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LESLEY JOSEPH

TO JOIN NEW CAST OF

THE AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL CALENDAR GIRLS

BY GARY BARLOW AND TIM FIRTH

Lesley Joseph will join the new cast for the UK & Ireland Tour of Gary Barlow and Tim Firth’s musical comedy, CALENDAR GIRLS The Musical, based on the true story, the film and the award-winning play.

Lesley will play Jessie from 23 April in Southend, until 10 August in Eastbourne when Ruth Madoc returns to the role.

Although perhaps best known for playing Dorien Green in the ITV sitcom Birds of a Feather, alongside Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson, Lesley has a wealth of theatrical experience to her credit. Most recently she starred as Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at the Garrick Theatre, a role which earned her an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

Lesley’s other notable theatre credits include Miss Hannigan in Annie (West End and UK Tour), Chris in the play of Calendar Girls (UK Tour), The Vagina Monologues (West End and UK Tour), and Kathleen in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Home (Theatre Royal Bath).

On television, Lesley played Rachel Culgrin in ITV’s Night and Day for nearly two years. Other TV appearances include Rumble with Brian Glover, Easy Money, Spywatch, Minder, Roots, and The Knowledge to name a few. She played Green Beryl in Channel 5’s series The Secret of Eel Island, and guest starred as Erica in BBC’s The Slammer.

Lesley has also appeared in scores of light entertainment shows. She had a regular spot as glamour correspondent on GMTV, and presented ITV’s Wish You Were Here…?. In 2016, Lesley was partnered with Anton du Beke on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Lesley joins the previously announced cast starring Sarah Jane Buckley (Blood Brothers and Kathy Barnes inHollyoaks) as Annie, Sue Devaney (the soon to be seen new Russell T. Davies series Years and Years, Jane inDinnerladies, Liz Harker in Casualty, Debbie Webster in Coronation Street and Rosie in the musical Mamma Mia!) as Cora, Julia Hills (Doctor Kemp in Broadchurch, Annabelle Shrivener in The Archers) as Ruth, Judy Holt (Cold Feet, Scott & Bailey) as Marie and Lisa Maxwell (panellist on Loose Women, Tracey Donovan in Hollyoaks,Samantha Nixon in The Bill and various roles in The Les Dennis Laughter Show and The Russ Abbot Show) as Celia. The new cast will make their debut at Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, on 23 April 2019.

Rebecca Storm will continue to play Chris.

Karen Dunbar will return to play Cora when the production visits Glasgow’s King’s Theatre from 11-22 June.

Also in the cast are Phil Corbitt as John, Ian Mercer as Rod, Sebastian Abineri as Colin, Alan Stocks as Denis, Derek Elroy as Lawrence, Pauline Daniels as Lady Cravenshire, Ellie Leah as Miss Wilson, Danny Howker as Danny, Isabel Caswell as Jenny and Tyler Dobbs as Tommo.

The critically acclaimed and award-winning production played a six-month London season at the Phoenix Theatre in 2017, and, before that, this musical comedy played sold-out seasons in Leeds and Manchester.   

Gary Barlow and Tim Firth grew up in the same village in the North of England and have been friends for 25 years.  With Take That, Gary has written and co-written 14 number one singles, has sold over 50 million records worldwide and is a six times Ivor Novello Award winner.  Tim has won the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.

CALENDAR GIRLS THE MUSICAL is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands, and have to date raised almost £5million for Bloodwise. This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary. 

Bloodwise, the UK’s specialist blood cancer charity, will continue to receive monies from this production.

CALENDAR GIRLS The Musical is directed by Matt Ryan and designed by Robert Jones, with comedy staging by Jos Houben, movement by Lucy Hind and casting by Sarah Bird.

Website: www.calendargirlsthemusical.com

Facebook: @thegirlsmusical

Twitter: @thegirlsmusical

2019 TOUR SCHEDULE

23 – 27 April                          Cliffs Pavilion, Southend*                                          01702 351135

                                             www.thecliffspavilion.co.uk

30 April – 11 May                   Wales Millennium Centre*                                         02920 636464

                                             www.wmc.org.uk

14 – 25 May                           Grand Opera House, Belfast*                                    02890 241919

                                             www.goh.co.uk

28 May – 8 June                    Birmingham Hippodrome*                                          0844 338 5000                                            

                                             www.birminghamhippodrome.com

11 – 22 June                          Glasgow King’s Theatre*                                           0844 871 7648

                                             www.atgtickets.com/kings-theatre

25 June – 6 July                    Theatre Royal, Nottingham*                                      0115 989 5555                                            

                                             www.trch.co.uk

9 July – 20 July                     Bristol Hippodrome*                                                  0844 871 3012

                                             www.atgtickets.com/bristol

23 July – 3 August                 Theatre Royal Plymouth*                                           01752 267222

                                             www.theatreroyal.com

6 – 10 August                        Congress Theatre, Eastbourne*                                 01323 412000

                                             www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk

17 – 21 September                 Bournemouth Pavilion                                                0844 576 3000                                            

                                             www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk

24 – 28 September                 Wolverhampton Grand                                               01902 42 92 12

                                             www.grandtheatre.co.uk

1 – 5 October                         New Wimbledon Theatre                                           0844 871 7646

                                             www.atgtickets.com/new-wimbledon-theatre

8 – 12 October                       Royal & Derngate Northampton                                 01604 624811

                                             www.royalandderngate.co.uk

15 – 19 October                     Blackpool Opera House                                             0844 856 1111

                                             www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

22 – 26 October                     Ipswich Regent Theatre                                            01473 433100

                                             www.ipswichregent.com                                           

29 October – 2 November      Chester Storyhouse                                                  01244 409113                                            

                                             www.storyhouse.com

5 – 9 November                     Theatre Royal Bath                                                   01225 448844

                                             www.theatreroyal.org.uk

12 – 23 November                  Chichester Festival Theatre                                       01243 781312

                                             www.cft.org.uk

*Lesley Joseph dates

ICONIC PETERBOROUGH VENUE

RE-LAUNCHES UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT 

***

SELLADOOR WORLDWIDE

PRESENT

OPENING SEPTEMBER 2019

***

INAUGURAL PRODUCTIONS INCLUDE AVENUE Q,

MADAGASCAR THE MUSICAL, THE MOUSETRAP &

THE WIZARD OF OZ

Peterborough’s former Broadway Theatre is set to re-launch under the new management ofSelladoor Worldwide (one of the UK’s leading touring theatre producers and no. 38 in The Stage 100’s 2019 list of most influential people working in the performing arts industry).

The theatre will re-open its doors from September 2019 as the Peterborough New Theatre, and joinsThe Landmark Theatre, Ilfracombe, and Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple, under the operation ofSelladoor Venues, alongside the Pavilion Theatre, Blackpool, in partnership with the Blackpool Entertainment Company.

The New Theatre’s inaugural season will include two of Selladoor’s hit touring productions, Avenue Qand Madagascar The Musical, alongside Adam Spiegel Productions’ The Mousetrap, and Prime Pantomimes’ The Wizard of Oz, with further productions to be announced in due course.

Peterborough philanthropist Peter Boizot spent £9m of his own money to recreate the beautiful 1930’s Art Deco building as a cornerstone of Peterborough cultural life. Following several attempts to breathe new life into the building in recent years, The Dawe Charitable Trust took over the lease of the building and has invested a further £1m to make The New Theatre central to the life of all Peterborough’s communities. 

Selladoor Worldwide’s production of Avenue Q was previously programmed to run at the venue in March 2019 before the theatre was sadly forced to close. Selladoor is now delighted to be able to finally bring the show to the theatre, and will contact customers who had previously booked tickets for Avenue Q but were not given the opportunity to enjoy the show and did not receive a refund. Selladoor will offer to honour these tickets for the week of the show’s run from 24 – 28 September.

David Hutchinson, CEO, Selladoor Worldwide said, “We’ve been working closely with the trust since the collapse of the previous administration, to find a viable future for this beautiful venue. It’s clear that Peterborough deserves a number one venue for larger scale work. There is fantastic local support for this building and I am truly delighted to add the newly renamed Peterborough New Theatre to the Selladoor Venue portfolio. Our mission remains, to produce and present quality diverse, daring and dynamic work. And our new Peterborough home will present so many opportunities to bring thrilling theatre and live events to the city. We clearly have some work to build trust, following the unfortunate collapse of previous managers. We don’t underestimate that task. But we’re leading with a number of our own largest productions – one of which, Avenue Q, was a victim of the recent collapse. We have confidence that the Peterborough New Theatre can be a building of local and national importance.”

Dr Peter Dawe, OBE, The Dawe Charitable Trust, said, “Having Selladoor Worldwide, a professional theatre management company, take over the running of the Peterborough theatre is what my team has been working for since we took over. My team especially Vijju Churchman and Tarba Gill have worked tirelessly to make the theatre an attractive commercial proposition. The reward is that Peterborough, for the first time in decades, will enjoy top acts, performances and theatre on a regular basis. The Dawe Charitable Trust will continue to support the theatre in the years to come.”

Tom Stickland, Theatres Trust said, “The [Peterborough New Theatre] is a venue with extraordinary potential. It has been on our Theatres at Risk register since 2016 when it was threatened with redevelopment into flats. Having campaigned to save the theatre building, Theatres Trust is delighted that it has now found an operator in Selladoor that can bring experience of theatre nationwide, to make sure that the people of Peterborough can enjoy quality large scale theatre and ensure the building continues to be protected.”

As well as the main auditorium, Selladoor Worldwide will be rejuvenating the exceptional front of house spaces and bringing them back to life. They will be introducing delicious food offers, with friendly bar service and a welcoming place to relax before the show, making the New Theatre a one-stop-venue for a great night out. The wonderful Broadway Suite will be reborn with speciality dining events, live music nights and fabulous opportunities for private hire.

Keen to be an important centre for the city, and integrate with the community, the theatre will be welcoming local volunteers to be a part of the New Theatre family. There will be opportunities to assist with customer visits, special events and marketing, all enhancing the customer experience and giving the chance for those with a passion for the arts to get involved.

Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough – until 6 March 2019

Reviewed by Sara Garner

4****

We are introduced to Jim “Glorious” Glory’s gym with the entrance of Ben (Josh Hart) who colorfully remarks on the state of the gym. This reflects the Glory days that are no more and so we are presented with three of the main characters of the play Ben, Dan (Joshua Lyster) and Jim (Jamie Smelt)

It is very clear from the outset that this play is going to challenge the audience with its black humor, racial stereotypes and Jim’s frustration for this. Its uncomfortably funny. The play then explores theses attitudes allowing the characters to openly develop in from of us by sharing their own traumatic experiences that have had a dramatic effect on their emotional wellbeing.

Jim Glory, makes it a rule for his apprentices to keep real life out of the ring. Played by Jamie Smelt this character imagines people find him very funny and enjoy his company, while still respecting him and looking up to him as a wrestler. He is oblivious to how other people see him, causing him to lash out whenever the veil of ignorance and pride he maintains is infiltrated. He believes in goodie-versus-baddie stories and doesn’t want the problems of people’s actual experience. For him, wrestling is about comedy, the act and entertainment.

At the end of Act 1 we met Sami (Ali Azhar) who has gone through his own physical and psychological traumas.

The relationship between the 4 characters is affected by their individual traumas and evolves throughout act 2. This ability to demonstrate the fluidity in their relationships shows that these actors truly understand not only the script but also the nuances of each of their characters and the effect of the judgmental society in which the live. What will they do to achieve their own Glory?

The audience leaves reflecting on their own experiences, prejudices and multi-cultural society in which we live in. This clearly shows how good this play really is.

Staged in a wrestling ring with some great choreographed stage fighting it is funny, energetic and gritty – it is also truly thought provoking.

New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 9th March 2019

Reviewed by Alex Sykes

5*****

There are few occasions in life where you can go to the theatre in fancy dress and heckle the cast but when seeing Rocky Horror Show it seems almost compulsory. It might have been cold and wet outside but in the theatre it was warm and the people in costume outnumbered the people not in costume.

The opening number, Science Fiction/Double Feature is sung by Laura Harrison, in her role as the Usherette, who deserves a special mention as she carried on singing despite the stage having a technical problem as the curtain didn’t want to open. Harrison also deserves a mention for how quickly she managed to get changed at the end of the show from the Usherette outfit back into the Magenta outfit.  Dom Joly is brilliant in his role as the narrator as he receives the most heckles from from the audience but responds to them brilliantly, whether or not these replies are scripted remains unknown but the timings and the responses are spot on, Joly is possibly the best narrator I have seen.

Sweet and innocent Brad and Janet are played by Ben Adams (A1) and Joanne Clifton (Strictly Come Dancing) who have amazing on stage chemistry. The pair also take the heckles well, although at times you could tell Adams was trying not to laugh, especially during the scene with the cocktail shaker. Ross Chisari brings both Eddie and Dr. Scott to life but is better in the role as Eddie his Dr. Scott has a strange accent that isn’t the same from one line to the next. Callum Evans is wonderful in his role of Rocky, using his gymnastic abilities to his advantage (has anyone ever tried to escape from Frank by doing a backflip? Probably not). Miracle Chance tap dances her way into the role of Columbia, although the role should be bigger as her talents are not used as well as they should be. Stars of the show though are Stephen Webb and Kristian Lavercombe who play Frank N. Furter and Riff Raff respectively. The pair have a brilliant connection and use each other to work out how to play the scene, and Lavercombe has racked up over 1400 performances as Riff Raff.

All in all a brilliant night out which would make Richard O’Brien proud and will make fans of the Rocky Horror Show keep coming back to do the Time Warp again and again.

Jack Studio theatre – until 9 March 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

My favourite Samuel Beckett is the one from Quantum Leap, so it was probably time for me to see a Beckett play live on stage. Angel Theatre’s production of Footfalls and Play, two of Beckett’s later short plays, has a combined running time of an hour, with both toying with the tedious repetitive patterns people get trapped in. I think.

Play has three characters sitting in three large urns arranged in a row. The actors’ faces are grey and flaky, suggesting decay or fossilisation. Beckett’s precise stage directions have the urns lit by three lights, with the actors speaking when then are illuminated. They begin together, a babble of voices which then splits into each actor speaking when they are individually lit. As they speak it becomes clear who they are. The man is flanked by his wife and his mistress, and they all speak of the rather ordinary, cliched extra-marital affair. The wife (Rose Trustman) is strong but bitter, the mistress (Samantha Kamras) wonders if she is becoming unhinged, and the man (Ricky Zalman) seems only interested in himself. The rhythm of the lighting becomes hypnotic, broken by the occasional erratic pauses in a character’s lines. After a short period of darkness, the play is repeated. This is probably all about being trapped in a cycle of repeated behaviours and inability to let go of the past, but I am afraid this is where I drifted off a little and began analysing the similarities of the play’s staging to a futuristic game of Whack a Mole, with shades of Return to Oz.

The second play, Footfalls, has a woman dressed in ghostly tattered rags, walking repeatedly back and forth along a short strip, shuffling along for 9 steps before turning painfully to repeat her routine. A bell marks the beginning of each stage of the play, with the woman, May (Anna Bonnett) calling to her mother (Pearl Marsland), who may or may not be dead. May could be dead, too. Is she a ghost or is she haunted by her traumas? I haven’t a clue. The shuffling walk is the focus of the piece, and there is repetition of lines and themes, with May pacing outside her mother’s door telling of a ghost who paces the floor of the church. Again, the idea of being trapped and worn down by a disappointing life until we fade away loomed large, but the whole effect was slightly soporific. However, the audience around me appeared rapt.

The lighting and timing of the cast are excellent, and they all deliver solid performances in the skilled hands of director John Patterson, but these plays feel like something to be impressed by rather than to be enjoyed. I think I will stick with the time-travelling Sam Beckett until Godot finally turns up. Even though the plays didn’t appeal to me, I am sure that lovers of Beckett will be thrilled at the chance to see this fine production.

Garrick Theatre – until 2 June 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

With headliners Jay McGuiness, Aston Merrygold, Harry Judd and Louis Smith, Rip It Up is guaranteed to get bums on seats. From loyal fans of their pop careers to Strictly lovers, there’s something for everyone here. It’s a fun and energetic show but has major problems with its structure.

Presented as a corny 1960s TV show, hosted by the fantastic Cavin Cornwall, the music and dancing are lots of fun. But the use of video clips and talking heads just kills the energy. I am sure that Lulu and Tony Blackburn had a lovely time in the 60s, but they really aren’t needed here. The inclusion of the clips made the show feel like one of those schedule filling “Best of” programmes on Channel 5 that you could watch at home for free rather than hefty West End prices.

With scenes named Bubble Gum Britain, A Soul Explosion and The Sound of a Mersey Beat, there is a fantastic choice of music, played by the onstage band with powerful vocals from Jill Marie Cooper and Sam Hosier. Gareth Walker’s choreography plays to the 4 men’s strengths, throwing in plenty of dance styles learned during their time on Strictly, but it does feel a little shoehorned. The guys give it heir all, whether in solo or group routines, but having male backing dancers might have been a mistake, as this just highlights how much the headliners are concentrating on their moves rather than just dancing. The female dancers are excellent and do their best to make the stars look good. Aston Merrygold is the most naturally talented dancer of the group and looks the most at home on stage, while Jay McGuiness relaxes into his routines as the show progresses. Louis Smith wows the crowd with his gymnastics, and Harry Judd gets his shirt off but looks happiest when he gets to drum. McGuiness and Merrygold also sing a few numbers during the show, and Louis Smith has a go as well.

The strange and often baffling mix of dance styles can’t stop the wave of nostalgic joy in the theatre, as the audience join in with most numbers. A fun and fluffy night out that your mum will love.

Park Theatre until 16 March 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Martin Sherman’s charming play follows the relationship between Beau, a man in his sixties, and Rufus, in his late twenties at their first encounter, over 13 years. Beau (Jonathan Hyde) is a pianist from New Orleans who has met and played with many of the figures that Rufus (Ben Allen) is obsessed with. Rufus is bi-polar, but refuses to take medication, and copes with his dreary career as a lawyer by escaping into a nostalgic world of film and music stars from the past. After meeting through a new gay website in 2001 for what Beau initially thought would be a one-night stand, the two men develop a beautifully written relationship, hampered only by Beau’s underlying belief that they can never have a happy ending. This appears to be a self-fulfilling prophecy as Beau’s refusal to enter a civil partnership and his insistence that Rufus should see younger men brings Harry (Harry Lawtey) into their lives.

Hyde’s brilliant and multi-layered Beau is matched by Ben Allen’s performance as Rufus. Slightly annoying and manic on first sight, Allen subtly and effortlessly shows Rufus maturing without losing his inner child. Lawtey makes an immediate impact as Harry, portraying the change from twitchy and pretentious possible drug addict to doting dad with a deft touch.

Rufus and Harry’s expectations for their relationship are alien for Beau, who lived through dark times for homosexual men. Rufus’ obsession with Beau’s stories of the past becomes a perfect framing device for a series of monologues by Beau recalling his life and experience that are a stark reminder of the prejudice faced by homosexuals in the not so distant past. Hyde is mesmeric when telling these stories, covering the fleeting freedom of gay servicemen during WW2 to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s. Hyde delivers the lines with just enough simmering anger and grief under Beau’s fatalistic acceptance of how life has always been for gay men. His final story, about the death of his first love in a homophobic hate crime saw lots of scrabbling for hankies in the seats around me, especially when it is revealed that this is part of his speech at Rufus and Harry’s wedding – a lovely way to show how far things have come in the UK and USA, but an ominous warning of what we could be sleepwalking back into. A beautifully paced and engrossing romance and history full of love and laughter that is simply irresistible.

Park Theatre – until 23 March 2019

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Henry Devas dark, dark comedy about depression and male suicide packs an emotional punch that will leave you reeling. Stand-up comedian Matt (Danny Kirrane) introduces himself with a delightfully cheesy routine and begins to talk about being a new father and how life was looking good – until the war came.

Matt hides himself behind the curtains of his filthy flat, with boarded up window and door as his companions wake up. Tristabel (Tom Canton) and Benzies (Daniel Portman) talk and argue until they address the elephant in the room – the ladder in the centre of the flat. This leads “Up” the elusive and mystical escape from the terrors of what is outside the door.

It doesn’t take long to figure out who these two friends really are, but this doesn’t detract from the play, as Devas’ writing is razor sharp and brutally honest and Jez Pike’s pacy direction ensures fresh emotional body blows could come at any time. Matt’s friends never let him forget how much they are helping and protecting him from the world, and constantly remind him of his physical flaws and bad choices or mistakes he has made in his life. This usually looks like laddish banter, but Portman’s Benzies can flip from puppyish enthusiasm to psychotic violence in a heartbeat, and Canton’s Tristabel watches events like a hawk, with calm intellectual manipulation occasionally switching to vicious verbal assaults. Matt’s incapacity to either leave the flat for the outside world or escape “Up” is painful to watch, as he builds his self-belief only to crumble at the crucial moment. Elizabeth Wright’s set is claustrophobic and a frightening representation of a tortured and trapped mind and the proximity of the actors to the audience creates an exquisite tension, usually dispelled after an assault on Matt by some brilliantly naff “Your mum…” jokes.

The stellar (and hilarious) cast nail their performances, with Canton oozing frustration and disdain from every pore and Portman excelling in both the childlike and Neanderthal extremes of Benzies. Liam Smith is smooth as the mysterious saviour Fast Chrissie, and is utterly recognisable and slappable as Uncle Chris, who simply can’t understand why Matt can’t just pull himself together for the sake of his daughter. Kirrane wanders around the set in his underwear drinking in a palpable fug of despair, completely unable to stop listening to the negative thoughts that hold him captive. His description of how it actually feels to BE him to his confused Uncle Chris is one of the most heartfelt and gut-wrenching pieces of writing and acting I’ve seen on stage for a long time. And then Uncle Chris’ inability to process Matt’s pain is soul-destroying to watch but reminds the audience of how hard it still is for many men to speak out and support each other with mental health issues.

Powerful and moving, filled with unflinching insight and brutally dark humour, We’re Staying Right Here is an unforgettable production that deserves a wider audience.

WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR THE

19^TH ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS

• HAMILTON LEADS WITH 5 WINS INCLUDING BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL FOR JAMAEL WESTMAN
• LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS WINS 3 AWARDS INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL
• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL WINS BEST NEW MUSICAL AND BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL FOR CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER
• THE INHERITANCE AND THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III LEAD THE STRAIGHT PLAY CATEGORIES WITH 2 AWARDS EACH
• SOPHIE OKONEDO AND AIDAN TURNER WIN BEST ACTRESS AND BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
• VANESSA REDGRAVE AND ADRIAN SCARBOROUGH WIN BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS AND ACTOR IN A PLAY
• MICHAEL GRANDAGE WINS THE EQUITY AWARD FOR SERVICES TO THEATRE

At a ceremony tonight at the Prince of Wales Theatre hosted by Vicky Vox and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, the winners of the 19^th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards were announced – the only major theatre awards decided entirely by the theatregoers themselves.

WhatsOnStage’s Chief Operating Officer Sita McIntosh said today, “The calibre of theatre across 2018 has been extraordinary – from musicals to plays, from new productions to revivals – which is reflected in this year’s WhatsOnStage Awards winners list. It’s brilliant to see some behemoth shows alongside smaller offerings and it’s notable this year that regional theatre has featured in several categories, not just under Best Regional Production. It goes to show how dynamic and exciting the theatre scene is up and down the UK at the moment. The WhatsOnStage Awards tell us about audiences and what they have loved and want to see and this list demonstrates there is an appetite for everything from small to big, subsidised to commercial in London and beyond. Congratulations to all the winners.”  

Hamilton continues to dominate awards season, leading the way with 5 wins from 12 nominations – Best Actor in a Musical for Jamael Westman, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Jason Pennycooke, as well as Best Choreography, Best Costume Design and Best Lighting Design. However, it was pipped to the post by Heathers the Musicalfor Best New Musical, which also won Best Actress in a Musical for Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Also performing strongly in the musical categories is Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Little Shop of Horrors, winning Best Musical Revival, Best Set Design for Tom Scutt and Best Poster Design. The other musical hit of the season, the gender reversed Company, wins 2 awards – Best Supporting Actress in a Musical for Patti LuPone, and Best Director for Marianne Elliott.

In the play categories, The Inheritance and The Madness of George III win two awards each – taking Best New Play and Best Play Revival respectively. They also both win in the Best Supporting performance categories, withVanessa Redgrave winning for The Inheritance, and Adrian Scarborough for The Madness of George III.

Sophie Okonedo wins Best Actress in a Play for Antony and Cleopatra at the National Theatre – a performance that has seen her lauded at both the Evening Standard and Critics’ Circle Awards; and Aidan Turner wins Best Actor in a Play for his return to the stage in Michael Grandage’s production of The Lieutenant of Inishmore. Michael Grandage receives The Equity Award For Services To Theatre, the only award not voted by the public, not only for his work on stage, but also his commitment to accessible ticket prices, and MGCfutures which supports emerging theatre makers.

Best Off-West End Production goes to the musical phenomenon Six the Musical currently enjoying a sell-out run at the Arts Theatre; and Best Regional Production goes to Spring Awakening at the Hope Mill Theatre. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie wins Best Cast Recording; and Best West End Show goes to Les Misérables.

Performances across the evening included a tribute to Stephen Sondheim featuring an all-star ensemble; Carrie Hope Fletcher, Jodie Steele, T’Shan Williams and Sophie Isaacs performing “I Say No” and “Candy Store” fromHeathers the Musical; the cast of Spring Awakening performing “Totally F*cked”; Rachel Tucker performing “Me and the Sky” from Come From Away; members of the cast of The Lion King performing “One by One”; A Star Is Born montage, and the cast of Six the Musical performing “Six”. 

awards.whatsonstage.com

Twitter @WhatsOnStage #WOSAwards

Instagram @WhatsOnStage

THE NOMINATIONS IN FULL – winners in bold:

Best Actor in a Play sponsored by Radisson Blu Edwardian

Aidan Turner, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Arinzé Kene, Misty

Colin Morgan, Translations

Kyle Soller, The Inheritance

Mark Gatiss, The Madness of George III

Best Actress in a Play

Carey Mulligan, Girls & Boys

Charlie Murphy, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Katherine Parkinson, Home, I’m Darling

Patsy Ferran, Summer and Smoke

Sophie Okonedo, Antony and Cleopatra

Best Actor in a Musical sponsored by The Umbrella Rooms

Giles Terera, Hamilton

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Jamael Westman, Hamilton

Jamie Muscato, Heathers the Musical

Rob Houchen, Eugenius!

Best Actress in a Musical sponsored by Café de Paris

Adrienne Warren, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Carrie Hope Fletcher, Heathers the Musical

Laura Baldwin, Eugenius!

Rachelle Ann Go, Hamilton

Rosalie Craig, Company

Best Supporting Actor in a Play

Adetomiwa Edun, Translations

Adrian Scarborough, The Madness of George III

Andrew Burnap, The Inheritance 

Chris Walley, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Paul Hilton, The Inheritance 

Best Supporting Actress in a Play sponsored by Tonic Theatre

Debra Gillett, The Madness of George III

Michelle Fairley, Julius Caesar

Michelle Fox, Translations 

Sian Thomas, Home, I’m Darling

Vanessa Redgrave, The Inheritance 

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical

Cleve September, Hamilton

Daniel Buckley, Eugenius!

Jason Pennycooke, Hamilton

Jonathan Bailey, Company

Richard Fleeshman, Company

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical sponsored by Newman Displays

Christine Allado, Hamilton

Jodie Steele, Heathers the Musical

Patti LuPone, Company

Rachel John, Hamilton

Vicky Vox, Little Shop of Horrors

Best New Play sponsored by JHI Marketing

Dust

Girls & Boys

The Inheritance

The Jungle

Misty

Best New Musical sponsored by h Club London

Eugenius!

Heathers the Musical

Hamilton

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Six the Musical

Best Play Revival

Summer and Smoke

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

The Madness of George III

Translations

The York Realist

Best Musical Revival sponsored by R&H Theatricals

Chess

Company

The King & I

Little Shop of Horrors

Me and My Girl

Best Direction

Andy Fickman, Heathers the Musical

Marianne Elliott, Company

Michael Grandage, The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Stephen Daldry, The Inheritance

Thomas Kail, Hamilton

Best Choreography

Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton

Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Six the Musical

Drew McOnie, Strictly Ballroom

Liam Steel, Company

Lizzi Gee, Little Shop of Horrors

Best Costume Design

Catherine Martin, Strictly Ballroom

Catherine Zuber, The King & I

Gabriella Slade, Six the Musical

Paul Tazewell, Hamilton

Tom Scutt, Little Shop of Horrors

Best Set Design

Bunny Christie, Company

Es Devlin, Girls & Boys

Miriam Buether, The Jungle

Rae Smith, Translations

Tom Scutt, Little Shop of Horrors

Best Lighting Design sponsored by White Light

Ben Cracknell, Heathers the Musical

Howard Hudson, Little Shop of Horrors

Howell Binkley, Hamilton

Neil Austin, Company

Tim Deiling, Six the Musical

Best Video Design sponsored by PRG

Daniel Denton, Misty

Dick Straker, A Monster Calls

Luke Halls, The Lehman Trilogy

Nina Dunn, The Assassination of Katie Hopkins

Terry Scruby, Chess

Best Off-West End Production sponsored by Les Misérables

Dust

Eugenius!

Misty

The Rink

Six the Musical

Best Regional Production sponsored by MTI Europe

Death of a Salesman 

The Madness of George III

Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual

Romeo and Juliet

Spring Awakening

Best Original Cast Recording

Bat Out of Hell

Come From Away

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

The Grinning Man

Six the Musical

Best Show Poster

The Inheritance

The Jungle

The Lieutenant of Inishmore

Little Shop of Horrors

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Best West End Show sponsored by Joe Allen

Bat Out of Hell

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Kinky Boots

Les Misérables

Wicked

The Equity Award For Services To Theatre

Michael Grandage

The Lowry, Manchester – until Sunday March 3rd 2019

Reviewed by Julie Noller

5*****

In the Night Garden is a live action puppet educational BBC children’s television series, aimed at children aged from one to six. Featuring a mix of actors in costume, puppetry and computer animation. As it’s name suggests it was aired every evening 6.20 pm during ‘Bedtime Hour’ and coincided with many youngsters bedtimes. Intended as a calming influence amid the stresses the end of day may bring to many. Firstly broadcast in March 2007.

Now 12 years later In the Night Garden begins it’s first ever tour of UK theatres. A brand new story written by Helen Eastman brings all our favourite characters to life in front of our very eyes. Following the very same format that made it so popular back in 2007. We have Iggle Piggle, Upsy Daisy, Makka Pakka, The Tombliboos and the Pontipine family all in front of our eyes, in a combination of actors in costume and puppets; cleverly bringing together a story in fast action segments to keep our younger audience entertained. Don’t be dismayed though if you think heading to this show will be a drag for an hour as you sit and watch your youngsters enthralled. It’s truly a show for all ages from mums and Dads thankful for moments of peace over the years before bedtime; to Nana and Grandad enjoying a trip to the theatre with excited youngsters. A great show that uses simple language from a single narrator and makes no apologies for a noisy audience, for there may have been tears and the odd I’ve had enough wail. But overall chants and cheers not to mention singing outnumbered those, some of the younger audience members were quietly contemplative, clapping and singing as they would at home.

Even though it follows the original format there may have been slight confusion over why one moment IgglePiggle et al were full sized and the next puppet sized, this is a quietly clever touch; for it’s hard to keep a young audience captivated; those small additions along with the computer animation of the twitters (birds singing) break up the bite sized action pieces and allow your attention to wonder before bringing it back onto the story. The action songs are repeated in encouragement for us all to join in, loudly or quietly in our own heads it really doesn’t matter. In The Night Garden Live is all about fun in a warm, bright and safe environment. It is fluffy kittens on a wet miserable day that left us smiling, happy and cheerful. I can’t help but still smile at the memory of when Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy hugged every Mum in the audience appeared to collectively sigh and in unison all let out one big awwww.

My children are teenagers now and may be a little too old for such shows, indeed it’s been some years since I’ve watched any television shows aimed at below 6 year olds. But I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed myself, immersed myself into the whole experience, joined in with the singing and let the brightness and cheeriness of each character wash over me. Perhaps next year when the winter blues hit I will self prescribe myself an hour of In the Night Garden and come out smiling willing to tackle winter head on.

We were extremely lucky to be invited to the Official Launch Party after the show and were even lucky enough to meet Iggle Piggle and Upsy Daisy an experience that will be remembered. I saw many extremely over joyed young children with balloons and painted faces helping themselves to cakes and specially made In the Night Garden biscuits not to mention excitedly examining the contents of their goodie bags. As far as parties go this upped the bar and now many parents face the dilemma of how to better meeting the actual real Iggle Piggle who gave High Fives and Upsy Daisy who gave the best hugs.