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James Seabright, Julius Green and Julie Clare by arrangement with

Suzanna Rosenthal for Showstopper Productions present

SHOWSTOPPER!

The Improvised Musical

24th September – 29th November, Apollo Theatre

★★★★★  ★★★★★  ★★★★★  ★★★★★  ★★★★★

Time Out  Mail on Sunday  Independent on Sunday  What’s on Stage  Chortle

The West End will welcome a record number of new British musicals this autumn, thanks to the world’s first major season for an improvised musical.

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical plays its first full West End run, for a limited 10-week engagement. Eighty brand new musicals will grace the stage of the Apollo Theatre, each created on the spot by incredible, multi award-winning musical comedy improvisers The Showstoppers. Audience suggestions are transformed instantly into all-singing, all-dancing shows with unpredictable and hilarious results.

Fast, funny and entertaining, the team nightly pull off something incredibly ambitious. They create a real musical from scratch, not just an impro night with songs but a full story with stories and characters you can care about, a live band of incredible musicians, and spontaneous but seamless choreography. With a BBC Radio Four series and eight years of festivals and touring to their name, The Showstoppers have delighted and astounded audiences around the world with their ingenious, unique blend of comedy, musical theatre and spontaneity.

Highlights from previous shows have included Emotional Baggage (an apt title for a tale of First Class romance at Heathrow Airport, with songs in the style of Sondheim and Abba), Sweeney Cod (in which an ambitious fish and chip shop owner falls victim to unrequited love, with a touch of Kander and Ebb alongside the pineapple fritters), and To Bleed Or Not To Bleed (a high-stakes opera of communist vampires, channelling Mel Brooks and featuring an undead chorus).

‘Jaw-dropping. All the big-hit mega-musicals inspire an audience to want to see them more than once. And I’d see Showstopper! again tomorrow.’

– Dominic Maxwell, The Times

 

Showstopper! was created by Adam Meggido and Dylan Emery. Duncan Walsh Atkins is Musical Director, with design by Simon Scullion, lighting by Tim Mascall and sound by Tom Lishman.

The cast includes Ruth Bratt, Justin Brett, Dylan Emery, Pippa Evans, SusanHarrison, Sean McCann, Adam Meggido, Philip Pellew, Andrew Pugsley, Oliver Senton, Lucy Trodd, and Sarah-Louise Young, with seven cast members appearing per performance plus a live on-stage band.

Tickets go on sale to the public at 12 noon on Wednesday 12th August. Each performance will have 200 tickets available at £20, and there are no booking fees.

Listings information:

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

Venue: The Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES

Dates: Thursday 24th September – Sunday 29th November 2015

Press Performances: Wednesday 30th September, 3pm and 7pm

Times: Monday – Friday (except Tuesday): 8pm, Saturday: 3pm & 8pm, Sunday: 3pm and 7pm.

Additional matinees 3pm Wednesday 30th Sept and 28th Oct.

Tickets: From £20

Box Office: www.nimaxtheatres.com / 0844 482 9671

Kiev’s National Academic Theatre of Russian Drama Lesya Ukrainka brings a festival of events celebrating Ukrainian culture to the St. James Theatre from 8th to 19th September 2015, curated by Mikhail Reznikovich, Artistic Director of the National Academic Theatre of Russian Drama Lesya Ukrainka. The festival, comprising four plays, two free film screenings and a photography exhibition, will give British audiences a rare opportunity to acquaint themselves with some of Ukraine’s cultural masterpieces as well as its developing modern arts scene.

The cycle of four plays, Ward of the Manor, My Mocking Happiness, Life’s Little Nothings and Don Juan, will be performed in Russian and live dubbed into English by a translator who will be present in the auditorium.

To celebrate 50 years since its release, Serguei Paradzhanov’s The Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors will be screened on Saturday 12th September and will be introduced by one of the films’ stars, Larisa Kadochnikova, who will also play the role of Olga Knipper-Checkhov in My Mocking Happiness. Earth, directed by Alexander Dovzhenko, will be screened on Tuesday 15th September, 2015

A free photography exhibition, Ukrainian Culture Today, will be on display in the bar and front of house area of the theatre, showing beautiful images of the sites, architecture and people of Kiev and the Ukraine.

WARD OF THE MANOR
A new translation of Ivan Turgenev’s comedic drama Fortune’s Fool
Director Mikhail Reznikovich | Associate Director Leonid Ostropolsky
8th to 10th September 2015
Performed in memory of Russian theatre director Georgy Tovstonogov, who was a teacher of Mikhail Reznikovich. Olga Korina left her family’s country estate as a young girl, returning seven years later with her new husband State official Pavel Yeletsky.
Among those there to greet Lady Olga Yeletskaya, is Vitalii Kuzovkin, an old man born to nobility but now penniless. The good-natured Kuzovkin has long served the family and is de facto ward of the estate; he is also the family’s longest running joke. During a celebration for the newlyweds, dark secrets are revealed and the lives of Lady Olga, Yeletsky, and the devoted Kuzovkin are changed forever. True nobility does not reside in mere titles.

MY MOCKING HAPPINESS
By Leonid Malyugin, based on the letters of Anton Chekhov
Director Mikhail Reznikovich | Associate Directors Irina Barkovskaya and Leonid Ostropolskiy | Designer David Borovsky
11th – 12th September 2015
My Mocking Happiness is drawn from Anton Chekhov’s personal correspondence with his wife, Olga Knipper-Chekhova, and close friend, Lika Mizinova. Alive with intimate and personal detail, the letters reveal the writer’s complex inner life and his musings on theatre, art, 20th century psychology, society and power. He also discusses his timeless dramas Uncle Vanya, Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard.
Structurally similar to Jerome Kilty’s 1960 play Dear Liar, My Mocking Happiness has been staged at the National Academic Theatre of Russian Drama Lesya Ukrainka for more than fifty years.

LIFE’S LITTLE NOTHINGS
Based on the short stories of Anton Chekhov
Director Mikhail Reznikovich | Associate Director Kirill Kashliskov
13th to 15th September 2015
The human condition is examined in this original handling of Chekhov’s short stories A Daughter of Albion, A Tripping Tongue, Difficult People, A Happy Man and The Wallet. Each of the five episodes is separated by brief interludes of authentic, classic Russian romance tunes.
Life’s Little Nothings offers a vivid, provocative and often hilarious take on those personal thoughts and feelings one might hope would forever remain undiscovered.

DON JUAN
By Tirso de Molin, adapted by Lesya Ukrainka and directed by Mikhail Reznikovich
17th to 19th September 2015
Noted early 20th century Ukrainian poet Lesya Ukrainka offers an original, authentically Ukrainian take on this timeless story of conflict between freedom and authority. In a departure from the original story by Tirso de Molina, the Ukrainian Don Juan introduces us to Dolores, Lesya Ukrainka’s semi-autobiographical depiction of a young woman selflessly devoted to the Don.

THE SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS
In Ukrainian with English subtitles
12th September at 2pm
The Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a 1965 film by the legendary filmmaker Sergei Parajanov, based on the classic book by Ukrainian writer Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky. The storyline revolves around two separated lovers caught in a family feud and also features a detailed portrayal of Ukrainian Hutsul culture, showing Carpathian environment, family rituals, the beauty of Hutsul traditions, music, costumes, and dialect.

EARTH
Silent film
15th September at 2pm
Earth is a 1930 Soviet film by Ukrainian director Alexander Dovzhenko, concerning the process of collectivisation and the hostility of Kulak landowners

In 1958 the film was named as one of the best twelve films of all time at the World Exhibition in Brussels. Charlie Chaplin called Dovzhenko “the one and only artist, thinker and poet, given as a present by Slavs to the world”.
For further information please contact Julia Peach [email protected] / 020 7654 9908.

LISTINGS
UKRAINIAN CULTURE TODAY from KIEV’S NATIONAL ACADEMIC THEATRE OF RUSSIAN DRAMA LESYA UKRAINKA
St. James Theatre
12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA
www.stjamestheatre.co.uk
All plays will be performed in Russian and will be live-dubbed in English to be enjoyed in either language.
Box Office: 0844 264 2140
Dates: Tuesday 8 – Friday 19 September 2015
Theatre Tickets: £10, £15, £25, £35 (premium)
Film Tickets: Free, reservation required
Photography Exhibition: Free
Concessions: £5 off band A tickets for OAPs, students and Victoria Privilege Card holders
Groups: £5 off band A tickets for groups of 8+

 

Christopher Biggins, immensely popular star of musical theatre, screen comedies, panto dame extraordinaire and one of Britain’s best-loved TV personalities, is announced today as the host of the 2015 West End Heroes gala concert.

Following the phenomenal success of West End Heroes last year, which saw the casts of many of the biggest West End musicals unite with the finest UK military bands and musicians in a stunning performance that raised £78,243.01 for the Help For Heroes charity, the Dominion Theatre is to once again host the event, this year on Sunday 4 October at 7.30pm

Biggins will oversee proceedings and also perform in several big song and dance numbers that are being kept a secret until the night!

He said today: “I’m delighted to be able to give my support to West End Heroes by hosting what I know will be a marvellous evening, with some wonderful surprises. It’s a wonderful way for the West End to show their appreciation for all that our lovely service folk do for us and to support such a worthy charity.”

West End Heroes will again unite the country’s top military musicians with even more West End performers and productions in a dazzling showcase of show-stopping numbers, unlikely song mash-ups and stunning choreography and precision drilling.

The West End casts of Elf The Musical, and Zoonation’s Into the Hoods, will join musical theatre and West End favourites Bonnie Langford, currently appearing in EastEnders as Carmel Kazemi, and Mazz Murray currently starring in Mamma Mia! who will make special guest appearances. They will be joined by classical crossover sensation Charlotte Jaconelli, and recent Britain’s Got Talent magician extraordinaire Jamie Raven.

The involvement of more West End casts will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Returning to form the centrepiece of the gala and under the baton of Squadron Leader Piers Morrell will be The Central Band of the Royal Air Force, which is widely regarded as one of the finest military bands in the UK and incorporates the celebrated RAF Squadronaires Big Band. There will also be support from The Band of HM Royal Marines, The Band of the Army Air Corps and a Ceremonial Fanfare team, and a special performance by the Colchester Garrison Military Wives Choir.

West End Heroes Producer David Pearson, the Dominion Theatre’s General Manager, said: “Last year we had 200 people performing on stage and a small army behind the scenes, most who worked for nothing on their day off. The money raised will again make a huge contribution to the amount needed for Help for Heroes to carry on their incredible work.”

There will again be performances from the West End Heroes Choir – made up of people working behind the scenes  in the West End  – led by Stuart Morley, and the West End Heroes Dancers, led by Matt Flint.

Bryn Parry, Co-Founder and CEO of Help for Heroes said: “We’re thrilled to work with West End Heroes again in 2015 and look forward to an another fantastic event at the same time as raising a significant amount of money to help our injured Servicemen and women and their families.”

Help for Heroes offers comprehensive support to those who have suffered life-changing injuries and illnesses after serving our country. This support is provided through grants direct to our Heroes and their families, grants to other charities and through four Help for Heroes Recovery Centres across the UK. A study in September 2014 by Help for Heroes and the Royal College of Psychiatrists found that 75,000 men and women may need long term support following the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Creative Team for For West End Heroes 2015
Director Tim Marshall (Festival of Remembrance, Royal Albert Hall)
Musical Director Squadron Leader Piers Morrell, Director of Music, RAF Central Band
Musical Supervisor Stuart Morley (We Will Rock You; Night of a 1000 Stars)
Choreographer Matt Flint (So You Think You Can Dance; Strictly Come Dancing)
Assistant Director Carole Todd (Carnaby Street, Dreamboats and Petticoats)
Design Tim Soden (The Lion King; Calendar Girls)
Produced by Dominion Events

LISTINGS
WEST END HEROES
DOMINION THEATRE
Tottenham Court Road
London
W1T 7AQ
Sunday 4 October at 7.30pm
www.westendheroes.com
www.facebook.com/WestEndHeroes
www.twitter.com/WestEndHeroes
Tickets from £32.50

It is officially announced today that Sian Alexander has been appointed the new Executive Director of the Lyric Hammersmith. She will officially take up the role from 5 October 2015.

She succeeds Jessica Hepburn who is leaving the Lyric after nearly a decade as Executive Director to focus on her writing career and who, as her last act for the Lyric is swimming the English Channel to raise money for the theatre’s work with disadvantaged children.

Sian Alexander has been a senior management consultant in the arts for the past five years during which time she has worked with the Nuffield in Southampton, Creative Industry Finance, Tricycle Theatre and the World Stages Consortium among others. From 2012 to 2014 she was Executive Director of the Bush Theatre and prior to that was Associate Director of Julie’s Bicycle from 2010 to 2013 and Head of Theatre in London at Arts Council England for 10 years until 2010. She is Chair of the Trustees for Frantic Assembly together with being on the Boards of Julie’s Bicycle and the Gate Theatre. Sian became a Clore Fellow in 2006.

Sean Holmes, Artistic Director said “I’m delighted Sian Alexander will soon join us as our new Executive Director. 2015 has been monumental for the Lyric with the reopening of the building following its £20 million capital development and the coming years will be a very exciting time. I look forward to working with Sian as we take the Lyric on into its next chapter.”

Sian Alexander said “The Lyric is my local theatre and I’ve been a huge fan of its work for years. It is an honour now to lead the theatre alongside Sean Holmes and to work together to realise the fantastic potential of the Lyric’s new spaces for artists, audiences and young people.”

Details on how to sponsor Jessica Hepburn’s swim across the English Channel can be found on the JustGiving page:www.justgiving.com/Jessica-Hepburn

Tonight marks the 12,000th performance of The Phantom of the Opera on the West End! Congratulations to all who have been involved in any of the 12,000 shows.

http://thephantomoftheopera.com/

BUY TICKETS FOR THE ORIGINAL PRODUCTION AT HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE, LONDON

NOW BOOKING TO SATURDAY 26 March 2016

Performance times

Monday – Saturday evenings 7.30pm
Thursday & Saturday matinees 2.30pm

Seat Prices until Saturday 26 September 2015

£67.50, £50, £41, £36, £26, £21
Premium seats: £95 for all performances
All tickets include £1.25  Theatre Restoration Levy.

Seat Prices from Saturday 26 September 2015

Prices: £69.50, £51, £41.50, £36.50, £26.50, £21.50
Premium seats: £95
All tickets include £1.50  Theatre Restoration Levy.

Thursday Matinee Day Seats

A limited number of Day Seats will be available at £25 each from 10am on the day of the performance for Thursday matinees, only in person at the box office.

Please note: On busy Thursday matinee performances there will be a reduced amount of day seats and tickets will only be sold 1 per person.

Concessions:
Access: Top & second price reduced to £31.50
Day seats: Best available reduced to £30 for Thursday matinees only.

General Groups Rate:
10+ best available (top 4 prices) reduced to £42.50 for  Monday – Friday performances & Saturday matinees 

School Group Rate:
10+ best available (top 4 prices) seats reduced to £22.50 for Monday – Thursday performances

Thursday Matinee Saver Group Rate:
10+ best available (top 4 prices) reduced to £28 for Thursday matinees only

The Phantom of the Opera Workshop (10+):£7.50 – The Phantom’s Lair (10+): £4.00
Following the Thursday matinee performance students can view the fascinating stage set-up of The Phantom of The Opera and take part in a question and answer session with a company or crew member. Can be booked via the DMT Education unit.

Group rates not available during August.

Prices quoted are for tickets booked in person at the theatre Box Office. These prices will be subject to a booking fee if booked online or elsewhere.

Her Majesty’s Theatre

Haymarket,

London SW1Y 4QL

Underground: Piccadilly Circus

Buses: 3,6,12,13,15,88,94,139,159,453

Car Park: Whitcomb Street

 

BYE BYE BIRDIE Music by Charles Strouse Lyrics by Lee Adams Book by Michael Stewart First presented on Broadway in 1960 (for 607 performances) it was a Tony Award winning success, winning the award for Best Musical. It spawned a London Production, was made into a Major Motion Picture, a TV adaptation and most recently a Broadway Revival in 2009.  Written by Charles Strouse and Lee Adams it is the first Musical to feature Rock n Roll music in its score. BYE BYE BIRDIE is the story of Rock Star Conrad Birdie who is the biggest artist to top the charts. Women love him, men want to be him and teenage girls around the country scream with glee at the mere mention of his name. But when the United States Army drafts Birdie, manager Albert Peterson sees his meal ticket preparing to fly the coop, much to the delight of longtime love Rose Alvarez, who can’t wait for Albert to ditch the music business and become an English teacher. Desperate for a publicity stunt big enough to help them survive Birdie’s departure, Albert and Rose hatch a plan: send Conrad to small-town America to plant his goodbye kiss on one lucky fan for the entire world to see. Their selection of super fan Kim Macafee sends the wholesome enclave of Sweet Apple, Ohio into chaos. Kim’s boyfriend Hugo can’t take the humiliation of his girlfriends televised lip-lock. Rose can’t take another minute of Albert’s distracted ways. And Sweet Apple can’t take its teens riotous rebellion, inspired by the arrival of bad boy Birdie. Will Sweet Apple ever be the same?

LISTINGS INFORMATION Venue: Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, 53 Hoe Street, London, E17 4SA Closest Tube/National Rail: Walthamstow Central, Victoria Line. (5 mins walk) Dates: 11th August – 4th September Times: Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm; Sunday at 3.00pm; No performances on Mondays Price: £18.00/ £16.00 Concessions Box Office: 020 8520 8674/ www.allstarproductions.ticketsource.co.uk Director: James Hume Choreographer: Anthony Whiteman Musical Director: Aaron Clingham Casting: Benjamin Newsome Producer: Andrew Yon Website: www.allstarproductions.co.uk Twitter: @birdiemusical Other: Presented by arrangement with Tams Witmark Music Library Inc.

 

Global clothing brand Barbour has offered a substantial donation to Newcastle Theatre Royal to help subsidise its revolutionary actor training programme Project A.

 

The Barbour Foundation, the charitable arm of the North East-based fashion heavyweight, is backing the Theatre’s pioneering project to create a new generation of professional actors in the region.

 

Project A is the first course of its kind in the North East of England dedicated to actor training and will offer practical and theoretical training to young aspiring actors aged 18-25 years old who are looking to make a serious career as an actor.

 

The Barbour Foundation is known for its generous support for cultural organisations in Newcastle and across the wider North East, and Dame Margaret Barbour said: “It gives me great pleasure to assist the Theatre Royal in establishing its innovative and exciting Foundation Course for young people who wish to embark on a theatrical career, whether it be in acting or management.  I wish the Theatre Royal every possible success.”

 

The course, which will be offered completely free of charge for its inaugural year, will be run over three terms in an academic year and will include vocal, physical and performance skills training as well as specialist training including Meisner technique, improvisation, acting for screen and stage combat.  These areas will be developed alongside the students’ continuous training in character development and text analysis. The training will be provided by a selection of leading UK professionals.

 

A proportion of the Barbour donation will also be applied to the expansion of the Theatre’s Learning Department, which is going from strength to strength following a major reinvention over the past couple of years and the soaring popularity of its formal education work and public programmes.

 

Theatre Royal Chief Executive Philip Bernays, said: “We are extremely grateful to Dame Margaret and the Foundation for their generous support and also very proud of our longstanding association with Barbour, one of the most important and influential fashion brands in the world.

 

“We are very excited that this generosity will bring Project A to life as we know there is both need and demand for a course like this and it has real potential for growth in the future.  Our talented young people shouldn’t have to leave the region to get access to the best professionals.  This is hugely significant for us and the North East region as a whole, and we are delighted to be leading the way.”

 

After auditions in July which attracted over 160 applicants, the sixteen successful candidates for Project A have been chosen and the course will commence in September.

SHEFFIELD THEATRES APPOINT ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Sheffield Theatres has today announced that Caroline Dyott will be joining its Senior Management Team this month in the newly created role of Associate Producer.

Caroline will lead the Production department working closely with Chief Executive Dan Bates and Artistic DirectorDaniel Evans to explore, develop and fully realise the potential of Sheffield Theatres’ productions.

Over the last three years Sheffield Theatres has won several major awards recognising the quality of the work on its stages, including Regional Theatre of the Year for two consecutive years. It has created and toured several productions including, in the last twelve months, Twelfth Night, The Absence of War, Anything Goes and This Is My Family. This strategic role will see Caroline lead the Production department, develop relationships with producers and theatre companies and oversee the planning and scheduling of the work to support the company’s ongoing resilience and sustainability.

Caroline will take up her role from Monday 17 August. She joins the company from English Touring Theatre, where she has worked since 2012. Previously, her work as a freelance producer includes Events While Guarding the Bofors Gun in 2012 and The Man in 2011.  She also sits on the advisory board of interactive theatre company non zero one.

Chief Executive Dan Bates commented: ‘I am delighted to welcome Caroline to Sheffield Theatres in this new role. Caroline’s appointment offers us the opportunity to develop new relationships with producing partners and ensure that we maximise the potential of all of our shows. Her extensive experience will enable us to embark on a range of exciting new creative projects, with a view to further developing our productivity and ultimately enhancing our success.’

Caroline Dyott commented:  ‘I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining Sheffield Theatres.  Having seen many brilliant shows here and enjoyed working with the team on several co-productions, I’m really looking forward to being part of the great work which comes out of the organisation.’

Caroline joins Sheffield Theatres at the beginning of the autumn season, which includes a new production of Romeo & Juliet (Thu 17 Sep – Sat 17 Oct) directed by Jonathan Humphreys, with Freddie Fox and Morfydd Clark in title roles.  In the Studio, Deborah’s Bruce’s sharply funny play The Distance has its regional première (Thu 29 Oct – Sat 14 Nov) and at Christmas, Daniel Evans is joined by a stellar team to direct a lavish new production of the epic American musical Show Boat (Thu 10 Dec – Sat 16 Jan).

 

SUMMER FAMILY FUN AT SHEFFIELD LYCEUM

Enjoy fun with all the family at the Lyceum Theatre this holiday with Disney favourites Anna, Elsa and Olaf in Sing-a-Long-a Frozen (Fri 21 – Sat 22 August).

Following sell out performances earlier in the year, Sing-a-Long-a Frozen returns to the Lyceum by popular demand from Friday 21 – Saturday 22 August. Introduced by a live host, audiences will each receive a free prop bag, warm up their singing voices and learn some impressive dance moves with the help of some very special princesses, ahead of a fun-packed interactive screening, complete with on-screen lyrics of Disney’s most popular film ever.  Dress up, sit back and ‘Let It Go’!

Sheffield Theatres’ café bar Crucible Corner will also be welcoming families during this period.   From 1.00pm each day, they will be offering exclusive meal deals (one free children’s meal with every adult main meal), fun party games, face painting and the chance to get creative in their ‘Craft Corner’. Any children who have chosen to dress for the occasion will also be able to take part in a grand prince and princesses parade to show off their costumes.

Sing-a-Long-a Frozen comes to the Lyceum Theatre from Friday 21 – Saturday 22 August. Tickets are priced: Adults £15.50, Children £10.50 (Family tickets also available)  and can be purchased by calling the Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or by visiting sheffieldtheatres.co.uk (a transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash).

To book a table at Crucible Corner, call 0114 273 8255

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

Sing-a-Long-a Frozen

Fri 21– Sat 22 August

Fri 11.00am & 3.00pm

Sat 10.30am & 2.30pm

Adults £15.50 Children £10.50

Family Ticket £48 (2 adults & 2 children), Family Ticket £33 (1 adult, 2 children)