NATIONAL THEATRE LAUNCHES NEW INTERVIEW SERIES LIFE IN STAGES FEATURING LEADING NAMES IN BRITISH THEATRE
The National Theatre today announces a new interview series Life in Stages, profiling some of the biggest names in British theatre. The series, which will be free to watch, will launch on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel on Thursday 22 April at 7pm BST with each new episode added at the same time every Thursday.
The first episode is a conversation between Academy Award-winning actor Olivia Colman and Director and Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre Rufus Norris, who last worked together at the National Theatre in 2017 on Lucy Kirkwood’s play Mosquitoes.
The second episode on Thursday 29 April will feature co-stars of the NT’s critically acclaimed film Romeo & Juliet – filmed in the Lyttelton theatre over 17 days during lockdown – Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley. On Thursday 6 May the third episode of the series will see a discussion between actor and director Adrian Lester and writer, comedian and actor Meera Syal. Details of further episodes from this series will be announced later this month.
Filmed on the empty Lyttelton stage each pre-recorded episode sees the artists reflect on their theatre careers, and reveal the funny, personal and poignant stories behind everything from their earliest theatre memory to their biggest professional highs and lows.
Rufus Norris, director of the National Theatre, says: “We are thrilled that as we look ahead to our reopening in June, we are able to launch Life in Stages. The interview series has been a fantastic way to take a moment and reflect; to explore the careers of some of the leading figures within our industry, and to consider how the world around us will shape the work we create as we move forwards. We are so grateful for the time generously given by the artists involved and to Charles Stanley for their support.”
The series is supported by Charles Stanley Wealth Management. Speaking about Life in Stages Paul Abberley, Chief Executive at Charles Stanley said: “At Charles Stanley we understand the significance of conversation. We spend time getting to know our clients at every stage of life’s journey to help them achieve their personal and financial goals. Much like Life in Stages, we discuss everything from careers to retirement, lifestyle to responsibilities, family and the wider community. After a tumultuous year for the arts, we are delighted to partner with the National Theatre to celebrate the art of conversation and to have had so many wonderful British Artists join this fantastic and timely series.”
The producers of the highly acclaimed UK tour of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em are delighted to announce rescheduled dates in 2022. This second UK tour was cut short when theatres were closed by the Government because of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, but is due to recommence on Tuesday 29 March 2022 at The Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage.
The stage adaptation of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is by Guy Unsworth, based on the original TV series by Raymond Allen.
Joe Pasquale will reprise the role of the loveable but accident-prone Frank Spencer, with Sarah Earnshaw as his long-suffering wife Betty. Both are due to star in the UK tour of April in Paris from 17 May 2021, making it one of the very first stage shows to open this year.
Further casting is to be announced.
Joe Pasquale said “sadly, we had to close the show just three weeks into the tour in March 2020 when the pandemic started, so I cannot wait until I can once again don the iconic mac of Frank Spencer in one of Britain’s funniest comedies of all time.”
Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em will now play The Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage from 29 March – 2 April, Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford from 5 – 9 April, The Beck Theatre, Hayes from 12 – 16 April, Tyne Theatre and Opera House, Newcastle from 17 – 21 May, Richmond Theatre from 31 May – 4 June, The Orchard Theatre, Dartford from 7 – 11 June, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from 21 – 25 June, Palace Theatre, Southend from 12 – 16 July, The Alexandra, Birmingham from 19 – 23 July, Stoke Regent Theatre from 26 – 30 July, St Helens Theatre Royal from 2 – 6 August and Kings Theatre Portsmouth from 9 – 13 August. Further venues to be announced.
Comedian Joe Pasquale has delighted audiences with his live stand-up tours for over 30 years. Along the way, he has voiced characters for Hollywood movies Garfield: A Tale of Two Kittens and Horton Hears a Who!, children’s television animation Frankenstein’s Cat and starred in The Muppets’ 25th Anniversary Show. Joe made his theatrical debut in 1999 in Larry Shue’s The Nerd, followed by the touring productions of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead and Mel Brooks’s The Producers. In addition, Joe took part recently in ITV1’s The All New Monty: Who Bares Wins, he was crowned ‘King of the Jungle’ in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here in 2004, appeared on five Royal Variety Performances, hosted his own ITV special An Audience with Joe Pasquale, at times hosted ThePaul O’Grady Show for Channel 4 and hosted the long-running television series The Price is Right for ITV. Other recent TV credits include a celebrity edition of Total Wipeout; Guinness World Records Smashed and Virgin One’s The Prisoner X.
Prior to playing Betty in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, Sarah Earnshaw most recently starred as Connie in The Nightingales (Theatre Royal Bath & UK Tour) and Jennifer Lore in the UK Tour of Nativity – The Musical. Her other theatre credits include Travels With My Aunt (Chichester Festival), The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (West End and UK Tour) and the original London cast of Wicked.
Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em is directed by Guy Unsworth and designed by Simon Higlett, with lighting design by Matt Haskins, sound design by Ian Horrocks-Taylor and choreography by Jenny Arnold.
The UK Tour will be produced by Limelight Productions.
Disney Theatrical Productions today announces that Frozen is back on sale to the public, opening at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on 8 September 2021, with previews from 27 August, and is now booking until 3 April 2022. With music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee, Frozen is directed by Michael Grandage. The full cast for the production is Samantha Barks (Elsa), Stephanie McKeon (Anna), Obioma Ugoala (Kristoff), Craig Gallivan (Olaf), Oliver Ormson (Hans), Richard Frame (Weselton), and alternating the role of Sven, Mikayla Jade and Ashley Birchall; with Jeremy Batt, Cameron Burt, Lauren Chia, Laura Emmitt, Emily-Mae (Bulda), Hannah Fairclough, Danielle Fiamanya, Chris Fung, Matt Gillett, Joe Griffiths-Brown, Emily Lane, Justin-Lee Jones, Jason Leigh Winter, Jacob Maynard, Leisha Mollyneaux, Gabriel Mokake (King Agnarr), Sarah O’Connor, Jemma Revell, Joshua St. Clair (Pabbie), Jacqui Sanchez (Queen Iduna), Jak Skelly (Oaken/Bishop), Jake Small, Kerry Spark, Isabel Snaas, Monica Swayne, and Anna Woodside.
Frozen – produced by Disney Theatrical Productions under the direction of Thomas Schumacher – opened on Broadway in March 2018 to box office records, and three Tony Award® nominations including for Best Musical. 2021 will see five productions of Frozen opening around the world. In addition to the opening in London, the musical recently opened in Australia, new productions will open in Japan and Germany, and the North American tour will resume performances.
Frozen was released in cinemas in 2013, winning multiple awards, including two Academy Awards® for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song (“Let It Go”), the Golden Globe for Best Animated Feature Film and the BAFTA for Best Animated Film. It was written and directed by Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck, withmusic and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Frozen 2, which debuted in November 2019 is the highest grossing animated film of all time.
In the first booking period, Frozen has scheduled the following access performances – Signed Performance (Sunday 5 December, 1pm matinee), Relaxed Performance (Sunday 19 December 12.30pm matinee), Audio Described Performance (Sunday 23 January 2022 1pm matinee) and Captioned Performance (Sunday 30 January 2022 at 5.30pm).
Samantha Barks plays Elsa. For theatre, her work includes Chess (Umeda Arts Theater Main Hall / Tokyo International Forum Hall), Pretty Woman (Chicago and Broadway), The Last Five Years (St James Theatre), Amelie (Berkley Rep), City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse), Chicago (Hollywood Bowl), Oliver! (UK tour), Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre), and Cabaret (Birmingham Rep). She was one of the participants on the BBC series I’d Do Anything. For film, her credits include Chocolate Cake, For Love or Money, Bitter Harvest, The Revenger, Interlude in Prague, The Devil’s Harvest, The Christmas Candle and as Eponine in Les Misérables (recipient of Empire Award for Best Female Newcomer; and nomination for Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture). She also reprised her performance as Eponine for Les Misérables in Concert: The 25th Anniversary.
Stephanie McKeon plays Anna. For theatre, her work includes Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Close to You: Bacharach Reimagined (Criterion Theatre and Menier Chocolate Factory), and The Commitments (Palace Theatre). Her screen work includes, for television, Fair City – as series regular Aisling O’Brien; and as the voice of Asuka in the Netflix English-dubbed version of the critically acclaimed Japanese Anime series/films Neon Genesis: Evangelion.
Obioma Ugoala plays Kristoff. For theatre, his work includes The Lost Love Speakeasy (The Lost Estate), Much Ado About Nothing (New English Shakespeare Company), Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), Motown (Shaftesbury Theatre), Henry V, The Mouse and His Child (RSC), Holy Warriors, Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Jungle Book, Crime and Punishment (Glasgow Citizens Theatre) and The Physicists (Donmar Warehouse). For television, Miracle Workers: Dark Ages; and for film, Beauty and the Beast.
Craig Gallivan plays Olaf. For theatre his work includes School of Rock (New London Theatre), Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace Theatre), Crime and Punishment (National Theatre), Days of Significance (RSC), The Long, The Short and The Tall (Sheffield Theatres), Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Oliver! (UK tours). For television, his work includes Stella (as series regular Luke), Torchwood, Footballer’s Wives (as series regular Callum Watson) and Care; and for film, The Edge of Love.
Oliver Ormson plays Hans. For theatre, his work includes Back to the Future The Musical (Opera House Manchester), High Fidelity (Turbine Theatre), Cats (Kilworth House), Nerds, Protagonists (The Other Palace), The Addams Family (UK and international tours), The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre), Sopranos vs Tenors (European tour), and Hairspray (Aberystwyth Arts Centre). Television includes West Side Story (Reef Television/BBC Symphony Orchestra).
Richard Frame plays Weselton. For theatre, his work includes The Lion King (as Timon from 2013 to 2018, Lyceum Theatre), Blue Remembered Hills (Theatre on the Fly), Pocket Comedy (UK tour), Richard III, The Comedy of Errors (The Watermill Theatre), London Assurance (National Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Merchant of Venice (Propeller), Absolute Beginners (Lyric Hammersmith), Promises, Promises (Sheffield Theatres), Love’s Labour’s Lost and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre). For television, his work includes Outnumbered, The Hollow Crown – Henry IV Parts 1 and 2, Family Affairs (as series regular Damian), Wire in the Blood, Hearts and Bones, and Hope and Glory; and for film London Road.
Mikayla Jade makes her professional stage and West End debut playing Sven. Originally from Australia, she is an actress and stuntwoman. For film, her work includes Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, The Old Guard and Wonder Woman 1984.
Ashley Birchall plays Sven. For theatre, his work includes Joseph and the Amazing TechnicolorDreamcoat, Oklahoma! (Kilworth House), Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Pet Shop Boys: Inner Sanctum (Royal Opera House), Tommy (Greenwich Theatre), Starlight Express (Germany), We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre). For film, his work includes Mary Poppins Returns.
Groups 9 to 19* Stalls & Royal Circle £49.50, Grand Circle £39.50
Groups 20+* Stalls & Royal Circle £45, Grand Circle £35
*Valid on Wednesday and Thursday 7pm performances and Thursday 2pm matinees subject to availability. Excludes school holidays and other blackout dates that may apply.
Education Groups 10+ † Stalls & Royal Circle £29.50 | Grand Circle £22.50
Plus one free teacher ticket for every ten paid tickets
Valid on Wednesday & Thursday 7pm and Thursday 2pm performances subject to availability. Excludes school holidays and other blackout dates that may apply. Minimum group size is 10. Education rate valid for groups up to Year 11.
PREVIEW PERFORMANCES:
Friday 27 August at 7.30pm
Saturday 28 August at 7.30pm
Sunday 29 August at 5.30pm
Tuesday 31 August at 7.30pm
Wednesday 1 September at 7.30pm
Thursday 2 September at 7.30pm
Friday 3 September at 7.30pm
Saturday 4 September at 2.30pm and 7.30pm
Sunday 5 September at 1pm
Tuesday 7 September at 7.30pm
PERFORMANCES FROM Thursday 9 September evening performance
(NB no matinee on 9 September):
Wednesday – Saturday 7pm
Thursday and Saturday 2pm
Sunday 1pm & 5.30pm
ACCESS & RELAXED PERFORMANCES:
Signed Performance Sunday 5 December, 1pm matinee
Relaxed Performance Sunday 19 December 12.30pm matinee
Audio Described Performance Sunday 23 January 2022 1pm matinee
Captioned Performance Sunday 30 January 2022 at 5.30pm
Tickets from £10, with over 600 tickets per week £15 or under
Sonia Friedman Productions today announces the dates for the RE:EMERGE season as priority booking opens on 15 April at 10.30am, with public booking opening 16 April at 10am. Amy Berryman’s Walden opens the season, with previews from 22 May, and running until 12 June; Yasmin Joseph’s J’Ouvert previews from 16 June, and runs until 3 July; and completing the season, Joseph Charlton’s Anna X previews from 10 July, and runs until 4 August. The season will observe the UK government social distancing guidelines for audiences at the time of performance, making adjustments where safe and appropriate to seating and capacity in line with current advice.
The RE:EMERGE season will create a space for vital, new voices and fresh talent in the West End and beyond, working alongside some of the industry’s greatest theatremakers and artists. The extraordinary collection of plays curated by Sonia Friedman Productions with Ian Rickson – Artistic Director for the season – tackles urgent issues integral to rebuilding our society, including structural inequality, climate change and the economics of truth in an internet age. Supported using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England, RE:EMERGE will support the theatre-makers of the future, provide vital work for the freelance community and celebrate the live experience as we begin to build back to the full reopening of British theatre.
The RE:EMERGE season will open with socially-distanced auditoria, helping to re-open and re-energise our theatres, and will be staged in a Covid safe environment following current government advice and adhering to social distancing guidelines; and in line with Society of London Theatre’s See It Safely campaign.
THE RE:EMERGE SEASON INCLUDES:
· WALDEN
A debut play by Amy Berryman
Cast: Gemma Arterton, Fehinti Balogun, Lydia Wilson
22 May – 12 June
Directed by Ian Rickson; Design by Rae Smith; Lighting Design by Azusa Ono
Music by Mark Bradshaw; Sound Design: Emma Laxton; Casting: Amy Ball
· J’OUVERT
A new play by Yasmin Joseph
16 June – 3 July
Cast: Annice Boparai, Gabrielle Brooks, Sapphire Joy, Zuyane Russell
Directed by Rebekah Murrell
Designed by Sandra Falase in collaboration with Chloe Lamford; Movement by Shelley Maxwell; Lighting Design by Simisola Majekodunmi; Sound Design by Beth Duke; Casting by Isabella Odoffin
· ANNA X
A new play by Joseph Charlton
10 July – 4 August
Cast: Emma Corrin, Nabhaan Rizwan
Directed by Daniel Raggett; Set and Video Design by Mikaela Liakata and Tal Yarden
Lighting Design by Jessica Hung Han Yun; Sound Design by Mike Winship
Costume Design by Natalie Pryce
Tickets for the previews will be priced from £5, and from £10 for the runs post press nights. There will be 600 tickets each week priced at £15 or under.
There is the intention for all three productions to be filmed for a broadcast life, with J’OUVERT being shown on BBC Four on Monday 26 April at 10pm and BBC iPlayer as part of BBC Lights Up – a season of plays for BBC radio and TV, produced in partnership with theatres across the UK and continuing BBC Arts’ Culture in Quarantine initiative. Filming details to be announced in due course for WALDEN and ANNA X.
Twitter: @SFP_London #ReEmergeSFP
Instagram: @SFPOfficial #ReEmergeSFP
Facebook: /SoniaFriedmanProductions #ReEmergeSFP
Supported using public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England:
Aimie Atkinson (Six, Pretty Woman), Cassidy Janson (&Juliet, Beautiful), Lucie Jones (Waitress, Rent), Cedric Neal (Chess,Mowtown the Musical) and Julian Ovenden (South Pacific, Downton Abbey) will join on-stage for an intimate night of music and theatrical chat, featuring ovation worthy performances of songs from their favourite genres. Host Greg Barnett (Miss Littlewood, Swallows and Amazons) invites his audience behind the curtain to catch these castmates as you’ve never seen them before. Sharing their most cherished memories and experiences from their careers, alongside performances of music personal to them, West End royalty celebrate the craft and industry they’ve so dearly missed.
Monday Night at the Apollo has been conceived of to support the theatre industry, and a percentage of profits will be donated to Acting for Others, an organisation made up of 14 individual theatrical charities.
Tickets are on sale now for all three concerts: Monday 24 May, Monday 14 June and Monday 5 July. The producers will continue to review each date as it approaches and react according to government guidelines at the time. Line ups for the second and third concerts will be announced soon.
Producers Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers said, “We’re excited to be announcing the first of our all-star line-ups for ‘Monday Night At The Apollo’. We have five of British Theatre’s best performers joining us for this night to celebrate the re-opening of our wonderful industry and we simply cannot wait to be out on stage performing in front of a live audience. We are thrilled that all three performances will also still be live-streamed to viewers at home via Thespie.com. The industry faces huge challenges in its recovery and we still hope to be able to raise funds for the charity ‘Acting For Others’ to support the thousands of freelancers who continue to be hit hardest as our sector begins to slowly reawaken. Theatre and its audiences know how vital it will be to support each other on the road to recovery and in these seemingly crucial final months, we ask your support, kindness, and most of all your theatrical presence, as we embark on our journey back to the stage. Public health and the safety of our audiences are still our utmost priority and the performances will adhere to the current government guidelines.”
This concert series is musically directed by George Dyer, and produced by Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers for Wild Mountain Productions Ltd.
Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Rebecca Stafford Productions present
Witness for the Prosecution By Agatha Christie
NEW DATES ARE ANNOUNCED FOR THE RETURN OF AGATHA CHRISTIE’S ‘WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION’
THE TRIAL WILL NOW RESUME FROM 3 AUGUST 2021
STAGED IN THE SPECTACULAR CHAMBER OF LONDON COUNTY HALL ON THE SOUTHBANK
THIS GRIPPING COURTROOM DRAMA WILL THRILL AUDIENCES ONCE AGAIN THIS SUMMER
Photo credit : Sheila Burnett
New dates are announced today for the return of Agatha Christie’s Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall on the Southbank. As the Government Roadmap will not permit the return of full capacity audiences by the planned reopening date of 18 May, performances will now resume from 3 August 2021. The production is booking through to 20 March 2022. Tickets are on sale at www.witnesscountyhall.com. Casting is to be announced soon.
Since opening to critical acclaim in 2017 Witness for the Prosecution has captured the imagination of thousands who have been gripped by the case of Leonard Vole, accused of murder in cold blood. Director Lucy Bailey (Oleanna,Ghosts, Love From A Stranger) thrillingly places the audience in the thick of the action, as Agatha Christie’s enthralling tale of justice, passion and betrayal unfolds around them.
Leonard Vole is accused of murdering a widow to inherit her wealth. The stakes are high. Will he be able to convince the jury of his innocence and escape the hangman’s noose?
Photo credit : Sheila Burnett
The twists and turns of the case are played out in a spectacular courtroom setting inside the iconic London County Hall as prosecution battles defence and witnesses take the stand to give their shocking testimonies. The production received Best Revival nominations at the 2018 Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards.
Witness for the Prosecution is designed by William Dudley, with lighting by Chris Davey, sound design by Mic Pool and casting by Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG.
Bringing the indomitable spirit of the West End together in one glorious celebration, the cover of the hit Kelly Clarkson track is the perfect anthem for a community who may not have the stage, but still have a voice.
From their own homes, over 200 members of the theatre community have been a part of this very unique version. Produced by Steve Anderson, best known for his work with Kylie Minogue, Westlife, Steps and Leona Lewis.
Every musical that was open in the West End when the theatres closed, together with some that should have premiered in 2020, is represented on the track with artists from: 9 to 5, &Juliet, Back to the Future, The Book of Mormon, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hanson, Disney’s The Lion King, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Frozen, Hairspray, Hamilton, Hello Dolly, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Matilda the Musical, Les Misérables, Only Fools and Horses the Musical, The
Phantom of the Opera, The Prince of Egypt, Pretty Woman, Six, Thriller Live, Tina Waitress and Wicked.
The track will be released on all streaming platforms, and the video is still available to view at: www.youtube.com/user/MADTrustTV
The Make A Difference Trust has always been about community; the theatre community coming together to help those in need. In May last year, The Trust revived and repurposed their Emergency Fund in order to support those on stage and behind the scenes experiencing hardship because of the Coronavirus crisis. Every penny received will be used to support those in the theatre industry in need during these difficult times.
Melanie Tranter, Chair of the Make a Difference Trust said, “Since the Make A Difference Trust was established in 2008 the theatre community have joined together with us to raise funds for those less fortunate than themselves. They have entertained us, made us laugh and cheer, sing and stamp our feet in evenings of pure joy. They have given their time, talent and love so generously to raise funds to support those in need. Now, it’s our turn to support them. Every penny received from this initiative will go directly to theatre professionals in the UK who are affected by the theatre closures as a result of this crisis. We will work tirelessly to ensure grants are paid swiftly, and directly to those in need.”
CURVE REOPENS DOORS TO AUDIENCES WITH SPECIAL SEASON
INCLUDING NEW MADE AT CURVE CONCERT
THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
AND WORK BY CURVE RESIDENT CREATIVES
After over a year without audiences in its building, Leicester’s Curve theatre is gearing up to reopen with a special socially distanced season from the 20 May.
Including two nights of work curated by Curve Resident Creatives and local artists, a new comedy musical, acclaimed dance and a Made at Curve concert inspired by the life and career of Andrew Lloyd Webber, these reopening plans have been made possible by a second grant from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport’s Culture Recovery Fund.
As recently seen in streamed productions of Sunset Boulevard and The Color Purple, by raising the walls between its theatre spaces, Curve will reopen as a 533-seat socially distanced auditorium, with audiences enjoying live performances from all four sides of the stage.
To ensure audiences are able to safely enjoy a return to Curve, the theatre has implemented a number of Covid-Safe measures, including a one-way system, increased ventilation, additional cleaning, temperature checks and allocated entry times to the building. Further information can be found here. Curve has been certified by both UK Theatre as part of its ‘See it Safely’ initiative and Visit England’s ‘We’re Good to Go’ accreditation and audiences will be notified of further Covid-safety measures and protocols in advance of attending a performance.
The season will officially launch on 20 May with a Members event, which will be also be live-streamed from the theatre for audiences to watch online.
On 21 and 22 May, the theatre will celebrate outstanding local and national artists with a showcase of new work and performances from Curve Associate Artists and Curve Resident Creatives. All artists share a commitment to making work at Curve and in the Midlands and performances will include songs from new musicals, extracts from original plays and newly choreographed dance pieces from Kathak to Hip-Hop. The evenings will be hosted by Curve Associates Sheep Soup.
Celebrated dancer, choreographer and Curve Associate Artist Aakash Odedra returns to the stage with his performance of Rising on 24 and 25 May. First performed in 2011 and now revisited in the Company’s 10th anniversary year, Rising is an unprecedented pairing of world-renowned contemporary choreographers and one of the most talented British South Asian dancers of his generation. The programme will feature several short works choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Akram Khan, Russell Maliphant and Aakash himself.
From 27 to 29 May, Katie Lam and Alex Parker’s AMDRAM: A Musical Comedy comes to Curve. The Great Osterley North Amateur Dramatic Society – or GONADS, as they’re known – reign supreme over the village hall. The arrival of a new contender for leading lady and a professional director throw their amateur production into chaos. A hilarious new musical about friendship, theatre and community, Am Dram will be performed by an incredible cast including Janie Dee, Laura Pitt-Pulford, Raj Ghatak, Debbie Chazen, Sharan Phull, Jordan Lee Davies and Wendy Ferguson.
The culmination of this season will be The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, a spectacular concert performance featuring music and memories from the extraordinary life and career of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Directed by Nikolai Foster (Sunset Boulevard – at Home, West Side Story, My Beautiful Laundrette) and running from 7 to 19 June, experience some of musical theatre’s all-time triumphs as we join the Phantom, Grizabella, Eva Peron, the Lord himself* and a host of iconic characters performing Andrew’s greatest songs from The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, The School of Rock, Tell Me on a Sunday, Sunset Boulevard, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and more. Full casting will be revealed in due course. *Andrew Lloyd Webber appears in pre-recorded video.
Curve Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Nikolai Foster said:
“After over a year of closure, we are delighted to be welcoming audiences safely back to Curve with an exciting programme celebrating artists, our community and Leicester’s passion for musical theatre. We are proud to present a season of work drawing together new musical theatre writers with the canon of Andrew Lloyd Webber, contemporary dance with the work of Leicester legend Aakash Odedra and new writing alongside established voices.
“We cannot wait to bring our communities, artists and audiences together in our specially-adapted socially distanced auditorium. Although we recognise some audiences may be nervous returning to live events, health and safety remains our priority and we have invested significantly in implementing measures to ensure everyone working with us and visiting our theatre is safe.
“Through reopening our theatre we are not only able to make live work once more and employ 100s of freelancers, but we are able to play an active role in helping our city begin to recover from the impact of Covid. We would like to say a heartfelt thank you to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport for our second Culture Recovery Fund grant which is enabling us to reignite the mighty Curve engines and operate with social distancing in place. We’d also like to thank everyone who’s supported us during the closure, in particular our principal funders Arts Council England and Leicester City Council- this crucial public funding has kept our theatre operating during the pandemic.”
Curve’s reopening plans are only possible due to grant funding received from the government’s Culture Recovery Fund and the ongoing support of Arts Council England and Leicester City Council.
Peter Knott, Area Director, Arts Council England said:
“We’re delighted to be investing in Curve through the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund. This funding will offer this highly-acclaimed theatre the opportunity to plan for the future and prepare for reopening in the coming months. Curve plays a vital role in Leicester, producing and touring bold and diverse musicals and plays, running community choirs and youth programmes.
“The Government’s package is hugely welcome, providing much of the sector with resources to reopen safely. Rebuilding a thriving cultural sector at the heart of communities is a vital part of helping the whole country to recover from the pandemic. Now that we’re hopefully on the road to recovery, there is much to look forward to as organisations get ready to reopen their doors, welcoming back audiences and making plans for the future.”
In line with the government roadmap, the theatre will fully reopen on 1 July with performances of Peter James’ Looking Good Dead. Last week Curve revealed a host of shows set to visit and open tours in Leicester in the coming months including Mischief’s Magic Goes Wrong, the Made at Curve production of Grease, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Derren Brown: Showman and The Osmonds: A New Musical.
Alongside plans to welcome audiences back to its building, Curve is also providing audiences with opportunities to enjoy theatre at home whilst restrictions remain in place. From 10 to 15 May Curve will once again share its acclaimed production of Sunset Boulevard – at Home, with all proceeds in support of The Andy Nairn Bursaries in Technical Theatre. From 31 May to 1June, the theatre will host the digital tour of Aidy the Awesome, a new aerial theatre show for families from Curve Resident Creatives The Gramophones. Commissioned by Curve, the streamed production follows the action-packed adventures of Aidy and her super granny. Tickets for Sunset Boulevard at Home are on sale now with tickets for Aidy the Awesome available to purchase soon.
Tickets for The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, AMDRAM, Rising and Resident Creatives New Work are on sale to Curve Friends from Fri 16 April, with Supporters able to book from Mon 19 April and Members from Tue 20 April. Tickets will be on general sale from Thu 22 April, all at 12 noon. Tickets can be purchased online at www.curveonline.co.uk
Presented by Talawa Theatre Company The final films in Talawa’s Tales from the Front Line series released Available from Monday 26th April 2021, 12pm
The final films in Talawa Theatre Company’s urgent and compelling online series, Tales from the Front Line, will be released on their website at midday on Monday 26th April. This powerful series used verbatim interviews with Black key workers to explore their relationships with British society, and the impact that the Windrush Scandal, the global Black Lives Matter movement and the pandemic has had on their perceptions of belonging.
On Wednesday 31st March, the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities concluded that the country is not institutionally racist; many disagree. The stories in Tales from the Front Line demand that a changed society must emerge in a post-pandemic world.
As Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton; Fractured) shares the words of a teacher in voiceover, TYPT Movement Director Yami Löfvenberg and alumna Akadi Sankofa use the interviewee’s own exercise and dance regime to bring the fifth film to life as directed by Talawa’s Artistic Director, Michael Buffong. As she weighs up her distrust of disinformation with her unease with the institutions promoting the vaccine, she makes a choice to protect herself and the children who just sometimes need a hug.
Directed by Talawa’s New Work Producer, Ifrah Ismail, the final film is something entirely different altogether: it is inspired by how the testimonies collected highlighted self-care and resilience-building as a key to surviving and growing in modern Britain. With writing, choreography, music and performance by Chisara Agor, who is also a TYPT alumnus, the audience has a moment to breathe and ground themselves.
Michael Buffong, Talawa’s Artistic Director, comments, From the start I wanted Tales from the Frontline to create a lasting historical record of the stories of Black people on the front line of the Covid crisis; it’s achieved that. ‘Tales’ was one of the central parts of Talawa’s digital response to the closures brought about by the Pandemic. These simple yet soulful stories have struck a chord with communities across the globe.
No one can claim that Black people were not present on the frontline of Britain’s Covid crisis.
The pandemic has had a starkly divergent impact on communities; Black people are four times more likely to die from Covid-19, according to Public Health England’s figures in May for England and Wales. In November, the Joint Committee on Human Rights report “Black People, Racism and Human Rights”, concluded that the Government must urgently take action to protect the human rights of Black people across many areas, including healthcare.
The Tales from the Front Line interviews were a space for Black workers to share their experiences, their concerns and their hopes for the future. Black artists and creatives have then used the testimonies to create a work to convey the story with humour and hope. Talawa are an Arts Council England NPO. Tales from the Front Line has been supported by Croydon Council’s Culture Relief Fund.
Brighton Fringe returns with hybrid model for audiences to enjoy around the country Friday 28th May – Sunday 27th June 2021
2019 was record-breaking for Brighton Fringe with over 600,000 attendees, while 2020 saw the Festival explore digital performance for the first time. Now, for 2021, England’s largest arts festival is back with the most exciting and unusual cabaret, circus and comedy, dance, drama and drag! In the spirit of invention that has always inspired the Fringe, this year will be a hybrid festival with a mixture of live and digital shows.
Already more than 330 events lined up with a mix of in-person shows and digital productions to explore as part of this year’s amazing programme – and there’s more yet to come. This summer, head to the seaside in person or in principle and celebrate the limitless variety of the UK arts scene with Brighton Fringe!
The Brighton Fringe CEO Julian Caddy comments, I am delighted that after an incredibly difficult year we are now launching ticket sales for Brighton Fringe 2021. Putting together Brighton Fringe is a massive undertaking, especially with the challenges that we have all faced during the pandemic, so I would like to pay tribute to the participants, venues and producers for their passion, dedication and resilience. It is thanks to you that there is any point in having a Brighton Fringe.
We may well put on the largest arts festival in England and provide the year-round resources that we do, but we are far from being the largest arts organisation. Brighton Fringe is a super network of networks. It is the stories we tell, the experiences we have, the recommendations that we make. We can’t wait to welcome back audiences and artists safely to the city to create new connections and celebrate Fringe, safely, with us this year.
This open-access arts festival embraces every art form and artist in a vast celebration of the weird, wild and wonderful. Brighton Fringe has grown from Brighton’s unique cultural heritage, nurtured and inspired by home-grown talent. The festival prides itself on being welcoming to established and emerging artists, supporting those taking their first steps with a variety of bursaries.
Bursary Award winners for 2021 include the BN1 winner Liv Ello for SWARM, a black comedy on white privilege which re-tells a provocative reality through the behaviour of flies. King Jamsheed:Lonely Piano follows King Jamsheed through their solo year accompanied by a stunning soundtrack of piano, synth and brooding vocals; I Am More Than 2021 by Equinox is about exploring assumptions and challenging prejudices – both come to Brighton Fringe having won the Irene Mensah Bursary.
A powerful new piece about belonging and assimilation, White(Other) by Pole Vault was awarded the South East Dance Bursary. Winning the Michael Graney Bursary for new theatre pieces which hold science fiction at their heart, Waiting For Hamlet by Smokescreen Productions is about one fool who knows he’s a fool, and one fool who doesn’t. Fetch Theatre is the winner of the Ironclad Creative New Writing Bursary for Fiction Romance, about exploring the hidden desires of one man, a sailor and a dreamer who finds love.
Alongside these emerging artists, old favourites will also take to the stage at Brighton Fringe. An unmissable feature of the comedy landscape for five decades, Arthur Smith will be heading to the coast this summer. Marcel Lucont, the flâneur, raconteur, bon-viveur, will be back with his dead-pan stand-up. After two sell-out runs at Brighton Fringe in 2018 and 2019, Circus Abyssinia are back with a heart-stopping show. Award-winning character comedian Anna Morris brings her BBC Radio 4 stand-up show to the stage and, for the first time in her career, steps out of her much-loved characters to reveal a side we’ve never seen. A mixed bill of multi-award-nominated stand-up and sketch comedians, The LOL Word will present an unmissable hour of the queerest comedy. Bent Double is a gay-friendly, irreverent night of fun and frolics hosted by the brilliant Zoe Lyons.
Also returning to Brighton Fringe is Sara Barron who has got a whole new selection of jokes and stories about motherhood, fatherhood, therapists, fallings out, and gettings together. Join Chloe Petts as she presents an hour of new jokes on all manner of pertinent issues including the darts and loud snores on public transport. SMUT is the long-anticipated show by comedy newcomer Lily Phillips; it was going to be about feminism but is now going to be about her dog. Fresh from 8 Out of 10 Cats, Hypothetical and Roast Battle, Harriet Kemsley will be heading to the seafront with a brand-new show. Acerbic comedian and professional slacker Rajiv Karia will be assessing his millennial existence and the worlds of hipsters, yuppie culture and modern problems in Paint.
Theatres may have been closed for the past year but that hasn’t stopped astonishing new pieces from being cooked up. The Wardrobe Ensemble and The Wardrobe Theatre will bring their critically acclaimed two-woman retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s masterpiece, The Great Gatsby, to Brighton this summer. There will be an incredible digital programme featuring work from South African artists from the National Arts Festival including winners of the Gold Ovation Award, Women Hold Up the Sky and The King of Broken Things. The Voice Magazine’s Editor’s Choice Award-winner Bard Overboard takes audiences below decks as Wonder World Cruises team tries to record a heartwarming corporate message for these trying times. They’ve got one final Zoom rehearsal before they go live, what could go wrong?
Variety is the name of the game at Brighton Fringe and there is plenty more to enjoy! The Purple Teapot Puppet Company is back with a brand-new family show about a teddy and a puppy vying for love in A Bear Called Bottom and a Dog Called Snoop. Audiences can also join Highly Suspect for a hilarious interactive and fiendishly tricky online murder mystery, A Highly Suspect Murder Mystery. Part history lesson, part cabaret show, and part heart-rending personal quest, A Matter of Time is an attempt to come to terms with a world in which the clock is always ticking. Accio Fandom is a pitstop tour of fandom – from Lord of the Rings to Sailor Moon – told through comedy and cabaret. Album artist for Radiohead since 1994, Stanley Donwood will bring together a unique selection of original drawings and landscapes in his exhibition, WAY OUT.
Opening their doors to Brighton Fringe once more, The Warren will pop up again with some new socially-distanced spaces in addition to their new year-round seafront venue, The Electric Arcade.Brighton Spiegeltent will take over the Old Steine with a strong cabaret programme while Laughing Horse can be found in three pubs in Brighton – The Caroline of Brunswick, The Quadrant and The Walrus – with their usual programme of affordable comedy and theatre. The Rialto Theatre and The Caxton Arms will both be back with their excellent programmes. After a year packed with outdoor events, Brighton Open Air Theatre will play host to the Fringe as will Komedia, who will be back with socially-distanced versions of their comedy nights having been closed since last March.
Sweet Venues will take over a new space at Pier Werks as the brand new Sweet Old Steine: Main Space & The Comedy Basement. After the success of their first run at Brighton Fringe’s Autumn Season, they will also be returning with their digital programme of pre-recorded work on SweetStream. Living Record are bringing a virtual venue to Brighton Fringe for the first time with a programme of work specially made for the digital realm. Edinburgh Fringe venue theSpaceUK will also make their debut at Brighton with a digital venue presenting a mix of live and pre-recorded online events.
Brighton Fringe’s programme will offer much-loved returning acts alongside exciting newcomers with comedy, theatre, circus, exhibitions, magic, dance, children’s shows and much, much more. Check out the full programme to see the entire amazing line-up.
