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THE SESSIONS – LIVE RE-STAGING OF THE BEATLES’ ABBEY ROAD RECORDINGS ANNOUNCES UK TOUR
Eleven date tour, April 6 – May 15 2016, follows sell-out Premiere at Royal Albert Hall – Tour also calls at Brighton, Cardiff, Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Aberdeen, Leeds, Birmingham, Wembley Arena and The O2.

The Sessions – A live re-staging of the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios will embark on an eleven-date UK Arena Tour in spring 2016.

Following an open-doors charity preview in the Beatles’ home city, Liverpool, and the show’s already-sold-out world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall on April 1st, the production – part blockbuster stage show, part access-all-areas musical documentary – will then travel to arenas in Brighton, Cardiff, Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Aberdeen, Leeds and Birmingham, before returning to London for performances at Wembley Arena and the O2.

Set in a state-of-the-art reproduction of the iconic Abbey Road Studio 2, The Sessions will stage breath-taking, musically spectacular new live renditions of the timeless albums recorded there by The Beatles, to take us on a joyous, thrilling, historically authentic voyage through the events that shaped popular music history.

Inspired by Here, There and Everywhere, the memoir of the show’s Creative Consultant and Grammy-winning former Abbey Road sound engineer Geoff Emerick, The Sessions will be the closest an audience can get to experiencing The Beatles live and at the height of their glory.

No fewer than 45 people will take the stage to ensure that the experience is as sonically authentic to the original recordings as it is gloriously euphonic. The seven vocalists will comprise 2 ‘Johns’ 2‘Pauls’ 2 ‘Georges’ and one ‘Ringo’ in order to recreate the albums’ until-now inimitable vocal harmonies. A further seven musicians will use rare, vintage, historically accurate instruments to recapture the Beatles’ renegade multi-instrumentalism, while a twenty-one piece orchestra will help awaken the dramatic, uplifting power of these legendary albums and songs using the exact musical arrangements of the originals, and eight Studio Technicians will help relive the ‘Eureka’ moments that created The Beatles’ era-defining sound and changed recorded music forever.

Each of the albums recorded at Abbey Road will become a ‘Suite’ all of which form part of The Sessions’ definitive Beatles Overture, driving the true story of how they made the records that shaped the next half century of popular music and culture.

This multi-million pound production is set in a painstakingly accurate replica of the world-renowned Abbey Road studio, designed and made by Stufish – the entertainment architects behind emblematic set designs for live shows including The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and U2.

The arena show will place the audience around three sides of the ‘Studio’, with venue capacities limited to place the audience at eye-level with the performers and maintain the fly-on-the-wall intimacy of the piece.

The concept for The Sessions was developed by Stig Edgren (creator of The Elvis Presley – In Concert Show) who also acts as Executive Producer, with Kim Gavin (Creative Director, London 2012 Olympic Closing Ceremony, Take That Stadium Tour, soon to do Rugby World Cup 2015 Opening Ceremony) on board as Director, and legendary promoter, agent and producer Jef Hanlon as Producer.

Stig Edgren, the Show’s Executive Producer said: “The Sessions – A live re-staging of the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios” will be a ‘musical documentary’ giving audiences an honest, respectful and accurate recreation of how musical history was made.”

Jef Hanlon, the Show’s Producer said: “An incredible amount of research has gone into the show – we wanted to be as true to the original process as possible. All instrumentation, arrangements and vocals will be performed identically to the original recordings – there will even be seven singers to recreate the multi-tracked vocals pioneered by The Beatles. This show does not seek to be a look-a-like show, but rather a sound-a-like, with the singers being the best Beatles imitators in the world. It’s a must for Beatles fans of all ages.”

Kim Gavin, the Show’s Director said: “This is an opportunity of a lifetime to work with such a legendary pop catalogue. It is really exciting to bring to life some of the Beatles most iconic recording sessions, and offer the audience a unique glimpse into the bands creative process.”

Full Title
The Sessions – A Live re-staging of The Beatles at Abbey Road Studios
www.thesessionslive.com / @thesessionsar
Tickets
Tickets go on general sale on Friday 18th September at www.bookingsdirect.com / 0844 338 0000
UK Dates
30 March 2016 – CHARITY PREVIEW – Liverpool, Echo Arena
01 April 2016 – London, Royal Albert Hall – SOLD OUT
06 April 2016 – Brighton, Centre
30 April 2016 – Cardiff, Motorpoint Arena
04 May 2016 – Nottingham, Capital FM Arena
06 May 2016 – Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena
07 May 2016 – Glasgow, The SSE Hydro
08 May 2016 – Manchester, Arena
10 May 2016 – Aberdeen, Exhibition & Conference Centre (AECC)
12 May 2016 – Leeds, First Direct Arena
13 May 2016 – Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena
14 May 2016 – London, The SSE Arena Wembley
15 May 2016 – London, The O2

The Creative Team
Executive Producer: Stig Edgren
Producer: Jef Hanlon
Director: Kim Gavin
Creative Consultant: Geoff Emerick

Aloff Theatre presents DAVID HUNTER, REBECCA TREHEARN and STEPHEN RAHMAN-HUGHES in a workshop presentation of MIDNIGHT. A new musical by TIMOTHY KNAPMAN and LAURENCE MARK WYTHE based on the play ‘Citizens of Hell’ by ELCHIN – Directed by MATTHEW GOULD

David Hunter, Rebecca Trehearn and Stephen Rahman Hughes take the lead roles in the world premiere of MIDNIGHT. This haunting new musical thriller by Timothy Knapman and Laurence Mark Wythe matches dark wit with an innovative score.

New Year’s Eve, 1937. Welcome to Baku, Azerbaijan, part of the police state of the Soviet Union where, as the clock ticks towards midnight, a husband and wife nervously raise their glasses to an uncertain future. The past year has been the worst of the Great Terror, in which the paranoid dictator Joseph Stalin unleashed wave upon wave of arrests and executions of ordinary citizens. And then comes the dreaded knock on the door… Is it the Communist state’s ruthless secret police? Or a far more mysterious and terrifying visitor? Dark secrets emerge, time is suspended and the couple are tested to breaking point and beyond.

Directed by Matthew Gould with musical direction by James Cleeve, this three-hander plus actor-musician ensemble is based on an original play, Citizens of Hell by Azerbaijan’s Elchin, with book and lyrics by Timothy Knapman and music and lyrics by Laurence Mark Wythe.

The full cast includes Nick Hayes, Thomas Sutcliffe, Greg Castiglioni, Kiara Jays, Jenny O’Leary.
Please note that the actors will be reading from scripts for this presentation.

CREATIVE TEAM
Book and Lyrics by Timothy Knapman
Music and Lyrics by Laurence Mark Wythe
Based on the play “Citizens of Hell” by Elchin
Director – Matthew Gould
Musical Director – James Cleeve
Casting Director – Benjamin Newsome
Producer – Sanan Aliyev
Company – Aloff Theatre

CAST
David Hunter
Rebecca Trehearn
Stephen Rahman Hughes
Ensemble: Nick Hayes, Thomas Sutcliffe, Greg Castiglioni, Kiara Jays, Jenny O’Leary

St. James Studio, 12 Palace St, London SW1E 5JA
Friday, 9 October 2015, 2PM

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE HAIRY APE By Eugene O’Neill. 

Directed by Richard Jones. 

Previews from 17 October 2015.

Eugene O’Neill’s timeless classic of class and identity The Old Vic announces the full cast to join Bertie Carvel in Richard Jones’ new production of The Hairy Ape, the second production in Matthew Warchus’ opening season as Artistic Director. The Hairy Ape opens on 29th October, with previews from 17th October, and will see The Old Vic theatre transformed back to its original proscenium arch layout.

A classic expressionist masterpiece by Nobel prize-winner Eugene O’Neill, The Hairy Ape tells the story of Yank (Bertie Carvel), a labourer who revels in his status as the strongest stoker on a transatlantic ocean liner. But when Yank is called a ‘filthy beast’ by the overbred daughter of a steel merchant, he experiences an awakening of consciousness that leads him on a journey through the wealthy neighbourhoods and disenfranchised underbelly of New York society. Searching for a way to belong, Yank is forced to confront primal questions about his true place in the world.

Directed by the acclaimed, multi award-winning director Richard Jones, The Hairy Ape is an iconic piece of American drama brought to the stage by a visionary of British theatre.

Adam Burton plays Secretary. Adam returns to The Old Vic stage having performed alongside Eve Best in The Duchess of Malfi. His extensive theatre credits include Everyman (National Theatre), The Drowned Man (Punchdrunk), A Life of Galileo, Julius Caesar, King Lear and The Winter’s Tale (RSC), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe). His film credits include Other Side of the Game, and the upcoming film Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass.

Bertie Carvel plays Robert Smith ‘Yank’. Bertie recently starred in the BBC television drama Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and he will soon be seen in the five-part BBC One drama Doctor Foster. On stage, he is best known for creating the role of ‘Miss Trunchbull’ in Matilda The Musical (RSC, West End, Broadway) for which he won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, a Drama Desk Award, a Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Tony Award. His other theatre credits include Bakkhai (Almeida Theatre), Revelations (Hampstead Theatre), The Life of Galileo, The Man of Mode (National Theatre) and Parade (Donmar Warehouse). Other recent television work includes the role of Nick Clegg in Coalition, Babylon and The Wrong Mans.

Buffy Davis plays Aunt. Buffy’s extensive credits for the theatre include Uncle Vanya (St James’ Theatre), School for Scandal (Park Theatre), Hedda Gabler (Old Vic), The Government Inspector and Annie Get Your Gun (Young Vic), and The Rose Tattoo (National Theatre). Television credits include What Remains, Doc Martin, Silk, and Mutual Friends. She has also appeared on film in Anna Karenina, Hyde Park on Hudson, and in Stephen Frears’ feature film Florence Foster Jenkins.

Callum Dixon plays Long. Callum’s recent theatre credits include Between Us (Arcola), The Complaint (Hampstead Theatre), Hamlet and The Government Inspector (Young Vic), The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Market Boy and Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads (National Theatre), Mojo (Royal Court), and Edward II and Richard III (RSC). On television he has appeared in A Touch of Cloth, Random, and The Armando Iannucci Show, and on film, credits include The Kid and Telstar.

Steffan Rhodri plays Paddy. His recent theatre credits include The Mentalists (Wyndham’s), Posh (Duke of York’s), Absent Friends (Harold Pinter), Abigail’s Party (Hampstead Theatre), The Kitchen Sink (Bush), Clybourne Park (Royal Court Theatre), and It’s A Mad World My Masters and Candide (RSC). Steffan’s extensive television credits include Henry IV The Hollow Crown: Henry IV, part 2, Under Milk Wood, Cucumber, and Gavin and Stacey; and on film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Rosie Sheehy plays Mildred. The Hairy Ape marks Rosie’s professional stage debut. She is a recent graduate from RADA, where her theatre credits include As You Like It, Sweet Charity and Mrs Warren’s Profession.

Nicholas Karimi plays Second Engineer. He is currently playing in Everyman at the National Theatre. Other recent theatre credits include Lardo (Old Red Lion), The Kite Runner (Nottingham Playhouse / Liverpool Playhouse), Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare’s Globe), Game of Life (The Yard Theatre), Outward Bound, The Fear of Breathing (Finborough Theatre), The Double, (Theatre Royal Bath), and Macbeth (National Theatre).

Full Cast: Christopher Akrill, Adam Burton, Charlie Cameron, Bertie Carvel, Okorie Chukwu, Buffy Davis, Callum Dixon, Phil Hill, Nicholas Karimi, Ben Lee, Oliver Llewellyn-Jenkins, Luke Murphy, Elan James, Steffan Rhodri, Rosie Sheehy

Director Richard Jones
Design Stewart Laing
Choreography Aletta Collins
Lighting Mimi Jordan Sherin
Sound Sarah Angliss
Casting Jessica Ronane CDG

THE HAIRY APE
The Old Vic, The Cut, London SE1 8NB
Saturday 17 Oct – Saturday 21 November 2015
Mon–Sat 7.30pm; Wed & Sat 2.30pm
Captioned Performance Thu 12 Nov 7.30pm
Audio Described Performance Tue 10 Nov 7.30pm, touch tour 6pm

NOW ON SALE

The Ravenswood Singers present
Christmas Magic

Wednesday 2nd December

It’s that magical time of the year again, when young and old alike look forward to celebrating that ‘special’ day and The Ravenswood Singers Annual Christmas celebration show is not to be missed on Wednesday 2nd December at the PLAYHOUSE!

What better way could there be of putting ourselves in the mood for the wonderful season of Christmas, than to hear and sing along with the much loved carols and songs of Christmas.

Spend a delightful evening with talented singers, and dancers from encore dance entertainment as they treat you to a great selection of Christmas favourites including fabulous music from Disney’s ‘Frozen’, ‘Christmas on Broadway’ featuring ‘We Need a little Christmas’. ‘Star by Star’, ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas’ ‘Sing we now of Christmas’, ‘White Christmas’, ‘Sleigh ride’ and many more well loved songs and carols! Enjoy our magical musical celebration of Christmas, beautifully costumed and choreographed to put you firmly in the festive mood!

Tickets are on sale now priced at £15, £14.50 conc.

Tickets are available from the Box Office open Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm, Saturday 10.30am -2.30pm plus until show start on event days. Tickets can also be purchased on the booking hotline 0844 248 1588 or online at www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk.

Excess All Areas presents:

The Importance of Being Earnest cast visits Empire Cinemas ahead of October’s Empire Extra screenings

Empire Cinemas played host to a visit from the cast of Oscar Wilde’s much-loved classic play, The Importance of Being Earnest, in advance of the play’s live screening at 12 of the chain’s regional cinemas on Thursday 8 October 2015.

The two young couples from the iconic play – played by Michael Benz (John (Jack) Worthing), Emily Barber (Gwendolen Fairfax), Philip Cumbus (Algernon Moncrieff) and Imogen Doel (Cecily Cardew) – visited the cinema in full costume before returning to the Vaudeville Theatre to perform the acclaimed Noel Coward classic. The screening will air at Basildon, Birmingham Great Park, Clydebank, Hemel Hempstead, High Wycombe, Newcastle upon Tyne, Poole (Tower Park), Slough, Sunderland, Swindon (Greenbridge), Walthamstow and Wigan. The new production stars one of Britain’s best-known stage, screen and television actors, David Suchet (familiar to millions of TV viewers as the detective Hercule Poirot), who plays the role of the formidable Lady Bracknell, plus the play will be broadcast with additional backstage footage and cast interviews exclusive to the cinema event.

In addition to The Importance of Being Earnest; this October sees an eclectic series of live arts screenings and special one-off events coming to Empire Cinemas through Empire Extra, with performances includingThe Who: Live in Hyde Park, MET Opera: Il Trovatore and NT Live: Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch. The innovative programme delivers the crème de la crème of arts, music, theatre and opera direct to the cinema screen, providing cinema-goers a whole new range of exciting content.

Jon Nutton, Marketing Director of Empire Cinemas, said: “We’re delighted to announce October’s exciting and eclectic Empire Extra line up, which includes performances from incredible talent such as Benedict Cumberbatch and David Suchet. It was brilliant to host cast members from The Importance of Being Earnest at Empire Cinemas ahead of their screening on October 8^th, which we expect to be very popular amongst our devoted customers.”

Screenings this month include:

MET Opera: Il Trovatore

3rd October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1KDKcx2

Soprano Anna Netrebko’s dramatic and vocal skills are on full display in her next new role at the Met—Leonora, the Verdi heroine who sacrifices her own life for the love of the gypsy troubadour. Tenor Yonghoon Lee sings the ill-fated Manrico, baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky is his rival, and mezzo-soprano Dolora Zajick is the mysterious gypsy with the troubled past. Angela Meade sings Leonora in later performances. Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar’s Goya-inspired production.

ROH – Le Nozza Di Figaro (Live)

5^th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1OylRGt

Often considered a perfect opera, Le nozze di Figaro represents Mozart’s genius at its most lively and delightful. Based on a play that was originally banned for its political content, the fast-moving libretto creates realistic characters made even more human by Mozart’s outstanding music. David McVicar’s popular staging of this comedy returns in the hands of the leading British conductor Ivor Bolton. The cast is led by the star bass Erwin Schrott, who has sung the role to great acclaim at Covent Garden before, partnered with star Romanian soprano Anita Hartig in the role of Susanna.

The Who: Live in Hyde Park

7th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1NhQO2X

Filmed in June this year, this is a chance for fans young and old to experience the phenomenal finale of The Who Hits 50! Tour which Roger Daltrey described as “The beginning of the long goodbye.” The legendary pioneers of British rock celebrate their 50th anniversary with this stunning show, performed on a glorious summer evening in front of a 65,000 strong crowd in London’s Hyde Park.

The Importance of Being Earnest (Live)

8^th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1FxvQqs

Don’t miss celebrated actor and Poirot star David Suchet as the formidable Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s much loved masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest, which is being broadcast LIVE to cinemas from London’s Vaudeville Theatre on 8 October 2015. Having opened to critical acclaim with 4 star reviews from The Guardian, The Times, The Evening Standard, Daily Mail, The Independent and The Stage, the play will be broadcast with additional backstage footage and cast interviews exclusive to the cinema event.  Directed by Adrian Noble (Amadeus, The King’s Speech, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), Wilde’s superb satire on Victorian manners is one of the funniest plays in the English language – the delightful repartee and hilarious piercing of hypocrisy and pomposity will make you laugh out loud!

I Believe in Miracles

13th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1K7m4MO

In 1975 Brian Clough had gone from being football’s most exciting young manager to being seen as impossible to work with after walking out on Derby County, leaving Brighton under a cloud and being sacked as manager of Leeds United after just 44 days. His only offer of work came from a run down second division club called Nottingham Forest whose brief glory days in the 1950’s were seen as well behind them. It was predicted that Clough would last less than a season but in five he’d won a remarkable two European Cups consecutively and produced one of the greatest domestic football teams in the games history. I Believe in Miracles tells how Clough pulled off the greatest team story ever told. Using unseen footage of games and the great man himself from that period, they tell us about his remarkable man management and how he convinced a team of players, largely written off by the fans and media, to beat the world’s best.

NT Live: Hamlet with Benedict Cumberbatch

15^th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1EOqkFh

Academy Award® nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC’s Sherlock, The Imitation Game, Frankenstein at the National Theatre) takes on the title role of Shakespeare’s great tragedy.

Directed by Lyndsey Turner (Posh, Chimerica) and produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, National Theatre Live will broadcast this eagerly awaited production live to cinemas. As a country arms itself for war, a family tears itself apart. Forced to avenge his father’s death but paralysed by the task ahead, Hamlet rages against the impossibility of his predicament, threatening both his sanity and the security of the state.

MET Opera: Otello

17^th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1Ni0rP8

The Met season opens with Verdi’s masterful Otello, inspired by Shakespeare’s play and matching it in tragic intensity. Director Bartlett Sher probes the Moor’s dramatic downfall with an outstanding cast: tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko plays the doomed Otello; new soprano star Sonya Yoncheva sings Desdemona, Otello’s innocent wife and victim; and baritone Željko Luèiæ plays the evil Iago, who masterminds Otello’s demise. Dynamic maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.

ENO: The Barber of Seville (Live)

19^th October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1IYfVkY

Live from the London Coliseum in stunning HD, The Barber of Seville will have you smiling from the moment it begins. Filled with fun and farce, English National Opera’s classic staging of this sunny adventure follows the escapades of the barber Figaro as he assists Count Almaviva to prise the beautiful yet feisty Rosina away from her lecherous guardian Dr Bartolo.

RSC Live 2015: Henry V

21^st October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1JTb5Hq

Henry IV is dead and Hal is King. With England in a state of unrest, he must leave his rebellious youth behind, striving to gain the respect of his nobility and people.

Laying claim to parts of France and following an insult from the French Dauphin, Henry gathers his troops and prepares for a war that he hopes will unite his country.

RSC Artistic Director Gregory Doran continues his exploration of Shakespeare’s History Plays with Henry V performed in the 600th anniversary year of the Battle of Agincourt. Following his performance as Hal in Henry IV Parts I & II Alex Hassell returns as Henry V.

MET Opera: Tannhauser

31^st October

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1LXeDva

James Levine conducts Wagner’s early masterpiece in its first return to the Met stage in more than a decade. Today’s leading Wagnerian tenor, Johan Botha, takes on the daunting title role of the young knight caught between true love and passion. Eva-Maria Westbroek is Elisabeth, adding another Wagner heroine to her Met repertoire after her acclaimed Sieglinde in the Ring a few seasons ago. On the heels of his recent triumph in Parsifal, Peter Mattei sings Wolfram, and Michelle DeYoung is the love goddess, Venus.

For further ticketing information visit www.EmpireCinemas.co.uk or call 08714 714 714.

– Ends –

For further information please contact House PR:

T: 020 7291 3000

E: Rob Leary – [email protected]

NATIONAL YOUTH THEATRE’S AUTUMN SEASON IN THE WEST END

NYT BEGIN AUTUMN SEASON IN THE WEST END WITH THREE NEW PRODUCTIONS & AN AUDIENCE WITH DAVID SUCHET

COMPANY OF SIXTEEN 18-25 YEAR-OLDS PERFORM THREE SHOWS IN REPERTORY AT THE AMBASSADORS THEATRE, 18 SEP – 4 DEC 2015

CONSENSUAL– A BRAND NEW PLAY ABOUT CONSENT, SEX ED & TEACHER PUPIL RELATIONS BY EVAN PLACEY

NEW COLLABORATION WITH SKY ARTS WHO DOCUMENTED THE MAKING OFCONSENSUAL AND LOOKED AT SURROUNDING THEMES

EMILY BRONTË’S WUTHERING HEIGHTS IN A NEW ADAPTATION BY STEPHANIE STREET & THE MERCHANT OF VENICE ABRIDGED BY TOM STOPPARD

The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain (NYT) begin their autumn season in the West End this week. Following the huge success of the REP seasons in 2013 and 2014, the company returns to the Ambassadors Theatre with three new productions from September to December exploring themes of sex education, relationships, class and heritage. NYT will also present ‘An Audience with David Suchet’ in October, a unique opportunity to hear the magnificent Hercule Poirot and NYT alumnus in conversation with NYT Artistic Director Paul Roseby. The 10-week rep season will start on 18 September 2015, with press performances on 6 and 7 October 2015. An Audience with David Suchet will take place on 15 October 2015.

The three shows in this year’s West End rep season include: Consensual – a brand new play exploring issues and experiences around sexting, young people and sexual consent written byEvan 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 will be 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 will examine 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 will direct 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.

Also in London’s West End, the NYT are thrilled to be hosting a one-off event with award-winning actor David Suchet. ‘An Audience with David Suchet’ will see the magnificent Hercule Poirot in conversation with Paul Roseby, CEO and Artistic Director of the National Youth Theatre at the Vaudeville Theatre on 15 October. It presents a unique opportunity to hear from Suchet about his five decade spanning career across theatre, film and television, including what it was like to say goodbye to one of Britain’s best loved TV detectives and his current role as Lady Bracknell in Oscar Wilde’s the Importance of Being Earnest. This is a fundraising event to support the work of the National Youth Theatre with Britain’s best young talent.

More information at www.nyt.org.uk

LISTINGS

An Audience with David Suchet
Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, London, WC2 R 0NH
15 October 2015, 3pm
Tickets start at £27.50 www.nimaxtheatres.com/vaudeville-theatre/an_audience_with_david_suchet

REP SEASON
Ambassadors Theatre, WC2H 9ND
18 September – 4 December 2015

Consensual Press Performances 6 & 7 October, 7:30pm
No matinee performances
Evening performances (7:30pm):
29, 30 September; 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 October; 3, 4, 10, 11, 18, 24 November; 2 December

Wuthering Heights Press Performance 6 October, 2:30pm
Matinee performances (2:30pm):
25 September; 2, 6, 13, 14, 23, 30 October; 6, 10, 11, 24, 27 November; 1, 4 December
Evening performances (7:30pm):
27, October; 17, 25 November;

The Merchant of Venice
Press Performances 7 October (2:30pm)
Matinee performances (2:30pm):
29, 30 September; 7, 9, 16, 20, 26, 27 October; 3, 4, 13, 17, 18, 25 November; 2 December
Evening performances (7:30pm):
1 December
Box Office
www.theambassadorstheatre.co.uk
08448 112 334
or
www.nationaltheatre.org.uk
020 7452 3000

THE VAMPS 
Plus special guests Conor Maynard, The Tide & Hometown
SHEFFIELD ARENA
THURSDAY 14^TH APRIL 2016

The Vamps are back, with a brand new single, a forthcoming album, and a world tour. Today, the British pop superstars announced the release of their new single and album, both called Wake Up. The single will be available globally on the 2nd October, and the album follows on the 27th November. Wake Up, the album, will include 18 songs and a very special free concert DVD from The Vamps recent sold out, headline shows at the O2 Arena. The DVD will only be available for the first 4 weeks, while stocks last, so snap up a copy quickly!

In addition to the forthcoming, highly anticipated new music, The Vamps will also be treating their fans to a number of intimate, fan rally shows in the Autumn, followed by arena dates including Sheffield Arena on Thursday 14^th April.

Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Saturday 7th November. Tickets by phone on 0114 256 5656 or online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk are priced £10.45, £32.45 & £52.25 (including booking fee). Tickets in person at the Arena Box Office are priced £9.98, £30.98 & £49.88 (including bookg fee).

The fan-fests will kick off in Madrid on the 14th October, and culminate with a show in Berlin on the 9th November and will be an opportunity for The Vamps to give something back to their loyal fanbase. This will be the first moment for fans to hear some of the new tracks, and The Vamps will also host a Q&A where they can discuss the making of Wake Up, and answer any burning questions the fans have.

Following the fan rallies, The Vamps will return to the arenas for another sure to be sold out run. The Wake Up UK Tour will feature jumbo LED side screens and a sprawling stage across the arena floor so the fans can be close to the band, and with supports from Conor Maynard, The Tide and Hometown.

The Vamps have picked up a phenomenal amount of success since their launch just under 2 years ago. Their debut album Meet The Vamps went multi Platinum in a huge number of countries across the globe and charted at #2 in the UK. They have sold over 10 million singles across their five releases. Their online stats are equally impressive – Can We Dance has clocked up over 41 million YouTube views, Wild Heart over 25 million, Last Night has had over 23 million views, Somebody To You over 79 million views and Oh Cecilia (Breaking My Heart) picked up 34million. Their channel has already tipped 218 million total views and signed up over 1.2million subscribers. They frequently trend around the world on Twitter, and their Facebook has over 5.3million likes.

Tickets for the Sheffield show on Thursday 14th April 2016 will go on general sale at 10am on Saturday 7th November.

DINOSAURS DIRECT FROM THE WEST END

A fantastic collection of prehistoric creatures is set to roam the stage of Darlington Civic Theatre with Dinosaur Zoo on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September.

Direct from a hugely successful summer season in London’s West End, Dinosaur Zoo is touring the UK with its impressive cast of prehistoric creatures, and now introduces one of the most ferocious predators to ever walk the earth, the Tyrannosaurus Rex, live on stage. Offering a fantastic family experience, Dinosaur Zoo comes to Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September.

Dinosaur Zoo creators ‘Erth’ use ingenious puppetry to bring dinosaurs to life in an interactive and imaginative live show, suitable for all the family (ages 3+). Audiences are introduced to a range of creatures from cute baby dinos to teeth-gnashing giants. During the show, intrepid audience members brave enough to get up close and personal with the dinosaurs are invited on stage to assist the Zoo Keeper – but be warned – not all of these ravenous reptiles are as tame as they seem!

Fast-becoming a worldwide hit, Dinosaur Zoo has played to audiences across the globe, from Australia to Los Angeles, from New York City to Bahrain and across Europe, delighting children and parents with its perfect mix of adventurous daring, informative learning and entertaining fun. Dinosaur Zoo first roared into the UK in 2013, enjoying a hugely successful season at Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre. Now on its fifth major UK tour, Dinosaur Zoo introduces the T-REX to the regional stage for the very first time.

Australian based Erth create original live theatre at the forefront of new performance practice, inspiring audiences with their unique and dynamic vision. Since its beginnings in 1990, the company has strived to provide audiences with eye-popping visual experiences incorporating, amongst other disciplines, giant puppetry and inflatable environments.

Dinosaur Zoo is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday 25 and Saturday 26 September. Tickets are £12.50, Schools £8.50 with 1 free with every 10 booked, Danger Seats £15 (limited availability).

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

A CURIOUS INCIDENT AT SHEFFIELD STATION

There was a curious incident at Sheffield Station on Tuesday when the lead actor from the National Theatres’ The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time arrived on Platform 1 – with his very unusual co-star – a white rat called Toby.

The multi award-winning production makes its Sheffield debut, at the Lyceum Theatre, this week, where it will run for two weeks until Saturday 25 September.

Chris Ashby plays the central role of Christopher Boone, who is fifteen years old.  He has an extraordinary brain, and is exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life, and his best friend is a white rat called Toby.  He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and distrusts strangers.  His detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him and Toby on a dramatic and extraordinary train journey that upturns his world.

Chris Ashby shares the role of Christopher Boone with Joshua Jenkins.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is at the Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 26 September. Tickets are priced from £14.00 – £32.00 and can be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or by visiting sheffieldtheatres.co.uk (a transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash).