Theatre N16 Venue Change and Autumn Season Announcement

theatren16Following a successful and ambitious opening season in May 2015, Theatre N16 is returning – but it’s moved south, now residing at The Bedford Pub in Balham. This autumn season’s diverse and trailblazing programme is designed to bring its audience cutting-edge fringe performances of new writing, opera–play reductions, and lesser-known gems, spanning the genres of opera, theatre, and dance, and providing creative opportunities to those specialising in a wide variety of creative disciplines.

Theatre N16 has very quickly established itself as a force to be reckoned with” London Theatre 1

This adventurous autumnal foray, programmed to expand the classical genres of theatre and opera, explores the work of some of the all-time great writers, the current cultural vanguard, and the young talent that Theatre N16 is committed to supporting. Season highlights include a three-week world-premiere production of upcoming novelist and poet Kiran Milwood Hargave’s Boat, directed by Jermyn Street Theatre’s associate director, Max Barton, who is renowned for his work with Stephen Berkoff and Trevor Nunn. Theatre N16 will also present a two-week run of Stephen Thompson’s Spincycle. Thompson is celebrated for his writing credits on Doctor Who, Sherlock, and Upstairs Downstairs.

There’s a clear passion radiating from the venue’s artistic directors. You can sense they’re not just looking to programme the obvious commercial hits, there’s going to be an element of experimentation to follow – basically, taking a chance on new things.” Views From The Gods

Committed to the development of young artists, the theatre will also host a series of shorts nights, workshops, film screenings, and talks from leading industry professionals about the business of theatre. An initiative devised by Theatre N16’s co-artistic director Ella Marchment will be at the very heart of the autumn season’s cultural programme: combining her passion for both theatre and opera, she will be adapting Wagner’s Die Meistersinger and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin into plays, which will feature the music from the operas when dramatically appropriate, in order to create a more realistic genre of opera–theatre. Marchment is also the artistic director of Helios Collective and her productions have received five-star reviews from leading opera publications, including Opera Magazine.

“… it takes major league cojones to open a new theatre in the capital..” London Theatre 1

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing company founded by young people, for young people. It is London’s newest fringe venue, and its artistic directors and co-founders Jamie Eastlake and Ella Marchment are dedicated to creating a creative hub where new and existing works can be explored and pushed into new realms. They are proud of Theatre N16’s commitment to the welfare of creatives, operating without a hire fee for external companies. This promoting and nurturing of talent means that Theatre N16 is a bastion for development within the context of a society in which the arts are increasingly struggling to stay afloat.

Listings:
• 14 September – 29 September
Theatre N16 present Simon Reade’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s Private Peaceful and Luke Barnes’ Bottleneck
• 4 October – 8 October
Red Cape Black Cape presents A Fistful of Honey, Hell and Other People
• 11 October – 15 October
Theatre N16 presents an adaptation of Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
• 19 October – 6 November
Strickland Productions presents Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s Boat
• 8 November – 19 November
The Canting Crew presents Stephen Thompson’s Spincycle
• 15 November
Goblin Baby presents The Princess Monologues
• 22 November – 26 November
Bigmouth Theatre Company and Fox Theatre present Superfans
• 29 November – 30 November
Dickinson, Woolf and Parker present Conversations Down the Line and No Offence Theatre presents Torn Apart
• 1 December – 3 December
Secret Opera presents Dorothy
• 6 December – 17 December
Theatre N16 presents an adaptation of Pushkin and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin

Theatre N16, The Bedford Pub, 77 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9HD
Travel: Balham station (2 min walk), Streatham Hill station (20 min walk)
www.theatren16.co.uk / +44 7969138899

 

The Rat Pack Live returns To The Arts Theatre

rat-pack-liveFor the second year running, Hartshorn – Hook Productions brings its signature Edinburgh Festival sell-out show The Rat Pack – Live to the Arts Theatre for a stunning night of 1950s glitz and glamour.

Ol’ Blue Eyes is Back, 100 years after his birth, so come and revel in the world of Frank, Dean and Sammy live at the Arts as their legendary recordings are brought to life on stage in the most sophisticated evening of razor-sharp wit and silky-smooth swing you’ll see all year.

The evening will feature a full throwback to 60s Las Vegas, with a black tie dress code, red carpet entrance and happy hour cocktails at the world-famous Covent Garden Cocktail Club. At 8.30pm, a 60-minute celebration of the Rat Pack’s music will perform in London’s most intimate West End theatre followed by a live jazz band that will blast the night away in the bar after the show. This isn’t just a quick hour at the theatre, it’s a full night’s experience as we celebrate the golden years of popular swing and jazz.

Having bid farewell to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2014, Hartshorn – Hook’s The Rat Pack – Live has been an annual highlight in the festival calendar, and last year had its biggest and best production yet. For the finale, producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook gathered the creme-de-la-creme of performers from years gone by, as well as some new faces, with the greatest band the show has ever seen.

Since the creation of The Rat Pack – Live in 2007, Hartshorn – Hook have cemented themselves as producers of internationally successful theatre and events, producing over 50 shows at the Edinburgh Festival. As well as The Rat Pack and its sister show, A Tribute to the Blues Brothers – Live, H+H are known for American Idiot (West End Premiere, associate producer), Urinetown (associate producer) Away From Home (national and international tour), I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (starring Julie Atherton and Simon Lipkin, 2015), Woody Sez, Some Small Love Story, Beulah and over 50 more productions around the UK.

Starring
KIERAN SIMS
MICHAEL DUKE
LOUIS HARTSHORN
RACHAEL OWENS
MARIE WILSON

Director: Lily Howkins
Musical Director: James Robert Ball
Lighting Design: Richard Williamson
Producers: Louis Hartshorn and Brain Hook
Assistant Producers: Crystal Noll and Paul Vrides
Gala Night: Monday 19th October 2015, doors 7pm, performance 8.30pm
The Arts Theatre
http://artstheatrewestend.co.uk/

 

Hangmen Review

Royal Court 10th September – 10th October.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

 

It’s been ten years since Martin McDonagh’s last UK play – but it was well worth the wait.

Hangmen is full of the black humour and deft dialogue that makes McDonagh’s work so memorable, and is performed with relish by the wonderful cast.

The play begins with a hanging. It is 1963 and a young man dies protesting his innocence. This opening scene is brutally funny and shocking, but ends with something near a meditation on the hangman’s noose.

The action then jumps to the second anniversary of this hanging  – the day that hanging is abolished. Harry Wade (David Morrissey) runs a pub in Oldham and is a big fish in a very small pond – more of a puddle really. He is surrounded by sycophantic drinkers angling for a free half and is goaded into giving an interview about his career as a hangman. A mysterious stranger (Johnny Flynn) comes to the pub and stirs up trouble, followed by a visit from Harry’s old assistant Sid (Reece Shearsmith), who was dismissed in disgrace. When Harry’s daughter Shirley (Bronwyn James) disappears, the men fear the worst.

David Morrissey is full of swagger and ridiculous self importance as Harry. His petty jealousy and competition with Pierrepoint – the number one hangman – descends into playground insults. Morrissey masterfully portrays the insecurity of the man and strips away the bravado to show moments of a father’s helpless despair.

When Shearsmith is on stage, you cannot keep your eyes off him. This is a finely nuanced performance – every gesture and glance is relevant and usually very, very funny.

Flynn is enigmatic and menacing as the stranger Mooney. He has many long, almost stream of consciousness speeches, and changes tone and mood in an instant mid sentence. Very unsettling. His scenes with the female cast members are deliciously uncomfortable, and he delivers McDonagh’s fantastic insults about the North with a biting malice.

The whole cast give superb performances, with impeccable timing and rapport. Ralph Ineson is at his laconic best as Inspector Fry, who would much rather be nursing a pint than solving a crime, and Simon Rouse is hysterical as Arthur, the old man in the pub who needs everything repeated before he gives his own scathing opinions.

The sets are brilliantly atmospheric – I expected Fletch and Godber to walk into the prison cell, and you can almost smell the stale beer in the pub.

You may feel a little smug at the interval, thinking that you have worked out exactly what is going on, but that certainty is demolished within the first two minutes of the second act. McDonagh cleverly leaves Harry and Sid to sum up what has actually happened, or not happened, in their own bluff way at the end of the play as they consider guilt, innocence and justice.

Hangmen is a darkly funny, twisting and twisted tale by a master of the genre. Go and see it!

Strictly Come Dancing Live returns to Sheffield Arena for a fab-u-lous ninth year

 STRICTLY COME DANCING

THE LIVE TOUR

RETURNS FOR A FAB-U-LOUS NINTH YEAR

STARRING TV JUDGES

LEN GOODMAN, CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD AND BRUNO TONIOLI


SHEFFIELD ARENA

TUESDAY 26TH – WEDNESDAY 27TH JANUARY 2016

BBC One’s popular entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing returns to TV screens this month for an exciting new series, featuring another amazing line up of famous faces from the worlds of show business, music, sport and television.

Tickets for the 2016 Strictly Come Dancing Live UK Tour, which stops off at Sheffield Arena Tuesday 26th & Wednesday 27th January 2016 will go on general sale from 9am on Monday 28th  September 2015.

Tickets purchased by telephone on 0114 256 5656 or online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk are priced £38.50 – £71.50 (including booking fee).

Tickets purchased in person at the Arena Box Office are priced £36.75 – £68.25 (including booking fee).

Judges from the TV series Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli, will be back together again as they are reunited for the 2016 dates! Craig Revel Horwood will also direct the tour for the sixth year in a row. With all of the showbiz sparkle, breathtaking choreography and incredible live music that Strictly is famous for, audiences can experience everything that they love about the TV show live on stage.

Head Judge Len Goodman said: “It’s going to be great to be back on the tour watching some of the best dancers from the TV series out on the road. I can’t wait to find out who will be joining Craig, Bruno and myself – it’s going to be a lot of fun! We’ll be pulling out all the stops, with a terrific line up of celebs and their dance partners.”

Bruno Tonioli said: “It’s going to be fantastico! Who would believe that we’re on to our thirteenth series of Strictly and our ninth live UK tour? I can’t wait to see all those beautiful people in the arenas and all the passion on the dance floor.”

Craig Revel Horwood added: “I am very pleased to have my fellow amigos Len and Bruno back on tour with me! I’m extremely excited to be directing the show again and have lots of new surprises up my sleeve. It’s going to be another fab-u-lous extravaganza for the whole family to enjoy.”

This super-sized spectacular arena tour features many of the celebrities and professional dancers from the hugely anticipated thirteenth series, as they take to the dance floor and recreate their most popular TV dance routines. Details of celebrities and professional dancers appearing on tour will be announced over the next few months.

As with the television show, the judges will provide their invaluable wisdom, advice and scores at each performance. But not only are the celebrities and their dance partners competing for the judges’ scores, they will also be battling to win votes from the arena audiences, who can text vote via their mobile phones and ultimately have the power to decide who wins the prized Glitterball Trophy at the end of each performance.

The 30 show spectacular will visit the biggest entertainment venues across the UK including Sheffield Arena.

The tour has received rave reviews since it began in 2008 and the 2015 shows were no exception. The Daily Telegraph heaped praise on the production and gave it a 4 star review, saying: “the infectious atmosphere is hard to resist, proving that a dash of Strictly magic does a lot of good”.  The Daily Express and Sunday Express agreed, both awarding glowing 4 star reviews. The Daily Mirror said: “A show full of spectacle, with a great live band and singers”, while Metro said: “The perfect tonic for those winter blues, the live show features all the best elements from the TV series”.

Last December an audience of over 11 million viewers tuned in to watch the nail-biting Strictly Come Dancing Grand Final on BBC One, when TV presenter Caroline Flack was crowned the winner with her professional dance partner Pasha Kovalev.  The television format,  internationally known as Dancing with the Stars, is one of the most successful TV formats ever created and has been sold into over 50 countries around the world.

What the critics said about Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour:

“Strictly magic”

DAILY TELEGRAPH ????

January 2015

“A great night out”

SUNDAY EXPRESS ????

January 2015

“The contestants rock their frocks to the max”

DAILY EXPRESS ????

January 2015

“Electrifying”

Metro

January 2015

“A show full of spectacle”

DAILY MIRROR

January 2015

“Cha-cha-charming!”

DAILY MAIL ????

January 2014

“If you’re beset by the mid-winter blues, you just need to lose yourself

in Strictly’s stylishly choreographed wonderland”

DAILY TELEGRAPH

January 2014

“Pure Strictly magic, and as good as it gets”

MAIL ON SUNDAY ????

January 2013

STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR is produced by Stage Entertainment and Phil McIntyre Entertainments, in association with BBC Worldwide.

Tickets for the Sheffield Arena dates go on general sale at 9am on Monday 28th September, in person at the Arena Box Office, by telephone on 0114 256 5656 or online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.

MOUSETRAP THEATRE PROJECTS ANNOUNCES FREE SCHOOLS’ MATINEE FOR 13 YEAR-OLDS TO SEE STOMP

MOUSETRAP THEATRE PROJECTS ANNOUNCES

FREE SCHOOLS’ MATINEE FOR 13 YEAR-OLDS TO SEE

STOMP

AT LONDON’S AMBASSADORS THEATRE

ON MONDAY 12 OCTOBER

 Laetitia Lawrence STOMP London credit Steve McNicholas (2)

As part of STOMP’s continuing 13th Birthday celebrations in London’s West End, the show’s producers have invited Mousetrap Theatre Projects to organise a special free schools’ matinee for 13 year-olds on Monday 12 October at the Ambassadors Theatre.  The performance will begin at 2.00pm, followed by a Q&A with the cast.

 

Steve McNicholas, co-creator of STOMP, said, “we wanted to find a different way to celebrate 13 years in the West End, and what could be better than opening our doors to other 13 year old Londoners?”

 

Mousetrap has invited groups of 13 year-olds from state-maintained mainstream schools with 40% or more of their pupils receiving free school meals to attend the free matinee.  They have also invited 13 year-olds from schools who have previously not participated in a Mousetrap theatre trip.

 

STOMP won the ‘Most Dazzling Choreography’ Award at this year’s Mousetrap Awards, which are the only theatre awards voted for by young people, who also create the categories.

 

Since 1997, Mousetrap Theatre Projects has been committed to providing opportunities for disadvantaged young people and young people with special needs to attend outstanding theatre productions across London.  Last year, Mousetrap took more than 16,000 young people to the theatre. The charity identifies young people through London state secondary schools (mainstream and special), families and youth clubs.  It now runs 18 access, creative learning and youth engagement programmes to further an interest in theatre and make it more accessible for young people who would otherwise not have the opportunity to attend theatre.

 

“Mousetrap Theatre Projects is thrilled to offer free tickets to the fantastic production of STOMP to 13 year olds in schools across London to celebrate the show’s 13th birthday.  We have used this opportunity to reach out to schools in some of London’s most disadvantaged communities as well as schools that have never accessed our programmes.  We feel this is the ideal show for this age group and will be a wonderful and memorable first theatre experience for these students,” said Susan Whiddington, Director of Mousetrap Theatre Projects.

 

A teacher at Mayfield School, Dagenham, Essex said, “Once I was forwarded the email from the head of faculty, there was no choice but to apply.  It was far too good of an opportunity to pass up.  I think it is so important for our students to get the opportunity to see live stage performances as many have never experienced this.  Especially a show as unique as STOMP.  For the show to be free for the students is amazing.  On behalf of the students and staff of Mayfield School I would like to say a big THANK YOU!”

 

STOMP, created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas was first performed in 1991 in Edinburgh.  The show played Sadler’s Wells Theatre in 1994 and won the Olivier Award for Best Choreography, before opening in New York, where it is now celebrating its 21st birthday.  The European company was created in 1997 and began its London run at the Vaudeville Theatre in 2002, transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre in 2007.

 

One of Britain’s greatest exports, STOMP has toured the globe for 22 years, playing over 20 thousand performances to more than 12 million people in 53 countries on 6 continents.  There are currently four STOMP companies performing worldwide: one on tour in North America, another throughout Europe and the rest of the world, one in New York, and one in London.

 

The cast of STOMP in London currently includes Omari Carter, Nigel Clarke, Simone Clarke, Hugo Cortes, Paul Gunter, Melanie Joseph, James Lane, Laetitia Lawrence, Serena Morgan, Paul Bend, Rob Shaw, Adam Buckley, Meloné M’Kenzy, Andrew Patrick, Paul Russell, Jasper Valentine and Simeon Weedall.  

 

STOMP is presented in London by Yes/No Productions and Glynis Henderson Productions Limited.

STOMP LISTINGS INFORMATION

 

Ambassadors Theatre

West Street

London WC2H 9ND

 

Box Office: 08448 112 334

 

Tickets: £26 to £52.50 + a £2.50 transaction fee

 

Performances: Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 6pm, with matinees Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 3pm*

*Extra Performances:  Wednesday 17 February 2016 3pm & 8pm, Wednesday 30 March 2016 3pm & 8pm, Wednesday 6 April 2016 3pm & 8pm, Wednesday 1 June 2016 3pm & 8pm

 

Christmas 2015/16 Performance Schedule

 

Monday 21 December                             8.00pm

Tuesday 22 December                            NO PERFORMANCE

Wednesday 23 December                       3.00pm and 8.00pm

Thursday 24 December                           3.00pm

Friday 25 December                                NO PERFORMANCE

Saturday 26 December                            3.00pm and 8.00pm

Sunday 27 December                              3.00pm and 6.00pm

Monday 28 December                             8.00pm

Tuesday 29 December                            8.00pm

Wednesday 30 December                       3.00pm and 8.00pm

Thursday 31 December                           3.00pm and 6.0pm

Friday 1 January                                     NO PERFORMANCE

Saturday 2 January                                 3.00pm and 8.00pm

Sunday 3 January                                   3.00pm and 6.00pm

 

Running Time: 100 minutes with no interval

 

Current Booking Period: 5 June 2016

 

www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk

www.stomplondon.com

@StompTour

 

Harlem Globetrotters, Sheffield Arena, Thursday 28th April 2016

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS
CELEBRATE 90 HISTORIC YEARS
SHEFFIELD ARENA

THURSDAY 28TH APRIL 2016

Celebrating 90 years of providing smiles, sportsmanship and service to millions of people worldwide, the world famous Harlem Globetrotters, featuring some of the greatest athletes and entertainers on the planet, will bring their unrivalled family show to the United Kingdom for an 11-game tour in the spring of 2016 during their 90th anniversary world tour.

The Globetrotters will stop off in Sheffield for one night only on Thursday 28th April. Tickets go on general sale at 9am on Friday 25th September.

Tickets booked by phone on 0114 256 5656 or online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk are priced £49.50, £31.35, £23.65 & £16.50 (including booking fee). Tickets booked in person at the Arena Box Office are priced £47.25, £29.94, £22.58 & £15.75 (including booking fee).

With a star-studded roster featuring Big Easy Lofton, Ant Atkinson, Hi-Lite Bruton, Thunder Law, Bull Bullard and Cheese Chisholm – plus female stars TNT Maddox and Sweet J Ekworomadu* – the Globetrotters’ one-of-a-kind show is unrivalled in the world of family entertainment. With incredible ball handling wizardry, rim-rattling dunks, trick shots, hilarious comedy and unequalled fan interaction, this must-see event is guaranteed to entertain the whole family.

Tickets for the Harlem Globetrotters Sheffield engagement go on sale at 9am on Friday 25th September, in person at the Arena Box Office, by phone on 0114 256 5656 or online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.

Darlington Civic Theatre – La Traviata

Civic Theatre Hi Res Logo (1)BOLSHOI SOLOIST TO PERFORM IN DARLINGTON

Irina Bozhenko, Bolshoi Theatre soloist, is coming to Darlington Civic Theatre to perform in Verdi’s opera masterpiece La Traviata on Tuesday 6 October.

Irina Bozhenko, who has starred in operas across the globe, will be making a guest appearance in Darlington, in the leading role of Violetta.

Following the enthusiastic reception which greeted the performance of Rigoletto opera earlier this year, the renowned Russian State Ballet and Opera House is back with one of the greatest of Verdi’s operas La Traviata – a love story shrouded in sacrifice and misunderstanding.

This haunting tragedy, with its beautiful arias, will transport you into the entrancing world of French High Society in the 1850s. One of the most powerful and moving of all tragic operas, Giuseppe Verdi brings the beguiling splendour and gaiety of mid-19th century Parisian life to the stage. But there is also heartbreak and pathos in this tragic and resonant morality tale in which Violetta, a high-society courtesan with a heart of gold, sacrifices everything for the man she loves.

It is deservedly one of Verdi’s most popular operas and probably the one with which he felt the closest emotional connection.

La Traviata, an ultimately tragic tale, combines compelling characters with hugely powerful, moving and instantly recognisable melodies, making it still, 162 years after its 1853 debut, one of the most emotionally engaging and popular operas of all time. It is a deeply moving opera filled with emotion and strokes of genius.

Q&A with Irina Bozhenko, who has starred in operas across the globe, and will be making a guest appearances in the leading role of Violetta in Darlington.

  • bozhenko1How old were you when you realised that you wanted to be an Opera singer?

I used to sing in kinder garden and then in school where I was part of the school choir. I went through a stage of trying to be like Whitney Huston. Especially, I used to love singing when I did chores at home.

  • What do you do after a performance?

We have a tradition with the cast – After any premiere we get together to celebrate and discuss the performance. We are all together in it, rehearsals, stress, and performances, so it’s important to share the feelings with each other and get it out of your chest.

  • How do you separate work from home?

I never bring my work home. Although sometimes if I can’t get things right I moan to my husband. He is a good musician so he understands what I am talking about.

  • What do you like doing in your free time?

I like to cook and being outside. Nothing extraordinary. Being surrounded by nature calms me down. It’s important for me to switch off at the right moment. We give so much emotion on stage it’s vital to recharge.

  • If you could, what message will you give to the audience?

Don’t be shy to show your emotions, it is really important for us. At the end of the day we are singing for you!

La Traviata is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 6 October. Tickets* are £29 to £36.

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

**ENDS**

RELEASE DATE: For immediate release

PUBLIC INFORMATION: (01325) 486 555 or [email protected]

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION / INTERVIEWS / IMAGES:

Julian Cound, Marketing Officer, 01325 405511 [email protected]

Strictly Come Dancing Live confirms a fabulous ninth year

STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR

RETURNS FOR A FAB-U-LOUS NINTH YEAR

STARRING TV JUDGES

LEN GOODMAN, CRAIG REVEL HORWOOD AND BRUNO TONIOLI

METRO RADIO ARENA NEWCASTLE

WEDNESDAY 3RD & THURSDAY 4TH FEBRUARY 2016

BBC One’s popular entertainment show Strictly Come Dancing returns to TV screens this month for an exciting new series, featuring another amazing line up of famous faces from the worlds of show business, music, sport and television.

Judges from the TV series Len Goodman, Craig Revel Horwood and Bruno Tonioli, will be back together again as they are reunited for the 2016 dates! Craig Revel Horwood will also direct the tour for the sixth year in a row. With all of the showbiz sparkle, breathtaking choreography and incredible live music that Strictly is famous for, audiences can experience everything that they love about the TV show live on stage.

Head Judge Len Goodman said: “It’s going to be great to be back on the tour watching some of the best dancers from the TV series out on the road. I can’t wait to find out who will be joining Craig, Bruno and myself – it’s going to be a lot of fun! We’ll be pulling out all the stops, with a terrific line up of celebs and their dance partners.”

Bruno Tonioli said: “It’s going to be fantastico! Who would believe that we’re on to our thirteenth series of Strictly and our ninth live UK tour? I can’t wait to see all those beautiful people in the arenas and all the passion on the dance floor.”

Craig Revel Horwood added: “I am very pleased to have my fellow amigos Len and Bruno back on tour with me! I’m extremely excited to be directing the show again and have lots of new surprises up my sleeve. It’s going to be another fab-u-lous extravaganza for the whole family to enjoy.”

This super-sized spectacular arena tour features many of the celebrities and professional dancers from the hugely anticipated thirteenth series, as they take to the dance floor and recreate their most popular TV dance routines. Details of celebrities and professional dancers appearing on tour will be announced over the next few months.

As with the television show, the judges will provide their invaluable wisdom, advice and scores at each performance. But not only are the celebrities and their dance partners competing for the judges’ scores, they will also be battling to win votes from the arena audiences, who can text vote via their mobile phones and ultimately have the power to decide who wins the prized Glitterball Trophy at the end of each performance.

The tour has received rave reviews since it began in 2008 and the 2015 shows were no exception. The Daily Telegraph heaped praise on the production and gave it a 4 star review, saying: “the infectious atmosphere is hard to resist, proving that a dash of Strictly magic does a lot of good”. The Daily Express and Sunday Express agreed, both awarding glowing 4 star reviews. The Daily Mirror said: “A show full of spectacle, with a great live band and singers”, while Metro said: “The perfect tonic for those winter blues, the live show features all the best elements from the TV series”.

Last December an audience of over 11 million viewers tuned in to watch the nail-biting Strictly Come Dancing Grand Final on BBC One, when TV presenter Caroline Flack was crowned the winner with her professional dance partner Pasha Kovalev. The television format, internationally known as Dancing with the Stars, is one of the most successful TV formats ever created and has been sold into over 50 countries around the world.

What the critics said about Strictly Come Dancing The Live Tour:

“Strictly magic

DAILY TELEGRAPH ★★★★

January 2015

“A great night out”

SUNDAY EXPRESS ★★★★

January 2015

“The contestants rock their frocks to the max”

DAILY EXPRESS ★★★★

January 2015

“Electrifying”

Metro

January 2015

“A show full of spectacle”

DAILY MIRROR

January 2015

“Cha-cha-charming!”

DAILY MAIL ★★★★

January 2014

“If you’re beset by the mid-winter blues, you just need to lose yourself

in Strictly’s stylishly choreographed wonderland”

DAILY TELEGRAPH

January 2014

“Pure Strictly magic, and as good as it gets”

MAIL ON SUNDAY ★★★

January 2013

 

Tickets costing £35.00, £45.00 & £65.00 will go on sale 9.00am Monday 28th September 2015 and are available online, from the booking hotline number 0844 493 6666 or from 10.00am in person from the Metro Radio Arena Box Office.

  • Tickets are available from:-
  • Credit Card Booking and Information Line 0844 493 6666
  • The Metro Radio Arena Newcastle Box Office (Mon – Fri: 10.00am 4.00pm, Sat: 11.00am – 2.30pm)
  • Internet Site:- www.metroradioarena.co.uk
  • Group Bookers should call (0191) 260 6006
  • Accessible Bookings should call (0191) 260 6066 for further details

 

MICHAEL FLATLEY TO RETIRE FROM PROFESSIONAL DANCE FOLLOWING HIS BROADWAY DEBUT

** H I S L A S T D A N C E **

MICHAEL FLATLEY
TO RETIRE FROM
PROFESSIONAL DANCE
FOLLOWING HIS
BROADWAY DEBUT
IN THE GLOBAL PHENOM
“L O R D  O F  T H E  D A N C E : D A N G E R O U S G A M E S”

COMING TO BROADWAY
AT THE LYRIC THEATRE

BROADWAY ENGAGEMENT
WILL CELEBRATE 20th ANNIVERSARY OF
“LORD OF THE DANCE”

PERFORMANCES BEGIN ON NOVEMBER 7, 2015
FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT THROUGH JANUARY 3, 2016

OPENING NIGHT SET FOR NOVEMBER 10, 2015

 
New York, NY (September 21, 2015) – Following an acclaimed sold-out run in London, Live Nation and Michael Flatley present the Broadway and New York premiere of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, created, directed by and starring international sensation Michael Flatley in what will serve as his swan song as a performer, celebrating his Broadway debut with the 20th Anniversary of Flatley’s Lord of the Dance global enterprise.
 
The limited 8-week engagement begins Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 2:00 p.m.and will play through Sunday, January 3, 2016 at 7:30 p.m. at The Lyric Theatre (213 West 42nd Street). Opening Night is set for Tuesday, November 10, 2015.
 
Trailblazing Irish dancer Michael Flatley, making his long-awaited Broadway debut in Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, is the creator of the internationally-recognizable brand Lord of the Dance which singlehandedly brought Irish Dance to a global audience with productions in countless countries around the world for over two decades.
 
The limited Broadway engagement of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games will feature Flatley in a special appearance at the end of each evening performance as well as a troupe of Irish Dance’s most accomplished performers, and featuring Flatley protégés Morgan Comer, James Keegan and Fergal Keaney in the title role of the “Lord of the Dance.” The show also features exciting and ground-breaking new technology, including holographs, special effects lighting, dancing robots, world champion acrobats and of course the greatest team of Irish Dancers in the world. The score is composed by Gerard Fahy.
It was recently announced that the smash-hit London run of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, which recently ended its limited engagement at the Dominion Theatre, will also appear on the West End again, this time at the Playhouse Theatre, October 10, 2015 through January 3, 2016.
 
Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games on Broadway will play the following performance schedule:
Tuesdays -Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday & Saturday at 2:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.
PLEASE NOTE: There are no performances on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, Christmas Eve, December 24, and New Year’s Eve, December 31.
 
There are special added performances scheduled on Monday, November 23 at 7:30 p.m., Friday, November 27 at 2:00 p.m., Monday, December 21 at 7:30 p.m., and Monday, December 28 at 7:30 p.m.
The performance schedule for Sunday, December 27 and Sunday, January 3 will be 2:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
 
Mr. Flatley will not perform at matinee performances. Due to prior commitments Mr. Flatley will not perform at the evening performances on November 18, November 19, December 4, and December 5.
 
Tickets for Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, priced from $57.50 – $147.50, with higher priced Premium seating, will be available online beginning September 25 at www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling (800) 745-3000. The Lyric Theatre Box Office (213 West 42nd Street) will open on October 19, 2015. For group sales information, please contact Leisure Connect by calling (877) 881-8651, or by visiting the website at www.leisureconnect.com/lordofthedance.html. For your online PR, you can use the following hyperlink to the group sales website: Leisure Connect Group Sales.
 
Michael Flatley first stepped onto the world stage when he toured with The Chieftains. In 1994 he changed the face of Irish Dance forever with his breath-taking creation of Riverdance. He went on to create Lord of the Dance which debuted at the Point Theatre in Dublin in 1996. His name and Lord of the Dance brand have become synonymous with spectacular artistry and grand scale productions that have mesmerized audiences around the globe. He broke the mould of traditional Irish Dancing by incorporating upper body movement and creating edgy rhythm patterns that departed from the traditional. Mr. Flatley has created, directed and produced several successful shows including Lord of the
Dance, Feet of Flames and Celtic Tiger.
 
Lord of the Dance has broken box office records all over the world. In 1998 Lord of the Dance set a record breaking run of 21 consecutive shows at London’s legendary Wembley Arena. It is a record that still stands to this day. Worldwide video sales were in excess of 12 million copies.
 
Feet of Flames was the first show ever to be performed at London’s historic “Route of Kings” in Hyde Park. This show reached new heights as Michael took it to stadia filled to capacity at 120,000. Celtic Tiger debuted in 2005 and began a new era of dance which combined tradition with an international flare. Michael Flatley is also a master flautist and his album On a Different Note mixes the traditional with the contemporary.
 
In 1998, Michael exceeded his first Guinness World Record of 28 taps per second set in 1989 with a phenomenal 35 taps per second. He has been recognized by many establishments and received countless awards for his contribution to the entertainment industry and the promotion and enrichment of Ireland, Irish Dance and Music. His support of many causes over the last two decades has aided and encouraged countless people to embrace his motto “nothing is impossible…follow your dreams”.
 
In 2010 he reprised his role as Lord of the Dance which was captured for the first time in ground breaking 3D. The show was shot over 3 days at the O2 arenas in Dublin, London, and Berlin.
 
Michael has entered into the world of art with his innovative new art form where he portrays the fluid movement of dance on canvas. The result of the dance is a truly unique visual display.
 
Michael is immensely proud of his show Lord of the Dance and his talented troupe of dancers and is honored to debut Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games that played a recent sold-out engagement at the historic London Palladium.

Tickets on sale for Thunder at Sheffield Arena

THUNDER

plus support from

Terrorvision & King King

Sheffield Arena Friday 19th February 2016

The sensational return of UK rock legends Thunder, who had a Top 10 UK album earlier this year, continues into 2016 with the announcement of five UK arena dates including a Sheffield Arena show on Friday 19th February 2016 in the intimate surroundings of the Arena’s Steel Hall.

The band will be blowing the roof off arenas around the UK in February. Says lead singer Danny Bowes: “The shows in March were incredible, and the new songs went down just as well as the Thunder favourites.  We can’t wait for February, so we can do it all over again.”

Support will come from renowned Bradford rockers Terrorvision, who have reformed for their first shows in three years, plus King King, nominees at this year’s Classic Rock Awards for Best New Band.

Terrorvision bassist Leigh Marklew, says “We were discussing the idea of getting back into the ring in 2016, so when the call came from Thunder asking us to be their special guests, the timing was perfect. We agreed it will be a fun tour, a great way to come back.”

From 1992’s debut Formaldehyde through to Super Delux in 2011 – Terrorvision have stomped out their own, original brand of shiny pop rock (with dirt under its fingernails), from crunching metal (Alice, What’s The Matter, American TV), pure pop killers (Oblivion, Perseverance and Tequila), brooding melodrama (Middleman, Some People Say, Bad Actress) to high-octane punk funk (My House, Pretend Best Friend, D’ya Wanna Go Faster), Terrorvision have always delivered the party right to your door.

Ticket for the Sheffield Arena show on Friday 19th February 2016 go on general sale at 9am on Friday 25th September priced £31.35 (including booking fee) when purchased throughwww.sheffieldarena.co.uk or the ticket hotline on 0114 256 56 56 or £29.93 (including booking fee) when purchased in person from the Arena Box Office.