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UK Theatre Awards 2025: 

Finalists announced for UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award

Birmingham Rep, Royal & Derngate and Shakespeare North Playhouse have been named as finalists for the 2025 UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award. The winner will be revealed at this year’s UK Theatre Awards, which return to 8 Northumberland Avenue on Sunday 12 October, supported by headline sponsor Encore. For over 30 years, this annual event has celebrated the creative excellence and outstanding achievements seen on and off stage throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

UK Theatre member venues were invited to apply for the coveted award, and the three finalists were selected based on how welcoming the venues are across multiple factors, from accessibility and inclusion practices, to programming, outreach, workforce and audience development. 

The judging panel will now visit the venues in person to determine the overall winner. Visits often involve meeting staff, having a tour of the building, taking part in a scheduled activity, speaking to audience members or visiting the onsite café or restaurant.  

Claire Walker, Co-CEO of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre, said:  

“Local theatres are the beating heart of communities across the UK – inspiring creativity, fostering connection, and driving both cultural and economic impact. This year’s finalists have shown exceptional commitment to creating inclusive, welcoming spaces for audiences, artists and staff alike. We’re thrilled to shine a spotlight on their outstanding work and the vital role they play in their local communities. 

“Congratulations to all the finalists on this well-deserved recognition – and thank you to our judging panel, who now face the difficult task of selecting a winner ahead of the UK Theatre Awards this October.” 

Birmingham Rep’s Chief Executive and Artistic Director, Rachael Thomas and Joe Murphy, also said in a joint statement: 

“We are committed to making our venue open to all and a place where everyone feels welcome. This nomination reflects a whole Team Rep effort, everyone here truly cares about guaranteeing we provide our visitors, audiences and participants unforgettable experiences and ensure creative opportunities are available to as many people as possible across our diverse communities. We are thrilled to be shortlisted for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award and want to thank our audiences, supporters and incredible team who make The Rep such a welcoming theatre for everyone.” 

Jo Gordon, Chief Executive of Royal & Derngate, added: 

“Here at Royal & Derngate, we love nothing more than welcoming people into our spaces – whether for a performance, a rehearsal, a workshop or a video gaming event or vintage clothing sale! We’re at the heart of the local community and it’s important that we are here for everyone – making our spaces as accessible and welcoming as possible whatever your needs or interests.” 

Lisa Allen, CEO and Creative Director at Shakespeare North Playhouse, commented: 

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award. It is such a special moment as it really recognises the people – our brilliant team, volunteers, artists and audiences – who make this place special. Shakespeare North is all about community, connection and creativity, and we’re so proud to see that recognised.” 

About the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre Award finalists: 

Birmingham Rep: Birmingham Rep has been at the forefront of theatre in the UK for over 100 years. The Rep has an unparalleled pioneering history and is the only producing theatre in the UK’s Second City. It is the oldest building-based theatre company in the UK, and the forerunner of both the RSC and the National Theatre. The Rep’s mission is to create artistically ambitious, world-class theatre for everyone. The commissioning and production of new work lies at the core of The Rep’s programme, and over the last 15 years the company has produced more than 130 new plays. The Rep’s acclaimed learning and outreach programme is one of the largest and most diverse of any arts organisation in the country. The Rep has nurtured new talent throughout its history – from Laurence Olivier and Peter Brook to its modern-day youth theatre, and the ground-breaking Rep Foundry theatre-makers programme, it has offered opportunity and training for thousands of early career writers, directors and artists.   

Royal & Derngate: Royal & Derngate is proud of its reputation as a thriving regional theatre. An important entertainment hub for all communities across Northamptonshire and beyond, the three-stage and cinema complex is home to an acclaimed Made In Northampton self-produced programme as well as welcoming some of the most well-known acts and shows touring the UK. In recent years the venue has celebrated Stage, Olivier and Academy Awards nominations, notably including a prestigious win for Best Family Show at the 2020 Olivier Awards. As important as the work on its stages, its nationally recognised Creative Engagement programme works with schools, families and communities, and the Generate development programme supports hundreds of regional artists each year, at all stages of their careers. 

Shakespeare North Playhouse: Since opening in July 2022, Shakespeare North Playhouse has swiftly established itself as a vibrant cultural force, both within its local community and on the national stage. Celebrated for its bold productions and meaningful engagement work, the venue has earned over 30 awards and nominations, including Theatre Building of the Year 2023 at The Stage Awards. At its heart is the timber-built Cockpit theatre (the only one of its kind outside London). Shakespeare North continues to champion innovation, inclusivity and cultural regeneration through its work which includes acclaimed co-productions with companies such as English Touring Theatre, Graeae, Stephen Joseph Theatre and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, alongside collaborations with leading writers including Philippa Gregory. 

@UK_Theatre               #UKTAwards  

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW MUSICAL

COVEN

WITH THE RUN AT KILN THEATRE EXTENDED TO 20 DECEMBER

Kiln Theatre in association with Kindred Partners and Eilene Davidson Productions today announce the cast and creative team for Coven.The world premiere new musical has music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning Daisy Chute with Rebecca Brewer, book by Rebecca Brewer and is directed by Olivier Award winner Miranda Cromwell. The run at Kiln Theatre has been extended by popular demand, now running 31 October – 20 December 2025 (Press Night: Tuesday 11 November).

Cromwell directs Allyson Ava-Brown (Nell/Elizabeth), Rachel Barnes (Ensemble), Gabrielle Brooks (Jenet), Shiloh Coke (Frances/Alizon), Rosalind Ford (King James / Ensemble), Penny Layden (Martha/Judge), Holly Mallett (Ensemble), Lauryn Redding (Rose), Kathryn Tindall (Ensemble), Diana Vickers (Edmund/Covell), Jacinta Whyte (Maggie), and Jennifer Whyte (Keys).

The creative team includes Miranda Cromwell – Director, Jasmine Swan – Set and Costume Designer, Zeynep Kepekli – Lighting Designer, Helen Atkinson – Sound Designer, Jennifer Whyte – Musical Supervisor, Shelley Maxwell – Choreographer, Laura Cubitt – Puppetry Director, Rosie Pearson for Pearson Casting CDG – Casting Director, Tom Wright – Dramaturg, Hazel Holder – Voice Coach

Amit Sharma, Artistic Director & CEO of Kiln Theatre, said: “Coven is unlike anything we’ve staged at Kiln before! With this phenomenal cast on stage along with an incredible creative team, Coven is a real celebration of female-led storytelling, live music, and theatrical magic. We’re so proud to premiere it here with our brilliant producing partners and, with the extension announced too, can’t wait to share it with audiences this autumn!”

Rebecca Brewer and Daisy Chute said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be collaborating with such an incredible cast and creative team. The two of us feel so lucky to see the show brought to life by such a richly talented coven.”

Miranda Cromwell, Director, said:  “I am thrilled to share the cast and creative team for Coven. This is a Coven of extraordinarily talented women who are reclaiming this incredible slice of history and exploring the legacy it holds today. It is such an honour to be at the helm of the world premiere of this brand-new musical and I’m so excited to watch it come to life with an audience on the stage of Kiln Theatre.”

A Kiln Theatre production in association with Kindred Partners and Eilene Davidson Productions

COVEN

book by Rebecca Brewer

music & lyrics by Rebecca Brewer and Daisy Chute

directed by Miranda Cromwell

31 October – 20 December 2025

A scorching new musical

Based on England’s most notorious witch trials

1612. Pendle, Lancashire. A witch hunt is raging and a 9-year-old Jennet accuses her own family of witchcraft. 21 years later, she finds herself imprisoned, surrounded by the most feared women in town. As the accuser becomes the accused, Jennet must confront a 250-year legacy of witchcraft and the dark secrets of her own past. As she listens to the shocking stories of the women around her, Jennet’s faith begins to crumble.

Olivier Award-winning director Miranda Cromwell joins forces with Grammy award-winning Daisy Chute alongside Rebecca Brewer. A thrilling new musical combining uplifting anthems and powerful melodies in a fresh reinterrogation of the true story of the Pendle Witch Trials. With power in their veins and the earth beneath their feet, 13 women rise above the forces that seek to silence them.

Join the coven. The trial begins.

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Allyson Ava-Brown | Nell/Elizabeth

Theatre credits include: Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lyric Hammersmith), 23.5 Hours (Park Theatre), The Quiet House (Birmingham Rep/Park Theatre), Etienne Sisters, Dangerous Lady and Crowning Glory (Stratford East), Snakes and Ladders (UK tour), Julius Caesar, The Tempest, Antony and Cleopatra (RSC/Tour/West End). Allyson has also worked at the National Theatre, Park Theatre, Watford Palace Theatre, Yorkshire Playhouse, Liverpool Playhouse, Theatre503, Riverside Studios and Hackney Empire. Screen credits include EastEnders, Casualty, Vera, Apple Tree House, Bear Behaving Badly and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

Rachel Barnes | Ensemble

Rachel is an Actor from Hull. She graduated from The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2019. Theatre credits include: Grapes of Wrath (National Theatre), Manic Street Creature (Southwark Playhouse), Sugar Coat (Southwark Playhouse), Wicker Husband (Watermill), Joan of Leeds (New Diorama), Canary And The Crow (Arcola), I Hate Alone (Middle Child Tour), The Sicilian Courtesan (Richard Burton Theatre Company), Kasimir and Karoline (Gate Theatre), The Dancing Bear (Leeds Playhouse).
TV credits include: Ladhood (BBC).

Gabrielle Brooks | Jenet 

Gabrielle originated the role of Rita Marley in Get Up Stand Up, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award. On screen, Gabrielle can be seen playing the role of Nadia in Shadow and Bone for Netflix. Other TV and Film credits include: Coming Down the Mountain (BBC), J’Ouvert (BBC) and Notes on a Scandal. 

Further theatre credits include: Comedy of Errors, Cymbeline (Shakespeare’s Globe); Mlima’s Tale (Kiln Theatre); Once on This Island (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); J’Ouvert (Harold Pinter Theatre); Anna Bella Eema (Arcola Theatre); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre); Our Lady of Kibeho (Royal and Derngate); Twelfth Night (Young Vic); The Way of the World (Donmar Warehouse); The Wizard of Oz (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); Queen Anne (RSC/ Theatre Royal Haymarket); Lazarus (Kings Cross Theatre); Synergy Play (Theatre 503); The Strangers Case (Liverpool Everyman); Red Snapper (Belgrade Theatre); The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales); Our House (Savoy); Hairspray (UK Tour: Stage Entertainment); Avenue Q (UK Tour: Cameron Mackintosh).  

Radio credits include: Porgy Loves Bess (BBC Radio 4) Best Actress nomination. 

Shiloh Coke |Frances/Alizon

Shiloh is a writer, actor and musician.

Theatre credits include: Chiaroscuro (Bush Theatre – Nominated for Best Emerging Talent at the 2019 Evening Standard Theatre Awards), Small Island (National Theatre) and Belly Of The Beast (Finborough Theatre).

Screen credits include: Cheaters (BBC), Pirates , I May Destroy You (BBC), This Way Up (Channel 4) & Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

Rosalind Ford | King James/Ensemble

Rosalind read French and Italian at Edinburgh University and holds an MA in Translation. She also works as a portrait artist under the name Rosalind Olivia (@rosalindolivia.art).

Theatre credits include: In Clay (OFFIE Winner 2025 – Best Lead Performance in a Musical, Upstairs at the Gatehouse), The Cabinet Minister (Menier Chocolate Factory), Elowen and Mary in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Southwark Playhouse), Miss Littlewood and Boundless as the Sea (RSC/Cunard), Adriana in The Comedy of Errors (Mercury Theatre); Ophelia in Hamlet (Guildford Shakespeare Company); Once (UK Tour); Gin Craze! (Royal & Derngate); Mother Courage And Her Children (Southwark Playhouse); These Trees Are Made Of Blood (Arcola Theatre).

Workshops include: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (ATG), Coven (Kiln Theatre), Flitch the Musical (Pinchy Theatre), The Lost Souls Club (Mercury Theatre), United We Stand (The Cockpit), John Barleycorn Must Die (Tombola Theatre), The Little Mermaid (Metta Theatre).

Recordings include: In Clay Live in Concert (The Other Palace), The Little Prince (Metta Theatre)

Penny Layden |Martha/Judge

Theatre credits include: The Ocean at the End of the Lane (National Theatre/West End), London Tide, Paradise, Jellyfish, Macbeth, My Country: A Work in Progress, Another World: Losing Our Children to Islamic State, An Oak Tree, Everyman, Edward II, Table and Timon of Athens (National Theatre), The Tempest, Roberto Zucco and Measure for Measure (RSC), Pygmalion, The Lorax and Cinderella (Old Vic), Medea (Soho Place), A Christmas Carol (Rose, Kingston), Seeds (Tiata Fahodzi/Soho Theatre), Cleft (Rough Magic/Galway Festival),), Bright Phoenix (Liverpool Everyman), Beryl (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Nora (Belgrade, Coventry), Jellyfish and 66 Books (Bush), Incoming (Hightide Festival), Lidless (Trafalgar Studios/Hightide Festival/Edinburgh), Draw Me Close, Vernon God Little and The Art of Random Whistling (Young Vic), The Bacchae, Mary Barton, Electra and Mayhem (Manchester Royal Exchange), Dancing at Lughnasa (Birmingham Rep), The Spanish Tragedy (Arcola), Romeo and Juliet, The Antipodes and Hamlet (Shakespeare’s Globe), Comfort Me With Apples (Hampstead Theatre/Tour), Assassins (Sheffield Crucible), Seasons Greetings and Popcorn (Liverpool Playhouse), The Laramie Project (West End), Romeo and Juliet (Southwark Playhouse), The Recruiting Officer (Lichfield Garrick), A Passage to India, The Magic Toyshop and Jane Eyre (Shared Experience), Maid Marian and her Merry Men (Bristol Old Vic), What I Did In The Holidays, The Plough and The Stars, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Dangerous Corner and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New Vic, Stoke).

Television credits include: Supacell, Father Brown, Belgravia, Casualty, My Country: A Work in Progress, Grantchester, Dark Angel, EastEnders, Prisoner’s Wives, Call the Midwife, Land Girls, Sirens, South Riding, Doctors, Silent Witness, Poppy Shakespeare, Bad Mother’s Handbook, Waterloo Road, No Angels, The Bill, Murphy’s Law, Fat Friends, Outlaws, M.I.T and Casualty.

Film credits include Broken and The Libertine. 

Radio credits include: Second Chance, Uganda and Crime and Punishment.

Holly Mallett | Ensemble

A graduate of the Academy of Contemporary Music and East 15 Acting School, Holly has spent over a decade carving out a unique space for herself in the arts. Best known for playing Moxy in CBBC’s ‘Andy & the Band’, she’s also an accomplished session drummer, experienced theatre actor, and a published playwright. Holly’s also pretty funny tbh, and has an extensive improv CV with companies such as all-female group NOTFLIX, and Olivier Award-winning Showstopper: The Improvised Musical. 

Theatre credits include: Are You Ready to Rock? (Livenation Australia, Tour), Medusa’s First Kiss (Little Angel Theatre), Jack & the Beanstalk (Stanley Arts), Mother Goose (Hackney Empire), Deep Blue (Liverpool Everyman), NOTFLIX: The Improvised Musical (Soho Theatre & UK Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Liverpool Everyman), Enough is Enough (Camden People’s Theatre), Beauty & the Beast (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Elemental (Bush Theatre), Andy & the Odd Socks (Glastonbury & UK tour), Cbeebies Live: The Big Band (UK Arena Tour), The League of St George (Kings Head Theatre, Hope Theatre – Stella Wilkie & NSDF Award-winner), The London Jungle Book (Royal Festival Hall). 

TV credits include: Andy & The Band (CBBC), Justin’s House (CBeebies), Saturday Mash Up (CBBC), Mr Maker at Home (CBeebies), Merry Christmas Everyone (Official Children in Need Christmas Single), The Playlist (BBC). 

Writing credits include: Pinocchio (Old Joint Stock Theatre – Book, music & lyrics), PEA & the Princess (Polka Theatre – Music & lyrics), Medusa’s First Kiss (Little Angel Theatre – Music & Lyrics), Choosers (Published 2016 by Playdead Press) and songs for Panto Dame Mama G’s “Oh Yes I Am” book tour.  

Lauryn Redding | Rose

Lauryn is an actor, writer and composer.

Theatre credits include: Standing at the Sky’s Edge (Gillian Lynn Theatre, West End), Bloody Elle (Lyric Theatre, West End/Soho Theatre/Traverse Theatre/Royal Exchange, Manchester), The Worst Witch (Vaudeville Theatre, West End), The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4, The Hired Man (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch); 71 Coltman Street, Oliver Twist (Hull Truck); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Twelfth Night (Wilton’s Music Hall), The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe/UK Tour); Seagulls (Bolton Octagon), Educating Rita (UK tour), Treasure Island (New Vic), Bread and Roses, Up N’ Under, Oh! What A Lovely War, Dreamers (Oldham Coliseum), Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain (Garrick Theatre, West End/Sydney Opera House & Australia/Asia Tour), Horrible Histories – Awful Egyptians & Ruthless Romans (UK Tour), Horrible Christmas (The Lowry), Frankenstein (Salisbury Playhouse), Romeo & Juliet (Watermill Theatre), The Winter’s Tale, She Stoops To Conquer, An August Bank Holiday Lark (Northern Broadsides), Alice’s Adventures Underground (The Vaults); The Wind In The Willows (Leeds Playhouse) and Tall Tales (Theatr Clwyd).

Screen credits include: Smoggie Queens (BBC Three), The Midwich Cuckoos (Sky), Doctors,  EastEnders, Lee Nelson’s Well Good Show (BBC) and Emmerdale (ITV).

As a writer and composer Lauryn was selected to join the BBC Studios Writers’ Academy and has literary work for both TV and theatre in development.

Kathryn Tindall | Ensemble

Training: Performance Preparation Academy

Theatre credits include: Mamma Mia! The Party (O2 Arena); Red Side of The Moon (Iris Theatre); Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Funky Pigs (Theatre2U)

Workshops include: Wishlist (Global Musicals)

Diana Vickers | Edmund/Covell

In 2010 Diana had a Number 1 album with ’Songs from the Tainted Cherry Tree’ containing the Number 1 single, and pop banger ‘Once’ . In 2012 she released her second critically acclaimed album ‘Music To Make Boys Cry.’ Since then she has become a star of the West End stage and appeared in musicals, plays, television and film. She’s gone viral online with her hilarious comedy duo Ki and Dee with the 2025 summer banger ‘Picky Bits.’ She has also started a new sex and love podcast with The Metro newspaper called ‘Just Between Us’ that has reached number 2 in the UK society and culture charts. She also is releasing new music in 2025. 

Theatre credits include: I Wish You Well -The Gwyneth Paltrow Ski-Trial Musical (Criterion Theatre); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Vaudeville Theatre); Ki and Dee – On The Sesh (Edinburgh Fringe Festival);  The Duck House (Vaudeville Theatre); The Entertainer, I Wish My Life Were Like A Musical, Myth, Son of A Preacher Man, Big (Theatre Royal Plymouth); The Rocky Horror Show (ATG Tour), Hatched n Dispatched (Park Theatre); Dial M for Murder (UK tour); Steel Magnolias (UK tour). 

Film credits include: Awaiting; To Dream; The Perfect Wave; Upcoming: Blood On Snow. 

Television credits include: Not Going Out (BBC1); Little Darlings (Sky); Josh (BBC3); Top Coppers (BBC); Give Out Girls (Comedy Central).  

Other credits include: Ki and Dee: The Podcast; Just between us: Metro News Podcast.

Jacinta Whyte |Maggie

Irish actress, Jacinta Whyte is widely recognised as one of Dublin’s most prolific stage exports.

Jacinta began her career as a much-in-demand child actress, frequenting all of the major professional stages of Dublin and culminating in her starring as ‘Annie’ in the original West End production of Annie. Jacinta was subsequently cast as ‘Eponine’ in the original UK and Ireland touring production of Les Miserables, leading to her being cast in the same role in London’s West End at the Palace Theatre and achieving notable acclaim as the first Irish actress to play the role professionally.

Since then, her many and various leading and titular roles in the West End include that of Blood Brothers and Miss Saigon, with a plethora of major national touring credits including Aspects of Love, Titanic and Grease. As well as her major London and touring stage work, Jacinta’s regional credits include West Side Story, The Card (For Cameron Mackintosh), Private Lives and Anne of Green Gables with Irish work including Brighton Beach Memoirs, Mary Makebelieve, Gypsy and Annie (which broke all Irish box office records).

Most recently, she appeared in Matthew Warchus’ critically acclaimed production of Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock, starred as the iconic ‘Grizabella’ in the International Tour of CATS and originated the role of ‘Angela’ in Thom Southerland’s gritty and visceral production of Angela’s Ashes at the Bord Gais (Dublin), on the UK/Irish tour and for the Irish Repertory Theatre (New York).

Aside from her considerable work on the stage, Jacinta is a highly sought-after concert artist, with frequent guest appearances in the both the UK and Internationally, in some of Europe’s most admired concert halls with some of their most celebrated orchestras and conductors- with appearances alongside the Royal Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, BBC Concert Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony, RTE Orchestra (NSO Dublin) and at halls including Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Royal Albert Hall, The National Concert Hall (Dublin) and in Melbourne, Nuremberg, Bergen- in widely recognised festivals and major concert venues all over Europe.

Jennifer Whyte | Keys

Jenstudied music at Glasgow University and the University of Massachusetts.

Composer/Arranger credits include: Otherland (Almeida); The Red Shoes (RSC, Stratford); Radio 2 Piano Room (BBC); The Crown (Netflix); Can’t Sing Singers (BBC); Children in Need (BBC); Tsunami Prayers (BBC); Vet Safari (BBC); Shehallion (New Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow).

As Music Supervisor: Cabaret (August Wilson, Broadway/Playhouse, London); The Red Shoes (RSC, Stratford); La Cage Aux Folles (Regent’s Park); 42^nd Street (Leicester Curve/Sadler’s Wells/Princess of Wales, Toronto); Avenue Q (Charlotte, Seoul).

As Music Director: The Midnight Gang (Chichester Festival Theatre); Avenue Q (Noël Coward Theatre); Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre); The Threepenny Opera (National Theatre); Sunset Boulevard (UK Tour).

As Associate Music Director: Follies (NT); Caroline or Change (Chichester/Hampstead/ Playhouse, London); The Magistrate (NT); Betty Blue Eyes (Novello).

As Assistant Music Director: Parade (Donmar); Martin Guerre (UK Tour); Phantom Of The Opera (UK Tour); Whistle Down The Wind (Aldwych); Showboat (Prince Edward).

In film and television: On-set pianist for Les Misérables (Working Title) and Phantom of the Opera (Really Useful Films); PopIdol II (ITV); Can’t Sing Singers (BBC); Hit Me Baby One More Time (ITV); Soapstar Superstar (ITV); Children in Need (BBC).

CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES

Rebecca Brewer is an actor, writer and theatre maker creating musicals, plays, and work for screen.

She is currently writing book, music and lyrics for ‘Coven’ (alongside Daisy Chute) about the Pendle Witch trials opens at the Kiln Theatre, London in October 2025, directed by Miranda Cromwell. 

In 2024-2025, she was one of the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writers (at MAST Mayflower Studios, alongside Daisy Chute). Rebecca and Daisy are currently writing ‘The Last Rose of Summer’, a new work inspired by Jane Austen’s connection to Southampton for MAST Mayflower Studios, premiering in August 2025. 

She is currently developing a series for television and was one of 12 mentored writers as part of the 2024 Channel 4 Screenwriting Programme. 

She was a recipient of the prestigious MGC Futures Bursary for 2021, and an Associate Artist at the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch from 2020-2021. Rebecca was commissioned by the Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch and Creative Estuary to create and co-direct ‘Tales from the Thames’ with co-writers Vickie Donoghue and folk musician MG Boulter. The sold-out show toured non-traditional spaces in Essex including a pub, a working men’s club, a few village halls and a barn. 

Her play ‘Foot’, about 3 teenagers in rural Derbyshire who discover a disembodied foot in the woods, was a finalist for New Perspectives’ Open Pitch in 2018, and her one-woman piece ‘The Escape’, an audio piece about going missing was a finalist for In Good Company’s ‘Take Off’ new writing award in 2019.

As an actor, Rebecca has worked at the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Almeida, Royal Court and many times in the West End as well as on TV, film and radio.

Daisy Chute is a Scottish/American singer-songwriter who has found a loyal following through her award-winning songwriting and ‘gorgeous’ vocals (Guy Garvey, Elbow). 2024 brought with it a Grammy Award for her involvement in The Birdsong Project and collaborations with Hollie Rogers, The Dunwells, Ed Blunt, Lady Nade and James Walker. Selling out shows across the UK, Europe and US, Daisy can be spotted with a guitar or banjo at top arts venues and festivals like Black Deer and Glastonbury. Her debut originals album of folk and Americana songs Throne is out in 2025. Recognised as a ‘committed, professional and creative songwriter’ (Sir Ray Davies, The Kinks), Daisy’s music features regularly on BBC Radio and television and is also playlisted across thousands of Tesco and Caffè Nero stores around the world. Her background in classical, jazz and folk music has led Daisy to collaborate and contribute to soundtracks ranging from David Attenborough documentaries to films including Yesterday and Shaun the Sheep, and game soundtracks including The Sims 4. She has also provided backing vocals Radiohead’s A Moon Shaped Pool, and she also has 3 Platinum-selling, Classical Brit-nominated albums with her band All Angels released with Universal Records. She is currently writing The Last Rose of Summer, with Rebecca Brewer, a new work inspired by Jane Austen’s connection to Southampton for MAST Mayflower Studios, as one of the 2024 Cameron Mackintosh Resident Writers.

Miranda Cromwell is an Olivier Award-winning theatre director and currently an Associate artist at the National Theatre. Her directing credits include: The Little Mermaid (Bristol Old Vic), Milma’s Tale (Kiln Theatre), The Beekeeper of Aleppo (Nottingham Playhouse), Death of a Salesman (Broadway), Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange/ BBC radio 3) Oncomm Best audio drama award, and breathe… (Almeida Theatre) Black BritIsh Theatre Awards best production and best director, Half Breed (BBC iplayer, Talawa Theatre/Soho Theatre/Edinburgh Fringe Festival/India tour), Magic Elves, Hey Diddle Diddle, Sense (Bristol Old Vic), Pigeon English (Edinburgh Fringe Festival/Bristol Old Vic), The Rest of Your Life (Bush Theatre) and Death and Treason (Bristol Old Vic/UK tour). Co-director credits include the Olivier Award-winning Death of a Salesman (Young Vic Theatre/West End transfer).

As Associate Director her credits include: Company (Gielgud Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival, Critics Circle Award for Best Musical), Angels in America (National Theatre/Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway – Olivier and Tony Award for Best Revival), A Monster Calls (Old Vic/ Bristol Old Vic – Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family), and Coram Boy (Colston Hall).

Kiln Theatre Listings

269 Kilburn High Road, London, NW6 7JR

Box Office: 020 7328 1000

www.KilnTheatre.com

REUNION

11 September – 11 October 2025

Tickets:                               £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               9 October, 7.30pm preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                          29 September, 7.30pm

Relaxed                              To be announced

Special performances:

Alcohol Free                      23 September, 7.30pm

COVEN

31 October – 20 December 2025

Tickets:                               £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               11 December, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           1 December, 7.30pm

Relaxed                               3 December, 2.30pm

Special performances:

Alcohol Free                      17 November, 7.30pm

Post show Q&A                 18 November, 7.30pm

SEAGULLS

12 February – 21 March 2026

Tickets:                               £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               12 March, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           19 March, 7.30pm

Relaxed                               14 March, 2.30pm

Special performances:

Alcohol Free                      16 March, 7.30pm

Post show Q&A                 10 March, 7.30pm

PLEASE PLEASE ME

16 April – 23 May 2026

Tickets:                               £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               7 May, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           14 May, 7.30pm

Relaxed                               20 May, 2.30pm

Special performances:

Alcohol Free                      27 April, 7.30pm

Post show Q&A                 12 May, 7.30pm

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR UK TOUR OF INSPECTOR MORSE: HOUSE OF GHOSTS

STARRING TOM CHAMBERS AS THE ICONIC DETECTIVE

AND TACHIA NEWALL AS DETECTIVE SERGEANT LEWIS

MAJOR UK TOUR OPENS AT

BIRMINGHAM REP ON

THURSDAY 28^th AUGUST 2025

www.inspectormorseonstage.com

DIRECTED BY ANTHONY BANKS. WRITTEN BY ALMA CULLEN.

Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep are delighted to announce full casting for their thrilling co-production,Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts. Led by the previously announced Tom Chambers (winner of BBC 1 Strictly Come Dancing’s series six and Inspector Edgar Sullivan in BBC 1’s Father Brown), who will play the beloved detective Inspector Morse, the production opens in Birmingham on Thursday 28 August 2025 ahead of a major UK tour.

Joining Chambers in the iconic role of Morse is actor and rapper Tachia Newall (who played fan favourite, Bolton Smilie in BBC 1’s Waterloo Road in addition to roles in ITV’s Coronation Street and BBC 1’s Doctor Who) as loyal Detective Sergeant Lewis, bringing a fresh dynamic to the beloved detective duo.

Also announced:

• Teresa Banham (A View From The Bridge, Touring Consortium; Netflix’s The Crown) as Ellen
• James Gladdon (The Score, Theatre Royal Haymarket & Theatre Royal Bath; A View From the Bridge) as Freddy
• Spin Glancy (Forty Years On, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Justin
• Josh Katembela makes his touring theatre debut following his graduation from RADA, joining the ensemble
• Robert Mountford (Much Ado About Nothing, Globe Theatre; The Merchant of Venice, RSC), who plays the dual roles of Lawrence Baxter and Paul Kincaid
• Olivia Onyehara (All’s Well That Ends Well / Richard III, RSC; The 39 Steps, SJT Scarborough) in the multi-roles of Rebecca / Harriet / Ellen.
• Charlotte Randle (Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, Wyndham’s Theatre; Medea, Almeida) as Verity
• Eliza Teale (Swansea Boy, Volcano Theatre; Filumena, Theatre Royal Windsor / BKL Tour) completes the ensemble

Director, Anthony Banks says:

“I’m very excited to start working with this fantastic cast who will bring these much-loved characters to life and make them their own. Alma Cullen’s original Morse story contains a play-within-a-play – an inspired concept for a murder mystery which reveals the similarities between playing a part when acting and covering-up a crime!”

Following The Rep engagement, the tour then visits: London, Richmond Theatre; York, Grand Opera House; Nottingham, Theatre Royal; Bromley, Churchill Theatre; Belfast, Grand Opera House; Brighton, Theatre Royal; Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre; Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre; Woking, New Victoria Theatre; Norwich, Theatre Royal; Aylesbury, Waterside Theatre; Liverpool, Playhouse Theatre; Oxford, New Theatre; Cardiff, New Theatre; Newcastle, Theatre Royal; Cambridge, Arts Theatre; Malvern, Festival Theatre; Edinburgh, Festival Theatre; Guildford, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre; Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre; Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre; Glasgow, Theatre Royal; Salford, The Lowry.

Tickets are available from www.inspectormorseonstage.com  

A chilling mystery unfolds when a young actress suddenly dies on stage during a performance, and Detective Chief Inspector Morse embarks on a gripping investigation. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry takes a darker turn when the legendary inspector, together with DS Lewis, uncovers a connection to sinister events in his own past, twenty-five years earlier.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts marks the first-ever major stage adaptation of the iconic detective. ITV’s long-running Inspector Morse, hailed by Radio Times as ‘The greatest British crime series of all time’, has inspired equally beloved spin-offs, Lewis and Endeavour. Starring Tom Chambers (Father Brown, Strictly Come Dancing) as Inspector Morse, this original story written for the stage is a must-see for fans of compelling detective stories and thrilling mysteries.

Alma Cullen penned episodes for the ITV crime drama series including, The Secret of Bay 5B (1989), The Infernal Serpent (1990), Fat Chance (1991) and The Death of The Self (1992), derived from the characters created by Colin Dexter.

Based on the novels by Colin Dexter, the hit ITV series Inspector Morse starred John Thaw as the erudite Inspector, famed for his love of opera, crosswords and a fine real ale. Alongside his trusted Sergeant, DS Lewis, played by Kevin Whately, the pair captivated audiences for 13 years and a total of 33 episodes with the programme’s trademark gripping mysteries, intelligent plots and memorable characters. The series became a classic of British television, earning numerous accolades and a devoted fanbase. Dexter’s characters continue to enthral audiences, with House of Ghosts marking the latest chapter in the iconic detective’s career.

Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts is written for the stage by Alma Cullen. The tour also reunites Tom Chambers with Director Anthony Banks (The Girl on the Train, West End / UK Tour; Steel Magnolias, UK Tour) following their collaboration on the 2020/21 tour of Dial M For Murder.

Tom Chamber’s theatrical credits includeMurder in the Dark(Touring); Elf (Dominion Theatre); Dial M For Murder (Tour); Crazy For You (UK Tour); Private Lives (UK Tour); White Christmas (Dominion Theatre); Top Hat (Aldwych Theatre) Cyrano De Bergerac (Derby Theatre). His TV credits includeFather Brown, The Great Train Robbery, Midsomer Murders, Casualty, Emmerdale, Holby City and Waterloo Road. Films include Fakers, Apollo 13: Dark Side of the Moon and Meet Pursuit Delange.

Anthony Banks has directed world premieres of many new plays including: The Girl On The Train (West End/National Tour); Jim Cartwright’s Raz (West End/National Tour) and The Gap (Hope Mill); Lucinda Coxon’s Herding Cats (Soho/Hampstead/Ustinov); James Graham’s Bassett (Bristol Old Vic); Dennis Kelly’s DNA (National Tour); Mark Ravenhill’s Blackmail (Mercury); Nick Dear’s Hogarth’s Progress (Rose); Ryan Craig’s Games For Lovers (Vaults); Kevin Elyot’s Twilight Song (Park Theatre); Bryony Lavery’s Cesario and More Light, Lucinda Coxon’s The Eternal Not and Michael Lesslie’s Prince of Denmark (National Theatre); Snoo Wilson’s Pignight (Menier); Mark Ravenhill’s The Experiment (Soho Theatre/Berliner Ensemble). 

He has also directed some twentieth century classics: Daphne du Maurier’s My Cousin Rachel by Joseph O’Connor (Bath/Chichester); Patrick Marber’s After Miss Julie (Theatre Royal Bath); Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train (National Tour); Patrick Hamilton’s Gaslight (National Tour); Tennessee Williams’ The Hotel Plays; Dial M For Murder (National Tour) George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs Warren’s Profession (Bath/Chichester) and Robert Harling’s Steel Magnolias (National Tour).

Anthony was an associate director at the National Theatre 2004-2014 where he commissioned and developed a hundred new plays for NT Connections. 

Melting Pot and Birmingham Rep present Inspector Morse – House of Ghosts.

ROSE THEATRE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM

FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF AVA PICKETT’S NEW ADAPTATION OF

JANE AUSTEN’S CLASSIC ROM-COM EMMA

In celebration of the 250^th anniversary year of Jane Austen’s birth, one of Britain’s most beloved novelists, the Rose Theatre today announces the full cast and creative team for the world premiere of Ava Pickett’s (1536) new adaptation of Emma, the timeless story of romance, friendship, and the tricky business of figuring out what truly makes us happy. Directed by Rose Theatre’s Artistic Director Christopher Haydon (Never Let Me Go; The Caucasian Chalk Circle; Grounded), this new staging swaps drawing room duets for dance floor-fillers, bringing Emma’s matchmaking and mischief into the 21st century for longtime fans of Austen’s story and new audiences alike.

The cast includes Amelia Kenworthy (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power) as Emma Woodhouse, Kit Young (Shadow and Bone; ALIEN:Earth) as George Knightley, Nigel Lindsay (Kiss Me Kate; Four Lions) as Mr. Woodhouse, and Lucy Benjamin (EastEnders; Detectorists) as Mrs. Bates, with Josh Bilyard  as Rob Martin, Jessica Brindle (Top Girls at NT) as Isabella Woodhouse, Bobby Lockwood (The Outpost; Wolfblood) as Elton, Sofia Oxenham (Poldark; Extraordinary) as Harriet Smith, and Adrian Richards (A Midsummer Night’s Dream at RSC; Noises Off! in West End) as John Knightley.

The creative team joining Pickett and Haydon includes Lily Arnold (Set & Costume Designer), Kloé Dean (Movement Director), Philip Gladwell (Lighting Designer), Kieran Lucas (Composer & Sound Designer), Haruka Kuroda (Intimacy & Fight Director), Juliet Horsley CDG (Casting Director), Claudette Williams (Voice & Dialect Coach), and Melissa Mowry (Associate Director – Drama League Rose Directing Fellow).

Emma runs at the Rose Theatre in South West London 17 September – 11 October (Press Performance: Monday 22 September).

Ava Pickett, Writer, said: “Emma Woodhouse is one of my favourite literary heroines ‘cos she’s the ultimate ‘unlikeable female character’, and it’s been such a joy to bring all of her good intentions, bad assessments, and wildly misplaced confidence to a story that’s set now. I’ve had such fun watching Emma try to navigate the chaos of her early twenties (pointing out everyone else’s shortcomings instead of her own) and redefine her relationship with Harriet Smith, to create a show that’s as much about female friendship as it is about love. I can’t wait for you to meet her (but don’t take whatever she says about you personally)!”

Christopher Haydon, Director said: “I am absolutely buzzing about the phenomenal cast we have put together for the world premiere of Ava Pickett’s hilarious adaptation of Emma. We have some of the best comic actors in the business in a cast stuffed with BAFTA and Olivier winners and nominees. Watching Ava develop this script over recent months has been an enormous pleasure – she brings real wit and heart to the story.  I can absolutely see why Baz Luhrmann is such a huge fan of her work – she is one of the finest writers of her generation. Although Ava’s is a thoroughly modern Emma, I have no doubt that Jane Austen would approve. In a year which marks the 250^th anniversary of Austen’s birth and the 30^th anniversary of the release of Clueless (surely the greatest cinematic adaptation of Emma ever), I am delighted to be bringing this unbelievably fresh version of such a familiar and well-loved story to a London audience.”

This Rose Theatre production is supported by Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Eilene Davidson Productions

Tickets are on sale now and can be booked via www.rosetheatre.org.

PEPPA PIG LIVE RETURNS AS BABY EVIE MAKES FIRST LIVE STAGE APPEARANCE IN BRAND-NEW SHOW

Peppa Pig Live is back with a brand-new ‘oinktastic’ stage show: Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show! Which will feature the new addition to the family, baby Evie!

Produced by Fierylight in collaboration with leading games, IP and toy company Hasbro, the tour opens in October 2025 with Peppa and Friends touring the UK until September 2026. It will also show in the West End for the festive season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 05 December until 04 January.

Based on the much-loved animated preschool TV series, Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show is packed full of music, adventure and surprises for little ones and is the perfect introduction to theatre.

With a new arrival on the way the whole family are busy getting ready. With building and decorating work to be done, it’s an oinktastic makeover and Peppa Pig, Mummy Pig, Daddy Pig & George all need your help to get everything ready before the arrival of baby Evie! There’s so much to do – will they get it all finished in time?

For over 15 years, audiences have been thrilled to see Peppa and friends live on stage in seven hugely popular tours, with over 2.5 million fans joining in the fun and games in the UK alone. Peppa Pig’s Big Family Show is once again produced by leading children’s theatre team Fierylight. The production will be directed and co-adapted by Richard Lewis who has directed all previous Peppa Live shows.

Martin Ronan, Executive Producer at Fierylight, said, “We are delighted to bring Peppa and friends back to the stage in a brand-new show, to share the magic, laughter, and muddy puddles with a whole new generation of families… and with a new addition to the family too!”

Join Peppa and Friends on their latest new adventure for preschoolers. It’s the perfect family treat.

Website: www.peppapiglive.com

X / Facebook / Insta: @PeppaPigLive UK

TikTok:  @PeppaPigUkTour

LISTINGS

Fareham Live                                                             www.farehamlive.co.uk

10th & 11th October 2025

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre                                           www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury  

21 & 22 October 2025

Mercury Theatre Colchester                                             www.mercurytheatre.co.uk                   

25 & 26 October 2025

Oxford Playhouse                                                               www.oxfordplayhouse.com

28 & 29 October 2025

New Brighton Floral Pavilion                                             www.floralpavilion.com 

01 & 02 November 2025

Theatre Royal Haymarket, London                         www.trh.co.uk 

05 December 2025 – 04 January 2026

Venue Cymru                                                             www.venuecymru.co.uk 

23 – 25th January 2026

Hayes Beck Theatre                                                            www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk 

27 & 28 January 2026

Blackheath Halls                                                                www.blackheathhalls.com 

31 January & 01 February 2026

New Wimbledon Theatre                                                   www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon  

04 & 05 February 2026

Lowry, Salford                                                           www.thelowry.com 

06 – 08 February 2026

Shrewsbury Theatre Severn                                             www.theatresevern.co.uk 

11 & 12 February 2026

Darlington Hippodrome                                                     www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk 

14 & 15 February 2026

Southampton Mayflower Studios                                     www.mayflower.org.uk 

18 – 21 February 2026

The Hawth, Crawley                                                www.hawth.co.uk

24th & 25 February 2026

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

27 & 28 February 2026

Grimsby Auditorium                                                           www.grimsbyauditorium.org.uk

03 & 04 March 2026

De Montfort Hall Leicester                                                www.demontforthall.co.uk 

07 & 08 March 2026

St Albans Arena                                                       www.everyonetheatres.com   

11th & 12th March

The Woodville, Gravesend                                     www.woodville.co.uk

13 & 14 March 2026

Edinburgh Playhouse                                              www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh

24 & 25 March 2026

Crewe Lyceum                                                         www.crewelyceum.co.uk

27 & 28 March 2026

Buxton Opera House                                                          www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk 

01 & 02 April 2026

Wycombe Swan                                                        www.wycombeswan.co.uk 

04 & 05 April 2026

Reading Hexagon                                                     www.whatsonreading.com    

08 & 09 April 2026

Bradford Alhambra                                                  www.bradford-theatres.co.uk 

11 & 12 April 2026

Swindon Wyvern Theatre                                                   www.trafalgartickets.com/wyvern-theatre-swindon 

18 & 19 April 2026

Bournemouth Pavilion                                                        www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk 

21st & 22 April 2026

Watford Palace Theatre                                                     www.watfordpalacetheatre.co.uk

25 & 26 April 2026

Tunbridge Wells Assembly Hall                                       www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

02 & 03 May

Derry Millennium Forum                                                    www.millenniumforum.co.uk

20 & 21 May 2026

Dublin 3Olympia Theatre                                       www.3olympia.ie 

23 & 24 May 2026

Cork Opera House                                                   www.corkoperahouse.ie  

26th & 27 May 2026

Belfast Grand Opera House                                    www.goh.co.uk

29th & 30th May

Portsmouth Kings Theatre                                                 www.kingsportsmouth.co.uk  

02 & 03 June 2026

Southend Cliffs Pavilion                                                     www.trafalgartickets.com   

06 & 07 May 2026

St Helens Theatre Royal                                                     www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com

09 & 10 June 2026

Halifax Victoria Theatre                                                      www.victoriatheatre.co.uk

13th & 14th June 2026

Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham                                       www.atgtickets.com/birmingham

16 & 17 June 2026

Newcastle Theatre Royal                                                   www.theatreroyal.co.uk

19 & 20 June 2025

Billingham Forum                                                    www.forumtheatrebillingham.co.uk   

23 & 24 June 2026

Radlett Centre                                                                     www.radlettcentre.co.uk

08 & 09 July 2026

Nottingham Theatre Royal                                     www.trch.co.uk 

11 & 12 Jul 2026

Swansea Grand                                                        www.swanseagrand.co.uk

15 & 16 July 2026

Chester Storyhouse                                                 www.storyhouse.com

18th & 19th July 2026

Bromley Churchill Theatre                                                www.trafalgartickets.com    

25th & 26th July 2026

Truro Hall for Cornwall                                                       www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

01 & 02 August 2026

Cardiff New Theatre                                                            www.cardiffnewtheatre.co.uk  

05 & 06 August 2026

Croydon Fairfield Halls                                           www.fairfield.co.uk 

21 & 22 August 2026

Dartford Orchard Theatre                                                  www.orchardtheatre.co.uk  

29 & 30 August 2026

Blackpool Grand                                                                 www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk

01 & 02 August 2026

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 26th July 2025

Reviewed by Jacqui Radford

4****

An adaptation of a classic novel to celebrate Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, this production feels like it has been written and performed as a gift for Jane Austen herself. Written by the Worcester Repertory Company, the performance promises an evening of fun with well loved characters.

The production does not betray the original storyline or the turmoil of romance that is written through Austen’s novel. Focussed on the lives of the Dashwood sisters Elinor and Marianne negotiating a change in circumstance and romantic encounters, it delivers a succinct summary of the key events. The small cast and local reference all add to the feel of a personalised production.

Elinor and Marianne, played by Julia Bentley and Charlotte Swarbrick, are the mainstays of the production. Bringing the story to life, they each provide a commentary of insight as the play progresses and expertly switch to portraying the key events as they unfold.

On their ‘downgrade’ to a country cottage, Elinor and Marianne establish new connections while maintaining links with their previous life, adding drama aplenty.

The injections of humour are brought to the occasion by the actors (just three) playing the roles of Edward and Robert Ferrars, Willoughby, Colonel Brandon, Sir John Middleton, Lucy Steele and Mrs Jenkins. The exaggerated portrayal of their characters is captivating but their unexpected switches to animal role play are hands down the icing on the cake!

If you are looking for a sincere performance of a Jane Austen classic, this may not be your cup of tea. If you’re looking for a performance that will cement the plot in your mind and leave you chuckling at the brilliance of unexpected twists and absurdity, put a date in your diary for a great birthday performance.

BELGRADE THEATRE COVENTRY AND RIFCO THEATRE COMPANY ANNOUNCE MAJOR NEW PARTNERSHIP
TO CHAMPION BRITISH SOUTH ASIAN STORIES

Belgrade Theatre Coventry and Rifco Theatre Company are joining forces in a new partnership to put British South Asian stories and talent centre stage. Launching in 2026, this collaboration is driven by a shared mission: to reflect, celebrate, and elevate the British South Asian experience on stage.

The announcement was made at See It First: Elevating the British South Asian Voice – Belgrade Theatre – a special event hosted at the Belgrade, which brought together artists, producers and creatives to explore the future of British South Asian storytelling in UK theatre.

Building on the success of Rifco’s recent smash-hit Frankie Goes to Bollywood (2024), this multi-year collaboration will launch daring new productions, spark artistic innovation, share expertise, and deepen engagement with South Asian communities across Coventry and the West Midlands.

Pravesh Kumar MBE, Artistic Director of Rifco Theatre Company, said, “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Belgrade Theatre in such a transformative and meaningful way. Coventry’s South Asian communities are rich with untold stories, authentic voices, and bold creative potential. This partnership gives us a powerful platform to nurture talent, reach wider audiences, and create ambitious theatre – including new musicals – that truly reflects the spirit, diversity and dynamism of modern Britain”

Artistic Director of Belgrade Theatre Corey Campbell and Laura Elliot, Chief Executive of Belgrade Theatre, said, “We’re proud to enter into this long-term partnership with Rifco, one of the UK’s most important British South Asian theatre companies. This work is about more than programming – it’s about shared vision, a commitment to representation, and placing Coventry at the heart of a national conversation about identity, creativity and community.”

Running from April 2026 the Rifco–Belgrade partnership will be rooted in shared values of equity, representation, artistic excellence and meaningful community engagement. It will advance both organisations’ goals across four key areas: artistic development, audience growth, workforce development, and civic impact. This multi-year collaboration will amplify underrepresented voices, nurture the next generation of talent, and reimagine what theatre can mean to the communities it serves.

Key elements of the partnership include:

• Annual main house productions
• A sustained artist development programme – Rifco Associates – championing emerging British South Asian talent in Coventry and the West Midlands through mentoring, placements and showcases.
• Year-round participation and engagement work, from workshops to rehearsed readings and cultural celebrations, built with and for Coventry’s South Asian communities
• Use of shared infrastructure and resources to increase efficiency and raise production values
• New commissions and revivals

The partnership will also see Rifco lend its creative and cultural insight to help the Belgrade evolve its programming and strengthen ties with Coventry’s richly diverse communities. In turn, the Belgrade will offer creative space, production expertise, and civic reach – while Rifco brings its acclaimed expertise in culturally resonant storytelling and grassroots audience building.

Together, through targeted outreach, ambassador schemes and bespoke engagement around every production, the two companies aim to forge new connections, grow audiences across the region, and firmly position Coventry as a national hub for British South Asian theatre-making.

TOSH WANOGHO-MAUD

TO TAKE OVER

THE ROLE OF LOLA

IN THE EUROPEAN TOUR

AND ADDITIONAL UK TOUR DATES OF

KINKY BOOTS THE MUSICAL

Producers ROYO and Curve are delighted to announce that West End star Tosh Wanogho-Maud will be taking over the role of Lola in the brand-new Made at Curve production of the Olivier, Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical KINKY BOOTS The Musical, for its European leg and the additional UK shows in Sunderland and Stoke, from 28 October 2025.

Tosh Wanogho-Maud started his career as a child in the iconic shows Whistle Down the Wind and The Lion King. He is currently starring in Titanique (Criterion Theatre) as The Iceberg. His other theatre credits include Palladium Pantomime, Oklahoma! in Concert (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Batboy in Concert (The London Palladium), Ain’t Too Proud (Princess of Edward Theatre), Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat (Toronto), The Drifters Girl (Garrick Theatre), Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre) and The Book of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre). His film and television credits include Jingle Jangle (Apple TV+), Bridgerton (Netflix) and Roadkill (BBC)

Also joining the cast will be Billy Roberts (Mrs Doubtfire, West End) as Don, Jessica Daley (I Should Be So Lucky, UK tour) as Nicola and Keith Alexander (The Herds, Sadler’s Wells London) as Simon Sr.

They join continuing cast members Dan Partridge (Grease, West End) as Charlie, Courtney Bowman (Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Lauren, Scott Paige (I Should Be So Lucky, UK tour) as George, Kathryn Barnes (Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre) Liam Doyle (Heathers, The Other Palace) as Harry, Jonathan Dryden Taylor (The Wizard of Oz, London Palladium) as Mr Price and Lucy Williamson (End Of The Rainbow, Trafalgar Studios)as Trish.

The cast is completed by newcomers Nathan Daly (Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park) and Annell Odarty (TINA – The Tina Turner Musical, West End), Craig Watson (Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, UK Tour) with continuing cast, Cerys Burton (The Odyssey, Unicorn Theatre), Kofi Dennis (The Wiz,Hope Mill Theatre), Kaya Farrugia (There’s No Place Like Home, Lyric Theatre), Ru Fisher (Something Rotten! Live in Concert, West End), Jordan Isaac (Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park), Tori McDougall (Billy Elliot, Curve Leicester), Liam McEvoy (Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Ashley-Jordon Packer (A Chorus Line, Curve & UK tour).

KINKY BOOTS The Musical features a score by Cyndi Lauper and a book by Harvey Fierstein. It will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, Billy Elliot).

KINKY BOOTS The Musical was a Broadway and West End phenomenon based on a true story and movie of the same name released in 2005. The 2025 UK and Ireland smash-hit tour sold out performances at most venues and recently announced a West End transfer to the London Coliseum where performances will begin on 17 March, starring Johannes Radebe as Lola.

After inheriting his family’s failing shoe factory and with a relationship on the rocks, life is proving to be very challenging for Charlie Price. That is until he meets Lola, a drag queen whose sparkle and unsteady heels might just hold the answer to saving the struggling business.

KINKY BOOTS is directed by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Leah Hill, set and costume design by Robert Jones, musical supervision by George Dyer, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Adam Fisher, wig design by Campbell Young Associates, casting by Harry Blumenau CDG CDA, associate direction by Michaela Powell and associate sound design by Harry Baker.

KINKY BOOTS is produced by ROYO and CURVE.

URL: www.kinkybootstour.com

X: KINKYBOOTS_UK

Instagram: KINKYBOOTS_UK

TikTok: Kinkyboots_uk

KINKY BOOTS

Book by

Harvey Fierstein

Music And Lyrics by

Cyndi Lauper

Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell

Based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots

Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth

KINKY BOOTS is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International http://www.mtishows.co.uk

2025 TOUR SCHEDULE

28 October – 9 November                  München Deutsches Theater

11 – 23 November                              Zürich Theatre 11

26 – 30 November                              Stoke, Regents Theatre

atgtickets.com/stoke

2 – 6 December                                  Sunderland Empire Theatre

                                                            atgtickets.com/sunderland

16 December – 17 January                Berlin Admiralspalast

20 January – 1 February                    Oberhausen Metronom Theater

York Theatre Royal – until Sun 3rd August 2025

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

York Theatre Royal and Riding Lights Theatre Company are once again collaborating to bring to stage a brand-new play, His Last Report, under the direction of Juliet Forster and Paul Birch. This large-scale community production, written by Misha Duncan-Barry and Bridget Foreman, centres around the renowned York Rowntree family, to be more precise the lesser known Seebohm Rowntree.

Rowntree’s is well known for its sweets and chocolates, and to this day you can still smell the chocolate in the air, even though the name on the factory has long since been changed. This production does not centre around the family business, though that is a part of the show, what it is primarily about and what I did not know, until I saw this show, is what an impact that Seebohm, with his family, had on social reform. He made a difference, paving the way for fair wages, health and education for all in York.

Seebohm documents and produces his first report on the poverty in York, but he doesn’t stop there. With family land and wealth, a new village was acquired, and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation was formed. New homes were built for working people on low incomes, providing a community hub, with plays, pageants, exercise and wellbeing at its heart.

Led by two professional actors, Anthony Jardine as Seebohm and Ameila Donkor as Gulie Harlock, his “Private Secretary and Jack of all Trades”, a huge community ensemble of over 80 local people appear on the stage throughout the show. Jardine’s monologues captivated the audience with their intensity, particularly during the first act, making for an unforgettable theatrical experience. The performances delivered by both lead actors were absorbing to watch.

Costume designer Hazel Fall and her team of volunteer dressmakers, capture the period superbly. Sara Perks’ set design, featuring a balcony and sizable windows, serves as a nod to the original Rowntree’s factory. The use of props is particularly effective, with mobile door frames cleverly employed to advance the storyline.

I was totally gripped in the first act, learning about the history of Seebohm and his impact on social reform. I had hoped to learn more during the second act, but I found it somewhat lacking. The opening scene following the interval features the cast engaged in a rehearsal, though it’s unclear whether this added much to the overall performance. I also found the time travel aspect in the second act a bit challenging to follow, though it did prove a talking point whilst chatting about the show afterwards. The finale brings the production’s full force to life, as the entire cast and the live choir come together on stage, creating a truly powerful and memorable moment.

With over 250 volunteers working on stage and behind the scenes, it is a true testament to the sense of community that Seebohm aspired to. This year marks 100 years since the death of his father, Joseph Rowntree, so it is fitting that this production is on the York stage now. The Rowntree Society are hosting talks, exhibitions and events throughout the year.

This show reminds us that the battle for social justice is ongoing. This story is truly inspiring and I for one will be delving more into Seebohm and the Rowntree’s history. The legacy of Seebohm Rowntree’s work resonates in the present, urging us not only to remember the achievements of the past, but also to address inequality in our own communities. What more can we do to address the issues of poverty today?

York Theatre Royal are masters of producing these large community show and they don’t disappoint here. This is a celebration of shared humanity and a true sense of community.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 26th July 2025

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

5*****

Malvern gets all the best shows, many from or to the West End – and tonight we are treated to yet another as Ghost Stories hits town.

The story follows a lecture on the Paranormal by Professor Goodman. This includes some genuinely interesting facts and lots of spooky photos and some hearty laughs. In the course of the lecture the Professor recounts 3 stories which he considers the pick of his crop – and these, of course, are enacted out live on stage for us…

The action literally starts in explosive fashion, signaling that this show is very loud and very jumpy! The sheer volume had me off my seat (so anyone with a hearing aid would be advised to perhaps turn it down a little (or at least keep their finger on the volume control)).

The first story concerns a nightwatchman on his wee small hours shift in a broken down factory. David Cardy plays Tony Matthews with a wonderful world-weary charm. He even makes this rather flawed man very likable, which is no mean feat. His performance brings the sunshine (in more ways than one).

The second vignette brings us the tale of a car ride home that goes awry. This time it’s Preston Nyman (as Simon Rifkind) who takes the plaudits in a portrayal that is full of youthful vigour and nervous energy, elevating this middle tale with his presence.

The final case gives us Clive Mantle as Mike Priddle giving us a shocking tale from the cradle to the grave. Another outstanding performance with impressive range – everything from in charge alpha male to losing the plot mania. A delicious concoction.

And throughout is Lucas Albion as Professor Goodman, holding the evening’s entertainment together with a suitably odd lecturer (as you would perhaps expect from someone in this field of expertise). A powerhouse performance that I enjoyed enormously.

The set, designed by Jon Bausor, is a clever affair making much from sliding panels, shifting walls and dark corners. Indeed, the dark is a character in its own right. A big hand also to Lighting Designer James Farncombe for lots of atmospheric lighting – everything coming together to create the perfect atmosphere for the tales, immersing us in the play in exemplary fashion. There’s some rather catchy music too.

It’s a difficult one to review without giving away spoilers (something we are asked not to do at the conclusion) – so I’ll confine myself to just saying that the intimate moments are charming, the big set pieces are dramatic and impactful and the humour is a constant (and welcome) joy. Couple that with stellar performances from actors on top form and a story that has a genuine surprise ending and you have one smash hit on your hands. I think comedy and stage horror are the most difficult things to pull off and the writers (Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman) have pulled off this trick well – so kudos to them.

I have no hesitation in recommending this play for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure as it’s a horror), so pop along, sit on the edge of your seat and try not to fall on the floor when the jumps come. You’ll have a blast!