Month: April 2021

LITTLE ANGEL THEATRE LAUNCH ‘PEOPLE BEHIND THE PUPPETS’

• First episode of new digital series for families People Behind the Puppets, featuring an interview with designer Maia Kirkman-Richards, is now available to enjoy for free at youtube.com/thelittleatheatre.
• The series celebrates 60 years of ground-breaking puppetry design and will inspire a new generation of designers as Little Angel’s puppet Angel interviews makers about their work.  Each designer brings an easy puppet ‘make’ that children can follow along at home.
• New episodes will be released each week with Oliver Hymans, Alicia Britt and Jimmy Grimes up next.  Future episodes will feature Toby Olié and Alison Alexander.
• Family theatre at Little Angel over Easter also includes online shows ‘Where the Bugaboo Lives’, ‘Eggs on Legs’, ‘We Cover the Universe’ and ‘The Stone Soup’.  Easter Holiday Craft Sessions take place from 6 – 9 April.

Little Angel Theatre have today released the first episode of new online series People Behind the Puppets as part of the theatre’s 60th anniversary celebrations. Featuring an interview with puppet designer Maia Kirkman-Richards, it is now available for families to enjoy for free at youtube.com/thelittleatheatre.  A new interview will be released each week with Oliver Hymans, Alicia Britt and Jimmy Grimes next to be featured.

Over the past 60 years, a huge range of designers have brought their unique puppet designs to life on the Little Angel Theatre stage. In People Behind the Puppets, Little Angel’s very own puppet ‘Angel’ meets and interviews these designers, finding out more about their experiences of puppetry design and why they love working in the field. Each designer brings along an easy puppet make that children can download from littleangeltheatre.com and follow along at home. 

The first episode is an interview with puppet designer Maia Kirkman-Richards whose work for Little Angel Theatre includes The Slightly Annoying Elephant and The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat.  For more details on Maia’s work see https://www.puppetsbymaia.com/.

Also at Little Angel Theatre Over Easter….

Where the Bugaboo Lives
A Little Angel Theatre Production
Ages 5 – 11
Digital production on zoom
Until 2 May
£13.50 per household littleangeltheatre.com
Press performances Saturday 20 and Sunday 21 March at 10.30am /12.30pm

The popular interactive story by Sean Taylor (writer behind Little Angel Theatre’s Finding Santa) and Neal Layton is brought to life in Little Angel’s first made-for-zoom, style show for 5-11 year olds directed by artistic director Samantha Lane and designed by Ellie Mills. Young audiences ‘choose their own adventure’ while they watch, deciding which path the characters will take. 

Eggs on Legs
Presented by Garlic Theatre
Ages 3-8
Digital production on zoom
12 April,  11am and 2pm
£13.50 per household littleangeltheatre.com

“Every day, from here to there, funny things are everywhere” – Dr Seuss
Meet a family of zany Eggs on Legs, living in a lost pocket of the globe. One day the wind blows a huge egg into their tree and they are excited to play with it. But what happens if it hatches and can they protect it from the slithery snake?

Garlic Theatre conjures a poetic, Dr Seuss world full of eggcentric puppets and music to make you roll around with laughter.  A cracking family show bursting with wonder and surprise – you will never look at an egg in the same way again.  Each performance will include an eggciting post-show workshop of around 15 minutes to get you in the mood for Easter.

We Cover the Universe
Presented by Akin
Digital production on zoom
For under 5s and their families
6 & 7 April, 11am and 2pm
£13.50 per household littleangeltheatre.com

Awaken your imagination with this interactive, sensory and wondrous online zoom show for under 5s, their parents/carers and families. Poetry, drawing and gentle play combine to broaden your horizons. We Cover the Universe combines streamed content with live audience interactions.

We first meet Dot when she’s feeling small. She’s stuck in a grey room until, one day, she starts to draw and dream. Plucking up the courage to venture out, she encounters a glorious new world of colour. And learns there’s more to life than she ever thought.

Easter Holiday Craft Sessions
Delivered via zoom
Ages 6 – 10
6 – 9 April 10.30am – 11.45am.
£15 per child per session littleangeltheatre.com

Learn how to make your own puppets with Little Angel’s Easter craft sessions delivered via zoom from 6 – 9 April.  Children aged 6 – 10 can join the Little Angel team in a series of fun, creative workshops to get the Easter holidays off to a crafty start.  The sessions will be led by Little Angel Theatre’s Community Engagement Manager Laura Hunt, with support from Puppetry Interns Ruby Saide and Jessica Shead.

Watch, Make, Share
Free digital shorts released every two weeks
youtube.com/thelittleatheatre.

Little Angel Theatre’s popular Watch, Make, Share series of digital shorts and puppetry making activities continue, with a new short and craft activity released every two weeks.  The upcoming programme:

From 11 April – The Stone Soup, by Bronia Evers and One Moment in Time Storytelling
A new retelling of the classic European folktale. Three travellers arrive in a village and claim they will make soup from a stone, which sparks the curiosity of the locals…This short film features puppetry, storytelling, original music, and a specially designed ‘crankie theatre’ with scrolling paper scenery. 

IVOR NOVELLO AWARD WINNING COMPOSER RENELL SHAW

ASSOCIATE ARTIST OF HACKNEY EMPIRE

RELEASES NEW VIDEO WORK

THE VISION THEY HAD (FROM THE WINDRUSH SUITE)

WATCH VIDEO HERE

http://www.renellshaw.com/about

Renell Shaw, composer, songwriter and Associate Artist of Hackney Empire, today releases a new video to accompany his Ivor Novello award-winning composition THE VISION THEY HAD (FROM THE WINDRUSH SUITE). A deeply personal work, featuring the voices of his grandparents and his mother telling their stories, overlaid with original visuals, the video features a talented ensemble of West End dancers, with debut choreography from Delycia Belgrave (Legally Blonde, White Christmas, Guys and Dolls).

Renell has teamed up with the FUTURE channel from the creator of Secret Cinema to release the film at 19.00 GMT on Wednesday 31 March 2021. The Future channel has over 540,000 subscribers showing the most emotive and powerful short films from around the world.

Directed by Otis Dominique, whose music video credits include working with artists such as Jorja Smith, Giggs, and Kojey Radical, The Vision They Had stars dancers Samara Casteallo (Tina, Starlight Express), Jordan Crouch (The Greatest Dancer, White Christmas), Anu Ogunmefun (Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again, Tina), Terique Jarrett (Find Me In Paris – Hulu/Cottonwood Media, Motown The Musical), and Tonye Scott-Obene (Wicked, Best Recent Graduate Award Winner 2020 (BBTA))

The Windrush Suite was commissioned in 2020 by Kathianne Hingwan from London’s The Vortex Jazz Club who secured funding from the PRS foundation and The Shape of Jazz to Come to present an online broadcast that honoured the Windrush generation for Windrush Day on 22 June. The Windrush Suite was subsequently offered a one-hour special on Jazz Fm hosted by Orphy Robinson MBE and was also played by Julian Joseph MBE on BBC3. The Windrush Suite EP was subsequently signed and released through Rudimental’s Label ‘Major Tom’s Records’, and went on to win the Ivor Novello Composers Award (jazz composition for small ensemble).

Renell Shaw said, “These are literally my family’s stories – the beautiful part is that these stories resonate with so many Caribbean people in the UK, who have heard similar stories from family members over the years.’ The Windrush Suite’ is about love, injustice, adventure, triumph, loss and so much more. These are some of the things my Grandparents and my parents’ generation experienced; I wanted to express and honour their stories in a beautiful way.”

Renell Shaw’s association with Hackney Empire started in 2002 when he participated in their flagship education programme ADP. After 2 years he became assistant Musical Director for ADP, shadowing Orphy Robinson MBE. He went on to become one of the founding members of the Hackney Harlem Theatre Company, which grew out of ADP and was set up to continue participants’ creative development. They performed A Midsummer Night’s Madness at the National Black Theatre in Harlem, NYC, at the Edinburgh Fringe and then a week on the main stage at Hackney Empire. Eventually he became Associate Musical Director, working closely with the current Artistic Director, Yamin Choudury, on a wide range of shows and community projects, including the creation of ALTER EGO, East London’s biggest talent showcase for young people, where finalists are mentored by top industry professionals and then perform alongside headline acts in front of over a thousand people at Hackney Empire.

Renell has also written, collaborated, recorded and toured alongside artists such as: Rudimental, Anne-Marie, Jess Glynne, Skepta, Nitin Sawhney CBE, Maverick Sabre, Cleveland Watkiss MBE, Orphy Robinson MBE, Aloe Blacc, Speech Debelle, Sharon D. Clarke MBE and Carleen Anderson.

As a composer and arranger, he has worked with: Google, Barclays, BBC, U.N.E.S.C.O, Southbank Centre, Britten Sinfonia, London Symphony Orchestra and London Philharmonic Orchestra.

West End and Theatre credits include: Brief Encounter Directed by Emma Rice, A Midsummer Night’s Madness Directed by Susie McKenna, Cage Street Memorial Directed by Tim Hopkins and Kneehigh’s Ubu Directed by Carl Grose & Mike Shepherd.

Renell’s other work includes creative consultancy, master classes guest lectures and speaking panels for organisations such as: Youtube, TED Conferences, The National Youth Theatre and The Academy of Contemporary Music.

Hackney Empire Artistic Director Yamin Choudury said, “Both Renell and myself are beneficiaries of Hackney Empire’s outreach work with young people from across London that began over two decades ago; all of us at Hackney Empire are so proud to be a part of his creative journey, and the fact that after all these years he is still part of the Hackney Empire family – now investing his energy into a new wave of creative changemakers.

It is more important now than ever for experiences and stories like the ones heard in THE VISION THEY HAD to be recognised. Hackney Empire has a long legacy of embracing and nurturing incredible communities of artists and audiences, creating access points to platforms that can be impenetrable for many. Renell and I have been lucky enough to sit in the wings of the theatre for many years  and see the transformational power of our people, sharing our stories, and with his work Renell is a part of the next generation to ensure that this legacy will continue.”

Renell Shaw said, “Everything I know about stage performance and musicality I learnt through my mentors and the opportunities I experienced during my early years with The Hackney Empire. It’s one of a kind, there’s nowhere else like it.

I’m fortunate now to work in both the contemporary music and theatrical world and I can see that theatre is trying to evolve and expand its audiences. I believe it will get there as long as it’s willing to take creative risks, explore new artistic ideas and embrace the advantages that technology has to offer.

As a songwriter I’ve been able to work with a variety of successful artists, I like to read between the lines of the songs we write, that’s how I get to know the person and figure out what they’re really trying to say. Authenticity is key for me, that’s how we write the best songs. I’ve taken that same formula and I am applying it to a few original theatre show ideas I’ve been developing, when the time is right, I’ll find an interesting way to put them on their feet.”

SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF

WORLD PREMIÈRE PRODUCTION CURSE OF THE CRACKLES! –

NOW STREAMING UNTIL 25 APRIL

★★★★ 

“Fun audio adventure for kids”

The Stage

Shoreditch Town Hall today announces a two-week extension of Curse of the Crackles! due to popular demand. The interactive audio adventure for children and families will now run until 25 April. Tickets are available via shoreditchtownhall.com – audiences will have access to stream the show for 72 hours from the date and time of their booking.

Written by Bea Roberts and featuring innovative sound technology by Ben & Max Ringham. Ed Stambollouian directs Norah Lopez Holden and Sam Swann.

★★★★

“A magical soundscape that will enchant young listeners”

Theatre Weekly

Riff is a good dog and the most excellentist puppy, but she needs your help! The world is in chaos – listen… It’s the Crackles! Those annoying little bits of naughty have muddled up all the sounds in the universe and now it’s up to you and Riff the puppy to put them all back. Are you ready to go on an exciting mission?

By recording the piece on microphones that sit in each ear of a model human head, the audio is recorded in a three-dimensional space tracking the journey of the action and creating an incredibly vivid quality of sound. Curse of the Crackles! is a hilarious interactive audio adventure that immerses you in a brilliantly chaotic quest – the perfect sensory journey that can be enjoyed from anywhere, in any space.

★★★★★

“It’s literally a party in your ears”

Everything Theatre

Audiences will need an internet connection and headphones to get the full effect of the sound technology. Listeners are encouraged to move around their space, but it is not essential to enjoy the production.

Recommended Age: 7-11

Bea Roberts is a multi-award-winning scriptwriter and lyricist. Her writing credits include Sir F. Mother****ing Drake (My England at the Young Vic), The Borrowers (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Loam (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), Little Mermaid (Theatre Royal Bath – won Best Play for Children & Young People at the 2018 UK Theatre Awards), Infinity Pool: A Modern Te-telling of Madame Bovary(Edinburgh Festival – nominated for a Total Theatre Award) and And Then Come The Nightjars (winner of the Theatre503 International Playwriting Award and finalist for The Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2015). In 2016 Roberts was awarded the J.B. Priestly Award for a young writer of promise by the Royal Literary Fund. She is currently under commission with the National Theatre, English Touring Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, the Stephen Joseph Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Ben and Max Ringham’s previous theatre credits for Composition and Sound Design include Blindness, Teenage Dick, Berberian Sound Studio, Cyrano de Bergerac, Pinter at the Pinter, Betrayal (West End), The Seven Ages of Patience, Pass Over (Kiln Theatre), Ugly Lies the Bone (National Theatre), Pygmalion, Dial M for Murder (UK tour), Party Skills (Shoreditch Town Hall), The Meeting (Chichester Festival Theatre), Machinal (Almeida Theatre), Love and Information (Sheffield Theatres), and Gloria (Hampstead Theatre). In 2019 they co-created Anna a headphone based show at the National Theatre.

Ed Stambollouian’s forthcoming productions include Animal Farm (NYT and Royal & Derngate)and KENREX (Out of Joint). Previous theatre credits include: Night School (Harold Pinter Theatre), Max and Ivan: The Straight Man (BAC), BLUSH (Soho Theatre, UK tour, Edinburgh Festival Fringe), That’s The Way Aha Aha Joe Lycett (Edinburgh Festival and National Tour), Joe Lycett: Some Lycett Hot (Pleasance Courtyard, Edinburgh), Prince of the River (Old Vic 12), Don’t Waste Your Bullets on the Dead (VAULT Festival), Dan & Phil: The Amazing Tour is Not on Fire (London Palladium, UK and international tour), Feathers in the Snow (Unicorn Theatre), Awkward Conversations with Animals I’ve F*cked (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Wedding (Shoreditch Town Hall, Forest Fringe), Blacktop Sky (Talawa Studio), I Started a Fire (Arcola Theatre), Family Voices & Victoria Station (Trafalgar Studios), Finer Noble Gases/ Lobby Hero (Masterclass Showcase at Royal Theatre Haymarket), The Aliens (Trafalgar Studios 2), and Elegy (Shunt Vaults).

Created & Written by Bea Roberts;Created & Directed by Ed Stambollouian; Created, Sound Designed & Composed by Ben & Max Ringham andAssociate Sound Design & Composition by Nicola Chang.

A Shoreditch Town Hall production with support from the DCMS Culture Recovery Fund and Arts Council England.

CURSE OF THE CRACKLES!                                                                                                                

LISTINGS

Until 25 April 2021

Box Office: www.shoreditchtownhall.com / 0207 739 6176

Tickets: £3.50 per household, plus booking fee.

ABOUT SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL

Welcoming over 70,000 people through its doors every year, Shoreditch Town Hall is a leading independent cultural, live events and community space housed in one of the grandest former civic buildings in the capital. Comprising over 48,000 square feet across 70 individual rooms, the Grade II listed Town Hall is the largest multi-artform venue in Hackney and more in use than at any other point in its recent history.

With 8 main spaces from 40 to 800 capacity, the Town Hall presents a year-round programme of bold and innovative new theatre, music, dance, circus and talks, as well as hosts 200 live event hires every year. The Town Hall’s artist development programme supports 50 artists, and commissions up to 8 new pieces of live performance a year, and the organisation collaborates with a range of local partners to deliver an extensive community and engagement programme.

The Town Hall partners with leading UK drama school Mountview on the MA in Site-Specific Theatre Practice and is also home to 6 local businesses including the Michelin starred The Clove Club.

The Town Hall’s programme has recently included work with Barely Methodical Troupe, curious directive, dreamthinkspeak, Jamie Lloyd, Kneehigh, LIFT, Manchester International Festival, Nigel Barrett & Louise Mari, Royal Shakespeare Company, ThisEgg and The Wardrobe Ensemble, alongside events with the likes of Alexander McQueen, Amazon, Cartier, Channel 4, Fred Perry, Red Bull, and the filming of Mangrove, The Death of Stalin, Florence Foster Jenkins and The Lady in the Van.

Shoreditch Town Hall is a registered charity (1069617) and receives no regular or revenue funding thus relying on 100% earned income every year.

SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL

380 Old Street, London, EC1V 9LT

020 7739 6176

www.shoreditchtownhall.com

Twitter:               @ShoreditchTH

Facebook:          /ShoreditchTH

Instagram:         @shoreditchTH

LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL RETURNS FOR 2021

AND ADDS SUMMER EVENT FOR NEW WORKS

Little LTF will premiere new work submissions to city audiences

St Luke’s Bombed Out Church will host both outdoor festivals

Award-winning event will celebrate the region’s pool of talent

Liverpool Theatre Festival returns this Autumn after a hugely successful inaugural year – and this time organisers are also introducing a Summer event to premiere new works.

The outdoor festival at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church in September 2020 was created by Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms after theatres nationwide closed their doors in March as part of the Coronavirus lockdown.

Having worked in the theatre industry for more than 30 years, it was Bill’s mission to reinvigorate and boost the city’s live performance and creative arts sector after a devastating six months due to the pandemic.

The festival went ahead with Covid-secure safety measures in place and featured established shows and artists with performances of musical theatre, drama, comedy, cabaret, monologues, and children’s shows. The event was met with excitement for a return to live entertainment. It went on to become a massive success, feeding the appetite for live entertainment, won an award, and was shortlisted for further accolades. It is now back due to popular demand with a whole new strand to introduce new works.

Liverpool Theatre Festival is running across two weeks in September 2021, with the addition of Little LTF to premiere and champion new talent. Once again, the festival hub is the historic St Luke’s Bombed Out Church and gardens in Liverpool city centre.

Little LTF will run for one week during Summer 2021 and gives writers and performers the platform and opportunity to present new work in front of a live audience and become part of this exciting new venture.

Little LTF runs from Monday 12 July to Sunday 18 July 2021 and will be staged within the church walls in a specially designed undercover performance space, creating a more intimate setting. Full details on how to apply will go live on the festival website on Tuesday 6April at 10am. The successful shows will be announced in May and tickets will also go on sale.

The main Liverpool Theatre Festival featuring more established acts, artists and productions will run from Wednesday 1 September to Sunday 12 September 2021 and is planned to launch the city’s Autumn theatre season. The line-up for Liverpool Theatre Festival 2021 will be announced soon.

The inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival last year welcomed almost 2,500 festivalgoers across nine days and featured 19 showstopping performances of 12 productions. Organisers followed stringent Government guidelines to ensure patrons felt safe in their surroundings.

The festival was named Liverpool Echo Awards Community Event of the Year 2020. Organiser Bill Elms was named in The Stage 100 of theatremakers recognised for response to the ‘biggest challenge ever’, and he was also applauded as one of 28 pandemic superstars who supported Liverpool during 2020. The event was also a finalist in two categories at the Liverpool City Region Culture & Creativity Awards 2020 having been shortlisted for The People’s Choice for Outstanding Contribution to Culture and Impact Award Covid-19 Creative Response.

The first year line-up featured Liverpool actor Andrew Lancel in Swan Song, in partnership with LTF, from award-winning city playwright Jonathan Harvey and directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw; A Fairy Tale Journey Across The Mersey; Laughterhouse Comedy; The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper; Sweet Mother; Shakers by John Godber; Deathly Confessions; Matinee Musical Classics; Music Of The Night; Judy & Liza; Hurrah! For The Pirate King; and Something About Simon.

New for 2021 is the addition of Little LTF, a vital new strand to Liverpool Theatre Festival to showcase and encourage new work.

Little LTF is unique as there are so few world festivals who solely showcase new works. Submissions are especially welcomed from Liverpool’s diverse communities and arts organisations to fully represent the cityscape, children’s productions are also encouraged to apply. Scripts must be complete or already in development. Creatives must be linked to Liverpool City Region or the wider North West area. A panel of industry professionals will select works, and media and theatre programmers will be invited to see the premieres first-hand at the festival. Accolades will also be given to outstanding productions in specific categories.

Full details and criteria to apply for Little LTF will be available on the festival website on Tuesday 6 April at 10am along with the submission form at www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com

Festival director Bill Elms commented: “I am thrilled to announce the return of Liverpool Theatre Festival for 2021 – theatre is definitely back! We were so inspired by last year’s event that we are determined to return and take it to the next level, and the addition of Little LTF will do just that. We are sure the public appetite for live theatre and entertainment will be stronger than ever after a very challenging year for everyone. Both of this year’s events will be held in the open air and like last year, any necessary measures will be in place to ensure the safety of our audience, performers and those working at the festival.

“Little LTF is critical to encourage and provide a platform for new work and it will sit incredibly well alongside the more established work and artists in the main festival programme. This is an extraordinary platform to showcase dynamic and innovative new work. The North West has an amazing pool of creative talent and this is a rare chance for writers and performers to premiere work to a live audience in a festival environment, it could springboard their show to the next level. Successful productions will be fully supported through the process of staging their show.

“The pandemic continues to impact everyone involved in the industry – from performers, directors and writers, behind the scenes creatives like lighting, sound and costume, through to front of house teams. A year ago, I felt compelled to act and after a lot of phone calls, planning and an extremely fast turnaround, Liverpool Theatre Festival was born. My passion and commitment to push the event forward is stronger than ever, we are determined to press ahead and raise the funds to make it happen, and we can’t wait to see how the festival will flourish.”

Liverpool Theatre Festival will shortly announce details of a Festival Friends loyalty scheme. The paid members will play an integral in making the festival happen and help shape the event into one of the UK’s top arts festivals.

Sponsorship and partner opportunities for Liverpool Theatre Festival are also available to enable future festivals to take place.

Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com for the latest news updates.

What the critics say…

“Significant on so many levels…brilliantly managed…Liverpool Theatre Festival was absolutely tremendous…it reminded me as to why theatre is vital to the UK’s cultural landscape” Writebase

“A real light in the gloom for theatre in the devastating wake of the pandemic…flying the flag for a beleaguered industry at a time where there has never been so much at stake”

Made Up: On Stage In Liverpool

Website:         www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com

Facebook:       /liverpooltheatrefestival

Twitter:           @lpoolTFestival

Instagram:      liverpooltheatrefestival

Hashtag:         #TheatreIsBack

COMEDY CHAOS GOES NATIONWIDE!MISCHIEF ANNOUNCES THREE UK TOURS OPENING SUMMER 2021
MAGIC GOES WRONG THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG GROAN UPS

Olivier award-winning comedy favourites, Mischief, today announce they will be touring the UK with three productions this summer. Direct from the West End, Magic Goes Wrong, created with Las Vegas magicians Penn & Teller, will open at Curve, Leicester on 16 July. Mischief’s original box office hit, The Play That Goes Wrong, will return for its fourth UK tour, opening at Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury on 13 July. Completing the triple, their West End comedy, Groan Ups, will open at Theatre Royal Bath on 12 August. All three productions will tour through autumn 2021 into 2022. Casting yet to be announced.

Producer Kenny Wax says:
‘Our priority over the past year has been to help kick start the industry in any way we can and we’re delighted to be mounting three Mischief shows on tour, working together with the regional venues to welcome audiences back into theatres nationwide. We hope to provide much needed work to the many actors, stage managers, technicians and creatives who make up our freelance workforce, many of whom have not had paid work since last March.’

Heading out on its inaugural UK tour, Mischief’s biggest and most daring comedy catastrophe to date, Magic Goes Wrong, created with magic legends Penn & Teller, follows a hapless gang of magicians as they stage an evening of grand illusion to raise cash for charity. As the magic turns to mayhem, accidents spiral out of control and so does their fundraising target! The show premiered in the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre in December 2019, where it is set to resume performances this October. Written by Penn Jillette, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields and Teller, the show is directed by Adam Meggido. 

The Play That Goes Wrong is now in its seventh year in the West End and is fast becoming a global phenomenon with productions in over 35 countries and across 6 continents. Winning multiple awards including a Tony and the Olivier award for Best New Comedy, the show follows an amateur dramatics society as they attempt to stage a 1920s murder mystery, but as the calamity prone thesps battle to reach their final curtain call, everything that can go wrong… does!  Back by popular demand, the production will open at Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, where it first premiered in 2014. Written by Henry Lewis,Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields with original direction by Mark Bell. The touring production is directed by Sean Turner.

Something a little different from Mischief, Groan Ups is a comedy all about growing up. Following an unruly classroom of six year-olds as they journey through anarchic teenage life, through to adulthood, this comedy asks the real questions – do we choose who we become? Is the story of our lives already written? Do we ever really grow up? Groan Ups premiered in the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre in September 2019 and also featured on the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. This will be its first UK tour. Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the show is directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward. 

Mischief’s other West End successes include Peter Pan Goes Wrong,A Comedy About A Bank Robbery and Mischief Movie Night. Their hugely successful six-part TV Series, The Goes Wrong Show, aired in the UK on BBC ONE and on Amazon Prime Video in the US, Canada and Australia. The show received a 2020 TV Choice Award nomination for Best Comedy and a second series commission for a 2020 Christmas special, The Nativity. Series two is currently in production. Executive Producers are Hilary Strong and Kenny Wax for Mischief Screen. Mischief Theatre is owned and controlled by its original members and is led by a creative group and its directors Henry Lewis and Jonathan Sayer. 

Mischief’s tours are produced by Kenny Wax Ltd and Stage Presence Ltd.