NATIONWIDE CAMPAIGN

IT’S CURTAINS FOR THEATRE WITHOUT YOU LAUNCHES TODAY –

INCLUDING A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR ALL LIVE AND DIGITAL THEATRE IN THE UK

Conceived by Feast Creative and spearheaded by WhatsOnStage, the It’s Curtains For Theatre Without You campaign launches nationwide today, with ambassadors including Ben Adams, Birmingham Hippodrome’s Fiona Allan (President of UK Theatre), Michelle Collins, Sean Foley (Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep), Amy Hart, Lucie Jones, Oti Mabuse, Tom Morris (Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic), Arlene Phillips and Faye Tozer as well as venues including Curve Leicester and Kiln Theatre. The campaign aims to unite the industry’s venues, performers and audiences to celebrate and support both live and digital theatre.

Artwork created and designed by Feast Creative will be placed across digital media platforms and WhatsOnStage will host interviews with a variety of people from across the industry including Sonia Friedman, Tamara Harvey, Katy Lipson, Cedric Neal, Emma Rice and the company of A Christmas Carol (Dominion Theatre), sharing what theatre means to them, the future of the industry and why protecting it is so vital with other artists and audiences encouraged to get involved, using the hashtag #CurtainsWithoutYou.

In tandem with the digital campaign, WhatsOnStage today launch a unique online guide offering the first comprehensive outline for all live and digital theatre events running across the UK providing an easily accessible resource for audiences looking to engage with theatre. Please find the guide here:  https://wos.show/curtainswithoutyou

Sita McIntosh, Chief Operating Officer of WhatsOnStage, said today, “As the green shoots of theatre start to emerge, at WhatsOnStage we couldn’t be more excited! We know that our readers share that joy and we wanted to do our bit to encourage audiences back into auditoriums, inspire them to enjoy shows again and most importantly reassure them that they are safe doing so.  There have been some impressive initiatives to ensure that buildings are COVID-safe including #SeeItSafely, so patrons can be comfortable in the knowledge that the industry has done everything it has been asked to do to comply with the latest government guidelines.

“We have compiled a comprehensive guide to theatre now open or opening soon and we want to convey the message that unless audiences come out and support those shows it really is Curtains for Theatre. If we ever needed a morale boost it’s now!”

Interviewed as part of the campaign, multi-award-winning producer Sonia Friedman, who is about to première new play The Comeback in the West End, said, “We’ve learned what an incredibly powerful yet fragile ecosystem we’re a part of. Theatre is the number two reason for international tourism after national heritage – we are a vibrant, successful industry. Whenever we call for support, we are not asking for help, it’s an investment – to reboot this global enterprise. Writers, designers, actors, musicians and directors we see now on screens of all sizes across the world – they all started in our extraordinary system.”

Simon Williams, Executive Creative and MD of Feast Creative, also commented, “Theatre is on its knees financially due to audiences being forced to stay away from this great art form.

“Feast Creative is a design agency that survives by creating and supplying the graphic campaigns to promote theatre and we wanted to do our bit to get people back into the empty auditorium. We wanted a simple message that expressed both the financial plight of theatre at the moment and one that also expressed how critical an audience is to the experience of theatre. Without live audiences there will be no theatre…it will literally be curtains for theatre.”

ROSIE ALLIMONOS APPOINTED

CHAIR OF BOUNDLESS THEATRE BOARD

Boundless Theatre today announces the appointment of Rosie Allimonos as Chair of the Board. Allimonos, who is currently Global Director of Digital Content at BBC Studios, succeeds outgoing Chair Charles Glanville. Rosie joins the Board of Trustees; David Beardmore, Claire Dikecoglu, Simon Gomes, Rafia Hussain, Michelle Matherson, Danielle Rodriguez, Spencer Simmons, Alistair Wilkinson, and Sam Zdzieblo.

Rosie Allimonos, today said,”I am delighted to be offered the opportunity to Chair such an innovative, relevant and purpose-led theatre company. I have been deeply impressed by the dedication of the Boundless staff, their Board of Trustees and the Advisory Group of 15-25 year olds, who are united in their mission to empower emerging artists and audiences. This appointment brings with it the opportunity to build rapidly on the excellent work that Boundless have already produced and shared. I look forward to working closely with Rob and the team, my fellow Board members, the Arts Council and diverse groups of young people in order to amplify the Boundless mission“.

Rob Drummer, Artistic Director and CEO of Boundless, also commented,“Throughout this pandemic despite the very real challenges, searching for our new chair has been a deeply rewarding and galvanising experience. We were guided by our Advisory Group of 15-25 year olds who joined the recruitment process and met candidates at interview and have in Rosie, found a truly radical, compassionate and inspiring Chair.  For more than eight years Charles has been a huge support to our work and I want to celebrate his commitment, compassion and care. Now Charles with the immense grace I have come to know him for passes the baton to Rosie who, as an ally to all young people, will empower us to do more, go further and deliver with even greater impact.  What lies ahead for theatre and 15-25 year olds is uncertain, but with Rosie’s support and innovative leadership, we shall continue to connect, inspire and make theatre more relevant for a boundless generation.”

Allimonos joins Boundless Theatre following a year where it worked to continue to deliver its creative work and support for 15-25 year olds in a digital capacity. The organisation launched the new five-episode fiction podcast Radio Elusia in April, creating a new way to build a community of young adult audiences. Following the closures of theatres across the UK, Boundless created the telephone theatre production We Will Probably Never Meet, and,as part of Signal Fires, staged October2020 which commissioned seven stories from new writers mentored by Nassim Soleimanpour – this production has been experienced by over 300 audience members across the UK thus far. Recently launched Boundless Happenings a digital experiment in interactive storytelling has already reached over 500 people with three more scheduled over the coming weeks. The organisation has also supported 52 students on digital work experience, and has employed 33 freelancers over the past 6 months.  

Rosie Allimonos has been Global Director of Digital Content at BBC Studios since 2019. Prior to this role, Allimonos was Head of Creative Partnerships at Facebook and Instagram, Head of Original Channels and Content Partnerships at YouTube across Europe, Middle East and Africa, Commissioner for BBC Drama, Films & Acquisitions and Creative Producer at All3Media. Allimonos’ has led teams on the launch of YouTube Originals SVOD Service, Facebook Watch and the IGTV vertical video player.

AWARD-WINNING COMEDIAN EXTENDS TOUR FOR 2021

Opening Performance in Rhyl on 27 March 2021

Rob’s first solo performances in the West End for 10 years to come at The London Palladium, 17 & 18 November 2021

For all information, see www.robbrydon.live

Award winning comedian Rob Brydon and his eight-piece band will take to the road next year with his new show, Rob Brydon – A Night Of Songs & Laughter, marking the first time Brydon has created a show that includes songs and music as well as his acclaimed wit and comedy.

New dates have been announced which will take the tour through Autumn 2021, including two nights at the iconic London Palladium. Tickets across the tour are on sale from www.robbrydon.live

This extensive new tour begins in March 2021 and will travel to over 50 venues across the country, opening in Rhyl on Saturday 27 March 2021, and playing through until the final date at Milton Keynes Theatre on Sunday 28 November 2021.

With songs from Tom Waits to Tom Jones, and Guys and Dolls to Elvis (and almost everything in between), A Night of Songs & Laughter tells Rob’s personal musical journey from South Wales to the West End and beyond. Audiences can expect Rob’s usual warmth and humour as he regales them with hilarious tales from his distant and recent past.

Rob commented: “I’m so excited to get back on stage with this show. Touring with this incredible band of musicians is such a delight. I’m looking forward to getting around the country next year and bring some much needed music and laughter.”

Rob Brydon’s varied career began with the TV comedy shows Marion and Geoff and Human Remains in 2000, for which he won British Comedy Awards.  Since then his comedy credits have included A Small Summer Party, The Keith Barret Show, Directors Commentary, Supernova, Cruise Of The Gods, Black Books, I’m Alan Partridge, Little Britain, Live At The Apollo, Rob Brydon’s Annually Retentive, QI, The Big Fat Quiz Of The Year, Have I Got News For You, Gavin and Stacey, Rob Brydon’s Identity Crisis, Would I Lie To You and The Trip with Steve Coogan.

He has also appeared in the dramas Oliver Twist, Heroes and Villains: Napoleon, The Way We Live Now, Murder In Mind, Kenneth Tynan: In Praise of Hardcore, Marple and the films 24 Hour Party People, MirrorMask, A Cock and Bull Story and the film Swimming with Men.

In 2009 alongside Ruth Jones, Robin Gibb and Sir Tom Jones, Rob reached number one in the UK charts with the single Islands in The Stream, in aid of Comic Relief. He also embarked on an 87 date tour of the UK with his stand up show, Rob Brydon Live which included a three week run in London’s West End.  He also recently enjoyed a sold-out tour with Lee Mack and David Mitchell, before his own sell-out tour in 2020.

Rob Brydon – A Night Of Songs & Laughter is produced by Fiery Angel Entertainment.

Tickets for all venues available from:

www.robbrydon.live

Twitter, Instagram and Facebook:

@robbrydonlive

Rob Brydon – A Night of Songs & Laughter

TOUR DATES 2021

Saturday 27 March                          Pavilion Theatre, Rhyl

Sunday 28 March                             Huddersfield Town Hall

Tuesday 30 March                           G Live, Guildford

Wednesday 31 March                    Portsmouth Guildhall

Thursday 1 April                                Assembly Hall, Worthing

Monday 12 April                               St George’s Hall, Bradford

Tuesday 13 April                               Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Wednesday 14 April                        Barbican, York

Saturday 17 April                              Bath Forum

Sunday 18 April                                 New Wimbledon Theatre

Monday 19 April                               Symphony Hall, Birmingham

Thursday 22 April                             Sunderland Empire

Friday 23 April                                   City Hall, Sheffield

Monday 26 April                               New Victoria Theatre, Woking

Tuesday 27 April                               New Theatre, Oxford

Wednesday 28 April                        Cambridge Corn Exchange

Friday 30 April                                   King George’s Hall, Blackburn

Saturday 1 May                                 Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry

Sunday 2 May                                    Northampton Derngate

Friday 10 September                       Congress Theatre, Eastbourne

Saturday 11 September                 Watford Colosseum

Sunday 12 September                    Cliffs Pavilion, Southend

Tuesday 14 September                  Caird Hall, Dundee

Wednesday 15 September           Usher Hall, Edinburgh

Thursday 16 September                 Aberdeen Music Hall

Monday 20 September                  Eden Court Theatre, Inverness

Tuesday 21 September                  Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow

Wednesday 22 September           Perth Concert Hall

Friday 24 September                       The Lighthouse, Poole

Saturday 25 September                 Dome Concert Hall, Brighton

Tuesday 28 September                  De Montfort Hall, Leicester

Wednesday 29 September           Hull City Hall

Thursday 30 September                 Leeds Town Hall

Saturday 2 October                         Exeter Great Hall

Sunday 3 October                            Plymouth Pavilions

Wednesday 6 October                    Spa Grand Hall, Scarborough

Thursday 7 October                         O2 City Hall, Newcastle

Friday 8 October                               Stockton Globe

Sunday 10 October                          Winter Gardens, Margate

Tuesday 12 October                        Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham

Wednesday 13 October                 Buxton Opera House

Thursday 14 October                      Victoria Theatre, Halifax

Saturday 16 October                       Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury

Sunday 17 October                          Regent Theatre, Ipswich

Monday 8 November                      Parr Concert Hall, Warrington

Tuesday 9 November                      Venue Cymru, Llandudno

Thursday 11 November                 Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Wednesday 17 & Thursday 18 November              London Palladium

Monday 22 November                   Cheltenham Town Hall

Tuesday 23 November                   O2 Guildhall, Southampton

Sunday 28 November                     Milton Keynes Theatre

VITAL XPOSURE ANNOUNCE SIMON STARTIN AS NEW ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Ground-breaking Disabled-led theatre company Vital Xposure has today announced the appointment of Simon Startin as new Artistic Director.  Startin takes over from Disability Rights activist, playwright and director Julie McNamara who founded the company in 2011 and leaves to join the Victorian College of the Arts, University of Melbourne.

Startin will join Vital Xposure in March 2021 as the company celebrates its 10-year anniversary.  He is an acclaimed actor, published playwright, director and activist, who last appeared on stage in The Visit at the National Theatre.  He has also performed recently at Shakespeare’s Globe, Arcola Theatre and Birmingham Rep as well as TV roles on BBC, Channel 4 and Paramount.   He has been an Associate Artist of Theatre Royal Stratford East, London Bubble and Graeae; an alumni of the BAC 21st Century Leadership scheme, China Plate Enhanced Optimists course and a Graduate of the Young Vic Directors Program.  He has directed at the Young Vic, RSC and Nottingham Playhouse.  As an activist he has worked with many organisations to increase disabled representation on stage and screen.

Based in London, Vital Xposure gives life to extraordinary stories, allowing artists whose voices have been neglected and marginalised from the mainstream to communicate with audiences from all backgrounds, in work that is striking, provocative, inventive and inclusive.  The company develops new writing, creates unique, vital work and forges relationships with, and new paths for, excluded communities.  Previous productions include Let Me Stay (UK Tour, New Zealand, Brazil), Pullen’s Party (Liberty Festival), The Disappearance of Dorothy Lawrence (UK Tour), The Knitting Circle (UK Tour) and award-winning documentary Voices From The Knitting Circle.

Julie McNamara will return to Vital Xposure for White Pariahs: Quiet Rebels, a co-production with Dervish Productions that is co-written and co-directed by McNamara and Hassan Mahamdallie. This new play will bring the stories of white working-class women who married the men of the Windrush generation after WWII vividly to life.  Featuring true life testimonies from the women who protected and nurtured proud mixed heritage families in a country driven by prejudice, this play will be a moving tribute to a quiet revolution that changed the face of society. White Pariahs: Quiet Rebels will tour in 2022.

Simon Startin said of his new appointment at Vital Xposure, ‘I am profoundly excited about taking the helm at Vital Xposure and building on the outstanding work of Julie McNamara. There has never been a more important time for society to hear the voice of disabled artists, who have been living at the sharp end of human fragility and resilience long before the rest of the world woke up to it. There is an urgent need for disabled theatre makers to proudly communicate not just the disabled experience but to take that perspective to universally question the times we live in. Under my leadership, the Vital Xposure commitment to hidden voices and social justice will continue to drive our work, but we will also begin to interrogate what participatory political theatre, led by disabled people, for the benefit of all, can achieve in the 21st century.

There is also still much work to be done in creating community and opportunities for disabled people within the wider theatre sector, and Vital Xposure will be looking to broaden our work with partner organisations to reframe the old narratives and forms that favour one community over another. We will further our commitment to working with artists of colour and other excluded communities, beginning with our production of ‘White Pariahs: Quiet Rebels.’ I look forward, with the Vital Xposure team, to making our theatre spaces a fairer place to gather when we come out of tiers and lockdowns, and to sharing the stories and voices that connect us all.’

Outgoing Artistic Director Julie McNamara said ‘I am thrilled that Simon has chosen Vital Xposure as his next life adventure.  Simon comes with a wealth of experience in the creative industries and a highly respected body of work both in the mainstream and in Disability-led theatre. His is a uniquely imaginative voice that will bring fresh energy and ideas to the future direction of this extraordinary company. I am hugely excited and very curious to see what imaginative Disability-led leaps and bounds he will lead the company onto next. Indeed, I look forward with a sense of glee! ‘

Jonathan Meth, Chair of Vital Xposure Board of Trustees ‘We are delighted that Simon Startin will be the new Artistic Director of Vital Xposure. Simon brings extensive experience to the role and the board could not have wished for a better appointment to build on the pioneering work of Julie McNamara. We look forward with great excitement to Simon joining us in the New Year.  Where to start with Julie McNamara is almost as hard as where to finish. Julie’s work straddles the length and breadth of the UK and beyond. But her impact is far wider. She uses her voice to speak for all those whose voices are unheard and whose stories are too often untold. That she can talk to anyone, as well as enable others to find their voices, belies the complexity and richness of her creative working processes – as theatre maker, as a disabled artist and as advocate, activist and leader. In forming and leading Vital Xposure over the past decade Julie has created a company dedicated to the embodiment of these qualities. On behalf of all those involved with Vital Xposure we wish Julie great success with her Australian adventure.’

ONE-MAN COMEDY BY JONATHAN HARVEY TO TOUR ENGLAND IN FEBRUARY

ANDREW LANCEL STARS IN SWAN SONG DIRECTED BY NOREEN KERSHAW

PLAY TO RE-OPEN LIVERPOOL’S UNITY THEATRE BEFORE TOURING FOR LGBT HISTORY MONTH

Following its critically acclaimed sell-out premiere at Liverpool Theatre Festival in September, Swan Song, a revised comedy by acclaimed playwright Jonathan Harvey, is heading out on tour in February to coincide with LGBT History Month.

Swan Song, a one-man play starring TV and stage actor Andrew Lancel, is directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw and produced by Bill Elms.

The play will open at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre for six performances over three nights, this will be the first live performances at the theatre since closing in March. The show then moves on to The Atkinson Southport, Lighthouse Poole, Swan Theatre Worcester, Belgrade Coventry, Dukes Lancaster, City Varieties Leeds, and Capitol Horsham. All venue will present to socially distanced audiences and more dates are to be confirmed soon.

Swan Song was first staged at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1997, before transferring to Hampstead Theatre with award-winning comedy actress Rebecca Front in the lead role. Jonathan Harvey adapted the 70-minute play specially for Liverpool Theatre Festival for Andrew Lancel to play the solo role of Dave Titswell.  Due to critical acclaim, the play will now perform at venues across the UK next year, these new dates replaced the November 2020 dates which were cancelled due to lockdown, now a longer tour is planned for Spring 2021.

The news also comes as Andrew Lancel is set to have an appearance in the Royal Variety Performance, which is televised on Tuesday 8 December. Andrew appears as Brian Epstein in Cilla The Musical, he also played Brian in Epstein The Man Who Made The Beatles in 2012, where Andrew Lancel first met Bill Elms who produced the play in Liverpool and London’s West End.

Producer and the artistic director of Liverpool Theatre Festival, Bill Elms said: “Swan Song is a funny, clever and inspiring production which opened the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival.  Andrew Lancel, Jonathan Harvey, and Noreen Kershaw are an incredible blend of creative talent, and the play went down a storm in Liverpool. It is such a lovely piece that I approached Andrew and the team with the idea to tour. People are excited for the return of live theatre – and we’re excited to give them that experience back after such a long time with a really special production.”

Swan Song is a bittersweet comedy written by Jonathan Harvey. Set in Liverpool, it is Christmas 1997, the world is changing and in the staff room, Gay, forty-something, English teacher Dave Titswell finds that not all change is welcome. He has a crush, but life, love, and work are never straight forward for Dave. Will a school trip to The Lakes change things for the better, or make things decidedly worse? Swan Song will make audiences laugh, but equally pull at the heartstrings. Everyone knows someone like Dave – or could even be a Dave themselves.

Andrew Lancel is no stranger to audiences. Well established on the national theatre scene, Andrew is also widely known for his television roles as DI Neil Manson in The Bill and super-villain Frank Foster in Coronation Street. He has twice played Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein on stage to great critical acclaim, first in Epstein – The Man Who Made The Beatles (also produced by Bill Elms) which premiered in Liverpool and went on to play London’s West End, as well as playing Epstein in the national tour of Cilla The Musical, Bill Kenwright’s stage adaptation of the TV series written by Jeff Pope.

Andrew Lancel commented: “The last play I saw before lockdown was Jonathan Harvey’s Our Lady of Blundellsands at The Everyman Liverpool, which I loved – so it’s very cool, and a little ironic, that my first play back is with Jonathan. We have known each other for years and worked together a lot but never on stage, so it’s humbling that he has adapted this play for me. It’s very funny, moving, and I think people will really relate to it today. His characters are literally gifts to play and to watch.

“This play is about reuniting too. Reuniting theatre and audiences with live performance is extra special. To be back with Epstein producer Bill Elms is a buzz, and I’ve worked on some very serious storylines on Corrie with Noreen Kershaw. It feels like coming home for us all in so many ways.”

Award-winning Jonathan Harvey’s credits include Gimme Gimme Gimme; Murder Most Horrid; Coronation Street; Call The Midwife; and Tracey Ullman’s Show. Hisplays include Beautiful Thing, Corrie, Canary, Hushabye Mountain, Babies, Boom Bang A Bang’ and Rupert Street Lonely Hearts Club. He also wrote the 2001 stage musical Closer to Heaven with the Pet Shop Boys and its sequel Muzik. He has won the John Whiting Award, the George Devine Award, two Manchester Evening News Awards, an Evening Standard Award, two British Soap Awards and a Writers Guild of Great Britain Award.

Jonathan added: “Swan Song is a comedy about a teacher who’s trying to hold onto his dignity while the education system crumbles around him – and I’m thrilled Andrew is playing Dave. I’m delighted to also be working with Noreen again, she directed many of my Corrie scripts and my last episode of Call The Midwife. As the original Shirley Valentine, Noreen definitely knows a thing or two about one person shows.”

Noreen Kershaw’s directing credits include Our Girl, Moving On, Scott & Bailey, Emmerdale, Shameless, Heartbeat and Coronation Street. She is also known for acting in Life On Mars, Brookside, and Watching. Noreen also originated the title role of Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre.

Facebook:       /SwanSongOnStage

Twitter:           @SwanSongPlay

Hashtags:        #DaveTitswell #SwanSong

LISTING INFORMATION

Andrew Lancel in

SWAN SONG

by Jonathan Harvey

UNITY THEATRE

Hope Place, Liverpool, L1 9BG

Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 February 2021

Performance times: 5pm / 7.45pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk ON SALE NOW

ATKINSON THEATRE

Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DB

Friday 12 – Saturday 13 February 2021

Performance times: 7.30pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.theatkinson.co.uk ON SALE SOON

THE LIGHTHOUSE

Kingland Road, Poole, BH15 1UG

Saturday 20 February 2021

Performance times: 3pm / 7pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.lighthousepoole.co.uk ON SALE 11 DEC

THE SWAN THEATRE

The Moors, Worcester, WR1 3ED

Sunday 21 February 2021

Performance times: 3pm / 7pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.worcesterlive.co.uk ON SALE NOW

BELGRADE THEATRE

Belgrade Square, Coventry, CV1 1GS

Wednesday 24 February 2021

Performance times: 2.30pm / 7pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.belgrade.co.uk ON SALE NOW

DUKES LANCASTER

Moor Lane, Lancaster, LA1 1QE

Thursday 25 February 2021

Performance times: 2.30pm / 7.30pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.dukeslancaster.org ON SALE NOW

CITY VARIETIES MUSIC HALL

Swan Street, Leeds, LS1 6LW

Saturday 27 February 2021

Performance times: 2pm / 7.30pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.cityvarieties.co.uk ON SALE NOW

THE CAPITOL THEATRE

North Street, Horsham, RH12 1RG

Sunday 28 February 2021

Performance times: 3pm / 6pm

Show duration: 70 minutes (no interval)

How to book: www.thecapitolhorsham.co.uk ON SALE NOW

NEW SPINE-CHILLING GHOST STORY

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS

TO BE RESCHEDULED IN 2021

OPENING AT

PARK THEATRE, LONDON

WITH A SOCIALLY DISTANCED AUDIENCE

FROM WEDNESDAY 24 FEBRUARY 2021

FOLLOWED BY UK TOUR

TICKETS NOW ON SALE

The producers of new spine-chilling ghost story, WHEN DARKNESS FALLS, are delighted to announce a new run at Park Theatre, London, from Wednesday 24 February until Saturday 13 March, with a national press night on Monday 1 March 2021. WHEN DARKNESS FALLS was due to play a limited season at The Union Theatre in London this November, but was unable to open due to the Government’s decision to close theatres in lockdown 2.0.  Written by James Milton and Paul Morrissey and directed by Paul Morrissey, Will Barton will play John Blondel and Alex Phelps The Speaker.  The audience will be socially distanced.

The London run will be followed by a UK tour, beginning at the Everyman Theatre Cheltenham from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 March 2021, with further dates to be added.

Set on the island of Guernsey, John Blondel, a history teacher, runs the local Historical Society.  Tonight, as part of the Society’s weekly vlog, a young paranormal expert has been invited to give a talk on the island’s paranormal history. As John films, the Speaker’s stories – many of which are based on true events – unfold and delve into dark pasts, revealing disturbing truths and unforgettable terrors.

Director and co-writer, Paul Morrissey, says, “In many ways, maybe we’re all haunted. By the past. By regret. By shame. By things that have embedded themselves deep within us. A kind of trauma, that we relive. As we ‘see’ these events unfold, again and again, it’s quite clear that ghosts are very real. When Darkness Falls is a spine-chilling new play about the power of stories. Perhaps most importantly, the ones we tell ourselves.”

The producers added, “This has been a turbulent time for theatre, but we are thrilled to be one of the first full shows back at, what is arguably, one of the most exciting venues in London. Following this, we are proud to take the show on a regional tour, welcoming audiences around the country back into their local venues, even if they will be on the edge of their seats!  Our seating capacity has been reduced and arranged to comply with government social distancing regulations, but this won’t stop us from giving audiences the most incredible and thrilling night out.”

Will Barton’s most recent theatre includes the title role in The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson (Park Theatre & National Tour), The Libertine (Theatre Royal Haymarket) and Toast (Park Theatre and New York).  He played Boris Johnson before, in the 2017 BBC 2 drama Theresa V Boris.  Other television includes A Confession, Vanity Fair and two series of How Do You Want Me?.

Alex Phelps’s theatre work includes Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night and Reynaldo/Priest and understudy Hamlet in Hamlet (both Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre), Raleigh in Journey’s End for Mesh Theatre Company, and Dennis Dutton in The Vertical Hour, Bob Acres in The Rivals and Orestes in Elektra (all at Theatre By The Lake).  He was due to appear in The Importance of Being Earnest for Say It Again, Sorry? at The Pleasance for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

In 2004, Paul Morrissey and producing partner James Milton were awarded The Stage One Bursary for New Producers. Together, they produced a number of UK and International theatre productions including Cats, Chess the Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and The West End Men, which toured China, Europe and the UK before playing a six-week season at the Vaudeville Theatre, London.  As a solo producer, Paul’s shows have included Saturday Night Fever, South Pacific, Les Misérables in Concert, The Phantom of the Opera in Concert and the European premiere of the Broadway musical Brooklyn.  WHEN DARKNESS FALLS is James Milton’s first full-length play.  Paul Morrissey’s other writing includes the play Bingo! and the new musical Toys.

The show’s illusions will be designed by John Bulleid, an Associate of the Inner Magic Circle with Silver Star, whose other theatre credits include Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London – current Magic & Illusion assistant), The Ocean At The End Of The Lane (The National Theatre – Associate to Jamie Harrison) and The Prince of Egypt (Dominion Theatre, London – Associate to Chris Fisher).

Set design is by Justin Williams and sound design by Tom Marshall.

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS is produced at Park Theatre by Paul Morrissey Limited, Chris Wheeler and Molly Morris, in association with Glynis Henderson Productions, Dawn Smalberg and Bev Ragovoy and Park Theatre.

Website: whendarknessfalls.co.uk

LISTINGS INFORMATION

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS

24 February – 13 March 2021

Park200

Park Theatre

Clifton Terrace

Finsbury Park

London

N4 3JP

Box Office:  020 7870 6876*
(*Telephone booking fee applies: 10% capped at £2.50 per ticket)

Tickets:  £23 – £27 (access concessions £18.50); Park Up members (16 – 26 years): £10 between 24 February & 3 March

Performances:  Mondays to Saturdays at 7.30pm, Thursday & Saturday at 3pm
Access performance: Captioned – Saturday 15 March, 3pm

Approximate Running Time: 90 minutes (no interval)

Suitable for 16+

Website: www.parktheatre.co.uk

Twitter: @ParkTheatre

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ParkTheatreLondon

Instagram: @parktheatrelondon

SPRING 2021 TOUR SCHEDULE

16 – 20 March                                   Everyman Theatre Cheltenham                         01242 572 573

                                                          https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk                                                           on sale now

Further dates to be added

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ES
Friday 18th December 2020 – Sunday 10th January 2021

New rehearsal images have been released for the upcoming socially-distanced live production at Greenwich Theatre, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase. Bringing some festive fun to South London, this thrilling adaptation promises to be a winter adventure the family won’t forget, packed full of unforgettable characters, snowy wastelands and ferocious wolves!

Alongside the live performance, Greenwich are also offering audience members the opportunity to join the cast in an online challenge to help Bonnie and Sylvia on an epic venture through their wintry world. Sir Willoughby’s Challenge is a brand new theatrical experience for brave and intrepid adventurers aged 6 to 12.

The Wolves of Willoughby Chase
Dates Friday 18th December 2020 – Sunday 10th January 2021
Location Greenwich Theatre, Crooms Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8ES
How to Get There The nearest train stations are Greenwich Station, Deptford Station and
Cutty Sark Station (DLR).
Running Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Box Office Tickets are available from £11 on www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Images courtesy of Lidia Crisafulli.

PARK THEATRE TO REOPEN IN JANUARY

WITH PROGRAMME OF SOCIALLY DISTANCED SHOWS & MASTERCLASSES

Jez Bond and the team at Park Theatre are pleased to announce that the theatre has plans to re-open its doors in the New Year, with socially distanced shows in both auditoria: a revival of comedy thriller CORPSE! in Park90 from Thursday 7 – Saturday 30 January;  COFFEE, CROISSANT AND A CONCERT, a Sunday series of chamber music concerts throughout January in Park200, followed by the premiere of spine chilling ghost story WHEN DARKNESS FALLS, in Park200 from 24 February – 13 March 2021.

Between 25 – 30 January, Park Theatre are also running PARK SESSIONS: GET INTO IT, a programme of free professional development opportunities for creatives that identify as working class, working class LGBTQI+, those who are D/deaf or disabled and those of a culturally diverse heritage curated in partnership with Holly Adomah Thompson of Getting in Formation.  The workshops are supported by ACE and include GET INTO SUBTEXT WITH JEZ BOND, GET INTO MARKETING WITH HOLLY ADOMAH THOMPSON, GET IN FORMATION LGBTQI+, GETTING OVER FUNDRAISING FEARS WITH DORCAS MORGAN & TANIA DUNN, GET INTO DEVISING THEATRE WITH NATASHA KATHI-CHANDRA, GETTING INTO SOUND DESIGN WITH NICOLA CHANG and GETTING INTO YOUR OWN THEATRE COMPANY WITH RYAN CALAIS CAMERON. A further workshop on accessible theatre will be announced in due course.

Artistic Director Jez Bond said, “We’re so excited to be reopening our doors with a socially distanced programme of work in January.  We can’t wait to welcome back audiences for some much needed laughs in Corpse!, a tranquil series of Sunday concerts and the gripping new thriller When Darkness Falls. We’re also starting the New Year by making a positive change in the world of theatre by offering a free programme of masterclasses to creatives from underrepresented groups. Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far – we look forward to welcoming you all back to the venue with enhanced Covid secure measures to ensure everyone visiting has an enjoyable and safe experience.”

The mini season will kick off with a revival of comedy thriller CORPSE! in Park90, playing from Thursday 7 – Saturday 30 January 2021. CORPSE!, written by Gerald Moon and directed by Clive Brill, opened at Park Theatre on 4 March 2020, but was forced to close early due to the pandemic. Casting for the 2021 run includes Christopher Harper (Coronation Street), Paul Kemp (Imperium, RSC),the Olivier Award Winning Suzan Sylvester (A View From The Bridge, Aldwych Theatre)and Christopher Buckley (Brighton Beach Memoirs, Frinton Summer Theatre). Casting by Hayley Kaimakliotis, set design by Beth Colley, costume design by Neil Gordon, and with lighting and sound design by Pip Thurlow. 

Evelyn Farrant – an actor – is exceedingly poor.

Rupert Farrant – his twin – is excessively rich.

There appears to be only one solution.

Evelyn must kill Rupert and inherit his wealth.

The time: the eve of Edward VIII’s abdication speech.

The reluctant accomplice: Major Ambrose Powell

The essential grumpy landlady: Mrs McGee.

The likely prospect? Macabre Comedy Mayhem…

Online Booking at: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/corpse

Park200 will welcome audiences back in the New Year with a series of hour-long Sunday morning chamber music concerts from string quartet Ostara Chambers, born during lockdown, comprised of four local musicians, who wanted to find a way to fill the live music void, while building on the sense of community in the N4 area. COFFEE, CROISSANT AND A CONCERT will take place on Sundays 10 & 24 January, and 14 & 28 February.

Bring the whole family along to Park Theatre for a social, and safely distanced, Sunday morning – with coffee, pastries and an hour of classical music, plus one or two modern numbers thrown into the mix!

Online booking at: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/coffee-croissant-a-concert

WHEN DARKNESS FALLS – the premiere of a brand-new spine-chilling ghost story based on true events by James Milton & Paul Morrissey, and featuring Will Barton (The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson) and Alex Phelps (Hamlet, Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre) – will play in Park200 from Wednesday 24 February – Saturday 13 March 2021. Set Design by Justin Williams, Sound Design by Tom Marshall and Magic and Illusion Design by John Bulleid.

Set on the island of Guernsey, When Darkness Falls tells the story of John Blondel; a history teacher who runs the local Historical Society. Tonight, as part of the weekly Vlog, a young paranormal expert is giving a talk on the island’s incredible folklore and paranormal history. As John films, the stories unfold and we discover what happens when the wind blows, the seas swell and darkness falls.

Online booking at: https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/when-darkness-falls

Park Sessions: Get Into It is curated in partnership with Holly Adomah Thompson (Getting in Formation) and funded by ACE and will run from 25 – 30 January in Park200. Tickets are free to eligible creatives, those that identify as working class, working class LGBTQI+, those who are D/deaf or Disabled and those of a culturally diverse heritage.

We define culturally diverse heritage as someone who is:

• Black (African or Caribbean or part of the African or Caribbean Diaspora)
• South east Asian and or east Asian
• Middle eastern and or south Asian
• Latinx
• Dual heritage (provided that you also identify as part of the above)

Park Sessions: Getting into Sound Design with Nicola Chang
Mon 25 Jan 11am

Sound designer Nicola Chang, whose credits include deputy MD for SIX The Musical and who was a former member of the Old Vic 12, will walk you through the process of creating bold and emotive sound design ideas that enhance and complement the drama onstage.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-getting-into-sound-design-with-nicola-chang

Park Sessions: Get into Subtext with Jez Bond
Tue 26 Jan 11am

Thinking of becoming a director? Or what about an actor? Does writing appeal to you? If so, using subtext in your practice is a very useful and transferable tool. Join Park Theatre’s Artistic Director Jez Bond in a masterclass designed to help practitioners adapt this core skill into their creative practice.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-get-into-subtext-with-jez-bond

Park Sessions: Getting Over Fundraising Fears with Dorcas Morgan and Tania Dunn
Wed 27 Jan 11am

Ever been intimidated at the thought of writing an Arts Council Application? Then this masterclass with two of the best minds in the business will help you set out on the path to fundraising success.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-getting-over-fundraising-fears-with-dorcas-morgan-tania-dunn

Park Sessions: Getting into Your Own Theatre Company with Ryan Calais Cameron
Thu 28 Jan 1.30pm

Ryan Calais Cameron is an Award-winning playwright and Artistic Director of Theatre Company Nouveau Riche. If you’ve dreamt of starting your own theatre company but don’t know where to start, Ryan will be offering practical tips and advice.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-getting-into-your-own-theatre-company-with-ryan-calais-cameron

Park Sessions: Get into Marketing with Holly Adomah Thompson
Fri 29 Jan 11.30am

Holly Adomah Thompson has worked on marketing campaigns at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Bunker Theatre, and was a previous Park Theatre Marketing Intern. In this masterclass, you’ll learn essential tips and advice on how to market your show.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-get-into-marketing-with-holly-adomah-thompson

Park Sessions: Get into Devising Theatre with Natasha Kathi-Chandra
Sat 30 Jan 11am

Theatre director, writer & dramaturg Natasha Kathi-Chandra leads this session where you will light the spark of creativity and give form to new ideas for the stage. Including practical exercises on improvisation, collaboration and script writing.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-get-into-devising-theatre-with-natasha-kathi-chandra

Park Sessions: Get In Formation LGBTQI+
Sat 30 Jan 2pm

In this ZOOM space, LGBTQI+ creatives can share their knowledge, their work, their practice and whatever brings them joy to a space created only for them.

https://www.parktheatre.co.uk/whats-on/park-sessions-get-in-formation-lgbtqi

Park Theatre received a grant as part of the Government’s £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, and the team has been working hard to make sure the venue can reopen safely and all up to date Covid-19 and social distancing guidelines are strictly adhered to. Seating in both auditoria have been reviewed and capacity reduced to ensure that audience bubbles will be seated at least 1m apart. This includes leaving space either side of each bubble and respacing or blocking off rows to allow additional space in front and behind. Extra health and safety measures have been put in place including additional cleaning, thermal scanners, screens at box office and the bar, hand sanitising stations, contactless ticketing, and having extra front of house staff to assist in social distancing.

Park Theatre has also been granted the use of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s See It Safely mark. The mark certifies that the venue is complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of all staff and audiences. 

Royal & Derngate launch new partnership with the National Youth Theatre bringing pioneering youth arts organisation back to Northampton

• The organisations will jointly lead an annual summer residency providing vocational learning opportunities for up to 500 young people up to the age of 21 in performing, creative and production roles under Covid-adapted conditions.

• The partnership will launch in February 2021 with two new co-productions performed by the NYT REP Company on the Royal stage, 75th anniversary production of Animal Farm, adapted by Tatty Hennessy and directed by Ed Stambollouian in collaboration with Kneehigh Theatre Company, and Othello directed by 2020 Olivier Award-winner Miranda Cromwell collaborating with dramatist Dzifa Benson and featuring Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in the title role.

• The partnership marks a renewed commitment by Royal & Derngate to young people and emerging talent as it emerges from Covid closure

Royal & Derngate and The National Youth Theatre (NYT) are thrilled to announce a new partnership committed to providing outstanding vocational learning opportunities in theatre for up to 500 young people aged 14 to 21 in Summer 2021.

The partnership firmly positions opportunities for young people and emerging talent at the heart of Royal & Derngate’s future with the programme taking over the whole venue in summer 2021 for five weeks and the venue co-commissioning three productions with NYT. Teaching will take place on all three of their stages – Royal, Derngate and Underground – as well as in the Rehearsal Rooms and other Cultural Quarter venues. Participants will gain valuable insight into a 360-degree overview of a working theatre’s practice with time also spent with the venue’s wider staff.

Taking place in Northampton but open to young adults of all backgrounds from across the UK, the summer residency programme will offer 16 acting courses, with placements being made available for those who have completed NYT’s courses in costume design, to lighting and sound and stage management from September 2021 onwards. The residency includes a vital collaboration with the University of Northampton, with participants living at the University’s new Waterside Campus allowing them to be fully embedded in the town.

This dynamic partnership launches in February 2021 with two new Made in Northampton productions co-produced by the National Youth Theatre and Royal & Derngate and performed by NYT’s REP Company. Tatty Hennessy will adapt George Orwell’s Animal Farm as an allegory for our own times in a production directed by Ed Stambollouian (Olivier Award-winning Pinter at the Pinter) in association with Kneehigh Theatre. Miranda Cromwell (Olivier Award-winning Death of a Salesman) will direct Shakespeare’s Othello, in a new abridgement by multi-disciplinary artist and dramatist Dzifa Benson. Othello will feature Francesca Amewudah-Rivers in the title role. The productions will play at Royal & Derngate from Friday 19 February to Saturday 13 March 2021 under Covid-secure conditions with socially-distanced audiences, before touring nationally and streaming online. Meanwhile, local director Andy Routledge will lead the company in developing an original play about a unique period in Northampton’s rich and often surprising history.

The NYT is a leader in industry-based alternatives to formal training, staging productions at major venues in the West End and around the UK each year and delivering free practical courses, including the NYT REP Company and access to higher-education course NYT Playing Up. In 2021 the NYT will also run online courses after the success of summer 2020, part-time intake courses for the first time and London-based courses to offer a range of flexible routes into NYT membership. Despite the challenging climate all arts charities continue to face, course fees for 2021 have been significantly reduced in response to the impact of the global pandemic on young people and bursaries are available for those requiring financial assistance. The NYT REP Company’s productions of Animal Farm and Othello are being supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Applications to take part in the new summer vocational training with Royal & Derngate are open at www.nyt.org.uk/hub and young people can sign up to audition and access a range of online workshops and resources for £2-a-month or £24-a-year through the NYT’s new Hub subscription

Royal & Derngate Artistic Director James Dacre comments: “Working with the NYT as a freelance director before I joined Royal & Derngate, I experienced the passion, expertise and insight with which they champion every young artist to hone their craft and find their voice. Four years ago, Royal & Derngate and the NYT partnered on a co-production of The Tempest, enabling 30 young local actors to make their professional debut, many of whom have returned to perform on our stages since. That inspiring experience left us determined to partner on widening such training opportunities across all theatrical disciplines and so we are thrilled to be able to announce an annual programme that will enable hundreds of young artists from the widest possible range of backgrounds to train at Royal & Derngate, learning from our teams and placing young people at the heart of all that we do.”

NYT Artistic Director and CEO Paul Roseby OBE comments: “This key partnership is part of our ongoing commitment to create a national programme prioritising opportunities for young people across the UK. We wanted to give more young people the chance to experience theatre on a grand scale outside of London’s West End and being part of this prestigious venue will inspire a new generation to become story tellers, creative leaders and champions of live performances in our local communities. The programme will also offer up a professional creative network, inspirational role models and vital progression routes for our 2021 company at this critical time.”

Royal & Derngate Chief Executive Jo Gordon adds: “On the back of such a devastating year for theatre but also young people who’ve had so many opportunities curtailed or removed, I am delighted that as Royal & Derngate begin to emerge from the pandemic and look to reopening, our future is focused on creating new opportunities to enable young people to have a future in theatre and become the creatives who will shape our industry in the years to come.”

JULIE HESMONDHALGH, STEVE EVETS AND SHELLEY KING LEAD THE LINE UP OF GREATER MANCHESTER ACTORS BRINGING YOU SOME MUCH NEEDED CHRISTMAS CHEER AND RAISING MONEY FOR WOOD STREET MISSION

Write Christmas has been devised to bring some positivity to a potentially difficult holiday time. The aim is to inspire, involve and share fictional stories, videos, Christmas messages and more from boroughs across Greater Manchester, involving GM schools/groups for young people and actors and writers from all backgrounds. Work will be filmed and shared on each of the 12 days leading up to Christmas. Each ‘episode’, released online and as a podcast will share a piece by young people from our local schools and an adult writer. The project will be running to raise awareness and funds for the Wood Street Mission, a charity helping children and families living on a low income in Manchester and Salford.

Christmas is usually a time we associate being about family, happiness, giving and receiving presents. It’s also a time that can be quite difficult for very many people. Particularly this year. Therefore we want to bring some much needed Christmas cheer into people’s homes in the lead up to the big day with these festive stories. They will be told by a mix of actors – some of which being familiar faces! Cherylee Houston (Coronation Street), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Broadchurch), Haiesha Mistry (Hollyoaks), Steve Evets (Brassic), Shelley King (Coronation Street), Melissa Johns (Life) and Dean Fagan (Coronation Street) amongst the cast.