FAUSTAFF begins performances at London’s The Cockpit Theatre on Wednesday 18th November

FAUSTAFF
or the mockery of the soul
by Mexican playwright Diego Sosa

begins performances on Wednesday 18th November 2015
at London’s The Cockpit Theatre
(Gateforth Street, London, NW8 8EH)

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FAUSTAFF, a play inspired by the Faustian myth, set in the modern world and seen through the eyes of a female character, written by the Mexican playwright Diego Sosa and directed by Mexican director Rodrigo Johnson, begins performances at London’s The Cockpit Theatre on Wednesday 18th November.

FAUSTAFF, produced in London by the Mexican Theatre Company La Compañia Perpetua in collaboration with UK’s Artistic Producciones, will run at The Cockpit Theatre until Sunday 6th December 2015, .

The cast features Lesley Lightfoot (Gily Jacoby), Jonson Wilkinson (Olivier Simone / Ponton / Andrew), Eddie Chamberlin (Chorus / Apothecary), Bernard O’Sullivan (Detective Paterson), Charles Timson (Detective Virgil) and Alessia Gotti (María / Karla / Alice / Martha).

FAUSTAFF is the story of Gily Jacoby, a successful writer that has become world famous, thanks to a pact she’s made with the devil. This has granted her the ability to see the ill future of couples so that she can write the successful novels that have turned her into a best seller author. The price, however, is far too high. Her heartbreaks, ambitions and dreams turn out to be somewhat different than what she had expected. The result: a tragic twirl that will lead her into madness and the fulfilment of her own prophecies.

FAUSTAFF is a modern tragedy filled with black humour, in which the characters walk through a hallway that will lead them to the fulfilment of their own destiny.

FAUSTAFF explores the limits between fiction and reality, in a world where media has blurred those frontiers; a world where men and women are obsessed with power, money and social recognition; a world that has lost its sensibility towards tragedy, and violence has taken over.

FAUSTAFF is one of the events of the Dual Year Mexico – United Kingdom 2015. FAUSTAFF will be happening in Mexico and in the UK, simultaneously. The Mexican production opened at the Foro Shakespeare in Mexico DF on Monday 5th October 2015.

Tickets on sale at
www.thecockpit.org.uk

Teaser: https://youtu.be/Qmpeu5oxbU8

Twitter: @Faustaff_LDN

FAUSTAFF Facebook Official Page


http://www.artisticproducciones.org

http://www.laperpetua.com

http://mexicouk2015.mx/en/

LISTINGS
FAUSTAFF or the mockery of the soul
A play by Diego Sosa

Directed by Rodrigo Johnson
Assistant Director: Raquel Moreno
Playwright: Diego Sosa
Producer: Andrés Conde
Associate Producer: Diego Sosa
Assistant Producer: Mariana Geisinger
Stage Design: Rodrigo Johnson

Cast:
Gilly Jacoby: Lesley Lightfoot
Olivier Simone / Ponton / Andrew: Jonson Wilkinson
Chorus: Eddie Chamberlin
Detective Paterson: Bernard O’Sullivan
Detective Virgil / Apothecary: Charles Timson
Maria / Karla / Alice / Martha: Alessia Gotti

18th November – 6th December 2015
Performances: Tuesday to Sunday, 7.30pm
The Cockpit Theatre
Gateforth Street, London, NW8 8EH

BOOK TICKETS
Tickets: £14 (concessions £12)
Box Office: 020 7258 29 25
Website: http://www.thecockpit.org.uk
ON SALE NOW!

TAKE A MAGIC CARPET RIDE WITH ALADDIN THIS CHRISTMAS

image007 (1)TAKE A MAGIC CARPET RIDE WITH ALADDIN THIS CHRISTMAS

 

This Christmas, hold on tight as Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes take audiences on a spectacular magic carpet ride in Aladdin, at the Lyceum Theatre from Friday 4 December to Sunday 3 January.

 

Written and directed by Paul Hendy and produced by the same team who brought last year’s smash-hit Dick Whittington to the stage, Aladdin promises to be Sheffield’s most spectacular pantomime yet!

 

When young peasant boy Aladdin falls in love with the beautiful Princess Jasmine, he enlists the help of a mysterious genie to help him win her heart, but as he soon finds out, the path to true love doesn’t always run smooth!  

 

Panto’s ultimate villain, the evil Abanazar is played by Chris Gascoyne (Coronation Street’s Peter Barlow) alongside comedy legend Damian Williams, who returns to Sheffield for his eighth Christmas as Widow Twankey.  Children’s favourite Alex Winters (CBeebies) plays Wishee Washee with the brilliant Hilary O’Neil as The Genie of the Ring.  Rotherham born Jonathan Halliwell (White Christmas, Dominion Theatre) plays the role of Aladdin and  Elizabeth Carter (Dreamboats and Miniskirts), Eddie Elliott (The Lion King, We Will Rock You), James Mitchell (CBeebies Live!) and Ieuan Rhys (Stella, Doctor Who) also appear, alongside a fantastic all-singing, all-dancing company.

 

With stunning sets, breathtaking special effects, glittering costumes, hilarious characters and plenty of audience participation, Aladdin is a fun-filled festive treat for the whole family that will delight audiences this Christmas.

 

Tickets for Aladdin can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £12.00 – £25.00 (A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 to online bookings) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office excl. cash).

 

Henry V Review

Barbican Theatre 7 November – 30 December.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Henry IV is dead and his son is now king. Henry wages war in France, culminating in the Battle of Agincourt where, outnumbered and disheartened, the English claim a stunning victory over the French.

When Alex Hassell storms on stage to whip his crown from Oliver Ford Davies’ hands before any words are spoken, the tone of the piece is set. The audience is giggling as Ford Davies, as Chorus begins his prologue. This is a play about war and politics, but here it is told with humour, warmth and humanity.

Ford Davies’s Chorus is the only character dressed in modern clothes, and he sets the scene or moves the story along with captivating ease. When he tells the audience to work their thoughts to imagine the fleet’s’ journey to France, or the carnage of the battlefield, that is exactly what we have to do. Stephen Brimson Lewis has created a simple yet evocative set. Gothic arches are projected onto bead curtains to create wonderful interiors of palaces, and most outdoor scenes are played against a dark background and cloudy sky – focussing all the attention onto the actors.

Alex Hassell is a magnificent Henry. At first there are still remnants of the fickle youth, but as the play progresses he subtly grows stronger, surer and more regal. Hassell plays Henry’s self-doubt and guilt beautifully – his voice rises in pitch and cracks, and then he visibly pulls himself together to carry out his duty. His delivery of the first “once more into the breach” line drew a huge laugh. A wonderful idea, played exquisitely.

There isn’t a weak link in the cast. The remnants of Falstaff’s band of reprobates are thankfully not overplayed – with Pistol as a middle-aged biker/Fagin. It shouldn’t work, but Antony Byrne expertly draws out the underlying malice in the character, making the leek scene even more satisfying.

The contrast between the English and French courts – the English in earth tones and (give or take a few traitors) straight talking and professional, the French in blue and a bunch of sycophantic fops – allows Robert Gilbert as the Dauphin to have lots of fun with his effete posturing and petulant outbursts. The day after the tragic events in Paris, laughing at all of Shakespeare’s anti-French jokes was a little uncomfortable at first, but when the treaty is finally agreed and the cast pray for peace in England and France, their amens were echoed loudly by an audience member. Hassell, in character, looked out to the audience, smiled sadly and repeated amen.

The battles take place off stage, with few sound effects, but this serves to intensify the impact of the characters’ lines as they run on and off. This is where we meet the Celts. These are fantastically over the top – the Irish officer is a smoking mad bomber, the Scottish officer insanely incoherent, and the Welsh officer is a bag of wind. Joshua Richards delivers Fluellen’s lines with great control and Obioma Ugoala’s reactions as Gower make them a super double act between the more serious action.

When Henry moves among the soldiers incognito, Shakespeare’s lines about the responsibilities of leaders sending men to war still ring true today. The victory is not celebrated, but the dead are remembered in a haunting song performed by Helena Raeburn and the cast.

As Henry woos Katherine to seal the peace treaty, Hassell and Jennifer Kirby are at first deliciously awkward and frustrated. At times it is as if Lt. George from Blackadder is on stage. The happy ending is summed up by Jane Lapotaire as Queen Isobel – gliding around the stage like true royalty – and Ford Davies – a voice that you could listen to all day.

Gregory Doran’s production is the best version I’ve seen. There is no glorification of war, the lesser characters become more than the ciphers they remain in certain productions, and the dialogue is delivered clearly and without fuss. The humour running through the play is dealt with brilliantly – some scenes that have left me cold before had me in stitches, and the long running time simply flew by.

This is a tremendously entertaining and powerful production, beautifully played by the entire company. If you only see one play this winter, make it this one.

(But you’ll probably want to get tickets for Henry IV as well after this!)

IMAGE RELEASE – GEMMA CHAN, GARY KEMP, KEITH ALLEN, JOHN SIMM, RON COOK AND JOHN MACMILLIAN IN REHEARSAL FOR THE HOMECOMING

87f7a5192da48567_orgNew trailer and first rehearsal images released of Gemma Chan, Gary Kemp, Keith Allen, John Simm, Ron Cook and John Macmillian in The Homecoming by Harold Pinter

  • Jamie Lloyd directs the 50th anniversary production
  • Previews begin tomorrow, Saturday 14 November at Trafalgar Studio 1, London
  • Trailer available here

8c422333a579d7da_800x800arA new trailer and the first pictures from the rehearsal room are released today before the first preview of Jamie Lloyd’s 50th anniversary production of Pinter’s John Simm in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpgmulti-award winning modern classic The Homecoming. 

The production stars Keith Allen (Sam), Gemma Chan (Ruth), Ron Cook (Max), Gary Kemp (Teddy), John Macmillan (Joey) and John Simm (Lenny).

Widely regarded as Pinter’s finest play, the dangerous and tantalisingly ambiguous world of The Homecoming is a Ron Cook in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpgcrackling hotbed of visceral tension. Celebrated as one of the leading interpreters of Pinter’s work, director Jamie Lloyd has assembled an impressive cast in what promises to be a dynamic production.

Designed by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting design by Richard Howell and Gemma Chan and Gary Kemp in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photograph by Matt Humphrey.jpgsound by George Dennis.

The Homecoming is a unique contemporary masterpiece of the 20th Century. This 50th anniversary production will continue The Jamie Lloyd Company’s reputation for presenting compelling drama that sparks passionate debate.John Macmillian in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpg

As with The Jamie Lloyd Company’s previous productions, all tickets for Monday performances will be £15. Half of these will be made available through a special outreach scheme, targeted at schools and first-time theatregoers. The other half will be released monthly to the public on the first day of each John Macmillian and Ron Cook in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpgmonth, and will be available online or at the Trafalgar Studios box office.

When Teddy returns from America to introduce his wife Ruth to his family in London, they discover a claustrophobic and brutal household where his father Max, brothers Lenny and Joey and Uncle Sam live in a state of mutual loathing and festering resentment. Theirs is a motherless, compassionless and lawless The cast of The Homecoming in rehearsal Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpghome where Ruth immediately becomes the centre of attention. Pinter’s sinister masterpiece simmers with suspense and rings with savage humour as Ruth navigates her way between the roles of predator and prey in an incisive battle of wills.

The Jamie Lloyd Company is a The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpgpartnership between acclaimed director Jamie Lloyd and Ambassador Theatre Group. Previous productions include Richard III starring Martin Freeman and Gina McKee, East is East featuring Jane Horrocks and Ayub Khan Din (currently on a UK tour with Pauline McLynn), The Ruling Class and Macbeth, both starring James McAvoy, The Hothouse with John Simm and Simon Russell Beale, and The Pride with Hayley Atwell, Mathew Horne, Harry Hadden-Paton and Al Weaver.

Jamie Lloyd has previously directed The Caretaker (Sheffield Crucible and Keith Allen in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpgTricycle), The Loverand The Collection (Harold Pinter Theatre) and The Hothouse (Trafalgar) – all by Harold Pinter. Lloyd’s other theatre credits include The Ruling Class, Rich  ard III, The Pride and Macbeth(Olivier nomination for Best Revival), all for The Jamie Lloyd Company at Trafalgar Studios. Other credits include Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Urinetown (St. James & Apollo), The Commitments (Palace), Cyrano de Bergerac (Roundabout Theatre Company; American Airlines Theatre, Broadway); The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic); She Stoops to Conquer (National, Olivier; Whatsonstage nomination for Best Revival); The Faith Machine, The Pride (Royal Court; Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in The cast in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photoraphy by Matt Humphrey.jpgan Affiliate Theatre for The Pride), Inadmissible Evidence, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Passion, Polar Bears (all at the Donmar; Evening Standard Award for Best Musical for Passion), Piaf (Donmar, also Vaudeville/Teatro Liceo, Buenos Aires/Nuevo Teatro Alcala, Madrid; Olivier nomination for Best Musical Revival, Hugo Award for Best Director, Clarin Award for Best Musical Production, ADEET Award for Best Production); The Little Dog Laughed (Garrick), Three Days of Rain (Apollo; Olivier nomination for Best Revival, Whatsonstage nomination for Best Revival) and Elegies: a Song Cycle (Arts) in the West End; The School for Scandal (Theatre Royal, Bath); Salome(Headlong) and Eric’s (Liverpool The cast in rehearsal for The Homecoming Photography by Matt Humphrey.jpgEveryman). He has also directed plays as a part of the Old Vic 24 Hour Plays and the Royal Court International Residencies. Jamie was Associate Director of the Donmar from 2008 to 2011 and Associate Artist of Headlong.

Keith Allen’s theatre credits include Smack Family Robinson (Rose, Kingston and New York),Comedians (Lyric Hammersmith), Treasure Island (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Celebration & The Room (Almeida and New York) and Teddy in The Homecoming (National Theatre). TV and film credits include Trainspotting, Shallow Grave, three series of Robin Hood (BBC), Uncle(BBC), Treasure Island (Sky) and Death in Paradise (BBC).

Gemma Chan recently played the lead role of Anita in the Channel 4 drama Humans. Her theatre credits include Yellow Face (NT Shed), Our Ajax (Southwark Playhouse), and The Sugar-Coated Bullets of the Bourgeoisie (Finborough). Other TV credits include Fresh Meat, The Game, Mummy’s Boys, Bedlam, and Death in Paradise. Film credits include Belles Familles, London Fields and Jack Ryan.

Ron Cook returns to Trafalgar having appeared in The Ruling Class for The Jamie Lloyd Company. His extensive theatre credits include Henry V (Noel Coward), Trelawney of the Wells, Richard II, King Lear, Hamlet, Twelfth Night (all Donmar), The Seafarer (National). TV credits include four series of Mr Selfridge (ITV), The Mystery of Edwin Drood (BBC), Bert and Dickie(BBC), and Vera (ITV), Little Dorrit (BBC). Film credits include Hot Fuzz, On A Clear Day, 24 Hour Party People, Charlotte Gray, Chocolat, Topsy Turvy and Secrets and Lies.

Gary Kemp’s previous theatre credits include Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’Be (Theatre Royal Stratford East), The Rubenstein Kiss (Hampstead), Pig Night (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Art(Wyndham’s). TV credits include Lewis (ITV), Casualty (BBC), M.I.T (Thames), Murder in Mind(BBC) and The Larry Sanders Show (HBO). Film credits include: Assassin, Molly Moon, Poppies, Dog Eat Dog, American Daylight, The Krays, The Bodyguard, Paper Marriage, Killing Zoe, Hide & Seek and Still Crazy. Gary is a founding member of the band Spandau Ballet.

John Macmillan’s previous theatre credits include In The Red and Brown Water, The Member of the Wedding (both Young Vic), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Almeida), Macbeth (Royal Exchange), Hamlet (nominated for the Ian Charleson Award; Donmar West End and Broadway). TV credits include three series of Silk (BBC), New Tricks (BBC) Critical (Hat Trick) and Hoff the Record (Dave). Film credits include Fury, Maleficent, World War Z and The Dark Knight Rises.

John Simm is reunited with Jamie Lloyd having starred in the Trafalgar production of The Hothouse (The Jamie Lloyd Company). Simm is a well-known presence from such TV and film roles as Everyday, Tuesday, Miranda, 24 Hour Party People, Human Traffic, The Village (BBC), Prey (ITV), Mad Dogs (Sky TV), Dr Who, Life on Mars, State of Play and The Lakes (all BBC TV).Other theatre credits include Three Days in the Country (National Theatre), Speaking in Tongues (Duke of York’s), Hamlet and Betrayal (Sheffield Crucible) and Elling (Bush and West End).

LISTINGS

THE HOMECOMING
A THE JAMIE LLOYD COMPANY PRODUCTION
14 NOVEMBER 2015 – 13 FEBRUARY 2016

For priority information and seat releases follow us on:
Twitter @JamieLloydCo
Facebook /JamieLloydCo

ON SALE TO ATG THEATRECARD HOLDERS ON FRIDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 2015 FROM 10AM AND GENERAL ONSALE ON TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER FROM 10AM

Performances:                                       Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday at 2.30pm

                                                            THE HOMECOMING

Ticket prices:                                       £15 all tickets on Mondays
£29.50, £39.50, £52.50
Premium Seats Available

All tickets will be £15 on Mondays. Half of these will be made available through a special outreach scheme, targeted towards schools and first-time theatregoers. The other half will be released monthly to the public on the first day of each month and will be available online or at Trafalgar Studios box office.

Address:                                               Trafalgar Studios, 14 Whitehall,
Westminster, SW1A 2DY

Box Office:                                            0844 871 7632

Website:                                                thejamielloydcompany.com

Facebook                                              facebook.com/JamieLloydCo

Twitter                                                  @JamieLloydCo

 

Rehearsal Photography: Jim Broadbent in A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Sonia Friedman Productions presents

JIM BROADBENT as Ebenezer Scrooge in
A Christmas Carol

By PATRICK BARLOW
Adapted from the Christmas story by Charles Dickens
Director PHELIM MCDERMOTT
Designer TOM PYE
Director of Movement TOBY SEDGWICK
Lighting Designer PETER MUMFORD
Sound Designer GARETH FRY
Musical Supervisor STEVEN EDIS

Noël Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London

First performance: Monday 30 November
Final performance: Saturday 30 January
Press Night: Wednesday 9 December

STRICTLY LIMITED RUN UNTIL 30 JANUARY. MANY PERFORMANCES SOLD OUT WITH BEST AVAILABILITY NOW IN JANUARY

A Christmas Carol rehearsals 1 Jim Broadbent Photo credit Marc Brenner.jpgRehearsal photography is released today of the cast and creative team for A Christmas Carolgiving the first, behind-the-scenes look at Academy award-winning actor Jim Broadbent preparing for his long-awaited return to stage as Ebenezer Scrooge alongside fellow cast Adeel Akhtar, Amelia Bullmore, Keir Charles and Samantha Spiro with puppeteers Jack Parker and Kim Scopes completing the ensemble.A Christmas Carol rehearsals 9 Jim Broadbent  Adeel Akhtar and Keir Charles Photo credit Marc Brenner.jpg

This new version of A Christmas Carol, adapted by Patrick Barlow from Charles Dickens’ classic story of greed, grief, ghoulish ghosts and eleventh-hour redemption will play a strictly limited run at the Noël Coward Theatre from 30 November to 30 January. Many performances are sold out with best availability in January.A Christmas Carol rehearsals 3 Jim Broadbent and Amelia Bullmore Photo credit Marc Brenner.jpg

From Scrooge and Tiny Tim to Bob Cratchit and Mr. Fezziwig, Patrick Barlow’s imaginative adaptation of A Christmas Carol will bring some of Dickens’ most memorable characters to life at the Noël Coward Theatre this winter.

Coming together to create this innovative new work are some of our most loved and mischievous maverick theatre-makers. The play is written by the Olivier award-winning and Tony nominatedPatrick Barlow (The 39 Steps) with whom Jim Broadbent performed for many years in Barlow’s cult comedy troupe The National Theatre of Brent. A Christmas Carol is directed by Olivier award-winning Phelim McDermott, Artistic Director of Improbable, one of Britain’s most inventiveA Christmas Carol rehearsals 12 Keir Charles Photo credit Marc Brenner.jpg theatre companies, who is responsible for the iconic production Shockheaded Peter. McDermott also directed Theatre of Blood at the National Theatre in which Broadbent last appeared on stage. Joining them is the critically-acclaimed designer Tom Pye (The Testament of Mary, The Death of Klinghoffer, The Low Road) and Toby Sedgwick (War Horse, The 39 Steps) as Director of Movement, A Christmas Carol rehearsals 7 Keir Charles Adeel Akhtar Jim Broadbent and Amelia Bullmore Photo credit Marc Brenner.jpgPeter Mumford will design the lighting and Gareth Fry will design sound.

A Christmas Carol and The Mackintosh Foundation are proud to be supporting St Martin-in-the-Fields’ Christmas Appeal by donating 50 pence for each ticket purchased. The appeal raises money to assist homeless people with shelter, food, help and advice. Customers, as part of the purchasing process, will be asked if they would also like to donate 50 pence with each ticket purchased. Registered charity no 1156305/261359.A Christmas Carol rehearsals 10 Toby Sedgwick and Kim Scopes Photo credit Marc Brenner.jpg

Listings:

Performances:

Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm (Wednesday 9 December at 7pm)

Matinee performances on Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm

No matinee on Wednesday 2 December or Wednesday 9 December

Additional matinee on Friday 11 December at 2.30pm

Noël Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London

First performance: Monday 30 November 2015
Final performance: Saturday 30 January 2016

Press Night: Wednesday 9 December 2015, 7pm

Christmas Schedule:

Monday 21 December at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Tuesday 22 December at 7.30pm
Wednesday 23 December at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Thursday 24 December at 2.30pm
Friday 25 December NO SHOW
Saturday 26 December NO SHOW
Monday 28 December at 7.30pm
Tuesday 29 December at 7.30pm
Wednesday 30 December at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Thursday 31 December at 2.30pm
Friday 1 January at 7.30pm
Saturday 2 January at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

Tickets:

Tickets from £20

Preview prices available

Front row £10 day seats available for every performance throughout the run. Available to buy in person from the Box Office from 10.30am, limited to two tickets per person.

Website: www.achristmascaroltheplay.com

Box Office: 0844 482 5140

All tickets are subject to a booking fee and restoration levy

St Martin-in-the-Fields Christmas Appeal 2015
A Christmas Carol
and The Mackintosh Foundation are proud to be supporting St Martin-in-the-Fields’ Christmas Appeal by donating 50 pence for each ticket purchased. Customers, as part of the purchasing process, will be asked if they would also like to donate 50 pence with each ticket purchased. Registered charity no 1156305/261359.

 

IN THE HEIGHTS extends at King’s Cross Theatre; new trailer released

TONY AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL

IN THE HEIGHTS

EXTENDS RUN AT KING’S CROSS THEATRE

UNTIL SUNDAY 10 APRIL 2016

IN THE HEIGHTS by Miranda, , Music and Lyrics - Lin-Manuel Miranda, Director - Luke Sheppard, Choreographer - Drew Mconie, Kings Cross Theatre, London, 2015, Credit: Johan Persson/

Initially booking for a limited 4 week run, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In The Heights has extended its run at King’s Cross Theatre for a second time, now booking for an additional 3 months until Sunday 10 April 2016. In The Heights returns to London following a critically acclaimed sell-out UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse in 2014.

The first trailer is also released today (click here to view), featuring David Bedella (The Rocky Horror Show) as Kevin, Josie Benson (Sweeney Todd) as Camila, Vas Constanti (Flashdance) as Piragua Guy, Jade Ewen (Sugababes) as Vanessa, Lily Frazer (Cats) as Nina, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (A Chorus Line) as Daniela, Sam Mackay (Wonder.land) as Usnavi, Antoine Murray-Straughan (Cats) as Graffiti Pete, Sarah Naudi as Carla, Eve Polycarpou (Mother Courage and Her Children) as Abuela, Joe Aaron Reid (Ghost, Broadway) as Benny and Cleve September (professional debut) as Sonny. The cast also includes Jocasta Almgill, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Michael Cortez, Gabriela Garcia, Reiss Hinds, Alexandra Sarmiento, Spin and Philippa Stefani.

In The Heights is an uplifting and exhilarating journey into Washington Heights, one of Manhattan’s most vibrant communities – a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggle can be deciding which traditions to take with you, and which ones to leave behind. With a gripping story and unforgettable Latin and hip-hop infused score, In The Heights is a ground-breaking contemporary musical about what it takes to make a living, what it costs to have a dream, and what it means to be home.

In The Heights opened at Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre in 2008 where it was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards, winning four for Best Musical, Best Original Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations. It also won the 2009 Grammy Award for its Original Broadway Cast Album and was nominated for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize in Drama.

Lin-Manuel Miranda is the Tony-winning composer-lyricist of In the Heights. He also originated the lead role of Usnavi for which he received a Tony-Award nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. Lin-Manuel is currently starring in the title role in his newest musical Hamilton, which had its world premiere at The Public Theater in January 2015 before transferring to Broadway’s Richard Rodgers Theatre in July 2015. The production has so far received a record-breaking 10 Lortel Awards, 3 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 8 Drama Desk Awards, the 2015 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical and the 2015 OBIE Award for Best New American Play.

In The Heights is directed by Luke Sheppard whose recent credits include Casa Valentina(Southwark Playhouse), Oliver! (Watermill Theatre), Adrian Mole (Curve Theatre), Next Fall (Southwark Playhouse), Bed And Sofa (Finborough Theatre) and Jet Set Go! (Jermyn Street Theatre). Luke is also Associate Director of Matilda in the West End and on Broadway.

It is choreographed by Drew McOnie, who won the 2015 Off West End Award for Best Choreography forIn The Heights at Southwark Playhouse. Recent credits include The Lorax (Old Vic), Hairspray (UK Tour), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith), Oklahoma! (UK Tour), Chicago (Curve Theatre) and Drunk(Bridewell Theatre). Drew is also the Artistic Director of The McOnie Company and an Associate Artist at The Old Vic, for which he is currently creating a new dance-thriller version of Jekyll and Hyde.

 

Tickets start at £22.50, with a selection of best seats available for Under 25s at a special rate of £15 at every performance.

In The Heights is conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda with Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a Book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. It is directed by Luke Sheppard with choreography by Drew McOnie, musical supervision by Tom Deering (Made In Dagenham, From Here To Eternity), set design by takis (Chicago, Curve Theatre), costume design by Gabriella Slade (Alice in Wonderland, Oxford Playhouse), lighting design by Howard Hudson (Adrian Mole, Titanic) and sound design by Gareth Owen. Casting is by Will Burton. It is produced in London by Tristan Baker andCharlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment Ltd and Paul Taylor Mills Ltd.

 

King’s Cross Theatre is a brand new purpose built theatre at King’s Cross Station. The venue is also home to The Railway Children which will play in rep with In The Heights. King’s Cross Theatre features a late night bar at performances of In The Heights, opening an hour before every performance until late, with live music and DJs after certain performances. 

Twitter @InTheHeightsLDN

www.intheheightslondon.com

LISTINGS

 

Saturday 3 October 2015 – Sunday 10 April 2016

KING’S CROSS THEATRE

Good’s Way, King’s Cross, London, N1C 4UR

Performances: Monday Tuesday Thursday Friday 8.00pm, Saturday 8.30pm, Sunday 6.00pm, Tuesday 3.00pm (Additional performances 23 and 30 December, 8.30pm) (No performances 4-17 January 2016)

Tickets: From £22.50 (with a guaranteed selection of £15 tickets per performance for U25)

Box Office: 0844 871 7604 | www.intheheightslondon.com

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE EXTENDS ITS RUN TO EASTER 2016

The Railway Children by Kenny,             , Written by - Mike Kenny, Director - Damian Cruden, Designer - Joanna Scotcher, Lighting - Richard G Jones, King's Cross, London, Uk, 2014, Credit: Johan Persson/

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

EXTENDS ITS RUN

AT KING’S CROSS THEATRE IN LONDON

FULL STEAM AHEAD TO EASTER 2016!

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

The Olivier Award-winning production of Mike Kenny’s stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s novel The Railway Children – Live on Stage will be extending its run at King’s Cross Theatre by a further three months until Sunday 10 April 2016 due to popular demand. Tickets for the new period are now on sale.

The Railway Children opened at the King’s Cross Theatre to critical and public acclaim on 14 January this year, following previews from 16 December 2014.

The producers of The Railway Children said of the extension, “We are thrilled to be steaming into our second sensational year at this wonderful venue.”

The cast of The Railway Children includes Martin Barrass as Mr Perks, Caroline Harker as Mother, Louisa Clein as Phyllis, Clare Corbett as Mrs Perks, Peter Gardiner as Doctor/Butler, Jack Hardwick as Peter, Mark Hawkins as Jim/District Super, Connie Hyde as Mrs Viney, Serena Manteghi as Bobbie, Blair Plant as Father/Schepansky, and Moray Treadwell as the Old Gentleman. Joining them are Lindsay Allen, Daniel Griffin, Megan Elizabeth Pitt and Alex Wingfield, plus a children’s ensemble made up of three teams of ten children aged between 9 and 15.

A purpose built 1,000-seat theatre, complete with a railway track and platforms, and with a state of the art air conditioning and heating system, was specially created for this production on King’s Boulevard, behind King’s Cross Station, a site which has been loaned to the production for the duration of the run by Google.  The York Theatre Royal production, which is in association with the National Railway Museum, once again features a live steam locomotive and a vintage carriage, originally built in 1896.

The production at King’s Cross Theatre is in support of the Railway Children Charity that aims to help homeless and runaway children throughout the world, with £1 per ticket donated to the charity. To date, £335,000 has been raised by the theatre production since its West End debut in 2010.

Directed by Damian Cruden, the Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal, with design by Joanna Scotcher, lighting by Richard G. Jones, music by Christopher Madin and sound by Craig Vear, Mike Kenny’s adaptation of The Railway Children was first produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum, York, where it enjoyed two sell-out and critically acclaimed seasons in 2008 and 2009.  The production then opened at Waterloo Station in the former Eurostar terminal in July 2010, where it again played two critically acclaimed sell-out seasons and won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, before opening in Toronto in 2011 in a temporary theatre built at the base of CN Tower in Roundhouse Park.

The Railway Children tells the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother, where they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure. But the mystery remains – where is Father, and is he ever coming back?

2016 marks the 110th anniversary of the publication of Edith Nesbit’s much loved classic children’s book The Railway Children, which has subsequently been adapted for the stage and screen, most famously in the 1970 film version directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Jenny Agutter, Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sheridan and Sally Thomsett.

The production is presented in London by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Oliver Royds for BOS Productions and Sue Scott Davison, in association with York Theatre Royal and the National Railway Museum.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

King’s Cross Theatre

Goods Way

King’s Cross

London N1C 4UR

Currently booking until          10 April 2016

Running Time                       2 hours 10 minutes (including an interval)

Box Office                            0844 871 7604                   

 

Tickets                                 £25.00-£49.50, with 25% off for Under 16s (Premium Seats available at £69.50 +

                                           Limited edition show poster)

 

Website                               www.railwaychildrenlondon.com

Facebook                            www.facebook.com/railwaychildrenlondon

Twitter                                 @TRCKingsCross

Google+                              plus.google.com/+RailwayChildrenLondon

 

Performance Schedule:             Wednesday at 2.30pm* & 7.30pm

                                               Thursday at 2.30pm

                                               Saturday at 1pm & 4.30pm

                                               Sunday at 2pm

*N.B Wednesday matinees will start at 1pm on 2 & 9 December

**Extra performances:  1pm & 4.30pm on 14, 15, 18 February (no 2pm or 2.30pm performances on these dates), & 2.30pm on 19 February

***No performances between 4 and 19 January 2016

2015-16 CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Friday 18 December                  2.30pm

Saturday 19 December              1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 20 December                1pm & 4.30pm

Monday 21 December               2.30pm

Tuesday 22 December               1pm & 4.30pm

Wednesday 23 December          1pm & 4.30pm

Thursday 24 December              No performance

Friday 25 December                  No performance

Saturday 26 December              1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 27 December                2pm

Monday 28 December               No performance

Tuesday 29 December               1pm & 4.30pm

Wednesday 30 December          1pm & 4.30pm

Thursday 31 December              2.30pm

Friday 1 January                        1pm & 4.30pm

Saturday 2 January                    1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 3 January                      2pm

 

2016 EASTER PERFOMANCE SCHEDULE

 

Friday 25 March                        2.30pm

Saturday 26 March                    1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 27 March                      No performance

Monday 28 March                     2.30pm

Tuesday 29 March                     2.30pm

Wednesday 30 March                2.30pm & 7.30pm

Thursday 31 March                    2.30pm

Friday 1 April                            2.30pm

Saturday 2 April                        1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 3 April                          1pm & 4:30pm

Monday 4 April                          No performance

Tuesday 5 April                         1pm & 4:30pm

Wednesday 6 April                    2.30pm

Thursday 7 April                        1pm & 4.30pm

Friday 8 April                            2.30pm

Saturday 9 April                        1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 10 April                         2pm

 

Bar Mitzvah Boy the musical comes back to London!

Aria Entertainment presents a 9 week season of Jewish themed work Upstairs At The Gatehouse Theatre in February-April 2016. The headline musical will be the revival of the musical Bar Mitzvah Boy.

hwsf_AriaBMBsquare_1Bar Mitzvah BoyJack Rosenthal adapted his award winning 1976 TV play (British Academy Best Play Award and Broadcasting Press Guild Best Play Award), for the musical stage with America’s Oscar and Tony award composer Jule Styne and lyrics by Oscar and Tony award winner Don Black.
 
This new production will run for 6 weeks from Thursday 3 March to Sunday 10 April. The press night is on Thursday 10 March. It will be directed by Stewart Nicholls. It is the first staging of Bar Mitzvah Boy since the original 1978 London production. Don Black has written new songs to unheard Styne compositions and a revised script has been written byDavid Thompson, author of ‘The Scottsboro Boys’, ‘Steel Pier’,  libretto for  ‘And The World Goes Round’ plus the script adaptation of the hit musical revival of ‘Chicago’.   
 
Bar Mitzvah Boy is about a North London family’s anxious build up to their only son’s Bar Mitzvah.  This classic tale resonates for any important family occasion – whatever the religion!
 
Bar Mitzvah Boy was composer Jule Styne’s only London musical. A prolific Hollywood and Broadway composer (‘Gypsy’, ‘Funny Girl’, ‘Bells Are Ringing’ and ‘Gentleman Prefer Blondes’), he collaborated with Don Black: (‘Sunset Boulevard’, ‘Tell Me On a Sunday’, ‘Aspects of Love’, and classic hit songs: Thunderball, Tomorrmow Never Dies, Diamonds Are Forever, The World Is Not Enough, To Sir With Love, Ben plus Born Free (for which he won an Oscar).  
 
Thurs 3 March to Sun 10 April 2016   @BarMitzvahBoy16
Press perf Thurs 10 March 7.30pm  See website for ticket prices
Upstairs At The Gatehouse, Highgate Village, N 6 4 BD
Box Office 020 8 340 3488
Perfs Sat 16 & Sun 17 April Radlett Centre 01923 859291
The season will begin with a newly commisioned show THE GREAT JEWISH AMERCIAN SONGBOOK which will run from February 9th-29th. Press perf Thurs 11 February. 
 
JEWISH SONGWRITERS WHO MADE ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY!

How is it that Jews wrote the musical background to American lives from the First World War to the sixties?
In a land of opportunity, they created a musical world of escapism and romance… and helped invent the American Dream.

‘THE GREAT AMERICAN JEWISH SONGBOOK’ EXPLORES A CENTURY OF SONG, FEATURING THE GREATEST SONGWRITERS EVER!
hwsf_GreatJewishAmericanSongbookimagelargeWritten by Chris Burgess
Musical Arrangements by Andy Collyer
Directed by Matthew Gould

Bruntwood Prize – Winner announced next week

BRUNTWOOD PRIZE FOR PLAYWRITING 2015

  • Winner will be announced next week
  • Full ceremony will be live-streamed atwww.writeaplay.co.uk
  • 1.15pm, Tuesday 17 November

The winner of the Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015 will be announced on Tuesday 17 November at a ceremony at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The ceremony is open to the public (tickets via www.royalexchange.co.uk) and will also be broadcast live online atwww.writeaplay.co.uk. The ceremony commences at 1.15pm.

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 2015 closed for entries on 5th June and 1,938 entries have been carefully wittled down by an army of over 80 readers to a shortlist of 10. Now the panel of judges chaired by Nicholas Hytner and including journalist Miranda Sawyer, actor Meera Syal, and former Bruntwood Prize winner Vivienne Franzmann are reading the final 10 and deciding the winners.

Writers of all levels of experience were invited to enter plays, which must be original, unperformed and unproduced. The winner will receive a prize of £16,000 and a production of their play. The competition, which runs every two years, is a unique partnership between the Royal Exchange Theatre and property company Bruntwood.

Two of 2013’s winners – YEN by Anna Jordan, and THE ROLLING STONE by Chris Urch – received their critically acclaimed world premieres at the Royal Exchange this year.

The judging panel for this year’s prize is chaired by Nicholas Hytner, former Artistic Director of the National Theatre. The full judging panel is as follows:

  • Nicholas Hytner (former Artistic Director, National Theatre)
  • Sarah Frankcom (Artistic Director, Royal Exchange Theatre)
  • Vivienne Franzmann (playwright and former Bruntwood winner)
  • Ramin Gray (Artistic Director, Actors Touring Company)
  • Bryony Lavery (playwright)
  • Michael Oglesby CBE (Chairman, Bruntwood)
  • Miranda Sawyer (writer and broadcaster)
  • Meera Syal CBE (actor and writer).

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is open to writers in the UK and Ireland aged 16 and over.

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is Britain’s biggest playwriting competition.  This round marks the 10th anniversary of the Prize, which has supported the development and productions of a significant number of playwrights since its inception in 2005.  17 playwrights have been awarded a total of £160,000.  There have been fifteen critically acclaimed productions of winning entries, as well as a number of productions of plays elsewhere that were identified through the judging process.

Over 10,000 entries have been generated from across the United Kingdom and winning playwrights have gone on to have work produced at the Royal Court Theatre, Almeida Theatre, on Broadway and in the West End.  It is a significant investment in playwrights and support for new work on stage.  More information about the Prize can be found atwww.writeaplay.co.uk/about.

 

The Great Gatsby: A groundbreaking production from the Guild of Misrule

image001 (4)GUILDS GROUNDBREAKING GATSBY.

 

From Thursday 3 – Thursday 31 December, the Guild of Misrule bring to life F Scott Fitzgerald’s classic story of The Great Gatsby in an entirely interactive and completely unique style.  The venue is The Fleeting Arms on Gillygate in York and the performance will take place across all three floors of the building, throwing the audience into the centre of the novel’s 1920s world of red hot jazz and bootleg liquor.

This exciting immersive production, part performance and part installation, will tell the story of Gatsby using free form narrative; surrounding and entwining the audience as they participate and become characters themselves.  As they make their way from room to room, specialitycocktails and a curated sound design will bring them even deeper into the world of Jay Gatsby.

Alexander Wright (Belt Up Theatre) of the Guild of Misrule said:

 

The story is one of excess, of too much money, of dancing too hard and with no consideration for the consequences.  Set in the run up to the Wall Street Crash, the story chimes well with our current age.  York has not seen anything like this before, we can guarantee.

Well-known faces from the York area will be playing the professional roles in the company: Michael Lambourne, last seen in York Theatre Royal’s production of The Railway Children, joins the company; Phil Grainger, who recently directed Easingwold’s promenade production of Alice in Wonderland and Tabitha Grove, currently touring in Clap Trap Theatre’s production of Broken. Amie Burns Walker, who played Juliet in The Flanagan Collective’s Romeo and Juliet, returns to York along with Holly Beasley Garrigan from Romeo and Juliet and Fine Chisel. Ollie Tilney, who took to the West End for a year-long run in Mamma Mia, completes the company with Thomas Mellar from Secret Cinema

 

The Fleeting Arms is a pop up pub and arts space on Gillygate, in the centre of York. Since March 2015 the space has played host to productions, installations, gigs, exhibitions, rehearsals, events and some pretty swinging parties. Established by the arts community of York, The Fleeting Arms provides a free and open creative space for people to play, make and mingle with a good drink in hand.  The Great Gatsby runs across December, with specially curated Gatsby Lates after the show on Friday and Saturday nights. Cocktails and food will be on offer across the performances.

 

Alexander continued:

 

We’re having a special show on the 23rd December for Christmas – that’s going to be quite amazing. And we’re hosting the New Year’s Eve party to end all New Year’s Eve parties on the 31st December – the very last night of The Fleeting Arms. Every Christmas, the city would elect a Lord of Misrule to wreak havoc across the festive period. This would end with a big supper, where all the masters served all the servants. So we are here, as stewards of the Guild, to cause a little more chaos, to offer something new and exciting for the festive period.’

 

Tickets for The Great Gatsby are on sale now priced £10 (previews) – £15 from York Theatre Royal Box Office in person, over the phone on 01904 623568 or securely online fromyorktheatreroyal.co.uk.  £1 transaction fee per booking applies. Audiences are encouraged to dress for the occasion and to bring their dancing shoes.