Bridewell Theatre, London EC4 – until 19 October 2019
Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert
4****
Power, seduction, corruption, betrayal … what’s not to like? The novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos was a scandalous success when it first appeared in 1782, and has had irresistible allure for 20th and 21st-century stage and screen directors. It’s been reincarnated as theatre, opera, ballet, television, and that starrily casted 1988 film with Glenn Close and John Malkovich, among others.
But this Sedos production, tucked away down a little lane off Fleet Street, can more than hold its own. It is a spellbinding 80 minutes that reworks the story into an exploitative Hollywood setting, and tells it in dance. The dancing is gorgeous, athletic and very expressive. The performance space is tiny, so you are up close and personal with the dancers/actors, and they absolutely carry you along with the story. There are short mock-television sequences at the start and finish, which are not very convincing but give a context. The aristocrats Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil have become a Hollywood star (Olivier Namet) and a film director (Peter Stonnell). Rachel Savage is delicate and fragile as the innocent Cecile Volanges, and Lisa Eastman is very strong as the apparently more resilient Amanda Tourvel (these two are the chosen victims of the seduction game). Wing Ho Lin is tender as Volanges’ lover Danceny, and eight other actors/dancers (sorry, too many to list – they are all really good) appear as a Hollywood crowd of production crew, partygoers or whatever is needed, in ingenious group numbers that are fast, fun and full of character.
The directors/choreographers are Kimberly Barker and Tom Leonard, and the soundscape is by Adam Coppard. The set is moodily lit all-white, with four different entrances, including a staircase and an oddly eerie sliding door – simple but effective.
Sedos is an amateur company, but there is nothing amateurish about this show – it’s ambitious, clever and exciting, but also beautifully economical and precise.
Before The Beatles, before The Stones, Rock ‘n’ Roll was born. Buddy Holly was a central and pioneering figure of mid 1950s rock and roll. Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story first opened on the West End in 1989 and is now touring the UK as part of its 30th Anniversary. I was lucky enough to catch it on an extremely wet and windy evening at Bridlington Spa.
Retelling the story of Buddy’s dogged determination and meteoric rise to fame, with his band, The Crickets, his whirlwind romance and marriage to Maria Elena Santiago, before his tragic and untimely death less than 2 years later. His life was cut short at only 22 years of age in a plane crash, which also claimed the lives of Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. It is amazing that he wrote and had so many hit songs, that are still remembered today, in such a short space of time, a testament to his talent.
Buddy, played in this instance by Christopher Weeks and sharing the role with AJ Jenks, and The Crickets start off as a country act, after all they come from Lubbock Texas, but all they really want play is rock ‘n’ roll. Buddy is not your traditional rocker, he is a bit nerdy and refuses to budge when it is suggested that he ditches his glasses, in fact he insists on wearing a pair with even thicker rims and lenses, very rock ‘n’ roll.
This show is all about the music, and none more so in the second half when we are transported to The Surf Ballroom and his final performance. The Big Bopper (Joshua Barton) and Ricky Valens (Ben Pryer) are part of his final concert and we get to celebrate their music as well.
Weeks portrays a very confident Buddy, who is happy in his own skin and knows his own mind. He does Buddy justice in his performance, vocals, guitar playing and movement. The icing on the cake though is his chemistry with the band, AJ Jenks, Joe Butcher and Josh Haberfield. When all four are playing on stage it is very charismatic and you can’t help but being whisked back in time. In fact all the actors/musicians are superb, enthusiastic, multi-talented, taking on different roles and playing numerous instruments. They all work well together and appeared to be having a blast, it is so very infectious. They had us all crying out for more, and Oh Boy they delivered.
Admittedly a lot of the audience were of a certain age, but this really is for everyone. This is an outstanding evening of great entertainment, full of laughter and fabulous tunes, Peggy Sue, That’ll Be the Day and Oh Boy amongst them. You can not help but leave the theatre with a smile on your face.
Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough – until 19 October 2019
Reviewed by Sara Garner
3***
Written and directed by John Godbear, Gym and Tonic has been updated from its initial outing in 2005. We meet Don (Peter McMillan) and Shirley (Stephanie Hacket) attending a tai-chi class at the prestigious Scardale Hall Health Farm. They are there for a week for some rest and relaxation and to try and fix their failing marriage. Don is a pessimistic sarcastic stressed man who is shortly celebrating his 40th birthday. Shirley is his dissatisfied bored wife. They have left their 2 children at home with Don’s Mum. Don is stressed about how much money this is all costing while Shirley is cramming as many treatments in as possible. He has no self-awareness of how stressed he is.
It is a play that takes a bit of time to get going, and still doesn’t seem to move into top gear at any stage.
There are two comical scenes where the anxious and awkward Don goes for a massage, he is reluctant to get undressed in the first treatment and strips off in the second treatment to be told by Cloe (Stephanie Hackett) ‘that it’s not that type of massage’ with a deadpan delivery. An uncomfortable empathy ensues between client and therapist. And we realise that the staff are not happy with their jobs either.
We see Don and Shirley examine their relationship along with fellow guest Ken whose character comes across as monotone with no peaks and troughs (Robert Angell) and eccentric Gertrude (Jacqueline Naylor) whose character was refreshingly honest but also quite opinionated in her views. A steady performance with witty value in all scenes she was involved in.
We watch as Shirley becomes increasingly desperate to get more out of her relationship, mentally and physically, whilst her husband Don demonstrates a lack of insight or interest.
I would like to say that we became connected to the characters and the story, however the plodding pace and slightly two-dimensional characters made this a bit difficult. Most of the humour came from Don and a porter Keith. However, the humour could be described as amusing, not funny.
In the last scene Don has a meltdown, insisting that HE never gets to do what HE wants to do and never has been allowed to do what HE wants to do. His answer to this is to get a caravan. Is this a euphemism for getting away from it all? It sends Shirley into a spire of despair.
However, the principle actors all performed admirably and managed to lift the play enough to make it interesting enough.
ABSOLUTE OPERA IN ASSOCIATION WITH BILL ELMS PRESENT
DOUBLE BILL PREMIERE FOR
MUSICALS EXTRAVAGANZA AT
EPSTEIN THEATRE THIS WEEKEND
Roy Locke is joined by Emma Dears and Olivia Brereton for
Matinee Musical Classics and Music Of The Night this Sunday
Two brand new musical theatre shows are being premiered at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre this weekend.
Absolute Opera in association with Bill Elms present Matinee Musical Classics and Music Of The Night this coming Sunday (20 October 2019). Tickets are on sale now.
The double bill will showcase musical theatre classics, celebrating the very best West End and Broadway musicals and featuring the most iconic classic musical theatre hits of all time.
This new series of must-see musical theatre shows will star Liverpool-based internationally acclaimed classical Tenor Roy Locke, who will be joined be a special guest West End performer in each show.
Roy Locke has appeared in some of the most famous musical theatre roles of all time and performed on some of the world’s most famous stages, including The Paris Opera and The Sydney Opera House. His portrayal of The Phantom in Andrew Lloyd Webber’sThe Phantom Of The Opera won praise from theatre critics and audiences alike. He has gone on play the iconic role globally in three different productions.
Roy will be joined in the 2pm Matinee Musical Classics show by Liverpool’s very own Emma Dears. The afternoon show promises sing-along classics from Nat King Cole to Dean Martin.
The 7.30pm Music Of The Night performance will see Roy joined by Olivia Brereton from Manchester. Theatregoers can expect a spectacular evening of West End and Broadway musicals highlights from Les Misérables, West Side Story, The Lion King, and The Phantom Of The Opera.
Emma Dears is widely recognised for her West End roles which have included Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, and Oliver. She played Helen Forrester’s mother in the stage plays Twopence To Cross The Mersey and its sequel, By The Waters Of Liverpool. Emma has also toured the country with self-penned musical biopic Judy & Liza, based on the lives of mother and daughter Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, Emma played Liza. Classic Judy and Liza songs will feature in Matinee Musical Classics.
Olivia Brereton made her stage debut in the UK tour of The Phantom Of The Opera before going on to play the role of Christine in the West End. Stage credits also include the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman In White. Most recently, Olivia was part of the international tour of The Beggar’s Opera.
A pre-show talk will take place at 6.15pm in the Epstein theatre bar prior to the Music Of The Night performance. Roy Locke will present Secrets Of A Phantom, giving theatregoers a fascinating insight into life as The Phantom, revealing entertaining behind-the-scenes stories from his whirlwind career. The talk is free for ticket holders for the evening show.
The Musical Director for Matinee Musical Classics and Music Of The Night is Tom Chester.
Producer Bill Elms commented: “We’re excited to premiere two new shows, Matinee Musical Classics and Music Of The Night, at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre this weekend. The double bill promises a real treat for fans of musical theatre, and a wonderful opportunity to experience some of the most iconic show songs of all-time performed in once place.
“The artistes Roy, Emma and Olivia will wow audiences with their incredible talent. Join us for a relaxing afternoon or fabulous evening of real musical theatre highlights.”
Date: Sunday 20 October 2019 Time: 2pm Tickets: Standard £18, Concession £15
MUSIC OF THE NIGHT
Date: Sunday 20 October 2019 Time: 7:30pm Tickets: Standard £22, Concession £20
MUSIC OF THE NIGHT PRE-SHOW TALK – SECRETS OF A PHANTOM
Date: Sunday 20 October 2019 Time: 6:15pm Tickets: Free for evening ticket holders
To book tickets please call 0844 888 4411* or go online at www.epsteinliverpool.co.uk * or in person at The Epstein Theatre Box Office from 12pm – 6pm Monday – Saturday.
*Subject to booking fee. All prices include a £1 per ticket venue restoration levy
Secret location will be revealed just 48 hours before!
Manchester film fans will want to strap themselves in for the ultimate seasonal Halloween treat with the announcement of the Frights & Fizz Movie Experience.
The pop-up cinema will screen some of the most thrilling horror movies promised to terrify and frighten festivalgoers.
The movie experience will take place at a secret location in Manchester across four nights betweenMonday 28 October and Thursday 31 October2019, and will feature up to three movies and live action surprises.
The underground venue will be revealed 48 hours before the first show. However, organisers can reveal that the mysterious bunker is in Central Manchester, just 10 minutes from Piccadilly Gardens.
The secret location will have a spooky feel all of its own with vaulted ceilings, archways and exposed bricks – but is being kept top secret until a couple days before the event. Films will be screen in an area dubbed ‘The Haunted Arches’ specially for the event.
The Frights & Fizz film programme will include a trio of wicked films Scream, ParanormalActivity and Halloween (1978).
Visitors are advised that films are rated at age 18 – so no-one under the age of 18 will be admitted.
The immersive screening will open with Scream, a slasher film starring David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox, and Matthew Lillard. This clever parody film is the perfect way to creep into the Halloween spirit.
Supernatural horror film, Paranormal Activity, is popular for its depiction of unearthly activities. Festivalgoers won’t want to watch it alone.
The 1978 slasher horror Halloween stars Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, PJ Soles, and Nancy Loomis, and is directed by John Carpenter.
The main cinema includes entry to film viewing in The Haunted Arches, with access to a themed bar for exclusive cocktails and a fun filled fearsome night out to remember with plenty of spooky surprises. There is a pay bar.
The VIP experience includes an exclusive viewing in The Picture House. The VIP experience includes limitless prosecco, bottomless popcorn, and full waiter service. There is also access to a Halloween themed cocktail bar.
Doors open 45 minutes before the first film screening of the evening.
Standard ticket price is £14.99, VIP experience tickets are £29.99.
The Golden Age of Hollywood – we all know Marilyn Munro, Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Alfred Hitchcock. Great movies like the Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, African Queen…even Rambo but Jack Cardiff…?? Well Jack Cardiff is widely regarded as one of the greatest cinematographers of all time and in Prism, we enter his world.
Prism, written and directed by the acclaimed playwright, Terry Johnson, tells the story of Cardiff in the latter years of his life, retired to a sleepy village in Buckinghamshire with his wife and son, Mason. Afflicted by advanced dementia, Mason is encouraging Jack to complete his autobiography. As a man who has worked on many of Hollywood’s most famous blockbusters and with some of the most iconic performers in the industry, the prospect is an enticing one (well for Mason at least). Surrounded by memorabilia from a lifetime of “painting with light’, the writing of this autobiography should be an easy matter. The declining Jack, however, is not really up to the task, more interested in trying to make it to his local village pub for a scotch and soda and drifting back in time and his memories of the likes of Katherine Hepburn and Marilyn Munro. Mason has hired a young woman, Lucy, as Jack’s carer and to help with the writing.
Robert Lindsay, as Jack Cardiff, is mesmerising. The part was written with Lindsay in mind and allows him to bring his full arsenal of talents to bear. The restless energy and charm that clearly made Jack such a magnet to the many beautiful women he encountered still pervades; his professional obsessiveness rattling on about screen sizes, light, talking to his old beloved camera. All this is tempered with moments of real comedy and of the Vaudeville performer that formed Jack Cardiff’s roots. The destructive effect of dementia on not just the individual himself but on his nearest and dearest is poignantly and sensitively handled. Lindsay brings real humanity and vulnerability to Cardiff’s unravelling.
Lindsay has a great supporting cast. Victoria Blunt as Lucy is guache, lacking confidence and a bit dysfunctional while at the same time likeable and compassionate. Tara Fitzgerald as Cardiff’s much younger wife, Nicola, manages that disconnect between loving her husband while feeling unloved by him as he increasingly confuses her with his beloved Katy (Katherine Hepburn). Oliver Hembrough does a fine job of a son who has lived in his father’s shadow his whole life.
Tim Shorthall’s set has lots of lovely visual touches. There are beautiful and luminous photographs of the female stars Cardiff worked with, such as Katherine Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe, pinned up around the garage walls. In the second act, there is an amazing transformation, as the garage walls melt away and we find ourselves on the Congo River on the set of the African Queen for an extended flashback with the rest of the cast very capably playing Katherine Hepburn, Marilyn Munro, Humphrey Bogart and Arthur Miller. Ben Ormerod’s lighting also deserves a special mention.
Throughout the piece, there are lots of movie references that, to be honest, will be lost on all but the most film-educated of audiences – a joke about Robert Bolt was completely lost on this reviewer but that does not detract.
If nothing else, it is worth seeing Prism to see Robert Lindsay showcasing his amazing talent!!
Producers Jeffrey Seller and Cameron Mackintosh are delighted to announce the new cast for the multi award-winning West End production of HAMILTON as the show enters its third year at the Victoria Palace Theatre. Also announced is the release of further tickets with the show now booking in London to 28 March 2020.
From 18 November 2019, Karl Queensborough steps up to play the title role of Alexander Hamilton and Allyson Ava-Brown and Jason Pennycooke continue in their roles as Angelica Schuyler and Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson respectively. They are joined by Emilie Louise Israel as Peggy Schuyler/ Maria Reynolds, Trevor Dion Nicholas as George Washington, Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Aaron Burr, Sharon Rose as Eliza Hamilton, Emile Ruddock as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, Carl Spencer as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton andfrom 4 November 2019Gavin Spokes will play King George. Nuno Queimado willplay the role of Alexander Hamilton at certain performances.
They are joined by Jade Albertsen, Curtis Angus, Robson Broad, Ashley Daniels, Lisa Darnell, Kelly Downing, Lydia Fraser, Dujonna Gift-Simms, Manaia Glassey-Ohlson, Joe Griffiths-Brown, Gregory Haney, Peter Houston,Barney Hudson, DeAngelo Jones,Jake Halsey-Jones, Phoebe Liberty Jones, Travis Kerry, Natasha Leaver, Aaron Lee Lambert, Sinead Long, Louis Mackrodt, Jay Perry, Alexzandra Sarmiento and Lindsey Tierney.
HAMILTON has book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair and wig design by Charles G. Lapointe.
HAMILTON is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. Thescore blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway – the story of America then, as told by America now.
Allyson Ava-Brown previously played Fantine in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre. Her other theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Aladdin at the Lyric Hammersmith, Etienne Sisters, Crowning Glory and Dangerous Lady for Theatre Royal Stratford East, The Quiet House at The Park Theatre, Simply Heavenly at Trafalgar Studios and Julius Caesar,Antony and Cleopatra and The Tempest for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Emilie Louise Israel is making her West End debut in Hamilton. Her previous theatre credits include Nala in The Lion King and Jungle Festival for Disneyland Paris, The Womanin the US Tour of Gobsmacked! and the UK Tour of The Magic of Motown.
Trevor Dion Nicholas originated the role of Genie in the West End production of Disney’s Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre. He also played the role at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway and the U.S Tour. His other theatre credits include The Wiz, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Ragtime, The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, Into the Woods, Little Shop of Horrors, Rent, The Exonerated and This is the Life All for the ETA Hoffman Theatre, Germany.
Jason Pennycooke was Olivier Nominated for the roles of Bobby Dupree in Memphis and Jacob in La Cage Aux Folles. He was also Olivier nominated for his performance in Hamilton and he won the Whatsonstage Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical. His other West End credits include Paul in Kiss Me, Kate at the Old Vic and Sammy Davis Junior in The Rat Pack at the Savoy Theatre. As part of Edinburgh’s Christmas 2016 programme Pennycooke choreographed Five Guys Named Moe for Underbelly Productions in association with Cameron Mackintosh.
Karl Queensborough is currently performing in the London production as the alternate Alexander Hamilton. His previous theatre credits include White Teeth at the Kiln Theatre, Sylvia and The Girl From the North Country at The Old Vic, The Little Matchgirl for Shakespeare’s Globe/Bristol Old Vic/UK Tour, Aladdin,Cinderella, Dick Whittington and Jack and the Beanstalk for the Lyric Hammersmith, A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Filter, The Machine Stops for Theatre Royal York/Pilot Theatre, A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes for the Tricycle Theatre, Only the Brave for Soho Theatre/Wales Millennium Centre/Bird Song, Morning for the Lyric Hammersmith/Traverse Theatre, Dayglo and Mind The Gap for Y Touring, and Ignition Out of Reach for Frantic Assembly.
Nuno Queimado is currently performing in the London Production of Hamilton. His previous theatre credits include Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Theatre, Mother Courage and her Children and Side Show for Southwark Playhouse, From Here To Eternity at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown at the Playhouse Theatre, The World’s Greatest Show for the Royal Opera House, God’s Garden UK tour, and The Little Match Girl at Sadlers wells. He also appeared in the ITV drama Cold Feet.
Simon-Anthony Rhoden trained at LAMDA. His theatre credits include The Color Purple for Leicester Curve, Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre for which he won the Broadway World UK Award for Best Long-Running West End Show Performer, If I Should Stay for Soho Theatre and Parade at the Edinburgh Fringe. His screen credits include Feel Good, Let It Snow and Blue.
Sharon Rose currently performs as a member of the West End cast of Hamilton. Her previous theatre credits include Beautiful: The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre and Caroline or Change at the Hampstead Theatre.
Emile Ruddock currently performs as part of the ensemble in the West End production of Hamilton. His previous theatre credits include Me and My Girl at the Chichester Festival Theatre, Five Guys Named Moe at the Marble Arch Theatre, Crazy for You at the Watermill Theatre, Kiss Me Kate on UK Tour and The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic and at the Garrick Theatre.
Carl Spencer was last on stage in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the London Palladium. His other theatre credits include Motown the Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Annie on UK Tour, TheScottsboro Boys at the Young Vic and Dear Edwina at The Lost Theatre. His film credits include Rocketman.
Gavin Spokes has most recently performed on stage in A Very Expensive Poison at the Old Vic. His other theatre credits include Company at the Gielgud Theatre, Quiz for both Chichester Festival Theatre and the Noël Coward Theatre, Against and 1984 for the Almeida Theatre, Carousel for English National Opera, Guys and Dolls at the Phoenix Theatre, Laurel and Hardy at the Watermill Theatre, Sleeping Beauty at Hackney Empire, She Stoops to Conquer for the National Theatre and One Man Two Guvnors for the National Theatre on tour. His television credits include Casualty, Hit Men, Brexit and Man Down. His film credits include The Courier and Made of Honour.
The Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning production of HAMILTON originally opened at the Public Theater in New York in 2015. Later that year, the Broadway production opened and in December 2017 HAMILTON opened at the newly re-built and restored Victoria Palace Theatre in London. The US tour continues. In January 2019 Lin-Manuel Miranda reprised the title role in Puerto Rico and in February 2019 a production opened in San Francisco. The Chicago production continues its run and in March 2021, HAMILTON will see its Australian premiere at the Sydney Lyric Theatre.
Full ticketing information can be found on the official website at hamiltonmusical.com which includes details of the HAMILTON West End £10 daily Lottery as well as details of best ticket availability.
HAMILTON is produced in London by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Cameron Mackintosh.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Theatre Victoria Palace Theatre, Victoria Street, London SW1E 5EA
Tabard Theatre relaunches as Chiswick Playhouse with exciting first season Chiswick Playhouse, 2 Bath Road, London W4 1LW
In honour of the area’s illustrious theatrical heritage, the Tabard Theatre is reopening as Chiswick Playhouse. The Tabard brought important and innovative theatre back to Chiswick after a gap of over twenty years following the 1959 closure of the much-loved Chiswick Empire. A popular local venue, Chiswick Playhouse may be a small space but it has big ambitions and promises a fantastic opening season to mark its exciting relaunch.
Chiswick Playhouse will produce new work as well as reimagining classic stories. It will create its own in-house productions and bring shows of West End calibre to West London at a fraction of the ticket price!
Mark Perry, Executive Director of Chiswick Playhouse, comments, Having been a Chiswick resident myself for over 15 years, I’m aware of the remarkable history of artists and theatre practitioners that have lived and worked in the area. By changing the name, we want to demonstrate our pride in our local heritage and ensure that the local community recognises the venue as Chiswick’s local theatre.
We also want the wider London theatregoing audience to recognise our reputation as an exciting producing theatre, creating shows that will start in Chiswick and move on to other London venues and beyond. Lots of venues focus on types of work – new writing, musicals etc. Rather than genres, we want Chiswick Playhouse to be the breeding ground for the next generation of top creatives. As part of our first season we’re delighted to have rising stars Charlotte Westenra, Lucy Jane Atkinson and Phoebe Barran directing our in-house productions.
Launching Chiswick Playhouse’s inaugural season, from 30th October to 30th November, is the UK premiere of the revamped, brand-new version of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. After playing over 5,000 performances off-Broadway, this hilarious and poignant musical comedy was substantially re-written in 2018 to reflect the challenges facing the romantics of today. It is now presented for the first time in the UK with a stellar West End cast and direction from Charlotte Westenra (Kiss of the Spiderman, Donmar Warehouse; Frost/Nixon, Michael Grandage Company as Associate Director).
The course of true love never does run smoothly and with wonderful songs, outrageous comedy and heart-rending emotion, I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change is for anyone who’s fallen in, or out, of love. Following the joys and tribulations of first dates, marriage, and growing old, it will star George Rae (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat and The Lion King, West End; Annie, UK tour) and Dominic Hodson (War Horse and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, West End; West Side Story, UK tour), alongside Laura Johnson (Hair 50th Anniversary, The Vaults and Hope Mill Theatre; Madagascar, UK tour) and Naomi Slights (Mamma Mia, West End; Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Saturday Night Fever, UK tour).
Also coming to Chiswick Playhouse:
From 4th December to 4th January, Chiswick Playhouse will present an irresistible reimagined take on the classic Christmas tale Hansel and Gretel, directed by Lucy Jane Atkinson (A Hundred Words for Snow, Trafalgar Studios; Vespertilio, VAULT Festival). This children’s adventure will take audiences far from city life, gaming and social media into a world of lollipop houses and tap-dancing cockroaches. Here lives a witch with a penchant for single-use plastic and the only remaining sustainable food source: children.
Another festive option, Christmas at Chiswick Playhouse is a series of Sunday evening concerts throughout December featuring a host of the UK’s leading musical theatre talent. With free mulled wine, songs from hit shows and Christmas classics, these concerts are sure to raise Christmas spirits.
Blowing away those January blues, the New Year will see exciting emerging artists across comedy, magic and new writing come to Chiswick Playhouse for a run of week-long engagements. Paul Aitchinson’s unique mix of mind-melting magic and bonkers character comedy in Could It Be Magic is followed by the hilarious subversive take on Tudor History, Great British Mysteries: 1599. To conclude the month, Get Over It Productions present The Scene, a festival of new writing with 30 short plays across five nights.
Running from 5th to 29th February, the gripping revival of Tryst will return following a sell-out run in 2017, once again directed by Phoebe Barran (Four Days In Hong Kong, Orange Tree Theatre; award-winning short film Snapshots). Based on a true story, this tense, passion-fuelled thriller is about the serial fraudster, George Love, who encountered a naïve and vulnerable shop-girl, Adelaide Pinchin, in Victorian London. What follows shocks them both as Love’s elaborate heist begins to unravel in frightening and unpredictable ways.
Chiswick Playhouse will continue The Tabard’s strong reputation as a comedy venue, with numerous emerging and high-profile comedians, including Love Island’s Iain Stirling who will perform in March. Harry Baker, the youngest ever Poetry World Slam Champion in 2012, will also come to Chiswick for two nights with his inimitable spoken word.
SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL ANNOUNCES GRAYSON PERRY: THE HANDLEBARS OF LIFE
A TALK IN AID OF SUSTRANS
portrait by Thierry Bal
Shoreditch Town Hall today announce Grayson Perry: The Handlebars of Life, a talk from the Turner Prize Award-winning multi-media artist in aid of Sustrans, the walking and cycling charity, on Thursday 24 October at 7.30pm. Sustrans aims tomake it easier for people to walk and cycle around the UK. Grayson Perry’s partnership with the charity hopes to raise funds to develop national cycling and walking routes to promote health, wellbeing and environmental sustainability.
Grayson Perry today said, “I’ve spent a lot longer on two wheels than I ever have in a dress. In this one-off talk for Sustrans, I will be talking about my almost spiritual relationship to cycling and making observations about its present-day culture.”
Chief Executive of Sustrans Xavier Brice today said, “I’m delighted that Shoreditch Town Hall is hosting Grayson Perry’s talk in aid of Sustrans. We’re so grateful for his support and hope his infectious enthusiasm for travelling by cycle inspires everyone to change the way they travel. Sustrans is the custodian of the National Cycle Network, a well-loved network of walking and cycling paths that’s enjoyed by millions of people across the UK every year. Support of individuals like Grayson Perry will help us achieve our mission to make walking and cycling easier and more accessible for everyone, regardless of abilities, age and gender.”
Grayson Perry CBE is an award-winning artist who works in a variety of media, including cast-iron, etching, tapestry embroidery and photography, however he is best known for his ceramic works. In 2003 he rose to fame as the first ceramic artist to win the Turner Prize and was awarded a CBE in 2013. Alongside his art, Grayson has written and presented documentaries including Why Men Wear Frocks (Channel 4) in which he examined transvestism and masculinity in the 21st century. His 2012 series All In the Best Possible Taste received a BAFTA for Specialist Factional Television. 2016 saw Perry sell out the London Palladium with his one-man show Typical Man In A Dress, publish the best-selling book The Descent of Man, and star in Born Risky for All4.
All proceeds from ticket sales will go to Sustrans.
Producer Colin Ingram (Ghost – The Musical) and the creators of the film Back To The Future, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, are delighted to announce Tony Award winner, Roger Bart, as ‘Dr Emmett Brown’ in the world premiere of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical, which will open at the Manchester Opera House on 20 February 2020 for a strictly limited 12-week season, finishing on 17 May, prior to transferring to the West End. This comes on the day Christopher Lloyd, the original ‘Dr Emmett Brown’ in the Back to the Future film trilogy comes to Manchester to pass on the keys to the DeLorean Time Machine to Roger.
Roger Bart joins the previously announced Olly Dobson as ‘Marty McFly’, Hugh Coles as ‘George McFly’, Rosanna Hyland as ‘Lorraine Baines’ and Cedric Neal as ‘Goldie’.
Roger Bart has had a prolific career on stage and screen. His most notable TV and film credits including The Stepford Wives, The Producers, the recurring role of George Williams in Desperate Housewives (ABC), for which the cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, the recurring role of Roger Riskin in Episodes (BBC 2), Vice Principal Nero in A Series of Unfortunate Events (Netflix) and currently Judge Curtis Wilson in Good Trouble (Freeform). Roger’s Broadway credits include Carmen Ghia (Tony nomination) and then Leo Bloom in The Producers, Xanthias in The Frogs, Dr Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein, Tony Delvecchio in Disaster The Musical (all original Broadway productions). Bart was the original singing voice of Hercules in the animated classic film of the same name and this summer took on the nemesis role of Hades in the stage premier of Hercules at the Delacorte Theater in New York’s Central Park. Go the Distance, the hit song from the feature film, was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Song. In 1999, Roger won the Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Snoopy in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown on Broadway. He will be making his British stage debut in BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical.
Roger Bart said of playing Dr Emmett Brown, “I am thrilled to be here in the great city of Manchester, England to introduce to the world this extraordinary incarnation of this hilarious and heart-warming story. Playing the role of Doc Brown, made iconic on film by the brilliant Christopher Lloyd, is going to be the adventure of a lifetime. After all, at this stage of my life, who doesn’t want to go back in time?”
Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical will have a book by Bob Gale and new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.
BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical will be directed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown, On The Town), alongside the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team of Tim Hatley (set and costume design), Hugh Vanstone and Tim Lutkin (lighting), Gareth Owen (sound) and Finn Ross (video), with choreography by Chris Bailey, musical supervision and arrangements by Nick Finlow and Illusions by Chris Fisher. Orchestrations will be by Ethan Popp, with dance arrangements by David Chase.
Back to the Future the movie was released in 1985, starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett Brown. The film grossed $360.6 million (£279 million) at the box office worldwide and the total box office for all three films in the Back to the Future franchise was $936.6 million (over $1.8 billion in today’s money).
Marty McFly is a rock ‘n’ roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown. But before he can return to 1985, Marty must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence.
BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical is produced by Colin Ingram, Donovan Mannato, Frankel/Viertel/Baruch/Routh Group, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold, Crush Music, CJ ENM, Teresa Tsai, Ivy Herman/Hallee Adelman, Augury, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, in association with, Kimberly Magarro, Robert L. Hutt, Ricardo Marques, Glass Half Full Productions, Playing Field.
Website: BackToTheFutureMusical.com
Twitter: @BTTFmusical
Instagram: @BTTFmusical
LISTINGS INFORMATION
BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical
20 February – 17 May 2020
Opera House Manchester
3 Quay Street Manchester M3 3HP
Box Office: 0844 871 3018
Performances: 20 Feb – 14 Mar: Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Sat matinee 2.30pm
17 Mar – 17 May: Tue – Sat 7.30pm, Wed, Sat & Sun matinees 2.30pm
