Alcina is an opera composed by George Frideric Handel and first premiered at London’s Theatre Royal in 1735. The music is set to anonymous text from Antonio Fanzaglia’s L’isola di Alcina libretto and set by Riccardo Broschi in 1728 from Ludovico Ariosto’s Orlando furiso written in the 16th Century. The opera is sung in Italian with English surtitles. This is an opera of firsts for Opera North; Alcina is Opera North’s first ever production along with it being the first ever sustainable one.
Handel is known for his baroque translucent melodic music and is suited to this opera. Under the direction of Tim Albery this six-character opera and story is set on a “Alcina’s island” and tells the stories of the characters’ complicated love lives. The story brings out a wide range of themes such as deception and secrecy along with love and loss which are intertwined with enchantment and entertainment. The story setting is a similar vein to Shakespeare’s The Tempest, The Winter’s Tale and The Midsummer Night’s Dream.
The opera transports one to the unravelling and revealing of all the characters which is supported by the music and singing such as the memorable Tornami a vagheggiar and Lusinga il dolce affetto. The emotions are explored and expressed and create a trance like ambience with sudden touches of melodrama whenever there is a revelation among the characters. Excellent portrayals from Maíre Flavin as Alcina and Fleur Wyn as Morgana and both sopranos are supported by a talented company under Laurence Cummings’ musical direction.
The sustainable approach to this production is evident with the fact that only one set is used throughout the opera with a minimum of props, and this is something no doubt Opera North takes pride in. The lowering of the spot lighting indicates the “start and finish” and “transient” cues to the scenes. Hannah Clark’s simplistic modern staging, Matthew Richardson’s effective lighting, and Ian William Galloway’s excellent video projection creates the “physical relationship and transportation” for the character to “move” as well as figuratively and emotively on their personal journeys.
Translucency and sustainability commendably reign in this production of Alcina. An excellent opera which isn’t traditionally structured but fitting for the environmentally conscious. Alcina emphasises the key figurative and emotive content and context.
Howard Panter for Trafalgar Theatre Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions
Mallory Factor for Hill Street Productions, Rupert Gavin, BookMyShow, WYS en Scène and David Lazar
proudly present
in association with Christian C. Yegen, Mark Lubkeman, Kathryn Bricken and Jason Brueschke for APOTA Productions, Dani Lachowicz and Donald Featherstone
“THE SHOW OF THE YEAR” RETURNS TO THE BARBICAN AND ANNOUNCES NEW STAR CASTING
The multi Tony Award-winning musical
With a new STAR CAST including
“The best reviewed show of the year. Utterly flawless”
London Theatre Online
“The antidote to everything”
The Guardian
Music and Lyrics by COLE PORTER
Original Book by P.G. WODEHOUSE & GUY BOLTON
and HOWARD LINDSAY & RUSSEL CROUSE
New Book by TIMOTHY CROUSE and JOHN WEIDMAN
Directed and Choreographed by
Tony Award Winner KATHLEEN MARSHALL
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM
ANYTHINGGOESMUSICAL.CO.UK
New star casting has been announced for ANYTHING GOES, the smash hit ‘show of the year’ which is sailing back to the Barbican for a return residency following its sold out run in summer 2021. The new cast includes: WhatOnStage Award Winner Kerry Ellis (Wicked/We Will Rock You) as Reno Sweeney and Olivier Award Winner Denis Lawson (Bleak House/New Tricks) as Moonface Martin. Joining them on board is Olivier Award Winner Simon Callow (Four Weddings & a Funeral/Amadeus) as Elisha Whitney and Musical Theatre Royalty Bonnie Langford (EastEnders/9 to 5) as Evangeline Harcourt. As well as its triumphant return to the Barbican, this glorious musical will also be visiting theatres in Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Canterbury and Manchester.
Last year ANYTHING GOES smashed multiple Box Office records at the Barbican Theatre including the single highest grossing performance week for a musical in the Barbican’s 39-year history and the highest sales across a weekend for a musical, as audiences flooded through the doors for the 15-week sold out season!
It was therefore no surprise that last year’s summer season of ANYTHING GOES saw audiences on their feet night after night, giving this multi–Tony Award winning show multiple standing ovations. This spectacular show has been described as the “musical equivalent of sipping one glass of champagne after another” (The Times) and “delightful, delicious, and as buoyant as helium” (Evening Standard).
Kerry Ellis said: “I am so excited to be taking on the role of Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes this summer. This glorious show is classic musical theatre at its very best. Reno is an iconic character in musical theatre. I can’t wait to get my tap shoes on and share this fabulous musical with audiences up and down the country.”
Denis Lawson said: “I’m delighted to be joining the cast of this great classic musical. Anything Goes is uplifting, energetic, and hilarious – with an unforgettable Cole Porter score. Audiences are in for a real treat.”
Simon Callow at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011. He gave a talk on his memoirs ‘My Life in Pieces’. English thespian, writer, and theatre director: 15 June 1949 – .
Simon Callow said: “Like everyone who saw Anything Goes last summer, I was swept away by it. The sheer joy of sharing its exuberance, wit and style with my fellow theatregoers – the perfect antidote to Covid and all its miseries. I couldn’t be happier to be joining the show as we spread the joy around the country and back to the Barbican.”
Bonnie Langford said: “I simply adore this show. It’s vibrant, fun and bursting with a feel-good energy that is contagious both on and off stage. It really is musical theatre at its finest.”
Reprising their co-starring roles in this year’s UK tour and Barbican season are Samuel Edwards (Les Misérables / Wicked) as Billy Crocker, Carly Mercedes Dyer (A Chorus Line/The Color Purple) as Erma (a role in which she is nominated for a WhatsOnStage Award this year), Nicole-Lily Baisden (The Book of Mormon / Let’s Face The Music) as Hope Harcourt, Haydn Oakley (A Christmas Carol / An American in Paris) as Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Further casting will be announced soon.
From spring 2022, the hilarious sold-out musical sensation returns giving audiences across the country the chance to enjoy the truly spectacular, multi-Tony Award winning, “show of the year!” (★★★★★ Daily Telegraph), as the S.S American will be heading to theatres in Bristol, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Canterbury on its way to the Barbican!
Producer Sir Howard Panter said: “We are delighted to be back with the glorious Anything Goes musical on tour this spring and at the Barbican this summer. I’m thrilled that this energetic and uplifting show will be led by Kerry Ellis, Denis Lawson, Bonnie Langford and Simon Callow, with an ensemble of the finest there is to offer, including tap dancing sailors, and a full-sized live orchestra. We are delighted to take this majestic show to audiences across the UK for the first time, so they can enjoy the glorious set design, breathtaking choreography and stage direction, and of course the wonderful score!”
ANYTHING GOES has music and lyrics by Cole Porter, an original book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton with Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse and a new book by Timothy Crouse and John Weidman. This production is directed and choreographed by three time Tony Award Winner Kathleen Marshall.
When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention head out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true love… proving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, a comical disguise and some good old-fashioned blackmail. This hilarious musical romp across the Atlantic featuring a collection of some of theatre’s most memorable songs – including ‘I Get A Kick Out of You’, ‘Anything Goes’, ‘You’re the Top’, ‘Blow, Gabriel, Blow’, ‘It’s De-Lovely’, ‘Friendship’ and ‘Buddie Beware’ – will take you back to the Golden Age of high society on the seas.
Heralded as “The antidote to everything” (The Guardian) and “The Spectacle of the Year” (The Times) ANYTHING GOES is set to sail away with audiences all over again and is destined to be the definitive feel good production of 2022.
★★★★★
‘Makes you gasp in wonder and laugh till it hurts. Pure class’
Daily Telegraph
★★★★★
‘The show of the year. I would give it six stars if I could’
Daily Telegraph
★★★★★
‘The musical equivalent of sipping one glass of champagne after another’
The Times
★★★★★
‘When a musical packs this much energy and spectacle, nothing else goes!’
Daily Mail
★★★★★
‘Bubbly wit and stylish fun. It shimmers and sparkles’
The Times
★★★★★
‘Anything Goes offers the delirious delight of a musical in full sail’
Financial Times
CREATIVE TEAM
Kathleen Marshall – Director & Choreographer
Derek McLane – Set Designer
Jon Morrell – Costume Designer
Hugh Vanstone – Lighting Designer
Jonathan Deans – Sound Designer
Stephen Ridley – Music Supervisor
Dates: Venue:
11th – 16th April 2022 Bristol: Hippodrome Theatre
20th – 30th April 2022 Liverpool: Empire Theatre
11th – 21st May 2022 Edinburgh: Festival Theatre
24th May – 4th June 2022 Canterbury: Marlowe Theatre
9th – 18th June 2022 Manchester: Palace Theatre
15th July – 3rd September 2022 London: Barbican Theatre
Our first visit to the beautifully restored Stockton Globe was to see Bat Out of Hell. With less than two weeks since the passing of Meatloaf, this was always going to be an emotional experience.
Bat Out of Hell is a marmite of a musical. You either love it or hate it with nothing in between. Undoubtedly there will be comparisons between the original version of We Will Rock You. Both were at home in London’s Dominion theatre and both contain iconic rock anthems. WWRY set in the future had the Bohemians, a group of young hip kids looking for their saviour to bring back rock and roll. In BOOH we have the Lost, a group of kids stuck at age 18 forever in a kind of futuristic Peter Pan.
Leader of the Lost is Strat (Glenn Adamson), he is in love with Raven (Martha Kirby). If this is Peter Pan then Raven’s dad Falco (Rob Fowler) is Captain Hook. Her alcoholic, deeply unhappy mother is Sloane (Sharon Sexton). Their daughter appears to be the only thing they now have in common. Tink (Killian Lefevre) who was frozen as an adolescent is jealous of the growing relationship between Strat and Raven and betrays them to Falco. It is a storyline but is a weak and disjointed storyline. The staging is a tad bizarre with weird audiovisuals projected on a back screen to show what was happening in a different part of the production. And due to the cavernous stage at the Globe, Jon Bausers epic set design looked tiny.
But there are positives. Jim Steinman’s music and lyrics obviously. Joelle Moses (Zahara) has some powerhouse vocals. The choreography designed by Meentje Neilsen, adapted by Xena Gusthart is exhilarating. Bausers costumes are fabulous, the little pink pants especially. But for me, it was Fowler and Sexton, stealing every scene they were in. A couple in real life, they have extended their BOOH characters with the show Vision of You, giving Falco and Sloane their back story. With Sexton clearly expecting a new edition, it would be interesting to see the dynamic of her maternity replacement in a part she has made so firmly her own.
The music is the real star, the band (Lestyn Griffiths, Kennedy Aitchison, Ben Witherstone, Mark Cox, Hugh Richardson, Elliot Henshaw and Dave Danford) led by Robert Emery rock out the score in a lasting memory to much loved and deeply missed Jim Steinman and Meatloaf
It might be baffling and bizarre, but it’s a bloody good night out
HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF ALEXIS ZEGERMAN’S THE FEVER SYNDROME, DIRECTED BY ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ROXANA SILBERT, FROM 19 MARCH UNTIL 23 APRIL 2022
Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of Alexis Zegerman’s vivid, new play, The Fever Syndrome.Directedby Roxana Silbert, The Fever Syndrome will run from 19 March until 23 April 2022.
Lisa Dillon (Cranford, BBC One; Hapgood, Hampstead Theatre), Jake Fairbrother (Skyfall, EON Productions; Hamlet, National Theatre), Alexandra Gilbreath (Not Going Out, BBC One; The Provoked Wife, Royal Shakespeare Company), Robert Lindsay (My Family, BBC One; Anything Goes, Barbican), Sam Marks (Doctor Who, BBC One; Richard II, Royal Shakespeare Company), Bo Poraj (Miranda, BBC One, Raya, Hampstead Downstairs) and Alex Waldmann (The Mikvah Project, Orange Tree; Julius Caesar, Royal Shakespeare Company) will perform in this thrilling portrait of a brilliantly dysfunctionalfamily. They are joined by Nancy Allsop and Charlotte Pourret Wythe.
Director Roxana Silbert will be joined by designer, Lizzie Clachan; lighting designer, Matt Haskins;sound designer, Max Pappenheim; movement director, Wayne Parsons, dialect, Stephen Kemble; casting director, Helena Palmer CDG, and assistant director, Segen Yosef.
Roxana Silbert said:
“The Fever Syndrome is an epic family drama and I can’t wait to bring Alexis’ vibrant play to life with this tremendous team of artists. It’s a multi-generational feast of complicated relationships, festering grudges and explosive feelings.”
“You have to ignore the dissenters… You have to be a god, or the heart transplant would never have happened.”
Prof. Richard Myers, the great IVF innovator, is virtually a secular saint because of the thousands of babies he has created throughout his career. Now, his family gather to see him receive a lifetime achievement award.
This fractious group are more accustomed to debate than empathy, so it’s not long before the family home in the Upper West Side of Manhattan is once again alive with dispute: conflicting Thanksgiving memories, polarised opinions on investment banking, and how best to care for their ailing father. And crucially, who will inherit Richard’s wealth and Richard’s prestigious science institution?
The Fever Syndromeis presented by special arrangement with Manhattan Theatre Club.
Alexis Zegerman was Pearson Writer-in-Residence at Hampstead Theatre in 2007, where her play Lucky Seven premiered in 2008. A Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist for The Steingolds (2011),her other plays include I Ran The World (2003), Killing Brando (2004) and Holy Sh!t (2018). Zegerman also wrote the screenplay for The Honeymoon Suite.
Roxana Silbert’s sold-out production of Nell Leyshon’s Folk is currently running at Hampstead Theatre’s Downstairs. The Fever Syndrome will be her third Main Stage production at the theatre, following Al Blyth’s espionage thriller The Haystack (2020) and Marsha Norman’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play ‘night, Mother (2021). She also recently directed Deborah Bruce’s tender new play Raya (2021).
***
The world premiere of Florian Zeller’s new play, The Forest, begins previews this week at Hampstead Theatre. Running from 5 February until 12 March 2022, The Forest is translated by Zeller’s long-time collaborator Christopher Hampton, and directed by Jonathan Kent, who re-unites with Zeller after his critically acclaimed production of The Height of the Storm. Toby Stephens, Gina McKee, Paul McGann and Angel Coulby are joined in the cast by Millie Brady, Silas Carson, Finbar Lynch, Sakuntala Ramanee andEddie Toll.
Folk,Nell Leyshon’s critically acclaimed new play with songs,is at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs until 5 February 2022. Inspired by a true story and set in Leyshon’s home county of Somerset, Folk features Ben Allen, Sasha Frost, Mariam Haque and Simon Robson.
INSPIRE, Hampstead Theatre’s annual year-long writers’ programme, has commenced. Led by the award-winning playwright Roy Williams and Hampstead’s Literary Department, this year’s writers are Dexter Flanders, Jessica Norman, Magdalene Bird, Martha Watson Allpress, Mary Antony, Nana-Kofi Kufuor, Nancy Netherwood, Nic McQuillan, Nicola May-Taylor, Patrick Swain, Phoebe Frances Brown, Sarah Power and Sid Sagar
Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Global Creatures are delighted to announce the cast for A MONSTER CALLS. The production will play Rose Theatre from 24 March to 9 April 2022. It will then play Bristol Old Vic from 13 to 23 April, followed by the Kennedy Center, Washington from 25 May to 12 June 2022.
Anthony Aje will play ‘Conor’, Bridgette Amofah ‘Mum’, Greg Bernstein ‘Harry’, Nathaniel Christian ‘Anton’, Keith Gilmore ‘Monster’, Eleanor Kane ‘Lily’, Tom Lorcan ‘Dad’, Sarah Quist ‘Ms Godfrey’, Lauran Rae ‘Sully’, Anita Reynolds ‘Grandma’ and Paul Sockett ‘Mr Marl’, with Raffaella Covino and Samuel Wood. They will be joined by musicians Seamas Carey and Luke Potter.
Stories are wild creatures, the monster said. When you let them loose, who knows what havoc they might wreak?
Based on an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, Patrick Ness’s piercing novel A Monster Calls is brought vividly to life in this Olivier award-winning production by visionary director Sally Cookson.
Thirteen year-old Conor and his mum have managed just fine since his dad moved away. But now his mum is sick and not getting any better. His grandmother won’t stop interfering and the kids at school won’t look him in the eye.
Then, one night, Conor is woken by something at his window. A monster has come walking. It’s come to tell Conor tales from when it walked before. And when it’s finished, Conor must tell his own story and face his deepest fears.
From the critically acclaimed bestseller, A Monster Calls offers a dazzling insight into love, life and healing.
Director Sally Cookson says:
“A Monster Calls tells Patrick Ness’s searing story of Conor, a thirteen year old boy struggling to cope with grief, guilt, shame and a mountain of other confusing feelings building up from within.
“Towards the end he asks, ‘How do you fight it? How do you fight all the different stuff inside?’ ‘By speaking the truth,’ comes the reply.
“Sounds simple but, as Conor discovers, speaking the truth is often much harder than you think.
“We are so thrilled to be remounting our adaptation of A Monster Calls, especially at a time when young people are reeling from the effects of the Pandemic. The production shines a light on what it means to be a teenager in a tough world and uses the shared experience of theatre to remind us that we are not alone.”
A Monster Calls is directed by Sally Cookson, with Felix Hayes as Remount Director and Adam Peck as the writer in the room. Set design is by Michael Vale, costume design by Katie Sykes, original music composed by Benji Bower, lighting by Aideen Malone, sound by Mike Beer, projection design by Dick Straker, movement direction by Dan Canham and aerial direction by Matt Costain, with Samuel Wood as associate director, aerial captain and swing and Raffaella Covino as associate movement director, dance captain and swing. Casting is by Associate Casting Director, Abby Galvin, for Jessica Ronane Casting CDG.
A MONSTER CALLS
24 March – 9 April 2022
Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Global Creatures present
The Old Vic and Bristol Old Vic production
Running Time: 2hrs 20mins incl. interval Age Guidance: 10+
Socially distanced performance: Wednesday 6 April, 7pm Having listened to the concerns of our loyal audiences, we have taken the decision to keep at least one performance socially distanced across key productions in our 21/22 Season.
FIRST LOOK AT PAUL BETTANY AND JEREMY POPE AS WARHOL AND BASQUIAT
REHEARSAL IMAGES RELEASED FOR THE COLLABORATION
The Collaboration
By Anthony McCarten
Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah
16 February – 2 April 2022
Main House
“Boxers are like painters, both smear their blood on the canvas.”
The Young Vic today releases rehearsal images of Paul Bettany and Jeremy Pope as Warhol and Basquiat in the world premiere of The Collaboration, Anthony McCarten’s thrilling new drama, directed by Young Vic Artistic Director Kwame Kwei-Armah.
New York, 1984. Fifty-six-year-old Andy Warhol’s star is falling. Jean-Michel Basquiat is the new wonder-kid taking the art world by storm. When Basquiat agrees to collaborate with Warhol on a new exhibition, it soon becomes the talk of the city. As everyone awaits the ‘greatest exhibition in the history of modern art’, the two artists embark on a shared journey, both artistic and deeply personal, that re-draws both their worlds.
Paul Bettany, multi award-winning actor (The Avengers, WandaVision, A Very British Scandal) is the iconic Warhol alongside two-time Tony Award nomineeJeremy Pope (Hollywood, Choir Boy, Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations) as the magnetic Basquiat, with the complete cast also including Sofia Barclay and Alec Newman.
The Collaboration is Written by Anthony McCarten, and Directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah, with Set and Costume Design by Anna Fleischle, Lighting Design by Mark Henderson, Sound Design by Emma Laxton, Projection Design by Duncan McLean, Composition by Ayanna Witter-Johnson, Casting by Isabella Odoffin CDG, DJ/VJ by Xana, Assistant Direction and Production Dramaturgy by Olivia Nwabali and Associate Design by Tina Torbey.
Socially Distanced Perfs: 8 March 7.30pm, 9 March 2.30pm & 7.30pm, 10 March 7.30pm, 18 March 7.30pm
Peter Andre will make his West End debut playing the role of Vince Fontaine at certain performances in a new production of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE opening at the Dominion Theatre on Tuesday 17 May 2022, with previews from Tuesday 3 May 2022. GREASE is directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips.
Dan Partridge (Link Larkin in Hairspray UK tour & Pepper in MAMMA MIA! West End) and Olivia Moore (Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre & Heathers at Theatre Royal Haymarket) will star as Danny and Sandy respectively, with Jocasta Almgill (& Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre) as Rizzo, Paul French (Grease UK tour) as Kenickie, Mary Moore (Little Women at Park Theatre) as Jan, Jake Reynolds (professional debut) as Doody, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly (A Chorus Line at Curve) as Marty, Damon Gould (Pretty Woman: The Musical at Savoy Theatre) as Sonny, Eloise Davies (Be More Chill at The Other Palace) as Frenchie, Jessica Croll (Hairspray UK tour) as Patty Simcox, Katie Lee (Matilda The Musical at Cambridge Theatre) as Cha Cha, Ronan Burns (West Side Story at Curve) as Johnny Casino and Corinna Powlesland (An Officer and A Gentleman at Regents Park Open Air Theatre as Miss Lynch. Darren Bennett (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre) will play Officer Mailie and Vince Fontaine at certain performances.
They are joined by Jack Harrison-Cooper, Pearce Barron, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, Ellie Kingdon, Remi Ferdinand, Kalisha Johnson, Imogen Bailey, Kevin O’Dwyer and Carly Miles. Further casting is to be announced.
Peter Andre said “I’m beyond excited to be making my West End debut playing Vince Fontaine in Grease at the beautiful Dominion Theatre. Grease is such an iconic musical and we can guarantee audiences will have the most wonderful evening listening to songs we all know and love. We can’t wait to see you there!”
GREASE originally opened in Chicago in 1971, followed by a move to Broadway in 1972, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. During the show’s eight-year run at the time, little known actors including Peter Gallagher, Patrick Swayze and John Travolta all appeared in the production, with Richard Gere understudying many roles before going on to star as Danny Zuko in the 1973 London premiere. GREASE was first performed at the Dominion Theatre in 1993 before transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in 1996. It returned to the West End, opening at the Piccadilly Theatre in 2007.
The 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is the fourth highest-grossing live action musical of all time. The musical features beloved songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You’re The One That I Want.
GREASE has designs by Colin Richmond, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and Richard Brooker, video and projection design by Douglas O’Connell and casting by David Grindrod CDG.
This production of GREASE is produced by Colin Ingram for InTheatre Productions, Donovan Mannato, Playing Field, Gavin Kalin, and Curve.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
From 3 May 2022
Dominion Theatre
268-269 Tottenham Court Road
London
W1T 7AQ
Performances: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday* & Saturday at 2.30pm
Gartland Productions is thrilled to announce that LIFT will be returning to London in Summer 2022. Tickets are on sale now.
Directed by Dean Johnson He/Him (Godspell, BKLYN, Dogfight) with Musical Direction and new arrangements by Sam Young He/Him (White Christmas, The Man in the Ceiling), this brand-new production of LIFT, music and lyrics by Craig Adams and book by Ian Watson, will run at the Southwark Playhouse from Friday 13th May 2022 until Saturday 25th June 2022.
The creative team will include Annie Southall She/Her (The Jungle Book, The Boyfriend) as Choreographer, production design by Andrew ExeterHe/Him (High Fidelity, Hair in Concert, Jon + Jen), Associate Designer by Natalia AlvarezShe/Her and casting by Pearson Casting.
Developed by Perfect Pitch, LIFT is set in a London underground lift, in one man’s imagination, on its way to the surface during one minute. In the 54 seconds of the lift’s passage, we are taken on a much longer journey that reveals the people behind the masks they wear, the secrets they dare not speak, and the unrealised connections between them.
Dean Johnson, Director of LIFT said “LIFT has been one of those shows that has grown in popularity since the concept album and original production 10 years ago, while the performers involved in that process came to define a generation of British talent.”
“A story about individuals lost in the vast ecosystem of London, in many ways it was ahead of its time and reflects the city today just as effectively as it did a decade ago. We are really excited to revisit the piece and unlock that potential in a fully realised revival with a modern retelling and a cast that represents the next generation of diverse talent in the UK.”
The world premiere of LIFT ran a limited season at Soho Theatre in 2013. Starring Cynthia Erivo, Julie Atherton and George Maguire. Casting for this new production is yet to be announced, but Gartland Productions is passionate to reflect the diverse and contemporary landscape of 2022 London.
Tickets are available now via Southwark Playhouse website.
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff – until 5 February 2022
Reviewed By Rhys Payne
4.5****
In Wales, we have been placed in a nationwide lock-down since the 26th of December which had meant that all theatres, cinemas and nightclubs have been forced to stay close. Wales Millennium Centre have decided to make up for lost magic by putting on one of the most fantastical musicals I have seen in a very long time! We had humans turning into rabbits, floating beds, talking fish, levitating broomsticks and combat-ready clothing (just to name a few) which created the spectacle that we all needed after the rough two years we have all collectively experienced!
For those who don’t know the musical production of “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” is based in the 1971 movie of the same name which starred Dame Angela Lansbury which I have to admit I have not seen before (but I absolutely must now!) The show follows three young children Charlie, Carrie and Paul who are forced to leave their home after it is destroyed by a falling bomb. Due to this narrative plot point, the musical production of this show opens with a rather intense and meticulous sequence depicting this intense loss that contained some of the most intrigue and smooth set/props transitions I have ever seen. The spectacular choreography meant that instead of focusing on the set changes and the actors carrying them out, the focus remained on the story that this section was portraying.
After both parents are killed, they are relocated into the countryside with an eccentric but prestigious Miss Price (played in this production by the wonderful Dianne Pilkington) Rightfully so the young children miss their family and home but after discovering that their new mother figure is a witch in training end up going on magical adventures back in London. Due to her own personal involvement with and losing her family to the war Miss Price searches for a spell that can help win the war but the journey doesn’t end up going as smoothly as they are expected!
I really enjoyed the number “A Step in the Right Direction” which was a direct and inspirational song that talks about how mistakes are an important part of developing a skill. After receiving her first broomstick, Miss Price is attempting to learn how to fly on it but this again is very complex. This number is the first point where we see magic performed on stage with the broom flying across the stage which was incredible to watch but also was used as a prop on the numbers dance sequence which was insanely clever! This was not the only bit of stagey magic in the production however as we repetitively see the character travel from location to location on a flying bed frame which again was awe-inspiring every time it happened!
The character of Emelius Browne aka the Magical Emelius Brown (played in this production by the talented Charles Brunton) went through one of the most incredible character arcs I have seen in a very long time. We met this character as he attempts to swindle money off passers-by with his magic tricks which were perfectly conveyed in “With a Flair” which was filled with classic parlour tricks. The balance of spectacle with undertones of deceit is very interesting which I think at some point I would like to have a go at and the fact this role involved physical magic tricks would make this such an interesting role to take on! He reveals that ‘the magic school’ that Miss Price has been subscribed to way in fact yet another scam. However, as the show progresses this character becomes part of the family which is a testament to Charles physicality and likeability! The song “Portobello Road” is a high energy number which has our lead character exploring a rather sketch market in such for a magic spell book. This was a huge ensemble number with pretty much, everyone, on stage, getting a chance to steal the spotlight but also again contained complex set and prop choreography!
Over the multiple lock-downs, we saw a rise in online theatre and apps. One app that has seen a sudden influx of users during these lock-downs was the video-sharing platform Tik Tok . One person in particular who rose to fame in this app during the lock-down periods was Robert Madge who wonderfully camp childhood videos were shared where they would recreate Disney parades, rides and performances to his parents to often hilarious reactions! Their out of time character performance sound like they should be monotonous but I have to admit every time they upload, they have me in stitches from laughing so much. This increased popularity then led to a series of performances of Rob’s original show “My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)” which received fantastic reviews from viewers and critics alike! So when it was announced that Rob would be in a touring production of “Bedknobs and Broomsticks” that would be coming to Wales (after restrictions were lifted of course) I knew I had to grab myself a ticket. Rob is a trained theatre performer who turned to creating comedic videos during the lock-down as the theatres were closed so I was curious to see how their performance skills would translate from screen to stage! It wasn’t until “The Beautiful Briny” that we could truly see their incredible performance talent. Rob stood on the stage and performed with and as an extremely cartoon-esque fish who sang about hosting an underwater dance competition. They had everyone laughing throughout with exaggerated facial expressions (both on themselves and the fish!) which was amazing to experience!
I did think that the closing sequence of this musical was very intense for a children’s musical where a plethora of animated objects are fighting against soldiers and while the message of magic and family was the key focus it would have been quite unsettling if it had not been for the twist at the end. It was actually very emotionally powerful and had many audience members in tears. The fact that the show had staged this in a way that made perfect sense but also used exact copies of early scenes to show the circular nature of the show was very clever!
Overall this tour of “Bedknobs of Broomsticks” is a wonderful adventure that is crammed full of fantastic effects and magical moments that has come at a time where we as a society need it the most. As it is a Disney production, it is perfect for young children due to the magical elements but a more mature audience will understand and appreciate some of the more intense themes such as losing loved ones and war.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a classic Sherlock Holmes thriller, with this adaptation taking a more playful and cheeky take on the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, trying to solve an almost metaphysical mystery in a play that turns into a suspenseful comedy with incredible joke timing and a story that maintains the investigative spirit of crime solving.
With the cast of the play being only three people, Niall Ransome depicts a less serious and almost naive version of Dr Watson, while Serena Manteghi and Niall Ransome juggle between multiple different roles, changing almost at lighting speed between them while at the same time creating a different narrative for each, with different comedy styles and personas.
What is most interesting about this play is the interaction that the actors have with the audience, while at the same time maintaining the fantasy of the storytelling on stage. From the beginning there is no fourth wall and the actors interact freely with the audience, while slight changes of the set and the use of simple props do just enough, in order to transform the stage to serve each part of the story. The three actors have amazing chemistry and each interaction brings laughs and at no point feels like there is even a slight inadequacy in the delivery of jokes and the portrayal of the different roles despite the size of the cast.
This play can only be described as comical and quite simply hilarious, brimming with infectious laughter and entertainment and is definitely suggested for a fun night at the theatre.
