New cast and revised dates announced for digital concert revival of Gatsby A Musical at Cadogan Hall Streaming: Friday 26th – Sunday 28th February 2021
Acclaimed West End talent Jodie Steele (Heathers; Six The Musical) joins the digital concert rendition of Gatsby A Musical as leading-lady Daisy Buchanan, alongside Liam Doyle (Wicked; Legally Blonde) as Tom Buchannan, and Joe Frost (Jersey Boys; An Officer and a Gentleman) as George Wilson. The captivating socially-distanced revival will be filmed in the historic Cadogan Hall and made available to stream online from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th February 2021.
They will be joining the previously announced Ross William Wild (Elvis Presley in Million Dollar Quartet) in the titular role, and four-time Olivier Award nominee Emma Williams (Mrs Henderson Presents; Zorro) as Myrtle Wilson. Further casting includes Blake Patrick Anderson (RENT; Be More Chill), Chanice Alexander-Burnett (Motown the Musical; Beautiful – the Carol King Musical), Lauren Chinery, Robert Grose, Oliver Mawdsley, and Tristan Pegg.
Adapted by director Linnie Reedman, and with music and lyrics by Joe Evans, this unmissable piece brings F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel to life for a semi-staged concert experience. Vibrant characters, popped corks, and infectious rhythms collide with personal conflicts and lost loves in this tragedy of the vanishing jazz era.
Jodie Steele comments, I feel so grateful to visit this project and character again. I can’t wait to reunite with Daisy and her story, it’s truly an honour to tell it. At a time when Theatre is struggling, it’s a proud moment for everyone involved in this project to aid in keeping the fire lit. Please buy a ticket to enjoy it from your living room- maybe dress in black tie attire and have a cocktail in hand for the occasion and it’ll feel like you’re there with us!
When Daisy Buchanan revisits Jay Gatsby’s mansion seven years after leaving that world behind, she is trying to confront her past by reliving the dream she shared with Gatsby. But where is he? With themes of loss, disappointment and ultimately hope for a better tomorrow, Gatsby, is surprisingly resonant with the ‘roaring twenties’ we find ourselves in once again.
Gatsby has previously been staged at the Crazy Coqs, the King’s Head, Riverside Studios, the Leicester Square Theatre, Theatre Royal Windsor and The Other Palace.
Due to availability, previously announced cast members Marc Antolin, Marc Rhys, and Charlotte Wakefield, will no longer be involved in the concert revival. Their roles are replaced by the newly announced cast.
THE BARN THEATRE ANNOUNCES NEW INTERACTIVE DIGITAL CONCERT WHERE YOU’RE IN CONTROL OF THE SET LIST
THE SECRET SOCIETY OF LEADING LADIES UTILISES TECHNOLOGY TO LET THE AUDIENCE TAKE CONTROL OF THE SET LIST
LINEUP FOR THE CONCERT INCLUDES JARNÉIA RICHARD-NOEL, LAUREN BYRNE, NATALIE KASSANGA, EMMA KINGSTON & AISHA JAWANDO
THE CONCERT IS CONCEIVED AND DIRECTED BY RYAN CARTER
The Barn Theatre have announced an upcoming digital musical theatre event entitled The Secret Society of Leading Ladies, which provides a new innovative format that allows the viewer to make decisions and control the set list.
The Secret Society of Leading Ladies, which will run from 22 February – 7 March,takes audiences into a world where Musical Theatre characters can co-exist in the same space regardless of era or genre. The concept was created to reward die-hard musical theatre fans, whilst being mould-breaking enough to invite a new audience to discover the world of musical theatre.
Conceived and directed by the Barn Theatre’s Ryan Carter, the event focuses on the archetypes of Female Musical Character, ranging from princesses and dreamers to villains and divas.
Over the course of the concert, the viewer will be presented with 5 ‘Choose Your Player’ screens, which prompts them to decide the character they wish to introduce next. The concert has over 150 combinations for the viewer to choose from. Each character is introduced with a short scene, before taking to the stage to perform a number. The concert closes with a finale that features all 14 characters, providing a chance to get a glimpse at all the characters involved.
The cast for the production features Jocasta Almgill(& Juliet, Rent, In The Heights, Dreamgirls), Lauren Byrne (Beautiful, Six), Kayla Carter (Rent), Aoife Clesham (Fiver), Allie Daniel (Rent), Abbi Hodgson (Six – NCL), Aisha Jawando (Tina the Musical, Motown the Musical, The Life, Beautiful), Claudia Kariuki (Priscilla Queen of The Dessert, School of Rock, Wicked), Natalie Kassanga (Dear Evan Hansen, Motown The Musical), Emma Kingston (The Last 5 Years, Zorro, Evita, Fiddler on the Roof, In The Heights), Kayleigh McKnight (Bend It Like Beckham, Les Miserables, Tina the Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar), Ellie Mitchell (Chicago, Wicked), Jarnéia Richard-Noel (Six) and Kelly Sweeney (Hair, Six).
The creative team for Secret Society of Leading Ladies are Ryan Carter as Creative Director & Concept Creator, Leo Munby (The Last 5 Years, Gypsy, Company) as musical consultant, sound engineering by Harry Smith, editing by Ben Evans and videography by Jamie Scott-Smith.
Ryan Carter said of the concert, “musical theatre concerts are such an awesome way to be able to curate dedicated content to specific audiences, Secret Society was born when I wanted to find a way to make that a truly custom experience. In developing this project, we’re allowing audiences to ‘choose their players’ and ultimately build their own show.
It’s a form of digital theatre that the musical theatre sector hasn’t seen before, which is something that 10 months into the pandemic is getting harder to achieve! It’s super ‘stagey’, fun and self-aware, but aesthetically really contemporary and cool. The cast are an incredible representation of the next generation of leading ladies. It’s quite a mould breaking and innovative project which is exactly what I joined the Barn to deliver. I can’t wait for audiences to get their hands on it! I will personally reward anyone that completes all 162 possible combinations!”
Two ticket types are available for the production. £10 Single Stream Tickets, which give access to watch the concert once at their selected time, and £15 Unlimited Stream Tickets which provide one day-access to the concert, allowing the viewer to experience as many combinations as they wish within their allotted time. The concert will be available internationally from 22 February-7 March. Tickets can be purchased at barntheatre.org.uk/barn-at-home.
New trustees welcomed to the Royal & Derngate board
Royal & Derngate is delighted to have welcomed three new trustees to its board at its recent AGM. The charity that operates the theatre, Northampton Theatres Trust, is governed by a board of volunteer trustees, each recruited to support the management team in ensuring that the charity continues to thrive. The organisation also begins its search this week for a new chair to head up the Board of Trustees.
Born in Yorkshire, new trustee Jane Bunce worked for the University of Northampton in a number of senior roles, including Director of Student and Academic Services and most recently as Academic Project Manager for the new Waterside Scheme, until her retirement in 2019. She also serves on the boards of Surprise Northamptonshire and Northampton Forward.
Olivier Award-nominee Tanya Moodie is a Canadian-born British actress and producer. For Royal & Derngate, she appeared in King John, staged at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Northampton, in 2015. With a plethora of TV, film and stage credits, she is also a patron of Roundabout Dramatherapy and Act For Change, and an ambassador for Park Theatre, London and Clean Break.
Samuel Munday-Webb is a director, writer, producer and educator with experience in theatre, education and schools. In 2016 Sam founded the Great British Pantomime Awards. He has worked in community arts engagement and has an in-depth knowledge of safeguarding. His company The Inspiration Factory offers bespoke workshops to businesses promoting well-being and better team practices.
Chair of the Board of Trustees, Steve Edmonds comments: “We’re delighted to welcome Jane, Tanya and Sam to the Board of Royal & Derngate. They each bring a wide range of experience and skills all of which will be a great asset to the board as we continue to navigate these challenging times, look towards reopening and emerging successfully in a post-Covid world.”
Royal & Derngate (Northampton Theatres Trust) is also now seeking a new Chair for its Board of Trustees, with proven strategic knowledge of the arts and charity sector, to provide guidance and support to the theatre’s leadership team. After more than three years as Chair and a decade as a valued trustee, Steve Edmonds steps down as Chair of the Board in 2021. The organisation would particularly welcome applications from those whose backgrounds are currently under-represented on both the theatre’s Boarand in the Arts more widely, and is keen to encourage socio-economic diversity on the Board, as well as representation from Black, Asian, or other Minority Ethnic groups and/or people who identify as D/deaf and disabled.
More information about the role of Chair and details of how to apply can be found on the theatre’s website, www.royalandderngate.co.uk. The closing date for applications is 8 March.
National Theatre announces Tony Kushner’s multi-award-winning Angels in America:Parts One and Two, is now available to stream worldwide as part of three new productions added to the National Theatre at Home platform
– Also launching today is Antigone, with Christopher Eccleston and Jodie Whittaker, and Behind the Beautiful Forevers with Meera Syal
Pictured: The cast of Angels in America
The National Theatre has today announced three new filmed productions have been added to its streaming service National Theatre at Home, including Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America Part Two: Perestroika, Marianne Elliott (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse)’s multi-award-winning production of Tony Kushner’s two-part masterpiece, with a cast including Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Denise Gough (Paula), Nathan Lane (American Crime Story), James McArdle (Ammonite), Susan Brown (It’s A Sin)and Russell Tovey (Years and Years).
The two-part play is set in America in the mid-1980s in the midst of the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, as New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell. Following a sold-out run in the Lyttelton theatre in 2017, the production transferred to Broadway for a sold-out 18 week run in 2018. The production won numerous awards including Best Revival at the Olivier and Tony Awards in 2018.
Also launching on the platform today is Polly Findlay’s 2012 thrilling contemporary staging of Antigone, with a cast including Christopher Eccleston (Thor, The A Word, Doctor Who) and Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who, Broadchurch), and National Theatre Director Rufus Norris’ 2014 production of Behind the Beautiful Forevers, written by David Hare and based on the book by Katherine Boo, with a cast including Meera Syal (The Split).
Rufus Norris, National Theatre Director, said: “Angels in America is one of those productions that stays with you always – a seminal piece of theatre that has a lasting impact. It’s a true honour to be able to bring Marianne Elliott’s remarkable, compelling production of Tony Kushner’s masterpiece to audiences around the world through National Theatre at Home. After sold-out runs at the NT and on Broadway, I’m delighted global audiences will finally get the chance to experience the astonishing performances of the original cast on the Lyttelton stage. I’m really pleased that this month also sees my 2014 production of David Hare’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers available on the platform, with the inimitable Meera Syal and a fantastic ensemble bringing to life Katherine Boo’s non-fiction story of a community in a Mumbai slum. And Jodie Whittaker and Christopher Eccleston in a modern-day Antigone – Polly Findlay’s electrifying 2012 production in the Olivier. In a continued period of isolation for so many people and while we’re unable to open our theatres, we hope National Theatre at Home can bring people together to collectively enjoy theatre from home.”
National Theatre at Home now has 16 productions to stream on the platform available at any time, including Medea with Helen McCrory and Michaela Coel, Mosquitoes with Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams, Phèdre with Helen Mirren and Dominic Cooper, the Young Vic’s Yerma with Billie Piper and Othello with Adrian Lester and Rory Kinnear.
All productions on National Theatre at Home are available with captions. Angels in America Parts One and Two will also be available with audio-description to support blind and partially sighted audiences worldwide from later this month. Seven other National Theatre at Home titles are currently available with audio-description: Othello, Donmar Warehouse’s Coriolanus, The Cherry Orchard, Amadeus, Julie,Phèdre and the Young Vic’s Yerma.
National Theatre at Home is available now at ntathome.com, with single titles available from £5.99 – £8.99, a monthly subscription for £9.99 or a yearly subscription for £99.99.
National Theatre at Home is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
#NationalTheatreatHome
Angels in America Part One: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America Part Two: Perestroika
Filmed for National Theatre Live in the Lyttelton theatre in 2017, this multi-award-winning production of Tony Kushner’s two-part play is directed by Marianne Elliott (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse).
The cast includes Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Denise Gough (Paula), Nathan Lane (American Crime Story), James McArdle (Ammonite), Nathan Stewart-Jarrett(Misfits), Susan Brown (It’s A Sin)and Russell Tovey (Years and Years).
America in the mid-1980s. In the midst of the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell.
Antigone
Filmed for the National Theatre’s Archive in the Olivier theatre in 2012, this is a new version of Sophocles’ Antigone by Don Taylor.
Creon is desperate to gain control over a city ravaged by civil war. He refuses to bury the body of Antigone’s rebellious brother. Outraged, she defies him, and Creon condemns Antigone to be buried alive.
Christopher Eccleston (Doctor Who) and Jodie Whittaker (Doctor Who) feature in this thrilling contemporary staging of Antigone, directed by Polly Findlay (Beginning). The cast also includes Annabel Scholey (The Split), Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (Mary Poppins Returns), Luke Norris (Poldark), Luke Newberry (In the Flesh) and Jamie Ballard (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child).
Behind the Beautiful Forevers
The 2014 play by David Hare is based on the book by Katherine Boo, winner of the National Book Award for Non-Fiction, and directed by Rufus Norris, National Theatre Director.
In a makeshift slum beyond the luxury hotels surrounding Mumbai airport, dreams are threatened as one member of the community makes an accusation that will shatter the neighbourhood and lead to her own destruction.
Filmed for National Theatre Live in the Olivier theatre in 2014, the cast includes Meera Syal (Paddington 2), Anjli Mohindra (Bodyguard), Shane Zaza (Happy Valley), Anneika Rose (Line of Duty) and Anjana Vasan (Mogul Mowgli). Behind the Beautiful Forevers was produced in association with Scott Rudin.
New musical On Hostile Ground to be released in a series of free online videos as part of Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season
On Hostile Ground is a new musical by Darren Clark (lyrics), Juliet Gilkes Romero (book), Michael Henry (music and orchestrations) and Charlotte Westenra (co-creator and director), inspired by the stories of the people affected by the government’s hostile environment policy. The musical is being released in a series of free videos, starting from Tuesday 16 February.
On Hostile Ground was due to be featured at BEAM 2020, a festival of new musical theatre which was cancelled because of COVID-19. With opportunities for live performance curtailed by the pandemic, the writers developed this work into a series of 14 music videos and straight-to-camera monologues filmed at home by the actors during lockdown. These brand new free to view videos are being released this month as part of Royal & Derngate’s upcoming Made in Northampton 2021 season of original new musical theatre.
The first three videos will be available from 16 February. That evening will also see the first of a series of free online Q+A sessions about the hostile ground policy and creation of the musical. The first is called The Hostile Environment: Impact and Legacy with panellists Amelia Gentleman (journalist and author of The Windrush Betrayal: Exposing the Hostile Environment), Jun Pang (Policy & Campaigns Officer, Liberty), Patrick Vernon OBE (social commentator, cultural historian and Windrush justice campaigner) and chaired by Juliette Foster (journalist and news presenter).
IS MY HOME NOT MY HOME(Left to right) Henrik Wager, Claire-Marie Hall, Jon Laird, Jonathan Charles, Jacqui Dubois, Michael Henry, Hannah Brown
May 2013. Cabinet Room of 10 Downing Street. Prime Minister David Cameron summons department heads from within his coalition government and tasks them with finding policies to make life in the UK unbearable for illegal immigrants – a sure fire plan to deliver his election promise of reducing net migration to the tens of thousands.
On Hostile Ground is a musical about that meeting and the ongoing devastating impact it had on the lives of people who live here legally and call Britain their home. It sets the naturalistic dramatisation of the politicians’ policy discussions against a musical telling of the personal stories of those affected.
WALK THROUGH WATER (Left to right) Jonathan Charles, Michael Henry, Henrik Wager, Beth Higham-Edwards, Hannah Brown, Claire-Marie Hall, Michael Henry, Jon Laird
Songs include Waiting Room about Albert Thompson (Ray Fearon, Fleabag, BBC) who was denied free NHS cancer care; Memory a lament by Paulette Wilson (Dawn Hope, Follies, National Theatre) as she waits in Yarl’s Wood Immigration Removal Centre to be deported to a country she left when she was 10 years old; Actual Conversation about the absurdity of the immigration system (featuring composer Michael Henry and Norman Bowman, 42nd Street, West End); London Boy about twins Darrell and Darren Roberts (both played by Tyrone Huntley, Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); who are being deported to different countries they have never visited; Generation Windrush (Arun Blair-Mangat, &Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre, Nari Blair-MangatCyrano de Bergerac, Playhouse Theatre and Rodney VubyaEvita, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); and Hide and Seek, a playground song (starring Paige Davies and Ashton James Griffiths from Royal & Derngate and Silhouette Youth Theatres) about the government’s attempt to have schools collect data on pupils’ nationality and country of birth.
Monologues include: Where have those years gone? (performed by Jacqui Dubois) looking at the continuing injustices that the Chagos Islanders face; Jean Demars (Jonathan Charles) charts how the Home Office piloted a scheme to detain and remove EU rough sleepers to their country of origin with assistance from homeless charities; and Agnesa Wokcik (Hannah Brown) who was caught in an immigration sting set up by her employer.
LIVE PERFORMANCE AND GAMING TECHNOLOGY COME TOGETHER TO EXPLORE THE FUTURE FOR AUDIENCES AND LIVE THEATRE
Dream – live, online performance leads the way in future audience experience
Performance: Friday 12 March – Saturday 20 March 2021
Booking: dream.online – booking opens 12 noon on Monday 8 February 2021 #DreamOnline21
EM Williams – Dream – Copyright @ RSC – Photographer Stuart Martin
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), in collaboration with Manchester International Festival (MIF), Marshmallow Laser Feast (MLF) and Philharmonia Orchestra will stage a live performance of Dream using motion capture as the culmination of a major piece of cutting-edge research and development (R&D). The pioneering collaboration explores how audiences could experience live performance in the future in addition to a regular visit to a performance venue. Dream was due to open in Spring 2020 as an in person and online live performance and has been recreated during the pandemic for online audiences whilst theatres remain closed. The project is one of four Audience of the Future Demonstrator projects, supported by the government Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund which is delivered by UK Research and Innovation.
Dream is inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and gives a unique opportunity for audiences to directly influence the live performance from wherever they are in the world. Audiences will experience a new performance environment easily accessed on their mobile, desktop or tablet via the dream.online website. The performance uses the latest gaming and theatre technology together with an interactive symphonic score that responds to the actors’ movement during the show.
The live performance is set in a virtual midsummer forest. Under the shadow of gathering clouds at dusk, lit by the glimmer of fireflies, Puck acts as the guide. Audiences are invited to explore the forest from the canopy of the trees to the roots, meet the sprites, Cobweb, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom and Moth, and take an extraordinary journey into the eye of a cataclysmic storm. Together with Puck they must regrow the forest before the dawn. When day breaks, the spell breaks.
The 50-minute online event will be a shared experience between remote audience members and the seven actors who play Puck and the sprites. Audiences can choose to buy a £10 ticket to take part and at key points in the play directly influence the world of the actors, or to view the performance for free. The ten Dream performances are scheduled so that audiences across the world can join the event.
Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director said:
“What’s brilliant about Dream is the innovation at play. An audience member sitting at home influencing the live performance from wherever they are – that’s exciting. It’s not a replacement to being in the space with the performers but it opens up new opportunities. By bringing together specialists in on-stage live performance with that of gaming and music you see how much they have in common. For instance, the RSC’s deep understanding of scripted drama combined with Marshmallow Laser Feast’s innovation in creative tech brings thrilling results.
“The story is king, whether you are a gamer, or an audience member. Stories haven’t changed, but the way we engage audiences with them has. Shakespeare was our greatest storyteller and it’s brilliant that we get the opportunity to use one of his plays to discover what could be possible for live performance.”
Robin McNicholas, Director and Co-Founder of Marshmallow Laser Feast added:
“Our focus has been on creating an experience with the natural world at its centre. It’s a celebration of the magic of biodiversity brought to life by an incredible cast on this adventurous virtual production. The team has created a work that explores new narrative techniques, opening doors to a vast story-world that offers new perspectives enabled by cutting edge technologies performed live on a motion capture stage.
“We hope audiences find a new and unique way to engage with immersive storytelling. Virtual productions such as this offer new creative forms of expression and opportunities for performers, musicians, artists, designers and creative coders”.
A major piece of research runs through the project led by i2media research at Goldsmiths, University of London and NESTA, including the potential for making similar online performances financially viable for the arts sector. All findings and research will be shared with the wider UK cultural sector throughout 2021 after the live performances are completed.
DREAM – A live, online performance set in a virtual midsummer forest.
Cast and creatives:
Robin McNicholas – Director
Pippa Hill – Script Creation
Robin Mc Nicholas & Pippa Hill – Narrative
Esa-Pekka Salonen – Music Director & Composer
Jesper Nordin – Composer, Interactivity Designer and Creative Advisor, Music
Sarah Perry – Movement Director
Maggie Bain (Cobweb), Phoebe Hyder (Understudy Puck and Mustardseed), Durassie Kiangangu (Moth), Jamie Morgan (Peaseblossom), Loren O’Dair (Mustardseed), EM Williams (Puck ), Edmund Wood (rehearsal assistant, Understudy Moth, Cobweb & Peaseblossom).
THE TECHNOLOGY
Building on the technology used in the RSC’s 2016 ground-breaking production of The Tempest, the first play to feature live performance capture rendered in Unreal Engine, Dream harnesses live performance, virtual production and gaming technology. The production is performed with seven actors in a specially created 7x7metre motion capture volume created at the Guildhall in Portsmouth, supported by a team from the University of Portsmouth. The performance space includes an LED backdrop which displays the unreal world allowing performers to see their place and act within the virtual environment.
Vicon motion capture cameras and state of the art facial rigging capture the movements of the performers. This in turn drives the virtual avatars of each of the characters in real-time through a traditional performance lighting desk into Epic Games’ Unreal Engine. The live performance is mixed with pre-recorded animation sequences.
The audience is led by Puck (EM Williams) who takes them from the real world into the digital world. As fireflies the audience can guide Puck through the forest at key points in the play using the movement of their touchscreen, trackpad or mouse. The actors perform and respond to audience interaction and direction making each performance unique, as the audience will behave differently at each event.
A bespoke web-player has been created for Dream to enable the effective distribution of real-time content from individual audience members to the Unreal Engine server and back to the audience. This new software allows the level of dynamic, real-time interaction working with a mass volume of users (up to 2000 per performance) in a live environment.
James Golding, Technical Director – Character Tech, at Epic Games added:
“It has been such a great experience to support phenomenal collaborators, across many different disciplines, on this ambitious project. It’s exciting to witness creators exploring the wonderful possibilities ahead for live entertainment.”
THE MUSIC
Music is integral to the experience of Dream. An interactive symphonic score recorded by the Philharmonia Orchestra will be manipulated in key points in the play in real-time by the performers, who will create interactive music with their movements. The result will be a living, dynamic soundtrack that adapts and interacts live with the narrative and the pre-recorded orchestral tracks.
The installation will feature core classical repertoire and two contemporary orchestral works – excerpts from Gemini, the latest composition by Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Philharmonia’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, and Ärr, composed by Swedish composer Jesper Nordin. The music was recorded by the Orchestra, conducted by Salonen on Friday 13 March 2020, the last full-scale orchestral recording, involving 100 players, before the pandemic struck.
Alongside his growing recognition as a composer, Nordin is the creator of the ground-breaking interactive music tool Gestrument, giving parts of Dream an interactive musical layer. Gestrument allows the performers to generate music from their movements. This real-time generated music can be shaped by the performers but will always be in perfect sync with the pre-recorded orchestral score.
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Principal Conductor & Artistic Advisor, commented:
“Immersive technologies are going to change the way we compose, perform and experience music, and I believe we need to reimagine the symphony orchestra for this new landscape. This is primarily an R&D project – to reimagine immersive technology for live performance – where the creative process itself is one of the most valuable aspects of the whole project.
“Dream has brought us together with some of the world’s leading theatre practitioners, VR world-builders and game designers to reimagine storytelling. The collaboration has moved from the stage to the real-time games engine. As a composer, it has allowed us to reimagine composition for a new landscape where the audience has agency, and the performers can become part of a living, dynamic score that is integral to the live performance.”
Talking about the project, Prof. Andrew Chitty, Challenge Director, Audience of the Future, UKRI, said:
“Dream is an extraordinary achievement by the RSC and its partners but also a demonstration of how entirely new audience experiences are created as immersive and digital technologies become integrated into performance. When we set out the Audience of the Future Challenge no-one would have predicted this entirely digital performance of Dream; it goes far further in putting new technologies at the heart of performance than we had dared to hope. It’s also stands as a beacon showing what our world class performance and creative technology companies can do given the right support for Research and Innovation.”
Gabrielle Jenks, Digital Director at MIFconcluded:
“Audience of the Future has been an invaluable space for world-leading organisations to consider the future of virtual production and understand the opportunities and challenges of working with real-time technologies. From DYSTOPIA987, Skepta’s extraordinary mixed-reality experience created for MIF19, to Dream, the learnings from these ambitious and collective approaches to live performance will help us imagine new boundary-pushing ways to present work in The Factory, MIF’s future home being built in the heart of Manchester.”
Winner of the Papatango New Writing Prize in 2019, Samuel Bailey’s Shook had a successful Southwark Playhouse run, and was due to transfer to Trafalgar Studios last year. This recorded production, directed by George Turvey in collaboration with James Bobin, brings the tension and dark humour to the screen brilliantly and watching it at home rather than being in the communal atmosphere of a theatre intensifies the feelings of institutionalisation and isolation the play evokes.
Set in a nondescript classroom in a Young Offenders Institution, three teenagers are taking parenting classes with their teacher, Grace (Andrea Hall). Bailey has written three characters that are instantly recognisable to any teacher or youth worker, but these aren’t cliches.
Cain (Josh Finan) is a whirlwind of nervous energy, never stopping talking and moving and being verbally aggressive, but it is soon apparent that his bravado is a front to hide his fear when Riyad enters. Riyad (Ivan Oyik) has plans for his future – he is studying for his GCSE in maths and wants his own business, but the arrival of someone from his past could destroy his plans. Jonjo (Josef Davies) is non-verbal at first, but Riyad spots the danger beneath his soft exterior.
Andrea Hall is impressive as the out of her depth Grace but doesn’t really have much to do. Ivan Oyik’s Riyad is powerful and determined, with Oyik managing to convey his drive and developing sense of responsibility effortlessly as he becomes a de facto big brother/father figure to the sensitive Jonjo. Josef Davies handles Jonjo’s twitches and speech impediment sensitively and sparingly in his contained but moving performance, and Josh Finan is almost exhausting to watch, nailing the showy behaviour that Cain has learned to use to survive.
Bailey allows the audience to form instant judgements about each character based on their initial interactions, which play out like a David Attenborough documentary on masculinity, but then shows the young men gradually bonding and opening up about their lives outside the institute. Their back stories are brutal but not sensational and cast a light on their actions and expectations for the future. None of the teenagers have fathers, and what fatherhood means to each of them is wildly different, whilst they are sceptical about the classes as the skills they are learning may not be useful by the time they get out. The hierarchy and violent power struggles in the institute are a constant topic of conversation, but the bartering of Dib Dabs and Blackjacks reminds the audience of the youth of these characters. Bailey’s dialogue is sharp and funny, and he has written three lovable but tragic young men that you can’t help rooting for. Their inability to escape the cycles of violence, poverty and aggression from their childhood is well written and non-judgmental, with the question “What was he supposed to do?” lingering long after the play has ended.
Shook doesn’t give a hopeful view of society, but amongst the dark and dangerous themes humour and humanity shine through in this excellent transfer from stage to screen.
CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE CONCERT SCREENING OF
POSTPONED TO MARCH 2021
THE ONLINE CONCERT OF THE EXPLOSIVE NEW MUSICAL DRAMA FILMED LIVE FROM CADOGAN HALL
NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM FROM 12-14 MARCH 2021
AHEAD OF A FULL MUSICAL PRODUCTION TO FOLLOW IN 2021/2022
MUSIC & LYRICS BY RICKY ALLAN
BOOK BY RICKY ALLAN & KIERAN LYNN
DIRECTED BY HANNAH CHISSICK
Casting has been confirmed for the highly anticipated online concert streaming of Treason, the exciting new musical drama based on the notorious gunpowder plot of 1605.
The world premiere of this exclusive musical concert will be performed by a selection of some of the West End’s most gifted performers including Lucie Jones (Legally Blonde, Waitress), Oliver Tompsett (& Juliet, Kinky Boots), Daniel Boys (Falsettos, Nativity Rocks!), Waylon Jacobs (Hamilton, Memphis), Bradley Jaden (Les Misérables, Wicked), Emmanuel Kojo (Oklahoma!, Show Boat), Rebecca LaChance (School of Rock, Beautiful), Cedric Neal (Chess, Memphis), Sharon Rose (Hamilton, Caroline Or Change), and alongside the multi-talented poet, writer and performer, Debris Stevenson (1st Luv, Poet in da Corner), as the show’s narrator.*
*Please note that the Treason in concert cast differ from the original track recording cast.
With the producers’ commitment to ensuring the cast can rehearse and perform in the safest possible work environment, the casting announcement also coincides with the news that the concert will be postponed a month, now streaming March 2021, with performances from 12-14 March.
The songs from Treason will be performed and filmed live in concert at London’s prestigious Cadogan Hall.
Remember, remember the 5th of November, for its gunpowder, treason, and plot We’re here to tell you the rest of the tale, the one that history books forgot Guy Fawkes remains an anonymous figure, we have more to bring to the table It’s time to meet the rest of the plotters, in our fiery musical fable
With a fusion of original folk and pop songs, this wonderful new musical tells one of the most intriguing tales in England’s history, and features a stunning score and lyrics by Ricky Allan, and book by Kieran Lynn and Ricky Allan. The musical’s world premiere and online concert will be directed by Hannah Chissick, with musical supervision by Nick Pinchbeck and orchestration by Matthew Malone.
Following the successful release of five tracks from the musical on Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music, the concert will also showcase a further five new and unheard tracks from the show.
The first five exclusive tracks released from the musical are: Take Things Into Our Own Hands featuring Hadley Fraser, Waylon Jacobs, Emmanuel Kojo and Oliver Savile; The Day Elizabeth Died featuring Kelly Agbowu, Hadley Fraser, Waylon Jacobs, Emmanuel Kojo, Rebecca LaChance, Christina Modestou and Oliver Savile; Blind Faith featuring Rosalie Craig and Oliver Savile;The Promise featuring Daniel Boys and Oliver Savile; and The Cold, Hard, Ground featuring Hadley Fraser.
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A series of three concerts featuring musical theatre and drama graduates will be streamed from London’s Cadogan Hall in March.
Submissions are open to 2020 or 2021 graduates from all musical theatre, theatre and drama courses
Confirmed concert hosts include Grace Mouat (& Juliet, SIX) and Luke Bayer (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Fiver)
All proceeds go to Acting for Others and their work supporting theatre professionals in the COVID-19 pandemic
March 2021, streaming online from Cadogan Hall, London
To support performing arts graduates who have had their careers halted before they’ve even begun, 40 young professionals are being given the opportunity to showcase their talents in three nights of online musical theatre concerts. Applications are now open (until 14 February) to anyone graduating from musical theatre, theatre or drama courses in 2020 and 2021, and all proceeds are going to Acting for Others. The evenings will be hosted by Grace Mouat (& Juliet, SIX) and Luke Bayer (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Fiver), with further hosts to be confirmed.
When her West End debut was cut short at the end of 2020, producer Ameena Hamid didn’t lose a moment in redirecting her energies: “When the announcement came for the most recent lockdown my first thought was “what can I do?” and my mind immediately turned to those who have just graduated and those who are about to. It’s such a difficult time to be in the industry let alone entering it and it’s so important to recognise and support that fresh talent. I had admired The Grad Fest and what they’ve done over the year and so got in touch with them about planning a large scale COVID safe event that would put graduates in a renowned space and raise money for a great cause. Thanks to a brilliant team, we are able to announce the event and open submissions just two weeks after that idea started and I can’t wait to create ‘Graduates at Cadogan Hall’. This event is about shining a meaningful spotlight on graduates and raising money for those in the industry who need our support now more than ever.”
The Grad Fest Founder Liam Gartland said, “Graduates in 2020 lost out on many opportunities, their final year performances were cancelled and they entered an industry that came to a painful halt. Alice Croft and I wanted to create a platform and safe space for graduates to continue, create and connect through these unpredictable times. Our Fringe Festival last summer was more than the team had ever anticipated, with over 300 graduates performing across a variety of social media platforms. We were delighted when Ameena reached out to us to present this spring concert series, showcasing some of the very best musical theatre talent entering the industry this year”
Supported by Apollo Artist Management, Carter Dixon Productions Ltd, Industry Minds, Jim Arnold Casting, Pearson Casting, SOVT STRAW, Sarah-Jane Price (Casting Director)
Lambert Jackson Productions today announces its online lockdown production of Jason Robert Brown’s Songs For A New World which will stream on stream.theatre for one week from 21 February.
Filmed during the first UK lockdown, entirely in isolation and on the artists smart phones, Séimí Campbell directs Rachel John (Hamilton), Ramin Karimloo (Phantom of The Opera), Cedric Neal (Motown) and Rachel Tucker (Come From Away), and introducing Shem Omari James, with musical supervision by Adam Hoskins, musical direction from Josh Winstone and video editing by Danny Kaan.
“It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice… or take a stand… or turn around and go back.”
Written by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown and sitting between musical and song cycle, this moving collection of powerful songs examines life, love, and the choices that we make as it transports audiences through time and space. This topical piece is an examination of a defining moment in history, a reflection of the state of the world in the Summer of 2020.
Rachel John plays Woman 1. Her previous theatre credits include Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), The Color Purple – In Concert (Cadogan Hall), The Bodyguard (Dominion Theatre/UK tour), Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre), Rent (UK tour), We Will Rock You, Sister Act (London Palladium) and The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre/international tour).
Ramin Karimloo plays Man 2. His previous concert credits for Lambert Jackson Productions include Dr Zhivago (Cadogan Hall). His other theatre credits include Chess in Concert (Umeda Arts Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar in Concert, Evita (Theatre Orb Tokyo), Chess (The Kennedy Centre), Anastasia (Broadhurst Theatre), Murder Ballad (Arts Theatre), Les Miserables (Imperial Theatre/Princess of Wales Theatre/Queens Theatre/Palace Theatre), The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary (Royal Albert Hall), Love Never Dies (Adelphi Theatre), Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert (O2 Arena), The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre) and Miss Saigon (UK tour).
Cedric Neal plays Man 1. His previous theatre credits include Back To The Future (Manchester Opera House), The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre), Stagger Lee, Death of a Salesman (Dallas Theater Center), Porgy and Bess (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), and Dreamgirls (Signature Theatre). His credits for television include Friday Night Lights and The Good Guys.
Rachel Tucker plays Woman 2. Her previous theatre credits include Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria/The Gershwin Theater), Communicating Doors (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Last Ship (Neil Simon Theatre), Farragut North (Southwark Playhouse), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre), Dusty (Leicester Square Theatre), The Wizard of Oz, To Be Sure, Merry Christmas Betty Ford (Belfast Lyric Theatre), Tonight’s The Night, Tommy and The Full Monty (UK tour).
Shem Omari James plays Steam Train. Shem is a recent graduate and appeared in the London Palladium production of Songs For a New World in October 2020.
Séimí Campbell directs. His previous credits include My Son Pinocchio (Southwark Playhouse). As an assistant director his credits include Come From Away (Phoenix Theatre) and Jesus Christ Superstar (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); and as resident director credits include Amour (Charing Cross Theatre), Cereal Café (The Other Palace) and Sweeney Todd (Shoreditch Town Hall).
