Following a brief hiatus…of 8 years, the greatest 5-a-side tournament you never heard of is rising like a Phoenix from the flames!

All proceeds will go to three cancer charities; Macmillan, Cancer Research and CLIC Sargent, as part of the ‘Three in Three’ campaign, in which Simon will be running three marathons in three weeks.

We can’t guarantee sunshine, a contract with your favourite Mancunian team or even a trophy, but we can promise you an amazing day of footballing antics
followed by a swift beer or two.

Please do sign up and get stuck in – either enter your company or grab some mates and get involved. There is a minimum recommended donation of
£90 per team of up to 9 players. 
(Please do feel free to donate more!).

SPREAD THE WORD! TELL YOUR PALS!!! 

To sign up or for more information then email [email protected]

SUNDAY : 3rd MAY : 1100HRS

Lucozade Powerleague, Manchester South, M16 8GW
www.threeinthree.com

BAY CITY ROLLERS

Starring LES McKEOWN

Grand Opera House York

Tuesday 10 November 2015

The Rollers’ first hit single Remember reached No. 6 in the UK charts in 1973; that was quickly followed by Shang-A-Lang, Summerlove Sensation and All Of Me Loves All Of You all hitting the Top 5. Bye Bye Baby was their first UK No. 1 in May 1975 followed by Give A Little Love in July. Their first album, Rollin’, was the first debut album to top the charts. Between 1975 and 1978, they toured all over the world and played to sold out crowds in the across the world. Les McKeown put together a new band of talented musicians in the early 90s and today audiences are treated to all the old BCR hits reworked for the new millennium, alongside exciting new material.

Tickets: £18.50 & £19.50

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/york

RUBY WAX Sane New World – Tour 2015

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK

Monday 14 September

“We are not equipped for this century, it’s too hard, too fast, and too full of fear; we just don’t have the bandwidth. Our brains can’t take so much information in a world where we’re bombarded by bad news and force-fed information. I can just about take in the weather then I’m exhausted. You open a newspaper, everyone’s dead. We’re only supposed to know what our neighbour is up to; if the woman next door to you is having sex with the man next door to her we need to know; but four doors down and it’s none of our business.”

Sane New World – The Tour helps us understand why we sabotage our own sanity and provides a manual on how to survive the 21st century, using Ruby’s knowledge from her recent Masters Degree in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy at Oxford University spiked with comedy.

 

Ruby Wax – comedian, writer and [/mental-health.html]mental health campaigner – shows us how our minds can jeopardize our sanity.  With her own periods of depression to draw from, she explains how our busy, chattering, self-critical thoughts drive us to anxiety and stress.  If we are to break the cycle, we need to understand how our brains work, rewire our thinking and find calm in a frenetic world.

RUBY WAX: SANE NEW WORLD – THE TOUR will visit venues across the UK and Australia in 2015.

 

Tickets on sale Wednesday 8 April at 10am

 

Performance: 7:30pm

Tickets: £19.00 & £21.00

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/york

Pick Me Up Theatre present

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

 

The perfect Halloween treat for all the family – Pick Me Up Theatre bring Andrew Lippa’s Broadway musical version of The Addams Family to York’s Grand Opera House

Wednesday 28 – Saturday 31 October

 

The loveable family of creepy kooks is alive and well and living in their super spooky mansion in Central Park.

Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice

Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa

Based on characters by Charles Addams

As the curtain rises, the last dead leaf of autumn falls from the Family Tree, and all is right with the morbid, macabre world of Gomez, Morticia, Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and Lurch.  They’ve gathered – where else? – in the family graveyard, to celebrate life and death in a yearly ritual to connect with their past and ensure their future.  They seem at peace, not just with each other and their inimitable, unchanging Adams-ness, but with their dead ancestors, too – who emerge from their graves on this night each year to join in the celebration of continuity.

But, at the end of the ritual, Fester blocks the ancestors’ return to their graves. Those unchanging Addams family values are about to be tested. Fester enlists their help to set things right, just in case a new family secret goes terribly wrong.  What’s the secret? Wednesday Addams, that irresistible bundle of malice, has grown up and found love.  So what’s the problem? The young man, Lucas Beineke, is from Ohio, and his parents are coming to dinner to meet the family. Two different worlds are about to collide.  Will love triumph, or will everyone go home vaguely depressed.

Performances: Wed, Thur, Sat 7:30pm, Fri 5pm & 8pm, Thu & Sat mats 2:30pm

Tickets: £11.00 – £25.00

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online Booking:  www.atgtickets.com/york

Artistic Director Jonathan Church and Executive Director Alan Finch announced today that they are to step down from their respective roles at Chichester Festival Theatre at the end of September 2016, following Festival 2016.

Both Church and Finch joined Chichester Festival Theatre in 2005, overseeing the organisation’s 50^th anniversary in 2012 and the recent £22 million redevelopment of the Festival Theatre. Under their tenure, the company has produced over 100 productions including 22 new plays, winning over 40 awards for the work and more than doubling audience numbers, playing to 95% capacity in 2014.

The Theatre has also enjoyed significant success beyond Chichester during their leadership with 48 productions transferring to the West End or securing international and UK tours. These include Lucy Prebble’s ENRON, Macbeth with Patrick Stewart, Singin’ in the Rain, Sweeney Todd, Private Lives, King Lear with Frank Langella, The Pajama Game and, more recently, Jonathan Church’s production of Taken at Midnight and Gypsy directed by Jonathan Kent.

Jonathan Church said: “It has been a privilege and a joy to have been the custodians of this very special theatre for the last decade and to have worked alongside some of the country’s most skilled actors and creative teams. I hope, between us, we have helped contribute to the current strength of British theatre and demonstrated the important role of subsidy in creating vibrant regional arts organisations that are rooted in their community but also have the ability to provide national and international impact. It will be painful leaving a theatre that feels like our creative home but regional theatres thrive on new ideas and new energies. I like to think we will hand this wonderful theatre over to its next caretakers in an excellent position to build further on its extraordinary history.”

Alan Finch said: “We are incredibly fortunate to have some of the most loyal audiences, generous supporters and sponsors I have ever come across. Without their support, Jonathan and I would never have been able to achieve what we have. I’m immensely proud to have led the team that delivered our renewed Festival Theatre and Steven Pimlott Education Building, both on time and on budget. These past ten years have been the most exciting and rewarding of my career but it’s the right time for us to pursue new opportunities and pass the baton to a new leadership team.”

Sir William Castell, Chairman of Chichester Festival Theatre, said: “Jonathan Church and Alan Finch have led Chichester Festival Theatre to extraordinary levels of success, and our artistic standards and reputation have never been higher. They are inspiring leaders and it has been a pleasure to work with them both. We will be sad to see them leave but they are committed to our phased succession plans and will deliver the next two Festivals to ensure a smooth handover as we head into the Theatre’s next chapter.”

The formal process to appoint a new Artistic Director will begin in August with the Board expected to announce a successor at the end of 2015. The new Executive Director will be appointed once the Artistic Director Designate is in place. The selection committee will be advised by Genista McIntosh who has worked extensively with the RSC and National Theatre.

JONATHAN CHURCH
Artistic Director

As Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre Jonathan has directed: Taken at Midnight, Amadeus, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, Singin’ in the Rain, The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound (co-directed with Sean Foley), The Grapes of Wrath, The Circle, Hobson’s Choice, Pravda and, co-directed with Philip Franks, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

West End productions include Taken at Midnight (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Singin’ in the Rain (Palace Theatre), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Duchess Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Savoy Theatre and The Old Vic), The Witches(Wyndhams Theatre), A Busy Day (Lyric Theatre) and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Gielgud Theatre).

National touring productions include Singin’ in the Rain, The Grapes of Wrath, The Crucible, The Witches, Of Mice and Men, The Diary of Anne Frank, Hobson’s Choice, God and Stephen Hawking, Romeo and Juliet, The Circle and Master Class.

International productions include Singin’ in the Rain (Tokyo, Australia, New Zealand), The Last Confession (Toronto, Los Angeles, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney) and The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Princess of Wales Theatre Toronto).

Jonathan trained as Assistant Director at the Nottingham Playhouse. He was Associate Director of Derby Playhouse (1994-1995), Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse (1995-1999), Associate Director of Hampstead Theatre (1999-2001) and Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre (2001-2006).

ALAN FINCH
Executive Director

Alan Finch joined Chichester Festival Theatre in 2005 as Executive Director and, together with Artistic Director Jonathan Church, has been responsible for the programming and management of the Festival and Minerva Theatres since Festival 06.

He has spearheaded the £22 million RENEW project to refurbish and develop the Festival Theatre, culminating in its reopening during Festival 2014. He has also played a pivotal role in building CFT’s reputation, facilitating production transfers to the West End, Toronto and New York, as well as national tours.

The roll-call of successes in recent seasons includes acclaimed productions of Macbeth, ENRON, South Downs and The Browning Version, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, King Lear, Another Country and The Pajama Game which have all gone on to enjoy success beyond Chichester. During 2015, Taken at Midnight, Stevie and Gypsy have all transferred to London while Singin’ in the Rain continues its international tour.

Alan led the project to open the Steven Pimlott Education and Rehearsal Building at CFT in 2009. The new building has substantially increased CFT’s capacity to work with disenfranchised young people and other communities across the region.

Born in Nottingham, Alan started his career in theatre at the City’s Playhouse Theatre, and was later appointed Head of Production for Plymouth Theatre Royal. In 1999, he took up the post of the Theatre Royal’s General Manager, overseeing the creation of TR2, Plymouth’s award-winning £8.2 million production facility.

 

 

The husband and wife who built a theatre empire

David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree for Sell a Door Theatre Company present

BRITAIN’S GOT BHANGRA

RETURNING FOR A NEW UK TOUR

OPENING AT MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE ON 3 SEPTEMBER 2015

 

After acclaimed runs in 2010 and 2011, the five-star hit musical Britain’s Got Bhangra will return for a UK Tour this Autumn in a brand new production, opening at Manchester Palace Theatre on Thursday 3 September, with a press night on Monday 7 September.

 

Charting the rise of British Bhangra from the sequin-clad 80s through to the RnB fusion in today’s charts, Britain’s Got Bhangra follows Twinkle, a farmer’s son from Punjab, India who comes to England to make a better living for himself and his wife. A gifted singer, he goes from making a living as a van driver in Southall to becoming a rising star in the fast-growing Bhangra music scene. Winner of the ‘People’s Favourite Musical’ at the 2010 Offie Awards, this imaginative musical takes a journey though multicultural Britain and the evolution of a music scene.

 

‘An exuberant celebration”

The Times

 

Britain’s Got Bhangra is written and directed by Pravesh Kumar of award-winning British Asian Theatre Company Rifco Arts. Rifco’s other productions include The Deranged Marriage, Happy Birthday Sunita and Break the Floorboards.

Britain’s Got Bhangra is produced by Sell a Door Theatre Company. Formed in 2007, Sell a Door creates touring productions aimed at engaging young adults in live theatre. Current productions include the UK Tours of Avenue Q, The History Boys and Jekyll and Hyde.

Britain’s Got Bhangra is written and directed by Pravesh Kumar, with music and Bhangra direction by Sumeet Chopra.English Lyrics are by Dougal Irvine with Punjabi lyrics by Bittu Denowalia. Britain’s Got Bhangra is produced by Sell a Door Theatre Company, and was originally co-produced by Rifco Arts and Theatre Royal Stratford East in association with Warwick Arts Centre.

 

David Hutchinson from Sell a Door Theatre said today: “We are delighted to be opening our autumn season at Manchester Palace Theatre with this critically acclaimed smash hit musical. The writers have created a fantastic celebration of dance and culture within the modern narrative of a talented artist aspiring to fulfil their dreams. In the reality TV age, his story taps into the aspirations of so many, against the colourful backdrop of the British Asian community. We look forward to reaching out to new and returning audiences across the UK with Britain’s Got Bhangra.”

Casting to be announced.

@BritsGotBhangra

Facebook.com/SellADoorTheatre

@Sell_A_Door

TOUR LISTINGS

Thursday 3 – Saturday 12 September 2015

MANCHESTER Palace Theatre

Press Night: Monday 7 September, 7.30pm

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/manchester | 0844 871 3019

ON SALE NOW

Monday 14 – Saturday 19 September 2015

BRISTOL Hippodrome

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/bristol | 0844 871 3012

ON SALE NOW

Monday 21 – Saturday 26 September 2015

GLASGOW King’s Theatre

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/glasgow | 0844 871 7648

ON SALE NOW

Monday 28 September – Saturday 3 October 2015

WIMBLEDON New Theatre

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon | 0844 871 7646

ON SALE NOW

Monday 12 – Saturday 17 October 2015

BIRMINGHAM Alexandra Theatre

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/birmingham|0844 871 3011

ON SALE NOW

Monday 19 – Saturday 24 October 2015

WINDSOR Theatre Royal

Box Office www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk | 01753 853 888

ON SALE NOW

Monday 26 – Wednesday 28 October 2015

WATFORD Colosseum

Box Office www.watfordcolosseum.co.uk | 0845 075 3993

ON SALE NOW

Thursday 29 – Saturday 31 October 2015

BRADFORD Alhambra

Box Office www.bradford-theatres.co.uk | 01274 432000

ON SALE NOW

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR ‘THE ANGRY BRIGADE’

• Mark Arends, Pearl Chanda, Harry Melling and Lizzy Watts announced
• The Bush Theatre presents a Paines Plough and Theatre Royal Plymouth production
• Thriller about political extremism in 1970s Britain
• Written by James Graham, directed by James Grieve
• Runs 30 April – 13 June 2015; Press night 6 May

Casting is today announced for The Angry Brigade, James Graham’s political thriller, directed by James Grieve.

The cast of The Angry Brigade will include Harry Melling, best known for his role as Dudley Dursley inHarry Potter and currently starring in Peddling at the Arcola, Mark Arends, whose credits include Headlong’s 1984 and the RSC’s Two Gentlemen of Verona, Pearl Chanda who recently appeared inCrave at Sheffield Crucible and Godchild at Hampstead Theatre, and Lizzy Watts, who last appeared at the Bush in Mike Bartlett’s Artefacts.

The Angry Brigade sees Paines Plough return to the Bush Theatre, following the success of Jumpers for Goalposts in 2013. The Angry Brigade opened at The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth, and is the story of modern Britain’s first home-grown terrorist group. Set against a Britain of spending cuts, high unemployment and economic instability, The Angry Brigade tells the story of a group of four British anarchists who terrorised the country in the 1970s, and the police manhunt that tracked them down.

Directed by Paines Plough’s Artistic Director James Grieve as part of the company’s 40th anniversaryThe Angry Brigade is co-produced with long standing partner Theatre Royal Plymouth – an association which began in the 1980s. Previous co-productions include The Straits (2003), Mercury Fur (2005) andLove, Love, Love (2010).  James Grieve and James Graham previously collaborated at the Bush on The Whisky Taster in 2010.

Mark Arends’ theatre credits include Two Gentlemen of Verona (Royal Shakespeare Company), 1984(Almeida Theatre) (Headlong/Nottingham Playhouse), At the End of Everything Else (Unicorn Theatre),Cat in the Hat (Theatre de la Ville) (National Theatre/Young Vic), Macbeth (Liverpool Everyman) andBeauty and the Beast (National Theatre).  His television credits include New Tricks (Wall to Wall/BBC),Skins Series 4 (Company Television Productions) and Silent Witness (BBC).

Pearl Chanda recently appeared in Crave and 4.48 Psychosis as part of the Sarah Kane Season (Sheffield Theatres), Two Gentlemen of Verona (Royal Shakespeare Company), Godchild (Hampstead Theatre) and The Seagull (Headlong). On screen she has appeared in Arthur and George (Buffalo Pictures/ITV) and Mr Turner (Thin Man Films).

Harry Melling is currently starring in Peddling at the Arcola (also HighTide/NYC). His other theatre credits including King Lear (Chichester Festival Theatre/New York), The Hot House When Did You Last See Your Mother? (Trafalgar Studios) and Women Beware Women (National Theatre). On screen he is known for playing Dudley Dursley in Harry Potter (Warner Brothers) as well as roles in Merlin (Shine TV/BBC) and Joe Mistry (Hartswood/ITV).

Since graduating from Royal Welsh College of Music and Dance, Lizzy Watts has appeared on stage inMerit (Plymouth Drum), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’sGlobe International Tour), BLINK(Soho/Nabokov), Wasted (Paines Plough/Camden Roundhouse and UK Tour) and Artefacts (Bush Theatre/UK Tour/NewYork Run).

James Graham’s recent work includes The Coalition (Channel 4), X and Y (Origin Pictures/BBC Films),This House (National Theatre), Privacy (Donmar) and the book for the new Broadway musical Finding Neverland, with music by Gary Barlow. His play The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse will open on the night of the 2015 election and air in real time on Channel 4.

James Grieve is Joint Artistic Director of Paines Plough. He was formerly co-founder and Artistic Director of nabokov and Associate Director of the Bush Theatre. Recent directing credits for Paines Plough include An Intervention, Love, Love, Love , Hopelessly Devoted and Jumpers for Goalposts. Further directing credits include Translations (Sheffield Theatres/ETT/The Rose, Kingston), A Nobodyby Laura Dockrill (as part of the Bush Theatre’s Sixty-Six Books), and The Whisky Taster by James Graham.

For the Bush Theatre Lucy Osborne designed Jumpers for Goalposts and Artefacts (Nabokov).  Her recent theatre credits include Lampedusa (Soho Theatre/Hightide Festival), Hello Goodbye and In the Vale of Health (Hampstead Theatre), The Roundabout Season (Paines Plough), An Intervention (Paines Plough/Watford Palace Theatre/UK Tour), Privacy and Coriolanus (Donmar Warehouse).

 

30 April – 13 June 2015
THE ANGRY BRIGADE
By James Graham
Directed by James Grieve
Designed by Lucy Osborne
Lighting Design by Charles Balfour
Sound Design by Tom Gibbons
Movement Direction by Polly Bennett

Press night 6 May, 7pm

Cast: Mark Arends, Pearl Chanda, Harry Melling, Lizzy Watts

Bush Theatre
7 Uxbridge Road, London, W12 8LJ

Box Office: 020 8743 5050 / bushtheatre.co.uk
@bushtheatre

Ticket prices:
Evenings: £20

• £12.50 concessions (registered unemployed and disabled)
• £15.50 for Senior Citizens
• £12.50 for students/under 26s
• 10% off for Bush Local members

Previews: £15.50

• £10.50 concessions (registered unemployed and disabled)
• £12.50 for Senior Citizens
• £10.50 for students/under 26s
• £12.50 for Bush Local members

Matinees: £15

• £10.00 concessions (registered unemployed and disabled)
• £10.00 for students/under 26s
• £10.00 for Senior Citizens
• 10% off for Bush Local members

Season Offers*

Season 3 for 2
See 3 shows for the price of 2. Valid for top price tickets only, shows must be purchased at the same time. Not valid for previews, matinees or RADAR.

Live or work locally – Join our free local membership scheme Bush Local for £12.50 preview tickets, 10% off all other performances and a 10% discount at the Cafe Bar. For more information and to become a member, visit bushtheatre.co.uk

Educational Groups – Schools tickets are £10 (matinees) and £12.50 (evenings), plus one teacher goes free with every 10 pupils. To reserve tickets, please call the Box Office between 12 – 8pm.

Bush Connect scheme – A free membership scheme for students and under 26s, BUSH CONNECT offers its members £10-£12.50 tickets for all Bush Theatre productions, a 10% discount at the Cafe Bar, special offers, giveaways and competitions, and exclusive events and networking opportunities.

Group Bookings – Book for a group of 11 or more people and the 11th person will go for free.

*Terms and conditions apply, see the Bush website for further information.

Steven Furst is currently appearing in the amazing Made in Dagenham at the Aldephi Theatre in London.  This show is ending far tragically early on the 11th of April so be quick and see it before its too late

Favourite show (whether you have been in it or not)?

Oooh hard one. I would say Guys and Dolls is up there but for me Jesus Christ Superstar will always be a favourite.

Favourite book?

Always love PG Woodhouse, anything by JP Donleavy. Just finished The Bees by Laline Paul – extraordinary.

Favourite theatre?

The National.

Favourite song?

Spinning Wheel. Its a tune I have sung for over 20 years as my alter ego Lenny Beige. Written by Blood Sweat and Tears and covered by many many people.

Favourite music?

Music is my main passion. It would be impossible to say a favourite genre. I adore Northern Soul, funk, easy listening, chamber pop, old school heavier rock like Led Zep, just so many. And because my parents were classical musicians this is also a genre I love.

Favourite food?

Another passion. I do like the simplicity of Greek food. A a Jew I love Chinese food. Woody Allen once said Jews know two things; suffering and where to get great Chinese food.

What is your favourite role?

MY own favourite  was playing Stuart in a play called Wet Weather Cover about 2 actors in a caravan on a film set in Spain.

What was your first role?

I was 13 in the Hampstead Garden Suburb Amateur Dramatic Society playing a young boy in Alan Bennett’s 40 Years On.

And what role would you really like to play?

I’ve never really done Shakespeare and very open to that idea. The Fool perhaps in Lear. I would also love to do a Pinter, love the dark dark humour of his stuff.

You’re clearly very talented and had a varied career, do you prefer writing or performing?

OH performing. Always performing. I try to write but find it a constant struggle. I am good at writing bits and bobs and gags for various characters and shows but sit-coms or films, not good.

So to follow on, do you prefer TV or Theatre?

I adore both. I love the family feeling of being in a company but I like the initmacy of doing television. I am lucky in that I seem to do both

Can you tell us about Lenny Beige and the Mayor of Kentish Town?

Lenny Beige has been in my life for more than 20 years. He’s an old school all-round cabaret entertainer. He’s based largely on my hero Anthony Newley, of of this country’s greatest all rounders. Beige has allowed me to do some amazing work with some extraordinary people over the years. The Mayor is my newest creation and is loud, brash, and going down very well. I am about to do some live gigs as him, and we have a YouTube full of little films we shot last years. He is potentially the most appealing character I have ever done.

If you weren’t a performer what would you be?

I would probably have gone into music production. I play many instruments and have a good ear.

What advice would you give 16 year old Steve?

Learn the piano. And practice. Lots of practice for whatever you want to do. I spent too many gigs being ill-prepared.

What was the last stage show you saw and really enjoyed?

I adored Clarence Darrow with Spacey. A masterclass.

You were in the Orange adverts, did people think you were a real studio exec rather than an actor?

Ha ha. Not really. But those were some very very happy days shooting over 30 commercials.

And you were in the Legend of Dick and Dom, do you have a large child/teen/student fan base now because of it?

There are a few fans of that show. And the biggest fans of it were those of us in it. Another beautiful working experience. We are all still in touch and we still hold out hope for another series

Can you tell us what you will be up to next?

Lots of live gigs, Lenny is doing his 21st Anniversary Show back in his old venue, plus London Wonderground in August. The Mayor is doing lots of stand up gigs and we are releasing a Mayor/Lenny Beige Rap Battle single called ‘Bring The Ruckus/30 Years A Beige’ available for download on the 30th April.

 

A big thank you to Steven for answering the questions

Sunderland Empire

Summer Season at a Glance

Following a momentous 2014 which brought North East premieres of War Horse, The Lion King and Jersey Boys to the region, the 2015 summer season at Sunderland Empire continues to deliver the West End to the North East with an array of dazzling and mesmerising productions.

 

Audiences will be transported to the French Riviera and its decadent underworld this Summer, when Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (9-20 June) hits the stage, direct from the West End. Based on the classic comedy film starring Sir Michael Caine and Steve Martin,sophisticated and suave with a good dash of mischief Dirty Rotten Scoundrels follows two seasoned swindlers as they attempt to hoodwink a millionaire heiress, as the pair compete in the true art of the con. Soon realising the town ain’t big enough for the both of them, the two find themselves going head to head in the con of their lives!

 

The glamour of Hollywood’s golden age is then set to dazzle as Top Hat (24 June – 4 July) brings the glorious, tap-dancing magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to the stage. Packed with Irving Berlin’s greatest hits including, Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat, White Tie & Tails, Let’s Face the Music & Dance and Puttin’ on the Ritz, this uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy dazzles with over 200 beautiful costumes, breathtaking dance and a love story that will set the pulse racing!

 

From the producers of Hairspray, Midnight Tango, West Side Story and The Rocky Horror Show comes Love Me Tender (13-18 July)is a hilarious, feel-good musical featuring Elvis Presley’s greatest hits. In a small town in 1950’s America, a guitar-playing, hip-swivelling stranger rides his motorbike into town. Is he The Devil In Disguise or a Hound Dog in his Blue Suede Shoes? The townsfolk are about to be All Shook Up and could be headed for Heartbreak Hotel, but for Natalie, the love-struck, tomboy mechanic, it really is Now or Never. Packed with 25 of the best loved songs by The King himself, Love Me Tender, by the writer of the award-winning West End and Broadway smash hit Memphis, is a funny and moving tale of hope, second chances and the healing qualities of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

 

Winner of seven 2013 Olivier Awards, the highly-acclaimed National Theatre production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (11-15 August) returns to the North East as part its nationwide tour. Christopher, fifteen years old, has an extraordinary brain – exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing Mrs Shears’ dog, it takes him on a journey that upturns his world. This thrilling new stage play based on the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon, adapted by Simon Stephens and directed by Marianne Elliott.

 

End the summer with the ultimate party as Priscilla Queen of the Desert (31 August – 5 September) is back by overwhelming popular demand. Based on the smash-hit movie, the feel-good international hit sensation Priscilla is the heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship and end up finding more than they could have ever dreamed of. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and a hit parade of dance floor classics including It’s Raining Men, I Will Survive, Hot Stuff, Finally, Boogie Wonderland, Go West, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and I Love The Nightlife, this wildly fresh and funny hit musical will take you on a journey to the heart of fabulous!

 

All topped off by the return the hugely popular Broadway and West End phenomenon Jersey Boys (8-19 September). This smash hit musical has won 55 major awards worldwide, including the Olivier Award for Best New Musical and continues to play at the Piccadilly Theatre, London. Jersey Boys tells the true life story of four boys from the wrong side of the tracks who wrote their own songs, invented their own unique sound, and sold 175 million records worldwide. Featuring hit after legendary hit including Beggin’, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Oh What A Night, Sherry, Walk Like A Man, Bye Bye Baby, Big Girls Don’t Cry and many more.

 

Ahead of the summer season, Wicked flies into Sunderland (31 March – 25 April 2015) to make it’s North East debut for a limited 4 week engagement,  with  thrilling technical wizardry, stunning costumes and show-stopping songs, the global phenomenon is set to leave audiences spellbound. Agatha Christies’ The Mousetrap (5-9 May) is back by popular demand laced with intrigue and mystery. Famous around the world as being the longest running show of any kind in the history of British theatre – with over 25,000 performances it’s a play to be proud of.

 

Smash hit Broadway musical, The Producers (11-16 May) is a hilarious musical comedy featuring a riotous mix of eccentric characters including award-winning comedian Jason Manford and legendary funny man Phill Jupitus. Based on Mel Brooks’ much loved Academy Award winning movie, The Producers has taken Broadway and the West End by storm, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards and 3 Olivier Awards. Impoverished by a string of flops, New York producer Max Bialystock recruits timid accountant Leo Bloom to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. Together they aim to produce the worst show ever and run away to Rio with millions. Filled with fabulous costumes, glamorous dancing girls, hysterical show tunes – including the all-time classicSpringtime For Hitler – and an incredible live band.

 

Lovingly ripped off from the classic film comedy Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Spamalot (18-23 May) gallops back direct from three years in the West End to theatres across the land (to the sound of banging coconut shells). Spamalot is a kind-of-new musical with a book by Eric Idle and an entirely new score for the new production (well, almost), created by Eric Idle and John du Prez.

 

Having confessed that performing live on stage gives him the greatest pleasure, the multi-award winning acknowledged master of psychological illusion Derren Brown: Miracle (25-30 May) is, once again, looking forward to the challenge that comes with being acknowledged as one of the world’s most renowned live performers; a dark manipulator of magic and mind control. This will be Derren’s seventh show since 2003. Since then he has toured every year and been watched by an estimated audience of over one and a half million people. He has won two prestigious Olivier Awards, for Something Wicked This Way Comes (2006) and Svengali(2012). His last show, Infamous, was universally acclaimed by critics and audience alike.

 

Looking further ahead Cole Porter’s classic, multi-award winning musical-comedy Anything Goes (29 September – 3 October) sails into town, followed by the hit West End and Broadway production of Shrek the Musical (11-22 November) stomping by. Ballet’s greatest love story returns in Birmingham Royal Ballet’s lavish production of the timeless classic Swan Lake (22-24 October) and a gem of a pantomime returns with Aladdin (11 December – 3 January).

Following a record-breaking worldwide tour Richard O’Brien’s classic the Rocky Horror Show (15-20 February 2015) is ready to thrill you once again with its frothy fun and naughty moments! Bursting at the seams with timeless classics, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn it Janet, and of course, the pelvic-thrusting Time Warp, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror show is a non-stop party!

 

Complemented by a host of one night spectaculars from comedy greats including with Jimmy Carr (11 July) and Paddy McGuiness(31 January 2016) stunning vocals from The Carpenters Story (10 July), The Drifters (23 July) and The Rat Pack (3 June) to name a few this season is brimming with a variety of phenomenal showstoppers to thrill and entertain the region!

 

 

For more information call the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022*, visit www.atgtickets.com/sunderland* or call into our Box Office on High Street West.

 

All tickets can be purchased in person from the Box Office on High Street West, Sunderland, the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* and online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*

*A transaction fee applies to telephone and online sales.

 

Sunderland Empire Information:

Sunderland Empire is managed by Ambassador Theatre Group on behalf of the Sunderland Empire Trust and is supported by Sunderland City Council.