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BLUSH by Charlotte Josephine

UK Tour and run at Soho Theatre announced

Soho: Tuesday 16th May – Saturday 3rd June 2017, 7pm

Soho Press Night: Thursday 18th May, 7pm

Tour: Tuesday 6th – Saturday 24th June

Following a sell-out run at the Edinburgh Festival, the award-winning BLUSH now transfers to Soho Theatre before embarking on a UK Tour. Written by Charlotte Josephine and presented by Snuff Box Theatre, the team behind the sell-out, multi-award winning Bitch Boxer, BLUSH tells five candid stories about image-based sexual abuse and all its many victims. BLUSH is a slap in the face and a call to arms.

Blush feels like powerful and important theatre on an urgently contemporary issue (The Daily Telegraph).

This angry, honest and heartfelt piece seeks to encourage and broaden examination of how the scarcity culture in modern society is fuelling our shame, encouraging the destructive belief systems that we are not enough.

Daniel Foxsmith and Charlotte Josephine (who won a Stage Edinburgh Award for BLUSH) lead this fast-paced production, exploring why society has a desire to shame, what it’s the result of and how we allow this to happen. BLUSH shines a light on the secrets we attempt to keep in the dark, our fears of disconnection and our attempts to be part of the tribe.

The catalyst for the piece was legislation passed in April 2015 to make revenge pornography a criminal act. The law now makes it illegal to disclose a ‘private sexual photograph or film’ without the consent of the person depicted. Many people consent to the creation of an image but having it made public is a very different matter. While revenge pornography may have been the catalyst of Blush, the true focus of the work is shame.

Blush is essential viewing for anyone that owns a computer or mobile phone and, just like Bitch Boxer, it packs a heavy punch (What’s On Stage)

BLUSH is directed by Ed Stambollouian whose work includes Awkward Conversations with Animals I’ve Fucked and Old Vic 12.

BLUSH is presented in association with Sphinx Theatre and has been supported by the Peggy Ramsay Foundation, Unity Theatre and Arts Council England

The Old Red Lion 7 – 25 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The beauty and poignancy of love letters sent during times of war is brought to the stage in this stunning ensemble production by Althea Theatre.

Beginning with a cacophony of voices, all trying to be heard, seven stories evolve throughout the show. A Russian officer, after sending too many notices of death, begins writing to a woman in Wales, pretending to be her dead husband. An American soldier in Vietnam writes mundane letters to his wife, unable to tell her the true horrors he is experiencing. An Israeli teacher encourages her class to write about their plans for the future before they graduate and join the army. A French girl keeps the love letter written to her by a German soldier. A Colombian asylum seeker waits in London to hear from her kidnapped husband. A British soldier in Afghanistan skypes with his fiancée, unable to find beautiful words to write; and 100 years ago, a woman sends her touch to her husband fighting in the war.

Lilac Yosiphon’s direction is sensitive and lyrical. The ensemble move and dance together, punctuate key moments by breathing together, and create an atmosphere that feels intense and cosy at the same time. Angus McRae’s music is used with intuitive skill to provide moments of whimsy and heartbreak, and the simple set of cascading sheets of paper in the tiny space gives the impression of being in an attic room poring over these treasured letters together. The whole ensemble shine, bringing passion and compassion to their various characters.

The switching back and for between stories develops a lovely meandering rhythm throughout the show, and some of the audience’s preconceptions about certain characters are blown out of the water to devastating effect. As we revisit Violette throughout her life and finally learn the truth about her encounter with the German soldier your bottom lip will be trembling.

The words of love and hope during such terrible times are inspiring, and the loss of such writing skills today is illustrated to great tragi-comic effect by the ensemble voicing a soldier and his girlfriend’s “romantic” text messages.

One Last Thing (for now) is bold and beautiful theatre; an emotional and heart-warming show that celebrates love in dark times, and a show you could watch many times, finding something new each time.

Jack Studio Theatre 14 March – 1 April.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Vampires, zombies and werewolves are laughable – the most terrifying monsters are evil children. OutFox’s revival of The Bad Seed brings Rhoda Penmark back to the stage; pigtails, perfection and smiles, just your typical high-functioning sociopath.

Christine Penmark’s worries about her daughter Rhoda, bright and loved by adults, but avoided by other children, come to a head when her husband is away working in Washington DC. An accidental drowning at a school picnic leads to questions about Rhoda’s involvement. When Christine finds the drowned boy’s medal in Rhoda’s treasure box, her worst fears are realised. Nobody else sees through Rhoda’s veneer of sweetness, except handyman Leroy, whose teasing and tormenting of the girl leads to further violence. Christine’s questions about her own parentage are answered by her father, and the guilt she feels about her own child inheriting her mother’s evil tendencies becomes overwhelming.

Since the play’s 1954 Broadway debut, our appetite for psychopaths and murders has been fed with a myriad of books, plays and films, but Maxwell Anderson’s writing still manages to manipulate the audience as much as Rhoda manipulates adults. There are some scenes where nature versus nurture are debated in a preachy way that seems naïve to modern audiences, but director John Fricker has retained them, and rightly so.

The pace of the script and the action is languid, like a hot summer’s afternoon in the Southern US town in which the play is set. The tension is slowly ramped up, and even though you can guess what’s going to happen, the shocks are still chilling, with gasps and groans from the audience at key moments.

The cast’s accents are variable, but their commitment is unquestionable. Rebecca Rayne is fantastic as Rhoda, playing the 8-year-old with a blank and controlled sweetness, allowing the confusion and anger to trickle through when her usual trite words don’t distract her mother. Christine could be quite a dull character in the wrong hands, but Beth Eyre manages to keep her quiet worry and despair interesting rather than repetitive. The atmosphere lightens whenever Jessica Hawksley is on stage as Mrs Breedlove, analysing every person in the room with comic insensitivity and faded Southern Belle mannerisms. Brian Merry also shines as Leroy. The scene where he finally realises what Rhoda is truly capable of, and his sneery taunting changes to complete terror is played beautifully. The standout performance of the show comes from Lucinda French as Mrs Daigle, the dead boy’s mother. Keeping well away from stereotypical drunken acting, French nails the despair and grief brilliantly, convincingly frightening even Rhoda with the intensity of her emotions.

The Bad Seed is a wonderfully atmospheric and spine-tingling play, beautifully acted and full of class. Well worth a look.

Sonia Friedman Productions presents
Imelda Staunton and Conleth Hill in
Edward Albee’s
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
With Imogen Poots and Luke Treadaway
Directed by James Macdonald

 

 

• The critically acclaimed 5 star hit production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? will be broadcast live to cinemas across the UK and beyond as part of National Theatre Live

• The live broadcast will take place on 18th May at 7.30pm

• Tickets for the broadcast on sale beginning of April – visit local cinema website for details

• Tickets remain on sale for the run of the production at the Harold Pinter Theatre which continues until 27th May starring Imelda Staunton, Conleth Hill, Imogen Poots and Luke Treadaway

• Over 100 tickets for every performance at the Harold Pinter Theatre priced at £15

Following the enormously successful opening of James Macdonald’s new production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? starring Imelda Staunton, Conleth Hill, Imogen Poots and Luke Treadaway, producers today announced the forthcoming live broadcast of the play to cinemas throughout the UK and beyond as part of National Theatre Live.

The broadcast will take place on 18th May at 7.30pm and tickets go on sale at the beginning of April. Visit your local cinema website for details.

The run of the critically acclaimed production continues at the Harold Pinter Theatre, with tickets available through the Box Office until 27th May.

In the early hours of the morning on the campus of an American college, Martha, much to her husband George’s displeasure, has invited the new professor Nick and his wife Honey to their home for some after-party drinks. As the alcohol flows and dawn approaches, the young couple are drawn into George and Martha’s toxic games until the evening reaches its climax in a moment of devastating truth-telling.

 

PLAYS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, PERFORMED BY YOUNG PEOPLE

AT SHEFFIELD THEATRES

 

Young members of Sheffield People’s Theatre take part in a national celebration of theatre when they join local schools and youth theatre groups performing new plays from emerging playwrights as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival 2017 at the Crucible Studio Theatre Monday 27 March – Saturday 1 April.

Sheffield Theatres’ Assistant Director George Richmond-Scott leads a team of twelve young Sheffield People’s Theatre members in universal coming of age story Musical Differences on Monday 27 March. Written by co-creator of BBC’s Cuckoo Robin French, the play explores impossible love affairs and brutal school politics, and uncovers the price we are willing to pay for success.

Other organisations involved in the festival are West Yorkshire Drama Academy, The King’s School, Hinde House School, Rotherham College, Unlimited Theatre, Something Wicked This Way Comes (Talbot Specialist School), Flame Theatre Company, Yew Tree Youth Theatre, CAPA College, Castleford Academy and First Floor.

Connections is the National Theatre’s annual festival of new plays for youth theatres and schools. It gives young people experience of professional theatre-making which mirrors that of a company producing a new play. Sheffield Theatres will be showing nine plays from emerging playwrights, including Sheffield based Tim Etchells, which will be performed by twelve local schools and groups.

Emily Hutchinson, Creative Projects Manager at Sheffield Theatres commented: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with such talented and enthusiastic young people as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival once again. The Connections Festival is a brilliant way to get the younger generation involved in the arts, and that’s something we are really passionate about at Sheffield Theatres. Some of our young members have grown up performing with Sheffield People’s Theatre and it’s a real privilege to be part of their journey.’ 

Tickets for the National Theatre Connections Festival are on sale now from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office, priced at £6.00 a night. Call 0114 249 6000 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk to book.

Egyptian Extravaganza

May 10th – 13th 2017, COLAB Factory

Discover the “real” Egypt in Egyptian Extravaganza, a comical and thought-provoking immersive cabaret-inspired theatre performance, where roaming characters invite you to explore the impact the discovery of King Tutankhamun’s tomb had on everything from fashion and film to music and dance in the West. Come to a night of new old fashioned intrigue and entertainment, as you are or dressed up to the nines in your best Egyptian finery, but do hold onto your jewellery – you never know what might lurk in the shadows…

What happens when you disturb the tomb of a notorious pharaoh? The world goes totally Tut mad! Travel back in time to 1920s Egypt, where King Tut engages archaeologists in a battle of wit and witticisms over what is the ‘real’ Egypt. In this immersive cabaret-esque show, the audience are invited to participate in a comical argument set between King Tut and the archaeologists who discovered his tomb while they encounter and explore real accounts (and not so real) from 1920s-50s Egypt.

Egyptian Extravaganza explores the concepts of cultural appropriation and its supposed antithesis – authenticity. The show is designed to use iconic imagery and specific histories to create a narrative that explores these famous characters, whilst also challenging how the West portrays and romanticises Egypt – looking at “Tut-mania” from the perspective of authentic Egyptian culture and the appropriated inspiration it gave to everything from Hollywood films to fashion for multiple decades.

Producer Soha Khan worked in Saudi Arabia with the King Abuldaziz Centre for World Culture, where she programmed performances and produced art projects. She worked as a production assistant with the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain on the Commonwealth Games, and is working with Les Enfants Terribles, Seabright Productions and Complicite. She is also Associate Producer for The Quentin Dentin Show, coming to the Tristan Bates Theatre. Director Rosalind Othen trained at Rose Bruford College and her credits include NEWtopia with No Brand Collective and Reluctant Authority at Brink Festival 2016. Designer Katie Melton is currently pursuing her MFA at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. In addition to design, she also directs and performs. Recently, she assistant directed Love’s Labours Lost and The Tempest with Trinity Shakespeare Festival in Fort Worth, Texas.

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

FOOTLOOSE: THE MUSICAL

THE SMASH HIT PRODUCTION RETURNS

LAUNCHING A NEW UK TOUR AT NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE ON FRIDAY 21 APRIL 2017

WITH A STRICTLY LIMITED WEST END SEASON AT THE PEACOCK

FROM TUESDAY 12 TO SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2017

 

 

Full casting is announced today for Footloose: The Musical, which returns next month following a smash-hit 2016 tour. Opening at New Wimbledon Theatre on Friday 21 April, the tour will include a strictly limited West End season at The Peacock, playing for three weeks from Tuesday 12 September 2017.  Full tour schedule attached.

 

Joshua Dowen will play Ren McCormack, the role immortalised on screen by Kevin Bacon. Joshua’s stage credits include Dogfight at Southwark Playhouse, Cool Rider at the Duchess Theatre and All or Nothing at the Vaults Festival.

The cast also features Hannah Price (reprising her performance from the 2016 tour) as Ariel Moore, Reuven Gershon (Let It Be, West End and Broadway) as Reverend Shaw, Lindsay Goodhand (Crazy For You,Watermill Theatre) as Ethel McCormack, Laura Sillett (Grease, International Tour) as Rusty, Connor Going(The Pirates of Penzance, Sh*tfaced Shakesepare) as Chuck, Emma Fraser (The Vaudevillians, Les Enfants Terribles) as Wendy Jo, Gracie Lai (Avenue Q, UK Tour) as Urleen, Tomas Wolstenhome (Once, West End) as Bickle, Dominic Gee Burch as Jeter and Alex Marshall (Buddy, UK Tour) as Wes. The cast also includesLuke Dowling, Grace Lancaster, Laurence Libor, Jamie Ross and Lauren Storer.

They join the previously announced Gareth Gates as Willard and Maureen Nolan as Vi Moore.

 

Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical tells the story of city boy Ren, who has to move to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren breaks loose and soon has the whole town up on its feet. Featuring classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, Footloose: The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again, bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dance and electrifying music.

 

When the film was released in 1984, it became the highest-grossing February release in US film history.  The soundtrack album ended the year-long reign of Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number one and went on to top album charts all over the world, eventually selling in excess of 17 million copies.  Footloose was nominated for a Golden Globe, and both the title song and Let’s Hear It for the Boy received Academy Award nominations.Footloose: The Musical first opened on Broadway in 1998 where it ran for 709 performances, with a London production following in 2006.

 

Gareth Gates rose to fame through the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, going on to sell over 5 million records worldwide and have hits across the globe. His version of Unchained Melody sold over a million copies in the UK and is the 3rd best-selling single of the Noughties. Gareth is also the youngest ever-male solo artist to debut at number 1.  More recently Gareth has enjoyed a successful career on stage, with credits including Les Misérables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. In 2014 Gareth appeared in the final series of Dancing on Ice, and joined boyband 5^th Story as part of ITV’s second series of The Big Reunion, touring arenas with bands including Blue and Five.

Gareth will not appear in Wimbledon and Chester.

Maureen Nolan has been singing with her sisters since she was nine years old, when they became one of Europe’s first girl bands, The Nolans. Best known for their smash hit single I’m in the Mood for Dancing, The Nolans enjoyed phenomenal record sales worldwide, and worked with some of the world’s most respected artists including Frank Sinatra. On stage, Maureen has played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End and on tour to critical acclaim. She was the fourth Nolan sister to play the role, earning them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Other credits include Sadie in Girl’s Behind, Jill in Mum’s the Word and Sarah in The Naked Truth.

 

Footloose: The Musical has music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and is adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. It is based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. It is directed by Racky Plews (American Idiot, West End) with choreography by Matthew Cole, design by Sara Perks and musical supervision by Mark Crossland. It is produced by David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree for Selladoor Productions, Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Jason Haigh-Ellery and Stephen McGill Productions. It is presented by arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe.

 

www.footloose-musical.com

@FootlooseTour

 

2017 UK TOUR

Friday 21 – Saturday 22 April 2017

NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre | 020 8545 7900

Gareth Gates will not appear in Wimbledon

Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 May 2017

YORK GRAND OPERA HOUSE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york | 0844 871 3024

Monday 8 – Saturday 13 May 2017

WYCOMBE SWAN THEATRE

Box Office www.wycombeswan.co.uk | 01494 512 000

Monday 15 – Saturday 20 May 2017

RICHMOND THEATRE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/richmond | 0844 871 7651

Monday 22 – Saturday 27 May 2017

QUEEN’S THEATRE, HORNCHURCH

Box Office www.queens-theatre.co.uk | 01708 443333

Tuesday 30 May – Saturday 3 June 2017

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

Box Office www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk | 01298 72190

Monday 5 – Saturday 10 June 2017

VENUE CYMRU, LLANDUDNO

Box Office www.venuecymru.co.uk | 01492 872000

Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 June 2017

COVENTRY BELGRADE THEATRE

Box Office www.belgrade.co.uk | 024 7655 3055

Monday 19 – Saturday 25 June 2017

SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE

Box Office www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseagrandtheatre | 01792 475715

 

Monday 10 – Saturday 15 July 2017

GUILDFORD G LIVE

Box Office www.glive.co.uk | 0844 7701 797

Wednesday 19 – Saturday 22 July 2017

CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY

Box Office www.churchilltheatre.co.uk | 020 3285 6000

Wednesday 26 July – Sunday 6 August 2017

KURSAAL OOSTENDE, BELGIUM

 

Monday 7 – Saturday 12 August 2017

PRESTON GUILD HALL

Box Office www.prestonguildhall.co.uk | 01772 80 44 44

 

Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 August 2017

DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE, EASTBOURNE

Box Office www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk | 01323 412 000

Monday 21 – Saturday 26 August 2017

THE TOWNGATE THEATRE, BASILDON

Box Office www.towngatetheatre.co.uk | 01268 465 465

 

Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 September 2017

STORYHOUSE THEATRE, CHESTER

Box Office www.storyhouse.com | 0845 241 7868 

Gareth Gates will not appear in Chester

Tuesday 12 – Saturday 30 September 2017

THE PEACOCK, LONDON

Press Night: Wednesday 13 September

Performances Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 4.00pm

Box Office www.peacocktheatre.com | 020 7863 8222

The Jack Studio Theatre presents

Tom Molineaux a new play by Tom Green

Wednesday 24 May to Saturday 3 June 2017 Press Night | Thursday 25 May | 7.45pm

As part of a national tour, the Jack Studio Theatre presents the UK premiere of Tom Molineaux.

Born a slave, Tom Molineaux boxes his way to freedom. In 1810 he arrives in London where his flamboyant style wins him fame, and the friendship of prizefight writer Pierce Egan.

Molineaux battles against poverty and prejudice to win the right to face the great English champion Tom Cribb. Huge crowds gather to watch. Can the American overcome the odds to win? And what will it mean if a freed slave becomes the champion in a sport that has come to define the national character? Based on an extraordinary true story, Tom Molineaux charts the rise and fall of one of the greatest heroes of bare knuckle boxing

Written by Offie nominated playwright Tom Green (Being Tommy Cooper), directed by Kate Bannister, and produced by the same team behind ★★★★★Hound of the Baskervilles, Mystery of Irma Vep and Shipwrecked.

Listings Information

Venue: Brockley Jack Studio Theatre

410 Brockley Road, London, SE4 2DH

Box office: www.brockleyjack.co.uk

or 0333 666 3366 (£1.50 fee for phone bookings only)

Dates: Wednesday 24 May to Saturday 3 June 2017

Performances Weds – Sat only at 7.45pm

Tickets: £15, £12 concessions Theatre website: www.brockleyjack.co.uk

Tour Dates and info: www.tom-molineaux.uk/

 

BIG NEWS FOR SUNDAY FOR SAMMY FANS

2018 CONCERT DATE ANNOUNCED
NEW VENUE WITH TWICE AS MANY TICKETS AVAILABLE

SUNDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2018

Sunday for Sammy, unofficially known as the Geordie Command Performance, will return to Tyneside on Sunday 18th February 2018 but this time at a new venue. The show, first held as a tribute to Geordie actor Sammy Johnson in 2000, has been presented at Newcastle City Hall for nearly every performance. However, in recent years the demand for tickets has far out-stripped the supply. In 2016 the two spectacular shows sold-out in a day and thousands of disappointed fans couldn’t get tickets.

In 2018, Sunday for Sammy will re-locate to Newcastle’s Metro Radio Arena for two theatre style performances. 5,000 tickets will be available for each show, more than doubling the available tickets compared to previous years.

Sunday for Sammy is a celebration of North Eastern culture and many of the region’s most popular and successful performers have taken part in the extravaganza of comedy and music, staged to raise funds to support the next generation of North Eastern performers with training, expenses and equipment.

Tim Healy, Denise Welch, Mark Knopfler, Kevin Whately, Charlie Hardwick, Jimmy Nail, Jill Halfpenny, Timothy Spall, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Christopher Fairbank, Stephen Tomkinson, John Miles, Angie Lonsdale, Jason Cook, Lindisfarne, Joe McElderry, Brendan Healy, Donna Aire, Ant and Dec, Chelsea Halfpenny, Billy Mitchell, Brendan Foster, Pam Royle, Bob Moncur, Julia Tobin, Glenn McCrory, Kathryn Tickell, Chris Ramsey, Peter Peverley and many, many more have given up their time to take part in the show. The cast list is never revealed beforehand, every show is packed with surprises.

Chairman of the Sunday for Sammy Trust Tim Healy said,

“I spend a lot of time in the North East and people constantly ask me how to get tickets for Sunday for Sammy. The show has become so hugely popular that all available tickets are snapped up as soon as they go on sale. By moving the show to a larger venue we can give loads more people the opportunity to see the show while ensuring our continued support for the talented young performers from our area that need a helping hand.”

Since the first Sunday for Sammy in 2000, young local performers have benefited from over £400,000 in grants to help with their professional development.

Catherine Dryden, from Chester le Street is a 3rd Year Student at RADA and was part-funded by the Sunday for Sammy Trust

Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF

Tuesday 2nd – Sunday 21st May 2017

Press Night: Wednesday 3rd May 2017, 7.45pm

Inspired by director Annemiek Van Elst’s experiences of her brother converting to Islam, the world premiere of Becoming Mohammed comes to Pleasance Theatre. The play explores what it takes for a Western man to become a Muslim, and for his family to come to terms with his choice

When Sara knocks on her brother’s door after two years, she hardly recognises the man in front of her. Thomas has grown a beard, gets up at the crack of dawn, and dates a girl in a Hijab. They attempt to rekindle their childhood friendship, but Thomas hasn’t told his sister everything yet…

Annemiek van Elst comments, When my little brother converted to Islam, it came as a shock; he started to reject our family traditions and follow the Sharia law. What could have been a breaking point became a difficult but beautiful journey of acceptance, which inspired the making of Becoming Mohammed. We believe that, now more than ever, there is a need to represent narratives around Islam in a positive light, and that conversion should be seen not as a threat but as an opportunity to build connections. Through our show, we aim to offer support to converts and their families, and to contribute to creating a more tolerant society

Becoming Mohammed has been created in direct consultation with Islamic communities in both London and Rotterdam, and is being supported by a cultural facilitator, Nabihah Islam. In an effort to open up a dialogue and understanding between Western and Islamic communities, half of all performances will begin with a short forum theatre workshop. The company will also host post-show Q&As on Friday evenings and will share their research interviews with reverts and Islamic leaders online