The Steamie

Written and Directed by Tony Roper

Songs by David Anderson

 

• FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE STEAMIE 30th ANNIVERSARY SCOTTISH TOUR

Opening in Kirkcaldy on Wednesday 6th September, 2017, the show will celebrate 30 years entertaining audience across Scotland with a tour which takes in His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, Dundee Rep, Ayr Gaiety, Eden Court Inverness, the Macrobert Arts Centre Stirling, Kings Theatre Glasgow and the Kings Theatre Edinburgh.

The 30th Anniversary touring cast brings together Mary McCusker (reprising her role as Mrs Culfeathers from the 2012 production), Steven McNicoll (wrote and starred in seven series of the BAFTA Nominated BBC sketch show Velvet Soup), Libby McArthur (Gina Rossi in River City),Carmen Pieraccini (Kelly-Marie Adams in River City) and Fiona Wood (also reprising her role as Doreen from the 2012 production).

The Steamie is a Scottish theatre classic; an ode to the hard working women of the 1950’s and to a bygone Glasgow. The young Doreen envisions a new future, while Mrs Culfeathers looks back to the past – the play is a snapshot of a society, of a time and a cross section of strong women, all rolled up in Roper’s hilarious comedy. As The Scotsman said in 2012, it is a“wonderful pattern of humour, pathos, and laugh-out-loud comic set-pieces.”

The play is written by Tony Roper and produced by Neil Laidlaw, both alumni of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Libby McArthur who plays Dolly is a well-known face having appeared in many popular Scottish television programmes. She is most famous for her role as Gina Hamilton in River City. In her time, she has had more than one Session with John Peel; ridden The Tube with Jools Holland and been usurped in her role as mother to her son by Liam Neeson and Jessica Lang in Rob-Roy. On television she has played wife to Ford Keirnan; daughter to Miriam Margoyles, Annie Ross and Johnny Beattie; sister to Andy Gray, Forbes Masson, and Bobby Carlyle and has even been taken advantage of by Stefan Dennis.

Mary McCusker is back reprising the role she loves from the 2012 production of the show, Mrs Culfeathers. She is best known for her work in films Turner & Hooch, The Client and Up. Her theatre credits include appearing in Miss Firecracker Contest, Al Franken & Tom Davis Show, Art of Self Defence and Twenty- Four Hours. In the 1990’s she switched from acting to coaching.

Steven McNicoll who stars as Andy wrote and starred in seven series of the BBC sketch showVelvet Soup on radio and later television, which earned him a BAFTA nomination. He is also known to viewers for playing the young Rab C Nesbitt in the series of the same name and appears regularly as Bra’s Jeff in Donald McLeary and Sanjeev Kohli’s Sony Award winning BBC Radio 4 sitcom Fags, Mags and Bags.

Carmen Pieraccini plays Magrit. She appeared briefly in the Gillies MacKinnon film Small Faces, the Saul Metzstein’s film Late Night Shopping, and the music video for the Belle and Sebastian single Jonathan David, before appearing in River City. She played Tina in the comedy seriesDear Green Place, opposite Ford Kiernan. On stage, she appeared as an army private in the 2008 play An Advert for the Army.

Fiona Wood could not get enough of The Steamie and has returned to the show as Doreen, after appearing in the 2012 production. She is best known for her roles in films Money Kills,Sketchland and has just wrapped up filming short film, The Last Supper.

This is the third time Neil Laidlaw has produced a tour of The Steamie, first in 2009 and then the 25th Anniversary Tour in 2012. Neil said “The Steamie is one of the greatest Scottish plays – I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to have been associated with it in the past and am now even more excited to be producing this 30th Anniversary celebration. We’ve brought together a fantastic cast of actors combining Mary McCusker reprising her wonderful portrayal of Mrs Culfeathers and Fiona Wood’s Doreen, with fresh faces down The Steamie with Libby McArthur, Stephen McNicoll and Carmen Pieraccini. I can’t wait to get into the rehearsal room and see another cast have a ball getting to know this play.”

Tony Roper (Scottish actor, comedian, writer, playwright and director) says “In my late forties I sat down with a biro and a jotter and wrote my first ever play. 30 years have since passed andThe Steamie is still there, giving laughter and tears and touching that intangible something in an audience that has made it a favourite night out.”

Listings

Week commencing

• 4 September Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy www.onfife.com/venues/adam-smith-theatre
• 11 September Her Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
• www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/venues/his-majestys-theatre
• 18 September Dundee Rep Theatre www.dundeerep.co.uk/
• 25 September Ayr Gaiety http://ayrgaiety.co.uk/
• 2 October Eden Court, Inverness www.eden-court.co.uk/
• 9 October Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling http://macrobertartscentre.org/
• 23 & 30 October King’s Theatre, Glasgow www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre/
• 6 November King’s Theatre, Edinburgh www.edtheatres.com/kings

Oriental City Restaurant, Leeds – 18 May 2017.  Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

On the Wire’s From Shore to Shore originally came from a series of interviews with a wide range of people of Chinese birth and heritage. The stories developed into an inter-generational drama, written jointly by Mary Cooper and M W Sun, which led to a “work in progress” production back in 2015. Leeds’ Oriental City Restaurant could not be more fitting to host intimately this play, under the direction of David K S Tse, with its intimate ambience and thematic decor.

Over a delicious Chinese banquet meal the audience have the opportunity to listen to stories of three individuals who shares the same heritage but their journeys could not be any more different. The play begins when the characters “arrive” and are received by the waiting staff who doubled up as actors.

Cheung Wing (played by Jackie Lam) whose journey goes far back to Imperial China and before Japan invaded China during World War II begins proceedings. He shares his moving account about consuming chicken soup and finding his mother and how food mattered to him for hope and survival and settling in Leeds, he knows what its like “to be starving” and what it “means to be fed”.

Mei Lan (played by Yvonne Wan) recounts her life in Hong Kong where she lived with her grandmother while her parents worked in a takeaway in Leeds. She and her siblings had to help out with the duties in her grandmother’s apartment and when she moved back to Leeds she helped Mum out at the takeaway after school hours. According to Chinese clichés she was expected to do well at school and following adversaries in her life she found solace in the church.

The third character is Yi Di (played by Dandan Liu) who grew up the 1980s at the time when the one child policy was adapted in China. Her father was unhappy not to have a son and Yi Di’s life was impossibly pleasing her father with the expectation of being top of the class at school. With resistance and determination she was able to get a one way ticket to Leeds which she refers to as a “small city surrounded by hills”.

The play does explore themes of family honour, cultures, expectations, endurance and crucially hope combining with the relationship of food. Each story is parallel to the true stories shared by those originating from the motherland to their current home in Yorkshire. The intimate staging with its minimum use of props in the restaurant compliments the performance, tri-lingual dialogues between the performers, and the combined use of music including Chinese percussion effectively link the scenes together.

This is an excellent evening of storytelling which offers one to look into the Chinese community in Leeds and how its members’ life journeys celebrate the spirit of diversity and humanity. From Shore to Shore will now continue its national tour until the 10th June 2017 in York.

York Theatre Royal – 16 May 2017.  Reviewed by Marcus Richardson

Oh Romeo, oh Romeo… if you can’t tell what play this is already, then I think you’ve been living under a rock for the past 400 years. Now we all know the famous Classic tragedy of woe and love, some of us love it and some of us hate it with a passion. With most productions of Romeo And Juliet, directors and theatre creators find a way to modernise the play though use of setting and time period. Setting the play modern day with a gangesque feel is often done, but I don’t know how to describe the feel I got from the adaptation, but I can say that I loved it but I don’t know why. I find myself rarely thinking this, for me it stood out from the endless sea of Romeo and Juliet’s.

When you first walk into the main theatre the show had already begun with, actors on stage singing modern songs my regret here is that I was spending my time at the bar and not listening to the songs since they were strong singers with great musical talent playing a variety of instruments as well. When the play officially started we were given ‘Take Me To Church’, this really suited the aesthetic and really set the feel for the play. It would be hard not to talk about the actors who played the title roles, with Aruhan Galieva playing the 13 year old independent Juliet and Stuart Wilde taking on the role of Romeo a 17 year old who is constantly in love and devoted to it. These two were both exceptional and both very strong actors, but I found myself leaning towards two other actors; Victoria Blunt who played Benvolio was out of this world switching the gender of the role and also creating a relationship with her fellow actors on stage, the other actor was Lauryn Redding who played the nurse the role of the nurse offers a lot of comic relief throughout the play even to one of the saddest moments, I think she bought extra to the role with me finding standing out of the crowd with the other R+Js I’ve seen.

The stage was fairly brought to live by its set, but it was used with the countless scene changes in the play, bear with me here, we had a bar to the back of the stage and the ever so famous balcony, but we didn’t wait for scene changes at it snapped from scene to scene, with little hidden feature lending for great stage craft and I thank them for this since scene changes are something I mostly hate.

Now without a word of a doubt, I would say go and see this show, and I have to admit R+J isn’t for everyone and I think people overlook this play because I have to admit it is overdone. But that’s because it is a good play and in this instance a strong cast, I found myself entertained throughout the whole play and I’ve seen other productions before and this stood out by a mile, so drop the overdone excuse of not seeing it, and go see it.

STRICTLY COME DANCING STAR

DANNY MAC

TO STAR AS JOE GILLIS

 

IN THE UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF THE

CURVE PRODUCTION OF

 

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S

SUNSET BOULEVARD

 

PRODUCED BY MICHAEL HARRISON AND DAVID IAN

 

DIRECTED BY NIKOLAI FOSTER

OPENING AT CURVE
ON SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2017

Michael Harrison and David Ian are delighted to announce that Danny Mac is to star as Joe Gillis in the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of Curve’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning musical SUNSET BOULEVARD. Ria Jones is to play Norma Desmond and the show is to be directed by Nikolai Foster.

SUNSET BOULEVARD will open at Curve on Saturday 16 September 2017 (press night Thursday 28 September), before touring the UK and Ireland. Full casting to be announced shortly. Tour schedule below with more dates to be announced soon. sunsetboulevardtour.com

Most recently Danny Mac captured the nation’s hearts and received overwhelming support during his incredible time on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing making it all the way to the final. This month he stars as Gabey in On The Town at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. His other musical theatre credits include Wicked and Legally Blonde.

One of the all-time great musicals, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tony Award®-winning (Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical) masterpiece SUNSET BOULEVARD is a compelling story of romance and obsession, based on Billy Wilder’s legendary film, with Don Black and Christopher Hampton’s wonderful book and lyrics. This much-loved score includes the title number Sunset Boulevard, With One Look, As If We Never Said Goodbye, The Greatest Star Of All and The Perfect Year and will be performed by a full orchestra.

In her mansion on Sunset Boulevard, faded, silent-screen goddess, Norma Desmond, lives in a fantasy world. Impoverished screen writer, Joe Gillis, on the run from debt collectors, stumbles into her reclusive world. Persuaded to work on Norma’s ‘masterpiece’, a film script that she believes will put her back in front of the cameras, he is seduced by her and her luxurious life-style.  Joe becomes entrapped in a claustrophobic world until his love for another woman leads him to try and break free with dramatic consequences.

SUNSET BOULEVARD UK AND IRELAND TOUR 2017/18

sunsetboulevardtour.com

 

2017

 

SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

CURVE, LEICESTER  www.curveonline.co.uk

TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh

MONDAY 9 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER

NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL www.theatreroyal.co.uk

MONDAY 23 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER

MANCHESTER PALACE www.atgtickets.com/manchester

MONDAY 6 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER

HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE, ABERDEEN www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/venues/his-majestys-theatre

MONDAY 13 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME www.birminghamhippodrome.com

MONDAY 20 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER

MILTON KEYNES THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Tales from the Arabian Nights

By Farhana Sheikh

Directed by Jonathan Petherbridge

 London Bubble to stage first summer show in seven years

 Tales from the Arabian Nights will be performed in Southwark Park from 1 – 6 August and Greenwich Park from 9 – 19 August 2017

London Bubble, the iconic South-East London theatre company has announced today that it will stage its first summer show in seven years, with performances in Southwark Park (1– 6 August), and Greenwich Park (9–19 August). Tickets are on sale now from www.londonbubble.org.uk.

Tales from the Arabian Nights was the Bubble’s first promenade production when Farhana Sheikh’s play was staged in 1994, and is now being reimagined for summer 2017 under the direction of Bubble Creative Director Jonathan Petherbridge, with designs by Yasuko Hasegawa.

Well known for their family friendly theatre, London Bubble’s last ticketed summer show was staged in 2010. After funding cuts in 2008 the company had to reinvent itself and become wholly sustainable without Arts Council funding. Their survivalist story – which saw Bubble rebuild the company on people power, passion and partnerships – has been held up as an example of resilience in the theatre industry. The Bubble is now delighted to reconnect with its audiences and go back to doing what they were most publicly known and loved for.

London Bubble’s ethos is “people make theatre” and the mission has always been to create theatre that is inspirational, inclusive and involving – sharing stories that animate the spaces of the city and the spirits of its citizens. The Bubble staged its first summer show in 1972 and has been creating theatre both for and with communities throughout the outer London boroughs for nearly 45 years. Audiences coming to see Tales from the Arabian Nights are welcome to bring their whole family, including babes in arms or children in buggies, plus any pets who might enjoy a trip to the park.

Playwright Farhana Sheikh said: “The Bubble commissioned Tales from the Arabian Nights back in 1994 and it was the first play I ever wrote, so it is a very special project for me. The stories of A Thousand and One Nights are part of a wonderful oral tradition – the remembering, retelling, recreating and reinventing of these tales of romance and adventure could last for days and in this play I attempt to recreate the power of the storyteller. I am delighted to rewrite it for this new production and bring the stories to a new Bubble audience.”

Creative Director Jonathan Petherbridge said: “I am really looking forward to creating a Bubble promenade adventure for a new generation and hopefully, welcoming some of the loyal supporters who enjoyed our shows in the past. Am I right in thinking there is currently a need for less formal theatre experiences that draw on great stories and bring people together in a natural environment? Bubble always provided that – welcoming all ages and building community under the night sky of London.”

Farhana Sheikh’s previous work includes the novel, The Red Box, and nine other plays, including – for the Bubble – Once Upon A Time Very Far from England, Gilgamesh, Gulliver’s Travels and Punchkin Enchanter. She co-wrote, with Adrian Jackson, the award-winning Mincemeat, and with the composer Thomas Johnson, an oratorio, Gilgamesh.

Jonathan Petherbridge has been making different sorts of theatre for nearly three decades – some orthodox work – shows developed from the work of a writer (Shakespeare, Brecht, Brenton), some inspired by places (parks, cliff tops, vaults), some driven by social purposes (young people, intergenerational projects, theatre for early years). He pioneered promenade theatre as a response to the dominance of the black box, directed and rejected the community play, and continually seeks to introduce theatre to effective settings.

Designer Yasuko Hasegawa was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Her childhood interest in ballet and storytelling led her to study theatre design at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. She has worked as theatre designer and community artist since graduation, both in the UK and Japan. In 2015, she designed London Bubble’s Grandchildren of Hiroshima, which was created with the local community of Hiroshima in Japan. She is designing installation for Seven for a Secret with Pegasus Theatre, Oxford in May 2017. She lives and works in Osaka.

WEST END TRANSFER ANNOUNCED FOR
THE MENTOR
STARRING ACADAMY AWARD-WINNER F. MURRAY ABRAHAM

• THE MENTOR TRANSFERS TO LONDON’S VAUDEVILLE THEATRE FROM 24 JUNE – 2 SEPTEMBER WITH OPENING NIGHT FOR PRESS ON 4 JULY
• LAURENCE BOSWELL DIRECTS THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF DANIEL KEHLMANN’S PLAY
• ACADEMY AWARD WINNER F. MURRAY ABRAHAM REPRISES ROLE OF BENJAMIN RUBIN
• TICKETS ON SALE TODAY VIA NIMAXTHEATRES.COM

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Nica Burns are delighted to announce that Laurence Boswell’s critically acclaimed production of Daniel Kehlmann’s The Mentor will have a West End run at London’s Vaudeville Theatre from 24 June to 2 September with opening night for press on Tuesday 4 July.

The Mentor stars Academy Award-winner F. Murray Abraham as Benjamin Rubin, Daniel Weyman as Martin Wegner, Naomi Frederick as Gina Wegner and Jonathan Cullen as Erwin Rudicek.

The Mentor is directed by Olivier Award-winning Laurence Boswell who resides as Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio where the play celebrated a record-breaking run earlier this year, the most successful in the studio’s history. This production, translated by Academy Award-winning Christopher Hampton, marks the first time that bestselling authorDaniel Kehlmann’s play has been performed outside of Germany.

In a dilapidated art nouveau villa, somewhere in the German countryside, two massive egos are set on a collision course in this perceptive and compelling comedy about art and artists and the legacy of fame.

F. Murray Abraham won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Salieri in Miloš Forman’s masterpiece Amadeus. His numerous other screen credits include Homeland, Mighty Aphrodite, Scarface, Finding Forrester, Star Trek: Insurrection, The Name of the Rose, The Good Wife, Inside Llewyn Davis and The Grand Budapest Hotel. Theatre credits include It’s Only A Play, Othello, Richard III and Uncle Vanya, for which he was awarded an Obie Award for Best Actor.

Daniel Weyman’s previous credits for Theatre Royal Bath include Kafka’s Dick and King Lear. Additional theatre credits include Sideways (St James Theatre), 4000 Days (Park Theatre) andThe Crucible (Bristol Old Vic). Television and film credits include Great Expectations, Foyle’s War and Silent Witness.

Naomi Frederick’s theatre credits include Hobson’s Choice (Theatre Royal Bath and West End),The Heresy of Love, Much Ado About Nothing and As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe) and The Winslow Boy (Old Vic).

Jonathan Cullen starred in the Ustinov Studio’s production of Trouble in Mind. Additional theatre credits include Enemy of the People (Chichester Festival Theatre), Doctor Faustus(Shakespeare’s Globe) and Love the Sinner (National Theatre).

Daniel Kehlmann is a German-language author whose novel Measuring the World, sold three million copies in Germany alone and has been translated into more than 40 languages.

Christopher Hampton previously translated Florian Zeller’s play The Father for the Ustinov Studio, launching its international success. He won an Academy Award for the adaptation of his own play, Dangerous Liaisons.

Laurence Boswell is an Olivier Award-winner, Artistic Director of the Ustinov Studio and an Associate Artist of the RSC. His recent productions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Theatre Royal’s Main House, and Trouble in the Mind, The Mother, Intimate Apparel and The Spanish Golden Age Season in the Ustinov Studio.

CHILDREN’S FAVOURITE TIGER RETURNS TO DINE IN NEWCASTLE ONCE AGAIN

 

North East children are in for a roaring treat as a stage adaptation of the much-loved classic The Tiger Who Came To Tea returns to Newcastle Theatre Royal this Summer, 29 June – 1 July 17. 

 

The truly magical Olivier Award nominated West End production, which has played numerous sell-out runs at the Theatre Royal (most recently in 2015) is a musical play adapted from Judith Kerr’s ever popular tale.  It is the ideal introduction to theatre for children aged three plus and the perfect treat for the whole family.

 

The Tiger Who Came to Tea book was published in 1968, and remains a perennial favourite read by several generations. When Sophie and her Mummy welcome the hungry Tiger to tea, he proceeds to eat all the sandwiches, buns, biscuits and more. He even manages to drink all the water in the tap! What will Sophie’s Daddy say when he gets home? Join Tiger, Sophie and her Mummy and Daddy, in this musical slice of teatime mayhem with sing-a-long songs, oodles of magic and interactive fun.
The production is adapted and directed by David Wood OBE, undisputedly the country’s leading writer and director of plays and musicals for children, whose many successes include: The Gingerbread Man, Guess How Much I Love You, eight Roald Dahl adaptations including West End hits The BFG, The Witches and George’s Marvellous Medicine; and the Olivier Award winning Goodnight Mister Tom.

Wood has been writing plays for children and families for almost fifty years and his productions are seen all over the world.

 

The Tiger Who Came to Tea was first performed at the Bloomsbury Theatre in 2008. The production has since gone on to tour nationally and internationally, playing four smash-hit summer seasons in the West End, Christmas seasons at the Sydney Opera House and Melbourne Arts Centre, as well as sell-out dates in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Bahrain.

 

Author Judith Kerr will celebrate her 94^th birthday this year.  In 2008 she approached Newcastle’s very own Seven Stories (The National Centre for Children’s Books) to house her archive. The most significant collection of artwork by a single illustrator in the Seven Stories Collection, Kerr’s archive spans 70 years, and includes childhood paintings, drawings from her student days, and finished artwork for most of her published books, including The Tiger Who Came to Tea.

 

The show is designed by Susie Caulcutt, movement director Emma Clayton and Music Arranger / Supervisor PeterPontzen, starring Abbey Norman (Sophie), Ashley Tucker (Mummy), Harry Howle (Daddy/Milkman/Postman/Tiger), Katie Arundell (Understudy/Wardrobe) and Jacob Jackson (Understudy/ASM). The Tiger Who Came to Tea is produced by Nick Brooke Ltd.

 

The Tiger Who Came to Tea is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Thurs 29 June until Sat 1 July 2017, playing Thu & Fri at 10.30am & 1.30pm, Sat 10am & 12.30pm. Tickets from £14.50.  Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG GOES RIGHT IN LEEDS

 

The West End’s Olivier Award winning box office hit, The Play That Goes Wrong, is making a welcome return to Leeds next week taking to the stage at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 22^nd to Saturday 27^thMay.

 

Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, The Play That Goes Wrong is a highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned farce and Buster Keaton inspired slapstick delivered with split-second timing and ambitious daring. The play introduces ‘The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’ who are attempting to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong does, as the accident-prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their final curtain call.

 

“This production went down a storm when it was here last,” says Ian Sime, General Manager of The Grand. “And now that original cast – including the writers – are on Broadway and taking the States by storm! We’re quite proud of that.”

 

Winning the 2014 Whatsonstage.com Award for Best New Comedy, the 2015 Broadway World UK Award for Best New Play and the 2015 Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, The Play That Goes Wrong is now enjoying its third year in the West End, where it continues to play to sold-out houses. Licensed to thirty-three countries, with productions playing in Tokyo, Paris, Budapest and soon to open in Rome, Warsaw, Shanghai, Cape Town and Melbourne, the The Play That Goes Wrong is now set to receive its Broadway debut, with the original cast opening at the Lyceum Theatre in New York on 2 April 2017. It is a remarkable rags-to-riches story for a play, which started its life at a London fringe venue with only four paying members of the public at the first performance and has since played to an audience of over half a million.

 

The Play That Goes Wrong is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 22^nd to Saturday 27^th May

Tickets are priced from £12.50 to £34.50

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

 

EPIC NEW PRODUCTION OF JANE EYRE ARRIVES IN NEWCASTLE

Following a critically acclaimed season in London, an inventive new production of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece Jane Eyre is coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal this summer.  Get ready to see an old classic in a  whole new light, Mon 3 – Sat 8 July 2017.

 

Jane Eyre is an exciting new collaboration between the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic where it recently played to sold out houses. It will be visiting Newcastle Theatre Royal in the novel’s 170^th anniversary year, proving that Brontë’s iconic story of the trailblazing Jane is as inspiring as ever. This bold and dynamic production tells of one woman’s fight for freedom and fulfilment.  From her beginnings as a destitute orphan, Jane Eyre’s spirited heroine faces life’s obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, injustice and the discovery of bitter betrayal before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.

Director Sally Cookson is an Associate Artist of Bristol Old Vic, where her productions include Treasure Island andPeter Pan; and elsewhere, Boing! (Sadler’s Wells), Cinderella (St James Theatre), an adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather (West End and UK tour), and Romeo and Juliet  (Rose Theatre, Kingston).

Cookson said about her production of Jane Eyre:  ‘Adapting a novel for the stage is a challenging prospect – especially when that novel is cited as many people’s favourite of all time. It is always daunting when you’re working on a story which everyone knows so well, because you want to surprise and maybe challenge people’s expectations, without losing any of the things which make them like the story in the first place.’

‘I didn’t actually read the novel until I was in my early twenties and I remember thinking while I read it: ‘this is a clarion cry for equal opportunities for women, not a story about a passive female who will do anything for her hunky boss’. I was struck by how modern Jane seemed – her spirit and strong will, her peculiar and brilliant mind striving for personal freedom to be who she is, lashing out against any constraint that prevents her from being herself. She was exactly the sort of person I wanted to be.’

Nadia Clifford (Pomona) plays the central role of Jane, with Tim Delap as Rochester.  They are joined by Hannah Bristow (Helen Burns/Adele/St John/Grace Poole/Abbot), Matthew Churcher (Musician), Alex Heane (Musician), Melanie Marshall (Bertha Mason), Paul Mundell (Mr Brocklehurst/Pilot/Mason), David Ridley (musician), Evelyn Miller (Bessie/Blanche Ingram/Diana) and Lynda Rook (Mrs Reed/Mrs Fairfax).  The cast is completed by Ben Cutler, Jenny Johns, Dami Olukoya, Francesca Tomlinson and Phoebe Vigor.

 

Jane Eyre is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 3 until Sat 8 July2017, playing evenings 7pm, matinees on Thu and Sat 2pm. Tickets from £14.50.  Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

FINAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE

UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF
CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S

EPIC PRODUCTION OF

BOUBLIL AND SCHÖNBERG’S LEGENDARY MUSICAL

 

OPENING AT CURVE LEICESTER ON 1 JULY 2017

FOLLOWING ITS RECORD-BREAKING LONDON RUN AND

ITS RECENT TONY NOMINATED OPENING ON BROADWAY

 

As rehearsals begin, Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce final casting for the UK and Ireland tour of his acclaimed production of Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical MISS SAIGON. Ryan O’Gorman will play ‘John’, and Marsha Songcome will play ‘Gigi’ until 1 August when Na-Young Jeon will take over the role. They join the previously announced Red Concepcion as ‘The Engineer’, Sooha Kim as ‘Kim’, Ashley Gilmour as ‘Chris’, Zoë Doano as ‘Ellen’ and Gerald Santos as ‘Thuy’. At certain performances ‘The Engineer’ will be played by Christian Rey Marbella, and ‘Kim’ will be played by Joreen Bautista.

They are joined by David Allwood, Randy Chien, Vinny Coyle,  Kristine Mae Diaz, Michael James Eborall,  Aynrand Ferrer, Seng Henk Goh, Emily Beth Harrington, Jack Heasman, Tom Hier, Barnaby Hughes, Kamm Kunaree, David Kar-Hing Lee, Amanda Lingdren, Ela Lisondra, Winchester Lopez,  Christian Rey Marbella, Jay Marsh, Tom Mussell,  Thao Nguyen, Saori Oda, YoungJoo Park,  Kiel Payton, Katherine Picar, Alistair So, Carl Jae-Suk Sohlberg, Eloisa Amalia Tan, Gavin Tsang, Amadeus Williams, and Gerald Zarcilla.

The tour opens at Curve Leicester where it will play from Saturday 1 July – Saturday 22 July 2017.www.miss-saigon.com

Red Concepcion’s many theatre credits in his native Philippines include ‘Adam/Felicia’ in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” for which he won the ALIW Award and Gawah Buhay Award, ‘Tommy’ in “The Normal Heart” and ‘Alan Strang’ in “Equus” as well as the musicals “West Side Story” and “Hairspray”.

Sooha Kim made her professional debut in this recent production of “Miss Saigon” at the Prince Edward Theatre where she covered the role of ‘Kim’ before going on to play the role in the Japanese production. Her credits whilst training in Korea include ‘Maureen’ in “Rent” and ‘Carmen’ in “Fame”.

Ashley Gilmour also appeared in “Miss Saigon” at the Prince Edward Theatre. His most recent credits include playing ‘Link Larkin’ in the national tour of “Hairspray”.

Zoë Doano’s many West End theatre credits include ‘Cosette’ in “Les Misérables”, ‘Johanna’ in “Sweeney Todd” and most recently ‘Grazia’ in “Death Takes A Holiday”. She has also appeared in the national tours of “The Sound of Music” and “High Society”.

Ryan O’Gorman is currently playing the role of ‘Tom Collins’ in the 20^th Anniversary UK Tour of “Rent”.  His other theatre credits include “Les Misérables”, at the Queen’s Theatre, “The Phantom of the Opera” at Her Majesty’s Theatre, “Billy Elliot” at the Victoria Palace Theatre and the UK tour of “Oliver!”.

Gerald Santos was the youngest ever winner of the biggest singing contest in the Philippines, Pinoy Pop Superstar. He has released five studio albums and has won numerous awards including winning twice Best Male Concert performer at the prestigious ALIW Awards.

Marsha Songcome returns to “Miss Saigon” having previously played the role of ‘Gigi’ at the Prince Edward Theatre. She is currently appearing in Disney’s “Aladdin” in the West End. Her other theatre credits include: ‘Sophie’ in “Mamma Mia!” and ‘Rizzo’ in “Grease” in Sweden.

Na-Young Jeon has previously played the role of ‘Fantine’ in “Les Misérables” at the Queen’s Theatre, a role she also played in South Korea. Her other theatre credits include: ‘Esmerelda’ in “Notre Dame de Paris” in South Korea; ‘Bianca’ in “Kiss Me Kate” in Amsterdam and “Miss Saigon” and “High School Musical” in the Netherlands.

In March, this production of MISS SAIGON opened on Broadway where it plays to nightly ovations and has just been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. The New Yorker recently called it a “Dynamite Broadway revival”. When the smash-hit run of this production opened in London in May 2014 to record-breaking advance sales and critical acclaim, Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph wrote, “This thrilling new production spills out beyond the theatre and speaks directly to the times we live in”. The show swept the board at the 2015 Whatsonstage.com awards winning a record breaking nine awards, the most awards ever won by a single show in the 15-year history of the awards including: Best West End Show and Best Revival of a Musical.

 

MISS SAIGON tells the story of the last days of the Vietnam War, 17 year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For 3 years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he’s fathered a son.

MISS SAIGON has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Alain Boublil, with additional lyrics by Michael Mahler. The new production is directed by Laurence Connor with musical staging by Bob Avian and additional choreography by Geoffrey Garratt.  Production design is by Totie Driver and Matt Kinley based on an original concept by Adrian Vaux; costume design by Andreane Neofitou; lighting design by Bruno Poet; projections by Luke Halls; sound design by Mick Potter; and orchestrations by William David Brohn.

Since its London premiere in 1989, Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s legendary musical MISS SAIGON has become one of the most successful musicals in history.  The original Broadway production of MISS SAIGON opened on April 11, 1991 with what was the largest advance sale in Broadway history ($37 million).  The show went on to play for nearly ten years and 4,063 performances seen by more than 5.9 million people. MISS SAIGON has been performed in 28 countries, over 300 cities in 15 different languages, has won over 40 awards including 2 Olivier Awards, 3 Tony Awards, and 4 Drama Desk Awards and been seen by over 35 million people worldwide.

MISS SAIGON UK TOUR 2017/2018

www.miss-saigon.com

MONDAY 3 JULY – SATURDAY 22 JULY 2017

CURVE, LEICESTER

www.curveonline.co.uk – 0116 242 3595

ON SALE NOW

WEDNESDAY 26 JULY – SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 2017

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME

www.birminghamhippodrome.com – 0844 338 5000

ON SALE NOW

WEDNESDAY 4 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2017

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN

www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie – +353 (1) 677 7999

ON SALE NOW

WEDNESDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2017 – SATURDAY 6 JANUARY 2018

WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF

www.wmc.org.uk – 029 2063 6464

ON SALE NOW

WEDNESDAY 17 JANUARY – SATURDAY 17 FEBRUARY 2018

FESTIVAL THEATRE EDINBURGH

www.edtheatres.com – 01315296000

ON SALE NOW

WEDNESDAY 21 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 17 MARCH 2018

MAYFLOWER THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON

www.mayflower.org.uk – 02380 711811

ON SALE NOW

WEDNESDAY 21 MARCH – SATURDAY 12 MAY 2018

MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE

www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester – 0844 871 3019

ON SALE 18 MAY 2017