Home

The Bunker Theatre announces 2019 spring
season from new Artistic Director Chris Sonnex
The Bunker, 53A Southwark Street London SE1 1RU
January – May 2019

The Bunker’s revolutionary spring season is the first from its new Artistic Director, Chris Sonnex. The season, which spans four months and includes six productions and a unique festival, will also mark the opening of the Bunker’s Writers’ Snug – a free-to-use space in the theatre for up to four playwrights, with one desk reserved for underrepresented writers.

The Bunker have also named Debbie Hannan (Things of Dry Hours, Latir, Cuckoo) as their new Associate Director; she will present a new monthly podcast – The Underground Podcast – which will be packed with artists and activists, investigating, naming and exploring what needs to change in the theatre industry. In response to the themes discussed in the podcast, The Bunker will also host a monthly variety night – The Underground Night – which will feature new and established musical, spoken word and dance talent.

Sonnex’s first season opens with the world premiere of Borderline’s Welcome To The UK! – a powerful satirical comedy about the situation of refugees in the UK. This bold production has been devised and performed by a mixed ensemble which includes people who have recently sought refuge in the UK. Following this, Sacha Voit and Jessica Butcher’s funny and frank Boots is a story of cross-generational connection through forests and FemFresh, where an unlikely friendship reveals the loneliness of age and the power of Mother Nature.

My White Best Friend and Other Letters Left Unsaid…is a week-long festival exploring intersecting identities and tensions responding to writer Rachel De-Lahay’s original provocative piece, My White Best Friend. She and director Milli Bhatia have commissioned eleven exceptional writers to pen their own letters that say the unsaid to the people that matter most. Two of the letters will be cold-read by performers each night, alongside Rachel’s piece.

March and April see a double bill of one woman shows putting female working class voices front and centre with Kat Woods’ Killymuck and Monsay Whitney’s Box Clever. Written with humour, care and urgency, Killymuck gives an insight into the trials and tribulations of being from the benefit class system whereas Box Clever confronts us with the repercussions of systemic failure in politics to care for the working classes.

Emma Dennis-Edwards’ Fringe First award-winning Funeral Flowers follows 17-year-old Angelique as she navigates her way through adulthood, the care system and the recurring threat from her boyfriend’s gang. The powerful season concludes with Joanna Nastari’s Fuck You Pay Me – a surreal collision of comedy, poetry and storytelling which gives a hilarious insight into the life of a stripper in
London’s fast-changing cityscape.

Artistic Director Chris Sonnex comments, Theatre exists to disrupt, challenge and interrogate the world that is put before us. We live in a world where the words of so many people are struggling to be meaningfully heard. There is an artistic and political revolution bubbling across our society, whether that be very personal revolutions or a bigger structural, seismic revolt. This season explores the full spectrum of revolution, from Emma Dennis-Edwards exploring how one very personal decision can change someone’s life in Funeral Flowers to Jessica Butcher and Sacha Voit’s burning it all down and starting again in their new play Boots. At The Bunker, we are incredibly honoured to welcome theatre makers who have something to say that reflects and comments on today’s world. These voices will rise up from an underground car park in South London and be heard across the city.

The Bunker’s Spring Season 2019 is as follows:

Welcome To The UK! and Borderline (PSYCHEdelight and The Bunker)
Directed by Sophie NL Besse
Tuesday 22nd January – Saturday 16th February 2019
Press Night: Friday 25th January, 7:30pm
Borderline are a unique theatre ensemble created by PSYCHEdelight, shortlisted for the Community Integration Awards. The world premiere of Welcome to the UK! is set on this side of the Channel, devised and performed by mixed ensemble which includes people who have recently sought refuge in the UK. The production has been developed alongside the Women for Refugee Women drama group which refugee and asylum women performers who have joined the Borderline cast. They will also be performing their first show, Borderline, a satire of the Calais Jungle, twice a week.

Boots (Arsalan Sattari Productions and The Bunker)
Written by Sacha Voit and Jessica Butcher, directed by Nadia Papachronopoulou
Tuesday 19th February – Saturday 16th March 2019
Press Night: Friday 22nd February 2019                                                                   The time for silence is over. When it looks like Fred Astaire has burnt down a branch of Boots the chemist, Willow knows that something is seriously afoot. She braves the wilds of Lynx Africa, talking trees, and infertility to find an unlikely friend in Liz as she tracks down the truth. Bring your advantage card.

My White Best Friend and Other Letters Left Unsaid… (The Bunker)
Curated by Rachel De-Lahay and director Milli Bhatia
Monday 18th – Saturday 23rd March 2019
Industry Night: Wednesday 20th March 2019, 7:30pm
Could you put your white best friend on stage and remind them that they’re part of the problem? Originally featured as part of Black Lives Black Words at The Bush Theatre, writer Rachel De-Lahay and director Milli Bhatia have commissioned eleven writers to pen their own letters that say the unsaid to the people that matter most. Two of these new letters will be cold-read by performers each night to build up a network of intersecting identities and tensions through the week-long festival. The writers will include: Bola Agbaje, Zia Ahmed, Travis Alabanza, Fatimah Ashgar, Nathan Bryon, Matilda Ibini, Jammz, Iman Qureshi, Anya Reiss, Nina Segal, Tolani Shoneye.

Double Bill – Killymuck and Box Clever:
(W14 Productions and The Bunker)
Tuesday 26 th March – Saturday 13th April 2019
Press Night: Thursday 28th March 2019, 7:30pm
We are not all born equal. If you’re born into a working-class family, you have less: less money, less support and crucially, less opportunity. Killymuck and Box Clever explore the political cause and effect of what being born with less means.

Killymuck
Written by Kat Woods and directed by Catriona Shoobridge
Inspired by real events, Killymuck tells of a housing estate built on a paupers’ graveyard in 1970s Ireland. Kat Woods’ compelling play sees Niamh navigate the trials and tribulations of being a kid from the benefit system. Educational barriers, impoverishment, depression and lack of opportunities conspire against the struggle to escape the underclass stereotype in this powerful exploration of survival.

Box Clever
Written by Monsay Whitney and directed by Stef O’Driscoll
Ever get the feeling you’re going round in one big circle? Ten years. Back and forth between a trio of arseholes and nothing to show for it except a baby, an Argos ring and a busted nose. At the refuge they call that a pattern.

Moving, truthful and darkly comic, Box Clever is about one woman’s experience of a refuge and a Mother’s commitment to do the best for her daughter.

Funeral Flowers (Harts Theatre Company and The Bunker)
Written and Performed by Emma Dennis Edwards and directed by Rachel Nwokoro
Monday 15th April – Saturday 4th May 2019
Press Night: Wednesday 17th April 2019, 7:30pm
Part poetry, part play, part floristry masterclass, this Fringe First winning play tells the story of 17- year-old Angelique who dreams of being a florist. With her mum in prison, she is left to navigate her way through adulthood, the care system and the recurring threat from her boyfriend’s gang.

Fuck You Pay Me (FYPM and The Bunker)
Written and performed by Joanna Nastari, directed by Bethany Pitts
Tuesday 7th – Saturday 18th May 2019
Press Night: Thursday 9th May, 7:30pm
An evening of shameless entertainment, Of divine feminine fury. A burial of preconceptions, A night of Sex-Witch Anarchy.
Featuring a live score and nightly special guests, Joana Nastari’s award-winning debut Fuck You Pay Me is a no-holds-barred, explosive trip through the world of London strip club culture.

 

NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE HOLDS ‘PUTTIN’ ON THE BLITZ KIDZ’ FUNDRAISING GALA DINNER AT CAFÉ DE PARIS

• THE NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE PLAYS HOST TO ALUMNI AND VIP GUESTS AT FUNDRAISING GALA ‘PUTTIN’ ON THE BLITZ KIDZ’ AT CAFÉ DE PARIS
• MORE THAN £150,000 WAS RAISED WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE

On Monday 26 November, The National Youth Theatre hosted its annual fundraising gala, this year to the theme ‘Puttin’ on the Blitz Kidz’ at Café de Paris, and was attended by VIP guests, past alumni and current NYT performers. The event, featuring music and theatre performances, auctions and fundraising events significantly exceeded targets, raising more than £150,000 to support The National Youth Theatre’s ongoing projects.

Guests included Seraphina Beh, Barbara Broccoli, Cerrie Burnell, Lolita Chakrabarti, Ellise Chappell, Gwendoline Christie, Giles Deacon, Sope Dirisu, Rusty Egan, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, The Feeling, HRH The Earl of Wessex, Derek Jacobi, Lily James, Beverley Knight, Adrian Lester, Daisy Lewis, Krishnan Guru-Murthy, Valene Kane, Kate Kennedy, Yolanda Kettle, Katia Kvinge, Lauren Lyle, Gina Miller, Gareth Pugh, Prasanna Puwanarajah, Matt Smith, Rhys Stephenson, Lucy Verasamy, Arabella Weir, Paula Wilcox, Shane Zaza and Ashley Zhangazha.

Charlie Ross hosted an auction of very special prizes including lunch with Sir Ian McKellen at Coutts HQ, dinner with Bond novelist Anthony Horowitz, a Rolls Royce Tour of London, memorabilia signed by Orlando Bloom, Daniel Craig, Labrinth and Helen Mirren, luxury holidays to South Africa and Marrakech, a Paul Oz Diamond David Bowie print, VIP experiences to the Aston Martin factory and Cheltenham Festival, Conor Collins commissioned artwork, a Remainers’ dinner at the Houses of Parliament, an ITV weather masterclass with Lucy Verasamy and more.

The event was hosted by Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Cerrie Burnell with music from The Feeling and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, a DJ set by Rusty Egan, plus a performance from current members of The National Youth Theatre.

The evening was made possible thanks to the support of headline sponsors Eon Productions and host venue Café de Paris where VIP attendees enjoyed a champagne Bollinger reception followed by dinner specially chosen by Elizabeth Haigh, the youngest female chef ever to receive a Michelin star in the UK. The menu included ceviche of salmon, roasted squash hot salad, rump of lamp with rosemary jus, pan fried potato gnocchi with wild mushrooms, vanilla panna cotta and chocolate and orange mousse, accompanied by Majestic Loves wine.

STRICTLY COME DANCING

LIVE UK ARENA TOUR

18 JANUARY – 10 FEBRUARY 2019

STACEY DOOLEY & ALJAŽ ŠKORJANEC

DR RANJ SINGH & JANETTE MANRARA

JOE SUGG & DIANNE BUSWELL

ARE FIRST COUPLES ANNOUNCED FOR

THE STRICTLY LIVE TOUR 2019!

TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

 

Strictly fans will be thrilled to learn that the first couples to appear on next year’s Strictly Come Dancing UK Arena Tour have been announced as documentary maker Stacey Dooley andAljaž Škorjanec, This Morning’s Dr Ranj Singh and Janette Manrara, and YouTube sensation Joe Sugg and Dianne Buswell.

Stacey, Aljaž, Dr Ranj, Janette, Joe and Dianne will don their dancing shoes and join tour host, Ore Oduba, and the Live Tour judging panel of awesome foursome Craig Revel Horwood, Dame Darcey Bussell, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli, as they cha-cha around the country for 29 glittering shows from 18 January 2019.

Stacey Dooley is a renowned BBC journalist whose hard hitting documentaries have taken her to some of the most dangerous and unexpected parts of the world. Stacey said: “I’m loving this experience so much. I know people always say that, but it’s so true. To be able to go on tour and perform for the fans all over the UK is such an honour. I’m so excited! I will miss Kev, but I am looking forward to putting Aljaž through his paces!”.

Dr Ranj Singh is best known as resident doctor on This Morning, with his beaming smile making him a much loved Strictly Come Dancing star. Dr Ranj said: “From the sequins to the sashays, I have loved my Strictly journey, so to join the Live Tour is beyond exciting. I can’t wait to be reunited with Janette, hit the road and meet all the Strictly fans!”.

Joe Sugg is a global star, vlogger, filmmaker and entrepreneur with over eight million subscribers tuning into his YouTube channel every day to watch his hilarious antics and shenanigans.  Joe said: “I’m so thrilled to be joining the Strictly Tour in the New Year. I’m loving every minute of Strictly, so continuing my journey into 2019 is going to be brilliant. I can’t wait to get quick stepping at arenas all over the UK.”.

The three couples and the judges will all be reunited with more celebrities and professional dancers from this year’s BBC series, as they tour the biggest entertainment venues across the country recreating the glittering moves and pure magic of the nation’s favourite TV show.  Further names will be announced soon.

After opening in Birmingham, the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour will then visit arenas across the UK including; Leeds’ First Direct Arena, Manchester Arena, Liverpool’s Echo Arena, Sheffield’s Fly DSA Arena, The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena and The SSE Arena, Wembley.  The tour culminates with four shows at The O2 Arena in London on 9 and 10 February.

 

STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR 2019

18–21 January                        Arena Birmingham                            0844 338 8000

(Friday 18^th at 7.30pm, Saturday 19^th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 20^th at 1.30pm & 6.30pm, Monday 21^st at 7.30pm)

24-25 January             Leeds First Direct Arena                                0844 248 1585

(Thursday 24^th at 7.30pm, Friday 25^th at 7.30pm)

26-27 January             Manchester Arena                                         0844 847 8000

(Saturday 26^th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 27^th at 1.30pm & 6.30pm)

29 January                  Liverpool Echo Arena                                    0344 8000 400

(Tuesday 29^th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

30-31 January             Sheffield Fly DSA Arena                                0114 256 5656

(Wednesday 30^th at 7.30pm, Thursday 31^st at 7.30pm)

1-3 February               Glasgow The SSE Hydro                                0844 395 4000

(Friday 1^st at 7.30pm, Saturday 2^nd at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 3^rd at 1.30pm)

5-6 February               Nottingham Motorpoint Arena                   0843 373 3000 

(Tuesday 5^th at 7.30pm, Wednesday 6^th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

7-8 February               London The SSE Arena Wembley                0844 815 0815

(Thursday 7^th at 7.30pm, Friday 8^th at 7.30pm)

9-10 February             London The O2 Arena                                    0844 856 0202

(Saturday 9^th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 10^th at 1.30pm & 6.30pm)        

Tickets: £35 – £65 (bands venue dependent) 

All ticket prices are subject to a booking fee and may be subject to a venue facility fee

 

To book tickets please contact the venue or call 0844 875 8758

For more information and to book tickets, visit: www.strictlycomedancinglive.com

Twitter: SCD_Live_Tour

Facebook: @strictlylive

STRICTLY COME DANCING THE LIVE TOUR is produced by Stage Entertainment UK and Phil McIntyre Entertainments, in association with BBC.

ICONIC LEEDS VENUES TO TAKE PART IN THE NATIONAL LOTTERY #THANKSTOYOU CAMPAIGN

From Monday 3 to Sunday 9 December 2018, National Lottery-funded heritage attractions are saying #ThanksToYou to National Lottery players by offering free entry, treats or discounts at hundreds of UK-Based National Lottery funded visitor’s attractions, and sport, arts and community projects.

 

Leeds Grand Theatre will be saying #ThanksToYou by giving away 140^th birthday branded Tote bags*, whilst Hyde Park Picture House (HPPH) will be giving away a free hot drink and an original HPPH Christmas card designed by Yorkshire artist Kristyna Baczynski.

 

The idea is simple; any visitor who presents a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between Monday 3 to Saturday 8 December at Leeds Grand Theatre Box Office can claim a bag. Similarly, anybody presenting a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between Monday 3 to Saturday 8 December at HPPH will receive a free hot drink and a card (T&C’s apply. For full details visit hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/ThanksToYou).

 

Leeds Grand Theatre received funding from the Heritage Lottery fund to undertake major restoration work on the grade II* listed Victorian theatre and to create a major base for the arts in the north of England by improving both backstage and front of house areas, including installing a state of the art computer-controlled system for flying scenery, improved seating and acoustics for audiences, and easier access for the disabled.

 

Hyde Park Picture House has recently received backing from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for The Picture House Project. The £3.6m project received £122k development funding from HLF in 2016, which has allowed the organisation to progress plans for a full National Lottery Grant application which is due to be reviewed this December. If successful, work on The Picture House Project will begin in 2019, helping to protect and preserve the historic cinema, whilst making the building more sustainable, comfortable and accessible. For further information on this exciting project, please visit thepicturehouseproject.com.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “December is a wonderful time to experience the UK’s rich, diverse and exciting heritage, which has been transformed by more than £7.8bn National Lottery funding since 1994.  This is a small gesture of thanks and a way of giving something back to the people who buy tickets.”

 

* Numbers are limited.

 

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
ANNOUNCES THAT ELLIOT HARPER WILL
TOE THE LINE AS MISS TRUNCHBULL
IN THE UK & IRELAND TOUR OF
MATILDA THE MUSICAL

 

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that Elliot Harper will play Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The Musical’s UK and Ireland Tour from Tuesday 15 January at Theatre Royal Plymouth. The tour will then play at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (19 February – 23 March 2019), Edinburgh Playhouse (2 – 27 April 2019), The Bristol Hippodrome (7 May – 8 June 2019), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (11 June – 6 July 2019) and Norwich Theatre Royal (16 July – 17 August 2019). The West End production will continue to play at the Cambridge Theatre, where it is now in its eighth year and is booking until 24 May 2020.

Carly Thoms (Miss Honey) and Sebastien Torkia and Rebecca Thornhill (Mr and Mrs Wormwood) will continue in their roles until the tour concludes its run at Norwich Theatre Royal on 17 August 2019.

Elliot Harper’s West End theatre credits include Father Joe in The Exorcist at the Phoenix Theatre, Matilda The Musical (Cambridge Theatre), One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre), Les Misérables (Queens Theatre) and The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre). Other theatre credits include Sweet Charity (Watermill), A Study In Scarlet (Southwark Playhouse), The Silver Tassie (Druid/Lincoln Center NY), Rope, Arsenic and Old Lace (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), The Big Sleep (The Mill At Sonning), As You Like It, Deathtrap, The Taming of the Shrew, The Talented Mr Ripley and Travels with my Aunt (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch), and the UK touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Buddy Holly Story. Harper’s film and television credits include Howard Goodall’s 20th Century Greats (Tiger Aspect), Showroom, which was a winning film at SXSW Film Festival, and The Egg, Masters of the Universe (Asalva Productions).

The full adult cast includes Richard Astbury, Joe Atkinson, Nina Bell, Peter Bindloss, Oliver Bingham, Emily Bull, Samara Casteallo, Matthew Caputo, Matt Gillett, Michelle Chantelle Hopewell, Sam Lathwood, Steffan Lloyd-Evans, Charlie Martin, Tom Mather, Anu Ogunmefun, Carly Thoms, Rebecca Thornhill, Sebastien Torkia, Adam Vaughan andDawn Williams.

The role of Matilda is shared by Sophia Ally, Scarlett Cecil, Annalise Bradbury, Poppy Jones, Emma Moore and Nicola Turner. The other young performers in the UK and Ireland Tour in the three teams who play the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda and the rest of the pupils at Crunchem Hall and are as follows: Evie Allen, Louella Asante-Owusu, Joseph Black, Georgia Mae Brown, Isobelle Chalmers, Jessica Chalmers, Madeline Gilby, Sheldon Golding, Cuba Kamanu, Tom Lomas, Adam Lord, Maddison Lowe, Ilan Miller, Felicity Mitson, Toby Mocrei, Ashton Murphy, Joely Robertson, Ruaridh Sinnott, Kit Swaddling, Chantelle Tonolete, Harrison Wilding and Harry Wilson.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and developed and directed by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Matilda The Musical has now been seen by 8 million people worldwide, having toured to over 68 cities and played more than 6000 performances in the West End, on Broadway and on tour across North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Matilda The Musical had its first non-English language production at the LG Arts Centre in Seoul, South Korea in September 2018.

Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered at the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon home in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011, where it opened to rave reviews. The New York production of Matilda The Musical opened in April 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre and was celebrated on 10 “Top Ten” lists for 2013, including TIME Magazine’s #1 Show of the Year.

Matilda The Musical swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, with a record-breaking seven awards, and won four Tony Awards and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for the four girls sharing the title role on Broadway.

The North America production toured 52 cities. The Australian and New Zealand production won a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical in 2015, and played sold-out seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. The show broke further records in July 2016 by winning all 13 Helpmann Awards for which it was nominated.

Matilda The Musical is produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was developed with the support of Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.

The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

TOUR LISTINGS

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff / Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru
Tuesday 4 December 2018 – Saturday 12 January 2019
Box Office: 029 2063 6464
www.wmc.org.uk

Theatre Royal Plymouth
Tuesday 15 January – Saturday 16 February 2019
Box Office: 01752 267 222
www.theatreroyal.com

The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Tuesday 19 February – Saturday 23 March 2019
Box Office: 01274 432 000
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

Edinburgh Playhouse
Tuesday 2 – Saturday 27 April 2019
Box Office: 0844 871 3014*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/

The Bristol Hippodrome
Tuesday 7 May – Saturday 8 June 2019
Box Office: 0844 871 3012*
www.atgtickets.com/bristol-hippodrome

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tuesday 11 June – Saturday 6 July 2019
Box Office: 02380 711 811
www.mayflower.org.uk

Norwich Theatre Royal
Tuesday 16 July – Saturday 17 August 2019
Box Office: 01603 630 000
www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

* Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge.
** Calls cost 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

www.matildathemusical.com
#matildaontour

WEST END LISTING

MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Cambridge Theatre
Earlham Street
London WC2H 9HU
Tuesday – Friday 7pm
Wednesday 2pm
Saturday 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Sundays 3pm

Box Office: Cambridge Theatre 020 7087 7745 / RSC Ticket Hotline 01789 331111
No booking fee.

Booking until 24 May 2020
www.matildathemusical.com

Twitter: @MatildaMusical
Facebook: @MatildaTheMusical
Instagram: @MatildaTheMusical

The King’s Head Theatre, 115 Upper Street, London, N1 1QN
Wednesday 9th January – Saturday 2nd February 2019

Award-winning Atticist have announced the stellar cast who will bring to life Outlying Islands this January – a revival of Scottish playwright David Greig’s powerful play, not seen in London since 2002.

Rose Wardlaw (Eyam and The Winter’s Tale, Globe Theatre; Jubilee, Royal Exchange Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith; Call The Midwife), Ken Drury (King Lear and The Crucible, National Theatre; The Woman in Black, West End; Black Mirror), Jack McMillan (The Hard Man, Finborough Theatre; Vieux Carre, King’s Head Theatre; Blue Boy, Northern Stage) and Tom Machell (Life According To Saki, Atticist Off-Broadway at New York’s 4th Street Theatre; zazU, Soho Theatre; Every Blank Ever, Comedy Central) will be directed by Jessica Lazar in this production that demonstrates the lyricism and humanity that has made Greig one of the UK’s leading dramatists.

Director Jessica Lazar comments, I’m really looking forward to getting into the rehearsal room and starting work on Outlying Islands with Ken, Jack, Rose, and Tom. They share a depth, comedy, and imagination in their performance, and an immediate complicity that crackles with excitement. For me, they feel like the perfect ensemble to take on the wild range of this remarkable play

On the eve of the outbreak of World War II, two young ornithologists are sent to a remote Scottish Island by the government to conduct a survey of the island’s birds. Left to their own devices on an isolated and windswept scrap of land, the only other human inhabitants are Kirk, the aged and authoritarian leaseholder, and his niece Ellen. As their gaze turns inwards, the mainland recedes further into the distance and life on the island ignites desires and creates inescapable tensions.

Transporting us to a world where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred, David Greig’s funny, poetic and moving play bravely explores a society on the edge of immense change.

Outlying Islands is inspired by real events, including Robert Atkinson and John Ainslie’s 1935 search for the Leach’s Fork-Tailed Petrel, as recorded in Atkinson’s Island Going. The play also reflects on the the British government’s decision to bomb an Island off the west coast of Scotland with anthrax during World War II, in order to test the efficacy of chemical weapons. Gruinard Island was closed for 50 years and only ‘decontaminated’ in 1990.

Northern Ballet: 2019 Full Yorkshire Tour Details

Victoria | Mixed Programme | Cinderella | Dracula

*New dates announced*

 

Northern Ballet has announced full details of its upcoming performances in Yorkshire for the whole of 2019. The Company will commence its spring season with the world première of Cathy Marston’s Victoria in Leeds, followed by additional performances in Sheffield. Northern Ballet’s autumn season begins with a Mixed Programme, followed by visits to several Yorkshire venues with David Nixon’s Dracula and Cinderella; bringing the Company to the eve of its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2020.

 

Victoria

Victoria tells the astounding life story of Queen Victoria through the eyes of her youngest child and lifelong companion Beatrice. Travelling back in time from Victoria’s death bed, Beatrice relives her memories of her mother as a secluded widow before discovering her anew as she transcribes the Queen’s intimate diaries. Wife, mother, lover, Empress; Victoria presents the various, often conflicting faces of this emblematic monarch.

 

Choreographed by Cathy Marston to an original score by Philip Feeney, with sets and costumes designed by Steffen Aarfing, lighting by Alastair West and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed.

 

Victoria premières in Leeds from 9 – 16 March 2019 with additional performances at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre from 19 – 23 March 2019.

 

Mixed Programme

Following the success of this year’s popular triple bill, Northern Ballet will perform a new Mixed Programme at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds from 4 – 7 September 2019. Details of the programme are to be announced.

 

Dracula

Emerging from his world of perpetual darkness, an unlikely romance blossoms between Count Dracula and the unbidding Mina. A creature who should inspire repulsion in every living thing but who has seduced countless generations, Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire lives on in this extraordinary ballet with a dramatic bite.

 

Choreographed by David Nixon OBE to a score featuring music by Alfred Schnittke, Sergei Rachmaninov, Arvo Pärt and Michael Daugherty, with sets designed by Ali Allen, lighting by Tim Mitchell and costumes by David Nixon OBE.

 

Dracula will be Northern Ballet’s first production to be performed at the newly reopened Leeds Playhouse from 29 October – 2 November 2019.

 

Cinderella

After a glorious summer day ends in tragedy, Cinderella begins a desolate new life of servitude.Devastated by the loss of her father, and excluded by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella finds solace on the frozen lake where she first sets eyes on her Prince Charming. As her love for the Prince grows, a surprise encounter in the marketplace changes Cinderella’s destiny.

 

Choreographed by David Nixon OBE to an original score by Philip Feeney, with sets designed byDuncan Hayler, lighting by Tim Mitchell and costumes by David Nixon OBE.

 

Cinderella will be performed in Sheffield at the Lyceum Theatre from 24 – 28 September 2019 followed by performances at Hull New Theatre from 15 – 19 October 2019 and Leeds Grand Theatre from 17 December 2019 to 2 January 2020.

 

For further details and booking information visit northernballet.com/whatson

 

 

2019 Yorkshire Performance Listings

 

Victoria Leeds Grand Theatre (World Première) 9 – 16 March 2019 Box Office: 0844 848 2700* | leedsgrandtheatre.com	On sale now
Victoria Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 19 – 23 March 2019 Box Office: 0114 249 6000 | sheffieldtheatres.com	On sale now
Mixed Programme Leeds Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre 4 – 7 September 2019 Box Office: 0113 220 8008 | theatreleeds.com	On sale soon
Cinderella Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 24 – 28 September 2019 Box Office: 0114 249 6000* | sheffieldtheatres.com	On sale soon
Cinderella Hull New Theatre 15 – 19 October 2019 Box Office: 01482 300 306 | hulltheatres.co.uk	On sale now
Dracula Leeds Playhouse 29 October – 2 November 2019 Box Office: 0113 213 7700 | leedsplayhouse.org.uk	*newly announced*   On sale soon
Cinderella Leeds Grand Theatre 17 December 2019 – 2 January 2020 Box Office: 08448 848 2700* | leedsgrandtheatre.com	*newly announced*   On sale 4 December 2018

 

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

RICHMOND THEATRE KICKS OFF ITS 120^TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH A BRAND NEW SEASON OF SHOWS!

Richmond Theatre announces its new December – March 2019 season kicking off with plenty of panto magic into a new year of exclusive special events, brand new children’s shows, stunning dance and critically acclaimed plays!

It isn’t long before audiences can set sail for this year’s swashbuckling spectacular, PETER PAN, in Richmond Theatre’s second pantomime staged by Qdos Entertainment. Starring Robert Lindsay in his pantomime debut as the dastardly villain Captain Hook, comedy impressionist and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Jon Clegg as Mr Smee, West End star Rachel Stanley (Officer and A Gentlemen, Scrooge The Musical, Legally Blonde) as the Magical Mermaid, and Harry Francis (Book of Mormon, A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof) as the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan. Press are invited to attend for review on Thursday 13^th December at7pm.

The first in a series of special event shows produced exclusively for Richmond Theatre audiences by Theatre Director Brendan Riding, GO!GO!GO! WITH RUSTY FIRMIN tells the true story of the SAS’s incredible rescue mission during the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980. Rusty Firmin served 26 years in the British Army, 15 of which in B Squadron, 22 SAS. Audiences will get an unparalleled insight into his SAS career, SAS selection and a detailed account of the mission, which propelled the secretive 22 SAS onto the world stage. The evening will also be in support of Pilgrim Bandits, a charity which was established by a small group of Special Forces veterans in 2007 with the sole aim of using their unique training and experience to help and inspire injured personnel to live life to the full.

The MOSCOW CITY BALLET return to Richmond with two magnificent shows, SWAN LAKE and SLEEPING BEAUTY, each presented in classic Russian style with a full orchestra. Using Tchaikovsky’s haunting and beautiful score, these enchanting stories are brought exquisitely to life by Russia’s best dancers along with beautiful sets and stunning costumes.

Based on Paula Hawkins’ best-selling novel, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN pulls into Richmond for a brand new stage adaptation starring Samantha Womack (Eastenders, Game On, The Kingsman film series) and Oliver Farnworth (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks). When Rachel suddenly learns that the woman she’s been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery in which she will face bigger revelations than she ever could have anticipated.

New comedy, TRIAL BY LAUGHTER is based on the real life events of bookseller, publisher and satirist, William Hone who stood trial in 1817 for ‘impious blasphemy and seditious libel’ however the only crime he had committed was to be funny! Following critical acclaim for their play, The Wipers Times, Trial By Laughter looks set to be another successful and sharp comedy from writers Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

Presented by London Classic Theatre, the award-winning play MY MOTHER SAID I NEVER SHOULD details the lives of four women through the 20^th century using a kaleidoscopic time structure, it focuses on pinnacle moments of each woman’s lives in a poignant, bittersweet story about love, jealousy and the price of freedom. Written in 1985 by Charlotte Keatley, it has become the most widely commonly performed work by a female playwright in the world, a true classic.

 

In one of the most successful comedies of all time, Nigel Havers (Downton Abbey, Chariots of Fire), Denis Lawson (Bleak House, New Tricks) and Stephen Tompkinson (The Split, Wild at Heart, Ballykissangel) come together in ART, a dazzling study of friendship, prejudice and tolerance. Written by Yasmina Reza, Art has taken both Broadway and the West End by storm having won Olivier, Tony® and Moliére awards.

 

Following the recent success of mystery thriller, The Case of the Frightened Lady, Bill Kenright Productions return with THE LADY VANISHES based on Alfred Hitchcock’s much-loved film. Starring Emmy Award-winning actress Juliet Mills (Wild at Heart), Max Caulfield (Dynasty), Lorna Fitzgerald (Eastenders), Matt Barber (Downton Abbey), Robert Duncan (Drop Dead The Donkey), Philip Lowrie (Coronation Street) and Ben Nealon (Soldier Soldier), audiences won’t have far to look for another compelling production of a classic whodunit.

Direct from the West End and following rave reviews, WISE CHILDREN is a big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and pain featuring show girls, Shakespeare, sex and scandal, mischief and mistaken identity – and butterflies by the thousand! Emma Rice (Romantics Anonymous, Tristan & Yseult, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk and Brief Encounter) launches her new theatre company of the same name and in their first production, brings her unique, musical and exuberantly impish vision to Angela Carter’s great last novel.

Two fantastic children’s shows head to Richmond for the perfect spring treat for schools and families. Based on the classic children’s book series by David McKee, ELMER THE PATCHWORK ELEPHANT celebrates its 30th birthday in 2019 with a brand new show featuring a menagerie of 21 loveable puppets telling the tale of an elephant that stands out. Also, from the award-winning producers of Horrible Histories and Gangsta Granny comes the world premiere of TOM GATES LIVE ON STAGE in an exciting and hilarious adventure based on the original creation by Liz Pichon.

From adventurers to actors, we have an abundance of special events coming up including, DR ALICE ROBERTS: DIGGING INTO BRITAIN’S PAST, HANCOCK’S HALF HOUR, IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE WITH TOLKIEN, SHAKESPEARE OTHERS AND YOU, AN EVENING WITH KEN HOM, STRICTLY ANN WIDDICOMBE – AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH, ADAM KAY – THIS IS GOING TO HURT,BEN FOGLE – ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS and TRUST FAST HEALTH WITH DR MICHAEL MOSLEY.

 

Some classic music acts return to Richmond with BEYOND THE BARRICADE, THAT’LL BE THE DAY, THE COUNTERFEIT STONES, THE CARPENTERS STORY and SEVEN DRUNK NIGHTS THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS plus the brand new show HELLO AGAIN…NEIL DIAMOND.

 

Richmond Theatre is dedicated to making sure people of all ages and abilities can take part in theatre and the arts, and our Creative Learning Department has various workshops and courses that are inclusive and fun for all! For further information regarding workshops and creative learning bookings, please contact [email protected].

WEST END SMASH HIT

THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY

ANNOUNCES NEW CAST AND 2019 EXTENSION

 

Created by Mischief Theatre

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields

Mischief Theatre today announces new cast members and 2019 extension for the critically acclaimed and Olivier Award nominated The Comedy About A Bank Robbery. Due to continued high demand, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery announces an extension of their run until 3 November 2019, as they approach their third year on the West End.     

 

Joining the cast from 18 December 2018 are Julia Frith (Caprice Freeboys), Liam Jeavons (Mitch Ruscitti), Jack Whittle (Sam Monaghan) and Jean-Luke Worrell (Warren Slax).

From 15 January 2019 Gareth Tempest and Emily Stott take over the roles of Mitch Ruscitti and Caprice Freeboys to complete the company.

Continuing their roles are Samson Ajewole (Cooper), Jenna Augen (Ruth Monaghan), Jack Baldwin (Officer Randal Shuck), Leonard Cook (Robin Freeboys) and literally completing the cast is Chris Leask (Everyone Else). The understudies are Charlotte Duffy, Rhiann Francis, George Hannigan, Gracie Lai, Dale Mathurin, Kieran Mortell, Finlay Paul, Ashley Tucker, Ross Virgo and Eddy Westbury.

‘The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is one of the flat-out funniest pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen.’  Dominic Maxwell – The Times ★★★★★

Mischief Theatre’s smash-and-grab hit The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is a fast, fabulous comedy caper and the funniest show in the West End!

Summer 1958. Minneapolis City Bank has been entrusted with a priceless diamond. An escaped convict is dead set on pocketing the gem with the help of his screwball sidekick, trickster girlfriend… and the maintenance man. With mistaken identities, love triangles and hidden agendas, even the most reputable can’t be trusted. In a town where everyone’s a crook, who will end up bagging the jewel?

Book now for this dynamite comedy. It would be criminal to miss it!

Samson Ajewole plays Officer Cooper. Previous theatre credits include Damn Yankees (The Landor Theatre), The Life (English Theatre, Frankfurt) and La Cage Aux Folles (UK tour).

Jenna Augen plays Ruth Monaghan. Previous theatre credits include The Knowledge (Charing Cross Theatre), The Witches (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Bad Jews (Arts Theatre, St. James Theatre and Theatre Royal, Bath), The Way of the World (Chichester Festival Theatre), and Chicken Soup With Barley (Royal Court Theatre). Her work for television includes Episodes, The Night Watch and Penelope in the Treehouse.

Jack Baldwin plays Officer Shuck. Previous theatre credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Hamlet (Park Theatre), The Time of Your Life (Finborough Theatre), The Sessions (Royal Albert Hall), The Exquisite Corpse (Southwark Playhouse), Twelfth Night, As You Like It (Cockpit Theatre), Dare Me to the Desert (King’s Head Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Shakespeare Conspiracy (Chelsea Theatre), To the Green Fields Beyond, Titus Andronicus (Linbury Studio), Messiah (Bunker Theatre) and 10x10x10 (Pleasance Theatre).

Leonard Cook plays Robin Freeboys. Previous credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre).

Julia Firth plays Caprice Freeboys. Her theatre credits include Sam Wanamaker Festival (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Ties of Blood: The Brontes (Paprika Festival).

Liam Jeavons plays Mitch Ruscitti. His theatre credits include Where You Frum and Accidental Brummie (Birmingham Rep), The 39 Steps (Lyric Theatre), Primetime and Gala Night (The Royal Court).

Chris Leask plays Everyone Else. Previous theatre credits include I Need To Vent (The Vaults Festival), The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Apollo Theatre and UK tour), Love Your Soldiers(Sheffield Theatres), Staunch (Arcola Theatre and Theatre503), Just for Fun: Totally Random (Camden People’s Playhouse) and Same Time Next Week (Edinburgh Festival).

Emily Stott plays Caprice Freeboys. Her theatre credits include Glitter Punch (VAULT Festival), The Kitchen Sink (Oldham Coliseum), Inside Pussy Riot (Les Enfants Terribles), The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Watermill Theatre), Takeover (The Bunker) and Thirteen (Southwark Playhouse).

Jack Whittle plays Sam Monaghan this marks his professional stage debut.

Jean-Luke Worrell plays Warren Slax. His theatre credits include Cinderella (Greenwich Theatre) and Robinson Crusoe (Chipping Norton Theatre).

Mischief Theatre

Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields met at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). All core members of Mischief Theatre, they worked in comedy together for several years before starting out as a writing team. The company’s first production was The Play That Goes Wrong (winner – Best New Comedy – Olivier Awards and WhatsOnStage Awards). The show began on the London and Edinburgh fringe before touring the UK. It then opened in the West End in September 2014 where it is still running. It is also playing on Broadway and heading out on a US tour in 2018. Peter Pan Goes Wrong was the trio’s second production, opening in November 2014 for a UK tour before a hugely successful West End season in Christmas 2015. Mischief Theatre recently adapted the script of Peter Pan Goes Wrong for the BBC, which was filmed with the original West End cast and broadcast on New Year’s Eve 2016. They were invited back to wreak more havoc at the BBC in 2017 with A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong on BBC1. The Comedy About A Bank Robbery marks the company’s third writing project and earned them another Olivier Nomination.

Kenny Wax Ltd

Kenny Wax Ltd produced the multi-award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong, currently in the West End, on Broadway and on a US tour. Kenny Wax’s second collaboration with Mischief Theatre, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, played the West End twice and is now touring Australia and New Zealand. Kenny Wax presented the world première of Top Hat, winning three Olivier Awards including ‘Best New Musical’, with 1995’s Once on This Island winning the same award. The new British musical SIX completed a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and again at the Arts Theatre in the West End, where it will be returning for an open-ended run in January after a short UK tour. The Company is also renowned for producing some of the best family theatre including We’re Going On A Bear Hunt; Tall Stories’ The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and Room on the Broom;plus the stage adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather. Christmas 2018 will see the opening of a new stage adaptation of Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, co-produced by Royal & Derngate Northampton. Kenny Wax is the current President of the Society of London Theatre.

Directed by Mark Bell with Nancy Zamit for Mischief Theatre; Designer: David Farley Costume Designer: Roberto Surace; Lighting Designer: David Howe Sound Design: Jon Fiber for JollyGoodTunes; Musical Director and Arranger: Joey Hickman; Associate Director: Kirsty Patrick Ward; Resident Director Katie Ann McDonough;Associate Lighting Designer: Matt Leventhall

 

 

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery

Listings

Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, London, W1V 9LB

 

Box Office: 0844 815 6131

www.bankrobberycomedy.com

Twitter: @BankRobberyPlay

Facebook: BankRobberyComedy

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7:30pm

Saturday matinee at 2:30pm, Sunday matinee at 3pm and Sunday evening at 7pm

TICKET PRICES

Sunday evening – Thursday:

£49.50, £39.50, £35.00, £29.50, £25, £20, £15, £10

Premium Seats £69.50

Friday – Sunday Matinee:

£52.50, £42.50, £38.00, £32.50, £28, £23, £18, £10

Premium Seats £72.50

 

AGE

11+

Blue Elephant Theatre – 21st November

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Ella&co explore our relationship with social media in a fast-paced and very funny dance piece that entertains, educates and enlightens audiences of all ages.

The company, Eva Escrich, Ella Fleetwood, Julia Jordan and Amy Morvell all grew up alongside social media and gamin, but for those of us who remember mobile phones the size of a house brick, a handy Millennial dictionary is included to help with more arcane seeming sketches.

With sound designer Adrien Hollocou’s music from familiar games and channels, the piece is performed as if on a screen, with the dancers moving between sketches as if they have been swiped, and twitchy jumps when the notification alert sounds. Ella Fleetwood’s inspired choreography sees the company posing and preening, with the obligatory pouts of celebrities and influencers, through beauty and fitness routines and tiny dog walking. Inane commentaries about outfits and ridiculous tips for achieving a better life are interspersed between the dances. Scarily, some of these are taken from actual channels. There are nods to The Sims, Tinder and many more that may have passed an old Facebooker like me by.

The influence that social media has on young people is laid bare, alongside the shallow interactions online that can be mistaken for a real connection. The disconnect between real life and your online interactions is portrayed beautifully in a scene that begins with a girl posting about the death of her grandmother and her feelings of loss. As online friends awkwardly “like” the post and don’t follow up, one person actually engages, and the dancers manage to imbue the moment when they reach through the screen and engage physically and emotionally with a wonderful sense of love and compassion. A glorious moment of humanity amongst the artificial world we can sometimes get lost in. The need for posts to be liked, and the possible damage to self-esteem and mental health when they are not is also touched on in a quietly upsetting sketch that we never see the end of, for, like every sketch in the show, it gets interrupted by a swipe and a notification alert that is all too familiar to anyone watching a teenager on their device. Are our attention spans really that short? Can’t we wait for something to run to its conclusion before seeing what’s new?

The teacher in me sees the amazing potential for #nofilter as a brilliant stimulus for discussion and reflection on social media, relationships and mental health in schools. #nofilter is a fantastically entertaining piece, performed brilliantly, that makes you laugh, squirm and think in equal measure.