Soap stars line up for Birdsong: Celebrity casting for WW1 stage story

Soap stars line up for Birdsong: Celebrity casting for WW1 story at The Lowry

Birdsong 
Tue 3 – Sat 7 April

Alfie Browne-Sykes (Hollyoaks) and Riley Carter-Millington (Eastenders) to star in Rachel Wagstaff’s highly acclaimed adaptation of Sebastian Faulks’ best-selling novel Birdsong at The Lowry Tue 3 – Sat 7 April.

Riley Carter-Millington who played Kyle Slater in EastEnders hails fromStretford. He studied Drama at Eccles Sixth Form Centre and is the first trans-man to play a trans-male character in a British soap. Alfie Browne-Sykes played Jason Roscoe in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks from 2013 – 2016.

The cast will be headed by 
Tom Kay and Madeleine Knight as Stephen Wraysford and Isabelle Azaire. Tom Kay, appeared to great acclaim in a recent production of Journey’s End, performed on a First World War battlefield at Ypres.  Madeleine Knight’s television and film credits include Poldark and Florence Foster Jenkins.  Also in the cast are Olivia BernstoneAlice BrittainAlfieMartin CarrollJames Findlay (winner of the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award 2010), Liz GarlandJeffrey Harmer and Simon Lloyd.

Birdsong tells a mesmerising story of love and courage, before and during the war. In pre-war France, a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their worlds upside down.  As the war breaks out, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground.  Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war, Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle and the idyll of his former life as his world explodes around him.

Birdsong is directed by Alastair Whatley with Charlotte Peters, with set design by Victoria Spearing, lighting by Alex Wardle for Charcoalblue and sound by Dom Bilkey.

Birdsong is produced on tour by Anne-Marie Woodley and Jon Woodley for Birdsong Productions Ltd in association with The Original Theatre Company.

Birdsong is suitable for ages 12+

LES MISÉRABLES UK and Ireland Tour Announced

CAMERON MACKINTOSH’S ACCLAIMED

BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF

“LES MISÉRABLES”
RETURNS TO THE UK

FOR A MAJOR UK AND IRELAND TOUR

OPENING AT CURVE LEICESTER

ON 3 NOVEMBER 2018

After nearly a decade since the last UK tour sold out within days, Cameron Mackintosh is delighted to announce that his acclaimed Broadway production of Boublil and Schönberg’s musical “LES MISÉRABLES” will open at Curve Leicester for a season from Saturday 3 – Saturday 24 November 2018 (press night 14 November 2018 ), before playing the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin (5 December 2018 – 12 January 2019), Festival Theatre Edinburgh (22 January – 16 February 2019) and Manchester Palace Theatre (19 February – 30 March 2019). Further dates will be announced.

Cameron Mackintosh said, “Since I first conceived the new production of “Les Misérables” to celebrate the shows 25th anniversary in 2009, this production has taken the world by storm – more than matching the success of the original, which can now only be seen in London.  I am thrilled that modern audiences have embraced this production as Les Mis for the 21st century and it is playing to packed houses all over the world in many languages. It also inspired the hugely successful movie version starring Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Eddie Redmayne.

This latest version comes hot from its recent Broadway triumph (now once again on a sell-out tour of North America) and is even more spectacular than the original.  I am very proud that this extraordinary Boublil and Schönberg musical remains as fresh, thrilling and exciting as ever – and people are still storming the barricades for a ticket.”

This brilliant new staging has scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, and has been seen in North America, South America, Korea, Japan, Canada, Australia, Spain, France, Manila, Singapore, Dubai and Broadway.

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Boublil and Schönberg’s magnificent score of “LES MISÉRABLES” includes the songs, “I Dreamed a Dream”, “On My Own”, “Stars”, “Bring Him Home”, “Do You Hear the People Sing?”, “One Day More”, “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables”, “Master Of The House” and many more.  Seen by over 120 million people worldwide in 45 countries and in 22 languages, “LES MISÉRABLES” is undisputedly one of the world’s most popular musicals.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of “LES MISÉRABLES” is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and original adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. The original “LES MISÉRABLES” orchestrations are by John Cameron with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker. The production is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes by Andreane Neofitou and additional costumes by Christine Rowland, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, musical staging by Michael Ashcroft and Geoffrey Garratt, projections by Fifty-Nine Productions and music supervision by Stephen Brooker and Graham Hurman.

For further press information and images please contact

Simon Raw [email protected]

or Emily Webb [email protected] 020 3829 0930

LES MISÉRABLES UK AND IRELAND TOUR 2018/2019

lesmis.com

SATURDAY 3 – SATURDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2018

CURVE, LEICESTER

curveonline.co.uk – 0116 242 3595

ON SALE 12 MARCH 2018

WEDNESDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2018 – SATURDAY 12 JANUARY 2019

BORD GAIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN

bordgaisenergytheatre.ie – +353 (1) 677 7999

ON SALE 12 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 22 JANUARY – SATURDAY 16 FEBRUARY 2019

FESTIVAL THEATRE, EDINBURGH

edtheatres.com – 0131 529 6000

ON SALE 12 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 19 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 30 MARCH 2019

MANCHESTER PALACE THEATRE

atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester – 0844 871 3019

ON SALE 5 JUNE 2018

FURTHER DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Murder She Didn’t Write: The Improvised Murder Mystery Review

Leicester Square Theatre – 25 March, 29 April.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Agatha Christie looms large over proceedings as Degrees of Error create an improvised murder mystery inspired by the audience’s (mostly filthy suggestions). Stephen Clements handles the crowd with charm as the investigating detective and spends most of the performance stifling giggles as he watches his fellow cast members wrangle suggestions and familiar mystery tropes into some semblance of a plot.

With the audience’s suggestion of a hen party, The Case of the Wet Tea Towel saw its West End debut. With set and costumes firmly embedded in the 1920s/30s, the cast’s idea of a hen party involved a sexually repressed chicken scientist’s pre-wedding party, crashed by her fiancé – no inflatable willies or strippers in sight.

The cast do not know who is the victim until they have had the chance to build up their characters, and they have no idea who the murderer is until the second half of the performance, which is full of backstory lunacy and revelations revealing each character’s possible motives. The big reveal isn’t the end of the show, with the unfortunate culprit having to re-enact the crime and try to remember all the clues they left.

The cast are talented and quick thinking, with Lizzy Skrzypiec excelling at throwing in some plot curveballs and innuendo. Clements interrupts occasionally to torture the actors with suggestions, with his insistence on hearing Mr Green’s poems about chickens producing a bizarrely brilliant ode to hens from Peter Baker. There are some storylines that fizzle out and a few jokes that don’t hit the mark, but the pace is fast and furious, and the cast have enough chemistry to land a big belly laugh immediately after any ill-judged decisions.

How any of the cast keep track of what was going on in this ridiculous show is a mystery in itself, and their slick and funny corrections and reminders to each other of plot points has the feel of The Play That Goes Wrong. Murder, mirth and madness are guaranteed – the perfect show for armchair detectives

Frankenstein Review

The Space – until 10th March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Burn Bright Theatre’s reimagining of Frankenstein sees Victor Frankenstein dying in infancy while his cousin Elizabeth is taken in by the Frankensteins and experiments with the power of life after their tragic deaths. 200 years after Mary Shelley’s novel was published, and with the centenary of women’s suffrage being celebrated, this feminist version is a refreshing and illuminating take on the classic story.

Performed in the round, with the cast prowling and emerging from all corners of the atmospheric performing space, lit beautifully by Andy Straw, director Katherine Timms uses the talented ensemble (Sarah Lawrie, Charlotte Peak and Carlton Venn) as dynamic narrators and chorus, with their ghostly whispering heightening the eerie tension. The laboratory scenes are particularly memorable, with the Latin phrases repeated by Elizabeth adding a mystical element to the creation of life. Writer Isabel Dixon makes Elizabeth a believable visionary, with Danielle Winter giving a haunted and passionate interpretation of the character. Having a female creature adds a whole new dimension to the creature’s responses to the world around her, with the destructive rage tempered by a tender regret and need to be loved. Instead of a companion, the creature demands that Frankenstein create a child for her to nurture, and Elizabeth Schenk’s skittish, visceral performance soars to a whole new level as she displays the grief of the bereft creature at its loss.

Shelley’s novel is well served in this fantastic adaptation, with no tricksy additions, simply the feminine versions of the main protagonists. The poor creature becomes even more pitiable in this version, and her gleeful violence more shocking.

Burn Bright’s Frankenstein is a must-see for Shelley fans and newcomers to the story – a dynamic, haunting production that will linger long in the memory.

To Me, To You – Hull New Theatre Announces Panto Cast

TO ME, TO YOU, TO CINDERELLA

The Chuckle Brothers to Star in this year’s New Theatre pantomime

Following last year’s record-breaking pantomime run which saw over 40,000 festive theatregoers pass through its doors, Hull New Theatre has announced that the legendary Chuckle Brothers are to star in this year’s must-see fairy-godmother of pantomimes, Cinderella, from Thursday 6 December.

The Chuckle Brothers, who will play Cinderella’s best friends Buttons and Zip, are known to generations of people for their popular prime-time children’s television show Chucklevision, of which more than 290 episodes were made. The series proved so successful that in 2008, BAFTA presented Paul and Barry with an award for services to British children’s television.

During the mid-nineties Paul and Barry also recorded three series of their own TV game show and have toured the UK extensively, even releasing a charity single with Tinchy Stryder. The brothers have been a staple in pantomime, making audiences chuckle at major venues across the UK every Christmas for 50 years.

This year’s unmissable family show will be packed with all of the ingredients New Theatre audiences have come to expect from the cities’ biggest pantomime; lots of laughter, stunning costumes and sets, and quality entertainment for all ages, brought magically to life by Qdos Entertainment, the world’s biggest pantomime producer and the team behind the theatre’s annual pantomime.

Cinderella’s Executive Producer Jonathan Kiley said: “After the success of Peter Pan last year we’re delighted to be back once again in the beautiful, new-look New Theatre and to have the legendary Chuckle Brothers leading our fantastic cast. There’ll be laughs aplenty for Hull this festive season. We’re already planning lots of magical surprises so audiences should book now to ensure they don’t miss out.”

Councillor Terry Geraghty, Chairman of Hull Culture and Leisure Board, said: “For many families pantomime is their first taste of live theatre so it’s important that it’s a favourable experience.

“We’re delighted to welcome back the Chuckle Brothers for this year’s festive treat, Cinderella. Paul and Barry have always proved very popular with Hull audiences, their experience and unwavering enthusiasm are sure to delight audiences of all ages. ”

Audiences shall go to the ball this Christmas as Cinderella transforms from rags to riches, outwits her very Ugly Sisters, and with the help of her hilarious friend Buttons and one very magical Fairy Godmother, wins the heart of the dashing Prince Charming. (I think this just repeats what’s already been said elsewehere)Don’t miss your chance to see Cinderella, the Fairy Godmother of all pantomimes. The clock is ticking…book your tickets to the Ball today!

Book now at the Hull City Hall box office, call 01482 300 306 or visit our new website www.hulltheatres.co.uk to book online.

Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson to star in multi award-winning comedy ART

Nigel Havers, Denis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson to star in Yasmina Reza’s multi award-winning comedy ART 

Translated by Christopher Hampton

At The Lowry Mon 26 – Sat 31 March

David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers will produce the 2018 UK & Ireland Tour of the Old Vic production of Yasmina Reza’s Olivier, Tony and Moliere award-winning comedy ART, translated by Christopher Hampton.  The production will star Nigel HaversDenis Lawson and Stephen Tompkinson as Serge, Marc and Ivan respectively.  The tour will visit The Lowry from Mon 26 – Sat 31 March.

David Pugh said, “It is twenty years since Dafydd [Rogers] and I first produced the comedy masterpiece ART in the West End, and the original post-London tour played for 78 weeks.  This time, we want to break our own record; in fact, we want to play as many theatres as Sir Ken Dodd has played in his wonderful career, and with this marvellous cast, we think we have every chance!”

Nigel Havers’ films include Chariots of Fire, A Passage to India, Empire of the Sun and The Whistle Blower.  He has starred in many television productions, including The Charmer, Dangerfield, Manchild, and, more recently, the hit US series Brothers and Sisters, Lewis Archer in Coronation Street, Benidorm and Lord Hepworth in Downton Abbey.  His numerous theatre work includes The Importance of Being Earnest and Harold Pinter’s Family Voices, both directed by Sir Peter Hall for the National Theatre, Richard II and Man and Superman for the RSC, the hugely successful touring productions of Rebecca and Alan Bennett’s Single Spies.

Denis Lawson is known for his roles as John Jarndyce in the BBC’s adaptation of Bleak House, for which he was nominated for an EMMY award, and as DI Steve McAndrew in BBC1’s hit series New Tricks.  In film, his notable credits include the roles of Gordon Urquhart in the film Local Hero and Wedge Antilles in the original Star Wars trilogy.  On stage, he won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Jim Lancastar in Mr Cinders at the Fortune Theatre, and he was nominated for an Olivier for his performance as George in La Cages Aux Folles at the Playhouse Theatre.

Stephen Tompkinson’s television credits include five series of DCI Banks, four series of Trollied, seven series of Wild at Heart, six series of Drop the Dead Donkey (British Comedy Award Winner for Best TV Comedy Actor) and three series of Ballykissangel, and his films include Phil in Brassed Off.  His theatre work includes Spamalot, Rattle of a Simple Man and Arsenic and Old Lace in the West End, Cloaca (Old Vic) and Tartuffe (National Tour).

Based on the original production by Matthew Warchus, ART will be directed by Ellie Jones, with design by Mark Thompson, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound design by Mic Pool, original music by Gary Yershon, fight direction by Terry King and casting by Sarah Bird CDG

Les Enfants Terribles Announce THE TRENCH at Southwark Playhouse

LES ENFANTS TERRIBLES

ANNOUNCE A STRICTLY LIMITED RUN OF

WRITTEN BY OLIVER LANSLEY

ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK BY ALEXANDER WOLFE

 

AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

FROM 10 OCTOBER TO 17 NOVEMBER 2018

 

Les Enfants Terribles are delighted to announce, “THE TRENCH”will have a strictly limited run at Southwark Playhouse from Wednesday 10 October to Saturday 17 November 2018. 

“THE TRENCH” is inspired by the true story of a miner who became entombed in a tunnel during World War One. As the horror threatens to engulf him, he discovers another world beneath the mud and death. Setting off on an epic journey of salvation, the boundaries between reality and fantasy blur as he questions what’s real, what’s not and whether it even matters? 

 

The play is making its London debut as the country commemorates the First World War Centenary. On Sunday 11 November there will be a special performance at 3.00pm.

 

Written by Oliver Lansley (Les Enfants Terribles’ Artistic Director), “THE TRENCH” blends physical storytelling, verse, puppetry and live music. The play is Co-Directed by Oliver Lansley and James Seager (Les Enfants Terribles’ Producer) with designs by Samuel Wyer, Lighting Designs by Paul Green and original soundtrack written and performed live by Alexander Wolfe.

 

Oliver Lansley is the founder of Les Enfants Terribles and is an actor, TV show creator and scriptwriter. He has developed work for the BBC, Channel 4 and HBO Drama and co-created the BBC 2 series Whites and the Rose d’Or nominated ITV2 series FM. As an actor, he’s best known for playing Kenny Everett in the BAFTA-winning “The Best Possible Taste” for which he was nominated for Best Actor at the RTS Awards. His other credits include: “The Wrong Mans”, “Sherlock” and “Misfits”As a playwright, his work includes “The Infant”, “The Terrible Infants”, “The Trench”, “Ernest and The Pale Moon” and “The Vaudevillains”.

James Seager is Les Enfant Terribles’ Producer and Director.  He has fifteen years of experience in theatre, television and film.  Involved with Les Enfants Terribles initially as an actor, he moved to directing and producing shows in 2005. He has produced and directed many award-winning shows for the company including most recently The Terrible Infants” at Wilton’s Music Hall, “Inside Pussy Riot” at The Saatchi Gallery, the Olivier Award nominated “Alice’s Adventures Underground” and “Dinner At The Twits” at The Vaults.

Alexander Wolfe is a songwriter, composer, artist and long-time collaborator of Les Enfants Terribles.  To date he has released three solo albums, a critically-acclaimed debut (Morning Brings a Flood), an intimate follow-up (Skeletons) & his recent & most ambitious work, 2015’s From The Shallows. The Sunday Times declared his albums ‘Beautiful’, Q and Uncut awarding them 4 stars and The New York Post was evangelical in its praise, stating that his debut was ‘The most beautiful album heard in years, Period’. His previous work with Les Enfant Terribles includes “Alice’s Adventures Underground” for which he composed and performed ‘The Mock Turtles Lament’.

Les Enfants Terribles’ work includes award-winning, international stage shows such as “The Trench”, “The Terrible Infants” and “The Vaudevillians”; ground-breaking immersive work including Olivier-nominated “Alice’s Adventures Underground”, “Dinner at the Twits” and “Inside Pussy Riot”; innovative outdoor family touring work such as “The Marvellous Imaginary Menagerie” and “The Fantastical Flying Exploratory Laboratory”; and large-scale public events and installations in the corporate and cultural sectors for the likes of The British Library and the V&A. Run by Oliver Lansley and James Seager the company is dedicated to creating original, innovative and exciting theatre.

 

For more information please visit:

Les Enfants Terribles: www.lesenfantsterribles.co.uk

Twitter: @lesenfantsterr #TheTrench

Southwark Playhouse: www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Twitter: @swkplay

LISTINGS

THE TRENCH

Dates:                          10 October to 17 November 2018 (Press Night 16 October)

Performances:             Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm

                                    Tuesday and Saturday at 3.00pm

                                    Special performance Sunday 11 November at 3.00pm

Box Office:                   Southwark Playhouse – 020 7407 0234 or www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Address:                       77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

Set in the true modern confessional – the toilet – Dames interrogates female friendship this April

Dames
Pleasance, Carpenters Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF
Tuesday 17th – Sunday 29th April 2018

 

This spring, the Pleasance sees the world premiere of Charlotte Merriam’s Dames.
Celebrating females with no filters, Dames is about the intimate and exposing nature of friendships in the true contemporary confessional – the club toilet.

Drowning in their own word vomit, six dysfunctional millennials collide, bond and clash.  Siberian Lights’ gloriously rude debut play is a glimpse into the shambolic honesty of a world where the rules of civility are suspended.

Dames will feature Ellie Heydon (Harlots, HULU/ITV; A Night in Hatton Gardens, Working Title Feature; Growth, The Gate Theatre), Olivia Elsden (Sket, The Park Theatre; Doc Martin, ITV; Blood, The Other Room), Charlotte Merriam (Off their Rockers, ITV; Swansong, Edinburgh Fringe and Arcola Theatre; Under My Thumb, Greenwich Theatre), Arabella Neale (The Red Barn, National Theatre; A Very English Scandal, BBC; Ring Ring, The Gate Theatre), Bianca Stephens (Always Orange, RSC; Julius Caesar, Storyhouse Chester; The Great Austerity Debate, Menagerie Theatre) and Melanie Stevens (Golf Course War Machine, UK
tour; Frozen, The Other Room; Lear in the Memorandum, Big Loop Theatre).

Dames is a rude awakening about personal disarray. Exploring the desperate need for affirmation and security which leaks out when alcohol washes away the veneer of competent adulthood, the play uses surrealism to lay bare the barrier between thought and speech.

Writer and actor Charlotte Merriam comments, Dames is about trying to figure out the meaning of life, the point of it all. It’s the bizarre, vibrant, surreal conversation that can only happen in the loo at 2am on a night out. This is a play to make you laugh and cry, love your friends all the more, and make you consider the anxiety and boundaries which block real honesty.

Dates Announced For UK Tour of THE BODYGUARD

DATES ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK TOUR
OF THE INTERNATIONAL SMASH HIT MUSICAL
“THE BODYGUARD”

OPENING AT GLASGOW THEATRE ROYAL
ON MONDAY 3 DECEMBER 2018

Producers, Michael Harrison and David Ian are delighted to announce UK tour dates for the international smash hit production of the award-winning musical THE BODYGUARD opening at Glasgow Theatre Royal on Monday 3 December 2018 where it plays until Saturday 29 December 2018 before visiting Hull New Theatre (8 – 19 January 2019), Southend Cliff’s Pavilion (22 January – 2 February 2019), Liverpool Empire (26 February – 9 March 2019), Milton Keynes Theatre (12 – 23 March 2019), Bristol Hippodrome (26 March – 6 April 2019), Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff (16 – 27 April 2019), Norwich Theatre Royal (30 April – 11 May 2019), Canterbury Marlowe Theatre (14 – 25 May 2019), Southampton Mayflower (28 May – 8 June 2019), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (12 – 22 June 2019) and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (25 June – 6 July 2019). Tour schedule and on sale dates below with further dates and casting to be announced.

Based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 Oscar nominated Warner Bros. movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, THE BODYGUARD, directed by Thea Sharrock with book by Oscar winning (Birdman) Alex Dinelaris, had its world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End in 2012 and was nominated for four Olivier Awards. A sell out 18 month UK and Ireland tour followed, before the show returned to the West End at the Dominion Theatre. THE BODYGUARD has also played in the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, Canada, Italy, Australia and China and can currently be seen in Stuttgart, Madrid and on tour throughout France and the United States.

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. A romantic thriller, THE BODYGUARD features a host of irresistible classics including Queen of the NightSo EmotionalOne Moment in TimeSaving All My LoveI’m Your Baby TonightRun to YouI Have NothingI Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.

 

THE BODYGUARD – UK TOUR 2018 – 2019

 

MONDAY 3 DECEMBER – SATURDAY 29 DECEMBER 2018

GLASGOW, THEATRE ROYAL www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 8 JANUARY – SATURDAY 19 JANUARY 2019

HULL NEW THEATRE www.hulltheatres.co.uk

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 22 JANUARY – SATURDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2019

SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILLION www.southendtheatres.org.uk

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 26 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 9 MARCH

LIVERPOOL EMPIRE www.atgtickets.com/liverpool

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 12 MARCH – SATURDAY 23 MARCH 2019

MILTON KEYNES THEATRE www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 26 MARCH – SATURDAY 6 APRIL 2019

BRISTOL HIPPODROME www.atgtickets.com/bristol

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 16 APRIL – SATURDAY 27 APRIL 2019

CARDIFF, WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE www.wmc.org.uk

ON SALE 26 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 30 APRIL – SATURDAY 11 MAY 2019

NORWICH, THEATRE ROYAL www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

ON SALE JULY 2018

TUESDAY 14 MAY – SATURDAY 25 MAY 2019

CANTERBURY, MARLOWE THEATRE www.marlowetheatre.com

ON SALE 7 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 28 MAY – SATURDAY 8 JUNE 2019

SOUTHAMPTON, MAYFLOWER THEATRE www.mayflower.org.uk

ON SALE 6 MARCH 2018

WEDNESDAY 12 JUNE – SATURDAY 22 JUNE 2019

NOTTINGHAM, ROYAL CONCERT HALL www.trch.co.uk

ON SALE 8 MARCH 2018

TUESDAY 25 JUNE – SATURDAY 6 JULY 2019

WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE www.grandtheatre.co.uk

ON SALE 21 MARCH 2018

FURTHER DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED

Trump The Musical Review – Making Donald Great Again

Waterloo East Theatre – until 25 February.  Reviewed by Lisa Harlow
3***
Using the genre of ‘bouffon’ and satire, Blowfish Theatre set out their vision for 2020. Given the trajectory and characters involved on today’s world stage: Trump, Putin, Kimmy (Kim Jong-un) and ‘King’ Nigel Farage, their terrifying predictions involve some interesting and rather perverse outcomes, although not completely beyond possibility.
Joining them are a couple of fictional characters, Rod, acting as Trump’s 232nd or some such number Press Secretary, and Roger Lavery, otherwise known as Agent Pros-ecco to MLE (Metropolitan Liberal Elite), who are essentially the EU and governing elite.
This was largely an enjoyable romp, with patches of hilarity, and some swathes of nonchalance from myself and the audience. It certainly improved in its entertainment as the show progressed. Trump’s wig was impressive, and to be honest, his lines were all based on (alternative?) fact, not really needing much creative writing here to create some of the incredulous events and conversations that happen in the show.
Humorous highlights included a peek into Donald’s own mind. Convincing himself of the lie that it is he who dropped the bomb, and not Putin, he discusses this within his own subconscious. Surrounded by only sycophantic thoughts and realising there was no sceptical voice piping up, he has an unusual moment of self awareness and knowing how these things are supposed to work, he enquiries into its absence. The other thoughts reply “we got rid of doubting Donald a long time ago!” Indeed.
Equally references to the British Army being stuck in traffic due to roadworks, and Putin’s empathetic response, stirred some laughs.
I wasn’t sure if Farage having the same accent as the League of Gentlemen was deliberate or not, but if it was, it certainly conjured up the very essence of an inward looking, ‘Jolly Foreigner’ fearing character, who was equally as driven by power hungry ego as any of the other ‘demogogues’ and was seeking to sell off Scotland to drum up some coffers.
The vocal performances during the songs were not particularly strong, but some of the music and lyrics was enjoyable.  The highlight was definitely Putin. The performance all round was particularly strong from Natasha Lanceley, whose Putin was licking his own wounds having felt abandoned by Donald currently being wooed by ‘King’ Farage. No fear, Putin wins the day.
 The final rip-roaring number sees Putin victorious with the other players in his sex dungeon. Farage in a gimp outfit, is something you can never ‘unsee’.
I’m glad they were able to end on a high. I did.