WILTSHIRE CREATIVE ANNOUNCE THEIR AUTUMN 2021 PROGRAMME

WILTSHIRE CREATIVE ANNOUNCE THEIR AUTUMN 2021 PROGRAMME

Wiltshire Creative today announce their programme for Autumn 2021, featuring theatre, live music, comedy nights, film screenings, craft workshops and more. Throughout the season they will also continue their commitment to engaging communities in the South West and encouraging creativity in audiences of all ages, from an extensive youth arts programme to celebrating older generations.

Wiltshire Creative’s autumn season features three main stage productions at Salisbury Playhouse, opening with John Godber’s September in the Rain (16 September – 9 October), followed by Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table (14 October – 23 October) with Ian McDiarmid and directed by Michael Grandage, and concluding with Mike Ayers’ Snow White and the Happy Ever After Beauty Salon (3 December – 31 December), directed by Gareth Machin with music by Tayo Akinbode.

Also included in the autumn programme, Original Theatre Company returns to Salisbury Playhouse with Arthur Conan Doyle’s Hound of the Baskervilles (15-20 November)there will be sets from top comedians including Phil Wang and Shaparak Khorsandi, with the chance to see the best of the London comedy scene’s emerging talent with Barnstormers comedy nights. There are also live music nights from an array of acts, including Something About Simon: The Paul Simon Story from Gary Edward Jones, hip-hop reggae ska band The Tribe and singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick Harper.

Highlights of the autumn community offering include Take Part, a selection of activities and events for people aged 21 and under, including Wiltshire Creative’s youth groups Stage 65 and SHIFT Social Club from the SHIFT Young Ambassadors (30 October) following the success of SHIFT Now and The Late SHIFT: Social. There will also be Audition Workshops for drama school applicants and fortnightly Youth Arts: Play Reading workshops throughout October and November.

In celebration of International Older People’s Day on 1 October, Silver Salisbury will include the Jazz Social Afternoon Tea (30 September) offering afternoon tea, poetry and live performances of jazz classics in the beautiful setting of Salisbury Arts Centre. Silver Salisbury concludes on 2 October with The Parkinson Monologues, a live reading of local writer Jim Read’s comic monologues about living with Parkinson’s disease, and excerpts from his new project Let’s Talk About Walking – observations about himself and Salisbury pedestrians before and after lockdowns.  

Following the Summer Open Exhibition (8 July – 4 September), Art in the Arches returns to Salisbury Arts Centre for 2021 with a showcase of work celebrating local artists. The popular Friday Nights at Salisbury Arts Centre (Fridays throughout October and November) also return for 2021, with live music from local talent and open mic nights.

As well as an extensive programme of live events, there will be film screenings at Salisbury Playhouse of NT Live’s Follies on 3 November and Nomadland on 10 November.

To book tickets for events and workshops, please visit https://www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk/whats-on/.

Autumn at Wiltshire Creative

SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

By John Godber

Directed by Gareth Machin

16 September – 9 October

Socially distanced performances: 20, 23 and 29 September, 4 and 6 October

Director Gareth Machin; Designer Toots Butcher; Lighting Designer Johanna Town
Sound Designer Andrea J Cox;Casting Director Gabrielle Dawes CDG

1950. Blackpool. Newly-wed Yorkshire couple, Jack and Liz have crossed the Pennines for their first trip to the seaside mecca. Beneath an uncertain September sky, they holiday in a world of stripy deckchairs, sandy sandwiches and stroppy donkeys. As the Wurlitzer organ plays, they sway together on the dance floor of the Tower Ballroom.

For thirty years, come rain or shine, they never miss their annual week-long holiday on the Blackpool sands. Three decades of boarding houses, talent contests and fish and chips on the prom. Moving backwards and forward through time, a married life unfolds through squabbles, children, laughter and tears against the backdrop of the heyday of the British seaside.

YOUTH ARTS ONLINE: PLAY READING
Mondays 13 and 27 September, October 11, 1, 15 and 29 November

5:15pm -6:15pm online via Zoom, for 14+

Do you want to expand your knowledge of plays and playwrights? Join us to simply read plays and discuss them together. We will look at a diverse range of playwrights, themes and influences. You are welcome to get involved and read or just sit back and listen. These sessions are an excellent introduction to the world of theatre. 

STAGE 65 AUTUMN

Stage 65                            25 September – 6 November

Friday Under 5s               3 September – 10 December

Mind The Gap                 10 Sep – 17 December

Dance SIX-0                      Term 1 8 September – 13 October
Term 2 3 November – 8 December

Stage 65 Youth Theatre offers weekly workshops, end of term performances, productions on our stages and a range of discounts to anyone aged 6-25 years. These workshops are a fantastic opportunity if you want a career in theatre, or even if you would just like to meet new friends and take part in the arts. 

SILVER SALISBURY: THE JAZZ SOCIAL AFTERNOON TEA
Thursday 30 September, 3.30pm – 5.30pm at Salisbury Arts Centre

Enjoy an afternoon of live music and poetry in the beautiful setting of Salisbury Arts Centre. Celebrating Age Wiltshire musicians will play a selection of jazz classics and Wiltshire College Performance Arts Students will perform poetry, with refreshments from the Arts Centre Café.  

AUDITION WORKSHOPS 

30 September, 28 October and 25 November, 5pm – 7.30pm at Salisbury Playhouse
The aim of this group is to provide a welcoming and inclusive hub for young people applying for drama school. Members of the hub can practice audition speeches with professional directors, ask questions about applications or just share experiences and advice with other members of the group currently undergoing the same experience.

THE PARKINSON MONOLOGUES

Saturday 2 October, 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Local writer Jim Read presents his comic monologues about living with Parkinson’s disease and his new project ‘Let’s Talk about Walking’, observing himself and Salisbury pedestrians before and after lockdowns.  

The talk will be followed by a Q&A.

 

Wiltshire Creative, Malvern Theatres, Sheffield Theatres and HOME

in association with MGC present

THE LEMON TABLE

By Julian Barnes

Cast: Ian McDiarmid

Directed by Michael Grandage 

14 October – 23 October

In The Lemon Table, Julian Barnes brings his unsentimental, wryly comic, perspective to the complicated business of ageing, with its attendant, and often bizarrely, fluctuating emotions.

Olivier and Tony Award-winning Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage have collaborated to bring The Lemon Table to the stage for the first time. In McDiarmid ’s own adaptation for performance, we encounter a spectrum of bitter-sweet pleasures, wild eccentricity and dark secrets.

Following the run at Wiltshire Creative, the production tours to Sheffield TheatresYvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford; HOME Manchester and Malvern Theatres.


FRIDAY NIGHTS AT SALISBURY ARTS CENTRE
15 October, 22 October, 12th November, 7-11pm

The very popular Friday Nights at Salisbury Arts Centre are returning this autumn. 

Enjoy a drink at Salisbury Arts Centre from 7pm with live entertainment from 7.30pm, featuring local talent, an open mic night, and freshly prepared homemade meals.

GET CREATIVE – MAKE MUSIC!  

Thursday 21 October 2021, 9.30am or 1.30pm at Salisbury Arts Centre 

An engaging and fun introduction to music making for children age 7-11 (school years 3-6) in partnership with Salisbury Area Young Musicians. 

Come and make music with two music leaders Alice Poppleton and David Garcia. No prior experience is necessary. All are welcome to take part and explore different musical activities and build music making skills.

Tickets are £5 and will be released soon.

SHIFT SOCIAL CLUB

Saturday 30 October 2021, 7pm at Salisbury Arts Centre 

Building on the success of SHIFT NOW and The Late SHIFT Social, Wiltshire Creative’s Young Ambassadors present The SHIFT Social Club at Salisbury Arts Centre: an evening of fun, food & drink, entertainment and live music from some of Salisbury’s most promising young bands.

Wiltshire Creative’s Young Ambassadors are a group of young people aged 14-21 who meet monthly to ensure that our programmes are relevant and exciting for young people in the local community. 

BARNSTORMERS COMEDY

Friday 29 October and Friday 26 November 8.30pm at Salisbury Arts Centre

A night of up-and-coming stand-up comedians from the London comedy circuit introduced by a guest compere.

Tickets are £13.50 and will be released soon.

STAND-UP COMEDY FOR BEGINNERS

Saturday 30 October 2021 at 10am
Always fancied trying your hand at stand-up comedy but never got around to it? Ever watched stand-up comedy and thought ‘I’d love to give that a go’? Or maybe, you’re thinking – quite rightly – stand-up would be a great way to boost your presentation skills, and improve the business of public speaking? Well now’s your chance to give it a go… 

This workshop is designed to introduce participants to writing and performing stand -up comedy. They will learn about and understand methods and techniques that will help generate self-authored comedy material; combined with the ability to deliver the material in the form of a stand-up comedy performance.  

THE TRIBE

5 November at Salisbury Arts Centre

Live Music from The Tribe, the UK’s freshest Hip Hop Reggae Ska Energy Collective. Their high energy interactive performance have made them a festival favourite, popular with audiences of all ages, they spread positive melodic vibes and spit fire with verses through their infectious multi-genre original songs.

NT ENCORE: FOLLIES
Wednesday 3 November at Salisbury Playhouse

New York, 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs and lie about themselves.

Tracie BennettJanie Dee and Imelda Staunton play the magnificent Follies in this dazzling production. Featuring a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, Stephen Sondheim’s legendary musical was directed by Dominic Cooke and filmed live on stage at the National Theatre in 2017.

Winner of Academy, Tony, Grammy and Olivier awards, Sondheim’s previous work includes A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd and Sunday in the Park with George.

WILTSHIRE CREATIVE COMEDY CLUB: PHIL WANG SUPPORTED BY ANIA MAGLIANO, MC PIERRE NOVELLIE

Thursday 4 November at Salisbury Playhouse

Phil Wang is a comedian and writer. He has made a name for himself exploring sex, romance, politics, and his mixed British-Malaysian heritage, in shows that delight in his unique Wang brand of smart/silly stupidity.  His credits include Have I Got News For You, hosting Live at the ApolloTaskmasterThe Comedy Line-Up, QI, Would I Lie to You?, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The Last Leg, Unspun With Matt Forde, Roast Battle, Drunk History, and Jack Dee’s Helpdesk. Wang recently used his outsider perspective to dissect the increasingly binary debates dividing Britain in a new BBC Radio 4 stand-up show, Wangsplaining. He has also written and starred in two series of Daphne Sounds Expensive for BBC Radio 4 with his Foster’s Newcomer Award nominated sketch trio, Daphne. Earlier this year he began co-hosting podcast BudPod with Phil Wang & Pierre Novellie.

An internationally acclaimed live act, he has performed at festivals including Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and the New Zealand Comedy Festival. His last critically acclaimed live show, Kinabalu, sold out at Edinburgh Festival in 2017 and the subsequent national tour was extended through 2018 including four weeks at London’s Soho Theatre.


Ania Magliano is a comedian and writer based in London. She has written for Frankie Boyle’s New World Order, Newsjack, The Now Show and the Have I Got News For You Twitter account. She is a writer on Amelia’s Cooking Show, a new web-series by Amelia Dimoldenberg which features guests such as Maya Jama and Romesh Ranganathan. She presents HSBC’s Level Up campaign, a 6-part YouTube series teaching Gen Z how to handle their money.

 
Pierre Novellie has been seen and heard on The Mash ReportStand Up Central, The Now Show and co-hosts the hit podcast BudPod with Phil Wang. As a writer, his credits include Mock the WeekThe News Quiz, The Mash Report, Newzoids and Adam Buxton’s Shed of Christmas.

SIMON YATES: TOUCHING THE VOID MOUNTAINEER

Friday 5 November at 7.30pm

On the remote Siula Grande in Peru in June 1985, mountaineer Simon Yates found himself in a desperately unenviable position. He was slowly being pulled off the mountain face by his injured partner, Joe Simpson, dangling on the rope 50 metres below.  His decision to cut the rope saved both their lives in the epic of survival that followed and with the publication of the book Touching The Void, later film and stage play, both climbers became household names.

It was an experience that could have put many off the sport of mountaineering, but not Simon. Over 30 years later, he is still a very active exploratory climber and guide, making several expeditions to the mountains each year. From the Arctic to the Antarctic, Alaska to Central Asia there is hardly a significant range that he has not visited.  

Come along and witness his tireless journey from that mountain in Peru to some of the remotest on the planet and share with him the drama, excitement and beauty of modern, lightweight alpinism. Told with wit, dry humour and lavishly illustrated with images and film collected on his great climbs.

ART IN THE ARCHES

Saturday 6 November at Salisbury Arts Centre

Art in the Arches continues in 2021, an opportunity to buy from and support local artists whilst grabbing a coffee and a homemade meal or cake from the Arts Centre Café.

(SHAPPI) SHAPARAK KHORSANDI: IT WAS THE 90S!

Saturday 6 November at Salisbury Playhouse

Ah, the 90s! The decade that Shaparak was in her twenties and ‘ladette’ culture ruled the school. The decade when there was nothing to be done but party, and Shaparak found herself flying about London with hope in her heart, a tenner in her pocket and spare knickers in her handbag. She matched the boys pint-for-pint and frequently woke up in parts of London she’d never heard of.

With hindsight though, the way people behaved back then looks like the ultimate in self harm. In those days, ‘mindfulness’ was making sure you had enough money for the night bus and ‘self care’ was putting your flat shoes in a handbag. This is a show about how we 90s kids are looking to young people to learn how to take care of ourselves.

FILM: NOMADLAND

Wednesday 10 November at Salisbury Playhouse

Following the economic collapse of a company town in rural Nevada, Fern packs her van and sets off on the road exploring a life outside of conventional society as a modern-day nomad.

MOSCOW DRUG CLUB

Thursday 11 November at Salisbury Playhouse

Imagine having a few to drink and staggering arm in arm into the darkness of an eastern European cobbled street and stumbling into a bar where Django Reinhardt and Tom Waits are having an after-hours jam with the local Tziganes.

Moscow Drug Club is a curious musical place where elements of Berlin Cabaret, Hot Club de France, French Musette and Storytelling meet.

Combining their original material with songs by the likes of Jaques Brel, Tom Waits, Leonard Cohen and Eartha Kitt. Moscow Drug Club deliver an intoxicating and intimate musical experience. 

NICK HARPER AAAND.. WE’RE BACK IN THE ROOM

Friday 12 November, 7:30pm at Salisbury Playhouse

Nick Harper is one the UK’s best kept musical secrets. Those who have witnessed the spellbinding, one-man show will tell you this. A childhood growing up surrounded by the musical prowess of some of the 60’s most revered songwriters & musicians, not to mention being son of Roy Harper, along with 20 years of crafting songs & touring the land has spawned a truly one-off, original guitarist & songwriter who stands alone as a UK great, to be cherished & revered.

For over two decades, he has been dazzling audiences, reviewers & fellow artists alike with his heady mix of virtuosity, boyish charm, showmanship & sheer bravado. An imagination bursting with ideas has seen him release 11 solo albums to critical acclaim, earning a Number 1 spot in the charts with the seminal hit Blue Sky Thinking.

SOMETHING ABOUT SIMON: THE PAUL SIMON STORY

Saturday 13 November at Salisbury Playhouse
Paul Simon is a name that has cemented itself into the “hearts and bones” of audiences all over the world. As an artist, his name has become synonymous, not only with music, but with cultural history. In this brand-new show, singer-songwriter Gary Edward Jones not only recites the music of one of his idols, but also tells the unique story of Paul Simon combining visuals, stage design and music.

With classic ballads like The Sound of Silence, America and Kathy’s Song, to the more upbeat Wristband and The Boxer to the much-loved Bridge Over Troubled Water, the show will have you both reliving and rediscovering these great songs again.

HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES
by Arthur Conan Doyle  

Adapted for the stage by Steven Canny and John Nicholson for Peepolykus

Directed by Lotte Wakeham  

15 – 20 November

Mr Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound… 

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s most celebrated adventure gets a brilliantly farcical overhaul in Lotte Wakeman’s acclaimed production.


World-renowned detective Sherlock Holmes and his colleague Dr Watson are asked to unravel the mystery surrounding the untimely death of Sir Charles Baskerville. With rumours of a cursed giant hound loose on the loose moors, they must act fast in order to save the Baskerville family’s last remaining heir.

A hit in the West End, this ingenious adaptation combines an exhilarating collision of farce, theatrical invention and wonderfully comic performances to offer a brand-new twist on the greatest detective story of all time. 

SNOW WHITE AND THE HAPPY EVER AFTER BEAUTY SALON

Written by Mike Akers

Music by Tayo Akinbode, Lyrics by Mike Akers, with additional songs by Christopher Peake

Directed by Gareth Machin

3- 31 December at Salisbury Playhouse

In a magical 1950s fairy-tale wonderland, young apprentice Snow is working hard in her Aunt Trish’s Beauty Salon. She curls the tails of the three little pigs, sharpens the teeth of the Big Bad Wolf, and perfectly sets Prince Charming’s quiff. But, suddenly stumbling upon Aunt Trish’s magic mirror puts Snow’s life in peril.

Will she be able to survive as she heads underground and attempts to carve her own path to a happily ever after?

With toe-tapping live music, dazzling design, puppetry and laugh out loud entertainment, the show will delight the whole family this Christmas.

ALEX HOARE GLASS

Saturday 20 November at 10am

A full-day workshop in which you will have the opportunity to learn about fused or kiln formed glass with Linescapes exhibition artist Alex Hoare.  

During the workshop participants will be taught about design, form and making techniques which include cutting glass, working with powders and frits, fusing and slumping glass.

Alex Hoare has 20 years’ experience working as an artist in a variety of creative disciplines, including kiln-formed glass, scenography, art installation, performance, textiles and arts administration. Her work is strongly influenced by her background in scenography observing how experience can be altered and enhanced when colour, light, objects and sound are carefully curated together. Reoccurring themes in her work include creation of moments of contemplation and calm and observing how glass alters and intervenes in our experience of the world: as a lens, a vessel/container, a carrier of data, a screen onto the world – creating a barrier and a window – ancient yet completely contemporary. 

INDHU RUBASINGHAM’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED REVIVAL OF AYAD AKHTAR’S THE INVISIBLE HAND AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON DEMAND FOR 72 HOURS ONLY

INDHU RUBASINGHAM’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED REVIVAL OF AYAD AKHTAR’S THE INVISIBLE HAND

AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON DEMAND FOR 72 HOURS ONLY

* * * * *

“This really is edge-of-your-seat theatre.” The Telegraph

Following a sell-out run at Kiln Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham’scritically acclaimed revival of Ayad Akhtar’s The Invisible Hand will be available to view online for 3 days only from 13-15 August. Tickets are available via www.KilnTheatre.com from £10, with audio description and captions available.

Artistic Director of Kiln Theatre, Indhu Rubasingham said today, “With our live performances sold out, I am thrilled we’re able to share Ayad Akhtar’s extraordinarily timely play, including audio described and captioned versions, with even more people around the world, including those who may be shielding or not able to travel to Kiln Theatre.”

* * * *

Indhu Rubasingham excels in her directorial signatures of pacy staging combined with clarity of narrative and characterisation. Ticket recommendation – buy, buy, buy” Guardian

You see we are prisoners of a corrupt country that is our own making. But don’t pretend you don’t participate. You do. Of course you do.

American banker Nick Bright knows that his freedom comes at a price. Confined to a cell in rural Pakistan, every second counts. Who will decide his fate? His captors, or the whims of the market?

Indhu Rubasingham directs Tony JayawardenaScott KarimDaniel Lapaine and Sid Sagar. With design by Lizzie Clachan, lighting design by Oliver Fenwick, and sound design by Alexander Caplen.

Kiln Theatre

Listings

269 Kilburn High Road, London, UK, NW6 7JR

Box Office: 020 7328 1000

www.KilnTheatre.com

Tickets from £10

On demand for 72 hours from Friday 13 August 2021

Operation Ouch! Returns to London’s West End

DR CHRIS AND DR XAND RETURN TO LONDON’S WEST END

FOR A STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON

OPERATION OUCH! LIVE ON STAGE

BASED ON THE HIT CBBC SHOW

OPENING AT THE WEST END’S LYRIC THEATRE

ON SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 2021

TV’s favourite doctors return to London’s West End this December with a brand new show, Operation Ouch! Live on Stage – Not for the Squeamish, opening at the Lyric Theatre in London’s West End on Saturday 4 December 2021, with a press performance on Sunday 5 December at 11am. Tickets are on sale from 10am on 2 August 2021. The strictly limited season must end on 16 January 2022. 

Following three sell-out Australian tours, and a smash hit season in London’s West End Dr Chris and Dr Xand are back! The show is packed with all-new crazy experiments and amazing facts. The doctors explore the fascinating world of biology and show you the incredible things your body can do. Plus the doctors will also share their favourite bits from the award-winning TV show, including special video guest Dr Ronx.

Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken are identical twins who grew up in London and trained in medicine at Oxford University. They both still work in medicine: Dr Chris is based at University College London Hospital and Dr Xand is the Helen Hamlyn Senior Fellow at Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs.  This work is done concurrently with their media work. Dr Chris, during 2020, shared his own personal experience of COVID-19 in the BBC One documentary Surviving the Virus: My Brother and Me. He also hosted two Horizon Coronavirus specials for BBC 2. Dr Xand, during 2020, hosted Morning Live and Healthcheck UK on BBC One. He also hosted the quick turnaround documentaries Coronovirus: How To Isolate Yourself, When Will Lockdown End? and How To Avoid A Second Wave for Channel 4. This summer, together they launched their first podcast, A Thorough Examination with Dr Chris and Dr Xand,which reached the top spot across a variety of podcast charts. Together they have appeared on shows such as TwinstitutePlanet ChildThe Human Body: Secrets of Your Life RevealedFrontline Doctors: Winter Migrant CrisisHorizon, Is Binge Drinking Really That Bad?Blow Your MindHorizon, Sugar V FatWhich Doctor?The Secret Life of Twins, Medicine Men Go Wild, as well as their hugely popular children’s series, Operation Ouch!, which has won two BAFTAs and had over eight series.

According to Xand, he is seven minutes older, half an inch shorter and five kilos heavier than his brother. Chris is seven minutes younger, half an inch taller and five kilos lighter – and for this, he believes he is twice the man Xand is!

Dr Ronx is an emergency medicine doctor by profession. They graduated from King’s College Medical School in 2011. Operation Ouch! on CBBC was their first TV presenting job. They recently presented The Truth Behind Boosting Your Immune System on BBC One and Are Women The Fitter Sex? on Channel 4. Their other TV appearances include The Unshockable Dr Ronx and Is Covid Racist?.

Operation Ouch! Live on Stage is written by Chris and Xand van Tulleken and directed by Peter Adams. It is presented by Andrew Kay and Margot Teele for Andrew Kay & Associates.

operationouchlive.com

Twitter: @OpOuchLive 

Instagram: @OperationOuchLive

Facebook: facebook.com/OperationOuchLive

LISTINGS INFORMATION

4 December 2021 – 16 January 2022

Lyric Theatre

29 Shaftesbury Avenue

London W1D 7ES

Box Office: 0330 333 4812

www.nimaxtheatres.com

Access Bookings: 0330 333 4815

Email: [email protected]

Tickets: from £15.00 (all tickets include a 65p restoration levy.)

Running Time:  70 mins, no interval

Recommended Age: 5+

Performance Schedule

4 Dec 11am

5 Dec 11am

6 Dec No Perf

7 Dec No Perf

8 Dec 11am

9 Dec No Perf

10 Dec 11am, 2pm

11 Dec 11am

12 Dec 11am

13 Dec No Perf

14 Dec No Perf

15 Dec No Perf

16 Dec No Perf

17 Dec 11am, 2pm

18 Dec 11am

19 Dec 11am

20 Dec 11am, 2pm, 5:30pm

21 Dec 11am

22 Dec 11am, 2pm

23 Dec 11am

24 Dec 11am

25 Dec No Perf

26 Dec No Perf

27 Dec 11am, 2pm

28 Dec 11am, 2pm

29 Dec 11am

30 Dec 11am, 2pm

31 Dec 11am

1 Jan 11am, 2pm, 5:30pm

2 Jan 11am

3 Jan 11am

4 Jan 11am, 2pm, 5:30pm

5 Jan No Perf

6 Jan No Perf

7 Jan No Perf

8 Jan 11am

9 Jan 11am

10 Jan No Perf

11 Jan No Perf

12 Jan No Perf

13 Jan No Perf

14 Jan No Perf

15 Jan 11am

16 Jan 11am

Live entertainment returns to Yeadon Town Hall

Yeadon Town Hall embraces the return of live entertainment with incredible shows including a Below the Deck party and black tie celebration evening.

It’s been a long eighteen months without live entertainment but, following the easing of restrictions in July, Yeadon Town Hall is delighted to be welcoming the local community back through its doors once more.

Though the Town Hall has continued to provide community entertainment such as local markets and its first wedding fair, it has only been able to run events at full capacity from 19th July. Its first show, Vinyl Richie’s Acapulco Disco Show, successfully went ahead at the end of July to a socially-distanced audience and will return to larger audiences later in the year.

Now the venue looks forward to its August events which are set to delight the local community!

First up is an exciting Below Deck Party with the Old Time Sailors on Saturday 21st August. The incredible ten piece band will take audience members back in time through an unforgettable trip to the 19th century. Singing along to classic sea shanties is encouraged during this fully immersive evening of live entertainment.

On 22nd August there’ll be a black tie event to celebrate the re-opening and restoration of Yeadon Town Hall. The show will star The Barricade Boys, West End legend Kerry Ellis and Britain’s Got Talent winner Jai McDowall all accompanied by an exceptional live band. Audiences can expect to hear a stunning range of showtunes from both West End and Broadway, crowd favourites and pop hits.

Throughout the pandemic, the Town Hall team have been working tirelessly to continue the building’s restoration project. This includes both interior and exterior work. The clock tower’s been fixed, the scaffolding has been taken down and the Main Auditorium has been beautifully redecorated. The celebration evening is the perfect way for the community to come together and appreciate the stunning local landmark and all the work that has gone into transforming it.

The Town Hall Tavern will be open throughout both events for audience members, with a huge variety of drinks on offer including rum cocktails for the sailors and fizz for those dressed to impress at the black tie celebration!

Jamie Hudson, CEO at Yeadon Town Hall, says: “It’s been a very long eighteen months, that’s for sure. We couldn’t be more delighted to throw open our doors once more and welcome the community back to Yeadon Town Hall. We have a spectacular range of shows and events coming up which we’re sure will provide some much-needed excitement and something fabulous for people to look forward to. Our 2021 events programme is now live on our website, so we hope audiences will take a look and support our wonderful community venue by booking tickets and coming to visit us again soon.”

September will also be a busy month at Yeadon Town Hall. Shows and events include: ABBA Party in Fernando’s Greek Taverna (selected dates between 10th – 24th September), Community Market (12th September) and An Evening of Clairvoyance with Medium Steve Holbrook (30th September).

Though COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, Yeadon Town Hall will continue to put extra safety measures in place to ensure that audiences feel confident returning back to the venue. This includes hand sanitisation stations and enhanced cleaning regimes, plus a range of socially distanced performances throughout the year’s events programme. The venue will continue to monitor and abide by government advice and regulations.

For more information and to book please visit the Yeadon Town Hall website at www.yeadontownhall.co.uk

SMASH HIT FAT FRIENDS – THE MUSICAL RETURNS TO LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

SMASH HIT FAT FRIENDS – THE MUSICAL RETURNS TO LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

  • KAY MELLOR RETURNS WITH FAT FRIENDS – THE MUSICAL AFTER HUGELY SUCCESSFUL PREMIERE AT THE GRAND IN 2017
  • LEE MEAD RETURNS TO MUSICAL THEATRE IN STARRING ROLE
  • TICKETS ON SALE TODAY (1 August 2021)

The weight is over! Following the hugely successful world premiere at Leeds Grand Theatre in 2017, Kay Mellor’s smash hit FAT FRIENDS – THE MUSICAL returns home from Tuesday 22 February – Saturday 5 March 2022.

With original music by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, the show will star Lee Mead as ‘Paul’ with further casting to be announced soon.

This will mark much-loved actor Lee Mead’sreturn to musical theatre after establishing himself as a TV favourite on Casualty and Holby City in the role of ‘Lofty’. Lee Mead said: “I’m so thrilled to be starring in Fat Friends – The Musical. I saw the show when it first ran and absolutely loved it, so I can’t wait to now play the lovelorn vicar, Paul. I’m so looking forward to performing live again to wonderful audiences around the country and working with the incredible and iconic Kay Mellor.”

This hugely entertaining musical is based on the hit ITV show Fat Friends, that starred James Corden and Ruth Jones. Fat Friends – The Musical reunites our favourite foodie friends as they are put through their Zumba paces at their local slimming club, whilst Kelly fantasises about fitting into the wedding dress of her dreams. This show of hope, humour, love and weight loss, delivers a fun night out full of laughter and encourages us all, as the final song sings, to Love Who You Are!  

After a tough year for all, friend of The Grand Kay Mellor feels that it’s the perfect time to bring this feel-good feast of a show back. Kay said “Issues of body image and online trolling are more pertinent today than ever and will resonate with people everywhere. Despite this, using song, dance and humour, I can guarantee that audiences will leave the show with a smile on their face and feeling better about themselves – something we all need right now. I’m delighted to be remounting Fat Friends – The Musical, thrilled to be working with the brilliant and talented Lee Mead and can’t wait for us to bring the show to so many fantastic venues around the UK and Ireland.”

Fat Friends – The Musical will be at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tue 22 February – Sat 5 March 2022

Book online at leedsheritagetheatres.com or call 0113 243 0808

Tuck Shop West End : Holly Stars Comedy Club Review

Garrick Theatre, London 29 July 2021 (Tuck Shop West End until 8 August 2021)

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

4****

The Tuck Shop West End is a two week takeover of the Garrick Theatre showcasing drag and queer performers. Holly Stars, writer and star of Death Drop recently at the Garrick Theatre, headlines and comperes a night of comedy performances. The performers were Mary O’Connell, Glew, Charlie George, Indy Nile, Kate Butch, and Flo and Joan.

The evening consisted of stand up, drag, stand up in drag, musical stylings, dance, and a few impromptu performances by reluctant members of the audience. Each performer was uniquely surprising, meaning that you never knew what was coming or if you would be wrenched out of the audience to tell jokes in return for a can of chick peas.

The stand up from Charlie George and Mary O’Connell was hilarious and relatable, both doing bits on growing up, and life during the pandemic times. There were musical lip syncs from Glew giving us some physical comedy and a change in tempo. A highlight for me were Kate Butch trying to find a partner with a question and answer portion that was not dissimilar to the game Guess Who, followed by a live performance of Wuthering Heights in a huge glittery dress while gliding across the stage in some surprise heelys. The drag king Indy Nile performed a very good piece of spoken word which involved the audience whispering Semi Skimmed Milk loudly much to the amusement of everyone involved. Lastly we were treated to the fantastic musical comedy stylings of sister duo Flo and Joan which was the perfect way to round out a brilliant night.

As we start to come out of lockdowns and we are able to go into clubs and venues, this run of performances reminds us that after 18 months of being inside and watching TV and comedy on Zoom, that going out and laughing at people in person is as important for us as it is for them. The Holly Stars Comedy Club was a real tonic and I hope to see all of the performers again whether it be on a West End stage or a fringe venue

Tuck Shop West End : Gals Aloud Review

Garrick Theatre, London 30 July 2021 (Tuck Shop West End until 8 August 2021)

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

5*****

Gals Aloud is performing at the Garrick Theatre as part of the Tuck Shop West End two week run bringing the best of British drag to the West End.

Gals Aloud is a Girls Aloud tribute act starring Cheryl Hole as Cheryl, Herr as Nadine, Kitty Scott-Claus as Kimberly, Lydia L’Scabies as Sarah, and Ophelia Love as Nicola paying homage to the highs and lows of the iconic girl group Girls Aloud. The night featured sequins, neon bodysuits, dance routines, awkward TV interviews and appearances, and on stage mishaps.

In the lip synching tradition of drag, the group numbers and solo singles by each of the girls (gals) are seamlessly woven with bits of TV interviews, highlighting the ebb and flow of celebrity and post group life. Along with performing the group hits such as Love Machine and Biology with perfect choreography, each member of the group had their moment in the limelight. Cheryl Hole performed all of the classic Cheryl hits, including a revisit of the moment they met on RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. The Nadine Coyle passport fiasco of 2002 was played out perfectly by Herr, as well as a live vocal stylings by Kitty Scott-Claus about Kimberly taking part in Shrek in the West End. Lydia L’Scabies was hilarious as Sarah, allowing for comedy and tragedy to sit side by side with an excellent rendition of I’ve Never Been To Me. Ophelia Love provided hilarious commentary and asides throughout and performed an unhinged yet unenthusiastic version of Beat My Drum which I am still laughing about 24 hours later. Then there was Javine, the “didn’t quite make it” member of the troupe. Tayris, who was a fabulous last minute replacement, came all the way from Brighton and learnt the songs on the train. This cast was perfect in their ability to walk the line between parody and adulation.

These five queens are the very best of the best, dealing with the merry post lockdown hecklers and revellers with ease and carrying on with dance routines despite getting their heels caught in the lights on the stage. It felt like going to a gig in the “before times” where even the most sour faced audience member was on their feet by the end. It was a massive, glitzy, chaotic, camp production and I loved it, and I very much look forward to the Gals Aloud arena tour.