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AWARD WINNING PRODUCTION OF WRECKAGE TRANSFER TO LONDON’S TURBINE THEATRE IN JANUARY 2023

●     Following a successful run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the award-winning production of Wreckage, will open at Turbine Theatre in January 2023.

Harlow Playhouse is pleased to announce that Wreckage will be heading to London in January 2023.

The award-winning production of Wreckage will open at London’s Turbine Theatre on Thursday 5^th January 2023 following a successful run at Edinburgh’s Summerhall as part of this year’s Fringe Festival.

Writer, Tom Ratcliffe, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that Wreckage is coming to London and the Turbine Theatre in January before heading on tour. The reception with audiences in Edinburgh has been overwhelming and it has been incredibly moving to hear from audiences who have connected with the material. I’ve been a big fan of the Turbine and Paul’s work for a long time and it’s very exciting to be bringing the show back to where it all started at Rally Fest in 2021.  Wreckage is a story that I’m hoping will continue to touch audience members hearts. It is a love story filled with loss, guilt, joy, and everything in between.”

Executive Producer, Rory Davies, said: “I am delighted that Harlow Playhouse will be bringing our production of Wreckage to London! We’ve had an overwhelming response from our run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and we can’t wait to share this story with so many more people. It means a great deal to us to be bringing this evolved and special production to Turbine Theatre.”

Written by Tom Ratcliffe (“polished and compassionate script”, the Scotsman) and directed by Rikki Beadle-Blair MBE, Wreckage is a one-act original drama about love and loss.

It tells the beautiful story of Sam, played by Tom Ratcliffe (Velvet, Sket, 5 Guys Chillin’) and his fiancé Noel, played by west end star Michael Walters (Steve, The Inheritance, Death of a Salesman).

Together they have a house, a cat, and their entire lives ahead of them. But when a sudden and permanent distance disrupts their relationship, Sam is left to figure out where their story goes from here.

Wreckage (“is a compelling piece of theatre.”, Culture Fix) is a touching story about continuing bonds and love that only evolves, and never dies.

LIZ KINGSMAN’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, SMASH-HIT

ONE-WOMAN SHOW

TRANSFERS TO THE WEST END

★★★★★

“Do everything legal you can to get a ticket” Evening Standard

Following sell out runs at this year’s Edinburgh Festival, and previously at Soho Theatre, Liz Kingsman’s critically acclaimed One-Woman Show transfers to the West End for a strictly limited six-week run later this year.

★★★★★

“A tour de force” The Guardian; Number 1 Comedy Show of 2021

Liz Kingsman said today, “No one is more surprised than I am that the theatre community continue to take this prank at face value. In saying that, I am beyond excited to bring the show to London’s West End. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier.”

Wessex Grove’s Emily Vaughan-Barratt and Benjamin Lowy commented, “We are delighted to be transferring Liz’s extraordinary hit into the West End later this year. What she has created is the perfect show – it’s hysterical, powerful and incredibly clever. She is undoubtedly a major force and one we are proud to be collaborating with.”

★★★★★

“A blazingly clever skewering of the clichéd narratives around women’s lives” i newspaper

To sign up for advance information and access to priority booking for the production, please register your interest at www.one-womanshow.com. 

www.one-womanshow.com

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: onewomanshowuk

WESSEX GROVE PRESENTS

ONE-WOMAN SHOW

Written and performed by Liz Kingsman

Director Adam Brace; Lighting Designer Daniel Carter-Brennan

Further creative team to be announced

★★★★★

“A gloriously stupid, ‘Airplane’-esque daft romp… Fight for a ticket” Telegraph

Described as “the greatest breakthrough show of the past 12 months” (The Times), One-Woman Show transfers to the West End for a strictly limited run later this year. A bold, irreverent, raw, moving and triumphant celebration of adjectives, this blurb will nail down nothing.

Trigger warning: contains blinding ambition.

Liz Kingsman is an actor and writer, and creator of the Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated One-Woman Show. She can currently be seen in the second season of critically acclaimed French political satire Parlement on France 2, and Down From London, streaming on Topic (US), which she co-created and wrote with Sharon Horgan’s Merman Productions based on an award-winning short film. Previous acting credits include BAFTA-nominated ITV2 sitcom Timewasters, Borderline on Netflix, and topical Channel 4 comedies Ballot Monkeys and Power Monkeys. She is this year’s winner of the Times Breakthrough Award at the Sky Arts South Bank Awards, and was named in The Evening Standard and The Observer’s Faces to Watch in 2022.

Adam Brace directs. He is Associate Director at Soho Theatre, London where he works across Comedy, Theatre and Performance Art and in roles spanning dramaturg, director and writer. In comedy he has developed a varied range of work including 8 Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated shows, 2 Herald Angel Award-winners, 2 nominees for the Melbourne Barry Award and 2 Southbank Sky Arts Awards. Directing credits include all of Alex Edelman’s shows, most recently Just For Us (Drama Desk Nominee 2022) currently extended six times Off-Broadway; Age is a Feeling by Haley McGee (Fringe First 2022, Soho Theatre this autumn); all of Sh!t Theatre’s multi-award-winning international shows. Other credits include Ahir Shah’s HBO Max special Dots and Creative Supervisor on two series of Soho Theatre Live on Amazon Prime. Previously he was a playwright and was produced by Almeida Theatre, the National Theatre and the Donmar Warehouse; his plays are published by Faber and Faber.

One-Woman Show was originally produced at the Soho Theatre and Traverse Theatre by Country Mile Productions.

CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S

RECORD-BREAKING TOUR OF

“LES MISÉRABLES”

ANNOUNCES NEW CAST MEMBERS

SIOBHAN O’DRISCOLL AS ‘ÉPONINE’

AND

LAUREN DREW AS ‘FANTINE’

Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce Siobhan O’Driscoll as ‘Éponine’ and Lauren Drew as ‘Fantine’ joining the company of the acclaimed UK and Ireland Tour of Boublil and Schönberg’s “LES MISÉRABLES”.

Siobhan O’Driscoll stars as ‘Éponine’ from Wednesday 31 August, when the show opens in Norwich. Her previous theatre credits include playing Heather in both the UK Tour and New Zealand productions of American Idiot.

Lauren Drew stars as ‘Fantine’ from Wednesday 2 November, when the show opens in Sunderland. Lauren was most recently seen in Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Her other theatre credits include Catherine of Aragon in the UK Tour of SIX, Heathers at The Other Palace, Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre. She was a contestant on ITV’s The Voice UK in 2021, reaching the semi finals.

Siobhan O’Driscoll and Lauren Drew join Dean Chisnall as ‘Jean Valjean’, Nic Greenshields as ‘Javert’ Ian Hughes as ‘Thénardier’, Will Callan as ‘Marius’, Helen Walsh as ‘Madame Thénardier’, Samuel Wyn-Morris as ‘Enjolras’ and Paige Blankson as ‘Cosette’.

The cast is completed by George Arvidson, Aidan Banyard, Will Barratt, Adam Boardman, Rebecca Bolton, Emily Olive Boyd, Olivia Brereton, Harry Chandler, Rebecca Ferrin, Aimee Good, Steven Hall, Jenna Innes, Tessa Kadler, Damian Kneale, Caleb Lagayan, Abel Law, Joseph McDonnell, Zabrina Norry, Emily Owens, Jordan Simon Pollard, Jamie Pritchard, Dean Read, Rebecca Ridout and Rick Zwart.

Since Cameron Mackintosh first conceived this acclaimed new production of LES MISÉRABLES in 2009, to celebrate the show’s 25^th anniversary, it has taken the world by storm. It will relaunch its record-breaking tour of North America in October this year, a new tour of The Netherlands is set for early 2023 with further productions to be announced.

Boublil and Schönberg’s magnificent iconic score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs, I Dreamed a Dream, On My Own, Stars, Bring Him Home, Do You Hear the People Sing?, One Day More, Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, Master Of The House and many more. Several of its songs have become real life anthems of revolution wherever in the world people are fighting for their freedom. Seen by over 130 million people worldwide in 53 countries and in 22 languages, LES MISÉRABLES is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular and contemporary musicals.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of LES MISÉRABLES is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker with original orchestrations by John Cameron. The production is directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, projections realised by Finn Ross and Fifty Nine Productions, musical staging by Geoffrey Garratt, and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Graham Hurman.

CRUCIBLE

A Sheffield Theatres production

SHEFFIELD THEATRES ANNOUNCE CAST FOR CLIMATE EMERGENCY DOUBLE BILL

THE CONTINGENCY PLAN

By Steve Waters
Director of Resilience Caroline Steinbeis
Director of On The Beach Chelsea Walker
Designer Georgia Lowe
Lighting Designer Guy Hoare
Sound Designer and Composer Giles Thomas
Casting Director Arthur Carrington

Assistant Director Callum Berridge

The Crucible, Sheffield
Resilience: Friday 14 Oct – Saturday 5 Nov
On the Beach: Saturday 15 Oct – Saturday 5 Nov

Sheffield Theatres today announces the full cast for the double bill of climate change plays by playwright Steve Waters: Resilience and On The Beach, part of The Contingency Plan, which will open at the Crucible, Sheffield on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 October respectively.

Performing fixed roles across both plays, Joe Bannister (Trouble in Mind) will play the role of Will and Kiran Landa (Extinct) will play the role of Sarika. Joining them are: Geraldine Alexander (Oslo) playing Tessa in Resilience and Jenny in On The Beach, Peter Forbes (Jack Absolute Flies Again) playing Colin in Resilience and Robin in On The Beach, and Paul Ready (Motherland) playing Christopher in Resilience.

Paul Ready returns to Sheffield Theatres, having performed in World Music. Geraldine Alexander, Joe Bannister, Peter Forbes and Kiran Landa make their Sheffield Theatres debut with The Contingency Plan.

Steve Waters’ climate-emergency double bill is brought up to date, specially revised for this Sheffield run thirteen years after their acclaimed debut in 2009. One play is a compelling family drama, the other a thrilling political satire. Each stands alone, together they’re a fearless, funny and foreboding portrait of a near future.

Resilience

Freshly appointed as a government advisor Will is in Westminster and out of his depth. As environmental disaster looms, it’s a race against time to take action, but can he get ministers to listen before it is too late?

On the Beach

Will’s father was a leading climate scientist before retreating to the coast, his promising career mysteriously cut short. Now Will has picked up his father’s work, and with the threat of a catastrophic flood moving ever closer, he returns to the family home with news that will force secrets to the surface.

Caroline Steinbeis, Director of Resilience, and Chelsea Walker, Director of On the Beach, said:

‘We cannot wait to share The Contingency Plan with Sheffield audiences. The more we get to know these plays, the more urgent they seem to become. And we are thrilled to be working with such a talented, exciting company – we have an intimate cast of four for On the Beach, with Paul Ready joining Resilience to form a wider cast of five. We could not ask for a better company to bring these politically thrilling, entertaining and deeply moving plays to life.’

Tickets for The Contingency Plan are on sale now. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

FROM POPPINS TO PEGGY – FULL CAST

ANNOUNCED FOR…

ARE YOU AS NERVOUSE AS I AM?

PREMIÈRING AT GREENWICH THEATRE
FROM 1 OCTOBER 2022

Following the announcement of Bill Ward joining the cast of NEW British musical, Are You As Nervous As I Am?, three talented young actresses will take on the role of Young Peggy.

Megan Donovan comes straight to the Greenwich Theatre from her West End debut in Mary Poppins, and will be sharing the role of Young Peggy with Darcey Wilks (The Sound of Music) and Eva Hill who will be making her stage debut. In addition to this, Megan, Darcey and Eva will also share the role of Welsh schoolgirl Anwen.

Previously announced Katie Elin-Salt will star in the role of Peggy, the young and impressionable girl with a passion for singing, alongside Emma Thornett as Janet, the runaway sister in search of a more honest life. Bill Ward will be playing the role of Bob, the charismatic husband of Peggy who is not what he first seems.

Completing the ensemble will be Christopher Cameron (Bat Out of Hell) who joins the talented cast of the show in assorted supporting roles alongside understudying the role of Larry.

Fresh from Billy Elliot at the Leicester Curve, Josh Cottell will be joining the production as Musical Director. Josh’s previous credits also include Musical Director for Sweeney Todd (Bath Theatre Academy) and Spring Awakening (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire).

Final casting also includes: Sarah Ingram (Flashdance; Oklahoma!) as Catrin/Christine,Daniel Abbott (Groan Ups; Pride and Prejudice) as Larry, Simon Furness (The Cleaner; Uncle Vanya) as Peter, Ian Houghton (War Horse; This House) as The Welsh Soldier/Sam Berkowitz, Emily-Mae (City of Angels; Hairspray) as Kiki Kavelle, Jenny Perry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show; The Wizard of Oz) as A Cockney Girl/Peggy and Janet Cover.

FAMILY BEFORE FAME

The story follows a journey of two sisters – Peggy and Janet – in their search for happiness. Fighting against their mother’s dysfunctional behaviour, they are forced apart to pursue lives away from their home in Wales.

Set against the background of a century in flux, when the sisters reconnect, they are gradually empowered to positively transform their lives

The world premiere of Are You As Nervous As I Am? takes place at Greenwich Theatre from 01 – 23 October 2022.

With a multi award-winning creative team, Are You As Nervous As I Am? is written by Simon Spencer, with music by Leighton James House and lyrics by Shaun McKenna.

Are You As Nervous As I Am? is a strong female-driven story of empowerment: touching on disability, sexuality, abuse and race, with memorable characters and powerful original songs.

The production is directed by Phoebe Barran, music direction by Josh Cottell and musical arrangements by Dr Matthew Malone, set & costume design by Kevin Jenkins lighting by Mike Robertson, movement by Denni Sayers

NIC COLICOS,

BILLY NEVERS &

JOE FOSTER 

TO JOIN THE WEST END’S MOST JOYOUS MUSICAL

Booking at Shaftesbury Theatre, London

to September 2023

The producers of & Juliet – the West End’s joyous and fun-loving Max Martin musical, playing at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London – announced today (Tuesday 30 August)) that three new cast members will be joining the long-running West End hit. They are Nicolas Colicos, who will play Lance, Billy Nevers as Francois and Joe Foster, who will be May.

Nicolas Colicos’ theatre credits include Bones in the original cast of Sister Act at the London Palladium, Francz Liebkind in The Producers in the West End and Bill in the original cast of Mamma Mia. His film and TV work includes Kingsman II, Superman IV and Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

Billy Nevers was in the original ensemble of & Juliet, and is thrilled to be to returning in the role of Francois. His other work includes Legally Blonde at Regents Park Open Air Theatre and Jesus Christ Superstar at the Barbican and Regents Park.

Joe Foster recently appeared in Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Hex at the National Theatre and Rent at Hope Mill Theatre.

Full cast biographies can be found on the & Juliet website www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk

& Juliet soars with the music of Max Martin, the acclaimed songwriter of some of pop’s most iconic songs and recorded by artists including Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande, all brilliantly arranged for the musical by Tony® and Grammy Award-winning orchestrator Bill Sherman.

The musical contains many of the biggest and most anthemic songs of the last 30 years, including Baby One More Time, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), Love Me Like You Do, Confident, It’s My Life, Can’t Feel My Face and the roof-raising Roar.

Miriam-Teak Lee – who was awarded the Olivier Award for Best Actress in 2020 for her performance as Juliet – leads a cast including Cassidy Janson, who also won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Anne Hathaway, Oliver Tompsett as William Shakespeare, Tom Francis as Romeo, and Malinda Parris as Angelique, the Nurse.

The ensemble includes Ebony Clarke, Bessy Ewa, Collette Guitart, Cassandra Lee, Nathan Louis-Fernand, Zara MacIntosh, Carl Man, Christian Maynard, Rachel Moran, Owen Saward, Aaron Shales, Benjamin Terry and Suki Wong, who join Ivan De Freitas, Rhian Duncan, Alex Tranter, Sophie Usher and Rhys Wilkinson..

Brought to life by an award-winning creative team in an explosive fusion of styles, & Juliet is directed by Luke Sheppard with a book by David West Read (Schitt’s Creek), electrifying choreography from Jennifer Weber, stunning set design from Soutra Gilmour and costume design by Paloma Young.

Max Martin and Tim Headington present & Juliet, which is produced by Martin Dodd, Tim Headington, Max Martin, Jenny Petersson and Theresa Steele Page.

MONICA DOLAN, TAMSIN GREIG AND STEPHEN MANGAN JOIN LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE’S FUNDRAISING WEEK TO SUPPORT THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, SPRINGBOARD

MONICA DOLAN, TAMSIN GREIG AND STEPHEN MANGAN JOIN LYRIC HAMMERSMITH THEATRE’S FUNDRAISING WEEK TO SUPPORT THE TALENT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME, SPRINGBOARD

Lyric Hammersmith Theatre alumni Tamsin Greig and Stephen Mangan together with West Londoner Monica Dolan are helping to raise money for the pioneering talent development programme, Springboard, which aims to find, shape, inspire, champion and sustain the next generation of performers from underrepresented backgrounds.

The venue is hosting a week of events to help raise funds for the programme which includes talks from the critically acclaimed actors, a rare opportunity to thrift directly from the Lyric costume department, and a drag night variety show. Tickets are available to book now at www.lyric.co.uk.

Monday 19^th September, 7.30-9pm

An Evening with Monica Dolan hosted by Artistic Director and CEO Rachel O’Riordan

Tuesday 20^th September, 7.30-9pm

An Evening with Tamsin Greig hosted by Bill Cashmore Award Founder, Sasha Bates

Wednesday 21^st September, 2-9pm

Lyric Costume Sale. A rare chance for thrift-lovers to buy the gems from the first costume department following its first clear out in 10 years.

Thursday 22^nd September, 7.30pm-midnight

Chariots of Glitter – A Drag Night Variety Show hosted by Aurora Kills

Comedy, lip-sync and songs with guest performers supporting marathon runner Aurora Kills followed by a discotheque 

Friday 23^rd September, 7.30-9pm

An Evening with Stephen Mangan hosted by Lyric Chair, Lorraine Heggessey, 

Tickets are £20. Book at www.lyric.co.uk or 0208 741 6850

Biographies

Monica Dolan is a BAFTA and Olivier Award winning actor whose work spans television, film and stage. Her recent theatre credits include Doubt (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Shrine (The Bridge), Appropriate (Donmar Warehouse), All About Eve ­– winning the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role(Noel Coward Theatre), The Beasts (Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Bush Theatre). For television, her credits include The Thief, His Wife, And The Canoe, My Name Is Leon, Appropriate Adult, Talking Heads, A Very English Scandal, Black Mirror, The Witness For The Prosecution, The Casual Vacancy and W1A, and for film; Cyrano, Days of the Bagnold Summer, The Dig, Rialto, Official Secrets, Eye in the Sky, The Arbor, Pride and The Falling.

Tamsin Greig is an award-winning actor of stage and screen. One of her first performances ever, in 1997, was in Don Carlos at the Lyric Studio. Her theatre credits include Peggy For You (Hampstead Theatre), Talking Heads Live: Nights In The Garden of Spain (Bridge Theatre), A Kind of Alaska/Landscape (Harold Pinter Theatre), Twelfth Night, Gethsemane (National Theatre), Jumpy (Royal Court), God of Carnage (Gielgud Theatre) and Much Ado About Nothing (RSC and Novello Theatre). Her television credits include The Amazing Mr Blunden, Romeo and Juliet, Belgravia, Elementary, Diana and I, Inside No.0, Episodes, Friday Night Dinner, Emma, The Diary of Anne Frank, Love Soup, Green Wing, Doctor Who, Black Books, Jonathan Creek, Falling Apart, People Like Us, Happiness, and for film; Official Secrets, Days of the Bagnold Summer, Tamara Drewe, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Breaking the Bank, Stop the World, Shaun of the Dead, Captain Eager and The Mark of Voth.  

Stephen Mangan returns to the Lyric 17 years since he appeared in The Magic Carpet. His theatre credits include The People Are Friendly, Birthday (Royal Court), The Norman Conquests (Old Vic and Broadway), Noises Off (Piccadilly Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, School For Scandal (RSC), Much Ado About Nothing (Cheek By Jowl World Tour), Hayfever (Savoy Theatre), She Stoops To Conquer (Birmingham Rep), As You Like It, Twelfth Night, The Tempest (Nottingham Playhouse), Hamlet (Theatre Royal, Norwich), Crouch Grass and Ribbon (Watermill Theatre), Rules for Living (National Theatre) and The Rover (Salisbury Playhouse). His television credits include Episodes, Green Wing, Dirk Gently, The Hunt for Tony Blair, Free Agents, The Split, Urban Myths, Hang Ups, Bliss, Drunk History, Houdini and Doyle, Never Better, Jane Hall, Bromwell High, Watership Down and Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years, and for film; Breathe, Rush, Beyond the Pole, Someone Else, Confetti, Festival, SuperTex, New Year’s Eve, Birthday Girl and Chunky Monkey.

SOARING ACCOMMODATION COSTS THE BIGGEST RISK TO EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE FUTURE

SAY THE EIGHT MAJOR PRESENTERS BEHIND EDFEST.COM

Sunday, 28 August: The eight major producing venues behind EdFest.com – which comprise Assembly, Dance Base, Gilded Balloon, Just the Tonic, Pleasance, Summerhall, Underbelly and ZOO – collectively commented that soaring accommodation costs are the biggest risk to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s future. 1,965,961 tickets were collectively sold by the eight venues in 2019 while more than 1,486,746 are forecast to be sold this year.

A spokesperson for EdFest.com said: “It has been fantastic to be back at the first full Fringe since 2019 – to see the live performance industry come roaring back to life in this post-pandemic world. There has been a real appetite and energy for shared, live experiences in Edinburgh over the last few weeks and the quality of the programme has been incredible – yet, the forecast number of tickets we’ve collectively sold is down 25% compared to 2019 which is a major threat for everyone involved in the festival.

“Together, we eight venues are forecast to have sold more than 1,486,746 tickets despite the very real continuing challenges to our industry, including the cost-of-living crisis, the lingering effects of coronavirus, the cost and uncertainty of international travel, the recent train strikes and more. Chief among these however is the soaring cost of accommodation in Edinburgh in August – audiences and artists alike are being priced out of town, out of experiences.

“It is clear to anyone spending time in Edinburgh, that there are fewer people in the city this year than in 2019. While there are certainly other factors that have affected audience numbers this year; the cost of accommodation is a perennial problem across the board. Disruption with public transport, delays with artist visas, and high fuel costs are even more insurmountable when people and performers simply cannot afford to stay in the city.

We know that a lack of safe, affordable housing is not just an August problem, but one that affects the artists, staff and audiences who call Edinburgh home. It’s imperative that local and national government, landlords, the universities, Fringe venues and the Fringe Society all come together to find a lasting solution for this issue, or the future of the Fringe is in very real danger. Long term we also have to find solutions that allow the festival to be affordable to performers and the audience. Given the extent of the reduction in sales the overall festival has a major job to do in restoring the event to normality, which may take several years and require some public support. We need to stabilise the current situation where many people have made significant losses; to address the accommodation issue; to find ways of supporting work; and a major marketing campaign to get the audience back to the festival.

“Over the past 75 years, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has earned its reputation as the world’s leading arts festival. We must continue to work together to do everything in our power to ensure that it remains a vibrant, inclusive, and financially accessible destination for another 75 years.”

The Bread & Roses Theatre – until 3 September 2022

4****

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Farine Clark’s sharp and scathing play returns to The Bread & Roses for a well-deserved longer run. Even though the story is set at the turn of the millennium, the characters and situations are depressingly recognisable in the political and corporate world of 2022.

With the development of the internet and the beginnings of the move to online media, a large media corporation, UK National News Group, is on the lookout for fresh acquisitions. While most newspapers are seeing a decline in sales, The Daily Word is a success, so UKNNG want to buy it. Unfortunately, the paper’s publisher is all too aware of the corporation’s history of profits before editorial content, but this isn’t the biggest sticking point in the takeover.

It only takes six characters to portray the prejudices and inequalities in business to stark effect – this renders them a little stereotypical but could well trigger moments of recognition of past work colleagues amongst the audience. With barbed one liners and glorious sarcasm, the meetings and pre-meetings rattle along in various offices, and then come to a grinding halt for a scene change. My only niggle with the production and Catriona Clancy’s otherwise assured direction are these overly elaborate scene changes, with the angle of the desk being changed slightly and items on the desk being rearranged. If these props were vital, fair enough, but the cast only use folders and coffee cups at most, and the desk is above the eyeline of the audience – so what is the point? The only desk position change I found effective and necessary was for Sunil’s office, with his Lord of the Manor ego trip and power games. The red light and the ticking are highly effective to demonstrate the end of a scene, but couldn’t they just change a nameplate on the desk? That way the sense of urgency and building pace of the action would be much smoother instead of too much stop/start.

The three main protagonists are a joy to watch – with Harris Vaughan’s Christian coming across as an amalgam of Gordon Brittas and an adult Inbetweener. His ruthlessness and willingness to manipulate and dispense with his loyal team is odious, contrasting deliciously with his toadying to those who are more powerful. Natalie Lauren as Arabella is smart and nuanced, portraying the character’s frustration and conscience after so many years of manipulating takeovers, chasing profits and ignoring the human cost. Stuck in the middle is Charles (Paul Condon) a delightfully average and mild-mannered accountant who just loves being pert of the team and is loyal to the corporation.

The layers of prejudice and lack of conscience within the corporation are laid bare to Charles by Arabella as they work on the takeover of the Daily Word, but even as she complains and hates what she is doing, she carries on with the task. Meanwhile, Christian tries to educate Charles on the hidden “inner circles” of power, leading to Charles’ many funny London Zoo references. Charles’ reactions to these insights about racism and tokenism are beautifully judged, never making it clear if he is just naïve or with his head in the sand all those years. The higher up the board you go in this play, the more venal the men. Dan Saski’s Alex is at least open with colleagues about his views, while Anirban Roy as Sunil is much more dangerous with his duplicity and prejudices hidden behind his sophistication. Odimegwu Okoye’s Kelvin is mostly stoic in his knowledge and acceptance of the true consequences of the takeover, making his angry speech education Arabella and Charles about their bosses’ racism much more effective and upsetting as he makes it clear that this is what he deals with every day.

The duplicitous business shenanigans and faction building are sobering, but great fun to watch, and the writing leads you to think that Charles will save the day, until Farine Clarke pulls a handbrake turn with the plot and ends the play with a deliciously dark and satisfying laugh. Highly entertaining, extremely relevant, and very funny.

Jack Studio Theatre- until 27 August 2022

4****

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Bear in the Air Productions charming adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing is a delightful summer treat. Director Heather Simpkin cuts the running time to under two hours and the characters down to twelve played by a cast of six. This inevitably means the loss of some of the build up in Beatrice and Benedick’s relationship, but the choices made and the strong performances of Hannah Eggleton and Ross Telfer as the couple make their shorter sparring/courtship work very well in this setting.

From their tour photos, the company has changed little of the set from their outdoor venues, and although the bunting isn’t fluttering in the breeze, the show still manages to keep its relaxed Shakespeare in the park atmosphere indoors. The Steampunk influenced costumes of the noble characters and the modern attire of the watchmen mark their social standing instantly.

The comedy rattles along before the interval, with the contrast between Hero and Claudio’s love at first sight and Beatrice and Benedick’s protestations about marriage leading to the two gloriously ridiculous scenes of physical comedy where Beatrice and Benedick eavesdrop and are tricked into confronting their love for each other. The plotting of Don Jon – obviously evil in black uniform and shades and henchman Borachio plays like a scene from the earliest Blackadder where Baldrick was the clever one, with Conor Cook nailing the petulant little brother mood. The cast are excellent: Megan King and Toby George-Waters are a delight as the young lovers Hero and Claudio and Charles Stobert’s Don Pedro has a comforting air of kindly authority.

As the play gets darker with death and revenge amongst the nobles, so the production ramps up the comedy with the introduction of the watch. Conor Cook is a scream as the “Chief Scout” Dogberry – his pathetic pomposity clashing brilliantly with the childish rivalry between the watchmen (Hannah Eggleton and Ross Telfer). There is lots of audience participation that feels natural and unforced, helped by the cast sitting on stage when not involved in scenes and reacting in character with the audience to what is happening. The musical numbers are irreverently appropriate and enhance the shared camaraderie between audience and players (yes, we know this is all nonsense, but we are all having a lovely time together) that shines through with excellent productions of Shakespeare comedies.