Dracula queues for horror show shocking others in queue..

A questionable figure lurks amongst the unsuspecting customers queueing at Dungeon!

Dracula at the Grand Opera House. You never know who’s in the que! Picture by David Harrison.

Members of the York public got a big surprise to find Dracula amongst them as they queued to go into York Dungeon.  They were all amused to find out that Grand Opera House York was just promoting Dracula – The Bloody Truth, which comes to the theatre on Saturday 29 September.  This hilarious comedy reveals the true story of the famous Count and takes the audience on a journey into the world of the supernatural.

Tickets from £22.50

Box office: 0844 871 3024

Online: www.atgtickets.com/york

Peter Andre to play Teen Angel in new production of GREASE

THE FIRST NEW PRODUCTION IN 25 YEARS OF

GREASE

TO TOUR THE UK AND IRELAND IN 2019

STARRING

PETER ANDRE AS TEEN ANGEL

Following a highly acclaimed sold out 8-week run at Curve, the first new production in 25 years of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE will tour the UK and Ireland in 2019, directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips and starring Peter Andre as Teen Angel at certain performances. Further casting to be announced.

 

The tour will open at Leeds Grand Theatre from 19 June – 20 July, making it the longest-running visiting production in the theatre’s history. GREASE will then play at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend from 23 – 27 July, Sunderland Empire from 30 July – 3 August, Birmingham Hippodrome from 13 – 24 August King’s Theatre, Glasgow from 27 – 31 August, Curve, Leicester from 3 – 14 September, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin from 17 – 28 September, New Theatre, Oxford from 1 – 5 October and Churchill Theatre, Bromley from 8 – 12 October.

 

Peter Andre will appear at certain performances in Leeds, Southend, Sunderland, Birmingham, Leicester, Dublin, Oxford and Bromley.

 

Peter Andre is known for his successful music and television career and became the sixth highest selling artist in the UK in the 1990s with hits such as Mysterious GirlFlava and I Feel You. He had numerous number one hit singles, two number one albums and has toured all over the world, collecting a multitude of national and international awards. Peter’s many TV shows and appearances, include his reality show Peter Andre: My Life60 Minute Makeover and the third series of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here in 2004.

 

Nikolai Foster is Artistic Director at Curve, which has just celebrated its 10th birthday. For Curve, Nikolai has most recently directed An Officer and a Gentleman – The Musical, ScroogeSunset Boulevard (also UK tour), which won Best Musical at the Manchester Theatre Awards and Best Regional Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards, Legally Blonde (also Opera Garnier, Monaco & Daegu Opera Festival, South Korea), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (also Theatre Royal Haymarket, London & UK tour) and A Streetcar Named Desire. Nikolai’s production of Anniecompleted a successful run at the Piccadilly Theatre, London earlier this year and is about to transfer to the Mirvish Theatre, Toronto.

 

Nikolai Foster said “We are looking forward to working alongside Jim Jacobs, Colin Ingram and Arlene Philips on the return of our critically acclaimed, Made at Curve production of GREASE. Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey’s musical is an electrifying celebration of the birth of cool and teenage culture. It provides a gripping snapshot of a country on the cusp of social change, all set to one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll scores ever written. Curve audiences love GREASE and we are immensely proud to be sharing our production with audiences across the UK.”

 

GREASE originally opened in Chicago in 1971, followed by a move to Broadway in 1972, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. During the show’s eight-year run, at the time, little known actors including Peter Gallagher, Patrick Swayze and John Travolta all appeared in the production, with Richard Gere understudying many roles before going on to star as Danny Zuko in the 1973 London premiere.

 

The 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton John is the fourth highest-grossing live action musical of all time and celebrated its 40th anniversary this year. The musical features beloved songs, including Summer NightsGreased Lightnin’Hopelessly Devoted To You and You’re The One That I Want.

 

GREASE is choreographed by Arlene Philips, with designs by Colin Richmond, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting design by Guy Hoare and sound design by Sebastian Frost.

 

This new production of GREASE is produced by Colin Ingram for InTheatre Productions, Donovan Mannato, William Sinclair, Ricardo Marques, Hunter Arnold and Curve.

 

Website: greasethemusicalontour.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/greaseUKTour

Twitter: @greaseuktour                     

 

2019 TOUR SCHEDULE

19 June – 20 July                      Leeds Grand Theatre                                       0844 848 2700

                                                  www.leedsgrandtheatre.com                             On sale 21 September

 

23 – 27 July                              Cliffs Pavilion, Southend                                 01702 351135                                                                                                                   www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk                                On sale 19 September

 

30 July – 3 August                    Sunderland Empire                                          0844 871 3022                                                                                                                   www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland 

 

13 – 24 August                          Birmingham Hippodrome                                0844 338 5000                                              

                                                  www.birminghamhippodrome.com                     On sale 17 September

 

27 – 31 August                          King’s Theatre, Glasgow                                  0844 871 7648

                                                  www.atgtickets.com/venues/glasgow    

 

3 – 14 September                      Curve, Leicester                                               0116 242 3595                                                                                                                  www.curveonline.co.uk                                      On sale soon

 

17 – 28 September                    Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin                 0844 847 2455                                                                                                                 www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie                           On sale soon

 

1 – 5 October                            New Theatre, Oxford                                         0844 871 3020

                                                  www.atgtickets.com/oxford

 

8 – 12 October                          Churchill Theatre, Bromley                               020 3285 6000                                                                                                                 churchilltheatre.co.uk                                           On sale soon

Heathers Review

Theatre Royal, Haymarket – until 24 November 2018

Reviewed by Jess Brady

5*****

Following a sell out run at The Other Palace, Heathers has hit the West End with a BANG! Carrie Hope Fletcher takes the lead as Veronica with Jamie Muscato as J.D.

The story is based on the 1988 cult classic ‘Heathers’ starring Winona Ryder and Christian Slater which takes teen stereotypes and adds a dose of murder and explosives that set it apart from your usual teen movie. The musical is no exception and stays true to its inspiration hitting you hard with its cutting lyrics and book that include many iconic lines from the movie.

Set in 1989 Westerburg High School where social hierarchy is law and can determine your survival in what is already a hormone fuelled, teen angst world, the three ‘Heathers’ are the top of the food chain [played by Jodie Steel, T’Shan Williams and Sophie Isaacs]. They take the awkward Veronica under their wing and transform her into the thing she hates most about high school in order to make it past the constant bullying but the consequences prove to be deadly once Veronica meets the mysterious JD. Veronica falls head over heels for JD who is damaged beyond repair but that only fuels their toxic relationship.

The show is vibrant, full of energy and quite simply perfection. The full cast are outstanding giving a perfect balance of sass and evil with characters that are all identifiable as soon as they step onto the stage. Carrie Hope Fletcher plays Veronica with a level of cool and calm that makes her seem even more twisted in parts which work so well along with a voice which is so powerful it nearly blows the roof off the theatre! Jamie Muscato does an incredible job with JD and is entirely captivating as the show progresses and JD becomes more undone playing the fine line between insane and evil with unbelievable skill, along with a voice that is gold. The three Heathers lead by Jodie Steel are hideous but in the best possible way and are characters that you love to hate and absolutely smash ‘Candy Store’ making it a highlight for any longstanding Heathers fans. Special mention must go to Jenny O’Leary who plays Martha who brings an honesty and sincerity to the show and a character a lot of people will identify with. She sings ‘Kindergarten Boyfriend’ beautifully and plays the pain and comedy with real skill.

The production is truly outstanding and it’s not difficult to see why this show had such huge success at The Other Palace and it fully deserves this West End transfer. The score is wonderful and full of songs that will stick with you for days after which in my opinion is the sign of a great show! Qudos to the entire production team for bringing all the elements together seamlessly, it’s just a shame it’s only playing till November! I urge everyone to catch this limited run as you will not be disappointed and you will get swept along with the Heathers Buzz, it really is ‘Beautiful’!

Fabric Review

Soho Theatre, London – until 6th October

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

5*****

A spellbinding performance by Nancy Sullivan as Leah. We were taken through the whole range of emotions experienced by a young women, trying to live the dream and realising very quickly the fairy tale is exactly that! Leah (Nancy Sullivan) travels a quick journey to adulthood after suffering a traumatic sexual assault from her husband on their wedding night. Battling her way through the myriad of expectations, false images and pressures of married life, she then faces
another assault from someone she thought was coming to her aid. Nancy Sullivan (Leah) engages with the audience, with individual eye contact that felt like she was talking directly to you. She bought characters in her story to life through her physical presence and tone of voice.

The warrior in Leah (Nancy Sullivan) was forced to come out, after being emotionally battered by the courts, her family and the attitude of the world in general towards women. It is sad that Leah’s beauty and grace are interpreted by all as the reason, the excuse for the abuse. At the end Nancy Sullivan (Leah) portrayed a fragile strength that enabled her to step forward into a fresh start with new hope.

Abi Zakarian has written a power script, every word and action conveying a message. The direction and staging by Hannah Hauer-King and The Creatives is perfectly timed to deliver a dramatic piece that captivates you from the start. I particularly liked the use of ansaphone messages to convey the attitude of others.

Solace Women’s Aid have chosen the right company to partner with, to deliver this impactful way to raise awareness of domestic and sexual abuse. Damsel Productions are bringing the subject in at a comprehensible, everyday level that I believe audiences can relate to. Good theatre is entertaining, informing and questioning and Fabric certainly delivers on that. For the full benefit of the performance I recommend you sit on the little stalls in the front row!

Tavern renamed in celebration of Dungeon’s ‘Month of Dick’

TAVERN RENAMED IN HONOUR OF YORK AND DICK TURPIN

 

The York Dungeon have renamed their tavern ”The Goose & Gallows”, with inspiration from

York’s past and present

 

York is famed to have 365 pubs, one for each day of the year. But one of the newest additions to this is The York Dungeon’s historically-themed tavern, where visitors can stop for a drink after finishing their tour. Formerly known as “Ye Olde Yorke Inn”, the name has now been changed to “The Goose and Gallows”, and the inspiration is more appropriate than you think.

“We wanted a name that evoked York’s past and present all into one” explains Marketing Executive, Simon Alnaimi. “And at the same time we were discussing making September a month of celebration of Dick Turpin. As part of this, we decided to make a nod towards his famous death in York, hanged on the gallows at the Knavesmire; and the Goose part was because no other animal is as synonymous with York.”

Joining them for the renaming was Professor Jim Sharpe of the University of York, who has spent years researching Dick Turpin, and in 2017 partnered with The Dungeon to question the true whereabouts of the Highwayman’s final resting place.

The renaming is all part of The Dungeon’s “Month of Dick”, which takes place for the whole of September, for what would be Dick Turpin’s 313th birthday, with the aim to raise awareness of one of history’s most infamous characters, and his connection to York.

As Jim Sharpe summarises: “For most people the most famous felon to have been hanged in York in the eighteenth century; Dick Turpin was arrested in Yorkshire, tried at the York assizes and paraded up Micklegate to be executed at York’s Knavesmire, while his fictional yet epic ride from London  to York on Black Bess remains an almost universally known story.  Turpin the man and, perhaps more importantly, Turpin the legend, will remain vital elements in York’s rich heritage.”

The Goose & Gallows is now open, for more information head to www.thedungeons.com/York

MARY POPPINS RETURNS TO THE PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE AUTUMN 2019

DISNEY THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS AND CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S

MULTI AWARD-WINNING

M A R Y   P O P P I N S

RETURNS TO THE PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE AUTUMN 2019

 

FIFTEEN YEARS AFTER ITS STAGE PREMIERE NEW PRODUCTION RETURNS

TO LONDON STARRING ZIZI STRALLEN AND CHARLIE STEMP

 

Disney Theatrical Productions and Cameron Mackintosh today (14 September 2018) announce the return to the West End of the critically acclaimed and internationally award-winning production of Mary Poppins.  Mary Poppins will return to its original West End home at the Prince Edward Theatre where, after three smash-hit years in London, Disney’s Aladdin will end its run late August 2019.  Starring Zizi Strallen, who returns to play the title role following great acclaim on the recent sell-out international tour, and Charlie Stemp as Bert, who last year gave an award-winning performance as Arthur Kipps in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Half A Sixpence and recently made his Broadway debut in Hello, Dolly!.

Tickets for Mary Poppins will go on sale in January 2019.  Further details will be announced in due course, including full booking information.  Meanwhile, Patrons can register for news and priority booking information at marypoppinsonstage.co.uk

 

The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane has been triumphantly and spectacularly brought to the stage with dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs. The stage version of Mary Poppins is brilliantly adapted from the wonderful stories by PL Travers and the beloved Walt Disney film.

 

Cameron Mackintosh said:  “I’m thrilled to be bringing the internationally acclaimed new staging of Pamela Travers’ magical stories back to London in the autumn of 2019, with Disney, featuring the dazzling talents of Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp as Mary and Bert. The original production, over 14 years ago, only played London and Broadway and subsequently was revised and continues to be staged around the world with phenomenal success.  The recent UK tour, starring Zizi as Mary, broke box office records everywhere it played. It has been particularly gratifying that the stage musical with its brilliant script by Julian Fellowes and wonderful new score by Stiles and Drewe, complementing the Sherman Brothers’ classic songs, has taken on its own magical life separate from the film, appealing to audiences of all ages and nationalities. Its story of the importance of family is at the heart of the show and the reason why this iconic British nanny remains irresistibly timeless and popular the world over.”

 

Thomas Schumacher said: “It is of course a great joy to collaborate again with our long-time partner, Cameron Mackintosh, on this glorious production and I’m thrilled that the show will return to take up residency at the beautifully restored Prince Edward Theatre, one of London’s greatest. Mary Poppins may have played over one hundred cities on four continents but at last, Mary will return to the West End.  In every iteration of this beloved tale, Mary appears at 17 Cherry Tree Lane because the Banks family needs her; needs her unconditional love, her enchantment and her belief. Has there ever been a time when we have all needed Mary more?”

 

The multi award-winning creative team for Mary Poppins, which originally opened in the West End fourteen years ago, is led by director Richard Eyre, with co-direction and choreography byMatthew Bourne, co-choreography by Stephen Mear, set and costume designs by Bob Crowley, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Paul Gatehouse and orchestrations by William David Brohn.

The stage production is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh and has a book by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator, Julian Fellowes.  The score by Richard M Sherman and Robert B Sherman includes the classic songs Jolly Holiday, Step in Time, Feed the Birds and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious with new songs and additional music and lyrics by the Olivier award-winning British team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The producer for Disney Theatrical Productions is Thomas Schumacher.

 

Zizi Strallen is currently playing Fran in Strictly Ballroom The Musical at the Piccadilly Theatre.  Her previous theatre credits include Follies at the National Theatre, Mary Poppins on tour in the UK, Ireland and in Dubai, Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man and Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells and on tour, Cats and Scrooge at the London Palladium, Hairspray and Chicago at Leicester Curve, Merrily We Roll Along at the Harold Pinter Theatre, Rock of Ages at the Shaftesbury Theatre and The Music Man for Chichester Festival Theatre.

 

Award-winning Charlie Stemp most recently played Barnaby Tucker in the Broadway production of Hello, Dolly! opposite Bette Midler and Bernadette Peters. He previously played the title role in last year’s Palladium pantomime Dick Whittington, following his critically acclaimed performance as Arthur Kipps in Half a Sixpence at the Noël Coward Theatre, a role he first performed at Chichester Festival Theatre.  His further theatre credits include Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and the international tour of Mamma Mia!.

 

The stage production of Mary Poppins originally opened in the West End in December 2004, running for three years and over 1,250 performances. During this time it won two Olivier Awards, an Evening Standard Award and the Variety Club Award for Best Musical.  The Tony Award®-winning Broadway production ran for over six years.  The show has subsequently toured the UK and Ireland, the US, Australia, New Zealand and played in Holland, Mexico, Austria, Switzerland, Dubai, Japan and Germany where the production continues its successful run in Hamburg. Mary Poppins has been seen by over 11 million people worldwide.

 

LINKS

facebook.com/marypoppins
twitter.com/marypoppins

instagram.com/marypoppinsmusical

Website: marypoppinsonstage.co.uk

Still Alice Review

The Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – runs until 15th September 2018.

Reviewed by Sophie Dodworth

3***

Still Alice was a debut novel written by Lisa Genova in 2007. The book went on to be adapted for film and in 2014 Julianne Moore went on to win an Oscar, for her performance as Alice on the screen. However, a year before the film was made, the story was adapted for stage by Christine Mary Dunford and that is the version that is currently touring the UK, making a stop this week at The Lyceum.

This is a serious piece of theatre looking at the morose but common disease, alzheimer’s.

We meet Alice (Sharon Small), a once successful professor at Harvard. At the start of the time line in March 2015 we see Alice starting to be generally forgetful and she wonders if she is on the menopausal track. After visiting her doctor and a number of tests being carried out she is diagnosed with early onset alzheimers. We then follow her over the next three years to the present day and watch the disease develop, destroy and take over her being entirely.

The audience gets to hear Alices’ most intimate thoughts as alongside Alice on stage at all times is actress Eva Pope, playing ‘herself’. ‘Herself’ is Alices’ mind. This is a really suitable, needed touch and one that without it, the audience would be much less savvy to what is actually happening to the brain, in someone with alzheimer’s. This makes the piece educational and informative, encouraging the audience to really engage with what it must be like to live with this cruel disease.

An insight in to family life with a family member with alzheimers is a large chunk of this tale. It shows the frustrations and conflicts between loved ones and highlights issues within the family unit. The scene where the son and daughter (Lydia and Thomas) are debating on how they should handle their mother is a familiar issue when it comes to this disease. Many families are not educated enough to be able to provide adequate support and provide a consistent role to the ones that need them the most.

Sharon Small is a great actress, with TV under her belt like Call the Midwife and Downton Abbey. She also provides a steely performance during this show as do the rest of the cast. The actors are all giving it their everything and not a weak performance in sight…so why is this show somewhat underwhelming? Maybe it could be the fact that the sound was an issue, especially at the beginning; coughs from the audience were drowning out the actors.

Or maybe it lacked a certain amount of emotion in places. Either way, there was a disappointing amount of applause from the auditorium at the Lyceum.

An educational piece that centres around a subject that we should all know much more about, with the rapidly growing number of people suffering this awful fate.

Ovalhouse’s diverse and thought-provoking Autumn Season 2018

Ovalhouse’s autumn season 2018
Ovalhouse, 52-54 Kennington Oval, London SE11 5SW
Wednesday 26 September – Sunday 30 December 2018

In a unique collaborative programme, Ovalhouse’s autumn season brings together an outstanding collection of six new shows plus seven FiRST BiTES that, for the first time, are all coproduced in-house by Ovalhouse. This season’s pertinent theme of care highlights both the theatre’s enduring passion for nurturing emerging artists – every production in this season started its life at Ovalhouse – as well as the way all of the plays deal with how we care for one
another

Ovalhouse are dedicated to supporting artists with important voices to create radical and innovative theatre. In a time when our government retreats from the provision of social care, it is telling that these artists all, in very different ways, explore the complex ideas of who provides care, who needs our care and the challenges faced when this care is stripped away. Exploring the world through the lens of poverty, child welfare and the trans experience, the season journeys through comedic highs and harrowing lows, whilst welcoming diverse audiences of every age

Kicking off the season is Annie Siddons’ Dennis of Penge which explores poverty, addiction, friendship, ecstasy, love, and chicken shops. The restless new thriller POT from Ambreen Razia (The Diary of a Hounslow Girl) reveals the hidden lives of Britain’s invisible children, adrift in the care system at the mercy of gang culture. Meanwhile, Chris Goode (Monkey Bars, Men in the Cities) returns to Ovalhouse for a three-week run with his latest solo performance Mirabel, exploring what it means to be lost. The season will conclude with a joyful and irreverent new adaptation of the classic story Snow White by award-winning The Wrong Crowd, crafted from an intriguing formula of the finest puppetry, toe-tapping live music and dazzling humour

In addition to their unique programme of FiRST BiTES that give artists the chance to stage their work in front of an audience for the first time, Ovalhouse also continue their Young Associates scheme. The six new fearless and daring young artists who will gain the invaluable opportunity for a full year’s mentorship and financial support to develop their work will be programmed as part 2019 summer season’s FiRST BiTES. With the theatre’s care and guidance, these FiRST BiTE productions can develop into full-length shows such as Spun Glass Theatre’s previously sold-out show Princess Charming and award-winning poet Nick Makoha’s The Dark that tells the vivid and moving story of the migration he made, at the age of four, with his mother

Ovalhouse’s Executive Producer, Stella Kanu, comments, It is a lie that our societal and familial broken parts don’t harm us on deep, sometimes hard-to-repair, levels. Harmonising the souls of our children, our communities, our broken and even high-achieving adults, has got to matter.  How else will we heal from the devastating effects of lopsided wealth creation, and the personal and familial trauma associated with poor housing, poverty and lack? When we reach our
potentials, will it be in a bubble made by our own hands? Or something richer, much more collective in nature, but built on feeling personally and individually strong and empowered?

Kanu’s powerful words resonate throughout this season, seen pertinently in some of the FiRST BiTES; Wonder Girl tells the true story of child protection lawyer Eva Edo who explores the notion that children in care are in fact superheroes who escape into their own surreal worlds to survive. Additionally, Travis Alabanza explores the ways in which the collective care of public spaces is not afforded to transgender bodies. While many of these plays are set against a backdrop of neglect, abandonment and loss, a strong and hopeful light shines through these stories. All of these characters eventually find community, solidarity and self-empowerment.  Even the most famous abandoned child in our season, Snow White, finds a troupe of seven moles who can help her to change her future

The full programme is as follows:

Ovalhouse, Albany Deptford & Annie Siddons present Dennis of Penge
Wed 26 September – Sat 6 October, 7.30pm (press night: Monday 1 October)
Part gig, part poetry, part theatre performance, all transcendent. Loosely inspired by Euripides’ the Bacchae, Dennis of Penge is a show about poverty, addiction, friendship, ecstasy, chicken shops, love & SE20. Set in and around the chicken shops, church halls and job centres of South London, it is loosely inspired by Euripides’ The Bacchae and informed by Annie’s own experiences of newfound sobriety

Ovalhouse and Rua Arts present POT
Tues 9 – Sat 20 October, 7.30pm
Louisa wakes up on lock down surrounded by debris from last night’s blow out. Josh has vanished but she is not alone and she’s beginning to feel the heat. Ambreen Razia’s restless new  thriller, POT, reveals the hidden lives of Britain’s invisible children, adrift in the care system at the mercy of gang culture

Ovalhouse and Spun Glass Theatre present Princess Charming
Tues 23 – Sat 27 October, 2pm
Princess Charming is a contemporary topical exploration of gender identity and stereotypes for children aged seven – eleven. Spun Glass Theatre will transform theatres across the UK into family-friendly cabaret clubs that will energise and educate audiences, demonstrating how adults and children alike can be confident in their role in our modern-day society

Ovalhouse and Chris Goode & Company present Mirabel
Wed 31 October – Sat 18 November, 7.30pm (press night: Thursday 1November)
Eight-year-old Mirabel wakes up after the end of the world to find herself alone, except for her old faithful Bear. Everyone else appears to be gone. And so, Mirabel and Bear set out on a journey across the new desert to find an adult to take care of everything. On the way, they’ll acquire a ragged gang of fellow travellers, including a visionary red-eyed dog, and an injured pilot who insists he’s not the grown-up they’re looking for. A sad, strange fairytale, Mirabel is a
story of what happens when you refuse to accept that you’re lost

Ovalhouse and Fuel present The Dark
Wed 21 November – Sat 1 December, 7.30pm
Written by the award-winning poet Nick Makoha, The Dark tells the vivid and moving story of the migration he made with his mother at the age of four. A night in November 1978; young Nick and his mother flee their home of Kampala and travel by matatu. Buying safe passage and silence with all they have, the conductor asks no questions. Their companions are the missing, lost and displaced, those who have suffered eight years under the violent rule of Idi Amin

Ovalhouse and The Wrong Crowd present Snow White
Wed 12 – Sun 30 December (Tues– Fri, 1pm & 7pm, Sat – Sun, 11.30am & 4.30pm)
Crafted from a unique formula of the finest puppetry, toe-tapping live music and dazzling humour, the award-winning Wrong Crowd’s new twist on an old story will blow away the Christmas blues!

The seven new FiRST BiTES are:

Ovalhouse and Koko Brown present GREY (Thurs 27 – Sat 29 September, 7.45pm)
Koko is a strong, independent, black woman. She has a roof over her head. She has food in her fridge. She lives a good life. She’s also a little bit sad, a lot of the time. She doesn’t understand why. Blending spoken word and vocal looping, GREY is fully British Sign Language integrated and contains sensitive content

Ovalhouse and Jade Lewis present Astro Babies (Fri 5 – Sat 6 October, 11am & 2pm)
Astro Babies is an interactive theatrical experience for babies and their families. Immerse yourself in a world where babies travel through the cosmos in search of discovery, play and relationships. Let’s explore a new world that is very much a part of our history and future. Come and play!

Ovalhouse & Rua Arts present Wonder Girl (Thurs 11 – Sat 13 October, 7.45pm)
Wonderful, a seemingly silent 17-year-old, seeks revenge on adults who let young people down. She uses the devices at her disposal – a few pizzas, Pentecostal rhetoric and one lost soul. This hard-hitting play pulls audiences into Wonderful’s world, highlighting the challenges she faces caught between two realities

Hackney Showroom presents Burgerz (Friday 19 – Saturday 20 October, 7.45pm)
Hurled Words. Thrown Objects. Dodged Burgers. What does the trans body do in order to survive? How can one become a protector, rather than a bystander? Carving out a place for themselves as one of the UK’s prominent trans voices, Travis Alabanza presents a piece that is timely, unsettling and powerful, exploring the way a body can dodge objects and how trans people are dissected in public

Ovalhouse and CASA present Amazonian Sweat Lodge (Thurs 1 – Sat 3 November, 7.45pm)
After a transcendent spiritual awakening Jo & Koko have returned to London from The Amazon where they had a cosmic transformation and now are legitimately enlightened beings. Koko & Jo have created their own church and you are the congregation. Journey through the cosmos of faux spirituality, songs, ceremony, and Amazon purchases

Ovalhouse and CASA present 100 Years (Thurs 8 – Sat 10 November, 7.45pm)
Set in the grassy plains of the Llanos in Central Venezuela, 100 Years follows five generations of first born daughters in one Venezuelan bloodline. With every daughter born, each named Isabela, a brand-new life unfolds across a century of turbulent political change

Ovalhouse and CASA present EverFlea
Thursday 15 – Saturday 17 November, 7.45pm An undersized, imaginary creature has finally fulfilled its lifelong dream: it broke the crystal
screen of its own fiction and made it to the dazzling human world. Its admiration turns into ambition as it resolves to become one of them. Everflea is a fantastically distorted account – to the sound of live music – of what it’s like to feel like an outsider in every aspect of life, a state of bewilderment that is enhanced by a world that over-stimulates our senses, but never seems to
give us what it promises

 

MURDER FOR TWO returns to The Other Palace following UK Tour

Paul Taylor-Mills presents The Watermill Theatre production of

Murder For Two

 

Touring the UK from October 2018

Before returning to The Other Palace in December 2018

 

 

Following its sell-out European Premiere at The Watermill Theatre and The Other Palace in 2017, Murder For Two is back this Autumn. A UK Tour will launch at Cardiff New Theatre on Monday 22 October, followed by a five-week return engagement at The Other Palace from Monday 10 December.

 

When famous novelist Arthur Whitney is found dead at his birthday party, it’s time to call in the detectives. The only problem is, they’re out of town. Enter Officer Marcus Moscowicz, a neighbourhood cop who dreams of climbing the ranks. With the clock ticking, it’s up to Marcus to prove his super sleuthing skills and solve the crime before the real detective arrives…

 

A hilarious high-energy musical whodunit, Murder For Two is a madcap murder mystery with a twist. Two actors play thirteen characters – and the piano – in this acclaimed new musical. A loving homage to the canon of murder mystery plays, Murder For Two is a hysterical blend of music, mayhem and murder.

 

Ed MacArthur and Jeremy Legat will both reprise their performances as ‘Officer Marcus Moscowicz’ and ‘The Suspects’ respectively. Ed MacArthur’s recent credits include The Borrowers (Watermill Theatre) and Arcadia (UK Tour). Jeremy Legat was recently seen in Crazy For You(Watermill Theatre) with other credits including Grey Gardens (Southwark Playhouse) and Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre).


Murder For Two has Book and Music by Joe Kinosian, with Book and Lyrics by Kellen Blair. It was recently a huge hit Off-Broadway, playing at Second Stage Theatre in 2013 before transferring to New World Stages, where the run was extended several times.

 

Murder For Two is directed by Luke Sheppard (In The Heights, King’s Cross Theatre) with musical direction and sound design by Tom Attwood (Peter and the Starcatcher, Theatre Royal Northampton) and design by Gabriella Slade (The Importance Of Being Earnest, Vaudeville Theatre).

 

UK TOUR LISTINGS

Monday 22 – Saturday 27 October 2018

NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF

Box Office: www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk / 029 2087 8889

 

Thursday 1 – Saturday 3 November 2018

THEATRE ROYAL WINDSOR

Box Office: www.theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk / 01753 853 888

 

Thursday 8 – Saturday 10 November 2018

YVONNE ARNAUD THEATRE, GUILDFORD

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

 

Monday 26 – Wednesday 28 November 2018

NOTTINGHAM THEATRE ROYAL

Box Office: www.trch.co.uk / 0115 989 5555

 

THE OTHER PALACE LISTINGS

 

Monday 10 December 2018 – Sunday 13 January 2019

THE OTHER PALACE

12 Palace Street, London, SW1E 5JA

Press Night: Thursday 13 December, 8pm

Performances: 8pm (Tue-Sat), 3pm (Thu & Sat), 4pm (Sun)

Tickets: From £24.00

Box Office: 0844 264 2121 | www.theotherpalace.co.uk

 

Dolly Parton’s 9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL to open in the West End