Author: FairyPoweredProductions

Leeds Grand Theatre – until 27 October 2108

4****

I have a huge love for Mischief Theatre, I was there at the beginning for The Play That Goes Wrong – now a Worldwide success.

Bank Robbery is equally as hysterical as its predecessors.  The highly complex plot, set in the 1950’s,  involves a giant diamond, deposited for safeguarding in a  Minnesota bank, and some already imprisoned crooks who plot a heist from their prison cell. First they need to break out of prison — a task for which they are easily facilitated by their equally crooked, yet gormless,  guards who want in on their criminal plans – and then break into the bank.

There are word gags with the character of Freeboys and Three Boys being used often.  And many laughs at Robin Freeboys and robbing three boys.  You can imagine the laughter when the character of Roger Freeboys appears!  And, as Mischief are famous for, visual gags – involving seagulls (Stephen and Deborah), a pull down bed and a sideways office scene are among the many hilarious scenes.

Sam Monaghan (Dave Hearn) is a petty criminal who promises his mum Ruth (Ashley Tucker) he is on the straight and narrow.  Ruth works at the bank holding the diamond, run by Robin Freeboys (Damien Lynch), also working at the bank are Freeboys’ incompetent nephew Roger (George Hannigan) and 67 year old intern Warren Slax (Jon Trenchard).  Warren is in love with Caprice Freeboys (Julia Frith), the daughter of Robin. Caprice is a con artist but is in love with Sam. However her ex boyfriend Mitch Ruscitti (normally Liam Jeavons but on press night Eddy Westbury) breaks out of jails with the help of Neil Cooper (David Coomber) a jail guard who loves amateur dramatics.  Helping to guard the bank is Officer Shuck (Killiam Macardle) who falls for Ruth.

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, the show has feats of physical daring, and exquisite comic timing.  Rounded off with musical interludes in between the scenes.

This is a laugh out loud comedy that could and should be a 5 star show.  However two things stopped that for me. The first was the door in Caprice’s flat, it wouldn’t remain shut – so when one actor was trying to escape the flat having a door that wouldn’t shut spoilt the comedy.  And the second thing was that the music, at times, drowned out the exquisite voice of Ashley Tucker when she sang. Sort these two little things and you’ll have a 5 star tour right there.

In Leeds until 27 October and on tour around the UK, one of the funniest things I’ve seen this year

Selladoor Productions and Arcola Theatre Present

THE EUROPEAN PREMIERE OF

AT THE ARCOLA THEATRE, LONDON IN MARCH 2019 BEFORE

UK REGIONAL TOUR

Little Miss Sunshine, the quirky off-Broadway hit musical will make its European Premiere in a brand new production at the Arcola Theatre, London on 21 March 2019, running for a 7 week season before embarking on a UK tour starting at New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich on 20 May 2019. Tickets for the tour go on sale from 26 October, tickets for the Arcola from 5 November.

Based on the Academy Award-winning film by Michael Arndt, Little Miss Sunshine is the off-beat musical comedy created by the Tony Award-winning team of James Lapine (who collaborated with Stephen Sondheim on Into the Woods and Sunday in the Park with George) and William Finn (25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Falsettos). This new production will be directed by the Arcola’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen with design by David Woodhead, lighting design by Richard Williamson, choreography by Anthony Whiteman and musical supervision by Mark Crossland.

The Hoover family has more than a few troubles, but young Olive has her heart set on winning the Little Miss Sunshine beauty contest. When an invitation to compete comes out of the blue, the Hoovers must pile into their rickety, yellow VW camper van. Can it survive the 800-mile trip from New Mexico to California – and more importantly, can they? This inventive and uplifting musical celebrates the quirks of every family, the potholes in every road, and the power of overcoming our differences.

Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said:

“In uncertain times, we all need a little bit of Sunshine. This is the story of a family coming together to celebrate their differences – and that speaks to the heart of Arcola Theatre’s ethos. Our diverse family of artists and audiences is growing every year, and we’re delighted that thousands more people outside London will get to experience Little Miss Sunshine, through our first major co-production with Selladoor Worldwide.”

Established in 2000, Arcola is one of London’s leading Off West End theatres. Locally engaged and internationally minded, its diverse and cutting-edge programme includes plays, operas and musicals. Previous musical productions include Sweet Smell of Success, The Cradle Will Rock, I Can Get It for You Wholesale and The Seven Deadly Sins, all directed by its Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen.

Arcola Executive Producer Leyla Nazli commented:

“Arcola Theatre is making bigger shows for longer runs, investing in artists while still providing tickets that are accessible for everybody. All seats for the London run of Little Miss Sunshine will be £10-£30, and as ever, we will keep Pay What You Can tickets available every week.”

2019 marks the 10^th anniversary of Selladoor Worldwide (originally Sell a Door Theatre Company) and since it was founded it has become an integral part of the regional theatre landscape in the UK and Ireland and increasingly globally as its international touring arm develops. Its aim is to engage young and adult audiences, along with first-time attendees to encourage the next generation of theatre goers by producing dynamic and diverse productions.

David Hutchinson, Executive Creative Producer from Selladoor Worldwide comments:

“We founded Selladoor to bring original work to the UK and I’m delighted that we are able to present the European Premiere of Little Miss Sunshine. We have worked hard over the last 10 years to build strong relationships with regional audiences and venues to make such a premiere possible. This new co-production with the Arcola allows us to create an adaptable musical production which will be seen in both an intimate London venue and in larger theatres across the country thus reaching a wider theatre audience. I am a huge fan of James Lapine and William Finn’s work, one of the company’s debut productions in 2009 was Falsettoland – one half of the brilliant collaboration from Finn and Lapine’s masterpiece ‘Falsettos’ so it seems fitting to again present another of their works in our 10^th anniversary year”.

The show runs from 21 March – Saturday 11 May 2019 (press night on 1 April) at the Arcola Theatre, London then touring.

Casting to be announced.

www.littlemisssunshinemusical.com

@LMissSun

Listings Information

Arcola Theatre

24 Ashwin Street

Dalston

London E8 3DL

Arcola Studio 1

Thursday 21 March – Saturday 11 May 2019

(Previews: 21 March – 30 March 2019)

Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm

Saturday matinees at 3pm

Wednesday matinees – 24 April, 1 May, 8 May at 3pm

£30 | £25 | £20 | £10

Previews £26 | £22 | £18 | £10

Pay What You Can Tuesdays – limited allocation in person from 6pm

www.arcolatheatre.com / 020 7503 1646

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE 2019 TOUR DATES

Monday 20 – Saturday 25 May

Box Office: 01473 295900

New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich                                                                    Website: www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

Monday 27 May – Saturday 1 June

Box Office: 0843 208 6000

Quays Theatre, The Lowry, Salford                                           Website: www.thelowry.com

Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 June

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Grand Opera House, York                                                                                            Website:www.atgtickets.com/york

Tuesday 11 – Saturday 15 June

Box Office: 0844 871 7650

Theatre Royal, Brighton                                                                                               Website:www.atgtickets.com/brighton

Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 June

Box Office: 01274 432000

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford                                                                       Website: www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

Tuesday 25 – Saturday 29 June

Box Office: 0844 871 7645

New Victoria Theatre, Woking                                                                    Website:www.atgtickets.com/woking

Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 July

Box Office: 0844 871 7648

Kings Theatre, Glasgow                                                                                                Website:www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

Tuesday 16  – Saturday 20 July

Box Office: 0844 871 3011

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham                                                      Website:www.atgtickets.com/birmingham

Tuesday 30 July – Saturday 3 August

Box Office: 01227 787778

Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury                                                                    Website: www.marlowetheatre.com

Tuesday 6 – Saturday 10 August

Box Office: 0844 856 1111

Blackpool Opera House                                                                                                Website:www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

Tuesday 27 – Saturday 31 August

Box Office: 01684 892277

Malvern Theatre                                                                                                            Website: www.malvern-theatres.co.uk

Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 September

Box Office: 0116 296 1236

Leicester Haymarket Theatre                                                                     Website: www.haytheatre.com

Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 September

Box Office: 01224 641122

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen                                                              Website:www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/ hismajestys-theatre

Tuesday 31 September – Saturday 5 October

Box Office: 01392 72636

 Exeter Northcott Theatre                                                                               Website:www.exeternorthcott.co.uk

Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 October

Box Office: 01323 412000

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne                                                         Website:www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk

FURTHER DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Churchill Theatre – until 27th Oct 2018

Review by Elizabeth J Smith

5*****

When I am going to see a play or show that was originally a much loved film I worry I wont feel the same about the piece. Did the producers and directors get it right and give the audience the same experience evoking similar emotions. Sometimes films made into shows just don’t get the same response. Not this one, it was bang on target.

Set in Sheffield, once the steel capital of the world in its glory days, to the time when factories were closed down and the men of the town no longer had a job for life and were reduced to unemployment or doing jobs below their skill set. How the impact these events have on families and individuals, making the men ask themselves “do woman need us anymore”.

Gaz, (Gary Lucy), is unemployed with no prospect of employment. Not helped by his criminal record. He finds himself dealing with an ex wife who wants maintenance for their son or she will prevent him having contact. Seeing a get rich quick opportunity he ropes in an unlikely cast of characters to become strippers for the night.

We meet this motley crew and learn how crappy life is treating each and everyone of them. The prospect of being strippers feels them with both dread and excitement. Forcing them to question their lives, relationships and choices.

From the get go the one-liners have you laughing out loud, even in the saddest of scenes, the attempted suicide of a young man, the humour of life rings out.

The auditions were hilarious, with a poignant moment when an auditioning gentleman decides he really can’t do it and was only there as a last resort as “there’s bugger all else on the horizon”.

The iconic dole queue dance was there and the portrayal of lads taking the “mick” out of each other but really having each others back came across in abundance.

The acting from all characters was believable, you felt empathy for each and everyone. Shout out to Fraser Kelly, who played Gaz’s young son Nathan, up holding an important role against some big hitting elders.

The final scene didn’t disappoint and had the audience cheering for more. I love the simplicity of the dance routine. However, when performed by such a mismatch of bodies you are rooting for them to remember it and get in right.
The cast are obviously having the time of their lives with the mainly female audience going wild, not often middle aged, over weight, slightly disabled men receive such adoration.

I defy any red blooded female not to get her knickers in a twist for these lovable characters and any male not to wish they had the nerve to do the same

HOW TO FIND LOVE, LOSE WEIGHT & LIVE FOREVER… WITHOUT REALLY TRYING!

FOR TWO PERFORMANCES ONLY

ON SUNDAY 9 DECEMBER & SUNDAY 6 JANUARY

AT THE APOLLO THEATRE IN LONDON’S WEST END

Children across the UK are already fans of Dr Chris and Dr Xand from their hugely successful TV and live show Operation Ouch!.  Now the identical twins have an adults-only show to share.  For two performances only, the doctors will perform How To Find Love, Lose Weight & Live Forever… Without Really Trying! on Sunday 9 December 2018 and Sunday 6 January 2019 at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End.

Pleasure and danger are intimately linked: whether your weakness is cake, drugs, TV box sets or base-jumping, modern life presents humans with a set of temptations and consequential harms we can all understand.  Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken will examine how it’s possible to get the most out of ourselves without self-help taking over our lives and without getting distracted by fads and nonsense.

Chris and Xand are working doctors and scientists, who have a decade of making TV shows about health behind them.  They will distillate live on stage the best of what they have learned from their experiences in the swamp forests of the Congo, Malaysian religious rituals, hallucinogens from the Amazon, naked swimming in the Arctic Ocean, work in refugee camps and war zones and everything in between.

Dr Chris and Dr Xand van Tulleken are identical twins who grew up in London and trained in medicine at Oxford University, graduating in 2002. They both still work in medicine: Dr Chris is an infectious diseases doctor based at University College London Hospital and Dr Xand is the Helen Hamlyn Senior Fellow at Fordham University’s Institute of International Humanitarian Affairs, with his main interests and expertise in Public Health, Medicine, Humanitarian Aid and Anthropology.  Their TV shows include The Human Body: Secrets of Your Life Revealed, Frontline Doctors: Winter Migrant Crisis, Horizon, Is Binge Drinking Really That Bad?, Blow Your Mind, Horizon, Sugar V Fat, Which Doctor?, The Secret Life of Twins, Medicine Men Go Wild, as well as their hugely popular children’s series, Operation Ouch!, which has won two BAFTAs and the seventh series of which will be shown on CBBC early 2019.  On his own, Chris has presented two series of The Doctor Who Gave Up Drugs, The Truth About…HIV, and How to Stay Young, all for BBC1.  Xand’s solo TV programmes include Truth About Carbs, Horizon: Male Suicide, Fighting for Air, Expedition Volcano, Horizon: Sports Doping – Winning at any Cost? and Horizon: How to Find Love Online, all for the BBC, and How to Lose Weight Well for Channel 4.

The European premiere of How To Find Love, Lose Weight & Live Forever… Without Really Trying! is written by Chris and Xand van Tulleken and directed by Peter Adams, with lighting by Richard Dinnen.  It is presented by Andrew Kay and Margot Teele for Andrew Kay & Associates.

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/vantulleken/

LISTINGS INFORMATION

9 December 2018 & 6 January 2019

Apollo Theatre

31 Shaftesbury Avenue

London W1D 7EZ

Box Office: 0330 333 4809 / www.nimaxtheatres.com

Tickets: from £29.50* (*a £1.50 booking fee applies for online and phone bookings and all tickets include a 50p restoration levy. No booking fee for tickets purchased in person from the Apollo Theatre Box Office.)

Performances:  Sunday 9 December 2018 & Sunday 6 January 2019 at 7.00pm

Running Time:  80 minutes, no interval

Recommended Age:  16+

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre until 27th October

Review by Heather Chalkley

5*****

Bill Kenwright made the right choice to produce this iconic film on stage. Director Jonathan O’Boyle and his creatives have kept true to the story line and the poignant moments that are its essence. The flow of the dialogue created crescendos and gentle harmonies that carried the audience with it.

The detail and attention Mathew Horne has given his character Raymond is exceptional. As a mother of a son with disabilities, my community is made up of many Raymond’s. Horne was believable to the point you forgot he was acting. Ed Speleers as Charlie managed the pace of the play beautifully and with style. Charlie (Ed Speleers) took us on a journey through the anger and pain of rejection by his father, through to the softening and realisation of who his brother was – Rain Man. The final moments were simple and took my breath away.

Beautifully performed with a talented supporting cast and effortless transition through each scene. I would happily see again and again, despite no sign of a Buick on stage at any point!

Hope Theatre, Islington – 28 and 29 October 2018

Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert

4****

Intense things come in small packages. Sam Edmunds’s play is a fast-moving 55-minute exploration of grief and denial that confidently combines extremes of emotion with enough light-touch comedy to keep it all bearable.

The set consists of the hospital bed where Max (Nick Young) is a patient. In sequences that move briskly between reality and the storm in his damaged brain, we learn that he was in a car crash with his girlfriend Tess (Hannah Benson). She has been killed, and he has tried to commit suicide. Tess ‘appears’ to Max as he tries to understand what has happened; more surprisingly so do Jesus and Lucifer (David Angland and Daniel Leadbitter, both very cool and commanding), to argue the case for and against re-engaging with life. Jolly flashbacks to the past are interspersed with agonizing moments of brain overload inside Max’s head, powerfully conveyed by sound (William Harrison) and lighting (Sam Edmunds). Things get more complicated when we learn that Max’s devoted brother Chris (William Shackleton) was also involved in the accident.

The energy of Nick Young and all the youthful cast in the tiny, in-your-face space of the Hope Theatre made this a joy to watch. It was very competent and entertaining despite the dark material. No spoilers, but I found myself slightly feeling slightly short-changed by the direction that the play took. It touched on the question of how you deal with guilt after a death, but the main focus was on grief and denial. That’s interesting, but there is maybe a much more challenging play to be written here.

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY’S

MAJOR REVIVAL OF FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Music by Jerry Bock          Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick          Book by Joseph Stein

Directed by Trevor Nunn; Choreography Jerome Robbins & Matt Cole

Set Designer Robert Jones; Costume Designer Jonathan Lipman

Lighting Designer Tim Lutkin; Sound Designer Gregory Clarke

Musical Director Paul Bogaev; Orchestrations Jason Carr

As rehearsals begin today, the Menier Chocolate Factory today announces the full company for its major revival of one of the world’s most-beloved musicals of all time, Fiddler on the Roof, in a new staging by Trevor Nunn. Joining the previously announced Harriet Bunton (Hodel), Dermot Canavan (Lazar Wolf), Stewart Clarke (Perchik), Matt Corner (Fyedka), Joshua Gannon (Motel), Judy Kuhn (Golde), Louise Gold (Yente), Kirsty Maclaren (Chava), Andy Nyman (Tevye) and Molly Osborne (Tzeitel), are Miles Barrow, Sofia Bennett, Lottie Casserley, Lia Cohen, Shoshana Ezequiel, Fenton Gray, James Hameed, Matthew Hawksley, Matilda Hopkins, Adam Margilewski, Robert Maskell, Benny Maslov, Gaynor Miles, Ellie Mullane, Craig Pinder and Valentina Theodoulou to complete the company.

The production opens on 5 December, with previews from 23 November, and runs until 9 March. Booking is open for supporters of the Menier with public booking opening on 5 September.

This joyous and heart-breaking story of the travails of Tevye the milkman, his wife and five daughters features such classic songs as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” and remains a heart-warming celebration To Life – L’chaim!

The first London production of Fiddler on the Roof opened in February 1967 at Her Majesty’s Theatre; and the most recent London production opened in May 2007 at the Savoy Theatre with Henry Goodman as Tevye.

Fiddler on the Roof sees Trevor Nunn renew his collaboration with the Menier – he previously directed Lettice and Lovage, Love in Idleness (also West End), A Little Night Music (also West End and Broadway) and Aspects of Love for the company.

Listings Information

Fiddler on the Roof

Venue:                                Menier Chocolate Factory

Address:                             53 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1RU

Press performance:         5 December at 8pm

Dates:                                 23 November 2018 – 9 March 2019

Times:                                For the performance schedule, please see the website

Box Office:                         020 7378 1713 (£2.50 transaction fee per booking)

Website:                        www.menierchocolatefactory.com (£1.50 transaction fee per booking)

Tickets:                               Prices vary, as below from discounted preview tickets to premier seats. With the emphasis on ‘the sooner you book, the better the price’:

A meal deal ticket includes a 2-course meal from the pre-theatre menu in the Menier Restaurant as well as the theatre ticket.

www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Twitter: @MenChocFactory