STOMP breaks records at Ambassadors Theatre, London

STOMP

HAS TWO RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCES ON

WEDNESDAY 28 & THURSDAY 29 DECEMBER 2016

AT LONDON’S AMBASSADORS THEATRE

AND RECORDED THE HIGHEST EVER WEEKLY NET

IN THE HISTORY OF THE THEATRE

STOMP in London finished 2016 on a high with two consecutive record-breaking performances on Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 December, when they posted the highest ever net box office figures for STOMP at the Ambassadors Theatre, beating the previous record set on Saturday 14 February 2015.  These two performances are also the highest netting performances of any production in the theatre’s 104-year history.  The show also recorded the highest ever weekly net in the history of the Ambassadors Theatre.

STOMP turned 25 in August 2016 and will celebrate its 15th birthday in London and its 10th birthday at the Ambassadors Theatre in September 2017.

 

STOMP was created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas and was first performed in 1991 in Edinburgh.  The show played Sadler’s Wells Theatre in January 1994 and won the Olivier Award for Best Choreography, before opening in New York in February of the same year.  The European company was created in 1997 and began the show’s London run at the Vaudeville Theatre on 25 September 2002, transferring to the Ambassadors Theatre on 27 September 2007.

One of Britain’s greatest exports, STOMP has toured the globe for 25 years, playing to more than 12 million people in 53 countries across 6 continents. There are currently four STOMP companies performing worldwide, including New York, where the show has been running for over 22 years, London, now in its 15th year, a world tour and a North American tour.  Last year, STOMP completed a very successful 10-week season in Beijing and visited India for the first time in December, playing a two-week sell-out run in Mumbai.

STOMP is presented in London by Yes/No Productions and Glynis Henderson Productions Limited.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Ambassadors Theatre

West Street

London WC2H 9ND

Box Office: 020 7395 5405

Tickets from £26 + a £2.50 transaction fee

Performances: Monday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 6pm, with matinees Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 3pm

Extra Performances at 3pm & 8pm on Wednesday 15 February, Wednesday 12 April, Wednesday 5 & 12 July, Wednesday 2 & 9 August, Wednesday 18 & 25 October 2017

N.B. No 3pm matinee on Thursday 7 & 14 September 2017

Running Time: 100 minutes with no interval

Current Booking Period: to 7 January 2018

www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk

www.stomplondon.com

@StompLDN

The Bread & Roses Theatre announces its Winter Season 2017

The Bread & Roses Theatre announces its Winter Season 2017

 January – March 2017 – www.BreadandRosesTheatre.co.uk

68 Clapham Manor Street, SW4 6DZ Clapham, London

 

“This venue is quickly shaping up as one of the most exciting ones amongst the London pub theatres!”  – RemoteGoat

 

The Bread & Roses Theatre is entering its third year and we have another brimming season lined up, featuring revivals, new writing and many returning companies.

Our theatre year kicks off straight away with Between a Man and a Woman written & directed by Scott James (4th to 14th January). This new and harrowing drama focuses on the taboo subject of domestic violence and questions as to whether we can fully know what goes on behind closed doors and within the sanctity of marriage. Later in the month we then welcome a new musical one-woman-show about a perpetual millennial trying to find her way in the world, A Snap Musical written & performed by Lauren Stones (24th to28th January). Taking is into February is Necessity written & directed by Paul Macauley (31st January to 4th February), a new play about our need to hold on to ideals and what we create in the world when our needs go unmet, coming to the Bread & Roses Theatre after a hugely successful sell-out run at Brighton Fringe. Brand new theatre company Bag of Beard also make their debut with Two Short Stories (6th to 10th March), featuring Torn Apart by Christopher Georgiou & Shauna McLean and Bath by Alexander Knott.

Furthermore, we will host a revival of Patrick Marber’s iconic Closer (19th to 22nd January), which looks unblinkingly at modern relationships, in which sex is the subject even when it’s not, honesty is not always the best policy, and people with choices seem to only be able to make the wrong one.  And the season features another revival, which will be Nick Payne’s Constellations (28thFebruary to 4th March), a play about free will and friendship; it’s about quantum multiverse theory, love and honey, and won the Evening Standard award for Best New Play in 2012. Later in the season we will welcome Purple Cast Productions with a double ‘Bill’ Shakespeare of Macbeth & Twelfth Night (21st March to 1st April).

 

Audley & Co. Productions return to our theatre with Sisters written & directed by Natalie Audley (7th to 11th February) as do our associate company Get Over It Productions with their acclaimed all-female production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew (21st to 25th February), Free Rayne Artists with the third instalment of their new writing night Spiral (12th to 14th March), and Third Person with improvisational show Clowns Are Not Funny (5th February, 5th March & 7th May). Also returning are Goblin Baby Theatre Co. with a series of shows, which are: Where do we go from here? (12th & 13th February), script-in-hand performances responding to Brexit & Trump; a V-Day benefit production of Eve Ensler’s iconic and award-winning The Vagina Monologues (16th to 18thFebruary); & Screw the Looking-Glass a work-in-progress showing of a new darkly-comic one-woman show written & performed by Tessa Hart.

Furthermore, the The Bread & Roses Theatre continues its support for playwrights and theatre-makers with several free events: Playwrights Circle (30th January, 27th February & 27th March), a friendly and supportive group in which playwrights can share their work and work-in-progress, & Networking Event (20th February), for those interested in bringing their own work to the venue.

End of last year Godiva Films also released a short documentary about The Bread & Roses Theatre’s journey up to its 2nd year anniversary (www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DxL0Jkxldw) and the theatre was named as a recipient of the ICWP 50/50 Applause Award for the second year in a row.

For details on all listings and more head to www.breadandrosestheatre.co.uk.

Phone: 020 8050 3025

Zombies and privatised medicine at Theatre N16 next week

Thick & Thin Theatre present:

BRAINS
January 11th – 14th 2017, Theatre N16

Following the sell-out shows Toxicity and Slight Delay in 2016, Thick & Thin Theatre present a brand new play about money, drugs and… zombies. WARNING: ‘BRAINS’ contains strong language, scenes of violence and drug use, awkward romantic encounters and the wrath of an undead scientist.

In the not so distant future humanity has fallen victim to a disease, turning people into flesh craving, drooling, rotting versions of themselves. However, the clichéd disease spells good news for one company – business is booming at MediBite Inc., where sales of their drugs and medical products have shot through the roof.

After waking himself up with his daily cocktail of drugs, Harry, the money obsessed manager, does his best to keep his terrifying CEO, Ursula, happy, while also keeping his eye on his niece and apathetic new intern, Tina. Meanwhile, accountant and hopeless romantic Jeff shows skeptical new salesman, Rosie, around the office…. However, everything changes when smug scientist Stuart finds a cure for the disease that has ravaged the world.

Thick & Thin Theatre are a young company based in London, founded in 2016 by Cameron Szerdy, Tom Spencer & Jack Dent.  They enjoy creating theatre that’s funny, fast paced and tinged with irony; taking everyday settings and injecting them with a generous helping of the absurd; and above everything else, they aim to make people laugh.

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing theatre company, dedicated to creating a creative hub where new and existing works can be explored and pushed into new realms. Theatre N16 is proud of their commitment to the welfare of creatives, operating under an Equity Fringe Agreement. This promoting and nurturing of talent means that Theatre N16 is a bastion for development within the context of a society in which the arts are increasingly struggling to stay afloat.

WHAT SHALL WE DO WITH THE CELLO? by Matei Visniec UK premiere at the London VAULT Festival 2017


Emma Hatton and Gian Marco Schiaretti to star in 2017 UK tour of Evita

BILL KENWRIGHT

BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP
PRESENTS

WEST END LEADING LADY EMMA HATTON AS EVA PERÓN 

LEADING ITALIAN ACTOR GIAN MARCO SCHIARETTI AS CHE

IN

EVITA

Lyrics by TIM RICE Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

Following its smash hit run at London’s Dominion Theatre, Bill Kenwright’s production of the extraordinary musical, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, is set to thrill audiences once again across the UK, opening in Bromley on Thursday 12 January.

Taking on the iconic role of Eva Perón will be one of musical theatre’s most exciting leading ladies today, Emma Hatton. She recently finished wowing audiences in the lead role of Elphaba in the West End’s production of Wicked. Prior to this she performed the principle roles of Scaramouche and Meatloaf in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, and Donna in the West End production of Dreamboats and Petticoats.

 

In addition to her success in musical theatre, Emma continues to perform regularly as a jazz and blues singer to much critical acclaim, with previous residencies and appearances including The Savoy Hotel, and Ronnie Scott’s. Her one-woman show, Songbird, sold out at the Live at Zedel’s season for Crazy Coqs and was followed by Unforgettable at the Jazz Café for the London Jazz Festival. In 2015, Emma recorded her first EP with Anthony Strong entitled Merry Christmas, Darling which went straight to Number 1 in the iTunes Jazz charts and she is currently working with Anthony on her next EP.

Making his UK debut is leading Italian performer Gian Marco Schiaretti who will be taking on the role of Che, a character who reflects the voice of the Argentine people – linked to Eva by destiny; he brings conflict to the story of Eva’s rise to fame. Gian Marco Schiaretti most recently played the title role of Tarzan in Disney’s Musical Tarzan, in Stuttgart. Prior to this he played Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet across Italy.

Joining them will be Kevin Stephen-Jones, set to play Argentine President Juan Perón. He has performed extensively across the UK and Europe in over 20 different operas. His musical theatre credits include Cats, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and Love Beyond.

The cast is completed by Oscar Balmaseda, Sarah O’Connor, Natalie Langston, George Arvidson, Lewis Barnshaw, Jessica Ellen, Callum Fitzgerald, Kellie Gnauck, Dominic Adam Griffin, Kate Leiper, Joe McCourt, Jude Neill, Chrissie Perkins, Oliver Slade, Matias Stegmann and Yuval Zoref.

Telling the story of Eva Perón, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Perón, Evita follows Eva’s journey from humble beginnings through to extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately lead her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’ by the Argentine people.

With more than 20 major awards to its credit, and an Oscar winning film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita is iconic. Featuring some of the best loved songs in musical theatre, including Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, On This Night of a Thousand Stars, You Must Love Me, and Another Suitcase in Another Hall, this spectacular production promises once again to be the theatrical event of the year. Don’t miss the 2017 UK tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s extraordinary musical Evita.

www.kenwright.com

THE CRITICS’ CIRCLE THEATRE AWARDS 2016 – 31 JANUARY 2017

Awards to take place on Tuesday 31 January 2017

Renowned industry figure Terri Paddock to produce ceremony at Prince of Wales Theatre

 
The Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards 2016 will take place on Tuesday 31 January 2017 at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London’s West End, hosted by Critics’ Circle Drama Section Chairman Mark Shenton, with regular guest speakerArthur Smith introducing the prestigious awards in much-loved tradition.
 
For the first time, renowned industry figure Terri Paddock has joined the team to produce the Awards, which are once again generously sponsored and presented in association with Nyman Libson Paul Chartered Accountants, leading entertainment industry specialists; and, for the twelfth year, supported by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres. Innovations for 2017 include the launch of a dedicated Awards website, Twitter and Facebook channels and new online voting for critics. As part of the extra emphasis on developing digital aspects of the awards, and engagement with critics and industry alike, acceptance speeches will be broadcast for the first time, streamed via Facebook Live on the day.
 
The Awards can be found online here:
Critic’s Circle Theatre Awardscriticscircletheatreawards.com
Twitter @CCTAwards / Facebook CCTAwards
 
As ever, the ceremony will provide an informal gathering of award recipients, the drama critics, theatre practitioners and the media, convivially coming together to celebrate the critics’ personal choice of the best theatre, from throughout the UK, during the last calendar year. Since the Awards’ inception in 1989 the theatre critics, consisting entirely of respected and influential working journalists, have prided themselves on offering something unique on the packed theatre awards circuit: each member of the Drama Section independently casts their vote based on personal choice, free of any discussion or industry influence, ensuring a highly democratic voting process.
 
Section Chairman Mark Shenton said: “More than ever, The Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards offers an independent and indispensable reward to the best theatre of 2016, free of editorial interference or industry lobbying or pressures.  The awards are also finally moving into the digital age with a Facebook and Twitter presence that will also make the acceptance speeches available live and in real time to global audiences.”

FOOTLOOSE returns for 2017 UK Tour and limited season at Peacock Theatre

FOOTLOOSE: THE MUSICAL

THE SMASH HIT PRODUCTION RETURNS IN 2017

LAUNCHING A NEW UK TOUR AT NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE ON FRIDAY 21 APRIL 2017

WITH A STRICTLY LIMITED WEST END SEASON AT THE PEACOCK THEATRE

FROM TUESDAY 12 TO SATURDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2017

 

 

Following a smash-hit 2016 tour which saw over 160,000 people cut loose across the UK, Footloose: The Musical will burst back onto the stage in 2017 when an International Tour launches from New Wimbledon Theatre on Friday 21 April. The tour will include a strictly limited West End season at the Peacock Theatre, playing for three weeks from Tuesday 12 September 2017.  Full tour schedule attached.

 

Based on the 1984 screen sensation starring Kevin Bacon, Footloose: The Musical tells the story of city boy Ren, who has to move to a rural backwater in America where dancing is banned. All hell breaks out as Ren breaks loose and soon has the whole town up on its feet. Featuring classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear it for the Boy and the unforgettable title track, Footloose: The Musical is set to take the world by storm once again, bursting with youthful spirit, dazzling dance and electrifying music.

 

When the film was released in 1984, it became the highest-grossing February release in US film history.  The soundtrack album ended the year-long reign of Michael Jackson’s Thriller at number one and went on to top album charts all over the world, eventually selling in excess of 17 million copies.  Footloose was nominated for a Golden Globe, and both the title song and Let’s Hear It for the Boy received Academy Award nominations.Footloose: The Musical first opened on Broadway in 1998 where it ran for 709 performances, with a London production following in 2006.

 

Gareth Gates and Maureen Nolan will reprise their roles as Willard and Vi Moore.

 

Gareth Gates rose to fame through the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, going on to sell over 5 million records worldwide and have hits across the globe. His version of Unchained Melody sold over a million copies in the UK and is the 3rd best-selling single of the Noughties. Gareth is also the youngest ever-male solo artist to debut at number 1.  More recently Gareth has enjoyed a successful career on stage, with credits including Les Misérables, Legally Blonde and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. In 2014 Gareth appeared in the final series of Dancing on Ice, and joined boyband 5th Story as part of ITV’s second series of The Big Reunion, touring arenas with bands including Blue and Five.

Gareth will not appear in Wimbledon and Chester.

Maureen Nolan has been singing with her sisters since she was nine years old, when they became one of Europe’s first girl bands, The Nolans. Best known for their smash hit single I’m in the Mood for Dancing, The Nolans enjoyed phenomenal record sales worldwide, and worked with some of the world’s most respected artists including Frank Sinatra. On stage, Maureen has played Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers in the West End and on tour to critical acclaim. She was the fourth Nolan sister to play the role, earning them entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. Other credits include Sadie in Girl’s Behind, Jill in Mum’s the Word and Sarah in The Naked Truth.

Further casting is to be announced.

 

Footloose: The Musical has music by Tom Snow and lyrics by Dean Pitchford, and is adapted for the stage by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. It is based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. It is directed by Racky Plews (American Idiot, West End) with choreography by Matthew Cole, design by Sara Perks and musical supervision by Mark Crossland. It is produced by David Hutchinson and Phillip Rowntree for Selladoor Productions, Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Jason Haigh-Ellery and Stephen McGill Productions. It is presented by arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe.

 

www.footloose-musical.com

@FootlooseTour

 

2017 UK TOUR

Friday 21 – Saturday 22 April 2017

NEW WIMBLEDON THEATRE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre | 020 8545 7900

Gareth Gates will not appear in Wimbledon

Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 May 2017

YORK GRAND OPERA HOUSE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york | 0844 871 3024

Monday 8 – Saturday 13 May 2017

WYCOMBE SWAN THEATRE

Box Office www.wycombeswan.co.uk | 01494 512 000

Monday 15 – Saturday 20 May 2017

RICHMOND THEATRE

Box Office www.atgtickets.com/richmond | 0844 871 7651

Monday 22 – Saturday 27 May 2017

QUEEN’S THEATRE, HORNCHURCH

Box Office www.queens-theatre.co.uk | 01708 443333

Tuesday 30 May – Saturday 3 June 2017

BUXTON OPERA HOUSE

Box Office www.buxtonoperahouse.org.uk | 01298 72190

Monday 5 – Saturday 10 June 2017

VENUE CYMRU, LLANDUDNO

Box Office www.venuecymru.co.uk | 01492 872000

Tuesday 13 – Saturday 17 June 2017

COVENTRY BELGRADE THEATRE

Box Office www.belgrade.co.uk | 024 7655 3055

Monday 19 – Saturday 25 June 2017

SWANSEA GRAND THEATRE

Box Office www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseagrandtheatre | 01792 475715

 

Monday 10 – Saturday 15 July 2017

GUILDFORD G LIVE

Box Office www.glive.co.uk | 0844 7701 797

Wednesday 19 – Saturday 22 July 2017

CHURCHILL THEATRE, BROMLEY

Box Office www.churchilltheatre.co.uk | 020 3285 6000

Wednesday 26 July – Sunday 6 August 2017

KURSAAL OOSTENDE, BELGIUM

 

Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 August 2017

DEVONSHIRE PARK THEATRE, EASTBOURNE

Box Office www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk | 01323 412 000

Monday 21 – Saturday 26 August 2017

THE TOWNGATE THEATRE, BASILDON

Box Office www.towngatetheatre.co.uk | 01268 465 465

 

Tuesday 5 – Saturday 9 September 2017

STORYHOUSE THEATRE, CHESTER

Box Office www.storyhouse.com | 0845 241 7868 

Gareth Gates will not appear in Chester

Tuesday 12 – Saturday 30 September 2017

THE PEACOCK THEATRE, LONDON

Performances Tue-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 4.00pm

Box Office www.peacocktheatre.com | 020 7863 8222

ON SALE FRIDAY 30 DECEMBER

2017 VAULT Festival – A Year From Now and This Must Be The Place

This Must Be The Place

by Brad Birch and Kenneth Emson

Vault Festival, The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN

Wednesday 8 th February – Sunday 12th February 2017

In an exhilarating first time collaboration between Pinter Commission winning Brad Birch and BAFTA-nominated Kenneth Emson, This Must Be The Place makes its London premiere at Vault following an acclaimed debut performance at Latitude Festival 2016. The production is staged by Poleroid Theatre – the company behind triple Off West End Award nominated Free Fall by Vinay Patel and the nationwide new writing platform Write It: Mic It.

Adam, a young Londoner in the midst of crisis, desperately tries for a clean break from technology, love, connectivity and the pressures of city life in an attempt to find home. A million miles away, or perhaps not so far, two friends try to start again in the big smoke as fugitives from their problems, but find they are still waiting on the margins.

Two short ballads about being alive and not… This Must Be The Place is a story about migration, missed connections and life on the edge of respectability. It’s about where we are now and whether we are really living. It is both frantic and funny, quiet and thoughtful, sometimes bleak, but never without a sense of hope.

This Must Be The Place expertly interweaves these two stories together but director Justin Audibert also leaves audiences to make their own connections between the plays and character’s stories – are they intertwined or aren’t they? The stories are brought to life by a talented ensemble of four actors using Poleroid’s trademark theatre combined with live gig.

Kenneth Emson and Brad Birch put the financial and emotional stress of young adults in the UK today in the spotlight. This Must Be The Place seeks to explore whether we can truly cope with the pressure of expectation, success, forced connectivity and an overload of information in our technological age, or if this is significantly contributing to mental instability and displacement.

Director Justin Audibert comments, Kenneth and Brad are two of the most urgent yet humane playwrights working today. Their work explores the dark undercurrents of life in the 21st century but does so from the perspective of those on the margins whose stories we rarely get to hear. They are also artists whose work challenges the boundaries of what the live experience of theatre can be.

Four outstanding performances from Mike Noble, Feliks Mathur, Molly Roberts and Hamish Rush … This Must Be The Place is a masterful look at life’s transitions and the connections that make us who we are (A Younger Theatre).

Title This Must Be The Place by Brad Birch and Kenneth Emson

Performance Dates Wednesday 8 th – Sunday 12th February 2017, 7:45pm

Running time 60 minutes

Twitter @PoleroidTheatre, @VaultFestival, #ThisMustBeThePlace

Website http://www.poleroidtheatre.co.uk/

Writers Brad Birch and Kenneth Emson

Director Justin Audibert

Producer Poleroid Theatre

Assistant Producer Corinne Salisbury

Location VAULT Festival, The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN

 

A Year From Now

VAULT Festival, The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN

Wednesday 25th January – Sunday 29th January 2017

14 VOICES. 5 ACTORS. ONE YEAR.

This new production from RedBellyBlack Theatre is a fascinating combination of verbatim and physical theatre, using movement and audio narrative, that asks 14 people ‘where do you see yourself a year from now?’. Children, nonagenarians, new parents and trauma survivors talk to the audience about their perspective on the passing of time.

Following a successful run at Tristan Bates Theatre, A Year From Now returns to the stage with new answers to some seemingly simple questions. What do you make time for? What has been the time of your life? Are you where you thought you’d be a year ago?

From the four year-old who already knows that he is destined to be a racing car driver to the ninety-four year-old who is still driving, every story told in this show is moving, exciting, hilarious and disturbing. Follow the fears of new parents. Be blown away by the fifteen year-old who understands why bullying happens. Fall in love with the comedian who finds joy in all things, even after losing a close family member. Have your eyes opened by a young woman with a lifethreatening condition who risks everything to become a mother.

A Year From Now is about the importance and power of positivity. These raw, real-life stories encourage us to take ownership of our time and savour every minute. Five actors from various creative backgrounds guide us through these answers in a visually stunning verbatim performance.

…we have been presented with a playful and unfetishized look into the very unexceptional world we so regularly seek to leave behind… This is Alecky Blythe stripped bare, and it is all the more refreshing for it (LondonTheatre1).

A Year From Now was co-created by RedBellyBlack’s Artistic Director Kate Goodfellow (Winner of Best Female Performer, Brighton Fringe) and Director Vicki Baron.

The production is in partnership with mental health charity MIND, who are changing the national perspective on mental health. RedBellyBlack will be collecting donations and promoting the incredible work of this charity.

Title A Year From Now

Performance Dates Wednesday 25th – Sunday 29th January 2017, 6.10pm

Running time 60 minutes

Twitter @Red_Belly_Black, @VaultFestival, #AYearFromNow

Trailer https://youtu.be/GcCRKmTQSpM

Kate Goodfellow Choreographer/Producer/Co-Creator

Vicki Baron Director/ Co-Creator

Peter Collington Assistant Producer

Abi Toghill Lighting Designer and Operator

Cast

Kate Goodfellow

Clementine Mills

Christopher Montague

Oscar Scott-White

Jessica Warshaw

Location VAULT Festival, The Vaults, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN

The Stage Awards 2017 shortlist announced

Harry Potter producer in running for theatre awards hat-trick
The Stage Awards, in association with Integro Insurance Brokers ltd, announce 2017 shortlist.

The world’s oldest and best theatre publication, The Stage, has announced the shortlist for its annual industry awards, celebrating success within the performing arts.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child producer Sonia Friedman is shortlisted for Producer of the Year sponsored by PRG XL Video, which she won in both 2015 and 2016. She is competing with Kenny Wax producer of The Play That Goes Wrong, and Fiery Angel which produced the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company West End season.

Alistair Smith, print editor of The Stage and chair of the judging panel, said: “The Stage Awards are the only theatre awards that celebrate the whole stunning spectrum of theatre, encompassing London, regional, fringe and international work. Our exceptional shortlist this year is a blend of big and small, established and new. It ranges from Sonia Friedman, the commercial impresario behind West End mega-hit Harry Potter, to the Hope Mill, a bijou fringe theatre located in a former Manchester cotton mill. It’s also exciting to introduce two new categories this year – the Sustainability Award and the Innovation Award – for which we also have a spectacular range of nominees. Together, these thrillingly diverse companies represent the very best of what theatre is today.”

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures is nominated for the International Award, sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group, alongside Graeae Theatre Company and the Big in Belgium season at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The Innovation Award category sponsored by Charcoalblue is a new award for 2017. The shortlist includes the New Diorama Theatre for its artist support programme, Simon McBurney’s Complicite for its use of sound on The Encounter, Les Enfants Terribles and Emma Brunjes Productions for new approaches to theatremaking.

The second new category for 2017, the Sustainability Award, sponsored by GDS, sees London Theatre Consortium compete with Tara Theatre and The Handlebards to recognise their environmental initiatives.

King’s Cross Theatre is back in the running for Theatre Building of the Year, sponsored by Audience Systems, having been previously nominated for the same category in 2016. The other nominees for the category include Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool and Tara Theatre, London.
Bristol Old Vic and Mercury Theatre, Colchester are nominated for Regional Theatre of the Year, sponsored by Evolution Productions, along with Sheffield Theatres, which won in the same category in 2013 & 2014.

London theatres competing for silverware in the London Theatre of the Year category, sponsored by Managed Networks, include Menier Chocolate Factory, the Old Vic Theatre, and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Meanwhile Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre is in the running for Fringe Theatre of the Year, sponsored by encoreinsure.com, with London-based theatres Hope Theatre, and New Diorama.

Shortlisted for School of the Year, sponsored by TodayTix, are the Urdang Academy, Musical Theatre Academy and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.

An Unsung Hero award, sponsored by White Light, for which there is no shortlist will also be announced at the 2017 ceremony.

The Stage Awards, in association with Integro Insurance Brokers Ltd, are decided by The Stage’s senior editorial team, following extensive consultation with leading figures in the theatre industry and a public nomination process.

Previous winners of The Stage Awards include: the National Theatre, Sonia Friedman Productions, Shakespeare’s Globe, Almeida Theatre, Royal Exchange Theatre, Young Vic Theatre, Michael Grandage Company, National Youth Theatre, Arts Educational Schools and Sheffield Theatres.
The Stage Awards 2017 are presented in association with Integro Insurance Brokers Ltd. Category sponsors for this year’s event include Ambassador Theatre Group, encoreinsure.com, Managed Networks, TodayTix, Audience Systems, Charcoalblue, White Light, GDS, PRG XL Video and Evolution Productions.

 

Shortlist in full

Regional Theatre of the Year
sponsored by Evolution Productions
Bristol Old Vic
Mercury Theatre, Colchester
Sheffield Theatres

London Theatre of the Year
sponsored by Managed Networks
Menier Chocolate Factory
Old Vic Theatre
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Fringe Theatre of the Year
sponsored by encoreinsure.com
Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Hope Theatre, London
New Diorama Theatre, London

Theatre Building of the Year
sponsored by Audience Systems
King’s Cross Theatre, London
Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool
Tara Theatre, London

Producer of the Year
sponsored by PRG XL Video
Fiery Angel
Kenny Wax Productions
Sonia Friedman Productions

School of the Year
sponsored by TodayTix
Musical Theatre Academy, London
Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, Cardiff
Urdang Academy, London

International Award
sponsored by Ambassador Theatre Group
Big in Belgium season at Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Graeae Theatre Company
Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures

Sustainability Award
sponsored by GDS
London Theatre Consortium
Tara Theatre, London
The Handlebards

Innovation Award
sponsored by Charcoalblue
Complicite
Les Enfants Terribles and Emma Brunjes Productions
New Diorama Theatre