Month: February 2016

Ye Olde Rose and Crowne Theatre Pub  12 – 28 February.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

This charming production proves that it’s not so grim oop North.

In this musical retelling of “She Stoops To Conquer”, director Brendan Matthew has moved the setting to 1919, celebrating the strength of the female characters.

It is All Fools’ Eve and Nonesuch Hall is preparing for the arrival from London of Charles Marlow, a suitor for Kate Hardcastle. He is accompanied by Hastings, the secret love of Constance, who Mrs Hardcastle wishes to marry to her son Tony Lumpkin. On the way to the hall, Marlow and Hastings stop at a pub and meet Lumpkin. He tricks them into thinking that Nonesuch is an inn, leading them to treat Hardcastle and his wife as common staff. Convoluted misunderstandings and plots follow, with jewel theft, elopement, dunkings and beatings, but everything turns out fine in the end, after lots of wonderful music and belly laughs.

The cast are excellent in their roles. Most notable are Laurel Dougall as Mrs Hardcastle and Emily Peach as Constance – it’s a wonder any scenery is left with these two women on stage, both chewing it up and spitting it out to great comic effect. Jacob Jackson is also wonderful to watch as Lumpkin, playing him as half drunk, half child.

The language and music are lyrical and uplifting, and it is very, very funny. Howard Goodall’s music and Charles Hart’s lyrics are sublime – the awkwardness of Kate and Marlow’s duets is delightfully English, in contrast to Constance and Hastings singing the glorious “Moonraking” – still romantic when sung by the old men! Choreographer Charlotte Tooth has devised a fantastic look for the dancers – the movement when the company give directions to Nonesuch, and the searching scenes are particularly good. The talented musicians accompanied the singing rather than drowned it out, which has happened at the theatre in past productions, which is a blessing as these lyrics are too good to miss, giving a 21st century flavour to an 18th century classic.

This is one of those shows that leaves you grinning and humming all the way home. A delight from start to finish. Go and see it.

DOMINIC WEST LEADS CAMPAIGN FOR SHEFFIELD THEATRES

Actor Dominic West is leading a fund-raising campaign to encourage people to sign-up as regular donors to Sheffield Theatres.  

 

Dominic has wonderful memories of performing on the Crucible stage, playing Professor Henry Higgins in the 2012 Christmas musical My Fair Lady, and Iago in the 2011 production of Othello. He saw first-hand how passionate and loyal the Sheffield audience is, and wanted help make sure the exciting and challenging theatre produced in Sheffield can continue for future generations to enjoy.

Dominic West commented: ‘The Crucible is very special. We are so lucky to have this outstanding theatre in Sheffield and that’s why I’m getting behind a campaign to raise money to support the work of Sheffield Theatres.  Giving a small amount of money on a regular basis is a great way to make sure we can all experience the most exciting, spectacular and thought-provoking theatre here in Sheffield – now and in the future.’

 

Being a Regular Donor doesn’t have to mean giving large sums of money; current supporters give from £3.00 per month. Production costs can range from £30 for a make-up artist for an hour, £120 for a pair of men’s plain tap shoes, £300 for a handmade hat and £400 for one bespoke wig. By making a donation people will see the impact of their support every night on stage.

 

As well as working with acclaimed actors such as Dominic, Sheffield Theatres is committed to developing new and emerging talent and working with the local community. Sheffield People’s Theatre brings participants from across the city, from every generation, and from every walk of life to the theatre. 120 members, aged from 12 to 84, took part in the production of Camelot: The Shining City last year. They learnt skills such as stage combat and performed on the Crucible stage, outside in Tudor Square and The Peace Gardens. Donations to Sheffield Theatres help to make these kinds of opportunities a reality.

If you can help then please sign up as a Regular Donor by contacting Leah Woffenden in the Fundraising department on 0114 201 3820 or [email protected] Alternatively donation forms are available from the Crucible and Lyceum Theatres.

Matt Barber (Atticus Aldridge in Downton Abbey) will play Fred and Victor McGuire (the sit-comsTrollied and Bread) will play Joe Bell. They will be joined by Robert Calvert as Doc, Naomi Cranston as Mag, Charlie De Melo as José, Tim Frances as Rusty Trawler/Editor at 21, Andrew Joshi as Yunioshi, Melanie La Barrie as Mme Spanella, and Sevan Stephan as OJ Berman/Dr Goldman, with Katy Allen and Andy Watkins.

Directed by Nikolai Foster, Breakfast at Tiffany’s will begin performances at Curve, Leicester on 3 March 2016, before embarking on a UK & Ireland Tour. There will be a 12-week season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End from 30 June to 17 September 2016.

 

CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE ANNOUNCES FESTIVAL 2016 SEASON

Jonathan Church and Alan Finch announce the Chichester Festival Theatre 2016 season – the last under their leadership as Artistic Director and Executive Director.

* Chichester’s Festival 2016 includes two musicals, two new plays and four epic dramas

* Hugh Bonneville returns to the stage in Ibsen’s AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, directed by Howard Davies

* Joseph Fiennes plays Lawrence of Arabia in ROSS by Terence Rattigan, directed by Adrian Noble

* Two British musicals:

* Rachel Kavanaugh directs a new stage version of HALF A SIXPENCE with book by Julian Fellowes and new music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, alongside original songs by David Heneker

* Patricia Hodge and Steven Pacey lead the cast in the world premiere of TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT, based on Graham Greene’s novel, book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, music by George Stiles and lyrics by Anthony Drewe, directed by Christopher Luscombe

* Two new plays premiere in the Minerva Theatre:

* FRACKED! Or: Please Don’t Use the F-Word by Alistair Beaton, featuring James Bolam and Anne Reid

* FIRST LIGHT by Mark Hayhurst

* Bertie Carvel makes his directorial debut with a revival of John Galsworthy’s STRIFE

* The highly acclaimed National Theatre production of THIS HOUSE by James Graham is again directed by Jeremy Herrin

* The Royal Shakespeare Company’s ‘theatrical tour-de-force’ pairing of LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING celebrates Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary

* Chichester Festival Youth Theatre presents PETER PAN in the Festival Theatre for Christmas, directed by Dale Rooks

Festival 2016 marks Artistic Director Jonathan Church and Executive Director Alan Finch’s final season at Chichester Festival Theatre. Since assuming leadership in 2005, they have

produced over 100 productions including 24 new plays, winning over 40 awards and more than doubling audience numbers.

Two highlights of Festival 2015 will be seen in London this year: Jonathan Kent’s staging of Young Chekhov transfers to the National Theatre from July, and Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild receives its London premiere at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in May. Guys and Dolls, originally produced in Festival 2014, will extend its West End life by transferring from the Savoy to the Phoenix Theatre in March and will simultaneously tour the UK. Jonathan Church’s hit 2011 production of Singin’ in the Rain tours South Africa and Australia. The Olivier Award-winning Goodnight Mister Tom completes another London season this week and tours the UK again until May 2016 with the Children’s Touring Partnership. David Hare’s The Judas Kiss, with Rupert Everett as Oscar Wilde, is co-presented by CFT in Toronto and New York.

The Festival 2016 season sees the Chichester Festival debuts of directors Bertie Carvel, Christopher Luscombe, Jonathan Munby and Adrian Noble, while welcoming back Howard Davies, Jeremy Herrin, Rachel Kavanaugh and Richard Wilson. The acting company is led by Edward Bennett, James Bolam, Hugh Bonneville, Bryan Dick, Julian Glover, Patricia Hodge, Steven Pacey and Anne Reid.

Artistic Director Jonathan Church says: ‘If our final season has one theme it is the always urgent question of power: who has it, and who wants it. Whether the social dramas of Ibsen and Galsworthy or the dark comedy of Alistair Beaton’s new play FRACKED!, the pernicious effects of war in Mark Hayhurst’s new drama First Light and Rattigan’s classic Ross or the political upheavals of This House, these plays explore a century of power shifts and struggles. The lighter side of the search for fulfilment is explored in our two joyous musicals, Travels with My Aunt and Half A Sixpence.

‘Over the past 10 years we have welcomed directors and actors of the finest calibre, many making their Chichester debuts, and this season is no exception. It’s fitting to end the year once again with a new production from our brilliant Youth Theatre and the promise of a future generation.’

Executive Director Alan Finch adds: ‘Festival 2015 saw us break new records with over £6 million in box office sales. Our commitment to developing new audiences continues with Festival 2016. Once again, over 10,000 tickets will be available at £10 in the Festival Theatre and our £8.50 ticket scheme for 16 to 25 year olds is re-launched with a new name, Prologue.’

FESTIVAL 2016 PRODUCTIONS – APRIL TO OCTOBER 2016

TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT

A new musical based on the novel by Graham Greene

Book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman

Music by George Stiles Lyrics by Anthony Drewe

Directed by Christopher Luscombe

18 April – 4 June, Minerva Theatre

Press night: Tuesday 26 April

Retired bank manager Henry Pulling is happy alone with his dahlias until he meets his decidedly bohemian Aunt Augusta who, having rattled the family skeletons, persuades the reluctant Henry to flee to Europe. He finds himself in a luxurious whirl through Paris and Istanbul and on to South America; but alongside the romance and first-class thrills, there’s a

lot Henry doesn’t know about his aunt – particularly why she has so many grateful men dotted around the globe.

Based on Graham Greene’s celebrated novel, this new musical has a book by Emmy Award-winning writers Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman and a score by the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Mary Poppins, Honk! and, later in Festival 2016, Half A Sixpence), all of whom previously collaborated on the musical Betty Blue Eyes.

Patricia Hodge plays Aunt Augusta. Her long association with Chichester encompasses The Mitford Girls, As You Like It and Calendar Girls; her recent television credits include several series of Miranda.

Steven Pacey plays Henry; his previous Chichester appearances include Kent in King Lear; and in the West End, By Jeeves, The Admirable Crichton and Phantom of the Opera.

The cast also includes Stephanie Bron, Jack Chissick, Michael Duke, Nicholas Duncan, Sarah Earnshaw, Rachel Grundy, Hugh Maynard, Abiola Ogunbiyi, Jonathan Dryden Taylor, Sebastien Torkia and Jack Wilcox.

Director Christopher Luscombe’s RSC productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing will be seen later in Festival 2016. His many credits include Dandy Dick with Patricia Hodge, Spamalot and The Rocky Horror Show; his production of Nell Gwynn for Shakespeare’s Globe has just transferred to the West End.

TRAVELS WITH MY AUNT is designed by Colin Falconer with choreography by Ewan Jones, orchestrations by Nicholas Skilbeck, musical direction by Mark Aspinall, lighting by Tim Mitchell and sound by Paul Groothuis.

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE by Henrik Ibsen

In a version by Christopher Hampton

Directed by Howard Davies

22 April – 21 May, Festival Theatre

Press night: Wednesday 4 May

Dr Stockmann has made a shocking scientific discovery about the standards of sanitation at the popular local baths, which he insists must close immediately to rid them of pollution. But what about the impact on tourism and commerce, and the town’s reputation? His brother, the Mayor, has one drastic response. The local tradespeople and property owners have another. Does the liberal press dare to print the facts Dr Stockmann has uncovered and let the public make up their own minds?

Ibsen’s play is a searing examination of the intricate workings of power and influence, and an investigation into who holds real authority in society.

Hugh Bonneville returns to the stage to play Dr Stockmann. Known to a worldwide TV and film audience for the multi-award-winning Downtown Abbey, Twenty Twelve, W1A and Paddington, he last appeared at Chichester in The Handyman (1996). His earlier roles for the National Theatre included the title role in Shaw’s The Devil’s Disciple and, for the RSC, Laertes to Kenneth Branagh’s Hamlet.

Howard Davies directed the lauded production of For Services Rendered for Festival 2015; he has received numerous Olivier, Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards for his many productions for the RSC, the National Theatre, in the West End and on Broadway.

AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE will be designed by Tim Hatley, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Dominic Muldowney and sound by Mike Walker.

ROSS by Terence Rattigan

Directed by Adrian Noble

3 – 25 June, Festival Theatre

Press night: Thursday 9 June

Arrogant, flippant, withdrawn and with a talent for self-concealment, Aircraftman Ross seems an odd recruit for the Royal Air Force. Behind the false name is an enigma, a man who started as a civilian in the Map Office in 1914. Despite never receiving an official commission, he went on to mastermind some of the most audacious military victories in the history of the British Army, including the 1916 Arab Revolt against the Turks. These victories earned him an enduring and romantic nom de guerre: Lawrence of Arabia.

Terence Rattigan’s 1960 play is an epic and probing drama which reveals the deeply conflicted Englishman behind the heroic legend.

Joseph Fiennes returns to Chichester to play T.E. Lawrence, following his appearance as Cyrano de Bergerac in 2009. His many films include Shakespeare in Love, Elizabeth, Enemy at the Gates and Luther; his theatre work also includes Love’s Labour’s Lost (National Theatre), and Troilus and Cressida, The Herbal Bed and As You Like It (RSC).

Brought up in Chichester, Adrian Noble makes his Festival debut. He was Artistic Director of the RSC 1990-2003; recent productions include The Importance of Being Earnest and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the West End, and co-directing Kate Bush’s recent concert series Before the Dawn.

ROSS is designed by William Dudley, with lighting by Paul Pyant, music by Mia Soteriou and sound by Paul Groothuis.

FIRST LIGHT

A new play by Mark Hayhurst

Directed by Jonathan Munby

10 June – 2 July, Minerva Theatre

Press night: Thursday 16 June

July 1916. Albert Ingham and Alfred Longshaw, two sharp and funny young soldiers from a battalion of the Manchester Pals, are about to take part in one of the most savage assaults in the history of human warfare, the Battle of the Somme. Overwhelmed by the sheer horror of what they have already experienced, neither of them dare stare extinction in the face again. So, when they are ordered to return to the blood-soaked front line, they take their fragile destiny in their own hands. But becoming a deserter takes more courage than they ever knew they had.

Mark Hayhurst’s new play exposes the impact of the First World War on soldiers and their families, and follows his acclaimed Chichester debut with Taken at Midnight which transferred to the West End last year.

Jonathan Munby makes his Festival debut at Chichester, having recently directed The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Wendy and Peter Pan (RSC).

FIRST LIGHT is designed by Paul Wills, with lighting by Tim Mitchell, music by Alex Baranowski, sound by Fergus O’Hare and movement by Danny McGrath.

FRACKED!

Or: Please don’t use the F-Word

A new play by Alistair Beaton

Directed by Richard Wilson

8 July – 6 August, Minerva Theatre

Press night: Friday 15 July

Deerland Energy’s plans to drill for shale gas in the pretty village of Fenstock are going well, supported by distinguished scientists working in university departments funded by the energy companies. At local level, the chair of the Planning Committee seems open to lucrative offers. The only slight snag is a ragged band of protestors, reluctantly led by retired academic Elizabeth Blackwood. Surely she’s just another ‘mad old biddy’, as she’s characterised by Deerland’s ruthless PR guru?

This new black comedy by political satirist Alistair Beaton takes a timely look at the conflicted core of planetary energy and earthly power. His television work includes the BAFTA-nominated The Trial of Tony Blair; his plays include Feelgood in the West End and the revised version of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui for Chichester in 2012.

James Bolam’s previous Chichester appearances include Semi-Detached and How to Succeed in Business; his innumerable screen credits include, most recently, New Tricks.

Anne Reid, who plays Elizabeth, has a distinguished career in theatre, television and film, including Last Tango in Halifax, Marchlands, The Mother and Song for Marion; her most recent stage appearance was in Hedda Gabler at the Old Vic.

Richard Wilson is a former Associate Director of the Royal Court and currently an Associate Director at Sheffield Theatres, where he is directing Richard Bean’s new play The Nap. He is also well-known as an actor for the TV series Merlin and One Foot in the Grave.

The production will be designed by James Cotterill, with lighting by Johanna Town and sound by Ian Dickinson.

HALF A SIXPENCE

Based on the H.G.Wells novel Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul and the original musical by Beverley Cross and David Heneker

Book by Julian Fellowes New music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe

Original songs by David Heneker

Co-Created by Cameron Mackintosh

Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh

14 July – 3 September, Festival Theatre

Press night: Tuesday 26 July

This new stage version of HALF A SIXPENCE, the musical adaptation of H.G. Wells’s novel Kipps: The Story of a Simple Soul, is a completely fresh adaptation which reunites book-writer Julian Fellowes (Oscar-winning screenwriter and creator of Downton Abbey) with George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the musical team that co-creator Cameron Mackintosh first put together to create the hit stage adaptation of Mary Poppins with Disney. The score is inspired by and features several of composer David Heneker’s exhilarating songs from the original production, including Flash Bang Wallop, Money To Burn and Half A Sixpence.

Arthur Kipps, an orphan and over-worked draper’s assistant at the turn of the last century, unexpectedly inherits a fortune that propels him into high society. His childhood companion, Ann Pornick, watches with dismay as Arthur is made over in a new image by the beautiful and classy Helen Walsingham. Both young women undoubtedly love Arthur – but which of them should he listen to? With the help of his friends, Arthur learns that if you want to have the chance of living the right life, you need to make the right choices.

Bryan Dick plays Arthur Kipps; his many television appearances include Ernie Wise in the widely praised TV drama Eric and Ernie, Wolf Hall and Capital; his stage credits include Mozart in Amadeus at Sheffield Theatres and The Alchemist at the National Theatre.

This will be director Rachel Kavanaugh’s sixth Chichester Festival production; her previous work here includes Love Story and The Music Man, while for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre she has directed Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Sound of Music.

Andrew Wright’s award-winning choreography includes Guys and Dolls, Singin’ in the Rain and Barnum for Chichester, and Mrs Henderson Presents in the West End.

HALF A SIXPENCE will be designed by Paul Brown, with choreography by Andrew Wright and orchestrations by William David Brohn. The musical supervisor will be Stephen Brooker, the co-musical supervisor and musical director will be Graham Hurman; with lighting by Paule Constable and sound by Mick Potter.

STRIFE by John Galsworthy

Directed by Bertie Carvel

12 August – 10 September, Minerva Theatre

Press night: Thursday 18 August

1909, South Wales. The men of Trenartha Tinplate Works are on strike and the community is close to breaking point. Fearing their plummeting share price, most of the company’s board of directors are keen to reach a compromise but the Chairman, the elderly John Anthony, is resolute. The men are behind their firebrand leader, Roberts, but the union has withdrawn its support; how long before the men do too?

More than a hundred years after it was first performed, Galsworthy’s rarely staged play – voted one of the National Theatre’s 100 most influential plays of the 20th century – offers a strikingly balanced account of the political spectrum.

Julian Glover makes his Festival debut as John Anthony; recent work in his long career on stage and screen includes HBO’s Game of Thrones, John of Gaunt in Richard II for the RSC and The Scottsboro Boys at the Young Vic and in the West End.

Bertie Carvel makes his directorial debut at Chichester. As an actor, his recent roles include The Hairy Ape (Old Vic), Bakkhai (Almeida), Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and Doctor Foster (both BBC), and Matilda The Musical (RSC, West End and Broadway).

STRIFE will be designed by Robert Jones, with lighting by Rick Fisher.

THIS HOUSE by James Graham

Directed by Jeremy Herrin

The National Theatre production in association with Chichester Festival Theatre and Headlong

23 September – 29 October, Minerva Theatre

Press night: Thursday 29 September

1974. The UK faces economic crisis and a hung parliament. It’s a period when votes in the House of Commons are won or lost by one, when there are fist fights in the bars and when sick MPs are carried through the lobby to register their vote. Set in the engine rooms of Westminster, THIS HOUSE strips politics down to the practical realities of those behind the scenes: the whips who roll up their sleeves and on occasion bend the rules to shepherd and coerce a diverse chorus of MPs within the Mother of all Parliaments.

James Graham’s work includes The Vote at the Donmar Warehouse, broadcast live on election night, and Coalition for Channel 4. THIS HOUSE had two sell-out runs at the National, where it opened at the Cottesloe Theatre in 2012 before transferring to the Olivier, and was broadcast internationally by NT Live.

Jeremy Herrin is Artistic Director of Headlong. He has previously directed Uncle Vanya, Another Country and South Downs at Chichester; his stage work also includes Wolf Hall and Bring Up The Bodies for the RSC in London and New York.

THIS HOUSE reunites the original NT creative team, with design by Rae Smith, lighting design by Paule Constable, choreography by Scott Ambler, music by Stephen Warbeck and sound design by Ian Dickinson.

LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING or Love’s Labour’s Won

By William Shakespeare

The Royal Shakespeare Company productions in association with Chichester Festival Theatre

Directed by Christopher Luscombe

24 September – 29 October, Festival Theatre

Press performances: Thursday 6 October at 2.00pm & 7.00pm

Shakespeare’s great romantic comedies LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING were first paired in an innovative doubling to great acclaim in Stratford-upon-Avon in 2014 and are now presented at Chichester in collaboration with the RSC. At the end of Love’s Labour’s Lost two sparring lovers, Berowne and Rosalind, are separated; at the start of Much Ado About Nothing (or Love’s Labour’s Won), two sparring lovers, Benedick and Beatrice, meet again after a long absence. The productions are set either side of the First World War: Love’s Labour’s Lost conjures up the carefree elegance of a pre-war Edwardian summer, while in post-war Much Ado About Nothing, the world has changed forever with the roaring ‘20s just around the corner.

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Summer 1914. In order to dedicate themselves to a life of study, the King and his friends take an oath to avoid the company of women for three years. No sooner have they made their idealistic pledge than the Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting arrive, presenting the men with a severe test of their high-minded resolve.

Shakespeare’s sparkling comedy mischievously suggests that the study of the opposite sex is the highest of all academic endeavours. Only at the end of the play is the merriment curtailed as the lovers agree to submit to a period apart, unaware that the world around them is about to be utterly transformed by the war to end all wars.

Much Ado About Nothing or Love’s Labour’s Won

Winter 1918. A group of soldiers returns from the trenches. The world-weary Benedick and his friend Claudio find themselves reacquainted with Beatrice and Hero. As memories of conflict give way to a life of parties and masked balls, Claudio and Hero fall in love, while Benedick and Beatrice reignite their own altogether more combative courtship.

Shakespeare’s comic romance (possibly known in his lifetime as Love’s Labour’s Won) plays out amidst the brittle high spirits of a post-war house party, as youthful passions run riot, lovers are deceived and happiness is threatened – before peace ultimately wins out.

A 22-strong ensemble company performs in both plays. Edward Bennett plays Berowne and Benedick; his stage work includes The Rehearsal at Chichester, Photograph 51 (Michael Grandage Company, West End), and Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the RSC.

The productions are designed by Simon Higlett with lighting by Oliver Fenwick, music by Nigel Hess, sound by Jeremy Dunn and choreography by Jenny Arnold.

Chichester Festival Youth Theatre presents

PETER PAN by J.M. Barrie

Directed by Dale Rooks

17 – 31 December, Festival Theatre

Press night: Tuesday 20 December

One thrilling evening, Peter Pan – the maverick boy who refuses to grow up – teaches Wendy, John and Michael Darling how to fly and whisks them off to Never Land. There they encounter a company of lost boys, mysterious mermaids, a gang of swashbuckling pirates and their leader, the villainous Captain Hook.

With Chichester Festival Youth Theatre, director Dale Rooks has been presenting captivating productions for over a decade, including the Christmas show in the Festival Theatre. In 2015, CFYT received the UK Theatre Award for Best Show for Children and Young People for Running Wild.

On Friday 30 December at 2pm, there will be a Relaxed Performance of PETER PAN, especially suitable for groups and families with children on the autistic spectrum, sensory and communication disorders or anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed theatre environment.

Set design for PETER PAN will be by Simon Higlett with costumes by Ryan Dawson Laight, lighting by James Whiteside and sound by Gregory Clarke.

FESTIVAL 2016 EVENTS

Talks, tours, performances and hands-on activities for all ages will provide extra insight to Festival 2016. Highlights include a celebration of Shakespeare 400; a debate about fracking and the future of our energy supplies with Alistair Beaton; an evening of songs and stories with Anne Reid; a new play about Shakespeare’s leading actor Richard Burbage with Henry Goodman; and a Q&A with outgoing Artistic Director and Executive Director Jonathan Church and Alan Finch.

Events for 16 to 25 year olds include a conversation with Hugh Bonneville and an insight into careers in theatre with Creative Choices. CFT’s Learning, Education and Participation (LEAP) team again lead the Living Well with Dementia Festival; workshops for families include Happy Tapping Feet, Sing A Song for Sixpence for 3 to 5 year olds, and Shakespeare Fun for Families.

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR GUYS AND DOLLS 

AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

Following critical acclaim, and announcing an extension in the West End, the Chichester Festival Theatre revival of Guys and Dolls is heading to Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 24^th to Saturday 28^th May this year.

Casting for the tour includes Richard Fleeshman (Coronation Street, Ghost the Musical, Call the Midwife) as Sky Masterson, Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2, Emmerdale, The Colbys) as Nathan Detroit and Anna O’Byrne (Love Never Dies) as Sarah Brown.

Completing the cast are Jack Edwards as Nicely Nicely Johnson, Peter Harding as Arvide Abernathy,Anthony McGill as Lt Brannigan, Mark Sangster as Benny Southstreet, Melanie Marshall as General Cartwright, Craig Pinder as Harry the Horse/Joey Biltmore, Cameron Johnson as Big Julie, Christopher Howell as Rusty Charlie. The ensemble includes Eamonn Cox, Jamal Crawford, Jonny Godbold, Ross Lee Fowkes, Aron Wild, Kiel Payton, Matthew Whennell-Clark, Ruthie Stephens, Bethany Linsdell, Hannah Cauchi, Chloe Chambers, Danielle Stephen, Abigayle Honeywill and Lucy Ashenden.

Nathan Detroit is desperate: he needs money for an illegal dice game, and he needs it fast; he has been engaged to nightclub singer Miss Adelaide for 14 years and her patience running out. Enter notorious gambler Sky Masterson, a guy who can never turn down a bet, and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown, a doll with a heart of ice. Nathan’s wager is that Sky has to romance Sarah by taking her to Havana for dinner and in return he’ll provide a dozen ‘sinners’ for Sarah’s mission. Surely this is one bet Nathan absolutely can’t lose?

A joyous and vibrant celebration of Prohibition-era New York, Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and captured the optimism and energy of post-World War Two America. This hugely popular and multi award-winning musical, based on the colourful stories by American journalist Damon Runyon renowned for his vivid fictional depictions of the gamblers, hustlers and nightclub singers of New York, features some of Broadway’s greatest musical numbers including ‘My Time of Day’, ‘Luck be a Lady’ and the show-stopping ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’. Guys and Dolls is directed by Gordon Greenbergwith choreography by Cuban dancer and former Royal Ballet star Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright whose credits include Chichester Festival Theatre’s Singin’ in the Rain.

Guys and Dolls is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 24^th to Saturday 28^th May

Tickets are on sale now priced from £23 to £49.50

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF CALCULATING KINDNESS

 

Presented by Undercurrent and Camden People’s Theatre

Camden People’s Theatre, London NW1

29 March to 16 April 2016

Part of CPT’s Spring Season

 

Calculating Kindness is a thought provoking new production based on the extraordinary life of American scientist George Price (1922-75) presented at Camden People’s Theatre within yards of the squat on Tolmers Square, Euston where Price lived, worked and died.

 

George Price taught himself the basics of evolutionary genetics and, inspired by the work of Oxford evolutionary biologist WD Hamilton, formulated an equation widely acknowledged as the mathematical explanation for the evolution of altruism – something science had been trying to do since Darwin. 

 

Adam Burton plays tragic genius George Price. Burton’s previous stage credits include Everyman (National); Boris Godunov, A Life of Galileo, The Orphan of Zhao, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra, Julius Caesar and The Drunks (Royal Shakespeare Company). Other theatre includes: Titus Andronicus, The Drowned Man, The Masque of the Red Death, Faust, All My Sons, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Timon of Athens, The Duchess of Malfi, You Can’t Take It With You, As You Like It and Baggage.

Rachael Spence and Neal Craig will be taking on a number of roles. Rachael has worked regularly with Improbable over the last ten years performing in No Idea, The Wolves in the Walls, Theatre of Blood and The Hanging Man. She has also worked for The National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, The Globe, and many other regional and international theatres and companies. Her television and radio credits include ‘The Lost Honour of Christopher Jeffries’ (ITV); ‘Eastenders’ (BBC) and ‘The Best Men’ (BBC); ‘Pilgrim and Filthy Rich’ (Radio Four).

Since graduating Neal has worked with Propeller Theatre Company, directed by Ed Hall, The National Theatre and The Bristol Old Vic. He has appeared in the HBO series ‘A Girl’s Guide to Depravity’ and as recurring character PC Terry warren in the ITV soap ‘Emmerdale’.

 

Calculating Kindness is written by award-winning playwright Lydia Adetunji and directed by award-winning director Laura Farnworth, along with advisors Dr. Gardner (St. Andrews University); Professor Alan Grafen (Oxford University); Professor Pomiankowski (UCL) and Dr. Valli (Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London.

 

Laura Farnworth is Artistic Director of Undercurrent and Associate Director with Shared Experience. Productions include Trickster, Floor 44 (ATC/Young Vic); Jungle (BAC, CPT, Theatre Royal Bath); King of Schnorrers (CPT, UK Tour); Dying (ATC/Gate); A Little Music (Ignition Festival, Tristan Bates); Don Q (Edinburgh Festival); Abel Sanchez, Just so Stories (Stoke Newington International Airport); Our Style is Legendary (Tristan Bates, Nottingham Playhouse). Associate/Assistant Direction includes: Mermaid (dir. Polly Teale, Shared Experience national tour); Public Enemy (dir. Richard Jones, Young Vic); My City (dir. Stephen Poliakoff, Almeida); Happy Now? (dir. Thea Sharrock, National Theatre); Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (dir. Paulette Randall, Royal Court).

 

Lydia Adetunji won the Catherine Johnson ‘Best Play’ award for her script Compliance in 2011.  Recent work includes Bread on the Table, part of Metta Theatre’s Mouthful (Trafalgar Studios); The Foreigner (Staffordshire New Vic’s Hoard festival); Compliance (Paines Plough); Floor 44 and Trickster (ATC/Young Vic). Other work has been performed at the Tricycle, Globe, Oran Mor and HighTide Festival.

 

The production is designed by Lucy Sierra with lighting by Ziggy Jacobs and sound design/composition by Nick Rothwell. The producer is Sophie Cornell.

 

 

Calculating Kindness is supported by Wellcome Trust, Arts Council England, Royal Victoria Hall Foundation and the European Society for Evolutionary Biology.

York Theatre Royal to reopen on 22 April following a £6million redevelopment

The theatre will launch with two world premiere co-productions; Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited and E.M. Forster’s The Machine Stops

Press Preview: Wednesday 13 April

Press Night, Brideshead Revisited: Tuesday 26 April

York Theatre Royal, founded in 1744 and one of the UK’s oldest producing theatres, reopens its doors on Friday 22 April 2016 following a £6million redevelopment. The project by architects De Matos Ryan has transformed the 270 year old theatre into a building fit to serve a 21st century audience with improved access and flexibility. The project has been funded by Arts Council England, City of York Council and York Conservation Trust with generous grants and donations from local and national trusts and foundations, corporate and individual supporters. A further £153,000 has been raised through a public fundraising campaign.

The Redevelopment

The first significant change to the building since Patrick Gwynne’s ground-breaking poured concrete and glass extension was added to the Victorian theatre in 1967, this redevelopment has improved access throughout the building, added a spacious open plan foyer and doubled the café area. The gothic colonnade, once exposed to the elements, has been enclosed by glass, creating a warm and inviting entrance. The extended foyer has been reimagined to reflect the ways the community and wider audience engage with the space. New seating areas have been incorporated into the layout with a new café and bistro offering freshly-made deli snacks and main meals with ingredients from the best of local Yorkshire suppliers. Polished terrazzo flooring in grey and white will reflect the outlines of the mediaeval foundations remaining below, bringing the history of the building into the modern space.

The main stage will be reconstructed in a modular form, allowing the stage to be adapted or removed entirely, offering a flexibility that is rarely seen in such an historic theatre. The new layout will enable traps and level changes to be provided with ease adding to the versatility of productions and making the theatre more suitable for touring productions and dance companies. Sightlines will dramatically improve with a new rake to the Stalls enhancing the intimacy of the auditorium and the Dress Circle and Gallery will receive new seating and raking to maximise capacity and improve comfort and sightlines.

Every stage of the redevelopment has been carefully designed to harmonise with the Grade II* listed building and its beautiful patchwork of architectural styles. New and improved access to the Studio and Main Auditorium will be made possible by the installation of a lift concealed behind a 1967 slate wall, allowing wheelchair spaces in both the Stalls and Dress Circle. Improvements to the flooring and toilet facilities will enable both audience members and staff to use the building comfortably and independently, and additional toilets have been added to cope with the increasing number of visitors.

The Archaeology

York Theatre Royal lies on the site of St Leonard’s Hospital, one of the largest and most important hospitals of mediaeval England. Throughout the theatre’s renovation a team of archaeologists from York Archaeological Trust spent several weeks carrying out excavations under the stage before ground works by the main contractor, William Birch and Son, took place in the auditorium. The team uncovered limestone foundations of the north wall of one of the 12th century hospital buildings and a number of the plinths and pillar bases for the rib-vaulted ground floor.

The dig also found the remains of a post-mediaeval cobbled street, made up of stones from St. Leonard’s Hospital, evidence of supporting columns from the hospital and a mediaeval well. An arched entranceway, situated in the back wall of the theatre has at various points been considered as both a section of the York Minster yard walls and part of the entrance to the Royal Mint in York. It has proved to be an unusual and rare 18th century folly which would have once formed part of a gateway to the gardens adjacent to the theatre that were swallowed up during 19th century expansion works.

Ben Reeves, Chief Archaeologist on site from York Archaeological Trust said: ‘It is amazing that, considering all the alterations to the theatre since 1764, so much of the medieval hospital has survived under the stalls and elsewhere within the building. The remains are an exciting and important discovery for both archaeologists and the public, offering an opportunity to investigate and understand more about one of the City’s most fascinating and little understood sites.’

The Spring 2016 Season

The spring season will see a new programme of events and activities to bring the community and audiences even closer to the work of the theatre. 270/360 will celebrate 270 years of York Theatre Royal with a 360-degree view of the theatre’s activities including talks, discussions, open rehearsals and meet-the-cast events. There will even be the opportunity to see productions from a completely different angle with A View from Backstage, where tickets will be available to watch from either the wings or the fly floor.

The theatre reopens with two world premiere York Theatre Royal co-productions and continues its commitment to innovative producing, the nurturing of new talent and providing activities for the whole community.

 A stunning new reimagining of Evelyn Waugh’s classic novel Brideshead Revisited in conjunction with English Touring Theatre will run from Friday 22 – Saturday 30 April, before embarking on a UK tour.

 An eerily prophetic adaptation of E.M. Forster’s classic short story The Machine Stops will celebrate the theatre’s longstanding partnership with Pilot Theatre and run from Friday 13 May – Saturday 4 June.

 York Theatre Royal’s annual summer production cements its reputation of giving classic stories an inventive new twist. Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles, directed by Damian Cruden, will be a fun-packed family show which turns horror into howling comedy from Friday 29 July – Saturday 27 August.

 Critically acclaimed touring companies return including Northern Broadsides, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English Touring Opera.

 Younger members of the family will be able to enjoy the return of Little Feet festival of Children’s theatre in June and resident company tutti frutti will present a new production WiLd!

For full listings of the opening season please visit yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Liz Wilson, Chief Executive at York Theatre Royal commented: ‘York Theatre Royal contributes to the world class cultural offer in the city through ambitious theatre productions, support for innovative artists and companies and promoting a culture of achievement with a community of collaborators, whether artist or citizen. The redevelopment supports our work in all its glorious diversity and brings the flexibility essential to a truly sustainable organisation that will continue to grow and evolve.’

Damian Cruden, Artistic Director at York Theatre Royal said: ‘As the building nears completion it becomes ever more evident just how desperately needed the work has been. Our original desire to create a theatre space which gave our audience a far better experience whilst experiencing a show has over time grown to include the entire building. We can appreciate now just how wonderful this is going to be. So for all our community we will be able to offer a building fit for the 21st century and beyond. Not only do we have all this but we also have a new roof over our heads which has been afforded by our new landlords the York Conservation Trust, who truly understand the importance of culture in our community and are prepared to invest in it.’

Chief Executive of York Conservation Trust, Philip Thake commented: ‘York Conservation Trust are immensely proud to be the new owners of this magnificent building which has a rich and varied past. Our charter is to protect York’s most historic properties and it was clear to us that substantial investment was required to secure this important building’s future and preserve it for the benefit of the people of York and the nation at large. In this time of austerity and lack of funds in local government, it seemed appropriate for us to step in and purchase the property. We will now guarantee its future and have long term plans for even more improvements to other parts of the property which will further enhance the theatre’s offering to the local community.’

Angus Morrogh-Ryan, Project Director at De Matos Ryan said: ‘York Theatre Royal is already highly creative and commercial. They consistently make inspiring and imaginative events happen in York, which are highly regarded regionally and nationally. This project’s role is to unlock even more if its potential, opening the doors to a wider community, so that they can build the next phase of their future with a sense of resilience and sustainability.’

Producers Karl Sydow and Paul Elliott today announced that a brand new production of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage will tour the UK from August 2016. The classic story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, will return next summer, following two blockbuster West End runs and two hit UK tours.

 

Full of passion and romance, heart-pounding music and sensationally sexy dancing, the record-breaking musical is even better than before in this all new production created by an innovative new creative team; directed by Federico Bellone, Artistic Director of Milan’s Teatro Nazionale, choreographed by Gillian Bruce and with design re-imagined by top Italian set designer Roberto Cometti. The production premiered in Milan in July 2015, subsequently packing out the 15,000 seat Roman Arena in Verona, and will play a season in Rome this autumn before embarking on a major Italian tour. To mark the tenth anniversary of the original stage show, a new Australian tour was launched last year, and to date has sold a record 416,000 tickets since October 2014.

Produced by Karl Sydow, Joye Entertainment and Paul Elliott, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour Productions, and written by Eleanor Bergstein, script writer of the phenomenally successful 1987 film, the production features the much-loved characters and original dialogue from the iconic film, with exciting extra scenes added in.