The cast of the hit West End musical, The Jersey Boys are the latest performers to join the line-up in The Magic of Christmas  at the London Palladium at 7:30 pm on Sunday 29th November.

This evening features artists performing their classic hits and  favourite Christmas songs. The Magic of Christmas will be hosted by Boyzone’s Ronan Keating  with Best Male Brit Award winner James Morrison who returns following a four year hiatus, singer and West End leading lady Beverley Knight (who is currently starring in Cats the Musical as Grizabella) , 80’s pop singer Kim Wilde, British country duo The Shires, London born singer Andreya Triana and Britain’s Got Talent finalists Jack Pack.  All will be accompanied by a 12 piece band.

The title role in The Twelfth Battle of Isonzo will be voiced by Nicholas Le Prevost in an immersive experience which will be audio described throughout, connecting the audience to the two blind characters in the play. Nicholas Le Prevost is best known for his film work, including Shakespeare in Love and A Very British Sex Scandal, his Olivier nominated performance in the Drury Lane production of My Fair Lady, and his numerous other stage credits, including Man and Superman opposite Ralph Fiennes at the National Theatre. Catherine Cusack will play the lead role in Judith: A Parting from the Body. Her previous roles include Carmel in Coronation Street, Frankie Sullivan in Ballykissangel, Sarah inFinding Neverland, and her stage credits include Dancing at Lughnasa and The Crucible at the Lyric Belfast, Trevor Nunn’s production of All That Fall on Broadway and in the West End, and Bingo at the Young Vic and Chichester Festival Theatre. The other actors have been announced as Liam Smith, Kristin Hutchinson and Emily Loomes.

A dynamic team of emerging creatives bring to life two thrilling plays by Howard Barker, “England’s greatest living dramatist” (The Times) at the Arcola, in a production colliding love, truth, sex and war. This Double Bill celebrates Barker’s characteristic poetic language and vivid imagination, uniting the timely revival of Judith: A Parting From The Body with the English premiere of tragicomedy The Twelfth Battle of Isonzo, which will be an immersive experience of the blindness that is described by the characters in the play. Creatives include director Robyn Winfield-Smith, who was Assistant Director to Erica Whyman on the RSC’s Hecuba and who received multiple Off-West End nominations for her critically acclaimed UK premiere production of Barker’s Lot and His God (2012), and designer Rosanna Vize, a finalist for the Linbury Prize for Stage Design (2013) and a graduate of the RSC’s resident assistant designer scheme.

With an immersive sound concept designed to connect the audience to the two blind characters, The Twelfth Battle of Isonzo is a battle of wits played out between the aged Isonzo and his youthful bride, Tenna, receiving its London premiere in the centennial year of the first battle of the Isonzo in WWI. Isonzo, witty and roguishly mischievous, is 100, and has outlived 11 wives. Tenna, beautiful and wise beyond her years, is 17, and has never been married before. And so commences the twelfth ‘battle’ of Isonzo, set within a sightless world on the day of their wedding, in which bride and groom each discover that the other is far more of a match than they had bargained for. Nicholas Le Prevost, the Olivier Award nominated actor who returns to the Arcola following his critically acclaimed performance in last year’s The Rivals, will voice the part of Isonzo.

Isonzo, a fearlessly imaginative and controversial one-act play, is the motivating force behind an access programme including the Arcola’s first ever touch tour and audio described theatre performance, along with participatory events reaching out to people with little or no experience of theatre, or who may face obstacles in accessing theatre opportunities.

Robyn Winfield-Smith said, “Isonzo, which features two blind characters, has long been the motivating force for our attached access programme. We have now extended this idea into the heart of our creative vision for the production: in order to fully explore the literal and metaphorical blindnesses experienced by the characters onstage, we are combining live action with an immersive three-dimensional soundscape to present a thrilling performance in which the audience will pass through different degrees of sightedness during the volatile battle of wits between the characters.”

“Brilliantly, this means that Nicholas Le Prevost, who has been with this project since its inception in 2012, will be able to star as Isonzo in this gripping two-hander, whilst simultaneously performing live on the RSC’s Swan stage in Stratford! These two plays are by turns light, dark, wickedly entertaining and breathtakingly resonant with global events. The playfully imaginative and seductively charming unreality of Isonzo makes for a thrilling contrast to the all-too-grim reality of Judith, set in a Middle Eastern battlefield and brimming with political potency.”

Judith: A Parting from the Body radically reimagines the mythic tale of Judith and Holofernes with searing political topicality in the wake of the ongoing violence and instability in the middle east. Judith, an Israeli widow, infiltrates the enemy camp alongside her apparently back-chatting Servant to seduce and kill the Assyrian general, Holofernes, and save her country from invasion. But nothing is as it seems, and soon we become entangled in a gripping double-seduction: a web of truth and lies between a man who has chosen murder, and a woman who has chosen love, culminating in the transformation of Judith into the very thing she has set out to destroy.

World renowned playwright Howard Barker is one of the key players in modern theatre, notorious for his challenging, unsettling and exposing writing style. Considered the enfant terrible of the theatre scene, his extensive career stretches from 1970 when his first play Cheek was staged at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs. His works have been staged at the Royal Shakespeare Company, The Open Space Theatre, Sheffield Crucible, the Almeida, the National Theatre, which staged a 5-star, extended run of Scenes from an Execution (2012) and the Print Room which staged Robyn Winfield-Smith’s critically acclaimed UK premiere of Lot and his God. Winfield’s-Smith’s workshop production of Judith (2011) was described by Barker as ‘dynamic, intensely-imagined and chilling’. He is currently Artistic Director of The Wrestling School, formed in 1992, a company established to disseminate his works and develop his ‘Theatre of Catastrophe’ theory. A widely celebrated dramatist, he has written more than 80 plays, with 27 of his works staged in six languages in 17 countries as diverse as Canada, New Zealand and Slovenia in the last three years. He is the author of plays for marionettes, two works of theory, and five volumes of poetry and has written three librettos for opera. He is also an admired painter with works held in national collections at the V&A, London and in Europe.

@RENDproduction | #BarkerDoubleBill | www.facebook.com/HowardBarkerDoubleBill
@arcola theatre | #ArcolaWinter | www.arcolatheatre.com/
Running Time: 120 minutes plus 15-minute interval | Suitable for ages 16+
Company Information
Directed by Robyn Winfield-Smith Written by Howard Barker
Produced by Rosalyn Newbery Designed by Rosanna Vize
Lighting by Christopher Nairne Sound by Iain Armstrong
Musical direction by Gregory Batsleer Movement Director Lawrence Carmichael

Cast
The Twelfth Battle of Isonzo
Isonzo (voice) Nicholas Le Prevost Tenna Emily Loomes Stage Directions read by Liam Smith
Judith: A Parting from the Body
Judith – Catherine Cusack, Holofernes – Liam Smith, The Servant – Kristin Hutchinson

Listings information
Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London, E8 3DL
November 25th 2015 – December 19th 2015
https://www.arcolatheatre.com/

Winner of three Olivier Awards including ‘Best New Musical’, Legally Blonde The Musical is an all-singing, all-dancing romantic comedy. The show follows the story of sorority president Elle Woods as she crosses the country on a mission to find love at Harvard Law School.

Reviving the role of Paulette is JODIE JACOBS whose West End credits include Regina in the original cast of ROCK OF AGES and who recently appeared in the Kilworth House production of LEGALLY BLONDE.

Recent graduate ABBIE CHAMBERS will be playing the lead role of Elle.

Playing Warner is ROBERT COLVIN who has just completed a UK tour of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOUR DREAMCOAT. Emmett will be played by ROSS BARNES who was Leo Frank in the London Theatre Workshop production of PARADE; and taking on the role of Professor Callahan is HUGH OSBORNE who has recently returned from playing Max in the international tour of THE SOUND OF MUSIC. Also in the cast are SUZIE ARIES, AIMEE BARRETT, ADAM CROSSLEY, LILY DE-LA-HAYE, CHRIS DURTNAL, EMMA INGRAM, and SCOTT NORTON.

Director – John Plews
Musical Director – Matt Abrams
Choreographer – Anthony Whiteman
Lighting Designer – Sam Waddington
Designer – Isobel Power Smith
Costume Supervisor – Yasmin Kaberry
Sound Designer – Jon Raper
Casting – Harry Blumenau

PRODUCED by KATIE PLEWS for OVATION

Listings Information
Upstairs At The Gatehouse
HIGHGATE VILLAGE, LONDON N6 4BD
Box Office: 020 8340 3488
http://www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com/

Performances:
Tuesday – Saturdays at 7.30pm
Sunday Matinees at 4.00pm
Extra Performances:
Mon 21st December – 7.30pm
Mon 28th December – 7.30pm
Tue 29th December – 3.00pm
Wed 30th December – 3.00pm
Thur31st December – 3.00pm
Sat 2nd January – 3.00pm
No shows Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Mondays in January

New video footage for the London premiere of ELF The Musical, ahead of tonight’s Gala performance in aid of Alzheimer’s Society at the Dominion Theatre London.

The lastest production images for the London premiere of ELF starring Ben Forster, Kimberley Walsh, Joe McGann and Jessica Martin which is running at the Dominion Theatre until 2nd January, 2016. The Gala Opening Night is on Thursday 5th November which is in aid of Alzheimer’s Society. ELF is based on the 2003 New Line Cinema hit starring Will Ferrell and features a book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin, with songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
24 October 2015 to 2 January 2016
Dominion Theatre
268-269 Tottenham Court Road
London W1T 7AQ

 

Performances: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm*, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm**
*7.00pm on Thursday 5 November, no evening performance Thursday 24, Friday 25, Saturday 26, Thursday 31 December & Friday 1 January
**extra 2.30pm matinees on Thursday 29 October, and, in December, on Monday 21st, Tuesday 22nd, Thursday 24th, Monday 28th, Tuesday 29th & Thursday 31st
www.elfthemusical.co.uk / www.dominiontheatre.com
Running Time: 2 hours 25 minutes (including interval)

NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL 2016 FIRST PROGRAMME ANNOUNCEMENTS

• NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES UK  AND WORLD PREMIERES FOR 2016

• 2016 FESTIVAL RUNS FROM FRIDAY 13 – SUNDAY 29 MAY WITH PUBLIC  BOOKING OPEN FROM WEDNESDAY 11 NOVEMBER

Norfolk & Norwich Festival, one of the biggest arts festivals in the UK, has today announced the first shows of its 2016 Festival. With more to be announced, highlights for 2016 so far include: a ground-breaking UK Premiere from contemporary circus cabaret troupe Race Horse Company; the World Premiere of a major new commission from one of the UK’s foremost young composers – Kemal Yusuf; excerpts from electro-acoustic polymath Max Richter’s intensive investigation in the power of the human brain – Sleep; Aurélien Bory’s industrial robot’s dance with acrobats Sans Objet; Twenty Feet From Stardom’s Lisa Fischer’s first ever solo UK concert; an epic staging of Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand by Norwich Philharmonic and a revival of Rona Munro’s critically acclaimed The James Plays. The festival runs 13 – 29 May 2016 with full line up still to be announced.

The flagship arts organisation for the east of England, Norfolk & Norwich Festival showcases some of the world’s most renowned international artists alongside regional talent, drawing audiences from across the UK. On the 2016 programme the Festival’s Artistic Director William Galinsky said: “We are hugely excited to announce some of the first shows for the 2016 Festival. Next year’s programme continues our commitment to nurturing the best of local and national talent as well as bringing in the best new international work. 2016 is shaping up to be one of our most ambitious Festivals to date and I look forward to announcing the full programme for the Festival early next year.”

Full information on all Norfolk & Norwich Festival events at www.nnfestival.org.uk.

 

***

Race Horse Company presents
WHITE NIGHTS
UK Premiere

Race Horse Company presents a sophisticated circus cabaret. White Nights is made of Race Horse blood; classy and edgy with an international cast.

Be led into the night by soulful and mesmerising New York City singer and host Sophia Urista, while Race Horse Company’s Finnish circus boys provide danger, fun and fury. Dancer and wild child Iona Kewney completes this ensemble of delicious performers.

***

Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
FESTIVAL CHORUS
David Parry conductor
Savitri Grier violin
Jeni Bern soprano
Christopher Diffey tenor
Alexander Robin Baker baritone

Chausson                Poème Op. 25
Kemal Yusuf           Cain (World Premiere)
Franck                    Symphony in D minor

The World Premiere of an ambitious choral work is flanked by two masterpieces of nineteenth century Romanticism. From one of the foremost young composers today, Kemal Yusuf’s Cainrecounts the Biblical story of the first-born human in music of breathtaking scope and power. It contrasts exquisitely with Chausson’s rhapsodic Poème and Franck’s richly textured Symphony.

***

MAX RICHTER ENSEMBLE

Hailed as the most influential composer of his generation, British electro-acoustic artist Max Richter is inspired equally by Bach, punk rock and ambient electronica. Richter’s sonic world blends a formal classical training with modern technology, with work including scores for the award-winning films Waltz with Bashir and Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island.

Richter and his ensemble will perform selections from SLEEP, his landmark work scored for piano, strings, electronics and voice, which was broadcast as part of BBC Radio 3’s Why Music?. Described by Richter as his ‘personal lullaby for a frenetic world,’ don’t miss an astounding night from this leading contemporary classical artist.

***

Aurélien Bory presents
SANS OBJET

In the 1970s it made cars. Now transplanted from assembly line to stage, an industrial robot stars with acrobats Olivier Alenda and Olivier Boyer in a spectacular dance between man and machine. By turns friendly and frightening, the robot is the unlikely hero of a remarkable futurist fantasy.

***

LISA FISCHER

The star of the Oscar-winning Twenty Feet From Stardom, Lisa Fischer is best-known as the woman who sings her heart out with the Rolling Stones – the YouTube of her Gimme Shelterduet with Mick Jagger has had millions of hits.

***

National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre and Edinburgh International Festival present
THE JAMES PLAYS
By Rona Munro
Directed by Laurie Sansom

Exhilarating and vividly imagined, The James Plays trilogy brings to life three generations of Stewart kings who ruled Scotland from 1406 to 1488. The productions include: James I: The Key Will Keep The Lock; James II: The Day Of The Innocents and James III: The True Mirror.

***

Norwich Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus present
MAHLER’S SYMPHONY OF A THOUSAND
Matthew Andrews conductor
Kirstin Sharpin soprano
Katherine Broderick soprano
Catherine May soprano
Anne Marie Gibbons alto
Anna Burford alto
Peter Wedd tenor
James Harrison baritone
Richard Wiegold bass

To celebrate its 175th Anniversary, the massed ranks of the Norwich Philharmonic are joined by eight outstanding soloists and several choirs from across Norfolk for a spectacular staging in the Norfolk Showground Arena of Mahler’s epic and rarely-performed Symphony of a Thousand.

***

LISTINGS

Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2016 will run from 13 – 29 May.

Tickets are on sale to the public from 9.30am on Wednesday 11 November with priority booking opening at 9.30am on Thursday 5 November.

Box Office 01603 766400, online www.nnfestival.org.uk or in person at Norwich Theatre Royal Box Office.

Concessions and Under 25s discounts available

 

 

 

Full casting has been announced today for next year’s UK tour of Tom. A Story of Tom Jones. The Musical, presented by Theatr na nÓg.

Kit Orton stars in the title role of the musical biopic, which will open on Monday 7th March 2016 at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff. Also featured in the touring cast are Elin Phillips as Linda, Nicola Reynolds as Vi, Phylip Haries as Jack Lister, Richard Corgan as Gordon Mills, Deborah Thomas as Jo Mills, John McClarnon as Vernon Hopkins, Daniel Lloyd as Mickey Gee, Kieran Bailer as Chris Slade, Tom Connor as Dave Cooper and Nicola Bryan as Freda and Val. Tim Bonser also joins the company to perform the role of Tom Jones at certain performances.

Step back in time to the dance halls, working men’s clubs and recording studios of the ‘60s where the legend of Tom Jones was born: a Valleys boy with a heart-stopping voice who dreamed of making the big time, no matter what it took.

This inspirational story of self-belief and determination is performed live on stage by a phenomenal cast of actors and musicians, celebrating an ordinary man with an extraordinary talent who became a superstar on a world stage.

Tom. A Story of Tom Jones. The Musical chronicles the rise to stardom of singer Tom Jones and includes an array of hits of the era, from ‘Ghost Riders in the Sky’, ‘Spanish Harlem’ and ‘Lucille’ to ‘It’s Not Unusual’, ‘Delilah’, ‘Green, Green Grass of Home’ and ‘What’s New Pussycat’, along with many more.

The TNN production is written by Mike James and directed by Geinor Styles, with musical direction and arrangements Ben Goddard, designs by Sean Crowley and sound design by Mike Beer.

It made its world premiere at the Muni Arts Centre in Pontypridd on 1st March 2014, forty-nine years after Tom Jones gained his first No. 1 single with ‘It’s Not Unusual’. The musical ran there from 1st to 8th March 2014, and then embarked on a small tour that visited venues in Rhyl, Neath, Carmarthen, Dundee, Windsor and Ipswich.

Speaking about Tom, Geinor Styles said: “We are over the moon to welcome back Kit Orton and this great company of talented actors/musicians alongside newcomers John Mclarnon; Deborah Thomas; Richard Corgan, Nicola Bryan and Tim Bonser to take this inspirational story of a true Welsh icon to audiences throughout the UK. This Rock and Roll musical laced with great Welsh humour and charm is guaranteed to have audiences up on their feet in celebration of this living legend’s story.”

Kit Orton is a Welsh actor and composer who played Tom Jones in the workshop of Tom and in the original production, and made his West End debut playing Sir Lancelot in Spamalot (West End/UK Tour). His other stage credits include Oliver!(Watermill Newbury Theatre), Dickens Abridged (Arts Theatre) and The Hired Man (Mercury Theatre Colchester/Leicester Curve). His composing work includes the musical My Land’s Shore, for which he wrote the music and lyrics, with Robert Gould (book and lyrics).

The development of this production has been supported by the Arts Council of Wales, Welsh Government, RCT, NPT Theatres and Wales Millennium Theatre.

The UK tour of Tom. A Story of Tom Jones. The Musical launches at the Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff on Monday 7th March 2016, where performances will continue until Saturday 12th March 2016). The other confirmed tour dates for 2016 are listed below:
www.tomthemusical.co.uk

Tom. A Story of Tom Jones. The Musical
Monday 7th March – Saturday 12th March 2016
www.wmc.org.uk
Tuesday 15th March – Saturday 19th March (Festival Theatre Edinburgh)
www.edtheatres.com
Wednesday 30th March – Saturday 2nd April (Leicester Curve)
www.curveonline.co.uk
Tuesday 5th April – Saturday 9th April (Aylesbury Waterside theatre)
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/aylesbury-waterside-theatre/
Tuesday 12th April – Saturday 16th April (Sheffield Lyceum)
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Tuesday 19th April – Saturday 23rd April (Alhambra Theatre, Bradford)
www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Tuesday 26th April – Saturday 30th April (Churchill Theatre, Bromley)
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/the-churchill-theatre-bromley/
Tuesday 3rd May – Saturday 7th May (Theatre Royal, Newcastle)
www.theatreroyal.co.uk/
Tuesday 10th May – Saturday 14th May (Venue Cymru, Llandudno)
www.venuecymru.co.uk
Tuesday 17th May – Saturday 21st May (Richmond Theatre)
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre/
Wednesday 25th May – Saturday 28th May (The Lowry)
www.thelowry.com
Wednesday 1st June – Saturday 4th June (New Alexandra Theatre Birmingham)
http://www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-alexandra-theatre-birmingham/

The Roundhouse 3-14 November. Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Well, the audience certainly found happiness tonight!

The Happiness Project is a response to the 2007 UNICEF report “An overview of child well-being in rich countries”. Two years have been spent exploring the issues raised, and the show fuses the viewpoints of young people, scientists and academics.

The show centres around Eden, a teenager wondering about her future plans, whose mother has told her “I don’t mind what you do with your life – I just want you to be happy.”

Eden’s friends discuss what makes them happy, give themselves scores out of 10 and talk about experiments to find out what “Happiness =” – and are rudely interrupted by the scientists. Neuroscience, psychiatry, human geography and the scientific method are all discussed – to the dismay of the teenagers. Their expressions of disdain are brilliant. A wonderful explanation of dopamine responses in the brain while one lad eats a bacon sandwich is delivered to explain happiness as a system of rewards and expectations. The scientists’ questions about the teenagers’ actions are hysterical. One tries to explain the happiness felt whilst dressing up as Iron Man using Nietzsche’s theories.

The company use a chalk board to illustrate and annotate their findings. This is a fantastic device, showing the huge divide between the thinking of the two groups when the adults look at the teenagers’ simplistic landscape drawing and begin to label each item with psychiatric and scientific ideas.

The various ideas and ways to find happiness are abandoned until finally talk of finding your flow begins. This seems to appeal to the teenagers until a powerful and moving speech about the stresses and pressures young people have to deal with today. The effects used to convey these pressures are fantastic, considering the limited budget and space. Just as it seems that we cannot define happiness, talk turns to childhood memories, and how we can decide how we remember things. The company then begin to write what happiness is to them on the board. And this is delightful. A wide range of things, deep and meaningful or banal, all equate to happiness. Highlights were – “when you smile”, “when the monkeys stole our passports”, “my 7th birthday”, “bacon” (of course!) and “drumming”. The young boy and the scientist who wrote drumming then deliver a fantastic duet on the drums that left the audience breathless, before an almost wordless and moving finale.

This is a sincere and thought-provoking show, performed by a talented young company. The audience has their own chalkboard to write on as they leave, and this was full of happy and appreciative comments.

Who would have thought that sometimes, Happiness = Drumming?

Shakespeare’s Globe have announced today that Matthew Dunster has been appointed as associate director.

He joins Emma Rice as she begins her role as artistic director designate, officially taking over from current artistic director Dominic Dromgoole on 23 April 2016.

Dunster is an Olivier-nominated director and playwright whose world première production of Martin McDonagh’s Hangmen recently transferred from the Royal Court to the West End. His directorial credits for the Globe include The Frontline and Dr Faustus whilst other credits include Love’s Sacrifice (RSC) and The Seagull (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre).

As a writer, his credits include Children’s Children (Almeida) and You Can See The Hills at the Royal Exchange and the Young Vic.

Commenting on the post, Emma Rice said: “Matthew Dunster is not only one of the best directors in the country, but also an artist of great knowledge, integrity and generosity. Beloved by staff, actors and audiences alike, he is a thrilling appointment and I look forward to the many adventures we will have as we open this next chapter for Shakespeare’s Globe.”