A NEW CAST FOR MAMMA MIA! IN LONDON

AT THE NOVELLO THEATRE

FROM MONDAY 8 JUNE 2015

NOW BOOKING TO 23 APRIL 2016

There will be major cast changes for MAMMA MIA! in London from Monday 8 June.  Mazz Murray will be joining the cast as Tanya, Jo Napthine as Rosie, Gabriella Williams as Sophie Sheridan and James Darch as Sky.  Also joining the cast from 8 June will be Louise Young as Ali, Stephanie Fearon as Lisa, Dan Partridge as Pepper and Rory Phelan as Eddie.  Dianne Pilkington will continue to star as Donna Sheridan, with Richard Trinder as Sam, Alasdair Harvey as Harry and Charles Daish as Bill.  At certain performances, the role of Donna Sheridan will be played by Shona White.

Mazz Murray is the daughter of songwriter Mitch Murray (who won two Ivor Novello Awards and wrote or co-wrote five UK and three US chart-topping records).  She makes up one third of vocal group Woman, who have supported Earth Wind and Fire and Billy Ocean on their UK national tours.  As an actress, Mazz played Killer Queen in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre for seven years, and other theatre includes Maureen in the UK tour of Rent, the UK tour and West End production ofFame and the UK tour of Smokey Joe’s Café.

Jo Napthine’s theatre credits include Made in Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre), Urinetown (St James Theatre), Sister Act and The Sound of Music (London Palladium), The Woman in White (Palace Theatre), Jerry Springer – The Opera (National and Cambridge Theatre), Kiss Me Kate (Victoria Palace Theatre) and Les Misérables (Palace Theatre).

MAMMA MIA! marks Gabriella Williams’s West End debut.  She will be graduating this summer from Arts Educational Schools.  She made her professional debut in Carrie at Southwark Playhouse.  James Darch’s previous theatre work includesWhite Christmas at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Kiss Me Kate at the Royal Albert Hall and the UK tour of Cats.

Also in the cast from 8 June will be Tom Bowen, Adam Clayton-Smith, Jasmin Colangelo, Kate Coysten, Stephen John Davis, Katy Day, Olivia Kate Holding, George Ioannides, Alex Jordan-Mills, Craig Anthony Kelly, Sorelle Marsh, George Miller, Stacey Leanne Mills, Fergal McGoff, Ella Nonini, Katy Osborne, Robbie Scotcher, Brad Veitch, Caitlin Ward and Sasha Wareham.

The global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! at London’s Novello Theatre is now extending its booking period until 23 April 2016, taking the show through to its 18^th playing year in London.

From West End to global phenomenon, MAMMA MIA! is Judy Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island paradise.  To date, it has been seen by more than 54 million people in 49 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $2 billion at the box office.

MAMMA MIA! originally opened in London at the Prince Edward Theatre on 6 April 1999, before transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2004.  The musical re-opened at the Novello Theatre in 2012.

 

The London production of MAMMA MIA!, which celebrated its 16^th birthday on 6 April, has been seen by more than 10% of the entire UK population.  The show has celebrated over 6,500 performances in London and has broken box office records in all three of its London homes.  In 2011, it became the first Western musical ever to be staged in Mandarin in the People’s Republic of China.   

 

Produced by Judy Craymer, MAMMA MIA! The Movie, starring Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan, is the highest grossing live action musical film of all time.

 

With music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. The production is designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch.

 

MAMMA MIA! is produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Novello Theatre

Aldwych

London WC2B 4LD

Monday to Friday Prices:  £65.00, £37.50, £20.00, £15.00

Saturday Prices:  £67.50*, £52.50, £39.50, £25.00, £15.00

*£69.50 from 26 October 2015

Please note: Saturday pricing applies to all performances 25-30 May, 27 July-29 August and 26-30 October 2015, 28 December 2015 – 2 January 2016, 15-20 February and 25 March – 9 April 2016

A £2.25 per ticket booking fee applies to tickets booked online, and a £2.75 per ticket booking fee applies to tickets booked by phone. No booking fee on tickets purchased in person at the Novello Theatre Box Office.

All prices include £1.25 restoration levy.

Early Bird Pricing – anyone booking four months or more in advance of the performance they are attending (Monday to Thursday performances only) will be able to purchase £65 tickets for £45, a saving of £20 on the regular top price, but only through Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, either online, in person at the theatre, or by calling the Novello Theatre Box Office.

Performance Times:

Monday – Saturday 7.45pm

Matinees – Thursday & Saturday 3.00pm*

*extra Tuesday matinees on 11 August & 27 October 2015 & 16 February 2016

Christmas 2015/16 Performance Schedule

Monday 21 December                              7.45pm

Tuesday 22 December                             3.00pm and 7.45pm

Wednesday 23 December                        3.00pm and 7.45pm

Thursday 24 December                            NO PERFORMANCE

Friday 25 December                                 NO PERFORMANCE

Saturday 26 December                            3.00pm and 7.45pm

Monday 28 December                              3.00pm and 7.45pm

Tuesday 29 December                             3.00pm and 7.45pm

Wednesday 30 December                        3.00pm and 7.45pm

Thursday 31 December                            3.00pm

Friday 1 January                                       7.45pm

Saturday 2 January                                  3.00pm and 7.45pm

Currently booking to 23 April 2016

The performance lasts 2 hours and 35 minutes (including a 15-minute interval)

Box Office: 0844 482 5115

http://www.mamma-mia.com/

http://www.facebook.com/mammamiamusical

http://twitter.com/MammaMiaMusical

 

GREAT DRAMA COMING TO LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

*** Shawshank Redemption***And Then There Were None***

***Peter Pan Goes Wrong***Jeeves & Wooster***The King’s Speech***

***The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time***

 

This year Leeds Grand Theatre welcomes a host of quality drama in between its usual feast of musicals, opera, comedy and dance.

The play that inspired the Oscar-winning movie The King’s Speech is brought to life on stage starring Jason Donovan as Lionel Logue the speech therapist to Raymond Coulthard’s King George VI.

The King’s Speech is the true and heart-warming story of one man’s struggle to overcome his personal affliction and, in his country’s darkest hour, deliver the now-iconic speech broadcast across the globe to inspire his people.

As the world stands on the brink of war, Edward VIII sparks controversy with his love for married socialite, Wallis Simpson. As Edward’s position becomes increasingly untenable, his brother Bertie, who has previously shied away from the public eye because of a terrible stammer, is thrust in to the spotlight as his likely successor.

With the support of his wife, Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother), Bertie meets maverick speech therapist and failed actor, Lionel Logue, at an office in Harley Street and together they embark on an unlikely journey to prepare Bertie to lead his country as King George VI.

The King’s Speech is at The Grand from Tuesday 26^th to Saturday 30^th May.

Audiences can expect an evening of raucous comedy when Jeeves & Wooster in Perfect Nonsense comes to town. 

 

Adapted from the established literary works of P.G. Wodehouse, the brand new production stars Robert Webb(Peep Show, That Mitchell and Webb Look) as the effervescent, aristocratic fool Bertie Wooster, Jason Thorpe(What the Butler Saw, Primeval) as his dutiful valet Jeeves and Christopher Ryan (The Young Ones, Absolutely Fabulous) as Seppings.

When a country house weekend takes a turn for the worse Bertie Wooster is unwittingly called on to play matchmaker but also to steal a silver cow creamer from Totleigh Towers. The ever-dependable Jeeves is there to prevent Bertie from making a fool of himself in front of a cast of Wodehouse’s finest characters.

 

Jeeves & Wooster come to Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 1^st to Saturday 6^th June

More comedy drama takes to the Leeds’ stage when Mischief Theatre Company return with their new laugh-out-loud production Peter Pan Goes Wrong. Last year the brought The Play That Goes Wrong to The Grand and were met with rave reviews.

‘The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’ set out to present the classic tale of Peter Pan but, as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong does – join them from Wednesday 17^th to Saturday 20^th

To celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company, And Then There Were None returns to the stage in August.  A group of 10 strangers are lured to a remote island off the coast of Devon. Upon arrival it is discovered that their host, an eccentric millionaire, is missing.  Stranded on the island by a torrential storm and haunted by an ancient nursery rhyme, one by one the guests begin to die. With only the fallen believed to be innocent who amongst them is the killer?

And Then There Were None is at The Grand from Monday 17^th to Saturday 22^nd August.

Winner of seven 2013 Olivier Awards including Best New Play, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is coming to Leeds.

Christopher is 15 years old and has an extraordinary brain – exceptional at maths while ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion of killing Mrs Shears’ dog he goes on a journey that upturns his world.

Based on the award-winning novel by Mark Haddon this is a thrilling new stage play from the National Theatre.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is at The Grand from Tuesday 25^th to Saturday 29^th August.

Adapted from the classic 1994 film, producer Bill Kenwright presents a new stage production of The Shawshank Redemption.  Based on a novel by Stephen King the story examines desperation, injustice, friendship and hope behind the claustrophobic bars of a maximum security penitentiary.

The Shawshank Redemption runs from Monday 31^st August to Saturday 5^th September.

 

To book tickets visit leedsgrandtheatre.com

or call Leeds Grand Theatre Box Office on 0844 848 2700

 

The world famous Royal Shakespeare Company will return to Newcastle this June and July with an energetic new production for 8-13 year olds – The Famous Victories of Henry V. The production plays the Theatre Royal on Tuesday 30 June, and in schools in the North East between 1-3 July.

 

The Famous Victories of Henry V is a 90 minute adventure condensing the three great plays of Henry IV Parts I and II and Henry V, and is the perfect first encounter with Shakespeare for young audiences.

 

Using Shakespeare’s original language, The Famous Victories of Henry V introduces us to notorious bad boy Prince Hal as he swaps his rebellious life on the streets of London for the battlefields of France to become one of the most famous heroes in British history. Hal’s epic journey into adulthood will lead its young audience through a life of scandal, parties, friendships, family feuds, rebellion and new responsibilities, ending in glorious victory as the once infamous Prince of England becomes the brave and noble King Henry V.

 

The production takes place in the 600th anniversary year since the battle of Agincourt, and complements the RSC’s recent History plays.  The title of The Famous Victories is taken from an early play that may have inspired Shakespeare to write theHenry plays.

The cast includes: Daniel Abbott (Mistress Quickly/King of France); Martin Bassindale (Henry V); Nicholas Gerard-Martin(Dericke/Constable); Dale Mathurin (John/Warwick); Evelyn Miller (Rakehell/Hotspur/Sheriff/Dauphin); Leigh Quinn(Poins/Prince John/Katherine); and Simon Yadoo (Falstaff/Henry IV/Erpingham).

 

Directed by Owen Horsley, the production celebrates the RSC’s commitment to creating live theatre for young audiences and is part of its First Encounters with Shakespeare programme.

 

Owen was recently Assistant Director on Gregory Doran’s productions of Richard II and Henry IV Parts I and II.  He is Artistic Director of Eyestring Theatre Company, and in 2010 became Associate Director for Cheek by Jowl, after being Declan Donnellan’s Assistant Director on a number of productions.

 

Talking about the production, Owen said: “The Famous Victories of Henry V weaves Shakespeare’s Henry IV Part I and II andHenry V together to produce the ultimate coming of age story.  Our production, which tells of how the wayward Prince Hal becomes a heroic and valiant King, is bold, dynamic and fun.  With the help of our young audience we hope to create a lively show that celebrates the power of imagination and the wonder of theatre.”

 

Other members of the creative team include: Simon Anthony Wells (designer), Jon Lawrence (Sound), Polly Bennett(Movement), and Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown (fights).

 

The tour of The Famous Victories of Henry V forms part of the RSC’s Learning and Performance Network (LPN), a three year touring and education partnership with ten regional theatres and their local schools including:  Hull Truck, Hull; New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under Lyme; Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne; Curve, Leicester; and the Hall for Cornwall, Truro.

 

Erica Whyman, RSC Deputy Artistic Director, said:  “Many of us have our first encounter with Shakespeare at school and that experience can define our attitude to live theatre and to Shakespeare for the rest of our lives.  This tour brings the thrill and excitement of these extraordinary plays right to the heart of schools, regional theatres and communities.  Most importantly, those schools and theatres are long term partners with us here at the RSC, all working to ensure children and young people have vivid, accessible and memorable experiences of theatre and Shakespeare.”

 

The Famous Victories of Henry V appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal for two performances only on Tuesday 30 June 2015 at 10 am & 1.30 pm. Tickets are available priced at £11, and only £6 for under 18s (save 50p per ticket by booking online) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk

 

There are also public performances of the production in the following schools:
St Michael’s Primary School
Wednesday 1 July, 9.30am, 1.30pm (tickets available on 0191 273 9383)

Sacred Heart Catholic High School
Thursday 2 July, 7pm (tickets available on 0191 274 7373)

Crook Primary School, County Durham
Friday 3 July, 6pm (tickets available on 01388 762400)

A brand new production of the world’s favourite musical Annie from Newcastle-born producer Michael Harrison, and starring Craig Revel Horwood as ‘Miss Hannigan’, will premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal Saturday 11 – 18 July 2015 before embarking on a year-long tour of the UK and Ireland.

 

Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search…

 

With its award-winning book and score, this stunning new production includes the unforgettable songs ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’, ‘Easy Street’, ‘I Don’t Need Anything But You’ and ‘Tomorrow’.

 

Craig Revel Horwood is probably best known as a judge on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing. His West End Theatre credits include: Munkustrap in Cats at the New London Theatre, Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and Harry in Crazy for You at the Prince Edward Theatre which took him to the US and Germany before re-creating the show for Susan Stroman in South Africa. Other theatre credits in his native Australia include: West Side Story, the Australian and New Zealand tour of The Danny La Rue Show; La Cage Aux Folles; Me and My Girl and the hit comedy play Ladies Night.

 

Annie will be directed by Nikolai Foster. Recently named as the new artistic director at Curve in Leicester; his most recent theatre credits include: Calamity Jane, The Witches of Eastwick and the 20^th Anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing in the West End.

 

Annie is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.

 

Annie appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Sat 11 – Sat 18 July 2015 (Evenings: 7.30pm, Matinees: Thursday 2pm and Saturday 2.30pm). Tickets are from £17.50 (save 50p per ticket when you book online) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

 

The cast has been announced today for Gary Owen’s play Violence and Son at the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre in London (3 June to 11 July – press night 8 June). The full cast is Morfydd Clark, Jason Hughes, David Moorst and Siwan Morris.

Directed by Hamish Pirie, Gary Owen’s intimate new play is about what parents pass on and trying to do the right thing.

 

“People know, you’re my boy. And they know better than to lay a fucking finger on you.

See? You are safer here with me, than you have ever been.”

 

Liam’s 17 years old, loves Dr Who and has lost his mum. He has had to move from London to Wales, to the valleys, to the middle of nowhere, to live with a dad he doesn’t know. Whose nickname isn’t Violence for nothing.

Morfydd Clark will play Jen, Jason Hughes will play Rick (aka Violence), David Moorst will play Liam andSiwan Morris will play Suze.

The production is designed by Cai Dyfan, with lighting design by Lizzie Powell and music and sound design by Mark Melville.

Violence and Son will be accompanied by three Big Idea events Violence and Shame with psychologist and poet Jonathan Asser (10 June),  Gary Owen in Conversation

(25 June ) and Power and Consent with academics Dr Susan Hansen and Dr Jackie Gray who specialise in forensic psychology (8 July).

Welsh playwright Gary Owen makes his Royal Court debut with Violence and Son. He is winner of the Meyer Whitworth, George Devine and Pearson best play awards.  His other plays include Iphigenia in Splott, Love Steals Us From Loneliness, Crazy Gary’s Mobile Disco, The Shadow of a Boy, (winner, Meyer Whitworth Award, George Devine Award), The Drowned World (winner, Fringe First and Pearson Best Play Award), Ghost City, Cancer Time, SK8, Big Hopes, In the Pipeline, Blackthorn, Mary Twice, Amgen:Broken, Bulletproof, The Ugly Truth and Free Folk. His adaptations include Spring Awakening and Ring Ring, a new version of La Ronde for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol for Sherman Cymru. He is a Creative Associate at Watford Palace Theatre, where his plays We That Are Left, Mrs Reynolds and the Ruffian, and Perfect Match have been produced.

Hamish Pirie is Associate Director at the Royal Court and this will be his third production for the theatre after directing Who Cares and Teh Internet is Serious Business. His previous directing credits include I’m With The Band and Demos, Quiz Show, Love With A Capital ‘L’, 3 Seconds, Most Favoured, Bravo Figaro andThe Last Bloom at the Traverse, Edinburgh (where he was previously Associate Director) and Salt Root andRoe for the Donmar Warehouse’s Trafalgar Studio season.

 

 

The Big Idea: Violence and Son

Violence and Shame

Psychologist and poet Jonathan Asser in conversation with Royal Court Associate Director Hamish Pirieabout the impulses that drive men to commit acts of violence.
Wednesday 10 June, 6pm
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
£5 (or free with a ticket for that evening’s performance)

Gary Owen in Conversation

The playwright talks to Royal Court Associate Director Hamish Pirie

Thursday 25 June, post-show

Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Free with a ticket for this performance

Power and Consent
With Dr Susan Hansen and Dr Jackie Gray academics specialising in forensic psychology at the University of Middlesex.
Wednesday, 8 July, 6pm
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
£5 (or free with a ticket for Violence and Son)

Listings Information:

Violence and Son
by Gary Owen
directed by Hamish Pirie
Wednesday 03 June – Saturday 11 July 2015
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs , Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, SW1W 8AS
Monday – Saturday 7.45pm
Saturday matinees (from 13 June) 3pm
Thursday matinees (from 11 June) 3pm
Captioned Performance Tuesday 07 July 2015, 7.45pm
Press Night Monday 08 June, 7pm
Age Guidance 14+
Tickets £20
Mondays all seats £10 (available on the day from 9am online)
Concessions £15* (available in advance until 13 June, and all matinees. For all other performances, available on a standby basis on the day)
School and HE Groups of 8+ £10  (available Wednesday – Saturday matinee, plus midweek matinee)
Access £12 (plus a companion at the same rate)
*ID required. All discounts subject to availability.

 

The Big Idea is a strand of work launched during Open Court, offering audiences radical thinking and provocative discussion inspired by the work on stage. The Big Idea seeks to foster debate and collaboration, bringing together leading thinkers and artists from all walks of life to engage with the big ideas of our times, through a series of debates and events. AlixPartners support The Big Idea at the Royal Court Theatre.

 

Are you aged 7 years or above?

Would you like to appear in this years

Grand Opera House pantomime?

NEW PANTOMIME PRODUCTIONS Ltd.

are holding

CHILDREN’S

DANCE

AUDITIONS

on

Thursday 24th September

At Grand Opera House,

Cumberland Street, York

for their production of

JACK and the BEANSTALK

4.30 pm             Boys & girls aged 7 yrs and over     Max. Height 5’2”

                                    to audition as Babes

7.00 pm             Boys & girls to audition as Seniors   Min. height 5’2”

Everybody should wear clothes which are suitable for auditions

Pantomime dates –    11^th Dec. 2015  –  3^rd Jan. 2016

 

Derek Jacobi will play Mercutio opposite Lily James as Juliet and Richard Madden as Romeo in the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company production of Romeo and Juliet at the Garrick Theatre. The production will run from 12 May 2016 until 13 August 2016.

Kenneth Branagh said: “Sir Derek Jacobi has been an inspiration to so many actors and audiences throughout his brilliant career. To see him in Shakespeare is an event in itself. It’s an honour to welcome this wonderful artist to our season of Plays at the Garrick.”

Derek Jacobi said: “It’s always a privilege to return to Shakespeare. The role of Mercutio is an exciting and intriguing challenge to take on. I’m particularly happy to tackle it in the company of Richard Madden and Lily James, with whom I had such an exciting working relationship in Cinderella.”

Derek Jacobi’s stage credits include Heartbreak House, King Lear, two productions of Twelfth Night(Olivier Award; Best Actor), The Tempest, Macbeth, Richard III and Richard II, Much Ado About Nothing(Olivier Award; Best Actor), Cyrano De Bergerac (London Critics Circle Theatre Award; Best Actor),Ivanov, Antony and Cleopatra and three productions of Hamlet (also directed). Derek has performed in many productions with both Chichester Festival Theatre and NT Old Vic Theatre including Three Sisters, As You Like It, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Othello, Love For Love, Black Comedy and Hadrian VII.

Derek’s film credits include Cinderella, Grace of Monaco, The King’s Speech, A Bunch of Amateurs, The Golden Compass, Gosford Park, The Children’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Gladiator, Joan Of Arc: The Virgin Warrior, Hamlet, Aladdin, Henry V, Three Sister and Othello.

Derek’s television credits include Last Tango in Halifax, Titanic, Joe Maddison’s War, Margot, The Old Curiosity Shop, Doctor Who: Series III, Miss Marple: Murder at the Vicarage, The Jury, Frasier, The Secret Garden, Cyrano De Bergerac, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hamlet; Prince of Denmark, King Richard The Second, Markheim and The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes.

The Winter’s Tale, Harlequinade, The Painkiller, Romeo and Juliet and The Entertainer make up the inaugural season of work for the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. The Company presents Plays at the Garrick, a series of plays that bring together an exciting group of actors led by Rob Brydon, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Lily James and Richard Madden. Performances begin on 17 October 2015.

 

ROMEO AND JULIET WILL RUN FROM 12 MAY 2016 UNTIL 13 AUGUST 2016 AT THE GARRICK THEATRE

FOR TICKETS VISIT www.branaghtheatre.com

ROMEO AND JULIET
12 May 2016 – 13 August 2016
Press performance: 25 May 7pm
Captioned Performance: 31 May 7.30pm
Audio Described Performance: 7 June 7.30pm
Performances Monday – Saturday with 2.30pm matinee performances on Wednesdays and Saturdays excluding 14 May and 25 May.

With summer just around the corner, flying rehearsals are well under way at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for their forthcoming production of Peter Pan which opens on 15 May and runs until 14 June.

Hiran Abeysekera takes off as Peter Pan using a series of wires and bungee ropes: “When you’re flying high up there” says Hiran, “it’s the most amazing feeling. But you are constantly reminded that you’re not a bird, you’re just a human. My life is totally in the hands of the counter weight, and they’re all solid – they’re brilliant guys! They have to know what the rhythm of the scene is, what the rhythm of my character is, I have to feel them as well. It’s not me flying, it’s them flying me and we have to understand each other’s bodies and rhythms to make it work. It’s quite minutely specific. But it’s really thrilling. You feel like a superhero for a bit, a little jump can take you 30 feet up in the air!”

George Llewelyn Davies, killed in action in WW1, was one of the children who inspired this iconic character. Remembering him, and a generation of lost boys, Timothy Sheader and Liam Steelrediscover J. M. Barrie’s original stage play. Alongside Hiran Abeysekera in the title role is David Birrell as Captain Hook, Beverly Rudd as Smee and George Bukhari as Nibs. Recommended for all ages 9+. Flying scheme created by Wired Aerial Theatre (@wiredaerial | wiredaerialtheatre.com)

West End stormers and multiple award winners Mischief Theatre Company are set to bring their riotous new show Peter Pan Goes Wrong to Newcastle Theatre Royal in July.  Expect lashings of slapstick and mayhem galore, oh, and a crocodile that ticks! From Wed 1 to Sat 4 July 2015

 

Mischief Theatre exploded onto the West End stage with phenomenal success last year with The Play That Goes Wrong, the first of their ‘Goes Wrong’ hit shows. Now after winning the Whatsonstage Award for Best New Comedy  2014 and Oliver Award for Best New Comedy 2015, the company is flying high and promises a barrel-full of laughs with its new show.

 

The play introduces ‘The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society’ who are attempting to stage J.M. Barrie’s classic tale of Peter Pan, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong… does, as the accident prone thesps embark on a thrilling adventure to Neverland with hilariously disastrous results. A highly physical comedy packed with finely-tuned mayhem and Buster Keaton inspired slapstick, Peter Pan Goes Wrong delivers a fast-paced show with split-second timing and ambitious daring.

 

Mischief Theatre Company started at the Old Red Lion in London, then transferred their first show to the West End where it enjoyed two successive runs at the Trafalgar Studios, whipping critics, audiences and celebrity fans into a frenzy of delight. Producers Kenny Wax (of Top Hat fame) and Stage Presence Ltd picked up the show and produced a two-act version of the play, which enjoyed a sell-out UK tour and swiftly followed with a West End transfer to the Duchess Theatre, where it is currently playing to packed houses. The company have just announced an extension through until September 2015 in the West End. Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered with a small-scale production at The Pleasance London in December 2013. This new 2014/5 production has been developed and redesigned for a number one UK tour.

 

Triple Olivier award-winning producer Kenny Wax says: “We took a huge gamble in transferring The Play That Goes Wrong into the West End; a new comedy starring ‘no one famous’ by unknown writers. And yet our sold out show is delighting packed houses night after night. Marketeers will tell you that there is only one thing that can create such a ‘hit’ and that is great word of mouth. I have no doubt that Peter Pan Goes Wrong will be met with the same tremendous reaction.”

 

Mischief Theatre was founded in 2008 by a group of graduates of The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and began as an improvised comedy group. The recent success of The Play That Goes Wrong has put Mischief firmly in the spotlight, attracting critical acclaim and international attention from theatre producers worldwide. The company is led by Artistic Director Henry Lewis and Company Director Jonathan Sayer.

 

Co-written by Mischief Theatre company members Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Peter Pan Goes Wrong is directed by Adam Meggido, with set designs by Simon Scullion, costume designs by Roberto Surace, lighting design by Matt Haskins and sound design by Ella Wahlstrom. The production will be performed by an ensemble cast of ten, featuring: Laurence Pears, Cornelius Booth, Alex Bartram, James Marlowe, Chris Leask, Leonie Hill, Naomi Sheldon, Matt Cavendish, Harry Kershaw and Rosie Abraham. The company will be casting local children at each venue to play ‘the Lost Boys’.

 

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is produced by Kenny Wax Ltd and Stage Presence Ltd. A donation from every ticket sold is given to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

 

Peter Pan Goes Wrong is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Wed 1 until Saturday 4 July 2015. Tickets are available from £11 (save 50p per ticket by booking online) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Opening Night £15 Ticket Offer! (Partial View Seats remain at £11 on Opening Night)

 

The show is billed as ‘hilarious, raunchy and insightful’

Off-Broadway show Cougar The Musical is receiving its UK premiere at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry next month.

Written by American Donna Moore, the show is billed as “a hilarious, raunchy and insightful new musical about three women of a certain age saying yes to life and learning that true happiness lies within.”

The production, which runs from 16 May to 6 June in the Belgrade’s B2 studio, will be directed by Patricia Benecke and will star Dawn Hope (The Scottsboro Boys), Suanne Braun (Mamma Mia!), Pippa Winslow (Other Desert Cities) and Barnaby Hughes.

Moore said: “When I first heard the term ‘Cougar’, I was doing stand-up comedy and writing The UnBalancing Act, a show about my divorce – and I thought, ‘How come we have to place a derogatory name on an older woman?’

“I wanted to write a play that humanised the cougar which showed that women come in all shapes and sizes and that each woman is special no matter what. My thesis statement is that a woman who dates a younger man should be called a woman.”

The score for Cougar – The Musical includes “Shiny and New”, “On The Prowl”, “I’m My Own Queen” and “Say Yes”.

Tickets for the Belgrade production are on sale now.