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King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – until 9^th February.

Reviewed by James Knight

4****

The Curve and Rose Theatre Kingston’s co-production of Dr Seuss’ classic The Cat in the Hat has begun its UK tour. Most people are familiar with the story of two bored children who, home alone and stuck inside on a rainy day, are visited by the enigmatic Cat in a Hat (Nana Amoo-Gottfried). The Cat promises them all sorts of fun, but perhaps not giving full disclosure on the mayhem he can wreak. Can Sally (Melissa Lowe) and her brother (Sam Angell) return the house to normal before their mother gets back?

First off, Isla Shaw’s set looks like it has been lifted straight from the illustrations of the book itself, and when the Cat unleashes his mischievous acrobatic accomplices Thing 1 and Thing 2 (Celia Francis and Robert Penny), there’s a lot of fun to be had as they scamper up shelves and avoid falling bookcases. One drawback on opening night was a faulty door, but hopefully this should be fixed soon, and didn’t detract too much from everything happening onstage.

The performers are all highly energetic, encouraging the audience, young or old, to get involved and on their feet, and there are plenty of moments where the cast gets in amongst the stalls to add to the madness. However, the pacing at the beginning felt a little off, particularly dangerous when showing two bored children to an audience that is predominately under-10s. That said, the different set-pieces throughout were imaginative, with both Lowe and Angell showing great rapport onstage. Special mention also goes to Charley Magalit as the disapproving Fish, whose song, while perhaps overlong for the attention spans of some in the audience, was definitely impressive, even while contained within a giant bubble. Her paso doble dance-off with the Cat was also a highlight.

The Cat in the Hat is a high energy production sure to delight audience members of all ages, even with the minor technical difficulties present on press night. ‘Did I like it?’ said the reviewer, ‘Why, yes I did, I did quite a bit.’

New Wimbledon Theatre – until 9th February 2019

Reviewed by Alexandra Sykes

5*****

Nothing beats a trip to the theatre on a cold, damp night, especially if the show involves non-stop laughing. Avenue Q is currently delighting audiences in Wimbledon and as all the seats were filled, laughter clearly is the best medicine.

Avenue Q follows a puppet named Princeton (Lawrence Smith) as he goes to live in New York after graduating college. Whilst looking for somewhere to live that is affordable he stumbles across Avenue Q where he meets Kate Monster (Cecily Redman), Rod (Smith), Nicky, Trekkie Monster (both voiced and operated by Tom Steedon) and humans Brian (Oliver Stanley), Christmas Eve (Saori Oda) and former child star Gary Coleman (Nicholas Mclean). Although they don’t live on Avenue Q, Princeton also meets the Band Idea Bears (Megan Armstrong and Tom Steedon) and Lucy The Slut (Cecily Redman), puppet characters who have a less than positive influence on Princeton’s life.

With many catchy songs in the show including Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist, The Internet is For Porn and Shadenfreude keeping audiences laughing a mention must be given to Dean McDermott who leads the band.

An enjoyable show however it is not suitable for everyone. Anyone who is easily offended shouldn’t see the show and most venues will not allow anyone under 16 in due to adult themes. Star of the show is easily Cecily Redman who voices and operates both Kate Monster and Lucy The Slut, two characters who are very different from one another but Redman brings them both to life and gives each character their own personality.  Although you notice the puppet operators on the stage it is the puppets you pay attention to although the actors will walk in the manner of their character when walking around the stage.

All in all a very good night out and well worth the laughs.

WE KNOW NOW SNOWMEN EXIST

5 Girls. 1 Tent. No Survivors.

With an all female, all Scottish cast, Highly Suspect Theatre present We Know Now Snowmen Exist – an original drama based on the true story of the unsolved Dyatlov Pass Incident of 1959

Cumbrian Theatre company Highly Suspect, are thrilled to be bringing their award-winning female driven original thriller We Know Now Snowmen Exist to London this March 19th-23rd at The Space.

We Know Now Snowmen Exist was the smash hit at the Carlisle Fringe Festival in 2018. It won the Creative Spark Commission for New Theatre in a sold out five stars run! It is now a finalist for the prestigious Cumbria Culture Awards Live Production of the Year. As a Cumbrian based theatre company, Highly Suspect are delighted to have this opportunity to stage the production in London. It has been developed in association with multi award winning producer Adam Morley (Greater Game, Billionaire boy, Inspector Morse).

We Know Now Snowmen Exist is based on the urban legends surrounding the Dyatlov Pass Incident in which a group of hikers died on a Russian mountainside in inexplicable circumstances. Events have been updated and set in modern day with an all-female, all Scottish cast portraying strong, fierce – and filthy – woman who set out on a charity hiking trip, and never return.

What really awaits the girls outside the relative safety of their tent – and more importantly, do they really know who’s inside it? This psychological horror transfers events to the modern day, exploring a mystery that has remained unsolved for 60 years. Why was the tent cut open? Why were the bodies partially dressed in each other’s’ clothing? And what was meant by the group’s chilling final journal entry; ‘We know now that snowmen exist’.

Director Lexie Ward says “We are incredibly excited to bring We Know Now Snowmen Exist to London. It is a play that mixes a terrifying urban legend (don’t google The Dyatlov Pass before bed!) with these raucous relatable Scottish characters, discussing everything from Netflix and Chill to the issues with shee-wees. As a company Highly Suspect passionate about working with and promoting regional voices, so are thrilled that Snowmen has an all Scottish cast, and that all of the cast and creative team are either natively Cumbrian, or were trained/reside there. ”

***** “Goosebump-inducing, powerful stuff, this is relevant, necessary theatre” & “90 minues if laughter, tension, goosebumps and tears.” – A Stagey Lady

“I have rarely seen a cast so strong and together.” -The Cumberland News

We Know Now Snowmen Exist will run from March 19th-23rd 7.30pm nightly at The Space, The Isle of Dogs ( 269 Westferry Road, London, E14 3RS). Tickets are £14/£10 and can be purchased at www.space.org.uk/event/we-know-now-snowmen-exist/

NEWPORT’S MILLENNIALS TAKE TO THE STAGE INNATIONAL THEATRE WALES’ RADICAL STORM.3: TOGETHER AND ALONE

National Theatre Wales’ The Storm Cycle continues in March with a typically innovative show. STORM.3: Together and Alone is both a philosophical stream-of-consciousness on personal freedom and, in keeping with the Cycle’s aims, a surprising theatrical experiment defying conventions and keeping audiences on their toes.

This brand new show created by Mike Brookes, made and performed in Newport, will juxtapose text inspired by The Ethics of Ambiguity, an extraordinary collection of essays written by Simone de Beauvoir amidst the desolation and optimism that followed WWII, with snippets of more familiar contemporary political statements and cultural soundbites.

Its remarkable cast of actors and spoken word artists are drawn from the increasingly vocal yet politically under-represented millennial generation of the area. They include Connor Allen, Justin Cliffe, Abigail Fitzgerald, Zaru Jonson, Rufus Mufasa, Seren Vickers, Poppy Rivers-Vincent and Alexa Jones-Young.

STORM.3: Together and Alone will be performed at the Neon in Newport, during the weeks leading up to the UK’s planned withdrawal from the EU. Tickets for this groundbreaking new show are on sale now.

This is the third instalment of National Theatre Wales’ The Storm Cycle; a non-linear series of experimental theatre productions conceived and directed by Mike Brookes (with Mike Pearson, for the first two). These multimedia works are made and performed at different locations across Wales, a radical mechanism for exploring two key themes; truth and testimony.

Listings Information

National Theatre Wales present

STORM.3: TOGETHER AND ALONE

PART OF THE STORM CYCLE

Conceived and created by Mike Brookes

Based on Pour une morale de l’ambiguïté by Simone de Beauvoir

Sound Designer: Mike Beer

Composer: Tic Ashfield

Associate Director: Julia Thomas

Emerging Director: Kyle Legall

Cast includes: Connor Allen, Justin Cliffe, Abigail Fitzgerald, Zaru Jonson, Rufus Mufasa, Seren Vickers, Poppy Rivers-Vincent and Alexa Jones-Young

Dates & Times: 21-23 March 2019, 7.30pm

Location: The Neon, Clarence Place, Newport NP19 7AB

Box Office

Online: nationaltheatrewales.org/storm-3-together-and-alone

By phone: 029 2037 1689 (Please note: £1 booking fee per ticket applies when booking by phone)

Tickets: £10, £7.50 conc inc. under 30s and local residents

Age guidance: 14+

SPRING 2019 CELEBRATIONS FOR ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S AWARD-WINNING

S C H O O L   O F   R O C K  –  T H E   M U S I C A L

PRODUCTION WELCOMES NEW KIDS CAST

SHOW CELEBRATES 1000^TH WEST END PERFORMANCE

2019 AUDITIONS SET FOR LONDON AND SHEFFIELD

WWW.SCHOOLOFROCKTHEMUSICAL.COM

On 23 February 2019 Andrew Lloyd Webber’s award-winning show School of Rock – The Musical will welcome a new kids cast to join Dewey’s band and embrace the power of rock!   The hit West End production, based on the iconic film of the same title which this month celebrated 15 years since its UK release, is now booking to January 2020 at the Gillian Lynne Theatre and on 6 March will celebrate 1000 performances.

Thee three teams of twelve kids who make up Dewey’s band, and play live at every comprise Sebastian Adams-Eaton (eleven years old from Suffolk) Jasper Bew (eleven years old from London), and Amos Mayland (eleven years old from Cornwall) who will play Zack; Nayan Gupta (eleven years old from Sheffield), William Harvey (eleven years old from Stockport) and Jack Manders (nine years old from Buckinghamshire), who will play Freddy; Daniel Chang (eleven years old from London), Noah Gupta-Wright (thirteen years old from London) and Caspar Lloyd (eleven years old from Colchester) who will play Lawrence; Millie-Jayne Evans (nine years old from Plymouth), Evie Lawley (ten years old from London) and Sofia Wilkinson Hill (eight years old from Merseyside) who will play Katie; Tommy Featherstone (ten years old from London), Jakub Kopec (eleven) years old from Surrey) and Will Tarpey (twelve years old from East Sussex) who will play Billy; Delilah Bennett-Cardy (ten years old from Hertfordshire), Amelie Green (eleven years old from London) and Nancy Hartley-Blake (eleven years old from Teesside) will play Summer; Kaylah Black (twelveyears old from London), Tallulah Byrne (twelve years old from Chelmsford) and Sara Sheen (thirteen years old from Manchester) who will play Tomika;  Ikechukwudi Machie (ten years old from London), Teni Taiwo (twelve years old from Hertfordshire)  and Stanley Voss (twelve years old from Buckinghamshire) who will play James; Calypso Bailey (twelve years old from Essex), Savannah Pages (eleven years old from Surrey) and Shani Roberts (ten years old from Essex) who will play Marcy; Maxwell Apple (ten years old from London), Todd Dachtler (eleven years old from London) and Vaughn Arthur Endraca (twelve years old from London) and  who will play Mason; Tia Belle Keilty (ten years old from Hertfordshire), Lily Jean Jackson (eleven years old from Essex) and Naniyah Owusu (nine years old from Essex) who will play Shonelle; Charlotte Breen(ten years old from Bromley), Chloe Marler (nine years old from Essex) and Ellie Pavitt (eleven years old from Essex) who will play Sophie.

Now in its third year in the West End, the Australian production of School of Rock – The Musicalopened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne last October and will then play at the Lyric Theatre in Brisbane and the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The Australian production will also visit Shanghai in February 2019 and a version will also play in Seoul in May 2019. The Broadway production recently concluded its run at the Winter Garden Theatre with a US national touring production continuing.

Craig Gallivan leads the cast in the role of Dewey Finn with Laura Tebbutt as Rosalie Mullins,Alan Pearson as Ned Schneebly, Michelle Francis as Patty Di Marco and Jake Sharp who will play Dewey Finn at certain performances.  The remaining adult cast comprise John Addison, Nick Butcher, Rob Falconer, Martina Isibor, Claudia Kariuki, Jessica Louise Parkinson, Richard Morse, Andy Rees, Hannah Stratton, Alex Tomkins and James Wolstenholme with swingsPaul Kemble, Jessica Kirton, Billy Mitchell, Catherine Morris and Andy Prosser.

Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.

School of Rock – The Musical features music from the movie, as well as new music written byAndrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater and a book by Julian Fellowes. School of Rock – The Musical is directed by Laurence Connor with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, set and costume designs by Anna Louizos,lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Mick Potter, music supervision by John Rigby with Matt Smith as musical director.

Continuing the search for the opportunity to ‘join the band’, if you are between 8 – 12 years old and play a rock instrument (guitar, bass, piano, and/or drums) or sing, further kids open auditions will take place as follows in Sheffield on Saturday 9 March.  In London there will be Band First Round auditions on Monday 25 and Wednesday 27 March 2019 with Ensemble First Round auditions taking place Wednesday 8 and Monday 13 May 2019.  All children must be available for contract dates which are July 2019 – March 2020.  Registration and further details can be found by contacting Jessica Ronane Casting at rock@jessicaronane.com or at www.schoolofrockthemusical.co.uk/auditions.  

Produced by Paramount Pictures, the 2003 hit film School of Rock was directed by Richard Linklater and starred Jack Black in a career-defining performance.

School of Rock — The Musical is produced in the West End by Andrew Lloyd Webber for The Really Useful Group and Warner Music Group & Access Industries with Madeleine Lloyd Webber as Executive Producer.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                  Gillian Lynne Theatre, 166 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5PW

Dates:                    now booking to January 2020

Running time:          approximately 2 hours 30 minutes including interval

Box Office:                020 7087 7750

Performances:          Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm, Sundays at 3pm

                             Prices: from £15.00

Student rush tickets for £10 on Wednesday evening

All ticket prices include a £1.50 restoration levy.  No booking fee via official box office channels

Website:                 www.SchoolOfRockTheMusical.co.uk

Twitter & Instagram: @SchoolofRockuk

Facebook:               facebook.com/schoolofrockmusical

HORRIBLE HISTORIES CELEBRATES

25 YEARS WITH A VISIT TO CHESTER

Make a date with the Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians

In 1993 the first Horrible Histories books were published, and now Horrible Histories Live on Stage is coming to Storyhouse in Chester with a double bill this autumn.

The shows are coming to Storyhouse from Tuesday 5 November to Friday 8 November 2019, when there’s a chance to catch Terrible Tudors and Awful Egyptians in two hilarious shows featuring eye-popping 3D special effects. Tickets are on sale now.

In Terrible Tudors take a trip through the horrible Henrys to the end of evil Elizabeth and hear the legend (and the lies!) about the torturing Tudors. Find out the fate of Henry’s headless wives and his punch-up with the Pope. Meet Bloody Mary and see Ed fall dead in his bed. Survive the Spanish Armada as it sails into the audience! Terrible Tudors runs from Tuesday 5 November to Friday 8 November 2019.

Awful Egyptians invites you to meetthe fascinating Pharaohs, gasp at the power of the pyramids, and discover the foul facts of death and decay with the meanest mummies in Egypt. Are you ready to rumble with Ramesses the Great? Dare you enter through the Gates of the Afterlife? It’s the history of Egypt with the nasty bits left in! Awful Egyptians runs from Wednesday 6 November to Friday 8 November 2019.

A special feature of the productions are the amazing 3D effects called Bogglevision. Among an array of 3D-illusions the audience will see the Spanish Armada firing cannonballs into the auditorium or the Mummy reaching out to grab them!

Horrible Histories Live on Stage is written by Terry Deary from his bestselling Horrible Histories books. Terry Deary is the world’s bestselling non-fiction author for children and one of the most popular children’s authors in the country. He has written 200 books which have been translated into 40 different languages. Over the past 25 years, his 50 Horrible Histories titles have sold over 25 million copies worldwide from China to Brazil.

Horrible Histories Live on Stage is directed by Neal Foster, design is by Jackie Trousdale, lighting byJason Taylor, sound by Nick Sagar, and music by Matthew Scott.

Birmingham Stage Company are also currently celebrating their 25^th anniversaryand are one of the world’s top theatre companies for families. Their acclaimed productions include David Walliams’Gangsta Granny and Awful Auntie, and Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine. They have been producing Horrible Histories Live on Stage since 2005, including the record-breaking West End series of Barmy Britain.

These two hilarious historical journeys through the squelchiest and yuckiest moments in British and Egyptian history are perfect entertainment for anyone aged from 5 to 105!

Tickets are on sale now and range in price from £13.50 for children under 14 to £18.50 for adults. Each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee.

Website:  www.HHliveonstage.com

LISTING INFORMATION

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: TERRIBLE TUDORS

Tuesday 5 November 2019 – Friday 8 November 2019

Tuesday 5 November 2019 at 5.30pm

Wednesday 6 November 2019 at 1.30pm

Thursday 7 November 2019 at 6pm

Friday 8 November 2019 at 10.30am

HORRIBLE HISTORIES: AWFUL EGYPTIANS

Wednesday 6 November 2019 – Friday 8 November 2019

Wednesday 6 November 2019 at 10.30am

Thursday 7 November 2019 at 10.30am

Friday 8 November 2019 at 6pm

STORYHOUSE

Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR

Tickets £13.50 children under 14 / £18.50 adults – each ticket is subject to a £1.50 booking fee

HOW TO BOOK

Online:            Visit www.storyhouse.com

By Phone:       Call 01244 409 113

In person:       Visit the Ticket Kiosks at Storyhouse, Hunter Street, Chester, CH1 2AR

Website:         www.storyhouse.com

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/storyhouselive/

Twitter:           @StoryhouseLive

Presented by Silver Moon Theatre Co.

TO RECEIVE LONDON and UK PREMIERE

on

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

Demystifying the most misunderstood phenomena of a woman’s body

Q&A and Post Performance Talk

THE BLOOD TALES, an experimental and empowering one-woman show, will receive its London and UK premiere on International Women’s Day (Friday 8 March) at the Chapel Playhouse, London’s newest fringe theatre run by the team behind the award-winning The Bread & Roses Theatre. The production will run for three performances until Sunday 10 March.

THE BLOOD TALES transports audiences into the mystical landscape of a woman’s blood through the lens of its narrator, a witty, funny and sensual witch who is not afraid to ‘tell it how it is’. The show seeks to dispel the outdated views across the globe of shame, taboo and disgust towards women and their menstrual cycle.

Conceived, written and performed by Birmingham-born experimental actress and spoken word poet Kate Joyner of The Silver Moon Theatre Co., THE BLOOD TALES re-wires the shamed based narrative of women’s moon blood into a tale of beauty and empowerment that is both deeply provocative and political in its delivery.

Kate Joyner commentated “I’m thrilled and honoured to premiere my one-woman show in London on International Women’s Day. The menstrual cycle, sadly, is still so misunderstood and too often a taboo subject in the home, workplace and places of education. I aim to challenge audience perceptions and promote the blood, quite rightly, as a celebration of the strength and mystical power of women.”

A post show Q&A will take place after the first performance on 8 March when audiences have the chance to discuss the production and its themes with performer Kate Joyner and Creative Producer Danja Burchard.

A special Post Performance talk will take place on Sunday 10 March inviting other artists, anthropologists and menstruation activists to discuss with the audience alternative and empowering visions for the female body in contemporary society.

Guest Speakers include Professor Chris Knight from the Department of Anthropology, University College London and author of the Blood Relations: Menstruation and the origins of culture. Joining Chris onstage is Lena Chen a San Francisco born artist and writer, named a Progressive Women’s Voices fellow at the Women’s Media Center, who has featured in numerous publications including The New York Times.

Since its conception in 2015 THE BLOOD TALES has been performed in the USA and Europe and has grown from a spoken word performance to a full-scale theatre production enjoying well received performances to diverse audiences in Spain.

THE BLOOD TALES receives its UK premiere on International Women’s Day at the Chapel Playhouse Theatre, 308-312 Grays Inn Road, London WC1X 8DP on Friday 8 March 2019 at 8pm and runs for three performances until Sunday 10 March. Tickets are priced at £10 and can be booked via www.chapelplayhouse.co.uk

International Women’s Day is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

Suitable for 18+ Contains nudity, swearing and adult themes. Duration 60 mins no interval. www.thebloodtales.com

THE BLOOD TALES returns to the UK as part of the Brighton Fringe from 10-12 May 2019.

Bold retelling of Joseph Conrad’s timely novel ‘Heart of Darkness’ takes to the stage

Heart of Darkness

Tue 16 – Thu 18 April

imitating the dog, one of the UK’s most original and innovative performance theatre companies are set to bring their unique theatrical vision to the stage when they premiere a bold retelling of Joseph Conrad’s extraordinarily influential and timely novel – ‘Heart of Darkness.’ The production will be at The Lowry Tue 16 – Thu 18 April.

Following on from their popular and critically acclaimed adaptation in 2014 of Ernest Hemingway’s ‘A Farewell to Arms,’ imitating the dog will stage an exploration of Conrad’s classic novel filled with visually rich, multi-layered work that fuses live performance and digital technology.

Written more than 100 years ago, amid the optimism at the turn of a new century, ‘Heart of Darkness‘, which explored the journey of Conrad’s narrator Charles Marlow travelling up the Congo river into the Congo Free State in the heart of Africa, is a tale of lies and brutal greed and of the dark heart which beats within us all. Now retold as a journey of a Congolese woman through war torn Europe, the play explores a forsaken landscape lost to the destructive lust for power and emerges as a tale absolutely for our time.

Negotiating race, gender and the themes of exploitation, violence and nationalism, imitating the dog’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ is a searing parable for our times, created at a moment when versions of Britain’s colonial past are being held up as a golden era and when our relationship with Europe is being severely tested.

‘Heart of Darkness’ is retold and directed by imitating the dog founder members Pete Brooks and Andrew Quick (A Farewell to Arms and Kellerman, imitating the dog and The Carrier Frequency, Impact Theatre Co-operative). The production’s projection and video are designed by fellow original founder member Simon Wainwright (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Royal Court)

The production’s ensemble will feature Laura Atherton (A Farewell To Arms, imitating the dog); Morgan Bailey (In the Dark, BBC); KeichaGreenidge (In The Club, Bafta winning Three Girls and From Darkness, all BBC); Morven Macbeth (A Farewell to Arms, imitating the dog; Bring The Happy, Invisible Flock and Opening Skinner’s Box, improbable) and Matt Prendergast (The Train, imitating the dog)

The production’s other creative team will include regular collaborators, costume designerLaura Hopkins (Black Watch and Peter Pan, National Theatre of Scotland, The Divide, Edinburgh International Festival and The Old Vic), Lighting Designer Andrew Crofts(Trash Cuisine, Belarus Free Theatre and The Young Vic) and Composer Jeremy Peyton-Jones who previously worked with the company on A Farewell to Arms.

imitating the dog Co-Artistic Director Pete Brooks said: “As a result of recent political events we felt that the UK had become gripped with a nostalgia for our colonial past without really acknowledging what that past was. It felt like most people believe the British Empire was a reciprocal arrangement; we got rich, but they got to speak the best language in the world and have a functioning civil service. In Conrad’s novel he anticipated the horrors of twentieth century genocide and the problem of globalised capitalism. He also understood that their roots were in European colonialism. This was our starting point.

“Conrad’s novel deserves to be treated seriously, and his unconscious racism does not invalidate his work, although some people might say it diminishes it. For imitating the dog, it was important that we retold Conrad’s story for audiences today, and from a new perspective. Our production is now the story of the journey of an African woman into the darkness of a war-torn Europe.

“Heart of Darkness is simply too important a work to be avoided because it’s a political minefield and when you take on a text as tricky as Conrad’s novel you have to tread carefully.”
 
imitating the dog have been making ground-breaking work for theatres and other spaces for 20 years. Their work, which fuses live performance with digital technology, has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people in venues, outdoor festivals and events across the world.
 
As a company, they are most interested in telling stories and creating beautiful, memorable images for audiences. The company strive to tell stories which are important, and which contain important ideas.

Recent acclaimed productions have included ‘The Zero Hour,’ ‘Six Degrees below the Horizon,’ ‘Hotel Methuselah’ and ‘A Farewell to Arms.’ The company created the sited work ‘Arrivals and Departures’ for the launch of Hull City of Culture 2017. Earlier this year the company became an Arts Council England NPO.
 
‘Heart of Darkness’ is co-produced with Marche Teatro (Italy) and Cast, Doncaster. It is supported by Arts Council England, Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University and Theatre by the Lake.

Listings Information
Heart of Darkness
Dates: Tue 16 – Thu 18 April
Times: 7.30pm. Wed 1.30pm.
Tickets: £13.50 – £19.50.
Website

Leeds Playhouse – until 9th February 2019

Reviewed By Dawn Smallwood

4****

debbie tucker green’s random first premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in 2008 and is making its debut up North at the Leeds Playhouse’s Pop-Up theatre. Kiza Deen (Sister) stars in this one person play and shares a typical ordinary day in a typical West Indian household until, unbeknown at the time, that a tragedy will change their lives forever.

The script predictably depicts the family’s daily routine including the Sister’s day at work and her sparring relationship with the office. The routine continues until mid-afternoon when an unexpected telephone call prompts the Sister to “Come home, now” and learns the tragedy of her brother who was fatally stabbed.

With knife-crime on the rise in this country it concerns many particularly among young people and this production contextually highlights the personal and social perspectives about it. random is staged centring intimately on the family and the fateful tragic story is told first hand.

tucker green’s poetic and colourful script takes in the account how the media portrays this crime. Sister shares her family’s relationship with the Police (also indirectly to the media) and there seems to be silences, probably of distrust, from the family. The media are wanting a headline story and the authorities is wanting the crime to be systematically solved. Families seemingly aren’t given a timely opportunity to truly express or share how they really feel and how much those tragedies are affecting them.

Deen powerfully and emotively delivers random constituting the family from their monotonous energy of their daily routine to the compelling and changed up emotions from learning about her brothers’ fate and consequential grief. random certainly gives the audience to re-evaluate their conceptions on this ever growing social problem and the deep personal impact it brings.

Twirlywoos Live! cast to include first actor job-share

between two parents on a touring production

MEI Theatrical are delighted to announce casting for their brand-new stage adaptation of Twirlywoos – as seen on CBeebies – opening at Churchill Theatre, Bromley on Tuesday 12 February before setting sail around the UK.

For the first time on a touring production, one role has been cast as a job-share between two actors, both of whom are parents with young children. Lizzie Wort and Ruth Calkin will each perform half the weekly schedule of performances throughout the tour, in order to support their needs as working mothers.

Actor-Puppeteer Ruth Calkin said: “When this job offer came through,I knew right away that I wanted to be able to accept. But the intensity of the tour would have been too punishing for us as a family. It never occurred to me that my tentative suggestion of a job share would even be considered, let alone that it would evolve in the way that it has. It took courage to push the issue but to be met with such support from the producers was incredible, and it has been amazingly empowering to know that we, not only as performers but also as mums with young children, have been able to negotiate with honesty and understanding the complex logistics necessary to make this happen. I really hope we will see the start of more new ways of working in theatre, to open up possibilities not just for performers with children but for all of us with commitments and responsibilities needing to run in tandem with professional life.”

Cassie Raine, co-founder of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PIPA) added: “On-stage job sharing has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach touring and increase access for so many who may not consider touring as a viable option. We need to move towards a more people-centred culture, on and off stage, in order to increase business resilience and remain competitive. More and more we are seeing these innovative developments that mark an important shift towards more dynamic working practises. This will be invaluable as the sector is increasingly required to respond effectively to the challenges and opportunities of the future.”

The full cast bringing the colourful world of the animated series to life on stage will be actor-puppeteers Aya Nakamura (Sarah and Duck’s Big Top Birthday, UK Tour), Daniel Harlock (Charlie and Lola, Polka Theatre), Lizzie Wort (Potted Sherlock, Vaudeville Theatre), Mark Esaias (In the Night Garden Live, UK Tour) and Ruth Calkin (Horrid Henry – Live and Horrid, Trafalgar Studios).

Featuring all the favourite characters from the hit TV show, expect mischief, music and plenty of surprises as the Twirlywoos embark on a new adventure onboard their Big Red Boat. With beautifully inventive puppetry, Twirlywoos Live! promises to be a laugh-out-loud treat for little ones.

Twirlywoos Live! is brought to the stage by MEI Theatrical, whose recent productions include Sarah and Duck Live on Stage (Polka Theatre and UK Tour) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (West End). It is written by Zoe Bourn, who has brought to life some of the world’s best-loved children’s titles including Thomas and Friends andFireman Sam Live!.

Twirlywoos was first broadcast on CBeebies in 2015, and in 2017 celebrated its 100^th episode. It is co-created byAnne Wood, who has devised shows including Teletubbies, and Steve Roberts, who with Anne co-created the Bafta-winning CBeebies series Dipdap.

Twirlywoos Live! is recommended for ages 1+, with babes in arms welcome. The running time is 55 minutes with no interval.

Website: www.TwirlywoosLiveOnStage.com

TOUR SCHEDULE

Tue 12 February 2019

CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY

Fri 15 – Mon 18 February 2019

THE LOWRY, SALFORD

Wed 20 – Thu 21 February 2019

EPSTEIN THEATRE, LIVERPOOL

Fri 22 – Sun 24 February 2019

BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL

Tue 26 February 2019

REGENT THEATRE, STOKE

Wed 27 – Thu 28 February 2019

LOWTHER PAVILION

Sat 2 March 2019

THAMESIDE THEATRE, THURROCK

Sun 3 – Mon 4 March 2019

THEATRE ROYAL WINCHESTER

Tue 5 – Wed 6 March 2019

TACCHI MORRIS ARTS CENTRE

Fri 8 March 2019

THE SPOTLIGHT, BROXBOURNE

Sat 9 March 2019

CENTRAL THEATRE, CHATHAM

Sun 10 March 2019

LINCOLN NEW THEATRE ROYAL

Mon 11 March 2019

THE ALBANY, COVENTRY

Tue 12 March 2019

MANSFIELD PALACE THEATRE

Sat 16 March 2019

PALACE THEATRE, REDDITCH

Sun 17 March 2019

BROADWAY THEATRE, LETCHWORTH

Mon 18 – Tue 19 March 2019

WHITE ROCK THEATRE, HASTINGS

Sat 23 – Sun 24 March 2019

THE FORUM, BILLINGHAM

Thu 4 April 2019

JOHNSTONE TOWN HALL, JOHNSTONE

Sat 6 – Sun 7 April 2019

ST GEORGE’S HALL, BRADFORD

Mon 8 April 2019

CIVIC HALL, ELLESMERE PORT

Wed 10 April 2019

HERTFORD THEATRE

Thu 11 April 2019

PALACE THEATRE, SOUTHEND

Fri 12 April 2019

SOUTH HOLLAND CENTRE, SPALDING

Sat 13 April 2019

THE CASTLE THEATRE, WELLINGBOROUGH

Mon 15 – Tue 16 April 2019

NEW WOLSEY THEATRE, IPSWICH

Wed 17 April 2019

TRINITY THEATRE, TUNBRIDGE WELLS

Fri 19 – Sat 20 April 2019

ROYAL HIPPODROME THEATRE, EASTBOURNE

Tue 23 – Wed 24 April 2019

ROYAL SPA CENTRE, LEAMINGTON SPA

Fri 26 April 2019

SWAN THEATRE, WORCESTER

Sat 27 – Sun 28 April 2019

THEATRE ROYAL, ST HELENS

Mon 29 April 2019

GRAND THEATRE, LANCASTER

Tue 30 April – Wed 1 May 2019

FALKIRK TOWN HALL

Sat 4 May 2019

SOUTH HILL PARK, BRACKNELL