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DON’T LET THIS SHOW SLIP THROUGH YOUR FINGERS

ABBA Mania – accepted as the world’s number one touring ABBA tribute production – comes to Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday 25 July.

It is just over 40 years since ABBA won the Eurovision Song Contest and now it’s your opportunity to thank ABBA for the music.

So it’s time to dig out your platforms and dust off those flares and enjoy all of your ABBA favourites including Mamma Mia, Voulez Vous, Dancing Queen, Winner Takes it All, Super Trouper and many, many more. Featuring a special concert presentation which celebrates the music of ABBA and reviving special memories of when ABBA ruled the airwaves, ABBA mania brings fans old and new a night not to be missed.

ABBA Mania is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday 25 July. Tickets* are £17.50 and £19.50.

*Includes £1 restoration levy

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

15^th Anniversary Tour, July 2015

 

 

To celebrate the 15^th Anniversary of his acclaimed The Hour of Bewilderbeast album, Badly Drawn Boy has embarked upon a 7 date UK tour which arrives at City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds on Thursday 30^th July.

Badly Drawn Boy, (aka Damon Gough), and his band will be performing the Mercury Prize winning album in its entirety – including the much loved singles ‘Once Around The Block’, ‘Pissing In The Wind’ and ‘Disillusion’. The gig will also feature an additional set comprising other Badly Drawn Boy classics and old favourites.

 

The album was originally released on BDB’s own label Twisted Nerve through XL Recordings on June 26^th2000. XL will be releasing a remastered, expanded version of the album featuring unheard tracks later in the Autumn.

Badly Drawn Boy appears at City Varieties Music Hall on
Thursday 30^th July at 7.30pm.

 

Tickets from £18.10

 

Online Booking: www.cityvarieties.co.uk

Box Office: 0113 243 0808

Wilton’s Music Hall has announced the final strand of events for The Chrysalis Club, an eclectic interim arts programme of events, gigs, screenings, classes and performances which will run until September 2015, as the world’s last surviving Grand Music Hall in London’s East End enters the final months of vital building works.

Over the summer, Wilton’s will welcome two opera companies to the hall. Firstly, on the 22 and 23 July Ryedale Festival Opera will present The Merry Widow which has held audiences spellbound ever since its premiere in 1905. In the first performance of a new English translation by John Warrack, The Merry Widow is the story of Hanna Glawari, a sophisticated widow who captivates all of Paris. Following this on 6 August, Wilton’s will host Les Bougies Baroques who will perform Il Parnaso Confuso by C W Gluck. Led by conductor Ian Peter Bugeja, Les Bougies Baroques are an internationally-acclaimed, young generation of Baroque pioneers who specialize in bringing 16th – 19th century music to intimate settings.

Ole Bull aficionado Peter Sheppard Skӕrved will bring the work and unique style of the influential musician to Wilton’s on 8 July in Barnstorming with Ole Bull. A pioneer of 19th century violinists Ole Bull achieved international acclaim after an appearance in Bologna in 1834. On 31 July, award-winning company Familia de la Noche will return to Wilton’s for an exclusive preview of their new Edinburgh Fringe show The Very Grey Matter of Edward Blank.

Wilton’s film programme this summer includes Cinema Club’s James Dean Season which will screenRebel Without A Cause and Giant on 7 and 14 July respectively. In addition to the James Dean Season, Wilton’s will also hold a Live Scored Season in which the Lucky Dog Picturehouse will present classic silent films accompanied by a live musical score. Rounding off the summer programme, the 1921 silent film of Hamlet directed by Svend Gade and Heinz Schall will be screened on 27 August accompanied by a live score from Robin Harris.

 

Further information on Wilton’s and its conservation can be found here: www.wiltons.org.uk

THE CHRYSALIS CLUB AT WILTON’S

Cinema Club: James Dean Season
Rebel Without a Cause
Dates: 7 July
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £4

Nicholas Ray’s juvenile-delinquent film (originally a vehicle for Marlon Brando) opened after the death of its star James Dean in a car crash and made Dean into an icon of rebellion. The storyline takes place over a 24-hour period and follows Jim Stark (Dean), a restless teenager always in trouble with the law. His mother smothers him, while his father is weak and ineffectual and the family has only recently moved to Los Angeles to try and save Jim from a life of crime. However, when Jim is picked up for being drunk and disorderly he notices Judy (Natalie Wood) at the police station and determines to ask her on a date at high school the next day. This leads him into conflict with Judy’s boyfriend, Buzz (Corey Allen). He is determined to prove himself with his new found ‘friends’ by taking part in switchblade fights and a ‘chickie’ game where cars race to the edge of a seaside cliff.

Barnstorming with Ole Bull – Maverick Virtuoso
Dates: 8 July
Times: 7pm pre-concert talk, 7:30pm concert
Prices: £12.50 adult, £6 child

Ole Bull was the true pioneer of 19th Century violinists. Mainly self-taught, he was catapulted to international fame almost by chance after an appearance in Bologna in 1834. He went on to conquer audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, quite literally giving concerts where no one had gone before, knife-fighting in the old west, playing on the top of the Pyramid of Cheops and bringing classical music to previously excluded audiences, dovetailing popular songs of the time with classical compositions.

Ole Bull aficionado, Peter Sheppard Skӕrved, is delighted to bring the work and unique style of this massively influential musician to Wilton’s. This special performance will recreate those which Bull loved to give in salons and small theatres, weaving together his transcriptions of Nordic folk music, virtuoso works and music by his favourite composers such as Mozart, Gounod and Bach. Peter will also present the British premiere of his reconstruction of Bull’s American Fantasy, a ‘barnstorming’ piece incorporating Home Sweet Home, Pop! Goes the Weasel, Arkansas Traveler and Hazel Dell; Peter first performed this to great acclaim at last year’s Bergen Festival.

In association with the Bergen International Festival

Gabrielle Aplin
Dates: 9 July
Times: 7.30pm doors
Prices: £15

After 63.5 million Spotify streams, 80 million YouTube views, 1.5 million sales of singles from her debut album English Rain, and #1 chart positions in the UK and Australia, Gabrielle Aplin performs songs from her new album including title track Light Up The Dark, being released 10th July.

Written by Gabrielle with long time writing partner Luke Potashnick, Light up the Dark immediately telegraphs Aplin’s fresh Feist-meets-Cat Power style. Mixed by Craig Silvey (Arcade Fire, The National, Florence + The Machine), Light Up The Dark is available as an instant grat track for fans who pre-order her upcoming second album which shares the same title.

Yoga Nights… and Relax
Dates: 13 July
Times: 7.30pm
Prices: £12

Yoga puts us into challenging positions (sort of like the tube in rush hour) and then teaches us to breathe our way through it. So many of today’s illnesses result from a buildup of stress and, as we know, there are very good reasons why London life is never characterised as leisurely. We want to help you stretch and ease away the strain.

The class will be run by Sarah Hunt, the founder of Fresh Living Yoga + Nutrition, an exclusive health and wellness company based in London. Her classes are designed to boost your energy levels, improve your core strength, minimise stress and help you take steps towards finding your inner balance.

Cinema Club: James Dean Season
Giant
Dates: 14 July
Times: 7.30pm
Prices: £4

Living up to its title, everything in this picture is big, from sprawling ranch location to the high-powered stars. Rock Hudson stars as the confident, stubborn young ranch baron Jordan ‘Bick’ Benedict, who woos and wins the hand of Southern belle Leslie (Elizabeth Taylor), a seemingly demure young beauty who proves to be Bick’s match after she settles into the family homestead. The film sees James Dean’s final performance before his tragic death, as poor former ranch hand Jett Rink, who strikes oil and transforms himself into a flamboyant millionaire playboy, earning a second posthumous Academy Award nomination. The talented supporting cast includes Mercedes McCambridge as Bick’s frustrated sister, put out by the new woman of the house and with Carroll Baker and Dennis Hopper as the Benedict’s rebellious children.

Sunset Boulevard, presented by Cine-Real
Dates: 16 July
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £10

Gloria Swanson stars as Norma Desmond, an ageing silent-film queen, and William Holden, as the struggling young screenwriter who is held in thrall by her madness. Winner of three Academy Awards, director Billy Wilder’s powerful orchestration of the bizarre tale is a true cinematic classic. From the unforgettable opening sequence – a body found floating in a decayed mansion’s swimming pool – through to the inevitable unfolding of tragic destiny, Sunset Boulevard is the definitive statement on the dark and desperate side of Hollywood.

This evening will be brought to you by Ciné-Real, one of the only film clubs in the UK to exclusively play films in their original 16mm format. For this special one-off evening, you will be able to enjoy a classic film with the same sound and quality audiences would have experienced when it was originally released.

Ciné-Real  is a non-profit which aims to unite film makers, actors, writers, directors, producers, photographers and enthusiasts in their appreciation of classic film.

The Trad Academy Sea Shanty Choir
Dates: 17 July
Times: 7.30pm
Prices: £12.50 advance, £15 on the door, £8 concession

The Trad Academy Sea Shanty Choir, London’s finest non-audition community choir, will be singing songs of the sea alongside folk singer and WWII veteran of the Normandy Landings, Jim Radford. Well-established favourites of the UK’s shanty festivals, join them for an evening of maritime music that will whisk you back to the days when Wilton’s was busy with the sound of sailors fresh from the London docks.

The Merry Widow
Presented by Ryedale Festival Opera
Dates: 22 July – 23 July
Times: 7:30pm to 10pm
Prices: £25 Best Seats, £20 Standard Seating, £18 Partially Restricted Views

Franz Lehár’s Merry Widow has held audiences spellbound ever since its premiere in 1905. Sung here by a cast of outstanding young singers, in the first performance of a new English translation by John Warrack, it tells the story of Hanna Glawari a rich and sophisticated widow who captivates all of Paris. Her wealth could save her near-bankrupt little country of Pontevedro, if only she does not marry a foreigner! The diplomats who surround her are desperate to keep her money in the country by persuading her to marry Count Danilo. He’s an old flame, just waiting to be re-kindled, but also a proud man who still enjoys his bachelor lifestyle and the easygoing ladies he finds at Maxim’s nightclub.

In a sub-plot, the charming Frenchman Camille de Rosillon does his best to seduce the ambassador’s wife Valencienne, who is bored enough to be tempted but too ‘respectable’ to succumb. Meanwhile, the irrepressible Hanna flirts, charms and dances her way through the farcical events surrounding her. The conflict between political duty and romantic intrigue brings out the best in Lehár in this winning streak of intimate waltzes, flirtatious polkas, exuberant can-cans and catchy melodies.

Carradine’s Cockney Sing-A-Long
Dates: 27 July
Times: 8pm
Prices: Pay What You Can (£1 minimum)

After an uproarious series of sing-a-long sessions in the Mahogany Bar and a festive spectacular in the hall last year, our piano playing host is back. Leading you in a traditional sing-a-long, music includes ditties from the Music Hall era, WWI and II, the West End stage and traditional popular songs from across the decades. It’s a good old-fashioned knees-up!

Buster Keaton & Harold Lloyd
The Lucky Dog Picturehouse Present a silent classic with live musical score
Dates: 28 July
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £10

Join us for an evening of hilarity as we show four iconic short films by American masters of silent comedy Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.

Harold Lloyd’s Number, Please? sees him vying for the affections of a young lady intent on keeping both he and his rival dangling, whilst in An Eastern Westerner, he learns that his city charm may not be enough to survive in cowboy country.

In One Week, Buster Keaton suffers all the trials and tribulations of home DIY as he and his young wife attempt to build a house by numbers. Our second Keaton short The Scarecrow is one of the most perfect examples of 1920’s silent comedy, with a love triangle, stunts and set-pieces aplenty and even a canine co-star!

Dancing in the Dark
Dates: 30 July
Times: 7.30pm doors, 8pm performance
Prices: £15

London’s one and only blindfolded charity gig is back with a bang for 2015. Join us to experience and explore music like never before. With a few a capella songs from Grammy award winning singer-songwriter Imogen Heap and performances from internationally acclaimed beatboxer Shlomo and the London Contemporary Voices, this will be a show like no other.

The Very Grey Matter of Edward Blank
Dates: 31 July
Times: 8pm
Prices: £12.50

Edward Blank is extraordinary.

An exceptional literary talent and ghost writer, Edward Blank has the ability to change Mills and Boon into James Joyce before breakfast. The demand for his work is so great that the letterbox clatters non-stop with tapes for transcription and he never leaves the solitary world of his tiny magnolia flat.

But Edward is far from alone. Breaking out from his fractured conscience are an anarchic family of imagined companions, each with a hook in Edward’s life that pulls him deeper into fantasy. His mind is broken and Edward can’t leave.

Edward seems happy in his ordinary-extraordinary life until, one day, a voice on an audio tape changes everything, challenging how far he will go to protect his fragile reality when visions of his forgotten past begin to creep in.

Award-winning company Familia de la Noche return for an exclusive preview of their new Edinburgh Fringe show.

Il Parnaso Confuso by C W Gluck
Dates: 6 August
Times: 7.30pm
Prices: £18 full price, £15 concessions

Les Bougies Baroques bring the true spirit of Baroque to Wilton’s. Take our auditorium’s glorious acoustic, add the exquisite accompaniment of historic instruments to the sublime tones of three sopranos and a countertenor, then simply sit back and enjoy.

Led by conductor – harpsichordist/fortepianist, Ian Peter Bugeja, this internationally acclaimed, young generation of pioneers in early music perform with zest, energy and passion and specialise in bringing 16th to 19th century music to intimate and historic settings. Performed on original and reproduction instruments, this is the frivolous, light and frothy tale of Apollo, the Muses and a misunderstanding over a wedding date. First performed in Vienna in 1765 by four archduchesses and conducted from the harpsichord by the future Emperor Leopold II as a surprise wedding gift for his brother, Les Bougies Baroques’ production is the perfect marriage of historical and contemporary operatic values.

Step Out With Swing Patrol
Dates: 7 August
Times: 7pm class, 7.30pm dancing and entertainment
Prices: £15 (including class)

Continuing this series of hugely popular dance nights, Swing Patrol are returning with the usual taster class at 7pm, followed by social dancing until 10.30pm. There will be performances by the pros and guaranteed good times for everyone, regardless of ability. Look out for displays by some of the best dancers on the scene as we welcome old hands, first-timers and everyone in between!

Hitchcock’s The Lodger (1927)
The Lucky Dog Picturehouse Present a silent classic with live musical score
Dates: 12 August
Times: 7:30pm
Prices: £10

Inspired by the chilling mythology of Jack the Ripper, Hitchcock’s silent masterpiece stars legendary singer and actor Ivor Novello as a secretive young man with a past shrouded in mystery. His arrival at a London lodging-house coincides with a series of grisly murders carried out by a figure known only as The Avenger, leading to suspicion, jealousy and a true Hitchcockian climax.

Yoga Nights… and Relax
Dates: 13 August
Times: 7.30pm
Prices: £12

Yoga puts us into challenging positions (sort of like the tube in rush hour) and then teaches us to breathe our way through it. So many of today’s illnesses result from a buildup of stress and, as we know, there are very good reasons why London life is never characterised as leisurely. We want to help you stretch and ease away the strain.

The class will be run by Sarah Hunt, the founder of Fresh Living Yoga + Nutrition, an exclusive health and wellness company based in London. Her classes are designed to boost your energy levels, improve your core strength, minimise stress and help you take steps towards finding your inner balance.

Hamlet: Drama of Vengeance
With live score by Robin Harris, performed by Robin and Laura Anstee
Dates: 27 August
Times: 7pm
Prices: £10

For those who know the Shakespeare play, this Hamlet is not without its surprises. The film’s departures from Shakespeare are as striking and conspicuous as are its points of adherence. Asta Nielsen’s unmannered performance at its centre, coupled with eloquent use of breath-taking, expressionist sets, which so strikingly showcase her performance, ensure that the film’s imagery and resonances linger in the mind long after the final frame. In 2005, a colour-tinted print of the film was rediscovered in Germany and it is this print, beautifully restored by the Deutsches Filminstitut that is being screened today.

Robin Harris will be performing his musical score for this suspenseful re-imagining of the epic Shakespearean story.

Tricity Vogue’s All Girl Swing Band
Dates: 28 August
Times: 8pm
Prices: £15

Ukulele strumming cabaret star, Tricity Vogue, presents her All Girl Swing Band for a night of sunny, feel-good vintage music with modern attitude. This all-female ensemble oozes musical talent and irrepressible charm. They’ll have you on your feet in no time to an energetic and entertaining mix of 20s, 30s and 40s swing, plus Tricity’s irresistibly catchy originals and witty, retro arrangements of pop favourites. The icing on tonight’s cake comes in the vivacious form of special guest tap dancer, Josephine Shaker, with her jaw-dropping moves and hilarious antics. Inspired by legendary 40s all girl band leader, Ivy Benson, Tricity presents her full 9-piece line-up this evening so don’t miss this rare opportunity to enjoy her critically acclaimed band in all its glory, complete with horn section, piano and four-part harmonies. Swing along, sing along and bring spare socks.

In celebration of the new partnership between the Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of Matilda The Musical and Radisson Blu Edwardian, London, members of the cast of the award-winning musical were photographed today enjoying the new official Matilda The Musical Afternoon Tea.

Craige Els and Haley Flaherty, who play Miss Trunchbull and Miss Honey respectively, were joined by the four actresses who share the role of Matilda (Anna-Louise Knight, Lara McDonnell, Matilda Shapland and Violet Tucker) at the Radisson Blu Edwardian, Mercer Street hotel, which is just across the road from the Cambridge Theatre. Matilda The Musical is booking through to 29 May 2016.

The official Matilda The Musical Afternoon Tea, which is now open for bookings at the stylish boutique four-star hotel, features an assortment of sandwiches, scones and desserts. Both adults and children alike can enjoy the menu’s decadent layered chocolate cake, fruit scones with clotted cream and preserves, and classic cucumber finger sandwiches, amongst other teatime treats. For grown-ups, there are also elderflower and prosecco jelly shots and mini bagels with Scottish smoked salmon. The children’s menu also comes with a few delicious extras, such as candied newts and apple mojito mocktails, plus a mystery Matilda gift.

The Radisson Blu Edwardian, Mercer Street hotel has also created an official Matilda The MusicalCocktail, a clever yet simple twist on the iconic Bellini, which can also be enjoyed on its own or as part of an exclusive new two-course meal package.

Matilda The Musical has now received 50 awards in Stratford-upon-Avon, London and New York, and has been seen by over three million people worldwide.  Sweeping the board at the 2012 Olivier Awards, winning a record-breaking seven awards, Matilda The Musical has gone on to take Broadway by storm winning four Tony Awards® and a Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theater for each of the four girls sharing the title role. During 2015, the London and Broadway productions of Matilda The Musical are joined by the US tour which opened in Los Angeles in May and the Australian premiere in Sydney this August.

Inspired by the incomparable Roald Dahl’s beloved book, Matilda The Musical premiered at the Royal Shakespeare Company’s The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon in November 2010, before transferring to London’s West End in October 2011.

Matilda The Musical is written by playwright Dennis Kelly, with music and lyrics by comedian, musician and composer Tim Minchin, and direction by Matthew Warchus.

Matilda The Musical is produced in the West End by the Royal Shakespeare Company with André Ptaszynski and Denise Wood as Executive Producers. The production was developed with the support of Company Dramaturg Jeanie O’Hare and the RSC Literary Department.

 

CHILDREN’S AFTERNOON TEA

SANDWICHES
Ham & dried tomato with soft herb mayo on mini baguettes
Cheese and spring onion on multigrain bread
Cucumber finger sandwich
Free range hen’s egg and watercress on white bread

SCONES
Fruit scone with clotted cream and preserves

DESSERTS
Decadently layered chocolate cake with candied orange drizzle
Lemonade jelly shots with candied newts
Little sponged Victoria’s
Messy meringues with fresh raspberries and cream

BEVERAGES
Apple Mojito Mocktail

£16 per child aged 11 and under, includes complimentary Matilda Gift

ADULTS’ AFTERNOON TEA

SANDWICHES
Ham & dried tomato with soft herb mayo on mini baguettes
Cucumber finger sandwich
Free range hen’s egg and watercress on white bread
Scottish smoked salmon and Thousand Island sauce on mini bagel

SCONES
Fruit scone with clotted cream and preserves

DESSERTS
Decadently layered chocolate cake with candied orange drizzle
Elderflower and prosecco jelly shots
Little sponged Victoria’s
Fabulously fruity strawberry tart

BEVERAGES
Tea or Coffee

£32 per adult

Allergies and dietary requirements can be catered to.

SHOW PACKAGES

Cocktail + ticket package £67.50
Afternoon Tea + ticket package from £70
Pre-show 2 course dinner, cocktail + ticket package £87
Accommodation packages also available

Packages can be purchased online at: www.matildathemusical.com/showpackages

Matilda The Musical Afternoon Tea and Cocktail available to purchase from Scoff and Banter at the Mercer Street Hotel from 3 July.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Cambridge Theatre, Earlham Street, WC2H 9HU
Booking until 29 May 2016
Tuesdays 7pm
Wednesday – Saturday 7:30pm
Wednesday & Saturday 2:30pm
Sundays 3pm

Extra matinee performances – Thursday 30 July & Thursday 29 October
Box Office: Cambridge Theatre 0844 412 4652 / RSC Ticket Hotline 0844 800 1110
To book online visit: www.matildathemusical.com

 

 

David Haig   Rory Keenan   Adam Rayner

SOMEONE WHO’LL WATCH OVER ME

by Frank McGuinness
Director Michael Attenborough

10 September – 10 October
Minerva Theatre, Chichester

Rory Keenan and Adam Rayner will join the previously confirmed David Haig in Chichester’s production of Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,  Frank McGuinness’s award-winning drama about three men captured in a cell in Beirut, directed by Michael Attenborough.

Adam, an American doctor, Edward, an Irish journalist and Michael, an English academic, have little to unite them. Yet these three men forge bonds through shared adversity in McGuinness’s testimony to the resilience of the human spirit. The play is inspired by the experiences of those taken hostage in Lebanon in the 1980s, yet in the current political climate, its subject matter remains acutely relevant.

David Haig plays Michael. His Chichester credits include Festival 2014’s Pressure, which he wrote and starred in, as well as Yes, Prime Minister (also West End). Other acting credits include The Madness of George III (UK tour and West End), Yes, Prime Minister (Chichester and West End) and King Lear (Theatre Royal Bath). Screen credits include The Thick of It and Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Rory Keenan plays Edward. His credits include The Kitchen and Liolà (both for the National Theatre), Dublin Carol andPhiladelphia Here I Come! (both for Donmar Warehouse) and Out of Joint’s production of The Big Fellah (Lyric Hammersmith and UK tour). Screen credits include The Guard and Peaky Blinders.

Adam Rayner plays Adam. His credits include West End productions of This is Our Youth and The Postman Always Rings Twice, The Play Room (Finborough), and RSC productions of Romeo & Juliet, King John and Much Ado About Nothing (also West End). Screen credits include Miranda and Mistresses.

Frank McGuinness is a distinguished novelist, short story writer, poet and opera librettist, as well as playwright. His credits include The Factory Girls, Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards The Somme, There Came A Gypsy Riding and The Hanging Gardens.

Director Michael Attenborough makes his Chichester debut with this production. Recent credits include Luna Gale, currently running at the Hampstead Theatre. Whilst Artistic Director of the Almeida Theatre between 2002 – 2013, his award-winning productions included Measure for Measure and The Knot of the Heart. From 1996 – 2002 he was Principal Associate Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Design is by Robert Jones, whose Chichester credits include Festival 2015’s Mack & Mabel, as well as Taken At Midnight (also West End), Kiss Me, Kate (also Old Vic) and Calendar Girls (also UK tour, Australia and Canada). Other credits include the current production of The Motherf**ker with the Hat (National Theatre), City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse) and West End productions of A Chorus of Disapproval and Much Ado About Nothing.

Lighting Design is by Paule Constable, whose Chichester credits include Barnum (also UK tour). Other credits includeThis House, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, War Horse and His Dark Materials (all for the National Theatre),The Chalk Garden and Don Carlos.

Sound Design is by Fergus O’Hare whose Chichester credits include An Ideal Husband, Uncle Vanya and The Syndicate. Other theatre credits include Daytona (Park Theatre and tour), the West End production of Passion Play andThe Winslow Boy (Old Vic/Roundabout).

Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is sponsored by Bishops Printers.

Events
At Crisis Talks, a panel of experts discuss the issues raised by Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me. This event takes place on Friday 9 October, 5.30pm, Minerva Theatre. Free, but booking essential.

Director Michael Attenborough joins novelist and CFT biographer Kate Mosse for a pre-show talk on Tuesday 15 September at 6pm.  Free, but booking essential.

Meet some of the Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me company at a post-show talk hosted by writer Simon Brett on Monday 5 October.

Booking information
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me is at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester from 10 September – 10 October. Evenings 7.45pm (except for Press Night, Wednesday 16 September at 7pm), matinees 2.45pm. Tickets: Previews/Press Nights £20, £25, all other performances £25, £34. To book, go to cft.org.uk or contact the Box Office on 01243 781312.

Special Prices for 16 – 25s
An allocation of tickets for 16 – 25 year olds priced at just £8.50 for all performances of Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me will go on sale on 10 August. These may be booked on 01243 781312, online at cft.org.uk/850 or in person.

 

PRODUCERS OF

ELF THE MUSICAL

TO HOST A GALA OPENING NIGHT

ON THURSDAY 5 NOVEMBER

AT THE DOMINION THEATRE

IN AID OF ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY

Michael Rose and U-Live, the producers of ELF the musical, will be donating all ticket sales at the Gala Opening Night at the Dominion Theatre on Thursday 5 November to Alzheimer’s Society.  The London premiere of ELF will star Ben Forster, Kimberley Walsh, Joe McGann and Jessica Martin and will play a strictly limited 10-week season at the Dominion Theatre from 24 October 2015 to 2 January 2016.

Alzheimer’s Society is the UK’s leading dementia support and research charity, here for anyone affected by any form of dementia in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.  Alzheimer’s Society provides information and practical and emotional support to help people live well with dementia, and the charity invests in world-class research with the ultimate goal of defeating it.  Dementia can happen to anyone and there is currently no cure.  There are 850,000 people with dementia in the UK and the number is set to rise to 1 million by 2021.

Jon Bodenham, Director of Fundraising at Alzheimer’s Society, said:  “We are delighted that ELF the musical has chosen to partner with Alzheimer’s Society for a special fundraising evening.  We hope that those who attend enjoy a wonderful evening of entertainment, whilst in the knowledge that the money they have spent on tickets will be used to help support the 850,000 people living with dementia and continue vital research.

“For people living with dementia, singing is a very powerful tool. When memories are hard to retrieve, music can be easier to recall.  Alzheimer’s Society Singing for the Brain service, which is delivered nationwide, helps to boost confidence, self-esteem and quality of life by involving people with dementia and their carers.”

Producer Michael Rose said:  “We are all so proud and delighted to be able to support such a worthy organisation, whose work is paramount to those affected by this devastating condition, and myself, our co-producers at U-Live and the entire ELF company hope the gala opening on November 5th at London’s Dominion Theatre will be an even more memorable and special event because of the money and awareness raised.”

Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit starring Will Ferrell, ELF is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

 

ELF features a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone), with songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer). The production will feature direction and choreography by Morgan Young (Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), set design and costumes by Olivier Award winner Tim Goodchild, lighting design by Olivier Award winner Tim Lutkin, vocal arrangements by Phil Reno, dance arrangements by David Chase, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, video design by Ian William Galloway and sound design by Clement Rawling.  Musical direction and supervision will be by Stuart Morley.

Michael Rose and U-Live in association with the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin present the Theatre Royal Plymouth production of ELF at the Dominion Theatre, London.

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

 

See website for ticket prices:  www.elfthemusical.co.uk / www.dominiontheatre.com

 

Box Office:  0845 200 7982

 

Running Time:  2 hours 25 minutes (including interval)

 

YOUNG CHEKHOV: THE BIRTH OF A GENIUS
PLATONOV
IVANOV
THE SEAGULL

by Anton Chekhov

in new versions by David Hare
Director Jonathan Kent

28 September – 14 November
Festival Theatre, Chichester

Lucy Briers, Pip Carter, Peter Egan, Brian Pettifer, Nina Sosanya and Olivia Vinall are now confirmed among the 23-strong ensemble in a major season of Anton Chekhov’s early plays at Chichester Festival Theatre, joining the previously announced Anna Chancellor, James McArdle and Samuel West.

The remaining members of the 23-strong ensemble are Emma Amos, Nebli Basani, Jonathan Coy, Mark Donald, Col Farrell, Joshua James, Beverley Klein, Des McAleer, Mark Penfold, Sarah Twomey, David Verrey and Jade Williams (with other casting to be confirmed). These actors will work together for three months before the Young Chekhovseason opens at the Festival Theatre in September. Between them, the ensemble will play around 50 parts in total.

Each of the three plays can be seen as a single performance or they can be enjoyed as one event, either over different days or as one intense theatrical experience on Trilogy Days. With over 5,000 tickets at £10 available across the Young Chekhov season, audiences can see all three plays for as little as £30.

This season within a season is anchored by a trio of talent – Chekhov himself, playwright David Hare, and director Jonathan Kent, returning to Chichester following his triumphant production of Gypsy in Festival 2014. Young Chekhovreunites Kent and Hare who have previously collaborated on productions for the Almeida Theatre.

These three plays, written when Anton Chekhov was young, offer a new perspective on the dramatist, revealing a youthful anger and romanticism that is very different to his mature, more familiar work.

The central character in Platonov is a debt-ridden schoolteacher who is about to lose his home, yet remains irresistible to women. This freewheeling comedy set in the middle of nowhere explores the traps of conventionality and moral hypocrisy.

Nikolai Ivanov is a councillor and landowner who has tried to live in a bold new way, taking  risks in everything from business to romance. Now his estate is failing and his wife is dangerously ill. Ivanov is an angry and outspoken satire, full of a passion that Chekhov would forego in his later plays.

In The Seagull, a bold new play by a young writer is about to be staged. What happens during the performance, and in the days that follow it, will change the lives of everyone involved. The best known of the Young Chekhov trilogy is a meditation on love and art that’s both comic and tragic.

Anna Chancellor plays Irina Arkadina in The Seagull. She was last at Chichester in Private Lives and South Downs/The Browning Version (both of which transferred to the West End). Other credits include The Wolf from the Door (Royal Court Theatre) and The Last of the Duchess (Hampstead Theatre).

James McArdle plays the title role in Platonov and Yevgeni Lvov in Ivanov. He previously appeared at Chichester in A Month in the Country. Other credits include The James Plays at the Edinburgh Festival and National Theatre, and the West End production of Chariots of Fire.

Samuel West plays the title role in Ivanov and Boris Trigorin in The Seagull. He was last seen at Chichester in Enron andDoctor Faustus. Other acting credits include the West End production of Uncle Vanya, as well as Betrayal and Family Reunion (both for the Donmar Warehouse).

Lucy Briers plays Zinaida Savishna in Ivanov and Polina in The Seagull. She last appeared at Chichester in Top Girls(also West End). Other credits include the RSC productions of Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies (also West End and Broadway), Behud (Soho Theatre) and The Voysey Inheritance (National Theatre).

Pip Carter plays Sergei Yoynitzev in Platonov and Medvedenko in The Seagull. His credits include the West End production of Posh, The Cherry Orchard, The White Guard, Gethsemane and Present Laughter (all for the National Theatre) and Tiger Country (Hampstead Theatre).

Peter Egan plays Count Shabyelski in Ivanov and Sorin in The Seagull. His Chichester credits include The Cherry Orchard, The Rivals and Caesar and Cleopatra. Other credits include Other Desert Cities (The Old Vic), People, Noises Off and Engaged (all for the National Theatre) and the West End production of Art.

Brian Pettifer plays Timofei Bugrov in Platonov and Kosych in Ivanov. His credits include screen roles in Jonathan Strange and Mister Norrell, The Musketeers and Bleak House, as well as stage roles in Yer Granny (National Theatre of Scotland) and The Fairy Queen at Glyndebourne.

Nina Sosanya plays Anna Petrovna in Platonov and Ivanov. Her theatre credits include the The Vote, Privacy and The Vortex (all for the Donmar Warehouse), the West End production of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Love’s Labour’s Lost for the RSC. Television credits include W1A and Last Tango in Halifax.

Olivia Vinall plays Soyfa Yegorovna in Platonov, Sasha in Ivanov and Nina Zarechnaya in The Seagull. Her credits include The Hard Problem, King Lear and Othello (all for the National Theatre).

The cast also includes Emma Amos as Marfusha Babakina in Ivanov, Nebli Basani as Yakov in Platonov, Piotr and a Guest in Ivanov and Yakov in The Seagull, Jonathan Coy as Porfiri Glagolyev in Platonov and Pavel Lebedev in Ivanov,Mark Donald as Kiril Glagolyev in Platonov, Col Farrell as Marko in Platonov and First Guest in Ivanov, Joshua Jamesas Nikolai Triletsky in Platonov and Konstantin in The Seagull, Beverley Klein as Katya in Platonov and Avdotya Nazarovna in Ivanov, Des McAleer as Osip in Platonov, Mikhail Brokin in Ivanov and Shamraev in The Seagull, Mark Penfold as Vasili in Platonov and Gavrila in Ivanov, Sarah Twomey as Maria Grekova in Platonov and a Guest inIvanov, David Verrey as Pavel Shcherbuk in Platonov and Third Guest in Ivanov, and Jade Williams as Sasha Ivanovna in Platonov and Masha in The Seagull.

David Hare’s numerous credits include the world premiere of South Downs at Chichester (also West End), the National Theatre’s trilogy of plays about British institutions, Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges and The Absence of War, adaptations such as The Blue Room (Donmar Warehouse and Broadway), and most recently Behind The Beautiful Forevers, also for the National Theatre. He is also an acclaimed screenwriter and has received Academy Award nominations for The Hours and The Reader.

Director Jonathan Kent returns to Chichester following his acclaimed productions of Gypsy, Private Lives and Sweeney Todd, all of which transferred to the West End. Other credits include Good People (Hampstead Theatre and West End),Oedipus (National Theatre), Don Giovanni and The Fairy Queen (both for Glyndebourne).

Design is by Tom Pye whose credits include Mother Courage, Major Barbara, and Measure for Measure (all for the National Theatre), Happy Days (National Theatre, BAM and World Tour), The Wolf from the Door, The Low Road, and NSFW (all for the Royal Court Theatre) and the West End production of Sinatra (West End).

Costume Design is by Emma Ryott whose credits include The Great Gatsby (Dresden), Anna Karenina (Oslo and Moscow), The Heart of Robin Hood (RSC and international tour), and Rock ‘n Roll (Royal Court Theatre, West End and Broadway).

Lighting Design is by Mark Henderson whose Chichester credits include Gypsy, Sweeney Todd and Private Lives (all of which transferred to the West End) and ENRON (also Royal Court Theatre, West End, Broadway and tour), West End productions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, as well as The History Boys and The Habit of Art (National Theatre).

Sound Design is by Paul Groothuis, Chichester’s Associate Sound Designer. Chichester credits include Festival 2015’sA Damsel in Distress, as well as Gypsy, Sweeney Todd, The Pajama Game, Private Lives, Kiss Me, Kate, andRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, all of which transferred to the West End.

Composition is by Jonathan Dove whose credits include Trelawny of the ‘Wells’, Wild Oats, Mother Courage and Peter Pan (National Theatre)  Zenobia and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC) and ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Young Vic).

Young Chekhov: The Birth of A Genius is sponsored by Wiley. The Seagull is sponsored by De’Longhi.

Events

Writer David Hare and director Jonathan Kent will be in conversation with novelist and CFT biographer Kate Mosse at a pre-show talk on Thursday 15 October at 5.45pm. Tickets are free but booking is essential.

Meet some of the Young Chekhov company at a post-show talk hosted by writer Simon Brett on Wednesday 21 October.

There will be a rehearsed reading of Anton Chekhov’s Swan Song on Saturday 31 October at 11am. This vaudeville piece about an old actor and his prompter was adapted from one of Chekhov’s own stories, and established his reputation in the theatre in 1888.

Join the technical crew and creative team for 90 minutes of insight, demonstration and discussion on the making of theYoung Chekhov trilogy at a Schools Theatre Day on Wednesday 4 November at 11am. Tickets £13.50, which includes the matinee performance.

Booking information
The Young Chekhov season is at the Festival Theatre, Chichester from 28 September – 14 November. Performance times vary. Tickets from £10. To book, go to cft.org.uk or contact the Box Office on 01243 781312.

Special Prices for 16 – 25s

An allocation of tickets for 16 – 25 year olds priced at just £8.50 for all performances of the Young Chekhov season will go on sale on 28 August. These may be booked on 01243 781312, online at cft.org.uk/850 or in person.

IMPOSSIBLE, the biggest magic show to thrill the west end in decades, is searching for two 8 – 12 year old children with a keen interest in magic to join the magicians and illusionists in a new spectacular starring role.  The chosen performers will play a key role in the production, opening the show and joining the magicians in an astounding closing sequence.

Jamie Hendry, the producer of IMPOSSIBLE, said: “This is a rare opportunity for a budding magician to join a team of world-class illusionists on stage as they perform a range a death-defying stunts, and amazing tricks live in front of a West End theatre audience. They will get to see first-hand just how powerful and impressive magic can be, and hopefully this will be the start of their careers as stars of the future – it will certainly make for an interesting “what I did this summer report” when they get back to school!”

The character is a young child, who dreams of one day becoming a world class magician. Opening the show, he or she watches in awe as the greatest magicians and illusionists take to the stage.

This is an exciting opportunity for budding young actors or magicians to work alongside the multi-award winning producer and director, Anthony Owen, and to join a host of world-class magicians in the biggest and most exciting new magic show to thrill London this summer.

The chosen performers will need to be aged between 8-12 years with a playing age of 7-8. Applicants must send a video of no more than 30 seconds in length to [email protected] by 12pm on Monday 6th July about why they love magic and why they want to be part of IMPOSSIBLE,along with a short email from their legal guardians providing the name, age, address and photograph. A shortlist of up to 50 applicants will then be selected, where they will meet the Creative Director and producers in central London during the week of 6th July. The chosen performers will need to be comfortable being on stage in front of more than 900 people a night and be available to rehearse and perform from 13th July until 29th August.

Celebrating its global premiere this July in London, where Harry Houdini and the superstars of illusion stunned Victorian audiences on stage, IMPOSSIBLE will re-establish the UK capital as the epicenter of innovation and spectacle, hosting the greatest magic show on Earth. Featuring a stunning range of magical artistry, from astonishing acts of epic proportions to dumbfounding up-close sleight of hand, be ready to be mesmerized and baffled by these incredible illusionists.

The confirmed line-up includes: modern-day Houdini, daredevil and TV escapologist Jonathan Goodwin; mind-blowing mind-reader Chris Cox; sophisticated sorceress Katherine Mills; boundary breaking magician Ben Hart; spell-binding digital marvel Jamie Allan; sleight of hand master Ali Cookand world-renowned grand illusionist Luis de Matos.

IMPOSSIBLE is produced in the West End by Jamie Hendry Productions, with scenic design by Andrew D. Edwards, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, sound design by Gareth Owen, video design by Duncan McLean and music by Michael Bradley.

Jonathan Goodwin

Daredevil and TV Escapologist Jonathan Goodwin will have audiences on the edge of their seats as he dances with death on stage. After first appearing on Channel 4’s Dirty Tricks, Goodwin has brought his unique stunts to various TV specials including The Seven Stupidest Things to Escape From and How Not to Become Shark Bait! In his television series The Incredible Mr Goodwin, he pushes the limits of possibility with stunts that range from extreme planking to climbing skyscrapers.

Jamie Allan

You’ll never look at your iPhone the same way again. Modern day Houdini, Jamie Allen fuses magic and technology together to create spell binding stunts that captivate the contemporary audience. Transporting classic magic tricks into the digital age, his phenomenal modern illusions include sawing people in half with lasers and iPad ‘Digital Art’.

Chris Cox

Clear your mind before award-winning mind reading specialist Chris Cox gets his hands on it! Chris stars in BBC 3’s Killer Magic, bewildering audiences with his unique mind reading talent. Illusion consultant for The Bodyguard, he has flummoxed audiences on stages across the country and continues to control minds in his sell-out tour Fatal Distraction.

Ben Hart

Ben Hart invents unique magic which pushes the boundaries of film, theatre and television and tests the limits of illusion, including decapitation, vanishing and levitation  At the age of 16 he won the Magic Circle’s ‘Young Magician of the Year’ Award and his most recent show The Vanishing Boy sold-out to astonished audiences.  He recently starred in BBC 3’s Killer Magic, where his unique and unorthodox approaches amazed audiences across the country.

Katherine Mills

A member of the Magic Circle Katherine Mills is a sophisticated sorceress who enchants and entrances her audiences. Her numerous TV credits include starring in the BAFTA award winning CBBC series Help ! My Supply Teacher is Magic. The first female magician ever with her own primetime TV series – Mind Games, Katherine is a phenomenon taking the world by storm.

Ali Cook

Master of multiple magical trades, Ali Cook is a daredevil escapologist, sleight of hand expert, street magician, stage illusionist and performer of thought control. A pioneer of the alternative magic scene, he has written and starred in various television series including: ITV’s Penn And Teller: Fool Us; BBC 1’sNow You See It; Channel 4’s Dirty Trick’s; and Channel 5’s Psychic Secrets Revealed with Derren Brown.

Luis de Matos

Audiences won’t believe their eyes when Portuguese grand illusionist Luis de Matos takes to the stage. A master magician known for his trail-blazing stunts and ability to make cars disappear, he has won various prizes for his astounding magic. The youngest ever recipient of the distinguished ‘David Devant Award’, given to him by the Magic Circle for a significant contribution to advancing the art of magic, he’s considered by many as the most renowned and distinguished Portuguese magician of all time.

LISTINGS INFORMATION
IMPOSSIBLE
Noël Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4AU

Friday 24th July – Saturday 29th August 2015
Monday – Saturday evenings at 7.30pm
Matinee performances: Tuesday and Saturday at 3.00pm
Booking details:  0844 482 5141
Access bookings: 0844 482 5137
Press Night: Thursday 30 July, 7:30pm
Website: www.impossiblelive.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ImpossibleTheShow
Twitter: @ImpossibleShow

Ticket prices: £10, £20, £40, £60. Premium tickets are also available

 

York Theatre Royal is proud to be hosting a new creative collaboration as part of its residency at the National Railway Museum. Days after the world premiere of Last Train to Elvet at Durham BRASS Festival, the production will come to the Signal Box Theatre for two performances on Sunday 9 August. A creative collaboration between the Tredegar Town Band ensemble, Olympic composer Luke Carver Goss, renowned broadcaster and poet Ian McMillan and legendary Private Eyecartoonist Tony Husband, the production is inspired by the story of Durham’s Elvet Station.

 

Shortly before closing in 1953, Durham’s Elvet Station handled a circus train full of performers and animals,Last Train to Elvet combines brass music with circus themes, a web of words and live cartooning.

Music, words and live cartooning tell the amazing (partly) true story of the circus train that was the last train to Durham Elvet station in 1953, packed with animals and clowns and acrobats. Capriciously, the train breaks down… Now what will the Circus do? Come along and find out!

 

said poet and Last Train to Elvet co-creator Ian McMillan.

Bard of Barnsley Ian McMillan hosts weekly hit radio show The Verb. He’s Poet-in-Residence for Barnsley FC, The Academy of Urbanism and, until recently, English National Opera. He’s a regular on BBC Breakfast, Pick of the Week, Coast, Countryfile and Last Word. He was featured on The South Bank Show and cast away on Desert Island Discs. His rip-roaring poetry shows are legendary.

 

 

Joining him will be Olympic Composer Luke Carver Goss has written for Black Dyke Brass Band, The Sage Gateshead, BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group and Pure Gold: a 4X4 relay for the Cultural Olympiad. He records and performs with his own group, the acclaimed Carver Trio, the Balkan singer Tea Hodzic, jazz singer Tina May and storyteller Daniel Morden in the group The Devil’s Violin.

Accompanying the show will be The Tredegar Town Band –the double British Open champions – has been running since 1876, when a local brass band from the Welsh Valley town reportedly led a procession to celebrate the opening of a new mill for the Tredegar Iron and Coal Company. Following the appointment of Ian Porthouse as Musical Director in 2008, Tredegar Town Band has subsequently achieved increasingly impressive domestic and national contesting results including the unique double feat of winning the Grand Shield and the British Open Championship in 2010. Tredegar has helped to broaden the audience for brass music through a series of adventurous collaborations including recently performing with Ballet Rambert and starring in the hit feature film Pride.

Tony Husband is Cartoonist in Residence at The Lowry and ‘legendary Private Eye cartoonist’ PR Weekly. He has been awarded Strip, Gag & Sports Cartoonist of the Year no fewer than ten times by the Cartoon Arts Trust. For his depiction of British life, he won the 2005 Pont Award given in memory of the great thirties’ cartoonist. His cartoons appear regularly in The Times, Sunday Express, Golf International, The Oldie, Private Eye, The Spectator, Nursing Standard, TES, The Prescriber, Playboy and Punch. He will be drawing cartoons to explain the story as part of the show, which will then be projected onto a large screen. This will certainly be a challenge with Ian and Luke often improvising on stage and interacting with the audience.

 

With an award from BRASS: Pitch and in collaboration with the National Railway Museum and York Theatre Royal, Last Train to Elvet is run by Durham County Council and produced by UK Touring.

Taking place in the new Signal Box Theatre, situated in the National Railway Museum. The show will form part of York Theatre Royal’s residency at the National Railway Museum, which will also be the home to hit summer show The Railway Children.

 

Chief Executive of York Theatre Royal Liz Wilson said:

The Last Train to Elvet is a great addition to our summer programme at the National Railway Museum and we’re very pleased to be working with Ian, Luke and Tony.

Last Train To Elvet will take place on Sunday 9^th August, with performances at 4 and 7pm. Tickets are £14 and 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.

 

Legendary singer Frankie Valli took time out from his sold-out concert tour this week to meet the casts of both UK productions of the smash-hit musical Jersey Boys, which tells the true-life story of Frankie’s rise to fame along with his band The Four Seasons.  Frankie joined the UK and Ireland Tour cast in Manchester as they performed an excerpt from the show on BBC Breakfast, and visited the London show at the Piccadilly Theatre before going onstage to meet the cast and crew.