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THE WEST END’S
THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY

NEW CAST ANNOUNCED | NEW DATES ADDED

 

The tale of the duo’s incredible journey throughout the 1960s

Now playing: 22^nd Jan, 26^th Feb, 26^th Mar, 30^th April, 4^th June, 25^th June, 23^rd July

 

Philip Murray Warson (Million Dollar Quartet, One Man Two Guvnors) is to join The Simon & Garfunkel Story as it extends its acclaimed West End run. Starring as Paul Simon alongside previously announced Charles Blyth as Art Garfunkel, The Simon & Garfunkel Story continues to take audiences through the incredible highs and lows of Simon & Garfunkel’s incredible career.

 

Having formed in 1957 as Tom & Jerry, Simon & Garfunkel went on to become the world’s most iconic folk rock group. Revealing the incredible journey shared by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, The Simon & Garfunkel Story takes audience through their meteoric rise. From their humble beginnings, right through their worldwide successes and bitter break-up, culminating with a stunning recreation of their 1981 Central Park reformation concert, audiences can re-live the moments that justified their ten Grammy Awards and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.

 

The Simon & Garfunkel Story not only tells the tale of the legendary musicians, but relives their journey within a time capsule of contemporary newsreels, adverts and film footage from the 1960s and beyond.

 

Philip Murray Warson takes a starring role as Paul Simon, having previously been Musical Director for Million Dollar Quartet (Royal Festival Hall/UK & International Tour), One Man Two Guvnors (West End/Tour). His performance credits include Piaf (Charing Cross Theatre), Manon/Sandra (National Theatre Studio), Romeo & Juliet and Mr. Vertigo (Northwall Theatre).

 

Led by Philip Murray Warson and Charles Blyth, a full live band and brass ensemble will rekindle all the duo’s classic hits including: Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, The Sound of Silence and many more.

 

Returning to London for the first time since 2015 (Leicester Square Theatre), The Simon & Garfunkel Story continues to enjoy international success from Sydney to Seattle.

 

Tickets for the newly added performances from 30^th April will be available from 10am on Friday 26^th January.

 

LISTINGS

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

Venue: Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES 

Dates: 22^nd Jan, 26^th Feb, 26^th Mar, 30^th April, 4^th June, 25^th June, 23^rd July 2018, 7.30pm

Prices: £15.00,  £19.50, £29.50, £39.50, £49.50 & £60.00 (premium)

Booking: www.nimaxtheatres.com

Box office: 0330 333 4812

DARLINGTON HIPPODROME – A PLACE THAT CAN TAKE YOU ANYWHERE

Anywhere – an exciting, immersive, specially commissioned theatrical event to celebrate the colourful history of Darlington Hippodrome is taking shape for performances in February.

Anywhere is a new, immersive piece of theatre exploring the newly renovated Darlington Hippodrome, full of amazing people, told by the very characters that have walked the boards throughout the history of Darlington’s impressive and beautiful theatre.

Created in partnership with contemporary theatre company ODDMANOUT, and performed by the amazing community company who were behind last year’s production of A Tale of Two Cities, Anywhere will take you through the many doors and corridors to discover the secrets the building has to offer. You will meet the characters that shaped the history and future of the Hippodrome, including Signor Pepi and a platoon of perilous performers who will be your guides, your friends, your entertainers.

Take part in this new adventure and see what goes on in front of and behind the red curtain and celebrate all that Darlington Hippodrome has to offer.

Anywhere is a 50 minute promenade theatre experience. The audience will be required to move around the building and stand for periods of time throughout the performance. The building is fully accessible and audiences of all ages will be able to enjoy this unique production.

Anywhere is at Darlington Hippodrome from Friday 2 to Sunday 4 February with 10 performances each day. Tickets are priced at adults £10, U16 £5. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

Richmond Theatre, London – until January 21st. Reviewed by Sabrina Fancy

4****

As a ballet novice, it was with some excitement that I went to see Swan Lake, a production by the prestigious Moscow City ballet company, one of Russia’s most successful and popular touring ballet companies.

The time barely registered and I was utterly engrossed and moved by this tragic tale of Prince Siegfriend and his love for Odette, the beautiful Swan Queen, who would rather die together then live apart. The ballet also had the further allure of a live orchestra in the first few rows of the Richmond Theatre. They brought a magical quality to the production and helped to execute feelings of passion and sadness, through the haunting beautiful score by Tchaikovsky.

The set pieces were simple, but striking, consisting of painted backdrops and lighting. The costumes were classically beautiful. In the four main scenes, Swan Lake delights as a poetic dance drama, combining exquisite artistry, technique, and live music, thus providing a delightful experience. Swan Lake is well known for its very technical and demanding dancing and I was amazed at the grace of the dances, despite the limited stage space.

Principal Ballerina Liliya Oryekhova who plays Odette was hypnotic, and created a great distinction between the different characters she played. Her dancing was sublime and she was the star of the show.

There was great chemistry between Oryekhova and Talgat Kozhabaev who played Prince Siegfriend and was utterly captivating as the elegant and mighty prince. His lightness of foot in the leaps are a delight to watch.

One of my favourite scenes was the dances with the swans and Odette which was so delicate and elegant with gorgeous costumes.

The ballet’s soaring conclusion sees the power of true love conquering all in a tragic way. I was enamoured with the whole spectacle – the love story, the music and the beautiful dances, and can honestly say that I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did.

So, am I now a ballet convert? Absolutely! have to say I couldn’t have picked a better production. Everything was beautiful, the dancers and choreography superb and the live orchestra, incredible. For this reason, I give this production 4 stars and am eagerly anticipating the Moscow City Ballets return to the Richmond theatre.

The Richmond theatre prices are significantly lower than productions in the west end of similar calibre. The Richmond theatre is stunning and very spacious, conveniently located less than a 5- minute walk from the Richmond Overground/Underground station with plenty to do in the area.

Jack Studio Theatre – until 3 February.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Aequitas’s adaptation of Brecht’s anti-Nazi play begins with the cast welcoming the audience into the shelter and cheerfully checking if anyone has bought food for us all to survive on.

A siren sounds, and the action begins. Director Rachael Bellis presents a selection of the playlets from Brecht’s original that echo ominously within the present political climate. The playlets are bookended by radio broadcasts about Trump and Brexit, and modern dress and props are used. The Daily Mail becomes the Nazi state newspaper, while educated liberals read The Guardian; SA troopers wear MAGA baseball caps, and Mein Kampf is on top of a pile hiding Hillary Clinton’s book. This unsubtle signposting of modern parallels is a little forced, as the fear and paranoia the characters demonstrate is universal in any fascist regime.

The cast do well with the playlets chosen, Clark Alexander dominates one scene as the bullying SA man demonstrating the sly and terrifyingly simple method he uses to inform on dissenters. The paranoia of parents who live in fear of their son revealing their unguarded comments is portrayed convincingly by Hugo Trebels and Faye Maughan. William Ross-Fawcett and LaTanya Peterkin make the most of their smaller but pivotal roles in various playlets. The standout performance of the night comes from Rhiannon Sommers as a Jewish wife who speaks eloquently and emotionally about why she is leaving her husband as she packs, alone, in the most engaging section of the production.

This is a well-intentioned production, with committed performances from the energetic cast, but the political and moral warnings ultimately fall flat in this hodgepodge of scenes. Perhaps some of the rejected playlets would have added a little more colour to this adaptation – making it inspiring rather than merely interesting.

Greenwich Theatre – until 27 January.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Lazarus Theatre Company’s residency at Greenwich Theatre opens in style with a transfer of their insanely intense Edward II.

Edward I is dead, and as Edward II takes the throne, he calls his lover Gaveston back from the exile imposed by the dead king. Showering Gaveston with titles and riches usually reserved for those of nobler blood, Edward antagonises his court and shuns his wife, and the plotting against him begins. Sexual prejudices and political shenanigans – a thoroughly modern play written over 400 years ago. Christopher Marlowe’s glorious text is adapted skilfully by director Ricky Dukes into a tight 90 minutes of unrelenting tension.

Lazarus’ usual use of music and ensemble movement is muted here. The cast don’t leave the stage, but instead of lounging around the edges, they stand stock still, staring blankly at the action, showing the constant surveillance and judgement of Edward and Gaveston’s relationship, and producing an increasingly intimidating atmosphere.

Oseloka Obi’s Gaveston breaks the initial silence with his crowing reading of Edward’s letter calling him back to England, setting up the character as a mercenary, streetwise chancer, but his demeanour changes to coquettish joy at his reunion with Edward (Timothy Blore). As his titles accumulates, Gaveston’s encouragement of Edward’s impetuous and petulant behaviour and public flaunting of their relationship appear arrogant powerplays thanks to Obi’s swaggering performance, but there is still room for some tender moments as the two men hold eye content across the stage as the nobility plot their downfall. Timothy Blore gives Edward, in his ill-fitting crown (both physically and metaphorically), a brilliantly frustrating teenage stroppiness that explodes into regal fury as the court turns against him. This Edward is objectionable and pitiful in equal measure, but Blore keeps the audience’s sympathy throughout with his man-child take on the king.

Alicia Charles as the wronged and vengeful Isabella is full of fire and fury, while Jamie O’Neill’s brings a rabid intensity to the ambitious and self-serving Mortimer. Alex Zur, Stephen Smith, John Slade, Stephen Emery and David Clayton give strong performances as the nobles surrounding Edward.

Transferring to a larger theatre means that the claustrophobia of last year’s production is lost, and director Ricky Dukes has wisely injected more humour in this more open space. O’Neil’s weary and sarcastic glances are more obvious as Mortimer despairs of the fools around him, and the scene where Isabella confronts Edward and Gaveston has shades of the Benny Hill Show as she follows them doggedly around the table.

The stark design and modern dress emphasises the nobles view of the kingdom as a business, with land and titles being their bonuses and profits. Unfortunately, the lighting design didn’t hit the mark for me – the strip lighting was effective, but when the cast moved closer to the audience, they were not well lit. This may well be intentional, but I’d have liked to see the talented cast clearly.

The final scenes, with the cast, in those masks, stripped to their underwear, with plastic aprons and plastic sheeting being laid down in anticipation of the bloodbath to come may not please Marlowe purists, but they are horribly effective and satisfying, taking the play full circle to its opening scene, with dire consequences for the plotters.

Lazarus’ Edward II is stylish and shocking, full of dynamic performances and visual flair. Get down to Greenwich and grab a ticket while you can.

Internationally Acclaimed Choreographer & TV Star To Join UK’s First Musical Theatre Cruise

Internationally acclaimed choreographer and TV personalityArlene Phillips will be hitting the high seas with Glitz,Glamour and Gossip onboard the UK’s first ever fully immersive musical theatre cruise.

Arlene will join some of the world’s most celebrated West End and Broadway stars as musical theatre lovers will be spoiled for choice when they join Royal Caribbean’s Navigator of the Seas on the four-night Floating Festival Stages cruise in October 2018.

Stages will feature an incredible array of West End and Broadway stars including the nation’s favourite, two-time Olivier Award winning, musical theatre star Michael Ball, the world’s most successful musical theatre group Collabro,and the divine Beverley Knight, award winning soul singer & star of The Bodyguard, Memphis The Musical and Cats. 

And it is today announced Stages will also present Arlene’s successful stage show: Arlene – The Glitz, The Glamour, The Gossip, where Arlene will chat with host and friend Jacquie Storey about a lifetime in dance, and reveal the truth behind it all.

Speaking about the show, Arlene said: “We’ve taken this show on the road around the UK and now it’s time to take it to the seas!

“I love an audience – everyone does – and I hope the passengers on Stages will get an insight into the different aspects of my life.

“It’s glitz, glamour and gossip, and above all else, it will be fun!”

Arlene will regale tales from her career working with stars such as Freddie Mercury, Whitney Houston, and Elton John, shows including Starlight Express and We Will Rock You, Hollywood films such as Annie and Monty Python’s Meaning of Life. The list goes on… and on…and on…

Arlene has been an inimitable choreographer and director for more than four decades. Since creating the provocative dance group Hot Gossip in the 1970’s, she has been a household name.

Whether you know her as creator of the revolutionary dance group Hot Gossip or as the toughest judge on Strictly Come Dancing, prepare to be surprised and entertained by the stories behind the multi-award winning musicals, the music videos, the TV shows, the films and many more dance extravaganzas.

As well as Arlene Phillips and headline performances from Michael Ball, Collabro and Beverley Knight, Stages also includes shows from Lee Mead (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Wicked), Sophie Evans (The Wizard of Oz, Wicked), John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera), ‘diva’ impressionist Christina Bianco and a truly unique performance from the Olivier Award-winning West-End production Showstopper! The Improvised Musical.

Stages will also present an In Conversation with… featuring legendary lyricist Don Black, while award winning West End musical star Marti Webb will join Don to perform some of his biggest hits.

The Floating Festivals Stages cruise will depart Southampton for four nights from 15 October 2018 and includes a full day in Amsterdam

Packages are on sale now. For more details go to www.FloatingFestivals.co.uk

AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP, STEWART TILL,

FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES & EDWARD WALSON

ENLIST DANNY STRONG TO WRITE BOOK

OF NEW MUSICAL CENTERED ON THE

LIFE AND CAREER OF FRANK SINATRA

 

The Ambassador Theatre Group, Stewart Till and Frank Sinatra Enterprises, along with Edward Walson, are proud to announce that Emmy Award-winning writer Danny Strong has been commissioned to write the book for the highly anticipated new musical based on the life of the legendary singer and actor Frank Sinatra.

 

The show, which is planned to open in early 2020, will feature a number of timeless hit songs from Sinatra’s incredible catalogue recorded during his illustrious career.

 

Danny Strong said: “It is an honour to get to write a musical about one of the biggest icons of the 20th Century. Sinatra is one of the great talents of all time and his fascinating and powerful story will make for a terrific stage musical. I’m deeply honoured to get this opportunity.”

 

Alongside his prestigious acting and producing career, Danny Strong’s writing credits include ‘Game Change’ – for which he won an Emmy Award, a Producers Guild Award and a Writers Guild of America Award – The Butler, Recount and the  Hollywood blockbuster films ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1’ & ‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2’. He is the co-creator of the American musical drama television series ‘Empire’ and recently wrote and directed the film ‘Rebel in the Rye’ that premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. He has just completed a reworking of Tim Rice’s and Abba’s Chess which opens at Washington’s Kennedy Center next month.

 

Adam Speers of Ambassador Theatre Group said: “To have Danny on board is amazing news. His previous work speaks for itself and it made perfect sense to have him write the book for what is set to be a unique musical about an all-time Hollywood legend and icon.”

 

Stewart Till added: “Danny Strong’s writing is always incredibly entertaining, smart and a huge magnet for audiences. That is why he was our absolute first choice.”

 

Frank Sinatra’s legacy and body of music is timeless and resonates with all generations. This announcement follows the news that Sinatra extended his record for the most top 40-charting albums on the Billboard 200 with the 2017 release of ‘Ultimate Christmas’, which became his 58th Top 40 hit.

 

Sinatra The Musical will be executive produced by Larry Manetti.

 

About Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd

The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd (ATG) is the world’s number one live-theatre company with 45 venues in Britain, the US and Australia.

 

ATG Productions is also one of the most prolific and internationally recognised award winning theatre producers in the world with co-productions in the UK, New York, across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Current and recent ATG co-productions include Oslo, Glengarry Glen Ross, Big Fish, Sunday in the Park with George, Hamlet, The Spoils, Doctor Faustus, The End of Longing, The Homecoming, Jersey Boys and The Rocky Horror Show.

About Frank Sinatra

Throughout his nine-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double-platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Associated of America. He extends his record to 58 for the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 with this year’s new Ultimate Christmas release. Sinatra has had Top 40 hits on the charts for eight decades, which is as long as the Billboard charts have existed. He received nine GRAMMY Awards over the course of his career, including three for the prestigious Album of the Year, and an Oscar. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures.

 

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

 

About Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE)

Frank Sinatra Enterprises is a joint venture between the Sinatra family and Warner Music Group. FSE owns Sinatra’s recordings from the Reprise era as well as a treasure trove of films, television specials and unreleased footage, photos and audio recordings, which collectively represent one of the foremost bodies of artistic work of the modern era. FSE also owns and manages Sinatra’s name and likeness rights and represents the artist’s rights to the Columbia and Capitol catalogues. FSE pursues innovative new product and venture opportunities with respect to the legendary entertainer’s name and likeness, as well as Sinatra’s audio and visual recordings. More information about Frank Sinatra Enterprises can be found at www.sinatra.com

About Stewart Till

Stewart Till is currently producing a number of feature films and high-end, scripted TV dramas for the US and UK markets. He was previously Chair of Creative Skillset and also Chairman of the UK Film Council. From 2011 to 2015, he was both Chief Executive and Board member of Sonar Entertainment and responsible for greenlighting Tom Hardy’s Taboo and Shannara (with Al Gough and Miles Millar as showrunners).

 

Till was CEO of United International Pictures, the international joint venture of Paramount Pictures and Universal Studios International. With offices in 35 countries, it was the world’s leading distributor of feature length motion pictures. Throughout the nineties, Till was President of International at PolyGram Filmed Entertainment. During that time he was responsible for such films as The Usual Suspects, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Jude and Trainspotting. In 2000 he was awarded a CBE for services to the British film industry.

 

About Edward Walson

A former TV host and producer of local cable news, weather and entertainment programming, Edward now dedicates his time to producing musicals and independent films. His credits include Broadway’s “Relatively Speaking,” “Cinderella,” “Big Fish,” “Bullets Over Broadway” and “An American In Paris.” Future shows include “Carousel,” “King Kong,” “Moulin Rouge” and “Pretty Woman”. Films: CITY ISLAND, BLUE JASMINE, MAGIC IN THE MOONLIGHT, TIME OUT OF MIND, IRRATIONAL MAN, CAFE SOCIETY and WONDER WHEEL. He is the owner of Service Electric Broadband Cable TV of New Jersey. He is the son of John Walson, who invented cable television. He is also the owner of the Royal Blues Hotel and Restaurant, in Deerfield Beach, Florida. He plays an active philanthropic role in medical research foundations and law enforcement.

Howard Panter for Trafalgar Entertainment Group,

GWB Entertainment, BookMyShow, Tokyu Theatre Orb,

Tulchin/Bartner and David Lazar

in association with KHAM Inc.

proudly present

The Lincoln Center Theater

production of

RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S

 

BROADWAY STAR & TONY AWARD WINNER

RUTHIE ANN MILES

JOINS WEST END CAST OF THE KING AND I

AS LONDON PALLADIUM ENGAGEMENT

IS EXTENDED TO 8 SEPTEMBER 2018

DUE TO PHENOMENAL DEMAND

 

TICKETS FOR NEW BOOKING PERIOD ON SALE FRIDAY 19 JANUARY AT 9AM

 

Ruthie Ann Miles will reprise her Tony Award winning and critically acclaimed Broadway role of LadyThiang in the West End production of THE KING AND I, which opens at the London Palladium on 21 June (Press Night 3 July). She will join fellow Tony Award winner Kelli O’Hara (Anna) and Tony and Oscar nominee Ken Watanabe (The King) in the Broadway transfer of the multi award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical.

 

THE KING AND I has today also announced an extended booking period due to unprecedented demand for tickets until 8 September, which will now see the West End engagement of this classic love story run into the autumn.  Already one of the fastest selling productions of 2018, this booking extension proves the love that London audiences have for THE KING AND I and, much like it’s acclaimed 16 month run at New York’s Lincoln Center Theater and record-breaking sold out USA tour, it’s tipped to be the must see musical of this year.

 

Ruthie Ann Miles originated the role of Imelda Marcos in the prestigious Public Theater production of Here Lies Love, for which she received the Lucille Lortel Award and the Theatre World Award. (The musical transferred to the National Theatre in 2014 playing to critical acclaim).  For her heartwarming portrayal of Lady Thiang, the King’s chief wife in THE KING AND I, she won the 2015 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical and the 2015 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical. The New York Times said that Miles’ rendition of the iconic song ‘Something Wonderful’ could be the show’s anthem.  Miles, like her lead co-stars, will be making her West End debut when the critically acclaimed musical opens in London later this year.

 

Acclaimed Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher will direct the production, hot on the heels of his work on The Lincoln Center Theater’s World Premiere of J.T. Rogers’ smash hit play Oslo, which opened on Broadway and then transferred via the National Theatre to London’s Harold Pinter Theatre in October last year to rave reviews. He, along with the celebrated creative team behind the award-winning production of South Pacific and the soon-to-open Lincoln Center Theater production of My Fair Lady, will reunite to bring this majestic production to life at the London Palladium.  

With music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, this masterpiece – one of their finest works – boasts a score featuring such beloved classics as Getting To Know You, Hello Young Lovers, Shall We Dance, I Have Dreamed, and Something Wonderful.   Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher, whom the imperious King brings to Siam to tutor his many wives and children.

 

WHAT THE US PRESS HAVE SAID ABOUT THE LINCOLN CENTER

THEATER BROADWAY PRODUCTION OF THE KING AND I

 

“I’ll doubt I’ll ever see a better production in my lifetime.”

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL

 

“Something wonderful indeed. Breathtaking. Exquisite. Remarkable.”

NEW YORK TIMES

 

“Five stars. Grand and glorious.”

 TIME OUT NEW YORK

“A landmark production and a shot of purest rapture. I never wanted it to end.”

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“Too beautiful to miss! An astonishing achievement.”

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

“Absolutely stunning. Kelli O’Hara is ravishing. Ken Watanabe is powerfully seductive. Chalk up another triumph for Lincoln Center Theater.”

VARIETY

“Magnificent. A sweepingly romantic production. How good to be getting to know the show all over again.”

NEWSDAY

“Simply divine. You can’t overstate how stunningly beautiful, how achingly well sung this new revival is.”

NEW YORK POST

 

“This splendid revival emerges as majestic and intimate simultaneously. Grandeur and grace fill each scene and song. O’Hara and Watanabe share warm chemistry.”

DAILY NEWS

“Splendid! This just may be, in fact, the finest staging of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical in my experience.”

THE WASHINGTON POST

RUTHIE ANN MILES

Ruthie Ann Miles was last seen on Broadway in Sunday In The Park With George starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford. She garnered a TONY Award (and GRAMMY and Drama League nominations) for playing Lady Thiang in Bartlett Sher’s revival of The King And I at Lincoln Center Theater, starring Ken Watanabe and Kelli O’Hara. Off-Broadway, Miles created the role of Imelda Marcos in David Byrne’s discotheque musicalHere Lies Love at The Public Theater, receiving both the Lucille Lortel and Theater World Awards. She played in the US National Tour of John Doyle’s revival of Sweeney Todd, as Adolfo Pirelli (on-stage accordion, flute and piano), and reads the NY Times’ Bestselling author Lisa See’s audiobook “The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane”.  Notable television credits include playing Young-Hee in the EMMY-nominated Season Four of the Cold War thriller “The Americans”. Miles holds a Masters degree in Music from New York University, Steinhardt.

 

LISTINGS  INFORMATION

LONDON PALLADIUM

Previews: From 21 June 2018

Press Night: 3 July 2018 at 7pm

Tickets: £15 – £75, Premium Seating available

Box Office: 020 7087 7755

Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2pm and 7pm

Website: KingandIMusical.co.uk

Twitter: @KingandIWestEnd

Facebook: @KingandIWestEnd

Instagram: @KingandIWestEnd

ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON ANNOUNCES FULL CAST FOR STEPHEN BILL’S CURTAINS

 

Rose Theatre Kingston present

CURTAINS

Written by Stephen Bill

Directed by Lindsay Posner

Set & Costume Designer: Peter McKintosh; LX Designer: Paul Pyant

Composer & Sound Designer: Isobel Waller-Bridge; Casting Director: Ginny Schiller

22 February – 17 March 2018

 

As part of their 10^th anniversary season Rose Theatre Kingston today announces the full cast for Stephen Bill’s award-winning play Curtains. Lindsay Posner directs Leo Bill (Michael), Caroline Catz (Susan), Jonathan Coy (Geoffrey), Tim Dutton (Douglas), Wendy Nottingham (Margaret), Saskia Reeves (Katherine), Sandra Voe(Ida) and Marjorie Yates (Mrs Jackson). The production opens on Wednesday 28 February, with previews from Thursday 22 February, and runs until Saturday 17 March.

Ida’s family is throwing her a birthday tea for her eighty-sixth birthday. Their efforts to be cheerful and make the event a success verge on the desperate. Ida is racked with pain and feels she has lived too long. As the painfully laboured celebrations go on, her third daughter Susan returns unexpectedly after an absence of 25 years. Tensions immediately flare between the sisters, whilst Ida struggles to recognise her.

As the party comes to an end, the family disperse leaving Katherine remembering the pact she made with Ida not to let her suffer into old age… When the family returns, old prejudices and rivalries are forced into the open in this at times hilarious, painful and moving picture of a family in turmoil.

Stephen Bill won Drama Magazine’s award for Best Play, alongside Most Promising Playwright from both Evening Standard Theatre Awards and Players London Critics’ Awards for Curtains. His other playwrighting credits include The Old Order, Piggy Back Riders, Naked in the Bull Ring, The Bottom Drawer, Over the Bar,Over a Barrel, Cassie and What the Heart Feels. His television writing includes Eh Brian It’s a Whopper, Marjorie and The Preacher Man, The Darling Buds of May, Broke, The Locksmith and Maisie Raine. 

 

Leo Bill plays Michael. His theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Young Vic), Hamlet (Barbican), Light Shining in Buckinghamshire, A Woman Killed with Kindness, Pains of Youth, The Observer, The Hothouse, The Reporter (National Theatre), Secret Theatre (Lyric Hammersmith), The Silence of the Seas (Donmar Trafalgar), Posh (Royal Court Theatre, Duke of York’s Theatre) and The Way of the World (Sheffield Theatres). Television credits include Strike: The Cuckoo’s Calling, Taboo and The White Queen. Film credits include In Fabric, Peterloo, Mr Turner, A Long Way Down, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Alice in Wonderland, Becoming Jane and 28 Days Later.

Caroline Catz plays Susan. Her theatre credits include Top Girls (Out of Joint), On Emotion (Soho Theatre), Haunted (Arts Theatre), The Recruiting Officer (Chichester Festival Theatre), Dogs Barking (Bush Theatre), Shopping and F**king (Gielgud Theatre, Queen’s Theatre, international tour) and Six Degrees of Separation (Royal Court Theatre, Comedy Theatre). Catz stars as Louisa Ellingham in ITV’s Doc Martin and previously as Helen Morton in DCI Banks and Rosie Fox in The Bill. Other television credits include I Want My Wife Back, Murder in Suburbia, Single Handed, The Vice, All Quiet on the Preston Front, Real Men, In Denial of Murder, Valentines Kiss, Miss Marple and Hotel Babylon. Film credits include Radiomania, Look Me in the Eye, Under the Sun, I, Anna, Chick Lit and In Fabric. 

Jonathan Coy plays Geoffrey. Theatre credits include Ink (Duke of York’s Theatre), Ivanov, Platonov, A Month in the Country (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Hard Problem, The Magistrate, Democracy, The Power of Yes(National Theatre), Privacy (Donmar Warehouse), Relatively Speaking (Theatre Royal Bath), Noises Off (The Old Vic, Novello Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Wyndham’s Theatre), Racing Demon (Sheffield Theatres), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Almeida Theatre), Bear Hug, The Weather (Royal Court Theatre) and Neville’s Island (Apollo Theatre). Television credits include Downton Abbey, Parade’s End, Ladies of Letters, The Pillars of the Earth and Underworld. His film credits include Much Ado About Nothing.

Tim Dutton plays Douglas. His theatre credits include Iliad (Almeida Theatre), 1984 (Almeida Theatre, Playhouse Theatre), Dangerous Corner (Salisbury Playhouse), Insufficiency (Riverside Studios), A Handful of Dust (Cambridge Theatre), Cider with Rosie (Birmingham Rep), She’s in Your Hands (Royal Exchange Theatre), London Assurance (Chichester Festival Theatre, UK tour, Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Lucky Ones, Love’s Labour’s Love and Victory (Chichester Festival Theatre). Television credits include Oliver Twist, Frenchman’s Creek, Genius: Einstein, Bonkers, Ally McBeal, Thanks and Melissa. Film credits include Tom and Viv, The Infiltrator, Delight, The Rendezvous, The Detonator, Tooth and The Bourne Identity.

Wendy Nottingham plays Margaret. Her theatre credits include Diminished (Hampstead Theatre), The Winslow Boy (The Old Vic), Celebrity Night at Café Red, Step 9 (of 12) (Trafalgar Studios), In Basildon, The Madness of Esme and Shaz, Ambulance (Royal Court Theatre), Grief, The Shaughraun, The Voysey Inheritance(National Theatre), Total Eclipse (Menier Chocolate Factory), Cloud Nine (Sheffield Theatres), Abigail’s Party(Ambassador Theatre, Hampstead Theatre) and The Crucible (Young Vic). Her television credits include Peaky Blinders, Mr Selfridge and The Boss. Her film credits include The Children Act and Vera Drake.

Saskia Reeves plays Katherine. Her theatre credits include King Lear (Shakespeare’s Globe), Hello and Goodbye (Trafalgar Studios), A Disappearing Number (Complicité), The Mistress Contract (Royal Court Theatre), Orpheus Descending (Donmar Warehouse), Measure for Measure, Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?(Young Vic), Much Ado About Nothing (Playhouse Theatre, international tour), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Man Of Mode (Donmar Warehouse, international tour) and Separation (Hampstead Theatre, Comedy Theatre). Her television credits include Collateral, Wolf Hall, Luther, A Child in Time, From There to Here, Wallander, Red Riding, The Sisters, Plotlands and Island At War. Her film credits include The Worricker Trilogy, Our Kind of Traitor, Butterfly Kiss, Close My Eyes and December Bride.

Sandra Voe plays Ida. Her theatre credits Motherland (New Diorama Theatre), Macbeth (Sheffield Theatres), Chairs, Three Sisters (Lyric Hammersmith), Attempts on Her Life, The Strangeness of Others (National Theatre), Enemies, Camera Obscura, The Winter Guest, The Deep Blue Sea, Nana, The Seagull (Almeida Theatre), The Kitchen and Attempts on Her Life (Royal Court Theatre).  Television credits include Howards End, Playing the Field, Holding On, Body and Soul and Love Hurts. Film credits include Reg, Blood, Shadows in the Sun, Hidden Flaws, Vera Drake, Great Expectations, The Winter Guest, Breaking the Waves, Immortal Beloved, Naked,Comrades and Local Hero.

Marjorie Yates returns following A Day in the Death of Joe Egg to play Mrs Jackson. Other theatre credits include Babette’s Feast (The Print Room), The Crucible (Manchester Royal Exchange), This is My Family(Sheffield Theatres), Untold Stories (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Honeymoon Suite (Royal Court Theatre), Star Quality (Apollo Theatre), The Daughter-in-Law, All My Sons (Young Vic), An Inspector Calls (Garrick Theatre), Death of a Salesman, Stages (National Theatre) and Electra (Donmar Warehouse). Yates played Carol Fisher in Channel 4’s Shameless and has also appeared as a series regular in Annie’s Bar and Couples. Her film credits include Edge, The Long Day Closes and Wetherby.

Lindsay Posner’s directing credits include The Lie, The Truth, Dinner with Saddam, Communicating Doors (Menier Chocolate Factory), Abigail’s Party (Menier Chocolate Factory, Theatre Royal Bath, Wyndham’s Theatre, UK tour), The End of Longing, Speed the Plow (Playhouse Theatre), Hay Fever (Duke of York’s Theatre), Harvey (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Relatively Speaking (Wyndham’s Theatre), A Little Hotel on the Side (Theatre Royal Bath), Other Desert Cities, The Winslow Boy and Noises Off  (The Old Vic), The Turn of the Screw (Almeida Theatre) and Uncle Vanya (Vaudeville Theatre). He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1987-1992 where his productions included Death and the Maiden (which transferred to the Duke of York’s Theatre and won two Olivier Awards), Colquhoun and McBryde and The Treatment.

ABOUT ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON

Founded by Sir Peter Hall, and modelled on the original Elizabethan Rose Theatre on London’s Bankside, Rose Theatre Kingston is the largest producing theatre in South West London.

Since opening in 2008, the Rose has collaborated with a range of directors, playwrights and producing partners to create vibrant, engaging and inspiring productions. Recent works include the first stage adaptation and world première of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend directed by Melly Still; Zach Helm’s Good Canarydirected by John Malkovich; John Barton and Peter Hall’s Shakespeare adaptation The Wars of the Roses directed by Trevor Nunn; David Hare’s The Absence of War directed by Jeremy Herrin and Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather (West End transfer and Olivier Award nominee) directed by Sally Cookson. To celebrate Rose Theatre Kingston’s 10^th birthday, plans include a production of Much Ado About Nothing starring Mel Giedroyc, in co-production with Granville & Parham Productions and Antic Face, and Don Carlos, a co-production with Exeter Northcott and Nuffield Southampton Theatres starring Tom Burke.

With over 150,000 visitors a year, the Rose enjoys artistic and critical acclaim from its own productions and co-productions as well as from hosting the work of renowned theatre companies including Royal Shakespeare Company, English Touring Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Headlong, Peter Brook, Sheffield Theatres, Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, and Theatre Royal Bath. With an auditorium that lends itself to both intimate and epic scale productions, the Rose has established itself as one of the most exciting theatres in the UK.

Curtains Listings

Rose Theatre Kingston

24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL

22 February – 17 March 2018

Press night: Wednesday 28 February, 7pm

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Twitter: @Rosetheatre

Facebook: /RoseTheatreKingston

Instagram: RoseTheatreKingston

 

Box Office:                          020 8174 0090

                                                Monday – Saturday: 10am – 8pm (6pm non-performance days)

                                                Sun: one hour before the performance

 

Concessions:                      Only one discount per ticket, subject to availability

Terms and conditions apply – no discounts on Pit Cushion prices.

Over 60, unwaged, entertainment union, children under 16 and Students: £5 off.

Under 26:                           £8 tickets on Mon – Thu performances & matinees. Valid on selected productions; limited availability (exclusions apply). Please note, a valid photo ID is required when collecting your tickets from Box Office.

 

Access:                                 Patrons with disabilities enjoy half price tickets.

The Rose is a fully accessible organisation and we welcome everyone.

                                                There is Blue Badge parking in High Street and Rose car park.

Sensory Access:                A digital hearing system is available for patrons with a hearing aid, and Sennheiser headsets for patrons without a hearing aid. Guide and hearing dogs are welcome. Please let us know in advance so we can provide a dog-sitter and water bowl.

Learning Disabilities:       Please contact us in advance to discuss how we can help make your visit as comfortable as possible, on 0208 174 0090 or email [email protected].