Jackie The Musical starring Janet Dibley with Nicholas Bailey and Graham Bickley, begins its UK Tour in March 2016.

Previewing at the Gardyne Theatre Dundee on 11th March, 2016. Dates include Coventry, Bromley, Brighton, Edinburgh, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool and Glasgow. Directed by Anna Linstrum and Choreographed by Arlene Phillips.

Written by Mike James, with choreography by Arlene Phillips and directed by Anna Linstrum, Jackie The Musical will begin a nationwide tour in Spring 2016 at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee. Launching in Dundee, the spiritual home of Jackie magazine and location of the first editorial offices, the tour of Jackie The Musical starts at the Gardyne Theatre on Friday 11th March. Supported by Jackie publishers DC Thomson, former magazine Editor Nina Myskow joins the production as Editor-in-Chief, and will head up a brand new digital/online TV channel JACKIE TV.

Once there was a time with no mobile phones, no apps, no texting, no e-mails and no twitter. Angst ridden teenage girls waited with bated breath by the letterbox for their weekly issue of Jackie Magazine… unless their big sister got there first! Jackie accompanied millions of girls through their teenage years in the ‘70’s and 80’s, years of boy trouble, ironing hair and problem solving from resident agony aunts, Cathy and Claire. The magazine supported and inspired those girls and, best of all, it was great fun.

Jackie The Musical revisits those heady days, and tells the story of a fifty-something divorcée who revisits her stash of well-thumbed Jackie magazines for the same reason she first read them nearly forty years ago: advice on how best to navigate the opposite sex.

The quizzes, the fashion tips, the ‘do’s and don’ts on a first date’ and above all the Cathy and Claire problem pages are all devoured eagerly by our plucky heroine ‘Jackie’ as she revisits the dizzy world of the teen bible. With her ex and a handsome new guy both on the scene, the valuable lessons she learnt as a girl begin to influence her future and Jackie discovers the one person in control of her life is – her.

Funny and feisty, with a sound track featuring the era’s most beloved and memorable hits, including the sounds of Pop Idols Donny Osmond, David Cassidy and Marc Bolan played live on stage, the show promises a whirlwind tour of Planet Seventies and a most fabulous night out!

Janet Dibley plays ‘Jackie’. Janet became a household name in the 1980s, co-starring with Nicholas Lyndhurst in ITV’s primetime The Two of Us, playing ‘Elaine Walker’ for all four series. She went on to star as Lorna Cartwright in Eastenders, Carol McGarry in four series of Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends, ‘Deborah Johnson’ in The Chase and most recently as ‘Chaz Moore’, in Broadchurch. Janet joined the cast of the BBC soap Doctors in 2010 as series regular ‘Dr Elaine Cassidy’ a role she played for over two years, and which also saw her writing for the show. Her theatre roles include the 2014 tour of Kindertransport, Absent Friends and Could Be Any One of Us at Scarborough, ‘Sarah’ in Richard Eyre’s National Theatre Production of Guys and Dolls and ‘Julie Jordan’ in Stephen Pimlott’s Carousel at the Manchester Royal Exchange.

Best known for his role as ‘Anthony Trueman’ in EastEnders, Nicholas Bailey was most recently seen on stage in the critically acclaimed production The Invisible at the Bush Theatre, London. Other television work includes Siblings and Doctors, whilst past credits include Anubis House, Miranda and Law & Order: UK.

Graham Bickley plays ‘John’ and Nicholas Bailey plays ‘Max’. Graham Bickley became a household name playing ‘Joey Boswell’ in Carla Lane’s much loved BBC TV series Bread. He has starred in a host of hit West End musicals, including Les Misérables, Miss Saigon, Sunset Boulevard and Ragtime, for which received an Olivier Award nomination. He regularly appears with the BBC Concert Orchestra and in concert halls across the country.

Nina Myskow says: “I’m so proud to have been editor of Jackie in its golden years in the 70’s. It always was a girl’s best friend, but I could never have imagined then that its spirit of fun and warmth would live on to become a musical today. It’s such a brilliant idea, and I’m absolutely thrilled that I’m going to be involved, all over again. How exciting! And I can’t wait to see it, to hear the music, and to be transported back to a time when we were all young, and not just young at heart.”

About the Jackie magazine: If you didn’t know the actual facts, you’d be forgiven for thinking Jackie was created by a pop music guru or a supertrendy fashionista, but nothing could be further from the truth. The magazine was the brainchild of Gordon Small, a former RAF aero engine fitter who was far from being an afficionado of the music industry or an expert in style. Gordon was the magazine’s founder and first editor. Along with a creative team, he produced Jackie, an exciting new magazine “for go-ahead teens” which went on to be the best-selling teenage title for 10 years. Back then girls didn’t have iPads, laptops or mobiles. There was no telly in their bedroom. The family TV was more than likely rented and there was a choice of just three channels – a far cry from today’s world of multichannel TV that’s accessible 24/7.

As for keeping up with pop music and the charts, teenagers listened to the hits on Radio Luxembourg under woollen bed covers! (Duvets hadn’t hit homes in the UK) So it’s not surprising their magazine played a major role in the lives of teenage girls – it was the highlight of their week. Jackie launched on Thursday, January 11, 1964. At just 6d, the equivalent of 2½p, it was the must-have mag if you wanted to be up to date on what was hip and happening. In the same way, Top of the Pops was the must-see pop TV programme.

Jackie The Musical 2016 (Further dates to be added)
11-12 March 2016 Dundee Gardyne Theatre SOLD OUT
15-19 March 2016 Coventry Belgrade Theatre
22-26 March 2016 Bromley Churchill Theatre
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/the-churchill-theatre-bromley/

29 March-2 April 2016 The Alhambra Theatre Bradford
5-9 April 2016 Brighton Theatre Royal
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton/

12-16 April 2016 Edinburgh Kings Theatre
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre/

19-23 April 2016 The Grand Theatre Blackpool
26-30 April 2016 Perth Concert Hall
10-14 May 2016 Wycombe Swan
17-21 May 2016 Manchester Opera House
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester/

24-28 May 2016 Birmingham Alexandra Theatre
7-11 June 2016 New Wimbledon Theatre
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre/

14-18 June 2016 The Orchard Theatre Dartford
21-25 June 2016 Malvern Festival Theatre
28 June-2 July 2016 Liverpool Empire
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire/

12-16 July 2016 Inverness Eden Court
19-23 July 2016 His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen
26-30 July 2016 King’s Theatre Glasgow
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre/

Man and Superfan

November 22nd –26th 2015, 7.15pm, Theatre N16

Big Mouth Theatre Company’s Man and Superfan is debuting at Theatre N16 as part of the theatre’s first and exciting season. After sell out runs of their first play The Thin Line, Big Mouth are back with an exhilarating, thought-provoking play that holds up a magnifying glass to a moment we all know well… Five shots into the back of John Lennon’s head, but what about the man behind the gun? What about his life led him to this? Mark Chapman, a stone cold murder or a ‘superfan’ with a dream of getting too close?

Big Mouth Theatre Company questions the unquestioned, discusses the undiscussed and reveals the unrevealed. Formed on shared excitement and passion to tell the stories of the unheard, the work we create alters perspective, sparks debate and provides a chance for change. Whether new writing or old, classical or contemporary, we have one ultimate goal; stories of humans behind the headlines.

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing company founded by young people, for young people. It is London’s newest fringe venue, and is 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 without a hire fee for external companies. 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.

Man and Superfan

Company Big Mouth Theatre Company

Performance Dates November 22nd 2015 – November 26th 2015, 7.15pm

Running Time 60 mins

Cast Mark Pete Darwent

Gloria Heidi Goldsmith

Susan Joanna Rosenfeld

Michael Alex Boxall

Venue Theatre N16, The Bedford Pub, 77 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9HD

Ticket Price £12 (£10 concessions)

Box Office Ticketsource (www.ticketsource.co.uk/theatren16)

Travel Balham station (2 min walk)

Streatham Hill station (20 min walk)

 

Torn Apart (Dissolution)

November 29th – 30th 2015, 3pm and 8pm, Theatre N16

This is a love story. A love story in three different times and three different bedrooms…

West Germany, Bremen, the early 1980s. The universities and cafes are full of young people who escaped from the East, the bars are full of American soldiers. Alina, a Polish literature student, bumps into one of them. London, 1999. The turn of the century. Elliott, a young chef, is dating Casey, an Australian backpacker. Whilst eating Indian food and listening to RHCP, Elliott talks to Casey about his orphanage and his love for her. She listens knowing that, sooner or later, her Visa will run out. London, now. Holly married a perfect man, had a child and achieved her white picket fence fantasy, but this is in the past now. Molly has fallen in love with Erica, an ex-sex worker, and she will do anything to rationalise her feelings.

Torn Apart (Dissolution) is about many things, but it is mostly about love. The play deals with issues such as feminism, male repression, fate, homosexuality, but above all it explores the most painful aspects of human conditioning.

No Offence Theatre is an emerging theatre company, founded by an Australian and a Pole, born from the need of creating contemporary, challenging and political work and bringing theatre back to the people.

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing company founded by young people, for young people. It is London’s newest fringe venue, and is 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 without a hire fee for external companies. 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.

 

Title Torn Apart (Dissolution)

Company No Offence Theatre

Performance Dates November 29nd 2015, 3pm and 8pm – November 30th 2015, 8.00pm

Running Time 80 mins

Venue Theatre N16, The Bedford Pub, 77 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9HD

Ticket Price £12 (£10 concessions)

Box Office Ticketsource (www.ticketsource.co.uk/theatren16)

Travel Balham station (2 min walk)

Streatham Hill station (20 min walk)

Cast Nastazja Somers

Simon Donohue

Elliott Rogers

Hannah Kerin

Katharine Eskenazi

Monty Leigh

Writer/Director Bj McNeill

 

November 22nd –26th 2015, 8.30pm, Theatre N16

“There’s no such thing as countries….” George is in search of England, or to be more precise, what it means to be English. He was born English, his parents are English, but he’s not sure whether he is any more. So he’s back to find out. At least, that’s what he says. A play about nationality, immigration and love, and the next production by East London-based Fox Theatre Company.

Inspired by the great travel book of the same name, written by legendary writer, H V Morton, the play has been written by Essex journalist and author Neil D’Arcy-Jones. Neil says: “I’ve been thinking of a way of staging what is essentially the archetypal travel book for many years now, but I didn’t really get to grips with it until I went abroad myself. I was in Australia and New Zealand, and people kept asking me where I was from. After a while I thought ‘who cares where I’m from, what does it mean to be English anyway’ and that’s where the seeds of the play started.” Having written plays primarily for children before, this production not only marks Neil’s ‘grown-up’ debut, but also the first time any of his work has been performed in London.

Director Sarah Chapleo set up Fox Theatre last year and, while still studying for her final degree in English and Drama at Queen Mary University in London, put on her first professional production at the Courtyard Theatre in Hoxton, her own adaptation of Émile Zola’s Thérése Raquin.

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing company founded by young people, for young people. It is London’s newest fringe venue, and is 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 without a hire fee for external companies. 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.

 

In Search of England

Company Fox Theatre Company

Performance Dates November 22nd 2015 – November 26th 2015, 8.30pm

Running Time 80 mins

Venue Theatre N16, The Bedford Pub, 77 Bedford Hill, London SW12 9HD

Ticket Price £12 (£10 concessions)

Box Office Ticketsource (www.ticketsource.co.uk/theatren16)

Travel Balham station (2 min walk)

Streatham Hill station (20 min walk)

 

Having been seen by over 10,000 people the National Youth Theatre of Great Britain’s West End Season at the Ambassadors Theatre London, must end on 4 December 2015.

The season marks the latest success for the NYT’s West End REP residency, now in its third year. The season, instilling companys of the NYT’s very best actors into West End theatres, gives members a chance to train by performing in front of paying audiences. The majority of the sixteen company members have already been signed by leading talent agents including Markham Froggatt and Irwin, Independent Talent and United Agents.

The three shows in this year’s West End rep season include: Consensual – a brand new and acclaimed play exploring issues and experiences around sexting, young people and sexual consent written by Evan Placey and directed by Pia Furtado which was documented in development as part of a new collaboration with Sky Arts; Wuthering Heights, in a new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s novel by Stephanie Street directed by Emily Lim and The Merchant of Venice – Shakespeare’s play abridged especially for schools by Tom Stoppard, directed by NYT Associate Director Anna Niland.

Written by Writer’s Guild Award winner Evan Placey (Girls Like That, Holloway Jones),Consensual is directed by Pia Furtardo (Dirty Great Love Story at Soho Theatre and L’Elisir D’Amore at Opera Holland Park).  Exploring teenage testosterone, teacher pupil relationships and the age of consent in the UK, Consensual examines the relationship between PSHE teacher Diane and her class, specifically fifteen year-old Freddie. “Think of Sexual Relationship Education as a war zone and you’re the journalist. Give the facts, show the photos, but don’t get too close unless you want your head blown off”.

Wuthering Heights is adapted by Stephanie Street (Sisters) from the Gothic novel by Emily Brontë and directed by Emily Lim (Brainstorm, The Kilburn Passion and The Wardrobe). When Heathcliff, a mysterious child is rescued and brought to Wuthering Heights, he develops an inseparable bond to Cathy, a friendship which soon develops into a passionate and iconic love spanning generations and ending with tragedy.

NYT Associate Anna Niland directs Tom Stoppard’s abridged version of Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. Stoppard’s version, originally abridged especially for the NYT to perform at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Beijing and the subject of a BBC documentary, is a 90 minute whirlwind which has delighted audiences and schools alike for the past decade.

More information at www.nyt.org.uk

 

FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Grand Opera House York

Tuesday 1 March 2016 at 7:30pm

 

Fairport Convention is still one of the busiest bands around. The current line-up of Simon Nicol (lead vocal, rhythm and electric guitars), Dave Pegg (backing vocals, bass guitar, mandolin), Ric Sanders (violin), Chris Leslie (lead vocal, fiddle, bouzouki, banjo, mandolin and woodwind) and Gerry Conway (percussion and drums) still packs venues on its frequent tours.

Each year starts with Fairport covering the length and breadth of Britain on its Winter Tour. This is followed by a more relaxed Spring tour and in August, the band stages Fairport’s Cropredy Convention music festival in Oxfordshire.

Each December the band’s time is occupied by side-projects and their respective Christmas tours. Simon tours with The Albion Christmas Band; Peggy with both The Dylan Project and Peggy and Anthony John Clarke; Ric with the Ric Sanders Trio; Chris with ST Agnes Fountain and Gerry with both Fotheringay and The Dylan Project.

Tickets from £22.50 in person from the theatre box office, or call ATG Tickets on 0844 871 3024, for online booking go to www.atgtickets.com/york

 

THE KENNETH BRANAGH THEATRE COMPANY’S
PRODUCTION OF THE WINTER’S TALE WILL BE BROADCAST LIVE TO CINEMAS ON 26 NOVEMBER

THE SOLD OUT WEST END PRODUCTION STARS KENNETH BRANAGH AS LEONTES AND JUDI DENCH AS PAULINA

TRAILER AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD HERE

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company, in partnership with Picturehouse Entertainment, will broadcast the first Branagh Theatre Live production to cinemas worldwide at 19:00 onThursday 26 November 2015.

The Winter’s Tale, which is now sold out at the Garrick, will be screened in more than 1300 cinemas worldwide, including over 500 in the UK. Tickets are now on sale and participating cinemas can be found at www.branaghtheatrelive.com

The Winter’s Tale, Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption, which opened to critical acclaim at London’s Garrick Theatre on 7 November, is reimagined in a new production co-directed by Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh. Judi Dench plays Paulina opposite Kenneth Branagh as Leontes.

The cinema broadcast of The Winter’s Tale will be directed by Benjamin Caron, who has also recently collaborated with Kenneth Branagh on the forthcoming series of Wallander, due to be broadcast on the BBC in 2016.

The Winter’s Tale will also be screened in US cinemas on 30 November. Encore broadcasts will be held across the UK throughout the Christmas period.

Kenneth Branagh said: “In 2015, where theatre making and film making meet is exciting. The cinema broadcasts of our plays hope to challenge the possibilities of this relationship. We have a team of people who are experienced in both worlds. The potential results, particularly in exploring the magic of Shakespeare, should be fascinating. 

I am very pleased indeed to be working with Picturehouse to bring The Winter’s Tale and subsequently Romeo & Juliet and The Entertainer live into cinemas around the world. These plays have epic dimensions but also great intimacy, and I believe that, working with the talented director Benjamin Caron, we can bring the immediacy and excitement of the live stage production into cinemas. We will employ film techniques to make these broadcasts truly cinematic, without in any way compromising the theatrical experience. 

The Winter’s Tale is a play I have been drawn to through my entire career. Judi Dench has famously been in the play as Hermione and Perdita, but to have her in the company as Paulina and for us to work together on Shakespeare, which we have not done since Coriolanus in Chichester twenty years ago, is very rewarding.”

The full cast for The Winter’s Tale includes: Pierre Atri (Mamillius), Jaygann Ayeh (Archidamus & The Old Shepherd’s Servant), Tom Bateman (Florizel), Jessie Buckley (Perdita), Vera Chok(Dorcas & First Lady), Jack Colgrave Hirst (Clown), John Dagleish (Autolycus), Hadley Fraser(Polixenes), Adam Garcia (Amadis), Rudi Goodman (Mamillius), Matthew Hawksley (Aegeum),Taylor James (Capnio), Pip Jordan (Shepherdess), Ansu Kabia (Cleomenes), Stuart Neal (Dion),Michael Pennington (Antigonus), Zoë Rainey (Emilia), Miranda Raison (Hermione), Michael Rouse (Gaoler & Mariner), John Shrapnel (Camillo), Kathryn Wilder (Mopsa) and Jimmy Yuill(The Shepherd).

The broadcast date for Romeo and Juliet, which plays at the Garrick from 12 May to 13 August, will be announced shortly. The Entertainer will also be screened later in 2016.

The Winter’s Tale, Harlequinade / All On Her Own, Red Velvet, The Painkiller, Romeo and Juliet and The Entertainer make up the inaugural Play at the Garrick season for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. For more information and to buy theatre tickets for these productions please see www.branaghtheatre.com

 

GARY BARLOW TAKES LEEDS BY SURPRISE AT THE GRAND THEATRE

Take That star Gary Barlow gave Leeds a rare treat last night (Monday 16^th November) when he took to the stage for the curtain call of his new musical The Girls which is currently having its world premier at Leeds Grand Theatre until December 12^th.

Barlow, with his childhood friend Tim Firth – the writer of both the film and play The Calendar Girls – joined the cast as they took their bows much to the audiences delight.  After thanking the cast and the Leeds audiences he lead a rousing rendition of the Show’s opening number, simply titled ‘Yorkshire’.

“The atmosphere in the auditorium was electric,” said Producer David Pugh. “The audience were already giving a standing ovation and when Gary and Tim came on there was an uproarious cheer!”

At the end of the anthemic show number, the original Calendar Girls also took to the stage to great applause. The show has received standing ovations at each performance so far though whether Gary is due to appear again remains a mystery.

David concludes: “Gary and Tim enjoyed it very much so you never know.”

The Girls is a brand new musical based on the true story of the Yorkshire Women’s Institute who appeared nude, but for carefully placed buns, teapots and other such props, for a calendar back in 2000. The calendar was an immediate success and the women took the world by storm spawning a film and award-winning play, both of which were written by Tim Firth.

This musical comedy shows the women’s life in a Yorkshire village, how the story began, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters and how a group of ordinary women achieved something extraordinary.

The Girls is making its world premier at Leeds Grand theatre until Saturday 12^th December

 

Tickets are still available priced from £10 to £45

 

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