Month: November 2018

Dominion Theatre – until 5 January 2018

4****

With the closing date imminent and with baby fairypowered Alex and senior fairypowered writer Claire telling me how fabulous the show is – it was time that fairypowered herself saw the show

Romeo and Juliet set to a background of Meatloaf what’s not to enjoy?  Strat (Jordan Luke Gage) is part of the lost, eternally 18. He falls in love with Raven (Christina Bennington) who is 18 now, but will age whilst Strat stays young.  Her parents Falco (Craig Ryder stepping in for the injured Rob Fowler) and Sloane (Sharon Sexton) are trying to stop her being with Strat whilst living in a loveless marriage.  Falco and Sloane do have some of the best scenes and Paradise By The Dashboard Light is hilarious – I loved the pink pants.  

Zahara (Danielle Steers), also a member of the lost is Raven’s nurse.  Giving her dream suppressants at the request of her parents but helping her to find true love.  Tink (Alex Thomas-Smith) is jealous of the relationship between Strat and Raven and in trying to split them up pays the ultimate price.

Danielle Steers is the most outstanding member of the cast.  When she started to sing Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad my reaction was just “WOW!” and her vocals in Dead Ringer are just epic – more Cher than Cher!  But Jordan Luke Gage is a very close second especially in the titular Bat Out of Hell.  He seems to be genuinely enjoying his role and who can blame him?

So did I enjoy it?  Well I think I’ll just have to go and see it again so I can judge it!!!

King’s Theatre Edinburgh – Until 17^rd November.

Reviewed by James Knight

4****

I was lucky enough to see the original West End production of ‘Shakespeare in Love’ back in 2014, and so was very much looking forward to this revival. Based on the screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, and adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, the production loses none of the quick wit and easy-on-the-ear references peppered throughout the film (and some new ones – ‘Out damned Spot’, yelled at an offstage dog is a particular highlight).

Will Shakespeare (Pierro Niel-Mee) is struggling with his new play, ‘Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter’. It’s expected to be a sure-fire hit, if he could write it. Even with the help of fellow playwright Kit Marlowe (Edmund Kingsley, who plays him with an easy and likeable confidence), he’s fighting a losing battle. Enter a muse for Will in the form of Viola de Lessops (Imogen Daines), daughter of a New Money merchant, who wants nothing more to be an actor in one of Will’s plays. Which would be fine, if women weren’t banned from the stage. Cue cross-dressing, confused identities, forbidden love… well, everything you might expect from a play from the original Shakespeare canon.

The cast is clearly enjoying themselves, whether engaging in a madcap swordfight/piggy-in-the-middle mashup. singing period-appropriate choruses or performing the finale jig. Everyone has a moment to shine and the support between all them is clear to see, and is always careful to include the audience in on the jokes. Some of the jokes could have been less signposted however, and some of the subtleties of the actual Shakespearean text might be lost in performance, but really, if the audience is enjoying themselves this much, what’s so wrong that? The play’s the thing, after all.

The Lowry, Manchester – until Saturday 17th November 2018

Reviewed by Julie Noller

4**** 

Dame Judi Dench recently described the state of being a national treasure as ‘awful, like being stuck behind glass in a dusty old cupboard with Alan Bennett’. A great visualisation for those of a younger generation, who have or perhaps have not grown up knowing the names and the works but never really knowing the personas or naughtiness of individuals who often flouted societies rules; never wanting that easy ride in life. That may be true for Bennett but is also true for WH Auden and Benjamin Britten our subject matter if only through the eyes of our writer documenting a fictitious meeting. The Habit of Art highlights everything we may just perceive to know but really it’s just a gossip-fest that points a tongue in cheek poke at all those wannabes out there writing about the life and times of any famous individual.

Wyston Hugh Auden may have died the year before I was born, but I know his work as a poet, winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1947 for The Age of Anxiety and more recently famed for the use of Funeral Blues in the 1994 film of the year Four Weddings and a Funeral. Benjamin Britten often hailed as England’s greatest composer of a modern era, The Habit Of Art, is set during his own writing of his last work, the opera Death in Venice.

Sometimes the set up on stage can be confusing with art imitating life and life imitating art. You need your mind to work with that of Alan Bennett, enjoy the journey and sometimes cheeky wit, where else would you find Auden’s face compared to that of a scrotum? This is a play written in 2009, a whole thirty seven years after the year in which it is set 1972, only one year before Auden’s death and four before that of Britten, two old men used to hiding away but flouting their sexuality. The play isn’t about Auden or Britten but revolves around the rehearsal of the play. The stage set is brilliant in it’s details, from gym flooring to props arriving in carrier bags. Each performer on stage is an actor learning the lines, where do you differentiate between character and actor? Is it true that you are drawn to a part by it’s complexities or that it somehow mirrors your own life? Matthew Kelly (yes I resisted the voice that uttered tonight Matthew I’m going to be) is superb as Fitz a true luvvie of stage, struggling to remember his lines and needing many prompts. He has never had to supply cakes in any production; hinting at his own self importance. Working to a strict time deadline for he has a car arriving at six o’clock sharp to take him to his Tesco voice-over recording, this mirrors his role as W H Auden a man living his life in blatant disregard to public decency. Looking back you almost pity this man in front of us, dependency on alcohol and somehow forgetting conversations, you are left wondering if some sort of dementia has set in. Especially during Britten’s visit to him, played to perfection as a very upright and sharp but worried gentleman by David Yelland. It’s very apparent Bennett was suggesting his liking of young boys. His concerns around Death in Venice is the age of the young boy. Auden somehow stuck in a bygone era with his need to shock, demands Britten stick at it; more of Bennett’s wit as he suggests soon the young boy will be queuing for his pension.

John Walk confused the man sat next to me who asked his wife why he had a Scottish accent? This is again because he is playing Donald, somewhat unloved by fellow cast members, seeking where is his inspiration, difficult to work with because sometimes you just feel the part. Donald needs direction at every level, seeking his own self importance. Hilariously coming on stage in drag; a badly fitting dress and wig whilst playing a tuba, simply because you have to try this things. He is also Humphrey Carpenter mistaken by Auden as a rent boy but actually just working for the BBC, the man who would interview both Auden and Britten and later write their autobiographies. You get a sense of how fantastic Bennett’s writing is to tie all these parts together with such classic sarcasm thrown into the mix, you will be scratching your head at the perplexities. There’s serious writer Neil (Robert Mountford) author of Caliban’s Day (our fictitious play within a play) who doesn’t understand the frailties of actors or their need to have the bigger more memorable part. He just wants his work to remain intact for he is a genius of the written word. Young Tim playing rent boy Stuart (Benjamin Chandler) living his life and fun loving. Alexandra Gruelff as George assistant stage manager, trying to get things right but being young accidentally upsets the old hands. Her singing as she stands in for the young choir boys should be applauded. Keeping it all together in the absence of Director Stephen is Kay (Veronica Roberts) as company stage manager, she finds herself attempting to keep the peace as actors squabble with writer and each other; as well as keep the play moving. She is a true mother hen often there to wipe furrowed brows and egos.

The Habit of Art is thoroughly enjoyable with plenty to entertain those seeking a more intelligent play, aided by large amounts wit and humour. Not forgetting those still often taboo subjects of sexual activities and I lost track (I didn’t have enough fingers or toes) at the number of times the word dick was used.

THE WIDER EARTH

FOLLOWING CRITICAL AND PUBLIC ACCLAIM

DARWIN DRAMA EXTENDS ITS RUN AT THE JERWOOD GALLERY AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM

EXTRA SUNDAY PERFORMANCES ADDED

NOW PLAYING UNTIL 24 FEBRUARY 2019

The Wider Earth – the critically acclaimed drama about the young Charles Darwin’s expedition on HMS Beagle – currently playing at the custom-built theatre in the Jerwood Gallery at London’s Natural History Museum, has extended its run and will now play until 24 February 2019.

Featuring a cast of seven, and 30 extraordinary hand-crafted puppets representing the exotic wildlife Darwin encountered, The Wider Earth is an ingenious coming-of-age story which celebrates the incredible complexity of our planet and Darwin’s adventurous spirit as he faced perilous environments and unknown dangers on his bold voyage.

The Natural History Museum’s Director of Engagement Clare Matterson says,

“We are committed to bringing science to life through exciting collaborations like this with artists – even when this requires the building of a 357-seat traditional performance theatre in one of our galleries! The Wider Earth offers a radically different kind of museum experience. Audiences are transported to the far side of the world with the young Charles Darwin on his first voyage aboard the HMS Beagle – just metres away from both the working scientific laboratories of our Darwin Centre and some of the original specimens he collected on that same voyage in 1831. 

“The Wider Earth has had a fantastic reception and helped attract new audiences to the Museum so we are delighted to be able to extend its performance run and allow more people to see this captivating drama.”

Written and directed by Dead Puppet Society’s creative director David Morton, the idea for The Wider Earth was conceived at a residency in Cape Town in 2013 with the Handspring Puppet Company – the creative team behind War Horse.

“Handspring Puppet Company is very proud of Dead Puppet Society for pioneering their production The Wider Earth at the Natural History Museum in London, a concept which was conceived during their time with us in South Africa several years ago. Since then it’s been fantastic to see their work and their influence rapidly spreading to three continents: Australia, America and Europe. Dead Puppet Society are inspiring leaders in the next generation of puppeteers!”

– Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler, Handspring Puppet Company

Following sold-out seasons in Brisbane and Sydney, The Wider Earth has found the perfect home at the Natural History Museum. The Museum is custodian to many of the specimens Charles Darwin collected on his expeditions and its 350 scientists continue in his footsteps of exploration and discovery, seeking solutions to the major issues facing the natural world. This is the first time a performance-based theatre has been constructed in the Museum and adds an exciting new element to the wide-range of exhibitions and events which already attract over 4.5 million visitors every year.

“The Wider Earth has a limited ‘Kids Go Free’ offer, to allow the next generation to learn more about this iconic character and one of the most important voyages in scientific history. Bookable via the show’s website: https://thewiderearth.com/

The Museum’s scientists, led by paleobiologist Professor Adrian Lister, author of Darwin’s Fossils, have worked closely with the creative producers of the show to ensure it is rooted in authenticity.

The Jerwood Gallery at the Natural History Museum was beautifully restored in 1999 with a generous capital grant from the Jerwood Foundation to provide a home in the Museum for arts and science exhibitions and activities.  Evening audiences will pass next to the Museum’s cutting edge Darwin Centre. The Centre comprises working laboratories as well as some of the 22 million zoological specimens housed there, including specimens collected by Charles Darwin on his voyage in 1831.

 The Wider Earth is presented by Trish Wadley Productions, Dead Puppet Society and Glass Half Full Productions

Jack Studio Theatre – until 17 November

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu has created a delicious theatrical treat in Sweet Like Chocolate Boy. The lyrical wit and haunting beauty of his writing is accompanied by a nostalgia-fest of music, all overseen by God – the ultimate DJ (Alice Fofana).

Switching back and forth at break-neck speed between the stories of Bounty and Mars, two troubled young black men from the 1990’s and present day respectively, Fynn-Aiduenu weaves a plot that gradually pieces together the threads of each life, peopled with colourful and recognisable characters, to reveal their connection in a dynamic and moving finale.

In the 90’s, Bounty (Michael Levi Fatogun) is struggling to find his place in a politically-charged world. Not fitting in as a child, his best friend is a white boy from a racist family. Bounty just wants to be loved, but doesn’t love himself, and his need to see the best in people leads to tragic results. Bounty witnesses the beginnings of a more organised Black Protest movement but never quite engages. In the present day, Mars (Andrew Umerah) is on his way to a protest march. He should be at a meeting with his mental health nurse, but the lure of Fantasia (Veronica Beatrice Lewis) and her approval if he acts as she demands at the protest is too strong.

This isn’t about gangs, but instead about the ongoing prejudice and injustice that necessitates a Black Protest, and the inner battles faced by these two men – their self-esteem, mental health and search for their identity and purpose in turbulent times. The two actors both perform their many monologues with captivating style – making you laugh and cry as they let Fynn-Aiduenu’s magical words fly. The staging is simple but lit to perfection – with DJ/God directing the action behind her decks/tower blocks. Umerah, Fatogun and Lewis all play multiple roles, just slightly tweaking their costumes between scenes. The three are phenomenal – there is never any confusion as to who they are playing, so good are their different accents and body language. Lewis is hysterical as Sandra, Bounty’s predatory and scary friend, and sweet but strong as his girlfriend Michelle. Umerah’s portrayal of Mars’s mental health problems is stunning, slipping between cocky streetwise laddishness and tormented hallucinations in a heightened but unsettlingly believable manner. Fatogun’s Bounty is so lost that you just want to give him a hug – a beautifully nuanced performance.

Although this is hard-hitting stuff, the play never feels worthy or heavy-handed. There is a lightness of touch and a ridiculous sense of humour that pervades throughout. Fight scenes are choreographed in slow motion, with the actors gurning at the audience, and the cast dance around to the soundtrack of Bounty’s youth with joyous abandon.

Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu is definitely a name to look out for in the future – Sweet Like Chocolate Boy is a heady mix of important issues, gleeful comedy, nostalgia, and banging tunes that will set audiences buzzing.

Rose Theatre, Kingston – until 17 November

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Friedrich Schiller’s Don Carlos, written in the 18th century, is full of warnings about tyranny and oppression by the state that speak as loudly today as they did when he wrote them. The story of Don Carlos, son and heir to Philip II of Spain and their fractured relationship is full of twists, turns and dramatic misunderstandings.

The father and son are estranged after Philip takes Don Carlos’s promised young bride as his own wife. Don Carlos’s love for his “mother”, Elizabeth of Valois, is too much to bear and he takes himself away from the court. His friend Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, unusually free to travel Europe, is horrified by Spain’s plans for Flanders, and has idealistic plans for Don Carlos to lead Flanders to liberation and freedom, heralding a new beginning for Spain and Europe, free from the iron hold of the Catholic Church and the Inquisition. Obviously, things don’t go quite to plan, or the play wouldn’t be over 3 hours long.

Director Gadi Roll uses Jonathan Samuels lighting design to create an intimidating and often stifling atmosphere on the starkly furnished stage – the perfect setting for the political machinations and treachery surrounding Philip. In modern dress, all shades of grey, the cast move around the stage like chess pieces circling the king.

The cast do a fine job with a very wordy script, but there are too many speeches where the words are tumbling out in a rush and become intelligible. Samuel Valentine makes Don Carlos appear a petulant, self-indulgent brat until the final scenes, making Rodrigo’s love for, and belief in him unbelievable. Tom Burke is full of world-weary gravitas and pomposity as Rodrigo, with his confrontation with Darrell D’Silva’s conflicted Philip being one of the high points of the play. There seem to be only two methods of communication for most courtiers in Roll’s Spain – rapid-fire monotone with melodramatic stares, or SHOUTING. It does get a bit tedious, to be honest. The story is fascinating, full of Shakespearean misunderstandings and miscommunication, and with a more nuanced touch could easily be riveting. Unfortunately, this production becomes a bit of a slog, which is a shame as there are some good performances and inspired design choices.

Park Theatre until 24 November

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

There’s a lot packed into this tight four-hander by Jesse Briton – the production’s tagline asks can greatness be taught? – 90 minutes of being put through the emotional wringer with Briton’s four flawed characters brings you no closer to an answer, but the passionate arguments make for entertaining viewing.

The play opens quietly, with a bedraggled woman in a wheelchair organising bottles of paracetamol next to a bottle of scotch. This is Ye (Lucy Sheen), a violin virtuoso who has turned her back on the world. Her solitary existence is disrupted by stroppy teen Simona (Flora Spencer-Longhurst), who has demanded that Ye teach her. The fact that Simona’s father is a Russian billionaire means that the Royal Conservatoire are bending over backwards to accommodate the girl’s whims, with Ye’s old friend Phyllida (Carolyn Backhouse) acting as go-between.

As Simona’s natural gift is revealed to Ye, her obsession with the purity of talent and individuality is heightened. As the combative, lonely girl bonds with Ye, the prospect of her mental health improving seems hopeful, but Simona’s upcoming audition becomes a crisis point.

Spencer-Longhurst is wonderfully sharp as Simona, allowing glimpses of the scared and abandoned little girl beneath to trickle through. Her glares and eye rolls are hysterical, making Sheen’s role as teen-whisperer most gratifying. There are a few shocking moments that will make you wince, but the building understanding between them is well written. Sheen portrays Ye’s mental darkness effectively, with a blank aspect that shows her disconnect with the world. This could be a depressing play, but lightness and a less dark humour are added in abundance by Melanie Marshall as Mary, Ye’s god-fearing, hymn-singing landlady. Their odd-couple, co-dependent relationship is completely unhealthy, but seems to be all that is keeping them going.

Staged in the round, on a stark set with broken violins strung above it, director Jessica Brady has cast members with their back to the audience often, but this works as a symbol of their insular view of the world. The opposing viewpoints of Ye and Phyllida – discipline or passion, compromise or individuality, is talent only validated by having an audience? and many more, have been, and will continue to be, fuel for heated debate, and Briton wisely leaves the argument hanging in a determinedly downbeat ending. What haunts you as you leave the theatre is the beauty of Spencer-Longhurst’s playing, and the joy that comes from musicians sharing their talent with those of us who never quite mastered the recorder.

A Pupil has lots to say in a slightly muddled way, but the talented cast allow the flashes of brilliant promise in the story to shine through. Well worth a look.

www.ianonstage.co.uk

Ambassador Theatre Group presents

IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE

Tolkien, Shakespeare, others …and you!

Ian McKellen is to celebrate his 8oth birthday next year by raising funds for theatres, with a new solo show which will play on 80 stages across the UK.

It all begins in January 2019 with a Tour of London from the National Theatre to the Theatre Royal Stratford East, as well as performances in the West End and Outer London. Then, across the country, he will visit theatres large and small with which he has personal connections, including amateur groups he knew as a child and notable playhouses he has played in as a professional actor over the last half-century.

Accessibly priced tickets will be available everywhere. All profits will benefit specific causes at each theatre.

His intimate show is a mixture of anecdote and acting, including Tolkien, Shakespeare, others…and you the audience.

Ian McKellen says:

“I’m celebrating my 80th birthday by touring a new solo show to theatres I know well and a few that I don’t. The show starts with Gandalf and will probably end with an invitation to act with me on stage. In-between there will be anecdotes and acting. I open at my local arts centre in January and end up by August in Orkney.

Live theatre has always been thrilling to me, as an actor and in the audience. Growing up in Lancashire, I was grateful to those companies who toured beyond London and I’ve always enjoyed repaying that debt by touring up and down the country myself, with the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Prospect Theatre, the Actors’ Company, as well as with commercial productions. Sean Mathias, the director and I have worked together for stage and screen, many happy times.”

A quote from Ian McKellen for each venue can be found HERE

Ambassador Theatre Group’s Executive Producer Adam Speers says:

“ATG is proud to be presenting IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE and is committed to supporting regional touring. The UK’s regional venues are integral in supporting and developing artists and practitioners across all areas of the theatre, both on and off stage.

All of us in this industry are united by a passion for the arts and love of what we do and this special show is a rare and excellent opportunity to celebrate what’s best in our industry while at the same time celebrating one of its greatest actors and raising vital funds to keep the lifeblood of theatre in this country flowing.” 

IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE IS PRESENTED BY AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP AND DIRECTED BY SEAN MATHIAS.

For further information and tour map, please see the website for more details: www.ianonstage.co.uk

 

LISTINGS

www.ianonstage.co.uk

25-26 January 2019 | The Space 269 Westferry Road, Isle of Dogs, London E14 3RS

28 January 2019 | National Theatre, Lyttleton Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9PX

30 January 2019 | Young Vic 66 The Cut, Waterloo, London SE1 8LZ

3 February 2019 | Bridge Theatre 3 Potters Fields Park, London SE1 2SG

4 February 2019 | Richmond Theatre Little Green, Richmond, London TW9 1QJ

6 February 2019 | Above The Stag Theatre 72 Albert Embankment, Lambeth, London SE1 7TP

10 February 2019 | Hampstead Theatre Eton Ave, London NW3 3EU

11 February 2019 | Arts Theatre 6-7 Great Newport St, London WC2H 7JB

12-13 February 2019 | Theatre Royal Windsor 32 Thames St, Windsor SL4 1PS

17 February 2019 | The Old Vic The Cut, Lambeth, London SE1 8NB

19-20 February 2019 | Bristol Old Vic King Street, Bristol BS1 4ED

22 February 2019 | Royal Court Theatre Sloane Square, Chelsea London SW1W 8AS

24-25 February 2019 | The Queen’s Theatre Billet Ln, Hornchurch, London RM11 1QT

26 February 2019 | Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, RADA 62-64 Gower Street, Bloomsbury, London WC1E 6ED [SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR STUDENTS: NOT ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC]

1 March 2019 | Donmar Warehouse 41 Earlham St, London WC2H 9LX [SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR YOUNG+FREE MEMBERS: NOT ON SALE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC]

3 March 2019 | Lyric Hammersmith Lyric Square, King St, Hammersmith, London W6 0QL

4 March 2019 | The Questors, Judi Dench Playhouse 12 Mattock Ln, Ealing, London W5 5BQ

7 March 2019 (Mat & Eve) | Duke of York’s Theatre St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4BG

8-9 March 2019 | Ipswich New Wolsey Civic Dr, Ipswich IP1 2AS

10 March 2019 | Theatre Royal Stratford East Gerry Raffles Square, London E15 1BN

13 March 2019 | Swansea Grand Theatre Singleton St, Swansea SA1 3QJ

14-15 March 2019 | Aberystwyth Arts Centre Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3DE

16 March 2019 | The Hafren Llanidloes Rd, Newtown, Powys SY16 4HU

18-19 March 2019 |Theatr Clwyd Raikes Ln, Mold CH7 1YA

24 March 2019 | Theatre Royal Bath Saw Close, Bath BA1 1ET

29-30 March 2019 | Maddermarket Theatre St Johns Alley, Norwich NR2 1DR

2 April 2019 | The Leas Cliff Hall The Leas, Folkestone, Kent CT20 2DZ

5 April 2019 | Chichester Minerva Theatre Oaklands Park, Chichester PO19 6AP

12-13 April 2019 | Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds Westgate St, Bury St Edmunds IP33 1QR

14 April 2019 | Royal & Derngate 19-21 Guildhall Rd, Northampton NN1 1DP

17-18 April 2019 | Colchester Mercury Mercury Theatre, Balkerne Gate , Colchester CO1 1PT

20 April 2019 | Belgrade Theatre Coventry Belgrade Square, Corporation St, Coventry CV1 1GS

24-25 April 2019 | Norwich Playhouse 42 – 58 St Georges St, Norwich NR3 1AB

27-28 April 2019 | King’s Lynn Shakespeare Festival St George’s Guildhall, 29 King St, Kings Lynn PE30 1HA

30 April – 1 May 2019 | Oxford Playhouse 11-12 Beaumont St, Oxford OX1 2LW

3-4 May 2019 | Jersey Opera House 3 Gloucester St, St. Helier, Jersey JE2 3QR

6 May 2019 | Aylesbury Waterside Theatre Exchange St, Aylesbury HP20 1UG

7-8 May 2019 | Cheltenham Everyman Theatre 7 – 10 Regent St, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ

10-11 May 2019 | Cambridge Arts Theatre 6 St Edward’s Passage, Cambridge CB2 3PJ

13-14 May 2019 | Wigan Little Theatre 44 Crompton St, Wigan WN1 3SL

15 May 2019 | The Forum Theatre The Precinct, Romiley, Stockport SK6 4EA

17-18 May 2019 | Liverpool Playhouse Williamson Square, Liverpool L1 1EL

19 May 2019 | Warwick Arts Centre University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL

20 May 2019 | Blackpool Grand 33 Church St, Blackpool FY1 1HT

23 May 2019 | Burnley Youth Theatre Queen’s Park Rd, Burnley BB10 3LB

25 May 2019 | The Albert Halls Theatre Victoria Square, Bolton BL1 1RU

28 May 2019 | The Dukes Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE

31 May 2019 | Buxton Opera House Water St, Buxton SK17 6XN

1-2 June 2019 | Curve Theatre, Studio 60 Rutland St, Leicester LE1 1SB

3 June 2019 | Sheffield Crucible 55 Norfolk St, Sheffield S1 1DA

4 June 2019 | Theatre Royal Wakefield Drury Ln, Wakefield WF1 2TE

5-6 June 2019 | HOME Manchester 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester M15 4FN

9 June 2019 | Forum Theatre Billingham Queensway, Stockton-on-Tees TS23 2LJ

11 June 2019 | The Civic Hanson St, Barnsley S70 2HZ

12 June 2019 | CAST Waterdale, Doncaster DN1 3BU

14 June 2019 | The Georgian Theatre Royal Victoria Rd, Richmond, Yorkshire DL10 4DW

16 June 2019 | Hull New Theatre Kingston Square, Hull HU1 3HF

17 June 2019 | Grand Opera House Clifford St, York YO1 9SW

21-22 June 2019 | Birmingham Repertory Theatre Broad St, Birmingham B1 2EP

25-26 June 2019 | Nottingham Playhouse Wellington Circus, Nottingham NG1 5AF

27-28 June 2019 | Cardiff New Theatre Park Pl, Cardiff CF10 3LN

1 July 2019 | Northcott Theatre Stocker Rd, Exeter EX4 4QB

2 July 2019 | Lighthouse, Poole’s Centre For The Arts, 21 Kingland Rd, Poole BH15 1UG

3 July 2019 | Marine Theatre Church St, Lyme Regis DT7 3QA

5 July 2019 | The Watermill Theatre Bagnor, Newbury RG20 8AE

15-19 July 2019 | Theatre Royal Brighton New Rd, Brighton BN1 1SD

21 July 2019 | Royal Shakespeare Theatre & Swan Theatre Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6BB

25-26 July 2019 | Lyric Theatre 55 Ridgeway St, Belfast BT9 5FB

27 July 2019 | Waterside Theatre Glendermott Rd, Derry/ Londonderry BT47 6BG

29 July 2019 | The Braid Arts Centre 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena BT43 5AE

31 July – 1 August 2019 | Theatre at the Mill Carnmoney Rd N, Mossley Mill, Newtonabbey BT36 5QA

9 August 2019 | Dundee Rep Theatre Tay Square, Dundee DD1 1PB

11 August 2019 | Pitlochry Festival Theatre Port Na Craig, Pitlochry PH16 5DR

12 August 2019 | Eden Court Bishops Rd, Inverness IV3 5SA

14 August 2019 | Aberdeen Tivoli 34-48 Guild St, Aberdeen AB11 6NB

18 August 2019 | Newcastle Theatre Royal 100 Grey St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 6BR

20 August 2019 | Theatre by the Lake Lakeside, Lake Rd, Keswick CA12 5DJ

22-25 August 2019 | Edinburgh International Festival at Assembly Hall, Mound Pl, Edinburgh EH1 2LU

28 August 2019 | The Orkney Theatre Kirkwall Grammar School, The Meadows, Kirkwall, Orkney KW15 1QN

15 September 2019 | National Theatre, Olivier Upper Ground, Lambeth, London SE1 9PX

THE BEST OF…

ROCK MUSICALS
In aid of The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust

• SAVE THE DATE – SUNDAY 12th MAY, 2019 at 4pm and 8pm

• THE BEST OF… ROCK MUSICALS AT THE EVENTIM APOLLO, HAMMERSMITH, IN AID OF THE CHARLIE WALLER MEMORIAL TRUST

• HOSTED BY SIR TIM RICE AND FEATURING ADAM PASCAL, KERRY ELLIS, ADRIANNA HICKS, KRISTINA LOVE AND DAVID MICHAEL JOHNSON.  DEVISED AND DIRECTED BY HUGH WOOLDRIDGE (THE NIGHT OF 1000 VOICES)

• TICKETS ON SALE TODAY www.eventim.co.uk

On Sunday 12 May 2019 at London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, there will be two concerts of The Best of… Rock Musicals for the benefit of The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust.  It will be the 20th Anniversary production from the same team who for the last 19 years have presented The Night of 1000 Voices at the Royal Albert Hall and elsewhere.

Hosted by Sir Tim Rice, The Best of… Rock Musicals will feature New York’s Adam Pascal (Rent); Europe’s Adrianna Hicks (The Color Purple), Kristina Love (Tina) and David Michael Johnson (Jesus Christ Superstar); and London’s Kerry Ellis (Wicked) together with a host of Broadway and West End talent, the West End Chorus, the City of London Philharmonic AllStars and some very special surprise guests.

Amongst many others, The Best of… Rock Musicals will include songs from Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Evita, Chess, Aida, Miss Saigon, RENT, Tommy, We Will Rock You, Spring Awakening, The Rocky Horror Show, Next To Normal, The Little Shop of Horrors, Dear Evan Hansen, Wicked and The Lion King.

The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust was formed in 1997 by the Waller family in memory of their son and brother, Charlie, who took his own life whilst suffering from depression.  The Trust offers support and education to those affected by depression and mental illness.  Its vision is of a world where people understand and talk openly about depression; where young people are educated on the importance of staying mentally well, and where treatment is available to everyone who needs it.

Particularly in musical theatre and the performing arts, depression and mental unhappiness is often masked by a smiling face.  Everyone has a duty to protect each other in a profession where rejection and redundancy are two of the most common words in daily usage.  The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust offers vital information on preventing depression and is producing tailored guidance for performers.

With musical directors Stuart Morley (We Will Rock You) and Kevin Amos (Jesus Christ Superstar), The Best of… Rock Musicals will again be devised and directed by Hugh Wooldridge who says “This event is a must for all who love rock musicals and musical theatre.  With the very best artistes in the world coming together to celebrate the very best in rock musicals from the last 50 years.  Come along again on our 20th birthday and join in the fun and support this most splendid charity in the name of Charlie Waller, whilst raising the roof of the Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith.”

Further performers will be announced in due course.  All artistes are subject to their professional commitments.

 

LISTINGS

THE BEST OF… ROCK MUSICALS

Devised and Directed by Hugh Wooldridge
Musical Directors: Stuart Morley and Kevin Amos
Eventim Apollo Hammersmith
45 Queen Caroline St, Hammersmith, London W6 9QH
020 8563 3800

First performance           Sunday May 12, 2019 at 4.00pm
Final performance         Sunday May 12, 2019 at 8.00pm

Box office details             0844 249 1000

www.eventim.co.uk

 

Prices from                        £15.00

 

Websites:

The Night of 1000 Voices                                 www.thenightof1000voices.com

The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust            www.cwmt.org.uk

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA  

·         All-star cast and creative team set for London premiere of 6-time Tony Award-winning musical by Craig Lucas and Adam Guettel

·         World Renowned Soprano Renée Fleming and star of Disney’s The Descendants Dove Cameron in lead roles

·         Debut production from John Berry & Anthony Lilley’s new company Scenario Two in collaboration with Opera North

·         To be performed at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, 14 June – 5 July 2019 for twenty performances only

·

 

Scenario Two are proud to announce that their debut production will be the London Premiere of the dazzling musical The Light in the Piazza. With a book by Craig Lucas and music and lyrics by Adam Guettel,The Light in the Piazza is a touching and heartwrenching love story set in Florence during the summer of 1953. It has been described by the New York Times as having “the most intensely romantic score of any musical since West Side Story”.

 

It will be performed on the stage of the Royal Festival Hall for twenty performances only in the summer of 2019, with a 40-piece symphony orchestra and an all-star cast.

 

This new production will be directed by multiple Olivier Award-winner Daniel Evans and performed by opera superstar Renée Fleming and film and television star Dove Cameron – both making their London stage debuts in a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical event with the Orchestra of Opera North performing on-stage conducted by Kimberley Grigsby.  

 

Four-time Grammy winner and Tony nominee Renée Fleming makes her long awaited London music theatre debut as American Margaret Johnson. Dove Cameron makes her UK debut as Margaret’s troubled daughter Clara; she is best known for her role in Disney’s The Descendants trilogy, recently starred as Amber von Tussle in NBC’s Hairspray Live! and is currently starring as Cher in the Off Broadway production of Clueless: The Musical.

Director Daniel Evans, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, is a star of British Theatre with recently acclaimed productions of Showboat and Fiddler on The Roof. His award-winning creative team includes set designer Rob Jones (RSC, Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera New York), costume designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel (Royal Opera House, The Metropolitan Opera New York), and multi Olivier Award winning lighting designer Mark Henderson (Gypsy). Together they will transform the Royal Festival Hall’s stage into a breathtaking sun-drenched Italian piazza.

 

The Light in the Piazza’s rich emotional score sets it apart from recent Broadway musicals. Unapologetically lyrical and romantic, it transports us into the world of Margaret Johnson and her daughter Clara. As they take in the wonders of Florence, a fateful gust of wind whisks Clara’s hat into the hands of local dreamer Fabrizio Naccarelli. It’s love at first sight, but Clara isn’t quite what she appears and soon they must all confront a secret that’s been kept in the shadows for far too long. 

 

Scenario Two is a new company founded by John Berry and Anthony Lilley to focus on commercial theatrical production in London, the rest of the UK and internationally. It is based on Berry’s critically-acclaimed ENO model of bringing together the very best talent from the world of opera and musical theatre, with top performers and creatives from other industries such as film, television and theatre. Following its London premiere The Light in the Piazza will tour major venues in North America and Australia.  

Scenario Two director John Berry said:

“The score of The Light in the Piazza is sensational and we are thrilled that audiences will hear this London premiere in a new expanded version for full symphony orchestra. By bringing together a cast from different genres we hope to appeal to a wide audience and make this limited run of performances a ‘must see event’ before it travels to the USA.”

Renée Fleming said:

“I’m delighted to be a part of the London premiere of The Light in the Piazza. Adam Guettel’s score is ravishing, reaching beyond the boundaries of how we think of musical theatre. For my London theatre debut, to play Margaret Johnson—a fascinating, deeply human character whose predicament I find incredibly moving—this was an opportunity I couldn’t resist.”

 

LISTINGS

 

Scenario Two presents

The Light in the Piazza

Book by Craig Lucas

Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel

14 June – 5 July 2019

Press performance Tuesday 18 June 2019, 8pm

 

Royal Festival Hall

Southbank Centre

Belvedere Rd,

Lambeth,

London

SE1 8XX

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

 

Tickets on general sale from 16^th November 2018

More Information

 

www.LightInThePiazzaTheMusical.com