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FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR WISE CHILDREN’S

NEW CO-PRODUCTION OF BLUE BEARD

-WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY EMMA RICE

Artistic Director of Wise Children, Emma Rice today announces the full cast for the world première of Blue Beard. Written and directed by Rice, the cast includes Isabel Adomakoh Young, Stu Barker, Mirabelle Gremaud, Stephanie Hockley, Patrycja Kujawska, Adam Mirsky, Katy Owen, and Tristan Sturrock.

Blue Beard, a co-production with Birmingham Rep,HOME Manchester, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and York Theatre Royal opens at Theatre Royal Bath on 8 February, with previews from 2^nd, and runs until 10 February, before embarking on a UK tour to venues including the partner theatres.

Further creatives joining the team include: Stu Barker (Composer), Vicki Mortimer (Set and Costume designer), Simon Baker (Sound and Video designer), Malcolm Rippeth (Lighting Designer), Etta Murfitt (Movement Director and Choreographer) and Ian Ross (Musical Supervisor and Arranger).

A Wise Children, Birmingham Rep, HOME Manchester, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and York Theatre Royal co-production

BLUE BEARD

Written and directed by Emma Rice

Cast: Isabel Adomakoh Young, Stu Barker, Mirabelle Gremaud, Stephanie Hockley, Patrycja Kujawska, Adam Mirsky, Katy Owen, Tristan Sturrock

Composer: Stu Barker;

Set and Costume Designer: Vicki Mortimer;

Sound and Video Designer: Simon Baker;

Lighting Designer: Malcolm Rippeth;

Movement Director and Choreographer: Etta Murfitt

Blue Beard the Magician makes hearts flutter and pupils dilate. With a wink, a stroke and a flick – things just seem to vanish. Cards, coins, scarves… and women.

Puff! Gone. Without a trace.

He meets his match when his young bride discovers his dark and murderous secret. She summons all her rage, all her smarts and all her sisters to bring the curtain down on his tyrannous reign.

Emma Rice brings her own brand of theatrical wonder to this most beguiling and disturbing of tales. With her signature sleight of hand, Blue Beard explores curiosity and consent, violence and vengeance – all through an intoxicating lens of music, wit and tender truth.

When someone tells you not to look, OPEN THE BLOODY DOOR!

Isabel Adomakoh Young’s theatre work includes As You Like It (Shakespeare’s Globe), Modest (UK tour and Kiln Theatre), Hamlet (Bristol Old Vic), Living Newspaper Edition 3 (Royal Court Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Dear Elizabeth (Gate Theatre), Meatballs (Hampstead Theatre), The Provoked Wife, Venice Preserved (RSC), To Kill a Mockingbird (Lyric Hammersmith), Consensus, Victoria’s Knickers (Soho Theatre), Macbeth (NYT at Garrick Theatre), Bite Your Tongue (Hackney Showroom), Blood (Arcola) and Lionboy (Complicité). For television, her work includes Heartstoppers and Foundation.

Stu Barker returns to work with the company after his work on Wise Children (The Old Vic). He also worked extensively as composer/musical director with Kneehigh Theatre (1999-2016). His other work as composer/musical director includes Brief Encounter (Broadway / West End), A Matter Of Life And Death / Tristan And Yseult (National Theatre), Cymbeline / Don John, The Empress (RSC), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe), 946-The Amazing Story Of Adolphous Tips (Kneehigh), Hansel And Gretel (Bristol Old Vic), The Bacchae / The Wooden Frock (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Nights at The Circus, The Red Shoes (Lyric Hammersmith), The Wild Bride, Rapunzel, Midnight Pumpkin (BAC), and Pandora’s Box (Northern Stage), as well as work on The Grinning Man (West End), Pippi Longstocking (Royal & Derngate), and with the Donmar Warehouse, Bristol Old Vic, Welfare State International, Contact Theatre, Horse And Bamboo, Liverpool Lantern Company, And Now, and Travelling Light. For television, his work includes The Cult of The Suicide Bomber, and Beyond Grief.

Mirabelle Gremaud returns to the company, having previously appeared in Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour), Malory Towers (Bristol Passenger Shed/UK tour), and Wuthering Heights (Bristol Old Vic, National theatre and UK tour).Her theatre credits as an actress/dancer and contortionist includeLe Conte des Contes (Théâtre Kléber-Mélau), Peter Pan (Birmingham Rep), Swan Lake (The Lost Estate), Acrojou (Roundhouse), Falling (Complicité), and her solo show Sombre Sloughing (UK and European tour).

Stephanie Hockley returns to the company – she previously appeared in Wuthering Heights (UK and US tour) and Malory Towers. Her other theatre credits include Robin Hood (Watermill Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Storyhouse), The Show Must Go On (St Luke’s Bombed Out Church), Return to the Forbidden Planet (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Robin Hood the Rock n’ Roll Panto, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel (Liverpool Everyman), Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Storyhouse, Chester) and Sleeping Beauty (Mercury Theatre Colchester).

Patrycja Kujawska returns to the company, having previously appeared in Bagdad Cafe (The Old Vic), and Wise Children (The Old Vic/Wise Children). Her other theatre credits include Cyrano, The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic), The Tin Drum, Midnight’s Pumpkin, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips (Kneehigh), The Red Shoes, The Wild Bride, Tristan and Yseult (Kneehigh Theatre Company, UK/US tour), Dead Dog in a Suitcase (and Other Love Songs) (Kneehigh/UK tour/Shanghai tour), Don John (RSC), Drop Dead Gorgeous, Let The Mountains Lead You To Love, Punch Drunk, Fairy Tale, Test Run, If We Go On, Underworld (Vincent Dance Theatre), and Broken Chords, and Motherland (Vincent Dance Theatre UK/US tour)

Adam Mirsky’s theatre credits include Town Planning in the Apocalypse, Handel and Hendrix (NYT), Scratch (Izzy Parriss Productions), Emile & Emily (Tightrope Theatre), Imaginary Natural Beings (Vaults), Maklena (Night Train Theatre), Mojave (Citizens Band Radio), Walk Swiftly and with Purpose (Three Sisters), Coriolanus (Corpus Playroom), Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge Arts Theatre), and Boys, and Little Shop of Horrors (ADC Theatre). For television, his work includes Endeavour.

Katy Owen returns to the company – she previously appeared in Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour), and Wuthering Heights (Bristol Old Vic, National theatre and UK / US tour). Her other theatre credits include UBU Karaoke!, Rebecca (Kneehigh), The Little Matchgirl and Other Happier Tales (Bristol Old Vic/Shakespeare’s Globe/UK tour), Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tipps (Kneehigh/ Shakespeare’s Globe/UK tour), The World of Work, The Night Before Christmas (Chapter Arts Centre), Apparitions of Spirits with the Forsythe Sisters (Gaggle Babble), Maudie’s Rooms, Plum – and Me, Will!, Cinders (Sherman Theatre), Ill Met by Moonlight (Wales Millennium Centre), The Tempest (Theatr Iolo) and The Moon Dragon & The Wounded Angel (Theatr Gwent). Her television credits include The Story of Tracy Beaker; and for film, Cyrano and Daddy’s Girl.

Tristan Sturrock’s theatre credits include The Meaning of Zong (Bristol Old Vic at the Barbican), The Nutcracker, Cyrano, Messiah, Little Mermaid, Peter Pan, Coram Boy, Treasure Island, Juliet and Her Romeo, Faraway, The Beaux Stratagem (Bristol Old Vic), Rebecca, Danger My Alley, The Young Man of Currie (Kneehigh), 101 Dalmatians (Tobacco Factory), The Little Table of Delights, Frankenspine (Theatre Damfino), Mayday Mayday (Theatre Damfino and St Ann’s Warehouse), Brief Encounter (Kneehigh, West End and Broadway), A Matter of Life and Death, Salome (Kneehigh, National Theatre), Tristan and Yseult (National Theatre, Sydney, US), Edward II, Blue Remembered Hills (Sheffield Theatres), As You Like It (Royal Exchange Theatre), Jerusalem Syndrome, The Station (Soho Theatre), The Mysteries, Spanish Tragedy (RSC), and King of Prussia (Kneehigh/Donmar Warehouse). For television, his work includes Truelove, The Marlow Murder Club, The Tower, Malpractice, Miss Scarlet and the Duke, The Outlaws, Poldark, Death in Paradise, The Interrogation, Strike Back, The Crown, Three Girls, Doc Martin, Jamaica Inn, The Borgias, The Best of Men, The Queen, Garrow’s Law, Bad Girls, Bodily Harm, The Project, Menace, Rescue Me, and The New Adventures of Robin Hood; and for film, Long Way Back, My Policeman, Bait, Christopher Robin, and Saving Grace. 

Emma Rice is the proud and excited Artistic Director of her company, Wise Children. She adapted and directed the company’s The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales) (The Lucky Chance), Wuthering Heights (UK and US tour), Bagdad Cafe (The Old Vic), Angela Carter’s Wise Children (The Old Vic/UK tour) and Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers (Bristol Passenger Shed/UK tour).  As Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe (2016/18), she directed Romantics Anonymous, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales). For the previous 20 years, she worked for Kneehigh as an actor, director and Artistic Director. Productions included The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, Tristan & Yseult, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, The Wild Bride, The Red Shoes, The Wooden Frock, The Bacchae, Cymbeline (in association with RSC), A Matter of Life and Death (in association with National Theatre), Rapunzel (in association with Battersea Arts Centre), Brief Encounter (in association with David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers Productions), Don John (in association with the RSC and Bristol Old Vic), Wah! Wah! Girls (in association with Sadler’s Wells and Theatre Royal Stratford East for World Stages), and Steptoe and Son. Other work includes the West End production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, Oedipussy (Spymonkey), The Empress (RSC), and An Audience with Meow Meow (Berkeley Repertory Theatre). In 2019 Rice received the UK Theatre Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre.

This production is supported by Cockayne – Grants for the Arts and The London Community Foundation.

BLUE BEARD

LISTINGS:

Bath Theatre Royal:                      

2 – 10 February

www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Box Office: 01225 448844

Manchester HOME

13 – 24 February

www.homemcr.org

Box Office 0161 200 1500

York Theatre Royal

27 February – 9 March

www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Box Office: 01904 623 568

The Lyceum Edinburgh

12 – 30 March

www.lyceum.org.uk

Box Office: 0131 248 4848

Birmingham Rep

9 – 20 April

www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

Box Office: 0121 236 4455

Battersea Arts Centre

23 April – 18 May

www.bac.org.uk

Box Office: 020 7223 2223

Further tour dates, to be announced shortly.

REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE ANNOUNCES

THE WORLD PREMIERE STAGE ADAPTATION OF

BEAR SNORES ON

BY CUSH JUMBO, KATY SECHIARI AND HARRY BLAKE –

OPENING THE VENUE IN SPRING 2024

REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE ANNOUNCES

THE WORLD PREMIERE STAGE ADAPTATION OF

BEAR SNORES ON

BY CUSH JUMBO, KATY SECHIARI AND HARRY BLAKE –

OPENING THE VENUE IN SPRING 2024

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre today announce the world premiere stage adaptation of Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman’s Bear Snores On, with book by Cush Jumbo and Katy Sechiari, and music & lyrics by Harry Blake.  

The production, directed by Cush Jumbo and Katy Sechiari, runs from 23 March – 21 April 2024 (press performance: Wednesday 27 March at 2pm), marking Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s first production at the venue outside of its summer season. Bear Snores On invites audiences of 4+ and their families to travel from the theatre lawn to a new and specially created indoor pop up space within the theatre grounds.

Cush Jumbo, Adaptor and Co-Director, said today, “I am so thrilled to be bringing one of my favourite children’s books to life in the magical Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. This show is a theatrical experience made for all to enjoy and we hope that adults will enjoy it just as much (maybe more shh!) as their kids will.”

Tim Sheader, Artistic Director and James Pidgeon, Executive Director, also commented “Cush, Katy and Harry’s wonderful adaptation of Bear Snores On continues our commitment to creating exceptional, enriching and unexpected theatre for young people and their families; we could not be more delighted to be staging the piece at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre next spring. This project also marks a significant organisational moment for us, as it is the first time in our 91-year history that we will be producing a live theatre experience at the Open Air Theatre outside of our May – September summer season. We cannot wait for you to join us.”

Bear Snores On tickets go on sale to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre members today, Thursday 23 November 2023 at 11am; public booking opens on Tuesday 28 November 2023 at 10am.

To find out more about becoming a member visit: www.openairtheatre.com/membership

BEAR SNORES ON
Book by Cush Jumbo and Katy Sechiari

Music & Lyrics by Harry Blake
Based on the book by Karma Wilson and Jane Chapman

Creatives include: Harry Blake (Musical Director), Rebecca Brower (Set & Costume Designer), Joshie Harriette (Lighting Designer), Lotte Hines (Casting Director), Cush Jumbo (Co-Director), Maia Kirkman-Richards (Puppet Designer & Director), Ebony Molina (Movement Director), Katy Sechiari (Co-Director) and Luke Swaffield (Sound Designer)

23 March – 21 April 2024

Press performance: Wednesday 27 March, 2pm

‘In a cave, in the woods in his deep, 

dark lair, through the long, cold winter

sleeps a great brown bear.’

A winter frost covers the trees of Regent’s Park, a snow storm is brewing and a tiny Mouse is looking for somewhere warm and safe to hide…a nearby cave could hold the answer but what else does it hold? Something big and brown and fluffy?

Grab your backpack and join Mouse on a magical theatrical journey as she finds fun, courage and a whole bunch of new animal friends.

With book by Cush Jumbo (Josephine and I, Bush Theatre, London and Public Theatre, New York) and Katy Sechiari (Sweeney Todd, The BRIT School) and music & lyrics by Harry Blake (The Tempest reimagined for everyone aged six and over, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Bear Snores On is inspired by the beloved picture book, for anyone aged 4+ with a sense of adventure. 

In spring 2024, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre will emerge early from our annual hibernation for Bear Snores On. This new theatrical experience for families will travel from the theatre lawn to an indoor pop up space within the theatre grounds.

Presented in association with Cush Jumbo

REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE – LISTINGS

BEAR SNORES ON
23 March – 21 April 2024, various times

Access performances:

Relaxed: Saturday 6 April, 2pm and Thursday 11 April, 11am

BSL Interpreted: Tuesday 16 April, 1pm

Age Recommend: 4+

Tickets: Adults £16.50 Child £14.50

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

Box Office 0333 400 3562* | openairtheatre.com

Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4NU

* Lines open Monday – Sunday, 10am – 4pm. A £1.80 per ticket telephone booking fee applies. 0333 numbers are charged at the same rate as calls to 01 and 02 numbers as regulated by Ofcom. Please check with your provider for further details.

Visit openairtheatre.com for latest ticket prices, concessions and discounts.

SOCIAL MEDIA

X: @OpenAirTheatre | Facebook: RegentsParkOpenAirTheatre | Instagram: @RegentsParkOAT

#OAT2024 / #BearSnoresOn

RAISE A GLASS TO THE FAIR MAID OF THE WEST WITH PUB-STYLE SEATING AND ENJOY ‘INTERVAL DRINKS’ WITH RSC ARTISTS

This festive season, visitors to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) production of The Fair Maid of the West in Stratford-upon-Avon can immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of a 1590s tavern, with pub-style seating in the Swan Theatre. Adapted and directed by Isobel McArthur after Thomas Heywood, The Fair Maid of the West is a music-filled Elizabethan comedy centered around pub landlady Liz Bridges (Amber James).  

The seating was made possible through a collaboration with Stratford’s famous The Dirty Duck pub, who donated a range of items following a recent refurbishment to reduce waste and promote environmental responsibility.  

The pub-style seating, featuring bar stools and benches, will be located on the Ground level of the Swan Theatre, in rows A, B, and C on either side of the stage and may involve some limited interaction with the acting company during the performance.  

Commenting on the approach, the show’s designer Ana Inés Jabares-Pita said:  

“Isobel and I wanted to create an immersive and unforgettable experience for the audience, transforming the Swan auditorium into a giant pub where everybody is welcome.  

“Thanks to our brilliant production manager Matt Aston, we’ve managed to recycle some of The Dirty Duck’s old furniture including bar stools, tables and chairs. The Dirty Duck is a Stratford-upon-Avon institution, much-loved by visiting acting companies and residents, so it felt absolutely right to collaborate with them on bringing a slice of authentic pub-life to the Swan Theatre this festive season.” 

Tickets can be booked online at https://www.rsc.org.uk/the-fair-maid-of-the-west/, or via the Box Office on 01789 331111 (Monday – Friday, midday – 6pm). 

Also announced today is the release of the fourth series of the RSC’s podcast, Interval Drinks, featuring guests including Isobel McArthur and Gary McNair, Anyebe Godwin and Cleo Sylvestre, Amber Sylvia Edwards and Greg Hicks, and Eleanor Rhode and John Bulleid.   

Interval Drinks is an opportunity to learn more about the life of the RSC from those at the heart of the Company. The Podcast offers audiences an insight into the professional journeys of these RSC artists, as well as a chance to explore the craft of modern theatre and discuss some of the biggest issues facing the theatre industry today. 

The first two episodes are already available for download here. Episode one features British Nigerian actor Anyebe Godwin, who has recently appeared in the RSC’s The Empress and Falkland Sound, and actress Cleo Sylvestre, who was the first black woman ever to play a leading role at the National Theatre in London and was most recently in the RSC’s As You Like It at 78 years old. 

Episode two features Scottish actress Amber Sylvia Edwards who recently played one of the witches in the RSC’s 2023 production of Macbeth, and RSC associate actor Greg Hicks who originally joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1976.  

Released on Thursday 30^th November, episode three features theatre director Eleanor Rhode, who directed the RSC’s 2020 production of King John is directing the RSC’s upcoming 2024 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Eleanor is joined by John Bulleid, an actor, magician and illusion designer who brought the RSC’s 2021 production of The Magic Elephant to life. 

The final week of episodes will be released on Thursday 7^th December featuring Olivier award-winning actor, writer and director Isobel McArthur who is perhaps best known for her five-star production of Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort of) and is directing a new adaptation of The Fair Maid of the West, which will open in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon on Saturday 2^nd December. Featured alongside Isobel is writer and performer Gary McNair whose 2023 production Dear Billy, is a tribute to comedian Billy Connolly.  

New episodes from the series will become available to download at 11am every Thursday from 23^rd November until 7^th December. 

CELEBRATE THE FESTIVE SEASON

WITH THE

NATIONAL THEATRE

Whether it’s a night out with all the family to see Roald Dahl’s The Witches, a peek inside the dressing room of Burton and Gielgud’s famous Hamlet on Broadway in The Motive and the Cue or a cosy night in with Phoebe Waller Bridge’s Fleabag, the National Theatre has something for everyone this festive season.

On the South Bank, The Witches.a co-production with the Roald Dahl Story Company provides festive family fun in the form of a rip-roaring musical version of Roald Dahl’s timeless tale. Filled with wit, daring and heart, the new musical is directed by Lyndsey Turner with book and lyrics by Olivier Award-winner Lucy Kirkwood and music and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Dave Malloy.

The cast includes three-time Olivier-nominated Katherine Kingsley as the Grand High Witch, BAFTA Award-winner Daniel Rigby as hotel manager Mr Stringer and Sally Ann Triplett as Gran.

Across the river in the West End, two critically acclaimed National Theatre productions, Dear England, written by James Graham, and directed by Rupert Goold, and recent winner of ‘Best Play’ at the 2023 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, The Motive and the Cue, written by Jack Thorne and directed by Sam Mendes,thrill audiences this winter.

Dear England tells the story of the England men’s football team under Gareth Southgate. Joseph Fiennes reprises his role as Southgate with Dervla Kirwan joining him in the role of Pippa Grange, sports psychologist and Head of People and Team Development at The Football Association from 2017 until 2019. 

The Motive and the Cue, a co-production with Neal Street Productions is a fierce and funny play inspired by the making of Richard Burton and Sir John Gielgud’s landmark Broadway production of Hamlet in 1964.  Offering a glimpse into the politics of a rehearsal room and the relationship between art and celebrity, Johnny Flynn, Mark Gatiss and Tuppence Middleton return to play the iconic roles of Richard Burton, John Gielgud and Elizabeth Taylor.

For those who want to cosy up indoors this winter, there are more than 70 world-class productions available on National Theatre at Home. Fleabag, written and performed by Phoebe Waller-Bridge and directed by Vicky Jones, is available to stream on the platform, ten years since its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe. From 1 December, marking the 3^rd anniversary of NT at Home, The Crucible with Erin Doherty and Brendan Cowell joins the platform. Directed by Lyndsey Turnerthis contemporary new staging was captured live from the Olivier Stage in 2022. Both productions will be available with audio description.

If a trip to the cinema to escape the hustle and bustle suits, National Theatre Live screenings of David Hare’s critically acclaimed play, Skylight, directed by Stephen Daldry and featuring Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan is on a big screen near you.

Capital Theatres’ new season thrills with stars of stage and screen, including Carrie Hope Fletcher, Taskmaster’s Alex Horne and musical theatre spectacular A Chorus Line 

Capital Theatres’ new season thrills with stars of stage and screen, including Carrie Hope Fletcher, Taskmaster’s Alex Horne and musical theatre spectacular A Chorus Line 

West End sensation Carrie Hope Fletcher returns to the Festival Theatre with Love Letters, a showcase of musical theatre classics 
 

·       Exceptional work for young audiences includes Northern Ballet’s Tortoise and the Hare, Barrowland Ballet’s Poggle and Starcatcher’s Laaaunch! Work in Progress 
 

·       You shall go to the ball in Christmas 2024 with Capital Theatre’s spectacular family pantomime Cinderella starring returning favourites Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young 
 

23 November, Edinburgh: Capital Theatres’ new season brings stars of stage and screen, groundbreaking physical theatre and exceptional work for families to the Festival Theatre and Studio in Edinburgh, including Carrie Hope Fletcher, Alex Horne, A Chorus Lineand Sex and the City author Candace Bushnell. 

The Festival Theatre features a star-studded line-up with exclusive new productions from household names. Following the huge success of her sold-out appearance in 2023, Carrie Hope Fletcher returns with Love Letters (15 October) – a personal exploration of all forms of love showcased through a selection of stunning musical theatre classics. Alex Horne, creator and co-host of Channel 4’s Taskmaster, appears alongside five outstanding musicians in his comedy band The Horne Section for their Hit Show (4 November)including songs, enthusiastic dancing and lots of laughs. The real Carrie Bradshaw arrives in Edinburgh with the very first UK tour of Candace Bushnell’s acclaimed one-woman show True Tales of Sex, Success and Sex and the City (10 February).  

The Festival Theatre continues to host the very best in contemporary dance, musicals and theatre. A musical masterpiece that revolutionised Broadway, A Chorus Line(24 – 28 September) celebrates the lives of theatre’s unsung heroes with sensational choreography, heart-wrenching personal stories and musical theatre’s most unforgettable finale. Celebrated QDance Company’s exuberant Re:INCARNATION (18 – 19 October) is an ode to the richness of Nigerian culture, drawing on Afrobeats, jazz, soul, funk and traditional African music. After a high-flying performance of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2022, Edinburgh oldest amateur musical theatre society, Southern Light, returns with Meredith William’s Broadway hit The Music Man (21 – 25 May). 

There’s plenty to keep younger audience members entertained, including a playful retelling of Tortoise & the Hare from Northern Ballet specially designed to introduce children to live ballet and music. Barrowland Ballet’s Poggle (24 February) is a funny dance theatre show which takes toddlers and young children on a forest adventure with live music and an interactive set. Starcatchers and Dirliebane Theatre Company present Laaaunch! Work in Progress (2 March), an immersive, playful experience created for babies from birth to 12 months old. 

The Studio hosts performances from the 17^th edition of Manipulate Festival, Edinburgh’s international festival of animated film, puppetry and visual theatre which runs 1 – 11 February. Brand-new Scottish theatre is represented by The Collie’s Shed (10 May) by playwright Shelley Middler, using real stories and experiences to highlight the trials and tribulations still faced in mining and working-class communities.  

The countdown is already on for Christmas 2024 and the fairy godmother of all pantos, Cinderella (23 November – 31 December 2024). Allan Stewart, Grant Stott and Jordan Young return in this spectacular family show, featuring laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses.  

These newly announced shows join what is already a stellar season, including Scottish Ballet’s new production of Cinders!, the only Scottish dates for the smash-hit Hamilton(28 Feb – 27 April), Carlos Acosta’s On Before (16 – 17 Feb), the premiere of Capital Theatres and Raw Material’s co-production James V: Katherine (5 – 20 April), Matthew Bourne’s magical dance production of Edward Scissorhands (14 – 18 May) the first ever UK tour of The Life of Pi (25 – 29 June) andRambert’s Peaky Blinders: The Redemption of Thomas Shelby (1 – 5 October).  

Selected performances are part of Capital Theatre’s newly launched 25 & Under scheme, which allows people aged 25 and younger to book £10 tickets online on the day of the performances. Further details are available here.   

Capital Theatres ensures its programme is accessible to everyone, with a wide-ranging engagement programme supporting all aspects of the new season. This includes schools’ matinees, relaxed performances, touch tours, post-show talks, and British Sign Language, audio described and captioned performances. Copies of the brochure are also provided in Braille, large print or on an audio CD on request. 

Dementia friendly programming is a core part of Capital Theatres’ ethos, from monthly music making sessions for people living with dementia and their carers, to regular performances from Edinburgh’s dementia inclusive Forget Me Notes choir, and a quarterly magazine DementiArts, which features a comprehensive calendar of dementia friendly activities across Edinburgh and the Lothians. The full programme of events is available here. 

Capital Theatres also supports independent theatre makers and producers based in Edinburgh and Lothians year-round through its new programme Open@TheStudio. From networking events to workshops with visiting companies, and research and development residencies, Open@TheStudio provides practical support and opportunities. Information about upcoming events and residency opportunities is available here. 

Fiona Gibson, Chief Executive of Capital Theatres said: 

“From the singular sensation of A Chorus Line, to the exuberance of QDance Company’s Re:INCARNATION, to star-studded names like Carrie Hope Fletcher and Alex Horne, this new programme truly offers something for everyone. We also have a wealth of excellent new shows to offer our youngest audience, including Northern Ballet’s wonderful Tortoise and the Hare and Barrowland Ballet’s Poggle, which are sure to be the perfect introduction for a new generation of theatre lovers. I am immensely excited that the global sensation that is Hamilton will grace the Festival Theatre stage in just three months, especially given its deep roots in Scottish history. I am also thrilled that we shall be going to the ball in 2024, with our Cinderella pantomime returning to the Festival Theatre while the renovation of our beloved King’s Theatre continues.” 

Capital Theatre’s new season is available for priority booking (excluding the 2024 pantomime) for Friends of Capital Theatres exclusively from 24 November at 11am, with general public sale opening on 1 December. The 2024 pantomime, Cinderella, is available for priority booking from 24 November at 11am, with group booking reservations of 11+ from 28 November and general public booking opening on 18 December. 
 

Full details of all shows can be found online at www.capitaltheatres.com/whats-on, or by viewing the brochure here. 

Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents

DOMINIC WEST in

A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by Lindsay Posner 

Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath
Friday 16 February – Saturday 9 March 2024

BAFTA Award winner Dominic West (The Wire, The Crown) will star in Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge, directed by Lindsay Posner at Theatre Royal Bath’s intimate Ustinov Studio for a strictly limited season from 16 February – 9 March 2024.

Pulitzer Prize-winner Arthur Miller is one of the most highly regarded American playwrights of the 20^th Century with work including All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, The Crucible, and The Misfits. His timeless masterpiece A View from the Bridge is a passionate study of one man’s place in the close-knit Italian-American community in 1950s New York.

Eddie Carbone is an outwardly straightforward man with a strong sense of decency. For Eddie it is a privilege to welcome his wife’s Italian cousins to the land of freedom. But as his niece Catherine falls for one of the visitors, Eddie struggles to control his fierce jealousy, tormented by his own barely concealed lust for the girl. As passions rise, they all soon learn that some freedoms have to come at a terrible price.

Dominic West’s thirty-year career has included roles in some of the most iconic television series, from his award-winning portrayal of Jimmy McNulty in The Wire to Charles, Prince of Wales in The Crown. Since making his film debut opposite Ian McKellen in Richard III, he has appeared in movies as diverse as Oscar-winning musical Chicago, historical drama Downton Abbey: A New Era, provided voices in Disney Pixar’s Finding Dory and played real-life activist Jonathan Blake in the multi-award-winning Pride.  

Director Lindsay Posner returns to A View from the Bridge following his 2009 Olivier Award-nominated revival. Adding to a long career directing for the Royal Court, National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company, Almeida Theatre, The Old Vic, The Young Vic and across the West End, Posner’s recent credits for Theatre Royal Bath Productions include Noises Off (currently back in the West End following productions in Bath and on tour with an all-star cast including Felicity Kendal), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf starringElizabeth McGovern and Dougray Scott, Farewell Mister Haffmann, and upcoming productions of The Deep Blue Sea with Tamsin Greig and The Lover / The Collection with David Morrisey.

A View from the Bridge was first performed as a one-act verse drama on Broadway in 1955 before being revised for its West End premiere a year later, directed by Peter Brook and starring Richard Harris and Anthony Quayle. The play has since been produced for stage, film, television, radio and as an opera, starring many notable actors and winning numerous awards.

Further cast and creative team for this production of A View from the Bridge will be announced in due course.

Listings

Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents
DOMINIC WEST in
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
Written by Arthur Miller
Directed by Lindsay Posner 

Friday 16 February – Saturday 9 March 2024
Evenings 7.30pm 
Matinees Thursday & Saturdays 2.30pm 

Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – until 25th November 2023

Reviewed by Susan Portman

4****

Celebrating its 25th anniversary and based on the BAFTA award winning film The Full Monty by Simon Beaufoy, this stage production will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions.

In the present climate, the issues that these lads face are as prevalent today as they were 25 years ago. Starring Danny Hatchard, Jake Quickenden, Bill Ward, Neil Hurst, Ben Onwukwe and Nicholas Prasad.

Set in Sheffield in the 1990s, the story tells of 6 unemployed men, four of whom have been made redundant from the steel works. They are struggling financially, especially Gaz, who needs to get some maintenance money to pay his ex-wife in order to continue seeing his son Nathan, who I think was played by Theo Hills. After seeing the reaction to the Chippendales come to their local working men’s club, Gaz decides that they could do it better and strip all the way… they will go The Full Monty!

I love when the lights go down, just before a performance starts as I begin to feel the electricity of anticipation in the air. Unsurprisingly, the audience was made up of mostly women although there were quite a few brave males who attended.

The stage was set with giant cage like structures with doors and steps. You could see shadows of people dotted around the structure and as the lights came on there were a few whoops from the females in the audience in anticipation! Steady girls.

I must immediately remark that the scene changes were extremely slick with the actors coming onto the stage and moving the structure seamlessly to adapt as an aspect of each respective scene. It worked a treat.

As we were transported to the site of the old steel works, we met Gaz, his best mate Dave and Gaz’s son Nathan. They were intent on stealing a girder to sell for scrap. They were disturbed, but Dave and Gaz returned later to try again. They were once more interrupted by the security guard who we learn was intent on ending his life, and he does not care one iota about the theft, Dave and Gaz ended up saving his life.

It’s one of those heart-warming stories.

The wonderful thing about a live show is that it is just that – live – and things can occasionally go wrong, or at least not to plan. This proved to be the case tonight, when there was a prop malfunction which took several people, including the actors to try to rectify – but it was handled deftly with plenty of banter from and with the audience!

The performance followed the story very closely to one shown in the film I quickly observed the actors portray their various roles pretty much as they were in the film, which was just fine. There were many scene changes in the first half which were required in order to tell the story, but I admit to becoming just a little irritated at the constant movement of the scaffold cage which seemed to be forever on the move.

The role of Dave was played by Neil Hurst, and he was absolutely brilliant. His comedic timing was spot-on, and that is a very difficult skill to acquire and demonstrate. Nathan, played by Theo Hills gave a stellar performance for one so young. The lights and audience never affected him – or if it did, he never showed it. Indeed, he seemed to feed of it. His
frustration with his Dad, Gaz, played adroitly by Danny Hatchard came through but so did his love, as did Gaz’s love for his son.

There were a great many laughs during this performance but also many other emotions as we were taken on the personal life journeys of each character.

The last scene of the first half definitely had people gasping! Jake Quickenden definitely showed a side to him that many people hadn’t seen before. He jumped up on the table, dropped his trousers and pants baring all to the world – or at least the drooling audience. The light was very well positioned apparently highlighting a ‘long and dangly appendage’ in front of him.

The finale was the iconic Full Monty and I have to say that the lads did not disappoint. The dance sequence was perfectly performed and had the audience in raptures. They were up and dancing in an instant, and they enthusiastically and generously gave the actors a standing ovation at the end.

Just another technical issue I must mention. Strangely, there were brief moments during the performance when I couldn’t always hear what the actors were saying but knowing the script from the film it was easy to keep up. My friend concurred with my opinion, as she too struggled to hear sometimes.

However, the stage show, costumes, props and lighting were excellent and the dance routines were a joy to behold. I carefully watched the faces of the audience as they were leaving the theatre and they all left with massive smiles. I mean, beaming. This wasn’t just the women either. This is definitely a play that left me with a classic feelgood factor and filled me with the urge to skip back to the parked car!

Well done cast and crew, and congratulations to Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on yet another triumph. For me, it really was ‘The Full Monty.’

New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 25^th November 2023

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

Writer Ed Curtis delves deep into the relatively unknown story behind the success of R&B band The Drifters. Unusually we are seeing through the eyes of the daughter of a phenomenal woman, Faye Treadwell. Faye was the driving power behind The Drifters, holding her own as a black woman, at a time when the music industry was dominated by white men. She stormed the gates!

Director Jonathan Notes expertly weaves well known Drifters hits into the production, using them to underscore the storyline. Familiar tunes that get the audience singing along like ‘Kissin’ in the back row of the movies’, ‘Under the boardwalk’ and ‘Sweets for my sweet’. By contrast Carly Mercedes Dyer (Faye Treadwell) powers through with her own songs to express the emotion and passion of her experience. She raised the roof!

The Drifters is a trade name that has featured 60 different vocalists since forming in 1953. The story is fast paced, covering multiple changes in the bands line up and a tumultuous journey to stardom. The versatility of Ashford Campbell (Ben. E. King, Rudy Lewis & others), as he switches between headline characters is impressive. You are struck by the sensitivity of Campbell’s portrayal of Rudy Lewis, the singer who struggles with his sexuality and takes his own life. Alongside Tarik Frimpong (Clyde McPhatter, Lover Paterson and others), they all take on the distinctive characteristics in action and voice of their lead singers. Dalton Harris (Johnny Moore, Gerhart Thrasher & others) and Miles Anthony Daley (George Treadwell & others) makes the full line up of exceptional vocalists who dance and sing their way through the many characters.

However, the leading light is most definitely Faye Treadwell (Carly Mercedes Dyer), a no nonsense women who single handedly keeps The Drifters alive on both sides of the Atlantic. Even after her husband and business partner, George Treadwell (Miles Anthony Daley) dies, she is determined to continue on, experiencing prejudice and misogyny throughout her career.

The Drifters Girl is a chance to hear fabulous music and learn the captivating story of a pioneer in the R&B music industry. There is everything to like!

Darlington Hippodrome – until 25 November 2023

5*****

I doubt the ladies of Rylstone and District WI had any idea just what a phenomenon they and their calendar would become.  But what started out as an idea to fund raise enough to buy a sofa, at the last count was £5 million and counting

Tim Firth, author of the film and original play, has reworked Calendar Girls as a musical with a helping hand from friend Gary Barlow.  And though this is billed as a musical it feels more like a play with strategically and cleverly placed songs. The lyrics are witty and poignant and carry the show along in a much more subtle way that a normal musical does.

This time round the tour is a Kenwright production, some characters have been pruned and the story slightly rearranged, but it is still a story of triumph over adversity.

Setting up all the characters in the first song, the glorious celebratory Yorkshire, the first act deals with John’s diagnosis and treatment for cancer, mixing wonderful comedy set pieces with Annie’s growing realisation that she will lose her husband, as he keeps joking and telling her that everything will be alright. Outstanding Tanya Franks, as Annie, breaks your heart as she sings Scarborough and Kilimanjaro, both about the challenges of dealing with life alone.

The calendar is the brainchild of Annie’s madcap best friend Chris (Amy Robbins), who simply wants to provide a settee for the hospital.  But, while Chris is eager to strip for charity, her friends take a lot of persuading. The second act builds up to the big shoot becoming a means of overcoming issues such as grief, age or physical self-consciousness.  The shoot and the nudity are handled with warmth and charm, with a joy that brings huge cheers from the audience at every flash (from the camera!). The women bare their bodies in a hugely empowering way proving whatever size, shape or age – everyone is beautiful

Lynn Paul as Jessie is hilarious, delivering her lines with a ferocious bluntness – when considering her decision to pose nude she says: “Ok… but no front bottoms!”  And there’s good work from Maureen Nolan as the lonely Ruth who sings My Russian Friend and I; Jayne Ashley stands in for Honeysuckle Weeks as a musical single mum and Vicar’s daughter Cora and Marti Webb as ex air-hostess and golf club misfit Celia who reveals I’ve Had a Bit of Work Done.  Paula Tappenden also shines as WI Chairwoman Marie who opposes the calendar idea.  

The males in the cast are important too, Colin R Campbell plays John with dignity and his death is so simple it makes it all the more emotional.  Graham MacDuff as Chris’ husband Rod, who goes along with all her mad cap ideas and ends up taking the photos is fabulous but it’s a pity he doesn’t get to impress us with more of his vocal chops

Gary McCann’s set design is a joy with its simplicity allowing you to focus on the most important part of the play – the characters – and to concentrate on the relationships between them all. Barlow’s music is always catchy and the musical arrangements are a joy to listen to

The script and lyrics are unashamedly Northern in their humour, bringing all the high emotions and fears back to everyday things that real people would dwell on. This show is about celebrating the strength and beauty of women, especially in their last phase “their most glorious”.  One of the most beautiful musicals around, this is made especially poignant by being a true story. Make sure you have an endless supply of tissues because by the end there won’t be a dry eye in the house

On tour around the UK – find tour dates here and if you’d like to join the WI find details here and donate Blood Cancer UK here

The King & I

Starring Helen George and Darren Lee

The Lowry, Salford

Tuesday 9^th to Saturday 13^th January 2024

Smash-hit musical sensation The King & I comes to The Lowry, Salford in January, starring Helen George as Anna, ahead of a West End run at London’s Dominion Theatre.

Helen is known to millions as Trixie Franklin in Call The Midwife, which returns to BBC One next month for a Christmas special and a new 2024 series.

Helen George will be reunited with her co-star Broadway and film actor Darren Lee, who played The King on Broadway, as she returns to the stage to reprise the lead role she played earlier this year to sold out theatres across the UK. Both have received rave reviews for their performances.

Directed by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific / My Fair Lady / To Kill A Mockingbird), this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical masterpiece will play at the Eastbourne Congress Theatre from 13 December – 23 December and then at Salford’s Lowry Theatre from 9 January – 13 January before heading to London’s Dominion Theatre on 20 January for a strictly limited six-week season.

Helen George said: “I am so delighted to continue to play the formidable Anna Leonowens in this incredible production of The King and I am thrilled to bring the show to Eastbourne and Salford ahead of the West End season. I think it so important to bring big lavish West End productions to the regions – Salford and Eastbourne are in for a real treat!”

Set in 1860s Bangkok, The King and I tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.

The King and I is a sumptuous, timeless romance from the golden age of musicals, adored by the public and critics alike – and boasting one of the finest scores ever written, including Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You, and Shall We Dance.

Following the original Broadway smash-hit run at the Lincoln Center Theater, a sold-out season at the London Palladium (which resulted in the biggest live global event cinema release of 2018) and two record-breaking UK and International tours including Japan, this gloriously lavish production will be brought to the audiences once again by an internationally renowned creative team under Tony Award-winning Bartlett Sher and feature a world-class company of over 50 talented performers and a full-scale orchestra.

The critical acclaim for Bartlett Sher’s production has been phenomenal. When the show opened at the London Palladium in 2018, West End critics heaped praise: the Daily Mail “left the London Palladium on a bright cloud of music”, while the The Times awarded the show “Five stars for a sumptuous King and I” declaring it “a hit” whilst The Daily Telegraph concurred proclaiming the show “looks and sounds ravishing”. Another five stars were awarded from the Sunday Express, Daily Express and the Financial Times called it “simply spellbinding”.