ON SATURDAY 10 AUGUST AT ST PAUL’S CHURCH, COVENT GARDEN
Following the success of last year’s WEST END WOOFS (AND MEOWS), stage icons Elaine Paige and Bernadette Peters are thrilled to return to co-host their second annual live event at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden on Saturday 10 August from 10.00am. www.westendwoofs.dog
Bringing together much-loved talent of the West End and their four-legged friends, West End Woofs (and Meows) is a live dog and cat adoption event, working with participating shelters and rescue groups to benefit their charitable work.
Elaine and Bernadette first teamed up to co-host the virtual edition of West End Woofs during lockdown in 2020, before hosting their first live event in 2023. Across the pond, Broadway Barks, continues to be a howling success over 25 years on.
Elaine Paige said today, “I’m so thrilled to be hosting West End Woofs again this year with my pal Bernadette. Last year was such a great success as we found forever homes for so many dogs and cats from the animal shelters, that came along, who care for the abandoned animals until homes are found. So, along with our supporters from the world of entertainment, I can’t wait to make this year’s West End Woofs (and Meows!) even more successful!”
Bernadette Peters said today, “I’m thrilled once again to be joining my friend, another animal lover and great star Elaine Paige, for our second “live” animal adoption event, West End Woofs (and Meows), which brings animals and people who need them together in the UK. If you’d like a new best friend, please join us to meet the animals and maybe fall in love”.
The adoption event begins at 10.00am with a ‘meet and greet’ with all the adoptable pets. From 11.00am adoptees make their West End debut on stage alongside some of the West End’s favourite stars from Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Hamilton and Sister Act, with special guests to be announced. Money raised on ticket donations goes towards the shelters. You must purchase a ticket to gain access to the Church grounds to meet the adoptable pets and enjoy the staged section of the event.
The participating shelters and rescue groups taking part in WEST END WOOFS(AND MEOWS) are:
All Dogs matter
Home Run Hounds
Pro Dogs Direct
Saving Saints
German Shepard Rescue South
Noahs Ark Romanian rescue
Helping Dogs and Cats UK
Peterborough Cat Rescue
All proceeds from the event will benefit the great work they do. Full details of each organisation below.
ROYO, UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT & MIGHTY VILLAGE, producers of the world premiere of NOW That’s What I Call A Musical are delighted to announce that Melissa Jacques will star as April from 6 September 2024 (Aylesbury) up to and including 7 December 2024 (Brighton). Sam Bailey will then take over the role from 14 January 2025 (Southampton) to 12 April 2025 (Wimbledon). NOW That’s What I Call A Musical is a brand-new British musical touring the UK and Ireland written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood.
Melissa and Sam join the previously announced Nina Wadia, who will star as Gemma as well as an array of special guest stars playing themselves at certain performances and singing the songs that made them NOW icons. In 2024 Sinitta will perform in Aylesbury, Sheffield, Canterbury, Nottingham and Norwich with Sonia in Newcastle, Cardiff, Milton Keynes and Brighton, Carol Decker in Truro, Belfast and Woking, and Jay Osmond in Bradford.
In 2025 Sinitta will be appearing in Dublin, Hull and York with Sonia in Southampton, Southend, Bristol, Liverpool, Wimbledon and Birmingham and Carol Decker in Oxford. For further detail, patrons are advised to check their local websites.
Melissa Jacques most recently appeared as Shelley in I Should Be So Lucky (UK and Ireland tour). Her other theatre work includes Margaret New in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End & LA Productions), Pirate Queen in Pirates Of Treasure Island & Queen Of Hearts in Alice In Wonderland (The Stag Theatre, Sevenoaks), Carol’s Mum in 42 Balloons concert version (Vaudeville Theatre,Trish in Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre), Midwife and Madame Morrible cover in Wicked (Victoria Palace Theatre), alternate Donna and understudy for all the Dynamos in the original cast of Mamma Mia! (West End), Company & Into the Woods (Derby Playhouse), The Full Monty (UK tour), Spend, Spend, Spend (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK tour), A Slice of Saturday Night, Oliver! & Beauty and the Beast (Theatre Royal, Lincoln), Little Shop of Horrors (Millfield Theatre) and Me and My Girl & Crazy for You (Aberystwyth).
Sam Bailey received her first big break as a singer-songwriter when she won The X Factor in 2013. Her debut single, Skyscraper, instantly became a commercial success making the coveted Christmas number one spot in 2013. Consequently, the single was released in a physical format alongside some of her most memorable X Factor performances. Her debut album The Power of Love was also number one in the British charts in March 2014 and, in support of the album, Bailey went on her first headline tour in January and February 2015. Her second album Sing My Heart Out was released in 2016. Her theatre work includes Mamma Morton in Chicago (UK tour), Betty Simpson in Fat Friends the Musical (UK tour), Vampires Rock (UK tour), Mrs. Potts in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (UK tour and London Palladium) and most recently Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (UK tour).
Get ready to relive the playlist of your life by celebrating 40 years of the iconic and chart-topping compilations brand NOWThat’s What I Call Music, which has sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide. This fun-filled evening is bursting with hits from Whitney Houston, Wham! Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet and so many more.
It’s Birmingham, 1989. Two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business – planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Cut to Birmingham 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion. Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. The biggest question is: what was with all that hairspray?
The creative team will include Set and Costume Design by Tom Rogers & Toots Butcher, Musical Supervision and Arrangements by Mark Crossland, Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell, Sound Design by Adam Fisher, Wigs & Hair Design by Sam Cox, Associate Direction by Guy Woolf, Associate Choreography by Aaron Renfree, Associate Sound Design by Ollie Durrant and Casting by Annelie Powell CDG.
NOW is produced by ROYO, Universal Music UK, SONY Music Entertainment and Mighty Village.
Stagescreen partners with Runaway Entertainment to bring ‘Girl From The North Country’ to cinema screens
Stagescreen, the award-winning specialist theatre capture production and distribution company, is thrilled to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Runaway Entertainment. Together, they will bring Broadway’s soul-stirring musical ‘Girl From The North Country’ to cinema screens across the globe this autumn. The film was produced by Totally Theatre Productions, led by Gavin Kalin, with Tim van Someren serving as director of the film.
About ‘Girl From The North Country’: This poignant musical, which originated at The Old Vic in London, weaves a tapestry of love, loss, and redemption against the backdrop of Depression-era Minnesota and was hailed by the Observer as the ‘No. 1 theatre show of the year’. The soulful songs, composed by the legendary Bob Dylan with Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, resonate with universal themes of hope and longing. Conor McPherson’s masterful direction of his own musical play brings the characters’ struggles to life, capturing the raw beauty of their intertwined destinies. Casting for the show’s run on Broadway included Emmy Award-winner Mare Winningham and Jeannette Bayardelle, both Tony-nominated for their performances, as well as Todd Almond, Colin Bates, Craig Bierko, Caitlin Houlahan, Robert Joy, Luba Mason, Matt McGrath, Tom Nelis, Jay O. Sanders, Austin Scott, Kimber Elayne Sprawl, and more.
Described as being “as close as mortals come to heaven on earth” (The New York Times), Girl From The North Country was filmed at the Belasco Theatre on Broadway and is a singular and rousing experience.
About Stagescreen: Stagescreen’s team has been filming major stage events for 25 years, winning a slew of awards, including 3 Emmys, working with companies from the NT and RSC to West End and Broadway producers and stars from Ian McKellen and Judi Dench to Hugh Jackman, and distributing to cinema, TV, VOD and other media worldwide. Normally it funds, films and distributes – a one-stop shop.
Chris Hunt (Stagescreen) says – ‘Conor McPherson and the Runaway Entertainment team have crafted a remarkable production. Their attention to detail and artistic vision shine through. We’re honoured to be playing our part to ensure this fine musical reaches its widest audience.’
About Runaway Entertainment: Runaway Entertainment is an award-winning theatre and film company, founded in 2011 by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons. It currently produces 2:22 A Ghost Story in theWest End and on Tour, 101 Dalmatians the Musical on a UK and Ireland Tour and the US National Tour of Girl From The North Country. Recent productions include Girl From The North Country (West End and Broadway); 2:22 A Ghost Story (a record-breaking 6 different West End theatres); Olivier Award-winning Disney’s Newsies (Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre); The Windsors: Endgame (West End).
Tristan Baker (Runaway Entertainment) says – ‘Chris and Stagescreen are renowned for their expertise in bringing the magic of live theatre to screen audiences. Their commitment to quality and seamless distribution is unmatched. Together, we’ll create an unforgettable experience for cinemagoers.’
UK Cinema Screenings: UK cinemas on Thursday, November 21, 2024, and Sunday, November 24, 2024.
Cast and creatives announced for Shock Horror: A Ghost Story UK Tour
Thunder Road Theatre Company is thrilled to announce the cast and creative team for the 2024 tour of Shock Horror: A Ghost Story; an electrifying play inspired by classic theatre ghost stories and cinema’s greatest frights.
Alex Moran returns to the role of Herbert; his credits include War Horse (National Theatre), Quality Street (Northern Broadsides & New Vic Theatre), and A Clockwork Orange (Volcano).
The on-screen cast features Chloe Carter as Norma, recognised for her work on The Long Shadow (New Pictures), Doctors (BBC), and Emmerdale (ITV), Joseph Carter as Jack; whose credits include Hollyoaks (Channel 4), Yizkor (New Vic), and England Is Mine (Honlodge), and Chris Blackwood as Father Karras, who has appeared in Miss Julie (Gulbenkian), The Wizard of Oz (Plowright), and Candide (Kent Opera). Terence Mann (who has worked on 50 plays for BBC Radio) features as the voice of ‘The Darkness’.
Ryan Simons returns as Writer and Director; his credits include Eastenders, Emmerdale, and the horror films Seizure and Demon Eye. Set Designer Ethan Cheek, a recipient of the Maria Bjornson Bursary at The National Theatre, has designed for The Principles of Deception (Theatre Royal Northampton) and Little Shop of Horrors (The Egg). Ben Parsons, an Emmy-nominated composer for The Hidden Lives of Pets (Netflix), has also worked on Grand Designs and the feature film Demon Eye.
Andrew Crofts and Matt Carnazza share the role of Lighting Designer; Andrew has collaborated with companies such as Blast Theory and Belarus Free Theatre. His credits include Every House Has A Door and Streetwise Opera. Matt has designed for The Light House (Leeds Playhouse/UK Tour), Tomorrow Is Already Dead (Soho Theatre), and Force of Nature (International Tour).
Illusion Designer John Bulleid is UK Illusions Associate for Harry Potter & The Cursed Child (Palace Theatre, London) and has also worked on The Ocean at the End of the Lane (National Theatre). Dave Hackney completes the creative team as Director of Photography for the filmed elements of the show; he is known for horror films Polterheist, Demon Eye and Tea with the Reaper.
The Production team includes Dominic P Patel as Technical Manager; who has worked on shows including Macbeth (IC Theatre) and BI-TOPIA and Georgia Batterley as Production and Vision; she has worked with companies including Northern Broadsides and Bradford Literature Festival.
Alex Moran, Producer and founder of Thunder Road Theatre, said:
“Ryan [Simons] and I are delighted to once again be working with an exceptional group of creatives on Shock Horror. From old hands, to new faces, we can’t wait to get back to it. Sharing is scaring!”
KERRY ELLIS JOINS THE COMPANY OF 101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL FOR FINAL TOUR DATES
West End Musical Theatre star Kerry Ellis will play Cruella de Vil at the New Theatre Oxford 3- 7 December and Brighton Theatre Royal 17 December 2024 – 5 January 2025, concluding the current UK and Ireland tour of 101 Dalmatians The Musical. She follows fellow Cruellas Kym Marsh and Faye Tozer in this production.
The new musical version of Dodie Smith’s classic book, 101 Dalmatians is written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris. The director is Bill Buckhurst, with sets designed by David Woodhead, costumes designed by Sarah Mercadé and choreography by Lucy Hind. Musical supervision is from Alfonso Casado Trigo, orchestration by Jack Hopkins, the puppets are designed by Jimmy Grimes, with lighting by James Whiteside and sound design from Chris Whybrow. The musical director is Leigh Stanford Thompson, and casting director is Lucy Casson.
Kerry Ellis is recognised as the leading lady of West End and Broadway musicals, with a number of starring roles in London, New York, and around the world. She has achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist signed to both Universal Decca Records and Sony Music. Kerry originated the role of Meat, in Queen’s We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in the worldwide smash, Wicked, for which she won the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Award for ‘Best Takeover in a Role’. She then headed to Broadway to play Elphaba at the Gershwin Theater, where she won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance, before returning to London in the role. Her other leading West End credits include Grizabella in Cats, Nancy in Oliver!, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Ellen in Miss Saigon, Fantine in Les Miserables, Sara in Murder Ballad and Alice in Wonderland. In 2022 Kerry played Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes at the Barbican to huge acclaim, toured arenas across the UK with Queen Machine and headlined a huge concert in Japan on their biggest TV network. Kerry continues her long term working relationship with Brian May. They have toured the UK and Europe extensively. They released their album Golden Days to great acclaim and continue to work and record together. She is one of the most sought after singers in the UK, and performs her concerts all over the world. She has now released 4 seasons of her highly successful podcast Keep Calm and Kerry On, and recently released her autobiography, From Bumpkin to Broadway. Her brand new album of brand new material, Kings and Queens, was released in 2023 to great critical acclaim, and Kerry held a concert to launch the record at London’s Adelphi Theatre. She recently completed a run in her first Shakespeare play, playing Titania in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Later this year she will embark on an extensive tour of the UK to promote her new book, Queen of the West End.
She joins the existing cast of Charles Brunton (Casper), Victoria Compson-Bradford (Swing), Ross Dorrington (Ensemble), Benjamin Durham (Ensemble), Jessie Elland (Danielle), Benedict Hastings (Ensemble), Danny Hendrix (Jasper), Linford Johnson (Pongo), Lottie Johnson (Ensemble), Rachel Lea-Gray (Ensemble), Tom Norman (Ensemble), Hugo Rolland (Ensemble), Lindo Shinda (Ensemble), Eugene Shire (Swing), Samuel Thomas (Tom), Emma Thornett (Perdi) and Jasmine Triadi (Ensemble).
When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups.
This classic canine caper is brought to life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs and irresistible puppies!
Kerry Ellis said: “’I am absolutely delighted to be joining the cast of 101 Dalmatians. I have always loved the film, and am a massive dog lover, so this one will be a real treat for me. And I cannot wait to play Cruella. What a role!”
After launching in Wimbledon the production has already visited Birmingham, Norwich, and Canterbury. Presently at Leicester, the tour then continues to Manchester, Belfast, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Southend, Dublin, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Woking, Cardiff, Southampton, Aberdeen, York, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Oxford and Brighton. Kerry Ellis appears in Oxford and Brighton only.
Written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book)
Stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris, based on the original book by Dodie Smith
Director Bill Buckhurst
Set design David Woodhead
Costume design Sarah Mercadé
Choreography Lucy Hind
Musical supervision Alfonso Casado Trigo
Orchestration Jack Hopkins
Puppets design Jimmy Grimes
Lighting design James Whiteside
Sound design Chris Whybrow
Musical director Leigh Stanford Thompson
Casting director Lucy Casson
Original production first performed at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, London in 2022
Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Thursday 25th July 2024
Reviewed by Steph Lott
5*****
Eve, Christopher Marney
A Night of Revival: London City Ballet’s ‘Resurgence’ at Cambridge Arts Theatre
As a newcomer to the world of ballet, I was not sure what to expect when I attended London City Ballet’s ‘Resurgence’ at the Cambridge Arts Theatre on July 23, 2024. But from the moment the curtain rose, I was captivated by a performance that lived up to its name, breathing new life, it seems to me, into classical ballet.
The show was divided into four pieces – all quite different, all equally captivating. The performance I attended consisted of the following:
Larina Waltz. Choreography by Ashley Page. Music – Eugene Onegin, Act II by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Ballade. Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan. Music – Ballade by Gabriel Faure.
Five Dances. Choreography by Arielle Smith. Music – John’s Book of Alleged Dances by John Adams
Eve. Choreography by Christopher Marney. Music by Jennie Muskett MBE
I loved the whole show but there were some standout moments for me. “Larina Waltz” is an elegant reminder of the kind of ballet I have seen before but with near constant changes of direction and intricate choreography set against Tchaikovsky’s beautiful waltz. The shifting patterns across the stage were like a living kaleidoscope.
In “Ballade” it is not just the dancing but the acting that moved me – seeing the shifts in attraction between the ballerina and her partners – whom would she ultimately choose? And finally, “Eve” – her face when she realises what she has done. The sinewy evil of the serpent. All marvellous.
There is a lot to see and consider in a ballet. I was struck by how the costumes evolved throughout the performance, from classic tutus in the opening act to more modern, formfitting ensembles in later pieces. The costume designers, Emily Nobel and Stevie Stewart, clearly put thought into how the garments would move with the dancers, enhancing rather than restricting their movements. There was a moment at the end of “Five Dances” when costume and lighting, designed by Andy Murrell, came together when, for a split second, the dancers were suspended, in gorgeous form, with the colours of their costumes lit from behind until they dropped into sudden darkness. Exquisite.
The set design was minimalist yet effective, using lighting and a few versatile pieces to transform the stage from a moonlit garden to an abstract dreamscape. One clever transition used gauzy curtains and backlighting to create the illusion of dancers emerging from mist – a simple but stunning effect. Another created the effect of falling leaves in a garden. Simple and lovely.
As someone new to ballet, I was impressed by the athleticism and artistry on display. The dancers made incredibly difficult moves look easy, their control and balance almost superhuman. Yet beyond the technical skill, it was their ability to convey emotion through movement that profoundly moved me. Some sequences depicting struggle and pain had me completely invested in the wordless story unfolding before me
While I may not have the vocabulary to describe every nuance of technique, I can say with certainty that this performance was a feast for the senses and the soul. London City Ballet’s ‘Resurgence’ left me with a newfound appreciation for this art form and eager to explore more of the ballet world. For anyone curious about ballet or looking for an evening of beautiful, thought-provoking entertainment, I wholeheartedly recommend catching this show if you can. It is a stunning reminder of the power of dance to move and inspire. Furthermore, it was lovely to see the look on the dancers’ faces at the end of the performance when they herd and saw how enthusiastic the audience were. Please do not miss the opportunity to see London City Ballet in Cambridge, or indeed elsewhere, whilst they are on tour.
“We are whispers from the past fading into the future” is projected onto one of two large screens filling the stage in the Jerwood as the audience takes their seats on a sunny Monday evening.
No one quite knows what to expect, least of all the lone actor, who tonight is comedy legend Meera Syal. Over 16 performances, 16 different actors have bravely agreed to enact the latest work of award winning Iranian playwright, Nissam Soleimanpour, who is also beamed in live (or so we think) from his study in Berlin.
We are speedily put at ease as an AI voice comically delivers instructions for Meera to don white socks and black slippers, which we later discover match those worn by Nissam. (The whole piece is awash with precise symbols – a plant, a Persian rug, a bracelet – weaving in and out of the narrative.)
Then Nissam’s jolly bespectacled face fills the screen, every bit endearing and unassuming. It all feels quite playful and haphazard as the illusion of Nissam’s daily life with wife Shiran and dog Echo plays out as we’re made to feel like this a preamble, not really part of the show. Nothing could be further from the truth though as every inch of this play, artfully directed by Omar Elerian, reads like it has been intricately engineered so as to disorient, unsettle and challenge the audience.
Meera and Nissam are old friends which adds a beautiful intimacy to the puppet and puppet master relationship but one suspects that the quirky, self-deprecating playwright achieves a similar warm dynamic with all of his actors.
Although mainly tasked with vocalising Nissam’s thoughts on immigration, identity and home, either by way of an earpiece or by reading script projected on screen, Meera is just as sharp and insightful as she confides how she has come to regard not belonging as a gift since it offers the ability to see the bigger picture.
Echo wishes to explore the nature of storytelling itself as Nissam bravely questions where, when, who and what home is by sharing his own experiences of fleeing his beloved Iran. The result is a dazzling, profound and self-reflective piece which invites its audience to sit up close to its construction and marvel at its form.
PLAYING AT THE CUBIC THEATRE AT LONDON TRANSPORT MUSEUM
14 SEPTEMBER – 10 NOVEMBER
As part of the new strategic vision for London Transport Museum, Director and CEO Elizabeth McKay and the whole team are pleased to announce that The Truth About Harry Beck, a brand-new play about the designer of the iconic version of the London Tube map, will launch at the Museum’s on-site Cubic Theatre, right in the heart of Covent Garden.
Presented by the Natural Theatre Company, The Truth About Harry Beck, written and directed by Andy Burden, will play from 14 September to 10 November, with a national press night on 18 September at 7.30pm (the fiftieth anniversary of Harry Beck’s death). Tickets are on sale now here.
Inspired by the culture and creativity of the West End, the introduction of theatre is one example of how London Transport Museum is expanding its programming for new audiences. Music, performance and even more art and design will allow people to explore London’s rich transport history and the influential characters that have shaped London.
Harry Beck: creator of the London Tube Map.
For many of us, the London Underground is purely functional. But to Harry Beck, this web of geography became an obsession – a fascination with the creation of the perfect Tube map.
How did Beck create the iconic diagrammatic map of today, and at what cost? To understand you need to meet Harry, and his wife Nora.
Take a glimpse inside a journey of passion, a wife’s dedication and the living breathing network of the tunnels and train tracks in our capital. Embrace your inner transport enthusiast through a mash up of real-life accounts, uncovered anecdotes and seemingly unconnected facts (…with a peppering of fictitious characters).
Join The Natural Theatre Company as they take you on a whimsical whirlwind of fact through the worlds of design, transport, modern history…and an addiction to getting it right.
Elizabeth McKay, Director and CEO for London Transport Museum, said: “The opportunity to introduce this new play about the man behind the famous Tube map was a no-brainer for us. London Transport Museum is a cultural cornerstone in Covent Garden in the heart of theatreland and this play lets you experience one of London’s little-known stories in a brand-new live format. We are bringing the capital’s rich history and characters alive for you.”
Writer and director Andy Burden said, “About 16 years ago, I had the idea to put the story of the iconic Tube diagram on stage. I met with Ken Garland, a designer whose book “Mr Beck’s Underground Map” helped bring Harry Beck’s story to public attention. He leant me copies of Beck’s letters and gave me a small insight into the man. He was a man dedicated to finding the perfect schematic representation of the Underground network. And over a period of nearly 30 years, he worked tirelessly to improve the map, reflecting new stations, new lines and new suggestions from his bosses.
“Looking through Ken’s book, I got obsessed with the map and how he drew it, at one point being fixated on each minute change to its layout. Over 14 years I kept rewriting the play trying to make it work at its best – life it seems was imitating art!
“The first short run of the play appeared in September 2021 at the Theatre Royal Bath Ustinov Studio. Sadly, Ken Garland had passed away just months before, so never got to see the play.
“I am so pleased that my play about Harry Beck’s story is enhancing the experience at this fabulous Museum. It also keeps his name alive and connected to his wonderfully simple creation”.
Full casting and creative team will be announced shortly.
THE SOLD-OUT EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL HIT, TINK AT THE OTHER PALACE STUDIO
Did you know fairies are born big? They were never intended to be such tiny little creatures.
That’s not supposed to be their destiny.
Following a sold-out run at Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2023, TINK transfers to The Other Palace Studio for a strictly limited 2-week run from 8th to 20th October 2024.
TINK was a big, brilliant young fairy until one day, in a tragic cliché, TINK began to shrink.
Performed & composed by Kat Kleve (Once, Brief Encounter) and directed & written by Lizzy Connolly (Pygmalion, The Windsors, director of A Very, Very Bad Cinderella), TINK is a nostalgic, uplifting musical monologue that tackles the modern experience of being female and the societal pressures that come with navigating from child to tween to teen to adult.
TINK isn’t a retelling of Peter Pan, or “an origin story of Tinker Bell”. This is an imperfect, messy ‘female gaze fairy tale’ in all its ugly glory. The musical leads audiences through the story of one shrinking fairy on the path to one crucial question: Why do so many girls who start powerful, unfiltered, big, bold, loud, and without prejudice or shame, begin to shrink just as they should be growing?
Praise for TINK from Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Underbelly Bristo Square, Clover) 2023:
★★★★★ Reviews Hub
“Tink is a must-see show. No arguments or debates, it just is.”
★★★★★ Adventures in Theatreland
“Tink is a beautiful show in every aspect – beautiful staging, beautiful costumes, beautiful music – but most importantly a beautiful message.”
★★★★★ Ed Fringe Review
“Despite being fiercely witty, the story has real heart and purpose. It will make you laugh right before it makes you cry… serious themes are beautifully weaved into the narrative.”
Kat Kleve, Performer, Composer and Co-creator of TINK: “TINK has already touched the hearts of hundreds of people up and down the UK and we’re so excited to be bringing this funny, magical and heart-wrenching story to The Other Palace Studio, a venue who are doing amazing things to support and celebrate new musical theatre writing.”
Paul Taylor-Mills, Artistic Director at The Other Palace: “TINK is a beautiful and raw solo musical performed by the captivating Kat Kleve. It is an empowering piece of theatre and is a perfect fit to The Other Palace Studio and the stories we want to tell in that space.”
The all-female creative team of TINK includes Rosanna Bates as Movement Director, Kate Marlais as Musical Director, and Rachael Duthie as Lighting Designer.
LISTINGS
TINK THE OTHER PALACE STUDIO 8 – 20 October 2024 Music by Kat Kleve and Book by Lizzy Connolly
ALISON OLIVER JOINS CAST FOR THE OTHER PLACE, A NEW PLAY BY ALEXANDER ZELDIN, AFTER ANTIGONE
The National Theatre, in association with A Zeldin Company, today announces further casting for the world premiere of The Other Place, a new play directed and written by Alexander Zeldin (The Confessions, Faith, Hope and Charity) with music by Yannis Philippakis (Foals), inspired by Sophocles’ classic story Antigone.
Alison Oliver (Saltburn) will play Issy and joins the previously announced cast that includes Lee Braithwaite (Cowbois) as Leni, Emma D’Arcy (House of the Dragon) as Annie, Jeremy Killick (The Confessions) as Terry, Tobias Menzies (The Crown) as Chris and Nina Sosanya (Screw) as Erica.
Two sisters reunite on the anniversary of the death of their father. Their uncle has remodelled their family home, in an attempt at a fresh start. But one sister’s sudden reappearance threatens to shatter this fragile idyll as she demands justice for the pain she carries.
Amid the debris and the new extension, guilt, grief and greed battle it out in the family’s competing dreams of their future. When we are faced with the suffering of others, even those closest to us, can we look away?
Directed by Alexander Zeldin with set and costume design by Rosanna Vize, lighting design by James Farncombe, composed by Yannis Philippakis, sound design by Josh Anio Grigg, movement direction by Marcin Rudy, casting by Alastair Coomer CDG, voice coaching by Cathleen McCarron, associate lighting design by Bethany Gupwell and staff direction by Sammy Glover.
The Other Place is playing in the Lyttelton theatre from 27 September until 9 November.
Tickets are available from £20 and are on sale now via the National Theatre website. For further information, including details about assisted performances, please visit nationaltheatre.org.uk.
