Month: March 2020

York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 21 March 2020

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

3***

Alone in Berlin, originally a novel written in German by Hans Fallada, is based on true events in 1940’s Berlin. This adaptation by Alistair Beaton is a co-production by York Theatre Royal and Royal & Derngate, Northampton in association with Oxford Playhouse.

I am interested in the history of Berlin during WW2 and the erection of the Berlin Wall. I even studied, and visited, as part of my O level History. I was looking forward to seeing this production and to question what I would have done if I was ever in that situation.

It follows the story of a working-class couple, Otto (Dennis Conway) and Anna (Charlotte Emmerson) Quangel, who after losing their son in the war, become more disenchanted with Hitler and the Third Reich. It is only with the injection of defiance from their son’s fiancé Trudi (Abiola Ogunbiyi), that they decide to make a stand, enough is enough. Otto comes up with a scheme to hand write postcards, opposing the Nazi regime, and leave them scattered all over Berlin. This proves to be extremely laborious with the meticulous Otto only delivering a few cards per week. Frustrated Anna insists on helping, enabling them to reach a larger audience.

The existence of the cards soon come to the attention of the Gestapo and Inspector Escherich (Joseph Marcell) and his superior SS Officer Prall (Jay Taylor). Months pass and a massive hunt ensues for the culprits. Otto and Anna find themselves in a deadly game of cat and mouse. With a near miss, it is only with the betrayal of their thoroughly loathsome neighbour, Klaus Borkausen (Julius D’Silva), that their small acts of rebellion come to an end.

For the whole show there is, what I can only describe as a cabaret narrator, a striking and androgynous figure played by Jessica Walker. First appearing as Golden Elsie, the famous statue on top of Berlin’s Victory Column, she provides commentary throughout, through song, but only really recapping what had already occurred and been said. I found this confusing at times and these narrations interrupted the flow of the production.

The monochrome staging by Jonathan Fensom, is very stark and is enhanced by the projected images of Jason Lutes. Charles Balfour’s lighting is used to great success, be warned, there are a couple of times when you are literally blinded by the light. All this makes for a very atmospheric set, you can literally feel the oppression in the air. I especially liked the effect of an almost 3D tunnel that appear several times during the show.

Even with the evocative subject, the dialogue at times was arduous and I simply wasn’t invested in the characters. It did have its moments and got us talking about important subjects, such as tyranny and oppression, and how that made us feel, but ultimately it fell short for me

WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION

WILL NOW BEGIN PERFORMANCES

ON FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER

Andrew Lloyd Webber announced today that the world premiere of his new musical Cinderella will now open at The Gillian Lynne Theatre on Wednesday 28 October, with previews from Friday 9 October.

Lloyd Webber said “The show will go on sale next week as planned, but in the current global circumstances the creative team and I feel that this later opening date is wise. 

Full scale pre-rehearsals of Cinderella will take place with our leading actors, as planned, throughout this month”.

Tickets will go on General Sale on Friday 20 March. For all information, including exclusive priority purchase for tickets, see www.andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com

Carrie Hope Fletcher will play Cinderella in the highly anticipated new productionat the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

She has starred in Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Addams Family (UK Tour), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK Tour), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre), and is currently playing Fantine in Les Miserables at the newly named Sondheim Theatre.

The production, a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale, is based on an original idea by Emerald Fennell, the Emmy Award nominated lead scriptwriter of the second season of international smash hit Killing Eve, with a brand new score from the legendary composer and lyrics by David Zippel.

Fennell’s new film A Promising Young Woman, that she has written and directed and which stars Carey Mulligan, will open this Spring.  As an actress she played Patsy Mount on the BBC’s Call The Midwife and currently depicts Camilla Parker Bowles on the Netflix hit The Crown.

The show’s lyrics are by David Zippel, a multi-award winner for Broadway productions including City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White and Liza at the Palace, as well as for work on film including Disney’s Hercules and Mulan, both of which received Oscar nominations.

Cinderella will be directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography from JoAnn Hunter, who previously partnered on School of Rock and the recent, sold out production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium.

All further creative team and cast announcements regarding Cinderella will be made at a later date.

Ahead of Cinderella’s arrival at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, owners LW Theatres will carry out internal upgrade work to the building including the addition of more toilets, refurbishment to areas of the auditorium and Front of House, as well as the potential increase in seating capacity on the circle level of the theatre.

UK drama school students awarded over £64,000 in Laurence Olivier Bursaries

18 drama school students from across the UK have been awarded a total of £64,500 in bursaries by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and other donors, to help them complete their training.

The Laurence Olivier Bursary recipients will attend the Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard on Sunday 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall, where they will be presented with certificates on the red carpet.

Established by SOLT in 1987 to mark the 80th birthday of Lord Olivier, the Laurence Olivier Bursaries provide financial support to exceptional students who face financial difficulties going into their final year of drama school. Previous bursary winners have included Denise Gough, Bryony Hannah, Paterson Joseph, Ewan McGregor, Daniel Rigby, Vinette Robinson, Juma Sharkah, Michaela Coel and Michael Sheen.

Drama school principals across the UK nominate students, who are then auditioned on a West End stage and interviewed by a panel of theatre industry professionals, led by producer Lee Menzies, Chair of the Laurence Olivier Bursaries Committee. This year’s auditions took place at St Martin’s Theatre.

Alongside the Laurence Olivier Bursaries given by SOLT, funds are also awarded by The Behrens Foundation, The Casting Directors’ Guild, the estate of Sir Peter and Lady Saunders and theatrical agent Barry Burnett as part of the bursary scheme. Individual Bursaries can range from £500 to £10,000 and are given at the discretion of the judges.

Lee Menzies, Chair of the Laurence Olivier Bursaries Committee, said:

‘It is fantastic to be able to award the Laurence Olivier Bursaries each year, and I want to thank all the generous donors who, alongside SOLT, are committed to helping talented individuals overcome financial hardship and realize their potential. The impressive list of past bursary winners, some of whom have gone on become household names, demonstrates the importance of recognising and supporting talent from all backgrounds, ensuring theatre and the creative arts continue to thrive in this country.’

Full list of 2019 Bursary recipients:

Behrens Foundation Bursary

Given in conjunction with the Laurence Olivier Bursary, donated by The Behrens Foundation

Alicia Forde – Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts

Talia Nyathi – Manchester School of Theatre

Tim Oziegbe – Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts

Tommy Sim’aan – Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

Casting Directors’ Guild Bursary

Given in conjunction with the Laurence Olivier Bursary, donated by members of the Casting Directors’ Guild

Caleb Obediah – Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Tommy Sim’aan – Bristol Old Vic Theatre School

The Sir Peter and Lady Saunders Laurence Olivier Bursary

Given in conjunction with the Laurence Olivier Bursary, donated by the estate of Lady Saunders

Sean Hanratty – Guildford School of Acting

Carmen Silvera Bursary

Given in conjunction with the Laurence Olivier Bursary, donated by the agent Barry Burnett

Shannen McNeice – Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama

Laurence Olivier Bursary

Donated by Society of London Theatre

Natalie Blair – The Academy of Live & Recorded Arts

Alana Chokarian – Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance

Chris Coniston – Arts Educational Schools London

Lydia Barton Lovett – Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance

Mali O’Donnell – Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Felixe Forde – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Olivia Forrest – East 15 Acting School

Guy Hodgkinson – Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Olivia Nakintu – London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art

Ellie Ruiz Rodriguez – Royal Central School of Speech & Drama

George Smale – Drama Centre

Laurence Olivier Bursaries judging panel:

Lee Menzies (chair)

Priscilla John

Gareth Johnson

Carla Morris

Indhu Rubasingham

Wendy Spon

Madani Younis

Crucible Studio Theatre, Sheffield – until 21 March 2020

Reviewed by Ian Johnson

4****

World premiere by award winning playwright Chloë Moss

This new play which is 90 minutes straight through is a genuine heart warming and heart wrenching story of a family which spans four decades in front of the audience and takes us from present day backwards through their lives.

This story of two sisters Connie and Ursula played brilliantly by Lucy Ellinson and Helena Lymbery, along with Silas Carson as Connies husband Adrian the cast is completed by Lucas Button as their ‘son” Jack.

We are shown how explosive the marriage of Connie and Adrian is, how Jack is trying to fit in and the vulnerability of Ursula.

The cast are excellent in all their respective roles. I have to say how much admiration I have for both Lucy and Helena who played Connie and Ursula with such believability I was so involved in their lives together.

The first impression is of a lone garden bench on an astro turfed stage/park surrounded by different sized glass cabinets. These are well used throughout the 90 minutes.

We are introduced to Connie who sits waiting on the bench but we are not told who shes waiting for or why (we do find out at the end of the play). While she is there we are transported backwards through the years of her life, introduced to her family and her painful memories of two sisters growing up and growing apart. She has to retrace her life through forty years of caring for others, keeping secrets and being loyal to everyone.

We learn a lot about the lives of Connie and Ursula and the special bond the two sisters have together from being young girls growing up throughout their adult lives to the present day. We are shown the problems, troubles and struggles that they go through.

Life hasnt been plain sailing for Ursula with all the problems shes had to face, but having the love and support of Connie has helped her through life.

We are shown how theve gone from a close bond years ago to being virtual strangers in the present day. Secrets are revealed and hopefully a happy outcome could be the result of the revelation.

This is a case of nurture competing with nature.

This is a Sheffield Theatres, Paines Plough and Soho Theatre production.

Writer Chloë Moss, directed by Charlotte Bennett, designer Rosie Elnile and lighting designer Zoe Spurr.

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford – until 7 March 2020

Reviewed by Becky Doyle

3***

A fantastic cast and one who carried out the storyline brilliantly. Tessa Peake-Jones and Tony Gardner in particular did not disappoint, and Wendi Peters was a surprise when she sang, who knew she had such a voice?! Unfortunately for me, the story itself did not live up to expectations and I was left feeling maybe I’d missed something. I’d had in my mind, real belly laugh, fall off my chair kind of humor and that just isn’t what it was. However, others in the audience were and that leads me to think that maybe there was a generational gap.

Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed the show, it just didn’t meet my expectations. The set was laid out fantastically, and the change in scenery was one of the best parts of the show where Wendi Peters displayed her fabulous vocal abilities, as well as the comical interaction with the actors of the show.

I did enjoy the occasional audience interaction, that you can get form a smaller theatre, where the actors reacted to the audience’s claps, sniggers and cooing. All of the cast looked like there were thoroughly enjoying their parts and the characters they brought to life.

Overall, the show was enjoyable, and the second half was much more entertaining than the first. But, I do think I would recommended it to a slightly more mature audience as they seemed to have the most enjoyment from the show on the night.

The Leeds Playhouse – until 21 March 2020 

Reviewed by Sally Richmond

5*****

“Come my dears” and enter into the extraordinary world of Oliver Twist; where you’ll find yourself in the underbelly of Victorian London – in the streets of crime and dark adventure.  Presenting one of Dickens’ most famous stories; the fabulous Leeds Playhouse is hosting a most unique and thrilling production this week – brutal,  brave and brilliant scene after scene. If you thought Bryony Lavery’s adaptation was going to be typical of the usual ‘Oliver’ (a sweet-cherry- pie- cheeky-chappie singalong), then think again – this is so much better – it’s raw and real! 

Hardship, abuse and deprivation are at the core of Oliver Twist and through Amy Leach’s smart and skillful direction and impressive dramaturg from Jenny Sealey, nothing but the true themes (warts and all) of what Dickens fought to expose materialise on stage.  It’s hard to watch at times but that’s what makes this production so compelling and unique; as it cuts to the heart of the issues and lays them bare, stripped of any coziness that we so wrongly often associate with Dickens. 

Not only is this interpretation of Oliver Twist ingenious in its delivery but it’s the first Playhouse-led Ramps on The Moon production – who feature a large company in which deaf and disabled artists are integrated with non-disabled.  Each actor characterised their part perfectly with superb stage personas. Sign language was actually more or less banned in 1880 as human speech was seen as ‘the greatest gift from the almighty’.  The idea that unless you could talk, you wouldn’t be able to take the sacraments makes it even more poignant that the actors in Oliver Twist tell the story in the language of BSL.  This scandalous signing denial adds a fresh and new rich layer to the tale, which the two Brownlow characters (Rose – Katie Erich and Mr Brownlow – Jack Lord)  bring to light through Rose being told to stop signing by her father. 

Playing the title role, Broolyn Melvin, portrayed the waif Oliver with a beautiful fragility. When the pauper howls and yelps in pain (both of the physical and mental kind) the lump in your throat might distract you from the tightness of your heartstrings. In contrast, totally commanding the stage with star presence was Fagin, ‘Mrs Fagin’ to be precise and she would definitely have any ‘Mr Fagin’ under her Matriarchal thumb.  Like an off-duty Vivienne Westwood, donning a high puffed sleeved red velvet couture gown and pink spiky hair, Caroline Parker MBE portrayed the wicked ‘guardian’ with a sinister sweetness veiling a hard as acrylic nails centre. Simply spectacular in every way! Fagin’s only match was Bill Sikes (Stephen Collins) who was so dark and sinister, brooding and menacing with a psychopathic air that brought chills to the audience as soon as he entered the stage.

Other flawless performances were Nancy (Clare-Louise English) and her sidekick Little Luna (Rebekah Hill).  This tragic duo showed the audience the gentle vulnerability of working girls trapped by exhaustion and fear.  Their realistic portrayals demonstrated the heart wrenching life many poor Victorian women / children led. The harsh reality of the grooming and abuse that took (takes) place, when after a night of ‘working the streets’, is when Little Luna says she ‘feels cold inside’ and so is then plied with gin to warm her up ready for the next shift. 

Nadeem Islam played the ‘Artful’ one with a mischiehievous and an impish edge, making the audience laugh and smile in all the right places. Accompanying Mr Dodger were an ensemble of young apprentices of the criminal kind and all of the gang put maximum effort into every scene giving authentic characterisation with no overplaying at any point.  Comedy genius moments came in the form of Mrs Thingummy (Steph Lacey) and Mr Bumble (Benjamin Wilson) who gave us laughs a plenty with their unashamedly greedy behaviour and childish romance.

This Oliver Twist  isn’t like a large slice of apple pie with a huge dollop of custard: comforting, warming, familiar but it’s the retelling of a story at its most powerful: it forces you to feel, think and ask the very essential question: “When things were different?” – ‘were’ being the operative word here.  In the closing scene the cast re-enter wearing modern day jackets as noises of street cars zoom by. It leaves one pondering the issues highlighted and surely that’s what any great play should do and what Charles Dickens most definitely intended for his readers.

Hull New Theatre – until 21 March 2020

Reviewed by Catherine McWilliams

5*****

Mediterranean blue shimmered on the backdrop, the band struck up with a medley of Abba tunes and the packed audience at Hull New Theatre started to tap their feet, nod their heads and quietly sing along as they settled back in their seats for a cracking night at the theatre.

From the start it is clear that this is going to be a superlative performance as Sophie (Emma Mullen) sings “I have a Dream” as she posts her letters. The sets are so simple but so wonderfully effective the white and blues evoking the feel of a Greek island, the lighting adding that shimmer of the Mediterranean.

Mamma Mia! is a romantic comedy set on a small Greek island. Sophie (Emma Mullen) is trying to find the father she has never known as she is about to get married and has invited three possible fathers to her wedding. This brings her mother Donna Sheridan (Sharon Sexton) face to face with her past , as she has to deal with the repercussions. Mamma Mia! has a very strong and highly talented cast with a lovely mix of all the youngsters who are Sophie’s friends and the older cast members who are Donna’s friends.

Whilst Mamma Mia! uses the music of Abba it is not a jukebox musical, the songs are carefully placed to meet the emotion needed. Tempos may be slowed down to ensure that the words and feelings are very clear. There is the full range of joy, sadness, regret and even bitterness here.

Sharon Sexton is simply stunning as Donna Sheridan, totally believable from start to finish and her voice is sublime. Her rendition of “The Winner Takes it All” had it all, power, regret, hurt, anger, loss and those notes she reached – unbelievable. This had just followed the emotional “Slipping Through My Fingers”, when every mother and daughter in the theatre must have been holding their breath. But she also conveys the sheer joy of life as she performs “Super Trouper” with her friends Tanya (Helen Anker) and Rosie (Nicky Swift).

One of the joys of Mamma Mia! is the interaction between the characters and the friendships, Helen Anker (Tanya) and Nicky Swift (Rosie) were perfect as they cheered up their friend and had fun together.

The three fathers hit the spot beautifully, Rob Fowler as Sam Carmichael was just right as he tried to get his head around what was happening and tried to get Donna to listen to him. Daniel Crowder (Harry Bright) was a treat as he came out of his shell and began to have some fun, “Our Last Summer” is one of my favourite songs and I loved his performance of it. Jamie Kenna (Bill Austin) was great and “Take a Chance on Me” performed with Nicky Swift (Rosie) was a highlight of the show.

Emma Mullen made a beautifully sweet Sophie, with a superb singing voice and (to those of us who are older) had that annoying arrogance of knowing she knew everything at 20 to perfection! Her relationship with Sky (Toby Miles) was lovely.

This is a highly talented all singing, all dancing cast who really do justice to the story and the songs. The ensemble singing and dancing was superb, the quirky “Under Attack” was brilliant. Their vivacity and joy of life fills the theatre and this joy is carried out of the theatre by the audience.

This is not the film, this is so much better than the film, this is live performance. The music from the wonderful band (Musical Director Mark MacDonald) fills the auditorium and you can literally feel it in your bones, the raw emotion oozes off the stage, whether it is joy or regret, sheer joy will fill your heart, this is an experience that you will feel with all your senses (I swear I could smell the ouzo as they partied!!). To paraphrase an Abba song “Thank you for the music, the songs you’re singing, thanks for all the joy you’re bringing”

This is one not to miss, grab yourself a ticket – and enjoy!

Barbican Theatre, London – until 7 March 2020

Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert

5*****

Multiple murders, dubious desires, a head in a box, and misuse of corpses – welcome to Thomas Middleton’s 1606 revenge drama. And benvenuto to this co-production by Cheek by Jowl and Piccolo Theatre of Milan, which is all in Italian (translation by Stefano Massini). It is much less daunting than you might think – the English text is shown in surtitles above the stage, and the stylised design and sharp characterisation make it gripping. As does the somewhat colourful plot…

The central character Vindice (meaning ‘revenger’) wants to avenge the death of his fiance, who was poisoned by an elderly duke. Vindice gets his opening when the duke’s oldest son employs him to help seduce a girl who turns out to be Vindice’s sister. The duke’s numerous sons and stepsons are jostling to succeed him, and his illegitimate son is having an affair with the duchess. Once the duke is dead, the scheming and counterscheming brothers turn on each other, and what with one thing and another, the bodycount by the end is quite high. The characters then all leap back into life to leave the stage as they began – in a dancing procession to a tune that will stick in your head, and also drills home the message that greed, corruption, ambition and revenge itself are a merry-go-round that goes on and on.

As Middleton gave his characters names such as Supervacuo and Ambitioso, it looks very much as though he was sending up revenge drama as well as revelling in its extremes. That’s the way it’s played in this production – it’s bright and funny as well as extremely gory. There is a particularly gruesome murder scene, involving a poisoned death’s head as seduction bait, and an excruciatingly comical tea-party, in which Vindice tests his mother’s moral fibre and much bread-and-jam is eaten. The set (designer Nick Ormerod) is a series of doors (blood red, naturally) which open to reveal huge back projections – a stained glass window, Renaissance paintings, and sometimes black-and-white film footage of the events on stage, which has a rather eerie effect.

It’s played in modern dress – all those brothers are wearing natty suits, but are very distinct characters thanks to their riveting physical acting and Declan Donnellan’s inventive direction. Fausto Cabra plays Vindice with tremendous energy; Pia Lanciotti does a notable double turn as both seductive duchess and the pious mother who is tempted to pimp her own daughter. The Italian is gorgeous to listen to, and quite soon you feel as if you really are understanding the words even if you’re actually reading them above the stage.

CHARLIE CONDOU, KAMARI ROMEO AND KIM TATUM STAR IN UK PREMIERE OF STRAIGHT WHITE MEN BY YOUNG JEAN LEE

Directed by Steven Kunis
Produced by David Adkin and Panorama Productions

Southwark Playhouse, The Little, 27 May to 20 June

STRAIGHT WHITE MEN by Korean American playwright Young Jean Lee is a hilarious and revealing play about the most unoppressed of this world’s peoples. 

They are feared, envied, occasionally attacked and derided. But pitied?  When personal identity is essential and privilege is a problem, what is a straight white man to do?   

Young Jean Lee – called ‘hands down, the most adventurous playwright of her generation’ by the New York Times – is a playwright whose work revels in subverting stereotypes.   STRAIGHT WHITE MEN takes place over the Christmas holidays, when three brothers assemble at the family home, to celebrate the season with their widowed father.  The youngest, Drew, is an award-winning fiction writer. The middle boy, Jake is a hotshot banker, but the oldest, Matt, PLAYED BY Charlie Condou, is burdened by student debt and an unexplained failure to thrive.

Games are played.   Chinese food is ordered.  Brotherly pranks and trashtalk distract them from the issue that threatens to ruin the testosterone-fuelled, boys-will-be-boys celebration.  In this raucous, surprising and fearless work, Lee takes an outside look at the traditional father/son narrative, shedding new light on that theatrical storyline we have come to know all too well. 

But, and here is the twist, the people in charge of proceedings are neither white, nor straight, nor male…

Charlie Condou is an actor, columnist and LGBTQ+ rights activist best known for playing Marcus Dent in the ITV soap opera Coronation Street and Ben Sherwood in the BBC hospital drama Holby City. Theatre credits include: The Crucible (Sell A Door), Next Fall (Southwark Playhouse), Dying for It (The Almeida Theatre), The Changeling (Southwark Playhouse), Shopping & F***ing (No 1. Tour), Cracked (Hampstead Theatre) and After The Rain (Gate Theatre).

TV credits include: ‘Holby City’, ‘Unforgotten’, ‘Apocalype Slough’, ‘Coronation Street’, ‘The Impressionists’ and ‘Nathan Barley’ amongst others.Film credits include: ‘Good’, ‘Fred Claus’, ‘Charlotte Gray’, ‘Dead Babies’, ‘Sideswipe’, ‘Judge Dredd’, ’La Bas’ and ‘To Kill A Priest’.

Charlie says: “I’m really pleased to be working on the fantastic “Straight White Men”. I feel like masculinity is in a bit of a crisis at the moment and this play explores the effects of white male privilege in a beautifully delicate way”.

Also in the cast are Kamari Romeo and Kim Tatum. Kamari Romeo has worked extensively in immersive and experimental theatre. He made his screen debut in ‘Silent Witness’this year and his recent theatre credits include: Summer In London (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Bear/The Proposal (Young Vic) and Elemental (Bush Theatre). Kim Tatum is the director and founder of Mzz Kimberley’s Life, highlighting trans performers. Her recent theatre credits include: Closets The Musical (Hope Mill Theatre) and Summer in London (Theatre Royal Stratford East). She has also appeared in EastEnders and Cold Feet. She is a regular on the main stage for London Gay Pride and is Patron of CliniQ.

Young Jean Lee has been hailed as ‘one of the best experimental playwrights in America’ by Time Out New York. She has written and directed nine shows in New York and has toured her work to over thirty cities around the world. Lee is currently under commission from Plan B/Paramount Pictures, Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons, and Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Lee is the recipient of two OBIE Awards, the Festival Prize of the Zürcher Theater Spektakel, a 2010 Prize in Literature from the American Academy of Arts & Letters, a 2011 Guggenheim Fellowship and a Doris Duke Award.

Steven Kunis is Greek-American director for theatre and opera, currently based in London. He is the founding artistic director of Panorama Productions, a new company committed to international collaboration through the arts of theatre and music. His credits include: Refugee Orchestra Project UK Launch (LSO St Luke’s); Afterglow (Waterloo East Theatre); #Mr Simon Said (Tristan Bates Theatre) and The Demon (Cutler Majestic Theatre, Boston). Steven has received several recognitions for his theatrical work, including a nomination for Best Director at the Off West End Theatre Awards.

Choreography is by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster whose recent work includes: 

The Bee in Me by Ronald Schimmelpfennig dir. by Rachel Bagshaw; You Stupid Darkness by Sam Steiner dir. James Grieve at Southwark Playhouse; The Last Noel by Chris Bush dir. by Jonathan Humphries; Pavilion by Emily White dir. by Tamara Harvey at Theatr Clwyd and Chiaroscuro by Jackie Kay dir. by Lynette Linton at The Bush.

Set and costume design is by Suzu Sakai. Recent productions include: Bakersfield Mist (New Century Theater); Metamorphoses (Smith College); Alexander’s Feast (Harvard Early Music Society); The Imperial Express (Beijing Millennium Monument) and productions at the Fresh Fruits Festival and the Thespis Theater Festival. 

Lighting Design is by Jose Tevar who has recently designed The High Table and Chiaroscuro (The Bush Theatre). Other work includes productions for National Dance Company Wales, Middle Child and Lost in Translation Circus.

Casting is by Lucy Casson. Further casting will be announced shortly.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Southwark Playhouse, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD

Dates: 27 May to 20 June

Performance Schedule:

Monday – Saturday 20:00, matinees Tuesdays and Saturdays at 15:30

Previews from Wednesday 27 May

Ticket info:

£14 previews / £22 standard / £18 concessions / £7-£12 PAYG members

Bookings:www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

FORTUNATELY WITH FI & JANE

LIVE AT STORYHOUSE THIS SPRING

Experience smash-hit podcast with live performance

Make a date on Wednesday 25 March 2020

Smash-hit BBC Radio 4 podcast Fortunately comes to Storyhouse this Spring for a live performance from the broadcasters behind the show.

Broadcasters Jane Garvey and Fi Glover’s smash-hit podcast has a loyal cult following owing to its frank, razor sharp style and wit.

Now fans can enjoy the experience first-hand with Fortunately…With Fi And Jane: Live – the live show spin-off experience they no one knew they wanted, until now.

Fortunately…With Fi And Jane: Live comes to Storyhouse for one night only on Wednesday 25 March 2020. Tickets are on sale now.

Each week, Jane and Fi share musings on their lives, from pet deaths and garden hose repairs, to the trouble with HRT patches. It was once described as “surprisingly successful” by a BBC middle management figure in ankle-swinging chinos.

With 238 years of broadcasting experience between them, Fi and Jane guarantee you an evening of behind-the-scenes revelations and inconsequential, but strangely compelling, chat about living some of their lives behind the microphone.

The indistinguishable pair will be joined by a very special guest at each venue, and together they promise to take mid-life by its elasticated waist and give it a brisk going over with a stiff brush.

At a time of uncertainty, what you need is the wisdom and experience of two women who haven’t got a clue what’s happening either. If they can find their way to the theatre, it promises to be an evening of mildly entertaining stuff.

Please note: This event may be recorded for archival and promotional purposes.

Tickets for Fortunately…With Fi And Jane: Live are priced from £26.50. Each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee.

LISTING INFORMATION

FORTUNATELY…WITH FI AND JANE: LIVE

Wednesday 25 March 2020

Tickets from £26.50 – each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee

STORYHOUSE

Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR

HOW TO BOOK

Online:            Visit www.storyhouse.com

By Phone:       Call 01244 409 113

In person:       Visit the Ticket Kiosks at Storyhouse, Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR

Website:         www.storyhouse.com

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/storyhouselive/

Twitter:           @StoryhouseLive