Home

 

ICONIC LEEDS VENUES TO TAKE PART IN THE NATIONAL LOTTERY ‘THANK YOU’ CAMPAIGN

From 11 to 17 December 2017, National Lottery-funded heritage attractions are saying ‘thank you’ to National Lottery players by offering free entry, treats or discounts at more than 350 UK-Based National Lottery funded visitor’s attractions.

Leeds Grand Theatre will be saying ‘thank you’ by giving away copies of the book Grand Memories: The life and times of the Grand Theatre and Opera House, Leeds*, whilst Hyde Park Picture House (HPPH) will be handing out free teas and coffees.

The idea is simple; any visitor who presents a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between Monday 11 to Saturday 16 December at Leeds Grand Theatre Box Office can claim a copy of the book. Similarly, anybody presenting a National Lottery ticket or scratchcard between Monday 11 to Sunday 17 December at HPPH will receive a free tea or coffee (T&C’s apply. For full details visit https://www.leedsgrandtheatre.com/Online/ / hydeparkpicturehouse.co.uk/events).

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. The transformation breathed new life into the 1,550-seat venue; state of the art technology and improved facilities, including easier access for the disabled, now sit side-by-side with the original 1878 Victorian grandeur and elaborate décor.

Hyde Park Picture House has recently been backed by the Heritage Lottery Fund to start work on The Picture House Project. The Picture House Project will protect and preserve the historic features of the cinema, whilst making the building more sustainable, more comfortable and more 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 £7bn 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.”

*Written by Patricia Lennon and David Joy, the book charts the history of the theatre through the glory years on the Victorian era and the first half of the 20th century. The story is brought to life through the reminisces of theater goers, staff and performers, and includes archive images and contemporary photographs.

Nevill Holt Opera’s Noye’s Fludde wins Best Event
Award and new theatre unveiled for 2018 season
Nevill Holt Opera, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, LE16 8EG
Thursday 14th – Saturday 30th June 2018

The award-winning Nevill Holt Opera will open a brand-new theatre on Thursday 14th June 2018.

Each year Nevill Holt Opera’s programme and renown continues to grow. Their 2017 production of Britten’s Noye’s Fludde has won Best Event at the Leicestershire Tourism Awards 2017. Performed by more than 100 children from schools across the David Ross Education Trust, as well as pupils from Rutland Music Education Hub and Oakham School, the four performances in July were the highlight concluding the summer festival. Throughout the duration of the project, NHO worked with over 1,000 children. Judges praised the project for its ‘excellence, accessibility, impact and legacy.’

The performances of Noye’s Fludde were staged outdoors in a production directed by the Royal Opera House Director of Opera, Oliver Mears, and conducted by NHO Artistic Director, Nicholas Chalmers. Top professional artists worked closely with the young performers to deliver an excellent and exceptional experience of live music, opera and performance for children. Players from the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra led and coached the young instrumentalists, while professional opera and radio stars Jonathan Lemalu, Heather Lowe, and BBC Radio 3 Presenter Petroc Trelawny performed the roles of Noye, Mrs Noye and the Voice of God.

A stunningly effective spectacle…a resonant, entrancing production (Opera Magazine).

Next summer, the festival will be staged in an exciting new space. Developed within a stable block courtyard on the historic Grade I listed Leicestershire estate, the new 400-seat theatre has been designed by Stirling Prize winning architects Witherford Watson Mann in conjunction with theatre designers Sound Space Vision (Koerner Concert Hall, Toronto; Winspear Opera House, Dallas).

Nicholas Chalmers, Artistic Director of NHO comments: For five years, Nevill Holt Opera has been staging the highest quality productions in its stable-yard theatre. The prospect of a new, uniquely intimate opera house to support this excellent work is such an exciting development.

The 2018 festival will launch with a new NHO production of Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro, conducted by Nicholas Chalmers, directed by Joe Austin (NHO Tosca 2017) and designed by Simon Kenny. 2018 will also see the launch of NHO’s new partnership with Royal Northern Sinfonia, who will be performing the 2018 production of Figaro.

NHO’s production of Figaro will feature their trademark selection of bright young stars – underlining their commitment to nurturing the best emerging operatic talent. Young Leicester-born baritone James Newby (2017 winner of Glyndebourne’s award for most talented young singer) will make his debut in the role of Count, while Lawson Anderson will star as Figaro. Sky Ingram sings Countess and Aoife Miskelly the role of Susanna while Joan Rodgers makes her debut as Marcellina.

Following the summer festival in Leicestershire, NHO’s production of Le Nozze di Figaro will tour to Sage Gateshead, home of Royal Northern Sinfonia, for two performances in July as part of the Great Exhibition of the North.

The festival will continue with the first revival of the acclaimed production of Adès’ Powder her Face, originally created by Northern Ireland Opera and directed by Antony McDonald.

With a history of hosting touring opera productions on the estate since 2005, Nevill Holt Opera was itself founded in 2013 as an independent festival with its own distinctive vision. Since then NHO has been committed to casting and working with young UK opera singers.

SEE YOUR FAVOURITE STARS FROM THE SOLANA HOTEL

 

LIVE ON STAGE FOR THE FIRST TIME

 

WORLD PREMIERE AT NEWCASTLE’S THEATRE ROYAL  7^TH SEPTEMBER 2018

 

Derren Litten’s smash hit ITV comedy BENIDORM is set to bring sunshine and smiles to the UK and Ireland as the first ever stage version of the ITV comedy marks its world premiere at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle from Friday 7^th September 2018. The show will be produced for the stage by Michael Harrison and David Ian.

Litten has written an all new set of Alicante escapades for the much-loved cast members, including Jake  Canuso (Mateo), Janine Duvitski (Jacqueline), Adam Gillen (Liam), Sherrie Hewson (Joyce Temple-Savage), Shelley Longworth (Sam), and Tony Maudsley (Kenneth) as they swap sangria for the stage next year after a quick spruce at the Blow ‘n’ Go!

Benidorm – Live will be the stage debut production of the hugely popular TV show, and on making its transfer, writer Derren Litten said: “I’ve loved ten years of writing my TV show Benidorm but despite a successful writing career I’m first and foremost a performer so have always been secretly frustrated I couldn’t hear the audience’s laughter. This national tour of Benidorm Live will not only make a long lasting dream come true but will also mean I no longer have to stand in strangers gardens listening at their windows at 9 o’clock on cold winter evenings.”

 

ITV’s smash-hit comedy celebrates a decade of all-inclusive hilarity, having followed the ensemble cast of holiday makers and staff for nine series since it first broadcast in 2007. Season 10 is due to broadcast early 2018.

Critically acclaimed, Benidorm has received two National Television Awards a TV Quick Award and nominations at the British Comedy Awards and BAFTAs.

After leaving school in Hull in the late 1980’s Derren Litten spent a year working as a professional magician whilst auditioning for drama schools.  He won a place on the 3 year acting course at the prestigious Central School of Speech and Drama where he met fellow student Catherine Tate.  After 10 years of working as an actor, Derren was asked by Catherine to write for her newly commissioned TV sketch show, The Catherine Tate Show; in which he also appeared in many of the sketches.  After co-writing and appearing in two series and a Christmas Special, Derren was given a script commission by legendary comedy producer Geoffrey Perkins, “just write anything you want as long as it’s funny” he said; that show turned out to be ITV’s BAFTA nominated hit comedy Benidorm. Derren’s hobbies include drinking and karaoke, usually in that order. He splits his time equally between homes in London and Spain

FOLLOW US TO FUN IN THE SUN

www.benidormonstage.com

Twitter:

@benidormonstage

Instagram:

@benidormonstage

Facebook page:

Benidorm on Stage

 

2018 BENIDORM TOUR DATES

7 – 15 September                                                         08448 11 21 21
Theatre Royal, Newcastle                                         www.theatreroyal.co.uk

17 – 22 September                                                       0844 871 3014

Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh                                                www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

24 – 29 September                                                         0844 871 7649

Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent                                           www.atgtickets.com/venues/regent-theatre

1 – 6 October                                                                   0844 847 2455

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin                          www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

8 – 13 October                                                                               01482 300 306

New Theatre, Hull                                                        www.hulltheatres.co.uk

15 – 20 October                                                             0844 871 7652

Milton Keynes Theatre, Milton Keynes                               www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre

22 -27 October                                                               01752 267222

Theatre Royal, Plymouth                                           www.theatreroyal.com

29 October – 3 November                                        01274 432000

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford                                    www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

5 – 10 November                                                          02380 711811

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton                       www.mayflower.org.uk

12 -17 November                                                          0844 871 3017

Empire Theatre, Liverpool                                        www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

19 – 24 November                                                        0844 871 3012

Bristol Hippodrome                                                     www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

26 November – 1 December                                    0844 871 3011

New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham                     www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-alexandra-theatre-birmingham

AWARD WINNING

LAZARUS THEATRE COMPANY

Press Release – The 2018 Company of Edward II Announced

• All rise for your new King: Timothy Blore is crowned as King Edward II.

Edward II

Christopher Marlowe

Lazarus Theatre Company are proud to announce that Timothy Blore will make his Lazarus debut as the title role in Marlowe’s epic gay play, Edward II.

Timothy Blore makes his Lazarus debut as King Edward. Previous credits include: Captain Crewe/Carisford, A Little Princess, Steffi Nancy Walker, Theatre N16. Young Robert/Cellist, Earthquakes in London, Rikki Beadle Blair, New Diorama Theatre. First Soldier, Salomé dir. Izzie Price, Theatre N16. Ben, Breathing Corpses, Nick Edwards, Barons Court Theatre.

Returning to the company Alicia Charles plays the role of Queen Isabella. Previous Lazarus credits; Herodias, Salome, Ricky Dukes, the RoundHouse. Previous Theatre Credits Include; Olivia, Twelfth Night, Jennie Lee, Brockwell Park. Lady McDuff, Macbeth, Alice Lacey, The Broadway theatre. Lauretta, Invisible Mountains, Tom Daly, The National Theatre. Television Includes: Eastenders, Father Brown, Holby City, The Five, Doctors, WPC56, Coronation Street.

Making his Lazarus debut Oseloka Obi plays the role of Gaveston. Previous credits include; Man, Crossing The Line, Nicholas Morgan, The Cockpit. Joseph, We Raise Our Hands In The Sanctuary, Daniel Fulvio and Martin Moriaty, The Albany. Ian, A Boy Named Sue, Claudia Lee, The Rosemary Branch. Delroy, SUS, Hugo Wilson, The Bierkeller. Caecilius Clay, Nougat For Kings, Sam Rayner, Underbelly EdFringe.

Jamie O’Neill (Previous Lazarus credits include; Supervacuo, The Revengers Tragedy, Gavin Harrington-Odedra, The Brockley Jack) also returns to the company as Mortimer. Alex Zur (Alexander, Dying For It, Andrew Norton, Corbett Theatre. Macduff, Macbeth, Ian Henderson, Corbett Theatre) and John Slade (Talthybius, The Trojan Women, Pip O’Neill and Luke Ofield, Streatham Hill Theatre. Oliver, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Jess Barton, Stockwell Playhouse) take on the roles of Kent and Warwickrespectively.

Stephen Emery (Lazarus Credit include; Cosroe/Orcanes, Tamburlaine the Great, Ricky Dukes and Gavin Harrington-Odedra, The Tristan Bates. Pentheus, The Bacchae, Gavin Harrington-Odedra, Blue Elephant Theatre. Other Credits include; Ensemble, Lord of the Rings, Matthew Warchus, Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Ensemble, Carousel, Lindsay Posner, Savoy Theatre) returns to the company to play Lancaster.

 

While John Hogg (Previous theatre credits include: Lennox, Macbeth, Ben Crystal, Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. Oswald, Ghosts, Andy Arnold, Tron. Mark, Dim Sum Nights, Mingyu Lin, Golden Dragon) plays the role of Elder Mortimer and David Clayton, (Cliff, Dea, Edward Bond, Sutton Theatre. Jack, The Superhero, Phoebe Ladenburg, Lyric Hammersmith) plays Canterbury.

 

Marlowe’s Edward…

The King is dead. His son, Edward II, is crowned King. His first act: to call home from banishment his lover, Gaveston.

 

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.

 

Lazarus is an award-winning theatre company, re-imagining and revitalising classic text for a contemporary audience. Edward II is directed by Lazarus Artistic Director, Ricky Dukes.

Listings

Dates 16^th – 27^th 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.

To Book www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk

Social Media:

Twitter @Lazarustheatre #Marlowe #EdwardII / Facebook: LazarusTheatreCompany

 

Cast

Edward II – Timothy Blore

Queen Isabella – Alicia Charles

Gaveston / Lightborn – Oseloka Obi

Kent – Alex Zur

Mortimer – Jamie O’Neil

Elder Mortimer – John Hogg

Warwick – John Slade

Lancaster – Stephen Emery

Canterbury – David Clayton

Creative

Written by Christopher Marlowe

Adapted and Directed by Ricky Dukes

Designed by Sorcha Corcoran

Lighting Design by Ben Jacobs

Sound Design by Jack Barton

Costume by Cristiano Casimiro

★★★★★ “This remains a visionary company who have once again brought us a stunning and thoughtful adaptation. Not to be missed.”

View from the Gods on Tamburlaine

Story of legendary artist and activist Nina Simone takes to The Lowry stage in the New YearNina – a story about me and Nina Simone
Tue 30 Jan – Sat 3 Feb 2018 

The story of legendary artist and activist Nina Simone will take to The Lowry stage (Tue 30 Jan – Sat 3 Feb 2018) in Nina – a story about me and Nina Simone.

Starring the incredible Josette Bushell-Mingo and a live band, Nina – a story about me and Nina Simone is a searing and soulful theatre piece inspired by the life and music of Nina Simone.  

Taking in the singer’s political acts as part of the Civil Rights Movement in 1960s America as well as the struggles in her personal life, Josette Bushell-Mingo finds a parallel with the persisting inequality in today’s society, and questions how far we’ve really come.

Versions of some of Nina Simone’s best-loved songs combine with a clear provocation in this production directed by Dritëro Kasapi, with dramaturgy by Christina Anderson.  Design and costume is by Rosa Maggiora, musical direction by Shapor Bastansiar, light by Matt Haskins, video by Dritëro Kasapi.

Originally performed at the Unity Theatre, Liverpool in 2016, Nina – a story about me and Nina Simone toured Sweden in 2017 before its London premiere at the Young Vic in July 2017.

Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE is a Swedish-based English theatre actress and director. She was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2000 for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Rafiki in the London production of The Lion King. In 2001, she founded a black-led arts festival called PUSH at the Young Vic. Her credits at the Young Vic include: Simply Heavenly (as a director, also West End) and The Iron Man.  Her other directing credits include: Glo (The Volcano Theatre, Canada), When We Dead Awaken (The Vasterbottensteatean, Sweden, Unity Theatre, Liverpool), The Ghost Sonata (The People Show) and The Penelopiad (RSC). Her acting credits for theatre include: Antony and Cleopatra (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Vagina Monologues (New Ambassadors Theatre) and The Creation, Death & Knowledge In Everyman, Virtuoso, The Two Gentlemen of Verona (RSC). For television, her credits include: Blood River. Her film credits include: Blood In Their Eyes.

Dritëro Kasapi is a theatre director based in Stockholm, Sweden. He was educated at the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Skopje, Macedonia, where he originates from and where he started his career. Dritëro’s work has been performed internationally at many festivals including Wiener Festwochen, Bonn Biennale and Festival d’Avignon. He was an artistic leader of the CTC, a producing theatre and education centre in Skopje, Macedonia, from 1999-2005, Artistic Director of Gottsunda Dance and Theatre in Uppsala Sweden from 2005-2008 and is currently Deputy Artistic Director of Kulturhuset Stadsteatern in Stockholm. His recent credits include: Hamlet, Enron, An Enemy of the People and Lampedusa.

Nina – a story about me and Nina Simone performed by Josette Bushell-Mingo and directed by Dritëro Kasapi runs Tue 30 Jan – Sat 3 Feb 2018 at The Lowry, Salford. Dramaturgy is by Christina Anderson, design and costume by Rosa Maggiora, musical direction by Shapor Bastansiar, light by Matt Haskins and video by Dritëro Kasapi.

January 15th – 19th, The Cockpit
Press Night: January 16th 2017, 7.30pm

After a critically acclaimed run at the 2017 Camden Fringe, Richard Canal’s tale of a clown seeking redemption through honesty and heartfelt truth returns to the Cockpit for a limited run in January 2018. Drawing from his own experiences, Canal’s personal story wipes off the make-up to reveal the face of himself, his persona and the United States’ first decades into the 20th century.

★★★★“a strong and bold piece of theatre” The Open Door

It is November 16th, 1932. The Depression is at its greatest, and vaudeville – the roaring heartbeat of the ’20s – has ceased to beat. Isaac Solomon Loew, a Jewish Mississippian, performs on Broadway as Blueberry, a happy-go-lucky Pierrot. Wrestling with guilts of times bygone, he frequently flees from his pain not only into performance, but also into sex. His increasingly addictive escapes have finally lost him his wife, at the same times as he loses his employment. He enters his dressing-room for the last time; and as he pours his heart out to the audience, shedding his painted mask, he wrestles with his memories, mistakes and misdeeds – either to their conclusion, or his own.

Cry, Blueberry is not, however, a tale of gloom and woe. Blueberry is a trumpeter of life, whose dreams fly above storms and tears; and his twisting, turning, heartfelt and honest-to-God journey – through saloons, towns, cities, brothels, circuses, churches, synagogues, theatres and more – touches on themes including racial injustice, the accountability of bystanders, the profundity of clowning and the ethics of repentance and forgiveness. This magical-realist play presents a poetic, enchanting perspective on the nature of encounters and escapes; on how people detach and isolate themselves from pain and painful truths; and on gladness, sadness and everything in between.

★★★★ “Canal (plays the title role) with incredulous conviction
(…) his voice (is) the real star and belongs on the RSC stage”
The Open Door

Richard Canal is a London-based actor and playwright from Spain and the United States, currently studying towards an MSc in Violence, Conflict and Development at SOAS. Aside from his studies, he aims to become involved in theatre for reconciliation, and is working on a couple of one-person historical pieces for other actors.

Mamma Mia! at Hull New Theatre

Hit musical at venue next year for six performances only

The sensational feel-good musical MAMMA MIA! will come to Hull for the first time ever for six performances only at Hull New Theatre from Thursday, May 31 to Sunday, June 3 as part of the international tour.

MAMMA MIA! is Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise.

To date, it has been seen by more than 60 million people in 50 productions and in 16 different languages.

When it was released in 2008, MAMMA MIA! The Movie became the highest-grossing live action musical film of all time. A second film, MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again is currently in production and has a global release in July 2018.

From West End to global phenomenon, the London production of MAMMA MIA! has now been seen by more than 10 per cent of the entire UK population. It is one of only five musicals to have run for more than 10 years both on Broadway and in the West End, and in 2011, it became the first Western musical ever to be staged in Mandarin in the People’s Republic of China.

The hugely successful International Tour, since premiering in Dublin in September 2004, has visited 85 cities across 38 countries and sold over 5 million tickets.

With music and lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. The production is designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce and Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material and arrangements by Martin Koch.

The MAMMA MIA! International Tour is produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal, Stage Entertainment and NGM.

The MAMMA MIA! International Tour is at Hull New Theatre from Thursday, May 31 to Sunday, June 3 2018. Tickets are from £18 plus £1.50 per ticket booking fee. They go on sale at 10am on Thursday, December 7. Extras members can access 24-hour priority booking from 10am on Wednesday, December 6.

Book over the telephone by calling 01482 300 306 or online by visiting www.hulltheatres.co.uk. Tickets can also be booked in person at the Hull New Theatre or Hull City Hall box offices.

Website: www.mamma-mia.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/mammamiamusical

Twitter: www.twitter.com/MammaMiaMusical

Chivaree Circus & Upstage Creative present
Becoming Shades
VAULT Festival, The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN
Wednesday 24th January – Sunday 18th March 2018

Chivaree Circus return to VAULT Festival with a brand new and extended version of Becoming Shades, taking audiences on an immersive underworld journey in the long dark tunnels of Waterloo’s Vaults.

Based on the classical myth of Persephone, Becoming Shades is a bold re-imagining that fuses together live music, physical theatre, aerial acrobatics, fire, dance and mime. Journey down the River Styx and join these lost souls in the underworld.

In the original myth Hades kidnapped Persephone but this radical re-telling will subvert the power structure placing Persephone in control, at the centre of the story, leading to her true realisation as The Queen of Shades. Told through contemporary circus, Becoming Shades is a story of empowerment, love and choice.

This dark immersive circus places emphasis on specially composed original music which features rich interplays of vocal harmonies and a combination of live acoustic instruments alongside darker electronic sounds

Producers of Becoming Shades comment, In 2018, the modern form of circus will celebrate its 250th birthday. In order to survive and reach out to new audiences, circus became more fragmented and more specialised. Contemporary circus was born out of a paradigm shift and a burst of newfound energy. We want to push this further in Becoming Shades. A traditional circus audience sits in a circular space with the performers at the centre. In immersive theatre the audience is in the centre and the action all around them. But if this is to become a fully tangible, immersive and interactive experience, then the action must happen closer, and on a smaller scale

The production is raw, exciting and full of energy. Emotionally charged performances coupled with highly skilled stunts and acrobatics result in a production that is true to the essence of the underlying myth (London Theatre 1).

This shifting, cyclical tale creates an emotional tapestry of ideas and impressions. Featuring big aerial drops and exceptional fire elements, audiences choose their own path through this dark and cerebral journey.

THE MUSICAL FOR ALL TIME

BLOOD BROTHERS

ANNOUNCES 2018 TOUR

Bill Kenwright’s ‘Dazzling’ (Sunday Telegraph) production of the international smash hit musical Blood Brothers announces its 2018 tour, opening on Tuesday 16 January at the Theatre Royal Bath.This iconic musical has been visiting theatres across the country throughout 2017 in celebration of its 30^th anniversary, performing to sell-out houses and receiving standing ovations.

Considered ‘One of the best musicals ever written’ (Sunday Times), Blood Brothers, written by award-winning playwright Willy Russell has triumphed across the globe. Scooping up no fewer than four awards for best musical in London and seven Tony Award nominations on Broadway, Blood Brothers is simply ‘Unmissable and unbeatable’ (The Spectator).

Critically acclaimed actress and singer Lyn Paul returns to the seminal role of Mrs Johnstone, following her first performance back in 1997. Hailed as ‘The definitive Mrs Johnstone’ (Manchester Evening News), Lyn has played the role on numerous UK tours and also starred as Mrs Johnstone in the final West End performances at the Phoenix Theatre in 2012.

Lyn first rose to fame in the early 1970s as a member of the New Seekers. She was the featured vocalist on their 1972 Eurovision Song Contest entry, ‘Beg, Steal or Borrow’, in which they came second and lead vocalist on the 1974 number-one hit ‘You Won’t Find Another Fool Like Me’. Among the group’s other works, they recorded the song ‘I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing’, adapted from an advertising jingle for Coca-Cola, which sold over 20 million copies and still remains one of the 100 best-selling singles in the UK. She has also starred in the UK tour of Cabaret in 2013 as Fraulein Schneider, in Boy George’s musical Taboo and in Footloose – the Musical.

This epic tale of Liverpool life started as a play, performed at a Liverpool comprehensive school in 1981 before opening at the Liverpool Playhouse 35 years ago in 1983, completing sell out seasons in the US, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Japan. Blood Brothers also ran in London’s West End for 24 years, exceeding 10,000 performances, one of only three musicals ever to achieve that milestone.

 

Blood Brothers tells the captivating and moving story of twin boys separated at birth, only to be reunited by a twist of fate and a mother’s haunting secret. The memorable score includes A Bright New Day, Marilyn Monroe and the emotionally charged hit Tell Me It’s Not True.

When Mrs Johnstone, a young mother, is deserted by her husband and left to her own devices to provide for seven hungry children she takes a job as a housekeeper in order to make ends meet. It is not long before her brittle world crashes around her when she discovers herself to be pregnant yet again – this time with twins! In a moment of weakness and desperation, she enters a secret pact with her employer which leads inexorably to the show’s shattering climax.

A sensational cast, incredible show stopping music, remarkable staging and five star performances make Blood Brothers an enthralling night of entertainment.

Willy Russell is undeniably one of this country’s leading contemporary dramatists. His countless credits include Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. Educating Rita, originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, enjoyed a two year run in the West End and was made into a movie starring Michael Caine and Julie Walters. Shirley Valentine also made the move from stage to screen in an enormously popular film starring Pauline Collins and Tom Conti.

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

Bill Kenwright presents

BLOOD BROTHERS

By Willy Russell

Directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright

Designed by Andy Walmsley                                   Sound Designed By Dan Samson

Musical Direction by Rich Morris                            Lighting Designed by Nick Richings

BLOOD BROTHERS – SPRING 2018 TOUR DATES

 

Tuesday 16– Saturday 20 January                                                          Box Office:  01225 448844

Theatre Royal, Bath                                                                                     Website: www.theatreroyal.org.uk

 

Tuesday 23 January – Saturday 3 February                                        Box Office: 028 9024 1919

Grand Opera House, Belfast                                                                    Website: www.goh.co.uk

Tuesday 6– Saturday 10 February                                                          Box Office: 01934 645544

Playhouse Theatre, Weston Super Mare                                           Website: www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/Playhouse-Theatre

Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 February                                                      Box Office: 0844 871 7607

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre                                                                                 Website: www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury

Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 February                                                      Box Office:  01325 405405

Darlington Hippodrome                                                                                             Website: www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk

Monday 5 – Saturday 10 March                                                                              Box Office: 0844 871 3014

Edinburgh Playhouse                                                                                  Website: www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh

Monday 12 – Saturday 17 March                                                            Box Office: 01242 572573

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham                                                                            Website: www.everymantheatre.org.uk

Monday 19 – Saturday 24 March                                                            Box Office: 01745 330000

Rhyl Pavilion                                                                                                   Website: www.rhylpavilion.co.uk

Monday 26 – Saturday 31 March                                                            Box Office: 01228 633766

Carlisle Sands Centre                                                                                  Website:  www.thesandscentre.co.uk

Tuesday 3 – Saturday 7 April                                                                    Box Office:  01271 316063

Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple                                                                  Website: www.parkwoodtheatres.co.uk/Queens-Theatre

Monday 9 – Saturday 14 April                                                                  Box Office: 01872 262466

Hall for Cornwall, Truro                                                                                              Website: www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

Monday 16– Saturday 21 April                                                                                Box Office: 01902 429212

Grand Theatre, Wolverhampton                                                          Website: www.grandtheatre.co.uk

Monday 30 April – Saturday 5 May                                                        Box Office: 01473 433100

Regent Theatre, Ipswich                                                                           Website:https://apps.ipswich.gov.uk

Tuesday 8 – Saturday 12 May                                                                  Box Office: 02380 711811

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton                                                       Website:www.mayflower.org.uk

Tuesday 15 –Saturday 26 May                                                                 Box Office: 0844 871 3019

Palace Theatre, Manchester                                                                    Website:www.atgtickets.com/manchester