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Civic Theatre, Darlington – 9 June 2015

There are obvious similarities between Avenue Q and another famous American Street that airs its programme to children.  Both shows give life lessons and have similar characters.  But whilst Avenue Q pays homage to the other, it is certainly not wholesome family entertainment.

Written by Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez (long before he penned Frozen), the residents of Avenue Q teach us that “there is a fine fine line between love and a waste of time”, “the more you love someone – the more you want to kill them”, “it sucks to be me”, “but only for now” and “The Internet is for Porn” (clearly its not or you wouldn’t be reading this review) and other nuggets of information and advice set to music.

It can seem a little confusing at first, with puppets controlled by actors on stage alongside three human characters. But once belief is suspended, a roller coaster of a show goes along at fair pace, with laughs aplenty.

The show centres on Princeton, an arts graduate and out of a job. Trying to find a cheap place to rent he finds Avenue Q a run down multicultural neighbourhood,  home to furry Kate Monster, who falls for Princeton; Brian and his Asian-American wife, Christmas Eve, who get married; former child star Gary Coleman; Rod who is in the closet yearning after straight room mate Nicky; Trekkie Monster a pervert who lusts after Lucy the Slut and the Bad Idea Bears

There are no weak links in this excellent cast. Puppets and humans are all steeped with fabulous comedy skills and bring  joy to the production. Richard Lowe, Sarah Harlington, Stephen Arden and Jessica Parker tackle the difficult role of giving life to their nine foam counterparts with ease, whilst Arina II (Christmas Eve), Richard Morse (Brian), and Etisyai Philip (Gary Coleman) provide human foils that are every bit as strong character wise.

It’s a technical masterpiece, with inspired staging, great voice work and incredible theatricality of the show’s small cast. The puppet actors dress in black, but there are no attempts made to disguise the fact that they are the voices behind the colourful characters. The expressions of the actors sell the puppet persona’s and make the show’s satirical but sentimental storyline so endearing.

If you are easily shocked then this is not the show for you.  Puppets having very loud, very physical sex is not a sight that everyone wants to see.  But if you want to have a good laugh and hear song lyrics that your life can relate to then this is the show to see.

In Darlington until Saturday 13 June and on tour around the UK

Casting is today announced for the world premiere of The Tale of Mr Tumble at Manchester International Festival this July.

Justin Fletcher, known to millions as CBeebies Mr Tumble, will be joined by Ronni Ancona as Miss Eerie. Other cast members will include Samuel Buttery, Samantha Dorrance, Connor Elliott, Lizzie Franks, Tom Mackley, Nicholas McLean, Samuel Parker, Katia Sartini, Kai Savage and Ben Stock. The company will be joined on stage by a Makaton signing choir who will perform alongside their hero Mr Tumble.

The Tale of Mr Tumble will be a funny, engaging and visually exciting show that will give children the chance to see Mr Tumble live and up close as he and his family share some of their fondest memories.

Audiences will find out how he became the joyful entertainer familiar to so many, following his journey from bouncing baby Tumble (with his bright red nose already in place), through his singing and dancing school years, right up to the present day.

Mr Tumble will be joined by his friends and family including Grandpa Tumble and introducing Tootsie. Featuring songs new and old, there will be plenty of opportunities for audience participation in this high energy event.

MIF Creative, the Festival’s creative learning programme, is working with primary schools across Manchester to find and develop our Makaton signing choirs. Over the whole run, 400 local children will appear onstage with pre-school idol Mr Tumble, sharing their Makaton skills with each other and our audiences. Makaton is the specialist communication language that Mr Tumble and Something Special have done so much to popularise.

Written by Will Brenton, with design by Hayley Grindle, The Tale of Mr Tumble will be a real opportunity to step inside the colourful world of one of our most cherished TV characters.

Justin Fletcher is a presenter and actor widely known for his long-running character as CBeebies’ Mr Tumble.  On-screen his appearances for CBeebies include Justin’s House, Timmy Time, Gigglebiz and hit show Something Special, celebrated for being one of the only entertainment programmes to span mainstream and Special Education Needs audiences successfully. He recently provided the voice for Shaun in the movie Shaun the Sheep.  His recent arena tour of Justin & Friends: Mr Tumble’s Circus played to packed crowds across the UK.  Justin has been awarded the BAFTA Children’s Award for Best Presenter on three occasions as well as being made an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2008.

Award-winning actress Ronni Ancona is well known for her work on-screen in television programmes such as Last Tango in Halifax, The Trip, Skins, Steven Poliakoff’s Gideon’s Daughter and the BAFTA winning The Big Impression in which she appeared with Alistair McGowan for several series. She makes regular appearances on the popular comedy panel show QI and was a guest presenter on Have I Got News For You. She recently appeared in Alecky Blythe’s Little Revolution at the Almeida Theatre, other theatre appearances include Singin’ in the Rain with Adam Cooper (Sadler’s Wells) and The Hypochondriac (Almeida). Film credits include Penelope, Stella Street – The Movie and The Calcium Kid. Ronni has won the British Comedy Award and the Variety Club Award for Best Actress and was also awarded a BAFTA for her work on The Sketch Show with Lee Mack.

Commissioned by MIF Creative. Produced by Manchester International Festival.
Supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust and MIF Creative Circle.  In association with CBeebies.

LISTINGS

THE TALE OF MR TUMBLE
OPERA HOUSE MANCHESTER, 3 QUAY STREET, M3 3HP
14 PERFORMANCES, 11 – 19 JULY 2015
PRESS PERFORMANCE: 11 JULY 2PM

All children’s tickets £12
Adults £18.25 – £26.25
Concessions £5 off
Schools £8.50 / Teachers are free
£12 tickets for Greater Manchester residents on a lower wage, available on a first come first served honest basis
Babes In Arms up to 18 months are welcome. For children over 18 month tickets must be purchased.

Box Office:
mif.co.uk | 0844 871 7654

COMMUNITY CAST TELL THE STORY OF THE RAILWAY KING

Back in April, York Theatre Royal announced that George Costigan, recognised for his roles in Rita, Sue and Bob Too, Calendar Girls, Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter,and BBC’s Happy Valley, would be playing George Hudson, dubbed The Railway King, in the York Theatre Royal, National Railway Museum and Pilot Theatre production of In Fog and Falling Snow, a major theatrical event that opens in York on 26 June. Over 200 people have been cast to star alongside the professional, all of whom are volunteering.

It’s a huge undertaking with 80 Front of House volunteers, 50 costume making volunteers, 50 choir members, 30 technical volunteers and 30 photographers. Despite hours of rehearsals life continues as normal outside the rehearsal room. Here, we announce some of the cast members and reveal what they’re doing when not learning lines or going for costume fittings:

The show follows in the footsteps of the huge success of the 2012 York Mystery Plays and 2013’s Blood + Chocolate. Telling a pivotal story in the city’s history, audiences will be taken on a journey through the museum’s collections after hours before being seated in the purpose built Signal Box Theatre for the second half. It is directed by York Theatre Royal’s Artistic Director Damian Cruden, Associate Director Juliet Forster and Pilot Theatre’s Katie Posner.

The opening scene sees George Hudson and George Stephenson reminiscing about their successes and ideas. Stephenson is played by Ian Giles, who audiences will recognise from his roles in previous community productions, Two Planks and a Passion, York Mystery Plays 2012, and Blood + Chocolate. When he isn’t acting Ian is Head of Film Studies at Queen Margaret’s School. He said of the experience of being in a community production in York;

It’s the ultimate in team work, you’re working with 200 like-minded individuals with another 300 or so backstage and the camaraderie between everyone is fantastic. The professional infrastructure that comes with the projects is a gift – from the stage design to the professional actors who are cast alongside community members, and I’ve no doubt In Fog and Falling Snow will be just as epic.

Kane Hutchinson is playing Jimmy Gadd, who becomes embroiled in the almost fantastical scheme of getting rich by buying railway shares. Kane is studying for an Extended Diploma at York College as well as working part time and hopes to progress to drama school or university. Kane says of the experience;

Considering some of the scenes can feature up to one hundred different and wholly unique characters, the show is quite the spectacle. Working with such a wonderful cast, almost entirely composed of members of the community, is a personal highlight for me.

Playing his brother Edward Gadd is Jeremy Brown. Edward is a working class man who comes into some money, and then gambles it away on railway shares. Although acting in this production he’s looking to study Film and TV Design at university.

Their aspirations to move into the creative arts in the future are shared by co-stars Olivia Ledden, a drama student at York College and Charlotte Wood, who studies Theatre Studies, English Literature, Politics and Dance at All Saints Sixth Form. The girls are sharing the role of George Jenkins, the daughter of a train driver who disguises herself as a boy to work on the railways. For Olivia, this is the first time she has taken part in a community production, having recently moved to York. Charlotte took part in Blood + Chocolate and says of her experience in this year’s production:

It’s not every day you have to play a boy and a girl and it can be emotionally challenging at times, but I am loving rehearsals.

Stephanie Wood is playing the girls’ mother, Martha Jenkins. She is a trained actor, attending Birmingham School of Acting but hadn’t worked as an actor for a long time after taking a break to have children and working as a school administrator. After many nights picking up her children from the York Theatre Royal Youth Theatre, Stephanie heard about the opportunity to get involved in the 2013 production Blood + Chocolate. The show sold out before opening and the experience meant Stephanie jumped at the chance to take part in this year’s production. Her on stage husband Albert Jenkins, is played by Paul Osbourne. Paul is also a trained actor who divides his time between acting and working for an environmental charity.

Playing George Hudson’s wife, Elizabeth, alongside George Costigan, is Rosy Rowley. A mum of four daughters, who are all also taking part in the production, Rosy is a children’s entertainer, and a part-time taxi driver. Her out-going personality also makes her the ideal volunteer for Childline, for whom she goes into schools to help children learn about staying safe and being happy.

Playing Hudson’s arch nemesis, George Leeman, is Rory Mulvihill. He has taken part in over 80 productions including previous York Theatre Royal community productions. A solicitor for over 30 years, Rory is now studying an MA (Theatre) at the University of York.

The production opens on Friday 26 June and runs until Saturday 11 July in the Signal Box Theatre at the National Railway Museum. Tickets for the production are on sale now from the York Theatre Royal Box Office, located on St Leonards Place in the De Grey Rooms, by calling 01904 623568 or online at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

The ‘worlds first musical super group’, Boys of the Barricade, have announced their debut concert at the Charing Cross Theatre on Sunday 26th July at 7pm.

Featuring stars of Les Misèrables from productions in the West End, Broadway, International Tour and the 2012 film, the group is the brainchild of Les Misèrables alumni Scott Garnham and Simon Schofield.

Talking about the group, Garnham said: “I’m really excited to finally share Boys of the Barricade with the world. It’s something I’ve been working on for over a year now and the response has already been unbelievable! We appeared on The Paul O’Grady Showlast month and we’ve done a few high profile corporate events but this will be our first full concert.”

The show will feature a selection of everyone’s favourite showtunes combined with music from some of the most iconic names in the music industry, from ballads and operatic arias to pop, rock and swing numbers.

The line-up for the 26th will include Craig Mather, Kieran Brown, Andy Coxon, Simon Schofiels and James Charlton with special guest appearances by Simon Bailey, Scott Garnham and a few surprises.

Tickets for the concert are now on sale here.

TAKE A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES AT DARLINGTON CIVIC THEATRE

On Monday June 22 Darlington Civic Theatre is opening the doors for an exciting and informative look behind the scenes with a special Heritage Tour.

Theatres are amazing spaces, especially old ones. As soon as you walk in to any auditorium you feel the warmth and history of the hundreds or thousands of stars who have appeared on the stage, you can almost hear the echo of applause ringing around the building, the atmosphere of anticipation of the production you are about to see is almost tangible.

Imagine, then, the opportunity to get a glimpse behind the scenes – the areas you never get to see as a member of the audience. Stand in the wings and imagine your next big entrance in front of a sell-out audience, get the view of the theatre every actor gets when they walk on stage for the first time, see the technical areas and offices. Add to that the history of secret apartments, the dressing rooms (some of which are known to be haunted) and you have an exciting and informative tour of one of Darlington’s most wonderful and historic buildings.

See Darlington Civic theatre as you have never seen it before.

The Darlington Civic Theatre Heritage Tour will take place on Monday 22 June at 7pm. Tickets are priced £5

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555

WITH SPECIAL GUEST ALICE COOPER

METRO RADIO ARENA, NEWCASTLE

MONDAY 2ND NOVEMBER 2015

One of the most legendary and iconic rock bands to ever grace the world of music, Mötley Crüe, have made their last tour announcement ever today when they revealed the cities of their Final European Tour to take place this November. The European dates are part of the band’s 2-year ‘Final Tour’ cycle that will culminate at Staples Center on December 31st in the band’s hometown of Los Angeles, CA for their final show ever.

At a press conference in London hosted by Matt Everitt of BBC6 Music today, the band gathered in front of European media from 12 countries and announced the tour dates demanded by none other than their fans. Leading up to today’s announcement, Mötley Crüe gave the fans an opportunity to voice their thoughts and vote on which European cities they would like to see the band play. An

overwhelming 500,000 fans in 18 European countries shared their messages on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #DemandtheCrue and could track the progress of the conversation via a heat map that was updated daily at: Motley.com/DemandTheCrue

The November tour dates will be the ultimate farewell to the European continent as Mötley Crüe will be bringing over their biggest production and pyro show to date including Nikki Sixx’s flame throwing bass and Tommy Lee’s “Crüecifly” drum coaster, as well as the “Crüesnest” where fans can sit with the band up close and personal during the grand finale of the show.

Speaking on their final ever European tour announcement, bassist Nikki Sixx said “We’re excited to come back to Europe with all the songs, bells and whistles and say goodbye during The Final Tour to the greatest fans in rock n roll.”

After thirty-four years performing together, the 2015 leg of the Final Tour includes shows all across the globe. Mötley Crüe have just finished a tour of Australia and New Zealand in May for their last ever shows there after concluding their final Japan run this past February. The band are currently saying farewell to the European festival circuit having just laid waste to Sweden Rock Festival this past weekend and with two massive performances coming up this weekend at Novarock Festival in Austria and at Download in the UK before taking their can’t-miss show back to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.

Mötley Crüe first announced plans for their two year Final Tour by signing a Cessation Of Touring Agreement at a press conference in Los Angeles in January 2014, solidifying the end of their touring career for December 2015. Since the announcement the band has been touring tirelessly to say goodbye to fans around the world.

The 2014 leg of the Final Tour was one of last year’s top grossing tours, selling close to a million tickets across 72 cities and grossing more than $45 million. “Mötley Crüe’s Final Tour has been a massive global success and a true testament to the popularity of this legendary rock band,” says Rick Franks, Live Nation’s Regional President of North American Concerts. “New Year’s Eve 2015 will mark the end of an era in rock history but there’s no doubt that Mötley Crüe’s music will influence generations of artists for years to come.”

Audiences can also expect a high-energy performance from very special guest Alice Cooper*, who already joined the band for the Final Tour in 2014. He will be tearing up the stage once again on most 2015 dates. The pairing has been roundly praised as a must-see by fans and media alike.

Tickets costing £40.00 & £45.00 will go on sale 10.00am Friday 19th June 2015 and are available online, from the booking hotline number 0844 493 6666 or in person from the Metro Radio Arena Box Office.

Tickets are available from:-

Credit Card Booking and Information Line 0844 493 6666

The Metro Radio Arena Newcastle Box Office (Mon – Fri: 10.00am – 4.00pm, Sat: 11.00am – 2.30pm)

Internet Site:- www.metroradioarena.co.uk

Group Bookers should call (0191) 260 6006

Accessible Bookings should call (0191) 260 6066 for further details

Comedian and actor Sean Hughes, who plays station master Mr Perks in the King’s Cross Theatre production of The Railway Children, was on hand to present a cheque for £335,000 to the children’s charity Railway Children, an amount which has been raised by the theatre production since its West End debut in 2010.

The cheque presentation took place at Waterloo Station on 4 June 2015 marking the charity’s 20th anniversary. Sean Hughes, who took over the role of Mr Perks in the stage adaptation of the classic tale earlier this year, presented the cheque to David Maidment, the founder of the charity, which has been fighting for street children around the world since 1995.

£1 from the price of every ticket sold since 2010 has been donated to the charity. This means the audience from one night has fed four children three meals a day for a whole year in India or given 67 children in East Africa all the equipment they need to go to school, including shoes, uniforms and books.

Terina Keene, the charity’s Chief Executive, said: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who took part for their dedication towards raising such an amazing amount to help some of the world’s most vulnerable children. We have been thrilled to work with the show’s producers and wonderful cast and crew, who made this fantastic achievement possible.”

Sean Hughes, who stars in The Railway Children, said: “We are so proud of the money raised, and what we and our audiences over the last five years have achieved. We hope this donation will make a valuable contribution to enable the Railway Children charity to carry on their incredible work.”

There are an estimated 100 million street children worldwide, many running away from abuse, violence and poverty. Since the charity’s launch in 1995, Railway Children has helped 205,000 street children in India, more than 54,000 in East Africa, and 204,250 in the UK through its preventative education schools programme.

For more information about Railway Children, go to https://www.railwaychildren.org.uk

For more information about the King’s Cross Theatre production of The Railway Children, go tohttp://railwaychildrenlondon.com

About Railway Children

Railway Children is a leading children’s charity fighting for vulnerable children who live alone at risk on the streets, where they suffer abuse and exploitation. In the UK, society often denies their existence, and in other countries the problem is so prevalent that it has become ‘normal’.

Children and young people run away or are forced to leave home where they suffer poverty, violence, abuse and neglect. They find themselves living on the streets because there is nowhere else to go and no one left to turn to. The problems they face on the streets are often even worse than those they endured at home. Every day we fight to change their story.

Railway Children race to reach children as soon as they arrive on the streets and intervene before an abuser can. Our pioneering work in the UK, India and East Africa enables us to get to street children before the streets get to them.

Twitter: www.twitter.com/railwaychildren

Facebook: www.facebook.com/railwaychildren

YouTube: www.youtube.com/railwaychildren

STARRING MICHAEL PRAED, NOEL SULLIVAN, CARLEY STENSON AND MARK BENTON

Direct from London’s West End, where it ran for a year to rave reviews, packed houses and was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Choreography, the hit musical DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is coming to Leeds.

Based on the legendary 1988 film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Michael Caine and Steve Martin the comedy-musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 30^th June to Saturday 4^th July.

Starring Michael Praed (Robin of Sherwood), Noel Sullivan (Hear’Say, We Will Rock You), Carly Stenson (Hollyoaks, Spamalot, Shrek) and Mark Benton (Waterloo Road, Doctor Who, Hairspray), audiences will be transported to the luxurious lap of the French Riviera where the decadent world of sophisticated conman Lawrence Jamieson (Praed) is set to come crashing down with the arrival of larger-than-life Freddy Benson (Sullivan) – a conman of an entirely different order. 

Soon realising the town ain’t big enough for the both of them, the two 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 (Stenson).  Little do they know what they’ve let themselves in for.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 30^th June to Saturday 4^th July

Tickets are on sale now at £25

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Almost two thousand entries received before last Friday’s deadline

Theatre writers across Britain of all levels of experience submitted a total of 1,938 scripts for the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting – the second highest tally in the Prize’s history. The judges will announce this year’s winner at an award ceremony at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, on 17 November 2015.

The deadline for entries to the 2015 Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting 10th anniversary competition passed on Friday 5 June. Writers of all levels of experience were invited to enter plays, which must be original, unperformed and unproduced. The winner will receive a prize of £16,000 and a full production of their play at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The competition, which runs every two years, is a unique partnership between the Royal Exchange Theatre and property company Bruntwood.

Two of 2013’s winners – YEN by Anna Jordan, and THE ROLLING STONE by Chris Urch – received their critically acclaimed world premieres at the Royal Exchange this year.

The judging panel for this year’s prize is chaired by Nicholas Hytner, former Artistic Director of the National Theatre. The full judging panel is as follows:

• Nicholas Hytner (former Artistic Director, National Theatre)
• Sarah Frankcom (Artistic Director, Royal Exchange Theatre)
• Vivienne Franzmann (playwright and former Bruntwood winner)
• Ramin Gray (Artistic Director, Actors Touring Company)
• Bryony Lavery (playwright)
• Michael Oglesby CBE (Chairman, Bruntwood)
• Miranda Sawyer (writer and broadcaster)
• Meera Syal CBE (actor and writer).

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is open to writers in the UK and Ireland aged 16 and over.

The Bruntwood Prize for Playwriting is Britain’s biggest playwriting competition.  This round marks the 10th anniversary of the Prize, which has supported the development and productions of a significant number of playwrights since its inception in 2005.  17 playwrights have been awarded a total of £160,000.  There have been fifteen critically acclaimed productions of winning entries, as well as a number of productions of plays elsewhere that were identified through the judging process.

Over 10,000 entries have been generated from across the United Kingdom and winning playwrights have gone on to have work produced at the Royal Court Theatre, Almeida Theatre, on Broadway and in the West End.  It is a significant investment in playwrights and support for new work on stage.  More information about the Prize can be found at www.writeaplay.co.uk/about.