Month: June 2021

Sadlers Wells Theatre, London – until 10 June 2021

Reviewed by Alun Hood

5*****

A ballet inspired by an eighteenth century epistolary novel? They’re just writing letters to each other but now they’re dancing it out? Um, ok.

Despite the multiple award-winning and oft-revived Christopher Hampton play adaptation and the Glenn Close-John Malkovich film version, Choderlos de Laclose’s tale of sexual treachery and power abuse still feels like an unusual choice as the basis for ballet treatment.

Or at least it does until you encounter Northern Ballet’s scintillating version which ingeniously marries together the complexities of the story (the ballet begins and ends sans orchestra and with spoken word as we are pulled back in time by the now-raddled anti-heroine recalling her erotic triumphs under Alastair West’s quintet of sparkling yet vaguely ominous chandeliers) with a cut-to-the-chase physicality that feels elegant but appropriately dangerous.

David Nixon OBE’s storytelling is swift, clear and dynamic, and his choreography frequently takes the breath away: the moment when the scheming Marquise de Meurteil (a malevolently beautiful Minju Kang at the performance I saw, although the piece is triple cast) turns all the other characters into flailing marionettes, a move that fatally rebounds on her later in the story, is delightfully unsettling. The striking rape/seduction pas de deux is another master stroke, juxtaposing immaculate classic lines with distressingly angular splayed hands and jagged limbs. In a witty nod to the structure of the original novel, letters and notes are handed around between characters as the story progresses.

Mlindi Kulashi is a mesmerising seducer as Valmont and watching him soften as he falls (who wouldn’t?!) for Dominique Larose’s luminously beautiful Tourvel is genuinely fascinating, making his ultimate rejection of her all the more painful. This is acting-through-dance of the highest order. Aerys Merrill and Lorenzo Trossello are captivating and technically magnificent as two younger victims of the central pair’s machinations.
Hearing the Vivaldi score played exquisitely by the Northern Ballet Sinfonia under the baton of Daniel Parkinson is another great pleasure in this richly enjoyable evening. It’s also wonderful to see authentic diversity in the cast of dancers across all the companies performing this glorious work. All in all, this is a real treat and it’s very tempting to go back today and see the other casts.

IAN McDIARMID IN THE WORLD PREMIÈRE OF JULIAN BARNES’ THE LEMON TABLE

Wiltshire Creative, Malvern Theatres, Sheffield Theatres and HOME

in association with MGC present

Ian McDiarmid

in

THE LEMON TABLE

By Julian Barnes

Directed by Michael Grandage

Wiltshire Creative, Malvern Theatres, Sheffield Theatres and HOME in association with MGC today announce Ian McDiarmid in the world première of Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table, directed byMGC’s Artistic Director Michael Grandage.The production, which McDiarmid has adapted for performance, opens at Salisbury Playhouse part of Wiltshire Creative on 15 October, with a preview on 14 October, before touring to Sheffield Theatres; Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford; HOME Manchester and Malvern Theatres.

In The Lemon Table, Julian Barnes brings his unsentimental, wryly comic, perspective to the complicated business of ageing, with its attendant, and often bizarrely, fluctuating emotions.

Olivier and Tony Award-winning Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage have collaborated to bring The Lemon Table to the stage for the first time. In McDiarmid’s one man performance we encounter a spectrum of bitter-sweet pleasures, wild eccentricity and dark secrets.

The Lemon Table sees McDiarmid and Grandage renew their long-term creative collaboration, having previously worked together on productions including The Doctor’s Dilemma (Almeida Theatre and UK tour), The Jew of Malta (Almeida Theatre and UK tour), Henry IV (Donmar Warehouse and UK tour), and John Gabriel Borkman (Donmar Warehouse).

Ian McDiarmid said today, “Two connected stories from Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table, his witty and touching reflections on mortality and the workings of love, seem positively to invite the engagement and tensions of live performance.

“It’s a delight to be working once again with Michael Grandage and, at this particular time, to be embarking on a tour of the English regions with the enthusiastic support of a cohort of producers and venues.”

Michael Grandage added, “Ian McDiarmid is the reason I’m a director. He has been my collaborator and mentor for over a quarter of a century. We’ve worked together many times, many of those times on tour – we both believe passionately in presenting work to as wide an audience as possible. This year, in particular, it felt important to share this beautiful piece by Julian Barnes with audiences nationwide.”

Julian Barnes is the author of several books of stories, essays, a translation of Alphonse Daudet’s In the Land of Pain, and numerous novels, including the 2011 Man Booker Prize winning novel The Sense of an Ending and the acclaimed The Noise of Time. His other recent publications include Keeping an Eye Open: Essays on Art and The Only Story. His most recent book The Man in the Red Coat was published in the UK in 2019 and in the US in 2020. Barnes has received several awards and honours for his writing, including the David Cohen Prize for Literature in 2011.

As well as extensive work at the Almeida where he was also Joint Artistic Director from 2000 -2012, Ian McDiarmid’s credits include performances at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, the RSC, The National Theatre and the Royal Exchange, Manchester. His most recent stage credits include Faust x2 (Watermill Theatre), What Shadows (Birmingham Rep), The Merchant of Venice (Almeida Theatre), Bakersfield Mist (Duchess Theatre), The Prince of Homburg, Be Near Me (Donmar Warehouse), Six Characters in Search of an Author (Chichester Festival Theatre and Gielgud Theatre) and Jonah and Otto at Manchester Royal Exchange. He played Teddy in Faith Healer on Broadway, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. Television work includes 37 Days, Utopia, City of Vice, Our Hidden Lives, Elizabeth I, Charles II, Crime and Punishment, Great Expectations, Karaoke and Hillsborough; his many films include Sleepy Hollow, Restoration, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Lost City of Z and as Emperor Palpatine in the Star Wars series.

Michael Grandage is Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company (MGC), based in London. For the company he directed The Lieutenant of Inishmore with Aidan Turner, Red with Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch, Photograph 51 with Nicole Kidman, Hughie with Forest Whitaker, Henry V with Jude Law, A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Sheridan Smith and David Walliams, The Cripple of Inishmaanwith Daniel Radcliffe, Peter and Alice with Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw and Privates on Parade with Simon Russell Beale and Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes; and the feature film Genius with Colin Firth, Nicole Kidman and Jude Law, and the forthcoming My Policeman with Harry Styles and Emma Corrin. He was Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse (2002–2012) and Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres (2000–05), and is currently President of Central School of Speech and Drama. He is the recipient of Tony, Drama Desk, Olivier, Evening Standard, Critics’ Circle and South Bank Awards. He was appointed CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2011. His production of Frozen will reopen Theatre Royal Drury Lane later this year. 

LISTING

THE LEMON TABLE

Salisbury Playhouse, Wiltshire Creative

14 October – 23 October

Press night: 15 October at 7.30pm

Box Office: 01722 320333 www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk

Sheffield Theatres

26 – 30 October

Box Office 0114 249 6000 / www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

9 – 13 November

Box Office: 01483 44 00 00 / www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

HOME Manchester

16 – 20 November

Box Office: 0161 200 1500 / www.homemcr.org

Malvern Theatres

23 – 27 November

Box Office: 01684 892277 / www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

GP Receptionist Wins First Ever National Poetry Competition on Key Workers

• Winners announced of the first poetry competition celebrating the UK’s key workers

• 500 entries, from established poets to first timers

• Winning poems about and by cleaners, teachers, paramedics, shopkeepers, scaffolders, chaplains and more

• Anthology collection of ‘Top 100’ poems published online

• Launched by award-winning social-purpose business Clean for Good

London, Thursday 10 June. Clean for Good, an award-winning ethically conscious cleaning business, is delighted to announce the winners of Poetry for Good, the first ever nationwide poetry competition celebrating the lives and careers of the UK’s key workers.

The first poetry competition ever run by a cleaning company, Poetry for Good received nearly 500 submissions from across the UK in less than 10 weeks, with participants aged 11 years old and upwards. It attracted interest from established poets as well as first-timers, was adopted by schools as a project, and has produced poems celebrating nurses, teachers, shopkeepers, scaffolders, chaplains, cleaners and even undertakers, written by key workers themselves, their children, or by those inspired by key workers.

Taking home the Spoken Word award (for spoken poetry from those aged 16 or more) was The Front Desk by Gemma Barnett (London). An actress who found herself out of work in 2020, Gemma got a job working as a receptionist in a GP surgery. In her poem, she pays tribute to her “empathetic, gutsy, blunt, charming, and hilarious colleagues”, who powered through the whole pandemic no matter what – some fell ill and were in the ICU with Covid, whilst others had lost family members but still continued to show up to work.

The winner of the Written Word category (written poems from those aged 16 or more) was the poem Night Shift by Violet Smart (London), a poem inspired by a cleaner who worked at her university, but moved on to working in hospitals. The judges praised the poem for creating ”a stunning visual and intimate painting of the NHS and life as a key worker through the use of the rich and sensory language”, and for its “dynamic integration of Spanish, which really adds both colour and life to the poem as well as playing homage to the vast Latinx community which holds up the NHS.”

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Dunford (Nottingham) was Highly Commended in the same category for her poem Kate, inspired by the “energy, kindness and humour” of a carer working in the residential home of her 91-year-old father, and so was Always under the COSHH by Mark Cowan (Stockton on Tees), a teacher who also worked as a cleaner in his early twenties; Mark noted a cleaner’s work “is most noticed when it isn’t completed. We take it for granted that the dirty floors that we left behind yesterday will shine and sparkle by the following morning.”

In the Growing Word category (written poems for those aged 11-15), Life Support, by Jacinta-Maria Ifeoluwapo Chidiebere Wajero (Liverpool) won the first prize, and was praised by the judges for the “careful thought and commitment to the metaphor of oxygen”, used as a symbol for the essential, exposed, often invisible role of a key member of society.

The ‘Top 100’ poems from the competition, including the winners, are being published online as a permanent celebration of the sacrifices made over the last year by millions of workers. This is a unique anthology of poems, heart-breaking, inspiring, and sometimes amusing, and a testament to the work of all those who have kept our nation safe, well and on the move over the past year.

Poetry for Good was judged by three internationally acclaimed poets: Cecilia Knapp, the new London Young People’s Laureate for 2021; Rachel Long, whohasbeen shortlisted for the Costa Book Award, Forward Prize for Poetry and the Rathbones Folio Prize, and is theFounder of Octavia, the Poetry Collective for Women of Colour; and Katherine Lockton, Editor of South Bank Poetry and published poet with flipped eye publishing. All judging was undertaken with authors’ names removed and on artistic merit alone.  

Katherine Lockton, one of the competition’s poets on the Judging Panel, said: ‘I was impressed by the sheer number of poems that were submitted and the quality of the entries. The standard was incredible and it was clear that people had invested a vast amount of energy and creativity in their submissions. It was also clear how much they appreciated and loved key workers. They celebrated everyone from cleaners to nurses and shop keepers. There was everything from free verse, rhymed poems to villanelles. It was clear that a lot of talented writers had submitted.”

Organised by Clean for Good, one of the UK’s most dynamic social-purpose companies, the competition is part of their wider mission to promote fair pay and dignity at work for cleaners – a category whose work has been severely impacted by Covid.

Tim Thorlby, Managing Director of Clean for Good, said: ‘We have read every poem submitted and have been delighted – and heartbroken – by the public’s response to Poetry for Good. We want to thank everyone who participated and shared their thoughts with us. So many of these poems share personal and moving stories from the sharp end of life over the last year. If anyone was in any doubt that something needs to change for millions of low paid workers in the UK today, then this selection of stories surely settles that debate for good.”

Follow the latest developments on Twitter @PoetryforGoodUK.

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY REVEALS NEW COSTUME WORKSHOP

• Costume makers return to historic site – the largest in-house costume-making workshop in British theatre
• 30,000 people from around the world supported the fundraising campaign
• Costume Workshop will open to the public for the first time in 2022
• New apprenticeships to be created to learn specialist costume-making skills
• Weird and wonderful items created include dogs’ tails, snake puppets, pigs’ heads, breastplates, gauntlets, and weaponry

The restoration and redevelopment of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Costume Workshop has been completed in the Company’s Stratford-upon-Avon hometown.  The RSC has the largest in-house costume-making department of any British theatre and the future of costume making on the historical site has been secured through a mix of public and private support.

Over 30,000 people from around the world supported the Stitch In Time fundraising campaign, alongside the National Lottery through Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Government’s Local Growth Fund through the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership.  With gifts from other trusts, foundations, companies and individuals, £8.7 million was raised for the Costume Workshop restoration and redevelopment.

The 30-strong team of costume makers have moved back into the new workshop which has some of the best facilities for costume-making.  The redeveloped building, which includes more space and daylight, is now fit to provide training and apprenticeship opportunities to retain the costume-making skills and crafts locally. For the first time the Costume Workshop will be open to visitors where they will get a glimpse at the skills used every day to create RSC costumes, and to see the restored Grade II listed buildings that now sit alongside newly created spaces. Guided tours are expected to start in 2022.

The Costume Workshop team had to relocate for two years whilst the restoration and redevelopment took place. This involved packing and moving:

• Over 1714 reels of thread
• 7885m of stock fabric

• 3500 pairs of shoes
• 1131 magnets
• One pricing gun
• 126 paintbrushes
• Five Sheila’s Maids
• 115kg salt
• 97 hat blocks
• Two hat stretchers
• 27 fob watches
• One Sonic Jewellery Cleaner
• One swivel knife
• One power file
• One anvil pre-1950s
• 36 Mannequins
• 45 Sewing machines
• 862 square feet of stock leather
• One manual treadle machine from the 1920’s
• Seven tailor’s hams
• Eight velvet boards

All items are now in the new Costume Workshop which is home to many specialist skills, and crafts including men’s and women’s costume-making, millinery and jewellery, dyeing and costume painting, costume props and footwear (see facts at the end of the release). The workshop sits opposite the Royal Shakespeare and Swan Theatres on the site of the 1887 Memorial Theatre Scene Dock, which is now the new entrance to the building. 

Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director said:

“Thank you to all who have supported the restoration and redevelopment of our Costume Workshop. The team create amazing costumes every year but were doing so in conditions that were not fit for purpose.  Costumes are integral to an actor’s performance and to them becoming the character they are to play.  As Judi Dench said, ‘no matter how much rehearsal time you have, you cannot get fully into the part until you are in costume’.

“We make, repair and recycle hundreds of costume pieces each year, which are seen by audiences around the world.  Costumes have been made on this site continuously since at least the 1940s, and the workshop now has the costume-making facilities to secure the legacy of our costume-making skills and the heritage buildings that house them.”

Harriet Walter, RSC Associate Artist said:

“Much as I loved visiting the rabbit warren where costumes and armour and everything else was made in the old days, I realise it was pretty much a Dickensian sweatshop and it was more fun to visit rarely than to work in permanently.

“The RSC costume laboratory has produced all kinds of magic and I can remember nearly every RSC costume I have worn on stage and many that I viewed from the auditorium.  It is testament to the skill contained here that these costumes have endured and not fallen apart after all the wear and tear we have given them. Playing Cleopatra, I needed to be free to move around, to feel skittish and sexy and then transform into a grieving shadow and emerge from that grief with a final triumphant throned image. The costumes did most of that work for me”.

As part of the National Lottery Heritage Fund support for the project, Threads is a programme of engagement activity that will celebrate the opening of the Costume Workshop and run until the end of 2021.  The aim is to share the heritage of the building, the technology and the people involved in costume-making in Stratford-upon-Avon through a series of family events, community projects, exhibition, and educational activity.

The Threads Costume Day on Friday 20 August will celebrate RSC costume-making heritage through a series of free pop-up performances, workshops and family-friendly activities taking place across Stratford-upon-Avon.  Full details to be announced.

Anne Jenkins, Director England, Midlands and East, National Lottery Heritage Fund said:

“It is wonderful that thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to support Threads and the costume workshop restoration to ensure that these amazing services and unique skills are preserved for years to come, meaning that local people and visitors will be able to learn more about the RSC’s rich heritage on and off stage.”

Helen Peters, Board Director and Chair of the CWLEP’s culture and tourism business group, added:

“The £1 million awarded from the Local Growth Fund will enable the public to access the costume workshop for the first time which will be a major boost to tourism in the town as we all recover from the pandemic.

“The CWLEP Strategic Reset Framework is focused on encouraging enterprise and innovation to drive forward the economy and this is a perfect example of collaborative working which will give the RSC the opportunity to train the next generation of costume makers as well as encouraging more people to visit Stratford-upon-Avon.”

Peter Knott, Midlands Area Director for Arts Council England said:

“We’re proud to invest in the RSC and delighted to hear its long-awaited costume workshop is now complete. Theatre is about so much more than just the final performance, so I hope this new space will not only give the costume department the resources they need but give visitors from around the world a rare insight into the intricate and inspiring work that goes on behind the scenes of this world class theatre company.”

Runaway Entertainment presents

2:22 – A GHOST STORY

A new play by Danny Robins

Directed by Matthew Dunster

@222AGhostStory #222AGhostStory 

• LILY ALLEN, JULIA CHAN, HADLEY FRASER AND JAKE WOOD TO STAR IN THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A NEW PLAY BY DANNY ROBINS (THE BATTERSEA POLTERGEIST)

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• MATTHEW DUNSTER WILL DIRECT THIS SUPERNATURAL THRILLER ABOUT FOUR FRIENDS AND AN ADRENALINE-FILLED NIGHT WHICH PROMISES TO KEEP AUDIENCES ON THE EDGE OF THEIR SEATS

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• THE PRODUCTION WILL OPEN AT THE NOËL COWARD THEATRE ON 3 AUGUST WITH A PRESS NIGHT ON 11 AUGUST

• TICKETS ARE ON SALE FROM 9AM on 10 JUNE FROM WWW.222AGHOSTSTORY.COM

Producer Runaway Entertainment is delighted to announce that the World Premiere of Danny Robins’ new play 2:22 – A Ghost Story will take place at the Noël Coward Theatre on 3 August. The production will feature Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser, and Jake Wood and will be directed by Matthew Dunster. The press night will be on 11 August and tickets are on sale from 9am on 10 June.

Lily Allen makes her West End debut playing Jenny alongside Hadley Fraser (City of Angels) as Sam, Julia Chan (Silent House and Katy Keene) who will play Lauren and Jake Wood (EastEnders) playing Ben. Danny Robins is best known for his hugely successful podcast The Battersea Poltergeist which is being made into a TV series. 2:22 – A Ghost Story is his debut play in the West End. Olivier Award-nominated director Matthew Dunster received universal acclaim for his productions of Martin McDonagh’s A Very Very Very Dark Matter and Hangmen and Sam Shepard’s True West. 

“There’s something in our house. I hear it every night, at the same time.” 

Jenny (Lily Allen) believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam (Hadley Fraser) isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren (Julia Chan) and new partner Ben (Jake Wood). Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up… until 2:22… and then they’ll know.

This edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller takes you into one adrenaline-filled night where secrets will emerge and ghosts may appear… What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth? 

Lily Allen said: “I am so excited about getting to work on this play! The live performance aspect of my career has always been the most thrilling part for me, connecting with a group of individuals and the spontaneity of whatever happens on the night. I feel that stepping into this play is an exciting natural extension of that and affords me the best of all worlds. I get to explore mature subject matter, be a woman with a real point of view and show the West End audiences how much I love live performance and being in front of an audience. I can’t wait!

Danny’s play is a brilliant investigation into the ghosts that haunt us and the how’s and why’s they come to be.  It’s everything I love; wit, a meditation on marriage and relationships and family all hinging on a frightening plot. Matthew is an amazing director who has worked with some of the coolest material theatre has to offer. I’m a fan of what he does, and so honoured that he asked me to come on board.” 

Matthew Dunster said: “I’m so excited to be directing this play. A unique combination of horror and social commentary. Danny has really come up with something special and scary for audiences to experience together as they return to the theatre. Myself and designer Anna Fleischle like creating an atmosphere of suspense, just as we did together on Hangmen and A Very Very Very Dark Matter. And this is Lily’s stage debut, and I feel really privileged and excited to be guiding that. Lastly, I’ve always wanted to direct something that means at the end you ask punters and press not to spoil it for those who’ll come later. There’s a real surprise waiting for audiences.” 

Danny Robins said: “I’m thrilled to be making my West End debut with this jaw-dropping cast and Matthew, one of the most exciting directors in British theatre. Anyone who’s heard The Battersea Poltergeist will know my fascination with the question “do ghosts exist?”, so 2:22 has been a labour of love, exploring the clash between belief and scepticism through a couple’s relationship. And of course it’s bloody scary! I wanted to create a night out in the theatre that gives you that delicious tingly feeling in your spine and keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the end. There’s something deeply cathartic about ghost stories – what better way to celebrate the end of social distancing than to grab your mate’s arm in terror?  I’m excited to partner with Runaway who have a great track record of delivering really distinctive ‘event’ theatre. I’m hoping this will be a show you’ll enjoy and then argue with your friends about. And I’ll be wanting to know on Twitter afterwards – what do YOU believe???”

2:22 – A Ghost Story features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound, casting by Jessica Ronane CDG and illusions by Chris Fisher.

2:22 – A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon. 

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED

FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE

STAGE PRODUCTION OF THE

BESTSELLING PETER JAMES NOVEL

LOOKING GOOD DEAD

STARRING

ADAM WOODYATT AS TOM BRYCE AND GAYNOR FAYE AS KELLIE BRYCE

OPENING AT LEICESTER CURVE

ON 1 JULY 2021

As rehearsals begin this week, Peter James and producer Joshua Andrews are delighted to announce full casting for the World Premiere stage production of the Peter James best-selling novel “LOOKING GOOD DEAD”. Joining the previously announced award-winning EastEnders star Adam Woodyatt as Tom Bryce and TV and Stage star Gaynor Faye as Kellie Bryce will be Harry Long as Roy Grace, Ian Houghton as Jonas, Leon Stewart as Branson, Gemma Stroyan as Bella, Luke Ward-Wilkinson as Max Bryce, Mylo McDonald as Mick and Natalie Boakye as Janie. With rescheduled dates confirmed, “LOOKING GOOD DEAD” is now set to open at the Leicester Curve on 1 July 2021 ahead ofa major UK tour. www.peterjames.com.

Adam Woodyatt is the longest serving cast member in “EastEnders” having appeared continuously as Ian Beale since the show began in 1985. For his portrayal of the role he was honoured in 2013 with the Lifetime Achievement Award and in 2015 after the “EastEnders” 30th Anniversary Live episode, Best Actor at the British Soap Awards. “Looking Good Dead” marks Adam’s return to stage in a play for the first time since 1982 as a 13-year-old at the National Theatre in Tom Stoppard’s “On The Razzle”. In addition to “EastEnders” Adam has also appeared on many TV programmes including “Robot Wars”, “Dream House”, “A Question of Sport”, presented “The National Lottery” draw live and last year was a contestant on “Celebrity Masterchef”. He has also previously appeared in the pantomimes “Peter Pan”, “Snow White”, “Aladdin”, “Mother Goose” and “Cinderella”.

Gaynor Faye played the role of Megan Macey in “Emmerdale” for seven years. She is also well-known for playing Judy Mallett in Coronation Street and most recently played Cheryl Armitage in the BBC1 drama “The Syndicate”. Her many other TV credits include “Fat Friends” and “Playing The Field”. Gaynor’s stage credits include Celia in the original West End production of “Calendar Girls” and Rose in the recent UK premiere and tour of “Band of Gold”. Other stage credits include the Narrator in Jonathan Harvey’s comedy play “Corrie!” and Cathy in “Wuthering Heights” for Hull Truck.

LOOKING GOOD DEAD is Peter’s fifth novel to be brought to the stage and follows the hugely successful productions of “The House on Cold Hill” starring Joe McFadden and Rita Simons last year, “Not Dead Enough” starring Shane Richie and Laura Whitmore in 2017, “The Perfect Murder” starring Shane Richie and Jessie Wallace in 2016 and “Dead Simple” starring Tina Hobley in 2015. 

No good deed goes unpunished…. hours after picking up a USB memory stick, left behind on a train seat, Tom Bryce inadvertently becomes a witness to a vicious murder. Reporting the crime to the police has disastrous consequences, placing him and his family in grave danger. When Detective Superintendent Roy Grace becomes involved, he has his own demons to contend with while he tries to crack the case in time to save the Bryce family’s lives.

Peter James is a number one bestselling author of crime and thriller novels and the creator of the much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, now a major ITV series, GRACE. He has topped the Sunday Times best seller list eighteen times and has achieved global book sales of over 21 million copies which have been translated into 37 languages. Synonymous with plot twisting page turners, he has garnered an army of loyal fans throughout his storytelling career which also included writing for TV and producing films. He has won over 40 awards for his work, including the WHSmith Best Crime Author of All Time Award, Crime Writers’ Association Diamond Dagger and a BAFTA nomination for The Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino and Jeremy Irons for which he was an Executive Producer.

“LOOKING GOOD DEAD” is produced by Joshua Andrews and Peter James and has been adapted for the stage by Shaun Mckenna. An award-winning British dramatist, Shaun’s previous theatre credits include Ladies in Lavender, the Lord of The Rings musical and Peter James’ The Perfect Murder, Dead Simple, Not Dead Enough and The House on Cold Hill. “LOOKING GOOD DEAD” is directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, Designed by Michael Holt with Lighting Design by Jason Taylor. The Composer and Sound Designer is Max Pappenheim.

LOOKING GOOD DEAD – 2021 TOUR LISTINGS

1 – 3 JULY 2021

CURVE, LEICESTER
www.curveonline.co.uk

6 – 10 JULY 2021

MAYFLOWER, SOUTHAMPTON

www.mayflower.org.uk

12 – 17 JULY 2021

THE LOWRY, SALFORD

www.thelowry.com

19 – 24 JULY 2021

NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL

www.theatreroyal.co.uk

26 – 31 JULY 2021

NOTTINGHAM THEATRE ROYAL

www.trch.co.uk

2 – 7 AUGUST 2021

THEATRE ROYAL GLASGOW

www.atgtickets.com

16 – 21 AUGUST 2021

MILTON KEYNES THEATRE

www.atgtickets.com

23 – 28 AUGUST 2021

SHEFFIELD LYCEUM

www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

30 AUGUST – 4 SEPTEMBER 2021

MALVERN THEATRE

www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

6 – 11 SEPTEMBER 2021

LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

www.leedsheritagetheatres.com

13 – 18 SEPTEMBER 2021

NEW VICTORIA THEATRE WOKING

www.atgtickets.com

20 – 25 SEPTEMBER 2021

WYVERN THEATRE, SWINDON

www.swindontheatres.co.uk

28 SEPTEMBER – 2 OCTOBER 2021

NEW THEATRE CARDIFF

www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

5 – 9 OCTOBER 2021

EDINBURGH KING’S THEATRE

www.capitalthaetres.com

11 – 16 OCTOBER 2021

THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON

www.atgtickets.com

18 – 23 OCTOBER 2021

BATH THEATRE ROYAL

www.theatreroyal.org.uk

25 – 30 OCTOBER 2021

NORWICH THEATRE ROYAL
www.norwichtheatre.org

FURTHER DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until 12 June 2021.

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

The timing and location of this production of David Mahmet’s play “Oleanna” could not be more fitting, given recent discussions and articles in the press concerning the difficult balance between preserving academic freedom and yet ensuring that students of all backgrounds are free to study and thrive. There are longstanding concerns about the ways universities and colleges tackle inappropriate behaviour between students and teaching staff, while retaining their fundamental commitment to free speech. This, along with the #metoo campaign, means that “Oleanna” remains as relevant today as it was when it was written in the 1990s.

What I enjoyed about this play was that it stimulates discussion and reflection about a very difficult subject. It doesn’t lead the members of audience to one conclusion or another but rather invites a consideration of both sides of the issue. There is no doubt that both characters are flawed. The professor certainly behaves unprofessionally – the question is to what degree, and if the reaction of the student is understandable or if she has over-reacted. I was thinking how interesting a Q&A session after the play would be, to share reactions and explore the issues that this play raises.

I was also struck by the issues of power this play raises, how at the start it appears that the Professor holds all the cards (he’s male, white, older, can determine if the student passes or fails), and knows it! Yet as the story progresses, so does the transfer of power.

I thought that both Jonathan Slinger, as John, the Professor, and Rosie Sheehy, as Carol, the Student, gave excellent performances. It’s not easy when there are only 2 characters in a play and the whole production is resting on their shoulders. The pacing and the development in their relationship had me captivated from start to finish and I found myself very caught up in what was happening between them, and very exasperated by their behaviour. I don’t want to say too much but the ending had me stunned. I think the audience’s enthusiastic applause at the end was well deserved.

As someone who works in education, I have been reflecting how true to life this play is. I think dramas such as the one in “Oleanna” are played out every day in our universities and colleges. I think this production underlines just how dangerous and damaging these situations can be.

In summary I would thoroughly recommend going to see this play. It was a thought-provoking and enjoyable production and its themes are just as relevant today as when it was first written and performed.

National Theatre announces winner of 2021 nationwide New Views playwriting competition for young people

17-year-old student Mackenzie Wellfare from HSDC Alton in Hampshire is announced today as the winner of the National Theatre’s annual playwriting competition for 14–19-year-olds. This year has seen more first drafts of scripts submitted to the competition than ever before, with Mackenzie’s play Perspective selected from over 400 final entries from 74 secondary schools and colleges across the UK.  

Inspired to write this play to share his own experience of autism as well as others’, Perspective by Mackenzie Wellfare explores the experiences of a teenage boy, Leo, with autism through his conversations with his best friend Shaun. Set in his bedroom, Leo’s big imagination fills the stage as he considers how the world sees him.  

Perspective was selected from a shortlist of nine plays by a panel of judges including NT’s Head of Play Development Nina Steiger, playwright and screenwriter Beth Steel, playwright and performer Mojisola Adebayo and Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre Company.  

The play will be performed in a full production by professional actors at the National Theatre and will be streamed to participating schools across the UK to watch in July, alongside rehearsed readings of seven shortlisted plays as part of the digital festival of new writing. Following the production, Mackenzie will also take part in a live streamed Q&A about his play alongside the director.  

The digital festival will also showcase the work of a group of D\deaf students from Eastbury Community School’s Alternative Resource Provision. The students have taken part in playwriting workshops facilitated by Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre and have developed scenes exploring their experiences of the world. A selection of these scenes entitled Conversation Breakdown will be directed by Jenny Sealey and performed as part of the rehearsed readings.  

Mackenzie Wellfare said, “I’m so excited to have won! To have my play performed is just unbelievable and I can’t wait to see how it turns out! I want to show a perspective of Autism that I believe hasn’t been truly shown in modern media, and yet which some people experience every day of their lives.” 

Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre and member of the judging panel said, “Perspective has a matureness in its unpacking of the heart stuff. It’s an important play, beautifully simple in its mass of complexity.”  

Nina Steiger, NT’s Head of Play Development and member of the judging panel said, “In what was a landmark year that took a particularly heavy toll on young people and the performing arts, it was thrilling for us to receive over 400 submissions from all over the UK. The final plays were about identity, imagination, and love and the bravery of expressing these elements of what makes us human, and perhaps what we’ve missed most in being together.  That these plays were written at home in lockdown, developed with teachers and mentors over the difficult platform of group Zoom sessions, and that the voices in these plays nevertheless resonate with truthfulness, joy and life force is a testament to the importance of this programme and the self-expression it enables.”  

This year the programme was delivered digitally through workshops with professional writers, a playwriting course and the opportunity to watch NT productions for free online, as well as a pre-recorded masterclass on writing for audio with Audible, the official Audio Partner of New Views. Students wrote their own original 30-minute plays, exploring topical issues from mental health and the pandemic to politics and relationships. 

Applications to take part in New Views 2021/2022 are now open. To register please visit www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/newviews   

The seven shortlisted plays are:  

• In A Room with Gavin and Francesa by Aran Grover from St Olave’s School, London 
• The Nursing Home by Charlotte D’Angelo from Wimbledon High School, London 
• Childhood, War and Love by Ellie Sharman from Ricard’s Lodge, London 
• Colour Inside The Lines by Jamila Salim from The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boy’s School, Hertfordshire 
• Billionaire’s Row by Joel Wall from Oxted School, Surrey  
• Bus Stops by Mia Galanti from Lady Margaret School, London 
• Rose Coloured Glasses by Nyah With from Southend School for Girls, Essex 

The National Theatre’s Partner for Learning is Bank of America. 

  New Views is supported by The Mohn Westlake Foundation, Buffini Chao Foundation, The Hearn Foundation Old Possum’s Practical Trust, The Steel Charitable Trust and Chapman Charitable Trust. 

 Audible is the Official Audio Partner of New Views.

OLIVER AWARD WINNING MISCHIEF ANNOUNCE FULL CASTING FOR INAUGURAL UK TOUR OF MAGIC GOES WRONG 

UK Tour opens 16 July 2021

Olivier award-winning comedy favourites, Mischief, today announce full casting for their very first UK tour of Magic Goes Wrong, created with magic legends Penn & Teller. The touring cast presents: Daniel Anthony (Mickey), Valerie Cutko (Eugenia), Sam Hill (Sophisticato), Kiefer Moriarty (The Blade), David Nellist (Mind Mangler), Jocelyn Prah (Spitzmaus), Chloe Tannenbaum (Bar), with understudies Ishbel Cummings, Rory Fairbairn, CJ Field and Jay Olpin.

Magic Goes Wrong will open on tour at Curve, Leicester on 16 July, before visiting Salford, Eastbourne, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Woking and Bath with further dates to be announced. 

Mischief’s biggest and most daring comedy catastrophe to date, Magic Goes Wrong 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 and is set to resume performances in London this October. 
Mischief’s other West End successes include The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, Groan Ups 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 has recently been nominated in the Comedy category at the 2021 National Television Awards. Series two is currently in production. 

Magic Goes Wrong is written by Penn Jillette, Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields and Teller and directed by Adam Meggido, with set design by Will Bowen, magic consultant Ben Hart, costume designer Roberto Surace, lighting designer David Howe, sound designer Paul Groothius, video and projection designer Duncan McLean, composer Steve Brown, movement director Ali James, associate director Hannah Sharkey. The touring production is produced by Kenny Wax Ltd, Stage Presence Ltd and Kevin McCollum.

Runaway Entertainment presents

THE WINDSORS: ENDGAME

Written by George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore

Directed by Michael Fentiman

@thewindsorslive

• HARRY ENFIELD AND MANY OF THE CAST OF CHANNEL 4’S THE WINDSORS WILL APPEAR IN A HILARIOUS NEW STAGE ADAPTATION

• WRITTEN BY GEORGE JEFFRIE AND BERT TYLER-MOORE  THE ANARCHIC AND HYSTERICAL PRODUCTION FOLLOWS THE ROYAL FAMILY’S CRAZY ANTICS IN THE WAKE OF AN IMPORTANT CONSTITUTIONAL EVENT

• THE PRODUCTION WILL OPEN AT THE PRINCE OF WALES THEATRE ON 2 AUGUST WITH A PRESS NIGHT ON 10 AUGUST

• TICKETS ARE ON SALE AT 10AM AND CAN BE PURCHASED FROM WWW.THEWINDSORSENDGAME.COM 

Producer Runaway Entertainment is delighted to announce the World Premiere of George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore’s joyous stage adaptation of their huge Channel 4 hit The Windsors. The Windsors: Endgame will open at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 2 August. Tickets are now on sale.

Much of the cast of the television series will reprise their roles in the stage production with Harry Enfield playing Prince Charles, so we have the Prince of Wales at the Prince of Wales. Further casting to be announced. 

Like all good soap operas, this is the story of intergenerational conflict, with Wills challenging his father for the crown and Camilla determined to see him off and rule the land with an iron fist. Wills needs Harry and Meghan’s help if he’s ever going to triumph – but will they come back from California and their authentic life with their rescue chickens? And how will Beatrice and Eugenie ever clear their father, Prince Andrew’s name?

Written by the creators of the TV series, George Jeffrie and Bert Tyler-Moore, directed by Michael Fentiman (Amelie), and featuring songs, sword fights and snogging competitions, this show has everything you need to beat the lockdown blues! 

For a strictly limited run, book now for the Prince of Wales at the Prince of Wales theatre!

The Windsors: Endgame features set design by Madeleine Girling, lighting design by Jack Knowles, sound by George Dennis, music by Felix Hagan and casting by Stuart Burt CDG.

The Windsors: Endgame is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment and Isobel David. The Windsors television series was produced by Noho Film & Television.