HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES IRENE DORNER AS ITS NEW CHAIRPERSON
Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce the appointment of Irene Dorner as the new Chairperson of its Board of Directors. Dorner is also currently Chairperson of Taylor Wimpey and Control Risks (a global risk consultancy) and, until recently, Virgin Money (2018). She also sits on the Boards of AXA,Rolls Royce, South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership and St. Anne’s College, University ofOxford.
David Tyler, the current Chairperson will stand down on 30 September 2020 and Dorner will join in January 2021. In the interim, the Theatre will be chaired by Adam Jones, the current Chairperson of its Finance Committee.
Irene Dorner, incoming Chairperson of Hampstead Theatre said:
“I am thrilled to be taking over the role of Chair of Hampstead Theatre.The theatre has been part of my life for several years as I live only a few minutes’ walk from its doors and attend most performances.The opportunity to get involved with a terrific team dedicated to producing new work that is original, entertaining and ambitious is very exciting and a fulfilling way for me to continue my lifelong love of theatre.There are even more challenges than usual in our current environment but I am sure with the support of a committed board and management team we can look forward to making more world class theatre. David is a hard act to follow and I would like to thank him and the whole team for making me feel so welcome.”
Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre said:
“I look forward to building Hampstead’s future with our new Chair, Irene Dorner, who brings a breadth of experience, knowledge and love of Hampstead. The team and I are incredibly excited to be working with her. She succeeds David Tyler who has been a magnificent chair and whose astuteness, commitment and passion leaves Hampstead transformed. I cannot thank him enough for his tireless championing of the theatre and I have enjoyed working with him hugely.”
David Tyler, current Chairperson of Hampstead Theatre said:
“Sadly, after eight years, it is time to hang up my boots at Hampstead.I have hugely enjoyed my role at Hampstead Theatre where our outstanding team have had great artistic success and our audiences have been richly entertained consistently over the years.Thank you to the management team and to all of my colleagues on the Board.I am delighted to be passing the baton on to Irene who has the perfect blend of experience and personal style to guide the theatre to further success.”
Dorner takes over from David Tyler who has led the Board of Directors at Hampstead Theatre since 2012. Under his inspirational leadership, sources of income have diversified and strengthened. Tyler has also made the theatre more sustainable, championing the reconfiguration of the foyers (2014) and the expansion of the auditorium (2019) to increase Box Office revenues. More recently he oversaw the change in Artistic Directors, extending his tenure as Chair to see the theatre through its sixtieth season and to allow Roxana Silbert time to establish herself before his departure.
WITH ONE-MAN COMEDY PLAY BY CITY PLAYWRIGHT JONATHAN HARVEY
Swan Song will launch nine days of outdoor performance at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church
Swan Song, a comedy by Liverpool playwright Jonathan Harvey, will open a brand-new theatre festival in the city next week marking the return of live outdoor performance.
Liverpool Theatre Festival will take place between Friday 11 September and Saturday 19 September 2020 in the grounds of St Luke’s Bombed Out Church and will help to kick-start the return of theatre productions in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Swan Song is a one-man play written by Jonathan Harvey and starring Liverpool actor Andrew Lancel. The play will be directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw. The show is produced by Liverpool Theatre Festival, in association with Bill Elms Productions and Quarry Street.
Swan Song will officially start the nine-day run of Liverpool Theatre Festival on Friday 11 September 2020, with performances at 6pm and 9pm.
The festival has been created by Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms to support the city’s devastated theatre scene. Performances will take place within the church walls, in the grounds of St Luke’s in the heart of Liverpool city centre, and follow stringent social distancing and Government guidelines.
The festival line-up includes musical theatre, drama, comedy, cabaret, monologues, and children’s shows. Tickets are on sale now.
Swan Song was first staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1997, before transferring to Hampstead Theatre with award-winning comedy actress Rebecca Front in the lead role. Jonathan Harvey has now adapted the play specially, and Andrew Lancel will play the solo role of Dave Titswell at Liverpool Theatre Festival.
Producer and artistic director Bill Elms commented:“Swan Song is a funny, clever and inspiring production to open the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival. Andrew Lancel, Jonathan Harvey and Noreen Kershaw are an incredible blend of creative talent, and I am confident audiences have a real treat ahead of them. We’ve had a heart-warming and phenomenal response since we announced the festival last week. People are excited for the return of live theatre – and we’re excited to give them that experience back after such a long time.”
Swan Song is written by Jonathan Harvey. Forty-something Dave Titswell is a gay teacher with a crush. Set in Liverpool in 1997. Life, love and work – none are simple for Dave. Everyone knows someone like Dave – or could even be a Dave themselves. Will a school trip to The Lakes change things for the better, or make things decidedly worse? Swan Song will make audiences laugh, but equally pull at the heartstrings.
Andrew Lancel is no stranger to Liverpool audiences. Well established on the national theatre scene, Andrew is also widely known for his television roles as DI Neil Manson in The Bill and super-villain Frank Foster in Coronation Street. He has twice played Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein on stage to great critical acclaim, first in Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles (also produced by Bill Elms) which premiered in Liverpool and went on to play London’s West End, as well as playing Epstein in the national tour of Cilla The Musical, Bill Kenwright’s stage adaptation of the TV series written by Jeff Pope.
Andrew Lancel commented:“Liverpool is a leader when it comes to the arts and theatre – so to launch this wonderful new festival is a real honour. The last play I saw before lockdown was Jonathan Harvey’s Our Lady of Blundellsands at The Everyman which I loved – so it’s very cool, and a little ironic, that my first play back is with Jonathan. We have known each other for years and worked together a lot but never on stage, so it’s humbling that he has adapted this play for me. It’s very funny, moving, and I think people will really relate to it today. His characters are literally gifts to play and to watch.
“This play is about reuniting too. Reuniting theatre and audiences with live performance in Liverpool is extra special. To be back with Epstein producer Bill Elms is a buzz, and I’ve worked on some very serious storylines on Corrie with Noreen Kershaw, the original Shirley Valentine. It feels like coming home for us all in so many ways.”
Jonathan Harvey’s credits include Gimme Gimme Gimme; Murder Most Horrid; Coronation Street; Call The Midwife; and Tracey Ullman’s Show.
Jonathan added:“I was deeply disappointed when Our Lady Of Blundellsands was brought to an abrupt halt by Covid, so I’m excited to be involved in getting live theatre back on stage in our home city. Swan Song is a comedy about a teacher who’s trying to hold onto his dignity while the education system crumbles around him – and I’m thrilled Andrew is playing Dave. I’m delighted to also be working with Noreen again, she directed many of my Corrie scripts and my last episode of Call The Midwife. As the original Shirley Valentine, Noreen definitely knows a thing or two about one person shows.”
Noreen Kershaw’s television directing credits Our Girl, Moving On, Scott & Bailey, Emmerdale, Shameless, and Heartbeat. She has been a series director on Coronation Street, and was awarded a BAFTA in 2014 for an episode she directed. Her acting credits include Life On Mars, Brookside, and Watching.
Live performances came to a complete standstill nationally in mid-March due to Covid-19 lockdown. With no indication on when safe and financially viable indoor performances will resume, Bill Elms has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to organise Liverpool Theatre Festival now that outdoor live performances are permitted.
Festivalgoers can be reassured they will be attending a safe environment. Capacity has been reduced to ensure socially distanced seating; hand sanitiser stations; temperature checks before entry; masks are requested to be worn when moving round the venue; and visitors are encouraged to attend in their social bubble groups.
Increased safety guidelines will also take place behind the scenes. Shows will be limited to one-act performances; each show lasts a maximum of 75 mins to reduce audience movement; the cast and crew will socially distance and be temperature checked; and a maximum of four performers per production.
The team at St Luke’s have been successfully running a Covid-safe garden café/bar on-site and they will provide theatregoers with premium drinks and freshly cooked pizza, drinks can also be purchased on a special app and delivered to ticketholders at their seats.
Liverpool Theatre Festival programme also includes live productions of A Fairy Tale Journey Across The Mersey, Laughterhouse Comedy, The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper, Sweet Mother, Shakers by John Godber, Deathly Confessions, Matinee Musical Classics, Music Of The Night, Judy & Liza, Hurrah For The Pirate King! andSomething About Simon.
GATSBY’S PARTY RE-IMAGINED AS A 1920s MASQUERADE BALL
SOCIALLY DISTANCED OPENING ON THURSDAY 1 OCTOBER IN THE WEST END
BESPOKE FACE MASKS TO BE DESIGNED FOR PATRONS TO PURCHASE WITH PORTION OF PROCEEDS GOING TO THE THEATRE ARTISTS FUND
Immersive Everywhere’s critically acclaimed THE GREAT GATSBY, created and directed by Alexander Wright– which had previously set a record as the UK’s longest running immersive production –is set to re-open at West End venue IMMERSIVE | LDN on Thursday 1 October 2020.
Olivier Award winning producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook have re-imagined and re-set the production as an Art Deco Masquerade Ball, with audience members wearing compulsory face coverings to complement their fabulous attire. The show’s costume designer, Heledd Rees is to create a bespoke face covering that will be available to purchase at the venue should patrons require, with a portion of the proceeds going to The Theatre Artists Fund.
Jay Gatsby invites you to one of his infamous large parties. Re-imagined and re-set to meet covid-19 secure guidelines, the champagne flows and as the drama unfolds the man himself will be the perfect host. As invites go, this is the hottest in town.
A hedonistic world of red hot rhythms, bootleg liquor and pure jazz age self-indulgence awaits. Don your masquerade, dress to the nines and immerse yourself in this heart racing adaption of F Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal tale of the Roaring Twenties.
Full casting has been announced: Craig Hamilton will play ‘Gatsby’, Lucinda Turner will play ‘Daisy’, James Lawrence will play ‘Nick’, Dean Graham will play ‘Tom’, Lucas Jones will play ‘George Wilson’, Ivy Corbin will play ‘Jordan’, MJ Lee will play ‘Myrtle Wilson’, Hugh Stubbins will play ‘Rosy Rosenthal’, Aimee Barrett will play ‘Lucille’ and Alex Wingfield will play ‘Joey’.
Thanks to the recent announcement of Stage Four of the government’s roadmap for theatres’ re-opening allowing socially distanced indoor performances, the producers of The Great Gatsby continue to refine plans and measures to ensure full compliance with government Covid-Secure guidelines at IMMERSIVE LDN.
The capacity of the venue has been significantly reduced to help patrons – coming as individuals or in household groups – to keep a safe distance from others; and the nature of the show means that audience members can choose where they stand and move throughout the performance, naturally enabling social distancing. The show content is being altered and updated to avoid any activity that would be considered high risk, and the actors will be further trained to keep groups of audience following the story, whilst remaining at a safe distance. Temperature checks will be undertaken for audience and staff on arrival. The venue will be deep cleaned before and after every performance, bar equipment sterilised, and hand sanitisers will be available throughout the venue. The Producers are confident that the immersive nature of THE GREAT GATSBY will enable it to be the first long running show to responsibly re-open in 2020. The Producers are also still planning for the eventuality that the show can’t proceed, or individual patrons can’t attend, and are offering a no-questions-asked exchange policy.
Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook said “We’re delighted The Great Gatsby is returning to its London home. We’re deeply proud of the team who have worked so skilfully and passionately – with input from the Culture Task Force, Equity, and Westminster, – to welcome back our audiences and restore some of the cultural offering in London that has been missing for far too long.
We are really excited to welcome folks back to Gatsby’s mansion in a responsible and measured way, and to be one of be the first shows in the West End that is able to re-open its doors to fans. At IMMERSIVE|LDN we will always lead the way with innovation, and we’re hoping this can be a blueprint to help our other productions around the world begin to open.
We’ve definitely missed telling this beautiful story each night. It has been a joy to bring back some of the original creators of Gatsby after half a decade, to revisit, revive and augment the production, with new scenes and new choreography that should be exciting for fans old and new.”
These Covid-Secure policies will be under continuous review and are by no means exhaustive – any additional measures recommended will be adopted as appropriate.
Olivier Award winning producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook, who are currently co-producing the immersive production of DOCTOR WHO TIME FRACTURE – launched a new company in 2019, IMMERSIVE EVERYWHERE, entirely dedicated to developing and staging theatre-led immersive experiences, and IMMERSIVE | LDN is the newest of their network of venues, which will house cafes, bars and rehearsal and workshop spaces to help the development of new work.
IMMERSIVE | LDN is a 32,000sq ft historic building in the heart of Mayfair, which was home to the Queen Victoria’s Rifles Association until 2017. It includes three floors of immersive theatre and event spaces designated for performance, live gaming, events, escape rooms and private parties. For information about programming and venue hire visit www.immersiveldn.com
First conceived in 2015 when director Alexander Wright and producer Brian Hook were running The Fleeting Arms – a pop arts and community pub in an abandoned building in York, the show then ran in York in 2016 with a parallel production in Sheffield, and was produced by the Guild of Misrule . The Great Gatsby first came to London as part of VAULT Festival in 2017 and sold out before the show opened. Since then the show has run in Wales in co-production with Theatr Clwyd, at Halifax’s Square Chapel, and at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. All the while the show has played night after night at Gatsby’s Drugstore in London SE1, inviting audiences into the hedonistic world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s extraordinary tale, and in 2018 it became the UK’s longest running immersive production.
Amie Burns Walker and Oliver Tilney are Associate Directors. Choreography is by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, design by Casey Jay Andrews, costume design by Heledd Rees, sound design by Phil Grainger and lighting design by Rachel Sampley. The original score was composed and produced by Glen Brown and Tendai Humphrey Sitima, with arrangement and additional composition by David Sims. The original production was created by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, Amie Burns Walker, Hannah Davies, Phil Grainger, Michael Lambourne, Thomas Maller and Oliver Tilney.
This new production of The Guild of Misrule’s THE GREAT GATSBY is produced by Immersive Everywhere with co-producer Gavin Kalin Productions, and with Glynis Henderson Productions, Theatr Clwyd, We Culture Connects and Damier NV as Associate Producers.
The Turbine on the Jetty, Battersea – 31 August 2020
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
3***
When I got invited to review “The Best of Frankie Valli” I bit off my bosses hand. This was my first opportunity to see a piece of theatre in nearly 6 months and I was so excited, especially with it being a Four Seasons show (probably my biggest musical influence). I was a bit apprehensive about reviewing around COVID but all my worries were put to rest when I turned up at the Turbine Jetty and was greeted by the well informed front of house team, who took my temperature and then seated me in the wonderful socially distanced deck chairs that were set out.
The show started off with a beautiful bit of doo wop and harmonies as the four lads came through the audience and made their way to the stage. There were some minor technical difficulties at first as the lighting seemed a bit off and a techie had to sneak down the side to sort the lights. But after this was solved and the first couple of numbers had gone the show really began in full force. The highlight of the show for me wasn’t actually the Four Seasons songs but the wonderful Beach Boys medley that the lads had put together. The harmonies and arrangement were superb and were a real highlight for me. Some slight negatives were a bit of obvious stage rust (completely understandable given it was 5 months since their last gig) showing with some forgotten choreography and some slightly breathy falsetto. The boys played their audience better as the night went on, with some slight awkwardness in their address at first but the audience really warmed up to them as the night went on (and dare I say it the more drink was consumed in the audience) and people were up and dancing in the aisle by the end of the night.
Overall I did enjoy my evening very much and I think with a few more performances to recover from the 5 months off, this will be superb. You can catch “The Best of Frankie Valli” in theatres up and down the country in 2021.
Online Workshops for Schools and Continuing Professional Development Course for Teachers
In response to the Coronavirus pandemic, acclaimed theatre company Frantic Assembly has developed online schools’ workshops as well as a new four-part online CPD course for teachers to assist them in delivering devising and physical theatre modules in a socially distanced setting
The Online Schools’ Workshops and Teachers’ CPD course will ensure that the company’s extensive education work in the classroom can continue to be taught within current safety guidelines
Online Teachers’ CDP course is available either as a series or as one-off’s streamed through VIMEO ON DEMAND
The company has developed online workshops in response to the fact that they are unable to deliver their workshops in person due to the restrictions in place as a result of Covid-19.
The new workshops delivered online by Frantic Assembly Practitioners are suitable for socially distanced learning in school or remote/home learning and are designed to explore the Frantic Method of devising and physicality within a socially distanced framework, allowing students to study and develop skills safely and with confidence.
These sessions introduce the work of Frantic Assembly and explore non-contact movement and devising, including
A thorough warm up, preparing students mentally and physically
Developing physical skills that explore non-contact movement and ensemble work whilst socially distancing
Creative tasks that can be done independently and in small groups
A cool down, reflection and questions
Frantic Assembly’s Teachers’ CPD Course is an online, streamed home study course that will equip teachers embarking on delivering devising and physical modules in the next academic year. Developed and created by Artistic Director Scott Graham, Creative Associate Simon Pittman and Associate Director (Learn and Train) Sophie Shaw, the four-part course provides exercises and tasks exploring socially distanced teaching as well as tips and advice for working in a virtual classroom.
Scott Graham said “The relationship between Frantic Assembly, Teachers and their students has always been vital. We have grown together and learnt from each other. At a time when those Teachers are under immense stress to inspire, instruct and nurture our students it is only right that we should focus our efforts on supporting them. We have always identified limitations as important elements of the creative process and we have worked hard to help Teachers find ways of exploring innovative theatre making within the new limitations they find themselves in. As ever, together we evolve and adapt and will find new ways to engage and inspire students and young theatre makers.”
Access is by a streamed rental via Vimeo On Demand. The films can be rented separately or as the full course, saving £25 (see below). Single workshops are available for 1 month streaming rental and the full four workshop package for 3 month streaming rental. Price includes a downloadable resource pack which accompanies each workshop. To rent please visit http://www.vimeo.com/ondemand/teacherscpd
Workshop 1 – Generating & Selecting Physicality
· Develop ways of approaching and generating physical material.
· Edit, rework and explore ways to use the material through rehearsal and workshop exploration
Workshop 2 – Generating and Selecting Text
· Develop written material using the building blocks and other key strategies from the Frantic Method
Workshop 3 – Articulating & Interpreting
· Explore meaning, story and context in material
· Encourage and develop analytical observation
· Hone selected material into potential performance through workshop
Workshop 4 – Ways of Staging
· Approaches to presenting performance under socially distanced conditions
· Approaches to staging
· A guide to working creatively with cameras and recording for performance
Single Workshops (with resources) £50 incl VAT
Full Package (All four workshops with resources) £175 incl VAT
Theatr Iolo announces its first post-lockdown show created for babiesto be performed live in September 2020
Theatr Iolo will present their first show since lockdown, a brand-new, socially distanced performance for babies inthe garden of Cardiff’s multi-artform venue, Chapter.
Baby, Bird & Bee will mark the return of the award-winning children and young people’s theatre company since they were forced to postpone the productions they had planned for 2020 earlier in the year. The show will also be the first live performance to take place at Chapter since lockdown.
Baby, Bird & Bee comes from renowned baby theatre makers, Sarah Argent and Kevin Lewis; the same creative team behind Baby Show, a highly acclaimed theatre show that was produced in association with Theatr Iolo. The production for young babies was performed in repertoire at the Unicorn Theatre in London for almost three years and played to thousands of babies. Argent, who directs the piece and Lewis, who performs, are known the world over for making theatre especially for babies.
Created for babies aged 3-18 months, Baby, Bird & Bee will be a celebration of the outside world, taking place in Chapter’s beautiful garden. For many babies born before or during lockdown, this will not only be their first ever experience of live theatre, but also of sharing a space and interacting with other babies and families.
“At Theatr Iolo we believe children of all ages should have the opportunity to experience live performance. Lots of babies born during lockdown will have had limited opportunities to explore the world around them. Baby, Bird & Bee is a wonderful opportunity for parents and babies to enjoy a performance together, safely spend time with other families and to explore the world beyond their home and garden.”
“As well as being excited to be able to give families the opportunity to see their first theatre show together, we’re also hugely proud to be working with Chapter to present their very first public performance post-lockdown. As a member of the Chapter creative community, we are delighted to find a creative solution to present the first live theatre show at Chapter since March.”
Lee Lyford, Artistic Director, Theatr Iolo
Baby, Bird & Bee is an English language show and will consist of a 20-25 minute performance followed by 20 minutes of ‘Stay and Play’ time for the babies and their families. The performance will take place outside and will adhere to social distancing with adults and babies being allocated a seating pod upon arrival, with a maximum of two babies and two adults from the same or extended household for each pod.
Audiences are invited to sit with their baby whilst the new gardener playfully goes about his work, planting and watering in the beautiful Chapter garden. Together families will discover the sights and sounds of this wonderful outdoor space, as little ones delight in the wonders around them.
Each family will enjoy the performance from their very own space and at the end of the show there will be a chance for families to stay and play with some carefully chosen objects together.
Baby Bird & Bee will take place from 16 – 20 September 2020 at Chapter. All children attending must be strictly between the ages of 3-18 months. Tickets are on sale now and must be ordered in advance from www.chapter.org. An Adult and Baby ticket is £10 (£5 each), an additional adult is £5 each and an additional baby is £5 each. All members of the group, including babies, must have a ticket.
Baby, Bird & Bee has been made possible by the kind support of Chapter.
Wednesday 16 – Sunday 20 September 2020
Three performances a day – 10:00am, 12:00pm and 2:00pm
LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS AND CRAZY COQS ANNOUNCE VIRTUAL PRODUCTION OF FIRST DATE WITH FULL CAST
Lambert Jackson Productions and Crazy Coqs present
FIRST DATE
Book by Austin Winsberg
Music and Lyrics by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner
Director and Videographer: Dean Johnson; Musical Supervisor: Adam Hoskins
Musical Director: Josh Winstone
Lambert Jackson Productions and Crazy Coqs today announce a virtual production of the Broadway musical First Date. Dean Johnson directs Samantha Barks (Casey), Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Man #2), Rufus Kampa (Young Aaron), Simon Lipkin (Aaron), Nicholas McLean (Man #1), and Danielle Steers (Woman #1).The production will be filmed at Crazy Coqs, then made available for streaming 22 – 24 October at 7.30pm.
Do opposites really attract? Cool chick Casey and tightly wound Aaron are hoping so. These two New York City singles have been set up by friends and family, but from the outset this first date seems to be doomed. The two have nothing in common… But with the help of a meddling but well-meaning waiter, and a host of other characters along the way, can this mismatched pair turn what could be a dating disaster into something special before the check arrives?
With a contemporary rock score, First Date gleefully pokes fun at the all too familiar dating mishaps we’ve all experienced and gives hope that there could be that one special person out there for all of us.
Samantha Barks plays Casey. Her previous theatre credits include 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 25th Anniversary. Barks will play role of Elsa in the West End production of Frozen.
Oscar Conlon-Morrey plays Man #2. His previous theatre credits include Only Fools and Horses The Musical (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Fall, The Downfall of Robert Earl of Huntington (Shakespeare’s Globe), Nativity! The Musical (Hammersmith Apollo, UK tour), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Kilworth House Theatre), and The Toxic Avenger (Arts Theatre).
Rufus Kampa plays Young Aaron. His previous theatre credits include The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – The Musical (Ambassadors Theatre), and Goodnight Mister Tom (Southwark Playhouse).
Simon Lipkin plays Aaron. His previous theatre credits include Ghost Stories (Ambassadors Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith), All in a Row, As You Like It (Southwark Playhouse), Nativity! The Musical, Spamalot (Hammersmith Apollo/UK tour), The Wind in the Willows, Honeymoon in Vegas, I Can’t Sing (London Palladium), Whisper House (The Other Palace), Guys and Dolls (Phoenix Theatre), Miss Atomic Bomb (St James Theatre), The Lorax (The Old Vic), Avenue Q (Noël Coward Theatre), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), and Rock of Ages (Shaftesbury Theatre). For film, his credits include Nativity Rocks!, Show Dogs, Nativity III, and The Muppets – Again.
Nicholas McLean plays Man #1. His previous theatre credits include Wicked (Apollo Victoria), Cinderella (Mercury Theatre Colchester), Avenue Q (UK tour), The Pied Piper (Cornerstone Arts Centre), South Pacific (St James Concert Hall), and The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre).
Danielle Steers plays Woman #1. Her previous theatre credits Sweet Charity (Donmar Warehouse), Bat Out of Hell (Dominion Theatre, London Coliseum, UK tour), Beautiful (Aldwych Theatre), The Bodyguard (Dominion Theatre), We Will Rock You (international tour), Hairspray (Aberystwyth Arts Centre), and Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre).
Dean Johnson directs. His previous theatre credits include Godspell (St Paul’s Covent Garden, Cadogan Hall), Dogfight (Southwark Playhouse), Paperboy (Lyric Theatre Belfast), Spring Awakening, In The Heights (Stockwell Playhouse), and Into The Woods, Rent (Belvoir Studio Theatre).
Sleepless is a gentle story that sticks to its original heart-warming narrative. Entwined in its romantic tale you are faced with the question, do you believe in fate or do you create your own destiny? Thanks to the young boy Jonah (Jobe Hart), fate is given a well-pitched strike to bring it all together.
The musical experience of the leading players shines through, with the liquid tones of both Jay McGuiness (Sam) and Kimberley Walsh (Annie) melding together in soft and comforting melodies. This was greatly helped by a well-executed score. The humour of the piece was brought to the fore by Cory English (Rob) with his grown-up kid remarks and Charlie Bull (Victoria) and her jump out of your skin laugh. They were a welcome addition to balance out the wishful thinking and mournful looks into the distance.
The supporting cast give the production energy and context, with everything seemingly perfectly placed. I was particularly impressed with the automation of staging, providing smooth transitions and atmosphere between scenes.
Sleepless is light-hearted family entertainment that will give you a smile. In the end, we find that Jonah may have tried to create a new future for him and his Dad, but it was actually fate that finally brought Sam and Annie together.
The fact that this is the first large scale indoor production since lockdown, gives it a wow factor beyond the production itself. Well done Troubadour and Encore for taking the plunge. A heart felt thank you from one and all.
BARN THEATRE TO REOPEN FOR LIVE INDOOR PERFORMANCES WITH PRODUCTION OF MICHAEL MORPURGO’S MODERN CLASSIC PRIVATE PEACEFUL
THE BARN THEATRE WILL BEGIN INDOOR PERFORMANCES FROM 10 SEPTEMBER WITH BOXLESS THEATRE, BARN THEATRE AND TAKE TWO THEATRICALS’ PRODUCTION OF PRIVATE PEACEFUL
THE THEATRE HAVE ANNOUNCED NEW SAFETY PROCEDURES PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT AUUDIENCES HAVE THE SAFEST POSSIBLE THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE
THE PRODUCTION TRANSFERS TO THE MAIN STAGE FOLLOWING ITS ACCLAIMED RUN AT THE THEATRE’S OUTDOOR THEATRE FESTIVAL, BARNFEST
The Barn Theatre has announced today that they will re-open for live indoor theatre performances on 10 September with the transfer of Private Peaceful.The production will run in the main auditorium following the production’s acclaimed sell out run at the theatre’s first outdoor theatre festival, BarnFest, in August.
The theatre has announced changes they have implemented to ensure audience safety throughout their experience. The theatre will run at a reduced capacity with Perspex screens being placed between groups with a new seating layout to ensure social distancing measures are adhered to. The theatre has also announced that they have a new and upgraded air filtration system which exceeds governing guidelines to ensure the experience is the safest the theatre can provide. The cast and creative team will also adhere to Government guidance on social distancing and temperature checks.
The safety measures that were successfully utilised during BarnFest – the theatre’s outdoor theatre festival – including temperature checks on arrival, mandatory masks for all patrons over 11 years old, staggered arrival times, sanitisation of public areas and hand sanitiser at entrance and exit points will continue for indoor theatrical performances.
Based on the modern classic by Michael Morpurgo (War Horse, The Butterfly Lion), Private Peaceful tells the story of Tommo Peaceful as he reflects upon the events that made him the person he is now, from first love to fighting on the battlefield alongside his brother. Set against the backdrop of World War One, the intimate production runs from 10 – 27 September, with press night on Tuesday 15 September.
Michael Morpurgo, the internationally best-selling author of Private Peaceful and long-time supporter of the Barn Theatre, visited the production during its run at the Barn Theatre’s outdoor theatre festival BarnFest for an exclusive post-show Q&A and gave his seal of approval saying, “It was extraordinary, very moving and utterly committed. It didn’t feel like a play at all. It felt like they were telling a story that they really cared about. Really great acting, top notch”.
Private Peaceful will be performed by Emily Costello and James Demaine, directed by Alexander Knott with Zöe Grain as associate director and movement director. The transfer production will feature sound design by Harry Smith (Henry V, Daddy Long Legs) and lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner (Henry V, Just So).
Artistic Director Iwan Lewis said of re-opening, “It’s time to get theatre back indoors and safety is our number one priority! Our team have adapted incredibly to provide the safest possible theatrical experience over the Summer with our outdoor theatre festival BarnFest. Having seen the overwhelming responses from both audience members and critics on how safe and enjoyable their visits were, we are confident that we can replicate and further the same experience indoors. It is fundamental that we maintain this high standard when welcoming our audience members indoors for the first-time following lockdown. Temperature checks, Perspex screens between booking groups, a new seating layout, upgraded air filtration system, staggered arrival times, we are implementing every possible safety measure to ensure that our audiences are provided with the highest quality entertainment in the safest possible environment.”
Private Peacefulis a co-production by BoxLess Theatre, Barn Theatre and Take Two Theatricals, with associate producer Thomas Hopkins.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical – Silent Stand On Thursday 3 September at 11.00am, up to 30 members of the cast and crew of Only Fools and Horses The Musical will join together outside the Theatre Royal Haymarket to make a 15 minute socially-distanced silent stand. This is to show solidarity with those in the UK theatre industry who have lost their jobs and received no government support, to highlight the lack of government guidance for the reopening of theatres, and to implore the Government to provide the industry with a date when theatres can reopen without social distancing.
Paul Whitehouse, co-writer and star of Only Fools and Horses The Musical, who will participate in the silent stand, said: “This stand is to highlight the plight of everyone who works in the theatre industry: the front of house staff, box office, bar staff, cleaners, ushers, maintenance workers as well as the stage crew and cast, producers, writers, set designers, directors, lighting and sound designers, art departments, production teams, make-up and wigs, costume, carpenters, marketing, musicians and musical directors. Not to mention all the small businesses that survive and thrive as a result of theatre audiences…the restaurants, bars, coffee shops, cabbies and many others.
If it’s ok to go to the cinema, it must be ok to go to a show. If it’s ok to go to a crowded airport and sit on a plane for hours, it must be ok to go to a show. You can ventilate a theatre…you can’t open a window on a plane.
We need restrictions lifted, or a cohesive date to work towards, so we can plan how to reignite an entire industry.”
