Month: June 2015

The award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, last night marked its second anniversary with a gala performance and party for cast, crew and special guests.

Zachary Loonie (one of the four talented young actors who plays Charlie Bucket) led the curtain call at the end of the show with Jonathan Slinger (Willy Wonka) and fellow cast members, before all attending a party at Sway Bar Holborn.

Also present were guests Kara Tointon, Hannah Tointon, Tom Pellereau, Indira Varma, Claudie Blakely, Killian Donnelly and more.

A new trailer for the show is available to view at https://youtu.be/1vfeqaI0g0Q.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has quickly become one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals. It won two Olivier awards in April 2014, and has broken records at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it has been seen by over 1,400,000 people since it opened in June 2013. It is currently taking bookings until 4 June 2016.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is directed by Sam Mendes. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig, set and costume designs by Mark Thompson and choreography by Peter Darling.

The Official Cast Recording album is available on Sony Records, on CD and download.

This world premiere musical is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Langley Park Productions.

Full cast: Jonathan Slinger, Barry James, Ross Dawes, Josefina Gabrielle, Jasna Ivir, Paul J. Medford, Lara Denning, Derek Hagen, Roni Page, Myra Sands, Kraig Thornber, Joe Allen, Meg Astin, Joel Baylis, Andy Brady, Simon Campbell, Georgia Carling, Andrew Carthy, Collette Coleman, Dan Cooke, Divine Cresswell, Billy Cullum, Connor Dowling, Kelly Edwards, Gemma Fuller, Kate Graham, Sam Lathwood, Lucinda Lawrence, Mark Oxtoby, Matthew Rowland, Rebecca Seale, Steven Serlin, Gregory Sims, Robert Tregoning, Tara Verloop, Michelle White, Mark Williamson.

www.CharlieandtheChocolateFactory.com
Box Office: 0844 858 8877
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5JF
Booking until 4 June 2016

X Factor finalist and star of the stage version of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Diana Vickers will star in the role of Janet Weiss alongside Emmerdale actor, Ben Freeman, who will play the role of Brad Majors. S Club 7 star, Paul Cattermole, will join Ben and Diana by playing Eddie and Dr. Scott. Following his huge success in over 900 performances of the 40th Anniversary Global Tour of The Rocky Horror Show, Kristian Lavercombe returns as Riff Raff. Further casting to be announced soon.

Diana Vickers (Janet) first came to public attention in 2008 when she was a finalist on The X Factor, before signing a record deal with RCA Records and getting a number one single and album. After her second album, Diana starred in the West End production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, for which she received excellent reviews from the press and the role won her the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards ‘London Newcomer of the Year’. She then went on to star in the West End production of Duck House alongside Ben Miller and Simon Shepherd.

Ben Freeman (Brad) is best known for playing the role of Scott Windsor in Emmerdale, but he also starred on stage in the West End productions of Legally Blonde, Dreamcoats and Petticoats and Wicked. He has also starred as The Fonz in the UK touring production of Happy Days.

Paul Cattermole (Eddie / Dr. Scott) has just completed the sold out S Club 7 Bring It All Back 2015 UK Tour with the other members of S Club 7 after they reformed at the start of the year. The group initially shot to fame in 1999 and had four number one singles and a number one album, as well as a series of TV shows including Miami 7, LA 7, Hollywood 7 and Viva S Club. Paul and the rest of S Club 7 also performed at Party At The Palace as part of Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubliee celebrations on 1 June 2002.

Kristian Lavercombe (Riff Raff) delighted fans when he starred in over 900 performances of The Rocky Horror Show as Riff Raff in The Rocky Horror Show’s 2013 / 2014 40th Anniversary World Tour in 2013, before continuing in the role as part of the global 40th Anniversary Tour.

JK Rowling’s boy wizard will hit the stage in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, written by Jack Thorne and directed by John Tiffany at the Palace Theatre, London in Summer 2016.

Thorne and Tiffany worked together on John Ajvide Lindqvist’s Let the Right One In, which ran at the Apollo Theatre last year, and are now set to tell the story of Potter’s pre-Hogwarts years in a production co-produced by Rowling along with Sonia Friedman and Colin Callender.

According to the Daily Mail, one of the play’s themes will be exploring what happened to Harry’s parents before they were killed by Lord Voldemort.

John Tiffany’s other directing credits include Once, Black Watch and The Glass Menagerie on Broadway. Jack Thorne’s other plays include Bunny, When You Cure Meand an adaptation of Friedrich Duerrenmatt’s The Physicists.

The Harry Potter series, comprising of seven books, has sold over 450 million copies since the first one – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone – was released in 1997.

The world famous Royal Shakespeare Company will return to Newcastle next week with an energetic new production for 8-13 year olds – The Famous Victories of Henry V. The production plays the Theatre Royal on Tuesday 30 June, and in schools in the North East between 1-3 July.

 

The Famous Victories of Henry V is a 90 minute adventure condensing the three great plays of Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V, and is the perfect first encounter with Shakespeare for young audiences.

 

Using Shakespeare’s original language, The Famous Victories of Henry V introduces us to notorious bad boy Prince Hal as he swaps his rebellious life on the streets of London for the battlefields of France to become one of the most famous heroes in British history. Hal’s epic journey into adulthood will lead its young audience through a life of scandal, parties, friendships, family feuds, rebellion and new responsibilities, ending in glorious victory as the once infamous Prince of England becomes the brave and noble King Henry V.

 

The production takes place in the 600th anniversary year since the battle of Agincourt, and complements the RSC’s recent History plays.  The title of The Famous Victories is taken from an early play that may have inspired Shakespeare to write theHenry plays.

The cast includes: Daniel Abbott (Mistress Quickly/King of France); Martin Bassindale (Henry V); Nicholas Gerard-Martin(Dericke/Constable); Dale Mathurin (John/Warwick); Evelyn Miller (Rakehell/Hotspur/Sheriff/Dauphin); Leigh Quinn(Poins/Prince John/Katherine); and Simon Yadoo (Falstaff/Henry IV/Erpingham).

 

Directed by Owen Horsley, the production celebrates the RSC’s commitment to creating live theatre for young audiences and is part of its First Encounters with Shakespeare programme.

 

Owen was recently Assistant Director on Gregory Doran’s productions of Richard II and Henry IV Parts I and II.  He is Artistic Director of Eyestring Theatre Company, and in 2010 became Associate Director for Cheek by Jowl, after being Declan Donnellan’s Assistant Director on a number of productions.

 

Talking about the production, Owen said: “The Famous Victories of Henry V weaves Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I and II andHenry V together to produce the ultimate coming of age story.  Our production, which tells of how the wayward Prince Hal becomes a heroic and valiant King, is bold, dynamic and fun.  With the help of our young audience we hope to create a lively show that celebrates the power of imagination and the wonder of theatre.”

 

Other members of the creative team include: Simon Anthony Wells (designer), Jon Lawrence (Sound), Polly Bennett(Movement), and Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown (fights).

 

The tour of The Famous Victories of Henry V forms part of the RSC’s Learning and Performance Network (LPN), a three year touring and education partnership with ten regional theatres and their local schools including:  Hull Truck, Hull; New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under Lyme; Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne; Curve, Leicester; and the Hall for Cornwall, Truro.

 

Erica Whyman, RSC Deputy Artistic Director, said:  “Many of us have our first encounter with Shakespeare at school and that experience can define our attitude to live theatre and to Shakespeare for the rest of our lives.  This tour brings the thrill and excitement of these extraordinary plays right to the heart of schools, regional theatres and communities.  Most importantly, those schools and theatres are long term partners with us here at the RSC, all working to ensure children and young people have vivid, accessible and memorable experiences of theatre and Shakespeare.”

 

The Famous Victories of Henry V appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal for two performances only on Tuesday 30 June 2015 at 10am & 1.30pm. Tickets are available priced at £11, and only £6 for under 18s (save 50p per ticket by booking online) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk

 

There are also public performances of the production in the following schools:
St Michael’s Primary School
Wednesday 1 July, 9.30am, 1.30pm

Sacred Heart Catholic High School
Thursday 2 July, 7pm

Crook Primary School, County Durham
Friday 3 July, 6pm

 

Manchester International Festival invites Sara Pascoe to perform her latest show The Museum of Robot Pussycats at the Pavilion Theatre at Festival Square on 10 July 2015.

An exploration of the stories that nobody wants to tell; the first drafts, the scribbled-outs and the haven’t-got-an-endings. Learn about the girl whose face was so oily that the U.S. went to war with her, the man who tips over bins, and what happens to monkeys when you replace their mothers with robots. NOT TO MENTION PUSSY CATS.

Sara Pascoe is an acclaimed comedian and actress who began performing stand-up in 2007. In 2014 Sara performed at the Edinburgh Festival and toured the UK for the first time with the show Sara Pascoe Vs History, the show was subsequently nominated for the prestigious Foster’s Edinburgh Comedy Award 2014 for Best Comedy Show. Sara’s television credits include Stand Up For The Week, The Thick of It, Mock The Week, Live at the Apollo, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, Campus, Being Human, Twenty Twelve and W1A. Additionally Sara will be bringing out a book next spring, published by Faber and Faber.

 

LISTINGS

Sara Pascoe – The Museum of Robot Pussycats
Pavilion Theatre
Friday 10 July 7.30pm
£12 (£5 off for Limited Concessions) – Wheelchair Accessible
Box office: www.mif.co.uk | 0844 871 7654
MIF15 Members priority booking Friday 26 June 10am
www.mif.co.uk
0844 871 7658

Tickets go on sale on Saturday 27 June 10am

GIGI by Colette and Anita Loos

Tabard Theatre, London W4 28th October– 21st November 2015

The Tabard Theatre in West London plays host to Colette and Anita Loos’ GIGI for a limited run, Wednesday 28th October – Saturday 21st November. Last seen in London almost 60 years ago, this production is directed by veteran New York and London producer/director Mark Giesser.

Paris, 1900. Bright, vivacious Gigi lives the carefree life of a schoolgirl in a family of modest means. She particularly enjoys card games with her much-older friend Gaston, a wealthy playboy. But her life is a bit different from that of an ordinary sixteen-year-old. Gigi is the next generation of a family of courtesans. Her grandmother and Aunt Alicia, the family matriarch, are determined that Gigi succeed where her mother failed. When Gaston notices more about Gigi than her eagerness to play cards, aunt and grandmother set their sights on an arrangement. Gigi has other ideas about her future. Will she prove as adept at romance as at cards?

‘Mark Giesser’s satirical take on the events leading to the infamous Battle of the Alamo … lights up with moments of inspired lunacy.’ Time Out (4 Stars) on Good Morning, Alamo!

Colette’s classic story was adapted as a Broadway comedy in 1951 by Anita Loos (GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES), which then inspired the film and stage musicals. This original version of GIGI debuted in the West End in 1956. It returns to the professional London stage under the direction of Mark Giesser, whose production of Alan Alda’s RADIANCE played a record-setting run at the Tabard earlier this year.

‘It works quite beautifully … The hands of the director carry the timing to perfection.’

London Theatreviews on RADIANCE: The Passion of Marie Curie

Mark Giesser has written, directed and produced in numerous theatre venues in both London and

New York. London credits include his plays HOW TO BUILD A BETTER TULIP, the UK premiere of CODE OF THE WEST and the world premiere of GOOD MORNING, ALAMO! (Tabard Theatre); the revival of BELL, BOOK & CANDLE (Greenwich Playhouse); the UK premieres of the Abbey Theatre’s BLACKWATER ANGEL (Finborough Theatre) and Alan Alda’s RADIANCE: THE PASSION OF MARIE CURIE. Off-Broadway productions of his plays include HOW TO BUILD A BETTER TULIP, CODE OF THE WEST, HANSEN’S CAB, THE NIGHT THEY BURNED WASHINGTON, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

GIGI is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, LTD.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION:

Venue: Tabard Theatre, 2 Bath Road, London W4 1LW

Dates: Wednesday 28th October – Saturday 21st November, 2015

Times: Tuesday – Saturday, 7.30pm; Sunday matinees, 2pm on 8th & 15th November

Press night: Friday 30th October, 7pm

Tickets: £18/ £16 (concessions)

Box Office: 020 8995 6035/ www.tabardtheatre.co.uk

 

Open auditions will be held for the upcoming West End production of Broadway hit musical Motown.

The show, which follows the career of producer and songwriter Berry Gordy and the creation of Motown Records, opens at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 11 February 2016.

Auditions will take place at the London Welsh Centre (157-163 Gray’s Inn Road, London, WC1X 8UE) on 7 July, with registration from 10am until 1pm, and will give people the opportunity to play the “iconic artists of Motown” in the show.

Featuring hits including “My Girl,” “What’s Going On,” “Dancing in the Street,” “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, the show premiered on Broadway in 2013.

Motown is currently booking until 22 October 2016. Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, it has music supervision by Ethan Popp, co-orchestrations and additional arrangements by Bryan Cook, dance arrangements by Zane Mark and music direction by Gareth Weedon.

The award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, will mark its second anniversary tonight with a gala performance and party for cast, crew and special guests.

Jonathan Slinger (Willy Wonka) and Zachary Loonie (one of the four talented young actors who plays Charlie Bucket) will lead the cast in tonight’s birthday performance, before attending the show’s birthday party.

A new trailer for the show is available to view at https://youtu.be/1vfeqaI0g0Q.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has quickly become one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals. It won two Olivier awards in April 2014, and has broken records at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it has been seen by over 1,400,000 people since it opened in June 2013. It is currently taking bookings until 4 June 2016.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is directed by Sam Mendes. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig, set and costume designs by Mark Thompson and choreography by Peter Darling.

The Official Cast Recording album is available on Sony Records, on CD and download.

This world premiere musical is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Langley Park Productions.

Full cast: Jonathan Slinger, Barry James, Ross Dawes, Josefina Gabrielle, Jasna Ivir, Paul J. Medford, Lara Denning, Derek Hagen, Roni Page, Myra Sands, Kraig Thornber, Joe Allen, Meg Astin, Joel Baylis, Andy Brady, Simon Campbell, Georgia Carling, Andrew Carthy, Collette Coleman, Dan Cooke, Divine Cresswell, Billy Cullum, Connor Dowling, Kelly Edwards, Gemma Fuller, Kate Graham, Sam Lathwood, Lucinda Lawrence, Mark Oxtoby, Matthew Rowland, Rebecca Seale, Steven Serlin, Gregory Sims, Robert Tregoning, Tara Verloop, Michelle White, Mark Williamson.

The after-show party will take place at Sway Bar Holborn.

www.CharlieandtheChocolateFactory.com
Box Office: 0844 858 8877
Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5JF
Booking until 4 June 2016

 

Battersea Arts Centre is partnering with the company behind the regeneration of Battersea Power Station to create a “cultural resource” at the development.

Housed in Circus West, the first phase of the £6 billion development, the Village Hall will provide a “cultural resource for existing and future local residents and the arts community in Wandsworth and beyond”.

BAC, which recently suffered a devastating fire at its home in the former Battersea Town Hall, will host a series of workshops with residents to create a programme of “activities, services and performances” in the Village Hall.

David Jubb, artistic director, said: “Together we aim to create an open invitation for people to enjoy an exciting new cultural space that links to the dynamic cultural life of the borough and London. I think this venture demonstrates the value of culture for our communities, old and new.”

As well as the Village Hall, Battersea Power Station will host an array of cultural events at a range of spaces across the 42-acre site. These include the riverfront park, the Boiler House (a 2,000 person venue within the Power Station) and the restored Control Room.

Dave Twohig, head of design at the development, said: “By partnering with such an established organisation the Battersea Power Station team knows that the arts provision in the Battersea area can be strengthened and Battersea Power Station welcomes any approaches from other groups who want to become part of the growing artistic community.”

Part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015
MIXTAPE
Bite-sized comedy inspired by music

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL PREVIEW
Date: Friday 24 July, 7.30pm
Venue: Live Theatre, Newcastle
Tickets: £8 full price, £6 concession
Box office: 0191 232 1232
Internet: www.live.org.uk

EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
Dates: Thursday 6 to Sunday 30 August, 10.20pm
Venue: Belly Laughs, at Underbelly Cowgate (venue 61)
Tickets: £11 – £7 full price, £10 – £7 concession
Box office: 0844 545 8252
Internet: www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk
Mixtape is altering the comedy circuit with their unusual bite-sized sketches inspired by music. Part theatre show and part music quiz Mixtape is the perfect night out for comedy, theatre, music and pub quiz fans.

 

After a succession of sell-out shows at Live Theatre in Newcastle, and a successful festival tour in 2014 (to the Secret Garden Party, Hijack and Larmer Tree Festival), Mixtape are proud to announce their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut bringing their unique brand of comedy to the Underbelly (venue 61) from 6 to 30 August.

 

The performers, called Mixtapers, take songs and using only the song’s lyrics create mini comedy sketches. At the Fringe they’ll be presenting a selection of shows inspired by different music genres in the Underbelly’s Belly Laugh space at 10.20pm every night. The themes include The 80’s, Brit Pop, Girl Bands vs. Boy Bands, Solo Stars and Rock ‘n’ Roll Jukebox.

 

The rules? Only the lyrics from the song can be used to form the script and the running time of the sketch must not be longer than the track that inspired it. The lyrics can be reordered and repeated in any way that the Mixtape writers choose, but no additional words can be used to form the plays script (bar the occasional improvised ad-lib).

Audiences can play along and every night they have the chance of winning the highly coveted Golden Mixtape if they manage to correctly guess the songs and bands or solo artists that inspired each short sketch. The players with the most correct answers will walk away with that evening’s Golden Mixtape trophy. Plus, for the Fringe, they will also be awarding a limited edition purple Mixtape (a colour inspired by the Underbelly) for the best musically inspired costume. The team or player with the best outfit will win the Mixtape costume contest and receive this limited edition cassette tape.

Conceived by theatre director and writer Melanie Rashbrooke, Mixtape is a fun night of theatrical madness written and performed by some of the most exciting writers and theatre makers around. In addition to the sketches written by Melanie each Mixtape also features a selection of sketches written by guest writers. For the Fringe these include Traverse 50 writer Alison Carr (Fat Alice, Traverse), Lee Mattinson (who won the Royal Exchange’s inaugural Hodgkiss Award in 2014) and Nina Berry (Rendezvous, Live Theatre).

On Friday 24 July Mixtape will preview a selection of their favourite Edinburgh Fringe sketches at Live Theatre in Newcastle. This is a chance to see some of their Edinburgh sketches first, before they head to the Underbelly for the summer.

 

Tickets for Mixtape at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are from £7 and can be booked online at www.underbellyedinburgh.co.uk and www.edfringe.com or via phone on 0844 545 8252.

 

Tickets for the Live Theatre preview are £8 full price and £6 for concessions and can be booked online at www.live.org.uk or via phone on 0191 232 1232.

 

Follow updates on Twitter @ukmixtape or on Facebook at /mixtapetheatre