“I doubt I will ever see a better production in my lifetime”
WALL STREET JOURNAL
THE KING AND I is back! Following the critically acclaimed Broadway smash-hit run, its sold-out record breaking season at the world famous London Palladium and its previous record breaking UK and International tour, comes the announcement that the multi Tony Award-winning production will now embark on a new major UK tour from January 2023.
This unmissable, majestic production will open in Canterbury and then visit Wimbledon, Liverpool, Birmingham, Wycombe, Bristol, Dartford, Bradford, Southend, Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow. Casting will be announced later this year with further UK cities as well as a major international tour also to be announced.
The tour follows the cinema release of the live production of THE KING AND I: FROM THE LONDON PALLADIUM, which was the biggest live event in cinemas of 2018. More than 135,000 movie goers packed cinemas across the globe for the initial performance to watch THE KING AND I: FROM THE LONDON PALLADIUM – filmed on stage at the iconic London Palladium.
Acclaimed Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher will once again direct the production and be reunited with the celebrated creative team that brought this majestic production of THE KING AND I to life at the London Palladium. The critics heaped praise on Sher’s Palladium production, the Daily Mail “left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music”, while the The Times awarded the show “Five stars for a sumptuous King and I” declaring it “a hit”. Daily Express hailed it “London’s theatrical event of 2018” whilst The Daily Telegraph concurred proclaiming the show “looks and sounds ravishing”. Another five stars were awarded from the Sunday Express and the Financial Times called it “simply spellbinding”.
Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children. With one of the finest scores ever written including: Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance, featuring a company of over 50 world-class performers, and full scale orchestra, THE KING AND I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre – it is the greatest musical from the golden age of musicals.
Producer Howard Panter says: “We are delighted to take this majestic multi award-winning production of THE KING AND I on a major UK and international tour in 2023. The London Palladium season saw critical plaudits, Box Office records and standing ovations at every show – we were overwhelmed with the rapturous response. Coupled with the reaction to the Global cinema screenings of the film version – which was the biggest theatre event in cinemas of the year and number one at the Box Office. This really is musical theatre at its very best, so we are thrilled that we can now share this wondrous production with theatre lovers up and down the country next year.”
THE KING AND I – 2023 UK TOUR DATES
WC 30/01/23 Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
WC 06/02/23 Canterbury Marlowe Theatre
WC 13/02/23 Wimbledon New Theatre
WC 20/02/23 Liverpool Empire Theatre
WC 27/02/23 Birmingham Alexandra Theatre
WC 13/03/23 Wycombe Swan Theatre
WC 27/03/23 Bristol Hippodrome
WC 03/04/23 Dartford Orchard Theatre
WC 10/04/23 Bradford Alhambra Theatre
WC 17/04/23 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
WC 24/04/23 Cardiff New Theatre
WC 08/05/23 Manchester Palace Theatre
WC 15/05/23 Glasgow Kings Theatre
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Website: KingandIMusical.co.uk
Twitter: @KingandIMusicalUK
Facebook: @KingandIMusicalUK
Instagram: @KingandIMusicalUK
WHAT THE UK PRESS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE KING AND I:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Five stars for a sumptuous King and I. Book Now. It’s a hit”
The Times
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
“Songs, sentiment and spectacle. Sher’s production delivers these in spades”
Sunday Express
★★★★
“We left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music – joyous!”
Daily Mail
★★★★
“Looks and sounds ravishing. Complete rapture”
Daily Telegraph
★★★★
“Simply spellbounding!”
Financial Times
“Without doubt the big, glitzy musical of the summer!”
Theatr Clwyd, Yr Wyddgrug/Mold – until 23rd July 2022
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
A Pretty Sh*tty Love is written by Katherine Chandler and directed by Francesca Goodridge. Based on the horrific true life story of Stacey Gwilliam who was 34 years old. In 2015 she was strangled and buried alive in a grave hastily hand dug by her fiancee. Knowing this I decided to go alone, having family and friends who have gone through similar scenarios I felt it best. I was glad I did as I was totally absorbed by the story unfolding before me.
The Mix Theatr is perfect its not a conventional theatre set up but more compact and almost cosy. The sand on the floor combined with the sounds of waves crashing and the sounds of birds crying overhead feels almost serene but absolutely works with the sweltering July weather outside. In the darkness I can see there’s perspex sheets forming the main body of the set covered with words many overwritten some hint at the drama yet to unfurl, along with the almost body shaped mound of sand in the corner.
I attended the matinee performance and I’ll be honest I was glad to walk out after what can be described as a brilliant and somewhat warped sense of entertainment into the bright sunlight to lighten my mood and clear my head. I did however drive home passing many people and found myself eyeing them in a horrendously judgemental manor. What happens behind closed doors none of us truly know.
A Pretty Sh*tty Love is a small cast of just 2, being honest no one else is needed this is an intimate story that is as graphic in words as any make up artist could achieve after all the pen truly is mightier than the sword. Danielle Bird is a bundle of energy, a breath of fresh air as Hayley. She first appears alone wearing a dress looking like a mermaid, you just feel something isn’t right is she dead? Hayley’s words run away with her, her short life has been somewhat traumatic using a long forgotten memory as a way of explaining her personality. Memories often mould us and as a parent I knew instantly she was a people-pleaser but equally craved excitement and love.
Daniel Hawksford is stone faced Carl played with stoicism surely he’s a hard character to play and yet somehow we begin the story feeling sorry for him. He is a victim too, a victim of circumstance. Watching your mother succumb to drugs and then seeing your brother follow the same path is harrowing enough. But to become immune to the failings of others and just wishing your brother dead is heartbreaking. He survives by petty stealing leading to house break-ins. He finds the gym helps gives him a sense of control in his rather mundane and sad life. Chance is the biggest impact, wondering into a café, served by Hayley. Hayley is bubbly like a little whirlwind who you find yourself warming to immediately you find yourself giggling when she does, you honestly want the best for her as she deserves it. Carl does nothing to draw you in, his guns (muscles) act like a brick wall no emotion exists in his world apart from anger that bubbles over as much as Hayley’s infectious love of life. There’s simple days, friends nights out and pure enjoyment that should be uplifting but to Carl it’s torture, driven wild with jealousy and the need to possess.
You know where everything is heading but you still need hankies and lots of deep breathing. It’s a tremendously hard subject matter but such an important story that needs continuously telling, awareness is part of the battle. I was glad to see that KIM and DASU charities were in attendance both to support where needed and to raise awareness. This story is almost like Beauty and the Beast without the fairytale ending. As a story it will stay with me for some time
Rhythm and Blues is a timeless, age-defining genre of music that everyone knows and loves — enriched in history, dripping with culture, soundtracking, and defining one of the most important and notable movements of our time. The Drifters Girl tells the story of a woman and the band she managers fighting their way through the music business. They’re called The Drifters.
From the very opening number of this production, there was not a frown in the house. The joy emanating from note after note and step after step was contagious. People to the left and to the right of me were beaming ear to ear with pure enjoyment and entertainment from what was happening onstage. Littered with uplifting songs throughout, The Drifters Girl tells the story of The Drifters in a way that captivates audiences from all walks of life.
Everything from the jukebox silhouette opening positions to the silky smooth and effortlessly stylish and yet simple effective choreography was simply magnificent. While the whole cast was incredibly breathtaking in their roles notably, Tarinn Callender (Hamilton; Come From Away) was especially on form with both choreography and vocals charming the audience with his strong movements and even stronger vocals.
This review cannot go without mentioning the leading lady herself Felicia Boswell. Marking her West End debut, Boswell was impeccable and by far the best ever West End Debut I have ever seen. The way Boswell delivered the part of Faye Treadwell was so incredibly magnetic and powerful, every line she delivered, every note she sang made you yearn for the next. With a character as powerful and as driven as Faye Treadwell, you have to have an actor that can deliver the same kind of energy and portray the bold personality of the character without it being too overwhelming, and Boswell did just that and even more. She brings to life the significance and rich history of a band that has defined so many moments in pop culture and society as well as the struggles that faced women in the music industry.
The staging of this show was incredible. Combined lighting and incredible stage design made for an immersive performance with little space to work with on stage. The moving walls added depth and perspective to each scene. The strong LED lighting gave emotional context to each scene making the production even more captivating.
Overall, this production was phenomenal, effortlessly stylish and dripping with personality. The writing tells the previously unknown story of The Drifters in a subtle educational way. Dealing with some extremely heavy themes, but using them to educate through music and storytelling. Capturing the true boyband charm followed by a strong feminist-driven plotline this musical is a must-see on your next trip to the West End.
Jennifer Saunders will star as ‘Mother Superior’ alongside Beverley Knight as ‘Deloris Van Cartier’, Keala Settle as ‘Sister Mary Patrick’, Lesley Joseph as ‘Sister Mary Lazarus’, Clive Rowe as ‘Eddie Souther’ and Lizzie Bea as ‘Sister Mary Robert’.
SISTER ACT has direction by Bill Buckhurst, choreography by Alistair David, Set Design by Morgan Large, Lighting Design by Tim Mitchell, Sound Design by Tom Marshall and Musical Supervision by Stephen Brooker. Casting is by Stuart Burt.
SISTER ACT features original music by Tony® and 8-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Disney’s Aladdin, Enchanted), lyrics by Glenn Slater, book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner with additional book material by Douglas Carter Beane. SISTER ACT is produced by Jamie Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg.
BE OUR GUEST! COVENT GARDEN WELCOMES A SERIES OF MAGICAL POP UPS THIS SUMMER
IN CELEBRATION OF DISNEY ON STAGE
Covent Garden has partnered with Disney on Stage to bring family fun to the Piazza this Summer with the launch of the ‘Something Magical in Covent Garden’ campaign
The partnership will be brought to life through a series of exciting experiences for visitors to enjoy, each celebrating a Disney West End production including Frozen, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King and Mary Poppins
Activity will include a ‘Leading Ladies of Disney on Stage’ costume showcase in Central Avenue, a romantic Beauty and the Beast swing seat, an interactive Olaf Holiday Postcard and The Lion King photo opportunity in front of iconic scenery from the production, plus a new Frozen Infinity Chamber
The pop ups will run across the Summer holiday period, from 14th July until 4th September
This July, Covent Garden, the central London home of entertainment, dining and shopping, and Disney on Stage have joined forces to bring magic and wonder to visitors through a series of exclusive experiences inspired by spectacular West End productions including Frozen, The Lion King, Mary Poppins and newly launched Beauty and the Beast. The fourth year of the Disney on Stage and Covent Garden partnership, ‘Something Magical in Covent Garden with Disney on Stage,’ will bring the magic of theatre to life across the neighbourhood through five interactive pop-ups in various areas of the Covent Garden estate.
In celebration of the inspirational and noble female lead characters of Disney, a showcase of stunning costumes from the theatre productions will be on display in Covent Garden’s Central Avenue in the heart of the iconic Market Building. The ‘Leading Ladies of Disney on Stage’ showcase will feature emblematic costumes such as Belle from Beauty and the Beast; Elsa and Anna from Frozen; Rafiki and Nala from The Lion King and London’s own Mary Poppins. The display will offer visitors exclusive close up access to view the costumes which will be displayed on high plinths with some never seen before off-stage in London
Following the arrival of the beloved tale of Beauty and the Beast to the London Palladium last month, the passion of the critically-lauded production will come to the North Piazza with the unveiling of the most romantic seat in London. The Insta-famous Swing Seat will be transformed with enchanting lighting and charming decorations including teacups and candelabras from the show offering guests a truly magical photo moment that encapsulates the ‘tale as old as time’.
Visitors to the West Piazza will be transported to the heart of the African Pridelands with the launch of an interactive photo moment that re-creates The Lion King sunrise, inspired by the West End production. Guests will also have the opportunity to try on eye-catching theatrical masks and make up from the show through an exclusive Instagram lens which can be accessed at the pop up. The space will also feature props from the theatre production, highlighting the craftsmanship which helps to create the show. Now in its 23rd year at Covent Garden’s Lyceum Theatre, The Lion King, an award-winning musical, continues to explode with glorious colours, stunning effects and enchanting music.
For Frozen fans, two pop-ups inspired by the enchanting story will land. Firstly, a larger than life Interactive Olaf Holiday Postcard will pop up on the North Piazza, offering families the chance to pose for a photo whilst listening to the sounds of Summer. Secondly, the Insta-famous Covent Garden Infinity Chamber will be taken over by Frozen. Visitors can walk through the tunnel and immerse themselves in Olaf’s ‘Dream Summer’, a key moment from the Disney stage production. Disney’s Frozencontinues to play at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with incredible special effects, jaw-dropping scenery and an unforgettable score.
This interactive estate-wide takeover follows on from the hugely popular sell-out Summer 2021 Disney on Stage pop-up experience on Covent Garden’s Floral Street, which drew thousands of families throughout the Summer. It also follows the Christmas 2021 Frozen full estate takeover which saw areas across the estate ‘Frozen’, including the Infinity Chamber and Frozen Forest with hourly snowfall to the sounds of “Let it Go” creating buzz for families and visitors throughout the festive season.
Michelle McGrath, Executive Director, Capco Covent Garden said “We are delighted with our continued partnership with Disney who will bring their unique magic and excitement to Covent Garden this Summer. At Capco, we are committed to championing the West End’s theatre and arts, and what better way than bringing to life and celebrating world class theatre both on a larger scale and making them accessible to everyone.”
Fiona Pearce, Marketing Director for Disney Theatrical Productions said “Our partnership with Covent Garden goes from strength to strength, this summer bringing the magic of Disney on Stage across the Piazza. These fun and innovative installations from Beauty and the Beast, Frozen, Mary Poppins, and The Lion King offer something special for everyone to enjoy, and give an insight into the craft of realising these productions on stage.”
The ‘Something Magical in Covent Garden with Disney on Stage’ pop ups will be free to visit, and will be open to the public from 14th July to 4th September with printed maps and stickers available at a variety of Covent Garden store locations.
The campaign runs alongside a number of Summer activities across the Covent Garden estate, including the Good Food Festival taking place from 15th – 31st July, the Apple Summer Camp, the return of the much loved Ice-Cream Festival from 19th August – 4th September and artistic pop-ups such as rainbow bollards on Floral Street in celebration of Pride.
For further information on new openings, experiences, shopping and dining visitCoventgarden.london
As a lover of musical theatre, I was beyond excited to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The Grand in Leeds. After having watched the 1999 direct-to-video film version of the musical many times as well as a previous touring version, my expectations were high, but the show was everything that I thought it would be, and more.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is based on the story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. It is a story of Jacobs favourite son, Joseph, and his eleven brothers. After being given a multicoloured coat from Jacob, Joseph is sold by his angry and jealous brothers to be a slave. Joseph works for a rich Egyptian man named Potiphar but is thrown in jail after being caught in a compromising position with Potiphar’s wife after she tries to seduce him. While in jail, Joseph discovers his skill for interpreting dreams leading him to interpret the Pharaoh’s dreams. Consequently, he becomes Pharoah’s ‘number two’ and ends up reuniting with his family when they come begging for food in the famine.
The lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber are well known by many and always guarantee to have you singing the songs all the way home. Laurence Connor’s version of the show is energetic and fun, incorporating more humour than previous versions. It also includes significantly more dance breaks, fantastically choreographed by Joann M. Hunter for a modern twist on the musical. I also noted that compared to the previous tour, where the children’s chorus have a more passive role and spend much time sat on steps on the stage, Laurence Connor had them playing principle roles such as Potipher, the baker and the butler, which are usually played by adults. I found this incredibly effective, and it certainly added another feature of humour.
Jac Yarrow was absolutely sensational as Joseph and his extreme raw talent and fantastic vocals make it clear as to why he was nominated for the 2020 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Linzi Hately gave a huge amount of energy to her role as The Narrator, stringing together the whole performance and keeping the audience involved. A special mention must be made for Jason Donovan (the original Joseph) for his very fun Elvis inspired role as Pharoah.
One musical number that stuck with me was the fantastic rendition of Those Canaan Days where the drama and energy of the eleven brothers on stage was phenomenal.
At the end of the performance, the audience were on their feet clapping along to a final mega-mix, with streamers falling from the ceiling and not one audience member left without a huge grin on their face.
Full casting has been announced for SPIKE – the comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman that had its world premiere at The Watermill Theatre Newbury in January, and will be touring the UK from 6 September.
Robert Wilfort (Gavin and Stacey, Bridgerton) will take over the role of ‘Spike Milligan’, Patrick Warner (‘Peter Cook’ in The Crown, One Man, Two Guvnors and Play that Goes Wrong) will also join the production to play ‘Peter Sellers’, and Jeremy Lloyd (The Comedy About a Bank Robbery, Trial by Laughter) will return to his critically acclaimed role as ‘Harry Secombe’
TV comedienne and podcaster Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Motherland, Miranda, Buffering) will reprise her role as ‘Janet’, as will James Mack (The Watermill’s TheHound of the Baskervilles, The Rivals, Macbeth and Journey’s End) as ‘Denis Main-Wilson / Peter Eton’, Ellie Morris (The Play That Goes Wrong, Mischief Movie Night, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery for Mischief Theatre company) as ‘June’, and Robert Mountford (The Habit of Art, The Haunting of Alice Bowles for Original Theatre Company, House and Garden for The Watermill) as ‘BBC Executive’. Peter Dukes will join the company as ‘BBC Announcer’, as will Tesni Kujore as ‘Myra’, and Sam Ducane as ‘Doctor’.
Opening at the Cheltenham Everyman, and touring to Malvern, Guildford, Oxford, Salisbury, Brighton, Darlington, Aylesbury, Glasgow, Richmond, Blackpool and Cardiff, SPIKE will be directed by Watermill Artistic Director Paul Hart, with design by Katie Lias, lighting design by Rory Beaton. The Composer is Tayo Akinbode with sound design by Tom Marshall. Anjali Mehra is Movement Director and Ruth Sullivan is the Foley Sound Consultant.
“I’m not acting crazy. I’m the genuine article.”
It’s 1950s austerity Britain, and out of the gloom comes Goon mania as men, women and children across the country scramble to get their ear to a wireless for another instalment of The Goon Show. While Harry Secombe and Peter Sellers get down to the serious business of becoming overnight celebrities, fellow Goon and chief writer Spike finds himself pushing the boundaries of comedy, and testing the patience of the BBC.
Flanked by his fellow Goons and bolstered by the efforts of irrepressible sound assistant Janet, Spike takes a flourishing nosedive off the cliffs of respectability, and mashes up his haunted past to create the comedy of the future. His war with Hitler may be over, but his war with Auntie Beeb – and ultimately himself – has just begun.
Will Spike’s dogged obsession with finding the funny elevate The Goons to soaring new heights, or will the whole thing come crashing down with the stroke of a potato peeler?
Ian Hislop and Nick Newman said, “It’s a privilege to take ‘Spike’ on tour, exploring the genius of Britain’s most inspirational and ground-breaking comedian. And of course, it’s another chance to steal all his jokes and pass them off as our own. Spike Milligan may be Goon, but he’s not forgotten.”
The Watermill production of Spike is produced by Karl Sydow, Trademark Films, PW Productions and Anthology Theatre.
Claire-Louise Cordwell and Helena Antoniou to star in Max Dickins’ Love Them To Death Underbelly Cowgate (Big Belly), 66 Cowgate, Edinburgh, EH1 1JX Thursday 4th – Sunday 28th August 2022 (not 15th), 15:30
Claire-Louise Cordwell (Casualty, BBC; Bodyguard, BBC; A Kind of People, Royal Court) and Helena Antoniou (Call The Midwife, BBC; The Snow Queen, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre) will star in Love Them To Death by Max Dickins (author of newly published Billy No-Mates).
The world premiere is directed by five times Fringe First award-winner Hannah Eidinow, with lighting design from Holly Ellis (Twenty-Eight, Theatre503; Instructions For A Teenage Armageddon, Southwark Playhouse; Bobby & Amy, Edinburgh Fringe and UK tour) and Michael Woods (Sound Designer – The Queen Of Hearts, Greenwich Theatre; Associate Sound Designer – Hymn, Almeida Theatre) as sound designer.
Inspired by real events, Love Them To Death explores Fabricated and Induced illness (previously known as ‘Munchausen’s syndrome by proxy’), a rare form of behaviour where care givers exaggerate, feign or induce illness in their children. Exploring who is telling the truth, how we come to that decision, and whether the truth even exists, most of the time, Love Them To Death is a dark and twisty tale set in the borderlands between love and violence.
FII is much more common than previously thought although is often under-reported; one reason for this is that it is hard to prove and this is the impossible dilemma for the likes of doctors and school workers: the line between fact and fiction is blurred. And there are other lines, too: between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ parenting; between love and abuse; between illness and health. But where do we draw them? And who gets to decide?
Director Hannah Eidinow comments, I’m really excited to work with Max on his compelling and vital play, and explore the strength and confusion of unconditional love, and the extreme behaviours it can drive us to. Both women are driven by the power of their convictions to protect their child in the way they know best. Why do we do what we do? Can we trust ourselves? How do we know what’s right? It’s a truly relevant topic, and I can’t wait to mine this drama about the fundamental questions of the human psyche.
featuring the sensational bathroom diva lockdown star
and queer cabaret legend’s sparkling songs,
sassy story-telling and Liberace-level costumery
will play National Theatre’s River Stage 2022: The Glory weekend on 16 July
Wash away the last of the pandemic blues with a non-stop parade of big hits, belly laughs, and booming vocals from queer cabaret legend Dr Adam Perchard as they perform highlights from their fabulous new show Dr Adam Perchard’s BATHTIME FOR BRITAIN at National Theatre’s River Stage 2022: The Glory Weekend on Saturday 16 July from 1-1.30pm (free outdoor stage, no tickets required).
Cabaret icon Dr Adam Perchard lost all of their work almost overnight when the pandemic hit. Broken-hearted, they had to leave their wild, hedonistic London life and move back to their parents’ farmhouse in Jersey. As a teenager, Adam spent hours singing in their bathroom, dreaming of a life on stage. Now, that life they had built was gone, and here they were again. Adam walked back into the bathroom, took a deep breath, and started to sing. After posting videos of some of these bathtime songs online, Adam quickly became a sensation on the locked-down island. Jersey Arts Centre spotted them, and commissioned a live show. Everything snowballed from there. Adam has been able to step through their bathroom mirror back into the life they dreamed of – one epic pop hit at a time!
David Bowie, Kate Bush, Queen and Whitney are among the host of stars given a glow-up in Dr Adam Perchard’s life-affirming journey through the imagination. Swings, showers of rose petals, camp deities, dancing cakes, and enough rhinestones to clad the Millennium Dome… all add up to one joyful realisation: that sometimes it can take a lockdown to unlock you.
Dr Adam Perchard is a critically acclaimed, and proudly nonbinary, singer, comedian, playwright and poet. They’ve performed at the National Theatre, London Coliseum, Soho Theatre, Hackney Empire and on Channel 4. They were the lead writer and performer of hit queer comedy trio SEX SHELLS, and starred in Jonny Woo’s All-Star Brexit and The Courtney Act Show. A trained opera singer armed with a handy PhD in postcolonial literature and the ability to make a cloak out of anything, they’re a London nightlife legend, hosting notorious parties like The Men Who Fell To Earth.
Dr Adam Perchard’s BATHTIME FOR BRITAINis a wild night on the tiles for all party-lovers, pop-enthusiasts, theatre luvvies, comedy connoisseurs and members of the LGBT+ rainbow family. A hot, foamy mixture of live singing, sassy story-telling, witty re-writes and Liberace-level costumery, this heart-warming extravaganza will leave you screaming for more.
The Glory returns to kick-off the National Theatre’s River Stage for summer 2022, hosted and curated by The Glory’s veritable Grande-Dames of drag and performance, Jonny Woo and John Sizzle. Bringing favourites from previous years, including: highlights of their drag queen contest ‘LIPSYNC1000’; a classic Saturday night party with Glory DJ’s and performers and the esoteric afternoon sketching of ‘Drag Life Drawing’. The weekend will feature sing and dance-a-longs; a celebration of 50 Years of Gay Pride and star turns from leading Glory artists and DJ sets from our favourite club nights. For more information about The River Stage visit: https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/shows/river-stage-2022
Barbican London, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Bristol Old Vic, Holland Festival, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, L’Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe, The Lowry, The National Theatre of Iceland, Oxford Playhouse, Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen and Theatre Royal Plymouth
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF
DRIVE YOUR PLOW OVER THE BONES OF THE DEAD
Complicité presents a new work for the theatre based on Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, by Nobel Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk.
Tokarczuk’s controversial, violent, genre defying novel – part thriller, part comedy, and part blistering, poetic manifesto for the rights of animals and the environment – caused an uproar in its native Poland upon publication.
Previewing at Theatre Royal Plymouth in December 2022, the production will run at the Barbican London, and a UK and international tour.
The piece is conceived and directed by Simon McBurney in collaboration with Rae Smith (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting), Chris Shutt (sound), Dick Straker (video) and Laurence Cook and Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre (dramaturgs), together with Complicité’s Senior Producer Tim Bell and Executive Director Amber Massie-Blomfield.
An extraordinary cast to be announced shortly.
‘I see the Earth in eclipse. I see us moving about blindly in eternal Gloom, like May bugs trapped in a box by a cruel child. It’s easy to harm and injure us, to smash up our intricately assembled, bizarre existence… I see nothing but Catastrophes. But as the Fall is the beginning, can we possibly fall even lower?’– Janina Duszejko, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
‘The English theatre has a fine and honourable tradition. Simon McBurney and Complicité are not part of this; they have created their own tradition and this is why they are so special, so valuable.’ – Peter Brook
The international touring company Complicité presents a new work for the theatre Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, directed by Simon McBurney.
Based on Nobel Prize winning author Olga Tokarczuk’s novel of the same name, the darkly comic, anarchic noir caused a seismic reaction in Tokarczuk’s native Poland due to its defiant attack on authoritarian structures, with right-wing press branding the writer an ‘eco-terrorist’ and national traitor. The 2017 film adaptation of Tokarczuk’s novel, Spoor, saw one Polish right-wing news agency describe the work as “a deeply anti-Christian film that promoted eco-terrorism”.
The storyunfolds through the eyes of 65 year-old local woman, Janina – itself a radical act in a society which seeks to render older women invisible. Janina is engaged in fierce resistance against the injustices around her, and refuses to be a prisoner of society and gender. Her actions ask questions both of the male world which surrounds her and of our deeper human intentions. What does it mean to be human and what does it mean to be animal, and can we separate the two? Why is the killing of animals sport and that of humans murder?
Collaborating with McBurney on the project are set and costume designer Rae Smith, lighting designer Paule Constable, sound designer Christopher Shutt, video designer Dick Straker and dramaturgs Sian Ejiwunmi-Le Berre and Laurence Cook, together with Complicité’s Senior Producer Tim Bell and Executive Director Amber Massie-Blomfield.
This work, supported by a pan-European network of co-producers, begins at Theatre Royal Plymouth (1-3 December 2022) ahead of a national opening – 24 January 2023 – and 3-week run at Bristol Old Vic. The production will then tour throughout 2023 with UK dates at Oxford Playhouse (1-4 March), the Barbican (15 March-1 April), Nottingham Playhouse (4-8 April), Belgrade Theatre Coventry (18-22 April) and The Lowry (25-29 April) before international dates in May and June 2023 including Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Theatre Amsterdam and L’Odéon-Théâtre de l’Europe, Paris.
Drive Your Plow’s story begins in the depths of winter in a small community on a remote Polish mountainside near the Czech-Polish border. Men from the local hunting club are dying in mysterious circumstances and Janina Duszejko – an eccentric 65 year-old local woman, ex-engineer, environmentalist, amateur astronomer and enthusiastic translator of William Blake – has her suspicions. She has been watching the animals with whom the community shares their isolated, rural home, and she believes they are acting strangely…
A thought-provoking, wry and other worldly murder mystery, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a love letter to the natural world and the poetry of Blake, the philosopher and poet preoccupied with respecting the natural world. It is also a scathing reproach of toxic masculinity, the treatment of the marginalised, and the hypocrisy of institutional power. At its heart the story asks us to consider what it means to live in harmony with the world around us, humankind’s place in our ecosystem, and the perilous consequences we all face if our connection to the natural world is lost.
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is the latest in a series of Complicité projects that urgently address the destruction of the planet. Figures In Extinction[1.0], created with Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite and Nederlands Dans Theater in early 2022, focused on humans’ disregard for animal life, whilst Can I Live? a film conceived by and starring actor and climate justice activist Fehinti Balogun, co-directed by McBurney and Daniel Bailey (Associate Director of the Bush Theatre), highlighted the social injustices caused and inflamed by climate change. In November 2021, Complicité were invited to present Can I Live? as part of the official programme for COP26.
“Olga Tokarczuk has created an extraordinary world that speaks to my deepest sense of the continuity between humankind and nature – a world where, like a mycelium web, all entities are connected deeply at the roots, unable to exist alone. Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead is a tale about the cosmos, poetry, and the limitations and possibilities of activism. Tokarczuk is a prophet for our times who understands us in all our hilarity, messiness, cruelty and animalism, and it is a great privilege to bring to the stage what is surely one of literature’s most urgent accounts of being alive today.” – Complicité Artistic Director, Simon McBurney
“I am truly delighted and honoured that Complicité has been inspired by my book. The book was born out of anger and powerlessness and in the absolute conviction that we must find new languages in order to be able to speak about deadly serious things. This is because we do not want to listen to those deadly serious things or speak them out. We are afraid of them, and we are afraid of the futures they may bring about. We turn on, then, a whole complex system of defence mechanisms, not to hear, not to see and not to talk about them. Theatre is a powerful and influential art; it is one of the most complex and refined forms of communication. It imprints on viewers deep sensations and gives them a meaningful intellectual insight. I share with Complicité a similar sensitivity and an outlook on the world. I believe that the show will enhance my text with dimensions which can come into existence only in direct contact with an audience.” – Author, Olga Tokarczuk
In early 2023, as Complicité begins the UK tour, the company will continue its award-winning engagement work with secondary schools and community groups, using Drive Your Plow as a creative starting point. Complicité Associates will work with secondary schools in Brent and Camden with a high proportion of EAL (English as a foreign language) students, exploring ecological themes through the company’s trademark devising techniques. An in-depth free, online resource pack will also be made available globally. The community engagement programme will see the company work with older immigrant women experiencing social isolation, spotlighting their lives, stories and rich cultural roots, and celebrating the inherent wisdom of those who have lived long lives.
Olga Tokarczuk
fot. Łukasz Giza
Olga Tokarczuk is a figure of considerable stature and controversy in her native Poland. An outspoken feminist and public intellectual, she has been castigated as a targowiczanin (traitor)by the Polish governing elite while being venerated by the country’s liberals and activists around the world. She is the recipient of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature, one of the most translated contemporary Polish authors, and the author of eight novels and three short story collections. Olga has twice won the most prestigious Polish literary prize, the Nike Award, for Flights (Bieguni) and for The Books of Jacob (Księgi Jakubowe). Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead (Prowadź Swój Pług Przez Kości Umarłych) was shortlisted for the 2019 and 2022 Man Booker International Award, and longlisted for the National Book Awards in Translated Literature, the Dublin Literary Award and the Warwick Prize.
Simon McBurney is one of the most innovative, mercurial and influential theatre-makers working today. In 1983 he co-founded the company Complicité, since when all his work has been made through a deeply researched and highly collaborative process which fuses a profound belief that all aspects of the theatre should challenge the limits of theatrical form. An active member of Stop Ecocide, much of Simon’s recent work focuses on the state of our planet and art’s responsibility in encouraging activism.
Complicité is an international touring theatre company in a constant state of reinvention. Working across art forms, the company believes that theatre, opera, film, installation, publication and participatory arts can all be sites for the collective act of imagination. Recent work includes Beware of Pity, The Encounter,The Master and Margarita, Shun-kin and A Disappearing Number. Complicité is a founding member of the Culture Declares Emergency initiative and is led by director Simon McBurney, in collaboration with Executive Director Amber Massie-Blomfield and Senior Producer Tim Bell, as well as a wide circle of associates.
