WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE NEWS – DECEMBER 2019
- THE MIRROR CRACK’D TO BE PERFORMED AT INDIA’S LARGEST PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
- NEW SHOW FROM WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE: THE BEAUTY PARADE FUSES DEAF AND HEARING ARTFORMS TO TELL AN EXTRAORDINARY WORLD WAR II STORY
- RHOD GILBERT RETURNS TO THE CENTRE WITH BRAND NEW SHOW
- CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR A MONSTER CALLS
- FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE FIRST UK TOUR OF ONCE
- FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
- BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL TOURS TO WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE
- THE UK TOUR OF THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE COMES TO THE CENTRE
- STRICTLY BALLROOM DANCES INTO WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE AND WILTSHIRE CREATIVE’S THE MIRROR CRACK’D TO BE STAGED AT INDIA’S LARGEST PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE
A new production of Wales Millennium Centre and Wiltshire Creative’s The Mirror Crack’d will be performed at India’s National Centre for the Performing Arts in in Mumbai, from 30 January to 9 February 2020.
The original stage production of Agatha Christie’s novel The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side, adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Melly Still, was seen by more than 28,000 people in Salisbury, Dublin, Cambridge and Cardiff February-April 2019.
The production will be reimagined for Indian audiences by writer Ayeesha Menon, with Melly Still returning as its director. It marks Wales Millennium Centre’s debut as a producer in Asia.
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WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE & KAITE O’REILLY’S THE BEAUTY PARADE FUSES DEAF AND HEARING ARTFORMS TO TELL AN EXTRAORDINARY WORLD WAR II STORY
Wales Millennium Centre has announced a brand new and innovative, female-led theatre show made by Deaf and hearing artists. Inspired by true events, The Beauty Parade honours the unsung heroes of one of the most unique operations of the Second World War…
It’s the 1940s, deep in wartime. Men are fighting on the front line. Women don’t engage in armed combat; they keep the fires burning, the factories going, and the children fed at home. Or so we were told.
The Geneva Convention forbade women from engaging in combatant duties, so the Special Operations Executive set about recruiting a top-secret army of civilians including young, French-speaking women from Wales and England. These women were given just a few weeks’ training before being set to work with the Resistance, preparing, in Churchill’s words, ‘to set Europe ablaze’.
Award-winning writer Kaite O’Reilly, composer Rebecca Applin and performer and visual language expert Sophie Stone have created this new production that follows a group of ordinary women plucked from obscurity and parachuted behind enemy lines, who became extraordinary saboteurs and silent killers, sworn to secrecy yet tasked with some of the most dangerous missions of the war.
The Beauty Parade incorporates live music, evocative songs, dialogue and visual language and works inclusively between D/deaf and hearing cultures to give a multi-sensory interpretation of this incredible true story.
The Beauty Parade will be at Wales Millennium Centre 5-14 March 2020.
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RHOD GILBERT RETURNS TO THE CENTRE WITH BRAND NEW SHOW
Following a seven-year break from stand-up the multi-award-winning comedian is back with a brand-new live show. The Welsh wonder kicked off a full UK tour in February – his first, since 2012. Due to overwhelming demand, extra dates have already been added and the tour has already been extended until April 2020, taking the total number of shows to over 130. An extra date in Cardiff has now been added on Sunday 22nd March 2020, and this special performance is due to be recorded for future release.
A lot has happened to Rhod in the seven years since he last toured. Almost all of it s**t. And just when he thought he’d hit rock bottom, he met a bloke…called John. This show sees Rhod as funny as ever, but like never before. ‘The Book of John’ is raw, personal and brutally honest; no more lies, no more nonsense. This is Rhod, but different, the same, but not. Come along and see for yourself.
Rhod Gilbert The Book of John will be at Wales Millennium Centre on Sunday 22 March 2020.
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CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR A MONSTER CALLS
Casting has been announced for the UK tour of the Olivier Award-winning A Monster Calls. The full cast includes Greg Bernstein (Harry), Kaye Brown (Grandma), Rafaella Covino, Ammar Duffus (Conor), Keith Gilmore (Monster), Jade Hackett (Sully), Cora Kirk (Lily), Kel Matsena (Anton), Maria Omakinwa (Mum), Sarah Quist (Miss Godfrey), Ewan Wardrop (Dad) and Sam Wood.
Thirteen-year-old Conor and his mum have managed just fine since his dad moved away. But now his mum is sick and not getting any better. His grandmother won’t stop interfering and the kids at school won’t look him in the eye. Then, one night, Conor is woken by something at his window. A monster has come walking. It’s come to tell Conor tales from when it walked before. And when it’s finished, Conor must tell his own story and face his deepest fears.
Patrick Ness’s piercing novel is brought vividly to life in the Olivier Award-winning production by visionary director Sally Cookson. A Monster Calls offers a dazzling insight into love, life and healing.
A Monster Calls will be at Wales Millennium Centre 28 April – 2 May 2020.
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FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR ONCE
The full cast has been announced for the first major UK tour of Once. Joining the previously announced Daniel Healy as Guy and Emma Lucia as Girl are Dan Bottomley as Billy, Matthew Burns as Eamon, Ellen Chivers as Reza, Rosalind Ford as Ex-Girlfriend, Lloyd Gorman as Svejc, David Heywood as Emcee, Samuel Martin as Bank Manager, Peter Peverley as Da, Susannah Van Den Berg as Baruska and James William-Pattison as Andrej. The cast also includes Emma Fraser, Seán Keany, Hanna Khogali and Conor McFarlane.
Based on the critically acclaimed and much-loved film, Once tells the uplifting yet yearning story of two lost souls – a Dublin street busker and a Czech musician – who unexpectedly fall in love. Following their relationship across five short days, big changes happen to both of them in little ways. Celebrated for its original score including the Academy Award-winning song Falling Slowly, Once is a spell-binding and uplifting story of hopes and dreams.
Once will be at Wales Millennium Centre 11-16 May 2020.
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FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the smash-hit, critically acclaimed West End musical is pleased to announce the full casting for its 2020 UK tour. The cast will include the previously announced Layton Williams (Bad Education, Beautiful People, Billy Elliot the Musical) who currently stars as Jamie in the West End and EastEnders’ much-loved Shane Richie who played Hugo/Loco Channelle in the West End earlier in 2019. They are joined by Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinnerladies, Eveybody’s Talking about Jamie West End and upcoming film) as Ray and George Sampson (winner of Britain’s Got Talent) as Dean.
Further cast includes Amy Ellen Richardson (Margaret New),Lara Denning(Miss Hedge), Sharan Phull(Pritti Pasha), Cameron Johnson (Sandra Bollock / Jamie’s Dad), John Paul McCue (Laika Virgin), Rhys Taylor (Tray Sophisticay), Richard Appiah-Sarpong (Cy), Simeon Beckett (Levi), Kazmin Borrer (Vicki), Ellis Brownhill (Mickey), Jodie Knight (Fatimah), Jessica Meegan (Bex), Talia Palamathanan (Becca), Adam Taylor (Sayid), Alex Hetherington (Swing), Emma Robotham-Hunt (Swing), Ellie Leah (Understudy) and Garry Lee (Understudy).
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will be at Wales Millennium Centre 18-23 May 2020.
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BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL TOURS TO WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE
Selladoor Productions is delighted to present a brand-new UK and Ireland Tour of the Tony Award nominated Bring It On The Musical.
Inspired by the 2000 film of the same name, Bring It On The Musical features an original score by the multi award winning creator of “Hamilton”, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Pulitzer Prize winning Tom Kitt, composer of “Next To Normal”. The book is written by the Tony Award winning writer of “Avenue Q”, Jeff Whitty and the lyrics are by both Lin-Manuel Miranda and writer of the stage adaptation of “High Fidelity”, Amanda Green.
Bring It On The Musical takes audiences on a high-flying, energy fuelled journey which tackles friendship, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness – wrapped up in explosive choreography and tricks.
Cheer-royalty and newly crowned Squad Captain, Campbell, should be embarking on her most cheertastic senior year at Truman High School. But when she’s forced to move to the neighbouring hard-knock Jackson High, Campbell fears her life is over. But an unlikely friendship catapults Campbell back into contention with a powerhouse squad and the fire to achieve the impossible.
Bring It On The Musical will be at Wales Millennium Centre 23-27 June 2020.
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THE UK TOUR OF THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE COMES TO THE CENTRE
Sally Cookson’s highly acclaimed stage production of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, which is currently playing to packed houses at the Bridge Theatre in London, and broke box office records when it premiered at Leeds Playhouse in 2017, will begin a major tour of the UK and Ireland in 2020.
This extraordinary adaptation of CS Lewis’ much loved novel re-tells the story with a mix of Cookson’s trade-mark theatricality, humour, music and puppetry. It will see audiences step through the wardrobe into the icy, enchanted realm of Narnia for the most mystical of adventures in a faraway land. Audiences will join Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter as they wave goodbye to war-time Britain and say hello to a talking Faun, an unforgettable Lion and the coldest, cruellest White Witch.
Joining Cookson and Smith on the creative team are writer in the room Adam Peck, movement director Dan Canham, puppetry designer and director Craig Leo (part of the National Theatre’s original War Horse creative team), lighting designer Bruno Poet, sound designer Ian Dickinson and composer Benji Bower.
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe will be at Wales Millennium Centre 1-5 December 2020.
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STRICTLY BALLROOM DANCES INTO WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE
Baz Luhrmann’s smash hit musical Strictly Ballroom is set to sweep audiences off their feet once more with the announcement of the new 2020/2021 tour, directed by dancer, choreographer and Britain’s favourite TV judge; the fab-u-lous Craig Revel Horwood. Foxtrotting around the UK and Ireland from September next year, the show is based on the award-winning, global film phenomenon, ‘Strictly Ballroom’ that inspired the world to dance.
Featuring a show-stopping book by Baz Luhrmann & Craig Pearce, and bringing together a sublime cast of over 20 world class performers, Strictly Ballroom brings to life iconic songs, including Love is in the Air, Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps and Time After Time with dynamic and joyous verve. This tour will also feature some amazing new songs by internationally acclaimed artists including Sia, David Foster and Eddie Perfect.
Strictly Ballroom The Musical tells the beguiling story of Scott Hastings, a talented, arrogant and rebellious young ballroom dancer. When Scott’s radical dance moves see him fall out of favour with the Australian Federation, he finds himself dancing with Fran, a beginner with no moves at all. Inspired by one another, this unlikely pair gather the courage to defy both convention and their families – and discover that, to be winners, the steps don’t need to be strictly ballroom…
Strictly Ballroom will be at Wales Millennium Centre 5-10 April 2021.