Home

Euripides
a new version by Anne Carson
directed by James Macdonald

23 July – 19 September 2015
Press Night 30 July, 7pm

The Almeida Theatre announces full casting for Bakkhai.  James Macdonald directs Anne Carson’s new version of Euripides’ hedonistic, visceral tragedy.  Using three actors and a chorus, this new production will echo the original Ancient Greek performance model.

Kevin Harvey will join the previously announced Ben Whishaw, who makes his Almeida debut as Dionysos, and Bertie Carvel who returns to the Almeida as Pentheus.

The chorus will include Amiera Darwish, Eugenia Georgieva, Kaisa Hammarlund, Helen Hobson, Hazel Holder, Melanie La Barrie, Elinor Lawless, Catherine May, Louise Mills and Belinda Sykes.

Pentheus has banned the wild, ritualistic worship of the god Dionysos. A stranger arrives to persuade him to change his mind.  Euripides’ electrifying tragedy is a struggle to the death between freedom and restraint, the rational and the irrational, man and god.

Design is by Antony McDonald, with light by Peter Mumford, sound by Paul Arditti, composition byOrlando Gough and musical direction by Lindy Tennent-Brown. Choreography is by Jonathan Burrowsand Gillie Kleiman. Casting is by Anne McNulty CDG.

Anne Carson is a poet, essayist, translator, playwright – and classicist who frequently references, modernises – and translates Greek mythology. Anne’s translation of Sophocles’ Antigone, starring Juliette Binoche and directed by Ivo van Hove, played at the Barbican earlier this year having premiered at Théâtre National du Luxembourg.  Anne is a MacArthur Fellow; she has received the Lannan Literary Award for Poetry, the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Pushcart Prize, and was an Anna-Maria Kellen fellow at the American Academy in Berlin in 2007.

James Macdonald’s work at the Almeida includes The Triumph of Love, Judgment Day and A Delicate Balance. His production of The Father is currently playing at the Tricycle Theatre.  He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1992 to 2007, premiering works by Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill and Martin Crimp.  More recently at the Royal Court he has directed The Wolf From the Door, Cock and Love and Information. His other credits include Roots (Donmar Warehouse), #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Wei Wei, And No More Shall We Part (Hampstead Theatre), King Lear, The Book of Grace, Top Girls (Broadway), Judgment Day, Dido, Queen of Carthage, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Exiles (National Theatre), Dying City(Lincoln Center), Drunk Enough to Say I Love You (Public Theater) and Glengarry Glen Ross (West End).

Bertie Carvel returns to the Almeida stage, having previously performed in Rope. He created the role of Miss Trunchbull in Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin’s Matilda, The Musical (RSC, West End and Broadway). His iconic performance won him a raft of awards including the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical, the prestigious Drama Desk Award and a Tony nomination. Bertie’s other theatre credits include The Pride (Royal Court), Parade (Donmar Warehouse), The Man of Mode, The Life of Galileo and Coram Boy(all National Theatre).  On television, he appeared as Nick Clegg in James Graham’s Channel 4 dramaCoalition, and is currently playing the role of Jonathan Strange in the BBC adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. Other film and television credits include The Wrong Mans, Babylon, Restless, Hidden, Sherlock, Just William, The Crimson Petal and The White, John Adams, Doctor Who, Hawking and Les Misérables. He is soon to appear in Mike Bartlett’s Doctor Foster for the BBC.

Kevin Harvey returns to the Almeida after appearing in Mike Bartlett’s Game earlier this year. His previous theatre credits include The Book of Mormon (West End), Titus Andronicus and Candide (both RSC Swan Season 2013), The Alchemist (Liverpool Playhouse), Decade (Headlong), Salt (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Wig Out! (Royal Court), Stags & Hens (Royal Court Liverpool) and Macbeth (Out of Joint). Kevin’s television credits include Good Cop, Spooks and Ruby in the Smoke.

Ben Whishaw makes his Almeida debut, having last appeared on stage in Jez Butterworth’s Mojo in the West End. Other theatre includes Peter and Alice (West End), Cock (Royal Court), His Dark Materials, The Seagull, The Idiot (all National Theatre) and Hamlet (Old Vic), for which he was nominated for an Olivier Award.  On film, he recently lent his voice to Britain’s best-loved bear in Paddington and performed in the BAFTA-nominated Lilting. He played Q in Sam Mendes’ Skyfall, a role he will reprise in upcoming Bond filmSpectre. Other films include Enduring Love, Layer Cake, Perfume, Stoned, I’m Not There, Brideshead Revisited, Bright Star, The Tempest and Cloud Atlas.  He won a BAFTA for the BBC adaptation of Richard II.  Other television includes The Hour, Nathan Barley and Criminal Justice, for which he won Best Actor Awards at the Emmys and the Royal Television Awards. Later this year he will appear opposite Colin Firth and Rachel Weisz in The Lobster, as Herman Melville in the Heart of the Sea and alongside Meryl Streep and Helena Bonham Carter in Suffragette.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Access             Audio Described performance by VocalEyes Saturday 5 September at 3pm, Touch Tour 1.15pm and Friday 11 September at 8pm, Touch Tour 6.30pm
                         Captioned performance Friday 4 September at 8pm
Address           Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London, N1 1TA

Café Bar          The Almeida Café Bar is open from 11.30am -11pm, Monday to Saturday

Box Office       Phone 020 7359 4404 (10am – 8pm Monday to Saturday)

Online almeida.co.uk/bakkhai
In person 10am – 7pm, Monday to Saturday
Prices £10 – £38, concessions available
Preview prices £10 – £30
Islington First* (if you live or work in Islington) £23, 23 July – 1 August
Under 30s* £19 available for every Monday of the run
Day seats (2 per person) will go on sale at 11am on day of performance, in
person from Box Office for all performances from 31 July
*Conditions apply – check website for details

Performances Monday – Saturday at 8pm

Saturday matinees at 3pm from 1 August
Wednesday matinees at 3pm from 5 August – 9 September

Talkback          Post-show discussion with members of the Bakkhai company

Tuesday 18 August
Free to same-day ticket holders

Website          almeida.co.uk/bakkhai

Almeida Questions is an eclectic programme of pre-show discussions which consider some of the questions raised by the work on our stage. In each discussion, invited panellists dig into the key issues and ideas emerging from the show. More details for all three shows to be announced soon.

 

CITY VARIETIES MUSIC HALL CELEBRATES 150 YEARS OF ENTERTAINMENT

 

It may be 150 years old but it still looks beautiful. Happy Birthday to our city’s famous Music Hall. This Sunday 7^th June, City Varieties Music Hall celebrates 150 years of entertaining the people of Leeds – and everyone is invited to the party.

From 12noon to 4pm the theatre will throw open its doors and welcome Leeds to celebrate;  there’ll be street performers, piano players, sneaky peeks behind the scenes, performances on stage, classic Victorian parlour games and of course birthday cake. No booking necessary just turn up and join in the fun.

City Varieties Music Hall holds the record for being the longest running Music Hall in the country. Hidden up a cobbled side street (Swan Street) just off Briggate, it began life as a room above a pub for the working people of Leeds to be entertained; its affluent sister venue The Grand Theatre was meant only for the higher classes.

In its early years the Varieties welcomed many weird and wonderful acts including the world-renowned escapologist Harry Houdini and a woman who hypnotised alligators.

In 1953 City Varieties became home to the BBC TV Series The Good Old Days – a variety show based on ‘old time music hall’ – and encouraged its audience to dress in Victorian garb; they duly obeyed and the show was a hit. The Good Old Days welcomed a host of TV stars and launched the careers of many more. Les Dawson, Barbara Windsor, Bruce Forsyth, Eartha Kitt, John Inman and Barry Cryer are only a few of the big names starring in the TV programme that ran for 30 years until 1983.

Today the venue, staying true to its heritage, plays host to a variety of acts; this year’s big names include Luisa Omielan, Paul Merton, Amanda Palmer, Chris Ramsay, Rob Beckett, Festival of The Spoken Nerd, Andy Parsons,Chas & Dave and Richard Herring.

The theatre’s famous Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto hits the stage every Christmas – this year it’s Robin Hood & Babes in the Wood – and of course audiences can still catch the show that put Leeds on the world map; The Good Old Days runs across seven weekends a year and dressing up is still encouraged (though by no means compulsory!)

Learn more about the theatre – its past, its present, its stars and its oddities – on Sunday 7^th June at The City Varieties 150^th Birthday Party.  Weather permitting, the activities will spill out on to the cobbles – but not to worry if the British summer lets us down, there’s plenty going on indoors too.

The party starts at 12noon and the cutting of the special birthday cake will take place at 12.30pm with the Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Children and Families, Cllr Lucinda Yeadon.

For more information:

Cityvarieties.co.uk / 0113 243 0808

Twitter @Cityvarieties

Grand Theatre, Leeds – 1 June 2015

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense is perfect entertainment.  2 hours of perfect hilarity by just 3 perfect and incredibly talented actors.

A play within a play this show is a classic farce.  Sean Foley (The Ladykillers) is a great comic director and he is once again in winning form here. The pretext of Perfect Nonsense, neatly adapted by the Goodale Brothers from The Code of the Woosters (1937) is that Bertie Wooster (Robert Webb) has hired a West End theatre to put on a dramatised version of an elaborate anecdote involving his Aunt Dahlia, Gussie Fink-Nottle, the Basset family and various relatives and servants and crucially a silver creamer shaped like a cow.  That’s where the audience come in – from the off we are directly addressed and included in the ensuing amateur-theatrical riot. Realising he can’t possibly play all the characters alone, Wooster recruits the straight-faced fixer-of-all-things Jeeves (Jason Thorpe) and the diminutive manservant Seppings (Christopher Ryan) to recreate the rest, women, dogs and all.

One of the great fictional story tellers, Wooster speaks to you as if you were a most intimate friend, misquoting Shakespeare, stumbling over himself to explain the complexities of his social circle, comparing conversing aunts to ‘as if shouting across a ploughed field in a high wind,’ and on receiving bad news, said it hit him like ‘one who has been picking daisies by the railway line and catches the 4.15 in the small of the back’. He bestows ludicrous significance to the relatively minor mishaps of his pampered existence.

Jason Thorpe is excellent at these  hi-jinks, and is near-unrecognisable in some of his guises, all of which are inspired. There are laughs to be had guessing just how he’ll manage his next transition from one character to another. Christopher Ryan is the star of the show as Seppings and his impressions.

Whether emulating a gale with a wind shield-smacking branch or doing his utmost to convince as an eight-foot beast of a man, Ryan is hilarious.

While Thorpe and Ryan both play multiple parts, Robert Webb is the show’s anchor, his Bertie striking the right notes of cheery naivety and childlike fear – usually justified – of getting caught up to no good. The plot unfolding around him serves up a stolen cow-shaped creamer, an offensive notebook, a policeman’s hat, plus obligatory attempts to prevent Bertie being jostled into marriage. And though a very – VERY – wordy piece Webb manages it outstandingly

The show is bonkers and charming and laugh out loud funny from curtain up to the marvellous, deadpan, dance routine at the finale

In Leeds until Saturday 6 June and on a national tour of the UK, this is one of the funniest things you will see this year.

Perfect Nonsense – Perfect Comedy – Perfect Family Entertainment – Perfect Night Out

 

The world’s best-selling mystery is coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal! Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were Nonehas recorded 100 million sales to date and the ‘Queen of Crime’s’ own stage adaptation of this dark and captivating tale is set to thrill audiences from 27 July – 1 Aug 2015.

 

And Then There Were None is widely considered to be Christie’s masterpiece and this production marks the 125th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s birth, and the 10th anniversary of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company.

 

A group of 10 strangers is lured to a remote island off the coast of Devon. Upon arrival they discover that their host, an eccentric millionaire, is missing. At dinner a recorded message is played accusing each of them in turn of having a guilty secret and by the end of the evening the 10 guests become nine. Stranded on the island by a torrential storm and haunted by an ancient nursery rhyme, one by one the guests begin to die. And with only the fallen believed to be innocent who amongst them is the killer?

 

Featuring a host of familiar faces from the world of TV and theatre, the show stars 2015 British Soap Award winner Verity Rushworth, best known for her role as Donna Windsor-Dingle in the long-running ITV soap Emmerdale. Verity won the ‘Best Scene’ award for the scene where Donna says goodbye to her daughter April. And Verity is no stranger to the stage having made her West End debut as Penny Pingleton in the musical Hairspray and later she played Maria Von Trapp in the UK tour of The Sound of Music, taking over the role from Connie Fisher.

 

Verity is joined by fellow Emmerdale veteran Frazer Hines, who played Joe Sugden in the soap for 22 years from the pilot episode in 1972. Many will also recognise Frazer as Dr Who’s Jamie McCrimmon, companion to the second Doctor Patrick Troughton. Frazer’s theatre experience includes starring roles in Outside Edge, Dial ‘M’ for Murder, Spider’s Web, Not Now Darling, Doctor in the House, in which he played opposite Bill Kenwright, Run for your Wife, Wait Until Dark and Far From the Madding Crowd.

 

Musical Theatre star Paul Nicholas first made his name in the original London production of Jesus Christ Superstar, in which he played the title role and later went on to star in Hair and Grease in the West End with Elaine Paige. Paul will also be known to many as Vince Pinner in the 80s BBC sitcom Just Good Friends.

 

Colin Buchanan, best known for playing D.I Pascoe for eleven years in the hit BBC television series Dalziel and Pascoe, joins the cast off the back of starring in a UK tour of another Bill Kenwright production, J.B Priestley’s Dangerous Corner.

 

Susan Penhaligon is probably best known for starring in the 1976 ITV drama Bouquet of Barbed Wire and for playing Judi Dench’s sister in the 1981 LWT sitcom A Fine Romance. She has also appeared on TV many times in dramas such as Upstairs Downstairs, Casualty and Touch of Frost and her extensive West End theatre credits include The Three Sisters,  Of Mice and Men (Mermaid) and Dangerous Corner (Whitehall Theatre).

 

Mark Curry is best known to children of the Eighties as one of the Blue Peter presenters as well as hosting Get Set for Summer, The Saturday Picture Show and Screen Test. His acting credits include Alan Parker’s Bugsy Malone, London’s Burning, and West End shows The Woman in Black, Talent and he toured with Noises Off and Singin’ In The Rain.

 

Ben Nealon is best known for his role as 2nd Lt/Lt/Capt Jeremy Forsythe in the ITV award winning series Soldier Soldier. His previous work for Bill Kenwright includes The Signal Man (Windsor) and the Passport For Pimlico tour. His TV credits includeCasualty, The Bill, EastEnders and Doctors, and film roles include the Bollywood blockbusters The Rising and the Oscar-nominated Lagaan.

 

As The Agatha Christie Theatre Company marks its 10th anniversary with this production of And Then There Were None, the interest and adoration for the great Dame Christie – who having sold over two billion books worldwide is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare – continues to grow.

 

This production of And Then There Were None is produced by Bill Kenwright, with Joe Harmston directing, design by Simon Scullion, lighting by Douglas Kuhrt and sound by Matt Bugg.

 

And Then There Were None appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 27 July – Saturday 1 August 2015. Tickets from £14.50 (pay 50p less per ticket when you book online). Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

 

And why not tempt yourself with Afternoon Tea after the matinees on Thu 30 July and Sat 1 Aug? Served in our exclusive Olivier Suite and accompanied by one of our pianists, you can treat yourself for £14.95 per person or upgrade to Afternoon Tea with Prosecco for £20.90. Book via the Box Office or online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/afternoon-tea

UoY Opera Society presents Mozart’s

The Magic Flute.

GRAND OPERA HOUSE YORK

Saturday 30 May at 7pm

The University of York Opera Society present Mozart’s The Magic Flute on Saturday in their third venture at the Grand Opera House, York.

For one night only this talented student company will take you on a journey to an enchantingdreamland of magic and mystery with a cast and crew of more than 50 members and a 30-piece orchestra in the pit.

Director, Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong comments, “It’s been an extremely rewarding journey so far and we’re excited to perform in such a fabulous venue. The brilliantly fantastical narrative which features a heroic quest, a vengeful Queen and, of course, a magical flute calls for all manner of special effects. These include an attack from a monstrous serpent and trials by both fire and water.”

The Magic Flute will be performed at 7pm in an English translation by Jeremy Sams, courtesy of Josef Weinberger. Tickets are on sale from the York Grand Opera House Box Office on 0844 871 3024 or by visiting www.atgtickets.com/york. Be sure not to miss this thrilling performance, as it promises to be a visual and musical spectacle like none other.

Tickets: £21 & £15 in person from the theatre box office, or call ATG tickets  on 0844 871 3024, to book online go to www.atgtickets.com/york

Hijinx and Punchdrunk Enrichment present

Beneath the Streets: Lost and Found

Beneath the Streets: Lost and Found is an immersive theatrical experience in which the audience is invited to roam through the space encountering characters and uncovering a story as the action unfolds all around them. The performance uncovers a hidden world of lost items from keys and glasses to love and loved ones.

The piece is performed by a large cast of actors with and without disabilities, including nine performers from Hijinx Academy in Cardiff, Hijinx’s professional training course for actors with learning disabilities.

THEATRICAL ADVENTURE CREATED BY HIJINX AND PUNCHDRUNK ENRICHMENT RETURNS TO SECRET LOCATION IN CARDIFF CITY CENTRE

Beneath the Streets: Lost and Found reunites the successful partnership between Welsh theatre company Hijinx – specialists in inclusive theatre – and Punchdrunk Enrichment, the education and outreach arm of renowned theatre company Punchdrunk.

Beneath the Streets 2014, which saw the basement of Cardiff’s Castle Arcade transformed in to a labyrinth of performance spaces, received a nomination for Best Production in the English Language at Wales Theatre Awards 2015.

This year’s production develops some of the stories and characters from the first show, and takes place in a new secret location in the city centre with an extended run of 12 performances.

Hijinx’s Chief Executive, Clare Williams, commented “We are thrilled to be producing a sequel to the highly successful ‘Beneath the Streets’. We firmly believe that our partnership with Punchdrunk Enrichment, who are experts in immersive performance, combined with the talents and uniqueness of Hijinx Academy actors and a wider inclusive cast, will make for an utterly unique performance. Don’t miss it!”

Punchdrunk’s Enrichment Director, Peter Higgin, commented “We relished our time with Hijinx in 2014. The partnership was a profound experience; Hijinx Academy have an intoxicating and infectious energy that makes working with them compelling, addictive and incredibly rewarding. We are delighted to return to Cardiff and pick-up where we left off, and know that ‘Beneath the Streets’ audiences both old and new are in for a real treat.”

Hijinx have received funding from Arts Council Wales to produce Beneath the Streets: Lost and Found. This year, Wales Millennium Centre are a production partner on the show.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR HOTLY ANTICIPATED SEQUEL TO BENEATH THE STREETS 2014, RUNNING FROM 26 JUNE – 3 JULY 2015

BENEATH THE STREETS: LOST AND FOUND
A limited number of tickets are available for each performance due to its unique setting. Early booking is advised, available from Chapter Arts Centre  and Wales Millennium Centre.

The secret location will be revealed at the time of booking.

Pricing

Tickets £10 (£6 concessions)

Dates

Friday 26 June, 7pm & 9 pm
Saturday 27 June, 7pm & 9 pm
Sunday 28 June, 3pm & 5pm
Tuesday 30 June, 7 pm
Wednesday 1 July, 7 pm
Thursday 2 July, 7 pm & 9 pm
Friday 3 July, 6.30 pm & 9 pm

Access

BSL interpretation on 3 July, 6.30pm & 9pm
Audio Description on 3 July, 9pm

 

JEEVES AND WOOSTER in PERFECT NONSENSE

 

 

Robert Webb, star of Peep Show and Mitchell and Webb, stars as Bertie Wooster in Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense at Leeds Grand Theatre next week

Alongside Robert Webb as Bertie Wooster, the Olivier award-winning comedy stars Jason Thorpe as Jeeves andChristopher Ryan as Seppings ; they take to the Leeds’ stage from Monday 1^st to Saturday 6^th June.

 

When a country house weekend takes a turn for the worse, Bertie Wooster is unwittingly called on to play matchmaker and to steal a silver cow creamer from Totleigh Towers.

 

The ever-dependable Jeeves is there to prevent Bertie from making a fool of himself in front of a cast of Wodehouse’s finest characters including Gussie Fink-Nottle, Madeline Bassett, Sir Watkin Basset, Dahlia Travers, Roderick Spode and Constable Oates.

 

Billed as ‘… a delightful evening of theatrical absurdity…’ the iconic double act promises a raucous evening of comedy.

 

 

Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense is at Leeds Grand Theatre from

Monday 1^st to Saturday 6^th June

 

Tickets are on sale now priced from £23 to £34

 

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call box office on 0844 848 2700

 

 

Cross Sesame Street with the Muppet Show, give it a 14+ age rating and clap on a government health warning that too much laughter can make your sides ache and you’ve got Avenue Q.

The countdown has begun! With just over a week to go until award winning musical Avenue Q hits Darlington Civic Theatre, the venue is preparing to host the most unholy comic allegiance between humans and puppets the world has ever seen. Following massive success all over the globe and nearly five years of mischief, bad behaviour and political incorrectness in the West End, Avenue Q finally arrives in Darlington from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 June as part of its current national tour.

Avenue Q is a musical about the lively and off-the-wall characters on a downtown New York street trying to make sense of life’s burning issues: love, work, relationships, and, above all, just how are you supposed to pay the bills with a BA in English? Hilarious and uproariously entertaining with songs performed by a cast of hugely talented performers and puppets, Avenue Q is a musical like no other.

Avenue Q follows Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate new to the area, as he desperately tries to follow his dreams and discover his ever-elusive purpose in life. A tiny bank balance, the distraction of a busty blonde, and a variety of weird and wonderful friends and neighbours lead Princeton on a story of self-discovery.

The show has enjoyed enormous success, both on Broadway and in London, proving to be the perfect, contemporary musical. Witty, rude and extremely funny, Avenue Q ingeniously combines a cast of humans and puppets who tackle subjects such as dating, racism, being gay and finding your purpose in life.

Avenue Q is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 June. Tickets* are priced £19 to £30.50

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

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy. Age recommendation 14+

LISTINGS JUNE – JULY 2015

RAT PACK VEGAS SPECTACULAR

3 June 2015, 7.30pm

‘Purveyors of Cool’ return to Sunderland Empire with ‘The Greatest Music Of The 20th Century’. Wonderful memories of classic 60’s Las Vegas – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis. Come Fly With Me, Sway, Mr Bojangles, Under My Skin and many more favourites. The BBC summed it up – ‘MAGNIFICENT’.

UNDER 16s FREE when accompanying an adult

(Price C only)

THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN

4 June 2015, 7.30pm

Britain’s biggest Motown spectacular returns with an all-new, all-star show. Featuring the music of the Four Tops, Supremes, Temptations, Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, Lionel Richie and more. Five-star performances revive over 36 back-to-back hits with all the dazzling dance moves, glittering costume changes and musical brilliance of the original artistes.

AN EVENING OF BURLESQUE

5 June 2015, 8pm (Age Advisory 18+)

Britain’s No1 burlesque show goes global with the world’s biggest burlesque legends. It’s Vaudeville gone volatile: couture costumes, a steamy score, mind-boggling speciality acts and worldwide allstars in a wickedly hilarious extravaganza. As seen from Milan to Minsk, Zurich to St Petersburg, Helsinki to Dresden, join a thrill-a-minute, fun filled frolic into the bizarre world of burlesque, we dare you! Dress up and come to the cabaret.

ROY ORBISON & FRIENDS

6 June 2015, 7.30pm

Barry Steele is recognised as one of the world’s leading tributes to music legend Roy Orbison. He’s stunned audiences with his uncanny visual similarity and his ability to authentically revive the exquisite toe-tapping sound of this music giant. Using original film footage and backed by his fabulous band and big screen, this celebration of The Big O’s musical legacy is unmissable.

Joining Barry is the phenomenal Paul Molloy as Elvis Presley and the mesmerizing talent of Boogie Williams as Jerry Lee Lewis.

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

9 – 20 June 2015, various times

Audiences will be transported to the luxurious lap of the French Riviera when the West End spectacular Dirty Rotten Scoundrels graces the Sunderland Empire stage from 9th June. The decadent world of the sophisticated conman Lawrence Jameson (Michael Praed) is set to come crashing down with the arrival of larger-than-life Freddy Benson (Noel Sullivan) – a conman of an entirely different order.

With North East’s Mark Benton as the hilarious Andre, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike. Undoubtedly one of the biggest new musical openings to hit the West End stage, this indulgent and decedent comedy is a rare chance to return and relive the golden age of the classic musical.

Soon realising the town ain’t big enough for the both of them, Lawrence and Freddy find themselves going head to head in the con of their lives, pulling out all of the stops in a bid for the affections of millionaire soap heiress Christine Colgate (Carley Stenson).  Little do they know what they’ve let themselves in for.

TOP HAT

24 June – 4 July 2015, various times

Direct from its tremendous success in the West End, winning three Olivier awards for Best New Musical, Best Choreography, Best Costumes and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out, this spectacular production is making its Sunderland debut this summer.

Top Hat brings the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age and the glorious, tap-dancing magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to the stage in one of the greatest dance musicals of all time. Packed with Irving Berlin’s greatest hits including, Cheek to Cheek, Top Hat, White Tie & Tails, Let’s Face the Music & Dance and Puttin’ on the Ritz, this uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy dazzles with over 200 beautiful costumes, breathtaking dance and a love story that will set the pulse racing!

THE DREAMBOYS

9 July 2015, 7.30pm (Age Advisory 18+)

Following the biggest male strip show tour in UK history in 2014, The Dreamboys are back and hotter then ever with a brand new show. With special guest appearances on some of the UK’s biggest TV shows such as The X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent, Celebrity Big Brother, Loose Women, This Morning and The Only Way Is Essex and sold out worldwide tours, it’s no wonder they’ve earned themselves celebrity status.

THE CARPENTERS STORY

10 July 2015, 7.30pm

Widely regarded as the first ever ‘Tribute’ show back in its 1989 incarnation, Phil Aldridge’s lavish arrangements, stunning vocal harmonies and Claire Furley’s uncanny representation of Karen Carpenter combine to bring back memories of pop’s most melodic duo.

Featuring all the songs that made The Carpenters a legend in the world of music. Featuring We’ve Only Just Begun, I Won’t Last a Day Without You, Goodbye to Love, Top of the World, Please Mr Postman and lots more.

JIMMY CARR

11 July 2015, 8pm (Age advisory 16+)

Jimmy’s been described as ‘the hardest working man in comedy’, which, let’s face facts, is not that impressive. It’s like being the ‘Tallest Dwarf’ or the ‘Healthiest Glaswegian’. Really not that big a deal. Funny Business is Jimmy’s brand new stand up show. Come for the witty and incisive musings on the human condition; stay for the kn*b gags.

LOVE ME TENDER

13-18 July 2015, various times

From the producers of Hairspray, Midnight Tango, West Side Story and The Rocky Horror Show comes a hilarious, feel-good musical featuring Elvis Presley’s greatest hits. In a small town in 1950’s America, a guitar-playing, hip-swivelling stranger rides his motorbike into town. Is he The Devil In Disguise or a Hound Dog in his Blue Suede Shoes? The townsfolk are about to be All Shook Up

and could be headed for Heartbreak Hotel, but for Natalie, the love-struck, tomboy mechanic, it really is Now or Never.

Packed with 25 of the best loved songs by The King himself, Love Me Tender, by the writer of the award-winning West End and Broadway smash hit Memphis, is a funny and moving tale of hope, second chances and the healing qualities of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

THE DRIFTERS

23 July 2015, 7.30pm

Following on from the success of their recent tours, this new tour defines the evolution of the phenomenal story of The Drifters, through its music from the past to the present. This high energy show brings many of the greatest hits Under The Boardwalk, Saturday Night At The Movies, Up On The Roof, Kissin In The Back Row, Down on the Beach, More Than A Number In My Little Red Book, along with newer songs that have evolved through the first new recordings in over 30 years!

LOCAL PRODUCTIONS

Full details at atgtickets.com/sunderland

THE WORX

1 JUNE 7.15PM

FARRINGDON PRIMARY – THREE BECOME ONE

2 JUNE 6.30PM

NCDTA 90TH ANNIVERSARY SHOWCASE

21 JUNE 2.30PM & 6.30PM

SHAMEEM KARIM – DANCE EXPLOSION

7 JULY 7PM

SUNDERLAND SCHOOLS DANCE FESTIVAL

8 JULY 1.30PM

NORTHERN STAR – GALAXY OF STARS

20 JULY 7PM

KATHLEEN KNOX – 30 YEARS OF DANCE

22 JULY 7PM

KATHLEEN DAVIS – A SUMMERTIME SPECIAL

25 JULY 7.15PM

AUGUST 2015 ONWARDS AT A GLANCE

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME 11-15 August 2015

PRISICLLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT 31 August – 5 September 2015

JERSEY BOYS 8-19 September 2015

SWAN LAKE 22-24 October 2015

SHREK THE MUSICAL 11-22 November 2015

All tickets can be purchased in person from the Box Office on High Street West, Sunderland, the Ticket Centre on 0844 871 3022* and online at www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*

*A booking/transaction fees apply to telephone and online sales.

Have you ever sung along to your favourite cast recording and dreamt of appearing on an album yourself? Well now is your chance with this amazing opportunity to appear on a forthcoming album of new musical theatre songs, alongside some of the most exciting talent that the West End has to offer.

The album, “To Do. To Be.”, features songs written by West End star Tim Prottey-Jones (Once (Phoenix), Kinky Boots (Adelphi), Superstar (ITV)) and is set for release this Summer.

There’s one song left to record and, with the competition open to all ages, professional or amateur, it could be you singing it.

Entries will be shortlisted by Tim Prottey-Jones and a winner chosen by an esteemed collection of judges including Wicked star Rachel Tucker, Les Mis and Phantom legend Jon Owen-Jones, theatre critic Mark Shenton and What’s on Stage’s features and video editor Ben Hewis.

Artists that have appeared on Tim’s previous albums have included: Louise Dearman, Samantha Barks and Michael Xavier.

To be in with the chance of appearing alongside some of the West End’s finest, you must:

1. Upload a video of you singing a modern song or a piece of new musical theatre (a verse and chorus will be fine), to YouTube.

2. Use the words “TPJ Competition” In the title, along with your name and the song title.

3. Tweet @TimProtteyJones with the link to your video.

4. OR, you can e-mail your video link to [email protected]

The deadline for entries is June 14 at 8pm and the winner will be announced in the week beginning 19 June.

Terms and Conditions

1. Recording will take place in the week beginning 19 June.
2. There is no payment for appearing on the album.
3. The winner will be responsible for any travel and accommodation costs incurred.
4. This prize is non-transferable.
5. By entering into this competition you agree for your entry to be shared online and on social media.