Category: Uncategorized

Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms present

HELEN FORRESTER’S SMASH-HIT

‘TWOPENCE TO CROSS THE MERSEY’

RETURNS IN A BRAND

NEW STAGE PRODUCTION  

UK Premiere Tour to visit 14 venues nationwide during Autumn 2022

The brand new stage production of Helen Forrester’s Twopence To Cross The Mersey is embarking on its first major UK national tour this Autumn. 

Twopence To Cross The Mersey UK Premiere Tour 2022 will open on Tuesday 6 September at the New Brighton Floral Pavilion in Wirral and then go on to tour a further 13 venues nationwide through to mid-November. 

The tour will visit venues in Rhyl, Stockport, Crewe, St Helens, Blackpool, Warrington, Darlington, Halifax, Croydon, Coventry, Bolton, and Southport, before closing in Liverpool. 

The new touring production of Twopence To Cross The Mersey is produced by Rob Fennah and Lynn McDermott for Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms and Directed by Gareth Tudor Price. Full cast to be announced. 

About the show –Twopence To Cross The Mersey is a stunning period drama set in the early 1930s in the midst of the Great Depression. 

In 1931, Helen’s spendthrift father was declared bankrupt forcing the family to leave behind the nannies, servants, and beautiful middle-class home in the gentler South West of England. With nothing more than the clothes they stood up in, the family of nine took the train to Liverpool where they hoped to rebuild their shattered lives. It came as a terrible shock to find the thriving, wealthy port Helen’s father remembered as a boy, the place his own father made his fortune, had long since gone. 

While 12-year-old Helen’s inept parents searched unsuccessfully to find work, she was taken out of school to look after her six younger siblings and the full burden of keeping house fell on Helen’s young shoulders. Having never had to manage a family budget in their previous life, the Forresters found themselves relying on meagre hand-outs from the local parish, charity organisations, and the kindness of strangers.  

At the age of 14, Helen had finally had enough of her miserable existence and so began a bitter fight with her mother and father to attend evening school in an effort to educate herself and make her own way in the world. But Helen’s parents had no intention of releasing their unpaid slave. They had other plans for their selfish daughter. 

Millions of people around the world know Helen Forrester’s life story told through her best-selling volumes of autobiography, Twopence To Cross The Mersey, Liverpool Miss, By The Waters Of Liverpool, and Lime Street At Two. 

Helen’s literary achievements were celebrated in 2020 when an iconic Blue Plaque was unveiled at the late author’s family home in Hoylake, a place which featured heavily in her work. 

Playwright and producer Rob Fennah explained: “In 2020 we embarked on a UK Tour of By The Waters Of Liverpool – sister show to Twopence – which was brilliantly received, but we were forced to cancel after just two weeks due to the pandemic. We tried to reschedule but Covid restrictions kept getting the better of us. It was during this period I decided to rework the Twopence To Cross The Mersey script, include some new scenes and give it a fresh look. 

“Helen’s army of loyal readers will be interested to know that, when she was still with us, Helen and I shared many letters and lengthy telephone conversations about her life story. There were some real gems in amongst those conversations which I have now written into the new scenes – fascinating memories of the late author that didn’t find their way into her books.” 

Helen Forrester’s son Robert Bhatia said: “The partnership between playwright Rob Fennah and my mother Helen, and her legacy, has been outstanding. I saw the play during its last tour and the portrayal of my mother was utterly convincing.” 

Co-producer Bill Elms added: “Twopence To Cross The Mersey is one of those very special pieces of theatre which is just a real pleasure and absolute privilege to be part of. Helen Forrester’s books are gritty but so heartwarming at the same time. Her life story really captures audiences and we are incredibly excited to take the play on its very first national UK tour. Theatregoers who may have seen earlier versions can look forward to the new production and set, and we’ll be announcing the cast very soon. For fans who have never experienced the play, this is a chance to really feel Helen’s words brought to life from the page to the stage.” 

Co-producer Lynn McDermott concluded: “This new adaptation of Twopence To Cross The Mersey also features a sizeable chunk from Liverpool Miss, Helen’s second volume of autobiography, so newcomers to Helen’s story will get a complete picture of her early years in Liverpool.” 

This year’s nationwide tour of Twopence To Cross The Mersey will be followed by a tour of By The Waters Of Liverpool in Spring 2023. 

Adapted by Rob Fennah   ·   Directed by Gareth Tudor Price 

Produced by Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms 

Fully endorsed by the Helen Forrester Estate 

Website:         www.twopencetocrossthemersey.com 

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/TwopenceThePlay 

WORLDWIDE SMASH HIT

THE CHOIR OF MAN

TO PLAY FINAL PERFORMANCE

AT THE ARTS THEATRE

ON SUNDAY 3 APRIL 2022

Runaway international hit, THE CHOIR OF MAN’s limited season at The Arts Theatre in London’s West End will play its final performance on Sunday 3 April 2022.

THE CHOIR OF MAN’s West End season follows three sell-out seasons at the Sydney Opera House and multiple sold-out US and European tours.

THE CHOIR OF MAN is the best trip to your local you’ll ever have, featuring amazing reinventions of folk, pop, Broadway and rock chart-toppers from artists including Guns ‘N’ Roses, Fun!, Adele, Avicii, Paul Simon, Sia and many more. It’s a party, it’s a concert and it’s a lock-in like no other.

The cast of nine multi-talented guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with world-class tap dance and poetic meditations on the power of community. This is a riotously feel-good homage to that gathering place we’ve all missed so much over the past year: the pub, complete with a real working bar on stage.

The cast stars Tom Brandon as the Hard Man, Miles Anthony Daley as the Romantic, Daniel Harnett as the Joker, Alistair Higgins as the Maestro, Freddie Huddleston as the Handyman, Richard Lock as the Beast, Mark Loveday as the Barman, Ben Norris as the Poet and Tyler Orphé-Baker as the Pub Bore. Also in the cast are Matt Beveridge and George Bray.

The band features Jack Hartigan as guitarist, Zami Jamil plays the violin, Emmanuel Bonsu as drummer and Caleb Wilson as bassist. 

THE CHOIR OF MAN is created by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay, directed by Nic Doodson, with musical supervision, vocal arrangements and orchestrations by Jack Blume, movement direction and choreography by Freddie Huddleston, monologues written by Ben Norris, scenic design by Oli Townsend, lighting design by Richard Dinnen, costume design and associate scenic design by Verity Sadler, sound design by Sten Severson, casting by Debbie O’Brien. Associate Choreographer is Rachel Chapman and Associate Musical Director is Hollie Cassar.

The show is produced by Immersive Everywhere, Nic Doodson, Andrew Kay, Wendy & Andy Barnes and AK Theatricals.

Website: choirofmanwestend.com

Facebook: @thechoirofman

Twitter & Instagram: @choirofman

LISTINGS INFORMATION

THE CHOIR OF MAN

The Arts Theatre

Great Newport Street

London WC2H 7JB

Box Office:  020 7836 8463

Tickets: from £15.00

Performances:

Until 13 February 2022: Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, Saturday matinees at 3.30pm, Sundays at 2.30pm & 6.00pm.

From 14 February 2022: Tuesdays to Saturdays at 7:30pm, Friday and Saturday matinees at 3:30pm, Sundays at 3:30pm.

Booking to 3 April 2022

Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes (no interval)

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER: THE MUSICAL

WITH BOOK & LYRICS BY BILL AUGUSTIN AND MUSIC BY ANDREW ABRAMS

AT THE TURBINE THEATRE FROM 18 FEBRUARY – 16 APRIL 2022

Grabbing the pom-poms and playing the high school senior who just loves cheerleading, Megan Williams, will be Alice Croft. The rest of the cast is completed by Oliver Brooks (Dad/Larry), Edward Chitticks (Jared/Rock), Damon Gould (André), Tiffany Graves (Mary Brown), Jodie Jacobs (Mom/Lloyd), Lemuel Knights (Mike), Evie Rose Lane (Graham), Harry Singh (Jalal), Jodie Steele (Kimberly/Hilary), Aaron Teoh (Dolph) and Kia-Paris Walcott (Sinead).

Paul Taylor-Mills & Bill Kenwright, in association with Adam Bialow, by special arrangement with LIONSGATE® present But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, based on the LIONSGATE® motion picture, directed and story by Jamie Babbit and screenplay by Brian Wayne Peterson. First presented as part of MTFestUK 2019, this will be the first fully commissioned musical discovered at the new musical festival, to be presented on stage.

But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, has book and lyrics by Bill Augustin, music by Andrew Abrams and direction by Tania Azevedo. Musical direction and orchestration by Josh Sood withchoreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento and set and costume design by David Shields.  Lighting by Martha Godfrey and sound design by Christ Whybrow. This new musical will run at The Turbine Theatre from 18 February – 16 April, with press night on 23 February 2022.

But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical is the story of Megan, an all-American high school cheerleader who has the perfect life.

That is, until she finds out her friends and family suspect her of being a lesbian and send her packing to ‘True Directions,’ a rehabilitation camp to set her straight. It is at this camp, under the strict tutelage of headmistress Mary Brown that Megan meets Graham, a sexy tomboy who shows her exactly what her ‘true direction’ is. Hilarious, irreverent and full of heart, But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical is a quirky coming-of-age comedy about sexual awakening and self-realization.

In celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the motion picture, LIONSGATE® has released But I’m a Cheerleader: Director’s Cut with special features that include never before seen deleted scenes, an audio commentary, Jamie Babbit’s student film Discharge, and three new featurettes, including the “But I’m a Cheerleader Class Reunion” reuniting the cast for the first time in 20 years. The motion picture cast included RuPaul Charles, Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne, Cathy Moriarty and Michelle Williams. The Director’s Cut is available on Blu Ray and video on demand for rent or purchase (UK rating of 15 and US rating of Not Rated).

Northern Ballet announces new Artistic Director

Northern Ballet has announced Federico Bonelli as the Company’s new Artistic Director.

Federico is currently a Principal dancer at The Royal Ballet where he has enjoyed a career at the highest level, dancing the company’s leading roles. He trained at the Turin Dance Academy and danced with Zürich Ballet and Dutch National Ballet before joining The Royal Ballet in 2003. He has performed as a guest dancer with many leading companies around the world and has received several awards.

In 2019 Federico graduated from the Clore Leadership Programme (The Clore Fellowship) and he is a non-executive director and member of the Board of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA). He curated the programme for The Royal Ballet activities in Doncaster as part of the Doncaster Creates festival, prior to its pandemic postponement and has coached Royal Ballet repertory, helping to nurture and develop the high standards of the company’s dancers. He co-facilitates The Royal Ballet’s Inclusivity Focus Group and is a member of the external steering group of Chance to Dance, The Royal Ballet’s outreach talent development programme that aims to remove the barriers to a diverse talent pipeline into vocational training and the ballet and dance profession.

On announcing the appointment Sir David Wootton, Chairman of Northern Ballet, said:

‘The Board of Northern Ballet is delighted that Federico Bonelli is joining us as Artistic Director. Succession to David Nixon OBE, after the massive achievements of David’s 21 years as Artistic Director, has required and received a prolonged, thorough, wide-ranging and diverse search, supported by the best advice, which has resulted in an appointment of the highest quality.

Federico joins us at the height of his career as a dancer with The Royal Ballet and he will bring to us the benefit of his experience there and at his previous companies, his manifest wish to establish a career with us in artistic leadership and a clear vision for the artistic future of Northern Ballet, enhancing and building on its classical foundations and taking us forward with new perspectives and new ideas.

I am grateful to those of my Board colleagues who have worked hard on this search, to the Northern Ballet dancers and staff who have also been involved, to our advisers and to Arts Council England for their engagement in the process. We are all very pleased with this appointment, which will do so much to set the direction for the brightest of futures for Northern Ballet.’

Federico himself said:

‘I am thrilled to be joining Northern Ballet as its new Artistic Director and I can’t wait to begin working with this exceptional group of dancers and creatives. Through its history and most recently under David Nixon’s distinguished directorship, Northern Ballet has rightly been renowned for its bold approach to narrative ballet, and it is an honour to build on this legacy.

We are at an exciting moment for the Company, which is based in Leeds and across the north, yet rooted in the whole of England and the UK. I cannot wait to leverage its wide-ranging touring to connect with wider audiences and bring outstanding ballet to as many people as possible.

I have been very impressed by the Board and team’s vision and I am excited to lead on how best to bring a diversity of perspectives and experiences represented in the stories we tell on stage. I can’t wait to bring my ideas and contribution to the Company’s vibrant offering and propel it to its future successes.’

Mark Skipper, DL, Chief Executive of Northern Ballet, added:

‘I could not be happier with the appointment of Federico Bonelli as Northern Ballet’s new Artistic Director. I am delighted that an artist of his calibre will be joining us in this role and look forward to working with him to take Northern Ballet to even greater heights over the coming years.’

Last year Northern Ballet announced that Artistic Director David Nixon OBE would be stepping down after more than 20 years at the helm. Federico will now begin to work closely with colleagues at Northern Ballet on vital future planning alongside fulfilling his existing commitments with The Royal Ballet. His tenure will begin formally on 1 May

PATRICK DUFFY TO STAR IN NEW DRAMA AT DARLINGTON HIPPODROME IN MARCH

Dallas legend Patrick Duffy (The Man from Atlantis, Step by Step) and Linda Purl (Happy Days, Homeland) fly in from Hollywood to star alongside Gray O’ Brien (Peak Practice, Coronation Street), leading the cast in an exciting new production of the classic Broadway thriller Catch Me If You Can.

The play will embark on a nationwide tour in February and will stop off at Darlington Hippodrome in March. Adapted from Robert Thomas’s French play Trap for a Lonely Man, this highly entertaining mystery has inspired three successful screenplays.

Inspector Levine is called to a house in the remote Catskill mountains to investigate the disappearance of newly married Elizabeth Corban. But when Elizabeth suddenly turns up, her husband seems surprised – and this is only the beginning of a truly baffling train of events, in which nothing is what it seems and no-one is as they appear. Will this extraordinary sequence of surprising twists and turns lead to a murderous conclusion?

Patrick Duffy is known to audiences around the world for his twelve years in the role of Bobby Ewing in the primetime TV drama Dallas. Other notable roles include Mark Harris in NBC’s Man from Atlantis, Frank Lambert in the ABC sitcom Step by Step and Stephen Logan in CBS’ The Bold and the Beautiful. On stage, he played Serge in the award-winning West End production of Art.

Linda Purl’s numerous screen roles include Ashley (Fonzie’s girlfriend) in Happy Days, Helene in the American version of The Office, Charlene Matlock in the legal drama series Matlock, and Elizabeth Gaines in Homeland. Her stage appearances include the international tour of Seven Deadly Sins Four Deadly Sinners, Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (Rubicon Theatre, California) and, most recently, Rosemary Clooney in Tenderly at the New Vic, Santa Barbara.

Gray O’Brien is best known for his portrayal of villainous Weatherfield businessman Tony Gordon in Coronation Street, as Dr Tom Deneley in Peak Practice and as Dr. Richard McCraig in Casualty. He played Milo Tindle in Sleuth at the West End’s Apollo Theatre.

We caught up with Patrick Duffy to talk about his new stage role as Daniel Corban :

What can audiences expect when they come to see Catch Me If You Can?

It’s different from the type of plays I did in school, in college and during my theatrical training. I did all the traditional things. We went through medieval morality plays through Shakespeare and the classics but I’ve never done one of these wonderful Agatha Christie-type whodunnits before, where the plot isn’t solved almost until the curtain comes down. It’s a great new rhythm for me to be in but it’s very similar, interestingly enough, to the sitcom world that I was in for seven years when I did Step by Step with Suzanne Somers because everyone is telling one level of lie to the other person and the plot gets reconciled in the last few minutes. And it’s great fun playing both sides of the character – the villain and the hero – until the audience finds out which side is the real one. I’ve never done something like this in front of an audience, especially a British audience, in my life before.

How would you sum up the character of Daniel Corban?

He’s one of the Mad Men. He’s from that era of advertising executives in the 60s, a womaniser, very good at what he does but at the expense of probably every relationship he’s ever been in. He’s Bobby Ewing with no morals.

Does the play present any specific challenges for you?

First of all it’s the rigours of it. I never leave the stage for the entire play and it’s exhausting but in an interesting way. Physically I’m not as exhausted as I am mentally and vocally. So I have to marshal my forces and live like a monk for the duration of the run, but that’s OK because it all serves the play.

The play premiered on Broadway in the 1960s but does it feel timely now?

I’d say it’s more timeless the way that a lot of great plots are. I don’t want to sound pompous but there are only about ten plots in the theatrical world and Shakespeare did all of them. It’s all about nuance; you put it in a different suit of clothes and set it in a different time period. The play is dated because we’re doing it a la the 60s but it’s not dated in terms of the content and thrust at all. It’s a timeless tale of duplicity and intrigue, and in the midst of it all there’s a comedy element which makes it extremely enjoyable.

Your co-star is also your partner Linda Purl [who plays Margaret Corban]. Have you worked together before?

We did a TV movie together last year [Doomsday Mom], which was after we’d fallen in love and were living with each other. But this is the first time I’ve been on stage with her and it’s frightening because she is such a consummate stage actress. She has such an amazing work ethic and such professionalism so when we got this job together I got cold feet at first. It’s daunting but also inspiring.

You became a couple after chatting on Zoom during lockdown. Do you think it would have happened under other circumstances?

I would tend to say, based on the almost two years we’ve been together now, that yes it would have because of the attraction, the pull and compatibility that we have for each other. All of those elements dictate to me that yes under any circumstances we’d be together, but I don’t know how long it might have taken. This was a great hands-off getting to know each other. There was never a time during the four-plus months we were communicating that I ever had to think ‘Gosh, it’s our third dinner. Do I kiss her and say goodnight?’ None of that played into it. I didn’t even know what her hand felt like. But we got to know each other on such a deep level that when we did meet in person we’d covered all of that territory and we were ready for this relationship. I think we’d have been ready at any point but this way is perfect. We’re two old ponies in the show now and we blend together extremely well.

You’ve done so much high-profile TV work in the likes of Dallas and Man From Atlantis but what have been your personal favourites over the years?

This sounds so trite but every one has been my favourite because they happened in sequence and always at the perfect time in my life. My first big job was Man From Atlantis when I was 25 years old; I was in good shape so I played a superhero. Then when I started Dallas it was much more what I had been trained to do on stage, playing the hero and the young leading man. Not only that but I worked with a person who on the first day of the read-through became the best friend I think I’ve ever had, namely Larry Hagman. Doing that show was 16 years of nothing but frivolity and fun. I loved doing Step by Step with Suzanne because again we were best friends. So each job in sequence has been the perfect next building block.

You appeared in the West End in Art. How do British audiences compare to those in your American homeland?

I’m gonna get killed in America for saying this but British audiences are dedicated theatregoers. People in America tend to go to see plays and shows in places like New York, Los Angeles and maybe Chicago but it seems like everybody in the UK knows theatre. They know ballet, they know opera, they know dramatic theatre, musicals and panto so they’re well-tuned to the theatre experience. They’re not going in on a learning curve and I find that really wonderful. British audiences to me are the quintessential audience to play to or to play with, I should say.

Is this your first time touring the UK? And what are you most looking forward to about it?

Yes, this will be the first time. I’m looking forward to travelling around the country, although this play is all time-consuming and as I say I’ll be living like a monk for 22 weeks. I’ll go to the theatre, spend every ounce of juice I’ve got, then recuperate until it’s time to go to the theatre again. I won’t get to do as much sightseeing as I’d like but the beauty is that we’re in a new town every week and we’re driving ourselves so we’ll get to see a lot of the countryside.

What’s the one thing you couldn’t be on the road without?

Linda! Also, I’ve been a Buddhist for 50 years now and I practice every day so I carry a small altar with me. Wherever I am I set up my little Buddhist altar and I do my morning and evening prayers. That’s something I do no matter where I am, whether I’m in England, the States, anywhere. And I’m a minimalist when I travel. Give me a couple of pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts; if I don’t have to go to formal dinners or do interviews I could live out of a small suitcase.

Catch Me If You Can runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Monday 14 to Saturday 19 March. To book call the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

MARIA FRIEDMAN & FRIENDS

Legacy

for 19 performances only

The Menier Chocolate Factory, in association with Sonia Friedman Productions, today announces the world première of a brand-new show Maria Friedman & Friends – Legacy, celebrating the brilliance of Marvin Hamlisch, Michel Legrand and Stephen Sondheim. Friedman performed with each multiple times, becoming a much-lauded interpreter of their works. Now with friends old and new, she explores their legacies, delighting fans and bringing new audiences to the work of these titans of 20^th century musical theatre. The production opens on 8 March, with previews from 3 March, and runs until 20 March, for a strictly limited season of 19 performances only. Booking opens today for supporters of the Menier, with public booking opening on 2 February at 9am.

Maria Friedman said today, “This event was brought about by a desire to sing, to share and to join together in celebration of some of the greatest composers of our time. These past two years have starved us of the connection and depth of emotion that brilliant music and song can evoke – and we want to bring that back in the beautifully intimate space at the Menier, and enable audiences to revel in the legacy of my much missed friends, these extraordinary artists – Hamlisch, Legrand and Sondheim. I can’t wait to share it with you.”

Three-time Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman was a friend of and collaborator with these extraordinary composers. This unique event will see her showcase many of their greatest works – including Broadway Baby, Send in the Clowns, A Piece Of Sky, At The Ballet and Nothing – with entertaining and personal memories that make a Friedman cabaret a night to remember.

Collaborating with musical director and pianist, Theo Jamieson, and with fellow performers Matthew White, Ian McLarnon, Alfie Friedman and Desmonda Cathabel, and a choir from the Royal Academy of Music, this show promises to be a celebration worthy of some of the greatest composers of the 20^th century. Jamieson will be accompanied by Paul Moylan on Double Bass, and Joe Evans on Percussion.

Maria Friedman & Friends – Legacy sees Friedman and the Menier renew their collaboration following the critically acclaimed Maria Friedman Re-arranged – which transferred to the West End, her appearance as Golde in the Menier’s production of Fiddler on the Roof at the Playhouse, and of course, Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along, which saw her make her directorial debut, and also transferred to the West End, winning the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Revival of a Musical and the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Musical.

Maria Friedman is a three-time Olivier Award winner for Maria Friedman By Special Arrangement at the Donmar Warehouse (1995), Best Actress in a Musical for her performance as Fosca in the West End production of Stephen Sondheim’s Passion (1996), and for Ragtime (2003), and nine-time Olivier Award nominee. Her other theatre credits include Fiddler on the Roof, Merrily We Roll Along, Blues in the Night, Chicago, The Witches of Eastwick, Anna in The King and I at the Royal Albert Hall with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and Lady in the Dark. In 2004 she originated the role of Marian Halcombe in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Woman in White, both in the West End and on Broadway. She is regularly associated with the work of Stephen Sondheim, having performed principle roles in Merrily We Roll Along, A Little Night Music, Sunday in the Park with George, as Mrs Lovett in concert performances of Sweeney Todd (Royal Festival Hall), as Sally in Follies (Palladium) as well as other concert performances as Desiree Armfeldt, Countess Charlotte Malcolm and Petra in A Little Night Music. She also appeared in New York, Washington and the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in celebration of Stephen Sondheim’s 80th birthday. She has performed her critically acclaimed one-woman shows – Maria Friedman – By Special Arrangement and Maria Friedman – By Extra Special Arrangement in venues around the UK and in New York including several seasons at the Café Carlyle, and has most recently performed her new solo show From the Heart to sell-out audiences at Crazy Coqs. She has featured on many cast recordings and released several solo albums including Maria Friedman, Maria Friedman Live, Now and Then, and Maria Friedman Celebrates The Great British Songbook. On screen, her roles include Elaine Peacock in EastEnders, Trish Baynes in Casualty, Red Dwarf, the Narrator in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (DVD), and the Mother Abbess on ITV’s Sound of Music Live. In 2013, she made her directorial debut at the Menier Chocolate Factory with Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along. Her other directing credits include High Society (The Old Vic), Stepping Out (Vaudeville Theatre) and the world première of the new musical Dusty (Theatre Royal Bath). During lockdown, Friedman and Adrian der Gregorian launched Doorstep Productions to take live musical theatre to front doors across the UK and the company continues to entertain guests at parties and events all over the country.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY

53 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1RU

HABEAS CORPUS

Until 28 February 2022

MARIA FRIEDMAN & FRIENDS – LEGACY

3 – 20 March

Box Office:                         020 7378 1713 (£2.50 transaction fee per booking)

Website:             www.menierchocolatefactory.com (£1.50 transaction fee per booking)

Tickets:                               Prices vary, as below from discounted preview tickets to premier seats. With the emphasis on ‘the sooner you book, the better the price’:

www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Twitter: @MenChocFactory

Instagram: @menierchocolatefactory

Jack Studio Theatre – until 19 February 2022

4****

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The second play in Arrows & Traps Dyer’s Hand season charts Cecilia Payne’s ground-breaking academic career at Harvard University. The touching nurturing relationship between Payne and Gustav Holst that frames the first play in the season bookends this play, tempting any audience members who have not yet seen Holst to book their tickets straight away.

Beginning with a scene that will raise the audience’s hackles, the brave new world Cecilia (Laurel Marks) finds herself in when she arrives at Harvard – no servants, no outdated rules, women working in the sciences – is represented by jazz and blues music. This shiny sense of empowerment soon dissipates as Harvard’s attitude to women scientists is revealed – to let them work quietly with no acknowledgement. Allowed to research the stellar spectra, Cecilia discovers that the stars are composed mainly of Hydrogen and Helium, but her conclusions contradict the findings and theories of the scientific establishment, and she is told to label her findings spurious.

Writer and director Ross McGregor excels in writing strong women characters without idealising them, and in this play it is very clear who are the smartest people in the room. Laurel Marks’ adult Cecilia, with shades of the emotional and social outcast schoolgirl beneath the frustrated but stoic academic, is finely nuanced and utterly charming. Lucy Ioannou and Cornelia Baumann, as Adelaide Aimes and Annie Jump Cannon, are the dream team of support systems, with Ioannou’s lively and extraverted Aimes bringing Cecilia out of her shell, and Baumann’s Cannon championing her cause amongst killer one liners. Cecilia’s ground-breaking future being marked by Cecilia’s gradual costume change from resembling Cannon in Edwardian dress to more progressive modern dress is a lovely touch. Edward Spence is lots of fun as Donald Menzel, Toby Wynn-Davies, so tender as Holst, is a calm and controlling bully as Russell, and Alex Stevens veers between loveable and slappable as Harlow Shapley. The scene where the two convince Cecilia to alter her thesis is skin-crawling good, with their reasonable sounding arguments and emotional blackmail becoming more and more targeted at Cecilia’s weak spots.

This is a more linear play than Holst, but the design by Odin Corie, Jonathan Simpson, Andrew Lax and Douglas Baker still provides moments of magic. The title cards are still there to keep track of events and the musical choices are wonderful. Even in a play about science, there is time for some beautiful and emotional movement scenes. There is lots of dialogue about astronomy, but it is all vital to the plot, peppered with one-liners and balanced well with Cecilia’s personal story.

The Stars Are Fire is an outstanding tribute to Cecilia Payne’s career and legacy – an inspirational story performed by a heavenly cast with wit, charm and passion

Chichester Festival Theatre – until 5^th February 2022

Reviewed by Emma Barnes and Gill Gardiner

5*****

The play by John Patrick Stanley, which has won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, is set in 1964 in a small convent school in the Bronx. Sister Aloysius (played by Monica Dolan) is a strong minded headmistress, who is wedded to tradition and unafraid to fight for her beliefs. She wrestles with an intense moral dilemma when she becomes suspicious about Father Flynn’s relationship with a child.  Father Flynn (played by Sam Spruell) is liberal minded and charismatic. Stuck in the middle is a naive and sensitive younger nun, Sister James (played by Jessica Rhodes)

The story is told in 90 riveting minutes in conversations between just four actors who portrayed their characters with impeccable dynamism. 

The production delivers raw simplicity with minimal scenery and props which serves to give the knotty complexity of the themes the prominence that the audience requires to focus on the dialogue. The most provocatively powerful scene is without doubt the difficult conversation between Mrs Muller (played by Rebecca Scroggs) and Sister Aloysius which delivers to an even deeper level of moral uncertainty.

A beautifully balanced debate drama which leaves you doubting your own thoughts and preconceptions at every turn. The complex but nuanced plot was neatly balanced by the sharp wit of Sister Aloysius which gave light relief.    We left the play still enraptured within the story, still desperate for closure on who , if anyone,  had fallen from grace.   Father Flynn asked “ What do you do when you’re not sure? “  to be honest,  we don’t know either! 
A powerful, intense and thought-provoking play of moral uncertainty with a superb cast; very watchable and highly recommended.

Empire Theatre, Liverpool – until Saturday 5^th February 2022

Reviewed by Carla Whittaker

5*****

The internationally acclaimed stage sensation is currently playing to sell-out crowds at Liverpool Empire Theatre until Saturday 5^th February 2022.  I was exceptionally lucky to be able to get a ticket to see this smash hit musical with my friend as I had been wanting to see it for some time, and it was showing at the ever so popular Liverpool Empire Theatre, a theatre which is renowned for its intimate seating, traditional décor, and as always exceptional staff and hospitality.

Jersey Boys tells the true story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, from their beginnings as four guys from New Jersey to their rise to fame and distinctive style.  Whilst this may appear as a classic musical rag to riches story, the show gives an excellent portrayal of the trials and tribulations behind one of the biggest chart toppers in history from run-ins with the mob, debt, stints in prison, disruption, divorce, and the loss of Valli’s daughter. Entwined within the musical are their classic hits such as Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like A Man”, “Bye Bye Baby”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “Working My Way Back To You” accompanied by fantastic strong vocals. I think the whole audience was singing and toe tapping along to these instantly recognisable songs from beginning to end.

For me, a highlight of the show for me was Luke Suri who played the part of Franki Valli. His vocals couldn’t be more perfect for this role and carries it with ease which is compelling and impressive.  Luke thoroughly deserved the standing ovation midway through the act!

The backdrop of the production was a simple, yet effective single scaffold style set with 1960s with background screens seamlessly displaying digital pop art graphics showing to highlight a different scene or line and footage of the actual band at times The dancing was very well choreographed and was executed by the ensemble perfectly.

Jersey Boys is an excellent story full of twists and turns accompanied by fantastic music, I would highly recommend this show to anyone even if you have no idea who Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons you are will know their story by the end of Jersey Boys! This is a show not to miss. Jersey Boys is playing at the Liverpool Empire Theatre until 5^th February 2022.

Triptych Theatre in association with Etcetera Theatre and Laughing Horse presents

VERMIN

Written by Benny Ainsworth, performed by Sally Paffett and Benny Ainsworth, directed by Michael Parker, all co-founders of Triptych Theatre. 

Previews at Etcetera Theatre Camden: 25th March @ 7PM, 26th March @ 9PM

Dates and times at Brighton Fringe, Laughing Horse – Walrus Raised Room: 15th May @ 4:30PM, 16th May @ 8:15PM, 19th May @ 9:30PM, 22nd May @ 8:15PM, 29th May @ 3:15PM, 30th May @ 9:30PM.

Plus, one performance at Caroline of Brunswick, 28th May @ 2:00PM.

This isn’t your usual love story. A dramatic encounter on a train causes Billy and Rachel’s lives to irrevocably intertwine, but their whirlwind romance takes a dark turn when they discover their new home is infested with rats. Devastation rains down on their quiet neighbourhood as the rats bring out the madness hiding inside them.

Billy, a lazy lump with a troubled past and diagnosed OCD, sees in the rats an excuse to unleash unbridled violence on living creatures. Rachel, a spiritual animal lover who has recently lost a child, sees in them the reincarnated soul of her daughter, Alice. Their different approaches to the pesky visitors leaves them at odds, and drives a deep wedge into their already fractious relationship.

This explosive two-hander sees Billy and Rachel explain to their audience their descent into chaos, each seeking redemption for their own transgressions. 

A darkly comic emotional rollercoaster of a play, full of laughs, shocks, secrets and vengeance, influenced by the likes of Philip Ridley and Duncan Macmillan, and with graphic content that wouldn’t be out of place in a Tarantino movie – come and listen to Billy and Rachel’s very different sides of a very, very dark tale.

VERMIN is the third play produced by Triptych Theatre. Sally, Michael and Benny formed the company in 2014 in their last year at East 15 Acting School. Benny acts as writer, actor and co-producer while Sally and Michael act as directors, actors, and co-producers. All aspects of their shows are created and realised by their small but mighty troupe of three. The show was initially inspired by a news article about one woman’s shocking experience of stillbirth, but has since taken on a life of its own, exploring themes such as mental health, relationships, the depravity of humankind and fate. 

Outstanding […] Laugh out loud […] Keeps the audience mesmerised.

London Pub Theatres ****

Richly lurid […] A genuinely exhilarating piece of theatre.

End of the Fringe ****

(For An Audience with Stuart Bagcliffe, 2019 / Scattered, 2014)

“A company that is full of promise, a priority”

Broadway Baby, of Triptych Theatre