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ICONIC LEEDS VENUES TO TAKE PART IN THE NATIONAL LOTTERY #THANKSTOYOU CAMPAIGN

From Monday 3 to Sunday 9 December 2018, National Lottery-funded heritage attractions are saying #ThanksToYou to National Lottery players by offering free entry, treats or discounts at hundreds of UK-Based National Lottery funded visitor’s attractions, and sport, arts and community projects.

 

Leeds Grand Theatre will be saying #ThanksToYou by giving away 140^th birthday branded Tote bags*, whilst Hyde Park Picture House (HPPH) will be giving away a free hot drink and an original HPPH Christmas card designed by Yorkshire artist Kristyna Baczynski.

 

The idea is simple; any visitor who presents a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between Monday 3 to Saturday 8 December at Leeds Grand Theatre Box Office can claim a bag. Similarly, anybody presenting a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between Monday 3 to Saturday 8 December at HPPH will receive a free hot drink and a card (T&C’s apply. For full details visit hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/ThanksToYou).

 

Leeds Grand Theatre received funding from the Heritage Lottery fund to undertake major restoration work on the grade II* listed Victorian theatre and to create a major base for the arts in the north of England by improving both backstage and front of house areas, including installing a state of the art computer-controlled system for flying scenery, improved seating and acoustics for audiences, and easier access for the disabled.

 

Hyde Park Picture House has recently received backing from Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for The Picture House Project. The £3.6m project received £122k development funding from HLF in 2016, which has allowed the organisation to progress plans for a full National Lottery Grant application which is due to be reviewed this December. If successful, work on The Picture House Project will begin in 2019, helping to protect and preserve the historic cinema, whilst making the building more sustainable, comfortable and accessible. For further information on this exciting project, please visit thepicturehouseproject.com.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “December is a wonderful time to experience the UK’s rich, diverse and exciting heritage, which has been transformed by more than £7.8bn National Lottery funding since 1994.  This is a small gesture of thanks and a way of giving something back to the people who buy tickets.”

 

* Numbers are limited.

 

THE ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY
ANNOUNCES THAT ELLIOT HARPER WILL
TOE THE LINE AS MISS TRUNCHBULL
IN THE UK & IRELAND TOUR OF
MATILDA THE MUSICAL

 

The Royal Shakespeare Company has announced that Elliot Harper will play Miss Trunchbull in Matilda The Musical’s UK and Ireland Tour from Tuesday 15 January at Theatre Royal Plymouth. The tour will then play at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (19 February – 23 March 2019), Edinburgh Playhouse (2 – 27 April 2019), The Bristol Hippodrome (7 May – 8 June 2019), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (11 June – 6 July 2019) and Norwich Theatre Royal (16 July – 17 August 2019). The West End production will continue to play at the Cambridge Theatre, where it is now in its eighth year and is booking until 24 May 2020.

Carly Thoms (Miss Honey) and Sebastien Torkia and Rebecca Thornhill (Mr and Mrs Wormwood) will continue in their roles until the tour concludes its run at Norwich Theatre Royal on 17 August 2019.

Elliot Harper’s West End theatre credits include Father Joe in The Exorcist at the Phoenix Theatre, Matilda The Musical (Cambridge Theatre), One Man Two Guvnors (National Theatre), Les Misérables (Queens Theatre) and The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre). Other theatre credits include Sweet Charity (Watermill), A Study In Scarlet (Southwark Playhouse), The Silver Tassie (Druid/Lincoln Center NY), Rope, Arsenic and Old Lace (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), The Big Sleep (The Mill At Sonning), As You Like It, Deathtrap, The Taming of the Shrew, The Talented Mr Ripley and Travels with my Aunt (Queens Theatre, Hornchurch), and the UK touring productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and The Buddy Holly Story. Harper’s film and television credits include Howard Goodall’s 20th Century Greats (Tiger Aspect), Showroom, which was a winning film at SXSW Film Festival, and The Egg, Masters of the Universe (Asalva Productions).

The full adult cast includes Richard Astbury, Joe Atkinson, Nina Bell, Peter Bindloss, Oliver Bingham, Emily Bull, Samara Casteallo, Matthew Caputo, Matt Gillett, Michelle Chantelle Hopewell, Sam Lathwood, Steffan Lloyd-Evans, Charlie Martin, Tom Mather, Anu Ogunmefun, Carly Thoms, Rebecca Thornhill, Sebastien Torkia, Adam Vaughan andDawn Williams.

The role of Matilda is shared by Sophia Ally, Scarlett Cecil, Annalise Bradbury, Poppy Jones, Emma Moore and Nicola Turner. The other young performers in the UK and Ireland Tour in the three teams who play the roles of Bruce, Lavender, Amanda and the rest of the pupils at Crunchem Hall and are as follows: Evie Allen, Louella Asante-Owusu, Joseph Black, Georgia Mae Brown, Isobelle Chalmers, Jessica Chalmers, Madeline Gilby, Sheldon Golding, Cuba Kamanu, Tom Lomas, Adam Lord, Maddison Lowe, Ilan Miller, Felicity Mitson, Toby Mocrei, Ashton Murphy, Joely Robertson, Ruaridh Sinnott, Kit Swaddling, Chantelle Tonolete, Harrison Wilding and Harry Wilson.

Matilda The Musical is written by Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and developed and directed 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 8 million people worldwide, having toured to over 68 cities and played more than 6000 performances in the West End, on Broadway and on tour across North America, the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Matilda The Musical had its first non-English language production at the LG Arts Centre in Seoul, South Korea in September 2018.

Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical was commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company and premiered at the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon home in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011, where it opened to rave reviews. The New York production of Matilda The Musical opened in April 2013 at Broadway’s Shubert Theatre and was celebrated on 10 “Top Ten” lists for 2013, including TIME Magazine’s #1 Show of the Year.

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

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.

TOUR LISTINGS

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff / Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru
Tuesday 4 December 2018 – Saturday 12 January 2019
Box Office: 029 2063 6464
www.wmc.org.uk

Theatre Royal Plymouth
Tuesday 15 January – Saturday 16 February 2019
Box Office: 01752 267 222
www.theatreroyal.com

The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Tuesday 19 February – Saturday 23 March 2019
Box Office: 01274 432 000
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

Edinburgh Playhouse
Tuesday 2 – Saturday 27 April 2019
Box Office: 0844 871 3014*
www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/

The Bristol Hippodrome
Tuesday 7 May – Saturday 8 June 2019
Box Office: 0844 871 3012*
www.atgtickets.com/bristol-hippodrome

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Tuesday 11 June – Saturday 6 July 2019
Box Office: 02380 711 811
www.mayflower.org.uk

Norwich Theatre Royal
Tuesday 16 July – Saturday 17 August 2019
Box Office: 01603 630 000
www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

* Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge.
** Calls cost 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

www.matildathemusical.com
#matildaontour

WEST END LISTING

MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Cambridge Theatre
Earlham Street
London WC2H 9HU
Tuesday – Friday 7pm
Wednesday 2pm
Saturday 2.30pm & 7.30pm
Sundays 3pm

Box Office: Cambridge Theatre 020 7087 7745 / RSC Ticket Hotline 01789 331111
No booking fee.

Booking until 24 May 2020
www.matildathemusical.com

Twitter: @MatildaMusical
Facebook: @MatildaTheMusical
Instagram: @MatildaTheMusical

The King’s Head Theatre, 115 Upper Street, London, N1 1QN
Wednesday 9th January – Saturday 2nd February 2019

Award-winning Atticist have announced the stellar cast who will bring to life Outlying Islands this January – a revival of Scottish playwright David Greig’s powerful play, not seen in London since 2002.

Rose Wardlaw (Eyam and The Winter’s Tale, Globe Theatre; Jubilee, Royal Exchange Theatre and Lyric Hammersmith; Call The Midwife), Ken Drury (King Lear and The Crucible, National Theatre; The Woman in Black, West End; Black Mirror), Jack McMillan (The Hard Man, Finborough Theatre; Vieux Carre, King’s Head Theatre; Blue Boy, Northern Stage) and Tom Machell (Life According To Saki, Atticist Off-Broadway at New York’s 4th Street Theatre; zazU, Soho Theatre; Every Blank Ever, Comedy Central) will be directed by Jessica Lazar in this production that demonstrates the lyricism and humanity that has made Greig one of the UK’s leading dramatists.

Director Jessica Lazar comments, I’m really looking forward to getting into the rehearsal room and starting work on Outlying Islands with Ken, Jack, Rose, and Tom. They share a depth, comedy, and imagination in their performance, and an immediate complicity that crackles with excitement. For me, they feel like the perfect ensemble to take on the wild range of this remarkable play

On the eve of the outbreak of World War II, two young ornithologists are sent to a remote Scottish Island by the government to conduct a survey of the island’s birds. Left to their own devices on an isolated and windswept scrap of land, the only other human inhabitants are Kirk, the aged and authoritarian leaseholder, and his niece Ellen. As their gaze turns inwards, the mainland recedes further into the distance and life on the island ignites desires and creates inescapable tensions.

Transporting us to a world where the line between reality and fantasy is blurred, David Greig’s funny, poetic and moving play bravely explores a society on the edge of immense change.

Outlying Islands is inspired by real events, including Robert Atkinson and John Ainslie’s 1935 search for the Leach’s Fork-Tailed Petrel, as recorded in Atkinson’s Island Going. The play also reflects on the the British government’s decision to bomb an Island off the west coast of Scotland with anthrax during World War II, in order to test the efficacy of chemical weapons. Gruinard Island was closed for 50 years and only ‘decontaminated’ in 1990.

Northern Ballet: 2019 Full Yorkshire Tour Details

Victoria | Mixed Programme | Cinderella | Dracula

*New dates announced*

 

Northern Ballet has announced full details of its upcoming performances in Yorkshire for the whole of 2019. The Company will commence its spring season with the world première of Cathy Marston’s Victoria in Leeds, followed by additional performances in Sheffield. Northern Ballet’s autumn season begins with a Mixed Programme, followed by visits to several Yorkshire venues with David Nixon’s Dracula and Cinderella; bringing the Company to the eve of its 50th anniversary celebrations in 2020.

 

Victoria

Victoria tells the astounding life story of Queen Victoria through the eyes of her youngest child and lifelong companion Beatrice. Travelling back in time from Victoria’s death bed, Beatrice relives her memories of her mother as a secluded widow before discovering her anew as she transcribes the Queen’s intimate diaries. Wife, mother, lover, Empress; Victoria presents the various, often conflicting faces of this emblematic monarch.

 

Choreographed by Cathy Marston to an original score by Philip Feeney, with sets and costumes designed by Steffen Aarfing, lighting by Alastair West and dramaturgy by Uzma Hameed.

 

Victoria premières in Leeds from 9 – 16 March 2019 with additional performances at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre from 19 – 23 March 2019.

 

Mixed Programme

Following the success of this year’s popular triple bill, Northern Ballet will perform a new Mixed Programme at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, Leeds from 4 – 7 September 2019. Details of the programme are to be announced.

 

Dracula

Emerging from his world of perpetual darkness, an unlikely romance blossoms between Count Dracula and the unbidding Mina. A creature who should inspire repulsion in every living thing but who has seduced countless generations, Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire lives on in this extraordinary ballet with a dramatic bite.

 

Choreographed by David Nixon OBE to a score featuring music by Alfred Schnittke, Sergei Rachmaninov, Arvo Pärt and Michael Daugherty, with sets designed by Ali Allen, lighting by Tim Mitchell and costumes by David Nixon OBE.

 

Dracula will be Northern Ballet’s first production to be performed at the newly reopened Leeds Playhouse from 29 October – 2 November 2019.

 

Cinderella

After a glorious summer day ends in tragedy, Cinderella begins a desolate new life of servitude.Devastated by the loss of her father, and excluded by her cruel stepmother and stepsisters, Cinderella finds solace on the frozen lake where she first sets eyes on her Prince Charming. As her love for the Prince grows, a surprise encounter in the marketplace changes Cinderella’s destiny.

 

Choreographed by David Nixon OBE to an original score by Philip Feeney, with sets designed byDuncan Hayler, lighting by Tim Mitchell and costumes by David Nixon OBE.

 

Cinderella will be performed in Sheffield at the Lyceum Theatre from 24 – 28 September 2019 followed by performances at Hull New Theatre from 15 – 19 October 2019 and Leeds Grand Theatre from 17 December 2019 to 2 January 2020.

 

For further details and booking information visit northernballet.com/whatson

 

 

2019 Yorkshire Performance Listings

 

Victoria Leeds Grand Theatre (World Première) 9 – 16 March 2019 Box Office: 0844 848 2700* | leedsgrandtheatre.com	On sale now
Victoria Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 19 – 23 March 2019 Box Office: 0114 249 6000 | sheffieldtheatres.com	On sale now
Mixed Programme Leeds Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre 4 – 7 September 2019 Box Office: 0113 220 8008 | theatreleeds.com	On sale soon
Cinderella Sheffield Lyceum Theatre 24 – 28 September 2019 Box Office: 0114 249 6000* | sheffieldtheatres.com	On sale soon
Cinderella Hull New Theatre 15 – 19 October 2019 Box Office: 01482 300 306 | hulltheatres.co.uk	On sale now
Dracula Leeds Playhouse 29 October – 2 November 2019 Box Office: 0113 213 7700 | leedsplayhouse.org.uk	*newly announced*   On sale soon
Cinderella Leeds Grand Theatre 17 December 2019 – 2 January 2020 Box Office: 08448 848 2700* | leedsgrandtheatre.com	*newly announced*   On sale 4 December 2018

 

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

RICHMOND THEATRE KICKS OFF ITS 120^TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH A BRAND NEW SEASON OF SHOWS!

Richmond Theatre announces its new December – March 2019 season kicking off with plenty of panto magic into a new year of exclusive special events, brand new children’s shows, stunning dance and critically acclaimed plays!

It isn’t long before audiences can set sail for this year’s swashbuckling spectacular, PETER PAN, in Richmond Theatre’s second pantomime staged by Qdos Entertainment. Starring Robert Lindsay in his pantomime debut as the dastardly villain Captain Hook, comedy impressionist and Britain’s Got Talent finalist, Jon Clegg as Mr Smee, West End star Rachel Stanley (Officer and A Gentlemen, Scrooge The Musical, Legally Blonde) as the Magical Mermaid, and Harry Francis (Book of Mormon, A Chorus Line, Fiddler on the Roof) as the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan. Press are invited to attend for review on Thursday 13^th December at7pm.

The first in a series of special event shows produced exclusively for Richmond Theatre audiences by Theatre Director Brendan Riding, GO!GO!GO! WITH RUSTY FIRMIN tells the true story of the SAS’s incredible rescue mission during the Iranian Embassy Siege in 1980. Rusty Firmin served 26 years in the British Army, 15 of which in B Squadron, 22 SAS. Audiences will get an unparalleled insight into his SAS career, SAS selection and a detailed account of the mission, which propelled the secretive 22 SAS onto the world stage. The evening will also be in support of Pilgrim Bandits, a charity which was established by a small group of Special Forces veterans in 2007 with the sole aim of using their unique training and experience to help and inspire injured personnel to live life to the full.

The MOSCOW CITY BALLET return to Richmond with two magnificent shows, SWAN LAKE and SLEEPING BEAUTY, each presented in classic Russian style with a full orchestra. Using Tchaikovsky’s haunting and beautiful score, these enchanting stories are brought exquisitely to life by Russia’s best dancers along with beautiful sets and stunning costumes.

Based on Paula Hawkins’ best-selling novel, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN pulls into Richmond for a brand new stage adaptation starring Samantha Womack (Eastenders, Game On, The Kingsman film series) and Oliver Farnworth (Coronation Street, Hollyoaks). When Rachel suddenly learns that the woman she’s been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery in which she will face bigger revelations than she ever could have anticipated.

New comedy, TRIAL BY LAUGHTER is based on the real life events of bookseller, publisher and satirist, William Hone who stood trial in 1817 for ‘impious blasphemy and seditious libel’ however the only crime he had committed was to be funny! Following critical acclaim for their play, The Wipers Times, Trial By Laughter looks set to be another successful and sharp comedy from writers Ian Hislop and Nick Newman.

Presented by London Classic Theatre, the award-winning play MY MOTHER SAID I NEVER SHOULD details the lives of four women through the 20^th century using a kaleidoscopic time structure, it focuses on pinnacle moments of each woman’s lives in a poignant, bittersweet story about love, jealousy and the price of freedom. Written in 1985 by Charlotte Keatley, it has become the most widely commonly performed work by a female playwright in the world, a true classic.

 

In one of the most successful comedies of all time, Nigel Havers (Downton Abbey, Chariots of Fire), Denis Lawson (Bleak House, New Tricks) and Stephen Tompkinson (The Split, Wild at Heart, Ballykissangel) come together in ART, a dazzling study of friendship, prejudice and tolerance. Written by Yasmina Reza, Art has taken both Broadway and the West End by storm having won Olivier, Tony® and Moliére awards.

 

Following the recent success of mystery thriller, The Case of the Frightened Lady, Bill Kenright Productions return with THE LADY VANISHES based on Alfred Hitchcock’s much-loved film. Starring Emmy Award-winning actress Juliet Mills (Wild at Heart), Max Caulfield (Dynasty), Lorna Fitzgerald (Eastenders), Matt Barber (Downton Abbey), Robert Duncan (Drop Dead The Donkey), Philip Lowrie (Coronation Street) and Ben Nealon (Soldier Soldier), audiences won’t have far to look for another compelling production of a classic whodunit.

Direct from the West End and following rave reviews, WISE CHILDREN is a big, bawdy tangle of theatrical joy and pain featuring show girls, Shakespeare, sex and scandal, mischief and mistaken identity – and butterflies by the thousand! Emma Rice (Romantics Anonymous, Tristan & Yseult, The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk and Brief Encounter) launches her new theatre company of the same name and in their first production, brings her unique, musical and exuberantly impish vision to Angela Carter’s great last novel.

Two fantastic children’s shows head to Richmond for the perfect spring treat for schools and families. Based on the classic children’s book series by David McKee, ELMER THE PATCHWORK ELEPHANT celebrates its 30th birthday in 2019 with a brand new show featuring a menagerie of 21 loveable puppets telling the tale of an elephant that stands out. Also, from the award-winning producers of Horrible Histories and Gangsta Granny comes the world premiere of TOM GATES LIVE ON STAGE in an exciting and hilarious adventure based on the original creation by Liz Pichon.

From adventurers to actors, we have an abundance of special events coming up including, DR ALICE ROBERTS: DIGGING INTO BRITAIN’S PAST, HANCOCK’S HALF HOUR, IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE WITH TOLKIEN, SHAKESPEARE OTHERS AND YOU, AN EVENING WITH KEN HOM, STRICTLY ANN WIDDICOMBE – AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH, ADAM KAY – THIS IS GOING TO HURT,BEN FOGLE – ADVENTURES IN THE WILDERNESS and TRUST FAST HEALTH WITH DR MICHAEL MOSLEY.

 

Some classic music acts return to Richmond with BEYOND THE BARRICADE, THAT’LL BE THE DAY, THE COUNTERFEIT STONES, THE CARPENTERS STORY and SEVEN DRUNK NIGHTS THE STORY OF THE DUBLINERS plus the brand new show HELLO AGAIN…NEIL DIAMOND.

 

Richmond Theatre is dedicated to making sure people of all ages and abilities can take part in theatre and the arts, and our Creative Learning Department has various workshops and courses that are inclusive and fun for all! For further information regarding workshops and creative learning bookings, please contact richmondcreativelearning@theambassadors.com.

WEST END SMASH HIT

THE COMEDY ABOUT A BANK ROBBERY

ANNOUNCES NEW CAST AND 2019 EXTENSION

 

Created by Mischief Theatre

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields

Mischief Theatre today announces new cast members and 2019 extension for the critically acclaimed and Olivier Award nominated The Comedy About A Bank Robbery. Due to continued high demand, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery announces an extension of their run until 3 November 2019, as they approach their third year on the West End.     

 

Joining the cast from 18 December 2018 are Julia Frith (Caprice Freeboys), Liam Jeavons (Mitch Ruscitti), Jack Whittle (Sam Monaghan) and Jean-Luke Worrell (Warren Slax).

From 15 January 2019 Gareth Tempest and Emily Stott take over the roles of Mitch Ruscitti and Caprice Freeboys to complete the company.

Continuing their roles are Samson Ajewole (Cooper), Jenna Augen (Ruth Monaghan), Jack Baldwin (Officer Randal Shuck), Leonard Cook (Robin Freeboys) and literally completing the cast is Chris Leask (Everyone Else). The understudies are Charlotte Duffy, Rhiann Francis, George Hannigan, Gracie Lai, Dale Mathurin, Kieran Mortell, Finlay Paul, Ashley Tucker, Ross Virgo and Eddy Westbury.

‘The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is one of the flat-out funniest pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen.’  Dominic Maxwell – The Times ★★★★★

Mischief Theatre’s smash-and-grab hit The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is a fast, fabulous comedy caper and the funniest show in the West End!

Summer 1958. Minneapolis City Bank has been entrusted with a priceless diamond. An escaped convict is dead set on pocketing the gem with the help of his screwball sidekick, trickster girlfriend… and the maintenance man. With mistaken identities, love triangles and hidden agendas, even the most reputable can’t be trusted. In a town where everyone’s a crook, who will end up bagging the jewel?

Book now for this dynamite comedy. It would be criminal to miss it!

Samson Ajewole plays Officer Cooper. Previous theatre credits include Damn Yankees (The Landor Theatre), The Life (English Theatre, Frankfurt) and La Cage Aux Folles (UK tour).

Jenna Augen plays Ruth Monaghan. Previous theatre credits include The Knowledge (Charing Cross Theatre), The Witches (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Bad Jews (Arts Theatre, St. James Theatre and Theatre Royal, Bath), The Way of the World (Chichester Festival Theatre), and Chicken Soup With Barley (Royal Court Theatre). Her work for television includes Episodes, The Night Watch and Penelope in the Treehouse.

Jack Baldwin plays Officer Shuck. Previous theatre credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Hamlet (Park Theatre), The Time of Your Life (Finborough Theatre), The Sessions (Royal Albert Hall), The Exquisite Corpse (Southwark Playhouse), Twelfth Night, As You Like It (Cockpit Theatre), Dare Me to the Desert (King’s Head Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Shakespeare Conspiracy (Chelsea Theatre), To the Green Fields Beyond, Titus Andronicus (Linbury Studio), Messiah (Bunker Theatre) and 10x10x10 (Pleasance Theatre).

Leonard Cook plays Robin Freeboys. Previous credits include The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre).

Julia Firth plays Caprice Freeboys. Her theatre credits include Sam Wanamaker Festival (Shakespeare’s Globe) and Ties of Blood: The Brontes (Paprika Festival).

Liam Jeavons plays Mitch Ruscitti. His theatre credits include Where You Frum and Accidental Brummie (Birmingham Rep), The 39 Steps (Lyric Theatre), Primetime and Gala Night (The Royal Court).

Chris Leask plays Everyone Else. Previous theatre credits include I Need To Vent (The Vaults Festival), The Play That Goes Wrong (Duchess Theatre), Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Apollo Theatre and UK tour), Love Your Soldiers(Sheffield Theatres), Staunch (Arcola Theatre and Theatre503), Just for Fun: Totally Random (Camden People’s Playhouse) and Same Time Next Week (Edinburgh Festival).

Emily Stott plays Caprice Freeboys. Her theatre credits include Glitter Punch (VAULT Festival), The Kitchen Sink (Oldham Coliseum), Inside Pussy Riot (Les Enfants Terribles), The Picture of Dorian Gray (The Watermill Theatre), Takeover (The Bunker) and Thirteen (Southwark Playhouse).

Jack Whittle plays Sam Monaghan this marks his professional stage debut.

Jean-Luke Worrell plays Warren Slax. His theatre credits include Cinderella (Greenwich Theatre) and Robinson Crusoe (Chipping Norton Theatre).

Mischief Theatre

Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields met at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). All core members of Mischief Theatre, they worked in comedy together for several years before starting out as a writing team. The company’s first production was The Play That Goes Wrong (winner – Best New Comedy – Olivier Awards and WhatsOnStage Awards). The show began on the London and Edinburgh fringe before touring the UK. It then opened in the West End in September 2014 where it is still running. It is also playing on Broadway and heading out on a US tour in 2018. Peter Pan Goes Wrong was the trio’s second production, opening in November 2014 for a UK tour before a hugely successful West End season in Christmas 2015. Mischief Theatre recently adapted the script of Peter Pan Goes Wrong for the BBC, which was filmed with the original West End cast and broadcast on New Year’s Eve 2016. They were invited back to wreak more havoc at the BBC in 2017 with A Christmas Carol Goes Wrong on BBC1. The Comedy About A Bank Robbery marks the company’s third writing project and earned them another Olivier Nomination.

Kenny Wax Ltd

Kenny Wax Ltd produced the multi-award-winning The Play That Goes Wrong, currently in the West End, on Broadway and on a US tour. Kenny Wax’s second collaboration with Mischief Theatre, Peter Pan Goes Wrong, played the West End twice and is now touring Australia and New Zealand. Kenny Wax presented the world première of Top Hat, winning three Olivier Awards including ‘Best New Musical’, with 1995’s Once on This Island winning the same award. The new British musical SIX completed a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and again at the Arts Theatre in the West End, where it will be returning for an open-ended run in January after a short UK tour. The Company is also renowned for producing some of the best family theatre including We’re Going On A Bear Hunt; Tall Stories’ The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child and Room on the Broom;plus the stage adaptation of Jacqueline Wilson’s Hetty Feather. Christmas 2018 will see the opening of a new stage adaptation of Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch, co-produced by Royal & Derngate Northampton. Kenny Wax is the current President of the Society of London Theatre.

Directed by Mark Bell with Nancy Zamit for Mischief Theatre; Designer: David Farley Costume Designer: Roberto Surace; Lighting Designer: David Howe Sound Design: Jon Fiber for JollyGoodTunes; Musical Director and Arranger: Joey Hickman; Associate Director: Kirsty Patrick Ward; Resident Director Katie Ann McDonough;Associate Lighting Designer: Matt Leventhall

 

 

The Comedy About A Bank Robbery

Listings

Criterion Theatre, 218-223 Piccadilly, Piccadilly Circus, London, W1V 9LB

 

Box Office: 0844 815 6131

www.bankrobberycomedy.com

Twitter: @BankRobberyPlay

Facebook: BankRobberyComedy

PERFORMANCE TIMES

Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7:30pm

Saturday matinee at 2:30pm, Sunday matinee at 3pm and Sunday evening at 7pm

TICKET PRICES

Sunday evening – Thursday:

£49.50, £39.50, £35.00, £29.50, £25, £20, £15, £10

Premium Seats £69.50

Friday – Sunday Matinee:

£52.50, £42.50, £38.00, £32.50, £28, £23, £18, £10

Premium Seats £72.50

 

AGE

11+

Blue Elephant Theatre – 21st November

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Ella&co explore our relationship with social media in a fast-paced and very funny dance piece that entertains, educates and enlightens audiences of all ages.

The company, Eva Escrich, Ella Fleetwood, Julia Jordan and Amy Morvell all grew up alongside social media and gamin, but for those of us who remember mobile phones the size of a house brick, a handy Millennial dictionary is included to help with more arcane seeming sketches.

With sound designer Adrien Hollocou’s music from familiar games and channels, the piece is performed as if on a screen, with the dancers moving between sketches as if they have been swiped, and twitchy jumps when the notification alert sounds. Ella Fleetwood’s inspired choreography sees the company posing and preening, with the obligatory pouts of celebrities and influencers, through beauty and fitness routines and tiny dog walking. Inane commentaries about outfits and ridiculous tips for achieving a better life are interspersed between the dances. Scarily, some of these are taken from actual channels. There are nods to The Sims, Tinder and many more that may have passed an old Facebooker like me by.

The influence that social media has on young people is laid bare, alongside the shallow interactions online that can be mistaken for a real connection. The disconnect between real life and your online interactions is portrayed beautifully in a scene that begins with a girl posting about the death of her grandmother and her feelings of loss. As online friends awkwardly “like” the post and don’t follow up, one person actually engages, and the dancers manage to imbue the moment when they reach through the screen and engage physically and emotionally with a wonderful sense of love and compassion. A glorious moment of humanity amongst the artificial world we can sometimes get lost in. The need for posts to be liked, and the possible damage to self-esteem and mental health when they are not is also touched on in a quietly upsetting sketch that we never see the end of, for, like every sketch in the show, it gets interrupted by a swipe and a notification alert that is all too familiar to anyone watching a teenager on their device. Are our attention spans really that short? Can’t we wait for something to run to its conclusion before seeing what’s new?

The teacher in me sees the amazing potential for #nofilter as a brilliant stimulus for discussion and reflection on social media, relationships and mental health in schools. #nofilter is a fantastically entertaining piece, performed brilliantly, that makes you laugh, squirm and think in equal measure.

Jack Studio Theatre – until 1 December

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Just how far would you go to get your dream home?

First Knight Theatre’s production of Philip Ridley’s Radiant Vermin takes that question to unbelievable extremes in this dark, dark comedy. Jill (Laura Janes) and Ollie (Matthew John Wright) are an ordinary couple expecting their first child. Stuck in a flat on a notorious estate, the sudden offer of a dream home is one they can’t turn down. When they see the rundown area and see the state of their new home, they are certain that it is a practical joke. The arrival of the mysterious and all-knowing Miss Dee (Emma Sweeney – full of calmly malevolent menace – think Satan’s Supernanny), convinces them that it is the right choice, with Ollie putting aside his nagging doubts and suspicion for the sake of their baby.

The government scheme they sign up for gives them a free house and removals, but they must renovate the house themselves. When the couple discover the quick and easy way to magically renovate each room, they are horrified, but soon convince themselves that their dream home is worth it. They even develop more efficient methods for stress-free and humane renovation as their homeless renovators become less and less human to them.

Ridley skewers consumerism and social hypocrisy with sublime skill and the cast bring his fine script to life with amazing energy. Staged as the couple’s confession/explanation of their actions, Wright and Janes act out the major events of the past 18 months in front of a white screen. There are no props and no scenery. The two actors must carry the show on their own, which they do with consummate ease. As mild-mannered Ollie turns into a killing machine, Wright keeps the character’s neediness and inherent sweetness to the forefront, even as he commits heinous acts for his family. Janes give a fantastically layered performance as Jill – sweet and god-fearing one minute, then manipulating Ollie by stating that they are doing all of this for their baby (who’s obviously flicking through designer catalogues in the womb). Jill’s speech where she swerves from insisting she lives by her Christian values when thinking about the homeless to spouting hate and bile about them being lazy, useless vermin is judged brilliantly and feels as if you’re witnessing a rant down the pub. The garden party scene is flat-out hilarious, with Janes and Wright portraying the multiple characters in the increasingly fast-paced chaos without a slip. Each of the characters is clearly defined and the audience is left in exhausted awe of the duo’s talent.

Radiant Vermin is a deliciously dark comedy staged with impeccable timing around the Black Friday hysteria. The only thing you really need to buy this week is a ticket.

The Speigeltent @ Festival Square, Edinburgh – Until 5^th January 2019

Reviewed by James Knight

5*****

In a soft light, a Christmas tree is solemnly decorated in reverent fashion, until Bernie Dieter, in feather-trimmed black catsuit and studded heels, steps up, kicks the presents out the way and declares La Clique Noel – Part Deux open. She’s not here for genteel fireside entertainment. ‘This is not a fucking panto!’ she cries, and deftly instructs the audience in how best to show our appreciation for the evening’s acts.

And what acts they are. As Bernie’s hellraiser disappears into the shadows of the Spiegeltent, we’re treated to a glorious mix of music, circus, burlesque and magic. Supplying an almost constant backdrop of sound is Dannie Bourne and the La Clique Palais Orkestra, six musicians of an incredible calibre. Kelly Wolfgramm’s smooth vocals are a delight, and Eamon McNelis’ virtuoso solo trumpet was an easy standout.

The rest of the performers appear onstage one by one, and each display their talents with a confidence and ease that is sexy, outrageous and often envious. Florian Brooks’ besuited club juggler had the audience spellbound, almost afraid to blink or make a noise in case they missed a single slick motion. Heather Holliday’s sword swallowing and fire-breathing act was equally at ease in teasing the audience with effortlessness, class and a flirtatious sense of humour. Paul Zenon’s cheeky-chappie magician stuck a card in a walnut in a room filled with mirrors – a self-described magician’s worst nightmare. Burlesque artist Mosh drew every eye in the auditorium (and no doubt a bit of shuffling in seats from some viewers) and while swinging over the heads of the audience, acrobat Stephen Williams got the front row wet. Ahem.

All of this held together beautifully by the maestro of mayhem Bernie Dieter, who made sure that everyone felt welcome and included in this marvellous cabaret. Sensitive enough to ensure it won’t upset those with more delicate natures, but risqué enough to get the pulses racing, La Clique Noel Part Deux is funny, sexy, and has enough charisma to power the Christmas lights all year round.

Neil Laidlaw and Jason Haigh-Ellery present

 

The Steamie – at the SSE HYDRO

        – bigger, better, steamier!

 

Written and Directed

by Tony Roper

Songs by David Anderson

 

SUNDAY 29 DECEMBER 2019, 6.00pm

MONDAY 30 DECEMBER 2019, 7.30pm

TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2019, 1.00pm & 5.30pm

TICKETS ON SALE FRIDAY 30 NOVEMBER 10AM

Sign up at thesteamieplay.com

 

Neil Laidlaw and Jason Haigh Ellery are proud to announce very special performances of The Steamie at The SSE Hydro next Hogmanay, 2019 which sees Tony Roper’s play which Scotland has taken to its heart with a bigger cast, bigger sets and more songs and music than ever before.

In a spectacular new production designed specifically for the SSE Hydro, a new cast – to be announced – bring a scaled up Steamie to entertain audiences with its humour, pathos and grit as the ladies play out their Hogmanay traditions in the Wash House.

In what will be an unforgettable night, the audience joins the ladies of the Glasgow wash house, as they get their washing done before the Hogmanay bells. Dolly, Magrit, Doreen and Mrs Culfeathers laugh, cry and sing their way through the last day of the year – with a little help from the not so handy Andy.

The Steamie is a Scottish theatrical classic; an ode to the hard working women of the 1950’s and to a bygone Glasgow. The young Doreen envisions a new future, while Mrs Culfeathers looks back to the past – the play is a snapshot of a society, of a time and a cross section of strong women, all rolled into Roper’s hilarious comedy.

“This is a production that skips past the nostalgia to find the irony in society’s dreams in past times.” – Thom Dibden, The Stage

Writer and director, Tony Roper said: “Ever since I saw Still Game at the Hydro I’ve been hoping to take The Steamie there. Set on Hogmanay, it’ll be particularly special presenting it at this time of year. The laughter, tears and wonderful grit of the women touches audiences and makes it a favourite night out. We’re working up the songs and the staging of it to fill the arena. All the characters and stories you love with a whole lot of extras – it’s going to be stupendously spectacular.”

Tony Roper is a Scottish actor, comedian, writer, playwright and director who first wrote The Steamie in 1987 and directed the 25th anniversary production in 2012. As an actor his first major role was in Scotch and Rye and he is most recognizable as Jamesie Cotter from Rab C Nesbitt.

Tony’s other plays include Paddies Market, a conceptual sequel to The Steamie, and Rikki and Me, a play about the comedy actor Rikki Fulton. He has written two novels based on Rikki Fulton’s character Rev I.M Jolly. His autobiography I’ll No Tell You Again, was published in 2014. He will appearing in Cinderella at the Kings Theatre Glasgow this Christmas as one of the Ugly Sisters.

This is the fourth time Neil Laidlaw has produced a tour of The Steamie, first in 2009 and then the 25th Anniversary Tour in 2012 and its 30th Anniversary Tour in 2017. Originally from Burntisland, Neil is now based in London’s West End. Recent successes include co-producing the award winning Oslo at the Pinter Theatre in the West End and the new British musical The Grinning Man at Trafalgar Studios.  He has just announced the first UK tour of a brand new stage adaptation of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin premiering in April of 2019.

Neil has said that “The Steamie is one of the greatest Scottish plays which has captured the hearts of many across Scotland. I hope we are setting a new tradition presenting it at Hogmanay, when it is set. I am extremely proud to have had the opportunity to be associated with it in the past and am very excited to be taking it to the SSE Hydro in a brand new version which we are all working on like crazy”

 

THE STEAMIE AT THE SSE HYDRO

SUNDAY 29 DECEMBER 2019 – 6.00pm

MONDAY 30 DECEMBER 2019 – 7.30pm

TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2019 – 1.00pm & 5.30pm

 

Tickets on sale on Friday 30 November at 10am

https://www.thessehydro.com/events

Box office: 0844 395 4000