Month: April 2020

FRANTIC ASSEMBLY TAKE AUDIENCES BEHIND THE SCENES OF SOME OF THEIR  BEST LOVED SHOWS WITH NEW DIGITAL RESOURCE

World leaders in devising and collaborative theatre, Frantic Assembly has launched a new virtual resource, Frantic Digital, which will give audiences exclusive insight into the creation of some of the company’s most iconic productions, including Beautiful Burnout, Lovesong, Othello and Things I Know to be True.

The influential theatre company has inspired thousands of young theatre makers over the last 25 years and helped transform the language of British theatre with the Frantic Method. In response to the current lockdown, Frantic Assembly will release a series of videos each week based on a different production,  that  will enable people, of any age all over the UK and abroad, to engage with Frantic Assembly’s work, through creative challenges, practical warm-ups and deep dives into how shows were made.

Each week, Scott Graham, co-founder and Artistic Director of Frantic Assembly will reconnect with performers, actors, writers and creative practitioners for Frantic Flashbacks, videos which will share insights into the creative and rehearsal process. Frantic Flashbacks will combine specially recorded conversations with former cast members and the creative team, with never-before seen rehearsal footage and archive production material.

Audiences will be invited to take part in different creative challenges in Frantic Create. Led by Scott Graham and Frantic Associates, these weekly challenges will involve everything from creating your own boxing-inspired choreography to rewriting Shakespeare. 

Frantic Associates Simon Pittman and Sophie Shaw, will lead warm-ups inspired by the rehearsal process of that week’s production in Warm Up With Us.

Last month, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Frantic Assembly’s touring production I Think We Are Alone, which formed the centrepiece of their 25th anniversary programme along with their Learn and Train activity, were paused. Frantic Digital will enable the company and its audiences to stay connected during the current lockdown and continue to share skills and collaborate.

Scott Graham, co-founder and Artistic Director of Frantic Assembly says:  

“The need for connection is even greater in these strange times but Frantic Digital looks beyond our current situation. We are creating meaningful ways for people to connect with the work and the processes behind it, for us to help unlock creativity in artists, teachers and students, empowering each to find their voice. The ambition is beyond a retrospective and ultimately aims to find new creative outlets for Frantic Assembly.”

Frantic Digital: Weeks 1 -4 

Week 1: Beautiful Burnout

W/c 6 April

Frantic Flashback

Scott Graham will take you through how the boxing choreography for Beautiful Burnout was created and the stages of development and training the actors underwent. The film features unseen rehearsal footage as well as archive production material.

Warm Up With Us

Simon Pittman leads a vigorous warm up inspired by the rehearsal process of Beautiful Burnout.

Frantic Creative

Frantic Associate Simon Pittman leads a practical task, challenging you to create choreography based on the physicality of boxing.

Frantic Flashback interview

Scott Graham chats to performer and Frantic Assembly practitioner Maggie Ann Bain about her experience in Beautiful Burnout.

Week 2: Lovesong

W/c 13 April

Frantic Flashback

Scott Graham talks through the genesis and development of this collaboration with writer Abi Morgan. Lovesong is about a relationship in its final moments, as a couple look back over their life together. Scott focusses on the significance of a particular physical section of the play where their memories and the present come crashing together. The film features unseen rehearsal footage as well as archive production material.

Warm Up With Us

Frantic Associate Sophie Shaw leads a gentle, stretchy warm-up, which was used in the Lovesong rehearsal process.

Frantic Creative

Simon Pittman sets a creative task inspired by a scene from Lovesong.

Frantic Flashback interview

Scott Graham chats to actor Ed Bennett about his role and experience performing in Lovesong.

Week 3: Othello

W/c 20 April

Further details to be released on Monday 20 April

Week 4: Things I Know To Be True

W/c 27 April

Further details to be released on Monday 27 April

Frantic Digital’s programme for May and June will be announced shortly.

For further information visit: https://www.franticassembly.co.uk/frantic-digital

Award winning Yorkshire Theatre company Slung Low to premiere exciting new short film online

The award-winning Leeds theatre company Slung Low are delighted to announce that on Friday 1 May they will be streaming online for free the premiere of their new short film The Good Book.

The Good Book will be the first production for the newly formed Leeds People’s Theatre and is produced by Slung Low with the support of Leeds 2023.  

Set in a future Leeds, The Good Book,  tells the story of a society that is divided between loyalists of the powerful Queen Bear and radical followers of Galahad. Avalon is a young woman desperate not to take sides, but as civil war begins, she must undertake a dangerous mission to rescue a precious relic from destruction.

The short film features a cast of invited actors including Bradford actress Riana Duce (The D-Road, Claybody Theatre), Angus Imrie (Fleabag, The Boy Who Would Be King, The Hollow Crown, Emma, and The Archers), Katie Eldred (Hunger, Arcola Theatre), along with over 100 members of the local Leeds community. Filming took place in late January at Slung Low’s base, The Holbeck Social Club and at Holbeck Cemetery, Leeds Central Library and Leeds Town Hall. 

Directed by Sheffield film makerBrett Chapman, The Good Book continues James Phillips’ future dystopia, which begun in The White Whale at Leeds Dock in 2013, continued in 2014 with Camelot, a Slung Low and Sheffield Theatres outdoor co-production and was last seen as a centre piece of Hull, UK City of Culture 2017’s performance programme and on the BBC with the epic Flood.

Leeds People’s Theatre has been created by Slung Low and will be a dedicated division for large-scale professional arts projects with communities in Leeds at the heart of them. This involves the community participating in and with professional artists and creative teams, offering an opportunity to learn, gain more experience or simply be part of a community. The Good Book will be the first of several projects that Slung Low are currently planning for Leeds People’s Theatre.

The Good Book, which is supported by Leeds City Council, Leeds 2023, Arts Council and Leeds People’s Theatre will be available to stream online for free from 12pm on Friday 1^st May at www.slunglow.org/TGB

Meet Baby Fairypowered – Alex

Favourite show? That would be a tie between WWRY, Bat Out of Hell and & Juliet.

Favourite theatre? New Victoria Theatre, Woking because it is in a shopping centre and I can buy slush puppies! It’s also the theatre I did my first review at. It’s also very disabled friendly

Role I want to play? Either Scaramouche, Zahara or Juliet. Unfortunately I can’t sing, act or dance so I will just have to dream.

How I began reviewing? Last minute cover was needed for a show so I got asked to go and do it and I’ve not looked back since

About me? Currently at uni in London doing Early Childhood studies but originally from Yorkshire. I’m also a Scout and Guide leader so spend a lot of time outside camping and hiking. When I’m not doing any of that I’m either curled up with a good book or at the theatre watching a show.

DAME VERA LYNN UNITES WITH WEST END STARS

 FOR “WE’LL MEET AGAIN”: 

MORALE-BOOSTING VIDEO TO CHAMPION THE THEATRE INDUSTRY

Dame Vera Lynn will convey her personal message of love and best wishes to the theatre industry in an exclusive new online video. This unique production of “We’ll Meet Again” features socially-distanced West End stars united in song, assuring the nation that West End and UK theatres shall once more rise and thrive – some sunny day.

Sharon D Clarke, Louise Dearman, Kerry Ellis, Maria Friedman, Cassidy Janson, Hannah Waddingham, Michael Xavier and choreographer Bill Deamer are amongst those appearing in the cinematically designed music video, with further musical theatre stars to be announced. 

Classical Brit Award winning vocal group Blake, which has previously performed “We’ll Meet Again” with Dame Vera, also join the line-up, alongside writer and broadcaster Gyles Brandreth and comedian and actor Joe Pasquale. The stars are joined by a fifteen-strong choir provided by Capital Voices.

The audio montage and music video for “We’ll Meet Again” is produced by Dominic Ferris, with visual sequences directed by Martin Milnes. They both participate in the film as their West End musical theatre duo Ferris & Milnes. The collaborative effort amongst West End artistes has been championed by producer Anthony Cherry, who rallied his Friday Night Is Music Night team to the morale-boosting cause.

Anthony, Dominic and Martin said: “Our special thanks is given to visual editor Tom Large for his cinematic contribution. Mostly, we extend our sincere gratitude to Dame Vera Lynn and her team for their blessing and kind support throughout this very special project.”

“We’ll Meet Again” is now in production with a release date to be announced shortly.

SAMANTHA BARKS AND STEPHANIE McKEON

LEAD THE COMPANY OF

DISNEY’S FROZEN IN THE WEST END

Today, on National Siblings Day, Disney Theatrical Productions announce that Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon will play Elsa and Anna in Frozen when it reopens the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane later this year. The production opens on 11 November, with previews from 30 October 2020; and has extended booking until 30 May 2021. With music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee, Frozen is directed by Michael Grandage.

Michael Grandage said, “Frozen tells the story of two extraordinary women and we’re thrilled to have found Samantha and Stephanie who will bring their incredible talent to the roles of Elsa and Anna, allowing us to create a production of Frozen especially for London. Now more than ever, we’re looking forward to the day we can all get together in a rehearsal room to bring their story to the stage.”

Frozen – produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher – opened on Broadway in March 2018 and quickly established itself as the biggest musical hit of its season, nominated for the Tony Award® for Best Musical. In addition to the opening in London, the musical recently embarked on a North American tour, and new productions will open in Australia, Japan, and Hamburg.

Frozen was released in cinemas in 2013, winning multiple awards, including two Academy Awards® for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Let It Go”), the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film and the BAFTA for Best Animated Film. It was written and directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, withmusic and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Frozen 2, which debuted in November 2019, had the biggest ever opening for an animated film worldwide and is the highest grossing animated film of all time. 

Samantha Barks plays Elsa. For theatre, her work includes Chess (Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall / Tokyo International Forum Hall), Pretty Woman (Chicago and Broadway), The Last Five Years (St James Theatre), Amelie (Berkley Rep), City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse), Chicago (Hollywood Bowl), Oliver! (UK tour), Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre), and Cabaret (Birmingham Rep). She was one of the participants on the BBC series I’d Do Anything. For film, her credits include Chocolate Cake, For Love or Money, Bitter Harvest, The Revenger, Interlude in Prague, The Devil’s Harvest, The Christmas Candle and as Eponine in Les Misérables (recipient of Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer; and nomination for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture). She also reprised her performance as Eponine for Les Misérables in Concert: The 25^th Anniversary.

Stephanie McKeon plays Anna. For theatre, her work includes Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined (Criterion Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory), and The Commitments (Palace Theatre). Her screen work includes, for television, Fair City – as series regular Aisling O’Brien; and as the voice of Asuka in the Netflix English-dubbed version of the critically acclaimed Japanese Anime series/films Neon Genesis: Evangelion.

In the first booking period, Frozen have scheduled the following access performances – Signed Performance (Sunday 7 February 2021 at 1pm), Relaxed Performance (Sunday 28 February 2021 at 12.30pm), Audio Described Performance (Sunday 21 March 2021 at 1pm) and Captioned Performance (Sunday 28 March 2021 at 5.30pm).

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, owned and managed by LW Theatres, is closed until autumn 2020 for a landmark £60 million restoration project and will reopen as Frozen begins previews.

The production features choreography by Rob Ashford,set and costume design by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Peter Hylenski,video design by Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry, and musical supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus.

Twitter @FrozenLondon

Facebook /FrozenLondon

Instagram @FrozenLondon

www.frozenthemusical.co.uk

LISTINGS  FROZEN

Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Catherine Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5JF

Tickets from £20

Group rates:

Groups 9 to 19*                              Stalls & Royal Circle £49.50, Grand Circle £39.50

Groups 20+*                                    Stalls & Royal Circle £45, Grand Circle £35

*Valid on Wednesday and Thursday 7pm performances and Thursday 2.30pm matinees from 6 January to 30 May 2021. Excludes school holidays and other blackout dates that may apply.

Education Groups 10+ †                Stalls & Royal Circle £29.50 | Grand Circle £22.50

Plus one free teacher ticket for every ten paid tickets

† Valid on Thursday 2.30pm performances from 7 January to 30 March 2021.

Valid on Wednesday & Thursday 7pm and Thursday 2.30pm performances from 31 March until 30 May 2021. Excludes school holidays and other blackout dates that may apply. Minimum group size is 10. Education rate valid for groups up to Year 11.

PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:

Fri 30 October                                 7.30pm

Sat 31 October                                7.30pm

Sun 1 November                             5.30pm

Mon 2 November                           No performance

Tue 3 November                             7.30pm

Wed 4 November                           7.30pm

Thu 5 November                             7.30pm

Fri 6 November                               7.30pm

Sat 7 November                              2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sun 8 November                             1pm

Mon 9 November                           No performance

Tue 10 November                           7.30pm

PERFORMANCES FROM 12 NOVEMBER:

Wednesday – Saturday                 7pm

Thursday & Saturday                     2.30pm

Sunday                                              1pm & 5.30pm

ACCESS & RELAXED PERFORMANCES:

Signed Performance                      Sunday 7 February 2021 at 1pm

Relaxed Performance                    Sunday 28 February 2021 at 12.30pm

Audio Described Performance    Sunday 21 March 2021 at 1pm

Captioned Performance                Sunday 28 March 2021 at 5.30pm

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS (DTP) operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher bringing live entertainment events to a global audience of more than 20 million people a year in more than 50 countries. Current London: The Lion King, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary at The Lyceum, and Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre.  Other London credits: Aladdin, the Olivier-nominated play Shakespeare in Love and DTP’s inaugural production Beauty and the Beast, which won the Olivier Award for Best Musical.  Other productions on Broadway and around the world: Frozen, Newsies, Peter and the Starcatcher, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, a co-production with Cameron Mackintosh, TARZAN® and Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida.  Other successful stage musical ventures have included productions of Disney’s High School Musical, Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame in Berlin, and King David in concert.

Worldwide, its ten Broadway titles have been seen by over 200 million theatregoers, and have been nominated for 20 Olivier Awards, winning the honour five times. With 20 productions currently produced or licensed, a Disney musical is being performed professionally somewhere on the planet virtually every hour of the day.

THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE

LW Theatres is in the middle of a £60 million restoration project of Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The ambitious scheme not only encompasses the complete refurbishment of the magnificent 1812 Greek Revival ‘front of house’ designed by Benjamin Wyatt, but also the reconstruction of the stage facilities and dressing rooms, the creation of new bars and a restaurant, plus the refashioning of the auditorium to make it able to play in both the traditional proscenium arch and in the round.

The theatre will re-open as ‘The Lane’ in autumn 2020. Whilst Theatre Royal Drury Lane will still showcase world class theatre, front of house facilities will be open to the public all day so the theatre’s iconic interiors can be enjoyed by everyone and not just those headed to a show. 

Wise Children comes to BBC iPlayer this weekend

Wise Children today announce that Angela Carter’s Wise Children, their critically-acclaimed co-production with The Old Vic, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Oxford Playhouse and York Theatre Royal, adapted and directed by Emma Rice, will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer from this 4pm today for 3 months as part of the BBC’s Culture in Quarantine programme. It will also air on BBC 4 in May 2020 – date to be announced.

Emma Rice said today, “I dreamt about adapting Angela Carter’s Wise Children for years before it became a reality, and, when I finally did make it, it was the first piece I made for my new company. It’s a show I carry deep in my heart; a love letter to theatre, to survival, to family and family of choice. When The Space commissioned us to film it for the BBC I almost burst with pride! I delight in the fact that we now get to share this glorious story with so many others, and hope that the fun, truth, love and generosity poured into it will find its way into sitting rooms across the country! What feels even more perfect is that we’re releasing it now. Today, more than ever, we need the joy, resilience, hope and love of life which runs through the veins of Wise Children. As Nora and Dora Chance, the show’s central characters, tell us: “What a joy it is to dance and sing!’. Never has this been more true. We hope you enjoy!”

Fiona Morris, CEO and Creative Director of The Space, added, “We were delighted to commission the filming of this fantastic production which has received acclaim, and applaud Wise Children for creating an impressive piece of theatre that can now be enjoyed by wider audiences as part of the Culture in Quarantine programming.”

A big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and heartbreak, Wise Children is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope. Expect show girls and Shakespeare, sex and scandal, music, mischief and mistaken identity – and butterflies by the thousand. Emma Rice brings her unique, exuberantly impish vision to Angela Carter’s great last novel, Wise Children.

The production, which premiered at The Old Vic in 2018, was filmed at York Theatre Royal with support from The Space in March 2019 during its UK tour. The cast is Sam Archer (Young Peregrine), Ankur Bahl (Young Melchior), Stu Barker (The Band), Omari Douglas (Showgirl Nora), Mirabelle Gremaud (Young Nora), Alex Heane (TheBand), Paul Hunter (Melchior Hazard), Melissa James (Showgirl Dora), Bettrys Jones (Young Dora), Patrycja Kujawska (Lady Atalanta/Wheelchair), Etta Murfitt (Nora Chance), Katy Owen (Grandma Chance), Ian Ross (Band Leader), Gareth Snook (Dora Chance)and Mike Shepherd (Peregrine Hazard).

Wise Children

Created and led by Emma Rice, Wise Children launched in April 2018 and is an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. Based in Bristol, they make ground-breaking work with exceptional artists, and tour it across the world. Alongside shows, Wise Children run a unique professional development programme, The School for Wise Children, training a new and more diverse generation of theatre practitioners.

Website:              www.wisechildren.co.uk

Twitter:                @Wise_Children

Instagram:           @Wise_Children

Facebook:           @WiseChildrenCompany 

THE PRODUCERS OF THE TONY AWARD WINNING MUSICAL

“CURTAINS”

ANNOUNCE A LIVE STREAM ON TUESDAY 14 APRIL, 7.15PM

WITH ALL PROFITS GOING TO

FUND FOR FREELANCERS

Music by John Kander, Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Book by Rupert Holmes

Original Book and Concept by Peter Stone

Additional Lyrics by John Kander & Rupert Holmes

Directed by Paul Foster

The UK producers of Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award winning musical CURTAINS are delighted to announce a live stream on Tuesday 14April at 7.15pm with all profits going to Funds For Freelancers.

In response to the current situation Paul Taylor-Mills (Artistic Director of The Turbine Theatre), Helen Clarkson, Sasha Regan and Sita McIntosh have created a crowd funding campaign through The Turbine Theatre to help those in the theatre industry on zero-hour contracts. The producers of CURTAINS are working alongside them to help raise monies with a live online stream of their critically acclaimed production.

Paul Taylor-Mills said today, ‘A few weeks ago I woke up and like many, felt so helpless as I heard stories of those within the theatre community struggle. I threw caution to the wind and set up a fund with a primary ambition to get funds to as many people as possible as quickly as possible. So far, we have allocated over £50,000 to those who are in need.  Thanks to DLAP Entertainment you can now watch their production of Curtains and know that all of the profits will be going to the Funds For Freelancers cause. I’m so grateful to them for doing this and that I’ll get to see this show! I’m always overwhelmed by the resilience of the theatre community and truly humbled that the streaming of this show will help so many people at a time that they need it most.’

The UK tour of CURTAINS opened in Bromley on 4 October and visited cities across the UK before a limited run in London’s West End at Wyndham’s Theatre over Christmas. 

The producers of the musical said today, ‘We are very proud of our show, the cast, crew and everybody involved in the production and we are delighted to be able to share it with audiences who were unable to see it, particularly ticket holders in Leicester, High Wycombe, Wolverhampton and Southampton. We hope this filmed performance can help raise monies for Paul’s brilliant initiative and help those that are in urgent need whilst providing entertainment to families across the globe at these unprecedented times.’

From 7.15pm the producers will stream inspiring video messages and they are calling for all theatre fans to get involved. If you would like your video message to be included, please film a message saying why you love theatre and what first gave you the theatre bug and send your submissions to [email protected] using the hashtag #SHOWPEOPLE. 

The online stream will start at 7.30pm and costs £7.50, all profits will go to Fund For Freelancers. For tickets and more information please go to www.Curtainslive.com.

The cast includes Jason Manford in the leading role of Lieutenant ‘Frank Cioffi’, ‘Carley Stenson’ as Georgia Hendriks, Ore Oduba as ‘Aaron Fox’,  Rebecca Lock as ‘Carmen Bernstein’, Samuel Holmes as ‘Christopher Belling’, Leah West as ‘Niki Harris’, Alan Burkitt as ‘Bobby Pepper’, Emma Caffrey as ‘Bambi Bernet’, Adam Rhys-Charles as ‘Daryl Grady’, Martin Callaghan as ‘Oscar Shapiro’, Minal Patel as ‘Johnny Harmon’, Nia Jermin as ‘Jessica Crenshaw’ and Mark Sangster as ‘Sidney Bernstein’. Along with, J.R. Ballantyne, Kathryn Barnes, Pamela Blair, Charlie Johnson, Kate Ivory Jordan, Robin Kent, Thomas Lee-Kid, Ben Mundy, Gleanne Purcell-Brown and Samuel John-Humphreys.

Music is by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb (“Cabaret” and “Chicago”), book by Rupert Holmes, original book and concept by Peter Stone with additional lyrics by John Kander and Rupert Holmes.

The production is directed by Paul Foster (“Kiss Me Kate” and “Annie Get Your Gun” for Sheffield Crucible), choreographer is Alistair David (“Ghost” West End and UK tour and “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” and “The Sound of Music” both for Regent’s Park Open Air), Musical Supervisor & Arrangements are by Sarah Travis (Curve Associate Artist, “Sweeney Todd”, “Sister Act”), Set Design by David Woodhead, Costume Design by Gabriella Slade, Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Sound Design is by Tom Marshall and Casting Director is Jim Arnold CDG.

The producing team is made up of Dan Looney, Adam Paulden and Jason Haigh-Ellery for DLAP Entertainment, Sally Horchow and Roger Horchow

The first of HighTide’s Love In The Time of Corona
monologues available TONIGHT from 5pm

From 5pm tonight you’ll be able to watch Jade Anouka (Last Christmas) perform Aisha Zia’s (No Guts No Heart No Glory) monologue and Katie Lyons (Manhunt) present Olivier Award nominee Morgan Lloyd Malcom’s work. These two monologues form part of HighTide’s Love In The Time
of Corona which will be available free of charge on HighTide’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

Filmed and edited through support from HighTide’s sponsor Lansons, one of the world’s leading reputation management companies, these monologues will be available for four weeks from release. Zia’s piece explores the chaos of modern urban life and the feeling of apocalypse which loomed even before the pandemic, while Morgan Lloyd Malcolm looks at being a new mum trapped at home with children, and how anyone can be enough at a time like this.

Three more monologues will be shared in the coming month; Sophie Melville (Bang) will take on Ben Weatherill’s (Jellyfish) piece which explores intergenerational relationships and reaching out with love to older relatives who are alone at this time. BAFTA nominee Dawn King’s monologue about living a social media life along with a real one, will be presented by Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street). The spoken word artist Debris Stevenson (Poet In Da Corner) will perform her own piece. All five of the writers of Love In The Time of Corona are currently developing full-length plays for Suba Das’s inaugural HighTide Festival in 2021.

The Love In The Time of Corona monologues are created as part of HighTide’s Lighthouse Programme of free, brand new projects and support for artists, audiences and communities, specifically created to bring light in the weeks ahead. The scripts will be available royalty free for actors and directors to make their own digital versions to be showcased on HighTide’s social media channels

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm comments, It’s been lovely to be a part of HighTide’s Lighthouse Programme. In a time where many of us are unsure about what the future holds, to be able to write and send some words out into the world has felt like a lifeline. It’s been hard to create amongst the panic of what’s going on but sitting quietly for a few hours and thinking about making a small piece of work for a brilliant actor has been a proper privilege and treat. I hope what we’ve all made gives people a few moments of respite and joy

Artistic Director of HighTide, Suba Das comments, Only a month ago we were making plans to announce new theatre pieces by Morgan and Aisha that would form part of my first HighTide Festival in 2021. We continue to press ahead with those plans but we’re now taking the opportunity to introduce our audiences in the East of England and all over the world to these two astonishing talents. As with the larger shows we will share next year, in these two pieces Morgan and Aisha ask questions of what it means to be a woman and a mother; what it is to wonder if there is too much noise in our society. We are proud to share a glimpse of the humanity and humour of two of the UK’s most exciting writers earlier than planned, and at a time when artists really can help us make some sense of what we’re all living through.

HighTide are the first NPO to launch such comprehensive support for the sector through their Lighthouse Programme, offering a range of programmes to help artists. Its strands reflect the values that sit at the heart of HighTide: to introduce audiences to new work that speaks to the times we live in by the most exciting and diverse writers in the UK; to support emerging writers on their journey; and to engage communities in their home region in Suffolk.

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY UPDATED RESPONSE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) today (Thursday 9 April 2020) announced that all performances, events and activities will be cancelled up to and including Tuesday 30 June 2020.  This date will be under constant review following government, Public Health England and industry advice, and it may lead to the RSC extending these cancellation dates.

Due to the financial impact of the crisis the Company has made the difficult decision to close the Swan Theatre until the autumn. 

Projekt Europa, which was due to open in the Swan Theatre in April and run throughout the summer, is regrettably cancelled. This season of work included Europeana, Peer Gynt and Blindness and Seeing and a production of Decameron 2020 performed by the RSC’s Next Generation Act young company. 

If the RSC is able to re-open during the summer months, the Company will open the Royal Shakespeare Theatre (RST) with the planned productions of The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors.  Pericles, which was due to open in the RST in August, has been postponed.

In line with the Society of London Theatre announcement on Monday, Matilda The Musical will remain closed at least until 31 May 2020.

The RSC thanks everybody who works with the Company, their audiences, supporters and the industry for their continued support during this time.  The Box Office team will contact ticket holders over the coming weeks to discuss donation, credit or refund options. Ticket buyers will be contacted on a rolling weekly basis and people are asked not to contact the Box Office directly due to the volume of activity during this time.

Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director and Catherine Mallyon, Executive Director, said:

“This is a situation without parallel for all, and the health of the public and our staff continues to be our number one priority. It is incredibly sad to see our stages empty, productions cancelled, and our buildings closed. In particular the remarkable Projekt Europa, involving so many creative artists from across Europe, is a huge loss. We have considered this very carefully, but it is sadly unavoidable.

“Our mission is to transform lives through amazing experiences of Shakespeare and great theatre.  For us to deliver our mission and to give us the best chance of re-opening as soon as we can, we have to make difficult decisions to ensure the survival of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

“In the face of the considerable challenges posed by COVID-19, we have also made the hard decision to furlough the majority of roles at the RSC under the UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.  We are working hard to ensure that staff feel fully supported through this process and thank them for their resilience and understanding as we continue to adapt to the rapidly changing situation.  

“We are exploring every possibility to secure income from other government schemes, our donors and audiences and we ask you all to join us in doing whatever you can to secure the future of the RSC for everyone.

“As a registered charity we rely on a mix of income to fund our activity, from the productions on stage to the important work we do with over 500,000 young people, and our partner schools and theatres around the country. We ask that anyone able to do so considers donating the value of their tickets – in full or in part – to help support the Company to continue this work.”

Audiences can continue to enjoy the Company’s productions and education resources for free including:

• a 30-day trial with Marquee TV, the on-demand streaming service for arts and culture.
• partnering with BBC Culture in Quarantine to bring six of the nation’s best-loved Shakespeare titles to audiences between now and September.
• a supporting package of free educational activities and resources produced in partnership with BBC Bitesize Online and available to schoolchildren studying Shakespeare from home across the UK.

More information can be found at https://www.rsc.org.uk/at-home-with-shakespeare

HEADLONG AND CENTURY FILMS TO PARTNER WITH BBC ARTS ON UNPRECEDENTED: REAL TIME THEATRE FROM A STATE OF ISOLATION

• BBC ARTS JOINS HEADLONG AND CENTURY FILMS’ MAJOR NEW DIGITAL PROJECT AS BROADCAST PARTNER AS PART OF CULTURE IN QUARANTINE

• UNPRECEDENTED BRINGS TOGETHER CELEBRATED PLAYWRIGHTS, DIRECTORS AND ACTORS TO CREATE A SERIES OF SHORT DIGITAL PLAYS RESPONDING TO THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC 

• NED BENNETT, TINUKE CRAIG, BLANCHE MCINTYRE, JEREMY HERRIN, OLA INCE AND HOLLY RACE ROUGHAN ARE AMONG THE DIRECTORS WORKING ON THE SERIES

• UNPRECEDENTED: REAL TIME THEATRE FROM A STATE OF ISOLATION WILL BE BROADCAST ON THE BBC AS PART OF BBC ART’S CULTURE IN QUARANTINE INITIATIVE AND WILL BE AVAILABLE TO STREAM ONLINE FROM LATE APRIL

BBC Arts has joined award-winning theatre company Headlong and BAFTA winning Century Films, as broadcast partner for Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation, a series of short, digital plays written and performed in isolation, which will be broadcast across the nation during lockdown as part of Culture in Quarantine.

Written by celebrated playwrights, performed by a cast of over fifty UK actors and curated by Headlong, Century Films and BBC Arts, Unprecedented is a series of short digital plays exploring our rapidly evolving world. The plays will respond to how our understanding and experiences of community, education, work, relationships, family, culture, climate and capitalism are evolving on an unprecedented scale. The series will ask how we got here and what the enduring legacy of this historic episode might be.

Directors working on the series include; Ned Bennett (Equus; An Octoroon; Yen), Deborah Bruce (Pride and Prejudice), Tinuke Craig (Vassa; The Colour Purple), Debbie Hannan (The Panopticon; Pah-La), Jeremy Herrin (This House; People Places and Things), Brian Hill (Bella and The Boys; Falling Apart), Ola Ince (Poet in da Corner; Appropriate: The Convert), Nathaniel Martello-White (Cla’am), Caitlin Mcleod (Returning To Haifa), Blanche McIntyre (Tartuffe; The Writer) and Holly Race Roughan (Hedda Tesman; Broken Dreams).

The series will include new works from a diverse group of celebrated playwrights including; April De Angelis (My Brilliant Friend; The Village), Josh Azouz (The Mikvah Project; Buggy Baby), Deborah Bruce (The Distance; The House They Grew Up In), John Donnelly (The Pass; The Knowledge), James Graham (Ink; QUIZ; Coalition; Brexit: An Uncivil War; Labour of Love), Charlene James (Cuttin’ It; Tweet Tweet), Matilda Ibini (Where do we go next: Little Miss Burden), Jasmine Lee-Jones (seven methods of killing kylie jenner) Duncan Macmillan (People, Places and Things; City of Glass; Rosmersholm; 1984; Lungs), and Anna Maloney (Consent), Nathaniel Martello-White (Torn; BLACKTA), Chloë Moss (This Wide Night; The Gatekeeper), Prasanna Puwanarajah (Nightwatchman; Patrick Melrose; Doctor Foster) and Tim Price (Salt, Root, Row; The Radicalisation of Bradley Manning).  

Using digital conferencing technology, and combining live and pre-recorded material, these intimate new plays will give an immediate insight into this extraordinary communal experience. Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation will be braodcast on the BBC as part of BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative and made avaliable to stream online from May.