Month: January 2018

Internationally Acclaimed Choreographer & TV Star To Join UK’s First Musical Theatre Cruise

Internationally acclaimed choreographer and TV personalityArlene Phillips will be hitting the high seas with Glitz,Glamour and Gossip onboard the UK’s first ever fully immersive musical theatre cruise.

Arlene will join some of the world’s most celebrated West End and Broadway stars as musical theatre lovers will be spoiled for choice when they join Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas on the four-night Floating Festival Stages cruise in October 2018.

Stages will feature an incredible array of West End and Broadway stars including the nation’s favourite, two-time Olivier Award winning, musical theatre star Michael Ball, the world’s most successful musical theatre group Collabro,and the divine Beverley Knight, award winning soul singer & star of The Bodyguard, Memphis The Musical and Cats. 

And it is today announced Stages will also present Arlene’s successful stage show: Arlene – The Glitz, The Glamour, The Gossip, where Arlene will chat with host and friend Jacquie Storey about a lifetime in dance, and reveal the truth behind it all.

Speaking about the show, Arlene said: “We’ve taken this show on the road around the UK and now it’s time to take it to the seas!

“I love an audience – everyone does – and I hope the passengers on Stages will get an insight into the different aspects of my life.

“It’s glitz, glamour and gossip, and above all else, it will be fun!”

Arlene will regale tales from her career working with stars such as Freddie Mercury, Whitney Houston, and Elton John, shows including Starlight Express and We Will Rock You, Hollywood films such as Annie and Monty Python’s Meaning of Life. The list goes on… and on…and on…

Arlene has been an inimitable choreographer and director for more than four decades. Since creating the provocative dance group Hot Gossip in the 1970’s, she has been a household name.

Whether you know her as creator of the revolutionary dance group Hot Gossip or as the toughest judge on Strictly Come Dancing, prepare to be surprised and entertained by the stories behind the multi-award winning musicals, the music videos, the TV shows, the films and many more dance extravaganzas.

As well as Arlene Phillips and headline performances from Michael Ball, Collabro and Beverley Knight, Stages also includes shows from Lee Mead (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Wicked), Sophie Evans (The Wizard of Oz, Wicked), John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera), ‘diva’ impressionist Christina Bianco and a truly unique performance from the Olivier Award-winning West-End production Showstopper! The Improvised Musical.

Stages will also present an In Conversation with… featuring legendary lyricist Don Black, while award winning West End musical star Marti Webb will join Don to perform some of his biggest hits.

The Floating Festivals Stages cruise will depart Southampton for four nights from 15 October 2018 and includes a full day in Amsterdam

Packages are on sale now. For more details go to www.FloatingFestivals.co.uk

AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP, STEWART TILL,

FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES & EDWARD WALSON

ENLIST DANNY STRONG TO WRITE BOOK

OF NEW MUSICAL CENTERED ON THE

LIFE AND CAREER OF FRANK SINATRA

 

The Ambassador Theatre Group, Stewart Till and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, along with Edward Walson, are proud to announce that Emmy Award-winning writer Danny Strong has been commissioned to write the book for the highly anticipated new musical based on the life of the legendary singer and actor Frank Sinatra.

 

The show, which is planned to open in early 2020, will feature a number of timeless hit songs from Sinatra’s incredible catalogue recorded during his illustrious career.

 

Danny Strong said: “It is an honour to get to write a musical about one of the biggest icons of the 20th Century. Sinatra is one of the great talents of all time and his fascinating and powerful story will make for a terrific stage musical. I’m deeply honoured to get this opportunity.”

 

Alongside his prestigious acting and producing career, Danny Strong’s writing credits include ‘Game Change’ – for which he won an Emmy Award, a Producers Guild Award and a Writers Guild of America Award – The Butler, Recount and the  Hollywood blockbuster films ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’ & ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’. He is the co-creator of the American musical drama television series ‘Empire’ and recently wrote and directed the film ‘Rebel in the Rye’ that premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. He has just completed a reworking of Tim Rice’s and Abba’s Chess which opens at Washington’s Kennedy Center next month.

 

Adam Speers of Ambassador Theatre Group said: “To have Danny on board is amazing news. His previous work speaks for itself and it made perfect sense to have him write the book for what is set to be a unique musical about an all-time Hollywood legend and icon.”

 

Stewart Till added: “Danny Strong’s writing is always incredibly entertaining, smart and a huge magnet for audiences. That is why he was our absolute first choice.”

 

Frank Sinatra’s legacy and body of music is timeless and resonates with all generations. This announcement follows the news that Sinatra extended his record for the most top 40-charting albums on the Billboard 200 with the 2017 release of ‘Ultimate Christmas’, which became his 58th Top 40 hit.

 

Sinatra The Musical will be executive produced by Larry Manetti.

 

About Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd

The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd (ATG) is the world’s number one live-theatre company with 45 venues in Britain, the US and Australia.

 

ATG Productions is also one of the most prolific and internationally recognised award winning theatre producers in the world with co-productions in the UK, New York, across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Current and recent ATG co-productions include Oslo, Glengarry Glen Ross, Big Fish, Sunday in the Park with George, Hamlet, The Spoils, Doctor Faustus, The End of Longing, The Homecoming, Jersey Boys and The Rocky Horror Show.

About Frank Sinatra

Throughout his nine-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double-platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Associated of America. He extends his record to 58 for the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 with this year’s new Ultimate Christmas release. Sinatra has had Top 40 hits on the charts for eight decades, which is as long as the Billboard charts have existed. He received nine GRAMMY Awards over the course of his career, including three for the prestigious Album of the Year, and an Oscar. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.

 

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

 

About Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE)

Frank Sinatra Enterprises is a joint venture between the Sinatra family and Warner Music Group. FSE owns Sinatra’s recordings from the Reprise era as well as a treasure trove of films, television specials and unreleased footage, photos and audio recordings, which collectively represent one of the foremost bodies of artistic work of the modern era. FSE also owns and manages Sinatra’s name and likeness rights and represents the artist’s rights to the Columbia and Capitol catalogues. FSE pursues innovative new product and venture opportunities with respect to the legendary entertainer’s name and likeness, as well as Sinatra’s audio and visual recordings. More information about Frank Sinatra Enterprises can be found at www.sinatra.com

About Stewart Till

Stewart Till is currently producing a number of feature films and high-end, scripted TV dramas for the US and UK markets. He was previously Chair of Creative Skillset and also Chairman of the UK Film Council. From 2011 to 2015, he was both Chief Executive and Board member of Sonar Entertainment and responsible for greenlighting Tom Hardy’s Taboo and Shannara (with Al Gough and Miles Millar as showrunners).

 

Till was CEO of United International Pictures, the international joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios International. With offices in 35 countries, it was the world’s leading distributor of feature length motion pictures. Throughout the nineties, Till was President of International at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. During that time he was responsible for such films as The Usual Suspects, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Jude and Trainspotting. In 2000 he was awarded a CBE for services to the British film industry.

 

About Edward Walson

A former TV host and producer of local cable news, weather and entertainment programming, Edward now dedicates his time to producing musicals and independent films. His credits include Broadway’s “Relatively Speaking,” “Cinderella,” “Big Fish,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “An American In Paris.” Future shows include “Carousel,” “King Kong,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Pretty Woman”. Films: CITY ISLAND, BLUE JASMINE, MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT, TIME OUT OF MIND, IRRATIONAL MAN, CAFE SOCIETY and WONDER WHEEL. He is the owner of Service Electric Broadband Cable TV of New Jersey. He is the son of John Walson, who invented cable television. He is also the owner of the Royal Blues Hotel and Restaurant, in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He plays an active philanthropic role in medical research foundations and law enforcement.

Howard Panter for Trafalgar Entertainment Group,

GWB Entertainment, BookMyShow, Tokyu Theatre Orb,

Tulchin/Bartner and David Lazar

in association with KHAM Inc.

proudly present

The Lincoln Center Theater

production of

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S

 

BROADWAY STAR & TONY AWARD WINNER

RUTHIE ANN MILES

JOINS WEST END CAST OF THE KING AND I

AS LONDON PALLADIUM ENGAGEMENT

IS EXTENDED TO 8 SEPTEMBER 2018

DUE TO PHENOMENAL DEMAND

 

TICKETS FOR NEW BOOKING PERIOD ON SALE FRIDAY 19 JANUARY AT 9AM

 

Ruthie Ann Miles will reprise her Tony Award winning and critically acclaimed Broadway role of LadyThiang in the West End production of THE KING AND I, which opens at the London Palladium on 21 June (Press Night 3 July). She will join fellow Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara (Anna) and Tony and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (The King) in the Broadway transfer of the multi award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical.

 

THE KING AND I has today also announced an extended booking period due to unprecedented demand for tickets until 8 September, which will now see the West End engagement of this classic love story run into the autumn.  Already one of the fastest selling productions of 2018, this booking extension proves the love that London audiences have for THE KING AND I and, much like it’s acclaimed 16 month run at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater and record-breaking sold out USA tour, it’s tipped to be the must see musical of this year.

 

Ruthie Ann Miles originated the role of Imelda Marcos in the prestigious Public Theater production of Here Lies Love, for which she received the Lucille Lortel Award and the Theatre World Award. (The musical transferred to the National Theatre in 2014 playing to critical acclaim).  For her heartwarming portrayal of Lady Thiang, the King’s chief wife in THE KING AND I, she won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and the 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. The New York Times said that Miles’ rendition of the iconic song ‘Something Wonderful’ could be the show’s anthem.  Miles, like her lead co-stars, will be making her West End debut when the critically acclaimed musical opens in London later this year.

 

Acclaimed Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher will direct the production, hot on the heels of his work on The Lincoln Center Theater’s World Premiere of J.T. Rogers’ smash hit play Oslo, which opened on Broadway and then transferred via the National Theatre to London’s Harold Pinter Theatre in October last year to rave reviews. He, along with the celebrated creative team behind the award-winning production of South Pacific and the soon-to-open Lincoln Center Theater production of My Fair Lady, will reunite to bring this majestic production to life at the London Palladium.  

With music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, this masterpiece – one of their finest works – boasts a score featuring such beloved classics as Getting To Know You, Hello Young Lovers, Shall We Dance, I Have Dreamed, and Something Wonderful.   Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the imperious King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children.

 

WHAT THE US PRESS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE LINCOLN CENTER

THEATER BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF THE KING AND I

 

“I’ll doubt I’ll ever see a better production in my lifetime.”

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

 

“Something wonderful indeed. Breathtaking. Exquisite. Remarkable.”

NEW YORK TIMES

 

“Five stars. Grand and glorious.”

 TIME OUT NEW YORK

“A landmark production and a shot of purest rapture. I never wanted it to end.”

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“Too beautiful to miss! An astonishing achievement.”

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

“Absolutely stunning. Kelli O’Hara is ravishing. Ken Watanabe is powerfully seductive. Chalk up another triumph for Lincoln Center Theater.”

VARIETY

“Magnificent. A sweepingly romantic production. How good to be getting to know the show all over again.”

NEWSDAY

“Simply divine. You can’t overstate how stunningly beautiful, how achingly well sung this new revival is.”

NEW YORK POST

 

“This splendid revival emerges as majestic and intimate simultaneously. Grandeur and grace fill each scene and song. O’Hara and Watanabe share warm chemistry.”

DAILY NEWS

“Splendid! This just may be, in fact, the finest staging of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in my experience.”

THE WASHINGTON POST

RUTHIE ANN MILES

Ruthie Ann Miles was last seen on Broadway in Sunday In The Park With George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford. She garnered a TONY Award (and GRAMMY and Drama League nominations) for playing Lady Thiang in Bartlett Sher’s revival of The King And I at Lincoln Center Theater, starring Ken Watanabe and Kelli O’Hara. Off-Broadway, Miles created the role of Imelda Marcos in David Byrne’s discotheque musicalHere Lies Love at The Public Theater, receiving both the Lucille Lortel and Theater World Awards. She played in the US National Tour of John Doyle’s revival of Sweeney Todd, as Adolfo Pirelli (on-stage accordion, flute and piano), and reads the NY Times’ Bestselling author Lisa See’s audiobook “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane”.  Notable television credits include playing Young-Hee in the EMMY-nominated Season Four of the Cold War thriller “The Americans”. Miles holds a Masters degree in Music from New York University, Steinhardt.

 

LISTINGS  INFORMATION

LONDON PALLADIUM

Previews: From 21 June 2018

Press Night: 3 July 2018 at 7pm

Tickets: £15 – £75, Premium Seating available

Box Office: 020 7087 7755

Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm and 7pm

Website: KingandIMusical.co.uk

Twitter: @KingandIWestEnd

Facebook: @KingandIWestEnd

Instagram: @KingandIWestEnd

ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON ANNOUNCES FULL CAST FOR STEPHEN BILL’S CURTAINS

 

Rose Theatre Kingston present

CURTAINS

Written by Stephen Bill

Directed by Lindsay Posner

Set & Costume Designer: Peter McKintosh; LX Designer: Paul Pyant

Composer & Sound Designer: Isobel Waller-Bridge; Casting Director: Ginny Schiller

22 February – 17 March 2018

 

As part of their 10^th anniversary season Rose Theatre Kingston today announces the full cast for Stephen Bill’s award-winning play Curtains. Lindsay Posner directs Leo Bill (Michael), Caroline Catz (Susan), Jonathan Coy (Geoffrey), Tim Dutton (Douglas), Wendy Nottingham (Margaret), Saskia Reeves (Katherine), Sandra Voe(Ida) and Marjorie Yates (Mrs Jackson). The production opens on Wednesday 28 February, with previews from Thursday 22 February, and runs until Saturday 17 March.

Ida’s family is throwing her a birthday tea for her eighty-sixth birthday. Their efforts to be cheerful and make the event a success verge on the desperate. Ida is racked with pain and feels she has lived too long. As the painfully laboured celebrations go on, her third daughter Susan returns unexpectedly after an absence of 25 years. Tensions immediately flare between the sisters, whilst Ida struggles to recognise her.

As the party comes to an end, the family disperse leaving Katherine remembering the pact she made with Ida not to let her suffer into old age… When the family returns, old prejudices and rivalries are forced into the open in this at times hilarious, painful and moving picture of a family in turmoil.

Stephen Bill won Drama Magazine’s award for Best Play, alongside Most Promising Playwright from both Evening Standard Theatre Awards and Players London Critics’ Awards for Curtains. His other playwrighting credits include The Old Order, Piggy Back Riders, Naked in the Bull Ring, The Bottom Drawer, Over the Bar,Over a Barrel, Cassie and What the Heart Feels. His television writing includes Eh Brian It’s a Whopper, Marjorie and The Preacher Man, The Darling Buds of May, Broke, The Locksmith and Maisie Raine. 

 

Leo Bill plays Michael. His theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Young Vic), Hamlet (Barbican), Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, A Woman Killed with Kindness, Pains of Youth, The Observer, The Hothouse, The Reporter (National Theatre), Secret Theatre (Lyric Hammersmith), The Silence of the Seas (Donmar Trafalgar), Posh (Royal Court Theatre, Duke of York’s Theatre) and The Way of the World (Sheffield Theatres). Television credits include Strike: The Cuckoo’s Calling, Taboo and The White Queen. Film credits include In Fabric, Peterloo, Mr Turner, A Long Way Down, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Alice in Wonderland, Becoming Jane and 28 Days Later.

Caroline Catz plays Susan. Her theatre credits include Top Girls (Out of Joint), On Emotion (Soho Theatre), Haunted (Arts Theatre), The Recruiting Officer (Chichester Festival Theatre), Dogs Barking (Bush Theatre), Shopping and F**king (Gielgud Theatre, Queen’s Theatre, international tour) and Six Degrees of Separation (Royal Court Theatre, Comedy Theatre). Catz stars as Louisa Ellingham in ITV’s Doc Martin and previously as Helen Morton in DCI Banks and Rosie Fox in The Bill. Other television credits include I Want My Wife Back, Murder in Suburbia, Single Handed, The Vice, All Quiet on the Preston Front, Real Men, In Denial of Murder, Valentines Kiss, Miss Marple and Hotel Babylon. Film credits include Radiomania, Look Me in the Eye, Under the Sun, I, Anna, Chick Lit and In Fabric. 

Jonathan Coy plays Geoffrey. Theatre credits include Ink (Duke of York’s Theatre), Ivanov, Platonov, A Month in the Country (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Hard Problem, The Magistrate, Democracy, The Power of Yes(National Theatre), Privacy (Donmar Warehouse), Relatively Speaking (Theatre Royal Bath), Noises Off (The Old Vic, Novello Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Wyndham’s Theatre), Racing Demon (Sheffield Theatres), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Almeida Theatre), Bear Hug, The Weather (Royal Court Theatre) and Neville’s Island (Apollo Theatre). Television credits include Downton Abbey, Parade’s End, Ladies of Letters, The Pillars of the Earth and Underworld. His film credits include Much Ado About Nothing.

Tim Dutton plays Douglas. His theatre credits include Iliad (Almeida Theatre), 1984 (Almeida Theatre, Playhouse Theatre), Dangerous Corner (Salisbury Playhouse), Insufficiency (Riverside Studios), A Handful of Dust (Cambridge Theatre), Cider with Rosie (Birmingham Rep), She’s in Your Hands (Royal Exchange Theatre), London Assurance (Chichester Festival Theatre, UK tour, Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Lucky Ones, Love’s Labour’s Love and Victory (Chichester Festival Theatre). Television credits include Oliver Twist, Frenchman’s Creek, Genius: Einstein, Bonkers, Ally McBeal, Thanks and Melissa. Film credits include Tom and Viv, The Infiltrator, Delight, The Rendezvous, The Detonator, Tooth and The Bourne Identity.

Wendy Nottingham plays Margaret. Her theatre credits include Diminished (Hampstead Theatre), The Winslow Boy (The Old Vic), Celebrity Night at Café Red, Step 9 (of 12) (Trafalgar Studios), In Basildon, The Madness of Esme and Shaz, Ambulance (Royal Court Theatre), Grief, The Shaughraun, The Voysey Inheritance(National Theatre), Total Eclipse (Menier Chocolate Factory), Cloud Nine (Sheffield Theatres), Abigail’s Party(Ambassador Theatre, Hampstead Theatre) and The Crucible (Young Vic). Her television credits include Peaky Blinders, Mr Selfridge and The Boss. Her film credits include The Children Act and Vera Drake.

Saskia Reeves plays Katherine. Her theatre credits include King Lear (Shakespeare’s Globe), Hello and Goodbye (Trafalgar Studios), A Disappearing Number (Complicité), The Mistress Contract (Royal Court Theatre), Orpheus Descending (Donmar Warehouse), Measure for Measure, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?(Young Vic), Much Ado About Nothing (Playhouse Theatre, international tour), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Man Of Mode (Donmar Warehouse, international tour) and Separation (Hampstead Theatre, Comedy Theatre). Her television credits include Collateral, Wolf Hall, Luther, A Child in Time, From There to Here, Wallander, Red Riding, The Sisters, Plotlands and Island At War. Her film credits include The Worricker Trilogy, Our Kind of Traitor, Butterfly Kiss, Close My Eyes and December Bride.

Sandra Voe plays Ida. Her theatre credits Motherland (New Diorama Theatre), Macbeth (Sheffield Theatres), Chairs, Three Sisters (Lyric Hammersmith), Attempts on Her Life, The Strangeness of Others (National Theatre), Enemies, Camera Obscura, The Winter Guest, The Deep Blue Sea, Nana, The Seagull (Almeida Theatre), The Kitchen and Attempts on Her Life (Royal Court Theatre).  Television credits include Howards End, Playing the Field, Holding On, Body and Soul and Love Hurts. Film credits include Reg, Blood, Shadows in the Sun, Hidden Flaws, Vera Drake, Great Expectations, The Winter Guest, Breaking the Waves, Immortal Beloved, Naked,Comrades and Local Hero.

Marjorie Yates returns following A Day in the Death of Joe Egg to play Mrs Jackson. Other theatre credits include Babette’s Feast (The Print Room), The Crucible (Manchester Royal Exchange), This is My Family(Sheffield Theatres), Untold Stories (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Honeymoon Suite (Royal Court Theatre), Star Quality (Apollo Theatre), The Daughter-in-Law, All My Sons (Young Vic), An Inspector Calls (Garrick Theatre), Death of a Salesman, Stages (National Theatre) and Electra (Donmar Warehouse). Yates played Carol Fisher in Channel 4’s Shameless and has also appeared as a series regular in Annie’s Bar and Couples. Her film credits include Edge, The Long Day Closes and Wetherby.

Lindsay Posner’s directing credits include The Lie, The Truth, Dinner with Saddam, Communicating Doors (Menier Chocolate Factory), Abigail’s Party (Menier Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Bath, Wyndham’s Theatre, UK tour), The End of Longing, Speed the Plow (Playhouse Theatre), Hay Fever (Duke of York’s Theatre), Harvey (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Relatively Speaking (Wyndham’s Theatre), A Little Hotel on the Side (Theatre Royal Bath), Other Desert Cities, The Winslow Boy and Noises Off  (The Old Vic), The Turn of the Screw (Almeida Theatre) and Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville Theatre). He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1987-1992 where his productions included Death and the Maiden (which transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre and won two Olivier Awards), Colquhoun and McBryde and The Treatment.

ABOUT ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON

Founded by Sir Peter Hall, and modelled on the original Elizabethan Rose Theatre on London’s Bankside, Rose Theatre Kingston is the largest producing theatre in South West London.

Since opening in 2008, the Rose has collaborated with a range of directors, playwrights and producing partners to create vibrant, engaging and inspiring productions. Recent works include the first stage adaptation and world première of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend directed by Melly Still; Zach Helm’s Good Canarydirected by John Malkovich; John Barton and Peter Hall’s Shakespeare adaptation The Wars of the Roses directed by Trevor Nunn; David Hare’s The Absence of War directed by Jeremy Herrin and Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather (West End transfer and Olivier Award nominee) directed by Sally Cookson. To celebrate Rose Theatre Kingston’s 10^th birthday, plans include a production of Much Ado About Nothing starring Mel Giedroyc, in co-production with Granville & Parham Productions and Antic Face, and Don Carlos, a co-production with Exeter Northcott and Nuffield Southampton Theatres starring Tom Burke.

With over 150,000 visitors a year, the Rose enjoys artistic and critical acclaim from its own productions and co-productions as well as from hosting the work of renowned theatre companies including Royal Shakespeare Company, English Touring Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Headlong, Peter Brook, Sheffield Theatres, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, and Theatre Royal Bath. With an auditorium that lends itself to both intimate and epic scale productions, the Rose has established itself as one of the most exciting theatres in the UK.

Curtains Listings

Rose Theatre Kingston

24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL

22 February – 17 March 2018

Press night: Wednesday 28 February, 7pm

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Twitter: @Rosetheatre

Facebook: /RoseTheatreKingston

Instagram: RoseTheatreKingston

 

Box Office:                          020 8174 0090

                                                Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm (6pm non-performance days)

                                                Sun: one hour before the performance

 

Concessions:                      Only one discount per ticket, subject to availability

Terms and conditions apply – no discounts on Pit Cushion prices.

Over 60, unwaged, entertainment union, children under 16 and Students: £5 off.

Under 26:                           £8 tickets on Mon – Thu performances & matinees. Valid on selected productions; limited availability (exclusions apply). Please note, a valid photo ID is required when collecting your tickets from Box Office.

 

Access:                                 Patrons with disabilities enjoy half price tickets.

The Rose is a fully accessible organisation and we welcome everyone.

                                                There is Blue Badge parking in High Street and Rose car park.

Sensory Access:                A digital hearing system is available for patrons with a hearing aid, and Sennheiser headsets for patrons without a hearing aid. Guide and hearing dogs are welcome. Please let us know in advance so we can provide a dog-sitter and water bowl.

Learning Disabilities:       Please contact us in advance to discuss how we can help make your visit as comfortable as possible, on 0208 174 0090 or email [email protected].

DEF LEPPARD ANNOUNCES UK & EIRE HEADLINE TOUR PLAYING THE SEMINAL “HYSTERIA” ALBUM IN FULL PLUS OTHER SONGS FROM THEIR CATALOGUE THROUGHOUT DECEMBER 2018

FULL CATALOGUE OF DEF LEPPARD’S DIAMOND, PLATINUM & MULTI-PLATINUM ICONIC ALBUMS MAKE STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD DEBUT TODAY ACROSS ALL DIGITAL PLATFORMS

On 19th January 2018 around the world, legendary British rock icons Def Leppard debut their full recording catalogue worldwide via https://DefLeppard.lnk.to/Digital. One of the last multi-platinum selling acts to be made available on streaming and download platforms, music fans from all corners of the globe can now enjoy tracks and albums from Def Leppard who have sold more than 100 million albums worldwide to become one of rock’s most enduring and influential bands.

Said Joe Elliott, “It is with a mixture of relief & euphoria that we now see our entire catalogue finally getting a digital release. Having embraced every other format with open arms, especially & more recently the re-emergence of vinyl, we’re now going to be available to everyone everywhere and honestly, it’s as exciting as the original releases were.”

Phil Collen adds, “We felt we’d been left out of the digital party, but it’s a thrill for us to finally accept the invitation and to be able to say “Yeah, you can stream us, download us and hear us on all digital outlets”.

As a cornerstone of rock and roll’s history, Def Leppard’s substantial career includes numerous hit singles including their first early chart hit “Wasted” — to their radio and MTV staples “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”, “Photograph”, “Rock of Ages”, “Too Late”, “Animal”, “Armageddon It”, “Love Bites”, “Rocket” and “Let’s Get Rocked.” Their ground-breaking multi-platinum albums—including two of the best-selling albums of all time with sales of more than 10 million copies each in the U.S. alone Pyromania and Hysteria, captured some of the group’s legendary tracks, bringing together classic Leppard hits such as “Pour Some Sugar on Me”, “Hysteria” and “Foolin’.” The group continued their success expanding into

the world of film, covers, and new collaborations including “Two Steps Behind” from the film Last Action Hero, “No Matter What”, “Waterloo Sunset”, and “Nine Lives” with Tim McGraw as well as Def Leppard hits “When Love and Hate Collide”, “Slang”, “Work It Out”, “Promises” and “Now.” Finally, all of Def Leppard’s awe-inspiring music is available to everyone, around the world from the band’s eponymous debut EP through to their most recent album.

Late 2018 will see the band deliver what many UK and Eire fans have been waiting for – the “Hysteria” album performed in full plus other Def Leppard hits across eleven arena dates in December 2018

Rick “Sav” Savage says, “After many requests from fans in the U.K, I’m delighted that we can bring the whole “Hysteria” album to arenas across Britain and Ireland later this year. From ‘Women’ to ‘Love and Affection’ plus many other faves thrown in for good measure. Oh, and our old pals Cheap Trick will be there also to help with the celebrations!! We can’t wait’.

These will be the first Def Leppard UK and Eire tour dates since the sold-out Arena run in late 2015. The band will return to Sheffield Arena for what is sure to be a monumental homecoming show, in addition to their first ever show at The O2, London. 2018 also marks the 35th anniversary of “Hysteria’s” predecessor “Pyromania”.

The seminal 1987 “Hysteria” album is rightly seen as a landmark recording in the history of rock music. It was the album that saw Def Leppard conquer the world with global hits such as “Animal”, “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Hysteria”, “Armageddon It”, “Love Bites”, “Woman” and “Rocket”. The band will deliver “Hysteria” in full alongside other songs from their incredible catalogue. The UK & Eire tour dates are as follows…

Sat 1st December 2018 Dublin, 3 Arena EIRE

Sun 2nd December Belfast, The SSE Arena UK

Tues 4th December Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena UK

Thurs 6th December London, The O2 UK

Sat 8th December Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena UK

Sun 9th December Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena UK

Tues 11th December Glasgow, The SSE Hydro Arena UK

Wed 12th December Manchester, Manchester Arena UK

Fri 14th December Sheffield, FlyDSA Arena UK

Sat 15th December Liverpool, Echo Arena UK

Mon 17th December Birmingham, Arena Birmingham UK

Supported by Cheap Trick across all dates.

Tickets go on general sale at 9am GMT Friday 26th January 2018 through www.livenation.co.uk

The UK & Eire tour will follow a massive USA co-headlining tour with Journey. Comprised of stadiums and arena venues around the U.S., the 60-city run is set to kick off in Hartford, CT on May 21st and will wrap in Los Angeles, CA on October 6th.

DEF LEPPARD TITLES NOW AVAILABLE ACROSS ALL STREAMING AND DOWNLOAD PLATFORMS INCLUDE:

The Def Leppard EP (1979)

On Through The Night (1980)

High ‘N’ Dry (1981)

Pyromania (1983)

Hysteria (1987)

Adrenalize (1992)

Retro Active (1993)

Vault (1995)

Slang (1996)

Euphoria (1999)

X (2002)

Yeah! (2006)

Songs From The Sparkle Lounge (2008)

Mirror Ball – Live & More (2011)

Def Leppard (2015)

Def Leppard – Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick “Sav” Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) – continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career the band has produced a series of classic ground-breaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group’s spectacular live shows and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry. The band’s most recent self-titled studio album debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Rock Albums and Top Independent Albums charts. The album also took the #5 spot on Billboard’s Top Current Albums and #10 spot on the Top 200, as well as claiming 15 top 10 debuts around the world.

FOLLOW DEF LEPPARD

www.defleppard.com

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www.instagram.com/DefLeppard

www.youtube.com/DefLeppard

 

Manchester Theatre Awards

In association with Target Live

Nominations announced

 

Ceremony to be held on Friday 9 March
at The Lowry

 

Hosted by Justin Moorhouse

Nominations have been announced for the forthcoming Manchester Theatre Awards, to be held at The Lowry’s Quays Theatre on Friday 9 March, hosted by actor and comedian Justin Moorhouse.

The annual awards – the most important theatrical prize-giving outside London – has been a major fixture of the North West cultural calendar since 1981 and will honour productions seen in Greater Manchester during 2017.

With the backing of the Greater Manchester theatres, a judging panel of some of the most experienced critics in the country, who attend hundreds of performances a year, celebrate the significant impact of theatre in Greater Manchester. In recent years the Awards have expanded to include a group of enthusiastic young critics who also choose an annual award from the city’s youth theatre productions.

Nominations in over 20 categories celebrating the best work on stage and off have been announced today, and winners will be announced on stage at a red carpet event in March attended by Greater Manchester’s theatre community.

The Lowry in Salford leads the way wi.th 15 nominations across categories including dance, opera and drama, with HOME in Manchester city centre following with 13 nods. Oldham Coliseum, the Palace Theatre and Opera House, The Royal Exchange, Contact and Bolton Octagon are all also nominated, as is last summer’s Manchester International Festival. Fringe theatre is not forgotten with the critically-acclaimed Hope Mill Theatre winning six nominations for its programme and performers, and Greater Manchester Fringe Festivaland newly established space 53Two also gaining nods.

Two further awards, The Stage Door Foundation Award For Excellence and Special Achievement Award, are presented on the day.

Since the relaunch of the awards in 2011, famous faces from stage and screen to have won include Sir Kenneth Branagh, Maxine Peake, Rufus Hound, Rory Kinnear, Barry Humphries, Julian Glover and Sian Phillips. Famous names in the running for awards this year include Sheridan Smith, who is nominated for Best Visiting Actress for her role as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl, Danny Mac, nominated for Best Visiting Actor for his performance as Joe McGill in Sunset Boulevard while Jason Merrells is up for Best Actor for his role in HOME’s Uncle Vanya.

 

Coronation Street and Broadchurch actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, herself a previous multiple MTA winner, paid tribute to the awards and the importance of the Greater Manchester theatre scene, saying: “I love the Manchester Theatre Awards.  It’s always such a lovely coming together of our artistic community in the best city in the world, and is a celebration of all things theatrical here: From the emerging raw talent of the burgeoning fringe scene to the bobby dazzler spectaculars in our main houses and from the internationally acclaimed cultural highlights of MIF to a couple of people in a tiny space above a Salford pub.”

 

All nominees are invited to the awards, and members of the public can also buy tickets for the event. Tickets, priced £15 are available from www.thelowry.com/information/booking.

 

The 2018 Manchester Theatre Awards are in association with Target Live, who will be managing the PR for the forthcoming awards. With offices in London and Manchester, Target Live is the UK’s only full service live events marketing agency offering Marketing, Media, Social Media, PR, Design and Digital.

 

http://www.manchestertheatreawards.com

@MTAwards

 

MTA Nominees 2017

Actress in a Leading Role

Karen Henthorn, Spring and Port Wine, Oldham Coliseum

Lisa Dwyer Hogg, People, Places & Things, HOME

Nina Hoss, Returning to Reims, Manchester International Festival

Janet Suzman, Rose, HOME

Actor in a Leading Role

Cliff Burnett, Hard Times, Oldham Coliseum

Jason Merrells, Uncle Vanya, HOME

Kenneth Alan Taylor, The Father, Oldham Coliseum

Ashley Zhangazha, Guys And Dolls, Royal Exchange

Actress in a Supporting Role

Alison Halstead, The House of Bernarda Alba, Royal Exchange

Kate Kennedy, Twelfth Night, Royal Exchange

Kerry Peers, The Father, Oldham Coliseum

Katie West, Uncle Vanya, HOME

 

Actor in a Supporting Role

Tom Michael Blyth, Hard Times, Oldham Coliseum

David Fleeshman, Uncle Vanya, HOME

Andrew Sheridan, People, Places & Things, HOME

Actress in a Visiting Production

Ria Jones, Sunset Boulevard, Palace Theatre

Laura Pitt-Pulford, Nell Gwynn, The Lowry

Natalie Radmall-Quirke, The Weir, Oldham Coliseum

Sheridan Smith, Funny Girl, Palace Theatre

 

Actor in a Visiting Production

Danny Mac, Sunset Boulevard, Palace Theatre

Graham McDuff, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Palace Theatre

Sean Murray, The Weir, Oldham Coliseum

Ensemble

Oh What A Lovely War, Oldham Coliseum

Operation Black Antler, HOME

The Suppliant Women, Royal Exchange

Performance in a Fringe Production

Rosie Fleeshman, Narcissist in the Mirror, Greater Manchester Fringe

Amie Giselle-Ward, Little Women – The Musical, Hope Mill Theatre

Alexandra Maxwell, The Loves of Others / Freak, Greater Manchester Fringe

Danny Solomon, Days Of Wine And Roses, 53TWO

Performance in a Studio Production

Rhodri Meilir How My Light Is Spent, Royal Exchange

Lucy Jane Parkinson, Joan, Contact

Keisha Thompson, Man On The Moon, Contact

Alex Walton, From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, The Lowry

Robert Robson Award for Dance

Debut, Acosta Danza, The Lowry

English National Ballet double bill, Palace Theatre

Ghost Dances, Rambert Dance, The Lowry

Leviathan, James Wilton Dance, Contact

Design

Jenny Melville (set) and Lysander Ashton (video), Paul Auster’s City of Glass, HOME

Bunny Christie, People, Places & Things, HOME

Alex Lowde, Persuasion, Royal Exchange

Yael Bartana, What If Women Ruled the World?, Manchester International Festival

Fringe Production

Bad Advice, Greater Manchester Fringe

Gypsy Queen, Hope Mill Theatre

The Marriage of Kim K, Greater Manchester Fringe

Moth, Hope Mill Theatre

Musical

Funny Girl, Palace Theatre

Jim Steinman’s Bat out of Hell the Musical, Opera House

Sunset Boulevard, Palace Theatre

Yank!, Hope Mill Theatre

 

New Play

Gypsy Queen, writer Rob Ward, Hope Mill Theatre

How My Light Is Spent, writer Alan Harris, Royal Exchange

Narcissist in the Mirror, writer Rosie Fleeshman, Greater Manchester Fringe

Narvik, writer Lizzie Nunnery, HOME

Newcomer

Gemma Dobson, Rita, Sue and Bob Too, Octagon Theatre Bolton

Scott Hunter, Yank!, Hope Mill Theatre

Vinay Lad, The Railway Children, The Lowry

Opera

Cendrillon, Royal Northern College of Music, RNCM

La Cenerentola, Opera North, The Lowry

Opera North Little Greats, Opera North, The Lowry

The Snow Maiden, Opera North, The Lowry

Production

The Father, Oldham Coliseum

People, Places & Things, HOME

Rose, HOME

The Suppliant Women, Royal Exchange

Special Entertainment

Dick Whittington, Opera House

Running Wild, The Lowry

The Toad Knew, The Lowry

Under Glass, Clod Ensemble,The Lowry

Studio Production

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, The Lowry

Joan, Contact

Man On The Moon, Contact

Swansong, The Lowry

Target Live Award for Best Visiting Production

La Strada, The Lowry

My Country; a Work in Progress, HOME

Nell Gwynn, The Lowry

The Weir, Oldham Coliseum

 

Youth Panel Award

There is a Light/BRIGHTLIGHT, Contact Young Company

Singin’ in the Rain, RNCM Young Company

Tis Written in the Stars, Oldham Theatre Workshop, Oldham Coliseum

The Lowry celebrates 18^th birthday with festival dedicated to ‘Coming of Age’

The Lowry arts centre in Salford celebrates its 18^th birthday in 2018 and will mark the milestone through its biennial Week 53 festival, which will have a ‘Coming of Age’ theme.

Running from Thursday 17 to Monday 28 May, the festival includes 66contemporary art, dance, drama and spoken word performances by more than130 artists from seven countries.

Six artists and companies have already been confirmed in the line-up, including: an exhibition of paintings by Royal Academician, Chantal Joffe; the first ever stage adaptation Nigel Slater’s award-winning autobiography, Toast; and a new production of the classic thriller, Brighton Rock by Pilot Theatre.

Eleven more artists and companies are announced today. They are:

• The English language premiere of Hikikomori – theatre production by Joris Mathieu inspired by the half a million reclusive young Japanese adults who have withdrawn from social life
• TOOT Theatre’s Sixteen rights of individuals within the care system
• The world premiere of Seven Inch – a spoken word comedy performance about loneliness and music’s digital coming of age by Manchester artist, Fat Roland
• – An immersive performance examining the institutionalisation of people with learning disabilities by Access All Areas Theatre – specially commissioned for Week 53
• Stand-up from Chortle Award-nominated comedian, Kiri Pritchard-Mclean, who will reflect on her experiences of mentoring vulnerable young people through her show, Appropriate Adult
• Daughter Daughter – an emotive new dance show about fatherhood inspired by real stories from men and their daughters by Joseph Toonga and Just Us Dance Theatre
• A celebration of all things digital from the last 40 years in Hacked on Classics by Seb Lee-Delise, which takes a look at how popular retro gadgets actually work
• A live-media performance by fuse* called Dökk, inspired by the natural evolution of Ljós (‘light’)
• Michael Keegan-Dolan’s Swan Lake / Loch na hEala – a magical new staging of the classic ballet from one of Ireland’s foremost dance and theatre-makers which collides ancient mythology and the complexity of modern Ireland
• – a series of events at which teenagers take control by Canadian company Mammalian Diving Reflex
• And Scottish Dance Theatre will present Fleur Darkin’s Innocence – a unique playroom performance that invites little ones (and their adults), to explore William Blake’s imagination and enter a realm of mystery, fun and adventure.

Julia Fawcett OBE, chief executive of The Lowry, said: “Week 53 champions bold and experimental art across all genres and represents a period in our calendar when anything is possible.

“This year’s festival focusses on ‘the coming of age’ and the multitude of scenarios in which that ‘process’ takes place. It coincides with a milestone for The Lowry – that being the 18^th anniversary of our opening – which gives the theme an added significance to our staff and long-standing patrons.”

Some elements of the programme are free of change and those that are ticketed are set-priced at £10 or £20. For all ticketed performances there will be an allocation of ‘Pay What You Decide’ seats available both in advance and on the door – to encourage audiences to ‘try something new’.

Listings information:

Week 53
Thurs 17 – Mon 28 May 2018
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, M50 3AZ
www.thelowry.com/Week53
Tickets: Free, £10, £20 and ‘Pay What You Decide’
@The_Lowry / #Week53

The inaugural Week 53 festival in 2016 drew over 10,000 visitors – 33% of which had never been to The Lowry before. The programme comprised 63 performances by more than 200 artists and further strengthened The Lowry’s position as the most visited cultural destination in the North West.

The Lowry opened on 28 April 2000 as ‘The National Landmark Millennium Project for the Arts’. The building was officially opened six months later by HM The Queen on 12 October 2000

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – until 20 January 2018.  Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

We received a warm welcome to London Classic Theatre Company’s production of Noel Coward’s Private Lives.

In the first half, the simple hotel balcony scene was set with tired looking scenery. However this did not distract from the fluid delivery of the rapid dialogue. The ease with which the comedy flowed felt natural and almost incidental. Olivia Beardsley conveyed a nervous tension and sobbed so hilariously, I think Sibyl was brought to life in most everyone’s imagination or memory of someone they know! The selfish and carefree manner that Gareth Bennet-Ryan brought to Elyot had great comedic timing. I think my favourite moment was Amanda’s reaction when she first saw Elyot on the neighbouring balcony. Helen Keeley’s physical portrayal of Amanda’s reaction made the audience laugh out loud, here and many other times during the play.  Paul Sandy’s portrayal of Victor as an uptight, moralistic man that just wanted to love and be loved had me wanting to give him a hug and shake him at the same time!

The Paris flat scenery in the second half was well placed and representative of the era. I think Rachael Holmes-Brown version of Louise The Maid was more clumsy and inept than necessary and detracted from the over all performance. I have to doubt her authenticity and also Elyot’s ability to speak French! The first choreographed fight scene was a shock, even though you were half expecting it, because it all happened so quickly and was so well synchronised. After that the comedy value took over and they were simply very funny.

Over all a great evenings entertainment and a worthy rendition that I think Noel Coward would have been happy with!

DEAFINITELY THEATRE RECEIVE ACE CATALYST FUNDING

Deafinitely Theatre today announce that they are to receive ACE Catalyst funding of £28,090. This fund supports organisations to build fundraising capacity to enable them to attract more private giving to arts and culture. This is one of the measures ACE is putting in place to help create a more sustainable and resilient art and culture sector. Deafinitely Theatre will utilise this vital grant to train staff and Board members to build skills in cultivating Individual Giving and Corporate Sponsorship, and provide capacity to expand and improve the environment in which it fundraises, enabling a step change in their ability to raise and sustain philanthropic income.

 

Paula Garfield, Artistic Director of Deafinitely Theatre said today, “We are delighted to announce that we have been successful in receiving an ACE Catalyst grant. We want to thank Arts Council, England for their continued support. Fundraising for small arts charities like us, as we all know, is hard and we can get easily overlooked for funding opportunities. We are grateful to receive vital NPO and other funding from ACE over the last 15 years. This vital Catalyst funding will raise Deafinitely’s ability to sustain our income and generate more resilience, developing our skills in fundraising for the future.”

Joyce Wilson, London Area Director, Arts Council England, commented: “I am delighted to see this investment in Deafinitely Theatre’s plans for a more resilient future through our Catalyst Small Grants programme. It is hugely important for London’s arts and cultural organisations to be able to be more sustainable, resilient and diversify their incomes. I am therefore thrilled that we are able to fund these excellent projects in Camden through our Catalyst fund, and support their fundraising plans.”

DEAFINITELY THEATRE

Deafinitely Theatre creates bilingual productions of classic and contemporary plays for deaf and hearing audiences that combine the visual storytelling of British Sign Language with the immediacy of spoken English.

The company’s vision is a world where deaf people are a valued part of the national theatre landscape, recognised for the excellence of their work. Deafinitely challenges barriers to training and opportunities, working hard to nurture the next generation of deaf theatre makers and audiences through its continuing programme of productions, consultancy work and education and training activities for young people and adults.

www.deafinitelytheatre.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/deafinitelytheatre

Twitter: @DeafinitelyT