercury to bring Spamalot on a comprehensive UK tour and exploring international touring opportunities, having secured Selladoor’s first production in Korea – hopefully to be followed by further international dates. Selladoor continue to strive to ensure high quality work made in producing regional houses meets the widest possible market, this nine month tour certainly shows the demand for this brilliant evening at the theatre”

With comic tunes including Brave Sir Robin, We’re Knights of the Round Table and perennial favourite Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, Spamalot audiences are sure to be dancing in the aisles. Don’t be a knight who says ‘No’ …. Grab your coconuts and gallop down to a venue near you to book your tickets today!

@SpamUkTour www.facebook.com/Spamalot-UK-Tour-2017-404657776564480/

Amy Gwilliam and Sophie Larsmon present:

Newcastle City Hall audiences have topped 115,000 in its first year under the management of Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust, and it will have received nearly a million pounds in investment by September 2017.

Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust, an independent charity, took over the management of the City Hall in April 2016 last year after region-wide austerity cuts saw it threatened with closure.

Since the merger, the Trust has earmarked a million pounds for improvements to the City Hall building and its facilities.  More dressing rooms have already been created to provide better accommodation for the artistes and this summer work will begin on a complete redevelopment of the basement, modernising and expanding the bar and more than doubling the provision of ladies toilets.  From September, the number of wheelchair spaces in the auditorium will be doubled and further improvements to access and facilities for disabled people are planned.  Plus, thanks to a generous donation from the Catherine Cookson Trust, the venue now has a state of the art sound and lighting rig which has drawn national attention.

Chief Executive of Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust, Philip Bernays, said: “This has been a very exciting year for the Theatre Royal and the City Hall and the new arrangement offers great promise.  Not only has the Theatre Royal had one of its best years ever, but we are continuing to build the audiences and programme at the City Hall.  Our aim continues to be to bring together the strengths of each, into an even bigger and better whole and ensure that both venues remain at the forefront of entertainment for the people of Newcastle and the North East.”

“When we took over management last year, the infrastructure of the City Hall was badly in need of updating.  We are already making significant improvements, and there is considerably more to come – we are currently looking at the feasibility of a major fundraising campaign for a multi-million pound refurbishment for the venue” added Philip.

As a charity, all investment by the Theatre Royal Trust in both venues comes from its own reserves, including surpluses from ticket sales, corporate sponsorship and support and fundraising activity.

Over the past year, the City Hall has presented 72 public performances alongside a number of private events, with attendances in excess of 115,000. Improvements will soon be very evident at all levels of the customer experience including brand new ladies and gents toilets and quicker service at the bars.

Chair of the Theatre Royal Trust Board, Bill Midgley OBE, said: “The City Hall has, in its time, been a major venue for music, the arts and the principal meeting venue in the city with provision for over two thousand people. Sadly it has suffered from a marked lack of investment in recent years and needs a major injection of resources to bring it back to its former standard. In addition to the £1 Million already committed, the Theatre Royal Trust is carrying out a full evaluation of the total work needed to ensure that the facilities will continue to attract the events, shows and attendances that have been the hall-mark of the past. Such investment is likely to be in the range of £3 to £4 Million with a time scale of three years or more.

He added: “We are determined to restore the Hall to its pride of place in the City, making good the neglect of the past and continuing to serve the people of the area as it has done so well in its existence. A building to be proud of.”

All tickets for City Hall and Theatre Royal shows are available from www.theatreroyal.co.uk, from the Theatre Royal Box office on Grey Street or call 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, Manchester- 3rd May 2017.  Reviewed by Julie Noller

Casanova what a spectacular jaw dropping performance…. Yes I did actually have to close my mouth at the wonder and pure energy I was watching.

Casanova is nearing its tour end there’s only London Sadler’s Wells to come. Perhaps the night would end with a jaded performance with tired dancers? Fear not for it was far from tiring (apart from my proclamations of I could never do that – but isn’t that the joy of watching masters at work?) I was witnessing not just months of practice but years – you want to take your six year old daughter contemplating ballet to watch what they could achieve,  alas my daughter is 14 and even she would be embarrassed at this extremely sensual and moving performance. I could almost sense that the dancers could close their eyes and still the performance would be perfect.

The thing is there are far too many names to single out for praise, Christopher Oram for those costumes and set designs, coming together with Alastair Wests lighting design. We had the drab black costumes of the so called ordinary folk to the papal purple and white reflecting life in clergy, to the more elaborate scarlet reds and gold working cleverly with the cadbury lighting of golds and purples which highlighted each dancer perfectly. I was somewhat dazzled by the mirrors reflecting the light back into the theatre but the effect worked showing the oppulence in Casanovas life and once my eyes had adjusted being thrust from relative darkness, it also succeeded in highlighting another aspect of each dancer, wow those muscles and somehow just a little bit cheeky. The set mostly shades of gold as you would expect of the era but the few pieces used expressed the extravagance that showed the essence of money and power in 18th Century Venice and Paris.

If I had one recommendation to anyone attending future performances it would be to spend a couple of minutes reading The Story on pages 4 and 5 of the programme, if you are familiar with Casanova or not it will help you to understand the characters if you like to have a thorough knowledge. I know the basic story of Casanova the Lothario, I watched Act I without reading the story instead I busied myself reading about the dancers, amazed at the diversity of talent. I will say if you enjoy losing yourself in pure talent and emotion you have no need to read The Story, I did allow myself the chance to read The Story before Act II and found I had greater understanding of not only what was happening and why but what was to come.

So Casanova, you would be expecting raunchy? Wrong what you got was something warm and glowing yet incredibly sensual and energetic. Giuliano Contadini was masterful and believable as Casanova from leaping about the stage on to table tops to those jumps (more jaw dropping moments than I can recall) together with the choreography of Kenneth Tindall in his first full length ballet with Northern Ballet. You could see this lothario at work, was no one ever safe from the charms of Casanova? When you watch a film maybe it’s the British way to get embarrassed by scenes showing any sort of sexual contact, I know I’ve said already it was extremely sensual but it simply was. Casanova was portrayed as not only a lover but so in touch with the emotions of others. My perception was that of a man hiding behind his own mask, understanding others so well, he would give to them the Casanova they craved and needed, whilst devouring all kinds of knowledge. My favourite dance without a doubt was where Bellino (the wonderful Dreda Blow) shares her secret that she is indeed a woman with Casanova it is simply stunning, vibrant and yet again so sensual.

More names need praise and they include Kerry Muzzey (music) for his first full length ballet and first live theatrical work…. Really? I found myself lost in the music more than once and it perfectly accompanied those sensual and highly emotive scenes, the sort of music you could soak away your troubles in the bath with. John Pryce Jones Sinfonia Conductor and Geoffrey Allan Sinfonia Leader unfortunately I cannot applaud through my computer screen.

Once again I have watched a ballet and have been left in total awe at the power and grace not to mention the skills, simply amazing.

New Wimbledon Theatre Tues 2nd – Sat 6th May.  Reviewed By Jessica Brady

Wonderland: it was exactly that and more. Sitting in my seat eagerly awaiting the curtain up moment surrounded by a plethora of famous faces, I had no idea what to expect and I was excited.

We start in a very different place than the infamous Wonderland, rather a council block of flats, dull and dismal. Alice (Kerrie Ellis) is not having a good day, in fact it’s so bad we are straight in with the first musical number of the show ‘Worst day’. Alice is stuck in a frustrating world where everything seems to be against her, she can’t move on and she can’t let go of her ex husband and the hope of him returning, despite getting notified of his marriage to a new partner. Alice’s teenage daughter Ellie (Naomi Morris) is older than her years and has become more of a parent role to Alice instead of the other way around. The Next door neighbour, Jack (Stephen Webb), is very fond of Alice, even though Alice doesn’t really have much thought for him, however she comes to rely on him when Ellie gets led astray by a large white rabbit (David Willetts) into a broken elevator and transported to Wonderland, then the fun begins.

The stage bursts into colour and fun with a visually stunning (if not a little trippy) set and revamped modern look costumes for all the characters of the well known Lewis Carroll classic. The story develops into saving the current residents of Wonderland from the tyrannical Queen of Hearts (Wendi Peters) and Alice rediscovering the old her. This mission of course doesn’t come without its challenges, Ellie, Jack and the Mad Hatter (Natalie McQueen) all go through the looking glass, turning them into the opposite versions of themselves which in the Mad Hatters case is very dangerous indeed. The Mad Hatter along with Ellie’s help hatches a plan to over throw the Queen, but the Mad Hatter goes power crazy and turns Wonderland into a well oiled hat making chain, forcing all the residents to do the work.

The cast in this show are unbelievably good, with every bit of energy being put into the characterisation of these well known and loved characters. This will be the 6th time I have seen Kerry Ellis in a show and she is still as sensational as the first time I saw her back in 2006 in Miss Saigon. Her voice is crisp and effortless and I thought she was perfect in this motherly take on Alice. Wendi Peter’s was hilariously funny as the Queen Of Hearts despite not actually being in the show as much as I had hoped, she was still a scene stealer and has a really great number in the show ‘Hail the Queen’ which you couldn’t help but bop along to. For me the standout star in this show is Natalie McQueen as the Mad Hatter. This girl’s voice is insane, she is absolutely mesmerising to watch and each number she had in the show had me flawed. I loved her characterisation and would honestly go see this again just for her! A special mention should go to Naomi Morris as Ellie, a really collected and wonderful performance and had me laughing out loud at points. I could go on and mention what I loved about all the characters as they were all done so well, even down to the ensemble, but all I will say is go see it and let yourself be swept into the mad world of Wonderland.

This is a fantastic musical with a really interesting and energetic score. There are some great numbers that will leave you feeling uplifted and perhaps a little crazy afterwards, but surely that’s what Wonderland should be. Go catch Wonderland and have fun, let your mind wander in the craziness of the show and prepare to be amazed.

Grand Opera House York – until Saturday 6 May 2017.  Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

Kick off your Sunday shoes and cut loose to the music of Footloose, now touring and playing at the Grand Opera House in York. Based on the hit 1980’s film with story revolving around youth, rebellion and romance.

Ren, Joshua Dowen, is the city boy being forced to move to the bible belt town of Bomont with his mother. We meet the rest of the cast in church, led by the Reverend, Reuven Gershon, who shows himself to be narrow minded and a driving force about the laws and regulations in Bemont. Unfortunately for him he has a bit of a wild child daughter, Ariel, Hannah Price, who really is just going through a phase and is just rebelling against her strict father.

Ren manages to make friends with Willard, played by Gareth Gates, of Pop Idol fame. Willard is a simple fellow, a bit of a country hick and definitely the comedy act of the musical, a bit over the top at times, but it certainly made us laugh. In one sequence his clothes are ripped off and he is left standing in nothing but aviator sunglasses and a skimpy pair of gold shorts, it certainly pleased a good proportion of the audience and he sure has done a lot of working out since his Pop Idol days!

The other star of the show is Maureen Nolan who plays the Reverend’s wife Vi, a part she plays with ease. She delivers a solid vocal performance and you can tell she is comfortable on stage and has been performing for years.

Ren discovers, much to his disgust, that dancing is banned. Banned, how can it be banned?? He decides to try and change this and takes on the town and the Reverend.

All the cast worked very hard, most playing at least one instrument, some even on roller skates, on stage. There were 2 keyboards slightly hidden at the both sides and they constantly had different cast members jumping in to contribute their bit, backwards and forwards, even Gates. All this whilst singing and dancing, a truly talented group.

I really enjoyed the performance of Laura Sillett who played Rusty, the love interest for Willard. She was the stand out performer for me in the show as a whole.

Definitely a show with the feel good factor and you will be entertained from start to finish.

Showing in York until Saturday 6th May.