Author: FairyPoweredProductions

West End’s Phoenix Arts Club Reopens to socially distanced audiences and announces sensational summer events

The legendary Phoenix Arts Club, located in London’s West End, reopened its art deco doors on Monday 17 May to socially distanced audiences with a stellar line-up of cabaret, musical theatre, non-binary drag, comedy and burlesque performers. For some of the artists, this was the first time they had taken to a stage for over a year. There was certainly a tear or two from both venue staff and regular community members, who were finally able to return to the world of live performing arts.

Since its forced closure in December 2020, the Phoenix Arts Club has continued to provide live streamed entertainment to hundreds of households across the UK, and since opening the box office last week, has already sold over 1,000 tickets, showing there’s clear demand for live theatre. Today it announces three months’ worth of nightly cabarets and comedy evenings at 7.30pm. The season features work in progress nights from emerging artists, Edinburgh Fringe Award Winners and stadium fillers including Simon Brodkin, Love Island’s Iain Stirling, Death Drop’s Holly Stars, Flo & Joan, Glamrou, Luke Kempner, Lounge Onyx, Ru Paul’s Drag Race’s Joe Black, the first female Perrier Award winner, Jenny Eclair, and many more.

Celebrating over thirty years of entertaining both visitors to the West End, and creatives working locally in theatre, film and music, The Phoenix Arts Club is the west end’s multi-award-winning, independently owned and operated entertainment club and speakeasy. Secreted away down the same little side street used in the opening sequence of Harry Potter and tucked beneath The Phoenix Theatre. The lively and nostalgic venue is now open nightly welcomes pre- and post-theatre drinks bookings and is open ‘til late.

Peter Dunbar Development & Marketing Director says:

“The whole Phoenix Team has worked incredibly hard to be one of the first venues to reopen in London’s West End, making continued improvements to the venue, devising new food and drinks offerings and booking in this stellar events season. We are thankful to everyone who has purchased a ticket to attend a show so far and booked a table to enjoy a long awaited catch-up with friends over a cocktail. We’ve taken a big risk in opening our doors and many arts venues have understandably remained closed. The logistics for putting on a theatre show is so complex, and the lack of government guidance and uncertainty on whether we’ll be asked to close again has meant many are mothballing their programming until the winter. As a grassroots venue we’re putting all shows on-sale socially distanced at 70 seats until we’re told with certainty we can open to full capacity, and many shows start at just £5 a ticket. By reopening, we are providing a platform in getting artists back to live work, many of whom haven’ performed for over a year.”

The full line-up can be found here: https://phoenixartsclub.com/whats-on

To book for drinks: https://phoenixartsclub.com/whats-on/mingle

Socials: @phoenixartsclub

Location: Phoenix Arts Club, One Phoenix Street, Soho, London, WC2H 8BU

Highlights of the 2021 May – August programme include:

Every Thursday: Showreel Live

Showreel LIVE offers YOU the opportunity to perform with a West End Musical Director in front of a LIVE audience AND have your performance filmed and uploaded online in minutes, ready for your showreel! Our tech whizzes make sure the camera, lights and action all make you look and sound superb using state-of-the-art technology.
Frequented by musical theatre newcomers, seasoned professionals and musical theatre lovers, every week is full of spontaneity and surprises. So it’s great simply to sit back and watch this high quality Musical Theatre night too.

Tickets just £5: https://bit.ly/3fwMNvn

Every Friday: Friday Night in Soho: The Stars of London Cabaret

Friday Night in Soho features a whole host of acts – cabaret, comedy, burlesque, even death-defying stunts courtesy of Guinness World Record holders and MORE!

You never know who might take to the stage at A Night in Soho, so when all’s said and done and you leave the club just in time for the last train home (or later if you so choose), keep what you have witnessed a secret, as it’s moments like these that make The Phoenix Arts Club the magical place it is.

Tickets from £12.50: http://phoenixartsclub.com/friday-night-in-soho

Every Saturday: The Saturday Supershow with Michael Twaits & Special Guests

The new Saturday Supershow features comedy, cabaret, drag, musical theatre, and top-tier entertainment every Saturday night, hosted by legendary cabaret host Michael Twaits, with Sarah Rose on piano. Leave song requests, celebrate with friends and support this independent grassroots entertainment venue. Only limited tickets are available to each live show, so secure them now!

Tickets from £12.50: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/the-saturday-supershow-cabaret-show-london-west-end-soho

25 May: Dom Pipkin’s Sweet Sounds of New Orleans

“The soul of New Orleans in the UK” Dom Pipkin is acknowledged as one of best in the genre. His shows are hugely entertaining, yet true to the spirit and authenticity of this most spicy of piano styles. Pipkin draws material from the greats – Fats Domino, Dr John, and Allen Toussaint – and mixes it with his own life-affirming songwriting, showcased last year with the release of his solo album “C’mon Sunshine”.

Tickets from £10: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/dom-pipkins-sweet-sounds-of-new-orleans

30 May: Three for Tea: The Afternoon Tea Cabaret

Experience an afternoon tea like no other in the glitzy west end members club, The Phoenix Arts Club at Three for Tea: the afternoon tea cabaret! Sip on bubbly, enjoy a scrumptious afternoon tea and let saucy “sisters” Bouncy Hunter and Kimber Keys immerse you in the golden age of cabaret with songs, comedy, and socially distanced audience interaction. What’s more, there’ll be plenty of tease as from world-famous burlesque performer Jolie Papillion

Tickets from £10: https://bit.ly/3oz6VkB

31 May: Holly Stars Time of the Month

Time of the Month is a camp cabaret extravaganza at the Phoenix Arts Club. A combination of comedy, chat, games and stellar drag performances, this is definitely one you want to add to your diary. The lineup for May includes feminist poetry icon Barbara Brownskirt, unforgettable drag thing CYRO and the eternally glamorous Asia Thorne.

Tickets from £10: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/holly-stars-time-of-the-month-may-31-london-west-end-soho

1 june: Joe Black: Speakeasy Spooktacular

Join international dark cabaret sensation Joe Black for a socially distanced speakeasy soiree.

‘Exceptional’ – Broadway Baby – ★★★★★

‘A well-sussex, well tasty exponent of commedia del’ arte farce’ – QX – ★★★★★

‘The king of cabaret noir’ – The Metro

Tickets: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/joe-black-speakeasy-spooktacular-london-west-end-soho

2 June: Luke Kempner & Glenn Moore

 The Phoenix Arts Club and Avalon Promotions have teamed up to bring a series of work in progress shows throughout June and July. Luke Kempner has quickly established himself as the UK’s hottest new impressionist for the millennial comedy generation, amassing over 3 million views online, through his viral sketch videos. Luke is part of the new Spitting Image cast, which can be seen now on BritBox.

£10 Tickets: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/luke-kempner-glenn-moore-comedy-london-soho-west-end

7 June: Keith Ramsay: The Factory

“Liza Minnelli meets Sid Vicious” : Award-winning actor and cabaret artist Keith Ramsay returns to the Phoenix Arts Club for their monthly salon: The Factory: a space in which the electrifying, haunting and decadent collide. A glittering confection of classical queer kabaret, cinematic glamour, madness, horror and melancholia:

Tickets from £8 https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/keith-ramsay-the-factory-london-west-end-soho

8 June: Lynn Ruth is Legal!

Lynn Ruth Miller, the world’s oldest performing stand-up comedienne and burlesque sensation celebrates being granted her exceptional talent visa with her new live show, Lynn Ruth is Legal! An evening of tale of through songs, stories and jokes about what the lockdown taught her, and how she came out of it. Lynn Ruth will be joined by UK folk guitarist Steve Gifford. Lynn Ruth Miller is best recognised for her many TV appearances including Britain’s Got Talent, America’s Got Talent and First Dates. Winner of the Soho Theatre and Time Out best cabaret awards, and twice Texas Burlesque Festival champion!

Tickets from £8: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/lynn-ruth-miller-is-legal-london-west-end-soho

9 June: Sarah Rose Goes it Alone

Cabaret pianist extraordinaire and Offie-nominated musical director Sarah Rose Bodalbhai takes to the stage without a drag act in sight! Following the release of her singer-songwriter debut single, Soar, she’ll be unveiling other pop songs she’s written and arranged alongside a couple of covers and other musical surprises, accompanied by some very talented musician friends. 

Tickets from £10: https://bit.ly/3417mL2

9 June: Laughing Labia Post-Lockdown Special

Laughing Labia proudly presents a diverse line-up of female comedians. Diversity is mostly emphasised in this show. We want to show that entertainment can be so much funnier, richer and deeper than represented on TV and in the media.

Line-up: Maz Alexander, Maureen Younger, Jenin Younes, Katie Pritchard, Aimee Cooper, Athena Kugblenu & MC: Alice Frick 

Tickets from £8: https://bit.ly/3417mL2

16 June: Simon Brodkin & Iain Stirling

The Phoenix Arts Club and Avalon Promotions have teamed up to bring a series of work in progress shows throughout June and July. Simon Brodkin Acclaimed character comedian and “the world’s most famous blagger” (The Daily Telegraph), Simon is now performing as himself Iain Stirling BAFTA-winning comedian Iain Stirling is best known as the brilliantly funny voice of the hit reality show Love Island.

£10 Tickets: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/simon-brodkin-iain-stirling-work-in-progress-comedy-london-west-end-soho

23 June: Flo & Joan + Jacob Hawley

The Phoenix Arts Club and Avalon Promotions have teamed up to bring a series of work in progress shows throughout June and July. Come down and watch some of the hottest acts on the UK circuit try out some new material, will be loads of fun!! All tickets just £10 each. Flo & Joan Flo & Joan are the multi-award winning British musical comedy duo, and sisters, Nicola and Rosie Dempsey. 

£10 tickets: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/flo-joan-jacob-hawley-comedy-london-west-end-soho

27 June: An Evening of Shopland & Hughes

David Shopland and Callum Hughes are two new rising stars on the Musical Theatre scene – and they want to share some of their exciting work with you from a range of BRAND NEW musicals currently in development! The sensational cast includes Matthew Quinn (Dreamboats and Petticoats, Saturday Night Fever), Jo Napthine (Les Miserables, Jerry Springer: The Opera), Edward Baruwa (Motown, Heathers), Siubhan Harrison (From Here To Eternity, Guys and Dolls), Matt Wycliffe (Jersey Boys, Million Dollar Quartet), and Emma Louise Hoey (Club Mex, Wizard of Oz). 

Tickets: https://bit.ly/33XqCJo

4 & 6 July: Glamrou and Friends

Renowned Iraqi drag queen Glamrou previews parts of their transgressive and uplifting show, Glamrou: From Quran to Queen, and invites some of her best queer pals to showcase exciting new work

Tickets: https://bit.ly/3407jz7

7 July: Jenny Eclair & Lou Sanders

The Phoenix Arts Club and Avalon Promotions have teamed up to bring a series of work in progress shows throughout June and July. Come down and watch some of the hottest acts on the UK circuit try out some new material, will be loads of fun!! Jenny Eclair: Stand-up comedian Jenny Eclair was the first woman to win the Perrier Award – theUK’s top comedy award – in 1995. Since then she has also found fame as the author of six critically acclaimed novels. Her latest, Inheritance, combines incredible poignancy and unforgettable characters, all with Jenny Eclair’s trademark wit.

£10 Tickets: https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/jenny-eclair-lou-sanders-work-in-progress-comedy

12 July: A Night in Springfield

A fan-diddly-dabulous evening of *excellent* Simpsons-themed cabaret. Marge burlesque! Drag king Groundskeeper Willie! Lizard Queen Lisa! And enough special surprises to pack 32 seasons with… After a sell-out first show and huge acclaim from audience and reviews, A Night in Springfield returns to the Phoenix Arts Club on 12th July with an all-new cast! Simpsons’ fans rejoice as your favourite cartoon comes to life once again with unique performances by some of cabaret’s cookiest entertainers complete with camp, colour, and plenty of cowabunga.

Tickets from £8: https://bit.ly/2Senh5W

13 & 20 July: Robin Askwith

We would like to say how nice it is that everything is back to normal but when Askwith walks on stage you know things are never going to be normal!
From smoking funny cigarettes with Jimi Hendrix to sword fighting with Frank Bruno and Sooty he takes us on a topsy turvy journey that will have you reaching for your next pint!

Tickets: https://bit.ly/3tYezpS

14 July: Dana Gillespie and Dino Baptist Blues It Up

Misty Moon Presents Dana Gillespie and Dino Baptist Blues It Up!

Dana Gillespie and Dino Baptiste perform an old style of Blues with plenty of Boogie Woogie. They normally work together in Dana’s group, the London Blues Band but for one night they will be up close and personal, in a slightly risqué way. Dana Gillespie is an English actress, singer and songwriter. Originally performing and recording in her teens, over the years Gillespie has been involved in the recording of over 45 albums,^[3] and appeared in stage productions, such as Jesus Christ Superstar, and several films. 

Dana Gillespie and Dino Baptist Blues it Up!

28 July: Lounge Onyx

Produced by previous Burlesque Idol winner, Onyx Fatale, join the Lounge Onyx, an unforgettable cabaret. The Lounge will bring you an array of talent from some of the best and up and coming black performers on the cabaret show as we delight you with burlesque, poetry, drag, comedy and everything in between. Be prepared for an eye opening production that opens your mind to understand the power of black bodies on the grandest stage in Soho….

Tickets from £12 https://phoenixartsclub.com/shows/lounge-onyx-cabaret-london-west-end-soho

24 August: Clinton Baptiste Goes Stratospheric Tour Warm Up Show

From Bolton via Vegas…..to the stars!

Following the massive success of his last UK tour, clairvoyant medium and psychic Clinton Baptiste has gone exploring, stateside. Not quite Caesar’s Palace but a series of shows in Vegas have lifted his celebrity status up a notch. Let him take you on a journey from his humble roots via the dazzling heights of Sin City…..and on to an amazing finale that will heal the world.

£10 tickets: https://bit.ly/3udeRtf

Rising star will take West End by storm as cast
announced for world premiere of
Lady Chatterley’s Lover at Shaftesbury Theatre
Friday 18th – Saturday 19th June 2021
Shaftesbury Theatre, 210 Shaftesbury Avenue, London WC2H 8DP

Lady Chatterley’s Lover will be brought to life by a cast of experienced talent with new up and coming star Georgia Lennon (One Enchanted Evening, Glastonbury Abbey; Beauty and the Beast, Grand Opera House, Belfast) playing the role of Lady Chatterley. Lennon’s voice is not to be missed and this is the chance to catch her in the West End for a strictly limited run before she goes onto be a regular West End leading lady!

Alongside her, the aloof and wonderfully sarcastic gamekeeper Mellors will be brought to life by Michael Pickering (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, London Palladium; Starlight Express, Germany). Lennon and Pickering will be joined by Zoe Rogers (42nd Street, Theatre Royal Drury Lane) as Hilda, Jake Halsey-Jones (Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre) as Tommy, Sam Kipling (All-Male Pirates of Penzance, Palace Theatre) as war hero Sir Clifford and Emma Lindars (Groundhog Day, The Old Vic; Made in Dagenham, Adelphi Theatre) as Mrs Bolton, Clifford’s nurse.

From composer John Robinson (Behind the Iron Mask, Duchess Theatre; Closer to the Sun, Harold Pinter Theatre), with book by Phil Willmott (Once Upon a Time At the Adelphi; Relativity: The Einstein Musical), Lady Chatterley’s Lover is directed by the award-winning Sasha Regan (Blondel, Union Theatre; All-Male Pirates of Penzance, UK and International tours), with production design by Andrew Exeter (High Fidelity, Turbine Theatre; Scaramouche Jones, Stream.Theatre) and costume design by Jasmine Swan (Animal Farm, Royal & Derngate).

Director Sasha Regan comments, It’s exciting to be breathing new life into such a renowned and loved classic. Having worked alongside some of these wonderful singers before, I can’t wait to get this cast into rehearsals and start re-creating this passionate time-honoured story. This is an incredible platform to be able to nurture the hottest new talent and I’m particularly excited to have Georgia Lennon playing Lady Chatterley as I know she is a star in the making.

We gave up our privacy to fight Covid-19, can we get it back?

JAMES GRAHAM’S PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW

A NEW SHORT FILM BY FINANCIAL TIMES AND SONIA FRIEDMAN PRODUCTIONS

SUPPORTED BY LUMINATE

James Graham’s new short film People You May Know on the growing influence of big data and algorithms on our day-to-day lives, starring Lydia West and Arthur Darvill, is released today via ft.com/drama and the FT’s YouTube channel.

“Future schoolchildren, studying the great pandemic of 2020, are going to be able to draw their own map of person to person contact.

We have it all, it’s all stored: every human interaction, every footstep, every message.”

Directed by the FT’s Juliet Riddell, People You May Know investigates how the response to COVID-19 has accelerated the intrusion of the data state into people’s private and emotional lives and what it might mean for our future. It revolves around the interrogation of a junior barrister, played by Lydia West (star of the recent Channel 4 drama It’s A Sin), by Arthur Darvill (Doctor Who and Broadchurch), a data analyst from a private software firm, about her behaviour during lockdown, as monitored by her internet-connected devices.

As part of the research for the film, James Graham, along with representatives of Sonia Friedman Productions, met a group of leading Financial Times tech journalists and experts to discuss the role of data and the reach of algorithms in society today.

“The data knows best, and that’s why we must hand ourselves over to it.”

FT Assistant Editor Janine Gibson said: “Our goal for FT Film is to continue to innovate and develop compelling stories. In collaborating with the arts world, journalists can learn new ways of communicating the real-world impact behind the facts we uncover. The results, as shown by this film, can be truly powerful.”

Sonia Friedman said: “Drama, like journalism, exists to ask important questions of the contemporary world and one of those questions is our relationship to data. The advantages of our information age have rarely been as overt as in this extraordinary year, but as James Graham’s potent and unsettling theatrical short film People You May Know makes clear, they are not without disconcerting and complicated trade-offs. James is a writer with the keenest of moral compasses, and his astute dramatic eye – along with pinpoint performances by Lydia West and Arthur Darvill – brings a flush of feeling to the Financial Times’ rigorous journalistic enquiry.”

Martin Tisné, Managing Director, Luminate, said: “The collective nature of data means people are more impacted by other people’s data than by data about them. As the film perfectly demonstrates: the energy readings on my thermostat, the video feed from my door bell, even my satnav routes – these impact all of us.  In the era of machine learning, individual denial of consent is close to meaningless. The Covid pandemic has accelerated this datafication. Our societies urgently need collective as well as individual data rights to chart a new course for the digital future we want to see.”

James Graham’s theatre work includes Bubble (Nottingham Playhouse), Sketching (Wilton’s Music Hall), The Culture (Hull Tuck), Quiz (Chichester Festival Theatre, Noël Coward Theatre), Labour of Love (Noël Coward Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Comedy), This House (National Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play, and Garrick Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Revival), Monster Raving Loony (Theatre Royal Plymouth and Soho Theatre), The Vote (Donmar Warehouse, broadcast live on More4 on election night and nominated for Best Live Event at the BAFTA TV awards), The Angry Brigade (Theatre Royal Plymouth and Paines Plough), the Broadway musical Finding Neverland, written with Gary Barlow and Eliot Kennedy, Privacy (Donmar Warehouse), The Man (Finborough Theatre and on tour), The Whisky Taster (Bush Theatre) and Tory Boyz (Soho Theatre). As Writer in Residence at the Finborough Theatre his plays include Albert’s Boy, Eden’s Empire and Sons of York. His television writing includes political drama Brexit: The Uncivil War (Channel 4), The Crown (Netflix), Coalition (Channel 4), Prisoner’s Wives (BBC1) and Caught in a Trap (ITV1). His ITV drama, Quiz – adapted from his play of the same name, about the “coughing major” Who Wants to be a Millionaire scandal was one of the highest rated dramas broadcast last year. His first feature film X+Y was released in 2015 after being selected at the Toronto International Film Festival and London Film Festival, winner of the Writer’s Guild Award for Best Debut Screenplay.

Standpoint is an FT Film series in which FT journalists, creative artists and experts collaborate to explore the stories of our time and communicate subjects in a different form. Previous FT films have focused on climate change, COVID-19, Brexit, homelessness and antibiotic resistance, with partners including the Royal Court Theatre, Sadlers Wells, Nicola Walker, Stephen Rea and Yo-Yo Ma.

Duration: 18 minutes

THE KIT KAT CLUB

IN LONDON’S WEST END

TO OPEN ITS DOORS

THIS NOVEMBER

WITH THE MUSICAL

CABARET

STARRING EDDIE REDMAYNE AND JESSIE BUCKLEY

The KIT KAT CLUB in London’s West End will open its doors this November with the musical CABARET starring Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony and Olivier award winner Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’ and Bafta Nominee and British Independent Film award winner Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’.

Inside the Kit Kat Club, life is beautiful. The famous setting of Kander & Ebb and Masteroff’s musical is brought to life with a capacity of just 550, to host a unique production of Cabaret, the likes of which audiences will have never experienced before.

Director Rebecca Frecknall said today “It’s such a privilege to have the opportunity to direct Cabaret, a show that has always been dear to my heart. It’s thrilling to be able to approach this classic and important musical at a time when its themes and atmosphere feel so contemporary and resonant. I’m in awe of my incredible creative team who have come together to create a bold new production as well as a new ‘Kit Kat Club’, a bespoke home where we can truly embrace and unlock the world of Cabaret for a new audience”.

Dates, further details and full casting to be announced soon.

Register your interest and be the first to hear our plans at kitkat.club

One of the most successful musicals of all time CABARET features the songs Wilkommen, Don’t Tell Mama, Mein Herr, Maybe This Time, Money and the title number. It has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.

CABARET at the KIT KAT CLUB will star Eddie Redmayne (Red in the West End and Broadway, Richard II at Donmar Warehouse, the films The Theory of Everything, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Les Misérables and the Fantastic Beasts series) as The Emcee and Jessie Buckley (the National’s Romeo and Juliet, A Little Night Music in the West End, Fargo, Chernobyl and the films Wild Rose and I’m Thinking of Ending Things) as Sally Bowles. It will be directed by Rebecca Frecknall (the Almeida’s Olivier Award winning Summer and Smoke, The Duchess of Malfi, Three Sisters), set and costume design is by Tom Scutt (A Very Expensive Poison, Constellations, King Charles III, Jesus Christ Superstar, collaborations with Sam Smith, Christine and the Queens) with choreography by Julia Cheng (founder of the House of Absolute, Philharmonia Orchestra Artist in Residence, recipient of the runner-up prize for Hip Hop Dance futures, Resident Choreographer for the Royal Academy of Dance, Judge and mentor for BBC Young Dancer and Breakin’ Convention – the UK’s biggest Hip Hop Festival, collaborations with London Fashion Week, Google and Dr Martens). Musical supervision and direction is by Jennifer Whyte (Les Misérables film, Caroline Or Change, Parade). Lighting design is by Isabella Byrd (Heroes of the Fourth Turning and Light Shining in Buckinghamshire – both in New York, Daddy – A Melodrama at the Almeida and The Flick at the National theatre) with sound design by Nick Lidster (City of Angels, Passion, Pacific Overtures and Parade at the Donmar Warehouse, Sweeney Todd and On The Town for English National Opera, A Chorus Line, Les Misérables and Miss Saigon). The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director is Jordan Fein.

CABARET at the KIT KAT CLUB is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Underbelly.

ARLENE PHILLIPS TO DIRECT &

OTI MABUSE TO CHOREOGRAPH

THE CHER SHOW

UK & IRELAND TOUR TO OPEN APRIL 2022

“All of us invent ourselves.

Some of us just have more imagination than others.”
CHER

A brand new production of The Cher Show will open next year, with book by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Peter and the Starcatcher), direction by Arlene Phillips (Saturday Night Fever, Starlight Express, Grease), choreography by Oti Mabuse (two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion) and costume design by Gabriella Slade (Six, In The Heights, Spice World 2019 Tour).  The tour will open at Leicester’s Curve on 15 April 2022 and will continue through to 1 April 2023.

Arlene Phillips said of directing The Cher Show, “I have been a fan of Cher since I first heard I Got You Babe in the mid-sixties and cannot wait to direct her musical. I love stories about strong inspirational legends like Cher and I am proud to be joined in the creative team by two women who have already made a huge impact in their careers: Oti Mabuse as choreographer of the many different genres in the show and Gabriella Slade for the iconic costume designs. This exciting show will be a non-stop journey of Cher’s rollercoaster life, bringing to the audience Cher’s iconic songs, glorious dance numbers, unique costumes and her epic drama. All they need to do is come along and Believe.”

Oti Mabuse said, “I cannot WAIT for audiences to see what we’re doing with The Cher Show. Cher’s music covers so many styles, genres and rhythms, which makes it so exciting to choreograph. Every song in the show is a hit and we are going full out with exciting routines and movement. It’s going to be a party! Cher has been such an inspiration to so many people and this musical is going to be a celebration of everything people love about her.” 

Gabriella Slade added, “Cher is quite literally a style icon. Her fashion moments pushed the boundaries of the time and continue to do so. I’m so excited to be taking huge influence and inspiration from these looks as I embark on creating the costume design for this new production of The Cher Show.”

From a young child with big dreams, the shy daughter of an Armenian American truck driver, to the dizzying heights of global stardom, The Cher Show tells the incredible story of Cher’s meteoric rise to fame.  Cher takes the audience by the hand and introduces them to the influential people in her life, from her mother and Sonny Bono, to fashion designer and costumier Bob Mackie.  It shows how she battled the men who underestimated her, fought the conventions and, above all, was a trailblazer for independence.  

The musical is packed with 35 of her biggest hits, including ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘Strong Enough’, ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’ and ‘Believe’.  

With over 100 million record sales, an Academy Award®, an Emmy®, a Grammy®, three Golden Globes® and an award from The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Cher has influenced popular culture more than most.  Her on-screen career started in 1971 with her weekly television show that attracted 30 million viewers a week, and went on to include starring roles in iconic films from Moonstruck, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress, to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, which prompted the New York Magazine to realise “every single movie—no matter how flawless—would be infinitely better if it included Cher.”  Her ‘Farewell Tour’ became the highest grossing music tour in history – in true Cher fashion, she followed up her ‘Farewell Tour’ with two further sell-out, worldwide arena tours.  She is the only artist in history to have a number one hit in the Billboard chart for six consecutive decades; an achievement that caused Vogue to deem her “eternally relevant and the ruler of outré reinvention”.  She became known as the Queen of Reinvention. 

In the 1990s, she established The Cher Charitable Foundation to support causes around the world.  She has been a long-time donor and supporter of Habitat for Humanity, The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Keep A Child Alive, an organisation that helps to combat the AIDs epidemic.  Most recently, she co-founded Free the Wild to help rescue Kaavan the Asian elephant from Islamabad zoo.

Written by Tony Award-winning Rick Elice, The Cher Show made its debut on Broadway in 2018 in a production that earned two Tony Awards and delighted fans from around the world.  This new production will be the European premiere.

The Cher Show UK & Ireland Tour will have lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Dan Samson.  Music producer will be Gary Hickeson.

Website: www.cheronstage.com

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @TheCherShowUK

TOUR SCHEDULE

15 – 23 April 2022                  Leicester Curve                                                                           0116 242 3595

                                              www.curveonline.co.uk                                                                 on sale 27 May

26 – 30 April                           Sunderland Empire Theatre                                                        0844 871 7615*

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire                          on sale

3 – 7 May                              Hull New Theatre                                                                         01482 300 306

                                              www.hulltheatres.co.uk                                                                 on sale 24 May

10 – 14 May                          Sheffield Lyceum Theatre                                                            0114 249 6000

                                              www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk                                                          on sale soon

17 – 21 May                           Manchester Opera House                                                           0844 871 7615*

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester                 on sale

24 – 28 May                          Belfast Grand Opera House                                                         02890241919

                                              www.goh.co.uk                                                                              on sale soon

31 May – 4 June                   Blackpool Opera House                                                               0844 856 1111

                                              www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk                                               on sale

7 – 11 June                            Nottingham Theatre Royal                                                           0115 989 5555      

                                              www.trch.co.uk                                                                              on sale 28 May

14 – 19 June                          Canterbury Marlowe Theatre                                                       01227 787787

                                              www.marlowetheatre.com                                                             on sale 9 August

21 – 25 June                         Plymouth Theatre Royal                                                              01752 267222

                                              theatreroyal.com                                                                           on sale soon

19 – 30 July                          Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre                                                0844 847 2455*

                                             bordgaisenergytheatre.ie                                                               on sale soon

2 – 6 August                         Birmingham Hippodrome                                                             0844 338 5000*

                                             www.birminghamhippodrome.com                                                 on sale soon

9 – 13 August                        Milton Keynes Theatre                                                                 0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre                       on sale

16 – 20 August                      Southend Cliffs Pavilion                                                               01702 351135

                                              southendtheatres.org.uk                                                               on sale

23 – 27 August                      Cardiff New Theatre                                                                     07925 659065

                                              www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk                                                         on sale 28 May

30 August – 3 September      Stoke Regent Theatre                                                                   0844 871 7615*                                                                                                                www.atgtickets.com /venues/regent-theatre                                  on sale

6 – 10 September                  Woking New Victoria Theatre                                                        0844 871 7615*

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre                          on sale

20 – 24 September               Dartford Orchard Theatre                                                              01322 220000

                                              orchardtheatre.co.uk                                                                      on sale

27 September – 1 October    Glasgow King’s Theatre                                                                0844 871 7615*     

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre                                     on sale

4 – 8 October                        Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre                 

                                              aberdeenperformingarts.com                                                         on sale soon

11 – 15 October                    Edinburgh Festival Theatre                                                           0131 529 6000

                                              www.capitaltheatres.com                                                               on sale 28 May

18 – 22 October                    Wolverhampton Grand Theatre                                                     01902 429212

                                              www.grandtheatre.co.uk                                                                  on sale 26 May

25 – 29 October                    Bradford The Alhambra Theatre                                                     01274 432000

                                              www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/venues/the-alhambra-theatre           on sale soon

1 – 12 November                   Brighton Theatre Royal                                                                  0844 871 7615*     

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton                         on sale

15 – 19 November                 York Grand Opera House                                                                0844 871 7615*

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york                     on sale

22 – 26 November                 Ipswich Regent Theatre

                                               ipswichtheatres.co.uk                                                                      on sale

3 – 7 January 2023                Southampton Mayflower Theatre                                                   02380 711811

                                              www.mayflower.org.uk                                                                     on sale 25 May

10 – 14 January                    Northampton Royal & Derngate                                                     01604 624811                                                                                                                www.royalandderngate.co.uk                                                           on sale soon

17 – 21 January                     Liverpool Empire Theatre                                                                0844 871 7615*     

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire                                   on sale

24 – 28 January                     Bristol The Hippodrome                                                                   0844 871 7615*

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome                               on sale

31 January – 4 February        Wimbledon New Wimbledon Theatre                                              0844 871 7615*                                                                                                            www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre                        on sale

7 – 11 February                     Darlington Hippodrome                                                                    01325 405405

                                              www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk                                                     on sale soon

14 – 18 February                    Torquay Princess Theatre                                                                0844 871 7615*

                                               www.atgtickets.com/venues/princess-theatre-torquay                      on sale

21 – 25 February                    Oxford New Theatre                                                                        0844 871 7615*

                                               www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford                              on sale

28 February – 4 March          Llandudno Venue Cymru                                                                01492 872000

                                               www.venuecymru.co.uk                                                                   on sale soon

7 – 11 March                         Norwich Theatre Royal                                                                     01603 630 000

                                              norwichtheatre.org                                                                             on sale soon

14 – 18 March                       Carlisle The Sands Centre                                                               0333 33 55055

                                              www.thesandscentre.co.uk                                                               on sale                  

Further dates to be announced

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge

Matthew Byam Shaw, Nia Janis & Nick Salmon for Playful Productions 

and the Royal Shakespeare Company present
THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT
By Hilary Mantel
Adapted for the stage by Hilary Mantel and Ben Miles

With Ben Miles and Nathaniel Parker as Thomas Cromwell and Henry VIII
Directed by Jeremy Herrin

• THE FINAL NOVEL IN THE AWARD-WINNING WOLF HALL TRILOGY, THE MIRROR AND THE LIGHT, IS SET FOR THE WEST END THIS YEAR
   
• THE FAST-PACED FINAL INSTALMENT HAS BEEN ADAPTED BY DAME HILARY MANTEL AND BEN MILES WHO WILL RETURN TO HIS ROLE AS THOMAS CROMWELL
   
• 150 TICKETS PER PERFORMANCE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT £32.50 OR UNDER
   
• THE WEST END PRODUCTION WILL RUN AT THE GIELGUD THEATRE FROM 23RD SEPTEMBER – 28TH NOVEMBER WITH TICKETS ON SALE TO THE PUBLIC ON 27TH MAY 2021

Producers Playful Productions and the Royal Shakespeare Company have announced that the third and final novel in the Wolf Hall trilogy, The Mirror and the Light has been adapted for the West End stage. The world premiere will run at the Gielgud Theatre from Thursday 23^rd September for a strictly limited season until Sunday 28^th November, with an Opening Night on Wednesday 6^th October. Tickets go on sale on Thursday 27^th May, sign up for more information and priority booking from 24^th May at themirrorandthelight.co.uk. 

The play will be the concluding chapter of Dame Hilary Mantel’s multi award-winning novels about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, all commissioned and developed for the stage by Playful Productions. The Olivier and Tony Award-winning Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies were hailed as landmark and must-see theatrical events and sold out their London runs in 2014. The Mirror and the Light has been adapted for stage by Mantel herself alongside Ben Miles, who will return to his role as Cromwell to complete the trilogy. Nathaniel Parker joins him, resuming his Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award nominated role as Henry VIII. Jeremy Herrin, who was nominated for an Olivier Award for the first two productions, returns to direct.

Wolf Hall won the prestigious Man Booker Prize in 2009, and Bring Up the Bodies won in 2012, making Mantel the first woman ever to have received the award twice. Bring Up the Bodies also won the Costa Novel Award, the first time the same novel has won both this and the Man Booker. 

The trilogy charts the riveting rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell in the ruthless court of Henry VIII.

England, 1536. Anne Boleyn’s fate has been sealed by the executioner. Jane Seymour must deliver King Henry a healthy heir. And to the disgust of Henry’s nobles, Thomas Cromwell continues his ruthless ascent from the gutters of Putney to the highest rank beside his master. But with the threat of invasion and the King’s legacy tottering, Cromwell is vulnerable and his enemies are poised to strike.

The further you climb, the harder you fall.

The production will feature scenic and costume design by Christopher Oram who won both Olivier and Tony Awards for his work on Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies and music by Stephen Warbeck.

Matthew Byam Shaw, Producer for Playful Productions, said: “I am delighted that we are able to bring this brilliant visceral play to the stage this autumn. Hilary Mantel and Ben Miles have created a taut and fast-paced final instalment to this epic trilogy. It is wonderful that Jeremy Herrin and Christopher Oram will once again bring the work to life, reuniting with Ben and Nathaniel Parker as Cromwell and Henry VIII. It feels especially good to be presenting this play now as the country re-emerges from a very difficult year. We hope that it brings a palpable feeling of excitement to theatre audiences once again.” 

Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director said: “We are thrilled to be opening the final part in the Wolf Hall trilogy this autumn working alongside Playful Productions, and with Hilary Mantel and Ben Miles on the fantastic adaptation. Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies were welcomed with extraordinary enthusiasm and excitement back in 2014 and audiences have waited patiently to see the third and final part.  It’s a much anticipated theatrical climax to an epic and ambitious work, and we can’t wait to open and share it with audiences in the West End this year”.  

Opening the show is subject to the government allowing indoor performances to begin by then 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.

Incredible line-up announced for
Wonderment: Magic & Illusion in the West End
Palace Theatre, 113 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 5AY
Friday 16th July – Monday 30th August 2021

The line-up of headline acts for the brand new vaudevillian journey of illusion, Wonderment: Magic & Illusion, is now complete. Joining previously announced Chris Cox (Chris Cox’s Mind Boggling Magic, CBBC) and Josephine Lee (Britain’s Got Talent, ITV) will be Young & Strange, Edward Hilsum and Amazí and Symoné (who will split the run with their hula hooping finesse). Set to astonish audiences with breath-taking illusion and amazing acrobatics, Wonderment: Magic & Illusion will bring variety performance in the West End bang up-to-date with performances from artists at the cutting edge of their crafts.

Young & Strange comprises stage illusionists Richard Young and Sam Strange. Alongside live performance, the pair creates online video content to showcase original and exciting formats for magic. When the duo videobombed the background of a live Sky News broadcast, the clip went viral with over 20 million views across various platforms in just a few days. With credits including Penn & Teller: Fool Us and ITV1’s The Next Great Magician, the pair also headline the world’s largest international touring magic show Champions Of Magic.

For five years, Edward Hilsum starred alongside Young & Strange in the record-breaking Champions of Magic. His original shows have received acclaim from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe to Las Vegas and he was invited to be part of the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. In 2020, Edward Hilsum completed an unprecedented hat-trick by becoming the first person to win all three of The Magic Circle’s competitions and more incredibly, to hold all three titles at the same time!

Performing from 16th – 26th July and 18th – 28th August will be Amazí. An international hula hooper, she’s performed at the National Theatre, the Tate and Glastonbury Festival as well as for Children in Need and BBC’s Crackerjack. Symoné will take to the stage from 28th July – 16th August, combining hula hooping, roller skating and dance with psychedelic style. She has performed for clients including Instagram, ASOS, Kate Nash, and Sun Ra’s Arkestra. They both currently hold a Guinness World Record with their hoop troupe, Marawa’s Majorettes.

These incredible acts join the multi-award-winning mind reader, Chris Cox, and the most talked about woman in magic, Josephine Lee. Chris Cox has sold out UK tours and runs at Fringe Festivals from Edinburgh to New Zealand, and is the only mind reader in history to have played the West End, Broadway and Sydney Opera House. Josephine Lee took the magic world by storm after her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. Her dynamic, modern spin on illusion saw her act hit millions of views overnight.

Director, Annabel Mutale Reed comments, It’s an absolute privilege to be creating Wonderment: Magic & Illusion with world class performers, who are bringing their greatest acts to the West End this summer. Audiences have been making memories at The Palace Theatre for 130 years, and we are delighted to be filling its stage with a vibrant 2021 twist on an oldfashioned variety show. It is an exhilarating show that really has to be seen to be believed!

Wonderment: Magic & Illusion brings together some of the greatest entertainers live on stage with performances that will electrify, surprise and delight. They will be supported by an ensemble made up of Louise Douglas, Annalisa Midolo, Lee Pratt and Mervin Noronha

Guest acts are still to be announced!

UK theatres revealed to save the NHS £102m a year

UK Theatre and the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) have today released statistics showing that theatres generate an annual cost saving to the NHS of £102,234,585, by helping benefit the physical and mental health of those in their surrounding communities.

The new stat comes during Creativity and Wellbeing Week, and highlights the importance of theatre and the arts in improving physical and mental wellbeing – something that is being increasingly recognised worldwide, including by the World Health Organisation and the UK Department of Health & Social Care. 

This is also corroborated by an ongoing audience survey by The Old Vic, in which 93% of respondents so far have agreed or strongly agreed that theatre benefits their mental health and wellbeing.

Even as theatres have been closed throughout the pandemic, they have remained essential community hubs, providing online educational resources, interactive family events, digital productions, creative workshops and even programmes to help rehabilitate Covid sufferers – alongside the countless venues offering space, supplies and skilled volunteers to help the NHS.

Now, as lockdown eases and some theatres start to welcome back in-person, socially distanced audiences, evidence of the power of theatre to enrich people’s lives physically and mentally – as well as culturally – will be a vital tool to help secure the UK’s world-leading theatre sector the support it needs to survive.

UK Theatre and SOLT calculated the figure using a 2015 report by DCMS and Simetrica, which quantifies the health benefits enjoyed by people attending a cultural or sporting activity. The report found that the NHS saves a yearly total of £11.91 for every person partaking in such an activity, from a reduction in GP visits and use of psychotherapy services.

This data was combined with UK Theatre and SOLT’s 2018 audience attendance figures (collected from nearly 300 venues nationwide), which show that over 34m people attended the theatre that year. Taking into account repeat attendance and attendance of other cultural or sporting events – and applying the DCMS and Simetrica benchmarking – the figure of £102,234,585 was reached.

This is a method previously used on a smaller scale by the leaders of HOME in Manchester, who last year calculated the theatre’s £26m economic impact on its local city from 2019 to 2020, including a £1m saving to NHS services.

Jon Gilchrist, Executive Director of HOME, said:

‘These findings show the difference the arts can make when working with their communities to support people’s health and wellbeing – highlighted by our own 2019/20 economic impact assessment, which measured the role of HOME in reducing GP visits and the use of mental health services to the effect of an incredible £1m cost saving to the NHS. Across the industry, the potential impact of this is huge, especially when theatres and cultural organisations forge partnerships to provide a range of opportunities to engage with arts and culture.’

Victoria Hume, Executive Director of the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance, said:

‘We know from a significant and growing body of international research that the arts, creativity and culture are critically important to sustaining our health, to tackling major social problems like loneliness and isolation, and to building our communities. 

‘This startling statistic is yet another important piece in the puzzle, and drives home the message that we cannot dismiss the arts and culture as nice-to-haves. We know that our resilience is dramatically impacted by our ability to access our creativity and build the culture that surrounds us. This has kept many of us going through lockdown, although research also shows inequalities in cultural participation have been reinforced by Covid. 

‘It will be essential to our safe recovery as a country that we invest to ensure greater equity and support the kind of forward-looking, partnership-based work this report describes.’

Outdoor family theatre at Kew Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew will welcome Ratty, Mole, Badger, Otter, Little Portly, Weasel, the Head Chief Rabbit and of course Mr. Toad this summer as part of a series of magical outdoor theatrical performances.

The idyllic grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site will play host to ‘The Wind in the Willows’ from 24 July to 30 August 2021.

An enchanting show for children of all ages, The Wind in the Willows is Kenneth Grahame’s classic story of life on the riverbank.

This critically acclaimed, outdoor theatre production set against the magical backdrop of Kew Gardens’ lake, is packed with much-loved colourful characters, music, song and laughter.

There is fun for young and old alike as the Head Chief Rabbit transforms your young ones into bunnies with a waggle of the ears and a wiggle of the nose. There’s laughs and surprises along the way, they’ll join Ratty at the riverbank arriving by boat to head off on a new adventure with his friend Mole.

A favourite of children everywhere, this is interactive theatre at its very best.

Dressing up is always encouraged so put on your best fairy, elf, pirate, superhero or Jedi ensemble and be part of the adventure.

Tickets for The Wind in the Willows include daytime admission to the Gardens.

What: The Wind in the Willows

Where: Main Lake (Northern End), The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

When: 24 July – 30 August 2021: Wednesday’s – Sunday’s AND Monday 30 August.

Morning & afternoon shows available

Running Time: 1 hour 30 mins

Why Visit: Discover a fun adventure with lots of laughs and surprises in the wonderful setting of Kew Gardens

Admission: Adult £22.90 Child (age 1-15) £17.90 Group of 4: £70

Kew Members: Adult £18.90, Child (age 1-15) £13.90 Group of 4 £64 Ticket price includes admission to the Gardens after the performance

Getting There: Parking is available near Brentford Gate entrance (TW9 3AF) on Ferry Lane. Parking fee £7

Website: theatreonkew.co.uk

A twilight setting of a Shakespearean favourite at Kew Gardens

The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew will welcome the Australian Shakespeare Company as part of a series of magical outdoor theatrical performances.

The idyllic grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site will play host to ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ from 28 July to 29 August 2021.

Staged beneath the heritage trees at the Berberis Dell, Kew Gardens provides the picture-perfect setting for a summer’s evening with Shakespeare under the stars.

This beguiling comedy of enchantment and transformation is brought to life within a dream-like woodland, filled with feuding fairies, eloping lovers and a hapless troupe of actors.

There’s magic in the air alongside wild thyme, oxlips, nodding violets, luscious woodbine, sweet musk roses and eglantine. It’s an alfresco romp peppered with contemporary references.

Into the mix add a spellbinding potion and a mischievous sprite for a summer night of mayhem like no other.

“We’re delighted to be staging this jewel in the Shakespeare comedy crown in the heart of our beautiful Gardens,” said Adam Thow, Head of Commercial Activities RBG, Kew.

This critically acclaimed outdoor theatre production, has been re-imagined and conceived by Glenn Elston, the award-winning Artistic Director of the Australian Shakespeare Company.

What: A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Where: Berberis Dell, The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. (Enter via Victoria Gate)

When: From 28 July – 29 August 2021. Performance times Tues – Sun: 8pm. No performances scheduled on 10 – 11 August 2021.

Why Visit: An opportunity to watch this enchanting comedy in the wonderful setting of Kew Gardens

Admission: Adult £30 – £46, Concession £25 – £43, Child (age 5-15) £17

Kew Members: Adult £28 – £42, Concession £23 – £39, Child (age 5-15) £15

Gates open 1.5 hours before start of the performance

Getting There: Car parking is available at National Archives Car Park.

Website: theatreonkew.co.uk

COMMON WEALTH AND FUEL PRESENT

PEACEOPHOBIA

CO-CREATED BY COMMON WEALTH, SPEAKERS CORNER AND BRADFORD MODIFIED CLUB

WRITTEN BY ZIA AHMED

• SET IN AN OPEN SIDED BRADFORD CAR PARK OVERLOOKING THE CITY, PEACEOPHOBIA EXAMINES RISING ISLAMOPHOBIA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUNG PAKISTANI MEN FROM A MODIFIED CAR CLUB
• CO-DIRECTED BY EVIE MANNING PEACEOPHOBIA IS AN IMMERSIVE, CINEMATIC EXPERIENCE FEATURING AN ORIGINAL ELECTRONIC SOUND SCORE BY WOJTEK RUSIN AND DESIGN BY ROSIE ELNILE 
• CO-DIRECTED BY MEMBERS OF SPEAKERS CORNER – A POLITICAL, CREATIVE COLLECTIVE CO-RUN BY WOMEN AND TEENAGE GIRLS BASED IN BRADFORD AND SITE SPECIFIC, CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL THEATRE COMPANY COMMON WEALTH
• CO-CREATED AND PERFORMED BY MEMBERS OF THE BRADFORD MODIFIED CLUB SOHAIL HUSSAIN, MOHAMMAD ALI YUNIS AND CASPER AHMED
• PEACEOPHOBIA  WILL BE PERFORMED FROM 10 – 19 SEPTEMBER AT THE OASTLER CAR PARK IN BRADFORD, FOLLOWED BY SIX PERFORMANCES FROM 29 SEPTEMBER IN MANCHESTER AT FIRST STREET CAR PARK, PRESENTED BY CONTACT
• TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR BRADFORD HERE AND MANCHESTER HERE 

Conceived in Bradford and co-directed by young women from Speakers Corner Collective and award-winning theatre company Common Wealth, co-written by acclaimed playwright Zia Ahmed and Bradford Modified Club, Peaceophobia is a new immersive theatrical experience that will be performed in a car park in Bradford and then Manchester this autumn.

Peaceophobia is an unapologetic response to rising Islamophobia around the world. Part car-meet part-theatre, the show explores how you find peace in a world that tells you who you are. Growing up in the shadow of the Bradford Riots, 9/11 and police harassment, cars and faith are a sanctuary, an escape, an expression for three Muslim Pakistani men. Ali, Sohail and Casper are taking control of the narratives around their religion, their city, and their cars. Staged in a carpark with a Supra, a Golf and a classic Nova, Peaceophobia brings together cars and theatre with cinematic lighting and an original electronic sound score. 

The production was conceived by members of the collective Speakers’ Corner, a group of women and teenage girls who wanted to tell the story of young Muslim men and their experiences of Islamophobia. Working with theatre company Common Wealth and acclaimed writer Zia Ahmed and the Bradford Modified Club they have created an uncompromising, and thrilling theatrical experience.

“Islamophobia exists as much today as it ever has before, injustices are occurring every day both in the UK and globally. Peaceophobia began as a campaign two years ago to promote that Islam comes from Peace and it is a personal project to us as co-creators and proud young Muslim women. We are part of a movement of young people who are using their voices to make a positive change and promote peace instead of being silenced.” Iram Rehman, Speakers Corner

“Bradford Modified Club promotes cars, culture and family – our cars are a piece of art and we’re passionate about challenging preconceptions. We’re coming together with Common Wealth to make a show which tackles Islamaphobia and celebrates the importance of car culture. We can’t wait for the audience to feel it with us.” Mo Ali Yunis, Performer 

Peaceophobia is supported by Bradford 2025, Blueprint: Without Walls R&D Investment Fund, Co-Creating Change, Arts Council England, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Pears Foundation and Fenton Arts.