Month: July 2015

One of the greatest musicals of all time, The Sound of Music, returns to the stage in a new production which opened at Leeds Grand Theatre this week to standing ovations.

Playing the iconic role of Maria von Trapp is Danielle Hope, who captured the hearts of the country when she won BBC Television’s Over the Rainbow and made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium. Danielle has since played Eponine in Les Misérables in London’s West End and Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

 

Captain von Trapp is played by much-loved stage and television star Steven Houghton. The Sheffield-born actor – who trained here in Leeds at Northern School of Contemporary Dance – is well-known for his longstanding television roles in Coronation Street and London’s Burning. Olivier-Award nominated actor Steven has taken on leading roles in Spend Spend Spend, Blood Brothers, White Christmas, Martin Guerre and Grease.

 

Joining Danielle and Steven are West End stars Jan Hartley (Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story) andSarah Soetaert (Chicago) who will play the Mother Abbess and Baroness Elsa Schrader, respectively, withHoward Samuels as Max, Grace Chapman as Liesl, Luke George as Rolf, Kate Milner Evans as Frau Schmidt and Martin Dickinson as Admiral Von Schreiber.

 

Produced by Bill Kenwright, directed by Martin Connor, choreographed by Olivier Award winner Bill Deamer, musical direction by David Steadman, this wonderfully lavish new staging of the classic musical coincides with the 50th anniversary of the film version – the most successful movie musical in history.

 

It all began with the story of the Trapp Family Singers and Baroness Maria von Trapp’s 1949 autobiography, which inspired Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse to create a Broadway musical in 1959. The Sound of Music tells the true story of the world-famous singing family, from their romantic beginnings and search for happiness, to their thrilling escape to freedom as their beloved Austria becomes part of the Third Reich at the start of WWII.

 

The unforgettable score features some of the most memorable songs ever performed on stage, including Edelweiss, My Favourite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, So Long, Farewell and of course, the title song, The Sound of Music.

 

The Sound of Music is at Leeds Grand Theatre until Saturday 1^st August.

 

Tickets are on sale now priced from £18.50 too £42.

 

Book online at www.leedsgrandtheatre.com or call box office on 0844 848 2700.

 

Grand Theatre, Leeds – 21 July 2015

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens, as the saying goes, are favourite things.  Well my favourite things are well acted performances and well sung musicals and The Sound of Music certainly managed this.

This latest offering in what appears to be a Kenwright season at the Grand is maybe the best show so far.  This glorious new production, directed by Martin Connor, hasn’t cut any corners for this tour.  Clever set design and scene changes transported us to an Alpine haven where, at least in the beginning, life was untouched by the Nazi menace threatening Europe at the time

‘But how did they solve the problem of Maria?’ I hear you cry.  Well, in Danielle Hope they have a courageous postulant nun, struggling tunefully with her conscience over whether to follow the God or Captain Von Trapp.  Anyone who thinks reality TV shows aimed at finding stars of the future are a nonsense would certainly reconsider after seeing Hope exercise her amazing vocal range in this production.  Her victory in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Over The Rainbow was just the start of this wonderfully talented actress.

Local boy, Steven Houghton takes on the role of Captain Von Trapp. A handsome, aloof disciplinarian, whose barriers are broken down by his encounter with Maria and by music. There is a real spark between Maria and the Captain that helps take the story beyond the sugar coating that most people associate with The Sound of Music.

And as for those children, they are superb, once more the heart and soul of this most tireless of musicals.  Grace Chapman as oldest child Liesl was convincing in her role as the big sister of the brood, genuinely seeming to care for the little ones in her charge.  And the many other children who play the Von Trapps are outstandingly talented for ones so young

There are moments of sorrow, joy and some genuine humour but its the singing that powers this show.  The rhapsodic nuns in The Sound Of Music are lead by Jan Hartley as the Mother Abbess. Hartley’s Abbess is one of the best I’ve seen and her Climb Every Mountain was as uplifting and inspirational as you could hope for.  Closing both first and second half of the show.  The end of the first was a truly breathtaking performance but the end of the second, as the family escaped over the Mountains into Switzerland, brought tears to the eyes.

The Sound of Music is a musical that transcends all ages and the audience at the Grand reflected that, from children right through to the elderly. It may not be edgy or modern, but watching The Sound of Music is like slipping on a comfortable pair of slippers and indulging in one of your favourite things

At Leeds Grand until Saturday 1st August 2015

 

 

 

 

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Live Theatre is involved with five productions at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, including Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, the world premiere of a new play by Lee Hall; bursary-winning play The Soaking of Vera Shrimp; the Fringe debut of all-female sketch group Your Aunt Fanny; Key Change, a play made with female prisoners in association with Open Clasp, and bite-sized music based comedy Mixtape.

 

The World Premiere of Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour by Lee Hall (The Pitmen Painters, Billy Elliot), is co-presented by Live Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland and directed by former NTS artistic director Vicky Featherstone. Based on Alan Warner’s cult Scottish coming-of-age novel Our Ladies… is a funny, sad and raucously rude production about singing, sex and Sambuca.  At the Traverse from Tuesday 18 to Sunday 30 August for the Festival Fringe, the play will then tour Scotland and has its English Premiere at Live Theatre from Thursday 1 to Saturday 24 October.

Your Aunt Fanny, the all female sketch group, featuring some of the most talented members of Live’s Youth Theatre, make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut at Just the Tonic from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 29 August. The original sketches that celebrate everything that is funny and inappropriate are written by two of the North East’s most exciting writers, Laura Lindow (Rendezvous) and Lee Mattinson (Donna Disco). The show, suitable for audience members aged 16 and over, contains strong language and strong women. Your Aunt Fanny have an Edinburgh Festival preview at Live Theatre on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August as part of Our World Live Theatre’s 16^th Annual Youth Theatre Festival.

The Soaking of Vera Shrimp, written by former Traverse 50 writer Alison Carr, also makes its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut and can be seen at Attic, The Pleasance Courtyard between Wednesday 5 and Monday 31 August. This compelling, moving and funny solo-show about a girl with a remarkable gift is presented by Rosie & Me in association with Live Theatre. The play was the winner of Live Theatre/The Empty Space’s Bursary Award 2013 and was developed at Live Theatre, previewing at the venue in 2014.

 

Key Change presented by Open Clasp Theatre Company in association with Live Theatre will be at Northern Stage at Summerhall between Saturday 8 and Sunday 30 August. Devised with women from HMP/YOI Low Newton Prison, Key Change is a raw and illuminating portrayal of women in prison and was originally toured to male prisons. The show had its theatre debut at Live Theatre last year and will return to Live Theatre on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September.

 

After a succession of sell-out shows at Live Theatre, Mixtape make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut taking their part theatre show and part music quiz to the Underbelly from Thursday 6 to Sunday 30 August. The Fringe Preview of their unusual bite-sized sketches inspired by music can be seen at Live Theatre on Friday 24 July. Currently based at Live Theatre, the Mixtapers, as the performers are known, also include several members of Live Theatre’s staff.

 

Max Roberts, Artistic Director, Live Theatre said;

“Whilst it is great to have a high profile show such as Our Ladies… at the Traverse, our co-production with National Theatre of Scotland, I’m delighted that we have been able to support a number of shows developed at or with Live Theatre to find at platform at this years’ Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It takes a lot of energy to take a show to the Festival and I admire their ambition and tenacity and recommend that they all are worth watching if you are in Edinburgh this August.”

For more information on the Live Theatre shows going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe see http://www.live.org.uk/live-theatre-productions-on-tour.

Dusty, a multi-media show celebrating the musical icon Dusty Springfield, has announced an extension to its run at the Charing Cross Theatre with bookings now being taken up to 21st November 2015. The revised press night will take place on Monday 7th September 2015.

With original music by the legendary artist Dusty Springfield, audiences see and hear Springfield on stage using the most up-to-date 3-D technology and digital media. Combined with a musical theatre format of live performance, music and dance, Dusty follows the highs and lows of Springfield’s rise from middle class suburban London to the recording of her seminal album Dusty in Memphis.

The current cast comprises Ellie Ann-Lowe (Mary O’Brien), Francesca Jackson (Nancy), Stewart McCheyne (DJ Dave Dean), Ben Tolley (Johnny Franz), Leo Elso (Dion O’Brien/Tom Springfield), Joe Vetch (Douggie Reece), Joan Walker (Kay O’Brien), Graham Kent (Gerard ‘OB’ O’Brien), Tristan Pate (Vic Billings), Allyson Ava Brown (Martha Reeves), Danielle Kassarata (Maddie), Arabella Rodrigo (Norma) and ensemble members Danielle Harrison, Bex Leung, Cleo Jaeger and Marianna Neofitou.

Written by Kim Weild and Duncan Sibbald with dramaturg Jack Bradley, Dusty is directed by Ben Woolf with set designs by Phil Lindley, lighting by Richard Williamson, choreography by Lyndon Lloyd and sound by Paul Gavin and James Nicholson. Musical direction is by Dean Austin.

Dusty is produced in the West End by Freddie Madden, Patrice Wilson and Darren DeVerna with Andrew Green as Executive Producer and Paul Howes as Associate Producer.

Evie Hone and Lizzie Wells will join Anna-Louise Knight and Lara McDonnell in the title role of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical from Tuesday 15 September 2015. Joining the four actresses will be Michael Begley (Mr Wormwood), Miria Parvin (Miss Honey) and Rebecca Thornhill (Mrs Wormwood). Craige Els will continue in the role of Miss Trunchbull.

Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, Matilda The Musical has now received 50 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York, and has been seen by over three million people worldwide. The London and Broadway productions of Matilda The Musical have been joined by the US tour which opened in Los Angeles in May. Next month the Australian premiere will take place in Sydney on 20 August at the Lyric Theatre.

Michael Begley’s recent theatre credits include After Electra directed by Samuel West (Theatre Royal Plymouth & Tricycle Theatre), Mrs Lowry and Son (Trafalgar Studios), Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic), If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Bush Theatre), Rhinoceros (Royal Court Theatre), The Arsonists (Royal Court Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Royal Exchange Manchester) and Pravda (Chichester Festival Theatre and Birmingham Rep). In addition to his roles on stage, Michael has appeared on screen in Foyle’s War, Being Human and Doctor Who. Michael’s film credits include the co-lead with Timothy Spall in Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise directed by Danny Boyle for BBC Films.

Miria Parvin recently starred in the West End production of Once (Phoenix Theatre). Miria made her professional debut in 2006 playing the leading role of Pearl in the UK Tour of Starlight Express and has since gone on to play Ariel in Footloose (West End & Tour) and Sarah in Our House (UK Tour) before starring as Sophie in Mamma Mia! (International Tour). Miria’s additional theatre credits include The Magic Flute (Finland Tour) and productions with the Finnish National Opera.

Rebecca Thornhill is an Olivier Award-nominated actress with an illustrious musical theatre background. Rebecca’s previous stage credits include lead roles in From Here To Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre and USA Tour), Chicago (Adelphi Theatre), Ragtime(Piccadilly Theatre), Witches of Eastwick (Prince of Wales and UK Tour), South Pacific (UK Tour),Beauty and the Beast (Dominion Theatre) and Les Misérables (Palace Theatre and Denmark). In addition to her credits in the West End, Rebecca has appeared at the National Theatre in Singin’ in the Rain (for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award) and played Gertie in Trevor Nunn’s production ofOklahoma! opposite Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman.

The young performers who will play the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda, Nigel, Eric and the other pupils at Crunchem Hall from September are as follows: Leo Ayres, Charlie Barnard, Thomas Berry, Fifi Bloomsbury-Khier, Tilly Cook, Bronte Cosgrave, Ellie Dadd, Connor Deeks, Carla Dixon, Dayna Dixon,Denzel Eboji, Keyaan Hameed, Hannah Hague, Darcy Hillhouse, Caoimhe Judd, Sophie Keaveney, Demi Olawovin, Ben Perkins, Max Reader, Jason Rennie, Joe Sheridan, Jacob Smith, Eva Trodd, Harrison Vaughan and Jamie Wilding.

The adult cast includes Fabian Aloise, Robbie Boyle, John Brannoch, Oliver Brooks, Jonathan Cordin, Olly Dobson, Demi Goodman, Elliot Harper, Will Hawksworth, Kate Kenrick, Rachel Moran, Tom Muggeridge, Matt Serafini, Biancha Szynal, Charlotte Scott, Laura Tyrer and Sharlene Whyte.

Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011. In 2014 Matilda The Musical celebrated its 1000th performance in London and tickets are now on sale until May 2016 at the Cambridge Theatre.

Having swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda The Musical has gone on to take Broadway by storm winning four Tony Awards® and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for each of the four girls sharing the title role. The New York production ofMatilda The Musical, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, opened in March 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. The Australian premiere of Matilda The Musical will take place in Sydney on 20 August at the Lyric Theatre.

Matilda The Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was developed with the support of Company Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.

Matilda The Musical is written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Listings Information

MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU
Booking until 29 May 2016
Tuesdays 7pm
Wednesday – Saturday 7:30pm
Wednesday & Saturday 2:30pm
Sundays 3pm

Extra matinee performances – Thursday 30 July & Thursday 29 October

Box Office: Cambridge Theatre 0844 412 4652 / RSC Ticket Hotline 0844 800 1110

To book online visit: www.matildathemusical.com

The Royal Court, London –  18 – 25 July 2015.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The intimate Jerwood Theatre Upstairs is an ideal space for Primetime – a series of short plays written by primary children aged 8-11 and directed by Debbie Hannan. Sitting on fluffy purple mats around the stage, the audience is involved immediately, high fiving the cast and trying out their musical instruments.

The cast – Kate Adler, Heather Dutton, Kezrena James, Joshua Miles, Ronak Patani and Linden Walcott-Burton – throw themselves into their multiple roles with gusto, and look like they are having as much fun as the audience. Their physical comedy and dance skills, and their interaction with the children were fantastic.

Music and dance are used cleverly to introduce each new play as you are taken on a rollercoaster ride through tales of a pauper king who lives in a hole and steals from Alan Sugar, an outer space rap battle for the ultimate prize – a barbecued chicken wing, a bigoted English lady who wants everyone to be the same, a mad scientist and his very special delivery, an evil megalomaniac who sends everyone over 20 back in time, a Scottish wizard with an umbrella fetish, and a monster-turned-human fighting for monster rights.

There are some huge shifts in tone between plays. Most had me giggling, but during “Lost” – a surprisingly effective spinetingler – some younger children were beginning to cling to their parents. The writer knows his audience though, and threw in a few gags just where they were needed. Before making us all jump out of our skins.

Of course it is obvious that these plays were written by children. If you want sophisticated drama, you’re in the wrong place! But that is the appeal of this show, because it reminds us how children see the world. Among the insane characters and poo and fart jokes (at which us adults were laughing loudest) are deeply moralistic stories about honesty, friendship, diversity and acceptance.

But I’m a grown-up, what do I know. Walking out of the theatre surrounded by children talking non-stop I can tell you that it was “Ace. Awesome. Cool.”
And apparently someone is going to write a play like that one, but with giant robots.

A wonderful feel-good family show for the Summer holidays – and anyone inspired by what they see can book one of the free family writing workshops led by a Royal Court writer on 24th and 25th July.

A CHILLED OUT EXPERIENCE AT THE PANTOMIME

Darlington Civic Theatre and Qdos Entertainment to present a specially adapted ‘relaxed’ pantomime performance of Cinderella on Friday January 8, 2016.

Darlington Civic Theatre and Qdos Entertainment are delighted to be bringing a specially adapted performance of the spectacular family pantomime, Cinderella, designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorders.

This relaxed performance will allow audience members to leave the auditorium and return at any time, light and sound levels will be specially adapted, and there will be a ‘chill-out zone’ outside the auditorium. Audience members can talk as much as they like and there will be no expectation that the audience has to be quiet.

The special relaxed performance is on Friday January 8 at 2pm, tickets are £8.50. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486555.

Starring in Cinderella will be Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh and Pudsey alongside Brendan Sheerin from Coach Trip and Niki Evans from The X-Factor. Managing Director of Qdos Entertainment’s pantomimes division, Michael Harrison, said; “The success that Ashleigh and Pudsey have enjoyed since winning Britain’s Got Talent is tribute to the popularity and versatility of the act. Everyone from The Queen to the cinema-going millions have enjoyed Ashleigh and Pudsey’s tricks and routines, which will feature heavily in this year’s panto.”

Cinderella runs at Darlington Civic Theatre from Saturday 5 December 2015 to Sunday 10 January 2016. For tickets and more information visit darlingtoncivic.co.uk or call the box office on 01325 486555.

YORK THEATRE ROYAL AND EXPLORE YORK LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ANNOUNCE SUMMER PETTICOAT HUNT.

York Theatre Royal and Explore York Libraries and Archives have joined forces to launch a competition which will encourage visitors to libraries to scour the shelves for more than just books and hunt a red petticoat. Where’s the Petticoat? will take place at libraries across York for four weeks, starting on Monday 20 July.

The red petticoat is in reference to the iconic moment in E. Nesbit’s classic novel The Railway Children where the children avert disaster using their flannel underclothes as flags. This scene also forms one of the most spectacular scenes in the York Theatre Royal production of The Railway Children which is returning to the National Railway Museum from 31 July.

If visitors find the petticoat in any one of the fifteen libraries in the Explore York Libraries and Archives group, including the Reading Cafes and mobile library, they will be entered into a draw each week to win a pair of tickets to the show. The petticoat will travel around the city and will be found at different locations throughout the four weeks.

Where’s the Petticoat? runs in conjunction with Explore York Libraries and Archives Summer Reading Challenge. All children aged 5 and over are challenged to read six books over the summer holidays. The challenge was launched on Saturday 11 July with a Readaloudathon at Explore York, a marathon read-aloud session from 8am to 8pm. The Railway Children cast member Martin Barrass who plays the role of Mr Perks took part and read the nail-biting red petticoat chapter to a rapt audience.

Frances Postlethwaite, Children’s Librarian said:

It is great to be working with York Theatre Royal on the Where’s the Petticoat? competition. I know the children in our libraries love treasure hunts and tickets to their production of The Railway Children make a fantastic prize. We really appreciate this support for the Summer Reading Challenge, which has proven to be very important in helping children to become confident readers as well as helping them to love books and reading.

The Railway Children, returns to its original home at the National Railway Museum in York from 31 July 2015 until Saturday 5 September. Tickets are priced between £10 and £32.50 and can be bought by calling the Box Office on 01904 623568, securely online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or in person at York Theatre Royal’s Box Office in De Grey Rooms on St Leonard’s Place. Entry to the National Railway Museum and the Playing Trains Exhibition is free.