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THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

TO HOLD A RELAXED PERFORMANCE

AT KING’S CROSS THEATRE IN LONDON

AT 2.30PM ON WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 2016

At 2.30pm on Wednesday 22 June, there will be a ‘relaxed performance’ of the Olivier Award-winning The Railway Children – Live on Stage at London’s King’s Cross Theatre. Relaxed performances are designed to benefit those with autism, sensory and communication disorders or a learning disability. 

The National Autistic Society has worked closely with the production and advised on adjustments to the show and talked to both front-of-house staff and the cast to increase understanding of autism. There will be volunteers on hand on the day from the National Autistic Society.

Some adjustments will be made to the production as necessary including sound and lighting levels and some sound and smoke effects. Audience members will be able to leave and enter the auditorium throughout the show as needed and a chill-out area will be available in the foyer. ‘Visual Stories’ (detailed information and photos) of both the theatre and the show will be sent to all bookers in advance.

In addition, Mousetrap Theatre Projects will have 250 seats at £15 each for this performance, which will be offered to all special secondary schools in Greater London – these schools encompass a huge variety of learning needs, not only those on the autistic spectrum.

The relaxed performance is open for general sale as usual and there are no restrictions other than the usual age related ones (children under 2 will not be admitted, children under 11 must be accompanied by an adult). There are access rates of either £24.75 or £12.50 (with the usual complimentary companion seats).

The Olivier Award-winning production of Mike Kenny’s stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s novel The Railway Children is now running at King’s Cross Theatre until 8 January 2017.

The Railway Children opened at King’s Cross Theatre to critical and public acclaim on 14 January 2015, following previews from 16 December 2014. The show will celebrate its 2^nd Anniversary on 16 December 2016.

The cast of The Railway Children includes Martin Barass as Mr Perks, Suzy Cooper as Mother, Sophie Ablett as Bobbie, Matt Jessup as Peter, Beth Lilly 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, Moray Treadwell as the Old Gentleman and 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.

The production at King’s Cross Theatre is in support of the Railway Children Charity that aims to help homeless and runaway children throughout the world, with £1 per ticket donated to the charity. To date, £335,000 has been raised by the theatre production since its West End debut in 2010.

The Railway Children is 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.

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 10 minutes (including an interval)

Box Office                           0844 871 7604                   

Tickets                                £25.00-£49.50, with 25% off for Under 16s (Premium Seats available from £54.50 + Limited edition show poster)

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

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                      No performance

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

May 16th – May 21st 2016

Leicester Square Theatre

“When sorrows come, they come not single spies. But in battalions.”

Critically acclaimed Cambridge University Footlights and

Royal Central alumna Lowri Amies bears all in her new play Words, Words, Words, to be performed at the King’s Head

Theatre and the Leicester Square Theatre this Spring. An exploration of the grieving process, Lowri interweaves

Shakespeare with personal stories to shed light on a subject which goes largely unacknowledged and unsupported, especially amongst young people – the death of a parent.

 “an amazing talent (…) cleverly incorporates quotes from the Bard’s plays yet still makes sense to those who are not so familiar with them” Vivienne Lafferty

When Lowri lost her mother, she lost her voice. The vocabulary of her childhood disintegrated, the old words failed to fit the new story. Denial, shock…acceptance? Can she rewrite a version of herself which can speak these new words? Words, Words, Words is one girl’s attempt to confront grief in her own voice amidst a sea of others. As an actor, she can borrow Shakespeare’s words to play many parts – Juliet, Rosalind, Macbeth, Hamlet – but can she

play herself?

“Superb new play by Lowri Amies – raw, honest and emotional. Highly

recommended.” @L_Anstey

“Enjoyed your brave and personal Words, Words, Words last night.” @H_Rietveld

“Very much enjoyed Words, Words, Words; poignant & witty in a very modern while

traditionally theatrical sense.” @greanep

The show premièred as part of the Black Box Festival at the Etcetera Theatre in January, and his since played dates at the Miller Theatre and King’s Head Theatre. Given the universality of its message and subject matter, it was not only extremely well received by the artistic community, but also generated interest from the healthcare profession.

Network of Independent Critics:

Two Weeks Left in Crowdfunding Campaign

https://igg.me/at/NICritics

Founded in early 2016 by Katharine Kavanagh and Laura Kressly, the Network of Independent Critics exists to champion quality arts writing outside of the mainstream press. They have selected 21 experienced performance critics from an international applicant pool to come to Edinburgh Festival Fringe for a one week stay, and their crowdfunding campaign is now two weeks away from closing.

Through the NIC’s campaign, the critics will benefit from an affordable immersion into the largest arts festival in the world, where they can hone their skills, increase their portfolio and network with their peers. Artists and performers at the festival will benefit from the presence of specialised, knowledgeable writers – who may otherwise find costs of attending prohibitive – that will see and review work that oftentimes falls outside of mainstream publications’ radar. Funds raised will be split equally between participants to go towards living costs in Edinburgh.

With salaried arts critic posts disappearing, the internet offers a direct route to tailored critical coverage for readers. The demand for this work exists, but making independent criticism a sustainable vocation is still a struggle.

The scheme will also include a week of mentorship in reviewing circus for 3 participants, in partnership with TheCircusDiaries.com, the UK’s only publication dedicated to circus critique. Applications for these places will be opening soon.

The critics who have been selected, and their specialist areas of interest, are:

Amy Stutz – dance and plays with integrated music

Benjamin Huxley – poetry and spoken word

Ben Walters – cabaret

Beth Madeline Iredale – physical theatre and street performance

Victoria Durham – work from minority groups

Callum Moorin – stand up, sketch and musical comedy

Carl Woodward – work by young people

Charlotte O’Growney – new musical theatre and small cast shows

Eda Nacar – BAME performance and classical adaptations

Fergus Morgan – student and low-budget shows

James Waygood – LGBT theatre

Joanna Trainor – In-Yer-Face theatre

Johnny Fox – new musical theatre

Kirsty Alexander – children’s theatre

Lee Anderson – new writing

Mary Nguyen – opera and musical theatre

Meaghan McGurgan – work not normally seen in Asia for a Hong Kong readership

Michael Davis – female-led performance

Natalie O’Donoghue – drag and cabaret

Steve Stratford – LGBTQ performance

Rosie Curtis – experimental performance

OKLAHOMA

Grand Opera House York

Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 August

Grand Opera House York is looking for young male performers aged 14 – 21 years to take part in their 2016 Stage Experience: Oklahoma. If you fit the bill please contact[email protected] for an application form.

The theatre has already cast Reece McMahon as Will Parker and Conor Mellor as Curley McLain, both from York; Caitlin Galgie from Great Ayton in Middlesbrough will play the part of Laurey and Sophia Bonini from Harrogate in the role of Ado Annie. The cast spent an afternoon at Piglets Adventure Farm Park with the new-born lambs and piglets doing photos to publicise the show.

“The first show ever written by the Rodgers and Hammerstein team guarantees to be another blockbuster for our stage experience team, and has something for everyone – a good story, big songs, catchy tunes, dance routines, and love interests – all of which will showcase the enormous wealth of talent in our cast and crew”.  Clare O’Connor, Producer.

Stage Experience is an intensive two week project for ten to 21 year olds, who will be directed by professional director and choreographer Louise Denison, who will be joined by the musical director Adam Laird.

The project will run from Saturday 23 July, culminating in four performances from Thursday 4 to Saturday 1 August. As well as budding actors, Stage Experience welcomes young and aspiring theatre technicians, who will work with the professional team on sound, lighting, set, props and costumes.

Be sure not to be miss what has been billed as Rodgers and Hammerstein’s most innovative show – on for 3 days only!

Tickets: from £16 from box office on 0844 871 3024 or book online at www.atgtickets.com/york

May 9th – May 18th, 8.45pm, Theatre N16

Bev and Keith are a nice young couple who like to do their bit for the environment, and spend ten quid a month sponsoring an orphaned orangutan in a Sumatran sanctuary. They’re also trying hard for a baby. When their adopted orangutan turns up on the doorstep, he’s soon got his grippy feet firmly under the table and they find themselves parents to a hairy, delinquent teenager.

The dark and absurd comedy is performed in the style of a live radio recording and is described as Paddington Bear gone wrong. And not a bear.

“Sitcom meets Kafka” British Theatre Guide

Frank Sumatra is a Geordie! The play began life after it was commissioned for a tour of North East venues last year and is now coming to London to take part in the Wandsworth Fringe Festival. Jamie Eastlake, artistic director of Theatre N16, says: “I loved Frank Sumatra when I read the script and knew it would be a brilliant way to show off some cracking Geordie talent and humour down here.”

Frank Sumatra is written by Newcastle playwright Mike Yeaman. His comedies Lucky Numbers and

Canoeing For Beginners have been translated into several languages and produced in Europe and

New Zealand, as well as in the UK. The production is directed by Neil Armstrong (Writers’ Guild of

Great Britain and National Comedy award nominations) and has Pip Chamberlin, Dean Logan and Hannah Walker in the cast.

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing company that wants to change the face of the theatre industry. It is a bastion for the arts, making theatre accessible and affordable for audiences and in turn allowing artists to survive financially.

May 9th – May 19th, 1pm & 4pm, Theatre N16

In May 2016, for an extremely limited run, Twenty Seven Live Ltd and Theatre N16 will play host to an exclusive, site specific, promenade performance, based on a real life murder case that took place right in the heart of Balham.

In 1876, a lawyer named Charles Bravo was murdered in his own house, by an unknown assailant, using the most devastating of poisons. To this day, no one knows the truth, or the real murderer, despite many motives and characters that have now been etched in history. Audiences will meet the very people who wandered these corridors, contemplating their fate, whilst exploring the historical rooms at The Bedford Arms, Balham.

The Times called it “the most disgusting exhibition to have been witnessed in this generation”, with many writers and novelists, including Agatha Christie, exploring this dark and sinister side of the Victorian Era.

Theatre N16 is a trailblazing company that wants to change the face of the theatre industry. No matter how little money a production has behind it, if it has potential and that spark of innovation, they want to know. 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 the arts, making theatre accessible and affordable for audiences and in turn allowing artists to survive financially.

The Rosemary Branch Theatre 4 – 22 May.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Bryony J. Thompson has done it again. 200 years after Jane Austen completed Persuasion, Thompson’s adaptation condenses the novel into a short but very sweet production.

Anne Elliot, persuaded by her family to end her engagement to Frederick Wentworth because of his lack of status and wealth, is reintroduced to him nearly 8 years later, when his sister becomes tenant at her family home. Against a backdrop of family gatherings and outings, Anne and Wentworth cannot politely avoid each other, and eventually she begins to hope that he still has feelings for her.

There is a lot of toing and froing in this story, but Thompson’s adaptation sets out the events clearly and cleverly. The cast of six carry the narrative style admirably, and speaking in the third person continues the illusion of a book brought to wonderful life. Sticking to the clean lines of her Jane Eyre, Thompson’s set is simple, with a plain hessian backdrop, white props and white costumes. You don’t really notice any of this after a while, you can’t take your eyes off the actors.

Rose McPhilemy is sublime as Anne – stoic and sensible, but with a bubbling undercurrent of suppressed humour – her long suffering smiles at the audience as the sillier characters do their stuff are delightful. Philip Honeywell’s Wentworth is dashing and makes you question Anne’s sanity at giving him up. His awkward smiles/grimaces around her melt subtly into true smiles as the play goes on, and when he reads THAT love letter… Their wonderful chemistry keeps a frisson of tension, even as dizzier characters take centre stage. The rest of the cast take multiple roles, but my favourite moments were when they acted as Anne and Wentworth’s internal voices, debating their feelings and decisions much more interestingly than a straight monologue. That being said, they were all great in their other roles! Charles Musgrove becomes a period version of Tim Nice-But-Dim in Adam Elliot’s comedic hands, and Tom Hartwell brings Admiral Croft to booming life but shows a more subtle touch with Captain Harville. Sarita Plowman and Beatrice Rose perform similar vocal tricks to distinguish their characters. Plowman makes Mrs Clay all blinks and faux girlish giggles, changing to a deep honey toned voice for the matriarchal Lady Russell, and Rose’s Mary is a hoot – squealing and hyperventilating, even her walk is funny.

Although concise, this gorgeous production remains true to Austen’s book, and is full of wit, charm and romance. If Bryony J Thompson could work her way through all of Austen and the Brontes please, that would be lovely.

Union Theatre 3 – 14 May.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Sam (Chris Willoughby) and Kate (Gemma Rook) are stuck in a rut, so meet Lucy (April Pearson) for a threesome, hoping that this will give their relationship a boost.

Laboratory Theatre Company’s production of Jamie Patterson’s play begins with a film clip (Sam and Kate scouting for girls in a club, Lucy taking them back to her place) and title sequence which initially puzzled me, but when the actors finally came on stage, and began to question their choices, the contrast between the abstract idea on film and the reality of the situation in the flesh was laid bare.

Lucy’s views on sex shock Kate, who doesn’t really seem to enjoy talking about sex, let alone doing it. Lucy has a different effect on Sam, with him trying cocaine and eventually performing the most inept striptease ever seen. The comedy mostly comes from Sam and Kate’s reactions to Lucy and her suggestions, and Sam’s attempts to smooth things over, and there are plenty of laugh out loud moments. Even though there is plenty of strong language, the play has a strangely wholesome feel, finally celebrating the settled, unexciting life that Sam and Kate have together.

Willoughby plays Sam as an innocent man-child, filling silences with misjudged comments, and making the audience giggle with his facial expressions and gestures – think David Brent’s younger, sweeter brother. Kate is the trickiest character, stiff and sharp at first, but Rook portrays her relaxing into the situation with subtly growing warmth and heart. Pearson basically gets to talk filth all night – with relish. Lucy’s views on life are superficially hedonistic – it would have been nice to see a glimpse of what lay underneath, but with a running time of 60 minutes, Patterson has kept the character somewhat 2 dimensional.

Threesome doesn’t really have much to say about life – but if you are looking for a damn fine comedy full of filth, cuteness and a little dancing, this is well worth a look.

Park Theatre 5 May – 4 June.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Wow. What a show.

Dougal Irvine has updated John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera, slamming it into the summer of 2012. Peachum has become a corrupt newspaper mogul, Lockitt is the buffoon, dad-dancing, Mayor of London, and Macheath is an “artiste” busking and stirring up anti-capitalist feeling with his group of well-meaning but useless protesters – the 99%ers.

This isn’t biting satire, but it is very funny, with digs at the media, social media and capitalism. The bleak reality that nothing has really changed since 1728 when John Gay wrote The Beggar’s Opera is slightly overdone, but not overbearing. The script is all delivered in rhyming couplets, which could have become annoying, but was done with an occasional wink to the audience and such energy that it felt just right. Macheath’s lines include a lot of apologies and critiques of bizarre happenings on stage, keeping the audience in the palm of his hand during weaker plot moments. Irvine’s lyrics are just brilliant – he gets funnier with a tune. The use of different styles of music, and the insertion of a scathing line in the middle of a sweet song keeps you on your toes, and every number is memorable.

With a set consisting of scaffolding poles and cardboard boxes, Lotte Wakeham’s production is all about the performances. The cast are all fantastic – with strong and versatile voices. George Maguire struts around the stage like a rock god, and sings like one too, oozing charisma even when Macheath is in a downward spiral. The standout performances come from Natasha Cottriall as Lucy Lockitt – full of text speak and MIC mannerisms while she delivers killer rhymes – and Lauren Samuels as Polly Peachum – superbly dippy as she worships the holy pigeons. Their numbers are brilliant, especially Sadder Than Me – a vocal duel that has Polly bemoaning the state of the world, whilst Lucy remembers the trauma of a broken Playstation – the range of styles in that single number is mindblowing, ending with a full on soprano screech off. Amazingly, this musicality is produced with simply keyboards and guitar, with cast members joining in with cello and cajon when needed (acknowledged in the script!)

The Buskers Opera is a wonderful show – full of fun, politics, murder, great songs… and pigeons. A must see show – get your ticket today.