Category: Uncategorized

All-star cast unite for digital revival of Steven
Carl McCasland’s Little Wars
Streaming worldwide: Tuesday 3rd – Sunday 8th November 2020
Thomas Hopkins & Michael Quinn for Ginger Quiff Media in association with
Bailey Harris Kelly and Guy Chapman

Multi award-winning stage and screen actress Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply; The
Doctor, Almeida; Blindness, Donmar Warehouse) leads an all-star female cast in the online
revival of Steven Carl McCasland’s dinner party drama, Little Wars. Joining Stevenson will be Linda Bassett (Call The Midwife; East is East), Debbie Chazen (The Smoking Room; The Girls, West End), Natasha Karp (Rags, Park Theatre; The Kite Runner, West End), Catherine Russell (Holby City; What The Butler Saw, Curve Theatre), Sarah Solemani (Him & Her; Bad Education), and Sophie Thompson (Feel Good; Present Laughter, Old Vic).

Bringing together six exceptional women, Little Wars unites literary figureheads Gertrude Stein (Bassett), her girlfriend Alice Toklas (Russell), Dorothy Parker (Chazen), Lillian Hellman
(Stevenson) and Agatha Christie (Thompson), with anti-fascist freedom fighter Muriel Gardiner (Solemani), in the most fantastical what-if dinner party imaginable. Tensions are high and secrecy lingers in the air, but with libations flowing and the threat of World War II looming the guests are close to boiling point.

Directed by Hannah Chissick (Flashdance, UK & International tour; Pack of Lies, Menier
Chocolate Factory) the new production will be filmed and made available to download and
stream online, in collaboration with Southwark’s The Union Theatre. The entire cast and
creative team are raising money in aid of Women For Refugee Women, a cause that remains close to their values, and the underlying message of the play. Notwithstanding the challenges of 2020, the producers believe that it is vital, now more than ever, to support causes such as this.

Previously workshopped Off-Off Broadway, this acclaimed play makes its digital premiere,
celebrating historical women of the 20th century, through an intimate, hilarious, and witty flyon-the-wall glimpse into a nostalgic fiction based on truths. Set in 1940s France, on the evening the country crumbled to Hitler’s tyrannical rule, the play acts as a brutal reminder of the mistreatment of the Jewish people. At a time when antisemitism is rife, gender politics are divisive, and LGBTQ+ hate crime has increased, it is a stark reminder that not much has changed.

Director Hannah Chissick comments, It is such an honour to work on this wonderful play about exceptional women, with such an extraordinary cast all coming together in support of other brave and courageous women.

McCasland adds, I am thrilled to see Little Wars find its way across the pond, and with such an extraordinary team of actresses. I hope the play’s message resonates with all during this
unprecedented time.

Alongside the streaming, GingerQuiff Media will be collaborating with Drink the iNK for a new pre-show conversation series, Open Creative Process, allowing audiences full-access into the creative process of making digital theatre – from start to finish.

Theatres Trust helps 20 theatres on the road
to reopening with grants totalling over £81k

Theatres Trust, the national advisory body for theatres in the UK, is providing vital help for 20 theatres. These are the first 20 theatres that will be helped through the Trust’s Theatre Reopening Fund. The grant scheme was established earlier this year in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to support theatres with the additional costs associated with reopening after a prolonged period of closure, and to meet current Covid-safe requirements.

The first round of successful theatres reflects the remarkable variety of theatres in the UK, ranging from historic Grade II* listed theatres Theatre Royal Stratford East, Theatre Royal Wakefield and Wilton’s Music Hall, Category 2 listed Alhambra Dunfermline and internationally renowned performing arts venue The Roundhouse, to Beaufort Theatre, a volunteer-led community arts centre in Ebbw Vale, rural touring venue Pound Arts in Wiltshire and local authority-run venues Middlesbrough Theatre and The Stag in Sevenoaks.

Vital local theatres Aberdeen Arts Centre, Corn Exchange Newbury, Hampton Hill Theatre in Richmond, Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York, Lichfield Garrick, Lowther Pavilion in Lancashire, Lowestoft’s Marina Theatre, New Cut Arts in Suffolk, Oldbury Rep in the West Midlands, Seaford Musical Theatre in East Sussex and West Cliff Theatre in Clacton will also receive and benefit from this essential funding.

Theatre projects supported will include building deep cleans, installation of hand sanitisers and Perspex screens, fitting automatic doors and improvements to ventilation systems. With this funding, theatres will be able to meet government guidelines, increase audience confidence, and be able to safely open their doors.

Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan comments, In these challenging times for the theatre sector, Theatres Trust is pleased to be able to help theatres across the country to prepare their buildings for audiences to return. These grants, alongside our free advice service and online seminars, will help theatres to move closer to reopening. We are grateful for the unprecedented support of our funders and hope to be able to assist more theatres with essential reopening projects with money raised through the #SaveOurTheatres Crowdfunder campaign.

The Theatre Reopening Fund has been made possible thanks to the generous support of funders: Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Charles Michael Holloway Charitable Trust, Judy Craymer CBE, Soho Estates, The Basil Samuel Charitable Trust, The Foyle Foundation, The Mackintosh Foundation, The Pilgrim Trust, The Swire Charitable Trust, Theatre Royal, Haymarket and Theatre Super Auction.

Theatres Trust is currently raising additional money for this grant scheme through the SaveOurTheatres campaign in partnership with Crowdfunder https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-theatres.

Theatre Reopening Fund will continue to accept applications for grants of up to £5,000 until at least the end of 2020, with the possibility that the scheme will be extended into 2021 subject to demand. Details of the next round of recipients will be announced soon.

PRESS RELEASE

TUESDAY 27 OCTOBER 2020

LGBTQIA+ THEATRE FESTIVAL ‘TURN ON FEST’ TO RETURN

JANUARY 2021

• Collaborative LGBTQIA+ Theatre festival to return after a successful launch 2020.
• Created in partnership with Hope Mill Theatre and Superbia it will explore themes of gender, sexuality and identity within the Greater Manchester sphere. 
• Hope Mill Theatre will once again, offer four local LGBTQIA+ artists the chance to be commissioned as part of the festival, with DEVELOPMENT GRANT applications now open
• Second annual TURN ON FEST to return in January 2021.

Following a highly successful debut in 2020, TURN ON FEST returns to Hope Mill Theatre in 2021, with both live and digital offerings, helping keep the arts alive in the local community, and continue the TURN ON FEST mission to develop and celebrate LGBTQIA+ local artists in Manchester.

TURN ON FEST is an LGBTQIA+ arts festival, produced by Hope Mill Theatre, in partnership with Superbia, Manchester Pride’s year-round programme of arts and culture.

Running for two weeks in January 2021 at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre, TURN ON FEST features programming from Superbia, Mother’s Ruin, new LGBTQIA+ work, music, dance and more. The full festival programme will be announced via production partners over the coming weeks.

Joseph Houston, Artistic Director of Hope Mill Theatre, said: “At the beginning of 2020 we were delighted to launch Turn On Fest and offer a platform and opportunity for queer artists and work within the North West. We would never have imagined that the festival would have been Hope Mill Theatres only self-produced work for almost 7 months. We are so thrilled to be able to bring Turn On Fest 2021 after such a successful launch which saw many North West artists supported through development grants and offered a varied and diverse programme of work for our audiences and the LGBTQIA+ community. We also can’t wait to work with the team at Superbia at Manchester Pride once again.”

Mark Fletcher, CEO for Manchester Pride, said: “I am really pleased that we are able to make this announcement. TURN ON FEST is a really important part of our calendar of events for Superbia and it is so important that we are able to work with the team at Hope Mill again to provide a platform for LGBTQ+ talent whilst also offering something to entertain our audiences.”

Hope Mill Theatre will once again, offer four local LGBTQIA+ artists the chance to have the opportunity to receive funding to develop an existing idea or project as part of the festival, with DEVELOPMENT GRANT applications now open.

Four local LGBTQIA+ companies or individuals wanting to showcase and develop their work will each receive £1,000 commission, marketing support, mentorship and rehearsal space. Hope Mill will also be offering some events online & digitally, to ensure audiences can enjoy this premiere work from the comfort of home, and across the UK.

Applications are now open via https://hopemilltheatre.co.uk/turn-on-fest-development-grants

TURN ON FEST is once again keen to showcase a range of work and hear from artists from a range of backgrounds, with applications being open to artists who work in film, theatre, spoken word, cabaret, visual art and music.

For more information about TURN ON FEST and the DEVELOPMENT GRANT visit www.hopemilltheatre.co.uk.

Social Media: @turnonfestmcr

• SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS WAS HONOURED IN LAST NIGHT’S OLIVIER AWARDS WITH ACCOLADES FOR LEOPOLDSTADT (BEST NEW PLAY) AND FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL).
• LEOPOLDSTADT’S WIN MEANS THAT SFP HAS BEEN LEAD PRODUCER OF THE OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING BEST NEW PLAY FOR FOUR CONSECUTIVE YEARS, TAKING ITS TOTAL BEST NEW PLAY OLIVIER AWARD WINS TO EIGHT SINCE 2010.

Sonia Friedman Productions last night continued its success in the Best New Play category at the annual Olivier Awards. The award for Tom Stoppard’s play Leopoldstadt means that SFP has won the coveted Best New Play Award as lead producer for four consecutive years with Leopoldstadt (Wyndham’s Theatre, 2020), The Inheritance (Noël Coward Theatre, 2019), The Ferryman (Gielgud Theatre, 2018) and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, 2017). These wins are in addition to SFP’s further four Olivier Award-winning Best New Play productions and co-productions in the last decade.

Sonia Friedman said:

“As we celebrated Tom Stoppard’s triumph last night with ‘Leopoldstadt’, it marked the fourth consecutive year as lead producer that I, along with my incredible company and co-producers, have won Best New Play, taking our total Olivier Award-winning Best New Play awards to eight in the last decade. We hadn’t fully comprehended, or indeed fully realised the scale of this achievement until today. This last decade stands now as an era of staggering and stage-shaking new theatrical work, in which writers from all backgrounds have begun to imagine a stage landscape that relates in genuinely insightful ways to the pulsing world outside; and it also heralds our commitment to go for a further decade. It is no accident to be making such a commitment to develop new work with the country’s finest writers, both established and emerging. It is only our creative artists, led by our writers, who have the guts and mental elasticity to shoulder this next challenge. We all know and feel the peril of life without theatre. But we also know that this simply will not go on. My company and I won’t allow it to, and the most heroic freelance army will be there to greet you at our doors again very soon, for many more beautiful nights.”

SFP’s ongoing commitment to producing the best new work is shown with the announcement of the brand-new play The Comeback by comedy duo The Pin which will play at the Noël Coward Theatre this December.

Other SFP wins at last night’s Olivier Awards included Best Musical Revival for their co-production of Fiddler on the Roof with Menier Chocolate Factory and Michael Harrison Entertainment, with Adrian Scarborough also winning Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Leopoldstadt. Additionally, Baby Reindeer which was slated to be part of the planned SFP at the Ambassadors season was awarded Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre.

FOURTH WALL LIVE

AND THE HIPPODROME CASINO LONDON

PRESENT

LIVE IN LONDON

A SERIES OF OVER 40 LIVE SHOWS

AT THE HIPPODROME CASINO

FROM WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2020

ALL TICKETS £20 – ON SALE SOON

Fourth Wall Live and The Hippodrome Casino London are thrilled to announce a series of over 40 shows at the Hippodrome Casino this winter. The season runs from 18 November every week for 5 weeks and will include two shows nightly at 7.00pm and 9.00pm. The series will feature stars from the world of musical theatre, comedy and magic with all tickets priced £20. Audiences will be safely socially distanced following the most up-to-date safety guidelines. There will be 130 tickets on sale per show and tickets go on sale soon. Sign up at

www.fw-live.com for advance presale and further announcements.

NOVEMBER 2020

WEDNESDAY 18 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Aaron Sidwell & American Idiot Reunion

THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Vula Malinga Live & Acoustic

THURSDAY 19 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – Melanie La Barrie

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Sarah O’Connor in Concert

FRIDAY 20 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – Comedian Shappi Khorsandi

SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – Joe McElderry Live in London

WEDNESDAY 25 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Yury Revich – A night of classical violin

THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Maria Coyne

THURSDAY 26 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – The Angels, Tracked, Traced and Unlaced. Straight from Kinky Boots – featuring Tom Scanlon, Jed Berry, Daniel Downing, Louise Clark-Clare, Chris Parkinson and Jemal Felix.

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Dianne Pilkington & Chris Hamilton

FRIDAY 27 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – A Night of Magic & Music with Simon Lipkin featuring Preston Nyman, Harry De Cruz and Jamie Muscato

SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER AT 7.00PM – Clive Rowe

SATURDAY 28 NOVEMBER AT 9.00PM – Magical Bones – Magic from Britain’s Got talent Finalist

DECEMBER 2020

WEDNESDAY 2 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – Matt Cardle – LIVE

THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Trevor Dion Nicholas does Disney on Broadway

THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – A Night with the UK tour cast of Rock of Ages

FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Jodie Jacobs & Friends in Concert

FRIDAY 4 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Comedian Stephen K Amos

SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Wendi Peters

WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Courtney Stapleton & Eloise Davies

WEDNESDAY 9 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Ryan Molloy

THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Kim Ismay & Friends in Concert

THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Myra DuBois Live in London

FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Julie Atherton in Concert

FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Sooz Kempner & Richard Thomas: Wrong Songs for Christmas

SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Jenna Russell in Concert

SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Anna-Jane Casey in Concert

MONDAY 14 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Danielle Steers: Unplugged

MONDAY 14 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – A Night with Sabrina Aloueche & Andrew Derbyshire

WEDNESDAY 16 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – The Barricade Boys at Christmas

THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM & 9.00PM – Knights of Music featuring Oliver Ormson, Liam Doyle & Sandy Grigelis

FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – Oliver Tompsett Live in London

FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Funny Gals featuring Vikki Stone & Natasha Barnes

SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER AT 7.00PM – The Two Aladdins – Dean John-Wilson and Matthew Croke

SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER AT 9.00PM – Declan Bennett – LIVE

Fourth Wall Live Fourth Wall Live is an exciting new venture between hit concert producers Club 11 London and producers DLAP Entertainment. Club 11 London and DLAP have previously collaborated on Chita Rivera at Cadogan Hall and are thrilled to be bringing live entertainment back into one of London’s most iconic venues. Club 11 London previously produced Jeremy Jordan, Tituss Burgess, Matthew Morrison, Michael Ball, Cynthia Erivo, and Shoshana Bean at the Hippodrome Casino. 

The Hippodrome Casino is an over 18’s venue only. If you are lucky enough to look under 25 you must bring photo ID.

Sasha Regan brings her award-winning All-male Company to the original home of D’Oyly Carte Opera

W. S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan’s 
THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE
at The Palace Theatre on  Sunday 13^th December 2020

WINNER OF BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS 2009

*****  “a theatrical masterstroke”EVERYTHING THEATRE

***** “Uplifting, hilarious and witty – a truly wonderful night out!” LOVE LONDON LOVE CULTURE

**** “Riotously Inventive” THE TIMES

**** “Magnificent” THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

**** “Immensely Charming” FINANCIAL TIMES

Sasha Regan and her All-male Company brings THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE, one of W. S. Gilbert & Arthur Sullivan’s best-known classic operettas, to the home of D’Oyly Carte opera on Sunday 13^th December for one night.  Originally known as The Royal English Opera House, the Palace Theatre was founded by Richard D’Oyly Carte in 1891 and opened with Sir Arthur Sullivan’s Ivanhoe. 

The merry band of pirates and their winsome lasses sail into the Palace Theatre with their inventive new take on Gilbert & Sullivan’s classic operetta.  Features a shipshape cast singing songs including: “I am a Pirate King”; “Oh, happy day, with joyous glee” and “A rollicking band of pirates we”, they are sure to raise the roof off the Palace Theatre!

Expect plenty of onboard japes from the swashbuckling crew who are braving the high seas with rum and hand-sanitisers to bring you a socially distanced, Covid-secure show. A joyous and much needed escape for families and friends.

The production was first staged at The Union Theatre in the heart of Southwark over a decade ago where it was a runaway success winning Best Off-West End Production at The WhatsOnStage Awards in 2009.  Pirates transferred to Wilton’s Music Hall for a 6-week run and on to The Rose Theatre, Kingston before the All-male Company set sale on a tour of Australia culminating in a month-long run at Cate Blanchett’s prestigious Sydney Theatre. There was a subsequent UK Tour in 2015 and another critically acclaimed run at Wilton’s Music Hall last year.

During this troubling time of Covid-19 Sasha Regan’s company is bringing a well-known operetta from its humble beginnings at the Union Theatre over a decade ago to the original home of the Savoy operas – a remarkable feat.  The Company hopes that 141 years after it ran at New York’s Fifth Avenue Theatre in 1879, followed by its London début the following year at Opera Comique and later at the Savoy Theatre, that audiences of all ages will fall in love with this beautifully written operetta performed in a Victorian theatre created for this work.

A lovely pre-Christmas treat.

Runs on 13^th December for one night only. 

The Palace Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 5AY

Time: 7:00p.m.

Tickets online: https://www.nimaxtheatres.com/shows/pirates-of-penzance/

Box Office: 0330 333 4813

Performance Time: 7:00pm

Running time: 2 hours including an interval

Creatives

Director – Sasha Regan

Choreographer – Lizzi Gee

Designer – Robyn Wilson-Owen

Musical Director – Richard Baker

Associate Choreographer – Lee Greenaway

Lighting Design – Ben Bull

Casting – Adam Braham Casting

Marketing and Public Relations – Fiona Lockley
Produced by Ben De Wynter for HMS2020 Productions

Casting to be announced shortly.

SELLADOOR ANNOUNCES VENUES WILL OPEN FOR A CHRISTMAS SEASON OF FESTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

Selladoor confirm that following the recent grant award announcement from the DCMS, they plan to lift the curtain again at each of their venues this year in time for Christmas.

Peterborough New Theatre, The Landmark Theatre in Ilfracombe and The Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple will open with new social distancing procedures including spaced seating, staggered entrance times and one-way systems around the venues.

‘An Evening with Kevin & Joanne Clifton’ will launch the festive season at the Landmark and the hilarious Jimmy Carr will do the same in Peterborough.  Santa’s Christmas Cracker will follow in both theatres – a brand new show for 2-7 year olds who will join Father Christmas and his friends on a fun, festive, musical adventure to discover the wonder of Christmas.

Selladoor’s own brand new one-person production of A Christmas Carol will play at the Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple from the 5th to 19th December bringing Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and of course the ghosts to the stage in this Dickens’ classic.

And, to conclude the season, Peterborough and Barnstaple’s Christmas Crackers will run from Monday 21st to Thursday 31st December at each venue. A family variety show full of exciting, fast-paced and recognisable acts will bring festive comedy and show-stopping numbers to Selladoor’s stages.  Gareth Gates has been confirmed as Headline act for Barnstaple with more star casting to be announced.

David Hutchinson, Chief Executive of Selladoor Worldwide says “Selladoor are once again opening the doors of The Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple, The Landmark in Ilfracombe and Peterborough New Theatre to ensure these communities continue to have access to live theatre.  Our festive entertainment will be provided within a safe, socially distanced environment and we can’t wait to welcome our audiences back through the doors. We are working hard to bring more shows to our 2020 winter and 2021 spring season so watch this space for more coming soon.”

OUTSIDE EDGE THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR THE INAUGURAL 2020 PHIL FOX PLAYWRITING AWARD

Outside Edge Theatre Company (OETC), the UK’s only theatre company and participatory arts charity focused on addiction, is delighted to announce the finalists for the inaugural Phil Fox Award for Playwriting. Selected from 350 entries, the finalists are Sarah Connors, Silas Parry, Kristian Phillips, Jack Robson and Jack Stanley.

In its inaugural year, the prize has been created to recognise original scripts by playwrights from all backgrounds and experience levels, tackling issues around addiction. The winning script will be announced on 4 November and the chosen playwright will receive a £6,000 commission and mentorship from chair of the judging panel, Tony Award-winning playwright Enda Walsh.

Also on the 2020 judging panel are leading industry figures Matt Applewhite (Nick Hern Books Managing Director and Commissioning Editor), Barbara Broccoli OBE (Film Producer), Sonya Hale (OETC Associate Theatre Facilitator and Heretic Voices award-winning playwright), Indhu Rubasingham (Artistic Director of the Kiln Theatre), Matt Steinberg (OETC Artistic Director) and Simon Stephens (Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright of The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Night-Time).

Chair of the judging panel, Enda Walsh today said “I’d like to congratulate and commend those writers who’ve made the final shortlist for the inaugural Phil Fox Award. Each one has exhibited exceptional skill and sensitivity around this subject – and have built their own extraordinary singular worlds. It’s tremendously exciting and also a daunting proposition to now try and choose a winner.”

PUSHING ON OPEN DOORS

By Sarah Connors

For years, Maud has kept her grandson Art well away from the busybodies and bullies in the town. He’s different, and they don’t understand. When the enigmatic Pauly and ethereal Fee rescue Art from difficulty, they seem a blessing and are welcomed as guests. Slowly at first, and then frighteningly swiftly, things spiral out of Maud’s control. As the dark truth about the newcomers emerges, a fight for the home and family begins. A tender yet unsparing new play about where we find refuge.

Sarah Connors is from Cornwall.Pushing On Open Doors is her playwriting debut, and the work was also shortlisted for the Papatango Playwriting Prize in 2020.

LESSONS FOR DIVING

By Silas Parry

Danny has been taking care of his little brother Jo since their Mum died of an overdose.

Jo hardly leaves the small flat they share, and their loss fuels his obsession with giant ‘man-eating’ squid. Plus Danny’s safety, because he works for a local drug dealer to make ends meet.

And as Danny struggles to hide the increasing dangers of his job, Jo is caught in his own battle with the biggest squid of all.

In a world of rising waters and magical predators, only a Mexican fisherman called Rafael can teach Jo how to dive deep enough to defeat the monster and save his brother.

This is Silas Parry’s playwriting debut. He has previously been selected for the BBC Writersroom and received a BAFTA Los Angeles scholarship to support an MFA in dramatic writing at the Rita & Burton Goldberg Department, TISCH / NYU. He is also a visual artist and has most recently exhibited at Contemporary Art Space Osaka.

DRIFT

By Kristian Phillips

Roger’s on the ‘best night out ever’… Again!

In this small Welsh town, Friday nights are half big but Saturdays are massive.

Mind you, this isn’t a normal Saturday night.

Tonight, Roger’s whole reality is about to drift away.

DRIFT is a darkly comic, solo show, about grief, addiction and masculinity.

Kristian Phillips is a writer and actor from Port Talbot. As a playwright Drift is his debut play, and it was developed and researched under the Tyfu/Grow scheme at Theatr Clwyd. He is currently part of the Hampstead Theatre’s ‘Inspire Group’ and Theatr Clwyd’s ‘Writer In Residence Scheme’. His theatre credits as an actor include Pavilion, Season’s Greetings, Bruised (Theatr Clwyd), As You Like It (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Richard III (Almeida Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Birmingham Repertory Theatre/UK tour), The Alchemist (Liverpool Playhouse) and Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco (Tron/Traverse Theatre).

WHAT’S LOST IN THE GAPS

By Jack Robson

As a primary school teacher, Una has a lot to deal with: demanding parents, inattentive children, an egotistical headmistress. She used to turn to alcohol to make it all easier — only now it seems to do the opposite. When her father dies before she has a chance to reconcile with him, Una finds herself starting to crumble. Confronted with her mother’s ailing health, the stress of her father’s funeral, and her worsening addiction, Una spirals out of control, finally making a decision that she will never remember, but will affect the course of her life.

Jack Robson’s debut play i woke up feeling electric premiered at Hope Theatre in February 2020.

BOOMERANG

By Jack Stanley

Simone and Tobias are siblings. They get on. Sure, Tobias is a bit of a layabout when he visits her. Okay, a total couch potato but Simone’s used to that.

And so what if he’s been a bit directionless recently? Things are still good between them. But as the visits continue, it all starts to change. It becomes clear that Tobias’ life is spiralling into substance addiction. They are both caught in a cycle of Tobias’ behaviour that Simone is desperate to break. Until the moment she finally realises she can’t.

Jack Stanley is from South London. His theatre credits include Catastrophists (White Bear Theatre), Waste (Southwark Playhouse) and Laying Tracks (The Gregson Institute, Liverpool).

The 2020 Phil Fox Award for Playwriting is generously supported by An Anonymous Friend Of OETC, The Carne Trust and Unity Theatre Trust.

Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton production The Worst Witch wins prestigious Olivier Award

At yesterday’s rescheduled 2020 Olivier Awards ceremony, Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton co-production The Worst Witch scooped the award for Best Family Show. This milestone is the first time that the Northampton venue has won an Olivier award.

Having first delighted audiences in Northampton as Royal & Derngate’s 2018 Christmas Show The Worst Witch then toured the UK before enjoying a six week summer season at the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End in 2019. Adapted by Emma Reeves from Jill Murphy’s much-loved books and directed by Theresa Heskins, the show was a Made in Northampton co-production with Kenny Wax Family Entertainment, Novel and Nica Burns.

The winners of this year’s Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard were announced in a special programme hosted by Jason Manford and broadcast on ITV and Magic Radio.

Royal & Derngate Artistic Director James Dacre said: “We are absolutely delighted that this enchanting Made in Northampton production has been honoured with an Olivier Award. Its success is a testament to all the hard work, passion and creativity that went into the creation, support and promotion of the show. It is so fitting that this award is in the category of Best Family Show, given how central work for families, children and young people is to all that we do.”

I’d like to thank everyone involved – our staff, co-producing partners, creative team and the fantastic company – who made The Worst Witch such a success.”

Royal & Derngate Chief Executive Jo Gordon added: “We are so proud of our teams here at Royal & Derngate and the part they played in creating this wonderful show. In these difficult times, to have this recognition of our work is a much-needed boost for everyone here.”

Royal & Derngate’s production of Katori Hall’s Our Lady of Kibeho, which had its acclaimed UK debut in Northampton as part of the theatre’s Made in Northampton season in January and February 2018, was also nominated in the category for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre for its transfer to the Theatre Royal Stratford East last Autumn.

Established in 1976, the Olivier Awards celebrate the world-class status of London theatre, and are Britain’s most prestigious stage honours.

Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season is sponsored locally by Michael Jones Jeweller.

Remember, remember the 5^th of November…

AN EXPLOSIVE NEW MUSICAL DRAMA

MUSIC & LYRICS BY RICKY ALLAN

EXCLUSIVE RECORDINGS RELEASED FROM 5 NOVEMBER

PERFORMED BY SOME OF THE WEST END’S FINEST VOICES

INCLUDING HADLEY FRASER & ROSALIE CRAIG

Treason is an exciting new musical drama based on the notorious gunpowder plot of 1605. With a stunning score and lyrics by Ricky Allan, featuring a fusion of original folk and pop songs, this wonderful new musical tells one of the most intriguing tales in England’s history.  

Remember, remember the 5th of November,
for its gunpowder, treason, and plot
We’re here to tell you the rest of the tale,
the one that history books forgot
Guy Fawkes remains an anonymous figure, 
we have more to bring to the table
It’s time to meet the rest of the plotters,
in our fiery musical fable

Whilst the musical is still in development, theatre fans will however be able to listen to the show’s songs, performed by a selection of the West End’s most talented musical theatre performers: Kelly Agbowu (Les Misérables, Waitress), Daniel Boys (Falsettos, Nativity Rocks!), Rosalie Craig (Company, City of Angels), Hadley Fraser (Young Frankenstein, City of Angels), Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton, Memphis), Emmanuel Kojo (Oklahoma!, Showboat), Rebecca LaChance (School of Rock, Beautiful), Christina Modestou (Six, Little Shop of Horrors), and Oliver Savile (Falsettos, Wicked).

The first exclusive track Take Things Into Our Own Hands, featuring Hadley Fraser, will be released on Spotify, Amazon Music and Apple Music on Thursday 5 November 2020, marking the 415^th anniversary of the infamous gunpowder plot.

Subsequent tracks will be released every two weeks (excluding Christmas and New Year’s). Follow Treason the Musical on all social media platforms @treasonmusical and treasonthemusical.com  to be the first to hear the latest news and information.