Le Navet Bete in association with Exeter Northcott Theatre Present
Dracula: The Bloody Truth
York Theatre Royal, 24 & 25 September
Award-winning kings of comedy Le Navet Bete bring their critically acclaimed, five-star smash hit show Dracula: The Bloody Truth to York Theatre Royal on 24 & 25 September.
Since premiering at the Exeter Northcott on April Fool’s Day 2017 the show has been seen by thousands across all four corners of the UK. In 2018 It was published by Nick Hern Books and licensed worldwide, propelling this Devon-born show to Boston, Canada, New Zealand and beyond… and now to York.
Audiences in this “family friendly show” will be taken on a journey across Europe from the dark and sinister Transylvanian mountains to the awkwardly charming seaside town of Whitby. They’ll join esteemed Professor Abraham Van Helsing and his three idiotic actors as they frantically try to expose the truth behind Bram Stoker’s infamous novel and warn audiences about the real dangers of vampires.
Dracula: The Bloody Truth is Le Navet Bete’s third collaboration with one of UK theatre’s most exciting comedy writers and directors John Nicholson. John is Co-Artistic Director of Peepolykus and has previously worked with the likes of Rik Mayall, Nina Conti and Paul Merton as well as regularly writing for TV and radio.
Mixing slapstick with carefully crafted comedy and a healthy dose of things going wrong, Dracula: The Bloody Truth promises to have the vampires back in the ground and audiences flying high.
Writer and director John Nicholson said of Le Navet Bete: “ Le Navet Bete are a young company to be treasured. They are dedicated and committed to producing comic work that takes risks. They are committed to pushing themselves to explore new territory. Combined with this, they have a winning appeal that acts like a magnet for audiences of all ages. Dracula: The Bloody Truth is no exception.”
“Best new comedy” – Broadway World | “Unashamedly silly” – Reviews Hub | “Gloriously daft” – Stagetalk magazine
The Pleasance Theatre Trust returned to its Edinburgh home this summer, thanks to the unwavering support of its audiences, to present a defiant programme of exciting newcomers, thought-provoking artists and much-loved Fringe stalwarts. With 662 performances of 82 shows in four live venues and online, the programme was enjoyed by just over 36,000 ticket holders. This is in comparison to 5,534 performances of 277 productions in 2019 when Pleasance welcomed over 560,000 festival goers through its doors. Whilst 2021’s festival has included sellout runs and acclaimed socially distanced performances, the total box office for this year’s festival will represent just 6.5% of the Pleasance’s 2019 tickets and revenue.
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Notwithstanding a smaller festival, the Pleasance’s commitment to supporting innovative emerging artists through their development schemes is paramount. £20,000 was invested in Screen 9, recipient of Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Theatre Reserve, and Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her) – the inaugural recipient of the Charlie Hartill Development Fund for Artists of Colour which was heralded by the Guardian as a 5 star knock out and described as having “tremendous emotional range, drawing us ever deeper into the dark heart of a play, written from the author’s experience, that sings with truth and is powered by political rage”. Although the Pleasance was unable to host its family-friendly hub the Kidzone, the venue still funded experiences for young festival-goers with over £4,500 of support provided to children’s shows Roald Dahl’s The Twits, Meet Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking and Community Clay Time.
Partnerships are always key to the Pleasance’s presence in Edinburgh, but particularly in this challenging year. The iconic Pleasance Courtyard was able to reopen with the support of the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, whilst vital funding from the Scottish Government enabled its new outdoor performance space to come to life. Work also continued with the Edinburgh International Conference Centre which saw one of the city’s largest performance hubs run side-by-side with its biggest vaccination centre. The Pleasance’s online programme was supported through the launch of the Pleasance Player with online platform LIVR and an exciting new collaboration with the Academy of Music and Theatre Arts (AMATA) at Falmouth University, saw nine new shows broadcast live online from Cornwall as part of The Edinburgh Fringe Digital Showcase. And that wasn’t all – Eugene was supported by John Ellerman Foundation, along with four other productions in the London and online season which also played online. The William Syson Foundation supported new Scottish artists, including LANDING and Look, No Hands.
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Anthony Alderson, Director of the Pleasance, said, We couldn’t have mounted any festival this year without the hundreds of people who supported our Crowdfunder in 2020 – we are forever grateful to them. Only eight weeks before the festival was due to start did we get the go ahead from the Scottish Government and some extremely welcome support from Event Scotland, which enabled us to create a distanced, safe and covered outdoor space at the Pleasance Courtyard. In many ways it has felt a little like festivals of old, with a small number of venues and a special programme of handpicked shows. With a desire to present as much of a festival as we could, we also took our Fringe programme on tour with a full line-up of shows at the Pleasance in London and a sizable number online, including nine live streamed productions in partnership with Falmouth University. The programme may be smaller than ever, but its heart and soul is as gigantic as ever.
The Pleasance continued to work in partnership with HIV and Hepatitis C charity Waverley Care for the 29th year to raise awareness and funds for their vital services, which have been severely affected during the pandemic. Approximately £3,000 has been raised for this important charity, with the Pleasance donating 100% of its share of ticket revenue from its online programme alongside proceeds from the one-off spectacular Tartan Ribbon Comedy Benefit and text donations. With festival donations having topped £65,000 at the 2019 Fringe, the Pleasance continue to encourage audiences to show their support beyond August.
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The Pleasance’s operation was only made possible through the efforts of its dedicated festival team, which was scaled back from some 220 people in 2019 to just 28.
Normally the Pleasance would complete a Fringe with a dazzling trophy cabinet but with few of those taking place this year, the Pleasance still celebrates the achievements of artists and venues at the 2021 festival. The Pleasance continues to rebuild from the devastating effects of the pandemic and work towards the return of a sustainable Fringe in 2022.
BBC Arts and New Creatives. BBC4 RADIO XTRA Friday 10th September 2021: 6:30, 13:30, 20:30 and 01:30. On demand from 10th September on BBC SOUNDS.
Reviewed by Aimee Liddington.
4****
Have you ever fallen in love with an animal? He has. In his first piece since winning the Papatango New Writing Prize, Tom Powell stuns us with this enchanting love story between a man and an elephant. ‘That sounds a bit odd’ – I hear you say. I thought the same at first but I was compelled to find out more and I’m glad I did.
The tale begins with their first encounter at the zoo but after escaping in a violent stampede and starting their life together in Shrewsbury, the man and the elephant begin to grow further and further apart. This surreal and unconventional love story is strange and fantastical; it takes us back to childhood bedtime stories but doesn’t shy away from prompting us to think about life’s big questions.
Powell should be applauded for this spectacular piece of writing. He has used a variety of poetic techniques such as repetition, rhyming and a dazzling array of similes and metaphors which bring the story alive for us in our own minds. His outstanding writing is accompanied by the simple but effective sound effects of Madison Willing (Composer and Sound designer) which help in bringing this recording into the three dimensional.
Saffron Coomber is also worth a mention for her reading of the part of the elephant. Coomber portrays the change in the character well and plays with how we feel about her from one minute to the next. The character has been very cleverly crafted and although we start off feeling sorry for the elephant, we certainly don’t finish the story feeling that way. The way in which Coomber portrays the elephant’s new found cockiness and sass with just her voice is impressive.
Indulge in your inner child and open up your imagination to unlikely possibilities with ‘Love Beyond the Zoo’ – it’s not just a fictional story but also a fable which makes us question what it really means to be free.
BARN THEATRE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM FOR DAVID COPPERFIELD
Phillip Olagoke, Rosalind Ford & Reuben Greeph
THE ACTOR-MUSICIAN ADAPTATION OF THE CHARLES DICKENS CLASSIC RUNS IN CIRENCESTER FROM 28 SEPTEMBER – 30 OCTOBER
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF SIMON READE’S NEW ADAPTATION WILL BE DIRECTED BY ALEXANDER KNOTT & ZÖE GRAIN AND FEATURE ORIGINAL MUSIC BY CHRIS LARNER & DESIGN BY TARA USHER
The Barn Theatre in Cirencester have today announced the full cast and creative team for the world premiere production of David Copperfield,which runs from 28 September – 30 October.
David Copperfield, which has the full title of The Personal History, Adventure, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield, The Younger of Blunderstone Rookery (Which He Never Meant to Publish on Any Account), is a three-hander, actor-musician play with music, based on the Charles Dickens classic of the same name.
The rite-of-passage story, which Charles Dickens confessed was the “favourite child” of all his works, follows a young man full of hope, learning about life from an eccentric cast of characters on his journey into adulthood.
In this new actor-musician dramatisation by frequent Barn Theatre collaborator Simon Reade (Private Peaceful, An Elephant in the Garden) with original music by Chris Larner (An Instinct for Kindness, The Barber of Seville), Copperfield is joined by a pair of actor-musicians who take the audience on a vibrant, colourful, magical, journey of musical discovery from the world of toy theatre to the world of David Copperfield.
Simon Reade will reunite with directorial team Alexander Knott & Zöe Grain from BoxLess Theatre, who were behind the critically acclaimed 2020 production of his Private Peaceful stage adaptation.
2020 Royal Central School of Speech & Drama graduate Phillip Olagoke (Farewell Leicester Square) will play the title role of David Copperfield with Rosalind Ford (Gin Craze, Once) as Mr Micawber, Agnes, Little Em’ly (& 17 more) and Reuben Greeph (Little Miss Sunshine, Six) as Uriah Heep, Betsey Trotwood, Mr Peggotty (& 17 more).
Reade said of his adaptation, “Charles Dickens had an unrequited love affair with the theatre. An occasional dramatist and amateur actor, his novels were influenced by – and in turn influenced the Victorian theatre of his day.
David Copperfield is also Dickens’ most overtly autobiographical novel (it can be no coincidence that Charles Dickens’s initials are inverted to become David Copperfield’s initials), a proto-auto-fiction that is, unusually for him, written in the first person, by a narrator eager to recall his life in the moment while resisting the painful benefit of hindsight – and the foreboding of foresight of what is already known.
The Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield will be playful and theatrical and dramatic. Like David Copperfield’s life. Like Dickens’s life. Like life. It could not be a more perspicacious narrative for our own unbelievable times.”
The Barn Theatre production, in association with BoxLess Theatre, will also feature design by Tara Usher (Little Baby Jesus, Queen of the Mist) with musical direction by Francesca Fenech,AV design by Charles Flint, lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner (Stones in His Pockets, Private Peaceful) and sound design by Harry Smith (The Picture of Dorian Gray, Private Peaceful).
Tickets are now on sale from £11.50, with family ticket deals available for all the Barn’s upcoming 2021 productions, at barntheatre.org.uk.
This piece is written with honesty and integrity, speaking from the heart of the era and from Janis Joplin herself. Expect to be immersed in the birth of the age of Aquarius – come dressed for the occasion!
Collette Cooper (Janis Joplin) has you in her grasp from the moment she takes the stage. Her conversations with the audience are interspersed with dynamic song that reaches right into your soul. Cooper embodies Joplin’s mannerisms as if they are her own. Cooper is 100% in the zone. Along with the band she has everyone on their feet, with the supporting cast providing context and encouragement. All together you feel transported back to witness the short life of an awesome talent.
If you know nothing about Joplin, come and learn. If you are a fan, come and be part of the experience. I will be going again.
BASED ON AN IDEA BY CHRISTOPHER D. CLEGG DIRECTED BY JESSE JONES
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM
DEATHDROPPLAY.COM
Following rave reviews at London’s Garrick Theatre, the fabulous killer comedy and smash hit sold-out sensation Death Drop will be sashaying across the UK on tour this autumn. Kicking off in October in Southend, the tour will also visit Salford, Cardiff, Crewe and Birmingham, with further venues to be announced. Tickets are on sale now.
Described by Attitude as a “killer show” and ”rollicking good fun” by The Guardian, the UK tour will star Ru-Paul USA drag legends Willam and Ra’Jah O’Hara and Drag Race UK star Vinegar Strokes who reprises her originating West End role, together with Holly Stars and a full cast of leading drag performers.
Written by Holly Stars, this “dazzling and delightfully camp comedy” is “jam-packed with hilarious one liners” and guaranteed to provide laugh-out-loud comedy that we all need right now. This show is like nothing you’ve seen on tour in the UK ever before!
Willam said: “I had so much fun in the West End, I’m now excited to be touring the UK in Death Drop, a spectacular drag musical murder mystery. No spoilers please (I DID IT).”
Vinegar Strokes said: “Absolutely thrilled to be back on Tuck Island and touring the UK in this killer production. Whoever wants to buy me a drink, make it a double Redrum.”
Holly Stars said: “I’m so excited that Death Drop is going on tour with this all-star cast! The show was such a hit in London, I can’t wait to show the rest of the UK why Death Drop was such a killer success.”
TuckShop Creative Director and Producer Christopher D. Clegg said: “I am beyond thrilled that we get to take the smash hit murder-mystery comedy Death Drop on tour! Coming to some of my favourite cities with some of the best drag talent the World has to offers will be so fun, and I can’t wait for everyone to see what we have in store. This cast is so funny, so fabulous, and so fierce that to not take it around the country would be a crime!”
It’s 1991 and a gaggle of guests gather on Tuck Island for a soirée like no other. The tension rises as the outrageous guests reveal their suspicious and sordid pasts, and one by one they sashay away, until at the last, nerve-shredding, side-splitting moment the surviving guests find out who-dunnit!
This rampant, raucous, ridiculous romp of a murder mystery serves up all the drama, comedy, twists and turns you’ll ever need!
Riverside Studios today announce the world première of Boys Crywritten and performed by Christian Graham. The production runs at Riverside Studios, opening16 September, with previews from14 September, and running until 26 September, following its run at Omnibus Theatre, 30 August to 9 September 2021.
“How do I begin?
I’ll try my best to be clear.
To make sense of things….”
When Mark is mugged on the way to college, his reality is shattered. This life-changing event forces him to confront some of his deepest issues and to begin to interrogate his connection to masculinity. For Mark, being a boy has always meant closing up and shying away from complex emotions. His typically masculine dad is looking for a quick solution, his mum there to be a shoulder to cry on when he is ready to release. As he begins to reassemble himself, he develops a sharper image of the person he wants to be.
Bringing us back to the first decade of the 21st Century – the early 2000s – Boys Cry explores self-image, maturity, life after trauma and definitions of manhood. It fights to overcome toxic aspects of masculinity and interrogate the norms we have come to accept about gender.
Christian Graham, writer and performer of Boys Cry, said today, “I wrote Boys Cry to talk about how vulnerability is a strength rather than a weakness but I hope that audiences also walk away with an awareness of how to question some of the false narratives about masculinity we have grown up with. It’s especially important for young men to be able to free themselves from these misconceptions.”
Rachel Tackley,Creative Director of Riverside Theatre,also commented:“I am really looking forward to sharing this intensely personal, moving piece with audiences at Riverside. I am sure it will captivate audiences and inspire debate, which we look forward to being part of.”
Marie McCarthy, Omnibus Theatre Artistic Director, said: “Developed in Engine Room, our monthly scratch night, Christian Graham’s Boys Cry is a powerful, inspiring and insightful piece exploring the impact of trauma and sits proudly in our Autumn Season.”
Christian Graham is an actor/writer. His credits as an actor include Hong Kong City (The White Bear), Miniaturists (Arcola Theatre) and Heat and Light Company (Hampstead Theatre). He is an alumnus of The Soho Theatre Writer’s Labs, Hightide Academy and Orange Tree Theatre Writers Collective.
Ebenezer Bamgboye is the deputy director of Jermyn Street Theatre and a resident director at the Almeida. Recent credits include Two Horsemen (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Six Artists in Search of a Play (Almeida). He has also made work for venues including CPT, Battersea Arts Centre, Hampstead Theatre and the Omnibus.
SHEFFIELD THEATRES WELCOMES NEW TRUSTEES TO THEIR BOARD
Sheffield Theatres today announces the new Trustees to its Boards, appointed to work alongside the leadership team and help shape the future of the organisation.
Joining the Sheffield Theatres Trust Board is: esteemed academic Anni Domingo;educational IT Director James Garnett; Executive Director at Theatre Royal Stratford East Eleanor Lang; Chief Executive of Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Kirsten Major; retired solicitor and former Group Chief Executive of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors John Pickering;and Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development at Sheffield Hallam University Umar Zamman.
Also returning to the Board is long-term supporter of Sheffield Theatres: NeilMacDonald OBE. The new members join the current members of the Sheffield Theatres Trust Board, including: LordKerslake (Chair), StephenBetts, RuthBourne, SurriyaFalconer (Vice Chair), CllrAnneMurphy, RosieNeave, CllrSioned–MairRichards and ArnieSingh.
Alongside this board, Sheffield Theatres welcomes to the Sheffield Theatres Crucible Trust Board: independent Theatre Producer and Consultant Kate Pakenham, andExecutive Director at The Old Vic Kate Varah, who both join independent theatre Producers: Matthew ByamShaw (Playful); RobertNoble (Cameron Mackintosh and Mathew Bourne); from AKA, Director of Audiences, Research and Insights RichardHuntrods; and NeilAdleman of Harbottle & Lewis.
All trustees contribute a wealth of knowledge and insight into local, regional and cultural agendas, helping to provide clear strategic direction to the organisation, setting overall policy, defining goals and evaluating performance. The new trustees will ensure positive change in the organisation through actions and words that advocate inclusion and equality.
The new trustees form the Board following a successful year in the face of unprecedented circumstances: Sheffield Theatres continues to produce and present a diverse programme of work, including classic and contemporary drama, musicals, comedy, and dance on each of its stages. Gaining national recognition for its high calibre work such as Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Life of Pi and Standing at the Sky’s Edge, under the leadership of Dan Bates as Chief Executive and Robert Hastie as Artistic Director, Sheffield Theatres was awarded the title of the UK’s Regional Theatre of the Year in 2020 – a title it has held on an unprecedented four occasions. On average the theatres attract audiences of 400,000 people each year.
DanBates, Chief Executive of Sheffield Theatres said:
‘It’s a real delight to welcome new experts to our Board. We are looking ahead to the future of Sheffield Theatres and having individuals from different sectors, professions and backgrounds is invaluable to us, especially in offering exciting innovations and making significant decisions about the next steps ahead as we re-open and recover from the pandemic.’
This autumn, Sheffield Theatres has a full programme across all three of its theatres, having recently reopened the Lyceum theatre. The Crucible season opens with Typical Girls, by Morgan Lloyd Malcom. This new play is a co-production with Clean Break. Further information can be found at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.
Event created during the pandemic is back by popular demand
Line-up features 23 performances of 16 shows over 12 days
Premieres include 2Georgeous4U and Something About George
The much anticipated Liverpool Theatre Festival returns next week with an exciting line-up to celebrate and showcase the region’s performing and creative arts talent.
The outdoor live event is back for its second year and organisers are delighted to present a programme which features 23 performances of 16 shows across 12 days.
Liverpool Theatre Festival was created by Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms, and was first staged in September 2020 to help support the city’s creative arts industry during the Covid-19 pandemic. The event won praise from audiences and critics alike, and returns bigger for 2021. New for this year, seven-day fringe event Little LTF was staged in July to champion and showcase new works and talent, attracting 1,200 festivalgoers.
Liverpool Theatre Festival runs between Wednesday 1 September and Sunday 12 September 2021, and is once again being staged at St Luke’s Bombed Out Churchin Liverpool city centre.
One-woman comedy show 2Gorgeous4U – From Ladette To Laundrette starring Liverpool actress Lynne Fitzgerald opens the festival on Wednesday 1 September. Something About George – The George Harrison Storyfeaturing Liverpool actor and musician Daniel Taylor closes the festival on Sunday 12 September. Both productions are being premiered at the event.
The full Liverpool Theatre Festival line-up is 2Gorgeous4U, Perfectly Frank, The Last Five Years, When Another Dragon Roars, Everybody’s Talking About Musicals, Boing…Meow! The Musical, Electric Dreams, An Evening Without Kate Bush, Twice Nightly, Swan Song, Opera Beneath The Stars, Broken Biscuits, Twelfth Night By William Shakespeare, Laughterhouse Comedy, Goldilocks And The Fab 4, and Something About George – The George Harrison Story.
Producer and artistic director Bill Elms commented: “Audiences welcomed Liverpool Theatre Festival last year at a time when faith, hope and laughter was much needed. They put their trust in us to provide live entertainment in a safe environment, and their incredible support has played a huge part in bringing the festival back this year, as well as introducing new works showcase and fringe festival Little LTF in July.
“Next week the curtain rises on the second annual Liverpool Theatre Festival and we are truly excited to be back for 12 days – we’re looking forward to seeing returning festivalgoers, and those coming to experience the event for the first time. We’ve created a diverse and fun programme, bursting with massively talented performers and inspiring creatives who will entertain young and old through 16 fantastic shows spanning 23 performances. Music, comedy, drama, and family shows, we’ve ensured there is something for everyone.”
Liverpool Theatre Festival is funded by Liverpool City Council and Culture Liverpool, sponsored by Falconer Chester Hall, and supported by Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres and dBS Solutions.
The festival will adhere to any Covid-19 and Government guidelines required at the time.
LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL PROGRAMME IN FULL
2GORGEOUS4U –FROM LADETTE TO LAUNDRETTE is on Wednesday 1 September, with performances at 5pm and 8pm. Running time 70 minutes no interval.
Packed with laughter, throw backs to the Nineties, and a soundtrack guaranteed to bring back memories of the decade featuring Queen Latifa, Blur, Gabrielle, and KKlass. Written by acclaimed Liverpool playwright Mark Davies Markham, the production stars Lynne Fitzgerald (Two, Bunty The Bouncer, The Desperate Scousewives), with James Baker directing (Jerry Springer The Opera, Yank). Clare is a beautician with her own spa and treatment room in Waterloo. Back in the Britpop 1990s, Clare was one half of a pop duo 2Gorgeous4U with her best mate Tina, but they fell out. Find out what happens when they’re asked to reform for a music festival in their hometown of Liverpool.
PERFECTLY FRANK is on Thursday 2 September at 7.30pm. The show runs for two hours 20 minutes including interval.
David Knopov keeps the swing of Sinatra alive through his show, Perfectly Frank. Seen on BBC’s The One And Only, the show is believed to be one of the most successful Frank Sinatra tributes around. Liverpool’s David Knopov has entertained a global audience with his Sinatra act for more than 30 years – including a performance for Queen Elizabeth II during the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Celebrity fans also include actors Bill Nighy and Dawn French.
THE LAST FIVE YEARS is on Friday 3 September 2021, with performances at 5pm and 8pm. Running time 75 minutes no interval.
Jason Robert Brown’s Drama Desk Award-winning musical, The Last Five Years, is an intimate look at the relationship between two New Yorkers – an actress and a writer, who fall in and out of love over the course of five years. The musical’s unconventional structure pulls the audience in opposite directions with Cathy’s story unfolding in reverse from the end of their turbulent relationship, while Jamie tells his story chronologically from the spark of their initial meeting, taking audiences on an emotional rollercoaster through the joyous and the tragic. Presented by Tread Productions, it stars real-life married couple Helen Noble (Hollyoaks) and Graham Tudor (West End leading actor), directed by Iestyn Arwel, with musical supervision by Jordan Alexander.
WHEN ANOTHER DRAGON ROARS is on Saturday 4 September at 11.30am. The show runs for 45 minutes no interval.
The show fuses Altered Scale’s outstanding puppetry with Petite Ullaloom’s unique storytelling style, and is directed by Kevin Dyer. Alfie and his Mum are going camping to get away from everything – and to spend some quality time together. Alfie finds it hard to talk, his Mum does too. They share stories about dragons – scary ones, sulky ones, angry ones, and funny ones. They discover that emotions, like dragons, are tricky beasts. Sometimes they need to be tamed, sometimes they need to be released. Told with charm and humour, this is a thoughtful and heart-warming show for children and adults alike.
EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT MUSICALS is on Saturday 4September 2021, with performances at 6pm and 8.30pm. Running time 75 minutes no interval.
The cast of this vibrant and electrifying show includesMarcus Collins (X Factor, Hairspray, Kinky Boots), Chloe Taylor (Mamma Mia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wicked), Craig Ryder (Bat Out Of Hell, We Will Rock You, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert), and Gillian Hardie (Blood Brothers, Bad Girls The Musical, Macbeth), joined by an ensemble cast from Liverpool Theatre School. Pearson Theatre Productions and Curtis Productions collaborate for the first time to present this fabulous night of musical theatre with performances from West End shows such as Kinky Boots, SIX The Musical, Mamma Mia, and &Juliet.
BOING…MEOW! THE MUSICAL on Sunday 5 September at 11.30am. Running time 50 minutes no interval.
This musical adaptation of new children’s book Boing…Meow! comes from Asa Murphy, the writer of The Monkey With No Bum book and stage production, which was recently premiered at Little LTF. Sam Conlonwill play Auntie May, with Asa Murphymaking an appearance playing the rap cat, Moggy D. Stanley is a cat, and this is his story searching for the perfect place to sleep. There is nothing in this world that Auntie May loves more than her ginger cat Stanley – but like all cats, Stanley loves to go wondering around the local neighbourhood looking for the best and most comfortable place to have his afternoon nap.
ELECTRIC DREAMS is on Sunday 5 September 2021, with performances at 4pm and 8pm. Running time two hours 10 mins including interval.
A Place for Us Theatre Company present this 1980s outdoor musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The show was originally produced in partnership with Norton Priory Museum & Gardens in June on the ancient ruins to sell-out audiences, as part of its Igniting Imaginations programme. A spectacular musical theatre event. Set against an awesome eighties inspired soundtrack, the cast features West End stars Zoe Curlett and Keiron Crook as the warring Queen and King of the Fairies, joined by a professional cast, live band, and young performers embarking on their journey into the performing arts industry.
AN EVENING WITHOUT KATE BUSH is on Monday 6 September 2021 at 7.30pm. The show runs for two hours including interval.
Acclaimed performer Sarah-Louise Young has teamed up with theatremaker Russell Lucas to explore the music and mythology of one of the most influential voices in British music. The show is produced by John Mackay. The show has already wowed Edinburgh Fringe Festival audiences and critics, and now comes to Liverpool as a guest visiting production during a national tour before it heads to the capital for a London run in early 2022. With a career spanning five decades, Kate Bush’s fascinating story goes from releasing Wuthering Heights aged 19, to selling out the Hammersmith Apollo almost 40 years later. Celebrate her ground-breaking music through this critically acclaimed chaotic cabaret cult show.
TWICE NIGHTLY is on Tuesday 7 September at 7.30pm. Running time 70 minutes no interval.
After a successful premiere at Little LTF in July, Twice Nightly is back. Organisers and critics were so impressed by the quality of writing and story of the show, highlighting Liverpool’s lost theatres of the 1930s. The show is written, stars and is directed by Michael Alan Bailey and Maria Lovelady. Roy Carruthers and the voice of Eithne Brown also feature, with music and original score by Jessica Dives. It’s 1931 and variety is the spice of life. Liverpool’s theatres are sizzling with the hottest music hall acts of the day. Song and dance double act Don and Madge are living the sweet life, until things turn sour. A night they can’t remember finds them in hot water.
SWAN SONG is on Wednesday 8 September at 7.30pm. Running time 70 minutes no interval.
After a hugely successful premiere at last year’s Liverpool Theatre Festival, Swan Song is back due to popular demand. The one-man comedy play is written by multi award winning Jonathan Harvey, stars Liverpool television and stage actor Andrew Lancel, and is directed by BAFTA award winning Noreen Kershaw.It is Liverpool 1997, the world is changing, and in the staff room gay 40-something English teacher Dave Titswell finds that not all change is welcome. He has a crush, but life, love, and work are never straight-forward. Jonathan Harvey adapted the play specially for Liverpool Theatre Festival for Andrew Lancel to play the solo role. After a successful tour of the North West of England, it’s back in Liverpool.
OPERA BENEATH THE STARS is on Thursday 9 September 2021 at 7.30pm. Running time two hours including interval.
Absolute Opera present a stunning evening of sublime operatic and classical hits. The show stars national and international performers, with Tenor Roy Locke (Opera Australia), Soprano Leigh Rhianon Coggins (Gilbert & Sullivan Opera Company), and Mezzo Soprano Lilly Papaioannou (Glyndebourne). With live piano accompaniment, this enchanting gala evening will feature the most well-loved and popular songs from Grand Opera, Operetta, Neapolitan Song, modern classical and musical hits, all performed by world-class performers in beautiful evening wear. Suitable for opera lovers and newcomers to opera alike.
BROKEN BISCUITS is on Friday 10September 2021, with performances are at 6pm and 8.30pm. Running time 60 minutes no interval.
Rita and Maggie were lifelong friends until a devastating tragedy shattered both their lives and their friendship, with emotions high things may be taking a turn for the worst. Friendship, love, laughter, sadness, and hope are all at the centre of this touching story. The cast is Catherine Rice plays Maggie, Leanne Martin as Rita, and Louise Garcia as Molly.Broken Biscuits is returning to the stage after sell-out performances around Liverpool theatres and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
TWELFTH NIGHT BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE is on Saturday 11 September at 1pm. Running time is two hours including interval.
Presented by The Boaty Theatre Company, this is a swashbuckling adventure of love, life, and mistaken identity. When a devastating storm separates and shipwrecks twins Olivia and Sebastian, they must do their best to carve out a new life in a strange land, each believing the other twin has perished. Olivia is the young Governess of Illyria island, but the pirates are thriving – led by Captain Orsina they are over-running the port and controlling the town. Featuring a live pirate band, a fearsome yet lovable Pirate Queen, and a fool or two, the production promises family fun as The Boaty Theatre Company breathes new life into one of Shakespeare’s best-loved comedies.
LAUGHTERHOUSE COMEDY presents two shows back-to-back as a Saturday night double bill on 11 September at 6pm and 8.30pm.
Laughterhouse are Liverpool’s longest running comedy club. They have been bringing the very best in live comedy to audiences across the UK for 15 years. They know exactly what makes a perfect evening of stand-up and have built their business as comedy fans, knowing that live stand-up is the most powerful and exciting evening to experience. The 6pm show features MC Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Mick Miller, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue. The line-up for the 8.30pm show is MC Chris Cairns, Gary Delaney, Andy Askins, and The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue.
GOLDILOCKS AND THE FAB 4 is on Sunday 12 September at 1pm. Running time 60 minutes no interval.
From the team who presented A Fairy Tale Journey Across The Mersey at last year’s Liverpool Theatre Festival, comes a brand new magical, musical, mash-up family panto. Audiences are invited on a journey with Goldilocks as she takes flight on a broomstick. After the fright of her life, Goldilocks runs off into a magical forest to search for her parents. Little does she know that her biggest adventure awaits in a large castle in the middle of the woods, she has stumbled upon a great school of witchcraft and wizardry. She meets the Fab 4, who have something magical to tell her. She must face her greatest fears and save her parents from the Wicked Queen of the Enchanted Forest.
SOMETHING ABOUT GEORGE – THE GEORGE HARRISON STORY is on Sunday 12 September 2021, with performances at 5pm and 8pm. Running time 75 minutes no interval.
Where does life take you after being in the greatest band in the history of the world – this new show answers the question and comes from the creators of Something About Simon – The Paul Simon Story. The production features Daniel Taylor, and tells the truly remarkable tale and pays tribute to one of music’s most understated icons. Featuring beautiful songs My Sweet Lord, Something, and Handle With Care, the show also includes incredible solo material and music from rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys which was made up of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. And not forgetting Beatles’ classics. From heartbreak to hedonism and songwriting to success, Something About George will showcase a life that was anything but quiet.
READING REP THEATRE LAUNCHES WITH READING REP: REBORN – AN OPENING NIGHT GALA CELEBRATING
READING AND ITS CULTURAL FUTURE
Reading Rep Theatre, led by Founding Artistic Director Paul Stacey and Executive Director Nick Thompson, opens its doors for the first time on 15 September for its Opening Gala. The event will mark the official opening of Reading Rep’s new cultural arts hub, following a two-year build and fundraising campaign which raised over £1 million to build the new theatre. The Gala is an opportunity to celebrate Reading’s new home for classic stories reimagined, a company rejuvenated, and a cultural hub revitalised.
The Reading Rep: Reborn season then begins with DORIAN,a world première adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Bruntwood Prize winner Phoebe Eclair-Powell, and RSC Associate Director Owen Horsley. Paul Stacey then directs local born Beth Flintoff’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol, and Fringe First Award winner Gary McNair’s Jekyll & Hyde; and Helen Eastman directs her children’s show Alby The Penguin Saves The World. Completing the season is A Midsummer Night’s Dream directed by Paul Stacey and Christie O’Carroll.
The Gala will be supported by Reading Rep’s Associate Companies as part of a specially curated evening including:
Animal written and performed by Camille Ucan, directed by A Girl Call Stephen Artistic Director Annie Kershaw
Inauspicious directed by Exit Pursued by Panda Artistic Director Adrian Tang, performed by Zheng Xi
When This Is Overdevised and performed byMake/Sense Theatre
Artistic Director, Paul Stacey, says “This is a really special moment. We’ve been working tirelessly to complete this project during an incredibly difficult time for the industry and country. It’s such a joy to be able to finally open our doors with such an exciting first season of work. We can’t wait to share both the theatre and RE:BORN season with the community we serve.”
Adrian Tang is a London and Berkshire-based theatre maker. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of Exit Pursued By Panda, a theatre company promoting the interests of East & South East Asian (ESEA) creatives in the UK. His directing credits include Ghost Ferry (New Earth Theatre), Wight Rose, Wight Rose, Wight Rose (Theatre503) Unburied, Who Killed Chameleon Girl? (Bunker Theatre), and One of the Good Ones (Hampstead Theatre). As a writer, his credits include Inauspicious, Setting a High Bar, and Eyes.
Camille Ucan’s previous theatre credits include Outings, Marriage, Birthday Girls in Party Vibes, Birthday Girls in 2053 (Edinburgh Festival Fringe). Her television credits include Cinderella: After Ever After, Lee and Dean, Scarecrows, Limbo, @Elevenish, Brotherhood, Pompidou, Absolutely Fabulous, and Gittins. Ucan is part of the comedy sketch group Birthday Girls.
Annie Kershaw is a queer director and producer from Reading, and the Artistic Director of A Girl Called Stephen. Her work has been performed at Applecart Arts, Pleasance, Lyric Hammersmith, South Street Arts Centre, The Space Edinburgh, Vault Festival and Reading College.
Reading-based Make/Sense Theatre was founded by three highly-experienced SEN/SEMH drama and dance practitioners and performers to make theatre for, by and with the neurodivergent community. Ambitious in all their work, Make/Sense Theatre provides equitable access to drama and dance through in-reach programmes for adults and young people, multi-sensory theatre for complex needs, inclusive community youth theatre and training and employment opportunities for neurodivergent people.
