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SEASON EXTENDED DUE TO UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND

COMEDY IS EASY.

MARRIAGE IS HARD.

NEIL SIMON’S
HIT COMEDY
PLAZA SUITE

DIRECTED BY TONY AWARD^® WINNER
JOHN BENJAMIN HICKEY

STARRING

TWO-TIME TONY AWARD^® WINNER & TWO-TIME EMMY AWARD^® WINNER

MATTHEW BRODERICK                   SARAH JESSICA PARKER

AT THE

SAVOY THEATRE

EXTENDS BY 2 WEEKS UNTIL 13 APRIL 2024

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

The producers of the West End transfer of Neil Simon’s hit comedy PLAZA SUITE are delighted to announce that due to unprecedented demand the show will extend its season at the Savoy Theatre by two weeks and will now run until 13 April 2024. Tickets for the extra two weeks are on sale now. As well as the £20 daily lottery tickets (details below), for each of the performances a third of the seats are priced at £55 and under.

£20 daily lottery tickets – at every performance, ten tickets – normally located on the front row of the stalls – will be exclusively available for purchase by lottery winners. Winners will be randomly selected every Monday for all of the performances in the following week. Winners will be sent a unique booking link (maximum 2 tickets per person) and have 24 hours to pay for their tickets. To enter the lottery, visit www.plazasuiteuk.com/lottery.

Directed by Tony Award^® winner John Benjamin Hickey, PLAZA SUITE stars two-time Tony Award^® winner Matthew Broderick as Sam Nash/Jesse Kiplinger/Roy Hubley and two-time Emmy Award^® winner Sarah Jessica Parker, who makes her West End debut, as Karen Nash/Muriel Tate/Norma Hubley. They are joined by Rohit Gokani as The Waiter, Charlie Oscar as Jean McCormack/Mimsey Hubley and Eric Sirakian as Bellhop/Boden Eisler. The company also includes Nick Barclay (Standby Sam Nash/ Jesse Kiplinger/Roy Hubley), Caroline Sheen (Standby Karen Nash/Muriel Tate/Norma Hubley), Jamie Coyne (Understudy Bellhop / The Waiter / Boden Eisler) and Hannah Morrison (Understudy Jean McCormack / Mimsey Hubley).

In PLAZA SUITE, these two world-class actors play three different couples in one famous hotel room. Karen and Sam are a long-married pair whose relationship may be headed for an early checkout. Muriel and Jesse are former high school sweethearts who seem destined for an extended stay. And Norma and Roy are the mother and father of the bride, ready to celebrate their daughter’s nuptials – if only they can get her out of the bathroom.

The creative team includes two-time Tony Award^® winner John Lee Beatty (Set Design), Tony Award^® winner Jane Greenwood (Costume Design), five-time Tony Award^® winner Brian MacDevitt (Lighting Design), Tony Award^® winner Scott Lehrer (Sound Design), Tony Award^® winner Marc Shaiman (Original Music), and Jim Carnahan (Casting Director).

PLAZA SUITE is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Hal Luftig, with Douglas L. Meyer, Elizabeth Armstrong, Hunter Arnold, Caitlin Clements, Eilene Davidson Productions, Jeffrey Finn, Terry Schnuck, Smith and Brant Theatricals, Craig Haffner & Sherry Wright Theatricals and Mike Isaacson.

HADESTOWN EXTENDS IN LONDON THROUGH TO DECEMBER 2024!

150K more tickets go on sale for the highly anticipated West End production of the TONY® and GRAMMY® award-winning musical, which opens at the Lyric Theatre from 10 February.

An exclusive first performance from the West End company will be broadcast on Big Night of Musicals 2024 by the National Lottery – Saturday 27 January at 7.50pm –BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Friday 26 January 2024, London: Due to popular demand, the multi award-winning Hadestown, which opens at the Lyric Theatre, London with performances from Saturday 10 February 2024, already announces its extension in the West End with tickets now available through to 22 December 2024.

Winner of 8 Tony® Awards including ‘Best Musical’ and a Grammy® Award for ‘Best Musical Theatre Album’, Hadestown returns to London five years after its sold-out run at the National Theatre in 2018.

In advance of opening in London next month, the West End company of Hadestown gave an exclusive first UK broadcast performance of the track ‘Wait For Me’ this week in front of 12k people at the AO Arena in Manchester for Big Night of Musicals 2024 by the National Lottery. The programme will air on Saturday 27 January at 7.50pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

The West End cast includes Dónal Finn (Orpheus) known for playing Mat Cauthon in Season 2 of Prime’s The Wheel of Time, Grace Hodgett Young (Eurydice) who recently starred as Betty Schaeferin Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy Theatre, Grammy® Award-winner Zachary James (Hades) who originated the role of Lurch in The Addams Family at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on Broadway and the role of Abraham Lincoln in the world premiere of Philip Glass Opera The Perfect American at Teatro Real in Madrid, Musical Theatre actress and singer Melanie La Barrie (Hermes) whose many credits include originating the roles of Mrs. Corry in Mary Poppins at the Prince Edward Theatre and Nurse in & Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre, and Gloria Onitiri (Persephone) who originated the role of Fairy Godmother in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, Princess Desiree in Upstart Crow at the Apollo Theatre and who previously performed in Hadestown at the National Theatre.

Bella Brown, Madeline Charlemagne, and Allie Daniel will play the Fatesand Lauren Azania, Tiago Dhondt Bamberger, Beth Hinton-Lever, Waylon Jacobs, and Christopher Short will play the Workers, with Lucinda Buckley, Winny Herbert, Ryesha Higgs, Miriam Nyarko, and Simon Oskarsson as Swings.

Blending modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz, the Original Broadway Cast Recording of Hadestown is one of the most streamed cast albums of all time with over 350 million streams to date.  It won the Grammy Award® for ‘Best Musical Theatre Album’,topped Billboard’s Broadway Cast Recording chart and debuted at #8 on the Top Album chart.

Hadestown features music, lyrics, and book by acclaimed Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Anaïs Mitchell, who originatedHadestown as anindie theatre project and acclaimed album.  Mitchell then transformed the show into a genre-defying new musical alongside artistic collaborator and Tony® Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin, whose theatre credits include Mission Drift (National Theatre) and American Clock (The Old Vic).

Hadestown takes you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back, intertwining two mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.  A deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience, Hadestown invites you to imagine how the world could be.

The Hadestown creative team features Obie Award® winner and Chita Rivera Award® winner David Neumann (choreography), Tony Award® winner Rachel Hauck (scenic design), four-time Tony® Award nominee Michael Krass (costume design), two-time Tony Award® winner Bradley King (lighting design), Tony® Award winners Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (sound design), Liam Robinson (music supervision and vocal arrangements), Tony® Award winners Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (arrangements and orchestrations), Tarek Merchant (Musical Director), and Ken Cerniglia (dramaturgy). Casting for the London production is by Jacob Sparrow.

Hadestown is produced in London by Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdahy and the National Theatre in association with JAS Theatricals.  

Hull New Theatre – until 27th January 2023

Reviewed By Dawn Bennett

5*****

Michael Harrison, Gavin Kalin Productions, David Mirvish, Crossroads Live, Nick Thomas, Rupert Gavin & Mallory Factor, Jake Hine, Playing Field by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Limited Present The Curve Production of The Wizard of Oz.

There is really only one word to describe this show and that is WOW!! From the minute it started our senses were overloaded from the music, singing, dancing, set, costumes and acting. It was just brilliant.

From the book by L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz tells the story of Dorothy (Aviva Tulley) and her dog Toto (Tyler Ephraim) who live in Kansas with her Aunty Em (Emily Bull) and Uncle Henry (David Burrows). When a tornado hits, Dorothy finds herself blown away and landing in the wonderful land of Oz. She is shocked to see that her home from Kansas has landed on the Wicked Witch of the East and squashed her dead. Her sister, The Wicked Witch of the West (The Vivienne) is not pleased to say the least and plots to stop her getting to Oz, meeting The Wizard of Oz (Alex Bourne) and getting back home to her family. Along the yellow brick road Dorothy meets The Scarecrow (Benjamin Yates) who wants a brain, The Tin Man (Marley Fenton) who wants a heart and The Cowardly Lion (Nic Greenshields) who wants to have courage. The Wicked Witch of the West tries her hardest to stop the group of friends but, with the help of Glinda the Good Witch (Emily Bull), they manage to get to see The Wizard of Oz. But do their wishes come true?

The Orchestra (led by Musical Director Iestyn Griffiths) played magnificently, and there was a lot of tunes from the original film including Off to see The Wizard, Over the Rainbow, Ding Dong The Witch is Dead and many others.

The costumes (Dada Neidhardt – Head of Wardrobe) and wigs (Marianne Chiu – Head of Wigs) really have to be seen to believed, from the grey scale at the beginning of the show to the riot of colours in the rest.…just fabulous.

There were some outstanding performances in this production Aviva Tulley (Dorothy) played the part beautifully, she’s very talented and definitely one to watch. Tyler Ephraim (Toto) was just brilliant. Toto, the dog, was a puppet and puppeteer Tyler made you really believe the dog was real. The Vivienne (The Wicked Witch of the West) was so good, their acting and singing was amazing as was their stage presence.

All the cast and crew in this show very much deserved the standing ovation that they got last night. If you get a chance to see this production, just go…it was stunning!

Love is in the…theatre! West End Musical
Love Songs returns for 2024
Friday 8th & Saturday 9th March
Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7EZ

The West End’s number one concert series returns for its second instalment of West End Musical Love Songs.

After a sold out concert in 2021, the West End’s biggest stars will return to perform the greatest love songs of all time from everyone’s favourite musicals and movies at the Apollo Theatre on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 March.

Audiences can expect showstopping ballads and tear jerking duets, so whether you’re celebrating Valentine’s, Galentine’s or just in love with musicals, this concert is the perfect night out or gift for a loved one.

Brought to you by the producers of West End Musical Brunch, West End Musical Drive In, West End Musical Celebration, West End Musical Halloween and West End Musical Christmas, so get ready to sing along, dance along and take the roof off of the Apollo Theatre.

The line up, to be announced, will include a number of West End stars including host Shanay
Holmes.

Get ready to be serenaded by the brightest stars to the greatest love songs ever written!

CASTING ANNOUNCED

MICHAEL AHOMKA-LINDSAY

TO PLAY CLIFFORD BRADSHAW

IN

CABARET

AT THE KIT KAT CLUB

FROM 11 MARCH 2024

The producers of the multi award-winning, critically acclaimed production of CABARET at the KIT KAT CLUB are delighted to announce that Michael Ahomka-Lindsay will join the company as Clifford Bradshaw from Monday 11 March 2024.

Nathan Ives-Moiba’s final performance as Clifford Bradshaw will be Saturday 27 January. The role will be played by Taite-Elliot Drew from Monday 29 January to Saturday 9 March 2024. 

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay’s theatre credits include the role of Jack Kelly in Disney’s Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, David Heard in Choir Boy at the Bristol Old Vic, Emmett Forrest in Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Benny in RENT at the Hope Mill Theatre and Maugrim in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on a UK and Ireland tour.

Michael joins Beverley Klein as Fraulein Schneider, Teddy Kempner as Herr Schultz, Wilf Scolding as Ernst Ludwig and Jessica Kirton as Fraulein Kost/Fritzie. Nic Myers plays the role of Sally Bowles once a week. Casting for Emcee and Sally Bowles from 11 March 2024 will be announced in due course.

The cast also features Liv Alexander as Texas, Natalie Chua as Frenchie, Laura Delany as Rosie, Taite-Elliot Drew as Hans, Damon Gould as Victor, El Haq Latief as Helga, Grant Neal as Herman/Max, Hicaro Nicolai as Lulu and Travis Ross as Bobby. The cast is completed by Rebecca Lisewski, Ela Lisondra, Nic Myers, Andy Rees, Toby Turpin and Patrick Wilden.

The prologue company is Rachel Benson, Ami Benton, Onyemachi Ejimofor, Joseph Hardy, Liz Kamille, Andrew Linnie, Aine McLoughlin, Jack William Parry, Jazmyn Raikes, Oliver Stockley and Ena Yamaguchi.

This unique production of CABARET opened in December 2021 to critical and audience acclaim, widely praised as the ultimate theatrical experience. In April 2022 the production won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards, the most for any musical revival in Olivier history. The production has also won three prestigious Critics Circle Awards as well as the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Design for designer Tom Scutt.

Transforming one of London’s most famous theatres with an in-the-round auditorium and reimagined spaces, before the show guests are invited to enjoy and explore the Kit Kat Club with pre-show entertainment, drinks and dining all on offer. When booking, guests receive a ‘club entry time’ to allow enough time to take in the world of the Kit Kat Club before the show starts. But of course, the show really starts when you first join us in the club…

One of the most successful musicals of all time CABARET features the songs Wilkommen, Don’t Tell Mama, Mein Herr, Maybe This Time, Money and the title number. It has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.

CABARET is directed by Rebecca Frecknall, set and costume design is by Tom Scutt with choreography by Julia Cheng. Musical supervision is by Jennifer Whyte and musical direction is by Ben Ferguson with lighting design by Isabella Byrd and sound design by Nick Lidster. The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director and prologue director is Jordan Fein. The prologue composer and musical director is Angus MacRae.

CABARET at the KIT KAT CLUB is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Underbelly.

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 27th January 2024

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

Somerset Maugham’s “The Circle” unfurls a captivating tale of love, regret, and the ever-turning wheel of time. Directed by Tom Littler and graced by a stellar cast, this production weaves a delicate tapestry of emotions against the backdrop of Louie Whitemore’s finely crafted sets and costumes.

Tom Littler’s direction expertly navigated the intricate social dynamics woven into Maugham’s narrative. The play’s central conflict revolves around the enduring impact of past choices, and Littler skilfully guides the actors through the delicate dance of emotions and consequences. The pacing is commendable, creating an engaging rhythm that keeps the audience invested in the characters’ unfolding destinies. There are silences, glances, all held with brilliant poise and timing.

Louie Whitemore’s set and costume designs are a visual feast, transporting the audience to the 1920s era. The elegantly furnished drawing-room, complete with period-appropriate furnishings, serves as a grand backdrop for the characters’ emotional upheavals. Whitemore’s costume choices further enhance the authenticity, capturing the essence and elegance of the era perfectly.

Pete Ashmore’s portrayal of Arnold Champion-Cheney is truly accomplished. Ashmore balances the character’s charm, and annoying pedantry, with underlying vulnerability, bringing depth to his portrayal of a man whose abandonment by his mother when a small boy, still haunts him. Olivia Vinall, as Elizabeth Champion-Cheney, complements Ashmore’s performance with a nuanced portrayal of a woman grappling with the complexities of love, betrayal, and societal expectations. Their on-stage chemistry is evident, capturing the audience’s empathy as they navigate the stormy waters of their marriage.

Clive Francis as Clive Champion-Cheney and Jane Asher as Kitty Champion-Cheney inject the production with delightful doses of skill and humour in equal measure. Francis embodies the eccentricities of Clive with comedic precision, while Asher’s performance as the witty and sassy Kitty adds a refreshing layer to the narrative. The duo’s impeccable timing and rapport contribute to the play’s lighter moments, providing relief from the overarching tension.

Nicholas Le Prevost’s portrayal of Hughie Porteous, and Robert Maskell’s turn as George the butler, add further layers to the ensemble cast. Le Prevost captures the essence of a grumpy old man who risked all for love in his youth, while Maskell’s butler exudes a quiet stubborn dignity that resonates throughout the play. Daniel Burke, in the role of Teddie Luton, creates a very credible romantic conundrum for Elizabeth. Will she choose him and risk all for love?

In conclusion, “The Circle” at the Cambridge Arts Theatre is a commendable production that weaves together a captivating narrative with strong performances and exquisite design. Tom Littler’s direction, coupled with the standout performances from the whole cast, makes this rendition of Maugham’s classic a worthwhile theatrical experience. The play successfully delves into the timeless themes of love, regret, and societal expectations, leaving the audience with much to ponder.

UK POP SENSATION

STEPS

PRESENT THE WORLD PREMIERE

OF NEW MUSICAL

HERE & NOW

AT THE ALEXANDRA, BIRMINGHAM

FROM 9 – 24 NOVEMBER 2024

TICKETS ON SALE 9 FEBRUARY 2024

UK pop band Steps are delighted to announce the world premiere of HERE & NOW, a brand-new musical using their iconic music, with an original book by Shaun Kitchener. HERE & NOW will open at The Alexandra, Birmingham for a limited engagement from 9 – 24 November 2024. Featuring Steps’ most beloved hit songs, HERE & NOW isproduced by the band and ROYO with Pete Waterman, and will be directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award winning Matt Cole.

Casting to be announced.

Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…

Steps said, “We’ve been lucky to do many things together as a band, but the question we get asked again and again is ‘where is the Steps musical?’ Well…it’s finally here and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve searched for the perfect story for our music and we’ve found it in the aisle of a seaside superstore, where four friends set out on their own Summer of Love. It’s a story of friendship, romance and community; packed with our biggest hits and sure to have everybody laughing, crying and dancing in the aisles. We can’t wait to open the doors later this year, and see you there!”

Steps (Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins’, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee) are the UK’s most successful mixed sex pop group of all time, with 14 top five singles, 4 number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams & 11 sold-out national arena tours under their belts. The band’s hits include #1 singles Tragedy/Heartbeat and Stomp, the gold certified One For Sorrow & Better Best Forgotten, the silver certified 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart, Chain Reaction, all of which will feature in the musical alongside many more.

Steps’ 2017 comeback tour sold out all 300,000 tickets, making it one of the biggest pop tours of the year. The band have since continued to release new music including two further iTunes #1 singles, the Sia-penned What The Future Holds in 2020 and the Michelle Visage duet Heartbreak In This City in 2022. In 2022 Steps celebrated their 25th anniversary with a headline summer tour and released the #1 album Platinum Collection which means they join ABBA, Rolling Stones and Stereophonics as the only groups in UK history to score #1 albums in four consecutive decades.

Choreography is by Matt Cole, set design is by Tom Rogers, costume design is by Gabriella Slade, sound design by Adam Fisher with casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting.

Website: TheStepsMusical.com

Instagram: @TheStepsMusical

X: @TheStepsMusical

TikTok: @TheStepsMusical

Facebook: @TheStepsMusicalUK

LISTINGS INFORMATION

HERE & NOW

9 – 24 November 2024

Suffolk Queensway,

Birmingham,

West Midlands,

B5 4DS

Performances: Tuesdays – Saturdays at 7:30pm, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2.30pm

N.B there will only be a 7:30pm performance on Saturday 9 November and Sunday 10 November.

Tickets from £13

www.atgtickets.com/venues/birmingham

Royal & Derngate Theatre, Northampton – until 3rd February 2024

Review by Amanda Allen

5*****

I was not sure quite what to expect from the Carl Grose & Spymonkey latest production, The Frogs. Loosely based on one of the oldest plays in the western canon written by the ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes, it tells the story of Dionysus, played by Toby Park, and Xanthias played by Aitor Basauri, and their journey to the underworld in search of a lost friend. I can only say that Aristophanes must be turning in his grave, well rolling about laughing in it more likely! From the moment Xanthias, Dionysus and Jacoba Williams, playing everyone else, crept on to the stage as frogs dressed in voluminous, fluorescent rain capes, the audience was laughing. The comic timing between all three of them was testament to the many hours they must have spent working together, honing their skills, their comic genius, and a genuine connection between all three main actors.

Toby Park’s singing was a special treat, the hilariously funny frog song – “No sense – No tail, What a Queer Bird” went down extremely well with the audience. The characters were all indeed “between land and water, life and death, clever and stupid”. The use of music interspersed with the dialogue helped to keep the production rolling along, always interesting and never slowing down too much, whilst giving us a break from the sometimes manic action on stage.

The staging, designed by Lucy Bradridge, which used 99% recycled materials, was innovative and extremely effective. With a rotating dais and clever use of steps and platforms creating depth and breadth to a relatively small stage, thus keeping the production fully animated. The excellent props and costumes greatly assisted the company in portraying locations, humour, emotions and feeling within the play.

The inclusion of the community theatre frog chorus was also an added pleasure. We all felt that we could be one of those frogs! Although very amateur in comparison to the main actors, the chorus nevertheless added an extra layer of fun to this romp through an old Greek comedy. Again, costumed in voluminous rain capes the frog chorus was enjoyed by all. The use of puppets and puppetry within the play was another excellent way of portraying a lot with very little, the costume designers are to be congratulated on the excellent use of extending anatomy parts in many of the characters’ portrayed.

The audience ranging from children to pensioners all appeared to enjoy the comic clowning of the production and I am sure it will go on to sell out and Xanthias will fulfil his greatest fear, that of success, when it transfers to Kiln Theatre in London from Thursday 8th February to Saturday 2nd March.

STAGE AND SCREEN LEGEND BONNIE LANGFORD

JOINS PIXIE LOTT & KILLIAN DONNELLY IN THE CAST OF

THE 10^TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT OF

MADE IN DAGENHAM

AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM ON SATURDAY 16 MARCH 2024

Stage and screen legend Bonnie Langford will play ‘Barbara Castle’ in the 10^th Anniversary Concert of MADE IN DAGENHAM at the London Palladium on Saturday 16 March 2024. She joins the previously announced Pixie Lott and Killian Donnelly in this highly anticipated one-off show, directed by Shaun Kerrison. Further casting will be announced at a later date.

Bonnie Langford has packed a wealth of experience in her outstanding career which has embraced success in theatre, television, film and radio in both Britain and America. Most recently, Bonnie starred in Sondheim’s Old Friends at the Gielgud Theatre in London’s West End. She also, returned to her role of The Doctor’s assistant, Melanie Bush in Doctor Who on BBCTV and Disney Plus worldwide. She made her theatre debut in the West End at the tender age of seven in Gone with the Wind at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The following year she played ‘Baby June’ in Gypsy opposite Angela Lansbury at the Piccadilly Theatre, making such an impact that the producers took her to America with the show for a highly successful run on Broadway. For this performance, at the age of ten, Bonnie was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Television and film includes: Carmel Kazemi in BBC’s EastEnders for which she won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2015 British Soap Awards and a nomination for ‘Best Serial Drama Performance’ at the 2019 National Television Awards; Lena Marelli in Bugsy Malone (dir. Alan Parker) and Violet Elizabeth Bott in Just William (ITV).

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 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.

Pixie Lott is best-known as a music artist as well as appearing on The Voice and The X Factor as a judge. Since she made her stage debut in Nikolai Foster’s West End production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s, she has won ‘Best Supporting Actress’ in the Indiex Film Festival for her performance in That’s Just Me and recently finished filming for the ITV drama McDonald & Dodds. MADE IN DAGENHAM IN CONCERT will mark Pixie’s musical theatre debut.

Killian Donnelly is currently starring in the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables in the West End, having also played Valjean in the UK and Ireland Tour. He has played The Phantom in the West End production of The Phantom of the Opera (His Majesty’s Theatre) and he made his Broadway debut recreating the role of Charlie Price in Kinky Boots (Al Hirschfeld Theatre, New York), having originated the role in London (Adelphi Theatre) and for which he was nominated for a 2016 Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical and shortlisted for a 2015 Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Musical Performance. Other credits include Bruce Bechdel in Fun Home (Gate Theatre Dublin), Jackie in Frank McGuinness’ Donegal (Abbey Theatre, Dublin); Huey Calhoun in Memphis (Shaftesbury Theatre) for which he received a 2015 Olivier Award Nomination for

Best Actor in a Musical; Deco in The Commitments (Palace Theatre) directed by Jamie Lloyd; Tony in Billy Elliot the Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre).

Film includes: Howard in Christmas in Notting Hill (Hallmark); Charlie Price in Kinky Boots (Steel Heel Pictures) and Combeferre in Les Misérables (Working Title Films) directed by Tom Hooper.

★★★★★ ‘The show the West End has been waiting for. Buy a ticket and go!’ Gay Times

★★★★ Mail on Sunday   ★★★★ Observer    ★★★★ Evening Standard

★★★★ ‘A conveyor belt of raucous fun’ Daily Mail

★★★★ ‘The best British musical since Billy Elliot’ The Stage

★★★★ The Independent  ★★★★ Express ★★★★ Time Out

Ticket Link: https://lwtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/made-in-dagenham-10/

Tickets priced from £25

The Turbine Theatre, Battersea – until 27 January 2024

Reviewed by: Ava Clarkson

5*****

Rita Lynn is written and performed by the brilliant Louise Marwood (Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Bill) and is a one-woman show on an epic scale. Directed by Nick Bagnall, with guest voices throughout, this play holds you captivated for 70 minutes and as you are carried along in Rita Lynns world – you forget there is just one person on stage.

The Turbine Theatre in the Battersea Power Station complex is the perfect setting for the play. A small and intimate venue under the arches of the railway line which seats just 92. The play is interrupted by the rumble of the trains above, but this does not distract, but adds to the ambience. The stage is a black square with nothing but a chair, an old-fashioned telephone and white powder in lines which decorate the floor.

There is no introduction, no brash entrance, the lights abruptly go down and Louise walks on stage. The plot follows Imogen Wood, an ex-dancer and full-blown drug addict, in the height of her addiction, fueled by a toxic boyfriend who enables and encourages her drug use. We see Imogen stumble into a situation where she convinces a wealthy housewife she is in fact a Life Coach called Rita Lynn, with unorthodox methods. Louise never leaves the stage, but we are cleverly transported to other venues – a bathroom, a house, a support group, where using music and piped voices, the plot and her life unravels in front of us. We “meet” her lover Dexter, her drag queen best friend Melian, her boyfriend’s son Buddy and her client Helen – all without another person entering the stage.

The play is funny in parts and heart breaking and hard to watch in others. You appreciate the suffering Imogen is going through and her wish every day to end her drug abuse and at times her life. The music used is superb and fits the venue and the plot. The lighting and use of the stage is hypnotic, and you cannot take your eyes off Imogen (aka Rita Lynn) for 70 very quick minutes.

As Louise is an ex-addict herself and very new to recovery, this feels even more raw and real. Louise says – “You know when you throw something really important away by accident?… I did this with my life” and this is portrayed magnificently in front of our very eyes. You can see the emotion and pain on her face, the tears flow as does the manic laughter.

Then it is over – no big encore, no huge finale – this is the end of the story. Louise leaves the stage, and we are left slightly shocked and amazed at what we have just watched. As Louise bravely says – “I lived and breathed this and my soul is in these pages. Reliving it is hard and triggering. I am very new in recovery so it’s quite a bold move to talk about my drug of choice so much and in some ways glamorise it, the way she does”.

I left this play with a newfound understanding of the chaotic mind of an addict. I felt the emotion portrayed, I willed the character to break the cycle she was in, I gulped back tears and laughed loudly throughout. This play is a must see – I played it over in my mind all evening and I know it will stay with me for days.