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BRADFORD THEATRES ANNOUNCE SPRING 2017 SEASON

Autumn is here and the countdown to Christmas has begun. The spectacular Mary Poppins continues at the Alhambra Theatre until Saturday 10 December and we are getting ready to take a trip to Neverland when the magical pantomime adventure Peter Pan arrives in town from Saturday 17 December.

We are excited to announce our spring 2017 season with dance, drama, music, comedy and musicals to suit all tastes. Some highlights at the Alhambra Theatre include Anton & Erin Swing Time, Sunny Afternoon, Anita and Me, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Joe McElderry and two operas from Ellen Kent Productions. At King’s Hall, Ilkley there are delights such as We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Ruby Wax – Frazzled. Plus comedy fans should definitely visit our newly refreshed Studio with Patrick Monahan, Tom Allen and Suzi Ruffell all making appearances. For classical music lovers the 29th Bradford Chamber Season continues at the beautiful Bradford Cathedral.

Adam Renton, General Manager Bradford Theatres says:

‘As this year draws to a close, we are now looking ahead to exciting times in 2017 at Bradford Theatres, with a diverse and vibrant selection of shows. As ever, you can continue to enjoy the best in live entertainment at the Alhambra Theatre, including opera; musicals, dance, drama; and don’t forget our pantomime runs until the end of January 2017.

There is still time to find the perfect festive gift and if you’re not quite sure which show your friends and family members want to see, why not treat them to a Bradford Theatres Friends Membership package or Gift Vouchers. Alternatively you could treat them to a pre-show meal in our very popular Restaurant 1914 or an upgrade to the Laidler Lounge VIP bar.’

December/January

Peter Pan- The Swashbuckling Pantomime Adventure – Saturday 17 December 2016 – Sunday 29 January 2017, Alhambra Theatre. Signed: Thur 22 Dec 2.30pm, Audio Described: Wed 4 Jan 2pm & 7.15pm, Captioned: Sun 15 Jan – 1pm, Relaxed Performance –Tue 17 Jan, 7.15pm Take a trip to Neverland with the Alhambra Theatre’s magical family pantomime adventure, Peter Pan. King of Yorkshire pantomime funny-man Billy Pearce returns to lead a star cast including actor, singer and television presenter Darren Day, Emmerdale soap-star Charlie Hardwick and pop and musical theatre sensation Jon Lee.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt – Tuesday 17 & Wednesday 18 January, King’s Hall, Ilkley (Recommended for ages 3+)

Fidelio Trio – Friday 27 January, Bradford Cathedral – Part of Bradford International Classical Concert Season 2016/17: Bradford 29th Chamber Season

Del & Rodney & Edmund & Queenie The Comedy Dinner Shows – Monday 30 January & Tuesday 31 January, Restaurant 1914 at The Alhambra Theatre. Entertainment by Laughlines Comedy Entertainment. Includes a three course dinner.

February

Aida & La Boheme – Sunday 5 & Monday 6 February, Alhambra Theatre Opera & Ballet International proudly presents two Ellen Kent productions, with international soloists, highly praised chorus and full orchestra. Sung in Italian with English surtitles.

Anton & Erin Swing Time – Tuesday 7 & Wednesday 8 February, Alhambra Theatre Join the nation’s favourite ballroom couple Anton du Beke & Erin Boag when they return with an exciting new show for 2017!

Omid Djalili -Schmuck For a Night – Friday 10 February, Alhambra Theatre (Suitable for ages 16 +)

Ruby Wax – Frazzled A Guide to Mindfulness – Thursday 16 February, King’s Hall, Ilkley

Gerry Cross the Mersey – Tuesday 21 February, King’s Hall, Ilkley

The King is Back – Ben Portsmouth is Elvis – Saturday 18 February, Alhambra Theatre Internationally renowned as one, if not the best Elvis tribute in the world today, Ben Portsmouth will bring his unique style, charisma and tenpiece band to show you why he is regarded as the best in the business.

Sister Act – Monday 20 – Saturday 25 February, Alhambra Theatre Signed: Thur 23 Feb 7.30pm, Captioned: Fri 24 Feb 7.30pm, Audio Described: Sat 25 Feb 2.30pm This all new critically acclaimed production of the Broadway and West End smash hit musical comedy starring Alexandra Burke (The X Factor, The Bodyguard) is coming to Bradford for one week only! Directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood, Sister Act is the feel-amazing show based on the movie starring Whoopi Goldberg and Maggie Smith.

John Shuttleworth – My Last Will and Tasty Mint – Monday 27 February, King’s Hall, Ilkley

Sunny Afternoon – Tuesday 28 February – Saturday 4 March, Alhambra Theatre Signed: Thur 2 Mar 7.30pm, Captioned: Fri 3 Mar 7.30pm, Audio Described: Sat 4 Mar 2.30pm Sunny Afternoon tells the captivating tale of how one of Britain’s greatest bands, The Kinks, rose to stardom. Featuring the iconic hits You Really Got Me, Waterloo Sunset, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, All Day and All of the Night, Lola, Sunny Afternoon and many more.

March

Croft & Pearce – Are Not Themselves – Friday 3 March, The Studio

You’ve Got A Friend – The Music of James Taylor and Carole King – Friday 3 March, King’s Hall, Ilkley

Count Arthur Strong – The Sound of Mucus – Saturday 4 March, King’s Hall, Ilkley (Recommended age 14+)

Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games – Tuesday 7 – Sunday 12 March, Alhambra Theatre Celebrating 20 years since he debuted Lord of the Dance, Flatley’s UK tour will star his protégés James Keegan, Morgan Comer and Matthew Smith in the role of the Lord of the Dance. The show is produced, choreographed and directed by Michael Flatley.

Emily Sun (Violin) & Jennifer Hughes (Piano) – Friday 10 March, Bradford Cathedral – Part of Bradford International Classical Concert Season 2016/17: Bradford 29th Chamber Season

The Full Monty – Monday 13 – Saturday 18 March, Alhambra Theatre Captioned: Fri 17 Mar 7.30pm, Audio Described: Sat 18 Mar 2.30pm Based on his smash hit film and adapted for the stage by Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy, this hilarious and heartfelt production stars Gary Lucy, Andrew Dunn, Louis Emerick, Chris Fountain, Anthony Lewis, Kai Owen and a cast of fourteen and is directed by Jack Ryder.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show – Thursday 16 March, King’s Hall, Ilkley The timeless classic makes its way off the page and onto the stage in this wonderful production, featuring a menagerie of 75 loveable puppets. (Suitable for ages 3+)

Pub Quiz For Kids with Patrick Monahan – Saturday 18 March, The Studio (Recommended age 5+)

Patrick Monahan – That 80s Show – Saturday 18 March, The Studio (Recommended age 16+)

Miles Jupp -Songs of Freedom – Monday 20 March, King’s Hall, Ilkley

Anita and Me – Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 March, Alhambra Theatre Captioned: Wed 22 Mar 7.30pm, Audio Described: Sat 25 Mar 2.30pm Meera Syal’s much-loved novel bursts on to the Alhambra stage after sell-out runs at Birmingham Repertory Theatre and Stratford East. With Shobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinnerladies) as Daljit.

Rob Beckett – Mouth of the South – Tuesday 28 March, King’s Hall, Ilkley

Matthew Bourne’s Production of The Red Shoes – Tuesday 28 March – Saturday 1 April, Alhambra Theatre Matthew Bourne’s magical adaptation of the classic Powell and Pressburger film. An intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences; The Red Shoes will dazzle your senses and break your heart.

April

Menopause The Musical – Sunday 2 April, Alhambra Theatre Starring Cheryl Fergison (EastEnders), Maureen Nolan (The Nolans), Rebecca Wheatley (Casualty) and Ruth Berkeley (Penny Dreadful)

The Matt Monro Story – The Singer’s Singer – Wednesday 5 April, King’s Hall, Ilkley

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Tuesday 4 – Saturday 8 April, Alhambra Theatre Audio Described: Thur 6 April 2pm, Signed: Thur 6 April 7.30pm Retelling the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours, this magical musical is full of unforgettable songs including Those Canaan Days, Any Dream Will Do and Close Every Door. Starring Joe McElderry.

European Union Chamber Orchestra With Bradford Cathedral Choir – Friday 7 April, Bradford Cathedral – Part of Bradford International Classical Concert Season 2016/17: Bradford 29th Chamber Season

Dick and Dom Live! Tuesday 11 April, Alhambra Theatre Dick & Dom are touring the UK in a show that promises to get the whole family on their feet. The performance will be full of madcap challenges and audience participation games that will guarantee to have you in stitches. This is a show you won’t want to miss! On public sale Mon 21 November 2016.

An Evening with Boycott & Aggers 2017 – Friday 14 April, Alhambra Theatre Following their first run of hugely popular events, the extraordinary odd couple return again by popular demand to enthral, dazzle and entertain. On public sale Mon 21 November 2016.

Justin’s Party – Saturday 15 & Sunday 16 April, Alhambra Theatre Justin’s Party is a brand new show which is packed full of fantastic songs, dances and hilarious games guaranteed to make it the party of the year! There will be lots of exciting surprises along the way and you’ll get to meet Justin’s adorable new puppy Engelbert! (Age suitability 2+)

Tez – Saturday 22 April, The Studio Following a smash-hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, join Tez Ilyas as he leads you on a truly unique journey through his silly, smart and subversive take on life in his Britain.

Tom Allen & Suzi Ruffell – Hit the Road! Saturday 29 April, The Studio

The Wedding Singer – Tuesday 25 – Saturday 29 April, Alhambra Theatre Captioned: Fri 28 Apr 8.30pm, Audio Described: Sat 29 Apr 2.30pm Don’t miss your chance to join the party of the year – with a musical that promises to get you up dancing faster than your Dad at a wedding, packed with songs which capture all the fun and energy of the Adam Sandler smash-hit film. Starring Ray Quinn, Ruth Madoc and Roxanne Pallett.

Amateur

Buttershaw St Paul’s Amateur Operatic Dramatic Society presents Fiddler on the Roof – Thursday 2 – Saturday 4 February, Alhambra Theatre

Bradford Dance Network presents Exchanges – Saturday 11 February, Alhambra Theatre The Dance Bradford network stages its inaugural dance event Exchanges – an evening of dance performed by hundreds of young people and six professional dance artists from the Bradford district in a creative dance exchange.

To book for all of these shows please contact the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit our website: bradford-theatres.co.uk

Booking fees apply:

Phone/Counter – £1 per ticket plus postage charge where applicable. Online – £1.50 per ticket plus £1 per transaction for postage.

Last night, Harry Potter star, Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) took a trip to the UK tour of THE FULL MONTY at The Liverpool Empire, where his brother, Anthony Lewis, is playing one of the lead roles of Lomper. The UK tour runs until 15 April next year and also stars Gary Lucy, Chris Fountain, Andrew Dunn, Kai Owen and Louis Emerick.

 

THE FULL MONTY TOUR

EXTRA PERFORMANCES ADDED

& FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED

As previously announced, the 2016/17 UK Tour of Simon Beaufoy’s THE FULL MONTY is led by Gary Lucy as Gaz, with Andrew Dunn as Gerald, Louis Emerick as Horse, Chris Fountain as Guy and Kai Owen as Dave. Anthony Lewis is now playing the role of Lomper, as Joe Absolom had to withdraw due to contractual filming commitments.

Anthony Lewis is best known as regular Marc Reynolds in Emmerdale. As a teenager, he played the title role in the children’s TV series Adam’s Family Tree and Scott Morris in Children’s Ward, the children’s TV series created by Paul Abbott and Kay Mellor. His films includes A Passionate Woman, Boy A, Girls’ Night and This Is Personal: The Hunt for the Yorkshire Ripper.

Also in the cast are Andrew Ashford, Adam Beresford, Pauline Fleming, William Ilkley, Jonathan McGarrity, Charlotte Powell, Jess Schofield and Fiona Skinner. The role of Nathan is shared by Reiss Ward, James Burton, Monty Poole and Felix Yates.

THE FULL MONTY won the UK Theatre Award for Best Touring Production. The 2016/17 UK Tour began in Bournemouth on 21 September 2016 and finishes at the Sheffield Lyceum on 15 April 2017. The advance box office for the tour of over £5 million is breaking records at theatres around the country and extra performances have already been added at Birmingham Hippodrome and the Leeds Grand Theatre.

Jack Ryder directs THE FULL MONTY and his credits include national tours of Tm Firth’s play Calendar Girls and the short film Act of Memory with Claire Skinner, Owen Teale and Anna Massey, which was officially selected for nine international festivals around the world including the Cannes Film Festival. As an actor, Jack is probably best known as Jamie Mitchell in EastEnders, a role he played for four years.

Gary Lucy is best known for his roles as Danny Pennant in EastEnders, DS Will Fletcher in The Bill, Kyle Pascoe in Footballer’s Wives and Luke Morgan in Hollyoaks, and was a past winner of Dancing on Ice. Andrew Dunn is best known as Tony in Dinnerladies and for his regular appearances playing Alastair Campbell on Bremner, Bird and Fortune. Louis Emerick played Mick Johnson in the long-running soap Brookside and PC Walsh in the even longer-running Last of the Summer Wine. Chris Fountain played regulars Justin Burton in Hollyoaks and Tommy Duckworth in Coronation Street, and he was runner-up of Dancing on Ice. Kai Owen is best known for his portrayal of Rhys in Torchwood and recently played Pete in Hollyoaks.

In 1997, a British film about six out-of-work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose, took the world by storm becoming one of the most successful British films ever made. The story still resonates today, probably more so now than ever.

Simon Beaufoy, the Oscar- and BAFTA-winning writer of the film, has adapted his own screenplay for this hilarious and heartfelt stage production, which features the iconic songs from the film by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones.

THE FULL MONTY is Simon Beaufoy’s first work for the theatre. His screen credits include The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Salmon Fishing in Yemen, 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire, as well as The Full Monty.

The UK Tour of THE FULL MONTY has design is by Robert Jones, choreography by Ian West, lighting by Tim Lutkin and sound by Sarah Weltman, with casting by Marc Frankum.

The 2016/17 UK Tour of Simon Beaufoy’s THE FULL MONTY, based on the Fox Searchlight Pictures motion picture, is presented by David Pugh & Dafydd Rogers and is a Sheffield Theatres production.

For further details, visit www.fullmontytheplay.com

Facebook: The Full Monty UK Twitter: FullMontyPlay / #fullmonty

2016/17 TOUR SCHEDULE

7-12 November LIVERPOOL Empire 0844 871 3017 www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

14-19 November BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome 0844 338 5000 www.birminghamhippodrome.com

21-26 November CARDIFF Wales Millennium Centre 029 2063 6464 www.wmc.org.uk

28 Nov – 3 Dec LEEDS Grand Theatre 0844 848 2700 www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

16-21 Jan NORTHAMPTON Royal and Derngate 01604 624811 www.royalandderngate.co.uk

23-28 Jan CAMBRIDGE Arts Theatre 01223 503333 www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

30 Jan – 4 Feb BELFAST Grand Opera House 028 9024 1919 www.goh.co.uk

6-11 February SHREWSBURY Theatre Severn 01743 281281 www.theatresevern.co.uk

13-18 February DARTFORD Orchard Theatre 01322 220000 www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

20-25 February CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre 01227 787787 www.marlowetheatre.com

27 Feb – 4 March GLASGOW King’s Theatre 0844 871 7648 www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre

6-11 March LEICESTER De Montfort Hall 0116 233 3111 www.demontforthall.co.uk

13-18 March BRADFORD Alhambra Theatre 01274 432000 www.bradford-theatres.co.uk

20 – 25 March 2017 SUNDERLAND Empire Theatre 0844 871 3022 www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire

27 March – 1 April LLANDUDNO Venue Cymru 01492 872000 www.venuecymru.co.uk

3-15 April SHEFFIELD Lyceum Theatre 0114 249 6000 www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

ANITA AND ME

BY MEERA SYAL

ADAPTED BY TANIKA GUPTA

DIRECTED BY ROXANA SILBERT

TOURING THE UK IN SPRING 2017

 

SHOBNA GULATI TO STAR AS ‘DALJIT’

 

The Touring Consortium Theatre Company and Birmingham Repertory Theatre are pleased to announce thatShobna Gulati (Coronation Street, Dinner Ladies) will star as ‘Daljit’ in the new tour of ANITA AND ME, opening at the Wolverhampton Grand on 14 February 2017, and touring the UK until April. Adapted by multi award-winningTanika Gupta from the book by Meera Syal, directed by Roxana Silbert and designed by Liz Ashcroft, with original music by the Ringham Brothers, ANITA AND ME will play Wolverhampton, Cheltenham, Blackpool, Nottingham, Bradford and Edinburgh. Further casting to be announced.

 

The professional company will perform alongside eight actors drawn from the local community, with auditions taking place in individual venues. Lighting design is by Chahine Yavroyan, sound Design by Ben and Max Ringham, original choreography by Ann Yee, Setand costume design is by Bob Bailey.

 

This poignant coming-of-age tale follows Meena, a young girl growing up in the only Punjabi family in a 1970s Black Country mining village. Meena spends her days happily getting into scrapes with the other local children until one day the impossibly cool Anita enters her life.

 

Suddenly Meena knows exactly who she wants to be but is Anita all that she seems? Soon Meena’s world is turned upside down as she is caught between two very different cultures.

 

Anita And Me paints a comic, poignant, compassionate and colourful portrait of village life in the era of flares, power cuts, glam rock, decimalisation and Ted Heath.

Meera Syal said, “I’m delighted that Anita and Me is touring the UK.    It is amazing to think of so many people engaging in this story – particularly young people, who like me as a child, may be wondering how they fit in!”

Critical praise for the original production at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre in 2015:

★★★★”Hilarious” The Independent

★★★★ “Very funny” Birmingham Mail

“Entertaining” The Times

“Uplifting, humorous and poignant, Anita And Me is a beautifully staged production” BroadwayWorld.com

“This show has a sizeable heart” The Stage

“Impressive” British Theatre Guide

Created by producer Jenny King, The Touring Consortium Theatre Company celebrated their 20^th anniversary in 2016, producing both highly successful tours of A Tale of Two Cities and Of Mice and Men.

 

Jenny King said, “The company was created in 1996 in response to a need expressed by chief executives of several of the UKs leading touring venues for quality text based drama that reached out to new, young audiences as well as sustaining the interest of core theatre goers.  Since its creation we have produced over twenty five productions and played to over a million people, involving some 25,000 young people in our workshops and creative learning programmes.”

In 2012 TCTC were awarded over one million pounds from the ACE Strategic Touring Fund (one of the largest grants given) to support a programme of productions to be presented on tour over two and half years, with the specific aim of reaching out to new audiences. These included a world premiere production of To Sir with Love, directed by Mark Babych, adapted by Ayub Khan Din, with Matthew Kelly; a new production of Brassed Off directed by Damian Cruden with John McArdle; a world premiere production of Regeneration adapted from Pat Barker’s Booker nominated novel by Nicholas Wright, directed by Simon Godwin with Stephen Boxer; A View from the Bridgedirected by Stephen Unwin with Michael Brandon and Jonathan Guy Lewis; a world premiere production of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, adapted by Dawn King, with original music from These New Puritans, directed by James Dacre with Sophie Ward, a tour of Of Mice and Men featuring Dudley Sutton, and most recently a tour of A Tale of Two Cities, also directed by James Dacre.

On the back of the success of the initial programme of work the company have again been awarded a substantial grant from the ACE Strategic Touring fund to extend their programming until 2018 with four further productions planned and further Audience development projects.   TCTC continues to form links with literacy projects around the country, as each production has an affiliated writing project run from its resources website THEATRECLOUD.

Follow us: 

Twitter – #anitaandme

Facebook: /TouringConsortium

/TheatreCloud

Theatre N16 presents:

THE SNOW QUEEN

ALL SET FOR TALE OF TWO CITIES

Community cast all set for A Tale of Two Cities from The Touring Consortium Theatre Company in association with Darlington Civic Theatre.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Charles Dickens considered his novel, A Tale Of Two Cities to be the best story he had ever written. Interweaving one family’s intensely personal drama with the terror and chaos of the French Revolution, it is an epic story of love, sacrifice and redemption amidst horrific violence and world changing events.

The Touring Consortium Theatre Company, who most recently brought Of Mice And Men, A View From The Bridge and Brave New World to Darlington Civic Theatre have (in partnership with the theatre) created a totally unique production of A Tale Of Two Cities using a cast of community actors.

This new adaptation by Mike Poulton (Fortune’s Fool, Old Vic; Wolf Hall, RSC) is led by director Eduard Lewis who has worked extensively for the Royal Exchange Theatre, and will be staged in the atmospheric setting of Darlington’s Central Hall, where Dickens himself read on 21 September 1858.

Eduard Lewis said “In A Tale of Two Cities Dickens masterfully sets a love triangle to the backdrop of the most bloody revolution of his era, the French Revolution. He says in the opening of the novel that ‘the times were so like our own as to be almost indistinguishable from them’ looking to Syria, Turkey and even the Black Lives Matter movement in America we can see that this is truer now than it ever has been. Revolution is a part of the fabric of human society, when we see injustice in the world people rise up and stand against it. Mike Poulton’s exceptional adaptation takes the core dramatic elements of Dickens’ novel and condenses it into an action packed two-act play. I could not be happier to be bringing this epic story to the unique setting of the Central Hall and to have the privilege of making it with the people of Darlington, for the people of Darlington. It’s a process that Dickens himself, a great lover of the theatre, would be proud of.”

Please note this is a promenade performance which means that the action will take place in various locations around the set, and the audience will be stand and watch in spaces around the action, and then walk to different locations in the room following the actors as the scenes change and the play progresses. We would encourage the audience to stand to be fully immersed in the experience, however some limited seating options will be available if seating is required.

A Tale Of Two Cities is at Central Hall, Dolphin Centre, Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 November.

Tickets* are priced £18 for adults, under 16s £10

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

*Includes £1 restoration levy

Ghost The Musical is playing The Grand Theatre in Leeds, 14 to 19 November.  Fairy Powered Productions was lucky enough to have an interview with Andy Moss who plays Sam.

How exciting is it to be doing Ghost – The Musical?

So exciting! I did a few things just after I left college but nothing of note so this is my first treading of the boards since then. I’m so excited but it’s also a bit nerve-wracking – not the idea of performing in front of an audience but because it’s such an iconic role. Patrick Swayze’s shoes are big shoes to fill, for sure, and my mate Richard Fleeshman did Sam in the original West End production and he was amazing too. So there’s a bit of pressure but we’ve not gone for a carbon copy of either the West End or Broadway versions.

What was it about this particular show that made you say yes?

Number one, I’m a massive fan of the movie. Number two, I’ve been dying to get back on stage for a while now. I love TV and stuff but there’s nothing so gratifying as doing a live show. Obviously you can see reactions on Twitter, but to go out there and perform in front of a live audience for immediate feedback is the most exciting part of the job. As performers it’s what we’ve trained to do. Then number three, there’s the music. It’s by Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics and Glen Ballard who has produced loads of albums that I love as well. When I heard the songs I could hear all their influences in it so the whole package of having those guys on board, this iconic movie and the fact it’s a nice three-month tour sold it to me straight away.

You’ve done TV but what challenges does a stage show present?

The main challenge for me is to make sure my voice can sustain it every day. There are some big numbers in it and I’ve been in bands over the years so I can sing, but doing it every night across eight or nine shows a week is a tough prospect. You have to know when to belt it out and when to hold back and save your voice. Also everything has to be cued to a sound cue or a music cue or somebody else’s line or a lighting cue. I’m not used to that in TV. If we move the lines around a little bit because it seems more truthful they’ll usually buy it, but with this you have to be word-perfect. So it’s about trying to hit the marks for everyone else and trying to make it sound like you’re doing it for the first time.

You’ve also done rock concerts but is a musical a different discipline?

It’s so different. I like musicals, don’t get me wrong, but I’d never seen one and gone ‘My God, that’s amazing, I want to be in it’ whereas with this one when I heard the music I thought ‘That’s well good’. They told me they didn’t want a musical theatre singer and a musical theatre voice, they wanted one with a bit of something different to his voice – and hopefully that’s what I’ve been able to add to Dave and Glen’s music. I’m kind of mixing and matching both. I’m singing it so I don’t ruin my voice every night, so I’m being careful in that respect, but I can rock it up a bit with a rasp in my voice for the big, emotional songs. Finding the balance has been kind of fun.

What’s your take on Sam?

He’s deeply in love with his girlfriend Molly [Sarah Harding] but like any guy at that age he’s scared of commitment and stuff. He knows she’s the love of his life and he wants to spend the rest of his life with her but it’s hard for him to say three words like ‘I love you’ or ‘Let’s get married’ out loud. He’s a lovely guy and he loves her, then when he dies his thing is about connecting back to Molly and seeking vengeance from his best mate who ultimately killed him. It’s an emotional rollercoaster, then there are all the comedy scenes with Oda Mae Brown [Jacqui Dubois] as well, so I have to thread through the journey of him being a lovable character at the beginning, then it goes dark after he dies, he’s seeking vengeance and trying to tell Molly he loves her whilst having a bit of fun with Oda Mae as well. He’s a tricky character [laughs] especially playing him dead.

Is he someone you can relate to?

I’d like to hope I’m a loveable, nice guy. I hope there’s a bit of me in that and I hope if somebody killed me I’d seek vengeance. [Laughs] So he’s just like me. He’s a general nice guy who wants a wife, friends, a nice place and a good job. He’s striving to do the best he can in life without hurting anyone, even if he does work as a banker.

How is it having Sarah Harding as your Molly?

I knew they were going after someone starry and me and my mates had bets on who it could be, then they told me it was Sarah Harding – which is amazing. It’s funny because on Hollyoaks you’d meet a girl on the Monday and by the Wednesday you’d be doing the bedroom scenes, taking all our clothes off, so I’m kind of used to all that. When Sarah came in it was like ‘Hey, how are you?’ and then the script required us to kiss pretty much straight away, which was more awkward for her than it was for me, but we’ve got a nice level playing field now and we’re comfortable with each other. It’s been fun getting to know each other.

Why do you think this particular story means so much to so many people?

It’s the everlasting love thing, plus it came out at the beginning of the 90s and there hadn’t been many amazing stories like this. It has a bit of something for everyone in it. There’s the life-everlasting love story and everyone knows someone who has passed on and has that longing to see them again. Also it was when Whoopi Goldberg was at her peak as were Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. It had a stellar cast and the culmination of that with the fact everyone can relate to the story, because something similar has happened to them at some point in their lives, is why it resonates so strongly. That’s why people love the film and why they come and see the stage show, plus it’s almost nostalgic now, isn’t it?

Have you had to learn any new skills for the show? Pottery perhaps?

I can play the guitar a bit but they asked me to play Unchained Melody on the guitar and I was up for doing that. In this version we’ve incorporated the pottery wheel a lot more than in the original stage show but it’s mainly Sarah’s character who gets to use it. The thing I’ve most had to learn is stamina and also that you have to keep going. If we mess up or there’s a sound cue that doesn’t come when it should we have to keep going whereas on TV you can go ‘Sorry, that was rubbish, can we do it again?’ [Laughs] Also if something does go awry I can’t help dig anyone out of it because Sam is dead and no-one can see or hear me.

How easy has it been mastering an American accent?

That’s fine. That’s what I said to them: ‘Acting I can do all day long, I can do accents, whatever you want, what I’m worried about is singing these big songs eight or nine times a week’. What they did, which is lovely, is give me a lot of help with the songs and the music and it’s all come together now. I’ve nailed them.

And have you been hitting the gym for the shirtless scenes?

During rehearsals there hasn’t been time. I’m not out of shape but I’m not Hollyoaks fit. I’m somewhere between Hollyoaks and theatre. And I’m nowhere near Fleeshman. He was like a god when he did it, a little Adonis.

Can you recall when you first saw the movie and what effect did it have on you?

I watched it with my mum and dad. It was like a Sunday family movie and it affected me because it’s when I started getting interested in ghosts and stuff. It was the first time I’d seen it in a film and it’s not there to be scary, it’s there for another reason that you don’t understand as a kid. So that’s the first time I started thinking about ghosts. Nowadays the shadow ghosts that come at the end of the movie to get the baddies aren’t that scary, but they used to scare me senseless.

What are you most looking forward to about the tour?

I’m looking forward to visiting towns and cities I’ve never been to. That’s going to be exciting, but I’m quite a homebody. If I go out partying or with friends I like to go home at the end of the night so it’s going to be a bit weird being away, but it’s part and parcel of the job and hopefully it will lead to other things like this. It’s got me so excited about acting again and it doesn’t just have to be on TV or in a film, I can go on tour and I go do it in another country. Hopefully this will be the gateway to other things. It’s a great show and a great part and I hope I manage to do it justice.

Ghost – The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 14^th to Saturday 19^th November

 

Tickets are from £20.50 to £41.50

 

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Ghost The Musical is playing The Grand Theatre in Leeds, 14 to 19 November.  Fairy Powered Productions was lucky enough to have an interview with Sarah Harding who plays Molly.

How exciting is it to be making your stage debut in Ghost – The Musical?

It’s a bit of everything – excitement, nervousness, fear, elation, everything really. I didn’t know if I had it in me to do a musical because when you’re doing film or TV you can always do retakes, but you can’t do that with a musical. But the one thing you do get is lots of rehearsal time, just like you would have if you were doing a concert tour. It’s like a Girls Aloud tour, except instead of dancing I’m learning lines. I’m learning new songs but I don’t have to learn 20 new dance routines, it’s 20 pages – well, triple that – of dialogue. But your muscle memory takes over and it becomes second nature, just like it did when we were rehearsing our tours back in the day. There’s a bit more to think about, with the staging and the drama and the emotion, and it’s a very heart-felt and touching story.

What was it about this particular show that made you say yes?

I took it on because I really connected with the story. I think everyone can relate on some scale to losing somebody they’ve loved. It really isn’t hard for me to turn on the waterworks. (Laughs)

Has musical theatre always been an ambition?

I did a bit of training in acting when I was younger but singing was always my forte. I’ve done a few bits and bobs acting wise, like St Trinian’s, but this is my first proper lead. There were a few female leads in St Trinian’s but this is the only female lead, apart from Oda Mae Brown [Jacqui Dubois]. It was the same with Girls Aloud; there was me and four other girls. Now when I’m singing my solo it’s all eyes on me and it’s me on my own. I don’t have my dancers like I would if I was doing a solo gig, it’s just me, I’m being Molly, I’m singing a heart-felt ballad and I’m acting at the same time, so it’s a completely different kettle of fish. The singing is completely different too. It’s not like you’re belting out big hits and stuff, it has to come from inside. You have to internalise all that emotion and not be over-the-top with it. I have a whole new appreciation for musical theatre. I’m like the new girl in school.

What’s your take on Molly?

She’s a strong lady but she’s vulnerable. She’s lost the man she thought she was about to marry. She was deeply, devastatingly in love with Sam [Andy Moss] and he was taken from her so suddenly. They never had chance to say goodbye. There was no closure.

Is she someone you can relate to?

Yes, I can. I’ve been heartbroken and it’s really tough. And from Sam’s point of view he probably feels the same because he doesn’t feel it was his time to go. Things have to be resolved before he can finally say goodbye. The final scenes are so touching and I can’t watch the film without crying. Anything with Patrick Swayze in, I love it. He was one of my heartthrobs growing up – him and the John Hughes films.

How is it working with Andy Moss, who plays Sam?

I love Andy so much. He’s like my teddy bear. I’m like ‘Andy, you’re the actor, you’re the professional one, how would you do it?’ We’re doing our duets, there are a few times when it’s us and Sam Ferriday [Carl], then there’s the whole ensemble… We’re becoming like a family. The first week of rehearsals was the toughest for me because most of the cast have done this before. They’ve trained or they’ve acted before full-time. They’ve had that experience I’ve never had before. I’ve been on stage and I’ve been a singer, but I’ve been a pop singer, not a musical theatre singer. But they have taken me under their wing. They’ll go ‘Try it like this’ and if I’ve over-sung something, like I would in the band maybe, they’ll be ‘Hold back and save your voice for this part’. It’s a different mic set-up as well. I’m not holding a mic, I’m acting.

Why do you think this particular story means so much to so many people?

Everybody on their journey in life experiences loss in some way or another. We’re all born, we’re all here, we all love, we all lose and we all have to pass on at some point. It’s a fact of life and it’s telling that story in a tragic but very loving and heart-felt way. It’s about saying goodbye and mourning that loss. It’s just so touching and I’m so honored to be playing this part because the film was one of the most iconic films for me growing up.

What are you most looking forward to about the tour?

Oh man, I’ve missed touring, except I won’t be able to go out on stage and go ‘Hey, Glasgow!’ [Laughs] That won’t be happening. It will be difficult not being able to interact with the audience because I’m so used to getting a crowd going. When it came to going out on stage I’d step up and get into my caricature mode of the leery Sarah everyone thought I was. People are finally going to see that there’s a softer side to me they haven’t seen before. Normally that side is reserved for behind closed doors, for my friends and my family. I don’t like to show weakness. People don’t, do they? People are going to see a whole different side of me and I’m hoping they’ll empathise a little and [laughs] go ‘You know what, maybe she’s not that bad a person after all’. My whole mission is to get the audience crying. I’m going to get this play sponsored by Kleenex! (Laughs)

How will you be spending your downtime? Are you someone who enjoys exploring different towns and cities?

I just like being on the road. I’m quite a free spirit and, like I say, I’m not always 100 mph like everyone thinks I am. I live in the country so it’s very chilled.

When I’m on tour I love to take in new cities and I love to travel. When I toured with the girls I used to go out and explore places with some of the dancers, go for lunch, whatever. I like being on the move. I get bored doing the same thing. I really struggled with a structured job when I finished education. Don’t get me wrong; I’ve done it and I have a huge respect for people who do those jobs because a lot of them are very important. But I’m not that sort of person. [Laughs] Don’t put Baby in a corner! Wrong film, I know, but I feel I’m a cross between Molly from Ghost and Baby from Dirty Dancing.

Will it be strange being on the road without your Girls Aloud bandmates?

It is strange, I’m not gonna lie, but Jacqui who plays Oda Mae has really taken me under her wing. She’s had 30 years’ experience doing this so if there’s anyone who’s going to help me with ‘How would you do that? How would you react? How do internalise? How do you externalise?’ it’s Jacqui. I’m learning all these new different terms like ‘downstage centre’ and ‘midstage centre’. I’m like ‘What? We didn’t have that in the band!’ It was just ‘Get here, get there, here’s your dance partner, get the audience going, belt one out’. I’m hoping this is going to add another string to my bow and it’s going to show people I’m capable of more than just being on stage going ‘Come on everybody!’ It’s a massive learning curve for me. It’s almost like I’ve been sent to summer stage camp. One thing I always wanted to do as a child was go to full-time drama college but my parents couldn’t afford it. So this has been like boot camp and I’m loving it.

Ghost – The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 14^th to Saturday 19^th November

 

Tickets are from £20.50 to £41.50

 

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

GHOST – THE MUSICAL AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

 

STARRING SARAH HARDING AND ANDY MOSS

 

Singer and actress Sarah Harding takes to the Leeds stage next week when Bill Kenwright’s new production of GHOST – THE MUSICAL opens at The Grand Theatre. Sarah stars as ‘Molly’ oppositeAndy Moss, best known for starring as ‘Rhys Ashworth’ in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, as ‘Sam’.

Taking its inspiration from the classic movie, this innovative reimagining will feature an expanded book, new music and original staging; it comes to Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 14^th to Saturday 19^th November.

 

Walking back to their apartment late one night a tragic encounter sees Sam murdered and his beloved girlfriend Molly alone, in despair and lost. But with the help of a phony storefront psychic Sam, trapped between this world and the next, tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving her from grave danger…

 

The Double Academy Award winning movie is a huge success story, both critically and at the box office, where it was the highest grossing film in the year of its release. It starred the late Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Jerry Zucker. Bruce Joel Rubin’s script won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay and Whoopi Goldberg won the Oscar® for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film’s most iconic and moving scene was famously performed to The Righteous Brother’s Unchained Melody, which also features in the musical version.

Bill Kenwright said; “Ghost is a story full of hope, and is one of those films which never leaves you. The book by Bruce Joel Rubin and score by Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballad come together wonderfully in one of my favourite new musicals in years.”

 

Bruce Joel Rubin said; “This is a show with such a strong emotional and musical life that it can mould to many visions and interpretations.  It can be performed on any scale, and its vibrant heart will still captivate an audience and allows the imagination to flourish. It is purely theatrical in the greatest sense.  We are very excited by the potential that the new version holds and elated it will tour the UK with Bill Kenwright”.

Ghost – The Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 14^th to Saturday 19^th November

 

Tickets are from £20.50 to £41.50

 

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

King’s Head Theatre 8 November, 14 November.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Simon Jay’s Edinburgh hit came to the King’s head for the run up to the US election, and after spending election night laughing at the ridiculousness of the Trump, waking up to find that he’ll be the 45th president of the USA wiped the smile from my face. God Bless America.

Simon Jay’s remarkable performance – bright orange face, pursed lips, wild hair, suspiciously stained lapels and those “sincere” hand gestures when stressing a fact/lie – was uncanny. Just enough of a caricature to keep the audience laughing, until his “BBC researcher” came on stage to announce that Trump had won in Ohio, which sent gasps of horror and disbelief around the audience, until we found out that the victory was the number of Trump or Clinton cupcakes sold. The relief was palpable, but the audience mood changed, with a few nervous glances between the Americans present.

Lots of the nonsense Jay spouted was taken from the treasure trove of Trump’s misogynistic, xenophobic, racist soundbites that have warmed our hearts for the past two years, and Trump’s trick of repeating the last word of a sentence because he has no idea what else to say came to the fore to great comic effect.

Starting with gifts and cards from well-wishers – Assange, Farage, May and Putin (inviting Trump to ride bears topless with him!) – a fantastic speech from Melania full of stolen lines from Thatcher, Martin Luther King and Lloyd Webber and an insight into policy decision making (using golf balls), the bulk of the show is a Q&A with the audience, allowing Jay to showcase his brilliant adlibbing, although some questions were greeted with a withering sideways glance that drew big laughs. Americans, women and gays were found and abused in the audience, with the audience being told off for laughing “That’s insensitive”. Questions about the wall “It’s a freedom divider”, Alec Baldwin and Obama’s legacy were dealt with brilliantly, but the best moment came when Trump was asked “Is it true what they say about men with small hands?” with the questioner being taken behind the curtain to find out for himself. Yes, there were a few misfires, but that’s to be expected in a show that relies on audience questions, and whether the bunny game was an illustration of the smoke and mirrors of Trump’s campaign, or mere fluffy padding is debatable.

Interspersed amongst the madness were Trump’s dramatic visions of the future – excerpts of emergency announcements about survival in nuclear bunkers – very scary! After all the bluster and triumphal populist bullshit Jay didn’t give Trump his moment of glory, instead showing Trump having a moment of self-realisation as he imagines himself being sworn in as president, and ending the night in the foetal position on the floor sobbing that he doesn’t want to be president after all.

If only.

Trumpageddon returns to the King’s Head on Monday 14 November, once we’ve all calmed down. Or ordered our nuclear bunker. The Trump was very well behaved after his victory – I am sure Jay’s version of President Elect Trump will be bouncing off the walls and making us laugh and cringe in equal measure.

Paul Taylor-Mills presents

DR SEUSS’S
THE CAT IN THE HAT

RETURNING TO THE PLEASANCE THEATRE, ISLINGTON

FROM TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER 2016 – MONDAY 2 JANUARY 2017

 

Following a run at the Pleasance Theatre, Islington in 2014 and two sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the acclaimed stage adaptation of Dr Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat will return to London this festive season from Tuesday 6 December 2016 to Monday 2 January 2017. On sale now.

From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that the cat in the hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. But what will mum find when she gets home?

Based on the much-loved book by Dr Seuss that has captivated generations of readers, The Cat in the Hat is a lively and engaging first theatre experience for young children aged 3+.

‘Triumphs as the maestro of mischief’
★★★★

The Stage

The Cat in the Hat is presented by Paul Taylor-Mills, who recently became Artistic Director of St. James Theatre, which will be relaunched as The Other Palace in February. Paul’s recent productions include the Olivier Award-winning In The Heights (King’s Cross Theatre), The Last Five Years (St. James Theatre), Side Show (Southwark Playhouse) and Carrie: The Musical (Southwark Playhouse, winner of the 2016 WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production).

Dr Seuss’s The Cat In The Hat, based on the book by Dr. Seuss, was originally produced in 2009 by the National Theatre of Great Britain, and adapted and originally directed by Katie Mitchell. This production is directed by Lillie Collier and designed by David Shields. It is presented through special arrangement with Josef Weinberger Plays Ltd on behalf of Music Theatre International (MTI).

Twitter @CatintheHat_UK | #CatintheHat

LISTINGS

TUESDAY 6 DECEMBER 2016 – MONDAY 2 JANUARY 2017

PLEASANCE THEATRE

Carpenters Mews, North Rd, N7 9EF

Press Performances:   Friday 9 December, 10.30am/1.30pm, Saturday 10 December, 11.00am/2.00pm

Performance Times:   10.30am/11.00am and 1.30pm/2.00pm (see website for daily schedule)

Tickets:                        £7.00 – 12.50

Box Office:                  020 7609 1800| www.pleasance.co.uk

ON SALE NOW