Month: April 2021

www.TheComebackComedy.co.uk 

Sonia Friedman Productions

Tulchin Bartner Productions

in association with

Playing Field, Eilene Davidson Productions, Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor, David Mirvish

present

THE COMEBACK

A new comedy by Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen 
  

• THE COMEBACK RETURNS TO THE NOËL COWARD THEATRE FOR A LIMITED 3-WEEK RUN FROM JULY 7^TH – JULY 25^TH 2021
   
• TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 30^TH APRIL, WITH OVER 1,000 TICKETS A WEEK AVAILABLE AT £25 OR UNDER
  
  HILARIOUS AND HEARTWARMING, THE COMEBACK DEPICTS THE BACKSTAGE TUSSLE OF TWO RIVAL COMEDY DUOS IN A DIZZYING CONTEMPORARY FARCE
• AFTER RECEIVING WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND FIVE-STAR REVIEWS, THE ORIGINAL RUN WAS CUT SHORT DUE TO THE DECEMBER LOCKDOWN
• WITH PREVIOUS SURPRISE CAMEOS INCLUDING SIR IAN McKELLEN, JOANNA LUMLEY, GRAHAM NORTON & DANNY DYER, MORE SURPRISE GUESTS WILL FEATURE AT EVERY PERFORMANCE OF THE COMEBACK
• THE PRODUCTION WILL TAKE PLACE UNDER SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES, AND IN LINE WITH SOLT’S SEE IT SAFELY CAMPAIGN. WWW.THECOMEBACKCOMEDY.CO.UK
  
   

The Comeback is the debut play from The Pin’s award-winning Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen. Its mix of hilarity, emotional heart and irresistible charm offers the perfect escapism for audiences of all ages. The Comeback first opened to rave reviews in December 2020, before being shut down after just 9 performances due to the government-enforced national lockdown. Now, the producers and creative team are delighted to bring back The Comeback for a limited 3-week run at the Noël Coward Theatre this July.

The Comeback, tells the story of two double acts fighting to wrest control of the most chaotic, farcical and high-stakes gig of their respective careers. Directed by Emily Burns, The Comeback promises to bring heart-warming joy and laughter to the Noël Coward Theatre this summer.

Up-and-coming comics Alex and Ben have been booked in the warm-up spot for a beloved but fading double act’s comeback tour. Neither duo is delighted to be playing to a sparse crowd in a sleepy, seaside town, but when it’s revealed that a Hollywood director is in the audience, both acts glimpse a final chance for their big break. Cue sabotage, mistaken identity and full on farcical mayhem, as the performance descends into a desperate battle for the limelight. With the action alternating between offstage and on, and the tone between Noises Off andMorecambe and Wise’s old-school charm, this is a warm-hearted, joyful, and dazzlingly funny new comedy.

Each night Ashenden and Owen will be joined on stage by a surprise celebrity guest star playing a cameo role in the production. 

The production will be staged in a Covid safe environment following current government advice, with audiences adhering to social distancing guidelines; and in line with Society of London Theatre’s See It Safely campaign. 

Tickets for the production which will run at the Noël Coward Theatre July 7th – 25th will be available from April 30^th at  www.thecomebackcomedy.co.uk.

JEEVES AND WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE TO RETURN TO MARK 14OTH ANNIVERSARY OF 

P.G. WODEHOUSE

• THE REMOUNT OF THE 2020 PRODUCTION WILL PLAY AT BOTH THE BARN THEATRE AND THE THEATRE CHIPPING NORTON THIS JUNE
• MATTHEW CAVENDISH WILL RETURN TO PLAY BERTIE WOOSTER FOR BOTH RUNS

The Barn Theatre in Cirencester and The Theatre Chipping Norton have announced that they will be remounting their 2020 production of the Goodale Brothers’ Olivier Award-winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense to mark the 140^th anniversary of o the author P.G. Wodehouse’s birth.

In this joyous reimagining of the classic P.G. Wodehouse characters, three actors hurl themselves from role to role as they race to tell the story of Bertie’s own farcical adventures.

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense was created by the Goodale Brothers, adapted primarily from P.G. Wodehouse’s The Code of the Woosters. The show, which premiered at Richmond Theatre in 2013 with the lead roles being played by Stephen Mangan and Matthew Macfadyen, before transferring to the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End and being awarded the 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. 

The comedy, which is also co-produced by the two Cotswold venues, will run at The Theatre Chipping Norton from 9 – 12 June 2021 and the Barn Theatre from 15 June – 10 July 2021. 

Directed by The Theatre Chipping Norton’s Artistic Director John Terry, the production will see the return of the production’s original cast with Andrew Ashford (The Full Monty, The Ladykillers) as Jeeves, Matthew Cavendish (The Play That Goes Wrong, A Comedy About A Bank Robbery) as Bertie Wooster and Andrew Cullum (For King and Country, The Crown) as Seppings.

Matthew Cavendish, who returns to play Bertie Wooster, is no stranger to the comedy genre having been a regular performer with both Mischief Theatre and The Showstoppers with credits include being a member of the original Broadway cast of The Play That Goes Wrong and as Dennis in the West End production, Warren in A Comedy About a Bank Robbery (West End) and Max in Peter Pan Goes Wrong (West End).  

Director John Terry said of the production’s return,“If ever there was a time when the world needed the sunlight, optimism and wit of P.G. Wodehouse, it might be now. Anarchically, brilliantly funny, and a huge theatrical challenge to bring to the stage, we are delighted to be remounting this fantastic comedy. Our production brings a gently contemporary freshness to the Goodale’s brilliant stage adaptation. From live Foley sound effects to an original score of contemporary swing music, and the most ingenious box-of-tricks you have ever seen, this production should suit Wodehouse novices and experts alike.”

The production also features original music composed by Eamonn O’Dwyer, design by Alex Marker, lighting design by Christopher Nairne, sound design by Harry Smith and movement direction by Bronya Deutsch.

Tickets for the run at The Theatre Chipping Norton are now on general sale. Tickets for the run at the Barn Theatre are currently available for priority booking with general sale with general sale being available from 12pm BST on 28 April 2021. 

Theatre For Two
London Tour
Saturday 5th June – Wednesday 7th July 2021

Presented in a specially designed Covid-secure pop-up venue, We Are Kilter’s Theatre For Two is a series of personal, interactive meetings between actor and audience member. The four newly commissioned micro-plays are written by some of the most exciting up-and-coming talent, Tabby Lamb, Macadie Amoroso, Ryan Lane, and Gabriella Leon, and celebrate the absurdity of human connection

After a year of being stuck, unexpectedly stranded in isolation, isn’t it time to meet someone new? Step inside and meet four eccentric characters who are desperate for company and comradeship – whether that’s sharing a cuppa, a daydream or a waxworm. These microplays will plunge the audience into a funny, surprising and sometimes peculiar experience. Each semi-improvised play will engage the audience in the storytelling, rendering them a vital part of the narrative. Together, they will create unique playful interactions.

A cancelled picnic, a cancelled protest and now a cancelled bus? A clarion call for a more tender society, Gluten Free Crispy Caramel Mini Bite by Tabby Lamb (Since U Been Gone, HighTide) is about the need to be seen, heard and valued for who we are

Rumour has it she was once the most famous woman in Hollywood but now, faded beyond memory, she lives out her days inside, trying to recreate the Golden Years. At The Recluse Who Lives On A Hill written and performed by Ryan Lane (Ryan Lane Will Be There Now In A Minute, VAULT Festival), you might enter as a nobody, but you could leave as the next shining star.

Alone within four walls, sometimes you need to have a conversation, have someone talk back to you, someone to tell you that your Ex just isn’t worth it. Reptile by Macadie Amoroso (Blue Beneath My Skin, Bunker Theatre) is a heart-warming piece about a cold-blooded companion in the good times and the bad

Meet a unique friend, use words to create something never heard before and make your time count with Share-My-Home Companion from Gabriella Leon (Casualty). A ludicrous and powerful piece about the need to have something to do, something to look forward to,
something to talk about as time trickles and yet races away, stuck inside.

Director Ed Theakston comments, As we emerge from the past year, I am thrilled to have been able to collaborate with a tremendously talented group of artists to bring this show to life. The focus of the show is to safely create moments of human connection, and to centre the power and immediacy of live theatre. Theatre For Two will be popping up in the heart of communities across London, providing some much-needed escapism and joy. Theatre has a vital role to play, not least in us all processing ‘These Unprecedented Times’. Theatre For Two is our contribution.

To remain Covid-Secure, the space designed by Ioana Curelea (The Strange Tale of Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin, Told by an Idiot) will be a self-contained pop-up unit measuring
approximately 3m by 2m to allow for social distancing, with tickets purchased as a ‘bubble’, for one or two. The space will be separated by a clear Perspex-style screen, with removable chairs for audience members and space for one performer. The audience space is wheelchair accessible and will feature easily sanitised hard furnishings to ensure thorough and effective cleaning between performances. Tickets can be booked for each stand-alone piece or to experience the full cycle of all four over the course of an hour.

The performances will be accompanied by workshops for families and young people exploring storytelling and playfulness, delivered by director Katie Coull (Arts for Essential Workers) and actor and educator Matthew Grove.

Theatre for Two is generously supported by Arts Council England.

THE MUSICAL PHENOMENON RETURNS

Tony & Olivier Award-winning show returns to the heart of Victoria,

supporting the area’s cultural recovery

The iconic musical – seen by over 10 million people in London alone – celebrates its 15^th anniversary in its West End home this year

Tickets on sale at 10am on 17 May 2021

Performances resume on 15 September 2021

including Sunday matinees

www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Wicked, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, will return to London’s Apollo Victoria Theatre later this year, with performances resuming on Wednesday 15 September 2021.

Tickets for this booking period, which runs through to Sunday 22 May 2022, go on sale at 10am on Monday 17 May 2021. Wicked will play a Tuesday-Sunday performance schedule, with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. Visit www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk for all information.

Wicked will mark its 15^th anniversary at the Apollo Victoria Theatre later in the year and will host a celebratory performance on Tuesday 28 September 2021.

The music and lyrics in Wicked are by the legendary composer Stephen Schwartz (whose enduringly popular musical Godspell celebrates its 50^th Anniversary on 17 May 2021), with a book by Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series My So-Called Life). It is based on Gregory Maguire’s multi-million-copy bestseller, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

The American author wrote his novel whilst resident in London in 1990.Against the backdrop of the emergent Gulf War, Maguire’s story began to take shape as he examined the fundamental nature of good vs evil – exploring how the impact of politics, history and circumstance came to affect the choices – and stories – of the characters we believed we knew so well.

The first of the four novels in the ‘Wicked Years’ series (and Maguire’s first novel for adults) challenged readers to look at the beloved ‘Wizard of Oz’ tale again and consider that all may not be as it first seems. Now firmly established as a commentary on our times, a special 25^th Anniversary commemorative edition was published last October in a time of pandemic and divisive politics, both in the UK and USA, with an updated Afterword from the writer. 

Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West said today:

“While my novel is a quarter-century old, it has proven to be able to fly the distance. Every time Elphaba’s story is read – or seen on stage – or sung – something can change within us. Since no day dawns free of heartache, a story about facing down the dragons outside and inside one’s self remains timely. The costs of courage are steep – and worth paying”.

Wicked imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and reveals the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Soon to celebrate its 15^th Anniversary in the West End, the iconic musical has already been seen by over 10 million people in London alone and played almost 6000 performances. Winner of over 100 major international awards, including three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy Award and ten theatregoer-voted WhatsOnStage Awards (including three for ‘Best West End Show’), Wicked is already the 9^th longest-running West End musical of all time.

Michael McCabe, Executive Producer (UK) of Wicked said today:

“Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s wondrous musical version of Gregory Maguire’s darkly brilliant fable is an allegory for, and of, our times. After the challenging year faced by everyone in our company, we are grateful to them for their resilience and patience and delighted that we can at last get back to telling this extraordinary story again. We look forward to audiences returning to Oz and to creating more unforgettable memories for everyone.”

The huge and enduring success of Wicked in London has seen the musical become a fundamental component in the cultural ecology of Victoria, playing a pivotal role in the health of the area’s leisure and hospitality landscape. Wicked draws in audiences from across the UK (as well as internationally) and helps to ensure Victoria remains an outstanding cultural destination.

Today, news of the musical’s return is enthusiastically welcomed by the Victoria Business Improvement District (BID). Ruth Duston OBE, OC, Chief Executive of the Victoria BID said:

“This is more good news for London and signals how life is gradually returning to Victoria after many months of lockdown. By the summer, we can expect more workers to be returning to offices, and it is vital that our rich cultural, hospitality and retail offering is thriving and ready to welcome people back. Wicked is an iconic fixture in Victoria, and the reopening plans announced today will further galvanise both the economic renaissance and vibrancy of the area”.

Through its For Good charitable programme, the production’s fundraising endeavours have to date resulted in the planting of over 50,000 new trees at the Woodland Trust’s Heartwood Forest, now England’s largest continuous new native forest. Long-standing collaborations with the Anti-Bullying Alliance and the National Literacy Trust are also set to continue.  

The full cast will be confirmed at a later date.

Wickedhas music and lyrics by multi-Oscar, Golden Globe and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, The Prince of Egypt; Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted) and is based on the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman. Musical staging is by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.

Wicked is produced around the world by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe.

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is published in the UK by Headline (the book is recommended for readers aged 16+). Wicked: The Grimmerie, a behind-the-scenes look at the musical by David Cote, is published in the UK by Hyperion.

All future performances will take place under Step 4 of UK Government protocols (all legal limits on social contact removed). Each performance will operate in full compliance with any Government and/or industry COVID-19 safety guidelines as applicable.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London SW1V 1LG

Official UK website:www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Twitter: @WickedUK  |  Facebook: /WickedUK  |  Instagram: @WickedUK

CURVE ANNOUNCES PRODUCTION OF

Jonathan Larson’s RENT: The Concert

10 – 21 AUGUST

Directed by Nikolai Foster

Performed in the round in Curve’s specially adapted auditorium

Curve is bringing live performance back to Leicester full force this year with the announcement that Rent: The Concert, the era-defining, Pulitzer and Tony award-winning rock musical will be performed at the theatre this summer Tue 10 to Sat 21 August.

Staged in-the-round in Curve’s specially adapted auditorium, this Made at Curve production of Jonathan Larson’s award-winning rock musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Sunset Boulevard – at Home, West Side Story, White Christmas).

Inspired by Puccini’s classic opera La Bohème, Rent follows a year in the life of eight struggling young artists in New York’s Lower East Side as they attempt to navigate a world overshadowed by the HIV/AIDs pandemic, addiction, poverty and homophobia. The musical’s fierce and fearless score includes ‘La Vie Bohème’, ‘Rent’, ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ and ‘Seasons of Love’.

Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster commented:

“As we emerge from this pandemic, it feels timely to reflect on the resilience and courage which defined the lives of so many during the 1980s HIV/AIDS pandemic. Jonathan Larson’s astonishing Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT represents one of musical theatre’s greatest triumphs, defining an entire era through its blazing music and iconic characters. It is simply one of the greats and we are thrilled to present it in a staged concert at Curve, in our epic, in-the-round arena. Celebrating community, the exhilarating joy of music, the power of artists and the sheer life force of young people, we are looking forward to literally raising the roof this summer at Curve.”

Curve is set to fully reopen on 1 July, in line with the government roadmap, with performances of Peter James’ Looking Good Dead. Last week Curve announced its plans for a socially distanced season to welcome audiences back from May, including Resident Creatives New Work (21 – 22 May), Aakash Odedra’s Rising (24 – 25 May), Am Dram: A Musical Comedy (27 – 29 May) and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (7 – 19 June).

As outlined in the roadmap, social distancing is expected to no longer apply during performances of Rent: The Concert at Curve. The theatre will however ensure Covid-safety measures are in place, in-line with government guidance at the time. 

Curve has been certified by both UK Theatre as part of its ‘See it Safely’ initiative and Visit England’s ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditation and audiences will be notified of further Covid-safety measures and protocols in advance of attending a performance. Further information can be found here.

Tickets for Rent: The Concert will go on sale to Curve Friends on Wednesday 28 April, Supporters on Thursday 29 April and Members on Friday 30 April. Tickets will be on general sale from Tuesday 4 May, all at 12 noon. Tickets can be purchased online at www.curveonline.co.uk

IS BACK!

THE SMASH HIT SHOW WILL REOPEN ON

1 OCTOBER AT THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET MARKING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR

OF THE LEGENDARY TV SHOW

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM ONLYFOOLSMUSICAL.COM

Stick a pony in your pocket – The Trotters are back in town! Following nearly 18-months of being holed up in Nelson Mandela House, Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad are heading back up West, as Only Fools and Horses The Musical is set to make a triumphant return to London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on Friday 1 October. Tickets are on sale now from OnlyFoolsMusical.com.

Comedy giant Paul Whitehouse will return to star as Grandad, alongside Tom Bennett as Del Boy and Ryan Hutton as Rodney in this 5 star musical extravaganza. The re-opening of the show will form part of this year’s 40th anniversary celebrations of the legendary BBC sitcom. The TV show first graced our screens on 8 September 1981 with the episode ‘Big Brother’ and it’s been making millions of people laugh ever since.

Paul Whitehouse said: “I’m over the moon because, finally, the West End is coming back to life and Only Fools and Horses The Musical will return to the Theatre Royal Haymarket this October. The last year or so has been very difficult for a lot of people, so I know I speak for the whole cast when I say that we genuinely cannot wait to get back on stage in front of a live audience – we’ve missed it so much. Roll on 1st October, we can’t wait to see you. Mange tout!”

John Sullivan’s iconic and record-breaking television series has been turned into a critically acclaimed home-grown West End musical spectacular. With a script and original score by John’s son, Jim Sullivan and Paul Whitehouse, the musical reacquaints fans with Britain’s most loveable rogues, to experience the classic comedy brought to life once again through 20 ingenious and hilarious songs.

Featuring cherished material from the TV series, join us as we take a trip back to 1989, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, Only Fools and Horses The Musical also features many of the hugely loveable TV characters: Raquel, Cassandra, Trigger, Boycie, Marlene, Denzil, Mickey Pearce, Mike the Barman and the dreaded Driscoll Brothers.

Fans have praised the musical in their droves since it opened in February 2019 with show-stopping standing ovations night after night. And the critics have loved it too: The Sun awarded five stars, hailing it “One Del of a show!”; the Daily Mirror said it was “a treat for Trotter fans” in their five-star review. The Sunday Times bestowed four stars and remarked that “Only Fools is a blast from our wide-boy past. A hearty stage adaptation of the 1980s BBC television comedy”. Evening Standard also awarded four stars, complimenting the “unashamedly British night out. A jubilant lovely jubbly!” While Daily Mail urged its readers to “raise a glass of Tittinger to Del Boy and Rodney as Only Fools and Horses storms the West End!”

With musical contributions from Chas n Dave, the beloved theme tunes as you’ve never heard them before and an array of brand-new songs full of character and cockney charm, you’re guaranteed to have a right knees-up! Only Fools and Horses The Musical is a feel-good family celebration of traditional working class London life and the aspirations we all share.

Only Fools and Horses The Musical will once again be a truly cushty night out. Only a 42 carat PLONKER would miss it!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“One Del of a Show!”

The Sun

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Viva, Hooky Street. C’est Magnifique! A treat for Trotter fans”

Daily Mirror

★ ★ ★ ★

“Call it comfort food for our troubled times, this show serves up some lovely jubbly”

Metro

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre Royal Haymarket

Reopening performance: 1 October 2021

Booking until: 26 February 2022

Box Office: 020 7930 8800 Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7:30pm. Wednesday and Saturday matinee at 2:30pm Website: OnlyFoolsMusical.com Twitter: @OFAHMusical

Casting announced for ABBA MANIA’s return to the
West End for the first time in 19 years
Friday 21st May – Sunday 6th June 2021

Casting has been announced for the anticipated return of ABBA MANIA in the West End. Acclaimed performers Rhiannon Porter (Finalist, Eurovision: You Decide 2018; Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Production, O2 Arena), JoJo Desmond (Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake; Lead Vocalist, Doctor Who Live, UK Arena Tour), Edward Handoll (BIG The Musical, West End; Saturday Night Fever, UK Tour), and Loucas Hajiantoni (One Night of Tina, European Tour) will step into the platform heels of one of the most famous pop supergroups of all time. This incredible ensemble will take to the spotlight at the Shaftesbury Theatre from 21st May 2021, marking the production’s West End return after 19 years.

Also joining the production will be previous ABBA MANIA cast members Tamsin Stewart (Romeo & Juliet The Musical, West End; Taboo, West End) and Duncan Walsh Atkins (Musical Director, Showstopper: The Improvised Musical) in the roles of Director and Choreographer and Musical Supervisor, respectively. They will both be dusting off their flares and saying ‘Thank You For The Music’ as they return to celebrate an evening of Euro-nostalgia.

Supporting the cast will be the magnificent ABBA MANIA band who have delighted audiences across the world. Paul Gregory (The Book of Mormon, West End, UK and international tour; The Lion King, UK tour) will lead on drums with Dan Hall (The Drifters, UK and Ireland tour; The Blues Brothers, UK and Japan tour) on bass guitar and Anders Rye (The Blues Brothers, UK and Ireland tour; Rat Pack, world tour) on guitar.

The perfect party as we head out of lockdown, ABBA MANIA brings to life ABBA’s last ever concert in an exhilarating two-hour production celebrating the timeless joy of their songs. Featuring the Swedish supergroup’s irresistible music, fantastic costumes and electrifying staging, this concert is perfect for life-long ABBA fans and newcomers alike. Dig out your platforms and enjoy all your favourite hits including Mamma Mia, Voulez Vous, Dancing Queen, Winner Takes It All, Waterloo, Fernando, Does Your Mother Know, Super Trouper and many more.

ABBA MANIA has delighted more than three million audience members since its formation in 1999, performing over 3,000 live shows in 30 countries across the world – from Germany to Tahititi, Sweden to Venezuela, USA to Australia. For the first time since 2002, West End audiences will have the opportunity to relive the iconic era when ABBA ruled the airwaves.

ABBA MANIA are one of the best on the circuit – Daily Mirror

Close your eyes and it could have been ABBA – Sky News

Following its West End season ABBA MANIA will tour as part of Sounds In The Grounds and The Legends Festival, followed by a full UK tour this autumn. There will also be a 55-date US tour, a debut Russian tour and a 25-date arena tour in France throughout 2021 and 2022.

For more information on the Covid-safety regulations, please head to
http://www.shaftesburytheatre.com/your-visit/safety-measures-2/.

THE WOMAN IS BACK!

SUSAN HILL’S

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

TO TOUR THE UK

OPENING AT CAMBRIDGE ARTS THEATRE ON 17 JUNE 2021

AND ALSO RETURNING TO ITS HOME IN THE WEST END

AT THE FORTUNE THEATRE

FROM 7 SEPTEMBER 2021

WITH FREE TICKETS FOR PEOPLE AGED 18 AND UNDER

AND £25 TICKETS FOR THOSE AGED 25 AND UNDER 

PW Productions is delighted to announce that the West End’s second longest running play, Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black will embark on a UK Tour, opening at Cambridge Arts Theatre on Thursday 17 June 2021. The show will also return to the Fortune Theatre in the West End on Tuesday 7 September 2021. Tickets are on sale from Friday 23 April at 10.00am. 

The producers are thrilled to confirm that in response to the show’s enduring popularity with young people, those aged 18 and under will be able to see the West End production free of charge, alongside each full paying adult ticket. Additionally, persons aged 25 and under will be eligible for a £25 ticket rate in the West End and at select tour venues. Casting for both productions will be announced soon.

The 2021 UK Tour opens at Cambridge Arts Theatre before visiting Bath, Guilford, Oxford, Malvern, Shrewsbury, Manchester, Brighton, Glasgow, York, Blackpool, Stoke and Edinburgh. Further tour dates to be announced. www.thewomaninblack.com

Producer Peter Wilson said, “The Woman in Black is a now iconic piece of British theatre, offering a masterclass in storytelling, direction and performing, whether on tour across the United Kingdom or in the West End. Young people are amongst the most loyal supporters of The Woman in Black, and they have suffered significantly from the absence of art and entertainment throughout the past year.  With this in mind, we are pleased to be offering younger audience members free and reduced-price tickets in the West End and some touring venues. We cannot wait to bring The Woman in Black to you all again.”

“Ingenious – a journey into fear”

The New York Times, January 2020

“It is profoundly effective. It tightens its grip on the spectator

like a medieval instrument of torture.”

Daily Express 2018

“A masterpiece.”

The Guardian

“The chills are irresistibly effective… a delicious spell of malevolence and menace.”

 Time Out

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel tells the story of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over his family by the spectre of a ‘Woman in Black’. He engages a young actor to help him tell his story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It begins innocently enough, but as they delve further into his darkest memories the borders between make-believe and reality begin to blur and the flesh begins to creep.

In June 2019 THE WOMAN IN BLACK celebrated its 30^th Anniversary in London’s West End with a special gala performance. 

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is directed by Robin Herford, with designs by Michael Holt and lighting by Kevin Sleep.

WEST END LISTINGS 2021

THE FORTUNE THEATRE

Russell Street, London, WC2B 5HH

Performance Times:     Tuesday to Saturday at 8.00pm

Tuesday and Thursday at 3.00pm and Saturday at 4.00pm

Box Office:                   0844 871 7626*

Currently booking until April 2022

www.thewomaninblack.com

@WomaninBlack_UK

*Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge.

UK TOUR LISTINGS 2021

THURSDAY 17 JUNE – SATURDAY 26 JUNE 2021

Cambridge Arts Theatre

www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

MONDAY 5 JULY – SATURDAY 10 JULY 2021

Theatre Royal, Bath

www.theatreroyal.org.uk

MONDAY 12 JULY – SATURDAY 17 JULY 2021

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

MONDAY 19 JULY – SATURDAY 24 JULY 2021

Oxford Playhouse

www.oxfordplayhouse.com

MONDAY 9 AUGUST – SATURDAY 14 AUGUST 2021

Malvern Theatres

www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

MONDAY 16 AUGUST – SATURDAY 21 AUGUST 2021

Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury

www.theatresevern.co.uk

MONDAY 23 AUGUST – SATURDAY 28 AUGUST 2021

Manchester Palace Theatre

www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester

MONDAY 30 AUGUST – SATURDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2021

Brighton Theatre Royal

www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton

MONDAY 6 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 11 SEPTEMBER 2021

Glasgow Theatre Royal

www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-glasgow

MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

Grand Opera House, York

www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york

MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2021

Blackpool Grand

www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

MONDAY 27 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 2 OCTOBER 2021

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent

www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre

TUESDAY 12 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 2021

Edinburgh King’s Theatre

www.capitaltheatres.com

SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS CONFIRMS

RETURN PERFORMANCES OF TOM STOPPARD’S OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING

L E O P O L D S T A D T

Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, directed by Patrick Marber and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, will return to Wyndham’s Theatre for a 12-week run from 7 August – 30 October 2021.  Casting will be announced shortly.

Patrons whose bookings were affected by the Government’s previous directives will be contacted from today Friday 23 April 2021 regarding their current bookings with public booking opening at 10am on Friday 30 April 2021. 

Sonia Friedman said: “I am deeply relieved that after a year of immense loss and struggle for so many, including the unthinkable shutdown of our theatre industry, to announce the new dates for the return of Tom’s astonishing play to the West End. Leopoldstadt is a passionate drama of enduring love and familial bonds that asks us to bear witness to our pasts, no matter how painful that may be. The audience response throughout our seven weeks of sold-out performances before the pandemic struck in March 2020 was incredibly moving and humbling to witness. Over a year later and now having won the 2020 Olivier Award for Best New Play, Leopoldstadt could not be more pertinent. I so look forward to returning to the Wyndham’s Theatre, to welcome back our very special audiences as we continue to share this epic, truly great new play.”

Patrick Marber said: “Tom and I visited the Leopoldstadt area of Vienna in October 2019. We started rehearsals a month later in London. The play opened in February 2020 and then had to close in March. When we gather to re-rehearse in July 2021 it will be an incredible moment for all involved. It has been a long journey. We were all thrilled by the reception this production received first time round and we’re so excited to be able to share this mighty and beautiful play with audiences again. I’m so grateful to Sonia and Cameron for this opportunity and so proud to be working with these amazing and loyal actors on such a powerful, moving and painfully relevant play. I’ve admired Tom’s work since boyhood, he influenced me enormously as a fledgling playwright and now it’s my great honour and joy to be his collaborator once more.”

At the beginning of the 20th Century, Leopoldstadt was the old, crowded Jewish quarter of Vienna. But Hermann Merz, a manufacturer and baptised Jew married to Catholic Gretl, has moved up in the world. Gathered in the Merz apartment in a fashionable part of the city, Hermann’s extended family are at the heart of Tom Stoppard’s epic yet intimate drama. By the time we have taken leave of them, Austria has passed through the convulsions of war, revolution, impoverishment, annexation by Nazi Germany and – for Austrian Jews – the Holocaust in which 65,000 of them were murdered. It is for the survivors to pass on a story which hasn’t ended yet.

Set designs are by Richard Hudson, with costume designs by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Neil Austin, sound and original music by Adam Cork, and movement by EJ Boyle. Casting is by Amy Ball CDG,with children’s casting by Verity Naughton.

Leopoldstadt received its world premiere on 25 January 2020 and was originally planned for a 20-week run.  As initial casting was announced the run was extended due to public demand scheduled to play until 13 June 2020. The final performance before lockdown was 14 March 2020.

Leopoldstadt, the sixth collaboration between SFP and Tom Stoppard,which reunites Stoppard, Marber and Friedman and is co-produced with Gavin Kalin Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Scott M. Delman/Patrick Gracey in association with Rupert Gavin, 1001 Nights Productions, Nica Burns, Burnt Umber Productions, Bradford W. Edgerton, Eilene Davidson Productions, Richard Winkler.

Internationally award-winning writer Tom Stoppard’s plays include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Real Inspector Hound, After Magritte, Jumpers, New Found Land, Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth, Travesties, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (a play for actors and orchestra written with André Previn), Night and Day, The Real Thing, Hapgood, Arcadia, Indian Ink, The Invention of Love, The Coast of Utopia, Rock ‘n’ Roll and, most recently, The Hard Problem.  His radio plays include Albert’s Bridge, Artist Descending a Staircase, The Dog It Was That Died, If You’re Glad I’ll Be Frank, and most recently, his dramatic imagining of Pink Floyd’s Darkside of the Moon, Darkside. As well as for the stage and radio, Stoppard is an award-winning writer for film and television.

Patrick Marber’s directing credits of his own work include Dealer’s Choice at the National Theatre and Vaudeville Theatre, After Miss Julie forBBC TV, Exit the King at the National Theatre, Closer at the National Theatre, Lyric and Music Box, New York, Howard Katz and Three Days in the Country also at the National Theatre and Don Juan in Soho at Wyndham’s Theatre. His other directing credits include The Room as part of the Pinter at the Pinter Season, Venus In Fur at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Travesties at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Apollo Theatre and The American Airlines Theater, New York, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director, The Caretaker at the Comedy Theatre, Blue Remembered Hills at the National Theatre, ‘1953’ at the Almeida and The Old Neighborhood at the Royal Court Theatre. Marber’s plays, which have received multiple awards both in the West End and on Broadway, include Dealer’s Choice, After Miss Julie, Closer, Howard Katz, Three Days in the Country, The Red Lion and a version of Hedda Gabler.  He is also an award-winning screenwriter and his film credits include Closer and Notes on a Scandal. 

Sonia Friedman Productions is an international production company responsible for some of the most successful theatre productions of recent years. Since 1990, Sonia Friedman OBE and SFP have developed, initiated and produced 170+ new productions and won a combined 58 Oliviers, 30 Tonys and 2 BAFTAs.  Recent West End and Broadway productions include the UK premiere of The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mean Girls, Uncle Vanya, The Inheritance, Fiddler on the Roof, Rosmersholm, All About Eve, Dreamgirls, The Jungle, The Ferryman, Farinelli and the King, Travesties, 1984 and The Book of Mormon UK & International tour.  Upcoming productions include Walden, J’Ouvert & Anna X as part of SFP’s RE:EMERGE season, To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre, Oedipus, and The Shark is Broken. soniafriedman.com

Opening the show is subject to the government allowing indoor performances to begin by 21 June 2021 with sufficient notice, understanding what restrictions on social distancing and audience number caps are imposed, the public health status, and the availability of insurance cover either from the market or more likely from a government indemnity scheme.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                                  Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DA

Box Office:                            0844 482 5151

Performances:                        7 August – 30 October 2021

Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm

Website:                                  leopoldstadtplay.com

Twitter:                                  @LeopoldstadtLDN

Facebook:                               @LeopoldstadtLDN

Instagram:                               @LeopoldstadtLDN 

DAVID JASON, STEPHANIE COLE & ANTON LESSER  

TO STAR IN SEMI-STAGED REHEARSED READING OF 

A COLD SUPPER BEHIND HARRODS

STREAMING LIVE FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

ON FRIDAY 11 JUNE AT 7.30PM

Original Theatre Company, in association with Perfectly Normal Productions, is delighted to reunite David Jason, Stephanie Cole and Anton Lesser, the original stars of the BBC Radio 4 play, A Cold Supper Behind Harrods, for a one night only, semi-staged, rehearsed reading to be live streamed from the stage of the Oxford Playhouse at 7.30pm on Friday 11 June. The play, written by David Morley and originally presented on BBC Radio 4 on Friday 7 September 2012, will be directed by Philip Franks, who also directed the original radio play.

Tickets are on sale now via originaltheatreonline.com.  The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the cast and creative team.

50 years after the war that first brought them together, three Special Operations Executive agents meet once again to record interviews for a television documentary investigating the murder of their colleague at the hands of the Gestapo.  As Leo, Vera and John wait to be interviewed in a beautiful English garden, drinking tea and doing the crossword, pleasantries give way to deeper, darker subjects, including their own conduct during the war. A web of lies, self-deception and guilt begins to emerge.  In this drama, inspired by real characters and events, it is only as the three former agents depart for London in a taxi – for “a cold supper behind Harrods” – that the disturbing truth finally emerges.

David Jason will play John Harrison, Stephanie Cole Vera Atkins and Anton Lesser Leo Marks.  Also in the cast will be Saffron Coomber and Lucy Doyle.

David Jason said, “I am delighted to be working once again with Philip Franks on the play A Cold Supper Behind Harrods.Although our audience will be a virtual one, I look forward to joining with Stephanie Cole and Anton Lesser in bringing this play to life once more.  What a great project to gently kick-start a return to what I enjoy doing the most and working with talented people.”

David Morley said, “Love, revenge and feelings of guilt are at the centre of this play and, though the story is fictional, it was inspired by a real meeting between World War Two veterans that I had set up for a television programme I was making.  In an era when ‘alternative facts’ replace actual facts, it feels right to remind ourselves that the first victim of war is the truth.”

Alastair Whatley, Artistic Director of Original Theatre Company, said, “It’s a real thrill to be presenting David Morley’s play with such an outstanding cast streamed live from Oxford Playhouse.  It is a mark of how far we’ve come in the last year that we can now offer audiences unique access to this event in the best seats in the house – from their homes and all over the world.”

A Cold Supper Behind Harrods is designed by Adrian Linford, with sound design by Max Pappenheim, and filmed by Matt Hargraves and his team from North South Culture, who recently worked on the acclaimed streaming of Hymn at The Almeida.

A Cold Supper Behind Harrods is produced by Alastair Whatley and Tom Hackney for Original Theatre Company, in association with Perfectly Normal Productions.

@OriginalTheatre

LISTINGS INFORMATION

A Cold Supper Behind Harrods

by David Morley

Performance: 7.30pm, Friday 11 June 2021

Running time: approx. 45 minutes (plus Q&A)

Book: originaltheatreonline.com

Super Early Bird (when booked by 27 April) – £12

Early Bird (when booked by 21 May) – £15

Standard – £20

Supporter – £40 (includes digital programme and supporter credit on the film – book by 31 May)

Premium – £150 (includes a £25 donation to The Theatre Support Fund, plus digital programme, supporter credit on the film and a script signed by a cast member of your choice – book by 31 May)

Age guidance: 12+

Subtitles: English captions available