Grand Opera House York – until 27 May 2017.  Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

Sally Cookson’s adaption of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, is bought to life by the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic, at York’s Grand Opera House.

It is an ensemble piece with a cast of 10, 7 actors and 3 musicians playing all the roles. Apart from Nadia Clifford, Jane, all play various characters, even the dog Pilot, and are on stage for the majority of the show.

Clifford plays Jane from birth through to her 20’s, from a powerless orphan to an independent, free thinking adult. She appears small and diminutive, plain but in reality, she is anything but, strong willed with a mind of her own. After being shipped off to Lowood School she becomes a governess for Rochester, Tim Delap. They shared great chemistry together, with Delap’s hair getting wilder as he becomes more tormented with his feelings towards Jane. Both were quite mesmerising, especially their interactions together, I really believed in their characters.

Francesca Tomlinson stepped in as an understudy playing amongst other, Helen Burns, Jane’s friend from school and Adele, Rochester’s ward and delivered a great performance. To be honest all of the cast performed well and created great energy.

I must mention Melanie Marshall, who portrays Berta Mason. Her vocals are amazing, haunting especially when singing the Gnarls Barkley song Crazy, I know crazy that song should be in a Jane Eyre production but it works. Marshall can certainly command a stage.

As I entered the auditorium I was struck by the stage, it was so bright, that is never going to work, is it? After all we are talking about Jane Eyre and the Yorkshire Moors. The design is basically white curtains, wooden platforms and loads of ladders. As it worked out it was inspired. It was utilised to great effect suggesting housing and rooms and with floating window frames constantly banging shut, providing the backdrop of Jane’s life. The red room that Jane is locked into by her Aunt is depicted with red light and you can believe you’re in hell. We are also treated to real flames as Rochester’s house burns and as an audience we can feel the heat. Great staging and design.

I was blown away by this production. A thoroughly fantastic show that gripped me, even at 3 hours duration, and it certainly deserved the standing ovation that it received at the end.

Showing in York until Saturday 27th May, and then continuing its UK tour. Honestly, get tickets whilst you can.

FINAL LONDON PERFORMANCES FOR

            B E A U T I F U L  –  T H E   C A R O L E   K I N G   M U S I C A L

 

The West End production of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, based on the early life and career of legendary singer songwriter Carole King, will complete its run at the Aldwych Theatre on 5 August 2017. 

The UK tour of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will open in Bradford on 9 September 2017 and continues in Plymouth, Southampton, Norwich, Southend, Nottingham, Belfast, Cardiff, Birmingham, Newcastle, Hull, Edinburgh, Manchester, Dublin, Aberdeen, Sheffield, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Woking, Sunderland, Bristol, Leeds, Stoke on Trent, Liverpool and Oxford, with all venues currently on sale.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical received its Broadway premiere in January 2014 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre where it continues to play to packed houses.  The London premiere was in February 2015 and a US tour began later that year.   An Australian production will open in Sydney in September this year.

During its two and a half year run in the West End, the Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winningshow had two visits from Carole King, when on both occasions she surprised the cast and audience at the curtain call.  Both times she was greeted with a standing ovation at the Aldwych Theatre as she took to the stage to sing her classic hit You’ve Got A Friend.  Joining King for London’s opening night were fellow composers Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, whose story is also told as part of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to her remarkable rise to stardom.  Along the way, she became one of the most successful solo acts in music history, and wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical features the Carole King classics including So Far Away, It Might as Well Rain Until September, Take Good Care of my Baby, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Up on the Roof, Locomotion, One Fine Day, You’ve Got a Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move, along with hits from songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil like You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, On Broadway and Uptown.

The West End cast comprises Cassidy Janson in the title role, Matthew Seadon-Young asKing’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, Stephanie McKeon as song-writer Cynthia Weil, Ian McIntosh as song-writer Barry Mann, Joseph Prouse as music publisher and producer Donnie Kirshner and Barbara Drennan as King’s mother Genie Klein.

 

They are joined by Gavin Alex, Georgie Ashford, Koko Basigara, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe,Ashford Campbell, Treyc Cohen, Natasha Cottriall, Michael Duke, Matthew Gonsalves, Jammy Kasongo, Leigh Lothian and Earl R. Perkins who play iconic musical performers and band members of the era and swings Derek Aidoo, Rosie Heath, Dominic Hodson, Emma Louise Jones, Jessica Joslin, Vicki Manser, David O’Mahony and Jaime Tait.

Book is by Douglas McGrath with words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.  The production is directed by Marc Bruni with choreography is byJosh Prince, set designs by Derek McLane, costume designs by Alejo Vietti, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations and Music Arrangements are by Steve Sidwell.

Producers are Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing, Jeffrey A. Sine, Richard A. Smith, Mike Bosner, Harriet N. Leve/Elaine Krauss, Terry Schnuck, Orin Wolf, Patty Baker/Good Productions, Roger Faxon, Larry Magid, Kit Seidel, Lawrence S. Toppall, Fakston Productions/Mary Solomon, William Court Cohen, BarLor Productions, Matthew C. Blank, Tim Hogue, Joel Hyatt, Marianne Mills, Michael J. Moritz, Jr., StylesFour Productions, Brunish & Trinchero and Jeremiah J. Harris.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                           Aldwych Theatre, Aldwych, London WC2B 4DF

Dates:                              booking to 5 August 2017

Performances:                   Monday 7.30pm, Tuesday 2.30pm, Wednesday 7.30pm, Thursday 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Box Office:                         0845 200 7981

Website:                           www.beautifulinlondon.co.uk

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR RACING DEMON AT THEATRE ROYAL BATH

Theatre Royal Bath Productions is delighted to announce full casting for David Hare’s Racing Demon, directed by Jonathan Church, which today began rehearsals ahead of its run at Theatre Royal Bath from Wednesday 21 June to Saturday 8 July.

As previously announced Olivier Award-winner David Haig will star as Lionel Espy in the multi-award winning play. He will be joined by Sam Alexander, Michelle Bonnard, Anthony Calf, William Chubb, Paapa Essiedu, Ian Gelder, Andrew Fraser, Rebecca Night, Amanda Root andAshley Russell.

Four clergymen seek to make sense of their mission in inner-city London whilst facing their own personal crises. There’s Lionel Espy, a cleric whose faith is wavering as his parishioners dwindle; tabloid-hounded gay vicar Harry Henderson; ‘Streaky’ Bacon, a genial reverend with a taste for tequila, and a charismatic young curate, Tony Ferris whose arrival is set to fan the flames, whilst his sexual relationship with his lover turns to ash. The day of judgement is at hand for all.

Racing Demon is the first production in Jonathan Church’s inaugural season as Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Bath’s annual Summer Season. The programme of five plays will also includeSand in the Sandwiches by Hugh Whitemore from Tuesday 11 July – Saturday 15 July, the UK Premiere of Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest from Friday 21 July – Saturday 12 August,Looking at Lucian by Alan Franks from Thursday 3 August – Saturday 2 September and Alan Bennett’s The Lady in the Van from Wednesday 16 August – Saturday 2 September.

David Haig (Lionel Espy) has previously performed at Theatre Royal Bath in The Madness of George III and King Lear. Other recent theatre credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Old Vic), Blue/Orange (Young Vic), Guys & Dolls (Savoy Theatre) and Our Country’s Good(Royal Court), for which he won the Olivier Award. Notable film and television credits includeFour Weddings and a Funeral, Witness for the Prosecution, The Thick of It and Mo.

Jonathan Church succeeds Peter Hall as Artistic Director, who established the Theatre Royal Bath Summer Season in 2003 with his company’s annual residencies. Church was previously Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, overseeing over 100 productions including Taken at Midnight, ENRON, Macbeth with Sir Patrick Stewart, Sweeney Todd and Gypsy. Following his departure from Chichester Festival Theatre, Jonathan Church set up his own independent production company, which he will continue to lead alongside his new position at Theatre Royal Bath.

David Hare is one of the UK’s foremost playwrights and screenwriters with plays including The Judas Kiss, Skylight, Amy’s View and Plenty. He received Academy Award nominations for his adaptations of The Hours and The Reader.

LISTINGS

Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath, BA1 1ET
Box Office: 01225 448844
Website: www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Facebook: TheatreRoyalBath
Twitter: @TheatreRBath

Racing Demon
By David Hare
Directed by Jonathan Church
Dates: Wednesday 21 June – Saturday 8 July
Press Night: Wednesday 28 June, 7pm
Performance schedule: Monday – Saturday, 7.30pm; Matinees Thursday & Saturday, 2.30pm (No Matinee 22 June)
Prices: £19.50 – £35.50 (Previews: £15 – £25)

Full cast confirmed for Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox

At The Lowry Wed 5 – Sun 9 July

Full casting has been confirmed for the brand new adaptation of Roald Dahl’s classic Fantastic Mr Fox, a co-production between Nuffield and Curve, in association with Lyric Hammersmith. 

The play, adapted by Sam Holcroft, directed by Maria Aberg, and featuring original music from Arthur Darvill, will tour to The Lowry Salford from Wed 5 July until Sun 9 July. 

Greg Barnett plays Mr Fox, with Richard Atwill (Rat/Bean), Raphael Bushay(Badger/Boggis), Jade Croot (Kit), Sandy Foster (Rabbit), Lillie Flynn (Mrs Fox), Gruffudd Glyn (Mole/Bunce), Kelly Jackson (Mouse), and Edward Holeand Tanya Shields completing the ensemble, alongside actor-musicians,Patrick Burbridge, Anna Fordham and Richie Hart. 

“You know as well as I do: no-one outfoxes a fox!”

Boggis, Bunce and Bean, three greedy, smelly, horrid farmers hate the cunning Mr Fox.

Mr Fox is smart, clever and rather fantastic, but he doesn’t realise how determined the farmers are to get revenge. Can he hatch a plan to save his family and friends? Can they outrun the diggers and outsmart the farmers, and can rabbit shut up long enough not to give the game away?

Roald Dahl’s Fantastic Mr Fox is family fun at its finest. A juicy tale of greed, pride and the power of friendship, this flagship production for the Roald Dahl centenary celebrations, promises a dahlicious theatrical feast with live music and songs and gloriumptious designs. A wondercrump treat for the whole family!

Sam Holcroft’s most recent play, Rules For Living, premièred at the National Theatre in 2015. She was the Writer-in-Residence at the National Theatre Studio from 2013-14 and was the Pearson Playwright in Residence at the Traverse Theatre in 2009-10. In 2014 she was a recipient of the Windham Campbell Prize for Literature in the Drama category and in 2009 she won the Tom Erhardt Award for up and coming writers. Her other plays include The Wardrobe, Edgar And Annabel, Dancing Bears, While You Lie, Pink, Vanya and Cockroach.  She is currently under commission from the Royal Court Theatre.

Richard Atwill plays Rat and Bean.  His theatre credits include Macbeth, Eugene Ionesco’s Macbett (RSC), God in Ruins (RSC/Soho Theatre), Potted Potter (Broadway), The Changing Room (Royal Court Theatre), The Adventure (Pleasance/Manchester Royal Exchange/Watford Palace Theatre), Unscorched, Captain Oates’ Left Sock, iWitness, Beating Heart Cadaver (Finborough Theatre), The Roman Bath (Arcola/National Theatre, Bulgaria), Beyond The Pale (Southwark Playhouse) and Roots and The Light of Heart (Theatre Cymru).  For television his work includes Shakespeare Live and Horrible Histories; and for film, Risen and Bill.

Raphael Bushay plays Badger and Boggis.  He graduated from Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in 2014. His credits include Henry V (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). 

Greg Barnett plays Mr Fox.  His theatre credits include This Little Life of Mine and Therèse Raquin (Park Theatre), These Trees Are Made of Blood (Southwark Playhouse), Making a Scene (National Theatre), The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal Bath), Swallows and Amazons (Vaudeville Theatre and UK tour), Spend Spend Spend (Watermill and UK tour), Zorro (Garrick Theatre), Peter Pan (Birmingham Rep), Twelfth Night (Royal and Derngate) and Sweeney Todd (UK tour). His work for television includes Fleabag and Undercover; and for film, Hot Property, Bonobo and The Road to Nirvana.

Jade Croot plays Kit.  Her theatre credits include Doctor Faustus (RSC and Barbican). Her film work includes The Machine. 

Lillie Flynn plays Mrs Fox.  Her theatre credits include Sunny Afternoon (Harold Pinter Theatre, Hampstead Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Love Story (Duchess Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre), Quadrophenia (UK tour), The Spirit of Broadway (China tour) and The War Of The Worlds (UK tour).

Sandy Foster plays Rabbit.  Her theatre credits include Days of Significance, Oppenheimer, A Shoemaker’s Holiday (RSC), Desire Under the Elms (Lyric Hammersmith), Much Ado About Nothing (Manchester Royal Exchange), A Streetcar Named Desire (Curve) and Twelfth Night (Filter Theatre).  Her television work includes The Dumping Ground, The Kerry and Lu Show and Call the Midwife; and for film, Mr Turner, Toshi, Muse of Fire and What You Will.

Gruffudd Glyn plays Mole and Bunce.  His theatre credits include Three Sisters (Young Vic), American Trade, The Winter’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet, The Grain Store, Julius Caesar, Young People’s Hamlet (RSC), Brave New World (Royal and Derngate and UK tour) and After the End (Sherman Theatre).  His television work includes Dr Who, Poldark, Stella, Gwaith/Cartref, Hinterland/Y Gwyll; and for film, The Martian, The Theory of Everything and Thor: The Dark World.

Kelly Jackson plays Mouse. Her theatre credits include Sweet Charity (Millennium Performing Arts), RENT (The Obie Theatre), Wildlife (Bloomsbury Theatre) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Paul Holman Associates, The Broadway Theatre).

 Maria Aberg directs.  Her directing work includes, for the RSC Dr Faustus (also Barbican), The White Devil, As You Like It, King John, The Gods Weep, Days of Significance, Hotel (National Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Manchester Royal Exchange), The Chairs (Theatre Royal Bath) and Alaska (Royal Court). She has also directed at Hampstead Theatre and Trafalgar Studios.  Forthcoming directing projects include The Great Gatsby (Royal & Derngate and Birmingham Rep) and The Winter’s Tale (Romateatern, Sweden).

Arthur Darvill is an actor and composer, best-known for his regular appearances as Rory in BBC TV’s Doctor Who and as Rev. Paul Coates on ITV’s Broadchurch. Darvill’s most recent theatre work as composer includes I Want My Hat Back (National Theatre), I Heart Peterborough (Eastern Angles), The Bacchae (English Touring Theatre), It’s About Time (Nabokov/Latitude), and Jack and The Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith). He won the Musical Theatre Matters Award for Been So Long (Young Vic/English Touring Theatre).

Tim McArthur and Chums  A benefit concert for TheatreMAD the Make A Difference Trust.

Sunday 4^th June

Hippodrome Casino, Cranbourn Street, Leicester Square, London, WC2H 7JH

Doors 7.30pm Show 8.00pm

Tim McArthur and some of his close chums gather  for an evening of music, stories and lots of silly showbiz fun. Tim will be joined by Jamie Birkett, David Breeds, Stewart Briggs, Abigail Carter Simpson, Josh Considine, Sarah Dearlove, Alistair Fredericks, Jon R Harrison, Emma Ralston, Gary Tushaw, Kitty Whitelaw, Jo Wickham, Ellen Vereniks.

Tim wears many hats in the industry from performing to directing and presenting.  Maybe his alter ego Sister Mary McArthur may grace us with her presence, but fun is guaranteed.

Tim is delighted to be performing this special cabaret for the MAD Trust.  For the last five years he has presented The Curtain up show on Resonance FM and he also currently hosts In The Green Room for Encore Radio

Cabaret credits include Mountains (Jermyn Street and St James Theatre) and seasons in NYC. KL and Cape Town

 

https://www.madtrust.org.uk/event/evening-tim-mcarthur-chums/

Leeds Grand Theatre – until 27th May 2017

I’ve been with this show, by the wonderful Mischief Theatre Company,  from its beginnings above a pub with only a handful of us in the audience.  I watched it grow in length and confidence and every time I see it, it only gets better and even more hilarious.

A farcical play-within-a-play, The Play That Goes Wrong charts the bungled attempt by the incompetent Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society to stage a 1920’s thriller called The Murder at Haversham Manor.  Even before the play properly starts a handful of backstage “crew” desperately trying to fix props and put the finishing touches to a failing set. A poor unsuspecting member of the audience is actually pulled up to hold a shelf and a door and sweep the floor.

Everything that can possibly go wrong does. Bits keep falling off the set, so that by the end of the evening it collapses completely.  The snow occasionally billowing in from outside is actually huge chunks of confetti. There’s a mishap with a stretcher so that the corpse of the first murder victim has to try sliding off stage without the audience noticing – and so on and so forth. With some of the stunts looking quite dangerous.

The Play That Goes Wrong is what it is, but it has a winning exuberant silliness and a knowing tongue-in-cheek tone.  And when the fictional thespians try to extricate themselves from the pandemonium, it inevitably sows the seeds for escalating bedlam. Mischief Theatre may be predominantly known as improvisers but here the script, written by three of the original cast (Henry Lewis, Henry Shields and Jonathan Sayer), is tight and inventive enough to ensure what might have been a one-gag idea sustains the two hour show.  Although the build-up is hardly subtle – it’s full-on catastrophe from the very first entrance – the team manage to ramp up the stakes without quite seeming desperate.

Such hammy slapstick relies on performance; and here it is as vigorously ribald as you could hope.  In the first scenes the “corpse” of Charles Haversham (Jason Callender) refuses to lay still. The two actresses who ended up playing Florence were hilarious, Meg Mortell gave an over the top performance as the Cornley glamour puss Sandra whose diva claws come out when Stage Manager, Annie, (Katie Bernstein as a who steals the show) steps into her role as Florence Colleymore, the fiancée of the murder victim – they both endure some of the most brutal, but hilariously, physical indignities at the hands of there castmates.

Alastair Kirton is hilarious as amateur actor Max who can’t help posing and grinning at the audience while portraying the gormless Cecil Haversham, who laughs at his own jokes and clapped along with the audience when he did something impressive.  Patrick Warner’s vein-popping portrayal of Chris, the actor behind the police inspector, trying desperately to hide his violent impatience at the incompetence that surrounds him is hilarious and it will be some time before I forget him pretending to make notes with a bunch of keys on a vase because his pencil and his notebook have both gone AWOL.

Edward Judge is in commanding form as Robert, an amateur actor but who sticks strictly to the script no matter what’s going on, who plays Thomas Colleymore, close friend of the murder victim.  Edward Howells is a comic delight as the inexperienced Dennis, who has a particular knack of grotesquely mispronouncing even the most commonplace words, while playing the hapless butler Perkins in half-mast trousers and only the front part of his hair powdered grey, serving raw white spirit to the characters in the play because he has already mistakenly poured away the fake whisky.  Completing the excellent is Graeme Rooney as Trevor, the Duran Duran-loving sound operator. The writers have produced perfect characters and how they manage to keep on acting through the show, as it literally falls down around their heads, is a joy to watch.

The production calls for a great deal of slapstick and precisely timed physical comedy from the cast, all of which is pulled off impeccably.  From the intervention of director Mark Bell, who is willing to sacrifice dignity for a laugh, designers Nigel Hook (set) and Roberto Surace (costumes) capture the amateur vibe of a Mousetrap-style production perfectly, and there are many clever effects as the set gradually falls apart. The Play That Goes Wrong delivers what it promises, the constant ridiculousness produces a full on hysterical reaction to the big set-pieces, and the whole production is so funny, the laughs are so fast you barely have time to come up for air between them all, making it uproariously enjoyable.

CHARLOTTE WAKEFIELD TO PLAY ‘POLLY’

 

JOINING THE PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED

 

TOM CHAMBERS AS ‘BOBBY’

 

AND CAROLINE FLACK AS ‘IRENE’

 

IN THE NATIONAL TOUR OF THE

 

WATERMILL THEATRE’S ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION OF 

“CRAZY FOR YOU”

PRESENTED BY JAMIE WILSON AND GAVIN KALIN

 

OPENING AT THE

 

THEATRE ROYAL, PLYMOUTH ON 17 AUGUST 2017

 

Jamie Wilson and Gavin Kalin are delighted to announce that Charlotte Wakefield will play ‘Polly’ in the national tour of the Watermill Theatre’s acclaimed production of “CRAZY FOR YOU”. Charlotte joins the previously announced Tom Chambers as ‘Bobby’ and Caroline Flack as ‘Irene’. ”CRAZY FOR YOU” opens at theTheatre Royal, Plymouth on 17 August 2017. Tour listings with casting below. www.crazyforyoutour.com

Charlotte Wakefield made her West End debut as Wendla in “Spring Awakening”, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award. She played ‘Maria’ in the critically acclaimed production of “The Sound of Music” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre receiving nominations for Best Actress in a Musical at both the Evening Standard and Olivier Awards. Her other theatre credits include Sophie in “Mamma Mia!” in the West End, Truly Scrumptious in “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and Laurey in “Oklahoma!”, both on national tour.

Tom Chambers created the role of Jerry Travers in the West End musical “Top Hat”, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. In 2008 he won the 6^th season of “Strictly Come Dancing”. He can currently be seen in the hit BBC drama “Casualty” and his other TV credits include “Holby City” and “Waterloo Road”. His recent stage credits include “Private Lives” and “White Christmas” in the West End.

 

Caroline Flack won the 12^th season of “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2014. She currently presents ITV’s “Love Island” and her previous presenting credits include “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here NOW!” and “The Xtra Factor”. She has also presented “The X Factor”. Prior to presenting, Caroline trained in musical theatre.

The cast is completed by Arthur Boan, Daniel Bolton, Holly Cassar, Neil Ditt, Kate-Anne Fenton, Cristopher Fry, Stacey Ghent, Matthew James Hinchcliffe, Kieran Kuypers, Kate Milner-Evans, Emma Jane Morton, Kate Robson-Stuart, Ned Rudkins-Stow, Seren Sandham-Davies and Mark Sangster.

High energy, high kicking and gloriously glamorous, “CRAZY FOR YOU” is the ultimate feel-good musical with a fabulous score from the Gershwin brothers’ songbook. Mistaken identities, plot twists, heartbreak, happiness and a wealth of memorable tunes, including I Got Rhythm, They Can’t Take That Away From Me, Nice Work If You Can Get It and Embraceable You, all feature in this exhilarating celebration of the great Broadway musicals.

 

“CRAZY FOR YOU” is directed by The Watermill’s Artistic Director, Paul Hart, with musical arrangements byCatherine Jayes (The Color Purple, Broadway). It is choreographed by Nathan M. Wright (High Society, Old Vic) and is designed by Diego Pitarch (The Addams Family). Lighting design is by Howard Hudson (In the Heights) with sound design by Tom Marshall (Legally Blonde).

“CRAZY FOR YOU” has Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, Book by Ken Ludwig, co-conception by Ken Ludwig and Mike Ockrent. It is inspired by material by Guy Bolton and John McGowan.“CRAZY FOR YOU” was originally produced on Broadway by Roger Horchow and Elizabeth Williams. Original Broadway Choreography by Susan Stroman.

“CRAZY FOR YOU” UK TOUR 2017

www.crazyforyoutour.com

THURSDAY 17 AUGUST – SATURDAY 26 AUGUST

THEATRE ROYAL, PLYMOUTH www.theatreroyal.com

TUESDAY 29 AUGUST – SATURDAY 2 SEPTEMBER

LEEDS GRAND THEATRE www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

TUESDAY 5 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 9 SEPTEMBER

WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE www.wmc.org.uk

TUESDAY 12 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 16 SEPTEMBER

THEATRE ROYAL, NEWCASTLE www.theatreroyal.co.uk

TUESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 23 SEPTEMBER

DUBLIN BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

TUESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER – SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER

SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION www.southendtheatre.org.uk

TUESDAY 3 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 7 OCTOBER

THEATRE ROYAL, NOTTINGHAM www.trch.co.uk

TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 14 OCTOBER

BRISTOL HIPPODROME  www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

TUESDAY 17 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 21 OCTOBER

GLASGOW KING’S THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre  

TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 28 OCTOBER

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME www.birminghamhippodrome.com

TUESDAY 31 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 4 NOVEMBER

NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

TUESDAY 7 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 11 NOVEMBER

SHEFFIELD LYCEUM THEATRE www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

TUESDAY 21 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 25 NOVEMBER

MAYFLOWER THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON www.mayflower.org.uk

TUESDAY 28 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 2 DECEMBER

MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE  www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester

TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER – SATURDAY 9 DECEMBER

LIVERPOOL EMPIRE www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

 

PLEASE NOTE: CAROLINE FLACK DOES NOT APPEAR AT ANY OF THE VENUES BELOW

TUESDAY 16 JANUARY – SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2018

THE MARLOW THEATRE, CANTERBURY www.marlowetheatre.com

TUESDAY 23 JANUARY – SATURDAY JANUARY

ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

TUESDAY 6 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY

WYCOMBE SWAN www.wycombeswan.co.uk

TUESDAY 27 MARCH – SATURDAY 31 MARCH

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

TUESDAY 3 APRIL – SATURDAY 7 APRIL

EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

TUESDAY 10 APRIL – SATURDAY 14 APRIL

THE ALHAMBRA THEATRE, BRADFORD www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

TUESDAY 24 APRIL – SATURDAY 28 APRIL

SUNDERLAND EMPIRE www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire

TUESDAY 1 MAY – SATURDAY 5 MAY

GRAND THEATRE, SWANSEA www.swansea.gov.uk/grandtheatrewhatson

H A R R Y   P O T T E R   A N D   T H E   C U R S E D   C H I L D

PARTS ONE AND TWO

 

FIRST LOOK:

NEW WEST END CAST CHARACTER PORTRAITS RELEASED

FIRST PERFORMANCE WEDNESDAY 24 MAY 2017

 

WWW.HARRYPOTTERTHEPLAY.COM

Ahead of the new cast’s first performance at London’s Palace Theatre on Wednesday (24 May 2017), the Producers of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child release a first-look set of portraits by Charlie Gray. 

Seen in character for the first time are Jamie Glover as Harry Potter, Emma Lowndes as his wife Ginny Potter alongside Theo Ancient as their son Albus Potter; Thomas Aldridge as Ron Weasley, Rakie Ayola as Hermione Granger and Helen Aluko as their daughter Rose Granger-Weasley; and James Howard as Draco Malfoy and Samuel Blenkin as his son Scorpius Malfoy.

Based on an original new story by J.K. Rowling, Jack Thorne and John Tiffany, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a new play by Jack Thorne, directed by John Tiffany with movement by Steven Hoggett, set by Christine Jones, costumes by Katrina Lindsay, music & arrangements by Imogen Heap, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Gareth Fry, illusions & magic by Jamie Harrison, music supervision & arrangements by Martin Lowe and casting byJulia Horan CDG.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage.  The critically acclaimed production received its world premiere in June 2016 at the Palace Theatre and subsequently has won 22 major theatre awards including the Evening Standard Best Play Award. Last month, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child became the most awarded production in the history of the Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking nine awards including Best New Play and Best Director.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Colin Callender and Harry Potter Theatrical Productions.

Photographer credit:  Charlie Gray

Box Office – 0343 208 0500

www.HarryPotterthePlay.com

www.harrypottertheplay.com/questions

@HPPlayLDN

facebook.com/HPPlayLDN

instagram.com/hpplayldn

www.pottermore.com

Grand Opera House York – 19 May 2017.  Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

What can I say? This show was completely not so what I imagined it to be. I honestly did not know what to expect, I have never seen Vampires of Rock, but I had heard of it and also the audience dressing up and getting really involved.

The stage was set and we see the usherette from Rocky Horror, great, I love Rocky Horror, and the song Science Fiction Double Feature. Brilliant start with the screen in the background showing stills from all the old Sci Fi films. The screen was a great feature all the way through, changing throughout with different iconic film shots.

The storyline then kicks off with an aged film usher, Benson, John Evans, luring customers with golden tickets to a midnight showing which promises to be a night to remember. We are treated to a medley of Bond songs, which is where we are first introduced to Steve Steinman, playing Bond, the creator of all this. He is an affable character, obviously enjoying himself immensely with the comic banter. The puns with movies quotes are especially funny. He is supported by a small group of singers, dancers and band members. Penny Johns, the “lucky” golden ticket winner that the story supposedly revolves around, is certainly a little pocket rocket, with some great vocals and moves.

After the interval the plot just disappears and we never get to see if Benson persuades Penny to stay so that he can leave. From then on in it is just a mishmash of film tunes, with no obvious flow. We see superheroes, Top Gun, Breakfast Club, Young Guns amongst them, like I said a bit all over the place. Only to finish with Bat Out of Hell, which had never been in a film apparently, Steinman’s signature tune after appearing on Stars in Their Eyes as Meatloaf, as well as the traditional encore.

The staging was good and effective with bursts of fire throughout and the live band are great, with some great music thrown in.

It was Steinman’s birthday, which he kept dropping into the performance, when I got to see the show and to his great surprise he got presented with a huge guitar cake.

Unfortunately the show did not really work for me, it really needed to either have a stronger story line, or be just about the soundtracks, as in the second half, but with more of a link. I suppose I expected more. Don’t get me wrong I was still up on my feet at the end singing and dancing along and I would still want to see Vampires of Rock if just for the atmosphere, and occasionally I do like to dress up a bit!

York Theatre Royal – 18 May 2017.  Reviewed by Marcus Richardson

So I went to Romeo And Juliet on Tuesday and then I went to see Twelfth Night on Thursday. Two Shakespeare plays and one company, what I wasn’t prepared for was it was the same cast; I only found out when looking in the program for R+J and found it was the SAME cast. At first I was a bit cautious, but oh lord! Sometimes the talent of cast will amaze me beyond belief.  

 

The comedy which involves cross dressing and stockings alike will make anyone laugh.  With every actor taking on another role in twelfth night I would’ve expected some performances to be lacking in energy and finesse, but I loved to be proved wrong. It was just as much perfection as you would expect than any other show. The main character of Viola dresses up like a man and ends up causing a lot of chaos and confusion, played by Rebecca Lee who did a suburb job of creating and working with such a hilarious character and even more hilarious situation.

 

Another actor who stood out was also the actor who stood out in R+J, Lauryn Redding who played the drunkard Sir Toby Belch an extravagant man who likes to cause the drama. It would be rude of me not to mention Peter Dukes who played Malvolio the steward of Olivia a Countess, a snobbish character who then ends up doing both unspeakable and hilarious acts for love.

The Set had a lot of similarities with the R+J set with the same structure but different ways of using it and presenting it. I loved the use of this as it shows how much thought and creativity went into producing both of these shows. All the actors played instruments again, and I have to say I lost track of how many instruments each of the actors could play.

 

With it being set in the 1920s the music and dance style had to be jazz and I know as much as anyone, jazz is very hard to do, with so many instruments it can be easy to lose the rhythm and the power of music, but this wasn’t the case.

I personally enjoyed this show more than R+J but that’s because I love comedies, I found myself entertained throughout all of the play, I felt like it was fast paced and each of the actors had amazing moments on stage and worked together to create a Shakespeare comedy which can be a hard task.