ROYO, UNIVERSAL MUSIC UK, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT & MIGHTY VILLAGE are delighted to announce punk princess and 2024 Strictly Come Dancing contestant Toyah Willcox will join the cast of NOW That’s What I Call A Musical, as a special guest star in Edinburgh and that Sonia will be adding Manchester and Glasgow to her 2025 venues.
NOW That’s What I Call A Musical a brand-new British musical written by award-winning comedian Pippa Evans and directed and choreographed by Craig Revel Horwood. NOW That’s What I Call A Musical began performances on 6 September 2024 at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre before commencing a major UK and Ireland tour.
Toyah Willcox is a uniquely gifted performer, having amassed thirteen top 40 singles, recorded twenty-five albums, written two books, appeared in over forty stage plays, acted in over twenty feature films and presented hundreds of television programmes. She has won numerous awards and nominations from singing to writing to acting. The hit singles It’s A Mystery, I Want to Be Free, Brave New World and platinum-selling albums Anthem and The Changeling confirmed her status as one of the most significant talents of the 1980s. In 1982 she won the Best Female Singer at the British Rock & Pop Awards, who went on to become The Brits.
On Christmas Eve 1981 Toyah’s concert at Drury Lane Theatre Royal was broadcast live on BBC2 as The Old Grey Whistle Test to viewing figures of over 10 million. She is a regular contributor on Channel 5’s Greatest Pop Videos, 80s Greatest Hits and 90s Greatest Hits series – a visual celebration of the best music through the decades. In 2022, Toyah appeared in Channel 4’s brand new show Fame In The Family, in 2023 she won the Great British Sewing Bee: Celebrity Christmas Special on BBC One and she is currently taking part in the 20th Anniversary series of BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing.
Her theatre credits include: The Rocky Horror Show: 40th Anniversary Tribute (Royal Court Theatre), The Hundred and One Dalmatians (Nottingham Theatre Royal), Calamity Jane (Shaftesbury Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Belfast Grand Opera House), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Regents Park), and Cabaret (Strand Theatre). In 2018 Paul McCartney awarded Toyah a LIPA Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts Companionship for Outstanding Achievement in music, drama, performance and media.
Toyah joins the array of special guest stars playing themselves and singing the songs that made them NOW icons. In 2024 Sinitta will perform in Aylesbury, Sheffield, Canterbury, Nottingham and Norwich with Sonia in Newcastle, Cardiff, Milton Keynes and Brighton, Carol Decker in Truro, Belfast and Woking, and Jay Osmond in Bradford.
In 2025 Sinitta will be appearing in Dublin, Hull and York with Sonia in Southampton, Manchester, Southend, Glasgow, Bristol, Liverpool, Wimbledon and Birmingham, Carol Decker in Oxford and Toyah Wilcox in Edinburgh. For further detail, patrons are advised to check their local websites.
The show stars Nina Wadia as Gemma, Melissa Jacques as April up to and including 7 December 2024 (Brighton) and Sam Bailey who will then take over the role from 14 January 2025 (Southampton) to 12 April 2025 (Wimbledon). With Kieran Cooper as Younger Tim, Christopher Glover as Dad, Chris Grahamson as Tim, Maia Hawkins as Younger April, Lauren Hendricks as Ms Dorian, Shakil Hussain as Frank, Nikita Johal as Younger Gemma, Luke Latchman as Younger Frank, Matthew Mori as Younger Steve, Phil Sealey as Steve, Callum Tempest as Barney and Poppy Tierney (Cabaret at Lido 2, Paris) as Mum. The cast is completed by Emily Barnett-Salter, Molly Cheesley, Lizzy Ives, Stefanos Petri, Martha Pothen and Blake Tuke.
Get ready to relive the playlist of your life by celebrating 40 years of the iconic and chart-topping compilations brand NOWThat’s What I Call Music, which has sold an estimated 200 million copies worldwide. This fun-filled evening is bursting with hits from Blondie, Tears For Fears, Spandau Ballet, Eurythmics and so many more.
It’s Birmingham, 1989. Two school friends, Gemma and April, are busy with very important business – planning their lives based on Number One Magazine quizzes and dreaming of snogging Rick Astley. Cut to Birmingham 2009 and it’s the most dreaded event of their lives– the school reunion. Drama, old flames and receding hairlines come together as friends reunite and everything from the past starts to slot into place. The biggest question is: what was with all that hairspray?
The creative team will include Set and Costume Design by Tom Rogers & Toots Butcher, Musical Supervision, Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Mark Crossland, Lighting Design by Ben Cracknell, Sound Design by Adam Fisher, Wigs & Hair Design by Sam Cox, Associate Direction by Guy Woolf, Associate Choreography by Aaron Renfree, Associate Sound Design by Ollie Durrant, Casting by Annelie Powell CDG and Production Management by Setting Line.
NOW is produced by ROYO, Universal Music UK, SONY Music Entertainment and Mighty Village.
Cult hit musical Frank’s Closet heads to London’s West End for two nights only Sunday 3rd and Sunday 17th November 2024, 7.30pm Arts Theatre, 6-7 Great Newport Street, London WC2H 7JB
Fresh from a run at the legendary Wilton’s Musical, the iconic Frank’s Closet now takes to the West End for two nights only. This glittering, eccentric and high camp love letter to musical theatre sees a collection of glorious, original songs that straddle the great British, Broadway (and Swedish) songbooks. Frank’s Closet is an all-singing, all-dancing ode to the delights of love, London and musical theatre.
Reprising his role will be Hollyoaks star Andy Moss as the titular character; Moss is accompanied by a quartet of captivating Gaiety Girls and a multi-role Diva masterclass from Luke Farrugia; bringing the Divas who have inspired and guided Frank – including Julie Andrews, Judy Garland and Agnetha Fältskog – to hilarious, uncanny and, often, touching life.
On the eve of marriage to his beloved fiancé, Frank has decided to donate his fabulous collection of the dresses of iconic Divas to the V&A. As each dress is let go, the Divas who once wore them appear – as embodiments of Love Past, Present, and Future – to steady Frank’s wedding nerves and impart wise and wistful gems of advice. Through a sparkling catalogue of original and heart-felt musical numbers composed by Stuart Wood, Frank faces his own feelings and fears as he looks back on the journey out of his own personal closet, and reflects with affection on those who held – and steadied – his hand along the way.
Originally conceived in 2009 for Hoxton Hall, this queer reimagining of a Dickensian opium dream explores the conflict between liberty and conformity with wit and heart, in a way that will chime with anyone who’s pondered a lifetime of commitment. Fifteen years since its conception, Frank’s Closet still has its feet firmly planted in the mud of the Thames, and its head in the stars.
Frank’s Closet is a touching and hilarious tour through the camp history of gay icons…but the story is universal. We all wrestle with the pressure to compromise on the things that bring us joy. Where is that line between growing up and losing too much of the person you truly are? …Frank’s Closet is a luxuriously gay cruise through a century of camp, with all the heart, laughs and dresses one could desire (Musical Theatre Review).
“Time is the most valuable resource there is and a lack of it is the only real barrier to happiness” remarks Dr Lane as she prepares her latest recruits for the age-defying Weston Programme. So what if we really could live forever? Would it be the ultimate gift to humanity and our planet?
These are the ever relevant questions that preoccupy Emma Hemingford’s latest thought provoking play, Foreverland.
Sharply directed by Frederick Wienand, we are thrown into a near future where science allows those with the financial means to receive a yearly gene therapy which extends life spans exponentially. As Wienand reflects, it’s a play about time – how we experience it, spend it, waste it, conserve it. For Hemingford, it’s a parable asking us to think about what makes existence meaningful in the first place. Peiyao Wang’s set and costume design subtly alludes to a highly recognisable future with no need for the cliches of sci-fi silver and robots.
It’s here we find a young couple, Alice and Jay, embarking upon the life changing programme. For Alice, played superbly by Emma McDonald, she enters with more than a little skittish trepidation. McDonald is magnetic throughout and surely an actor to watch out for. Chemistry with Christopher York as Jay is believable and there’s a strong comic dynamic between the two in what is a very funny script in spite of the weighty subject matter.
Valerie Antwi displays flawless comic timing playing the two Dr Lanes, senior and junior, as the play seamlessly time travels through decade after decade. It’s with the arrival of Alice and Jay’s daughter Annie that the harsh reality of living forever really sets in. Emily Butler makes a charming London theatre debut as young Annie while the grown up version is taken on by Una Byrne in an arresting performance which underlines the generational divides which defy immortality.
A compelling and electrifying piece of theatre that, like any worthwhile sci-fi, has us asking difficult questions about our current times.
Based on the novel by Rebecca Netley, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel
The Mill at Sonning – until 16 November 2024
Reviewed by Marcia Spiers
4****
The Whistling portrays the immense sense of loss that follows the death of a loved one. Set on a small isolated Scottish Island community, this debut play is very much different for The Mill, but it was great to see something fresh and some new actors who I had not seen perform at The Mill before.
The standout thing about this play is the set design and choreography created throughout the set by shadows and spirits. This really creates an intensity, darkness and misty allure that captured the essence of a remote Scottish Island with all its incestuous gossip, secrets and legend. The costumes are well designed and reflective of the setting. The whole evening very much a Scottish affair including the choice of menu.
Elspeth (Rebecca Forsyth) lands a job as a nanny on the Island desperate to escape the loss of someone close to her. Instead, she finds more darkness and sorrow in her new home. Her role to look after a child called Mary (well played by the young, talented Sophie Bidgood) who too has experienced the tragic loss of two members of her family.
Elspeth works hard to reach Mary who has retreated from the world. Mary’s prickly Aunt Violet (Stephanie Farrell) and the foreboding Greer (Raghad Chaar) do their utmost to hamper Elspeth’s work. Elspeth soon discovers that the last nanny Hettie (Nadia Kramer) left suddenly but feels her spirit amongst others within the house. Later Hettie’s body washes up on the beach which begs the question who murdered her and why?
To add to the mix the influence of the church is powerful as is common on remote islands. Robert, local pastor and Bridget his wife (Jonny McGarrity and Susie Riddell) on the face of it welcome and support Elspeth but hide dark secrets of their own. Jonny McGarrity also ably played the Island’s doctor and local shopkeeper with a distinct reputation.
Finally, Aisla (Heather Jackson) who the islanders suspect to be a witch, knows what is happening and takes it upon herself to put all spirits to rest. Her efforts to protect Elspeth and Mary are truly tested when Elspeth seeks Bridget’s help to leave the island.
All the actors gave solid credible performances, and there was some lovely singing creating a haunting and eerie atmosphere within the theatre. Whilst this dark play may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I enjoyed it, and it has made me want to read the novel to find out how much this production has captured the story.
My family and I were lucky enough to attend the opening night of the Halloween Lakeside Trail at Partridge Fisheries in Culcheth, and it was an enchanting experience filled with spooky delights and atmospheric wonder. While not designed to terrify, this eerie adventure offered just the right amount of spine-tingling excitement, perfect for families seeking a magical, Halloween-inspired evening.
The journey began in a beautifully decorated tippee, crafted to resemble a giant witch’s hat, glowing with the soft flicker of real fires and adorned with twinkling autumn lights. Inside, an animated story set the stage, immersing us in the tale of Luna, a lovelorn witch, and Victor, her skeletal soulmate. The storytelling, projected on a large screen, felt wonderfully eerie, pulling us into a mystical quest through a shadowy forest to help Luna reunite with her lost love. This captivating narrative lingered throughout the trail, adding layers of enchantment to every step.
The entire setup was breathtaking, a perfect mix of cozy and creepy. The soft glow of lanterns illuminated the trail, while the scent of wood smoke from the fires added to the autumnal ambiance. The food area was also a delightful surprise, offering a tempting array of treats like rich hot chocolate, crispy halloumi fries, wood-fired pizza, and succulent chicken dishes. Although the selection was mouth-watering, I would have appreciated a few more kid-friendly choices—perhaps burgers, hotdogs, or chips—but that’s a minor detail in an otherwise perfect setup.
As for the trail itself, it was a feast for the senses. The path wound through a forest wrapped in swirling fog, with vibrant strobe lights, glowing ropes, and projections casting shadows across the trees. Creepy props lined the trail, adding to the haunted feel, and my son was particularly entranced by the spider’s tunnel, an unsettling yet exciting feature that gave just the right jolt of fun fear. The lake surrounding the trail shimmered with haunting beauty, lit up in spectral colors that reflected off the water like something from a ghostly dream.
One of the highlights was the live actors, who played their parts with ghoulish glee. They interacted with the kids in a playful, spooky way that had everyone laughing as much as gasping. These performers were fantastic at bringing a touch of theatrical horror without pushing it too far for the little ones, striking just the right balance between eerie and entertaining.
For those who love capturing memories, there were photo opportunities around every corner. From spooky backdrops to magical lighting effects, the whole trail was a photographer’s dream. However, these popular spots did draw a bit of a crowd, with queues forming as families waited their turn to snap a picture. Thankfully, everyone was patient and polite, so the waiting time wasn’t a problem.
The grand finale was truly spectacular. We finally discovered Luna, surrounded by her bubbling cauldron, which was spewing out smoke-filled bubbles that drifted through the night air like enchanted orbs. This magical sight was the perfect conclusion to a night filled with Halloween wonder and left a lasting impression on both the kids and the adults in our group.
Pram-friendly and easy to navigate, the trail took around an hour to explore at a leisurely pace. A word of advice: it can get quite chilly, so make sure to bundle up, and wear sturdy shoes to tackle the uneven terrain. The event organizers did a great job with the logistics, from the well-placed parking lot just steps from the entrance to the staggered entries that kept the trail from feeling overcrowded, despite the large number of visitors.
In summary, the Halloween Lakeside Trail was a magical and eerie adventure that offered an unforgettable evening of spooky fun. The enchanting atmosphere, captivating story, and delightful mix of frights and laughter made it a hit with every member of the family. We can’t wait to return next Halloween for another spellbinding experience!
I highly recommend visiting as dusk begins to settle and darkness creeps in, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the eerie atmosphere and truly appreciate the stunning light displays. The event runs until 31 October 2024, and tickets are reasonably priced for the experience offered (booking recommended!).
Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller’s stylish thriller is set in a drab coastal pub next to a train station. When a Newcomer (Meg Clarke) mistakenly gets off the train and must wait in the pub for the last train of the night, she is propositioned by the pub Regular (Paddy Echlin) and the Lady (Katherine Lea). The proposition isn’t sexual, rather they want her to kill the Sheriff (David Carter) and then jump on the train, leaving them in the clear and her a rich woman.
The setup is slow and measured, with pace and intrigue mounting as the appearance of the Sheriff and the last train approaches. The programme cites Hitchcock and the Coen brothers as influences, and there is a weird 70s/80s UK police thriller atmosphere in this bland pub making it feel almost otherworldly – out of place and out of time – rather than a faded North-Eastern coastal port. Hannah Williams’ efficient design and Sameer Aggarwal’s atmospheric lighting create an increasingly sinister feel.
As the Newcomer weighs up her answer, pregnant pauses, meaningful looks and various negotiation offers circle as the characters dance around each other. The pair depict the Sheriff as a cruel monster who has the town living in fear without disclosing too much about their own lives. The affected stiffness of the three characters is a huge contrast to the Sheriff, who fills the stage with an animalistic energy when he finally enters.
Clarke, Echlin and Lea nail the melodramatic calmness of the absurd situation and David Carter’s brutality as the Sheriff is tremendous. There are some plot holes among the twists and turns, but Brimmer-Beller takes the audience on a wild, fun ride – perhaps a longer, more fleshed out version of the story would be even more satisfying. Brimmer-Beller codirects with Phoebe Rowell John and, bar a few blocking issues during pivotal scenes, they create an atmospheric and entertaining play. Port City Signature is a real treat for fans of dark thrillers.
We had the absolute pleasure of watching ‘Romeo and Juliet’ performed by the Northern Ballet, at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton. From the moment the production started we were captivated by the music and faultless dancing.
The sets were amazing, and cleverly thought out. We particularly liked the balcony scene, which later, cleverly converted into a crypt. We loved the special effects, particularly the rainstorm after the murder scene.
Romeo was played by Joseph Taylor, and Juliet by Dominique Larose. We found the chemistry between these two impeccable, and a joy to watch. The death scene was particularly moving.
The choreography was excellent, and the company were always in perfect unison. The characterisation was very clever, and we particularly enjoyed the humour of the nurse and Mercutio’s characters, played by Heather Lehan and Harris Beattie, respectively.
Although the music was lovely, we really missed the live orchestra. There is nothing quite like watching a live ballet with a live orchestra! That would be our only reservation.
We really enjoyed this modern take of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and thought the Northern Ballet did an exceptional job.
Incredible cast announced for West End Musical Halloween West End Musical Halloween – Monday 28th October 2024, 7.30pm Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ES
The incredible cast of West End performers have been announced for West End Halloween, another ghoulishly good evening that promises to haunt audiences.
This spectacular concert is hosted by Shanay Holmes (Miss Saigon, The Bodyguard), currently Nancy in Cameron Macintosh’s Oliver! which transfers to the West End in December. She will be joined by Nathania Ong (Hamilton, Les Misérables), sensation Erin Caldwell (Heathers, SIX the Musical), winner of ITV1 and ITVX’s Mamma Mia! I Have a DreamTobias Turley (Mamma Mia) and Grammy award winner Zachary James (Hadestown).
This is the third instalment of the sell-out concert of freakishly fun show tunes from the darker side of musicals such as Sweeney Todd, Little Shop Of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Phantom Of The Opera, Hadestown and Beetlejuice! Get ready to sing and dance and see a host of tricks and treats at this Spooktacular celebration! It’s going to be a SCREAM!
As fans of this sell out series will know, at a West End Musical concert, you not only get incredible performances from the West End’s biggest stars, the audience also ‘become the cast’, so singing and dancing along and even dressing for the occasion is encouraged. Celebrate this Halloween the West End Musical way!
Also coming up is West End Musical Christmas on Monday 16th December which will be hosted by Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Disney’s Aladdin) currently starring in Next To Normal. A cast of the West End’s biggest stars will be getting audiences well and truly in the festive mood with an all singing, all dancing extravaganza! Expect a festive feast of heart warming classics and musical theatre crackers building into an all-out Christmas party!
Get ready to sing and dance along and for some extra special gifts at this seasonal celebration. Have yourself a very ‘musical’ Christmas!
Both West End Musical concerts are brought to you by the award-winning producers (Black British Theatre Awards, Best Producer 2021 and Best Musical Production 2021) of West End Musical Celebration, West End Musical Brunch, West End Musical Drive In, West End Musical Love Songs and Musical Con, the world’s biggest musical theatre fan convention.
DAWN SIEVEWRIGHT TO STAR AS ROSE-LYNN HARLAN IN THE
WORLD PREMIERE OF NICOLE TAYLOR’S NEW MUSICAL
WILD ROSE
OPENING AT THE ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE EDINBURGH
DIRECTED BY JOHN TIFFANY
Olivier Award-nominated Dawn Sievewright will star as Rose-Lynn Harlan in the upcoming world premiere of brand-new musical Wild Rose, written by Nicole Taylor (One Day, Three Girls, The C Word, The Nest) and directed by John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Black Watch).
The production begins its life in Scotland where the piece is set, opening The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh in 2025 as part of the company’s Spring season. Based on the critically acclaimed award-winning film of the same name written by Taylor, directed by Tom Harper and produced by Faye Ward (Fable Pictures), the production opens on 14 March, with previews from 6 March, and runs until 5 April.
Dawn Sievewright returns to The Royal Lyceum Theatre, where she previously appeared in Twelfth Night (also Bristol Old Vic). Sievewright received critical acclaim and an Olivier Award nomination for her role in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour – a National Theatre of Scotland production which also played at Live Theatre, National Theatre and in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre. Her other theatre work includes A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC), No Love Songs (Dundee Rep and Traverse Theatre), The Welkin (National Theatre), Spuds (A Play, A Pie and A Pint), My Left/Right Foot (National Theatre of Scotland), Pinocchio (National Theatre), The A-Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse), Glasgow Girls (Theatre Royal Stratford East, National Theatre of Scotland, Citizens Theatre), Legally Blonde (Savoy Theatre) and Quadrophenia (UK tour). Her television work includes The Undertow, Shetland and Star Wars: Andor, and for film Man & Witch and Never Seen the Sea.
Dawn Sievewright said today, “It’s hard to put into words how I feel about this story, how I feel about Rose-Lynn Harlan. I don’t think there’s ever been a character to come my way that has so perfectly spoken to the world I grew up in. She defies her surroundings and speaks to the wee muddled up lassie in me. To the ‘too aggressive’, to the ‘calm doon!’ and to the massive beating heart of Scotland that sometimes…can only be expressed through music. She scares me – in the best possible way.
“Nicole Taylor has written the guts of Glasgow and woven it so expertly with a soundtrack of such gallus music that the Lyceum audiences are going to be leaping from their seats. I am beyond buzzing to get back into a rehearsal room with the legend that is John Tiffany and his incredible creative team.
“We’re bringing Rose-Lynn home… I can barely keep my heart in my chest.”
John Tiffany added, “In Dawn we have found the perfect alchemy for Rose-Lynn – an extraordinary actress, with an extraordinary voice and she captures perfectly the life-force of Rose-Lynn. I’m looking forward to getting into rehearsals with Nicole and Dawn and reimagining this brilliant story for the stage and bringing this fierce woman to life.”
Released to critical acclaim in 2018, the film, directed by Tom Harper, produced by Faye Ward for Fable Pictures, and blessed with an incredible soundtrack, won the BAFTA Scotland Award for Best Feature Film, Best Writer for Nicole and Best Actress for Jessie Buckley – the latter was also nominated for a BAFTA Film Award. It was nominated and won several other awards, including 10 Independent Film Award nominations, winning the Best Independent Film Award for Best Music; as well as several awards for Best Original Song for Glasgow (No Place Like Home) including the Critics’ Choice Award.
The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Caledonia Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions present
WILD ROSE
A NEW MUSICAL
By Nicole Taylor
Director John Tiffany; Choreography Steven Hoggett & Vicki Manderson; Set Design Chloe Lamford;
Costume Design Katrina Lindsay; Lighting Design Jessica Hung Han Yun; Sound Design Tony Gayle;
Music Supervision, Orchestration and Arrangements Sarah Travis & Davey Anderson;
Casting Charlotte Sutton CDG
Executive Producers: Faye Ward of Fable Pictures and Nia Janis of Playful Productions
6 March – 5 April
SING YOUR OWN SONG.
There is only one thing in Rose-Lynn’s life that has ever made sense: country music.
Fresh out of jail for past mistakes, and bursting with incredible raw talent, charisma and cheek, the free-spirited Rose-Lynn dreams of escaping Glasgow to make it as a singer in Nashville.
But her mother Marion has had a bellyful, insisting that she settle down, ditch the fantasy, and focus on raising her two young kids.
Rose-Lynn reluctantly agrees to take a cleaning job and finds an unlikely champion in her new boss Susannah, bringing her dream closer than ever. Now Rose-Lynn must decide if risking everything will really pave the road to Nashville.
From Nicole Taylor, BAFTA-winning writer of the original film and global sensation One Day, and renowned director John Tiffany (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Once),Wild Rose is an uplifting and heartwarming new musical about motherhood, dreams and finding your three chords and the truth.
This world premiere production will feature songs from country music legends including Dolly Parton, Carrie Underwood, Wynonna Judd, Chris Stapleton, Caitlyn Smith, The Chicks, and Patty Griffin, alongside the film’s award-winning original song Glasgow (No Place Like Home).
Based on the film written by Nicole Taylor, directed by Tom Harper and produced by Faye Ward for Fable Pictures.
Acclaimed screenwriter Nicole Taylor’s credits for television include Three Girls (which won five BAFTAs including for Best Writer and Best Mini Series), The C Word and The Nest. She most recently adapted David Nicholls’ novel One Day into a critically acclaimed smash-hit 14-part series for Netflix. For film, Nicole wrote the multi-award-winning Wild Rose.
John Tiffany studied Theatre and Classics at Glasgow University. He trained at the Traverse Theatre and has been an Associate Director at the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Court. For his work on Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, John received Tony and Olivier Awards. He directed Once at NYTW and on Broadway, for which he received a Tony Award. For the Royal Court, his work includes Road, Hope, and The Pass. For the National Theatre of Scotland his work includes Black Watch, for which he received an Olivier Award, Let the Right One In (also West End and international tour),Macbeth (also Broadway), Enquirer, The Missing, Peter Pan and The Bacchae. Other credits include The Glass Menagerie at American Repertory Theater (also Broadway, EIF and West End) and The Ambassador at BAM. Tiffany was a Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University in the 2010-11 academic year.
FURTHER CAST, CREATIVE TEAM AND DATES ANNOUNCED FOR
CHEKHOV’S THE SEAGULL IN A NEW VERSION
BY DUNCAN MACMILLAN AND THOMAS OSTERMEIER,
DIRECTED BY OSTERMEIER AT THE BARBICAN THEATRE
Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions today announce further casting for Duncan Macmillan and Thomas Ostermeier’s new version of Chekhov’s masterpiece The Seagull. Joining the previously announced Cate Blanchett (Arkadina) and Tom Burke (Trigorin) are Priyanga Burford (Polina), Emma Corrin (Nina), Zachary Hart (Medvedenko), Paul Higgins (Shamrayev), Tanya Reynolds (Masha), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Konstantin), and Jason Watkins (Sorin). Further casting and creative team will be announced shortly.
Also directed by Ostermeier, the production will play a limited 6 week run at the Barbican Theatre from February 2025. Tickets starts at £20, and for every performance there are over 100 tickets at that price. The production opens on 6 March, with previews from 26 February, and runs until 5 April.
Completing the creative team are Magda Willi (Set Design), Marg Horwell (Costume Design), Tom Gibbons (Sound Design), and Jim Carnahan CSA & Liz Fraser CSA (Casting).
ON SALE DATES:
7 October: 10am-1pm Premier Patrons, Principal Patrons and Director’s Circle Patrons Priority
1pm-4pm Barbican Patrons Priority
4pm Barbican Members Plus Priority
8 October: 10am Barbican Members Priority
4pm Wessex Grove Priority
9 October: 10am Public booking opens
Audiences are invited to sign up for more information about The Seagull at www.theseagullplay.co.uk
Wessex Grove and Gavin Kalin Productions
in association with the Barbican
present
THE SEAGULL
By Anton Chekhov
A new version by Duncan Macmillan & Thomas Ostermeier
Cast: Cate Blanchett (Arkadina), Priyanga Burford (Polina), Tom Burke (Trigorin), Emma Corrin (Nina), Zachary Hart (Medvedenko), Paul Higgins (Shamrayev), Tanya Reynolds (Masha), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Konstantin), Jason Watkins (Sorin)
Conceived & Directed by Thomas Ostermeier; Set Design by Magda Willi;
Costume Design by Marg Horwell; Sound Design by Tom Gibbons
Cate Blanchett stars as Arkadina, a celebrated actress whose larger-than-life presence dominates both the stage and her personal relationships. Arriving at her family’s country estate for the weekend, she finds herself caught up in a storm of conflicting desires. Her playwright son, Konstantin (Kodi Smit-McPhee), struggles to step out of her shadow as he pursues his own artistic ambitions and her lover Trigorin (Tom Burke), becomes the object of affection for the aspiring young actress Nina (Emma Corrin).
As their lives entwine and they each grapple with their desires, ambitions, and disappointments, Chekhov’s timeless story unfolds in a gripping tale of vanity, power, and the sacrifices made in the name of art.
Cate Blanchett plays Arkadina. She served alongside Andrew Upton as co-Artistic Director and co-CEO of Sydney Theatre Company (STC) between 2008-2013, producing 16 shows a year across 4 stages, many of which toured nationally and internationally. Notable productions include Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire directed by Liv Ullman; Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya directed by Tamás Ascher, Steven Soderbergh’s Tot Mom; Benedict Andrews’ productions of The War Of The Roses, Genet’s The Maids and Botho Strauss’ Gross Und Klein; the seminal adaptation of The Secret River by Neil Armfield; numerous productions by director Kip Williams; and Andrew Upton’s The Present directed by John Crowley for which Blanchett earned a Tony Award nomination for its Broadway run. Blanchett’s most recent performance in London was at the National Theatre in Martin Crimp’s When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other directed by Katie Mitchell. Her screen credits include Tár, Nightmare Alley, Don’t Look Up, Ocean’s 8, Thor: Ragnorok, Carol, Blue Jasmine, I’m Not There, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Notes on a Scandal, The Life Aquatic, Indiana Jones and The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull, The Lord of The Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit, The Good German, The Aviator, The Talented Mr Ripley and Elizabeth. Blanchett has won numerous awards including two Academy Awards, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes and four Screen Actors Guild awards. Blanchett is co-Founder and Principal of production company Dirty Films for which she has produced and acted, alongside partners Andrew Upton and Coco Francini, which recently launched PROOF OF CONCEPT, providing support and opportunities to women, trans and non-binary filmmakers. She created and produced the award-winning Audible Original podcast CLIMATE OF CHANGE, and produced EVOLVER, a VR interactive experience which was selected for the first ever Immersive Competition at the Cannes Film Festival. She has presided over festival juries in Cannes and Venice, and The Venice Film Festival has twice awarded her The Volpi Cup for Best Performance. Blanchett holds a BFI Fellowship from the BFI London Film Festival, has received the Stanley Kubrick Award for Excellence in Film and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Numerous other accolades include the Honorary Cesar, International Goya and Chaplin Awards.
Priyanga Burford plays Polina. Her theatre credits include An Enemy of the People (Duke of York’s Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Play), Rapture (Royal Court Theatre), The Winter’s Tale, Eyam (Shakespeare’s Globe), and Consent (National Theatre). Her television work includes Innocent, Industry, Avenue 5, This Time with Alan Partridge, Press, W1A, and King Charles III; and for film, No Time To Die.
Tom Burke plays Trigorin. His theatre work includes Rosmersholm (Duke of York’s Theatre), Don Carlos (UK tour), The Deep Blue Sea, The Doctor’s Dilemma (National Theatre), Reasons to be Happy (Hampstead Theatre), Reasons to be Pretty, Macbeth (Almeida Theatre), Design for Living (The Old Vic), for the Donmar Warehouse, Creditors (also New York, winner of the Ian Charleson Award) and The Cut, and Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe). His television work includes Extinction, The Crown,Strike, The Musketeers, War and Peace, Utopia, The Hour, Great Expectations, Casanova, and State of Play; and for film, Furiosa, The Wonder, Klokkenluider, True Things About Me, Mank, The Souvenir, The Invisible Woman,The Libertine, Telstar, Chéri, An Enemy to Die For, Cleanskin, Only God Forgives, The Invisible Woman and The Hooligan Factory.
(Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for IMDb)
Emma Corrin plays Nina. Their theatre work includes Orlando (Michael Grandage Company at the Garrick Theatre) and Anna X (Harold Pinter Theatre – Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress and The Stage Debut Award nomination for Best West End Performer).For television, their credits include playing Lady Diana Spencer in the award-winning The Crown -for which they won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award, as well as receiving a SAG and Emmy nomination, A Murder at the End of the World (nomination for an Independent Spirit Award in the Best Lead Performance), and the forthcoming Black Mirror. For film, their credits include Deadpool & Wolverine, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, My Policeman, and the forthcoming Nosferatu, and 100 Nights of the Hero.
Zachary Hart plays Medvedenko. His theatre credits include The Constituent (The Old Vic), An Enemy of the People (Duke of York’s Theatre), Julius Caesar (Bridge Theatre). For television, his work includes Slow Horses, Bodies, Peaky Blinders, The Witcher: Blood Origin, Masters of the Air, Sitting in Limbo, and Doc Martin; and for film, Jericho Ridge, and Delia Derbyshire: The Myths and Legendary Tapes.
Paul Higgins plays Shamrayev. For theatre, his work includes Romeo and Juliet, The Doctor, Macbeth, Conversations After a Burial (Almeida Theatre), Local Hero (Chichester Festival Theatre), This is Memorial Device (Royal Lyceum Theatre), The Meaning of Zong (Bristol Old Vic), Aristocrats, Temple, Luise Miller (Donmar Warehouse), The Seagull (Lyric Hammersmith), Twilight Song (Park Theatre), Blackbird, King Lear (Citizens Theatre), Hope, Nightsongs (Royal Court Theatre), Children of the Sun, Caledonia, The White Guard, Paul (National Theatre), Damascus (Traverse Theatre and Tricycle Theatre), Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland), The Tempest (Tron Theatre), Measure for Measure (RSC), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), Buried Alive (Hampstead Theatre), The Way of the World (Royal Exchange Theatre), An Enemy of the People (National Theatre, Ahmanson Theatre LA), and The Slab Boys (Young Vic). For television, his work includes The Simpsons, Slow Horses, The Ipcress Files, Beep, Cold Call, Line of Duty, Raised by Wolves, The Wrong Mans, Case Histories, Utopia, Hope Springs, Purves and Pekkala, The Last Enemy, The Thick of It, Low Winter Sun, Murder, Lucky Ones, and Staying Alive; and for film, Kill, Greed, Apostle, The Party’s Just Beginning, Couple in a Hole, Victor and Abdul, In The Loop, The Red Road, Complicity, Beautiful Creatures, Bedrooms and Hallways, Goal! and No Holds Bard.
Tanya Reynolds plays Masha. Her theatre credits include A Mirror (Almeida Theatre and Trafalgar Studios – Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role), She Stoops to Conquer (Orange Tree Theatre), The LastWords You’ll Hear (Almeida Theatre), It’s Not Like It’s Illegal (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Scenes with Girls (Royal Court Theatre). Her television credits include The Decameron, 4Stories: OnThe Edge, The Baby, I Hate You, Sex Education, Breeders, and Delicious. And for film, Timestalkers, Harold, The Purple Crayon, Emma, Undergods, Fanny Lye Deliver’d, and The Revenger: an Unromantic Comedy.
Kodi Smit-McPhee makes his professional stage debut as Konstantin. His television work includes the upcoming limited series Disclaimer and previous series Interrogation.His film work includes the upcoming releases Maria and Memoir of a Snail, and previous films The Power of the Dog (New York Critics’ Film Award, and BAFTA and Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor as well as a Golden Globe win for Best Supporting Actor), Dolemite is My Name, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, Alpha, Deadpool 2, X Men: Apocalypse, Slow West, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, All the Wilderness, ParaNorman, Let Me In (nomination for AFI Award for Best Young Actor), The Road and Romulus, My Father (AFI Award for Best Young Actor), and the forthcoming Zealot.
Jason Watkins plays Sorin. He was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Servant to Two Masters for the RSC/Young Vic/West End. His other theatre includes Frozen (Theatre Royal Haymarket), The Twits, Boy Gets Girl, Rafts and Dreams, King Lear (Royal Court Theatre), Strange Interlude, Landscape with Weapon, Our Class,Inadmissible Evidence (National Theatre), A Laughing Matter (National Theatre and Out of Joint), The Plantagenets, The Plain Dealer (RSC), Blue Kettle and Hearts Desire (Out of Joint), The Late Henry Moss, A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream (Almeida Theatre), A Farewell to the Theatre (Hampstead Theatre), The Dumb Waiter (Oxford Playhouse), and Arden of Faversham (Old Red Lion). Watkins played the title role in The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won the Best Actor BAFTA. Other television includes The Crown (as Harold Wilson – SAG Award for Best Ensemble), McDonald and Dodds (as series regular DS Dodds), Anansi Boys, Des, Archie, Coma, The Catch, The Trick, Line of Duty, Taboo, Inside No 9, A Very English Scandal, Friday Night Dinner, Trollied, W1A, the animated series Batman Caped Crusader (as Pennyworth), Being Human, Housewife 49, Sex Traffic, Little Dorrit, Funland, Are You Being Served, and the documentary – Jason and Clara In Memory of Maudie. His film credits include The Phoenician Scheme, The Nest, Wicked Little Letters, Hampstead, The Children Act, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, Wild Child, Nativity! film series (as Gordon Shakespeare), Bridget Jones – The Edge of Reason, and High Hopes; and the short film, The One Note Man (Greece International Film Festival Best Actor, Richard Harris Best Actor Award).
Since September 1999 Thomas Ostermeier has been resident director and member of the Artistic Direction of the Schaubühne Berlin. His productions for the company include An Enemy of the People, Death in Venice, The Little Foxes – audience award of the Theatergemeinde Berlin, Richard III – Premio della Critica Teatrale, Bella Figura, Professor Bernhardi, Returning to Reims, History of Violence, Italian Night, Abgrund – co-production with Salzburger Festspiele, Youth Without God, Vernon Subutex, Ödipus, Qui a tué mon Père and The Seagull. His other theatre work includes Der starke Stamm, Vor Sonnenaufgang, Die Ehe der Maria Braun, and Susn (Münchner Kammerspiele), The Girl on the Sofa (Edinburgh Festival – Herald Angel Award), The Master Builder (Burgtheater in Vienna), The Seagull (Théâtre-Vidy, Lausanne), Knives in Hens, Nora – Nestroy Prize and Politika Prize, Hedda Gabler – audience award of the Theatergemeinde Berlin, Die Ehe der Maria Braun, Returning to Reims (Theatertreffen Berlin), John Gabriel Borkman – Grand Prix de la Critique of France, Hamlet – Barcelona Critics Prize and critic’s prize as Best International Production 2011 in Chile, The Cut – critic´s prize at the international theatre festival KONTAKT in Torun, Measure for Measure – Friedrich-Luft-Prize for the Best Theatre Performance in Berlin, La Nuit des rois ou Tout ce que vous voulez (Comédie-Française Paris) – Prix Molière for the best Production in France 2022 – as well as productions across the globe. In November 2004 Ostermeier was appointed Artiste Associé for the Festival d’Avignon by the artistic director of the festival, Vincent Baudriller, and has been presenting shows at the Festival regularly since then. In 2023 he opened the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence with his version of Brecht’s/ Weill’s The Threepenny Opera. He has been appointed Officier des Arts et des Lettres by the French ministry of Culture, was German president of the Deutsch-Französischer Kulturrat (DKFR) – German-French Council of Culture, was the recipient of the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and the KYTHERA-Price for Culture, and is a member of the Deutsche Akademie der Künste, of the Académie de Berlin and of the Deutsch-Französischer Kulturrat, as well as receiving honorary doctorates from the Universities of Kent and Gothenberg.
Duncan Macmillan is an award-winning writer and director. His work has been performed throughout the world, including at the National Theatre, the Royal Court, Old Vic, Almeida, Barbican, St Ann’s Warehouse, Melbourne Theatre Company, Berliner Ensemble, Schaubühne Berlin, Hamburg Schauspielhaus, Burgtheater Wien, Vesturport, Kansallisteatteri, Nationaltheatret Oslo, at the Salzburg Festival, in the West End and on Broadway. His screen work has been shown at the London and Berlin film festivals, on the BBC, Netflix and HBO. Plays include People, Places and Things, Lungs; Every Brilliant Thing; Rosmersholm (adapt. Henrik Ibsen); 1984 (adapt. George Orwell, co-written and co-directed with Robert Icke); City of Glass (adapt. Paul Auster) and 2071 (co-written with Chris Rapley); The Forbidden Zone; Wunschloses Unglück (adapt. Peter Handke); and Reise durch die Nacht (adapt. Friederike Mayröcker), which was selected for Theatertreffen and Festival d’Avignon and awarded the Nestroy Preis for Best German Language Production. People, Places and Things, 1984 and Rosmersholm were all nominated for Olivier Awards.
