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THE AWARD-WINNING IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE TO OPEN THIS CHRISTMAS  

THE FIRST MAJOR THEATRICAL EVENT

CONFIRMED TO OPEN AS PLANNED

DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF COVID-19

“The best pre-Christmas day out ever!” SIR ELTON JOHN

“So magical” DAVID BECKHAM

“Great Production” SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY

LaplandUK, the multi award-winning production company, has used its renowned creativity to adapt to the challenges presented by Covid-19 and will open as planned this Christmas with tickets going on sale on Monday 27 July. Creators, Mike and Alison Battle are passionate about ensuring that their magical world, which celebrates and honours childhood through original storytelling and memory making experiences, will not be cancelled despite these unprecedented times.

Described as“The Rolls Royce of Christmas experiences” (Mumsnet founder – Carrie Longton), Lapland, the immersive showis an original adaptation of the Father Christmas story and the secret world of the elves, brought to life through a four-hour interactive immersive experience. LaplandUK has won numerous awards including Little London Best Family Day Out for two consecutive years, Mishcon de Reya Fastest Growing 100 UK Companies 2016 and the NatWest Family Business Entrepreneur of the Year London and the South East 2018.

The LaplandUK team set themselves the challenge of not only introducing measures* to keep everyone Covid safe, but also to enhance the show for visiting families.   

LaplandUK’s purpose to ‘Honour Childhood Together’ inspired a redesign so families will now enjoy all aspects of the experience together in their individual ‘family bubbles’. As a temporary and unique production, the company is well placed to redesign the immersive ‘Lapland’ show as it builds its world from scratch every year. 

The 2020 season will run from 14 November – 24 December, with tickets on sale from Monday 27 July. 

Mike and Alison Battle, Co-Founders &Producers of ‘Lapland’, said, “As we all know 2020 has been a year like no other and when faced with the unprecedented challenge of COVID- 19, we took the decision early on to do everything in our power to keep our magical doors open! 

At LaplandUK we never forget that childhood is fleeting and that each child will only experience Christmas once in their life at a given age and we believe that’s something worth fighting for! It has been an extraordinarily tough year for everyone so it feels like there’s never been a better time to ‘honour childhood together’. To quote our Head of the Toy Factory – Whittle the elf, “Let’s make Christmas 2020 our most magical Elf-tastic year ever!”

“ONCE MORE UNTO THE BEACH, DEAR FRIENDS”

Blackpool residents channel spirit of Shakespeare’s Henry V in stirring new theatre piece inspired by the hopes and fears of communities leaving lockdown for the first time.

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

As the nation prepares to take its first, tentative steps out of lockdown, the Royal Shakespeare Company has been working with the Grand Theatre to reach vulnerable groups in Blackpool and across the UK to explore their hopes and fears about re-emerging into a newly altered world.

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s Learning and National Partnerships team have been working in collaboration with Blackpool Grand Theatre and with local community groups including Liberty Church, Better Start, Friends of Stanley Park and the Landlord and Hoteliers Group, to deliver weekly zoom community gatherings in which participants are tasked with creating a version of Henry V’s great battle speech, ‘Once more unto the breach, dear friends’.

The initiative, which forms one part of the RSC’s Shakespeare Nation adult-participation work, is aimed at vulnerable groups, many of whom are older, living in isolation or with underlying health conditions. Working in partnership with Blackpool Grand Theatre and RSC Voice practitioners, these creative sessions have been to set up to explore the participants hopes and fears about returning to the world, post-lockdown and to offer a call to arms to communities up and down the country who face similar challenges as a result of the pandemic.

Other community projects currently underway with the Grand Theatre in Blackpool include weekly Live Storytime Sessions delivered by the RSC actors Georgia Landers, Zoe Lambert and Amanda Hadingue in collaboration with Better Start targeting the children of key workers with young families in the local area, Dial A Sonnet conference calls to vulnerable adults living alone and without internet access, in which RSC actors call in to share one of Shakespeare’s well-known verses accompanied by a friendly chat and Do-it-yourself Shakespeare films featuring a beginners guide to performing Shakespeare’s plays in your own home.

Elsewhere in the UK, RSC Voice Practitioner Michael Corbridge has been working with long-term RSC partner, The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury to deliver a series of fun, interactive video voice workshops which use theatrical voice techniques to help inspire people to get used to using their voices again in a post-lockdown world. With an emphasis on fun and wellbeing, these interactive sessions offer a ‘Joe Wicks-style workout for the voice’ suitable for all ages yet particularly suited to those who have been living alone or in isolation over the past three months.

In Bradford, the RSC has been working in partnership with it’s Shakespeare Nation Champions at Liberty Arts Yorkshire, a thriving, community arts hub in the heart of Shipley, to produce over 200 Theatre Boxes filled with practical materials and resources to help families to stay creative at home. The boxes have been distributed to local families at risk including low income households and to those with limited access to the internet.

Shakespeare Nation is an adult participation project, funded through a £492,300 grant from the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, which aims to reach out to communities around the country who would not normally engage with theatre or Shakespeare.

Deputy Artistic Director, Erica Whyman, said: “The Royal Shakespeare Company is a national theatre company, funded by people from all over England, and we believe Shakespeare belongs to everyone.

Not everyone thinks his plays are going to be for them but our experience, has been that if you can excite someone about Shakespeare and get them speaking his words and making sense of his ideas they often feel that suddenly they can do anything. The plays express feelings we all have, they tell stories about the universal experiences of life – love, death, ambition, excitement, disagreement, hope, so they can make us feel connected to one another. 

His wonderful words are part of all of our history, they help us explain ourselves, maybe especially at times of extreme change, which is why its so important to give voice to communities up and down the UK as they attempt to navigate this unprecedented moment in our shared history”.

Celine Wyatt is Head of Programmes and Learning at Blackpool Grand, said; “We are really proud to of all our Shakespeare Champions. They have met regularly throughout Lockdown to work with local Director Jo Cleasby, RSC actors and artists. Together they have created a new film, “Once More Unto The Beach,” where they share their experiences of Lockdown through Shakespeare’s powerful stories. The Grand may be closed for a while but the life of the theatre carries on, the words of Shakespeare uplift us and through this partnership we are connected.”

Launched in 2019, following the nationwide tour of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2018 production of Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare Nation aims to reach out to communities around the country who would not normally think theatre and Shakespeare are for them. The ambition is to reach more than 3,000 adults via co-productions, workshops with RSC actors and directors, and subsidised tickets and theatre coach trips to generate new audiences and ambassadors for Shakespeare and theatre in their communities.

Previous Shakespeare Nation projects include working with vulnerable adults in Blackpool to create their own version of Romeo and Juliet. Directed by Jo Cleasby, ‘A Grand Romance’ premiered at the Blackpool Grand Theatre in June 2019, with some of the performance taking place on Blackpool’s iconic promenade. The production mixed extracts from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet with personal stories of love and romance in Blackpool and featured volunteers from Blackpool’s LGBTQ community, Liberty Church, hoteliers, Better Start parents and a community choir.

This was followed by an original performance of Capulets and Candyfloss by Nottingham People’s Choir, a Shakespeare-inspired story of love, loss and life-performed for an audience of friends and family and backed by singers from Nottingham Voice Collective. The show was set against the backdrop of the Nottingham Goose Fair and was facilitated through funding from the Institute of Mental Health.

In Norwich, refugee communities, asylum seekers and isolated migrant communities joined forces with members of Evolve, a weekly support group open to 11-25 year olds who are transgender, intersex, genderqueer and gender-questioning young people and students and staff from the University of East Anglia to create a new work inspired by their own links to  THE themes of Romeo and Juliet.  Working with practitioners from Norwich Theatre Royal and the RSC, ‘Palm to Palm’ premiered at Norwich Theatre Royal in November 2019 and was inspired by the personal journeys of participants as they navigate an unfamiliar world filled with new colours, new freedoms and new loves.

RSC Learning and National Partnerships provides opportunities for young people and adults to learn about, participate in and make performances of Shakespeare’s work in classrooms and communities across the nation.  Our aim is to harness the transformative power of making theatre together to help build life-long relationships with live theatre and Shakespeare’s plays.

The RSC is committed to forming lasting partnerships with regional theatres, community groups and schools. Together we create pathways for teachers, students, adults, and artists to develop their talents and skills; build leadership capacities; and become ambassadors for Shakespeare, theatre, and arts in their communities.  

The RSC’s work with national partners includes: a 261 strong Associate Schools network run in collaboration with 11 long-term partner theatres, free Schools’ Broadcasts and Live Lessons, 750 young Shakespeare Ambassadors, Youth Advisory Board, Shakespeare Nation (adult participation programme), Next Generation (a talent development programme for young people from backgrounds currently under-represented in our workforce) and small and large scale touring. 

For more information about RSC Education and the work it does nationwide, please visit www.rsc.org.uk/education

The Royal Shakespeare Company is a charity and our mission is to transform lives through amazing experiences of Shakespeare and great theatre. To make a gift to the RSC, visit https://www.rsc.org.uk/support/make-a-donation/

Pitlochry Festival Theatre to première A Love Letter to Scotland 

A new series of digital works written by an exciting lineup of British playwrights

 Starting on August 7, Pitlochry Festival Theatre will launch not one, but four months of online premières, as part of its three-year Shades of Tay project, reimagined at the start of lockdown with immediacy for these challenging times.

The series of new digitals works – titled A Love Letter to Scotland and written by an exciting lineup of British playwrights and poets including Timberlake Wertenbaker,  Jo Clifford, Hannah Khalil, Peter Arnott, Abi Zakarian  and Chinonyerem Odimba, and brought to life by the theatre’s 2020 Summer Season ensemble – will form a vital part of the theatre’s tri-daily, digital series #PFTLightHopeJoy, which launched just before lockdown began, and created to respond to the uncertain and isolating world in which we now find ourselves.

Inspired by the River Tay and its surrounding landscape – including Scotland’s multi-award-winning, world-renowned outdoor extravaganza, The Enchanted Forest, with whom these commissions are in partnership – the works will be performed as audio dramas, podcasts, short films. The cast will also perform the short workslater in a live festival after the Theatre reopens.

The first piece will launch on Friday 7 August with Douglas Maxwell’s new work, Beautiful Boy and will then continue weekly until late November, with new works to look forward to from Timberlake Wertenbaker, Stephen Greenhorn, Peter Arnott, Jo Clifford, Abi Zakarian, Hannah Khalil, Chinonyerem Odimba, Daniel Bye, Oliver Emanuel, Hannah Lavery, Jenny Lindsay, Martin McCormick, Linda McLean, Michael O’Neill, Frances Poet, Dan Rebellato, Ellie Stewart and Morna Young.

More new works will appear online throughout December from Deborah McAndrew, Bert Clark, Sally Reid, Lesley Hart and May Sumbwanyambe.

Each piece will be performed by one of Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s 2020 Summer Season cast, including Kirsty Stuart and Richard Standing, whom Pitlochry Theatre fans would have seen in the hugely-acclaimed production of Brian Friel’s Faith Healer last Autumn; as well as Barbara Hockaday,and Rachael McAllister, who both made their debut in 2019.

Speaking about the project, Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman, said: “The writing that has been produced by this extraordinary group of writers has been simply incredible. The writers have approached the task with their own personal verve and, therefore, each piece is unique, rich, powerful and offers up the identity of the individual’s voice too. Amy and I worked with the Ensemble to produce the recordings and then I went on to work with Nick Trueman (from Pitlochry Festival Theatre)  and artist Russell Beard to create the companion films. This was a joy for us to create for audiences. “

Renowned playwright, Timberlake Wertenbaker explained: “An enchanted forest and a long river moving through Scotland, it’s already a kind of dream. But the notion of writing something with a forest and a river feels like a magic key in itself.

We need enchantment at the moment: we are living through a time that feels like a curse. And we know that curses and evil spells are most often lifted by a magic word or by a phrase: something we need to learn, or something known all along but need to remember. Language can break the shackles of the spell, or at the very least, light our way out. “

Hannah Khalil told us:

“When Elizabeth Newman, Artistic Director of Pitlochry, asked me if I would write a little piece, I jumped at the chance: it was perfect timing. We were just in lockdown and the news was scary – I had had two plays cancelled. So, I was feeling pretty blue and to have an opportunity to escape into an imaginative world and pretend I was in Scotland – in the countryside where I would love to be – it was really magical.”

When commissioned to write, Jo Clifford described her inspiration:

“I normally live in Leith; I live in the middle of an urban landscape, and I can’t believe I’m here, out in the countryside, where I’ve ended up being isolated. What luck, how astonishing! It reminds me of living close to the sea, of a time that I spent often visiting a house that was just by the banks of the River Tay, the other side of the river from Dundee. And how enormous the volume of water was there: how impressive, how frightening it was. And I think that’s what my play is going to be about… the power of nature that has suddenly put us in this situation; it’s reminded us that nature is stronger than we are – that we do belong to the natural world. And that we also belong to each other.”

All the new works will be captioned, free to access and share, and intended as gifts to those isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and those who feel isolated from Theatre in general.

The commissioned work for Shades of Tay is not limited to writing, with plans for bio-sculpting, a water installation, song-writing – including Tay Songs by Ball Boy, and She-Town Ballad by Lila Clements and Tarek Merchant – and for children, Ligach and the Salmon, a story by Lynda Radley, and a Beaver Ballad, written and performed by renowned playwright and sound designer, Isobel McArthur and MJ McCarthy.

All Shades of Tay commissions will première on Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s online platforms, including YouTube: https://bit.ly/PFT_YouTube where all videos from the #PFTLightHopeJoy series can be followed.

UK TOUR OF

GREASE

TO RETURN IN 2021

STARRING

PETER ANDRE

AT CERTAIN VENUES

The producers of the first new production in 25 years of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE, are delighted that the show will tour the UK and Ireland in 2021. The musical was due to tour in 2020 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19.

The 2021 tour will begin at Theatre Royal Plymouth, running from 22 – 30 January, and will then play Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff from 1 – 6 February, Bristol Hippodrome from 8 – 13 February, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 16 – 20 February, Norwich Theatre Royal from 22 – 27 February, Milton Keynes Theatre from 1 – 6 March, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin from 16 – 27 March, The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 29 March – 3 April, Liverpool Empire from 5 – 10 April, Sheffield Lyceum from 12 – 17 April, Churchill Theatre, Bromley from 19 – 24 April, Stoke Regent Theatre from 3 – 8 May, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton from 11 – 15 May, Grand Opera House, Belfast from 18 – 22 May, Theatre Royal Nottingham from 24 – 29 May, Royal & Derngate Northampton from 31 May – 5 June, Palace Theatre Manchester from 7 – 19 June, The Orchard Theatre Dartford from 21 – 26 June, The Marlowe Canterbury from 28 June – 3 July, The Sands Centre, Carlisle from 6-10 July  and The Alexandra, Birmingham from 12 – 17 July.

Following his success starring in the UK and Ireland tour in 2019, Peter Andre will star in the 2021 tour at certain venues. As well as reprising the role of Teen Angel, Andre will also play Vince Fontaine. Further casting to be announced, including who will be playing the role of Teen Angel and Vince Fontaine when Peter Andre is not performing.

Peter Andre is currently scheduled to perform at certain performances in Plymouth, Cardiff, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Dublin, Liverpool, Bromley, Southampton, Nottingham, Manchester, Dartford, Canterbury and Birmingham. Customers are advised to check their local websites for specific dates.

Peter Andre said “I was so thrilled to have been returning to Grease this year as I had the most wonderful time last year working with our incredible cast and creative team. Sadly, this year’s tour had to be postponed due to COVID-19 but I’m overjoyed that we can return in 2021. Grease is joyous and will truly allow you to escape to a different time, with show-stopping dance routines and some of the most iconic songs of all time. It’s a show about solidarity and it celebrates friendship. As the song goes, We Go Together!”

Peter Andre is known for his successful music and television career and became the sixth highest selling artist in the UK in the 1990s with number one hits such as Mysterious Girl, Flava and I Feel You. He has had two number one albums and has toured all over the world, collecting a multitude of national and international awards. Peter’s many TV shows and appearances, include his reality show Peter Andre: My Life, 60 Minute Makeover and the third series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2004.

GREASE originally opened in Chicago in 1971, followed by a move to Broadway in 1972, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. During the show’s eight-year run, at the time, little known actors including Peter Gallagher, Patrick Swayze and John Travolta all appeared in the production, with Richard Gere understudying many roles before going on to star as Danny Zuko in the 1973 London premiere.

The 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is the fourth highest-grossing live action musical of all time and celebrated its 40^th anniversary this year. The musical features beloved songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You’re The One That I Want.

GREASE is directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, with designs by Colin Richmond, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and 2021 tour casting by Kay Magson CDG, with original tour casting by David Grindrod CDG.

This new production of GREASE is produced by Colin Ingram, InTheatre Productions, Donovan Mannato, Playing Field, Hunter Arnold, Araca and Curve.

Website: greasethemusicalontour.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/greaseUKTour

Twitter: @greaseuktour                      

2021 Tour Schedule

22 – 30 January                   Theatre Royal Plymouth                                           01752 267222

                                             theatreroyal.com                                                      On sale soon

1 – 6 February                      Wales Millennium Centre                                         029 2063 6464

                                             www.wmc.org.uk

8 – 13 February                    Bristol Hippodrome                                                  0844 871 3012*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

16 – 20 February                  Edinburgh Festival Theatre                                      0131 529 6000

                                             www.capitaltheatres.com                                         

22 – 27 February                  Theatre Royal Norwich                                             01603 630000

                                             www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

1 – 6 March                          Milton Keynes Theatre                                             0844 871 7677*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre

16 – 27 March                      Bord Gais Energy Theatre                                       0818 719 377 (ROI)

                                             bordgaisenergytheatre.ie                                         0844 248 5101 (UK & NI)

                                                                                                                             On sale soon

29 March – 3 April                The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford                              01274 432000

                                             www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

5 – 10 April                           Liverpool Empire                                                      0844 871 3017*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

12 – 17 April                         Sheffield Lyceum Theatre                                        0114 249 6000                            

                                             www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk                                    On sale soon

19 – 24 April                         Churchill Theatre, Bromley                                       020 3285 6000

                                             churchilltheatre.co.uk                                               On sale soon

3 – 8 May                              Stoke Regent Theatre                                              0844 871 7649*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/stoke

11 – 15 May                          Mayflower Theatre, Southampton                            02380 711811

                                             www.mayflower.org.uk

18 – 22 May                          Grand Opera House, Belfast                                    028 9024 1919

                                             www.goh.co.uk   

24 – 29 May                          Theatre Royal, Nottingham                                       0115 989 5555      

                                             www.trch.co.uk

31 May – 5 June                   Royal & Derngate Northampton                                01604 624811

                                             www.royalandderngate.co.uk

7 – 19 June                          Palace Theatre Manchester                                     0844 871 3019*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester       

21 – 26 June                        The Orchard Theatre, Dartford                                01322 220000

                                             www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

28 June – 3 July                   The Marlowe, Canterbury                                        01227 787787

                                             www.themarlowetheatre.com

6 – 10 July                            The Sands Centre, Carlisle                                      01228 633766

                                             www.thesandscentre.co.uk                                      On sale soon

12 – 17 July                          The Alexandra, Birmingham                                     0844 871 3011*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge

Superstars from the world of stage & screen donate treasured items to charity for the Theatre Super Auction

  Lord Lloyd Webber, Dame Judi Dench, Dame Joan Collins, Michael Ball, Whoopi Goldberg, Alexandra Burke & Martin McDonagh,  are among dozens of celebrities offering up their treasured personal possessions and ‘money can’t buy’ experiences to raise money for theatres and the performing arts industry.

The monies raised through the Bid-In Group auction will go directly to 3 charities: Acting for Others, Theatre Artists Fund and Theatres Trust.

• View all lots here www.BidInTheatres.auction

• #theatresuperauction

Tuesday 21^st July will see the launch of the Theatre Super Auction.   This one-off event will provide crucial funding for an industry which has been devastated by the effects of CoVid 19.    We know that not every theatre and freelancer will be supported by the government rescue package, as generous as it is.

As the government guidelines are eased much of the population is returning to work. Unfortunately, as our theatres nationwide remain closed, this isn’t the case for the 290,000 people employed within the UK’s Theatre industry.  Many of these people are self-employed or freelancers and aren’t eligible for any of the Government schemes leaving them without any means of financially supporting themselves and their families. 

There are more than 1,100 theatres in the country, 752 are local theatres. These are the theatres where you first saw your panto, performed on stage or visited with your school.  These theatres may become lost as a result of the pandemic.

The auction specialists Bid-In Group shows its support to the theatres and performing arts industry as they launch their free of charge Theatre Super Auction raising much needed funds for Theatres Trust, Acting for Others and Theatre Artists Trust.  Funds raised from this showstopping event will be donated directly to the charities and organisations involved whose businesses have been suspended during the CoVid 19 pandemic.   They have run several hugely successful online auctions during lockdown for Scrubs Glorious Scrubs, Global Radio, and 50 Best For Recovery, raising almost £2.5m, and donated their services free of charge.

Dame Judi Dench said: ‘We greatly appreciate this exciting fund raiser to support the Arts. The work of the theatrical charities is vitally important to help our industry survive and the Theatre Super Auction is a wonderful way support our cause.’

Cassidy Janson said: ‘Watching the effect of CoVid 19 hit the theatre industry so dramatically has been devastating for myself and my work colleagues who have built our entire careers and indeed lives around our profession – a profession whose essence is the upliftment of others.  This auction will help assist our industry’s individuals and the theatres themselves until we can get back to doing just that.’

Dame Joan Collins said: ‘The theatre is such an important part of our lives in the UK.  I am so glad to be able to be involved in this auction and help support this vital industry and its amazing talent both off stage and on and hope that we can get back to entertaining audiences around the UK soon.’

Amongst some of the incredible items available to bid for, Lord Lloyd Webber has generously donated 2 x VIP tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on Broadway; the prize also includes 2 x BA Business Class flights and a 3 night stay in New York hotel.  The wonderful Miriam Margolyes has offered tea at home as well as some incredible Harry Potter memorabilia.  We have unique lots from David Tennant, Michael Sheen, Valentino jewellery from Joan Collins and the opportunity to watch the English National Ballet from the wings and an incredibly special and rare lot; Martin McDonagh has offered  his own hand annotated shooting script of THREE BILLBOARDS, his BAFTA award winning film.

From the world of TV we will have the opportunity for soap fans to enjoy a Super Lunch with the cast of Britain’s longest running soap opera Coronation Street and also another with Eastenders.  The cast of whom are regulars in panto so this is a cause close to their hearts.

The bumper auction also feature Gary Kemp’s handwritten lyrics to the song ‘True’, along with lunch with Gary & Martin Kemp.

The auction is designed to be accessible to everyone; alongside the opportunity to bid for some of these fantastic items, anyone can instead pledge a donation to this cause and will immediately enter a prize draw for the chance to win some incredible prizes.

The auction closes at 10pm on Sunday 26^th July

New dates and star-studded line up
announced for West End Musical Drive-In
The Drive In, Troubadour Meridian Water, Harbet Road, London, N18 3QQ
Saturday 8
th & 29th August and 12th & 26th September 2020

The UK’s biggest musical theatre concert continues as West End Musical Drive-In announce four new socially distant celebrations across August and September. Following huge demand for their launch event in July with West End stars Kerry Ellis, Alice Fearn and Jon Robyns, the team have assembled even more theatrical talent to take over The Drive In

Kicking off the August season will be theatre legend John Owen-Jones (Phantom of the Opera; Les Misérables) with special guests Sophie Evans (Wicked; BBC’s Over The Rainbow) and Oliver Saville (Wicked; CATS). Acclaimed performer Layton Williams (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie; RENT) X factor finalist Shan Ako (Les Misérables) will also be headlining later in the month, with
additional special guests. More exciting line-ups are still to be announced for the extra dates

Much like their West End Musical Brunch, which sell out months in advance, West End Musical Drive-In is an immersive event where the audience ‘become the cast,’ singing and dancing along with the West End stars. There will be multiple West End performers at each event as well as immersive characters, and the ‘West End Wendy’s’ dance troupe

Producer Chris Steward comments, The response from theatre fansfor our drive in event has been incredible. The Drive In has emerged as the market leading Drive-In venue in London and we are delighted to partner with them for our events

Best of A MAD DRAG NIGHT SUNDAY 26TH JULY 2020

LIVE ON YouTube 6.30pm

To Support the Make A Difference Trust’s Emergency Assistance Fund

A MAD Drag Night is one of the highlights of MAD Trust fundraising calendar and should have taken place thus year on 26t July. Looking back over the years we will be celebrating the joy that is A MAD Drag Night, with the help of John Barrowman, Faye Tozer, Dr Ranj, Sherrie Hewson Hayley Tamaddon, Tom Read Wilson, Harriet Thorpe, David Ames and Jenny ‘The Vixen’ Ryan.

A MAD Drag Night Co-Creator David O’Reilly said “Obviously it is very disappointing that we can’t put on our live show which has really become a highlight on the West End Theatre calendar.

However, we understand the risk that Covid-19 poses and with that in mind we are putting together the next best thing. Our audience will be taken on a trip down memory lane, looking back at A MAD Drag Night Best Bits from the last five years. It’ll take more than a world pandemic to stop our show!”

The Make a Difference Trust are asking for help to help support the community through this difficult time. The Trust has opened their COV-19 Hardship Fund with £5,000 from its own reserves and is aiming to raise £50,000 in order to grant out to as many performers, technicians, front of house staff, creatives, production staff, theatre administration and support staff as possible.

Many of those working in theatre don’t have three years accounts or may have been working in their first job, so do not qualify for government support. Some may have been working PAYE between acting jobs. Many are waiting for Universal Credit. Many live week to week and have now found themselves without any income.

To donate or apply visit: www.madtrust.org.uk

Melanie Tranter, Chair of the Make a Difference Trust said, “Since the Make A Difference Trust was established in 2008 the theatre community have joined together with us to raise funds for those less fortunate than themselves. They have entertained us, made us laugh and cheer, sing and stamp our feet in evenings of pure joy. They have given their time, talent and love so generously to raise funds to support those in need. Now, it’s our turn to support them. Every penny received from this initiative will go directly to theatre professionals in the UK who are affected by the theatre closures as a result of this crisis. We will work tirelessly to ensure grants are paid swiftly, and directly to those in need. “

For further information contact

David McMullan; [email protected] David O’Reilly; [email protected]

For COVID-19 Emergency fund information contact; Patrick Holzen: [email protected] Melanie Tranter; [email protected]

Frozen Light launch new podcast connecting with the
community of people with profound and multiple
learning disabilities

Nationally renowned theatre company, Frozen Light, has launched a podcast in response to the truly unprecedented challenges that people with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) are facing during the Covid-19 crisis. The podcast is an opportunity for people with PMLD, their carers and companions to share their experiences of shielding as well as highlighting the challenges of supporting individuals with complex needs from home.

The Frozen Light Podcast documents the stories of people with PMLD whose underlying complex health conditions make them some of the most vulnerable members of our community. The first six episodes are already live featuring interviews with Dr Nicola Grove of Surviving Through Story; Rachel Wright, the founder of Born at the Right Time and Camp Jojo; as well as sensory engagement and inclusion specialist and TedX speaker Joanna Grace. Episodes
will be released every Wednesday across Spotify, Apple Podcast, Google Play, and the Frozen Light website.

Co-Artistic Director, Amber Onat Gregory comments, We believe that people with PMLD should be proactively included, welcomed into and visible in their communities. Covid-19 has created a new barrier for people with disabilities wanting to access the arts and it is more important than ever that we continue to work to break those barriers down.

Having spent just under a decade producing accessible, sensory theatre for audiences with PMLD, the national shutdown of live performance meant that the company were unable to engage their community in their normal way. Even as lockdown eases, Frozen Light’s productions, which rely on touch and one-to-one engagement, are still currently unable to go ahead.

Frozen Light are generously supported by Arts Council England as part of the Elevate programme to encourage an increase of diverse led organisations within the National Portfolio. Frozen Light are generously supported by Arts Council England and the Foyle Foundation.

Silent Tours Presents:

WEST END MUSICALS SILENT DISCO WALKING TOUR

MUCH LOVED WEST END EVENT REOPENS TO GIVE THEATRE LOVERS A TASTE OF THE WEST END WHILST THEATRES REMAIN CLOSED

£5 FROM EVERY TICKET SOLD WILL BE DONATED TO THE THEATRE ARTIST’S FUND

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOONS

LASTING BETWEEN 2- 2 HOURS 30 MINS  FROM SATURDAY 1^ST AUGUST

Booking: www.silenttours.net/tours/west-end-musical-silent-disco-walking-tour

Silent Tours, producers of Silent Disco Walking Tours (Westend)  Trip Advisor’s number 1 ranked walking tour for London is delighted to announce the team will once again lead musical theatre lovers through the streets of London, as restrictions on outdoor entertainment are lifted.

As musical theatre enthusiasts are unable to go to an indoor venue to see shows, Silent Disco Walking Tours, which has been running for two years, offer the chance for audiences to get their musical theatre fix safely, as they are taken on an all singing, all dancing tour of the West End. 

Visiting 20 theatres across the West End, guests are given commentary, facts, anecdotes along the way all of which make up a fascinating and vibrant history of London’s theatre.

In between stops, audiences listen to musical tracks selected from shows that are playing or have played at each of the venues via a Silent Disco headset. Attendees are encouraged to sing, dance and have fun throughout as they experience a slice of musical theatre, whilst maintaining social distancing.

Producer and tour host Shaun Ames said “whilst the recent government grant to the arts has been celebrated and welcomed, theatres and indeed all arts venues wait anxiously for news on how the funds will be allocated. As we cautiously welcome a return to the possibility of indoor performances, we’re well aware that for theatres, most will find the need for social distancing prohibitive, which is likely to mean that doors remain shut for months to come.

We hope that by relaunching our tours, we can not only provide musical theatre lovers with a chance to experience a slice of the West End in a socially distanced and responsible way, but also give people a chance to learn the rich history of West End Theatre and to understand how vital a part of both the culture and the economy it really is. In addition, we plan to give back what we can by donating a portion of the ticket sale to the Theatre Artist’s fund”

Tickets cost £24 for a tour that lasts between two hours and two and a half hours, £5 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Theatre Artist’s fund (https://theatreartists.fund) which has been set up by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) to provide emergency support for theatre workers and freelancers across the UK whilst theatres cannot operate.

As an outside event, Silent Disco Walking Tours are fully able to go ahead in compliance with government guidelines – by ensuring that all guests wear face masks – provided by the company and each tour has reduced its capacity to 16 people per tour.

PHOTOGRAPHER ALI WRIGHT LAUNCHES ENVIRONMENT PORTRAITS OF CREATIVES TURNED KEY WORKERS TITLED MY LATEST ROLE

With uncertainty still surrounding the support of freelancers in the theatre industryphotographer Ali Wright hascurated My Latest Role; a series of environment portraits of self-employed creatives who became key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The project aims to celebrate the resilience and adaptability of freelance creatives who make up 70% of the theatre industry and to highlight that despite theatres being legally allowed to open on 1 August with social distancing, it is still unclear how the Government’s financial package announced on 6 July will support freelancers. The images will be available online here www.mylatestrole.com. 

Ali Wright today said, “As a theatre photographer, I lost six months of work overnight and only qualified for a fraction of my previous wage. I was interested in discovering how other freelance theatre artists were coping in this new context. I soon discovered that many across the industry were taking up roles as Key Workers to financially survive, many having been excluded from government assistance, and volunteering as a way to help others in a time of crisis. My Latest Role has been a way for me to play my small part in amplifying the theatre workforces’ resilience, adaptability and generosity.”

The professionals include:

• Actor Sarah O’Connor who was a swing on Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre and became a care home worker.
• Paris Rivers who is a Special Effects Makeup and Cabaret Artist who became a funeral service operator.
• Dev Danzig who is a Designer, Stage Manager and Prop Maker who began assembling and testing ventilators.
• Nadia Nadif who is an Actor and Director who began volunteering with the food poverty charity Feast! providing meals for the vulnerable.
• Andrew Ellis who is a Lighting Designer and was managing the spring tour of BalletBoyz’ ‘Deluxe’ who became a Tesco delivery driver.
• Kara Chamberlain who is a Writer, Producer at Crossline Theatre and Actor began working in an independent health shop.
• Parvinder Shergill who is an Actor, who has worked as a Doctor in a hospital before and during the pandemic.
• Karl Best who was performing in The Visit at the National and began working as a porter at King’s College Hospital.

Ali Wright is a theatre photographer. Her theatre photography credits include The Song Project, Inside Bitch (Royal Court Theatre), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Park Theatre), Angry, Islander: A New Musical, How Love Is Spelt (Southwark Playhouse), Little Baby Jesus, Macbeth (Orange Tree Theatre), Coming Clean, La Boheme, Tosca (Trafalgar Studios), The Niceties (Finborough Theatre) and Going Through (Bush Theatre). During lockdown she also photographed theatres across London for SCENECHANGE’S #MissingLiveTheatre campaign which wrapped shut venues across the UK in messages of hope and visibility. 

If you are in a position to support, please consider making a donation to The Theatrical Guild, whom directly supports theatre workers facing financial hardship – https://ttg.org.uk/donate/ 

Instagram:          @aliwright_photographs

Twitter:                @aliwrightphoto