What the Ladybird Heard flies into the West End this summer
Join the Ladybird and her farmyard friends Live on Stage at the Palace Theatre for a strictly limited summer season from 15th July to 29th August 2021
From Julia Donaldson, bestselling author of The Gruffalo, and award-winning illustrator Lydia Monks, comes the stage show of the much-loved picture book What the Ladybird Heard. With live original music from a quartet of talented actors, puppetry and a whole farmyard of fun, this 55-minute family favourite is the perfect summer treat!
Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len have a cunning plan to steal the farmer’s fine prize cow. But they reckon without the tiniest, quietest creature of all: the Ladybird has a scheme of her own!
Join the woolly sheep, the hairy hog, the fat red hen and the dainty dog as they take on the villains in their quest to save the day at the Palace Theatre, London. Published by Macmillan Children’s Books and with over 4 million copies sold this adaptation is the perfect introduction to theatre for children aged 3+. Expect plenty of participation, lots of laughs and rhymes galore!
First conceived on a countryside walk with her son, Donaldson enjoyed the idea of a quiet Ladybird outwitting the bigger brawnier creatures. The animals and their noises fill this colourful adventure with real flair and, in consultation with the original illustrator, beautifully capture the magic of the story.
Producer Kenny Wax comments, I am delighted that What the Ladybird Heard is returning to the stage and I’m looking forward to welcoming family audiences back to the West End for a much needed treat this summer. It will be wonderful to see smiling faces in the glorious Palace Theatre once again.
★★★★★ Netmums ★★★★★ Culture Whisper ★★★★ The Stage A total delight, The Guardian
What the Ladybird Heard will tour in Autumn 2021 – dates to be announced soon.
OHENRY PRODUCTIONS AND STELLAR IN ASSOCIATION WITH SOHO THEATRE, ANNOUNCE
TRANSATLANTIC PRODUCTION OF LUCINDA COXON’S HERDING CATS
New York-based, Olivier-winning, and Tony-nominated OHenry Productions and Stellar, in association with Soho Theatre, today announce a transatlantic production of Herding Cats by Lucinda Coxon, combining live in-person and streamed theatre. Marking a new type of international collaboration, the production is simultaneously accessible online to audiences across the globe via Stellar and in person, with social distancing in line with current UK government guidelines, at Soho Theatre. Running 20 – 23 May 2021, Herding Cats is a Stellar Original production.
This production features two actors performing for an in-person audience on Soho Theatre’s stage with a third actor performing live via video from the United States. Directed by Anthony Banks – reunited with Coxon following their collaboration on the world première production – this revival utilises the creative technology pioneered during the pandemic, and combines it with the raw intimacy of in-person performance. The full cast will be announced shortly.
Herding Cats is a chillingly funny play about a generation negotiating intimacy and independence in the 21st century. Meeting the demands of modern life is as impossible as herding cats for Justine, Michael and Saddo. To deal with work, Justine talks – a little too much – to her roommate Michael who earns a living by chatting with strangers like Saddo. But all three will soon find that in a cold, disconnected world, words may not be enough.
Playwright Lucinda Coxon said, “Ten years on from the première of Herding Cats, I’m excited to share the story with audiences once again. It strikes me that the play’s exploration of acute loneliness and of the striking inequality between genders and generations feels incredibly of the moment, particularly as I reflect on the events of the last year.”
Anthony Banks, director, also commented, “I directed the first production of Herding Cats over a decade ago and I can’t wait to revisit the characters of Justine and Michael. Returning to direct a new production of the play, the universe around it is drastically different. Justine’s rant about the property market has become an austere reality for young adults. The #MeToo movement has busted characters like Justine’s boss out of the safety of their back-offices and gender identity is recognised not only by the health service but also by education. We’re entering the twenties reassessing each other, it’s a bumpy ride, like herding cats. Like Michael, over the last twelve months, many of us experienced extraordinary isolation. The play explores disappointment – in the footsteps of Beckett and Chekhov – but it also contains a rallying, raging cry for fairness, for equality, for justice.”
Lucinda Coxon’s theatre writing credits include Alys, Always; Herding Cats, Happy Now, The Eternal Not, Nostalgia, The Shoemaker’s Wife, Vesuvius, Wishbones, Three Graces, The Ice Palace and Waiting at the Water’s Edge. Her screenwriting credits include the multiple award-winning The Danish Girl starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander, The Crimson Petal and the White starring Romola Garai for BBC, Wild Target starring Emily Blunt, The Heart of Me starring Paul Bettany and Helena Bonham-Carter and The Little Stranger starring Domnhall Gleeson and Ruth Wilson.
Anthony Banks has directed world premieres of many new plays including The Girl On The Train (West End/National Tour), Nick Dear’s Hogarth’s Progress (Rose Kingston,; Ryan Craig’s Games For Lovers (Vaults), Kevin Elyot’s Twilight Song (Park Theatre), Jim Cartwright’s Raz (West End/UK tour), Lucinda Coxon’s Herding Cats (Hampstead Theatre/Theatre Royal Bath); James Graham’s Bassett (Bristol Old Vic), Dennis Kelly’s DNA (UK tour), Bryony Lavery’s Cesario and More Light, Lucinda Coxon’s The Eternal Not and Michael Lesslie’s Prince of Denmark (National Theatre), Snoo Wilson’s Pignight (Menier Chocolate Factory), Mark Ravenhill’s The Experiment (Soho Theatre/Berliner Ensemble). He has also directed some twentieth century classics including Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel by Joseph O’Connor, Patrick Marber’s After Miss Julie (Theatre Royal Bath), Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train; Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight and Dial M For Murder (UK tours) and Tennessee Williams’ The Hotel Plays. Banks was an associate director at the National Theatre 2004-2014 where he commissioned and developed a hundred new plays for NT Connections.
The additional creative team includes Olivier-nominee lighting designer Howard Hudson (&Juliet – Olivier nomination, West End, Inthe Heights King’s Cross Theatre), costume designer Susan Kulkarni (Secret Cinema), video designer Andrzej Goulding (& Juliet, West End, Groundhog Day, Broadway), set designer Grace Smart (Susanna, Royal Opera House), and sound designers Ben and Max Ringham (Blindness, Donmar Warehouse, Cyrano de Bergerac, West End – Olivier nomination).
UK Casting, Stuart Burt (2021 CDG Award Winner), and US Casting, Taylor Williams (2021 Artios Award Winner).
Herding Cats is co-produced by Jeff Hollander, and Executive Produced by Josh McTaggart.
Tickets in person start from £10 GBP; and streaming starts from $29USD.
The first 100 tickets to each live stream are now available at $20USD – available until midnight EST on Friday 23 April.
PERFORMANCE DATE AND TIMES
Thursday 20 May at 7.30pm GMT / 2.30pm ET
Friday 21 May at 7.30pm GMT / 2.30pm ET
Saturday 22 May at 4pm GMT / 11am ET
Saturday 22 May at 7.30pm GMT / 2.30pm ET
Sunday 23 May at 4pm GMT / 11am ET
Sunday 23 May at 7.30pm GMT / 2.30pm ET
SEE IT SAFELY -We have been granted the use of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s See It Safely mark. The mark certifies that we are complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of our staff and audiences. You can find out more here https://officiallondontheatre.com/see-it-safely/ about the measures we have been putting in place ready for your visit, and what you will need to know beforehand.
West End Transfer and UK Tour for Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Productions’ critically acclaimed
OLEANNA
By David Mamet Directed by Lucy Bailey StarringRosie Sheehy and Jonathan Slinger
Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Productions’ critically acclaimed production of David Mamet’s highly provocative drama Oleanna, directed by Lucy Bailey, will tour the UK this Summer from 8 June, visiting Cambridge, Bath, Southampton and Malvern, before transferring to the West End’s Arts Theatre, London from 21 July to 23 October 2021.
The production will star Rosie Sheehy as Carol and Jonathan Slinger as John, reprising their roles from its sell-out run at Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio last December.
When Oleanna opened nearly thirty years ago, it caused uproar amongst audiences from New York to London. Set on an American campus, a seemingly innocuous conversation between a college professor and his female student warps into a nightmare which threatens to destroy them both, when she files a claim of sexual harassment against him. With its take on the corrosive excesses of political correctness and exploration of the use and abuse of language, this is the ultimate drama of pupil power and student revenge.
Addressing issues which are strikingly current, this will be a fascinating opportunity to see this landmark play from the perspective of our #MeToo era and Everyone’s Invited era.
Rosie Sheehy has theatre credits including King John (RSC), Uncle Vanya (Theatre Clwyd/Sheffield Theatres) for which she won the ‘Best Female Performance in the English Language’ award at the Wales Theatre Awards 2018, The Whale (Theatre Royal Bath), Strife (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Hairy Ape (The Old Vic) and Chicken (Paines Plough). Screen credits include IRE (Ascendant Films), Call The Midwife (BBC1, Neal Street Productions), and Chernobyl (HBO/Sky).
Jonathan Slinger has worked extensively with the Royal Shakespeare Company including the roles of Macbeth, Prospero, Hamlet, Richard II and Richard III. He has also worked at the National Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe and further theatre credits include Willy Wonka in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Theatre Royal Drury Lane) and Bernard Woolley in Yes, Prime Minister (Chichester and West End).
Lucy Bailey (Director) has theatre credits including Gaslight (UK Tour), Witness for the Prosecution (County Hall, London), Love From A Stranger (Royal & Derngate / UK tour), The Graduate (Leeds Playhouse), Comus, A Masque In Honour of Chastity (Wanamaker Playhouse), Kenny Morgan (Arcola) and King Lear (Theatre Royal Bath). Bailey has also directed work at the National Theatre, Shakespeare’s Globe, Leeds Playhouse, Old Viv, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Crucible, Sheffield, Lyric Hammersmith, Hampstead Theatre and with the RSC and ENO. She was co-founder and co-artistic director of The Print Room, Notting Hill (2009 to 2012).
David Mamet is one of the most distinctive voices in stage and film writing today. His multi award-winning plays include Glengarry Glen Ross, Speed-the-Plow and American Buffalo.
Presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Productions, Oleanna by David Mamet is directed by Lucy Bailey, designed by Alex Eales, with lighting by Oliver Fenwick and sound by Jon Nicholls.
After a dry spell, there’s magic brewing in the West End with Wonderment Palace Theatre, 113 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 5AY Friday 16th July – Monday 30th August 2021
There’s magic brewing in the West End once more. A vaudevillian journey of illusion, with performers at the cutting edge of their art, Wonderment is set to astonish audiences this summer at the Palace Theatre. This fun night for all the family must be seen to be believed.
Wonderment brings together some of the greatest illusionists live on stage in breath-taking displays of magic and illusion that will electrify, surprise and delight. Taking to the stage will be the multi-award-winning mind reader and TV star, Chris Cox, and the most talked about woman in magic, Josephine Lee.
Chris Cox has sold out UK tours and runs at Fringe Festivals from Edinburgh to New Zealand, and is no stranger to the Palace Theatre as the Magic and Illusions Assistant for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Josephine Lee took the magic world by storm after her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent in 2017. Her dynamic and modern spin on illusion saw her act hit millions of views overnight.
Both stars of The Illusionists which has played on Broadway, the West End and across the globe, as well as Impossible which travelled from the West End on to a world tour, Josephine and Chris are only the first incredible artists to be announced. Five acts will showcase their awe-inspiring talents at every performance and the rest of the line-up will soon be announced.
Director, Annabel Mutale Reed comments, It’s an absolute privilege to be creating Wonderment with world class magicians, who are bringing their greatest illusions to the West End this summer. Audiences have been making memories at The Palace Theatre for 130 years, and we are delighted to be filling its stage with a vibrant 2021 twist on an old-fashioned variety show. Wonderment is an exhilarating, mind-bending show that really has to be seen to be believed, all under the roof of what was once described as ‘The Handsomest Music Hall in Europe’!
Wonderment producer, Stephen McGill comments, We are so excited to bring some magic and wonder to the West End again, which we know has been sorely missed during this difficult last year. Our fun-packed family show is full of magic, illusion, and comedy. It promises some oldfashioned entertainment with some innovative, fresh, contemporary style and exceptional performers. We hope it will cast a spell over our audiences and fill them with Wonderment!
Nica Burns comments, Wonderment: fantastic and fantastical, full of surprises and marvel. Hugely entertaining. A perfect summer show for all. Just the tonic.
DOCTOR WHO TIME FRACTURE ANNOUNCE FULL CAST FOR IMMERSIVE ADVENTURE
Following over 5,000 applications, a cast of forty-two performers are ready to begin rehearsals as the magnitude of this immersive production begins to unfold.
Director Tom Maller said ‘The first day of rehearsals has finally arrived and we’re so excited to bring the story of Doctor Who Time Fracture to life over the coming weeks. The response to our application process has been overwhelming, as was the talent we met at our carefully managed audition process. We are delighted with our cast who are all ready for an intensive rehearsal period before we finally welcome audiences into Unit HQ from the first preview on 26 May.’
It will take a company of 86 people to run each performance of Doctor Who Time Fracture, 42 of which are cast members selected from over 5,000 applications. The cast will embody Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels and a host of other well-known characters that will be brought to life when the show previews in May this year.
Original costumes and props from across various episodes of the TV series feature in the production, sourced from the BBC’s Doctor Who props store in Cardiff. Many additional items that were either unavailable or no longer exist have been recreated in meticulous detail by some of the industry’s leading prop and costume experts, immersing fans into the world of Doctor Who like never before.
The build of this ambitious project is now complete with seventeen worlds spread across a vast 2,700m square space, with an army of over 40 including set dressers and sound technicians responsible for developing the space into an extraordinary immersive theatre environment.
Doctor Who Time Fracture puts fans at the heart of the story, plunged into a journey across space and time. Featuring amazingly realistic worlds – audiences will discover that it’s time to step up, be the hero and save the universe!
From the team behind The Great Gatsby, the UK’s longest running immersive show, Doctor Who Time Fracture will preview from 26 May with tickets still available to buy now.
CAST INCLUDES:
Angus Brown, Angus Dunican, Anouk Chalmers, Becky Bassett, Bethany Blake, Charlie Burt, Chioma Uma, Christina Andrews, Craig Hamilton, Daisy Winter-Taylor, Dare Emmanuel, Efé Egwele, Ellamae Cieslik, Elliot Rodriguez, Gareth Radcliffe, Georgia Redgrave, Harry Pudwell, Hayden Wood, Howard Grater, Ivy Corbin, Jamal Renaldo, James Bryant, James Byng, James Lawrence, Jenny Horsthuis, Jessica Elton, Jessica Hern, John Sodiq Akanmu, Kieran Mortell, Liv Spencer, Max Krupski, Maxwell Tyler, Megan Louise Wilson, Michael Geary, Molly Walker, Paul Collin-Thomas, Paul Croft, Paul Easom, Ricky Hunt, Ricky Shah, Ryan Ruel and Sam Blythe
METTA THEATRE, ROYAL & DERNGATE NORTHAMPTON, QUEEN’S THEATRE HORNCHURCH & STEPHEN JOSEPH THEATRE PRESENT
CELLS
A NEW MUSICAL FILM
STARRING CLIVE ROWE AND LEM KNIGHTS
FIRST EPISODE RELEASED 19 APRIL
EPISODES WILL BE AVAILABLE DAILY
FULL FILM AVAILABLE FROM 26 APRIL
ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE ON SPOTIFY AND OTHER DIGITAL PLATFORMS
Metta Theatre – one of the UK’s leading production companies devoted to British musical theatre – is pleased to announce the premiere of the first episode of the film of a brand-new musical, CELLS, written, developed and recorded entirely during lockdown by the award-winning writer/director P Burton-Morgan and composer Ben Glasstone. CELLS stars Metta’s recently announced Patron, the Olivier award winning Clive Rowe alongside rising star Lem Knights. The cast album is also available now via Spotify and other digital platforms accessible here.
A university science lab. A kebab shop at 2am. An online gaming forum. Two strangers’ lives become intertwined. Alan Bennett meets The Streets in this tender and uplifting new work, giving voice to the lives of two everyday blokes.
Metta have partnered with three major regional venues – Royal & Derngate Northampton, Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough – with each partner venue hosting subsequent episodes on their websites, as follows:
EPISODE 6: Saturday 24 April Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch
EPISODE 7: Sunday 25 April Stephen Joseph Theatre
The full film will be available on Monday 26 April and will be free to all to access via YouTube with a suggested donation (£3 per episode, £10 for the whole film) – all of which will go to the three regional theatres to help support their recovery.
CELLS is written and directed by P Burton-Morgan (Madam Butterfly UK tour, In the Willows, UK tour,Jungle Book UK & International Tour), with music by Ben Glasstone, mixed and mastered by Simon Small and the Musical Director is Phil Cornwell. The Director of Photography is Jon Dickinson, the films are edited by Will Reynolds. Phil Cornwell plays keys and double bass and Curtis Volp is on guitar.
P Burton-Morgan, who in 2020 won the Writers Guild of Great Britain Award for musical theatre book writing for In the Willows explains, “It’s extraordinary to think about what we achieved in 2 days of rehearsal, 2 days in the recording studio and just 4 days of filming. But what’s even more extraordinary is how this piece – which was written as, and one day hopefully soon will be produced as, a stage musical, exists so fully as a film in its own right. It’s thrilling to stretch two artforms to meet each other and I hope paves the way for more theatre projects that are not merely ‘captured’ on film (and of course as an album too) but exist across a diversity of media forms as a myriad of artworks in their own right.”
Clive Rowe said, “It’s so rare to work on such a new and innovative piece of musical/theatre/film. P Burton-Morgan’s wonderful book and lyrics, brought vividly to life by Ben Glasstone’s music, create an exquisitely crafted landscape for Neil and JoJo to express their visions of the world they live in. And working with fresh new talent Lem Knights was pure joy.”
Lem Knights said, “I grew up watching Clive on screen and as a young lad, I dreamt of being on the other side of the little tele box. Only went and bloomin did it didn’t I?! It was a joy to work with Clive and bring Poppy’s beautiful vision to life. It was such a unique and special project full of Ben’s fantastic music, laughter, kebabs and gravy.”
P Burton-Morgan and Ben Glasstone met on the musical theatre writing training programme Book, Music and Lyrics in 2017. They have also written The Rhythmics together – a mid-life crisis of masculinity musical about Manchester’s premier all male Rhythmics Gymnastics performance ensemble. One of the songs ‘Waiting To Begin’ won second prize in the Stiles & Drewe Song Prize 2019 and later that year they workshopped the show at The Other Palace and Birmingham Rep. They released a cast album of The Rhythmics in 2020 and hope to premiere the piece as soon as such things are legal again.
Established in 2005 by P Burton-Morgan and Motley trained Designer William Reynolds, Metta Theatre has been at the forefront of new work – with a strong focus on the development of new British musicaltheatre, and a commitment to highlighting climate justice and sustainability; disability and deaf integration and inclusion (both from a political perspective and in order to artistically enrich the work); queering mainstream and family theatre – writing characters that represent and normalise (rather than problematise) the diverse range of queer experiences and identities; re-gendering protagonists in order to give girls strong female role models.
During the 2020 pandemic, the company focussed on the launch of two other studio albums and music videos for THE RHYTHMICS and HOUSEFIRE, as well as the launch of environmental consultancy Metta Green.
An outdoor “Staycation Sensation” for London this summer
Outdoor bars, street food, live shows, bandstand performances, vintage fairground rides, family activities & West London’s only ‘city beach’!
Underbelly’s iconic upside-down purple cow tent, Udderbelly, will graze at London Wonderground this summer and is joined by a 1,000 capacity big top.
Amazing programme of live shows will be announced in May, including a “Best of the Edinburgh Festival” season of comedy, circus and family performances.
Site designed to be COVID-19 secure with distancing measures in place if required
Festival site is Free to Enter
Underbelly, one of the UK’s leading producers of large-scale city centre events and live entertainment, is today delighted to announce the launch of London Wonderground, a major new summer festival on the site of the former Earls Court 2 Exhibition Centre. The festival is a unique collaboration and partnership between Underbelly and The Earls Court Development Company, the company responsible for delivering a fresh plan for the Earls Court area, formed of a partnership between developer Delancey, Transport for London and APG.
Free to enter and running throughout the summer from 15 July to 26 September, London Wonderground at Earls Court will feature live shows, spectacular al fresco bars, a sumptuous range of street food, vintage rides, live music and DJs on the Wonderground bandstand and the magnificent Earls Court City Beach. London Wonderground will be the ultimate “staycation playground” for Londoners, offering a host of free and ticketed events, a great outdoor atmosphere and something to do for all ages.
In recent months, The Earls Court Development Company have been asking the local community what they would like to see happen on the site in the immediate term, and found that there was clear support for an initiative like this, with local polling indicating that over two thirds supported the idea of temporary theatres and food markets coming to the site. The London Wonderground is a response to what local people have asked for, designed to create a summer of fun in Earls Court, before the longer term plan for the area is consulted on and shaped with the community.
A major programme of circus, comedy and family shows will champion the spirit and quality of the world-renowned Edinburgh Festival Fringe and will bring a “Best of the Edinburgh Festival’ season of performances to Earls Court this summer. Shows will be performed in two indoor venues; Udderbelly, the iconic upside-down purple cow which returns to London for the first time in five years, and a 36m Big Top. Both venues will accommodate reduced seating capacities in the event that social distancing measures are still required. The initial programme of shows will be announced and go on sale at the end of May.
London Wonderground continues Earls Court’s rich history as a home of live events and entertainment. From the site’s inaugural use as a showground in 1887, to the Great Ferris Wheel of 1895, to the Earls Court 1 and Earls Court 2 Exhibition Halls of more recent years, this site has been at the heart of some of London’s most iconic events, concerts and attractions for over a hundred years. London Wonderground will occupy the former Earls Court 2 part of the site, with access from Empress Place off Lillie Road, to create a true, modern day showground of entertainment and fun for all Londoners this summer. There will also be a training academy run on site, with young people able to participate in a live events skills training scheme for local residents.
The festival offers free entry to the site and affordable ticket prices for the rides and live entertainment programme, with most shows running for an hour without an interval. The whole site, including the performance venues, can be easily adapted to incorporate any necessary social distancing measures and London Wonderground will have a robust COVID-Secure operational plan for customers and staff.
Alongside the opening of London Wonderground will be the activation of a new temporary public space opposite Earl’s Court Underground Station, where the entrance to the former exhibition centre was. This space on Warwick Road will be people to enjoy, and will be curated by the Kensington + Chelsea Festival alongside Underbelly, who will bring forward local artwork to display there.
The opening of London Wonderground at Earls Court is subject to successfully securing planning and licensing permission for temporary events from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.
Customers are encouraged to sign up at www.londonwonderground.co.uk for further announcements, exclusive offers and to be the first to get information on the London Wonderground live programme of shows.
Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood, Directors of Underbelly, said:
“London Wonderground is without doubt one of our most exciting and ambitious festival creations to date, and it feels so in the spirit of the heritage of Earls Court to be launching it as we come out of the pandemic. We’re dancing on toes on hot coals in our excitement to give people that live entertainment experience again and to play our part in bringing some much-needed fun and socialising back to people’s lives this summer. London Wonderground at Earls Court will do just that, with something for everyone, free entry to the site and a jam packed programme of live shows to make you smile, laugh and gasp. Add to that, outdoor food and drink, vintage rides and even a beach, and we think London Wonderground can truly become London’s staycation destination this summer. Let’s all have some fun.”
Rob Heasman, CEO of Earls Court Development Company, said:
“The Earls Court Development Company is excited to be hosting London Wonderground as part of our wider plans to bring the Earls Court site back to life this summer. Following a year of being stuck at home, we can’t wait to bring fun to the area, bringing people back to Earls Court whilst also supporting existing businesses and creating new jobs and training opportunities – all in a COVID secure way. These plans have been shaped by our conversations with the local community who have told us they want to see the site activated in time for summer, and we will continue to harness the spirit of collaboration and celebration with our neighbours”
“I am delighted to welcome this world-class attraction to Hammersmith & Fulham. The history of this site is one of exhibitions and festivities, and I am pleased to see plans to build on that legacy by bringing it back into use this summer. Fun is a core human need and The London Wonderground at Earls Court will be just the tonic that Londoners need.”
Theatres Trust launches new grant scheme supported by The Linbury Trust
The national public advisory body for theatres, Theatres Trust, has announced details of its new Small Grants Programme supported by The Linbury Trust. The new partnership, worth £100,000, will provide grants of up to £5,000 for essential works to enable not-for-profit theatres across the UK to be viable and thrive in the future.
The grants will support small projects that make a big impact to a theatre’s resilience, sustainability or accessibility. Eligible projects include small capital works, the installation of key plant and machinery and works that make theatre buildings digital-ready. Applications are also welcome for projects that help theatres reopen as Covid-secure.
Theatres Trust Director Jon Morgan says, After the devastating past year, theatres are desperate to welcome back existing audiences and reach out to new ones, but there may be small capital works that need to be done to make this possible. Theatres Trust is therefore delighted to partner with The Linbury Trust on this much-needed grants scheme. Together we hope to support more of the UK’s wonderful theatres to come back stronger and continue to play a vital role within their communities.
Stuart Hobley, Director of The Linbury Trust, comments, We’re delighted to be working in partnership with Theatres Trust; the creative economy is key to places right across the UK, and theatres play a vital role in community engagement. In the year ahead, theatres will want to reopen with confidence and creativity, and these grants for focused capital work – from improving access to digital readiness – will help to welcome back a wide range of audiences, supporting our much-loved local theatres to thrive.
The first round of the scheme is now open for applications, with a deadline of Monday 7th June, 2021 This will be followed by a second round later in the year. Further details are available on http://www.theatrestrust.org.uk/smallgrants.
Olivier and Tony Award-winning producer David Pugh is delighted to announce a new Summer 2021 tour of his critically acclaimed production of Willy Russell’s EDUCATING RITA, starring Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson as Frank and Rita and directed by Max Roberts. The tour will open at the MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton on 20 July.
David Pugh said: “Rita is the most extraordinary character – she wanted to change and learn so much and that’s everything we’re all going through at the moment, to adapt to the world as it is now. What we know is that EDUCATING RITA gives you a great night out at the theatre and that’s the best any of us can hope for.”
EDUCATING RITA tells the story of married hairdresser Rita, who enrols on an Open University course to expand her horizons, and her encounters with university tutor Frank. Frank is a frustrated poet, brilliant academic and dedicated drinker, who is less than enthusiastic about teaching Rita. However, Frank soon finds that his passion for literature is reignited by Rita, whose technical ability for the subject is limited by her lack of education, but whose enthusiasm Frank finds refreshing. The two soon realise how much they have to learn from each other.
EDUCATING RITA was originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and played at the Warehouse Theatre, London in 1980, starring Julie Walters and Mark Kingston. Julie Walters reprised her role in the BAFTA, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning film opposite Michael Caine.
Born in Liverpool in 1947, Willy Russell left school at 15 and became a women’s hairdresser and part-time singer/songwriter before returning to education to retrain as a teacher. Russell’s other writing credits include the Olivier Award-winning musical Blood Brothers, and the hugely successful play Shirley Valentine, which won the Olivier Awards for Best New Comedy and Best New Actress, and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play. The play was adapted for film and nominated for a host of BAFTA and Academy Awards. Willy Russell continues to be one of the most celebrated writers of his generation with works constantly in production throughout the world as well as in the UK.
Stephen Tompkinson’s television credits include ITV’s Torvill & Dean, BBC’s The Split, five series of DCI Banks, four series of Trollied, seven series of Wild at Heart, six series of Drop the Dead Donkey (British Comedy Award Winner for Best TV Comedy Actor) and three series of Ballykissangel, and his films include Phil in Brassed Off. His theatre work includes Spamalot, Rattle of a Simple Man and Arsenic and Old Lace in the West End, Cloaca and A Christmas Carol (Old Vic), Art and Tartuffe (National Tours).
Jessica Johnson’s theatre credits include Call Me Mary Poppins, Goth Weekend, Kings and Queens, Each Piece and Anti-Gravity at the Live Theatre, Newcastle. She previously played Rita in Rebecca Frecknall’s 2017 production of Educating Rita at the Gala Theatre, Durham. Her television credits include Wire In The Blood (ITV), Coronation Street (ITV) and Cuckoo (Channel 4).
Max Roberts is Emeritus Artistic Director of Newcastle’s Live Theatre. Under his direction, the Live Theatre has become one of the country’s most successful theatre companies with an outstanding reputation for developing new work. His Olivier Award-nominated production of Lee Hall’s Cooking With Elvis transferred to the West End’s Whitehall Theatre (now Trafalgar Studios) before touring nationally. He also directed The Pitman Painters, which transferred to the National Theatre and won Best Play at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards before opening on Broadway.
EDUCATING RITA has set and costume designs by Patrick Connellan, lighting design by Drummond Orr and sound design by David Flynn.
EDUCATING RITA is produced by David Pugh and is a Theatre by the Lake production.
TOP MAGICIANS LINE-UP TO RE-OPEN LIVERPOOL’S M&S ARENA
WITH SPECTACULAR & VERY DANGEROUS MAGIC SHOW
X-treme Magic will be the venues first live show of the year
Line-up includes Richard Cadell, Pete Firman, Elizabeth Best & Craig Christian
Shone Productions are bringing a spectacular magic show, which is set to be the first performance of the year at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena this Summer to mark the venue’s post lockdown reopening.
The show will form the first live programme taking place at the waterfront venue when Covid-19 restrictions are eased following 17 May.
Liverpool-based producer James Shone is delighted to reveal that X-treme Magic will be staged on Saturday 22 May at 7pm in The Auditorium at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, and tickets are on sale now.
This is no old-fashioned rabbit-out-of-hat magic, this show is a spectacle, designed to thrill with death-defying edge-of-your-seat stunts, grand stage illusions, daredevil escapology, and mind-blowing magic all within a fast-paced performance.
Organisers are keen to reassure theatregoers that all necessary safety measures – including social distancing – will be in place to ensure a relaxing and enjoyable return to indoor live entertainment.
Producer James Shone commented:“I am delighted to be bringing the very first live show of the year to The Auditorium at the M&S Arena. Audiences have missed out on so many live experiences over the last 12 months, so it’s a real privilege that we will be presenting shows once lockdown restrictions are eased.
“And what a show it is, we have some of leading magicians and illusionists in the industry, we have created a spectacular production for all the family to enjoy. We want to reassure theatregoers that social distancing and safety measures will be in place to ensure Covid-secure performances – audience, cast and crew safety is paramount.”
X-treme Magic – The World’s Most Dangerous Thrill Show is packed with fire, illusion and death-defying stunts. Master illusionist Richard Cadell will be joined by a full supporting cast of magicians including Pete Firman (Tonight At The London Palladium), Elizabeth Best (Britain’s Got Talent) and Craig Christian (Evolution Of Magic), as well as fire artistes, speciality acts and dancers. The show is billed as being unlike any other magic show ever seen in the UK. Created in Las Vegas, it was then brought across the pond to entertain UK audiences. Highlights include making a motorcycle appear from nowhere; Russian roulette with sticks of Dynamite; and even trying to escape from a straight-jacket while hung from a burning rope.
