Category: Uncategorized

THEATRICAL NICHE builds on its successful tours of A Doll’s House, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Metamorphosis, and Lysistrata with

a New Adaptation of Chekhov’s famed tragicomedy

UNCLE VANYA

Directed by Nadia Papachronopoulou

Adapted by Venetia Twigg

Suitable for Ages 12+

NEW WIMBLEDON STUDIO (Wimbledon)

Tuesday 19th – Saturday 23rd November

7:45pm (+ 2:45pm on Sat 23rd) https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/uncle-vanya/studio-at-new-wimbledon-theatre/

Tickets £15 (£13 concessions)

Ring 0207 206 1179 or email [email protected]

for Group rate

OLD RED LION THEATRE (Angel)

Monday 2nd – Saturday 7th December

7pm (+ 2pm on Sat 7th Dec) https://www.oldredliontheatre.co.uk/uncle-vanya.html

Tickets £15, (£13 concessions), £11 Group Rate (Groups of 6+)

Theatrical Niche, renowned for its adaptations of classic texts, brings its signature physical approach to Anton Chekhov’s “Uncle Vanya”.

Exploring care of our world and of each other as the integral theme, Theatrical Niche – supported by Arts Council England – tour this darkly funny & artful adaptation across England and Northern Ireland this Autumn using rural soundscapes & physical theatre.

The weary inhabitants of an isolated country household plunge head over heels in lust when a beautiful stranger arrives. As the head of the household announces the estate sale for his own gain, the strains of repression begin to bubble, until Vanya hits boiling point.

Theatrical Niche’s acclaimed physical theatre team create a unique modern version of this Russian masterpiece. Working with leading charity, the Bumblebee Conservation Trust; a message of conservation pervades.

This updated take on Chekhov’s stunningly prescient ‘Uncle Vanya’ highlights the farcical nature of the text whilst showcasing captivating physical work inspired by the decline of the Bee.

With a huge breadth of theatrical experience, Director Nadia Papachronopoulou leads the process. Emerging Director at National Theatre Wales, Nadia trained at the Orange Tree Theatre in London, and currently works for National Theatre Connections across England. Recent credits include ‘Boots’ at the Bunker Theatre, ‘After the Ball’ at the Gatehouse Theatre and ‘The Philanthropist’: Understudy Run in the West End. She has also Assistant Directed at Regent’s Park Open Air, the Southbank Centre and National Theatre Studio.

The cast is David Tudor (Simon & Garfunkel World Tour), Foxey Hardman (Playboy of the Western World at Theatre Clwyd), Mike Aherne (The Kitchen, Philistines & further productions at the National Theatre), Jeremy Drakes (Finishing The Picture at Finborough Theatre), Venetia Twigg (Lady Windermere’s Fan UK & Ireland Tour) and in the title role, Matt Houlihan (Major Barbara & O’Flaherty VC at the Orange Tree Theatre).

Uncle Vanya is the fourteenth and largest tour yet for Theatrical Niche and it is our pleasure to again offer both free and bespoke workshops to accompany the piece, given that it is multidisciplinary and on many syllabuses. Question and answers sessions are also provided upon request, and free physical theatre workshops can be claimed by group bookings of 6+ where applicable (and in agreement with venues). Theatrical Niche is known for embracing wide-ranging theatrical techniques, practitioners and texts from across the globe. Its productions are exciting, multi-disciplinary, educational and, above all, relevant.

The company prides itself on employing inspirational artists and creating world-class theatre that can and will tour to any venue across the UK.

Previous productions include A DOLL’S HOUSE, LADY WINDERMERE’S FAN, METAMORPHOSIS, LYSISTRATA, and BLOOD WEDDING.

THE JAMIE LLOYD COMPANY ANNOUNCES

A DOLL’S HOUSE STARRING JESSICA CHASTAIN

AS PART OF ITS NEW WEST END SEASON

The Jamie Lloyd Company, the hugely successful partnership between the UK’s leading theatre company Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) and Artistic Director Jamie Lloyd, in association with British Airways, today announce two-time Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe Award-winner Jessica Chastain is to make her UK theatre debut leading the company of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, in a version by Frank McGuiness.

The production is part of a new season directed by Jamie Lloyd at the Playhouse Theatre, which previews from 27 November, with James McAvoy in Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac, freely adapted by Martin Crimp. A Doll’s House opens at Playhouse Theatre on 18 June, with previews from 10 June and runs until 5 September 2020.

Jamie Lloyd said today, “At The Jamie Lloyd Company, our aim is to work with the most exceptional actors in the world, offering them new and unexpected challenges. Jessica Chastain is a gifted artist and is, of course, well known and respected for her extraordinary screen performances. However, I’m delighted she is now returning to the stage – where her career began – in this bold reappraisal of Ibsen’s great masterpiece.”

The season sees The Jamie Lloyd Company and Ambassador Theatre Group offering 15,000 free tickets and 15,000 £15 tickets for under 30s, key workers and those receiving job seeker’s allowance and other government benefits, supported by British Airways.

£15 tickets

These will be available for specific Monday evening and Thursday matinee performances across the season. The first four of these performances will be for Cyrano de Bergerac and go on sale on Monday 4 November at 12pm with further dates to be announced.

Free tickets

A dedicated outreach manager will be distributing these tickets amongst both secondary state schools and community organisations who otherwise would not have access to the theatre. If you work with a group who does not have the means or opportunity to visit the theatre, please register your interest here.

With design by Soutra Gilmour. Full cast and creative team to be announced.

Tickets for A Doll’s House will be available to book from January 2020. Individuals can register their interest here: www.thejamielloydcompany.com.

Two-time Academy Award nominee Jessica Chastain plays Nora in her UK stage debut. Her theatre credits include The Heiress (Walter Kerr Theater), Salome (Wadsworth Theater), and The Cherry Orchard and Rodney’s Wife (Williamstown Theatre Festival). Her film credits include It Chapter Two, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Molly’s Game – for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, Woman Walks Ahead, The Zookeeper’s Wife, Miss Sloane – for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama, A Most Violent Year – for which she received the National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination and Film Independent Spirit Award nomination, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, Miss Julie, Interstellar, Mama, Tree of Life, The Debt, Take Shelter, The Help – for which she was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild Award and Critics’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress, Zero Dark 30 –  for which she won a Critics’ Choice Award and Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. She was honored with the first-ever Critics’ Choice MVP Award in recognition of the breadth of her accomplishments in 2014 and has received numerous global nominations and accolades for her work from the LA Film Critics, British Academy of Film and Television, Broadcast Film Critics, Hollywood Foreign Press Association, National Board of Review, Screen Actors Guild, Film Independent and the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. In addition, Chastain launched Freckle Films, a New York based film and television production company, in 2016; forthcoming films include 355, Ava and The Eyes of Tammy Faye in which she will also star.

Frank McGuinness’ original plays include The Factory Girls (Abbey Theatre Dublin/Tricycle Theatre/Arcola Theatre), Baglady (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme (Abbey Theatre Dublin/Hampstead Theatre – for which he received a London Evening Standard for Most Promising Playwright, the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature, Harvey’s Best Play Award, the Cheltenham Literary Prize Plays and Players Award, the Ewart- Briggs Peace Prize and the London Fringe Award), Innocence (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Carthaginians (Abbey Theatre, Dublin/Hampstead Theatre), Mary and Lizzie (RSC), The Bread Man (Gate Theatre, Dublin), The Bird Sanctuary (Abbey Theatre, Dublin), Mutabilitie (National Theatre), Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me (Hampstead Theatre/Vaudeville Theatre/New Ambassadors Theatre/Booth Theatre – he received the New York Critics’ Circle Award and Writers’ Guild Award for Best Play), Dolly West’s Kitchen (Abbey Theatre, Dublin/The Old Vic), Gates of Gold (Gate Theatre, Dublin), Speaking Like Magpies (RSC/Trafalgar Studios), There Came A Gypsy Riding (Almeida Theatre), Greta Garbo Came to Donegal (Tricycle Theatre), Crocodile (Sky Arts Live/Riverside Studios), The Match Box (Liverpool Playhouse), The Hanging Gardens (Abbey Theatre, Dublin) and Donegal – with music by Kevin Doherty (Abbey Theatre, Dublin).

Jamie Lloyd directs. His credits as Artistic Director of the company include Betrayal (Harold Pinter Theatre/Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, Broadway), One For The Road, The New World Order, Mountain Language, The Lover, The Collection, Landscape, A Kind of Alaska, Monologue, Party Time, Celebration, A Slight Ache, The Dumb Waiter (Pinter at the Pinter, Harold Pinter Theatre), Doctor Faustus (Duke of York’s Theatre), The Maids, The Homecoming, The Ruling Class, Richard III, The Pride, The Hothouse, Macbeth (Trafalgar Studios). Other theatre credits include Evita (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Guards at the Taj (Bush Theatre), The Pitchfork Disney, Killer (Shoreditch Town Hall), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Urinetown (The Other Palace/Apollo Theatre). 

Season Listings                                                                                                                                                                

Playhouse Theatre

Northumberland Avenue, Charing Cross, London WC2N 5DE

CYRANO DE BERGERAC

27 November 2019 – 29 February 2020

A DOLL’S HOUSE

10 June – 5 September 2020

Box Office: 0844 871 7631

Please note £15 tickets must be booked via a special link on the ATG Tickets website and can only be picked up from the theatre box office 45 minutes prior to the show, and valid ID must be presented upon collection, or entry will be denied

Twitter: @JamieLloydCo

Instagram: @jamielloydco

Darlington Hippodrome – until 2 November 2019

4****

This is not the normal frothy type of musical put on by the uber talented Darlington Operatic Society.  But this darkly gothic tome by Frank Wildhorn (music) and Leslie Bricusse (book and lyrics) is highly suitable for this time of year.

I was lucky enough to attend both press nights so could observe both male leads and their very different interpretations of the role of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

On the first night we were treated to Julian Counds version of Dr Jekyll, he was good and excelled at his evil side.  However, on the second night Luke Oldfield dominated the stage. He gave an excellent fully nuanced performance, unleashing his powerful voice in the dual role of Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde.  This is the Moment with the transition, was so simple – just taking hair from a ponytail when good to having the hair down when bad – was handled skillfully by both and worked well.  But again, Oldfield just pipped Cound to the post in the malevolent stakes with his powerhouse vocals

Sharing the role of Lucy Harris was Rhiannon Walker and Jessica Harrison.  It’s impossible to pick who played this better because both were superb. The vocals were excellent and you really felt for the character.  Bring on the Men was a standout piece, from the outstanding singing to the excellent staging and choreography by Director Joanne Hand.  And Someone Like You was very moving, helping to flesh out the performance and give life to Lucy.

Unfortunately the script does not allow the character of Emma Carew to develop substantially, but Beth Hopper shines in the role of fiance.  Her witty one liners and put downs make you warm to the character and Hoppers voice fills the auditorium, Once Upon a Dream was beautiful.

A special mention must go to Peter Robson who plays Simon Stride.  He had a glorious voice and I’d like to see him in a lead role very soon.

The big ensemble numbers were great. The voices of the different cast members blended together really well, making their harmonies very powerful and memorable. The opening song, Façade, displayed the talent of several cast members straight away.   The live band led by Steven Hood set the atmospheric background perfectly and, unlike my moans in the past, they weren’t too loud so didn’t drown out the singing. Alex Edwards lighting was subtle and complimented the set and beautiful costumes.

Jekyll and Hyde impresses with its technical aspects and immerses us into the classic, tragic, tale.  Darlington Operatic Society have certainly outdone themselves this time

FURTHER CAST ANNOUNCED

Lizzie Bea & Marisha Wallace

to headline 2020 production

They join Tony & Olivier Award winning Michael Ball

who returns to his legendary role of Edna Turnblad

Season extended to 18 weeks at the London Coliseum

Further cast to join Michael Ball in Hairspray the Musical – the multi-award winning smash hit production which is returning to London for a special, strictly limited season in 2020 – is today announced.

Lizzie Bea will star in the iconc role of Tracy Tunblad. Lizzie is currently performing in the UK Tour of Kinky Boots and has just returned from Atlanta, performing in the world premiere production of Becoming Nancy (Alliance Theatre).

Acclaimed West End star Marisha Wallace will take the role of Motormouth. Marisha won rave reviews when she took over from Amber Riley in the smash hit Dreamgirls (at the Savoy Theatre), and has just finished starring in the original West End cast of Waitress (Adelphi Theatre).

Hairspray, the huge hearted, multi-award-winning smash hit musical, is extending its season and will now play at the magnificent London Coliseum for 18 weeks, beginning performances on Thursday 23 April 2020 (Press Night: Wednesday 29 April 2020 at 7:00pm).

It will star Michael Ball, the acclaimed star of stage and screen, as he returns to his legendary, Olivier Award winning role of Edna Turnblad.

Baltimore, 1962. Tracy Turnblad is a big girl with big hair and big dreams. Can she make it on the local TV dance show, win the heart of teen heartthrob Link Larkin and bring everyone together – whatever their colour, size or hairdo? Well if you want a change, you’ve really got to shake things up!

With the original award-winning creative team of director Jack O’Brien and choreographer Jerry Mitchell, and featuring the infectiously feel-good songs “Good Morning, Baltimore”, “Big, Blonde and Beautiful” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat”, this inspirational, fun-loving and fabulously uplifting musical sensation is back and bigger than ever.

The original New York production of Hairspray won three Tony Awards, including Best New Musical, whilst the original West End production won four Olivier Awards, also including Best New Musical, as well giving Michael Ball one of his two Olivier Awards for Best Actor in a Musical.

Additional casting is to be announced.

Hairspray is produced by Adam Spiegel Productions & Fiery Angel.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

LONDON COLISEUM

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London

WC2N 4ES

TICKETS

Box Office: 020 7845 9300

Group booking line: 020 7845 9300

Access booking line: 020 7845 9300

Group rates Available, exclusion apply.

Ticket prices start from £17.50

BOOKING ONLINE

www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk

SEASON DATES

From Thursday 23 April 2020

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Monday No performances (except 27 April)

Tuesday  7.30pm

Wednesday  7.30pm

Thursday  3pm and 7.30pm

Friday  7.30pm

Saturday  3pm and 7.30pmn

Sunday 4pm (except 26 April and 03 May – no performance)

SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook: @HairsprayLondon

Twitter: @HairsprayLondon

Instagram HairsprayLondon

TWO WEEKS TO GO UNTIL CHRISTMAS IN LEICESTER SQUARE 2019: HERE’S WHAT’S COMING IN NOVEMBER

·         8 Nov 2019 – 5 Jan 2020

·         Legendary Olivier-winning variety La Clique returns to the West End to headline the Leicester Square Spiegeltent

·         Top Live Entertainment from Jess Robinson, Spice Gals, Puppini Sisters, Phoenix Arts Club and Tuck Shop

·         Live family entertainment headlined by Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magical Cutlass

·         Further family fun in Journey through Jazz, Kids of the West End, Fun Kids Epic Roadshow, Showstoppers Kids Show and Shlomo’s Beatbox Adventure for Kids

Underbelly presents Christmas in Leicester Square 2019, the Christmas festival in the heart of the West End with a spectacular line-up of affordable live entertainment for all ages sitting within a scenic European-style Christmas Market complete with a fantastic storytelling Santa’s Grotto, opening on Friday 8th November.

Headlining the brilliant programme of theatre, music and cabaret is legendary Olivier Award-winning variety show La Clique, returning to the West End for the first time in more than a decade with an all-star cast including cabaret sensation and MC Bernie Dieter, gentleman juggler Florian Brooks, the fire-breathing, sword-swallowing, side-show sensation Heather Holliday and aerialist Stephen Williams performing the iconic Bath Boy act. As well as an eight-week residency La Clique will be performing a one-off New Year’s Eve Spectacular with a post-show party letting partiers dance through the bells until 2am.

Headlining an outstanding family entertainment programme is Captain Flinn and The Pirate Dinosaurs: The Magical Cutlass – the highly anticipated sequel based on the award-winning book by Giles Andreae and Russell Ayto which sees the fearless Flinn and his loyal pals once again face off against the dastardly Mr T the T-Rex in a swashbuckling adventure combining classy theatrical production with top notch puppetry, produced by Les Petits the children’s theatre company from the team behind internationally acclaimed Les Enfants Terribles.

Further live entertainment comes in a fun-packed hour of comedy, music and vocal fireworks from ‘human jukebox’ Jess Robinson, the world’s premier drag tribute to the Spice Girls, Spice Gals, the exquisite vocal harmonies of The Puppini Sisters, Soho cabaret institution Phoenix Arts Club with a sizzling seasonal spectacle Lickable: The all senses Christmas Cabaret,and drag superstars Tuck Shop with festive special Tucking Around the Christmas Tree.

Shows for all ages include Journey Through Jazz – the ultimate interactive dance show and lesson from London favourite Swing Out creators SwingDanceUK, Kids of the West End an electrifying selection of performances from the best young performers in theatreland, hit interactive shenanigans in Fun Kids Epic Roadshow Adventure, the original improvised musical for all the family, Showstoppers Kids Show, and legendary master of his trade Shlomo with his acclaimed Beatbox Adventure for Kids, mixing theatre, storytelling and his incredible DIY musical stylings, all created solely by his own vocal chords.

All of this takes place within the incredibly atmospheric and innately festive Leicester Square Spiegeltent, set within a unique, scenic, bustling European Christmas Market set in the heart of London’s West End, with over 30 different stalls purveying the finest selection of yuletide food, drink and gifts.

Set within this winter kingdom is the magical Santa’s Grotto, a chance for children from far and wide to meet the big man himself, give him their personal Christmas list, receive a gift, and even hear him tell a festive story.

Christmas in Leicester Square directors Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood said:

“Over the past three years the opening of Christmas in Leicester Square has grown to become the definitive sign in London’s West End that Santa Claus is coming to town. Last year we were delighted to break the record for footfall and this year we’re hoping we can capture the city’s festive imagination just as much with our programme of live entertainment for all ages, our European Christmas Market and, of course, our unique Santa’s Grotto.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome La Clique to Underbelly’s Christmas in Leicester Square and the incomparable Leicester Square Spiegeltent 10 years after it exploded into London’s West End and set the cabaret world on fire.”

Cllr Iain Bott, Cabinet Member for Sports, Culture and Community, Westminster City Council said:

“With an eclectic mix of live performances, family shows and a magical Santa’s grotto, Christmas in Leicester Square is a highlight of the West End’s festive calendar. I am particularly looking forward to seeing this year’s Winter Windows scheme which will be showcasing the fantastic creativity of our City Lions and Westminster schoolchildren”

HASBRO & SELLADOOR WORLDWIDE

ANNOUNCE PLANS TO ADAPT ICONIC BRAND 

MONOPOLY

INTO A LIVE-ACTION IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

London – October 24, 2019 – Global play and entertainment company, Hasbro Inc., are excited to announce a new partnership with international theatre producer Selladoor Worldwide to adapt Hasbro’s iconic brand, MONOPOLY, into a fantastic, immersive experience. Due to open at a secret location in London in 2020, the MONOPOLY experience is expected to incorporate a 75-minute segment featuring challenges for teams to complete together in order to move along the MONOPOLY ‘board’ and buy property.

After launching with MONOPOLY, a household favourite and most popular game across the globe, Hasbro and Selladoor plan to roll out numerous exciting and innovative consumer experiences over the next few years and beyond utilising the wider Hasbro brand portfolio.

David Hutchinson, CEO, Selladoor Worldwide said, “We’ve been working for over a year with Hasbro on this exciting partnership, developing our concept and vision to bring one of the world’s biggest board game brands to life in this thrilling experiential theatre landscape. Trends in our sector are moving in a very exciting direction with demand from a new generation of theatre goers looking to experience live theatre differently, and to be immersed in the world of the narrative in a different way. I couldn’t think of a better organisation to partner with in this growing market, than the company who have brought together family and friends for decades to play some of their iconic games. We look forward to launching Monopoly in London in 2020, with our eyes set on other key international markets where we are keen to roll the experience out.”

“It’s incredibly exciting to finally be announcing our future plans with the team at Selladoor Worldwide,” said Matt Proulx, VP of Location Based Entertainment at Hasbro. “Launching the MONOPOLY experience in London next year is just the beginning and we’re excited to bring more of our iconic brands to the stage in the future.”

Selladoor Worldwide is entering into this partnership as it diversifies the work they are producing , focusing on the immersive theatre space and developing a new audiences for live theatrical experiences. The partnership between Hasbro and Selladoor is a perfect union of both companies building awareness of their content and reaching an even wider audience. Ensuring the commercial success of the partnership for Selladoor is newly appointed industry expert Julia Posen.  Julia has joined Selladoor Live as their Head of Development. Julia previously ran the licensing for Walker Books and BBC Worldwide Childrens.   

Julia Posen, Head of Development, Selladoor Worldwide said, “To join Selladoor Worldwide as Head of Development and IP is a truly exciting moment for me.  To work on the iconic properties with Hasbro is a real privilege.  Working closely with Tom Beynon, the Development Producer at Selladoor, we already have very ambitious global plans for the live division and our partnership with Hasbro.”

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Everyman Theatre Cheltenham present
The Dresser
Written by Ronald Harwood
Directed by Terry Johnson

• JULIAN CLARY AND MATTHEW KELLY ANNOUNCED TO STAR IN A BRAND NEW PRODUCTION AND UK TOUR OF THE DRESSER OPENING IN AUTUMN 2020, DIRECTED BY TERRY JOHNSON
   
• PRODUCED BY THEATRE ROYAL BATH PRODUCTIONS AND EVERYMAN THEATRE CHELTENHAM, THE DRESSER WILL PREVIEW IN CHELTENHAM FROM 10-19 SEPTEMBER 2020 AND TOUR TO BATH FROM 21-26 SEPTEMBER WITH OPENING NIGHT FOR PRESS ON 23 SEPTEMBER 2020
   
• THE DRESSER WILL CONTINUE ON TOUR TO SPRING 2021 WITH FURTHER VENUES AND DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED
   

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Everyman Theatre Cheltenham today announce a brand new production and UK tour of Ronald Harwood’s highly acclaimed drama The Dresser starring the much loved UK entertainer Julian Clary as Norman and Olivier Award winner Matthew Kelly as ‘Sir’. Directed by Terry Johnson, The Dresser will run at Cheltenham Everyman Theatre from 10 to 19 September 2020 followed by Theatre Royal Bath from 21 to 26 September where it will have its opening night for press on 23 September 2020. The production will continue to tour until Spring 2021 with further dates and venues to be announced in due course. Tickets for Cheltenham and Bath go on sale tomorrow.

Inspired by memories of working as Donald Wolfit’s dresser as a young man, Ronald Harwood’s evocative, affectionate and hilarious portrait of backstage life is regarded as one of the most acclaimed dramas of modern theatre.

It is 1942 and in a war-torn provincial theatre an aging actor-manager, known to his loyal acting company as ‘Sir’, is struggling to cling on to his sanity and complete his 227th performance of King Lear.  For 16 years Norman, Sir’s devoted dresser, has been there to fix Sir’s wig, massage his ego, remind him of his opening lines and provide the sound effects in the storm scene. It is down to Norman to ensure that in spite of everything, the show goes on.

Julian Clary has performed across the world and is renowned for his many successes across television, radio, film, writing and stand-up comedy. His roles on stage include Leigh Bowery in Boy George’s Taboo (West End and national tour), the Emcee in Rufus Norris’s Olivier Award winning production of Cabaret (West End), and Le Grand Mort (Trafalgar Studios). Julian also regularly performs in panto and will return to the London Palladium this Christmas. His many TV credits include Trick or Treat, Saturday Night Live, Sticky Moments, Terry and Julian, All Rise, Strictly Come Dancing, Have I Got News For You and QI. He toured the UK earlier this year with his latest one-man comedy show Born To Mince.

Matthew Kelly is an Olivier Award winning actor who is currently starring in Big The Musical in the West End. He is also well known for presenting the television series Stars in their Eyes and You Bet!. Matthew Kelly’s other West End credits include Waiting For Godot with Ian McKellen and Roger Rees, Funny Peculiar, Sign of the Times, Lend Me A Tenor!, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and as Lennie in Of Mice and Men (Savoy) for which he received the Olivier Award for Best Actor. Other recent theatre credits include Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art, Pride & Prejudice (Regents Park & UK Tour), and Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare’s Globe). His many television credits include the award-winning Cold Blood, Benidorm, Bleak House and Moving On.

Ronald Harwood is an Academy Award, Palme d’Or and BAFTA-winning screenwriter and playwright. His plays include Taking Sides, Equally Divided and Quartet. His screenplay for the film of The Dresser received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Screenplay. His films include the Academy Award winning The Pianist, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Love in the Time of Cholera.

Terry Johnson is a dramatist and director who has won numerous theatre awards including two Olivier Awards as a playwright for Best Comedy and a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for La Cage Aux Folles. Other West End credits include The Libertine, End of the Rainbow, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Duck House, Whipping It Up and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. He recently directed Uncle Vanya at the Hampstead Theatre and has previously directed Mrs. Henderson Presents, Hysteria and The Libertine at Bath.

LISTINGS

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Everyman Theatre Cheltenham present
THE DRESSER
By Ronald Harwood
Directed by Terry Johnson
Designed by Tim Shortall

Thursday 10 September to Saturday 19 September 2020
Cheltenham Everyman Theatre
Box office: 01242 572573
www.everymantheatreorg.uk

Monday 21 to Saturday 26 September 2020
Press night: Wednesday 23 September 2020
Theatre Royal Bath
Box Office: 01225 448815                 
www.theatreroyal.org.uk

FURTHER TOUR DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

• A WORKSHOP OF LESLIE BRICUSSE’S MUSICAL SAMMY, BASED ON THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAMMY DAVIS JR., WILL BE PRESENTED BY ANTHOLOGY THEATRE AND KATY LIPSON FOR ARIA ENTERTAINMENT

• CLARKE PETERS WILL DIRECT OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING ACTOR GILES TERERA IN THE TITLE ROLE 
          

A workshop of Leslie Bricusse’s musical SAMMY will be presented by Anthology Theatre Productions and Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment on Thursday 31 October to an invited audience of producers, theatre owners and investors. Olivier Award-winning actor, singer, writer, and director, Clarke Peters will direct recent Olivier Award-winner Giles Terera in the title role in this rousing musical written by Oscar and Grammy Award winning composer, lyricist and playwright Leslie Bricusse.

Clarke Peter’s vision for this modern re-imagining of Bricusse’s original musical, which played a short season in San Diego previously, will examine the life and enduring legacy of the 20th Century’s greatest entertainer. Through the era-defining music of Leslie Bricusse, Sammy’s collaborator and friend, with innovative elements of projection and dance, SAMMY celebrates Sammy Davis Jr. as a phenomenal talent, a cultural pioneer, and a complicated man – both shaped by the times he lived in and defining them.

Sammy Davis Jr. recorded more than 60 songs written by Leslie Bricusse, including his only No.1 hit, “The Candy Man.” The musical will feature new work by Bricusse and stand-out numbers from the Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley songbook, including; “What Kind of Fool Am I?” “Feeling Good”, “Who Can I Turn To?” and “The Candy Man Can”.  Mike Dixon will be the musical supervisor.

The producers hope to mount a full production of the show in 2020 which will mark what would have been Sammy Davis Jr.’s 95th Birthday.

INITIAL CASTING AND PRODUCTION TEAM ANNOUNCED

FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

L E O P O L D S T A D T

 A NEW PLAY BY TOM STOPPARD, DIRECTED BY PATRICK MARBER

BOOKING EXTENDED BY FOUR WEEKS, NOW PLAYING TO 13 JUNE 2020

Sonia Friedman Productions today (25 October 2019) announces initial casting for the world premiere of Tom Stoppard’s Leopoldstadt to be directed by Patrick Marber, as well as a four-week extension to the run which goes on sale today at 10am. Now booking to 13 June 2020, Leopoldstadt begins previews at Wyndham’s Theatre on 25 January 2020. 

The cast includes Sebastian Armesto, Jenna Augen, Rhys Bailey, Joe Coen, Mark Edel-Hunt, Clara Francis, Ilan Galkoff, Caroline Gruber, Sam Hoare, Natalie Law, Noof McEwan, Dorothea Myer-Bennett, Jake Neads, Aaron Neil, Alexander Newland, Yasmin Paige, Adrian Scarborough, Griffin Stevens, Ed Stoppard, Luke Thallon, Eleanor Wyld and Alexis Zegerman.  The children’s cast, comprising three sets of five children, includes Toby Cohen, Zachary Cohen, Olivia Festinger, Tamar Laniado, Maya Larholm, Daniel Lawson, Louis Levy, Libby Lewis, Jack Meredith, Chloe Raphael, Beatrice Rapstone and Montague Rapstone.Further adult and children’s casting will be announced at a later date. 

Sonia Friedman said: “We are thrilled to announce initial casting for Leopoldstadt, the remarkable new play from one of the world’s greatest living playwrights. Our company of 41 actors will come together in Patrick Marber’s production, to tell Tom Stoppard’s powerful and humane story spanning several decades during one of the most turbulent periods in world history. Focussing on endurance, survival, assimilation and resilience, it is a privilege to be producing this potent and timely new work.”

Set designs are by Richard Hudson, with costume designs by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Neil Austin, sound and original music by Adam Cork, and movement by EJ Boyle. Casting is by Amy Ball CDG,with children’s casting by Verity Naughton.

Vienna in 1900 was the most vibrant city in Europe, humming with artistic and intellectual excitement and a genius for enjoying life. A tenth of the population were Jews. A generation earlier they had been granted full civil rights by the Emperor, Franz Josef. Consequently, hundreds of thousands fled from the Pale and the pogroms in the East and many found sanctuary in the crowded tenements of the old Jewish quarter, Leopoldstadt.

Tom Stoppard’s new play, directed by Patrick Marber, is an intimate drama with an epic sweep; the story of a family who made good. “My grandfather wore a caftan,” says Hermann, a factory owner, “my father went to the opera in a top hat, and I have the singers to dinner.”  It was not to last. Over the next fifty years this family, like millions of others, was to re-discover what it meant to be Jewish in the first half of the 20th century. Leopoldstadt is a passionate drama of love, endurance and loss. It is Stoppard’s most humane and heart-breaking play.

Leopoldstadt, the sixth collaboration between SFP and Tom Stoppard, reunites Stoppard, Marber and Friedman who last collaborated on Travesties in 2017.

Leopoldstadt is co-produced with Gavin Kalin Productions, Scott Rudin, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Scott M. Delman/Patrick Gracey in association with Rupert Gavin, 1001 Nights Productions, Nica Burns, Burnt Umber Productions, Bradford W. Edgerton, Eilene Davidson Productions, Richard Winkler.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                           Wyndham’s Theatre, Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H 0DA

Dates:                              25 January – 13 June 2020

Box Office:                         0844 482 5151

Performances:                    Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursdays (from 20 February) and Saturdays at 2.30pm

                                      Tuesday 17 March 2020 at 7.30pm Captioned Performance

Tuesday 24 March 2020 at 7.30pm Audio Described Performance

Website:                           leopoldstadtplay.com

Twitter:                           @LeopoldstadtLDN

Facebook:                         @LeopoldstadtLDN

Instagram:                        @LeopoldstadtLDN   

BRENDAN COLE ANNOUNCES FINAL BIG BAND TOUR – SHOW MAN

Brendan Cole announces today that he will revive his hugely popular 2019 tour for 2020 Show Man, announcing this will be his last big band tour after 10 years of touring 5 exceptional critically acclaimed productions.  Show Man opens at Grimsby Auditorium 19 Feb 2020 before touring the UK and Ireland.

Taking its inspiration from the magic of theatre and the movies Show Man brings something for everyone.  With his amazingly talented hand-picked championship dancers and scorching eight piece live big band and singers, Brendan will bring audiences many of their favourite Strictly dance styles with choreography full of excitement, intimacy, emotion & skill. With laughter and chat throughout you are guaranteed to have a ball.  This is no ‘sit back and watch’ production;  Each show is full on high energy dance dynamite, up close and personal, with superb choreography, stunning lighting and amazing special effects. Expect a cheeky Charleston to Pencil Full of Lead, a sexy Salsa to Despacito, music from Beggin’ to Bublé, plus numbers from The Greatest Showman and La La Land.

Brendan Cole is best known from TV favourite Strictly Come Dancing where he danced the first show of the first series and lifted the very first glitterball trophy.

Show Man is Brendan’s fifth theatrical production and will see him tour the UK for the twelfth time . He has presented ten hugely successful concert tours to date: Live & Unjudged (2010/2011 x 2/2012), Licence to Thrill (2013 & 2014), A Night To Remember (2015/2016) and All Night Long (2017/2018)

Brendan tells us ‘I’m really excited to be bringing back Show Man having toured this production early in 2019 .  This is my most exciting tour to date it’s so dynamic and theatrical – much more so than any previous tour.  We have five male dancers, three female dancers, choirs, a violinist and brand new staging which allows the choreography to be exciting and different; bigger and better lifts, some very strong theatrical numbers as well as a new look set, it really is something special!  My aim is to wow the audience and give them everything they’d expect and much, much more.

Brendan continues ‘ This will be my last big band tour after touring for so many years. I’ve loved every second of being own the stage with my friends who have now become family. It’s time for something different and I’m honoured to be taking Show Man out for one last run. I’m so proud of this production and I’m going out on a high’

If you love live music from one of the best touring bands and exciting and emotive dance this is the show for you.  Don’t miss your chance to experience the ultimate Show Man at his best.

For more information and tour dates visit www.brendancolelive.com or www.pmbpresentations.com     

Find us on Twitter and Facebook @BrendanColeTour  

LISTINGS

Wed 19-Feb    Grimsby Auditorium              www.grimsbyauditorium.org.uk            0300 300 0035

Fri 21-Feb        Southend Cliffs Pavilion         www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk              01702 351135

Sun 23-Feb      Ipswich Regent                       www.ipswichregent.com                   01473 433100

Tue 25-Feb      York Grand Opera House       www.atgtickets.com/york                  0844 871 3024

Wed 26-Feb    Aberdeen Music Hall              www.aberdeenperformingarts.com            01224 641122

Thu 27-Feb      Glasgow Royal Concert Hall   www.glasgowconcerthalls.com            0141 353 8000

Sat 29-Feb       Dunfermline Alhambra          www.alhambradunfermline.com            01383 740384 

Sun 01-Mar     Newcastle Theatre Royal       www.theatreroyal.co.uk                    08448 11 21 21

Mon 02-Mar   Birmingham Symphony Hall   www.thsh.co.uk                                 0121 780 3333

Tue 03-Mar     Perth Concert Hall                  www.horsecross.co.uk                       01738 621031

Wed 04-Mar   Inverness Eden Court              www.eden-court.co.uk                      01463 234234

Sat 07-Mar      Dublin Bord Gais                     www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie            +353 (1) 677 7999

Sun 08-Mar     Dublin Bord Gais                     www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie            +353 (1) 677 7999

Fri 13-Mar       Eastbourne Congress              www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk            01323 412000

Sun 15-Mar     Wales Millenium Centre        www.wmc.org.uk                                029 2063 6464