Home

THE CLOCK IS TICKING FOR CINDERELLA

As the nights become darker and the wintery weather takes root it can only mean one thing – the Darlington Civic Theatre pantomime is almost here.

For 2015 / 2016 Qdos Entertainment and Darlington Civic Theatre have pulled out all the stops to bring you a mega-star studded pantomime – the greatest pantomime of them all, Cinderella.

Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh & Pudsey star as Cinderella and her faithful four legged friend. Described by Simon Cowell as “one of my favourite ever acts”, Ashleigh and Pudsey have won a huge following and will amaze audiences with their special tricks and routines.

Joining them will be Brendan Sheerin from Channel 4’s popular TV show Coach Trip as Baron Hardup, X-Factor finalist Niki Evans as the Fairy Godmother and children’s TV favourite Dooby Duck and Friends.

Add to this a whole cast of spectacular dancers, this production will be bursting at the seams with comedy, stunning sets and outrageous costumes and the most magical pantomime moment when Cinderella is transported to the Prince’s Ball with the help of a pumpkin, some mice and lots of Fairy Godmother magic.

A chance to win your own fabulous Coach Trip…

Everyone who books tickets for the first week of the pantomime will be automatically entered into a special free draw to win a fantastic coach trip – be in with a chance to win and book your tickets now.

For the first time at Darlington Civic Theatre there will be a specially adapted relaxed performance of Cinderella, designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorders. This performance will allow audience members to leave the auditorium and return at any time, light and sound levels will be specially adapted, and there will be a ‘chill-out zone’ outside the auditorium. Audience members can talk as much as they like and there will be no expectation that the audience has to be quiet.

The special relaxed performance is on Friday January 8, tickets are £8.50. For every ticket purchased for a child, one adult can go free. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486555.

Cinderella runs from Saturday 5 December 2015 to Sunday 16 January 2016. For tickets and more information visit darlingtoncivic.co.uk or call 01325 486555.

 She’s Back!!

Mrs Brown’s Boys

Sheffield Arena

Tuesday 1^st-Saturday 5^th December 2015

 

The award winning series returns with

HOW NOW MRS BROWN COW

Starring Brendan O’Carroll and Mrs Brown’s Boys 

 

Following 2 previous sell-out tours, Mrs Brown’s Boys will be returning to Sheffield Arena next week with their new show ‘How Now Mrs Brown Cow’. The tour will be heading to the venue for a five day residency, including a Saturday matinee show, from Tuesday 1^st to Saturday 5^th December 2015. 

Tickets booked through the Arena web site www.sheffieldarena.co.uk & ticket hotline 0114 256 56 56 are priced £24.75, £35.75 & £43.45 including booking fee. Tickets booked in person through the Arena Box Office are priced £23.63, £34.13 & £41.48.

Mrs Brown’s Boys success has been nothing short of incredible. From awards and accolades including two National Television Awards, TV Choice Awards, a Scottish BAFTA, an IFTA award, a TV Times Award and a TV BAFTA for Best Situation Comedy to being a ratings smash across the globe, Mrs Brown’s Boys live has also broken box office records across the UK and Australia.

The Award Winning Serial Comedy on BBC ONE saw their 2013 Christmas Special being the most watched programme over the festive period. In between recording their TV show and a 10 week tour stint across Australia, Mrs Brown’s Boys had chance to film their full length motion picture Mrs Brown’s Boys D’Movie.

If you haven’t experienced Mrs Brown’s Boys live, this new tour is one of the hottest tickets for 2015 and is not to be missed. 

Tickets are available online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk, by phone on 0114 256 5536 and in person at the Arena box office.

 

Paul Taylor-Mills presents

RED RIDING HOOD

By Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary

AT PLEASANCE THEATRE, ISLINGTON
FROM MONDAY 7 DECEMBER 2015 TO SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016

A brand new musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale, Red Riding Hood will play a festive season at Pleasance Theatre, Islington from Monday 7 December 2015.

Little Red is clever, Little Red is bright, Little Red will find a way to beat you in a fight

Follow Red as she ventures through the woods on a quest to save her family bakery. But will she be distracted by the wolf in the magical forest, where nothing is as it seems? Filled with humour and packed with original music, Red Riding Hood brings a new twist to the classic tale of bravery, love, friendship and family in a show for the whole family.

Red Riding Hood has music, book and lyrics by writing duo Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary. Their stage musical adaptation of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole recently premiered at Leicester’s Curve Theatre, and their original new musical Prodigy, commissioned by National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT), premiered at St. James Theatre in August 2015. Other works include Treasure Island (Singapore Repertory Theatre), Jet Set Go! (Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Theatre503) and The Great British Soap Opera (Jermyn Street Theatre).

The cast features Nazerene Williams (Dick Whittington, Lyric Hammersmith) as Little Red, Holly-Anna Lloyd (Love Beyond, Wembley Arena) as Mother, Patsy Blower (Jekyll and Hyde, Union Theatre) as Grandma, Matthew Jay-Ryan (The One Direction Story) as William The Woodcutter and Matthew Barrow (Mamma Mia!, The Wizard of Oz, West End) as Wolf/Father.

Red Riding Hood is produced by Paul Taylor-Mills, who returns to the Pleasance Theatre after last year’s production of Cat in the Hat. Other recent productions include In The Heights (King’s Cross Theatre), Bare: The Rock Musical (Union Theatre), Casa Valentina (Southwark Playhouse) and Altar Boyz (Greenwich Theatre).

 

Paul Taylor-Mills said today: “After following the careers of Jake and Pippa since Jet Set Go!, I have seen them cement themselves as one of the most exciting voices in new musical theatre in the UK. They way in which they complement each other is truly original, exciting and I am delighted to be presenting their big show for small people following the success of last year’s run of Cat in the Hat at The Pleasance Theatre. Audiences young and old are promised a contemporary take on the famous story presented by a truly visionary team”.

Red Riding Hood has Book and Lyrics by Jake Brunger and Music and Lyrics by Pippa Cleary. It is directed by Kate Golledge with choreography by Ashley Nottingham, musical direction by Charlie Ingles, design by Simon Wells and sound design by Chris Bogg. It is presented by arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe.

 

Twitter @LilRed_Musical

 

LISTINGS

MONDAY 7 DECEMBER 2015 – SUNDAY 3 JANUARY 2016

PLEASANCE THEATRE

Carpenters Mews, North Road, London N7 9EF

Performance Times: 7-20 Dec: Monday – Friday, 10.30am and 1.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 11.00am and 2.00pm

21 Dec – 3 Jan: Monday – Sunday 11.00am and 2.00pm

(No performances 14, 25, 26 Dec and 1 Jan)

Tickets: £7-12.50 (Family ticket £40)

Box Office: 020 7609 1800| www.pleasance.co.uk

ON SALE NOW

ROUNDHOUSE ANNOUNCES FULL PROGRAMME FOR CIRCUSFEST 2016

Monday 4 – Sunday 24 April

 

The UK’s foremost festival of international contemporary circus returns with a season of world premieres, amazing new productions and street performances from the hottest names in circus. From performances that push the human body to its limits to discussions about the cultural significance of circus throughout history.

CircusFest 2016 is the highlight of the circus calendar with spectacular and thrilling experiences for all ages under the iconic Roundhouse brick Big Top in the heart of Camden and other venues across London.

 

MAIN SPACE

 

Race Horse Company: Super Sunday (UK Premiere)

Monday 4 – Saturday 16 April, 7.30pm plus Saturday 9 April matinee, 2.30pm

(No performance Sunday 10 April)

Chaos, comedy and phenomenal stunts collide in the latest offering from award-winning Finnish ensemble.

Race Horse Company will get your pulse racing and have you gasping for breath in this new production packed with acrobatic skill and their trademark black humour. Super Sunday features the wheel of death, a human catapult, trampolining and the teeterboard; it’s a thrilling rollercoaster ride you won’t want to end.

Following the storming success of Petit Mal that thrilled audiences all over the world and was met with critical acclaim. The company now make a triumphant return to the UK to delight London audiences again. Prepare yourself for a sea of colour and a night of non-stop, high energy circus fun.

The award-winning Race Horse Company was formed in 2008 out of a desire to create a completely new kind of contemporary circus – chaotic, humorous and uncompromising. Seven years later they remain focused on inspiring a love of circus in audiences everywhere.

Press Night: Wednesday 6 April, 7.30pm

Tickets from £15 – £29.50

 

Barely Methodical Troupe: Kin (World Premiere)

Wednesday 20 – Sunday 24 April, 7.30pm

 

The hottest British circus company right now flies into the Roundhouse with a brand new show.

 

Barely Methodical Troupe blasted onto the UK circus scene in 2014 with their debut show Bromance, winning awards and selling out shows nationally and internationally making them Britain’s hottest young acrobats

This brand new production Kin, combines exceptional acrobatic skills with contemporary dance, parkour, b-boying and tricking. The company explore hierarchical ideas to look at how we organise our lives, relationships and communities through falling and catching, trust and balance, tumbling and flying.

OPENING ACT: POP by Popcorn Storm

From the makers of Some Like it Hip Hop, A Harlem Dream and Kylie’s Showgirl Tour comes a ground-breaking new collaboration fusing music, narrative, circus, and fashion.

Premiering in 2017, catch a sneak preview of a theatrical and highly physical exploration of contemporary British pop culture.

Press Night: Thursday 21 April, 7.30pm

Tickets from £15 – £19.50

 

1-1 EXPERIENCE  

 

Ringside
Thursday 7 – Saturday 16 April, various times

 

This is circus up close and personal. Intimate, visceral and thought-provoking, made for your eyes only.

 

You might be used to seeing circus as part of a roaring crowd, at a distance so you can’t see the physical effort in every move – but this show is different. This aerial performance will be so close you’ll hear the artist’s breath, see her muscles flex and strain, and see the bruises that reveal the pain of intense hours of practise. This is about sweat, not sequins.

Ringside is a totally original piece that will leave you reflecting on female empowerment, vulnerability, intimacy and control.

Winner of the Summerhall and Arches’ Autopsy Award for experimental performance and nominated for a Total Theatre Award for Circus 2015.

Tickets: £7.50

SACKLER SPACE 

Roundhouse Street Circus Collective: Orbital

Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 April, various times

Experience a brand new show from the Roundhouse Street Circus collective, harnessing the frenetic energy of the city and taking audiences along for a thrilling ride.

In the city, life is fast paced. We’re constantly pulled in different directions, constantly confronted with an overwhelming number of choices.

Orbital is a brand new promenade performance directed by Sarah Fielding (Invisible Circus) using circus, theatre, and spoken word to explore how to hold on to our humanity in the face of relentless consumerism. Stories are woven into an orbital journey through the depths of the Roundhouse, a disorientating subterranean space filled with bikes, wheels and hoops, all going nowhere fast.

The Roundhouse Street Circus Collective is a group of 11-25 year old acrobats and street dancers from across London who have been taking part in the Roundhouse Street Circus programme.

Tickets: £8

 

Salon: Circus and Gender

Tuesday 12 April, 8pm

Is circus too hetro-normative?

Join us at this long table event and hear from industry experts and insiders as we look at why are there so many all-male circus companies? And can a woman ever enjoy the same privileges and opportunities in the industry as a man? If you have a point of view to share, come and be part of what is sure to be a fascinating and impassioned debate.

Tickets: £5

Salon: Circus and Collaboration

Wednesday 13 April, 8pm

In recent years, circus as a pure form has been in decline. Instead, we have seen it colliding with other art forms to spectacular effect.

Come along to this long table event and hear from Jeanne Mordoj who is performing as part of the festival and an artist who knows plenty about this having based her practice on themes drawn from Beckett. So who better to discuss the hot topic of circus and collaboration?

Tickets: £5

Salon: Circus and Class

Thursday 14 April, 8pm

Circus was traditionally seen as a form of mass entertainment for the working classes.

Come along to this event with industry experts and insiders where we’ll be asking whether this is still the case.

How does the introduction of tuition fees to higher education impact on the people who can choose to do a degree in circus? Is contemporary circus for the middle classes and traditional circus for the working classes? Are all of these questions offensive or out of date? Come along and get stuck in.

Tickets: £5

 

La Poème

Friday 15 – Saturday 16 April, 8pm

 

A captivating solo from cult French artist Jeanne Mordoj. Be swept away by her celebration of the fertility, fragility and ferocity of the female body and spirit.

Jeanne Mordoj is a contortionist and juggler whose ability to do phenomenal things with her body in her exploration of femininity has won her international plaudits.

La Poème is a profound, humorous and joyously quirky performance that reveals the seam of mischievousness that runs through much of her work.

Tickets: £12.50

Me, Mother.

Wednesday 20 – Saturday 23 April, 8pm plus Saturday 23 April matinee, 2.30pm

 

What’s more frightening: catapulting yourself through the air and testing your physical limits night after night as a circus performer – or motherhood?

This is the world premiere of a powerful multimedia performance that explores what happens when some of the country’s strongest and fittest women navigate the trials and joys of becoming a mother. When your whole career is based on your body’s ability to do seemingly impossible things, can you ever be the same again after giving birth?

Using film, recorded voices, photography and live performance, Me, Mother tells the stories of these women with disarming honesty – their experiences, fears, and glorious highs.

From London based multimedia studio MES bring together the talents of director Matilda Leyser (Improbable theatre), photographer Ryoko Uyama and writers Duncan Wall and John Ellingsworth.

Tickets: £12.50

 

EXHIBITION

 

Transfiguration by Ben Hopper
Monday 4 – Sunday 24 April

Roundhouse Foyer

An exhibition by London-based photographer Ben Hopper featuring internationally renowned contemporary circus artists and dancers.

The portraits showcase the unique physicality and spirit of the performers. Like a mask, layers of body paint and powder disguise the identity of the subject, and release something animalistic from within. In the final images a sculpted, abstract, less human figure emerges.

Tickets: Free entry

 

AROUND LONDON

 

The Hogwallops
Tuesday 5 – Sunday 10 April, various times

Thrillingly spectacular circus skills blend seamlessly with physical comedy, theatrical storytelling and slapstick in this colourful, loud and funny dramatisation of the domestic adventures of a chaotic family of misfits.

Heart stopping virtuosic skilful aerial and floor acrobatics and a specially composed live score contribute to the mix creating a dysfunctional, quirky and comic family show in the true sense.

Venue: Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA
Tickets: www.jacksonslane.org.uk

The Insect Circus
Tuesday 5 – Friday 8 April, various times

Stroll Up, Stroll Up for the epitome of Entomological Entertainment as the Insect Circus comes to the Albany. Amongst agile ants, weird worms, wild wasps and flighty flies, an astonishing novelty will be presented – Sybil the Dancing Snail.

Venue: The Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG
Tickets: www.thealbany.org.uk

 

Upswing: Bedtime Stories
Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 April, various times

 

Celebrate the magical time of the day when stresses and strains of life melt away and enter a world of imagination and dreams with Bedtime Stories.

Rediscover that special time before sleep where bedtime stories are told and our unconscious mind takes hold, transporting everyone away on an adventure. Tucked up with your family and friends, take this chance to unwind and be dazzled with circus, theatre, dance and projections from innovative circus company Upswing.

Venue: Hackney Showroom, Hackney Downs Studios, London E8 2BT
Tickets: www.hackneyshowroom.com/

 

Agit Cirk: Sceno
Tuesday 12 & Wednesday 13 April, 8pm

 

Directed by acclaimed director and performer Sakari Männistö (Gandinis)  Sceno is a display of skilful acrobatic movement, strongman tricks and juggling, framed with live music and video. It’s about the beauty of human capabilities, the things we can do and the things we fail to do. Mischievous, daring and funny, Sceno is a joyous new work from this acclaimed young Finnish company.

Venue: Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA
Tickets: www.jacksonslane.org.uk

Zero Gravity & WHS: Pinta
Hanna Moisala: Wiredo

Friday 15 & Saturday 16 April, 8pm

Two exclusive UK premieres in the air and on wire.

Pinta is an exceptional solo performance focusing on vertical rope acrobatics. Performed by aerial acrobat Salla Hakanpää and directed by Ville Walo, Pinta creates magical images of weightlessness in a dialogue between the body and the object, the air and water. An intensive duet between the artist and the rope, this is a remarkable play of light, liquid and image in a captivating spectacle of beauty.

In Wiredo, with her body, a tight wire and a physical composition that draws on the Japanese art of Kinbaku (Shibari), Hanna Moisala tells a gripping story of stepping out of one’s comfort zone. With its three-dimensional view and daring combination of Kinbaku and the tight wire, Wiredo explores the inner balance of human behaviour, posing the question ‘what happens to the body when we choose to change our daily routine?’

Venue: Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA
Tickets: www.jacksonslane.org.uk

 

Light Up

Saturday 16 & Sunday 17 April, 7pm

 

Who says circus only belongs in a Big Top? Light Up invites you to take to the streets and experience a fantastic evening of circus, spoken word, parkour and digital wizardry.

Set in North London’s Queen’s Crescent, Light Up features performers looking at the everyday experiences of young people; their struggles, their hopes and their dreams for the future.

This outdoor show has been conceived, devised and developed by a group of young people aged 11-14. They’ve joined forces with creative studio SDNA, Circus Directors Lina Johansson and Kaveh Ranahma.

Venue: Queen’s Crescent Estate, Queen’s Crescent Community Association, 45 Ashdown Crescent, London NW5 4QE

Tickets: www.roundhouse.org.uk

Ricochet: Smoke and Mirrors
Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 April, 8pm

 

Winner of the Jacksons Lane Total Theatre Award for Circus 2016 at the Edinburgh Fringe.

Weaving delicate metaphor with jaw dropping spectacle, New Mexico-based Ricochet’s unique style of poetic acrobatics has taken the world by storm. Using lyrical physicality and virtuosic circus technique, Smoke and Mirrors draws from rigorous backgrounds in classical and contemporary dance, aerial acrobatics, somatic practices and improvisation to explore the internal landscapes of the human experience.

Venue: Jacksons Lane, 269a Archway Road, London N6 5AA
Tickets: www.jacksonslane.org.uk

 

Ockham’s Razor: Tipping Point
Wednesday 20 – Sunday 24 April, various times

 

Ockham’s Razor bring a new full length production Tipping Point, set in the round, the audience drawn in close, as the action veers from catastrophe to mastery.  The five performers enclosed within the circle of the stage, transform simple metal poles into a rich landscape of images.

Venue: artsdepot, 5 Tall Ho, Nether Street, London N12 0GA
Tickets: www.artsdepot.co.uk/

LISTINGS

Dates:      4 – 24 April 2016

Venue:    Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH

Tickets:   0300 6789 222 / www.roundhouse.org.uk

 

BE SWEPT OFF YOUR FEET WITH CLASSIC MUSICAL SHOW BOAT

THIS DECEMBER

This December, Sheffield Theatres will bring to life one of the most romantic musicals of all time, when their lavish new production of Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s epic musical, Show Boat, opens on the Crucible stage from Thursday 10 December until Saturday 23 January.

 

When Magnolia falls deeply in love with a handsome stranger, they set off on an adventure to the big city. But can their love survive away from the banks of their beloved Mississippi?  Guaranteed to sweep audiences off their feet this Christmas, this classic show features a live orchestra, a stunning set and an unforgettable score that includes the soaring melodies of Make Believe, Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man, the show-stopping Ol’ Man River.

Spanning 40 pivotal years in American history, this powerful story of love, loyalty and freedom is directed byDaniel Evans (Anything Goes, Oliver!, My Fair Lady) and features a cast of talented performers including double Olivier nominee Michael Xavier (Into The Woods, Love Story) as dashing Gaylord Ravenal and Gina Beck (Wicked – West End and US Tour, Phantom of the Opera – Her Majesty’s, Les Misérables – Queen’s Theatre) as Magnolia Hawks.  They are joined by Lucy Briers (Wolf Hall & Bring Up The Bodies – West End and Broadway) who returns to Sheffield, as Parthenia Hawks, Allan Corduner (Homeland,Hello Dolly – Regents Park Open Air Theatre) as Captain Andy Hawks, Emmanuel Kojo (Kiss Me Kate,Scottsboro Boys) as Joe, Sandra Marvin (City of Angels, Hairspray, Chicago, Kate Bush’s Before Dawn) as Queenie and Rebecca Trehearn (Ghost – UK Tour, City Of Angels) as Julie La Verne.

 

Completing the company are Ian Carlyle (Charlie), John Coates (Sherrif Ike Vallon), Danny Collins (Frank Schultz), Adam Dutton (Windy), Akintunde Esuruoso (ensemble), Nolan Frederick (Jake), Bob Harms(Steve Baker), Victoria Hinde (Dottie), Cristina Hoey (ensemble), Linda John-Pierre (ensemble), Linford Johnson (ensemble), Kate Milner-Evans (Mrs O’Brien), Maria Omakinwa (ensemble), Ryan Pidgen(Pete Gavin), Kenny Thompson (ensemble),Tosh Wanogho-Maud (Willy) and Alex Young (Ellie May Chipley).

Tickets for Show Boat 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 £20.00 (concessions available).  A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office (excluding cash).

 

Sheffield Theatres Listings:

Crucible Lyceum Studio 55 Norfolk Street, Sheffield, S1 1DA

Box Office 0114 249 6000 – Mon – Sat 10.00am to 8.00pm

A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office (excluding cash).

On non-performance days the Box Office closes at 6.00pm.

sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Twitter: @crucibletheatre @SheffieldLyceum

Show Boat

Crucible Theatre

Thursday 10 December – Sat 23 January

Press Night: Wednesday 16 December 7.00pm

Tickets from £20.00, concessions available

Music by Jerome Kern

Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II

Based on the novel ‘Show Boat’ by Edna Ferber

 

Orchestrations by Dan DeLange.

As adapted from the originals by Robert Russell Bennett

This Version Originally Produced by Goodspeed Musicals

Michael P. Price, Executive Director

Adapted and Directed by Rob Ruggerio

Presented by special arrangement with R&H Theatricals Europe: www.rnh.com

 

Director Daniel Evans

Designer Lez Brotherston

Choreographer Alistair David

Musical Supervisor/Director David White

Lighting Designer David Hersey

Sound Designer Paul Groothuis

Video Designer Tim Reid

Fight Director Liam Evans-Ford

Casting Director  Jill Green CDG

Casting is announced for Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, with the lead actors sharing the roles of Faustus and Mephistopheles, and a new adaptation of Cervantes’ classic novel Don Quixote, starring Rufus Hound and David Threlfall, both opening in the Swan Theatre in Spring 2016.

DOCTOR FAUSTUS
By Christopher Marlowe
Directed by Maria Aberg
Swan Theatre: 4 February – 4 August 2016
Press night: Thursday 11 February, 7pm

Maria Aberg returns to the RSC to direct Christopher Marlowe’s tale of vanity, greed and damnation,Doctor Faustus, which will see Sandy Grierson and Oliver Ryan share the roles of the embittered academic Faustus and the demon Mephistopheles, alternating the parts at each performance.

This marks Sandy Grierson’s return to the RSC after performing in RSC Associate Director David Farr’s What Country, Friends, is this? cycle, playing Ariel in The Tempest in 2012. His RSC debut came in The Thirteen Midnight Challenges of Angelus Diablo, a RSC production commissioned especially for Latitude Festival. Most recently he appeared in Lanark: A Life in Three Acts in 2015’s Edinburgh International Festival.

Oliver Ryan was in Maria Aberg’s 2013 production of As You Like It in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Other RSC roles include Gawain in Gregory Doran’s 2010 production of Morte D’Arthur, and Benvolio in Rupert Goold’s Romeo and Juliet.

They are joined by: Will Bliss (Valdes / Good Angel), Jade Croot (Helen of Troy), John Cummins(Cornelius / Evil Angel), Ruth Everett (Scholar / Friar / Deadly Sin) Gabriel Fleary (Emperor / Gluttony / Scholar), Theo Fraser Steele (Duke / Friar / Deadly Sin), Gemma Goggin (Cardinal of Lorraine) Natey Jones (Frederick / Scholar), Richard Leeming (Envy / Scholar), Nicholas Lumley(Wagner / Old Man), Tom McCall (Benvolio / Friar), Joshua McCord (Martino), Bathsheba Piepe(Sloth / Scholar / Friar), Rosa Robson (Scholar) Amy Rockson (Duchess / Scholar) Timothy Speyer (Pope) and Eleanor Wyld (Lucifer / Scholar).

Doctor Faustus is designed by Naomi Dawson with lighting by Lee Curran. The music is composed by Orlando Gough with sound by Tom Gibbons. Movement is by Ayse Tashkiran. The fight director is Kate Waters and video is by Nathan Parker.

DON QUIXOTE        
Based on the novel by Miguel de Cervantes, adapted by James Fenton
Directed by Angus Jackson
Swan Theatre: 25 February – 21 May 2016
Press night: Thursday 3 March, 7pm

As previously announced David Threlfall takes on the title role, and Rufus Hound will play Sancho Panza in a new stage adaptation of Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote by James Fenton and directed byAngus Jackson.

Cervantes’ comic novel is widely regarded as one of the foundation stones of modern fiction. To mark the 400^th anniversary of the author’s death, the story of a self-fashioned travelling knight accompanied by his faithful squire is newly adapted for the stage by award winning poet, writer and journalist James Fenton.

This will be the first production of this play by the RSC, and is directed by Angus Jackson, who previously worked on the critically acclaimed RSC production Oppenheimer, which transferred to the West End after a run at the Swan Theatre.

Don Quixote is played by David Threlfall, amongst his many TV and stage appearances, he is best known for his leading role as Frank Gallagher in Channel 4’s Shameless. This marks a long-awaited return to the RSC for Threlfall, whose at the RSC was in the iconic Trevor Nunn production ofNicholas Nickleby in 1980.

Comedian and actor Rufus Hound will play Quixote’s squire, Sancho Panza. Hound recently appeared in the Rose Theatre Kingston’s War of the Roses cycle, and starred alongside Robert Lindsay in the musical adaptation of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels in 2014 after performing in the hit showOne Man, Two Guvnors. He also hosts the radio series My Teenage Diary, which runs regularly on BBC Radio 4.

The full cast of Don Quixote includes: Will Bliss, John Cummins, Ruth Everett, Gabriel Fleary,Gemma Goggin, Theo Fraser Steele, Natey Jones, Richard Leeming, Nicholas Lumley, Tom McCall, Joshua McCord, Bathsheba Piepe, Rosa Robson, Amy Rockson, Timothy Speyer andEleanor Wyld.

Don Quixote is designed by Robert Innes Hopkins, with lighting by Johanna Town. The music is composed by Grant Olding, with sound by Jeremy Dunn. The fight director is Malcolm Ranson. Literary Manager and Dramaturgy by Pippa Hill.

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society is calling on budding young artists in Scotland to come up with a unique and eye-catching design for the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe poster.

The 2015 Schools Poster Competition attracted over 5,300 entries from 171 schools across Scotland. Seven-year-old John Imray from St Mary’s School in Melrose was crowned the overall winner in May, and his design became the official poster of the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Launching the 2016 Schools Poster Competition, which is supported by Virgin Money, Kath M Mainland, Chief Executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said:

“I’m delighted to officially open the 2016 Fringe Schools Poster Competition, and invite all schools from across Scotland to take part.

 

“The competition is a fantastic way for students aged five to 16 to get creative in the classroom and inspires engagement with the arts.

 

“It’s really exciting to launch this competition as it marks the start of the run up to the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe season. Thanks to the support of Virgin Money, the successful poster design is used across Edinburgh and beyond to promote the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. And the winning entry, along with the runners-up and regional winners’ designs, will form an exhibition on display in the centre of Edinburgh throughout the summer for the public to enjoy. It really is a unique opportunity for schoolchildren to get their artwork seen by thousands of people.

 

“This year we’re hoping for another huge response from schools across Scotland.”

Each year, the winning design is transformed into the official poster for the Fringe, and there are prizes of up to £750 for the top three prize-winners and their schools. fourteen regional winners are also announced, and all winning entries, as well as runners-up and shortlisted entries form an exhibition on display in Edinburgh.

Head of Sponsorship Marketing at Virgin Money, Andrew Nicholson said:

“Virgin Money is thrilled to support the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Schools Poster Competition. It is a brilliant initiative which inspires the imagination and creativity of Scotland’s young artists and it has become an important tradition over the 35 years it has been running.”

Art Teacher Deborah Wood who taught 2015 competition winner John Imray said:

“Every year our art department and pupils look forward to entering the Fringe Schools Poster Competition – it radiates a buzz of creativity all around the school.

 

“The day of the prize-giving ceremony has provided John with memories that will last a lifetime. It was a wonderful day for all present, with lots of smiles from the three young artists and their delighted family, friends and teachers.

 

“All of us at St Mary’s were thrilled to see John and his artwork in the press and of course to see his artwork on all of 2015’s varied merchandise. The prize money was a fabulous boost to our art department and has enriched the learning of our school community.

 

“Many thanks must go to Virgin Money for their generous sponsorship and to all the staff at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society who made one little boy’s day quite so special!”

 

Entries for the Fringe Schools Poster Competition should be sent to:
Schools Poster Competition, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, 180 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QS no later than 17:00 Friday 04 March 2016.

 

The competition is open to all five to 16 year old pupils at schools in Scotland and the entry pack and learning resources can be downloaded at www.edfringe.com/poster. The cash prizes for the top three artists and their schools are:

 

First

School – £750

Pupil – £300

 

Runners-up (x 2)

School – £400

Pupil – £150

 

The winner and runners-up will also receive six tickets each for the 2016 Virgin Money Fireworks Concert in Edinburgh.

Best Actor
James McAvoy, The Ruling Class, Trafalgar Studios

Best Actress
Nicole Kidman, Photograph 51, Noel Coward Theatre

Best Play
The Motherf**ker with the Hat (Stephen Adly Guirgis), National Theatre’s Lyttelton

Best Director
Robert Icke, Oresteia, Almeida Theatre & Trafalgar Studios

Best Design
Anna Fleischle, Hangmen, Royal Court

Most Promising Playwright
Molly Davies, God Bless the Child, Royal Court Upstairs

Emerging Talent Award
David Moorst, Violence and Son, Royal Court Upstairs

Best Musical Performance
Imelda Staunton, Gypsy, Savoy Theatre

Newcomer in a Musical
Gemma Arterton, Made in Dagenham, Adelphi Theatre

Audience Award for Best Musical (voted for by the public)
Kinky Boots, Adelphi Theatre

Beyond Theatre Award
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty

Editor’s Award for lifetime achievement
Vanessa Redgrave

Lebedev Award for theatrical achievement
Stephen Sondheim

FULL CAST IS ANNOUNCED FOR THE LONDON PREMIERE OF DISNEY’S ALADDIN

TICKETS GO ON SALE AT 08:00 MONDAY 23 NOVEMBER

Disney Theatrical Productions announced today that Dean John-Wilson will play the role of Aladdin alongside Jade Ewen as Jasmine in the West End premiere of the new musical based on the classic Academy Award®-winning animated film. Aladdin will now open at the Prince Edward Theatre on Wednesday 15 June 2016, with previews from Friday 27 May. Tickets are on general sale for performances up to and including 1 October 2016. For further details please visit www.aladdinthemusical.co.uk.

Dean and Jade will be joined by Don Gallagher as Jafar, Peter Howe as Iago, Irvine Iqbal as the Sultan, Nathan Amzi as Babkak, Stephen Rahman-Hughes as Kassim and Rachid Sabitri as Omar. As previously announced, Broadway cast member Trevor Dion Nicholas will make his London stage debut as Genie.

“As we cast this exceptional company, I was impressed again – as I have been many times in the last two decades – by the vast, deep pool of musical theatre talent in London and throughout Britain,” said Thomas Schumacher, President and Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions. “And how gratifying that talent is a microcosm of the country in all its diversity and distinction.  I’m so proud this beautiful cast reflects that.”

Dean John-Wilson (Aladdin) has previously appeared in Fatboy Slim and David Byrne’s critically acclaimed musical Here Lies Love (National Theatre), Songs For a New World (St James Theatre), Tim Rice’s original musical From Here to Eternity (Shaftesbury Theatre), Bare (Union Theatre) and the UK tour of Sister Act. Dean first became known to television audiences for appearing in the semi-finals of the 2008 series of Britain’s Got Talent (ITV).

Trevor Dion Nicholas (Genie) joins the UK cast of Aladdin from the Broadway production and will be making his West End debut. Trevor has previously appeared on stage in Big River (North American tour) and The Wiz (Maltz Jupiter Theatre) and on screen in The Americans. In addition to his work on stage and screen, Trevor is an accomplished musician and is the primary singer and songwriter for the alternative indie soul band Neighborhood Goliath.

Jade Ewen (Jasmine) made her professional stage debut in Disney’s The Lion King as Young Nala at the Lyeum Theatre in London and has since gone on to star in In The Heights (King’s Cross Theatre), Porgy and Bess (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Whistle Down The Wind (Aldywch Theatre) and Tonight’s The Night (UK Tour). In addition to Jade’s work on stage, she was a member of the Sugababes since 2009 with seven albums reaching the UK’s Top Ten Album Chart. She also represented the UK in the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest, performing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s It’s My Time, achieving fifth place and making her the UK’s most successful act in the last 12 years.

Don Gallagher (Jafar) is an illustrious theatre actor whose previous stage credits includePriscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre), The Producers (Theatre Royal Drury Lane),Sweeney Todd (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Henry IV Part 1 & 2, Painter of Dishonour, Richard III, The Winter’s Tale (all Royal Shakespeare Company) and Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre). Don has previously appeared on screen in the film adapation of Rufus Norris’ London Road and in various television dramas including Doctors, Casualty, Miss Marple and Agatha Raisin.

Peter Howe (Iago) has previously originated the roles of Michael Wormwood in the Olivier Award winning Matilda The Musical (Cambridge Theatre) and Sam Gamgee in the world premiere ofThe Lord Of The Rings (Princess of Wales Theatre, Toronto and Theatre Royal Drury Lane). Peter’s further theatre credits include The Captain Of Kopenick (National Theatre), Holes (New Wimbledon Theatre) and Hansel And Gretel (Theatre Royal Stratford East).

Irvine Iqbal (Sultan) has most recently appeared in the West End in Bend It Like Beckham(Phoenix Theatre). Other stage roles have included Bombay Dreams (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Wuthering Heights (Lyric Hammersmith), The Mahabharata (The Old Vic) and The Far Pavilions(Shaftesbury Theatre). Screen credits include Eastenders, Casualty, Doctors, and the films The Cook, The Pinocchio Effect and Infinite Justice.

Nathan Amzi’s (Babkak) previous musical theatre credits include In The Heights (Kings Cross Theatre and Southwark Playhouse), Urinetown (Apollo Theatre), Rock of Ages (Shaftesbury Theatre and Garrick Theatre), The Rocky Horror Show (Playhouse Theatre, Comedy Theatre and UK Tour) and Miss Saigon (UK Tour). Nathan has also appeared in Dinner With Saddam (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare’s Globe, Broadstage Los Angeles  and Pace New York) and Alan Ayckbourn’s A Small Family Business (Palace Theatre).

Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Kassim) is best known to television audiences for playing DCI Vikesh Dasari in ITV’s Emmerdale, as well as other roles in Dream Team, Bad Girls and Doctors. On stage, he has starred in Rock of Ages (UK Tour), Bombay Dreams (Apollo Victoria Theatre) andPuteri Gunung Ledang (Istana Budaya, Malaysia and Esplanade Theatres on the Bay, Singapore).

Rachid Sabitri’s (Omar) previous theatre credits include I Call My Brothers (Arcola Theatre),Romeo and Juliet (Piccadilly Theatre), Rafta Rafta (National Theatre tour) Twelfth Night(Northampton Royal and Derngate), Beyond Midnight (Edinburgh Festival), Beautiful Thing and Bloodtide (York Theatre Royal) and Tangier Tattoo (Glyndebourne Opera House). In addition to his work on stage, Rachid has also appeared on screen in Homeland, Criminal Minds, Madam Secretary, Doctor Who and Casualty.

The full cast includes: Arran Anzani-Jones, Miles Barrow, Albey Brookes, Lauren Chia, Bianca Cordice, Leon Craig, Daniel de Bourg, Seng Henk Goh, Melanie Elizabeth, Kade Ferraiolo, Michelle Chantelle Hopewell, Fred Johanson, Mitch Leow, Oliver Lidert, Thierry Picaut, Alex Pinder, Briony Scarlett, Kyle Seeley, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Ricardo Spriggs, Katie Singh, Dawnita Smith, Marsha Songcome, Kayleigh Thadani and Jermaine Woods.

From Disney Theatrical Productions, the producer of The Lion King, Aladdin features the much-loved songs from the 1992 animated film as well as new music written by Tony, Olivier and eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Little Shop Of Horrors). With lyrics from Olivier Award and two-time Oscar® winner Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid), three-time Tony and Olivier Award, three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (Evita, Aida), and four-time Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), and a book by Beguelin, Aladdin is directed and choreographed by Tony and Olivier Award winner Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).

Now in its second record-breaking year on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where it has been seen by more than one million people, Aladdin opened at Tokyo’s Dentsu Shiki Theatre Umi in May 2015, will have its European premiere in December 2015 at the Stage Theatre Neue Flora, Hamburg, and open in Sydney, Australia in 2016.

Previous Disney stage productions in London have included Shakespeare in Love and the Olivier-winning productions of Beauty and the Beast, Mary Poppins and The Lion King, which is now playing its 17th triumphant year in the West End.

Aladdin is designed by seven-time Tony-winning scenic designer Bob Crowley, five-time Tony-winning lighting designer Natasha Katz, two-time Tony-winning costume designer Gregg Barnesand sound designer Ken Travis. Casting is by Jill Green CDG.

The production team also includes illusion designer Jim Steinmeyer, hair designer Josh Marquette and makeup designer Milagros Medina-Cerdeira. The music team is headed by music supervisor and music director Michael Kosarin, who also created the vocal and incidental music arrangements, joined by orchestrator Danny Troob and dance music arranger Glen Kelly.

ALADDIN
Prince Edward Theatre
28 Old Compton St
London W1D 4HS

Box Office number: 0844 482 5151
www.aladdinthemusical.co.uk

Facebook: Aladdin London
Twitter: @AladdinLondon
#AladdinLondon

 

Sutton Theatres 21 November. Reviewed by Claire Roderick

The opening night of Sutton Theatres Marhaba Maghreb Festival, celebrating contemporary North African theatre and dance was a roaring success.

Hervé Koubi’s What The Day Owes To The Night is a very personal piece. Koubi found out about his Algerian roots late in life and, after visiting the country and finding little evidence of dance (apart from street dance) used the internet to find young Algerian dancers. Koubi has worked with the company of 12 dancers to create this piece about his personal history and the history of the Mediterranean and the contrasting and often conflicting cultures on its shores.

Koubi says that he didn’t want to simply teach the dancers the skills he learned in school, and has allowed them to showcase their innate talent in a meeting of styles. He believes that even though there are many great dancers in France, only Algerian dancers could do justice to this project. He may well be right, the men dance with such intensity and conviction in a simply outstanding show.

I am not an expert on dance, but even I know when something special is being presented. From the moment the lights began to slowly glow, revealing a mass of bodies that undulated across the stag, I was lost. This might well have had  something to do with the fact that there were 12 fit young men with naked torsos on stage, but the design made this beautiful rather than sexual.  The dim lighting was perfectly designed to highlight the muscle tone and movement of their arms and upper bodies, and the fact that there was only one tattoo to be seen among them (I did check very closely, being a consummate professional), along with the dancers’ costume of white trousers with various designs of panels and skirts – “for chastity” according to Koubi – brought a purity to the dance.

What these men can do with their bodies is phenomenal. From gravity-defying leaps and spins, to slow motion synchronicity, it was wonderful. Koubi says that he didn’t want a completely clean movement to the piece, and this makes for the most testosterone filled dance I’ve ever seen. Apparently the piece combines martial arts, capoeira (NOT a South American rodent – you live and learn), urban and contemporary dance. All I know is that it was brilliant. Moving, hypnotic, and breathtakingly brilliant. Koubi’s use of sacred music from European and North African cultures is evocative and matches the piece perfectly. There were moments when the audience were left gasping as men ran up their fellow dancers’ backs and launched themselves into space, while the shapes the men made together and held for a few beats before slowly moving on, gave moments of calm and contemplation.

A wonderful dance spectacle – here’s hoping that it will be shown to a wider audience in the UK to inspire our own young dancers.