Month: November 2017

Lyric Theatre, The Lowry, Manchester – 18th November 2017.  Reviewed by Julie Noller

5*****

This was my first taste of Opera, it was also the matinee performance from The Little Greats selection of short operas by England’s national opera company in the north – Opera North. It was refreshing to see so many young faces in the audience, all delighting in taking in the sight of the orchestra warming up. Conducted by Martin Andre the sounds were delightful to listen to.  At only 45 minutes long with no interval, it’s the perfect introduction for those young faces and indeed myself.

Having read the synopsis before arriving at the theatre and noting that L’Enfant et les Sortileges was a tale firstly written by Colette over 100 years ago as The Great War was bringing Europe to its knees. I simply wasn’t expecting upon curtain up to be met by cast in bright colours attempting to take a selfie, it could be said that boys will be boys no matter what year this is. Although Revel had not added his musical touches until 1924, If you are to dig deeply into the emotions, you could say there are parables of Europe being destroyed, of deep mistrust, hatred. Yet it must’ve been so refreshing in 1925 at that first Monte Carlo performance to watch a child learning to trust himself and care of others once again. I wonder did they view the child as Europe at war or simply a child? This is where my puzzlement comes in, is this simply the story of a child quite like my own stamping their feet at the thought of more homework, throwing a temper tantrum leading to total mental exhaustion and dreams of the animals and people around them all of whom have been hurt. We must praise the voices the exceptional singing all in French – impressive, even more impressive was my ability to recognise words after all these years. Thank You equally to The Lowry for the two screens either side of the stage with Engish translations on them for those of us slow with French to English – although my enjoyment of the opera was not entirely dependent on this, it did enhance it.

The Child (Wallis Giunta) is present throughout the entire performance, you see him angry, defiant, scared and finally accepting of his life and of those lives around him. It was a very brave decision to wear a blue football kit in Manchester, but no one complained. Our other characters each took on multiple roles, each connected. Ann Taylor we saw as The Childs Mother ‘Maman’, the childs favourite chinese cup as he desperatly tried to piece it back together and also as the squirrel, injured and hurt with the child wanting to ease the pain. Fflur Wyn had made me giggle when she first appeared in a pink velour tracksuit, smoking a cigarette, Vicky Pollard anyone? She represented both the fire and the princess who the child lost due to his inability to protect her. Quirijin de Lang played out the dance of the frisky Tom cat well, ignoring the child as insignificant. Typical Cat, basically is what any cat owner would say, we are but mere servants to their demands. I do believe the biggest laughs came from both children and adults alike, albeit for different reasons – when John Graham-Hall appeared as Tea Pot, in his words black and shiny. To children he looked silly holding the lid with his spout, well that’s where the adults laughed at the extremely phallic placement. We all understood the child’s depression upon arithmetic appearing and firing those hard sums at him, how is he expected to know these things, why should he? The Child manages to learn a valuable life lesson at the end, don’t destroy those closest to you, for you will need them. He calls out for his Mother and after helping the injured squirrel the animals of the forest see the goodness in him and help him to reach her.

Would I go to another matinee performance at The Lowry? Absolutely. Would I watch another operatic performance? Yes certainly, I liked the way I felt puzzled, questioned. Did I need to think too deeply into history and time or is The Child just another child questioning us parents as children will continue to do. I guess as with all art, interpretation is down to the individual and I look forward to hearing what you thought when you see L’Enfant et les Sontileges. To those who don’t watch opera because its confusing or just for posh people, then I challenge you to let go of your poor judgements. These shorts are perfect at just 45 minutes long, slightly longer than a soap opera (note the name). I enjoyed this challenge today and who knows maybe I’ll see you at the next performance.

Jack Studio Theatre – until 2 December.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

The Importance of Being Earnest is familiar material to lots of theatre goers, so seeing a new production can sometimes feel like visiting an old friend. Not much has been changed in this production, except for the addition of some musical numbers to bookend acts and scenes by a ukulele playing butler (Daniel Desiano-Plummer – who also does some pokerfaced scene stealing silent background nonsense). Dan Gillingwater’s naïve monochrome set, dominated by a giant version of Earnest’s calling card, also serves to highlight the cartoonish obsession with style and status of the characters, but apart from that, Sarah Redmond directs a traditional version of the play that allows Oscar Wilde’s scathing wit and satire to shine.

The first act, where Algie (Daniel Hall) and Earnest/John (Riley Jones) share their deceits involving imaginary brother Earnest and invalid friend Bunbury that allow them to escape their responsibilities is always slow to build, but Hall is delightfully foppish, and Jones is full of bristling energy as he changes from lovesick suitor to exasperation as things hurtle out of his control. As Lady Bracknell, Harriet Earle isn’t quite imposing enough for my tastes, she wisely underplays the handbag line, but doesn’t seem to get into full flow until the second act. It is Sophie Mercell as Gwendolen and Emily-Rose Clarkson as Cecily who dominate this production as the objects of the gentlemen’s affections. Mercell gives Gwendolen a terrifying self-assuredness, and Clarkson excels in physical comedy, adding extra girlish glee to Cecily’s words. Their performances in the scene where they first meet, and they go from polite social manners to fierce animosity as they realise that they are both engaged to Earnest are hysterical. Rounding off the cast are Scott Barclay as a suitably bumbling as Dr Chasuble, and Kate Sandison as a spiky Miss Prism.

Whilst the satire may be dated, certain issues still ring true today, and the playfulness, humour and cleverness of Wilde’s writing mean that this play is always worth revisiting. An excellent and assured production of a wonderful comedy. Well worth a look.

Lion and Unicorn Theatre – until 29 November.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

The morning after a one-night stand can be excruciating at the best of times, but at least with humans those awkward conversations are (hopefully) two-way streets. So, watching Bobby (Linus Karp) attempt to bond with his four-legged friends is painfully funny.

If you’d asked me if I’d warm to a character who was attracted to animals before seeing this play, I’d have scoffed, but Rob Hayes’ script is so sensitive and unsensational, and Maddie Rice’s direction so sympathetic, that poor Bobby’s neediness becomes (almost) understandable. Bestiality is disgusting, but you can’t help but like Bobby – he is just looking for love in all the wrong (VERY WRONG) places.

Working his way through a dog, cat, goat, monkey and bear, Bobby’s reactions in the afterglow are exactly as you’d expect if there was a human in his bed. He plans their future, apologises for any comments that could be misconstrued as sexist (speciesist?) and anthropomorphises their imagined responses. Just as you begin to feel comfortable, a stark reminder of the species is thrown in – eliciting belly laughs and squirms alike. The scene with the monkey prostitute is especially well written, with Bobby imagining a grooming story for the creature that is in turns hysterical and horrifyingly familiar.

Linus Karp gives Bobby a pathetically defiant edge, and is wonderful in the moments when he thinks he has offended an animal. His body language when making gauche compliments is simply adorable. As Bobby’s past is gradually revealed, Karp becomes more and more fragile, until the final scene where the laughs dry up and the dark sadness that drives Bobby’s life is portrayed with understated but devastating skill.

Awkward Conversations is a warm and wonderful surprise. I wasn’t expecting to be moved by or empathise with a bloke I wouldn’t trust with my guinea pig, but Bobby’s story is charming, funny and entertaining.

Tori Scott: Vodka is the Reason
for the Season
Live at Zedel, 20 Sherwood Street London W1F 7ED
Monday 18th, 19th & 22nd December 2017

The vocals are legit, the thirst is real, and the stories are tragically, all true.

Tori Scott, named one of Time Out New York’s top 10 Cabaret artists, is coming to London with Vodka is the Reason for the Season. This exciting show recounts her early childhood fascination with Dolly Parton in the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas and her time spent as a singing elf in an old peoples’ home. Tori takes the audience on a festive autobiographical journey to celebrate what is truly special about this time of year.

Both hysterical and heart-warming, Vodka is the Reason for the Season includes songs by Dolly Parton, Madonna, Michael Jackson, and more. The Texas born star is a huge personality; drawing audiences in close, she makes them feel like they are becoming the best of friends.

Tori Scott comments, It was such a thrill to make my UK debut back in July with three nights of packed houses at Zedel’s. The audiences in London were amazing, generous and totally along for the ride – the response exceeded all my expectations and I could not be happier. I’m now very excited to return with my Christmas show and experience London during the festive season.

Stunningly powerful…warm, generous and funny (★★★★Everything Theatre).

Tori is a soul-baring singer and a sharp comedian! This show is for anyone who enjoys great music, dark humour, storytelling and classy cabaret.

Vodka is the Reason for the Season is directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn (Broadway Associate Director: Miss Saigon, Evita and A Little Night Music), with Musical Arrangements and Direction by Jesse Kissel (Broadway: The Visit and Leap of Faith).

Gecko extends the tour of its most ambitious show to date, The Wedding, into spring 2018 

• Award-winning theatre company Gecko announces spring tour of its latest show, The Wedding which includes 8 venues around England.
• One of Gecko’s longest consecutive tours, it comprises of Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Playhouse and Nuffield Southampton Theatres, among others.
• The Wedding focuses on issues around migration and social cohesion; to explore them further Gecko works with all 8 venues on an ambitious outreach programme for local artists and participants of refugee background.

www.geckotheatre.com / @GeckoTheatre / Facebook.com/GeckoTheatre1

Ipswich-based physical theatre company Gecko extends the tour of its most ambitious show to date, The Wedding, into spring 2018. The tour includes 8 venues around England: Bristol Old Vic, Watford Palace Theatre, Nottingham Playhouse, Derby Theatre, Cast in Doncaster, Oxford Playhouse, Nuffield in Southampton and Liverpool Playhouse and is one of Gecko’s longest consecutive tours since the company began in 2001.

The Wedding is set in a dystopian world that imagines we are all brides, wedded to society and bound by a contract. Inspired by the complexities of human nature, the show brings these contracts and issues of social cohesion within communities into question. What are the terms of this relationship? And can we consider a divorce?

With the support of the Strategic Touring Funding from Arts Council England Gecko is able to bring an experimental, mid-scale theatre show to the main regional stages around the country and therefore help diversify their programmes, at the same time appealing to and nurturing young and more diverse audiences, inspiring them to be both the artists and audiences of the future.

The Strategic Touring Funding also allowed the company to develop an audience engagement programme that encourages social cohesion between local and migrant/refugee communities through participation as well as increasing audience attendance among these groups at each venue on the tour.

This ambitious outreach programme includes, for example, 3-day training course with one associate artists from each venue (27-29 September 2017), a 2.5-3 residency co-delivered with the associate artists and aimed at young people of migrant or refugee background, free half-day workshop for audiences at each venue and a post-show panel discussion.

Through workshops, residencies, free ticket offer and more, Gecko will actively engage 750 participants around England, some of whom might not be able or inclined to engage in such activity otherwise. This will not only strengthen Gecko’s reputation as an inclusive company with a strong educational status but also foster the development of more diverse audiences around England.

Amit Lahav, Gecko’s Artistic Director said: “For me, The Wedding started as a battle between anger and love. Played out around the complex ideas of belonging, state, exclusion and a longing for community, all set within the excitement and ceremony of marriage!”

“In Spring 2018 we will tour The Wedding to 8 UK venues and there are many reasons why this is particularly exciting tour for us.  Most of the venues we’ll be visiting are new to the company, or venues who we have only recently begun a relationship with.  This is significant because touring mid-scale devised work is notoriously difficult, more so in the last two years, and for us to have so many new relationships shows a real step change in the national excitement around Gecko’s work.  We have also put together a deep reaching participation project around inclusion, exclusion and community, some of the central ideas in the show, which will see the company working in the towns and cities of the touring venues with local young adults, refugees and asylum seekers.  It has become increasingly important for me to find ways to engage communities and certainly to try and reach into the more marginalised areas of society. Enriching the tapestry of the shows content, furthering our understanding of some of the questions raised within the show and bringing some of those human beings into the theatre to celebrate our shared journeys, whilst encouraging more empathy within all of us.”

 

Spring tour 2018:

Bristol Old Vic / 17-20 January / tickets available here.

Watford Palace Theatre / 23-25 January / tickets available here.

Nottingham Playhouse / 1-3 February / tickets available here.

Derby Theatre / 8-10 February / tickets available here.

Liverpool Playhouse / 21-24 February /tickets available here.

Cast in Doncaster / 27 February / tickets available here.

Oxford Playhouse / 1-3 March / tickets available here.

Nuffield Southampton Theatres / 6-9 March / tickets available here.

SIMON RUSSELL BEALE CURATES EVENING INSPIRED BY RAVEL

A B S O L U T E   M U S I C :   R A V E L

On Monday 20 November 2017 at 8pm Simon Russell Beale, actor, author and music historian, will curate the first of a series of evenings inspired by classic works of chamber music.  The first takes audiences on a journey to the Paris that gave birth to Ravel’s String Quartet in F, a city witnessing the dawn of the new industrial age and inspiration to a composer obsessed with factories, machines and mathematical precision.  Russell Beale and others will read passages from Proust as well as poetry by the likes of Wordsworth, Auden and Larkin to paint a rich canvas against which the prize-winning Navarra Quartet will perform Ravel’s exquisite early work. Tickets are £20 and £25.

 

The cast taking part in the evening includes Adjoa Andoh, Simon Russell Beale and Penelope Wilton.

 

Future evenings will be inspired by works including Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 8, Mendelssohn’s Octet and Dvořák’s American Quartet.

 

Listings Information

Address:                                   The Bridge Theatre, One Tower Bridge, London SE1 2SD

Box Office:                               0843 208 1846 or [email protected]

Access:                                    0333 320 0051 or [email protected]

Website:                                   www.bridgetheatre.co.uk

Twitter:                                    @_bridgetheatre

Instagram:                               _bridgetheatre

Facebook:                                facebook.com/bridgetheatrelondon

Howard Panter for Trafalgar Entertainment Group, GWB Entertainment, Promenade Productions, BookMyShow,

TOKYU THEATRE Orb, Tulchin/Bartner and David Lazar in association with KHAM Inc.

proudly present

The Lincoln Center Theater production of

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S

Winner of Four Tony Awards

including Best Musical Revival

 

“I doubt I’ll see a better production in my lifetime”

Wall Street Journal

Starring

Tony Award Winner

KELLI O’HARA as Anna

 

Oscar and Tony Award Nominee

KEN WATANABE as The King

 

Music by RICHARD RODGERS

Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

Based Upon the Novel “Anna and the King of Siam” by MARGARET LANDON

Directed by Tony Award Winner BARTLETT SHER

 

LONDON PALLADIUM

PREVIEWS FROM 21 JUNE 2018

FOR A LIMITED ENGAGEMENT, BOOKING UNTIL 4 AUGUST 2018

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 17 NOVEMBER AT 10AM

 

The multi Tony Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s THE KING AND I will transfer from Broadway to London next summer following a critically acclaimed 16 month run at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater and an unprecedented continuing record-breaking sold out USA tour.

Opening at the world famous London Palladium in June 2018, the show will star the two original Lincoln Center Theater lead actors: Broadway Musical Royalty Kelli O’Hara, who will reprise her Tony Award-winning role of Anna Leonowens, together with film star, Oscar and Tony nominee (for his role on The King and I) Ken Watanabe, who will star in the title role of The King of Siam.  Both will be making their West End debuts, following their acclaimed performances on Broadway.

Acclaimed Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher will once again direct the production, hot on the heels of his work on The Lincoln Center Theater’s World Premiere of J.T. Rogers’ smash hit play Oslo, which opened on Broadway and then transferred via the National Theatre to London’s Harold Pinter Theatre in October this year to rave reviews. He, along with the celebrated creative team behind the award winning production of South Pacific, will reunite to bring this majestic production to life at the Palladium.

With music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, THE KING AND I – which won four Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical – will open its European Premiere at the London Palladium. The production will open 21 June 2018 (Press Night on 3 July 2018) for a limited engagement, booking until 4 August 2018.

One of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s finest works, this masterpiece boasts a score featuring such beloved classics as Getting To Know You, Hello Young Lovers, Shall We Dance, I Have Dreamed, and Something Wonderful.   Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the imperious King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children.

WHAT THE US PRESS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE LINCOLN CENTER THEATER BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF THE KING AND I:

 

“Something wonderful indeed. Breathtaking. Exquisite. Remarkable.”

NEW YORK TIMES

 

“Five stars. Grand and glorious.”

TIME OUT NEW YORK

 

“A landmark production and a shot of purest rapture. I never wanted it to end.”

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“Too beautiful to miss! An astonishing achievement.”

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

“Absolutely stunning. Kelli O’Hara is ravishing. Ken Watanabe is powerfully seductive. Chalk up another triumph for Lincoln Center Theater.”

VARIETY

“Magnificent. A sweepingly romantic production. How good to be getting to know the show all over again.”

NEWSDAY

“Simply divine. You can’t overstate how stunningly beautiful, how achingly well sung this new revival is.”

NEW YORK POST

 

“This splendid revival emerges as majestic and intimate simultaneously. Grandeur and grace fill each scene and song. O’Hara and Watanabe share warm chemistry.”

DAILY NEWS

“Splendid! This just may be, in fact, the finest staging of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in my experience.”

THE WASHINGTON POST

CAST

KELLI O’HARA won the Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance in the Lincoln Center Theatre’s production of The King & I. Kelli has also been nominated for Tony Awards for previous Broadway performances in The Light in the Piazza, South Pacific, The Bridges of Madison County, Nice Work if You Can Get It and The Pajama Game. Additional Broadway credits include The Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula, and Jekyll & Hyde. Off-Broadway:  Far From Heaven, King Lear, Bells Are Ringing, My Life With Albertin, Beauty and The Light in the Piazza Film/TV:  Sex and the City 2, Scorsese’s The Key to Reserva, Blood Brothers, Alexander Hamilton, Numb3rs and Masters of Sex. Recordings: Her recordings include Always and Wonders of the World on Ghostlight Records. Kelli has most recently completed filming the upcoming motion picture Independents directed by Greg Naughton. Kelli is currently starring in New York City Center’s concert presentation of Brigadoon and is set to star in Roundabout Theatre Company’s Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate in 2019.

KEN WATANABE’s Japanese theatre credits include Dialogue with Horowitz, Hamlet, Shitayamannen-cho monogatari, The Lion in Winter, and The Royal Hunt of the Sun. For his work in film, Watanabe received Oscar, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award nominations for The Last Samurai.  His film credits also include Inception, Letters from Iwo Jima, Memoirs of a Geisha, Batman Begins, Godzilla, The Sea of Trees, Transformers. He has just completed work on the upcoming films Isle of Dogs, Bel Canto and Godzilla: King of Monsters.

CREATIVE TEAM

BARTLETT SHER won the Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics’ Circle Awards for his direction of the Lincoln Center Theater’s production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. He most recently directed the world premiere of J.T. Rogers’ play Oslo which opened on Broadway in July 2016 and has since transferred to London. His other theatre credits include; Fiddler On The Roof, Golden Boy, Blood & Gifts, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Awake and Sing!, and The Light in the Piazza. His other Broadway and off-Broadway credits include The Bridges of Madison County, Prayer for My Enemy, The Butterfly Collection, Cymbeline, Waste, Don Juan and Pericles. He directed the operas Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Le Comte Ory, L’Elisir d’Amore (Metropolitan Opera); Romeo et Juliette (Salzburg Festival and La Scala); Mourning Becomes Electra (Seattle Opera and New York City Opera); and  Two Boys (Met and ENO).  He was the Artistic Director of Seattle’s Intiman Theatre and was also a Resident Director of Minneapolis’ Guthrie Theatre.

MICHAEL YEARGAN (Set Designer)

LCT: Golden Boy (Tony nom.), Blood and Gifts, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone (Tony nom.), South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk awards; Outer Critics Circle nom.), Edward Albee’s Seascape and The Light in the Piazza (Tony, DD awards). Broadway: The Ritz, Bad Habits, A Lesson from Aloes and The Road to Meca (Roundabout). Also credits Off-Broadway, regional theatre London, ten productions at the Metropolitan Opera and work at major opera companies throughout the United States, Europe and Australia.

 

CATHERINE ZUBER (Costume Designer )

LCT: The King and I (Tony Award, OCC Award), South Pacific (Tony Award), The Light in the Piazza (Tony Award), Macbeth, Golden Boy (Tony nom.), Edward Albee’s Seascape (Tony nom.). Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof, Gigi, The Royal Family (Tony Award), How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Born Yesterday (Tony nom.), Doubt and The Father. TV: NBC’s The Sound of Music Live! And Peter Pan Live!

 

DONALD HOLDER (Lighting Designer)

Broadway: Fifty productions, two Tony awards (The Lion King and South Pacific) and eleven Tony nominations. Recent projects include The Cherry Orchard, She Loves Me, Fiddler on the Roof, The Father, On the Twentieth Century, The Bridges of Madison County, Golden Boy, Spiderman: Turn off the Dark, Ragtime, Movin’ Out, Bullets Over Broadway, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Boy From Oz and many others. Television: SmashSeasons 1 and 2 (NBC- Dreamworks). Education: Yale School of Drama.

 

SCOTT LEHRER (Sound Designer)

Received the first Tony awarded to sound for the Lincoln Centre Theatre revival of South Pacific directed by Bartlett Sher. Recent Broadway: The Front Page Shuffle Along, Fiddler on the Roof, Dames at Sea, The King and I, Living on Love, Honeymoon in Vegas, A Delicate Balance, Love Letters, A Raisin in the Sun, Betrayal, Lucky Guy, Chaplin (Drama Desk), Death of a Salesman (Tony nom.), the revival of Chicago and over 50 City Centre Encores!. Recording projects include the Broadway cast recording of An American in Paris (Grammy nom), Loudon Wainwright III’s Grammy-winning High Wide and Handsome, Bebe Neuwirth’s Porcelain and Meredith Monk’s Mercy.

 

CHRISTOPER GATTELLI (Choreographer)

LCT: The King and I (Tony Nom.), South Pacific (Tony, OCC noms.), and Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Broadway: Newsies (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC Awards for best choreography), Sunday in the Park with George, Casa Valentina, 13, The Ritz, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me and High Fidelity. West End:Silence! The Musical, Sunday in the Park with George and Tick Tick… BOOM! Sydney Opera House: My Fair Lady with Julie Andrews. Film: Hail! Caesar. Upcoming: Warpaint, The Spongebob Musical and Frozen on Broadway.

 

TED SPERLING (Musical Supervisor)

Broadway: Fiddler on the Roof, The King and I, South Pacific, Guys and Dolls, The Light in the Piazza (Tony and Drama Desk Awards), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, Titanic (actor), Kiss of the Spider Woman, How to Succeed…, My Favourite Year, Drood, Sunday in the Park with George. Off Broadway: Red Eye of Love, The Other Josh Cohen, Striking 12 and See What I Wanna See (all as director); A Man of No Importance, Satan Returns, A New Brain, Floyd Collins, Romance in Hard Times (as musical director). Artistic Director of MasterVoices, Principal Conductor of Westchester Philharmonic. Creative Director, the 24 hour musicals.

 

STEPHEN RIDLEY (UK Musical Director)

As Musical Supervisor: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Oklahoma!, Annie Get Your Gun and Private Lives (UK Tours).As Musical Director: Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and The Sound of Music (Regent’s Park), Guys and Dolls(Phoenix Theatre), Urinetown (Guest MD, Apollo), Crazy for You (Novello, Oliver Award for Best Musical Revival), Love Story (Duchess Theatre/Minerva Theatre Chichester), Privates on Parade (Associate MD, Noel Coward), The Music Man (Chichester), The A to Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse), Soho Cinders (Soho Theatre), High Society (UK tour), The Secret Garden (WYP), Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure (Birmingham Rep/WYP), The Wizard of Oz (Birmingham Rep/WYP), Mercury Musicals 25th Anniversary Gala (Novello) andThe Wind in the Willows (Regent’s Park). Stephen recently conducted the BBC Concert Orchestra recording the music for BBC Radio 4’s Home Front. Other work includes The Whipping Man (Theatre Royal, Plymouth), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), A Chorus Line and Wizard of Oz (London Palladium).

 

LISTINGS  INFORMATION

LONDON PALLADIUM

Previews: From 21 June 2018

Press Night: 3 July 2018 at 7pm

Tickets: £15 – £75, Premium Seating available

Box Office: 020 7087 7755

Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm and 7pm

Website: KingandIMusical.co.uk

Twitter: @KingandIWestEnd

Facebook: @KingandIWestEnd

Instagram: @KingandIWestEnd

CASTING UPDATE FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF

T I N A

OPENING AT ALDWYCH THEATRE SPRING 2018

Joining the previously announced Adrienne Warren, who plays the title role, are Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Ike Turner, Madeline Appiah as Tina’s mother Zelma Bullock, Jenny Fitzpatrick as the alternate Tina, Lorna Gayle as Tina’s Grandmother GG, Tom Godwin as Record Producer Phil Spector and Lyricist Terry Britten, Francesca Jackson as Ike and Tina’s manager Rhonda Graam, Aisha Jawando as Tina’s sister Alline Bullock, Natey Jones as Tina’s father Richard Bullock and Tina’s first love Raymond Hill, Gerard McCarthy as record company Marketing Manager Erwin Bach and Ryan O’Donnell as Tina’s Manager Roger Davies. They are joined by ensemble members Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Keisher Downie, Kit Esuruoso who also plays Tina’s son Craig Hill, Jammy Kasongo, Sia Kiwa, Jason Langley, Kayleigh McKnight, Baker Mukasa and Tanisha Spring and swings Derek Aidoo, Gavin Alex, Edward Bourne, Candace Furbert, Hannah Jay-Allan and Rodney Vubya.

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, the world premiere of the new musical TINA will open at the Aldwych Theatre in April 2018.  Performances will begin on 21 March 2018 with press night on 17 April 2018.  Produced by Stage Entertainment, TINA is currently booking to 16 June 2018.

Choreography is by Anthony van Laast, with set and costume designs by Mark Thompson, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Bruno Poet, sound by Nevin Steinberg, projection design by Jeff Sugg and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.  Children’s casting will be announced in due course.

From humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, to her transformation into the global Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Tina Turner didn’t just break the rules, she rewrote them. This new stage musical, presented in association with Tina Turner herself, reveals the untold story of a woman who dared to defy the bounds of her age, gender and race. 

 

Adrienne Warren will make her West End stage debut as Tina.  Her most recent theatre credit was in Shuffle Along at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, for which she received a Tony nomination.  Her other US theatre credits include Bring It On The Musical at St. James Theater, Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theater, which was followed by a National Tour, and The Wiz at Encores City Center.  She has toured and recorded with the multi-platinum selling Trans Siberian Orchestra for which she received her first Platinum and Gold records.  Her television credits include the Amazon Pilot Point of Honor, Orange is the New Black, Blue Bloods, Royal Pains, People in New Jersey, Irreversible andBlack Box.  In March this year, she made her Carnegie Hall debut with the New York Pops.

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith was last on stage playing Laertes in Hamlet at the Barbican alongside Benedict Cumberbatch.  His previous theatre credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,Edward II, Antigone and Death and the King’s Horseman for the National Theatre, The Low Road for the Royal Court, Feast, Joe Turner’s Come and Gone and The Changeling for the Young Vic, Love’s Labour’s Lost for Shakespeare’s Globe and Detaining Justice, Seize the Day and Fabulation for the Tricycle Theatre.  His television credits include The Split, Wagstaffe, Class,Capital, Crackanory, Worricker Trilogy, The Last Panthers and Midsomer Murders.  Holdbrook-Smith’s film work includes Paddington 2, The Commuter, Justice League, Doctor Strange, The Double and Roadkill and the forthcoming Mary Poppins Returns and Ghost Stories.

 

Madeline Appiah’s most recent theatre credits include Hamlet for the Almeida and in the West End, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Here We Go and Welcome to Thebes for the National Theatre,Hotel Cerise for Theatre Royal Stratford East, Macbeth, Merchant of Venice and Taming of the Shrew for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Off The Endz for the Royal Court and The Duchess of Malfi for the Old Vic Theatre.  Her television credits include In The Long Run, King For a Term, Partners in Crime, Gavin and Stacy, Doctors, The Bill and Holby City.

 

Jenny Fitzpatrick was last on stage in Boudica at the Globe Theatre. She has also appeared on stage in Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Peter Pan at the Manchester Opera House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Henry IV Part I and Camelot at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and Little Shop of Horrors at the Duke of York’s and Menier Chocolate Factory. She has also toured the UK inThe Blues Brothers, Soul Sister, Thoroughly Modern Millie and Our House. Her television credits include Eastenders, Silent Witness and MI High.

Lorna Gayle has appeared on stage in A Tale of Two Cities for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre,Guys and Dolls at the Savoy Theatre, Nation for the National Theatre, Rudy’s Rare Records at the Hackney Empire and Almost Nothing for the Royal Court.  Her television credits include The Rebel, Doctors, Cuckoo, Fried, Holby City, Utopia and Eastenders.   Her film credits include Carmilla, Caribbean Dream, Having You, One Day, The Dark Knight and Run Fat Boy Run.

Tom Godwin’s more recent theatre credits include City of Glass at the Lyric Hammersmith, The Woman in Black at the Fortune Theatre, The Little Mermaid at Bristol Old Vic, To Kill a Mockingbirdat Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Bingo at the Young Vic and Taming of the Shrew at Shakespeare’s Globe. His television credits include Coronation Street, Holby City, Knightfall, Doctors, Eastenders, and Waking the Dead. On film he has been seen in Alice Through The Looking Glass, The Danish Girl and About Time.

Francesca Jackson’s stage credits include Kiss Me Kate, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George and A Little Night Music at the Theatre Du Chatelet, Million Dollar Quartet at the Noel Coward Theatre, Dusty at the Charing Cross Theatre, Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre, Rent at the Duke of York’s Theatre and All the Fun of the Fair at the Garrick Theatre.  Her television credits include Boyfriend Material and Refresh.  Jackson was a finalist in the BBC 1 showI’d Do Anything with Andrew Lloyd Webber.  Her film credits include Hiding in the Shadows andEvita.

 

Aisha Jawando is currently playing the lead role in the Hackney Empire Pantomime Cinderella. Her other theatre credits include Martha Reeves in Motown the Musical, as well as roles in Beautiful The Carole King Musical, The Book of Mormon, The Lion King, Fela, Legally Blonde and Soul Sister.

 

Natey Jones’ theatre credits include One Love: The Bob Marley Musical at Birmingham Rep, Doctor Faustus, Don Quixote and The Alchemist for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Tomorrow for the White Bear Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Courtyard Theatre and Once Upon a Time in the 90’s at the Albany Theatre. His television credits include Doctors and Shakespeare Live! From the Royal Shakespeare Company.

 

Gerard McCarthy’s stage credits include Cat for the Courtyard Theatre, It’s a Wonderful Life at theBridgehouse Theatre, The Merry Wives of Windsor at Shakespeare’s Globe, Mamma Mia at the Prince Edward Theatre, Saturday Night Fever at the Apollo Theatre and the UK tours of Blue/Orangeand Beautiful Thing. His television credits include Call The Midwife, Puppy Love, The Fall andHollyoaks.  On film he has been seen in A Nightingale Falling.

Ryan O’Donnell was last seen playing the lead role in the touring production of Sunny Afternoonafter appearing in the West End production. His other stage credits include Quadrophenia at Plymouth Theatre Royal, Romeo and Juliet the Royal Shakespeare Company, Victor Frankenstein at the Royal & Derngate Theatre, Tracy Beaker Gets Real! at Nottingham Playhouse, Shadow Mouth for Sheffield Theatres and Stand Tall at the Landor Theatre.  His film and television credits include MI High and Jesus: The Beginning.

TINA is produced by Stage Entertainment, Joop van den Ende and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner.

 

Adrienne Warren is appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange program between American Equity and UK Equity.

 

IMAGES

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/xss3g5eyt8ciilb/AACqpk42xfYCYs5aNjYPeVP8a?dl=0

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                           Aldwych Theatre, Aldwych, London WC2B 4DF

Dates:                              initial booking period 21 March – 16 June 2018

Press Night:                       17 April 2018 at 7pm

Performances:                   Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm

                                      Nb first midweek matinee 12 April 2018

Box Office:                         0845 200 7981

Website:                           www.tinathemusical.com

Facebook:                         TinaTheMusical

Twitter:                            TinaTheMusical

Instagram:                        TinaTheMusical

Our review is being used by Fat Friends the Musical – we’re famous

 

MANCHESTER DATE FOR CLASSIC PLAY

KINDERTRANSPORT

Directed by Anne Simon

Designed by Marie-Luce Theis

Lighting Designer Nic Farman

Sound Designer Adrienne Quartly

 

 

Kindertransport – the deeply moving and timely modern classic – celebrates 25 years since the play was written by acclaimed playwright Diane Samuels in 2018 with an anniversary tour visiting the Opera House Manchester from 1 – 5 May 2018.

2018 marks the 80^th anniversary of the Kindertransport, which saw thousands of Jewish children ferried from Austria and Germany to safety.

Set in Hamburg in 1938: nine year-old Eva is forced onto a train by her desperate mother in order to escape the threat of World War II. Arriving at Liverpool Street Station, tagged like a piece of luggage, she’s handed over to strangers.

Manchester 1980: Evelyn, a proud mum, prepares to say goodbye to daughter Faith as she leaves the family home. But what Faith finds in the attic will change her life forever…

This heart-warming play is from the producers of last year’s acclaimed revival of The Crucible. Kindertransport will be directed by Anne Simon and designed by Marie-Luce Theis with lighting design by Nic Farman and sound design by Adrienne Quartly.

Don’t miss a limited chance to see the anniversary tour of this haunting play about a woman’s struggle to come to terms with her past.

Find out more at www.selladoor.co.uk / twitter @KinderTourUK

Book now at www.atgtickets.com/Manchester or by calling the Box Office on 0844 871 3018.

LISTING INFORMATION

 

KINDERTRANSPORT

Opera House, Manchester

3 Quay Street

Manchester

Tuesday 1 May 2018 at 7.30pm

Wednesday 2 May 2018 at 7.30pm

Thursday 3 May at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Friday 4 May at 7.30pm

Saturday 5 May at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Tickets from £15.00

Box Office: 0844 871 3018* www.atgtickets.com/Manchester*

Booking/transaction fee applies

(Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge)