Home

Posted on

Casting announced for Monty Python’s Spamalot at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium

Casting announced for Monty Python’s Spamalot at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium

Director and Choreographer JOANNE HAND

Musical Director JOHN HUDSON

Seven performances only – October 24 to 29

Tickets now available

Casting for the DarlingtonOS upcoming production of Monty Python’s Spamalot, the parody of the Arthurian Legend which won the Tony for Best Musical in 2005, can now be announced.

The cast includes Julian Cound as King Arthur with company newcomer Ruby Hoggarth as the Lady Of The Lake. King

Arthur’s hard-done-to side-kick Patsy will be played by Eddie Jones while the Knights of the Round Table are made up of Leighton Taylor as Sir Lancelot, Neil Harland as Sir Galahad, Jason Slater as Sir Bedevere, and another company newcomer Richard Hamilton as Sir Robin. Alisdair Wilson will play Sir Bors and Hamish Sams will appear as Sir Not Appearing In This Show.

Director Joanne Hand said “I feel so fortunate to have been asked to direct Spamalot for DarlingtonOS. The show is hilarious and full to overflowing with larger than life characters and I can’t wait to start working with this fabulous cast.

DarlingtonOS never fail to put on a spectacular show and Spamalot will be no exception.”

Joanne continued, “It’s easy to understand just why Spamalot is so popular. It’s been touring almost constantly since 2006 with productions taking place in Las Vegas, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Hungary. Millions have seen and enjoyed this show because laughter is universal. Even if you’ve never seen the movie or have any idea of what Monty Python is, you can still appreciate the show and its downright silliness. And I think, especially now, we all need a little laughter and silliness in our lives.”

Monty Python’s Spamalot will have seven performances at the Princess Alexandra Auditorium this autumn – Monday 24 to Saturday 29 October at 7.30pm with a 2pm matinee on Saturday 29 October.

Monty Python’s Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and their quest for the Holy Grail. The show features lusty maidens, dancing divas, a killer rabbit and a legless knight. It has been honored with dozens of awards, including the Grammy for Best Original Cast Recording and three Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Tickets are priced £16 for adults and £10 for children (aged 14 and under) and can be purchased online at www.darlingtonos.org.uk, or by phone on 01325 244659.

Monty Python’s Spamalot has book and lyrics by Eric Idle and music by John Du Prez & Eric Idle. Lovingly ripped off from the motion picture Monty Python and the Holy Grail, by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, Spamalot had its Broadway debut in 2005, directed by Mike Nichols.

Posted on

MARK RYLANCE AND LOUIS JENKINS’ NEW COMIC PLAY NICE FISH TO TRANSFER TO THE WEST END STARRING MARK RYLANCE

Sonia Friedman Productions presents

NICE FISH
by Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins
Directed by Claire van Kampen

  • MARK RYLANCE AND LOUIS JENKINS’ NEW COMIC PLAY, STARRING MARK RYLANCE, TO TRANSFER TO THE WEST END FROM NEW YORK
  • FREE TICKETS IN PRIVATE BOXES WILL BE AVAILABLE EVERY NIGHT TO AUDIENCE MEMBERS DRESSED AS FISH OR FISHERMEN
  • OVER 100 SEATS AT £15 AVAILABLE FOR EVERY PERFORMANCE
  • THE PRODUCTION WILL PLAY AT THE HAROLD PINTER THEATRE FOR A STRICTLY LIMITED RUN FROM 15 NOVEMBER 2016 – 21 JANUARY 2017. PRE-SALE STARTS TODAY WITH GENERAL ONSALE FROM 10AM ON SUNDAY 10 JULY

 

Sonia Friedman Productions is delighted to announce the West End transfer of Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins’ critically-acclaimed new comic play Nice Fish. Direct from sold out seasons at the American Repertory Theater at Harvard University in Cambridge  and St Ann’s Warehouse in New York, Academy and Bafta Award-winner Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies, The BFG, Jerusalem, Farinelli and the King) will return to the West End to perform in the production, directed by Claire van Kampen (Farinelli and the King).

The West End production will open in November 2016 for a strictly limited season at the Harold Pinter Theatre, with a press night on Friday 25 November. Tickets go on sale to priority bookers today and the Box Office opens for general on-sale on Sunday 10 July at 10am.

In a unique collaboration with critically-acclaimed Minnesotan contemporary prose poet Louis Jenkins, Mark Rylance draws on his teenage years in the frozen winters and culture of the American Midwest. This beguiling new play follows an ice fishing expedition where the ordinary and extraordinary collide in a sublimely playful and profound way.

On a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan.   It’s the end of the fishing season and on the frostbitten, unforgiving landscape, two old friends are out on the ice and they are angling for something big, something down there that is pure need, something that, had it the wherewithal, would swallow them whole. 

Keen to hook a ticket?  Then come dressed as a fish or fisherman (with your fishing rod), and get yourself a complimentary ticket in a private box.  Available on a first come first served basis from 6pm on the night of the performance (1.30pm for matinees). One ticket available per person.  Don’t be shellfish, bring a friend!

The full New York cast will transfer to London for the limited season.  Ron (Mark Rylance) and Erik (Jim Lichtscheidl) play old friends whose ordinary lives are comically exposed during the trip. They are joined by Kayli Carter, Bob Davis and Raye Birk.

Mark Rylance last appeared in the West End in Claire van Kampen’s Olivier Award-winningFarinelli and the King (Shakespeare’s Globe, West End). Prior to that he appeared in Tim Carroll’s hugely lauded sell-out productions of Twelfth Night and Richard III (Shakespeare’s Globe, West End, Broadway). All three productions were produced by Sonia Friedman Productions.  Mark’s other recent theatre credits include Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, (Royal Court, West End, Broadway). In 2015 he starred as Thomas Cromwell in the BAFTA-winning BBC2 adaptation of Hilary Mantel’s Booker Prize-winning novelWolf Hall and gave an Academy Award-winning performance in Steven Spielberg’s Bridge of Spies. Later this year Mark will play the title role in Steven Spielberg’s new feature film of Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

Louis Jenkins has 17 collections of poetry and has been published in a number of literary magazines and anthologies. His work has won him multiple awards, including two Bush Foundation Fellowships for poetry, a Loft-McKnight fellowship, and the George Morrison Award. In 2008 Louis started working with Mark Rylance on the stage production of Nice Fish, based on Louis’ poetry. Later this year he will be publishing a new collection of poems.

Claire van Kampen’s critically-acclaimed Farinelli and the King was a sell-out success in the West End in 2015 after transferring from Shakespeare’s Globe. Claire began her theatre career with the RSC and the National Theatre, becoming the first female musical director with either company. She was Associate Artistic Director at Shakespeare’s Globe as well as the founding Director of Theatre Music, and created music for more than 45 of the Globe’s productions.  Other theatre work incudes Twelfth Night and Richard III (Shakespeare’s Globe, West End Broadway) and original scores for Matthew Warchus’ productions of Boeing-Boeing (West End and Broadway) and La Bête (Broadway and West End). Claire’s television and film credits include Peter Kosminsky’s Wolf Hall, Roland Emmerich’s Anonymous and Christian Camargo’sDays and Nights.

Jim Lichtscheidl’s recent UK theatre credits include Tiny Kushner (Tricycle Theatre). His recent US theatre credits include Mr. Burns, A Post Electric Play (American Conservatory Theater), The Miser (Berkeley Rep, Alley Theater, LaJolla Playhouse and Theatre De La Jeune Lune) andSantaland Diaries, (Portland Center Stage). He has also appeared in over 30 productions with the Guthrie Theater. His film work includes A Serious Man, Best Man Down and Factotum. 

The production has set by Todd Rosenthal, costumes by Ilona Somogyi, lighting by Japhy Weideman, sound by Scott W. Edwards and music by Claire van Kampen.

For more information and tickets visit www.nicefishtheplay.co.uk
Twitter: @nicefishtheplay 

The American actors are appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an agreement with Actors’ Equity Association. 

Posted on

Game of Thrones and Skins alums star in John Fowles’ terrifying The Collector

Announcement Productions presents:

THE COLLECTOR
August 2nd – August 28th 2016, The Vaults Theatre

Starring Daniel Portman (Podrick Payne, Game of Thrones) and Lily Loveless (Naomi, Skins), John Fowles’ classic story of obsession comes to the Vaults Theatre in London this August in a brand new production directed by Joe Hufton (Associate Director, Alice’s Adventures Underground; director, Secret Cinema’s Dead Poets Society, Scarlett at Southwark Playhouse, Portia at Theatre503).

“bringing back the plain excitement of suspense” (The New York Times on The Collector)

“It was so easy really. There was a quick struggle but I got her in the van… That first touch – she was so light, so much smaller than I’d thought.”

Frederick Clegg loves Miranda Grey. Miranda Grey loves Frederick Clegg – she just doesn’t know it yet. The Collector tells the story of a lonely young man who collects butterflies and his obsession with a beautiful art student. When he comes into a large amount of money he leaves his job, buys a remote farmhouse and prepares the basement for a very special houseguest. The Collector is an enthralling psychological thriller which brings to life one of British literature’s most notoriously terrifying characters.

**** “director Joe Hufton has dealt with provocative subject matter in a remarkably nuanced way” (Culture Whisper on Scarlett)

John Fowles is a giant of British literature and was named as one of the 50 greatest post war British writers by The Times. His works, including The Magus, The French Lieutenant’s Woman and The Collector have been translated into multiple languages and his several of his works have been adapted for cinema. The Collector was made into a film starring Terrence Stamp and Samantha Eggar in 1965. It was nominated for three Oscars and Samantha Eggar won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Drama).

Lily Loveless – Best Newcomer, Monaco International Film Festival, Fear Of Water

Posted on

SPOTLIGHT TO SPONSOR NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE REP SEASON INDUSTRY PERFORMANCES IN LONDON’S WEST END

SPOTLIGHT TO SPONSOR NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE REP SEASON INDUSTRY PERFORMANCES IN LONDON’S WEST END

  • SPOTLIGHT SPONSORED INDUSTRY PERFORMANCES OF ROMEO AND JULIET (11 OCTOBER), PIGEON ENGLISH (18 OCTOBER) AND DNA (15 NOVEMBER) TO TAKE PLACE  
  • FULL SEASON RUNS AT THE AMBASSADORS THEATRE 20 SEP – 25 NOV AS PART OF NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE’S 60TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH TICKETS AND MORE INFORMATION AT WWW.NYT.ORG.UK 

The National Youth Theatre (NYT) have announced that the UK’s leading casting resource,Spotlight, is to sponsor industry performances for their REP cast in the West End this autumn.  The industry performances of Romeo and Juliet, Pigeon English and DNA, which will take place on Tuesday 11 October, 18 October and 15 November, will offer the opportunity for NYT and Spotlight to work collaboratively to ensure a wide representation of agents and casting directors attend the performances to give the company members the best chances of future success within the industry.

Spotlight, founded in 1927, is the UK’s leading casting resource with a network of over 60,000 performers that are connected to castings submitted by thousands of production companies, broadcasters and independent casting directors who use Spotlight as their key casting platform.

Spotlight’s CEO Ben Seale said, “We are absolutely thrilled to be sponsoring the NYT REP season. Nurturing young, fresh talent and helping provide access to free drama training is crucial to creating the next generation of UK actors.”

The NYT REP is a completely unique, free talent development initiative allowing the best young talent to work for nine months with leading institutions culminating in three months of performances in the West End.  Inspired by traditional repertory training, it was set up by Artistic Director Paul Roseby in 2012 to provide a much needed free alternative to expensive formal training. Over 30,000 audience members, including over 300 school groups from around the UK, have attended since 2013 and this year the REP returns with a 55% BAME cast. REP company alumni include Sope Dirisu who recently starred in BBC1’s Undercover, Kate Kennedy was acclaimed for her performance as Helena earlier this year in the BBC’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Zainab Hasan who appeared in Boy at the Almeida and Luke Pierre and Conor Neaves from the 2015 REP who are currently making their professional debuts at the National Theatre.

The REP season for 2016 includes a brand new production of William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, abridged by Cheek by Jowl’s Owen Horsley and set in 1950s post war London, where brutality, prejudice and ruthless gang culture prevail. The adaption is directed by Kate Hewitt (Far Away and associate director, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory the Musical). Alongside Romeo and Juliet the NYT are to give the West End premiere of Pigeon English, Stephen Kelman’s moving 2011 Man Booker prize shortlisted novel, adapted for stage for by award-winning playwright and Young Vic Genesis Fellow Gbolahan Obisesan (How Nigeria Became). The production follows 11-year-old Ghanaian school boy Harri who lives on an inner city London council estate and looks at the sometimes harsh reality of adulthood in modern day Britain. The 2016 REP season will also include a two week run of Dennis Kelly’s DNA, following a group of teenagers after a practical joke goes tragically wrong, pushing them towards the edges of society.

Founded in 1956 the NYT is the pioneering force for youth theatre around the world and is recognisedas the leading provider of free alternatives to formal theatre training, with alumni including Dame Helen Mirren, Daniel Craig, Chiwetel Ejiofor CBE and Sir Daniel Day Lewis. Since being founded the world’s leading youth arts charity has nurtured the talent of over 100,000 young people.

More information at www.nyt.org.uk
@NYTofGB / @NYTREPcompany

Posted on

Full cast announced for LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, UK Tour

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

 

Touring the UK from August 2016 in a brand new production

 

 

Full casting is announced today for hit musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors, bringing everyone’s favourite carnivorous plant to theatres across the UK in a brand new tour for 2016, opening at Bournemouth Pavilion on Thursday 4 August 2016. Full tour schedule attached. There will be a press night at New Wimbledon Theatre on Tuesday 23 August.

 

The cast will feature Sam Lupton (Boq in Wicked, West End, Avenue Q, UK Tour) as Seymour, Stephanie Clift(Mamma Mia!, West End) as Audrey, Paul Kissaun (Calamity Jane, Fiddler on the Roof, UK Tours) as Mushnik,Sasha Latoya (Rent, Greenwich Theatre, Britain’s Got Talent) as Crystal, Vanessa Fisher (Hairspray, UK Tour) as Chiffon, Cassie Clare (Cats, West End) as Ronnette and Josh Wilmott (Spamalot, We Will Rock You, UK Tours) as Audrey II. The cast also includes Phil Adele, Stephanie McConville and Neil Nicholas.

 

They join the previously announced Rhydian as The Dentist, Orin Scrivello. Rhydian rose to fame as a runaway success on ITV’s X Factor and has sold in excess of a million albums worldwide. He has released 6 albums and duetted and performed with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion and Nicole Scherzinger. Rhydian’s many theatre credits include Grease, We Will Rock You, The War Of The Worlds, Jesus Christ Superstar and the 40th Anniversary Tour of The Rocky Horror Show. Rhydian has just completed his third solo UK tour and is a Classical Brit Award nominee.

 

A charming, kooky and hilarious 1950s musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of Seymour, the assistant at Mushnik’s Flower Shop in downtrodden Skid Row, who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers a strange and exotic plant. He names it Audrey Two in order to impress glamorous Audrey, the shop assistant he’s secretly in love with. But Audrey Two has a mind of its own, and soon grows into a bad-tempered, foul-mouthed carnivore with an appetite that can’t be satisfied. Seymour must keep the meals coming to stop his prized plant from wilting, but how far is he willing to go to get the girl of his dreams?

 

Little Shop of Horrors originally opened Off-Off-Broadway in 1982 before moving to the Orpheum Theatre Off-Broadway later that year, where it ran for five years and won numerous awards including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical. It opened in the West End the following year, and in 1986 was adapted into the now iconic cult film starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin. Other notable stage productions include the 2006 London revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End, starring Sheridan Smith as Audrey.

 

Little Shop of Horrors features music by Alan Menken and book and lyrics by Howard Ashman. They are best known for their collaborations on iconic Walt Disney films including The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, for which they received Academy Awards.

Little Shop of Horrors is directed by Tara Wilkinson (Associate Director of Motown the Musical, Memphis andSunday in the Park With George, all in the West End) with choreography by Matthew Cole (Footloose The Musical UK Tour), design by David Shields, lighting design by Charlie Morgan Jones and sound design by Gareth Owen. The Musical Supervisor is Mark Crossland. It is presented by Sell a Door Theatre Company and Damien Tracey Productions by arrangement with Music Theatre International (Europe) Limited. Sell a Door Theatre Company have previously toured critically acclaimed productions of Avenue Q, The History Boys, American Idiotand Seussical the Musical.

 

www.littleshopuktour.com

@LittleShopTour

Posted on

Twitter goes barking mad for theatre marketing campaign

When the York Theatre Royal communications team were thinking up fun ideas to promote their new summer show Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles, one idea for a fun social media campaign set their metaphorical tails wagging: #DogsInDeerstalkers. The idea was to ask members of the public to post photos of their beloved pooches wearing Sherlock Holmes’ iconic headgear, tagging the theatre’s @YorkTheatre Twitter account of @YorkTheatreRoyal Instagram account.

What began as a bit of a joke soon spread like wildfire online, with Mark Gatiss, creator of the highly acclaimed BBC Sherlock series getting involved, sharing a photo of his Labrador Bunsen with the theatre. His photo has proved to be one of the most popular ever posted by the theatre, with over 500 likes and 144 shares. The trend was then picked up by the Radio Times who commented:

#DogsInDeerstalkers is a thing and Mark Gatiss has joined in.

 

Many other comments soon followed, with showbiz and entertainment news website Digital Spy saying:

Isn’t the Sherlock-inspired #DogsInDeerstalkers the best Twitter trend EVER?!

Members of the public added:

#DogsInDeerstalkers is making this day so much more bearable

#DogsInDeerstalkers is a wonderful hashtag on here

#DogsInDeerstalkers this is the hashtag I need in my life

So far, tweets using the #DogsInDeerstalkers hashtag have brought awareness of the Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles campaign to over 100,000 Twitter users, which is certainly nothing to shake (or throw), a stick at.

Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles will take place at York Theatre Royal from Friday 29 July to Saturday 27 August. Performance times are 7pm with 2.30pm matinees (see yorktheatreroyal.co.uk for a full performance schedule). Tickets are on sale now priced £24 – £10 (£1.50 transaction fee per booking) from theYork Theatre Royal Box Office in person, by phone on 01904 623568 or securely online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk.

Posted on

Full cast announced for Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story

THE WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL ROCK & ROLL MUSICAL

 

BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

 

 

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED

2017 DATES ADDED DUE TO HUGE DEMAND!

 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

 

Due to phenomenal demand for tickets and with more dates still to be added Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has announced it will play at least an additional 23 theatres in 2017, extending the autumn 2016 tour which opens at Harlow Playhouse on Wednesday 31 August.

As we approach Wednesday 7 September, Buddy Holly’s 80th Birthday, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story tells the enduring tale of the musical icon’s meteoric rise to fame and his final legendary performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, before his tragic and untimely death at the age of 22. In 18 short months the Texas-born boy revolutionized the face of contemporary music influencing everyone from The Beatles to Bruce Springsteen.

The production boasts a phenomenally multi-talented cast comprising of Glen Joseph and AlexFobbester (who alternate the role of Buddy Holly), Miguel Angel, Joe Butcher, Celia Cruwys-Finnigan, Jordan Cunningham, Josh Haberfield, Kerry Low, Thomas Mitchells, Matthew Quinn, Tom Sowinski and Alex Tosh. Together they present two terrific hours of music with over 20 of his greatest hits, including the timeless classics That’ll Be The Day, Peggy Sue, Oh Boy and Rave On.

With the Big Bopper’s Chantilly Lace and Ritchie Valens’ La Bamba completing a stellar musical line-up, Buddy is a not to be missed evening of family entertainment.

Although there have been many imitations Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has stood the test of time. The show has inspired a generation of multi-million selling juke-box musicals, includingMamma Mia and We Will Rock You, still remains a true original and a musical phenomenon.

Seen by over 22 million music fans since it opened in London’s West End in 1989, Buddy speaks an international language and continues to have audiences from aged 8 to 80 years old rockin’ in the aisles across the globe!

Buddy’s widow, Maria Elena Holly, says of the show: “When we opened the show we never imagined Buddy’s music and story would still be rocking stages and entertaining audiences around the world week-in week-out over 25 years later. I believe this is testament to a great show – the first of its kind – and to the enduring appeal of Buddy Holly and what he represents; a youthful energy, huge talent and creativity, combined with a determination to make a lasting impression in this world.”

Writer/Producer Alan Janes says “Audiences aged 8 to 80 dance in the aisles every night to our enactment of the story of a young man whose musical career spanned an all-too-brief period but whose music will be remembered forever”.

WEBSITE| FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Posted on

FEEL THE LOVE WITH SHEFFIELD PEOPLE’S THEATRE IN A DREAM AT THE CRUCIBLE THEATRE

         ST_logo_main_cmyk

 

FEEL THE LOVE WITH SHEFFIELD PEOPLE’S THEATRE IN

A DREAM AT THE CRUCIBLE THEATRE

 

Sheffield Theatres is delighted to welcome the return of Sheffield People’s Theatre to the Crucible stage for the world première of Chris Bush’s comedy, A Dream, a modern day mash up of Shakespearean romance, from Wednesday 13 – Saturday 16 July.

 

‘Kiss me tonight. Anything else can wait ‘til morning.’

It’s Midsummer’s Eve and there is mischief in the air.  Music thuds from the city below. Drink flows, songs are sung and vows are made.  The staff in the A & E Department of the local hospital welcome a flurry of patients through their doors.  All seem vaguely familiar and all seem to be under the influence of something very powerful…

Join a host of Shakespearian characters re-imagined for the 21st Century in A Dream.  performed bySheffield People’s Theatre – a community cast and technical team, aged from 12 to 88 years.  This play celebrates love in all its guises and is guaranteed to delight audiences of all ages.

A Dream comes to the Crucible Theatre from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 July. Tickets are on sale now, priced at £15.00 (concessions available) and can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in person, by calling 0114 249 6000, and online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk. A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash.

 

This production is supported by

 

EF_logo_4col

Posted on

Cast and Tour Dates for Night Must Fall

Niamh McGrady and Will Featherstone will star as Olivia and Dan respectively in the national tour of Emlyn Williams’s psychological thriller, NIGHT MUST FALL, directed by Luke Sheppard, joining the previously announced Gwen Taylor as Mrs Bransom and Daragh O’Malley as Inspector Belsize, along with Alasdair Buchan as Hubert, Anne Odeke as Nurse Libby, Mandi Symonds as Mrs Terence and Melissa Vaughan as Dora.

Niamh McGrady is best known for playing the regular characters Mary-Claire Carter in Holby City (BBC) and PC Danielle Ferrington in three series of The Fall (BBC). Her theatre credits include Twelfth Night (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Macbeth (Chichester Festival Theatre, West End and Broadway).

Will Featherstone’s theatre credits include Dr. Scroggy’s War, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It and Anne Boleyn for Shakespeare’s Globe, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Comedy of Errors for Propeller, and The History Boys for Sheffield Crucible. Screen credits including Fresh Meat (Channel 4), Endeavour (ITV), Ashes to Ashes (BBC) and Midsomer Murders (ITV), as well as the forthcoming feature film A United Kingdom, starring Rosamund Pike and David Oyelowo.

When charming, smooth-talking Dan arrives at old Mrs Bramson’s remote woodland home, he soon ingratiates his way into her life and that of her niece, Olivia. But when a local woman goes missing and is later found murdered, Olivia begins to suspect her aunt’s new private assistant. She resolves to find out the truth.

Emlyn Williams wrote NIGHT MUST FALL in 1935 and played the lead role in the first stage production. The play was noted for its exploration of the killer’s complex psychological state, a step forward for its genre. Robert Montgomery starred in the film version in 1937 and Albert Finney in the 1964 re-make.

Emlyn Williams’ Night Must Fall Trailer

NIGHT MUST FALL will be designed by David Woodhead, with sound and music by Harry Blake and lighting by Howard Hudson. The national tour is produced by Alastair Whatley and Tom Hackney for The Original Theatre Company and Sebastian Warrack for Salisbury Playhouse, in association with Eastbourne Theatres.

Website: www.originaltheatre.com
Facebook: TheOriginalTheatre
Twitter: @OriginalTheatre

Age guidance 12+

TOUR SCHEDULE
19 August – 3 September Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne
www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk 01323 412000

6 – 24 September Salisbury Playhouse
www.salisburyplayhouse.com 01722 320333

28 September – 1 October Belgrade Theatre, Coventry
www.belgrade.co.uk 024 7655 3055

4 – 8 October Festival Theatre, Malvern
www.malvern-theatres.co.uk 01684 892277

17 – 22 October New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich
www.wolseytheatre.co.uk 01473 295900

25 – 29 October Exeter Northcott Theatre
www.exeternorthcott.co.uk 01392 726 363

1 – 5 November Palace Theatre, Southend
www.palacetheatresouthend.co.uk 01702 351135

8 – 12 November Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
www.everymantheatre.org.uk 01242 572573

15 – 19 November York Theatre Royal
www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 623568

29 November – 3 December Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk 01483 440000

Posted on

Casting announced for the concert production of The Hired Man

West End stars Jenna Russell (Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday In The Park With George) and John Owen-Jones (Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera) will lead the cast in the roles of John and Emily. Owen-Jones is currently performing as Jean Valjean on Broadway, while Russell was most recently seen in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Doctor Faustus at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

Matthew Seadon-Young (Billy Elliot, Urinetown) will appear in the role of Jackson, while John’s brothers Isaac and Seth will be played by Nigel Richards(Phantom of the Opera) and Stewart Clarke (Assassins) respectively. Clarke’s parents, actors Paul Clarkson and Julia Hills, created the roles of John and Emily in the original production of The Hired Man.

Completing the front line as May is Evelyn Hoskins, currently appearing in Alan Ayckbourn’s Hero’s Welcome in New York and recently seen in Carrie at Southwark Playhouse and Wonder.land at the National Theatre.

As previously announced, the concert is to be narrated by Lord Melvyn Bragg himself, upon whose novel the musical was based. Bragg is perhaps best known to London audiences as the face of The Southbank Show for over three decades on BBC and ITV.

Set in the agricultural and industrial heartlands of Cumbria at the turn of the 20th century, The Hired Man tells the tale of John and Emily Tallentire as they go from two young lovers setting off in married life together to parents struggling to eke out an existence for their family as war looms across the continent. As the 100th anniversary of the first world war is commemorated and with communities in industrial towns across the country struggling to hold onto their way of life, this powerful tale of labour and love is more poignant now than ever.

The ensemble and live orchestra bringing this timeless score to life will be under the baton of conductor Andrew Linnie (The Commitments). The production will also feature evocative projections by designer Barret Hodgson and direction by Samuel Hopkins.

The original West End production in 1984 earned four Olivier nominations, and was proclaimed ‘Best New Musical’ by the Ivor Novello awards, The Guardian, The Stage and Time Out.

Tickets are now on sale through Cadogan Hall’s Box Office on 020 7730 4500, or at www.cadoganhall.com.
Twitter @hiredmanconcert