Bête Noire Productions presents

 

FATHER OF LIES

A true crime thriller live on stage

 

At VAULT Festival

From Wednesday 28 February to Sunday 4 March 2018

 

After sell-out shows at the Edinburgh Fringe and the London Horror Festival, true crime thriller Father of Lies returns to London for six performances only, playing at VAULT Festival from Wednesday 28 February to Sunday 4 March 2018.

 

Using photographs, letters and police reports uncovered during a year of research and investigation, Father of Lies tells for the first time the chilling true story of a mysterious and unsolved murder in West Germany, 1973. Part documentary and part performance, Making a Murderer meets Rosemary’s Baby in this sinister story of a haunted priest, a jealous widower and a satanic cult, which poses the question; is what you believe more important than what is actually real?

Father of Lies is written and performed by Sasha Roberts and Tom Worsley, who met at Bristol University in 2004 and bonded over a shared love of horror films and literature. Using facts and evidence uncovered by meticulous research, they retell this extraordinary story through a mixture of presentation and performance, acting as narrators, documentarians and performers to bring to life their shocking discoveries, and draw the audience into this dark, chilling history.

Tom Worsley said: “Horror is an underrepresented genre in theatre, which is a shame as horror suits intimate, atmospheric, often dark, communal environments, where the audience’s imagination is free to run wild. We’re thrilled to now bring the show to VAULT Festival and their enormous, cellar-like Cavern venue; the perfect space for this twisting, sinister tale.”

Sasha Roberts added: “The format is influenced by true crime documentaries such as The Jinx and Making a Murderer, which have been enormously popular in recent years. The public is drawn to true crime as, like horror movies, they trigger the most basic and powerful emotion in all of us – fear. We want audiences to be able to experience this thrill live, following our investigation to see if they can solve the case.”

The story uncovered by Father of Lies also questions the power of belief, and how we shape our own realities. Director Stephen Sobal said: “This story suggests that whether something is real or not doesn’t matter – what matters is whether you believe it’s real. Whether God exists is irrelevant for example, as long as people believe in him. This is an interesting idea to explore in the ‘post-truth’ world of Brexit, Trump and fake news, where truth is dictated not by facts but by what people believe.”

 

Father of Lies is written and performed by Tom Worsley and Sasha Roberts, and directed by Stephen Sobal. It is produced by Bête Noire Productions.

 

 

Twitter: @TheAlderKing

LISTINGS

 

Venue: VAULT Festival, The Vaults, Leake St, Waterloo, London SE1 7NN

Dates: Wednesday 28 February – Sunday 4 March 2018

Press Night: Wednesday 28 February, 7.30pm

Performances: 7.30pm (2.45pm Saturday matinee)

Tickets: £9.50

Box Office: www.vaultfestival.com/whats-on/father-of-lies

Duration: 1 hour

Austen The Musical

January 11th – March 29th, UK Tour

London Performances:

January 16th – 20th, 7.30pm, Bread and Roses Theatre

January 22nd – 24th, 7.30pm, Mirth, Marvel and Maud Theatre

A celebration of one of the greatest British writers, Jane Austen, Rob Winlow’s new musical Austen reveals the woman behind the words, and it tours the UK this Spring.  Following the bicentennial of her death, this is a portrait of an icon as a human being. Austen investigates the life of an author struggling as much with affairs of the heart as with ambitions for her art.

“Rob Winlow has created a tale that will be magical for Austen’s many fans ” The North East Theatre Guide

By turns comical, tragic, and enchanting, Austen is a musical that explores the challenges a female novelist faces in patriarchal Georgian England. As Jane struggles to be published, she experiences the pressures, pleasures, and pitfalls of courtship with multiple suitors. The story remains resonant and poignant in these turbulent times as the fight for gender equality continues.

Writer Rob Winlow says, “The starting point and the question we ask, and ultimately try to answer, in the show, is how come Jane Austen wrote so eloquently about romantic affairs when she had seemingly few loving relationships and never married?”

Edith Kirkwood (Peculiar Distractions, York Theatre Royal) features as Jane Austen, with Thomas Hewitt (Fantastic Mr. Fox, Lyric Hammersmith & National Tour) playing the suitors, and Jenni Lea-Jones (The Mikado, Illyria Theatre National Tour) & Adam Grayson (Jonathan Creek, BBC) as Jane’s parents. Timothy Trimingham Lee (Buried Child, Upstairs at the Gatehouse) directs and Arlene McNaught (The Good Person of Szechwan, Bridewell Theatre) provides musical direction. Rob Winlow wrote his first musical when he was 16 and won the All England Song Contest in 1982. Previous writing includes Armada the Musical, which was presented at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Austen has been presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Jane Austen Festival, York New Musical Festival and on a small UK tour. It was developed with support from York New Musical Festival and John Cooper Studio.

SINGING SENSATION, NATASHA BARNES,

RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM:

‘REAL’

16^th FEBRUARY 2018

Sony Music is delighted to announce that Natasha Barnes’ debut album, ‘Real’, will be released on 16 February 2018.

2018 is set to be an extraordinary year for this engaging star of the West End, as it not only sees the release of her eagerly-anticipated album ‘Real’ – a brand-new release that showcases her uniquely expressive voice in a range of eclectic songs – but will also see her combine her stellar career with motherhood when she has her first baby this summer.

Natasha Barnes first came to the public’s attention in the summer of 2016 when she stepped into the role of Fanny Brice for the West End run of Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre, becoming a 5 star critical wonder, with the Daily Telegraph calling her “a sensation in her own right… She has a charisma and twinkling mischief that’s irresistible” and the Daily Mail noting that she gave: “An exceptional lead performance”.  Overnight she became one of the West End’s leading ladies and furthermore, as a Senior Executive from Sony Music was in the audience and dazzled by her performance, Natasha Barnes was soon signed to the label.

 

Her performance in Funny Girl was swiftly followed by the title role in the London Palladium’s all-star Cinderella the Christmas before last. She then later reprised the role of Fanny Brice for a major tour in 2017 headlining the production with Sheridan Smith and sharing the role at venues across the UK.

Last year concluded with two stand out performances – the first at the Royal Albert Hall as part of Celebrating Christmas with The Salvation Army and later alongside Nadine Coyle and Alfie Boe in ITV’s Christmas Carols,broadcast on Christmas Eve.

Sony Music is renowned for its stage-superstar history with a back catalogue including Julie Andrews, Leonard Bernstein, Kristin Chenoweth and the original Funny Girl, Barbra Streisand.

To pre-order Natasha Barnes’ debut album: http://smarturl.it/Natasha_amz

http://www.natashabarnesmusic.com/

Twitter: @natashajbarnes

Instagram: natashabarnesmusic

www.sonymusic.co.uk

Luca Silvestrini’s Protein presents:

May Contain Food – May Contain You

Award-winning dance company Luca Silvestrini’s Protein returns with a specially adapted version of their playful and immersive show to tour the country

Conceived and created by Luca Silvestrini and Orlando Gough 

Music by Orlando Gough | Directed by Luca Silvestrini

UK Tour 13^th February to 30^th

“Foodie culture is carved up gloriously in this lip-smacking fusion”

«««« Guardian on May Contain Food

Luca Silvestrini’s Protein is to tour a refashioned version of their witty dance and music production May Contain Food to village halls and theatre venues around the country this Spring. May Contain Food – May Contain You encourages audiences to think about the sensory, cultural and social implications of food.

This special adaptation is a duet for dancers Sonya Cullingford and Matthew Winston who both appeared in the original production which toured the UK in 2016. Sat around themed circular tables designed by Yann Seabra, the audience will be served a playful performance, accompanied by songs by acclaimed composer and published home cook Orlando Gough.

Audiences are invited to join in by bringing and sharing homemade dishes and locally sourced or homegrown food for table picnics. In this informal, immersive cabaret-style show, audiences will be encouraged to share their own stories, memories and anecdotes associated with food, as well as helping the performers bake a sticky ginger pudding live on stage. Protein will also be bringing this sense of community and camaraderie to older and vulnerable people by taking a specially adapted version, May Contain You, into seventeen care homes alongside their national tour.

Speaking about the tour Luca Silvestrini said: “We understand that for a small community what’s happening in their town or village hall is much more than a show, and I want May Contain Food, May Contain You to be an event which reflects this quite simple but beautiful concept. We all know that food is not just a way to keep us going, but instead a more complex system of habits and patterns intimately connected to who we are and how we feel. It has been fascinating to explore this subject and discover how intricate, and often disturbed, our relationship to eating can be; and how easily food becomes a substitute for something we miss, have lost or need.”

One of the most distinctive voices in British dance theatre, Protein creates extraordinary dance from ordinary life. Its socially relevant material connects theatrical experiences with the everyday and real-life stories.Protein’s Border Tales, which peels back stereotypes about multicultural Britain, recently toured following a critically-acclaimed run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it was nominated for the prestigious Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award. Protein was awarded the Critic’s Circle National Dance Award for Best Independent Dance Company 2011, and was nominated again in 2016.

Luca Silvestrini completed his dance training at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Since then Luca has worked with Maxine Doyle’s First Person, Catherine Seymour Dance Company, Lea Anderson and The Featherstonehaughs, Rose’s Thoughts, Bock & Vincenzi, Sarah Rubidge, Joanna Portolou, Ruth Segalis and Aletta Collins. His choreography dates from 1997 when he co-founded Protein. As Artistic Director he is known for idiosyncratic dance theatre work provoked by its deep connections with the everyday.

Orlando Gough is one of the UK’s leading composers, celebrated for his compositions for contemporary dance, ballet and theatre. Recently, he has worked on the critically acclaimed Mr Burns (Almeida Theatre) and the community opera Imago (Glyndebourne), which won a Royal Philharmonic Society Award in 2014. He is an associate artist for the Royal Opera House and published a book of his favourite recipes in 2012.

@proteindance | #MayContainFood | www.proteindance.co.uk

Running Time: 90 mins | Suitable for ages 12 + (contains mild swearing)

Company Information

Conceived and created by Luca Silvestrini and Orlando Gough

Performed by Sonya Cullingford & Matthew Winston

             

Directed by Luca Silvestrini       Music by Orlando Gough

Designed by Yann Seabra        Lighting by Jackie Shemesh

Additional material devised by Jeremy Avis, Sara Black, Martin George, Jonathan Glew, Antonia Grove, Carl Harrison, Michael Henry, Saara Hurme, Donna Lennard, Sally Marie, Melanie Pappenheim, Louise Sofield, Peter Willcock and Jonathan Williams.

 

Listings information

13th February to 30^th March 2018

 

13 Feb                                   The Albany, London

                                                Douglas Way Deptford, London SE8 4AG

                                                2pm

                                                www.thealbany.org.uk | 020 8692 4446

 

17 Feb                                   The Tramshed, London

Tramshed, 51-53 Woolwich New Road, London SE18 6ES

7pm

www.glypt.co.uk | 020 8854 1316

 

20 Feb                                   artsdepot, London

                                                5 Nether St, North Finchley, London N12 0GA

                                                1.30pm

www.artsdepot.co.uk | 020 8369 5454

 

23 Feb                                   Clungunford Parish Hall, Shropshire

                                                Chapel Road, Clungunford, Craven Arms SY7 0PN

7.30pm

www.artsalive.co.uk | 015 8866 0152

 

24 Feb                                   Stantonbury Theatre, Milton Keynes

Stantonbury Arts & Leisure, Stantonbury, Milton Keynes MK14 6BN

7.30pm

www.stantonburytheatre.co.uk | 01908 324466 

 

2 Mar                                     Mycenae House, London

Mycenae House, 90 Mycenae Road, London SE3 7S

2.30pm & 7.30pm

www.mycenaehouse.co.uk | 020 8858 1749

 

3 Mar                                     Middle Park Community Centre, London

                                                150 Middle Park Avenue, London SE9 5SD

6.30pm

020 8850 2638

 

7 Mar                                     ARC, Stockton

Dovecot Street, Stockton on Tees TS18 1LL

11am

www.arconline.co.uk | 01642525199

 

9 Mar                                     Blackhall Community Centre, Hartlepool

                                                The Old Miners Welfare Hall, Hesleden Road, Blackhall, Hartlepool TS27 4LG

7pm

www.durhamlocate.org.uk/Services/2753/Blackhall-Community | 01905867396

 

10 Mar                                   Whitechapel Village Hall, Lancashire

                                                Church Lane, Whitechapel, Goosnargh, Preston PR3 2EP

                                                7.30pm

                                                www.spotonlancashire.co.uk | 01995 640 504

 

16 Mar                                   Orton Market Hall, (Highlights), Cumbria

                                                Orton, Penrith CA10 3RL

                                                7.30pm

                                                www.highlightsnorth.co.uk | 01539 624 732

 

17 Mar                                   Bardon Mill and Henshaw Village Hall, (Highlights), Northumberland

Redburn Park , Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland NE47 7HZ

7.30pm

www.highlightsnorth.co.uk | 01434 344 424

 

22 Mar                                   Grampound Village Hall, Cornwall

                                                Grampound, Nr Truro, Cornwall TR2 4SB

                                                7.30pm

                                                www.hallforcornwall.co.uk | 01872 262466

24 Mar                                   Kingsdon Village Hall, Somerset

                                                Kingsdon, Somerton TA11 7LL

                                                7.30pm

                                                www.takeart.org | 01935 840912

 

28 Mar                                   RedHouse Cymru

                                                High Street, Merthyr Tydfil CF47 8AE

                                                7.30pm

                                                www.redhousecymru.com | 01685 384111

30 Mar                                   Theatre Street at The Link, London

                                                The Link, Bazalgette Way, London SE2 9BS

                                                7.30pm

                                                www.theatrestreet.com | 020 8312 1659

Full casting announced for Deborah McAndrew’s new adaptation for Northern Broadsides of Charles Dickens HARD TIMES

Northern Broadsides are delighted to announce full casting for Deborah McAndrew’s new adaptation of Charles Dickens Hard Times.

Hard Times cast will feature Suzanne Ahmet (Saint George and the Dragon, National Theatre) as Sissy Jupe; Darren Kuppan (Guards at the Taj, Bush Theatre and The Tempest, Globe Theatre) as Mr Harthouse / Bitzer; Vanessa Schofield (Plastic Figures, Box of Tricks)Louisa Gradgrind; Tony Hunt (The Commitments, West End) as Steven Blackpool;  Perry Moore (Cyrano, Northern Broadsides and Peter Pan in Scarlet, New Vic Theatre) as Tom Gradgrind; Howard Chadwick (Brassed Off, Oldham Coliseum) as Josiah Bounderby/Strong Man.

Also featuring in the cast will be Victoria Brazier (Three Mothers, Waterloo East) as Rachael and Bitzer; Andrew Price (She Stoops to Conquer, Northern Broadsides) as Thomas Gradgrind; Paul Barnhill (Brassed Off, Oldham Coliseum and Steven Spielberg’s The BFG andReady Player One) as Mr Sleary and Claire Storey (The Cherry Orchard, Nottingham Playhouse) as Mrs Gradgrind/ Mrs Pegler.

Hard Times is directed by Conrad Nelson and will be designed by Dawn Allsopp (Kiss Me Quickstep, New Vic Theatre & Oldham Coliseum) and with lighting by Mark Howland (Pride and Prejudice, Nottingham Playhouse and York Theatre Royal).

Dark satanic mills, interrupted by the colour and vibrancy of Sleary’s Circus, set the stage for a sweeping tale of supressed love, seduction and social mores, peopled with the sharply observed exaggerated characters that Dickens is celebrated for.

The production will open at the Viaduct Theatre Halifax, from 16-24 February and will then tour to The Dukes Lancaster; The Lowry Salford; Liverpool Playhouse; New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme; Stephen Joseph Theatre; Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield; Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds and West Yorkshire Playhouse.

For more information visit www.northern-broadsides.co.uk

LISTINGS

Opening Venue

Fri 16- Sat 24 Feb at 7.30pm & Sun Feb at 4pm & (Mat performance: 24 Feb at 2.30pm)

The Viaduct Theatre, Halifax

Box Office 01422 255 266 or www.deanclough.com

Press night: Tuesday 20 February at 7.30pm

TOUR DATES

Tue 27 Feb – Sat 3 Mar The Dukes, Lancaster –Box Office: 01524 598500 or

www.dukes-lancaster.org

Tue 6- Sat 10 Mar The Lowry, Salford Quays –Box Office: 0843 2086000http://www.thelowry.com/

Tue 27-Sat 31 Mar – Liverpool Playhouse –Box office: 0151 7094776 https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/

Wed 4- Sat 14 Apr New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme –Box Office 01782 717962 orwww.newvictheatre.org.uk

Tue 17– Sat 21 Apr Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough –Box Office: 01723 370541https://www.sjt.uk.com/

Wed 2-Sat 5 May Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield –Box Office: 01484 430528http://www.thelbt.org/

Wed 16- Sat 19 May Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds –Box Office: 01284 469505http://www.theatreroyal.org/

Tue 22- Sat 26 May West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds-Box Office: 0113 213 7700 or www.wyp.org.uk

If We Got Some More Cocaine I
Could Show You How I Love You
VAULT Festival, The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN
Wednesday 14th- Sunday 25th February 2018

Offie-nominated If We Got Some More Cocaine I Could Show You How I Love You is a play of small dreams and big hopes. John O’Donovan’s working-class love story explores the ways people find love and kindness, even when oppression kicks them from all angles.

Loveable tearaways Mikey and Casey are stuck on a roof. As they wait for the Guards to stop circling the house, they find that there are some truths you can’t climb down from. Set twenty feet up, this raucous romantic drama follows two young men as they smoke, drink and snort their way towards discovering love.

Alan Mahon (recently seen in Brutal Cessation at the Edinburgh Fringe and Hamlet at the Tobacco Factory) returns to the role of Mikey, for which he received an Off West End Award nomination for Best Male Performance. Joining the cast in the role of Casey is Josh Williams (One Night In Miami, Donmar Warehouse; Barbarians, Found 111; Wendy and Peter, RSC and Love and Information, Royal Court).

If We Got Some More Cocaine… is about going down roads not laid for you, climbing ladders that weren’t set out for you, never asking permission, and trying not to end up so thickskinned that you forget how to see the good in things.

Writer John O’Donovan comments, I loved imagining my hometown from that rooftop angle. Just thinking about the town and the places I used to wander around, but seen from above. It seemed significant to me that these characters that many see as lowlifes were being raised up, and from there could see further than most but now had no way of accessing the paths they could see. That seemed to me a good metaphor for what it was like to grow up poor, to always be at risk of being left behind by people who can routinely afford to go on to better things. You see them succeeding, but you’ve no idea how to get going on the path they took.

John O’Donovan’s debut play offers a rare and refreshing look at a gay relationship that is working class […]. The dialogue pops and crackles with rude affection… ‘If We Got SomeMore Cocaine…’ is a reminder that prejudices regarding sexual orientation, but also race and class, will never shift overnight (★★★★ Time Out).

WINNER of Best Playwright at IARA awards 2017. Time Out Critics Choice. Nominated for Best Male Performance at Off-Westend Awards and Best Director at IARA awards. This London run follows a four-week run in Dublin and the West of Ireland.

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs
2: The Magic Cutlass
UK Tour: February – April 2018

Flinn is back! Les Petits Theatre Company (David Walliams’ The First Hippo on the Moon) return to the high seas after their hugely successful and award-winning Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs rollicked the rigging and spliced the mainbrace! The Magic Cutlass had a swashbuckling run at the Edinburgh Fringe 2016 and is the hugely anticipated sequel based on the award-winning book by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto.

When Flinn, Pearl and Tom are in the middle of their school play their old nemesis, Mr T the T-Rex, appears and kidnaps the children forcing them to hunt for the secretive Magic Cutlass – a sword that grants the holder any wish. The children are whisked away for another fantastic adventure to a world of devious dinosaurs, deep sea dangers and smelly sausages. It’s all aboard, me hearties, for a real-life pirate adventure!

Will fearless Flinn be able to outwit the pirate dinosaurs? Will Pirate Pearl be brave enough to battle the dangerous dinos and will terrified Tom be back in time for tea? All aboard for a nonstop action packed theatrical experience with live music, puppetry and dastardly dinosaurs!

Adapter Oliver Lansley comments, We’re delighted to be bringing back Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs 2: The Magic Cutlass – one of our favourite and most successful and critically acclaimed children’s shows. We believe it is so important to engage and excite children with their early experiences of the theatre and what could be more exciting than Pirates, Dinosaurs and a giant sausage machine?

Captain Flinn and the Pirate Dinosaurs 2: The Magic Cutlass is brought to life by Les Petits, the exciting children’s theatre company from the team behind internationally-acclaimed theatre company, Les Enfants Terribles (Alice’s Adventures Underground, The Terrible Infants, The Game’s Afoot). Les Petits transport the Les Enfants Terribles’ aesthetic to their family-friendly shows to create a production which is enjoyed by adults and children alike.

The shining eyes and smiling faces of all around me were confirmation of a job very well done by the cast of this very entertaining production (Primary Times).

Performance Dates

10th February Lincoln Performing Arts Centre
University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln LN6 7TS

11th February artsdepot
5 Nether Street, North Finchley, London N12 0GA

12th February Churchill Theatre
High Street, Bromley BR1 1HA

13th February Burgess Hall
One Leisure St Ives, Westwood Road, Saint Ives PE27 6WU

14th – 15th February The Cube
George Street, Corby NN17 1QG

16th – 17th February Watford Palace Theatre
20 Clarendon Road, Watford WD17 1JZ

18th February Bridge House Theatre
Myton Road, Warwick CV34 6PP

20th February Chester Storyhouse
Hunter Street, Chester CH1 2AR

21st February Aberystwyth Arts Centre
Aberystwyth University – Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DE

22nd – 23rd February Regent Theatre
Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent ST1 1AP

24th February Carriageworks Theatre
3 Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD

27th – 28th February Curve Theatre
60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB

3rd – 4th March Pleasance Theatre
Carpenters Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF

10th March Middlesborough Theatre
The Avenue, Middlesbrough TS5 6SA

11th March Howden Park Centre
Howden, Livingston EH54 6AE

13th March Webster Memorial Theatre
64 High Street, Arbroath DD11 1AW

17th March Chipping Norton Theatre
2 Spring Street, Chipping Norton OX7 5NL

18th March Connaught Theatre
Union Place, Worthing BN11 1LG

19th March Felsted School
Felsted, Dunmow CM6 3LL

24th March Luton Library Theatre
St George’s Square, Luton LU1 2NG

25th March Greenwich Theatre
Crooms Hill, London SE10 8ES

27th – 29th March Buxton Opera House
Water Street, Buxton SK17 6XN

31st March Torch Theatre
St Peter’s Road, Milford Haven SA73 2BU

4th April The Point
Leigh Road, Eastleigh SO50 9DE

5th April The Riverfront
Kingsway, Newport NP20 1HG

6th April Borough Theatre
Town Hall, Cross Street, Abergavenny NP7 5HD

7th April 1532 Performing Arts Centre
Elton Road, Bristol BS8 1SJ

8th April Trinity Theatre
Church Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells TN1 1JP

10th April Leatherhead Theatre
7 Church Street, Leatherhead KT22 8DN

11th – 12th April New Wolsey Theatre
Civic Drive, Ipswich IP1 2AS

13th April Midlands Art Centre Birmingham
Cannon Hill Park, Queen’s Ride, Birmingham B12 9QH

14th April Cornerstone Arts Centre
25 Station Road, Didcot OX11 7NE

15th April The McMillan Theatre
Lower Bath Road, Bridgwater TA6 4PZ

Gary Delaney – Greatest Hits

Saturday 27 January 2018 – show starts at 8.00pm

As seen opening the latest series of Live at the Apollo, and as a series regular on Mock the Week, the UK’s premier gagsmith Gary Delaney comes to town ahead of a nationwide tour in Autumn 2018.

Gary’s previous tours have each taken in over 200 dates and his next tour will once again showcase exactly why he is seen as the premier one-liner comedian of his generation.

Through Twitter and TV he’s become one of the most quotable comedians in the country. He loves each and every gag and you can’t help but be carried away by his infectious charm. He’s like a cheeky schoolboy who can barely hide his glee with each and every punch line.

Gary recently won Celebrity 15 to 1, and has been seen on Celebrity Mastermind, Pointless Celebrities and Celebrity University Challenge for team LSE, with his old university mate Martin Lewis (from MoneySavingExpert.com) who encouraged Gary to make his comedy bow. His other TV and radio credits include Robert’s Web (Channel 4), Loose Ends (BBC Radio 4) and Russell Kane’s Whistle-Stop Tour (BBC Radio 2).

A regular on Mock The Week, he has won two Sony Awards, as well as receiving a Chortle Award nomination. He’s also a regular writer for shows including Cats Does Countdown, A League Of Their Own, and The Royal Variety Performance, and his jokes have twice appeared in Dave’s Top 10 Funniest Jokes from the Edinburgh Fringe.

“I laughed, and I laughed and I laughed… master craftsman” – The Times

“Expect a cavalcade of brilliantly inventive puns” – The Guardian

“Wickedly funny” – The Sunday Times

“Gary Delaney has more quality jokes in one hour than many comics have in their entire careers… quite brilliant” – The Scotsman

Tickets priced at £12.60

Book online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/boxoffice/venueplan/ftUgVSJODHYO

The Majestic Theatre – Great Times in the Heart of Darlington

The Majestic Theatre, Bondgate, Darlington, DL3 7JT

P: 01325 633255  

Ticket Bookings & Event Listings:

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/majestic-theatre

The generous support of Gateshead-based Meldrum Construction has meant that this year there will be two Relaxed Performances of legendary Newcastle Theatre Royal panto Peter Pan instead of one.  Two specially designed, all-inclusive pantomime performances will take place TODAY 9 January and also 16 January.

 

This is the second year that Meldrum has sponsored the Theatre’s Relaxed Performances which are specifically designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorder into the theatre and provide an opportunity for people who would otherwise possibly find it difficult to go to see a show.

 

Managing Director Dave Meldrum said: “Supporting good causes is not just something that we do – it is very much who we are at Meldrum. We believe in making a difference to the lives of those most disadvantaged whether that is through their background, age, disability or illness and we decided to launch the Meldrum Foundation in order to focus our efforts and enable us to support as many fantastic causes as possible.”

 

He added “We are very proud to be able to continue our association with the Theatre Royal and delighted to be supporting this wonderful initiative.  The thought and care which goes into planning and adapting this amazing show to ensure that the audience feels safe and completely comfortable without losing any of that extra special panto sparkle and magic is second to none.”

 

The shows will have a less formal, reassuring atmosphere in order to reduce anxiety levels. Lighting and special effects will be slightly altered – including removing strobes and flashing lights and reducing very loud noises, however the content of the shows will not be specifically changed so all the magic of pantomime is maintained.

 

A relaxed performance offers a comfortable environment with staff trained to help support members of the audience who make involuntary noise, or are likely to need to talk a lot, or move around and during a relaxed performance it is expected that the auditorium will be noisy.

 

Staff at Meldrum Construction recently celebrated a successful first year of the Meldrum Foundation, the charity initiative launched in 2017 to make a difference to those across the region most disadvantaged in life.

 

Through fundraising, donations and sponsorship, the construction firm has pledged more than £30,000 over the course of the year to a range of charities including Heel & Toe, Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice, Act for Children and FACT. The Meldrum Foundation’s first act of kindness was supporting Circus Starr and enabling 30 children with special needs to visit the circus.

 

Dave Meldrum added: “We strive to transform an individual’s quality of life by exposing them to new experiences or by improving the environment in which they live. Our belief is by improving their quality of life, this in turn benefits their friends, family and ultimately the wider community.”

 

Theatre Royal Chief Executive, Philip Bernays, said: “We are very proud that we are once again flying the flag for Relaxed Performances which year on year prove to be hugely popular for our panto. We are delighted to be able to bring the best panto in the UK to hundreds of children, families and adults who might otherwise never experience its magic. We are dedicated to making our theatre as accessible as possible and have already started taking bookings for next year’s Relaxed Performance of Goldilocks and the Three Bears too!”

Peter Pan Relaxed Performances play at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Tuesday 9 January and Tuesday 16 January 2018 at 12 noon.  Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Group Bookings team on 08448 11 21 22 (all calls are charged at 7p a minute plus your phone company’s access charge) or online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

For more information on sponsorship packages with Newcastle Theatre Royal Trust, an independent registered charity, please contact Michelle Hardie on 0191 244 2599 or email [email protected]

THE LAST SHIP

 

PRINCIPAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR STING’S DEBUT MUSICAL

 

Joe McGann, Charlie Hardwick, Richard Fleeshman

and Frances McNamee join production

 

Opens 12 March 2018 at Northern Stage, ahead of UK & Ireland Tour

Principal casting has been announced for the UK premiere of The Last Ship – the acclaimed musical by the internationally renowned musician Sting – which is to premiere in the UK when it opens at Northern Stage in Newcastle on 12 March 2018.

The production has a TONY-nominated original score and lyrics composed by Sting. It will play a 4-week season in Newcastle before embarking on a major UK & Ireland Tour.

The show is directed by Lorne Campbell, the artistic director of Northern Stage and has set design by the Tony Award-winning 59 Productions – team behind the video design for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The casting of Joe McGann (Jackie White), Charlie Hardwick (Peggy White), Richard Fleeshman (Gideon Fletcher) and Frances McNamee (Meg Dawson) has today been announced.

Joe McGann, perhaps best known for his lead role as Charlie Burrows in the comedy series The Upper Hand, has had a wide career spanning theatre, television and film. Theatre credits include Elf (Plymouth Theatre Royal/ Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin, Dominion Theatre, West End, and Lowry, Salford); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (UK Tour); Calendar Girls (three UK tours), Olivier! (London Palladium), Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof (UK Tour, 2008), Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls (ATG UK Tour, 2006).

Charlie Hardwick played Val Pollard from 2004 to 2015 and again in 2017 in the ITV soap opera Emmerdale. For this role, she won the 2006 British Soap Award for Best Comedy Performance. Stage credits include Hyem (Theatre 503/Northern Stage) and Double Lives (Live Theatre).

Richard Fleeshman is a familiar face on our stage and screens having been acting since the age of 12 when he played the role of Craig Harris in Coronation Street for four years. A talented singer-songwriter, Richard’s stage roles include Sam Wheat in Ghost the Musical, a part he originated and played in the West End on Broadway, Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls (UK Tour) and Bobby Strong in Urinetown (original West End production).

Frances McNamee is currently appearing alongside Kelsey Grammer in Big Fish (The Other Palace). Other stage credits include The Mother (Tricycle), Love’s Labour’s Lost, Love’s Labour’s Won (RSC), Punishment Without Revenge (Arcola/Theatre Royal Bath/Belgrade Coventry), Pride and Prejudice (Regent’s Park), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Royal and Derngate), The Borrowers (Northern Stage), Epsom Downs (Salisbury Playhouse), The   Phoenix   of   Madrid, The Surprise of Love (Theatre Royal Bath) and Les Misérables 20th Anniversary Gala Performance (West End). Her film credits include Love in Fifteen Minutes.

Jimmy Nail, who was to take the role of Jackie White, is no longer performing in The Last Ship. He said: “I was very much looking forward to appearing in Sting’s ‘The Last Ship’, particularly here in my home city. Sadly that’s not to be. I would like to thank the production in allowing FACT, the charity of which I’m a patron, to benefit from the planned gala charity event. To anyone who has purchased a ticket, please, go see the show and give this vessel the launch it so deserves. You’ll hear some of the finest musical works ever composed for the stage.”

 

Karl Sydow, producer of The Last Ship, said: “After protracted negotiations carried out in good faith we regret to announce the production’s offer of employment to Jimmy Nail has been withdrawn.  All at The Last Ship thank him for his generosity and enormous contribution during what has been an eight year journey.”

 

Lorne Campbell, Northern Stage’s Artistic Director said, “I am delighted to be welcoming Joe McGann, Charlie Hardwick, Richard Fleeshman, Frances McNamee and the rest of the company to Northern Stage for The Last Ship. Alongside some wonderful old friends of the company, we welcome some remarkable new performers from across the U.K. We are all hugely excited to move into rehearsal and to bring this incredible score and epic story to audiences across the UK and Ireland.”

The Last Ship, which was initially inspired by Sting’s 1991 album The Soul Cages and his own childhood experiences, tells the story of a community amid the demise of the shipbuilding industry in Tyne and Wear, with the closure of the Swan Hunter shipyard.

When a sailor named Gideon Fletcher returns home after seventeen years at sea, tensions between past and future flare in both his family and his town. The local shipyard, around which the community has always revolved, is closing and no-one knows what will come next, only that a half-built ship towers over the terraces. With the engine fired and pistons in motion, picket lines are drawn as foreman Jackie White and his wife Peggy fight to hold their community together in the face of the gathering storm.

This personal, political and passionate new musical from multiple Grammy Award winner Sting, is an epic account of a family, a community and a great act of defiance. The Last Ship features an original score with music and lyrics by Sting as well as a few of his best-loved songs; Island of Souls, All This Time and When We Dance.  It is the proud story of when the last ship sails.

The Last Ship is produced by Northern Stage in association with Karl Sydow and Kathryn Schenker.

 

https://thelastshipmusical.co.uk/

www.twitter.com/LastShipOnStage

https://www.facebook.com/LastShipOnStage/

 

#TheLastShip

 

 

2018 TOUR DATES

 

Monday 12 March – Saturday 7 April

NORTHERN STAGE

northernstage.co.uk | 0191 230 5151

Monday 9 – Saturday 14 April

LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE

everymanplayhouse.com | 0151 709 4776

Monday 16 – Saturday 21 April

THE NEW ALEXANDRA, BIRMINGHAM

atgtickets.com/Birmingham | 0844 871 7647

 

Tuesday 24 – Saturday 28 April

ROYAL & DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON

royalandderngate.co.uk | 01604 624 811

 

Monday 30 April – Saturday 5 May

LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

leedsgrandtheatre.com | 0844 848 2700

Monday 7 – Saturday 12 May

NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE

nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk | 0115 941 9419

 

Monday 14 – Saturday 19 May

WALES MILLENIUM CENTRE, CARDIFF

wmc.org.uk | 029 2063 6464

Monday 4 – Saturday 9 June

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN

bordgaisenergytheatre.ie | +353 1 677 7999

Tuesday 12 – Saturday 16 June

FESTIVAL THEATRE, EDINBURGH

edtheatres.com | 0131 529 6000

 

Monday 18 – Saturday 23 June

THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW

atgtickets.com/Glasgow | 0844 871 7647

Monday 25 – Saturday 30 June

YORK THEATRE ROYAL

yorktheatreroyal.co.uk | 01904 623 568

 

Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 July

THE LOWRY, SALFORD

thelowry.com | 0843 208 6000