Category: Uncategorized

Chiswick Playhouse announce new Associate
Artists Tori Allen-Martin and Phoebe Barran
Chiswick Playhouse, 2 Bath Road, London W4 1LW

Actor Tori Allen-Martin and director Phoebe Barran have been named as the new Associate Artists at Chiswick Playhouse. These two incredible talents will work in partnership with the theatre supporting its dynamic work post-Covid. This exciting collaboration will seek to
champion new and adventurous work, helping to further highlight Chiswick as a creative hub in the industry

Tori Allen-Martin (Pandemonium, BBC; London Kills, BBC) is an acclaimed actor, writer, and singer-songwriter, who was named as one of the BBC’s New Talent Hotlist in 2017. Most
recently she has co-founded Burn Bright, a non-profit organisation aiming to level the playing field for writers who identify as women, helping to create opportunities and share the stories of the marginalised.

Phoebe Barran is an award-winning director, who most recently won an Off West End Award for her revival of Tryst at the Chiswick Playhouse. Barran will be showcasing her skillset as part of the Chiswick Recharged Festival’s Bare Bones, stripping down two new plays The Woodcutters Tale by Orlando Wells and a new version of Tom Sharpe’s Wilt, adapted by David Spicer.

Tori Allen-Martin comments, I am so honoured to have been asked to work with Chiswick
Playhouse as an associate artist. Chiswick Playhouse are committed to developing artists of all disciplines, ages and backgrounds and are passionate about platforming voices that too often feel silenced as well as creating work that will have a vibrant life not only inside, but beyond the fringe circuit. I share these values and am so excited to collaborate with them on finding exciting opportunities to platform new talent, especially marginalised voices. We share a view of Chiswick Playhouse becoming a hub for new work and new connections and I am so proud to put my name to this brilliant and exciting venue, and I myself can’t wait to create magic with them.

Phoebe Barran adds, I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Chiswick Playhouse as an associate artist. I’ve been a supporter of the theatre for many years both as an audience member and from having the opportunity to develop new writing and direct shows here. The theatre itself is such a wonderful space for both creatives and audiences and I’m hugely excited to now be part of the team that will bring some of the best and the brightest to come and work here. I know the Chiswick Playhouse has ambitious plans with both its own programme of productions and partnering with other producers and creatives. I’m so excited to play my part in making those plans a reality

Mark Perry, Chiswick’s Executive Director, said, The ethos of Chiswick Playhouse is to give a platform to work and creatives so that they can have a life far beyond Chiswick. We want to be a place where we can support artists from all backgrounds to not just create work for our audiences, but also develop themselves and their craft. This is why Phoebe and Tori are such perfect additions to the team as associate artists. Both of them, besides being hugely talented themselves, have made it part of their raison d’être to help and support people around them, no matter whether those people are experienced artists, making first steps into the theatre world or are in some way a neglected voice. We want to firmly establish the Chiswick Playhouse on the theatre map and I am delighted that Phoebe and Tori have agreed to come on board to help us do that.

Alphabetti Theatre proudly presents
AWARE
with films by Hijinx Theatre, Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company and About Face Theatre Company

Venue: Alphabetti Theatre
Date: 25th May – 5th June 2021 (excluding Sundays & Mondays)
Time: 7:30pm | 1:00pm (relaxed Saturday matinee)
Running length: Approx. 70 mins
Price: Pay What You Feel (booking essential, instructions at the end of the performance)
Live Audience: A household/support bubble experiences the show in their own time slot. One slot for one bubble (up to 6 people). Slots available every 30 mins from 5.00pm to
9.30pm Tues – Fri and from 11.30am – 9.30pm Sat.
Online Audience: The performance will be live streamed every night at 7:30pm.
Age Recommendation: 14+
Tickets available at: https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/copy-of-what-s-on

We are installing three film booths in the venue, each booth will show a different short film by these fantastic, groundbreaking theatre companies. Produced by Esther Fearn & Ali Pritchard, AWARE is a project with a series of short films by three theatre companies run by and for people with learning disabilities. AWARE has been made possible with the support of Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund managed by Community Foundation. It was originally conceived in partnership with Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company as a festival in 2020

Hijinx presents The Audition – a short documentary.
Directed by Dylan Wyn Richards
Produced by Daniel McGowan & Clare Williams
Camera Huw Walters
Made with the support of Morrisons Foundation and Ffilm Cymru Wales

In the spring of 2019, thirty neurodivergent actors auditioned for roles in a groundbreaking feature film. During the audition process and interviews, these remarkable performers discussed their unique experiences and outlook on the world.
The result is a revelatory, extraordinary documentary fusing powerful acting with equally striking insights into politics, dreams, trauma, family, friendship and life as someone with a different, astonishing mind.
https://www.facebook.com/hijinxtheatre/
https://twitter.com/HijinxTheatre

Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company presents Retake, Remake
Directed by Jan-Willem Van Den Bosch
With Creative Collaboration by Melody Sproates
Made with support of National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council England and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Retake, Remake explores films that portray people with learning difficulties but are played by actors without learning difficulties. The Lawnmowers Theatre Ensemble reclaim these films and make them their own. The actors create a new story-led show that uses lip-sync in a fun and clever way mixing edited audio, live performance and film footage to create a conceptual conversation about representation, ability and ownership.
https://www.facebook.com/LawnmowersITC/
https://twitter.com/lawnmowersITC

About Face Theatre Company presents Creation
Directed by Jess MacKenzie
Directed by Jess MacKenzie and creative collaboration with The Fetch Theatre Company and The Creative Arcade.About Face is part of ECHO . Made with support from The Arts Council.

Strikingly staged using micro-puppetry, About Face weaves ancient stories of greed, fear and redemption applied to our world today, with music, narrative and strong magic. About Face Theatre Company is the flagship company of actors with learning disabilities in the West Midlands. It provides a wide range of opportunities for people with learning disabilities to grow in confidence through performance based skills, specialising in puppet and mask work.
https://www.facebook.com/aboutfacetheatreuk/
https://www.instagram.com/aboutfacetheatre/

BRAND-NEW MUSICAL PODCAST

THE BALLAD OF ANNE & MARY ANNOUNCED

PODCAST DATES: 29^TH APRIL – 27^TH MAY 2021

AVAILABLE FREE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS

An electrifying five-part musical podcast series The Ballad of Anne & Mary will launch on Thursday 29^th April with a stellar cast including musical sensation Christina Bianco, actress and comedian Sooz Kempner, Hamilton star Karl Queensborough, and drag legend Le Gateau Chocolat among others.

It’s 1721, and London is abuzz with news of notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, currently languishing in Newgate Prison. It’s the perfect time for debt-ridden journalist Nathaniel Mist to exploit the public appetite and ghost-write a sensational (and hopefully best-selling) history of pirates. But as the balladeers and gossips on the streets of London build myths around the blood-thirsty, perverse lady pirates, Mist is forced to reckon with the real Bonny & Read…

Gritty and romantic, The Ballad of Anne & Mary whisks listeners away on a rollicking adventure across the Caribbean seas, through the backstreets of Georgian London, and into the cells of its most notorious prison. Original songs fuse sea shanties and pirate songs with orchestral and rock instruments to create a musical world at once familiar and surprising. Recorded in home studios during a year when the world stood still, this is the perfect escape across time and space, drawing you into the jaw dropping world of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two of the most notorious pirates who ever lived. 

Long Cat Media’s writer and director, Lindsay Sharman, comments: “We are thrilled to bring this musical podcast to life and continue to make epic stories without compromise. It has been great to see Anne Bonny and Mary Read’s resurgence in notoriety recently as their story illustrates resilience and joie de vivre we could all aspire to. We came across the non-fiction book Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates from 1724 which became the basis for much of our modern mythology about pirates. The more we researched Mary Read and Anne Bonny’s story, the more ours came to life. The music in this podcast series transports you to other worlds, and there is something about the nature of folk music, especially shanties and sea songs, that we’ve always found exciting.”

Christina Bianco, who steps into the role of Anne Bonny, comments: “Listeners are in for something incredibly special. It is a female driven, action-adventure musical – which is a rarity! Not only does it have a gorgeous score and a script that is both hilarious and touching, but Long Cat Media have created an immersive sound design that makes you feel like you’re living inside the story. Oh yeah – and it was all done in isolation! It’s an absolutely stunning achievement that I am honoured to be part of.”

Sooz Kempner, playing Mary Read in The Ballad of Anne & Mary, adds: “If you would have told me two years ago that a full-blown musical could exist in podcast form, I’d never have believed you. But this is exactly that, and it’s about two badass women to boot.”

Exploring how legends are made, and why the truth rarely gets in the way of a good story, The Ballad of Anne & Mary is a celebration of rebels, the environment that made them, and how they become a repository for our fears and desires. Looking back from a time when rule-breaking women are still demonised by the media and by the public, what must it have been like in 1721?

The Ballad of Anne & Mary is written and directed by Lindsay Sharman, with music by Laurence Owen and an incredible cast including Carole Stennett, Dominic Brewer, John Henry Falle, Hayley Evenett, James Ducker, Colette Boushell, Ivan Wilkinson and Helen Fullerton. It has been supported by funding from Arts Council England and the UEA Enterprise Fund.

The Ballad of Anne & Mary will be launched on 29^th April on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and Google Podcasts as well as on www.longcatmedia.com, with new episodes being released every Thursday. The soundtrack will be available to buy on Bandcamp. You can watch the series teaser trailer here.

Streaming online 23 – 27 April

3***

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Joey Contreras’ song cycle In Pieces follows eight characters through the ups and downs of relationships. Directed by Louis Rayneau, there are some wonderful moments, although that is down to the cast and their performances rather than the music.

With Kidzania standing in quite effectively for a New York mall, there is a studio feel to the film, even if some sets make the cast appear giants. There is no dialogue between songs, but the paths of the characters’ relationships become clear through the songs. Rachel Sargent’s choreography is energetic and fun. Up tempo pop tunes and sweet ballads follow a familiar template, but there are a few real bangers thrown in, in a mixed bag of numbers that need a little exposition in between to produce a slicker and more coherent show as at the moment it doesn’t quite gel.

The cast are outstanding, with Luke Street and Hilba Elchikhe taking us through the breakup of a relationship in great style, while Ross Harmon’s shy geek and troubled Mr Popular Jordan Luke Gage explore their feelings for each other, Kyle Birch performs ballads about unrequited love beautifully, Becky Lane has some comedy numbers about the awkwardness of love, and Danielle Steers fills her big number with passion and emotion. The group numbers are the standout moments, with Hilba Elchikhe, Amy Di Bartolomeo and Danielle Steers harmonising brilliantly on Like You Don’t Miss Me, and Amy Di Bartolomeo and the cast sharing experiences of love and repeating mistakes in the stunning Singing the Same Line.

Lifted by the wonderful cast, In Pieces is lots of fun and an enjoyable show, but with a decent book and a few more special tunes this could become a great show

Cast and creative team announced for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production of Tim Firth’s smash hit comedy Neville’s Island

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch announces the cast and creative team for its production of Neville’s Island, playing 20 May – 12 June and 22 June – 3 July 2021. This fresh new staging of Tim Firth’s smash hit comedy launches the season at the Theatre and welcomes back Emma Baggot to direct, following her acclaimed productions of Misfits and Stiletto Beach.

The cast includes Beruce Khan (Shadowlands, Chichester Festival Theatre), Philip Cairns (Cyrano De Bergerac, The Playhouse Theatre), Sean Michael Verey (Pramface, BBC Three) and Stephen Leask (School of Rock, New London Theatre).

Director Emma Baggot is joined by set and costume designer James Button (Worst Wedding Ever, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Salisbury Playhouse and New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich), Sound Designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite (Grown Ups, Vaudeville Theatre), Lighting Designer Stephen Pemble (Misfits, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch) and Fight Director Haruka Kuroda (The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, Park Theatre).

Four out-of-condition clueless middle managers are forced on the outdoor awayday from hell. Shipwrecked, wrapped in thick fog and cut off from civilisation with one cold sausage between them, Gordon, Angus, Roy and the hapless Neville are about to experience the misadventure of their lives…

From the critically acclaimed Tim Firth, writer of Calendar Girls, The Band and Our House, this award-nominated West End comedy is the perfect entertainment to welcome audiences safely back to live theatre, on their doorstep this summer.

Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul and Executive Director Mathew Russell say, ‘We’re excited to welcome this sterling team to the Theatre helmed by the brilliant Emma Baggot, for what will be a standout production of Tim’s hilarious hit show. We can’t wait to share this wonderful comedy with audiences in person’.

Tickets to Neville’s Island cost £12.50 – £29 plus 65p QRenew Fee, tickets for under 26s are just £8. To book, visit queens-theatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01708 443333.

THE INTERNATIONAL SMASH HIT MUSICAL SIX ANNOUNCES FULL CASTING FOR THE UK & IRELAND TOUR 2021/22

The multi award-winning musical phenomenon SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, today announces full casting for its 2021/22 UK and Ireland tour which will reopen on Tuesday 8 June 2021 at Marlowe Theatre Canterbury. The touring Queens will be played by Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Maddison Bulleyment (Anne Boleyn), Caitlin Tipping (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Vicki Manser (Katherine Howard) and Elèna Gyasi (Catherine Parr), with Alternates Jennifer Caldwell, Cassandra Lee, Harriet Watson and Super Swing Natalie Pilkington. The cast are backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting.

SIX will open at Marlowe Theatre with socially distanced seating for a three-week run (8-27 June) and thereafter playing at full capacity touring through 2022, including a week in Ireland at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin (12-16 Oct), and a return Christmas run at The Lowry, Salford Quays (14 Dec – 9 Jan 2022). 

From Tudor queens to pop princesses, SIX sees the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves, but their lipstick is rebellious red. Think you know the rhyme, think again… Divorced. Beheaded. LIVE!

Since its early days as a student production in a 100-seat room at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, SIX has fast become a global musical phenomenon. As the pandemic struck last year, SIX was playing to sold out houses in London’s West End, on tour across the UK and Australia, and had its opening night in New York on Thursday 12 March 2020 cancelled when the New York Governor shut down Broadway three hours before the show was due to open. 

SIX was nominated for five Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. It won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the Whatsonstage Awards and was invited to perform on the results show of ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and BBC’s ‘Children in Need Appeal Show’. Songs from the studio album of SIX have stormed the charts worldwide, clocking up over 200 million streams.  

Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SIX is co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. The design team includes Emma Bailey (Set Design), Gabriella Slade (Costume Design), Tim Deiling (Lighting Design) and Paul Gatehouse (Sound Design). The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran with music supervision and vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton. Musical Director Sarah Burrell, Casting by Pearson Casting. SIX is produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes and George Stiles.


www.sixthemusical.com@sixthemusical
Listings Information:
SIX UK TOUR 2021/22

Tue 8 – Sun 27 June CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS 01227 787787 | marlowetheatre.com

Tue 29 Jun – Sat 3 July LEEDS Grand Theatre 46 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU 0844 848 2700 | leedsheritagetheatres.com

Wed 7 – Sat 10 July BLACKPOOL Opera House Church Street,Blackpool FY1 1HU 0844 856 1111 | wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Mon 12 – Sat 17 July NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal 100 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BR 08448 11 21 21 | theatreroyal.co.uk

Tue 20 – Sun 25 July HULL New Theatre Kingston Square, Hull HU1 3HF 01482 300 306 | www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Wed 28 Jul – Sun 1 August PLYMOUTH Theatre Royal Plymouth Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR 01752 267222 | theatreroyal.com

Tue 3 – Sat 7 August BRIGHTON Theatre Royal New Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1SD 0844 871 7650 | atgtickets.com/brighton

Tue 10 – Sun 15 August SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower Theatre Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE 02380 711811 | mayflower.org.uk

Tue 17 – Sun 22 August SOUTHEND Cliffs Pavilion Station Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7RA 01702 351135 | southendtheatres.org.uk

Tue 24 Aug – Sun 5 September OXFORD Playhouse Beaumont Street, Oxford, UK, OX1 2LW 01865 305305 |oxfordplayhouse.com

Tue 7 – Sun 12 September NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND 0115 989 5555 | trch.co.uk

Tue 14 – Sat 18 September BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome Hurst Street, Southside Birmingham, B5 4TB 0844 338 5000 | birminghamhippodrome.com

Mon 20 – Sat 25 September NORWICH Theatre Royal Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL 01603 63 00 00 | norwichtheatre.org

Tue 28 – Sun 3 October LEICESTER Curve 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB 0116 242 3595 | curveonline.co.uk

Tue 12 – Sat 16 October DUBLIN, IRELAND Bord Gais Energy Theatre Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin 2.Dublin+353 (1) 677 7999 | bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

Tue 19 – Sat 23 October BROMLEY Churchill Theatre High Street, Bromley, BR1 1HA 020 3285 6000 | churchilltheatre.co.uk

Mon 25 – Sat 6 November CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre Regent Street, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ 01242 572573 | everymantheatre.org.uk

Mon 8 – Sat 13 November WOKING New Victoria Theatre The Peacocks Centre, Woking GU21 6GQ 0844 871 7645 | atgtickets.com/woking

Tue 23 – Sat 27 November MILTON KEYNES Theatre 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ 0844 871 7652 | atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Mon 29 Nov – Sat 11 December BATH Theatre Royal SINGALONG 10 DEC, 8.30PM Sawclose, Bath BA1 1ET 01225 448844 | theatreroyal.org.uk

Tue 14 Dec – Sun 9 January SALFORD QUAYS The Lowry Pier 8, The Quays, Salford Salford M50 3AZ 0343 208 6000 | thelowry.com

Tue 11 – Sat 22 January NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal 100 Grey St, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6BR 08448 11 21 21 | theatreroyal.co.uk

Tue 25 – Sun 30 January DARTFORD Orchard Theatre Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1ED 01322 220000 | orchardtheatre.co.uk

Tue 15 – Sat 19 February NORTHAMPTON Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Rd, Northampton NN1 1DP 01604 624811 | royalandderngate.co.uk

Tue 1 – Sat 12 March GUILDFORD Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Millbrook Guildford GU1 3UX 01483 44 00 00 | yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Tue 15 – Sat 26 March EDINBURGH Festival Theatre 13 / 29 Nicolson Street Edinburgh, EH8 9FT 0131 529 6000 | capitaltheatres.com

Tue 19 – Sat 30 April SHEFFIELD Lyceum Theatre55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA 0114 249 6000 | sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tue 3 – Sat 14 May CARDIFF Wales Millennium Theatre Bute Place, Cardiff CF10 5AL 029 2063 6464 | wmc.org.uk

Tue 31 Apr – Sun 5 May EASTBOURNE Congress Theatre Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4BP 01323 412 000 | eastbournetheatres.co.uk

Tue 14 – Sun 19 June GLASGOW Theatre Royal 282 Hope St, Glasgow G2 3QA0 3330 096 690 | atgtickets.com/glasgow

Tue 20 – Sat 24 September BRISTOL Hippodrome Theatre St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, BS1 4UZ 0844 871 3012 | atgtickets.com/Bristol

FURTHER DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
sixthemusical.com@sixthemusical
Running time: 80 minutes, no interval Age guide: 10+

Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic! 

Poet Simon Mole & musician Gecko  

are bringing families together to get creative 

on Sunday 6 June 2021 

POETRY PICNIC is a snack heavy celebration of music and poetry. With fun (and quite silly) games poet Simon Mole & musician Gecko build kids’ confidence and skill with words to help them unlock their poetry powers. Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic, surprisingly, takes place at Alexandra Palace on Sunday 6 June 2021 at 3pm.  

This outdoor event is ideal for children aged 6yrs+. Audience members will be supported to pen a poem from their picnic blanket and hear some Beatles-meets-the-Beastie-Boys style bangers from Simon Mole & Gecko. The audience will also have the chance to share the stage and perform their poems with the show’s professional performers for the grand finale. 

Children and families can get creative before the event using a free DIY Picnic Activity Pack designed by illustrator and artist Anna Bruder from A Line Arts. This pack includes fun tips on setting up your picnic blanket, conjuring up a hand-drawn selection of delicious snacks and making your own microphone to deliver your poem with style! 

Please note, this is a Bring Your Own Biscuits event.  

Simon Mole, a National Poetry Day Ambassador who has shared stages with John Cooper-Clarke, Kae Tempest and Simon Armitage, said: “For me poetry is about looking closely at the world around you, thinking carefully and creatively about it, then shaping those ideas and opinions into something you can share with others. These ‘poetry skills’ are part of a mindset that you carry with you beyond the brief moments of actually putting pen to paper. Poetry Picnic is about having fun and empowering young people to make their world a better place, one poem at a time!” 

Mark Civil, Alexandra Palace Head of Creative Learning, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Poetry Picnic to Ally Pally this summer. We know Simon and Gecko really well and love their creative workshops, which we know young people and their families will love. We’re looking forward to putting on a great day, in a beautiful location for everyone to enjoy.”  

For more information and to book tickets, visit https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/ally-pallys-poetry-picnic/ or call the Box Office on 020 8365 2121. Participants will be emailed a link to download the free DIY Picnic Activity Pack and should bring their own picnic drinks and nibbles and a brolly just in case! Blankets will be provided for your bubble.  

Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic is created by Simon Mole, Gecko and Peader Kirk. It is produced by Rua Arts and funded by Arts Council England. Visit http://www.simonmole.com/poetrypicnic/ for more information. 

Sign up for Simon Mole’s live monthly online poetry workshops at www.youtube.com/simonmole.   

LISTINGS 

Show: Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic 

Date/Time: Sunday 6 June 2021 at 3pm  

Running Time: 75 minutes approx. 

Venue address: Alexandra Palace Theatre, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY 

Tickets:  Big Bubble Ticket for up to 6 people £29.40; Little Bubble Ticket for up to 3 people £14.70 (ticket price includes handling and delivery fee) 

Box Office: 020 8365 2121 / https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/ally-pallys-poetry-picnic/ 

Category: Poetry, Children’s, Family, London, Outdoor events 

For ages: 6+ 

www.TheComebackComedy.co.uk 

Sonia Friedman Productions

Tulchin Bartner Productions

in association with

Playing Field, Eilene Davidson Productions, Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor, David Mirvish

present

THE COMEBACK

A new comedy by Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen 
  

• THE COMEBACK RETURNS TO THE NOËL COWARD THEATRE FOR A LIMITED 3-WEEK RUN FROM JULY 7^TH – JULY 25^TH 2021
   
• TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 30^TH APRIL, WITH OVER 1,000 TICKETS A WEEK AVAILABLE AT £25 OR UNDER
  
  HILARIOUS AND HEARTWARMING, THE COMEBACK DEPICTS THE BACKSTAGE TUSSLE OF TWO RIVAL COMEDY DUOS IN A DIZZYING CONTEMPORARY FARCE
• AFTER RECEIVING WIDESPREAD CRITICAL ACCLAIM AND FIVE-STAR REVIEWS, THE ORIGINAL RUN WAS CUT SHORT DUE TO THE DECEMBER LOCKDOWN
• WITH PREVIOUS SURPRISE CAMEOS INCLUDING SIR IAN McKELLEN, JOANNA LUMLEY, GRAHAM NORTON & DANNY DYER, MORE SURPRISE GUESTS WILL FEATURE AT EVERY PERFORMANCE OF THE COMEBACK
• THE PRODUCTION WILL TAKE PLACE UNDER SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES, AND IN LINE WITH SOLT’S SEE IT SAFELY CAMPAIGN. WWW.THECOMEBACKCOMEDY.CO.UK
  
   

The Comeback is the debut play from The Pin’s award-winning Ben Ashenden and Alex Owen. Its mix of hilarity, emotional heart and irresistible charm offers the perfect escapism for audiences of all ages. The Comeback first opened to rave reviews in December 2020, before being shut down after just 9 performances due to the government-enforced national lockdown. Now, the producers and creative team are delighted to bring back The Comeback for a limited 3-week run at the Noël Coward Theatre this July.

The Comeback, tells the story of two double acts fighting to wrest control of the most chaotic, farcical and high-stakes gig of their respective careers. Directed by Emily Burns, The Comeback promises to bring heart-warming joy and laughter to the Noël Coward Theatre this summer.

Up-and-coming comics Alex and Ben have been booked in the warm-up spot for a beloved but fading double act’s comeback tour. Neither duo is delighted to be playing to a sparse crowd in a sleepy, seaside town, but when it’s revealed that a Hollywood director is in the audience, both acts glimpse a final chance for their big break. Cue sabotage, mistaken identity and full on farcical mayhem, as the performance descends into a desperate battle for the limelight. With the action alternating between offstage and on, and the tone between Noises Off andMorecambe and Wise’s old-school charm, this is a warm-hearted, joyful, and dazzlingly funny new comedy.

Each night Ashenden and Owen will be joined on stage by a surprise celebrity guest star playing a cameo role in the production. 

The production will be staged in a Covid safe environment following current government advice, with audiences adhering to social distancing guidelines; and in line with Society of London Theatre’s See It Safely campaign. 

Tickets for the production which will run at the Noël Coward Theatre July 7th – 25th will be available from April 30^th at  www.thecomebackcomedy.co.uk.

JEEVES AND WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE TO RETURN TO MARK 14OTH ANNIVERSARY OF 

P.G. WODEHOUSE

• THE REMOUNT OF THE 2020 PRODUCTION WILL PLAY AT BOTH THE BARN THEATRE AND THE THEATRE CHIPPING NORTON THIS JUNE
• MATTHEW CAVENDISH WILL RETURN TO PLAY BERTIE WOOSTER FOR BOTH RUNS

The Barn Theatre in Cirencester and The Theatre Chipping Norton have announced that they will be remounting their 2020 production of the Goodale Brothers’ Olivier Award-winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense to mark the 140^th anniversary of o the author P.G. Wodehouse’s birth.

In this joyous reimagining of the classic P.G. Wodehouse characters, three actors hurl themselves from role to role as they race to tell the story of Bertie’s own farcical adventures.

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense was created by the Goodale Brothers, adapted primarily from P.G. Wodehouse’s The Code of the Woosters. The show, which premiered at Richmond Theatre in 2013 with the lead roles being played by Stephen Mangan and Matthew Macfadyen, before transferring to the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End and being awarded the 2014 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy. 

The comedy, which is also co-produced by the two Cotswold venues, will run at The Theatre Chipping Norton from 9 – 12 June 2021 and the Barn Theatre from 15 June – 10 July 2021. 

Directed by The Theatre Chipping Norton’s Artistic Director John Terry, the production will see the return of the production’s original cast with Andrew Ashford (The Full Monty, The Ladykillers) as Jeeves, Matthew Cavendish (The Play That Goes Wrong, A Comedy About A Bank Robbery) as Bertie Wooster and Andrew Cullum (For King and Country, The Crown) as Seppings.

Matthew Cavendish, who returns to play Bertie Wooster, is no stranger to the comedy genre having been a regular performer with both Mischief Theatre and The Showstoppers with credits include being a member of the original Broadway cast of The Play That Goes Wrong and as Dennis in the West End production, Warren in A Comedy About a Bank Robbery (West End) and Max in Peter Pan Goes Wrong (West End).  

Director John Terry said of the production’s return,“If ever there was a time when the world needed the sunlight, optimism and wit of P.G. Wodehouse, it might be now. Anarchically, brilliantly funny, and a huge theatrical challenge to bring to the stage, we are delighted to be remounting this fantastic comedy. Our production brings a gently contemporary freshness to the Goodale’s brilliant stage adaptation. From live Foley sound effects to an original score of contemporary swing music, and the most ingenious box-of-tricks you have ever seen, this production should suit Wodehouse novices and experts alike.”

The production also features original music composed by Eamonn O’Dwyer, design by Alex Marker, lighting design by Christopher Nairne, sound design by Harry Smith and movement direction by Bronya Deutsch.

Tickets for the run at The Theatre Chipping Norton are now on general sale. Tickets for the run at the Barn Theatre are currently available for priority booking with general sale with general sale being available from 12pm BST on 28 April 2021. 

Theatre For Two
London Tour
Saturday 5th June – Wednesday 7th July 2021

Presented in a specially designed Covid-secure pop-up venue, We Are Kilter’s Theatre For Two is a series of personal, interactive meetings between actor and audience member. The four newly commissioned micro-plays are written by some of the most exciting up-and-coming talent, Tabby Lamb, Macadie Amoroso, Ryan Lane, and Gabriella Leon, and celebrate the absurdity of human connection

After a year of being stuck, unexpectedly stranded in isolation, isn’t it time to meet someone new? Step inside and meet four eccentric characters who are desperate for company and comradeship – whether that’s sharing a cuppa, a daydream or a waxworm. These microplays will plunge the audience into a funny, surprising and sometimes peculiar experience. Each semi-improvised play will engage the audience in the storytelling, rendering them a vital part of the narrative. Together, they will create unique playful interactions.

A cancelled picnic, a cancelled protest and now a cancelled bus? A clarion call for a more tender society, Gluten Free Crispy Caramel Mini Bite by Tabby Lamb (Since U Been Gone, HighTide) is about the need to be seen, heard and valued for who we are

Rumour has it she was once the most famous woman in Hollywood but now, faded beyond memory, she lives out her days inside, trying to recreate the Golden Years. At The Recluse Who Lives On A Hill written and performed by Ryan Lane (Ryan Lane Will Be There Now In A Minute, VAULT Festival), you might enter as a nobody, but you could leave as the next shining star.

Alone within four walls, sometimes you need to have a conversation, have someone talk back to you, someone to tell you that your Ex just isn’t worth it. Reptile by Macadie Amoroso (Blue Beneath My Skin, Bunker Theatre) is a heart-warming piece about a cold-blooded companion in the good times and the bad

Meet a unique friend, use words to create something never heard before and make your time count with Share-My-Home Companion from Gabriella Leon (Casualty). A ludicrous and powerful piece about the need to have something to do, something to look forward to,
something to talk about as time trickles and yet races away, stuck inside.

Director Ed Theakston comments, As we emerge from the past year, I am thrilled to have been able to collaborate with a tremendously talented group of artists to bring this show to life. The focus of the show is to safely create moments of human connection, and to centre the power and immediacy of live theatre. Theatre For Two will be popping up in the heart of communities across London, providing some much-needed escapism and joy. Theatre has a vital role to play, not least in us all processing ‘These Unprecedented Times’. Theatre For Two is our contribution.

To remain Covid-Secure, the space designed by Ioana Curelea (The Strange Tale of Stan Laurel and Charlie Chaplin, Told by an Idiot) will be a self-contained pop-up unit measuring
approximately 3m by 2m to allow for social distancing, with tickets purchased as a ‘bubble’, for one or two. The space will be separated by a clear Perspex-style screen, with removable chairs for audience members and space for one performer. The audience space is wheelchair accessible and will feature easily sanitised hard furnishings to ensure thorough and effective cleaning between performances. Tickets can be booked for each stand-alone piece or to experience the full cycle of all four over the course of an hour.

The performances will be accompanied by workshops for families and young people exploring storytelling and playfulness, delivered by director Katie Coull (Arts for Essential Workers) and actor and educator Matthew Grove.

Theatre for Two is generously supported by Arts Council England.