Category: Uncategorized

GREASE

HITS THE ROAD AGAIN IN 2020

DUE TO OVERWHELMING DEMAND

Following a highly acclaimed UK and Ireland tour in 2019, the first new production in 25 years of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE will tour the UK again in 2020, directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips. Dan Partridge (Rum Tum Tugger in the International Tour of Cats, Link in the UK Tour of Hairspray and Pepper in Mamma Mia! in the West End) will reprise the role of Danny Zuko, with further casting to be announced.

The tour will open at Royal & Derngate Northampton from 22 – 30 May, Congress Theatre, Eastbourne from 1 – 6 June, New Victoria Theatre, Woking from 8 – 13 June, Wycombe Swan from 22 – 27 June, Liverpool Empire from 29 June – 4 July, Theatre Royal, Nottingham from 6 – 11 July, Palace Theatre Manchester from 20 July – 1 August, The Marlowe, Canterbury from 10 – 16 August, Blackpool Opera House from 31 August – 5 September, Darlington Hippodrome from 7 – 13 September, Belgrade Theatre Coventry from 15 – 19 September, Grand Opera House York from 21 – 26 September, The Sands Centre, Carlisle from 29 September – 3 October, The Orchard Theatre, Dartford from 6 – 111 October, Rhyl Pavilion from 12 – 17 October, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre from 26 – 31 October, Sheffield Lyceum from 2 – 8 November and Stoke Regent Theatre from 23 – 28 November. Further venues to be announced.

Producer Colin Ingram said “I am delighted that this new production of GREASE will be returning to tour the UK in May 2020.  The production has been thrilling audiences and critics up and down the country with standing ovations every night.  This fresh take on one of the most popular musicals of all time has gone down brilliantly with the theatre going public who are loving this version. It brings back the reality and grit from the original 1972 Broadway production, yet the characters and story chime so well with a modern audience.  All the songs from the film are there, but it feels like a new GREASE for a new generation.”

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 choreographed by Arlene Phillips, with designs by Colin Richmond, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Tom Marshall.

This new production of GREASE is produced by Colin Ingram, InTheatre Productions and Curve.

Website: greasethemusicalontour.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/greaseUKTour

Twitter: @greaseuktour                      

2020 Tour Schedule

22 – 30 May                           Royal & Derngate Northampton                                  01604 624811

                                              www.royalandderngate.co.uk                                      On sale soon

1 – 6 June                              Congress Theatre, Eastbourne                                   01323 412000

                                              www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk                                  

8 – 13 June                            New Victoria Theatre, Woking                                     0844 871 7645

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre          On sale soon

22 – 27 June                          Wycombe Swan                                                        01494 512 000

                                              wycombeswan.co.uk                                                 On sale soon

29 June – 4 July                     Liverpool Empire                                                       0844 871 3017

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire              On sale soon

6 – 11 July                             Theatre Royal, Nottingham                                         0115 989 5555         

                                               www.trch.co.uk                                                          On 30 September

20 July – 1 August                  Palace Theatre Manchester                                         0844 871 3019 

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester    On sale soon

10 – 16 August                       The Marlowe, Canterbury                                            01227 878 7787

                                               www.themarlowetheatre.com

31 August – 5 September       Blackpool Opera House                                             0844 856 1111

                                               www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk                            On sale soon

7 – 13 September                   Darlington Hippodrome                                              01325 405405

                                               www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

15 – 19 September                 Belgrade Theatre Coventry                                         024 7655 3055

                                                www.belgrade.co.uk                                                  On sale soon

21 – 26 September                 Grand Opera House York                                           0844 871 3024

                                               www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/  On sale soon

29 September – 3 October      The Sands Centre, Carlisle                                         01228 633766

                                                 www.thesandscentre.co.uk                                               

6 – 11 October                       The Orchard Theatre, Dartford                                    01322 220000

                                               www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

12 – 17 October                     Rhyl Pavilion                                                              01745 33 00 00

                                               www.rhylpavilion.co.uk                                               On sale soon

26 – 31 October                     Aylesbury Waterside Theatre                                      0844 871 7607

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre     On sale soon

2 – 8 November                      Sheffield Lyceum Theatre                                           0114 249 6000                            

                                                www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk   

23 – 28 November                  Stoke Regent Theatre                                                0844 871 7649

                                                www.atgtickets.com/stoke

SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL ANNOUNCES

2020 CULTURAL PROGRAMME

• 2 world premieres, 1 UK premiere and 5 London premieres
• Highlights of the programme include Ockham’s Razor’s This Time, Tim Cowbury & Mark Maughan’s The Claim, The Wardrobe Ensemble’s The Last of the Pelican Daughters, Scottee & Friends’ Scottee: Class, Tina Satter / Half Straddles’ Is This A Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription and Charlotte Josephine’s FLIES.
• A series of one-off events with Jo Fong, Clod Ensemble & Nu Civilisation Orchestra, CRXSS PLATFXRM, Rio Cinema, Dance Umbrella, UNFLOPPED, and more.
• 1,500 free tickets available for local community groups across Shoreditch and Hackney.

Today Shoreditch Town Hall announces their 2020 cultural programme which opens with the London premiere of This Time by award-winning circus company Ockham’s Razor, presented as part of London International Mime Festival. In February, Tim Cowbury returns with his bold response to the migration crisis, The Claim,following its run in Edinburgh as part of the British Council Showcase; the piece is directed by Mark Maughan.

Brighton Fringe Award winner (2017) and Total Theatre Award nominee (2019) Harry Clayton-Wright will present Sex Education in March as part of And What? Queer. Arts. Festival., and The Wardrobe Ensemble will return to the Town Hall with the London premiere of The Last of the Pelican Daughters, a Wardrobe Ensemble, Complicité and Royal & Derngate co-production in association with Bristol Old Vic.

In April, Daniel Bye & Boff Whalley’s These Hills Are Ours, commissioned by Shoreditch Town Hall and produced by ARC Stockton, will play in the Large Committee Room, and the London premiere of Scottee: Class, an unflinching commentary on social structures, will play for three weeks in the Council Chamber.

June will see the Town Hall’s fifth collaboration with LIFT (London International Festival of Theatre), this time on the UK premiere of Brooklyn-based Tina Satter / Half Straddle’s Is This A Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription. In September, the Town Hall will co-produce the world premiere of Charlotte Josephine’s FLIES, with Boundless Theatre.

Throughout 2020, the Town Hall will present an eclectic mix of one-off events in the Assembly Hall, harnessing the space’s original purpose for variety and music hall entertainment. Jo Fong will present Ways of Being Together in February, commissioned by Chinese Arts Now, and in May Clod Ensemble & Nu Civilisation Orchestra will present The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady. Choreographer, artist and innovator Ivan Blackstock and CRXSS PLATFXRM will present THE CULTURE in July. September will see the Town Hall partner with Dalston-based Rio Cinema to present 40^th anniversary screenings of cult classics Fame and The Shining. Friday Night Dance Parties will take place with Dance Umbrella during October, and in November the Town Hall will present an all-night screening of the US Presidential Election, as well as UNFLOPPED Live – the podcast that resurrects forgotten pop classics.

2020 will see the return of the annual building-wide Great Shoreditch Easter Egg Hunt; the Town Hall’s festival by and for young people, Shoreditch Live; and the continuation of much-loved Tea Dance and Baby Loves Disco Mini Roadshow activity. The Town Hall will also enter into their second year of a partnership with Mountview on the MA in Site-Specific Theatre Practice led by Geraldine Pilgrim – the first course of its kind in the UK.

Looking ahead, Kneehigh will return to the Town Hall at the end of 2020, and in 2021 Shoreditch Town Hall and The Old Vic will work together on an exciting new partnership for the fifth year of The Old Vic 12. For the first time, following The Old Vic 12’s year-long attachment for artists to create and develop three brand new plays, the work will be presented in a three-week repertory season in the Council Chamber in March 2021, in a Shoreditch Town Hall and Old Vic co-production.

Today Shoreditch Town Hall also announces that in 2020 they will embark on a three-phase capital and building development project over two years. It will focus on opening up the building, improving perception, and removing physical and psychological barriers to better engage with visitors, and strengthen the organisation’s civic responsibility for communities in Shoreditch and beyond. Phase I of the programme, which involves works on the external façade and is generously supported by Backstage Trust, will begin next year.

James Pidgeon, Director & Chief Executive of Shoreditch Town Hall, today said: “We are thrilled to be announcing our 2020 cultural programme and wider plans and ambitions for the next year. The programme is purposefully eclectic and works with a number of partners to provide a platform for artistic voices from across the world. All of the work presented has something important and relevant to say; we very much look forward to welcoming audiences to the building to be part of the conversation, harnessing the Town Hall’s history as a civic centre for discussion, dialogue and debate.”

Shoreditch Town Hall is a registered charity and receives no regular or revenue funding; the Town Hall’s cultural programme is generously supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts, The London Community Foundation and the Garrick Charitable Trust, and the capital programme is generously supported by Backstage Trust.

Ockham’s Razor presents

This Time

Part of London International Mime Festival

Wednesday 8 – Sunday 19 January 2020

Suspended high above or swinging perilously close to ground, Ockham’s Razor’s superb artists amaze with new takes on trapeze and cradle routines in this highly unusual visual theatre drama.

Performed with unique aerial equipment specially created for the piece, This Time explores time and transformation and the ups and downs of family relationships, and shows how we are strong in different ways at different times of life.

With a cast ranging in age from 13 to 60, This Time is this award-winning circus-theatre company’s thrilling new show.

Ockham’s Razor won the 2017 Total Theatre and Jackson’s Lane Award for Circus for their production, Tipping Point.

Theatre Re presents

The Language of the Actor

Part of London International Mime Festival

Monday 13 – Friday 17 January 2020

Through this five-day workshop designed for professional and semi-professional performers, participants will be immersed in Theatre Re’s vital approach to Étienne Decroux’s Corporeal Mime.

From body articulation to counterweights, from dynamo rhythm to mobile statuary, participants will discover how to play their body like a violin, how to create movement in stillness and how to allow inner impulses flow into expression.

Guillaume Pigé is an actor, director, mime and magician. He formed Theatre Re in 2009 and has directed each of the company’s productions to date. He is an Associate Teacher at R.A.D.A, Head of Movement at Fourth Monkey, and is regularly invited to give workshops in the UK and internationally.

TRIPTYCH

By Jasmin Kent Rodgman

Part of Chinese Arts Now

Wednesday 12 & Thursday 13 February 2020

The ultimate culture clash – classical music meets Chinese percussion, grime and electronica, each step taken with poise and finesse as ballet meets popping, waacking and ambient footwork.

In a 3-part performance bringing together music, dance and word, TRIPTYCH is a movement exploring otherness and hidden identities, celebrating the power behind the female body and voice. Featuring the Grime Violinist + MC Lady Lykez, with dance from female powerhouse House of Absolute, TRIPTYCH remoulds the concert and theatre experience as an immersive multidisciplinary installation, set in The Ditch of Shoreditch Town Hall.

Jasmin Kent Rodgman is an artist whose work traverses the worlds of classical music, electronics, world music and sound design. A bold voice of her generation, her work pushes the boundaries of the musical experience, often built around themes of gender and race, exploring ‘otherness’ and featuring exciting artistic collaborations spanning poetry, dance and film.

Further developing a commission from Wilderness Festival 2019, TRIPTYCH is part of CAN Festival 2020, and is commissioned by Chinese Arts Now and presented in partnership with Shoreditch Town Hall.

Ways of Being Together

By Jo Fong

Part of Chinese Arts Now

Saturday 22 February 2020

Ways of Being Together is a celebration of possibility. A testament to the belief that amazing things can be created with people we barely know. That communities can emerge, remake themselves and be enriched.

Part of the Chinese Arts Now Festival 2020, Ways of Being Together draws together over forty performers from across London for a one-off spontaneous, dynamic mass movement of bodies and lives. Expect a view of the world in its multiplicity, its opposites and all its beautiful complexity.

Commissioned by Chinese Arts Now and presented in partnership with Shoreditch Town Hall. Supported by Live Art UK: Diverse Actions and Surf the Wave.

The Claim

By Tim Cowbury

Directed by Mark Maughan

Tuesday 18 February – Saturday 7 March 2020

A comically absurd and quietly shattering journey to the heart of our tolerant and fair society.

Serge stands before us. He has a performance to give. But why is he here? What is he claiming has happened to him? And what has Willy Wonka got to do with it?

A bold, imaginative response to the stories of those seeking refuge in the UK, The Claim asks what happens when your life is at stake and all you have to save it are your words.

Sex Education

By Harry Clayton-Wright

Part of And What? Queer. Arts. Festival.

Tuesday 17 – Friday 27 March 2020

One parent refuses to talk about sex. The other buys their child gay porn DVDs. Sex Education blends a no holds barred interview with Harry’s mum, startling performance, moving storytelling and some good old-fashioned gay porn that his dad bought him when he was 14. This is a show for anyone who’s wondered why they want what they want.

Shoreditch Town Hall presents

The Great Shoreditch Easter Egg Hunt

Saturday 11 April 2020

Shoreditch Town Hall throws open its doors for building-wide family fun with The Great Shoreditch Easter Egg Hunt!

Hop along during the Easter Bank Holiday weekend and join in the hunt for hidden eggs, nestled in nooks and crannies throughout our beautiful Victorian building.

There’ll also be a basket-load of surprises, activities and performances for everyone to enjoy.

The Wardrobe Ensemble presents

The Last of the Pelican Daughters

A Wardrobe Ensemble, Complicité and Royal & Derngate co-production in association with Bristol Old Vic and Pleasance

Monday 23 – Friday 27 March 2020

In folklore, pelican mothers feed their young on their own blood. In 2019, four sisters are trying to divide their mother’s house between them.

Joy wants a baby, Storm wants to be seen, Sage just wants to remember and Maya doesn’t want anyone to find out her secret. There’s a boot load of cheap prosecco, a whole ham from Waitrose and Dodo the yoga instructor boyfriend has made baba ganoush. Mum’s presence still seeps through the ceiling and the floors. The Pelican Daughters are home for the last time.

After the success of Education, Education, Education on the West End,The Wardrobe Ensemblegrapple with family, inheritance and justice in this comedy about a family trying to come to terms with their mother’s death.

These Hills Are Ours

By Daniel Bye & Boff Whalley

Produced by ARC Stockton

Tuesday 31 March – Friday 3 April

Do you ever want to run away from it all?

Dan and Boff did exactly that: they ran a series of routes from the centre of the city in which they found themselves, to the top of the peak overlooking that city. But what are we really running from?

In story and in song, These Hills Are Ours is the story of what they found out on those journeys. It’s about escaping it all by running to wild places. Escaping the city, escaping your past, escaping the restrictions upbringing or class or politics. It’s a celebration of wild places and our freedom to roam them.

Commissioned by Shoreditch Town Hall, Leeds Playhouse, Lancaster Arts, Beaford Arts and the Eden Project.

Scottee and Friends Ltd presents

Scottee: Class

Tuesday 21 April – Thursday 7 May 2020

Scottee grew up around mould, mice and clothes off the market. After a chance meeting with some posh kids, his Mum teaching him to talk proper and him successfully persuading his parents to take him off free school meals Scottee knew he didn’t want to be common.

In his final solo show Scottee uncovers what it is to be embarrassed about where you’re from, how you can pretend to be posher than you are and explores why we all get a thrill playing god with green tokens from Waitrose.

This is a show for the middle classes.

Class isn’t a show for those processing issues around domestic violence, food addiction and the effects of growing up in poverty.

Clod Ensemble & Nu Civilisation Orchestra presents

The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady

Thursday 14 – Saturday 16 May 2020

Charles Mingus’ The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady is often cited as ‘one of the albums to listen to before you die’. In an electrifying collaboration between Clod Ensemble and Nu Civilisation Orchestra, you are invited to experience this jazz classic the way it was intended – as a piece to dance to.

Join a world-class company of dancers and musicians on the dancefloor for a wildly sensual, rhythmically explosive celebration of one of the greatest records of all time. Late bar until midnight. Wallflowers welcome.

A late set of live music will feature new works by composers Paul Clark and Peter Edwards.

The première – the culmination of a series of music and dance workshops bringing together local elders and young people – will be exclusively for 300 invited residents of Shoreditch and Hoxton. Tickets for other performances will be available to the general public.

Supported by Hackney Council’s Shoreditch and Hoxton Arts Fund, created from a levy on developers to support arts and culture programmes that bring different communities together.

Tina Satter / Half Straddle

Is This A Room: Reality Winner Verbatim Transcription

Presented by LIFT & Shoreditch Town Hall

Tuesday 2 June – Saturday 13 June 2020

June 3, 2017.  A 25-year-old US Air Force linguist called Reality Winner is surprised at her home by the FBI, interrogated, and then charged with leaking evidence proving Russian interference in the US elections. She’s in jail now.

Conceived as a play and directed by leading NYC director Tina Satter, the verbatim transcript reveals a gripping match between the knife-sharp Reality and the FBI agents who arrive unannounced to interrogate her. As Reality’s autonomy shrinks before her eyes, a simmering real-life thriller emerges, offering vital considerations of access, language, power, patriotism, and honour at this particularly loaded American moment currently echoing across the Atlantic.

CRXSS PLATFXRM presents

THE CULTURE

Friday 3 July 2020

See the future of Street Culture with choreographer, artist and innovator Ivan Blackstock and CRXSS PLATFXRM, bringing you the underground artists that you need to know about. THE CULTURE presents an array of artists representing new perspectives from performance, film and dance to music, fashion and digital art with a Street Culture edge.

Following a week of artistic development and experimentation at Shoreditch Town Hall, CRXSS PLATFXRM’s selected artists will share their process alongside never-before-seen performances. Expect raw and emerging underground styles and sounds and finish the evening with a club vibe brought by CRXSS PLATFXRM resident DJs.

Actually Rather Good presents

ARGComFest 2020

Saturday 4 & Sunday 5 July 2020

London’s greatest comedy festival returns for its ninth year, bringing the spirit of the Fringe to Shoreditch!

ARGComFest is a weekend comedy festival of Fringe previews and work-in-progress shows with an attentively curated programme of sixty acts, featuring big name TV favourites and up-and-coming newcomers. In 2016, ARGComFest became the first major comedy festival to have a gender balanced programme and it continues to champion diversity and representation within comedy.

Regular acts include many previous Edinburgh Comedy Award nominees and winners, such as Netflix superstar James Acaster, cult favourite Josie Long, and The Mash Report host Nish Kumar.

For the most up-to-date programme including artists and show information, visit argcomfest.com

Shoreditch Town Hall presents

Edinburgh Previews 2020

Tuesday 7 – Sat 25 July 2020

Catch the most exciting new theatre productions a month before they open at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Shoreditch Town Hall will be presenting 30 Edinburgh Previews across The Ditch throughout July 2020, some of which will be performed by Town Hall supported artists and companies, and others which will be by artists recruited through open call.

Details on the open call process and final line-up to be announced.

Boundless Theatre & Shoreditch Town Hall presents

Flies

By Charlotte Josephine

Tuesday 22 September – Saturday 10 October 2020

I see you seeing me.

What are you looking at? Why’s no one talking about this? When’s it our turn?

Girls are done with stories about boys, done with stories by boys, done with all their looking.

Girls want to take up space, take centre stage, take the patriarchy and smash it. Girls just want to have fun, right?

You’re looking at me, I can see you looking at me. And I can see you’ve got no idea what it feels like to be seen

Flies is about girls being looked at by boys. It’s about hitting puberty and being smacked by the male gaze. The power and the shame, the pleasure and the fear that flies around your body when you’re constantly being looked at.

Flies started as a takedown of Lord of the Flies, it ends on a stage filled with young women.

#whatareyoulookingat

Charlotte Josephine is an award-winning actor and writer, their work includes Bitch Boxer, BLUSH and Pops.

Flies is a Boundless Theatre commission.

Disclaimer:

If you’re a boy reading this don’t be scared. ‘Flies’ is for you too. We want you to be there. We want you to see us, not watch us. We want to party together.

Shoreditch Town Hall & Rio Cinema presents

Fame & The Shining

40^th Anniversary Screenings

Wednesday 30 September – Saturday 3 October 2020

As these two cult classics celebrate their 40th anniversaries in 2020, Shoreditch Town Hall has for the first time partnered with Rio Cinema to present screenings across our magnificent building. Fame and The Shining will play in repertoire for just three screenings each and will also feature bespoke artist commissions and catering offers, making these not-to-be-missed anniversary experiences.

Friday Night Dance Parties

Part of Dance Umbrella

Fridays: 9, 16 & 23 October 2020

It’s party time.  

Dance Umbrella and Shoreditch Town Hall invite you to three special get-down-on-it October nights, each in a different style, curated by a different guest artist.

Bring your dancing shoes and expect to sweat.

Upstart Theatre presents

DARE Festival 2020

Thursday 22 – Saturday 24 October 2020

DARE Festival is a three-day extravaganza of inventive, unexpected, challenging and ground-breaking new work. 2020 marks its fifth year in Shoreditch Town Hall’s Ditch and will be bigger and better than ever with twelve brand new commissions of artists from across the country.

Curated by critically-acclaimed arts innovators Upstart Theatre, DARE invites submissions from artists working in a wide range of disciplines and brings together performance, installations and panel discussions. It is an opportunity to see new work in its earliest stages and gives artists vital audience feedback which can inform the next stage of a work’s development.

Shoreditch Town Hall presents

Screening of the US Presidential Election

Tuesday 3 November 2020

Join us in the Assembly Hall alongside a line-up of guest artists, commentators and thinkers, as we broadcast the results of the 2020 US Presidential Election live.

Can Trump pull off a second shock victory? Or will the Democrats’ challenger defeat a sitting president for the first time since 1992?

One thing’s for sure – it’s going to be another wild and unpredictable late night.

Shoreditch Town Hall & UNFLOPPED presents

UNFLOPPED Live

The podcast that resurrects forgotten pop classics

Friday 20 November 2020

Got a song you love that totally should have been a smash hit but criminally wasn’t? Well, that’s what UNFLOPPED is all about. In this hit podcast, pop know-it-alls Sean and Stuart pitch for the redemption of flop singles they believe deserve a second chance, then bona-fide musical genius Judge Joe breaks down the tracks and ultimately chooses one to be officially UNFLOPPED. See the UK’s leading LGBT+ music podcast live on stage for the first time, along with some special guests, with a show that will make you think, make you laugh, and probably introduce you to your new favourite song.

SHOREDITCH TOWN HALL                                                                                                                   LISTINGS

380 Old Street, London EC1V 9LT

Box Office: 020 7739 6176

www.shoreditchtownhall.com

Wilton’s Music Hall announce spectacular 2020 spring season with Shakespeare, world-class theatre and opera

·        A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Macbeth presented by the Watermill Theatre (22 January – 15 February 2020)

·        Mark Bruce Company: Return to Heaven (28 February – 14 March)

·        OperaGlass Works: The Turn of the Screw (25 March – 4 April)

·        H.M.S. Pinafore presented by Regan de Wynter Williams Productions (15 April – 9 May)

Today the world’s oldest working music hall announces its glorious 2020 spring season, kicking off the year with a wonderful array of theatre and music that truly embodies Wilton’s expansive and imaginative programming.

Firstly Wilton’s welcomes the London International Mime Festival with a hilarious and deeply moving homage to two men that changed the world of comedy forever, The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel (14 –18 January). A Told by an Idiot and Theatre Royal Plymouth production, with Royal & Derngate Northampton and Unity Theatre, Liverpool, The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel plays fast and loose with the facts, boasting an original piano score played live every night.

The Watermill Ensemble, famous for their inventive and musical takes on Shakespeare classics, return to Wilton’s with two bold new productions performed in repertory by an exceptional ensemble cast. The company will bring an ethereal and magical A Midsummer Night’s Dream(28January – 15February) to the stage as they combine the intoxicating soulful sounds of Nina Simone and Billie Holiday, performed live by the cast, with one of Shakespeare’s comedies to create a show fizzing with magic, love and a large dose of chaos… In blazing contrast is a powerful, passionate new interpretation of Macbeth (22 January – 8 February), using the fierce rhythms and reverberations of Johnny Cash, The xx and the Rolling Stones to tell the story of greed, ambition and desire.

Wilton’s Music Hall is delighted to welcome back Mark Bruce Company with their production of Return to Heaven (28 February – 14 March), an intricately choreographed, beautifully performed piece that draws on the mythology of Ancient Egypt. Two explorers searching the dark mysteries of the ancient world enter a land beyond time and death, and soon a perilous journey ensues as the couple must play their role in the resurrection of an ancient deity. Visceral, poignant and laced with dark humour, this visually stunning production creates a mythology and symbolism of its own.

Another triumphant return to the Wilton’s stage is OperaGlass Works, whose inaugural production of The Rake’s Progress at Wilton’s blew audiences away; now they bring to life Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw (25 March – 4 April) with libretto by Myfanwy Piper and story by Henry James, conducted by John Wilson, directed by Selina Cadell and designed by Tom Piper. A mesmerising and compelling production set against the atmospheric backdrop of Wilton’s, it tells the tale of a housekeeper and two young orphaned children who welcome an eager new governess from London to their old English country house and a ghostly, eerie series of events unfolds.

It’s all aboard Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore (15 April – 9 May) as Regan De Wynter Williams Productions present their rollicking and joyous production with infectious tunes, a beautifully constructed libretto and a story dealing with the age-old conundrum of love between social classes. From the award-winning team behind The Pirates of Penzance, which took Wilton’s by storm earlier this year, this all-male cast will bring Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic tale to life.

Continuing with music, Artists Unknown (20 – 21 March) pairs the artists you’re yet to fall in love with the artists you’ve loved for years. The catch? Audiences won’t be told who is playing until they arrive at Wilton’s for a night of music they won’t forget. Whilst the ever-wonderful OneTrackMinds returns this spring (27 March & 2 April) with another vibrant selection of writers, thinkers and musicians, each presenting a thought-provoking story about a song that has changed their life. A legend of a different kind, former music hall singer-turned-rap star and Wilton’s favourite Ida Barr has thrilled listeners globally with her brand of Artificial Hip Hop and now she’s hitting up the East End’s dopest stage with her show Granarchist on 31 March.

It’s science and silliness galore as magicians, time-travellers and – it turns out – legitimately qualified scientists Morgan & West bring their fun-filled, bonkers and mind-boggling extravaganza Unbelievable Science (7 – 9 April) to Wilton’s, for everyone from seven to 107!

The masters of spoken wordentertainment, Poet in the City present three wonderful performances of live poetry, performance and discussion exploring the role of failure as a catalyst for change, focusing on the works of Samuel Beckett with Fail Better, The Little Green Notebook of Che Guevara and James Baldwin: Nobody Knows my Name (17 February, 16 – 17 March).

A phenomenal fusion of theatre, stand-up and cinematography, Walking to Jerusalem (18 – 19 March)tells the story of more than one hundred walkers who made the pilgrimage from London to Jerusalem in 2017, a year which marked the centenary of the Balfour Declaration. Monasteries, mountain passes, Bedouin camps and desert wadis across Europe and the Middle East are brought to life in this playful and inventive blend of theatre and stand-up, written by playwright, actor, and musician Justin Butcher, most famous for his play Scaramouche Jones. Walking to Jerusalemis directed by acclaimed theatre maker Matilda Reith with a haunting and evocative soundscape by Jack C. Arnold and video montage created from live footage along the route, by award-winning artist Damian Hale.

Wilton’s prides itself on supporting emerging talent across the arts, and music is no exception. To celebrate, Wilton’s will be holding the first Wilton’s Music 4all Festival (11 – 16 May)where up-and-coming new talent are given the opportunity to be mentored by key industry experts, use rehearsal space, receive a commissioning fee and then perform at the festival itself, on the same stage as the likes of Duran Duran, Adam Ant, Kate Bush and Mumford and Sons. Three of the best emerging artists from the worlds of Opera; Contemporary & Jazz; Popular Rock & Indie; Urban, Electronic & DJ; and Cabaret will be chosen from entrants. Watch this space for more exciting details on this unique and exciting event.

From collaborating with some of the most exciting and prestigious theatre and dance companies out there to honing new talent and providing a platform for emerging artists, Wilton’s Music Hall is a true hub of creativity, with 2020 looking to be their most sensational year yet.

Nevill Holt Opera wins Stirling Prize
People’s Vote

The 400-seat theatre at Nevill Holt, home of Nevill Holt Opera, by Witherford Watson Mann Architects, has won the Stirling Prize People’s Vote with an incredible 28.8%. This online poll has been open to the public since July when the Stirling Prize nominations were first announced. The huge achievement of winning the People’s Vote shows how receptive the general public have been to this incredible space.

Nevill Holt is also the only opera house to ever be shortlisted for the prestigious 2019 RIBA Stirling Prize – the highest accolade in UK architecture. The RIBA Stirling Prize is judged against a range of criteria including design vision; innovation and originality; capacity to stimulate, engage and delight occupants and visitors; accessibility and sustainability; how fit the building is for its purpose and the level of client satisfaction.

Hidden within an original 17th century stable block, this exquisite opera house has been acoustically crafted to promote young opera singers’ voices and create an intimate audience experience.

Designed by Stirling Prize winning architects Witherford Watson Mann and theatre designers Sound Space Vision, built by Messenger BCR and supported by the David Ross Foundation, the outstanding space at Nevill Holt was completed last year. This permanent theatre has enabled Nevill Holt Opera to grow from strength to strength, showcasing two operas this season, while also providing a stunning home for the company’s Education programme with Schools in the East Midlands, which reaches nearly 1,000 children per year. Since opening the new building, Nevill Holt Opera has been able to stage a growing programme of year-round work; this past season has featured 22 events in the new space including chamber music, song recitals, community events and concerts, as well as a larger summer opera festival

Artistic Director Nicholas Chalmers and Managing Director Rosenna East said, We are thrilled to win the popular vote for the Stirling Prize 2019. Our new theatre by Witherford Watson Mann has enabled us to provide uplifting and inspiring musical experiences to thousands of audience and young people this year alone. While bringing new life to a historic building, the new facility has had real impact on all of the students, artists and audiences for whom it was designed.

David Ross, NHO Founder Patron, commented, Congratulations to the team at Witherford Watson Mann for their outstanding achievement within the stable courtyard at Nevill Holt. Since our first meetings their ideas, sense of space and approach have both enthralled and challenged me. I am personally, as are my Foundation, proud to have supported such a valuable and beautiful addition to the East Midlands cultural scene, and delighted that it has won the People’s Vote.

For more information please see www.nevillholtopera.co.uk or follow @NevillHoltOpera

GLOBAL HIT BROADWAY MUSICAL COME FROM AWAY TO OPEN IN CHINA IN 2020

Global success story, COME FROM AWAY will open in its first non-English speaking country with producers Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby and ACOrange today announcing a China tour for 2020.

The critically acclaimed musical will open at SAIC-Shanghai Culture Square on 8 May 2020 for a limited engagement, with further cities in China to be announced.

COME FROM AWAY opened on Broadway to rave reviews in 2017 and has continued its record breaking triumph with a second production in Toronto in 2018, a third production touring North America, the West End production opened in February 2019 and the Australian premiere, which opened in Melbourne in July 2019.

The ground-breaking new musical is based on the incredible real-life events in the wake of the September 11 tragedy when 38 planes carrying nearly 7,000 people from over 100 countries were redirected to Gander, Newfoundland, almost doubling the population of the remote Canadian town.

Capturing the generosity and hospitality of the small community of Gander who invited the “come from aways” into their homes, it is an inspirational story of hope and humanity that resonates around the world.

With book, music and lyrics by David Hein and Irene Sankoff, COME FROM AWAY is directed by Tony Award winner Christopher Ashley, choreographed by Olivier Award winner Kelly Devine (Rock of Ages, Diana), with music supervision by Ian Eisendrath (A Christmas Story, Diana), scenic design by Beowulf Boritt (Rock of Ages, Be More Chill) costume design by Toni-Leslie James (Jelly’s Last Jam), lighting design by Howell Binkley (Jersey Boys, Hamilton), sound design by Gareth Owen (Diana, A Bronx Tale).

COME FROM AWAY has won numerous awards including the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical (Christopher Ashley), Winner of five Outer Critics Circle Awards (New York) including Outstanding New Broadway Musical. On top of this, the musical has received three Drama Desk Awards (New York) including Outstanding Musical, four Helen Hayes Awards (Washington, D.C) including Outstanding Production of a Musical, four Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including Excellence in Production of a Musical and six San Diego Critics Circle Awards including Outstanding New Musical.

In February 2019, the musical added to its international award tally with four Olivier Awards including Best New Musical, Best Theatre Choreographer, Best Sound Design and Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Tickets on sale in China on 10 October 2019 Shcstheatre.com

COME FROM AWAY is produced in China by Junkyard Dog Productions, Rodney Rigby and ACOrange.

The Lowry, Salford – until 12 October 2019

Reviewed by Joseph Everton

5*****

If you’ve never thought to question the findings of the Trojan Horse investigation, you should probably watch this play. If you just accepted the media narrative and Ofsted findings that extremist Islam was being forced upon pupils in schools across Birmingham, you should probably watch this play. If you know nothing about the Trojan Horse investigation, go and watch the play anyway. It was unashamedly political, accusing Michael Gove himself of being the true Trojan Horse, of being corrupt and encouraging an aggressive right-wing media narrative that high performing, majority Muslim schools in Birmingham were breeding grounds of extremism for his own personal gain.

The case was compelling and made for a fast paced, emotional show. The impressive cast told the story of once celebrated governor, Tahir Alam, painted as an extremist by the press, but, in reality, a selfless man responsible for the changing fortunes of the schools he governed and vastly improving outcomes for generations of children. There was a hot- headed pupil living in difficult family circumstances, one of the very pupils who benefitted from the teachers and governors dragged through the mud following the ‘scandal’. The play also told the tale of one of the controversial teachers suspended during the investigation who, although guilty of espousing some extremely questionable views on homosexuality, provided an enthralling defence of his character and the influence he had on children under his charge.

The show moved from the classroom to the courtroom. Under harsh lighting, damning statements by top politicians flashed across the screen in English and Urdu. The script, by Matt Woodhead and Helen Monks, was powerful, laced with humour and punctuated by emotional testimony.

Seventy five minutes of content that will make you laugh, make you angry and make you question, Trojan Horse is a must watch. Some of the rumours and accusations levelled at the subjects of the play were worrying and dangerous, but Trojan Horse did an incredible job in their defence and has to be seen

2020 UK TOUR OF

JONATHAN MAITLAND’S

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BORIS JOHNSON

Following a sold-out run at Park Theatre, London, The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, the new political comedy from journalist, broadcaster and playwright Jonathan Maitland (An Audience with Jimmy Savile, Dead Sheep) will tour for the first time in 2020.  Directed by Lotte Wakeham (Artistic Director of the Octagon Theatre, Bolton), it will begin at Festival Theatre, Malvern from 22 January 2020.

It was the dinner that changed history: the night in February 2016 when Boris Johnson decided to vote ‘leave’. Guests included fellow MP Michael Gove, the journalist Sarah Vine and, for Boris at least, the spirits of Prime Ministers past – Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill and Tony Blair.

Fast forward to post-Brexit Britain, 2029.  Boris, no longer in power (for reasons that may be fact and/or fiction at time of performance!), roams the political wilderness. But unexpected events see him back in the spotlight and with a chance to “make Britain great again”. This play addresses the big questions: What will Britain look like in ten years’ time?  Is chlorinated chicken really bad for you? And what IS going on inside the head of the most divisive and controversial politician of our time?     

As befits the fastest moving story of our time, the script will be updated – nightly, if necessary – to reflect events…

Jonathan Maitland says of his play, “It’s nice to have written something which unites Leavers and Remainers: the audiences so far have laughed, gasped and occasionally cried throughout!  It’s quite a brew: politics, power, sex, sovereignty and more re-writes than any withdrawal agreement! But it seems to work. Who’d have thought?”

Casting is to be announced.

The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson will be directed by Lotte Wakeham, with set and costume design by Louie Whitemore, lighting design by Christopher Nairne and sound design by Andy Graham.

This project was co-funded by Art50, a scheme commissioned by Sky Arts and produced by Storyvault Films to explore the notion of British identity in the wake of Brexit, and originally produced by Glynis Henderson Productions at Park Theatre London 2019.

2020 UK Tour Schedule

22 – 25 January                           Festival Theatre, Malvern                               01684 892277

                                                    www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

3 – 8 February                             Nuffield Southampton Theatres                      023 8067 1771

                                                    www.nstheatres.co.uk                                    On sale in October

10 – 15 February                         Theatre Royal Windsor                                   01753 853 888

                                                    www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk                                          

18 – 22 February                         Northern Stage, Newcastle                             0191 230 5151

                                                    www.northernstage.co.uk                               On sale mid-October

24 – 29 February                          Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford                 01483 44 00 00

                                                    www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk                            

2 – 7 March                                 The Lowry, Salford                                         0343 208 6000

                                                    www.thelowry.com                                                                                      

9 – 14 March                               Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne            0132 341 2000

                                                    www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk  

THE UK’S LONGEST RUNNING IMMERSIVE PRODUCTION

THE GREAT GATSBY

TRANSFERS TO BRAND NEW WEST END VENUE

FIRST PERFORMANCE FRIDAY 18 OCTOBER

TAKING LONDON INTO THE TWENTIES

The Guild of Misrule’s THE GREAT GATSBY, created and directed by Alexander Wright, will transfer to its brand-new West End venue IMMERSIVE | LDN this month, with preview performances from Friday 18 October. ‘The Guild Of Misrule’s The Great Gatsby is a co-production with Immersive Everywhere, Gavin Kalin Productions, and Glynis Henderson Productions in association with Theatr Clwyd’.

It’s the roaring twenties – an era of bootleg liquor, red hot jazz and hedonistic pleasures. Jay Gatsby has invited you to one of his infamous parties and that’s not an invite you want to turn down…

THE GREAT GATSBY allows audiences to fully immerse themselves into the world of Jay Gatsby and the glamour of the Roaring ‘20s. With cocktails, dancing and scandal, this heart-racing adaptation of the seminal jazz-age story puts the audience at the heart of the action.

Directed and adapted by Alexander Wright, The Guild of Misrule’s THE GREAT GATSBY company features with cast members Oliver Towse as ‘Gatsby’, Lucinda Turner as ‘Daisy’, James Lawrence as ‘Nick’, Prince Plockey as ‘Tom’, Humphrey Sitima as ‘George’, Jessica Hern as ‘Jordan’, Hannah Edwards as ‘Myrtle’, Charlie Cassen as ‘Rosy Rosenthal’, Lizzie Grace as ‘Lucille’ and Louis Sparks as ‘Joey’.

First conceived in 2015 when director Alexander Wright and producer Brian Hook were running The Fleeting Arms – a pop arts and community pub in an abandoned building in York, the show then ran in York in 2016 with a parallel production in Sheffield in partnership with Theatre Deli. The Great Gatsby first came to London as part of VAULT Festival in 2017 and sold out before the show opened. Since then the show has run in Wales in co-production with Theatr Clwyd, at Halifax’s Square Chapel, and at Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. All the while the show has played night after night at Gatsby’s Drugstore in London SE1, inviting audiences into the hedonistic world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s extraordinary tale, and in 2018 it became the UK’s longest running immersive production.

Director and Adaptor Alexander Wright said, “Our production of The Great Gatsby started life in the back of an empty pub in York back in 2015. Now, over three years and 1000 performances later we couldn’t be prouder that the UK’s longest running immersive show finds a new home in London’s West End. The show is made by a brilliant family of performers, artists, makers, collaborators and week by week we get the joy of inviting thousands of audience members into our sparkling world. F Scott Fitzgerald is the absolute voice of the Jazz Age. To be able to create such a thrilling immersive theatrical version of his story in the centre of one of the world’s theatre capitals is an absolute dream come true. We hope a lot of people will come join us as we see in the 20s.”

IMMERSIVE | LDN is a 32,000sq ft historic building in the heart of Mayfair, which was home to the Queen Victoria’s Rifles Association until 2017. It includes three floors of immersive theatre and event spaces designated for performance, live gaming, events, escape rooms and private parties. For information about programming and venue hire visit www.immersiveldn.com

Producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook, who are currently co-producing the forthcoming immersive production of THE WOLF OF WALL STREET – have just launched a new company IMMERSIVE EVERYWHERE, entirely dedicated to developing and staging theatre-led immersive experiences, and IMMERSIVE | LDN is the newest of their network of venues, which will house cafes, bars and rehearsal and workshop spaces to help the development of new work.

Brian Hook and Louis Hartshorn said, “We’re very excited to be adding to the rich world of immersive experiences in London and providing a unique platform for new forms of entertainment. By building a hub for immersive events in London’s most prestigious location we are creating opportunities for a network of the best immersive artists and producers in the world to collaborate. We are thrilled to be opening one of our performance spaces with such a magnificent production. The Great Gatsby is a trailblazing example of what can be achieved by tearing up the rulebook. It has been seen by around 150,000 people in its first 3 years and we are so excited to welcome it to its new home.”

Amie Burns Walker and Oliver Tilney are Associate Directors and Fiona Kingwill is Resident Director. Choreography is by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, design by Casey Jay Andrews, sound design by Phil Grainger and lighting design by Rachel Sampley. The original production was created by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, Amie Burns Walker, Hannah Davies, Phil Grainger, Michael Lambourne, Thomas Maller and Oliver Tilney. This new production of The Guild of Misrule’s THE GREAT GATSBY is produced by Immersive Everywhere, with co-producers Gavin Kalin Productions and Glynis Henderson Productions, with Theatr Clwyd and We Culture Connects as Associate Producers.

VENUE SOCIAL @ldn_immersive

SHOW SOCIAL @immersivegatsby

www.immersivegatsby.com

COULD YOU GET PANTOMIME TICKETS FOR 50P? 

OH YES YOU CAN!

The great British tradition of Pantomime is being commemorated with the release of a limited number of festive coins from the Guernsey treasury. In celebration of their inaugural season, Prime Pantomimes is offering the first five people lucky enough to find themselves in possession of one of the new 50p’s, to opportunity to trade this in at box office in exchange for a family ticket to the opening night in any of their venues.* Oh yes they are!!

Prime Pantomimes launch this year with a season of family favourites full of song, dance, fun and lashings of panto magic! The season includes The Wizard of Oz at Peterborough New Theatre starring Strictly’ s Katya Jones, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at Queens Theatre, Barnstaple with Bucks Fizz favourite Jay Aston, Peter Pan at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre with Ian Reddington, and Aladdin at Harrow Arts Centre.

Find out more about Prime Pantomimes at www.primepantomimes.com

Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough – until 19 October 2019

Reviewed by Sara Garner

4****

The Monstrous Heart is a new play by Oliver Emanuel and is directed by Gareth Nicholls.

The single act play is set in a log cabin in the Canadian wilds and as the lights go up we get an idea that this may not be a comfortable ride. We meet Beth (Charlene Boyd) with a malevolent grin on her face, her mother Mag (Christine Entwisle) looking crestfallen and a dead Grisly Bear on the kitchen table.

Having just been released from prison Beth manages, with some help, to track her mother, Mag, down in Canada. Mag ‘escaped’ her previous life and started afresh with her young granddaughter, only now to be confronted by Beth. So slowly Mags past demons come back to haunt her.

The interaction between an apparently fearful Mag and an aggressively confrontational Beth gives us an insight into their past lives and relationship.

Ingeniously though, because we garner more knowledge throughout the play, the audience’s interpretation of this information changes. This leads to a bit of a perceptual roller-coaster and can be distractingly confusing.

There is very little respite from this, apart from the appearance of the silent and unnamed young granddaughter which briefly calmed the storm.

Speaking of which, the coming storm outside the cabin with its crescendoing wind, added to the volatile atmosphere.

There are questions that run through our heads throughout the play. The main one being ‘who really is the monster, Mag or Beth?’. We are also guided to consider the idea of nature versus nurture as it seems critical in explaining Beth’s behaviour throughout her life.

I personally found this play at times quite uncomfortable and horrendously disturbing viewing, but at the same time fascinating and engrossing. The fact that I found myself analysing every moment of this play and will be thinking about it for some time is a marker for how good the writing, acting and direction was.

There was the suggestion that this play was witty at times. Yes there were the occasional moments, but they felt out of place in such an intense piece of work.

There was also quite a surreal part involving the dead bear which I presumed was representative of the wider story. Whilst an interesting tool, I was not completely convinced of its effectiveness.

The acting by the two leads was brilliant throughout with both portraying their turbulent personalities exceptionally well.

To create and maintain such chilling and uncomfortable atmosphere is a credit to the director, sound engineer and set designer.

This play may not be for everyone because of its ‘adult’ subject matter and language, and shockingly chilling nature. I would still highly recommend going to see it though because it is such a well made and thought provoking play.