Grand Opera House York – 5 September 2019

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

Beyond the Barricade have been touring all over the world for the last 20 years. On Thursday evening they visited York as part of their anniversary tour.

Andy Reiss and David Fawcett were first approached in 1996 by a charity to arrange and perform a musical theatre concert, they had originally met whilst performing in Les Miserables. This resulted in a series of concerts, featuring past performers from Les Mis, which then evolved into Beyond the Barricade.

This brand-new show features the singing talents of Katie Leeming and Poppy Tierney, accompanying Reiss and Fawcett, as well as three musicians, Russ Kennedy, Dave Williams and Daniel Goodger.

The show starts with the Queen song, The Show Must Go On, a homage to their 20 years of touring, and we were treated to photos of the company throughout the years. I’m a bit of a Queen fan so that was a major thumbs up from me. What followed was a journey through musical theatre, from old favourites like Miss Saigon, West Side Story, Phantom of the Opera, Lion King, Jesus Christ Superstar, Chicago, Starlight Express, Chess and of course for their finale Les Mis. They also threw in a couple of numbers from the show of the moment, Hamilton, currently playing in the West End, as well as Anastasia, which is on Broadway but should be coming to our shores next year. I must admit I enjoyed the little medley from children’s musicals that they performed, titled Silly Medley, not very original. It consisted of snippets from Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, amongst others, transporting me back to childhood.

Fawcett had another string to his bow, he tells a great joke or two. He showed great interaction with the audience and if this singing malarkey doesn’t work out, he could always try his hand at becoming a stand-up comic. It is always great to see performers engaging with their audience, so much more relatable. Reiss was the vocal standout for me, even though all were excellent, I loved the tone in his voice and the expressions on his face. As well as singing, he also played keyboards and lead the musicians. As each singer performed, either as a solo, a pair, or as a group, you could see why all have had such successful careers and have appeared in so many productions. The harmonisation between all four is superb and they are all so extremely talented. The finale of Les Mis and One Day More was quite breath-taking, especially considering that it is usually performed with a full orchestra and cast.

It is amazing that the whole show was all live, singing and instruments, no tapes or backing tracks, a true testament to the talents of everyone who was up on that stage performing.

This is the show to go and see to experience musical theatre. A great opportunity to enjoy a snippet of the West End bought to York and other towns all across the UK.

Salisbury Playhouse – until 28 September 2019

Reviewed by Nicky Wyatt

5*****

A fun, frolicking, farce has arrived in Salisbury.

Alan Ayckbourns hilarious play first graced the stage in 1965, fast track almost 50 years and the clever wit and suggestion still has audiences laughing out loud. With a cast of four there is never a dull moment as the audience waits to see when the penny will drop and all will be revealed.

Opening with a bedroom scene and a phone ringing, we meet our young lovers. Under a messy duvet is Greg (Hubert Burton) a young smitten insurance man that is in love with the way more experienced Ginny (Louise Calf). While Ginny is getting ready for a day out , Greg is woken from his slumber by the phone ringing, he answers the phone goes dead. Confused Greg gets himself out of bed and chats to Ginny. The London flat is full of flowers that are arriving daily, he questions her as to where they come from and she creates stories about the local flower seller selling them off cheap, Greg isn’t convinced. Ginny a promiscuous young lady who seems to enjoy all the sixties has to offer is thinking on her feet as the stories trip off her tongue. Young Greg feels threatened by Ginny’s experience and previous relationships especially the one with the older man. She is getting ready for a day visiting to her parents, he wants to go with her and she strongly resists and heads off to the train, unbeknown to her Greg follows.

A swift and seamless scene change take us from a cosy London flat to a country garden where we meet Ginnys ‘parents’ Sheila (Caroline Harker) and husband Philip (Tim McMullan). The chemistry and banter between these two is superb. The timing of their lines mixed with light innuendo and confusion is hilarious. Enjoying a quiet breakfast while trying to second guess what the other is up to, Philip sets off to attack the veg patch. Shortly after Greg arrives looking for Ginny a totally bemused Sheila has no clue who he is looking for but in true British style invites him in, offers a drink and the confusion unfolds leaving the audience holding their sides with laughter. He thinks he is chatting to future in laws, the intricacies of this play are so good. The arrival of Ginny to the garden just adds to it, totally shocked to see Greg at her ‘parents’, when actually it’s the home of her ’older’ man. After dinner conversation will never be the same for these 4 again as the lovely English garden is the setting for the big reveal, a light bulb moment descends in the most funny and clever way.

The sets of this play are perfect along with the fashions just perfect for the era.

Highly recommend this play for a real laugh out loud night out!

Duke of York’s Theatre – until 2 November 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

After The Father and The Mother, Florian Zeller’s trilogy, translated by Christopher Hampton, ends with a disturbing glimpse at the devastation that mental illness can inflict on a family.

After the breakup of his parents’ marriage, Nicolas spirals into depression and self-harm, unnoticed by his self-absorbed parents until his school informs them that he has not attended for months. Nicolas asks to leave his mother’s home and to move in with his father, his new partner and baby son. Enrolled in a new school, and in a new environment, Nicolas’s family think that he will recover and get back to “normal” without any outside help.

The entire play is basically a checklist of what NOT to say and do to help recovery. The generational inability to understand each other is well written, with John Light full of bluster and frustration as dad Pierre, unable to understand why his son is ill and reverting to telling Nicolas to pull himself together and get on with it in as many ways as possible, and repeatedly comparing his difficult childhood to Nicolas’s and crowing about how he just struggled through. Mum Anne (Amanda Abbington) flits in and out of the play, seemingly lost without her husband and so caught up in her own pain that she didn’t see Nicolas’s. Abbington is luminous in an underwritten role. Amaka Okafor impresses as Pierre’s new partner, Sofia, obviously worried for her husband and his son, but prioritising the safety of her own son when Nicolas’s behaviour becomes more unpredictable. Laurie Kynaston is remarkable as Nicolas, flipping from bouncing joy to near catatonic despair in an instant. He handles his lines brilliantly, utterly convincing as a disturbed young man who struggles to understand his own feelings, let alone describe them to his parents on demand.

The inability of the parents to help Nicolas, and their reluctance to seek professional advice is sketched sympathetically by Zeller. Even though they are doing the wrong thing, they have the best intentions, and the misplaced shame and stigma of mental illness, and baggage from Pierre’s own childhood are explicit in the writing. The tragedy the audience expects does not disappoint, and the final scene leaves you with a sense that there’s more heartbreak to come for the family – but this deeply emotional subject somehow seems clinical in this play. Excellent writing, a wonderful cast, crisp direction from Michael Longhurst, and inspired set design from Lizzie Clachan, but as a whole, the play left me cold.

The Bunker, London SE1 – until 21 September 2019

Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert

4****

Belfast, 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement. Two blokes banter, taking us into the city and into their lives. We get of picture of blighted childhoods that haven’t led anywhere. Sas and Monty are stuck in a world of boozing and joblessness, growing older but unable to grow up. Their only escape is ‘The Game’, where they pretend to be anything they want. Then Sas doesn’t want to play any more, and they have to face the truth about a horrible event in their shared past.

It’s very intense – at just one hour long, it really puts you through the wringer – but also has very funny moments. Barry Calvert and Brendan Quinn play the two friends, and they are completely convincing as Belfast boys with boxed-in lives. The rich language and Belfast dialect make the play feel vivid even though the set is sparse (with soundscape by Michael Mormecha). The play is all from their point of view, so you don’t get the political-economic explanation of what’s gone wrong for Belfast’s working classes. But you do see lives being damaged through the generations, so that children and teenagers only see adults with damaged lives.

Playwright Alice Malseed wants to draw attention to the way some groups in Belfast have been let down and left behind by failed government and harsh economics. The statistics (not given in the play) are horrendous: one third of people in Northern Ireland live on or below the bread line, and there have been more suicides since the Good Friday Agreement than deaths during the Troubles. In a way the pivotal event in the play detracts from this: it pins Sas and Monty’s failure to grow up to something very specific. But it is a powerful piece, and (beep-beep-beep Brexit alert) a timely reminder that there are real people in Northern Ireland, who are being overlooked despite all the backstop blather.

INITIAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR GYPSY 

The Royal Exchange Theatre is thrilled to make the first casting announcement for their new production of GYPSY directed by Jo Davies and running in the theatre this Christmas. Musical theatre leading lady Ria Jones will make her Royal Exchange debut as the formidable Momma Rose and is joined on stage by Melissa James as Louise and Melissa Lowe in the role of June.

Building on the success of redefining Broadway musicals for the Exchange’s unique in-the-round theatre GYPSY will be the latest iconic musical production to take centre stage. Director Jo Davies returns to the Exchange following her lavish production of TWELFTH NIGHT to explore the wonderful world of show-business through the tour-de-force that is Momma Rose. Choosing the bright lights of the stage over putting her girls through school, Momma Rose is resolute in her desire to see her daughters realise her dreams of stardom and adoration. But how are these young women shaped by her actions, what is passed down from generation to generation, and what new opportunities are afforded to one but denied to another?

Ria Jones’ career spans over three decades as a leading lady in Musical Theatre, both in the West End and internationally. Roles as diverse as Eva Peron in EVITA, Norma Desmond in SUNSET BOULEVARD, to the iconic Mrs Overall in ACORN ANTIQUES, to name but a few. As well as T.V, Radio, and numerous recordings, Ria performs regularly as a concert soloist, frequently with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and major orchestras worldwide.

Melissa James also makes her Royal Exchange debut. Her theatre credits include: WISE CHILDREN (The Old Vic/UK Tour), EUGENIUS! (West End), THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN (Shakespeare’s Globe), ONE LOVE: THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL (Birmingham Rep), ANNIE GET YOUR GUN (Sheffield Crucible), A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (Theatre Royal Bath), THE BODYGUARD, CATS (UK tour), GUYS AND DOLLS (Chichester Festival Theatre) and WEST SIDE STORY (RSC).

Melissa Lowe trained at ArtsEd. Her theatre credits include THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Bolton Octagon), THE CAT IN THE HAT (Leicester Curve, UK Tour & Rose Theatre, Kingston), ME & MY GIRL (Chichester Festival Theatre) and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Teatru Astra). This is also Melissa’s debut at the Royal Exchange.

An extraordinary musical, GYPSY can be seen in the theatre from 30 November 2019 – 25 January 2020. Further casting will be announced later this autumn. 

WATFORD PALACE THEATRE ANNOUNCES

FULL CAST FOR PATRICK HAMILTON’S GASLIGHT

Watford Palace Theatre Company presents

GASLIGHT

By Patrick Hamilton

Director: Richard Beecham;Designer: Naomi Dawson; Lighting Designer: Anna Watson

Sound Designer: Sarah Weltman; Fight Director: Alison De Burgh

2 – 26 October 2019

Watford Palace Theatre todayannounce full cast for Patrick Hamilton’s classic psychological thriller, Gaslight.Richard Beecham directs Hannah Hutch (Nancy), Sandra James-Young (Elizabeth), Jasmine Jones (Jack Manningham), Tricia Kelly (Inspector Rough) and Sally Tatum (Bella Manningham). The production opens on 7 October with previews from 2 October and runs until 26 October.

A young woman, Bella Manningham, becomes increasingly uncertain of her own sanity, under pressure from her handsome, charismatic husband. A stranger arrives, saying he is there to help her – but can she trust him? Will she find the strength to break free?

The West End play, which debuted in 1938, gave rise to the term ‘gaslighting’ – a form of psychological abuse where one person attempts to manipulate another into questioning their own sanity.

Director Richard Beecham returns to Watford Palace Theatre to bring a fresh theatrical energy to this gripping and suspenseful thriller. Hamilton’s original text is translated into a 21^st century safe house, where a group of women, fleeing domestic abuse, re-enact the 1938 smash-hit play.

Patrick Hamilton, in full Anthony Walter Patrick Hamilton (March 1904 – September 1962), was an English playwright and novelist. His playwrighting credits include Rope – adapted into the 1948 film by Alfred Hitchcock – and Gaslight, which opened in the West End and transferred to New York under the title of Angel Street. Gaslight was twice adapted for film, most famously in the 1944 version starring Ingrid Bergman. Hamilton’s other credits include the novels Hangover Square and Twenty Thousand Streets Under the Sky.

Hannah Hutch plays Nancy. Her theatre credits include Macbeth, Common (National Theatre), To Dream Again(Polka Theatre/Theatr Clwyd), Jane Wenham: The Witch of Walkern (Arcola Theatre), The Skriker (Royal Exchange Theatre), ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Crucible (The Old Vic) and The Lazy Elf(Arts Theatre). Her television credits include Ransom, Call the Midwife and Babs.

Sandra James-Young plays Elizabeth. Her theatre credits include Small Island, After the Fall, Murmuring Judges, Recruiting Officer, The Wind in the Willows (National Theatre), A Jovial Crew, Tamburlaine, The Odyssey, The School of Night (RSC), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Basset Table (UK tour), Blues for Railton (The Albany),Coups and Calypsos (Ovalhouse) and King Lear (Southwark Playhouse). Her credits for television include Unforgotten, In Deep, Vera, Criminal Justice, Tripping Over, Judge John Deed, Wipe Out and Trial & Retribution; and for film, Captives.

Jasmine Jones plays Jack Manningham. Her theatre credits include Hogarth’s Progress, 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 Theatre), and Arden of Faversham (White Bear). Her television credits include Turn UpCharlie and Call the Midwife.

Tricia Kelly plays Inspector Rough. Her theatre credits include King Lear (international tour), Caterpillar(Theatre503), Death of a Salesman (Royal & Derngate/UK tour), The Lower Depths, Pieces of Vincent (Arcola Theatre), Tiger Country (Hampstead Theatre), Man to Man (Park Theatre), Hope Place (Liverpool Everyman),Cannibals, The Gatekeeper (Royal Exchange Theatre), The Kitchen (National Theatre), The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby (Chichester Festival Theatre/ Gielgud Theatre/UK tour), Local, Victory, Seven Lears, Golgo, The Last Supper, Ego in Arcadia (Royal Court Theatre), East Lynne (Greenwich Theatre), Blue Heaven (Finborough Theatre), The Seduction of Anne Boleyn (Nuffield Southampton Theatres).Her television credits include as series regular Mrs. Johnson in In Sickness and Health.

Sally Tatum plays Bella Manningham. Her theatre credits include House and Garden (The Watermill Theatre), Present Laughter (UK tour), A Day In The Death of Joe Egg (Liverpool Playhouse/Rose Theatre Kingston), The Second Mrs Tanqueray (Rose Theatre Kingston), Red Light Winter, This Happy Breed (Theatre Royal Bath), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), To Kill a Mockingbird (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Birmingham Rep), and As You Like It, Twelfth Night and Solstice (RSC). Her television credits include Episodes, Boy Meets Girl, My Mad Fat Diary, Consuming Passion and Miss Austen Regrets.

Richard Beecham directs. He has directed a number of productions at Watford Palace Theatre, most recently his acclaimed revival of Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass. Other credits include Playing for Time, starring Dame Siân Phillips (Sheffield Theatres), Rose, starring Dame Janet Suzman (HOME, Manchester), 84 Charing Cross Road, starring Stefanie Powers and Clive Francis (Cambridge Arts Theatre/UK tour), Driving Miss Daisy, starring Dame Sian Phillips and Derek Griffiths (Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour), the UK premieres of Red Light Winter and In A Garden (Ustinov Studio Bath), Henry IV Part 1 (Peter Hall Company at Theatre Royal Bath), Just Before the War, The Human Cost (Young Vic), Rutherford and Son (Northern Stage, Newcastle), Humble Boy, Dancing at Lughnasa, In Praise of Love (Royal & Derngate Northampton), The Invention of Love, The School for Scandal, The Miser, Side by Side by Sondheim (Salisbury Playhouse), A Taste of Honey, Neville’s Island, How the Other Half Loves (Watford Palace Theatre), The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Private Lives, Charley’s Aunt, Black Comedy/The Real Inspector Hound (Exeter Northcott Theatre), Early One Morning, Entertaining Mr Sloane (Octagon Theatre Bolton), The Bench (Battersea Arts Centre), Twelve Tales of Tyneside (Live Theatre, Newcastle), Romeo and Juliet (Creation Theatre Company, Oxford), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (USF Florida),Much Ado About Nothing (Marlowe Society Cambridge), and the National Commemorative Event for Holocaust Memorial Day.  Beecham’s short film, The Guitar, won the Pears Short Film award at the London Jewish Film Festival. 

Watford Palace Theatre                                                                                                                            Listings

20 Clarendon Rd, Watford WD17 1JZ

Gaslight

2 – 26 October 2019

https://watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

Box Office: 01923 225671

Age: 11+

FIRST IMAGES RELEASED OF THE CAST OF THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

• FIRST LOOK AT THE WOLF OF WALL STREET WORLD PREMIERE IMMERSIVE PRODUCTION, BASED ON JORDAN BELFORT’S INFAMOUS MEMOIR, WHICH OPENS IN THE CITY OF LONDON THIS MONTH
   
• PRODUCTION TAKES OVER A BRAND NEW LOCATION AT 5-15 SUN STREET FROM 19 SEPTEMBER 2019 – 19 JANUARY 2020 WITH OPENING NIGHT FOR PRESS ON 4 OCTOBER
   
• TICKETS ON SALE AT WWW.IMMERSIVEWOLF.COM
   

The first cast images are released today for The Wolf of Wall Street, the world premiere immersive production which brings to life the highs and lows of the infamous ‘90s New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort. The Wolf of Wall Street is based on Belfort’s memoirs, as depicted by Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s movie of the same name, and features a 16-strong cast who will play multiple characters from Stratton Oakmont stockbroker start-ups to the FBI, plunging audiences into a world of greed, power and excess. The production will open at 5-15 Sun Street, Central London and will be staged across four floors and 25 rooms. It previews from 19 September 2019, with opening night for press on 4 October and is adapted and directed by Alexander Wright (The Great Gatsby – the UK’s longest running immersive show).

Jordan Belfort. Stock-market millionaire at 26. Federal convict at 36. By day he made thousands of dollars a minute. By night he spent it as fast as he could.

Stratton Oakmont is hiring. The FBI is closing in. You’re either with him or you’re against him.
 

Oliver Tilney will play Jordan Belfort with Rhiannon Harper-Rafferty as his wife Nadine, and James Bryant as his right-hand man Danny. The full cast also includes: Charlotte Brown, Caroline Colomei, Ivy Corbin, Alan Devally, Sam Donnelly, Fia Houston Hamilton, Samuel Hunt, Naail Ishaq, Andrew Macbean, Olivia Marcus, Jack Matthew, Razak Osman and Gail Sixsmith.

“Expect the outrageous, the spectacular and the downright ridiculous.”
Producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook of Stratton Oakmont Productions Ltd

The creative team brings together Director Alexander Wright and Designer Ciaran Bagnall with costume design by Heledd Rees, lighting by Rachel Sampley, co-sound design and music supervision by Phil Grainger, co-sound design by Lara Gallagher and movement by Chi-San Howard. The team is completed by Associate Director Aileen Gonsalves, Dramaturg and Assistant Director Rebecca Hanbury, Assistant Director Fiona Kingwill and Safeguarding, Consent and Inclusion Coordinator Brodie Turner. The company, creative and production teams comprises a 50/50 male/female balance with 47% from a BAME background.

The Wolf of Wall Street is presented by Stratton Oakmont Productions Ltd and comes from the creators and producers behind The Great Gatsby – the longest-ever running immersive show in the UK which continues an open-ended run in London Bridge, as well as playing in cities across Europe. Producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook’s current shows also include Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical in the West End and Amelie The Musical UK Tour and in the West End. The Wolf of Wall Street is adapted and directed by Alexander Wright.

Tickets are now on sale at www.immersivewolf.com

LISTINGS

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET
Presented by Stratton Oakmont Productions Ltd
Original book written by Jordan Belfort
Adapted by Alexander Wright
Directed by Alexander Wright

Location: Immersive Wolf of Wall Street, 5 – 15 Sun Street, London EC2N 2PT

First Preview: 19 September 2019
Opening Night: Friday 4 October 2019
Currently booking until: 19 January, 2020

Performance schedule:
19 September to 29 September: Wednesday to Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 6.30pm
30 September to 19 January 2020: Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm, Saturday 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday,6.30pm (no performance Tue 29 Sept, 26 Nov or 24 Dec, Wed 25 Dec, Thu 25 Dec, Wed 1 Jan 2020).

Box Office details
Website: www.immersivewolf.com
Tel: 0203 053 1500
Prices from £59.95
Lottery tickets £10, £25
The Wolf of Wall Street trader scheme for VIP upgrades and free entry – further details via the website.

Twitter: @ImmersiveWolf
Instagram: /ImmersiveWolf
#TheWolfOfWallStreet

Griff Rhys Jones joins X-Factor winner Matt Terry as cast is announced for Dr Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at The Lowry.

Edward Baker-Duly to star as the Grinch

Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical today confirms casting for its festive run at The Lowry. Comedy legend Griff Rhys Jones will star as Old Max, alongside X-Factor winner Matt Terry as Young Max andEdward Baker-Duly as The Grinch, the world-famous festive mischief maker.

The record-setting Broadway sensation is set to play a UK Tour and the production will bring seasonal musical merriment to Salford for a special Christmas season, starting from Tuesday 10 December 2019 and running through until Sunday 5 January 2020.

Griff Rhys Jones will star as Old Max. Griff Rhys Jones is probably best known for his comedy sketch work on the BBC, most notably Not the Nine O’Clock News and Smith and Jones. He is a much sought after presenter, actor and writer. Acting work includes Mine All Mine and Marple for ITV1. He hosted three series of the BBC2 show Restoration and has authored recent documentaries on John Betjeman, Arthur Ransome, Rudyard Kipling, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Kenneth Grahame. He also presented a range of series looking at everything from Mountains, Cities and Rivers. His most recent travel documentaries include Slow Train Through Africa and Griff’s Great Britain (both for ITV1), and multiple series of Three Men Go To… (BBC2) with Rory McGrath and Dara O Briain. In 2009, Griff returned to the theatre and had a massively successful run in the West End revival of Oliver! playing Fagin.

Most recently he hosted It’ll Be Alright on the Night for ITV1 and Quizeum for BBC4.

Matt Terry stars as Young Max. Matt has been non-stop since his win back in 2016. He had a top 3 hit with his Ed Sheeran penned winner’s single When Christmas Comes Around. His debut album Trouble was released in November 2017 which featured Subeme La Radio and the lead single Sucker For You has been streamed 100 million times. In addition to music, he has also fronted his own radio show for Capital FM and has just completed touring the UK as the lead role in Dreamworks’ Madagascar The Musical.

Edward Baker-Duly will appear as The Grinch. Edward has worked in film, television and theatre in New York, the UK and South Africa. His considerable theatre credits include: The King and I (Lincoln Center Theatre), The King and I, Wizard of Oz (London Palladium), Gone with the Wind (New London Theatre), South Pacific (National Theatre), West Side Story (Prince of Wales Theatre), Salad Days (Vaudeville Theatre), Kiss Me Kate, Copacabana, The Lady Vanishes, Dick Barton Special Agent, Twelfth Night, The Mikado, Side by Side by Sondheim, Full Monty, The Pirates of Penzance and Singing in the Rain (UK and Ireland Tour. Television includes: Billions (Showtime), Royal Pains (USA Network), Elementary (CBS), Upstairs Downstairs, Downton Abbey, Emmerdale (ITV) and Yes Prime Minister (BBC).

Featuring the hit songs You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch and Welcome Christmas, Max the Dog narrates the show, as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos. Karen Ascoe plays Grandma Who; David Bardsley isGrandpa Who; Alan Pearson is Papa Who and Holly Dale Spencer isMama Who. 
 
The other citizens of Whoville are played by Nicola Barney as Annie Who;Nina Bell as Betty Lou; Lydia Bradd as Bugsy; Ana Cardoso as Scallops;Elena Christie as Phyllis; Sophie Leigh-Griffin as Gymslip; Lawrence Guntert as Sporty; Zoe Humphryes as Danny Who; Monifa James asReno; Sarah-Marie Maxwell as Trixie; Craig Nash as Palm Springs;Jessica Pardoe as Auntie Who; Andrew Pepper as Buzz; Lucy May Pollard as Punky; Callum Train as Timey; and Ellen Whitehead as Boo Who

The role of Cindy Lou will be alternated between Isla Gie, Eve Corbishley, Sophie Woods and Bebe Massey.
 
Magnificent sets and costumes inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations help transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville, breathing life into this timeless story and conjuring the true meaning of Christmas.
 
The 2019 production is based on the show originally created by 3-time Tony Award winning director, Jack O’Brien. The UK creative team features Set Design by John Lee Beatty, Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell, Sound Design by Richard Brooker, Costume Design by Robert Morgan andMichael Starobin is the show’s Orchestrator.
 
The show broke box office records for two consecutive years on Broadway. Since then, more than 2 million people across America have been thrilled by this heart-warming musical.
 
Celebrate Christmas with the show The New York Times calls ‘100 times better than any bedtime story!’

Listings
Dr Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
Dates: Tuesday 10 – Sun 5 January
Tickets: £26.50 – £56.50
thelowry.com

DISNEY’S THE LION KING RETURNS TO THE
ALHAMBRA THEATRE BRADFORD IN SPRING 2020

Priority booking sign-up opens today (6 September 2019)
Tickets go on sale from October 2019

The Walt Disney Company UK and Ireland and the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford have today announced that Disney’s THE LION KING will return to the city’s award-winning venue in spring 2020 – the only Yorkshire venue on its tour.

The iconic musical will come to Bradford for seven weeks from 30 April to 20 June 2020. Tickets go on sale in October 2019 and patrons can sign up for priority access to tickets at either www.thelionking.co.uk or www.bradford-theatres.co.uk from today (Friday 6 September 2019).

The UK cities of THE LION KING tour are exclusively supported by VeryMe Rewards from Vodafone UK. Vodafone customers will be able to access the pre-sale tickets through the My Vodafone app 24 hours before they become available elsewhere, on Friday 4 October 2019.

Over 81,000 people experienced the production across a 7-week, record-breaking season when it last visited the Alhambra Theatre in 2014, the year in which the venue celebrated its 100th anniversary. This year, THE
LION KING celebrates an incredible 20 years in the West End. The musical had its premiere in London on 19 October 1999 at the Lyceum Theatre, which remains its home in London.

Adam Renton, General Manager Bradford Theatres, said:
“I am thrilled to welcome this incredible musical back to the Alhambra Theatre next year. It’s an iconic production which audiences in the region will be very excited to see back in Bradford. We’re also especially pleased to be hosting a Relaxed Performance during the show’s residency with us and we are looking forward to welcoming the widest audience possible to enjoy this spectacle.”

Bradford Theatres Friends Members will be able to purchase tickets from 10am on Monday 7 October. Customers who join the Sign-Up Priority List will be able to purchase pre-sale tickets on Thursday 10 October at 10am (online only). Tickets will go on general sale online, by phone and in person from 10am on Friday 11 October, with demand expected to be huge.

While the show is in Bradford, there will be a dedicated Relaxed Performance on Tuesday 16 June 2020 at 5pm. Disney’s THE LION KING is committed to creating a friendly and inclusive audience experience. Having now hosted five Autism-Friendly performances in London, the landmark musical is delighted to be presenting a Relaxed Performance in each city it visits on the tour. Relaxed Performances are specially adapted to be accessible to a wide range of audiences such as those with autism, those with a learning difficulty or other sensory and communication needs, with extra trained staff on hand and dedicated quiet areas inside the theatre should anyone need to leave their seat. All patrons who feel this performance might suit their specific needs are warmly encouraged to attend. Audience members can find out more information at www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/the-lion-king.

Julie Taymor’s internationally-celebrated stage adaptation of THE LION KING opened on Broadway in 1997 and 25 global productions have now been seen by more than 100 million people. THE LION KING is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher. The show has been performed in nine different languages (English, Japanese, German, Korean, French, Dutch, Spanish, Mandarin and Portuguese), productions of THE LION KING can currently be seen on Broadway, London’s West End, Hamburg, Tokyo and Sapporo, Madrid, Daegu in South Korea and on tour across North America – a total of eight productions running concurrently across the globe. Having played in more than 100 cities in 20 countries on every continent except Antarctica, THE LION KING’s worldwide gross exceeds that of any film, Broadway show or other entertainment title in box office history.

The previous tour of THE LION KING broke attendance records across the nation and the 2019/2020 tour coincides with THE LION KING celebrating 20 years at London’s Lyceum Theatre. Since the UK premiere in London on Tuesday 19th October 1999, THE LION KING has entertained more than 16 million theatregoers and remains the West End’s best-selling stage production and the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.

With a cast of more than 50 singers and dancers, the story of THE LION KING is miraculously brought to life using masks, puppets and striking costumes to tell the story of young Simba’s epic adventures as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and becoming king. The stunning artistry of the production is the work of a team of designers which drew on diverse cultural influences to recreate the rich colours and vast expanses of the African savanna in this daring and inspiring reinvention of one of the most successful animated films of all time.

Julie Taymor, one of the world’s most innovative directors, brought a vast array of disciplines to THE LION KING including extensive experience staging epic theatre and opera productions, exploring classic myths through ritualised puppetry, mask, and movement. THE LION KING was the first musical Taymor directed in the commercial theatre and she made Broadway history by becoming the first woman to win the Tony Award® for Best Director of a Musical.

The Broadway show’s full creative team, which won five Tony Awards® for its work on THE LION KING, reunited in 1999 to recreate the show in London. Julie Taymor and Michael Curry created hundreds of masks and puppets. Scenic design is by British designer Richard Hudson and lighting is by Donald Holder. Costume design is by Julie Taymor, and choreography by Garth Fagan. The book was adapted by Roger Allers, who co-directed the animated feature and Irene Mecchi, who co-wrote the screenplay.

The original score from the animated film was expanded for the stage and now features 15 musical numbers. As well as writing completely new songs, South African composer Lebo M created an evocative blend of
African rhythms and chorales, with additional material by Julie Taymor and Mark Mancina. Elton John and Tim Rice have added three new numbers to the five that they wrote for the award-winning score of the animated film. The resulting sound of THE LION KING is a fusion of Western popular music and the distinctive sounds and rhythms of Africa, including the Academy Award®-winning Can You Feel The Love Tonight and the haunting Shadowland.

Ticket information for Bradford
 *VeryMe Rewards by Vodafone pre-sale: Friday 4 October 2019, 8am
 *Priority sign up closes: Friday 4 October 2019, 11.59pm
 *Bradford Theatres Friends Members: Monday 7 October 2019, 10am
 *Disney and Alhambra Theatre Priority On Sale: Thursday 10 October 2019 10am (online only)
 *General sale: Friday 11 October 2019 at 10am (online, phones & in person)
Performance information for Bradford
 *Previews: Thursday 30 April – Sunday 3 May 2020
 *Press Night: Tuesday 5 May 2020, 7.30pm
 *Signed Performance: Thursday 14 May 2020, 7.30pm
 *Audio Described Performance: Thursday 4 June 2020, 7.30pm
 *Captioned Performance: Thursday 11 June 2020, 7.30pm
 *Relaxed Performance: Tuesday 16 June 2020, 5pm
For more information or to book please call 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk.

Royal and Derngate Theatre, Northampton – until 14 September 2019

Reviewed by Boo Wakefield

3***

Two Trains Running is the 6th of 10 plays that August Wilson wrote covering African-American experience from 1900 to 1990. There is no doubt, judging by the exuberant reactions of a handful of members of the audience I watched it with, that it is an intelligent production. That is to say, I sensed that my own intelligence was not quite up to the job of enjoying every nuance, but I nevertheless congratulated myself for at least being aware of the deficiency.

It is set in a run-down diner (designed by Frankie Bradshaw) in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, an area once vibrant but now fallen on hard times as the regeneration programme sweeps through, scattering communities and demolishing businesses. It is also a time of racial unrest and protest marches; the set has a wrecking ball and demolished buildings ominously above the ceiling to the diner.

The play focuses on Memphis (Andrew French) as the once successful diner owner who yearns after the better times and the land in the south that he lost in his youth. Memphis’s diner is to be demolished as part of the renewal programme and he is fighting for compensation from the city hall. Risa (Anita-Joy Uwajeh), his put-upon waitress, bears the brunt of his frustrations and serves the few remaining regular customers with sass and perfect timing, keeping them in their places.

Derek Ezenagu’s interpretation of the troubled Hambone was both moving and disturbing. For a part with so few words to have such a big impact on the play was impressive. Sterling (Michael Salami) was at his best when encouraging Hambone to speak.

This long play had moments of humour to lighten the serious stories played out. However, heavy accenting, speed of delivery and elocution did, at least to my ear, make following every word of the dialogue tricky and at times beyond me. I left the theatre feeing that more questions were left unanswered than answered.

This production of Two Trains Running was co-produced by Royal & Derngate and English Touring Theatre and will go on tour to Oxford, Doncaster, Ipswich, Guildford and Derby until the end of October.