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IAN KELSEY AND NICOLA SLOANE TO STAR IN

WILTSHIRE CREATIVE’S MAJOR REVIVAL OF

JOHN GODBER’S SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

Artistic Director Gareth Machin and Executive Director Sebastian Warrack today announce the full cast for Wiltshire Creative’s brand-new production of John Godber’s September in the Rain – Ian Kelsey and Nicola Sloane. Machin’s production opens on 17 September, with previews from 16 September, and runs until 9 October.

Following the run of September in the Rain, Michael Grandage will direct Ian McDiarmid in Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table from 14 to 23 October, ahead of a UK tour.

SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

by John Godber

16 September – 9 October

Cast: Ian Kelsey, Nicola Sloane

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.

Ian Kelsey plays Jack. For theatre, his work includes Legally Blonde (Curve, Leicester), The Shawshank Redemption (UK tour), Chicago (Cambridge Theatre), Same Next Year (Theatre Royal Windsor), Kes (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Grease (UK tour and West End). For television, his work includes as series regular Vinny Ashford in Coronation Street, Lovesick, as series regular Alex Wakefield in Doctors, Dustin Baby, as lead regular Richard Mayne in Blue Murder, Hotel Babylon, as lead regular Jack Clayton in Where the Heart Is, as lead regular in Matt Brewer in Down to Earth, as series regular Dr. Patrick Spiller in Casualty and Holby City, Murder in Mind, Touching Evil, Adams Family Tree, Men Behaving Badly, and as series regular Dave Glover in Emmerdale; and for film, Black Beauty and Wild Justice.

Nicola Sloane returns to Wiltshire Creative to play Liz – she previously appeared in Two Cities. Her theatre work includes GHBoy (Charing Cross Theatre), The Butterfly Lion, Strife, Way Upstream, The Gondoliers and The Waterbabies (Chichester Festival Theatre), Our Town (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Frankenstein, To Kill a Mockingbird (Royal Exchange Manchester), Love in Idleness, A Little Night Music (Menier Chocolate Factory and West End), London Road, 50th Anniversary Gala, Anything Goes and Love’s Labour’s Lost (National Theatre), Flowers for Mrs Harris, My Fair Lady and Me and My Girl (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Enter the Guardsman (Donmar Warehouse), and The Sound of Music, Acorn Antiques, Spend Spend Spend, Martin Guerre, Les Miserables and The Woman in Black (West End). For television, her work includes Maigret, Black Mirror, Home Fires, Call the Midwife, Parade’s End, Dancing on the Edge and Home Again; and for film, Red Joan, The Danish Girl, The Tale of Tales, London Road, Mr Turner, The Theory of Everything, Les Miserables, Broken and Season of the Witch.

John Godber is a writer and director. His credits as a playwright include Scary Bikers, Bouncers, Up ‘n’ Under (Olivier Award for Best New Comedy), April in Paris, Teechers, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Cramp, Happy Jack, September in the Rain, Salt of the Earth, Passion Killers, Happy Families, Up ‘n’ Under ll, Gym and Tonic, Dracula, Lucky Sods, Hooray for Hollywood, Weekend Breaks, It Started With a Kiss, Unleashed, Thick As a Brick, Big Trouble in the Little Bedroom, Seasons in the Sun, On a Night Like This, Our House, Departures, Men of the World, Reunion, Screaming Blue Murder, Black Ties and Tales, Perfect Pitch, Going Dutch, Christmas Crackers and Crown Prince. Film writing credits include My Kingdom for a Horse (starring Sean Bean).

Gareth Machin Director Gareth is the Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative. Previously, he was studio associate at the National Theatre, artistic director of Southwark Playhouse and associate director at Bristol Old Vic. For the company, his work includes Making Massinger, Robin Hood, Her Naked Skin, Moonfleet, Little Robin Redbreast, Worst Wedding Ever, The Night Before Christmas, A Little of What You Fancy, Hedda Gabler, Can’t Buy Me Love, The Magna Carta Plays, Little Shop of Horrors, Separate Tables, Bedroom Farce, London Calling, The Recruiting Officer, A Man of No Importance, Dangerous Corner, The Spire and Epsom Downs. His other directing credits include Fanta Orange (Finborough Theatre), Three More Sleepless Nights (National Theatre), The Canterville Ghost, Gaffer!, The Canterbury Tales, The Chimes, The Archbishop’s Ceiling (Southwark Playhouse), The Real Thing (Royal Theatre, Northampton), Macbeth (Creation Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Hall for Cornwall), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Look Back in Anger, Betrayal, Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, The Beggar’s Opera, Molly Sweeney, Up the Feeder Down the ‘Mouth and Back Again, Sea Life, Croak Croak Croak, A Tender Prayer, Anatomy of a Madman, Bitter With a Twist, Krapp’s Last Tape and Spring Awakening (Bristol Old Vic). As a playwright, his work includes The Tailor of Gloucester, Moonfleet, Little Robin Redbreast, The Night Before Christmas (Salisbury Playhouse), Pinocchio, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom Thumb and Other Giant Stories and The Canterbury Tales (Dukes Playhouse, Lancaster).

September in the Rain is kindly supported by:

Christopher & Frances Wain, long-standing Members of Salisbury Playhouse.

LISTINGS SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

Salisbury Playhouse, Wiltshire Creative

Malthouse Lane, Salisbury, SP2 7RA

www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk

Ticket Sales: 01722 320333 (Tuesday to Saturday 10am – 12pm)

Tickets from £12

SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN

16 September – 9 October

THE LEMON TABLE

14 October – 23 October

Members who book for The Lemon Table and September in the Rain at the same time before the 26 July enjoy double the membership with 20% off up to 4 tickets

SEE IT SAFELY -We have been granted the use of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s See It Safely mark. The mark certifies that we are complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of our staff and audiences. You can find out more here https://officiallondontheatre.com/see-it-safely/ about the measures we have been putting in place ready for your visit, and what you will need to know beforehand.

DUE TO UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND – AND SOCIAL DISTANCING

HAMLET at the Theatre Royal Windsor

WILL EXTEND ITS RUN AT THEATRE ROYAL WINDSOR

• Seats released for three extra weeks until September 25^th, 2021
• Cast Includes: Ben Allen, Francesca Annis, Frances Barber, Emmanuella Cole, Llinos Daniel, Alis Wyn Davies, Ashley D Gayle, Alison Halstead, Nick Howard-Brown, Jonathan Hyde, Asif Khan, Lee Knight, Missy Malek, Ian McKellen, Jenny Seagrove
• Directed by Sean Mathias

Having opened the production under extended social distancing restrictions (now due to end on July 19^th), we are thrilled to announce that we have been able to extend our run of Hamlet by three weeks.

All performances thus far, and through to the end of July are sold out, so we urge you to book your tickets now.

The reimagined age, colour, and gender-blind production, directed by Sean Mathias, sees Ian McKellen lead a permanent company in two plays including: Francesca Annis, Frances Barber, Jonathan Hyde, and Jenny Seagrove.

Tickets start at just £25 with discounts available for NHS workers and students. The staging of Hamlet has been designed to offer the unique experience of being up-close and immersed in the performance via Shakespearean wooden bleacher seats on either side of the stage.

Box packages are also available. Choose a Royal or Circle box with a pre-show and interval glass of fizz, and complimentary programme delivered to your private box. Contact Box Office for more details.

Due to the extension of Hamlet, the second production in our Season, The Cherry Orchard will now open three weeks later than planned, from Fri 1^st October – Sat 13 November

Young Vic announce INNOVATE

A radical theatre-in-education programme

in the local boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark

Young Vic Taking Part today announces INNOVATE, a radical, two-year theatre-in-education programme. Working in the theatre’s local boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark, this in-depth project is a collaboration between the YV Taking Part team, two partner schools, six project associates – multidisciplinary artists with a passion for reforming the education sector – and an advisory panel of educational and cultural experts.

Born out of the legacy of educational theorists Dorothy Heathcoate and Ken Robinson, the Taking Part team will embark on a journey to centre using the arts as a pedagogical tool with South Bank University Academy and Dunraven School. Working with teachers from the schools over two years, the six INNOVATE project associates will embed themselves in the Year 7 and 8 curricula, working with teachers and students to discover how the arts can enable students to engage, learn and thrive across all subjects.

INNOVATE will shape the way the Young Vic uses its resources to support local schools, directly impacting the lives of students in Lambeth and Southwark. More broadly, it will explore the potential for knowledge exchange and learning approaches between arts organisations and local learning centres, and in doing so interrogate the civic responsibility of artists and arts organisations in education.

The INNOVATE project associates are Mikey Bharj, Jordana Golbourn, Lerato Islam, Sheryl Malcolm, Joseph Prestwich and Amy Robinson. The advisory panel –  a guiding group offering advice and expertise, and ensuring the project achieves its aims – are Sylvan Baker, Darren Chetty, Kay Rufai, Dr Javeria K. Shah, Lavinya Stennett and Dr Vicky Storey.   

Shereen Jasmin Phillips, Director of Taking Part, said: “INNOVATE was born out of a simple question – ‘how do we make children excited to learn?’ We’ve seen videos of classrooms using rap lyrics to memorise periodic tables and teachers using dance choreography to explain coding and algorithms. These unexpected, creative approaches to learning often have a major impact on the students. We begin this process at a point when funding for arts subjects is at an all-time low, ruthlessly cut over the past decades and often perceived as a ‘softer’ choice than STEM subjects. I hope we demonstrate through INNOVATE that we need MORE, rather than less arts. Our aim is to radically centre creative ways of teaching subjects. I am so inspired by the team of artists, teachers, advisors and producers who we have assembled to deliver this project, which is epic in scope and aspiration. As I look ahead, I imagine a world in which every UK arts organisation could be partnered with a local place of learning to help future generations thrive in their school lives.”

Rebecca Thomas, Head of Drama and Hannah Dalton, Assistant Vice Principal, from University Academy of Engineering South Bank University Academy, said: “We are delighted that the South Bank University Academy has been selected to partner with the Young Vic in this innovative project. We look forward to collaborating on developing creative and engaging lessons with the theatre team.  We are excited about the prospect of enhancing creativity across the whole curriculum as it will further our efforts to embed the importance of the arts.”

Dunraven School, said: “We are thrilled to be chosen to participate in the project and look forward to a productive and innovative partnership with the Young Vic. Dunraven always strives for ‘Excellence for All’ and we are excited to see how our work and planning with the artists can support our curriculum principles and how our students understand the stages of learning. As a school where the arts truly matter, we look forward to discovering and sharing with others what can be achieved when artists, teachers and students bring their talents together.”

Throughout INNOVATE, the Young Vic will be analysing and measuring the impact of the collaboration through a variety of means. Whilst traditional measures, such as exam grades, will be taken into account, the project will also use measures such as student happiness and engagement levels. Findings will be published and made available for educational organisations.

INNOVATE is supported by The Rix-Thompson-Rothenberg Foundation.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR 
JUST SO

A CONCERT VERSION OF THE STILES & DREWE MUSICAL
IN THE WATERMILL GARDENS

PERFORMANCES FROM FRIDAY 30 JULY – SATURDAY 4 SEPTEMBER

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

Artistic Director Paul Hart and the team at Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre are thrilled to announce casting for the third and final production of the 2021 outdoor summer season, a semi-staged concert of Stiles & Drewe’s family musical JUST SO, inspired by the stories of Rudyard Kipling, playing on the main lawn from Friday 30 July until Saturday 4 September, with a press night on Monday 2 August.

At the ‘Time of the Very Beginnings’ the land is bustling with beasts, the sky is filled with birds and the ocean is teeming with fish. But there is one small problem: all the animals look the same!

The wise ‘Eldest Magician’ sends them out into the world to find their individuality. Everything is just so until Pau Amma the Crab starts playing with the ocean, causing terrible floods that put the other animals in danger. The brave Elephant’s Child embarks on a journey to challenge and overcome Pau Amma, but can she do it alone?

This wondrous family musical blends five of Rudyard Kipling’s Just So stories to tell a tale of courage, friendship and the power of an individual to make a difference.

The JUST SO company includes two 2021 graduates, both making their professional debuts at the Watermill: Laura Andresen Guimarães  as ‘Zebra’ and Kemi Clarke as ‘Leopard’. The other company members are Alexander Bean as ‘Rhino’, Nathanael Campbell as ‘Eldest Magician’, Dan de Cruz as ‘Parsee Man / Jaguar / Show MD’, Eleanor Kane as ‘Elephant Child’, Emma Lucia as ‘Kolokolo Bird’, Pete Mooney as ‘Kangaroo / Cooking Stove’ and Emma Jane Morton as ‘Giraffe / Yellow Dingo Dog’.

Director Abigail Pickard Price said, “Welcoming audiences back to The Watermill this summer after such a time is a true delight and it is a particular treat to be able to invite the younger members of our community and families back to the theatre for JUST SO.”

JUST SO has a historic connection to The Watermill where it was first performed in 1989. With its message about the power of individuality and the importance of coming together as part of a wider community, it feels a perfect fit for this summer. We have an incredible team both on and off stage to bring this brand-new concert performance to life and we cannot wait to take audiences on a journey from the banks of the River Lambourn to the green and greasy Limpopo River!”

JUST SO is directed by Abigail Pickard Price, set and costume Design by Katie Lias, choreography by Chi-San Howard, lighting design by Harry Armytage, sound design by Leigh Davies with Tarek Merchant as Musical Director. Full creative and crew credits can be found below.

JUST SO is part of The Watermill’s summer season taking place outside in the theatre’s beautiful gardens with shows performed to a socially distanced audience. Audience members can book their own socially distanced seating area, with aisles and space between each seating area. Individual seats and tables are reserved, and audiences will be able to select a seating area when booking their tickets. Seats will be uncovered, and performances will go ahead whatever the weather. Audiences are advised to bring appropriate clothing for the conditions and may also wish to bring extra cushions and blankets.

Face coverings, unless exempt, will be required to enter indoor spaces, such as the toilets. There will be hand sanitiser stations, a one-way system for accessing the toilets and signage to indicate routes and procedures. There will also be free onsite parking in the main car park.  All current government guidelines will apply throughout the season and The Watermill will keep these under constant review.

A two-course pre-show menu from the restaurant will be available to enjoy from 5pm before evening shows starting at 7pm and from midday before matinée performances starting at 2pm. Cream teas will also be available to enjoy in The Watermill’s riverside gardens after matinée performances.

Park Theatre presents: 

Park Bench 

Moving from the small screen to live on stage, a new play examines how we readjust to in-person interaction, and how old flames and old habits die hard 

Written by Tori Allen-Martin 

Directed by Christa Harris (Act 1) | Sarah Henley & Timothy O’Hara (Act 2) 

Act 1(Digital): 22 June – 14 Aug  

Act 2 (Live): Park Theatre, 4 – 14 August 

‘Gifted with impeccable comic timing and a stage presence that makes it hard to take your eyes off her’ 

WhatsOnStage (about Tori Allen-Martin)  

Twitter: @ParkTheatre | facebook: ParkTheatreLondon | Instagram: ParkTheatreLondon | www.parktheatre.co.uk  

In direct parallel with what audiences are experiencing now, Park Theatre reopens with a drama that shifts from the digital sphere to the live stage. Commissioned for this specific moment in time, it asks questions about how lockdown has changed the way we communicate and the relationships we have , and whether these changes are here to stay. Park Bench shows a knotty, complicated relationship that has over time shifted between friend to lover, from claustrophobic closeness to deafening silences. After more than a year apart and months of isolation, Liv and Theo reconnect online – only to find that the frank conversation they need have with each other is too big for the small screen. Has a year of sitting with their feelings made them any better at expressing them?  

Liv and Theo used to be each other’s ride-or-die but that was back then…  After more than a year of distance from their situationship, it’s time to talk – so they reconnect online.  What happened to being mates? How’s his new life working out? Why did she just vanish? Will meeting up in person on ‘their’ park bench reignite an old flame or finally put out the flickering embers of feelings?  

Tori Allen-Martin said, “It’s so rare that a theatre lets you run wild and write the show you feel you need to write or maybe even more than that, the play that you feel you need to see. Especially when you’re a woman of colour from humble beginnings. That’s what I’ve tried to do with Park Bench, write a sensitive play about human connection, that encompasses a lot of the feelings we’ve all experienced during this time, without this being a play ABOUT the pandemic. It’s about being human and being vulnerable and maybe most of all it’s about deciding to choose yourself. I’ve always found Park Theatre such an exciting venue at the heart of its vibrant and diverse community and to be trusted to open the doors back up after a sad and dark hiatus with a brand new play, is such a gift and not something I take lightly. It’s testament to what a forward thinking and vital building Park Theatre is that they’d make a bold decision like this where they prioritise a newer and underrepresented voice.” 

Writer and performer Tori Allen-Martin’s work as a writer for theatre includes The Hardest One (The Other Palace) and musicals Streets (The Cockpit, Hackney Empire and The Vaults) and Another Way (The Cockpit). She was named as one of the BBC’S New Talent Hotlist in 2017 and more recently was selected for ITV’s 50/50 scheme. She also worked on Flack Season Two (Oli Lansley/Hat Trick Productions) and has work currently in development with Duchess Street Productions, Sky, Kilimanjaro Productions, Mammoth Productions and Park Theatre. Tori is also an associate artist at Chiswick Playhouse.  

Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In eight years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Daytona starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, twenty-five national tours, four Olivier Award nominations, has won Offie Awards for Best New Play and Best Foodie Experience and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage. Park Theatre are grateful to all those who have donated to the Park Life fund, supporting the venue through the pandemic.  

Park Bench has been commissioned by Park Theatre with support from the Culture Recovery Fund. Park Theatre will be reopening in line with government and UKTheatre guidelines, making sure audiences can See It Safely.  Please visit the Park Theatre website for Covid-19 safety guidelines. 

50 mins | Suitable for ages 16+ 

Trigger warning: contains themes of an adult nature and discussions around mental health that some may find upsetting. Contact Park Theatre for more information. 

Company information 

Directed by Christa Harris (Act 1: Digital) Sarah Henley & Timothy O’Hara (Act 2: Live)    

Written by Tori Allen-Martin

Cast 

Tori Allen-Martin, Tim Bowie 

Listings information 

22 – 14 Aug (Act 1: Online) | 4 – 14 Aug (Act 2: Live) 

Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP  

Act One: Online | Free 

Act Two: Mon, Tues, Weds, Fri 7pm & 8.30pm | Thurs & Sat matinees 3pm & evening 7.30 | £10 – £7.50 

Captioned 12 Aug 7.30pm  

www.parktheatre.co.uk | 020 7870 6876*  

*No booking fee online. Telephone booking fee applies.  

Presented by Park Theatre with the support of Arts Council England  

BLINK DANCE THEATRE COMPANY PRESENTS:

‘DRIVE THRU’

A NEW IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR ADULTS WITH LEARNING DISABILITIES

Premiering today –  BLINK DANCE THEATRE present a new immersive multi-sensory dance and theatre experience at Redbridge Drama Centre , WAC Arts and The Albany.  ‘DRIVE THRU’ is written, co-directed and performed by artists with learning disabilities and is aimed at neurodiverse adults.

From the comfort of their own minibus audience members will be transported into another world through dance, theatre and music in this fantasy-based experience.

Set to bespoke beats, everyday soundscapes and a contemporary hip hop and electronica musical score

the audience finds themselves in a gritty urban carpark. A group of people are fed up of planet earth, as they discover their minibus can fly as it passes through blue and purple clouds. They meet some mysterious larger than life, strange yet friendly magical creatures including Handy Mandy – a non-binary mysterious guru, The Eye Hero’s – a cheeky duo with eyes on stalks that can see everything and Noseasaurus Rex- the cold blooded slime ball on the search for his next meal, who will guide them to a magic lamp. Their adventure takes them through a tornado, coloured foam and soothing water jets but will the people decide to live with the creatures in their magical world or return back down to earth…the choice is theirs. 

Vicki Hawkins Co Director at BLINK Says:

“It is so important for us to create theatre by and for our neurodiverse community, DRIVE THRU draws on our collaborative team’s personal experiences which we know will chime with our audiences in this multi-sensory ride of dance drama and music”

“At BLINK we embrace difference as a catalyst for creativity and aim to excite our audiences by creating a greater understanding of the artistic potential in every person.  It’s our vision to create work which dissolves barriers encouraging a world without labels and reaches new diverse audiences whilst offering professional development and employment for disabled and diverse artists”

” We’re always working hard to support oppressed groups and DRIVE THRU is no different. 80% of the artists in the performance are Black and POC. 50% are disabled; including 2 emerging learning disabled artists for which this will be their first professional performance”

“It is perfect timing for us take DRIVE THRU out on the road –  lockdown has been hard on everyone, not least  for those with profound and multiple learning disabilities where is has been extremely difficult to access the arts ‘taking it online’ wasn’t necessarily a viable option for many”

“This commission is also an important part of our collective healing , to rebuild our self esteem as artists and reconnect as a group through sharing our collective experiences of the past year together.  Inevitably this will include reflection on Black Lives Matter”

Francis Majekodunmi Co Director and neurodiverse dancer shares some of his first ideas for the theme:

“Sometimes on Earth it feels dangerous and like there is violence to us, I want to fly above the clouds and be transported to a new world with fantasy creatures. I want there to be a spinning black tornado part, because that is how I have felt inside this year”

“People have been locked indoors having no fun, they are falling through the net. No one is making sure they are ok and enjoying their life, so we will”.

BLINK are an original, inspiring group of neurodiverse artists who perform and collaborate with an equal voice through their engaging and sometimes radical interdisciplinary work. Their aim is to lead innovative projects that are accessible to everyone. Specialising in profound and multiple learning disability (PMLD) and autism, they devise performance based sensory projects with disabled participants in a variety of settings. Founded in 2013, hosting a number of workshops, classes, seminars and residencies, and with appearances at festivals across the UK, BLINK first toured with Facefront Inclusive Theatre in 2016 in with ‘IT’S MY MOVE’  Followed by BLINK’s sell-out tour of  debut show ‘FOUR CORNERS’ in 2018. With new production ‘GIRL MEETS BOY’ paused in 2020 Due to Covid.

DRIVE THRU is written, Co-Directed and performed by Vicki Hawkins and Francis Majekodunmi; With original music from BLINK Co-Director Delson Weekes and Sound Artistry from Bulbet (aka Mathew Hawkins); Set and Costume design by Kat Heath; Additional performers and artistic support workers include Abdul Sabir, Siobhan Wedgeworh, Charlene Low and Charles Oni.  DRIVE THRU is made possible with support from and ACE G4A, Heart of Glass, Hammersmith United Charities, Disability Action Emergency Fund, London Catalyst, Wac Arts, Redbridge Drama Centre and The Albany.

To find out more about BLINK and their projects visit www.blinkdancetheatre.org

The National Theatre adds five new productions to streaming platform
National Theatre at Home

The National Theatre has today announced the latest productions to be made available on its National Theatre at Home streaming platform. Launching today, Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum Dreams, the Young Vic’s A View from the Bridge directed by Ivo van Hove with Mark Strong and Nicola Walker, and Rufus Norris’ production of Everyman with Chiwetel Ejiofor will be available for all audiences worldwide to stream. Danny Boyle’s production of Frankenstein and Sonia Friedman Productions’ Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch will also be available for audiences outside the UK and Ireland.

The National Theatre productions of Medea with Helen McCrory and The Comedy of Errors with Lenny Henry are now streaming on the platform with audio-description.   

Chewing Gum Dreams is the semi-autobiographical, one-woman play written and performed by Michaela Coel (I May Destroy You). The production was filmed for the National Theatre Archive in April 2014 and this is the first time this recording has been released for the public to stream. The play went on to become a television series on E4 in 2015, for which Coel would win two BAFTAs.

The Young Vic’s 2014 production of A View from the Bridge saw visionary Ivo Van Hove direct Mark Strong and Nicola Walker in Arthur Miller’s dark and passionate play. The critically acclaimed production won three Olivier Awards and transferred to the West End and Broadway. National Theatre Live filmed the production in the West End in 2015 and it becomes available on demand for the first time today.

Everyman, a new adaptation by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy from the 15^th century morality play, was directed by Rufus Norris in 2015 in his first production as Director of the National Theatre and filmed live in the Olivier theatre with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Everyman.

For audiences outside of the UK and Ireland, Danny Boyle’s 2011 production of Frankenstein from the Olivier stage is available from today. Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch jointly won the Olivier Best Actor Award for alternately playing the roles of the creature and Victor Frankenstein. Both versions will be available on the platform to stream. Also Sonia Friedman Productions’ Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch, directed by NT Associate Lyndsey Turner, will be available for audiences outside the UK and Ireland. In 2015, the production was the fastest selling ticket in theatre history. Last month Amazon Prime Video made these two productions available exclusively to subscribers in the UK and Ireland as part of a collaboration with the National Theatre which also included Fleabag and Ian McKellen on Stage.

Emma Keith, Director of Digital Media at the National Theatre, said: “It’s fantastic to be able to make more of these impactful and enchanting productions available for audiences around the world to enjoy. I’m delighted to be able to showcase some important productions in our recent theatre history, such as Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum Dreams which went onto become the BAFTA-winning television series, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet which was the fastest selling ticket in history, Chiwetel Ejiofor commanding the Olivier stage in Rufus Norris’ first production as National Theatre Director and Ivo van Hove’s seminal A View from the Bridge at the Young Vic… This is a very exciting month of titles on National Theatre at Home! I’m thrilled that we also have 15 productions available with audio-description to support blind and partially sighted audiences, as well as captions for every production. As we now reach seven months of the streaming platform, with new productions added monthly, it’s brilliant to see such a varied range of curated titles so there’s truly something for everybody to enjoy.”

New productions are added each month and National Theatre at Home now has 26 productions to stream on the platform available at any time, including Angels in America Parts One and Two with Andrew Garfield, Nathan Lane and Russell Tovey, Medea with Helen McCrory and Michaela Coel, Mosquitoes with Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams, Phèdre with Helen Mirren, the Young Vic’s Yerma with Billie Piper and Othello with Adrian Lester.    

All productions on National Theatre at Home are available with captions. Medea and A Comedy of Errors will now also be available with audio-description to support blind and partially sighted audiences worldwide. There are 15 National Theatre at Home titles available with audio-description.

National Theatre at Home is available at ntathome.com, with single titles available from £5.99 – £8.99, a monthly subscription for £9.99 or a yearly subscription for £99.99. 

Bloomberg Philanthropies is Headline Sponsor of National Theatre at Home.

National Theatre at Home is also supported by The Linbury Trust. 

#NationalTheatreatHome       

Chewing Gum Dreams  

Meet Tracey Gordon. Friendship, sex, UK garage, school, teachers, periods, emergency contraception, raves, tampons, white boys, God, money. Friendship.  

 The more she learns about the world the less she understands. Michaela Coel plays Tracey in this one-woman play that recalls the last days of innocence before adulthood.  

Written and performed by Michaela Coel, directed by Nadia Fall with lighting design by Jamie Spirito and sound design by Mike Walker.   

Originally developed with The Yard Theatre in association with the Bush Theatre, it received critical acclaim at the National Theatre in 2014 playing in the Temporary theatre, which opened on the South Bank between 2013 – 2016 during the refurbishment of the Dorfman theatre. The play went on to become a television series on E4 in 2015, for which Coel would win the BAFTA for Best Comedy Performance and BAFTA for Breakthrough Talent for her writing.  

This is a recording from the National Theatre Archive from the production in the National Theatre’s Temporary theatre in 2014. This is the first time this Archive recording has been released for the public to stream. 

 Available worldwide until at least 12 July 2022.   

 

A View from the Bridge

In Brooklyn, Eddie Carbone welcomes his Sicilian cousins to the land of freedom. But when one of them falls for his beautiful niece, they discover that freedom comes at a price.

Eddie’s jealous mistrust exposes a deep, unspeakable secret – one that drives him to commit the ultimate betrayal.

Ivo Van Hove directs Mark Strong and Nicola Walker in Arthur Miller’s dark and passionate play.

The cast also includes Emun Elliott as Marco, Phoebe Fox as Catherine, Michael Gould as Alfieri, Richard Hansell as Louis, Luke Norris as Rodolpho and Pádraig Lynch as Officer.

Direction by Ivo van Hove, design & light by Jan Versweyveld, costumes by An D’Huys, sound by Tom Gibbons, dramaturgy by Bart Van den Eynde, UK casting by Julia Horan CDG, US casting by Jim Carnahan, associate direction by Jeff James, associate design by James Turner, associate lighting design by Nicki Brown and associate sound design by Alex Twiselton.

This Young Vic production was filmed live at the Wyndham’s Theatre in March 2015.

Available worldwide until at least 12 July 2022.  

Everyman

Chiwetel Ejiofor is Everyman in a new adaptation by Carol Ann Duffy, directed by Rufus Norris.

Everyman is successful, popular and riding high.

When Death comes calling, he is forced to abandon his hedonistic life and embark on a frantic search to find a friend that will speak in his defence. But with Death close behind, his time is running out.

Filmed in the Olivier theatre in 2015, this is a National Theatre production.

The cast includes Sharon D Clarke, Paul Bullion, Adam Burton, Michelle Butterfly, Kate Duchene, Dermot Crowley, Amy Griffiths, Nick Holder, Nicholas Karimi, Joshua Lacey, Penny Layden, Coral Messam, Amanda Minihan, Itxaso Moreno, Ira Mandela Siobhan, Kiruna Stamell, Clemmie Sveaas, Phillip Martin Brown, Jeshaiah Murray, Tumo Reetsang, Joshua Tikare and Stephen Aintree.

Directed by Rufus Norris, with choreography and movement direction by Javier De Frutos, set design by Ian MacNeil, costume design by Nicky Gillibrand, lighting design by Paul Anderson, video design by Tal Rosner, music by William Lyons, sound design by Paul Arditti and music production by Dominic Betmead.

Available worldwide until at least 12 July 2022.   

Frankenstein
 

Filmed live in 2011 from the Olivier stage of the National Theatre in London, this thrilling production, directed by Academy Award winner Danny Boyle sold out at the National Theatre and became an international sensation in cinemas around the world.
 

Jonny Lee Miller and Benedict Cumberbatch jointly won the Olivier Best Actor Award for alternately playing the roles of the creature and Victor Frankenstein. Naomie Harris plays Elizabeth, the fiancé of Victor Frankenstein.

Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel was adapted for the stage by Nick Dear.

Childlike in his innocence but grotesque in form, Frankenstein’s bewildered creature is cast out into a hostile universe by his horror-struck maker. Meeting with cruelty wherever he goes, the increasingly desperate and vengeful Creature determines to track down his creator and strike a terrifying deal.

The cast also includes Ella Smith, John Killoran, Steven Elliott, Lizzie Winkler, Karl Johnson, Daniel Millar, Jared Richard, George Harris, Martin Chamberlain, Daniel Ings, Mark Armstrong, John Stahl, Andreea Padurariu, John Killoran, Josie Daxter and William Nye.

Frankenstein is directed by Danny Boyle, with set design by Mark Tidesley, costume design by Suttirat Anne Larlarb, lighting design by Bruno Poet, music and sound score by Underworld, movement direction by Toby Sedgwick, fight direction by Kate Waters, music associate is Alex Baranowski and sound design by Underworld and Ed Clarke.

Available to audiences outside the UK and Ireland until at least 12 July 2022.  In June, Amazon Prime Video made this production available exclusively to subscribers in the UK and Ireland as part of a collaboration with the National Theatre.

Hamlet
 

BAFTA winner Benedict Cumberbatch plays Hamlet with Ciarán Hinds as Claudius, Sian Brooke as Ophelia, Anastasia Hille as Gertrude and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Laertes in Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, filmed live at the Barbican. 

In 2015, this production was the fastest selling ticket in theatre history with all 100,000 tickets selling out in minutes.

As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.

The cast also includes Leo Bill, Karl Johnson, Jim Norton, Barry Aird, Eddie Arnold, Nigel Carrington, Ruairi Conaghan, Rudi Dharmalingam, Colin Haigh, Paul Ham, Diveen Henry, Amaka Okafor, Dan Parr, Jan Shepherd, Morag Siller, Matthew Steer, Sergo Vares and Dwane Walcott.

Directed by National Theatre Associate Lyndsey Turner, set designs are by Es Devlin with costume designs by Katrina Lindsay, video by Luke Halls, lighting by Jane Cox, music by Jon Hopkins, sound by Christopher Shutt, movement by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and fights by Bret Yount.

Presented by Sonia Friedman Productions and filmed live in 2015 from the Barbican Theatre. 

Available to audiences outside the UK and Ireland until at least 12 July 2022.  In June, Amazon Prime Video made this production available exclusively to subscribers in the UK and Ireland as part of a collaboration with the National Theatre.

RSC ROOFTOP RESTAURANT REOPENS

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY’S ROOFTOP RESTAURANT REOPENS TODAY TO COINCIDE WITH THE FIRST PREVIEW OF THE COMEDY OF ERRORS AT THE NEWLY BUILT LYDIA & MANFRED GORVY GARDEN THEATRE

NEW SEASONAL SUMMER MENU FEATURES LOCAL SUPPLIERS INCLUDING WORCESTER PRODUCE AND AUBREY ALLEN BUTCHERS

VIEW MENU

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) Rooftop Restaurant reopens today with the launch of a new summer menu. The popular restaurant which boasts spectacular views over the Bancroft Gardens and River Avon opens to coincide with the first performance of The Comedy of Errors, which previews from tonight in the newly constructed Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre, situated in the Swan Theatre Gardens.

In line with government guidelines, the restaurant in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre will reopen its doors with a reduced menu, available from Tuesday – Sunday.

The new summer menu, designed by Head Chef, Matthew Jennings, features a wealth of locally sourced ingredients from suppliers based in Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding area, including the popular Worcester produce and Aubrey Allen butchers.

Starters include Italian Burrata with Heirloom tomatoes, red onion, capers, basil, focaccia croutons with salsa Verde, or pressed honey glazed ham hock terrine, piccalilli, melba toast with apricot puree. Main courses range from ricotta cheese, lemon and soft herb strozzapreti pasta, edamame beans, asparagus, roasted red peppers and artichokes or Bang Bang chicken – crispy battered tempura chicken fillet, sweet chilli and satay dressing, toasted sesame seeds, pancetta, herb croutons, gem lettuce with coriander. The meal can be rounded off with Strawberry Cranachan – crushed strawberries, whipped mascarpone cream, honey and oat crumble or Belgian chocolate millionaire’s shortcake served with salted caramel sauce and honeycomb. A children’s menu is available for under 12s or alternatively many dishes are available in half portions. The Company also offers an array of gluten free dishes.

RSC Rooftop Restaurant Head Chef, Matthew Jennings, said: “I am truly delighted to reopen the Rooftop Restaurant to patrons coming to visit the theatre as we welcome our guests back to the RSC. I am excited to launch our brand-new summer menu, continuing to showcase the very best of locally sourced ingredients from Stratford-upon-Avon and the surrounding areas.”

In addition to the pre-theatre menu, the Rooftop Restaurant has introduced the RSC picnic bag, which can be pre-ordered and collected from the RST colonnade. The picnic bag includes a homemade pasta salad, a fresh fruit pot, lemon cake, homemade sausage roll, a packet of crisps, a can of still water plus a choice of red or white wine.

The Riverside Cafe is also open as a take-away service from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am, serving hot and cold drinks, homemade cakes, sandwiches, snacks and ice creams. 

The Swan Cafe and Susie’s Cafe Bar in The Other Place will both remain closed until further notice.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre presents
 

The COVID-19 Variations: A Piano Drama

A unique Theatrical Event at The REP to open its 50th Anniversary Season.

By Alison Jackson and Richard Thomas

Directed by Sean Foley

Friday 27 August at 6pm and 8.30pm

Saturday 28 August at 2.30pm and 7.30pm 

Priority booking on sale on Friday 9th July, general booking on sale on Tuesday 13th July from https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on 

Alison Jackson, BAFTA and multi-Award winning contemporary artist, and Richard Thomas, Birmingham born Artistic Associate of The REP and Olivier Award winning composer and lyricist, together with acclaimed, New York based, concert pianist Philip Edward Fisher have collaborated to create a special theatrical event to mark the re-opening season of The REP in it’s 50th year on Centenary Square. 

Directed by REP Artistic Director, double Olivier Award winner Sean Foley, The Covid-19 Variations: A Piano Drama is a playfully provocative one-off piece of event theatre – an outrageously funny film and concert in one. An inadvertently powerful and always entertaining take on the last 18 months, The Covid-19 Variations stars everyone from Donald Trump to Elton John, from Kanye West to the Royal Family – because everyone has lived through Covid.

Inspired by having had Covid – twice! – Richard Thomas’s ‘piano drama’ is a Gershwinesque 23 minute riff on the experience of being in the grip of the disease du jour. He wrote the piece for Birmingham born and raised Philip Fisher who was extremely ill with Covid in New York in the first days of lockdown. Philip recovered and played the piece in an empty auditorium on Long Island… A recording of his performance found its way to Alison Jackson, and she in turn was inspired to create 19 short films for each of the Covid-19 Variations, drawn from her world of fake news, alternative facts, and celebrity lookalikes, and commemorating life in the time of Covid.  

Performed live on a concert grand by Philip Edward Fisher, The Covid-19 Variations: A Piano Drama will mark the opening of the theatre for it’s Autumn Season.

Richard Thomas’s Covid-19 Variations was originally commissioned by the Guggenheim Museum New York. Alison Jackson’s film has been specially created for this event.

Each performance will be followed by an ‘In Conversation’ discussion with Alison Jackson, Richard Thomas and Philip Edward Fisher, talking with Rep Artistic Director Sean Foley and the audience.

Booking Information
Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Centenary Square, Broad St, Birmingham B1 2EP

Friday 27 August at 6pm and 8.30pm
Saturday 28 August at 2.30pm and 7.30pm 

Ticket prices: £17.50 (price includes a drink)
Tickets are on sale now from https://www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on
Box Office number 0121 236 4455

OLIVER AWARD-WINNING MISCHIEF ANNOUNCE FULL CASTING FORINAUGURAL UK TOUR OF GROAN UPS
UK TOUR: 12 Aug 2021 – 5 Mar 2022

Olivier award-winning comedy favourites, Mischief, today announce full casting for their very first UK tour of Groan Ups. The touring cast presents: Daniel Abbott (Archie), Jamie Birkett (Chemise, Miss Murray), Matt Cavendish (Simon), Killian Macardle (Paul, Mr White), Yolanda Ovide (Moon), Dharmesh Patel (Spencer), Lauren Samuels (Katie), with understudies Paul Brown and Holly Sumpton.

Groan Ups will open at Theatre Royal Bath on 12 August 2021 before touring to Salford, Chester, Sheffield, Oxford, Guildford, Edinburgh, Cheltenham, Cardiff, Cambridge, Glasgow, Dartford, Wolverhampton, Norwich, Brighton, Nottingham, Southampton, Aylesbury and Coventry until 5 March 2022. Tickets are on sale.

Something a little different from Mischief, Groan Ups is a comedy all about growing up. Following an unruly classroom of six year-olds as they journey through anarchic teenage life, through to adulthood, this comedy asks the real questions – do we choose who we become? Is the story of our lives already written? Do we ever really grow up? 
Groan Ups premiered in the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre in September 2019 and also featured on the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. 

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Groan Ups is directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward with Set Design by Fly Davis, Costume Design by Roberto Surace, Sound Design and Composition by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite and Lighting Design by Christopher Nairne. Associate Director is Katie-Ann McDonough. Produced by Kenny Wax Ltd and Stage Presence Ltd.

Mischief’s other West End successes include The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Magic Goes Wrong and Mischief Movie Night.Groan Ups is one of three Mischief shows heading out on tour this summer: The Play That Goes Wrong opens its fourth UK tour today and Magic Goes Wrong opens its first UK tour on the 20 July. In addition to their stage work, Mischief’s hugely successful six-part TV Series, The Goes Wrong Show, aired in the UK on BBC ONE and on Amazon Prime Video in the US, Canada and Australia. The show received a 2020 TV Choice Award nomination for Best Comedy and has recently been nominated in the Comedy category at the 2021 National Television Awards. Series two is currently in production.