FULL CAST AND FURTHER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR EMMA RICE’S WUTHERING HEIGHTS

FULL CAST AND FURTHER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR

EMMA RICE’S WUTHERING HEIGHTS

With their latest production Bagdad Cafe streaming live via Old Vic: In Camera this week (25 – 28 August) Wise Children today announce full cast and further tour dates for the world première production of Emily Brontës Wuthering Heights. Adapted and directed by Emma Rice, the show is a co-production with the National TheatreBristol Old Vic and York Theatre Royal.

Joining the cast alongside the previously announced Lucy McCormick (Cathy) are Sam Archer (Lockwood/Edgar Linton), Nandi Bhebhe (The Moor), Mirabelle Gremaud (swing), TJ Holmes (Robert), Ash Hunter (Heathcliff), Craig Johnson (Mr Earnshaw/Dr Kenneth), Jordan Laviniere (John), Kandaka Moore (Zillah), Katy Owen (Isabella Linton/Linton Heathcliff), Tama Phethean (Hindley Earnshaw/Hareton Earnshaw) and Witney White (Frances Earnshaw/Young Cathy), with music performed by Sid GoldsmithNadine Lee and Renell Shaw.

The production opens at Bristol Old Vic on 20 October, with previews from 11 October, and runs until 6 November, with livestreamed performances 3 – 6 November. It then transfers to York Theatre Royal, 9 – 20 November, and runs at the National Theatre in February and March 2022 (exact dates TBA) before touring to Cornwall and Norwich, in addition to the previously announced dates in Salford, Nottingham, Sunderland and Edinburgh.

The Yorkshire moors tell an epic story of love, revenge and redemption.

Rescued from the Liverpool docks as a child, Heathcliff is adopted by the Earnshaws and taken to live at Wuthering Heights. He finds a kindred spirit in Catherine Earnshaw and a fierce love ignites. When forced apart, a brutal chain of events is unleashed.

Shot through with music, dance, passion and hope, Emma Rice transforms Emily Brontë’s masterpiece into a powerful and uniquely theatrical experience. Lucy McCormick leads the company of performers and musicians in this intoxicating revenge tragedy for our time.

“I am Heathcliff! Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.”

With set and costume design by Vicki Mortimer; sound and video by Simon Baker; composition by Ian Ross; movement and choreography by Etta Murfitt;lighting design by Jai Morjaria.

Sam Archer returns to the company to play Lockwood/Edgar Linton – he previously appeared in Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour).His other theatre credits include An Ideal Husband (Vaudeville Theatre/Oscar Wilde Season), Wonderland (National Theatre/Châtelet Theatre, Paris), La Bohème (Royal Albert Hall), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), and The Red Shoes, Lord of the Flies, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Edward Scissorhands (Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures Company).

Nandi Bhebhe returns to the company to play The Moor – she is currently appearing in Bagdad Cafe (The Old Vic). Her theatre credits include A Monster Calls (The Old Vic), Fela! (National Theatre/Al Hirschfeld Theatre), Season in the Congo (Young Vic), A Midsummer Night’s DreamTwelfth Night946 The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Shakespeare’s Globe), Boy Breaking Glass (Sadler’s Wells), The Tin Drum (Bristol Old Vic), Ubu! A Singalong Satire (Shoreditch Town Hall).

Mirabelle Gremaud returns to the company – she previously appeared in Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour) and Malory Towers (Bristol Passenger Shed/UK tour)Her theatre credits as an actress/dancer and contortionist includeLe Conte des Contes (Théâtre Kléber-Mélau), Peter Pan (Birmingham Rep), Swan Lake (The Lost Estate), Acrojou (Roundhouse), Falling (Complicité), and her solo show Sombre Sloughing (UK and European tour).

TJ Holmes plays Robert. His theatre credits include One Man, Two Guvnors (UK tour), The Hired ManLove, Lies and Lust (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Mother Courage (Leeds Playhouse), Two Gentleman of Verona (Shakespeare’s Globe/Liverpool Everyman), La Strada (The Other Palace), Hansel and Gretel (Kneehigh), The BFGI Was A Rat (Birmingham Rep), The Jungle BookThe Threepenny Opera (UK tour), Spend Spend Spend!Some Like It Hotter (The Watermill Theatre), As You Like It (Curve), Cider with RosieMerchant of Venice (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds) and What To Do When You Find A Dinosaur (Oxford Playhouse).

Ash Hunter plays Heathcliff. His theatre credits include Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), Light Shining in Buckinghamshire (National Theatre), Pitcairn (Shakespeare’s Globe), Antony and Cleopatra (RSC/Public theatre, NYC), God’s Property (Soho Theatre), Unrivalled Landscape (Orange Tree Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Almeida Theatre), Gravity (Birmingham Rep) and A Clockwork Orange (Theatre Royal Stratford East). His television credits include BridgertonThe Trial of Christine KeelerHarlotsDeath in ParadiseThe Secret AgentWolfblood and Switch; and for film, Intrigo: Dear Agnes.

Craig Johnson plays Mr Earnshaw/Dr Kenneth. His theatre credits include The Lighthouse Keeper’s LunchThe Railway Children and The Secret Garden (Minack Theatre), AlaskaOne Darke Night (UK tours), The Sea ShowSkillywiddenStones and BonesCurious CreaturesTales from the TreesMyths and Monsters, The Christmassy Christmas ShowShivers and ShadowsUniversarama! (Squashbox Theatre UK tours), Tristan & YseultCymbelineDon JohnA Matter of Life and Death and The Bacchae (Kneehigh).

Jordan Laviniere plays Servant. His theatre credits include All That (King’s Head Theatre), Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith), The Life (The English Theatre, Frankfurt) and We Will Rock You (European tour).

Lucy McCormick plays Cathy. Her previous theatre credits include Life: LIVE! (Battersea Arts Centre), Triple Threat and Post Popular (Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Soho Theatre/UK and international tours), Roller DinerFirst Love is the Revolution (Soho Theatre), Dear ElizabethEffigies of Wickedness (Gate Theatre), Collective Rage (Southwark Playhouse), Cinderella (Oxford Playhouse), The Naked Truth (UK tour), Splat! (Barbican), and The House of Bernada Alba (Tristan Bates Theatre). Her television credits include This Time with Alan Partridge; and for film, Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and Uncle David 2.

Kandaka Moore returns to the company to play Zillah – she is currently appearing in Bagdad Cafe (The Old Vic). Her theatre credits include Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Jungle Book (Greenwich Theatre), BLANK (See & Eye Theatre), The Famous Four & a Half go Wild in Thetford Forest (UK tour), and Mid Life (Barbican/Bristol Old Vic – also composer).

Katy Owen returns to the company to play Isabella Linton/Linton Heathcliff – she previously appeared in Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour). Her other theatre credits include UBU Karaoke!Rebecca (Kneehigh), The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales (Bristol Old Vic/Shakespeare’s Globe/UK tour), Twelfth NightA Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tipps (Kneehigh/Shakespeare’s Globe/UK tour),The World of WorkThe Night Before Christmas (Chapter Arts Centre), Apparitions of Spirits with the Forsythe Sisters (Gaggle Babble), Maudie’s RoomsPlum – and Me, Will!Cinders (Sherman Theatre), Ill Met by Moonlight (Wales Millennium Centre), The Tempest (Theatr Iolo) and The Moon Dragon & The Wounded Angel (Theatr Gwent). Her television credits include The Story of Tracy Beaker.

Tama Phethean plays Hindley Earnshaw/Hareton Earnshaw. His theatre credits include The Great Christmas Feast (The Lost Estate), Man Muck (Etcetera Theatre) and Night of the Living Dead Live (Pleasance Theatre).

Witney White plays Frances Earnshaw/Young Cathy. Her theatre credits include Five Plays Project: Irreconcilable Differences (Young Vic), Light Falls (Royal Exchange Theatre), A Christmas Carol, Sylvia, A Monster Calls (The Old Vic), NOF*CKSGIVEN (Vault Festival), Room (Theatre Royal Stratford East/Dundee Rep/Abbey Theatre), wonder.land (National Theatre), Dusty (Charing Cross Theatre) and Loserville (West Yorkshire Playhouse). For television, her credits include Cleaning Up.  

Emma Rice is the proud and excited Artistic Director of her company, Wise Children. She adapted and directed the company’s Bagdad Cafe (The Old Vic) Angela Carter’s Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour) and Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers (Bristol Passenger Shed/UK tour). For the ENO she directed Orpheus in the Underworld. As Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe (2016/18), she directed Romantics AnonymousTwelfth NightA Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales). For the previous 20 years, she worked for Kneehigh as an actor, director and Artistic Director. Her productions for Kneehigh include The Flying Lovers of VitebskTristan & Yseult946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus TipsThe Wild BrideThe Red ShoesThe Wooden FrockThe BacchaeCymbeline (in association with RSC), A Matter of Life and Death (in association with National Theatre), Rapunzel (in association with Battersea Arts Centre), Brief Encounter (in association with David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers Productions), Don John (in association with the RSC and Bristol Old Vic), Wah! Wah! Girls (in association with Sadler’s Wells and Theatre Royal Stratford East for World Stages), and Steptoe and Son. Other work includes the West End production of The Umbrellas of CherbourgOedipussy (Spymonkey), The Empress (RSC), and An Audience with Meow Meow (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). In 2019 Rice received the UK Theatre Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre.

WUTHERING HEIGHTS 

LISTINGS

Bristol Old Vic

11 October – 6 November 2021

Livestream dates: 3 – 6 November

Box Office: 0117 987 7877 / www.bristololdvic.org.uk

York Theatre Royal

9 – 20 November 2021

Box Office: 01904 623568 /www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

National Theatre, Lyttelton

Performance dates TBA

Box Office: 020 7452 3000 / www.nationaltheatre.org.uk   

Hall for Cornwall

29March – 9 April 2022

Box Office: 01872 262466 / www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

Theatre Royal Norwich

12– 16 April 2022

Box Office: 01603 630 000 /www.norwichtheatre.org

Theatre Royal Nottingham

26 – 30 April 2022

Box Office: 0115 989 5555 / www.trch.co.uk

The Lowry

3 – 7 May 2022

Box Office: 0343 208 6000 / www.thelowry.com

Sunderland Empire

10 – 14 May 2022

Box Office: 03330 096 690 https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire/

King’s Theatre, Edinburgh

24 – 28 May 2022

Box Office: 0131 529 6000 /www.capitaltheatres.com/your-visit/kings-theatre

THE GREAT GATSBY – FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED – REOPENS IN THE WEST END ON 16 SEPTEMBER

WELCOME BACK TO THE ROARING TWENTIES!

THE GREAT GATSBY

TO REOPEN IN THE HEART OF THE WEST END THIS AUTUMN

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED

BOOKING PERIOD EXTENDED UNTIL SUNDAY 16 JANUARY 2022

Immersive Everywhere – led by Olivier Award-winning producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook – will bring back London’s longest running immersive theatrical production this autumn. THE GREAT GATSBY, created and directed by Alexander Wright, reopens in the West End, playing at Gatsby’s Mansion at Immersive LDN in Mayfair from 16 September, with a press night on Friday 24 September (marking F Scott’s Fitzgerald’s 125th birthday).

Full casting has been announced: Oliver Towse will play ‘Gatsby’, Lucinda Turner will play ‘Daisy’, Hugh Stubbins will play ‘Nick’, Jermaine Dominique will play ‘Tom’, Steve McCourt will play ‘George Wilson’, Jessica Hern will play ‘Jordan’, Aminita Francis will play ‘Myrtle Wilson’, Alex Wingfield will play ‘Rosy Rosenthal’, Aimee Barrett will play ‘Lucille’ and Greg Fossard will play ‘Joey’.

Welcome back to the roaring twenties! Jay Gatsby invites you to one of his infamous parties. the champagne flows and as the drama unfolds the man himself will be the perfect host. As invites go, this is the hottest ticket in town. A hedonistic world of red hot rhythms, bootleg liquor and pure jazz age self-indulgence awaits. Dress to the nines and immerse yourself in this heart racing adaption of F Scott Fitzgerald’s seminal tale.

THE GREAT GATSBY– forced to close in March 2020 by the pandemic, re-opened under socially distanced conditions and with changes to the show to incorporate extra safety measures at the beginning of October 2020. The show was then forced to close in November due to the subsequent lockdown.

Tickets for THE GREAT GATSBY will be available from 16 September until 16 January 2022 and are on sale now via www.immersivegatsby.com.  The production – which returns to its original pre-pandemic format, and with the venue at full capacity – will nevertheless be following all current government guidelines and Covid safety measures.

Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook said “We are delighted to be unveiling a spectacular new cast and can’t wait to welcome our audience through the doors to Gatsby in its full-throttle immersive format. To see our audience spellbound by storytelling and dancing the Charleston together again will be an absolute joy. Gatsby’s back.”

IMMERSIVE LDN has been granted the use of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s See It Safely mark. The mark certifies that the venue is complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of all staff and audiences. 

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, with MJ Lee as Associate Choreographer, 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 production of The Guild of Misrule’s THE GREAT GATSBY is produced by Immersive Everywhere, with co-producers Gavin Kalin Productions and Glynis Henderson Productions, with Theatr Clwyd and We Culture Connects as Associate Producers.

VENUE SOCIAL @ldn_immersive

SHOW SOCIAL @immersivegatsby

www.immersivegatsby.com

FIRST LOOK: Guest Photos from the re-opening of MAMMA MIA!

FIRST LOOK: Guest Photos from the re-opening of MAMMA MIA!

The re-opening of MAMMA MIA! which began performances on 25 August 2021 at London’s Novello Theatre. MAMMA MIA!, now in its 23rd year, is currently booking until 2 April 2022. 

Amanda Platell
Christopher Biggins
Gina Murray
Mitch Murray

Returning to the cast is Mazz Murray as Donna, Richard Trinder as Sam, Neil Moors as Harry, Stephen Beckett as Bill, and Sophie Matthew as Lisa.  They are joined by Josie Benson as Tanya, Gemma Goggin as Rosie, Emma Mullen as Sophie, Jack Danson as Sky, Tegan Bannister as Ali, Michael Nelson as Eddie and Alexandros Beshonges as Pepper, with Natalie Langston playing the role of Donna at certain performances.

Andrew Pierce & Judy Craymer
Joan Collins
Judy Craymer
Ruthie Henshall

MAMMA MIA! is Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise. MAMMA MIA! has been seen live on stage by over 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again. With music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. MAMMA MIA! is produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal.

Christopher Biggins & Joan Collins
Joan Collins, Judy Craymer & Amanda Platell
Mitch Murray & Gina Murray

RSC ANNOUNCES SERIES OF SOCIALLY DISTANCED PERFORMANCES OF NEW MUSICAL THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT

RSC ANNOUNCES SERIES OF SOCIALLY DISTANCED PERFORMANCES OF NEW MUSICAL THE MAGICIAN’S ELEPHANT

  • A new musical from the Royal Shakespeare Company with Book/Lyrics by Nancy Harris and Music/Lyrics by Marc Teitler based on the international, best-selling novel by Kate DiCamillo, directed by Sarah Tipple
  • Socially distanced seating and mask-wearing to be introduced at seven performances throughout November and December 2021 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has today announced seven ‘socially distanced’ performances of its new musical; The Magician’s Elephant, which will run throughout November and December 2021 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The venue will operate at reduced capacity for seven Tuesday evening performances throughout the run, beginning from 2 November at 7.15pm. Audiences will be seated with an empty row in front of and behind them and with one empty seat between parties to ensure 1m+ social distancing.

Audience members will also be asked to wear a mask throughout their visit unless exempt.

Socially distanced performances of The Magician’s Elephant will take place on; Tuesday 2nd, Tuesday 9th, Tuesday 16th, Tuesday and 23rd November, Tuesday 7th, Tuesday 21st and Tuesday 28th December at 7:15pm.

Tickets for all socially distanced performances are available to book via the RSC Box Office on 01789 331111 from midday to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director said “Some of our audiences, particularly those who consider themselves vulnerable, have told us that they would feel more comfortable attending indoor events with additional space around them and with face coverings worn at all times. We have therefore decided to make seven Tuesday performances of The Magician’s Elephant socially-distanced and we hope this will mean that those who might otherwise feel unable to return to live theatre this winter have the opportunity to do so confidently.”

The decision to introduce designated socially distanced performances was informed by ‘The Seven principles to ensure an inclusive recovery’ produced by We Shall Not Be Removed, Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything, Paraorchestra and What Next?, which aim to give cultural organisations and individuals the tools to approach Covid-19 recovery and delivery through the lens of Disability and relevant Equality Legislation.

The seven clear principles will support the industry to make decisions inclusively and provide a strong catalyst to combat and eliminate ableism in order to offer everyone equitable opportunities to enjoy and participate in culture and creativity.

The production will mark the re-opening of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre – which celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2021 – and the return of audiences to indoor performances at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon for the first time since March 2020. The Magician’s Elephant was originally due to run from October 2020 – January 2021 but was postponed due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19.

The production will now run from 14 October 2021 – 1 January 2022 in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The Magician’s Elephant tells the story of orphan Peter Augustus Duchene, who lives a frugal life in the lonely town of Baltese. Then one day, a magician conjures an elephant from the sky. The animal’s appearance sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that it changes Baltese forever. Peter is catapulted into the quest of his life, overturning everything he ever thought he knew, and discovering that happiness can come from the most unexpected places.

This new adaptation of Kate DiCamillo’s heart-breaking and darkly magical children’s book by Nancy Harris (book/lyrics) and Marc Teitler (music/lyrics) will be directed by Sarah Tipple, Associate Director to Gregory Doran on The Boy in the Dress. The production will feature design by Colin Richmond whose previous RSC credits include Wendy and Peter Pan and Vice Versa. Lighting is by Oliver Fenwick, Music Supervision and Musical Direction by Tom Brady, Orchestrations by Sarah Travis and Marc Teitler, vocal arrangements by Tom Brady and Marc Teitler, sound by Paul Groothuis and movement by Francesca Jaynes. Dramaturgy is by Réjane Collard-Walker. Puppetry direction is by Mervyn Millar with puppetry design by Mervyn Millar and Tracy Waller. The Magic Consultant is John Bulleid whose previous RSC credits include #WeAreArrested, and video is by Douglas O’Connell.

Original cast reunite in ‘Dumbledore Is So Gay’ at The Pleasance Theatre

Original cast return for Dumbledore Is So Gay
The Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, London, N7 9EF
Tuesday 21st – Sunday 26th September 2021

The acclaimed original cast of Dumbledore Is So Gay will reprise their roles when the production returns to the stage at The Pleasance Theatre in September. Reuniting to tell this optimistic story of self-love and friendship are Alex Britt (Love’s Labour’s Lost and My Dad’s Gap Year, The Park Theatre; EastEnders, BBC), Max Percy (My Dad’s Gap Year, The Park Theatre; Peter Pan, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Charlotte Dowding (Girl Scout vs Aliens, Escapade Productions; Eat Your Heart Out, Tightrope Productions).

This VAULT Festival sell out is a refreshing coming out and coming of age story of life as a noughties teenager. Life is far from straight for Jack: he pines for his best friend while dodging bullies with minds as narrow as the cupboard under the stairs. And the official online quiz sorted him into Hufflepuff. On a mission to get the guy and re-write history in his favour, Jack uses his trusty Time Turner to go back in time to right the wrongs of the past.

Writer Robert Holtom comments, I’m over the moon the original cast are back. They made magic in 2020 and I can’t wait to see them do it all over again. Alex, Charlotte and Max bring such skill and depth to their roles, switching between sincerity and humour on a dime. We were all so keen to keep the show going and it’s such a privilege to have the team reunited.

The play shines a light on the struggle of coming out when ‘gay’ was a playground insult. Reaching for characters and images from JK Rowling’s world as both a comfort and source of strength, the true magic of the play comes from the determination of its young characters to build a better future. While Jack’s story deals with tragic teenage isolation, what emerges is the importance of love and resilience to face the toughest of trials. Every twist of the Time Turner reveals and celebrates how wise heads on young shoulders can change the world!

★★★★★ Broadway World ★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
An infectious display of optimism… I couldn’t stop beaming – Kate Wyver, The Guardian

When Darkness Falls Review

Park Theatre, London – National tour until 30 September 2021

Reviewed by Emily Cliff

4****

Picture: Pamela Raith

When I was eleven years old my mum took me to the cinema to go and see The Woman in Black with my sister and my nan. At the time that film starring Daniel Radcliffe was a 12A meaning we could see it if I was accompanied by an adult. For those that know the film, I can assure you it probably isn’t the best film for an eleven year old that still screams when her shadow moves the wrong way girl. I was traumatised, I had to leave the cinema early and I can safely say I thought she was hiding under my bed for a whole year after seeing that film. It is safe to say that that traumatic experience generally put me off the horror genre for the rest of my adolescent years.

When Darkness Falls is a play made up of 5 ghost stories told by a writer, to a local history teacher on the island of Guernsey for the history societies weekly vlog. Sounds harmless right? Just your average campfire tales of folklore and legend, the kind of stories told by a kid who swore he saw a shadow in the window of that abandoned house, or the kid who swears he saw the shower curtain move when he said candyman or bloody mary in the mirror five times. It’s a constant battle between believers and the people who are looking for a logical explanation, there was a storm coming so there was a big draft, the house is old it’s probably full of old shadows; a trick of the light. The play perfectly captures the debates over the existence of the paranormal perfectly, adding the first layer to the tension already building onstage.

From the offset the atmosphere of the theatre was filled with an eerie aura. The chemistry between John Blondel portrayed by Will Barton and the storyteller portrayed by Alex Phelps was impeccable. From every shared line and moment they bounced off each other setting the bar higher and higher for the energy and intensity of the performance as the stories grew scarier and closer to home leading up to the shocking twist at the end. Easter eggs are laid throughout this play to hint to the audience of what’s to come later on, it’s not until the end of the play where we finally look back at those odditties and little details that we realise the answer to the mystery was under our noses the entire time.

The air was thick with an eerie tension. Clever lighting and incredible acting made such a simple set and small cast feel like a million dollar hollywood film. It was the lighting that made this show so special. Blackouts on stage leading to jump scares and ghostly figures appearing, really added to the sinister feeling that was already on stage. Alex Phelps whole heartedly captured the audience in his fist and had everyone hanging off every last word. It is something about our human nature when we hear the beginning of an unsettling story, you don’t know it has you in its grasp before it’s too late and your choking on the rising tension in the air.

A shocking twist was really the cherry on the top of this ghostly play. I think it is safe to say that everyone left the show that night, with their phone brightness a little louder, happier music in their earphones on the tube home and a longing sense of looking over their shoulder for ghostly figures. The storytelling and writing of this play was similar to that of the Netflix series The Haunting of Bly Manor: sinister, captivating and immersive. Be careful not to burn your marshmallows when listening to these campfire stories, and be sure to turn an extra light on when you leave this show, you never know what might be hiding around the corner when darkness falls…

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR LONE FLYER AT THE WATERMILL THEATRE – 10 – 25 SEPTEMBER

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

LONE FLYER – THE LAST FLIGHT OF AMY JOHNSON

LOUISE WILLOUGHBY AND BENEDICT SALTER TO STAR AS SHOW RETURNS TO THE WATERMILL THEATRE

FRIDAY 10 – SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER

PRESS NIGHT MONDAY 13 SEPTEMBER

BOOK ONLINE AT WATERMILL.ORG.UK OR VIA THE BOX OFFICE ON 01635 46044

LONE FLYER, a powerful drama by Ade Morris about one of Britain’s greatest female pilots, will return to The Watermill, from Friday 10 – Saturday 25 September, with a press night on Monday 13 September. Hull born actress Louise Willoughby will join the production to star as ‘Amy Johnson’ and Benedict Salter (whose previous Watermill credits include The Importance of Being Earnest and A Little Night Music) will reprise his original role, supporting her playing a series of other male parts.

“It’s not a bit like a car or a boat you know, it’s like a bird, it’s the most magical feeling I’ve ever had.”

May 1930. Amy Johnson has a dream, but just how far will her dream take her?

As the first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, Amy’s career reached new heights, but the outbreak of the Second World War changed everything, and she finds herself facing her greatest challenge yet. Driven by the need to escape from one life to another, follow Amy’s journey from humble beginnings to become one of Britain’s most influential female aviators.

Since its forced closure at The Watermill in November 2020 due to the autumn lockdown, it played at the Jermyn Street Theatre as part of their Footprints Festival, achieving 5 Off West End Nominations for Best Production, Sound Design, Director, Leading Performance and Supporting Performance. Lone Flyer is co-produced with Hull Truck Theatre and will be playing in Amy Johnson’s home city of Hull from 7 – 31 October. Directed by Watermill Associate Lucy Betts, Ade Morris’ powerful play about one of the most inspirational women of the twentieth century returned to the Watermill in 2020 in a new production, having been first staged at the Watermill in 2001.

For audience members who would feel more comfortable to attend a performance with more space between themselves and other audience members there will be two socially distanced performances each week during the run of LONE FLYER.

Louise Willoughby said, “I can’t wait to get started on rehearsals and be back in a room with a creative team after it’s been such a difficult time for our industry. Being from Hull, I grew up learning about Amy’s story – I actually played her in a scene in a small community play when I was about 15! I don’t think there’s a single person from Hull who hasn’t heard of Amy Johnson, how she defied all expectations with her determination, knowing what she wanted to do, and finding a way to do it. I think women today have a lot to thank her for. I’m honoured to be playing Amy and I can’t wait to tell her story.”

Born and bred in Hull, Louise Willoughby attended the Northern Theatre Company from a young age before training at LSMT graduating in 2009 with Distinction.

Theatre credits include: Prince Charming’s Christmas Cracker (Hull Truck); No Horizon (UK Tour); Little Women (ERT); Mortar (Theatre Uncut); The Lightless Pumpkin (ERT); Les Miserables (Grange Park Opera); Grease (RCCL); Baby (Baron’s Court); Hope (Bridewell Theatre); As You Like It (LSMT); Top Girls (LSMT)

Screen credits include: Rabbit; Day Street; B-Negative; The Broken Teeth of Lions; Alfie’s Story; Pieces and Commercials for Sainsbury’s Christmas 2020; Your Local Services and HSamuel. 

Benedict Salter trained at LAMDA.

Previous Watermill credits include: Lone Flyer (2020); The Importance of Being Earnest (2019)and A Little Night Music (2017).

Previous theatre credits include: Lone Flyer (Jermyn Street Theatre); A Christmas Carol (Derby Theatre); Vespertilio (VAULT Festival and Dublin Fringe); Lady Windermere’s Fan (West End); The Last Days of Anne Boleyn (Tower of London); An Inspector Calls (West End); Shakespeare in Music (RSC/Southbank Sinfonia).

Whilst training at LAMDA credits include: Hjalmar Ekdal in The Wild Duck; David in Mydidae; and Duke Solinus & Doctor Pinch in The Comedy of Errors.

Benedict was also a BBC Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award finalist in 2016.

Lone Flyer is directed by Lucy Betts, with design by Isobel Nicolson, lighting design by Harry Armytage and sound design by Justin Teasdale. Original Sound Design is by Thom Townsend and Jamie Kubisch-Wiles. The stage management team consists of Emily Stedman (rehearsal DSM), Georgia Dacey (DSM), and Natalie Toney (ASM). The Sign Integrated Performer is Lixi Chivas.

Magic Mike Live – Photos from the VIP Celebrity Night 24 August 2021

CHANNING TATUM’S

MAGIC MIKE LIVE IN LONDON

EXTENDS BOOKING PERIOD AT

AT THE HIPPODROME CASINO

TICKETS FOR NEW BOOKING PERIOD

ON SALE 12.00 NOON TODAY

Channing Tatum and his co-producers are delighted to announce a new booking period for Magic Mike Live, at The Theatre at the Hippodrome Casino in London. Patrons will be able to book performances through to Sunday 26 June 2022. Tickets for the new booking period are on sale at 12noon today.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Aimee Vivian attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Hayley Palmer attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Megan Barton-Hanson attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

As a thank you to our NHS and Care Workers who have worked tirelessly since the start of the pandemic, Magic Mike Live will be offering a free bottle of prosecco when NHS staff book their tickets. Once they have booked, workers will need to email [email protected] with their NHS ID and quote ‘Care Worker Prosecco’ in the email subject line. This offer will be available when purchasing tickets at any price and for all performances until 29 December 2021, subject to availability.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Alex Murphy attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Hayley Sparkes attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Michelle Gayle attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

The cast for the revamped production of Magic Mike Live in London includes Daniel Blessing, Courtenay Brady, Jake Brewer, Harry Carter, Ellie Clayton, Hannah Cleeve, Matt Jordan, Charlie Knight, Mark Lace, Sophie Linder-Lee, Jack Manley, David Morgan, Theophillus ‘Godson’ Oloyade, Ross Sands, Josie Scamell, Manny Tsakanika and Aaron Witter.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Alex Scott attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Isobel Mills attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Mika Simmons attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

Magic Mike Live currently features new songs and new dance sequences in a Covid-safe environment. New VIP packages are also available at the time of booking that allow guests to extend their stay and take advantage of everything the Hippodrome Casino has to offer.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Chloe Crowhurst attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Jess Gale and Eve Gale attend Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Paul Wharton attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

Conceived and co-directed by Channing Tatum, Magic Mike Live, which has already wowed over 200,000 people in London alone and almost 750,000 worldwide, is a large-scale, live production show based on the hit films Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL, which opened at The Theatre at the Hippodrome Casino in London’s Leicester Square in November 2018. Magic Mike Live has inspired a new television series on HBO Max, The Real Magic Mike, currently being filmed.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Chris Kowalski attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Jo O’Meara attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Pips Taylor attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

From the bespoke entrance off Cranbourn Street, to the specially curated lounge and bar experience, to the cast of world-class performers, Magic Mike Live is a complete evening of unparalleled entertainment for guests aged 18 and up. Audience members enter Magic Mike’s mythical club and marvel as a group of extraordinary artists from around the world perform a 360-degree dance and acrobatic spectacular in front of, behind, and above them. Sexy dance routines intertwined with one-of-a-kind acts, are presented by a diverse cast of performers from around the world.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Cici Coleman attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Kym Mazelle attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Sian Carys Owen attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

Magic Mike Live in London is co-directed by Channing Tatum and Alison Faulk, with Luke Broadlick as associate director, and choreography by Alison Faulk, Teresa Espinosa and Luke Broadlick. The Executive Producer is Vincent Marini with General Management by David Ian Productions. The production designer is Rachel O’Toole, with scenic design by Rob Bissinger and Anita LaScala (Arda Studio), costume design by Marina Toybina, lighting design by Philip Gladwell and video design by Luke Halls. Musical supervisor is Jack Rayner, with sound design by Nick Kourtides. Dreya Weber is aerial choreographer & aerial apparatus designer.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Ellie Jones attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Larissa Eddie attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Sinitta attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

Magic Mike Live has become an international sensation since opening in Las Vegas in April 2017. In addition to breaking box office records and performing to sold-out audiences in Las Vegas and London, the show premiered in Berlin in 2020 and the Australia national tour opened in Sydney in December 2020.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Emily Miller attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Lottie Moss attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Stephen Bailey attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

Magic Mike Live is produced in London by Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Greg Jacobs, Peter Kiernan, Steven Soderbergh, Nick Wechsler and United Talent Agency in association with Warner Bros., Vincent Marini, The Hippodrome Casino, Bruce Robert Harris and Jack W. Batman, TSG Entertainment & Ashley DeSimone, Richard Winkler and The Creative House

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Gemma Oaten attends the Magic Mike Live after party at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Lucy Alexander attends Magic Mike Live at The Hippodrome on August 24, 2021 in London, England. Pic Credit: Dave Benett

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust and ETT invite entries for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2021, in partnership with Leeds Playhouse

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust and ETT invite entries for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award 2021, in partnership with Leeds Playhouse

The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST) and ETT (English Touring Theatre)are delighted to announce that the 2021 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme is now open for entries.

Now in its fifth year, the award – which honours the memory of RTST co-founder, Sir Peter Hall – offers the winner their first-time opportunity to direct a full-scale, fully funded, mid-scale regional touring production of a classic or modern play, which may be an existing play or a new adaptation of a novel or film. The production will open in 2022 at Leeds Playhouseas a co-production between ETT and Leeds Playhouse, then tour across the UK. The RTST will make a grant of £50,000 to be applied towards the costs of the winner’s production.

The scheme promotes the RTST’s charitable objectives by supporting up-and-coming theatre practitioners and British regional theatres. It is also intended to appeal to a wide range of candidates and to play a part in promoting diversity in the theatre, onstage, offstage and among audiences.

The winning director will demonstrate exceptional directing skills and a passion for regional theatre, and will be chosen by a panel comprising of Chair, Richard Twyman; Artistic Director of ETT; JameBrining, Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse; Dominic Cooke, Director; Paapa Essiedu, Actor; Haydn Gwynne, Actor; Shelley Maxwell, Movement Director; and Davina Shah, Literary and Creative Agent. 

The 2019 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner Anthony Almeida opens his production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Curve, Leicester on 8September, with previews from 3 September, before touring to Liverpool, Canterbury, Ipswich, Theatr Clwyd, and concludes in Southampton on 30 October. Other previous award winners and official runners-up of the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award include Nancy Medina and Josh Seymour (2018); Chelsea Walker and Tinuke Craig (2017); and Kate Hewitt and Rebecca Frecknall (2016).

Sir Geoffrey Cass, Chairman, and Mark Hawes, Director of the RTST said today, “After a year’s hiatus, we’re overjoyed to be running our RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award scheme once more —this year with ETT, which is set to co-produce the winner’s production with Leeds Playhouse. This will be the fourth regional mid-scale touring co-production (and the fifth regional production in total) to be catalysed by our RTST Award and production grant — again providing a career-transformative experience for the winning director, work for multiple theatre practitioners, and high-quality drama for audiences around the country. In a regional industry recovering from the desolating effects of the pandemic, this RTST Award stands for opportunity, excellence and hope.”

Richard Twyman, Artistic Director, and Sophie Scull, Executive Producer of ETT,also commented, “This is ETT’s fourth year partnering with the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award and it represents one of the most important things we do as company; opening up the stages of cities and towns throughout the UK to artists that haven’t had the chance to work on them before. The opportunity to make work on a larger scale that tours to audiences nationwide, in a fully resourced and supported production, can be a watershed moment in a director’s career and feels all the more significant after the last 18 months.

“We’re ever grateful to the RTST for their continued commitment to raising significant funding for new talent and delighted, this year, to be partnering with Leeds Playhouse to co-produce the production. We look forward to introducing the work of a visionary director to audiences across the UK in Autumn 2022.”

JameBrining, Artistic Director of Leeds Playhouse, added, “We’re delighted to be working with RTST and English Touring Theatre to support up-and-coming theatre practitioners to develop the scale and ambition of their work. Supporting theatre practitioners at all stages of their career is a key part of the Leeds Playhouse mission. As part of our pioneering Furnace artistic development programme, we work year-round to develop audacious creative voices and vital new theatre for the stage.  

“The step from small to middle scale presents particular challenges. This award has a terrific reputation for enabling visionary directors to make that step with confidence, knowing they have the support of an established producing theatre. We can’t wait to meet the selected candidates and to work on realising the production in the autumn of 2022.”  

Entries for the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award Scheme 2021 are now open.

To enter, please apply here.

For further details of the award, please visit the RTST’s website: www.rtst.org.uk.

The closing date for entries is 6pm on Monday 4 October 2021.

HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES STOCKARD CHANNING & REBECCA NIGHT IN MARSHA NORMAN’S ‘NIGHT, MOTHER, DIRECTED BY ROXANA SILBERT, & TAMSIN GREIG IN ALAN PLATER’S PEGGY FOR YOU, DIRECTED BY RICHARD WILSON

HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES STOCKARD CHANNING AND REBECCA NIGHT IN MARSHA NORMAN’S ‘NIGHT, MOTHER, DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROXANA SILBERT, AND TAMSIN GREIG IN ALAN PLATER’S PEGGY FOR YOU, DIRECTED BY RICHARD WILSON

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Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce its remaining Main Stage productions for 2021. 

Stockard Channing and Rebecca Night will perform in the Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘night, Mother by Marsha Norman.  Thisastonishing play, which had its UK premiere at Hampstead Theatre in 1985, will be directed by the theatre’s Artistic Director, Roxana Silbert.  ‘night, Mother will run from 22 October until 4 December 2021.

Tamsin Greig will perform in Alan Plater’s raucously funny Peggy For You.  Richard Wilson will direct this Olivier-nominated play, which had its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre in 1999.  Peggy For You will run from 10 December until 29 January 2022.

Additional dates for Shelagh Stephenson’s Olivier Award-winning comedy, The Memory of Water,directed by Alice Hamilton, will also go on sale for 27 September through to 16 October.  Performances begin on 3 September.

From 27 September onwards, Hampstead Theatre’s Main Stage productions will return to 100% capacity, but a limited number of socially distanced performances will be available.

Priority booking is open from 10.30am today.  Public booking is open from Wednesday 1 September at 10.30am.  Due to anticipated high demand, people are encouraged to secure tickets for all three productions early via an Autumn Season Offer, available to purchase until 12 September.  Further details are available via hampsteadtheatre.com.  

Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre and director of ‘night, Mother, said:

“I am delighted to be announcing the final productions from this pandemic year, both from our Hampstead Original series.  Brilliant plays attract brilliant artists and I am proud to be producing plays with extraordinary parts for women with extraordinary talent and welcoming Richard back to stage directing.”

Richard Wilson, director ofPeggy For You, said:

“I am so pleased to be returning to theatre and especially to Hampstead, which I remember being started by James Roose Evans all those years ago in a small hut by a Swiss Cottage bus stop.  I have also directed and acted at the theatre many times over the years.  Alan’s play is a wonderful, fun tribute to a remarkable woman who has had such an impact on the UK’s theatre industry.  I’m also delighted to have the opportunity to work with Tamsin Greig again to bring the terrific Peggy Ramsay to life this Christmas.”

***

‘night, Mother,winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1983) and the Susan Smith Blackburn Award (1982-83), explores a mother and a daughter’s lives, relationships and up-to-the-minute life defining choices with unblinking honesty, raw humour and suspense.

‘night, Mother received its UK Premiere at Hampstead Theatre in 1985, following a smash-hit Broadway debut and four Tony Award nominations.

Marsha Norman is a multi-award-winning screenwriter, novelist and playwright.  Her other plays include Getting Out and an adaptation of Louise Erdrich’s novel The Master Butchers Singing Club.  She won the Tony Award for Best Book of a Musical for The Secret Garden.

 “I am worried about you, but I’m going to do what I can before I go. We’re not just going to sit around tonight. I made a list of things.”

Stockard Channing stars as Thelma Cates, who shares the old family home out in the sticks with her daughter Jessie (Rebecca Night). This particularly quiet evening seems no different to any other – one of grocery lists, crochet, television, hot chocolate and caramels. But enough is enough for Jessie and a shattering revelation is in the air. As this may prove to be the last evening they share, it seems they have much to talk about…

Multi Emmy Award winner Stockard Channing plays Thelma.  Channing’s screen credits include GreaseThe West WingThe Business of Strangers (which earned her a London Film Critics Circle Award) and Six Degrees of Separation, which earned her both an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination, following an Olivier nomination when she originated the role on stage.  Other stage credits include A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (1985), for which she won a Best Actress Tony Award, and Apologia (2018) in London and New York.

Rebecca Night will play the role of Jessie.  Rebecca returns to Hampstead Theatre having previously starred in The Meeting (2015) and Terry Johnson’s Prism (2017).  Other theatre credits include The Grapes of Wrath (Chichester Festival Theatre) and The Importance of Being Earnest (Vaudeville Theatre).  Screen credits include Fanny Hill (2007), Wuthering Heights (2009) and Maigret (2016). 

Roxana Silbert is Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre.  Previously, she was Artistic Director of Birmingham REP and Paines Plough.  She has been Associate Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Literary Director of the Traverse Theatre, and Associate Director at the Royal Court Theatre.  ‘night, Mother will be her second Main Stage production as Hampstead’s Artistic Director following the critically acclaimed The Haystack.  She has most recently directed Raya Downstairs.

She will be joined by designer Ti Green, lighting designer Rick Fisher, sound designer John Leonard, Voice & Dialect Stephen Kemble and Assistant Director Nikhil Vyas.

***

Peggy For You is based on the life of Alan Plater’s former agent, the legendary Peggy Ramsay.  It received its world premiere at Hampstead Theatre in 1999 and was Olivier nominated for Best New Comedy (2001).  Plater’s raucously funny play is peopled with characters who fall under the spell of this unlikely heroine, who believed infinitely more in art than she did in money – or in good manners. 

Alan Plater wrote extensively for the stage, screen and radio from the 1960s to the 2000s. Starting out on the seminal police drama Z Cars, his 200+ full length TV dramas include The Beiderbecke Trilogy and the BAFTA winning A Very British Coup. 

‘If any of my clients is rich, it’s entirely by accident.’

Agents are not supposed to be more famous than their clients – unless, of course, you are the formidable, outrageous and hilarious Peggy Ramsay… 

Tamsin Greig will star as the legend that held complete sway over the theatre world in a career that spanned thirty years.  The Olivier Award-winning actress makes a highly anticipated return to Hampstead following Tony Kushner’s The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures in 2016 and William Boyd’s Longing (2014).  Recent stage credits include Twelfth Night (National Theatre) and Labour of Love (West End).  Screen credits include Friday Night Dinner, Episodes and Green Wing

Richard Wilson will bedirecting his sixth Hampstead production,  Previous work includes Terry Johnson’s Imagine Drowning (1991), Simon Burke’s The Lodger (1994)and Antony Sher’s Primo, which transferred from the National Theatre in 2005.  A former Associate of the Royal Court Theatre, Wilson directed many new plays there including Mr Kolpert (2000), The Woman Before (2005) and Rainbow Kiss (2006). 

The full cast and creative team of Peggy For You will be announced in due course.

***

Additional dates for Shelagh Stephenson’s Olivier Award-winning play, The Memory of Water, will also go on sale for 27 September until 16 October.  Lucy Black, Kulvinder Ghir, Adam James, Lizzy McInnerny, Carolina Main and Laura Rogers will perform in this poignant and painfully funny comedy with direction by Alice Hamilton.  Performances begin on 3 September.

Hampstead Theatre is currently staging Sam Yates’ critically acclaimed production of Tennessee Williams’ The Two Character Playwhich ends on 28 August.  This innovative, psychological thriller by one of the world’s great dramatists premiered at the theatre in 1967.  The world premiere of Big Big Sky by Tom Wells is running at Hampstead Downstairs until 11 September.  This beautifully tender new play is directed by Tessa Walker, Hampstead Theatre’s new Associate Director.  Both productions remain socially distanced with reduced capacity.

The world premiere of Mufaro Makubika’s new play Malindadzimu will be staged at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs from 17 September until 30 October 2021.  This delicate, witty and epic new play explores a mother and daughter’s search for belonging and their struggle with a multicultural heritage.  Malindadzimu features Shyko Amos, Kudzai Mangombe, Sifiso Mazibuko, Tendai Humphrey Sitima and Natasha Williams, with direction by Monique Touko.  Hampstead Downstairs will remain socially distanced with reduced capacity for the duration of this production.