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SAM MENDES’ LANDMARK PRODUCTION OF THE LEHMAN TRILOGY
RETURNS TO LONDON

PLAYING AT THE GILLIAN LYNNE THEATRE
FROM 24 SEPTEMBER 2024 FOR A STRICTLY LIMITED RUN

The National Theatre and Neal Street Productions announces today that its critically acclaimed, five-time Tony Award® winning production of The Lehman Trilogy will return to London’s West End following highly acclaimed international performances.  This ‘genuinely epic production‘ (New York Times), written by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power and directed by multi-award-winning director, Sam Mendes with set design by Es Devlin, will play at the Gillian Lynne Theatre from 24 September 2024 until 5 January 2025 for a strictly limited run.  Tickets will go on sale for ‘this mesmerising chronicle of an American dynasty’ (The Times), on Wednesday 19 June at 10am, from £20.

The Lehman Trilogy is a sweeping story of a family spanning generations and a company that changed the world.  ‘Its theatricality is utterly astonishing’ (The Guardian). 

John Heffernan, Aaron Krohn and Howard W. Overshown will reprise their ‘virtuosic performances’ (The Mercury News) in London, following a critically acclaimed run in San Francisco, playing the Lehman brothers, their sons and grandsons in this thrilling ‘tour de force of acting talent’ (KQED Radio). 

Cat Beveridge and Anyssa Neumann will reprise their respective performances as principal pianist and alternate pianist.  Further casting to be announced.

Rufus Norris, Director of the National Theatre, said:

“The Lehman Trilogy is storytelling at its best.  Its success lies in its simplicity – three actors, one pianist and one set combining to tell an epic family drama in the most intimate way.  This extraordinary production has now been seen by over half a million people worldwide and it continues to resonate with audiences whether that be in London, New York, Sydney or San Francisco.  We are delighted to be bringing it back to the West End after its previous sold-out runs.”

Sam Mendes, director of The Lehman Trilogy and co-founder of Neal Street Productions said:

“I heard about Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy in 2015 .  A year later, together with Ben Power and Es Devlin, a company of twelve actors at the National Theatre Studio read aloud a literal translation of what was in fact an epic poem.  After a year of shaping it into a form we felt might chime for English speaking audiences who had lived through the aftermath of the 2008 financial meltdown, it had morphed into a three-hander which premiered at the National Theatre in 2018.  Now, seven years later, the production has been enjoyed on three continents, and on Broadway and is returning to the West End for the third time.  This feels like a tribute to everyone who believed in it and collaborated in its making.”

John Heffernan will play the role of Henry Lehman.  Recent theatre credits include Nachtland (Young Vic) and Much Ado About Nothing (National Theatre), co-starring with Katherine Parkinson.  Previous theatre credits include the title roles in Edward II (National Theatre), for which he was nominated for an Evening Standard Theatre Award, Oppenheimer (Royal Shakespeare Company) and Macbeth (Young Vic).  Recent screen credits include, This Town (BBC), The Crown (Netflix), The Pursuit of Love (BBC), The Duke (Warner Bros), Misbehaviour (20th Century Fox) and Agatha Christie’s Crooked House (Vertical Entertainment).

Aaron Krohn will play the role of Mayer Lehman.  Previous theatre credits with Sam Mendes include As You Like It (2010) withThe Bridge Project, Mendes’ transatlantic collaboration with the Old Vic and the Brooklyn Academy of Music spanning three years and travelling to 15 international cities, Mendes’ Tony-winning production of Cabaret (2014), co-directed with choreographer Rob Marshall for Roundabout Theatre Company on Broadway and more recently The Lehman Trilogy (on Broadway) as the understudy role of Mayer Lehman.  Other theatre credits include: Spamalot, Twelfth Night and Henry V at Stratford Shakespeare Festival.  Screen credits include Fosse/Verdon (BBC), Boardwalk Empire (HBO) and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC).

Howard W. Overshown will play the role of Emanuel Lehman.  Previous theatre credits with Sam Mendes include Richard III for The Bridge Project (2012) and, prior to this current production of The Lehman Trilogy, he also played the role at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (2022).  Other theatre credits include A Soldier’s Play, Julius Caesar, Saint Joan, A View from the Bridge and Free Man of Color on Broadway.  Screen credits include Blue Bloods (CBS), Fosse/Verdon (BBC), Tina Fey’s Girls5Eva (Netflix), and The Marvelous Mrs Maisel (Amazon Prime).

On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world.  He is joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish – Lehman Brothers – spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history.

Mendes is joined by set designer, Es Devlin; costume designer, Katrina Lindsay; video designer, Luke Halls; lighting designer Jon Clark; composer and sound designer, Nick Powell; co-sound designer, Dominic Bilkey; music director, Candida Caldicot; movement director, Polly Bennett and West End Director, Rory McGregor.  Company voice work is by Charmian Hoare with casting by Naomi Downham.They are joined by associate lighting designer, Charlotte Burton and associate video designer Zakk Hein.

The Lehman Trilogy has now been seen by over half a million people worldwide.  First commissioned by Neal Street Productions and developed and co-produced with the National Theatre at the Lyttelton theatre in 2018, an acclaimed sold-out run at the Park Avenue Armory in New York followed in the Spring of 2019.  The Lehman Trilogy then returned to London for a 16-week sold-out run at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End from May until August 2019.  It was the first British play to return to Broadway following its 18-month shutdown (having previously played four performances in March 2020) for a much-lauded limited engagement at the Nederlander Theatre from September 2021 until January 2022.  The Lehman Trilogy was the most awarded play on Broadway in 2022, winning Best Play, Best Director, Best Set Design, Best Lighting Design and Best Actor at the Tony Awards®.  It also won the Drama League Award for Best Play and six Outer Critics Circle Awards, including Best Play.   A Los Angeles transfer to Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre followed Broadway from March until April 2022 before it returned to London’s West End in 2023 for a 17-week sold-out run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. The Lehman Trilogy has recently played a limited run at Theatre Royal Sydney, Australia and is currently running at American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco to critical acclaim.

Prior to this production, the world premiere of Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy opened at the Piccolo Teatro in Milan in 2015.  It turned out to be Artistic Director Luca Ronconi’s final production before his death.  A long-term admirer of Ronconi’s, Sam Mendes was inspired to begin planning an English adaptation for Neal Street Productions.  Ben Power was commissioned by Neal Street Productions to create a new version of this epic play, using a literal English translation by Mirella Cheeseman.  

REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE ANNOUNCES

FULL CAST & CREATIVE TEAM FOR 

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre today announce full cast and creative team for Fiddler on the Roof with book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick. The production, directed by Jordan Fein, runs 27 July – 21 September 2024.

Fein directs Adam Dannheisser as Tevye and Lara Pulver as Golde. Liv Andrusier (Tzeitel), Natasha Jules Bernard (Mirila), Greg Bernstein (Mendel), Noa Bodner (Rifka), Ralph Bogard (Avram), Lawrence Boothman (Nacham), Hannah Bristow (Chava), Georgia Bruce (Hodel), Georgia Dixon (Bielke), Jonathan Dryden Taylor (Constable), David Freedman (Rabbi), Helen Goldwyn (Shandel), Dickon Gough (Mordcha & Inkeeper), Thomas-Lee Kidd (Sasha), Beverley Klein (Yente), Daniel Krikler (Perchik), Darya Topol Margalith (Schprintze), Gregor Milne (Fyedka), Raphael Papo (The Fiddler), Alex Pinder (Russian #2), Dylan Saffer (Onstage swing), Michael S. Siegel (Lazar Wolf), Alex Tranter (Russian #1) and Dan Wolff (Motel) complete the cast.

The full creative team are Mark Aspinall (Musical Supervisor), Stuart Burt (Casting Director), Laura Braid (Associate Choreographer), Julia Cheng (Choreographer), Yarit Dor (Fight and Intimacy Director), Emma Farnell Watson (Assistant Choreographer), Jordan Fein (Director), James Hassett (Season Associate Sound Designer), Hannah Hauer-King (Associate Director), Nina van Houten (Wigs, Hair and Make Up Designer), Nick Lidster for Autograph (Sound Designer), Aideen Malone (Lighting Designer), Tom Scutt (Designer), Peter Noden (Casting Associate), Rabbi Rose Prevezer (Jewish Culture, Religion and History Consultant), Caitlin Stegemoller (Voice & Text Director); Dan Turek (Musical Director); Livi van Warmelo (Associate Musical Director); The Telsey Office/ Kristian Charbonier, CSA (NY Casting).

A Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production

Fiddler on the Roof
Based on the Sholem Aleichem Stories by Special Permission of Arnold Perl
Book by Joseph Stein

Music by Jerry Bock

Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Produced on the New York Stage by Harold Prince
Original New York Stage Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerome Robbins

27 July – 21 September 2024

‘It’s a new world, a new world. Love.’

It’s 1905 in the tiny village of Anatevka where Tevye, a Jewish milkman, lives his life by their proud traditions. For his five daughters, that means a visit from the matchmaker… But as each daughter challenges his beliefs, against the backdrop of a changing world, can Tevye hold on to his roots, or must he bend to the will of his children and learn to embrace the unfamiliar?

In a new production directed by Jordan Fein (Oklahoma, Young Vic), and featuring glorious songs, ‘If I Were A Rich Man’, ‘Tradition’, ‘Matchmaker’ and ‘Sunrise, Sunset’, this classic musical of joy, revolution and community is an exuberant celebration of love and life.

Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 2024 season includes the stage adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic story, The Secret Garden (until 20 July 2024) in a new version by Holly Robinson and Anna Himali Howard, and directed by Howard.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar is currently on a UK tour until August 2024; and the musical version of Dodie Smith’s classic book 101 Dalmatians reimagined from the 2022 Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production embarks on a UK tour this month.

Tickets for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre 2024 are available from: www.openairtheatre.com.

JEREMY DYSON AND ANDY NYMAN’S

LONG-RUNNING WEST END HIT SET TO TERRIFY

THE UK

AS FIRST FULL NATIONAL TOUR ANNOUNCED

   www.ghoststoriesplay.com

After exhilarating audiences across the globe with record-breaking, sell-out productions and a smash hit film, Simon Friend Entertainment is today delighted to announce the return of Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s supernatural sensation Ghost Stories in a full UK Tour. More spine-tingling and terrifying than ever, the Olivier Award-nominated show opens at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley on Friday 17 January 2025.

****
‘An immaculately crafted evening of entertainment’ Time Out.

Ghost Stories then goes on to visit: Bromley, Churchill Theatre; Richmond, Richmond Theatre; Plymouth, Theatre Royal; Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre; Milton Keynes, Milton Keynes Theatre; Salford, The Lowry; Cheltenham, Everyman Theatre; Woking, New Victoria Theatre; Edinburgh, Festival Theatre; Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre; Glasgow, Theatre Royal; Norwich, Theatre Royal; Newcastle, Theatre Royal; Nottingham, Theatre Royal; Southend, Cliffs Pavilion; Birmingham, Alexandra Theatre; Belfast, Grand Opera House; Leicester, Curve Theatre; Wycombe, Swan Theatre; Southampton, Mayflower Theatre; Brighton, Theatre Royal; Shrewsbury, Theatre Severn; Malvern, Malvern Theatres; Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre.

The production was last seen in the UK in 2019 when, after a celebrated run at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith, the show transferred to the Ambassador’s Theatre for its latest West End Run. It embarked on a partial UK tour in early 2020, but this was cut short by the pandemic.

Casting to be announced.

When Professor Goodman, arch-sceptic out to debunk the paranormal, embarks on an investigation of three apparent hauntings – as recounted by a night-watchman, a teenage boy, and a businessman awaiting his first child – Goodman finds himself at the outer limits of rationality, and fast running out of explanations.

Enter a world full of thrilling twists and epic turns, where the ultimate love letter to horror is imagined live on stage. A fully sensory and electrifying encounter, Ghost Stories is one of London’s best reviewed plays of all time and will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat. This is a theatrical experience like no other.

After exhilarating audiences across the world with record-breaking, sell-out productions and a smash hit film, Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson’s Ghost Stories is “Genuine scary fun” (Sunday Times), a worldwide phenomenon more spine-tingling and fantastically terrifying than ever.

“I had to sleep with the lights on” (Metro).

 Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman say of the return of their celebrated terrifying tales:

“We are beyond excited that Ghost Stories will be scaring the hell out of audiences around the country in its first ever full national tour. It’s fifteen years since we first brought screams, laughs, jumps and killer twists to the theatre and we can’t wait to do it again. Are you brave enough to book?”

WARNING

Please be advised that Ghost Stories contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.

Andy Nyman is a multi-award-winning actor, director and writer who has earned acclaim from both critics and audiences for his work in theatre, film, and television. This year Andy will be starring opposite Imelda Staunton at the London Palladium in Hello, Dolly! His most recent theatre work includes his Olivier nominated performance as Tevye in Trevor Nunn’s award-winning revival of Fiddler on the Roof, the West End and Broadway runs of Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen, the highly acclaimed revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Abigail’s Party in the West End, and in the original production of Ghost Stories which Andy starred in, co-wrote and co-directed with Jeremy Dyson. Andy’s extensive television credits include A Small Light, The Capture, Unforgotten, Wanderlust, Hanna, Campusand Dead Set as well as his highly acclaimed performance as Winston Churchill in Peaky Blinders. This year Andy will be appearing in Lockerbie.

Andy’s many film credits include Judy, Jungle Cruise, The Commuter, Death at a Funeral, Kick-Ass 2, Black Death, The Brother’s Bloom, Severance, and Shut Up & Shoot Me for which Andy won the ‘Best Actor’ award at the Cherbourg Film Festival in 2006. Later this year Andy can be seen playing Gov. Thropp in the highly anticipated blockbuster film WICKED.

2018 saw the release of the film version of Ghost Stories. Based on their own play, the film was written and directed by Andy & Jeremy Dyson. Andy stars alongside Martin Freeman, Alex Lawther & Paul Whitehouse. The film has been hailed as a ‘Modern Horror Classic’ and was voted number 16 in Empire magazines list ‘The Greatest 25 Horror films ever made’.

Andy collaborated with Derren Brown for over 20 years. As well as co-writing and co-creating much of Derren’s early TV work, Andy has also co-written and directed 8 of Derren Brown’s stage shows winning the ‘Best Entertainment’ Olivier Award for Derren Brown: Something Wicked This Way Comes and the New York Drama Desk Award for ‘Best Unique Theatrical Event 2017’ for Derren Brown: Secret.

Andy’s books The Golden Rules of Acting and More Golden Rules of Acting have become bestsellers within the acting world. In 2023 Andy and Jeremy Dyson came together again to write their first novel The Warlock Effect. Chosen as a ‘Sunday Times Thriller of the Month’ this highly entertaining and twisty adventure is now out in paperback and available on Audible, where it is read by Andy.

Jeremy Dyson is best known as the co-creator and co-writer of the multi-award-winning comedy show The League of Gentlemen. Aside from The League he was co-creator/writer of the BAFTA-nominated comedy drama Funland and the Rose-d’or winning all female sketch show Psychobitches. His play Ghost Stories, co-written with Andy Nyman was nominated for an Olivier award, and has enjoyed three separate West End runs since debuting in 2010, together with international productions in Toronto, Moscow, Sydney, Shanghai, Finland, Holland, and Peru. The film version of Ghost Stories, written and directed by Andy and Jeremy won the Fangoria Chainsaw Award for best debut feature in 2019.

In addition, Jeremy has worked as script editor on numerous award-winning TV comedies including The Armstrong and Miller Show, Grandma’s House, The Wrong Mans, Bad Education, Tracey Ullman’s Show, We are Ladyparts and The Curse. He has written for many other TV shows including Killing Eve and Good Omens.

Jeremy has published three collections of short stories, Never Trust a Rabbit, The Cranes that Build the Cranes (which won the Edge Hill award for short fiction), and The Haunted Book, together with a novel, What Happens Now. His latest book, The Warlock Effect co-written with Andy Nyman was published in 2023.

Ghost Stories is produced by Simon Friend Entertainment.

For more information visit:   www.ghoststoriesplay.com

EVERYMAN THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 22ND JUNE 2024

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

Tell Me How It Ends is penned by Tasha Dowd, a graduate from the acclaimed Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) programme and the recipient of the 2023 Homotopia Writers’ Award. The play had its world premiere here at the Everyman Theatre, showcasing the theatre’s dedication to supporting emerging artists and looking after talent from the Liverpool City Region.

Taking place in the late 1980’s Liverpool during the AIDS epidemic, “Tell Me How It Ends” tells a heartfelt narrative about two diverse and LGBTQ+ individuals, whose lives become intertwined because of their circumstances and their passion for books.

Luke Sookdeo portrays the character Marc, spelled with a ‘c’, while Emmy Stonelake plays Aster in this enthralling tale that delves into themes of love, truth, and heartbreak. Aster volunteers with a lesbian organisation that offers support to individuals living with HIV. It is here that she encounters Marc, who is undergoing treatment in hospital and lacks family support.

Aster is quite controlling and constantly reminds Marc to take his medication on time, but she does this out of genuine concern for his well-being. Marc tends to be emotionally impulsive, largely due to his illness. Thanks to Aster’s persistence, she eventually encourages Marc to start reading and engaging in conversations again.

While this play confronts the harsh realities of living with AIDS, there is also joy to be found in witnessing the friendship between Marc and Aster blossom.

Sookdeo and Stonelake excel in their roles. They immerse themselves in their performance and captivate the audience from the opening scene, holding our attention until the very end.

Katie Scott has designed a well-organised set with multiple levels that smoothly transitions between scenes at the hospital, Aster’s home, Marc’s B&B, and a nightclub. Despite its simplicity, the set effectively directs focus to the sombre hospital bed at the centre. The costumes, also created by Scott, along with the impressive soundtrack, evoke a nostalgic feel. The audience were delighted by a scene where the pair entered with a BHS carrier bag after a shopping spree.

This play is a must-see as it is exceptionally well-written, directed, and superbly acted! It evokes a bittersweet feeling, simultaneously warming your insides and breaking your heart. It truly is captivating!

The Mill at Sonning – until 13th July 2024

Reviewed by Marcia Spiers

4****

This entertaining play is based on a book released in 1889 that made lazing about on the river an attractive pass time for Brits during the summer months even to this day. Adapted for the stage the story tells of Jerome taking his friends Harris and George (plus the invisible but feisty dog) up the Thames in a rowing boat from Kingston Upon Thames to Oxford. The play is very much at home here as Sonning Mill sits right on the Thames and the group pass through the pretty village of Sonning on their travels. There were also humorous references to less attractive towns like Maidenhead and Reading on route which made the audience titter.

The play opens with the trio debating the various issues of the day and a decision made to get away from it all. James Bradshaw plays George. An excellent performance here, demonstrating adaptability by playing the various odd characters they meet along the river and including the audience in skits. I really loved his part. Likewise, an impressive performance by Sean Rigby plays the musically gifted, flamboyant Harris in his orange and yellow jacket. Entertaining us with slapstick comedy around an invisible piano (yes there were a few invisible things used to significant effect), an audience singalong and playing the different characters catching an ever-bigger fish. Last, but not least George Watkins who plays Jerome K Jerome himself. I have seen George in previous productions at the Mill and would say this was the best so far. He plays the pompous Jerome to perfection with many funny jokes. It was all very Henley!

I loved the way the boat moved around the stage, the way the props were quicky switched to dry land and the inclusion of old pictures of familiar spots along the Thames path including Sonning Bridge, Windsor, and Oxford. A great night scene very cleverly orchestrated not wishing to give too much away! There were interesting props including a hamper and other items floating on the river. The costumes were all very Regatta jackets and straw boaters, a familiar site around these parts this time of the year.

The invisible dog was a little strange at first, but this added to the comedy alongside the other invisible things. I recommend seeing this play as it provides nostalgia, fun and a summer vibe that we all need right now!

Fortune Theatre, London – until 25 January 2025

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

Operation Mincemeat is in the safest of hands (although one pair is bafflingly sweaty) as MI5’s new recruits continue the show’s triumphant Olivier award winning run in the West End.

Truth can be stranger than fiction, and the story of MI5’s deception to clear the way for the Allied invasion of Sicily was one of the most bizarre gambles of WW2. Portrayed on film as early as 1953 as The Man Who Never Was, this fascinating story seems like a ridiculous idea for a musical, but the ridiculously talented SpitLip did just that – and the 5-star reviews and awards keep rolling in. David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts created a fast-paced show that manages to be hilarious, heartbreaking, mocking and celebratory. The show is an ensemble masterpiece, with a cast of 5 playing about 50 characters from the overconfident MI5 public schoolboy agents to the plucky and “dependable ladies” working for the government to stoic sailors, mortuary attendants and boyband Nazis.

SplitLip’s lyrics are fast and funny, cramming more laughs into one song than some productions manage in an entire show, and covering a wide range of musical styles, with Jenny Arnold’s inspired choreography adding to the hilarity – you’ve never seen Nazis move like this. Among the nonsense are poignant reminders of the seriousness and the human cost of the mission – switching mid-song between debauched scenes in London clubs and the quiet tension of the submarine crew as explosions rock the vessel. The mission ends with a glitzy finale, but then the show ends with a quiet but stirring tribute to the man who never was – Glyndwr Michael.

David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, Zoe Roberts, Jak Malone and Claire-Marie Hall originated the roles of Charles Cholmondeley, Ewen Montagu, Johnny Bevan, Hester Leggett and Jean Leslie with unforgettable performances, leaving giant boots to fill – but the incoming agents fill those boots brilliantly.

Claire-Marie Hall, Seán Carey and Christian Andrews continue in the roles of Jean, Charles and Hester, and Emily Barber and Chlӧe Hart are new to the company, playing Ewen Montagu and Johnny Bevan. Holly Sumpton, Geri Allen, George Jennings and Jonty Peach complete the company, taking on the roles as needed. One of the joys of this production is the celebration of the shifting energy onstage when roles are played by different actors. There is even a mincemeat bingo sheet allowing you to mark every cast combination you are lucky enough to see. Each actor brings something different and the company appear to relish the freshness this brings each time.

Emily Barber is a fantastically entitled and self-assured Montagu and Seán Carey is delightfully eccentric and intense as Charles, both nailing the chalk and cheese comedy relationship. Chlӧe Hart has a blast with the contrast of stern and direct Johnny Bevan and the frankly insane Ian Fleming and Haselden. Their comedy is brilliant, and less broad and manic (I mean that in the best way!) than the original cast, so Claire-Marie Hall and Christian Andrews have upped the ladies’ game a little, with bigger reactions to the men’s nonsense and adding even more gorgeous moments between Hester and Jean that shines more light on their evolving relationship and making their duet in Useful bring a lump to your throat faster than before. Christian Andrews performs Dear Bill magnificently, effortlessly capturing the need to stay strong for your sweetheart while wrestling with your own emotions, and not leaving a dry eye in the house. Robert Hastie’s impeccable direction makes it all appear seamless on Ben Stones’ deceptively simple set – the costume and prop changes are nonstop.

With a 9th extension through to 25 January 2025, announced, Operation Mincemeat continues to delight faithful fans and newcomers alike. A gloriously silly and uplifting show that is simply unmissable. You have your orders – now, go!

Today the studio recording of Animal Lover from 101 Dalmatians The Musical is released across streaming platforms including Spotify.

This is the first music track released from Kym Marsh in 20 years.

The song is Cruella de Vil’s big solo number in the touring stage production, and Kym took to the studio a couple of weeks ago to record it with musical supervisor Alfonso Casado Trigo. You can see them at work with the accompanying video on YouTube, which was first revealed last week on The One Show.

Animal Lover, alongside all the songs in 101 Dalmatians The Musical, was written by Douglas Hodge with orchestration by Jack Hopkins, and Leigh Stanford Thompson is the musical director.

101 Dalmatians The Musical opens at the New Wimbledon Theatre on the 22^nd June 2024 and tours the UK and Ireland until 5^th January 2025. For more information see https://101dalmatians.co.uk/. Please find attached the full casting release for further information.

SAM PALLADIO

ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM

THE PERFECT SUMMER’S DAY, BEFORE WE LOST THE LIGHT

OUT SEPTEMBER 13^TH 2024

PRE-ORDER HERE

‘MEANWHILE IN LONDON’

BRAND NEW SINGLE RELEASED

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

INTIMATE HEADLINE SHOW ANNOUNCED

100 CLUB, LONDON – JUNE 19^TH 2024

TICKETS ON SALE NOW HERE

Acclaimed musician and actor Sam Palladio has announced his debut album The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost The Light out September 13^th 2024 and available to pre-order now here.

Palladio raises the curtain on the record with the release of new single ‘Meanwhile In London’. It opens the album with a showcase for his warm earthy vocals, highlighted alongside harmonies which shine among grand strings and horns, while his knack for an earworm melody beam through with its propulsive chorus.

As the Cornish singer and multi-instrumentalist originally shot to fame in America, playing the character of Gunnar Scott in the American TV series Nashville, the new song ‘Meanwhile In London’ reflects on the whirlwind path his transatlantic career has carved. 

Regarding the single Palladio says, “I wanted to make a record opener that spoke to who I am. This is my experience of being a British guy who spent a long period in the States and fell in love. I was travelling so much, missing home and wondering what that person was doing and getting all those intrusive thoughts.”

The album title The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost The Light is a lyric taken from the achingly touching pop ballad ‘Something On My Mind’. The single was released at the end of last year and is inspired by the passing of Sam’s mother Sally.

“I wanted to dedicate the album to mum,” Palladio says. “I took the chorus lyric, “there’s something on my mind, it haunts me every night, the perfect summer’s day, before we lost the light”, to create the title. It symbolises mum being the light of our lives, and the darkness once it fades. I liked the joy and beauty of the line on its face value, as it reminds me of youthful summer days on Cornish beaches. But I also liked the dichotomy it created when put into the context of loss. Ultimately, I felt that it allows her to live forever through song.” 

The opening trombones in ‘Something On My Mind’ provide a fanfare celebration of Sally’s life at her musical ceremony, which erupts with a grand anthemic chorus from Sam and his band, reflecting the cherished memories shared through life in this heartfelt tribute. 

The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost The Light also speaks to Palladio’s lifelong experience in and around music, and to his deep immersion in heartland Americana, while also retaining his obsessive fandom for rock and the likes of Incubus, Rage Against The Machine and Biffy Clyro.

During his time in Music City, Palladio found himself rubbing shoulders with his heroes. Discovering that the arena-sized Biffy Clyro were appearing at Nashville’s Mercy Lounge – a 250-capacity club that he himself had played – he excitedly tweeted the band. Next thing he knows, he’s backstage with Simon Neil and the James twins – all of them huge Nashville fans.

“Cut to the following year. It was the final season in ‘Nashville’. I was always pitching my own songs for the show,” Palladio reflects. “My character had his final song in the show, where he goes from the country thing to, fuck it, he’s going to be a rock star. So I said to Simon: Would you be up for trying to write a song for my character’s final song? He said: It would be an honour!”

A strong relationship blossomed and in 2023 Neil joined Palladio onstage at his headline show at Hammersmith Apollo for a duet of the Biffy hit ‘Many Of Horror’. In 2024 the pair once again join musical forces on Palladio’s debut album with ‘Spill Your Heart’. It is a laid-back anthem for late night bars, rich with the smooth and slick vocals from Palladio and Neil, alongside lush acoustic guitars which break out into hair-raising crescendos of mighty riffs.

Digging back into the southern rock he’d been hearing in situ for the best part of a decade is ‘Tennessee’. The recent single is a rollicking bar-room anthem, which boasts scorching riffs and soloing from Foo Fighter Chris Shiflett – another close friend of Palladio.

“What Chris did was a perfect blend of his crunchy Foos thing, with a little bit of his chicken-picking country guitar, because his sensibilities are country, and he loves that world,” notes Palladio. “Again, I was so thrilled that he was happy to put his name to this project.” 

Born in Nashville, with some judicious nods back to the UK, The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost The Light was finished in Los Angeles. Working in the iconic “Prince Room” in the legendary Sunset Sound studios in LA, Grammy-winning producer Dave Sardy(Noel Gallagher, Band Of Horses, Royal Blood) applied additional production, and called in some musician friends. Palladio was only too happy to have Matt Chamberlain (Stevie Nicks, David Bowie) replace his own drum work, while ex-Jellyfish man Jason Faulkner (St Vincent, Beck) came in and “replayed a load of guitars and put in some beautiful organs and keys,” he says. “We had done a lot of the groundwork in Nashville, and then this little bit of California stardust was sprinkled through.”

It was a wonderful end to a serendipitous story of magical debut album. After a handful of years in the acting spotlight – a career that certainly isn’t going away, having just hit the big screens playing The Clash frontman Joe Strummer in the hugely acclaimed new biopic Bob Marley: One Love – Sam Palladio is now ready for his rock’n’roll close-up with The Perfect Summer’s Day, Before We Lost The Light.

It’s a record that captures the best side of Palladio, offering clarity and transparency into the life, thoughts and feelings of the extremely talented Brit.

To celebrate the album announcement and release of ‘Meanwhile In London’, Palladio has announced a last minute intimate headline show in London at the 100 Club on June 19^th 2024. Tickets are on sale now here

THE PERFECT SUMMER’S DAY, BEFORE WE LOST THE LIGHT

1. Meanwhile In London
2. Tennessee (feat. Chris Shiflett)
3. Tears In A Carpark
4. Something On My Mind
5. Spill Your Heart (feat. Simon Neil) 
6. Gone Like The Summer
7. SMF
8. B.O.A.T
9. Bullet for Your Love 
10. Jenni
11. Wake Me Up In Nashville

For more information contact Wilful Publicity

[email protected] / [email protected]

The best of theater in 2023

“The Brits have made the year’s funniest musical…Against the odds, the “Operation Mincemeat” gang has found its way to the big time.”

Peter Marks, The Washington Post

#1 2023 Theatre Show

“Despite all that Hollywood firepower, my top pick was a homegrown musical about the UK’s role in World War II”

Sarah Rappaport, Bloomberg

“Is the quite splendid “Operation Mincemeat” ridiculously clever or cleverly ridiculous? Both…this is the musical you didn’t know you needed”

David Benedict, Variety

“My far-and-away favorite production—and a complete surprise to me—was the musical “Operation Mincemeat… a comedy that has been cheerfully dismantling jingoism builds a stirring vision of real fellowship in its place.”

Helen Shaw, The New Yorker

“the feel-good West End musical of the summer… The reviews for the show have been ecstatic… the overwhelming impression is of hopefulness, expansiveness, possibility and joy.”

Alexis Soloski, The New York Times

14^th June – Following a survey of Americans who have seen the Oliver Award-winning Operation Mincemeat, an analysis has shown that 90.2% say the show is not “too British” for Broadway.

While American producers and investors have expressed admiration for Operation Mincemeat, it has also been conveyed the musical is “too British” for Broadway. In response to this, alongside the musical’s West End American audience growing from 2% to just under 11%, coupled with anecdotal positive feedback from these theatregoers, a survey was conducted.

A sample of 1000 Americans living in the US who have seen the show 1 time at the West End’s Fortune Theatre has been analysed, in line with US polling practice. Those who have seen the show multiple times have been excluded from this sample. Attached is a summary of the survey results which have just been shared with the show’s mailing list.

Operation Mincemeat entered its second year in London on the 13^th May 2024 with a debut performance of the new cast, Emily Barber, Seán Carey, Chlöe Hart, Christian Andrews and Claire-Marie Hall –“the West End hit is still the perfect mix of ingenious, silly and moving…With a new cast, the Olivier Award-winning musical about the wartime operation is as terrific as ever” ★★★★★ Marianka Swain, The Telegraph – followed by a ninth extension announcement through  25th January 2025. Tickets are on General Sale now from the Official Box Office here.

After the success of the Monday ballot, which was introduced to ensure tickets get into the right hands, this has now been expanded to include Tuesday and Saturday shows. Monday ticket prices remain frozen at £39.50, and the popular fortnightly £25 ticket lottery continues here (the next draw is on 17^th June). The first ballot draws for the new booking period from 18^th November to 25^th January took place yesterday. More information here.

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. 

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? 

The production is directed by 2023 Olivier Award nominated Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre – 2023 Best New Musical Olivier Award winner), following providing directorial support for the Riverside Studios run, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. Also from Standing at the Sky’s Edge at the National Theatre on the creative team are: 2023 Olivier Award nominated  Ben Stones (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as Set and Costume Designer, Tony Award, six-time Olivier Award and Bafta Award winning Mark Henderson (Girl From the North Country, Broadway & Noël Coward Theatre) as Lighting Designer and Olivier Award winning Mike Walker (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) as Sound Designer.  Grammy Award winning and Tony, Emmy & 2024 ‘Outstanding Musical Contribution’ Olivier Award nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre) is Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger, while 2024 ‘Outstanding Musical Contribution’ Olivier Award nominated Joe Bunker is Musical Director. Georgie Staight is Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles is Associate Choreographer. Casting is by Pearson Casting. The extraordinary debut musical is written and composed by SpitLip – David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts.

Operation Mincemeat won the 2024 ‘Best New Musical’ and ‘Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical’ Olivier Awards, following receiving six nominations. These awards trail winning the 2024 ‘Best New Musical’ WhatsOnStage Award and the ‘Best West End Show’, ‘Rising Star’ and ‘Best Understudy’ West End Wilma Awards. Previously on the show’s journey, Operation Mincemeat has picked up the Off-West End award for ‘Best Musical Production’ and ‘Best Company Ensemble’ and The Stage Debut Award for ‘Best Composer/Lyricist’.

Operation Mincemeat is presented in the West End by Avalon (in association with SpitLip), who have supported since the Southwark Playhouse runs. The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.

Chiswick House and gardens – until 23 June 2024

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

5*****

It’s always a pleasure to review this family run business. It is more than your average circus. From the moment you arrive you are immersed into the Gifford Circus experience. Director and writer, Cal McCrystal, and his creative crew have produced a village green feel with the circle of wagons and entertainment, before you even hit the big top! There is food and drink so you can mingle with old and new friends, plus spot the occasional celebrity. 

Avalon is a great theme to weave a story through the performances. Although Tweedy the clown was missed this year, Tyler West is a great addition to the family. His interaction with the audience and dynamic physical humour keeps everyone laughing. He doubles up with ‘Merlin’ Maximiliano Stia with a unique Samson and Goliath image. The enigmatic smile and gentle Arthurian words of Nick Hodge wins the audience over before you even see his awesome Cyr Wheel performance. The Damsels of the Ring Morgan Barbour and Victoria Sejr, give you a refreshingly alternative style of aerial artistry. Along with the hand balancing and vaulting of The Godfathers troupe and Pat Clarrison’s performing dogs, you are offered a combination of jeopardy, beauty, cuteness and humour that keeps the audience engaged and applauding throughout 100% of the performances. 

The artistry of the set and costume cleverly takes you into the world of Avalon, all bound together by Jethro ‘Dull’, the talented band of musicians. They are very much a part of the story. This is an experience for all the family that will be remembered forever.