Month: October 2020

LIVE THEATRE RETURNS TO LEICESTER
AS CURVE ANNOUNCES REOPENING PLANS

TRIO OF AWARD-WINNING MADE AT CURVE FAVOURITES
THE COLOR PURPLE IN CONCERT – 23 NOV – 5 DEC
SUNSET BOULEVARD IN CONCERT – 14 DEC – 3 JAN
MEMOIRS OF AN ASIAN FOOTBALL CASUAL – 25 JAN – 6 FEB

• ORIGINAL MADE AT CURVE CAST MEMBERS DANIELLE FIAMANYA, T’SHAN WILLIAMS, RIA JONES & DANNY MAC TO RETURN TO LEICESTER STAGE
• SIR CAMERON MACKINTOSH DONATES USE OF REVOLVE FOR BRAND NEW BESPOKE AUDITORIUM TO FACILITATE SOCIAL DISTANCING
• FAMILY AND COMMUNITY DAY TO BE HELD ON SAT 14 NOV

Curve has today announced plans to reopen to the public.

The theatre, which was forced suddenly to close its doors to the public on 16 March, will open again this autumn for spectacularly re-imagined, socially distanced concert performances of acclaimed Made at Curve productions, using the building’s unique theatre design.

Ria Jones and Danny Mac will return to star in Sunset Boulevard; T’Shan Williams and Danielle Fiamanya, who won The Stage Debut Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for her role as ‘Nettie’; will star in The Color Purple.

By raising the walls between its theatre spaces, Curve will reopen as a 533-seat socially-distanced auditorium, with audiences enjoying live performances from all four sides of the stage, fully realising the ambition of architect Rafael Viñoly’s original design. A triple-revolve, donated by Sir Cameron Mackintosh, will help to transform the space to create an epic experience for audience members.

The season will officially launch on 12 Nov with an exclusive event which will be live-streamed from the theatre.

Curve’s reopening plans are only possible due to grant funding received from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund and the ongoing support of Arts Council England and Leicester City Council.

From 23 Nov to 3 Dec, The Color Purple will return to Curve in a concert staged by original production team members Director Tinuke Craig, Musical Director Alex Parker and Choreographer Mark Smith. Cast members T’Shan Williams (Celie) and Danielle Fiamanya (Nettie), will return for the performances The 2019 Made at Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome co-production won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Regional Production earlier this year.

Christmas will see the return of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical masterpiece Sunset Boulevard from 14 Dec to 3 Jan, which was also awarded the title of Best Regional Production at the 2018 WhatsOnStage Awards. The concert performances will be directed by Nikolai Foster, with Ria Jones and Danny Mac (winner of the Manchester Theatre Award for Best Actor in a Visiting Production) reprising their roles as Norma Desmond and Joe Gillis. The performances will also feature a 16-piece orchestra.

Kicking off the new year from 25 Jan to 6 Feb 2021, Curve will revive its 2018 production of Memoirs Of An Asian Football Casual, winner of the Asian Media Award for Best Stage Production. Director Nikolai Foster will bring a stadium feel to the Leicester drama based on the life of former football hooligan Riaz Khan.

Both concert performances of The Color Purple and Sunset Boulevard at Curve will be staged thanks to the support of music licensing company PPL PRS Ltd. Full casting for all three productions will be revealed in due course, with The Color Purple and Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual casting by Curve Associate Kay Magson CDG, and Sunset Boulevard casting by David Grindrod CDG.

Curve will begin welcoming audiences back with a Family and Community Day on Sat 14 Nov. The socially distanced day will include a range of low cost and free workshops, performances and activities for all ages from Midlands artists and theatre companies. All events will be ticketed and must be booked in advance. Further details will be announced in due course.

Curve has also reaffirmed its commitment to developing new work. A group of local creatives and theatre makers across a variety of disciplines will take up residency at Curve in the new year. The full cohort of Curve Resident Creatives will be announced in the coming months.

As the building reopens for performances, Curve will also welcome back its Curve Youth and Community Companies and local Curve Associate Artists and Groups who have continued to engage in classes with the theatre online whilst the building has been closed.

Speaking about the plans, Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster said:

“COVID continues to have a devastating impact on our industry and we are indebted to Arts Council England and DCMS for the Culture Recovery Fund which will help us plan a future for Curve. 

“Although we have a long road to recovery ahead of us, we are delighted to announce a new programme of work which will reopen our theatre after seven long months of closure. The team at Curve have worked tirelessly on plans to enable us to safely reopen our theatre with social distancing. Curve’s unique architecture has always demanded a bold response in whatever we do, and we are proud to present these performances in our newly configured, socially-distanced, in-the-round theatre which merges our Studio and Theatre into one performance space. The Color Purple, Sunset Boulevard and Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual celebrate all that is great about Leicester and our theatre: community spirit, resilience and the irrefutable transformative power of culture and theatre in all of our lives. Alongside these performances, we look forward to welcoming our Curve Youth and Community Companies, Associate Artists and Resident Creatives back into the building. 

“We couldn’t be more grateful to everyone who donated and supported Curve during this temporary closure, in particular our principal funders Leicester City Council and Arts Council England. We would also like to extend our grateful thanks to Cameron Mackintosh for the loan of the revolving stages used in this special autumn re-opening season; Cameron and his team have been incredibly generous and supportive throughout the lockdown and we are most appreciative to all of them for their support.

“Curve plays an important role in the life of our city, and in reopening our theatre we will be able to play a part in helping revitalise Leicester from the continued impact of this pandemic. We look forward to welcoming our audiences, participants, staff and 100s of freelance artists back to Curve and the City Centre this autumn.”
 
To ensure audiences are able to safely enjoy a return to Curve, the theatre has introduced a number of new measures throughout its building, including a one-way system, additional cleaning and temperature checks before entry to the building. Further information can be found on Curve’s website.

Tickets for all shows in Curve’s upcoming season will be on sale to Friends from Thu 15 Oct, Supporters from Fri 16 Oct , Members from Mon 19 Oct and on-general sale from Wed 21 Oct, all at 12 noon.

Windsor Theatre Royal – until 17 October 2020
Reviewed by Carly Burlinge
4****

Love Letters By A.R. Gurney and Directed by Roy Marsden, is the story of Andrew Makepeace Ladd III (Martin Shaw) and Melissa Gardner (Jenny Seagrove).

When Andrew accepts an invitation to Melissa’s Birthday Party, Melissa then replies by writing a letter of thanks which starts correspondence between them that lasts for a lifetime.

Melissa Gardner ( Seagrove) comes from a rich but unsettled family she seems to be quite a rebel, at times is very funny and has a good sense of humour. She loves to paint, likes to enjoy life on the outside but seems very happy on the inside.

As a friendship begins they reminisce about their childhood memories. Their lifestyle choices as well as their hobbies and obligations they both have  with all the stresses it holds and entails. Discussions and experiences with people that have crossed both their paths. Melissa likes to ask him for his advice not always happy with the reply! Over the years their relationship brings love, laughter and disappointment as well as searching for approval. As years pass letters of emotions and care become apparent.

Andrew (Shaw) comes from a good family and seems very disciplined with his life, comes across very matter of fact. He loves to write and continues to with Melissa. He’s very good at talking about his achievements, which can only agonise her at times although he only wishes to impress her. This show tells a beautiful story of a relationship that goes through many stages in life with much emotion, love, doubt, care, concern, passion, shame and sympathy as well as happiness discovered through the years.

The stage was dark and simple with two writing desks opposite each other, as letters were read back and forth between the pair with a spotlight on each of them giving a really exceptional personal effect.

Some scenes were done particularly well with so much emotion and heartfelt shown through the good connect they both shared on stage and well as dramatised silences which really set the scene.

I found this production wonderful and enjoyable to watch – it definitely drew in the audience along with many laughs throughout. 

BOX OFFICE ROCKS FOR

L E S   M I S É R A B L E S  –  T H E   S T A G E D   C O N C E R T

RUN NOW EXTENDED BY TWO WEEKS

DUE TO EXTRAORDINARY PUBLIC DEMAND

WWW.LESMIS.COM

Cameron Mackintosh today (14 October 2020) announces a two-week extension to the run of Les Misérables –The Staged Concert due to extraordinary public demand.  Playing at the Sondheim Theatre over the Christmas period, the run which begins on 5 December 2020 is now extended to 31 January 2021.  

Cameron Mackintosh said: “The phenomenal speed at which the Christmas season of Les Misérables –The Staged Concert has sold out in just twenty-four hours has astonished us all.  To try to accommodate the tens of thousands of people still trying to get tickets we are adding sixteen extra performances today at noon.  It is wonderful that the public are so enthusiastic to come back to see a great show safely in the West End.”

The return of the Concert was announced on the Final of Britain’s Got Talent on Saturday night following a spectacular musical extravaganza from the casts of Les Misérables – The Staged Concert, The Phantom of the Opera and Mary Poppins.  With a reduced seating capacity of 750, Covid safety measures and social distancing will be in place front of house, on stage, backstage and throughout the building.

The cast for this run includes Michael Ball as Javert, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine and Matt Lucas as Thénardier. At certain performances John Owen-Jones will again play the role of Jean Valjean.

The Les Misérables –The Staged Concert cast recording is now available to pre-order at https://LesMiserables.lnk.to/TheStagedConcert for a release on 20 November 2020.  Recorded at the Gielgud Theatre last year with the same all-star cast the DVD is now also available to pre-order at https://LesMiserables.lnk.to/TheStagedConcert

The critically acclaimed new production of Les Misérables which opened in January of this year will hopefully re-open at the Sondheim Theatre sometime in the Spring as soon as the Government has withdrawn social distancing and reached Stage 5 allowing full capacity audiences.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Misérables is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel with additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.

Les Misérables -The Staged Concert is being staged without any financial help from the Culture Recovery Fund or the National Lottery.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                    Sondheim Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 6BA

Dates:                       5 December 2020 – 31 January 2021

Website:                    www.lesmis.com

Ad Infinitum in association with HOME presents: WHERE YOU AREA free online mini-festival of short films, podcasts, Q&As, talks and discussions exploring themes of freedom, transition, resistance and care Features new works from two Deaf collaborators A new podcast explores the elderly care system through personal stories and interviews with relatives 29th October to 1st November “A stylised and surreal world of black comedy, gothic horror and fantasy” ★★★★ Guardian on Ad Infinitum’s A Small Gathering @TheatreAdInf | #WhereYouAreFest | ad-infinitum.org

Exploring themes of freedom, resistance, transformation and care, theatre company Ad Infinitum have created their first mini-festival featuring the premieres of short films from Deaf artists Matthew Gurney and David Ellington alongside shows from their portfolio, and talks, podcasts and Q&As. The online festival is happening wherever you are, and all completely free.

Ad Infinitum was commissioned by HOME as part of the first wave of Homemakers commissions in March, resulting in their first ever film A Small Gathering.The film will be shown for free for the first time in a watch party as part of the festival, and together Ad Infinitum and HOME have extended this invitation to create and share new work to an incredible array of artists and academics. These include three collaborators on Ad Infinitum’s Extraordinary Wall [of Silence]: Matthew Gurney, David Ellington and Dr Paddy Ladd.

Bristol-based David Ellington’s Libertyis a poignant and political BSL poem told in a new highly-visual, poetic and physically realised short film. This filmic poem draws on visual vernacular and BSL to examine what sets us apart, and what unites us. Matthew Gurney’s film Dr Voxoff’s Sign Language School for Hearing Children has reimagined the world as one where hearing people are in the minority. This dark, acerbic and witty dystopian film draws on experimental theatre and film making, and  takes inspiration from the Silent Movie genre. In In Search of Deafhood, award-winning author and activist Dr Paddy Ladd shares his investigation of Deaf Culture, history and sign language, examining why it is still under threat, and crucially, how it can benefit humanity at large.

Ad Infinitum will also be premiering three-part podcast Home From Home: Journeys Into Elderly Care and brand new zine which features interviews and personal stories of experiences of the elderly care system. The interviews from up and down the UK feature those whose relatives have experienced care and those working in the care system to paint a picture of how it works – and where it doesn’t work. These interviews conducted by co-artistic director Nir Paldi have been transformed into a listening experience by composer, performer and podcast maker Jennifer Bell, and the zine created by visual artist Naomi Gennery.

From their portfolio, Ad Infinitum are making available their resources from Extraordinary Wall [of Silence], their show charting the history of D/deaf oppression. The extensive resources include books, videos, articles, papers and much more, the sum of all their research into the fascinating and painful history explored in the show. Their show No Kidswill also feature with a reading from across the pond by Philadelphia’s Inis Nua Theatre Company, and a Q&A with Nir and George.

Nir and George said, “We decided to create a new festival. Something we’ve never done before. A festival that could happen no matter what; a digital festival that has content you can enjoy for free, wherever you are; a festival that embraces the precarious situation we all find ourselves in for the foreseeable future. What we’re presenting is, approximately, where we are right now, as a company, as artists and freelancers, producers, general managers, interpreters… this is where we are at. While this space we’re building can be quite discombobulating for all it’s newness, it’s also strangely invigorating, inspiring, and it gives us hope.”

Ad Infinitum is an international ensemble based in Bristol, developing new and original theatre. Founded in 2007, Ad Infinitum is led by Co-Artistic Directors, Nir Paldi and George Mann. They create shape-shifting socio-political theatre to provoke, move and inspire through innovative storytelling and bold experimental styles. Ad Infinitum’s theatre draws upon the power of the body, engages audiences with urgent issues, and ignites passionate debate. Previous shows include No Kids, Translunar Paradise, Odyssey, Bucket List, Light, and Ballad of the Burning Star. Ad Infinitum is Associate Artist at Bristol Old Vic and The North Wall. They are Associate Artist Alumni at the Bush Theatre (2011-2013), The Lowry (2011-2017) and Redbridge Drama Centre (2009-2017).Their work has won awards at the Edinburgh Fringe (including Spirit of the Fringe and multiple Stage Awards), across the UK (including the Argus Angel Award), and many awards internationally.

Listings information

29^th October – 1^st November

All content available from premiere until 1^st November

FREE | ad-infinitum.org/where-you-are

PRE-FESTIVAL

Tues 20 Oct 2pm |  In Conversation with Ad Infinitum and David Ellington

Webinar with Ad Infinitum and filmmaker David Ellington

Join us on Tuesday 20^th October from 2-3pm for a session with theatre company Ad Infinitum and filmmaker and artist David Ellington, hosted by HOME Manchester. Ad Infinitum are an award-winning theatre company who work with collaborators from all over the world and tour nationally and internationally. Ad Infinitum was commissioned by HOME as part of the first wave of Homemakers commissions in March, resulting in film A Small Gathering. With the support of Art Council England’s Emergency Response Fund we have now commissioned two long standing Ad Infinitum collaborators to create Homemakers works of their own. David’s commission, a short film of his visual poem Liberty will be shared as part of Ad Infinitum’s mini festival WHERE YOU ARE at the end of October. We will be discussing Ad Infinitum and David’s previous work, how they collaborated on 2019’s theatre piece Extraordinary Wall o̶f̶ ̶S̶i̶l̶e̶n̶c̶e̶ and the creative process of making digital work under lockdown.

Weds 28 Oct – Sat 31 Oct 11pm, Sun 1 Nov 6pm | No Kids

A reading of Ad Infinitum’s hit show by Philadelphia’s Inis Nua Theatre Company

Ad Infinitum’s play, No Kids, will be read online as part of Philadelphia’s Inis Nua Theatre Company Reading Season. No Kids was written by our co-artistic directors George and Nir, who have always found a way to balance their marriage with running a theatre company together. But as they consider becoming parents, the only way they know how to work through their hopes and fears is to make a play about it. Premiered in 2018 and toured around the UK and the world, we are excited to see what they make of this text.

Thurs 29 Oct, available from 7pm | Dr Voxoff’s Sign Language School for Hearing Children

A film by Matthew Gurney

Longtime Ad Infinitum collaborator Matthew Gurney brings us a dark, acerbic and witty dystopian vision of a world in which the roles are reversed – where hearing people are a minority. Playing all the characters and experimenting with the theatrical in film, Matthew’s work draws on the Silent Movie genre and probes at a disturbing history that’s much closer to home than many realise. Commissioned by Ad Infinitum and HOME.

Thurs 29 Oct, 8pm | In conversation: Matty Gurney & host (TBC)

Following the world premiere of director and actor Matthew Gurney’s short film ‘Dr Voxoff’s Sign Language School for Hearing Children’  in this event Matthew  will discuss the themes that inspired his film, the history behind it,  and how the oppression of sign language continues to impact Deaf lives to this day

Fri 30 Oct 2pm | Home From Home: Journeys into Elderly Care podcast premiere and brand new zine

In the last few months, as part of our lockdown activities, we’ve been gathering personal stories from people across the country of their experiences of the elderly care system in the UK. We have spent hours chatting with people whose elderly relatives have received care at home and/or lived in a care home, hearing from those that struggled with the system or found it helpful, and people who work in the system. With permission, we recorded the conversations and commissioned a podcast maker, Jennifer Bell, to turn them into a fantastic listening experience. We have also commissioned visual artist, Naomi Gennery, to create a response to the conversations to be shared online. We are super excited to be collaborating with these two brilliant artists in two completely different and new artforms for us as an organisation.

Fri 30 Oct, available from 7pm | Liberty

A film by David Ellington

“The cold, cold shudder / of a world craving / blood, blood, blood / Every day blood / Leeching my freedom / My freedom / I will fight / to save my freedom.” David Ellington brings to life his poignant and political BSL poem, Liberty, in a new highly-visual, poetic and physically realised short film commissioned by Ad Infinitum and HOME. This filmic poem draws on visual vernacular and BSL to examine what sets us apart, and what unites us. David has been collaborating with Ad Infinitum since 2016, we are delighted to be able to commission his artistic response to the situation we find ourselves in.

Sat 31 Oct, available from 2pm | In Search of Deafhood

A lecture film by Dr Paddy Ladd

“In order to appreciate why the concept of Deaf Culture is of such crucial importance … it’s necessary to understand the historical processes that have contributed to its present status.” – Dr Paddy Ladd. In his lecture In Search of Deafhood, award-winning author and activist Dr Paddy Ladd shares his investigation of Deaf Culture, history and sign language, examining why it is still under threat, and crucially, how it can benefit humanity at large. Told through the community’s own perspective, Dr Paddy Ladd discusses the concept of Deaf Culture and the contribution it’s made both to academic disciplines, and human lives in general.

Sat 31 Oct 3.45pm | In conversation: Dr Paddy Ladd

Join us in a conversation with award-winning author and activist, Dr Paddy Ladd, following the screening of his Lecture on Deaf culture, history and sign language. We’ll be asking Dr Ladd about his life as an activist fighting for Deaf rights, what led him to write his world-renowned book Understanding Deaf Culture: In Search of Deafhood and much, much more – there’ll also be time for you to ask questions too.

Sat 31 Oct, available from 7pm | A Small Gathering

A film by Ad Infinitum

Stuck in endless isolation where thoughts turn into visions of madness, three characters desperately seek ways of managing as days tick over. Ad Infinitum brings an assortment of darkly comic, twisted tales exploring solitude and the richness of our internal world in the face of a new reality.

★★★★ The Guardian “A stylised and surreal world of black comedy, gothic horror and fantasy”

Join the watch party of our first-ever free screening of A Small Gathering on Saturday 31st October at 7pm! Our short film will then be available to watch for free for the rest of the weekend.

LOCKDOWN THEATRE ANNOUNCES LIVE VIRTUAL TABLE READ OF

TOM STOPPARD’S THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND

IN AID OF THE ROYAL THEATRICAL FUND

STARRING SANJEEV BHASKAR, SAMANTHA BOND, SIMON CALLOW, EMILIA CLARKE, FREDDIE FOX, DEREK JACOBI, JENNIFER SAUNDERS AND GARY WILMOT

NARRATED BY ROBERT LINDSAY

Following the success of Noël Coward’s Private Lives in September which raised £44,000 for the Royal Theatrical Fund, Lockdown Theatre today announces a live virtual table read of The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard, in association with The Royal Theatrical Fund. The table read will take place via Zoom, followed by a live Q&A with the cast and director on Sunday 25October at 7pm. Limited tickets available at www.rtflockdown.com

Performing live from the comfort of their own homes, Jonathan Church directs Sanjeev Bhaskar (Magnus), Samantha Bond (Cynthia), Simon Callow (Moon), Emilia Clarke (Felicity), Freddie Fox (Simon), Derek Jacobi (Birdboot), Jennifer Saunders (Mrs Drudge), Gary Wilmot (Hound) and Robert Lindsay narrates. Tickets are £35 and all the funds raised from Lockdown Theatres’ The Real Inspector Hound will be used as a crisis grant to support those who are struggling financially in the theatre industry.

An Agatha Christie-like farce that follows two theatre critics who become embroiled in a mysterious melodrama upon the discovery of a fellow critic’s body, The Real Inspector Hound premièred at the Criterion Theatre, London in 1968 with a cast that included Richard Briers and Ronnie Barker.

Lockdown Theatre’s production is a unique opportunity to take part in a one-night-only, once-in-a-lifetime live event. It will not be repeated, it will not be recorded, and there is only one place to see it – your house. This is a chance to take a peek behind the curtain of the theatrical process, in the company of national treasures!

Sanjeev Bhaskar plays Magnus. His credits for the company include Private Lives. His theatre credits include Dinner with Saddam (Menier Chocolate Factory), Dumb Show (Rose Theatre Kingston), Spamalot (Palace Theatre), Art (Whitehall Theatre), and Peter Sellers is Dead (Whitehall Theatre). His television credits include Unforgotten, Sandylands, Porters, Election Spy, Horrible Histories, The Kumars at No. 42 (Winner of two Emmy Awards, a Bronze Rose of Montreaux Award and a Brit Comedy Award), The Indian Doctor, Outnumbered, Chopra Town and Goodness Gracious Me; and for film, Horrible Histories: The Movie – Rotten Romans, Yesterday, Paddington 2, The Zero Theorem, Arthur Christmas, London Boulevard, It’s a Wonderful Life, Not the Messiah: He’s a Very Naughty Boy, Scoop, The Guru, Anita & Me and Notting Hill.

Samantha Bond plays Cynthia. Her theatre credits include Lie (Menier Chocolate Factory), Amy’s View, The Ends of the Earth, The Cid (National Theatre), The Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre), Passion Play, Arcadia (Duke of York’s Theatre), A Winter’s Tale, As You Like It and Man of the Moment (RSC). Her television credits include Death in Paradise, Downton Abbey, Outnumbered, Midsomer Murders and The Queen. She played Miss Monneypenny in the Bond films Die Another Day, Tomorrow Never Dies, Goldeneye and The World is not Enough, and her other film credits include The Last Step, A Winter Prince and Bunch of Amateurs. 

Simon Callow plays Moon.His theatre credits include Juvenalia (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Waiting For Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Equus (Trafalgar Studios), Amadeus (National Theatre) and Titus Andronicus (Bristol Old Vic); his credits as a theatre director include Shirley Valentine (Vaudeville Theatre), Shades (Albery Theatre) and My Fair Lady (UK tour). His television work includes Chance in a Million, Death in Paradise, Midsomer Murders, and Angels in America; and for film his credits include Amadeus, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love and The Phantom of the Opera. Callow has directed acclaimed operas and fronted documentaries celebrating the work of many classical composers. As an author, his credits include Being an Actor, Love is Where it Falls, Charles Laughton: A Difficult Actor, Orson Welles: One Man Band and My Life in Pieces.

Emilia Clarke plays Felicity. Her credits for the company include Private Lives. Her theatre credits include The Seagull (Playhouse Theatre) and Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Cort Theatre, New York). Her television credits include as Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones; and for film, Spike Island, Dom Hemingway, Terminator: Genisys, Me Before You, Solo: A Star Wars Story and Last Christmas.

Freddie Fox plays Simon. His theatre credits include An Ideal Husband (Vaudeville Theatre), Travesties (Apollo Theatre), The Judas Kiss (Hampstead Theatre/Duke of York’s Theatre/UK tour), Romeo and Juliet (Garrick Theatre). His television credits include The Crown, Worried About the Boy, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Cucumber,Banana and The Murders at White House Farm. His film credits include The Three Musketeers, Victor Frankenstein and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.

Derek Jacobi is a BAFTA award-winning actor who plays Birdboot. He made his 1986 West End debut as Alan Turing in Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code, his other theatre credits include Don Carlos (Sheffield Theatres/Gielgud Theatre), King Lear (Donmar Warehouse/National Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Garrick Theatre), The Tempest (The Old Vic), Cyrano de Bergerac (Barbican – Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Revival), Voyage Round My Father (Donmar Warehouse), Twelfth Night (Wyndham’s Theatre/Apollo Theatre – Oliver Award for Best Actor) and Much Ado About Nothing (Gershwin Theatre – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play). His film credits include Gladiator, Gosford Park, Last Tango in Halifax, Dead Again and The Tenth Man (Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special) while his extensive television credits include I, Claudius, Doctor Who, Inside Number 9 and The Crown.

Jennifer Saunders is a BAFTA-winning actor, writer and comedian who plays Mrs Drudge. Her theatre credits include Blithe Spirit (Duke of York’s Theatre) and Lady Windermere’s Fan (Vaudeville Theatre). She co-wrote, created and starred in the acclaimed BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous, further television credits include The Comic Strip Presents…, Friends, Girls on Top and Happy Families. Her film credits include Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, Coraline, Muppet Treasure Island, and Shrek 2.

Gary Wilmot is an actor and singer and plays Hound. He made his West End debut in Me and My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre in 1989. His other theatre credits include Flowers for Mrs Harris (Chichester Festival Theatre), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dick Whittington, Wind in the Willows (London Palladium), Big The Musical (Theatre Royal Plymouth), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre), The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre), Me and My Girl (Adelphi Theatre), Carmen Jones (Old Vic – directed by Simon Callow), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pirates of Penzance (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Oliver! (UK tour). His solo albums include Love Situation and The Album.

Robert Lindsay narrates. He is a BAFTA award-winning actor, whose credits range from the smash hit Citizen Smith in the Seventies to My Family in the noughties, with a generous sprinkling of award-winning stage roles in between, including Me and My Girl, which won him the Olivier Award in the West End, and a Tony Award when it transferred to Broadway. His TV work has ranged from sitcoms (his first was Get Some In!) to BBC Shakespeare productions, and Stephen Poliakoff dramas Friends and Crocodiles and Gideon’s Daughter. He appeared in Ricky Gervais’s Extras as an arrogant, mean-spirited version of himself. Or, as his friends prefer to say: as himself. He performed in Lockdown Theatres’ live table read of Waiting For Godot in April and Noël Coward’s Private Lives in September.

Jonathan Church CBE directs. He is currently Artistic Director of Bath Theatre Royal’s Summer Season, Chair of Marlowe Theatre Canterbury and on the Board of the Almeida Theatre. He was Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre (2006-2016); Artistic Director of Birmingham Repertory Theatre (2001-2006); Associate Director of Hampstead Theatre (1999-2001); Artistic Director of Salisbury Playhouse (1995-1999); Associate Director of Derby Playhouse (1994-1995) and Assistant Director of Nottingham Playhouse (1992- 1994).

Church’s West End Productions as a Director include Hobson’s Choice, Taken At Midnight (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Singin’ In The Rain (Palace Theatre), The Resistable Rise of Arturo Ui (Duchess Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Savoy Theatre and The Old Vic), The Witches (Wyndham’s Theatre), A Busy Day (Lyric Theatre), The Life and Times of Nicholas Nickleby (Gielgud Theatre).

Lawrence Batley Theatre (Online)

Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood – Reviewed 13 October 2020

5*****

Lawrence Batley Theatre presents Locked Down, Locked In, But Living, a virtual triple bill of dance. The three pieces of work forming this production were filmed and recorded in line with COVID compliant and Government guidelines.

The first production, Locked Down, produced by the theatre and Studio Wayne McGregor explores what it is like for a dancer or artist to be confined in their own home during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The dancer, Izzac Carroll, moves and dances provocatively what the restrictive experience is really like and wishing for freedom. Choreographed by Jordan James Bridge, this journey is navigated with creativity and expression in adapting and seeking comfort and eventually finding a new norm. The filming appropriately echoes the ambience and lighting for those extraordinary circumstances.

Locked In, co-produced with Northern Ballet, comes next and looks at the freedoms which have in the past taken for granted. Combined with feelings, that are triggered from the enforced isolation, this production explores and looks at the sensitivities and the yearnings for freedoms to be returned. With Daniel de Andrade’s powerful choreography, the dancers successfully and powerfully portray and state those attributes and emotions from the challenging experience.

But Living is an animated production which looks at a psychological state of mind of a dancer during lockdown. Choreographed by Gary Clarke and based on the 1903 film, Alice in Wonderland, this production invites the viewer on a journey of varying psychological states which the dancer experiences. Performed by Gavin Coward, movements expresses the themes of being trapped, enforced isolation, loneliness and eventually escapism. On parallel with Alice’s Wonderland adventures, Coward moves and dances through the vaults and labyrinth’s of the theatre which encapsulates similar relatable emotions and experiences.

These excellent and thoughtful pieces of work resonates with the current times that everyone is currently living in. Being locked down and locked in maybe necessary for keeping safe but it doesn’t stop everyone living.

ADDITIONAL WORLD PREMIERE ANNOUNCED AT BIRMINGHAM REPERTORY THEATRE THIS DECEMBER Lightpost Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre presentCONSTRUCTED

This December, Birmingham Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of Constructed, a new play by CJ Lloyd Webley and Lightpost Theatre Company playing in The DOOR from 3-5 December 2020. The new commission joins sold-out world premieres from Birmingham Royal Ballet (22-24 Oct) and Rosie Kay (21 Nov) in a season of new works at The REP this winter.  

Constructed explores the culture of working-class black men in Britain. Set on a failing construction site, a group of labourers seek to better themselves but hierarchy and social circumstance forces them to stick to the job at hand. When a rare opportunity for promotion arises, fragmented relationships born out of frustration threaten to break apart the brotherhood of co-workers. This new play seeks to dig deeper behind the workplace banter of a construction site, exploring the challenges that face working class manual workers both on site and at home. 

Writer of Constructed, CJ Lloyd Webley said; “My inspiration for Constructed first came when looking through some of history’s most iconic structures; we are all aware of their existence but who were the labourers behind these great landmarks? What is their story and how does this apply in the modern context? We almost never hear of, or celebrate, the skilled tradespeople who build our megastructures further than the architect who designed them. 

“In the middle of writing the play, George Floyd was murdered, and the Black Lives Matter movement began. I started to think where do we go from here and how can this inform some of the narrative in Constructed – exploring the possible and seemingly impossible for working class black men in modern Britain.” 

Lightpost Theatre Company is a company of young black men between the ages of 18-26 from across Birmingham and the West Midlands. The company seeks to actively challenge some of the social stigmas and ideas associated with young black men, using theatre as a gateway to create new plays of social and historical importance. 

Lightpost Theatre Company originated as part of Shifting the Dial – a programme that aims to improve the mental well-being of young men of African, Caribbean, or mixed African or Caribbean heritage. The Shifting the Dial Partnership is a unique collaboration comprised of The REP, First Class Legacy, Centre for Mental Health and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust and is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.  

Constructed plays at The DOOR at The REP from 3-5 December 2020 – tickets are on sale now at birmingham-rep.co.uk. 

The production will be directed by CJ Lloyd Webley and Mathias André. 

In line with current Government regulations, The REP has taken a number of carefully managed steps and precautions to help audiences feel safe and enjoy their chosen performance. The theatre has introduced a series of new safety measures such as socially distanced seating, hand sanitising stations, temperature checks and additional cleaning. More information can be found at birmingham-rep.co.uk. 

The REP will be monitoring the situation closely regarding government advice around performances in outdoor and indoor venues, with a number of contingencies in place. The priority, as always, will be the safety of audiences, performers and staff. 

THEATR CLWYD LAUNCH THE HELPING HAND APPEAL TO FUND MICRO-BURSARIES FOR FREELANCERS

Theatr Clwyd launch the Helping Hand Appeal, a fundraising campaign to further support the organisation’s Micro-Bursaries for Freelancers initiative. The initiative has already created and awarded 50 micro-bursaries for creative industry freelancers across Wales and the UK who need extra support during this time, and the fundraising campaign hopes to create 50 more.

The micro-bursaries offer space and paid time by paying £560, the equivalent of one week of Theatr Clwyd’s acting company wage, for dedicated freelancer professional development, as well as  offering free space in its building and one-to-one time with its experienced team of theatre professionals – from technical and producing to marketing, finance and press.

Tamara Harvey, Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd, today said, “When we launched our Micro-Bursaries initiative in August, we were inundated with applications and heartbroken at the huge number of talented people considering leaving the profession because they didn’t have hope for the future. By launching this campaign, we hope to be able to support many more freelancers throughout this period, as we know how vital and invaluable they are to not only us at Theatr Clwyd, but to the industry as a whole.”

A recipient of a micro-bursary in September said, “It arrived just in time for our family – the money will help take the pressure off, give us a moment to breathe, re-think, and re-adjust and, hopefully, take those first steps towards making theatre again.”

Throughout closure Theatr Clwyd has continued to support the local community in many different ways – encouraging creativity in young and old and those most isolated through the online Together programme, hosting blood donation sessions for the Welsh Blood Service, distributing food and creative packages to vulnerable families, leading digital dance workshops for those with Parkinson’s, running a Creative Hub for at-risk young people, and more.

For further information, and to donate, please visit https://www.theatrclwyd.com/give/helpinghand

ABOUT THEATR CLWYD

The award-winning Theatr Clwyd is Wales’ biggest producing theatre. Since 1976 Theatr Clwyd has created exceptional theatre from its home in Flintshire, North Wales. Driven by the vision and dynamism of award-winning Artistic Director Tamara Harvey and Executive Director Liam Evans-Ford, Theatr Clwyd pushes theatrical boundaries creating world-class productions.

Theatr Clwyd’s recent partnership with the National Theatre led to the creation of Home, I’m Darling which won Best New Comedy at the Olivier Awards and was nominated in five categories including Best Set Design and Best Costume Design. Other projects of note include the UK Theatre Award-winning musical The Assassination of Katie Hopkins, the site specific, immersive Great Gatsby and the Menier Chocolate Factory co-production of Orpheus Descending.

Theatr Clwyd is one of only four theatres in the UK to build sets and props, make costumes and paint scenery in-house. Their impressive team of workshop, wardrobe and scenic artists, props makers and technicians ensure the skills vital to a vibrant theatre industry are nurtured right in the heart of Wales, developing the theatre makers of the future. In addition to this, Theatr Clwyd hosts an artist development programme, trainee technicians’ scheme and an eighteen month traineeship for directors, to develop the Artistic Directors of the future.

Theatr Clwyd works in the community across all art forms and is recognised as a cultural leader for its cross generational theatre groups, work in youth justice and diverse programme of arts, health and wellbeing. Award-winning Community Engagement projects include Arts from the Armchair, in partnership with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, which uses theatrical making skills to help people with early onset memory loss and their carers, and Justice In A Day, working in schools and the law courts to help at risk children to realise the consequences of crime.

Theatr Clwyd has completed the public consultation period for a major Capital Redevelopment Project which will reimagine the theatre’s public spaces and create a greener, more efficient and sustainable building where world-class art can thrive and social action is rooted for generations to come.

During the Covid-19 pandemic the theatre has been active in helping its community, from hosting blood donation sessions and distributing food to vulnerable families to creating digital dance workshops for those with Parkinson’s and sharing creative packages and activities with those most isolated.

www.theatrclwyd.comTwitter: @ClwydTweets
Facebook.com/TheatrClwyd  

Sadly, The Watermill did not qualify for funding from the Government’s £1.5 billion arts industry bailout.  Now more than ever, the theatre needs to find ways to harness support to ensure its future survival. Donations to the FULL HOUSE appeal will help The Watermill navigate through these difficult times enabling the theatre to continue to tell brilliant stories in imaginative ways for its audiences.

FULL HOUSE Appeal Press Release

It is no secret that the UK arts industry has been severely impacted by the effects of national measures introduced to slow the spread of Covid-19. Like so many other theatres around the country since March, The Watermill Theatre has faced some extraordinary challenges to try and stay afloat.  Thanks to the incredible generosity of the theatre’s supporters and the combined efforts of its staff and volunteers, The Watermill has been given a fighting chance of getting back on its feet.

The riverside venue in Berkshire reopened on 22 September with a socially distanced one-man show, Bloodshot, performed by award-winning composer and actor Simon Slater. Bloodshot is the first of three productions planned for the theatre’s socially distanced autumn season, featuring shows with smaller cast sizes, reduced capacity inside the auditorium and socially distanced seating to enable audiences to get back to watching the very best live theatre.

However, with safety of the utmost priority and a variety of new measures introduced to aid social distancing, the number of audience members the theatre can welcome to each performance has been significantly reduced. As a result, The Watermill Theatre is calling for donations to its new FULL HOUSE appeal. The registered arts charity is requesting support to help overcome the effects of reducing its seating capacity during this unprecedented period.

Artistic and Executive Director, Paul Hart said: ‘We are delighted to bring live theatre to The Watermill’s stage once again and have loved welcoming audiences back. Undoubtedly the audience experience will look and feel quite different at the theatre this season as we have implemented lots of new measures to help with social distancing and to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, operating in this way means we are only able to sell approximately 37% of the seats in our auditorium – we usually aim to reach in excess of 80% capacity to break-even.

From the feedback we have received already, the uplifting effect that live theatre has on audiences is clear and we are determined to continue creating ambitious and exciting theatre for people of all ages to enjoy, but operating at such a reduced capacity involves a high level of financial risk. Sadly, The Watermill did not qualify for funding from the Government’s £1.5 billion arts industry bailout so – now more than ever – your support towards our FULL HOUSE appeal will make a dramatic difference.’

To find out more and make a donation to The Watermill Theatre’s FULL HOUSE appeal, please visit: watermill.org.uk or call the Box Office on 01635 46044.

Captain Fantastic’s Virtual Trick or Treat
Virtual Trick or Treat
10am – 8pm Saturday 31 October 2020

Halloween this year will be very different from normal; those who love trick or treating may be wondering what to do instead. But, fear not, to ensure no family misses out on the ultimate Halloween fun, Captain Fantastic are creating a Covid-safe online trick or treating experience. The UK’s Number 1 children’s entertainers have joined forces with experienced theatre producers Edward Andrews and Eleanor Russo of Bedouin Shakespeare Company to create this immersive Virtual Trick or Treat this Halloween for children up and down the country.

Audiences will join this spooktacular adventure from the comfort of their own home! Captain Fantastic has been kidnapped by the evil Dr Zob and it’s the audience’s job to go door to door meeting the various residents of Spooksville and gather clues, complete challenges (and collect plenty of sweets along the way!) in order to find him!

Held over Zoom, 5 fabulous actor entertainers will guide families through each virtual door, getting the little ones to complete fun tasks and find silly clues in order to help them find where Captain Fantastic has been hidden. Make sure you have a stash of sweets ready! Notwithstanding Covid, Captain Fantastic are ensuring this fabulous tradition can be continued at the spookiest time of year.

Tommy Balaam, actor and Captain Fantastic owner, comments, In this crazy time we don’t want children missing out on the joy of trick or treating, so we have made it super fun and of course 100% Covid-safe, so this fabulous tradition can be continued at our spookiest time of year. Since lockdown started Captain Fantastic have done over 2000 online parties, hosting birthdays and events for children all over the world. This is their first immersive experience.