Author: FairyPoweredProductions

Derren Brown Performs only Yorkshire Date – in Hull

Mind Control Genius Comes to Hull New Theatre

Think you know your own mind? Think again. The multi-award winning master of mind control Derren Brown will have you questioning your every thought in Underground, his latest mind-blowing show which comes to Hull New Theatre next month.

Originally written for audiences in other countries Underground sees Derren re-visiting past piece, finessing and refining some firm favourites to create a whole new show that proved such a hit the team decided to bring it to the UK.

This is the second leg of the Underground tour, direct from the West End production at the Playhouse Theatre, and is the only Yorkshire date on the tour.

Tickets for Derren Brown: Underground at Hull New Theatre from 17-21 April are available now. Book at the Hull City Hall Box Office, call 01482 300 306 or visit www.hulltheatres.co.uk

FOUR WEEK COUNTDOWN UNTIL AN ALL-STAR CAST PUT SPOTLIGHT ON LENNON’S MISSING BANJO 

Epstein Theatre hosts world premiere of new comedy

Special guest appearances by The Beatles

original drummer Pete Best

The four-week countdown is now on until audiences in Liverpool can experience a brand new stage comedy telling the fascinating story of John Lennon’s missing childhood banjo.

An intriguing mix of fact and fiction, Lennon’s Banjo is set in present day Liverpool and features an all-star cast.

It makes its world stage premiere at the city’s Epstein Theatre on Tuesday 24 April, continuing through until Saturday 5 May. Tickets are already selling fast!

The Beatles original drummer Pete Best, will play himself in three special performances of the show’s two-week run.

Pete joins an exciting all-start cast featuring a whole host of familiar faces – Eric Potts, Mark Moraghan, Jake Abraham, Lynn Francis, Danny O’Brien, Stephanie Dooley, Alan Stocks, and Roy Carruthers. Pete Best will appear as himself, with Alan Stocks portraying Pete Best in all other performances.

The quest is on to find the holy grail of pop memorabilia – the missing banjo on which John Lennon was first taught to play music by his mother Julia Lennon, who first introduced the youngster to rock and roll.

Mysteriously, the banjo went missing shortly after Julia’s death. One thing is certain though, if it did resurface it is estimated to be worth in the region of five million pounds.

When Beatles tour guide Barry Seddon (Eric Potts) finds a letter written by John Lennon, he unearths a clue to solving the greatest mystery in pop history – the whereabouts of Lennon’s first musical instrument which has been missing for 60 years. But Barry’s loose tongue alerts Texan dealer Travis Lawson (Danny O’Brien) to the priceless relic.

In an attempt to get his hands on the letter and the clues, he persuades his wife Cheryl (Stephanie Dooley) to befriend the hapless tour guide and win his affections. The race to find Lennon’s Banjo is on!

Co-producer Bill Elms said: “Rob Fennah has created a wonderful comedy play which has a big heart, some great characters and all based around this factual and fascinating storyline. It’s so true to life that the audience will leave the theatre secretly wanting to solve the mystery for themselves. It’s The Beatles meet the Da Vinci Code, an hilarious treasure hunt romp through Beatledom.”

Julia Baird is John Lennon’s half sister – and vividly remembers watching their mother teach John how to play. Julia fully supports the new play.

Julia takes up the story: “The banjo was my grandfather’s and he brought it back from sea, possibly from America, and he could play it really well. He taught my mother how to play it, and then my mother taught John how to play it – she was extremely artistically talented. John inherited it, definitely. The banjo was the first stringed instrument John played.”

 Lennon’s Banjo is based on the 2012 novel Julia’s Banjo written by Rob Fennah and Helen A Jones.The play is produced by Rob Fennah and Pulse Records Ltd in association with Bill Elms and directed by Mark Heller.

The race to find the holy grail of pop memorabilia is on!

The Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field project is the official charity partner of Lennon’s Banjo.

Lennon’s Banjo’s are delighted to be working with its Fab Four Production Partners who are The Cavern Club Liverpool, The Beatles Story, Hard Days Night Hotel, and The Beatles Shop.

Watch the promo video here  https://youtu.be/ddpVnRStAmo   

For more info visit www.lennonsbanjo.com

LISTING INFORMATION

LENNON’S BANJO

Epstein Theatre Liverpool
Tuesday 24 April – Saturday 5 May 2018

Evenings 7.30pm | Wed & Sat Mats 2.30pm | Sun 29^th April 5pm

Preview Performance 24^th April and 25^th April matinee – ALL SEATS £16

Group Rates Available

HOW TO BOOK

EPSTEIN THEATRE

ONLINE:          www.epsteinliverpool.co.uk

CALL:               0844 888 4411

IN PERSON:     Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DZ | Mon-Thu 2pm-6pm, Fri & Sat 12pm-6pm

TICKETQUARTER
ONLINE:          www.ticketquarter.co.uk

CALL:               0844 8000 410

IN PERSON:     Echo Arena Box Office, Kings Dock, Liverpool, L3 4FP |

12noon on Echo Arena event days, and from 9am – 6pm on Fridays

Small Things Theatre and Working Cast Productions present
A Gym Thing
StageSpace, Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, London N7 9EF
Monday 30th April – Sunday 13th May 2018

Following a highly successful run at Edinburgh Fringe 2017, A Gym Thing now transfers to London’s Pleasance Theatre. Written and performed by Tom Vallen, this powerful production presents a brutally honest portrayal of the rising health concerns of gym addiction

Set within a 60-minute workout, A Gym Thing shines a much-needed spotlight on the world of Bigorexia or Muscle Dysmorphia (reverse anorexia) – a subtype of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder that affects both men and women – for those suffering with this, quality of life is extremely poor and, shockingly, suicide rates are amongst the highest out of all mental disorders

…Required watching for anyone who finds themselves getting obsessive about selfimprovement. A Gym Thing never hammers its message home, instead making its points with a brutal elegance (**** The Scotsman)

Driven by a daily quest for perfection, Will takes us on a fast-paced, sweaty, physical exploration of how the gym has strengthened and weakened his relationships, his physique and ultimately his life. This complex love story offers a truthful insight into a gym addict’s point of view about body image while offering those who don’t visit the gym a greater understanding about why gym goers strive for perfection

Vallen comments, I am thrilled to bring A Gym Thing to a London audience following our exhilarating and heart-warming run at the Edinburgh Festival. The show is physically a challenge to perform and while I hope this entertains, it also highlights the lengths millennials will go to achieve the ultimate physique which has ever moving goalposts. Muscle Dysmorphia or Bigorexia affects 1 in 10 bodybuilding gym users and overall Body Dysmorphic Disorder has one of the highest rates of suicide of all the mental health disorders with 1 in 50 attempting suicide. I am very proud to be further spreading awareness around this debilitating disorder

The rest of the cast for this bold production will be announced in April

Another exciting round of shows go on sale at
Pleasance including the incredible Ruby Wax and
returning comedy favourite Rob Kemp

With 51 shows now on sale, 2018 promises to be one of Pleasance’s most exciting years to date. Comedy, theatre, circus, puppetry and much more fill this year’s programme with a dazzling selection of entertainment

Drop dead gorgeous, sassy and smart, Ruby Wax brings her one-woman show Frazzled back to Edinburgh after its sell-out success in 2017. The poster girl for mental illness, she gives a tour of the mind and how to use it, not lose it. Based on her best seller The Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled Ruby sure as hell knows her stuff

All your favourites can be found at the Pleasance and multi-award-winning Edinburgh cult hit Rob Kemp is back (Winner – Best Performer, Comedians Choice Awards Edinburgh 2017; Nominee – Best Newcomer, Edinburgh Comedy Award 2017); take a trip to a cabin in Tennessee to witness the horror movie Evil Dead 2 reinterpreted through the songs of Elvis Presley!

Another Edinburgh Comedy Award 2017 nominee Ed Night brings An Aesthetic to The Bunker plus Best Show Nominee Jordan Brookes returns to the Pleasance this summer. Fellow 2017 nominee Elf Lyons joins the illustrious venue with her kooky one-woman musical about the economy

2018 sees the long-awaited Fringe debut from The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue with props, music and, oh yes, sandals! Other Pleasance newcomers for 2018 are Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year nominee George Rigden with his hotly-anticipated debut show, Heidi Regan’s debut show (Winner of BBC New Comedy Award 2017) exploring our relationship with an increasingly confusing world via the medium of bad shark films and laugh out loud Short & Curly

Plus, Stevie Martin, one third of critically-acclaimed sketch group Massive Dad, presents her debut solo show. Expect comedy. Expect laughing. Expect a stage. Do not expect a live horse because there won’t be one. You’ve seen Stevie on Channel 4’s Damned, Russell Howard’s Good News, Comedy Central’s Brotherhood and BBC Radio 4’s Sketchorama and now it’s time to catch her in Pleasance Below

Three alumni of the Pleasance’s ‘Comedy Reserve’ bring even more laughter to this year’s programme; Brennan Reece, voice of ITV’s Survival Of The Fittest, returns to the Fringe after his previous sell-out successes, John Hastings makes us laugh with his tale of displacement, death and denial and Chris Turner brings his unique style of tricksy wordplay, nice references and jaw-dropping freestyle rap

Pleasance wouldn’t be the same without its amazing returning acts so this year sees double Chortle Award nominee Kiri Pritchard-McLean talk about victims, love and lies, Mock The Week regular and star of Live At The Apollo Gary Delaney and the fantastically talented Mawaan Rizwan. Don’t miss incredible impressionist Luke Kempner host an ultimate reality show where no celebrity is off limits. And, of course, the ten-time sell-out sensation The Noise Next Door return along with Fast Fringe where twelve top comedy and variety acts perform ridiculously short sets in one furiously fast-paced showcase

Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Adam Riches is back with two shows; Adam Riches is Coach Coach 2: Coach Harder, a mashup of interactive theatre and beer-splittingly funny improvised comedy and Adam Riches is The Lone Dueller – a brand new show unlike anything else with swords, sex and maybe even swords having sex!

The Grand will host Infinita, an extraordinary piece of physical theatre from mask theatre masters Familie Floz who previously presented popular hits including Hotel Paradiso and Teatro Delusio

Favourites Tall Stories bring two new works to Edinburgh – The Canterville Ghost where four valiant vaudevillians present their terrifying take on Oscar Wilde’s most gruesome ghost story and Wilde Creatures where a motley crew of storytelling musicians bring Oscar Wilde’s classic fairy tales to life in this magical new show direct from London’s West End

Also going on sale today is Enter the Dragons, a riotous, surreal odyssey exploring the pressures facing women as they age, Weird by Some Riot Theatre focussing on the moving effects of one person’s mental health on a whole family; Kika’s Birthday, a delightful, interactive story, with puppetry, for all the family and Michael Morpurgo’s dazzling story of Kensuke’s Kingdom

There are many more incredible Pleasance shows still to come alongside support for some of the most innovative newcomers through artist development strand Pleasance Futures. The Pleasance should certainly be the pick of your Fringe this August

Jamie Hendry and National Amusements presents

The Wind in the Willows: The New Musical comes to UK & Irish Cinemas for Easter

Following a strictly limited summer season at the London Palladium, The Wind in the Willows: The New Musical is set to delight audiences of all ages, as it is screened in cinemas across the UK & Ireland over the Easter period. The multi-camera production of the much-loved musical adventure will be screened in stunning surround sound and in breathtaking high definition, bringing one of the highlights of London’s West End to local multiplexes and giving everyone the best seat in the house. Participating cinemas and booking links can be found at www.willowsmusical.com

Captured live from the London Palladium, The Wind in the Willows stars Rufus Hound as the amazing Mr Toad, Simon Lipkin as Ratty, Craig Mather as Mole, Neil McDermott as Chief Weasel, Denise Welch as Mrs Otter, Gary Wilmot as Badger and the entire West End company.

Based on Kenneth Grahame’s treasured novel, The Wind in the Willows was brought to the stage by producer Jamie Hendry in a new musical adaptation with book by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and Olivier Award-winning composer and lyricist duo George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

Audiences will join Ratty, Badger, Mole and the impulsive Toad as they embark on a series of riotous adventures spiralling from Toad’s insatiable need for speed! The production features eye-poppingly beautiful design, exuberant choreography, a gloriously British score, comedy, heart and thrills, sure to delight families across the country.

Rufus Hound is one of the UK’s leading actors, presenters and comedians, his theatre credits include Don Quixote (RSC) and the original West End production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre). Television credits include Doctor Who (BBC) and Drunk History (Comedy Central). He is also a regular guest on comedy panel shows such as Never Mind the Buzzcocks (BBC) and 8 Out Of 10 Cats (Channel 4).

Denise Welch is best known for her television roles which include Coronation Street (ITV), Waterloo Road (BBC), Boy Meets Girl (BBC) and Soldier Soldier (ITV). Theatre credits include Steel Magnolias (UK Tour) and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Royal Exchange).

Gary Wilmot first rose to fame as a contestant on New Faces, with presenting credits since then including Showstoppers and So You Want To Be Top. His extensive musical theatre credits include Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre and UK Tour), Oklahoma! (UK Tour), The Pajama Game (Shaftesbury Theatre) and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (London Palladium). He recently starred in Dick Whittington (London Palladium).

Simon Lipkin most recently starred in the world premiere of Nativity The Musical (UK tour) and the UK Premiere of Honeymoon in Vegas at the London Palladium. His numerous other theatre credits include Avenue Q (Noël Coward), Rock of Ages (Shaftesbury/Garrick), I Can’t Sing! (London Palladium) and The Lorax (Old Vic).

Neil McDermott is perhaps best known for portraying Ryan Malloy in EastEnders (BBC). His stage credits include Shrek The Musical (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), La Cage Aux Folles (Menier Chocolate Factory) and The Sound of Music (London Palladium).

Craig Mather’s theatre credits include Marius in Les Misérables (West End), Melchior in the German premiere of Spring Awakening, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street at Harrington’s Pie Shop (West End) and the UK tour of Tonight’s The Night.

 

The stage production is produced by Jamie Hendry, MJE Productions and Josh Gilinski, in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth, The Wind in the Willows is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh with choreography by Aletta Collins, set and costume design by Peter McKintosh, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Gareth Owen, wig and makeup design by Linda McKnight, orchestrations by Chris Jahnke and David Shrubsole and musical supervision by Simon Lee.

The Wind in The Willows is in cinemas nationwide from Easter

Tickets can be booked now at www.willowsmusical.com

Broadway HD financed the production and it will be available on the platform from August 2018

Theatre Royal, St. Helens – until Sunday April 15th 2018.  Reviewed by Julie Noller

4**** 

Cinderella – who doesn’t love a fairytale? Who doesn’t love Panto? Wait… Panto? In March? You may be confused with the timing but if you’re looking for escapism over the Easter holidays then this is the perfect family show for you. We arrived in St. Helens on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The theatre is ideally situated in the centre of town for both uber cheap car parks and the main bus station directly opposite. There’s a shopping centre should you want to take your little ones for a pre-show meal (as the later performance is 5pm – highly recommended).

We were surrounded by Princesses and Pirates and this was my first visit to St. Helens Theatre Royal, I felt welcomed. All staff are friendly and engaging, the children were encouraged to join in and it was great to see so many local performers on stage and know they were genuinely cheered on. It may be a small town theatre but it’s heart is huge. The speeches by the performers at the end had the audience reaching into their pockets to donate to help with the theatres roof replacement.

Lewis Devine as Buttons with his catch phrase ‘I say But, you say…. Tons’ worked hard from the outset to engage with every audience member. His magic worked and it was fantastic to hear each and every child shouting out with pure enjoyment, not to mention hearing parents giggle at his naughtiness. Special mention must go to Trevor the pony who gave a fantastic interview and even cheekily left a little present on stage much to the children’s delighted squeals. So Buttons is in love with Cinderella played by the delicately petite Georgina Parkinson whose quirky voice and huge smile reminded me of a young Barbara Windsor, especially when Cinders dons her ballgown and pink wig. Alas she loves Buttons only as a Brother and more than anything seeks real love. Poor Buttons. We turn next to the Dames, everyone’s favourites the dastardly evil Kardashian sisters aka Ugly Sisters brilliantly portrayed by Si Foster and Mark Newell, the costumes are superbly cheap and tacky, colours bright and bold in contrast to Cinderellas rags. I couldn’t take my eyes off that strategically placed pink fluffy heart. Of course as with Panto we wait for the slip ups and the loss of that very extravagant wig had us in stitches as did Buttons shouting ‘keep your hair on slap head’. Samantha Palin as our Fairy Godmother with, as usual, the perfect glittery dress (I admit suggesting it for Prom) all those years aboard flagship cruise liners shows as she is more than comfortable up on stage singing and delighting us. My surprise was when Dandini took up the microphone with a voice I just wasn’t expecting, wow. Dandini the Princes right hand man, snobby and highly above his station. He makes you cheer on the Prince who of course is played by Lee Latchford-Evans, famed for being a member of the ever popular Steps. He took all the references to those classic Steps tracks in his thigh slapping stride, his smile never faltering. He was thoroughly enjoying himself on stage, there was joking and sniggering. Solo songs, duets and group dances. And then he gave an impassioned plea to support local theatre, Cinderella at Theatre Royal is perfect for introducing your little ones to live entertaining theatre. Those pennies will be well spent for some great Easter fun, perhaps as an “eggstra” special gift? You never know you may be a lucky recipient of a golden ticket, be called on stage to meet Buttons and even leave with a little gift.

Finally we were encouraged to get our phones out and share the finale over social media, it was the perfect ending and had us all singing and even remembering those dance moves. Of course it was a Steps medley proudly led by Lee. I left with a huge beaming smiling still humming and showing off to my daughter that I remembered and even she got why I giggled over our seat numbers… 5,6,7,8 and kept singing them.

Hippodrome Casino London – until 6th May 2018.  Reviewed By Jo Gordon 

3***

Written and directed by Matthew Bugg, Miss Nightingale began back in 2011 with runs at the Lowry Studio, The Kings Head Theatre and doing the rounds nationally, but is now taking its place at the Hippodrome Casino’s glitzy cabaret theatre for a seven week run.

Set in 1942 war weary London we follow four people connected to one show. Maggie Brown/Miss Nightingale (Lauren Chinery) is a brassy northern lass who by day is nursing the returned injured troops and by night trying to find fame as a singer. Her manager and lover Tom Conner (Adam Longstaff) a typical lovable cockney spiv lands her a job in a cabaret club owned by well to do Sir Frank Worthington-Blythe (Oliver Maudsley). Maggie introduces her brothers friend George Nowodny (Matthew Floyd Jones) into the equation. A polish Jewish songwriter who has fled Nazi oppression sadly without his family.

As the stories around each character evolve there is a more serious thread that runs alongside the cheeky double-entendre fuelled (think Carry on films) elements. George and Frank begin a relationship, in a time when homosexuality was still deemed an illegal act and twenty men were prosecuted in Wales for gross indecency and labelled ” the enemy within”, trying to convince Joe Public that if these men risked getting blackmailed they would likely betray Britain. Frank does his utmost to keep it a secret but gets found out and his nightmare comes true as he is blackmailed by someone within his close circle. Mean while Maggie’s personal life takes a turn for the worst but the show must go on

With all for actors not only belting out amusing songs such as The Pussy Song and Sausage Song alongside ones to tug the heart strings like This Man of Mine they can also turn their hand at playing their own musical instruments. The setting is perfect within the Hippodrome Casino’s theatre renamed The Cockpit and arranged with cabaret seating, which I only have one issue with being that once past the far ends of the stage the seats that put the stage behind you do make it incredibly difficult and uncomfortable to watch! However, for a cracking night out in the centre of London that includes a show and war time themed food you can’t go wrong. If nothing else you will come away with a piece of advice we should all take heed of and that is “You’ve got to get your sausage when you can!”…..wise wise words in my opinion.

Jack Studio Theatre – until 14 April 2018.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

This is another impressive Arrows & Traps production – an engaging, atmospheric and intelligent adaptation of Chekhov’s classic.

In a provincial garrison town one year after their father’s death, the Prozorov sisters dream of returning to Moscow. Priding themselves on their cultured and educated upbringing in Moscow, the sisters’ scathing and snobbish attitude to the locals is demonstrated most acutely by their treatment of their brother Andrei’s sweetheart Natasha at the beginning of the play.

The sisters never get to Moscow, instead the city becomes a beacon of hope for a new life of fulfilment, freedom and happiness to each of the sisters as their dreams stagnate over the years. Eldest sister Olga (the always impressive Cornelia Baumann) is gradually squeezed out of running the Prozorov household by Natasha after her marriage to Andrei, middle sister Masha (Claire Bowman, in a passionate performance) is unhappily married to local schoolteacher Kulygin (the wonderful Stephen MacNeice – just watch his eyes when he is insisting that he’s a happy man) but begins an affair with dashing officer Vershinin (Toby Wynn-Davies), and youngest sister Irina (luminous Victoria Llewellyn) looking for meaning in her life through work, but longing to find her true love in Moscow, is courted by two very different officers.

Ross McGregor brings the humour of Chekhov’s story to the forefront, so it’s not all doom and gloom, and there are some lovely musical flourishes, including a singalong guaranteed to get your feet tapping. The different philosophical attitudes of the characters are treated with respect, from Vershinin’s hope that small acts will eventually lead to social change to Chebutykin’s nihilism, and their musings aren’t allowed to become too preachy, thanks to McGregor’s dynamic direction.

ART AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson are set to star in Yasmina Reza’s Olivier, Tony and Moliere award-winning comedy ART at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 April 2018.

The comedy, which raises questions about art and friendship, concerns three long-time friends, Serge, Marc, and Yvan. Serge, indulging his penchant for modern art, buys a large, expensive, completely white painting. Marc is horrified, and their relationship suffers considerable strain because of their differing opinions about what constitutes ‘art’. Yvan, caught in the middle of the conflict, tries to please and mollify both.

Based on the original production by Matthew Warchus, ART is directed by Ellie Jones and produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers.

David Pugh said: “It is 20 years since Dafydd [Rogers] and I first produced the comedy masterpiece ART in the West End, and the original post-London tour played for 78 weeks. This time, we want to break our own record; in fact, we want to play as many theatres as Sir Ken Dodd played in his wonderful career. With this marvelous cast, we think we have every chance!”

ART is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 April 2018

Tickets are on sale now priced at £14 (RV) to £38.50

(prices include a £3 booking fee. Postage charge £1 where applicable)

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Hull Girl to Appear in Acclaimed Opera

Skelton Hooper Dancer to appear as Joy in Madama Butterfly at Hull New Theatre

Ellen Kent’s award-winning production of Madama Butterfly returns to Hull New Theatre on 28 March and as always Ellen is making it a community affair with one lucky student from the Skelton Hooper School of Dance and Theatre taking on the role of Sorrow in this exquisite production of Puccini’s masterpiece.

Elicia, aged 3 from Hull, will appear opposite Maria Hee Jung Kim from the National Opera, Seoul, Korea who sings the tragic Cio-Cio San. After being seduced and then deserted by Lieutenant Pinkerton and being shunned by her family and friends, Cio-Cio San names her child Sorrow, ever hopeful that Pinkerton will return so she can rename the child Joy. However when Pinkerton finally does return with his new American wife, Cio-Cio San ends up taking her own life, racked with despair over his betrayal.

Elicia’s mother Suzanne said: “Elicia is really looking forward to being in the opera. She has been reciting her lines every day and has recently done a ballet solo performance so she’s not nervous. She is a very confident and bubbly child; she loves dancing and being the centre of attention”.

Limited tickets for Madama Butterfly are still available. Book at the Hull City Hall Box Office, call 01482 300 306 or visit www.hulltheatres.co.uk.