Performed in the round in Curve’s specially adapted auditorium
Curve is bringing live performance back to Leicester full force this year with the announcement that Rent: The Concert, the era-defining, Pulitzer and Tony award-winning rock musical will be performed at the theatre this summer Tue 10 to Sat 21 August.
Staged in-the-round in Curve’s specially adapted auditorium, this Made at Curve production of Jonathan Larson’s award-winning rock musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (Sunset Boulevard – at Home, West Side Story, White Christmas).
Inspired by Puccini’s classic opera La Bohème, Rent follows a year in the life of eight struggling young artists in New York’s Lower East Side as they attempt to navigate a world overshadowed by the HIV/AIDs pandemic, addiction, poverty and homophobia. The musical’s fierce and fearless score includes ‘La Vie Bohème’, ‘Rent’, ‘Take Me or Leave Me’ and ‘Seasons of Love’.
Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster commented:
“As we emerge from this pandemic, it feels timely to reflect on the resilience and courage which defined the lives of so many during the 1980s HIV/AIDS pandemic. Jonathan Larson’s astonishing Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT represents one of musical theatre’s greatest triumphs, defining an entire era through its blazing music and iconic characters. It is simply one of the greats and we are thrilled to present it in a staged concert at Curve, in our epic, in-the-round arena. Celebrating community, the exhilarating joy of music, the power of artists and the sheer life force of young people, we are looking forward to literally raising the roof this summer at Curve.”
Curve is set to fully reopen on 1 July, in line with the government roadmap, with performances of Peter James’ Looking Good Dead. Last week Curve announced its plans for a socially distanced season to welcome audiences back from May, including Resident Creatives New Work (21 – 22 May), Aakash Odedra’s Rising (24 – 25 May), Am Dram: A Musical Comedy (27 – 29 May) and The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber (7 – 19 June).
As outlined in the roadmap, social distancing is expected to no longer apply during performances of Rent: The Concert at Curve. The theatre will however ensure Covid-safety measures are in place, in-line with government guidance at the time.
Curve has been certified by both UK Theatre as part of its ‘See it Safely’ initiative and Visit England’s ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditation and audiences will be notified of further Covid-safety measures and protocols in advance of attending a performance. Further information can be found here.
Tickets for Rent: The Concert will go on sale to Curve Friends on Wednesday 28 April, Supporters on Thursday 29 April and Members on Friday 30 April. Tickets will be on general sale from Tuesday 4 May, all at 12 noon. Tickets can be purchased online at www.curveonline.co.uk
1 OCTOBER AT THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET MARKING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR
OF THE LEGENDARY TV SHOW
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM ONLYFOOLSMUSICAL.COM
Stick a pony in your pocket – The Trotters are back in town! Following nearly 18-months of being holed up in Nelson Mandela House, Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad are heading back up West, as Only Fools and Horses The Musical is set to make a triumphant return to London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on Friday 1 October. Tickets are on sale now from OnlyFoolsMusical.com.
Comedy giant Paul Whitehouse will return to star as Grandad, alongside Tom Bennett as Del Boy and Ryan Hutton as Rodney in this 5 star musical extravaganza. The re-opening of the show will form part of this year’s 40th anniversary celebrations of the legendary BBC sitcom. The TV show first graced our screens on 8 September 1981 with the episode ‘Big Brother’ and it’s been making millions of people laugh ever since.
Paul Whitehouse said: “I’m over the moon because, finally, the West End is coming back to life and Only Fools and Horses The Musical will return to the Theatre Royal Haymarket this October. The last year or so has been very difficult for a lot of people, so I know I speak for the whole cast when I say that we genuinely cannot wait to get back on stage in front of a live audience – we’ve missed it so much. Roll on 1st October, we can’t wait to see you. Mange tout!”
John Sullivan’s iconic and record-breaking television series has been turned into a critically acclaimed home-grown West End musical spectacular. With a script and original score by John’s son, Jim Sullivan and Paul Whitehouse, the musical reacquaints fans with Britain’s most loveable rogues, to experience the classic comedy brought to life once again through 20 ingenious and hilarious songs.
Featuring cherished material from the TV series, join us as we take a trip back to 1989, where it’s all kicking off in Peckham. Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, Only Fools and Horses The Musical also features many of the hugely loveable TV characters: Raquel, Cassandra, Trigger, Boycie, Marlene, Denzil, Mickey Pearce, Mike the Barman and the dreaded Driscoll Brothers.
Fans have praised the musical in their droves since it opened in February 2019 with show-stopping standing ovations night after night. And the critics have loved it too: The Sun awarded five stars, hailing it “One Del of a show!”; the Daily Mirror said it was “a treat for Trotter fans” in their five-star review. The Sunday Times bestowed four stars and remarked that “Only Fools is a blast from our wide-boy past. A hearty stage adaptation of the 1980s BBC television comedy”. Evening Standard also awarded four stars, complimenting the “unashamedly British night out. A jubilant lovely jubbly!” While Daily Mail urged its readers to “raise a glass of Tittinger to Del Boy and Rodney as Only Fools and Horses storms the West End!”
With musical contributions from Chas n Dave, the beloved theme tunes as you’ve never heard them before and an array of brand-new songs full of character and cockney charm, you’re guaranteed to have a right knees-up! Only Fools and Horses The Musical is a feel-good family celebration of traditional working class London life and the aspirations we all share.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical will once again be a truly cushty night out. Only a 42 carat PLONKER would miss it!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“One Del of a Show!”
The Sun
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Viva, Hooky Street. C’est Magnifique! A treat for Trotter fans”
Daily Mirror
★ ★ ★ ★
“Call it comfort food for our troubled times, this show serves up some lovely jubbly”
Metro
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Reopening performance: 1 October 2021
Booking until: 26 February 2022
Box Office: 020 7930 8800 Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7:30pm. Wednesday and Saturday matinee at 2:30pm Website: OnlyFoolsMusical.com Twitter: @OFAHMusical
Casting announced for ABBA MANIA’s return to the West End for the first time in 19 years Friday 21st May – Sunday 6th June 2021
Casting has been announced for the anticipated return of ABBA MANIA in the West End. Acclaimed performers Rhiannon Porter (Finalist, Eurovision: You Decide 2018; Les Misérables 25th Anniversary Production, O2 Arena), JoJo Desmond (Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake; Lead Vocalist, Doctor Who Live, UK Arena Tour), Edward Handoll(BIG The Musical, West End; Saturday Night Fever, UK Tour), and Loucas Hajiantoni (One Night of Tina, European Tour) will step into the platform heels of one of the most famous pop supergroups of all time. This incredible ensemble will take to the spotlight at the Shaftesbury Theatre from 21st May 2021, marking the production’s West End return after 19 years.
Also joining the production will be previous ABBA MANIA cast members Tamsin Stewart (Romeo & Juliet The Musical, West End; Taboo, West End) and Duncan Walsh Atkins (Musical Director, Showstopper: The Improvised Musical) in the roles of Director and Choreographer and Musical Supervisor, respectively. They will both be dusting off their flares and saying ‘Thank You For The Music’ as they return to celebrate an evening of Euro-nostalgia.
Supporting the cast will be the magnificent ABBA MANIA band who have delighted audiences across the world. Paul Gregory (The Book of Mormon, West End, UK and international tour; The Lion King, UK tour) will lead on drums with Dan Hall (The Drifters, UK and Ireland tour; The Blues Brothers, UK and Japan tour) on bass guitar and Anders Rye (The Blues Brothers, UK and Ireland tour; Rat Pack, world tour) on guitar.
The perfect party as we head out of lockdown, ABBA MANIA brings to life ABBA’s last ever concert in an exhilarating two-hour production celebrating the timeless joy of their songs. Featuring the Swedish supergroup’s irresistible music, fantastic costumes and electrifying staging, this concert is perfect for life-long ABBA fans and newcomers alike. Dig out your platforms and enjoy all your favourite hits including Mamma Mia, Voulez Vous, Dancing Queen,Winner Takes It All, Waterloo, Fernando, Does Your Mother Know, Super Trouper and many more.
ABBA MANIA has delighted more than three million audience members since its formation in 1999, performing over 3,000 live shows in 30 countries across the world – from Germany to Tahititi, Sweden to Venezuela, USA to Australia. For the first time since 2002, West End audiences will have the opportunity to relive the iconic era when ABBA ruled the airwaves.
ABBA MANIA are one of the best on the circuit – Daily Mirror
Close your eyes and it could have been ABBA – Sky News
Following its West End season ABBA MANIA will tour as part of Sounds In The Grounds and The Legends Festival, followed by a full UK tour this autumn. There will also be a 55-date US tour, a debut Russian tour and a 25-date arena tour in France throughout 2021 and 2022.
PW Productions is delighted to announce that the West End’s second longest running play, Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black will embark on a UK Tour, opening at Cambridge Arts Theatre on Thursday 17 June 2021. The show will also return to the Fortune Theatre in the West End on Tuesday 7 September 2021. Tickets are on sale from Friday 23 April at 10.00am.
The producers are thrilled to confirm that in response to the show’s enduring popularity with young people, those aged 18 and under will be able to see the West End production free of charge, alongside each full paying adult ticket. Additionally, persons aged 25 and under will be eligible for a £25 ticket rate in the West End and at select tour venues. Casting for both productions will be announced soon.
The 2021 UK Tour opens at Cambridge Arts Theatre before visiting Bath, Guilford, Oxford, Malvern, Shrewsbury, Manchester, Brighton, Glasgow, York, Blackpool, Stoke and Edinburgh. Further tour dates to be announced. www.thewomaninblack.com
Producer Peter Wilson said, “The Woman in Black is a now iconic piece of British theatre, offering a masterclass in storytelling, direction and performing, whether on tour across the United Kingdom or in the West End. Young people are amongst the most loyal supporters of The Woman in Black, and they have suffered significantly from the absence of art and entertainment throughout the past year. With this in mind, we are pleased to be offering younger audience members free and reduced-price tickets in the West End and some touring venues. We cannot wait to bring The Woman in Black to you all again.”
“Ingenious – a journey into fear”
The New York Times, January 2020
“It is profoundly effective. It tightens its grip on the spectator
like a medieval instrument of torture.”
Daily Express 2018
“A masterpiece.”
The Guardian
“The chills are irresistibly effective… a delicious spell of malevolence and menace.”
Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel tells the story of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over his family by the spectre of a ‘Woman in Black’. He engages a young actor to help him tell his story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It begins innocently enough, but as they delve further into his darkest memories the borders between make-believe and reality begin to blur and the flesh begins to creep.
In June 2019 THE WOMAN IN BLACK celebrated its 30th Anniversary in London’s West End with a special gala performance.
THE WOMAN IN BLACK is directed by Robin Herford, with designs by Michael Holt and lighting by Kevin Sleep.
WEST END LISTINGS 2021
THE FORTUNE THEATRE
Russell Street, London, WC2B 5HH
Performance Times: Tuesday to Saturday at 8.00pm
Tuesday and Thursday at 3.00pm and Saturday at 4.00pm
RETURN PERFORMANCES OF TOM STOPPARD’S OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING
L E O P O L D S T A D T
Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt, directed by Patrick Marber and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, will return to Wyndham’s Theatre for a 12-week run from 7 August – 30 October 2021. Casting will be announced shortly.
Patrons whose bookings were affected by the Government’s previous directives will be contacted from today Friday 23 April 2021 regarding their current bookings with public booking opening at 10am on Friday 30 April 2021.
Sonia Friedman said: “I am deeply relieved that after a year of immense loss and struggle for so many, including the unthinkable shutdown of our theatre industry, to announce the new dates for the return of Tom’s astonishing play to the West End. Leopoldstadt is a passionate drama of enduring love and familial bonds that asks us to bear witness to our pasts, no matter how painful that may be. The audience response throughout our seven weeks of sold-out performances before the pandemic struck in March 2020 was incredibly moving and humbling to witness. Over a year later and now having won the 2020 Olivier Award for Best New Play, Leopoldstadt could not be more pertinent. I so look forward to returning to the Wyndham’s Theatre, to welcome back our very special audiences as we continue to share this epic, truly great new play.”
Patrick Marber said: “Tom and I visited the Leopoldstadt area of Vienna in October 2019. We started rehearsals a month later in London. The play opened in February 2020 and then had to close in March. When we gather to re-rehearse in July 2021 it will be an incredible moment for all involved. It has been a long journey. We were all thrilled by the reception this production received first time round and we’re so excited to be able to share this mighty and beautiful play with audiences again. I’m so grateful to Sonia and Cameron for this opportunity and so proud to be working with these amazing and loyal actors on such a powerful, moving and painfully relevant play. I’ve admired Tom’s work since boyhood, he influenced me enormously as a fledgling playwright and now it’s my great honour and joy to be his collaborator once more.”
At the beginning of the 20th Century, Leopoldstadt was the old, crowded Jewish quarter of Vienna. But Hermann Merz, a manufacturer and baptised Jew married to Catholic Gretl, has moved up in the world. Gathered in the Merz apartment in a fashionable part of the city, Hermann’s extended family are at the heart of Tom Stoppard’s epic yet intimate drama. By the time we have taken leave of them, Austria has passed through the convulsions of war, revolution, impoverishment, annexation by Nazi Germany and – for Austrian Jews – the Holocaust in which 65,000 of them were murdered. It is for the survivors to pass on a story which hasn’t ended yet.
Set designs are by Richard Hudson, with costume designs by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Neil Austin, sound and original music by Adam Cork, and movement by EJ Boyle. Casting is by Amy BallCDG,with children’s casting by Verity Naughton.
Leopoldstadt received its world premiere on 25 January 2020 and was originally planned for a 20-week run. As initial casting was announced the run was extended due to public demand scheduled to play until 13 June 2020. The final performance before lockdown was 14 March 2020.
Leopoldstadt, the sixth collaboration between SFP and Tom Stoppard,which reunites Stoppard, Marber and Friedman and is co-produced with Gavin Kalin Productions, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Scott M. Delman/Patrick Gracey in association with Rupert Gavin, 1001 Nights Productions, Nica Burns, Burnt Umber Productions, Bradford W. Edgerton, Eilene Davidson Productions, Richard Winkler.
Internationally award-winning writer Tom Stoppard’s plays include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Real Inspector Hound, After Magritte, Jumpers, New Found Land, Dogg’s Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth, Travesties, Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (a play for actors and orchestra written with André Previn), Night and Day, The Real Thing, Hapgood, Arcadia, Indian Ink, The Invention of Love, The Coast of Utopia, Rock ‘n’ Roll and, most recently, The Hard Problem. His radio plays include Albert’s Bridge, Artist Descending a Staircase, The Dog It Was That Died, If You’re Glad I’ll Be Frank, and most recently, his dramatic imagining of Pink Floyd’s Darkside of the Moon, Darkside. As well as for the stage and radio, Stoppard is an award-winning writer for film and television.
Patrick Marber’s directing credits of his own work include Dealer’s Choice at the National Theatre and Vaudeville Theatre, After Miss Julie forBBC TV, Exit the King at the National Theatre, Closer at the National Theatre, Lyric and Music Box, New York, Howard Katz and Three Days in the Country also at the National Theatre and Don Juan in Soho at Wyndham’s Theatre. His other directing credits include The Room as part of the Pinter at the Pinter Season, Venus In Fur at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Travesties at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Apollo Theatre and The American Airlines Theater, New York, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Director, The Caretaker at the Comedy Theatre, Blue Remembered Hills at the National Theatre, ‘1953’ at the Almeida and The Old Neighborhood at the Royal Court Theatre. Marber’s plays, which have received multiple awards both in the West End and on Broadway, include Dealer’s Choice, After Miss Julie, Closer, Howard Katz, Three Days in the Country,The Red Lion and a version of Hedda Gabler. He is also an award-winning screenwriter and his film credits include Closer and Notes on a Scandal.
Sonia Friedman Productions is an international production company responsible for some of the most successful theatre productions of recent years. Since 1990, Sonia Friedman OBE and SFP have developed, initiated and produced 170+ new productions and won a combined 58 Oliviers, 30 Tonys and 2 BAFTAs. Recent West End and Broadway productions include the UK premiere of The Book of Mormon, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Mean Girls, Uncle Vanya, The Inheritance, Fiddler on the Roof, Rosmersholm, All About Eve, Dreamgirls, The Jungle, The Ferryman, Farinelli and the King, Travesties, 1984 and The Book of Mormon UK & International tour. Upcoming productions include Walden, J’Ouvert & Anna X as part of SFP’s RE:EMERGE season, To Kill a Mockingbird at the Gielgud Theatre, Oedipus, and The Shark is Broken. soniafriedman.com
Opening the show is subject to the government allowing indoor performances to begin by 21 June 2021 with sufficient notice, understanding what restrictions on social distancing and audience number caps are imposed, the public health status, and the availability of insurance cover either from the market or more likely from a government indemnity scheme.
Original Theatre Company, in association with Perfectly Normal Productions, is delighted to reunite David Jason, Stephanie Cole and Anton Lesser, the original stars of the BBC Radio 4 play, A Cold Supper Behind Harrods, for a one night only, semi-staged, rehearsed reading to be live streamed from the stage of the Oxford Playhouse at 7.30pm on Friday 11 June. The play, written by David Morley and originally presented on BBC Radio 4 on Friday 7 September 2012, will be directed by Philip Franks, who also directed the original radio play.
Tickets are on sale now via originaltheatreonline.com. The performance will be followed by a Q&A with the cast and creative team.
50 years after the war that first brought them together, three Special Operations Executive agents meet once again to record interviews for a television documentary investigating the murder of their colleague at the hands of the Gestapo. As Leo, Vera and John wait to be interviewed in a beautiful English garden, drinking tea and doing the crossword, pleasantries give way to deeper, darker subjects, including their own conduct during the war. A web of lies, self-deception and guilt begins to emerge. In this drama, inspired by real characters and events, it is only as the three former agents depart for London in a taxi – for “a cold supper behind Harrods” – that the disturbing truth finally emerges.
David Jason will play John Harrison, Stephanie Cole Vera Atkins and Anton Lesser Leo Marks. Also in the cast will be Saffron Coomber and Lucy Doyle.
David Jason said, “I am delighted to be working once again with Philip Franks on the play A Cold Supper Behind Harrods.Although our audience will be a virtual one, I look forward to joining with Stephanie Cole and Anton Lesser in bringing this play to life once more. What a great project to gently kick-start a return to what I enjoy doing the most and working with talented people.”
David Morley said, “Love, revenge and feelings of guilt are at the centre of this play and, though the story is fictional, it was inspired by a real meeting between World War Two veterans that I had set up for a television programme I was making. In an era when ‘alternative facts’ replace actual facts, it feels right to remind ourselves that the first victim of war is the truth.”
Alastair Whatley, Artistic Director of Original Theatre Company, said, “It’s a real thrill to be presenting David Morley’s play with such an outstanding cast streamed live from Oxford Playhouse. It is a mark of how far we’ve come in the last year that we can now offer audiences unique access to this event in the best seats in the house – from their homes and all over the world.”
A Cold Supper Behind Harrods is designed by Adrian Linford, with sound design by Max Pappenheim, and filmed by Matt Hargraves and his team from North South Culture, who recently worked on the acclaimed streaming of Hymn at The Almeida.
A Cold Supper Behind Harrods is produced by Alastair Whatley and Tom Hackney for Original Theatre Company, in association with Perfectly Normal Productions.
Supporter – £40 (includes digital programme and supporter credit on the film – book by 31 May)
Premium – £150 (includes a £25 donation to The Theatre Support Fund, plus digital programme, supporter credit on the film and a script signed by a cast member of your choice – book by 31 May)
An online discussion with the creatives and cast behind Back to the Future – The Musical
Available globally, for free, on BFI YouTube
After 36 years, classic sci-fi adventure and 1985’s highest grossing film, BACK TO THE FUTURE has become a hi-tech stage musical, led by a creative team that includes the co-writer of the original trilogy Bob Gale, and the Oscar-nominated composer behind the iconic score for the film Alan Silvestri. Ahead of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical opening in the Adelphi Theatre from 20 August, the BFI present an online discussion with members of the cast and crew, broadcasting globally, for free, on BFI YouTube at 19:00 on Thursday 29 April.
The panel comprises Bob Gale, who, as well as co-writing the original trilogy, has written the book for the musical, and multi award winning composer Alan Silverstri, who has written new music and lyrics for the show alongside six-time Grammy award winner Glen Ballard, who has sold more than 150 million records worldwide. Also on the panel are key cast and creatives from the show including producer Colin Ingram, director John Rando and actors Olly Dobson (Marty McFly), Rosanna Hyland (Lorraine Baines), Cedric Neal (Goldie Wilson / Marvin Berry) and Courtney-Mae Briggs (Jennifer Parker).
During the online event, the panel discusses how they went about adapting the hit film for the musical stage, what they did to make the story relevant to a new audience and what one studio exec wanted the film to be called before Steven Spielberg stepped in. Selected quotes are available for publication in promotion of the event:
Bob Gale reveals what Doc and Marty were originally going to time travel in:“It was a time chamber made from an old refrigerator and that was the way it was in the first two drafts and when we finally got the green light to go into pre-production… Bob Zemeckis is putting on his director’s hat and he says to me… wouldn’t Doc have been smart enough to build this thing into a car. Then he said the greatest thing, what if it was a DeLorean.”
Glen Ballard on coming on board with Alan Silvestri for music and lyrics and how they developed it:“With something like Back to the Future, for me the first thing I have to do is take the Hippocratic Oath, first do no harm. You’re looking at something that is a mountain of accomplishment.”
Bob Gale on the process of converting the movie into a musical and how important it was not to copy and paste the movie for stage:“It was critical to not do a slavish adaptation of the movie. This is a different medium and it was important to address the strengths of this medium. We do things in the show that you could never do in a movie and there’s things in the movie that you could never do on stage.”
John Rando and lead producer Colin Ingram on how they worked together to make the production happen: “One of the mandates I said to the brilliant set team, Tim Hatley and his associates, was that one of the things we need to make sure of is that the only real car we have is a DeLorean, everything else we’re going to do theatrically… the DeLorean must be the real thing.” – John Rando
“It has all these great special effects but they all serve the book. They’re not magic tricks that are just there for the sake of it.” – Colin Ingram
John Rando and Alan Silvestri on turning a movie into a musical: “The great thing about…taking a movie and turning it into a musical is you can learn more about the characters through song. Glen and Alan do an incredible job of revealing their internal workings, their emotions, their dreams, their fears and hopes through these songs.” – John Rando
“I never would have dreamed this could work, yet on stage as opposed to cinema this just works magnificently.” – Alan Silvestri
Courtney-Mae Briggs on her character Jennifer Parker: “I feel like I could be considered a bold casting choice. Claudia Wells who played Jennifer Parker in the film, she and I really don’t look anything alike. I’m a completely different ethnicity and it was never an issue with the creative team. It’s so wonderful to be working with people so inclusive and progressive and casting people that they feel are right for the role rather than who looks right.”
Cedric Neal on one of his characters, Goldie Wilson: “I think Goldie Wilson is the truest form of the American Dream. I take pride in presenting this character to the world through this musical.”
Rosanna Hyland on her character Lorraine Baines: “For Lorraine, almost every time you see her in the film and the musical, she’s breaking from conventions – she does a lot of rebellious stuff… She spends a lot of time resisting expectations, so there’s always been something inherently modern about her.”
Olly Dobson on his character, Marty McFly: “Marty ends up being a lot of the time the eyes of the audience… you always had to have them understand the journey that this underdog is going through… Plus, like John said years ago, the story is such gas that it just keeps you going and you fight for Marty the entire time.”
Bob Gale reveals what Sidney Sheinberg (President and Chief Operating Officer of MCA, Inc. and Universal Studios at the time) tried to get the film’s name changed to: “He was the one guy at Universal who hated the title… everyone else said ‘Sid, it’s a great title’ and we just dismissed it, until one day he actually sent us a memo and he said ‘I’ve come up with the perfect title: Space Man From Pluto. Here’s some changes you can make on the script to reflect that.’ Steven (Spielberg) went to his secretary, he says ‘Gale, memo to Sid – Dear Sid, thank you for your humorous memo on November 14th. We all got a big laugh out of it, keep them coming’… and that was the last we heard of it.”
BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical is set to begin its run at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End on 20 August 2021.
BFI at Home: BACK TO THE FUTURE: FROM SCREEN TO STAGE premieres on BFI YouTube on Thursday 29 April at 19:00, and will be available to watch for free: https://youtu.be/_HpO2HmPy64
ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES SUMMER 2021 PROGRAMME
First visual of Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre released
Performance schedule announced for The Comedy of Errors, directed by Phillip Breen.
RSC Artistic Director, Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley present Henry VI Part One: Open Rehearsal Project culminating in a live online rehearsal room performance on 23 June.
Next Generation Act present All Mirth and No Matter, a creative response to Much Ado About Nothing; online Playmaking Festival to celebrate creativity of young people & adults from across the UK and Live Schools’ Broadcast of Macbeth (2018) announced
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has today released full details of its Summer 2021 programme which includes an artists’ impression of the newly conceived Lydia & Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre. This specially constructed outdoor performance space is located in the Swan Theatre Gardens, flanked by the River Avon and overlooked by the Swan Theatre.
Gregory Doran, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said;
‘As nations all over the world emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, and the UK theatre industry prepares to welcome in-person audiences, the RSC is re-opening by sharing our work in new, creative and surprising ways. We want to respond to our changing world and the needs of our audiences with performances and experiences outdoors and online – opening up our rehearsal rooms for the first time.
‘By creating an outdoor theatre space for The Comedy of Errors we hope audiences will feel safe to return to the theatre with confidence. Our buildings will gradually come back to life during the summer through our café and restaurant, and the Royal Shakespeare Theatre will be ready for indoor performances in the autumn.
‘The last year has taught us many things and we know that we can reach new audiences around the world through our work online. We want to build on this by inviting the public to join our rehearsal process for the first time and working in collaboration with the BBC to adapt The Winter’s Tale specifically for the screen. We know there is an appetite from those who can’t join us in Stratford, and we want to welcome them to the RSC. Throughout the pandemic we have continued to support and work alongside the thousands of young people and adults in the RSC community. Arts and culture are vital to help people to reconnect after lockdown, and our work continues across the UK with our partner theatres to support the recovery of our towns and cities. Many of those young people will join us at our Playmaking Festival, on our Garden Theatre stage and in their classrooms for the Live Schools’ Broadcast of Macbeth.
‘As our thoughts turn to new beginnings, we cannot wait to work again with our freelance colleagues and to welcome audiences back to the place where, for so many, their love of live theatre first began.’
The Comedy of Errors
As previously announced, the Summer 2021 programme begins with an outdoor production of The Comedy of Errors, directed by Phillip Breen running in the Garden Theatre from Tuesday 13 July – Sunday 26 September 2021.
Phillip Breen’s previous RSC directorial credits include The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Provoked Wife and The Hypocrite. The production is designed by Max Jones with Lighting by Tina MacHugh, Music by Paddy Cunneen, Sound by Dyfan Jones, Movement by Charlotte Broom and Fights by Renny Krupinski. The 2021 production of The Comedy of Errors is sponsored by Darwin Escapes.
The Comedy of Errors and The Winter’s Tale were both due to begin performances in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Spring 2020 and were preparing to open when the COVID-19 pandemic took hold.
The previously announced screen adaptation of The Winter’s Tale, directed by Erica Whyman, RSC Deputy Artistic Director, will be broadcast on BBC Four on Sunday 25 April at 7pm as part of BBC Lights Up, an unprecedented season of plays for BBC TV and radio, produced in partnership with theatres across the UK and continuing BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative. A BSL signed version of the production will be broadcast on Thursday 29 April at 1.10am. Both versions will subsequently be available on iPlayer.
The RSC will also stream the production to Subscribers, Members and Patrons based outside the UK following the BBC broadcast. The streaming will be available for 24 hours on 25 April 2021 at 9pm BST and on 8 May 2021 at 6pm BST.
Following its Stratford run, The Comedy of Errors will tour to partner theatres around the nation including The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury from Wednesday 27 – Saturday 30 October 2021. Additional dates and venues to be announced.
Henry VI Part One; Open Rehearsal Project
For the first time in the RSC’s history, Artistic Director Gregory Doran will invite audiences inside the full rehearsal process for three weeks this Summer, culminating in a complete rehearsal room performance of Henry VI Part One broadcast online on Wednesday 23 June at 7pm.
Running from Tuesday 1 – Friday 25 June, Henry VI Part One; Open Rehearsal Project will see directors Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley re-unite to reinvent the Henry VI plays afresh.
The daily schedule of activity begins with a Company Warm Up, led by members of the acting company and creative team, in which participants develop skills such as voice technique and stage fighting, as well as physically preparing for the day.
From noon, online audiences are invited to join a live rehearsal session as the actors and directors put the show on its feet. This will be followed by the opportunity to join members of the company for a post-rehearsal Green Room Chat as they reflect back on the day, unwind after rehearsals and answer audience questions about the process.
The Henry VI Part One; Open Rehearsal Project will culminate in a live streamed final rehearsal room run through from Stratford-upon-Avon on Wednesday 23 June, available to watch on demand until midnight on Friday 25 June. This will give audiences a unique chance to see the end result of three intensive rehearsal weeks – the moment just before a show hits the stage.
The three Henry VI plays were originally due to be presented in the Swan Theatre from 10 October 2020 – 2 January 2021 by a single company of actors, across two performances but were later postponed due to the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
The Henry VI Part One; Open Rehearsal Project will be co-directed by RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran and Owen Horsley, who last worked alongside each other between 2013-2015 on the critically acclaimed King and Country cycle featuring Richard II, Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V.
A Summer of Play & Playmaking
As children and young people start to reconnect with each other, their wider families and school communities, it is more important than ever that we continue to champion the role that arts and cultural learning can play in supporting wellbeing, developing young people’s skills and talents and getting them ready to learn for the next academic year.
The Royal Shakespeare Company will therefore play host to a Summer of Reconnection which celebrates the creativity and resilience of our Royal Shakespeare Community of young people, children and adults, creating opportunities for people of all ages to make and share Shakespeare’s work with friends, within schools and with their local communities.
The Royal Shakespeare Community incorporates 1,000 schools, 1,500 adults and over half a million young people across the nation, enabling them to learn about, participate in, challenge, and make performances of Shakespeare’s plays.
Intergenerational Online Playmaking Festival
The summer of reconnection opens with a week-long online celebration of playmaking from Mon 5 July featuring 20 original digital commissions involving 600 young people aged 5 to 18 from the RSC’s national Associate Schools network and adults from the Shakespeare Nation community programme. All delivered in collaboration with regional theatre partners. Composer Tarek Merchant and Movement Director Tanushka Marah will be providing creative inspiration for students as they make short films based on a range of Shakespeare’s plays. A team of freelance directors will work with teachers, students and adults in the development of their work.
In previous summers, pupils from across the country have followed in the footsteps of some of the world’s best-known actors by performing on stage in Stratford-upon-Avon as part of the RSC’s Playmaking Festival.
This year’s Playmaking Festival goes online via a specially designed new website. It features an interactive map with three themed zones that audiences can click on and visit. Each zone contains footage of young people and adult community group members from across the country performing their versions of edited scenes or speeches from a Shakespeare play of their choice.
Accompanying the microsite will be wraparound activities throughout the week, including online workshops and creative challenges.
Next Generation Act: All Mirth and No Matter
The Summer of Reconnection includes an original performance from the RSC’s Next Generation ACT young company inspired by William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing directed by Sameena Hussain, with Keiren Hamilton-Amos as Movement Director.
The RSC’s Next Generation ACT company will resume in-person performances on Friday 23 July with All Mirth and No Matter, a fusion of new writing and Shakespeare’s text. The production will run in the Garden Theatre for two public performances following a week-long rehearsal residency in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Taking inspiration from the wedding of Claudio and Hero, this fresh response to Shakespeare’s most problematic of nuptial celebrations brings together movement, original music and spoken word to shed new light on the story of the slandered Hero.
Made up of 24 young people aged between 13 and 18 from across the country, Next Generation Act is one strand of the RSC Next Generation programme, a unique talent development scheme that provides gifted young people from backgrounds currently under-represented in the theatre industry with the opportunity to gain experience in acting, directing or backstage roles and explore whether a career in the theatre is for them.
Learning in Schools, Online and for life
Meanwhile, the RSC continues to work alongside regional theatre partners supporting a nationwide network of over 250 Associate Schools to develop new and innovative ways to transform how students learn about and through Shakespeare’s plays, in their classrooms or at home.
Upcoming highlights include the 2021 Schools’ Broadcast of Macbeth (2018), directed by Polly Findlay with Christopher Eccleston in the title role, which will be available on demand for a week from Mon 17 May.
2021 will also see the return of the RSC’s annual Summer School for lifelong learners, which will run online from Monday 23 – Friday 27 August with an inspiring mix of sessions soon to be announced.
Free family activities on the Bancroft Terrace
As Stratford-upon-Avon re-opens its doors to visitors and residents, the RSC will be celebrating the arrival of Summer with a series of free pop-up performances, interactive workshops and outdoor performances for families running for four weeks from Tuesday 27 July – Friday 20 August on the Bancroft Terrace and across the newly installed Garden Theatre.
On Tuesdays, visitors can brush up on their stand-up with a programme of fun, interactive sessions inspired by comedy and clowning.
On Wednesdays, twice-daily pop-up performances inspired by the RSC’s own history of costume-making, accompanied by a free making workshop in which participants will be invited to make their own item of costume. There will also be a separate craft workshop inspired by The Comedy of Errors where you will be able to create giant chains to funny disguises.
On Thursdays free musical performances open to all.
Would-be crafters can also put their skills to the test with free making-workshops lead by RSC Costume Practitioners.
Bringing the weekly programme of activity to a close on Friday mornings, visitors are invited to join RSC workshop leaders for a weekly Community Warm Up in the Garden Theatre. Open to all ages at a cost of £5 per ticket, with family ticket offers available, these fun, interactive sessions are the perfect excuse to get on their feet and join in the fun with family and friends, whether taking your place centre stage or joining in from the comfort of your seat.
On Friday 20 August we will celebrate our costume making heritage with a Costume Day; featuring a series of free pop-up performances, workshops and family-friendly activities taking place across the town with further details soon to be confirmed. These activities are part of THREADS, a programme of events that celebrate the heritage of costume making in Stratford-upon-Avon.
Riverside Cafe and Rooftop Restaurant Re-opening
Elsewhere at the RSC, the Riverside Cafe will resume its popular takeaway service from Wednesday 21 April if restrictions allow.
Visitors can also take advantage of the ‘Rocket’ ice cream van located at the front of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre on selected days throughout the Summer.
Both outlets will serve a selection of drinks, sandwiches, ice cream, crisps and delicious cakes plus a full range of fair-trade tea and coffee.
The Riverside Cafe will be open at 10am, six days a week, Tuesday – Sunday.
From Tuesday 13 July, in line with government guidelines, the Rooftop Restaurant will re-open its doors with a reduced menu, available from Tuesday – Sunday.
The restaurant will operate with reduced capacity so pre-booking is essential. The outdoor terraces will be open, overlooking the RSC’s picturesque landscape.
A picnic offer will be available to purchase via click and collect as well as drinks for pre theatre and interval via a new online ordering service for Garden Theatre audiences.
STORYGLASS and ETT announce new podcast series, THAT PODCAST, featuring more than 100 artists, commentators and thought leaders
A new magazine-style 12-part podcast series that tells the story of a nation and a world in rapid transition with commissions and performances from some of the UK’s most exciting names in contemporary arts and entertainment. Launching on Thursday 6th May 2021.
Featuring guest hosts: Remona Aly, Desiree Burch, Sophie Duker, Nish Kumar, Terry Gilliam and Chris McCausland.
23 new fiction commissions from some of the UK’s most exciting playwrights, novelists and poets including: Travis Alabanza, Ella Hickson, Eno Mfon, Hollie McNish, Gary Owen, Jack Rooke, Michael Rosen, Stef Smith and Testament.
Featuring interviews and interventions from leading voices from across culture, science, politics and journalism including: Open Democracy’s Mary Fitzgerald, comedian Richard Herring, film critic Mark Kermode, Whores of Yore’s Dr Kate Lister, data scientist Dr Cathy O’Neil and Rabbi Alexandra Wright.
Creative and acting ensemble includes: Lois Chimimba, Tinuke Craig, Paapa Essiedu, Sorcha Groundsell, Debbie Hannan, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Debbie Korley, Jodie McNee, Ben and Max Ringham, Jack Rowan, Sacha Wares and Siôn Daniel Young.
Featuring stories and testimony by members of the public from across the UK collected by celebrated journalist Aina Khan.
Storyglass and ETT (English Touring Theatre) today announce a curated podcast and fiction series THAT PODCAST, bringing together artists, poets, novelists, comedians, journalists, scientists, spoken word artists, playwrights and members of the UK public to provide creative cultural insight into a nation that finds itself in a moment of profound change and upheaval.
From the global pandemic to digital sex work, the Black Lives Matter movement to the ubiquity of fake news, THAT PODCAST will explore the unparalleled times we’re currently living through with stories from everyday life retold from across the UK and internationally, refracted and reimagined by some of the most striking voices in contemporary fiction.
ETT’s Artistic Director,Richard Twyman, today said: ‘’THAT PODCAST is a project that is all about listening to the small and unexpected ways that our lives have changed over the last year, whilst also looking into the future and asking what will the impact of these changes be? Delving into the detail of how daily life has evolved has led us to some fascinating and extraordinary people and stories. By working together with freelance artists and bold new voices in drama, poetry, comedy and music, coming from all corners of the UK, the series speaks to the shock, insight and intensity of a year in all our lives.”
Robert Delamere, Storyglass, Executive Producer, commented: “After the recent successes of the Storyglass studio in fiction, arts and comedy, we’re delighted to have such an incredible range of talent working with us on this new format. THAT PODCAST is a daring and eclectic mix of fact, fiction and commentary. This curated series of podcasts offers an exciting range of new, emerging and established talent all addressing some of the key ideas, experiences and trends of our times.”
Steve Carsey, Storyglass, Managing Director, commented: “THAT PODCAST represents everything that Storyglass stands for. We are the home of production excellence, exceptional talent and creative partnerships. We want to amplify new voices that deserve to be heard. We want to give established writers a home for their creativity. We want to push the boundaries of fiction and become a go to destination for audio drama. THAT PODCAST is a home for new voices, new writing and new ideas. I couldn’t be prouder of everything Robert, Richard, the wider team and all of our contributors have achieved.”
Partnering on the series are Storyglass and ETT.Storyglass was launched as a standalone podcasting company in June 2020, by Bertelsmann businesses Fremantle, Penguin Random House UK, BMG and DK. ETT are a UK based international touring company, creating theatre and digital work of outstanding quality, imagination and ambition.
FULL LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
The Hosts: Remona Aly, Desiree Burch, Sophie Duker, Terry Gilliam, Nish Kumar and Chris McCausland.
The Writers: Tim Crouch, Ella Hickson, Matilda Ibini, Sami Ibrahim, Shahid Iqbal Khan, Kimber Lee, Dina Nayeri, Eno Mfon, Gary Owen, Stef Smith and Abbie Spallen.
The Writer-Performers: Travis Alabanza, Christopher Brett Bailey, Jordan Brookes, David Edgar, Eddie Doyle, Hollie McNish, Muneera Pilgrim, Jack Rooke, Michael Rosen, Athena Stevens, Testament and Alissa Anne Jeun Yi.
The Commentators: Celya AB, Danielle Baskin from QuarantineChat, Dr Erica Seruset Borgstrom, Dr Carol Bruess, Dr Oliver Scott Curry, Aya Angel and April Fiasco from Cybertease, Mary Fitzgerald, MD Mominul Hamid (King Abir), Richard Herring, Reverend Ravi Holy, Dr Caroline Horton, Mark Kermode, Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, Dr Kate Lister, Abdul Rehman Malik, Luke Murphy, Dr Cathy O’Neil, Dina Nayeri, Jini Reddy, Mariel Richards from gal-dem and Rabbi Alexandra Wright.
The Digital Ensemble (actors, directors and sound designers): Anthony Almeida, Ayesha Antoine, Philip Arditti, Nathalie Armin, Helen Atkinson, Annabel Baldwin, Prisca Bakare, Tobi Bakare, Jennifer Bakst, Alexander Bean, Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, Lois Chimimba, Kathy Kiera Clarke, Tinuke Craig, Morag Davies, Robert Delamere, Paapa Essiedu, Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, Gareth Fry, Sorcha Groundsell, Debbie Hannan, Mali Harries, James Hingley, Alim Jayda, Amber James, Scott Karim, Aina Khan, Debbie Korley, Adrian Lee, Maimuna Memon, Jodie McNee, Annissa Murad, Max Pappenheim, Ben Quashie, Ben and Max Ringham, Jack Rowan, Richard Twyman, Ben Walker, Sacha Wares, John R. Wilkinson, Mike Winship, Siôn Daniel Young and Lisa Zahra.
For THAT PODCAST
Executive Producers: Robert Delamere and Richard Twyman
Commissioning Editor: Jennifer Bakst
Co-producers: Andrew Hughes and Sarah Jane Murray
Series Producer: Ben Walker
Assistant Producer: Ben Quashie
Consultant Producer: Holly Gilliam
Coordinator: Madeleine Sharma
Host biographies
Remona Aly
Remona Aly is a journalist and broadcaster with a focus on faith, lifestyle and identity. She writes for The Guardian and other publications on anything from Ramadan to rock music or burkinis to Bake Off. She is a resident Pause for Thought contributor on BBC Radio 2 on the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show, presented BBC Radio 4’s Something Understood and hosts various podcasts.
Desiree Burch
Desiree Burch is a comedian, writer and theatre maker. She has appeared on Live at the Apollo, Have I Got News For You, QI and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order (BBC), and 8 Out of 10 Cats (Channel 4). Desiree hosts Netflix series Too Hot To Handle and Flinch. Her theatre show Tar Baby won a Fringe First Award and was an Amnesty International Freedom of Expression nominee.
Sophie Duker
Sophie Duker is a comedian and writer who has appeared on 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, Mock the Week, and Frankie Boyle’s New World Order. Sophie also hosts the monthly comedy night Wacky Racists Comedy Club, and the official TV companion podcast to I May Destroy You on BBC Sounds.
Terry Gilliam
Terry Gilliam is an award-winning film director, screenwriter, opera director and member of Monty Python, whose film directing credits include Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Jabberwocky, Brazil, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, The Fisher King, Twelve Monkeys, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, The Brothers Grimm, Tideland, The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus, The Zero Theorem and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
Nish Kumar
Nish Kumar is a comedian and presenter. He has twice been nominated for the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival Comedy Award for Best Show. He has hosted The News Quiz, Newsjack and his own series, The Mash Report for BBC2. He regularly appears on shows including Mock the Week, QI, Have I Got News For You and Taskmaster.
Chris McCausland
Chris McCausland is a stand-up comedian from Liverpool who is blind. He has multiple appearances across shows such as Would I Lie to You?, Have I Got News For You, QI, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and Live at the Apollo. Tickets are on sale now for his re-rescheduled tour in 2022, but don’t worry, somebody else does the driving.
Adam Blanshay Productions and The Theatre Café Acclaimed digital series The Theatre Channel returns with more West End talent New episode streaming from Friday 30th April 2021
Following acclaim for their spectacular musical-packed digital series, Adam Blanshay Productions’ The Theatre Channel is back with a sixth episode, featuring more theatrical legends and musical magic! The new episode, entitled ‘Showstoppers’, will kickstart proceedings with incredible performances from major West End talent including Danny Mac (Sunset Boulevard; Pretty Woman The Musical), Kerry Ellis (Wicked; We Will Rock You), and Layton Williams (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie; RENT). The series will be available to stream in a new partnership with Stream.Theatre from Friday 30th April, with tickets for Episode 6 now on sale.
Further talent involved includes dynamic sister duo Amber Davies (9 to 5; Love Island) and Jade Davies(Les Misérables; The Phantom of the Opera) as Side Show’s conjoined twins, alongside Katie Deacon (Mary Poppins; An American In Paris) showcasing the original A Chorus Line choreography by Michael Bennett. The track for this stunning rendition of Music and the Mirror has been provided by Antonio Banderas’ Malaga-based Theatre company Teatro del Soho, following their acclaimed Spanish-language revival. Academy Award and Tony nominee Antonio Banderas will also be sharing his knowledge of the production in an extra special exclusive interview for The Theatre Channel, featured in the episode.
The cast will be joined by the fantastic, revamped resident ensemble, ‘The New Café Five,’ comprised of Anthony Starr (Guys & Dolls, Sheffield Crucible), Danny Becker (The Prince Of Egypt, Dominion Theatre), Kayleigh Thadani (Disney’s Aladdin, Prince Edward Theatre), M-Jae Cleopatra Isaac (Billy Elliot, Victoria Palace) and Vicki Lee Taylor (A Chorus Line, London Palladium). The Theatre Café manager and performer, Jack Malin, will also be joining the troupe for their showstopping, toe-tapping number.
These incredible musical theatre performers will be led by director Thom Southerland (Titanic; Grey Gardens; Ragtime) and choreographer Ashley Nottingham (Spamalot; Singin’ In The Rain; Disney’s Newsies UK Premiere) with lighting design by Aaron J Dootson. The Theatre Channel are proud to be championing creative opportunities for freelancers and actors during this time.
Combining the thrill of stage and screen for an episodic musical revue of beloved classics, The Theatre Channel is an up close and intimate experience from the comfort of your home. The upcoming episode will also feature exclusive behind-the-scenes content, as the original producers of A Chorus Line take a trip down memory lane in memorandum to Tony Award winning choreographer Bob Avian. Staged and choreographed especially for film, the production is an unmissable event.
Producer Adam Blanshay comments, With the release of Episode 6: Showstoppers, we’re celebrating several milestones. First off, as the pandemic and theatre closures have extended far beyond what anyone initially imagined, we’re overjoyed to welcome our new resident ensemble, ‘The New Café Five,’ giving fresh opportunity to a remarkable new group of performers to finishthe series with us. Moreover, based on growth and customer demand, we’re thrilled to now be launching our content on Stream.Theatre, which we hope will expand our viewership far and wide, and draw in countless new theatre fans. Lastly, we pay homage to the loving memory of Bob Avian, and have included a special feature on A Chorus Line – we are grateful to John Breglio, Baayork Lee, and Antonio Banderas for their collaboration.
Previous episodes (1 – 5) of The Theatre Channel will be available to purchase at Stream.Theatre to watch at your leisure. Previous episode titles include ‘Welcome to the Cafe’, ‘Musical Horrors’ and ‘Hopeful Holidays’. The next instalment, Episode 7, will celebrate the works of the unparalleled Rodgers and Hammerstein, with incredible casting to be announced soon.
