Cabaret star Dr Adam Perchard and composer Richard Thomas 
will bring their epic queer song cycle

Interview With The Vamp 
to Soho Theatre, London, from 10-13 July 2024

The international cabaret star and lyricist Dr Adam Perchard and the award-winning composer Richard Thomas are thrilled to be performing their show Interview With The Vamp at Soho Theatre, London, from Wednesday 10 – Saturday 13 July 2024. Hilarious, macabre, surreal, and touching, this is cabaret at its funniest and most full of heart.

Dr Adam Perchard (cabaret star, comedian, poet, and occasional fortune-teller to the international elite) is an old vamp with one hell of a backstory – and Richard Thomas (Olivier Award-winning composer of Jerry Springer the Opera) is here to get the scoop! Featuring dazzling original music by Richard, witty and moving lyrics by Adam, vocal fireworks, and rampant repartee, sit back and let this iconic duo take you on a whirlwind tour of the doctor’s brain.  

By turns joyful, dark, and extremely silly, the interview covers everything from hyper-realistic cakes to how to negotiate a nervous breakdown in Darlington, from giant bugs to finding love at an orgy – and it reveals what’s really going through your university lecturer’s brain when they’re teaching you Romantic poetry. With an Olivier Award-winning composer asking the questions and an international singing star giving the answers, this is an interview like you’ve never seen – or heard. 

Singer and writer Dr Adam Perchard first met composer Richard Thomas when playing The First Time Voter – and later Boris Johnson – in his hit show Jonny Woo’s All-Star Brexit Cabaret (Hackney Empire, Edinburgh Fringe, London Coliseum, Soho Theatre). Though the two have often performed together, Interview with The Vamp is their first time writing together. The show played a sell-out premiere performance at Crazy Coqs in 2024, and is back by popular demand.

Richard Thomas (Jerry Springer the Opera, Made in Dagenham, Black Sabbath – The Ballet, and Tracey Ullman Show BBC1/HBO) is an Olivier Award-winning composer and lyricist.  His work has been performed all over the world from Carnegie Hall, National Theatre, Royal Opera House, Sydney Opera House, to the West End and every Gay Pride on the planet.  

Richard said: “The show is completely unique.  Adam’s stories and lyrics jump very easily from the eccentric to the macabre and the grotesque to the humane. What’s more, Adam’s virtuoso voice is like a very rich truffle full of mischief, delight and a little bit of pain.” 

Dr Adam Perchard is a mainstay of cabaret stages across Europe and the US and an icon of the East London queer scene. They have performed at the National Theatre, London Coliseum, Soho Theatre, Hackney Empire, and on Channel 4, and last year their solo show Bathtime for Britain toured major theatres across the UK. An escaped academic as well as a trained opera singer, they have also published widely in the fields of postcolonial literature and eighteenth-century studies. 

Adam said: “Making and performing this show with Richard has been one of the highlights of my career. He’s an extraordinary composer – he just seems to haemorrhage thunderous, dazzling music – and a brilliant theatre-maker. I think we’ve found something really new and special with this show, with song and spoken word and storytelling melting fluidly one into another.”

Tickets for Interview With The Vamp are now on sale: https://sohotheatre.com/events/richard-thomas-and-dr-adam-perchard-interview-with-the-vamp/#performances. 

LISTINGS

Show: Interview With The Vamp

Venue: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE 
Date & time: Wednesday 10 – Saturday 13 July 2024 at 7.30pm

Box Office: Tickets from £16 https://sohotheatre.com/events/richard-thomas-and-dr-adam-perchard-interview-with-the-vamp/#performances

Running time: 60 minutes

Age recommendation: 16+

Access information: https://sohotheatre.com/dean-street/accessible-performances/

Category: cabaret / music 

NATIONAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES FIRST MAJOR STAGE ADAPTATION OF THE BELOVED NOVEL BALLET SHOES THIS FESTIVE SEASON

The National Theatre today announces the first major stage adaptation of Noel Streatfeild’s best-selling book Ballet Shoes by Kendall Feaver (The Almighty Sometimes) which will run in the Olivier theatre from 23 November 2024. This festive family show will be directed by Katy Rudd,who returns to the National Theatre following her acclaimed production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. 

In a crumbling house full of dinosaur bones and fossils, three adopted sisters – Pauline, Petrova and Posy – are learning who they are and what they want to be. Under the watchful eyes and guidance of their guardian Sylvia, Nana, and some unlikely lodgers, they fight to pursue their individual passions. Can they forge a future, keep their family together, and even learn a dance or two along the way?

Director of the National Theatre Rufus Norris said:

‘After the success of The Witches last Christmas, I am thrilled the National Theatre will stage Noel Streatfeild’s novel Ballet Shoes, with Kendall Feaver’s adaptation injecting new energy and life into the beloved story. Combined with Katy Rudd’s theatrical vision, developed with the National Theatre’s exceptional New Work Department, I couldn’t be more excited for audiences to experience this classic story as an ambitious new theatre event.’

Directed by Katy Rudd with set design by Frankie Bradshaw, costume design by Samuel Wyer, choreography by Ellen Kane, composition by Asaf Zohar, lighting design by Paule Constable, sound design by Ian Dickinson and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor. 

Casting to be announced.

Ballet Shoes will play in the Olivier theatre from 23 November 2024, with the press performance on 5 December 2024. Recommended for ages 7+.

Tickets are on sale to the public from Thursday 2 May,nationaltheatre.org.uk

The Pantomime Awards 2024 will take place on Tuesday 18 June
at G Live in Guildford offering increased audience capacity 
for this year’s star-studded celebration of pantomime

The UK Pantomime Association has announced that The Pantomime Awards 2024 will take place on Tuesday 18 June 2024 at 7pm at G Live in Guildford.

The ceremony’s move from the West End to the major theatre and entertainment venue, which will have cabaret-style seating for the event, is a marker of the UK Pantomime Association’s commitment to celebrating regional theatre. It will also offer complete accessibility and significantly increased seating capacity following last year’s sell-out event, meaning a greater number of theatre industry professionals and theatregoers can attend.

Tickets for The Pantomime Awards 2024, which will feature live performances, celebrity presenters and the winners announcements, will go on sale on 2 May 2024 through G Live’s Box Office: https://trafalgartickets.com/g-live-guildford/.

During the 2023-24 pantomime season, the third year in which the Awards have taken place, the UK Pantomime Association’s 70 judges had their biggest year ever, collectively visiting 259 venues to see over 728 performances, far and wide across the United Kingdom. The nominees shortlist will be announced on 2 May 2024.

Simon Sladen, Chair of the UK Pantomime Association said: “We can’t wait to welcome everyone to The Pantomime Awards at G Live in Guildford as we celebrate pantomime excellence across the 2023-2024 season. The UK Pantomime Association is proud to champion regional theatre and acknowledge the important role it plays in the UK’s wider performance ecology. We’ve outgrown the West End, so get ready for an even bigger Awards Ceremony in June!”

Founded in 2021, the UK Pantomime Association is a charity that explores, shares and celebrates pantomime by investigating the genre’s rich past, engaging with contemporary practice and inspiring the future. The Pantomime Awards recognize excellence across 19 categories comprising onstage roles such as Best Dame and Best Villain to creative positions such as Best Costume Design, Best Script and Best Choreography. The Special Awards, which celebrate productions representing the values that the Association seeks to promote, as well as an award for Outstanding Achievement, are also to be announced at the ceremony, in addition to three Best Pantomime awards for productions with capacities of 500 seats, 500 to 900 seats and those with more than 900 seats.

The Pantomime Awards 2023 in association with Butlin’s for the pantomime season 2022/23 took place at a star-studded ceremony. Amongst the winners were Ian McKellen, Su Pollard, Joyce Branagh, Cast, Doncaster, Theatre Royal Stratford East, and Vernon Kay. In 2022, winners included Duncan Burt and Nic Gibney, Vikki Stone, Morgan Brind, Rolan Bell, Alexandra Burke, Nigel Ellacott and Joe Tracini. 

For more information, visit: https://pantomimeassociation.co.uk.

SH!T-FACED SHAKESPEARE®

TO REVIVE INAUGURAL PRODUCTION OF

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM

RUNNING AT LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE FROM 10 JULY – 7 SEPTEMBER 2024

FOLLOWED BY A UK TOUR

https://www.shitfacedshows.com/a-midsummer-nights-dream

Sh!t-faced Shakespeare® has announced that, to mark their eighth year of residency at London’s Leicester Square Theatre, they will revive their inaugural production at the venue, A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

14 years ago, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare® set out on the world’s longest bar crawl and have been staggering from theatre to theatre ever since. From Edinburgh to Australia, Boston to Southend, this bunch of irreverent drama queens have been shaking up The Bard, performing to sell-out crowds and most importantly, making people roar with laughter ever since.

The revival production, which sees a rotating drunken cast member attempt to perform Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, will run at the Leicester Square Theatre from 10 July – 7 September 2024.

This year, Sh!t-faced Shakespeare® are pouring their legendary cock-eyed chaos into the Bard-shaped vessel that is A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Think drunken donkeys, fandangled fairies and mullered mechanicals… it’s hard to imagine anything more magical, right?

Each night, a rotating cast member will get seriously Shakespeareanly sloshed and attempt to perform A Midsummer Night’s Dream as you have never seen before. Making for a different show every night, nobody (not even the cast) knows in which direction the show will stumble. Come and get fuddled in the forest with us!

Following the production’s run in London, the show will tour the UK visiting Princes Hall, Aldershot (26 September), Stratford Play House, Stratford-upon-Avon (27 September), Palace Theatre, Southend (1 October), Wyvern Theatre, Swindon (2 October), Blackburn Empire Theatre (3 October), Storyhouse, Chester (4 October), The Albany Theatre, Coventry (5 October), Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne (8 October), Shanklin Theatre, Isle of Wight (9 October), The Capitol, Horsham (10 October), Corn Exchange, Ipswich (11 October), The Exchange, Twickenham (12 October), Lichfield Garrick (15 October), Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (16 October), Middlesborough Theatre (17 October), Scarborough Spa (18 October), The Exchange, Twickenham (19 October), Lyceum Theatre, Crewe (23 October), Lincoln Arts Centre (24 October), Tyne Theatre & Opera House, Newcastle (25 October), The Cresset, Peterborough (26 October), Westlands Entertainment Venue, Yeovil (30 October), The Haymarket, Basingstoke (31 October), Farnham Maltings (1 November), New Theatre Royal, Portsmouth (2 November), Norwich Theatre Playhouse (3 November), Komedia, Bath (5 November), Royal & Derngate, Northampton (6-7 November), Chelmsford Theatre (12 November), Exeter Corn Exchange (13 November), Taunton Brewhouse (14 November) and The Kenton Theatre, Henley (15 November).

Stacey Norris, producer and director said, “Since 2016, Leicester Square Theatre has been the proud host of Sh!t-faced Shakespeare® much to the disbelief of both ourselves and the discerning critics of London’s theatre circuit. Surprisingly, we’ve yet to receive an eviction notice and we’ve grown so accustomed to the venue that the bar stools bear the unmistakable imprint of our collective derrières. This year, we’re thrilled to revive our inaugural production at the theatre: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, featuring a brand-new cast of characters, fresh scenes, and rejuvenated livers. Join us as we embark on another inebriated adventure in the enchanted forest!”

The production was originally directed and adapted by Lewis Ironside, with the new production being directed by Stacey Norris, produced by Johanna Rigg, Stacey Norris and Beth-Louise Priestley for Leicester Square Theatre, dance choreography by Beth-Louise Priestley, fight choreography by Robbie Capaldi, lighting design by Tom Williams, set design by Nicola Jones, costume design by Lorna Jean Costumes, photography by Andrew AB Photography, marketing by Tom McGregor, PR by ANRPR, finance by Fiona Hennessey and based on an original concept by Rev. Lewis Ironside and Cpt. Chris Snelson.

Underbelly Boulevard, London – until 28 June 2024

Reviewed by Emily Smith

5*****

Sophie’s turning 29 and you’re invited to her surprise house party! Starting as an Edinburgh Fringe production, the show has made its way to London for a short run until June 2024.

Sophie’s party is organised by six of her friends, all stereotypical characters including chavs, a geek, a popular girl, a goth, and a class clown. Katharine Arnold and Cornelius Atkinson are extraordinary aerialists with enviable physiques that are required to pull-off their gravity-defying acts. I also commend Atkinson’s reading of erotic vampire fiction which was hilarious.

Nathan Redwood Price and Isis Clegg-Vinell will have you wide-mouthed, gawping at what they can do on roller skates; their chemistry and partnership is obvious – and no surprise given they’ve spent the last 13 years touring as a duo.

Dru Cripps was the clown of the evening performing improvised songs based on the audience’s jobs with only a loop system to cover his modesty as he was otherwise stark naked! I can’t fault Dru here – he cleverly adapted to the audience’s suggestions – and he worked with what he had!

Josie Jones was an equally impressive performer – she was on fire! Literally! From being twirled around in the air by her hair, to performing a fire routine, she was brilliant.

So… who is Sophie? The answer is – an enigma. By which I mean, an unsuspecting audience member who joins the cast each evening to become ‘Sophie’ – truly a surprise party!

What really stood out for me with the show was the intimate venue size. Seating is ‘in the round’ and is unreserved; there’s a stalls area, a balcony, and a standing area. This means that there is a lot of audience interaction and engagement, both before and during the show. Before the show even began, I had glitter on my face, had eaten some cheesy crisps on offer, been sprayed with Lynx, been given a packet of Love Hearts, and was wearing a party hat – and I loved it!

The references and nods to the 90s, 00s and 10s, will be a real throwback for many of the audience members and it certainly felt more authentic because of it. A ‘pass the parcel’ even appeared at one point! With the small circular stage in the centre, it was also brilliant to watch the front row’s reactions to the stunts being performed in rather close proximity to them!

Now to the soundtrack… If you love ‘Now You’re Gone’ by Basshunter and ‘What’s It Gonna be’ by H20, you’ll be living your best life at this party! In fact… I think someone may have stolen my iPod playlists from the early 2010s…!

While there is little explanation or dialogue throughout to really contextualise the relationships between characters, I don’t think this is an oversight, nor necessary. It is clear what is happening – Sophie’s friends are performing for her at her party – and the storylines that do arise throughout are mainly through brief interactions or the circus acts themselves. These provide real likeability to the characters and you definitely get invested in who they are going to choose to go home with that night!

The running time is 1 hour 30 with interval, so it is a little shorter than other shows – the party could definitely have gone on longer and I doubt anyone wanted to go home!

Sophie’s Surprise 29th is advertised as ‘Circus. Comedy. Chaos.’ and it delivers on these promises. There were incredible circus acts – things I’ve never seen before – and the audience were laughing throughout. The show provides the nostalgia we all desperately need, and a little escapism from daily life!

CURVE, SADLER’S WELLS AND JONATHAN CHURCH THEATRE PRODUCTIONS

ANNOUNCE

FULL CASTING FOR

CURVE’S SMASH-HIT PRODUCTION OF

A CHORUS LINE

OPENING AT CURVE

FROM 28 JUNE – 13 JULY

FOLLOWED BY A SUMMER RUN AT SADLER’S WELLS
AND A UK TOUR

Curve, Sadler’s Wells and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions are delighted to announce the full casting for the UK tour of Curve’s smash-hit production of A CHORUS LINE.

Joining the previously announced Adam Cooper as Zach and Carly Mercedes Dyer as Cassie will be Jocasta Almgill as Diana Morales, Lydia Bannister as Bebe Benzenheimer, Bradley Delarosbel as Gregory Gardner, Archie Durrant as Mark Anthony, Joshua Lay as Al Deluca, Katie Lee as Kristine Urich, Mireia Mambo as Richie Walters, Kanako Nakano as Judy Turner (and cover Connie Wong), Manuel Pacific as Paul San Marco, Ashley-Jordon Packer as Larry (and cover Paul San Marco), Kate Parr as Maggie Winslow, Rachel Jayne Picar as Connie Wong, Redmand Rance as Mike Costa, Chloe Saunders as Val Clarke, Toby Seddon as Bobby Mills, Amy Thornton as Shelia Bryant and Louie Wood as Don Kerr.

The cast is completed by ensemble members Yuki Abe (cover Kristine Urich and Judy Turner), Fin Adams (cover Mark Anthony and Mike Costa), Katrina Dix (cover Sheila Bryant and Bebe Benzenheimer), Imogen Rose Hart (cover Diana Morales, Maggie Winslow and Richie Walters), Laura Hills (cover Cassie and Val Clarke), Josh Kiernan (cover Bobby Mills and Gregory Gardner) and Joshua Steel (cover Don Kerr and Al Deluca).

A CHORUS LINE will open at Curve from 28 June to 13 July 2024, with a Summer run at Sadler’s Wells Theatre from 31 July to 25 August before embarking on a UK Tour, visiting The Lowry in Salford 23 to 27 July, Norwich Theatre Royal 27 to 31 August, The Marlowe in Canterbury 2 to 7 September, Birmingham Hippodrome 10 to 14 September, New Theatre, Cardiff, 16 to 21 September, Edinburgh Festival Theatre 24 to 28 September and Wycombe Swan 30 September – 5 October.

This production was originally staged at Curve, Leicester in Christmas 2021 and is directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (The Wizard of Oz, Billy Elliot the Musical, West Side Story) and choreographed by Ellen Kane (Dear England, the National Theatre, Matilda the Musical, Netflix, West Side Story, Curve). A Chorus Line features set design by Grace Smart (Hamlet, The Globe and My Beautiful Laundrette and Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual, both at Curve), orchestration and musical supervision by David Shrubsole (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, UK tour), costume design by Edd Lindley (Billy Elliot the Musical, Curve), lighting design by Howard Hudson (& Juliet, Broadway, West End, Australia), sound design by Tom Marshall (Grease, Dominion Theatre) and musical direction by Matthew Spalding (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, UK tour). Casting is by Kay Magson CDG and Olivia Laydon for Jill Green Casting. The show’s orchestra will be supported by music licensing company, PPL.

New York City. 1975. On an empty Broadway stage, seventeen performers are put through their paces in the final, gruelling audition for a new Broadway musical. Only eight will make the cut. A Chorus Line is a musical masterpiece that revolutionised world theatre, with creator Michael Bennett using real-life testimonies from late-night recording sessions with dancers. Celebrate the lives of theatre’s unsung heroes, as they tell searing stories of ambition, shattered hopes, and what it really costs to follow your dreams. Directed by Nikolai Foster, with a book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch and lyrics by Edward Kleban, A Chorus Line features iconic songs including One, I Hope I Get It, Nothing and the hit ballad What I Did For Love. Join us next summer for sensational choreography, heart-wrenching personal stories and musical theatre’s most unforgettable finale.

A CHORUS LINE

Conceived & Originally Directed & Choreographed by Michael Bennett

Book by James Kirkwood & Nicholas Dante
Music by Marvin Hamlisch
Lyrics by Edward Kleban

Co-choreographed by Bob Avian

Original Broadway Production produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival. Joseph Papp, Producer, in association with Plum Productions, Inc

A Chorus Line is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Tams-Witmark LLC. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME ANNOUNCES NEW SEASON

• New productions announced for the main stage include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, & Juliet, Only Fools and Horses – The Musical, Kinky Boots the Musical andJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Brand-new Hippodrome Produced festive family musical The Jingleclaw announced
• New productions in the Patrick Studio include British Black Ballet – Island Movements,  Four Felons and a Funeral, Tonesand Windrush, The Journey: A concert and exhibition

Birmingham Hippodrome has today, (Thu 18 Apr) announced a line-up of new productions including brand-new festive family musicalThe Jingleclaw, the first new musical to be produced by the Hippodrome. A stellar line up of West End and Broadway smash-hit musicals including & Juliet,Chitty Chitty Bang and Only Fools and Horses – The Musical will also come to the theatre in 2025.

Starting the new 2025 season, dance fans can look forward to a major new revival of Matthew Bourne’s audacious, rule breaking reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece Swan Lake (Thu 6 – Sat 15 Feb 2025).

In March 2025, a brand-new production of the much-loved family favourite Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Tue 4 – Sun 9 Mar 2025) will fly into Birmingham bursting with unforgettable songs. Direct from a record-breaking four-year sold-out run in London’s West End, Del Boy, Rodney and the gang arrive in the city with Only Fools and Horses the Musical (Tue 1 Apr – Fri 11 Apr 2025) starring Paul Whitehouse as Grandad.

The Broadway and West End sensation, Kinky Boots the Musical (Tue 15 – Sat 19 Apr 2025), will be strutting back to the Hippodrome in a brand-new production starring Strictly star Johannes Radebe as Lola†. Later in April, audiences will be whisked away on a fabulous journey with & Juliet (Tue 22 Apr – Sat 3 May 2025), as Juliet finds out there is life after Romeo, through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time and Katy Perry’s Roar.

Welsh National Opera will return to the Hippodrome with the classic opera Marriage of Figaro (Thu 8 May 2025) where love and laughter converge in a whirlwind of clever schemes and Mozart’s melodic brilliance, alongside a brand-new production of Britten’s iconic Peter Grimes (Sat 10 May 2025).

Later in May the smash-hit London Palladium production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Tue 20 May – Sun 1 Jun 2025) returns for a two-week run.

This Autumn, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal gardée (Wed 25 – Sat 28 Sep 2024) will mix spectacular classical ballet with slick comedy, a clog-dancing dame, a super-cute pony, as well as live music from the Royal Ballet Sinfonia. In October, the Company will present the final part of Carlos Acosta’s Birmingham trilogy Luna (Thu 3 – Sat 5 Oct 2024 ), a new work inspired by the pioneering women of Birmingham.

Newly announced works in the Patrick Studio include Always & Forever (Fri 31 May 2024), a show which pays tribute to Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar with a musical journey through the timeless melodies that defined an era, and Tones (Thu 6 & Fri 7 Jun 2024) which combines gritty underground sounds of Hip-Hop, Grime and Drill with the melodrama of Opera creating a piece of gig theatre like no other.

British Black Ballet – Island Movements (Sat 22 Jun 2024) will present a moving ballet that tells the epic tale of a Windrush family and their life in the UK. Windrush, The Journey: A concert and exhibition (Thu 13 – Sat 15 Jun 2024) will pay tribute to Windrush, showcasing a rich tapestry of music and storytelling, and celebrating Black classical composers with an exciting fusion of classical music, jazz and blues alongside a free exhibition.

British Youth Music Theatre return to the Patrick Studio with bewitching new musical Unbound in August(Fri 16 – Sun 18 Aug) and later in the year brand-new musical Four Felons and a Funeral (Thu 26 – Sat 28 Sep 2024) will tell the story of four dysfunctional friends on a road trip to scatter their best mate’s ashes. Nathan Queeley-Dennis’ debut play Bullring Techo Makeout Jamz (Wed 2 Oct – Sat 5 Oct 2024) is a love letter to Birmingham and will explore Black masculinity through Beyoncé lyrics, techno raves and the deeply intimate relationship between a man and his barber.

Audiences will dazzled by the spirit of Bollywood meeting the soul of funk with Botown (Sat 21 Sep), a fusion of music, culture and pure entertainment; and Noreen Khan, Shazia Mirza, Kyrah Gray and Sukh Ojla will flex their female funny muscles with Ladies of Laughter (Fri 11 Oct).

This December, Birmingham Hippodrome’s New Musical Theatre department will present their first full production, The Jingleclaw (Fri 13 Dec 2024 – Sat 4 Jan 2025), a festive family musical created for 3–7 year olds. Written by Robyn Grant and Tim Gilvin, The Jingleclaw is set in a cosy village in the snowy mountains, telling the story of young musician Astrid and the mischievous forest creature The Jingleclaw. The production marks the first in a series of musicals for young children, produced by Birmingham Hippodrome under the My First Musical banner.

Jon Gilchrist, Artistic Director and CEO at Birmingham Hippodrome said:

“2024 marks 125 years of Birmingham Hippodrome providing the region with what we like to call ‘goosebumps’ moments. It’s incredibly exciting to be ending the year with our first new musical for families, which we hope will give our youngest audiences that first spark of joy from experiencing musical theatre.”

There will be a range of Audio Described, Captioned, BSL interpreted and relaxed performances throughout the season, to find out more head to the Hippodrome’s accessible performances web page.

Tickets for all new season showswill go on sale to Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 18 April at 11am and on general sale on Monday 22 April at 11am. 

Tickets for all shows can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000*

 *0844 calls will cost you 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

†Please note that Johannes Radebe will not be performing at the Wednesday 16 and Thursday 17 April 2pm matinee performances.

Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle – until 4th May 2024

Reviewed by Sandra Little

3***

This current offering from Alphabetti Theatre was written by Gobscure, directed by Ali Pritchard and performed by Zoe Lambert and Rebecca Glendinning-Laycock. In addition to the two main performers, 18 guest artists are also providing micro-commissions and contributing to the performances. Further details of the artists involved can be found on the Alphabetti website. During the performance watched for this review on 17th April, Toni Hurford, a survivor poet, read 3 of her own poems.

The blurb accompanying this performance describes it as, “two intertwining monologues delving into similar themes from opposing perspectives.” The two monologues explore themes of imprisonment; one from the perspective of an American protestor (Kathy Boudin) and the other from someone who lived at Cruddas Park in Newcastle. Kathy Boudin was a convicted terrorist who was involved in the bombing of government buildings to express opposition to U.S. foreign policy and racism.

In the first monologue narrated by Zoe Lambert, the notion of violence as a form of protest is given some justification. Zoe’s monologue also includes several references to nature with the repetition of the phrase, “larch, birch, pine,” used to illustrate this stance. Zoe used a snow globe, paper snowflakes and snowballs to illustrate her narrative!

The second monologue performed by Rebecca, delves into life in a psych-ICU-prison. During this monologue we learn that sleep deprivation is the most effective form of torture, teaspoons are a useful implement to aid escape being as they can be effectively hidden on one’s person, and nurses check carefully that anti psychotic drugs have been swallowed by a patient! We are also told several times that the patient concerned was observed laughing at Graham Norton. This addition to the script adds a lighter touch to quite dark subject matter!

As is the case for most Alphabetti productions, there was a very simple set constructed from black blocks, actors wore plan black clothing and there was little in the way of props other than a snow globe, paper snowflakes and paper snowballs.

I must confess that I found the script for this production quite confusing and struggled to understand some of the messages being conveyed. There were clearly ideas expressed about imprisonment, however I’m not sure if there were also references to the destruction of northern territories. Despite my confusion, I did learn something during my visit to Alphabetti. Toni explained that the meaning of the word, “Tyne” is obscure and it is thought that it could mean either, “River” or “Dirty” or “Flowing.” This observation did make me think as it is something I’ve never ever stopped to consider.

This latest offering from Alphabetti Theatre is a,”Pay what you feel,” production until 20th April.

RUNAWAY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS THE UK TOUR OF

KYM MARSH ANNOUNCED AS CRUELLA DE VIL IN NEW MUSICAL ADAPTATION TOURING THE UK AND IRELAND IN 2024

Lead casting and creatives of a new musical version of Dodie Smith’s classic book 101 Dalmatians have been announced, ahead of a UK and Ireland tour launching at the New Wimbledon Theatre in June.

Kym Marsh plays the iconic villain Cruella de Vil in the musical written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris. The director is Bill Buckhurst, with sets designed by David Woodhead, costumes designed by Sarah Mercadé and choreography by Lucy Hind. Musical supervision is from Alfonso Casado Trigo, orchestration by Jack Hopkins, the puppets are designed by Jimmy Grimes, with lighting by James Whiteside and sound design from Chris Whybrow. The musical director is Leigh Thompson, and casting director is Lucy Casson.

Actor, presenter and singer Kym Marsh arrived on British TV screens back in 2000 appearing on the hit reality TV show Popstars, and winning a place in the subsequent band Hear’say. The band achieved two UK number one singles and a number one album – and Kym went on to pursue a successful career as a solo artist. She went on to star in London’s West End, playing the role of Annette in the critically acclaimed musical Saturday Night Fever. An accomplished actress, she appeared in BBC One’s Doctors and Channel 4’s Hollyoaks: In The City before joining the cast of ITV’s Coronation Street in the role of Michelle Connor in 2006. During 14 years on Britain’s famous cobbles, she won a string of prestigious awards for her work before leaving to pursue other roles. Since then she has appeared in hit BBC One drama The Syndicate and currently can be seen on BBC One’s continuing drama Waterloo Road, where she plays the role of Nicky Walters. Her love of theatre has not waned and in 2022 Kym returned to tread the boards in the role of bunny boiler Alex Forest in a nationwide tour of box office hit Fatal Attraction. Last year she joined the cast of Take That musical Greatest Days.

When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups.

This classic canine caper is brought to life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs and irresistible puppies!

Kym Marsh said: “I’m over the moon to be joining the cast of 101 Dalmatians playing the iconic Cruella De Vil, has there ever been a more fabulous baddie?! Obviously she’s a million miles away from me in real life – and my dogs are very glad about that – but being able to bring to life my take on this renowned character is a real treat. Douglas and Johnny have written this brilliant new musical filled with songs I’m already finding myself humming under my breath. The 101 Dalmatians story spans generations and I’m sure young and old alike will absolutely love this production.”

After launching in Wimbledon* the production will visit Birmingham*, Norwich, Canterbury, Leicester, Manchester*, Belfast*, Wolverhampton, Newcastle*, Southend*, Dublin*, Liverpool*, Milton Keynes*, Woking*, Cardiff*, Southampton*, Aberdeen*, York*, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford and Brighton. * dates Kym Marsh is scheduled to perform

Original production first performed at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London in 2022

For more information visit www.101dalmatians.co.uk

Facebook: /101Dalmatians | Instagram/TikTok: @101DalmatiansUK

CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S NEW PRODUCTION OF LIONEL BART’S IRRESISTIBLE AND ICONIC MUSICAL TO OPEN IN LONDON THIS DECEMBER

The fabulous score from this Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece includes Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself,You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah and As Long As He Needs Me

Following its premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer, Performances begin on Saturday 14 December at Gielgud Theatre, London

Tickets on General Sale from Monday 29 April at www.oliverthemusical.com

Thursday 18 April, London: Cameron Mackintosh today announces that his new co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre of Lionel Bart’s iconic musical, Oliver!, which he has fully reconceived with director and choreographer Matthew Bourne, will open in London at the end of the year.

Oliver! will begin performances at Gielgud Theatre on Saturday 14 December 2024. Priority booking begins on Friday 26 April – sign up at www.oliverthemusical.com with tickets on general sale from Monday 29 April. The production runs at Chichester Festival Theatre from 8 July to 7 September. 

The cast includes Simon Lipkin (Guys and Dolls, Avenue Q) as Fagin, Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon, The Bodyguard) as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell (Henry VI, Wicked) as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins (Les Misérables, BBC’s Dodger) as the Artful Dodger and Philip Franks (The Rocky Horror Show, Witness for the Prosecution) as Mr Brownlow.

Cameron Mackintosh commented:

“Oliver! has been part of my life as actor, stage-manager and producer since I first saw it as a schoolboy in 1960, shortly after it opened and began to take the world by storm on stage and screen. The original production design was revolutionary and changed the musical theatre and my career forever.

Matthew Bourne and I, alongside Sam Mendes, first reinvented Lionel Bart’s masterpiece in 1994 with a huge production at the London Palladium which we restaged in an even grander way in 2009 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Now 15 years later, having staged the largest production of Oliver! ever, we want to return to the scale of the brilliant original with a more intimate production, thrillingly designed by Lez Brotherston, which in a sweepingly imaginative way conjures up Dickensian London.

Lionel’s irresistible adaptation of Dickens classic story, with its legendary score packed with ‘tunes glorious tunes’ will, we hope, have audiences ‘considering themselves our mate’ when we open at London’s Gielgud Theatre this December with a terrific cast, following a summer season at the Chichester Festival Theatre.”

Matthew Bourne commented:

“In 1994, I first worked, as a choreographer, with Cameron Mackintosh on Lionel Bart’s legendary musical Oliver! – the spectacular Palladium revival, directed by Sam Mendes – it launched a collaboration and friendship that has become one of the most important of my career. Nearly 30 years on I’m delighted that Cameron has invited me to direct my first musical and my lifelong relationship with Oliver! continues!

Along with my regular collaborators Lez Brotherston and Paule Constable, we are taking it back to its roots, inspired by the groundbreaking “poor theatre” designs of Sean Kenny – who revolutionised the modern musical along with Lionel and his Joan Littlewood Theatre Workshop influences. As an East-End Londoner myself l’ve always felt a great affinity with this show – sang all the songs in amateur shows as a kid with my brother and was a regular at Theatre Royal Stratford East as a teenager, even seeing Joan and Lionel in the bar there on several occasions.

I was lucky enough to work closely with Lionel on the 1994 revival which was an absolute thrill (though in a recently unearthed TV interview when asked about the production he tells the interviewer “Some days I wanted to fire the lot of em”!!). But I loved him a lot (and I think he liked me!) and hope to do him and Oliver! proud in 2024.”

Freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ novel, Oliver! tells the story of the orphaned Oliver Twist, who escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London’s murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind-hearted Nancy and when he’ s wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp?

With a sensational score, including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, As Long As He Needs Me and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens’ ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.

Matthew Bourne is internationally renowned for reinventing classics including Swan Lake and Edward Scissorhands for his company New Adventures, as well as his Olivier Award-winning choreography for My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins (which he co-directed and also earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography) and his recent acclaimed direction and musical staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. The stellar creative team includes designer Lez Brotherston (Fiddler on the Roof, Me and My Girl, Flowers for Mrs Harris).

Produced and revised by Cameron Mackintosh, Oliver! is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne andco-directed by Jean-Pierre van der Spuy. Designed by Lez Brotherston, lighting design is by Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs, sound design by Adam Fisher, video design by George Reeve, original orchestrations by William David Brohn adapted by Stephen Metcalfe; music supervision is by Graham Hurman. 

Oliver! will run at Chichester Festival Theatre this summer, with performances from Monday 8 July – Saturday 7 September.

Oliver! is a Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre production.

OLIVER! | London Listings Info

Gielgud Theatre

Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 6AR

Oliver!

Book, Music and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist
Revised by Cameron Mackintosh
Directed and Choreographed by Matthew Bourne

Co-director    Jean-Pierre van der Spuy

Designer    Lez Brotherston

Musical supervisor and conductor Graham Hurman

Lighting designers   Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs

Sound designer    Adam Fisher

Video designer    George Reeve

Original orchestrations   William David Brohn

Orchestral adaptation   Stephen Metcalfe

Choreographic associates  Etta Murfitt and Sam Archer

Casting directors   Felicity French CDG and Paul Wooller CDG

Children’s casting director  Verity Naughton CDG 

Cast

Fagin     Simon Lipkin

Nancy     Shanay Holmes

Bill Sikes     Aaron Sidwell

The Artful Dodger    Billy Jenkins

Mr Brownlow    Philip Franks

Further cast to be announced.

Dates

Performances from Saturday 14 December 2024

Currently booking until Sunday 6 April 2025

Priority booking begins on Friday 26 April 2024 – sign-up at www.oliverthemusical.com

Social Media

All platforms: @Oliveronstage

Chichester Festival Theatre

Oliver! will run at Chichester Festival Theatre from Monday 8 July – Saturday 7 September 2024