A brand-new production of Nikolai Gogol’s satirical masterpiece, THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR, will premiere at the Marylebone Theatre from 3 May – 15 June 2024, with a press night on Wednesday 8 May. The Government Inspector is Nikolai Gogol’s masterful comedy about how corrupt power destroys itself, exposing the tragi-comic consequences of collective delusion and the swindlers who would exploit it.
“There’s no money in honesty!”
A comedy about hypocrites, hysterics and hustlers.
An over-privileged, vainglorious liar is mistaken for a high-ranking government inspector by the corrupt local officials of a parochial town. Desperate to cover up their crimes and escape censure, the town’s Governor and his cronies pull out all the stops to try and bribe this dishonest buffoon with money, wine and women.
Nikolai Gogol’s The Government Inspector premiered in 1836, in the presence of Tsar Nicholas I, whose enjoyment of the play undoubtedly saved it from the appalled censors, furious at this brazen satire of the country’s corrupt bureaucracy at all levels of government. The Tsar is said to have remarked, “We’ve all taken a bop on the nose from this writer. Me most of all!”
Apparently inspired by a real encounter when the writer Alexander Pushkin was mistaken for a government official in a provincial town and then told his friend Gogol all about it, the play is a landmark in theatrical history for its lack of ethical characters, fearless attack on the ruling classes and groundbreaking cocktail of farce and realism.
The Government Inspector’s themes of hypocrisy, corruption and mass delusion have cemented its reputation as one of the greatest comedies in world literature and ensured that wherever a corrupt and hypocritical government is in power, this play finds its way to a stage.
The Government Inspector is adapted and directed by Patrick Myles, with set and costume design by Melanie Jane Brookes, sound design by Jamie Lu, production management by Alex Firth and casting consultancy by Matilda James.
Producer Alexander “Sandy” Marshall said, “The Government Inspector is a remarkably relevant and hilariously funny account of power, corruption and human folly that is so timely you’ll be laughing through your tears.”
Full casting and creative team will be announced shortly.
Orange Tree Theatre (OT) with co-producers ETT (English Touring Theatre) and Octagon Theatre Bolton today announces full casting for the UK première of Kate Attwell’s Testmatch. Diane Page directs Aiyana Bartlett (India Two and Daanya), Aarushi Ganju (India One and Messenger), Haylie Jones (England Three and Two), Tanya Katyal (India Three and Abhi), Bea Svistunenko (England One and One) and Mia Turner (England Two and Memsahib). Testmatch opens at the Orange Tree on 24 April and runs until 18 May, with previews from 24 April and will then tour to Octagon Theatre Bolton from 24 May until 1 June, with previews from 23 May.
Diane Page said today, “I’m really excited to be directing the UK premiere of Kate Attwell’s play Testmatch and to be back again at the Orange Tree. I’m looking forward to working on the play with our fantastic cast and team, and to sharing it with audiences in both Richmond and Bolton.”
Kate Attwell’s
TESTMATCH
Directed by Diane Page
A co-production with ETT and Octagon Theatre Bolton
Cast: Aiyana Bartlett (India Two and Daanya); Aarushi Ganju ((India One and Messenger); Haylie Jones (England Three and Two); Tanya Katyal (India Three and Abhi); Bea Svistunenko (England One and One) and Mia Turner (England Two and Memsahib)
20 April – 18 May 2024
Lord’s, present day. The Women’s Cricket World Cup: England versus India. There’s a rain delay. Stuck in the same locker room together, tensions mount, ambitions are laid bare and a whole new tactical game begins.
Calcutta, 1800. Two British administrators encounter challenges on the field of play that threaten the entire regime.
In this game of integrity and power, past and present collide.
Kate Attwell is a playwright, television writer and devised theatre maker. She is currently working on commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club, A.C.T., EST and Playwright’s Horizons. Her previous productions include So Long Willy, and her work has been developed at Portland Centre Stage at the Armory, The Bushwick Starr and New York Theatre Workshop.
Aiyana Bartlett plays India Two and Daanya. This marks her UK debut. Her theatre credits include A Hundred Words for Snow (Gothenburg English Studio Theatre). Her television credits include Piglets.
Aarushi Ganju plays India one and Messenger.Her theatre credits Unlocking Canons House (Canons House), Roobaroo (The Space), Henry VII (The show must go on(line)) and Face Off (The UnDisposables). Her television credits include The Three-Body Problem.
Haylie Jones plays England Three and Two. Her theatre credits include Lear (Hope Mill Theatre, Shakespeare North Playhouse), Romeo and Juliet, Little Women, Stig of the Dump (Grosvenor Park Open Air theatre), and A Brew, A Terrace And The 184 (Oldham Coliseum Theatre). Her television credits include Blind Spot, Stay Close, Coronation Street, and The Cup; and for film Wanderland, Public House and Jamais Vu.
Tanya Katyal plays India Three and Abhi. Her theatre credits include The Empress (RSC); and for television Eternally Confused and Eager For Love.
Bea Svistunenko plays England One and One. Her theatre credits include The Tempest (Shakespeare’s Globe), Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet (Guildford Shakespeare Company), and A Very Expensive Poison (The Old Vic). Her television credits include 3 Body Problem, Litvinenko, Industry; and for film, Beetlejuice 2 and Cost of Living.
Mia Turner plays England Two and Memsahib. Her theatre credits include Boys (Tabard Theatre).
Diane Page returns to the Orange Tree to direct for a third time, following revered productions of Dael Orlandersmith’s Yellowman in 2022, and as the 2021 JMK Award winner, directing Statements After An Arrest Under The Immorality Act. Her other credits include The Tempest, Julius Caesar (Shakespeare’s Globe.), Lost and Found (Royal Opera House), Out West (Co- director, Lyric Hammersmith Theatre).
In person tickets: from £15, prices increase with demand
Under 30s: £15
OT On Screen: From £15
Access: £15
Recipients of Universal Credit / London Ticket Bank Scheme: limited £1 tickets
SEASON AT A GLANCE
SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
OT On Screen: Tue 16 – Fri 19 Jan
NORTHANGER ABBEY
20 January– 24 February 2024
Mon – Sat 7.30pm
Thu & Sat 2.30pm (from Thu 25 Jan)
Captioned Performance: Wed 14 Feb 7.30pm
Audio Described Performance: Tue 13 Feb 7.30pm
OT On Screen: Tue 21 – Fri 24 May 2024
Octagon Theatre Bolton
1 – 23 March 2024
Stephen Joseph Theatre
27 March – 13 April 2024
Theatre by the Lake
27 April – 17 May 2024
Further summer programming includes:
UNCLE VANYA
2 March – 13 April
Press Night: Thursday 7 March 2024 at 7pm
TESTMATCH
20 April – 18 May 2024
Octagon Theatre Bolton
23 May – 1 June
SUITE IN THREE KEYS
24 May – 6 Jul 2024
Primary Shakespeare: HAMLET 3 June – 5 July 2024 (workshops and performances) Mon, Tue & Fri
RED SPEEDO
13 Jul – 10 Aug 2024
ABOUT THE ORANGE TREE THEATRE
The Orange Tree (OT) is an award-winning, independent theatre. Recognised as a powerhouse that creates high-quality productions of new and rediscovered plays, it entertains 70,000 people across the UK every year.
The OT’s home in Richmond, South West London, is an intimate theatre with the audience seated all around the stage: watching a performance here is truly a unique experience. We believe in the power of dramatic stories to entertain, thrill and challenge us; plays that enrich our lives by enhancing our understanding of ourselves and each other.
As a registered charity (266128) sitting at the heart of its community, we work with 10,000 people in Richmond and beyond through participatory theatre projects for people of all ages and abilities. Our mission is to enable audiences to experience the next generation of theatre talent, experiment with ground-breaking new drama and explore the plays from the past that inspire the theatre-makers of the present. Operating without regular support from Arts Council England, the OT relies on the support of its audiences and funders to raise £500k a year to create this outstanding work on stage and in the community.
ETT (English Touring Theatre) are a UK based international touring company currently celebrating their 30th anniversary. They stage both new and classic productions of outstanding quality, imagination, and ambition; make innovative and pioneering immersive digital experiences; work which interrogates and celebrates contemporary England, reinventing the rules, reflecting the diversity of the nation. You can find our work in your local theatre, online, at festivals, in a field, internationally and in the West End. In the last five years ETT has produced over 50 live productions and pieces of digital work, enjoyed by audiences of over 340,000; and has won the UK Theatre Awards Best Touring Production in 2014, 2015, 2016; Best New Play Revival in 2019; Excellence in Inclusivity and Best Play in 2022; and Excellence in Touring in 2023.
Major productions include a major revival of Equus by Peter Shaffer in a co-production with Theatre Royal Stratford East, directed by award winning director Ned Bennett, which transferred to Trafalgar Studios; Othello, which toured internationally to the Far and Middle East; Trailer Story (a travelling outdoor performance programme that celebrated local creativity); immersive virtual reality experience Adult Children and XR experience Museum of Austerity, directed by Sacha Wares in partnership with Donmar Warehouse, National Theatre Storytelling Studio, ScanLAB Projects and Trial and Error. More recently Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a co-production with Curve and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, directed by Anthony Almeida, the winner of the 2019 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award. A national tour of Tonderai Munyevu’s Mugabe, My Dad & Me; A national tour of The Importance of Being Earnest, directed by 2021 RTST Sir Peter Hall Director Award winner Denzel Westley-Sanderson; The Cherry Orchard reimagined by Vinay Patel; The Good Person of Szechwan reimagined by Nina Segal and directed by Anthony Lau; and a national tour of I, Daniel Blake, written for stage by Dave Johns; and a national and international tour of Macbeth, directed by Richard Twyman.
ETT are a limited company and a registered charity, founded in 1993. We are based in London Waterloo.
Twitter @weareETT | Facebook/Instagram EnglishTouringTheatre | YouTube ETT
ABOUT OCTAGON THEATRE
Octagon Theatre Bolton is a regional producing theatre that makes bold, adventurous and popular theatre of the highest quality that is seen locally and nationally. We believe theatre matters because everyone’s story matters. The Octagon inspires engages and entertains thousands every year through theatre and creative activities, contributing to a healthier and happier community. The Octagon reopened in May 2021, following a major redevelopment funded by Bolton Council and Arts Council England and many others. The Octagon receives public funding through Arts Council England, Bolton Council and Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and Principal Sponsorship from the University of Bolton. The Octagon was shortlisted for Theatre of the Year at the 2023 The Stage Awards.
in association with Birdsong Productions & Wiltshire Creative present
Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong
Adapted by Rachel Wagstaff
Directed by Alastair Whatley
There is nothing more than to love and be loved
How far would you go for love?Sebastian Faulks’s epic story of love and loss, Birdsong, returns to the stage in a brand-new production for 2024, marking the 30th anniversary of the international best-selling novel. The critically acclaimed show, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Alastair Whatley, tells the story of one man’s journey through an all-consuming love affair and into the horror of the First World War.
Presented by Original Theatre & JAS Theatricals in association with Birdsong Productions & Wiltshire Creative, Birdsong will tour to Salisbury Playhouse (6 – 14 Sept), Leeds Playhouse (17 – 21 Sept), Cambridge Arts Theatre (23 – 28 Sept), Liverpool Playhouse Theatre (8 – 12 Oct), Theatre Royal Nottingham (15 – 19 Oct), Everyman Theatre Cheltenham (22 – 26 Oct), Chichester Festival Theatre (4 – 9 Nov), Norwich Theatre Royal (12 – 16 Nov) and Malvern Theatre (19 – 23 Nov).
In pre-war France, a young Englishman, Stephen Wraysford, embarks on a passionate and dangerous affair with the beautiful Isabelle Azaire that turns their world upside down. As the war breaks out over the idyll of his former life, Stephen must lead his men through the carnage of the Battle of the Somme and through the sprawling tunnels that lie deep underground. Faced with the unprecedented horror of the war Stephen clings to the memory of Isabelle as his world explodes around him.
Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong is adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Alastair Whatley. Design is by Richard Kent, Lighting by Jason Taylor, Sound by Dominic Bilkey and with Casting by Ellie Collyer-Bristow (CDG).
Sebastian Faulks said: “A new version of the play to mark the 30th anniversary of the book’s publication? Can it be even better than the last one? I can’t wait to see!”
Rachel Wagstaff said: “I am thrilled that Original Theatre will be bringing Birdsong to the stage again, in this brand new production. I fell in love with Sebastian Faulks’s novel, Birdsong, many years ago and, if anything, that love has only grown stronger over the years – the sign of a true masterpiece. It was such a pleasure going back to the novel and to the script, with everything I have gleaned from previous productions. This new production promises to burst with life, and this remarkable book’s message feels more relevant than ever, at a time when we all hope that love and peace will triumph over the horrors of war.”
Alastair Whatley, Director of Birdsong and Artistic Director of Original Theatre, said: “Birdsong has been part of our lives for over ten years since we first opened the show back in 2013. I am delighted to be returning to Birdsong once again with a brand new production which has been inspired by the response to our online version of the show which came out in the middle of lockdown. It’s an honour and a privilege to return to this story based on Sebastian’s much loved novel and I can’t wait to share it with audiences all over the country.”
Birdsong, a mesmerising story of love and courage, is produced by the award-winning Original Theatre, who presented the smash hit productions of The Mirror Crack’d by Agatha Christie, Murder in the Dark, The Habit of Art and The Interview and Joshua Andrews and Stuart Galbraith of JAS Theatricals, whose current projects include Hadestown which has just started previews in the West End and a major UK tour of Cluedo 2.
The producers of Birdsong are pleased to announce that they will be working in partnership with the Royal British Legion, with associated fundraising details to be announced in due course.
WHY AM I SO SINGLE? Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss’ new big fancy musical is heading to the West End Garrick Theatre, 2 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0HH From Tuesday 27th August 2024
From the multi-award-winning writers of SIX, Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss, comes their all-new, highly anticipated second musical, WHY AM I SO SINGLE? This Big Fancy Musical follows two besties through the ups, and mostly downs, of their dating lives in the era of Tinder (and Bumble and Grindr and Hinge and Feeld). This musical extravaganza about love, dating, friendship – and bees – explores the weird and wonderful hilariousness of being single.
A celebration of friendship and love, WHY AM I SO SINGLE? asks how two super interesting, super cool, super fun pals could possibly still be single?!? This extraordinary and totally unexplainable situation faced by our fabulous duo is made even more complicated by the fact that, on a completely unrelated note, they also need to find a really great topic for their next musical.
Lead casting has been announced.
Jo Foster (& Juliet; Just For One Day, West End;) will return from the show’s early workshop to co-star in this epic musical for the ages. They will be seen alongside the newly cast Leesa Tulley (SIX, UK Tour; Kin, Theatro Technis) as their bff. Together they will navigate the difficult modern dating world and how to flirt with your Deliveroo driver, all with their best friend firmly by their side. They are joined on stage by Noah Thomas (Everything Now, Netflix; Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, West End). The ensemble casting is to be announced.
Featuring epic pop and musical-inspired songs by the dynamic writing team of Marlow & Moss (described by British Vogue as the ‘future of musical theatre’), and high-energy choreography by Ellen Kane (Matilda the Musical, Working Title Films; Dear England, National Theatre/West End), WHY AM I SO SINGLE? is set to dazzle the dating world this autumn.
Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss comment, This is ultimately a musical about two friends, their desire for love, and how they deal with loneliness. We hope people come away feeling super uplifted. And we hope they text someone the second they leave the theatre saying ‘omigosh just fyi i love you soooo much!!!!’
The powerhouse producing team includes Kenny Wax, a past President of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT). He has 25 years of experience working across award-winning and hit shows in the West End, on Broadway and all over the world. His work includes Mischief Theatre productions The Play That Goes Wrong, Peter Pan Goes Wrong and about to open in the West End, Mind Mangler, Marlow and Moss’ Tony Award-winning global hit SIX currently running in London, New York, Toronto, and on a UK and North American tour, Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, based on the book by Kate Pankhurst, which continues its UK tour. Kenny’s Olivier Award-winning shows include Top Hat, Once On This Island, Hey Duggee and The Worst Witch. He is thrilled to be a Producer on Toby and Lucy’s second show.
Ameena Hamid is a producer and general manager who was named Best Producer at the Black British Theatre Awards 2022 for her work on the critically acclaimed production of The Wiz. Hamid is just 23 and having started her West End career in 2020, she is the youngest producer to work on the West End. Producer Credits include: Woman Life Freedom! (GDIF); Invisible (59E59TH); The Wiz (Hope Mill Theatre). Co Producer and Associate Producer credits include: Bonnie & Clyde (Garrick Theatre & UK Tour); Dick Whittington (Phoenix Theatre); Death Drop (Criterion Theatre and Garrick Theatre).
George Stiles is a multi-award-winning writer who has worked on Honk! (National Theatre/UK Tour and Worldwide); Mary Poppins (West End, Broadway, International and UK Tour) and Cameron Mackintosh’s new version of Half A Sixpence (Chichester Festival Theatre and West End). George is also one of the producers of SIX, a journey that has brought him deep joy, helping to guide Marlow & Moss’ breakout hit around the world. With his writing partner, Anthony Drewe, his passion for nurturing new musical theatre is celebrated through the annual Stiles+Drewe Prize.
WHY AM I SO SINGLE? is produced by Kenny Wax, George Stiles and Ameena Hamid. The production is directed by Lucy Moss; the Choreographer is Ellen Kane; the Orchestrator, Vocal Arranger and Musical Supervisor is Joe Beighton; the Set Designer is Moi Tran; Max Johns is the Costume Designer; the Lighting Designer is Jai Morjaria; the Sound Designer is Paul Gatehouse; and the team is completed by Future Cut as music production. The production manager is Phoebe Bath with the casting direction from Harry Blumenau and Sarah-Jane Price from Harry Blumenau Casting.
Full casting is announced for the 10th Anniversary Concert of MADE IN DAGENHAM at the London Palladium on Saturday 16 March 2024.
Joining Pixie Lott (‘Rita O’Grady’), Killian Donnelly (‘Eddie O’Grady’) and Bonnie Langford (‘Barbara Castle’) in this highly anticipated one-off show, directed by Shaun Kerrison are Peter Duncan (Blue Peter, Hairspray, Me and My Girl, The Little Tramp, The Card) as ‘Monty’, Trevor Dion Nicholas (Next To Normal, Hamilton, Aladdin) as ‘Mr Tooley’,and newcomer Gerardine Sacdalan, a third year Urdang Student, as ‘Sandra’.
Actor, film and documentary maker, former Chief Scout and 80’s Blue Peter man, Peter Duncan has a theatre, TV and film career that spans five decades. Peter began his career on stage joining Olivier’s National Theatre and spent the 1970’s working exclusively as actor. He joined Blue Peter in 1980 and became a household name going on to make Duncan Dares, a series that played on his adventurous nature with stunts such as driving across the Irish Sea in a VW Beetle, walking the high wire and cleaning the clockface of Big Ben. After his presenting days he began to appear in musical theatre roles such as Barnum, Me And My Girl and The Little Tramp. In 1995 he was nominated for an Olivier Award as Best Actor in a musical playing Denry Machin in The Card. He has toured in Alan Ayckbourn’s Things We Do For Love, played the twins in Corpse and appeared as Stan Laurel in a production of Laurel and Hardy. He played the roles of Macduff in Macbeth and Fantastic Mr Fox at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park. Peter went on to tour with the Original Theatre Company production of Birdsong playing Jack Firebrace, for which he garnered much critical acclaim. Peter appeared as Wilbur Turnblad in the UK tour of Hairspray in 2016. In 2017, Peter premiered a new play at the Edinburgh Festival, called The Dame written by his daughter Katie. It was followed by a run at the Park Theatre in London, where he was nominated for an Offie.
The cast also features Zoë Rainey (An American in Paris, Kiss Me Kate, Kenneth Branagh’s Romeo & Juliet) as ‘Lisa Hopkins’, Richard Dempsey (Old Friends, Tammy Faye, Doctor Who) as ‘Mr Hopkins’, Gerard Carey (Les Misérables, RSC’s A Christmas Carol, The Jungle) as ‘Harold Wilson’, Jenna Boyd (Come From Away, Wind in the Willows, Eastenders) as ‘Beryl’, Katy Secombe (Les Miserables, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, I Can’t Sing) as ‘Connie Riley’, Kerry Winter (UK Tours Shrek, Grease, The Rocky Horror Show) as ‘Clare’, Sarah Merrifield (Macbeth, lovesexidentityambition) as ‘Cass’, Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Only Fools and Horses, Nativity, Mother Goose) as ‘Cortina Man & Chubby Chuff’, Kieran Brown (The Phantom of the Opera, Crown Jewels, Heathers) as ‘Ron Macer & Mr Buckton’, Neil Ditt (Emmerdale, Crazy For You, Chicago) as ‘Gregory Hubble & Stan’, Will Hopkins as ‘Barry’, Craig Armstrong (La Cage Aux Folles, Come From Away, Billy Elliot) as ‘Sid’ and Adam Strong (Aladdin, We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages) as ‘Bill’.
Sarah Hills (Les Miserables, The Rocky Horror Show) and Josie Brightwell (The War of the Worlds, Call The Midwife) lead a 30-strong ensemble cast featuring graduates from London School of Musical Theatre, Guildford School of Acting and Emil Dale’s Performing Arts Academy.
Michael Bradley is announced as musical director and James Doughty as assistant musical director.
Inspired by a true story and based on the hit film, MADE IN DAGENHAM is a powerhouse musical comedy about friendship, love and the importance of fighting for what’s right. With a critically acclaimed score, this raucously funny show really is the ultimate feel-good night out.
“If you want something done, ask a busy woman…”
Essex, 1968. When Ford’s Dagenham car plant drops female workers’ pay, mum Rita leads her friends in a battle against the mighty company and the corrupted union supposed to protect them. As the women’s journey grows, so does the pressure. Can Rita keep up the fight and the happy home she’s built?
Enduringly funny, touching and timeless, MADE IN DAGENHAM shows how ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they stand together.
The Concert is produced by Scott Garnham and Simon Schofield for Sisco Entertainment and directed by directed by 2024 WhatsOnStage Award Winner Shaun Kerrison (The Osmonds A New Musical UK Tour, Kiss Me Kate and My Fair Lady for BBC Proms, Resident Director The Lion King West End and Resident Director of Mary Poppins on Broadway).
With a book by Richard Bean and music and lyrics by David Arnold and Richard Thomas, MADE IN DAGENHAM is based on the Woolley/Karlsen/Number 9 Motion Picture and performed by arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Theatrical charity, Acting for Others,today announces West End Flea Market 2024 will take placeon Saturday 18 May at St Paul’s Church and Churchyard, Covent Garden. Following last year’s most successful West End Flea Market to date, where they raised more than £70,000, the event returns for its fourth year. 150 early bird tickets will be available for £15 giving people automatic entry into a theatrical prize draw and early access to the flea market. Release date for early bird tickets will be announced on Acting for Others socials media platforms.
Top West End shows will set up a variety of uniquely designed stalls offering theatrical memorabilia, signed items, and the chance for selfies and autographs. Each will be tailored by the company to celebrate their productions, with themed merchandise and special limited-edition collectables with the Best Dressed Stall to be judged by a starry panel and the winner will be announced at the event.
The autograph marquee will return inside the church with entry cost at £10, which includes a free West End Flea Market 2024 poster. Entrants will queue for each time slot and celebrity. This year’s Judges, West End Stars and shows will be announced at a later date.
Keep an eye on Acting for Others socials to stay up to date on announcements:
Twitter: @ActingForOthers
Instagram: @actingforothers
West End Flea Market is organised in aid of Acting for Others, a fundraising organisation for a network of 14 UK theatrical and welfare charities supporting all theatre workers.
Chichester Festival Theatre’s Festival 2024 – the first season programmed by new Artistic Director Justin Audibert – has today been announced by Justin and Executive Director Kathy Bourne.
Festival 2024 includes seven world premieres, a spectacular summer musical, and modern masterpieces. A £1.5million fundraising appeal is being launched for a sustainable new space for emerging artists and creative development in 2025
Justin Audibert and Kathy Bourne said:
‘The Chichester audience is renowned for their sense of adventure as well as their appreciation of quality and tradition, and that’s what this season aims to honour. As always, there’s a spectacular summer musical, an exciting range of world premieres, and modern masterpieces too.
‘We travel through English history – from the Tudors to the present – through unsung heroes and rarely told stories. We’re making maximum use of the Festival Theatre’s epic quality, with bold, rich dramas that tell vivid stories and lend themselves to music and spectacle. The Minerva brings us into intimate close-up, allowing us to eavesdrop on startling and evocative events and characters.
‘We’re delighted to be working with stellar directors, writers and co-producers, and already have some wonderful actors lined up to join us. Our commitment to accessibility is paramount: we’re increasing the number and location of our more affordable seats (including 13,000 at £10 across the season), and offering generous discounts for audiences booking multiple productions, alongside our £5 Prologue seats for ages 16-30.
‘We’re also excited to launch our plans for The Nest, a new space for emerging and community artists, in 2025; and to have appointed the brilliant Miranda Cromwell and Hannah Joss as Associate Directors. We are so lucky to have such a loyal and supportive audience and look forward to seeing you this year.’
In the Festival Theatre:
– The Other Boleyn Girl by Mike Poulton, based on Philippa Gregory’s novel of Tudor intrigue, directed by Lucy Bailey
– Coram Boy, an enthralling 18th century adventure, adapted by Helen Edmundson, based on the novel by Jamila Gavin and directed by Anna Ledwich
– A brand new production of Lionel Bart’s iconic musical Oliver!, directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne, in a new revision by Cameron Mackintosh
– Redlands, a new play by Charlotte Jones, inspired by the Rolling Stones’ Chichester trial, directed by Justin Audibert
– A spellbinding new retelling of Cinderella by Philip Wilson, with music by Jason Carr, directed by Jon Pashley
In the Minerva Theatre:
– The House Party by Laura Lomas, a new adaptation of Strindberg’s Miss Julie, directed by Holly Race Roughan in a co-production with Headlong in association with Frantic Assembly
– Harold Pinter’s first major success, The Caretaker, directed by Justin Audibert
– The Promise, a new play by Paul Unwin on the pioneering post-war Labour government, directed by Jonathan Kent
– The first ever John le Carré novel on stage, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, adapted by David Eldridge and directed by Jeremy Herrin
– A co-production with Told by an Idiot of the deliciously terrifying The Cat and the Canary, adapted by Carl Grose from the play by John Willard, directed by Paul Hunter
– A festive family story created especially for CFT by Michael Morpurgo, Hey! Christmas Tree, written for the stage by Vicki Berwick and directed by Dale Rooks
Company includes Rachelle Diedericks, Philip Franks, Adam Gillen, Shanay Holmes, Billy Jenkins, Alex Kingston, Simon Lipkin, Freya Mavor, Ian McDiarmid, Will Merrick, Nadia Parkes, Lucy Phelps, Jack Riddiford, Aaron Sidwell, Andrew Woodall
13,000 £10 tickets across the season; 9,000 £5 Prologue tickets for 16 – 30 year olds
Plans for a new studio space, The Nest, for work by emerging artists, creative development and community projects in 2025
Miranda Cromwell and Hannah Joss appointed Associate Directors
Off-stage events, exhibitions, free live music, family activities, and CFT Lates
FESTIVAL 2024 PRODUCTIONS – APRIL TO OCTOBER
THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL
By Mike Poulton
Based on the novel by Philippa Gregory
Directed by Lucy Bailey
19 April – 11 May, Festival Theatre
Henry VIII’s court is a stage for love and treachery, where the weapons of choice are sex, marriage, and the executioner’s axe. As Henry’s mistress, Mary Boleyn is a pawn in her family’s lust for power. Queen Katherine of Aragon hasn’t produced a male heir, and Mary’s ruthless uncle scents the chance of putting his niece on the throne.
But Henry’s wandering eye has fallen on another: Mary’s headstrong sister, Anne, whose ambition not only threatens to destroy her bond with Mary and their brother George, but shakes the foundation of Church and State. Can Mary take charge of her own fate?
Based on Philippa Gregory’s internationally best-selling novel, The Other Boleyn Girl is a brilliant recreation of intrigue at the Tudor court – a racy and riveting drama of events that changed the course of English history.
Mike Poulton’s award-winning stage adaptations include Uncle Vanya and Fortune’s Fool for CFT and Broadway, and Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies (RSC, West End and Broadway).
Director Lucy Bailey’s recent work includes Witness for the Prosecution (London County Hall) and Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe).
The cast includes Jacob Ifan (Cuffs, A Discovery of Witches) as William Carey, Kemi-Bo Jacobs (The Ocean at the End of the Lane NT/West End, The Winter’s Tale RSC) as Queen Katherine, Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, The Tempest RSC) as Lady Elizabeth, Peter Losasso (Mrs Warren’s Profession, Twelfth Night) as Francis Weston, Freya Mavor (Industry, Skins) as Anne Boleyn, Lily Nichol (Imperium RSC, Maternal) as Jane Parker, Lucy Phelps (Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare’s Globe, Measure for Measure RSC) as Mary Boleyn and Andrew Woodall (South Downs/The Browning Version, Fracked! CFT) as the Duke of Norfolk; with Chris Green (musician and musical director) and Sarah Harrison (musician).
The designer will be Joanna Parker, lighting designer Chris Davey, composer Orlando Gough, sound designer Beth Duke, video designer Dick Straker, movement director Ayse Tashkiran, wigs, hair & make-up designer Susanna Peretz and casting director Ginny Schiller CDG.
THE HOUSE PARTY
By Laura Lomas
An adaptation of Miss Julie by August Strindberg
Directed by Holly Race Roughan
A co-production with Headlong in association with Frantic Assembly
3 May – 1 June, Minerva Theatre
A wild party. A friendship. A cherished pet. And a night that changes everything.
It’s Julie’s 18th birthday, and she’s throwing a party in her father’s extravagant townhouse. Her boyfriend has just dumped her and her long-suffering best friend Christine is trying to pick up the pieces. As the revellers pile into the booze, down in the kitchen Christine and her boyfriend Jon – son of Julie’s cleaner – clear up and dare to dream of the future.
But as the volume goes up and the shots go down, Julie concocts a twisted cocktail of privilege, desire and destruction.
Laura Lomas’s The House Party spins Strindberg’s Miss Julie into intense, fizzing life for today’s generation.
Audiences will have the option of choosing immersive tickets to be amongst the house party action.
Lomas’s recent work includes Metamorphoses (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Blue Woman (Royal Opera House) and Chaos (National Theatre Connections).
This co-production with Headlong in association with Frantic Assembly is directed by Holly Race Roughan, whose previous work at Chichester includes Hedda Tesman (2019) and A View from the Bridge (2023). Headlong celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2024; their collaborations with Chichester have also included Six Characters in Search of an Author,Enron and The House They Grew Up In.
The cast includes Rachelle Diedericks (Our Generation, A View from the Bridge) as Christine and Nadia Parkes (Kidnapped, The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself) as Julie.
The House Party has set design by Loren Elstein, costume design by Maybelle Laye, lighting and video design by Joshua Pharo, music and sound design by Giles Thomas, movement direction by Scott Graham, intimacy direction by Haruka Kuroda and casting by Matilda James CDG.
For ages 14+; please note this production contains scenes some people may find upsetting.
CORAM BOY
By Helen Edmundson
Based on the novel by Jamila Gavin
Directed by Anna Ledwich
24 May – 15 June, Festival Theatre
21 – 29 June, The Lowry, Salford
Angels and abandoned children, glorious music and murder most foul whirl through this enthralling, moving and richly colourful tale of 18th century England.
At Gloucester Cathedral, Alexander Ashbrook, heir to an aristocratic estate, has his heart set on becoming a composer; but his stern father refuses to listen and despite his love for the beautiful Melissa, flight seems his only option. Far darker conflicts are at play for Meshak, son of the brutal Otis Gardiner who preys on young unmarried mothers – promising to deliver their babies to Coram’s new Foundling Hospital but instead meting out a terrible fate.
Their stories entwine eight years later in London, where two Coram orphans, Toby and Aaron, find themselves on parallel adventures, and the great Handel is at work on a new score, Messiah, embodying the hope of love and salvation over evil.
Helen Edmundson‘s adaptation of Jamila Gavin‘s Whitbread Award-winning novel premiered at the National Theatre in 2005 before transferring to Broadway. Nominated for several Olivier and Tony Awards, it won the Time Out Live Award for Best Play. Anna Ledwich, formerly writer in residence at CFT (Pinocchio) and Artistic Director of Theatre on the Fly (2012), whose recent directorial work includes Anthropology (Hampstead), directs.
The designer is Simon Higlett, lighting designer Emma Chapman, composer and sound designer Max Pappenheim, movement director Chi-San Howard and casting director Annelie Powell CDG.
For ages 12+.
Coram Boy will run at The Lowry, Salford from 21 – 29 June, immediately following its Chichester run.
THE CARETAKER
By Harold Pinter
Directed by Justin Audibert
8 June – 13 July, Minerva Theatre
We’re in London, at the tail end of the 1950s, in a derelict room stuffed with junk, detritus and a bucket for the leaky ceiling. Enter two men: the room’s occupant, the gentle and damaged Aston, and Davies, a mercurial drifter whom Aston has brought in from the streets. Soon they’re joined by the building’s owner, Aston’s brother: the explosively unpredictable Mick.
What follows is a darkly comic, unsettling tango as the three men vie for territory, opportunity and control that remains tantalisingly out of reach.
Premiered in 1960, The Caretaker was Harold Pinter’s first major success and is now regarded as a landmark of 20th century drama, laced with astringent wit and unsentimental compassion.
Justin Audibert, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, directs.
The cast is Adam Gillen (Amadeus National Theatre, ITV’s Benidorm) as Aston; Ian McDiarmid (Star Wars, Six Characters in Search of an Author CFT, Faith Healer Almeida and Broadway) as Davies; and Jack Riddiford (Romeo and Juliet Almeida Theatre, Jerusalem West End) as Mick.
The Caretaker is designed by Stephen Brimson Lewis, with lighting design by Simon Spencer, music composed by Jonathan Girling, sound design by Ed Clarke, movement direction by Lucy Cullingford and casting by Jessica Ronane CDG.
OLIVER!
Book, Music and Lyrics by Lionel Bart
Freely adapted from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist
New revision by Cameron Mackintosh
Directed and Choreographed by Matthew Bourne
8 July – 7 September
This spectacular new production of Lionel Bart’s iconic musical has been fully reconceived especially for CFT by director and choreographer Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh and promises to be one of the most unforgettable shows ever at the Festival Theatre.
The orphaned Oliver escapes the harsh Victorian workhouse and takes refuge in London’s murky underworld with the wily gang leader Fagin and his team of resourceful pickpockets led by the Artful Dodger. He finds a friend in the kind-hearted Nancy and when he’s wrongly arrested for stealing, Oliver meets an unexpected saviour; but is happiness truly within his grasp?
With a sensational score, including Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah, As Long As He Needs Me and many more, the Olivier, Tony and Oscar-winning masterpiece vividly brings to life Dickens’ ever-popular story of the boy who asked for more.
Matthew Bourne is internationally renowned for reinventing classics including Swan Lake and Edward Scissorhands for his company New Adventures, as well as his Olivier Award-winning choreography for My Fair Lady and Mary Poppins (which he co-directed and also earned him a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography) and his recent acclaimed direction and musical staging of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends. The stellar creative team includes designer Lez Brotherston (Fiddler on the Roof, Me and My Girl, Flowers for Mrs Harris).
The cast includes Simon Lipkin (Guys and Dolls, Avenue Q) as Fagin, Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon, The Bodyguard) as Nancy, Aaron Sidwell (Henry VI, Wicked) as Bill Sikes, Billy Jenkins (Les Misérables, BBC’s Dodger) as the Artful Dodger and Philip Franks (The Rocky Horror Show, Witness for the Prosecution) as Mr Brownlow.
Oliver! is directed and choreographed by Matthew Bourne; co-director Jean-Pierre van der Spuy; designer Lez Brotherston; musical supervisor and conductor Graham Hurman; lighting designers Paule Constable and Ben Jacobs; sound designer Adam Fisher; video designer George Reeve; original orchestrations William David Brohn; orchestral adaptation Stephen Metcalfe; casting directors Felicity French CDG and Paul Wooller CDG; children’s casting director Verity Naughton CDG.
Oliver! is produced in association with Cameron Mackintosh. There will be a Dementia Friendly performance on 31 July; a Relaxed Performance on 22 August; and a Summer Gala on 6 September.
THE PROMISE
By Paul Unwin
Directed by Jonathan Kent
19 July – 17 August
To promise nearly fifty million people truly universal health care – ‘cradle to the grave’ – is crackers.
1945. In a country exhausted and crippled by debt after six years of war, time is up for Winston Churchill’s Tories. With a rallying cry for change, Labour wins an astonishing, landslide election victory.
Clement Attlee may be an unlikely prime minister and his cabinet of competing heavyweights – from the loyal Ernest Bevin to scheming Herbert Morrison – argue furiously about how to realise their manifesto: to make a welfare state, build millions of homes, reorganise dilapidated schools, and most dramatically, create a National Health Service that is free at the point of need.
Driven by the passionate and courageous radical Ellen Wilkinson, and the visionary firebrand Nye Bevan, a very British revolution is in the air. But in the face of bitter opposition, is this an audacious pledge of hope or a promise too far?
Paul Unwin’s new drama is a fascinating, deeply pertinent portrayal of the people who moulded modern Britain and what it cost them.
Paul Unwin is co-creator of TV’s longest-running medical drama Casualty.
Jonathan Kent, whose previous Chichester productions include Gypsy, Sweeney Todd and Young Chekhov Trilogy, directs.
The Promise will have lighting design by Peter Mumford and casting by Annelie Powell CDG.
John le Carré’s
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Adapted for the stage by David Eldridge
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
23 August – 21 September
All cats are alike in the dark.
At the height of the Cold War, disillusioned British spy Alec Leamas is persuaded by the head of The Circus and veteran agent George Smiley to stay ‘in the cold’ for one last risky operation against the powerful leader of the East German Secret Service.
But Leamas has committed a cardinal error: he’s fallen in love. After a lifetime of deception and betrayal, can there be room for humanity in the ruthlessly manipulative world of international espionage?
The first ever John le Carré novel to be adapted for the stage, this award-winning 1963 thriller has been hailed as a modern masterpiece.
David Eldridge’s plays include Beginning and Middle for the National Theatre, and his adaptation of Festen (Almeida, West End and Broadway). Director Jeremy Herrin, whose Chichester work includes This House, Another Country and South Downs, returns following recent London productions of A Mirror and Ulster American.
The casting director will be Jessica Ronane CDG.
REDLANDS
By Charlotte Jones
Directed by Justin Audibert
20 September – 18 October
These kids – they’re taking over the world – they’re the new aristocracy, man and the old guard don’t like it.
In the quiet market town of Chichester, the most famous members of the most infamous rock group in the world are on trial.
1967. At Keith Richards’s country house Redlands in deepest West Sussex, the Rolling Stones are enjoying a bohemian night in with the likes of Marianne Faithfull and George Harrison, until the constabulary swoop down and charge Keith and Mick Jagger with drug offences.
Only one man can defend the two icons of the 60s revolution: Michael Havers, leading QC and future attorney general. But the furore also brings into the spotlight his own relationship with his son, aspiring teenage actor Nigel Havers, who’s been drawn into Marianne’s orbit…
This riotous, psychedelic and hugely entertaining account of possibly the most bizarre English court case ever held evokes a turning point in cultural history and the clash between the generations.
Charlotte Jones’s plays include The Meeting (CFT 2018), and the multi award-winning Humble Boy (National Theatre, West End and Broadway).
Justin Audibert, CFT’s Artistic Director, makes his Festival Theatre debut.
A fictional account, inspired by the famous ‘Redlands’ trial of the Rolling Stones.
The set designer will be Joanna Scotcher, the composer and orchestrator will be Benjamin Kwasi Burrell, and the casting director Ginny Schiller CDG.
THE CAT AND THE CANARY
Adapted by Carl Grose
From the play by John Willard
Directed by Paul Hunter
A co-production with Told by an Idiot
27 September – 26 October
As midnight strikes, a storm rages over the wilds of Bodmin Moor. The surviving descendants of the long-deceased Cyrus West have gathered in his remote mansion to discover which of them is the chosen heir to his fortune. As the wind rattles the house, so does news that the most dangerous inmate from the nearby asylum is on the run. Menace lurks around every corner and nothing is what it seems…
The Cat and the Canary has woven its macabre fascination for over 100 years. Carl Grose adapts John Willard’s fabulous period piece into a deliciously terrifying and terrifyingly funny tale that will have you on the edge – or possibly right out – of your seat.
A co-production with Told by an Idiot, renowned for their unique visual flair and playfully inventive storytelling including Charlie and Stan (Minerva 2020), directed by their Artistic Director, Paul Hunter.
The cast includes Will Merrick (Skins, Dead Pixels).
Disclaimer: those of a nervous disposition, allergic to terror and frights and bumps in the night, should attend with caution…
The Cat and the Canary will be designed by Angela Davies; the casting director will be Matilda James CDG.
HEY! CHRISTMAS TREE
Written by Vicki Berwick
From an original idea by Michael Morpurgo
Directed by Dale Rooks
7 – 29 December
Enchanting, funny and heart-warming, this festive story about the importance of finding friendship and somewhere to call home, was created especially for Chichester Festival Theatre by Michael Morpurgo.
Tree is rescued from the forest on Christmas Eve by Mavis, the motorbiking park ranger, who lives with her cheeky cat Winston and 9-year-old Yulia, who doesn’t want to talk and is a long way from home.
Tree has never had Christmas before and isn’t sure about all the decorations he has to wear. But he meets Father Christmas and the Snow Woman, and with Yulia to care for him, he starts to dance. The seasons come and go, Tree grows taller, and soon Christmas comes around once again. And alongside the gifts in their stockings is the best present of all.
Inspired by Michael Morpurgo’s book of poems My Heart Was a Tree, and written for the stage by Vicki Berwick, it’s a perfect first festive theatre trip for 3 to 7 year olds.
Dale Rooks, whose Chichester productions include The Butterfly Lion, Running Wild and The Wind in the Willows, directs.
Hey! Christmas Tree will have music and lyrics by Eammon O’Dwyer.
For ages 3 – 7. Relaxed Performance on 29 December.
Chichester Festival Youth Theatre
CINDERELLA
Written by Philip Wilson
Music by Jason Carr
Lyrics by Philip Wilson and Jason Carr
Directed by Jon Pashley
17 – 31 December, Festival Theatre
You are invited to the prince’s ball this Christmas!
Transport yourself into a spellbinding new retelling of this classic folk tale, full of wonder and delight. Meet a wicked stepfamily, a handsome prince in search of a wife and a missing slipper… But wait: there are also three magical dresses, a wish-giving tree, and help for Cinderella from a very unexpected source.
Packed with thrilling theatricality and delightful comedy, Cinderella is written by Philip Wilson (Grimm Tales), with original live music and songs by Jason Carr, and directed by Jon Pashley (CFYT’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream).
Chichester Festival Youth Theatre follows five-star versions of Sleeping Beauty, Pinocchio and The Jungle Book with another festive feast of magical storytelling.
Cinderella will have set designs by Simon Higlett and costume designs by Abigail Caywood.
For ages 7+. Relaxed Performance 30 December.
FESTIVAL 2024 EVENTS
A lively programme of events and activities will complement the shows on stage.
Join Philippa Gregory for a conversation about The Other Boleyn Girl, and delve deeper into the world of Tudor costume design and the Redlands trial with free foyer exhibitions. The Cat and the Canary Experience Weekend will offer an insight into Told by an Idiot’s unique theatre-making. Free Pre- and Post-Show Talks, with the director and cast members, are held for each production.
We continue the conversations around gender equality in our Fizz and Feminism events, and host events celebrating positive community action to tackle climate change for Green Week.
A Summer Gala performance of Oliver! on 6 September will support bursary places for the Youth Theatre. Knees-up on the Park will be a day of entertainment for all, and there’s free live music in the Minerva and Summer Sessions.
CFT Lates, our monthly series of late night entertainment for ages 16+, returns with spoken word, comedy, drag and cabaret, and there’s a post-show celebration like no other with The House Party Silent Disco.
Family Friendly activities range from free Family Fun sessions and storytelling to a Family Jamboree, and the return of The Brick People and Creation Station.
THE NEST
Incubating, hatching and showcasing the creative talent of the future
Previously at Chichester, The Tent, Theatre on the Fly and The Spiegeltent have been venues offering something different to our usual programming. With an increasingly urgent need for more space to develop creative projects and support emerging artists, we are planning a new venue to incubate creativity in our community, hatch new work in progress and nurture growing artists.
With sustainability at its heart, we have found an ideal structure previously located at the Pleasance Theatre in London and used at the Edinburgh Festival. Usable year-round and fully wheelchair accessible, this 119-seater studio will have a thrust stage to match our sister theatres and removable stacked seating giving plenty of flexibility.
Sited among the trees next to the Festival Theatre, a £1.5million fundraising appeal has been launched (kickstarted with £250,000 from CFT’s own reserves) to create and open The Nest in 2025. Watch this space!
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR APPOINTMENTS
The award-winning director Miranda Cromwell has been appointed Associate Director; and Hannah Joss, formerly Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio and at the Almeida Theatre, has been appointed Associate Director (Literary) at Chichester Festival Theatre.
Miranda will contribute to the creative energy of the theatre, in the particular the work of the acting and creative companies during the Festival season, while Hannah will be working on commissioning new work, generating ideas and liaising with agents and producers.
Miranda Cromwell’s productions embrace new and devised work, musicals and classic texts, including co-directing the Olivier and Black British Theatre Award-winning Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic, West End, and as solo director on Broadway. Other recent work includes Mlima’s Tale (Kiln Theatre), Rockets and Blue Lights (National Theatre/Royal Exchange Manchester/BBC Radio 3), andbreathe…(Almeida Theatre), and The Beekeeper of Aleppo (Nottingham Playhouse).
Hannah Joss was previously Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio, a director in the most recent Old Vic 12 cohort, Resident Director at the Almeida Theatre and Baylis Assistant Director at the Old Vic. She is also an Open Door mentor. As Director, her theatre work includes: Fake Melania (Old Vic), Original Death Rabbit (Jermyn Street Theatre), Carry On Jaywick (Vault Festival/HighTide/UK tour), Paper. Scissors. Stone (Live Theatre, Newcastle), Eigengrau (Kings Head Theatre), The 11th Hour (the Egg, Theatre Royal Bath).
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 17th February 2024
Reviewed by Jacqui Radford
4****
Noises Off, written by Michael Frayne is a play within a play that is fast paced farce. Anyone who remembers farce from the 70s and 80s can easily identify traits of their favourite productions. In some ways the play is a trip down memory lane but also reminds us how comedy has changed over time.
The play is spread across three acts, each portraying the same scene of a fictional farce ‘Nothing On’, but as it careers from a dysfunctional dress rehearsal, through the first live performance and culminating in the most nonsense end of run performance.
The set design and changes are used brilliantly to mark the transition from each ‘performance’. We see them from alternating backstage and front of house perspectives. All adding to the sense of anticipation and increasing fits of giggles.
The entire performance is fast paced but the final act is an energetic and cleverly choreographed treat that combines all the best elements of slapstick. Think of misplaced props, revolving doors, ill-fitting clothes and banana skins and you get the picture.
This performance had a stellar cast that included Liza Goddard, Paul Bradley and Simon Shepherd but special mention has to go to Lisa Ambalavanar who somehow manages to add comedy to sticking to the script when all around is mayhem.
If you love farce, you will not be disappointed. If you’ve never experienced an on-stage performance that includes farce, this is a fantastic introduction. It’s hard to do the play justice without any spoilers!
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – Touring the UK until 30 June 2024.
Reviewed by Rebecca Lobb
4****
A New Old Friends production presents a comedic evening of illusions, frolics and whodunnits.
The story starts with Harry Houdini (Ben Higgins) and his wife Bess (Lydia Piechowiak) in England, desperately seeking a performance slot at King Edward’s gala. Harry knows this performance will help showcase his death-defying escapology stunts on a global scale. And with Bess as his loyal side kick nothing is stopping him…until he is framed for murder by a gang of criminals who have a secret pact with the local police. So can Harry and Bess clear their names and prove who the real murderer is?
Higgins and Piechowiak delivered a very playful and whimsical performance as a couple, and Piechowiak’s personality particularly shone in the second act highlighting that behind every successful man, there is a woman like Bess who is ready to protect. This is one thing the writers Heather and Fearg really wanted to highlight in this story.
Undoubtedly the star of the show was Adam Elliott who played many characters including Hardeen, Chief Doyle and the Barkers. He displayed high energy throughout and provided perfect comedic timing. He was also supported alongside Kirsty Cox who played several female characters, such as Ma Barker, Officer Dibble and Agatha. Together they were both flawless, and at times I even considered if they had body-doubles because they had so many different characters to portray, often in the same scene!
This play is still in its very early stages, and a few tweaks could be made, such as the train rooftop scene left a little to be desired, and you could often see a performer changing an accessory or pulling the curtain behind the scenes, which was slightly distracting. The set also appeared quite low budget, but I commend the cast, as they not only acted but they also managed all the props and scene changes.
It was very clear from the beginning that this is a very hardworking cast of just four people, sometimes playing multiple roles, who offered a lot of laughs, magical illusions and charisma. It was enjoyable from start to finish!
Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 17th February 2024
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4.5****
The Circle by Somerset Maugham tells the story of a family reunion that takes an unexpected turn when the misfortunes of the father are revisited upon the son.
The story opens on a sumptuous set evoking the spleandour of a country pile as Arnold is nervously anticipating the arrival of his estranged mother, who he hasn’t seen for 30 years. His wife, Elizabeth, extended the invitation but hadn’t counted on the unexpected arrival of Arnold’s father – nor his mischievous scheming.
Olivia Vinall played Elizabeth with an understated exuberance that befits the era and which was impressively dramatic. I find it hard to warm to anyone contemplating splitting up a marriage but Olivia gave the part such a laudable integrity and compelling gentleness that I found myself rooting for her and hoping she would do the right thing. I just wasn’t sure what the right thing was…
…and therein lies the rub, since this is a very ambiguous play. It doesn’t moralise, nor offer any definitive answers. Instead it explores the full spectrum of familial quandaries from a multitude of angles and leaves one both questioning societal morality alongside ones own. A very illuminating exercise.
The two men in Elizabeth’s life – husband Arnold (Pete Ashmore) and his friend Teddie (Daniel Burke) who she realizes she has fallen in love with, are polar opposites but both actors brought these men to life with passionate portrayals.
From her opening scene’s rather haughty austerity to the more contemplative moments with the two central loves of her life to imparting her hard earned wisdom during the chat with Elizabeth, Jane Asher (as Kitty, Arnold’s mother) showed why has has been such a legend of the stage and screen for so long, giving us a nuanced character study that was never anything less than totally compelling. The scene where she reacts to her old photo and ensuing discussion with her partner was particularly effective and touching.
Clive, Kitty’s ex-husband, was played by Clive Francis with a beautifully light comic touch and a relish that was a joy to behold. I loved his almost under the radar opportunistic meddling. Such delicious peskiness. His former friend (and Kitty’s partner for the last 30 years) Hughie (Nicholas Le Prevost) was equally marvellous although in a totally different way. I found myself totally in sympathy with him. His waffling vocal dismissal was hilarious and a character trait I shall attempt to develop myself.
Like an Agatha Christie where the weapons are words instead of daggers, I was riveted from start to finish, being totally drawn into this domesticated universe of polite warfare. Not so much a whodunnit as a howcouldtheyhavedunnit (or even a howcouldtheyavoiddoingit): it holds an entertaining mirror up to old fashioned attitudes, discussing social mores as history repeats itself a generation apart. A shockingly everyday ending was the final icing on the cake with an unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on your point of view) inevitability which displayed the author’s genius.
A study of the complexities of life, love, honour and duty – if you love Oscar Wilde you will love this play – especially given the stellar cast at the top of their game. I certainly loved and can wholeheartedly recommend it.
