Author: FairyPoweredProductions

ADAM PAULDEN & JASON HAIGH-ELLERY   SUE GILAD & LARRY ROGOWSKY

STEVEN ANTIN

CLINT CULPEPPER

PRESENT

FROM EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

CHRISTINA AGUILERA

BURLESQUE THE MUSICAL

Broadway Star

ORFEH

in her West End Debut

as TESS

TODRICK HALL

as SEAN

JESS FOLLEY

as ALI

GEORGE MAGUIRE

as VINCE

Introducing

PAUL JACOB FRENCH

as JACKSON

And

ASHA PARKER WALLACE

as NIKKI

Featuring Songs By Christina Aguilera and Sia

and New Music by

Todrick Hall and Jess Folley

Written by Steven Antin

Directed and Choreographed by Todrick Hall

SAVOY THEATRE, LONDON

Thursday 10 July  – Saturday 6 September 2025

Gala Night: Tuesday 22 July 2025

www.burlesqueonstage.com

The producers of the West End Premiere of Burlesque the Musical, the highly anticipated new musical based on Steven Antin’s film starring Christina Aguilera and Cher, which begins performances at the Savoy Theatre on 10 July,  announced the lead cast and complete creative team today.

Musical sensation Jess Folley, who has also written new music for the show alongside Todrick Hall returns to the musical to play Ali Rose. Jess played the role in Manchester and Glasgow last year to huge acclaim.   She won the first series of the national ITV show The Voice Kids UK and in 2019 her band RLY were crowned winners of X Factor – The Band.  Jess has since dedicated all her time to developing herself as an artist and songwriter, having had the opportunity to work with some of the most respected songwriters and producers in the industry. 

Also returning to the musical are Todrick Hall as Sean, and the Olivier Award-winning George Maguire as Vince.  Todrick, one of the most high profile and prolific storytellers in the world will also be directing and choreographing the show.

Playing Tess is Broadway legend, Orfeh.  The Tony and Grammy Award nominee most recently starred as Kit De Luca in Pretty Woman the Musical on Broadway.  Her other Broadway credits include:  Paulette in Legally Blonde, Saturday Night Fever, Fascinating Rhythm and Footloose.  Her TV work credits include Sex and the City and Law and Order.

Asha Parker Wallace makes her professional and West End debut as Nikki.   Paul Jacob French, whose musical credits include An Officer and a Gentleman, Annie, The Wizard of Oz and Grease will play Jackson.

Burlesque The Musical is a scintillating journey of self-discovery that absolutely sizzles with songs by Christina Aguilera and Sia, and new music by Todrick Hall and Jess Folley. 

The full creative team joining the already announced Todrick Hall  (Director and Choreographer),  Steven Antin (Book Writer/Producer),  Christina Aguilera, Sia, Todrick Hall & Jess Folley (Music and Lyrics)and Kate Wetherhead (Additional material – Book),  Tom Curran (Orchestrator and Arranger), Nate Bertone (Set Designer), Marco Marco (Costume Designer), Roberto Surace (Additional Costume Designs), Rory Beaton (Lighting Designer), Nina Dunn (Video Designer) Ben Harrison (Sound Designer), Jessica Plews (Wigs and Hair Designer),  Dominic Skinner (Make-up Designer), Toby Higgins (Musical Supervisor), Harry Blumenau (Casting Director), Patrick Malony (Production Manager), Aaron Renfree (Associate Director/Resident Director & Choreographer),  Jenni Thomasson(Associate Choreographer), Natalie Jackson (Costume Supervisor),  Zoe Gale (Associate Wigs and Hair Supervisor), Nicola Crawford (Associate Lighting Designer),  Chris Poon (Musical Director), Caitlin Morgan (Associate Musical Director),  Josh Griffiths (Assistant Musical Director),  Andy Barnwell (Orchestral Manager) and David O’Mahoney (Script Supervisor). 

Welcome to Burlesque the Musical, the glamorous, gritty and outrageously fun new musical based on the much-loved hit movie that reminds us…Life Isn’t Fair…It’s Fabulous!

Discover a club like no other…a place beneath the city lights where the sequins sparkle, seduction shimmers, and a life can change in the flick of a feather boa.

When Ali heads to New York in search of her mother, she finds herself drawn into a dazzling underground world where the beat of the music and the heat of the dance moves will change her life forever. Ali will unwittingly find her extraordinary voice and a most unlikely family of misfits, dreamers, and schemers.

Burlesque The Musical is produced by Adam Paulden & Jason Haigh-Ellery, Sue Gilad & Larry Rogowsky, Steven Antin, Clint Culpepper andExecutive Produced by Christina Aguilera.

The West End run follows the show’s record-breaking previews in Manchester and Glasgow where audiences agreed it’s the most exciting movie musical to come to the stage in decades.

Further casting will be announced at a later date.

53two is giving you a once in a lifetime opportunity to win a priceless Dr Who clapperboard, signed by 9 members of the cast!

MUST END MIDNIGHT, SATURDAY 31st MAY

53two, Manchester’s fully accessible and leading arts venue, is thrilled to announce an exclusive raffle, giving Dr Who’s immense fanbase the chance to win a genuine and extremely rare piece of Dr Who memorabilia. This clapperboard was used during the filming of season two, featuring the 15th Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa and was donated to them by their patron and star of Dr Who, Ruth Madeley.

This priceless clapperboard is an iconic symbol of the show and represents a unique collector’s item for enthusiasts of the long running BBC series. With added value being signed by 9 members of the cast; Anita Dobson, Jemma Redgrave, Varada Sethu, Millie Gibson, Yasmin Finney, Ruth Madeley, Bonnie Langford, Alexander Devrient, Ncuti Gatwa.

‘The clapper board has been in the venue for a few months now and it’s very safely locked up! We couldn’t believe it when Ruth brought it for us – it truly is very special and one-of-a-kind.’ – Simon Naylor, Creative Director

All proceeds will go to the arts charity, 53two, to help them deliver opportunities for their patrons and creatives across Greater Manchester. 53two is Manchester’s only wheelchair accessible, independent theatre venue. It is the only independent theatre in the UK to have a Changing Places toilet. The venue is unfunded from The City and/or Arts Council and survive on sponsors, donors and grants as well as the money spent in-venue.

‘We chose to raffle it to ensure that everyone stood a chance to own such an incredible piece of memorabilia. Everything 53two do is about inclusion and when I was able to donate this brilliant item, raffling was the only option! We’re very excited.’ – Ruth Madeley, 53two Patron

It’s their belief that theatre is for everyone, and why accessibility is at the heart of everything they do. The proceeds from the clapperboard will go towards increasing accessibility across the venue, both in the theatre and the bar/café.

How to enter:

Visit: Enter the raffle on Gala Bid.com at, https://app.galabid.com/drwho/items/98081818-4e15-4a78-879e-894b2779e876

Purchase a raffle ticket: Tickets are £5 each, 200 ticket maximum

End of intake date: Midnight 31st May

Draw date: 2nd June

First look at Faye Tozer as Miss Kitty LeRoy in the world premiere of the brand-new and hotly anticipated theatrical production DIAMONDS AND DUST with previews beginning 16 June 2025 at London’s newest West End venue, the Emerald Theatre. 

Singer, Actress, TV personality and West End star Faye Tozer is probably best-known for BRIT Award winning pop band Steps who had number one hits with Tragedy and Stomp and have sold over 25 million records worldwide! Their 10th album The Platinum Collection celebrating 25 years reached an impressive No.1 in the official charts and they have proudly just completed their 10th UK Arena tour. Faye has starred in numerous musicals over the years including: 101 Dalmatians (UK Tour), 42nd Street (UK Tour), Singin’ in the Rain (West End & UK Tour) and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End).

The cast appearing alongside Dita Von Teese as Lady Luck (at certain performances*) and Faye Tozer as Miss Kitty LeRoy (at certain performances**) will be Alexandros Beshonges (MAMMA MIA, West End), Isabelle Bosher (Women’s Netball Super Cup, Sky Sports), Candace Cane (Performed alongside Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg and Diplo), Bethany Chan (The Lion King, West End), Georgia Eddon-Burke (Lío London Cabaret), Hollie Kate (Beauty and the Beast, Richmond Theatre), Cristian Liberti (Performed alongside Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams & Sophie Ellis Bextor), Lady Lydia (La Clique London), Zoë Marshall (Circus OZ), Callum Quinnen (Bombay Superstars, West End), Tosca Rivola (Tarantina, Dita Von Teese World Tour), Manny Tsakanika (Magic Mike Live, West End), Zinzile Tshuma (Bring It On, UK Tour), Sienna Walker (Come What May, UK Tour) and Niko Wirachman (The Prince of Egypt, West End).

FOLLIES

FIRST CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THIS SPECTACULAR MUSICAL REVIVAL

AT THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE, BELFAST

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Goldman

Produced Originally on Broadway by Harold Prince

Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick

By special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh

Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International

Directed by Cameron Menzies. Musical Director Greg Arrowsmith

Featuring the Orchestra of Northern Ireland Opera

13 – 20 September 2025

Northern Ireland Opera today is excited to announce the first members of the Cast for Follies, one of the most spectacular musical masterpieces of all time. With music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Goldman, this epic production directed by the renowned national opera company’s Artistic Director Cameron Menzies (Nominated Best Director for Irish Theatre Award-winning show Into The Woods 2022 and Winner of three Paris Short Film Awards for film Old Friends and Other Days) will be the first time the show has ever been staged professionally in Northern Ireland at Belfast’s Grand Opera House and marks eight long years since its last UK revival. The historic performances with a full-scale live orchestra will run from the 13 to 20 September.

Set in New York in 1971, former showgirls of the famous Weismann’s Follies’ return with their partners to their beloved decaying Broadway theatre for one final reunion before it is demolished and turned into a carpark. Time may have moved on, but inside the theatre old connections stir, song and dance routines, laughs and loves are well remembered, rivalries flare and ghosts of the past are awoken. By the time they all leave their world’s will have shifted: will anything be the same again?

The scale and ambition of this production is equaled only by its spectacular ensemble cast. Starring in the iconic roles of former roommates and showgirls reuniting after thirty years, Sally Plummer and Phyllis Stone, are renowned musical theatre and West-End stars Anna-Jane Casey (CATS, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT, GREASE, STARLIGHT EXPRESS, WEST SIDE STORY, CHICAGO) who has performed in leading roles in countless West-End productions for over four decades and Annette McLaughlin (PLAYER KINGS, SCANDAL TOWN, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, CHICAGO) whose extensive career has spanned musicals on Broadway to the RSC at Stratford Upon Avon.

Best friends Buddy Palmer and Benjamin Stone are played by Belfast’s own Mark Dugdale (COME FROM AWAY, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, JERSEY BOYS, THE COMMITMENTS) and much sought-after West-End star Alasdair Harvey (COME FROM AWAY, BIG LITTLE LIES, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, GUYS AND DOLLS, SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE, WE WILL ROCK YOU) respectively. Both are highly experienced West-End actors who have appeared in an incredible roster of hit shows.

Music theatre royalty and one of the UK’s finest jazz vocalists Jacqueline Dankworth MBE, cast in Sondheim’s original West End debut of Into The Woods in 1990, returns to the stage in her first Sondheim musical in thirty years to play the role of Carlotta Campion, a character who arguably sings one of the show’s most recognised musical standards ‘I’m Still Here’. West End performer and TV actress Allison Harding (INTO THE WOODS, NI OPERA;  SISTER ACT and Olivier Award winning RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET) now based in Belfast, currently appearing in hit TV detective series Ellis plays Hattie Walker, the tough-talking, no-nonsense showgirl who sings the legendary showstopping number ‘Broadway Baby’. Further casting to be announced shortly.

Northern Ireland Opera welcomes Music Director Greg Arrowsmith (ROCKY HORROR SHOW, HAIRSPRAY, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, SISTER ACT, WOMEN ON THE VERGE OF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN) to the creative team. This much-lauded Musical Director this year celebrates conducting his 21^st West-End show in a career spanning 25 years. Arrowsmith will lead the Orchestra of Northern Ireland Opera, a full-scale ensemble of 35 local instrumentalists in this epic and highly entertaining production rarely staged due to its scale.

Rounding out this highly respected creative team is West-End Choreographer Jennifer Rooney (INTO THE WOODS, ONCE, OLD FRIENDS AND OTHER DAYS, HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD, THE JUNIPER TREE) and Set Designer Niall McKeever. This show marks McKeever’s fifth magical collaboration for the organisation which includes EUGENE ONEGIN, TOSCA, LA TRAVIATA and INTO THE WOODS. He was also nominated for The Irish Times Theatre Awards for ‘Best Set’ for Into The Woods in 2022.

Ian Wilson, Chief Executive of the Grand Opera House adds: “We are delighted to welcome Northern Ireland Opera back to their home in September with an unmissable production of Follies. Mounting the first ever professional production of the Sondheim musical in Northern Ireland demonstrates the variety of work and ambition which Cameron has brought to the company over the past few years.

“Beyond the company’s annual grand opera on our mainstage, Northern Ireland Opera and the Grand Opera House produce a range of productions in the Theatre’s Studio including, Morning Melodies, two sell-out evenings of Arias & Three Courses, and Cocktails & Cabaret which features some of Northern Ireland’s best vocal talent. This autumn, to mark the Theatre’s 130^thanniversary, the two arts organisations will collaborate on a special, one-off event, the details for which will be announced soon.”

Northern Ireland Opera’s principal funder is the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Ciaran Scullion, Head of Music and Opera at the Arts Council, says, “The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is proud to be principal funder of Northern Ireland Opera who continue to bring audiences here ambitious, thrilling productions and performances. Thanks to the hugely talented cast, musicians and creative team, Follies, in the stunning surroundings of the Grand Opera House, promises to be a spectacular show and I would encourage everyone to go along and experience this unmissable show this September.” 

BEST LQBTQ+ THEATRE THIS SUMMER 

This Bitter Earth

The Soho Theatre, London

18 June – 26 July 

This Bitter Earth by Harrison David Rivers is an intimate, romantic and gripping play about a young black writer and his white activist lover that asks, “What is the real cost of standing on the sidelines?”  Now a major new London production, opening at the Soho Theatre from Wednesday 18 June and playing until Saturday 26 July, with a press night on Tuesday 24 June, will mark the UK directorial debut of Grammy Award, Emmy and three-time Tony Award winner, Billy Porter.  

This Bitter Earth will star Omari Douglas (C4’s It’s a Sin – BAFTA nomination, Constellations)alongside Russell Tovey in the West End – Olivier Award Best Actor nomination and Cliff in original West End cast of Cabaret at the KitKat Club) as ‘Jesse’ and Alexander Lincoln (cult gay rugby movie In From the Side – Best Actor winner & Best Breakthrough Performance nomination) as ‘Neil’. 

Tickets from £13.

The Diana Mixtape

Outernet, London and The Lowry, Salford
28 July – 10 August (London), 19 – 24 August (Salford)

Concert. Biopic. Musical. THE DIANA MIXTAPE is a brand-new production from Director/Producer Christopher D. Clegg, that will have its world premiere in London at Here @Outernet this summer, from 28 July – 10 August 2025, with a press performance on 31 July 8pm. Featuring music originally performed by Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Jade, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Kylie Minogue and many more, this hilarious yet heartwarming musical gig is a guaranteed rollicking good time.

Tickets from £34.50

The Empire Strips Back

Riverside Studios, Hammersmith
2 May – 17 August

Due to overwhelming demand, the internationally-acclaimed The Empire Strips Back: A Burlesque Parody (2 May – 17 August) has extended its London debut at Riverside Studios! This raunchy, hilarious, and entirely unauthorised theatrical spectacle has played to over 300,000 audience members worldwide, with sold-out shows in New York, Chicago, Paris, and Mexico City. Featuring a cast of scantily-clad, sultry, and seductive intergalactic icons, this raucous show offers an unforgettably outrageous night out and promises to be like nothing you’ve seen before. 

Age 18 +.  Tickets from £29

Southwark Playhouse – until 14 June 2025

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Nancy Netherwood’s eerily enigmatic play is a masterclass in building melancholic tension with atmospheric music and a spareness of words.

Russell (Stuart Thompson) has left his music studies in London and returned to his childhood home, and his mother Maud (Wendy Nottingham) on a snowy night. Russell ominously states that “it” has happened again and the pair prepare for the arrival of Father Miller (Ben Allen). The room is initially shielded behind a gauze curtain, which is torn down by the mysterious figure of the Voice (Renée Lamb) pacing around the stage, singing and observing. The back wall of the Little is mirrored, reflecting the stage and actors as they stand outside the room, turning their backs on Russell, except for Lamb as she watches Russell constantly.

Maud and Russell’s conversations hint at the reasons for his disquiet: themes of homophobia, classism, religion and faith are raised but never explored explicitly, lulling the audience into thinking that this is psychological rather than supernatural. The arrival of Father Miller – a self-declared expert using pseudoscientific names for exorcism – shifts the pace of the dialogue and the play. Maud begins speaking in her best “telephone voice” (all our parents had them in the 1980s!) and Miller’s verbosity lightens the tension a little before he realises what he is up against.

Júlia Levai’s slick direction keeps the audience on edge, with any nostalgic feelings from the 80s music Russell plays soon swatted away by unsettling events. Lucia Sánchez Roldan lights Tomas Palmer’s atmospheric set brilliantly. Just as music plays a huge role in Russell’s life, Patch Middleton and Elinor Peregrin’s sound design creates onstage magic. Renée Lamb has the most incredible voice, and her vocals in the carols and folk songs here are gorgeously mellow, contrasting wonderfully with her wide-eyed prowling around the stage. The change as she portrays Russell’s uni friend Steph – full of unfiltered energy and joy – in flashbacks is superb. Stuart Thompson is astonishing as Russell –wickedly sharp, but heartbreakingly sad and lonely – a sublime nuanced performance. Wendy Nottingham is impressive as Maud, initially appearing cold and distant, but as the night progresses you realise that this is her defence for her and her son. Ben Allen portrays the unravelling of Father Miller’s reassuring professionalism with aplomb.

Exactly what is haunting Russell is left unsaid – we see how the Voice defends itself and Russell in gory detail and the reactions of those around him leave more questions than answers. But the mystery works and Netherwood’s skilfully woven haunting is chillingly entertaining.

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY

TO TOUR THE UK FOR

THE FIRST TIME

OPENING AT

EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM ON

THURSDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2025

Award-winning producers Jack Maple and Thomas Hopkins are delighted to announce the first ever UK tour of the stage adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s iconic, gripping novel and source material for the 2000 Oscar nominated film starring Matt Damon, Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow and the 2024 Netflix adaptation starring Andrew Scott, THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY, opening at the Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, on 4 September. 2025 marks the 70^th anniversary of the novel’s publication. There will be an official opening night on 10 Septmeber.

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY is a The Faction production (Macbeth, Stephen Joseph Theatre; My Last Duchess, film commissioned by The Lowry) adapted and directed by Mark Leipacher (Mary Stuart, New Diorama, UK tour and international; A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wilton’s Music Hall/Theatre Royal Bath Ustinov/UK tour).

“I never wanted to murder anyone.  It was necessary.”

Step into a world of deception, desire, and deadly ambition.

Tom Ripley is a nobody—until he’s offered an unexpected opportunity: travel to Italy and bring home the wealthy and carefree Dickie Greenleaf. But as Tom is drawn into Dickie’s glittering world of privilege, his obsession takes a dark turn. What begins as an innocent invitation spirals into a web of lies, identity theft, and murder.

Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of 1950s Italy, this gripping stage adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley brings Patricia Highsmith’s iconic novel to life in a thrilling new production. With razor-sharp dialogue, psychological intensity, and a chillingly charismatic antihero, this is Ripley as you’ve never seen him before.

How far would you go to be someone else?

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY is a The Faction production produced by Jack Maple (producer credits: Spring Awakening: The 15^th Anniversary Reunion, Victoria Palace Theatre; The View Upstairs, Soho Theatre and Working, Southwark Playhouse) and Thomas Hopkins (This Bitter Earth, Soho Theatre; A Song From Far Away, HOME Manchester & Hampstead Theatre; ROSE, The Ambassadors Theatre). There will be set and costume design by Holly Piggott (Fleabag, Wyndham’s Theatre) with associate set and costume design by Ellen Farrell, lighting design by Zeynep Kepekli (The Little Mermaid, Bristol Old Vic), sound design by Max Pappenheim (The Night of the Iguana, Noel Coward Theatre) and casting by Marc Frankum CDG (The Woman in Black, Fortune Theatre).

Casting to be announced.

Website: TheTalentedMrRipleyPlay.com

Instagram & Facebook: @RipleyOnStage

2025 TOUR LISTINGS

4 – 13 September                               Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham                   01242 572 573

                                                            www.everymantheatre.org.uk

15 – 20 September                             Festival Theatre, Edinburgh                          0131 529 6000

                                                            www.capitaltheatres.com/festival-theatre     

22 – 27 September                             Birmingham Rep                                          

                                                            www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

6 – 11 October                                    New Victoria Theatre, Woking

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

13 – 18 October                                  Oxford Playhouse                                          01865 305305

                                                            www.oxfordplayhouse.com                            On sale soon

27 October – 1 November                  Theatre Royal Brighton                                

                                                            www.atgtickets.com/brighton                          On sale soon

3 – 8 November                                  Bristol Old Vic                                               

                                                            bristololdvic.org.uk                                          On sale soon

10 – 15 November                              Richmond Theatre

                                                            www.atgtickets.com/richmond                        On sale soon

2026 touring dates to be announced

The National Youth Music Theatre leads innovative new Birmingham partnership project alongside ambitious outdoor theatre finale of its 2025 Season

The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) proudly announces FairGround, a bold and inclusive arts festival for children and young people from all backgrounds across the whole of Birmingham.Hosted at City Academy, FairGround will offer free creative workshops in partnership with other leading arts organisations and schools in the city. The festival is committed to providing tailored opportunities for participants that reflect the diverse needs and experiences of its participants. Among those opportunities will be specialist drama and music workshops for newly arrived children who attend CORE Hello – a groundbreaking education programme which supports children from around the world to integrate positively into Birmingham schools and the community

FairGround features a series of four creative workshops, offering young people a fully funded chance to gain hands-on experience in a professional theatre environment. NYMT has brought together key partners who share a common commitment to broadening opportunities for young people to access all aspects of the arts on their terms. Birmingham Hippodrome will be delivering workshops inspired by their SEN Youth Theatre programme and BOA Trust will be leading workshops in technical theatre, with the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire guiding the music workshops, building on their existing outreach work at SoundLab.This collaborative endeavour will be set against the backdrop of an equally ambitious outdoor production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel, produced by NYMT and performed by some of the country’s brightest music theatre talent at Birmingham City Academy

NYMT is focused on delivering authentic and accessible opportunities that give young people high quality, tailored opportunities in music theatre. By working collaboratively with young people and regional partners, the festival celebrates inclusivity in high-quality arts training, performance and participation. Rooted in youth-led creative engagement, FairGround places young voices at the heart of NYMT’s commitment to creating new pathways for emerging talent to connect, grow, and thrive.

Underpinning FairGround is a strong commitment to meaningful partnership and long-term impact. Through creative collaborations with organisations such as CORE Education Trust, Birmingham Hippodrome, the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, and BOA Trust, NYMT is helping to lead national conversations on how creative partnerships can be maximised to benefit young people. With essential funding from The Garek Trust and local support from its Birmingham partners, the project is made possible through shared investment in its vision. This series of work champions forward-thinking, action-led leadership in the arts—leadership that values shared purpose, community-rooted delivery, and a desire to challenge and disrupt outdated models. FairGround begins as a local initiative with national ambition, setting a standard for how the arts can work for everyone—not just the few.

Adrian Packer CBE, CEO of NYMT, comments, Launching our first FairGround in Birmingham, one of the youngest and most diverse cities in Europe, NYMT and its partners are excited at the potential of offering a creative, dynamic and safe space for young people from all backgrounds. This new innovative and ambitious space will exemplify the value of the arts as a facilitator of social good and cultural inclusion.

Rebecca Bakewell, Headteacher of City Academy, FairGround is exactly the kind of project we love to champion at City Academy. It brings together everything CORE stands for – creativity, opportunity and inclusion. We’re especially proud that our COREHello students will have the chance to take part in something so exciting and unique. Everyone deserves access to the arts,and FairGround reflects our commitment to making creativity central to how we learn, connect and grow as a community

Chris Cuming, NYMT Artistic Director, comments, Collaboration is a fundamental part of how our sector works, and FairGround will demonstrate four local organisations collaborating with NYMT to inspire the young people of Birmingham to explore careers in the Arts. Our festival will highlight the creative possibilities of pursuing every avenue of theatre production, from their first insight at these new co-delivered workshops through to a commitment to further training. I’m so proud to be partnering with these organisations to give these active workshops to the Birmingham community.

Garek Trust comments, At The Garek Trust we look to support organisations who reflect our values and ethos; consequently we are delighted to support NYMT and more specifically the FairGround festival. We strive to increase exposure to the performing arts to as many young people as possible and FairGround is the perfect platform for this.

The inaugural FairGround festival forms part of NYMT’s 2025 Summer season, which also features three new productions at Birmingham Hippodrome. From the vibrant energy of Fame: The Musical, the highly anticipated UK premiere of Tuck Everlasting, to the fantastical world of Lightning Boy (a brand-new musical), this season shines a spotlight on the incredible talent of the NYMT company. The season will culminate with Carousel, a site-specific performance uniquely staged on a working carousel, underscoring the organisation’s visionary approach and its commitment to reimagining music theatre for new generations. Alongside the Birmingham Summer Season and FairGround, NYMT will also be running PLATFORM and CRESCENDO

As part of the NYMT summer season, talented young people from across the UK — ranging in age from 10 to 23 — will come together to showcase their skills in a series of groundbreaking performances, with a clear focus on elevating the standard and visibility of music theatre across the industry. NYMT is also proud to announce a record-breaking 1,200 auditionees recently took part in its audition workshops, reflecting the growing passion and ambition among young people keen to be part of the vibrant world of music theatre. With its thriving creative scene and strong network of cultural partners, Birmingham provides the perfect base for this ambitious and inspiring work.

The NYMT has almost five decades of providing top-quality professional development for young theatre makers, continuing continues to offer masterclasses, skills workshops, and residential courses to support the next generation of performers, creatives, and technicians. The organisation is committed to making these opportunities accessible to all, with bursaries totalling nearly£50,000 this year alone to support under-resourced families

Gala Theatre, Durham – until 24th May 2025

Reviewed by Sheila Storrar

5*****

Former BBC Look North presenter for over twenty years, Jeff Brown, is used to presenting the stories of the local area. His second play, The Bench, is a love story about a footballer, Adi (Jason Njoroge), and single mother, Vicky (Hannah Marie Davis), who’s different worlds collide when they meet by chance on a park bench. On the face of it, their backgrounds, life challenges and aspirations are very different, but as their stories unfold, it is clear they have much more in common.

Vicky, is struggling to raise her baby son on benefits, alongside caring for her sick mother. She takes him to the park because it’s free. There, she meets Adi, a Premiership footballer, who is paid more money than he can spend. After a poor run of form, he is quite literally on the bench. Born in Africa and raised in France, he is isolated and subjected to racism, both on and off the field. These are not obvious themes that lend themselves to a humorous approach.

Much of the comedy comes from the interactions between Adi and his scheming agent, Mike Malone and conversations between Vicky and her best friend, Becs. Both David Nellist as the former and Abigail Lawson as the latter, are believable and excellent in their roles and provide some laugh out loud moments. The cast is completed by Dan Howe, who appears as various characters who interact with the main players.

In the second act, a conversation on the bench reveals more about Adi and Vicky’s individual back stories. The emotionally charged scene is played out by both actors in an understated and sensitive way. A hush descended in the theatre as the audience engaged with and was moved by their experiences. The mood lightens towards the end of the act as we find out if this unlikely couple can overcome the obstacles in their way.

Special mention must go to the set design by Lee Ward, which incorporates Adi’s apartment, Vicky’s home and a football stadium, as well as the park bench of the title, centre stage.

The Bench packs in a multitude of themes, including racism, football, caring, terminal illness, war, power and powerlessness. Jeff Brown, writing from personal and professional experience, juggles them all with humour and compassion. The result is an entertaining and thought-provoking story about finding connection and hope in an unlikely place. A thoroughly entertaining evening which closed to a standing ovation from the audience.

Birmingham Hippodrome – until 23rd May 2025

Reviewed by Emma Millward

4****

Amina Khayyam Dance Company’s new dance-theatre production ‘Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter’ premiered in Birmingham this week. The piece explores the conditioned patriarchy enforced by women within family structures. The show tells the story of Bibi Rukiya, a widow who wishes to keep her three daughters restricted by cultural expectations and societal pressure in order to ensure they all get married and uphold the family’s reputation. The piece is loosely based on Federico Garcia Lorca’s ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’. The dance company collaborated with women’s community groups across the nation to develop the production. Throughout numerous workshops, they explored the roles and responsibilities of mothers and daughters. The story is told through Kathak, a traditional form of Indian Classical Dance known as the dance of storytellers. 

As the audience entered the auditorium of the Patrick Studio, a gentle Tabla beat filled the air. We were greeted by two of Bibi Rukiya’s daughters, quietly seated at the back of the dance floor, watching the audience take their seats. The performance consists of four dancers led by Amina Khayyam herself as Bibi Rukiya, and the three daughters. They all dance in unison at first, but it soon becomes obvious that one of the daughters is disillusioned by their mother’s control of them. The daughter begins to rebel, including a touchingly funny dance sequence featuring Beyonce’s ‘Crazy in Love’. Throughout the show. Bibi Rukiya reappears to reign her daughters in and ensure they are conforming to the standards she expects from them. Without speaking, the dancers manage to still convey intense emotions through their movements and occasionally even silently screaming in frustration.

Khayyam’s choreography throughout the piece shifts from soft, gentle dancing to more staccato, almost aggressive movements, particularly from the rebellious daughter. Every movement has been thought out and is so precise. The beautiful music was composed by John-Marc Gowans, and performed live by Debasish Mukherjee (tabla), Iain McHugh (Cello) and the haunting vocals of Sohini Alam. The costumes designed by Keith Khan and Abeda Begum were exquisite, and their vibrant colours stood out against the mostly plain background of the dancefloor.

A dance piece of this style can be interpreted differently by each viewer. I must admit that certain parts of the performance left me a bit confused about what was happening, but this is only the second Kathak dance piece I have seen. After seeing this piece, I intend to see more shows in the future to gain a deeper understanding of this style of performing. I found this production to be thought-provoking, emotive and powerful.