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RJR Musicals present:

CELEBRATE A GOTH-TASTIC HALLOWEEN AT THE GOTHIC GRAND THEATRE

Fishnets at the ready! The Rocky Horror Show is gearing up to hit Leeds next week when it opens at The Grand Theatre on Halloween for one week only.

Bringing with it a glittering cast, startling costumes, lots of red lipstick and plenty of naughty bits, Rocky Horror promises to take audiences on a dizzying Time Warp of song, dance and outrageous performances.

Returning to the show to play the iconic role of ‘The Narrator’ will be Coronation Street favourite Charlie Condou and S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole in the roles of ‘Eddie/Dr Scott’.

Rocky Horror Show tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky clean college kids who, when their car breaks down, find themselves at the house of the somewhat peculiar Dr Frank-N- Furter and a whole host of other odd characters.  It turns out to be an adventure they will never forget.

The title role of Rocky is played by Dominic Andersen and Frank-N-Furter by The Voice’s (Series 3) Liam Tamne.  Janet will be played by theatre star Haley Flaherty and completing the cast are Rocky favouritesSophie Linder-Lee as Columbia, Kristian Lavercombe as Riff Raff and Richard Meek as Brad.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, the Rocky Horror Show is a guaranteed party and a Yorkshire favourite; audience participation is encouraged as is dressing up.  This musical extravaganza features all of the famous musical classics including Science Fiction/Double Feature, Dammit Janet and of course the timeless floor-filler The Time-Warp.

Rocky Horror Show is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 31^st October to Saturday 5^th November

Tickets are still available priced from £22 to £43

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

Above the Arts Theatre 25 – 29 October.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Beach Comet have struck gold again with their new comedy B-musical Apocalypse Cruise Ship Love Affair. A more polished production than Vampire Hospital Waiting Room, this Edinburgh transfer is jam packed full of laughs and lunacy.

Captain Bleufonde, obsessed with resurrecting his drowned lover, steers his cruise ship (on its 666th voyage) towards an apocalyptic storm as three tales of unrequited love play out on board. There’s Auld Mann, who’s loved Vera since they were children together, but must watch her flirt with every male with a pulse; Hanks Leeroys, the cruise director, who falls in love with nun Evie (or rather the 6 inches of her face visible), breaking one of the 10 cruising commandments; and first mate Fittles, mooning after the captain for 25 years. Basically, Carry on Cruising meets Speed… on speed.

The show begins with a flashback to Mandy’s death, with Joe McArdle (Bleufonde) and Will Hearle (Fittles) playing the scene like a twisted version of Brief Encounter, all ridiculous cut glass accents and mid distance stares. McArdle excels again in his patented raving loon persona, switching from speaking in tongues to calm reason in a howl inducing moment. His scenes with the bizarrely brilliant Hearle are painfully funny. Craig Methven as Hanks squeezes more laughs than you’d think possible out of his character’s cod Kiwi accent, and his sweet relationship with Evie (Imogen Brabant, shining in the least showy role) gives the musical its emotional centre. Steve Duffy and Rosalind Ford – with makeup that looks like someone attacked them with a Sharpie whilst they were sleeping – steal every scene as geriatric cruisers Auld Mann and Vera. Ford channels Julie Walters to provide some cringe inducing flirting with Hanks and I could watch Duffy’s old man shuffle all night.

With catchy songs by Theo McCabe and Steve Duffy, played by McCabe, Finlay Johnston and Ed Bernez, and funny choreography, the musical elements of the show are as strong as the comedy. At only 60 minutes, but with twice the laughs of much longer shows Apocalypse Cruise Ship Love Affair is perfect escapism for a cold Autumn evening – sublime silliness.

Charing Cross Theatre – 25 October 2016

In what must have been the most ridiculously hot theatre ever, Rag Time was a searingly hot and vibrant production.

‘Ragtime The Musical’ is based on a novel written by E. L. Doctorow in 1975. It first appeared in musical format in 1996 and has since won a clutch of awards including Tony’s and a 2004 Olivier Award.  Featuring music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, the style varies from gospel to ragtime. The show is mostly sung through, with relatively little in the way of dialogue.

The story consists of vignettes involving what seem to be rather disparate characters. It all starts to become clearer after about 20 minutes or so as connections between the characters fall into place.

Featuring three families. Father (Earl Carpenter), Mother (Anita Louise Combe), Mother’s Younger Brother (Jonathan Stewart) and the Little Boy (Ethan Quinn and Samuel Peterson) find their sunny, complacent life in New Rochelle, N.Y., shadowed by the discovery of an abandoned black baby in their garden. That’s the offspring of Sarah (Jennifer Saayeng), a young cleaning woman, and a Harlem piano player, Coalhouse Walker Jr. (Ako Mitchell), whose presence will disrupt Father and his family in far-reaching ways they could never have anticipated.

The third arterial story follows Tateh (Gary Tushaw) and his daughter (Alannah Hinge and Riya Vyas) and the odyssey that takes them from the squalor of Lower East Side tenements to the heights of the nascent film industry. On the sidelines — annotating and occasionally redirecting the plot — are historical figures like the showgirl Evelyn Nesbit (Joanna Hickman), the escape artist Harry Houdini (Christopher Dickins), the radical Emma Goldman (Valerie Cutko) and the captains of industry J. P. Morgan (Anthony Cable) and Henry Ford (Tom Giles). With superb ensemble support throughout.

Director Thom Southerland’s genius is to turn the staging into a collective effort, with a large company of actor-musicians (there are 24 in all) flooding the Charing Cross stage and spilling regularly into the stalls, always maintaining rapt attention to the show’s musical intricacies and using the performers and instruments as staging posts.

It is a long show but it grabs your attention so much the time just flies by and the show really does leave you wanting more.

New London Theatre – 24 October 2016

I was lucky enough to be at the first preview for School of Rock on Monday.  Lord Lloyd-Webber himself welcomed us to the theatre along with Director Laurence Connor.

The show is quite simply fantastic.  Based on the film of the same name starring Jack Black.  This as had an element of a make over with Lloyd-Webber providing new music and Downton creator Julian Fellows providing the book.  If you ever dreamed of a Phantom of the Opera/Downton Abbey collaboration School of Rock would not be what you would imagine.  But the collaboration works incredibly well – providing us with what is sure to be a long running hit musical.

Led by the hilarious David Fynn in the role as Dewey Finn (with Gary Trainor Sharing the role) in a star-making performance, the show knows full well that its prime asset is the cast of ridiculously talented children. The children are universally adorable and staggeringly accomplished musicians. It is an absolute treat to hear them.  With 39 children sharing the 13 roles.

Storywise Dewey has managed to freeload for years off his gangly best buddy and former goth-rock bandmate  Ned Schneebly (Oliver Jackson). But Spencer’s shrewish girlfriend Patty (Preeya Kalidas) lays down the law, telling Dewey to start paying rent or move out.  An opportunity to make an easy buck occurs when he picks up a phone call intended for Ned, with an offer of well-paid substitute-teaching work at an elite prep school. After improbably passing inspection with starchy principal Rosalie Mullins (Florence Andrews), Dewey then declares permanent recess for his class. When he stumbles by a music class and observes the kids’ skilled musicianship, he cooks up an instant plan to make them over from classical geeks into rebel rockers and enter them in the Battle of the Bands.

This show as it all – comedy, pathos, heartwarming moments and oodles and oodles of talent.  The songs get in your head and I’m still humming them now.

If the first preview is anything to go by, then this is a show that will hang around for a good while yet – which is good as I can’t wait to get back to London to see it again

Take That

Invite you to experience

‘Wonderland Live’

The UK’s Most Successful Live Act announce 2017 tour

With Special Guests – All Saints

Metro Radio Arena

Monday 8th May & Tuesday 9th May 2017

Take That are set to bring fans their most exciting live experience to date when they hit the road in 2017 with ‘Wonderland Live’.  Gary, Mark and Howard today announce 22 dates across the UK and Ireland, in support of their brand new album ‘Wonderland’, scheduled for release in March 2017. And for the first time ever, the band’s main stage will be in the centre of the arena floor, giving their fans a truly unique and memorable experience like never before. They will be appearing at the Metro Radio Arena on Monday 8th & Tuesday 9th May 2017.

Take That are renowned for their incredible live shows and for pushing the boundaries of live production, having created some of the most memorable stage shows in UK music history. They are the only band in the world to have had a huge mechanical elephant as part of the cast for their Circus Tour, not to mention a 70 foot man named Om who rose out of the stage on The Progress Tour.  Walls of water, enormous holograms, circus performers, aerialists, a custom made flying machine and a huge ball of burning fire have all graced their stages and the Wonderland Live Tour will be no less spectacular.

Take That’s Wonderland Live is the first time that fans will see the band perform brand new material from their forthcoming studio album Wonderland, due out in March, as well as their much-loved classics, performed in the round. Pre order the album on Amazon before the 25th October and get priority access to an exclusive presale of tickets for Wonderland Live 2017.

Take That are one of the UK’s most successful acts with an enviable career spanning three decades.  The band have sold over 7.6 million concert tickets in their lifetime, setting the record for the  fastest selling tour of all time in UK history when 1.34 million tickets were snapped up for their Progress Live Tour in less than 24 hours.

In the UK alone, they have achieved seven UK Number One albums, 15 Number One singles, sold over 45 million records, won six Ivor Novellos, and eight BRIT Awards.  Internationally, they have scored an incredible 54 No.1 hits and 35 No.1 albums.  Their last album ‘III’, the first a newly created three-piece and went straight to No.1 upon its release in 2014, their seventh No.1 album, with the first single from the album ‘These Days’ also hitting the top spot.

Their brand new album Wonderland, is set for release in March 2017.

Tickets are on sale from 9.30am on Friday 28th October available online, from the booking hotline number 0844 493 6666 or in person from the Metro Radio Arena Box Office. 

Vantage Point present:

Brother Wolf presents

A CHRISTMAS CAROL – AS TOLD BY JACOB MARLEY (DECEASED)

Adapted and performed by James Hyland

Based on the novella by Charles Dickens by Chris Warner

Brother Wolf is proud to present the return of its award-winning one-man show, A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased), taking the stage for its eighth consecutive year. Adapted and performed by multi award-winning actor/writer/producer, James Hyland, this unique production portrays Charles Dickens’ classic tale from the perspective of Scrooge’s deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. Hailed as “a forcefully compelling masterpiece” (The Manx Independent) and the “definitive telling of A Christmas Carol” (Redditch Standard), the production has been rated as one of “the top Christmas Shows in London, Edinburgh and around the UK” (High 50 Culture), winning Best Performer in Theatre (Fringe Report Awards 2012) and a nomination for The London Theatre Award (London Awards for Art and Performance 2012), as well as Official Recognition from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. A box office hit, its success is paralleled by Brother Wolf’s other ground-breaking shows: Fagin’s Last Hour, “truly astonishing… unforgettable theatre at its best” (The Courier), Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, “magnificently intense, riveting theatre from one man” (The York Press), winner of Best Male Act (Solo Fest 2013), and A Lesson from Auschwitz, “it’s important that plays like this are seen by as many people as possible” (London Theatre 1). By 2013, Everything Theatre described James Hyland as “a genius. He has to be. No one ‘ordinary’ could do what he did.”

Praise for A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased):

“a tremendous achievement… a wonder to watch” ★★★★★ (Plays To See)

“heart in the mouth theatre in its finest form” (Sheerness Times Guardian)

“a forcefully compelling masterpiece… outstanding” (Manx Independent)

“as Charles Dickens intended it… Imaginative and captivating” (High 50 Culture)

“an incredible one man performance… a master class in acting” (Lanelli Star)

“riveting acting… stunning voice work… unforgettable” (The Stage)

“thrilling… Hyland’s versatility and physicality are astounding” (UK Theatre Network)

“masterful storytelling… a production which enthrals at every point” (A Younger Theatre)

“a work of art, and one that must be seen… thoroughly recommended” (The Dr Bird)

“Wonderful storytelling… clever, funny and powerful” (Remotegoat)

“astonishingly powerful… extraordinary acting” (The Public Reviews)

“astonishing acting… a vibrant re-imagination of the classic” (Extra! Extra!)

“chilling, humorous, surprising… Powerful theatre indeed” (The York Press)

“Hyland is an immensely powerful actor… the kids were riveted” (The Independent)

“as Dickens intended… powerful, thought-provoking… definitive”

JAMES HYLAND made his professional acting debut in The North Pole, winning the Guardian International Student Drama Award in 1996. Since then he has appeared in over 60 productions, working with a variety of directors including Michael Boyd, Adrian Noble and Matthew Warchus as well as acclaimed companies such as the Royal Shakespeare Company and Brother Wolf (of which he is the Artistic Director), winning a further eight awards including Best Performer in Theatre (Fringe Report Awards, 2012) for his solo performance as Marley’s Ghost in A Christmas Carol – As told by Jacob Marley (deceased). This was followed by two more award-winning one-man shows: Fagin’s Last Hour and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde; also serving as adapter and producer. All of the shows have toured nationally including his most recent production A Lesson from Auschwitz, of which he is the writer, director, producer and lead actor. Recent screen credits include We Are Monster, nominated for The Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature Film (Edinburgh Festival, 2014) and the multi award-winning music videos from Grammy nominated musicians Kaskade and Tinie Tempah: A Little More and Disappoint You, for which he also served as writer and improviser of the dialogue. His very latest screen role sees him performing in Unstoppable Entertainment’s The Sound, alongside Joseph Mawle and Sienna Guillory.

Listings information

Synopsis: Jacob Marley is dead and condemned to an eternity of carrying a heavy chain, forged in life; a life to which he can no longer return except to recount the tale of his miserly business partner, Ebenezer Scrooge, and the path that lead to his redemption. Through Marley’s words, we learn how three magical spirits opened Scrooge’s eyes and made him realise the true value of love and forgiveness.

Performance: NOV 26 @ 7.45pm LONDON – NEW WIMBLEDON STUDIO 93 The Broadway, SW19 1QG 0844 871 7646

www.atgtickets.com/shows/a-christmas-carol/new-wimbledon-studio

Age Recommendation: 7+

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR
PRINT ROOM AT THE CORONET’S
THE TEMPEST 

• Kevin McMonagle and Charlotte Brimble to lead cast as Prospero and Miranda
• Further cast: Steven Beard, Callum Dixon, Paul Hamilton, Hugh John, Billy Seymour and Kristin Winters
• The cast will be supported by a community chorus
• Directed by Simon Usher, this production will mark the end of Shakespeare’s 400th anniversary year
• Runs 21 November to 17 December

The full cast for Print Room at the Coronet’s The Tempest is today announced. Directed by Simon Usher, who garnered critical acclaim for his Hamlet at Belgrade Coventry and hisTimon of Athens, Pericles and The Winter’s Tale at Leicester Haymarket, this is the first staging of Shakespeare by the Notting Hill Gate venue. Design is by Lee Newby.

Artistic Director Anda Winters said: “We always aim to offer an ambitious and varied repertoire of work. Our choice to stage The Tempest, Shakespeare’s most experimental play, is an exciting new expression of this ethos.”

Kevin McMonagle (People, Places and Things, Twelfth Night, The Tempest and The Comedy of Errors) will play Prospero alongside Charlotte Brimble (She Stoops to Conquer, Posh and Terms and Conditions) as Miranda.  The principal cast will be supported by a community chorus.

The Tempest is for and about people; what are we human beings like? Shakespeare’s final masterpiece is his mature summary of the subject, reprising all his plays in their essential aspects. It is therefore not only a culmination of, but also a perfect two hour introduction to his work. The play’s diagnosis of existence, of the problem of being in the world, feels as sharp today as it would have been in 1608 when it first appeared.

In The Tempest, Shakespeare holds a mirror up to nature, exploring the problems of living from childhood to old age through some of his greatest poetry. His superb range of characters at the extremes of good and evil gives us an extraordinary reflection of humanity: from the growing pains of adolescence and late middle age, to masters and servants, to bullies with and without a conscience, and our fear of loneliness and the future. The Tempest ultimately outlines the struggle to remain idealistic, and the hope that the younger generation can do better.

Steven Beard’s (Gonzalo) extensive theatre credits include The Trial and The Good Soul of Szechuan (both Young Vic); The Crucible (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Hamlet, Who’s There?(Flute Theatre); Teenage Bodies (Opéra Louise); Minetti (Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh); A Little Hotel on the Side (Theatre Royal Bath); The Importance of Being Earnest (Opéra National de Lorraine); If So, Then Yes (Jermyn Street Theatre); Paradise Moscow; Of Thee I Sing; Let ‘em Eat Cake (Opera North); The Hypochondriac (Almeida Theatre); Romeo and Juliet; King John;Much Ado About Nothing; Ivanov; Devil’s Disciple (RSC). On screen he has appeared inShakespeare in Love; Hoff the Record; Chalk; Cadfael; Requiem Apache; Frank Stubbs andInspector Morse.

Charlotte Brimble (Miranda) trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama has appeared on stage in She Stoops to Conquer (Theatre Royal, Bath); Posh (Nottingham Playhouse); Terms and Conditions (The White Bear). For television, her credits include Spotless;Crime Stories and See it Saw it.

Callum Dixon (Antonio/Stefano) has appeared at the National Theatre on numerous occasions inThe Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other; Market Boy; Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads; The Day I Stood Still; The Wind in the Willows; Somewhere; The Recruiting Officer and Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead. Further recent theatrical credits include The Hairy Ape (Old Vic);Between Us (Arcola); The Complaint (Hampstead Theatre); Hamlet and The Government Inspector (Young Vic). His television credits include : Dr Foster; Father Brown; A Touch of Cloth; Random; Casualty; Doc Martin; Doctors and Ashes to Ashes.

Paul Hamilton (Alonso) is a seasoned Shakespearean actor having appeared in Anthony and Cleopatra; King Lear; Julius Caesar; The Winter’s Tale; Henry VI Parts I, II & III and Richard III(RSC). His other stage credits include The Sisterhood (Belgrade Theatre); Secret Cinema: Star Wars (Secret Cinema); Holy Warriors; Anthony and Cleopatra; The Southwark Mysteries(Shakespeare’s Globe); Life of Galileo (Birmingham Rep / RSC Tour); Boris Godunov (RSC); The Sound of Loneliness (Actors Touring Company). His screen work includes New Worlds; 55 Degrees North; Heartbeat; Tarzan: The Untamed and Bridget Jones’ Diary.

Hugh John (Ferdinand) trained at Drama Centre London and has appeared in Romeo and Juliet(Sheffield Crucible); The Picture of Dorian Gray; The Dead Shepherd (White Bear Theatre); The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Chichester Festival Theatre / West End); Deathwatch(Roundhouse); In the Beginning (Theatre Uncut); Our Brother David (Watford Palace Theatre.

Kevin McMonagle (Prospero) recently appeared in the critically-acclaimed People, Places and Things (National Theatre/West End), his further credits include ); The Divided Laing (Arcola Theatre); No Nothing (Lemon Tree / Oran Mor); The Flouers O’ Edinburgh (Finborough Theatre);A Doll’s House (National Theatre of Scotland); Twelfth Night; The Tempest; The Comedy of Errors; Richard III (RSC); Kin; Ladybird; Thyestes (Royal Court); Pieces of Vincent (Arcola Theatre / Paine’s Plough); The Girls of Slender Means (Assembly Rooms / Stellar Quines);Ghosts; Waiting for Godot and Therese Raquin (Glasgow Citizens).

Billy Seymour (Caliban) credits for stage include Secret Theatre; Saved (Lyric Hammersmith);Pornography (Tricycle Theatre / Tour); Pretend You Have Big Buildings (Royal Exchange);Christmas (Bush Theatre); Sing Yer Heart out for the Lads (National Theatre); Herons (Royal Court). For screen he has appeared in Crazyhead; Ripper Street; Privates; Rock and Chips; Any Human Heart; A Christmas Carol; Vera Drake and Mrs Henderson Presents.

Kristin Winters (Ariel) has trained at Tisch School of the Arts, the British American Drama Academy, École Jacques LeCoq and the National Youth Theatre. She has appeared in Richard II(Shakespeare in the Square); Bloody Poetry (Brooklyn Arts); Eurydice (Columbia Stages); The Love of the Nightingale (Insomnium Theatre) and Zanna Don’t (Edinburgh Fringe). For film she has appeared in Essex Stargate and Good Knight.