Author: FairyPoweredProductions

The National Dance Company of Ireland brings Rhythm of the Dance to Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday 24 July.

Amazing. Breath-taking. Inspiring. Wonderful. These are reactions from audiences and critics alike upon experiencing the exciting performance of the rousing Rhythm of the Dance.

Interview with Kieran Cavanagh

Producer, RHYTHM OF THE DANCE

Q. So Kieran tell me how it all started for Rhythm of the dance

A. back in 1998 I get a call from the Head of Music Cathal McCabe at Irelands National TV & Radio channels RTE asking me to put a dance troupe together to accompany the National Concert Orchestra to America for a 3 week tour. I said yes and produced the dance troupe to tour America with the Orchestra. Cathal titles us the National dance company of Ireland as RTE’s radio & TV channels were state owned and it would be the State would pay us for the tour.

The tour was such a success that we then toured Scandinavia in March & April of 1999 without the Orchestra as it was much too expensive to move the National concert orchestra around and now here we are all those years later still touring the world for 40 weeks of the year every year.

Q.Fantastic, so you have now played in 44 countries I believe across the four continents, tell me of your experiences around the world and the highlights over the last decade or more..

A. It never ceases to amaze me how many countries we have actually toured and some of them are non English speaking territories like Russia, where we generally start a tour as far over as Siberia and then work our way back to Moscow over a 5 week period of one nighters going from town to town overnight by train, its pretty amazing and the people come out and fill the theatres and sometimes bring Celtic song books and literature with them to show to us and we have sometimes even played music with them in our hotel and they cannot communicate with us, only through the music, its fantastic to see this happen, how music can bring different nations and cultures together

B. One of the biggest highlights for me was when we were invited to perform in Shenchen City in China for the Millennium New Years Eve TV special. We had an eight minute slot and the show was broadcast to 1 Billion viewers in Asia on CCTV, can you imagine being able to reach that big of an audience in one TV show, it was amazing and I was emotional when it happened, it was our finest hour for sure and we now tour China every year.

Q. Now you have also toured places like Taiwan,Lighuania,Romania,Serbia, Egypt, my ord the list goes on and on, it is truly an International show

A. We cover a lot of Territories around the world annually and we try to create and open new markets all the time.

Q. OK, now I have seen the show and I cannot believe the pace of your dancers , how do they keep that up for two hours.

A.Well its pretty frantic to watch alright, however our cast have been dancing and trained since they were four years old and they are incredibly fit and have to take care of their body and their diet. But each day at the Venue we have a dance captain in the show who will have a drill with the dancers prior to the performance, where they get to warm up their muscles and exercise and the rest come natural to them

Q.Now you also have a great band in the show and I didn’t even know what some of the instruments were, can you explain what instruments you have in the band.

A.OK, well first all our musicians play live on stage and that to me in very important and I have always prided myself on continuing to carry a big band around the world to play our music live to the audience. We have an array of instruments, like the Uileann pipes, which is a wonderful instrument, which is played by the musician using one arm to pump wind into the pipes via a bellows, then they must use both hands and fingers to play the notes, so I always admire someone who can master the pipes, we also carry a Harpist, Flautist,Fiddle,

Accordion, Bodhran drum,Whistles, & Banjo, so there is a vast array of musical instruments in the show and it is not unusual for one musician to play several instruments.

Q.Great, now you also have 3 Tenors and I have to say they were great and very entertaining..

A.About 4 years ago now, I introduced the Tenors into the show, before that we had a boy & Girl vocalist and because we play repeat territories sometimes annually I always keep the show fresh and when I introduced the Tenors to the show, they were an instand hit and they still wow the audiences every night and of course they give our dancers a much needed breather and time to change costumes, as we have about 25 costume changes in the show which is a lot, especially sometimes when the dancers have literally just seconds to make that change to a new costume or it could be switching shoes from the hard shoe, which makes the loud tap on the stage to the soft shoe which is for what we call light pieces of dance.

Q. So what can the audience expect when they go to see Rhythm of the dance and what separates you from Riverdance, how is your show different.

A. The audience can expect to visit Ireland for Two hours, they will leave the theatre feeling that they have been on a trip around Ireland and they will have a strong impression of our culture and our music.Irish music is loved all over the world as is our Dance now. I think what sets rhythm of the dance apart from Riverdance is that we tend to be a bit more traditional and purist and we rely less on the technical support than other shows do, like Pyro’s & large lighting rigs, although we do carry quite a lavish production

Q.Where do you recruit your dancers, does the National dance company have their own dance academy or do you advertise to find dancers?

A.Our choreographer runs our dance studio and our school, we have children as young as four years old enrolling and next year we are excited to invite children and young teenagers from Russia to Ireland for a week to learn Irish dance at our academy . We are also planning to open five dance academy’s in Russia and we are in the planning stages at this moment and we are very excited about that. We have a big following in Russia and Rhythm of the Dance is a household name there, so we were approached by our agency in Moscow to open several academys there.

Q. Wonderful, that unbelievable!. So what does the future hold for Rhythm of the dance

A. Irish dance continues to be hugely popular all over the world and I believe that Rhythm of the dance will be around for many years to come, once we remain true to the art form and keep making the show interesting and entertaining for the audience, that’s the most important factor.I would hope we have many good years of touring ahead of us.

Q Finally Kieran Cavanagh, its been great talking to you and I love your show, do you have a final word for our readers

A. Come and enjoy a two hour Irish experience and as we say in our commercials, enjoy the PASSION, THE ENERGY THE RHYTHM..The Rhythm of the Dance..

Calamity Jane opened at Leeds Grand Theatre last night (Monday 22^nd June) starring Jodie Prenger and Tom Lister.  Lister spent 9 years playing the character Carl King in Emmerdale so of course it was only right his former colleagues turned out in support.

Michelle Hardwick who plays vet, Vanessa Woodfield, said “The best night at Leeds Grand Theatre watching Calamity Jane…such a talented cast!”

The show is created by actor-musicians making the classic tale a spectacular piece of musical theatre – both Prenger and Lister play instruments along with the supporting cast.

Gaynor Faye who plays Megan Macey in Emmerdale said “What a whip-cracker Calamity Jane is. Such a talented bunch of actors led by the fab Jodie Prenger and Tom Lister.”

Calamity Jane is on until this Saturday 28^th June.

 

Tickets still available priced from £22 to £40.

 

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call box office on 0844 848 2700.

AT KING’S CROSS THEATRE FROM 24 JUNE

Andrew Dunn will star as Mr Perks in the Olivier Award-winning production of Mike Kenny’s stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s novel The Railway Children – Live on Stage from Wednesday 24 June.

Andrew has appeared in numerous television series and his comedy role as ‘Tony’ in Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies and playing Alastair Campbell for seven years in Bremner, Bird and Fortune have made him a well-known face. Andrew also played the role of Roger Stiles in Coronation Street from 2007 to 2008.

His extensive theatre work includes the UK tours of Brassed Off and The Full Monty. Andrew was also in the original casts of John Godber’s Up ‘n’ Under, Bouncers and Catherine Cookson’s Fifteen Streets.

Film credits include The Knife That Killed Me, Mr Right, Popcorn, The Jealous God, Ali G Indahouse andBetween Two Women.

The Railway Children opened at the King’s Cross Theatre to critical and public acclaim on 14 January this year.

The cast of The Railway Children includes Caroline Harker as Mother, Louise Calf as Phyllis, Clare Corbett as Mrs Perks, Jack Hardwick as Peter, Mark Hawkins as Jim/District Super, Connie Hyde as Mrs Viney, Andrew Loudon as Father/Doctor, Serena Manteghi as Bobbie, Blair Plant as Schepansky and Moray Treadwell as the Old Gentleman, plus a children’s ensemble made up of four teams of ten children aged between 9 and 15.

A purpose built 1,000-seat theatre, complete with a railway track and platforms, and with a state of the art air conditioning and heating system, has been specially created on the site on King’s Boulevard, behind King’s Cross Station, which has been loaned to the production for the duration of the run by Google.  The York Theatre Royal production, which is in association with the National Railway Museum, once again features a live steam locomotive and a vintage carriage, originally built in 1896.

The production at King’s Cross Theatre is in support of the Railway Children Charity that aims to help homeless and runaway children throughout the world, with £1 per ticket donated to the charity.

Directed by Damian Cruden, the Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal, with design by Joanna Scotcher, lighting by Richard G. Jones, music by Christopher Madin and sound by Craig Vear, Mike Kenny’s adaptation of The Railway Children was first produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum, York, where it enjoyed two sell-out and critically acclaimed seasons in 2008 and 2009.  The production then opened at Waterloo Station in the former Eurostar terminal in July 2010, where it again played two critically acclaimed sell-out seasons and won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, before opening in Toronto in 2011 in a temporary theatre built at the base of CN Tower in Roundhouse Park.

The Railway Children tells the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away.  They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother, where they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure.  But the mystery remains – where is Father, and is he ever coming back?

Edith Nesbit’s much loved classic children’s book The Railway Children was first published in 1906 and has subsequently been adapted for the stage and screen, most famously in the 1970 film version directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Jenny Agutter, Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sheridan and Sally Thomsett.

The production is presented in London by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Oliver Royds for BOS Productions and Sue Scott Davison, in association with York Theatre Royal and the National Railway Museum.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

King’s Cross Theatre

Goods Way

King’s Cross

London N1C 4UR

Currently booking until                       6 September 2015

Running Time                                      2 hours 10 minutes (including an interval)

Box Office                                  0844 871 7604

Performance Schedule until 5 July: Wednesday at 1pm & 6pm

                                                  Thursday at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

                                                  Friday at 7.30pm

                                                  Saturday at 2pm & 5.30pm

                                                  Sunday at 2.30pm

Performance Schedule from 7 July:   Tuesday at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

                                                  Wednesday at 6pm

                                                  Thursday at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

                                                  Friday at 7.30pm

                                                  Saturday at 2pm & 5.30pm

                                                  Sunday at 2.30pm

N.B.  See website for school holiday performance schedules

Tickets                                      £25.00-£49.50, with 25% off for Under 16s (Premium Seats available at £69.50 +

                                                Limited edition show poster)

Website                                     www.railwaychildrenlondon.com

Facebook                                   www.facebook.com/railwaychildrenlondon

Twitter                                       @TRCKingsCross

Google+                                                plus.google.com/+RailwayChildrenLondon

 

UTOPIA LIVE LATES

In just under seven weeks Bloomberg Summer at the Roundhouse will return with Utopia. The annual festival is dedicated to introducing new audiences to innovative culture with a weekly ‘pay what you like’ day to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy it.

• BLOOMBERG SUMMER AT THE ROUNDHOUSE ANNOUNCES PROGRAMME OF LIVE LATES AROUND PENNY WOOLCOCK’S MAJOR NEW INSTALLATION ‘UTOPIA’

The Roundhouse has today announced that they will present a series of five evening events in the Main Space that will run alongside the installation. Each event will be based around a different provocation, intertwined with the themes from the installation. The nights will examine issues including gender, inequality, wealth, inheritance, international exchange, and art revolution. The programme ofperformance, cabaret, spoken word, dance, live music, hip hop and DJs sets will bring together acts across the cultural spectrum in new and exciting collaborations, some for the very first time ever.

• BASED AROUND A SERIES OF PROVOCATIONS, ‘UTOPIA LIVE LATES’  INCLUDE A BRAND NEW COMMISSION ON MONEY & INHERITANCE FROM ARLENE PHILLIPS FEATURING ZOONATION YOUTH COMPANY, ART REVOLUTION WITH CHARLOTTE CHURCH AND PENNY WOOLCOCK, UTOPIAN MANIFESTOS FROM OWEN JONES, LONDON’S BEST GRIME AND HIP HOP ARTISTS AND A SPECIAL EVENING WITH DAVID HOYLE AND BLOCK9 FAVOURITE DJ HONEY DIJON

The incredible, eclectic line-up includes: a very special performance from sensational anti-drag queenDavid Hoyle; the world premiere of a brand new commission from Arlene Phillips featuring ZooNation Youth Company, Tommy Franzen and Roundhouse Street Circus Collective; art revolution withPenny Woolcock and singer Charlotte Church; spectacular neo-burlesque from Fancy Chance; utopian propositions and ideas from journalist Owen Jones, Syriza London and poet Yomi GREEDS; poet and writer Anthony Anaxagorou with pianist Karim Kamar, the world premiere of a new circus piece directed by Paul Evans;  Block9 favourite  DJ Honey Dijon taking revellers into the night; performances from the best of London’s hip hop and grime talent, including Awate, modern musical luminaries Micachu,  BAFTA and MOBO award-winning Akala; One Mile Away’s Zimbo in a unique collaboration with string musicians and spoken word from Roundhouse Poetry Slam champions Caleb Oluwfemi and Toby Champion.

The events celebrate and elaborate on Utopia, the major installation in the Main Space from August 4 – 23. Imagined by award-winning Director and Filmmaker Penny Woolcock, the vision has been realised by radical design duo Block9 (Stephen Gallagher and Gideon Berger). Named after Thomas More’s 16th century imagining of a self-contained world in which communities shared a common culture and way of life, Woolcock’s Utopia is based on a walk through the neighbourhood of the Roundhouse and the differing perspectives on reality offered. Utopia is peppered with narrative soundscapes that reverberate with stories that are personal, political and pertinent to the parallel lives being lived in the world’s biggest cities. The stories have all been collected by Woolcock in interviews with residents across the social spectrum – from drug dealers, gang members, former offenders and sex workers to the homeless, the elderly, housewives and university graduates.

• ‘UTOPIA’ – ENVISIONED BY PROLIFIC ARTIST, FILMMAKER AND DIRECTOR PENNY WOOLCOCK AND DESIGNED BY RADICAL SET DESIGN DUO BLOCK9, WILL ALLOW AUDIENCES TO TRAVEL THROUGH THE DIVERSE NEIGHBOURHOOD OF CITY LIFE IN AN IMMERSIVE SOUNDSCAPE ENVIRONMENT

Alongside the installation, the Roundhouse will become a daily destination where members of the public can enjoy the sunshine at North London’s very own ‘seaside’ resort, Camden Beach, presented by Stoli Vodka. On the terrace, Camden’s biggest outdoor space, there will be 150 tonnes of the finest sand, deckchairs, beach huts, ping-pong, live music, some of the best food pop-ups in the city and the chance to enjoy Stoli’s drink of the summer, the Stoli Lemonade.

***

THURSDAY 6 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
Curated around the provocation of a genderless world this evening will be an almighty hedonistic celebration featuring circus and cabaret.

The sensational anti-drag queen David Hoyle will bring a very special performance that promises to bepolemic, provocative and highly funny, Circus Director Paul Evans will premiere a brand new circus ariel piece Don’t Mention The F Word plus performance artist Andie Macario takes to the stage. Fresh from headlining the Block9 field at Glastonbury this year, infamous international DJ Honey Dijon will take revellers into the night with her distinct Chicago sound with inflections of the deep New York underground mixing classic house and disco, techno and tech house.

WEDNESDAY 12 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
Money, inheritance and celebrity are put in the spotlight through dance, spoken word and live art.

Tommy Franzen, ZooNation Youth Company, Roundhouse Street Circus Collective and established ballroom dancers will perform a mash-up of ballroom and street dance in a brand new commission especially created and choreographed for Utopia by Arlene Phillips. The commission will bring together dancers of all generations. Arlene will also deliver her impassioned provocation, for a world without material inheritance. The evening also features new work by artist Alison Jackson created especially for Utopia and Roundhouse 2015 Poetry Slam winner and runner up Caleb Oluwfemi and Toby Champion.

THURSDAY 13 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
Celebrating the best of London’s hip hop and grime talent a host of artists take over the stage to examine inequality with exploding thoughts, critiques, and  a fusion of music, poetry and speech.

Programmed by Kayne West and Jay Z endorsed rapper, songwriter and producer Awate, the line-up includes the up and coming young rapper and singer Amy True, BAFTA and MOBO award-winning hip hop artist, rapper and poet Akala who will share his deeply personal, unique and moving poetic response to Penny’s installation and DJ set from modern musical luminary Micachu.

WEDNESDAY 19 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
An evening of utopian propositions, ideas and performances programmed in partnership with think-tankCompass featuring an arousing line-up of artists and speakers.

Poets Michelle Madsen (founder of Hammer & Tongue) and Sam Berkson will host the evening that includes Nigerian performer and poet Yomi GREEDS (Generating Rhymes to Engage the Enlightened Soul), columnist and writer Owen Jones, writer and educator Anthony Anaxagorou performing withpianist Karim Kamar, members from Sisters Uncut and Syriza London plus more to be announced.

THURSDAY 20 AUGUST, 8PM
Tickets £15
A clash of art forms with Penny Woolcock in an evening of art revolution, celebrating the ideals and themes of Utopia.

Penny will be joined by singer, songwriter and anti-cuts campaigner Charlotte Church, spectacular neo-burlesque performer and clown Fancy Chance, performance poet Malik Sankara, One Mile Away’sZimbo who will be performing accompanied by classical string musicians.

Bloomberg’s long term partnership with the Roundhouse builds on a shared commitment to support artistic innovation, ground breaking technologies and access for new audiences to the arts. For the fourth year running, Bloomberg Summer will have a weekly ‘pay what you like’ event to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to enjoy it, this will include targeted community groups and youth organisations and building on the relationships formed through Utopia with local people and artists.

#RHUtopia

MAIN INSTALLATION LISTINGS INFORMATION

Utopia: Tuesday 4 August – Sunday 23 August
Press Performance: 5 August 12-1pm and 6-7pm
Venue: Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Box office:  0300 6789 222
Tickets: £10 (£5 GET IN for 16-25s)
Pay What you Like every Tuesday
Website: roundhouse.org.uk
Age guidance: The installation includes stories and themes of an adult nature and is recommended for ages 14+

MAIN INSTALLATION OPENING TIMES
Tuesday – Thursday        Midday – 7pm
Friday                           Midday – 10pm
Saturday – Monday          Midday – 9pm
Last entry 1 hour before closing time

BOOKING
Roundhouse Members priority booking opens Mon 22 Jun midday.  Find out more about Roundhouse Memberships. Public booking opens Wed 24 Jun midday.

 

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK

WEDNESDAY 8 JULY at 7:30pm

The Illegal Eagles have been thrilling audiences nation-wide for over 18 years and look forward once again to returning to the road in 2015. Now with their brand new association with Derek Block Concert Promotions…one of the UK’s most established and successful worldwide promoters, the band look set to perform over 120 shows this year at some of the country’s TOP venues.

Following a number of critically acclaimed UK & international tours and headlining countless concerts and festivals, the band have established themselves as not only the Official No.1 tribute to The Eagles, but as one of the foremost authentic and talented theatrical experiences in the world!

Extremely tight harmonies and an acute attention to detail have always been synonymous with The Illegal Eagles. Members Phil Aldridge, Keith Atack, Al Vosper, Darin Murphy, Garreth Hicklin and award-winning vocalist Greg Webb’s ability to capture the emotion of Don Henley’s vocal deliveries have ensured that critical and audience acclaim has been unanimous.

This latest production brings you all the classics – Hotel California, Take It Easy, Take it to the Limit, Lyin’ Eyes, Tequila Sunrise, Life in the Fast Lane, One of These Nights, Witchy Woman, Rocky Mountain Way, Heartache Tonight and a whole lot more!

“The band were flawless in their delivery both musically & vocally”

 

“Accomplished & proficient players, and with a beautiful & pitch perfect singer, the band worked their way through all the crowd pleasers…”

 

“The show was excellent…really impressed!”

 

  

For more information on the show and to view the latest tour dates please visit:

  www.illegaleagles.com

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals (CAFF) have announced that the 2016 Fringe World Congress will take place in Montreal, hosted by the Festival St-Ambroise Fringe de Montreal, in November of 2016.

The Fringe World Congress is the only formal gathering of international Fringe representatives and brings together directors and organisers of Fringes from across the globe to share ideas and form lasting networks.

The announcement was made today by Kath M Mainland, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and David Jordan, the President of Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals.

 

The first ever meeting of the Fringe World Congress was held in Edinburgh in 2012 and was attended by 74 delegates representing 47 fringes from 16 countries across six continents. In 2014 the Congress formed part of the Culture 2014 Programme which accompanied the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.  It hosted 56 delegates from 38 Fringe festivals, with 12 people engaging via live streaming from Australia, the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand and Argentina. The 2016 Fringe World Congress will also be live-streamed for those who are unable to attend in person.

 

Kath M Mainland Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said:

 

“We’re absolutely delighted to announce that the 2016 Fringe World Congress will take place in Montreal next year. Edinburgh is a beautiful and inspiring festival city and it seems only fitting that Montreal – an equally stunning and vibrant festival city is playing host to the next Fringe World Congress.

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the world’s oldest and largest arts festival, and a truly international Festival. Every August hundreds of thousands of performers and audience members travel from across the world to experience it. The Fringe is also the most significant international platform and launch pad for artists and companies, allowing them to raise their profiles infront of influential contacts in the arts industry and the media from the UK and abroad.”

 

“Since the first Fringe World Congress in 2012, the Congress has firmly established itself as a key event for Fringe organisers, allowing them to converse and collaborate about their respective festival operations.

 

“The Fringe World Congress strengthens the world Fringe community and fosters international teamwork. It allows relationships to form, ideas to grow and experiences to be shared. It gives us a unique opportunity to identify how we can work together, and support and improve Fringes across the world.”

 

David Jordan the President of Canadian Association of Fringe Festivals added:

“The 2016 Fringe World Congress promises to be a lively and inspiring event against the beautiful and historical backdrop of the city of Montreal. The Festival St-Ambroise Fringe de Montreal is such a vibrant and diverse festival – I can’t think of a better place to host the Congress in 2016.

 

“We’ve learned the huge value of the Fringe World Congress from its birth in 2012 and the second Congress in 2014 – both of which took place in Edinburgh. This kind of collaboration benefits all involved in Fringes across the world – from the participants and the audiences, to the staff and the local communities.

 

“I’m looking forward to welcoming our international Fringe colleagues to Canada in 2016 and to continue to strengthen the world fringe community and raise awareness of the scale and importance of Fringe activity on the world stage.”

LONDON’S BIGGEST MULTI ARTS FESTIVAL OPENS FOR ARTISTSUBMISSIONS TODAY

BIGGER AND BOLDER THAN EVER BEFORE, VAULT

WILL REOPEN ITS DOORS FROM 27 JAN – 6 MAR 2016

TRAILER RELEASED TODAY HERE

VAULT Festival has today announced its return to London’s Leake Street tunnels for a fourth time in 2016 with a call for artist submissions across all disciplines. Curating London’s underground cultural scene since 2012, the six week festival in the labyrinthine tunnels under Waterloo brings together a carefully crafted programme of some of the brightest emerging creatives from across the country in panoply of live music, performance, debate, comedy and late night parties.

The announcement follows the enormous success of last year’s festival which saw over 33,000 guests and revellers pass through its doors and over £350,000 go back to the participating artists, a result of VAULT’S efforts to help emerging companies control how their work is brought to audiences. In 2015 guests able to choose from 100 different events across the six weeks; up to 20 events were on offer each night across the seven chambers.

The 2016 edition will build further on the 2012, 2014 and 2015 incarnations, providing a thrillingly diverse range of diversions in the tunnels. After almost doubling in size between 2013 and 2015 the festival is set to grow again, incorporating new spaces into its labyrinth. New, enhanced programming will see free late night parties every weekend, expansive family and community programmes and with higher quality entertainment for accessible prices.

VAULT 2016 will again see an eclectic mix of performance disciplines cohere in a space for adventure, discovery and fun. The artistic programme will be available alongside The VAULT Bar, open to the public every night, and one-off events – both ticketed and free.

National artists and companies of all disciplines are invited to submit productions, original or previously performed, for consideration in the 2016 programme. The window for submissions closes on 17 August and the final programme will be selected by an all new panel. Submissions can be entered via the VAULT website below.

The 2016 programme will be announced later this year. For updates visit www.vaultfestival.com or follow the festival on Twitter @vaultfestival #vault2016

Listings
VAULT 2016
Wednesday 27 January – Sunday 6 March 2016
The Vaults
Leake Street,
Waterloo, SE1 7NN
www.vaultfestival.com

Full casting is announced for Green Day’s award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot as it blasts into the UK from 17 July, at The Arts Theatre, Leicester Square.

The full cast are Luke Baker (Theo), Natasha Barnes (Heather), Alexis Gerred (Tunny), Llandyll Gove (Gerard), Raquel Jones(Extraordinary girl), Natasha Karp (Alysha) Robyn Mellor (Libby), Lucas Rush (St. Jimmy), Steve Rushton (Will), Aaron Sidwell (Johnny) and Ross William Wild (Joshua). They join the previously announced X Factor star, Amelia Lily who is playing Whatshername.

The award-winning Broadway musical American Idiot runs from 17 July until 27 September 2015, with press night on 22 July.  The musical features the music of Green Day with the lyrics of its lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong, and book by Billie Joe Armstrong and Michael Mayer. The production is being directed and choreographed by Racky Plews, with musical supervision by Richard Morris, sound by Chris Whybrow, design by Sara Perks and lighting by Tim Deiling.

American Idiot is the story of three boyhood friends, each searching for meaning in a post 9-11 world. Winner of two Tony Awards® and the 2010 Grammy Award winner for Best Musical Show Album, American Idiot premiered at Berkeley Repertory Theatre in September 2009, moving onto a critically acclaimed Broadway run in April 2010.

 

Its hit songs include “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” “21 Guns,” “Wake Me Up When September Ends,” “Holiday” and the blockbuster title track “American Idiot” from Green Day’s 2004 Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum album. Also included are several songs from Green Day’s 2009 release “21st Century Breakdown,” and an unreleased love song, “When It’s Time.”

American Idiot The Musical is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.

Luke Baker’s stage credits include Sunny Afternoon at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Hairspray at Cork Opera House, I Can’t Sing! at the London Palladium, Bare at Greenwich Theatre, Beautiful Thing at the Arts Theatre and on UK Tour, Aladdin with Paul O’Grady’s Lily Savage at the O2, Ultimate Broadway in Shanghai, All The Fun Of The Fair on UK Tour, Peter Pan on UK Tour, Sign Of The Times at the Duchess Theatre and Salad Days at Riverside Studios.

Natasha Barnes’ stage credits include The Boy Who Fell Into A Book directed by Alan Ayckbourn at the Stephen Joseph Theatre, Crush at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Chess at the Union Theatre, Snow White at the Old Vic and on UK Tour, Come Dancing at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, Lend me A Tenor at the Gielgud Theatre, I Was Looking At The Ceiling And Then I Saw The Sky at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East and Spring Awakening at the Lyric Hammersmith and Novello Theatre. Natasha’s screen credits include Doctors and Doc Martin.

Alexis Gerred’s stage credits include Our House at the New Wolsey Theatre and on UK Tour, Dreamboats and Petticoats at the Playhouse Theatre and on UK Tour, The West End Men on Tour of Asia, Dirty White Boy: Tales of Soho at Trafalgar Studios, Rooms: A Rock Romance at Finborough Theatre, Fresher: The Musical at Pleasance Theatre, Islington and Edinburgh, Sleeping Beauty at the New Theatre, Cardiff, Hotel S.A.L.I.G.I.A at the Bloomsbury Theatre and Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens at Bromley Churchill Studio. Alex’s screen credits include Eurovision: Your Country Needs You and Cardinal Burns.

Llandyll Gove’s stage credits include Saturday Night Fever on UK Tour, 20^th Century Boy on UK Tour, Grease at Cork Opera House and on UK Tour, Dancing Queen on UK Tour, Aladdin at Cork Opera House and Beauty and the Beast, Snow Whiteand Cinderella all at Glasgow’s SECC. Llandyll’s screen credits include Walking On Sunshine, Kiss Me Again, Stanger and Deus Ex Machina.

Raquel Jones’ stage credits include Ghost The Musical at the English Theatre, Frankfurt, Jesus Christ Superstar on World Tour, Hair in Munich, Aladdin for Jordan Productions, Little Shop Of Horrors at the Birmingham Rep Theatre, Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre and The Wiz at Greenwich Theatre. Raquel’s screen credits include the BBC Comedy Sketch Show with Jocelyn and Clive Swift and BBC Saturday Show.

Natasha Karp’s stage credits include The Theory of Relativity at the Drayton Arms, The Grand Tour at Finborough Theatre,You Won’t Succeed On Broadway If You Don’t Have Any Jews at the Garrick Theatre, The Canterbury Tales at the Swan Theatre, Worcester, The Road To Qatar at the Edinburgh Festival, 2013, The Comedy Of Oedipus at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre, Market Boy at Lost Theatre and 3 Composers, 3 Countries at the Landor Theatre.

Robyn Mellor’s stage credits include Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre, Dreamboats and Petticoats on UK Tour, An Evening With Lee Mead on UK Concert Tour, The Macmillan Centenary Gala at the London Palladium, The Thursford Christmas Spectacular, Jack and the Beanstalk at the Mayflower Theatre, Southampton, Sleeping Beauty at the Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton, and Jack and the Beanstalk at Birmingham Hippodrome. Robyn is part of The Spinettes, a vintage singing trio regularly appear on leading cruise liners all over the world. Robyn’s screen credits include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Clocked, The Alan Titchmarsh Show and Grease High School Musical.

Lucas Rush’s stage credits include Mark Rylance Sonnet Walks at The Globe, Shitfaced Showtime at The Old Red Lion Theatre and Brighton Fringe, Jesus Christ Superstar on World Arena Tour, Saturday Night Fever RCCL and USA, Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre, Bloodbath at the Edinburgh Festival, We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, Fame on UK Tour, Much Ado About Nothing on Italian Tour, Blood Brothers at the Manoel Theatre, Malta, The Merry Wives Of Windsor for the RSC and Barbican Theatre and Les Misersables at the Palace Theatre. Lucas appeared in the Les Miserables 10^th Anniversary Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. Lucas’ screen credits include Walking On The Moon and Exploits.

Steve Rushton was the co-lead singer/bass player of UK Pop Punk band Son Of Dork. The band had a number 3 single and their debut album Welcome To Loserville went Gold. Steve then wrote, performed and produced two songs on the number one box office/worldwide Triple Platinum album for Hannah Montana: The Movie Soundtrack, as well as starring in the movie itself. He has written songs for Jerry Bruckheimer’s G Force, Disney’s Santa Buddies, Camp Rock 2, Good Luck Charlie and wrote & performed on the soundtrack of Disney’s Race To Witch Mountain. Steve also performed an original song on the nationally televised star-studded ABC TV Christmas Day Parade 2009. Additionally Steve has written songs for The Jonas Brothers, Aiden Grimshaw, Amelia Lily, as well as further Disney movies. American Idiot will be Steve’s stage debut.

Aaron Sidwell is best known on screen for playing series regular Steven Beale in EastEnders. His previous work on stage includes playing Carl Bruner in Ghost the Musical at the English Theatre Frankfurt, Michael Dork in the Olivier Award Nominated Loserville: The Musical at West Yorkshire Playhouse and the Garrick Theatre, Michael Carrington in Cool Rider Live at the Lyric and Duchess Theatre, Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet for an Open Air Tour, Jack Sprat in the national tour ofCarnaby Street – The Musical and Ham in Children of  Eden at The Prince of Wales Theatre. Aaron’s other screen work includes Lewis in The Nephilim; the Internet drama Almost but not quite, and Blood Army. Aaron also performs in a band,The Boston Plan, who toured with Professor Green, and then supported many other acts including Alexandra Burke, Agro Santos and The Wanted.

Ross William Wild’s stage credits include Dreamboats & Miniskirts on UK Tour, The Witches of Eastwick at the Watermill Theatre, Bare at Greenwich Theatre and Union Theatre, Celtic Nights on US Tour, Grease on UK Tour, We Will Rock You on UK Tour, Gaelforce on European Tour and Highland Heartbeat on Scottish & US Tour. Ross’ screen credits include DNA Diaries, Taggart, Bruno & Earlene Go To Vegas and Downing.

AMERICAN IDIOT – THE MUSICAL
ARTS THEATRE
Performances:Tuesday – Friday at 8.00pm
Saturday – 2.30pm & 8.00pm
Sunday – 3.00pm & 6.00pm
Press Night – Wednesday 22 July
Running time: 90 minutes (no interval)
Arts Theatre, Great Newport Street, London, WC2H 7JB
Main Booking Line: 020 78368463
Group Booking Line: 020 7836 8463
Access Booking Line: 020 7836 8463
www.americanidiotwestend.com

 

 

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh are delighted to announce that ZIZI STRALLEN will play ‘Mary Poppins’ and MATT LEE will play ‘Bert’ in the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of their multi award-winning musical Mary Poppins, playing at Newcastle Theatre Royal from 8 September 2016 for over seven weeks .

 

ZIZI STRALLEN is currently starring as ‘Lana’ in Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man, a role she played at Newcastle Theatre Royal last month to rave reviews. She was most recently seen in the West End in Cats and the multi award-winning Merrily We Roll Along. Her other West End credits include Rock of Ages, Dirty Dancing and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Matthew Bourne’sCinderella at Sadler’s Wells.  She has also appeared in The Music Man at Chichester Festival Theatre, and as ‘Penny Pingleton’ in Hairspray at Leicester Curve.

 

MATT LEE played the role of ‘Bert’ in Mary Poppins when the show opened in Australia, his portrayal winning him the prestigious Helpmann Award for Best Actor in a Musical. His other theatre credits in Australia include Miss Saigon, The Witches of Eastwick,Rent, Grease and The Boy from Oz. Matt was also a permanent member of the judging panel for Australia’s So You Think You Can Dance.

 

Cameron Mackintosh said today: “It’s hard to believe that it is already 11 years since Mary Poppins first landed on the London stage.  My goodness……time flies even faster than our beloved Nanny!  I’m delighted to be bringing her back to the UK and for the first time to Dublin, after spreading her magic around the world.  Since we originally staged the production we have found even more magical ways to stage this timeless tale. I’m also thrilled to have cast yet another of the extraordinarily talented Strallen family in the role of Mary and pair her with one of the most brilliant Berts we have been fortunate to find worldwide. I know Zizi and Matt will be practically perfect in every way and a show-stopping tour de force”.

 

The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane has been triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. The stage version of Mary Poppins is brilliantly adapted from the wonderful stories by PL Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film.

 

The stage production of Mary Poppins is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh and has a book by Oscar-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes. It has a timeless score by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman including the songs Jolly Holiday, Step in Time, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious and Feed the Birds with new songs and additional music and lyrics by the Olivier award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The producer for Disney Theatrical Productions is Thomas Schumacher.

 

The internationally renowned and multi award-winning creative team assembled for Mary Poppins is led by stage and film director Richard Eyre. Co-direction and Choreography is by Matthew Bourne, with Co-choreography by Stephen Mear. Set and Costume Design is by Bob Crowley with Lighting Design by Natasha Katz, Sound Design by Paul Groothuis and Orchestrations by William David Brohn. The International Tour of Mary Poppins is Directed by Anthony Lyn and James Powell with Original Choreography adapted by Geoffrey Garratt. Musical Supervision is by Stephen Brooker.
The stage production of Mary Poppins originally opened in 2004 and ran in the West End for three years and over 1,250 performances. During this time it won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreography and Best Set Design as well as the Evening Standard Award for Best Set Design and the Variety Club Award for Best Musical. The Broadway production ran for over six years where it won the Tony Award for Best Set Design. The show has subsequently played to great success in Holland and Mexico. It has toured Australia, New Zealand, the U.S, the UK, has been seen by over 11 million people and is currently breaking box office records in Vienna.

 

Mary Poppins appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Thursday 8 September – Saturday 29 October 2016. Tickets from £22.50 (pay 50p less per ticket when you book online). Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) or select your own seat and book online atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk

 

 

York Theatre Royal is proud to announce its residency at the National Railway Museum has received an Exceptional Award from Arts Council England. The news follows the theatre once again becoming a National Portfolio Organisation of Arts Council England last year. The award aims to respond to new ideas that come from the arts sector, that do not already fit into an organisation’s existing plans.

York Theatre Royal applied for the award as part of plans to take work to the National Railway Museum during the theatre’s closure for re-development. This award enhances activity already taking place such as the large-scale community theatre project In Fog and Falling Snow and the re-staging of the Olivier Award winning show The Railway Children, allowing these projects to form part of an ambitious residency at the museum for the theatre; enabling staff from both organisations to work more closely together.

For a theatre and a museum to work together in this way is quite revolutionary and we’re so pleased that Arts Council England has decided to support the project.

said Damian Cruden, Artistic Director at York Theatre Royal.

A blueprint document outlining the process of the collaboration and sharing lessons learnt along the way will be created for use by other organisations within the arts sector. It is hoped this document will enable and encourage other national and regional museums and theatres to work together. Key to the aims of the collaboration is for both organisations to benefit from the collation of research into how and why people choose to engage with projects running during the residency, or to come and see a production on during this time. This will then be used to inform future projects and collaborations at both institutions.

The funding allows the Creative Engagement and Learning teams from both organisations to work together on more projects too, creating new exciting activities for children and young people that utilise the skills of both teams to develop new practise. This includes two immersive theatre projects about World War I and the Orient Express, writers in residence creating work especially for young people, digital projects and York Theatre Royal bringing their highly acclaimed TakeOver Festival to the museum.

Jim Lowe, Head of Operations at the National Railway Museum said:

Having the York Theatre Royal take up residency here at the museum is hugely exciting. We have worked well and successfully in the past and are now looking forward to delivering the same high quality production of The Railway Children from July 2015. Having this residency will form an extra strong partnership and we’re looking forward to all that it offers.

As part of the community theatre project – for which over 500 residents of York and surrounding areas have volunteered – the National Railway Museum already play host to the various groups of volunteers such as photography and promotion groups. Since the theatre’s closure for development earlier this year they have also provided space for the York Theatre Royal youth theatre, one of the largest in the country.

The York Theatre Royal, National Railway Museum and Pilot Theatre co-production is a piece of new theatre from Mike Kenny and Bridget Foreman called In Fog and Falling Snow bought to life by the people of York. Directed by Damian Cruden, Juliet Forster and Katie Posner and told by a cast of over 200, audiences will move through the National Railway Museum’s collections and end up in the new purpose built Signal Box Theatre, telling the story of George Hudson, the disgraced entrepreneur who changed the face of railway travel.

Following E Nesbit’s The Railway Children which runs from 31st July to 5 September 2015 at the museum, there will be a third collaborative project taking place, after the theatre has re-opened, with the aim of creating a sustainable partnership between the two attractions.

Tickets for both The Railway Children and In Fog and Falling Snow are available from York Theatre Royal’s Box Office in De Grey Rooms on St Leonards Place or on 01904 623568 or can be booked securely online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.