Month: July 2018

PETER JAMES – BEST SELLING AUTHOR GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH!

NEW THRILLER ABSOLUTE PROOF TO BE PUBLISHED IN OCTOBER 2018

AHEAD OF THE UK TOUR OF BRAND NEW STAGE ADAPTATION OF HIS GHOSTLY THRILLER

THE HOUSE ON COLD HILL – BOTH STORIES BASED ON HIS OWN EXPERIENCE

NEARLY HALF A MILLION FANS HAVE ENJOYED HIS WORK ON STAGE – ON THE WAY TO BECOMING THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PAGE TO STAGE THRILLER WRITER SINCE AGATHA CHRISTIE!

As previously announced, the thrilling work of multi-million selling author Peter James returns to theatres in January 2019 with the world premiere production of the spine-tingling stage play The House on Cold Hill – adapted from his best-selling 2015 novel, based on the author’s own lived experience in a haunted house…

This is the story of the Harcourt family, who move into the house of their dreams; an old, dilapidated Georgian mansion in the remote Sussex countryside. However, their dream home quickly turns into the stuff of nightmares as they begin to realise they aren’t the only residents at Cold Hill…

Peter James said: ““The House On Cold Hill was inspired by a seriously haunted house, a few miles from Brighton, that my former wife and I lived in during the 1990s.  It was a manor house on the site of a former monastery, and a Roman villa before that.  When we bought it the owner said, “You’ll like this with what you write – it has three ghosts!”  He fibbed, it turned out there were four!   My mother-in-law saw an apparition on the day we moved in, and the following day I saw weird, spectral lights in the same location.  An old chap in the village told me he used to house-sit for the previous owners, until one night a woman in grey silk crinoline, with a really angry face, had materialised out a wall, glided towards him and stung his face with a flick of the edge of her dress.  We had constant strange occurrences, with subsequent house and dog-sitters that we used leaving, terrified.  One morning, a copy of my latest novel on display on an oak chest in this haunted room, spontaneously combusted! I can’t wait to see some of these experiences come to life again on stage in The House on Cold Hill!”

The House on Cold Hill becomes the fourth play in his box office smash hit and critically acclaimed stage franchise following the huge sell-out success of Not Dead Enough, The Perfect Murder and Dead Simple on stage. Nearly half a million fans have now seen his work on stage in 30 cities across the UK and Ireland, with stars including Les Dennis, Claire Goose, Tina Hobley, Jamie Lomas, Shane Richie, Jessie Wallace, Bill Ward, and Laura Whitmore.

The House on Cold Hill will reunite Peter James with twice Olivier-nominated theatre producer Joshua Andrews, the Olivier award winning director Ian Talbot and award-winning writer Shaun McKenna. Casting to be announced.

Joshua Andrews said of James, “Since we launched The Perfect Murder back in 2013, we’ve been thrilled at how strong the public appetite for Peter’s brilliant stories continues to be!  People tell me he’s on the way to becoming the most successful page to stage thriller writer since Agatha Christie, so who am I to disagree!”

James – author of the award-winning Det Supt Roy Grace series – has been acclaimed as ‘one of the most fiendishly clever crime fiction plotters’ (Daily Mail) and his brilliant international bestselling novels have been published in 37 languages and sold over 19 million copies worldwide. Earlier this year, the acclaimed author hit No. 1 again in the UK book charts for the 13^th consecutive time, with his latest page-turner, Dead If You Don’t.

His new thriller, Absolute Proof, will be published in hardback on 4 October by Pan Macmillan. Inspired by an unforgettable, real-life phone call received by the author nearly 30 years ago, from a mysterious but altogether credible source, Absolute Proof marks a major milestone for publishing phenomenon Peter James, as his most epic and ambitious stand-alone thriller to date.

The Nether
By Jennifer Haley
Directed by Sarah Van Parys with Falling Doors Theatre

Falling Doors Theatre Explore the Dark Side of
Virtual Reality at Liverpool’s New Hope Street
Theatre.

‘You create a realm irresistible to anyone with a longing for beauty, go there each
day, play the music, pull the strings, and force everyone to dance to your nightmare’

TITLE: The Nether by Jennifer Haley
DATES: 26th Sepember 7.30pm
27th September 7.30pm
28th September 7.30pm
29th September 7.30pm
ADMISSION: £8/£10 (On Wednesday 26th September ‘Pay what you think’ on the night)
TICKETS: 0344 561 0622 or online www.hopestreettheatre.com
WHERE:  The Hope Street Theatre, 22 Hope Street, Liverpool, L1 9BY
AGE GUIDANCE: 13+

American playwright, Jennifer Haley’s award winning play The Nether, is brought to the brand new The Hope Street Theatre, the former Masonic Hall on Hope Street by Liverpool’s up and coming theatre company Falling Doors Theatre, a big project taken on by a team of emerging local creatives with the support of The Hope Street Theatre.

‘Set in the year 2050, The Nether is a virtual wonderland that provides total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity and indulge your every desire. But when a young detective uncovers a disturbing brand of entertainment, she triggers an interrogation into the darkest corners of the imagination.’

The Nether reveals a world in which people with fantasies and tendencies that are considered morally wrong and illegal in the real world are free to explore these tendencies within The Nether realm, it is an insight into what a Black Mirror dystopian reality could be if Virtual Reality became a normality in
our everyday lives. Parallel to the benefits of VR, we address whether the real world and the virtual world have blended to the point of there being no distinction between the two and the repercussions of this for those living in both worlds. We also ask the audience to think about the following questions;
Does something being virtual make it not real? Does there have to be a freedom of expression online? Are ideas as real as reality?

Falling Doors Theatre was set up in 2014 to work primarily with local actors and writers developing and staging both new writing and new plays. The Nether is the 4th play to be staged by Falling Doors Theatre following it’s successful run of Committed at The Blade Factory in March, Taking Care of Baby as part of the Liverpool Fringe Festival, and a return of Committed as part of the Liverpool Irish Festival later in the year. For this production we have a team of emerging creatives from across the North West, including Set Designer Christopher McCourt (LIPA Student), Lighting Designer Leonie Parkes (LJMU Graduate & Unity Theatre Technician), Sound Designer Dan Pyke (regular Sound Designer for Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre), Costume Designer Willow Hick (University of York Graduate) and Assistant Director Ben Rivers (LIPA Student and Artistic Director of Bare Water Productions).

Heading up the team, born and bred at the Young Everyman Playhouse, Directed by Falling Doors Theatre’s Artistic Director Sarah Van Parys (Young Everyman Playhouse Director’s Course Graduate and RTYDS Recipient) and produced by 2
nd Year Young Everyman Playhouse Producer Nancy Msiska. Sarah and Nancy have been regularly production theatre in the North West with Sarah having recently directed Committed by Stephen Smith at The Blade Factory and The Liverpool Irish Festival and Taking Care of Baby by Dennis Kelly as part of the Liverpool Fringe Festival 2017 whilst Nancy has recently Produced Anton Checkhov’s The Bear, and Sandi Toksvig’s Billy Boy as part of the Young Everyman Playhouse Directors Festival. Nancy is also currently co-producing final year Producers Course show The Way I See It by George Miaris at The Liverpool Everyman Playhouse supported by Arts Council England.

Cast
Catherine Devine, Lee Burnitt, Grant Ryan Lenton , Kimberley Athawes, Andrew AB

OPENING ON FRIDAY AT THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW

Glasgow Theatres’ Creative Learning team is proud to present this year’s Stage Experience production, Seusicall the Musical.

Following the success of last year’s performance of High School Musical, Seussical the Musical will run at Theatre Royal on Friday 27and Saturday 28 July.

Taking on the lead roles this year are:

Alastair McLeod,18, Cumbernauld as Horton the Elephant

Anna Cowen, 18, Glasgow Southside, as Gertrude McFuzz;

Laura Denton, 16, Paisley, as Mayzie LaBird

Mia Clayton, 15, Glasgow West End as Jo Jo

Shannon McGeown, 16, Glasgow North, as the Cat in the Hat

Venus Pedley, 16, Glasgow West End, as Sour Kangaroo

From the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat tells the story of Horton the Elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people, the Whos and sets out to protect them from a world of doubters and dangers. With a cast of bright local talent the powers of friendship, loyalty and community are challenged and ultimately emerge triumphant.

           Please note, this amateur production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe). All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI Europe.

Stage Experience was launched in 2015 to give young budding performers the experience of producing a full-scale stage show with the guidance and expertise of industry professionals at Theatre Royal over a two-week period.

At the end of the summer school, participants take their work to the Theatre Royal stage for three performances.

LISTINGS

Stage Experience: Seussical the Musical

Theatre Royal, Glasgow

Fri 27 Jul, 7pm

Sat 28 Jul, 2pm and 7pm

www.atgtickets/glasgow

0844 871 7647

New Southampton Arts Festival celebrating the centenary of British Women winning the vote  

Nuffield Southampton Theatres (NST) announces The Bungalow Café Festival, a brand new festival in honour of 100 years since the first British women won the right to vote. The festival will run from 6 September to 13 October across NST’s venues City, Studio Theatre and Campus, comprising of theatre, music, comedy and film.

The Bungalow Café once stood on 157 Above Bar Street, Southampton, opposite the new NST City. It was the local home of women’s suffrage before it was destroyed in the Blitz.

Head of programming Katy Snelling has said: “Just as the Bungalow Café was the meeting point for the NUWSS we hope this festival and NST will be a meeting point for conversations about the power of women’s voices, 100 years after women first won the vote in Britain.”

The festival opens with NST’s latest production Women In Power (6-29 Sep) written by seven leading female writers including Shappi Khorsandi, Jenny Éclair, Wendy Cope and Jess Phillips MP. Other theatre highlights include a play from Proto-type Theater, The Audit (or Iceland, a modern myth) (10 Sep) a theatrical work set in Iceland, examining contemporary politics 10 years on from the 2008 financial crash; SEXY (14 Sep) which explores the conflicted relationship with our bodies and sexiness through comedy, spoken word, dance and various states of undress and Luca Rutherford’s Political Party(17 Sep) showing how politics is done, through music, dancing and eggs.

Other theatre includes Bullish (20-21 Sep), a new mythical play exploring new and ancient territories in trans-masculine gender and identity. Plus, the NT Live screening of the National Theatre’s Julie (3 Oct) starring Vanessa Kirby (The Crown, NT Live: A Streetcar Named Desire) and Eric Kofi Abrefa (The Amen Corner).

Comedy highlights include Ruby Wax, the Monk and the Neuroscientist: How To Be Human (29-30 Sep),Sara Pascoe with LadsLadsLads (14 Oct) and an all-female line up of NST’s regular The Comedy Bar: Big Gig (11 Oct) including Lucy Porter, Angela Barnes and Shazia Mirza.

Other highlights include Salon Du Cinema which celebrates the trail blazing icon, Mae West (12 Sep), RSC Live: The Merry Wives of Windsor (8 Oct), a live all female DJ set from Frau DJs (22 Sep) and talks by leading feminist speakers Dr Naomi Paxton (22 Sep) and Dr Finn Mackay (29 Sep).

The Bungalow Café Festival culminates with a new production of Medusa (11-13 October), a shocking story of rejection, redemption and revenge, created by Laboratory Creative Associates and performed by Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Elf Lyons.

Tickets and the full programme for The Bungalow Café Festival is available online at nstheatres.co.uk or from the Box Office on 023 8067 1771

 LISTINGS INFORMATION:

WOMEN IN POWER

Directed by Blanche McIntyre

Written by Wendy Cope, Jenny Éclair, Suhayla El-Bushra, Natalie Haynes, Shappi Khorsandi, Jess Phillips and Brona C. Titley

Dates: 6-29 September 2018

Venue: NST City

Tickets: Starting at £10

THE AUDIT (OR ICELAND, A MODERN MYTH)

By Prototype Theater

Written and Directed by Andrew Westerside

Dates: 10 September 2018 at 19.45

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £14/£10 concessions

SALON DU CINEMA

Presented by Scary Little Girls  

Dates: 12 September 2018 at 19.45

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £14/£10 concessions

SEXY

Performed by Vanessa Kisuule

Dates: 14 September 2018 at 19.00

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £14/£10 concessions

LUCA RUTHERFORD’S POLITICAL PARTY

Directed by Alex Swift

Dates: 17 September 2018 at 19.45

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £14/£10 concessions

EXPERIMENT

Dates: 17 September/29 October 2018

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £5/£4 for Lab network members.

BULLISH

Milk Presents

Written and Directed by Lucy J Skilbeck

Dates: 20-21 September 2018 at 19.45

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £14/£10 concessions

THE GATEWAY SESSION: FRAU DJS

Dates: 22 September 2018 at 19.30

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £10

DR NAOMI PAXTON

Dates: 22 September 2018 at 17:30

Venue: NST Rehearsal Room

Tickets: £8 advance/£10 on night

WIRE WOOL TALKS: DR FINN MACKAY 

Dates: 29 September 2018 at 17:30

Venue: NST Rehearsal Room

Tickets: £8 advance/£10 on night

RUBY WAX, THE MONK AND THE NEUROSCIENTIST: HOW TO BE HUMAN

Dates: 29-30 September 2018 at 19.30

Venue: NST Campus

Tickets: £20

NT LIVE: JULIE

By Polly Stenham

Dates: 3 October 2018 at 19.00

Venue: NST City

Tickets: £17.50

FESTIVAL PANEL DISCUSSION

Dates: 4 October 2018 at 18:00

Venue: NST City

Tickets: £10

RSC: THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR

Dates: 8 October 2018 at 19:00

Venue: NST City

Tickets: £17.50

THE COMEDY BAR: BIG GIG

Dates: 11 October 2018 at 20:00

Venue: NST City

Tickets: From £17

MEDUSA

Created by Laboratory Creative Associates

Created with Elf Lyons

Dates: 11-13 October 2018 at 19.45

Venue: NST City Studio

Tickets: £14/£10 concessions

SARA PASCOE: LADS, LADS, LADS

Dates: 14 October 2018 at 19:30

Venue: NST Campus

Tickets: £18

Jack Studio Theatre – until 4 August

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

I first heard about The White Rose about 15 years ago in a German pub. I had seen various Geshwister Scholl schools but had no idea who the Scholls were. That changed when I got pulled into an argument by a drunk student trying to convince his friends to sign a letter of protest – about what I can’t remember – with increasingly incoherent and sweary references to The White Rose. When I asked what The White Rose was I was met with resigned smiles and sat in awe as the (sober) students told me about their acts of resistance during WW2. I suppose their story didn’t quite fit with the Allies’ narrative about the war in the 20th century, but now it is astounding that a group so admired and revered by the youth of Germany – Alexander Schmorell is now a saint – is largely unknown in the UK. The strangely sterile German films made about the group haven’t helped, but there are some fantastic books out there, one of which “A Noble Treason” by Richard Hanser inspired Ross McGregor to write The White Rose.

Arrows & Traps have a stellar reputation from their classical productions, and this original play will hopefully introduce the company to a new, wider audience. The company are clear and confident in their vision, unafraid of taking risks, and while every production is unmistakeably Arrows & Traps style, the writer’s voice is never diluted. This cocoon of creative support has enabled McGregor to produce a beautifully framed portrayal of the core members of The White Rose.

Beginning with newsreel footage of troops and devastation accompanying one of Hitler’s ranting rallying speeches as Sophie Scholl (Lucy Ioannou) sits in an interrogation room before Robert Mohr of the Gestapo enters (Christopher Tester). After being seen distributing The White Rose’s final leaflet, Sophie and her brother Hans were arrested, and Mohr works to extract a confession. Calm, methodical and detached, Tester is truly intimidating as Mohr, making his occasional bursts of anger even more terrifying.

The formation of The White Rose is shown in flashbacks, from Sophie’s arrival in Munich to study and her introduction to her older brother Hans’s friends Christoph Probst, Willi Graf, Alexander Schmorell and Traute Lafrenz, their decision to publish and distribute their arguments against Hitler’s “total war” to their last meeting as Sophie and Hans take a suitcase of leaflets to the University. McGregor doesn’t sanctify the characters – they can all be pretty pompous and annoying – but their humanity and morality shines through. The philosophical and religious idealism of the group is in stark contrast to the ideology of the Third Reich, and McGregor manages to keep their arguments and statements pacy and passionate rather than preachy, with a lovely familial baiting sense of humour amongst the group. Alex Stevens captures Willi’s wild-eyed faith while Conor Moss is a charming, wistful Alexander. Beatrice Vincent and Pearce Sampson deliver beautifully nuanced performances as Traute and Christoph. Will Pinchin and Lucy Ioannou are sublime as Hans and Sophie – utterly convincing as siblings and making you truly care about the pair with their dynamic and passionate performances. The shifts from present to flashbacks are seamless, with magically choreographed movement that highlights the energy and hope of the students and the animalistic brutality of the Nazis.

There are many warnings from history in this play, with many phrases from the Third Reich horrifyingly familiar today, and the students’ glee at finding grammatical errors in Hitler’s statements brings a big laugh of recognition, but the bravery of the students to voice their resistance when the nation lived in oppression and fear is inspiring and heart-breaking. The trial of Sophie, Hans and Christoph is swift, simple and stylish, with the three actors making the stiffest of top lips wobble when they give each other encouraging smiles. The executions of the group are described calmly and unsensationally, with an inspired framing of their last words that had me running out of tissues.

The White Rose is a stunning production that tells this inspirational story with intelligence, integrity and passion. Grab a ticket while you can.

Bridge Theatre – until 29 September

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Alan Bennett’s first new play in 6 years is a charming celebration of the NHS and a dire warning of its perilous state. The Bethlehem Hospital in Yorkshire is still a “cradle to grave” facility, so is on the minister’s list for closure. Chairman of the hospital trust, Salter (the fantastically oily Peter Forbes) has done everything possible from ridiculous fundraising events to renaming the wards – gone are the likes of William Wordsworth ward, instead visitors are directed to Shirley Bassey, Joan Collins and Dusty Springfield. The patients on Dusty Springfield ward have been corralled into a choir by Nurse Pinkney (Nicola Hughes), while all Sister Gilchrist worries about is keeping a dry ward, with any incontinent patients being placed on her ominous “list”.

Bennett has always been able to write memorable older characters, and the patients on the ward are a delight. Yes, there isn’t the time to develop each character fully, making some seem caricatures – but when they are this funny it doesn’t really matter. Having a local film crew filming the fight to keep the Beth open allows the patients to speak directly about their lives without breaking the fourth wall, and their interactions are so beautifully timed and natural that the monotony of life on the ward is palpable. Gwen Taylor as leopard print clad glamorous Lucille bickers with Patricia England as Mavis, who puts on her telephone voice to speak to the camera, while shy librarian Mary (Julia Foster) watches everything around her. Simon Williams’ old schoolmaster Ambrose trying desperately to fight off the affections of Sue Wallace as Hazel is something you could watch all night. As usual with Bennett, the switch from whimsy to melancholy is abrupt and powerful, never more so than when the patients contemplate their present situations.

The inclusion of the choir lifts this production to the emotional heights as the cast sing songs from their youth, arranged wonderfully by George Fenton. The joy and vitality that the patients still possess is expressed as they suddenly rise from their chairs to perform charming dance routines choreographed by Arlene Phillips. If you don’t have teary eyes as the cast end their final number, then you have a heart of stone.

Nicholas Hytner has an innate understanding of Alan Bennett’s writing, and allows the first act to unfold gently before the jaw-dropping final scene that sends the play in a new, darker direction. Bob Crowley’s design is simple but clever, with the magnolia walls of the hospital rolled back and forth like privacy curtains by the hospital staff.

Bennett includes lots of political barbs through the introduction of Colin (Samuel Barnett), a consultant for the minister visiting his father at the hospital that he is determined to close down. His response to Salter’s affirmation that the hospital has met all its targets is shot down with “The State should not be seen to work. If the State is seen to work, we shall never be rid of it.” The attitudes of Brexit Britain are tackled through Sacha Dhawan’s Dr Valentine – the only staff member who seems to view and respect the older patients as human beings – and his visa troubles. Dhawan’s final speech, direct to the audience, is a passionate challenge to growing nationalism, delivered not with anger, but a resigned and charming smile. Even Sister Gilchrist’s extreme methods for meeting targets isn’t sensationalised – in a stunning performance Findlay doesn’t make Gilchrist a monster, just a beaten down professional doing what she thinks is practical and right.

Allelujah! is one of the must-see shows of the summer – charming, warm, nostalgic and funny, but also sharp, sad and sometimes wince-inducingly painful to watch. Just like visiting hours really

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED WITH KEITH ALLEN AND BRYAN DICK LEADING THE COMPANY OF ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON’S WORLD PREMIÈRE DOUBLE-BILL HOGARTH’S PROGRESS

Rose Theatre Kingston presents

The world première of

Hogarth’s Progress

The Art of Success & The Taste of the Town

A double-bill by Nick Dear

Director: Anthony Banks; Set & Costume Designer: Andrew D Edwards

Video and Projection Designer: Douglas O’Connell; Lighting Designer: James Whiteside

Music: Olly Fox; Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim; Casting Director: Stuart Burt

Fight Directors: Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown for Rc-Annie

Movement: Naomi Said

13 September – 21 October 2018

Rose Theatre Kingston today announces the full cast for Nick Dear’s double-bill Hogarth’s Progress.Anthony Banks directs Bryan Dick as the younger William Hogarth in the first major UK revival of Dear’s acclaimed comedy The Art of Success, which follows Hogarth through a bawdy night in 1730 and Keith Allen as the older William Hogarth in the world première of The Taste of the Town which rejoins the now hugely successful artist 30 years later towards the end of his career. Ruby Bentall (Jane Hogarth and Nancy/Mrs Ryott), Emma Cunniffe (Louisa and Mrs Colquhoun/Mrs Bascombe), Ben Deery (Frank and Zachariah Blunt), Jack Derges (Henry Fielding and Parson Venables), Ian Hallard (Oliver and Horace Walpole), Susannah Harker (Queen Caroline and Jane Hogarth), Jasmine Jones (Sarah Sprackling and Bridget), Sylvestra Le Touzel (Mrs Needham and Lady Thornhill) and Mark Umbers (Robert Walpole and David Garrick) complete the company.

The plays will run in rep as part of Rose Theatre Kingston’s 10^th anniversary season; opening Saturday 29 September, with previews from Thursday 13 September, and running until Sunday 21 October.Each play can be seen as a single performance or enjoyed together, either over different days or as a thrilling all-day theatrical experience.

Hogarth’s Progress is a riotous double-bill of comedies by BAFTA Award winner Nick Dear, following one of Britain’s most celebrated artists on two monumental pub crawls. The plays explore the extraordinary lives of William and Jane Hogarth at a time when culture escaped from the grasp of the powerful into the hands of the many.

The Olivier Award nominated comedy The Art of Success, in its first major revival, compresses the newlywed William’s rise to fame into a dizzying and hilarious night out through 18th century London’s high society and debauched underworld.

A world première, The Taste of the Town catches up with the Hogarths in Chiswick some 30 years later. Now hugely successful, William and Jane are still at odds with the world and with each other. Facing public ridicule for what he considers his finest painting, William sets out to confront his fiercest critic, but there’s always time for one more pint on the way.

Running alongside Hogarth’s Progress will be an exhibition of work from Kingston School of Art’s Illustration Animation course critiquing contemporary Britain, as well as a series of post-show conversations, in collaboration with Kingston University, which will explore Hogarth’s world and his influence today. Full details of the programme will be announced shortly.

Nick Dear is a playwright and screenwriter, best known for his adaptation of Frankenstein (National Theatre and broadcast globally via NT Live) and his BAFTA Award-winning adaptation of Persuasion (BBC). His writing for theatre includes Dedication (Nuffield Southampton Theatres), The Dark Earth and the Light Sky, Food of Love (Almeida Theatre), Power, The Villains’ Opera (National Theatre), Zenobia, Pure Science, Temptation (RSC) and In the Ruins (Bristol Old Vic). His adaptations include The Promise (Tricycle Theatre), Summerfolk, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (National Theatre), The Last Days of Don Juan (RSC) and A Family Affair (Cheek by Jowl). His other screenplays include The Turn of the Screw, Cinderella, The Gambler, Byron, Eroica and Agatha Christie’s Poirot. He has also written extensively for BBC Radio.

Keith Allen returns to Rose Theatre Kingston to play William Hogarth in The Taste of the Town. He previously starred in the company’s revival of Smack Family Robinson. Later this year he will be appearing in Landscapeand A Kind of Alaska as part of the Pinter at the Pinter season. Other theatre credits include Gaslight (UK tour), The Homecoming (National Theatre/Trafalgar Studios), Comedians (Lyric Hammersmith), Treasure Island(Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Celebration & The Room (Almeida Theatre), Murmuring Judges (National Theatre), and Illuminatus and Macbeth (Citizen’s Theatre, Glasgow). His television credits include Marcella, My Mad Fat Teenage Diary, The Body Farm, Treasure Island, The Runaway, Robin Hood, Bodies, Roger Roger, Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years, Martin Chuzzlewit, Faith and Making Out; and for film, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Eddie the Eagle, A Film with Me in It, Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, De-Lovely, 24 Hour Party People, The Others, Twin Town, Trainspotting, Blue Juice, Shallow Grave, Beyond Bedlam, Second Best, Young Americans, Carry On Columbus, Scandal, Comrades and The Supergrass.

Ruby Bentall plays Jane Hogarth in The Art of Success and Nancy/Mrs Ryott in The Taste of the Town. Her theatre credits include Ramona Tells Jim (Bush Theatre), Peter and Alice (Noël Coward Theatre), Hansel and Gretel, Grief, The Miracle (National Theatre), Blue Heart Afternoon (Hampstead Theatre), Remembrance Day(Royal Court Theatre), and Alice (Sheffield Theatres). Her television credits include Verity in Poldark and roles in Absentia, Jekyll and Hyde, Larkrise to Candleford, Lost in Austen and You Can Chose Your Friends; and for film, Interlude in Prague, Bikini Blue, Mr Turner, Robin Hood and Tormented.

Emma Cunniffe returns to Rose Theatre Kingston to play Louisa in The Art of Success andMrs Colquhoun/Mrs Bascombe in The Taste of the Town. Her credits for the company include Dumb Show. Her other theatre credits include the title role in Queen Anne (Swan Theatre/Theatre Royal Haymarket), Proof(Menier Chocolate Factory), Conquest of the South Pole (Arcola Theatre), Amongst Friends, The Glass Room (Hampstead Theatre), The Entertainer (The Old Vic), Losing Louis (Hampstead Theatre/Trafalgar Studios), A Buyer’s Market, Caravan (Bush Theatre), Tales From Hollywood (Donmar Warehouse), and The Master Builder (UK tour – winner of UK Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress). Her television credits include Unforgotten, Inspector Lewis, Southcliffe, Place of Execution, The Lakes and Life After Birth; and for film, Rabbit on the Moon, Dreaming of Joseph Lees and Among Giants.

Ben Deery plays Frank in The Art of Success and Zachariah Blunt in The Taste of the Town. His theatre credits include Death of a Salesman (Royal & Derngate Northampton/UK tour), Insignificance (Theatre Clwyd), Casa Valentina (Southwark Playhouse), A Mad World My Masters, Titus Andronicus, King Lear(RSC), The Woman In Black (Fortune Theatre), Anne Boleyn, All’s Well That End’s Well, Henry VIII(Shakespeare’s Globe), and La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre). His television credits include And Then There Were None; and for film, A Street Cat Named Bob.

Jack Derges plays Henry Fielding in The Art of Success and Parson Venables in The Taste of the Town. His theatre credits include Queers (The Old Vic), The Boys in the Band (Vaudeville Theatre), The Sweethearts (Finborough Theatre), and Territory (Pleasance, London). His television credits as series regular include Andy Flynn inEastEnders, ‘Synth’ Simon in Humans and Bill Pearson in WPC56, as well as roles in Crims, The Royals,Cucumber and Dungeons and Dragons: The Book of Vile Darkness; and for film, Freak of Nurture, and AUX.

Bryan Dick plays William Hogarth in The Art of Success and Samuel in The Taste of the Town. His theatre credits include The Two Noble Kinsmen (Shakespeare Globe), Great Apes (Arcola Theatre), Fatherland (Royal Exchange Theatre), Years of Sunlight (Theatre503), Hobson’s Choice (Theatre Royal Bath), Seminar (Hampstead Theatre),School Play (Soho Theatre), Sliding with Suzanne, Plasticine, Bone (Royal Court Theatre), Lear (Sheffield Theatres), The Life of Galileo, The Alchemist (National Theatre), Tinderbox (Bush Theatre), and Kursk and Public Enemy (Young Vic). His television credits The Split, Capital, Wolf Hall, Silent Witness, The Ice Cream Girls, All The Small Things, Survival Code, Lewis, Being Human, Ashes to Ashes, Excluded, Eric and Ernie and Haven; and for film, Colour Me Kubrick, Dream, Master and Commander, Brothers of the Head, Blood and Chocolate, Day of the Flowers, I, Anna and The Numbers Station.

Ian Hallard plays Oliver in The Art of Success and Horace Walpole in The Taste of the Town. His theatre credits include The Boys in the Band (Park Theatre/Vaudeville Theatre), Outings (Lyric Theatre), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof(Theatr Clywd), Lovesong of the Electric Bear (Arts Theatre/Hope Theatre), The Vote (Donmar Warehouse),Great Britain (National Theatre/ Theatre Royal Haymarket), and Scenes from an Execution (National Theatre). His television credits include The Crown, Doctor Who, Sherlock, Poirot, An Adventure in Space and Time,Crooked House, Where the Heart Is; and for film, The Dark Room.

Susannah Harker plays Queen Caroline in The Art of Success and Jane Hogarth in The Taste of the Town. Her theatre credits include Abigail’s Party (Menier Chocolate Factory/Wyndham’s Theatre), A Good Death(National Theatre), Lucky Seven (Hampstead Theatre), On the Shore of the Wide World (Royal Exchange Manchester/National Theatre), Three Sisters (Playhouse Theatre), Uncle Vanya (Gate Theatre, Dublin/La Guardia Drama Theater), and Tartuffe (Almeida Theatre). For television recurring roles include Jane Bennett in BBC’s Pride and Prejudice and Mattie Storin in House Of Cards – for which she received a Best Actress BAFTA nomination. Other television credits include Doctor Who: Shada, Waking the Dead, Ultra-Violet, Faith, Chancer and The Fear; and for film, A Carribean Dream, Burke and Wills, A Dry White Seasonand White Mischief.

Jasmine Jones plays Sarah Sprackling in The Art of Success and Bridget in The Taste of the Town. Her theatre credits include Buggy Baby (The Yard Theatre), The Phantom Seahorse (Soho Theatre), Philippa and Will are Now in a Relationship (New Diorama Theatre), Fewer Emergencies (Royal Court Theatre), Porno Girl, Sense, This Child (Southwark Playhouse), Blue Funk (Old Red Lion), and Arden of Faversham (White Bear).

Sylvestra Le Touzel plays Mrs Needham in The Art of Success and Lady Thornhill in The Taste of the Town. Her theatre credits include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Donmar), Giving, Imagine Drowning (Hampstead Theatre), Waste (National Theatre), Les Parent Terribles, Ivanov (Donmar West End), Topless Mum (Tricycle Theatre), Wild East, Ourselves Alone, Unity, Glasshouses (Royal Court Theatre), A Midsummer’s Night Dream(Almeida Theatre), Inspector Calls (Aldwych Theatre), The Illusion, Marya (The Old Vic), and Harvest(Ambassadors Theatre). Her television credits include The Crown, Endeavour, Utopia, The Thick of It, Secret State, Titanic, The Appropriate Adult, Bonkers, Beast and Vanity Fair; and for film, The Death of Stalin, Mr Turner, Cloud Atlas, The Iron Lady, Happy-Go-Lucky and Amazing Grace.

Mark Umbers plays Robert Walpole in The Art of Success and David Garrick in The Taste of the Town. His theatre work includes Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory/Harold Pinter Theatre/Huntington Avenue Theatre), She Loves Me (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Browning Version (Chichester Festival Theatre/Harold Pinter Theatre), Sweet Charity (Menier Chocolate Factory/Theatre Royal Haymarket), Funny Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Glass Menagerie (Apollo Theatre), The Vortex (Donmar Warehouse), and The Merchant of Venice, Candide and My Fair Lady (National Theatre). His television work includes Collateral, Home Fires, Eternal Law, Mistresses, The Turn of the Screw, Princes in the Tower, Harley Street, Blackbeard, The Merchant of Venice, Berkeley Square, Silent Witness, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Student Prince; and for film, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, A Good Woman, Che (Part Two), These Foolish Things, Cassandra’s Dream, Colour Me Kubrick and Love Is The Devil.

Anthony Banks directs. His theatre credits include Strangers On A Train, Gaslight, DNA (UK tour), Twilight Song(Park Theatre), After Miss Julie (Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour), Raz (Trafalgar Studios/Assembly Edinburgh/UK tour), Cesario, More Light, The Eternal Not, Prince Of Denmark (National Theatre), Pignight (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Experiment (Soho Theatre/Berliner Ensemble), Herding Cats (Theatre Royal Bath/Hampstead Theatre), Bassett (Bristol Old Vic), ReWrite (Westminster Hall/National Theatre) and The Hotel Plays (Grange & Langham Hotels, London). He was also Associate Director at the National Theatre 2004 – 2014 where he commissioned and developed a hundred new plays for NT Connections.

Hogarth’s Progress                                                                                                                                 Listings

Rose Theatre Kingston

24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL

13 September – 21 October 2018

Press performances: Saturday 29 September, 2.30pm & 7pm

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Twitter:                @Rosetheatre

Facebook:           /RoseTheatreKingston

Instagram:          RoseTheatreKingston

Performance Schedule

The Art of Success – can be booked individually

Thursday 13 September                7.30pm

Friday 14 September                      7.30pm

Saturday 15 September                7.30pm

Wednesday 26 September          7.30pm

Thursday 27 September                2.30pm

Wednesday 3 October                   7.30pm

Thursday 4 October                        2.30pm

Thursday 11 October                      2.30pm

Friday 12 October                            8pm

Wednesday 17 October                7.30pm

Thursday 18 October                      2.30pm

Friday 19 October                            8pm

The Taste of the Town – can be booked individually

Friday 21 September                      7.30pm

Saturday 22 September                7.30pm

Tuesday 25 September                 7.30pm

Thursday 27 September                7.30pm

Friday 28 September                      8pm

Sunday 30 September                   3pm

Thursday 4 October                        7.30pm

Friday 5 October                               8pm

Wednesday 10 October                2.30pm

Thursday 11 October                      7.30pm

Thursday 18 October                      7.30pm

The Art of Success and The Taste of the Town – can only be booked together

Saturday 29 September                2.30pm & 7.30pm

Saturday 6 October                         2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sunday 7 October                            2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sat 13 October                                  2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sun 14 October                                 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sat 20 October                                  2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sun 21 October                                 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Box Office:                          020 8174 0090

                                                Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm (6pm non-performance days)

                                                Sun: one hour before the performance

Concessions:                      Only one discount per ticket, subject to availability

Terms and conditions apply – no discounts on Pit Cushion prices.

Over 60, unwaged, entertainment union, children under 16 and Students: £5 off.

Access:                                 Patrons with disabilities enjoy half price tickets.

The Rose is a fully accessible organisation and we welcome everyone.

                                                There is Blue Badge parking in High Street and Rose car park.

Sensory Access:                A digital hearing system is available for patrons with a hearing aid, and Sennheiser headsets for patrons without a hearing aid. Guide and hearing dogs are welcome. Please let us know in advance so we can provide a dog-sitter and water bowl.

Learning Disabilities:       Please contact us in advance to discuss how we can help make your visit as comfortable as possible, on 0208 174 0090 or email [email protected].

ENGLISH TOURING THEATRE ANNOUNCES

VICTOR OSHIN’S PROFESSIONAL DEBUT AS OTHELLO 

WITH FURTHER TOUR DATES AND EDUCATION PROGRAMME

English Touring Theatre today announces Victor Oshin as Othello in the upcoming revival of Richard Twyman’s critically acclaimed production of Othello, a co-production with Oxford Playhouse and Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory. Full cast to be announced shortly.

Further dates are announced for the tour which opens at Oxford Playhouse on 20 September and tours to Harrogate Theatre, Cast in Doncaster, Lawrence Batley Theatre, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, Oldham Coliseum Theatre, The New Wolsey Theatre, Warwick Arts Centre, Northern Stage and Lighthouse Poole.

ETT will continue its commitment to make touring theatre accessible to young people with their 25^th anniversary ticket scheme 25 for £2.50 which will offer £2.50 tickets to Othello for young people aged 25 and under.

In addition ETT’s Othello Education Programme will run alongside the tour offering students and teachers insight into Shakespeare’s Othello and their critically acclaimed production. The programme will provide education packs, workshops, pre and post show talks with members of the company, as well as additional resources including podcasts and recorded footage.

English Touring Theatre said today, ‘We are thrilled to announce the full tour of our critically acclaimed production of Othello which will visit 10 cities this Autumn, continuing our commitment to touring exceptional work to audiences across England.

We are delighted to be working with Victor Oshin in the title role. Victor is a dynamic actor of huge potential and we look forward to giving audiences across the country the chance to see him in his professional stage debut. We’ll soon be announcing the full company of actors that he will be working alongside to bring this masterful play to life.’

English Touring Theatre, Oxford Playhouse and Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory present   

Othello

By William Shakespeare

UK tour 18 September – 24 November 2018

Director: Richard Twyman; Designer: Georgia Lowe; Associate Designer: Alex Berry

Composer & Sound Designer: Giles Thomas; Lighting Designer: Matt Graham

Movement Director: Lanre Malaolu; Creative Advisor: Abdul-Rehman Malik

Casting Director: Annelie Powell CDG

Othello is one of Shakespeare’s most startlingly contemporary plays – a masterful depiction of a life torn apart by prejudice.

Venice; a western colonial power employs the newly-married Othello, a Muslim general, to lead their army against the impending Turkish invasion. The strain of fitting into a society riven by discrimination and fear soon take their toll. Manipulated by Iago, Othello’s life quickly unravels as he turns on everything he holds dear.

Originally co-produced with Tobacco Factory Theatres.

Victor Oshin plays Othello. This marks his professional stage debut.

Richard Twyman is Artistic Director of English Touring Theatre for which he has directed Othello (also Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory/Tobacco Factory Theatres). Prior to this he was Associate Director (International) at the Royal Court Theatre between 2013-2016, where his directing work included Torn, Harrogate (also HighTide and UK tour), You For Me For You, Fireworks, The Djinns of Eidgah and PIIGS. His other theatre credits include Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Tokyo) Henry IV Pt II (RSC), Ditch (Old Vic Tunnels and HighTide), Dr Marigold & Mr Chops (Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour), Sixty-Six Books (Bush Theatre) and Give Me Your Hand (Irish Rep, New York – nomination for the Drama Desk Award 2012 for Outstanding Unique Theatrical Experience). Between 2003 and 2008 he worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company, where he was Associate Director to Michael Boyd on the multi-award winning Histories Cycle and for which he directed Henry IV Pt II.

ETT’s Othello Education Programme

Through an exploration of their critically acclaimed production of Othello, ETT’s Othello Education Programme offers students and teachers the opportunity to gain an exciting insight into one of Shakespeare’s most startlingly contemporary plays.

The programme offers an education pack, workshops, talks and other resources including podcasts and recorded footage. The lessons and activities provided are specifically designed to support KS3-4 students studying the play and who have attended the production, and cover themes including Moorish identity, women’s roles in the play and the setting and staging.

Education Pack

Click here to access the Othello Education Pack – the pack includes discussion topics, exercises and links to podcasts and video footage.

Workshops

Workshops are designed to enrich and expand on the themes discussed in the Othello Education Pack. Each workshop runs for 2 hours, for up to 30 students, and is run by a specially trained facilitator. The workshops can be held at your venue at any time to suit your schedule.

Pre and post show talks
There will be free pre-show talks, with the production’s Assistant Director and ETT’s Producer, and post-show talks with the company. The dates for these can be found at:

www.ett.org.uk/whats-on/othello/access

If you are unable to attend the pre or post-show talk but would like to discuss how you can access these digitally or alternatively arrange an additional talk for a fee then please do get in touch.

To book a workshop or other enquiries regarding ETT’s Othello Education Programme please contact Bridie: [email protected]

Tour Dates

Oxford Playhouse

18 September – 22 September

Press night: 20 September

Box Office: 01865 305305 / www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Harrogate Theatre

25 – 29 September

Box Office: 01423 502 116 / www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk

Cast in Doncaster

2 – 6 October

Box Office: 01302 303 959 / www.castindoncaster.com

Lawrence Batley Theatre

9 – 13 October

Box Office: 01484 430528 / www.thelbt.org

Everyman Theatre Cheltenham

16 – 20 October

Box Office: 01242 572573 / www.everymantheatre.org.uk

Oldham Coliseum Theatre

23 – 27 October

Box Office: 0161 624 2829 / www.coliseum.org.uk

Wolsey Theatre Ipswich

30 October – 3 November

Box Office: 01473 295900 / www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

Warwick Arts Centre

6 – 10 November

Box Office: 024 7652 4524 / www.warwickartscentre.co.uk

Northern Stage

13 – 17 November

Box Office: 0191 230 5151 / www.northernstage.co.uk

Lighthouse Poole

20 – 24 November

Box Office: 01202 280000 / www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Year of the Cat Hit Maker Returns to City

Al Stewart celebrates more than fifty years in the music industry

Hull New Theatre celebrates the Year of the Cat this August as singer-songwriter Al Stewart makes a welcome return to the city.

For more than fifty years this stalwart of the British music industry has entertained fans across the world with his unique folk-rock sound delicately woven with tales of characters and events from history.

Stewart, who found fame during the sixties and seventies; played at the first Glastonbury Festival in 1970; worked with Yoko Ono pre-Lennon and shared an apartment with a young Paul Simon, boasts one of the most extensive back catalogues in the business having recorded 19 studio albums between Bedsitter Images in 1967 and Sparks of Ancient Light in 2008.

He returns to the city on 7 August to perform an acoustic set featuring classic and lesser known tracks from his musical inventory, accompanied by long-time collaborator Dave Nachmanoff and joined by Guitarist Tim Renwick.

Tickets for Al Stewart at Hull New Theatre on 7 August are on sale now. Book at the Hull City Hall Box Office, call 01482 300 306 or visit the website www.hulltheatres.co.uk to book online.