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LONDON CLASSIC THEATRE ANNOUNCE

AUTUMN TOUR OF NO MAN’S LAND

London Classic Theatre present

NO MAN’S LAND

By Harold Pinter

Director: Michael Cabot; Designer: Bek Palmer; Lighting Design: Andy Grange

London Classic Theatre today announce their UK tour of Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land, with the company’s Artistic Director Michael Cabot directing Nicholas Gasson, Joel Macey, Graham O’Mara and Moray Treadwell. The new production opens at Hull Truck Theatre on 12 September, with previews from 5 September at Oldham Coliseum, and visits 22 venues in total before the tour concludes at Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells on 2 November.

A chance meeting between two elderly writers in a North London pub leads to an alcohol-fuelled night of reminiscences and verbal sparring.

Hirst, a wealthy recluse, invites Spooner, a down-at-heel poet, to his Hampstead townhouse for a nightcap. As the shadows lengthen and the whisky flows, their stories become more elaborate and improbable, until the arrival of two younger men forces events to take an unexpected turn.

In his most beguiling and atmospheric play, Pinter interweaves truth, language and memory to create a world of dark comedy and subtle power games.

Artistic Director Michael Cabot said today “I’m absolutely thrilled to be working on No Man’s Land. It’s my sixth time directing a Pinter play so it goes without saying I’m a huge admirer of his work. The terrific success of Jamie Lloyd’s recent Pinter at the Pinter season has reinforced how his writing still has the power to intrigue and resonate with audiences today and we’re very excited about carrying the torch around the UK this autumn. No Man’s Land is a wonderfully complex, layered play but also full of comic nuance.  I’m delighted that Bek Palmer and Andy Grange, the team who worked on our productions of The Birthday Party and Betrayal,are joining LCT again for this new chapter.”

Nicholas Gasson plays Spooner. His credits for the company include The Caretaker, Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me and Entertaining Mr Sloane. Other theatre credits includes Wings (Young Vic),The Dumb Waiter, The Lover (European Arts), James and the Giant Peach (No.1 tour), A Chip in the Sugar from Talking Heads (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Season’s Greetings (The Mill at Sonning), The Picture of Dorian Gray (Greenwich Theatre), Pink for a Boy (Oldham Coliseum) and School for Wives (BAC). His television credits include Shadow in the North, Private Life of an Easter Masterpiece and Merlin.

Joel Macey plays Foster. His previous theatre credits include The Mousetrap (St Martin’s Theatre), Othello (UK tour), Tartuffe, Hamlet, All’s Well That Ends Well (Tobacco Factory) and Treasure Island (The Avenue Theatre).His television credits include 3am and Jess’s Suicide.

Graham O’Mara plays Briggs. His theatre credits include Government Inspector and The Three Musketeers(Young Vic), Alice (Sheffield Crucible), Food (Traverse Theatre) Borders (Arcola Theatre), Punts, Cans(Theatre503), Fatzer: Downfall Of An Egoist (North Wall Arts Centre), Carry On Jaywick (Vaults), BU21 (Trafalgar Studios), Romeo and Juliet, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Wind in the Willows, Othello, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Storyhouse Chester), Sense and Sensibility (The Watermill Theatre), Horniman’s Choice, Hindle Wakes (Finborough Theatre), A Man of Letters (Orange Tree Theatre) and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice(Theatre Royal, Bury St. Edmunds). Television includes Friday Night Dinner, Good Cop, Sirens, The Queen: 1974and Silent Witness.

Moray Treadwell plays Hirst. His credits for the company include Hysteria. Other theatre credits include Some Mother’s do ‘Ave ‘Em (UK tour), The Railway Children (London King’s Cross Theatre), Macbeth (Mercury Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Theatre Royal, Bury St Edmunds), Wait Until Dark and The Little Foxes (Perth Theatre), The Caretaker, The Last Yellow (Nuffield Southampton Theatre), Arsenic and Old Lace, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (UK tours). His television credits include Manchild, My Family, Murder Most Horrid, Beck, Ultraviolet, Wuthering Heights, Planespotting and Whose Baby Is it Anyway?. For film his credits include Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Round Ireland with a Fridge.

Michael Cabot directs. He is the founder and Artistic Director of London Classic Theatre. He has directed all forty LCT productions since their London debut in 1993, including My Mother Said I Never Should, Private Lives, Hysteria, The Birthday Party, Waiting for Godot, Absent Friends, Entertaining Mr Sloane, Betrayal, The Importance of Being Earnest and Equus. He has overseen the company’s transition from one of the success stories of the London Fringe in the late nineties to its current position as one of the UK’s leading touring companies. His freelance work as director includes three recent collaborations with award-winning playwright Henry Naylor, The Collector (Arcola Theatre 2014 & UK tour 2016), Angel (Edinburgh Festival Fringe première 2016) and Borders (Edinburgh Festival Fringe première 2017). Angel has won several theatre awards, including a Scotsman Fringe First and the Holden Street Theatres Edinburgh Award in 2016. The production transferred to the Adelaide Fringe in February 2017, winning the Adelaide Critics Circle Award, before playing at the 59E59 Theatre in New York as part of the Brits off Broadway season. Angel was chosen by The Times as one of the UK’s Top Ten productions in 2016. Borders won a Scotsman Fringe First and the Carol Tambor Best of Fringe Award. It also won the Adelaide Critics Circle Award and transferred to New York Theatre Workshop in June 2018.

www.londonclassictheatre.co.uk

Facebook: @LondonClassicTheatre

Twitter: @londonclassic1

No Man’s Land                                                                                                                                 LISTINGS

Oldham Coliseum Theatre                          

5 – 7 September

Box Office: 01616 242829

www.coliseum.org.uk

Hull Truck Theatre

11 – 14 September

Box Office: 01482 323638

www.hulltruck.co.uk

Theatre Royal, Winchester

17 – 18 September

Box Office: 01962 840 440

www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk

Lighthouse, Poole

19-21 September

Box Office: 01202 280000

www.lighthousepoole.co.uk

Octagon Theatre, Yeovil

24 September

Box Office: 01935 422884

www.octagon-theatre.co.uk

The Theatre, Chipping Norton

25-26 September

Box Office: 01608 642350

www.chippingnortontheatre.com

Roses Theatre, Tewkesbury

27 September

Box Office: 01684 295074

www.rosestheatre.org

Atkinson, Southport

28 September

Box Office: 01704 533 333

www.theatkinson.co.uk

New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme

1-5 October

Box Office: 01782 717 962

www.newvictheatre.org.uk

Lincoln Performing Arts Centre

10 October

Box Office: 01522 837600

lpac.co.uk

CAST, Doncaster

11 October

Box Office: 01302 303959

www.castindoncaster.com

Middlesbrough Theatre

12 October

Box Office: 01642 81 51 81

www.middlesbroughtheatre.co.uk

Connaught Theatre, Worthing

15-16 October

Box Office: 01903 206 206

worthingtheatres.co.uk

Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne

17-19 October

Box Office: 01323 412 000

www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk

Queen’s Hall, Hexham

22-23 October

Box Office: 01434 652477

www.queenshall.co.uk

Phoenix Theatre, Blyth

24 October

Box Office: 01670 367 228

www.thephoenixtheatre.org.uk

Brunton, Musselburgh

25- 26 October

Box Office: 0131 665 2240

www.thebrunton.co.uk

Arena Theatre, Wolverhampton

29 – 30 October

Box Office: 01902 321 321

www.wlv.ac.uk/arena-theatre

Cornerstone, Didcot

31 October

Box Office: 01235 515144

www.cornerstone-arts.org

Theatre Royal, Margate

1 November

Box Office: 01843 292795

www.margate-live.com

Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells

2 November

Box Office: 01892 678678

www.trinitytheatre.net

Cast announced for immersive adult
fairy tale Red Palace
The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN
Tuesday 24th September 2019 – Sunday 12th January 2020

Showcasing cabaret, circus, dance and genre-defying performance, the cast has been announced for London’s new immersive masquerade ball, Red Palace. Shotgun Carousel invite their audiences to be escorted by a glorious array of audacious characters through swirling revelry to a place of glamour, danger and transformation where they can find their own fairy tale ending

The wholly female and non-binary cast of players, aerialists and cabaret artists includes Ella Prendergast (Secret Cinema presents Bladerunner: The Final Cut), Teddy Lamb (Since U Been Gone, HighTide), Porscha Present (Divine Proportions, The Vaults) and Emer Dineen (The Dark Side of Love, Camden Roundhouse). Actors and circus artists, EM Williams (Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Harold Pinter Theatre), Rosie Rowlands (Anna Nicole, Royal Opera House), Emily Essery (Doctor Dolittle, UK tour), and Rebecca Solomons (Hive City Legacy, Roundhouse) will also join the company. Completing this ensemble production are Steffi Walker (Baba’s War, White Bear Theatre and War Festival), Megan Ford (Feminasty, UK tour), Eleanor Dillon-Reams (HoneyBEE, Edinburgh Fringe), Camilla Harding (The Tempest, Rose Playhouse), and Alice Morgan-Richards (Alice’s Adventure’s Underground, The Vaults)

Following the huge success of Divine Proportions, Shotgun Carousel return to The Vaults with a Gothic cabaret guided by an irresistible tale. Join The Prince and meet the court; witness the beautiful, the brilliant, the wanton, the bizarre – nothing and no one is what they seem. Gastro- storyteller and Masterchef semi-finalist Annie McKenzie will provide an exclusive menu for booked diners to enjoy a decadent evening of feast and fantasy (subject to limited availability). Red Palace is inspired by the vicious narratives of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen but these are not the fairy tale characters we think we know as Snow White joins Gretel, mermaids and the Big Bad Wolf. With the allure of the carnivals of Venice, topped up with the Gothic macabre of Edgar Allan Poe, audiences must dance, dine and discover the mystery at the heart of the masked ball. The stories threaded through the production look behind the mask to explore power and duplicity. The Red Palace sheds the binds of gender and sexual conformity to release a world of pleasure and freedom

Director Celine Lowenthal comments, I am so thrilled to be working with our extraordinary cohort of performers on Red Palace, and it is a pure delight to be able to introduce to our audiences such a fantastic range of experienced and charismatic artists. We are drawing together a phenomenal array of Shakespearean character actors, death-defying circus performers, cabaret and burlesque royalty, with some of the most experienced immersive and promenade actors in the UK. You name it, we’ve got it: tarot readers, improvisational comedians, singer-songwriters, contortionists, drag kings, MCs – all ready to bring their phenomenal array of talents to the wild and exciting Red Palace experience. And, as always with Shotgun Carousel, we are proud to be introducing to you an all-female/non-binary/trans* cast, celebrating, elevating, and providing a platform for the artists we most want to see centre stage. I can’t wait to begin our exciting new collaboration!

Deliciously risqué, the sybaritic evening is an all-encompassing voyage through a world where extravagance is the norm, labels are left at the door, and everyone can be who they truly are (Broadway World on Divine Proportions).

STAR CAST REVEALED FOR BAND OF GOLD PREMIERE AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

LAURIE BRETT, GAYNOR FAYE, KIERON RICHARDSON, SHAYNE WARD AND SACHA PARKINSON TO STAR IN KAY MELLORS PREMIER STAGE ADAPTATION OF BAND OF GOLD

Band of Gold – the premiere stage adaptation of Kay Mellor’s multi award-winning ITV series – today announces that Laurie Brett (EastEnders,Waterloo Road, Les Miserables), Gaynor Faye (Emmerdale, Playing the Field, Calendar Girls), Kieron Richardson (Hollyoaks, Heatbeat), Shayne Ward (Coronation Street, Rock Of Ages, X Factor winner) and Sacha Parkinson (Mr Selfridge, The Mill) will star in the production when it opens at Leeds Grand Theatre later this year.

Following the unprecedented sell-out success of Fat Friends The Musical, producer Josh Andrews and Kay Mellor have teamed up again for Band of Gold, to be directed by Mellor, which will run from Thursday 28 November to Saturday 14 December 2019 at The Grand, before embarking on the 2020 Tour.

Band of Gold was the ground-breaking crime drama that captivated over 15 million viewers each week when it aired on ITV in March 1995 starring (amongst others) Geraldine James, Cathy Tyson, Barbara Dickson and Samantha Morton. The nail-biting thriller tells the story of a group of women – Carol, Rose, Anita and Gina – as they battle to survive whilst working in a notorious red-light district. When one of their colleagues is murdered, they need to find the killer before they strike again.

Band of Gold is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Thursday 28 November to Saturday 14 December 2019.

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

FURTHER CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

BACK TO THE FUTURE THE MUSICAL

AT MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE

OPENING ON THURSDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2020

FOR 12-WEEK SEASON

AHEAD OF WEST END TRANSFER

Producer Colin Ingram (Ghost – The Musical) and the creators of the film Back To The Future, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, are delighted to announce the casting of ‘George McFly’, ‘Lorraine Baines’ and ‘Goldie Wilson’ in the world premiere of BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical, which will open at the Manchester Opera House on 20 February 2020 for a strictly limited 12-week season, finishing on 17 May, prior to transferring to the West End.  Hugh Coles will play ‘George’, Rosanna Hyland ‘Lorraine’ and Cedric Neal ‘Goldie’.  They will be joining the previously announced Olly Dobson as ‘Marty McFly’.

Hugh Coles graduated from LAMDA in 2017 and landed one of the lead roles in last year’s British summer movie The Festival. He most recently finished working on the BBC series Defending the Guilty, playing young barrister ‘Liam’ alongside Will Sharpe and Katherine Parkinson. Hugh’s other screen credits include Urban Myths: The Mysterious Disappearance of Agatha Christie for Sky Arts and the final series of Doc Martin for ITV. 

Rosanna Hyland’s theatre credits include ‘Rosalie Mullins’ in School Of Rock The Musical (Gillian Lynne), ‘Alice’ in I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It on the Road (Jermyn Street), ‘Betty Hapschatt’ in Shock Treatment (King’s Head), ‘Hope Cladwell’ in Urinetown (Apollo), Shrek The Musical (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Sister Act The Musical (London Palladium) and Carousel (The Savoy). 

Cedric Neal most recently was a semi-finalist on The Voice UK 2019 Series. He made his West End debut as ‘Berry Gordy’ in the original London cast of Motown The Musical. Neal was featured as ‘The Arbiter’ in the first revival of Chess at London’s Coliseum. He can currently be seen as ‘Willie’ in the Soho Theatre premiere of The View Upstairs. Other London theatre includes the critically acclaimed concert staging of Martin Smith’s musical King, portraying Martin Luther King Jr.,  Cy Coleman’s revue Rhythm Of Life (St. James’s Theatre), and ‘Sporting Life’ in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Olivier nominated production of Porgy And Bess. Broadway credits include the Tony nominated After Midnight and the 2012 Tony Award-winning revival of Porgy And Bess. Television credits include The Good Guys (Fox) and Seasons 4 & 5 of the Emmy Award-winning drama Friday Night Lights (NBC-Universal). Film credits include Lost In London, which was written and produced by and starred Woody Harrelson.

Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical will have a book by Bob Gale and new music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard, with additional songs from the film including The Power of Love and Johnny B. Goode.

BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical will be directed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown, On The Town), alongside the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winning design team of Tim Hatley (set and costume design), Hugh Vanstone and Tim Lutkin (lighting), Gareth Owen (sound) and Finn Ross (video), with choreography by Chris Bailey, illusions by Paul Kieve and musical supervision and vocal arrangements by Nick Finlow. Orchestrations will be by Ethan Popp, with dance arrangements by David Chase.

Back to the Future the movie was released in 1985, starring Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly and Christopher Lloyd as Dr Emmett Brown. The film grossed $360.6 million (£279 million) at the box office worldwide and the total box office for all three films in the Back to the Future franchise was $936.6 million (over $1.8 billion in today’s money).

Marty McFly is a rock ‘n’ roll teenager who is accidentally transported back to 1955 in a time-travelling DeLorean invented by his friend, Dr Emmett Brown.  But before he can return to 1985, Marty must make sure his high school-aged parents fall in love in order to save his own existence.

BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical is produced by Colin Ingram, Donovan Mannato, Frankel/Viertel/Baruch/Routh Group, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hunter Arnold, Crush Music, CJ ENM, Teresa Tsai, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale, Augury in association with Herman-Adelman, Kimberly Magarro, Robert L. Hutt, Ricardo Marques, Glass Half Full Productions.

Website: BackToTheFutureMusical.com  

Twitter: @BTTFmusical

Instagram: @BTTFmusical        

LISTINGS INFORMATION

BACK TO THE FUTURE The Musical

20 February – 17 May 2020

Opera House Manchester

3 Quay Street 
Manchester 
M3 3HP

Box Office: 0844 871 3018

Performances: 
20 Feb – 14 Mar: Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Sat matinee 2.30pm

17 Mar – 17 May: Tue – Sat 7.30pm, Wed, Sat & Sun matinees 2.30pm

Tickets: From £19.55

Milton Keynes Theatre – until 20 July 2019

Reviewed by Alex Sykes

5*****

Set in 1960s America, at the height of the Vietnam war, Hair tells the story of a tribe of Hippies in New York.

The audience are first introduced to Berger (Jake Quickenden) who is one of the more vocal members of the tribe. Along with Berger there is also Claude (Paul Wilkins) who has been enlisted into the army to help with the war that the rest of the tribe are against. Joining then are Jeanie, a pregnant hippy, Sheila, who loves Berger, and various other members of the tribe.

The songs are short and catchy and add to the story, and the audience sang along with Let The Sunshine In as everyone seemed to know it. The staging is basic, with the background being made up of lots of ribbons. The band are also on stage in tents and shelters which have been made to look like the rest of the hippie commune.

The story is easy to follow and portrays a serious matter in a comical way with the cast interacting with the audience, especially in the finale when audience members are invited on to the stage. The only questionable part is why the first act ends with every one naked on stage.

All in all a good night out with plenty of songs to keep you singing for days afterwards

Darlington Hippodrome – until 20 July 2019

5*****

Stones in his Pocket, this wonderful little gem of a show, arrives in to Darlington as part of it current tour – and what a treat the audiences are in for

When a touch of glamour lands in a quiet village, the impact on the local community can be enormous. Stones in his Pockets tells such a story. The central premise is fairly simple, as a Hollywood film crew descend on a remote, sleepy village in Ireland, and engage many of the local people as extras, setting in motion a chain of events that leads to tragedy. All is not doom and gloom, however. being very funny, and at the same time very poignant. 

Marie Jones’ award winning play is about  the stars, the villagers, the extras and the production team shooting The Quiet Valley in County Kerry. There’s Aisling, Assistant Director, and Simon her superior, John the weary dialogue coach, Jock from security, Caroline Giovanni the glamorous leading lady, Clem, the English director and Wee Mickey, who is the only surviving extra from The Quiet Man. Not to mention Charlie and Jake, our two extras, each with disappointments in his past and dreams for his future. Charlie, an outsider from the village has written a screenplay after his DVD rental outlet ironically went under. Jake, a likeable local lad, is just back from the States after getting homesick.

All of the characters are played by two incredibly talented actors, Owen Sharpe and Kevin Trainor, who effortlessly slip into the voice and the physique of a dozen or more cherishable characters and sketching scores of memorable scenes: coffee in Caroline’s trailer, the “destitution” mime, the poignant flashback to Sean and Finn’s childhood friendship, before drugs and life push Sean to take his own life by drowning with stones in his pockets

The only props are a box and two stools, so the illusion is maintained by the skill of the two actors and some clever dialogue, against a backdrop of the impressive but simple set by Peter McKintosh and Lindsay Posner’s excellent direction

Though there are darker themes, what we always take away is the tour-de-force that brings all these characters to life – Simon becomes the seductive, needy Caroline, Finn becomes the kindly old teacher, Brother Gerard. And they all appear at once in the Flatley inspired finale – this Irish jig is sheer brilliance 

Stone in His Pockets allows its audience to enter the world of its characters providing an entertaining, amusing and thought-provoking evening.  Despite the tragedy and undercurrent of exploitation that run through the piece, we are left with a feeling of hope that for some people at least, their experiences on film have awakened a sense of determination and self-belief. A complete joy throughout

THEY’RE ON A MISSION…

THE CHICAGO BLUES BROTHERS

COME TO THE WEST END:

LONDON’S SAVOY THEATRE – FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY

 “Tight Classy and Brassy” Time Out

“Fun and Infectious” The Stage

“A high octane musical mash up” Bristol Post

On August 4^th audiences are invited to dance the night away ‘The Chicago Blues Brothers’ – Europe’s biggest and best-loved production of the Blues Brothers which comes to the West End London’s Savoy Theatre

This award-winning spectacular is a high-octane, adrenaline-pumping musical mash-up presents the best material from the original Blues Brothers movies; jam-packed full of songs by legends such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Otis Redding, Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Cab Calloway – plus many more.

Featuring blues, soul, Motown and funk classics with a few surprises thrown in along the way ‘The Chicago Blues Brothers’ captures the sound, energy and persona that propelled the film to a cult status and that still thrills audiences worldwide today.

Backed by the multi award winning CBB Band and the Sweet Soul Sisters, a new stage set and state of the art full stage projection

‘The Chicago Blues Brothers’ is a joyous hoot, a musical riot, a juiced-up jamboree of the coolest, funkiest soul, blues and Motown hits performed with style, class and showmanship by a troupe of some of the finest entertainers working in modern musical theatre.

Infectious, dazzling, riotous, exuberant and spirited, the legacy of Jake and Elwood has been jump-started for a new generation with an energy. ‘The Chicago Blues Brothers’ are on a mission once again and hope to give London audiences a night to remember. 

CHRIS HINDLE is JOLIET JAKE BLUES

Chris Hindle is the driving force behind ‘The Chicago Blues Brothers’, not only does he play Jake in the show, he also is responsible for the production of the show. From stage set to artwork, social Media to arrangements – Chris is right there at the heart of everything.

Chris also trained at the De Costa academy in York studying the art of Italian Opera. A natural tenor and performer, he was able to hit those high notes with ease, but his musical passion laid elsewhere. In Joliet Jake Blues he has truly found his calling.

GARETH DAVEY is ELWOOD BLUES

Award winning vocalist Gareth ‘Elwood’ Davey was a well-established solo artist for several years touring throughout the UK but he decided to leave his solo career behind him and join ‘The Chicago Blues Brothers’. He amazes audiences with his natural vocal ability; from deep bluesy bass vocals to sweet soulful falsetto, Gareth has a vocal range that very few pro singers can compare to.

Chris and Gareth have been best friends for over 16 years, and this shines through on stage. They are both professional wind up artists and enjoy playing tricks on everyone in the band and members of the public. Their off-stage friendship is one of the magical aspects that makes the Chicago Blues Brothers such a fun and unique show.

FIRST TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2020 UK TOUR OF

Selladoor Family and Beano Studios are delighted to announce that their all new musical stage production Dennis & Gnasher Unleashed! will open on 23 January 2020 at the Waterside Theatre in Aylesbury before embarking on a year-long UK tour throughout 2020.

This new family friendly show is based on the hit TV show Dennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! and is being developed by Selladoor – the company behind hits including Madagascar the Musical and Little Shop of Horrors.

The musical tells the story of the mischievous twosome and their best friends, Rubi, JJ and Pieface and their mission to save Beanotown from the grips of the evil W Corps! Featuring live music, hilarious pranks, and of course, Dennis’ trademark skateboard, this brand new, high-octane family musical is perfect for pranksters young and old!

BAFTA-winning writer/producer-director Will Brenton will write the show which will feature Dennis and Gnasher’s imitable sense of fun and ageless humour delivered with a repertoire of songs.  He commented:

“The idea behind this show has always been to do something different. This adaptation takes the spirit of Dennis and the Dinmakers and puts them at the centre of an indie rock musical – where the characters take human form, play live music and won’t be happy unless the audience end up on their feet dancing. With amazing music, both original and known, slick dance routines, pranks, explosions and surprises to delight and transport the audience, this show is aimed at the whole family”.

The creative team will also include set and costume Designer Jean Chan and choreographer Kendra Horsburgh.

The stage production follows on from the success of Beano Studios’ international Emmy-nominated TV seriesDennis & Gnasher: Unleashed! The TV show stars Beano’s irrepressible hero Dennis, his dogged side kick Gnasher and fearless mates including Rubi, JJ, Pieface and his pet potato Paul. Together they cook up crazy plans, get in all sorts of scrapes and take on every challenge, no matter how big.

Casting and further tour dates will be announced in due course.

DENNIS AND GNASHER UNLEASHED! 2020 TOUR DATES

Thursday 23 – Sunday 26 January                                                                 Box Office: 0844 871 7607

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre                                                                         Website: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury

Tuesday 28 January – Saturday 1 February                                                Box Office: 01262 678258

Bridlington Spa                                                                                                   Website: www.bridspa.com

Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 February                                                                  Box Office: 0844 871 3017

Liverpool Empire                                                                                                Website: www.atgtickets.com/liverpool

Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 February                                                              Box Office: 0844 871 3019

Palace Theatre, Manchester                                                                           Website: www.atgtickets.com/manchester

Tuesday 25 – Saturday 29 February                                                              Box Office: 0844 871 3011

Birmingham Alexandra                                                                                     Website: www.atgtickets.com/birmingham

Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 March                                                                       Box Office: 0118 960 6060

Reading Hexagon                                                                                               Website: www.readingarts/hexagon

Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 March                                                                  Box Office: 01684 892277

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

Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 March                                                                  Box Office: 0844 871 7646

New Wimbledon Theatre                                                                                Website: www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon

Tuesday 24 – Saturday 28 March                                                                  Box Office: 01271

Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple                                                                          Website: www.queenstheatre-barnstaple.com

Tuesday 31 March – Saturday 4 April                                                           Box Office: 0844 871 7647

Glasgow Theatre Royal                                                                                     Website: www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

Tuesday 7 – Saturday 11 April                                                                        Box Office: 01482 300306

Hull New Theatre                                                                                               Website: www.hulltheatres.co.uk

Tuesday 14 – Saturday 18 April                                                                      Box Office: 01904 623568

York Theatre Royal                                                                                            Website: www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Further dates to be announced

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR ROYAL & DERNGATE AND ENGLISH TOURING THEATRE’S PRODUCTION OF TWO TRAINS RUNNING

Royal & Derngate and English Touring Theatre present

TWO TRAINS RUNNING

by August Wilson

UK tour: 31 August – 27 November 2019

Directed by 2018 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner Nancy Medina

Designer: Frankie Bradshaw; Lighting Designer: Amy Mae; Movement Director: Rachael Nanyonjo

Royal & Derngate and English Touring Theatre today announce the full cast for Nancy Medina’s production of August Wilson’s Two Trains Running. Medina directs Geoff Aymer (West), Ray Emmet Brown (Wolf), Derek Ezenagu (Hambone), Andrew French (Memphis), Leon Herbert (Holloway), Michael Salami (Sterling) and Anita-Joy Uwajeh (Risa). The production opens at Royal & Derngate Northampton on 4 September, with previews from 31 August and runs until 14 September before embarking on a UK tour to Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Oxford Playhouse, Cast Doncaster, New Wolsey Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Derby Theatre.

There’s a controversial new president in the White House, and racial tensions are on the rise.

It is Pittsburgh, 1969, and the regulars of Memphis Lee’s restaurant are struggling to cope with the turbulence of a rapidly changing world. The diner is in threat of being torn down, a casualty of the city’s renovation project that is sweeping away the buildings of a community, but not its spirit.

The iconic American playwright August Wilson paints a vivid portrait of everyday lives in this defining moment of American history.

Directed by Nancy Medina, this major revival will introduce this Pulitzer Prize shortlisted modern classic to UK-wide audiences for the first time. Nancy is the recipient of the 2018 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award, this year hosted by Royal & Derngate, to enable an emerging director of exceptional potential to direct their first regional mainstage production.

August Wilson(1945–2005) was an American playwright. He won a Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award for his playFences and earned a second Pulitzer Prize for The Piano Lesson. His other notable works include King Hedley II, Seven Guitars, Gem of the Ocean, Jitney and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Geoff Aymer plays West. His theatre credits include The Color Purple due to open at Leicester Curve in June, previous credits include Robin Hood and the Arrow of Destiny (Theatre Peckham), The Plague (After La Peste by Albert Camus) (Arcola Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest (UK tour), A Midsummer Night’s Dream(Young Vic), and To Kill a Mockingbird (Barbican Theatre/ UK tour).

Ray Emmet Brown plays Wolf. His previous theatre credits include Sweet Bird of Youth (Chichester Festival Theatre), Moon on a Rainbow Shawl (National Theatre/UK tour), A Raisin in The Sun (Royal Exchange), and Les Negres (Young Vic). For television, his credits include The Stranger, Mum, The Dumping Ground and Outlaws.

Derek Ezenagu plays Hambone. His previous theatre credits include Perseverance Drive (Bush Theatre), Death and the King’s Horseman (National Theatre), Othello (Keble Reilly Theatre), A Village Without Lights (Crescent Theatre), Mother Courage and Her Children (Nottingham Playhouse/UK tour), Musical Youth (Birmingham Repertory Theatre), Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing (RSC).

Andrew French plays Memphis. His previous theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet (RSC), While We’re Here (Bush Theatre), The Flesh of Mine/When Nobody Returns (Theatre Bay, Acklam Village), The Iphigenia Quartet (Gate Theatre), Bully Boy (Mercury Theatre), and Julius Caesar (RSC). For television, his credits include A Very English Scandal, Marvin Can’t Fail, and Perfect Parents.

Leon Herbert plays Holloway. His previous theatre credits include Gone With The Wind, West Side Story(Coventry Belgrade Theatre), Napoleon Noir, Robeson (Young Vic), The Great White Hope (Tricycle Theatre). Television credits include Outlander, The Paradise Club and The 10^th Kingdom. For film, his credits include Alien 3, Batman, Scandal and Emotional Backgammon as Director.

Michael Salami plays Sterling. Previous theatre credits include The Night Before Christmas (Southwark Playhouse), Housed (The Old Vic), Negril Beach (Bush Theatre), Crosswords (Theatre503), The Grandfathers(Soho Theatre), and Kettled Passions (Lyric Hammersmith). For television, his credits include Temple, Just A Couple, and as series regular Shane Sweeney in Hollyoaks for which he won Best Actor at the UK Entertainment Awards.

Anita-Joy Uwajeh plays Risa. Her previous theatre credits include King Lear (Duke of York’s Theatre), Grotty (Bunker Theatre), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe), Girls, Fury (Soho Theatre), and We Wait in Joyful Hope (Theatre503). For television, her credits include Lucky Man, Not Safe for Work and Transporter.

Nancy Medina was the 2018 winner of the RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award and the 2017 Genesis Future Director Award winner for the Young Vic. She is an acting tutor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Course Leader for a post-16 Professional Acting Diploma at Boomsatsuma. Her directing credits include Strange Fruit (Bush Theatre), Half God of Rainfall (Kiln Theatre), Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties (Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama), When They Go Low (NT Connections/ Sherman Theatre), Yellowman (Young Vic), Curried Goat and Fish Fingers (Bristol Old Vic), Dogtag (Theatre West), Strawberry and Chocolate (Tobacco Factory Theatres), Dutchman (Tobacco Factory Theatres) and Persistence of Memory (Rondo Theatre).

#TwoTrains2019

Two Trains Running is supported by a production grant from The Royal Theatrical Support Trust (RTST)

The production is part of Royal & Derngate’s Made In Northampton season, sponsored locally by Michael Jones Jeweller

Tour Dates

Opens at:

Royal & Derngate Northampton

31 August – 14 September 2019

Box Office: 01604 624811 / www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Before touring to:

Nuffield Southampton Theatres

17 – 21 September 2019

Box Office: 023 8067 1771 / www.nstheatres.co.uk

Oxford Playhouse

24 – 28 September

Box Office: 01865 305305 / www.oxfordplayhouse.com

Cast, Doncaster

1 – 5 October 2019

Box Office: 01302 303 959 / www.castindoncaster.com

New Wolsey Theatre 

8 – 12 October

Box Office: 01473 295900 / www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

15 -19 October 2019

Box Office: 01483 44 00 00 / www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Derby Theatre

22 – 27 October 2019

Box Office: 01332 59 39 39 / www.derbytheatre.co.uk

BACK!

Professor Goodman will visit the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End to confirm the supernatural is PURELY a trick of the mind…

LIMITED WEST END SEASON RUNS FROM

THURSDAY 3^RD OCTOBER – SATURDAY 4^th JANUARY 2020

Tickets go on sale today (Monday 15^th July)

WARNING

Please be advised that Ghost Stories contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.

There’s something dark lurking in the theatre. Enter a nightmarish world, full of thrilling twists and turns, where all your deepest fears and most disturbing thoughts are imagined live on stage. A fully sensory and electrifying encounter, Ghost Stories is the ultimate twisted love-letter to horror, a supernatural edge-of-your-seat theatrical experience like no other.

After exhilarating audiences across the globe with record breaking, sell-out productions and a smash hit film, Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s worldwide cult phenomenon Ghost Stories returns to the West End this autumn, following a smash-hit extended run at the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. More spine-tingling and terrifying than ever, the Olivier Award-nominated show’s strictly limited transferopens at The Ambassadors Theatre on Thursday 3rd October 2019, where it runs until Saturday 4^thJanuary 2020.

Casting to be announced.

Andy Nyman is an award-winning actor, director and writer who has earned acclaim from both critics and audiences for his work in theatre, film and television. On stage Andy is currently playing the iconic role of Tevye in Trevor Nunn’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof. It is playing at the Playhouse Theatre until November 2nd. Andy was also seen in Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen (Wyndham’s Theatre), Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory) and Abigail’s Party (also Wyndham’s Theatre). Other theatre work includes the original production of Ghost Stories (Lyric/Duke of York’s Theatre) which has recently been made into a major motion picture, also written, starred and directed by Andy & Jeremy Dyson. Other film credits include The Commuter, Death at a Funeral and Kick-Ass 2. Hisupcoming films include playing opposite The Rock & Emily Blunt in Disney’s Jungle Cruise plus starring opposite Renee Zellweger in Judy. TV he is best known for Peaky Blinders, Campus & Dead Set, and has recently appeared in BBC 1’s Wanderlust.

Jeremy Dyson is a screenwriter, stage-writer and author, best known as a member of comedy group The League of Gentlemen. With Andy Nyman he co-wrote and co-directed the stage and film versions of Ghost Stories. In addition he co-created and co-wrote the BAFTA-nominated comedy-drama series Funland and co-created, co-wrote and directed the Rose d’Or-winning all-female comedy show Psychobitches.  His second collection of stories, ‘The Cranes that Build the Cranes‘ won the Edge Hill Award for short fiction.

Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Smith and Brant Theatricals and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre present the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s production of Ghost Stories.

For more information, please see:

www.ghoststorieslive.co.uk