Month: January 2019

British Female Circus Company, Mimbre,
Perform at Dior Paris Fashion Show

Monday 21st January 2019: MIMBRE, the East-London based all-women acrobatic theatre company, was invited by Maria Grazia Chiuri, Creative Director of the Dior women’s collections, to participate in the spring-summer 2019 haute couture show at Paris Fashion Week. 18 female acrobats took to the runway for the specially commissioned and choreographed performance for Christian Dior’s Spring Summer 2019 (SS19) show at [the Musée Rodin].

Maria Grazia Chiuri wished to give form to the inspirations that shaped the creation of this haute couture collection in constant pursuit of the surprising poetry that springs from trust and the way bodies interact, with a performance by Mimbre developed especially for the occasion. A series of human pyramids and powerful monochromatic shapes highlight the imagination that inhabits the pieces in a collection celebrating the circus and its links with costume, fashion and art. The traditional circus tent setting was designed by Shona Heath and Bureau Betak

This follows the fashion house’s successful partnership with choreographer Sharon Eyal last year. On Monday, they once again sought to use performing art forms to not only inspire their new collection, but to help present it on the runway.

Mimbre co-artistic directors Lina Johansson and Silvia Fratelli choreographed and performed respectively, with assistant choreography by Mélissa Colello, and were joined by 17 other female acrobats and acro-balance specialists from across the world to create this memorable piece.

Lina Johansson, Mimbre Artistic Director, said, I am incredibly proud to have worked on such an exciting collaboration. Dior Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri is very clear in her belief of showcasing female empowerment through fashion, and it is a pleasure to have been a part of that. It has been an exhilarating journey to create an all-female performance on such a large scale and I am honoured to work with a team of such talented performers.

The performance took inspiration from the female circus performers of the past, as well as the environment of the Musée Rodin where it was presented, using the sculptor’s work to inform the acrobatic performance.

Mimbre have just finished their nationwide tour of The Exploded Circus, and are starting to create a new touring production for this year, Three. For more information, please visit www.mimbre.co.uk.

Raven Capital Management Acquires Majority Stake in David Ian Productions via New Joint Venture

David Ian Productions Limited (“David Ian Productions” or the “Company”), a leading producer, promoter, and tour operator of high-profile licensed musicals that are staged in theatrical markets around the world, has sold a majority stake in the Company to a newly-formed joint venture (the “JV”) controlled by Raven Capital Management LLC (“Raven”).

Founded in 2006 by David Ian, the Company produces and co-produces some of the world’s biggest hit musicals including Annie, The Bodyguard, Cats, Evita, Chicago, Grease and The Sound of Music in numerous international markets including the United Kingdom, China, the United States, South Africa, Japan, Australia, the Middle East, Asia and New Zealand.

Prior to founding David Ian Productions, David Ian served as the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the global theatrical division of Live Nation, having joined the group when it was part of Clear Channel Entertainment.  At Live Nation, he was responsible for Broadway Across America, which produced and toured first class Broadway shows in more than 40 markets in the United States and Canada.  Simultaneously, Ian served as CEO of the U.K. division, which included over 25 theatres in London’s West End and throughout the U.K. regions.

David Ian commented on the transaction, “I could not be more enthusiastic about my new partnership with Raven and its principals.  They share my vision about the exciting opportunity to expand the footprint of musical theatre worldwide over the next decade.”

The investment is a platform acquisition, positioned for strong growth, in the production of first-class theatrical content with a highly successful track record in global touring. Raven, which recently acquired the Open Road Films library, views the theatrical space as an additional and lasting hallmark of its entertainment and media investment thesis. Through the JV, Raven will continue to invest in theatrical content and international expansion.  

Jeremy Tucker, Co-Founder and Principal of Raven commented, “The live theatrical sector has been enjoying a renaissance over the past several years, which we believe has its greatest trajectory still ahead.  We are providing meaningful capital to David Ian Productions for both organic growth and acquisitions across the industry.”

The Company enjoys long-term IP, distribution and venue relationships including Really Useful Group, Cameron Mackintosh Ltd, Stage Entertainment, Nederlander, NAMCO, Ambassador Theatre Group, Shanghai Media Group and Rodgers & Hammerstein amongst others.  Since 2015, David Ian Productions has successfully expanded its pipeline and launched tours of world-class shows such asThe Sound of Music, Cats, Chicago, Grease and The Bodyguard into dozens of international markets and locations, many of which had rarely been previously visited by U.K. and U.S. theatre companies.

Along with regular co-producing partner Michael Harrison, the Company has also had significant success developing its own content, such as the smash hit The Bodyguard, based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 Oscar-nominated Warner Bros. film.  David Ian Productions is currently achieving great success as a Co-Producer and General Manager of the Channing Tatum production Magic Mike Live at London’s Hippodrome Casino, based on the successful films Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL.

Raven has indicated its JV formation and acquisition will allow it to invest in additional touring rights for new and established musicals, and to acquire larger libraries of content.  Raven will also consider the formation of new production and touring offices in certain international territories for the support of David Ian Productions and shows created and presented by third parties.  With this new platform, the JV also intends to expand into supplementary formats for non-traditional IP and family entertainment, partnering with film studios and music studios to develop and own IP, and to engage in further accretive merger and acquisition opportunities.

“David Ian has built a platform like no other, with a demonstrated track record for quality and local knowledge and relationships in established and emerging markets around the world.  With the expanded resources that Raven provides, David Ian Productions is uniquely positioned to meet the demands of a growing global audience for outstanding live entertainment content”, commented Dan Miller, a management partner of the JV who introduced the David Ian Productions opportunity and is guiding Raven’s expansion into the live entertainment arena.

Under the JV’s new ownership, David Ian will remain in his position as CEO of the Company and continue to be based out of the Company’s headquarters in London, located in the historic district of Covent Garden.

Lisbeth R. Barron, Chairman & CEO and her team at Barron International Group, LLC, acted as the exclusive financial advisor to David Ian Productions for the transaction. U.K.-based Clintons served as the legal counsel to the Company.  The London office of Latham & Watkins served as the legal counsel to Raven and the JV.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

About David Ian Productions Limited

David Ian Productions Limited was founded in 2006 and is based in London’s Covent Garden. The Company offers a full range of services to the theatrical industry, including general management, production of showcases and workshops, production accounting, project research, feasibility studies, budgeting and financial planning, preparation of investment material, personnel recruitment and management of all of the logistics required in the preparation and maintenance of major theatrical productions, including the overseeing and management of ticketing, marketing, and press operations. 

About Raven Capital Management LLC
Based in New York with offices in Los Angeles, Raven is a private equity management firm that specializes in asset-based equity purchases and loans.  Raven directly originates, underwrites, and actively manages its investments primarily in the following asset classes: intellectual property and receivables, specialty finance, commercial real estate, transportation, and infrastructure assets, as well as other esoteric assets.  Other media assets in Raven’s investment portfolios and related to David Ian Productions include Open Road Films (acquired in 2018) and Exclusive Media (acquired in 2015).

About Barron International Group, LLC

Barron International Group, LLC is a privately-owned investment banking firm with a globally-focused client base.  The firm’s founder, Lisbeth R. Barron, has more than 30 years of experience, having spearheaded in excess of $65 billion in ground-breaking strategic advisory and capital-raising transactions throughout her career in the Media, Entertainment, Leisure, Hospitality, and Branded Consumer Products industries.

STARS OF LES MISERABLES

THE BARRICADE BOYS

LIVE IN CONCERT

AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK

SATURDAY 4 MAY 2019

   Starring Malton actor Scott Garnham

★★★★★ “These guys are fantastic… DON’T miss this show!” – Alfie Boe

★★★★★ “Do you hear the people sing? Yes! With dashing good looks, incredible voices and outstanding musical magic!” – Elaine Paige, BBC Radio 2

Scott Garnham was born in Malton, North Yorkshire and attended Norton Community Primary School and later Norton College. Garnham began acting at the age of 7 attending classes at Kirkham Henry Performing Arts, based in Malton, and later performing with many local amateur theatre groups.

At the age of twelve Garnham appeared in the original cast of Stiles and Drewe’s Honk! The Ugly Duckling, directed by Julia McKenzie, at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough.  He made his west end debut in Eurovision Song Contest spoof Eurobeat earning positive critical responses, including a Daily Express review, declaring “a stand-out performance from Scott Garnham.” Garnham played Irish entrant Ronan Corr in a hilarious performance, completed by an all-white outfit and over-zealous use of dry ice.

Following Eurobeat, Garnham landed the role of Feuilly in the West End production of Les Misérables while also understudying the roles of Enjolras and Marius, a job which won him the accolade of Understudy of the Year 2011. The performance also earned him a spot in the Les Misérables: 25th Anniversary Concert alongside Matt Lucas, Alfie Boe and Nick Jonas.

The Barricade Boys were founded in 2016 by Scott Garnham (Nativity! The Musical, Billy Elliot The Musical, Made in Dagenham, Les Misérables) and Simon Schofield (title role in Oliver! London Palladium, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound of Music, Doctor Doolitle, Les Misérables).

The Show:

Direct from London’s West End and Broadway, The Barricade Boys are back on the road with their sensational and critically acclaimed national tour and will play one night only in York at the Grand Opera House on Saturday 4 May.

Featuring fabulous harmonies, incredible vocals, dashing good looks and stacks of charm, The Barricade Boys showcase the UK’s finest male voices from the world’s longest running musical – Les Misérables.

The Barricade Boys not only perform the world’s greatest show tunes, but they also celebrate music from some of the most iconic names in the music industry, from powerful ballads and beautiful operatic arias to some of the best pop, rock and swing numbers of all time.

After sell-out performances in London’s West End, an appearance on Broadway and a host of international dates, this exceptional group are once again taking their spectacular live show around the country, as well as across the pond to the USA (in April).

The Barricade Boys have played nearly every major role in musical theatre from The Phantom of The Opera, Wicked and Billy Elliot to Jersey Boys, The Sound Of Music and of course Les Misérables. As seen on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ and ‘The Paul O’Grady Show’, The Barricade Boyshave rightfully secured their place as the world’s leading musical theatre super group.

Tickets from £13

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online: www.atgtickets.com/york

Mark Gatiss announced for Dark Sublime at Trafalgar Studios
Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY
Tuesday 25th June – Saturday 3rd August 2019

Stage and screen star Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, BBC1; Doctor Who, BBC1; The Madness of George III, Nottingham Playhouse; The League of Gentlemen, BBC Two and UK tour) will be lending his voice to
the part of Kosley, a hysterical talking computer, in the world premiere of Dark Sublime. Gatiss joins the previously announced Martina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) who will be making her West End debut.

Gatiss comments, I’m delighted to be a small part of Michael Dennis’ delightful, funny and touching play. All lovers of telefantasy and beyond will have their ribs tickled, their minds probed and their spurious morality catheterised (or something). Puny humans, prepare yourselves for the Dark Sublime!

Directed by Andrew Keates (As Is and Dessa Rose – Trafalgar Studios), Dark Sublime explores the complexities of relationships, especially in the LGBTQ community, and the contrast in lived experiences across generations. This thrilling debut play by Michael Dennis is a theatrical love-letter to British sci-fi television which examines the feeling of belonging that comes with finding your place among the outcasts.

Further casting will be announced in April 2019.

Sonia Friedman Productions and Fox Stage Productions present

ALL ABOUT EVE 
by Joseph L Mankiewicz

Adapted and directed  for the stage by Ivo van Hove

• All About Eve to be broadcast live from the Noël Coward Theatre to cinemas across the UK and internationally on 11th April 2019 with National Theatre Live 
   
• Starring Gillian Anderson and Lily James and directed by Ivo van Hove, All About Eve will be shown in over 2,500 cinemas 
   
• All About Eve begins previews in the West End on 2nd February. Best availability from late March 2019

Sonia Friedman Productions and Fox Stage Productions have today announced a live cinema broadcast for All About Eve. The world premiere of Ivo van Hove’s highly anticipated stage adaptation of the 1950 Twentieth Century Fox film and the play “The Wisdom of Eve” by Mary Orr will be broadcast on 11th April 2019 by NT Live. NT Live screens to 2,500 venues across 65 countries including 700 cinemas in the UK.

With just under two weeks until previews commence at the Noël Coward Theatre, Emmy Award-winning Gillian Anderson and Lily James lead the cast including Monica Dolan, Ian Drysdale, Tsion Habte, Jessie Mei Li, Julian Ovenden, Sheila Reid, Rhashan Stone, Stanley Townsend and Philip Voyzey. 

Ivo van Hove’s direction will be accompanied by set and lighting design from Jan Versweyveld,costume design by An D’Huys and music from double Mercury Prize-winner PJ Harvey,alongside Tom Gibbons’ sound design. Casting is by Julia Horan CDG.

Margo Channing. Legend. True star of the theatre. The spotlight is hers, always has been. But now there’s Eve. Her biggest fan. Young, beautiful Eve. The golden girl, the girl next door. But you know all about Eve…don’t you…?

 Ivo van Hove directs Gillian Anderson and Lily James in his new adaptation of All About Eve, a razor-sharp, unsettling exposé of the eternal obsession at the heart of show-business. Lifting the curtain on a world of jealousy and ambition, this new production, from one of the world’s most innovative theatre directors, asks why our fascination with celebrity, youth and identity never seems to get old.

Throughout the run of All About Eve, over 20,000 tickets will be offered at £25 or under. Day Seats will be available each day from 10am at the Box Office, priced at £25. Audiences can also access seats through the Today Tix mobile and online lottery at the same price.

Since launching in 2009, National Theatre Live broadcasts have been seen by an audience of over 8 million people at 2,500 venues in 65 countries. The first season began in June 2009 with the acclaimed production of Phédre starring Oscar winner Helen Mirren. Recent broadcasts includeJulius Caesar with David Morrissey and Ben Wishaw, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof with Sienna Miller, Follies with Imelda Staunton, Yerma with Billie Piper, Angels in America with Andrew Garfield and Russell Tovey, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? with Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead with Daniel Radcliffe and Hedda Gabler with Ruth Wilson. Sky Arts is the UK sponsor for National Theatre Live.

Participating cinemas can be found here: http://ntlive.nationaltheatre.org.uk

2018 Box Office figures released by Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre

• Data jointly released for West End and rest of the UK for the first time
• Resilience of UK’s theatre industry revealed
• Strong audience and ticket sales figures from SOLT and UK Theatre members including several new records

Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre have released data for ticket sales across their member venues in 2018. The figures reveal a combined audience of over 34m and ticket revenue of nearly £1.28bn, from a total of 62,945 performances over the course of the year in the West End and across the UK.

London’s West End theatres drew in audiences totaling over 15.5m last year, resulting in box office revenue of over £765m – both record figures, generating over £127m in VAT for the Treasury. The year saw an increase in the number of performances to 18,708, up 2.8% from 2017. Hit shows including Hamilton had an impact on overall ticket sales in a very strong year for musicals, while plays experienced a dip in attendances and revenue.

Audiences for theatre across the rest of the country topped 18.8m, with a box office of over £509m. Theatres reported a slight increase in attendances, and also number of performances (44,237, up 0.2% from 2017), as well as a rise in income and average ticket price. This was largely due to increased yield at the biggest presenting houses, which bounced back after a small dip in 2017. Smaller producing theatres saw the largest dip in attendance and revenue, falling back in line with previous years after an unusually strong 2017.

2018 SOLT Highlights:

• Attendances of 15,548,154 (up 3.0% compared to 2017)
• Gross revenue of £765,800,051, (up 8.6% compared to 2017)
• Average ticket price paid £49.25 (up 5.5% compared to 2017)
• 77.5% of available seats filled
• 18,708 performances

2018 UK Theatre Highlights:

• Attendances of 18,806,659 (up 0.3% compared to 2017)
• Gross revenue of £509,567,967 (up 8.4% compared to 2017)
• Average ticket price paid £27.10 (up 8.0% compared to 2017)
• 61% of available seats filled
• 44,237 performances

Kenny Wax, President of SOLT, said:

‘As these figures show, London’s world-leading theatre industry is attracting larger audiences than ever after another record year. Increasingly, people seem to want to invest in high quality cultural experiences, and the West End is benefiting from this trend. We must be cautious heading into 2019, however, as the combined effects of some theatres going dark for renovations, major musicals closing and an uncertain political climate might have an impact in the coming months.’

Fiona Allan, President of UK Theatre, said:

‘2018 was generally a good year for the UK’s theatre sector, which proved robust in a difficult economic climate. London’s West End enjoys a symbiotic relationship with the rest of London and across the nations, with fantastic new writing and revivals originating all over the country and ending up in West End theatres, and West End productions touring the UK.’  

Residents Weekend

Saturday 26 January 11am – 4pm

Interactive Events at Grand Opera House York

Stalls Bar: Sound and lighting – have a go at creating your own lighting experience, experiment with sound controls as someone sings along – sing loud and proud!  Is The Greatest Show your current song of choice? Show us what you can do!

Stage: smoke machine demonstrations, lighting displays.

Foyer Bar: show video reels, and while you’re watching enjoy a cup of tea or something stronger to warm you up on the cold weekend.

Auditorium: staff will be situated around the auditorium for you to direct questions at.  Interested in more about the history of the theatre?  Want to know what shows are coming up?  Our staff are very knowledgeable and will endeavour to answer any question for you.

Box Office: see a show you’re interested in?  The box office will be open from 11am – 4pm for you to purchase tickets for future shows.  Buy on the day and selected shows will have an extra discount!

Fly Floor: venture above the stage to see how we bring in scenery during shows, how we hang the lighting, and take your chance to see the stage from a completely new angle.

Free entry for all!

KING’S HEAD THEATRE STAGES

WORLD PREMIERE OF

TOM WRIGHT’S

UNDETECTABLE

13 MARCH – 6 APRIL 2019

King’s Head Theatre, London, the award-winning producer of F*cking Men and 5 Guys Chillin’, presents the world premiere of Tom Wright’s Undetectable, directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE.  Undetectable will run at King’s Head Theatre from 13 March to 6 April 2019, with a press night on Friday 15 March.

Undetectable is a tender, funny and uplifting love story for the post-chemsex generation.  Hunky dream boy Lex and bright spark Bradley are falling for each other.  After three months, Lex has decided that tonight’s the night… but Bradley’s not so sure he wants to go all the way.  With wisdom, wit and honesty, Tom Wright’s bold new play explores the intricate emotions, moral dilemmas and personal demons we all take to bed with us.

Director Rikki Beadle-Blair said, “Tom’s writing is such a joy to direct; not only is it startlingly insightful and gloriously entertaining, but it speaks to this very moment in time.  I cannot wait to share his wonderful play with audiences at the King’s Head Theatre.”

Tom Wright added, “In these rollercoaster times, with so much happening and changing right before our eyes, the King’s Head Theatre has been a leading force in putting LGBTQI+ conversations on stage.  We hope Undetectable builds upon that legacy by asking what’s next with a story of recovery, acceptance and hope.”

King’s Head Theatre’s Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, said,“New voices are the lifeblood of British theatre, so I’m very proud to present the world premiere of Tom Wright’s Undetectable directed by the extraordinary Rikki Beadle-Blair.  Tom is a fascinating new talent, who in the wake of the chemsex epidemic, has written a frank, funny and beautiful love story with its finger firmly on the pulse.”

Undetectable will star Lewis Brown as Bradley and Freddie Hogan as Alexis (Lex).  Lewis Brown’s recent theatre credits include Tuck at Cardiff’s Wales Millennium Centre and playing the title role in an American tour of Hamlet with Aquila Theatre.  He has previously worked with Rikki Beadle-Blair when he played D’Principé in Legendary Children of the House of Fierce at the Old Vic workrooms.  Freddie Hogan’s theatre credits include Belarius in the National Youth Theatre’s West End production of Cymbeline, and Extra Virgin for which he was nominated for an Off West End Award for Best Actor.  His television credits include Billy in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, Emmerdale, Coronation Street and Davey in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell.

Tom Wright is currently the Artist Development Manager at The Old Vic.  Tom’s debut play, My Dad’s Gap Year, will be presented at the Park Theatre in February 2019.  It was first performed at the Tristan Bates theatre, before being developed with Rikki Beadle-Blair for Team Angelica and revived at the Bush Theatre. Tom’s second play, I Ain’t Dumb, was also developed with Team Angelica and supported by the Peggy Ramsay Foundation.  It premiered at Theatre Royal Stratford East the following year.  Tom was commissioned to adapt Jamie O’Neill’s novel At Swim, Two Boys into stage musical Rebel Song, which was selected as part of From Page To Stage to be performed at The Other Palace.  As a director, Tom’s work includes Sarah Milton’s Tumble Tuckat Underbelly, Edinburgh, which transferred to King’s Head Theatre and was then produced by Old Vic New Voices at Soho Theatre, where it was nominated for an Off West End Award for Best Performance Piece.  Other directing work includes Fledglings (Criterion Theatre), Bedtime Story (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Claire (Arcola Theatre Queer Collective) and My Dad’s Gap Year/An Invitation (Tristan Bates Theatre).  

Director Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE is a writer, director, composer, choreographer, designer, producer and performer.  Over the past ten years, Rikki has written 28 plays including Gutted, Bashment, Shalom Baby and the recent ground-breaking Summer In London written for an all trans cast of performers.  These plays have been performed at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Bush Theatre, Soho Theatre, Tristan Bates Theatre and Contact Theatre, Manchester.  He has developed and directed many plays by upcoming writers such as #Hashtag Lightie by Lynette Linton, Stripped by Hannah Chalmers and Slap by Alexis Gregory.  He has worked on several feature films and TV series, including Blackbird, Stonewall, Metrosexuality, Noah’s Arc, as well as FIT, KickOff and Bashment for his own company Team Angelica.  Rikki’s awards include the Sony Award and the Los Angeles Outfest Screenwriting and Outstanding Achievement Awards.  He is one of the creative directors of the Visionary Youth Project for young European Film Activists.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Undetectable

Wednesday 13 March – Saturday 6 April 2019

King’s Head Theatre

115 Upper Street

London N1 1QN

Performances: Tuesday-Saturday 8.45pm, Sunday 4.45pm* (*4.45pm matinee on Saturday 6 April)

Running Time: 1 hour 45 minutes (including interval)

Ticket Prices: £19.50-£25.00 (Previews: £10 on 13 March, £14 on 14 March)

Concessions: £18 (Tuesday evenings Under 30s £10; Sunday matinees Unwaged £5)

Box Office: 0207 226 8561

Website: www.kingsheadtheatre.com

‎Twitter: @KingsHeadThtr /  #UndetectablePlay

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kingsheadtheatre

STETSONS AT THE READY AS COUNTRY MUSICAL ACHY BREAKY BRIDE COMES TO TOWN

STELLAR CAST ANNOUNCED AS HILARIOUS NEW COMEDY COMES TO ST HELENS THEATRE ROYAL IN JUNE

From the producers that brought audiences Rita, Sue and Bob Too! and The Salon, Regal Entertainments are back with brand-new comedy, Achy Breaky Bride this June.

This hilarious jukebox country musical, written by Emma Culshaw and David Paul and directed bySylvie Gatrill, comes to St Helens Theatre Royal from Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 June.

The shows stellar cast has today been announced and includes:Radio City’s Leanne Campbell, Blood Brothers’ Daniel Taylor, Benidorm’s Crissy Rock and BBC All Together Now’s Divina De Campo.

The Ruby Slippers’ Emma Vaudrey and Rita, Sue and Bob Too! star Olivia Sloyan complete the line-up.

It’s never a dull day in Dolly’s Dream Dresses, St Helens’ boutique Bridal shop run by A Boy Named Sue (Taylor) and his sister Jolene (Campbell).

Radio City breakfast host Leanne Campbell is always an audience favourite. She is well-known to audiences through her many panto appearances and other stage roles, including CarolinThe Salon at St Helens Theatre Royal in 2016 and The Epstein Theatre in 2017.

Joining Leanne is Blood Brothers and West End star Daniel Taylor.

Actor, producer and director, Daniel Taylor has previously starred in the title role of Lennon: Through a Glass Onion, a role for which he received critical acclaim. He is also well known for playing Sammy in West End and national tour of Blood Brothers, and Mickey in Alan Bleasdale’s 40th anniversary production of Down the Dock Road at Liverpool’s Royal Court. Daniel also produces and plays the title role in The Tommy Cooper Show.

Also in the line-up is national treasure Crissy Rock. An award-winning actress, stand-up comedian and best-selling author, she is perhaps best known for playing Janey York in hit ITV sitcom Benidorm and jungle campmate in I’m A Celebrity: Get Me Out Of Here. Her theatre credits include Escorts: The Musical and Dirty Dusting.

Fresh off the judging panel of BBC’s All Together Now, one of the UK’s biggest drag artists Divina De Campo also joins the cast. Divina played Destiny in the acclaimed comedy The Ruby Slippers which visited Theatre Royal in 2016.

Emma Vaudrey is a successful stage and screen actress with credits including Lady Killers andSpringhill. She recently appeared in psychological thriller Blood Runs Deep at The Unity Theatre,and starred with Divina De Campo in 2016’s The Ruby Slippers.

No stranger to St Helens Theatre Royal stage, Olivia Sloyan completes the all-star line-up. Her theatre credits include Sue in Rita, Sue and Bob Too, Tia in The Salon, Princess Jasmine in Aladdin, and both Linda and Brenda in Blood Brothers.

Watch all the Crazy antics unfold as Sue and Jolene work non-stop from 9-5 to help these blushing brides-to-be prepare for their big days!

Will they make it down the aisle without a hitch? Will they stand by their man proclaiming I Will Always Love You? Don’t count on it!

This hilarious new musical comedy includes all the biggest classic country hits to sing along to, including: Crazy, Jolene, Rhinestone Cowboy, Rose Garden, Achy Breaky Heart and many more!

Grab your Stetsons and put on your Cowboy Boots as they are made for walking down to St Helens Theatre Royal this June. You’ll have an Achy Breaky Heart if you miss it!

For more information, please visit: www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com

Like us on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/St-Helens-Theatre-Royal

Follow us on Twitter: @TheatreRoyalStH

LISTING DETAILS

ACHY BREAKY BRIDE

Date: Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 June

Time: Tue-Thu 7:30pm/ Fri & Sat 8pm/ Sat Matinee 3pm

Tickets: From £18

*All prices are inclusive of a £1 per seat booking fee. On-line bookings are subject to an additional 50p per seat on-line processing fee.

THEATRE ROYAL BOOKING DETAILS

Book in person at the Theatre Royal Box Office, Corporation Street, St. Helens, Merseyside WA10 1LQ (Mon–Sat 10am–5pm). Alternatively, call 01744 756 000 or log on to:www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com.

Phil McIntyre Entertainments Ltd and Penguin Random House present

MICHAEL PALIN
LIVE ON STAGE 2019

Erebus, Python and Other Stories

MICHAEL PALIN TO RETURN TO THE STAGE WITH A BRAND NEW SHOW FOR THE PAPERBACK RELEASE OF HIS LATEST BOOK EREBUS: THE STORY OF A SHIP

TICKETS ON SALE 25 JANUARY

To celebrate the paperback publication of Erebus: The Story of A Ship,  Monty Python star and much-loved television globe-trotter Michael Palin announces a brand new one-man stage show. It will take him to 12 venues around the UK, beginning in Bournemouth on 7^th June and ending in Bath on 7^th July.

In the first part of the show, Palin brings to life the thrilling story of HMS Erebus, the tough little ship that took on the Antarctic and the Arctic in the 1840s, and which was the subject of his latest bestselling book. His richly illustrated talk conveys the triumph and tragedy of the ship’s short and doomed life, and what it was about it that made him so keen to tell its story.

In the second half, Michael tells his own life story, including how his three favourite subjects at school (Geography, History and Comedy) have shaped his life, from ‘Monty Python’ to ‘Ripping Yarns’ and the many television travel series that have taken him all around the world, from the North Pole to North Korea.

With previously unseen footage and previously untold stories, Michael shows how comedy and adventure have been natural bedfellows during a rich and diverse career.

The tour will be supported by local bookshops and signed copies of his books will be available to buy. Erebus: the Story of a Ship will be published by Arrow in paperback on 30^th May, price: £8.99

UK Tour Dates

Date	Town/ City
Friday 7 June	Bournemouth: Pavilion
Saturday 8 June	Basingstoke: Anvil
Sunday 9 June	Cambridge: Corn Exchange
Thursday 20 June	Chesterfield: Winding Wheel
Friday 21June	Milton Keynes: Theatre
Saturday 22 June	London: Cadogan Hall
Thursday 27 June	Bradford: Alhambra
Friday 28 June	Salford: Lowry – Lyric
Thursday 4July	Salisbury: City Hall
Friday 5July	Reading: Hexagon
Saturday 6July	Portsmouth: Southsea Kings
Sunday 7 July	Bath: Theatre Royal