Month: March 2020

ALAN BENNETT’S

THE HABIT OF ART

TO BE  FILMED AT

A CLOSED PERFORMANCE ON

WEDNESDAY 18 MARCH 2020

TO BE AVAILABLE ON DOWNLOADIn light of the most recent government advice due to COVID-19, The Original Theatre Company’s production of Alan Bennett’s THE HABIT OF ART, which was due to open at Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne on Wednesday 18 March 2020, will now perform a closed filmed performance on Wednesday 18 March 2020 at 2pm.

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne has made the decision to close the theatre to the public, however the company of THE HABIT OF ART, having rehearsed for three weeks, still wanted to perform. The performance will be filmed and the hope is that it will be made available to audiences in due course to download.

Alastair Whatley, Artistic Director of The Original Theatre Company said, “We are so sad that our much loved production of The Habit of Art is being forced off the road in these exceptional circumstances. We all have some testing times ahead and I hope that this filmed recording will provide our audiences now at home with some welcome inspiration, entertainment and remind us all of the vital importance of art and all those who make it.”

Matthew Kelly, who plays W.H.Auden/Fitz, said, “We are all devastated by the developments and the cancellation of our show, but very happy that people will now be able to see the show…without a sanitiser.”
THE HABIT OF ART is directed by Philip Franks and stars Matthew Kelly as Fitz (W. H. Auden), David Yelland as Henry (Benjamin Britten), Veronica Roberts (Kay, the stage manager), Robert Moutnford (Neil, the author), John Wark (Donald/Humphrey Carpenter), Jessica Dennis (George, the assistant stage manager) and Benjamin Chandler (Tim/Stuart).

THE HABIT OF ART explores friendship, rivalry and heartache, the joy, pain and emotional cost of creativity.  It is centred on a fictional meeting between poet W. H. Auden and composer Benjamin Britten.  Bennett wrote it as a play-within-a-play – actors Fitz, Henry, Tim and Donald are rehearsing a play called Caliban’s Day under the direction of stage manager, Kay, and in the presence of the playwright, Neil. In Caliban’s Day, a fictitious meeting occurs in 1973 in Auden’s (Fitz) rooms at Oxford not long before he dies.  Britten (Henry) has been auditioning boys nearby for his opera Death in Venice, and arrives unexpectedly – their first meeting in 25 years after falling out over the failure of their opera Paul Bunyan.

Alan Bennett’s THE HABIT OF ART premiered at the National Theatre in November 2009, directed by Nicholas Hytner and starring Richard Griffiths, Alex Jennings and Frances de la Tour.  The National then toured the production in Autumn 2010 with a new cast led by Desmond Barrit, Malcolm Sinclair and Selina Caddell.

This production of THE HABIT OF ART has been directed by Philip Franks and designed by Adrian Linford, with lighting by Johanna Town, sound by Max Pappenheim and casting by Joyce Nettles.

We are awaiting further information from the government and theatres about the rest of the tour.

Website:          www.originaltheatre.com
Facebook:       @OriginalTheatre
Twitter:            @OriginalTheatre #HabitOfArt
Instagram:       @OriginalTheatreCompany
Running Time:  2 hours, 20 minutes (including interval)

Suitable for 12+

OLIVIER AWARDS 2020 – CANCELLATION STATEMENT

It is with deep regret that we have to announce the cancellation of the Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall on 5 April.

Following the government’s new advice on social distancing yesterday, and the subsequent closing of many theatres and public venues, we no longer feel that it is feasible to host the ceremony that we had planned to deliver.

As the Royal Albert Hall has announced closure until further notice, we have taken the difficult decision that the event will not be going ahead.

The Society of London Theatre would like to thank all nominees, shows, producers, theatres, sponsors, suppliers and creatives for their ongoing support.

We are working through plans on how to properly honour and announce this year’s winners, and will release further information soon.

All tickets will be refunded, and the Royal Albert Hall will be in touch with ticketholders, who are asked to be patient during this process.

A message from Kathy Bourne and Daniel Evans

These are unprecedented times. The welfare of our audiences, artists and staff is paramount, and we also want to support the valiant efforts of our health service. So, we are taking action in line with Government advice and postponing the opening productions of Festival 2020: Brecht’s The Life of Galileo (which was due to run in the Festival Theatre, 24 April – 16 May), Stoppard’s The Real Thing (Minerva Theatre, 7 May – 6 June), Jay Presson Allen’s The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Festival Theatre, 29 May – 20 June) and Penelope Skinner’s The Village Bike (Minerva Theatre, 12 June – 4 July).

All other events during this period are also cancelled and the Theatre building, including the Café, will be closed to the public after today (Tuesday 17 March).

The Life of Galileo and The Real Thing will be rescheduled for the autumn (new dates will be announced in due course), and we hope to mount the other two productions at some point in the future. We currently plan to go ahead with South Pacific (6 July – 29 August), The Unfriend (17 July – 22 August) and all the Festival 2020 productions thereafter. We may be able to re-open the building earlier.

Ticket holders will be contacted as soon as possible about ticket exchange, credit, donation or refund options. As you can imagine, the next few days will be very busy for our Box Office team, so we appreciate your patience at this time.

We are deeply sorry for the disappointment this will cause. Chichester Festival Theatre has been at the heart of West Sussex for almost 60 years, and we look forward to opening our doors and welcoming our audiences back as soon as we can.

In the meantime, we’ll be considering how we might be able to help our community during this challenging time; and send our supporters, audiences and colleagues our encouragement, support and best wishes for their health and wellbeing.

Kathy Bourne, Executive Director

Daniel Evans, Artistic Director

THE SHOW MUST GO ONLINE LAUNCHED –

A LIVESTREAMED SERIES OF PERFORMED READINGS OF

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE

Robert Myles today announces The Show Must Go Online, an online group that will read the complete plays of William Shakespeare in the order they were written, livestreamed on YouTube. Bringing actors and audiences together to collectively enjoy and experience Shakespeare at a time when connecting in a traditional theatre space isn’t possible. The first livestream will be of The Two Gentleman of Verona, introduced by Ben Crystal, on Thursday 16 March, 7pm GMT.

It’s all over Twitter right now that Shakespeare wrote King Lear while quarantined by the plague – if he carried on, we can too. 

The Show Must Go Online readings are a fun, sociable way for actors and theatre makers to stay connected and creative during these unprecedented times, and also provide audiences with something that’s live, that’s raw, that feels spontaneous and exciting – replicating the theatre experience for those who need to self-isolate.

Robert Myles today said, “The response to The Show Must Go Online has been overwhelming – so many professional actors and experienced amateurs were willing to donate their time to entertain each other, and an audience. The mix of people, the mix of experience, many of whom will be meeting each other for the first time, some of whom are from America and Europe – but all brought together by their love of Shakespeare – these are sights you’d never normally see in a regular production.”

The watch the YouTube live readings, please visit – https://youtu.be/KOAHj4ANGKw

To join the readings, please visit https://forms.gle/ZXCHb2x1Z2RsES

#ShowMustGoOnline

#ConnectedAndCreative

Robert Myles is a classical actor and director, writer and freelance creative lead. He is the creator of The Shakespeare Deck, and has workshops available for actors interested in getting more from Shakespeare’s incredible text. As an actor, he has toured the UK playing leading roles in Shakespeare’s most celebrated plays.

Homepage

@robmyles

Ben Crystal will be introducing the first reading. He is an actor best known for his work in original pronunciation, and is the author of Shakespeare on Toast, and co-author of The Shakespeare Miscellany, Shakespeare’s Words and The Oxford Illustrated Shakespeare Dictionary.

Fun Palaces 2020 launch The seventh free annual weekend of action celebrating arts, culture, science and creativity in the heart of communities, made by and for communities, is now open for signupsThis year the weekend of action is 3rd and 4th October, across the UK and worldwideThe launch will open Fun Palaces’ new website for signups, share the 2019 evaluation and 2019 film of Fun Palaces Makers across the UK

@funpalaces | #funpalaces | www.funpalaces.co.uk

Sharing skills, connecting communities, creating tiny revolutions

Fun Palaces supports communities to lead their own cultural community events, encouraging people throughout the UK and internationally to create a local Fun Palace, sharing the skills and passions of community members, whether they are experts or enthusiasts.

Since 2014 there have been 1758 Fun Palaces made by over 40,000 local people in 15 nations with over 560,000 people taking part. This October will be the seventh annual weekend and, year-on-year, Fun Palaces has widened the diversity and inclusivity of its events, welcoming a wider demographic to lead and join in local Fun Palaces. Supporting local people to lead by sharing their own skills is key to the campaign, giving neighbours a chance to meet up and learn from each other in relaxed, fun and often chaotic ways, creating tiny revolutions of community connection. 

All Fun Palaces are free to visit and offer activities ranging from arts, crafts and heritage through to science, tech, digital and sports. There are no rules about what venues can or can’t become a Fun Palace. From the tiniest gazebo to the grandest public hall, forests and fields, what matters when it comes to making a Fun Palace is that community is genuinely at the heart of it.

Ambassadors Programme

In 2019, Fun Palaces was awarded National Lottery funding from The National Lottery Community Fund. Over a five-year period, the £1.5m grant will support the work of Fun Palaces Ambassadors in nine locations, working with local partner organisations.

Current Ambassadors continue their work in Cornwall at FEAST and Cornwall Museums Partnership, Sheffield at Sheffield Theatres and Scotland Central Belt at the Scottish Library and Information Council. They are joined by newly-appointed Ambassadors in Northern Ireland at Big Telly Theatre Company, North Wales at National Trust Wales, North of Scotland at Eden Court, Inverness.

In 2021 three new Ambassadors will join the programme in Rotherham at Rotherham Council, Devon at Libraries Unlimited, Gateshead at Sage Gateshead.

Fun Palaces Ambassadors are all local people, already working with their own communities. The funding from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest funder of community activity in the UK, supports them to do even more on a local, grassroots basis. It further enables them to share and develop their learning between the cohort of Ambassadors, the individuals and communities with which they work, and more widely with the many other organisations like Fun Palaces, focused on community and cultural equality and inclusivity, who understand that local people are the heart of our campaign towards a cultural and community life that is truly inclusive and welcoming to all.

Quotes from new Fun Palaces partner organisations:

James Mackenzie-Blackman, CEO Eden Court, Inverness

 “We’re thrilled to be a new Fun Palace’s partner enabling the communities of the Highlands, Islands and the North of Scotland to discover and celebrate their creativity, in all its forms. We can’t wait to get started.”

Pamela Tulloch, Chief Executive at the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC):

“Libraries are positioned at the heart of communities across Scotland, offering everyone equal access to an abundance of information and resources for education, cultural and social activities.  Working with Fun Palaces is a perfect partnership to encourage and empower communities and individuals to improve local community life through culture and creativity.”

Frances Porter, General Manager Big Telly Theatre, Northern Ireland:

 “Big Telly has hosted the NI Fun Palaces ambassador for just 4 months and Siobhan has made such great inroads and contacts with so many people here already. It’s a new concept for us here, but people have been so receptive and positive, we think it’s going to be a fantastic first year for new makers and Fun Palaces.”

Justin Albert, Director National Trust Wales:

“We are delighted to be hosting a Fun Palaces Ambassador in North Wales.  In the year when we are celebrating our 125th anniversary this partnership provides a fantastic opportunity for National Trust Wales and our properties to explore cultural democracy and our role in the communities of North Wales.  We are looking forward to collaborating with communities, Fun Palaces and the Ambassador to create something special so people can join up, share skills and have fun together.”

Fun Palaces Website │Twitter │Facebook │Instagram @funpalaces | #funpalaces | www.funpalaces.co.uk

Central Fun Palaces Team

Co-Director: Stella Duffy OBE                            Co-Director: Sarah-Jane Rawlings

Co-ordinator: Ravina Bajwa                               Producer: Kirsty Lothian

Communications: Daniel King

LAMBERT JACKSON PRODUCTIONS AND THE THEATRE CAFÉ ANNOUNCE LEAVE A LIGHT ON – A FESTIVAL OF PAID, LIVE STREAMED CONCERTS TO KEEP ACTORS WORKING DURING THEATRE CLOSURES

Lambert Jackson Productions and the Theatre Café yesterday announced an initiative to keep actors in paid work during the theatre closures. Leave a Light On will be an extensive series of intimate, piano vocal concerts streamed live from The Theatre Café to audiences for a small affordable fee. The concerts will range from performers with huge, established followings to performers who may have only just started in theatre.

Starting next Monday 23 March, three 45-minute concerts will take place each day, aimed not only to provide financial support for the performers involved, but also to provide entertainment for people in self-isolation.

Lambert Jackson Productions and The Theatre Café today said “We are so excited about this project. This is a really dark time for the theatre world and we want to help wherever we can, as much as possible. The idea that people who are self-isolating can help performers who have lost all of their work is a really beautiful thing, and also speaks volumes about our amazing industry and the community it fosters”

More details and a full line-up will be released later, so keep an eye on the following social accounts:

Twitter:

@LJProds

@thetheatrecafe

Instagram:

@lambertjacksonproductions

@theatrecafeUK

Facebook:

Lambert Jackson Productions

The Theatre Café

LEEDS GRAND THEATRE & OPERA HOUSE LTD. TO CLOSE TO HELP SLOW THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS

Following official government advice issued on Monday 16 March, which stipulates that people should avoid public buildings, including theatres, we regret to announce that Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House Ltd. will close from today to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

Our three venues – Leeds Grand Theatre, City Varieties Music Hall and Hyde Park Picture House – will remain closed until further notice and will re-open as soon as possible – following government recommendations.

Chris Blythe, Chief Executive, said: “We are extremely grateful to all of our audiences who have continued to support us for as long as they can, and to our staff who have worked tirelessly in recent weeks to ensure the safety and enjoyment of audiences.

“These are unprecedented times – combined we have been open for over 400 years – and closing our venues is not a decision that has been taken lightly. In truth, this will have a severe impact on the future of Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House Ltd. – our future is now uncertain – but the safety of our visitors and staff has always been our priority.

“We will continue to follow advice from the Government and work closely with the touring Companies and artists that are due to visit our venues over the coming months and hope that we will be able to open our doors again very soon.

“We thank everyone for their continued support and loyalty.”

Audience members for a performance/screening that has been cancelled will be contacted in due course by Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House Ltd. staff. All customers are entitled to a refund*, however, as Leeds Grand Theatre & Opera House Ltd. is a charitable enterprise, those who can afford to are encouraged to donate the cost of their ticket to show support for the future of our venues.

Over the coming weeks we will continue to provide regular updates. Ticketholders are asked to bear in mind that our customer service teams are extremely busy, and we would appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding at this time.

THEATRE CLOSURES – PRESS STATEMENT

Following official government advice issued today (Monday 16 March), which stipulates that people should avoid public buildings including theatres, we regret to announce that SOLT and UK Theatre member venues will be closed from tonight, to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

The theatres will remain closed until further notice and will re-open as soon as possible, following government recommendations. 

Audience members for a show that has been cancelled will be contacted by their ticket providers and are entitled to a refund. Ticketholders are asked to bear in mind that customer service teams are currently extremely busy.

Julian Bird, Chief Executive of SOLT and UK Theatre, said:

‘We are extremely grateful to all of our audiences who have continued to support us for as long as they can, and to theatre staff across the country who have worked so hard in recent weeks to ensure the safety and enjoyment of audiences. Closing venues is not a decision that is taken lightly, and we know that this will have a severe impact on many of the 290,000 individuals working in our industry. In these uncertain times, SOLT and UK Theatre remain committed to helping provide vital support for those in need, and hope we are able to welcome audiences back to our theatres before too long.’

Many theatres that have been forced to cancel performances are charitable enterprises, and while ticketholders are all entitled to a refund for cancelled performances, those who can afford to do so are encouraged to donate the cost of their ticket to show support for the theatre industry. 

Over the coming weeks, SOLT and UK Theatre will continue provide updates to the industry and the public as the situation changes, sharing current government and NHS advice.

Antic Disposition celebrate 15th anniversary
with A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Gray’s Inn Hall, South Square, London WC1R 5ET
Monday 24th August – Saturday 5th September 2020

Award-winning site-specific theatre company Antic Disposition celebrate their fifteenth anniversary this summer with a restaging of one of their most popular productions, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed in London’s historic Gray’s Inn Hall.

Renowned for their innovative staging of classic plays in unconventional spaces, Antic Disposition will bring Shakespeare’s quintessential comedy to life in a riot of madcap comedy, lyrical poetry, evocative music and visual spectacle, creating an enchanting experience for the whole family

A stone’s throw from Holborn and Chancery Lane, the sixteenth-century, wood-paneled Gray’s Inn Hall is one of the few remaining original Shakespearean venues, having hosted the first recorded performance of The Comedy of Errors in 1594. A Midsummer Night’s Dream presents a rare opportunity to visit and explore one of London’s hidden architectural treasures.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is directed by Antic Disposition artistic directors Ben Horslen and John Risebero, who together founded the Peter Brook Award-winning company in 2005. Their recent joint directorial credits include Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth in Temple Church; The Comedy of Errors and Much Ado About Nothing in Gray’s Inn Hall; Henry V, which toured twenty of the UK’s finest cathedrals marking the centenary of the First World War and Shakespeare400; and their own musical adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which has enjoyed five sell-out seasons in the spectacular Middle Temple Hall.

Directors Horslen and Risebero comment, As a company steeped in site-specific theatre, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate Antic Disposition’s fifteenth anniversary than by reviving this most popular of plays in an original Shakespearean venue, Gray’s Inn Hall. In Elizabethan days, annual student revels turned the normally respectable Inns of Court into places of laughter and merriment. Our high-energy production will do the same, unleashing the bohemian magic of the woods into the conventional corridors of the legal quarter.

Before arriving in London, A Midsummer Night’s Dream will tour twelve extraordinary open-air locations around the Dordogne and Lot valleys in southwest France from 29 July to 12 August – Antic Disposition’s 16th annual tour of the region.

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre and UK Productions are delighted to announce the return of

LA VOIX IN

CINDERELLA at

AYLESBURY WATERSIDE THEATRE

Hot off the stiletto heels of her sold-out one woman show at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre in February, La Voix is returning to panto land due to popular demand to play Fairy Godmother – the most glamorous Fairy Godmother in all the land!

Known as the ultimate fairy tale, Cinderella holds a particularly poignant place in La Voix’s heart as she fondly reminisces on her Waterside debut appearing in Cinderella in 2010 alongside national treasure, Cilla Black.

She said: ‘I remember what an honour it was performing on stage alongside such an icon. We had a wonderful time that Christmas and I have felt lucky to get another 4 pantomimes in Aylesbury under my Swarovski belt since then. It’s the theatre’s 10th birthday year and we’re going to celebrate in epic style this Christmas. The local audiences are in a class of their own, every time I perform at the Waterside the welcome is second to none, and I can’t wait to give them more of what they’re completely hooked on – lots of laughs, fun and madness!’

Cinderella may be a classic rags to riches story but there will be no rags near the much-loved red head. La Voix will come complete with her trademark glitz and a collection of stunning costumes ready to dazzle on the bleakest December day.

La Voix can currently be found on her national tour spreading glamour across the country and treating towns and cities to her unforgettable vocals and quick-witted humour. Britain’s Got Talent’s biggest diva who also appeared in Absolutely Fabulous the movie and holds awards for Best Cabaret Artist (London Cabaret awards) and The Norwich Critical Camp Award.

La Voix follows the recent announcement of Andy Collins also returning as part of the recognisable panto dream team. With sparkling sets, stunning costumes, and plenty of songs, slapstick, and audience participation, the duo are ready to get back where they belong this Christmas.

Join the razzle dazzling Fairy Godmother for a festive production not to be missed! Book your tickets today. Visit www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury or call 0844 871 7607 (Calls cost up to 7p per min plus your phone company’s access charge).