Author: FairyPoweredProductions

BILL KENWRIGHT & THEATRE ROYAL WINDSOR ANNOUNCE

THE SEAN MATHIAS SUMMER SEASON 2020

Bill Kenwright has announced the appointment of his first artistic director at Theatre Royal Windsor.

Commencing May 2020, a WINDSOR THEATRE ROYAL SUMMER SEASON will take place each year, under the directorship of SEAN MATHIAS.

Bill Kenwright says: “Since I acquired Theatre Royal Windsor over twenty years ago there have been several changes in regional theatre. Most producing houses have been affected, probably none more so than Theatre Royal Windsor, which has no public subsidy whatsoever.

As the next chapter in trying to establish Windsor Theatre Royal, again, as a major theatrical force, I’ve asked Sean to be the theatre’s artistic director for a four monthly annual season. We’ve talked about it for a couple of years now – and I am really pleased to say that he has agreed to start next year. He is not only a great director but also a passionate lover of all things theatre.”

Sean Mathias said: “Theatre Royal Windsor is an absolute gem of a theatre and I’m delighted and honoured that Bill has invited me to helm my first summer season there. I hope to bring a company of some of our best actors together to explore and invigorate classic texts and to give audiences a dynamic experience that will put Windsor centre stage once more in our ever-changing British theatre landscape.”

SEAN’S INAUGURAL SEASON WILL RUN FROM MAY – SEPT 2020 and will include HAMLET and THE CHERRY ORCHARD.

Sean Mathias is one of this country’s foremost directors. His multi-award-winning career includes productions at the National Theatre, The Kennedy Centre, The Mark Taper Forum, Paris, Sidney and Cape Town, and many productions on Broadway.

Anne-Marie and Jon Woodley who manage the Theatre Royal said: “Sean is undoubtedly one of the UK’s finest directors, and after working with him on the Exorcist this Summer he is also an absolute joy to have around! Windsor is very lucky indeed!!”

Sean Mathias is a British Theatre Director, Film Director and Writer.

He has written a number of plays including the award winning A Prayer for Wings, and the screenplay for the award-winning BBC film The Lost Language of Cranes.

In 2009/2010 Sean was the Artistic Director of Theatre Royal Haymarket and his legendary production of Waiting for Godot played two seasons at the theatre, as well as touring the UK and internationally. In 2013 he directed and co-produced Two Plays in Rep, comprising Beckett’s Godot and Pinter’s No Man’s Land on Broadway at the Cort Theatre. His production of No Man’s Land, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, was the highest grossing play in the history of the Wyndham’s Theatre. Earlier this year he directed the UK premiere of Martin Sherman’s play Gently Down the Stream at the Park Theatre. He directed the award-winning film Bent.

He has won various awards including WhatsOnStage Award, Evening Standard Award, Critics’ Circle Award, a Fringe First at Edinburgh and the Prix de la Jeunesse at Cannes.

Recent productions include:

A PRAYER FOR WINGS Kings Head Theatre

IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE 2019 The Harold Pinter Theatre & The Hudson Theatre Broadway

GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM Park Theatre

SAVAGE LOVE Public Theater New York

THE EXORCIST Phoenix Theatre, London

GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM Public Theater, New York

NO MAN’S LAND West End and Broadway

THE UNBUILT CITY New York Stage and Film

WAITING FOR GODOT Theatre Royal Haymarket

Theatre Royal Windsor is situated in the shadows of Windsor Castle and is one of the few completely unsubsidised producing theatres that operates all year round outside London. When the famous theatre was on the brink of administration in 1997 Bill Kenwright, who as a young actor in the 60’s and 70’s had been hugely encouraged by John Counsell, took over the theatre’s lease. His company Bill Kenwright Ltd has been looking after the future of this beautiful theatre ever since.

Theatre503 presents

The Fairytale Revolution:

Wendy’s Awfully Big Adventure

By Anna Spearpoint and Louise Beresford, Directed by Carla Kingham

From 4 – 31 December 2019

Back by popular demand, writers and performers Anna Spearpoint and Louise Beresford take to the stage in Theatre503’s The Fairytale Revolution: Wendy’s Awfully Big Adventure. They met performing in last year’s panto, Cinderella and the Beanstalk, and after months gazing lovingly into each other’s funny bones, they return to our new writing venue with a brilliant brand-new hilarious family friendly.

We all know how a panto is meant to go (oh no we don’t): the hero wins, the villain loses, someone gets married and they all live happily ever after… until now! Get ready for Wendy wanting to be a pirate and Captain Hook yearning to be a poet. Together with The Baker Swife they embark on a thrilling journey to Enchantia in search of a brand-new story.

We also believe (oh yes we do) that we’re the only all-female panto in the entire world (all challenges accepted). Plus, we’re proudly flying the local flag high once more, with Anna Spearpoint from just around the corner in Battersea.

BREAKING NEWS: Contrary to recent coverage by the Sun and the Daily Star, it is in fact the case that our Wendy just really wanted a new adventure all on her own (and there is at the very least one “bawdy joke” about Aladdin’s lamp). Our panto is a celebration of superb storytelling and a magical, glorious Christmas show for families. Why not come along and let our new story speak for itself?

LISTINGS DETAILS:

Dates and times: 4 – 31 December, show times vary so please see website for full schedule

Tickets: £19/£15/£12 (£10 previews); 5 x £5 tickets evening performance

Relaxed/captioned performance: 18 December, 7.30pm

Box office: 020 7978 7040 / theatre503.com

MULTI AWARD-WINNING BROADCASTER

GEMMA CAIRNEY TO NARRATE

OPENING AT THE O2 ON DECEMBER 6^TH 2019

Broadcaster, writer and activist Gemma Cairney will narrate ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition, which opens at The O2 on Friday 6^th December 2019. The exhibition ispresented by Entertainment Exhibitions International (UK) Ltd (EEI) in association with ABBA The Museum in Stockholm.

The new exhibition will occupy a 14,000 square foot space within London’s home of music. Through a series of immersive and interactive rooms, ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition explores each of the band’s eight albums and the wider socio-political backdrop against which they were released.

Gemma Cairney will provide the narration for a specially created audio guide (included in the price of admission) that will give context to the developments of the decade, highlighting the global news events and musical soundtrack that defined the era. The exhibition features objects from ABBA The Museum and other archives, several of which have not previously been on display in the UK.

Running from 6^th December 2019 to 31^st August 2020, ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition brings to life the world of chart-topping Swedish pop sensation ABBA (Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid (“Frida”) Lyngstad) in an experience that charts their music, lyrics, creative process and influence as one of the most iconic pop bands of the modern age.

Gemma Cairney is one of the BBC’s foremost presenters. She has hosted programmes on BBC Radio 1, Radio 4 and 6 Music, has been part of the BBC’s Glastonbury presenting team, and fronted special programmes and documentaries across the BBC. She has been awarded two Sony Gold Awards, and her interview with Grace Jones for Amazing Grace won the Best Music Show Rose d’Or. 

Gemma’s acclaimed TV documentaries include History of Feminism (BBC Learning) and Riots: The Aftershock and Dying for Clear Skin (BBC 3). She is also an Ambassador for Oxfam, and in this capacity recently raised over £26,000 for Oxfam’s The Music Circle Rumble in the Jumble celebrity jumble sale. Gemma is also a supporter of Women’s Aid.

Commenting on today’s announcement, Gemma Cairney says:

“I am delighted to have been asked to narrate ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition.  The project sounded far too fun and uplifting not to get involved. For me, ABBA are the absolute epitome of pop music and complete masters of their craft, having written some of the most universally joyful songs of all time. I think there’s a time in everyone’s life where they start thanking ABBA for the music. Whether you are a long-standing fan or have come to the band more recently, ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition will immerse you in the wonder of the ABBA’s legacy. Join us in celebrating the phenomenon!”

The exhibition has been conceptualised and curated by Jude Kelly CBE, a renowned theatre director andformer artistic director at The Southbank Centre (2006-2018) and approved by ABBA.

ABBA burst onto the UK music scene with a dazzling win on 6^th April 1974 at the Eurovision Song Contest at the Brighton Dome, introducing the irresistible song that would become their first UK chart-topper, “Waterloo”. ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition examines ABBA’s rise to global superstardom through a series of atmospheric rooms, exploring each of ABBA’s 8 multi-million selling albums, alongside the band’s personal and public journey.

Transforming the traditional exhibition experience, this innovative take on the ABBA story takes visitors to the heart of the journey of each band member. Incorporating lyrics, costumes, instruments, experiential backdrops of the key events and locations that defined and shaped the band, album artwork, photography, film and more, ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition examines the band’s universal popularity. From their multi-layered sound to their iconic look, the exhibition goes behind-the-scenes to examine the heavy-weight influence of one of the most enduring acts of all time.

           ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition will display an array of objects that include:

·        Personal artefacts from each musician’s youth that provide an insight into their pre-ABBA lives, including Björn’s school report, his military book and photographs from his time in service, and pictures of a 13-year-old Frida in a jazz band as a beatnik teenager.

·        Key items from the height of the band’s heyday, reflecting on both the personal – such as a collection of behind the scenes photos taken of the band on their ‘77 Australian “Arrival” tour – and the professional, with iconic items from the height of their success, including:

• A limited-edition replica of the ‘Star Guitar’ played at Eurovision ’74, signed by all four members.

o   Over 40 Gold Discs from ABBA’s personal archive, including “Dancing Queen”, their biggest selling single, worldwide.

o   A collection of exquisitely designed, image-defining costumes and personal clothing.

·         A recreation of superfan Andrew Boardman’s Manchester living room, a veritable shrine to ABBA memorabilia. Andrew began collecting 40 years ago, having fallen under the band’s spell when, at age 16, he first attended an ABBA concert. This room explores the notion that ABBA may have the most ardent and committed fans of any contemporary band.

Visitors will be fully immersed in the ABBA story through the ABBA: Super Troupers The Exhibition’s theatrical staging, including:

·        A recreation of the Eurovision Song Contest stage at the Brighton Dome, where, from lush deep theatre seats, fans will watch the performance before experiencing the excitement of the vote reveal.

·        Multiple photo-opportunities, where attendees can capture themselves beside:

• A full-sized replica of the helicopter that graced the cover of “Arrival’.
• Replicas of the iconic “Super Trouper” album cover costumes.
• A life-size replica of the scoreboard that saw ABBA secure Eurovision Song Contest victory (despite null points from the United Kingdom…).

·         A glimpse inside the band’s POLAR Studios, where the hard-working pop perfectionists refined their defining harmonised sound, with interactive elements that include a voice recording booth and mixing desk.

·         Ending the experience on a hedonistic high, guests are invited to sing, dance, add to fan mail, explore memorabilia and indeed say “Thank You For The Music” in The Legacy finale, as a specular audio-visual backdrop documents the very best of the band’s monumental successes.

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MAX RAABE & PALAST ORCHESTER

HEADING TO NORTH WEST FOR

DEBUT UK TOUR IN SPRING 2020

International million selling Deutsche Grammophon artist

will perform in Manchester in March as part of global tour

Internationally acclaimed singer Max Raabe & Palast Orchester have announced their very first UK Tour for Spring 2020, which features a Manchester date – the only chance to see the show in the North West.

As the centenary to the ‘Roaring Twenties’ fast approaches, million selling German crooner Max Raabe and the incredible Palast Orchester from Berlin promise to take audiences back in time on classic musical journey.

Just four UK venues have been confirmed for Spring 2020 which forms part of a wider international tour, this includes only one show in the North West.

Max Raabe & Palast Orchester will perform at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on Friday 6 March 2020, the show starts at 7.30pm. This is a rare opportunity to see the show before it continues on its worldwide tour.

The worldwide tour will then see Max and the musicians also play dates in Austria, Canada, Germany, Italy, Luxeumbourg, Switzerland, and the United States Of America.

Dashing, dapper and debonair, Max believes the timeless melodies and songs of the 1920s and 1930s have an inherent magic. He combines nostalgic flair with pop-star appeal, along with a good dose of self-irony and dry comedy.

Impeccably dressed in white tie and tails, Max is joined by 12 musical maestros from the Palast Orchester – and together they present the most stunning classic and timeless repertoire in their original arrangement.

Next year marks a century since the beginning of ‘The Roaring Twenties’, and a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the United States and Western Europe, particularly in major cities such as Berlin, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Paris and Sydney.

It was a time when jazz blossomed, the flapper redefined the modern look for British and American women, and Art Deco peaked. Nations saw rapid industrial growth, accelerated consumer demand, and significant new changes in lifestyle and culture.

The show will feature diverse range of music and songs including the hilarious Rosa, Reizende Rosa (Rosa, Ravishing Rosa); romantic tune Tonight Or Never; the classic Kurt Weill’s Mack The Knife; alongside standards including I Won’t Dance, Night And Day, and Sweet Sue.

With a distinctive sound and warmth, Max Raabe & Palast Orchester will transport audiences to yesteryear to experience high style and musical glory in the most sumptuous way.

Max Raabe explained: “My only message is to entertain the audience during the concert and transport them out of reality. That is why music was written, to take the audience away from their everyday problems. And it still works today.”

Max Raabe was born 1962 in Lünen and has always sung – from the youth choir to even on his bicycle. He moved to Berlin in his early twenties to study opera. He financed his studies with small performances, and in 1986 he founded the Palast Orchester with a number of fellow students. They are now the leading band of music from the era of the Weimar Republic.

Max has received numerous awards for his commitment to remembering the music of the 1920s and 1930s, including the ECHO Classic in 2000 for his interpretation of Mack The Knife; Paul-Lincke-Ring Of The City Of Goslar in 2005; the cultural prize of his hometown Lünen in 2007; and the Order Of Merit Of The State Of Berlin in 2012.

Max Raabe & Palast Orchester will also perform inEastbourne, London and Birmingham during the Spring 2002 Tour.

This month (November), sees the release of Max Raabe & Palast Orchester MTV Unplugged project on Digital, CD, DVD, Bluray and vinyl formats.

WHAT THE CRITICS SAY ABOUT MAX RAABE & PALAST ORCHESTER

‘We are in a nightclub somewhere in Weimar-era Berlin, just before things go to heck.

The air dances. The world is in love.’

Los Angeles Times

‘Stylish, grace and vitality, his comic timing is flawless.’

The New York Times, Carnegie Hall

Website:         http://www.highfieldproductions.com/max-raabe-and-the-palast-orchester

Facebook:       /maxraabepalastorchester

Twitter:           @Max_Raabe_PO

Videos:            Official trailer – https://youtu.be/ealIG0KGik4

LISTING INFORMATION

MAX RAABE & PALAST ORCHESTER

THE BRIDGEWATER HALL, MANCHESTER

Friday 6 March 2020 at 7.30pm

Lower Mosley Street, Manchester, M2 3WS

Website:          https://www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk

Box Office:      0161 907 9000

SHEFFIELD THEATRES LAUNCHES A NEW SUPPORTED ARTISTS SCHEME

AS THEIR CREATIVE HUB THE BANK OPENS ITS DOORS

Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, Robert Hastie, today announces the fourteen artists, including writers, directors and producers, who will be supported by the company for the next 12 months. The artists will find a home in The Bank, a dedicated space for talent development, which opens today.

The supported artists will be offered bespoke support, training, artistic opportunities and professional development. The four directors are Hassun El Zafar, Nadia Emam, John Rwothomack and Elin Schofield who will enjoy a host of opportunities including working as an assistant director on a Sheffield Theatres’ production. Four producers – James Ashfield, Hannah Crawford, Alfie Heffer and Miriam Schechter – will receive seed funding to develop an idea, event or production using The Bank as their base, drawing on the support of the producing team at Sheffield Theatres. And six writers: Ella Hardy, Todd Heppenstall, John Hunter, Laura Lindsay, Kat Rose Martin and Tim Norwood will benefit from monthly masterclasses and mentoring as well as having their work included in a showcase, read or performed by professional actors in front of an invited audience at The Bank.

Sarah Sharp has been appointed as Talent Development Coordinator, with a remit to curate the programme at The Bank, collaborate with the supported artists and connect with talented people across the city region. Sarah joins the company from HOME in Manchester where she is the Talent Development Producer.

Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres said: “There is a wealth of talent in our city and across our region and we’re passionate about providing meaningful support to nurture the next generation of artists and makers in the North.

“The Bank will be a dedicated space where our fourteen artists and talented people from across the region can create, explore ideas, develop and grow. I’m looking forward to seeing how the artistic community will breathe life into the space, how Sarah will curate the programme and the work that our supported artists will create over the next year.”

The Bank, which is located adjacent to the Crucible, will be a creative space for local artists and theatre makers to develop work, skills, collaborations and careers with the support of the staff and creative teams at Sheffield Theatres. Over the next 12 months, the fourteen supported artists will be based in The Bank where they will be able to access a Writers Room and library which offers a quiet space for artists to develop and write work, as well as a larger space for group work including research and development, rehearsals and scratch performances. The current Making Room workshop and talks programme which reaches a network of over 900 people, will move to The Bank in the spring.

The Bank, named in recognition of its previous incarnation as an actual bank as well as its future life as a place in which investment is made in talent, has been made possible thanks to a gift from long-standing supporters, Jo and Chris Hookway.

Writer Todd Heppenstall said: ‘I am hugely excited to be part of the first Bank Cohort. As a local artist, I feel Sheffield Theatres is the perfect partner for me to develop my work, and to be learning and working in my home town with one of the best theatres in the world is a real privilege, I cannot wait to get started!’

Director John Rworthomack said: ‘The Bank is an opportunity for the Sheffield theatre scene to broaden and develop, and for the creative future of the city to really blossom. I am so grateful to be a part of the pioneering group of this incredible initiative, which will offer artists such as myself a chance to grow and learn.’

Producer Hannah Crawford said: ‘I’ve always adored Sheffield’s ethos and programming. They’re making some of the best new work seen on UK stages right now, and The Bank will form an integral part of that melting pot of ideas to tell important and exciting stories for the very first time.’

Say goodbye to Bah! Humbug and get into the festive spirit with Pick Me Up’s big winter show of 2019 – Scrooge The Musical.

Based on Charles Dickens’ classic Christmas Carol, Scrooge tells the tale of old miser Ebeneezer on the night he’s visited by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come.

Can he be turned from sourpuss to saint? What will happen to Tiny Tim?  Will everyone have a merry Christmas after all?  Come and find out in  this all-singing, all-dancing (all-flying!) musical for the whole family.

Bricusse first adapted A Christmas Carol for the 1970 film musical Scrooge! starring Albert Finney. He was nominated for an Academy Award for the score and the song Thank You Very Much.

​Mark Hird (whose previous Pick Me Up roles include Captain Mainwaring in Dad’s Army, Colonel Pickering in My Fair Lady and Uncle Fester in The Addams Family) plays Scrooge, Rory Mulvihill (Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, Sergeant Wilson in Dad’s Army and Captain Teri Dennis in Privates on Parade) is the jolly Ghost of Christmas Present, and Alan Park plays Scrooge’s long-suffering clerk Bob Cratchit.

​The show is directed by Robert Readman, choreography is by Iain Harvey, and the musical director is Sam Johnson. 

Grand Opera House York November 26-December 1. Matinees on Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets from £16.90 from https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/scrooge/grand-opera-house-york/ or Box Office 0844 8713024

SPECIAL OFFERS:

Opening night £5 off per ticket with code SCROOGE5

Thursday matinee 2-FOR-1 tickets with code SCROOGEMAT

Sunday night 2-FOR-1 tickets with code SCROOGESUN

SONNY LOVE – TINY TIM

What do you like best about your character?

I like that Tiny Tim is really positive even though he’s poorly & his family are poor

Any challenges performing them? 

Learning to use a crutch!

And probably the biggest challenge has been singing my solo in front of the whole cast!  

It’s my first big role so over the summer, to get my voice louder, I’d go into different rooms in the house and sing my songs to see if my mum could hear me from far away! 

If you are a Christmas Carol fan will you like this musical version?

Yes it’s very lively, happy & fun! The music & dancing  are brilliant ! You’ll be singing the songs for days after seeing it 

Would you recommend this show and why?

Yes I’d definitely recommend you come see the show, oh and bring some tissues ! 

Personal highlight of the show?

Seeing the world from Alan Parks shoulders ! 

Any fun/interesting rehearsal stories? Flying?

Yes ! When Robert, the director, pointed to my sister Poppy, who plays an urchin child  “you’re quite poor aren’t you Poppy”? meaning her character and Alan Park aka Bob Crachet said, in Poppy’s sweet voice “Robert said the cruelest thing to me in rehearsals today mummy” 

I have loved being a part of Scrooge, it’s been challenging but we’ve all had so much fun with.  I will really miss  it when it’s over 

RORY MULVIHILL – GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT

What do you like best about your character? Any challenges performing them?

What I like most about The Spirit of Christmas Present is his infectious jollity, although hovering metres above the stage might sober him

If you are a Christmas Carol fan will you like this musical version? Is the story the same?

Scrooge the musical is a faithful retelling of the original Dickens story, so any fan of A Christmas Carol will love this show.

Would you recommend this show and why?

This is a show brimful with Christmas cheer (and Christmas Spirits!); the perfect appetiser for the coming festivities.

Personal highlight of the show?

It will be worth the price of a ticket just to see our fabulous Cratchit family in action.

What would you say to people who don’t know this musical – what can they expect?

Everyone knows the story; this show enhances it with lovely characterisation and wonderfully catchy music.

Any fun/interesting rehearsal stories? Flying??

It was at one time suggested that, instead of flying independently alongside The Spirit of Christmas Present, Scrooge should climb into a kind of marsupial pouch at the front of my costume! This conferred the title of ‘Kangaroo Boy’ on Mark Hird for the rest of that rehearsal!  F b. I’ll flatten you like a pancake — turn back!

ALAN PARK – BOB CRATCHITT

What do you like best about your character? Any challenges performing them?  

I like Bob Cratchitt’s unrelenting positivity in the face of such trying circumstances. No matter what he always sees the positive in a person, including his fairly awful boss Ebeneezer Scrooge. 

If you are a Christmas Carol fan will you like this musical version? Is the story the same?

Pretty much. And I think even the songs are done in a way that capture the spirit (no pun intended) of the book. Plus you have to remember the amazing illustrations from the book, and we’re recreating a lot of those images on stage. 

Would you recommend this show and why?

Absolutely. It will send you into December and the festive season with a spring in your step and goodwill to all

Personal highlight of the show?

Watching Mark (Scrooge) at work in rehearsal is a real pleasure. He’s a fantastic actor and a joy to watch 

What would you say to people who don’t know this musical – what can they expect? 

Fun, Fear, Christmas and the odd tear

Any fun/interesting rehearsal stories? Flying?

I hadn’t quite realised how much I had to carry Tiny Tim on my shoulders. I’ve asked him to lay off the puddings between now and the show. 

ALEXANDRA MATHER – MRS FEZZIWIG

“I love that my character is such a classic Dickensian caricature! It’s tricky to keep up the energy all the way through scenes.
This is all the best bits of Christmas Carol – it maintains all the spirit of the novel with the longwinded but left out – plus some glorious singing!
Personal highlight – Tiny Tim’s beautiful solo!

If you’ve never seen this show – come! It will get you in the Christmas spirit in the most traditional way, heartwarming without being sickly sweet, and a lot of fun and frights on the way!”   Alexandra Mather

Multi award-winning playwright Joe Sellman-Leava
brings Monster and Labels to Bristol
The Wardrobe Theatre, The Old Market Assembly, 25 West Street,
Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0DF
Tuesday 21st January 2020 – Friday 24th January 2020, 7.30pm

Winner of more than five international awards, including a Fringe First, Joe Sellman-Leava comes to Bristol in early 2020 with two staggering one-man productions. Monster interrogates entrenched associations between violence and masculinity, asking why some men become
monsters. Also coming to The Wardrobe Theatre, Labels examines how language can dehumanise people and tries to answer a complex question: “where are you from?

Directed by Yaz Al-Shaater (Dead Reckoning, Young Vic; Boris World King, Trafalgar Studios), Monster explores ideas of aggression within relationships, while scrutinising the place of the male role model in society. Experimenting with form, it considers the viewpoints on conflicting performative masculinities, including those of famous figures like Mike Tyson and Patrick Stewart, using a play within a play, overlapping voices and multi-roling.

This relevant production seeks to remove violence from an imagined, far-off place and instead grounds it as an aspect of many people’s everyday lives. It is a dark yet humorous production with a particularly poignant narrative for our post-#MeToo society.

Sellman-Leava comments, The last couple of years have seen a huge shift in the way we think about gender, power and behaviour. With its perspective on how different men perform their masculinity – and the effect this can have on themselves and others – I hope Monster can be a part of this ongoing conversation.

Brimming with earnest, intelligent energy and jumping between threads seamlessly, deftly reconstructing scenes, arguments and interviews with nothing but a pair of red steel chairs for a set (★★★★ The Stage, previous praise for Monster).

Directed by Katharina Reinthaller (Ölum ve Kiz/Death and the Maiden, Mill eld Theatre and Arcola Theatre; To She or Not to She, Lyric Hammersmith), audiences in Bristol will also have the opportunity to see the ground-breaking Labels. Drawing on Sellman-Leava’s experiences of being mixed-heritage, it discusses issues of racism, immigration and displacement in modern British society.

This production questions the markers individuals are given by others and how these constructed identities become a defining attribute of their existence. Throughout the production, Sellman-Leava attaches white stickers to himself as a physical manifestation of the labels he has been given during his life. Sellman-Leava invites the audience to challenge the labels they give and receive, as he tries to answer a question he is often asked: ‘where are you from?’.

Sellman-Leava comments, When Labels was first made and performed, conversations and events around ethnicity, migration and displacement were already volatile. It has been both sad and scary to see the show become increasingly relevant as we’ve toured it around the world. But I still hope it leaves people feeling uplifted: whilst bittersweet, it is ultimately a hopeful story.

Emma Thompson describes this show… as ‘powerful, important and funny’ and she’s right. It is a robust, enlightening and touching work that should be shown in schools and theatres all over the country, acting as a reminder that some labels fall off, some get rewritten, but most stick. The one that should stick to Joe and his show is ‘brilliant’ and this is one he can wear with justifiable pride (★★★★★ Broadway Baby, previous praise for Labels).

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED

FOR 2020 NATIONAL TOUR OF

JONATHAN MAITLAND’S

THE LAST TEMPTATION OF BORIS JOHNSON

Following the sold-out run at Park Theatre, London, full casting has been announced for the first national tour of The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson, the new political comedy from journalist, broadcaster and playwright Jonathan Maitland (An Audience with Jimmy Savile, Dead Sheep). Directed by Dugald Bruce-Lockheart, the tour will begin at Festival Theatre, Malvern on 22 January 2020.

Will Barton returns to lead the cast as Boris Johnson. Also in the cast will be Bill Champion as Michael Gove / Winston Churchill, Emma Davies as Margaret Thatcher / Sarah Vine / Chief Whip, Claire Lichie as Marina Wheeler / Boris’s Girlfriend, along with Tim Wallers, who returns to the roles of Evgeny Lebedev / Tony Blair / Huw Edwards.

It was the dinner that changed history: the night in February 2016 when Boris Johnson decided to vote ‘leave’. Guests included fellow MP Michael Gove, Gove’s wife, the journalist Sarah Vine, Evgeny Lebedev and, for Boris at least, the spirits of Prime Ministers past – Winston Churchill, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.

Fast forward to post-Brexit Britain, 2029.  Boris, no longer in power (for reasons that may be fact and/or fiction at time of performance!), roams the political wilderness. But unexpected events see him back in the spotlight and with a chance to “make Britain great again”. This play addresses the big questions: What will Britain look like in ten years’ time?  Is chlorinated chicken really bad for you? And what IS going on inside the head of the most divisive and controversial politician of our time?     

As befits the fastest moving story of our time, the script will be updated – nightly, if necessary – to reflect events…

Will Barton has played Boris before, in the 2017 BBC 2 drama Theresa V Boris, and his most recent theatre credits include The Libertine at Theatre Royal Haymarket, Toast at Park Theatre and in New York and Fings Ain’t Wot They Used T’be at Theatre Royal Stratford East. 

Bill Champion has worked extensively in film and television. His film roles include Dr Leonard in Blitz, and his TV credits include Bertie in Wallis & Edward, PC David Adams in Rockliffe’s Babies and Penrose in Casualty. His recent theatre roles include Harvey in Season’s Greetings at Stephen Joseph Theatre.

Emma Davies recently starred in the films The Hustle with Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson and The Current War with Tom Holland and Benedict Cumberbatch. Her television credits include Grantchester, Guilt, Holby City, EastEnders, Royal Wives at War, Humans, Emmerdale, and Mosley. She is soon to star in Rage, But Hope (Streatham Project Place).

Claire Lichie is best known for her television and film roles including King of Thieves, Doctors (BBC), Endeavour (ITV / Mammoth Productions) and Inbetweeners (Universal Pictures). Her theatre credits include I Need An Adult (Lyric Hammersmith), That Dead Girl (New Diorama Theatre) and You Can Still Make A Killing (Southwark Playhouse).

Tim Wallers is best known for playing Prince Andrew in The Windsors on Channel 4 and Netflix. His recent theatre credits include An Ideal Husband (The Vaudeville Theatre), Travesties (The Menier Chocolate Factory / Apollo Theatre West End) and Dead Sheep (Park Theatre).

Jonathan Maitland says of his play, “It’s nice to have written something which unites Leavers and Remainers: the audiences so far have laughed, gasped and occasionally cried throughout!  It’s quite a brew: politics, power, sex, sovereignty and more re-writes than any withdrawal agreement! But it seems to work. Who’d have thought?”

The Last Temptation of Boris Johnson will be directed by Dugald Bruce-Lockheart, with set and costume design by Louie Whitemore, lighting design by Christopher Nairne and sound design by Andy Graham.

This tour is produced by Glynis Henderson Productions. The original project was co-funded by Art50, a scheme commissioned by Sky Arts and produced by Storyvault Films to explore the notion of British identity in the wake of Brexit, and originally produced by Glynis Henderson Productions at Park Theatre London 2019.

Website: www.bojotheplay.co.uk

2020 UK Tour Schedule

22 – 25 January                           Festival Theatre, Malvern                               01684 892277

                                                    www.malvern-theatres.co.uk                          

3 – 8 February                             Nuffield Southampton Theatres                      023 8067 1771

                                                    www.nstheatres.co.uk                                   

10 – 15 February                         Theatre Royal Windsor                                   01753 853 888

                                                    www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk                                          

18 – 22 February                         Northern Stage, Newcastle                             0191 230 5151

                                                    www.northernstage.co.uk                              

24 – 29 February                          Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford                 01483 44 00 00

                                                    www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk                            

2 – 7 March                                 The Lowry, Salford                                         0343 208 6000

                                                    www.thelowry.com                                                                                      

9 – 14 March                               Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne            0132 341 2000

                                                    www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk                           

Founder of Tara Arts, Jatinder Verma MBE, is to step down as Artistic Director, forty years after founding the ground-breaking company.

From its beginnings in 1977 at Battersea Arts Centre, Jatinder has led the company in a pioneering effort to promote cross-cultural theatre. Garnering support from Arts Council England, trust and foundations and over 1,400 individuals, he led the creation of Britain’s first multicultural theatre building. The award-winning Tara Theatre marks a historic step-forward in BAME theatre provision.

The company was formed in response to the racist murder in 1976 of young Gurdip Singh Chaggar, with a clear mission to make connections across cultures through theatre. The company’s inaugural production was Nobel Prize-winning poet Rabindranath Tagore’s anti-war play, Sacrifice, staged at Battersea Arts Centre in the summer of 1977.

Jatinder has led the emergence of Tara Arts from a community theatre group rooted in Wandsworth to an international touring company to, now, the only BAME company to own a distinctive theatre building, which echoes his vision of connecting worlds. The award-winning theatre in south London combines architectural elements from India and Britain to create a unique legacy for multicultural theatre provision in the country.

Over four decades, Jatinder has supported the emergence of generations of Asian theatre artists – including Ayub Khan Din, Sanjeev Bhasker, Shelley King, Paul Bhattacharjee, Shaheen Khan, Kumiko Mendel, Sudha Bhuchar, Nadia Fall – and companies such as Tamasha, Kali and Yellow Earth. He has toured extensively around the UK and internationally and co-produced with a wide range of theatres, including the National Theatre where Jatinder was the first non-white director of a production.

Naresh Aggarwal, Chair of Tara Arts comments: “Jatinder’s greatest achievements lie in helping us appreciate that Asian stories are for all Britons and inspiring generations of Asian talent to emerge onto the public consciousness. He has firmly set Tara on the map of modern British theatre and I am confident his legacy will be built upon by his successor.”

Jatinder Verma said: “Salman Rushdie memorably talked of introducing a ‘different sort of noise in English’ with the publication of his ground-breaking novel Midnight’s Children. The past 40 years have seen British Theatre take on the challenge of embracing difference, with a host of new writers, directors, performers and designers. I feel privileged to have played a part in changing the landscape of modern theatre. While cultural diversity has increasingly become an accepted norm, the challenge of diversity, sadly, remains as acute as ever. Connecting worlds seems to me a necessary mantra for our times; it is certainly what I intend to continue to work on in the years ahead.

Theatre has never been more urgent. This is an exciting time for a new generation of artistic leaders to continue the “connecting worlds” story of Tara.”

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “Jatinder’s vision and dedication to championing inclusion and diversity have opened up the theatre and changed the landscape of the stage in London and beyond. Tara Theatre has always held a special place in my heart, and I know that Jatinder’s legacy will continue to inspire artists and audiences for generations to come. I wish him all the very best for his next adventure.” 

Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries, Justine Simons OBE, said: “Jatinder is a trailblazer. It’s hard to quantify the breadth and depth of his influence on theatre and on society over the past four decades. He has given a vital platform to generations of writers, directors and performers and produced work of the highest quality that represents, reflects and speaks to today’s society. Jatinder leaves a powerful legacy at Tara and I wish him all the very best for this next exciting chapter.”

Director Theatre at Arts Council England, Neil Darlison comments: “Jatinder is one of the pioneers of British Asian Theatre. Under his direction Tara Arts has been extraordinarily influential in British Theatre and both he, and the works he has created, have inspired theatre-makers and audiences alike. In addition to this, his unstinting energy means he leaves an award-winning theatre in Earlsfield  – a brilliant legacy for Wandsworth, for London and for the next leader of this company.  I look forward to whatever he does next.”

Born in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, Jatinder grew up in Nairobi and migrated to Britain in 1968 aged 14, as part of the exodus of Asians from Kenya. At 23 when he co-founded Tara Arts he began to develop a unique cross-cultural theatre style, influenced by both Indian and European theatre. After writing and producing new plays in the late-70s and early-80s, exploring racism in school, migration and the sexual dilemmas facing young Asians, he began directing adaptations of European classics, including Gogol’s The Government Inspector and Buchner’s Danton’s Death.

During the 80s he helped set up the pioneering Black Theatre Season – an effort to bring Black Theatre onto West End stages and in 1990, became the first non-white director at the National Theatre, staging his own adaptation of Molière’s Tartuffe. This was followed by the first-ever staging at the National of the Sanskrit classic The Little Clay Cart.

As well as productions of other classics, Jatinder produced a new play from India, Hayavadana and, in 2002, saw the completion of a five-year cycle of work for Tara, staging Journey to the West. This large-scale trilogy of plays was based on over 400 interviews with migrants across the country, presenting the story of Asian migration and settlement in the West over the course of the 20th century. The trilogy was written and directed by Jatinder.

Through the company’s 3-year strategic initiative, Black Theatre Live, Jatinder helped commission the staging by Jeffrey Kissoon of the first all-Black Hamlet, the emergence of Cathy Tyson’s new company Pitch Lake Productions, Ambreen Razia’s ground-breaking Diary of a Hounslow Girl and Joseph-Barnes Phillips’ searing play, Big Foot.  

In 2009, he returned to the National to direct Hanif Kureishi’s The Black Album. In 2012, he took Farrukh Dhondy’s compelling post-colonial take on The Tempest, Miranda, on tour to India; a new version by Hardeep Singh Kohli of Moliere’s The Miser followed; in 2013 he premiered American writer Wajahat Ali’s The Domestic Crusaders. In 2015, Jatinder directed a touring version of Macbeth, casting the Witches as Indian hijras (transsexuals & transgenders) and, in 2016, Farrukh Dhondy’s Bollywood Jack. In 2017, he co-produced debut playwright Asif Khan’s hard-hitting play set in Bradford, Combustion. Most recently has directed Nigel Planer’s adaptation of a Marivaux farce, The Game of Love and Chai and Shamser Sinha’s Three Sat Under the Banyan Tree.

• JOEL MONTAGUE WILL JOIN THE LONDON CAST OF WAITRESS IN THE ROLE OF OGIE FROM DECEMBER 2^ND
   
• JOEL WILL JOIN LEAD CAST MEMBERS LUCIE JONES, HANNAH TOINTON, SANDRA MARVIN, DAVID HUNTER, TAMLYN HENDERSON AND ANDREW BOYER.

Waitress is delighted to welcome Joel Montague (Falsettos, School of Rock and Funny Girl) to the company of the hit West End musical as Ogie with his first performance taking place on 2 December. He takes on the role from Joe Sugg who has performed the role of Ogie since 9 September.

Joel Montague will join lead cast members Lucie Jones as Jenna, Hannah Tointon as Dawn, Sandra Marvin as Becky, David Hunter as Dr. Pomatter, Tamlyn Henderson as Earl and Andrew Boyer as Old Joe.

Joel Montague’s theatre work includes: Mendel in Falsettos (The Other Palace); Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls (Théâtre Marigny, Paris); Gangster 2 in Kiss Me Kate (Sheffield Crucible); Kevin in Fat Friends (UK Tour); U/S Dewey Finn in School Of Rock (Gillian Lynne Theatre); Eddie Ryan in Funny Girl (Menier Chocolate Factory + Savoy, West End) Dance captain & U/S Leo Bloom in The Producers (UK Tour); Swing/ U/S Bobby Strong in Urinetown (St. James Theatre & Apollo Theatre); Eddie & Dr. Scott in Rocky Horror Show (UK Tour); Ensemble & U/S Joey in Sister Act (UK Tour); Dick in Dick Whittington (Milton Keynes); Swing in Billy Elliot (Victoria Palace, West End); Riff in West Side Story (Royal Northern College of Music).

TV and Film Credits include: Tagging Man in Girlfriends (ITV); Featured Performer for Move Like Michael Jackson (Trailer) for BBC 3; Jim in Coronation Street (Granada Television);  Dean in Girls in Love (ITV); Philip in Grange Hill (BBC Television); World in Action (ITV); Small Boy in ‘In Suspicious Circumstances’ (ITV); Commercials include Dreams & Best Buy.

Waitress celebrated its official opening night at the Adelphi Theatre on 7 March 2019 and the Tony-nominated musical also announced a further extension this week with the show now booking until 28 March 2020.  

The full Waitress company includes, Piers Bate, Cindy Belliot, Andrew Boyer, Tamlyn Henderson, David Hunter, Lucie Jones, Sandra Marvin, Joel Montague, Olivia Moore, Ben Morris, Nathaniel Morrison, Rosemary Nkrumah, Sarah O’Connor, Leanne Pinder, Matthew Rowland, Laura Selwood, Richard Taylor Woods, Hannah Tointon, Lucia De Wan, Mark Willshire and Madison Worley.

Brought to life by a ground breaking, female-led creative team, Waitress features an original score by 7-time Grammy® nominee Sara Bareilles (Love Song, Brave), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland) and choreography by Lorin Latarro. The production is also currently touring the US and Canada and has announced an Australian premiere in 2020 at the Sydney Lyric Theatre with further productions to open in Holland next year and Japan in 2021.

Waitress premiered on Broadway in March 2016 and has since become the longest running show in the history of the Brooks Atkinson Theater. The production is also currently touring the US and Canada and has announced an Australian premiere in 2020 at the Sydney Lyric Theatre with further productions to open in Holland next year and Japan in 2021.

On its Broadway opening, Waitress was nominated for four Outer Critics’ Circle Awards, including Outstanding New Broadway Musical; two Drama League Award Nominations, including Outstanding Production of a Broadway or Off-Broadway Musical; six Drama Desk Nominations, including Outstanding Musical; and four Tony Award Nominations, including Best Musical.