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Incredible cast announced for the premiere of The
Global Playground by Theatre-Rites
Manchester International Festival 2021
Friday 2nd July – Sunday 18th July 2021

Casting has been announced for the return to the stage of Theatre-Rites, the highly acclaimed children’s theatre company who celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Amplifying diverse voices from a team of international collaborators, The Global Playground will premiere at the Manchester International Festival and online this July.

The cast is comprised of acclaimed dancers Jahmarley Bachelor (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, ZooNation; Mariposa: A Transgender Tragedy, Denada Dance), Annie Edwards (A Kate Prince Company; ZooNation), Kennedy Junior Muntanga (Phoenix Dance Theatre; Chotto Xenos, Akram Khan Company) and Charmene Pang (Iceland Dance Company; Isadora Now: A Triple Bill, The Barbican). They are joined by puppeteer and actor Sean Garratt (A Christmas Carol, National Theatre of Scotland; The Table, Blind Summit Theatre) and renowned percussionist Merlin Jones (Birmingham Symphony Orchestra; Opera North).

The Global Playground follows a group of dancers who meet to make a film with their nervous and chaotic director but things get wonderfully weird when the camera takes on a life of its own. Mixing dance, music, theatre and puppetry, The Global Playground examines how a camera’s gaze often reveals more than we bargained for. It will be presented both in person and online – digital viewers will gain a unique insight as the camera itself becomes a character on stage.

Throughout lockdown, human relationships have both grown and become more disjointed through digital connections. We can now connect with anyone in person and on screen – but is the camera our friend, our playmate, or something else entirely? The Global Playground explores the magic of our first encounters and is perfect for children and families. Audiences are invited to celebrate who we are and who we cherish, reflecting on a society where our digital and real selves coexist in discord or cohesion.

Following the sell-out success of The Welcoming Party at Manchester International Festival 2017, The Global Playground will be directed by Theatre-Rites’ Artistic Director, Sue Buckmaster (The Welcoming Party; Chotto Desh, Akram Khan Company) with choreography from acclaimed South African dancer Gregory Maqoma (Vuyani Dance Theatre). Designing the production is renowned scenographer and artist Ingrid Hu (A Slightly Annoying Elephant, Little Angel Theatre; Curiouser, Flexer & Sandiland with dybwikdanss, UK and Norway tour).

Composer Ayanna Witter-Johnson (London Symphony Orchestra; The Hip-Hop Shakespeare Company) will be joined by sound designer Nick Sagar (Palace of Light, Noor Festival; Horrible Histories ‘Tudors & Egyptians’, UK tour) to bring the musical elements of this exciting production to life. Completing the production team are renowned lighting designer Guy Hoare (Sea Wall/A Life, Broadway; Chotto Xenos, Akram Khan Company) and Martin Riley (The Great Staycation – Dot’s Farm, BBC One; Emmeline Pankhurst: The Making of a Militant, BBC One) who will manage the digital film and production. The Global Playground is co-produced with Manchester International Festival.

Director Sue Buckmaster comments, As Theatre-Rites turns 25 I have been reflecting on the importance of the connections we have developed with artists and our audiences, how it is our responsibility to nurture and empower both. As a company we have always been driven by the child’s needs and we know that young people’s futures will be a fluid experience of online and real adventures. The Global Playground, with its exceptional cast, is our gift to our audience of young people and to their carers; a chance to reflect on how they can be fully present, wherever they are and however they are connecting. A truly fitting way to celebrate our exciting return to Manchester International Festival and to live theatre.

To mark their 25th anniversary, Theatre-Rites will be publishing a book celebrating the company and the incredible artists they have worked with. The book will also tell the fascinating story of Artistic Director Sue Buckmaster, who lives with ME, and her puppeteer father who inspired her work. The book will be published on 29th July and has been co-written with Dr Liam Jarvis,Theatre-Rites board member and lecturer at Essex University.

Previous praise for Theatre-Rites:

Joyful and clever storytelling for audiences young and old (★★★★ The Stage, Big Up, 2019).

An astonishing piece of theatre… This is vital – in every sense of the word (★★★★★
WhatsOnStage, The Welcoming Party, 2017).

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE MOST ENCHANTED MUSICAL OF ALL TIME

COURTNEY STAPLETON to star as the timeless heroine, Belle EMMANUEL KOJO to play the iconic role of the Beast

GAVIN LEE announced as Lumiere, with TOM SENIOR to play Gaston SAM BAILEY plays Mrs Potts and NIGEL RICHARDS as Cogsworth

MARTIN BALL (Maurice), SAMANTHA BINGLEY (Wardrobe), EMMA CAFFREY (Babette) and LOUIS STOCKIL (Le Fou) round out principal roles

The brand new production opens at The Bristol Hippodrome, 25 August 2021

For all information, see www.beautyandthebeastmusical.co.uk

Disney’s Olivier Award-winning stage musical Beauty and the Beast today announces the cast to star in the re-imagined and re-designed new production. Staged by members of the original award-winning creative team, Beauty and the Beast will open a UK & Ireland Tour at The Bristol Hippodrome on Wednesday 25 August 2021 (National Press Night: Wednesday 29 September).

Courtney Stapleton and Emmanuel Kojo will play the iconic lead roles, Belle and her Beast, as spectacular new designs and state-of-the-art technology fuse with the classic story, bringing the beloved tale to new life.

Courtney’s credits include Dear Evan Hansen, Six, Les Misérables and Bat Out of Hell, and Emmanuel is best known for performing in Oklahoma!, Girl from the North Country, Show Boat and The Scottsboro Boys.

Also announced today are Gavin Lee (Mary Poppins, SpongeBob SquarePants, the Broadway Musical, Les Misérables) as Lumiere and Tom Senior (The Pirates of Penzance, Eugenius!) who will be Gaston.

Sam Bailey (The X-Factor winner 2013, Blood Brothers) will play the legendary role of Mrs Potts, with Nigel Richards (The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables) as Cogsworth.

Martin Ball (Les Misérables, Wicked, Top Hat) will take the role of Maurice, Samantha Bingley (Martha In The Secret Garden) will be Wardrobe, Emma Caffrey (Curtains, 42nd Street, Funny Girl) will be Babette and Louis Stockil (Miss Saigon, Mamma Mia!) will play Le Fou.

The full company is completed with Jake Bishop, Pamela Blair, Liam Buckland, Jasmine Davis, Autumn Draper, Daisy Edwards, Alyn Hawke, George Hinson, Jennifer Louise Jones, Brontë Lavine, ThomasLee Kidd, David McIntosh, Aimee Moore, Sam Murphy, Ashley-Jordon Packer, Emily Squibb, Grace Swaby, India Thornton and Rhys West.

Performances will begin in Bristol on Wednesday 25 August, with other engagements also confirmed for Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin with more venues to be announced in due course. All tour dates and information at www.beautyandthebeastmusical.co.uk

Spectacularly reimagined in startling new designs which will use the latest theatrical innovations, this timeless romantic tale will be brought to life on stage like never before, with all the charm and elegance audiences expect from Belle and her Beast. Among the many new features of this 2021 Beauty and the Beast is an exuberant tap dance within the legendary production number Be Our Guest, created expressly for Gavin Lee, recognised as one of the great tappers on either side of the Atlantic.

Olivier Award nominee Matt West will direct and choreograph this new production, leading a team that includes composer Alan Menken, lyricist Tim Rice, bookwriter Linda Woolverton, scenic designer Stan Meyer, costume designer Ann Hould-Ward and lighting designer Natasha Katz. The team collectively received five Tony® nominations and a win for Hould-Ward’s costume design, when Disney first debuted Beauty and the Beast on Broadway 26 years ago.

Matt West said: “I am so excited today to announce Courtney, Emmanuel and the whole company who will bring our new production of Beauty to life later this year. We have a vibrant and exciting cast, and I look forward to working with them and our original creative team to reimagine the show for today.”

The structure and tone of the story and score – as conceived for the 1991 film by its executive producer and lyricist Howard Ashman with a continued evolution for the Broadway adaptation three years later – made Disney history. Only once before – in Menken and Ashman’s previous film musical The Little Mermaid – had a Disney film been structured like a stage musical where the songs are integral to plot and characterisation rather than only ornamental or digressions. This Menken/Ashman innovation is
credited with the 1990’s Disney animation renaissance that went on to create such film classics as Aladdin, The Lion King and Hunchback of Notre Dame and helped re-introduce the book musical form to popular culture.

This new Beauty, while retaining the lush period sound of the Oscar-winning and Tony®-nominated score – which brought classics including Be Our Guest and Beauty and the Beast, as well as Change in Me, added to the musical production in 1998 and retained thereafter – will be heard afresh with new dance arrangements by David Chase, allowing original choreographer Matt West to re-visit his work. Longtime Menken collaborators Michael Kosarin and Danny Troob are musical supervisor/vocal arranger and orchestrator, respectively.

Completing the design team, Tony®-winner John Shivers is sound designer, Darryl Maloney is the video and projections designer, and David H. Lawrence is hair designer. Jim Steinmeyer is the illusions designer, as he was on the original 1994 production. Casting for the production is by Pippa Ailion Casting.

The original West End production of Beauty and the Beast opened at the Dominion Theatre in April 1997, playing over 1100 performances to more than two million people. It won the 1998 Olivier Award for Best Musical and enjoyed a hugely successful UK & Ireland tour in 2001. Based on the 1991 film – the first animated feature ever nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture – Beauty and the Beast opened on Broadway in April 1994 and garnered nine Tony nominations and one win. It played for more than 13 years on Broadway, closing in 2007. It remains to this day – 26 years after it opened – among the top 10 longest running shows in Broadway history. The live-action retelling of the animated classic quickly became the highest grossing live action film musical of all time in 2017, a record only beaten by The Lion King live-action release in 2019.

Beauty and The Beast is produced by Disney Theatrical Productions, under the supervision of Thomas Schumacher.

Beauty and The Beast – 2021 Tour Dates

Wednesday 25 August – Saturday 18 September 2021
The Bristol Hippodrome
Box Office: 0844 871 3012
www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

Thursday 23 September – Saturday 16 October 2021
Liverpool Empire
Box Office: 0844 871 3017
www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

Thursday 21 October – Saturday 27 November 2021
Edinburgh Playhouse
Box Office: 0844 871 3014
www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

Thursday 9 December 2021 – Saturday 15 January 2022
Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Box Office: 029 2063 6464
www.wmc.org.uk

November 2022 (back on sale soon)
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
Box Office: 00 353 1677 7999
www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

Further tour dates to be announced in due course.

THE SHOW MUST GO ON LIVE!

IS DELIGHTED TO ANNOUNCE

18 WEST END SHOWS

AND AN ALL-STAR MUSICAL THEATRE CAST!

IN THE BIGGEST WEST END CELEBRATION THIS SUMMER!

AT THE PALACE THEATRE

2-6 JUNE 2021

LAST TICKETS REMAINING!

After a record breaking on-sale in November, the producers of THE SHOW MUST GO ON LIVE! are delighted to announce 18 West End shows and an all-star musical theatre cast coming together for a unique one-off concert in the biggest West End celebration this summer. The show will run for seven performances only from 2 – 6 June 2021 at The Palace Theatre, full details and tickets can be purchased from www.theshowmustgoonlive.com

The concert will be hosted by musical theatre legends, Bonnie Langford (“9 to 5 the Musical”, “42^nd Street”) and Trevor Dion Nicholas (“Hamilton”, “Aladdin”). 

Bonnie said today, “I am delighted to be hosting this special night where all of these West End musicals will be performing together to raise money for some incredible charities. This is a once in a lifetime show, I am truly honoured to be a part of it and alongside the fabulous Trevor too! I m looking forward to getting dressed up and being in a theatre again, it’s going to be a magical night and a wonderful way to kick off the return of the West End. We can’t wait to see you all there”.

Trevor said today, “This is an opportunity for the entire theatrical community in the West End  to stand together and celebrate the return of our beloved industry. Despite the struggles of the last year, we remain united and doing what we do best – creating art that provides people with an escape. We’re still here, we’re still fighting and we are stronger than ever. I cannot wait to welcome everyone back to the stage, where they belong. It’s going to be a thrilling night”.

All shows which appear on the iconic The Show Must Go On! design will be performing alongside Pretty Woman and a West End debut performance from Back To The Future. This will be the first time in history these West End musicals will come together for one night of pure joyous entertainment which celebrates the wealth of talent in London and includes a multi award winning creative team, over 50 performers and an orchestra made up of some of the finest musicians in London.

The producers are thrilled to announce the full line-up and casting for the concert which includes:

Aisha Jawando in a performance from TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, Marcus Harman in a performance from Dear Evan Hansen, Sharan Phull in a performance from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Collette Guitart and Hana Stewart who will alternate in a performancefrom SIX, Trevor Dion Nicholas in a performance from Hamilton, Dom Simpson and Tom Xander  in a performance from The Book of Mormon, Laura Pick in a performance from WICKED, Tilly-Raye Bayer, Imogen Cole, Alyssa D’Souza, Alex Munden and Carly Thoms in a performance from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Matilda The Musical, Jordan Luke Gage in a performance from & Juliet, John Owen Jones in a performance from Les Misérables, castmembers in a performance from Disney’s The Lion King, Christine Allado and Alexia Khadime in a performance from The Prince of Egypt, Alice Fearn in a performance from Come From Away, Lucy St Louis and Rhys Whitfield in a performance from The Phantom Of The Opera, Zizi Strallen in a performance from Mary Poppins and Mazz Murray in a performance from MAMMA MIA!

In addition, Olly Dobson in a performance from Back to the Future The Musical and Aimie Atkinson in a performance from Pretty Woman The Musical. There will also be a choir of 16 which is made up of Musical Theatre 2020 graduates.

The concert will also include a brand-new opening number, written by West End musical writing duo Stiles & Drewe called ‘The Show Must Go On!’ which celebrates the theatre industry in these current times.

The multi-award winning creative team includes: Luke Sheppard (“& Juliet”, “In The Heights”) and Anna Fox (“Guess How Much I love You”), who will direct the concert, Stephen Brooker (“Mary Poppins’ and “Les Misérables”) as musical supervisor, set design by Soutra Gilmour (“Cyrano de Bergerac” and “&Juliet”), lighting design by  Howard Hudson (“&Juliet”,“9 to 5 The Musical”). Sound design by Adam Fisher. (“The Last Five Years” and associate sound designer on “Miss Saigon”), video design by Fray Studio (Disney’s “Frozen” and “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”) and Stuart Morley as musical director (We Will Rock You” and “Only Fools and Horses”).

THE SHOW MUST GO ON! LIVE AT THE PALACE THEATRE is produced by Chris Marcus & Damien Stanton for the Theatre Support Fund+ with Executive Producers, Jack Maple & Brian Zeilinger-Goode for MZG Theatre Productions.

Capacity at the Palace Theatre has been reduced to comply with COVID-19 Secure guidelines for social distancing plus robust risk mitigation. In addition to hand sanitation, face coverings and track and trace, other measures will include contactless tickets, temperature testing and the deep clean and sanitation of the theatre.

HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST FOR ALFRED FAGON’S THE DEATH OF A BLACK MAN, DIRECTED BY DAWN WALTON, 28 MAY – 10 JULY 2021 

• NICKCOLIA KING-N’DA, NATALIE SIMPSON AND TOYIN OMARI-KINCH WILL PERFORM IN THIS NEW PRODUCTION WHICH ORIGINALLY PREMIERED AT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE IN 1975

• WITH ITS WITTY AND COMPLEX CHARACTERS, DAWN WALTON DIRECTS THIS RARE REVIVAL FROM THE BLACK BRITISH PLAYWRITING CANON, MAKING HER HAMPSTEAD DIRECTORIAL DEBUT  

• THE DEATH OF A BLACK MAN WILL RUN FROM 28 MAY UNTIL 10 JULY 2021 

 Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce the cast for Alfred Fagon’s darkly compelling, The Death of a Black Man, directed by Dawn Walton, former Artistic Director of Eclipse Theatre Company, from 28 May until 10 July 2021. 

Nickcolia King-N’da, Natalie Simpson and Toyin Omari-Kinch will perform in this new production which originally premiered at the theatre in 1975.  46 years on, this rare revival from the Black British playwriting canon, raises many of the same questions we face today surrounding identity, capitalism and sexual politics.   

Nickcolia King-N’da will play the role of Shakie.  King-N’da will be making his debut at Hampstead Theatre.  Recent stage credits include, Venice Preserved (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2019), The Provoked Wife (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2019), Astley’s Astounding Adventures (New Vic Theatre, 2018) and the lead role in Peter Pan (Park Theatre, 2018). 

Natalie Simpson will play the role of Jackie.  Simpson will be making her debut at Hampstead Theatre.  TV roles include Phaedre in Outlander Season 4 (Sony Pictures Television/Left Bank Pictures, 2018) and Sister Simplice in the BBC’s mini-series of Les Misérables (2019).  Recent theatre roles include Nne Chukwu in Three Sisters (National Theatre/Fuel, 2020), Thea Tesman in Hedda Tesman (Headlong/Chichester Festival Theatre/The Lowry, 2019), Blodwynn in Boudica (Shakespeare’s Globe, 2017) and Ophelia in Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company, 2016). 

Toyin Omari-Kinch will play the role of Stumpie.  Omari-Kinch will also be making his debut at Hampstead Theatre.  Recent stage credits include On the Other Hand, We’re Happy, Daughterhood and Dexter and Winter’s Detective Agency (Paines Plough’s 2019 Roundabout Season), War Horse (National Theatre’s 10th Anniversary UK and Ireland tour, 2018-19) and Dunsinane (National Theatre of Scotland/Royal Shakespeare Company, 2015). 

The Death of a Black Man will be Dawn Walton’s directorial debut at Hampstead Theatre.  Her most recent productions include The Gift (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Red Dust Road (National Theatre of Scotland) and Black Men Walking (Royal Court).  She will be joined by designer Simon Kenny, lighting designer Johanna Town, sound designer Richard Hammarton, composer Duramaney Kamara,  Movement Director Rachael Nanyonjo, Assistant Director Nkechinyere Nwobani-Akanwo and Voice and Dialect Coach Hazel Holder. 

At least I am my own boss. No regrets. I choose what I do. I am lucky. 

It’s 1973 and the West Indies have spectacularly beaten England at their own game, in their own backyard. 

Shakie, an 18-year old super-savvy wheeler-dealer, is in his element – and not just because of the cricket.  Life is good: his furniture business is making serious money and he owns a flat on the King’s Road, the epicentre of everything that’s cool.  Moreover, his best friend Stumpie has come up with a plan to crack the booming music industry together – the possibilities are endless so when Shakie’s ex-lover Jackie arrives at the Chelsea flat, the trio toast the future.  

The champagne is flowing and ambition is running sky high – but how far will they go, and who will they sacrifice, in their quest to be rich beyond their wildest dreams? 

The Death of a Black Man first premiered at Hampstead Theatre in 1975 directed by Roland Rees.  This rarely produced play by one of Britain’s leading black voices from the 20^th century remains compelling viewing 46 years on.  Fagon was one of the first British black writers to have his work produced in the UK and a hugely influential playwright.  He arrived in Nottingham from Jamaica, joined the army and was also a boxing champion and a welder, before becoming a very successful actor, poet and playwright.  He died at the early age of 49 (1986) and was controversially buried in a pauper’s grave when police claimed they could not identify him.  The Alfred Fagon Award is the leading theatre award for black British writers, set up after his sudden death in 1986, which has supported unique voices within the UK theatre industry.  Other plays by Alfred Fagon include 11 Josephine House and Lonely Cowboy. 

Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Hampstead Theatre said:  

Fagon was one of the leading, black writers of his generation and Hampstead Theatre was very fortunate to have produced The Death of a Black Man during Alfred’s too short lifetime.  I can’t wait to welcome this young company to Hampstead Theatre to finally see this powerful play performed.   

Dawn Walton, Director of The Death of a Black Man said:

I am very much looking forward to getting back to work and into rehearsals with this talented group of artists.  The 1970s was the inception of Black British Theatre and Alfred Fagon was instrumental in this movement, giving voice to Black people’s stories.  We can’t wait to explore The Death of a Black Man and introduce Fagon to a 21st century audience. 

Hampstead Downstairs will also reopen this summer with the world premiere of Raya, a funny and tender new play by Deborah Bruce from 11 June until 24 July.  Directed by Roxana Silbert, Raya will be Silbert’s second production at Hampstead Theatre since joining as its Artistic-Director in 2019, following the critically-acclaimed espionage thriller The Haystack by Al Blyth in 2020.   

Both productions will be staged with social distancing in place for the duration of their runs.  In the event of the productions being postponed due to UK Government advice, full refunds or credit vouchers will be offered. 

FOR ONE KNIGHT ONLY TO BE RESCREENED IN AID OF

THE ROYAL THEATRICAL FUND

FEATURING NEW INTRODUCTION FROM SAMANTHA BOND AND ROBERT LINDSAY

Following the success of the live Q&A in November 2020 which raised over £300,000 for Acting for Others, Lockdown Theatre today announces they will be rescreening For One Knight Only in aid of the Royal Theatrical Fund and partner organisation, the Fleabag Support Fund.Featuring an introduction from the RTF Chairwoman Samantha Bond and RTF President Robert Lindsay, the intimate Q&A stars British acting legends Dame Judi Dench, Sir Derek Jacobi, Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Maggie Smith hosted by Sir Kenneth Branagh.

The special evening of intimate conversation sees the acting stars discuss their careers, inspirations, and share tales about their time in the business.

The Q&A will be streamed 21 – 23 May at 7pm, and is available for on demand viewing from 28 – 31 May. Tickets are £25 and can be purchased via www.stream.theatre/season/116

In addition, there will be one, For One Knight Only poster, signed by the cast, auctioned via The Royal Theatrical Fund’s eBay: www.ebay.co.uk/usr/theroyal1853. Auction ends 31 May 2021.

All proceeds will be donated to theatrical charity The Royal Theatrical Fund, providing financial support to all those who work in the entertainment business that are ill, injured, or unable to work in their later years, as well as to help those affected by the pandemic through partner organisation, the Fleabag Support Fund.

Lockdown Theatre is a quarantine initiative set up to present exclusive live table reads with all-star casts, raising money to support the Royal Theatrical Fund. In addition to For One Knight Only,previous events have included Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, NoëI Coward’s Private Lives and Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound, with actors including Sanjeev Bhaskar, Emilia Clarke, Robert Lindsay, Joanna Lumley, Michael Palin, Jennifer Saunders and Emma Thompson, raising over £112,000 for those in need.

Donations to The Royal Theatrical Fundcan be made here: www.justgiving.com/trtf

www.trtf.com      

Twitter: @theRTF1839

Sir Kenneth Branagh is an Oscar and Golden-Globe nominated actor, producer, writer and director. For the Kenneth Branagh Theatre company, founded in 2015, his credits include The Entertainer, Romeo and Juliet, The Painkiller, The Winter’s Tale, All On Her Own and Harlequinade (Garrick Theatre). Further theatre credits include Ivanov (Wyndham’s Theatre), Edmond (National Theatre) and Henry V (Barbican); and for TV his credits include Wallander, Shackleton and Conspiracy. His credits as a film director include adaptations of Shakespeare’s Henry V (Academy Award-nomination for Best Actor and Best Director), Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, Love’s Labour’s Lost, As You Like it and Hamlet (Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay). Further film credits as a director include Thor, Cinderella, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Murder on the Orient Express; and film credits as an actor includes as Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, My Week with Marilyn, Dunkirk and Tenet.

Dame Judi Dench is an Oscar and Golden-Globe award-winning British actor. With a career spanning 63 years, her most recent theatre credits include The Winter’s Tale (Garrick Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Rose Theatre), Filumena (Piccadilly Theatre) and The Seagull (National Theatre).  Having made her professional stage debut in 1957 with the Old Vic company, she went on to become a leading Shakespearean performer, eight times Olivier Award-winner, working frequently with the National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company in a host of leading roles including Ophelia in Hamlet, Juliet in Romeo and Juliet and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Her TV credits include Cranford, Angelina Ballerina and As Time Goes By.Her film credits include Notes on a Scandal (Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Chocolat (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), Shakespeare in Love (Academy Award Winner for Best Supporting Actress), Mrs Brown (Academy Award nomination for Best Actress) and she played the role of M in the Bond films between 1995 and 2015.

Sir Derek Jacobi is a BAFTA award-winning, and Golden Globe-nominated British actor. He made his 1986 West End debut as Alan Turing in Hugh Whitemore’s Breaking the Code, his other theatre credits include Don Carlos (Sheffield Theatres/Gielgud Theatre), King Lear (Donmar Warehouse/National Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Garrick Theatre), The Tempest (Old Vic), Cyrano de Bergerac (Barbican – Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Revival), Voyage Round My Father (Donmar Warehouse), Twelfth Night (Wyndham’s Theatre/Apollo Theatre – Oliver Award for Best Actor) and Much Ado About Nothing (Gershwin Theatre – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play). His film credits include Gladiator, Gosford Park, Last Tango in Halifax, Dead Again and The Tenth Man (Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special) while his extensive television credits include I, Claudius, Doctor Who, Inside Number 9 and The Crown.

Sir Ian McKellen is a Golden Globe award-winning British actor with a career spanning a wide variety of theatre and screen roles. He spent 2019 travelling across the UK with his one-man show Ian McKellen On Stage (Olivier Award for Special Recognition), other theatre credits include Macbeth (National Theatre), The Seagull (Royal Shakespeare Company), Waiting for Godot (Haymarket Theatre) and King Lear (Chichester Festival Theatre/Duke of York’s). For TV his credits include, as himself in Extras and The Simpsons, Doctor Who, Rasputin: Dark Servant of Destiny and The Prisoner. His film roles include as Gandalf in Lord of The Rings and The Hobbit, The Golden Compass, Cats, Richard III, Gods and Monsters (Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role), and the X-Men franchise.

Dame Maggie Smith is an Academy Award-winning British actor with an extensive stage, film and television career. Her theatre credits include Hedda Gabler (National Theatre), The Way of the World (Haymarket Theatre), Three Tall Women (Wyndham’s Theatre), Lettice and Lovage (Globe Theatre/Ethel Barrymore Theatre – Tony Award for Lead Actress) and A German Life (Bridge Theatre). Her TV credits include as Countess Violet Crawley in Downton Abbey; and for film her credits include The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Academy Award for Best Actress), California Suite (Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, Tea With Mussolini (BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress), Othello (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress), Travels with my Aunt (Academy Award nomination for Best Actress), A Room with a View (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress) and Gosford Park (Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress),andshe played Professor McGonagall in the Harry Potter film series between 2001 to 2011.

Full Cast announced for this summer’s

highly anticipated World Premiere

With script from 2021 Oscar winner EMERALD FENNELL, the reinvention of the classic fairytale begins performances at The Gillian Lynne Theatre on Friday 25 June 2021

REBECCA TREHEARN as The Queen, GLORIA ONITIRI as The Godmother and GEORGINA CASTLE & LAURA BALDWIN as Stepsisters Marie and Adele complete principal cast

They join previously announced CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER as Cinderella, IVANO TURCO as Prince Sebastian and VICTORIA HAMILTON-BARRITT as The Stepmother

All further information at www.andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com

London, April 29^th: The Really Useful Group is thrilled to announce the full cast for the forthcoming, World Premiere production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber,  book by Academy Award winning Emerald Fennell (Best Original Screenplay Oscar at last Sunday’s ceremony) and lyrics from David Zippel . The brand new musical will open at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Wednesday 14 July 2021, with previews from Friday 25 June 2021.

Joining the previously announced cast will be Rebecca Trehearn, who will play The Queen, Georgina Castle and Laura Baldwin, as Cinderella’s stepsisters Marie and Adele and Gloria Onitiri, who will play The Godmother.

They join Carrie Hope Fletcher, as title character Cinderella in the highly anticipated new production, as well as Ivano Turco as Prince Sebastian and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt playing The Stepmother.

The production is a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale, written by and based on an original idea from Emerald Fennell, the Oscar winning writer of the recently released, critically acclaimed film Promising Young Woman, and scriptwriter/Executive Producer of the of international smash hit Killing Eve. As an actress she is known to millions as Patsy in the BBC’s Call The Midwife and as Camilla Parker Bowles in the Netflix hit The Crown.

Cinderella has a brand new score from Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by David Zippel, a multi-award winner for Broadway productions including City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White and Liza at the Palace, as well as for work on film including Disney’s Hercules and Mulan, both of which received Oscar nominations.

The full company also includes Michael Afemaré, Lydia Bannister, Michelle Bishop, William Bozier, Lauren Byrne, Sophie Camble, Tobias Charles, Vinny Coyle, Nicole Deon, Jonathan David Dudley, Dominic Adam Griffin, Michael Hamway, James Lee Harris, Leah Harris, Kate Ivory Jordan, Kelsie-Rae Marshall, Georgina Onuorah (who will play the role of Cinderella at certain performances), Andy Rees, Alexandra Waite Roberts, Sam Robinson, Giovanni Spano, Lauren Stroud, Georgia Tapp and Matthieu Vinetot.

The production reunites legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber with director Laurence Connor and choreographer JoAnn M Hunter, who previously worked on the Olivier Award winning international hit School of Rock and the recent, sold out production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium, which returns to the venue this Summer.

The creative team also includes Designer, Gabriela Tylesova (Sweeney Todd, Love Never Dies), Sound Designer, Gareth Owen (& Juliet, Come From Away), Lighting Designer, Bruno Poet (Tina: The Musical, Billie Eilish at Steve Jobs Theatre) and Co-Musical Supervisor, John Rigby (The King and I, The Phantom of the Opera).

Ahead of Cinderella’s arrival at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, LW Theatres has carried out internal upgrade work to the building including the addition of more toilets and refurbishment to areas of the auditorium and Front of House, as well as adopting measures to welcome back audiences safely.

All further information is available at www.andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lv184ol0RE

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR BRAND-NEW ONLINE COMEDY THE THREE MUSKETEERS 

Arden and Moore today announce the full cast for The Three Musketeers – attempted by FoolHardy written by Sydney Stevenson and directed by Joseph O’Malley. Joining the previously announced Robert Lindsay (Narrator) are Dianne Pilkington (Sarah Noble), David Bedella (Josh Hemingway), Matthew Curnier (Greg Matthews), Antony Eden (David Du Lesley), Sarah Kameela Impey (Jamie Aston) and Lydea Perkins (Maisie Stephens). The production runs online 15 – 20 June.

The classic tale of The Three Musketeers is brought to you by the inconceivable, unimaginable and fantastical FoolHardy Theatre… a company with questionable theatrical training, no experience and no taste. What could possibly go wrong?

Audio and animation are brought together in this swashbuckling adventure. Expect sword fights, deception and a right royal romance as audiences are taken back to the regal splendour of 17th century France in this exciting, madcap comedy.

The Three Musketeers is partnering with venues, who will sell tickets across the UK, to help support them financially through these difficult times. Partner venues include: Theatre Royal Winchester; Epsom Playhouse; Lighthouse, Poole; Concordia Theatre, Hinckley; Mull Theatre; The Forum Theatre, Northallerton; The Savoy Theatre, Monmouth; The Beggar’s Theatre, Millom; Blue Orange Theatre, Birmingham; Hertford Theatre; The Quarry Theatre, Bedford; Stamford Arts Centre; The Holroyd, Shropshire; The Lighthouse Theatre, Kettering; Helmsley Arts Centre, York; and, Waterside, Manchester.

The additional creative team includes composer and sound designer Richard Wetherall and animator Barbara Owczarek.

Robert Lindsay plays Narrator. His theatre credits include In Praise of Love (Theatre Royal Bath), Prism (Hampstead Theatre/UK tour), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Richard III (Savoy Theatre), The Lion in Winter, Cyrano De Bergerac (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Onassis (Derby Playhouse/Novello Theatre), Aristo (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Entertainer (The Old Vic), Power (National Theatre), Oliver! (London Palladium), Becket (Theatre Royal Haymarket – winner of Variety Club Best Theatre Actor, Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor), Me and My Girl  (Adelphi Theatre – winner of Olivier Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Musical, winner of Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical), Philoctetes (Royal Exchange Theatre – winner of Manchester Evening News Theatre Award for Best Actor), Beaux Strategem, Leaping Ginger (Royal Exchange Theatre), and Trelawny of the ‘Wells’ (The Old Vic). His television credits include Bounty Hunters, Galavant, Atlantis, Spy, My Family – BAFTA Nomination for Best Comedy Performance, Oliver Twist, Jake’s Progress – BAFTA Nomination for Best Actor, Nightingales, G.B.H. – BAFTA Award for Best Actor and RTS Award Winner for Best Actor, Confessional, Give Us a Break and Get Some In!; and for film, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Grace of Monaco, Wimbledon, Divorcing Jack, Remember Me?, Fierce Creatures, Strike It Rich, Bert Rigby You’re A Fool, Adventures of a Taxi Driver, Three for All and That’ll Be the Day.

Dianne Pilkington plays Sarah Noble. Her theatre credits include Frankenstein (Garrick Theatre), Whisper House (The Other Palace), Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre), Master Class (Vaudeville Theatre), She Loves Me (Chichester Festival Theatre), The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Cats, Beauty and the Beast (UK tour), The Far Pavilions (Shaftesbury Theatre), Tonight’s the Night, Taboo, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Victoria Palace), The Beautiful Game (Cambridge Theatre), Sweeney Todd (Bridewell Theatre), Tess of the d’Urbervilles (Savoy Theatre) and Les Misérables (Palace Theatre). Her film credits include Les Misérables.

David Bedella plays Josh Hemingway. His theatre credits include &Juliet (Shaftesbury Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor), Nell Gwynn (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Sweeney Todd (Twickenham Theatre), In the Heights (King’s Cross Theatre – Best Supporting Actor Olivier Award), Torch Song Trilogy, Road Show (Menier Chocolate Factory), Jerry Springer The Opera (Cambridge – Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical), The Producers (UK tour) and The Rocky Horror Show (Playhouse Theatre). His television credits include Deep State, By Any Means, Blessed, and as series regular Carlos Fashola in Holby City. His film credits include Batman Begins and Alexander.

Matthew Curnier plays Greg Matthews. His theatre credits include Betrayal (Derby Theatre), Cat in the Hat, Old MacDonald, Carrie’s War, Sweet Revenge, Amy’s View, Out of Order, Personals (UK tours), My Brother’s Country (The Lowry), Death at Dawn (Linskill Theatre), Lovers’ Vow (Chawton House/UK tour), I Found Her in a Beth of Blood (Theatre503), Follies (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre), Rent (Electric Theatre), Treats (Soho Theatre) and Undiscovered Country (Charing Cross Theatre).

Antony Eden plays David Du Lesley. His theatre credits include Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace Theatre), A Brief history of Women (Stephen Joseph Theatre/59E59, New York), Ten Times Table (The Mill at Sonning), A Passionate Woman (Cheltenham Everyman theatre/UK tour), Taking Steps (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Relatively Speaking (Theatre Royal Bath/UK tour), The Woman in Black (Fortune Theatre/UK and international tour), Three Kings (St James Theatre), Bedroom Farce (Oldham Coliseum/Harrogate Theatre Royal), Yes, Prime Minister (international tour), Springs Eternal (Orange Tree Theatre), Carrie’s War (Novel Theatre), Cider With Rosie, The Merchant of Venice (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), A Voyage Round My Father (New Vic Theatre), Hangover Square (Finborough Theatre), Something Wicked This Way Comes (National Theatre of Scotland), and The Glass Menagerie, Trumpets and Raspberries and Vanity Fair (Royal Lyceum Theatre).

Sarah Kameela Impey plays Jamie Aston. Her theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing (Northern Broadsides), 306: Dusk (National Theatre Scotland/Perth Theatre), Pinocchio (National Theatre), First Encounters, The Curiosity, Arabian Nights (UK tour), Women of Hope (Richmix Theatre), World Enough and Time (Park Theatre), Cinderella: A Fairytale (Tobacco Factory Theatres) and Finding Noor (Citizens Theatre); and for film, Halcyon Heights.

Lydea Perkins plays Maisie Stephens. Her theatre credits include Private Lives (The Mill at Sonning), Sense and Sensibility (Theatre by the Lake/York Theatre Royal), Bold Girls, Rails (Theatre by the Lake), The Long Road South (King’s Head Theatre), She Stoops to Conquer, The Hypochondriac (Theatre Royal Bath), Harvey (Birmingham Rep/Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Sound of Silence (Theatre503) and Pal Street Boys (Greenwich Theatre).

Sydney Stevenson is a writer, actor and director. Her writing credits for theatre include Next Door – An Awkward Love Story (Tabard Theatre/Irish Repertory Theatre), Men and Women (The Old Red Lion Theatre – winner of the Voices from Home competition by Broken Silence Theatre), and Bubonic which was long-listed for the Papatango New Writing Prize. As an actor, her theatre credits include The Men from the Ministry (White Bear Theatre), Relatively Speaking (The Mill at Sonning), and Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin (Welywn Garden City); and for television, Resting, Me and Mrs Jones and My Family.

Joseph O’Malley is an actor, director and writer. His directing credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Scoot Theatre) Ben Hur, The 39 Steps, The Hound of the Baskervilles, One Minute (Barn Theatre, Cirencester), A Christmas Carol (Riverside Arts Centre), Ugly Duckling and Other Stories (UK tour), Seeds of Change (Lion and Unicorn), and Significant Other (The Vaults). As an actor his credits include, One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre), The Life of Galileo (RSC), Watership Down (Watermill Theatre), Billy (Union Theatre) and Princess Caraboo (Finborough Theatre).  

THE THREE MUSKETEERS – ATTEMPTED BY FOOLHARDY

LISTINGS

ONLINE

15 – 20 June 2021

Box Office:www.musketeersonline.com

Tickets: £12.50 / £15

An imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse co-production

DRACULA: THE UNTOLD STORY

Written and directed by Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks

Projection and Video Designs by Simon Wainwright

Design by Laura Hopkins

Lighting Design by Andrew Crofts

Original music composed by James Hamilton.

• imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse team up after their critically acclaimed unique shot-for-shot stage recreation of George A. Romero’s classic 1968 zombie movie – Night of The Living Dead™ – Remix.
• A radical new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula as told from the perspective of the novel’s heroine Mina Harker.
• Production to be staged as a graphic novel fusing digital technology with live performance.
• Touring from 25 September till 13 November.

From imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse, the creators of last year’s critically acclaimed unique shot-for-shot stage recreation of George A. Romero’s classic 1968 zombie movie – Night of The Living Dead™ – Remix comes a radical new adaptation of Bram Stoker’s classic gothic horror novel. Dracula: The Untold Story will bring audiences this enduring tale from the perspective of Mina Harker, the novel’s heroine.

Written and directed by imitating the dog’s co-artistic directors Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks, Dracula: The Untold Story will open at Leeds Playhouse from 25 Sept – 9 Oct ahead of a UK tour.

New Year’s Eve, 1965, London, England. Just before midnight, as revellers celebrate the beginning of another year, a young woman enters Marylebone Police Station and confesses to a brutal murder.

She claims to be Mina Harker, the last living survivor of the intrepid group that brought about Count Dracula’s destruction some 70 years before. But Mina Harker has not been seen since 1901. And if she were alive, she would be ninety years old.

Unfolding on stage as a live graphic novel and using the latest digital technologies imitating the dog are known for, Dracula: The Untold Story is a chilling new version of the classic gothic vampire tale that you thought you knew so well.

Andrew Quick, Co-Director and Artistic Director of imitating the dog said:

 “It’s extremely exciting to be working on this new adaptation of Dracula. We are doing something quite different with the story, coming at it afresh. We have great respect for Bram Stoker’s original storyline, and we do revisit it a lot in our production. But I think this version is relevant to our times and we cannot wait to be in front of audiences again. It’s been too long.” 

The production’s creative team will feature design by Laura Hopkins (Black Watch and Peter Pan, National Theatre of Scotland, The Divide, Edinburgh International Festival and The Old Vic), projection and video design by Simon Wainwright (Night of The Living Dead™ – Remix, imitating the dog and The Kid Stays in the Picture, Royal Court), lighting by Andrew Crofts (Night of The Living Dead™ – Remix,  imitating the dog and Trash Cuisine, Belarus Free Theatre and The Young Vic) and original music composed by James Hamilton. The production’scasting will be announced in the coming weeks.

imitating the dog have been making ground-breaking work for theatres and other spaces for 23 years. Their work, which fuses live performance with digital technology, has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in venues, outdoor festivals, and events across the world. Past productions have included Hotel Methuselah, A Farewell to Arms, Heart of Darkness, Night of The Living Dead™ – Remix and most recently Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show. Last year the company produced Airlock, a live action graphic novel as part of the BBC, The Space and Arts Council England’s Culture in Quarantine programme.

Leeds Playhouse is one of the UK’s leading producing theatres; a cultural hub, a place where people gather to tell and share stories and to engage in world class theatre. It makes work which is pioneering and relevant, seeking out the best companies and artists to create inspirational theatre in the heart of Yorkshire.

Dracula: The Untold Story willpremiere at Leeds Playhouse from 25 September till 9 Oct. It will then tour to Liverpool Playhouse, Dukes Lancaster, Watford Palace Theatre, Mercury Theatre Colchester and finally The Lowry, Salford Quays. 

For further information on the tour visit www.imitatingthedog.co.uk

SMALL THINGS THEATRE ANNOUNCE NEW DATES FOR

WORLD PREMIÈRE OF CORDELIA O’NEILL’S NEW PLAY –

ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT HARD ENOUGH

Small Things Theatre today announce new dates for the world première of Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough written by Cordelia O’Neill and directed by Kate Budgen, now opening at Southwark Playhouse on 24 September, with previews from 22 September, and running until 9 October.

Alex and Rupert aren’t a conventional match but a caffeinated meeting on the underground ignites a spark. Skip forward to them fighting over baby names, nursery colours and ways to save money. All the signs of a normal family in waiting.

Then Alex goes into labour, their baby is born still and their world implodes.

What follows is a window into how a couple find the strength to move forward, the will to stay together, and the determination to keep the memory of their child alive.

A play that takes us to the depth of grief to find hope, to the edge of insanity to find reason and finds humour in the most unexpected places.

Cordelia O’Neill, today said, “We feel incredibly lucky to be able to bring Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough, back to life. We have missed the theatre and all the magic it brings. Thank you to Southwark for their continuous support and providing a platform for this vital story. We so look forward to September. Get us in that rehearsal room!”

Cordelia O’Neill is a writer, actress and co-founder of Small Things Theatre. She trained at Oxford School of Drama. Her plays include the sell-out show The Stolen Inches (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, 2015), No Place For A Woman (Theatre503, 2018 – the play has been optioned by Cannibal Films and she is currently writing the screenplay), and The Vote about women’s suffrage with E17 Puppet Theatre Company (tour in Summer 2018 concluding at HighTide’s Walthamstow Festival). She also co-authored The Apologists at The Vaults 2019, which will be returning to Omnibus Theatre in 2020.

Kate Budgen directs. Kate trained at Birkbeck College and on the NT Studio Directors course. She has worked as Assistant and Associate Director for the Gate Theatre, Almeida Theatre, The Opera Group, Pentabus Theatre, the Bush Theatre, Opera North and for the Michael Grandage Company. She is regularly a Connections Director for the National Theatre Connections Festival and is co-artistic director of new writing company EQ Theatre. She was Associate Director on Girl From The North Country for Toronto and the West End in 2019. Directing credits include GUT (Guildhall School of Music and Drama), The Importance of Being Earnest (Watermill Theatre), No Place for a Woman (Theatre 503), Strong Arm (Underbelly/Old Vic New Voices), The Hairy Ape (Southwark Playhouse), Rigor Mortis (Papatango Theatre Company/Finborough Theatre), Crossed Keys (Eastern Angles), Bedbound (Lion and Unicorn), Stoopud Fucken Animals (Traverse Theatre), There is a War (Arts Ed), Punk Rock (Guildford School of Acting), and Anne Boleyn (RWCMD).

SMALL THINGS THEATRE brings detailed, entertaining and socially thought-provoking work to the stage. They produce new plays, provide a platform for new artists in theatre, music, comedy and poetry, and have curated work to raise money for Grenfell survivors and the UN Women’s gender equality campaign.

They have collaborated with the Pleasance, Theatre503, The Vaults and now Southwark Playhouse to produce new work from Cordelia O’Neill, Tom Vallen and Jess Butcher. They were also commissioned by UN Women and Vaults to curate a special performance of new work supporting HeForShe arts week, with a worldwide call out for short plays to accompany new work from writers Simon Stephens and Tamsin Oglesby on theme of gender equality. Alongside, they hosted a discussion with Robert Webb, leading politicians and charities about what actually helps redress the balance between genders.

Past productions include No Place For A Woman (Theatre503), A Gym Thing (Pleasance Theatre, Edinburgh and London), Leaves (Caravanserail Bookshop), and The Stolen Inches (Edinburgh Festival Fringe).

Twitter: @smallthingstc

Facebook: @smallthingstheatre

Instagram: @smallthingstheatre

www.smallthingstheatre.com

#AnythingIsPossiblePlay

Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough

Listings

Southwark Playhouse

77-85 Newington Causeway, London, SE1 6BD

Nearest Tube:Borough/Elephant and Castle

22 September – 9 October

Box Office: 020 7407 0234

https://www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/show-homepage/anything-is-possible-if-you-think-about-it-hard-enough/

Ticket Prices:

Previews: £14

Concessions: £18

Full price: £22

GREENWICH+DOCKLANDS INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL TO OPEN WITH

DAN ACHER’S WE ARE WATCHING

AN EPIC WORK OF ART AND ACTIVISM ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (GDIF) has today announced that this year’s 26^th edition will open with Swiss artist Dan Acher’s timely intervention on the climate crisis, We Are Watching, from 27 – 30 August in Greenwich. The Festival then runs until 11 September, with the highlights and full programme to be announced shortly. All programming will be once again planned whilst closely monitoring government guidelines around live events.

Dan Acher’s We Are Watching is a striking image of a giant eye, comprising of thousands of digital portraits, contributed by people from over 191 countries across the globe, flown on a monumental flag. The 10-storey high flag is designed to send a clear message to world leaders with the power to affect decisions about climate change: that the eyes of the world are upon them. We Are Watching will fly over Greenwich from 27 – 30 August, ahead of the planned COP26 later this year in Glasgow.

Having previously flown over the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, and the UN Conference on Climate Change in Madrid, We Are Watching was due to continue the journey through Paris and New York. One of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was that many events like this were cancelled; another was the reduction in climate emissions thanks to a global economy on hold. As the world begins to open up and recover, the appearance of We Are Watching at GDIF’s opening weekend will serve as a reminder that climate change is still firmly on the agenda.

Dan Acher said today, ‘We Are Watching brings the eyes of the world to key climate events. It’s a collective message of hope, fear and love and a resounding call for global action.’

Bradley Hemmings, Artistic Director of GDIF, said, ‘GDIF is keen to play its part in promoting environmental responsibility and responding to the climate emergency. Dan Acher’s We Are Watching will offer a spectacular opportunity for Londoners to reflect on and engage in the forthcoming COP26 Conference on Climate Change in Glasgow. Flying this extraordinary artwork as the opening event of this year’s festival, close to the line of zero degrees longitude (the symbolic centre of time and space) will further reinforce the resonance of this act of art and activism’.

The flag’s image of a giant eye is made up of thousands of portraits, uploaded by people across the world, straight from their phones. This form of agency is ongoing, with anyone able to add their face and voice to the We Are Watching website and get involved in the project. GDIF will be building several strands of local engagement around the Greenwich flying, including hosting an online exhibition of portraits contributed to the Greenwich event, alongside a ceremonial moment taking place on 27 August as the flag is raised.

Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich Danny Thorpe said, ‘After the most difficult year that many of us have ever experienced, I cannot adequately explain just how excited we are for summer here in Royal Greenwich, and in particular the return of GDIF to our streets, parks and open spaces. Every year the team at Greenwich+Docklands International Festival utterly thrill and enthral us with the most visually stunning outdoor experiences and entertainment, and this year will be even more spectacular, bringing our communities, residents and businesses back together again.

The opening show will also be a moment for us to reflect on our ambitious plans to tackle the climate crisis here in Greenwich. Our 2019 emissions across the borough were the equivalent of 3 million round car trips from Greenwich Park to Edinburgh, or to consider it in a different way, roughly the equivalent annual emissions of Gibraltar. We are going to need all of our residents, partners and communities to work collaboratively together for real action and We Are Watching will also provide a moment of reflection as we all look towards COP26.’

Following GDIF, We Are Watching will be touring to other locations across the UK as part of Global Streets, managed by FESTIVAL.ORG and funded by Arts Council England.

Attendance at the event will be free, but tickets may be required. Following a safe, successful, live festival in 2020, the team behind GDIF is incorporating health and safety measures into all aspects of planning for the 2021 festival. The full programme and ticketing details will be announced in June.