Author: FairyPoweredProductions

La Ronde

A Collaborative Artists production in association with Heretic Production

The Bunker, 53A Southwark Street, London SE1 1RU

Saturday 11th February 2017 – Saturday 11th March 2017 

Collaborative Artists return for 2017 with a bold reimagining of Arthur Schnitzler’s infamous classic La Ronde in a new adaption by Max Gill. La Ronde embraces life’s game of chance and the blindness of desire and fortune as fate decides the cast’s roles every night and throughout the play. Four actors play the cast of ten – no night or scene will be the same. With over three thousand different versions of the show, what will your story be?

Featuring a stellar cast, Lauren Samuels (Vanities: The Musical, Trafalgar Studios; Bend it Like Beckham, Grease) steps outside the realm of musical theatre for this daring production, and will play alongside BBC’s Versailles star Alex Vlahos (Fortune’s Fool, Old Vic; Emperor and Galilean, National Theatre), Leemore Marrett Jr (Chariots of Fire, Hampstead Theatre; Tide, Arcola; Macbeth, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre), and Amanda Wilkin (Hamlet, Shakespeare’s Globe and International Tour; Arabian Nights, Watermill Theatre).

South London, 2017. The disparate lives of the city’s inhabitants are thrown together by the caprice of desire and fate. La Ronde distils the beating heart of London’s sexuality with verbatim testimonies from real life prostitutes, lovers, adulterers. Where there is desire, there is power; lust and the search for love bind us all.

Schnitzler’s La Ronde was written at a time when sex was regarded as sinful and reprehensible. Director Max Gill re-works this controversial 1897 classic into a gender-neutral adaptation that interrogates modern attitudes to gender, sexuality, and social status.

Max Gill comments, La Ronde in all its incarnations has always been a mirror to society’s sexual appetites and anxieties. Since it was first conceived, the rabbit-hole of desire has only deepened; the opportunity to explore how our sexuality creates us, how choice controls us, how desire defines us, has never been more exciting than today.

La Ronde opens Season Two at The Bunker – an exciting new venue in London Bridge. It is preceded by three nights of Phosphorous Theatre presenting Dear Home Office, a project developed with eight young male refugees living in London.

La Ronde Performance Dates

Saturday 11th February 2017 – Saturday 11th March 2017

Tuesday – Sunday, 7:30pm

Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, 3pm

No performance on 14th February

Running time 1 hour 15 minutes

Website www.collaborativeartists.co.uk

Twitter @BunkerTheatreUK, @collaboartists, @Larondelondon

I’M A CELEBRITY’S JOEL DOMMETT IN LEEDS

Fresh from his hugely memorable performance on 2016’s I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, Joel Dommett is set to return to the road with his solo show, Joel Dommett: LIVE.

Catch the star of Sky1’s Bring The Noise at Leeds Grand Theatre on Sunday 30^th April 2017.

Tickets go on sale to Priority Members on Monday 19^th December (become a member for £10) and on general sale on Wednesday 21^st December.

Tickets are priced at £22 available from leedsgrandtheatre.com or 0844 848 2400

Ambassadors Theatre 13 December.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Ferris & Milnes’ West End debut – sadly just a one-off performance – should be available on the NHS as a cure for the Winter blues. Full of festive magic and performed with warmth and wit, Christmas Cracker is a perfect Christmas show.

Jam-packed with great numbers from a wide range of genres – Martin Milnes archly states that Dominic Ferris has a modern theatre and pop background, while he works with classical music and legitimate theatre! – the show has something for everyone.

The first act takes place in Martin’s living room, where the Steinway grand piano he just happens to be “piano sitting” comes in very handy for rehearsing their Christmas concert. This act has the feel of a classic 70s sitcom (in all the best ways), with Dominic’s calm manipulation of Martin to open his mind to new performance ideas creating some hysterical moments. The young performers of the Arts Ed choir seem to revel in their stereotype characters, and bounce off Ferris and Milnes deliciously, especially when being berated for rapping by Milnes – “You should be listening to Ivor Novello!” There’s also a (very weird) love triangle.

Act two is the actual concert – slick and stunning, with less comedy shtick and more musical numbers.

Dominic Ferris is a sublime pianist, with a lovely versatile voice. Martin Milnes is a vocal gymnast – switching between tenor and Mariah Careyesque high notes with consummate ease. Their voices blend beautifully and they perform together with intuition and infectious joy.

The set list reads like a whirlwind romp through the best of musical theatre. Decomposing Composers / By Strauss is a charming rollcall of Milnes’ favourites, Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off perfectly sums up their differences, and many other delightful duets. The solo performances are exquisite – each man showcasing his own style and performed with passion and integrity. Milnes’ Italian Street Song and You Could Drive Me Crazy are a masterclass of vocal range and physical comedy, and he demonstrates his versatility with his heartfelt What Kind of Fool Am I?

Ferris’ versions of If I can Dream and Daniel are gorgeously husky, and his piano solos just carry you away on a wave of energy and rhythm.

The choral pieces are simply stunning – with the choir giving their all in Carol of the Bells, Sir Christimas and O Holy Night. The show builds up into a full Christmas frenzy that would make Scrooge jump on stage to join in – it’s like being enveloped in a giant Christmas jumper and offered a bottomless glass of eggnog – all that was missing was snow. Glorious entertainment – I just wish they had more performances – I could watch this show on loop.

What a pleasure it was to travel to Sheffield Crucible to see this new, 5* production of Annie Get Your Gun with its superbly tuneful, wonderfully witty score by Irving Berlin.

The show is blessed with a freshness, charm and humour that are completely captivating, as well as one of the greatest collections of songs in the history of musical theatre. Berlin’s tunes and lyrics have embedded themselves into the public’s consciousness. Annie Get Your Gun contains a mind-boggling array of beloved and delightful as ever standards. Including There’s No Business Like Show Business,  which sums up the entire process of putting on a theatre performance.  In this performance it’s’ an acapella version that starts the show from the back of the auditorium and the spotlight follows Frank onto the stage through the audience

Still deliciously fresh, sweet and funny seven decades after its premiere Annie Oakley and Frank Butler, find their love for each other undermined by professional rivalry. It’s hilariously encapsulated in one of the show’s most famous songs, Anything You Can Do. Other hits include Doing What Comes Natur’lly, The Girl that I Marry and the beautiful love song I Got Lost in His Arms

Anna Jane Casey as Annie Oakley is a pocket rocket phenomenon, a sophisticated performer, the twang in her voice is very much American and you’d never guess she was from Lancashire.

Frank Butler. Ben Lewis, is very much a dashing he-man who can make you understand Annie’s comic love at first sight near-swoon.

With a huge cast of 22 adults and 3 children it would be hard to mention everyone but mention must be made to Maggie Service as Dolly Tate the demon spinster and Frank Butler’s assistant – she spends most of the show in very little but with some amazing legs – and Lauren Hall as her underaged kid sister Winnie add much to the comic and musical pleasures of the production. Cleve September as Winnie’s half-Indian boyfriend is one of the show’s outstanding stars and the romance between the two is an interesting side story. Nicolas Colicos is fabulous as  Buffalo Bill; Timothy Quinlan his canny business adviser Charlie Davenport and Karl Seth’s nicely judged Chief Sitting Bull

With Laura Hopkins’ set designs, Alistair David’s vivid choreography and Paul Herbert’s Musical Direction all under the direction of  Paul Foster combines for a truly magnificent show.  Already extended until 21st January – this is a show not to be missed

Wildcard Theatre and the White Bear Theatre present:

WHAT’S ON AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE 2017

leedsgrandtheatre.com / 0844 848 2700

Twitter: @grandtheatrels1 

THURSDAY 15^th DECEMBER TO SATURDAY 7^TH JANUARY

NORTHERN BALLET PRESENT

BEAUTY & THE BEAST

NATIONAL THEATRE PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

JANE EYRE

This innovative reimagining of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece is a collaboration between the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic.

**********************

TUESDAY 22^ND TO SATURDAY 26^TH AUGUST

THE WEDDING SINGER

STARRING RAY QUINN, CASSIE COMPTON, ROXANNE PALLETT AND RUTH MADOC

It’s 1985. Hair is huge, greed is good and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is dumped by his fiancé. Will he follow a career on Wall Street or get back into the groove and follow his dreams?

Craig Revel Horwood directs million selling X Factor winner Alexandra Burke in the hit musical comedy Sister Act at the Lyceum Theatre from Monday 16 – Saturday 21 January. 

Based on the smash-hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith, Sister Act tells the hilarious story of Deloris Van Cartier (Alexandra Burke), a disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder and under protective custody, is hidden in a convent. Disguised as a nun and under the suspicious eye of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own.

Alexandra Burke recently seen on the Lyceum stage in The Bodyguard, originally rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor. Her debut number one single Hallelujah sold over one million copies in the UK, a first for a British female soloist.

Featuring original music by Tony and eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Disney’s Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Enchanted), dazzling dance routines and songs inspired by Motown, soul and disco, Sister Act is the funniest and funkiest musical around.

Sister Act comes to the Lyceum Theatre from Monday 16 – Saturday 21 January.  Tickets can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £28.00 – £49.00 (a transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash).  Concessions and group discounts are available.

STRICTLY COME DANCING

10TH ANNIVERSARY LIVE TOUR

20 JANUARY – 12 FEBRUARY 2017

TOUR LINE-UP CONFIRMED

Louise Redknapp & Kevin Clifton

Danny Mac & Oti Mabuse

Ore Oduba & Karen Clifton

Ed Balls & Katya Jones

Daisy Lowe & Aljaž Skorjanec

Lesley Joseph & Gorka Marquez

AND SPECIAL GUEST STAR IN MANCHESTER – JUDGE RINDER

The final line-up for the 2017 Strictly Come Dancing Live UK Tour is today announced and the pairings are Louise Redknapp and Kevin Clifton; Danny Mac and Oti Mabuse; Ore Oduba and Karen Clifton; Ed Balls and Katya Jones*; Daisy Lowe and Aljaž Skorjanec; Lesley Joseph and Gorka Marquez.

Completing the line-up for group numbers and professional dances are six of this series’ fabulous professional dancers Giovanni Pernice and Janette Manrara, AJ Pritchard and Chloe Hewitt, Oksana Platero and Neil Jones.

The celebrities and professional dancers will be joining tour judges Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood (who also directs the show) and Karen Hardy, along with 2017 tour host, Anita Rani.

Manchester fans are in for a special treat, as Judge Rinder will perform at all three shows at Manchester Arena (4 & 5 February), dancing with his partner from the TV series, Oksana Platero. The criminal barrister and television court judge said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Strictly tour in Manchester and I’m particularly excited to be performing in such an enormous arena. I can’t wait to share my love of dance in such an amazing city.”

The 30 show spectacular, Strictly Come Dancing Live UK Tour, will open at the Barclaycard Arena, Birmingham on 20 January 2017. The tour will then visit the biggest entertainment venues across the UK: Metro Radio Arena Newcastle, Sheffield Arena, The SSE Arena Glasgow, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, First Direct Arena Leeds, Manchester Arena on 4th and 5th February, Liverpool’s Echo Arena, The SSE Arena Wembley, before culminating at The O2 in London on 12 February.

Tickets for STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR 2017 are on sale now

20 – 22 January Birmingham: The Barclaycard Arena 0844 338 8000

(Friday 20th at 7.30pm, Saturday 21st at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 22nd at 1.30pm & 6.30pm)

24 January Newcastle: Metro Radio Arena 0844 493 6666

(Tuesday 24th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

25 – 26 January Sheffield Arena 0114 256 5656

(Wednesday 25th at 7.30pm, Thursday 26th at 7.30pm)

27 – 29 January Glasgow: The SSE Hydro 0844 395 4000

(Friday 27th at 7.30pm, Saturday 28th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 29th at 1.30pm)

31 January – 1 February Nottingham: Motorpoint Arena 0843 373 3000

(Tuesday 31st at 7.30pm, Wednesday 1st at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

2 – 3 February Leeds: First Direct Arena 0844 248 1585

(Thursday 2nd at 7.30pm, Friday 3rd at 7.30pm)

4 – 5 February Manchester Arena* 0844 847 8000

(Saturday 4th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 5th at 1.30pm)

7 – 8 February Liverpool: Echo Arena 0844 8000 400

(Tuesday 7th at 7.30pm, Wednesday 8th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

9 – 10 February London: The SSE Arena, Wembley 0844 815 0815

(Thursday 9th at 7.30pm, Friday 10th at 7.30pm)

11 – 12 February London: The O2 0844 856 0202

(Saturday 11th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 12th at 1.30pm & 6.30pm)

*Please note that due to prior commitments, Ed Balls will not be appearing at Manchester Arena (4th – 5th February). Special guest star Judge Rinder will be performing.

Ticket costs: £35 – £65 (bands venue dependent)

The O2 prices are £36 – £66 (Inclusive of a £1 per ticket venue facility fee)

All ticket prices are subject to a booking fee

To book tickets please contact the venue or call 0844 875 8758 For online bookings visit www.ticketzone.co.uk or www.ticketmaster.co.uk For more information visit www.strictlycomedancinglive.com

Twitter: @scd_live_tour Facebook: www.facebook.com/strictlylive

STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR is produced by Stage Entertainment and Phil McIntyre Entertainments, in association with BBC Worldwide.

Grand Opera House, York.  Reviewed by Marcus Richardson

The Grand Opera House in York chose Aladdin for this years pantomime, traditionally set in China. The new script was tailored for the city of York with various jokes about Acomb, this made a lot of the audience laugh (the ones from York).

The celebrity cast were there for the traditional pantomime feel of getting famous people in and chucking them on stage. The staging was one of the best aspects of the play, with the flying carpet, I was completely mind blown; as I was expecting to see a video of Aladdin on the carpet, but they used a lift in the pitch black and lit up the carpet and Aladdin. what made this panto so different from the others was the use of 3D video in the second half, everyone loved it and I mean loved it; people were jumping out of their seats out of amazement.

Acting was good on the most part, Aladdin played by Carl Tracy from a children musical group called ‘Go!Go!Go!’ Was surprisingly good, his vocals giving him a lot of the power, the main thing to note is his stage presence; he was so confident and played it like a panto hero should to do. Suzanne Shaw played the Princess Yasmin, Aladdin’s love interest, who was from the mid 2000s pop group Hear’say. She. Can. Sing. She was an absolutely amazing singer with powerful songs requiring so much power and effort. Stuart Wade was by far the best when interacting with the audience and making them join in the action, his energy was so high it made such a big difference and branch the night up 10 notches. And the Dame, Widow Twanky played by Steve Wickenden, was hilarious, with the banter between her and Dennis (an unfortunate audience member) she had various costumes that made people laugh and he played her, whist also being him very well.

However I love a panto villain as much as the next person, but Paul Sinha from the quiz show ‘The Chase’ did not have a lot of dimension, it felt like he was reading from a script for the first time. The character felt very static and flat, was this because of nerves? I hope so because you can have so much fun playing the villain. He just needs to enjoy the stage and become the guy that we know from The Chase.

The night over all was really good, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality and the production itself, claiming to be ‘York’s Biggest Panto Ever’ might have been an overstatement, but it did entertain the kids and families in the audience. Do not compare it to the York Theatre Royals Panto, as they are both very good and this one is the more traditional panto, which some people prefer and some don’t.

Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield.  Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

Cinderella opens at Huddersfield’s Lawrence Batley Theatre with a ball – there is a festive atmosphere of Christmas songs being played and a glittering stage greeting the audience. This is the theatre’s first ever professional pantomime, written by Andrew Pollard and directed by Joyce Branagh.

A traditional pantomime is always based on a tale and in this case, Cinderella. This popular fairy tale is loved by many – a story of rags to riches. Cinderella (Nisa Cole) is a slave to her wicked stepmother and her ugly stepsisters. However with her friend, Buttons, and the magical mentoring from her Fairy Godmother, anything is possible including going to the ball and meeting her Prince Charming.

This production has everything one expects and loves about a traditional pantomime. The Fairy Godmother (Natasha Magigi) serves as a narrator as well as Cinderella’s saviour. Buttons, servant and only friend of Cinderella, interacts and entertains the audience who shouts his arrival “bing bong bang, you’re in Buttons’ gang!” throughout. Magigi doubles up as the unpopular wicked Baroness Hardup, Cinderella‘s stepmother, and the audience reacts appropriately when she refers to them as “Huddersfield’s horrors and hillbillies”. Kylie and Miley Hardup, the stepsisters, (Richard Hand and Michael Hugo) make an unorthodox entrance with their outrageous costumes and they capture the audience’s attention with their nonsensical innuendoes and tongue in cheek.

Pantomimes are known to be localised and this production is no exception with references to Prince Charming (Adam Barlow) known as the “Prince of Dewsbury” and that “best ladies reside not in Wakefield but in Huddersfield”. Dandini (Stephanie Hackett) is originally “Danielle from Huddersfield” and the stepsisters’ shopping at Kirkgate’s shopping centre and their association with the “Mirfield Majorettes”. There are also references to celebrities, current affairs and pop stars which everyone can relate to and its puns and connotations that fit in the script.

Well known songs, some arranged as medleys, and familiar live music is arranged effectively by Rebekah Hughes and its performances are choreographed by Rachel Root. Sing-a-longs are obviously encouraged which guarantees maximum participation from the audience and also the usual pantomime lines such as “oh no it wasn’t”, “oh yes it was”, “it’s behind you” and so on.

The Fairy Godmother poetically summaries the moral of the story and this is relayed at the beginning and at the end of the pantomime. This shines through the character of Cinderella and how the good conquers the evil combined with self belief as summed up by the cast singing the cover of Neil Diamond’s I’m a Believer.

Cinderella certainly has something for everyone. With stunning sparkling sets and colourful costumes, courtesy of Glitter Pantomimes, this talented cast certainly delivers a pantomime fitting for royalty and a night at the “ball” is guaranteed. A festive treat waits at the Lawrence Batley Theatre.