The House of Cenci Available from Monday 15th February 2021
Integrating a free-roaming text adventure with live performance on Zoom, the makers of Crisis? What Crisis? and For King and Country have taken immersive game theatre to new levels in lockdown with The House of Cenci. Parabolic Theatre have developed digital castle ruins for audiences to explore while uncovering the events of a harrowing tale. Across four weeks, the secrets of The House of Cenci will slowly unravel for those brave enough to solve the mysteries that lurk behind closed doors.
After 400 years, the secrets of a family tragedy are awakening. Hidden in the depths of the House of Cenci, the truth waits to be set free. Count Francesco Cenci was a tyrant; his daughter a victim and a murderer. Based on the true story which inspired centuries of retellings by artists from Percy Bysshe Shelley to Antonin Artaud, originator of the Theatre of Cruelty, The House of Cenci exposes an awful tragedy and the slow procession to disaster.
To unlock opportunities to travel in time between 1599, 1972 and the modern day, audiences must solve puzzles, complete tasks and deal independently with moral dilemmas. Using the early computer game format of text adventures, the story is split into four acts and live interactive scenes act as a threshold into each. Roam the castle at leisure but live scenes occur weekly on Zoom and for an hour at a time. Audiences must interact with the scenes to find out more and progress to the next act of this horrific digital tale.
The cast include Ed Cartwright (For King and Country, The COLAB Factory; Dr. Thorne) as the Cardinal, Dare Emmanuel (Hunted Live; Portals) as Orsino, Ellie Russo (The Merchant of Venice, The Duke of York’s Theatre; Cavalleria Rusticana / Pagliacci, Royal Opera House) as Lucretia. The House of Cenci also stars Ewan Bagshaw (Bridge Command and England Expects, Parabolic Theatre) as Olympio, Edward Andrews (The Pilgrim; Romeo & Juliet, The Harold Pinter Theatre) as Congressman and Sandy Murray (Shakespeare in Love, Noël Coward Theatre; Fisherman’s Tail, Edinburgh Fringe) as Giacomo with further casting to be announced.
Artistic Director of Parabolic Theatre, Owen Kingston comments, The Cenci story is a fascinating one – timelessly relevant with a huge theatrical legacy. I’ve wanted Parabolic to do something new with it since founding the company, but the scale of the story has always placed it out of reach of our resources. Reimagining immersive performance for a locked-down world has given us a fresh perspective on what is possible, and the hybrid digital/live performance approach that we’ve taken allows us to finally present a worthy adaptation of this story for the modern world.
Parabolic Theatre specialises in producing immersive theatrical experiences. They bring together the worlds of theatre and gaming to continue to push this evolving genre further. They believe that audience agency is at the heart of what makes an experience immersive. They offer audiences the most freedom possible: to explore where they want, talk to who they want, and observe what they want. They make the experience truly the audience’s own.
FIONN WHITEHEAD TO STAR IN NEW DIGITAL PRODUCTION OF THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
Photo Credit: Pip
THE STAR OF DUNKIRK & BANDERSNATCH WILL PLAY THE TITULAR ROLE OF DORIAN GRAY
THE BARN THEATRE, LAWRENCE BATLEY THEATRE, NEW WOLSEY THEATRE, OXFORD PLAYHOUSE & THEATR CLWYD WILL CO-PRODUCE A DIGITAL PRODUCTION OF THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY
THE PRODUCTION, BASED ON OSCAR WILDE’S BELOVED NOVEL, WILL BE WRITTEN BY HENRY FILLOUX-BENNETT AND DIRECTED BY TAMARA HARVEY.
Fionn Whitehead, star of Dunkirk and Black Mirror: Bandersnatch, will take on the titular role in an upcoming contemporary digital adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic, The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Most recently seen starring in the Lionsgate and Saban Films’ Don’t Tell A Soul, Fionn Whitehead is best known for his critically acclaimed performance as the protagonist Tommy in Christopher Nolan’s Academy Award nominated war film, Dunkirk.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, from the team behind the celebrated digital production of What a Carve Up!, is set to push the theatrical form like its predecessor; utilising elements found in radio plays, films, documentaries as well as traditional theatrical techniques.
Set in a profile pic-obsessed, filter-fixated world where online and reality blur, influencer Dorian Gray makes a deal. For his social star never to fade. For the perfect self he broadcasts to the world to always remain. But as his mental health starts to decline, as corruption and murderous depravity start to creep into his world, the true and horrific cost of his deal will soon need to be met.
The Picture of Dorian Gray, which runs for two weeks from 16-31 March, will reunite the creative team behind What a Carve Up!with Henry Filloux-Bennett writing the new adaptation with direction by Tamara Harvey.
On being reunited for this new production Henry Filloux-Bennett and Tamara Harvey commented, “So many of us have found ourselves living in an ever more online world over the last year. But the benefits and the connections digital have offered us come with a darker side – deterioration in mental health, isolation, online manipulation to name just a few. Following ‘What a Carve Up!’ we really wanted to explore what would happen if you brought Oscar Wilde’s Faustian tale kicking and screaming into a world of Instagram, Facebook and dating apps.”
Their most recent collaboration What a Carve Up!, which featured an all-star cast including Alfred Enoch, Stephen Fry and Sharon D Clarke, achieved both critical and public acclaim throughout the November lockdown of 2020 with the production receiving the prestigious New York Times Critic’s Pick as well as being heralded as one of the best productions of the year by both The Guardian and The Telegraph.
The Barn Theatre in Cirencester, the Lawrence Batley Theatre in Huddersfield and the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich will return to co-produce The Picture of Dorian Gray with Oxford Playhouse in Oxfordshire and Theatr Clwyd in Mold joining the collaboration as co-producers.
The production will be available internationally, running until 31 March. Tickets can be purchased at pictureofdoriangray.com with audience members receiving a screening link which will activate on their booked performance date for a 48-hour period. Tickets are priced at £12 which will include both a link to the production as well as a digital programme. Audio description and closed captioning will be made available for the production during its run.
The producers are also dedicated to supporting fellow theatres across the country during this unprecedented time and have announced that the following theatres will be joining the production as partner venues: Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Arts At The Old Fire Station, artsdepot – North Finchley, Belgrade Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Guildhall Arts Centre – Grantham, Hertford Theatre, Mercury Theatre, Octagon Theatre Bolton, Stamford Arts Centre, The Dukes, The Elgiva, The Lighthouse Theatre, The Lowry, The Torch, The Watermill Theatre, Theatre By The Lake, Theatre Royal Winchester and Watford Palace Theatre.
Further casting and creatives for the production will be announced at a later date.
WITH REBECCA HALL, SARA KESTELMAN, LUISA OMIELAN AND DAN STEVENS
Jenny Caron Hall, Artistic Director of SHAKE Festival,today announces a rehearsed reading of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Following the success of previous livestreams, The Tempest, and Sonnets & Carols, the latest reading, directed byCaron Hall, will be streamed live for one night only on Wednesday 31March at 7.30pm. Tickets available to buy here.
The cast comprises Richard Blaine (Philostrate), Joseph Blatchley (Robin Starveling), Daniel Bowerbank (Helena), Amesh Edireweera (Tom Snout/Wall), Tim Fitzhigham (Francis Flute/Thisbe), Rebecca Hall (Titania/Hyppolita), Ed Hughes (Snug/Lion), Sara Kestelman (Peter Quince), Malachy King (A Fairy), Wendy Morgan (Puck), Luisa Omielan (Bottom/Pyramus), Louis Rudnicki (Demetrius), David Sibley (Egeus), Dan Stevens (Oberon/Theseus), Barnaby Taylor (Lysander), Máiréad Tyers (Hermia), with the voices of Pease-Bottom, Cobweb, Moth and Mustard-seed will be read by members of the Mini-Mouth Youth Theatre.
Artistic Director of SHAKE festival, Jenny Caron Hall, said today, “Expressed in beautiful language, this is an extraordinary play; romantic, magical, and very funny. I’m thrilled it’s being vividly brought to life in this online reading by such a brilliant cast.”
Jenny Caron Hall is the Artistic Director of SHAKE Festival, which launched in October 2019. As an actress her credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre) and The Tempest (National Theatre/international tour). Caron Hall is also a musician, artist and journalist.
Rebecca Hall plays Titania/Hyppolita. Her theatre credits include Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Strand Theatre – Ian Charleson Award), Twelfth Night (National Theatre), The Fight for Barbara, Man and Superman, Galileo’s Daughter and Don Juan (Theatre Royal Bath), As You Like It (Brooklyn Academy of Music), A Winter’s Tale and The Cherry Orchard (The Bridge Project) and Machinal (American Airlines Theatre). Her television credits include Tales from the Loop, Parade’s End, Red Riding: The Year of Our Lord 1974, Einstein and Eddington, Joe’s Palace, Wide Sargasso Sea, Don’t Leave Me This Way and The Camomile Lawn; and for film, The Night House, A Rainy Day in New York, Holmes & Watson, Teen Spirit, Professor Marston and the Wonder Women, Permission, The Dinner, The BFG, Christine, The Gift, Tumbledown, Transcendence, A Promise, Closed Circuit, Iron Man 3, Lay the Favourite, The Awakening, A Bag of Hammers, Everything Must Go, The Town, Please Give, Dorian Gray, Frost/Nixon, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, The Prestige and Starter for 10. Hall is making her directorial debut with the feature film Passing which will première at Sundance later this month.
Sara Kestelman plays Peter Quince. Her theatre credits include The Visit, Hamlet (National Theatre), Paradise, Filthy Business, The Intellectual Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures, Some Sunny Day (Hampstead Theatre), The Lady in the Van (Theatre Royal Bath), The Girls (UK tour), Ignis, 4000 Miles (The Print Room), Torch Song Trilogy, Meantime (Menier Chocolate Factory), Making Noise Quietly, Nine, Cabaret (Donmar Warehouse) and Fiddler on the Roof (London Palladium/UK tour). Her television credits Maigret in Monmartre, In the Flesh, Instinct, Anna Karenina, Invasion: Earth, Brazen Hussies, Cabaret, Somewhere to Run, Crown Court, The Walls of Jericho, The Double Dealer and Under Western Eyes; and for film, The Last Sparks of Sundown, Lady Jane, Break of Day, Lisztomania and Zardoz.
Luisa Omielan plays Bottom/Pyramus. She was the first comedian to be awarded the BAFTA Breakthrough Brit Award in 2018. Her stand up shows What Would Beyonce Do?! and Politics for Bitches were both aired on the BBC following critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and subsequent national tours. Her television appearances include Miranda, The John Bishop Show and Live at the Apollo.
Dan Stevens plays Oberon/Theseus. His theatre credits include Hangmen (John Golden Theatre), The Heiress (Walter Kerr Theatre), Arcadia (Duke of York’s Theatre), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (National Theatre), The Vortex (Apollo Theatre), Hay Fever (Haymarket Theatre), The Romans inBritain (Sheffield Theatres), Much Ado About Nothing (Theatre Royal Bath) and As You Like It (Rose Theatre). His credits for television include as series regular Matthew Crawley in Downton Abbey, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Legion, The Turn of the Screw, Sense & Sensibility, Maxwell and Dracula; and for film, Blithe Spirit, Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga, The Rental , The Call of the Wild, Lucy in the Sky, Apostle, Her Smell, The Man who Invented Christmas, Marshall, Kill Switch, Permission, Beauty and the Beast, Colossal, Norman, The Ticket, Criminal Activities, Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, A Walk Among the Tombstones, The Cobbler, The Guest, The Fifth Estate, Summer in February, Vamps and Hilde.
Through the tiers, lockdowns and stop/starts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Space bring you their bright, new 2021 spring season. We’ve had unprecedented challenges, and after listening to our creative teams and audiences, we have invested in dynamic solutions to the times we face.
We’re hosting a season of shows that are designed to be livestreamed as well as for ‘in-a-theatre’ audiences, so whether audiences are coming to see us or staying at home, we’ve got some exciting and topical shows lined up. With our new, ACE funded livestreaming kit, we’re building on our 2020 successes, keeping theatre affordable and accessible and reaching further than ever to our growing local and international digital audiences.
Artistic Director Adam Hemming says, “We’ve designed this season to appeal to a wide range of people and to engage a large number of theatre-makers. We want to keep those links we’ve made with national and global audiences and be there to provide for our local audience as soon as we can have them back in the venue. We’re finding new ways to make connections between those who write, direct and perform and those who watch and engage.
Whilst the building is currently closed, due to London COVID levels, and we’re aware that some of the shows in the season may only be livestreamed or may need to be rescheduled, we’re committed to hosting these brave and brilliant theatre-makers.” No less broad is our range of shows: We’ve got new writing showcases (Soldiers Arts Academy Showcase, Pass It On!, Scratching The Servers); gig theatre (A Place To Fall To Pieces); a new musical (Raft); dark classics (Poe’s The Black Cat); dark new dramas (Outside, Helium); epic Roman comedy (Aaron & Julia); feminist Chinese pirates (A Game Not Lost); family friendly shows (The Fantastical Tale of The Boy on The Run); shows about family (being a ‘cool mum’: The Cloak of Visibility and autobiographical story of being a test-tube baby: Don’t Ask Don’t Get, Baby) and of course, emerging theatre companies (Pursued by A Dragon return to the Space with Try Harder and 2020 graduates Two Flats Theatre debut A Blue Something). To kick off our digital/in-person hybrid season and meet the creatives involved, join us on Friday the 15th of January for an online season launch parties. Pour a glass of something fizzy and see just what this brave new year has in store for the Space! The performance details are (dates subject to change):-
Spring Season Launch Night
15th January – live online, via Zoom
Join the Space for a Spring Season like no other, sharing extracts and meeting the companies behind our hybrid Online and (hopefully) In-A-Theatre 2021 season!
Soldiers’ Arts Academy Showcase
30th January – livestreamed on YouTube
An international showcase of six new, short plays written by those most deeply affected by the trauma of military service – veterans themselves and their families.
Pass It On
4th-6th February – premiere watch party on YouTube and post-show Q and A on Zoom Pass It On. Let them know. No woman left behind.
Join us for 3 evenings of new writing, presenting the work of 15 emerging writers, performers, and directors.
A Place to Fall to Pieces
9th-13th February
On a sinking island a musician searches for a place to put her bones. A story (and a song) about magic, memory and earth. A musical quest for the meaning of Home.
Outside
16th-20th February – livestreamed on YouTube
Willa has never left her house alone, until now and she finds herself in a witness protection suite. Is revenge ever justified?
The Fantastical Tale of the Boy on the Run – premiere watch party on YouTube and post-show Q and A on Zoom Date TBC
A theatre show in a book! A miniature world of magic with a giant storyteller.
Try Harder
24th-27th February – livestreamed on YouTube
Three young adults, desperate for money, take on a peculiar new job with a boss from hell. A surreal comedy drama that asks: When is your good, good enough?
A Game Not Lost
2nd-6th March
Sit down for a game of Mahjong with one of the most feared and powerful women of all time, Ching Shih. With each wrong move, Ching recounts a small part of her history.
Cloak of Visibility
9th-13th March
Meet ‘cool mum’, Amy. She’s popular, successful and has mastered the ‘slut drop’. A humorous, compassionate one-woman show about being seen to have it all.
Aaron and Julia
16th-21st March
Caerleon, a small harbour town in the south of Wales, feels very far indeed from the epicentre of the vast, sprawling Roman Empire.
The Black Cat
23rd-26th March
An online retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s macabre masterpiece. An alcoholic is driven insane by his addiction. On the eve of his death, he decides to tell us his story…
A Blue Something
30th March – 1st April
A deer killer, a pregnant woman, an unsuccessful actor and a man awaiting permission to die are stuck in a waiting room together, connected by a blue something.
Helium
13th-16th April Five lives have collided in the wake of a tragic accident. If you’re already close to the edge, sometimes all you need is a little push…
Raft
22nd-24th April Trapped by reality. Freed by imagination. Four women, seemingly trapped on a raft in the middle of the ocean, hunted by a merciless sea-monster. Is all we see what is truly there?
Don’t Ask Don’t Get, Baby
27th April – 1st May
Growing up isn’t easy. Alice’s persistent questioning teaches her more than she thought there was to know. Join her as she muses about nature, nurture and everything in between.
You can also join our mailing list for fortnightly e-bulletins from our arts programme – simply email [email protected] to be added to the list.
The Space is located at 269 Westferry Road, E14 3RS
Tube: Jubilee Line to Canary Wharf, change at Canary Wharf for a bus: D7, 277 or 135 (from Bus Stop H)
Bus: Routes 277 (from Highbury & Islington), D7 (from Mile End) and 135 (from Old St / Liverpool St) stop rights outside the Space (Stop: ‘Crews St/The Space Theatre’)
DLR: Trains from Bank or Lewisham to Mudchute. From the station walk down Spindrift Avenue, then turn right on to Westferry Road. The Space is a few hundred yards on your right hand side.
Aleshea Harris is an American playwright, spoken-word artist, poet, educator, performer, and screenwriter. Her play, “Is God Is” won an an OBIE Award for playwriting in 2017.
“Harris is part of a vanguard of young, African-American playwrights boring into questions of race and history through humor, drama, absurdity and tragedy.”
–Los Angeles Times
The Hermitage Artist Retreat (Andy Sandberg, Artistic Director and CEO), in collaboration with the Greenfield Foundation, has selected OBIE-winning playwright Aleshea Harris as the winner of the 2021 Hermitage Greenfield Prize, given this year in the artistic discipline of theater. Harris will receive a six-week residency at the Hermitage and a $30,000 commission for a new work, which will have its first public presentation in Sarasota in 2023 in collaboration with the Hermitage’s presenting partner, Asolo Repertory Theatre (Michael Donald Edwards, Producing Artistic Director).
The Hermitage’s Artistic Director Andy Sandberg notes that Harris was selected by a distinguished jury that included jury chair Mandy Greenfield, a member of the Hermitage Curatorial Council and the Artistic Director of Williamstown Theater Festival (Massachussetts); Nataki Garrett, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival; and Robert O’Hara, an award-winning director and playwright, a 2020 Tony Award nominee for Best Director (Slave Play) and recently named as an artistic advisor to New York City Center’s Encores series.
Three finalists included Donja R. Love, celebrated Afro-Queer playwright, poet, and filmmaker; Nikkole Salter, award-winning actress, playwright, educator, and arts advocate; and Whitney White, an OBIE Award and Lily Award-winning director, writer, and musician. All three will receive a Hermitage residency, in addition to a prize of $1,000.
“The silver lining of a time marked by a global health pandemic and the movement for long overdue social justice amidst a deep, political crisis, is that artists like Aleshea Harris will dream us forward—great artists have always led hearts and minds toward progress,” says Jury Chair Mandy Greenfield. “Alesha’s stunning body of work, including Is God Is and What to Send Up When It Goes Down, already distinguishes her as one of our most exquisite and fearless American playwrights. Her brilliant imagination, vast intellect, and innate theatricality guarantees a limitless future for her work and its impact. It was an honor to serve as a juror alongside distinguished theater-makers Nataki Garrett and Robert O’Hara. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize is a rare and special award that values and supports playwrights for their unique ability to reach and transform audiences. We celebrate Aleshea Harris, the finalists, the Hermitage Artist Retreat, and the Greenfield Foundation for the beautiful community it brings together with this prize.”
Non-voting members of this year’s jury process included Hermitage Artistic Director and CEO Andy Sandberg, The Greenfield Foundation’s Joni Greenfield, and Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards.
“Wow. This is tremendous. I am very surprised, and so honored – thank you,” Harris said upon hearing the news. “Knowing that the jury believes in my vision for this new work is the ultimate vote of confidence. I can’t wait to push up my sleeves and dig in.”
“Amidst an extraordinary and competitive selection of finalists, Aleshea Harris stood out as an innovative, forward-thinking theater artist who impressed the jury with her thoughtful and inspired vision,” says Sandberg. “She embodies the mission of the Hermitage Greenfield Prize—to bring into the world works of art that have a significant impact on the broad as well as the artistic culture of our society. We thank our distinguished jurors for their care and leadership, and we congratulate all of our finalists. We look forward to recognizing Aleshea in Sarasota at the Prize Dinner in April, and subsequently welcoming her as a Hermitage Fellow and sharing the first public presentation of her newest work in Sarasota in collaboration with the Asolo in 2023.”
Aleshea Harris’s play Is God Is (directed by Taibi Magar at Soho Rep) won the 2016 Relentless Award, an OBIE Award for playwriting in 2017, the Helen Merrill Playwriting Award in 2019, was a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, and made The Kilroys’ List of “the most recommended un and underproduced plays by trans and female authors of color” for 2017. What to Send Up When It Goes Down (directed by Whitney White, produced by The Movement Theatre Company), a play-pageant-ritual response to anti-Blackness, had its critically-acclaimed NYC premiere in 2018, was featured in the April 2019 issue of American Theatre Magazine and was nominated for a Drama Desk award. Harris was awarded the Windham-Campbell Literary Prize and the Steinberg Playwriting Award in 2020. She has performed her own work at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Orlando Fringe Festival, REDCAT, as part of La Fête du Livre at La Comèdie de Saint-Étienne, and at the Skirball Center in Los Angeles. She is a two- time MacDowell Fellow and has enjoyed residencies at Hedgebrook and Djerassi.
Harris will receive her award at the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Dinner on Sunday, April 11, at 6 p.m. Following the success of the recent Artful Lobster: An Outdoor Celebration, this year’s Prize Dinner will be held outdoors at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art, catered by Michael’s on East. The dinner will be co-chaired by Flora Major and Ellen Berman. Capacity will be limited to accommodate safe social-distancing practices, and additional health and safety measures are anticipated for this outdoor event. Tables and sponsorships now available; additional information can be found under “Events” at HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
In addition to the Prize Dinner on April 11, the Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration is also expected to include a talk with this year’s winner on April 10, as well as the world premiere of Body Vessel on April 12, created and performed by 2019 Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Helga Davis, presented in collaboration with Ensemble New SRQ and West Coast Black Theater Troupe. The anticipated 2020 premiere of Pulitzer Prize and Hermitage Greenfield Prize winner Martyna Mayok’s new play, in partnership with the Asolo Rep, was postponed due to COVID, and is also expected for 2021 at a date to be announced. The Hermitage Greenfield Prize Celebration is presented in partnership with the Greenfield Foundation, with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County serving as Grand Sponsor for the festivities.
About the Hermitage Greenfield Prize:
The Hermitage Greenfield Prize is a groundbreaking partnership between the Hermitage Artist Retreat and the Greenfield Foundation. Rotating between the fields of music, theater, and visual art, this prestigious national prize seeks to “bring into the world works of art that will have a significant impact on the broader or artistic culture.” The Hermitage Greenfield Prize is awarded annually and includes a Hermitage fellowship, as well as a $30,000 commission for a new piece of work to be created within a two-year time frame. A residency at the Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key in Englewood, Florida, ensures time and space in which to do the work. Past Greenfield Prize winners include Jennifer Packer, Visual Art (2020); Helga Davis, Music (2019); Martyna Majok, Theater (2018); David Burnett, Visual Photography (2017); Coco Fusco. Visual Art (2016); Bobby Previte, Music (2015); Nilo Cruz, Theater (2014); Trenton Doyle Hancock, Visual Art (2013); Vijay Iyer, Music (2012); John Guare, Theater (2011); Sanford Biggers, Visual Art (2010); Craig Lucas, Theater (2009) and Eve Beglarian, Music (2009).
About the Hermitage Artist Retreat:
The Hermitage is a nonprofit artist retreat located in Manasota Key, Florida, inviting accomplished artists across multiple disciplines for residencies on its beachfront campus, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Hermitage artists are invited to interact with the local community, reaching thousands of Gulf Coast residents and visitors each year with unique and inspiring programs. Hermitage Fellows have included twelve Pulitzer Prize winners, along with multiple Tony, Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and MacArthur Fellowship award winners. Works created at this beachside retreat by a diverse group of Hermitage alumni have gone on to renowned theaters, concert halls, and galleries throughout the world. Each year, the Hermitage awards the $30,000 Hermitage Greenfield Prize for a new work of art, and the Aspen Music Festival awards the annual Hermitage Prize in Composition. For more information about The Hermitage Artist Retreat, visit HermitageArtistRetreat.org.
The Hermitage is supported by:
Hermitage programs are supported, in part, by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts; by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues; and by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of Arts and Culture and the State of Florida (Section 286.25 Florida Statutes), as well as the Gulf Coast Community Foundation and the Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
Total Insight Theatre receives Co-op Foundation grant to help young people support each other through bereavement
Total Insight Theatre has received a grant of £18,240 from Co-op Foundation to help young people support each other during bereavement. The charity will use the funding to deliver a national online project for young people bereaved during the Covid-19 pandemic, using the arts to safely explore their experiences and help process the impact of bereavement.
Co-op Foundation is Co-op’s charity. It helps people challenge inequality and co-operate for change so they can share a fairer future. The Foundation has partnered with Co-op Funeralcare to launch the grants as part of a £3m extension to its #iwill Fund. The #iwill Fund is a £50 million joint investment from the National Lottery Community Fund, using National Lottery funding, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. The Co-op Foundation acts as a match funder. The Foundation has already awarded over £3m in grants since it first partnered with the #iwill Fund in 2017
Findings from Co-op Funeralcare’s ‘biggest ever survey’ into death, dying, and bereavement* found that young people are most likely to bottle up their feelings and be excluded from social arrangements when experiencing bereavement. The funding will allow organisations like Total Insight Theatre to run projects to help young people experiencing the challenges of bereavement through peer support.
Adam Tulloch, Chief Executive at Total Insight Theatre, says: We are grateful for the Co-op Foundation’s funding to help us support bereaved young people through this project, which will equip young people with tools and resources to help them process their bereavement. Using the arts to support mental health has been at the heart of our pandemic programme and we are pleased to be able to continue to do so.
Jamie Ward-Smith, Chair of Co-op Foundation, says: Our partnership with the #iwill Fund over the past three years has shown the positive impact young people can have when they are given opportunities to take action on the issues they care about. Losing a close friend or family member is difficult at any age, and it can be particularly tough for young people who might be dealing with other pressures at home, at school or in their social lives. Grants announced today will empower young people to help others going through similar experiences to build their confidence, skills and sense of belonging. And by recommending how others can support bereaved young people better, they can make a long-term difference for their peers.
Sam Tyrer, Managing Director at Co-op Funeralcare comments, At Co-op Funeralcare, we understand how experiencing a bereavement can have a major impact on the life of an individual, and this is even more pronounced when it happens at a young age. Bereavement is unique to every person, and everyone chooses to deal with the loss of a loved one in different ways. It’s a long process, but the long-term support of others is essential when trying to overcome the hurdles grief entails. Co-op Funeralcare has seen first-hand the importance of support groups within the community and we are honoured to be part of this crucial initiative.
The Co-op Foundation will launch further rounds of #iwill Fund grants in 2021, focusing on how learning from across their #iwill Fund can be embedded into other community organisations.
the family panto Cinderella and Aladdin One Rub Too Many the Adult Panto
as its professional pantomimes for Winter 2021 – tickets are now on sale
Guildford Fringe Theatre Company (GFTC) is looking ahead to Winter 2021 with its next professional pantomimes now on sale. Godalming’s family pantomime, Cinderella, will play the Borough Hall from 11 – 26 December 2021. GFTC celebrates its 10th Adult Panto with Aladdin One Rub Too Many the Adult Panto playing the Back Room of the Star Inn, Guildford, from 25 November – 31 December 2021.
Nick Wyschna, Managing Director and Producer for GFTC, said: “I am completely thrilled to announce the title of our 2021 family pantomime, Cinderella. It really is the fairy godmother of all pantos! This will be our third year producing Godalming’s pantomime and I cannot wait to get back to our wonderful venue, the Borough Hall. When you put a show on, there are many components to making it a success and the venue and the staff there are massive ones. David Copping (venue manager) and his team have been an incredible support to us, especially during Beauty and the Beast in 2020. I am proud to be making a reputation for putting on a proper traditional pantomime in Godalming and I can assure you that Cinderella will be just that, with laughter, dance, song and plenty of magic.”
James Chalmers, writer of Aladdin One Rub Too Many the Adult Panto, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the team at Guildford Fringe and returning for a fourth outing writing the script for the Adult Panto – it truly is the highlight of my year (oh yes it is!). I have been very fortunate to have been connected to Guildford Fringe and the annual tradition of the Adult Panto since 2015. I feel very privileged to be part of a company of pathfinders that produced not only one but two Adult Pantos, both online and live, during the COVID crisis. Whilst it may not be a panacea, the incredible reaction to the shows proved that at a time like this the arts are vital for providing levity and light. Expect nothing less for Christmas 2021!”
To book for the family pantomime Beauty and the Beast, visit www.GodalmingPanto.com or telephone the Box Office on 01483 361101. There is disabled access throughout the venue. A relaxed performance will be held on 19 December at 6pm. This show will be specifically adapted for those on the autism spectrum, individuals with sensory and communication disorders, those with learning disabilities and anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment. Tickets for the relaxed performance can only be purchased by calling the Box Office.
To book forAladdin One Rub Too Many the Adult Panto, strictly for over 18s only, visit www.GuildfordFringe.com or telephone the Box Office on 01483 361101.
LISTINGS
Show: Cinderella
Dates: 11 – 26 December 2021
Times: Varies – matinee and evening performances; see website or call the Box Office
Running Time: 2 hours (including interval)
Venue address: The Borough Hall, The Burys, Godalming, GU7 1HY
Tickets: £22 standard, £20 concessions (OAPs, under 16’s, unemployed). Prices include booking fees. Children aged 2 and under go free but they must sit on a lap for the entire show.
Category: Theatre, pantomimes, family shows, professional theatre
Age guidance: suitable for all ages
Access: There is disabled access throughout the venue. On 19 December 2020 at 6pm there will be a relaxed performance specifically adapted for those on the autism spectrum, individuals with sensory and communication disorders, those with learning disabilities and anyone who would benefit from a more relaxed environment. Tickets for this performance can only be purchased by calling the Box Office on 01483 361101.
Show: Aladdin One Rub Too Many the Adult Panto
Dates: 25 November – 31 December 2021
Times: Varies – see website or call the Box Office
Running Time: 1 hour (no interval)
Venue address: The Back Room of The Star Inn, Quarry Street, Guildford GU1 3TY
SQUINT ANNOUNCE ONLINE WRITING AND DEVISING WORKSHOPS
Following the success of their online workshop programme launched during the first lockdown, theatre company, Squint, led by Andrew Whyment, today announce a further series of writing and devising workshops to equip and empower participants with tools and practice that can be applied to their own projects.
Since launching the programme last year, Squint have hosted 25 workshops to hundreds of participants from across the UK and internationally from countries including Norway, Spain, Brazil and the USA. The latest series of workshops comprises three strands: Get Writing, Keep Writing and Get Devising, led by facilitators from a variety of disciplines including directing, acting and writing: Lee Anderson, Kane Husbands, Louise Roberts, Sid Sagar and Andrew Whyment.
Participants can book for one-off sessions or for a series,running 3 February to 9 June 2021, with further dates to be announced. Squint in partnership with the Compass Collective, Open Door and the National Youth Theatre are also offering 25 participants from low-income backgrounds free places.
Andrew Whyment, Artistic Director of Squint and one of the workshop facilitators, said today, “Our online workshops have allowed us to share our practice more widely and affordably than ever before and we have nurtured the beginnings of playwriting projects around the world. The opportunity to share a virtual space with a diverse and international group of Writers and Theatre Makers during this time has been energising and inspiring. The fact that, in the face of adversity, groups of artists join us week in, week out to grow and develop together is testament to the strength of the global theatre community”.
GET WRITING
This workshop is aimed at participants who need a jumpstart with their writing. Each workshop explores a different starting point for a story and introduces practical tools for developing structure, character and dialogue.
KEEP WRITING
For participants who are currently writing a play. Each workshop focuses on a different aspect of a script and helps participants to develop their work and clarify their ideas.
GET DEVISING
For Directors and Theatre Makers who want to tool up with fresh devising practice from the Squint toolbox.
Each workshop is two-hours in length and takes place on Zoom with 15-20 participants per session. To find out more or to book please visit: www.squinttheatre.com/book.
Workshops are £10 per session. Discounts available when booking a series of 5 or 10 sessions using codes ‘BOOK5SAVE5’ or ‘BOOK10SAVE10’ at the checkout.
SCHEDULE
Wednesday 3 February, 6-8pm GMT – Get Writing: Action
WITH LIVESTREAM AVAILBLE VIA THEATRE DISCOVERY PLATFORM THESPIE
Revised dates have now been confirmed for Monday Night at the Apollo – a brand-new concert series for 2021, to be performed in front of socially distanced audiences at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue, and simultaneously livestreamed to viewers at home via the theatre discovery platform Thespie, which is dedicated to bringing the best live and recorded theatre to audiences around the world
Originally scheduled for January and February, the concerts have been postponed because of the national government restrictions and venue closures. Tickets are on sale now for Monday 12 April, Monday 26 April and Monday 10 May. In light of the current restrictions, the producers will still review each date as it approaches and react accordingly according to government guidelines at the time.
The series will feature intimate evenings of conversation and song hosted by Greg Barnett (Miss Littlewood, Duchessof Malfi), with some of the West End’s best-known performers singing an eclectic mix of music from their favourite genres. Performers will share their most cherished memories and experiences from their careers, alongside performances of music which is personal to them, in a relaxed and informal theatrical celebration.
Monday Night at the Apollo has been conceived of to support the theatre industry, and ten percent of proceeds will be donated to Acting for Others, an organisation made up of 14 individual theatrical charities.
Whilst individual concert line-ups have not yet been confirmed, performers who are committed at this stage to appearing in the series include Aimie Atkinson (Six, Pretty Woman), Declan Bennett (Jesus Christ Superstar, Once), Rosalie Craig(Company, City of Angels), Arthur Darvil (Once, Sweet Charity), Kerry Ellis (Wicked, Les Misérables), Hadley Fraser (Les Misérables, City of Angels), Cassidy Janson(& Juliet, Beautiful), Lucie Jones (Waitress, Rent), Renée Lamb (Six, Little Shop of Horrors), Cedric Neal (Chess,Mowtown the Musical), Jamie Muscato (Heathers, West Side Story), Julian Ovenden (Merrily We Roll Along, Showboat), and Layton Williams (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Billy Elliot the Musical).
The announced artists have agreed to have their names associated with ‘Monday Night At The Apollo’ to show their support for both this production as well as the wider reopening of the industry. Their performances will be subject to availability and any changes to the cast will be announced on a rolling basis. Announcement of line-ups for individual dates will happen at least four weeks prior to each.
Producers Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers said, “We’re so excited to be announcing revised dates and further cast for ‘Monday Night At The Apollo’. In light of the newly imposed national coronavirus restrictions, we feel it was the correct decision to postpone the original performances. Public health and the safety of our audiences is our utmost priority and will always be the most important factor in informing any decisions we make. With that said, we truly believe that we are on the way back to reopening theatres and feel it is important to press ahead with getting these concerts staged. It in no way dampens our spirits, rather it strengthens our resolve to get the industry restarted. In doing so, we hope to be able to raise funds for ‘Acting For Others’ to continue to support the thousands of freelancers who these latest restrictions will hit the hardest. Theatre and its audiences know how important it is to get back to normal, especially in these seemingly crucial final months. Therefore, we ask your support, kindness, and when needed, patience, as we navigate the difficult road ahead.”
This concert series is musically directed by George Dyer, and produced by Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers for Wild Mountain Productions Ltd. Wild Mountain Productions Ltd was founded in 2020 to produce live theatre, with new and challenging work at its core.
This January and February, stream.theatre presents over fifteen unmissable events to keep people entertained, many of which are receiving their streaming premieres.
The season celebrates brilliant drama, starting with two plays exploring American politics: John Moore’s Waiting for Obama, and the celebrated production of Kennedy: Bobby’s Last Crusade.
Critically acclaimed productions of Little Wars and Philip Ridley’s The Poltergeist bring more drama to the platform, before Janie Dee stars in an exclusive rare revival of Terence Rattigan’s All On Her Own.
There’s plenty for musical fans too, with hotly anticipated new musical The Sorcerer’s Apprentice making its world premiere on stream.theatre in February.
Later, two outstanding foreign language musicals also make their UK streaming debuts: Seoul’s Sejong Center hugely popular production of Frank Wildhorn’s Xcalibur and Moscow Peretta Theatre’s breathtaking production of Anna Karenina.
Online venue stream.theatre offers a digital stage for Arts organisation, producers, and artists to record, stream and host a wide variety of new pay-per-view streaming content. Visit www.stream.theatre for full information.
LISTINGS:
Potted Panto (continues until 24 January)
7 classic pantomimes in 70 hilarious minutes! Double Olivier nominees Dan and Jeff return for a tenth anniversary festive season of Potted Panto, hot on the heels of their world tour and Las Vegas residency of Harry Potter parody Potted Potter. In a madcap ride through the biggest stories and best-loved characters from the wonderful world of pantomime, our dastardly double act dash from rubbing Aladdin’s lamp to roaming the golden streets of Dick Whittington’s London and making sure that Cinderella gets to the Ball. It’s all unmissable fun, whether you’re six or 106. This exclusive streamed version of the show was captured with a live audience at the Garrick Theatre during the show’s tenth anniversary West End season in 2020. Viewer age advice, ages 6+.
Run Time : 70 minutes (approx)
Ticket Price : £15.00 plus £3.00 transaction fee
Waiting for Obama (until 17 January)
The year is 2016. A Colorado Springs family is convinced that President Barack Obama is coming for their guns. And they’re right.
John Moore’s critically acclaimed “Waiting for Obama” was an official selection of the New York International Fringe Festival.
The cast recently gathered to create a new radio-play version, videotaped exclusively for stream.theatre. Written by John Moore.
Untapped (10, 17, 24, 31 January)
“Untapped” celebrates Musical Theatre Graduates from the past 10 graduating years, learn about each performers individual experience of working in the theatre industry and watch them perform with a superb 3 piece band. Untapped presents four different performance dates & four different casts, and each evening is hosted by Christopher Howell. This performance features Chris Howell, Muirgen O’Mahony, Helen Gulston, Ben Barrow, Amelia Walker, Karen Wilkinson, Adam Colbeck-Dunn, Laurie Evans, Bella Bowen, Kyle Birch, Shannon Herbert, Sinead O’Callaghan. This event’s run time is 90 minutes.
Roles We’ll Never Play – West End (15 – 17 January 2021)
Following on from two successful years of concerts in London, Tom Duern presents Roles We’ll Never Play, recorded live during its sell out run at the Apollo Theatre, in the heart of London’s West End in December 2020.
Now is your chance to see this critically acclaimed production from the comfort of your own home!
Roles We’ll Never Play will see performers singing songs outside of their casting brackets for one night only… There are NO limits! Featuring an exceptional cast of over 25 performers and a live band, expect big performances and show stopping vocals.
The concert is directed by Sasha Regan with Musical Direction by Flynn Sturgeon and hosted by Carl Mullaney. The concert is produced by Tom Duern.
Please note, the show contains some strong language.
Run Time : 2hr 30min (including a 20 minute interval)
Ticket Price : £15.00 plus £3.00 transaction fee
Kennedy – Bobby’s Last Crusade (18 – 24 January 2021)
This solo play portrays Kennedy during his short, electrifying run for President in 1968. Follow Bobby from his announcement to enter the race to his last speech at the Ambassador Hotel. The play combines many of his famous speeches, as well as his private apprehensions and some of the more personal moments of his exhilarating campaign.
The Poltergeist (25 – 31 January, then on Demand in February)
From master storyteller Philip Ridley comes the four star OnComm Award Winning play The Poltergeist. ‘Art’s my hobby too.’ Hobby?! Sasha was destined to take the art world by storm. At the age of fifteen pop stars wanted his paintings, and a new exhibition was going to make him a millionaire. But now he lives in a run-down flat with his out-of-work boyfriend, serves in a stationers, and no one’s even heard of him… what went wrong? Philip Ridley’s darkly comic new play is about art, family, memory, and being haunted by the life we never lived. Please not this event features Strong Language, Use of Prescription Drugs and Themes of an Adult Nature. This event’s run time is 75 minutes.
One of the greatest living British writers, Philip Ridley’s previous plays include The Fastest Clock in the Universe, Radiant Vermin, The Pitchfork Disney, Tender Napalm, Dark Vanilla Jungle, and Mercury Fur, as well as the screenplay for the 1990 film The Krays. With four stars: “Rare and unmissable. Will be talked about for years.” – Theatre Weekly “Tightly wound, highly disciplined and unashamedly relentless.” – Broadway World. “Ridley and Tramp’s fast-paced and moving production, has done something truly remarkable.” – OX Magazine. “Compelling, absorbing, vital, frantic, unmissable.” – Everything Theatre.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (26 February – 14 March 2021)
This enchanting new British musical explores the extraordinary world of a sorcerer and his rebellious daughter, as she discovers the explosive possibilities of her newfound magical powers.
Against the backdrop of the Northern Lights, a small town has been pushed to the brink of collapse in a bid for progress and prosperity. To rescue Midgard from certain destruction, father and daughter must heal their relationship and work together. This gripping family-friendly story sees brooms coming to life and love blossoming anew.
Acclaimed musical theatre writers Richard Hough and Ben Morales Frost have created this gender-swapped twist on the timeless poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which also inspired the Dukas symphony that memorably featured in the Disney film Fantasia.
Directed by Charlotte Westenra (The Wicker Husband, Watermill), the cast of ten includes Dawn Hope (Follies, National Theatre), David Thaxton (Olivier Award for Passion, Donmar Warehouse) and the professional debut of London School of Musical Theatre graduate Mary Moore in the title role.
This production was filmed at Southwark Playhouse in January 2021 and is supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England
Run Time : 2 Hours plus an interval (approx)
Ticket Price : £15.00 plus £3.00 transaction fee
The Last Five Years (29 – 31 January)
Filmed at the Southwark Playhouse in November 2020.
Jason Robert Brown’s Drama Desk Award winning musical, The Last Five Years, is an emotionally powerful and intimate show about two New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of five years.
The musical’s unconventional structure unfolds as Cathy tells her story in reverse, from the end of their turbulent relationship, whilst Jamie tells his story chronologically from the spark of their initial meeting. The two characters meet only once, at their wedding in the middle of the show.
Now, this iconic musical returns to London in a bold new actor-musician production with the actors on stage at all times and playing the piano to add a new narrative dimension to the story, accompanied by a four piece band.
Little Wars (1 – 14 January 2021)
Featuring critically-acclaimed performances from Linda Bassett and Juliet Stevenson, the compelling production of Little Wars brought together an incredible all-star female cast, including Debbie Chazen, Natasha Karp, Catherine Russell, Sarah Solemani and Sophie Thompson, directed by Hannah Chissick. The streaming raised over £7,500 for Women For Refugee Women during its initial run. This incredible charity continues to support women in need during this difficult time.
Little Wars unites literary figureheads Gertrude Stein (Bassett), her girlfriend Alice Toklas (Russell), Dorothy Parker (Chazen), Lillian Hellman (Stevenson) and Agatha Christie (Thompson), with anti-fascist freedom fighter Muriel Gardiner (Solemani), in this deliciously comic and touching drama about the power of coming together for a shared cause. Tensions are high and secrecy lingers in the air, but with libations flowing and the threat of World War II looming the guests are close to boiling point. This event’s run time is 120 minutes. Little Wars is produced by Thomas Hopkins & Michael Quinn for Ginger Quiff Media in association with Bailey Harris-Kelly and Guy Chapman.
RUN TIME: Approx 120 minutes.
Falling Stars (1 – 14 February)
Peter Polycarpou (Man of La Mancha, London Coliseum; City of Angels; Donmar Warehouse; Birds of a Feather) and Sally Ann Triplett’s (Finding Neverland, Broadway; Viva Forever, Piccadilly Theatre; EastEnders) Following the impending cancellation of live performances, the company quickly came together to create a filmed adaptation, providing audiences with an unmissable opportunity to experience the 1920s revelry from their own home during lockdown. With theatres forced to close their doors, Ginger Quiff are aiming to make the theatrical experience accessible for all. Falling Stars is the charming story of a lost songbook; hidden away in an antique shop on the East Finchley High Road, its discovery unlocks the beautiful refrains of a bygone era. This event’s run time 60 minutes.
Conceived and written by Polycarpou, the song cycle is an homage to the composers, collaborators, and publishers of the 1920s, who created some of the greatest music of all time. This musical revue captures the spirit of the age as Polycarpou and Triplett serenade audiences with the music of Charlie Chaplin, Irving Berlin, Buddy De-Silva, Ray Henderson, Vincent Youmans, Carl Schraubstader, Arthur Freed, and Meredith Wilson. Directed by Michael Strassen (Godspell 50th Anniversary concert; Billy; Assassins),
Wolverhampton Literature Festival (12 – 14 February then on demand)
Wolverhampton Literature Festival returns for its fifth year in February 2021. Hosted by City of Wolverhampton Council the festival aims to amplify the voice of authors, poets, writers, storytellers, puppeteers, podcasters, vloggers, publishers across the UK. Celebrating our creative communities living and from the Black Country and further!
Over a three-day period, taking place on the 12-14 of February, the programme of events features a variety of entertainment, which consist of talks, performances, readings, and practical workshops. It provides a high-quality experience for audiences by delivering engaging, exciting and thought-provoking events. There is something for everyone to enjoy, engage with and feel empowered by and as result re-lighting Wolverhampton through the power of literature.
Events include: Invisible Voices: In conversation with Shobna Gulati, In Conversation with Kuli Kohli, Aldona Grupas: The Immigration Stories of the Lithuanian Community and many more.
Tickets range from free to £12 plus fees.
All On Her Own (16 – 21 February 2021)
A powerfully atmospheric one-woman play, Terence Rattigan’s All On Her Own tells the story of Rosemary who, alone at midnight in London, has a secret burden to share that is both heartbreaking and sinister. Two time Olivier & Evening Standard Award-winner Janie Dee plays Rosemary Hodge in this thrilling new digital production directed by Alastair Knights.
The play began life as a piece for television, broadcast on BBC2 on 25 September 1968. It was first performed on stage at the Overground Theatre, Kingston, Surrey, in October 1974 and was most recently seen at the Garrick Theatre in April 2015 starring Zoe Wanamaker as part of the Kenneth Branagh Season.
Running time: approximately 25 minutes
Ticket pricing: £8 + booking fee
Anna Karenina (15 – 21 February 2021)
Based on the novel by LEO TOLSTOY & captured in front of a live theatre audience from the Moscow peretta Theatre .
This Anna Karenina, presented in Russian with English subtitles, is a spectacular, breathtaking, high-tech musical production based on the masterpiece by Leo Tolstoy. The dramatic and tumultuous love story between Anna Karenina and a dashing military officer, Alexey Vronsky, takes place amidst the glitter and luxury of the Russian nobility in the second half of the 19th century. The musical’s characters struggle with overwhelming love and betrayal, passion and duty, and hope and desperation. Although almost a century and a half has passed since the time of the story, the timeless quality of events unfolding before the audience remains both gripping and touching.
The production features music from composer Roman Ignatyev and a new libretto by Yuliy Kim, one of Russia’s foremost contemporary songwriters.
XCALIBUR (22 – 28 February 2021)
The musical scene thrives in South Korea with Xcalibur. The production showcases the journey of King Arthur, exploring his discovery of new-found responsibility as a young leader and getting married to the love of his life, Guinevere only to experience a reality far from what was expected.
Xcalibur, directed by Stephen Rayne, premiered in Korea on June 15, 2019 at the sprawling Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, Korea. The production was the most anticipated show of the Korean season with an all-star cast including Kai, in the role of King Arthur, and was the latest collaboration between Grammy- and Tony-nominated composer Frank Wildhorn, playwright Ivan Menchell and lyricist Robin Lerner.
All Male G&S: Pirates of Penzance (29 March – 5 April 2021)
Filmed live at the Palace Theatre, London in December 2020.
Sasha Regan’s All Male Company of pirates and their winsome lasses are set to bring audiences one night of joy and laughter with their inventive new take on Gilbert & Sullivan’s much loved THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE. Features a shipshape cast singing songs including: “I am a Pirate King”; “Oh, happy day, with joyous glee” and “A rollicking band of pirates we”. They are sure to raise the roof off the Palace Theatre!
Expect plenty of onboard japes from the swashbuckling crew who are braving the high seas with rum and hand-sanitisers to bring you a socially distanced, Covid-secure show. A much-needed escape for families and friends who are looking for some festive spirit to banish lockdown blues.
The production was first staged at The Union Theatre in the heart of Southwark over a decade ago where it was a runaway success winning Best Off-West End Production at The WhatsOnStage Awards in 2009. Pirates transferred to Wilton’s Music Hall for a 6-week run and on to The Rose Theatre, Kingston before the All Male Company set sail on a tour of Australia culminating in a month-long run at the prestigious Sydney Theatre thanks to Cate Blanchett, then co-artistic director. There was a subsequent UK Tour in 2015 and another critically acclaimed run at the beautiful Wilton’s Music Hall last year.
