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ROCK ‘N’ ROLL IS STILL KING

The ELO Experience – a sensational tribute to The Electric Light Orchestra, come to Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 5 April

The legacy left by Jeff Lynne & The Electric Light Orchestra barely needs any introduction – suffice to say that between 1972 and 1986 they achieved more combined UK and US Top 40 hits than any other band on the planet!

10538 Overture, Evil Woman, Living Thing, Don’t Bring me Down and of course Mr Blue Sky went on to become the soundtrack of our lives. With a sensational string section, a stunning light show and large screen projection to further enhance the experience, this incredible show accurately reproduces the songs and sounds and takes you on a magical musical journey through time.

The ELO Experience is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 5 April.

Tickets* are priced £21 & £23.

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

*Includes a £1 restoration levy

STRICTLY SPEAKING, IT’S ALL ABOUT PASHA

Strictly Come Dancing star Pasha Kovalev brings his new stage show to Darlington Civic Theatre on Monday 4 April

Following his visit to Darlington Civic Theatre last year with his successful UK tour, Life Through Dance, Pasha Kovalev, the winner of Strictly Come Dancing 2014, welcomes you to his new and exciting dance spectacular – It’s All About You.

With his slick moves and brooding good looks Pasha has become a sensation as a popular dancer. On his fifth UK tour you can expect another evening of your favourite music, spectacular dancing, energy, lights and sparkling costumes, it’s great entertainment for the entire family.

Anya Garnis from Strictly Come Dancing BBC1 and So You Think You Can Dance USA, will be joining Pasha on stage as a special guest star.

After the performance, Pasha will meet and greet audience members to sign souvenir programmes and take selfies with his fans.

Pasha – It’s All About You is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Monday 4 April.

Tickets* are priced £25 & £27.

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

*Includes a £1 restoration levy

“Miss Leading Ladies is an expertly crafted tribute to the (mainly Broadway) female musical theatre stars of the last century.”

-Jonathan Baz 5*

“Ria Jones is a master class in Musical Theatre.”

– London Theatre 5*

“Ceri Dupree is undoubtably the finest female impersonator treading the boards today.”

– Gscene – James Ledward

Promotional Video | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CEm5RutmpY 

Twitter – @MsLeadingLadies
LISTINGS

Fri 20th May @ 8:00pm – Stourbridge Town Hall – Dudley (www.dudley.co.uk/entertainment)

Sat 21st May @ 7:30pm – Gorleston Pavilion – Norfolk (www.gorlestonpavilion.co.uk)

Fri 27th May @ 8:00pm – Fairfield Halls, Arnhem Gallery – Croydon (www.fairfield.co.uk)

Sat 4th June @ 7:30pm – Corn Exchange – Wallingford (www.cornexchange.org.uk)

Sat 11th June @ 7:30pm – Redgrave Theatre – Bristol (www.redgravetheatre.com)

A vibrant and varied programme of dance is set to be staged in Newcastle next week when one of the world’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies, Nederlands Dans Theater 2 performs at the Theatre Royal from Tue 26 – Wed 27 Apr 16 as part of a country-wide tour with Dance Consortium UK.

Last seen in the UK in 2012, NDT2 brings vibrant mixed bills to the UK in performances complemented by visual art, music composition, innovative lighting, set and costume designs.

NDT2 will perform I New Then, by Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, which sees four girls and five boys taken to great heights on songs by Van Morrison. Not a group in unison, but sprouting individuals who rebel against it. Inger’s work breathes humour: it’s fresh and optimistic, ranging from comic and theatrical to earthy and organic. Inger made his breakthrough as a choreographer in 1995 after a successful dancing career with NDT. His choreographies have won numerous prestigious awards. Inger, who was an associate choreographer with NDT between 2009 and 2015, created I New Then in 2012.

A UK Premiere of Romanian choreographer Edward Clug’s mutual comfort marks his NDT2 debut. The choreography is detailed, sharply defined and at times features a twitchiness where the bodies flick and jerk so extremely and frequently that it can be interpreted as punctuation; a certain acknowledgment of the beat. Clug is interested in highlighting the dancers’ individual stories in his work. mutual comfort emphasizes personal experience that arises from the process of creation that is led by illuminating human contradictions and imparting surprising moments of beauty and spontaneous irony.

Award-winning choreographer Hans van Manen created Solo for NDT2 in 1997. This seven minute, fast-paced ballet is set to Johann Sebastian Bach’s violin partita. Solo is an athletic tour-de-force for three male dancers who portray a single man re-examining his place in the world. Since the choreography is exceptionally fast requiring extraordinary timing, the ballet can only be performed by the dancers taking turns. Van Manen, NDT’s resident choreographer from 1988 – 2003, has created more than 120 ballets (62 of which for NDT), all bearing his unmistakable signature.

In 2010 Swedish-born choreographer Alexander Ekman created the international hit Cacti for NDT2. Ekman calls himself a ‘rhythm freak’ as one of his trademarks is designing contemporary soundscapes. Cacti, for which Ekman uses classical music, resulted in a new arrangement of Schubert’s Der Tod und das Mädchen, created with Het Balletorkest (formerly known as Holland Symphonia). In Cacti sixteen dancers become the instruments of the orchestra as Ekman challenges the audience to reflect on the way in which art is perceived. Cacti was nominated for a Critics’ Circle National Dance Award (Best Modern Choreography) and an Olivier Award (Best New Dance Production) in 2012.

Under the artistic directorship of British-born Paul Lightfoot, Nederlands Dans Theater is headquartered at the Lucent Danstheater in The Hague. Since its foundation in 1959, this pioneering company has built a rich repertoire of more than 600 ballets by master choreographers Jiří Kylián and Hans van Manen, renowned house choreographers Sol León & Paul Lightfoot, associate choreographers Crystal Pite and Marco Goecke and high-profiled guests such as Gabriela Carrizo, Hofesh Shechter, Johan Inger, Alexander Ekman and Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar.

In 1978, NDT founded NDT2, its junior division specifically focussing on talent development for dancers aged 18 – 23. Over a three year period NDT2 prepares 16 classically trained dancers (plus two apprentice dancers for the UK tour) from around the world for NDT2. One of the objectives of NDT2 is to acquaint the dancers with a lexicon of dance languages. Working with young and more established choreographers, the dancers perfect a range of styles and genres in which technique is a means to achieving their artistic core as world class performers.

NDT2 comes to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 26 – Wednesday 27 April. Tickets are from £16 and can be purchased atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Newcastle Theatre Royal has announced it will be continuing its dedicated actor training programme, Project A, following a successful inaugural year.

The first programme of its kind in the North East of England, Project A is a course dedicated to actor training, offering practical and theoretical instruction to young aspiring actors aged 18-25 years old who are looking to make a serious career as an actor.

The course runs over three terms in an academic year and includes vocal, physical and performance skills training as well as specialist training including Meisner technique, improvisation, acting for screen and stage combat.

A number of industry professionals were engaged with the course in the first year and have been so impressed that they have committed to return. They include: Professor Ros Steen, a voice coach and former head of the Centre for Voice in Performance at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland; Michael Corbidge, an esteemed voice associate with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) and Adam Stadius, an acting coach and Meisner technique specialist. Students on the course will also have the chance to meet with professionals from the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and the RSC.

Kim Hoffmann, Head of Learning at Newcastle Theatre Royal, who said: “Our aim was to offer first class actor training right here in the North East in a way that hadn’t been done before and the first year of the course has been a real success with those students taking part having all grown so much in both confidence and their skill sets.

“We are so grateful to all of the specialists who worked with us this year and delighted that next year we will be welcoming back some of the biggest names in the actor training industry to share their skills with the next intake of students.”

Student Christopher Rushmere-York said: “Coming into Project A I was nervous and full of doubt about myself, however within a couple of weeks of the course I found my confidence skills getting better and my personality shining through.”

Kim added: “Places on the Project A course cost students just £1500 for the year. We have tried to keep costs as low as possible in order to ensure that the top quality training we provide is accessible to as many young people as possible. The real cost of the course to us is over £7,000 per student and we are only able to offer this heavily subsidised fee thanks to the generosity of The Barber Foundation and support of the Board of Trustees of the Theatre Royal, for which we are extremely grateful.”

Applications for Project A are now being from students who must be aged 18-25 with acting experience. Details and a downloadable application pack can be found at www.theatreroyal.co.uk/taking-part/project-a

JJB Productions presents:

PLAQUE TO THE FUTURE

Hundreds of theatre lovers are to be reunited with personalised plaques after more than 25 years of supporting Darlington Civic Theatre.

In 1990/91 Darlington Civic Theatre introduced a ‘sponsor a seat’ programme where patrons could name a seat to show their support for the theatre and have a personalised plaque attached to a particular seat.

Now, 25 years on, Darlington Civic Theatre is keen to reunite these plaques with their owners. As well as many local theatre-lovers, some famous names have also sponsored seats in the past including Ken Dodd, Tom Jones, Cameron Mackintosh, actress Sylvia Syms and Tommy Cooper. Many local businesses and associations got involved too including Cummins Engine Ltd, The Northern Echo, Elm Ridge Garden Centre and Darlington Rotary Club.

Heather Walkington, Director of Fundraising and Development at Darlington Civic Theatre told us “It’s wonderful to have the opportunity to reunite people with their plaques. Many were dedicated to friends and family and their support made the 900 for the 90’s campaign possible. With a large restoration on the horizon we felt the time was right to re-unite people with their own part of the theatre”.

Over 300 brass plaques in total were produced. A comprehensive list of names has been drawn up and is shown below. If you were one of the supporters back in 1990/91 and would like to be reunited with your plaque or collect it on behalf of a family member or business, please email [email protected] with your name, address and contact details or call Heather Walkington on 01325 406104

NEIL ECKERSLEY

presents

Music by Frank Wildhorn     Lyrics by Jack Murphy

Book by Jack Murphy & Gregory Boyd     UK adaptation by Ava Eldred

Following sold out seasons in Tampa, Texas and Tokyo, the multi Grammy, Tony and Drama Desk Award nominated Frank Wildhorn’s Wonderland receives its UK and European première in this brand new British production, which debuts at the Edinburgh Playhouse from Friday 20^th to Saturday 28^th January 2017 ahead of a UK tour.

Hailed by the New York Times as “inspirational”, Wonderland is an enchanting musical adaption of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, with a huge heart, a medley of magic and a whole lot of wonder.

Here a timely and touching story of love in all its forms, it’s an adventurous exploration of who we are, who we want to be and the power of everyday magic in our lives.

In the tradition of the best stage musicals, Wonderland boasts a catchy score full of songs from Frank Wildhorn, writer of pop hits including Whitney Houston’s ‘Where Do Broken Hearts Go?’ and theatre classics including ‘This is the Moment’ from his internationally acclaimed show, Jekyll & Hyde.

The first half of the inaugural Wonderland UK tour takes in Edinburgh, Sunderland, Birmingham, Southend, Oxford, Grimsby, York, Bromley, Derry, Belfast, Woking, Blackpool, Southampton and Manchester, with the second half of the tour to be announced in May.

Produced by Neil Eckersley, Wonderland has music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, book by Jack Murphy and Gregory Boyd with UK adaptation by Ava Eldred. It is directed by Lotte Wakeham (Associate Director of Matilda, West End & Broadway), with musical supervision by Jason Howland (Beautiful, West End & Broadway), choreography by Lucie Pankhurst (Dogfight at the Southwark Playhouse), design by Georgia Lowe (Pomona for the Orange Tree, National Theatre & Royal Exchange) and lighting design by Tony Award nominee Nick Richings (current UK tours of Priscilla Queen of the Desert & The Rocky Horror Show).

“Inspirational” Musical Makes UK & European Première in January 2017

LISTINGS

Neil Eckersley presents

WONDERLAND

Music by Frank Wildhorn

Lyrics by Jack Murphy

Book by Jack Murphy & Gregory Boyd

UK adaptation Ava Eldred

Directed by Lotte Wakeham

Musical Supervision by Jason Howland

Choreography by Lucie Pankhurst

Design by Georgia Lowe

Lighting Design by Nick Richings

UK TOUR 2017

For more details & online booking:

www.wonderlandthemusical.com

More tour dates coming May 2016.

TWITTER

Scamp Theatre presents

THE SCARECROWS’ WEDDING

Based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler

MAKING WEST END DEBUT AT LEICESTER SQUARE THEATRE FROM

SATURDAY 9 JULY TO SUNDAY 4 SEPTEMBER 2016

Scamp Theatre are proud to present their latest production, a truly heart-warming adaptation of The Scarecrows’ Wedding, based on the book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, playing in the West End at Leicester Square Theatre from Saturday 9 July to Sunday 4 September 2016. There will be press performances on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 July at 2.00pm.

Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay invite you to . . .

The best wedding ever, the best wedding yet,

The wedding that no one will ever forget.

Betty O’Barley and Harry O’Hay are excellent scarecrows (they scare a lot of crows). Harry loves Betty, and Betty loves Harry – so they decide to get married.  Harry sets off to search for their wedding day essentials including a dress of feathers, a bunch of flowers and a necklace made from shells. However, when the farmer notices he is missing a scarecrow, he replaces Harry with the devilishly smooth but dangerous Reginald Rake.  Dashing, daring and ever so cool, can Reginald persuade Betty that he is the scarecrow for her? Will Harry make it back in the nick of time before Reginald ruins their special day?

Bursting at the seams with Scamp Theatre’s inimitable style, this epic love story promises wit, drama, and wedding bells!

Suitable for ages 3+

Julia Donaldson is a British writer, playwright and performer, the 2011–2013 Children’s Laureate andthe prize-winning author of some of the world’s most-loved children’s books, most notably the modern classic The Gruffalo which has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Julia is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which include The Scarecrows Wedding, The Gruffalo, Room on the Broom, Stick Man and Tiddler and other Terrific Tales.Their books have sold millions of copies and have been translated into 40 languages. Julia also received an MBE in 2011 for her services to Literature. Julia divides her time between Scotland and West Sussex where she lives with her husband, Malcolm.

Scamp Theatre was founded in 2003 by award-winning international producers Jennifer Sutherland and Louise Callow. Scamp bring a range of theatrical live performance to audiences of all ages, with a focus on adaptation, particularly in children’s literature. Scamp are best known for their stage adaptation of Julia Donaldson’s Stick Man, which has played five consecutive Christmas seasons at Leicester Square Theatre and toured all over the world. Scamp believe in creating playful and innovative theatrical experiences that not only startle and entertain but also encourage children and young people to use their imaginations. With productions touring constantly, Scamp have a superb track record in theatre production in London, on tour and at the world’s leading venues and festivals.

‘I love how Scamp scamper through my stories, transporting them from page to stage so faithfully and innovatively.’

Julia Donaldson

‘The quality of what Scamp do is amazing’

The Independent

The Scarecrows’ Wedding is directed by Eva Sampson, with design by James Button, lighting byElanor Higgins and music by Darren Clark. It is produced by Scamp Theatre in association withWatford Palace Theatre.

@ScampTheatre

Watch the trailer HERE

FORCED ENTERTAINMENT TO BE AWARDED
INTERNATIONAL IBSEN AWARD

SHEFFIELD BASED THEATRE COMPANY WILL BE FIRST EVER UK GROUP TO RECEIVE WORLD’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS THEATRE AWARD

Sheffield based theatre company Forced Entertainment are to become the first ever UK based recipients of one of theatre’s most prestigious awards it was today announced. The International Ibsen Award, honouring extraordinary contribution to art and culture, is only given every two years by the Norwegian government on Henrik Ibsen’s birthday. The prize is 2.5 million Norwegian Kroner, equivalent to around £200,000. The first ever group to win the prize, Forced Entertainment join a distinguished list of previous winners including Peter Handke, Heiner Goebbels, Jon Fosse, Ariane Mnouchkine and Peter Brook. The award ceremony will take place during the International Ibsen Festival at the National Theatre in Oslo in September where Forced Entertainment will showcase a selection of their groundbreaking work.

Simon Mellor, Executive Director, Arts and Culture, Arts Council England said: ‘The Ibsen Award  is a fitting tribute to Forced Entertainment’s thirty-year history of producing startlingly original work and a recognition of their far-reaching and profound influence on the contemporary theatre and performance scene.’

Tim Etchells, Artistic Director, Forced Entertainment said: ‘On behalf of all six members of Forced Entertainment I am very happy to receive this prestigious award. The list of previous winners is formidable and we feel honoured to be alongside them. We have been making work together for over thirty years now, asking questions about what theatre is and the kinds of experiences it can create in order to speak into the times we are living through; we are particularly proud that our collaborative work has been celebrated in this way. We also feel that giving this award to Forced Entertainment recognises a whole area of contemporary practice away from the literary mainstream; an area of experiment and work across art forms that has consistently championed experimental approaches to performance, from group work to devising and improvisation.’

The boundary-breaking company has been making work since 1984 and is a key part of the contemporary European and UK theatre landscape, having shaped its development significantly over the last three decades. Their work is widely studied across UK and European university syllabuses as pioneering, trailblazing theatre.

The International Ibsen Award jury said: ‘Forced Entertainment have created their own performative space within the history of theatre. Here, theatrical conventions are played out, and they are torn apart. This influential theatre group is a group that recognises the theatre as a central voice within society, and which sincerely and with dedication uses theatre as an arena for public debate; an open, reflexive and poetic space with ethical and social value.

They have developed a theatrical language that does not seek to represent the world beyond the theatre stage, but rather examines the reality of the theatre situation as being imaginary and speculative, as well as a real, physical space of experience – a language they have researched for thirty years.

On this basis, and under the direction of Tim Etchells, the company has developed an entirely new relationship between production and audience, and between new narrative strategies and new theatrical forms. Forced Entertainment’s theatre is not illusory, but imaginative. It is not political in the sense of agitation, but offers the experience of an artistically mediated practice – the performances thereby anticipating the state of another world.

Forced Entertainment’s work does not rest with a single form, style or tradition, but represents a seeking and revivifying force; a continual creative exploration of what the theatre is and can be, in a way that has changed theatre’s possibilities. An award to Forced Entertainment is therefore an award to the entire dynamic, challenging and collective process that is theatre, and to what theatre might be in the future.’

The International Ibsen Award, founded in 2007 was established as part of the Norwegian Parliament’s national budget and is awarded every second year in March. It aims to stimulate critical debate about important social and existential issues. The winner is selected from a list of nominees by a committee of esteemed judges, all experts in their fields. This year the panel included Per Boye Hansen (Artistic Director of the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet); Julie Holledge (Chief Investigator for AusStage project); Roman Dolzhanskiy  (Chief Dramaturge at the Theatre of Nations Moscow and Artistic Director of the New European Theatre Festival); Dr. Thomas Oberender (Director of the Berlin Festival); Hanne Tømta (Artistic Director of the National Theatre in Oslo); Stephane Braunschweig (Theatre Director and Artistic Director of Théâtre National de Colline, Paris) and Sofia Jupither (Producer and Director of Jupither Josephsson Theatre Company).

There are no conditions attached to the acceptance of the Ibsen Award, and anyone may nominate candidates. Nominations remain strictly confidential both prior to and after the winner of the award has been announced. The award ceremony and symposium take place in September during the International Ibsen Festival at the National Theatre in Oslo.

@ForcedEnts
@ibsenaward  / #IIA2016