Full casting announced for the forthcoming tour of Pilot Theatre’s award-winning production of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts & Crosses
Pilot Theatre is delighted to announce full casting for their forthcoming production tour of Sabrina Mahfouz’s adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s critically acclaimed young adult novel of first love in a dangerous fictional dystopia – Noughts & Crosses.
Noughts & Crosses’ exciting cast will be led by Effie Ansah (The Maladies, Almeida Theatre) and James Arden in their first leading roles as Sephy and Callum; Emma Keele (East is East, Birmingham Rep and National Theatre and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, UK Tour) as Meggie; Nathaniel McClosky (Macbeth, Box Clever Theatre) as Jude; Amie Buhari (Flowers, Channel 4 ) as Jasmine; Steph Asamoah (Billy Eliot, Curve Theatre ) as Minerva; Chris Jack (Brighton Rock, Pilot Theatre and York Theatre Royal and Our Town, Royal Exchange Manchester) as Kamal, Daniel Copeland ( Invincible, Orange Tree Theatre and The Jungle Book, Leeds Playhouse) as Ryan and newcomer Tom Coleman as Nought Man, Andrew Dorn and understudy to Callum and Jude. Daniel Norford (Small Island and The Welkin, National Theatre and The Lion King, UK Tour) will be joining the cast in Spring in the role of Kamal. All actors will also play ensemble roles.
Sephy is a Cross and Callum is a Nought. Between Noughts and Crosses there are racial and social divides. A segregated society teeters on a volatile knife edge.
As violence breaks out, Sephy and Callum draw closer, but this is a romance that will lead them into terrible danger.
Told from the perspectives of two teenagers, Noughts & Crossesis a captivating love story set in a volatile, racially segregated society and explores the powerful themes of love, revolution and what it means to grow up in a divided world.
Noughts & Crosses first toured in 2019 as the first co-production between Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Mercury Theatre, Colchester, and York Theatre Royal who in 2018 formed a new partnership to develop, produce and present theatre for younger audiences. The Pilot Theatre production was seen by over 30,000 people on tour with 40 % of the audience being aged under twenty. It went on to win Pilot Theatre the award for excellence in Touring at the 2019 UK Theatre Awards.
Directed by Pilot Theatre’s Artistic Director Esther Richardson, Noughts & Crosses will open at York Theatre Royal from 16-24 September and will then tour to Richmond Theatre, London (27 Sept – 1 Oct); Exeter Northcott (4- 8 Oct); Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (11- 15 Oct); Northern Stage, Newcastle (18 – 22 Oct); Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield (1-5 Nov); New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (8-12 Nov); The Alexandra Birmingham (15-19 Nov) Liverpool Playhouse (22- 26 Nov); The Lowry, Salford (17-21 Jan 2023), Belgrade Theatre Coventry (24-28 Jan); Rose Theatre, Kingston (31 Jan-11 Feb); Theatre Royal Brighton (21-25 Feb); Oldham Coliseum (14-18 Mar); Poole Lighthouse (21-25 Mar) and Curve Theatre, Leicester (28 Mar-1 Apr)
For more information on Noughts & Crosses please visit www.pilot-theatre.com
Playful Productions, Stage Play and Cedella Marley present
GET UP STAND UP!
THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL
OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING, GET UP STAND UP! THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL WILL PLAY ITS FINAL PERFORMANCE AT THE LYRIC THEATRE ON 8 JANUARY 2023
FOLLOWING THE WEST END RUN THE PRODUCTION WILL EMBARK ON A UK TOUR WITH FULL DETAILS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
PLANS ARE ALSO TAKING SHAPE FOR MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENTS IN NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AMERICA AND EUROPE
SINCE OCTOBER 2021 OVER 300,000 THEATRE-GOERS FROM ACROSS THE UK WILL HAVE REVELLED IN THE POWER OF MARLEY’S MUSIC
AN ORIGINAL CAST RECORDING IS DUE FOR RELEASE THIS YEAR, FEATURING OLIVIER AWARD NOMINEE ARINZÉ KENE
TICKETS ARE ON SALE AT WWW.GETUPSTANDUPTHEMUSICAL.COM
Producers have today announced that the hit production Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical which received its world premiere performance at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue on 1 October 2021, will play its final performance in London’s West End on 8 January 2023. The critically acclaimed show has been playing to ecstatic crowds since October 2021 at the Lyric Theatre Shaftesbury Avenue and it was nominated for 4 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical winning the award for best orchestrations. Following the West End, the production will embark on a UK-wide tour with full details to be announced soon. The production is also planning multiple international engagements, with discussions underway in Europe, North and South America. A cast recording featuring the original cast including Olivier Award nominee Arinzé Kene as Bob Marley will be released later this year.
Since its opening in October 2021 lovers of Bob Marley’s inspirational music have flocked to the Lyric Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue to revel in the production’s thrilling and uplifting music and to discover Marley’s extraordinary life, message and wisdom.
Producers said: “‘Bob Marley’s music is inspirational to millions of people around the world. We are so proud to have launched this brilliant musical about his life and music in London’s West End and to have brought his legacy to the stage. We are very excited to be planning the future adventures of Get Up Stand Up! which include a UK and International tour, a North American production and a soon to be available Original Cast Recording.”
Cedella Marley said: “Hearing my father’s music brought to life in this wonderful show has made me so proud. Proud that his legacy has reached so many people, proud that his music has so many fans and continues to inspire new generations and proud of the amazing group of people who have put the show together. It is so exciting that we can now plan for the show to travel around the UK and the world and that many more audiences will get the chance to see it and fall in love all over again with my father’s music.”
‘It’s not all that glitters is gold, half the story has never been told’
From the hills of rural Jamaica, armed only with his overwhelming talent, Bob Marley applied himself with resolute determination to achieve international acclaim for his prophetic musical message – a gospel of love and unity.
Cambridge Arts Theatre – until Saturday 6th August 2022
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
Regular taxi cabs do not travel to the Pittsburgh Hill District of the 1970s, and so the locals turn to using jitneys—unofficial, unlicensed taxi cabs—that operate in the community. August Wilson’s Jitney explores life through the lens of a group of Black jitney drivers, each trying to find a way to get by, using the hand that they have been given.
We, the audience, are bystanders, witnessing what happens inside the rundown taxi office, created using a small but very effective box set, designed by Alex Lowde. There is rhythm and a pace to the play, which is almost like a dance. We see time pass within the small office, created by clever use of lighting (Elliot Griggs), sound (Max Perryment) and video (Ravi Deepres). That, along with balletic movement and well-crafted pauses in the action (movement created by Sarita Piotrowski), generates an atmosphere that modulates seamlessly from busy to comic to violent to poignant.
This is a beautifully constructed play and this production of it rightly commanded a standing ovation from the audience. Each argument and flash of violence is counterbalanced with sparks and flares of warmth and humour. Tinuke Craig’s direction creates a show with a rhythm of laid-back ease, contrasting with taut, tense scenes. Tough as they are, and have to be, these men have a softness and vulnerability. The dialogue and accents never grate, (voice and dialect coaches Hazel Holder and Eleanor Manners have done a sterling job) and August Wilson’s writing feels very authentic and real; the richness with which Wilson writes his characters is a gift to any actor.
The whole talent-packed cast gave superb performances. The balance and dance between them is arresting. It is Wil Johnson, for me, as the owner of the taxi station, Becker, that is the star however. Worn out from years of hard work and sorrow caused by his tragic relationship with his son, (played by Blair Gyabaah) and by the loss of his wife, he stalks the stage with an air of heavy fatigue. His use of stillness and poise commands our attention. For me there was something of the matador in his demeanour. In dealing with his estranged son, there is frenzied anger and rage, the culmination of which is stirring and heart-breaking. And then his kindness prevails when dealing with alcoholic Fielding (played by Tony Marshall). It’s a rich performance indeed from Wil Johnson.
Jitney is a window into of the lives and struggles of a group of Black men. Arresting and wondrous, Craig’s production brings this play’s soul.
The producers of ROCK OF AGES are thrilled to announce full casting and additional dates for the UK tour starring Kevin Kennedy as ‘Dennis Dupree’ alongside Cameron Sharp as ‘Stacee Jaxx’ from Tuesday 23 August when the show opens in Inverness. The cast also includes Natalie Winsor as ‘Justice’, David Breeds as ‘Franz Klinenmann’ and Tianna Sealy-Jewiss joins the ensemble. They join returning cast members Sam Turrell as ‘Drew’, Gabriella Williams as ‘Sherrie’, Vicki Manser as ‘Regina’, Joe Gash as ‘Lonny’, Vas Constanti as ‘Hertz Klinemann’,and Erin Bell as ‘Constance’ with Billy Roberts,Scott Hayward, Darius James, Reece Duncan, Hollie-Ann Lowe,Phoebe Samuel-Gray and Morgan Scott.
In 2022 the production will visit Inverness, Glasgow, Sunderland, Tunbridge Wells, Poole, York, and Cambridge. Full casting for 2023 tour venues to be announced, and full tour listings are below. www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk
Kevin Kennedy is probably best known for his portrayal of Curly Watts in Coronation Street. His West End theatre credits include Amos in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre and We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. Kevin has played both Caractacus Potts and The Child Catcher in the hit musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, becoming the first actor to have played both roles. He appeared as Dennis Dupree in the 2018 UK Tour of Rock of Ages and has also appeared in the national tours of the musicals The Rocky Horror Show, The Commitments and Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends.
Cameron Sharp returns to Rock of Ages, having been part of the show in the West End and on tour. His other theatre credits include School of Rock at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Sunset Boulevard at the Royal Albert Hall and the UK Tour of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.
Natalie Winsor’s theatre credits include Fame at the Shaftesbury Theatre, ABBA Voyage at the Abba Arena and the UK Tours of Jekyll and Hyde, Cinders and Dirty Dancing. Her other theatre credits include Lavelles – The Ladies of Motown, Rent, Peter Pan and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
David Breeds was most recently seen in the West End in Dear Evan Hansen at the Noel Coward Theatre. His other theatre credits include the National Theatre’s tour of The Curious Incident of the Dog In The Nighttime and Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s The Girls.
Sam Turrell returns to Rock of Ages and the role of Drew having performed the show around the world on the NCL Breakaway cruise ship.
Gabriella Williams theatre credits include Sophie in Mamma Mia! at the Novello Theatre, Eugenius! at the London Palladium, Carrie The Musical at the Southwark Playhouse and Miss Saigon and Grease, both on a UK tour.
Vicki Manser’s theatre credits include Katherine Howard in Six both at the Arts Theatre and on a UK tour, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre and on a UK tour, Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre and Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter Theatre.
Joe Gash’s theatrical credits include entertainment for P&O Cruises Australia and Kenickie in Grease for Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas. Most recently Joe appeared as Freddie Mercury on ITV1’s new show Starstruck.
ROCK OF AGES is the hilarious musical comedy lavished with over 25 classic rock anthems, including, ‘We Built This City’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘Here I Go Again’, ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ and ‘I Want To Know What Love Is’, played loud and proud by an awesome live band. Leave it all behind and lose yourself in a city and a time where the dreams are as big as the hair, and yes, they can come true!
Now a global smash with hit seasons on Broadway, London’s West End and Las Vegas and a star-studded Hollywood movie version this show promises you the best party night out around.
The crew is made up of Company Stage Manager Matt Harper, Technical Stage Manager Ben Larkin, Technical Assistant Stage Manager Kyle Campbell, Deputy Stage Manager Sophie Mason, Assistant Stage Manager/Book Cover Mali-Beth Rose, Sound 1 Nicholas Newman, Sound 2 Toby Maiden, Chief LX Rich Hoxley, LX2 Roisin Dullard, LX3/Tech Swing Callum Brady-Temple, Head of Wardrobe Melissa Hamill and Wardrobe Assistant Nicola Riley.
The band is made up of Musical Director and Keys Liam Holmes, Guitar1 Liam Stevenson, Guitar 2 Alex Ward and Bass Guitar Elliot Mason.
“ROCK OF AGES” has a book by Chris D’Arienzo and arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp.
The full creative team includes Nick Winston (Director of the feature film “Tomorrow Morning”, “MAME”, “The Royal Variety Performance”) who Directs and Choreographs the show, Set and Costume design by Morgan Large (“The Woman in White”, “Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat” and “Tell Me On A Sunday”), Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell (“Sunset Boulevard”, “Pantoland at the Palladium”, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert”), Sound Design by Ben Harrison (“Mame”, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert” and “Fame”) and Video and Projection design by Duncan McLean (“The Car Man, Nutcracker! and Magic Goes Wrong”). Casting Director is Jim Arnold CDG, Associate Director is Victoria Gimby, Associate Choreographer is Ryan-Lee Seager and Associate Lighting Designer is Chris Vaughan. Costume Supervision by Lee Tassie and Production Management by Phil McCandlish.
ROCK OF AGES UK AND IRELAND TOUR LISTINGS 2022 – 2023
Based on the book by Rick Elice, The Cher Show tells the story of the highs and lows of the career of Cher. It first premiered in Chicago in 2018. This new touring production is directed by Arlene Phillips (Strictly Come Dancing) with choreography from former Strictly Professional Oti Mabuse.
In the show, Debbie Kurrup, Danielle Steers and Millie O’ Connell each play Cher in three stages of her life; Babe (O’Connell), Lady (Steers) and Star (Kurrup). All three appear on stage together throughout most of the show and it’s a really clever way of showing the changing personalities and attitudes of Cher as she progresses through her career. Throughout the show, the background props and backdrops are used to let us know exactly which year of Cher’s life we are seeing. Although the songs don’t necessarily appear in the chronological order that Cher herself released them.
First we met Babe, the teenage Cher of the 1950s-1960s and her mother, Georgia (Tori Scott). Babe is a shy and awkward girl who finds a sense of security within Sonny Bono (Lucas Rush) and their ‘Sonny and Cher’ partnership. Millie O’ Connell perfectly captured the young Cher’s naivety and innocence. Their performance of Sonny and Cher’s first ‘Top of the Pops’ performance in London was brilliant and both actors nailed their characters’ movements and mannerisms.
Next we met Lady, the 1970’s version of Cher. She is now confident and starting to realise her partnership with Sonny is not as equal as she thought. Danielle Steers is brilliant as the wise-cracking Cher who makes fun of Bono’s height on their television show. She also showcased her amazing vocal talents, especially during ‘Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down). During this section we meet Bob Mackie (Jake Mitchell), the man responsible for Cher’s most flamboyant outfits over the years. ‘Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do’ was a personal favourite of mine, showcasing both Oti Mabusi’s choreography and Jake Mitchell’s camp and cheeky mannerisms as Mackie.
Finally, we met Star, the late 1970s onwards incarnation of Cher. We follow the older Cher as she starts her pursuit of finding success as an actress, despite people often belittling her attempts. But Cher being Cher, she doesn’t give up and receives an Academy Award for her hard work. Although all three versions of Cher are amazing, for me, Debbie Kurup captures the vocals of Cher perfectly. But that could be because she gets the most famous and powerful songs to sing, such as ‘’Gypsys, Tramps and Thieves’ and ‘Just Like Jesse James’. The latter of which she sings with her second husband, Gregg Allman (Sam Ferriday, in one of the four roles he plays in the show). As a fan of the film Burlesque, I was pleased to see Diane Warren’s huge power ballad ‘You Haven’t Seen The Last of Me Yet’ appear in the show. All three actors nailed this song perfectly and the huge cheer from the crowd was well deserved.
The finale of the show got everyone on their feet (well, Cher/Star did insist we get our phones out and get up!) It turned into a full-on concert-like medley of Cher songs. ‘Believe’ and ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’ definitely bought the house down. If you want a feel-good night of glitter, sequins, big hair and even bigger voices, then you definitely need to grab your tickets for the most fabulously flamboyant show in town.
Theatre Royal Concert Hall Nottingham – until Saturday 6th August 2022
Reviewed by Amarjeet Singh
5*****
Spider’s Web is written by the queen of thrills, Agatha Christie. The play opened at the Theatre Royal Nottingham in 1954 and is Christie’s second most successful play. You can imagine the anticipation and excitement I felt sitting in the Theatre Royal 68 years later, listening to songs from the 50s, waiting for curtain up. The production did not disappoint.
Spider’s Web is set in 1953, in Copperstone Court, which is the newly acquired home of the Hailsham-Browns. Henry is a Foreign Office diplomat and, while he is busy working, his second wife Clarissa occupies her time making up scenarios in her head, to add some excitement in to her life, and takes care of her exceedingly hungry stepdaughter Pippa. In one of those scenarios, she imagines what she would do if she were to find a body in the house. Unfortunately, after an eventful day the scenario comes true. Clarissa has to call on those closest to her to unravel the truth and protect those she loves before they all succumb to danger, or she gets blamed for the murder.
A beautiful set, focussing on the main drawing room and patio of Copperstone Court, and simple lighting and sound effects were all that was needed to aid the story driven play. The cast as a whole come together to bring this wonderful play to life, each player, line and movement perfect, but I feel compelled to mention 2 stand outs.
Lara Lemon is sublime as Clarissa. Charming and endearing, she effortlessly glides from scene to scene, engaging subtle changes and never succumbing to one note hysteria. Its hard for me to explain her coquettish manner and understated flirtatious, alluring, grace, giving us 50s realness and breathing life into the strong, smart feminine protagonist.
Susan Earnshaw is a joy to behold as the eccentric and enigmatic gardener, Mildred Peake. Mysterious and hilarious in equal measure, her humour was on point and had the audience laughing out loud. It was quite obvious she relished the role.
Spider’s Web shows that Agatha Christie can do comedy as well as drama, there were some truly hilarious moments. The plot is intricate and, in this play, particularly unfathomable, but we are here to be entertained and not fully detect. ‘Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive!’ Come be a fly on the wall with me and catch this astounding play before it’s too late.
Cast announced for world premiere of The Book Thief Saturday 17th September – Saturday 15th October 2022
Ahead of its world premiere at the Octagon Theatre Bolton this autumn, the musical adaptation of The Book Thief announces its cast. Directed by the Octagon’s Artistic Director Lotte Wakeham (One Man Two Guvnors, The Hound of the Baskervilles, Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre) and choreographed by Tom Jackson Greaves (Amélie, Criterion Theatre), the script is penned by award-winning author Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper) and Timothy Allen McDonald (adaptor of Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka and James and the Giant Peach), with music and lyrics by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson (Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Walt Disney Animation Studios) and musical direction, orchestrations and arrangements by Matthew Malone. This spellbinding production is based on Markus Zusak’s worldwide best-selling novel and follows courageous young orphan Liesel as she enters a dangerous game of book thievery in 1930s Nazi-Germany.
The cast is led by Ryan O’Donnell (The Serpent, BBC One; Quadrophenia, Plymouth Theatre Royal) as the Narrator, Jack Lord (A Christmas Carol, Leeds Playhouse; West Side Story, Royal Exchange) as Hans Hubermann, Danielle Henry (Doctors, BBC One; After Life, National Theatre) as Rosa Hubermann, and Daniel Krikler (Present Laughter, The Old Vic; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Universal Pictures) as Max Vandenburg. They are joined by 4 extraordinary young actors; the role of Liesel will be shared by Bea Glancy and Niamh Palmer and the role of Rudy will be shared by Alfie Corbett and Charlie Murphy.
The ensemble is completed by Purvi Parmar (The Jungle Book, Chester Storyhouse; Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre Bolton), Katy Clayton (The Band, Theatre Royal Haymarket & UK Tour; A Taste of Honey, Trafalgar Studios), Victoria Brazier (Pride & Prejudice, Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre; The Secret Garden, York Theatre Royal/Theatre by the Lake), Ida Regan (4 Walls, Derby Theatre; Beauty and the Beast, The Dukes Lancaster), Duane Gooden (The Jungle Book, Fairfield Halls; The Smartest Giant in Town, Little Angel Theatre/Fiery Light), Andrew Whitehead (A Christmas Carol, Hull Truck Theatre; Brassic, Sky) and Matthew Heywood (Peter Pan, Octagon Theatre Bolton; Zorro, Hope Mill Theatre).
Octagon Artistic Director and director of The Book Thief, Lotte Wakeham comments, “I am delighted that we’ve assembled such an exceptional cast for the world premiere production of The Book Thief. We were truly amazed by the outstanding level of talent we saw throughout the audition process and I am very excited to work with this incredibly gifted company of actors. They have outstanding theatre credentials from the West End to international touring, and I’m also thrilled that so many of them hail from Greater Manchester – we’ve been fortunate to draw from an extraordinary talent pool. Casting our young performers in the crucial roles of Liesel and Rudy has also been a real joy and I think audiences will be blown away by them.”
“Based on Markus Zusak’s world-wide best-selling novel, this brand-new musical promises a spectacular theatrical experience for all, with a beautifully poignant script, sensational musical score and a visually stunning design. Add in stellar performances from our talented cast of adults and children, The Book Thief promises to be the must-see production of this autumn.”
This production is sponsored by Boo Coaching & Consulting.
READING REP THEATRE ANNOUNCE CREATIVE TEAM FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF GARY MCNAIR’S
JEKYLL & HYDE
10 – 29 OCTOBER 2022
ALL TICKETS UNDER £20
FIRST PRODUCTION OF READING REP’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
Reading Rep Theatre have today announced the creative team for the upcoming world premiere production of Gary McNair’s stage adaptation of Jekyll & Hyde. The production, which will be the first production of the theatre’s tenth anniversary season, will run from 10-29 October with all tickets being priced under £20 as part of the theatre’s recently announced ticketing strategy to combat the cost-of-living crisis’ effect on accessibility to theatre.
Gary McNair’s captivating and comic adaptation, which will be directed by Michael Fentiman (Amélie, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe), turns Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story on its head, revealing the depths of one person’s psyche and the lengths people will go to hide their deepest secrets.
Are those little voices in our heads our friends, or our enemies? What if they’re neither, what if they’re both?
GaryMcNair became a Traverse Associate Artist in February 2017 and was among the first writers selected to create new plays as part of a $5 million commissioning drive by US audiobook giant Audible. His other plays include After The Cuts, Square Go (Fringe First Award Winner 2018), Letters To Morrissey (Fringe First Award Winner 2017), Locker Room Talk and A Gambler’s Game To Dying (Fringe First Award Winner 2015, nominated for Best New Play by Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2016).
Michael Fentiman, who will direct the world premiere, recently directed the current West End production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and its prior UK tour. Fentiman’s production of Amélie (The Watermill Theatre, UK Tour, West End) was nominated for three Olivier Awards (including Best New Musical) in 2020, with Fentiman being nominated for a Grammy® in 2021 for his work on the London Cast Recording. He also directed the West End productions of The Windsors: Endgame (Prince of Wales Theatre) and The Importance of Being Earnest (Vaudeville) and the RSC’s productions of The Taming of the Shrew (RSC/US Tour), Titus Andronicus (RSC) and Ahasverus (RSC/Hampstead Theatre).
Joining McNair and Fentiman on the creative team are Max Jones (The Comedy of Errors at the RSC, Noises Off at Lyric Hammersmith & West End) as Production Designer, Emily Irish (The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) as Lighting Designer, Annie Kershaw (Safe, Best of Enemies) as Assistant Director and Fran Levin (DORIAN at Reading Rep, The Pirate Queen at London Coliseum) as Costume Supervisor. Sarah Harkins (for Annelie Powell Casting) is Casting Director. Casting will be announced at a further date.
Annie Kershaw will also direct Reading Rep and A Girl Called Stephen Theatre’s upcoming production of Hedda Gabler, which is also part of the Reading Rep: 10 season.
Running alongside Jekyll & Hyde will be the ENGAGE project Stranger Than Fiction, a community project that explores the real life inspiration behind the classic story, with participants creating pieces of fiction inspired by real life.
Central to Reading Rep’s work over the past ten years has been connecting audiences underserved by the arts through their award-winning ENGAGE programme, which has reached thousands of people throughout Reading. 10% of all tickets will continue to be free for those who can’t afford them, and each production in the Reading Rep: 10 season will have a large-scale ENGAGE project attached. The theatre has also announced that thirty £5 tickets will be available to Under 30s for each performance during the first week of each production, and a new family offer aims to make theatre more affordable for those with families and children.
Beginning in October 2022, Reading Rep: 10 will be a celebration of the voices and talent that have been part of Reading Rep’s decade long tapestry of work. The season, comprising five bold and exciting pieces of programming, will see Reading Rep honour its roots in collaborations with ongoing creative partners, whilst also championing a new frontier of creatives. Reading Rep: 10 will feature a mixture of bold new work, reimagined classics and family favourites and as part of the season the theatre has also undertaken a radical pricing overhaul, with all tickets priced under £20.
Paul Stacey, Artistic Director of Reading Rep Theatre said of the season’s ticketing: “It has been an extraordinary ten years of making theatre in Reading, and this upcoming season celebrates every artist, audience and team member who got us to this point. Accessibility and connection is at the heart of Reading Rep. We refuse to let the price point of our tickets be a barrier for our audiences, especially when the cost of living across the UK is so excruciatingly high. All tickets for all shows will be under £20. 10% of all our tickets remain free for those underserved in the arts, and there will be 210 £5 tickets per show for Under 30s. This season promises to radically engage with our future, whilst memorialising our decade long past“.
Michael Harrison and David Ian have today confirmed that their acclaimed musical, The Drifters Girl, will play its final performance at the Garrick Theatre in London on Saturday 15 October, before embarking on a UK Tour next year, opening at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton in September 2023.
The Drifters Girl has been thrilling audiences since beginning in Newcastle in October 2021. The show transferred to London in November 2021, and has continued to play to nightly standing ovations. The Drifters Girl will now play a major UK Tour from Autumn next year, with full tour dates to be announced in due course.
Michael Harrison and David Ian said: “When Adam, Tarinn, Matt and Tosh agreed to be in The Drifters Girl, we were overjoyed because we knew they were special. As are our team of covers, who kept the show going through the immensely difficult periods that the entire theatre industry has faced with Covid. Now we are fortunate to have Felicia, who is giving a thrilling performance every night as Faye Treadwell. It is an extraordinary company. Replacing them all was always going to be difficult, so we have made the decision to close the show when everyone’s contracts end on 15th October.
From its premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal to when we finish at the Garrick Theatre, The Drifters Girl will have played to over a year of nightly standing ovations. We are all incredibly proud of the show, and look forward to the UK Tour opening in Southampton next year, as well as the North American premiere which we will announce soon.”
The musical tells the story of Faye Treadwell, the legendary manager of The Drifters, who, alongside her husband, fought for three decades to turn Atlantic Records’ hottest vocal group into a global phenomenon.
From the highs of hit records and sell out tours to the lows of legal battles and personal tragedy, The Drifters Girl charts the trailblazing efforts of the world’s first African American, female music manager and how she refused to ever give up on the group she loved. Thirty years, and hundreds of hit songs later, there is no doubt that Faye Treadwell was and always will be, The Drifters Girl.
Felicia Boswell plays Faye Treadwell, with Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud as the iconic group. Beverley Knight originated the role of Faye before Felicia took over the part.
Casting for the UK Tour of The Drifters Girl will be announced at a later date.
The Drifters Girl boasts an incredible soundtrack of some of the most famous songs in history, including Save The Last Dance For Me,Under The Boardwalk, Kissin In The Back Row Of The Movies, Stand By Me, Come On Over To My Place, Saturday Night At The Movies and many more.
The Drifters Girl, with abook by Ed Curtis, based on an idea by Tina Treadwell, and which is co-created by Beverley Knight, Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud is directed by Jonathan Church, with set design by Anthony Ward, choreography by Karen Bruce, costume design by Fay Fullerton, orchestrations and musical supervision by Chris Egan lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and video design by Andrzej Goulding. Associate Director is Tyrone Huntley and Associate Choreographer is Myles Brown with casting by Stuart Burt and children’s casting by Jo Hawes.
The Drifters Girl is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.
My 11-year-old daughter and I went to see the show, and found it thoroughly enjoyable, entertaining, and funny. The set was simple but effective. The costumes and character changes were cleverly executed. We found the sound effects, music, and lighting, effective. We enjoyed the audience participation and found the theatre comfortable and cool on such a hot day.
We thought that Ben Martin, who played Dr Dee, and Emma Swan, who played Drabb, were both excellent and clever in the way that they adapted to the different characters. The script was fast moving but easy enough to keep up with, and the historical facts were interesting and made memorable by the way they were added into the play. Particularly those that were put into song and rhyme. We found the show very funny and loved the jokes that were included. We particularly liked learning about Henry VIII’s lifestyle, many wives, and the ascension to the throne after his death.
We felt the showed was perfectly pitched for both adults and children alike, and the length of the show was ideal. Running at just over an hour, so that boredom did not ‘kick in’ and the children in the audience did not become fidgety. Altogether the show was amusing, exciting and very engaging. A real winner!
