I have always been a fan of the late, great Kay Mellors work on the tv but this was the first time I have seen a production of hers on the stage. And it was really, really good. It was typical Kay Mellor, with very likeable characters, a brilliant storyline and was funny and heartbreaking in equal measures, she really was the most brilliant storyteller.
The Syndicate tell the story of five people who all work together in a local shop. On the day that they find out that they are going to lose their jobs, as the shop has been sold and is going to be demolished, they win big on the Lottery rollover… £24,000,000 big, and as they are all members of a lottery syndicate that is nearly £5,000,000 each! When the lottery representative (Jade Golding) arrives at the shop to verify their win the fun then really starts.
The staff are all big characters, brothers Stuart (Benedict Shaw) and Jamie (Oliver Anthony). Denise (Samantha Giles), Leanne (Rosa Coduri-Fulford) and the manager Bob (William Ilkley) and we learn about their lives and some of the secrets they keep. Stuart needs money for a deposit on a flat, his girlfriend Amy (Brooke Vincent) has moved back to her mums taking their son and baby daughter with her. Jamie owes money to some very dodgy people, Leanne, who lives with her daughter and is not quite what she seems and Denise, who loves dogs and her bone-idle husband. Jamie hatches a plot to steal money from the shop with the help of his brother Stuart, unfortunately Bob comes back during the robbery and is badly injured so the police arrive in the shape of DCI Newall (Jerome Ngonadi) who is determined to get to the bottom of what happened.
The story is fast paced and it kept my interest throughout, the cast are really good and they make their characters very believable. I enjoyed this show would really recommend that you go and see this if you can.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS – A MUSICAL TALE COMES HOME TO MIDDLE-EARTH™
THIS NOVEMBER – IN A 5 WEEK BLOCKBUSTER SEASON
AT THE CIVIC, AUCKLAND
WAITLIST FOR TICKETS NOW OPEN!
“THE GREATEST SHOW ON MIDDLE EARTH’ – THE GUARDIAN
“AN EXTRAORDINARY RETELLING” – WHATS ON STAGE
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will play at The Civic, Auckland for a strictly limited season from November 5th, 2024.
Join the waitlist NOW to secure your tickets.
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will premiere in Middle-earth when this eagerly awaited production opens for a strictly limited season at The Civic, Auckland from November 5th. Audiences are encouraged to act fast and join the waitlist for the first chance at securing tickets at www.LOTRonstage.com.
The highly anticipated production has its US premiere this July at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the prestigious theater that has launched productions such as SIX,Illinoise,andThe Notebook ahead of their Broadway debuts. The Lord of the Rings – a Musical Talehad its initial production at The Watermill Theatre in the United Kingdom, receiving rave reviews with The Guardian calling it the ‘Greatest Show on Middle Earth’.
This journey to the magical realms of Middle-earth tells the story of The Lord of the Rings from the Hobbits’ perspective, as J.R.R. Tolkien’s trilogy of books is brought to life on the stage, performed by a stellar cast of multi-skilled actor-musicians.
Created under license from Middle-earth Enterprises (the owner of exclusive worldwide motion picture and stage rights for The Lord of the Rings), this adventure through the epic realm of Middle-earth has been beloved by generations of readers. With book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna (Maddie, La Cava) and Matthew Warchus (Groundhog Day) and original music by Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Tony Award winner Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical), this theatrical event celebrates community, courage and camaraderie to create an unforgettable experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike. “Tolkien would have been so proud” (WhatsOnStage).
‘The greatest show on Middle-earth comes home to Middle-earth!” proclaimed Fredrica Drotos, Middle-earth Enterprises’ Steward Brand & Licensing. “We are very much looking forward to sharing the Hobbits’ epic re-telling with all our friends there; when The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale, premieres in Auckland, New Zealand this November.’
As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday in the Shire, he gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging – a gold ring. This fateful moment launches Frodo on a legendary and perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordor, to vanquish evil with his loyal Fellowship. The dynamic folk-inspired score is performed live by the company on stage, weaving together original music with storytelling. The New Zealand premiere comes fresh off the 70th anniversary of the publication of The Fellowship of the Ring, the first book in The Lord of the Rings trilogy which debuted in 1954.
“We are delighted to share Director Paul Hart’s imagining of The Lord of the Rings on stage with New Zealand audiences before it embarks on its journey to entertain audiences around the world.” said Kevin Wallace on behalf of the producers. “This production that originated in the English Shires, before its US Premiere in Chicago, comes to Auckland where we invite New Zealand to join us for Bilbo Baggins’ Long-expected Party.”
Annie Dundas, Director Destination at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited adds “We are thrilled to welcome The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. This production not only celebrates our unique connection to Middle-earth but also showcases Auckland as a vibrant hub for world-class theatre. We look forward to sharing this extraordinary experience with locals and visitors alike.”
Glen Crighton, Acting Director Performing Arts at Auckland Live continues. “I’m excited that The Civic will be hosting the Australasian premiere of The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale. The iconic status of Tolkien’s epic tale can’t be understated, and we look forward to welcoming local and international audiences alike into Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland’s own iconic venue to embark on what promises to be a remarkable theatrical experience.”
The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale is presented in Auckland by Kevin Wallace Productions, GWB Entertainment and Middle-earth Enterprises, in association with Tim McFarlane and People Entertainment Group. The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale is produced in partnership with The Watermill Theatre and Chicago Shakespeare Theater. The Auckland season of the production is made possible by Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate, and with support from Auckland Live.
THE LORD OF THE RINGS – A MUSICAL TALE
STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON AT THE CIVIC, AUCKLAND FROM
Written and produced under license from Middle-earth Enterprises, LLC (MEE).
The Lord of the Rings logo, The Lord of the Rings and the names of characters, events, items and places therein are trademarks or registered trademarks of MEE and are used under license.
A Chorus Line is a sensational production about a group of eager, intrepid dancers auditioning for a Broadway musical. They are soon whittled down to a final 8, by Zach, the director and Larry, his assistant. Claustrophobic, chaotic and extremely clever, it invites us to look beyond the glitz and glamour and see inside the performers themselves, exploring their motivations and desires and what drives them to dance. Set in 1975, New York City, on a stripped down stage, it exposes the reality of what goes on behind the curtain.
Director Nikolai Foster stayed true to the production last performed in 2021 at Curve. Focusing on the performers themselves, with close-up camera work so there was no escaping the scrutiny of the audition process and amplifying the intimacy of the performer’s stories. A wall of mirrors lined the back of the stage, reflecting the performers from every angle, and huge strip lights rose and fell for different performances highlighting key moments. Ellen Kane’s choreography is simply stunning. Solo routines are sublime, group numbers are seamlessly tight and spellbinding. Snappy, crisp and dynamic, I was mesmerised. Enhancing these elements is Howard Hudson’s sound and lighting design which complements every element of the production.
The cast as a whole are hugely talented, I would struggle to select specific stand out moments or members. I can honestly say that every number was a smash hit. All skilled dancers and performers, we were blown away with their singing and dancing. Their renditions of the numbers will stay with you long after the curtain goes down and their passion for the stories was clear to see and feel from the performance. The only moments which felt slightly off was between Zach and Cassie. These were hurried and lacked light and dark. But this did not take away from a superb performance overall.
This production of A Chorus Line is full of heart. Passionate and powerful with a flawless finale, it will take your breath away. It will leave you tingling and no doubt your toes tapping.
Having recently received the prestigious acclaim of being Her Majesty the Queen’s favourite literary Detective, Superintendent Roy Grace is back on stage in early 2025 in a brand new major six-month UK tour – Picture You Dead – adapted from the UK’s number one crime writer Peter James’ bestselling novel.
Kicking off on 6 February 2025, the world premiere of Picture You Dead isthe seventh Peter James book to be adapted for the stage by award-winning writer Shaun McKenna. The tour will play at major theatres across the country until 26 July 2025. Tickets are on sale now from PeterJames.com.
Roy Grace is a crime fiction phenomenon – the books have sold over 23 million copies worldwide, been previously adapted for six hugely successful stage productions, and ITV’s critically acclaimed primetime drama about the Brighton-based detective, GRACE, is a ratings smash-hit. Season four of the crime series will broadcast later this year, with season five currently in production.
Peter Jamessaid: “From early childhood, I have always passionately loved live theatre and the sense of the shared experience that comes with it – surprise, suspense, shock, laughter and the entire range of human emotions. With Josh Andrews’ brilliant producing, Shaun McKenna’s very clever adaptation and Jonathan O’Boyle’s masterly and inventive directing, I’m confident that Picture You Dead is going to be my best adaptation yet and I hope everyone who comes to see it will have a fantastic time!”
Back home in Brighton, DSI Grace investigates a cold case that leads him to the rarified air of fine art, but beneath the respectable veneer lurks a dark underworld of greed, deception and murder.
When one unsuspecting couple unearth a potentially long-lost masterpiece, they discover that their dream find is about to turn into their worst nightmare and only Grace can stop them from paying the ultimate price.
Peter James has 20 Sunday Times number one bestselling crime novels to his name. The world premiere tour of Picture You Dead marks the latest thrilling theatre adaptation of his books and is once again produced by Joshua Andrews and Peter James. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, it cements the adaptations of James’ Grace books, as the most successful modern-day crime franchise on stage, since Agatha Christie.
Award-winning songwriter Max Martin attended the first performance of the UK tour of & JULIET at the Manchester Opera House on Monday 8 July. Max joined the cast onstage to make a speech after the bows.
Pic copyright Phil Tragen 2023
& JULIET stars Matt Cardle as Shakespeare, Gerardine Sacdalan as Juliet, Lara Denning as Anne, Sandra Marvin as Angelique, Jordan Broatch as May, Kyle Cox as Francois, Jack Danson as Romeo and Dr Ranj Singh as Lance.
Pic copyright Phil Tragen 2023
Also in the cast are Michael Nelson as Henry, Liam Morris as Richard, Rosie Singha as Judith, Nia Stephen as Imogen, Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid as Lucy/Alternate Juliet, Andilé Mabhena as Augustine / Dance Team, Harriet Caplan-Dean as Eleanor, Alexander Kranz as Lennox, Aaron Shales as Gregory / Dance Team, Toni Paise as Violet and Samuel Wilson-Freeman as Fletcher / Resident Director and Dance Captain.
There is life after Romeo!
Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as Juliet ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Created by David West Read, the Emmy-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told and asks, what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?
Pic copyright Phil Tragen 2023
Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time,” Katy Perry’s “Roar”and chart toppers “Since U Been Gone,” “It’s My Life,” “I Want It That Way,” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” — all from Max Martin, the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century, and his collaborators. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it.
WITH TOM EDDEN AS LUCKY AND JONATHAN SLINGER AS POZZO
DIRECTED BY JAMES MACDONALD
PLAYING AT THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET
13 SEPTEMBER – 14 DECEMBER 2024
Further casting is announced today for the new production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, directed by James Macdonald. Tom Edden (Crazy For You, Jamie Lloyd Company’s Cyrano De Bergerac) will play Lucky and Jonathan Slinger (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, title roles in Richard II and Richard III in RSC Histories) will play Pozzo. They join the previously announced Lucian Msamati (Game of Thrones, Amadeus)as Estragon and Ben Whishaw (James Bond, Paddington) as Vladimir. Waiting for Godot will play a limited run at Theatre Royal Haymarket from 13 September until 14 December 2024, press night Thursday 19 September 2024.
Tickets are on sale now. 25,000 tickets across the run have been priced at £25 or less, spread throughout the house, of which 5,000 are held for under 30s and blue light workers.
The creative team includes Rae Smith (Set and Costume Design), Bruno Poet (Lighting Design), Ian Dickinson and Niamh Gaffney for Autograph (Sound Design), Amy Ball (Casting CDG), Kate West (Production Manager) and Max Harrison (Assistant Director).
Didi and Gogo wait by a tree for a man named Godot. They don’t know who he is, why they are meeting or what time he is coming – only that something incredible could happen when he does…
“Let us do something, while we have the chance… at this place, at this moment of time, all mankind is us, whether we like it or not. Let us make the most of it before it is too late!”
Don’t miss the play that changed the rules. Waiting for Godot opens at the historic Theatre Royal Haymarket for a strictly limited run from September 2024.
Lucian Msamati plays Estragon.Theatre credits include Master Harold and the Boys, Amadeus, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (National Theatre), A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes (The Tricycle), Othello (RSC), Little Revolution (Almeida Theatre), The Amen Corner (National Theatre), If You Don’t Let us Dream We Won’t Let You A Sleep, Belong (Royal Court), Comedy of Errors (National Theatre), Clybourne Park (Royal Court/West End), Ruined (Almeida Theatre), Death and The Kings Horsman (National Theatre), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Lyric Hammersmith), 1807- The First Act (Shakespeare’s Globe), Pericles (RSC), The Overwhelming (National Theatre), Walk Hard, Fabulation, Gem Of The Ocean (The Tricycle), Who Killed Mr Drum (Riverside), President of An Empty Room (National Theatre), Twelfth Night (Sheffield Crucible), Mourning Becomes Electra (National Theatre), I.D. (Almeida Theatre), Romeo & Juliet (The Dancehouse, Manchester), The Taming of the Shrew (Bath Shakespeare Festival), Born African (Arthur Seaton Theatre, New York), Twelfth Night (Neuss Globe Theatre, Germany), Fade to Black (Harare International Festival of Arts), Eternal Peace Asylum (American Repertory Theatre), Loot, Urfaust (Reps Theatre), Rocky Horror Picture Show (Seven Arts Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (NTO Zimbabwe).
Television credits include Gangs of London (2 Seasons), Chemistry of Death, Dark Materials, Black Earth Rising, Kiri, Philip K Dick’s Electric Dreams, Taboo, George Gently, Luther, Game of Thrones, Death in Paradise, Richard III, No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, Dr Who, Ashes To Ashes, Spooks, Just Like Ronaldinho,Ultimate Force, Too Close for Comfort, The Knock and Heads and Tales. Film credits include Conclave, Breaking Point, The Good Liar, The Seekers, The International, Coffin, Legend of the Sky, Kingdom, Dr Juju and Lumumba. Radio credits include: An Elegy For Easterly, Mugabe: God’s President, The Jero Plays, The Homecoming, Seventh Street and Alchemy and Colours.
Lucian is a founder member of Zimbabwe’s Over the Edge theatre company and former Artistic Director of Tiata Fahodzi.
Ben Whishaw is a multi award-winning British actor. His notable film credits include the role of Q in Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die; the voice of Paddington in Paddington and Paddington 2; Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer; Jane Campion’s Bright Star; Cloud Atlas; Tom Hooper’s multi award-winning The Danish Girl; The Lobster; in the role of Mr. Banks in Disney’s Mary Poppins Returns; Armando Iannucci’s The Personal History Of David Copperfield; Alice Englert’s Bad Behaviour with Jennifer Connelly; and Passages with Franz Rogowski and Adèle Exarchopoulos. We last saw Ben in Sarah Polley’s Women Talking, alongside Claire Foy and Frances McDormand, for which he was nominated for a Satellite Award, a Hollywood Critics Association Film Award and longlisted for a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor.
It has been announced that he will reprise his role as the voice of the titular bear in Paddington In Peru, which will be released in the UK 8th November. He will star in Limonov, The Ballad Of Eddie as Eduard Limonov. He starred in the short film, Good Boy, the directorial debut of Tom Stuart with the support of Gia Coppola, which was shortlisted for Best Live Action Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
Ben’s TV credits include his role as Norman Scott in the mini-series A Very English Scandal opposite Hugh Grant. This performance saw Ben recognised with a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television, along with a Primetime Emmy Award and a BAFTA.Criminal Justice, The Hour, Fargo and a BAFTA award-winning performance in The Hollow Crown. He starred in the lead role of This Is Going To Hurt, the series adaptation of Adam Kay’s bestselling novel, for which he won Leading Actor in the 2023 BAFTA TV Awards along with Outstanding Performance in a New Series at the 2022 Gotham Awards and winning in the Best Actor categoryat the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. Ben was nominated for numerous awards as well including Best Actor by the TV Choice Awards; a Critic’s Choice Awards for Best Actor In A Limited Series or Movie Made For Television and a Gold Derby Award for Limited / Movie Actor.
He has just wrapped filming Black Doves (Netflix) and is starring alongside Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire.
Ben’s theatre credits have included Mojo (Harold Pinter Theatre), Peter And Alice (Noël Coward), Some Trace Of Her and The Seagull (National Theatre), Leaves Of Glass (Soho Theatre), Hamlet (Old Vic), Julius Caesar (The Bridge Theatre) and The Crucible (on Broadway). He was most recently seen in Bluets (Royal Court Theatre) with Emma D’Arcy and Kayla Meikle.
Tom Edden plays Lucky. Theatre credits include:The Merry Widow (Glyndebourne), Crazy For You (West End/Chichester Festival), Cyrano de Bergerac, The Pinter Season and Doctor Faustus (West End/Jamie Lloyd Company); Matilda (West End/RSC ); The Resistible Rise Of Arturo Ui (Donmar); Amadeus (National Theatre); Our Town (Regents Park Theatre), Measure for Measure(Young Vic); Peter Pan Goes Wrong (West End, Apollo)); Les Miserables (West End, Queens Theatre); A Little Hotel on the Side (Theatre Royal Bath); Hamlet, Betrayal & Summer Lightning (Royal Theatre Northampton); Oliver! (Sheffield Crucible (UK Theatre award nominee Best Actor in a musical) and One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre, West End, Broadway; (Drama Desk Award for Best Actor in a Featured Role and nominated for a Tony and Critic’s Circle Award). Television credits include: Starstruck, Singapore Grip, Upstart Crow,The Scandalous Lady W, Doctor Who, Stuart a Life Backwards, Spartans, The Wolf Man. Film credits include: Star Wars Episode VII- The Force Awakens, Mr Turner and Cinderella.
Jonathan Slinger plays Pozzo. Recent screen credits include a series regular in Alex Rider (Amazon), all 3 eps of the critically acclaimed Salisbury Poisonings, as well as Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You (both for BBC), The Sixth Commandment (BBC) and A Gentleman in Moscow (Paramount Plus). Before the pandemic, Jonathan was starring in the West End transfer of the Olivier Award winning production City of Angels; between lockdowns he starred in the critically acclaimed run of Crave at Chichester Festival Theatre and in David Mamet’s Oleanna at the Arts Theatre in the West End, to great critical acclaim. Last year he appeared in a guest role on Shadow and Bone for Netflix, and later that year starred as Eddie Carbone in A View From The Bridge, a co-production with Headlong, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Rose Theatre. He is currently filming a regular role in Haven (Amazon).
James Macdonald, Director. James was an Associate and Deputy Director at the Royal Court for 14 years and was also a NESTA fellow from 2003 to 2006. For the Royal Court: Glass.Kill.Imp.Bluebeard, One For Sorrow, The Children (& MTC/Broadway), Escaped Alone (& BAM, NYC), The WolfFrom The Door, Circle Mirror Transformation, Love & Information (& NYTW), Cock (& Duke, NYC), Drunk Enough To Say I Love You (& Public, NYC), Dying City (& Lincoln Center, NYC), Fewer Emergencies, Lucky Dog, Blood, Blasted, 4.48 Psychosis (& St Anne’s Warehouse, NYC/US & European tours), Hard Fruit, Real Classy Affair, Cleansed, Bailegangaire, Harry &Me, Simpatico, Peaches, Thyestes, Hammett’s Apprentice, The Terrible Voice Of Satan, Putting Two and Two Together.
Other theatre includes: Infinite Life (National Theatre) The Cherry Orchard (Yard Theatre); Night Of The Iguana, John, Dido Queen Of Carthage, The Hour We Knew Nothing Of EachOther, Exiles (National); Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Glengarry Glen Ross, The ChangingRoom (West End); The Tempest, Roberto Zucco (RSC); Sea Creatures, Wild, And No More Shall We Part, #Aiww – The Arrest Of Ai Weiwei (Hampstead); The Father (Theatre Royal, Bath/Tricycle/West End); Bakkhai, A Delicate Balance, Judgment Day, The Triumph Of Love (Almeida); A Doll’s House Part 2, The Way Of TheWorld, Roots (Donmar); The Chinese Room (Williamstown Festival); Cloud Nine (Atlantic, NYC); a number (NYTW); King Lear, The Book Of Grace (Public, NYC); Top Girls (MTC/Broadway); John Gabriel Borkman (Abbey, Dublin/BAM, NYC); Troilus Und Cressida, Die Kopien (Schaubuehne, Berlin); 4.48 Psychose (Burgtheater, Vienna); Love’s Labour’sLost, Richard Ii (Royal Exchange, Manchester); The Rivals (Nottingham Playhouse); TheCrackwalker (Gate); The Seagull(Crucible, Sheffield); Miss Julie (Oldham Coliseum); Juno &The Paycock, Ice Cream/Hot Fudge, Romeo & Juliet, Fool For Love, Savage/Love, MasterHarold & The Boys (Contact, Manchester); Prem (BAC/Soho Poly). Opera includes: A Ring A Lamp A Thing (Linbury); Eugene Onegin, Rigoletto (Welsh National Opera); Die Zauberflöte (Garsington); Wolf Club Village, Night Banquet (Almeida Opera); Oedipus Rex, Survivor From Warsaw (Royal Exchange, Manchester/Hallé); Lives Of The GreatPoisoners (Second Stride).
Film includes: A Number (HBO/BBC).
Waiting for Godot is produced by Kate Horton for Fictionhouse and Len Blavatnik and Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment, in association with Kate Pakenham Productions.
Starlight Express cast skate to Downing Street to call on the new Government to create the conditions for theatre to thrive
It’s curtain up on a new government and yesterday a Starlight Express cast member, in collaboration with Society of London Theatre and UK Theatre, rolled down to Westminster to set out the conditions that will enable theatre to thrive.
Skating past Downing Street, the Treasury and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on behalf of our sector, Harrison Peterkin, who plays Lumber in the acclaimed musical now playing at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, took time out from performing eight shows a week to choreograph this special delivery.
Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s letter to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer MP, outlines what’s needed for British theatre to survive and thrive, and how we work in partnership to help his Government promote growth and kick down barriers to opportunity:
Dear Prime Minister,
The power of theatre to promote growth and break down barriers to opportunity
On behalf of the Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre congratulations on your electoral victory. We are the membership organisations for theatre producers, managers, owners, and operators in London and across the UK. As you will know some of our member venues – including Donmar Warehouse and Gillian Lynne Theatre – are in your own constituency.
Theatre is special – an economic powerhouse, delivering transformative social good, embedded in communities across the country. World-class productions developed in the UK enable us to stand out on the world stage. Our sector is well placed to work with you to help implement your missions, particularly regarding kick starting the economy and breaking down the barriers to opportunity.
As you saw during your recent visit to the Lyric Hammersmith, who are one of our members, theatres deliver incredible projects for their local communities. They also support local economic growth: for every £1 spent on a theatre ticket £1.40 is spent in the local area.
The UK’s world-class theatre sector promotes Britain globally via our phenomenally successful exports. The Lion King as a film franchise has grossed $1.6bn worldwide but is far outstripped by the Lion King theatre franchise which has grossed $9.3bn, for example.
We look forward to collaborating with you and your team across Government to create the conditions for theatre to thrive, so we can help boost the economy and improve equality of opportunity. Please find enclosed a summary of the policy proposals we’ve made to your departments.
We look forward to working with you.
Kind regards,
Claire Walker and Hannah Essex
Co-CEOs, Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre
Annex: Policy proposals to ensure UK theatre kick starts the economy and breaks down barriers to opportunity
Policy Proposal
Labour Mission and government departments
Theatre for Every Child: Expanding cultural access and young people’s engagement by funding a theatre visit for every child before they leave school.
Breaking down barriers to opportunity Department for Culture, Media & Sport Department for Education
Investment in buildings: A sustainable system for investment in theatre buildings, ensuring cultural infrastructure can deliver transformative social good and local growth in communities, and enabling theatres to reduce their carbon footprint.
Kickstarting economic growth and making Britain a clean energy superpower Department for Culture, Media & Sport Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Public investment: A strategic review public investment in the arts to achieve the most effective results for taxpayers.
Kickstarting economic growth Department for Culture, Media & Sport
Alex Young – Nigel Richards – Nicola Sloane – Jessica Sherman
“The greatest unknown musical in the history of British musical theatre”
The thrilling new British musical THE STATIONMASTER has recorded an album of The Complete Work with top West End talent, to be released on Friday 26 July 2024, giving free access on all major digital platforms (including Spotify and YouTube) – so all can fall in love with one of the most hauntingly beautiful musical theatre scores.
THE STATIONMASTER has a book by Susannah Pearse and music and lyrics by Tim Connor, inspired by Horváth’s Judgment Day translated by Christopher Hampton. With thrilling orchestrations by Drama Desk Winner and Tony nominee Jason Carr.
1955. A small close-knit provincial community in The Lake District. THE STATIONMASTER tells the dark tale of railway stationmaster, Thomas Price, and the secret kiss with Anna that causes him to miss a crucial signal. The resulting train crash kills 12 people. How far will Thomas go to cover up his fatal mistake? So, start the lies, the dangerous gossip and the guilt as all their provincial lives speed to a tragic collision…
Stage favourite Alex Young plays Anna. Alex is currently starring as Virginia Creel in Stranger Things: The First Shadow in the West End. Her meteoric musical theatre career includes acclaimed performances that have taken her from the RNT, The Almeida, The Crucible Sheffield and into the West End including Cold War, Standing At The Sky’s Edge, Follies, Showboat, I Can’t Sing and Terry Giliam’s Into The Woods.
Alex Young says ‘This piece is a sumptuous, sweeping, ambitious and epic new musical. Anna is a delicious part. Complex, flawed, occasionally uningratiating, but beautifully accessible. I’m so pleased that after many years knowing her, I’ve had the chance to play her in this terrific recording.’
Nigel Richards plays the railway stationmaster, Thomas Price, the pillar of the local community.Nigel’s West End musical theatre credits alone include: The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables,Blood Brothers, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Martin Guerre, Ayckbourn/Lloyd-Webber’s By Jeeves, Bob Wilson’s iconic production of Tom Wait’s The Black Rider, the title role in Floyd Collins, and Kurt Weill’s Songs From A Hotel Bedroom at the ROH.
Nigel Richards says ‘Being part of The Stationmaster has been one of the most creative, empowering and thrilling projects to work on. The role of Thomas is the most beautifully written, nuanced, emotionally electric and morally ambiguous parts I have ever played. With this recording, I hope to show the world that this piece is the greatest unknown musical in the history of the British musical theatre.’
The merciless local village gossip Mrs Deakin is played by Nicola Sloane, a West End stalwart, currently starring in the original cast ofStanding At The Sky’s Edge. Nicola‘s credits in the West End alone include Backstairs Billy, The Sound of Music, Acorn Antiques, A Little Night Music, Spend Spend Spend, Martin Guerre, Les Misérables, London Road, Enter the Guardsman.
The award-winning Canadian actress Jessica Sherman plays the stationmaster’s unhappy wife Catherine Price. Jessica’s roles in London and Canada include Dear Evan Hansen originating the role of Heidi Hansen in Canada and winning, Best Actress, Toronto Critics’ Choice, Rock’n’Roll – Royal Court/West End, Kelly V Kelly, The Sound of Music, Harley Quinn in Batman Live – World Arena Tour.
Composer and lyricist Tim Connor says:’Working on The Stationmasterwith Susannah Pearse has been a joyous collaboration. We wrote the four leads with Nigel Richards, Alex Young, Jessica Sherman and Nicola Sloane in our mind’s eye; so, to have captured their definitive interpretations in this amazing studio recording: The Stationmaster is stupendously out in the world! The Complete Work concept album is just the beginning for audiences, performers and producers alike to discover The Stationmaster.‘
There has always been an industry buzz from professional musical theatre afficionados about the score and the story of THE STATIONMASTER – with its anthemic songs including the showstopping ballad Anna sung by the stationmaster as he dreams of a life with Anna; or Anna’s passionate song desperate to change her repressed life and Run Away; and the scene setting, rhythmic and rumbling The 6.59 with no mistaking a steam train is hurtling down the track.
The new British musical THE STATIONMASTER will move and entertain. Created by Stiles and Drewe Prize-winning songwriter Tim Connor and librettist Susannah Pearse, The Complete Work concept album is released via Auburn Jam Records.
Cast: Nigel Richards as Thomas Price – The Stationmaster, Alex Young – Anna Cartwright, Jessica Sherman as Catherine Price, Nicola Sloane as Mrs Deakin, John Coates as Martin Cartwright, Kailun Dennie as Davey, Abiona Omonua as Mrs Teasley, Rhys Jennings as Inspector / Joe / Judge / Ghost, Adam Stickler as Mr Teasley / Sargeant.
Ensemble: Tomas Aleman, Katherine Douglas, Shannon Herbert, Joe Partridge, Katie Rough, Kirsten Ruth, Samuel Trotman, Andrew Kenny.
Production team: Orchestrator Jason Carr (Drama Desk Winner and Tony nominee, Fiddler on the Roof, La Cage Aux Folles), Conductor Chris Guard (The Time Traveller’s Wife), Director Emma Kilbey (Zog, Zog and the Flying Doctors,Young Frankenstein,Donna Macbeth for the Verona Shakespeare Festival, Bryony Lavery’s A Wedding Story, Fame for Theatre Workshop, award-winning Steal Compass), Music production, sound design, recording, mixing and mastering Joe & Nikki Davison for Auburn Jam Music.
THE STATIONMASTER, the gripping new musical drama. Lies have consequences – and a lie can escalate out of control….
THE STATIONMASTER
drops on Friday 26 July 2024
Availablefree on all major digital platforms (including Spotify and YouTube)
starring Sara Crowe, Grace Darling and the voice of Prunella Scales
announces further dates at the Tabard Theatre from 4-7 September
following July previews and its Edinburgh Festival Fringe run
Queen – a play written entirely in Queen Victoria’s own words, taken from her letters and journals – will return to the Tabard Theatre in London from 4-7 September following previews there on 28 July and a run at the Assembly Rooms at Assembly Festival, Edinburgh, from 1-25 August.
Starring Sara Crowe, Grace Darling and the voice of Prunella Scales, and directed by Denise Silvey,Queen is a revival of Katrina Hendrey’s acclaimed one-woman show An Evening With Queen Victoria which Prunella performed for 28 years, starting at the Old Vic in 1980. The play was a world-wide success, on radio and film. Now adapted and re-titled Queen by writer Julian Machin, this production incorporates a recently-made voice over of Prunella Scales as the elderly monarch whose recorded words are interlaced into the action.
Queen also features masterfully-chosen music (by the late Richard Burnett) recorded by Michael Dussek on an 1822 grand piano by Muzio Clementi.
Queen is presented by Chronicles of Ikaro in Association with Cahoots Theatre Company.
Julian Machin said: “Following the death of Elizabeth ll, who based her reign on Victoria’s, the play has come into its own. It’s so insightful, because it’s all in her own words and acts like a prism through which the entire modern monarchy can be seen.”
Denise Silvey said: “It really is like a prequel to The Crown.”
Company name: Chronicles of Ikaro in Association with Cahoots Theatre Company Ltd
Duration: 60 minutes
Age Rating: 8+
Event Warnings: None
TABARD THEATRE
Venue: Theatre At The Tabard, Bath Road, London, W4 1LW.
Dates (2024): 28 July at 3pm and 6pm; 4-6 September at 7.30pm; 7 September at 6pm
Accessibility: Row H, the back row, is high bench seating. The auditorium has steps up the centre aisle, so book at the front for anyone who may have difficulty with steps or heights
A Jaffa Cake Musical to collect Jaffa Cakes for the Edinburgh Food Project
Gigglemug Theatre are partnering with the Edinburgh Food Project on their latest show A Jaffa Cake Musical. The production is inspired by the 1991 tribunal which determined once and for all whether a Jaffa Cake is in fact a cake or a biscuit. The multi-award winning company, who created hit shows Scouts! The Musical, RuneSical & Timpson: The Musical, are asking their audiences to bring Jaffa Cakes to the performances this Fringe.
Edinburgh Food Project runs seven food banks across the city, supporting over 6,000 people each year with emergency food and other essential items. Working toward ending the need for food banks, Edinburgh Food Project also runs an accredited Money Advice Service to help with benefits, budgeting and debt.
August should be a time when the toughest decision any of us has to make is which show to see. Too many people are facing the devastating choice between paying their bills or buying food and realising that they can now no longer afford either. In August 2023, 1743 emergency food parcels went out to people in crisis, to supply them with the essentials they urgently needed. Every food parcel that goes to someone struggling to afford food includes a packet of biscuits. A biscuit is more than a simple treat to go with a cup of tea; it also provides an important energy boost and is a good source of fibre. Adding Jaffa Cakes to a food parcel provides a much-needed pick-me-up for people in crisis.
Artistic Director of Gigglemug Theatre, Sam Cochrane, said “Our shows are all about escapism, we know that’s needed now more than ever, but it’s truly amazing when an opportunity comes by to use our work in a way that actively helps people in need. We’re asking audience members to bring a pack of Jaffa Cakes with them to the show – heck, bring two! One to munch on whilst watching and one for the Edinburgh Food Project. A Jaffa Cake Musical debates whether a Jaffa Cake is a cake or a biscuit, everyone has their own opinion, but one thing we can all agree on is that no one should have to go hungry this August.”
Fundraiser for the Edinburgh Food Project, Calypso Coulton, said “We’re delighted that Gigglemug Theatre will be collecting Jaffa Cakes at A Jaffa Cake Musical! As we put together food parcels, we’ve had our own internal debate about whether Jaffa Cakes are biscuits or cakes. But regardless of how you categorise them, we’re thrilled to have this tasty treat as a way to brighten up someone’s day. Whether you’re a ‘biscuit believer’ or a ‘cake convert’, every packet donated makes a real difference to someone struggling to afford the essentials. We’re grateful for this tasty collaboration!”
