Month: April 2021

OPEN BAR THEATRE ANNOUNCES SUMMER SEASON

OUTDOOR SHAKESPEARE PERFORMANCES HELD IN FULLER’S PUB GARDENS

—

Fuller’s support of and investment in performing arts

continues with two Shakespeare UK tours

LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST

and

AS YOU LIKE IT

LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST: 12th July TO 18th August

AS YOU LIKE IT: 26th July TO 16th September

 

The company truly manage to evoke something quite magical…laid-back, immersive and thoroughly entertaining.”

Broadway World ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“It’s easy to abandon reality and immerse yourself in this enormously enjoyable production”

The Upcoming ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“So many highlights in a single evening!” Sadie Takes the Stage ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“The standing ovation the cast received at the end was well and truly deserved”

West End Wilma ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“This version is for anyone who ever said “Romeo and Juliet, oh, no, that’s not for me” because one thing is guaranteed, you will smile and you will laugh. It’s sheer entertainment”.

London Pub Theatres ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Theatre company Open Bar perform plays in the gardens of pubs around London and the south of England. Pubs, as the natural hubs of our communities, are the perfect setting in which to recapture the raucous, accessible and inherently social spirit of a Shakespearean troupe performance.

In a unique partnership, the company is fully supported by Fuller’s who invest as full executive producers of the tours.  In the current environment where performing artists are desperately struggling to find a way to make performances financially viable, Open Bar and Fuller’s have developed a relationship in which the theatre company are not reliant on ticket sales in order to perform their shows. The benefit for Fuller’s is the added value of being able to offer fresh food, including gourmet bar snacks and bespoke pre-performance pub menus alongside their selection of beers, wines and spirits – and to reach out to new customers.

2020 was such a rollercoaster, and nowhere has that been felt more keenly than in the pub and restaurant trade, and in the performing arts. Fuller’s is in a position to invest in high quality performances and essentially act like an executive producer. The company pays for the package of everything from writing the script to casting, to production, to transportation. But it’s far from an altruistic venture – it’s an investment. We host the performances in our pub gardens and Fuller’s takes the ticket sales and any food and drink sales. We wanted to put in every effort to showcase the amazing work Open Bar does and provide our customers with an amazing experience. We really hope other brands consider following in our footsteps, as it’s genuinely a win-win situation.” FULLER’S BRAND MANAGER MICHAEL TREVENA

“We’re used to making innovative theatre in unusual spaces, – our shows are designed to work with the elements and surroundings, not against them. As the audience gets more enthusiastic (and often drunk, we are in a pub garden after all) we use it to our advantage. We feed off their energy. They don’t have to understand every word but it’s important that we take them with us – that they leave humming the tunes and still laughing at the gags. With Fuller’s, we are in the extraordinary position of being able to produce full-scale professional shows regardless of COVID-19 capacity restrictions, maintaining high production values, employing artists and dreaming bigger and better.” NICKY DISS & VICKY GASKIN – OPEN BAR THEATRE

After last year, we all need a “Summer of Love”, and the two plays Open Bar are bringing to the stage are full of comedy, romance and adventure. Open Bar also compose original songs so that those less familiar with Shakespeare can easily follow the plot – because Open Bar perform for everyone – reconnecting to the travelling-troubadour-outdoor-everyman essence of an original Shakespeare performance.

Love’s Labour’s Lost

Four men decide to lock themselves away from all human connection (imagine!) to study and improve themselves, – but they soon find that it really isn’t as simple as that, especially when the Princess of France and her three beautiful friends are coming to stay.

Four couples separated by an oath, a “fantastical Spaniard” longing for a forbidden love, misplaced letters, a ridiculous play-within-a-play, a chorus of ukuleles, lightning-fast costume changes and drinks at your fingertips all make for a riotous Shakespeare comedy. Four actors will play all seventeen characters in this mischievous, and rather pertinent, love story.

As You Like It

Rosalind escapes her vicious uncle, dresses as a boy (because this is Shakespeare after all), grabs her cousin and heads for the forest. There she meets a group of shepherds, and the boy she loves who also happens to be on the run from her uncle.

Run away with Rosalind and Celia as the Forest of Arden quite literally lands in Fuller’s pub gardens this summer. It may look fresh out of Shakespeare’s day, but it’s as relevant as ever, with original songs to help audiences follow the plot and six actors leaping around an impressive two-storey set.

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER AND CAMERON MACKINTOSH

ANNOUNCE CASTING FOR

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

AT HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE

LUCY ST LOUIS WILL PLAY ‘CHRISTINE’,

RHYS WHITFIELD WILL PLAY ‘RAOUL’

JOINING

DOUBLE OLIVIER AWARD NOMINEE

KILLIAN DONNELLY AS ‘THE PHANTOM’

PERFORMANCES BEGIN 27 JULY 2021

BOOKINGS EXTENDED UNTIL 13 FEBRUARY 2022

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cameron Mackintosh are delighted to announce casting for the return of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, to its home and birthplace Her Majesty’s Theatre.

Tickets will go back on sale on Tuesday 4 May, following a priority on-sale on Friday 30 April for those signed up via the website.

Lucy St Louis will play ‘Christine Daaé’ and Rhys Whitfield will play ‘Raoul’. They join the previously announced double Olivier Award nominee Killian Donnelly as ‘The Phantom’.

The cast also includes Saori Oda as ‘Carlotta Giudicelli’, Matt Harrop as ‘Monsieur Firmin’, Adam Linstead as ‘Monsieur André’, Greg Castiglioni as ‘Ubaldo Piangi’, Francesca Ellis as ‘Madame Giry’ and Ellie Young as Meg Giry. At certain performances the role of ‘Christine Daaé’ will be played by Holly-Anne Hull.

They are joined by Leeroy Boone, Corina Clark, Edward Court, Lily De-La-Haye, Hywel Dowsell, Jemal Felix, Erin Flaherty, James Gant, Eilish Harmon-Beglan, Yukina Hasebe, Olivia Holland-Rose, Grace Hume, James Hume, Donald Craig Manuel, Jonathan Milton, Janet Mooney, Tim Morgan, Beatrice Penny-Toure, Michael Robert-Lowe, Nikki Skinner, Tim Southgate, Ashley Stillburn, Manon Taris, Anouk Van Laake, Skye Weiss, Simon Whitaker and Karen Wilkinson.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said today “I am thrilled to announce our first entirely new cast for The Phantom of the Opera in London in over 35 years. This cast includes some wonderful performers with whom I have worked in the past, such as Killian and Rhys as well as the hugely exciting Lucy St Louis in the role of Christine Daaé. Lucy first sang for me in between lockdowns one and two and I was utterly bewitched. I am also very proud to welcome Beatrice Penny-Toure, Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation Arts Ed scholarship graduate, to the Phantom family in her first professional role.”

Cameron Mackintosh said today “Putting the new version of the original Phantom production back into its perfect home Her Majesty’s Theatre, 35 years after its premiere, is an unexpected thrill. None of us had any idea The Phantom would be haunting the stage for so long. Although many of our brilliant original creative colleagues including, Hal Prince, Maria Björnson and Gillian Lynne are sadly no longer with us, their work lives on inspiring our new creative team to stage the Phantom afresh, as if it was a brand new production. This time around Her Majesty’s Theatre will take even more of a starring role alongside our brilliant new cast. Andrew and I cannot wait for our opera to begin again on 27 July, a few weeks before it opens at the Sydney Opera House and ahead of its return to Broadway.”

Following the government’s announcement of the roadmap out of lockdown stating that the return of full audiences to the theatre would not be allowed until 21 June at the earliest, performances will now begin on 27 July 2021. Patrons who purchased tickets prior to 27 July will be contacted directly by the box office and given priority to exchange their tickets. Bookings have been extended until 13 February 2022. 

Lucy St Louis starred as ‘Diana Ross’ in the West End production of “Motown The Musical” at the Shaftesbury Theatre. Her many other West End credits include “Beautiful The Carole King Musical” at the Aldwych Theatre and “The Book of Mormon” at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Lucy has also appeared in “Ragtime” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and “Man of La Mancha” at the London Coliseum.

Rhys Whitfield most recently played the role of ‘Raoul’ in the National Tour of “The Phantom of the Opera”. He has also appeared in “Summer and Smoke” at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End and as ‘Peter’ in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. His other credits include “Close to You” at the Criterion Theatre and the UK tour of “The Commitments”.

Killian Donnelly was most recently seen as ‘The Phantom’ in the UK tour of “The Phantom of the Opera”. Before this he played the role of ‘Jean Valjean’ to critical acclaim in the sell-out UK and Ireland Tour of “Les Misérables”, having also played the role in West End production. Prior to his run in “Les Misérables”, he played the role of ‘Charlie Price’ in “Kinky Boots” on Broadway, a role he originated at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End in 2015, for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award. His other theatre credits include ‘Huey’ in the original London cast of “Memphis” at the Shaftesbury Theatre for which he was also nominated for an Olivier Award.  He created the role of ‘Deco’ in “The Commitments” at the Palace Theatre and has also played ‘Tony’ in “Billy Elliot” at the Victoria Palace Theatre as well as ‘Raoul’ in “The Phantom of the Opera” at Her Majesty’s Theatre. He first joined the company of “Les Misérables” in 2008, going on to play the role of ‘Enjolras’ from 2009 to 2011. In 2010, he played the role of ‘Courfeyrac’ in the “25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables” at The O2 Arena and also played the role of ‘Combeferre’ in the multi-award-winning film of the show, released in 2012.

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is produced by Cameron Mackintosh and The Really Useful Group Ltd. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by Charles Hart, and Additional Lyrics by Richard Stilgoe. Book by Richard Stilgoe and Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the novel ‘Le Fantôme de l’Opera’ by Gaston Leroux, with Orchestrations by David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Musical Supervision is by Simon Lee. The Production Design is by Maria Björnson and the Set Design is adapted by Matt Kinley with Associate Costume Design by Jill Parker, Lighting is by Andrew Bridge with Associate Lighting Design by Warren Letton, Sound is by Mick Potter. The Musical Staging and Choreography is by Gillian Lynne, recreated and adapted by Chrissie Cartwright. Originally Directed by Harold Prince, this production is Directed by Seth Sklar-Heyn.

Obtaining Government backed contingency insurance to protect against further unscheduled closures remains a priority.  All plans for the re-opening of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA are in accordance with the Government’s latest directives and therefore subject to change.

GOING THE DISTANCE

A NEW DIGITAL COMEDY

BY HENRY FILLOUX-BENNETT AND YASMEEN KHAN

DIRECTED BY FELICITY MONTAGU

PREMIERES 4-17 OCTOBER 2021

GOING THE DISTANCE – the world premiere ofa digital production of a new comedy by Henry Filloux-Bennett and Yasmeen Khan, directed by Felicity Montagu (best known for her role as ‘Lynn’ in I’m Alan Partridge, as well as numerous stage and screen credits) – will launch this autumn, available on demand from 4 – 17 October. GOING THE DISTANCE is a co-production from the Lawrence Batley Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, The Dukes and The Watermill Theatre. Further details and casting to be announced.

When there’s no light at the end of the tunnel and the chips are down, you can count on Eggborough Community Theatre to fight back…

March 2020. Theatres across the country go dark. Hundreds of cherished arts centres face the prospect of permanent closure. But that isn’t going to stop the Eggborough Community Theatre… as they fight to save their local venue with the genius idea to put on a fundraising production of Wizard* (*inspired by but for rights purposes certainly not based on The Wizard of Oz).

Get ready for a brand new comedy about a little theatre with a huge challenge.

The launch of GOING THE DISTANCE comes hot on the heels of the huge success of other critically acclaimed digital productions adapted by Filloux-Bennett, including What A Carve Up! in October 2020, The Picture of Dorian Gray in March 2021, and most recently Yasmeen Khan’s adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest, produced by The Lawrence Batley Theatre and The Dukes Lancaster.

Henry Filloux-Bennett said, “I’m so excited to be working with Yasmeen and Felicity on something which feels like a perfect way to celebrate the resilience of our incredible industry over the last year. Theatres and arts centres are absolutely at the heart of communities up and down the country, and ‘Going the Distance’ will I hope be a warm-hearted reflection of just how vital they are to us all. Think ‘Noises Off’ meets ‘Nighty-Night’ – at least then you know what we were aiming for…!”

Felicity Montagu said, “I’m very excited to be working on ‘Go The Distance’ in my directorial debut. Not only is this a thrilling challenge but working with Yasmeen Khan and Henry Filloux-Bennett, who are creating this wonderful Comedy-Drama, is a pure delight. If anything can bring joy and a beacon of hope out of such a terrible year, hopefully this will.”

Tickets go on sale to the general public on Tuesday 27 April, and can be purchased at goingthedistanceplay.com.  Bookers will receive a screening link which will allow access for their booked performance date for a 48-hour period. Tickets are priced at £15 which will include both a link to the production as well as a digital programme. Audio description and closed captioning will be made available for the production during its run

Chiswick Playhouse announce new Associate
Artists Tori Allen-Martin and Phoebe Barran
Chiswick Playhouse, 2 Bath Road, London W4 1LW

Actor Tori Allen-Martin and director Phoebe Barran have been named as the new Associate Artists at Chiswick Playhouse. These two incredible talents will work in partnership with the theatre supporting its dynamic work post-Covid. This exciting collaboration will seek to
champion new and adventurous work, helping to further highlight Chiswick as a creative hub in the industry

Tori Allen-Martin (Pandemonium, BBC; London Kills, BBC) is an acclaimed actor, writer, and singer-songwriter, who was named as one of the BBC’s New Talent Hotlist in 2017. Most
recently she has co-founded Burn Bright, a non-profit organisation aiming to level the playing field for writers who identify as women, helping to create opportunities and share the stories of the marginalised.

Phoebe Barran is an award-winning director, who most recently won an Off West End Award for her revival of Tryst at the Chiswick Playhouse. Barran will be showcasing her skillset as part of the Chiswick Recharged Festival’s Bare Bones, stripping down two new plays The Woodcutters Tale by Orlando Wells and a new version of Tom Sharpe’s Wilt, adapted by David Spicer.

Tori Allen-Martin comments, I am so honoured to have been asked to work with Chiswick
Playhouse as an associate artist. Chiswick Playhouse are committed to developing artists of all disciplines, ages and backgrounds and are passionate about platforming voices that too often feel silenced as well as creating work that will have a vibrant life not only inside, but beyond the fringe circuit. I share these values and am so excited to collaborate with them on finding exciting opportunities to platform new talent, especially marginalised voices. We share a view of Chiswick Playhouse becoming a hub for new work and new connections and I am so proud to put my name to this brilliant and exciting venue, and I myself can’t wait to create magic with them.

Phoebe Barran adds, I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Chiswick Playhouse as an associate artist. I’ve been a supporter of the theatre for many years both as an audience member and from having the opportunity to develop new writing and direct shows here. The theatre itself is such a wonderful space for both creatives and audiences and I’m hugely excited to now be part of the team that will bring some of the best and the brightest to come and work here. I know the Chiswick Playhouse has ambitious plans with both its own programme of productions and partnering with other producers and creatives. I’m so excited to play my part in making those plans a reality

Mark Perry, Chiswick’s Executive Director, said, The ethos of Chiswick Playhouse is to give a platform to work and creatives so that they can have a life far beyond Chiswick. We want to be a place where we can support artists from all backgrounds to not just create work for our audiences, but also develop themselves and their craft. This is why Phoebe and Tori are such perfect additions to the team as associate artists. Both of them, besides being hugely talented themselves, have made it part of their raison d’être to help and support people around them, no matter whether those people are experienced artists, making first steps into the theatre world or are in some way a neglected voice. We want to firmly establish the Chiswick Playhouse on the theatre map and I am delighted that Phoebe and Tori have agreed to come on board to help us do that.

Alphabetti Theatre proudly presents
AWARE
with films by Hijinx Theatre, Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company and About Face Theatre Company

Venue: Alphabetti Theatre
Date: 25th May – 5th June 2021 (excluding Sundays & Mondays)
Time: 7:30pm | 1:00pm (relaxed Saturday matinee)
Running length: Approx. 70 mins
Price: Pay What You Feel (booking essential, instructions at the end of the performance)
Live Audience: A household/support bubble experiences the show in their own time slot. One slot for one bubble (up to 6 people). Slots available every 30 mins from 5.00pm to
9.30pm Tues – Fri and from 11.30am – 9.30pm Sat.
Online Audience: The performance will be live streamed every night at 7:30pm.
Age Recommendation: 14+
Tickets available at: https://www.alphabettitheatre.co.uk/copy-of-what-s-on

We are installing three film booths in the venue, each booth will show a different short film by these fantastic, groundbreaking theatre companies. Produced by Esther Fearn & Ali Pritchard, AWARE is a project with a series of short films by three theatre companies run by and for people with learning disabilities. AWARE has been made possible with the support of Newcastle Cultural Investment Fund managed by Community Foundation. It was originally conceived in partnership with Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company as a festival in 2020

Hijinx presents The Audition – a short documentary.
Directed by Dylan Wyn Richards
Produced by Daniel McGowan & Clare Williams
Camera Huw Walters
Made with the support of Morrisons Foundation and Ffilm Cymru Wales

In the spring of 2019, thirty neurodivergent actors auditioned for roles in a groundbreaking feature film. During the audition process and interviews, these remarkable performers discussed their unique experiences and outlook on the world.
The result is a revelatory, extraordinary documentary fusing powerful acting with equally striking insights into politics, dreams, trauma, family, friendship and life as someone with a different, astonishing mind.
https://www.facebook.com/hijinxtheatre/
https://twitter.com/HijinxTheatre

Lawnmowers Independent Theatre Company presents Retake, Remake
Directed by Jan-Willem Van Den Bosch
With Creative Collaboration by Melody Sproates
Made with support of National Lottery Community Fund, Arts Council England and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Retake, Remake explores films that portray people with learning difficulties but are played by actors without learning difficulties. The Lawnmowers Theatre Ensemble reclaim these films and make them their own. The actors create a new story-led show that uses lip-sync in a fun and clever way mixing edited audio, live performance and film footage to create a conceptual conversation about representation, ability and ownership.
https://www.facebook.com/LawnmowersITC/
https://twitter.com/lawnmowersITC

About Face Theatre Company presents Creation
Directed by Jess MacKenzie
Directed by Jess MacKenzie and creative collaboration with The Fetch Theatre Company and The Creative Arcade.About Face is part of ECHO . Made with support from The Arts Council.

Strikingly staged using micro-puppetry, About Face weaves ancient stories of greed, fear and redemption applied to our world today, with music, narrative and strong magic. About Face Theatre Company is the flagship company of actors with learning disabilities in the West Midlands. It provides a wide range of opportunities for people with learning disabilities to grow in confidence through performance based skills, specialising in puppet and mask work.
https://www.facebook.com/aboutfacetheatreuk/
https://www.instagram.com/aboutfacetheatre/

BRAND-NEW MUSICAL PODCAST

THE BALLAD OF ANNE & MARY ANNOUNCED

PODCAST DATES: 29^TH APRIL – 27^TH MAY 2021

AVAILABLE FREE ON ALL MAJOR PODCAST PLATFORMS

An electrifying five-part musical podcast series The Ballad of Anne & Mary will launch on Thursday 29^th April with a stellar cast including musical sensation Christina Bianco, actress and comedian Sooz Kempner, Hamilton star Karl Queensborough, and drag legend Le Gateau Chocolat among others.

It’s 1721, and London is abuzz with news of notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, currently languishing in Newgate Prison. It’s the perfect time for debt-ridden journalist Nathaniel Mist to exploit the public appetite and ghost-write a sensational (and hopefully best-selling) history of pirates. But as the balladeers and gossips on the streets of London build myths around the blood-thirsty, perverse lady pirates, Mist is forced to reckon with the real Bonny & Read…

Gritty and romantic, The Ballad of Anne & Mary whisks listeners away on a rollicking adventure across the Caribbean seas, through the backstreets of Georgian London, and into the cells of its most notorious prison. Original songs fuse sea shanties and pirate songs with orchestral and rock instruments to create a musical world at once familiar and surprising. Recorded in home studios during a year when the world stood still, this is the perfect escape across time and space, drawing you into the jaw dropping world of Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two of the most notorious pirates who ever lived. 

Long Cat Media’s writer and director, Lindsay Sharman, comments: “We are thrilled to bring this musical podcast to life and continue to make epic stories without compromise. It has been great to see Anne Bonny and Mary Read’s resurgence in notoriety recently as their story illustrates resilience and joie de vivre we could all aspire to. We came across the non-fiction book Captain Charles Johnson’s A General History of the Pyrates from 1724 which became the basis for much of our modern mythology about pirates. The more we researched Mary Read and Anne Bonny’s story, the more ours came to life. The music in this podcast series transports you to other worlds, and there is something about the nature of folk music, especially shanties and sea songs, that we’ve always found exciting.”

Christina Bianco, who steps into the role of Anne Bonny, comments: “Listeners are in for something incredibly special. It is a female driven, action-adventure musical – which is a rarity! Not only does it have a gorgeous score and a script that is both hilarious and touching, but Long Cat Media have created an immersive sound design that makes you feel like you’re living inside the story. Oh yeah – and it was all done in isolation! It’s an absolutely stunning achievement that I am honoured to be part of.”

Sooz Kempner, playing Mary Read in The Ballad of Anne & Mary, adds: “If you would have told me two years ago that a full-blown musical could exist in podcast form, I’d never have believed you. But this is exactly that, and it’s about two badass women to boot.”

Exploring how legends are made, and why the truth rarely gets in the way of a good story, The Ballad of Anne & Mary is a celebration of rebels, the environment that made them, and how they become a repository for our fears and desires. Looking back from a time when rule-breaking women are still demonised by the media and by the public, what must it have been like in 1721?

The Ballad of Anne & Mary is written and directed by Lindsay Sharman, with music by Laurence Owen and an incredible cast including Carole Stennett, Dominic Brewer, John Henry Falle, Hayley Evenett, James Ducker, Colette Boushell, Ivan Wilkinson and Helen Fullerton. It has been supported by funding from Arts Council England and the UEA Enterprise Fund.

The Ballad of Anne & Mary will be launched on 29^th April on all major podcast platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Acast and Google Podcasts as well as on www.longcatmedia.com, with new episodes being released every Thursday. The soundtrack will be available to buy on Bandcamp. You can watch the series teaser trailer here.

Streaming online 23 – 27 April

3***

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Joey Contreras’ song cycle In Pieces follows eight characters through the ups and downs of relationships. Directed by Louis Rayneau, there are some wonderful moments, although that is down to the cast and their performances rather than the music.

With Kidzania standing in quite effectively for a New York mall, there is a studio feel to the film, even if some sets make the cast appear giants. There is no dialogue between songs, but the paths of the characters’ relationships become clear through the songs. Rachel Sargent’s choreography is energetic and fun. Up tempo pop tunes and sweet ballads follow a familiar template, but there are a few real bangers thrown in, in a mixed bag of numbers that need a little exposition in between to produce a slicker and more coherent show as at the moment it doesn’t quite gel.

The cast are outstanding, with Luke Street and Hilba Elchikhe taking us through the breakup of a relationship in great style, while Ross Harmon’s shy geek and troubled Mr Popular Jordan Luke Gage explore their feelings for each other, Kyle Birch performs ballads about unrequited love beautifully, Becky Lane has some comedy numbers about the awkwardness of love, and Danielle Steers fills her big number with passion and emotion. The group numbers are the standout moments, with Hilba Elchikhe, Amy Di Bartolomeo and Danielle Steers harmonising brilliantly on Like You Don’t Miss Me, and Amy Di Bartolomeo and the cast sharing experiences of love and repeating mistakes in the stunning Singing the Same Line.

Lifted by the wonderful cast, In Pieces is lots of fun and an enjoyable show, but with a decent book and a few more special tunes this could become a great show

Cast and creative team announced for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production of Tim Firth’s smash hit comedy Neville’s Island

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch announces the cast and creative team for its production of Neville’s Island, playing 20 May – 12 June and 22 June – 3 July 2021. This fresh new staging of Tim Firth’s smash hit comedy launches the season at the Theatre and welcomes back Emma Baggot to direct, following her acclaimed productions of Misfits and Stiletto Beach.

The cast includes Beruce Khan (Shadowlands, Chichester Festival Theatre), Philip Cairns (Cyrano De Bergerac, The Playhouse Theatre), Sean Michael Verey (Pramface, BBC Three) and Stephen Leask (School of Rock, New London Theatre).

Director Emma Baggot is joined by set and costume designer James Button (Worst Wedding Ever, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, Salisbury Playhouse and New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich), Sound Designer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite (Grown Ups, Vaudeville Theatre), Lighting Designer Stephen Pemble (Misfits, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch) and Fight Director Haruka Kuroda (The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, Park Theatre).

Four out-of-condition clueless middle managers are forced on the outdoor awayday from hell. Shipwrecked, wrapped in thick fog and cut off from civilisation with one cold sausage between them, Gordon, Angus, Roy and the hapless Neville are about to experience the misadventure of their lives…

From the critically acclaimed Tim Firth, writer of Calendar Girls, The Band and Our House, this award-nominated West End comedy is the perfect entertainment to welcome audiences safely back to live theatre, on their doorstep this summer.

Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul and Executive Director Mathew Russell say, ‘We’re excited to welcome this sterling team to the Theatre helmed by the brilliant Emma Baggot, for what will be a standout production of Tim’s hilarious hit show. We can’t wait to share this wonderful comedy with audiences in person’.

Tickets to Neville’s Island cost £12.50 – £29 plus 65p QRenew Fee, tickets for under 26s are just £8. To book, visit queens-theatre.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01708 443333.

THE INTERNATIONAL SMASH HIT MUSICAL SIX ANNOUNCES FULL CASTING FOR THE UK & IRELAND TOUR 2021/22

The multi award-winning musical phenomenon SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, today announces full casting for its 2021/22 UK and Ireland tour which will reopen on Tuesday 8 June 2021 at Marlowe Theatre Canterbury. The touring Queens will be played by Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Maddison Bulleyment (Anne Boleyn), Caitlin Tipping (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Vicki Manser (Katherine Howard) and Elèna Gyasi (Catherine Parr), with Alternates Jennifer Caldwell, Cassandra Lee, Harriet Watson and Super Swing Natalie Pilkington. The cast are backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting.

SIX will open at Marlowe Theatre with socially distanced seating for a three-week run (8-27 June) and thereafter playing at full capacity touring through 2022, including a week in Ireland at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre in Dublin (12-16 Oct), and a return Christmas run at The Lowry, Salford Quays (14 Dec – 9 Jan 2022). 

From Tudor queens to pop princesses, SIX sees the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves, but their lipstick is rebellious red. Think you know the rhyme, think again… Divorced. Beheaded. LIVE!

Since its early days as a student production in a 100-seat room at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, SIX has fast become a global musical phenomenon. As the pandemic struck last year, SIX was playing to sold out houses in London’s West End, on tour across the UK and Australia, and had its opening night in New York on Thursday 12 March 2020 cancelled when the New York Governor shut down Broadway three hours before the show was due to open. 

SIX was nominated for five Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. It won the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the Whatsonstage Awards and was invited to perform on the results show of ITV’s ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ and BBC’s ‘Children in Need Appeal Show’. Songs from the studio album of SIX have stormed the charts worldwide, clocking up over 200 million streams.  

Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SIX is co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. The design team includes Emma Bailey (Set Design), Gabriella Slade (Costume Design), Tim Deiling (Lighting Design) and Paul Gatehouse (Sound Design). The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran with music supervision and vocal arrangements by Joe Beighton. Musical Director Sarah Burrell, Casting by Pearson Casting. SIX is produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes and George Stiles.


www.sixthemusical.com@sixthemusical
Listings Information:
SIX UK TOUR 2021/22

Tue 8 – Sun 27 June CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS 01227 787787 | marlowetheatre.com

Tue 29 Jun – Sat 3 July LEEDS Grand Theatre 46 New Briggate, Leeds LS1 6NU 0844 848 2700 | leedsheritagetheatres.com

Wed 7 – Sat 10 July BLACKPOOL Opera House Church Street,Blackpool FY1 1HU 0844 856 1111 | wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Mon 12 – Sat 17 July NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal 100 Grey Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6BR 08448 11 21 21 | theatreroyal.co.uk

Tue 20 – Sun 25 July HULL New Theatre Kingston Square, Hull HU1 3HF 01482 300 306 | www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Wed 28 Jul – Sun 1 August PLYMOUTH Theatre Royal Plymouth Royal Parade, Plymouth PL1 2TR 01752 267222 | theatreroyal.com

Tue 3 – Sat 7 August BRIGHTON Theatre Royal New Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 1SD 0844 871 7650 | atgtickets.com/brighton

Tue 10 – Sun 15 August SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower Theatre Commercial Road, Southampton, SO15 1GE 02380 711811 | mayflower.org.uk

Tue 17 – Sun 22 August SOUTHEND Cliffs Pavilion Station Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS0 7RA 01702 351135 | southendtheatres.org.uk

Tue 24 Aug – Sun 5 September OXFORD Playhouse Beaumont Street, Oxford, UK, OX1 2LW 01865 305305 |oxfordplayhouse.com

Tue 7 – Sun 12 September NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal Theatre Square, Nottingham NG1 5ND 0115 989 5555 | trch.co.uk

Tue 14 – Sat 18 September BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome Hurst Street, Southside Birmingham, B5 4TB 0844 338 5000 | birminghamhippodrome.com

Mon 20 – Sat 25 September NORWICH Theatre Royal Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL 01603 63 00 00 | norwichtheatre.org

Tue 28 – Sun 3 October LEICESTER Curve 60 Rutland Street, Leicester LE1 1SB 0116 242 3595 | curveonline.co.uk

Tue 12 – Sat 16 October DUBLIN, IRELAND Bord Gais Energy Theatre Grand Canal Square, Docklands, Dublin 2.Dublin+353 (1) 677 7999 | bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

Tue 19 – Sat 23 October BROMLEY Churchill Theatre High Street, Bromley, BR1 1HA 020 3285 6000 | churchilltheatre.co.uk

Mon 25 – Sat 6 November CHELTENHAM Everyman Theatre Regent Street, Cheltenham GL50 1HQ 01242 572573 | everymantheatre.org.uk

Mon 8 – Sat 13 November WOKING New Victoria Theatre The Peacocks Centre, Woking GU21 6GQ 0844 871 7645 | atgtickets.com/woking

Tue 23 – Sat 27 November MILTON KEYNES Theatre 500 Marlborough Gate, Milton Keynes MK9 3NZ 0844 871 7652 | atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

Mon 29 Nov – Sat 11 December BATH Theatre Royal SINGALONG 10 DEC, 8.30PM Sawclose, Bath BA1 1ET 01225 448844 | theatreroyal.org.uk

Tue 14 Dec – Sun 9 January SALFORD QUAYS The Lowry Pier 8, The Quays, Salford Salford M50 3AZ 0343 208 6000 | thelowry.com

Tue 11 – Sat 22 January NEWCASTLE Theatre Royal 100 Grey St, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 6BR 08448 11 21 21 | theatreroyal.co.uk

Tue 25 – Sun 30 January DARTFORD Orchard Theatre Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1ED 01322 220000 | orchardtheatre.co.uk

Tue 15 – Sat 19 February NORTHAMPTON Derngate Theatre 19-21 Guildhall Rd, Northampton NN1 1DP 01604 624811 | royalandderngate.co.uk

Tue 1 – Sat 12 March GUILDFORD Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Millbrook Guildford GU1 3UX 01483 44 00 00 | yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Tue 15 – Sat 26 March EDINBURGH Festival Theatre 13 / 29 Nicolson Street Edinburgh, EH8 9FT 0131 529 6000 | capitaltheatres.com

Tue 19 – Sat 30 April SHEFFIELD Lyceum Theatre55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA 0114 249 6000 | sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tue 3 – Sat 14 May CARDIFF Wales Millennium Theatre Bute Place, Cardiff CF10 5AL 029 2063 6464 | wmc.org.uk

Tue 31 Apr – Sun 5 May EASTBOURNE Congress Theatre Carlisle Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN21 4BP 01323 412 000 | eastbournetheatres.co.uk

Tue 14 – Sun 19 June GLASGOW Theatre Royal 282 Hope St, Glasgow G2 3QA0 3330 096 690 | atgtickets.com/glasgow

Tue 20 – Sat 24 September BRISTOL Hippodrome Theatre St Augustine’s Parade, Bristol, BS1 4UZ 0844 871 3012 | atgtickets.com/Bristol

FURTHER DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
sixthemusical.com@sixthemusical
Running time: 80 minutes, no interval Age guide: 10+

Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic! 

Poet Simon Mole & musician Gecko  

are bringing families together to get creative 

on Sunday 6 June 2021 

POETRY PICNIC is a snack heavy celebration of music and poetry. With fun (and quite silly) games poet Simon Mole & musician Gecko build kids’ confidence and skill with words to help them unlock their poetry powers. Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic, surprisingly, takes place at Alexandra Palace on Sunday 6 June 2021 at 3pm.  

This outdoor event is ideal for children aged 6yrs+. Audience members will be supported to pen a poem from their picnic blanket and hear some Beatles-meets-the-Beastie-Boys style bangers from Simon Mole & Gecko. The audience will also have the chance to share the stage and perform their poems with the show’s professional performers for the grand finale. 

Children and families can get creative before the event using a free DIY Picnic Activity Pack designed by illustrator and artist Anna Bruder from A Line Arts. This pack includes fun tips on setting up your picnic blanket, conjuring up a hand-drawn selection of delicious snacks and making your own microphone to deliver your poem with style! 

Please note, this is a Bring Your Own Biscuits event.  

Simon Mole, a National Poetry Day Ambassador who has shared stages with John Cooper-Clarke, Kae Tempest and Simon Armitage, said: “For me poetry is about looking closely at the world around you, thinking carefully and creatively about it, then shaping those ideas and opinions into something you can share with others. These ‘poetry skills’ are part of a mindset that you carry with you beyond the brief moments of actually putting pen to paper. Poetry Picnic is about having fun and empowering young people to make their world a better place, one poem at a time!” 

Mark Civil, Alexandra Palace Head of Creative Learning, said: “We’re delighted to be welcoming Poetry Picnic to Ally Pally this summer. We know Simon and Gecko really well and love their creative workshops, which we know young people and their families will love. We’re looking forward to putting on a great day, in a beautiful location for everyone to enjoy.”  

For more information and to book tickets, visit https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/ally-pallys-poetry-picnic/ or call the Box Office on 020 8365 2121. Participants will be emailed a link to download the free DIY Picnic Activity Pack and should bring their own picnic drinks and nibbles and a brolly just in case! Blankets will be provided for your bubble.  

Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic is created by Simon Mole, Gecko and Peader Kirk. It is produced by Rua Arts and funded by Arts Council England. Visit http://www.simonmole.com/poetrypicnic/ for more information. 

Sign up for Simon Mole’s live monthly online poetry workshops at www.youtube.com/simonmole.   

LISTINGS 

Show: Ally Pally’s Poetry Picnic 

Date/Time: Sunday 6 June 2021 at 3pm  

Running Time: 75 minutes approx. 

Venue address: Alexandra Palace Theatre, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY 

Tickets:  Big Bubble Ticket for up to 6 people £29.40; Little Bubble Ticket for up to 3 people £14.70 (ticket price includes handling and delivery fee) 

Box Office: 020 8365 2121 / https://www.alexandrapalace.com/whats-on/ally-pallys-poetry-picnic/ 

Category: Poetry, Children’s, Family, London, Outdoor events 

For ages: 6+