Blackpool Winter Gardens – until Saturday 30 July 2022
Reviewed by Debra Skelton
3***
This is a story of 12 Biblical brother’s dreams, jealousy, betrayal, and forgiveness with Joseph who is their father’s favourite being given a multi-coloured coat from him which leads to the brother’s jealousy, so they decide to sell him to the Ishmaelites into Egyptian slavery and to fake his death.
By resisting the temptations of Potiphar’s wife, Joseph ends up being locked away in prison until he is asked to decode Pharoah’s dreams. He predicts seven years of feast followed by seven years of famine for which he is rewarded handsomely.
During the time of famine, Joseph’s brothers arrive in search of food but do not recognise him. In the sack of food that his youngest brother is given, Joseph plants a golden goblet with which he is caught with and threatened with punishment. As the brothers offer themselves to save their youngest, it causes Joseph to reveal his true self and grants a pardon and forgiveness.
This production starred Jac Yarrow as Joseph with which he played magnificently. He has such a powerful voice which transfixed the audience throughout the whole evening and showed just why he has “wowed critics” with his West End debut performance over the summer. Jason Donovan portrayed the Pharaoh with a very interesting Elvis impression but for me Olivier Award-nominee Linzi Hateley who portrayed the Narrator stole the show with her amazing voice, dancing, and just whole presence on the stage.
No expense was spared with the tremendous sets and wonderful costumes (Morgan Large) which were enhanced by sound (Gareth Owen) and lighting effects (Ben Cracknell) which did bring the show right up to date.
The score featured the timeless and unmistakable musical classics including Close Every Door to Me, Jacob and Son and Go Go Go Joseph. For me, the brothers “Those Canaan Days” was for me particularly harmonious, strong, and brought a touch of humour to this production.
I was fortunate to see the original musical production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat back in the nineties headlined by Philip Schofield so was really looking forward to seeing how this new production produced by Michael Harrison had evolved after all this time and whether it worked and appealed now to all generations.
I can say that it contained lots of twists with no end of surprises involving Elvis, Country and Western and can-can dancers to name a few but for me I am not sure whether it worked or not, however the rapturous applause and standing ovation from the rest of the theatre (young and old) might just have proved me wrong.
It has taken 27 years for this highly eccentric musical comedy from Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, the team behind the Tony Award-winning Urinetown, to reach London. According to a programme note, it has played all over the US, as well as Germany and Mexico, and “at every step of the way, the show became clearer and stronger.” Quite frankly, the mind boggles at what those earlier versions must have been like then, as it’s barely comprehensible now, despite the valiant efforts of a magnificent cast in Benji Sperring’s boisterous staging.
Set in the primordial soup in the year 3,000,458,000 BC, all the characters are yeast (they’re all called variations on the name Jan – “Jan the Wise”, “Jan the Sly”, “Jan the Wretched” and so on – presumably because they all originated from the same organism) and the story is a sort of quest, as one of the Jan’s breaks with conformity and defies the iron rule of their leader, Jan the Eldest, to explore other possibilities of existence, away from the murky bottom of the ocean. Oh, and they fall in love with another rebellious Jan. It’s all utterly bonkers and, to it’s credit, doesn’t take itself at all seriously.
The problem is though, is that it’s just not all that funny either. Lacking the wit of other cultish musicals, such as Little Shop of Horrors, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and indeed this same team’s Urinetown, Yeast Nation seems content to be a one-joke curiosity that might have worked for forty five minutes or so, but starts to feel desperately overstretched as a full length show, clocking in at two and a half hours.
Despite the creator’s aspirations to Shakespearean and Greek tragedy (and the perfomers do speak in a sort of heightened sub-classical language that adds to the overall other-worldliness of the whole thing), it just isn’t possible to have any emotional investment in characters that are prehistoric single-celled organisms. Also. the storytelling is far from clear, a problem compounded by Adam Fisher’s unsubtle sound design which renders more than fifty percent of lyrics and dialogue unintelligible.
Musically, it’s quite impressive, with some thunderous, minor-key anthems and ballads giving way to a couple of real earworms. Song titles such as “Stasis is the Membrane” (a bit of a banger, incidentally) and “You’re Not the Yeast You Used to Be” give a clue to the jokiness of the whole thing, although it’s hard to tell if the lyrics are any good or not, as it’s virtually impossible to hear them. There is however a second act showstopper called “Love Is Pain” that achieves a gleeful, poppy symbiosis between joy and cynicism, and if the rest of the score and production could achieve that same level of exhilaration and clarity, then Yeast Nation would be something to savour.
What is certainly something to celebrate is the talent of the company. Got up in dark-hued body stockings with dozens of taffeta rosettes attached, and looking like an unholy alliance of ballerinas, sci-fi creatures and the cast of Cats (costumes by Diego Pitarch), they sell the bizarre material with verve, commitment and stunningly good voices. Stephen Lewis-Johnston exudes authentic young leading man energy as the rebellious Jan the Second Eldest, and Hannah Nuttall is just wonderful opposite him as the appropriately named Jan the Sweet.
Christopher Howell brings thrilling vocals and an almost classical intensity to the yeast king losing his grip, and Mari McGinlay is great fun as his scheming daughter. Shane Convery’s fabulously camp, equally duplicitous Jan the Wise spins comedy gold out of thin material, and James Gulliford, Marisa Harris and Sarah Slimani are terrifically energetic and winning as an assortment of other Jans.
The Jans all move with a sort of undulating gait (movement direction is by Lucie Pankhurst) and have specific, repeated physical reactions that are almost human, but not quite. These details add up to a convincing impression of the whole thing taking place in a different element, namely the primordial murk (Nic Farman’s lighting is appropriately dark for the most part), although there was some inconsistency in the movement, at least on the night I attended.
I love an off-the-wall musical, but the self-conscious weirdness and frustrating lack of genuine wit or clarity ultimately defeated me here. Despite the superb cast and a couple of fun moments of genuine theatrical invention, I found myself too often just wondering why anybody thought this show was worth doing and who it is aimed at, apart from obsessive collectors of musical curiosities with a morbidly masochistic streak. Having said that, the friend I went with absolutely loved it. A deeply strange evening.
Perform Productions presents an enchanting new family musical
Magical Merlin
at The Fortune Theatre, in London’s West End
for the half-term holiday from 24 – 30 October 2022
Following the February sell-out run of Jungle Rumble, Perform Productions returns to the West End presenting the premiere run of Magical Merlin. The spellbinding family musical will play The Fortune Theatre this October half-term from Monday 24 to Sunday 30October 2022.
Magical Merlin features a mix of magic, songs and dancing, as well as uplifting themes of teamwork and self-belief. The show is set in ancient Britain, a wild world of witches and wizards where Magical Merlin’s miraculous powers rule supreme. When the baby King Arthur is born and jealous older sister, Morgan le Fay, starts turning people into animals, it’s down to Merlin to save the day.
Perform Productions is run by Lucy Quick and Will Barnett. They are also the founders and managers of the renowned drama school, Perform, which runs classes for 4-12 year olds across the UK. Magical Merlin ties in with the students’ theme this term. A professional cast will bring the legendary characters they have been learning about to life on the West End stage, from Sir Lancelot and Princess Guinevere to a fire-breathing dragon!
Lucy Quick, Founder of Perform Productions, said: “We’ve always wished to inspire children with more affordable opportunities to see family shows performed by West End professionals. It was thrilling to see children laughing and singing along to Jungle Rumble. We’re delighted to be following it up with Magical Merlin, and we hope that with tickets starting at £17.50 many families will be able to enjoy our school holiday theatre experience.”
Magical Merlin is written and composed by Will Barnett, produced by Perform Productions and General Managed by Anthology Theatre. The full creative team and cast is to be announced.
Magical Merlin is an enchanting mini-musical for the whole family, running from 24 to 30 October at The Fortune Theatre, Russell St, London WC2B 5HH (Covent Garden) at various times during the day – check the Box Office (running time 1 hr; suitable for ages 3+). BSL performance: Sunday 30 October at 10am.
FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR FIRST UK REVIVAL & REGIONAL PREMIERE OF
KINKY BOOTS
THE MUSICAL
MARKING 10 YEARS SINCE THE
MUSICAL’S DEBUT
NEW WOLSEY THEATRE, IPSWICH: 1 – 24 SEPTEMBER
IPSWICH PRESS NIGHT: 8 SEPTEMBER
QUEEN’S THEATRE HORNCHURCH: 28 SEPTEMBER – 22 OCTOBER
HORNCHURCH 29 SEPTEMBER
The New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch have today announced the full cast and creative team for the first UK revival and regional premiere of the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical Kinky Boots. The production will also mark 10 years since the musical’s debut at Chicago’s Bank of America Theatre in 2012.
The new production, which will be directed by Tim Jackson, will run at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich from 1 – 24 September (Press Night: 8 September)and Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 28 September – 22 October.
Based on the Miramax motion picture, the musical adaptation features a Tony-Award nominated book by Harvey Fierstein and Tony and Grammy award-winning music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper.
Charlie Price has reluctantly inherited a struggling shoe business from his dad, which he’s desperate to save. He unexpectedly bumps into a larger than life drag queen Lola, who’s looking for some sturdy stilettos. They think they’ve nothing in common, but as the unlikely pair ruffle a few feathers, designing some fabulous footwear for the factory floor, perhaps they do…
The new production sees Tim Jackson reunite with the two theatres, having previously choregraphed their celebrated revival of Made in Dagenham. Tim Jackson has also previously worked with the New Wolsey Theatre as director and dramaturg of The Stage Debut Award-winning co-production of The Season (Royal and Derngate, New Wolsey).
The full cast announced today are: Jay Anderson (he/him) as Angel, Will Arundell (he/him, Queen of the Mist) as Harry/Bailey/Onstage Musical Director, Matt Corner (he/him, The Last Ship) as Charlie, Aruhan Galieva (she/her, Doctor Who) as Lauren, Keanu Adolphus Johnson (he/him, Never Lost At Home) as Lola, Josephine Lloyd-Welcome (she/her, Goldie’s Oldies) as Georgie, George Lynham (he/she/they) as Angel, Roddy Lynch (he/him) as Don, Cavan Malone (they/them) as Angel, Tim Parker (he/him, Once) as Mr Price, Anna Soden (she/her, Five Children And It) as Nicola, Lucy Elizabeth Thorburn (she/her) as Pat and Hiromi Toyooka (she/her) as Angel. Casting for Young Lola and Young Charlie will be announced at a later date.
The full creative team are: Daniel Denton (he/him, Misty) as Video Designer, Tony Gayle (he/him, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical) as Sound Designer, Crystal Hantig (she/her) as Choreographer, Charlie Ingles (he/him, Anyone Can Whistle) as Musical Supervisor & Arranger, Tim Jackson (he/him, The Season) as Director, Jamie Platt (he/him, The Last Five Years) as Lighting Designer, Amanda Stoodley (she/her, Bloody Elle) as Set & Costume Designer and Molly Wilsher (she/her) as Assistant Director.
Tim Jackson said of the new production, “I am thrilled to be collaborating with this incredible bunch of super-humans, within the acting company and the creative team alike. The casting process has been a real joy – we’ve met such talented folk and roared with laughter every day. Person after person has shared in their connection to the show and its wonderful characters, and I am thrilled to have found an ensemble of exceptional performers who all lead with kindness and heart. Each actor is bringing something special and individual to our rehearsal room, and there is a powerful collective desire to make this new production a beautiful celebration of self-love, individuality and acceptance. With a cast of 13, we can revel in the intimacy of the 2005 film on which the musical is based, and allow our audiences to feel part of the factory community. And when we need to let rip, we’ve got a company that can bring a spectacular, explosive, contemporary energy. Audiences should expect stellar actor-musicianship, killer vocals and dazzling, high-octane (high-heeled!) dancing, all packaged within a funny, empowering, heart warming story.”
There will be British Sign Language, Audio Described and Captioned performances available at both theatres. Tickets are now on sale via each venue’s respective websites and box offices.
PW Productions are delighted to announce the full cast for the 30th Anniversary UK and Ireland Tour of Stephen Daldry’s seminal production of JB Priestley’sclassic thriller AN INSPECTOR CALLS which opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Friday 9 September before visiting Shrewsbury, Milton Keynes, Stoke, Cambridge, Cardiff, Southampton, Newcastle, Brighton, Guildford, Birmingham, Salford, Nottingham, Truro, Edinburgh, York, Aylesbury, Coventry, Plymouth, Liverpool, Leicester, Bromley, Richmond, Sheffield, Bradford, Bath and Glasgow. Further tour dates to be announced.www.aninspectorcalls.com
Liam Brennan will play ‘Inspector Goole’, Christine Kavanagh ‘Mrs Birling’, Jeffrey Harmer ‘Mr Birling’, Simon Cotton ‘Gerald Croft’, Evlyne Oyedokun ‘Sheila Birling’, George Rowlands ‘Eric Birling’ and Frances Campbell ‘Edna’. The cast is completed by Philip Stewart, Beth Tuckey, Maceo Cortezz and Rue Blenkinsop.
Liam Brennan returns to an Inspector Calls having played the role of Inspector Goole during previous UK tours. His other theatre credits include Richard III and Twelfth Night at Shakespeare’s Globe, and Diary of a Madman at The Gate, for which he was awarded Best Actor at the Edinburgh Festival in 2016.
Christine Kavanagh’s National Theatre credits include Man and Superman and Albert Speer and the National Theatre UK Tour of Hedda Gabler. Her West End credits include The Importance of Being Earnest at the Harold Pinter Theatre. With the Royal Shakespeare Company Christine has performed Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing. Her other credits include A Doll’s House, Travesties, She Stoops to Conquer and The Rivals.
Jeff Harmer’s credits include playing Berrard in the national tour of Bird Song. His other theatre credits include Fox on The Fairway, Out Of Order, Donkey’s Years, Romeo & Juliet and As You Like It.
Simon Cotton is probably best known for his role as Hugh Bryant on ITV’s Emmerdale, his other television credits include NBC’s Hanna, Murder Maps and Doctors. His theatrical credits include A Clockwork Orange at the Park Theatre. On film he has been seen in The Rise of the Krays and The Fall of the Krays, The Unseen and Undercover Hooligan.
Evlyne Oyedokun’s theatrical credits including Key Workers Cycle at the Almeida, Perspective – New Views at the National Theatre, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead at the Old Vic and The Cherry Orchard at Nottingham Playhouse.
George Rowlands’ theatre credits include Parliament Square at The Unicorn Theatre, The Boy With The Bee Jar at The Hope Theatre and Macbeth with Quarter Too Ensemble.
Frances Campbell’s theatrical career includes JB Priestley’s Music at Night, Blithe Spirit, Hedda Gabler, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and Hobson’s Choice. As a performer of historical dance, Frances has appeared with Commedia Dell Arte.
In the 30-years since its first performance at the National Theatre in 1992, Stephen Daldry’s production of An Inspector Calls has won a total of 19 major awards, including four Tony Awards and three Olivier Awards, and has played to more than 5 million theatregoers worldwide. An Inspector Calls is the most internationally-lauded production in the National Theatre’s history.
JB Priestley’s brilliantly constructed masterpiece powerfully dramatises the dangers of casual capitalism’s cruelty, complacency and hypocrisy. Stephen Daldry’s epic production highlights the play’s enduring relevance.
Written at the end of the Second World War and set before the First, An Inspector Calls is a compelling and haunting thriller. The story begins when the mysterious Inspector Goole calls unexpectedly on the prosperous Birling family home. Their peaceful family dinner party is shattered by his investigations into the death of a young woman.
Now world-renowned as one of Britain’s leading theatre and film directors, Stephen Daldry has received Academy Award nominations for his films The Reader, The Hours, Billy Elliot and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. His recent West End theatre work includes David Hare’s Skylight at the Wyndham’s Theatre and Peter Morgan’s The Audience at the Apollo Theatre. His multi award-winning production of Billy Elliot The Musical ran for 11 incredible years at the Victoria Palace before embarking on a national tour.
Featuring Ian MacNeil’s ingenious designs, music by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck (Shakespeare in Love) and atmospheric lighting by Rick Fisher, this landmark production is guaranteed to have old fans rushing back and new theatregoers being swept away into the mysterious world of Inspector Goole.
AN INSPECTOR CALLS is directed by the world-renowned theatre and film director Stephen Daldry. Stephen’s many theatre credits include The Audience, Skylight and Billy Elliot The Musical. His film credits include The Hours, The Reader and Billy Elliot, all of which earned him Academy Award nominations for Best Director. Most recently he has directed several episodes of the Netflix smash hit series The Crown, for which he is also Producer.
AN INSPECTOR CALLS is designed by Ian MacNeil, with music by Academy Award winning composer Stephen Warbeck and Lighting by Rick Fisher.
The Hope Theatre announces autumn season, including UK professional premiere of Jen Silverman’s The Moors September – November 2022 The Hope Theatre, 207 Upper Street, London, N1 1RL
The Hope Theatre has announced its 2022 autumn season. Brimming with premieres, new writing and originality, the programme cements The Hope Theatre’s position as a hub for innovation and contemporary theatre-making. The season includes a UK professional premiere of award-winning American playwright Jen Silverman’s (A Play in 5 Betties, Southwark Playhouse) dark comedy The Moors.
A period drama with one foot firmly in the present, The Moors (11th October – 5th November) is an irreverent Gothic story, inspired by the letters of Charlotte Brontë, about isolation, ambition and women taking matters into their own hands. A queer thriller and macabre comedy, The Moors is set within a harsh and powerful landscape. The in-house production will be directed by The Hope Theatre’s artistic director Phil Bartlett.
The autumn season also includes the world-premiere of Lydia Sabatini’s play The Light Trail (8th – 26th November). Shortlisted for the Paines Plough Women’s Prize last year, it follows teenagers Jas and Ellie, who meet playing football and embark on a relationship that is underscored by Jas’s schizophrenia and the impact that has on the young women and their families.
Oh! Suburbia! (20th September – 1 st October) returns to the Hope Theatre this autumn, following a successful summer run that was cut short due to COVID. A one-man avant-garde theatrical revue from award-winning performer, musician and raconteur Bob Karper, ‘Oh! Suburbia! picked up a Standing Ovation nomination from London Pub Theatres back in June, who called the show ‘a bonkers delight’. This unique interrogation of suburban life is packed full of songs and features an audio cast of UK seniors.
Artistic director Phil Bartlett comments, the true highlight of my job remains getting to meet so many innovative and inspiring theatre-makers and seeing how they transform our humble blackbox with their words and bodies and ideas. Jen Silverman is one of the sharpest and most exciting playwrights writing today, and I’m ecstatic to be staging the UK professional premiere of The Moors at the Hope this October. With a whip-smart and very funny script, unforgettable characters, and a darkly demented plot, I can think of no better way to spend an autumn evening than heading on up to the moors – just beware the ravenous crows!
The Hope Theatre’s ever-popular two-night Sunday-Monday runs continue this autumn, providing companies with the opportunity to share work professionally in a low-risk environment. Productions include: Truly, Madly, Baldy (4th – 5th September) which chronicles how one woman dealt with having alopecia through original music and story-telling; Sold By Mama (11th – 12th September) a riveting snapshot of Los Angeles’ hidden sex-trafficking subculture; Faustine (30th – 31st October), a feminist cautionary tale which promises that ‘spirits will rise, devils will dance, and bras will burn’; and Parma Violets (13th – 14th November) a nuanced examination of the blossoming inter-cultural relationship between two young people, one of whom is from a Traveller community.
Tickets for all productions are now on-sale via the Hope Theatre website.
The producers of the world premiere production of FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL are delighted to announce the full cast for the UK & Ireland tour, setting sail from 1 September 2022 at Theatre Royal Plymouth. The production will also make its North American premiere, opening at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada on 27 November 2022 for a limited Christmas season, before returning to the UK in 2023.
Jason Langley (Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (West End), Oslo (West End/National Theatre), Hedda Gabler (National Theatre), War Horse (West End), Enron (West End), Da Vinci’s Demons (BBC), World Without End (Netflix)) will play record promoter Danny, Dan Buckley (Eugenius! (The Other Palace and London Palladium), Ushers: The Front of House Musical (Charing Cross Theatre), The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre), Loserville (Garrick Theatre & West Yorkshire Playhouse), Lord of the Flies (UK Tour), Spring Awakening– The Musical (UK Tour)) will play Rowan, Dakota Starr (The Girls (West End/Leeds Grand Theatre/The Lowry), A Christmas Carol (National Tour), Troilus and Cressida (RSC)) will play Ben, Pete Gallagher (original West End cast of Only Fools And Horses (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour, Oklahoma! (UK Tour), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium),A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Regent’s Park), The Rocky Horror Show (Duke of York’s), Buddy (Victoria Palace)) will play Wiggie, Hadrian Delacey (Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Les Misérables (Palace Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (West End, UK Tour & International Tour), Jerry Springer The Opera (National Theatre & Cambridge Theatre, for which he won the 2004 Olivier Award for Best Supporting Performance in a Musical), The Producers (Theatre Royal Drury Lane & UK Tour), The Phantom of The Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre)) will play Archie, Fia Houston-Hamilton (The Wolf Of Wall Street (Immersive London Production), Mamma Mia! (UK Tour)) will play Leah, Hazel Monaghan (Romeo & Juliet/The Merry Wives of Windsor/A Midsummer Night’s Dream/Macbeth/Much Ado About Nothing (The Three Inch Fools), The Elves and the Shoemaker (Nottingham Playhouse)) will play Sally, John O’Mahony (As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Tempest (Regent’s Park), Death Of A Salesman (European Tour), The Good Karma Hospital, Mrs Brown’s Boys) will play Eddy, Louisa Beadel (Fame (West End & UK Tour), King Lear (Shakespeare’s Globe), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and Future Conditional (Old Vic)) will play Morwenna, Becky Hurst (making her theatre debut) will play Grace and James William-Pattison (Once (UK Tour), The Last Ship (UK Tour), My Fair Lady (The Mill at Sonning), Agatha Christie’s Crooked House, ABBA Voyage) will play Owen, with musicians Hazel Askew, Mel Biggs, and Alfie Gidley with the band being lead by Musical Director James Findlay, and ensemble cast Hazel Simmons, Janet Mooney, Dominic Brewer and Martin Carroll.
They will be joining the previously announced James Gaddas (Casualty, Bad Girls, Coronation Street, The Girls,Billy Elliot, Monty Python’s Spamalot, Mamma Mia!) as Jim, Parisa Shahmir (The Snow Queen, The Last Ship and Mamma Mia!) as Alwyn, Robert Duncan (Drop the Dead Donkey, Casualty, Where the Heart Is,Twelve Angry Men) as Jago, Susan Penhaligon (Bouquet of Barbed Wire, Emmerdale, A Fine Romance, Three Sisters, The Real Thing, Mr Love, The Maintenance Man, Dangerous Corner and Of Mice and Men) as Maggie and Anton Stephans (finalist in The X Factor, Blues Brothers Meet Soul Sisters, Porgy and Bess, Starlight Express and Smokey Joe’s Cafe) as Leadville.
The UK, Ireland and Canada tour follows a highly successful, sold-out season at Hall for Cornwall, where box office records were smashed, making it the biggest selling production in Hall for Cornwall’s 25-year history.
FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL is based on the true story of the Cornish singing sensations, Fisherman’s Friends, and the hit 2019 film about their life. When a group of Cornish fishermen came together to sing the traditional working songs they’d sung for generations, they hoped to raise a few quid for charity. Nobody, least of all the fishermen, expected their story to end on the Pyramid stage of Glastonbury. Packed with sea shanties, FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS is a feelgood voyage about friendship, community and music.
Featuring hit shanties made famous by the band including Keep Haulin’, Nelson’s Blood, No Hopers Jokers & Rogues and many more.
FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL is directed by James Grieve and written by Amanda Whittington with choreography by Matt Cole, musical direction by James Findlay, set and costume design by Lucy Osborne, musical supervision and arrangements by David White, sound design by Dan Samson, lighting design by Johanna Town and casting by Jim Arnold.
The hit 2019 FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS movie, with a screenplay by Nick Moorcroft, Meg Leonard and Piers Ashworth delighted fans across the world with the sequel film, Fisherman’s Friends: One and All, set to be released in the UK on 19 August 2022.
FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS: THE MUSICAL is produced by ROYO with Flying Fish Productions, Mighty Village, Island Records, David Mirvish and Cornwall Playhouse Productions.
PREMIÈRING AT GREENWICH THEATRE FROM 1 OCTOBER 2022
Multi-award winning actor Bill Ward (Coronation Street; Emmerdale), will be joining the cast of the brand new musical, Are You As Nervous As I Am?, one of the first original British musicals coming out after lockdown.
Bill will be playing the role of Bob, the charismatic band leader who hides a darker side. Bill joins the previously announced Katie Elin-Salt in the role of Peggy, the young and impressionable girl with a passion for singing, and Emma Thornett as Janet, the runaway sister in search of a more honest life.
FAMILY BEFORE FAME
The story follows a journey of two sisters – Peggy and Janet – in their search for happiness. Fighting against their mother’s dysfunctional behaviour, they are forced apart to pursue lives away from their home in Wales.
Set against the background of a century in flux, when the sisters reconnect, they are gradually empowered to positively transform their lives
Final casting also includes: Sarah Ingram (Flashdance; Oklahoma!) as Catrin/Christine,Daniel Abbott (Groan Ups; Pride and Prejudice) as Larry, Simon Furness (The Cleaner; Uncle Vanya) as Peter, Ian Houghton (War Horse; This House) as The Welsh Soldier/Sam Berkowitz, Emily-Mae (City of Angels; Hairspray) as Kiki Kavelle, Jenny Perry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show; The Wizard of Oz) as A Cockney Girl/Peggy and Janet Cover.
The world premiere of Are You As Nervous As I Am? takes place at Greenwich Theatre from 01 – 23 October 2022.
With a multi award-winning creative team, Are You As Nervous As I Am? is written by Simon Spencer, with music by Leighton James House and lyrics by Shaun McKenna.
Are You As Nervous As I Am? is a strong female-driven story of empowerment: touching on disability, sexuality, abuse and race, with memorable characters and powerful original songs.
The production is directed by Phoebe Barran, with musical arrangements by Dr Matthew Malone, set & costume design by Kevin Jenkins lighting by Mike Robertson, movement by Denni Sayers.
NEW MUSICAL – MILLENNIALS, NEW WRITING PARTNERSHIP & HEATHERS EXTENSION
PREMIERE OF NEW MUSICAL MILLENNIALS TO EXTEND UNTIL 4SEPTEMBER
NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET MASTERCLASS TO SUPPORT NEW WRITING
HEATHERS THE MUSICAL EXTENDS TO 19 FEBRUARY 2023 PLUS A SING-A-LONG SPECIAL PERFORMANCE ANNOUNCED
The Other Palace is pleased to announce that following the world premiere of the new musical Millennials written and composed by Elliot Clay, the show will extend for a further 4 weeks of performances over the summer, due to finish on Sunday 4 September 2022.
Millennials has received acclaim from audiences and critics alike in its first weeks of performances, with the chance to experience these new songs in an immersive and exciting environment.
Millennials turns up the microphone on the lives, the losses, and the frustrations of young people in the modern world. A generation that is so often defined by tabloid headlines, tweets and, of course, avocados, has picked up the mic and transported us inside their extraordinarily ordinary lives.
New casting to be announced.
Millennials is produced by The Other Palace, written and composed by Elliot Clay, with direction by Hannah Benson. Arrangements, sound production and musical supervision by Auburn Jam and choreography by Tinovimbanashe Sibanda, with design and lighting design from Andrew Exeter and costume styling by Rory Mcnerney.
With summer break in full flow, it’s time to think about the next school year, and Heathers The Musical will be on the register at The Other Palace until 19 February 2023. This extension will see 24 more weeks of corn Nuts, slushies from the 7/11 and buckets of teenage angst.
Plus, for some more Big Fun, there will be a sing-along performance on the evening of Wednesday 18 January, for a singing & dress-up extravaganza!
Casting for Heathers will be announced in due course, but while class is in session, there will be two relaxed performances which will take place on Sunday 9 October 2022 and Sunday 5 February 2023.
In addition, the Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust (Masterclass) and The Other Palace will jointly host a programme of events to support young writers in August 2022. This will include writing workshops for 16-18 year olds and a scratch night of new writing.
New Writing Month is an addition to Masterclass’ well-established programme of support for young writers, which includes year-round Script Sessions and the biennial writing competition, Pitch Your Play. All events will take place at The Other Palace, which has a formidable reputation for incubating and premiering new work, including its current productions, Heathers The Musical and Millennials.
Clare Annamalai, Programme Director at Masterclass said: “We’re so pleased to be working with The Other Palace, where the team really understand and appreciate the work we do to support young aspiring and early-career creatives. It is particularly exciting to bring some of our youngest members into this lively space, to hear and help develop their ideas.”
Paul Taylor Mills, Artistic Director at The Other Palace said: “Millennials started its life at my initiative, MTFestUK and it is brilliant to see that this platform is providing the necessary route to allow musicals to move into fully produced shows. This is one of four new shows to be launched from the festival.”
Producer Bill Kenwright said: “It was always my intention to celebrate The Other Palace as a home for new musicals when I bought it. But, right now, the question is, what do you do with a sell-out hit musical like Heathers in the meantime? There’s never a sensible time to take off any musical that is breaking box office records, playing to capacity and receiving delirious standing ovations, but right now with our industry in the situation it is in and so many shows struggling, it would be almost perverse.
We’re delighted to continue to present exciting new work in our studio, supporting the next generation of writers with the Haymarket, and will hopefully continue to fill both theatres with the vibrant audiences that are embracing the building right now.”
Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, the UK premiere of Heathers the Musical enjoyed two record-breaking opening seasons, launching at The Other Palace and transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018; going on to win the WhatsOnStage award for Best New Musical 2019. Additionally last year it also embarked on its first UK Tour which ran until December 2021.
With a book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers the Musical is based on one of the greatest cult teen films of all time, and starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The production is directed by Andy Fickman, withchoreography by Thriller Live’s Gary Lloyd, designs by David Shields, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound by Dan Samson.
Westerberg High’s Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she joins the beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers, her dreams of popularity may finally come true. Mysterious teen rebel JD teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody…
Masterclass Young Writers
Masterclass Young Writers is an opportunity for 16-18 year olds to explore writing for stage. They will work with writer and Children’s Poet Laureate of Wales, Connor Allen, to create a monologue/poem from scratch, collaborate with actors from the Masterclass community and take away a professional audio recording of their work!
Script Scratch showcases and celebrates some of the most interesting writers to have come through Masterclass’ Script Sessions and Pitch Your Play programmes, in front of a live audience. The scripts will be performed by actors from the Masterclass community. It is a fantastic networking opportunity for programmers, directors and producers to meet the next generation of writers and performers.
Alphabetti Theatre announces all-new 2022-23 Season featuring world premieres, home-grown talent and the best of the North East Alphabetti Theatre, St James’ Blvd, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4HP August 2022 – March 2023
Multi-award winning Alphabetti Theatre is a bastion of North Eastern excellence. This artist-led performance space in Newcastle upon Tyne is a space to experiment, evolve and discover talent. Producing and playing host to some of the best and newest work from the region and further afield, their newly-announced 2022/23 is no exception.
The season will open on 23rd August with the world premiere of Brotherhood, running until 10th September. Alphabetti Theatre was born of the need for a fringe venue in Newcastle and the North East and ensuring the development of the performing arts in the region is at the heart of their work. Presented by Northern Roots & Vitamin Noir feat. Kay Greyson, Brotherhood highlights the unknown struggles of young Black men living in the UK. Vitamin Noir are a group of dancers, rappers, artists and photographers living in Newcastle upon Tyne; here, an all-Black cast of multi-talented long-time friends will share their origin stories of perseverance through dance and music. This unique tale of family and love is told with infectious joy.
20th September – 8 th October will see Alan Harris’ Sugar Baby make its North East premiere. First performed at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, The Times praised Sugar Baby as a theatrical tour de force and The Stage called it stonking good fun. This charming comedy caper centres on Marc, small-time drug dealer in Cardiff, who spends his time avoiding his mum, disguising his cannabis plants with fake tomatoes, and saving his old man from the local loan shark. When he gets caught up in a love triangle, things get even messier.
The third show of the season, Out-Out! is a development of Joana Geronimo’s recent work as part of Alphabetti Theatre’s Reaction Artist programme. From 18th October – 5th November, audiences can experience the premiere of this debut work. Joanna lives in two worlds, one old and one new, and sometimes it’s hard to tell which is more real. Just for tonight, her phone’s going down, her hands are going up, and she’d like to share it, irl. Joyful, bright and lyrical, Out-Out! brings people together in a moment of connection, and reminds us all that some things can’t be downloaded.
From 15th November – 3 rd December, Alphabetti Theatre and SoreSlap Theatre will present a world premiere of More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish by Papi Jeovani and Rhian Jade. SoreSlap aims to empower its audience and create a safe space where they can enjoy theatre that makes them stop, laugh, and think. In the not-too-distant future, worlds collide when two people are forced to share a space. Only when they are given no other option, do they find that their lives are more similar than they could have ever imagined. SoreSlap Theatre are creators, producers and performers who use drama, poetry, and physical theatre to explore topics of identity and personal politics.
Over the festive season, Alphabetti Theatre & Hotspur Primary will proudly present Song Of The Goblins from 13th December – 31st December. This imaginative premise asks “who lives in those little green metal boxes at the end of the street?” They’re everywhere. You must have seen them. If you sit next to them for long enough, you can hear voices and sometimes singing… Song Of The Goblins has been co-created by an award-winning professional creative team and pupils from Hotspur Primary School. The pupils have co-written the script, co-composed the music, codesigned and co-built the set. This fantastical family adventure from Alphabetti’s award-winning artistic director, Ali Pritchard, will feature live music and composition by Wilf Stone.
2023 will begin with Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light by Allison Davies from 31st January – 18th February. Directed by Karen Traynor, Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is an immersive, interactive exploration of one woman’s journey of self-discovery. Elsa’s life has never been boring, though it’s often been a struggle. She’s quirky and kind and clever and funny, but school was always a nightmare, and romance was a mystery; until now. Elsa meets Carmen who just seems to ‘get her’. She seems to hold the key to who she is, and why it feels like there’s an octopus living inside her head. Tiny Fragments of Beautiful Light is a celebration of the joy and freedom that comes when we live as we truly are.
Finally, from 28th February – 18th March, Forest Sounds Theatre & Alphabetti Theatre will present a world premiere of Person Spec. Prepare to meet the next energised and highly motivated job candidate, applying for an exciting new work opportunity. But this is not a normal theatre show, this is a job interview. And the audience is the panel. This bizarre, hilarious show encourages its audience to maximally evolve, self-disrupt, and autoconference at this unique event. The candidate has worked hard to reach the final stage of the interview process, and it’s time for you to help them succeed… or not.
This vast and varied slate makes up just some of the 270 performances that will take place at Alphabetti over the next eight months. With drama, music, comedy, workshops and more – there’s something for everybody!
