Month: September 2021

Cast Announcement for World Premiere Into Battle

Opening at Greenwich Theatre 13-31 October (Previews from 7^th October) the world premiere of Hugh Salmon’s moving, affecting and humorous debut play Into Battle announces full casting.  TV Favourite Iain Fletcher (The Bill) plays the real-life figure Revd. Neville Talbot who steers audiences through the play based on the true story of a bitter feud at Oxford University.

‘The greatest danger to the British people is not among the enormous fleets and armies of Europe. No. It is here in our midst, close at home, close at hand, in the unnatural gap between rich and poor’.

(Winston Churchill)

In 1906, of the fifty-three freshers who went up to Balliol college Oxford, eighteen had been to Eton.  By 1910 they had formed an exclusive group, including the future war poets Hon. Julian Grenfell and Patrick Shaw Stuart.  Standing up to the behaviour of the Etonians were socially aware Keith Rae and future England rugby international Ronald Poulton, who were dedicated to improving the lives of the poor and hungry on the back streets of Oxford. By 1912, the feud has polarised Keith Rase and Hon. Billy Grenfell on an individual level.  After an incident between then Billy is sent down for a year, disgracing his aristocratic mother Lady Ettie Desborough.  Finally, Into Battle reveals the differences between Keith and Billy, and their destinies are resolved in the face of a far greater adversity.

Iain Fletcher will be joined on stage by Anna Bradley (Florence Smith/Walter Perkins) Alexander Knox (Patrick Shaw Stewart),  Gabriel Freilich (Hon. Julian Grenfell) Joe Gill (Keith Rae) Molly Gaisford (Lady Ettie Desborough) Nik Salmon (Hon. Billy Grenfell ) and Sam Barrett (Ronald Poulton-Palmer) and says:

“After a challenging 18 months for theatre I can’t wait to join the amazing cast of Into Battle on stage.  It’s truly exciting to be part of a play which tells very human stories to an audience who may not be aware of the fascinating backgrounds of some of these very well-known historical figures”.

James Hadrell, Artistic Director at Greenwich Theatre says:

“We are delighted to be hosting the world premiere of Into Battle at Greenwich Theatre. Once in a generation, a new play comes to London which transcends time and place and brings historical events and people back to life on a human level”.

Carefully researched over ten years by Writer Hugh Salmon Into Battle will be directed by Ellie Jones (ART, Made in Dagenham, Jane Eyre the Musical) and will be designed by Ellen Cairns with lighting design from Alexandra Stafford. Sound Design from James Cook and costumes by Leah Mulhern.  The Production is managed by Lewis Moore ( Core Productions).

Writer Hugh Salmon adds:

” The more I researched the Balliol Feud, and the people involved, the more I realised that I was uncovering and piecing together a story that has been buried in history but that I could bring back to life for today’s audiences. These individual real-life characters are so wildly full, interesting and engaging I wanted to share their journeys and let their voices be heard by a new generation. Whatever our differences, we can come together”.

Into Battle unearths a true story that has been buried for over 100 years: a story which shows how the political and social divisions tearing Britain apart were reflected in a ‘bitter feud’ at Balliol College Oxford.

Told with wit and humour, Into Battle exposes the inequalities of life and shows how human beings can be brought together by adversity. 

Book your tickets today at www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk for more information visit the website www.intobattleplay.co.uk .

The National Theatre adds three new productions to streaming platform National Theatre at Home and announces productions coming up this autumn

– A Streetcar Named Desire, Under Milk Wood and Home added and available today

– Titles confirmed to launch this autumn include Antony & Cleopatra with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo, Hedda Gabler with Ruth Wilson and Kae Tempest’s Paradise with Lesley Sharp.

The National Theatre has today announced the latest productions to be made available on its National Theatre at Home streaming platform. Launching today, the Young Vic and Joshua Andrews’ production of Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece A Streetcar Named Desire featuring Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois, Ben Foster as Stanley and Vanessa Kirby as Stella, the NT’s recent production of Dylan Thomas’ Under Milk Wood with Michael Sheen and Nadia Fall’s verbatim play Home that explores homelessness in the UK featuring Michaela Coel. New productions are added each month and since launching in December 2020, there are now 31 productions available to stream on the platform.

It is also announced today some of the productions that audiences can expect to see on the platform in the coming months. Those productions are confirmed to include Antony & Cleopatra with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo in the title roles; Hedda Gabler with Ruth Wilson in the title role; Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls in the Lyttelton theatre from 2019; Sally Cookson’s 2017 production of Peter Pan; Yaël Farber’s Salomé and James Graham’s political drama This House, alongside current NT productions; Kae Tempest’s Paradise with Lesley Sharp and Winsome Pinnock’s Rockets and Blue Lights. Ian McKellen on Stage will also join the platform this autumn for audiences outside the UK and Ireland. It is currently available in the UK and Ireland for Amazon Prime subscribers.

Under Milk Wood and A Streetcar Named Desirewill also be available from today with audio-description to support blind and partially sighted audiences worldwide. There are now 19 National Theatre at Home titles available with audio-description. All productions on National Theatre at Home are available with captions.

National Theatre at Home is available at ntathome.com, with single titles available from £5.99 – £8.99, a monthly subscription for £9.99 or a yearly subscription for £99.99. 

National Theatre at Home is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

National Theatre at Home is also supported by The Linbury Trust. 

#NationalTheatreatHome       

A Streetcar Named Desire
by Tennessee Williams

A Young Vic and Joshua Andrews Co-production                                 

As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister Stella for solace – but her downward spiral brings her face to face with the brutal, unforgiving Stanley Kowalski.

Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece features Gillian Anderson as Blanche DuBois, Ben Foster as Stanley and Vanessa Kirby as Stella.

Filmed by National Theatre Live at the Young Vic in 2014, Benedict Andrews (Three Sisters, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof) directs with design by Magda Willi, costumes by Victoria Behr, light by Jon Clark, sound by Paul Arditti, music by Alex Baranowski, dialect by Rick Lipton, voice by Richard Ryder, fight by Bret Yount and assistant direction by Natasha Nixon, with UK casting by Maggie Lunn CDG and Camilla Evans CDG and US casting by Jim Carnahan CSA.

The cast also includes Clare Burt, Lachele Carl, Branwell Donaghey, Otto Farrant, Nicholas Gecks, Troy Glasgow, Stephanie Jacob, Corey Johnson and Claire Prempeh.

Filmed by National Theatre Live, a production from the Young Vic and Joshua Andrews.

Available until at least 8 September 2022.

Under Milk Wood
by Dylan Thomas
additional material by Sian Owen

The retired sea captain yearning for his lost love. The landlady living in terror of her guests. A father who can no longer access his memories. A son in search of redemption.

As they awake to boiled eggs and the postman, the residents of a small Welsh village juggle old secrets and new realities.

Michael Sheen, Karl Johnson and Siân Phillips feature in the acting company breathing new life into Dylan Thomas’ poetic masterpiece. NT Associate Lyndsey Turner directs.

The cast also includes Susan Brown, Ifan Huw Dafydd, Alan David, Michael Elwyn, Kezrena James, Gaynor Morgan Rees, Anthony O’Donnell and Cleo Sylvestre.

Set and costume design is by Merle Hensel, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, movement by Imogen Knight, songs composed by Edward-Rhys Harry, and sound design and additional compositions by Donato Wharton.

Under Milk Wood opened in the reconfigured Olivier-in-the-round theatre on 16 June 2021, reopening the Olivier after closures due to lockdown.

This is an enhanced recording from the National Theatre, available until at least 8 September 2022.

Home
by Nadia Fall

Bullet doesn’t want to call a hostel home. Eritrean Girl was smuggled here in a lorry. Singing Boy dreams of seeing his name in lights and Garden Boy just wants to feel safe.

Homelessness amongst young people in the UK is at a record high, so when the big society doesn’t work – where do you go? An inner-city high-rise hostel, TargetEast, offers a roof.

Nadia Fall’s verbatim play features performances from Michaela Coel, Antonia Thomas and Kadiff Kirwan.

The cast also includes Jonathan Coote, Trevor Michael Georges, Ashley McGuire, Grace Savage, Shakka and Toby Wharton.

Home is directed by Nadia Fall with designs by Ruth Sutcliffe, lighting by Ciaran Bagnall, movement by Jack Murphy, music by Tom Green and Shakka, music direction by Gareth Valentine, fight direction by Kate Waters, sound design by Mike Walker and company voice work by Richard Ryder.

Filmed in the Temporary Theatre at the NT in 2013, this is a recording from the National Theatre Archive and it’s available until at least 8 September 2022.

HOLLYWOOD GLAMOUR TREADING THE BOARDS AT DARLINGTON HIPPODROME

A chilling tale of murder, mystery and greed comes to Darlington with a stage adaptation of The Cat and The Canary starring Hollywood superstar Britt Ekland. The star of stage and screen tells us about her latest acting challenge.

Hi Britt. You’re starring in thriller The Cat and the Canary. What’s the play about?

It’s a story about a big, deserted mansion on the Bodmin Moor. The owner died 20 years earlier and he has instructed his solicitors to assemble all the possible heirs to go through the will. There’s an assortment of people from all over the world that come into this spooky house, and loads of surprises ensue from the start.

It is an interesting story with many twists and turns. It’s very much in the tradition of Agatha Christie and the type of thriller British audiences love. I think our audiences will get a big surprise and that’s all I’m going to say.

What made you want to be part of this production?

First, I’m always up for a challenge. I always have been. I have done almost everything you can think of in my career. This is definitely not a role I’m used to; this play is not a farce, for a start! It’s something a bit more challenging for me.

Fantastic. So, who are you playing?

I play the housekeeper. She has been in this house alone for 20 years before this midnight meeting with all the assembled heirs and the solicitor. She’s probably had quite a solitary life and had to find ways of surviving that solitude, the cold and the war. She hasn’t had any physical company, but she feels she has had spiritual company. She’s very stern. Her job is to guard this house until the heir takes it over and that’s what she’s done for 20 years.

What makes this such a challenge for you?

I haven’t been on stage since my last panto in 2013. And I was never a rep actor – I was a movie star. I finished school when I was 17 and went to drama school for two years, then toured with a variety show and did a film in Rome. The next thing I know, I have a contract with Twentieth Century Fox and I’m sent to London. That’s where I meet Peter Sellers and marry him. Although I wanted to be on stage, being a movie star didn’t hold the prestige of being a good stage actor – not in Sweden where I came from. I don’t have the background that most actors my age have, which is my main challenge on this tour.

You’ve been working for more than 60 years. How do you keep yourself fit enough to tour?

I’m very fortunate that I’ve always worked out. In March 2018, I did Strictly Come Dancing in Sweden as the oldest participant ever. But I don’t take anything for granted. You have to be alert and stay on top of everything. A lot of this is your own mental attitude to life as well, not just what you eat and how you move. You have to have a very mobile mental attitude.

That sounds like a fantastic philosophy.

As you get older and what you look like matters less, you’ve got to challenge yourself to stay relevant and continue working. I could just sit down with a cup of tea and biscuits and watch television… but I don’t do that!

The Cat and The Canary runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 September.

For more information or to book call 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

Fortune Theatre, London – until 2 April 2022

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

5*****

If I know anything, it’s don’t go into the old house cut off by fog, and don’t go through a locked door, and don’t mess with ghosts. But here we are.

The Woman in Black is the theatrical retelling of a traumatic event in Arthur Kipps’ past. The action is played out over two hours and takes place in the theatre. An actor played by Max Hutchinson is there to help Mr Kipps with storytelling and hopefully banish the demons that have haunted him for so long. At this point, the audience is lulled into a false sense of security. We are laughing along as Arthur Kipps played by Terence Wilton fumbles his lines and refuses to be a performer. However, we are no fools and we know why we are here, so the laughter is a little on the nervous side. The person next to me leaned over and said ”sorry in advance, I’m a screamer”.

The first half is the actor coaxing Mr Kipps out of his shell, and taking on the part of the young Kipps while old Arthur is all the other supporting parts. As the play gets going, Arthur becomes more comfortable with this role and the plot starts to truly emerge.

A ghost story set in a big house on a peninsula that is cut off by fog and tides is where the main action takes place. There are jump scares and terror as the story of what happened unfolds, the audience on edge and scaring each other with screams. The use of a simple set, a few props, some clever lighting, and a fantastic bank of sound effects is at the heart of Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s gothic novel.

Max Hutchinson and Terence WIlton both gave stellar performances and morphed effortlessly between characters utilising the simple props and costumes on stage. While they may have been the only cast members listed, but Spider the dog, the horses, and of course the woman also deserve an honourable mention for their “presence” on stage.

At the end and after we were emotionally torn in two by the final twist, the producer came on to the stage to make a toast to the return of theatre and to celebrate all the individuals involved in making stage productions. This production is a great reminder of why theatre and the arts are so important and how they can take you to another place entirely

Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London – booking until 26 June 2022

Reviewed by Alun Hood

4****

“Tell the guards to open up the gates”, it’s finally here… and Frozen is big, bold, beautiful, bombastic…and better than Broadway! A lot better actually. On almost every level, this West End iteration of Disney’s entertainment juggernaut is a considerable improvement on the rather wan spectacle – not magical enough for kids and insufficiently meaty for the grownups – that opened to muted reviews in New York three years ago. At the Broadway performance I saw, the small children sitting behind me started angling to leave as soon as the intermission lights came up following Caissie Levy’s roof-rattling rendering of the belting ‘Let It Go’, before whining loudly throughout the second act about how bored they were. 

It’s hard to imagine that being the case in the West End, where Frozen London proves an infinitely more enchanting proposition: more spectacular, more emotionally engaging, funnier, faster paced, it’s a lovely time in the theatre. Most of the original creative team is still attached (Michael Grandage directing, designs by Christopher Oram, Rob Ashford choreography, sound by Peter Hylenski, truly sensational video and puppet design by Finn Ross and Michael Curry respectively) but a lot of the work feels new and fresh. There’s even a couple of superb new numbers that blend seamlessly into Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez’s eclectic, stirringly memorable score.

You know you’re at a Disney musical when it’s set in a fictional Nordic country but almost everybody speaks with American accents, and Frozen suffers from a similar inconsistency of tone to the one that afflicts The Lion King, whereby cartoony comic shtick (in this case lovable snowman puppet Olaf, forever craving warm hugs and wondering what summer must be like) sits uneasily alongside soaringly beautiful serious stuff (in some of the interior scenes, Oram’s designs, moodily lit by Neil Austin, resemble neo-classical paintings come to life). It’s all massively entertaining but it never fully coalesces in Jennifer Lee’s book, adapted from her own screenplay, which staggers schizophrenically between pratfalls and portentous.

Few will care, when the production values are so extraordinary and the performances are so high octane. Samantha Barks’ ice queen Elsa has presence, elegance and powerful but sweet vocals, carving showstoppers out of the aforementioned ‘Let It Go’ and also ‘Monster’, the cri de cœur second act power ballad. Lee’s script doesn’t require her to do much beyond wander about looking troubled however, and the show’s emotional and comic heavy lifting falls mainly to her younger sister Anna. In this role, Stephanie McKeon is a thoroughly satisfying “tornado with pigtails” and could well turn out to be the production’s break out star. She’s very very funny, completely endearing and with a gorgeous voice. On press night, Sasha Watson-Lobo and Summer Betson respectively played Young Elsa and Young Anna so delightfully it could have been a disappointment when the adult versions of the characters took over, had Barks and McKeon not been so winning.

Although he feels like he belongs in a different musical entirely, Craig Gallivan is tremendous fun as Olaf, and Richard Frame is a comic joy as a conniving potential Royal suitor with a nasty case of short man syndrome. Obioma Ugoala, last seen in the West End as a stunning George Washington in the original London cast of Hamilton, is absolutely wonderful as Kristoff, the feisty, big hearted ice harvester who befriends Anna. Physically imposing but with an off-the-wall wit and warmth, and a beguiling lightness of touch, he commands the stage, with buckets of charm, killer moves, and some serious vocal chops. Sven, his reindeer companion, is an astonishing puppet creation that needs to be seen to be believed: think Joey from War Horse meets Disney cuteness and you’re part of the way there. 

The vocal arrangements are exquisite, and magnificently sung by a large cast, and Dave Metzger’s orchestrations sound richer and fuller than we’re generally used to hearing in the West End these days. Personally I could have lived without the excessively kitschy second half opener, ‘Hygge’, a bizarre production number extolling the joys of cosiness in the face of extreme weather conditions, and featuring a chorus line of sauna-loving, nearly naked Ensemble members protecting their modesty with outsize tree branches. In all fairness, the audience went wild for this section, but it reminded me of something that might have scored “nul points” in the Eurovision Song Contest back in the 1980s.

Regardless of my reservations, Frozen is most assuredly a show to see: an epic, dazzling, transporting extravaganza that fits the gorgeously restored “new” Theatre Royal Drury Lane like an exceptionally sumptuous new winter coat. It’ll probably run for years and, what’s more, in this excitingly revamped version, it deserves to. “Do you want to build a snowman?” Yes, yes I do.

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 11 September 2021

Reviewed by Steph Lott

4****

Three kitchens. Three married couples. Three acts. All your worst Christmases come at once. Alan Ayckbourns Absurd Person Singular was written almost 50 years ago and as I watched the story unfold, behaviour was presented on stage that was accepted as standard 50 years ago but now jars, when it’s presented as comedy.

For many reasons it makes for an uncomfortable performance. At times, it’s horribly amusing. At others, it’s merely sad and not funny at all. The piece combines barbed yet screamingly funny dialogue with slick and creative stagecraft, all delivered with great skill by an extremely accomplished cast. However there are attitudes and scenes which we just don’t see as funny anymore. I think we know better.

Set in the 1970s with maxi dresses, loud wallpaper (which is now back in fashion I believe! Well I liked it anyway…) we start the play with Sydney and Jane Hopcroft, anxiously waiting for their guests to arrive, guests who they clearly think are above them in the social pecking order and whom they need to impress if Sydney is to succeed.

The performances, from Paul Sandys as Sydney, and Felicity Houlbrooke as Jane, are finely observed. Both are not that bright, relentlessly cheerful and very eager to please their guests. However, by the end of the first act, the menace of the play has started. Sydney exudes a smarmy charm to his wife, but there is a sinister edge in the way he behaves towards Jane if she fails to please him.

In this first act, we are introduced to the other 2 couples. Sydney and Jane are entertaining banker Ronald Brewster-Wright, (played by Graham O’Mara) from whom he hopes to obtain a loan, and his snobbish wife Marion, played with ghastly glee by Rosanna Miles. In attendance also are architect Geoffrey Jackson (played by John Dorney) and his wife Eva. There is a creepy conversation between Geoffrey and Ronald about wives and women, which made my flesh crawl. All this signposts what unfolds in the next 2 acts.

In act 2 Eva has had enough of her husband’s philandering, and doubtless his boorish and uncaring behaviour, and attempts to commit suicide amidst another party gathering of the same people. Helen Keeley, who plays Eva, steals the scene whilst saying almost nothing, and descending in and out of an almost catatonic state, trying various methods of killing herself. The other four remain so blithely wrapped up in their own affairs that they fail to notice, whilst her husband has gone to fetch medical help.

The third and final act takes place at Ronald and Marion’s house. Marion is now a bed-bound alcoholic but rouses herself for a Christmas drink with Eva, Geoffrey and her husband. Unfortunately, in a grotesque finale, the Hopcrofts arrive uninvited and unwanted, armed with crass gifts. Finally, in a reflection of his new status, Sidney coerces them into playing a ridiculous game, finally making them literally dance to his tune.

Ayckbourn’s writing is superb and there are some brilliant throwaway lines which I won’t repeat here for fear of spoiling the performance. The cast performed with great timing and pace and the director Michael Cabot did a good job; I did enjoy watching it. However the play is somewhat of an anachronism now and I wonder if there are not better Ayckbourn plays to stage.

New Wimbledon Theatre, London – until 11 September 2021

Reviewed by Liberty Noke

5*****

The hilarious musical comedy Waitress opened with a bang in Wimbledon. It is easy to see why this show is so well-loved. From Sara Bareilles amazing score, to the fantastic vocals and perfect comedic timing this show was enjoyable from start to finish.

Waitress tells the story of Jenna, a waitress and pie maker in a diner. She is unhappily married to her husband and finds herself pregnant with a baby she didn’t want. But when a new doctor arrives in town Jenna starts to fall for him.

Lucie Jones played Jenna incredibly. Her performance of “She Used to be Mine” was heartbreaking and beautiful and had the whole audience on their feet mid show. Something I have never experienced in a theatre before but that was thoroughly deserved.

Every actor gave a show stopping performance. Each actor was perfectly cast in their role. George Crawford as Oggie had the whole audience laughing. He had such energy and commitment to his performance. The chemistry between Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins), Becky (Sandra Marvin) and Jenna (Lucie Jones) was very believable. The 3 ladies supported each other through difficulties but unlike what you might expect from your typical musical they were all flawed and it was heartwarming to watch them struggle through together.

The stage was set to look like the diner in which Jenna worked with a backdrop that turned to create the hospital. The band were positioned stage left to look like a band you might find at a diner. When Jenna voiced an inner thought the lights faded and she described her feelings like a recipe for a pie which was very effective time and injecting with the theme.

Waitress really is a phenomenal show by an incredibly talented cast. A must-see if ever there was one

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY
AT THE O2 LONDON
RE-OPENING 1 OCTOBER 2021
FULL CAST ANNOUNCED

The producers of MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, London’s premier themed dining experience, are delighted to announce the full cast are returning to the taverna following its closure in March 2020 because of the pandemic. MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY will be throwing open its doors once again at The O2 London, from Friday 1 October 2021, currently booking through to Sunday 3 April 2022.

Created by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is a unique and magical experience in a class of its own, bringing all your favourite hits to life more vividly than ever before: over the course of four glittering hours, guests can immerse themselves in a spectacular musical extravaganza, a four-course authentic Greek feast and an ABBA disco, all in one unforgettable evening of dancing, dining and singing!

Guests can now get the ultimate MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY experience with one of our new packages launched for reopening. The Platinum Package gives you a Tier A ticket in a prime location, a meet & greet and photo opportunity with members of the cast, champagne on arrival, half a bottle of wine and a MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY merchandise party pack. Guests can also upgrade their existing booking by adding the VIP upgrade package taking their experience to the next level with champagne on arrival, half a bottle of wine and a MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY merchandise party pack. 

Food is at the heart of the experience and the new menu collects the finest Greece has to offer, made from the best, freshest ingredients. Our guests will be served with a traditional meze followed by the iconic Greek salad of fresh cherry tomatoes, cucumber and feta. For the main course, we’ve taken Greece’s famous street food to delicious new heights with our souvlaki-grilled lamb and chicken or vegetarian/vegan option of grilled cauliflower. A sumptuous Greek orange cake -or portokalopita – is perfect to round off the evening. For our vegan guests we will be serving traditional loukoumades, delicious dough balls accompanied by a sweet fig jam.

The London cast will include Fed Zanni as Nikos, Steph Parry as Kate, Linda John Pierre as Debbie, AJ Bentley as Adam, Julia Imbach as Kostantina, Allie Ho Chee as Bella, Kimberly Powell as Nina, Dawn Spence as Grandma and Gregor Stewart as Fernando. Also in the cast are Oscar Balmaseda, Jonathon Bentley, Molly Cleere and Jessica Spalis.  The musicians will be John Donovan, Luke Higgins, Kathryn Tindall, Steve Rushton and Mark Pusey.

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is set in a taverna on the beautiful Greek island of Skopelos, where most exteriors of the first MAMMA MIA! film were shot. Nikos and his wife Kate run this exotic and wonderful restaurant together with their family and friends. Told through dialogue and timeless ABBA songs, a warm, romantic and funny story evolves and unfolds during the evening, taking place around the guests as they sit at their tables enjoying a gourmet Greek meal. The evening ends with a 1970s disco, where audience members are welcome to stay to sing and dance to ABBA recordings.

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY has music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (some songs with Stig Anderson), and a story by Calle Norlén, Roine Söderlundh and Björn Ulvaeus, adapted for the UK by writer, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig.

The London version of MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, which originally opened in Stockholm in January 2016, is co-directed and choreographed by Stacey Haynes and Roine Söderlundh, with set designed by Bengt Fröderberg, lighting designed by Patrick Woodroffe, sound designed by Gareth Owen, costumes designed by Annsofi Nyberg, music supervision by Robin Svensson and casting by David Grindrod for David Grindrod Associates.

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is executively produced by Björn Ulvaeus and produced by Sally Davies for U-Live.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY

The O2

Peninsula Square

London SE10 0DX

Box Office: www.mammamiatheparty.co.uk / 0844 844 9545

Website: www.mammamiatheparty.co.uk

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter: @mammamiapartyuk

#mammamiatheparty

Currently Booking to Sunday 3 April 2022

Minimum age: 5

Tickets: From £99 to include admission, a four-course set meal and welcome drink (additional drinks extra)*

Platinum Package: From £195 to include a Tier A ticket, a four-course set meal, cast meet & greet, champagne on arrival, half a bottle of wine and Mamma Mia! The Party merchandise pack (limited Platinum Packages are available per party)*

VIP Upgrade Package: £25 in addition to the price of an existing booking to include; champagne on arrival, half a bottle of wine and a Mamma Mia! The Party merchandise party pack*

*All listed prices are per person plus booking fees.

Performances: Wednesday to Sunday doors open at 6:30pm, Saturday & Sunday at 12:00noon

Christmas 2021/22 Performance Schedule

Monday 20 December               No Performance

Tuesday 21 December               6.30pm

Wednesday 22 December          6.30pm

Thursday 23 December              6.30pm

Friday 24 December                  No Performance

Saturday 25 December              No Performance

Sunday 26 December                No Performance

Monday 27 December               No Performance

Tuesday 28 December               6.30pm

Wednesday 29 December          6.30pm

Thursday 30 December              6.30pm

Friday 31 December                  6.30pm

Saturday 1 January 2022            6.30pm

Sunday 2 January                      12.00noon 

Liverpool Empire – until Saturday 11 September 2021

Review by Julie Noller

4****

After what feels like forever, I was excited to be heading back to the theatre. It was the theatre I remember going to as a young child, sitting on the train making sure I had my covid pass – I’ve long passed the age of being asked to prove my age but nowadays it’s proving my vaccination status. Don’t fret about this high tech QR code, even for those of us living over the welsh border who can not use the NHS app. Well it’s merely a few seconds to receive your certificate which is scanned very efficiently upon arrival at a designated time at the theatre. It is your choice to wear a mask or not, people are used to either way now.

Magic Goes Wrong is the latest tour offering from Mischief who are fast becoming a household name in the slapstick theatre world, co written by those well known magic artists Penn and Teller. I think I have to say I went wondering if it would be more Tommy Cooper than Las Vegas showbiz. Directed by Adam Meggido it’s gigglesome good fun.

Audiences are trickling back into theatres and some I feel are struggling to regain the sense of fun, slow to clap, shout out. But it was definitely there by curtain down. Like most offerings from Mischief there is much for the eyes to behold and a lot I feel I missed to notice for the first time watching, meaning I would without doubt watch again. Highly likely I would laugh once again at the same gags. You sense it was written after a long telethon charity show, including all those cliches you would expect; please donate now, let’s take a few minutes to remember all those who sadly have been lost, amazingingly most during the making of the so called Disasters in Magic Charity Show.

The premise is a show to remember Sophisticato’s (Sam Hill) recently deceased father, Sophisticato obviously feels he has a lot to prove to his father who refused to teach his son his magician ways or rather he sensed his sons lacking ability. There is no David Blaine no Derren Brown *disclaimer – Derren appears via video link, however not for long and becomes another victim of this disastrous charity show.

Magic is a family affair, Sophisticato tragically may have cut his mother Eugenia in half during a trick not surprisingly gone wrong. His half siblings Spitzmaus and Bar (Jocelyn Prah and Chloe Tannenbaum) are a huge success in Germany yet are somewhat cringy German stereotypes. However I truly believe the star of this performance is the Mind (mind.. mind…) Mangler himself (Rory Fairburn covering David Nellist) who is ridiculed throughout by those behind the scenes in lights, teleprompt and sound effects. Without doubt I could sit and laugh at his attempts at clairvoyance, mind reading, x ray vision for an entire show. His cries for a volunteer from the audience are met 3 times by his plant ‘Brian’ aka Mickey (Daniel Anthony) complete with mac, fake moustache and even dodgier ginger beard. John from the audience is dismissed as too desperate. You’ll watch as over energetic yet rather tragic ‘The Blade’ (Keifer Moriarty) claims to feel no pain, have a right hand that’s so fast you won’t believe your eyes. His helper is always Bar who speaks no english and takes every instruction as go. The results are; well you can imagine not great and you realise you are witnessing the results of why you close your eyes and squirm during Britain’s Got Talent shows as this is what could go wrong actually going wrong. Only you’re really laughing, you feel bad but this is comedy right?

So is Sophisticato any good? Well he loses his fathers entire flock of white showbiz doves. He claims that they are sleeping when they very obviously are not. Not to mention the RSPBs poor white swan. Is he terrible or just unlucky? For nearly 2 hours we watch as magic tricks and illusions are attemped and hillariously each falls flat, gone awry. Until alas wait there is my Tommy Cooper saves the day moment as we watch the totaliser miraclously spin proving the Mind Mangler may just have something after all and Sophisticato shows he may just be more than a toy shop magician. Well for a few minutes they were faster than my eyes and I missed how they did it…. Shhh there may be theatre floor secrets at work but I won’t tell if you don’t

Rose Theatre Kingston – until 25 September 2021

Reviewed by Carly Burlinge 

5***** 

The weather outside is raining heavy and as the night progresses it only gets worse.  Niala (Saffron Coomber) sits in a private bar/hotel in London waiting to meet Ben (Martin Marquez) an ECO charity leader regarding advice on her career. As the night starts the pair seem to get on well with good conversation and lots of banter. Ben comes across very talkative and opinionated and well gestured.  Niala is also very chatty and confident, they soon both find common ground. Ben admires her persistence Niala likes to catch him out and as the night unfolds moments arise through flirtation and suggestive notions. With communication only getting more intense between the pair and secrets unravelling throughout. Will this meeting take them to places they want to reach or will the consequences of their actions leave them to exposed to ever go back. 

Saffron Coomber played an attractive strong and focussed part with passion ease and dominance. She manages to keep the audience transfixed throughout the show and does an exceptional portrayal of her character. 

Martin Marquez played a good part – combination of eco warrior and celebrity but realising he’s middle aged, enjoys the flattery of a younger women. He is trying to be pc on gender and sexual discrimination. Very believable character who played the part exceptionally.  

Together the chemistry was great they parried off each other very well offering gripping moments throughout keeping the audience at the edge of their seats. 

The staging was done especially well as a luxury bar later changing to a hotel with low- level mood lighting to set the scene. In the background the sound of rain pouring completing the appearance of bad weather outside. This was very well done with thunder occurring at times loud and shocking making the audience jump in their seats just amazing. 

This performance was defiantly outstanding to watch and not one to be missed.