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INITIAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR 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.

• Introducing Jack Wolfe as Peter Duchene, who appeared in The Witcher and Inside No. 9 and stars in The Magic Flute for release in 2022.

• Principal cast also includes; Keisha Amponsa Banson, Marc Antolin, Sam Harrison, Forbes Masson, Mark Meadows, Alastair Parker and Summer Strallen.

The Royal Shakespeare Company has today announced initial casting for The Magician’s Elephant, a new musical by Nancy Harris (book/lyrics) and Marc Teitler (music/lyrics) based on the novel by prize-winning children’s author Kate DiCamillo.

The principal cast includes; Keisha Amponsa Banson (Gloria Matienne), Marc Antolin (Leo Matienne), Sam Harrison (Count Quintet), Forbes Masson (Police Chief), Mark Meadows (Vilna Lutz), Alastair Parker (Magician), Summer Strallen (Countess Quintet) and Jack Wolfe (Peter Duchene).

Further cast comprises; Sharif Afifi (Milliner), Alison Arnopp (Baker), Hannah Brown (Swing), Michael Carolan (Swing), Lucca Chadwick-Patel (Fishmonger), Stephen John Davis (Doctor), Zoe Halliday (The Elephant), Wela Mbusi (The Elephant), Suzanne Nixon (The Elephant), Wendy Somerville (Mrs Griswald) and Mandi Symonds (Sister Marie).

The world stage premiere of The Magician’s Elephant will run in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Thursday 14 October 2021 to Saturday 1 January 2022 with press night on Tuesday 26 October 2021.

The production, which was originally due to run from October 2020 – January 2021, was postponed due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, which included the temporary cancellation of all RSC performances, events and other activities. The production will mark the re-opening of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre following the pandemic and the return of audiences to indoor performances at the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon.

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 andmovement 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.

The role of Peter Duchene will be played by Jack Wolfe, who makes his RSC debut this Christmas. Jack’s previous theatre credits include Sweeney Todd (Lyric Belfast), Pinocchio (National Theatre) The Snow Queen (Rose Theatre Kingston) and The Musician (The Belfast Ensemble). Television credits include Inside No. 9; The Witcher; Father Brown and Hetty Feather.

Jack plays the lead role of Tim Walker/Prince Tamino in the upcoming film adaptation of The Magic Flute (Flute Film/Centropolis Entertainment) opposite Iwan Rheon and F. Murray Abraham, which is due for release in 2022. 

He will be joined by Marc Antolin and Keisha Amponsa Banson in the roles of Leo and Gloria Matienne respectively.

Marc is no stranger to the RSC at Christmas. In 2010, he appeared as a member of the original ensemble cast of Matilda the Musical, which this year celebrates its 10^th anniversary in the West End. Marc continued with the production when it transferred to the West End and later went on to play the role of Rudolpho.

Marc’s other musical theatre credits include playing the role of Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and Marc Chagall in Kneehigh/Bristol Old Vic’s production The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk. Other notable stage credits include The Trial (Young Vic) and Taken at Midnight (Theatre Royal Haymarket/Chichester Festival Theatre).

Keisha Amponsa Banson is perhaps best known to musical theatre audiences for playing Ms Sheinkopf in School of Rock – The Musical. Keisha’s previous credits for the RSC include Matilda the Musical (Cambridge Theatre) in which she played the role of Mrs Phelps.

Keisha’s other theatre credits include Caroline, or Change (Chichester Festival Theatre/West End); Beano The Musical (Old Vic); King (Hackney Empire); Dr. FeelGood (The Other Palace); Motown the Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre); I Know All The Secrets In My World (Tiata Fahodzi); Yarico (London Theatre Workshop); City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse); The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre); From Here to Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre); The Lion King (UK/Ireland Tour); Believers Anonymous (Rosemary Branch Theatre); Footloose (UK Tour); Woosah (Old Vic); Knight Crew (Glyndebourne Opera); Little Shop of Horrors (Menier Chocolate Factory, UK Tour). Her television credits include Children in Need; Live At The London Palladium; The Sound of Music Live!; Gareth Malone Goes to Glyndebourne; West End Story: What Nancy, Joseph & Maria Did Next and I’d Do Anything.

Four times Olivier award-nominated actress Summer Strallen will make her RSC debut this Autumn playing the role of Countess Quintet alongside Sam Harrison as Count Quintet.

Throughout her career, Summer has performed various leading roles on stage and screen.

Her most notable stage credits include playing Meg Giry in the West End production of Love Never Dies and Maria von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s revival of The Sound of Music at the London Palladium. Other theatre credits include What’s In A Name (UK Tour); Young Frankenstein (Garrick Theatre); Hysteria (London Classic Theatre Tour); A Damsel In Distress (Chichester Festival Theatre); Ultimate Broadway (Shanghai Culture Square Theatre); Life Of The Party (Menier Chocolate Factory); Top Hat (Aldwych Theatre and National Tour), Company (Queens Theatre); The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Piccadilly Theatre); Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium); Cats (New London Theatre and National Tour); Fosse (European Tour) and The Sound of Music (Sadler’s Wells). 

Summer played the role of Nancy Morrell in BBC One’s World War Two drama, Land Girls. She also voiced the part of “Princess Lucy” in The Big Knights, a British animated children’s television series, and played the role of Summer Shaw in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks.

Sam Harrison’s musical theatre credits include playing Bamatabois/Claquesous in Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre), Boris in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (West Yorkshire Playhouse & UK Tour), the Hairdresser in The Phantom of the Opera (25th Anniversary Tour)

and Bobby in Crazy for You (London Palladium). Other stage credits include A Damsel in Distress (Chichester Festival Theatre), By Jeeves (Trinity Theatre) Eastward, Ho! (Shakespeare’s Globe), Salad Days (Riverside Studios) and Avenue Q (Gielgud Theatre).

Returning to the RSC this Christmas following his role as Mr Hawtrey, the Headmaster in The Boy in the Dress in 2019/20 is RSC Associate Artist Forbes Masson, who will play the Police Chief.

Forbes’ previous credits for the RSC include The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, Ahasverus, Morte D’Arthur, Henry VI Part 2, Henry V, The Grain Store, A Tender Thing, Henry VI Parts 1,2 & 3, Richard II, Twelfth Night, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth and Hamlet. Other theatre credits include Summer and Smoke (West End and The Almeida), Little Shop of Horrors (Regents Park), Big Fish (The Other Palace), Bartholomew Fair, Merry Wives of Windsor, Boudica (all at Shakespeare’s Globe) and Travesties (West End and Menier). Forbes is known for his comedy partnership with Alan Cumming. Together they wrote and starred in The High Life, and created the famous Scottish comedy duo, Victor and Barry. Recent TV credits include Crime, Father Brown, Catastrophe, Shetland and EastEnders

Making his RSC debut this Autumn is Mark Meadows as Vilna Lutz. Mark’s previous musical theatre credits include The Thrill of Love (New Vic, Stoke); Flowers for Mrs Harris (Sheffield Crucible; Chichester Festival Theatre), Betty Blue Eyes (Novello Theatre); Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre); Urinetown (St James); High Society (Sheffield Crucible). Other theatre credits include Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Tobacco Factory);A Woman of No Importance (UK Tour);Orpheus Descending (Menier Chocolate Factory); Quiz (Chichester Festival Theatre; Noel Coward Theatre); Tartuffe (Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory) and The Magna Carta Plays (Salisbury Playhouse).

Mark’s TV and radio credits include McDonald & Dodds (Mammoth Screen);Kiri (Channel 4), EastEnders, Casualty, Doctors (all for BBC); Letters From Baghdad; Nicholas Nickleby (United Artists); High Heels & Lowlifes (Fragile Films), Poetry Please; Costing The Earth; The Good Companions; Company; Pal Joey (BBC Radio 3); The Worst Journey in the World; Torchwood-Lost Souls; If Not Now, When?; Abel’s Law; The Von Trapps & Me; Tommy the Voice; I Believe I Have Genius; The Quest and Making Hay (all for BBC Radio 4). 

Also returning to the Royal Shakespeare Company this Christmas is Alastair Parker who plays the Magician. Alastair last appeared at the RSC as Sergei in the original cast of Matilda the Musical in 2010. Alastair later went on to understudy the role of Miss Trunchbull during the production’s run at the Cambridge Theatre.

Alastair’s other theatre credits include A Christmas Carol (Old Vic Theatre), Jerry Springer – The Opera (National Theatre, Cambridge Theatre, Battersea Arts Centre); Bed & Sofa (Finborough Theatre); BBC Proms – Sondheim at 80 (Royal Albert Hall); The Secret Garden, Alice in Wonderland (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Silk (Orange Tree Theatre); Wizard of Oz, The Glee Club (New Vic Theatre); Two Women for One Ghost, Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, HMS Pinafore (Regents Park Open Air Theatre); Spittin’ Distance, Jonah Boy, Beginners Guide to Cybershopping (Stephen Joseph Theatre); Is There Life After High School (The Bridewell Theatre); Oklahoma (Perth Theatre) and Oliver (London Palladium).

AWARD WINNING 

LAZARUS THEATRE COMPANY 

Oscar Wilde’s scandalous Salomé to play Southwark Playhouse this summer. 

“Salomé, dance for me.  

I pray thee dance for me.” 

King Herod asks Salomé, son of the Queen to dance for him… this request leads to the Dance of the Seven Veils and one of the most shocking, thrilling, and scandalous climaxes ever seen on stage. 

Originally banned in Britain, Wilde’s outrageously provocative Salomé comes to Southwark Playhouse after a ★★★★★ run at Greenwich Theatre in 2019.  

This new immersive version is Adapted and Directed by Ricky Dukes, Designed by Sorcha Corcoran, Lighting by Ben Jacobs (inspired by original design by Hector Murray) with Sound design by Will Thompson and produced by Rachael Nolan and Gavin Harrington-Odedra for Lazarus Theatre Company.  

The role of Salomé is regendered and played by Fred Thomas, the role of King Herod is played by Jamie O’Neill and Jokanaan by Prince Plockey. Further casting to be announced. 

Salomé is suitable for ages 16 plus, contains full male nudity, gun shots and scenes of a sexual nature. 

Salomé plays from Aug 25^th – Sept 11^th at Southwark Playhouse. 

THE WINDSORS: ENDGAME 

FIRST LOOK AT ROYAL FAMILY PORTRAITS 

• THE WINDSORS: ENDGAME FINAL CAST MEMBERS: ELIZA BUTTERWORTH AS EUGENIE AND SOPHIE-LOUISE DANN AS FERGIE

As final cast members Eliza Butterworth (Eugenie) and Sophie-Louise Dann (Fergie) are announced, a series of (un)suitably hilarious Royal portraits of The Windsors: Endgame characters are revealed today.

Sophie-Louise Dann (Fergie) said ‘I’m looking forward to a right Royal rollicking time – I  haven’t been so excited since I had my big toe sucked!’

With rehearsals underway, the company posed for character portraits, in full costume, and the results offer a glimpse into how hilarious the show is going to be. A soap opera style parody of the lives of the monarchy, there’s just four weeks to go until the first preview at the most appropriate of venues, The Prince of Wales Theatre.

Eliza Butterworth and Sophie-Louise Dann join the rest of the monarch-compan-y: Harry Enfield (Charles); Crystal Condie (Meghan); Matthew Cottle (Edward); Tom Durant-Pritchard (Harry); Tracy-Ann Oberman (Camilla); Ciarán Owens (Wills); Jenny Rainsford (Beatrice); Kara Tointon (Kate) and Tim Wallers (Andrew).

The World Premiere of The Windsors: Endgame will open on 2 August with a press night on 10 August.

 Written by the creators of the TV series, George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore, directed by Michael Fentiman (Amelie), and featuring songs, sword fights and snogging competitions, this show has everything you need.

The Windsors: Endgame is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David, Gavin Kalin, Hunter Arnold, and Kater Gordon. The Windsors television series was produced by Noho Film & Television for Channel 4. 

York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 10 July 2021

Reviewed by Marcus Richardson

3***

A petrol scare, a rushed covid jab and a sprint to the theatre. This was my chaotic return to the theatre, after a year and a half break, courtesy of Covid. What can I say; It’s good to be back! My return to the York Theatre Royal was to watch A Splinter of Ice by Ben Brown, a Cold War play and discussion between two seasoned friends and spies both on different sides. For the most part, the play is between Graham Greene (Oliver Ford Davies), a British Novelist and Spy, and Kim Philby (Steven Boxer, a British communist, who worked for MI6 but traded secrets with the KGB. After fleeing Britain before his treachery was fully realised, he now lives in Russia. This show is an enactment of their last meeting, as old friends, with plenty of vodka thrown in, in the last stages of their lives.

This naturalistic play is definitely tailored to an older audience, a style of play the doesn’t always interest me. The play didn’t seem to drag at a slow pace, even though it was like watching two old friends catch up. The strength of the show definitely comes from the script and the natural feel of everything. The only other actor on stage was Karen Ascoe who plays Rufa Philby, Kim’s Russian wife. All three of the cast did a good job at handling the dialogue heavy play. The set was fairly sparse and simple, a few chairs, sofa and bookcases to set the scene and metal frames resembling walls, you could just imagine this being the starkness of the former USSR.

While I personally am not a fan of this kind of theatre and this show doesn’t really appeal to me, I can see that a lot of people would enjoy it, especially the older generation. It makes for a calm evening with enough entertainment to enjoy the theatre. It will be at the York Theatre Royal until the 10th of July. So, if you’re looking for a calm evening and a return to the theatre, come and watch A Splinter of Ice.

SHEFFIELD THEATRES ANNOUNCE NEW SHOWS

Autumn 2021 – Spring 2022

• The Crucible autumn season opens with Typical Girls by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, in co-production with Clean Break, directed by joint Artistic Director Róisín McBrinn.

• At Christmas, Artistic Director Robert Hastie directs the glorious romantic musical comedy She Loves Me.

• In spring 2022 is Leo Tolstoy’s epic Anna Karenina, directed by RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau.

• In October is The Lemon Table directed by Sheffield Theatres’ former Artistic Director Michael Grandage, in a co-production with Sheffield Theatres, Malvern Theatres, Wiltshire Creative and HOME in association with MGC.

Sheffield Theatres today announces its latest programme of work, featuring new productions in the Crucible in the autumn, Christmas 2021 and into the spring of 2022, alongside a bumper season of visiting productions in the Lyceum and Studio.

Beginning the new season in the Crucible is Typical Girls by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm from Friday 24 September – Saturday 16 October 2021. A new punk musical play co-produced with Clean Break and directed by the company’s Joint Artistic Director Róisín McBrinn. In a mental health unit inside a prison, a group of women form a punk rock band to allow an outlet for their frustration. They find remedy in revolution, but in a system that suffocates, can rebellion ever be allowed?

Directed by Michael Grandage, Sheffield Theatres’ former Artistic Director, The Lemon Table is co-produced with Malvern Theatres, Wiltshire Creative and HOME in association with MGC, and plays in the Crucible from Tuesday 26 – Saturday 30 October. In The Lemon Table, Julian Barnes brings his unsentimental, wryly comic, perspective to the complicated business of ageing, with its attendant, and often bizarrely, fluctuating emotions.

For Christmas, Artistic Director Robert Hastie directs the romantic comedy She Loves Me, from Saturday 11 December 2021 – Saturday 15 January 2022. From the writers of Fiddler on the Roof and based on the story that inspired the movie You’ve Got Mail, the musical focuses on two parfumerie clerks who clash at work but, unbeknownst to them, both live for the anonymous love letters they exchange.

After Christmas, Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau directs Anna Karenina, adapted by Helen Edmundson. This bold new production of Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece about desire, duty and defiance runs from Saturday 5 – Saturday 26 February 2022.

Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres said:

‘’We’re so excited to announce new productions. Making theatre again for our audiences and with our communities, working with talented artists and brilliant partners, is what we’re here for, and what everyone who loves theatre in Sheffield has striven so hard to protect.

We kick off with the world premiere of a new play by one of the UK’s most remarkable writers. For Typical Girls, by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, we’re thrilled to be working with the fantastic company Clean Break. Part gig, part-play this riotous new show sees a group of women light up through their journey into punk rock.

Then at Christmas we bring old school elegance and a whole heap of romance to the Crucible with She Loves Me. A show full of charm, a soaring score, and all the magic of the festive season.

Then, to begin 2022, Anthony Lau directs Leo Tolstoy’s epic masterpiece Anna Karenina, a play that asks us how we lead this one life we have.

All of our stages come alive with the work of brilliant creatives, casts and companies over the coming months. In welcoming friends old and new, it is wonderful to have previous Artistic Director Michael Grandage back to the Crucible with The Lemon Table ahead of our 50th anniversary year. And outside our walls, our work across the city continues to engage with Sheffielders of all ages, most excitingly as we prepare for October’s visit from Little Amal, the giant puppet girl at the centre of Good Chance’s ground-breaking project, The Walk.

We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported us over the last 16 months. As we prepare to reopen all three of our theatres once more we can’t wait to share this bumper-crop of work with all our audiences who we have missed so much.”

At Christmas – together with She Loves Me in the Crucible – this year’s pantomime Sleeping Beauty will be back in the Lyceum with Sheffield legend Damian Williams at the helm for more laughs, adventure and family fun, from Friday 3 December 2021 through to Monday 3 January 2022. Completing the festive programme, Little Angel Theatre Company’s The Pixie and the Pudding takes centre stage in the Studio – a magical delight for children and adults alike to enjoy from Saturday 11 December – Sunday 2 January.

The Lyceum will open on Monday 16 August with Hairspray, which is then followed by a host of new touring productions.

From Monday 20 – Saturday 25 September, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell delves into the under-belly of 1930s London life, where ordinary people emerge from cheap boarding houses nightly to pour out their passions, hopes and dreams in the pubs and bars of fog-bound Soho and Fitzrovia. Inspired by the English novelist Patrick Hamilton (Twenty Thousand Streets Under The Sky, Hangover Square).

Mischief Theatre return once again in October with Magic Goes Wrong to conjure up an evening of grand illusion. Created with Magic legends Penn & Teller, the Mischief company play a hapless gang of magicians presenting a charity event – but as the accidents spiral out of control, so does their fundraising target! Running from Tuesday 12 – Saturday 16 October.

Inspired by the story of the mythical wizard who mastered his magic to unite a warring kingdom, Northern Ballet’s Merlin (Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 November) will take you on a sweeping, epic adventure of heartbreak, hope and more than a little magic.

STOS Theatre Company return to the Lyceum with Elf the Musical from Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 November. Based on the popular festive film, this hilarious musical follows Buddy the elf on his quest to find his father – and himself. STOS draw on the very best local talent, creating theatre for and by the people of South Yorkshire.

There’s more dance in the new year, with Swan Lake and The Nutcracker performed by the one of Russia’s leading ballet companies: Russian State Ballet of Siberia. Dazzling audiences with two performances split across Monday 10 – Saturday 15 January, these magical ballets swirl with wintry charm and delight.

There’s mischief afoot in January with Gangsta Granny, running from Wednesday 19 – Saturday 22 January. Based on the book by David Walliams, meet Ben as he embarks on the adventure of a lifetime with his very own Gangsta Granny!

Fat Friends The Musical makes its return to Sheffield after its triumphant first tour. Created by award-winning writer Kay Mellor and starring West End and TV favourite Lee Mead, the show reunites our favourite foodie friends as they are put through their Zumba paces at the local slimming club (Monday 31 January – Saturday 5 February).

In March, enter the glittering world of Dreamgirls from Tuesday 8 – Saturday 19 March. Effie, Lorrell and Deena are three talented young singers in the turbulent 1960s, a revolutionary time in American music history. Join them as they embark upon a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune and the ruthless realities of show business, testing their friendships to the very limit.

A number of rescheduled shows will also take place at the Lyceum: Dial M for Murder will play in October 2021 from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 – the definitive seat-gripping drama which follows the vengeful scheme of a jaded ex-tennis pro who discovers his wife has been unfaithful.

November 2021 sees the return of the creepy, spooky, mysterious and kooky Addams Family, from Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27. Wednesday Addams is all grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows: she’s fallen in love. With his cherished Morticia in the dark, Gomez attempts to keep his daughter’s secret.

In to 2022, pour yourself a cup of ambition as 9 to 5 the Musical plays in the Lyceum from Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 February. Follow the story of three workmates pushed to boiling point by their sexist and egotistical boss. With an award-nominated score by Dolly Parton.

Then, out of the darkness and into the spotlight, we welcome back Sheffield’s much-loved production Everybody’s Talking About Jamie from Monday 11 – Saturday 16 April 2022. Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield, but he is going to be a sensation at the school prom. From Sheffield Theatres’ original production in 2017, this fabulous musical returns to the Lyceum for its second run.

Enter the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s with Chicago from Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 July 2022. After murdering her on-the-side lover, housewife and dancer Roxie Hart hires Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines.

In the Studio, Operation Crucible returns from Thursday 2 – Saturday 25 September, rescheduled from 2020. Created by Kieran Knowles, this is the moving story of four steelworkers trapped in the cellar of Sheffield’s Marples Hotel during the bombing of 1940.

From Friday 8 – Saturday 9 October, Sheffield People’s Theatre Young Company will present a devised project in collaboration with multi award-winning, Yorkshire-based gig-theatre company Silent Uproar.

These Hills Are Ours follows on Tuesday 12 October. Join Daniel Bye and Boff Whalley on the journey of two men as they run from the centre of the city in which they find themselves, to the top of the peak overlooking that city. But what are they really running from?

Love N Stuff plays from Wednesday 13 – Saturday 16 October. Tanika Gupta tells a hilarious and touching story of love, attachment and what we mean by home. Bindi and Mansoor might just be the most popular couple on their street, but after 45 years of a loving marriage, Mansoor has vowed to swap the cold streets of Stratford for a sun soaked Delhi. But Bindi’s not convinced and has concocted a last minute plan to lure him back.

Mark Farrelly’s hugely-acclaimed solo play Quentin Crisp: A Naked Hope plays on Tuesday 2 November. Quentin Crisp – openly gay as early as the 1930s and one of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century – suffered incredibly for refusing to be anything less than himself. This is the story of his extraordinary courage and inspiring wit in the face of adversity.

First Time plays from Friday 19 – Saturday 20 November. Can you remember your first time? Nathaniel can’t seem to forget his. To be fair, he has had it playing on repeat for the last 15 years. Award-winning HIV+ theatre-maker Nathaniel Hall (It’s a Sin) and Dibby Theatre present their critically acclaimed ‘hilarious’ and ‘heart breaking’ hit autobiographical show about growing up positive in a negative world.

Family Vogue Ball bursts onto the stage on Saturday 27 November. Four houses go head to head in an epic vogue ball for all the family. A performer from each house will catwalk, dance and lip sync to be crowned the ultimate house with this interactive event where the audience decides the winner. Whether you just want to join in the fun or have a passion to pose, come along and show off your own magnificence by dressing up and help crown the winning house. A celebration of LGBTQIA+ culture from the creators of Rent Party, Family Vogue Ball is a perfect treat for families and children.

My Voice Was Heard But I Was Ignored plays from Monday 29 – Tuesday 30 November. 15 year-old Reece is roughly accosted by the police whilst his young, Black teacher Gillian witnesses it all – but she doesn’t question or intervene. The consequences of her lack of action erupt as Gillian finds herself locked in a gripping tussle of power and an urgent interrogation of racial identity.

In addition to the season of shows, Sheffield Theatres is also proud to host The Walk from Friday 29 October. The Walk is an international project with Good Chance and Handspring Puppet Company. Sheffield Theatres will be the lead partner to welcome Little Amal, a 3.5m puppet of a 10-year-old refugee girl, to Sheffield on her 8000km journey from the Syria-Turkey border through Europe to Manchester.

Tickets for all new and rescheduled shows will be going on sale to Centre Stage Members at 10am on Saturday 10 July and on general sale at 10am on Saturday 17 July. Accessible performances are available on the majority of productions. Sheffield Theatres will continue to offer at least one socially distanced performance for each production taking place in the Crucible. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

BRAND-NEW LIFE-AFFIRMING BRITISH MUSICAL

THE RHYTHMICS

TO PREMIERE AT THE SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

2 DECEMBER 2021 – 8 JANUARY 2022

www.therhythmics.co.uk
Twitter – @TheRhythmics_

Aria Entertainment and Metta Theatre– two of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to British musical theatre – are pleased to announce the premiere of brand-new life affirming musical THE RHYTHMICS this winter, playing at the Southwark Playhouse from 2 December to 8 January, with a press night on Tuesday 7 December.

With book and lyrics by Metta’s Artistic Director P Burton-Morgan, and music and lyrics from Stiles + Drewe award winner Ben Glasstone (Reanimator), THE RHYTHMICS explores the crisis of masculinity via a collection of oddballs belting their way through a thrillingly catchy guitar-led score.

Hapless single-dad Grey is in a rut. Teenage daughter Silva packs him off to revive his rockstar dreams, successfully auditioning for ‘Nick & the Rhythmics’ only to realise… he’s actually signed up for an All-male Rhythmic Gymnastics troupe. Against the odds these burly blokes make it as far as the World Championships – twirling their ‘ribbons of fire’ – and along the way Grey finally learns to commit to life. Calendar Girls meets The Full Monty in this joyous new British musical.

P Burton-Morgan says, “So thrilled to finally share the world premiere of this original new British musical with live audiences. I can’t think of anything more uplifting to welcome people back into theatres than this heart warming and hilarious tale of community and connection. A tonic for our times; Ben’s joyous score is an absolute bop.”

THE RHYTHMICS is directed by P Burton-Morgan, with choreography by Mark Smith, with Erika Gundesen as Musical Director, Ellie Vekerk as Musical Supervisor, James Nicholson as sound designer, Francine Huin-Wah as costume designer, Jane Deitch as casting director, and Will Reynolds as set and lighting designer.

A cast album for the show was created last year during lockdown under socially distanced rules in studios across London, Brighton and Glasgow, and released in July 2020. The album is available via Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, Apple Music and other digital platforms.

Like the music video Got Your Back, created to accompany the release of the album, the full production will also feature BSL integrated choreography from Deaf men Dancing’s Mark Smith, as well as captions throughout all performances, to make the show accessible for D/deaf and hard of hearing audiences.

Award-winning Metta Theatre is one of the UK’s leading mid-scale touring companies – making exceptional theatre and opera that represents and celebrates the diversity of our world. They are known for combining emotionally powerful performances with imaginative theatricality and striking visual style. After their smash hit street-dance Jungle Book (Theatre Royal Windsor, UK & Int. tours), circus-musical Little Mermaid (Theatre By The Lake & UK tour) and BSL integrated hip hop musical In The Willows (Exeter Northcott & UK tour) Metta Theatre have spent the last year recording and releasing 5 cast albums of their new original British musicals including The Rhythmics, HouseFire, In The Willows, Little Prince & Cells. Other previous productions include Mouthful (Trafalgar Studios) and Arab Nights (Soho Theatre & UK tour).

Aria Entertainment was founded in 2012 by Katy Lipson. In 2017, Katy was awarded the Best Producer award by the Off-West End Awards and is a recipient of a Stage One Bursary and Start Up Award. She took part in the first ever UK/US Producer Exchange in 2019 and was nominated for International Producer Of The Year in 2020 by the League Of Professional Women in New York. She made “The Stage 100” a list of the most influential people working in British Theatre in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and also 2021. Katy recently produced CRUISE at The Duchess Theatre and is producing The Addams Family Tour as well as THE LAST 5 YEARS at the Garrick Theatre. She was Producing Artistic Director at the Hope Mill Theatre from 2016-2019 where she produced and general managed 13 in house musicals. 

#SoulatSaintJames

• A FREE, UPLIFTING OUTDOOR ONE DAY MUSIC FESTIVAL FEATURING 35-STRONG ‘SOUL SANCTUARY GOSPEL CHOIR’ INCLUDING A LIVE BAND, SPOKEN WORD POETRY AND STORY-TELLING WILL TAKE PLACE IN THE HEART OF CENTRAL LONDON
• THE COURTYARD OF ST. JAMES’S CHURCH PICCADILLY WILL BE OPEN FOR VISITORS EVERY FIRST SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
• FREE GOSPEL SINGING WORKSHOPS WILL BE OPEN TO EVERYONE, CULMINATING IN A PERFORMANCE AS PART OF THAT AFTERNOON’S ENTERTAINMENT ON STAGE, SPREADING MUCH-NEEDED JOY IN THE CAPITAL
• STARTING SUNDAY 1 AUGUST FROM 2-5:30PM, REFRESHMENT INCLUDES STREET FOOD STALLS AND A BAR

From 2pm on Sunday 1st August 2021, St James’s Church Piccadilly and Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir will throw open the Church gates to offer everyone, regardless of faith, background or age, an exhilarating, uplifting and completely free afternoon of world-class live gospel and soul music, spoken word poetry provided by Lyrix Organix and story-telling. Nestled in the heart of one of London’s most beautiful outdoor spaces with street food vendors and a bar on-site, each month Soul at Saint James’s will focus on universal themes including Love, Peace, Hope, and Community.

Taking place on the afternoon of the first Sunday of every month from August, Covid regulations permitting, this inspirational mix of gospel and soul music, spoken word poetry and narrative will also include a performance of a song that has been taught during the one-hour gospel singing workshop which takes place beforehand.  This deluxe and fully accessible workshop is for people of all ages and levels of experience who have signed up in advance.

Having hosted food and gift markets in their courtyard for many years, St. James’s is well-known for being community-focussed, opening and welcoming to people of all backgrounds.

The Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s says: “This is an unconditional invitation to anyone who’s passing by.  An invitation to what?  A banquet of music, contemplation, challenge, friendship and celebration, to see what is real under the surface distractions of life, and to invite you to find your own voice to sing. Music is the language of the human spirit. We want to offer companionship in an isolated city, harmony in a noisy city, and to celebrate the diversity of this great city.” 

Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir and St James’s Piccadilly have had a seven-year journey towards Soul at Saint James. General Manager of Soul Sanctuary Gospel Choir Miko Giedroyc said: “We think that there’s a place among London’s events for Soul at Saint James – participative, artistically top-notch, dedicated to life’s important values, welcoming to everyone and above all, fun – and our hope is that in due course it will become a popular fixture.”

Free tickets can be booked here to guarantee entry on the day:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/soul-at-saint-james-tickets-156537952229

Cast announced for Our Teacher’s A Troll in the
incredible Lesnes Abbey Ruins
Lesnes Abbey Ruins, Abbey Road, Belvedere, DA17 5DH
Thursday 12th – Sunday 22nd August 2021

The cast has been announced for Our Teacher’s a Troll by Tony Award-winning writer Dennis Kelly (Matilda the Musical) which will transform the stunning ruins of Lesnes Abbey into an open-air theatre this summer. Directed by the Artistic Director of Ruined Theatre and renowned West End actress Nancy Sullivan (Les Misérables; Call the Midwife), the cast is made up of Lilly Driscoll (In Her Strength, Cardboard Citizens; Jekyll & Hyde, ITV), Louis Gaudenico (Fiver, Southwark Playhouse; Call the Midwife, BBC), Andy Watkins (Kinky Boots, UK tour; Brexit the Musical, Edinburgh Festival) and Joanne Ferguson (The Play That Goes Wrong, West End; Emmerdale, ITV).

Two terrible twins, Sean and Holly, with a talent for turmoil rule their school with terror and tyranny. That is, until the arrival of a new headteacher with scaly skin, gnarly fangs and a spiky tail… Can the twins save the school from the child-eating troll? Can naughtiness prevail? Ruined Theatre will tell this hilarious family production with unmissable puppetry and transform the ruins of the 12th Century abbey, one of London’s truly hidden treasures, into a Covid-safe, openair theatre.

Nancy Sullivan, Artistic Director of Ruined Theatre comments, I live in Abbey Wood and Thamesmead which has no access to the arts and this summer we are bringing high quality, professional theatre to the doorsteps of this community. The Ruined Theatre has been born out of an awareness that theatre is not accessible to everyone. Our motivation is to engage a new audience at the grassroots level through outreach work and mentorship. We want to change the faces we see behind the scenes and on stage in the years to come and help people feel like theatre is an option for them

To make the show as accessible as possible discounted prices are being made available to local residents and school pupils in Greenwich and Bexley Boroughs. The Ruined Theatre Company has also partnered with Peabody Housing Association to ensure that families in financial hardship in the area have access to free tickets. Working with Bexley Council, The Ruined Theatre Company are currently fundraising with the hope of becoming a permanent fixture each summer at Lesnes Abbey Ruins, offering extensive local outreach programmes and top-class productions.

Patrons of Ruined Theatre include: West End, TV, and film producer Jason Haigh Ellery (Doctor Who; Prisoner Zero); novelist and playwright Jonathan Harvey (Coronation Street; Beautiful Thing); Olivier Award-winning actor and area local David Thaxton (Les Misérables; The Phantom of the Opera); RSC and West End actor Baker Mukasa (The Comedy of Errors; Tina). They are sponsored by Big Finish Productions; Sir Tim Rice; Alan Peterson, OBE; Harriet’s Trust; One Penny Theatre Company. The theatre is the recipient of a Thamesmead Community Grant and the show has received a grant from Arts Council England.

 

‘The Show Must Go On! LIVE at the Palace Theatre’ will broadcast on SkyArts  on Sunday 18 July at 8pm. It will be repeated on Saturday 24 July at 8.45am and Sunday 25 July at 2pm.

CHARITY CONCERT

‘THE SHOW MUST GO ON! LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE’

TO BROADCAST ON SKYARTS

ON SUNDAY 18 JULY, 8PM

After a record-breaking sell-out run at The Palace Theatre, and over 600,000 views worldwide from the online stream, the producers of THE SHOW MUST GO ON! LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE are delighted to announce the show will broadcast on SkyArts on Sunday 18 July at 8pm to give theatre fans the chance to relive the West Ends biggest celebration. Sky Arts is free for everyone to watch on Freeview Channel 11.

Filmed by National Theatre Live on Sunday 6 June from the Palace Theatre, ‘The Show Must Go On! LIVE included performances from the world’s most iconic musicals with many returning to the West End stage for the first time in 15 months. This stunning concert performance thrilled theatre fans from all over the world and all profits, including £100,000 of combined donations and merchandise sales from the broadcast night went to theatre charities, Acting For Others and Fleabag Support Fund+ who are currently helping theatre workers who have been out of work due to the pandemic.

The concert was produced by Theatre Support Fund+ which was founded during the pandemic to raise monies theatre freelancers affected by the closure of theatres across the country. They started out with the iconic ‘The Show Must Go On! design and went from producing t-shirts to producing a week long concert! The team have now raised over £1 million for the aforementioned charities and audiences can still donatevia the website, www.theatresupportfund.co.uk/donate or can donate up to £20 by texting ‘THEATRE’ followed by the amount you want to donate to 70460.

This celebration of West End theatre was hosted by musical theatre legends, Bonnie Langford (“9 to 5 the Musical”, “42^nd Street”) and Trevor Dion Nicholas (“Hamilton”, “Aladdin”) and included performances from 18 of the best musicals in London. This concert was a wonderful celebration of all of these shows coming together in a unique one-off production which audiences can now watch from the comfort in their own homes on SkyArts.

The full line up of performances at the concert included, Aisha Jawando in a performance from TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, Marcus Harman in a performance from Dear Evan Hansen, Sharan Phull in a performance from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Collette Guitart and Hana Stewart who will alternate in a performancefrom SIX, Trevor Dion Nicholas in a performance from Hamilton, Dom Simpson and Tom Xander  in a performance from The Book of Mormon, Laura Pick in a performance from WICKED, Tilly-Raye Bayer, Imogen Cole, Alyssa D’Souza, Alex Munden and Carly Thoms in a performance from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical, Jordan Luke Gage in a performance from & Juliet, John Owen Jones in a performance from Les Misérables, Kayi Ushe and Janique Charles in a performance from Disney’s The Lion King, Christine Allado and Alexia Khadime in a performance from The Prince of Egypt, Alice Fearn in a performance from Come From Away, Lucy St Louis and Rhys Whitfield in a performance from The Phantom Of The Opera, Zizi Strallen in a performance from Mary Poppins and Mazz Murray in a performance from MAMMA MIA! In addition, Olly Dobson in a performance from Back to the Future The Musical and Aimie Atkinson in a performance from Pretty Woman The Musical. And a choir of 16 which is made up of Musical Theatre 2020 graduates. 

‘The Show Must Go On! LIVE at the Palace Theatre’ will broadcast on SkyArts  on Sunday 18 July at 8pm. It will be repeated on Saturday 24 July at 8.45am and Sunday 25 July at 2pm.

Audiences can still donate via the website, www.theatresupportfund.co.uk/donate or donate up to £20 by texting ‘THEATRE’ followed by the amount you want to donate to 70460.

Wales Millennium Centre launches CABARET season

  Family shows, music, drag, dance, comedy and more!

Wales Millennium Centre will be welcoming audiences back into its iconic building in Cardiff Bay from July 15 as it launches a summer-long programme of the very best acts from the world of cabaret, music and theatre to the Weston Studio.

The Cabaret Season includes daytime giggles, family theatre and live music, contemporary comedy, fierce drag and bare-faced burlesque in the evenings.

Providing a much-needed celebration of the powerful role the arts can play in reuniting family and friends though laughter, interactive dance and music, Wales Millennium Centre is thrilled to launch a diverse and hilarious six-week programme of performances that will delight all audiences.

Curated to offer something for everyone, the Cabaret season showcases many talented Welsh artists and celebrates diversity in all its guises, with an enormous emphasis on laughter and carefree fun.

Highlights of this eclectic and inclusive line up include the sell-out drag show Margaret Thatcher Queen of Soho, the hilarious hit musical How To Win Against History alongside critically acclaimed comedy featuring our Cardiff’s own, Leroy Brito. Live jazz, soul and world music nights with a Welsh connection bring live music thankfully back to the stage, we have inspiring storytelling and comedy for children including Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru and Os Nad Nawr’s production Glwad Yr Asyn, not to mention a dedicated week of contemporary Welsh language programming.

Peter Darney, Cabaret’s Producer adds: “This season is full of the most amazing artists, and a load of firsts. Along with Burlesque, we are bringing Wales’ first Boylesque night, the chance to take part in GQ’s top voted things to do at home; Dolly Trolley Drag Aerobics, and supporting the Welsh Ballroom Community with the First Welsh KiKi Ball! Cabaret is a broad church- lets come together to pray and slay!”

To see the full programme information and book tickets visit www.wmc.org.uk/cabaret