Month: March 2017

BIG NEWS FOR SUNDAY FOR SAMMY FANS

2018 CONCERT DATE ANNOUNCED
NEW VENUE WITH TWICE AS MANY TICKETS AVAILABLE

SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2018

Sunday for Sammy, unofficially known as the Geordie Command Performance, will return to Tyneside on Sunday 18th February 2018 but this time at a new venue. The show, first held as a tribute to Geordie actor Sammy Johnson in 2000, has been presented at Newcastle City Hall for nearly every performance. However, in recent years the demand for tickets has far out-stripped the supply. In 2016 the two spectacular shows sold-out in a day and thousands of disappointed fans couldn’t get tickets.

In 2018, Sunday for Sammy will re-locate to Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena for two theatre style performances. 5,000 tickets will be available for each show, more than doubling the available tickets compared to previous years.

Sunday for Sammy is a celebration of North Eastern culture and many of the region’s most popular and successful performers have taken part in the extravaganza of comedy and music, staged to raise funds to support the next generation of North Eastern performers with training, expenses and equipment.

Tim Healy, Denise Welch, Mark Knopfler, Kevin Whately, Charlie Hardwick, Jimmy Nail, Jill Halfpenny, Timothy Spall, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Christopher Fairbank, Stephen Tomkinson, John Miles, Angie Lonsdale, Jason Cook, Lindisfarne, Joe McElderry, Brendan Healy, Donna Aire, Ant and Dec, Chelsea Halfpenny, Billy Mitchell, Brendan Foster, Pam Royle, Bob Moncur, Julia Tobin, Glenn McCrory, Kathryn Tickell, Chris Ramsey, Peter Peverley and many, many more have given up their time to take part in the show. The cast list is never revealed beforehand, every show is packed with surprises.

Chairman of the Sunday for Sammy Trust Tim Healy said,

“I spend a lot of time in the North East and people constantly ask me how to get tickets for Sunday for Sammy. The show has become so hugely popular that all available tickets are snapped up as soon as they go on sale. By moving the show to a larger venue we can give loads more people the opportunity to see the show while ensuring our continued support for the talented young performers from our area that need a helping hand.”

Since the first Sunday for Sammy in 2000, young local performers have benefited from over £400,000 in grants to help with their professional development.

Catherine Dryden, from Chester le Street is a 3rd Year Student at RADA and was part-funded by the Sunday for Sammy Trust

Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF

Tuesday 2nd – Sunday 21st May 2017

Press Night: Wednesday 3rd May 2017, 7.45pm

Inspired by director Annemiek Van Elst’s experiences of her brother converting to Islam, the world premiere of Becoming Mohammed comes to Pleasance Theatre. The play explores what it takes for a Western man to become a Muslim, and for his family to come to terms with his choice

When Sara knocks on her brother’s door after two years, she hardly recognises the man in front of her. Thomas has grown a beard, gets up at the crack of dawn, and dates a girl in a Hijab. They attempt to rekindle their childhood friendship, but Thomas hasn’t told his sister everything yet…

Annemiek van Elst comments, When my little brother converted to Islam, it came as a shock; he started to reject our family traditions and follow the Sharia law. What could have been a breaking point became a difficult but beautiful journey of acceptance, which inspired the making of Becoming Mohammed. We believe that, now more than ever, there is a need to represent narratives around Islam in a positive light, and that conversion should be seen not as a threat but as an opportunity to build connections. Through our show, we aim to offer support to converts and their families, and to contribute to creating a more tolerant society

Becoming Mohammed has been created in direct consultation with Islamic communities in both London and Rotterdam, and is being supported by a cultural facilitator, Nabihah Islam. In an effort to open up a dialogue and understanding between Western and Islamic communities, half of all performances will begin with a short forum theatre workshop. The company will also host post-show Q&As on Friday evenings and will share their research interviews with reverts and Islamic leaders online

With a CV boasting creative credits of some sort in just about every popular show going and a high-profile place on one of UK TV’s biggest shows, you would think Craig Revel Horwood had ticked off everything on his career wish-list.

But there is one show that had evaded his creative input until now and that is Sister Act. As the show prepares to visit Edinburgh, he tells John Bultitude why working on the show is his dream come true, unlocking Alexandra Burke’s comedy potential and who his dream Strictly contestants would be.

All good things come to those who wait. That is very much the motto of Craig Revel Horwood when it comes to his ambition to be part of the Sister Act phenomenon.

The feel-good story of Deloris Van Cartier’s journey has delighted millions. First portrayed on the big screen by Whoopi Goldberg, Deloris is the sassy soul singer who witnesses a shooting and ends up in protective custody in a convent where she (and her ‘Sisters’ in every sense of the word) learn some life lessons.

Sister Act was one of the most financially successful films of the Nineties worldwide before becoming a smash-hit stage show which has enchanted audiences across the globe. The love for the show is shared by Craig and it is why it appealed to him so much.

He was initially asked to do some work on the West End production but that did not work out for him. When plans for the current tour came up, he jumped at it. Craig recalled: “I was absolutely delighted because it gives me the chance to fulfil a nine-year ambition. The story is really, really good. That is the number one thing for me. The songs are great, the music is great, the lyrics are great and the plot has this wonderful, wonderful heart which is what I love about it.”

Heading the cast is Alexandra Burke, the incredibly successful singer who shot to fame on The X Factor becoming a top recording star. This is paralleled by incredible stage success following a recently critically acclaimed tour in The Bodyguard.

Her vocal prowess speaks for itself but Craig, as director and choreographer of this production, has succeeded in releasing another of her talents. He explained: “Alexandra is a natural comedian and people have never seen that side of her. It is really wonderful for her to get stuck into some comedy and it really suits her down to the ground”.

“Of course, this show has fantastic vocals as you can imagine. It is so lovely that Alexandra was available and wanted to do this show. She is also a brilliant mover and dancer and fits into the company brilliantly well. We are doing it as an ensemble piece. Everyone plays different characters. They are actors/musicians so they sing, they act, they dance but they also provide the music because they play instruments. I do have to say though that it is quite an alarming sight watching a nun with a saxophone,” chuckled Craig.

Also in the show is the much-loved and hugely experienced stage star Rosemary Ashe whose West End credits include hits like The Phantom Of The Opera, Les Misérables, Oliver!, The Witches of Eastwick and Mary Poppins.

A high-energy show like this also requires some pin-sharp choreography which is also Craig’s forte although it is not without his challenges. As he says: “The problem is that a lot of the cast are in habits. As well as choreography, you need to do lots of arm-ography too and there is a lot that nuns cannot do so you have to be quite inventive with it all which I am really enjoying.”

This mix of emotions within Sister Act also makes it a real joy for Craig with the great music and the show’s rich seam of storytelling running through it. He said: “We are getting into the world of gospel music which is uplifting and will give you a big smile on your face. The show does have a dark side too and it is quite intense in places with gun warfare, murder, and of course love. It is a really good story and it covers every human emotion.”

So top of Craig’s priority list is getting every single aspect of this show exactly right and ensuring audiences also leave each performance with a big grin.

But with this and no doubt other stage projects on the go as well as his TV commitments, how on earth does he fit everything in? Craig laughed: “I have a good PA and my diary is very well organised. I am genuinely booked up three years in advance so I generally fit in everything around all of that. I love it. I love directing and choreography. It is my passion and joy. That is what I will do until the day I die. It is something I can still do while I still have a brain and the assistance of my body.”

And he seems to have his working year sorted out with stage commitments from the spring, Strictly Come Dancing starting in the autumn and then the show’s live tour early in the New Year before a very important 6-week holiday to recharge the batteries and catch up with family and friends in Australia before the whole showbiz cycle begins again.

Craig also really enjoys working with the general public teaching the rudiments of dance on a special P & O Cruise before they compete with each other for a title which lets him share his talent and expertise as well as enjoying some time at sea.

And so to Strictly, the Saturday small-screen juggernaut that gets the nation talking and lets us judge whether the celebrity contestants are dynamic divas and dashing devils of the dancefloor, or more of a dad-dancer. While many have competed for the highly-sought-after Glitterball, there are still a few big names that Craig would like to see in action. He said: “I would love to see Simon Cowell on there as it would make great television. Sharon Osbourne would be great too as she is so mouthy. The Royals would be good. Prince Harry? Yes please.”

But what about if they answer back? Everyone knows Simon does not stand on ceremony and gives as good as he gets, and Prince Harry could have Craig sent to the Tower. With a belly-laugh, he retorts: “I like feisty. Why not?”

And there lies the bond between the hit show Sister Act and the creative force of Craig Revel Horwood. They are both outwardly a mix of emotions blending humour and drama but boasting an inner kind and strong heart which everyone envies and appreciates.

SISTER ACT

MONDAY 3 APRIL – SATUDAY 15 APRIL 2017 EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE – www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/

Spring has sprung at The Lowry with a brand new production of Jane Eyre by National Theatre, Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild featuring puppets designed by War Horse puppeteers and Bill Kenwright’s production of the timeless story of love, despair and hope, Ghost – The Musical.

In the galleries, The Lowry launches a new residency scheme with EDIT 01: Paddy Hartley alongside permanent exhibition LS Lowry: The Art & The Artist.

Theatre

National Theatre
Jane Eyre
Sat 8 – Sat 15 Apri

Sally Cookson’s energetic and imaginative new adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece, Jane Eyre comes to The Lowry Sat 8 – Sat 15 April with Nadia Clifford taking the central role of Jane Eyre and Tim Delap as Rochester.

Manchester born and bred Nadia Clifford’s previously appeared at the National Theatre in Alistair McDowell’s sell-out production of Pomona and Tim Delap will make his NT debut as Rochester.

2017 marks the 170th anniversary of the first publication of Jane Eyre – a significant time to be touring Charlotte Brontë’s classic and much loved story.

Director Sally Cookson, said about her production of Jane Eyre:  ‘Adapting a novel for the stage is a challenging prospect – especially when that novel is cited as many people’s favourite of all time. It is always daunting when you’re working on a story which everyone knows so well, because you want to surprise and maybe challenge people’s expectations, without losing any of the things which make them like the story in the first place.’

Cookson continued: ‘I chose this particular title because it’s a story that I love and have enjoyed a close relationship with ever since I was intrigued, as a child, by Orson Welles’ black and white melodrama with fabulous music by Bernard Herrmann.’

‘I didn’t actually read the novel until I was in my early twenties and I remember thinking while I read it: ‘this is a clarion cry for equal opportunities for women, not a story about a passive female who will do anything for her hunky boss’. I was struck by how modern Jane seemed – her spirit and strong will, her peculiar and brilliant mind striving for personal freedom to be who she is, lashing out against any constraint that prevents her from being herself. She was exactly the sort of person I wanted to be.’

Charlotte Brontë’s story of the trailblazing Jane is as inspiring as ever. This bold and dynamic production tells the story of one woman’s fight for freedom and fulfilment.

From her beginnings as a destitute orphan, Jane Eyre’s spirited heroine faces life’s obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, injustice and the discovery of bitter betrayal before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.

Bill Kenwright
Ghost – The Musical
Mon 24 – Sat 29 April

Bill Kenwright’s production of the timeless story of love, despair and hope,Ghost – The Musical, will extend its current UK tour with a visit to The Lowry, Salford from Monday 24 – Saturday 29 April 2017. Taking its inspiration from the classic movie, this innovative reimagining features an expanded book, new music and original staging.

Carolyn Maitland will continue in the role of Molly alongside Andy Moss as Sam.  Carolyn’s musical theatre credits include ‘Ellen’ in Miss Saigon (Prince Edward Theatre), ‘Joelle’ in Groundhog Day (Old Vic), ‘Rose’ in From Here to Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre) and ‘Kate’ in Kiss Me Kate (Old Vic, West End & Chichester).

Musician and actor Andy Moss, best known for the role of Rhys Ashworth in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, one he played for 8 years, will continue to wow audiences around the UK as ‘Sam’. His credits also include Cutting It, Coronation Street and most recently he appeared as Paul Cuthbert in the long running BBC soap opera Doctors.

West End musical theatre star Jacqui Dubois (original London cast of Rent and Children of Eden, other credits include The Lion King, Fela and most recently People, Places and Things ) plays ‘Oda Mae Brown’, the part made famous in the film by Whoopi Goldberg. Sam Ferriday (Jersey Boys, Blue Man Group, The Prodigals) plays ‘Carl’, alongside Leo Sene as ‘Willie’, James Earl Adair haunting proceedings as the ‘Hospital Ghost’, and Gary Lee Netley as the ‘Subway Ghost’. Tarisha Rommick plays ‘Louise’ and Simbi Akande ‘Clara’. Completing the cast is Lori Baker, Ethan Bradshaw, Lauren Drew, Matthew Vinetot, Mike Ward and Kelly Hampson.

Children’s Touring Partnership
Running Wild
Tue 18 – Sat 22 April

Running Wild by Michael Morpurgo in an adaptation by Samuel Adamson, comes to The Lowry Tue 18 – Sat 22 April.  Michael Morpurgo’s novel, based on a true story, is brought to life in this award-winning production, which has been described by critics as ‘inspiring’, ‘evocative, ‘imaginative’ and ‘life-affirming’.  Originally produced by Regent’s Park Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre, this epic production, complete with spectacular life-size puppets, tells an emotional and moving story of love, loss and loyalty and of living for the moment.

Featuring puppetry design and direction by Finn Caldwell and Toby Olié for Gyre & Gimble, both previous Associate Puppetry Directors on War Horse.Running Wild is the story is of a girl named Lilly, who, whilst on holiday with her mother in Indonesia, takes an elephant ride.  During the ride, Oona, the elephant, suddenly becomes anxious and runs from the beach deep into the jungle.  With Lilly on her back, they escape moments before the tsunami hits the island.  Miles from civilisation, at first there’s wonder, discovery and tree-top adventures with the orangutans, but, as thoughts turn to her mother left behind on the beach, and wild tigers prowl, and hunger hits, Lilly must now learn to survive the rainforest.  And then the hunters come…

Michael Morpurgo, the former children’s laureate and author of War Horse, was inspired by the real-life story of Amber Owen, who was on holiday in Phuket with her mother and stepfather in 2004, when she went on an elephant ride.  While riding Ning Nong along the beach, the eight-year-old noticed the elephant was attempting to pull away from the receding sea water.  “He ran away and, as the water came in, I was safely on his back.  He saved my life.”  When he read Amber’s story in the newspaper, Michael Morpurgo said it was the one bit of hope amid the destruction of the Boxing Day tsunami which hit South East Asia.  The production will work to support the Born Free Foundation’s global elephant conservation projects..

Visual Art

EDIT 01
Paddy Hartley
Sat 1 April – Sun 14 May

An artist known for creating wearable sculpture for Lady Gaga and remembrance poppies from lambs heart tissue wants North West residents to share their WW1 stories and artefacts with him.

Internationally acclaimed London based artist Paddy Hartley will begin a residency at The Lowry from April 2017. Born in Dewsbury, Paddy Hartley is a trained ceramicist and will make WW1 archaeology artefacts based on some of the stories people share with him.

The unfired artefacts will be made from a trench of slurried clay placed in the middle of the gallery. The items Hartley creates will then be will returned into the trench to disintegrate during the residency  – a metaphor for the passing of memory.

Paddy Hartley said;
“Much of my work is inspired by the stories that families of WW1 servicemen tell me. What would be great is if the people of Greater Manchester share their stories of WW1 ancestors and specifically, the personal objects, keepsakes and reminders of home that they kept with them.

“I’m interested in creating objects which reflect the nature of the environment the soldiers fought and lived in, and specifically, objects which the men used to make conditions more ‘homely’ for want of a better phrase.”

Paddy Hartley’s artistic practice investigates themes of memorialisation and remembrance. Once the artefacts have been made in clay, they will be dried and photographed before being re-introduced to the trench of slurried clay to allow their disintegration.

To share stories, contact Paddy Hartley on [email protected].

Visit the website for more information on EDIT 01: Paddy Hartley at The Lowry.

Clay provided for EDIT 01: Paddy Hartley has been kindly donated by Michelmersh Brick Holdings PLC.

Listings

LYRIC
Far Side Of The Moon | 01 Apr 2017 – 02 Apr 2017
Jane Eyre | 08 Apr 2017 – 15 Apr 2017
Shakin’ Stevens | 16 Apr 2017 20:00
Billy Ocean | 17 Apr 2017 19:00
Running Wild | 18 Apr 2017 – 22 Apr 2017
Danny Baker: Cradle To The Stage | 19 Apr 2017 19:30
Ghost – The Musical | 24 Apr 2017 – 29 Apr 2017
Daniel O’Donnell | 30 Apr 2017 19:30

QUAYS
The Lowry NT Connections Festival | 01 Apr 2017 – 02 Apr 2017
Silver Lining | 04 Apr 2017 – 08 Apr 2017
Lee Nelson | 09 Apr 2017 19:30
Babe, The Sheep-Pig | 11 Apr 2017 – 15 Apr 2017
Cyrano de Bergerac | 18 Apr 2017 – 22 Apr 2017
Eddi Reader | 23 Apr 2017 20:00
Fascinating Aida’s Dillie Keane | 24 Apr 2017 19:30
Rose and Rosie: Exposed | 25 Apr 2017 20:00
Bucket List | 26 Apr 2017 – 27 Apr 2017
Kandace Springs | 28 Apr 2017 20:00
Red Hot Chilli Pipers | 29 Apr 2017 20:00
The Noise Next Door’s Really, Really Good Afternoon Show | 30 Apr 2017 14:00

STUDIO
The Lowry NT Connections Festival | 01 Apr 2017 – 02 Apr 2017
The Party | 15 Apr 2017 – 15 Apr 2017
Rob Rouse | 16 Apr 2017 20:00
Not Today’s Yesterdays | 19 Apr 2017 20:00
Bubble Schemeisis | 20 Apr 2017 20:00
Scanner: How To Make Art From Life | 22 Apr 2017 20:00
A Strange New Space | 23 Apr 2017 – 23 Apr 2017
Stephen Bailey | 23 Apr 2017 20:00
Jocasta – A Musical Tragedy | 29 Apr 2017 20:00
HOAX | 30 Apr 2017 – 01 May 2017
The Noise Next Door | 30 Apr 2017 – 01 May 2017

CARDBOARD CITIZENS ANNOUNCE CASTING FOR HOME TRUTHS: A SEASON OF NINE BRAND NEW PLAYS EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF HOUSING

• FULL CAST ANNOUNCED TODAY AND REHEARSAL PICTURES RELEASED
• CARDBOARD CITIZENS RECEIVES GRANT OF £45,800 FROM THE HERITAGE LOTTERY FUND FOR THE HOME TRUTHS FESTIVAL OF HERITAGE EVENTS, A FREE PROGRAMME OF EVENTS TO RUN ALONGSIDE THE SEASON
• HOME TRUTHS: AN INCOMPLETE HISTORY OF HOUSING TOLD IN NINE PLAYS  RUNS AT THE BUNKER THEATRE 17 APRIL – 13 MAY WITH PRESS PERFORMANCES ON 20, 21, 22 APRIL

 

The award-winning theatre company Cardboard Citizens has today announced casting for its season of new work at The Bunker in London this April. Celebrating 25 years of making work with and for homeless people, the company will continue its exploration of the state of housing in nine new plays commissioned by Cardboard Citizens from some of the UK’s most exciting playwrights. In addition to the plays, the company have today announced plans for a series of free events to run alongside the productions. The season runs 17 April to 13 May with press performances on 20, 21 and 22 April.

The full cast for the season includes: Richard Galloway; Jake Goode; David Hartley; Marian Haque; Caroline Loncq; Endy McKay; Andre Skeete; Mitesh Soni; Cathy Owen and Faye Wilson.

Home Truths will look back at the history of UK housing, from the Victorian housing crisis through to squatting in the 1970s, the ravages of Rachmanism in the 1950s and white flight in the 21st century. The nine plays will be split into three Cycles. Each Cycle can be seen as a stand-alone production, or alternatively audiences can take part in a theatrical sit in and watch all nine plays over the course of a day in one of two special Tri-Cycle performances.

Cardboard Citizens has been awarded a grant of £45,800 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to create the Home Truths Festival of Heritage Events. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the Festival will offer people a programme of free linked events designed to engage both the general public and people affected by homelessness.

Through a series of exhibitions, a walking tour, film nights, talks and workshops held in venues around London, the Home Truths Festival of Heritage Events will run from mid-April to late May, exploring how the state of housing today can be understood in the context of history; not just asking the question ‘How did we get here?’ but also ‘What do we do next?’.  The full line-up will be announced in April.

Stuart Hobley, Head of HLF London, said: “It’s great that funding from National Lottery players can support Cardboard Citizens to explore the history of housing, a part of the UK’s heritage that is too often overlooked. This innovative series of events will provide an important heritage context to homelessness and social housing over the last 150 years, and engage the whole community in a thoughtful discussion about how the past can inform our future.”

Playwrights who have written new work for the season include: Sonali Bhattacharyya, Lin Coghlan, EV Crowe, Anders Lustgarten, Stef Smith, Nessah Muthy, Chris O’Connell, David Watson and Heathcote Williams with Sarah Woods. The productions will be individually directed by Cardboard Citizens’ Founder and Artistic Director Adrian Jackson and rising star Caitlin McLeod as the season’s Associate Director

Design is by James Turner, lighting is by Elliot Griggs, sound and composition by Lewis Gibson and Tom Parkinson, and costume is by Holly Henshaw.
BIOGRAPHIES

Adrian Jackson is the Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Cardboard Citizens. Adrian founded Cardboard Citizens in 1991 and since then he has directed over 30 productions for the company, devising or adapting many of them, including Pericles and Timon (with RSC) The Beggar’s Opera (with ENO),The Lower Depths (with London Bubble) and Mincemeat (winner of Evening Standard award).  He directed his own play, A Few Man Fridays at Riverside Studios in 2012, and Kate Tempest’s Glasshouse in 2013. In 2013 he wrote and directed an intervention in Elmgreen/Dragset’s installation Tomorrow at the V & A. He recently directed Cardboard Citizens’ touring production Cathy. Adrian also teaches the Theatre of the Oppressed methodology all over the world.

Caitlin McLeod worked as Trainee Director at the Royal Court from 2011-12 assisting Jeremy Herrin (Headlong), Dominic Cooke (former Artistic Director, Royal Court) and James MacDonald. During that period she directed three sell-out shows at the Finborough Theatre, and went on to be Staff Director at the Globe (Hamlet) and the National Theatre (Strange Interlude). She has subsequently directed shows at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Hampstead Theatre and two critically acclaimed shows in New York (And I And Silence and One Flea Spare). Last year she was selected from over 1300 applicants to be one of the inaugural Old Vic 12; a talent group supported by The Old Vic comprised of the most exciting emerging theatre-makers in the UK. This year Caitlin won a Sky Academy Scholarship to found her new company The Coterie.
Richard Galloway trained in acting at Breton Hall and most recently appeared in one man show The Life And Soul by Chris O’Connor (Red Ladder Theatre Company), other theatre credits include: The House Behind The Lines (BugLight Theatre), One Act Plays (The Plays The Thing Theatre Company) and Stones In His Pockets (Contexture Theatre). Richard has also had roles in film in The Communist (2014), The Rise (2013) and Black Dog (2013). @rgalloway86

Jake Goode’s productions with Cardboard Citizens  have included: Flat 4D (hostels); Woman of No Importance (schools); Crisis 25th Anniversary (Globe); The Art of Legislation (City Hall); Short Circuit (hostels); Beggars’ Opera (Bridewell); Mincemeat (Jam Factory, Curtain Road, BBC Radio 3); Pericles (Collaboration with RSC); Visible (Collaboration with RSC); Timon Of Athens (UK tour); Woyzeck (Southwark Playhouse); Viewing The Property (V&A). He presents street theatre with Other Half Productions and engages young people through theatre as part of Just Play. Jake’s television and music video credits include: Warehouse (Carlton) and In This Garden (The Levellers).

David Hartley’s theatre credits include: The Odyssey: Missing Presumed Dead (Liverpool Everyman/ETT/Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), Henry VI Pts 1,2&3 (Shakespeare’s Globe), Measure For Measure (Globe & US Tour), As You Like It (Grovesnor Park), Billy Liar (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Lovely And Misfit (Trafalgar Studios) and Cling To Me Like Ivy (Birmingham Rep). Television includes: The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, Holby City and Dr Who, all for the BBC, and Talk To Me, Kingdom and DCI Banks (ITV). Radio includes: Flare Path and Noble Cause Corruption (BBC).

Marian Haque studied at Bristol University and trained at the Drama Studio London. Her theatre credits include: Diana Of Dobsons (New Vic), Dara (National Theatre), Behind The Beautiful Forevers (National Theatre) and Roundabout/Bush Bazaar (Bush Theatre/Theatre Delicatessen). Her television credits include Black Mirror: Shut Up and Dance (Netflix/Channel 4), Doctors, Holby City and EastEnders, all for BBC. Marian has also done voice over work and had roles in film in The Long Weekend (2013) and Diary Of A Jihadi (2009).

Caroline Loncq trained at BOVTS and her theatre work includes: Broken Glass (Tricycle/Vaudeville), Scorched (Old Vic Tunnels), Kings Of Hearts (Hampstead), Duchess Of Malfi & Comedy Of Errors (RSC) and Lysistrata (Wyndham/Epidaurus). Television work includes: Lucky Man (Carnival for Sky 1); No Offence (Channel 4), The Night Manager (Ink Factory for BBC/AMC); Vera (ITV), Hooten & The Lady (Red Planet Pictures for Sky 1), Affinity (Box TV for ITV), Trial & Retribution (LaPlante for ITV), Wire In The Blood (Coastal for ITV) and The Queen’s Sister (Touchpaper for Channel 4). Film work includes: I Could Never Be Your Woman (directed by Amy Heckerling for The Weinstein Company); The Affair Of The Necklace (directed by Charles Shyer for Warner Brothers) and the Prix Europa-winning Bolse Vita (directed by Ibolya Fekete for MIT Studios).

Endy McKay’s theatre credits include: What Would Quentin Do? (The Bush/ADF), Ten Women (Jackdaw/Ovalhouse/Avignon Festival) and People (National Theatre). Television credits include From The Cradle To The Grave (ITV), Holby City (BBC) and Peep Show (Channel 4).

Andre Skeete has been acting for 12 years and has worked with Cardboard Citizens many times.His theatre credits include: Glasshouse (Carboard Citizens by Kate Tempest), Burst (Paper Tiger), Hospital Chapel 6am (Bread and Roses Theatre), The H Word (Shakespeare in Shoreditch Festival 2016 by David Watson), The Interview (Cardboard Citizens) and Dust (Cardboard Citzens), alongside the company’s touring productions Twice and Three Blind Mice. Andre also had a role in BBC’s short film Seven Dials.

Mitesh Soni was the winner of the Manchester Theatre Award for Best Ensemble for Arabian Nights (Library Theatre), Soni has been in numerous productions on stage including: Rudolf (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Coming Up (Watford Palace Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (National Theatre) and The Rise And Fall of Little Voice (Lancaster Dukes Theatre). Film and television credits include: Syriana (2005) Rise of the Foot Soldier 2 (2014) The Agency (Happy Tramp), Run (Acmey) and Threesome (Big Talk Productions). @MiteshSoni_1

Cathy Owen’s theatre credits include: Cathy (Cardboard Citizens), Mother Courage And Her Children (National Theatre of Wales), This Wide Night (Clean Break, Soho Theatre UK Tour), The Last Valentine; A Chaste Maid In Cheapside (Almeida), Silent Engine (Pentabus, Fringe First Winner), Macbeth (Ludlow Festival), Edwina: A Cautionary Tale For Grown Ups (The Stadsteatern, Stockholm, BAC), Shrew’d: Taming Of The Shrew and The Tamer Tamed (Arcola). Television credits include The Bill (TalkBack Thames); Casualty; Crown Prosecutor (BBC) and The Life And Death Of Philip Night (YTV/Waller Films).

Faye Wilson trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, her theatre credits include: Medea (Rada), Stasiland (RADA) and Macbeth (KMA Productions). She has previously worked with Cardboard Citizens on workshops for Put In The Schwarzes And De-Stat It and The Cost.
As with all Cardboard Citizens productions, a proportion of tickets for Home Truths will be made available to homeless audiences at £1.50.

**

CYCLE ONE

Slummers
by Sonali Bhattacharyya

1887. Polly, 16, clashes with her mother, Ada, against the backdrop of the Victorian housing crisis. Polly is desperate to escape the slums at any cost, but Ada believes the compromises they’d have to make are too high. A story about the ‘deserving poor’ and the obstacles they face, whatever choices they make.
Sonali Bhattacharyya’s credits include 2066 (Almeida), Twelve (Kali Theatre), These Four Streets (Birmingham Rep), A Thin Red Line (Kali Theatre, Birmingham Rep & Black Country Touring) and the South Bank Show Award nominated White Open Spaces (Pentabus Theatre). She was a member of the inaugural Old Vic 12. She is developing Deepa The Saint (with Theatre 503), musical Kali’s Toenail (with Theatre Royal Stratford East) and The Invisible Boy for Tricycle Theatre’s Mapping Brent project.

**

The Ruff Tuff Cream Puff Estate Agency
by Heathcote Williams with Sarah Woods

Squat Now While Stocks Last. In the early 1970s, Heathcote Williams and friends set up an ‘estate agency’ to provide free accommodation for homeless people:

‘A tiny oasis in the capitalist consumerist shit-hole run by bloviating wank-puddles, and the forces of awe and boredom’.

This is their story.

Heathcote Williams is a poet, playwright, author and actor. His first book, The Speakers, was published in 1964 to critical acclaim and he went on to write a selection of award-winning epic poems. Heathcote’s play The Local Stigmatic, first played at the Royal Court in 1966, was made into a film by Al Pacino and his The Immortalist was produced by the National Theatre and in New York. Heathcote has written and advised on a number of feature films including Looking For Richard, Hotel, and Malatesta. He has also written extensively for radio and television, including Hancock’s Last Half Hour and What the Dickens?.

Sarah Woods is Narrative Artist at Cardboard Citizens, where she works both as playwright and dramaturg. She is currently writing commissions for London Bubble, BBC Radio 4 and Birmingham Opera. Recent campaign work includes the Centre for Alternative Technology’s Zero Carbon: Making It Happen project, the Fabian Society’s Commission on Food and Poverty, and the Ashden Trust’s Visioning London project.

**

Back To Back To Back
by Stef Smith

Nine months. Two couples. One building. Four people are trying to figure out their futures but with their backs against the breadline everyone is struggling to stay afloat. White flight, fertility and inhospitality are explored in this poetic domestic drama that examines the difference between a house and a home.

Stef Smith is an award-winning playwright whose credits include: Girl In The Machine (Traverse Theatre), Human Animals (Royal Court), Swallow (Traverse Theatre), Remote (NT Connections), Tea And Symmetry (BBC Radio Scotland), Falling/Flying (Tron Theatre) and Roadkill (Edinburgh Festival). Awards include a Fringe First for both Swallow and Roadkill, with Roadkill also winning an Olivier in 2010. Stef is an Associate Artist at the Traverse Theatre.

**

CYCLE TWO

The Table
by Lin Coghlan

In the backroom of a house in South London, residents from 2017 and 1919 find themselves struggling with similar challenges – what is home and in order to find one what might one be prepared to sacrifice? Wine is consumed, secrets confronted and the longing for a place to call one’s own unites the people who shared this space a hundred years apart.

Lin Coghlan is from Dublin. She wrote her first play for Theatre Centre and has since written widely for film, television, radio and theatre, working for companies including Clean Break, where her play Apache Tears won the Peggy Ramsey Award. Her work for the stage includes The Night Garden (National Studio/ Northcott Theatre Exeter), Waking and Mercy (both Soho Theatre), Kingfisher Blue (Bush Theatre) and The Miracle (National Theatre). Her films include First Communion Day (BBC Films), which won the Dennis Potter Play of the Year Award, and Some Dogs Bite (BBC/Kindle Entertainment) which won the Audience Prize at the Nantes British Film Festival.

**

Put In The Schwarzes And De-Stat It
by Nessah Muthy

London. 1958. Two women, one black, one white, battle against the ravages of Rachmanism and the ‘other’. Amidst fear, hate, violence and racism war is unleashed on streets of Notting Hill. Will either woman make it home?

Nessah Muthy is currently writing plays for HighTide, the National Youth Theatre, Kali Theatre and Theatre Centre. For screen, Nessah is currently under commission to BBC Drama, as part of the BBC Writers’ Programme 2016/17.

**

Yellow Front Door
by Anders Lustgarten

Michael is one of the lucky ones. He’s got the Right to Buy. The right to choose the colour of his own front door. The right to leave this dreary, dull little life behind and seek adventure. To spread his wings and become the man he always knew he could be. And he can’t wait…

Anders Lustgarten is a political playwright. His play Lampedusa, about the migrant crisis and austerity, has been staged in a dozen European countries over the past year. His play The Seven Acts Of Mercy, which combines Caravaggio and 17th century Naples with 21st century Bootle, is currently running in the RSC’s Swan Theatre. And his play The Secret Theatre, about Sir Francis Walsingham and the invention of the surveillance state, will play at Shakespeare’s Globe this autumn. He’s also a political activist who’s been arrested in four continents.

**

CYCLE THREE

Henrietta
by David Watson

June 1936. In a purgatorial reunion with her late husband Samuel, the philanthropist and social reformer Henrietta Barnett is asked what she would consider her greatest achievement. Her answer lies in NW11 between Golders Green and Finchley. But a trip to the 21st century might just trigger a rude awakening…

David Watson’s plays include Pieces Of Vincent (Arcola/Paines Plough), Flight Path (Bush/Out of Joint) and Just A Bloke (Royal Court Young Writers Festival.) He has written extensively for community and prison companies, with work including Knife Edge (Big House), Housed (Old Vic Community Company) and Any Which Way (Only Connect.) His short plays include The Politician’s Handbook (Royal Court) and You Cannot Go Forward From Where You Are Now (Oran Mor/Paines Plough.) His adaptations include Ibsen’s Ghosts (Home, Manchester) and Phillip Pullman’s I Was A Rat (Birmingham Rep.) For television, he wrote for three series of L8R (Actorshop/BBC), for which he won three Children’s BAFTAs. He wrote the screenplay for The Hope Rooms (Rather Good Film/Bill Kenwright Productions).

**

Nostalgia
by E V Crowe

It’s 1946, Anna’s sick and she knows what she’s got. She tries to tell her husband Martin, who is back from the war, and their friend Abel and then the doctor. She had it before the little place, it got a bit better in the communist squat, then worse again in the pigsty. But no one believes her illness is real, or what it means or that you can die from it.

E V Crowe’s credits for the Royal Court Theatre: The Sewing Group, Hero, Kin. Other theatre includes: Brenda (Hightide/Yard); I Can Hear You (RSC); Liar Liar (Unicorn Theatre); Doris Day (Clean Break/Soho); Young Pretender (nabokov) and ROTOR (Siobhan Davies Dance). Television includes: Glue, Big Girl. Radio includes: How To Say Goodbye Properly. Awards include: Imison Award for Radio, and Hero was part of Olivier Award-winning season in the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs.

**

GRIP
by Chris O’Connell

A series of unforeseen events change 51 year old Lorna’s life irrevocably. When she is diagnosed with terminal cancer, only days afterwards, in a freak timing of events, her landlord announces that he is evicting her and she is plunged into a world she knows nothing of. Benefits, homelessness testing, bidding for social housing.

Chris O’Connell is an award-winning writer for theatre, TV and radio. Credits include Fringe First Award winners Raw and Car (Time Out Live Award), and plays for the RSC, Frantic Assembly and the Belgrade Theatre. He is Artistic Director and writer for Theatre Absolute, which founded the UKʼs first professional shop front theatre in an empty fish and chip shop in Coventry city centre.

 

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Performance dates & times

CYCLE 1 (RED)
17th April (Preview), 19:30
20th April (Press), 19:00
24th and 27th April, 3rd, 6th, and 10th May, 19:30

CYCLE 2 (BLUE)
18th April (Preview), 19:30
21st April (Press), 19:00
25th and 28th April, 4th, 8th, and 11th May, 19:30

CYCLE 3 (YELLOW)
19th April (Preview), 19:30
22nd April (Press), 19:00
26th April, 2nd, 5th, 9th, and 12th May, 19:30

TRI-CYCLE DAYS (GREEN)
Saturday 29th April, 12:00
Saturday 13th May, 12:00

All running times TBC

www.bunkertheatre.com/whats-on/home-truths/about

Tickets

ONE Cycle
Standard: £15
Concession: £12
Previews: £10

TWO Cycles
Standard: £25
Concession: £20

THREE Cycles / Tri-Cycle Performances
Standard: £35
Concession: £28

Twitter & Instagram: @CardboardCitz #HomeTruths
Facebook: www.facebook.com/cardboardcitizens
YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/cardboardcitztv
www.cardboardcitizens.org.uk/

Thursday 6 April to Saturday 6 May 2017

A Live Theatre Production
The Red Lion

Written by Patrick Marber
Directed by Max Roberts

Designed by Patrick Connellan
Starring Stephen Tompkinson, John Bowler and Dean Bone

 

 

Actors Stephen Tompkinson (DCI Banks) John Bowler (Auf Wiedersehen Pet) and Dean Bone (The Savage) have started rehearsals for Live Theatre’s new production of The Red Lion written by Oscar Nominated writer Patrick Marber, which runs at the Newcastle quayside based theatre from Thursday 6 April to Saturday 6 May 2017.

 

Following its critically acclaimed first run at the National Theatre in 2015, The Red Lion has been specially adapted by writer Patrick Marber for Live Theatre and the North East, where it will be directed by Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Max Roberts.  The play is set in the locker room of a North Eastern lower league football club in the ultra-competitive twilight world of semi-professional football. The Red Lion is a powerful, funny and touching drama that reaches beyond the beautiful game, exploring contrasting ideas about loyalty, ambition and what it takes to win, from three different generations.  If you thought that badge-kissing mercenaries, wide-boy agents and dodgy deals were confined to the Premier League, think again.

 

Stephen Tompkinson, well known for his TV appearances as DCI Banks, and who previously appeared at Live Theatre as the lead in Faith & Cold Reading, is re-united with Harrigan co-star John Bowler. John started his TV career in the film Ha’way the Lads playing Sunderland footballer Jimmy Seed. He then went on to feature in Auf Wiedersehen Pet and has since starred in The Bill, EastEnders and Coronation Street. John, who grew up in Newcastle, will be making his first appearance at Live Theatre. They will be joined by up and coming actor Dean Bone cast as the young football player, Jordan. Dean, originally from Gateshead, has had lead roles in Live Theatre’s recent productions The Savage and The Terminal Velocity of Snowflakes having started in Live’s Youth Theatre.

 

Stephen Tompkinson, actor, said:

 

“Performing at Live Theatre in Shaun Prendergast’s Faith & Cold Reading, was one of the best experiences in my career. I am delighted to be back at Live Theatre, in Patrick Marber’s brilliant play The Red Lion.”

John Bowler, actor, said:

“I was attracted to the part of Yates by Max Roberts, Steven Tompkinson, Patrick Marber and football – not necessarily in that order!  I have always been a fan of Live Theatre and the work Max has created over the years so to be invited to work with him opposite the wonderful Stephen Tompkinson in this brilliant play by Patrick Marber proved irresistible!”

Dean Bone added:

“It’s always an absolute privilege to work at Live Theatre. I cannot wait to get started on a project about football, something I feel passionately about. And working with two excellent, experienced professional actors such as Stephen Tompkinson and John Bowler is something any young actor would jump at the chance at!”

Max Roberts, Artistic Director, Live Theatre said:

 

“I am delighted to be working with Patrick Marber, directing his play The Red Lion. I am also pleased to welcome back Stephen Tompkinson to Live Theatre’s stage, and to have cast alongside him well-established actor John Bowler who will be making his first appearance here, and rising talent Dean Bone who has starred in two recent Live Theatre productions having started here in Live’s Youth Theatre.”

 

Patrick Marber, writer of The Red Lion said:

 

“I am thrilled to be making my Live Theatre debut. It’s been a great and exciting opportunity to revise the play with Max Roberts at the helm. I’m greatly looking forward to seeing this version of the play in Newcastle.”

 

‘Marber’s dressing room drama is a remarkable three-hander about a sport he clearly knows intimately’ ★★★★ The Guardian

‘a triumph’ The Telegraph

 

A series of FREE post show talks accompany the play. 

Writer Patrick Marber and Director Max Roberts take part in a free Meet the Writer talk after the 2pm performance on Saturday 8 April; actors Stephen Tompkinson, John Bowler and Dean Bone discuss their roles in a free Meet the Cast talk after the 7.30pm performance on Wednesday 19 April, and in a Football Panel Discussion sports writers Harry Pearson (The Far Corner) and George Caulkin (The Times) join director Max Roberts and industry professionals in a discussion about the importance of amateur football in the North East and issues raised in the play after the 7.30pm performance on Wednesday 26 April. All post show talks include a question and answer session, are free but must be pre-booked.

 

Live Theatre is fully accessible and offers a range of additional assisted interpretation at specific performances of The Red Lionaimed at improving the theatre experience for all audience members. These include British Sign Language Interpretation at the performance on Wednesday 26 April, 7.30pm, Captioning on Thursday 27 April, 7.30pm and Audio Description on Saturday 6 May, 2pm.  A Free Touch Tour on Saturday 6 May, 1pm is a ‘hands on’ tour of the set describing props, costumes, characters and the visual style of the show ahead of the performance with additional audio description especially for visitors with visual impairments.

 

The 2pm matinee on Thursday 27 April is designated as a Relaxed Performance which allows a more laid back approach to noise or movement from the audience, with audience members being able to leave and come back in again and don’t have to be quiet. This is suitable for young people with special educational needs, or anyone who many benefit from a more relaxed environment.  These services are offered at no extra cost for service users. Performances with extra interpretation should not affect the performance for other audience members, although Relaxed performances may have more noise and movement from other audience members.

The Red Lion is suitable for ages 16+ and is at Live Theatre, Newcastle from Thursday 6 April to Saturday 6 May 2017. Tickets for The Red Lion cost between £10 and £26 with concessions from £6 and group discounts available. For more information or to book tickets visit www.live.org.uk or contact Live Theatre’s box office on (0191) 232 1232.

 CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR ON THE TOWN

 DANNY MAC, FRED HAIG AND JEREMY TAYLOR PLAY GABEY, CHIP AND OZZIE

 SIENA KELLY, LIZZY CONNOLLY AND MIRIAM-TEAK LEE PLAY IVY, HILDY AND CLAIRE

 MAGGIE STEED AND NAOKO MORI PLAY MADAME DILLY AND LUCY SCHMEELER

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announce casting for the opening production of their 2017 season, On The Town (19 May – 01 July).

Danny Mac, Fred Haig and Jeremy Taylor take the roles of the three sailors, Gabey, Chip and Ozzie, originally played in the film version by Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra and Jules Munshin. Siena Kelly, Lizzy Connolly and Miriam-Teak Lee take the roles of Ivy, Hildy and Claire, originally played in the film version by Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett and Ann Miller. Also joining the cast are Maggie Steed as Madame Dilly, Naoko Mori as Lucy Schmeeler, Rodney Earl Clarke as The Workman and Mark Heenehan as Judge Pitkin.

Danny Mac (Gabey) was a finalist in Strictly Come Dancing 2016 and, with dancing partner Oti Mabuse, has recently completed the Strictly Come Dancing Live arena tour. Following his training at Arts Educational Schools he played Mark ‘Dodger’ Savage in Hollyoaks, and went on to join the cast of Wicked (Victoria Apollo).

Fred Haig (Chip) is a recent graduate of LAMDA. Jeremy Taylor (Ozzie) recently played Fiyero in Wicked (Victoria Apollo), and has previously appeared in We Will Rock You (Dominion), The Sound of Music (Palladium and UK tour) and Evita (UK tour).

Siena Kelly (Ivy) and Miriam-Teak Lee (Claire) are both recent graduates of Arts Educational Schools and make their professional West End debuts. Lizzy Connolly (Hildy) is currently appearing in The Wild Party (The Other Palace) having previously appeared in Once In A Lifetime (Young Vic) and as Ellie Goulding in the TV series The Windsors.

Maggie Steed (Madame Dilly) has enjoyed an extensive career on film, television and stage. Film and television highlights include Florence Foster Jenkins, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassis, The Painted Veil, Larkrise to Candleford, Jam and Jerusalem, Pie in the Sky, Victoria Wood’s As Seen On TV and the E4 series, Chewing Gum. Her stage career includes roles at the National Theatre, RSC and Royal Court, and recent credits include Richard II (Trafalgar Transformed), The Birthday Party (Manchester Royal Exchange), The School for Scandal (Bath Theatre Royal) and Trelawney of the Wells (Donmar Warehouse).

Naoko Mori (Lucy Schmeeler) played the role of Kim in Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Christmas Eve in Avenue Q (Noel Coward). Her extensive TV credits include Toshiko Sato in Torchwood, Sarah (aka Titikaka) in Absolutely Fabulous, Doctor Who, Humans, Vexed, and Yoko Ono in Lennon Naked. Her film credits include Everest, Topsy Turvy, Spiceworld, and the upcoming film Life.

Rodney Earl Clarke (The Workman) has appeared in productions of The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan Tutte and in the title role of Don Giovanni. He has appeared as Jake in Porgy and Bess for the Berlin Philharmonic under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle, debuted the role of Crown with The Royal Danish Opera, Copenhagen, and took the title role with the Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Sante Cecilia, Rome. In the UK he has performed the Bernstein Mass with the London Symphony Orchestra under Marin Alsop and Carmen Jones at the Royal Festival Hall

Mark Heenehan (Judge Pitkin) most recently played Gyp in Jersey Boys (Piccadilly), with previous credits including Fiddler on the Roof (Grange Park Opera), Guys and Dolls (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Kiss Me Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre/Old Vic)

Completing the cast are: Michelle Andrews, Myles Brown, Matthew Caputo, Edward Chitticks, Lavinia Fitzpatrick, Cristina Hoey, James Leece, Jacob Maynard, Rachel Muldoon, Melissa Nettleford, Emily Ann Potter, Mollie Melia Redgrave, Lisa Ritchie, Barnaby Thompson, Sam Salter and Brandon Lee Sears

Playing 19 May to 1 July 2017, On The Town is based on a concept by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein and book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, including the hit song “New York, New York (it’s a helluva town)”. It is directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie who won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography for In the Heights before scoring a hit with his choreography for Jesus Christ Superstar in 2016, for which he is nominated in The Olivier Awards 2017. He has also choreographed Jekyll and Hyde and The Lorax (Old Vic), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith) and Hairspray and Chicago (Curve, Leicester), as well as directing and choreographing Strictly Ballroom (West Yorkshire Playhouse) and The Wild Party (The Other Palace).

On The Town is designed by Peter McKintosh, whose previous credits for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre include Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, The Sound of Music, Hello, Dolly! and Crazy for You (Olivier Award for Best Costume Design). Musical Supervision is by Tom Deering (Jesus Christ Superstar, Open Air Theatre / wonder.land, National / In the Heights, Southwark Playhouse and King’s Cross Theatre) and, completing the Creative Team, are: Lighting Designer Howard Hudson (Romeo and Juliet, Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company / Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Linbury Studio/ In the Heights, Southwark Playhouse and King’s Cross Theatre); Sound Designer Nick Lidster for Autograph (Olivier Nominated for Jesus Christ Superstar, Open Air Theatre); Fiona Dunn (Associate Director); Ebony Molina (Associate Choreographer); Kevin Amos (Associate Musical Director); Barbara Houseman (Associate Director, Voice and Text) and James Orange (Casting Director).

The season continues with Dickens Uncovered, celebrating the greatest storyteller of London life, Charles Dickens: Artistic Director Timothy Sheader directs A Tale of Two Cities (7 July – 8 August), a new play by Matthew Dunster adapted from the original Dickens novel and, developing their programme of work made especially for families, Caroline Byrne directs Oliver Twist created for everyone aged six and over adapted by Anya Reiss (17 July – 5 August). Completing the 2017 season, Jesus Christ Superstar returns for just 41 performances (11 August – 16 September), giving audiences one last chance to see the production in its original home. The musical, directed by Timothy Sheader, won the Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, and is currently nominated for six Olivier Awards.

White Bear Theatre 7 – 25 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Jack Thorne has gone on to great things since writing Bunny, not least writing the phenomenon that is Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, but this new production serves as a reminder of his skill in finding ridiculously funny and dangerous situations in mundane lives.

Catherine Lamb stars as Katie, an intelligent middle class (her parents read The Guardian) white girl from Luton. Her older, black boyfriend Abe works in the office at the Vauxhall factory, but manages to walk her home from school most days. The embarrassment the two feel about their success, and their reversed aspirations – to be working on the factory floor with “their kind of people”- colour their every decision, and while moaning about Luton, rather than wanting to escape their situation, all they want to do is fit in.

Trying to impress factory workers Asif and Jake, Abe and Katie get sucked into a chase through Luton, ending up in a siege situation where nobody can back down. All because a kid on a bike knocked Abe’s ice-cream off its cone.

The narrative is constantly interrupted by Katie talking about her family, school and friends in a brilliantly authentic scattergun fashion of teenage conversation. Lighting changes and sound effects mark some, but not all transitions, adding to the shared feeling of confusion and panic building in Katie’s mind. The interruptions piece together Katie’s mental state, with tales of hopelessly helpful parents, bullying, being bullied, revenge and her easy, naïve promiscuity revealing that she is the Bunny in the fox’s eye, not the kid they are chasing.

This all sounds deep and meaningful, but it is also very, very funny. One liners and fantastic stories will have you howling with laughter, in between squirming uncomfortably as the foursome’s actions become more and more sinister.

Catherine Lamb is a convincing teenager, full of coy glances and bubbling energy. Her constant movement ramps up the tension in the quieter moments, and her physicality during the car chase is sublime. The House Of Pain sequence is full of joyful abandon and I think most of the audience wanted to jump up and join her.

The abrupt and ambiguous ending seemed to annoy a few members of the audience, but most, like me, thought it entirely appropriate – Katie chose suspense, and lets the audience imagine which path she takes. Brilliant.

Funny, still fresh, and fantastically written and performed, Bunny is a play well worth seeing.

Identity Crisis by Phina Oruche

Ovalhouse, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW

Tuesday 9 th – Sunday 14th May 2017

Press Night: Tuesday 9 th May, 7.45pm

Following highly successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe 2016, International Slavery Museum Liverpool, and The Wardrobe Theatre in Bristol, Identity Crisis by Phina Oruche (ITV’s Footballers’ Wives, Channel 4’s Hollyoaks) transfers to London’s Ovalhouse. This hilariously funny one-woman show explores identity struggles that are common to us all.

The play was born out of a real life story of the sudden death of Oruche’s 19-year-old niece in her home in 2011 from a brain aneurysm. This distressing time was followed by a series of racial and international incidents happening throughout the world and in Oruche’s life. Identity Crisis helped her turn a mess into a message

Identity Crisis focuses on nine characters all of whom are having their own identity crises; they are black, white, old, young, male and female. The audience are taken through sixty images of Oruche when she worked in the world of fashion, providing an illuminating exposition of life on the catwalk. Starting with the media’s telling of when tragedy struck, this laugh-out-loud show examines Oruche’s own observations on others conceptions of black people in the media via her life as she worked as a fashion model, actress, radio presenter and then writer.

Through its simple staging, the cast is brought to life; from Amy Tan, a working-class white girl with a Scouse brow and a taste for spray tans and black lads, to Antonio de Silva, a football crazy Italian living in LA who is missing his mum.

Phina Oruche comments, I created Identity Crisis for two reasons. My life stopped when tragedy struck and I plunged into a deep, dark, interminable grief. The range of emotions and the questions I posed about my life and its value at times made me feel like I was in a crisis. This show has given me the freedom to play characters I would never get cast as. All my characters are vulnerable, flawed, and struggling with who they are. Identity Crisis has proved cathartic to me and has restored my joy and faith in humanity.

In addition to the run at Ovalhouse, Phina Oruche will bring Identity Crisis to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2017.

Pete ‘n’ Keely

Tristan Bates Theatre, 1a Tower Street, London WC2H 9NP

Tuesday 2 nd – Saturday 20th May 2017

Press Night: Thursday 4th May 2017, 7.30pm

The European Premiere of the off-Broadway musical hit Pete ‘n’ Keely comes to Tristan Bates Theatre – a string of hits, a cast of two, ‘Forever Plaid’ meets ‘I Do, I Do’. Katie Kerr (Little Shop of Horrors, Menier Chocolate Factory; Fat Pig, Comedy Theatre; Sweeney Todd, English National Opera) and David Bardsley (Titanic, Charing Cross Theatre; Guys and Dolls, National Theatre; The Fix, Donmar Warehouse) lead this award-winning musical, featuring unforgettable renditions of the era’s popular favourites.

It’s 1968. America’s Swingin’ Sweethearts, Pete Bartel and Keely Stevens, are performing live on national television! The only catch? They haven’t spoken to each other in five years. Through a non-stop parade of song hits from the 50s and 60s – highlighted by elaborately staged flashbacks – Pete and Keely relive the roller coaster ride that got them where they are today… divorced! Pete and Keely have some unfinished business and the tension bubbling beneath the show’s glitzy surface threatens to boil over at any moment in a confrontation that will definitely not be ready for prime time.

As the inevitable blow-up gets closer, the songs become increasingly double- edged. History repeats itself, live and in full colour, as Pete and Keely head towards a conclusion that’s at once uproariously funny and surprisingly touching.

Director Matthew Gould (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Arts Theatre; The Glass Protégé, The Park Theatre; I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road, Jermyn Street Theatre) comments From the moment I was introduced to Pete ‘n’ Keely last year all my childhood memories of illicitly watching American comedy sketch on my tiny black and white TV in my bedroom came flooding back. Memories that were in black and white but now will be realised in full bodied 60s colour as we embrace the joy, laughter and sheer bloody talent of Pete and Keely as they reunite for one final TV spectacular.

Stylishness and charm few Broadway musicals can begin to match (New York Magazine).