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Theatre Royal Haymarket – until 31st August 2024

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

Writer Katherine Moar has successfully pieced together conversations recorded in 1945 at Farm Hall in Oxfordshire, woven into the known backgrounds of the German scientists detained there, to produce a unique perspective. She offers a truly human insight into the relationships between the 6 men that produced the science behind the Atomic Bomb, against the backdrop of Nazi Germany.

The powerful, arrogance of lead scientist Heisenberg is carried effortlessly by Alan Cox. The mindless boredom of their confinement testing relationships and his authority. Then the unthinkable happened. The Americans got there first. Cox (Heisenberg) portrays the disbelief well in his outburst proclaiming it must be a hoax.

The minutiae in the relationships is cleverly revealed by the accentuation of endless hours spent together. Far right party member Diebner (Julius D’Silva) is the epitome of Nazi citizenship. Disliked by the other scientists, who despite their patriotism were not Nazis sympathizers. D’Silva (Diebner) is able to swing from purist, logical science to moralistic questioning of all their motivations, showing a more vulnerable side to his character.

The interaction between Von Laue (David Yelland) and Hahn (Forbes Masson) balanced out the bickering with kindness and remorse, giving the opportunity for all to express their true feelings. Masson (Hahn) captures the audiences heart in an unexpected way, carrying the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.

Daniel Boyd (Weizsacker) is convincing in his role as the young mediator, trying desperately to keep everyone together. Archie Backhouse (Bagge) is the most relatable character, no bragging, missing home, realistic about his prospects going forward.

The monologue delivered by Cox (Heisenberg) at the end has genuine gravity, neatly wrapping up the play.

You get caught up in the human story here and how the enormity of the situation hits these 6 brilliant men. They never thought it would happen.

The combined setting and situation is rare and based on historical fact. You will not find a story like this anywhere else. 

BRYN TERFEL PRESENTS “BRYN’S CHRISTMAS”

WITH GUEST ARTIST PUMEZA MATSHIKIZA

FOUR DATES ONLY, FROM 16 TO 20 DECEMBER 2024

IN LONDON, SWANSEA, MANCHESTER & BRISTOL

TICKETS ON SALE FROM 10:00 ON FRIDAY 16 AUGUST

Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel will be bringing his very special Christmas show, Bryn’s Christmas, to London, Swansea, Manchester and Bristol for four dates only, from 16 to 20 December.  He will be joined by special guest soprano Pumeza Matshikiza and the Welsh National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Paul Bateman.

Tickets are on general sale at 10am on Friday 16 August from eventim.co.uk

Bryn’s Christmas will take place at the Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall in London on 16 December, Swansea Arena on 17 December, Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on 19 December and Bristol Beacon on 20 December. 

Bryn’s Christmas will include festive carols in English and Welsh, as well as popular Christmas songs and orchestral pieces.

Bryn Terfel has established an extraordinary career since winning the 1989 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Song Prize, performing regularly on the stages of the world’s most prestigious concert halls and opera houses. His repertory ranges from Mozart to Sondheim and his performances from intimate recitals to the BBC Last Night of the Proms. His award-winning discography encompasses operas by Mozart, Wagner and Strauss and more than 15 solo discs including Lieder, American musical theatre, Welsh songs and sacred repertory. His latest album Sea Songs, featuring sea shanties and folk music, was released on the Deutsche Grammophon label.  

Equally at home on the concert platform, Bryn’s highlights range from the opening ceremony of the Wales Millennium Centre, BBC Last Night of the Proms and the Royal Variety Show to a Gala Concert with Andrea Bocelli in New York’s Central Park and curating a special Christmas concert and live international stream for the Metropolitan Opera’s ‘Met Stars Live in Concert’ series from Brecon Cathedral, Wales. He has given recitals all around the world and, for nine years, he hosted his own festival in Faenol, North Wales.

Bryn was made a CBE in 2003, was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2006, received a knighthood in 2017 and was honoured with the title of Austrian Kammersänger by the Vienna State Opera and, in 2022, was awarded a European Cultural Award at the Tonhalle, Zurich, in recognition of his extraordinary music career. In 2023, he sang Paul Mealor’s new Welsh-language Kyrie at the Coronation of King Charles III and has recently concluded the ‘Bryn Double’ of operas at Grange Park, enjoying five-star reviews.

Bryn said of his Christmas show, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year, especially for a father of five.  I am thrilled to kick off the festive season with concerts in London and Manchester and two new

venues for me in Swansea and Bristol.  I can’t wait to share the stage with the sensational South African soprano, Pumeza Matshikiza, and the magnificent Orchestra of Welsh National Opera conducted by Paul Bateman on this Christmas tour.  Get ready to have your festive spirits awakened with beloved Christmas classics, some old favourites and a few delightful surprises, maybe an aria here and a shanty there!”

South African soprano Pumeza Matshikiza has been an exclusive Decca Artist since 2014 and has performed at many of the leading opera houses across Europe and the United States and released two solo recordings with Decca: Voice of Hope, her debut album combining well-known arias with traditional and popular African songs, and Arias. Throughout her career Pumeza has championed numerous contemporary operatic works. 

In recent seasons, Pumeza has won critical acclaim in the title role of Aidaat the Staatsoper Hannover, as Mařenka in Smetana’s The Bartered Bride at Garsington Opera and as the Fox in Janáček’s The Cunning Little Vixen at the English National Opera.

Pumeza said of joining Bryn Terfel in Bryn’s Christmas, “I’m looking forward to celebrating this holiday season with songs and duets in the spirit of Christmas.” 

Conductor Paul Bateman started his conducting career with the West End shows Singin’ In The Rain, Barnum, Charlie Girl, Ziegfeld, The Phantom of the Opera and Carmen Jones. He has since recorded and given concerts with Bryn Terfel, José Carreras, Sumi Jo, Jessye Norman, Barbara Hendricks, Lesley Garrett, Tito Beltran, Jason Howard, Sarah Brightman and Paul McCartney.

Paul has conducted with the City of Prague Philharmonic, the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, London Symphony, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National, Ulster Orchestras, the Malmö Symphony, Seville Symphony, Munich Symphony, Vienna Symphony, Dallas Symphony and Pacific Symphony (Los Angeles), Russian National and Tokyo Symphony Orchestras. 

In addition to its substantial operatic remit for Welsh National Opera (WNO), the Orchestra’s stature and reputation as a world-class ensemble is demonstrated by its distinguished involvement over the years in the St Davids’s Hall Cardiff Classical Concerts, the Welsh Proms and as one of the two National orchestras from Wales featured in the BBC Cardiff Singer of the WorldCompetition.  On the concert platform, the Orchestra is regularly active at many high profile and festival engagements in the UK and abroad, covering an extremely wide range of styles, from large symphonic works through to lighter orchestral and popular music, together with a regular portfolio of community work, family and school concerts and chamber music engagements.

Bryn’s Christmas is presented in the UK by Temple Live Entertainment.

For further information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.eventim.co.uk/artist/bryns-christmas/.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Bryn’s Christmas

16 December @ 7pm: The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, London

https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/bryns-christmas-royal-festival-hall-18942521

Tickets from £20

17 December @ 7.30pm: Swansea Arena

https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/bryns-christmas-swansea-arena-18942137

Tickets from £45

19 December@ 7.30pm: The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/bryns-christmas-the-bridgewater-hall-18942561

Tickets from £25

20 December @ 7.30pm: Bristol Beacon

https://www.eventim.co.uk/event/bryns-christmas-bristol-beacon-18942562

Tickets from £25

FURTHER CASTING ANNOUNCED

EMILY-MAE AS ‘ANGELICA SCHUYLER’

IN THE WEST END PRODUCTION

OF THE MULTI-AWARD WINNING
HAMILTON

AT THE VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE

FROM 14 AUGUST 2024

Jeffrey Seller and Cameron Mackintosh, producers of the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON, are delighted to announce further casting for the show, with Emily-Mae playing the role of Angelica Schuyler from Wednesday 14 August 2024 at the Victoria Palace Theatre.

Emily-Mae joins the cast, alongside Alex Sawyer as Alexander Hamilton, Jay Perry as Aaron Burr (also joining from 14 August 2024), Nathania Ong as Eliza Hamilton, Simbi Akande as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Thomas Vernal as George Washington, Lemuel Knights as Marquis De Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson, Jordan Castle as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison, Jordan Benjamin as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton and Joel Montague asKing George III. At certain performances, the role of Alexander Hamilton will be played by Adam J. Bernard.

The company is completed by Gabriela Acosta, Richard Appiah-Sarpong, Elizabeth Armstrong, Turrell Barrett-Wallace, Alishia-Marie Blake, Roxanne Couch, Nicola Espallardo, Remi Ferdinand, Manaia Glassey-Ohlson, Jack Harrison-Cooper, Amie Hibbert, Sam Holden, Barney Hudson, Nicolais-Andre Kerry, Christian Knight, Ella Kora, Aaron Lee Lambert, Jairus McClanahan, Stacey McGuire, Kerri Norville, Jamai Robinson, Samuel Sarpong-Broni, Hassun Sharif and Paulo Teixeira.

A second National Company of HAMILTON is touring the UK and Ireland, currently playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 31 August 2024. Further dates can be found at www.hamiltonmusical.com/uk-tour/

HAMILTON has book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, is directed by Thomas Kail, with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire and is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg and hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe.

HAMILTON is produced in London by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman, The Public Theater and Cameron Mackintosh.

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

ROB DRUMMOND’S PIN AND NEEDLES –

THE INAUGURAL PRODUCTION IN AMIT SHARMA’S SEASON AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF KILN THEATRE

Amit Sharma today announces the full cast for the world première of Rob Drummond’s Pins and Needles which opens his first season as Artistic Director at Kiln Theatre. Sharma directs Richard Cant, Gavi Singh Chera, Brian Vernel and Sharlene Whyte.

The production opens on 25 September, with previews from 19 September, and runs until 26 October.

Amit Sharma said today, “Rob and I are thrilled to have assembled this fantastic cast and creative team to create his brand-new play for the stage. The Kiln Theatre is a place for nurturing conversation and provoking debate, and it feels perfect to begin with Pins and Needles which will entice, challenge and entertain our audiences.”

The world première of

PINS AND NEEDLES

by Rob Drummond

19 September – 26 October 2024

Director Amit Sharma; Designer Frankie Bradshaw; Lighting Designer Rory Beaton;

Sound Designer Jasmin Kent Rodgman; Casting Director Amy Ball CDG;

Kiln-Mackintosh Resident Assistant Director Imy Wyatt Corner; Linbury Associate Designer Finlay Jenner

Caution: Contains truth, lies and misinformation. You decide. 

Rob is putting science and scepticism to the test in his new play. For research, he speaks to Mary, a mother trying to make the best decisions for her family, Toby, an angry son who distrusts institutions, and Edward Jenner, the father of modern vaccinations. The more he listens, the more he struggles to keep his own subjectivity off the table, which begs the question – how do you know who to trust?

Rob Drummond, whose plays are ‘utterly unpredictable’ (The Stage), explores the politics around vaccines, and the human stories behind them. 

Richard Cant returns to Kiln Theatre to play Edward Jenner – he previously appeared in Handbagged and Wife. His other theatre work includes Chariots of Fire, Talent (Sheffield Theatres), What It Means (The Lot at Wilton’s Music Hall), The Vortex (Chichester Festival Theatre), Orlando (MGC at the Garrick Theatre), The Normal Heart, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear (National Theatre), After Edward, Edward the Second (Shakespeare’s Globe), Maydays, Henry VI – Rebellion and Wars of the Roses (RSC), Saint Joan (Donmar Warehouse), My Night with Reg (Donmar Warehouse/Apollo Theatre), Medea (Almeida Theatre), The Trial (Young Vic), War Horse (New London Theatre), and Salome (Headlong). His television credits include Doctor Who, Mapp & Lucia, The Crown, It’s a Sin, Silent Witness, Taboo, Outlander, Bleak House and The Way We Live Now; and for film, Take Care, My Policeman, Mary Queen of Scots, and Stan and Ollie.

Gavi Singh Chera plays Rob. His theatre credits include Our Generation (National Theatre/ Chichester Festival Theatre), Behind The Beautiful Forevers (National Theatre), Pygmalion (Headlong), The Cherry Orchard (Yard Theatre / HOME Theatre), Duck and 1922: The Waste Land (Jermyn Street Theatre); as well as numerous West End productions whilst a member of the National Youth Theatre REP Company, including Wuthering Heights, Consensual and The Merchant of Venice. His television credits include Lord of The Rings: The Rings of Power, The Undeclared War, The Lazarus Project, and Vera; and for film, Blitz, and Kavita and Teresa, and short film, Temple – for which he was nominated for Best Actor in the British Short Film Awards.

Brian Vernel plays Robert. His theatre credits include Mary (Hamstead Theatre), Stories, Certain Young Men – Queer Theatre (National Theatre), Instructions for Correct Assembly (Royal Court), The Seagull (Lyric Hammersmith), Barbarians, Future Conditional (Young Vic), Takin’ Over the Asylum (Royal Lyceum/Citizen’s Theatre), The Static, Blackout (Corby Cube) and Four Parts Broken (National Theatre Of Scotland/Traverse Theatre/Oran Mor). His television credits include Shardlake, Slow Horses, Gangs of London S1 & S2, Collateral, The Tunnel, Dr Who, The Missing 2, The Last Kingdom, The Casual Vacancy, Grantchester, Prey and The Field of Blood. For film his credits include Kill, Dunkirk, Papillon, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Winter Song, Offender and Let Us Prey.

Sharlene Whyte plays Mary. Her theatre credits include Daddy (Almedia Theatre), The Trick (Bush Theatre), Matilda the Musical (Cambridge Theatre), As Good a Time as Any (Print Room), Wildefire, Born Bad (Hampstead Theatre), NUT (National Theatre), Treasure Island (Theatre Royal, Haymarket), Julius Caesar (Lyric Hammersmith), The Three Birds (Gate Theatre), Arabian Nights (Young Vic/UK tour). Her television credits include Mr Loverman, Sherwood S2, Silent Witness, The Doll Factory, Sandition, Stephen, Small Axe, We Hunt Together, Run, Spooks, The Undisclosed, Adanna Lawal in Waterloo Road, The Story of Tracy Beaker, Tinsel Town, My Hero, Burnside, As If, and Other People’s Children. For film her credits include, Eye for an Eye, Perfect 10, Second Coming and Honey Trap.

Rob Drummond is an award-winning playwright and performer who has worked with the most prestigious theatres in the UK; and an associate artist at the Traverse Theatre. His plays include Roald Dahl’s The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Perth Theatre, Macrobert Arts Centre and Eden Court Theatre), Milkshake, The Mack, Eulogy (Òran Mór, Traverse Theatre), Flesh (National Theatre Connections), Our Fathers (Traverse Theatre, Tron Theatre, Scottish tour), Pleading, Top Table, Rolls in Their Pockets (Òran Mór – A Play, A Pie and A Pint), The Majority (National Theatre), Grain in the Blood (Traverse Theatre, Tron Theatre), The Broons (Scottish tour), In Fidelity (HighTide, Traverse Theatre), Uncanny Valley (Edinburgh International Science Festival, Borderline Theatre – CATS Award, Best Production for Children and Young People), Dear Scotland (National Theatre of Scotland), Bullet Catch (Brits Off Broadway 59East59, international tour, Traverse Theatre – Herald Angel Award and Total Theatre Award), Riot of Spring (The Arches Theatre, Glasgow), Quiz Show (Traverse Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland – CATS Award for Best New Play), Rod Drummond: Wrestling (The Arches – Vital Spark Award), Mr Write (NTS, Tron Theatre – CATS Award, Best Production for Children and Young People), Hunter (NTS and Frantic Assembly), Allotment (Govan Shopping Centre), and Sixteen (Arches Theatre Festival). For television his work includes McDonald and Dodds.

Amit Sharma is an international award-winning director of theatre and television. Before joining the Kiln Theatre as Associate Director, he was previously Deputy Artistic Director of Birmingham Rep, Associate Artistic Director at the Royal Exchange, Manchester, and Associate Director at Graeae Theatre Company where his journey into theatre began. Sharma directed the critically acclaimed and sell-out run of Retrograde at the Kiln; and has also directed two productions at the National Theatre – The Solid Life of Sugar Water (Graeae Theatre Company/Theatre Royal Plymouth co-production) and The Boy With Two Hearts (also Wales Millennium Centre). He also co-directed Prometheus Awakes, one of the largest outdoor productions featuring Deaf and disabled artists as part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad (Graeae Theatre Company/ Greenwich+Docklands International Festival/ Stockton International Riverside Festival/La Fura Dels Baus); and Aruna and The Raging Sun in Chennai, India as part of UK/INDIA Year of Culture 2017. Sharma is a BAFTA nominated director, for his two films which were part of the Criptales season on BBC and BBC AMERICA. He also co-directed the award-winning BBC and NETFLIX television drama Then Barbara Met Alan (Best Single Drama, 2023 Broadcast Awards). He began his training at Graeae Theatre Company with Missing Piece 1. His other theatre credits include One Under (Graeae Theatre Company/Theatre Royal Plymouth), Cosmic Scallies (Graeae Theatre Company/Royal Exchange Theatre), and Iron Man (Graeae Theatre Company/international tour). His other television work includes Hamish, and Thunderbox. 

Kiln Theatre

Listings

269 Kilburn High Road, London, UK, NW6 7JR

Box Office: 020 7328 1000

www.KilnTheatre.com

PEANUT BUTTER & BLUEBERRIES

8 August – 31 August 2024

Alcohol-free                        12 and 22 August, 7pm                                

performances

Tickets                                £15 – £35

Access performances:

Audio Described               29 August, 7pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           22 August, 7pm

Relaxed                               28 August, 2.30pm

PINS AND NEEDLES

19 September – 26 October 2024

Tickets                                £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               24 October, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           21 October, 7.30pm

Relaxed                               19 October, 2.30pm

THE PURISTS

14 November – 21 December 2024

Tickets                                £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               19 December, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           9 December, 7.30pm

Relaxed                               14 December, 2.30pm

THE LONELY LONDONERS

10 January -15 February 2025

Tickets                                £15 – £40

Access performances:

Audio Described               13 February, 7.30pm, preceded by a Touch Tour

Captioned                           3 February, 7.30pm

Relaxed                               8 February, 2.30pm

SHANGHAI DOLLS

April – May 2025

Under 26 – £10 (subject to availability)

Access, Over 65, Local, Student and Group rates available, for further details, please see the website.

Subsidised tickets

We offer free tickets and exclusive discounts to those who can’t afford to come. If you fit any of the below criteria, get in touch and we can help you get a ticket.

If you are homeless, out of work or receive Housing Benefits, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance (valid ID, statements or proof universal tax credit will be required when collecting tickets).

Employees of NHS, Police Force, Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, The Coastguard, RNLI, Prison Officers or Social Care Workers (valid ID payslip and name badges will be required when collecting tickets).

Email [email protected]

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED AND REHEARSALS BEGIN FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF NEVER LET ME GO AT ROSE THEATRE

New stage adaptation opens in Kingston upon Thames before tour to Royal & Derngate, Malvern Theatres, Bristol Old Vic, and Chichester Festival Theatre

The full cast for a new stage adaptation of Nobel Prize winning author Kazuo Ishiguro’s best-selling novel Never Let Me Go includes Amelie Abbott (Hannah/Chrissi), Susan Aderin (Miss Emily), Matilda Bailes (Ruth), Nell Barlow (Kathy), Maximus Evans (Philip), Angus Imrie (Tommy), Princess Khumalo (Laura), Emile Patry (Miss Lucy/Madame), and Tristan Waterson (Rodney/Alfie). Rehearsals start today before performances begin at the Rose Theatre in Kingston on Friday, 20 September before moving to Royal & Derngate, Malvern Theatres, Bristol Old Vic, and Chichester Festival Theatre through late November. Press night is Wednesday, 25 September.

The previously announced creative team includes Suzanne Heathcote (Adapter), Christopher Haydon (Director), Tom Piper (Set and Costume Designer), Ayse Tashkiran (Movement Director), Joshua Carr (Lighting Designer), Eamonn O’Dwyer (Composer), Carolyn Downing (Sound Designer), Sam Jones CDG (Casting Director), Haruka Kuroda (Fight Director), and Emma Denson (Assistant Director).

As announced last week, Olivier Award nominee Marisha Wallace (Guys & Dolls) has recorded the title song for the production. Wallace does not appear live on stage but instead offers her exquisite vocals to the recording of this original song, which features in the play. A behind-the-scenes video of the recording session can be viewed here.

As the production was announced this spring, Kazuo Ishiguro said, “I’m filled with excitement by news of the upcoming production of Never Let Me Go. Suzanne Heathcote is a superb writer for both stage and screen. Christopher Haydon directed a beautiful adaptation of my The Remains of the Day not long ago. And the arrival of this new version of Never Let Me Go feels particularly well-timed. Its central question – How do we find and hold onto love in a world ruled by out-of-control science and savage hierarchical structures? – feels even more haunting today than when I wrote the novel twenty years ago. I look forward to discovering how this wonderfully talented team will re-imagine the story for the stage and for our time.”

“Never Let Me Go has been among my favourite novels since I first read it two decades ago. It is an achingly beautiful story of how we maintain hope, and continue to love in the face of a hostile world. It’s become one of the world’s best loved novels and has all of the elements of a great piece of theatre,” says Christopher Haydon, Artistic Director, who directs the production. “I’m thrilled to be heading into the rehearsal room today to start bringing this incredible story to life with this cast.”

Never Let Me Go is being co-produced with Bristol Old Vic, Malvern Theatres, and Royal & Derngate, Northampton, where the production will play following its premiere at the Rose; tickets are now on sale at all co-producing theatres. The production will also be part of Chichester Festival’s upcoming Winter Season, with tickets going on sale there in September.

Amelie Abbott (Hannah / Chrissie)

Amelie is a recent graduate of The BRIT School and The Rose Youth Theatre. Credits whilst training include: The Unreturning; and Romeo and Juliet. Past Rose Theatre credits: Peter Pan; A Christmas Carol; Beauty And The Beast; Our Town; Hansel and Gretel; Alice in Wonderland; The Wind In The Willows; and A Christmas Carol. Theatre credits: The Gunpowder Plot (Interactive Video for Layered Reality). TV, Film & Radio credits: The Sister Boniface Mysteries; Halfway; Freddie; Cur(s)ed; and Billy Goats Gruff, Children’s Story Telling – Cartoonito Tales.

Susan Aderin (Miss Emily)

Theatre credits: Can I Help You (Playing On Theatre Company); Hidden (Manchester Camerata – Hidden was the Winner of the Best Performance Award at The Manchester Culture Awards); The Tide Whisperer (National Theatre Wales); Consumables (The King’s Head); Silver Gym (Queens Theatre Hornchurch); Pandora’s Box (Spora Stories/Arcola Theatre); King Baabu – International Tour (Nawao Productions); Peer Gynt (Royal National Theatre); Romeo & Juliet (Royal National Theatre); On the Plastic (Avon Touring); The Beatification of Area Boy (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Crimes of Passion (Nottingham Playhouse Trust); Marching for Fausa (Royal Court Theatre); Flamingo (Gate Theatre); Medea (Manchester Royal Exchange); The Crucible (Manchester Royal Exchange); Brainpower (Quicksilver Theatre); and The Gods Are Not to Blame (Talawa Theatre). TV credits: EastEnders; The Ballad of Renegade Nell; My Friend Misty; Foundation; Guerrilla; Beowulf; Rapunzel; The Last Detective; Doctors; Casualty; Big Women; Jailbirds; and Thief Takers. Film credits: The Spiral Show, The Edge, Sunday in the Vale of Tears, No Entry, and KoKo.

Matilda Bailes (Ruth)

Matilda graduated from LAMDA in 2021. Theatre credits: Shooting Hedda Gabler (Rose Theatre); Persuasion (Rose Theatre/Alexandra Palace/Oxford Playhouse); and Sparks, Fen, Be My Baby, Boy, Measure for Measure, Present Laughter (LAMDA). TV, Film & Radio credits: Mr Bates vs the Post Office; Doctors; and The Strange Disappearance of Aila Hydrii.

Nell Barlow (Kathy)

Nell Barlow’s breakout performance in which she played the lead in British independent film Sweetheart earned her the Breakthrough Performance award at the 2021 BIFAs as well as the BAFTA Breakthrough award in 2022. Theatre credits: 4000 Miles (Chichester Festival Theatre); and How To Build A Wax Figure (November Theatre). TV credits: An American In Austen, Consent, Behind Her Eyes, Married To A Paedophile, and Doctor Thorne. Film: Day Trippers, Where Is Anne Frank, and Sweetheart. Short Film credits: Torr, and The Fool’s Mate. Awards: Sweetheart, Breakthrough Performance, BIFA, 2021 and Sweetheart, BAFTA Breakthrough, BAFTA, 2022.

Maximus Evans (Philip)

Maximus graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama this summer 2024.  Productions while training include: Days of Significance; The Comedy of Errors. Television credits: Coronation Street, The Bay; and Creeped Out. Awards: Best villain, ITV British Soap Awards 2022. This marks his professional theatre debut and first production with Rose theatre.

Angus Imrie (Tommy)

Theatre credits: Deluge (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); and Nell Gwynn, Richard II (Shakespeare’s Globe). TV credits: The Road Trip; Serpent Queen; Star Trek: Prodigy; The Crown; Fleabag; and Industry. Film credits: Mickey 17; Back to the Outback; Emma; and The Kid Who Would Be King. Radio credits: The Archers; and Howl’s Moving Castle. Training: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Princess Khumalo (Laura)

Princess Khumalo is a Zimbabwean-British actor who grew up in the North of Yorkshire. She trained at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. Theatre credits: The Independent Socialist Republic of The Upper End of The Lower Breck Road (Liverpool’s Royal Court The Other Room); We Need New Names (Fifth Word, New Perspectives); The Ultimate Pickle, Half Empty Glasses (Paines Plough); A Sudden Violent Burst of Rain (Paines Plough, The Gate Theatre); Sleepover (All Things Considered Theatre Company); That’s What She Said (Out The Attic); and The Streets Where We Live (Falling Doors, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse). TV, Film & Radio credits: Holier Than Thou; Doctors; Becoming God; and So Awkward.

Emilie Patry (Miss Lucy / Madame)

Emilie is a bilingual French/English actor. Having trained both in Paris and London, she has worked extensively in the UK and Europe. Training: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama / Studio Création Formation (Paris).

Theatre credits: Image of An Unknown Young Woman & The Christians (Gate Theatre, London); Ghost Light (National Theatre of Scotland); 2019 Summer Season, A Christmas Carol (Pitlochry Festival Theatre); The Gamblers (Greyscale / Dundee Rep co-production, UK tour); Macbeth, Twelfth Night and Henry V (Bard in the Botanics); A Beginning, Middle and an End (Traverse / Tron); The Return (Eden Court Theatre); Stars in the Morning Sky (Riverside Studios); Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down (Arcola); Les Isles Kerguelen (Théatre De La Tempête, Paris); and Bastringue (L’etoile Du Nord, Paris). TV, Film & Radio credits: Casualty 1907; Behind Closed Doors; The Advocates; and Gayle Tuesday. Awards: The Christians, Best Female Performance in a Supporting Role, The Offie Awards, 2016.

Tristan Waterson (Rodney / Alfie)

Tristan most recently appeared in Dear England which won ‘Best New Play’ at the Olivier Awards 2024. Theatre credits: Beautiful Thing (Tobacco Factory Theatres); The Spine (20 Stories High); All Roads (Attic Theatre Company); and Dear England (National Theatre Productions / Delfont Mackintosh). TV, Film & Radio credits: Holy Beef; Secret Life of Boys; Kidnapped; and Faith Hope & Glory.

NEVER LET ME GO

20 September – 12 October 2024

A Rose Original Production with Bristol Old Vic, Malvern Theatres, and Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

You were brought into this world for a purpose.

And your futures — all of them — have been decided.

A play by Suzanne Heathcote

Based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro

Directed by Christopher Haydon

Kazuo Ishiguro’s international best-selling novel arrives on stage in this world premiere of Suzanne Heathcote’s gripping new adaptation.

What if you discovered your whole reason for being was not about your life but about making someone else’s possible?  Your dreams, your desires, your love for another, all of them irrelevant in a world that values only what you give, without question or condition, to someone you’ve never met andwill never know.

Memory and reality collide in this stunning new staging that challenges us to think about what it means to be human. What it means to have hope and heart — to love and to lose.

Age Guidance: 12+

www.rosetheatre.org/never-let-me-go

Royal & Derngate, 16-26 October | www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/never-let-me-go

Malvern Theatres, 29 October – 2 November | www.malvern-theatres.co.uk/whats-on/never-let-go

Bristol Old Vic, 5-23 November | www.bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/never-let-me-go

Chichester Festival, 26-30 November (tickets on sale in September) | www.cft.org.uk

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary announced as Southwark Playhouse Borough Christmas show

Based on the classic Gustave Flaubert novel, the irreverent adaption is presented by Ha Hum Ah Productions and The Minack

5^th December – 11^th January

X (Twitter) @hahumah_ | @minacktheatre | @swkplay | southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovary has been announced as the Christmas show at Southwark Playhouse Borough, running from 5^th December to 11^th January. The classic Flaubert novel about a woman struggling with the patriarchy – scandalous at time of publishing in 1856 – receives a comic, fast-paced adaptation with a cast of four all playing multiple roles. Presented by Ha Hum Ah Productions and the Minack Theatre, the production was previously staged at the Minack Theatre and on national tour.

Emma Bovary is bored. She’s bored with her boring doctor husband, bored with her boring provincial village and bored with her role as a dutiful wife in (boring) nineteenth-century France. But Emma reads novels. Lots of novels. And in novels, life is much more fun… Now, watch four actors battle hilarious mishaps and misbehaving props to tell the (massively) tragic story of Madame Bovary. There will be vermin, visual absurdity, wild animals and a nun.

Producer Ben Kernow said, “We developed The Massive Tragedy of Madame Bovaryamidst the stunning, sometimes sunny cliffs of Cornwall at the Minack Theatre, and are thrilled to be bringing the show to Southwark Playhouse Borough this Christmas season. It’s an anarchic, fast-paced, and lovingly derailed adaptation of Gustave Flaubert’s classic novel; despite the inherently tragic nature of the source material, John Nicholson’s adaptation brilliantly extrapolates every ounce of humor from it. It has been a joy to witness the connection people feel to the show on tour, and can’t wait to bring it to London.”

Ha Hum Ah is an award-winning Cornwall based theatre and film production company who create innovative, ambitious and accessible stories that stimulate the imagination. Ha Hum Ah Theatre was established in 2018 to offer the support and framework for artists to produce their own work with the aid and collaboration of others. The company was formed in response to support artists with the daunting prospects and challenges with producing and staging their own work. Ha Hum Ah Theatre was formed to act as a co-operative theatre company where actors, director, writers and creatives of all backgrounds could work together in realising and harnessing each other’s creativity. In 2021 Ha Hum Ah expanded into the world of film with the creation of Ha Hum Ah Films, and in 2023 the theatre and film arms combined to form Ha Hum Ah Productions CIC.

Southwark Playhouse is a registered charity that delivers a year-round programme of entertaining and enriching work. Southwark Playhouse operates two separate venues ‘Southwark Playhouse Borough’ and its newest theatre ‘Southwark Playhouse Elephant’ which opened in January 2023. Southwark Playhouse has always prided itself in telling stories and inspiring the next generation of storytellers and theatre makers, where support for the community has been rooted at the core of the organisation.

Running Time: 2hrs plus interval | Suitable for ages 12+

Company information

Writer John Nicholson                           Based on the novel by Gustave Flaubert          

Director Kirstie Davis                            Movement director Grace Murdoch

Set and costume designer Marion Harrison

Lighting designer Simon Hutchings      Sound Designer Dan Bottomley

Producers Zoe Curnow & Ben Kernow  Assistant producer Sian Kennedy

Cast

Stephen Cavanagh, Ben Kernow, Georgia Nicholson, Darren Seed

Listings information

5 Dec – 11 Jan

Southwark Playhouse Borough, 77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

5 – 21 Dec & 6 – 11 Jan: Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Tues and Sat matinee 3pm 

23 – 30 Dec: 3pm & 7.30pm Mon 23, Fri 27, Sat 28, Mon 30 Dec, Thurs 2, Fri 3, Sat 4 Jan

£28 Standard (£22.50 conc, avail Mon – Thurs and Sat matinees)
Pioneers Preview £10, £10, 6 – 7 Dec £16. Press night 9 Dec
southwarkplayhouse.co.uk | 020 7407 0234

Social media

X (Twitter)         @hahumah_ | @minacktheatre | @swkplay

Instagram         @hahumah_  | @minacktheatre | @swkplay

Facebook          hahumahcornwall | theminack | SouthwarkPlayhouse

#MadameBovary

NEW CASTING ANNOUNCED

OLIVIER AWARD NOMINEE

ADAM GILLEN

AS THE EMCEE

GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEE

KATHERINE LANGFORD

AS SALLY BOWLES

IN

THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING, CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

WEST END PRODUCTION

OF

CABARET

AT THE KIT KAT CLUB

FROM 23 SEPTEMBER 2024

The producers of the multi award-winning, critically acclaimed West End production of CABARET at the KIT KAT CLUB are delighted to announce new casting.

From 23 September 2024, Olivier nominee Adam Gillen will play The Emcee and Golden Globe nominee Katherine Langford will play Sally Bowles. Also joining the cast on 23 September will be Daniel Bowerbank as Clifford Bradshaw, Fred Haig as Ernst Ludwig, Xenoa Campbell-Ledgister, Sam Darius, Adrian Grove, Justin-Lee Jones, Alexandra Regan, Marina Tavolieri, Ben Simon Wilson, Anne-Marie Wojna and Lucy Young.

Continuing in the show will be Sally Ann Triplett as Fraulein Schneider, Fenton Gray as Herr Schultz, Jessica Kirton as Fraulein Kost/Fritzie, Damon Gould, El Haq Latief, Ela Lisondra, Hícaro Nicolai, Andy Rees and Patrick Wilden.

Adam Gillen and Katherine Langford’s final performance will be on Saturday 25 January 2025.

CABARET recently celebrated the milestone of 1000 performances at the KIT KAT CLUB and is currently booking until May 2025. kitkat.club

Adam Gillen’s many theatre credits include Killer Joe at Trafalgar Studios for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor, Amadeus at the National Theatre, I, Joan, Henry VIII and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Globe, Wendy and Peter for the Royal Shakespeare Company, The School for Scandal at the Barbican, The Door Never Closes at the Almeida and most recently The Caretaker at Chichester Festival Theatre. Adam is probably best known to TV audiences as Liam Conroy in the hit ITV series Benidorm. His other TV credits include Brian in Channel 4’s Fresh Meat and most recently Boat Story for the BBC. 

Katherine Langford’s film credits include: critically acclaimed blockbuster Knives Out, which earned her a Satellite Award as part of Best Ensemble: Motion Picture, Love, Simon, and Spontaneous. TV audiences will know Katherine best from the hit Netflix series 13 Reasons Why, for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, before going on to lead the epic Netflix series, Cursed, and AACTA-nominated limited series Savage River (ABC). Cabaret marks Katherine’s West End debut. 

Daniel Bowerbank trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. His theatre credits include Machinal at for the Old Vic and Theatre Royal, Bath and The Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare’s Globe.

The prologue company are Rachel Benson, Ami Benton, Onyemachi Ejimofor, Joseph Hardy, Liz Kamille, Andrew Linnie, Aine McLoughlin, Jack William Parry, Jazmyn Raikes, Oliver Stockley and Ena Yamaguchi.

Katherine Langford is not scheduled to appear on Wednesday 25 September at 2.00pm, Thursday 3 October at 7.30pm, Wednesday 9 October at 2.00pm, Wednesday 16 October at 2.00pm, Thursday 24 October at 7.30pm, Wednesday 30 October at 2.00pm, Thursday 7 November at 7.30pm, Wednesday 13 November at 2.00pm, Thursday 21 November at 7.30pm, Wednesday 27 November at 2.00pm, Thursday 5 December at 7.30pm, Wednesday  11 December at 2.00pm, Thursday 19 December at 7.30pm, Monday 30 December at 7.30pm, Friday 3 January at 2.00pm, Wednesday 8 January at 2.00pm, Thursday 16 January at 7.30pm and Wednesday 22 January at 2.00pm.

Nic Myers will play the role of Sally Bowles on Wednesday 25 September at 2.00pm, Thursday 3 October at 7.30pm and Wednesday 9 October at 2.00pm. From Wednesday 16 October. Anne-Marie Wojna will play the role of Sally Bowles once a week on the dates detailed above.

This unique production of CABARET opened in December 2021 to critical and audience acclaim, widely praised as the ultimate theatrical experience. In April 2022 it won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards. The production has also won three prestigious Critics Circle Awards as well as the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Design for designer Tom Scutt.

The Tony award winning Broadway production of CABARET starring Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin opened in April at the KIT KAT CLUB at the August Wilson Theatre.

Transforming one of London’s most famous theatres with an in-the-round auditorium and reimagined spaces, before the show guests are invited to enjoy and explore the Kit Kat Club with pre-show entertainment, drinks and dining all on offer. When booking, guests receive a ‘club entry time’ to allow enough time to take in the world of the Kit Kat Club before the show starts. But of course, the show really starts when you first join us in the club…

One of the most successful musicals of all time CABARET features the songs Wilkommen, Don’t Tell Mama, Mein Herr, Maybe This Time, Money and the title number. It has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.

CABARET is directed by Rebecca Frecknall, set and costume design is by Tom Scutt with choreography by Julia Cheng. Musical supervision is by Jennifer Whyte and musical direction is by Ben Ferguson with lighting design by Isabella Byrd and sound design by Nick Lidster. The casting director is Stuart Burt and the original associate director and prologue director is Jordan Fein. The prologue composer and musical director is Angus MacRae.

CABARET at the KIT KAT CLUB is produced by ATG Productions and Underbelly.

THE TIN CAN BROS PRESENT

SPIES ARE FOREVER IN CONCERT

AT THE GILLIAN LYNNE THEATRE

ON TUESDAY 3 SEPTEMBER 2024

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED!

For one night only, Tin Can Bros bring their sensational comedy musical, Spies Are Forever in Concert to the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London on Tuesday 3 September.

Tin Can Bros’ Joey Richter and Brian Rosenthal, directed by Corey Lubowich, who are also members of the viral sensation Team StarKid, will be joined on this mission by musical director Clark Baxtresser together with a cast of West End stars. Joining the original Los Angeles company will be Jak Malone as Dr Baron Von Nazi with Oliver Ormson, Obioma Uguala, Dean John Wilson, Evelyn Hoskins, Claire M Hall, Erin Caldwell and Emily Ooi.

Smart, original and uproariously hilarious, Spies Are Forever follows the adventures of an elite spy on a mission that’s more personal than professional.

Agent Curt Mega finds himself thrust into the shadows of Cold War politics as he works to foil a plot to rebuild the Nazi empire. Along the way, Agent Mega must tango with a Russian femme fatale, waltz around a black market arms dealer, and samba through a horde of outrageous characters. With a license to kill and the voice of an angel, Mega must stay alive, complete the mission, and prove to his enemies that the deadliest weapon of all is a little song and dance.

Prepare for an unforgettable night of music, comedy and a whole lot of undercover action!

Tickets are on sale now. https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/spies-are-forever/

Tin Can Bros is made up of Los Angeles based entertainers Corey Lubowich, Joey Richter, and Brian Rosenthal. As writers, directors, producers, and actors, they have created over 200 YouTube videos, seven live stage shows, and raised over $500,000 for projects on Kickstarter. Their body of work showcases a unique combination of short films, mini-series, narrative podcasts, and live stage shows.

With Team StarKid they have had over 317 million views on YouTube and have worked closely on the parody musicals A Very Potter Musical and Holy Musical Batman! as well as two national concert tours.

SPIES ARE FOREVER In Concert is brought to you in London by Lambert Jackson and Tin Can Bros.

Instagram and Twitter/X @tincanbros

Instagram and Facebook: @lambertjacksonproductions

Twitter/X: @ljprods

The Mill at Sonning – until 21st September 2024

Reviewed by Marcia Spiers

4****

Alan Ayckbourn often takes inspiration for his plays from real life experiences, this one being the relationship woes of one of his theatre colleagues during the 1970s. The action all takes place across three bedrooms on a particular evening, through the night and into the next morning.

The play focuses on the lives of four couples. The older Ernest and Delia (ably played by Stuart Fox and Julia Hills). The dynamics typical of a long-married couple with various evening rituals – lots of moaning, an electric blanket and cocoa. For me Ernest stole the show in the first act with his one-liners and dithering nature.

Then Nick who is incapacitated with a bad back and the glamorous Jan (played by Damien Matthews and Georgia Burnell). The physical comedy of Nick’s confinement to the bed or the floor was excellently portrayed as this must have been tricky to keep going for the whole play as equally were Jan’s efforts to make him comfortable or otherwise before leaving for a night out.

Then the unpredictable Trevor and his neurotic partner Susannah (played by Ben Porter and Ally Croker) who were so deserving of each other. Both of whom gave very credible performances, and finally, Malcolm and Kate (played by Antony Eden and Rhiannon Handy) recently moved into their new home, have much to laugh about and decide to have a party to which the two younger couples are invited along with several others. These two came into their own in Act 2.

The party disintegrates due to the antics of Trevor, Susannah and Jan. In the second act the pace moved up a notch. Malcolm demonstrating his dodgy DIY expertise whilst trying to understand why his wife feels sorry for Trevor and has other things on her mind. Poor Ernest and Delia have the challenging task of dealing with Susannah all night and Trevor takes it upon himself to turn up at Nick and Jan’s to confess.

As in true 1970s style there were dodgy outfits and Delia’s wig was a bit of a distraction but the fashion of the day dictates. The stage was set as three bedrooms on distinct levels which helped the flow and lighting of this performance.

I was keen to see this play as our amateur group performed this in 1999 and I wanted to see if it stood the test of time. This play does, there are good laughs to have and lessons to learn when it comes to relationships! A good evening’s entertainment.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – until 21 September 2024

Reviewed by Julia Spargo

5*****

Anatevka, Imperial Russia, 1905. Tevye (Adam Dannheisser), a milkman, introduces the audience to his community, his family and the importance of tradition. One of these traditions is to matchmake the daughters of the community with suitable husbands, the daughters having no say. One by one, Tevye’s older three daughters, Tzeitel (Liv Andrusier), Hodel (Georgia Bruce) and Chava (Hannah Bristow) reject their village traditions and choose to marry for love. Tevye accepts this on the first occasion, begrudgingly accedes on the second, but by the time Chava chooses to marry outside their Jewish faith, this is a step too far for Tevye and he disowns her.

“Tradition”, the opening number, showcases the incredible set of the Open Air Theatre, with a lone fiddler (the incredible Raphael Papo) playing amongst the cornfields on the roof of the set. The huge cast are introduced and the choreography is employed to good effect, showing the diversity of personalities among the community. The dance of the daughters reveals the vibrancy and strength of the young women, and hints at the conflict that may lie ahead. It’s a strong and lively start. There is much humour in this musical, from a “drunk” fiddler lying across a table to the most engaging set-piece “The Dream”, where Tevye fakes a nightmare to convince his wife that he should renege on his agreement to let his daughter Tzeitel marry the local butcher, Lazar Wolf (Michael S. Siegel).

The set and staging are a huge part of this incredible new production, directed by Jordan Fein. The use of cornfields both above and surrounding the stage gives us a good sense of place and expansion. The entire cast and band (numbering approximately forty) are all on stage together, yet in the open-air setting this never seems cramped, and instead only serves to involve the audience further. By “If I were a Rich Man”, I was enjoying watching the audience foot-tapping and thigh-slapping almost as much as I was the action on stage. The timing of the wedding scene, at the end of Act I, with the beautifully moving “Sunrise, Sunset” occurring just as the sun was setting behind this outdoor theatre was hugely memorable.

Act II was briefer, and more sombre, reminding the audience about a part of history that has been eclipsed by more recent world events. The director Jordan Fein said in an interview published in the programme, “We are living in quite a dark moment, but if we can successfully create a sense of togetherness and unity every night with this audience…then we’ve accomplished something necessary and special.” Looking around me, mission accomplished. This production is on until 21st September. Go, take waterproofs and layers, and be hugely entertained.