Category: Uncategorized

Grand Theatre, Leeds – 21 July 2015

Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens, as the saying goes, are favourite things.  Well my favourite things are well acted performances and well sung musicals and The Sound of Music certainly managed this.

This latest offering in what appears to be a Kenwright season at the Grand is maybe the best show so far.  This glorious new production, directed by Martin Connor, hasn’t cut any corners for this tour.  Clever set design and scene changes transported us to an Alpine haven where, at least in the beginning, life was untouched by the Nazi menace threatening Europe at the time

‘But how did they solve the problem of Maria?’ I hear you cry.  Well, in Danielle Hope they have a courageous postulant nun, struggling tunefully with her conscience over whether to follow the God or Captain Von Trapp.  Anyone who thinks reality TV shows aimed at finding stars of the future are a nonsense would certainly reconsider after seeing Hope exercise her amazing vocal range in this production.  Her victory in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Over The Rainbow was just the start of this wonderfully talented actress.

Local boy, Steven Houghton takes on the role of Captain Von Trapp. A handsome, aloof disciplinarian, whose barriers are broken down by his encounter with Maria and by music. There is a real spark between Maria and the Captain that helps take the story beyond the sugar coating that most people associate with The Sound of Music.

And as for those children, they are superb, once more the heart and soul of this most tireless of musicals.  Grace Chapman as oldest child Liesl was convincing in her role as the big sister of the brood, genuinely seeming to care for the little ones in her charge.  And the many other children who play the Von Trapps are outstandingly talented for ones so young

There are moments of sorrow, joy and some genuine humour but its the singing that powers this show.  The rhapsodic nuns in The Sound Of Music are lead by Jan Hartley as the Mother Abbess. Hartley’s Abbess is one of the best I’ve seen and her Climb Every Mountain was as uplifting and inspirational as you could hope for.  Closing both first and second half of the show.  The end of the first was a truly breathtaking performance but the end of the second, as the family escaped over the Mountains into Switzerland, brought tears to the eyes.

The Sound of Music is a musical that transcends all ages and the audience at the Grand reflected that, from children right through to the elderly. It may not be edgy or modern, but watching The Sound of Music is like slipping on a comfortable pair of slippers and indulging in one of your favourite things

At Leeds Grand until Saturday 1st August 2015

 

 

 

 

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Live Theatre is involved with five productions at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, including Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, the world premiere of a new play by Lee Hall; bursary-winning play The Soaking of Vera Shrimp; the Fringe debut of all-female sketch group Your Aunt Fanny; Key Change, a play made with female prisoners in association with Open Clasp, and bite-sized music based comedy Mixtape.

 

The World Premiere of Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour by Lee Hall (The Pitmen Painters, Billy Elliot), is co-presented by Live Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland and directed by former NTS artistic director Vicky Featherstone. Based on Alan Warner’s cult Scottish coming-of-age novel Our Ladies… is a funny, sad and raucously rude production about singing, sex and Sambuca.  At the Traverse from Tuesday 18 to Sunday 30 August for the Festival Fringe, the play will then tour Scotland and has its English Premiere at Live Theatre from Thursday 1 to Saturday 24 October.

Your Aunt Fanny, the all female sketch group, featuring some of the most talented members of Live’s Youth Theatre, make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut at Just the Tonic from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 29 August. The original sketches that celebrate everything that is funny and inappropriate are written by two of the North East’s most exciting writers, Laura Lindow (Rendezvous) and Lee Mattinson (Donna Disco). The show, suitable for audience members aged 16 and over, contains strong language and strong women. Your Aunt Fanny have an Edinburgh Festival preview at Live Theatre on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 August as part of Our World Live Theatre’s 16^th Annual Youth Theatre Festival.

The Soaking of Vera Shrimp, written by former Traverse 50 writer Alison Carr, also makes its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut and can be seen at Attic, The Pleasance Courtyard between Wednesday 5 and Monday 31 August. This compelling, moving and funny solo-show about a girl with a remarkable gift is presented by Rosie & Me in association with Live Theatre. The play was the winner of Live Theatre/The Empty Space’s Bursary Award 2013 and was developed at Live Theatre, previewing at the venue in 2014.

 

Key Change presented by Open Clasp Theatre Company in association with Live Theatre will be at Northern Stage at Summerhall between Saturday 8 and Sunday 30 August. Devised with women from HMP/YOI Low Newton Prison, Key Change is a raw and illuminating portrayal of women in prison and was originally toured to male prisons. The show had its theatre debut at Live Theatre last year and will return to Live Theatre on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September.

 

After a succession of sell-out shows at Live Theatre, Mixtape make their Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut taking their part theatre show and part music quiz to the Underbelly from Thursday 6 to Sunday 30 August. The Fringe Preview of their unusual bite-sized sketches inspired by music can be seen at Live Theatre on Friday 24 July. Currently based at Live Theatre, the Mixtapers, as the performers are known, also include several members of Live Theatre’s staff.

 

Max Roberts, Artistic Director, Live Theatre said;

“Whilst it is great to have a high profile show such as Our Ladies… at the Traverse, our co-production with National Theatre of Scotland, I’m delighted that we have been able to support a number of shows developed at or with Live Theatre to find at platform at this years’ Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It takes a lot of energy to take a show to the Festival and I admire their ambition and tenacity and recommend that they all are worth watching if you are in Edinburgh this August.”

For more information on the Live Theatre shows going to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe see http://www.live.org.uk/live-theatre-productions-on-tour.

Dusty, a multi-media show celebrating the musical icon Dusty Springfield, has announced an extension to its run at the Charing Cross Theatre with bookings now being taken up to 21st November 2015. The revised press night will take place on Monday 7th September 2015.

With original music by the legendary artist Dusty Springfield, audiences see and hear Springfield on stage using the most up-to-date 3-D technology and digital media. Combined with a musical theatre format of live performance, music and dance, Dusty follows the highs and lows of Springfield’s rise from middle class suburban London to the recording of her seminal album Dusty in Memphis.

The current cast comprises Ellie Ann-Lowe (Mary O’Brien), Francesca Jackson (Nancy), Stewart McCheyne (DJ Dave Dean), Ben Tolley (Johnny Franz), Leo Elso (Dion O’Brien/Tom Springfield), Joe Vetch (Douggie Reece), Joan Walker (Kay O’Brien), Graham Kent (Gerard ‘OB’ O’Brien), Tristan Pate (Vic Billings), Allyson Ava Brown (Martha Reeves), Danielle Kassarata (Maddie), Arabella Rodrigo (Norma) and ensemble members Danielle Harrison, Bex Leung, Cleo Jaeger and Marianna Neofitou.

Written by Kim Weild and Duncan Sibbald with dramaturg Jack Bradley, Dusty is directed by Ben Woolf with set designs by Phil Lindley, lighting by Richard Williamson, choreography by Lyndon Lloyd and sound by Paul Gavin and James Nicholson. Musical direction is by Dean Austin.

Dusty is produced in the West End by Freddie Madden, Patrice Wilson and Darren DeVerna with Andrew Green as Executive Producer and Paul Howes as Associate Producer.

Evie Hone and Lizzie Wells will join Anna-Louise Knight and Lara McDonnell in the title role of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical from Tuesday 15 September 2015. Joining the four actresses will be Michael Begley (Mr Wormwood), Miria Parvin (Miss Honey) and Rebecca Thornhill (Mrs Wormwood). Craige Els will continue in the role of Miss Trunchbull.

Capturing the imagination of young and old alike, Matilda The Musical has now received 50 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York, and has been seen by over three million people worldwide. The London and Broadway productions of Matilda The Musical have been joined by the US tour which opened in Los Angeles in May. Next month the Australian premiere will take place in Sydney on 20 August at the Lyric Theatre.

Michael Begley’s recent theatre credits include After Electra directed by Samuel West (Theatre Royal Plymouth & Tricycle Theatre), Mrs Lowry and Son (Trafalgar Studios), Sweet Bird of Youth (Old Vic), If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet (Bush Theatre), Rhinoceros (Royal Court Theatre), The Arsonists (Royal Court Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Royal Exchange Manchester) and Pravda (Chichester Festival Theatre and Birmingham Rep). In addition to his roles on stage, Michael has appeared on screen in Foyle’s War, Being Human and Doctor Who. Michael’s film credits include the co-lead with Timothy Spall in Vacuuming Completely Nude In Paradise directed by Danny Boyle for BBC Films.

Miria Parvin recently starred in the West End production of Once (Phoenix Theatre). Miria made her professional debut in 2006 playing the leading role of Pearl in the UK Tour of Starlight Express and has since gone on to play Ariel in Footloose (West End & Tour) and Sarah in Our House (UK Tour) before starring as Sophie in Mamma Mia! (International Tour). Miria’s additional theatre credits include The Magic Flute (Finland Tour) and productions with the Finnish National Opera.

Rebecca Thornhill is an Olivier Award-nominated actress with an illustrious musical theatre background. Rebecca’s previous stage credits include lead roles in From Here To Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre), Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre and USA Tour), Chicago (Adelphi Theatre), Ragtime(Piccadilly Theatre), Witches of Eastwick (Prince of Wales and UK Tour), South Pacific (UK Tour),Beauty and the Beast (Dominion Theatre) and Les Misérables (Palace Theatre and Denmark). In addition to her credits in the West End, Rebecca has appeared at the National Theatre in Singin’ in the Rain (for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award) and played Gertie in Trevor Nunn’s production ofOklahoma! opposite Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman.

The young performers who will play the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda, Nigel, Eric and the other pupils at Crunchem Hall from September are as follows: Leo Ayres, Charlie Barnard, Thomas Berry, Fifi Bloomsbury-Khier, Tilly Cook, Bronte Cosgrave, Ellie Dadd, Connor Deeks, Carla Dixon, Dayna Dixon,Denzel Eboji, Keyaan Hameed, Hannah Hague, Darcy Hillhouse, Caoimhe Judd, Sophie Keaveney, Demi Olawovin, Ben Perkins, Max Reader, Jason Rennie, Joe Sheridan, Jacob Smith, Eva Trodd, Harrison Vaughan and Jamie Wilding.

The adult cast includes Fabian Aloise, Robbie Boyle, John Brannoch, Oliver Brooks, Jonathan Cordin, Olly Dobson, Demi Goodman, Elliot Harper, Will Hawksworth, Kate Kenrick, Rachel Moran, Tom Muggeridge, Matt Serafini, Biancha Szynal, Charlotte Scott, Laura Tyrer and Sharlene Whyte.

Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011. In 2014 Matilda The Musical celebrated its 1000th performance in London and tickets are now on sale until May 2016 at the Cambridge Theatre.

Having swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda The Musical has gone on to take Broadway by storm winning four Tony Awards® and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for each of the four girls sharing the title role. The New York production ofMatilda The Musical, produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company and The Dodgers, opened in March 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre. The Australian premiere of Matilda The Musical will take place in Sydney on 20 August at the Lyric Theatre.

Matilda The Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was developed with the support of Company Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.

Matilda The Musical is written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Listings Information

MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU
Booking until 29 May 2016
Tuesdays 7pm
Wednesday – Saturday 7:30pm
Wednesday & Saturday 2:30pm
Sundays 3pm

Extra matinee performances – Thursday 30 July & Thursday 29 October

Box Office: Cambridge Theatre 0844 412 4652 / RSC Ticket Hotline 0844 800 1110

To book online visit: www.matildathemusical.com

The Royal Court, London –  18 – 25 July 2015.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The intimate Jerwood Theatre Upstairs is an ideal space for Primetime – a series of short plays written by primary children aged 8-11 and directed by Debbie Hannan. Sitting on fluffy purple mats around the stage, the audience is involved immediately, high fiving the cast and trying out their musical instruments.

The cast – Kate Adler, Heather Dutton, Kezrena James, Joshua Miles, Ronak Patani and Linden Walcott-Burton – throw themselves into their multiple roles with gusto, and look like they are having as much fun as the audience. Their physical comedy and dance skills, and their interaction with the children were fantastic.

Music and dance are used cleverly to introduce each new play as you are taken on a rollercoaster ride through tales of a pauper king who lives in a hole and steals from Alan Sugar, an outer space rap battle for the ultimate prize – a barbecued chicken wing, a bigoted English lady who wants everyone to be the same, a mad scientist and his very special delivery, an evil megalomaniac who sends everyone over 20 back in time, a Scottish wizard with an umbrella fetish, and a monster-turned-human fighting for monster rights.

There are some huge shifts in tone between plays. Most had me giggling, but during “Lost” – a surprisingly effective spinetingler – some younger children were beginning to cling to their parents. The writer knows his audience though, and threw in a few gags just where they were needed. Before making us all jump out of our skins.

Of course it is obvious that these plays were written by children. If you want sophisticated drama, you’re in the wrong place! But that is the appeal of this show, because it reminds us how children see the world. Among the insane characters and poo and fart jokes (at which us adults were laughing loudest) are deeply moralistic stories about honesty, friendship, diversity and acceptance.

But I’m a grown-up, what do I know. Walking out of the theatre surrounded by children talking non-stop I can tell you that it was “Ace. Awesome. Cool.”
And apparently someone is going to write a play like that one, but with giant robots.

A wonderful feel-good family show for the Summer holidays – and anyone inspired by what they see can book one of the free family writing workshops led by a Royal Court writer on 24th and 25th July.

A CHILLED OUT EXPERIENCE AT THE PANTOMIME

Darlington Civic Theatre and Qdos Entertainment to present a specially adapted ‘relaxed’ pantomime performance of Cinderella on Friday January 8, 2016.

Darlington Civic Theatre and Qdos Entertainment are delighted to be bringing a specially adapted performance of the spectacular family pantomime, Cinderella, designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorders.

This relaxed performance will allow audience members to leave the auditorium and return at any time, light and sound levels will be specially adapted, and there will be a ‘chill-out zone’ outside the auditorium. Audience members can talk as much as they like and there will be no expectation that the audience has to be quiet.

The special relaxed performance is on Friday January 8 at 2pm, tickets are £8.50. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486555.

Starring in Cinderella will be Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh and Pudsey alongside Brendan Sheerin from Coach Trip and Niki Evans from The X-Factor. Managing Director of Qdos Entertainment’s pantomimes division, Michael Harrison, said; “The success that Ashleigh and Pudsey have enjoyed since winning Britain’s Got Talent is tribute to the popularity and versatility of the act. Everyone from The Queen to the cinema-going millions have enjoyed Ashleigh and Pudsey’s tricks and routines, which will feature heavily in this year’s panto.”

Cinderella runs at Darlington Civic Theatre from Saturday 5 December 2015 to Sunday 10 January 2016. For tickets and more information visit darlingtoncivic.co.uk or call the box office on 01325 486555.

YORK THEATRE ROYAL AND EXPLORE YORK LIBRARIES AND ARCHIVES ANNOUNCE SUMMER PETTICOAT HUNT.

York Theatre Royal and Explore York Libraries and Archives have joined forces to launch a competition which will encourage visitors to libraries to scour the shelves for more than just books and hunt a red petticoat. Where’s the Petticoat? will take place at libraries across York for four weeks, starting on Monday 20 July.

The red petticoat is in reference to the iconic moment in E. Nesbit’s classic novel The Railway Children where the children avert disaster using their flannel underclothes as flags. This scene also forms one of the most spectacular scenes in the York Theatre Royal production of The Railway Children which is returning to the National Railway Museum from 31 July.

If visitors find the petticoat in any one of the fifteen libraries in the Explore York Libraries and Archives group, including the Reading Cafes and mobile library, they will be entered into a draw each week to win a pair of tickets to the show. The petticoat will travel around the city and will be found at different locations throughout the four weeks.

Where’s the Petticoat? runs in conjunction with Explore York Libraries and Archives Summer Reading Challenge. All children aged 5 and over are challenged to read six books over the summer holidays. The challenge was launched on Saturday 11 July with a Readaloudathon at Explore York, a marathon read-aloud session from 8am to 8pm. The Railway Children cast member Martin Barrass who plays the role of Mr Perks took part and read the nail-biting red petticoat chapter to a rapt audience.

Frances Postlethwaite, Children’s Librarian said:

It is great to be working with York Theatre Royal on the Where’s the Petticoat? competition. I know the children in our libraries love treasure hunts and tickets to their production of The Railway Children make a fantastic prize. We really appreciate this support for the Summer Reading Challenge, which has proven to be very important in helping children to become confident readers as well as helping them to love books and reading.

The Railway Children, returns to its original home at the National Railway Museum in York from 31 July 2015 until Saturday 5 September. Tickets are priced between £10 and £32.50 and can be bought by calling the Box Office on 01904 623568, securely online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or in person at York Theatre Royal’s Box Office in De Grey Rooms on St Leonard’s Place. Entry to the National Railway Museum and the Playing Trains Exhibition is free.

 

NATIONAL THEATRE WALES’ ILIAD: EPIC STORYTELLING FOR THE AGE OF THE BOX-SET

THIS NEW STAGING OF CHRISTOPHER LOGUE’S EPIC POEM WAR MUSIC, DIRECTED BY MIKE PEARSON & MIKE BROOKES, WILL BE PERFORMED IN THE FFWRNES IN LLANELLI, CARMARTHENSHIRE, SEPT-OCT 2015

Tickets are now on sale and the cast confirmed for Iliad, the third production in National Theatre Wales’ fifth season. The production will be four parts, performed individually on weeknights, and in two marathon performances – one all day, and one overnight.

“In the beginning there was no Beginning,
And in the end, no End…”

Renowned theatre-makers Mike Pearson and Mike Brookes, celebrated for their recent, large-scale interpretations of Aeschylus’ The Persians and Shakespeare’s and Brecht’s Coriolan/us with National Theatre Wales, will bring their trademark vision to this multimedia staging of Christopher Logue’s filmic poem War Music, derived from Homer’s account of the last years of the Trojan War.

The audience will be cast into a world both ancient and modern, a world created by a group of eminent Welsh actors, a troupe of teenage gods, a stage shaped around them, and vast cinematic landscapes. Each of the four parts can be viewed individually, while bolder audience members can choose to see all four in one of two marathon performances – either all day or overnight.

Classic Greek, epic storytelling meets box-set theatre.

The cast will include six narrators (Claire Cage, Daniel Hawksford, Guy Lewis, Richard Lynch, Melanie Walters and Llion Williams), four constructors who will reshape the set throughout the performances and 10 local teenagers as the gods.

Mike Brookes is an award-winning artist, director and designer. He co-founded the performance collective Pearson/Brookes with Mike Pearson in 1997. Since 2005, his collaborative art work with Spanish artist Rosa Casado has produced live art and gallery works across a range of media; their work together having been widely commissioned and presented across Europe, Asia, Australasia, South America, and USA. Other collaborators include Quarantine and Untitled Projects. In 2007, he was appointed Research Fellow within Aberystwyth University.

Mike Pearson trained as an archaeologist. He was a member of R.A.T. Theatre (1972–73) and an artistic director of Cardiff Laboratory Theatre (1973–80) and Brith Gof (1981–97). He currently makes performance as a solo artist; with Mike Brookes in Pearson/Brookes and for National Theatre Wales. Mike is author of Theatre/Archaeology (2001); In Comes I: Performance, Memory and Landscape (2006);Site-Specific Performance (2010); The Mickery Theater: An Imperfect Archaeology (2011); and Marking Time: Performance, Archaeology and the City (2013). He was Professor of Performance Studies, Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies, Aberystwyth University (1999-2014).

Christopher Logue was a poet, screenwriter, actor and playwright. Born in Portsmouth in 1926 he served briefly in the Black Watch during and immediately after the Second World War, before spending sixteen months in a military prison. In 1952 he went to Paris where he worked on Merlin, the magazine which published Beckett. He funded his own poetry by writing pornography under the name Count Palmiro Vicarion. Back in London in the ’60s he wrote plays for the Royal Court, scripts for Ken Russell, including Savage Messiah and songs for Peter Cook’s Establishment Club. He acted in several films, including Russell’s The Devils and went to prison again in 1961 with Bertrand Russell and others for his support of CND. On his release he began his ‘True Stories’ column for Private Eye. He was responsible for some of the first poetry posters and was a life-long advocate of performance verse. In 1959 he recorded Red Bird, with the musician and composer Tony Kinsey, a combination of jazz with Logue’s versions of poems by Pablo Neruda. His retelling of the Iliad, begun in 1959 and published in several volumes which came to be known collectively as War Music, is his best-known work. He had no Greek and based his work on literal translations, many provided by Donald Carne-Ross, who commissioned the first part of War Music for the Third Programme (Radio Three). He recorded and performed it often, notably with Alan Howard. War Music remained incomplete at his death, in 2011.

Claire Cage has worked in a wide variety of roles in television and radio since leaving Aberystwyth University in 1993. Her television appearances include Waterloo Road, Coronation Street, Doctors, Cara Fi, Wizards Versus Aliens, Wire in the Blood, Mistresses, Torchwood, Sherlock, A Royal Wedding, Tracey Beaker, The Fabulous Baker Boys and Patsy Zimmer in Being Human. She recently filmed the feature film Moon Dogs in the Shetland Isles. Claire appeared as a semi regular on Casualty and Holby City where she played Natalie Fletcher. She worked with Richard Ayoade on his hit indie directorial debut, Submarine, The Sheepish Approach and Lucky Jim with Craig Roberts. She played Sister Edith in the smash short Little Munchkin and went on to play Lottie Jenkins in Elfie Hopkins with Ray and Jamie Winstone, both directed by Ryan Andrews.

Daniel Hawksford was born in Newport and raised in Swansea. Upon graduating from RADA he has worked extensively in theatre, most recently in Crouch, Touch, Pause, Engage (National Theatre Wales, Out of Joint, Arcola Theatre with Sherman Cymru) and for the RSC, National Theatre, Globe Theatre, Birmingham Rep, Almeida Theatre, Young Vic, Clwyd Theatre Cymru (where he is an Associate Artist) Orange Tree Theatre and National Theatre Wales. For his performance as Claudio in Much Ado About Nothing for the National Theatre he received an Ian Charleson Nomination.

Guy Lewis’ theatre credits include: Twelfth Night (Regent’s Park), A Christmas Carol (Birmingham Rep), Hamlet, Pygmalion, Mary Stuart, The Drawer Boy, Memory, Measure For Measure, Romeo And Juliet and Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead (Clwyd Theatre Cymru), She Stoops To Conquer, Hamlet and Canterbury Tales (Northern Broadsides), It’s A Family Affair (Sherman Cymru), An Inspector Calls (Torch Theatre), Telstar (New Ambassadors Theatre), And Then They Came For Me(Lyric Hammersmith), Faustus (National Theatre), One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest and The Graduate(Both At The Gielgud Theatre) and Spring Awakening (Bath Theatre Royal). His television credits include: Caerdydd, Torchwood and Casualty. His film credits include: Telstar.

Richard Lynch‘s theatre credits include: Coriolan/us and The Persians (National Theatre Wales), Afore Night Come (dir: Rufus Norris), Snapshots (dir: Braham Murray), Penny For A Song (Oxford Stage Company), The Storm (Almeida), Gas Station Angel (Royal Court & Tour), The Mysteries (RSC), Macbeth(Theatr Clwyd), Patagonia (Brith Gof/ tour including Royal Court), Kasper (dir. Geoff Moore) Hamletand A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Moving Being Theatre Company), Flowers Of The Dead Red Sea, The Myth Of Michael Roderick and House Of America (Y Cwmni), and performances In Abigail’s Party,Macbeth, The Castle (Barker), Victory (Barker), Malvinas, The Flies (Sartre), The Fall & Redemption Of Man, Godspell, Romeo & Juliet and Penderyn (a rock opera). Television credits include: Fondue, Rhyw A Dinosors and Labour Of Love (ITV Wales), Pobol Y Cwm and Score (BBC Wales), The Mabinogi (Cartwn Cymru Cyf), Iechyd Da (Bracan), Y Glas (Boda Films), The Proposition (dir. Strath Hamilton), A Mind To Kill (BBC), Y Parc (Gaucho Productions), Branwen (S4C), The Healer (BBC), Lifeboat (BBC), Thicker Than Water (BBC), Yr Arwerthwr (Ffilminan Penadur Cyf), Christmas Stallion (Lluniau Lliw Cyf),Rebecca (HTV), Bowen A’i Bartner (BBC), Babylon By-Passed (BBC), District Nurse (BBC), Breaking Rank(BBC), Mwy Na Phapur Newydd (Lluniau Lliw Cyf – Series 1 & 2) and Sticky Wickets (BBC). Film credits include: Millenium, Darklands, Watermarks, and Boy Soldier.

Melanie Walters’ theatre credits include: Sleeping Beauty and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (UK Productions); Cinderella (Hiss And Boo Productions); Blue Remembered Hills (Theatr Clwyd) andEducating Rita (Swansea Grand). Her television credits Include: Doc Martin; Ishe Hongian (Boom Pictures); Under Milk Wood (BBC); Being Human (Touchpaper Productions); Gavin and Stacey (Baby Cow); Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures); Anually Retentive (Jones The Film); Holby City, Dirty Work, Jack Of Hearts, Back Up, Dangerfield, Tender Loving Care and The Healer (BBC); Gypsy Fires (Channel 4) andCoronation Street (Granada).

Her film credits Include: Burn Burn Burn (Burn Productions Ltd); Caring For The Recently Deceased(Short) (Stick & Rudder Films); Ex Libris (Short) (Long Arm Films); High Tide (Long Arm Films); Another Me (Fox International Productions); Resistance (Big Rich Films); Submarine (Warp Productions);Dirgelwch Yr Ogof (Nant Productions) and Rampage (Peakviewing Films).

Llion Williams is from Dyffryn Conwy originally but now lives near Caernarfon. He is an Associate of Clwyd Theatr Cymru and trained at Coleg Prifysgol Cymru, Aberystwyth. Theatre work includes: Ghosts, A Doll’s House, Abigail’s Party, The Herbal Bed The Journey of Mary Kelly, A Christmas Carol, Rape of the Fair Country, Gaslight and A Small Family Business (Clwyd Theatr Cymru), Porth y Byddar (Clwyd Theatr Cymru/Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru), Cariad Mr Bustl/Le Misanthrope, Y Pair/The Crucible, Y Gofalwr/The Caretaker, Iesu, Cysgod y Cryman, Bobi a Sami, Y Storm/The Tempest (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru), Y Cylch Sialc/The Chalk Circle, Un o’r Teulu/Relatively Speaking and Y Gelli Geirios/The Cherry Orchard (Theatr Gwynedd), Angitone, The Giant’s Embrace and Minamata (Theatr Powys), C’Mon Midffild and Llanast/Carnage (Theatr Bara Caws), A History of Falling Things (New Vic, Stoke) and Jack and the Beanstalk (Scarborough). Television work includes: Hinterland, Outside Time, A Mind to Kill, The Mystery Files, Death or Liberty, C’mon Midffild, Blodeuwedd, Ac Eto Nid Myfi, Ista’nbwl, Lan a Lawr, and Gwaith/Cartref. Radio work includes: Playboy of the Western World/Congrinero’r Gorllewin, Y Ffin and Dyddiadur Dyn Dŵad (BBC). Other work includes: Pedr a’r Blaidd/Peter and The Wolf (Ensemble Cymru).

Full listings information:

ILIAD
National Theatre Wales in association with Ffwrnes
A theatrical staging of Christopher Logue’s War Music
Directed by Mike Pearson & Mike Brookes
Composer: John Hardy Music
Costume Designer: Simon Banham
Sound Designer: Mike Beer
Cinematographer: Luke Jacobs and Like an Egg Productions
Assistant Director: Julia Thomas

Dates: 21 September-3 October 2015
Venue: The Ffwrnes, Park Street, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, SA15 3YE

Iliad is in four parts: Iliad: Kings, Iliad: The Husbands, Iliad: Red/Cold, Iliad: War Music
The running time for all four parts is approx. 2hrs each
The four parts can be seen separately, or in one of two marathon performances.

Performance schedule

Mon 21 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: Kings
Tue 22 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: The Husbands
Wed 23 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: Red/Cold
Thurs 24 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: War Music

Sat 26 Sept: all-day marathon
(Iliad: Kings at 10.30am, Iliad: The Husbands at 1.30pm, Iliad: Red/Cold at 5pm and Iliad: War Music at 8pm)

Mon 28 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: Kings
Tue 29 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: The Husbands
Wed 30 Sept, 7.30pm: Iliad: Red/Cold
Thurs 1Oct, 7.30pm: Iliad: War Music

Sat 3 Oct: all-night marathon
(Iliad: Kings at 6.30pm, Iliad: The Husbands at 9.30pm, Iliad: Red/Cold at 1am on Sun 4 Oct and Iliad: War Music at 4am)

Box Office
Online: www.nationaltheatrewales.org/iliad
By phone: 029 2037 1689

Ticket Prices
Single performance (each): £20 (£15 conc)
4 x single performances: £70 (£50 conc)
Marathon performance: £60 (£45 conc)
Local adult (within Carms): £10*
Local under-25 (inc. schools and colleges within Carms): £7.50*
* single performances only

Schools Ticket prices:
Single performance: £10
Marathon performance: £40