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LEEDS GRAND THEATRE: CALL OUT TO ASPIRING YOUNG ACTORS

Leeds Actors in Training (LAIT), a project being run in collaboration with Leeds Grand Theatre offering 18 to 25-year-olds a practical skills-building course for a career in theatre, is currently seeking budding young actors to join in April 2018.

Founded in October 2017 in response to a recognised lack of opportunity for young adults who want to develop their skills and move to the next phase of their training/professional life with confidence, LAIT gives young adults the opportunity to access actor-training of the highest quality with support and insight from professional directors, actors, movement specialists, vocal coaches and producers.

Delivered every Tuesday evening at Leeds Grand Theatre, new recruits will get the chance to work on several exciting projects, including a new production directed by Lizi Patch, Director, which is set to be performed at Seven Arts in July.

LAIT members David Fisher and Ellah Jackson had the following to say: “I can’t thank LAIT and Lizi enough for helping me to get into my dream drama school; the work we’ve done here is invaluable for building skills and confidence.” David was recently accepted by Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, South London. Ellah, who recently beat hundreds of hopefuls to gain accreditation from The Creative Minds Group, Hollywood, to spend two weeks at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018, added: “LAIT is an honest and open space where passionate young actors can develop their toolkit under expert guidance.”

 

Applicants will be invited to meet Patch and take part in an audition workshop before the new term starts on Tuesday 17 April.

For more information and to apply contact Maria Spadafora, Creative Engagement Manager, at [email protected]

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES TWO
RELAXED PERFORMANCES FOR MATILDA THE MUSICAL IN 2018

THE MULTI-AWARD WINNING MUSICAL WILL HAVE ITS FIFTH IN
THE WEST END ON 10 JUNE AND FIRST UK & IRELAND TOUR RELAXED PERFORMANCE AT BIRMINGHAM HIPPODROME ON 19 JULY

Following the sold-out success of the previous relaxed performances of Matilda The Musical, the Royal Shakespeare Company will present its fifth at the Cambridge Theatre at 3pm on Sunday 10 June. The UK and Ireland Tour of the show began performances earlier this month and will host its first relaxed performance at Birmingham Hippodrome at 2pm on Thursday 19 July.

Building on the programme of relaxed performances that the RSC has been running in Stratford-upon-Avon since 2013, the RSC is proud to have been amongst the first to adopt and promote the concept. The National Autistic Society and Mousetrap Theatre Projects will again work closely with the RSC, offering full access to the theatre for people with autism and learning disabilities and their families.

The performance provides a relaxed environment for everyone, with elements of the production adapted to reduce anxiety or stress, and with lighting and sound levels adjusted to soften their impact. Audience etiquette throughout the whole theatre is also relaxed with all audience members given the freedom to make noise and/or move about the auditorium according to their needs without restriction. Designated ‘chill-out’ areas are provided outside the auditorium with soft seating and activities available for people to use if they want to take a break.  All theatre staff, crew and company members also receive specialist training in advance to anticipate a wider range of different audience needs.

In London, the Royal Shakespeare Company is offering tickets at a reduced rate which can be booked through the RSC Ticket Hotline or in person at the Cambridge Theatre box office. Tickets for the Birmingham Hippodrome relaxed performance can be made through the box office ticket sales line.

Specially trained staff will be able to help bookers by speaking to them directly and ensuring that all their specific needs and requirements are taken into consideration when assigning their seat allocation.

All bookers will be sent a visual story to help them familiarise themselves with the plot, characters and the setting before they arrive at the theatre. Detailed event and transport information will also be available from www.matildathemusical.com.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus. The production is designed by Rob Howell, with choreography by Peter Darling, orchestrations, additional music and musical supervision by Christopher Nightingale, lighting by Hugh Vanstone, sound by Simon Baker and the special effects and illusions are by Paul Kieve.

Matilda The Musical has now been seen by more than 7.7 million people worldwide, having played in over 60 cities with more than 5500 performances in the West End, on Broadway, across North America and in Australia and New Zealand.

Matilda The Musical swept the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, with a record-breaking seven awards, and won four Tony Awards and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for the four girls sharing the title role on Broadway. The North America production toured to 52 cities.

The Australian and New Zealand production won a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Musical in 2015, and played sold-out seasons in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Auckland. The show broke further records in July 2016 by winning all 13 Helpmann Awards for which it was nominated.Matilda The Musical will have its first non-English language production at the LG Arts Centre in Seoul, South Korea from September 2018 until February 2019.

Matilda The Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was developed with the support of Company Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.

A SECOND WISH GRANTED!
CHRISTOPHER BIGGINS TO STAR IN BRADFORD’S
HIGH-FLYING PANTOMIME ADVENTURE, ALADDIN!
Aladdin – Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Saturday 8 December 2018 – Sunday 20 January 2019
*Tickets: from £15.50 (*inclusive of booking fees)
Now on sale: call the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk

The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford have announced that that stage, screen and pantomime legend, the one-and-only Christopher Biggins will be joining Billy Pearce and leading the cast of this year’s Alhambra Theatre pantomime Aladdin from Saturday 8 December

A mainstay of entertainment for a number of decades, Biggins made his pantomime debut aged just 17 in his home town of Salisbury before forging a highly successful career in show business. Best known for his numerous iconic television appearances, Biggins appeared opposite the late Ronnie Barker in the iconic BBC sitcom Porridge, held roles in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, appeared alongside Michael Crawford in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and played Nero in the critically acclaimed dramatisation of I, Claudius

Despite his serious roles, and never one to not entertain, Biggins is also known and well-loved for his hosting credits, including co-hosting Surprise, Surprise, On Safari, appearing on numerous celebrity specials and as King of the Jungle having won ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2007. On stage he has starred as The Baker in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, played Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar (a role he reprised for the film version where he starred alongside Donnie Osmond and Joan Collins), and the Baron in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the West End. He also narrated the live stage tour of The Rocky Horror Show, based on the cult film in which he also appeared

It is pantomime for which Biggins is best-known and most-loved, entertaining thousands of festive theatregoers every year since he began his regular panto appearances in the mid-80s. From Glasgow to Plymouth, Biggins has donned a host of outrageous frocks and had audiences in stitches across the UK ever since, starring alongside the likes of David Hasselhoff, Patsy Kensit, Simon Callow, Bonnie Langford, Cannon and Ball and even Basil Brush. Biggins last performed in pantomime at the Alhambra Theatre thirty years ago alongside The Krankies. This year’s production of Aladdin marks his ninth trip to Old Peking where he will take up residence in the iconic laundry and star as Widow Twankey

Biggins joins Bradford pantomime royalty, Billy Pearce in his 20th Alhambra Theatre pantomime. As previously announced Billy will star alongside him as Wishee Washee in a production packed full of magic, mayhem and laughter. Recently Billy became the second ever recipient of the Welcome to Yorkshire Pride of Yorkshire award at their annual conference held at the Alhambra Theatre

Biggins says:
“I’m absolutely delighted to be bringing my Widow Twankey to the Alhambra this Christmas. I’ve been extremely blessed to have appeared in pretty much every major theatre in the country and I’m very honoured and excited to be coming back to pantomime in Bradford after a thirty year gap. Back then I starred with the Krankies, a wonderful pantomime act, and I’m thrilled to be starring alongside another one in the form of Alhambra stalwart Billy Peace who is nothing less than legendary. Playing his mother will, I’m certain, bring lots of fun and laughter to the production and I’m very much looking forward to spending Christmas with him and audiences from across Yorkshire.”

Speaking about the casting announcement, Adam Renton General Manager Bradford Theatres comments:
“There’s no doubt that this fantastic headline cast with the addition of Christopher Biggins sets Aladdin up to be another exceptional Alhambra Theatre pantomime. I’m sure that the region’s audiences will want to welcome Biggins back to Bradford thirty years after he was last here. There’s always something for everyone to get pleasure from at an Alhambra Theatre panto – theatregoers of all ages will thoroughly enjoy our outstanding festive entertainment this year.”

With further star casting to be announced, and record-breaking sales already achieved, audiences should hop aboard their flying carpets and point them towards the Alhambra Theatre Box Office to secure their seats for Bradford’s iconic family pantomime!

 

The Lowry, Salford – until Saturday 31st March 2018.  Reviewed by Julie Noller

5*****

Art was written by talented fresh young writer Yasmina Reza back in 1996 initially in French. It enjoyed a lengthy residence at the Wyndham’s Theatre where a succession of actors with distinction took over the three roles. Now twenty years later I’m settled in my chair in a packed auditorium in Manchester to join the many who have watched this comedy over the years. The stage is in darkness when I enter to find my seat, apart from what I initially thought was a window simply lit, alas on closer inspection I realised it was the back of a canvas. Chortling I wondered was that the effect, to make us question what we are seeing from the start? Art work like a window is looked at and yet the view is different from many angles.

Art they say is all down to personal interpretation isn’t it? One mans beauty is another mans junk? So is Rezas play about one mans desire to own a piece of art, that is desired above everything? Is it about what we should deem as art? Or is it about a group of three men, heading into their twilight years?

Art is clever its witty and extremely fast paced. It stars three very well known names from Britain’s entertainment industry and their comfort at being on stage as well as their skills at their craft shine through to make Art a thoroughly enjoyable eighty minutes of people watching. Each of our three men is significantly different, how is it possible they are friends? A question they each ask of the other. Serge is a divorced dermatologist played charmingly by Nigel Havers, he has an interest in contemporary art and obviously perhaps with a little jealousy from his friends has the money to be able to pursue his passion. Marc I viewed with perhaps a touch of confusion, Denis Lawson brought this rational and practical engineer to life. He is stubborn and unwielding, life is either black or white. Art should be purchased for the enjoyment not for the name and price tag, perhaps because he doesn’t have the money to buy for the name? His protestations hint towards pretentiousness. Then there’s Stephen Tompkinson as warm, friendly, down to earth Yvan. A man struggling as a salesman in his future in-laws family business. He is mocked by his two peers, almost bullied as he shares his worries over his impending wedding, you worry for him and want to cheer him on. Stephen Tomkinson’s speech in the middle regarding his telephone conversation with his mother earned a well deserved applause it was exhilarating and had me trying to breathe for him, I fully understood his wish to avoid offending anyone.

The object of Art is Serges purchase of ‘white’ a seemingly blank canvas for £200,000, Marc is outraged has he not guided Serge enough for him to seek his opinion before his rash purchase. Both men attempt to draw in Yvan to back up their side of the argument, he at first does attempt to go with the flow and agrees with both Serge and Marc. As the argument takes a turn for the nastier, it moves from those bantering gentle vibes reminiscent of young twenty year old’s on a Saturday night discussing the weeks event and indeed who scored the best goal. To looking like sad old men bickering and bullying each other, you want to scream “grow up” but you can’t you’re simply gripped to the action unfolding. You see each character dissected in front of your eyes, you link each character to people around you, see their personalities fall apart. It sounds like Art is a serious take on these three men’s lives, yes it is but as with life there is humour and wit and like life you must laugh and laugh we did. Perhaps we laughed because we saw glimpses of ourselves on stage, perhaps we laughed because we thanked the stars we are not like those men.

Mark Thompson deserves credit for his cleverly simplistic set design, white lines against the wall, is it a Venetian blind? Is it art itself? Or is it there to highlight that white canvas so you see those white lines from all angles? There the minimalist set impresses, a large table that comfortably at times acts as a bench and then three very different white chairs perhaps reflecting the personalities of our three characters, the contemporary stylish, the classical never faltering and the comfortable armchair welcoming each like a long lost friend. Art may appear to be slightly out of time, from the era of yuppies where you talked the talk. But the pure enjoyment of seeing characters dissected and relationships explored never loses its appeal. Art closes simply with each friend lit up in a different colour, highlighting their differences but equally showing that those differences are necessary to keep the ying and yang balance

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE MAJOR WEST END RETURN OF

BY BENNY ANDERSSON, TIM RICE & BJÖRN ULVAEUS

PREVIEWS FROM 26 APRIL 2018 AT THE LONDON COLISEUM

 

The first West End production of Chess since 1986 stars Michael Ball as Anatoly, Alexandra Burke as Svetlana, Murray Head as The Arbiter, Tim Howar as Freddie, Cassidy Janson as Florence and Philip Browne as Molokov. This epic musical love story will open at the London Coliseum on Thursday 26 April 2018 for a strictly limited 5 week season.

This is the fourth production in collaboration with English National Opera by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade, who brought Sunset Boulevard, Carousel and Sweeney Todd to the London Coliseum, the home of ENO. Michael Linnit and Michael Grade also produced 42nd Street, currently playing at Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

The cast also includes Sabrina Aloueche, Robin Bailey, Sarah Bakker, Jeremy Batt, Kimberley Blake, Sophie Camble, Cellen Chugg Jones, Jordan Lee Davies, Jonathan David Dudley, Richard Emerson, Callum Evans, Chris Gage, Matt Harrop, Jack Horner, Stevie Hutchinson, Nicholas Lee, Sinead Long, Robbie McMillan, Jo Morris, Jennifer Robinson, Jo Servi, Alexandra Waite-Roberts, Carrie Willis,  Stuart Winter, Chris Gardner, Matthew Walker and Joe Watkins.

CHESS was written in 1984 by ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, and Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King, Evita), and the original London production starred Elaine Paige, Murray Head and Tommy Korberg. That production, which ran for three years at the Prince Edward Theatre, followed a highly successful recording featuring the same stars, and included the international hit singles I Know Him So Well and One Night In Bangkok. Other well-known songs from the score include Anthem, Someone Else’s Story, Heaven Help my Heart and Pity The Child.

 

CHESS tells a story of love and political intrigue, set against the background of the Cold War in the late 1970s/early 1980s, in which superpowers attempt to manipulate an international chess championship for political ends. Two of the world’s greatest chess masters, one American, one Russian, are in danger of becoming the pawns of their governments as their battle for the world title gets under way. Simultaneously their lives are thrown into further confusion by a Hungarian refugee, a remarkable woman who becomes the centre of their emotional triangle. This mirrors the heightened passions of the political struggles that threaten to destroy lives and loves.

Featuring English National Opera’s award-winning Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by John Rigby with choreography by Stephen Mear, this new West End production is directed by Laurence Connor, whose recent credits include School of Rock and Miss Saigon on Broadway and in the West End, Les Misérables on Broadway, and the international Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour. This is the fourth production in collaboration with ENO by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade.

The show’s reputation has never been higher; there have been countless versions produced all over the world. The return of the sensational score to the London stage is an important and exciting musical theatre landmark.

 

CHESS is presented by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade in collaboration with English National Opera, by arrangement with Three Knights Limited, The Shubert Organisation Inc & Robert Fox Limited.

 

www.chessthemusical.com

Twitter: @chessthemusical

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

 

CHESS

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London WC2N 4ES

Dates

Thursday 26 April – Saturday 2 June 2018

Performances

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, matinées – Wed & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets

From £12

Box Office: 020 7845 9300

www.chessthemusical.com

Twitter: @chessthemusical

Matilda The Musical is now on sale at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford!

Derren Brown Performs only Yorkshire Date – in Hull

Mind Control Genius Comes to Hull New Theatre

Think you know your own mind? Think again. The multi-award winning master of mind control Derren Brown will have you questioning your every thought in Underground, his latest mind-blowing show which comes to Hull New Theatre next month.

Originally written for audiences in other countries Underground sees Derren re-visiting past piece, finessing and refining some firm favourites to create a whole new show that proved such a hit the team decided to bring it to the UK.

This is the second leg of the Underground tour, direct from the West End production at the Playhouse Theatre, and is the only Yorkshire date on the tour.

Tickets for Derren Brown: Underground at Hull New Theatre from 17-21 April are available now. Book at the Hull City Hall Box Office, call 01482 300 306 or visit www.hulltheatres.co.uk

FOUR WEEK COUNTDOWN UNTIL AN ALL-STAR CAST PUT SPOTLIGHT ON LENNON’S MISSING BANJO 

Epstein Theatre hosts world premiere of new comedy

Special guest appearances by The Beatles

original drummer Pete Best

The four-week countdown is now on until audiences in Liverpool can experience a brand new stage comedy telling the fascinating story of John Lennon’s missing childhood banjo.

An intriguing mix of fact and fiction, Lennon’s Banjo is set in present day Liverpool and features an all-star cast.

It makes its world stage premiere at the city’s Epstein Theatre on Tuesday 24 April, continuing through until Saturday 5 May. Tickets are already selling fast!

The Beatles original drummer Pete Best, will play himself in three special performances of the show’s two-week run.

Pete joins an exciting all-start cast featuring a whole host of familiar faces – Eric Potts, Mark Moraghan, Jake Abraham, Lynn Francis, Danny O’Brien, Stephanie Dooley, Alan Stocks, and Roy Carruthers. Pete Best will appear as himself, with Alan Stocks portraying Pete Best in all other performances.

The quest is on to find the holy grail of pop memorabilia – the missing banjo on which John Lennon was first taught to play music by his mother Julia Lennon, who first introduced the youngster to rock and roll.

Mysteriously, the banjo went missing shortly after Julia’s death. One thing is certain though, if it did resurface it is estimated to be worth in the region of five million pounds.

When Beatles tour guide Barry Seddon (Eric Potts) finds a letter written by John Lennon, he unearths a clue to solving the greatest mystery in pop history – the whereabouts of Lennon’s first musical instrument which has been missing for 60 years. But Barry’s loose tongue alerts Texan dealer Travis Lawson (Danny O’Brien) to the priceless relic.

In an attempt to get his hands on the letter and the clues, he persuades his wife Cheryl (Stephanie Dooley) to befriend the hapless tour guide and win his affections. The race to find Lennon’s Banjo is on!

Co-producer Bill Elms said: “Rob Fennah has created a wonderful comedy play which has a big heart, some great characters and all based around this factual and fascinating storyline. It’s so true to life that the audience will leave the theatre secretly wanting to solve the mystery for themselves. It’s The Beatles meet the Da Vinci Code, an hilarious treasure hunt romp through Beatledom.”

Julia Baird is John Lennon’s half sister – and vividly remembers watching their mother teach John how to play. Julia fully supports the new play.

Julia takes up the story: “The banjo was my grandfather’s and he brought it back from sea, possibly from America, and he could play it really well. He taught my mother how to play it, and then my mother taught John how to play it – she was extremely artistically talented. John inherited it, definitely. The banjo was the first stringed instrument John played.”

 Lennon’s Banjo is based on the 2012 novel Julia’s Banjo written by Rob Fennah and Helen A Jones.The play is produced by Rob Fennah and Pulse Records Ltd in association with Bill Elms and directed by Mark Heller.

The race to find the holy grail of pop memorabilia is on!

The Salvation Army’s Strawberry Field project is the official charity partner of Lennon’s Banjo.

Lennon’s Banjo’s are delighted to be working with its Fab Four Production Partners who are The Cavern Club Liverpool, The Beatles Story, Hard Days Night Hotel, and The Beatles Shop.

Watch the promo video here  https://youtu.be/ddpVnRStAmo   

For more info visit www.lennonsbanjo.com

LISTING INFORMATION

LENNON’S BANJO

Epstein Theatre Liverpool
Tuesday 24 April – Saturday 5 May 2018

Evenings 7.30pm | Wed & Sat Mats 2.30pm | Sun 29^th April 5pm

Preview Performance 24^th April and 25^th April matinee – ALL SEATS £16

Group Rates Available

HOW TO BOOK

EPSTEIN THEATRE

ONLINE:          www.epsteinliverpool.co.uk

CALL:               0844 888 4411

IN PERSON:     Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DZ | Mon-Thu 2pm-6pm, Fri & Sat 12pm-6pm

TICKETQUARTER
ONLINE:          www.ticketquarter.co.uk

CALL:               0844 8000 410

IN PERSON:     Echo Arena Box Office, Kings Dock, Liverpool, L3 4FP |

12noon on Echo Arena event days, and from 9am – 6pm on Fridays

Small Things Theatre and Working Cast Productions present
A Gym Thing
StageSpace, Pleasance Theatre, Carpenters Mews, London N7 9EF
Monday 30th April – Sunday 13th May 2018

Following a highly successful run at Edinburgh Fringe 2017, A Gym Thing now transfers to London’s Pleasance Theatre. Written and performed by Tom Vallen, this powerful production presents a brutally honest portrayal of the rising health concerns of gym addiction

Set within a 60-minute workout, A Gym Thing shines a much-needed spotlight on the world of Bigorexia or Muscle Dysmorphia (reverse anorexia) – a subtype of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). BDD is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder that affects both men and women – for those suffering with this, quality of life is extremely poor and, shockingly, suicide rates are amongst the highest out of all mental disorders

…Required watching for anyone who finds themselves getting obsessive about selfimprovement. A Gym Thing never hammers its message home, instead making its points with a brutal elegance (**** The Scotsman)

Driven by a daily quest for perfection, Will takes us on a fast-paced, sweaty, physical exploration of how the gym has strengthened and weakened his relationships, his physique and ultimately his life. This complex love story offers a truthful insight into a gym addict’s point of view about body image while offering those who don’t visit the gym a greater understanding about why gym goers strive for perfection

Vallen comments, I am thrilled to bring A Gym Thing to a London audience following our exhilarating and heart-warming run at the Edinburgh Festival. The show is physically a challenge to perform and while I hope this entertains, it also highlights the lengths millennials will go to achieve the ultimate physique which has ever moving goalposts. Muscle Dysmorphia or Bigorexia affects 1 in 10 bodybuilding gym users and overall Body Dysmorphic Disorder has one of the highest rates of suicide of all the mental health disorders with 1 in 50 attempting suicide. I am very proud to be further spreading awareness around this debilitating disorder

The rest of the cast for this bold production will be announced in April

Another exciting round of shows go on sale at
Pleasance including the incredible Ruby Wax and
returning comedy favourite Rob Kemp

With 51 shows now on sale, 2018 promises to be one of Pleasance’s most exciting years to date. Comedy, theatre, circus, puppetry and much more fill this year’s programme with a dazzling selection of entertainment

Drop dead gorgeous, sassy and smart, Ruby Wax brings her one-woman show Frazzled back to Edinburgh after its sell-out success in 2017. The poster girl for mental illness, she gives a tour of the mind and how to use it, not lose it. Based on her best seller The Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled Ruby sure as hell knows her stuff

All your favourites can be found at the Pleasance and multi-award-winning Edinburgh cult hit Rob Kemp is back (Winner – Best Performer, Comedians Choice Awards Edinburgh 2017; Nominee – Best Newcomer, Edinburgh Comedy Award 2017); take a trip to a cabin in Tennessee to witness the horror movie Evil Dead 2 reinterpreted through the songs of Elvis Presley!

Another Edinburgh Comedy Award 2017 nominee Ed Night brings An Aesthetic to The Bunker plus Best Show Nominee Jordan Brookes returns to the Pleasance this summer. Fellow 2017 nominee Elf Lyons joins the illustrious venue with her kooky one-woman musical about the economy

2018 sees the long-awaited Fringe debut from The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue with props, music and, oh yes, sandals! Other Pleasance newcomers for 2018 are Leicester Mercury Comedian of the Year nominee George Rigden with his hotly-anticipated debut show, Heidi Regan’s debut show (Winner of BBC New Comedy Award 2017) exploring our relationship with an increasingly confusing world via the medium of bad shark films and laugh out loud Short & Curly

Plus, Stevie Martin, one third of critically-acclaimed sketch group Massive Dad, presents her debut solo show. Expect comedy. Expect laughing. Expect a stage. Do not expect a live horse because there won’t be one. You’ve seen Stevie on Channel 4’s Damned, Russell Howard’s Good News, Comedy Central’s Brotherhood and BBC Radio 4’s Sketchorama and now it’s time to catch her in Pleasance Below

Three alumni of the Pleasance’s ‘Comedy Reserve’ bring even more laughter to this year’s programme; Brennan Reece, voice of ITV’s Survival Of The Fittest, returns to the Fringe after his previous sell-out successes, John Hastings makes us laugh with his tale of displacement, death and denial and Chris Turner brings his unique style of tricksy wordplay, nice references and jaw-dropping freestyle rap

Pleasance wouldn’t be the same without its amazing returning acts so this year sees double Chortle Award nominee Kiri Pritchard-McLean talk about victims, love and lies, Mock The Week regular and star of Live At The Apollo Gary Delaney and the fantastically talented Mawaan Rizwan. Don’t miss incredible impressionist Luke Kempner host an ultimate reality show where no celebrity is off limits. And, of course, the ten-time sell-out sensation The Noise Next Door return along with Fast Fringe where twelve top comedy and variety acts perform ridiculously short sets in one furiously fast-paced showcase

Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Adam Riches is back with two shows; Adam Riches is Coach Coach 2: Coach Harder, a mashup of interactive theatre and beer-splittingly funny improvised comedy and Adam Riches is The Lone Dueller – a brand new show unlike anything else with swords, sex and maybe even swords having sex!

The Grand will host Infinita, an extraordinary piece of physical theatre from mask theatre masters Familie Floz who previously presented popular hits including Hotel Paradiso and Teatro Delusio

Favourites Tall Stories bring two new works to Edinburgh – The Canterville Ghost where four valiant vaudevillians present their terrifying take on Oscar Wilde’s most gruesome ghost story and Wilde Creatures where a motley crew of storytelling musicians bring Oscar Wilde’s classic fairy tales to life in this magical new show direct from London’s West End

Also going on sale today is Enter the Dragons, a riotous, surreal odyssey exploring the pressures facing women as they age, Weird by Some Riot Theatre focussing on the moving effects of one person’s mental health on a whole family; Kika’s Birthday, a delightful, interactive story, with puppetry, for all the family and Michael Morpurgo’s dazzling story of Kensuke’s Kingdom

There are many more incredible Pleasance shows still to come alongside support for some of the most innovative newcomers through artist development strand Pleasance Futures. The Pleasance should certainly be the pick of your Fringe this August