Month: March 2021

ON THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THEATRES CLOSING

DAME JUDI DENCH PRAISES THEATRE SUPPORT FUND+

THE CREATORS OF ‘THE SHOW MUST GO ON!’

FOR RAISING AN OUTSTANDING

£800,000 FOR CHARITIES

Renowned theatre, film, and TV actress Dame Judi Dench has praised the creators of ‘The Show Must Go On!’ merchandise, the Theatre Support Fund+ for raising £800,000 for charities Acting For Others, The Fleabag Support Fund and NHS COVID-19 Urgent Appeal.

16 March 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of theatres closing across the U.K and despite the recent budget news from the government, there are still many freelancers who have not been able to claim any support with many now being out of work for a year. Theatre Support Fund+ will continue raising funds for those who have been affected by the pandemic until the theatres finally reopen and workers can return to their full-time jobs.

Dame Judi Dench said today, ‘I have been devastated by the effects the pandemic has had on the theatre industry but I am also proud of what we have achieved by standing together through these times. Chris and Damien at the Theatre Support Fund+ have done such profound work by raising this incredible amount of monies and have been able to help thousands of freelancers. There are still many workers who need our support and I am delighted to be able to support their campaign. I wish them all the best in their continued journey to help freelancers until our theatres can open again, The Show Must Go On!’

Theatre Support Fund+ are also the creators of The Show Must Go On! Live at The Palace Theatre which has been rescheduled to 2 ^– 6 June 2021. More information and casting to be announced soon.

Chris and Damien said today, ‘We cannot wait to bring this very special concert to the stage which will be a true celebration of the West End. We’re currently working hard with all of the shows involved to finalise plans and very soon we’ll be able to share with you all the exciting details about the show.  We look forward to welcoming you to the Palace Theatre in June and thank you for your continued support’.

In addition to Dame Judi other notable names which have supported the campaign include;

President of the Fleabag Support Fund+ Phoebe Waller Bridge, Michael Ball, Christopher Biggins, Samantha Bond, Todrick Hall, Amanda Holden, Sir Derek Jacobi Lesley Joseph, Myleene Klass, Keira Knightley, Beverley Knight, Bonnie Langford, Patti LuPone, Sarah Parish, Melanie Sykes and Marisha Wallace.

Theatre Support Fund+ was set up by theatre industry workers Chris Marcus and Damien Stanton to help those who have been affected by the pandemic. In 11 months the team have taken over 70,000 orders and the £800,000 raised has helped thousands of workers who have had no or limited work since theatres shut a year ago. ‘The Show Must Go On!’ design is an amalgamation of the 16 biggest West End Musicals and has been recognised internationally with orders been sent to 73 different countries across the globe.

Shows included on the design are & Juliet, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Everybody’s Talking about Jamie, Hamilton, Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, Matilda The Musical, Six The Musical, Tina, The Tina Turner Musical, The Book of Mormon, The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s The Lion King, The Phantom of the Opera and Wicked.

All merchandise can be found at www.theatresupportfund.co.uk

Highly-acclaimed David Bowie homage, From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, to be released as audio book

Streaming from 21st March 2021

After 143 live performances in the UK, the highly-acclaimed production From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads, an homage and celebration of David Bowie, will be released worldwide as an audio book on all Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and all streaming services from Sunday 21st March.

With nods to Bowie’s heroes and influences, the audio version of From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads offers audiences the chance to immerse themselves in pure Bowie heaven.

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads is a theatrical road movie, thrillingly evoking Bowie’s London. A young man with an illness no-one can understand receives an unexpected gift on his 18th birthday, propelling him on a surreal and thrilling journey to London. He performs on the stage where Ziggy Stardust was born, finds himself in Bowie’s bedroom and is led on a treasure trail to discover the truth about himself and his family. What follows will change his life forever…

The audiobook makes use of the original production team with writer and director Adrian Berry and performer Alex Walton. The audiobook has been recorded in collaboration with the original sound designer and engineer, Alan Boyd (Little Sparta), in his Kentish Town Studio.

Director and writer Adrian Berry comments, I wanted to celebrate Bowie’s art and to take the audience on a journey to where it all began. In bringing Bowie’s history into the 21st century, we can see how his fans today relate to him and why he remains such an enduringly important figure in popular culture. This show will also be a celebration of the London that formed Bowie, creating his many unique characters and astonishing musical direction.

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads is more than just an amazing homage to David Bowie. This
production will … take you on a journey that is emotional and engaging. For those who shed a tear when Bowie passed this is also a perfect nod to the man himself (★★★★★, Everything Theatre).

The curtain rises again at Birmingham Repertory Theatre
Audiences welcomed back with productions that put local artists centre stage 

ROSIE KAY: ABSOLUTE SOLO II

LIGHTPOST THEATRE: CONSTRUCTED 

Birmingham Repertory Theatre has become the first major venue in Birmingham to announce the return of live performances this May.  

The venue will see two productions which were postponed due to local restrictions and lockdowns finally take to the stage. Both productions are created and performed by Birmingham artists; Rosie Kay’s Absolute Solo II on Wednesday 19 May 2021 and Lightpost Theatre’s Constructed from Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 May 2021. Tickets are on sale now at birmingham-rep.co.uk. Customers with tickets for previously scheduled dates for both productions will be contacted direct by the box office 

Sean Foley, Artistic Director of The REP said; “It’s been almost twelve months since we closed our doors and ceased almost all live performance. It’s been an extremely challenging period for all theatres across the country, but I’m delighted we can now look forward to welcoming back audiences and artists, and am thrilled to announce that now, quite rightly, some of Birmingham’s brightest talent will reopen the venue in May. 

“After being able to reopen briefly in October with the World Premiere of Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Lazuli Sky, and then moving the special Christmas production of The Nutcracker at The REP online – the first livestream ever from the REP – we will continue our presenting of the best that the City can offer. Acclaimed choreographer and dancer Rosie Kay premieres Absolute Solo II on 19 May. Lightpost Theatre Company, a company of young black men between the ages of 16-26 from across Birmingham and the West Midlands, and supported by The REP, will premiere their brand-new production, Constructed a week later from 27-29 May. 

“Both will showcase the very best our city has to offer as we all gather together again, the theatre returns to live performance, and The REP looks forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of our home in Centenary Square.” 

21 years on from her first ever solo show, Absolute Solo, which she performed in the 1999 Edinburgh Festival, and six years since last appearing on stage herself, Kay returns with Absolute Solo II – works that look backwards and forwards at her personal experience as a female in dance. The triple bill includes a new work created on her-self during lockdown which explores the notion that now, as an older dancing female, she has something to say about the female body and the experience of being female and being on stage.  

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. Constructed is directed by CJ Lloyd Webley and Mathias André. 

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.  

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. 

Rosie Kay’s Absolute Solo II plays on Wednesday 19 May 2021 and Lightpost Theatre’s Constructed from Thursday 27 – Saturday 29 May 2021. Tickets are on sale now at birmingham-rep.co.uk.

ST HELENS’ EASTER PANTO

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK –

TO BE STREAMED ONLINE

AUDIENCES CAN WATCH AT HOME THIS HALF-TERM

St Helens Theatre Royal has announced that its Easter pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk will be streamed online to watch at home.

Producers Regal Entertainments had previously announced that Goldilocks would be staged during half-term for audiences visiting the theatre.

However, given the Government’s recent roadmap to ease restrictions, plans to stage the panto have now been revised as it is not yet permitted to open the venue’s doors to the public.

Instead, Jack and the Beanstalk will be filmed and streamed online during the Easter break, enabling families to still enjoy the experience of pantomime during the school holidays but from the comfort of their own home.

Jack and the Beanstalk will be streamed online for 17 performances between Friday 2 April and Sunday 11 April 2021. Booking is now open.

A cast of St Helens Theatre Royal favourites are coming together for family favourite Jack and the Beanstalk.

Timothy Lucas will appear in the lead role of Jack, Abigail Middleton as Mrs Fleshcreep, and Olivia Sloyan as Princess Jill. The cast is complete with Reece Sibbald as Simple Simon, Jamie Greer as Dame Trott, and Jenna Sian O’Hara as Fairy Mary.

The creative team includes director Chantelle Nolan, musical supervisor Callum Clarke, choreography by Nazene Langfield, and the show is written by Reece Sibbald.

Jack and the Beanstalk tells the rags to riches story of a boy who sells the family’s cow for a handful of beans, getting him into a lot of trouble with his poor mother. But the story takes a magical twist when the beans sprout into a magnificent beanstalk that reaches up to a mystical land high in the sky.

Audiences will join Jack on his gigantic journey up the beanstalk as he discovers geese with golden eggs, a magic harp, and not forgetting a close encounter with a very hungry giant. But Jack needs to tread carefully, as the villainous Mrs Fleshcreep is hot on his heels, determined to stop him.

Theatre Manager Chantelle Nolan commented: “The entertainment industry has been hit extremely hard over the last 12 months so we were really looking forward to welcoming audiences back into the theatre this Easter, but sadly due to ongoing Government restrictions we’re not able to do that just yet.

“However, one thing we absolutely pride ourselves on at St Helens Theatre Royal is our original family pantomimes. We’ve all missed out on so much in the last year, so rather than our loyal community miss our popular Easter pantomime we’re filming the show to stream online – something which proved very popular when our Christmas panto run was cut short by the national lockdown. Families can still experience all the panto fun and laughter but from the comfort of their own living room, while tucking into their Easter eggs.”

Jack and the Beanstalk will be streamed online between Friday 2 April and Sunday 11 April 2021. Streaming access can be booked online only via the www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com website.

Follow St Helens Theatre Royal on social media channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/St-Helens-Theatre-Royal

Twitter: @TheatreRoyalStH

Instagram: @TheatreRoyalStH

LISTING DETAILS

Regal Entertainments Ltd Present: Jack and the Beanstalk

Dates: Online streaming only between Friday 2 April – Sunday 11 April 2021

Tickets: £20 per device

Book online only at www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com

STREAMING SCHEDULE:

Friday 2April – 1pm & 5pm

Saturday 3April – 1pm & 5pm

Sunday 4April – 1pm & 5pm

Monday 5April – 1pm & 5pm

Tuesday 6 April – 1pm

Wednesday 7April – 1pm

Thursday 8 April – 1pm

Friday 9April – 1pm & 5pm

Saturday 10April – 1pm & 5pm

Sunday 11 April – 1pm & 5pm

THE LAWRENCE BATLEY THEATRE AND THE DUKES ANNOUNCE CO-PRODUCTION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

THE LAWRENCE BATLEY THEATRE AND THE DUKES WILL CO-PRODUCE THE WORLD PREMIERE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST BY YASMEEN KHAN

THE DIGITAL PRODUCTION BASED ON OSCAR WILDE’S PLAY WILL BE DIRECTED BY MINA ANWAR

The Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and The Dukes, Lancaster have today announced that they will co-produce a digital adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest.

Adapted for the digital medium by Yasmeen Khan and directed by Mina Anwar, the production will transpose the original narrative of Wilde’s play to the cobbles and stone walls of the north and follows the story of struggling actor Jamil and rom-com star Algy, who come together in the pursuit of love, being true to yourself and Nando’s.

The Importance of Being Earnest will be captured on location at the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and The Dukes in Lancaster, and is set to push the theatrical form combining traditional theatrical techniques with film and radio play.

Yasmeen Khan, writer of The Importance of Being Earnest comments: “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to run riot with an adaptation of a classic Oscar Wilde comedy, giving it a very modern twist and a new setting. This is Earnest as it’s never been seen before. Having northern roots, myself, collaborating on such a uniquely northern production is a joy.”

The digital co-production will run from Monday 19 April until Tuesday 4 May and brings together a northern creative team, including writer and broadcaster Yasmeen Khan, and actor/director Mina Anwar, best known for her roles in the original production of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Doctor Who and Shameless.

Henry Filloux-Bennett, Artistic Director and CEO of the Lawrence Batley Theatre and Karen O’Neil, Director of The Dukes said of the co-production: “We are so excited to be able to collaborate on this brand-new production. The Lawrence Batley Theatre and The Dukes first collaborated last summer when we launched the Charlotte Holmes Adventure Box which has now been enjoyed by thousands of young people across the globe. To be able to work together once more with such an incredible northern creative team, means we can continue to spread the joy of theatre with our communities and beyond.”

Tickets are available from importanceofbeingearnest.com with audience members receiving a link at the point of booking which will activate on their booked performance date for a 48-hour period

The Lord Chamberlain’s Men present

2021 SUMMER TOUR OF MACBETH

This summer The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, the UK’s premier all male theatre company, present the breathless and brilliant tragedy, Macbeth. The 2021 tour will provide audiences with a highly anticipated return to live theatre and a kick start to the summer. 

Following last year’s postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, leading proponents of open air theatre for the last 15 years, return with a thrilling and powerful production of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. The production premieres in Salisbury in early June before embarking on an extensive summer tour concluding in late August. Full tour dates and details will be announced in due course. 

Over the summer months the company will perform in the gardens and grounds of some of the UK’s most significant, historically important and visually stunning castles, cathedrals and stately homes including: Chatsworth, Harewood House, Hylands Estate and Waddesdon Manor.

This open air production is ‘See it Safely’ compliant and will strictly adhere to government and industry COVID safety guidance, ensuring every effort is made to protect audiences and company members at all times. For this unique theatrical experience, audiences are encouraged to bring a chair, a sun hat and a glass of something chilled as the show promises to be another authentic, excellent and magical treat from the company that brought you 2019’s sell-out smash production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Acclaimed for their stylish and accessible productions The Lord Chamberlain’s Men have been wowing audiences throughout the country and internationally in their trademark style since 2004. Continually raising the bar for standards in open air theatre they have gone from strength to strength and now eagerly anticipate utilising that expertise to be at the vanguard of the theatre industry’s post-lockdown recovery this summer. 

Talking about the power of seeing theatre in the open air, Peter Stickney, Artistic Director says, “Experiencing Shakespeare’s productions outside, where he first saw them, is a truly special thing. As the light fades and the moon shines bright, it is thrilling to think that we are looking at the same moon Shakespeare did whilst we listen to the words he wrote more than 400 years ago. It is exhilarating to think that the experience of gathering together, something we have been deprived of for so long now, to encounter and be entertained by his work is something people have been doing for more than four centuries. Our need for and love of shared experiences and stories, specifically, Shakespeare’s stories remain undimmed. Being a part of Shakespeare’s legacy, we look to honour his plays presenting them as we do and, simply, provide people with an entertaining and magical evening. 

I am incredibly excited to be amongst the first in the country to bring live theatre back to audiences. We have been lucky enough to make and enjoy theatre in special outdoor settings for many years and I hope those looking to once again experience top-quality theatre will join us to enjoy this unique theatrical experience.”

Speaking about what audiences can expect this summer he said, “Macbeth is a breathless thrill-ride from start to finish and is one of my personal favourites. This year we will be running the production without an interval. This will aid our COVID security planning but happily suits the play down to the ground. We are well-practised in using challenges as artistic opportunity and this is a perfect chance to do just that. One of Shakespeare’s shortest plays, this intense and passionate story really benefits from this treatment. Expect sword fights, stunning poetry, smoke, fire and drums as this epic play gets our usual epic treatment; I can’t wait for our audience, those new to us and those we are welcoming back, to see it.”

With Authenticity, Excellence and Magic as the watchwords of the company, audiences new and old can expect a summer treat and a much sought-after return to theatre, as The Lord Chamberlain’s Men bring their own special brand of all male Shakespeare to venues throughout the country. Don’t miss this brilliant company perform Shakespeare as he first saw it; in the open air and with Elizabethan costume, music and dance. 

ORE ODUBA

TO STAR AS BRAD MAJORS IN

THE LEGENDARY MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA

AS NEW 2021/2022 TOURING SCHEDULE IS ANNOUNCED

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

FROM ROCKYHORROR.CO.UK

Actor, presenter and winner of Strictly Come Dancing Ore Oduba (Curtains / Grease) will star as Brad Majors in Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show. Back by huge popular demand, the legendary musical will tour the UK between July 2021 and June 2022. Tickets are on sale now from RockyHorror.co.uk.

Ore Oduba said: “I can’t wait to join the cast of the Rocky Horror Show. Like everybody, I’ve missed the stage so much and Rocky really is the perfect show to welcome audiences back to theatres. It’s such an iconic musical with songs that everyone knows, so I’m sure the Rocky fans will be desperate to do the Time Warp again! I’m so excited to get started and tour the country with our production… just got to remember to pack my stockings!!”

Joining Ore and returning to the cast of the Rocky Horror Show as Frank is Stephen Webb (Jersey Boys / Legally Blonde), alongside Philip Franks (The Darling Buds of May) as The Narrator. They will be joined by fan favourite Haley Flaherty (Mamma Mia / Chicago) as Janet.

Kristian Lavercombe (Jersey Boys / Jesus Christ Superstar) will once again reprise his role as Riff Raff, following more than 1350 performances around the world, with Lauren Ingram (Beauty and the Beast / My Fair Lady) as Columbia. Callum Evans (Grease / Miss Saigon) will be take on the role of Rocky, with Joe Allen (Little Shop of Horrors / Charlie & The Chocolate Factory) as Eddie & Dr Scott.

Joining the cast as Phantoms are Reece Budin (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical / Man of La Mancha), Jordan Fox (Kinky Boots / Hairspray) and Rachel Grundy (Starlight Express / Peter Pan), with Danny Knott (Saturday Night Fever / A Midsummer Nights’ Dream) as Male Swing.

Since it first opened in London in June 1973 at the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show has become the world’s favourite Rock ‘N’ Roll musical, having been performed worldwide for over 45 years in more than 30 countries and translated into 20 languages.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, the smash hit show features all of the famous musical numbers which have made The Rocky Horror Show such a huge hit for over four decades, including “Sweet Transvestite”, “Science Fiction/Double Feature”, “Dammit Janet” and, of course, the timeless floor-filler, “The Time-Warp” – this is perfect show to help people forget the doom and gloom of recent months.

The Rocky Horror Show tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky clean college kids who meet Dr Frank’n’Furter by chance when their car breaks down outside his house whilst on their way to visit their favourite college professor. It’s an adventure they’ll never forget, with fun, frolics, frocks and frivolity, bursting with timeless songs and outrageous outfits. The Rocky Horror Show is a guaranteed party, which famously combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music while encouraging audience participation – meaning, of course, getting dressed-up in the most outrageous fancy dress.

The Rocky Horror Show first began life in 1973 before an audience of just 63 people in the Royal Court’s Theatre Upstairs. It was an immediate success and transferred to the Chelsea Classic Cinema, before going on to run at the Kings Road Theatre, 1973-79 and the Comedy Theatre in the West End, 1979-80. In 1975 it was transformed into a film called ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’. This film adaptation took over $135 million at the Box Office and is still shown in cinemas around the world more than 40 years after its premiere, making it the longest running theatrical release in cinema history. Many stars including Russell Crowe, Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Jerry Springer, Jason Donovan and Meatloaf have appeared in The Rocky Horror Show over the past 45 years.

In 2015, as part of a sold-out season at London’s Playhouse Theatre, a special star-studded Gala charity performance in aid of Amnesty International was broadcast to over 600 cinemas across the UK and Europe. The live screening – featuring a host of celebrities playing The Narrator including Stephen Fry, Mel Giedroyc, Emma Bunton, Ade Edmondson, Anthony Head and Richard O’Brien – smashed box office records and was the biggest grossing film in cinemas across the UK. The performance was subsequently screened on the Sky Arts channel.

Ready to thrill you with fun and naughty moments, The Rocky Horror Show is the boldest bash of them all. But be warned, this show has rude parts!

What the press have said about The Rocky Horror Show:

“Panto for grown-ups – colourful, in your face, relentlessly energetic and high on audience participation” – The Times

“Hard to think of another musical quite as unique as this. Christopher Luscombe’s affectionate production feels like a genuine blast from the past” – Mail on Sunday

“As delightfully naughty as ever!” – Daily Telegraph

“So fast, so funny, so sexy” – Daily Mail

“Still the sexiest and funniest show in town” – Evening Standard

Rocky Horror Show 2021/2022 UK Tour Dates

W/C 12/07/2021 Southampton: Mayflower Theatre

W/C 19/07/2021 Southampton: Mayflower Theatre

W/C 26/07/2021 Canterbury: Marlowe Theatre

W/C 02/08/2021 Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes Theatre

W/C 09/08/2021 Nottingham: Royal Concert Hall

W/C 16/08/2021 Glasgow: King’s Theatre

W/C 23/08/2021 Manchester: Opera House

W/C 06/09/2021 Plymouth: Theatre Royal

W/C 13/09/2021 Llandudno: Venue Cymru

W/C 20/09/2021 Sunderland: Empire Theatre

W/C 27/09/2021 Birmingham: New Alexandra Theatre

W/C 15/11/2021 Bradford: Alhambra Theatre

W/C 22/11/2021 Hull: New Theatre

W/C 29/11/2021 Brighton: Theatre Royal

W/C 06/12/2021 Blackpool: Opera House

W/C 17/01/2022 Bromley: Churchill Theatre

W/C 24/01/2022 Oxford: New Theatre

W/C 07/02/2022 Cardiff: New Theatre

W/C 21/03/2022 Belfast: Grand Opera House

W/C 28/03/2022 Poole: Lighthouse

W/C 11/04/2022 Hastings: White Rock Theatre

W/C 25/04/2022 Aberdeen: His Majesty’s Theatre

W/C 30/05/2022 Stoke-On-Trent: Regent Theatre

W/C 06/06/2022 Southend: Cliffs Pavilion

Ore Oduba will perform up to and including Llandudno

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Ticket prices: From £10 Website: www.rockyhorror.co.uk

Twitter: @rockyhorroruk

Instagram: @rockyhorrorofficial

Facebook: /rockyhorrorshow

MARK GOUCHER PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCES NEW DATES FOR HAIRSPRAY AND PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT UK TOURS

• HAIRSPRAY WILL BEGIN ITS UK TOUR AT PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL ON 24 JUNE 2021
• PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT WILL REOPEN ITS TOUR AT EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM ON 23 JUNE 2021
• BRINGING MUCH NEEDED SHOWS TO UK THEATRES, PRODUCER MARK GOUCHER ANNOUNCES TODAY THE TOURS OF TWO MUCH LOVED MUSICALS

After the announcement from the Government that theatres across the UK should be allowed to open on 21 June 2021, subject to conditions being met across progress in the suppression of the Coronavirus pandemic, Mark Goucher, CEO at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham has decided to announce the return of two of the most popular musical theatre productions. Goucher’s independent producing company will tour Hairspray and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert across the UK beginning in Plymouth and Cheltenham respectively. Thanks to a loan from the Cultural Recovery Fund, Goucher has been able to remount both productions in a timely fashion. 

Mark Goucher said: “As the manager of Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham I am acutely aware that venues up and down the UK are crying out for shows. It is vital that we take the necessary steps to get performances going again. It is therefore a delight to be able to announce that two of my shows, under the guise of Mark Goucher Productions will be coming to a theatre near you from this summer. We will, of course, closely monitor all advice coming from the Government and if the start dates need to be delayed we have contingency plans in place to be able to move the starting venue for each show to one later in the tour schedule. ”

Producers Mark Goucher and Matthew Gale will open their touring production of Hairspray at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 24 June 2021. Having previously been due to begin performances in August 2020 and following on from two extremely successful tours in 2015/16 and 2017/18, this smash hit production will visit the following venues in 2021: Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, Manchester Palace Theatre, Sheffield Lyceum, Ipswich Regent Theatre, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Edinburgh Playhouse, The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, Brighton Theatre Royal, Birmingham Hippodrome, Leicester Curve, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Dublin, Grand Opera House Belfast, New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Milton Keynes Theatre and Blackpool Grand Theatre. More dates are to be announced for 2022.

Mark Goucher and first-time producer Jason Donovan first staged their glittering production of the much-loved hit musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert The Musical in September 2019. Having just announced an extension of tour dates in March 2020, the show paused performances as Covid-19 restrictions came into force. The producing team is completed by Gavin Kalin and Matthew Gale.

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert The Musical will officially re-open at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham on 23 June 2021 before touring to Leeds Grand Theatre, Hull New Theatre, Oxford New Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath, Royal & Derngate, Northampon, Glasgow King’s Theatre, New Wimbledon Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Palace Theatre, Southend, Curve Leicester, Bristol Hippodrome and Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, prior to a much hoped for return to the West End.

Polka Theatre offers free digital Mental Health
and Wellbeing Workshops to schools

Polka may be closed but that hasn’t stopped their efforts to provide educational resources and entertainment for children during the pandemic. Addressing the impact of lockdown-living on emotional and mental health, the theatre has created a series of digital Mental Health and Wellbeing workshops to be freely accessed by schools, from Reception to Year 6.

Following successful in-person workshops with primary schoolchildren last autumn, Polka will now take these workshops online, filming the content to make it readily accessible to a wider audience. The videos aim to use drama activities to bring an interactive, practical and fun approach to talking about mental health at a young age. Using the fictional story of Mo, a boy living through lockdown during the pandemic, children will be able to explore the problems and stresses he faces, making connections with their own experiences and emotional challenges. All recordings will be accompanied by activity sheets to engage learning further.

With varying degrees of home-schooling having dominated the last year, Ofsted reports have shown a notable decline in children’s mental and physical stamina within the classroom. Reduced concentration, diminished communication skills, and a lack of independence in younger years are all psychological wounds incurred by this difficult period. Through the digital workshops, Polka hope to provide invaluable tools and resources to help address these problems.

Polka’s Artistic Director Peter Glanville comments, With one in six children now having a probable mental health disorder (NHS Digital/ONS), it is essential that we do all we can to
support them through this pandemic. Children’s mental health is as important as their physical health, and many are experiencing increased levels of anxiety. These filmed workshops, free to schools and the community, are part of a 10-month programme from Polka Theatre, helping children to express and understand the feelings and emotional challenges they are facing.

Polka temporarily closed for a major redevelopment in February 2019 and will reopen in 2021. In the meantime, Polka continues to offer activities to schools, community groups and the public, helping to keep children creative, with a range of live, recorded and downloadable activities.

PHIL MCINTYRE LIVE BY ARRANGEMENT WITH PBJ MANAGEMENT ARE PROUD TO ANNOUNCE

TIM MINCHIN IS BACK – ENCORE TOUR 2021

The internationally renowned artist returns to Birmingham Hippodrome to open his critically acclaimed BACK tour

Tim Minchin – credit: Damian Bennett

Tim Minchin, award-winning comedian, actor and composer, has confirmed new UK dates of his BACK tour this autumn opening at Birmingham Hippodrome on 23 & 24 October 2021.

Tickets will go on sale to Birmingham Hippodrome Friends and Patron scheme members from Thursday 11 March at 2pm ahead of general on sale at 10am on Friday 12 March at 10am.

BACK is billed as “Old Songs, New Songs, F*** You Songs”, with a set list of material from all corners of Minchin’s eclectic – and often iconoclastic – repertoire. First performed in the UK in 2019, BACK was Tim’s first UK tour in 8 years and the 80,000 tickets sold out over a year in advance.

The long-awaited return to the stage received rave reviews and saw Tim pick up a prestigious Helpmann Award for Best Australian Contemporary Concert.

Minchin has been celebrated globally for writing the music and lyrics for Matilda the Musical, which has gone on to become one of the most acclaimed musicals of the last 20 years, winning a record 7 Olivier Awards, 13 Helpmann Awards and 5 Tony Awards. He also wrote music and lyrics for the musical adaption of Groundhog Day, which after an acclaimed limited run at The Old Vic in London in 2016, debuted on Broadway in April 2017 and won the Olivier Award for Best Musical in 2017.

Since his return to stage Tim starred in the ABC comedy series Squinters and appeared as Friar Tuck in the Hollywood release of Robin Hood. He also starred in UPRIGHT, the award winning eight-part drama series which he co-wrote with The Chaser’s Chris Taylor, actor-writers Leon Ford and Kate Mulvaney, and co-produced with Lingo Pictures for Foxtel and Sky UK.

In November 2020, Tim released his first studio solo album Apart Together. Described as “crisply observed and tenderly considered” in The Independent, the album reached #3 in the ARIA charts. On the eve of the release Tim and his band streamed a live performance of the full album to a worldwide audience and critical acclaim.

Tickets for Tim Minchin BACK will go on sale to Birmingham Hippodrome Friends and Patron scheme members from Thursday 11 March at 2pm ahead of general on sale at 10am on Friday 12 March at 10am.