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Things I know to be True Review

Quays Theatre, The Lowry, Manchester – 3rd October.  Reviewed by Julie Noller

5*****

Things I know to be True, a beautifully written play by Andrew Bovell. Full of emotion and wonderfully performed by a hugely talented cast. From the outset you are drawn into the dysfunctional yet totally normal family ‘The Prices’. I was curious to watch the audience around me, I had noted they were mostly younger and keen to keep notes obviously it’s a school project. A quick glance towards the end of the play told be they were all enraptured, eagerly leaning forward to follow this story to its conclusion. Word of warning, the play starts with loud music and flashing lights, don’t look into the lights, for the next ten minutes the whole stage will be covered in black spots. We start the play where it also ends Bob Price wondering if he should answer that late night call, we’ve all been there!

Each character has their time in the spot light, a chance to tell their story. Rosie Price (Kirsty Oswald) the youngest of four children. Is on a gap year sightseeing tour of Europe. She suffers a broken heart and runs home to the protection of her family. To her mother Fran (Cate Harmer) family is everything, she prides herself on knowing her children but shes bored, she’s nearing retirement but doesn’t want to spend her time with her husband Bob (John McArdle) who we watch tend his garden and see his roses bloom, he’s a quiet unassuming man who has a working class pride in family and helping his fellow man. Does he notice Fran is bored, does he show his children his love for them. We’re never quite sure. Their other three children each with their own life and problems are also still attched to family by strings that twist and turn. Mark Price (Matthew Barker) the eldest. It’s fascinating to see how family life impacts on his plans and wishes. Fran his Mother disowns him, Bob doesn’t know quite what to say and Rosie thinks only how it will impact on her life. I was shocked, how many times have we thought ‘what will I do, what about me’ without actually acknowledging the person stood infront of you. Pip Price according to Fran is like her but stronger (a tell tale sign theres a secret or two there) She, much to Frans disgust escapes the boredom of family life to try to seek herself in Canada, Bob tells her to do what makes her happy. Ben Price who the others say is Frans favourite, struggles with Bob, his Father. You sense he wants approval but for what? Fran still washes his shirts, he drives a flashy car and then his world collapses around him, lies and stealing have led to a life of drugs and running away from his family yet he always ends back in the loving arms of Fran who will know what to do, she always knows what to do.

The Play is slick and fast paced, slightly chaotic. But I couldn’t see it working any other way. I loved the way the table and other props moved around the stage, Pip managed to sit on the chair just as it was pushed across the stage. Bobs garden and roses were growing, blooming, even tended during the interval by the cast themselves. My favourite parts were the movement pieces – you can’t call them dance moves but they show the family leaning on each other, lives intertwined as you would expect, its visual. We would laugh at parts we recognised from our families, we each gasped and nodded at things we know happen. We would look at each other in the audience and say ‘how did they see inside my house’. I knew in the interval that tears would come, you just knew this family we were witnessing fall apart yet be totally average were facing heartache. However I don’t think any of us saw just what the heartache would be. Death is a sad subject to see. The tenderness of Bobs children caring for him, dressing him. When he’d cried out in such primal grief, I inhaled. I wiped my eyes when Rosie cried out ‘I just want my Mum’ I felt every word, I’d said every word, My own grief replayed. I heard the ladies behind me sniffling and quietly sobbing, on lights up the ashen faces of the young boys, the girls quietly embarrassed turned away with tears streaming, replayed a story of humanity. I thought nothing of standing to my feet and applauding an exceptional play, full of human understanding and the way family life plays out neither perfect or faultless. Please go and watch this play and make sure you take plenty of tissues.

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The Plains of Delight Review

Bread & Roses Theatre.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Merde! Theatre Company’s The Plains of Delight delves deep into the absurd to tell a story that could have sprung from the imagination of the lovechild of Beckett and O Henry.

Mac (Gary Cain) and Mona (Laura Perry) sit on the same bench every day. The pair are surrounded by rubbish, and the noise of the wind never stops. She reminisces about their past in Ireland as he describes an idyllic life in the South American mountains to his blind wife. Writer Colm Molloy gives Mona’s words a poetically nostalgic melancholy in stark contrast to Mac’s almost monosyllabic responses. Only when describing South America does his language develop, but his tone betrays the emptiness of his words and his despair as he keeps his wife’s dreams alive. The repetitiveness and pointlessness of their life is stressed as they sit, but neither seem willing or able to change. So far, so Waiting for Godot, with beautifully still and measured performances from the pair.

The winds of change really begin to howl when Alfie (Bex Sian-Jane Evans) and Jarry (Arsentiy Novak) burst onto the scene as these bizarre and threatening characters cajole and bully Mac into conversation as Mona sits sleeping. As Mac is swept along by their brutal energy, the truth about his circumstances is revealed, and he somehow enters into a bargain that will change his life. Evans is (quite rightly) completely over the top with her portrayal of the unhinged Alfie and Novak’s Jarry is weirdly sweet but repellent, in a surreal take on PTSD after their wanderings in the wasteland.

Writer/director Colm Molloy has created an interesting piece, with the jarring language of Alfie in stark contrast to Mona’s passages of lyricism. The crucial scene where Novak gets his chance to shine is well done, but is just a little too long. I know the lines were “The words keep pouring out till eternity”, but it did begin to feel like that’s what we were set for. Just a few less repeats and the audience wouldn’t lose interest. Of course, that could be just what Molloy was aiming for, to hint at Alfie and Jarry’s future and the possible effect his constant stream of words could have on their relationship, but for me a trim would help the flow of the narrative.

The Plains of Delight is a brave debut for Molloy and Merde Theatre, and is well worth a look. A company to keep an eye on in the future.

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Cilla Review

Mayflower Theatre Southampton – until 7 October 2017.  Reviewed by Jo Gordon

5*****

Being a smidge over forty, I only have memories of Cilla Black beaming out of the TV on family favourites such as Blind Date and Surprise Surprise so was not really aware of her former life until ITV’s 2014 drama and have taken a great interest in her rise to fame since.  This production begins way back in 1960 when Cilla (Kara Lily)  was known as Cilla White and worked as a coat check in girl in the now infamous Liverpudlian venue, The Cavern.  Encouraged to sing at every opportunity by her friends, which included the Beatles and a smitten young man called Bobby (Carl Au), she was beginning to get noticed and after an introduction to Brian Epstein (Andrew Lancel) things started to look up.  With her first single not making it to the top spot would Cilla be the superstar she was craving ?

There are many stories intertwining throughout this show.  We follow Bobby’s struggle with wanting to be by Cilla’s side while yearning for his own success in the industry and being cast out by his father for loving a catholic girl. Cilla’s parents, John White (Neil Macdonald) and “big Cilla” (Pauline Fleming) having to let Cilla fly the nest despite their concerns and Brian Epstein’s struggle with his homosexuality, drink and drugs.  The Beatles have their path gently being told in the background amongst other pop superstars of the day.  The scenery and prop usage is outstanding and you feel like you are actually in the cavern back in its heyday with the music pulsating through your very being! Throw sequins, dancers and brilliant tunes into the mix and its a suburb night!

Kara Lily is the perfect choice to play Cilla, her amazing voice and stage presence are outstanding and she should be recognised as a star in her own right.  The whole cast do a fantastic job of bringing to life the story of how a young girl from Liverpool rose to become the highest paid female on British television and our National Treasure.

I give it a full 5*****, a heart warming, toe tapping production.

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UK premiere of JUMP OUT OF SKIN arrives at Pleasance Theatre next week

Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT) presents
 
Jump out of Skin
The UK premiere of a new play
by Zuza Ferenczova
directed by Tony Casement
 
At the Pleasance Theatre, Islington from
Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 October 2017
 
 
Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre (GLYPT) is delighted to present the UK premiere of a new play Jump out of Skin by Slovakian writer Zuza Ferenczova, playing at The Pleasance Theatre, Islington from Tuesday 10 to Sunday 15 October 2017.
‘Girl’ has a problem. She is fourteen and pregnant, the father is probably her dad, and her friends don’t want to talk about it. Besides, how can they help anyway? Lost, lonely, and unable to find the answers she craves, ‘Girl’ is left trapped between yearning for a lost childhood and facing the daunting reality of what lies ahead. Then ‘Girl’ meets ‘Boy’. Jump out of Skin is a bold new play about mental health, social isolation, and the crazy, exhilarating, ridiculous experience of being a teenager.
 
Jump out of Skin will be performed by GLYPT’s Progression Company, with a professional creative team working alongside an ensemble of young actors to bridge the gap between training and the profession. Progression is GLYPT’s flagship programme of training and performance opportunities for creative young people aged 16 -29, aimed at supporting young artists into the creative industries.
 
GLYPT is a professional touring theatre company and participatory arts organisation with almost 50 years’ experience of making exceptional theatre with and for young people. Based at the Tramshed in Woolwich, GLYPT creates relevant, inclusive and challenging theatre for, with and by young people aged 2-29, using the power of the arts to enrich the lives of young people and audiences.
 
Jump out of Skin marks the UK debut of writer Zuza Ferenczova, whose work in her native Slovakia includes: Rečičky (Idle Talks), Solitaire.sk (Best Slovak Play award, Theatre Institute Drama Competition) and BabyBoom (Best Czech-Slovak Play award, Theatre Institute Drama Competition). Her plays have been staged in Slovakia, Germany and the Czech Republic, and have been read in various theatre festivals in Europe.
 
Jump out of Skin is directed by Tony Casement, Associate Artistic Director of Greenwich & Lewisham Young People’s Theatre. Directing credits include Saturday Night and Sunday Morning at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester (“Brilliantly contemporary”, Lyn Gardner), as well as work on a variety of scales at venues including Cambridge Junction and Soho Theatre.  
 
Jump out of Skin is written by Zuza Ferenczova with English translations by Zuza Flaškova. It is directed by Tony Casement with design by Jane Mackintosh and sound design by Adam McCreadyat Political Machines.
 
Twitter: @GLYPTatTramshed
Facebook: /groups/GLYPTprogression
 
 
LISTINGS

TUESDAY 10 – SUNDAY 15 OCTOBTER 2017
PLEASANCE THEATRE, StageSpace Studio
Carpenters Mews, North Rd, N7 9EF
Press Performance: Wednesday 11 October, 7.45pm
Performances: Tue-Sat 7.45pm, Sat 2.00pm, Sun 5.30pm (British Sign Language interpreted)
Tickets: £10-12 (Previews £8-10)
Box Office: 020 7609 1800| www.pleasance.co.uk
ON SALE NOW
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NINA SOSANYA TO JOIN SURANNE JONES AND JASON WATKINS IN A NEW WEST END PRODUCTION OF THE AWARD-WINNING PLAY FROZEN

NINA SOSANYA TO JOIN

SURANNE JONES AND JASON WATKINS

IN A NEW WEST END PRODUCTION OF THE AWARD-WINNING PLAY

FROZEN

By Bryony Lavery

Frozen by Bryony Lavery

Theatre Royal Haymarket

Friday 9 February 2018 – Saturday 5 May 2018

Press Night: Wednesday 21 February

Nina Sosanya (W1A, Last Tango in Halifax) has today been announced as playing the role of Agnetha in Bryony Lavery’s Award-Winning play, Frozen. Nina joins the previously announced Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott & Bailey) who plays the role of Nancy and Jason Watkins (Line of Duty, Taboo, W1A) who plays the role of Ralph. This psychological thriller about a mother whose child goes missing is directed by Jonathan Munby and will play a strictly limited twelve-week season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from Friday 9 February 2018.

 

One sunny evening a young girl walks to visit her Grandma, she never arrives. A play about retribution, remorse and redemption, Frozen explores the interwoven lives of three strangers as they try to make sense of the unimaginable.

Nina Sosanya theatre credits include: ‘Anna Petrovna’ in Platonov and Ivanov (National Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre), ‘Laura’ in The Vote, Privacy and ‘Clara Hibbert’ in The Vortex (Donmar Warehouse), ‘Woman’ in Where’s My Seat? and ‘Claire’ in Apologia (Bush Theatre), ‘Mae Pollitt’ in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (Novello Theatre), ‘Rosaline’ in Love’s Labour’s Lost, ‘Rosalind’ in As You Like It, ‘Hester Fletcher’ in The Herbal Bed and ‘Boy’ in Henry V (RSC), ‘Alice’ in Fix Up, ‘Pearl’ in House and Garden and ‘Iras’ in Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre), ‘Sara’ in Almost Nothing (Royal Court Theatre), ‘Suzanna’ in The Marriage of Figaro (Manchester Royal Exchange), ‘Mary’ in The Nativity (Young Vic), ‘Melanie’ in Deadmeat (West Yorkshire Playhouse), ‘Rita’ in Educating Rita (Southampton). Nina is currently shooting the role of ‘Sister Mary Loquacious’ in Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens. Also: Strike Back, Marcella, Apocalypse Slough, W1A, Last Tango in Halifax, Shetland, Wizards vs Aliens, Lewis: The Indelible Stain, Vera: The Ghost Partition, Hustle: Curiosity Killed the Cat, Treasure Island, Silent Witness: Fear, Twenty Twelve, Silk, FM, Framed, Bonekickers, Messiah: The Rapture, Cape Wrath, Doctor Who, Sorted, The Reichenbach Falls, The Wide Sargasso Sea, Casanova, Much Ado About Nothing, Nathan Barley, The Debt, People Like Us, The Jury and Teachers. Films include Juliet, Naked, David Brent: Life on the Road, Manderlay, Code 46 and Love Actually.

Suranne Jones is currently reprising her BAFTA Award-winning title role in the second series of BBC One’s hugely successful drama Doctor Foster. She recently completed filming for Save Me opposite Lennie James and Stephen Graham for Sky Atlantic. Other recent television work includes five series of the popular ITV drama Scott & Bailey, playing ‘Rachel Bailey’ opposite Lesley Sharp, as well as The Brian Pern Show and The Crimson Field for the BBC. Other television credits include Lawless, Touch of Cloth, Doctor Who, Unforgiven and Coronation Street. Suranne’s theatre credits include Top Girls at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End, A Few Good Men at Theatre Royal Haymarket with Rob Lowe, for which she received the Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress, Blithe Spirit and Terms of Endearment. Suranne played the role of ‘Sandra’ in the 20th anniversary West End revival of Beautiful Thing at the Arts Theatre, as well as the title role in Orlando at the Royal Exchange in 2014.

Jason Watkins is best known for his performance in the title role in acclaimed drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won Best Actor at the 2015 BAFTA Television Awards. He is also known for playing ‘Gavin Strong’ in Sky 1 comedy series Trollied, as well as ‘Simon Harwood’ in the popular BBC comedyW1A. Airing this September, Jason will be playing ‘Roger’ in the BBC One sitcom Hold The Sunset. He has appeared in over 70 plays and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2001 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Servant To Two Masters for the RSC/Young Vic production in the West End. Recent theatre includes The Late Henry Moss by the late Sam Shepard at the Almeida Theatre and A Farewell to the Theatre at the Hampstead Theatre. Film credits include Hampstead opposite Diane Keaton, Gordon Shakespeare in the Nativity! film series and future releases, The Children Act with Emma Thompson and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, directed by Terry Gilliam.

Bryony Lavery’s plays include A Wedding Story, Last Easter, Her Aching Heart (Pink Paper Play of The Year 1992) Smoke, Dirt, and More Light. Her play Frozen, commissioned by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, won the TMA Best Play Award, the Eileen Anderson Central Television Award and was then produced on Broadway where it was nominated for four Tony Awards. Stockholm, for Frantic Assembly, won the Wolff-Whiting award for Best play of 2008. Beautiful Burnout for The National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly received a Fringe First at Edinburgh, before performances in the UK, New York, Australia and New Zealand. Stage adaptations include 101 Dalmatians (a musical), Chichester 2014, A Christmas Carol (for Birmingham Rep/Chichester Festival Theatre), Precious Bane, The Wicked Lady, Treasure Island (National Theatre 2014-5) and Behind The Scenes At The Museum for York Theatre Royal. Recent work includes The Believers for Frantic Assembly, Thursday for ETT/Brink, Australia, Queen Coal at Sheffield Crucible, and Brideshead Revisited for York Theatre Royal/ETT and Our Mutual Friend for Hull Truck. She is currently writing Balls for One Year Lease Theatre Company, New York, Forever Young for Manchester Royal Exchange, adapting Brighton Rock for Pilot Theatre The Lovely Bones for Birmingham Rep, and developing Cruising for TV.

Jonathan Munby’s UK Theatre include: King Lear starring Ian McKellen and Sinead Cusack, First Light(Chichester Festival Theatre); All The Angels: Handel and The First Messiah, The Merchant Of Venice starring Jonathan Pryce, Anthony and Cleopatra starring Eve Best and Clive Wood and A Midsummer Night’s Dream(WhatsOnStage nomination for Best Shakespearean Production) (Shakespeare’s Globe); Wendy and Peter Pan, The Canterbury Tales (Stratford, Tour and West End) and Madness In Valencia (RSC); Twelfth Night (UK Theatres Awards nomination for Best Touring Production) Company starring Daniel Evans, The Comedy Of Errors and Bird Calls (Sheffield Theatres); Thérèse Raquin starring Alison Steadman and Pippa Nixon (Theatre Royal Bath); ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Prince of Homburg starring Charlie Cox and Life Is A Dream starring Dominic West (Donmar Warehouse); A Number (WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice nomination for Best Regional and Best Off-West End Production) (Menier Chocolate Factory and Sheffield Theatres); Serious Money and She Stoops To Conquer (Birmingham Rep); The White Devil(WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice nomination for Best Off-West End Production) (Menier Chocolate Factory); 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic); Henry V And Mirandola (Manchester Royal Exchange); Nakamitsu (Gate Theatre Notting Hill); Opera includes: Carmen (Opera Holland Park); Don Giovanni (English Touring Opera); Sweetness and Badness (WNO Max Project). International Work includes: King Kong: Legend Of A Boxer, the South African Musical (Fugard Theatre Cape Town and Joburg Theatre Johannesburg); Othello and Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Company); The Crucible (Cocoon Theatre Tokyo); A Human Being Died That Night (Recorded for BBC Radio 3) (BAM New York, Fugard Theatre Cape Town and Hampstead Studio); Measure For Measure and The Dog In The Manger (Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Director) (Shakespeare Theatre Company Washington DC); Romeo And Juliet (Akasaka Act Theatre Tokyo and Theatre Brava Osaka); The Recommendation (Old Globe San Diego); The Winter’s Tale (Guthrie Theatre Minneapolis); Noises Off (Kreegar Theatre Washington).

Writer                                   Bryony Lavery

Director                                Jonathan Munby

Designer                              Paul Wills

Lighting Designer             Jon Clark

Video Designer                  Luke Halls

Composer                           Rupert Cross

Sound Designer                 Christopher Shutt

Frozen is presented by Jonathan Church Productions, TRH Productions and Scott M. Delman.

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

FROZEN

Theatre Royal Haymarket

Haymarket

London SW1Y 4HT

Box office number: 020 7930 8800

Website: FrozenThePlay.com

Dates: Friday 9 February – Saturday 5 May 2018

Press Night: Wednesday 21 February 2018

Performance Times: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday at 3pm

Ticket Prices: From £15

Premium tickets available.

 

Social media handles:

Facebook: Frozen The Play (url: Facebook.com/FrozenThePlay)

Twitter @FrozenThePlay

Hashtags: #FrozenPlay

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Lazarus Theatre take up yearlong residency at The Greenwich Theatre and begin with the transfer of Marlowe’s epic masterpiece, EDWARD II.

AWARD WINNING
LAZARUS THEATRE COMPANY
 
  • Lazarus Theatre Company takes up a yearlong residency at The Greenwich Theatre
  • Season begins with the return of our ★★★★★ EDWARD II by Christopher Marlowe
 
Edward II
Christopher Marlowe
16th – 27th January 2018
The Greenwich Theatre
Directed by Ricky Dukes
 
The King is dead. His son, Edward II, is crowned King.
His first act: to call home from banishment his lover, Gaveston.
 
“Why would you love him who the world hates so? Because he loves me more than all the world.”
 
Our ★★★★★ production of Marlowe’s epic returns to the stage in an explosive ensemble production after a sell-out 2017 run which marked the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales.
 
Please note this production contains full male nudity and scenes of a sexual and violent nature. Recommended for those over the age of 16.
.
Artistic Director’s Note
“We are thrilled to be taking up a yearlong residency at The Greenwich Theatre, a venue that has such theatrical heritage. We begin with one of the most thematically modern plays of the classical cannon, a transfer of our 2017 production of Marlowe’s politically charged and sexually explosive Edward II.” Ricky Dukes, Artistic Director
 
Listings
Dates 16th – 27th January 2018, Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Wednesday and Saturday matinee at 3pm.
Venue The Greenwich Theatre
Tickets £25.00, £15.00, £10. Concessions are £15 on top price seats.
 
 
Social Media:
Twitter @Lazarustheatre #Marlowe #EdwardII / Facebook LazarusTheatreCompany
 
★★★★★ “Visceral, brutal and horrifically messy…
An exceptional, must-see production”
Views from the Gods on Edward II
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National Tour announced for the award winning musical TEDDY

WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF SMASH HIT “BOUDICA”

REUNITE FOR 1950s ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MUSICAL

SARAH LOADER FOR SNAPDRAGON PRODUCTIONS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

THE WATERMILL THEATRE PRESENT

THE AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

 

“TEDDY”

BY TRISTAN BERNAYS

MUSIC BY DOUGAL IRVINE

AND DIRECTED BY ELEANOR RHODE

AT THE WATERMILL THEATRE

THURSDAY 11 JANUARY – SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2018

AHEAD OF A NATIONAL TOUR AND A LONDON SEASON AT

THE VAULTS

THURSDAY 29 MARCH – SATURDAY 5 MAY 2018

 

Sarah Loader for Snapdragon Productions in association with The Watermill Theatre present the award-winning musical “TEDDY” at The Watermill Theatre from Thursday 11 January – Saturday 10 February 2018 (Press Night Monday 15 January at 7.30pm), ahead of a national tour and a London season at The Vaults, Waterloofrom Thursday 29 March – Saturday 5 May 2018. Full tour schedule and on sale information below.

 

Following the recent success of their smash hit production “Boudica” at The Globe, Tristan Bernays reunites with director Eleanor Rhode and choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves for the 1950s Rock ‘n’ Roll musicalTEDDY. First seen at the Southwark Playhouse in 2015 and winner of Best New Musical at the Off West End Awards, TEDDY has music by Dougal Irvine, Musical direction by Harrison White, Set design by Max Dorey, Lighting design by Christopher Nairne, Sound design by Max Pappenheim, Costume design by Holly Rose Henshaw and Casting by Natalie Gallacher for Pippa Ailion Casting.

Tristan Bernays said today, “More than any other play I’ve written, people keep asking me “What’s happening with Teddy? Is it ever coming back?” Well, now I can say to them “Damn right it is”, and I couldn’t be happier”.

 

Set in the aftermath of the Blitz against a backdrop of austerity, it follows the lively story of Teddy and Josie, all dressed up and ready to hit the streets of London for an unforgettable night out, no matter how dangerous the consequences. TEDDY is the ultimate story of teenage rebellion and the birth of a new musical era. Music includes electrifying original songs plus well-known hits from the 1950s performed by the on-stage live band Johnny Valentine and the Broken Hearts.

 LISTINGS

TEDDY

Twitter: @teddyuktour |Facebook page Teddy UK Tour | Instagram: @teddyuktour

The Watermill Theatre

Thursday 11 January – Saturday 10 February 2018

Press night – Monday 15 January 7.30pm

Performances – Monday – Saturday 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm

Saturday 10 February at 1.30pm and 6.30pm

Tickets: £15 – £26.50

Box Office: 01635 46044 | www.watermill.org.uk

ON SALE NOW

Salford Lowry Quays Studio – Tuesday 13 February – Saturday 17 February 2018

ON SALE 20 OCTOBER 2017

 

Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds – Monday 19 February – Saturday 24 February 2018

ON SALE 28 OCTOBER 2017

 

Nuffield Southampton – Monday 26 February – Saturday 3 March 2018

ON SALE 15 NOVEMBER 2017

 

Chesterfield Pomegranate – Monday 5 March – Saturday 10 March 2018

ON SALE SOON

 

New Wolsey Ipswich – Monday 19 March – Saturday 24 March 2018

ON SALE 11 NOVEMBER 2017

The Vaults

Thursday 29 March – Saturday 5 May 2018

www.thevaults.london/whats-on

ON SALE SOON

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The Simon & Garfunkel Story extends West End run

THE WEST END’S
THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY

ADDS NEW PERFORMANCES

 

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

Now playing: 6th Nov, 4th Dec 2017, 22nd Jan, 26th Feb & 26th Mar 2018

 

Following an acclaimed opening in London’s West End, The Simon & Garfunkel Story has extended performances into 2018. Returning to the Lyric Theatre after touring every corner of the world, the production will take audiences through the story of Simon & Garfunkel’s incredible career.

 

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

 

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

 

Led by Sam O’Hanlon (Paul Simon) and Charles Blyth (Art Garfunkel), a full live band and brass ensemble will rekindle all the duo’s classic hits including: Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, The Sound of Silence and many more.

 

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

LISTINGS

The Simon & Garfunkel Story

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

Dates: 6th Nov, 4th Dec 2017, 22nd Jan, 26th Feb & 26th Mar 2018, 7.30pm

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

Booking: www.nimaxtheatres.com

Box office: 0330 333 4812

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Gwen Taylor and Susan Penhaligon in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST

GWEN TAYLOR &

SUSAN PENHALIGON

STAR IN THE 2018 UK TOUR OF

OSCAR WILDE’S

“THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST”

FROM 24 JANUARY 2018

Gwen Taylor will star as Lady Bracknell in the 2018 UK tour of Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, alongside Susan Penhaligon as Miss Prism. The tour will begin on 24 January at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, ending on 28 April in Eastbourne. Further casting is to be announced.

 

Gwen Taylor is best known for playing the title role in the ITV sitcom Barbara, as well as Anne Foster in Coronation Street, Peggy Armstrong in Heartbeat, Rita Simcock in A Bit of A Do, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA TV Best Actress Award, and Amy in Duty Free.  Her film appearances include The Lady in the Van and Monty Python’s Life of Brian.  Gwen most recently played Mrs Bramson in Luke Sheppard’s critically acclaimed touring production of Emlyn Williams’s Night Must Fall and Daisy Worthen in Driving Miss Daisy at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre.  Other theatre credits include Calendar Girls (UK Tour), the title role in the national tour of Shirley Valentine, Top Girls (Royal Court and New York), and Gertrude in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Hamlet (London’s Gielgud Theatre and national tour).

 

Susan Penhaligon is currently appearing in Rufus Norris’s production of Cabaret alongside Will Young and Louise Redknapp. She has a wide range of TV credits to her name, including Upstairs Downstairs, Tales of the Unexpected, Bergerac and A Bouquet of Barbed Wire. She played Judi Dench’s sister Helen in four series of the award-winning BBC sitcom A Fine Romance, and the regular role of Jean Hope in ITV’s Emmerdale. Susan also played Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew for the BBC’s Shakespeare season. Susan has toured the UK extensively, having previously worked with The Original Theatre Company, playing Queen Charlotte in their 2010 production of Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III. She has also appeared in productions of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Agatha Christie’s Verdict and Oscar Wilde’s Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime.

 

Oscar Wilde’s greatly admired and much loved comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST follows Jack Worthing’s endeavours to marry Algernon’s cousin, the beautiful Gwendolen. But first he must convince the fearsome Lady Bracknell of his respectability. Wilde’s classic play looks at the clash of town and country in a story of romance, identity, perambulators and capacious handbags.

 

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST will be directed by The Original Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Alastair Whatley, with set and costume designs by Gabriella Slade, sound and music by Giles Thomas and lighting by Alan Valentine. The UK tour is produced by Tom Hackney for The Original Theatre Company.

 

Website: www.originaltheatre.com

Facebook: TheOriginalTheatre 

Twitter: @OriginalTheatre

 

2018 TOUR SCHEDULE

24 January – 3 February          Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford                           01483 440000
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

 

5 – 10 February                       Courtyard Theatre, Hereford                        01432 340555

                                                www.courtyard.org.uk                                      On sale 2 October

 

13 – 17 February                     Theatre Royal Plymouth                                01752 267222

                                                www.theatreroyal.com                                      On sale soon

 

20 – 24 February                     Belfast Grand Opera House                         028 9024 1919                                                                                                                     goh.org.uk                                                      

 

27 February – 3 March            Bath Theatre Royal                                        01225 448844

                                                www.theatreroyal.org.uk                                  On sale 2 November

 

5 – 10 March                           Theatre Royal Winchester                            01962 840440

                                                www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk                  

 

13 – 17 March                         Manchester Opera House                             0844 871 3018

                                                www.atgtickets.com/manchester                      On sale 13 October 

 

20 – 24 March                         Salisbury Playhouse                                      01722 320333                                                                                                                    www.salisburyplayhouse.com                         On sale soon

 

27 – 31 March                          Lichfield Garrick Theatre                             01543 412121

                                                 www.lichfieldgarrick.com                                 On sale soon

 

3 – 7 April                                Churchill Theatre, Bromley                           020 3285 6000                                                                                                                    www.churchilltheatre.co.uk                              On sale soon

17 – 21 April                            York Theatre Royal                                        01904 623568                                                                                                                     www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk                            On sale soon

24 – 28 April                           Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne         01323 412000
www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk                        On sale soon

 

Posted on

GREASE IS BACK AND IT’S SLICKER THAN EVER

GREASE IS BACK AND IT’S

SLICKER THAN EVER

 

Pull up your bobby socks and slick back your hair because the original high school musical (and ‘Greatest of all time’*) Greasereturns to Newcastle Theatre Royal this Autumn and it’s slicker, fresher and more star-studded than ever before! Play truant and make a date with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies 16-21 October 2017.

 

This new hit production of the timeless 70s musical stars Tom Parker (The Wanted) in his musical theatre debut as Danny Zuko, Danielle Hope (Over the Rainbow, winner) as Sandy and Louisa Lytton (Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders) as Rizzo.

 

Since opening on Broadway in 1972 and going global in the smash hit movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in ‘78,Grease’s place has been firmly established in the musical Hall of Fame.  It has seduced millions with its iconic tunes and rebellious teenage characters – Sandy, Danny, the groovy T Birds, the sassy Pink Ladies and the gang at Rydell High. The new production is once again bursting with all the songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Sandy, Greased Lightnin’ and many more.

 

The show that spawned a thousand spin-offs, Grease has proved that a musical love story, bursting with denim, cheerleaders, ponytails, rock’n’roll, 1950’s pop culture and an irresistible mix of teenage angst and young romance is timeless and universal.  Forty five years on it remains the ultimate feel-good, pick-me-up musical – an electrifying extravaganza, packed with fun, energy and vibrant physicality. The show is guaranteed to thrill and leave everyone hand-jiving the night away with “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop, a wop-bam-boom!”

 

This award-winning production originally opened in the West End in 1993 where it enjoyed a hugely successful run of six years at the Dominion and Cambridge Theatres.  The show has since toured throughout the world playing to sell-out audiences and breaking box office records everywhere.  It has been seen by over 12 million people in the UK alone.

 

Completing the cast are Washington-born ensemble member Anna Murray, Tom Senior as Kenickie, Michael Cortez as Sonny, Oliver Jacobson as Roger, Ryan Heenan as Doody, Callum Evans as Eugene, Lauren Atkins as Marty, Rosanna Harris as Jan, Rhiannon Chesterman as Frenchy, Gabriella Williams as Patty and Ailsa Davidson as Lynch. The ensemble also includes Charlotte Coggin, Anthony Hughes, Alessia McDermott, Natasha Mould, George Olney, Rory Phelan and Grant Thresh.

 

Tom Parker has amassed worldwide success with his band The Wanted, achieving two UK number 1s and 9 top 10 singles as well as 4 Billboard 100 singles, with Glad You Came placing in the top 5 and selling over 900,000 records. The band have had three platinum albums, two sold out arena tours, and 3 million singles sold in America. Tom is also a winner of BBC Radio 1’s Teen Choice Award and US People’s Choice Award with The Wanted.

 

Danielle Hope made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium, after competing against over 9,000 girls to win the BBC’s smash hit Over The Rainbow. She went on to star as Eponine in the West End production of Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre) – a role to which she most recently returned, Cathy in The Last Five Years(Greenwich Theatre & Warren Theatre, Brighton), Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (National Tour) and Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music which visited the Theatre Royal in 2015.

 

Louisa Lytton trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and secured her first professional role as the innocent schoolgirl Ruby Allen in EastEnders. Following this Louisa joined The Bill, playing the inexperienced and shy police officer Beth Green. She has since enjoyed a host of varied roles, from parts in the internationally successful American Pie franchise, to the British Shakespeare Company’s productions of both A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing. Most recently she has appeared in the new prime-time ITV comedy drama The Edge of Heaven, filmed a thriller due to be released this month called Fractured, appeared in the Canadian period drama Murdoch Mysteries and starred in the touring production of Swap!. Aside from acting, Louisa reached the quarter-finals in the fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and subsequently toured the country as part of the sold-out Strictly Come Dancing arena tour. She also represented the UK in the 2008 Eurovision Dance Contest. Louisa recently took park in Channel 4’s The Jump.

 

The production is written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, directed by David Gilmore (Daisy Pulls It Off, Happy Days, Song & Dance, Footloose) and choreographed by Arlene Phillips (Starlight Express, Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance The Musical & BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing).  It is designed by Terry Parsons, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou. Grease is presented by Paul Nicholas and David Ian.

 

Grease is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 16 until Sat 21 October 2017, playing evenings Mon – Thu at 7.30pm, Fri & Sat 8.30pm, matinees on Friday at 5.30pm and Sat 5pm.  Tickets from £16.50.  Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

 

For more information, visit www.greasethemusical.co.uk @greasemusical

 

* (100 Greatest Musicals, Channel 4)