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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

PAUL HAWKYARD TO PLAY THE FINAL MR PERKS IN

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

AT KING’S CROSS THEATRE IN LONDON

FROM 23 NOVEMBER 2016

Paul Hawkyard will have the onerous duty of making sure the last train leaves King’s Cross Theatre on time, when he takes over as Mr Perks in the Olivier Award-winning production of Mike Kenny’s stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s novel The Railway Children – Live on Stage from 23 November 2016 until 8 January 2017, when this critically and publically acclaimed show must come to an end. This follows more than two glorious years of performances at King’s Cross Theatre, where it opened on 14 January 2015, following previews from 16 December 2014.  

Paul Hawkyard is best known for the popular Cbeebies programme Old Jack’s Boat, in which he plays the character Ernie Starboard and co-stars with Bernard Cribbins, the original Mr Perks. His theatre credits include A Christmas Carol (Rose Theatre), War Horse (New London/National Theatre), Birdsong (The Comedy Theatre), Oliver! (London Palladium), Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales Theatre), South Pacific (National Theatre), Les Misérables  (Palace Theatre), Jesus Christ Superstar (The Lyceum Theatre) and Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane).

Also in the cast of The Railway Children are Caroline Harker as Mother, Felicity Houlbrooke as Bobbie, Jack Hardwick as Peter, Louise Calf as Phyllis, Lindsay Allen as Mrs Perks, Peter Gardiner as Doctor/Butler, Connie Hyde as Mrs Viney, Shaun McCourt as Jim, Blair Plant as Father/Schepansky and Moray Treadwell as the Old Gentleman, with Adam Collier, Helen Brampton, Alan Drake and Julie Gilby. The children’s ensemble is made up of four teams of ten children aged between 8 and 16.

A purpose built 1,000-seat theatre, complete with a railway track and platforms, and with a state of the art air conditioning and heating system, was specially created for this production on King’s Boulevard, behind King’s Cross Station, a site which has been loaned to the production for the duration of the run by Google.  The York Theatre Royal production, which is in association with the National Railway Museum, features a live steam locomotive and a vintage carriage, originally built in 1896.

Directed by Damian Cruden, the Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal, with design by Joanna Scotcher, lighting by Richard G. Jones, music by Christopher Madin and sound by Craig Vear, Mike Kenny’s adaptation of The Railway Children was first produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum, York, where it enjoyed two sell-out and critically acclaimed seasons in 2008 and 2009. The production then opened at Waterloo Station in the former Eurostar terminal in July 2010, where it again played two critically acclaimed sell-out seasons and won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, before opening in Toronto in 2011 in a temporary theatre built at the base of CN Tower in Roundhouse Park.

The Railway Children tells the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away.  They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother, where they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure.  But the mystery remains – where is Father, and is he ever coming back?

2016 marks the 110^th anniversary of the publication of Edith Nesbit’s much loved classic children’s book The Railway Children, which has subsequently been adapted for the stage and screen, most famously in the 1970 film version directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Jenny Agutter, Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sheridan and Sally Thomsett.

The production is presented in London by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Oliver Royds for BOS Productions and Sue Scott Davison, in association with York Theatre Royal and the National Railway Museum.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

King’s Cross Theatre

Goods Way

King’s Cross

London N1C 4UR

Booking until                       8 January 2017

Running Time                      2 hours 20 minutes (including an interval)

Box Office                            0844 815 7121                   

Tickets                                 £25.00-£49.50, with 25% off for Under 16s (Premium Seats available at £59.50)

                                            From 31 October 2016, 5,000 tickets are available from £10 at select performances, with 25% off for Under 16s

 

Website                               www.railwaychildrenlondon.com

Facebook                            www.facebook.com/railwaychildrenlondon

Twitter                                 @TRCKingsCross / @KXTheatre

Google+                              plus.google.com/+RailwayChildrenLondon

 

Performance Schedule:         Wednesday at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

                                               Thursday at 2.30pm

                                               Saturday at 1pm & 4.30pm

                                               Sunday at 2pm & 6pm

*Extra performances:          1pm on 24 November & 1, 8 December (no 2.30pm performances on these dates)

 

2016-17 CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

 

Monday 19 December               1pm & 4.30pm

Tuesday 20 December               No performance

Wednesday 21 December          1pm & 4.30pm

Thursday 22 December              1pm & 4.30pm

Friday 23 December                  1pm & 4.30pm

Saturday 24 December              No performance

Sunday 25 December                No performance

Monday 26 December               1pm & 4.30pm

Tuesday 27 December               No performance

Wednesday 28 December          1pm & 4.30pm

Thursday 29 December              1pm & 4.30pm

Friday 30 December                  1pm & 4.30pm

Saturday 31 December              2.30pm

Sunday 1 January                      1pm & 4.30pm

Monday 2 January                     1pm & 4.30pm

Tuesday 3 January                     2.30pm

Wednesday 4 January                2.30pm

Thursday 5 January                   No performance

Friday 6 January                        No performance

Saturday 7 January                    1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 8 January                      2pm

Grand Opera House, York.  7 November 2016.  Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

WOW!!! What a rollercoaster of a ride.

Playing to a packed audience this is the first time that I have seen Blood Brothers in all its entirety, I had only previously seen snippets through my son’s drama pieces at school.

Written by Willy Russell, it tells the story of twins, separated at birth, who then grow up on different sides of the tracks, only to come back together with tragic consequences.

Mrs Johnstone, Lyn Paul, who I am ashamed to say that my first thoughts that she was too old for the part, but she was absolutely fantastic. It was amazing to see how much she really aged over the last part of the show, and her singing was so emotional. I have since learned that she has been voted the definitive Mrs Johnstone and has played the part regularly for the past 20 years. I cannot now imagine anyone else as Mrs Johnstone. Anyway getting back to the story, Mrs Johnstone is left abandoned with 5 kids by her deadbeat of her husband, to find out that she has twins on the way. She loves her children, but her world is falling apart around her, in steps Mrs Lyons, Sarah Jane Buckley, with a solution. We see Mrs Lyons downward spiral fuelled with paranoia and jealously.

We follow Mickey, Sean Jones and Eddie, Mark Hutchinson, through the years, coming together, becoming Blood Brothers and ultimately leading to heartache. Jones was great and very animated playing the 7 year old, but nearly 8 Mickey. We see him grow up and then plummet in the depths of despair. He portrayed Mickey with such good characterisation, that we believed him at any age.

I must also mention the narrator, Dean Chisnall. His presence for virtually the whole show really gelled everything together and his vocals were superb, I could definitely watch him again.

As an audience we laughed, we cried and we jumped in surprise. After a well deserved standing ovation I left with a WOW!! What a fantastic show, I would recommend this to anyone and I have been doing so already.

Playing at the Grand Opera House York until Saturday 12th November and touring throughout UK.