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Photos from The Gala Night of The 39 Steps

Guests included Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Maime McCoy (co-star of ITV’s Van Der Valk and starred as Milady in BBC’s The Musketeers), plus the writer of The 39 Steps, Patrick Barlow (as an actor he has appeared in Shakespeare in Love, Notting Hill, Bridget Jones’s Diary, French and Saunders, Murder in Suburbia, Absolutely Fabulous, Nanny McPhee, Jam & Jerusalem and A Very English Scandal) and influencer Michael J Hardwick.  There are also photos of the cast – Tom Byrne (Prince Andrew in The Crown and Bridgerton), Safeena Ladha, Eugene McCoy and Maddie Rice (took over from Phoebe Waller-Bridge in the stage show of Fleabag and TV credits include Fleabag, Stath Lets Flats, Ten Percent, The Other One, I Hate You and the all-female sketch show Flaps) – and producer Ed Snape (director of Fiery Angel).Patrick Barlow’s hilarious adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller ran in London’s West End for nine years, finally closing in 2015.  It won the Olivier Award and What’s On Stage Award for Best Comedy in 2007.  It also took Broadway by storm, winning two Tony Awards and a Drama Desk Award in 2008.  The play, with its quintessentially plucky spirit and dashing sense of British fun, has toured to 39 countries and played to over 3 million people worldwide.

The play follows the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women.

This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller features four fearless actors, playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action.

The UK Tour will continue through to 3 August 2024.

Photo credit Piers Allardyce

Arcola Theatre – until 20 April 2024

Reviewed by Celia Armand Smith

2**

Born into an immigrant family on the fringes of the film industry, young Nicholas Cohen dreams of playing Superboy in the new Superman film being made by a family friend. This sparks the dream of becoming a filmmaker. What follows is a life of TV and low budget horror films. But this life is seemingly not satisfactory to Nick, he wants to win an Oscar and he has an idea for a short film that could be his ticket to the bright lights of Hollywood. So off he goes to mix and mingle with the great and the good (not named but sort of named) with mixed and often absurd results. Promises are made and broken, however a short film is eventually made. Is Oscar-worthy though?

Life with Oscar is an ambitious attempt by Nicholas Cohen to portray approximately 30 different characters from his life in one 70 minute production. Cohen, as writer and performer, displays keen observational skills and his ability to sustain high levels of energy is impressive, however it all somehow falls a bit flat.

As the play progresses, the narrative loses a bit of momentum despite Cohen’s frenetic stage presence. It is all a bit overwhelming. There is a lot going on in this performance, and I’m not sure it’s completely convincing. All of characters are easily identifiable, but some of them don’t feel fully realised and seem a bit redundant anyway.

Cressida Brown’s production of Life with Oscar is filled with ambition and boat loads of potential, but ultimately it falls short. Nicholas Cohen certainly has a magnetism, but it isn’t enough to sustain this multi-character show. There are entertaining moments, and the storytelling is great albeit frenzied. The play ends with Cohen returning from LA, and making the short film he set out to make. Is it Oscar-worthy? Unfortunately I don’t think I care enough to find out.

Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton – until Saturday 6th April 2024

Review by Amanda Allen

5*****

If I’m honest I didn’t enjoy the book so I was not sure I was going to like the stage adaptation, how wrong could I be. From the first scene I was captivated by the telling of 17 year old Piscine Patel’s life story. Starting out in India in 1978, the Patel family run a Zoo. His magical childhood was so well demonstrated with the beautiful puppet butterflies fluttering about the stage. The introduction of the larger animals and the stage setting for the zoo was absolutely magical. The stage and costume design by Tim Hatley was truly inspired, simple but effective, evoking the feel of a warm climate far away and the never ending sea scape of being lost at sea. The puppet animals were handled so well that you just didn’t notice the puppeteers who brought them to life and gave them such brilliant animation you could tell exactly what they were thinking. The background sound effects designed by Carolyn Downing completed our transportation to a different world.

The adaptation of Yann Martel’s best selling book by Lolita Chakrabarti, didn’t shy away from the more unpleasant aspects of the story with Richard Parker, the Tiger, eating the Goat, Mr Buckingham (surely the best name for a goat) quite early in the first scene, an indication of what was to come later in the story. The grizzlier aspects of the lifeboat journey were brilliantly demonstrated with excellent use of puppets and props leaving the audience in no doubt what was happening to the Zebra and Hyena on board the lifeboat. All this was supported splendidly by some of the most effective lighting and video imaginary I have seen on stage, congratulations to Tim Lutkin and Tim Deiling lighting designers and Andrzej Goulding Video designer.

Pi Patel, played by Divesh Subaskaran was absolutely outstanding, surely an actor to watch out for in the future. He was on the stage for the entire performance, he captivated the audience with every word and move. I have never seen such a young actor embody the persona of their character with so much quiet stage presence. He showed us the life of Pi so completely and fully the audience were totally invested in his story. I can only imaging how exhausted he must be after each performance. Apart from being on stage and remembering all your words for almost 2 hours there was the added challenge of a very physical performance, climbing up ship’s infrastructure, balancing on the edge of a lifeboat, clinging to the end of a bed, running about on stage, I was worn out just from watching him. The energy and aerobic ability of Pi and the puppeteers was amazing.

The supporting cast were equally accomplished, I particularly enjoyed the simmering animosity between the Canadian consulate representative Lulu Chen played by Sharita Oomeer and Mrs Okomoto the ships insurance investigator played by Lilian Tsang. With them almost coming to blows over how Pi was being interrogated in the hospital after his time lost at sea. As Pi himself said “there are many improbable stories but as with the lottery someone always wins”.

Asking the hard questions about religion and life the story explored our relationship with organised religions. With Pi attending a Church, a Mosque and a Temple because they were all in the same street and making the observation that they were all versions of the same thing. With science running through the explanation of so many things in the story we are left asking as many questions as the tale answers and still left questioning our own beliefs at the end of it. Which version of the lifeboat story do we want to believe? As Pi himself says “Choosing doubt is like choosing immobility as a mode of transport”.

If you can, I urge you to go and see this. It may not change your life but it will make you question many aspects of it.

GAYNOR FAYE ON BRINGING THREE GENERATIONS TOGETHER WITH THE SYNDICATE

Star of stage and screen Gaynor Faye and her son, Oliver Anthony join the cast of the world premiere UK stage tour of The Syndicate, written by Gaynor’s mother, Kay Mellor, as part of its premiere UK tour.

The smash-hit, critically acclaimed BBC One drama of the same name was a family affair long before it burst onto television in 2012, although written and produced by titan of TV Kay Mellor, her daughter Gaynor Faye was the series script editor.

“I just knew that it was going to be a hit because she captured the whole arena of what winning the lottery and such a substantial amount of money brings to people – both the good and the not so good!”

Gaynor tells of how her “Mum writes for people, not accolades. The people who watch her shows are the people she relates to, the people she champions and admires. She encapsulates them and shows what it is to be a normal, every day person.”

When it aired on BBC One with a cast including stars Timothy Spall and Joanna Page, Kay Mellor’s The Syndicate was a huge hit and went on to enjoy success with three more series. “At times it’s funny, at times it’s dramatic or moving, but the key thing is that everyone can see themselves in her characters and that’s why people love her work.” Gaynor adds.

The first series has now been adapted for the stage by Kay Mellor in what was her final venture into theatre before her untimely death in 2022. She had already asked Gaynor to co-direct the project with her, and now the actress is going it alone in a move that she confesses has been rather daunting.

Gaynor says, “Mum’s shoes are big ones to fill, but I understand what her vision was for this production because I have been by her side from the very beginning. I’m excited for everyone to see it.”

Adding to the family feel of The Syndicate is the news that Gaynor’s son, Oliver Anthony, has joined the cast in the role of Jamie. He believes having three generations of one family involved in the show brings a unique experience for audiences: “There’s real heart to this show, there’s a lot of love for it, it just feels special.”

Oliver shares his grandmother, Kay, had been mentoring him for the last four years, and as someone who knew how hard the industry could be, had said she saw potential in him.

“She took me under her wing and really helped me learn the business both in front of the camera and behind. To now be involved with the stage show, and Gaynor, my mum directing it too, it just feels special. I have so many wonderful memories of my grandmother, every day beside her was a dream.”

Such is the success of Kay’s writing that her stories have become a hit on the stage as well as the screen with the hugely successful stage adaptions Fat Friends – The Musical, which played to sell-out audiences at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2018, and Band of Gold, which, like The Syndicate, were also collaborations between Kay’s company Rollem and theatre producer, Josh Andrews.

The Syndicate star cast also features Samantha Giles (Emmerdale) and Brooke Vincent (Coronation Street) and tells the story of five supermarket workers whose lottery syndicate numbers come in just as their jobs and livelihoods are under threat. Will a share of the jackpot make their dreams come true or their nightmares a reality?

More information can be found here. Tickets can be found here

DAVID IAN FOR CROSSROADS LIVE

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

BARRY AND FRAN WEISSLER

ANNOUNCE
FURTHER VENUES

FOR THE 2024/2025 UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF

THE MULTI AWARD-WINNING

OPENING AT THE

MILTON KEYNES THEATRE

ON 12 OCTOBER 2024

David Ian for Crossroads Live in association with Barry and Fran Weissler are delighted to announce further dates for the 2024/2025 UK and Ireland tour of the multi award-winning musical CHICAGO. The tour will open at Milton Keynes Theatre on 12 October 2024. Full tour schedule below. Casting to be announced soon. www.chicagothemusical.com/uk-tour

Set amidst the razzle-dazzle decadence of the 1920s, CHICAGO is the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who murders her on-the-side lover after he threatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago’s slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today’s tabloids.

Created by the musical theatre talents of John Kander, Fred Ebb and legendary choreographer Bob Fosse, CHICAGO’s sexy, sassy score includes the show-stopping songs “Razzle Dazzle”, “Cell Block Tango”, and “All That Jazz”.  Winner of six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy, CHICAGO is the longest running American musical in Broadway and West End history.

Since it opened in New York in 1996, CHICAGO has played in 38 countries worldwide, and been performed in English, Dutch, German, Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, French, Danish, Japanese and Korean.  Worldwide it has been seen by an estimated 34 million people, grossed over $1.7 billion has played over 33,500 performances.

CHICAGO, which is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins, has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb.  The 1996 Broadway revival of CHICAGO was choreographed by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse, directed by Walter Bobbie, and produced by Barry and Fran Weissler.

Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard announces show performances, presenters and broadcast details 

• Host Hannah Waddingham will be joined by awards presenters including Dominic West, Edward Enninful, Michelle Visage, Cara Delevingne, Michael Ball, Ruth Jones, Beverley Knight and Adrian Dunbar
• The casts of the Mastercard Best New Musical and Best Musical Revival nomination categories including The Little Big Things, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat, A Strange Loop, Guys & Dolls and Hadestown will perform during the ceremony plus a special moment from Groundhog Day
• Meera Syal will be heard as the voiceover throughout the Olivier Awards ceremony 
• A highlights package from the Olivier Awards with Mastercard will be broadcast on ITV1 at 10:10pm on 14th April 2024 

officiallondontheatre.com/olivier-awards

For immediate release, Thursday 4th April 2024: The Olivier Awards 2024 with Mastercard today announces the shows performing in this year’s ceremony. The Awards will take place on Sunday 14th April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Hannah Waddingham. 

There will be performances from Mastercard Best New Musical nominees including The Little Big Things, Next To Normal, Operation Mincemeat and A Strange Loop, alongside Best Musical Revival nominees Guys & Dolls and Hadestown in addition to a special moment from Groundhog Day Australia. Presenter, Emmy winner and multi-Olivier nominee Hannah Waddingham will open the event performing with singer and pianist Joe Stilgoe.

On the evening, Awards will be presented to winners by a host of well known names from the worlds of theatre, TV and fashion, including the likes of Carlos Acosta, Freema Agyeman, Michael Ball, Ryan Calais Cameron, Billy Crudup, Cara Delevingne, Adrian Dunbar, Edward Enninful, Denise Gough, Lenny Henry, Ruth Jones, Beverley Knight, Henry Lewis, Anna Maxwell Martin, Lucian Msamati, Georgina Onuorah, Rosalind Plowright, Jonathan Sayer, Michael Sheen, Luke Treadaway, Anjana Vasan, Michelle Visage and Dominic West. The voiceover for the evening will be spoken by comedian, writer and actress Meera Syal.

This year’s Olivier Awards coincide with the National Theatre’s 60th anniversary. The theatre, founded by Laurence Olivier, has this year been nominated for 15 awards and will celebrate the landmark anniversary with a special grand finale and onstage dedication. 

The Olivier Awards continues its partnership with ITV, which will broadcast a highlights programme the same evening at 10:10pm on ITV1.

TikTok will also be hosting a live stream on the Green Carpet with Content Creator and Actor Maddie Grace Jepson as their host. Viewers can tune in on Official London Theatre’s channel from 4:30pm – 5:30pm BST.

Mastercard returns as headline sponsor for the 14th year and offered Mastercard cardholders exclusive access to tickets and VIP experiences for the biggest night in theatre. Tickets are now sold out, but more theatre experiences can be found on priceless.com.

OlivierAwards.com | Facebook | Twitter/X | Instagram | TikTok

FINAL CASTING ANNOUNCED

AND ADDITIONAL TICKETS RELEASED FOR

SPRING AWAKENING

15^TH ANNIVERSARY REUNION CONCERT

OF ORIGINAL WEST END PRODUCTION

AT THE VICTORIA PALACE THEATRE

SUNDAY 2 JUNE 2024

Producers Jack Maple and Evelyn Hoskins are delighted to announce final casting and the release of additional tickets for the 15^th Anniversary reunion concert of the original West End production of Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s Tony, Olivier and Grammy award-winning musical SPRING AWAKENING, based on the play by Frank Wedekind.

Celebrating the original London production’s 15^th anniversary, the concert will reunite many of the original London cast for this one night only celebration on Sunday 2 June 2024 at Victoria Palace Theatre. Final tickets are on sale now.

Olivier Award nominated and WhatsonStage Award-winning actor, Jack Wolfe (Next to Normal, Donmar Warehouse), will be joining the company as Moritz and original West End cast member Richard Southgate (Crops, the Yard Theatre) will play Hanschen.

Producers of the concert, Jack Maple and Evelyn Hoskins said: “We’re absolutely delighted that the incredible Jack Wolfe, who blew audiences away in Next To Normal last year, is joining our reunion concert to play Moritz. His addition to the company sets up what we know is going to be an incredibly unique and emotional evening. We’re also thrilled that original company member Richard Southgate, one of the London production’s original swings, is stepping up to take on the role of Hänschen. It really does promise to be a very special concert!”

Jack and Richard join the previously announced original West End cast members Lucy May Barker (The Crucible, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) as Ilse, Natasha Barnes (Hex, National Theatre) as Anna, Harry McEntire (Andor, Disney+, Britannia, Sky) as Ernst, Hayley Gallivan (Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre) as Martha, Evelyn Hoskins (Waitress, West End & UK Tour) as Thea, Edward Judge (The Play That Goes Wrong, West End, UK & International Tour) as Otto, Jamie Muscato (Moulin Rouge, Piccadilly Theatre) as Melchior, Jos Slovick (Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, UK Tour) as Georg and Charlotte Wakefield (The Great British Bake Off Musical, Noel Coward Theatre) as Wendla. Other returning cast members include Chris Barton (The Sound of Music, UK Tour), Natalie Garner, Mona Goodwin (Misfits, Queen’s Theatre) and Gemma O’Duffy (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Palace Theatre).

They are joined by the entire returning original London band consisting of Huw Davies (Guitars), Don Richardson (Bass), Matthew Senior (Drums), Vicky Matthews (Cello), Charlie Brown (Violin/Guitar), Rachel Robson (Viola), under the musical direction of Nigel Lilley.

SPRING AWAKENING tells the story of adolescent anarchy, set to one of the most loved scores of the 21st century. A group of teenagers – silenced and controlled by a censorious society – discover a new world of feeling and freedom outside the classroom, with beautiful and devastating consequences.

SPRING AWAKENING opened on Broadway at the Eugene O’Neill Theatre on 10 December 2006 starring Jonathan Groff, Lea Michele, and John Gallagher Jr. It won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Direction, Book, Score and Featured Actor. It embarked on a North American tour in 2008. The musical then opened in London at the Lyric Hammersmith on 23 January 2009, before transferring to the West End’s Novello Theatre in March that same year. It won 4 Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical. SPRING AWAKENING was revived on Broadway in 2015 and in London in 2021.

This anniversary concert will be raising funds in the memory of Imogen Kinchin, one of the original producers of SPRING AWAKENING in 2009. Imogen sadly died on 27 March 2024 following her diagnosis of Stage IV Bowel Cancer in March 2022. 

Proceeds from the evening’s concert will be donated to support her three children, Arthur, Orson and Audrey. 

Producer Evelyn Hoskins added “myself and the cast of Spring Awakening are so unbelievably saddened by the passing of Imogen. She helped shape our careers as young artists starting out in the industry and she continued to champion us. Every breath and word at the concert will be in her honour and memory.”

Imogen Kinchin was Senior Producer at the Lyric Hammersmith for 10 years before joining Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures as Executive Director in 2018. 

In 2022, Imogen was diagnosed with Stage IV Bowel Cancer. Aside from being one of the most outstanding, creative, inspirational and respected producers in show business, she was a cherished wife, family member and friend. Her cancer was aggressive, yet her resilience was extraordinary, and she remained a positive and hopeful warrior in the face of adversity. 

SPRING AWAKENING has direction by Jamie Armitage (SIX), musical direction by Nigel Lilley (Newsies, Next to Normal, The Witches), lighting design & production management by Toby Darvill (Treason), sound design by Paul Gatehouse (Mary Poppins) with original UK casting direction by Pippa Ailion.

SPRING AWAKENING is produced by Jack Maple and Evelyn Hoskins.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

SPRING AWAKENING

Sunday 2 June 2024, 7pm

Victoria Palace Theatre

79 Victoria St,

London

SW1E 5EA

Tickets from £27.50

Box Office: 0344 482 5151

www.victoriapalacetheatre.co.uk

FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK PREMIÈRE OF

WENDY BECKETT’S SAPPHO

AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT

Pascal Productions today announces casting for the UK and English language première of Wendy Beckett’s Sappho. Wendy Beckett and Adam Fitzgerald co-direct Georgie Fellows (Sappho), Emmanuel Akwafo (Narrator), Eleanor Kane (Adore), Fanos Xenofos (Pittacus), Jumoké Fashola (Cleis), Velile Tshabalala (Mrs Obstinatus / Aphrodite), Aidan Banyard (Mr Obstinatus /Hephaestus), Kostas Tekkis (Dancer), Aaron Bladen (Dancer), Lucy Mackay (Dancer), Roann Hassani McCloskey (Chorus Leader) and Andrew Franklin (Chorus Leader) in this new satirical play inspired by the famous Greek poet – integrating the original poetry with contemporary music and dance.

Sappho premières at Southwark Playhouse Elephant on 8 May, with previews from 3 May, and runs until 25 May.

Pascal Productions presents

SAPPHO

Written by Wendy Beckett

3 May – 25 May

Cast: Georgie Fellows (Sappho), Emmanuel Akwafo (Narrator), Eleanor Kane (Adore), Fanos Xenofos (Pittacus), Jumoké Fashola (Cleis), Velile Tshabalala (Mrs Obstinatus / Aphrodite), Aidan Banyard (Mr Obstinatus /Hephaestus), Kostas Tekkis (Dancer), Aaron Bladen (Dancer), Lucy Mackay (Dancer), Roann Hassani McCloskey (Chorus Leader) and Andrew Franklin (Chorus Leader)

Directed by: Wendy Beckett and Adam Fitzgerald; Set Designer: Halcyon Pratt; Costume Designer: Pavlos Thanopoulos; Choreographer: Fotis Diamantopoulos; Lighting Designer: Adam King; Composer and Sound Designer: Mehdi Bourayou; Casting Director: Nicholas Hockaday; General Management: Paul Virides Productions; Assistant Choreographer: Tamsin January

Poet. Lover. Legend.

Fusing ancient poetry with modern music, Greek chorus with contemporary dance, Sappho is a thrilling adult fairy tale of mythic proportions that may – or may not – have happened.

We are somewhere between imagination and 6th century BC on the Greek island of Lesbos. The poet Sappho creates a new world in her own words. She breaks the rules of her society and elevates her gender. Socrates calls her work beautiful, Plato describes her as the tenth Muse and many think her work rivals even that of Homer’s Iliad.

Sappho has fallen in love with a woman but her family and a civilisation on the precipice of democracy have other plans for her. The defiantly spirited Sappho comes under fire and soon she must decide whether to marry a man for the advancement of her society or remain true to her own words – and her authentic self.

Expect dancing, passion, poetry and plenty of queer joy as Pascal Productions’ international hit makes its debut on the London stage.

Emmanuel Akwafo plays Narrator. For Black Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Hue Gets Too Heavy (Apollo, Royal Court & New Diorama), As You Like It (Globe Theatre), Primary Playwrights (Soho Theatre), Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk (Lyric Hammersmith), The Bald Soprano (Leicester Square), The Spalding Suite (Southbank Centre, UK Tour), The Bacchae, The Ecstatic Bible (Melton Theatre) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Northfleet Theatre). His television credits include Sex Education, Eastenders, The Crown, 24: Live Another Day, M.I. High, and Grange Hill; and for film Now You See Me 2 and Tarzan.

Aidan Banyard plays Mr Obstinatus / Hephaestus. His previous theatre credits include The Choir of Man (Arts Theatre, Edinburgh Fringe, Australia, US and World Tour), Beauty and the Beast (Lyceum, Sheffield), Les Misérables (UK and Ireland Tour), The Phantom of the Opera (International Tour), Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Malvern Theatres, Rhyl Pavilion), Parade (Hope Mill), My Land’s Shore (Ye Olde Rose and Crown), Viva Voce (UK Tour), Coriolanus (Signature Theatre Company), Pressure Drop (Signature Theatre Company) and Marshmallow Sky (Mansfield Palace). His television credits include Autopsy: The Last Hours of Gram Parsons; and concert credits include On Broadway and Hear My Song, WestEndFest: Miscast (St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden), Bublé to Broadway and Not Just Noise.

Aaron Bladen plays Dancer. His previous theatre credits include Cinderella (Towngate Theatre), The Three Little Pigs (UK Tour) and MS Borealis (Cruise). His previous film credits include Grey Area and Giften Pain.

Jumoké Fashola plays Cleis. Her theatre credits include Beneatha’s Place (Young Vic), The High Table (Bush Theatre), For All the Women Who Thought They Were Mad (Hackney Showroom), CAP – A Medicinal Love Story (Royal Court), Our Husband Has Gone Mad (Unibadan), Trials of Brother Jero (Unilag), Lost in the Stars, Mass (Southbank Centre), The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives (Arcola Theatre) and House Of Corrections (Riverside Studios). In addition, she has written and appeared in one woman shows including Dirty Little Secrets (London Festival of Cabaret/Bush Theatre’s Radar Festival/St James Theatre), Protest – Divas & Revolutions (EFG London Jazz Festival/Royal Albert Hall/The Pheasantry). She also created Jazz Verse Jukebox which had a seven-year residency at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Fashola is also a radio and television broadcaster, currently hosting and presenting Friday Afternoons on BBC Radio London and their Sunday Breakfast show. For five years, she also hosted J to Z, BBC Radio 3’s premier Jazz Show.

Georgie Fellows plays Sappho. Her previous theatre credits include Henry I (Rabble Theatre), Living Newspaper Edition 1 (Royal Court), and Sam Wannamaker Festival (The Globe). Her television credits include Surface, The Day of the Jackal, and Secret Invasion; and for film Life Hack and Red, White & Royal Blue.

Andrew Franklin plays Chorus leader. His previous theatre credits include Dick Whittington (Courtyard Centre, Hereford), Horrible Histories (Terrible Thames), Beauty and the Beast (Courtyard Centre, Hereford), Rapunzel (UK Tour), Pinocchio (Guildford Fringe Company), and Magic At The Musicals (Royal Albert Hall, Magic FM).

Roann Hassani Mccloskey plays Chorus leader. Her theatre credits include ReMythed (Vault Festival), Hakawatis (Shakespeare’s Globe), Who Murdered My Cat? (Soho Theatre), My Father the Tantric Nassuer (Assembly George Square Studios, Edinburgh Fringe), NewsRevue (Canal Cafe Theatre), Besharam (Kala Sangham), Unfinished Business (Park Theatre), Hedda Garbler (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), and All My Sons (The Questors). Her film credits include Kittys Fortune, Freedom, and The Return.

Eleanor Kane plays Adore. Her theatre credits include Fun Home (Young Vic), A Monster Calls (Rose Kingston, Bristol Old Vic, Kennedy Centre Washington DC), Hex (National Theatre), The Invincibles (Queens Hornchurch, New Wolsey),  Just So (Watermill), The Duchess of Malfi (Lyceum Edinburgh, Citizens Glasgow), High Fidelity (Turbine), and Billionaire Boy (Nuffield Southampton).

Lucy MacKay plays Dancer. Her previous theatre credits include Gwenda’s Garage (Crucible Theatre, Sheffield), Ladyfriends (53two, Manchester), Butterfly (VAULT Festival), The Prince of Homburg (The Space), and Air Pressure (Lyric Theatre, London). Her previous film credits include Sumotherhood.

Kostas Tekkis plays Dancer. His previous theatre credits includes Lysistrata (National Theatre of Cyprus). His film credits include Bad Faith, Breakfast Club, The “Good” Witch and Dilemma.

Velile Tshabalala plays Mrs Obstinatus / Aphrodite. Her previous theatre credits include Dick Whittington’s Cat (Compass Theatre), Twelfth Night (Nottingham Playhouse), and Running with Lions (Lyric Theatre). Her television credits include Kerching!, Tittybangbang, The Next Doctor (The Doctor Who Christmas Special), Call the Midwife, Silent Witness, Doctors, Class Dismissed, Birds of a Feather, Hollyoaks, Death in Paradise and Casualty.

Fanos Xenofos plays Pittacus. His previous theatre credits include Can’t See For Looking (Cockpit Theatre), The Beekeeper Of Aleppo (Nottingham Playhouse UK and Dublin tour), Swimming With Sharks (Vaudeville), Antigone (Southwark), Rest Upon The Wind (Riverside Studios, Middle East tour), Hedda Gabler (Riverside Studios), The Crumple Zone (King’s Head), Failed States (Edinburgh Festival), Don Quixote In Algiers (White Bear), and Dogs Barking (Edinburgh Underbelly). His television credits include FBI: International, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Mankind, and The Jonathan Pie Referendum Special; and for film On-Off Licence.

Wendy Beckett writes and co-directs. She has written over twenty–five plays and directed more than fifty. She has also written biographies, radio plays, books, librettos, and academic articles. On ABC radio she interviewed some of the most important minds of our time – including Gore Vidal, Leonard Bernstein and Paul Bowles. Her academic background includes psychology, philosophy, literature and she has lectured on these subjects at many Australian Universities. She has travelled her works all over the world including performances in Sydney, New York, Paris, Tokyo, and throughout Greece.

Adam Fitzgerald co-directs. He is a writer, director, filmmaker, and content creator whose work has been recognized with an Emmy Nomination, Critic’s Picks from The New York Times, The Chicago Tribune, TimeOut Chicago and TimeOut New York, Best of the Year nods in The Advocate Magazine and The Contra Costa Times, a Jeff Award Nomination, and San Francisco Bay Area Critics’ Award nominations. His writing has been published by the Huffington Post and Thomson Reuters Foundation & Openly; and his short film, Occupy Me (director/writer) has been viewed more than one million times on YouTube. Fitzgerald directed RESISTANCE RADIO for Man in the High Castle (Amazon Studios) which was nominated for a Creative Arts Emmy Award and received two Silver and three Bronze Lions at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and the short film Dividends, which won Best Director at the New York Film Awards.

LISTINGS

SAPPHO

Southwark Playhouse Elephant

1 Dante Place, London SE11 4RX

Box Office: 020 7407 0234

3 May – 25 May

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TV’s most iconic villain, EastEnders star Charlie Brooks, to play musicals’ ultimate baddie, The Childcatcher

FURTHER CASTING ANNOUNCED

CHARLIE BROOKS

TO PLAY THE ROLE OF ‘THE CHILDCATCHER’

JOINING

ADAM GARCIA AS ‘CARACTACUS POTTS’

EMMERDALE STAR LIAM FOX AS ‘GRANDPA POTTS’

AND

ELLIE NUNN AS ‘TRULY SCRUMPTIOUS’

IN

THE NEW PRODUCTION OF THE

MOST FANTASMAGORICAL MUSICAL OF ALL TIME
CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG

OPENING AT

MAYFLOWER THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON

ON 30 APRIL 2024
AHEAD OF A UK TOUR

David Ian for Crossroads Live is delighted to announce that Charlie Brooks will play the role of The Childcatcher in the new production of the most fantasmagorical musical of all time, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG opening at Mayflower Theatre, Southampton on Tuesday 30 April 2024 where it plays until 12 May 2024, before embarking on a UK tour. Elaine C. Smith will play the role of The Childcatcher in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness. Casting schedule and listings below. www.chittyontour.com

Charlie will join Olivier-nominee Adam Garcia as Caractacus Potts, Emmerdale star Liam Fox as Grandpa Potts, Ellie Nunn as Truly Scrumptious, Martin Callaghan as Baron, Jenny Gayner as Baroness, Adam Stafford as Boris, Michael Joseph as Goran and John Macaulay as The Toymaker.The cast also includes Charlie Bishop, Ruaraidh Blackwood, Hadrian Delacey, Belle Kizzy Green, Tia Gyngell, Kirsty Ingram, Bibi Jay, Isabella Mason, Joe Press, Theo UK Rose, Molly Rees Howe, Callum Train and Luke Woollaston.

The roles of Jeremy and Jemima Potts will be shared by Gracie Cochrane, Ayrton English, Isla Ithier, Isabella Manning, Charlie McGuire, Jasmine Nyenya, Roshan Thomson and Louis Wilkins.

Charlie Brooks is a seasoned actor with a long list of television and theatre credits to her name. Charlie is well known for playing the iconic role of Janine in BBC’s EastEnders,for which she won several British Soap awards. Her other television credits include BBC’s Bleak House, alongside Carey Mulligan and Gillian Anderson, ITV’s Wired, starring Sacha Dhawan and Jodie Whittaker, and Channel 5’s crime thriller Lie With Me, which was nominated for Best Television Script at the Australian Writers Guild awards. She has also recently wrapped on a major recurring role in ITV’s Broken News directed by Lewis Arnold and written by Jack Thorne. On stage, Charlie most recently played the role of Ursula in the National Theatre’s West End run of The Ocean at the End of the Lane. Charlie’s other theatre credits include leading roles in All in a Row at the Southwark Playhouse, Monogamy at the Park Theatre, Beautiful Thing at the Arts Theatre (West End) and Blanche Dubois in A Streetcar Named Desireat Curve, Leicester.

Adam Garcia recently received rave reviews as Julian Marsh in Curve and Sadler’s Wells hit production of 42^nd Street. His musical theatre credits include Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever and Bill Calhoun in Kiss Me, Kate, for which he received Olivier Award nominations for both roles. His other theatre credits include Fiyero in Wicked, The Artilleryman in The War of the Worlds and Damien Karras in The Exorcist. His film credits include Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express, Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Coyote Ugly and Riding in Cars with Boys. Adam recently appeared as a finalist in the UK series of The Masked Dancer, finishing in second place.

Liam Fox is probably best known for playing the role of Dan Spencer in ITV’s Emmerdale, where he featured in more than a thousand episodes. His many other TV credits include Stephen Poliakoff’s Dancing on the Edge, Cold Feet, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, Clocking Off, A Touch of Frost, Always and Everyone, At Home with the Braithwaites and Dinnerladies. His many theatre credits include The Collector and Tuesday’s Class, both at The Lowry Studio and Iron at Manchester’s Royal Exchange.

Ellie Nunn’s many theatre credits include Identical at Nottingham Playhouse, the UK tour of Posh, Shakespeare in Love at the Noel Coward Theare, Twelfth Night at Leicester Square Theatre, The Game of Love and Chance and Daughter in Law, both at the Arcola Theatre, Honk! at the Union Theatre and on tour and Gatsby at the Arts Theatre.

Based on Ian Fleming’s timeless story for children and later made into the famous 1968 film, CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG features the unforgettable songs by the Sherman Brothers including Toot Sweets, Hushabye Mountain, Truly Scrumptious and the Academy Award-nominated title song, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

This new production will be directed by Thom Southerland (Titanic, Parade), choreographed by Karen Bruce (BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, The Bodyguard) with Set and Costume design by Morgan Large (Newsies, Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat), Lighting design by Ben Cracknell, Sound design by Gareth Tucker, Musical Supervision by George Dyer (The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Billy Elliot) and casting by Debbie O’Brien.

In CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG we meet absent-minded inventor Caractacus Potts who restores a broken-down old racing car with the help of his children Jemima and Jeremy. Soon the family discover the car has magical powers, and along with the delectable Truly Scrumptious, the family end up on a hilarious fantastical adventure to far off lands.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG has Music and Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, Music by Special Arrangement with Sony/ATV Publishing and is Adapted for the Stage by Jeremy Sams. Based on the MGM Motion Picture the Licensed Script is adapted by Ray Roderick. It was Originally produced by Eon Productions, Dana Broccoli, Frederick Zollo, Nicholas Paleologos, Jeffrey Sine, Miriam Productions and Michael Rose at The London Palladium.

This production is presented by permission of Music Theatre International.

Arcola Theatre presents: 

The Book of Grace 

A fierce family drama set against the backdrop of the Mexico-United States border by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks  

Written by Suzan-Lori Parks | Directed by Femi Elufowoju jr  

Arcola Theatre, 16 May – 8 June 2024 

“Nothing short of spectacular” ***** Guardian (on The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives atArcola Theatre, directed by Femi Elufowoju jr)  

@arcolatheatre | [http://about:blank/]www.arcolatheattre.com 

When an abusive husband is awarded a medal for his service patrolling the Texas-Mexico border, it brings to the fore the family conflict between him, his estranged son and his hopeful wife, Grace. Written byPulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Tony nominee Suzan-Lori Parks (Topdog/Underdog), The Book of Grace paints a visceral family portrait, reflecting on society’s hostility towards immigrants with timely new resonance as the world watches its own borders, with another Trump election on the horizon and the UK government continuing to push their ‘stop the boats’ campaign. The UK premiere will be directed by award-winning and Olivier nominated director Femi Elufowoju jr OBE and stars Ellena Vincent (Sylvia, Hamilton, Coronation Street), Associate Artist of the RSC Peter de Jersey, and Daniel Francis-Swaby (Barbershop Chronicles). 

Grace, a hopeful woman desperately seeking positivity in the world, keeps a book of everything good she witnesses, and lives with her abusive husband Vet, a patrol officer on the Texas-Mexico border. When Vet is awarded a medal for his services in catching smugglers trafficking marijuana at the border, Grace invites his estranged son Buddy to join them at the ceremony that is to be celebrated by the whole town. But Buddy arrives armed with resentment, an ultimatum and (several) hand grenades. Can Grace heal the rift, and contain the threat?  

Director Femi Elufowoju jr said, “Eleven years after observing Suzan-Lori Parks and director George C Wolfe in rehearsals with Topdog/ Underdog at the Royal Court, it gives me much pleasure directing the UK premiere of its companion piece The Book of Grace. It is a fascinating character study of a deeply troubled family led by a brutal husband to a wife whose only goal in the world is to see the good in everything. I look forward to opening the can of worms the story’s universal themes entreats us to, and the extreme solutions we consider coming to terms with them.” 

Femi Elufowoju jr OBE is the founding artistic director of tiata fahodzi. His latest venture, the Elufowoju jr Ensemble, conceived the stage adaptation of Lola Shoneyin’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. Also for Arcola Theatre, Elufowoju jr has directed Hoard by Bim Adewunmi and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie as a co-production with Watford Palace Theatre. He made his opera directing debut with Verdi’s Rigoletto for Opera North and directed and wrote a new libretto Der anonyme Liebhaber (based on the life of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges) for Konzert und Theater St Gallen. He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 Birthday Honours for services to drama.  

Arcola Theatre produces daring, high-quality theatre in the heart of East London and beyond. They commission and premiere exciting, original works alongside rare gems of world drama and bold new productions of classics. Their socially engaged, international programme champions diversity, challenges the status quo, and attracts thousands of people to their building each year. Their ticket prices are some of the most affordable in London. Arcola has won awards including the UK Theatre Award for Promotion of Diversity, The Stage Award for Sustainability and the Peter Brook Empty Space Award. 

Running Time: 120 mins (inc interval) | Suitable for ages 15+ 

Company information 

Director Femi Elufowoju jr    Writer Suzan-Lori Parks 

Set & costume designer Will Fricker & Rae Smith       Lighting designer David Howe              Composer/Sound designer Simon McCorry     Production manager Casimira Hayward-Peel 

Cast 

Grace Ellena Vincent Vet Peter de Jersey Buddy Daniel Francis-Swaby 

Listings information 

16 May – 18 June 2024  

Studio 1, Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin Street, London E8 3DL  

Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Sat matinees 3.30pm  

£33 – £12 | [http://about:blank/]arcolatheatre.com | 020 7503 1646  

Social media 

Twitter: @arcolatheatre 

Instagram: @arcolatheatre 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/arcolatheatre    

TikTok: @ArcolaTheatreOfficial

#TheBookOfGrace