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EXCITING NEW SHOWS ON SALE THIS SATURDAY AT SHEFFIELD THEATRES

Sheffield Theatres have added some exciting new shows to their spring 2016 season, on sale to the general public from Saturday 20 February,

 

Schools, colleges and drama groups from across the region bring thought-provoking drama to the Studio from Wednesday 16 – Tuesday 22 March, as part of the National Theatre’s Connectionsprogramme.  Connections 500 commemorates 21 years of creating brilliant plays and theatre making for young people and this year’s festival includes works by Mark Ravenhill, Bryony Lavery(Queen Coal) and Frantic Assembly.  Sheffield People’s Theatre Young Company will performBassett by James Graham, an exhilarating snapshot of a generation who have inherited a world at war. 

 

The compelling story of the legendary Judy Garland is told on the Lyceum stage in End of theRainbow from Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 May.  Starring Lisa Maxwell (Loose Women, The Bill),Gary Wilmot (Oklahoma!) and Sam Attwater (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers), this emotionally charged play sees Judy making her explosive London come-back at the height of the swinging sixties.  Then, Matthew Bourne’s stunning production of Sleeping Beauty (Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 May ) will transport lovers of dance to a magical world of fairies and vampires.  Discover if Princess Aurora will ever find true love again in this gothic romance set to Tchaikovsky’s dramatic score.

 

Sexy, sassy West End and Broadway musical Chicago will razzle-dazzle audiences from Monday 6 – Saturday 11 June.  When nightclub singer Roxie Hart shoots her lover, she teams up with cell block rival Velma Kelly and smooth talking lawyer Billy Flynn, in a bid to avoid death row.  This iconic musical by Kander and Ebb with choreography by Bob Fosse stars John Partridge (Celebrity Big Brother, EastEnders), Hayley Tamaddon (Coronation Street, Dancing On Ice) and X Factor winner and former prison-warden Sam Bailey as Mama Morton.

 

The biggest comedy tour of the year, the All-Star Stand-Up Tour 2016, stops off at the Lyceum onTuesday 3 May, with double Sony Award-winner and star of Mock The Week Gary Delaney, top comedy trickster and star of BBC One’s The Magicians Pete Firman, Kiwi compere Jarred Christmas and former Never Mind the Buzzcocks team captain Sean Hughes.

 

For families, popular childrens book Aliens Love Underpants is brought to life from Tuesday 31 May – Thursday 2 June.  This hilarious family show full of madcap action, lively music and of course –    aliens – will have audiences laughing their pants off! 

 

Now on sale to Sheffield Theatres’ Centre Stage members, the new shows go on sale to the general public on Saturday 20 February from 10.00am.  For more details and to book tickets call the Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk. 

REVIEW: ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Sunderland Empire)

February 16, 2016 

For: West End Wilma 

https://www.westendwilma.com/review-rocky-horror-show-sunderland-empire/

With just a jump to the left and step to the right the Rocky Horror show dances its way into Sunderland this week.  And over 43 years later this tour is still as fresh as ever.

Whilst previous leads have played Frank as sophisticated and mysterious, Liam Tamne gave a fresh, vibrant and brilliantly scandalous performance as Frank ‘n’ Furter, with spot on comic timing.  Excitable like a child in a sweet shop his vocals – especially in his final solo piece – were outstanding and he seemed to love the audience as much as they loved him, interacting well.

The narrator in Rocky Horror can make or break a performance as the interaction with the audience is a crucial part of the show.  Steve Punt is fabulous in the show dealing with the hecklers and shouting, with witty asides and never putting down or insulting the audience.

Brad and Janet are played by Ben Freeman and Diana Vickers, both have excellent voices and portray young and naive with perfect charm.  Paul Cattermole was unfortunately indisposed but Zachary Morris gave us his superb version of Eddie/Dr Scott.

Filling the shoes of Richard O’Brien is Kristian Lavercombe, a near perfect version of Riff Raff.  His mannerisms, acting and comic timing show why he has played the role more times than his creator.

There isn’t a weak link in this show at all, performers, musicians and outstanding production make this one of the best version of Rocky Horror to tour in a long time.

It’s a fan favourite, full of innuendo, an adult pantomime, camper than Christmas, and a guaranteed standing ovation when the audience rises as one to do an encore of the Time Warp.

Shoppers and commuters were stopped in their tracks on Monday as some of the cast members of Stomp went back to their roots and took to the streets of Newcastle, to give passers-by a sneak peak at what to expect from their award-winning show, which plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 15 – Sat 20 Feb 2016.

 

Now entering its 23rd year, this smash hit show has entertained over 15 million people across 50 countries worldwide; featured in a range of commercials, film soundtracks and TV collaborations and won multiple awards including an Obie, a Drama Desk Award and an Olivier.

 

But it was out on the streets that the show was first born when street theatre artists Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas came together in Brighton in the summer of 1991. From acclaimed performances at the Edinburgh Fringe to large outdoor events, the legend of Stomp grew in ambition and scope, gaining legions of fans along the way and becoming the theatrical sensation it is today.

 

Using everyday household items from paint cans and pipes to bin lids and brooms, the creators and co-directors have ultimately developed a unique, universal language of rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance, which has become a true phenomenon.

 

Since their last visit to Newcastle in 2000, the Stomp cast have performed in the closing ceremony at the 2012 Olympics and have introduced two new pieces to the show: Frogs and Trolleys.

 

Trolleys taps into the everyday experience of negotiating a busy shopping aisle with a fully laden supermarket trolley but soon transforms into the closest the show will ever get to drum corps. It is also the first fully fledged Stomp routine to be performed entirely in 5/4 time signature.

 

Frogs explores the bizarre sonic possibilities of a variety of plumbing fixtures! It has to be heard to be believed, but close your eyes and this piece sounds unlike anything ever heard in the show till now.

 

Creators Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas are both very happy with the way the new pieces have slotted in, each withStomp‘s trademark exploration of sound, movement and physical humour and there’s more to come: they will be working on more new routines later this year.

 

Still remaining is Stomp’s signature high-octane meeting of slick choreography, tight ensemble work, industrial percussion and a narrative of anarchic clowning; as the irrepressible troupe of eight turn brooms into soft shoe partners, clapping into intricate conversations and water cooler bottles into sophisticated instruments. A row of folding chairs are straddled, slid, slammed and slapped into rhythmic submission. It is at once primal and urbane, leaving no percussive potential – of object, body or action – unexploited. And all underpinned by a childish delight in making serious noise.

 

The whole show hurtles towards a brilliantly reworked climax – a showstopper in every sense – as a crackling carnival of leaping, spinning, skidding and pounding performers vent their inexhaustible energies on an unsuspecting orchestra of metal dustbins, bin lids, tubs and water butts. Joyous, thumping, exhilarating bliss for all involved … except the bins!

 

Stomp plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 15 – Sat 20 Feb. Tickets are priced from £13 (pay less online) and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

TWIST AND SHOUT AT THE LYCEUM THIS MONTH AS BEATLEMANIA HITS SHEFFIELD

 

Celebrate the music of The Beatles, the world’s most successful rock ‘n’ roll band, at the Lyceum Theatre from Monday 22 – Saturday 27 February in Let It Be, a spectacular concert charting the band’s meteoric rise from their humble beginnings in Liverpool’s Cavern Club, through to the heights of Beatlemania and beyond.

Packed with over forty of The Beatles’ greatest hits including Twist and Shout, Hard Day’s Night, She Loves You, Hey Jude, Yesterday, When I’m 64 and, of course, Let it Be, this unique show is set to delight audiences with rich, electrifying performances, taking Beatles fans back to the magical ‘60s, when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends!

 

Let It Be is at the Lyceum Theatre from Monday 22 – Saturday 27 February.  Tickets can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced from £17.00 – £32.00 (a transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash), and discounts are available.

Lazarus Theatre Company presents

The Caucasian Chalk Circle by Bertolt Brecht in a version by Frank McGuiness

Tuesday 23 February to Saturday 12 March

A girl must make a choice… to take the child and run, or leave him behind in the fury of civil war.

Brecht’s thrilling and revolutionary play follows a young girl who makes the biggest decision of her life. Set against the back drop of war and mutiny, Grusha seeks refuge and asylum. Her crime: saving the son of the fleeing establishment. Her reward: The Chalk Circle.

This inventive ensemble production draws on Brecht’s pioneering techniques and thrilling text, set to an original score. Launching their 2016 season, The Caucasian Chalk Circle marks Lazarus Theatre’s return to The Jack Studio after their sell out productions of The Revenger’s Tragedy and The Merchant of Venice.

Listings Information

Venue: Brockley Jack Studio Theatre

410 Brockley Road, London, SE4 2DH

Box office: www.brockleyjack.co.uk

or 0333 666 3366 (£1.50 fee for phone bookings only)

Dates: Tuesday 23 February to Saturday 12 March 2016

Performances at 7.45pm

Tickets: £14, £12 concessions

(23rd, 24th February all tickets £10)

Theatre website: www.brockleyjack.co.uk

Empire Theatre, Sunderland – 15 February 2016

With just a jump to the left and step to the right the Rocky Horror show dances its way into Sunderland this week.  And over 43 years later this tour is still as fresh as ever.

Whilst previous leads have played Frank as sophisticated and mysterious, Liam Tamne gave a fresh, vibrant and brilliantly scandalous performance as Frank ‘n’ Furter, with spot on comic timing.  Excitable like a child in a sweet shop his vocals – especially in his final solo piece – were outstanding and he seemed to love the audience as much as they loved him, interacting well.

The narrator in Rocky Horror can make or break a performance as the interaction with the audience is a crucial part of the show.  Steve Punt is fabulous in the show dealing with the hecklers and shouting, with witty asides and never putting down or insulting the audience.

Brad and Janet are played by Ben Freeman and Diana Vickers, both have excellent voices and portray young and naive with perfect charm.  Paul Cattermole was unfortunately indisposed but Zachary Morris gave us his superb version of Eddie/Dr Scott.

Filling the shoes of Richard O’Brien is Kristian Lavercombe, a near perfect version of Riff Raff.  His mannerisms, acting and comic timing show why he has played the role more times than his creator.

There isn’t a weak link in this show at all, performers, musicians and outstanding production make this one of the best version of Rocky Horror to tour in a long time.

It’s a fan favourite, full of innuendo, an adult pantomime, camper than Christmas, and a guaranteed standing ovation when the audience rises as one to do an encore of the Time Warp.

Youth Theatre bury time capsule under auditorium

York Theatre Royal’s Youth Theatre Forum preserves memorabilia for future generations

Members of York Theatre Royal’s Youth Theatre have buried a time capsule under the theatre’s auditorium containing trinkets and letters addressed to a Youth Theatre of the distant future.

The Youth Theatre Forum – representatives from 12 Youth Theatre groups, aged between 8 and 18 – took the opportunity of the theatre’s ongoing redevelopment work to bury the capsule under the stalls, so future audiences will sit directly above it while watching shows.

Stored in the capsule are costumes and scripts from Youth Theatre productions, including scripts of upcoming shows The Holding Place and The Trojan Women, signed by each production’s cast and creative team. Letters, poems and drawings by members of the Youth Theatre to their future equivalents were also preserved. The letters give an account of the current state of York Theatre Royal and its youth groups, and ask about the world of those who will one day open the capsule.

Questions range from “What is the theatre like today?” to “Can you read our writing?” and “Is Berwick Kaler still the panto dame?” Another requested: “After you open this can you put some stuff back in the capsule for another 50-100 years?”

The Youth Theatre Forum members also included stage props and memorabilia from their shows, ranging from a Barbie doll to a Youth Theatre T-shirt.

Youth Theatre Director Kate Plumb, who helped collect the material, contributed a letter to whoever holds her post when the time capsule resurfaces, in which she described the highlights

of working with young actors in 2016 and wondered how her future equivalent’s role would compare.

Kate said:

We’ve had a wonderful time reflecting on the essence of our Youth Theatre and thinking about what we would like to share with a Youth Theatre of the future. We hope that it’s sealed for at least a hundred years, and that once it’s opened, they will get a real sense of the fun we’ve had in 2016, and over the last decade of our Youth Theatre.

York Theatre Royal’s ongoing restoration work is nearing completion: front-of-house and Box Office areas have been rebuilt, a flat stage has been installed and new raked stalls have been built, ready for a brand new set of seats to hold audiences from 22 April 2016 onwards. On that day the theatre will reopen with a world premiere of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited, adapted by Bryony Lavery.

CELEBRATING THE UNDISPUTED KING OF POP

Direct from London’s West End, Thriller Live – celebrating the music of Michael Jackson, comes to Darlington Civic Theatre.

Direct from London’s West End where it is now in its record breaking seventh year, Thriller Live is a spectacular concert created to celebrate the career of the world’s greatest entertainer.

Seen by over three million people in over thirty countries, Thriller Live continues to moonwalk around the world, taking you on a visual, audio and electrifying journey through the magic of Michael Jackson’s 45 year musical history.

You will experience over two hours of non-stop hits from pop to rock, soul to disco as the cast play homage to Jackson’s legendary live performances and innovative dance moves executed with flair, precision and passion, this is a show that you will never forget.

Expect your favourite songs delivered by an exceptionally talented cast and band, including: I Want

You Back, ABC, Can You Feel It, Off The Wall, The Way You Make Me Feel, Smooth Criminal, Beat It, Billie Jean, Dirty Diana, Bad, Rock With You, They Don’t Care About Us, Dangerous and Thriller plus many more!

Thriller Live is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Monday 29 February to Saturday 5 March. Tickets* are priced £21.80 to £33.50, discounts are available.

*All prices include a £1 restoration levy

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

 

 

NORMAN PACE TO JOIN STEVE PUNT AND CHARLIE CONDOU AS THEY SHARE THE ICONIC ROLE OF THE NARRATOR IN UK NATIONAL PRODUCTION OF THE

LEGENDARY MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Comedian Norman Pace will be joining the cast of the smash hit musical Rocky Horror Show next month.  He will join fellow comedian Steve Punt and Coronation Street star Charlie Condou to share the legendary role of The Narrator on the UK tour which is currently smashing box office records in venues from Brighton to Liverpool, Birmingham to Sunderland.

Following critically acclaimed performances on the tour earlier this year, Steve Punt will reprise the role in Cardiff, Sunderland, Southampton, Wimbledon, York, Aylesbury, Nottingham, Richmond, Malvern and Stoke. In Bradford – back by popular demand – following his hilarious performance in Manchester, Charlie Condou will be slipping his suspenders back on for two performances on Friday 18^th March.

Norman Pace will make his Rocky Horror Show debut in Torquay, and will then perform in Bradford, Edinburgh, Belfast, Dartford, Wolverhampton, Sheffield, Woking, Leicester, Watford, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Canterbury, Glasgow, Southend and Bournemouth.  The unique show also stars Diana Vickers, Ben Freeman and Liam Tamne.

Steve Punt has been half of Punt and Dennis for many years and has co-hosted The Now Show on Radio 4 since its inception in 1998. Steve also presents the university quiz The Third Degree and the light-hearted investigative show Punt PI for Radio 4. Steve’s TV writing and performing credits include Canned Carrott,The Mary Whitehouse Experience, Punt and Dennis, Mock the Week and Horrible Histories. In 2011 Steve played Eric Idle in BBC4’s Holy Flying Circus.

Norman Pace, one half of comedy duo Hale and Pace, has become an accomplished actor in his own right, with guest lead roles in BBC’s Casualty and ITV’s The Last Detective.  He made his West End debut as ‘Amos Hart’ in Chicago in 1999 and has since gone on to perform in the UK tours of Honk, A Slice Of Saturday Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Satin ‘N’ Steel, Breakfast With Johnny Wilkinson, Donkeys Ears, Our Man In Havana, Dry Rot, Charley’s Aunt, Annie Get Your Gun and most recently One Man Two Guvnors.

Charlie Condou is best known for playing Marcus Dent in Coronation Street for four years and his successful column ‘The Three of Us’ in The Guardian. Charlie’s other television credits include Me, You, and The Apocalypse, The Impressionists and Midsomer Murders. On the silver screen, Charlie has starred in Good,Fred Claus and Charlotte Grey, while some of his theatre roles include Next Fall (Southwark Playhouse),Dying for It (The Almeida), The Changeling (Southwark Playhouse) and Shopping and F***king (UK Tour).

Since its first appearance at the Royal Court Theatre in June 1973, Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Showhas become the world’s favourite Rock N’ Roll musical. It has been performed worldwide for over 40 years in over 30 countries, selling out in Australia, Germany, Switzerland, Japan and Austria, and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Director Christopher Luscombe created a stunning new production to celebrate the 40^th Anniversary, which famously combines science-fiction, horror, comedy and music and encourages audience participation. This critically acclaimed version of the classic show, which tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet – two squeaky clean college kids who meet Dr Frank’n’Furter by chance when their car breaks down outside his house – is back by popular demand, embarking on a year-long national adventure starting in Brighton next month.

This musical extravaganza features all of its famous musical classics including “Science Fiction/Double Feature”, “Dammit Janet” and of course, the timeless floor-filler, “The Time-Warp”.

Many stars, including Russell Crowe, Tim Curry, Jerry Springer and Meatloaf have appeared in The Rocky Horror Show over the past four decades. Ready to thrill you with fun and naughty moments, O’Brien’sRocky Horror Show is the boldest bash of them all. Be warned, this show has rude parts!

What the press have said about The Rocky Horror Show:

“Fresh, subversive, essential” – Daily Telegraph

 

“Panto for grown-ups – colourful, in your face, relentlessly energetic and high on audience participation” – The Times

 

“Hard to think of another musical quite as unique as this.” – Mail on Sunday

 

“So fast, so funny, so sexy” – Daily Mail

 

“Still the sexiest and funniest show in town” – Evening Standard

 

 

The Rocky Horror Show 2016 UK Tour Dates                                   

 Narrator

 

08 – 13 February 2016                    Cardiff: New Theatre                                     0292 087 8889       Steve Punt

15 – 20 February 2016                    Sunderland: Empire Theatre                       0844 871 3022     Steve Punt

22 – 27 February 2016                    Southampton:  Mayflower Theatre          0238 071 1811     Steve Punt

29 February – 5 March 2016         Wimbledon: New Wimbledon Theatre                    0844 871 7646      Steve Punt

07 – 12 March 2016                          Torquay: Princess Theatre                           0844 871 3023    Norman Pace

14 – 19 March 2016                          Bradford: Alhambra Theatre                        0127 443 2000    Norman/Charlie (18^th)

28 March – 2 April 2016                  Edinburgh: Playhouse Theatre                    0844 871 3014    Norman Pace

4 – 9 April 2016                                  Belfast: Grand Opera House                        028 9024 1919       Norman Pace

11 – 16 April 2016                             York: Opera House                                        0844 871 3024    Steve Punt

18 – 23 April 2016                             Aylesbury: Waterside Theatre                    0844 871 7607    Steve Punt

25 – 30 April 2016                             Nottingham: Theatre Royal                         0115 989 5555   Steve Punt

02 – 07 May 2016                              Richmond: Richmond Theatre                    0844 871 7651      Steve Punt

09 – 14 May 2016                              Malvern: Malvern Theatres                          01684 892277    Steve Punt

23 – 28 May 2016                              Stoke: Regent Theatre                                  0844 871 7649   Steve Punt

6 – 11 June 2016                               Dartford: Orchard                                             01322 220000     Norman Pace

13 – 18 June 2016                         Wolverhampton: Wolverhampton Grand 01902 429212     Norman Pace

20 – 25 June 2016                             Sheffield: Sheffield Lyceum                        0114 249 6000    Norman Pace

27 June – 3 July 2016                       Woking: New Victoria Theatre                    0844 871 7645        Norman Pace

4 – 9 July 2016                                    Leicester: Curve                                                 0116 2423595       Norman Pace

11 – 16 July 2016                               Watford: Watford Colosseum                    01923 571 102     Norman Pace

18 – 24 July 2016                               Bristol: Hippodrome                                       0844 871 7652    Norman Pace

25 – 30 July 2016                               Milton Keynes: Milton Keynes Theatre    0844 871 7652    Norman Pace

1 – 6 August 2016                             Canterbury: Marlowe Theatre                      01227 787787   Norman Pace

8 – 13 August 2016                           Glasgow: King’s Theatre                                 0844 871 7648   Norman Pace

15-20 August 2016-01-25               Southend: Cliffs Pavillion                                              01702 351135    Norman Pace

22 – 27 August 2016                        Bournemouth: Pavilion                                   0844 576 3000   Norman Pace

05 – 10 September 2016                Aberdeen: His Majesty’s Theatre                             01224 641122    TBC

12 – 17 September 2016                Norwich: Theatre Royal                                                 01603 630000    TBC

19 – 24 September 2016                Eastbourne: Congress Theatre                     01323 412000    TBC

26 Sept – 1 October 2016             Oxford: New Theatre                                       0844 871 3020   TBC

3 – 8 October                                     Dublin: Bord Gais Energy                                +353 (1) 677 7999 TBC

10 – 15 October 2016                      Birmingham: New Alexandra Theatre       0844 871 3011    TBC

 

Further dates and details to be announced

Please note that Diana Vickers, Ben Freeman, Paul Cattermole and Liam Tamne will perform through to 28 May 2016.

For online bookings and show times please visit www.atgtickets.com/rockyhorror

Ticket prices range from £10 – £51.90 (with additional booking fee)

Additional discounts are available for ATG Theatre Card Holders and Millennium Club Members.

DYNAMO

SEEING IS BELIEVING TOUR

NEXT WEEK AT SHEFFIELD ARENA

WEDNESDAY 24^TH – SUNDAY 28^TH FEBRUARY 2016

 

Dynamo will bring his fist ever UK live tour to Sheffield Arena next week from Wednesday 24^th-Sunday 28^th February. 

Due to phenomenal ticket sales, an additional performance has been added and Dynamo will now perform an incredible 6 shows at Sheffield Arena.  The additional performance will be a 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 27th February.

The event is taking place in the intimate theatre setting of the Sheffield Arena’s Steel Hall.  Fans will have the opportunity to see his magic skills up close and personal in what promises to be a spectacular and unique live stage production.

Dynamo, whose real name is Steven Frayne, hit our screens just three years ago with his first series of Magician Impossible, in that short time he has quickly established himself as one of the world’s most known and most loved magicians, with his series airing in over 180 countries worldwide reaching over 250 million cumulative viewers across the world. He was recently awarded the highest accolade by the magic circle with his promotion to Member of the Inner Magic Circle with Gold Star, a position only held by 300 magicians worldwide, including HRH Prince of Wales.

Dynamo said of his new venture, “After four series of Magician Impossible I was ready for a new challenge and for a long time I have wanted to take my show to the stage. I am hoping that like I did for magic on TV, I can reinvent the live magic show and produce something fans have never seen before. This is something I have been working towards for the last 20 years and I can’t wait to amaze audiences what I have in store for them”.  

Tickets for Dynamo at Sheffield Arena are on sale now, priced £43.45 & £35.75, including booking fee when booked online or in person. Tickets purchased in person at the Arena Box Office are priced £41.48 & £34.13 including booking fee.

Tickets are available in person at the Arena Box Office, by phone on 0114 256 5656 or online atwww.sheffieldarena.co.uk.