Author: FairyPoweredProductions

New Wimbledon Theatre – until 28 July 2018

Reviewed by Sabrina Fancy

4****

Transferring the success of a successful animated film to the live stage has not always been a successful feat, so I was curious how the much-loved Dream Works’s film Madagascar would work on stage.

The story remains the same as the film. Set in a New York zoo, the story follows four zoo animals – Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo who escape and by accident find themselves on the African island of Madagascar. Surrounded by a horde of wild animals, Alex the Lion finds his more primitive instincts return.

Matt Terry who was the winner of X Factor 2016, made his acting debut as the lead role of Alex the Lion. He was energetic and showcased exactly why he won the coveted X Factor title.

Timmika Ramsay also delivers a solid performance as Gloria, while Antoine Murray-Straughan’s rapping, reminded me so much of Chris Rock’s character of Marty from the film and had great comedic timing.

We particularly enjoyed Jo Parsons’ who played the hilarious lemur King Julien with his brilliant performance of ‘I like to move it move it,’ which was made more contemporary by the use of flossing which the audience went wild for.

The costumes were absolutely brilliant and the set design, bright and enchanting. The use of puppetry for the penguins, monkey and lemurs contributed to the comic mood and magic of the evening.

The cast must be commended for such an energetic performance with aplomb, considering the costumes they were in and the fact that it was the hottest evening of the year.

My biggest critique of the show was that it lasted only 100 minutes including a 20 – minute interval, which left my children and I wanting more!

I give Madagascar the Musical 4 stars and highly recommend it, because of its appeal for children and adults. It’s a perfect evening out during the summer break.

Madagascar The Musical is at the New Wimbledon Theatre until 28th July, then touring.

Theatre N16 @ The Styx – until 2 August

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

The Ballad of Reading Gaol isn’t Oscar Wilde’s most cheerful work, and Proforca’s new production explores the darkness and inhumanity of prison life with a stark and stylish flair.

The audience are led into the theatre and stand for a mock role call as the 5 prisoners are called forward and then sit around the bleak concrete stage in near darkness. As the play develops, the sense of being in the prison yard or cells is created by expertly designed lighting effects, with the cast using torches to evoke prison bars, chinks of light and campfires. The slamming of doors and random disturbing sounds also add to the claustrophobic atmosphere.

Director David Brady keeps the cast of five moving as they recite Wilde’s poem, portraying the monotonous exercise and labour of Victorian prisons to the simple balladeer rhythm, but the words are most affecting when they sit amongst the audience and recite – those moments of stillness allowing the despair and beauty of Wilde’s words to soar through the darkness as he contemplates the dehumanisation and brutality of prison. The additional material written by Catrin Keeler, Simon Marshall, James Lewis and Erin Read break up the tale of the Wilde’s soldier waiting for execution with monologues from prisoners. Monster (James Vincent), Guardian (Malcolm Jeffries), Human (Nic James), Innocent (Miles Parker) and Hero (Nick Cope) all explore themes from Wilde’s poem with a 21st century sensibility. The cast all impress, but the writing is variable, with standout moments from Malcolm Jeffries’ disjointed and desperate pleading for human company as he collects the names of fellow prisoners on his body, and Miles Parker’s devastating portrayal of a simple country lad imprisoned for a crime he didn’t commit. Nic Cope’s monologue is a final howl into the darkness full of defiance and hope for a future free from oppression that Wilde would applaud.

There is a lot to admire in this atmospheric production, with some great performances and exciting new writing. Reading Gaol is powerful and thought-provoking, and well worth a look.

DINBURGH BINGE

DELIVEROO ANNOUNCES FOOD DELIVERIES WITH A SIDE OF SOLILOQUY

 

• Trained actors will perform “Ham-let: To Eat or Not To Eat”
• Customers simply need to add #edinburghbinge to their order notes
• Activity will be raising money for Bedlam Theatre Company

Edinburgh – July 2018: During this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, diners’ doorsteps will be transformed into stages for the very first time.

Deliveroo orders will be manned in the Scottish capital by actors who will perform a Shakespearean inspired monologue – written by Scotland-based actor Adam Butler – HAM-let’s To Eat or Not to Eat.

Simply by writing #EdinburghBinge within the notes of their order, diners are in with a chance of receiving a personal performance of the specially commissioned play – at no extra cost.

The production will be performed by the Bedlam Theatre Company – a unique, entirely student run theatre in the centre of Edinburgh. Any tips given to the actors will go towards supporting the group in putting on over 40 shows a year.

An excerpt from To Eat or Not to Eat:* “It’s just too much to bear, /  To grunt and sweat under a hungry mouth, /
But then the dread I fear with bated breath, / The undiscovered offer, 2 for 1 /
No extra topping charge, puzzles the will / And makes us rather bear those bills we have / Than fly to others that we know not of?”

 

Joe Groves at Deliveroo said: “Edinburgh is known for its sell out shows across the city during Fringe and we don’t want anyone to miss out. Immersive dining is so popular, we thought why can’t we deliver drama as well as mouth-watering meals to enhance the dining experience for our customers.”

Live Theatre’s season until March 2019 announced and on sale

 

New plays by writers including Roddy Doyle, Paul Sirett, Ishy Din and Alex Oates

 

Live Theatre has announced its new season through to March 2019. Highlights include the British Premiere of Two Pints, a hilarious and provocative play by Irish writer Roddy Doyle. Having started as a conversation on Facebook that gained a large following, Roddy Doyle brought the two characters to life in a play, in which two men meet in a pub for a pint, chew the fat, and set the world to rights.

Roddy Doyle said

“When I wrote Two Pints, I didn’t envisage it being performed in a pub, but it is part of the adventure. This new play is being put on in a context that is unfamiliar to me – that excites me.”

Joe Douglas, Artistic Director, Live Theatre, said:

“We are delighted to host the British debut of Roddy Doyle’s comedy Two Pints, that has been a sell-out success across Ireland. We look forward to bringing it to audiences in Newcastle and Sunderland, in partnership with Sunderland Culture and as part of the Culture Ireland GB programme. The show is usually performed in pubs, so at Live Theatre, the bar is returning into the main theatre space. Audiences can get a pint, pull up a chair and listen in to the conversation at the bar. In Sunderland, we are delighted to have the perfect pub-setting ready-made in the beautifully restored Peacock pub on Keel Square. Wherever you see Two Pints expect big laughs and good craic.”

 

Following its second tour performing in pubs across Ireland, this Abbey Theatre Production comes to Live Theatre (Wednesday 12 to Sunday 23 September), and The Peacock Pub, Sunderland (Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 September).

This autumn see the World Premiere of Clear White Light, a modern gothic story, and the first play at Live Theatre to be directed by it’s new Artistic Director, Joe Douglas. Written by Olivier Award nominated writer Paul Sirett, Clear White Light is a modern retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher and set against the backdrop of cuts to the 70-year-old NHS, with the songs of Lindisfarne. Inspired by Alan Hull’s time working at psychiatric nurse at St Nicholas’ hospital in Gosforth, the play features many of the hit songs he wrote at that time, including Winter Song, Lady Eleanor and Clear White Light played by a live band. The show’s musical directors are Billy Mitchell and Ray Laidlaw, also of the band Lindisfarne.

Ray Laidlaw said:

‘’We’ve been working with the wonderfully creative team at Live Theatre for a long time, searching for the perfect vehicle for Alan’s great songs which doesn’t rely on cliché. Clear White Light is just that – it’s fresh and inventive, and I’m sure it’ll introduce Alan’s music to a whole new audience.”

Billy Mitchell added:

“Alan was profoundly touched by his time at St. Nick’s, caring for people with mental health issues. The music he wrote around then – often while on duty – has stood the test of time. Unfortunately the NHS hasn’t fared so well, something Clear White Light addresses head-on.”

The play was originally commissioned by Max Roberts, Live Theatre’s Emeritus Artistic Director, and Max and Joe will work closely together to bring the show to life. Clear White Light premieres at Live Theatre from Saturday 18 October to Saturday 10 November.

Live Theatre’s collaboration with Open Clasp continues with the World Premiere of don’t forget the birds, the follow up to the award-winning Key Change, telling the true story of a mother and daughter after release from prison. The mother was one of the original collaborators on Key Change, now released, and this first-hand account written by Catrina McHugh MBE and directed by Laura Lindow, picks up on their story and tells how prison took a mother from a daughter and their heart lifting journey to find each other again. Featuring both women as themselves, don’t forget the birds is at Live Theatre from Tuesday 20 to Saturday 24 November before touring nationally.

Christmas Crackers is Live Theatre’s alternative Christmas offering, of four new plays in one evening celebrating this special time of year, with a wry twist. Written up by and coming writers Tamsin Daisy-Rees, Olivia Hannah, Henry Lawrence and Jamie Morren who have been selected as Live Theatre’s Associate Artists this year. Catch Christmas Crackers from Thursday 13 to Saturday 22 December.

Graeme Thompson, Creative Producer, Live Theatre said

“Tamsin, Olivia, Henry and Jamie will all give their individual take on a Christmas play. Don’t expect a traditional nativity or a panto, but be prepared for laughter, turkey, tears and sarcasm. They will follow in the footsteps of Nina Berry who wrote her hit play The Terminal Velocity of Snowflakes when she was a Live Theatre Associate Artist, which debuted in its original form as a short play in Live Theatre’s alternative Christmas show in 2015.”

Set in the North of England in the aftermath of Margaret Thatcher’s death, two old friends go into the taxi business together in Approaching Empty written by Stockton based writer, and former cab driver, Ishy Din. This brand new co-production between Live Theatre, Tamasha and Kiln Theatre is at Live Theatre from Wednesday 6 to Saturday 23 February 2019.

Five performers from across the globe challenge notions of ‘home’ in Where We Began on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 September.

Bismillah! (an Isis Tragicomedy) which follows Dean who joins the Army and Danny who joins the Islamic State, comes to Live Theatre for two performances on Saturday 29 September following critically acclaimed sell-out runs in Edinburgh and London.

Inspired by real music fan confessions, Fans (Wednesday 3 to Saturday 6 October) written by Nina Berry, is part gig and part theatre crammed full of classic hits and original tunes. Also from company The Six Twenty there are two Mixtape shows, which mix sketch show with music quiz, Mixtape Timehop (Thursday 30 August to Saturday 1 September) and Mixtape Xmas (Wednesday 5 to Saturday 8 December).

It’s Different For Girls, a brand new musical inspired by Mandy & The Girlfriends, Hull’s own 1960s girl band, comes to Live Theatre from Tuesday 13 to Thursday 15 November.

Alex Oates’s hit play Silk Road (How To Buy Drugs Online) returns to Live Theatre from Tuesday 27 November to Saturday 1 December following its sell out run earlier this year, and a West End transfer.

Theo Ancient (Albus Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) stars in The Shy Manifesto, a bittersweet comedy drama about a boy who is fed up of being told to come out of his shell, on Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 30 January 2019.

Mark Thomas takes a comedic look at the NHS at 70 based on a series of interviews with leading experts in Check Up: Our NHS@70 from Tuesday 5 to Thursday 7 March 2019.

Sparkplug, written by David Judge, is an exploration of family, race, identity and love performed between Thursday 14 to Saturday 16 March.

There’s another great line-up of live music presented by Jumpin’ Hot Club plus the chance to get involved with new creative opportunities, including the Introduction to Playwriting Course and Write Here, Write Now writing course for young people of colour aged 16-25 both led by Live Theatre’s new writer in residence Chinonyerem Odinba, and for young people aged 11 to 25 to join Live Theatre’s award-winning Live Youth Theatre as its prepares for its 21^st birthday year in 2019.

For more information and tickets call Live Theatre’s Box Office on (0191) 232 1232 or seewww.live.org.uk.

NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE
ANNOUNCES FULL 2018 SEASON

• NYT TODAY ANNOUNCES ITS SUMMER/AUTUMN 2018 SEASON
  WHICH INCLUDES WORK IN LONDON, ACROSS THE UK AND
  INTERNATIONALLY
  
• A NEW AUDITION ACCESS FUND, SUPPORTED BY NYT ALUMNUS
  AND PATRON HUGH BONNEVILLE, WILL PROVIDE FREE SUPPORT
  FOR SCHOOLS AND YOUTH GROUPS WHICH HAVE LOST DRAMA
  PROVISION
  
• THE NYT REP COMPANY RETURNS FOR A SIXTH YEAR THIS AUTUMN
  WITH THE WORLD PREMIERE OF VICTORIA’S KNICKERS DIRECTED
  BY NED BENNETT AND PRODUCTIONS OF EVAN PLACEY’S
  CONSENSUAL AND A GENDER FLUID MACBETH AT THE SOHO
  THEATRE AND GARRICK THEATRE RESPECTIVELY
  
• SUMMER PROGRAMME AT THE CRITERION THEATRE SEES
  FACEBOOK SCANDAL EXPLORED IN NEW PLAY F-OFF, DIRECTED BY
  PAUL ROSEBY, AND PREMIERE OF SOPHIE ELLERBY’S FUNCTION
  
• CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED ADAPTATION OF MOHSIN HAMID’S MAN
  BOOKER SHORTLISTED NOVEL THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST
  DIRECTED BY PRASANNA PUWANARAJAH WILL RUN AT
  EDINBURGH FESTIVAL IN AUGUST AFTER BRADFORD LITERATURE
  FESTIVAL RUN
  
• SOCIAL INCLUSION COURSE ‘PLAYING UP’ TO STAGE TORTOISE BY
  MARK WEINMAN AT THE BUNKER THEATRE, DIRECTED BY MATT
  HARRISON FROM 11-14 JULY
  
• NEW COMMISSIONS BY PLAYWRIGHTS ASIF KHAN, RACHEL DELAHAY,
  LUKE BARNES AND NESSAH MUTHY TO BE DEVELOPED AND
  PREMIERED AROUND THE UK INCLUDING IN BIRMINGHAM AND
  SKELMERSDALE
  
• KAREN TURNER ANNOUNCED AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
  
• NYT CONTINUES TO EXPAND ITS OUTREACH INTERNATIONALLY IN
  WORLD PREMIERE OF FLOOD CO-PRODUCED WITH THE HONG
  KONG YOUTH ARTS FOUNDATION
  
• LAUNCH OF FIRST DIGITAL STORYTELLING COURSE IN
  PARTNERSHIP WITH CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS AND NEW
  ALTERNATE REALITY SHOW IN DEVELOPMENT AT MEGAVERSE XR
  THEATRE LAB IN SHEFFIELD
  
• TICKETS GO ON-SALE AT WWW.NYT.ORG.UK FROM 11 JULY

Paul Roseby OBE, Artistic Director and Chief Executive of the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) has today announced the summer and autumn season of work for 2018

Founded in 1956, the NYT is the UK’s leading youth arts organisation and is recognised as the leading provider of free alternatives to formal theatre training, with alumni including Dame Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Chiwetel Ejiofor CBE, Rosamund Pike and Sir Daniel Day Lewis. Paul Roseby has been at the helm of the organisation for the past 15 years and last month received the OBE in recognition of services to drama and young people in the Queen’s 2018 Birthday Honours. Throughout his tenure he has facilitated over 150,000 creative educational opportunities for young people, established financial sustainability for thecharity, championed diversity and launched numerous new programmes to successfully support and showcase the best young talent in the arts. As part of the NYT’s ongoing commitment to outreach and access, today also marks the launch of NYT’s new Auditions  Access Fund, supported by NYT Alumnus and Patron Hugh Bonneville, which will grant £37,500 over three years to fund free preparation workshops, auditions and bursaries at 30 schools and youth groups around Great Britain which have cut drama provision

Paul Roseby OBE said:

“As opportunities for young people to engage in drama in schools have sadly decreased, the demand for National Youth Theatre opportunities are up and we’re responding to that by working in more venues around the country than ever before this year. Whilst this puts increased pressure on fundraising, we’re grateful to all those enabling this expansion, not least our generous Patron and alumnus Hugh Bonneville who is supporting a new free auditions initiative around Great Britain. At far reaching venues from King’s Lynn to Edinburgh, we’ll also be developing and staging wide-reaching new content, responding directly to the #MeToo movement, disenfranchised working-class northern voices and the impact of social media on mental health, all wrapped up with a dob of wit, grit and brave storytelling.”

NYT Patron and alumnus Hugh Bonneville said:

“The chance for young people to explore their creative talents is essential for their development. For some, taking part in drama can inspire a career in the creative industries; for all, it provides invaluable skills, building confidence in communication and self-expression. The decline of drama in schools and cuts to local youth theatre groups is a reality, which is why I am establishing the NYT Audition Access Fund. This initiative will give young talent in specially selected areas of the country where access to drama is under threat the chance to audition for and experience the National Youth Theatre for free. Becoming a member of the NYT changed my life and I’m delighted to be playing my part in
giving the next generation a similar opportunity.”

NYT REP SEASON 2018

The 2018 summer and autumn programme includes the sixth annual REP season, featuring the world premiere of Victoria’s Knickers by NYT alumnus Josh Azouz (Buggy Baby) directed by Ned Bennett (An Octoroon, Pomona, Buggy Baby, Yen). The play was developed as part of NYT’s 2017 summer Epic Stages course. Following its 2015 premiere, the REP also stages Writer’s Guild Award winner Evan Placey’s Consensual directed by Pia Furtado exploring teenage testosterone, teacher-pupil relationships and the age of consent in the UK. Victoria’s Knickers and Consensual will this year take place at Soho Theatre (22 October – 10 November) following five successful seasons at the Ambassadors Theatre. The REP Company will then perform a gender fluid version of Macbeth, at the Garrick Theatre abridged by Moira Buffini and directed by Natasha Nixon, running from 20 November to 7 December. In January the REP will present a fourth production, directed by the newly appointed 2018 Bryan Forbes Bursary Director Meghan Doyle (coDirector of The Letter Room and recently Assistant Director for East is East – Northern Stage/Nottingham Playhouse and James and the Giant Peach – Northern Stage)

The NYT REP is inspired by the traditional repertory theatre model and was set up by Paul Roseby in 2012 to provide a much-needed free alternative to expensive formal training whilst  embracing the best and diverse young talent to work with leading institutions culminating in three productions in London theatres. This year, 56% of the REP Company are actors of colour and over half come from low-income backgrounds. 25% of actors in this year’s REP Company are Asian, two of whom are from East Asian backgrounds

REP alumni include Sope Dirisu, recently seen in the Young Vic’s The Brothers Size and in the title role of the RSC’s Coriolanus for which he was nominated for the 2018 Ian Charleston Award alongside fellow REP alumna Hannah Morrish, nominated for her portrayal of Lavinia in the RSC’s Titus Andronicus

Meghan Doyle, 2018 Bryan Forbes Bursary Director, said: “As a working-class female director living in the North East you can imagine that opportunities to work in theatre are scarce, and so it is without exaggeration that this Bursary is life-changing for me.”

SUMMER PROGRAMME

The NYT’s summer and autumn programme follows a successful spring season attracting large young audiences for James Fritz’s The Fall and Dennis Kelly’s DNA at Southwark Playhouse, and The Host by Nessah Muthy at St James’s Church Piccadilly. In London, the 2018 summer programme at the Criterion Theatre sees the Facebook generation put the social network on trial in F-Off a new part-devised/ part-scripted play created by NYT’s Artistic Director Paul Roseby, writer Tatty Hennessy and the NYT Company. A cast of 30 will interrogate the highs and lows of Facebook, acting as judge and jury as they delve into the darkest depths of social media (20 August). This will be followed by Function (17 September) a new play about female liberation by up-and-coming writer Sophie Ellerby whose debut play Three was commissioned by NYT at the Arcola Theatre last year and who has since had new work staged at the 2017 HighTide Festival in Walthamstow. It will be directed by Lynette Linton, who was nominated for Best Director at the Stage Debut Awards in 2017

This year NYT have launched a new partnership with Diverse City, focussing on its programme to become more accessible to young disabled actors. The programme includes new initiatives, with every pupil at Highshore School, a special educational needs school in Southwark, taking part in a free NYT workshop. NYT Associate Artists will also receive free training from Diverse City on best inclusive practices

On 10 and 11 August NYT members will take to the National Theatre’s River Stage with the UK’s leading professional circus company, Extraordinary Bodies, (a partnership between Diverse City and Cirque Bijou). Thirty NYT members and Associate Artists will perform with 15 young disabled actors from Highshore School as part of the Community Choir of Extraordinary Bodies’ ground breaking new show, What Am I Worth?

In 2019 the programme will see the NYT deliver relaxed accessible auditions with partners including Highshore School in Southwark and Diverse City in Dorset

PLAYING UP – SOCIAL INCLUSION COURSE

NYT’s social inclusion course ‘Playing Up’ returns in 2018 with the brand new play Tortoise by Mark Weinman, which delves into virtual reality and escapism and the pressures to succeed, at the Bunker Theatre from 11-14 July and directed by 2014 Bryan Forbes Assistant Directors Bursary recipient Matt Harrison (The Fall, Southwark Playhouse)

Now in its tenth year, the course, for 19 – 24 year olds not in full time education, employment or training, creates productions and commissions new work. It has an 85% success rate of moving young people into higher education, further training or employment

Recent alumni of Playing Up include Ria Zmitrowicz, one of the leads in the BBC’s Three Girls which won best mini-series at the 2018 BAFTAs, as well as Seraphina Beh who won Best Emerging Actress Award at the IARA Awards 2017

NATIONAL PROGRAMME

This year, NYT expands nationwide with a series of new play commissions, free workshops and festival appearances. Having received its world premiere in 2016, followed by a critically acclaimed run at The Yard in 2017, Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist will be performed at Edinburgh Festival (14 – 26 August) following its recent appearance at the Bradford Literature Festival. Adapted by Stephanie Street (Sisters) and directed by Prasanna Puwanarajah (recently seen in Doctor Foster and Patrick Melrose) the production looks at the ironies of prejudice and representation in a post 9/11 New York

NYT has also commissioned four acclaimed playwrights to develop work which reflects the issues facing different areas of the country. In Bradford, Asif Khan’s new comedy Imaan Imran will follow the story of an actor-turned-Imaan; in Birmingham Rachel De-Lahay will develop The Hole, a new play about taboo; in Skelmersdale, Luke Barnes will write Lost Boys New Town a play about masculinity in post-industrial towns directed by Zoe Lafferty (The Host) and Nessah Muthy has written new play The Cure which explores issues around disability

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMME

As one of the pioneering organisations for youth arts globally, NYT will continue to expand its international outreach working with Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation (HKYAF) on the world premiere of Flood by Rory Mullarkey, directed by NYT Associate Artist Joel Scott. NYT makes its Hong Kong debut with the dystopian work Flood, a NYT commission staged in a collaborative production with HKYAF and ArtisTree. A bold and visceral telling of what happens when land turns to water, the performance featuring young talent from HKYAF combines elements of contemporary physical theatre, music and voice, Cantonese song, and video imagery.

Performances will run from 20 to 22 September 2018

PILOT DIGITAL STORYTELLING SCHEME AND MEGAVERSE XR THEATRE
LAB IN SHEFFIELD

NYT will also be launching a brand new Digital Storytelling course this summer, in collaboration with Central Saint Martins. The course, led by NYT Digital Associate Ben Carlin, will explore the ways in which virtual reality and digital technologies can be utilised for theatrical storytelling. The one-week London-based programme aims to discover and develop a new generation of digital theatrical talent.

The course is open to 15 to 25 year olds and runs from 27 August – 1 September.

A new production exploring the relationship between artificial and emotional intelligence will be developed with Digital Associate Ben Carlin and director Sean Hollands (DNA) at the MEGAVERSE XR Theatre Lab in Sheffield, as part of a R&D project exploring how to extend the corporeal immediacy and humanity of live performance through burgeoning immersive technology

FUNDING

As well as the NYT Audition Access Fund supported by Hugh Bonneville, the last 12 months has seen major supporters the David Pearlman Charitable Foundation and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation increase their support. New major supporters from the last year include the Pureland Foundation who are supporting NYT’s new writing for three years and the L&Q Foundation, a major new supporter of the Playing Up programme and its tour of Snakes and
Ladders by Rebecca Manley to London schools. NYT’s annual fundraising gala dinner Putting On the Blitz Kids in association with EON Productions will take place on Monday 26 November at Café De Paris. NYT’s President Barbara Broccoli will chair the event committee

 

 

The Great Gatsby becomes the longest
running immersive production in the UK
Gatsby’s Drugstore, 84 Long Lane, Borough, London SE1 4AU
Now running until Monday 31st December 2018

This summer, The Great Gatsby has become the longest running immersive production in the UK. The Guild of Misrule’s extraordinary retelling of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic novel continues to invite audiences into the decadent world of 1920s jazz and excess. It has now extended to run until the end of the year

This unique immersive theatrical experience has proved immensely popular and, by public demand, has continually extended since it first opened Gatsby’s Drugstore on 1st June 2017. This longevity has seen the show encounter new challenges, maintaining a strong presence at the forefront of the development of immersive theatre, and becoming one of the industry leaders in finding ways to
allow this ever-changing genre to continue to grow

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 journey of this production has been remarkable. The following year the show ran again in York 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 the august surroundings of Castle Howard in North Yorkshire. All while the show has played night after night in London,
inviting audiences in to the hedonistic world of F Scott Fitzgerald’s extraordinary tale

With this long run has come some incredible facts. Since first opening its doors, The Great Gatsby cast and audiences have: said 11,076,000 scripted words in the drugstore, served 52,555 shots of gin, used 2114 meters of cable, said ‘Old Sport’ 9,088 times, drunk 2,176 bottles of champagne, held 284 performances in the drugstore and 525 performances worldwide, been watched by 38,000 plus people and 75,000 plus people worldwide, contributed £303,323.67 in taxes to the economy by London run, spent 598.5 hours of stage time at Gatsby’s Drugstore, been on stage for 1,102.5 hours in total, employed 64 people (32 female, 32 male)

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 this seminal jazz-age story puts the audience at the heart of the action

Producer Brian Hook comments, Whenever we make a show at The Guild of Misrule, we look tell a story in the most exciting and visceral way possible. With our iteration of The Great Gatsby, the plan was simple: take the rich fusion of dancing, sex, lust, hate, passion and greed, hot jazz and a never quenched thirst for excess, and then explode that narrative over an entire building. Gatsby has proved itself to be a phenomenon, inviting our audiences directly in to an experience, something they can get dressed up and throw themselves into, and we are damn proud of every audience member who accepts Mr Gatsby’s invitation to join his little parties. For us, creating work is always about how to best tell incredible stories, and how to invite our audiences in to the heart of that world. The Great Gatsby has proved to be an incredible invitation

Since opening its secret door in December 2015, across the roof of an empty pub in York, the Gatsby phenomenon has kept growing and growing, and shows no sign of slowing down

[…] the conviction of the acting, the quality of the music and the frenetic explosions of flapper dancing distil the spirit of the book like liquor in a prohibition-era teapot. (Guardian, ★★★★)

Churchill Theatre Bromley – until Saturday 28 July 2018

Reviewed by Elizabeth J Smith

5*****

From West End to Rainbow Tour

Evita first opened in the West End in 1978, 40 years ago, and made a star of Elaine Paige. It tells the story of a poor illegitimate child, Eva Duarte, who dreamed of stardom, she achieved more than anyone would imagine.

After leaving home and arriving in Buenos Aires she forges a career as an actress and radio star. After a devastating earthquake hits the town of San Juan, Eva attends a charity concert and meets, the also ambitious, Colonel Juan Domingo Peron. Together they rise through the military and social ranks to become Argentina’s President and First Lady.

Eva’s philanthropy earned her the love of the people, while behind the scenes she was feathering her own nest by laundering money through her charity. Her life was cut short at the age of 33 when she died of cancer. She remains, more than a half a century after her death, an icon.

Lucy O’Byrne did a superb job portraying this champion of the people, her excellent vocal range and superb diction meant you could follow the story with ease. Her acting skills also left you in not doubt that there was an ambitious side to Eva, using any method to get ahead or dismiss any rival in her way without a second glance. Her rendition of Don’t Cry for me Argentina stirred real emotion from the audience, combined with the beautiful gown she wore and the simple set made this a show stopper moment.

Mike sterling who played Eva’s husband and president of Argentina Juan Peron, also delivered a stunning performance. With his deep velvety vocals and reserved military feel, his performance only proved how different the characters were and why their relationship was often frowned upon. I’d be so good for you demonstrating how their symbiotic relationship served them both.

Che, the narrator of the story, played by Glenn Carter, open with Oh what a circus expresses his disdain for the couple. Glenn’s facial expressions and reactions as the story unfolds left you in no doubt how Che felt about the situation.

Christina Hoey, the mistress, performed Another Suitcase In Another Hall with such emotion it made my spine tingle. Beautifully sung Oscar Balmaseda, Magaldi, portrayed the slightly seedy night club singer with style and humour.
The company created all the sections of society, upper classes, lower classes and military with excellent choreography by Bill Deamer, with the regimented movement of the military, the stiffness of the upper classes and the Tango feel of the people.

The show moved at a great pace, with effortless scene changes and wonderful costumes. The whole performance evoked real emotion from the audience.
Eva Peron’s fear was that she would be forgotten but while Evita can enthral audiences as this one did her name will live on.

KING’S HEAD THEATRE’S

REVIVAL OF KEVIN ELYOT’S FIRST PLAY

COMING CLEAN

TRANSFERS TO LONDON’S WEST END NEXT YEAR

PLAYING TRAFALGAR STUDIOS 2

FROM 9 JANUARY TO 2 FEBRUARY 2019

NATIONAL PRESS NIGHT FRIDAY 11 JANUARY 2019

 

The King’s Head Theatre, Making Productions Limited and Joe C Brown are delighted to announce the West End transfer of Kevin Elyot’s Coming Clean. Adam Spreadbury-Maher, Artistic Director of the King’s Head Theatre, will direct the production, which will run at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 9 January to 2 February 2019, with a national press night on Friday 11 January 2019.

In 2017, Adam Spreadbury-Maher directed the 35^th anniversary production and the first London revival of Coming Clean, Kevin Elyot’s first play.  The play premiered at the Bush Theatre on 3 November 1982. Coming Clean looks at the breakdown of a gay couple’s relationship and examines complex questions of fidelity and love.

The play is set in a flat in Kentish Town, north London, in 1982.  Struggling writer Tony and his partner of five years, Greg, seem to have the perfect relationship.  Committed and in love, they are both open to one-night stands as long as they don’t impinge on the relationship.  But Tony is starting to yearn for something deeper, something more like monogamy.  When he finds out that Greg has been having a full-blown affair with their cleaner, Robert, their differing attitudes towards love and commitment become clear.

In his foreword to Kevin Elyot: Four Plays (Nick Hern Books, 2004), Elyot writes, “From 1976 to 1984 I’d acted in several productions at the Bush Theatre, and Simon Stokes, one of the artistic directors, had casually suggested I try my hand at a play.  I presented them with a script entitled Cosy, which was passed on to their literary manager Sebastian Born.  He responded favourably and, largely through his support, it finally opened on 3 November 1982 under the [new] title Coming Clean.”

Written 12 years before his most famous play, My Night With Reg, Coming Clean won Elyot the Samuel Beckett Award for writers showing particular promise in the field of the performing arts.

Theatre critic Michael Coveney wrote of Elyot in his obituary for The Guardian in 2014, “In writing about the human heart and the art of living… Elyot transcended categorisation and produced a small body of stage plays that will reward revival, and not just as period pieces.”  Coveney goes on to describe Coming Clean as “an elegiac play about sexual relationships at a time when Aids was still a barely credible rumour in Britain, but there was a sense of foreboding in the final scene.” 

Director Adam Spreadbury-Maher (recent King’s Head Theatre productions include the European premiere of Tommy Murphy’s Strangers in Between, La Bohème and Trainspotting) will be joined by set designer Amanda Mascarenhas (An Unknown Place, Ovalhouse Theatre, 2016) and lighting designer Nic Farman (Shock Treatment, La Bohème, Così fan tutte, Madam Butterfly, and F*cking Men for the King’s Head Theatre). 

Coming Clean is being produced in the West End by Kings Head Theatre, Making Productions Limited and Joe C Brown.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

9 January – 2 February 2019

Trafalgar Studios 2

14 Whitehall

London

SW1A 2DY

Performances: Monday-Saturday 7.45pm*, Thursday & Saturday 3pm (*7pm on Friday 11 January)

Ticket Prices: from £25 (previews: all tickets £15)

 

Box Office: 0844 871 7632

 

Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/trafalgar-studios

‎Twitter: @KingsHeadThtr

Facebook: www.facebook.com/kingsheadtheatre

Instagram: @kingsheadtheatre

 

A Royal & Derngate, Northampton, Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Northern Stage co-production in association with Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse

WORLD PREMIÈRE
The Lovely Bones
By Alice Sebold
Adapted by Bryony Lavery
Directed by Melly Still

 

• ALICE SEBOLD’S GLOBAL BEST-SELLING BOOK, THE LOVELY BONES, IS BROUGHT TO LIFE ON STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME

• THE LOVELY BONES RECEIVES ITS WORLD PREMIÈRE IN A CO-PRODUCTION BETWEEN BIRMINGHAM REPERTORY THEATRE, ROYAL & DERNGATE  AND NORTHERN STAGE IN ASSOCIATION WITH LIVERPOOL EVERYMAN & PLAYHOUSE

• ADAPTED BY BRYONY LAVERY, DIRECTED BY MELLY STILL AND COMMISSIONED BY BIRMINGHAM REPERTORY THEATRE

• DESIGNED BY ANA INÉS JABARES-PITA WITH ORIGINAL MUSIC COMPOSED BY DAVE PRICE, LIGHTING DESIGN BY MATT HASKINS AND SOUND DESIGN BY HELEN SKIERA

• CHARLOTTE BEAUMONT TO PLAY SUSIE SALMON, IN A CAST INCLUDING PETE ASHMORE, EMILY BEVAN, BHAWNA BHAWSAR, SUSAN BOVELL, NATASHA COTTRIALL, KEITH DUNPHY, KARAN GILL, JACK SANDLE AND AYOOLA SMART

The full cast and creative team have been confirmed for the world première of The Lovely Bones, one of the best-selling novels of the 21^st century. Adapted for the stage by Bryony Lavery from Alice Sebold’s story and directed by Melly Still, it will open at Royal & Derngate, Northampton on 1 September 2018 before transferring to partner theatres Everyman Liverpool, Northern Stage, Newcastle and Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The show will also tour to The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich.

Alice Sebold’s coming-of-age tale captured the hearts of readers throughout the world when it was first published in 2002. An unforgettable story about life after loss, The Lovely Bones achieved critical acclaim and became an international best-seller. It won the Indies Choice Book Award for Adult Fiction 2003.

The Lovely Bones tells the story of young Susie Salmon, who is just like any other girl. She wants to be beautiful, adores her charm bracelet and has a crush on a boy from school. There’s one big difference though – Susie is dead. Susie can only observe while her family cope with their grief in their different ways. Her father, Jack, is obsessed with identifying the killer. Her mother, Abigail, is desperate to create a different life for herself. And her sister, Lindsay, is discovering the opposite sex with experiences that Susie will never know. Susie is desperate to help them and there might be a way of reaching them.

In the 10-strong ensemble cast, the part of Susie Salmon will be played by Charlotte Beaumont, well known for her role as Chloe Latimer in TV series Broadchurch, with recent theatre credits includingThree Winters at the National Theatre. Jack Salmon will be played by Jack Sandle (War Horse, National Theatre; Running Wild, UK tour), Emily Bevan (The Haunting of Hill House, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse) as Abigail Salmon, with Ayoola Smart (Othello, Unicorn Theatre; The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare’s Globe) as sister Lindsay. Kevin Dunphy (The Rivals, Bristol Old Vic) takes the role of Mr Harvey. The cast is completed by Pete Ashmore as Len Fenerman/Samuel, Bhawna Bhawsar as Ruana Singh/Franny, Susan Bovell as Lynn/Cop/Mrs Flanagan, Natasha Cottriall as Ruth Connors/Buckley Salmon and Karan Gill as Ray Singh/Principal Caden.

Playwright Bryony Lavery’s acclaimed work includes the Tony Award-nominated Frozen (revived in the West End in spring this year), Stockholm (Frantic Assembly), Kursk (Young Vic) and Beautiful Burnout (National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly). Her other adaptations include A Christmas Carol (Birmingham Repertory Company), Treasure Island (National Theatre), Brideshead Revisited (York Theatre Royal/ETT) and most recently Brighton Rock (Pilot Theatre).

Bringing The Lovely Bones to life on stage is director Melly Still, whose credits include the acclaimed Olivier and Tony Award-nominated production of Coram Boy (National Theatre and Broadway), My Beautiful Friend (Rose Theatre Kingston) and several recent productions for Glyndebourne, the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

The production is designed by Ana Inés Jabares-Pita whose credits include Wish List (Royal Exchange and Royal Court) and The Driver’s Seat (National Theatre of Scotland), with lighting design by Matt Haskins (Death of a Salesman, Royal & Derngate UK tour; Turn of the Screw, Opera North), sound design by Helen Skiera (Instructions for Correct Assembly, Bodies, Royal Court) and movement direction by Mike Ashcroft (The Christmas Truce, Henry IV parts 1 & 2, RSC). Music will be composed by Dave Price whose original scores include From Morning to Midnight (National Theatre) and Cymbeline (RSC).

#LovelyBones18

 

Listings Information:

Royal & Derngate, Guildhall Road, Northampton NN1 1DP
National Press Night: Friday 7 September at 7.45pm
Dates: Saturday 1 to Saturday 22 September 2018
Times: Evenings 7.45pm (except Wednesday 5 September 7pm)
Matinees – Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm (excl. Saturday 1 September)
No performances on Sundays
Tickets: From £11*
Box Office:  01604 624811 or online at www.royalandderngate.co.uk
* A charge of £3 applies for all transactions of £15 and over. Does not apply to Groups, Friends or Disabled Patrons, and is per-transaction, not per-ticket.

Everyman Liverpool, Hope Street, Liverpool L1 9BH
Dates: Tuesday 25 September to Saturday 6 October 2018
Press Night: Wednesday 26 September
Tickets: Tickets from £10
Box Office: 0151 709 4776 or online at www.everymanplayhouse.com

Northern Stage, Barras Bridge, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RH
Press Night: Tuesday 9 Oct, 7.30pm
Dates: Tuesday 9 October until Saturday 20 October 2018
Times: Evenings 7.30pm, Thursday 11 October, 6pm
Matinees Wednesday 10,Saturday 13 & Saturday 20 October 2pm
No performances on Sundays
Tickets from £10
Box Office:  0191 230 5151 or online at www.northernstage.co.uk

Birmingham Repertory Theatre, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham
B1 2EP
Dates: Tuesday 30 October until Saturday 10 November 2018
Times: 7.30pm Monday – Saturday, apart from 7pm on Wednesday 31 Oct.  Matinees at 2pm on Thursday 1, Saturday 3, Thursday 8 and Saturday 10 November
Tickets: From £10 (subject to availability)
Box Office: 0121 236 4455 or online at www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

New Wolsey Theatre, Civic Drive, Ipswich IP1 2AS
Dates: Tuesday 13 November until Saturday 17 November 2018
Times: 7pm Tuesday, 7.45pm Wednesday to Saturday, 2.30pm Matinees Wednesday 14, Thursday 15 and Saturday 17 November
Tickets: From £10 (subject to availability)
Box Office: 01473 295900 or online at wolseytheatre.co.uk

Royal & Derngate, Northampton

JIM STEINMAN’S AWARD-WINNING

BAT OUT OF HELL – THE MUSICAL

EXTENDS BOOKING PERIOD

AT THE DOMINION THEATRE, LONDON

UNTIL 5 JANUARY 2019

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical will be extending into 2019, with a new booking period at the Dominion Theatre from 27 October 2018 to 5 January 2019 going on sale at 12.00noon today, Thursday 26 July 2918.  The winner of the Evening Standard Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical 2017 began previews at the Dominion Theatre on Monday 2 April, with a gala performance on 19 April 2018.

The cast of Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical at the Dominion Theatre is led by Andrew Polec, winner of the Joe Allen Best West End Debut in the Stage Debut Awards 2017, as Strat and Christina Bennington as Raven, with Rob Fowler as Falco and Sharon Sexton as Sloane.  Also starring are Alex Thomas-Smith as Tink, Danielle Steers as Zahara, Wayne Robinson as Jagwire, Giovanni Spanó as Ledoux and Patrick Sullivan as Blake.  At certain performances, the role of Strat will be played by Simon Gordon or Jordan Luke Gage.  Patrick Sullivan will leave the London company on Saturday 1 September and Ryan Andersen will be joining as the new Blake.  Also in the cast are Kyle Anthony, Emily Benjamin, Christopher Cameron, Georgia Carling, Natalie Chua, Jonathan Cordin, Rob Copeland, Hannah Ducharme, Isaac Edwards, Collette Guitart, Eric Hallengren, Vicki Manser, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky, Aston Newman Hannington, Eve Norris, Joseph Peacock, Kyle Roberts, Craig Ryder, Dawnita Smith, Courtney Stapleton, Julie Stark, Charlotte Anne Steen and Sam Toland.

Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical wowed critics and public alike when it played limited seasons at Manchester Opera House, London Coliseum and Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre in 2017, and has been seen by over 650,000 people to date.  A new production opens in Toronto for a three-week engagement this autumn as the first stop in a multi-city North American tour.

In April 2018, Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical announced a wide-ranging global partnership to support the Invictus Games Foundation, the governing body of the Invictus Games, a global sporting event for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women, both serving and veterans.

Bat Out Of Hell became one of the best-selling albums in history, selling over 50 million copies worldwide.  16 years later, Steinman scored again with Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which contained the massive hit I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).

For the stage musical, the legendary and award-winning Jim Steinman has incorporated iconic songs from the Bat Out Of Hell albums, including You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, Bat Out Of Hell, I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) and Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, as well as two previously unreleased songs, What Part of My Body Hurts the Most and Not Allowed to Love.

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical is a romantic adventure about rebellious youth and passionate love, set against the backdrop of a post-cataclysmic city adrift from the mainland.  Strat, the forever young leader of The Lost, has fallen for Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical, ruler of Obsidian.  

Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical has book, music and lyrics by Jim Steinman, direction by Jay Scheib, choreography by Emma Portner, with musical supervision and additional arrangements by Michael Reed, set design by Jon Bausor, costume design by Jon Bausor and Meentje Nielsen, video design by Finn Ross, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen, orchestration by Steve Sidwell, casting by David Grindrod CDG, fight direction by Stuart Boother and musical direction by Robert Emery.

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical is produced by David Sonenberg, Michael Cohl, Randy Lennox & Tony Smith.

Website:  www.BatOutOfHellMusical.com

Twitter & Facebook:  @BatTheMusical

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical

 

Dominion Theatre

268-269 Tottenham Court Road

London W1T 7AQ

Performances:  Mon-Sat at 7.30pm, Wed & Sat matinee at 2.30pm (N.B.  Performances will be at2.00pm & 8.00pm on Saturday 8 September)

 

Tickets:  from £15.00

Box Office:  0845 200 7982

Current Booking Period:  to 5 January 2019

Running Time:  2 hours 40 minutes (including interval)

Christmas 2018/19 Performance Schedule

Mon 17 December – 7.30pm

Tue 18 December – 7.30pm

Wed 19 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Thurs 20 December – 7.30pm

Fri 21 December – 7.30pm

Sat 22 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

 

Mon 24 December – No Show

Tue 25 December – No Show

Wed 26 December – 7.30pm

Thurs 27 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Fri 28 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Sat 29 December – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

 

Mon 31 December – 7.00pm

Tues 1 January – 7.30pm

Wed 2 January – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Thurs 3 January – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Fri 4 January – 7.30pm

Sat 5 January – 2.30pm & 7.30pm