Author: FairyPoweredProductions

Metal Rabbit Productions presents:

THE PRINCE

Written by and starring Abigail Thorn

Directed by Natasha Rickman

Southwark Playhouse 15 September – 8^th October

On sale Thursday 16^th June. Tickets: www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-large/the-prince 

An image, nothing more, a thin shadow,

A mere player dressing as a man,

So much art thou – a fake, a counterfeit!

Trapped within the confines of Henry IV Part One, Jen and Sam know they do not belong here, or in the many Shakespeare plays they have unwillingly flitted between.

They are not like the others; they are not mere characters fated to repeat the words and actions written for them. They belong in the real world. And they are going to find their way out.

But on their quest to discover the path that leads to reality, they notice that there’s something unusual about Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy, the son of the Earl of Northumberland. For perhaps he is more than a character too … perhaps he isn’t a nobleman … perhaps he isn’t a man at all…

Now Jen and Sam must decide; do they risk losing their way home to help someone who might just be like them – who does not yet know who they truly are? 

“The Prince is a show about being trapped in bad relationships – with parents, friends, lovers, and even with yourself. The story follows a handful of characters in a Shakespeare play who start to realise they are all stuck inside a performance. Some are in denial about their sexuality and gender, others are just trying to prepare the next generation for the struggles ahead. My genius dramaturge Donnacadh O’Briain describes it as “Elizabethan scifi” – I tell friends it’s “Like The Matrix if it was written in 1600.” Abigail Thorn

The Prince is a sharply and passionately written story about the roles we play for other people. The script is an exciting blend of verse and prose, ducking and weaving through Henry IV Part One and other works of the Bard, with fun for both Shakespeare scholars and verse virgins. Swordfighting, lesbianism, denial, disappointed parents, and a magical doorway. All the world’s a stage…

This is the first play from Abigail Thorn, creator of the hugely popular web show Philosophy Tube, which she has built to more than one million subscribers since it was established in 2013.

Abigail publicly came out as a transgender woman in January 2021, with her video Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story. The Prince – which she both wrote and will star in – adds another vital layer to her already impressive voice.

Newcastle Theatre Royal – until Saturday 9 July 2022

5*****

Written by the South Park team of Trey Parker and Matt Stone with Avenue Q’s Robert Lopez, The Book Of Mormon finally said “Hello” to Newcastle Theatre Royal after the pandemic delayed the original tour.

I’m not sure how much of a recruiting tool this show is, but the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints has embraced this show.  In the back of the programme was a full scale colour, glossy advert for the Church and outside after the show, some very young and eager Missionaries were leafleting and to my excitement giving away an actual Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon follows two contrasting young Mormon missionaries – the confident, self-absorbed Elder Price, and the bumbling, insecure Elder Cunningham – who complete their training at the Missionary Training Centre and are sent to preach the Mormon religion in a remote Ugandan village. Robert Colvin is in sensational winning form as the smug Elder Price. He sings with style and warmth and his comic timing is excellent. Connor Peirson is wonderful, in every way, as the nerdy Elder Cunningham who converts an African tribe to his own mish-mash of the Mormon story and references from Star Wars, Star Trek and Lord of the Rings with impressive results.

On arriving they are quickly introduced to the oppressed locals, brutal conditions and fellow US missionaries who have so far failed to baptise a single member of a community more concerned with battling AIDS and famine, and appeasing the local warlord (General Butt-F**king Naked – the hysterical Thomas Vernal, especially at the end when he becomes Elder Butt-F**king Naked) who seems intent on mutilating the locals.

Jordan Lee Davies positively shines as the tortured Elder McKinley, struggling to repress his inner self, he advises to “Turn it Off”. The singing and terrific dancing of the Elders is brilliantly funny. They are all an absolute joy to watch. Aviva Tulley is fabulous as the innocent Nabulungi (although Elder Cunningham gets her name wrong every time – my favourite was Nigel Farage) and Ewan Cummins is sensational as her protective but cynical father, bringing the house down with the impressively foul-mouthed Hasa Diga Eebowai. However it is Tre-Copeland Williams who steals every scene as the village Doctor who has maggots in his scrotum

This award winning production has outstanding choreography by Casey Nicholaw – the tap dancing Elders was inspired. Stephen Oremus gives musical supervision to the lyrics and music of Parker, Stone and Lopez. Including the brilliant I Believe, Making it Up Again, You and Me (But Mostly Me) and Tomorrow is a Latter Day. The live band (Phil James, Amy Heggart, George Millard, Adam Linsley, Rachel Allen, Mathias Dons, Bret Vanderburg and Paul Gregory) lead by Colm O’Regan are fantastic. Scott Pask’s scenic design and Ann Roth’s costumes compliment the perfection of this show.

Yes, this show is offensive, the liberal use of swear words, poking fun at religion, Aids and poverty is probably not for the easily offended. But it’s incredibly funny and one of the best musical scores around. In Newcastle until 9 July, get a ticket while you can

HAMILTON & MARY POPPINS

EXTEND BOOKING PERIODS TO DECEMBER 2022

Today (15 June 2022) Cameron Mackintosh Limited announce their West End productions of Hamilton and Mary Poppins are extending their booking periods to December 2022. 

Hamilton

Hamilton which currently plays Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm with matinees on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm at the Victoria Palace Theatre, will, from 12 July 2022, play Monday – Saturday 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. Hamilton will extend to Saturday 17 December 2022. Hamilton is produced in London by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Cameron Mackintosh.  www.hamiltonmusical.com/

Hamilton is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and helped shape the very foundations of the America we know today. The score blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B and Broadway – the story of America then, as told by America now.

Hamilton has book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe.

The Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning production opened at the newly re-built and restored Victoria Palace Theatre in London in December 2017.

Mary Poppins

Mary Poppins which currently plays Thursday – Saturday at 7.30pm with a Family Night on Wednesday at 7pm and matinees on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2.30pm at the Prince Edward Theatre, will, from 30 June 2022 also play Monday at 7.30pm. Mary Poppins extends booking to Sunday 18 December 2022andis produced by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh.  www.marypoppinsonstage.co.uk/

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, brilliantly adapted from the wonderful stories by PL Travers and the original beloved Walt Disney film, continues to be a smash hit around the world since its opening in London 17 years ago.

The original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman include the classic songs Jolly Holiday, Step in Time, Feed the Birds and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. New songs and additional music are by the Olivier award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

Book is by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes and this production is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh. The producer for Disney Theatrical Productions is Thomas Schumacher. This production of Mary Poppins has orchestrations by William David Brohn with dance and vocal arrangements by George Stiles. Sound design is by Paul Gatehouse and lighting is by Hugh Vanstone and Natasha Katz. Co-choreography is by Stephen Mear. The reimagined set and costume designs are by Bob Crowley. Co-direction and choreography is by Matthew Bourne and direction by Richard Eyre.

ZADIE SMITH’S AWARD-WINNING PLAY

THE WIFE OF WILLESDEN TO RETURN TO KILN THEATRE

AHEAD OF US TRANSFER TO AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER

Also announced today, Zadie Smith becomes a Trustee of Kiln Theatre

With Girl on an Altar by Marina Carr running and Zodwa Nyoni’s The Darkest Part of the Night in rehearsals, Kiln Theatre Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham today announces the return of Zadie Smith’s The Wife of Willesden to the venue, running from 14 December to 28 January, ahead of transferring to the US, where it will play at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) at Harvard University from 25 February – 19 March. Clare Perkins will reprise her role as Alvita, in Rubasingham’s critically acclaimed production.

Also announced today, Zadie Smith will become a Trustee of Kiln Theatre, joining the company’s Board with immediate effect.

Indhu Rubasingham said today,“It’s such a pleasure to be able to bring back our hit production of The Wife of Willesden. Last year’s run was not only the fastest selling show in the venue’s history, but was a reminder of the joy of creating and experiencing theatre together not long after lockdown. To have another opportunity to share it with more audiences is a real treat.  It is a wonderful collaboration of many brilliant people, especially Zadie, who we are thrilled to announce today will also join the theatre as a Trustee.

“We are delighted to have been invited by Diane Paulus (A.R.T. Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director) to bring The Wife of Willesden to the US as part of the American Repertory Theater’s fabulous 2022/23 programming; and hope to share further plans for the production in due course.”

Kiln Theatre presents

THE WIFE OF WILLESDEN

Adapted by Zadie Smith

From Chaucer’s THE WIFE OF BATH

Kiln Theatre: 14 December 2022 – 28 January 2023

Cast includes: Clare Perkins (Alvita – The Wife of Willesden)

Directed by Indhu Rubasingham; Designed by Robert Jones; Lighting Design by Guy Hoare;Composition and Sound Design by Ben and Max Ringham;Associate Costume Designby

Kinnetia Isidore; Casting by Julia Horan CDG; Movement Direction by Imogen Knight

Fight Direction by Kev McCurdy; Dialect and Voice Coach Hazel Holder;

Associate Director Hannah Hauer-King

‘Zadie Smith and Indhu Rubasingham have concocted a stunning piece of freewheeling stagecraft.’

★★★★★  Times

A proper local legend. Married five times. Mother. Lover. Aunt. Friend. Alvita will tell her life story to anyone in the pub – there’s no shame in her game. The question is: are you ready to hear it? Because this woman’s got the gift of the gab: she can rewrite mistakes into triumphs, turn pain into parables, and her love life’s an epic poem. They call her The Wife of Willesden…

A play that celebrates the human knack for telling elaborate tales, especially about our own lives.

Critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, best-selling author Zadie Smith makes her playwriting debut, transporting Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath to 21st Century North West London.

Director Indhu Rubasingham invites you to take your seat at the bar, order a pint or two, and listen to this bawdy, beautiful new comedy up close, and very, very personal.

The Kiln Theatre auditorium will be transformed into a local London pub, complete with pub tables in the stalls.

The Wife of Willesden was originally produced in 2021 by Kiln Theatre in association with Brent2020, London Borough of Culture.

Clare Perkins plays Alvita, The Wife of Willesden. She is currently shooting WOOL for AMC studios after recently wrapping on feature film, EMBERS directed by Christian Cooke. She was recently seen in Amazon fantasy series The Wheel of Time, The Offenders on the BBC and Apple’s, Suspicion.  She was previously seen in Netflix series Young Wallander as well as a guest roles in The Crown and Flack. In theatre, she starred as the title role in Emilia, which played at the Vaudeville Theatre. Other extensive theatre work includes Welcome to Thebes at the National Theatre, Little Revolution at the Almeida Theatre, The Convert for the Gate Theatre, Mules with the Royal Court and Genesis Inc at the Hampstead Theatre. She is well known for playing series regular, Ava Hartman in BBC’s EastEnders. Other television credits include BBC’s Death in Paradise, Damned for Channel 4, Netflix’s Been So Long. In film, she can be seen in Ken Loach’s Ladybird, Secrets and Lies directed by Mike Leigh and Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy. She’s also in Censor which has just been released in cinemas. She has been a member of BBC Radio Drama Company and played Mel in Westway which ran for 8 years on the BBC World Service.

Zadie Smith is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW, and Swing Time, as well as three collections of essays, Intimations, Changing My Mind and Feel Free and the collection of short stories, Grand Union. Her novels have won multiple literary awards and been translated into many languages. White Teeth was adapted for the stage at the Kiln Theatre in 2018. She is a professor of fiction at New York University and writes regularly for the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books. Zadie Smith divides her time between New York and London.

Indhu Rubasingham is Artistic Director of Kiln Theatre. Her work for the company includes The Invisible Hand, Pass Over, When the Crows Visit, Wife, White Teeth, Holy Sh!t, Red Velvet (which transferred to New York and later to the Garrick Theatre as part of the Kenneth Branagh Season) and Handbagged (winner of Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre – also West End, UK tour, Washington DC and New York). Other productions for Kiln Theatre include A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes, Multitudes, The House That Will Not Stand, Paper Dolls, Women, Power and Politics, Stones in His Pockets, Detaining Justice, The Great Game: Afghanistan, Fabulation and Starstruck. Other theatre credits include The Father and The Assassin, The Great Wave, Ugly Lies the Bone, The Motherf**cker with the Hat (Evening Standard Award for Best Play), The Waiting Room (all National Theatre), The Ramayana (National Theatre/ Birmingham Rep), Belong, Disconnect, Free Outgoing, Lift Off, Clubland, The Crutch and Sugar Mummies (Royal Court Theatre), Ruined (Almeida Theatre), Yellowman and Anna in the Tropics (Hampstead Theatre), Secret Rapture and The Misanthrope (Minerva, Chichester Festival Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Chichester Festival Theatre), Pure Gold (Soho Theatre), The No Boys Cricket Club and Party Girls (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Wuthering Heights (Birmingham REP), Heartbreak House (Watford Palace Theatre), Sugar Dollies and Shakuntala (Gate Theatre), A River Sutra (Three Mill Island Studios), Rhinoceros (UC Davis, California) and A Doll’s House (Young Vic).

Kiln Theatre

Listings

269 Kilburn High Road, London, UK, NW6 7JR

Box Office: 020 7328 1000

www.KilnTheatre.com

Tickets from £15

All tickets for first preview £15

Kiln Theatre: 14 December 2022 – 4 February 2023, media night 20 December

A.R.T.: 25 February – 19 March 2023

FUNDRAISING EVENING IN AID OF KILN THEATRE – Thursday 19 January, 7.30pm

Please join us at this special fundraising night in aid of Kiln Theatre. Tickets are £30-£70, and include a donation to our work. As a registered charity, we rely on donations from audience members and our community of supporters. All proceeds from the evening are in aid of Kiln Theatre. Your support helps us to create internationally renowned, innovative productions, to make theatre available to our local community and to connect everyone, whatever their background, through the power of storytelling.

Post Show Q&A Tue 10 Jan and Fri 27 Jan

Captioned Performance 23 January

Audio Described Performance 12 January

Under 26 – £10 (subject to availability).

Access, Over 65, Local, Student and Group rates available, for further details, please see the website.

Subsidised tickets

We offer free tickets and exclusive discounts to those who can’t afford to come. If you fit any of the below criteria, get in touch and we can help you get a ticket.

If you are homeless, out of work or receive Housing Benefits, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance (valid ID, statements or proof universal tax credit will be required when collecting tickets).

Employees of NHS, Police Force, Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, The Coastguard, RNLI, Prison Officers or Social Care Workers (valid ID payslip and name badges will be required when collecting tickets).

Email [email protected]

MILES JUPP AND JUSTIN EDWARDS TO STAR IN UK TOUR OF NEW STAGE ADAPTATION OF THE LAVENDER HILL MOB

Comedy duo Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards are set to reunite and embark on a UK tour of the classic Ealing Comedy, The Lavender Hill Mob, based on the screenplay by T.E.B. Clarke, adapted for the stage by Phil Porter. Directed by Jeremy Sams, the production has its world premiere at Cheltenham Everyman from 13th October 2022, before touring to Clwyd, Cardiff, Malvern, Richmond, Brighton, Cambridge, Guildford, Glasgow, Bath and Truro, Hall for Cornwall, with further dates to be announced.

Miles Jupp says today, “I loved the Lavender Hill Mob when I first saw it, I love Phil Porter’s ingenious adaptation of it, I’ve loved every Jeremy Sams production I’ve seen, I love working with Justin Edwards, I absolutely love being part of an ensemble onstage, and I’ve loved doing nearly every play I’ve been in. Additionally, the producers appear to be honest. I can really see no reason not to turn up on time, and put the bloody hours in.”

Justin Edwards added “I agree.”

The much-loved film was released in 1951, directed by Charles Crichton, and starring Alec Guinness, Stanley Holloway and Sid James, as well as Audrey Hepburn in one of her earliest screen appearances. It was ranked by the BFI as one of the greatest British Films of all time and was restored and re-released in UK cinemas in 2011 for its sixtieth anniversary.

Patrick Myles, David Luff and Act Productions, Alexander “Sandy” Marshall

in association with Tulchin Bartner Productions present

THE LAVENDER HILL MOB

Based on the screenplay by T.E.B. Clarke, by special arrangement with STUDIOCANAL and adapted for the stage by Phil Porter 

Director: Jeremy Sams; Designer: Francis O’Connor; Associate Director: Louise Shephard; Composer/Magic: Tim Sutton; Casting Director: Ginny Schiller CDG;

General Manager: Gareth Johnson

Further cast and creatives to be announced

UK Tour

13 October 2022 – 18 February 2023

The men who broke the bank and lost the cargo are back!

The world premiere adaptation of The Lavender Hill Mob, the classic Ealing Comedy which starred Alec Guinness, is heading to a theatre near you.

Come and see one of the “greatest British films of all time” (BFI) brought to life on stage by Olivier-nominated playwright Phil Porter, directed by Tony and Olivier-nominated Jeremy Sams and starring acclaimed comic actors Miles Jupp and Justin Edwards.

This side-splittingly funny, fast-paced comedy tells the story of Henry Holland, an unassuming bank clerk who dreams of stealing the van full of gold bullion he drives across London each day. When Henry learns that his new lodger makes Eiffel Tower paperweights out of lead, he devises a plan to make his dream a reality. It’s a golden opportunity to pull off the crime of the century, they’d have to be fools to mess it up …

Come and rediscover this much-loved classic in this brand-new stage play that promises to be the most fun night out of the year!

Miles Jupp’s theatre credits include People, Rules for Living (National Theatre), The Way of the World (Northampton Royal Theatre), A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Glasgow Citizens) Neville’s Island (Duke of York Theatre) and The Life I Lead (UK Tour and Wyndham’s). As a comedian he has toured his shows Miles Jupp is the Chap You’re Thinking Of, Songs Of Freedom and Fibber In The Heat. His television credits include Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, The Durrells, Rev, The Thick Of It, The Crown, Alan Partridge’s Scissored Isle, A Very British Scandal, SAS: Rogue Heroes, Balamory, Sex Education, Bad Move and Howard’s End; and for film, Misbehaviour, The Monuments Men, Greed, The Look of Love, Made in Dagenham, Journey’s End and The Man Who Invented Christmas. He has contributed to a number of BBC Radio 4 including The News Quiz, which he chaired for four years, and In and Out of the Kitchen, which he wrote and created. He is the author of three books, the most recent of which is a novel, History.

Justin Edwards’ theatre credits include The Ferryman (Broadway and West End), The Rivals (Arcola Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (RSC), The Opinion Makers (Colchester Mercury) I Killed Rasputin (George Square Theatre), Art (Holders Festival), Jeremy Lion Goes Green (Pleasance Theatre), and Jeremy Lion, For Your Entertainment (Menier Chocolate Factory). His television credits include Avenue 5, The Witchfinder, Ghosts, This England, Death in Paradise, There She Goes, The Trip, The Thick Of It, Endeavour, Murder in Successville, The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Ruddy Hell! It’s Harry and Paul, The Hollow Crown, Skins, Black Mirror, Sorry I’ve Got No Head;and for film, 1917, Paddington and Paddington 2, Yesterday, The Death of Stalin, Love and Friendship and The Duchess. He is a regular voice on BBC Radio 4 as an actor and presenter, including The Consultants, In and out Of The Kitchen, Cabin Pressure, Where This Service Will Depart, Party’s Over and The Unbelievable Truth. 

Phil Porter’s playwriting credits include The Boy with Two Hearts (Wales Millennium Centre / National Theatre), Vice Versa, The Christmas Truce, A Mad World My Masters, The Tempest (RSC), The Miser (West End, nominated for an Olivier Award), Sometimes Thinking (Frantic Assembly), Blink (Soho Theatre and worldwide), God Of Chaos, The Man With The Hammer (Plymouth Theatre Royal), The Cracks In My Skin (Manchester Royal exchange, winner of a Bruntwood Award), Stealing Sweets And Punching People (Theatre 503 / Off-Broadway), The Flying Machine (Unicorn Theatre) and Starseeker (Northampton Theatre Royal). Opera libretti include Gods Of The Game (Grange Park Opera / Sky Arts) and Pinocchio (Royal Opera House).

Jeremy Sams is a composer, director and writer. As a director, his theatre credits include Oklahoma!, The Rehearsal, The Water Babies (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Sound of Music (international tour), Peter Grimes (Grange Park Opera), The Wizard of Oz (London Palladium), La Perichole (Garsington Opera), Educating Rita (Menier Chocolate Theatre and Trafalgar Studios), The King and I (Royal Albert Hall), 13 (Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre), Donkey’s Years, Little Britain Tour (UK tour), Noises Off (National Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre, Brooks Atkinson Theatre), Mozart in Milan (Barbican Centre), The Card (The Watermill Theatre), Entertaining Mr Sloane (Greenwich Theatre), The Wind in the Willows (The Old Vic), Neville’s Island (Nottingham Playhouse and Apollo Theatre), Forty Years On (West Yorkshire Playhouse), and What The Butler Saw (Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour).

THE LAVENDER HILL MOB

LISTINGS

The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

13-22 October 2022

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2pm

Press Night: Tuesday 18 October

Box Office: www.everymantheatre.org.uk / 01242 572 573

Theatr Clwyd

24-29 October

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2pm

Box Office: www.theatrclwyd.com / 01352 344 101

New Theatre Cardiff

1-5 November

Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs and Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk/Online/default.asp / 0343 310 0041

Malvern Theatre

7-12 November 2022

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/ 01684 892277

Richmond Theatre

14-19 November 2022

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre/ / 0844 871 7615

Brighton Theatre Royal

21-26 November 2022

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton/ 0844 871 7615

Cambridge Arts Theatre

16-21 January 2023

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2pm

Box Office: www.cambridgeartstheatre.com / 01223 503 333

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

24-28 January 2023

Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Weds, Thurs and Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk / 01483 440 000

Glasgow Theatre Royal

30 January – 4 February 2023

Mon-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-glasgow/ / 0844 871 7615

Bath Theatre Royal

7-11 February 2023

Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Thurs and Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.theatreroyal.org.uk / 01225 448844

Hall for Cornwall

13-18 February 2023

Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Weds, Thurs and Sat 2.30pm

Box Office: www.hallforcornwall.co.uk / 01872 262466

Theatr Clwyd announces cast for world première of A Pretty Sh*tty Love

Theatr Clwyd today announces the cast for the world première production of acclaimed playwright Katherine Chandler’s A Pretty Sh*tty Love. Inspired by true events of a woman buried alive by her abusive partner that shook Wales and reverberated around the world, Francesca Goodridge directs Danielle Bird as Hayley and Daniel Hawksford as Carl. In this dynamic new play, Hayley and Carl journey through complexities of love and life, dreaming of love, living in fear and finding the strength to pull yourself out. The production opens in Theatr Mix in The Village at Theatr Clwyd on 12 July, with previews from 8 July, and runs until 23 July, ahead of performances at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff from 27-29 July.

“I scrape at the soil beneath me, dig my nails into the dirt. I work out what’s going on.”

A woman buried alive by her abusive partner.

A new play by acclaimed playwright Kath Chandler about dreaming of love, living in fear and finding the strength to pull yourself out.

Danielle Bird makes her Theatr Clwyd debut as Hayley. Her other theatre credits include The Comedy of Errors (Mercury Theatre Colchester), Beauty and the Beast, Astley’s Astounding Adventures (New Vic Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (Storyhouse Theatre), The Prince and The Pauper (New Victoria Theatre/Unicorn Theatre), The Worst Witch (Vaudeville Theatre), Aladdin (Theatre Royal Wakefield), The Hypocrite (RSC), Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Birmingham Rep), Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Othello, Cyrano de Bergerac (Grosvenor Open Air Theatre),The Princess and the Pea (York Theatre Royal), Father Christmas and the Icicle Bicycle, Tea Time (Oxford Playhouse), Colin Hoult’s Real Horror Show (Leicester Square Theatre), No Ball Games (New Wolsey Theatre), Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet (Young Shakespeare Company). Her television credits include Hapless, Vengeance, The Investigator, The Wives Did It, The Double Life of Morton Coyle;and for film, Now You See Me 2 and A Running Jump.

Daniel Hawksford returns to Theatr Clwyd to play Carl – he previously made his professional debut at the venue 20 years ago playing Hamlet in Rosentcrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and in Arms and the Man. Other recent credits include Troilus and Cressida (RSC), Crouch Touch Pause Engage (National Theatre of Wales/Out of Joint), ILLIAD (National Theatre of Wales) and The Distance (Sheffield Theatres/Orange Tree Theatre). For television, his credits include Hard Cell, Halo, Hollyoaks, Father Brown, Hetty Feather, Waking the Dead and Colditz; and for film, Pelican Blood and Little White Lies.

Katherine Chandler is an award-winning Welsh writer working in theatre, film, radio and television. Twice a finalist for the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn prize with her plays Before it Rains and Parallel Lines, Katherine was awarded the judges prize in the Bruntwood prize for playwriting for her play Bird. Currently, Katherine is working with companies such as the National Theatre, National Theatre Wales, Birmingham Rep and BBC Drama.

Francesca Goodridge directs. Goodridge took part in The Theatr Clwyd Carne Traineeship for Directors in Wales. She recently co-founded The Far Away Plays – an online play reading company that champions Welsh and Wales-based creatives – with a view to revisit existing Welsh plays and discuss the reimagining of those classics for today. She has been Associate or Assistant Director on over ten productions and co-productions with Theatr Clwyd including Isla, Curtain Up, A Christmas Carol, Pavilion, WaveMe Goodbye, Dick Whittington and The Importance of Being Earnest. Her recent Christmas production of The Brothers Grimm Present: Cinderella at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester, was favoured as one of the best Christmas family shows to see in 2021 by The Observer.

The creative team includes: Designer: Lulu Tam; Lighting Designer: Jess Bernberg; Sound Designer and Composer: Alexandra Faye Braithwaite; Movement Director: Yandass Ndlovu; Video Designer: Libby Ward; Assistant Director: Amy Roberts.

A PRETTY SH*TTY LOVE

LISTINGS

Theatr Mix in The Village at Theatr Clwyd

Raikes Lane, Mold CH7 1YA

8 July – 23 July

Tickets from £10.

Booking available at Theatr Clwyd’s website www.theatrclwyd.com or by calling 01352 344101.

Please note there are some themes in the show that audience may find triggering. Please check the website or speak to the Box Office team for more information.

NEW STUDENTS JOIN THE CLASS OF

BY LAURENCE O’KEEFE & KEVIN MURPHY

DIRECTED BY ANDY FICKMAN

WINNER OF BEST NEW MUSICAL

WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS 2019

AT THE OTHER PALACE RUNNING UNTIL 4 SEPTEMBER 2022

With the summer vacation fast approaching and the last graduation caps thrown, a new class is being ushered in at Westerberg High. Being called for registration are Jasmine Beel (Heather McNamara), Robin Hayward (Kurt Kelly), Daniel Robinson (Kurt’s Dad/Veronica’s Dad/Principle Gowen), Lewis Asquith (Hipster Dork/Officer), Joe Boyle (Beleaguered Geek), Daisy Twells (New Wave Party Girl) and Jacob Young (Preppy Stud/Officer).

From Beleaguered Geek to hanging out with a slushie at the local 7/11, Benjamin Karran will officially be taking on the role of Jason ‘J.D’ Dean from 28 June.

They are joined by continuing cast members Ailsa Davidson (Veronica Sawyer), Simon Gordon (Jason ‘J.D’ Dean) (last performance 26 June), Maddison Firth (Heather Chandler), Vivian Panka (Heather Duke), Mhairi Angus (Martha Dunnstock), Rory Phelan (Ram Sweeney), Vicki Lee Taylor (Ms Fleming/Veronica’s Mom), May Tether (Drama Club Drama Queen), Bayley Hart (Stoner Chick), Eleanor Morrison-Halliday (Young Republicanette).

Produced by Bill Kenwright and Paul Taylor-Mills, the musical started its UK journey with a cult following and was a box office record-breaker at The Other Palace in 2018, before transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket for a limited season later that year. The production then returned to the Haymarket and played a hugely successful summer season this year, kick-starting the West End’s pandemic recovery.

With a dazzling book, music and lyrics by Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe, Heathers the Musical is based on one of the greatest cult teen films of all time, and starred Winona Ryder and Christian Slater. The production is directed by Andy Fickman, withchoreography by Thriller Live’s Gary Lloyd, designs by David Shields, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound by Dan Samson.  

Westerberg High’s Veronica Sawyer is just another nobody dreaming of a better day. But when she joins the beautiful and impossibly cruel Heathers, her dreams of popularity may finally come true. Mysterious teen rebel JD teaches her that it might kill to be a nobody, but it is murder being a somebody…

The UK premiere of Heathers the Musical enjoyed two record-breaking opening seasons, launching at London’s The Other Palace and transferring to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2018; going on to win the WhatsOnStage award for Best New Musical 2019. Last year it also embarked on its first UK Tour which ran until December 2021.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH INITIATIVES LAUNCHED

ALONGSIDE THE RUN OF TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

With the production currently playing to critical acclaim and capacity houses, To Kill a Mockingbird is continuing to implement a series of education and outreach initiatives to run alongside the production.

Increasing a commitment to schools, and to ensure the production continues to reach as wide an audience as possible, school groups will now have exclusive advance access to all performances until 21 July 2023 when the next academic year ends, ahead of seats going on sale to the general public. The £15 ticket price break will be extended to all school groups of 10+ at Wednesday midweek matinees for performances from 21 September, with a free teacher ticket for every 10 students.

To supplement the offering to schools, the production has created an education resource to support secondary school students and their teachers coming to see the show. The contents of which include; classroom and studio activities based on the play, insight into the adaptation, guidance for teaching PSHE issues, such as diversity and inclusion, and live production support for GCSE and A Level Drama. The pack will be available to download free from https://www.tokillamockingbird.co.uk/ from 4 July.

In addition, the Producers have set aside a number of £5 tickets for every performance that are offered directly to those currently under-represented in West End theatre audiences. To date 75% of those tickets have been used by young people, for many of whom To Kill a Mockingbird is their first time at the theatre.

Producer Sonia Friedman said today, “It is absolutely the intention that our production of To Kill a Mockingbird remains accessible to everyone, despite sold out houses, hence opening up a specific long-term booking period for schools ahead of general on-sale, in addition to our continued £15 All Rise ticket scheme. Harper Lee’s enduring story, adapted so masterfully for the stage by Aaron Sorkin, opens up vital conversations, and we are committed to enable all audiences to engage with the play.”

Whilst the playwright Aaron Sorkin was here in the UK for the opening of the production, he visited Capital City Academy in Willesden, North West London, for a Q&A with the students following their free trip to see the production at the dress rehearsal.

Furthermore,To Kill a Mockingbird continues its successful All Rise ticket scheme, offering £15 seats for every performance across the run. The initiative provides access at affordable prices to as wide an audience as possible. More than 1,400 tickets are being released each month of the run. In addition to the All Rise initiative, there is an opportunity to purchase £15 tickets via Today Tix daily rush – where a limited number of additional seats are available on each performance day via the app. The TodayTix app can be downloaded onto iOs or Android devices for free via the app store; or you can access online via TodayTix.com.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Bartlett Sher directs a cast of over thirty – Rafe Spall (Atticus Finch), Harry Attwell (Mr Cunningham/Boo Radley), Amanda Boxer (Mrs Henry Dubose), Poppy Lee Friar (Mayella Ewell), John Hastings (Bailiff), Simon Hepworth (Mr Roscoe/Dr Reynolds), Laura Howard (Miss Stephanie/Dill’s Mother), Lloyd Hutchinson (Link Deas), Gwyneth Keyworth (Scout Finch), Tom Mannion (Sheriff Heck Tate), David Moorst (Dill Harris), Pamela Nomvete (Calpurnia), Jim Norton (Judge Taylor), Patrick O’Kane (Bob Ewell), Jude Owusu (Tom Robinson), Harry Redding (Jem Finch), David Sturzaker (Horace Gilmer) and Natasha Williams (Mrs Dubose’s Maid), with Helen Belbin, Laurence Belcher, Paul Birchard, Ryan Ellsworth, Rebecca Hayes, Danny Hetherington, Matthew Jure, Anna Munden, Tiwai Muza, Oyin Orija and Itoya Osagiede making up the ensemble and understudies, with Candida Caldicot on organ and Ciyo Brown and Jack Benjamin on guitar.

Set in Maycomb, Alabama in 1934, To Kill a Mockingbird has provided American literature with some of its most indelible characters: lawyer Atticus Finch, the tragically wronged Tom Robinson, Atticus’ daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker Calpurnia and the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. For the past six decades and for every generation, this story, its characters and portrait of small-town America have helped to, and continue to, inspire conversation and change.

Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence has sold more than 45 million copies of the novel worldwide. 2020 marked the 60^th anniversary of its publication. 

Sher and the original Broadway creative team – Miriam Buether (Set), Ann Roth (Costume), Jennifer Tipton (Lighting), Scott Lehrer (Sound), Adam Guettel (Original Score), Kimberly Grigsby (Music Supervision) and Campbell Young Associates (Hair & Wigs) – are joined by Serena Hill as Casting Director, Hazel Holder as Voice & Dialect Coach, Titas Halder as Associate Director, Candida Caldicot as Musical Director, Tavia Rivée Jefferson as Cultural Coordinator and Rasheka Christie-Carter as Assistant Director,

FIRST LOOK: Set-Up Shots of Jason Donovan as Teen Angel in GREASE

Please find below set-up shots of Jason Donovon as Teen Angel in the West End production of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE, which opened at the Dominion Theatre on Tuesday 17 May. Jason Donovan will guest star as Teen Angel at certain performances for 6 weeks from 29 June. 

GREASE stars Dan Partridge as Danny, Olivia Moore as Sandy and Peter Andre as Vince Fontaine at certain performances. 

Also in the cast are Jocasta Almgill as Rizzo, Paul French as Kenickie, Mary Moore as Jan, Jake Reynolds as Doody, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly as Marty, Damon Gould as Sonny, Eloise Davies as Frenchie, Jessica Croll as Patty Simcox, Katie Lee as Cha Cha, Ronan Burns as Johnny Casino and Corinna Powlesland as Miss Lynch. Darren Bennett plays Officer Mailie and Vince Fontaine at certain performances.

GREASE originally opened in Chicago in 1971, followed by a move to Broadway in 1972, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. The musical features beloved songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted To You and You’re The One That I Want.

GREASE is directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips.  

Mini season championing new voices now
on sale at Seven Dials Playhouse
Tuesday 5th – Saturday 30th July 2022
1a Tower Street, London WC2H 9NP

Seven Dials Playhouse has announced the four new works to be included in its mini season, running throughout July. Following a critically acclaimed opening season, which has seen sold-out shows and a string of five-star reviews, the mini season will focus on contemporary texts, plays and new writing from breakthrough voices. Each show will run for a week at Seven Dials Playhouse this July in this brilliant opportunity for artists, with substantial support available from Seven Dials Playhouse.

The first show in the mini season, running from 5th – 9th July, uses verbatim prose and movement to tell the story of Glasgow’s rival football clubs and the young boys who grow up loving their team to a fault. Old Firm Friends is packed with real stories and tales from the people who make Glasgow. Writer Caitlin Lee Smith’s play follows Billy and Connor as they grow up in a city divided. Old Firm Friends is dedicated to Mark Scott, a Scottish teenager who lost his life due to a sectarian attack after a football match.

Old Firm Friends will be followed from 12th – 16th July by Sorry We Didn’t Die at Sea, a translation of the contemporary Italian play Scusate Se Non Siamo Morti in Mare by Emanuele Aldrovandi. This intriguing and darkly hilarious piece, written by Emanuele Aldrovandi and translated by Marco Young, lies very much in the absurdist tradition. Archetypal characters the Tall One, the Beautiful One, the Stocky One and the Flabby One populate this four-hander set in an unclear future in which three characters are emigrating from a failing Europe. Set entirely in a shipping container, this black comedy invokes the current migrant crisis, and is a deep dive into the human struggle to find meaning and purpose.

Running from 19th – 23rd July, Mosquito opens at the close of an affair. Written by Cameron Corcoran and directed by Nicky Allpress, this intimate drama considers mental health and gaslighting. What started as an affair has become so much more for the ‘other woman’, Lemy, and when the relationship comes to an abrupt end, Lemy begins to see James as he truly is; a liar, a manipulator and a user of women.

The final show in the mini season, Tomorrow Night Live, is set in the backdrop of a late night TV show. The play is written by Lucy Owen and Georgie Wallace and will run from 26th – 30th July. Tomorrow Night Live, directed by Steven Kavuma, is a dark, funny, satirical look on the realities of how intersecting identities stack up in a messed-up world and explores issues of class, race and women’s safety.

For this mini season, Seven Dials Playhouse has welcomed applications from work in the in late stages of development, or work that is not yet financed for a longer run. In line with Seven Dials Playhouse’s current producing model, these successful applicants will forgo any theatre hire fee as well as benefiting from the use of production office space and free rehearsal space. They will also receive a box office split and marketing and producing consultation

Amanda Davey, Chief Executive of Seven Dials Playhouse comments, At the heart of Seven Dials Playhouse is a true commitment to working in collaboration with artists, and we hope that this mini season shines a spotlight on their work and provides an important launchpad into the industry. As part of the mini season, there will also be an Associated Programme of masterclasses, workshops, and seminars that respond to the themes of each production/the artists working within the space

Seven Dials Playhouse is helmed by Chief Executive Amanda Davey, with Executive Creative Producer Mitchell Reeve leading on producing and programming, and Head of Marketing and Communications Jamie Tuohy leading on organisational marketing, communications and PR strategy.