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NEW MUSICAL

LONDON PREMIERE

LIFELINE

CAST AND CREATIVES ANNOUNCEMENT

Behind every extraordinary feat are ordinary people. This is their story. 

Music and Lyrics by Robin Hiley. Book by Becky Hope-Palmer

28 March –  2 May 2026

●      A captivating and soul-stirring new musical infused with nostalgic Scottish folk sounds and foot-stomping rhythms. A score that soars between light-hearted humour and moments of profound humanity.

●      Uniquely combines a West End and Broadway musical theatre cast and a live six-piece band with a chorus of real-life scientists, doctors, nurses and microbiologists.

●      Award-winning Alex Howarth directs. (Cassie And The Lights, Southwark Playhouse Borough; We Live By The Sea, Critic’s Pick and Top Theatre of the Year, NY Times).

●      Inspired by Scotsman Sir Alexander Fleming, connecting the urgent reality of antimicrobial resistance with powerful human stories.

●      Stream the LIFELINE Concept Album HERE. Sung by Broadway stars including Aaron Lazar, Arielle Jacobs, Nathan Salstone and Jay Armstrong-Johnson.

LIFELINE makes its highly-anticipated London premiere at Southwark Playhouse Elephant this spring. A new Scottish musical about one moment that changed history, two love stories seventy years apart, infused with nostalgic Scottish folk sounds and foot-stomping rhythms.

Fresh from an acclaimed debut off-Broadway run; a history-making performance as the first musical to ever perform at the United Nations (2024) and two previous sell-out runs at Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2018 and 2022 as The Mould That Changed The World), this brand-new production today announces its 10 strong West-End and Broadway musical theatre cast.  

Starring Alan Vicary (Girl From the North Country, The Phantom of the Opera, West-End), Maz McGinlay (Hairspray, West-End); Nathan Salstone (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Broadway); Kieran Brown (Les Misérables, Love Never Dies, Wicked, West-End); Helen Logan (Traverse/Tron Theatre, Pitlochry Festival Theatre); Robbie Scott (Trainspotting, Phil McIntyre Live) and Kelly Glyptis (Phantom of The Opera, West-End). The ensemble includes Hannah Visocchi, Jasmine Jules Andrews and Graham Richardson.

It’s 1950 and Scottish scientist Alexander Fleming is at the height of his fame. His discovery of penicillin, the world’s first antibiotic, is being hailed as a miracle cure that will change medicine forever. But his heart is torn as he falls in love with Greek resistance fighter and scientist Amalia Voureka, who must return home. In present-day Edinburgh, junior doctor Jess faces the unthinkable when her estranged childhood sweetheart is rushed to her hospital. Old feelings resurface, traditional cures are put to the test and critical decisions must be made.

LIFELINE is inspired by real historical events, real voices and a real modern day global crisis. Each performance features a different chorus of nurses, doctors, scientists, microbiologists, vets and dentists, appearing alongside the professional cast and a six-piece band, making every night genuinely unique. 

Composer and Lyricist Robin Hiley,the creative force behind the musical says:“Almost a century since the discovery of penicillin, and 80 years since Sir Alexander Fleming’s Nobel Prize address, his early warnings about antimicrobial resistance have never felt more prophetic. This timely musical is a celebration of the everyday people who make the extraordinary happen – and a heartfelt love letter to the medical community: past, present and future. I hope audiences will be entertained, uplifted and feel connected to these real-world stories and the message it carries that affects us all.”

Professor Dame Sally Davies, UK Special Envoy on Antimicrobial Resistance and former Chief General Medical Officer for England adds: “All of us have had our lives changed or saved by antibiotics. Antimicrobial resistance affects all of us, but public awareness does not match the scale of the threat. LIFELINE is bringing the issues to life and showing that we can – and must – make a difference.” *See notes to editors

The creative team also includes set designer Abby Clarke, costume designer Alice McNicholas, choreographer Leanne Pinder (PUNCH, Nottingham Playhouse), lighting designer Matthew Craigen and sound designer Paul Smith.

Lifeline is presented by Charades Theatre Company and supported by the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, GSK, disAMR, Shionogi, Pfizer, the British Standards Institute, Inizio Medical, Virgo Health, Healthcare Communications Association, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, and Dr Sirek MedCosmetic.

KINKY BOOTS

TO HOST SPECIAL GALA NIGHT

AT LONDON COLISEUM

ON SUNDAY 29 MARCH

IN SUPPORT OF

WATERAID

Producers ROYO, Runaway Entertainment and Curve are delighted to announce that the brand-new production of the Olivier, Tony® and Grammy® Award-winning KINKY BOOTS The Musical will host a special Gala Night at London Coliseum on Sunday 29 March in support of international charity WaterAid. St Martin’s Lane will close as the biggest night in theatre steps out onto the street, in full glamour, with a star-studded guest list.

The show will strut into the spectacular London Coliseum for 17 weeks from 17 March 2026 to 11 July 2026. Tickets are on sale now.

KINKY BOOTS The Musical will star Johannes Radebe as Lola and Matt Cardle as Charlie Price, with Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Alternate Lola*.

Johannes, a passionate WaterAid supporter, was “blown away” by a visit with WaterAid to his home country of South Africa last year. Travelling to communities in the northern province of Limpopo, where less than a third of people have piped water at home, he saw first-hand how clean water is changing lives for good.

He met families who spoke about the hours spent walking to collect water and the life-changing impact of having it closer to home, freeing up time for women and giving children more time to learn. He even enjoyed an impromptu dance session with pupils at a local school. The experience inspired him to continue his support for the global charity back on home soil.

Johannes Radebe said: “I am honoured to have seen firsthand the incredible work WaterAid do around the world. I visited one of their projects in my home country of South Africa and heard the stories of how simply having access to clean water has changed the lives of the people there. I am so lucky to be able to live my dream every day, and I am thrilled that our gala performance at the London Coliseum will be raising money for WaterAid* so that others can follow their dreams too. It’s going to be quite a celebration. See you there!”

Jennie York, WaterAid’s Executive Director of Communications and Fundraising, reflects on the fundraising gala:

“KINKY BOOTS is a joyful celebration of inclusion, courage and community, and we’re incredibly proud to be the charity partner for this gala night. Money raised from this special event* will help fund life-changing access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene, giving more people the opportunity to thrive. We’re hugely grateful to everyone involved for stepping up for such a vital cause.”

KINKY BOOTS The Musical features a book by Harvey Fierstein and a score by Cyndi Lauper. It will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster (My Fair Lady, A Chorus Line, Billy Elliot).

KINKY BOOTS The Musical is a Broadway and West End phenomenon based on a true story and movie of the same name released in 2005.

When Charlie Price inherits his family’s failing shoe factory, saving the company – and his love life – feels like an impossibly tall order. Until, that is, he meets Lola, the sparkling, larger-than-life drag queen with the unlikeliest of answers. Can they work together to reboot the business and save the day? Perhaps they just need to help each other – and everyone around them – to stand a little taller…

A glorious celebration of friendship and individuality, let Kinky Boots raise you up higher than ever at the

legendary London Coliseum for 17 weeks only.

KINKY BOOTS is directed by Nikolai Foster with choreography by Leah Hill, set design by Robert Jones, costume design by Robert Jones & Tom Rogers, musical supervision by George Dyer, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Adam Fisher, casting by Harry Blumenau CDG CDA, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates, associate direction by Michaela Powell with production management by Setting Line.

KINKY BOOTS is produced by ROYO, Runaway Entertainment and Curve.

Website: KinkyBootsLondon.com

Socials: @kinkyboots_uk

KINKY BOOTS  

Book by Harvey Fierstein

Music and Lyrics by Cyndi Lauper  

Original Broadway Production Directed and Choreographed by Jerry Mitchell  

Based on the Miramax motion picture Kinky Boots Written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth 

Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International

LISTINGS INFORMATION

17 March – 11 July 2026

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London

WC2N 4ES

Preview performances: Tuesday – Saturday 7:30pm, Thursday and Saturday 2:30pm

Performances: Monday – Saturday 7:30pm, Thursday and Saturday 2:30pm

Tickets from: £20

Box Office: 020 7845 9300

*Tosh Wanogho-Maud will play the role of Lola on all Monday performances from 6April 2026. Patrons are advised to check the website for further information.

ALEX KINGSTON AND RICHARD SCHIFF STAR IN MICHAEL FRAYN’S COPENHAGEN AT HAMPSTEAD THEATRE PLUS THE UK PREMIERE OF SARAH RUHL’S STAGE KISS

Michael Frayn’s Copenhagen will receive its first London staging since its 1998 premiere in a new production directed by Michael Longhurst. Opening at Hampstead Theatre in March, the modern classic will star Alex Kingston (Doctor Who, ER) and Richard Schiff (The West Wing, The Good Doctor) with further casting to be announced.

Inspired by real events that have fascinated historians for decades the multi-award winning Copenhagen centres on a meeting between two great physicists, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg. In 1941, at the height of the Second World War, Heisenberg made a strange trip to Copenhagen to see his former mentor and friend, Bohr. Their brilliant collaboration in the 1920s had begun to lay bare the mysteries at the heart of the atom, but with Denmark now under German occupation this meeting was fraught with danger and embarrassment – and Heisenberg was burdened with a terrible secret.

Michael Frayn’s plays Alphabetical Order, Clouds, Now You Know and Matchbox Theatre all premiered at Hampstead Theatre. His other plays include Noises Off, Democracy and Afterlife.

Following Copenhagen is Sarah Ruhl’s brilliant romantic comedy, Stage Kiss, whichmakes its UK premiere on Hampstead’s Main Stage in a new production directed by Blanche McIntyre. The production opens in May and marks Blanche McIntyre’s second collaboration with the two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist following the success of Letters From Max in Hampstead Downstairs in last year.

Stage Kiss begins with a sweeping melodrama. It’s 1930 New York, Ada is dying and her true love has journeyed from Europe for one final embrace. The estranged lovers are reunited, convinced their love will conquer all obstacles. Except, it’s 2011 New Haven, and these are rehearsals for The Last Kiss, a long-forgotten play. And there’s a plot twist. Art imitates life, and our two leading actors have an explosive romantic history of their own. As opening night approaches, a passionate affair may be waiting in the wings… 

Greg Ripley-Duggan, Producer and Chief Executive of Hampstead Theatre, said:

“Hampstead Theatre owes an enormous amount to Michael Frayn: he served on our Board for an amazing 25 years, and was the shrewd and perspicacious leader of the Foundation that created the astonishing building we now occupy. Over the years we’ve premiered four of his works and revived two more, and I’m delighted to have persuaded Michael Longhurst to create a fresh production of Copenhagen, last produced in London in 1998. I’m also overjoyed to be bringing Blanche McIntyre and Sarah Ruhl back together again at Hampstead, this time for Sarah’s brilliant comedy, Stage Kiss. It’s hard to imagine a play more different from Letters From Max, but if this production is even half as good as that one we’re in for a treat!”

These new productions join the other previously announced world premieres of Bird Grove by Alexi Kaye Campbell and Springwood by Richard Nelson on the Main Stage and R.O.I. (Return on Investment) by Aaron Loeb, Firewing by David Pearson and the UK premiere of We Had A World by Joshua Harmon in Hampstead Downstairs. Later this year, Hampstead will also produce the UK premiere of Kimberly Akimbo, the multi-Tony Award-winning musical by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori.

Alongside these productions is the appointment of playwright Juliet Gilkes Romero as Writer in Residence for Hampstead’s ENGAGE programme for adults in Camden. In an exciting move to bring Camden residents, community organisations and professional artists together to explore creativity as a means of connection, Juliet has been commissioned to create a new full-length play in collaboration with Camden Carers, Camden Disability Action and The Winch. Directed by Hampstead’s Director of Participation, Jennifer Davis, the large-scale production will feature a cast of community and professional actors and will be performed on Hampstead Theatre’s Main Stage in July.

Priority Booking for Copenhagen and Stage Kiss opens for Patrons on Thursday 5 February, for Friends Plus on Friday 6 February and for Friends and Young Friends on Monday 9 February. Public Booking opens on Tuesday 10 February at 10.30am.

Tickets and further information: hampsteadtheatre.com

Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard launches national  

“Love Your Local Theatre” campaign 

• Love Your Local Theatre celebrates the vital role of UK theatres as incubators of talent
• A nationwide social media campaign will encourage the public to share why they love their local theatre, to be in with a chance of winning a prize package including tickets to the Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard

OlivierAwards.com 

The Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard will shine a spotlight on the impact of theatre across the UK with the launch of Love Your Local Theatre, celebrating the vital role local theatres play as incubators of talent, championing creativity, connection and culture in communities beyond London. 

At the heart of the campaign is a nationwide social media drive inviting audiences to share what their local theatre means to them. Participants are encouraged to post a video, image or graphic celebrating their chosen venue, using the hashtag #LoveYourLocalTheatre. Each eligible post will be entered into a prize draw, with one winner receiving an unforgettable theatre experience of two tickets to the Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard, a two-night stay at The May Fair Hotel, and £500 in Theatre Tokens to spend at one of 300+ theatres nationwide. The prize draw is open until 11.59pm on Thursday 5 March. 

Marking its 50^th anniversary, the Olivier Awards will see past winners and nominees recognise the local venues that first inspired them and nurtured their talent. By celebrating these formative connections, Love Your Local Theatre will emphasise the importance of theatres across the breadth of the UK in developing world-class creatives and sustaining the wider theatre ecosystem.  

Adrian Lester, Olivier Award-winning actor, said: 

“Local theatres across the UK enrich British culture and sustain the theatre ecosystem. My own journey began with Birmingham Youth Theatre at the Midland Arts Centre and Birmingham Rep, which gave me opportunities that shaped the course of my career. These, and many venues across the UK, continue to do the same for generations of artists today.” 

Kathy Bourne, President of UK Theatre and Executive Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, said: 

“From first performances to lifelong careers, local theatres play a crucial role in nurturing talent and inspiring audiences. Love Your Local Theatre is about celebrating the venues at the heart of our communities and recognising the impact they have on artists, audiences and the wider theatre industry.” 

Tickets for the Olivier Awards 2026 with Cunard are now on sale to the public, available at RoyalAlbertHall.com.  

OlivierAwards.com | Facebook | X | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube 

#OlivierAwards 

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN

A MADE AT CURVE, BRISTOL OLD VIC AND MAYFLOWER SOUTHAMPTON CO-PRODUCTION

Fabian Soto Pacheco plays Molina, as Layton Williams steps away from the production

Co-producers Curve, Bristol Old Vic and Mayflower Southampton have today announced the full cast for the upcoming revival of John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.

Joining the previously announced George Blagden as Valentin and Anna-Jane Casey as Aurora is rising star Fabian Soto Pacheco (DEAR EVAN HANSEN, Luciernaga Producciónes, Teatro Auditorio Nacional, Costa Rica, DON QUIJOTE DE LA MANCHA, Teatro Auditorio Nacional, Costa Rica and GUYS & DOLLS, Frinton Summer Theatre) as Molina, Gabriela Garcia (WEST SIDE STORY, Royal Exchange Manchester) as Marta, Tori Scott (GUYS & DOLLS, The Bridge Theatre) as Molina’s Mother, Jay Rincon (BARCELONA, Duke of York’s Theatre) as the Warden and Damian Buhagiar (MY FAIR LADY, Curve) as the Guard. The company is completed by ensemble cast members Jess Buckby (CRUEL INTENTIONS, The Other Palace), Alex Pinder (FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Davide Fienauri (WHITE CHRISTMAS, Curve).

Fabian Soto Pacheco takes on the role of Molina from Layton Williams, who has withdrawn from the production.

Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, on behalf of the co-producers, said:

“We are thrilled to share news of our full company for KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN. Rising star Fabian Soto Pacheco joins Anna-Jane Casey and George Blagden to lead this beautiful show, a rare opportunity to see one of the great landmark Broadway musicals from Kander and Ebb.

“Acclaimed director Paul Foster and his team have brought together a phenomenal company and whilst we are sorry to see Layton leave the production, we wish him every continued success. Layton has enjoyed a long relationship with our audiences and we very much look forward to welcoming him back to Curve in the future. In the meantime, we are proud to share this extraordinary production with audiences in Leicester, Bristol and Southampton”

Layton Williams said:

“Walking away from this production was an incredibly tough decision, and not one I made lightly. What Director Paul Foster and the team are putting together is truly magical, but an opportunity arose that I simply couldn’t turn down.

“While I’m sad to be leaving the show, I know the production is going to be absolutely incredible, and I’m sending all my love to the company, including Fabian, who is going to make a remarkable Molina.

“Finally, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the teams at Curve, Bristol Old Vic, Mayflower Southampton, and everyone who has helped me navigate this situation. I’ll forever be indebted to you and hope we can collaborate again in the future.

“To everyone else: please make sure you book tickets to see KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN! It really is going to be an unmissable show.”

Curve, Bristol Old Vic and Mayflower Southampton’s co-production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is the first major UK revival of the musical since 1992. The production will be directed by Paul Foster (A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, Watermill Theatre and KISS ME, KATE, Sheffield Crucible) and will run in Curve’s Studio Theatre 3 to 25 April, at Bristol Old Vic 29 April to 16 May and at Mayflower Studios 2 to 6 June.

Based on the novel by Manuel Puig and adapted for the stage by Terrence McNally, the 1993 Broadway production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN received seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.

Obsession or salvation? One kiss from the Spider Woman can change everything.

In a brutal prison, Molina – condemned for his sexuality, and Valentin – a political prisoner, are forced into an unlikely friendship in the cell they share. To escape their harsh reality, Molina conjures dazzling fantasies of glamorous movies, spinning tales of the seductive and dangerous Spider Woman. As their conditions worsen and the line between truth and fiction blurs, the two men find a deeper connection – one that could cost them everything.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is directed by Paul Foster, with Choreographer Joanna Goodwin (MY FAIR LADY, Curve), Set Designer David Woodhead (TITANIC, UK and international tours, ABIGAIL’S PARTY, Curve), Olivier and Tony Award-winning Costume Designer Gabriella Slade (SIX THE MUSICAL), Tony Award-winning Orchestrator and Arranger Sarah Travis (MISS LITTLEWOOD, RSC, BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, both at Curve and on UK tour), Lighting Designer Howard Hudson (STARLIGHT EXPRESS, Troubadour Theatre, A CHORUS LINE, Curve), Sound Designer Matt Peploe (ROBIN HOOD, London Palladium, INDIGO, Curve) and Casting Director Stuart Burt CDG (SUNSET BOULEVARD, Savoy Theatre and St James Theatre, CABARET, Kit Kat Club). Further casting will be announced in due course.

Musicians for this Made at Curve production of KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN are sponsored by music licensing company PPL.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN runs at Curve 3 to 25 April 2026. Tickets are available to book now on www.curveonline.co.uk, calling 0116 242 3595 or by visiting Curve’s Box Office in-person.

For tickets at Bristol Old Vic visit https://bristololdvic.org.uk/

For tickets at Mayflower Southampton visit https://www.mayflower.org.uk/

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK TOUR OF MALORY TOWERS

ADAPTED AND DIRECTED BY EMMA RICE

The Emma Rice Company today announces the full cast for their upcoming tour of Malory Towers from the novels by Enid Blyton and adapted by Emma Rice. Rice directs Eden Barrie (Mary Lou Atkinson), Molly Cheesley (Alicia Johns), Rebecca Collingwood (Gwendolyn Lacey), Stephanie Hockley (Irene DuPont), Emily Panes (Musician), Robyn Sinclair (Darrell Rivers), Bethany Wooding (Sally Hope) and Zoe West (Bill Robinson) in this co-production with Alexandra Palace Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, HOME Manchester and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse.

The production opens at Theatre Royal Bath on 7 May, with previews from 1 May, before embarking on a UK tour to Coventry, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool and Guildford, before completing its run at the Alexandra Palace Theatre in London.

Emma Rice said today, “Malory Towers is an enduring passion for me! Inspired by my Gran, Mum and all the magnificent women of the wartime generations, I have loved bringing these intoxicating characters and tales up to date with love, song and laughter. However, like the school itself, this sparkling production needs to be filled with new personalities. This new tour is no different! The class of 2026 is filled with fresh, fierce and joyful talent – and I cannot wait to see what they bring to Miss Grayling, Malory Towers and me. Here’s to ‘Good strong women that the world can lean on’. My, in these terrifying and divided times we need that more than ever, don’t we?”

www.emmaricecompany.co.uk
Instagram: @EmmaRiceCompany

Facebook: @EmmaRiceCompany or Facebook.com/emmaricecompany

MALORY TOWERS

From the novels by Enid Blyton

Adapted and directed by Emma Rice

Co-produced by Emma Rice Company, Alexandra Palace Theatre, Belgrade Theatre, HOME Manchester and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse

Set & Costume Designer Lez Brotherston; Composer Ian Ross;

Lighting Designer Malcolm Rippeth; Sound and Video Designer Simon Baker;

Choreographer Alistair David

Theatre Royal Bath

1 – 9 May Press Night

Then on UK tour

It’s back by popular demand! Emma Rice Company’s ‘magic’ Malory Towers (Guardian) is touring the UK again. Get ready for high jinks, high drama and high spirits, all set to sensational live music.

Darrell Rivers is starting school with an eager mind and fierce heart. Unfortunately she also has a quick temper! Can she learn to tolerate the infuriating Gwendoline Lacey, or value the kind-hearted Sally Hope? Can she save the school play and rescue terrified Mary Lou from the grip of a raging storm? If she can do these things anywhere, she will do them at Malory Towers!

​Nostalgic, naughty, and perfect for now, Malory Towers is the original ‘Girl Power’ story. This is a show for girls, boys and all grown-up children who still dream of midnight feasts and Cornish clifftops.

Eden Barrie plays Mary Lou Atkinson. She was in the ensemble for the Pitlochry Festival Theatre Rep season in 2025 performing in Grease, Nessie and Toast Fae the Lassies.

Molly Cheesley plays Alicia Johns. Her theatre credits incldue NOW That’s What I Call A Musical (UK Tour), You’re Not The Boss of Me (The Other Palace), Jane Austen’s Emma (UK Tour), Forever Young, Jack and the Beanstalk, Dick Whittington, and Robin Hood (Exeter Northcott).

Rebecca Collingwood reprises her role as Gwendolyn Lacey having played her in the 2019 tour. For the company, she also appeared in Wuthering Heights. Her other theatre credits include The Motive and the Cue (National Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (RSC) Arms and the Man, Precious Little Talent, Widowers’ Houses – Ian Charleson Award nomination (Orange Tree Theatre), The Hartlepool Monkey (Gyre and Gimble), Caste (Finborough Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing and Love’s Labour’s Lost (RSC at Chichester Festival Theatre and Theatre Royal Haymarket). Her television work includes Miss Scarlett and The Duke and The Holden Girls: Mandy and Mrytle.

Stephanie Hockley plays Irene DuPont. For the company she previously appeared in Wuthering Heights, Blue Beard and Malory Towers. Her other theatre credits include Miracle on 34^th Street (HOME Manchester), Vernon Girls (Liverpool Royal Court), A Christmas Carol Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Storyhouse), Robin Hood (Watermill Theatre); Return to the Forbidden Planet (Upstairs at the Gatehouse, The Little Mermaid (Liverpool Everyman), Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel (Liverpool Everyman), and The Witch of Edmonton (Sam Wanamaker Festival).

Emily Panes is the Musician. Her theatre credits include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Ambassadors Theatre), Twelfth Night (Mill at Sonning and Cunard Cruises), The Threepenny Opera (Minack Theatre, OVO), Hay Fever, Twelfth Night, Still Life (The Mill at Sonning), Cinderella and Robin Hood (The Barn Cirencester), Pinocchio, Rapunzel (The Garage Norwich), and Kinky Boots in Concert (LMTO, Theatre Royal Drury Lane).

Robyn Sinclair plays Darrell Rivers – her previous work for the company includes Blue Beard. Her other theatre work includes Four Felons and a Funeral (UK tour), The Grapes of Wrath (National Theatre), 4000 Miles, Mood Music (The Old Vic), The Enormous Crocodile (Leeds Playhouse and Regent’s Park Open Air Productions), The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth (The Watermill Theatre), Wildfire Road (Sheffield Theatres), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (UK tour and Gillian Lynne Theatre), Amélie (Criterion Theatre), Mog (The Wardrobe Ensemble, Royal and Derngate, The Old Vic), Electrolyte (Wildcard Theatre), The Wind in the Willows (New Vic Theatre), The Snow Queen (Theatre Clwyd/Paperfinch Theatre), and Much Ado About Nothing (Oxford Shakespeare Company). For film, Not Knowing Needing and Fledgeling.

Bethany Wooding plays Sally Hope. Her theatre work includes The Crucible (Shakespeare’s Globe), Peerless, Rodney and The Shrieking Sisterhood (Sherman Theatre), and The Return (ReLive Theatre Company). Her film work includes The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde, and Six Minutes to Midnight.

Zoe West plays Bill Robinson. Their theatre work includes Jack and the Beanstalk, Romeo and Juliet, Rapunzel, Cinderella (Liverpool Everyman), Baby in the Mirror (Second Adolescence), Dead Girls Rising (Silent Uproar), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Chichester Festival Theatre), Wildfire Road (Sheffield Theatres), A Christmas Carol (Shakespeare North Playhouse), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Rose Theatre Kingston), Jane Eyre (Stephen Joseph Theatre and New Vic), Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe), Peter Pan (Storyhouse), Much Ado About Nothing (New English Shakespeare Company), Out of Water (Orange Tree Theatre and RSC), White Teeth (Kiln Theatre), Sleeping Beauty (Theatr Clwyd), and Island Song (Stratford Circus). For television, The Primrose Railway Children.

Emma Rice is the Artistic Director of Wise Children and is an internationally respected theatre-maker and director. For Wise Children she has adapted and directed A Child’s Christmas in Wales, The Buddha of Suburbia, Blue Beard, The Little Matchgirl and Happier Tales, Wuthering Heights, Bagdad Café, Angela Carter’s Wise Children, Enid Blyton’s Malory Towers and Romantics Anonymous. As Artistic Director of Shakespeare’s Globe: Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Little Matchgirl (and Other Happier Tales). Rice worked for Kneehigh as an actor, director and Artistic Director, creating critically acclaimed productions including: The Flying Lovers of Vitebsk, 946: The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips, The Wild Bride, The Red Shoes, Cymbeline (in association with RSC), A Matter of Life and Death (in association with National Theatre), 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. She received the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre award at the 2019 UK Theatre Awards.  

LISTINGS 

EMMA RICE COMPANY

MALORY TOWERS – UK TOUR

Theatre Royal Bath

1 – 9 May

https://www.theatreroyal.org.uk

Belgrade Theatre, Coventry

12 – 16 May

Leeds Playhouse

27 – 30 May

HOME Manchester

2 – 13 June

https://homemcr.org

Liverpool Playhouse

16 – 20 June

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

14 – 18 July

https://www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk

Alexandra Palace Theatre

22 July – 2 August

NORTH BY NORTHWEST – US TOUR

The Old Globe, San Diego

3 July – 2 August 2026

TRISTAN & YSEULT

Theatre Royal Bath and UK tour

UNEQUAL PRODUCTIONS

PRESENTS

HEARTSINK

A NEW BITTERSWEET MEDICAL COMEDY WRITTEN BY A FORMER GP, DIRECTED BY SEAN TURNER

RIVERSIDE STUDIOS

21 APRIL – 10 MAY

TICKETS HERE

What happens when a doctor becomes the patient…?

Unequal Productions presents Heartsink, a new bittersweet comedy written by former GP Farine Clarke, and directed by Sean Turner (Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse for England, The Play That Goes Wrong), which will play at Riverside Studios from 21 April – 10 May.

“After years in practice seeing through a doctors’ eyes, I find myself on a crash-course as the patient, The view isn’t quite so attractive from this side, you’d be surprised to know.”

For GP Jeffrey Longford, a cancer diagnosis turns his faith in the medical fraternity inside out. Crossing the divide from confident clinician to frightened patient, challenges his professional certainties at every turn — from the way individuals are labelled by their conditions, to the ethical fault-lines surrounding assisted dying.

Written with warmth, intelligence and lived experience, Heartsink is a sharp, humane comedy that tackles ostensibly unfunny subject matter with wit and compassion. Alongside Jeffrey are a cast of richly drawn characters: Cara, an Irish patient whose hypochondria conceals a devastating truth; Suzie, a hospital receptionist whose abrasive exterior masks a brilliant philosophical mind; and Dr Roofi, a colleague forced to confront duty, loyalty and conscience.

The title, Heartsink, once used as a tag to warn doctors about a dreaded patient — becomes a quietly radical re-examination of empathy, power and humanity within modern medicine.

Farine Clarke said, “A doctor who’s a patient has insights into both sides; that’s not reassuring but terrifying and strangely, very funny. I know what it’s like to walk the wards donning scrubs and a stethoscope but learnt how it feels to lie in an institutional bed wearing an NHS nightie and paper knickers. I hear what the professionals say to me but listen for what they’re not telling me. I understand how important it is not to adopt illness behaviour, but at every turn the system emphasises the condition and strips away my identity. 

Heartsink comes from this collision of perspectives. The play uses a fair dollop of gallows humour to tell layered stories which entertain, surprise and encourage societal conversations. I’m very proud that healthcare professionals appreciated this play as much as the far wider audience; valuing that Heartsink juxtaposes two worlds which are intricately linked in their purpose but widely separate in their experience.”

Sean Turner said, “Heartsink is a sharply funny, powerful play about some of the most serious parts of humanity. Importantly for me as a director is that- as with all good plays- Heartsink sparks lively conversation in the bar afterwards; the audience comes away talking.  They come away exploring vital issues in a new light.”

Heartsink is written by Farine Clarke and directed by Sean Turner. The creative team includes set designer Matteo Mastrandrea, lighting designer Chuma Lighting Design, sound designer Hattie North, designer Tom Mann, and casting director Ellie Collyer-Bristow Casting.

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Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – until Saturday 7th February 2026

Reviewed by Rachel Clark

5****

Absolutely Hilarious

From the moment this starts you know it is going to be good. The stage was set up really well and there was a lot of stage props all very well done, you didn’t notice the set changes in the play when they happened amongst the laughter.

From the first line, this was just full of slapstick comedy, one liners and you are laughing so much it hurts, I was this time really looking forward to the interval to have a breather from laughing, I ached from laughing. The audience were just thoroughly enjoying the performance, it was a grey miserable February evening, and this lightened it up the town must of heard the laughter outside of the theatre. How the performers aren’t laughing themselves I do not know they are so serious and very well acted. At first I thought “Christmas in February?” But it wouldn’t matter if you watched it in the height of summer, it was great comedy and performance whatever the time of the year.

This is a play within a play. The story line is a Director is auditioning for the play A Christmas Carol but not having much success with finding actors. They decide to go with the ones they had firstly dismissed. There was a mix of actors and all were comical, actors not remembering lines, those wanting to be director. Without out spoiling too much, one actor had a squeaky voice, he thought he was there for the The Muppets Christmas Carol, not the Dickens version. Robert played by Henry Lewis who had a superb booming voice – auditioned for every play/film there was at Christmas, he did carry out the Christmas present well and having to adorn red lycra tights must have taken some guts.

The Director of A Christmas Carol was played as Chris Bean by Daniel Fraser, he was amazing, but everyone was, you can’t pick one actor out as they were all exceptional.

A big round of applause to the creative team for this performance, the writers Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields, Set design Libby Todd and Costume design Roberto Surance – but honestly to all the team along with production, it was faultless, but to be honest if anything did go amiss you would think it was part of the play.

It you want to a laugh to brighten up your evening it is definitely a must go and see, no doubt about it.

Hall for Cornwall, Truro, Cornwall – until 7th February 2026

Reviewed by Kerry Gilbert

5*****

‘A Fun and Entertaining Night had by all’

It was a pleasure to review The Bodyguard Musical, based on the iconic 1992 film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner at the Hall for Cornwall this week.

The Bodyguard tells the story of singer, Rachel Marron, whose rise to fame has put her and her loved ones at risk from a stalker. To keep her safe, her team hires ex Secret Service agent Frank Farmer as her bodyguard and Rachel makes his life as difficult as possible. As the threat escalates, they are both drawn closer together and Frank needs to quickly unmask the dangerous assailant.

The opening number ‘Queen of the Night’ was spectacular and grabbed your attention from the off! The lights flare and the pyrotechnics dazzle as we watch Rachel produce incredible vocals on top of a tall pillar, it’s electrifying! It takes a powerhouse singer to pull off this part, and Sidonie Smith did just that, showcasing many of Whitney Houstons’ hit songs during the show.

Sasha Monique as Rachel’s sister Nicky is as good as Rachel in the vocal performance, and her rendition of ‘Saving All My Love’ was delivered tenderly. Adam Garcia was strong as Frank Farmer, and his rapport with Rachels’ son Fletcher (Mason Dyett) was particularly endearing. Mason showed amazing talent and a standout performance, in his acting, vocals and dance routines.

A stand out moment was the duet between Rachel and Nicki which was sublime. The heart-wrenching ‘Run To You’ showcasing incredible vocal performances.

The show contains a lot more songs from Whitney’s back catalogue than originally features in the film, meaning we get to hear big numbers such as ‘Greatest Love of All’, ‘One Moment in Time’ and ‘Where do Broken Hearts Go’ with the appreciation of the audience.

It is a fun and entertaining night with hit after hit, classic tunes and energetic performances. The audience are encouraged to join in with the final number which was enjoyed by all!

Sheffield Crucible – until Saturday 7th February 2026

Reviewed by Claire Moore

4****

Crown of Blood is a bold and powerful reimagining of Macbeth, set during the civil wars of 19th-century Yorubaland. Adapted by Oladipo Agboluaje and directed by Mojisola Kareem, this production places Shakespeare’s familiar themes of ambition, power and fate into a rich new cultural setting — and the result feels fresh.

The story centres on General Aderemi, newly praised for protecting the kingdom from invaders. When he is promoted to Field Marshall, it fulfils the first prophecy made by the oracle. When a second prophecy suggests he will become king, Aderemi and his wife Oyebisi begin a brutal and relentless pursuit of power. What follows is a steady and unsettling slide into violence, driven by ambition, fear and the desire for more.

In a largely a male-dominated world, it’s the female performances that really stand out. Kehinde Bankole is superb as Aderemi’s wife, Oyebisi — quietly powerful, she’s strong, controlled and emotionally charged. Her ability to manipulate her husband into wanting, and believing he deserves more, is very believable and it’s easy to see why Aderemi, (Deyemi Okanlawon) finds her so hard to resist.

Kayefi Osha leads the singing with a beautiful, powerful voice in the Yoruba songs that was a real highlight of the show. It instantly grounded the production in the sounds and spirit of Yorubaland, adding depth and atmosphere throughout. The simple drum beats and energetic movement worked particularly well, providing a striking contrast to the darker themes of death and murder running through the play.

More lighter moments are delivered by Jude Akuwudike as Prime Minister Opaleye, clearly irritated by the arrogant crown prince (Tope Tedela) and bringing some much-needed laughter amid the darkness.

Kevin Jenkins’ costumes are beautiful and clearly inspired by traditional dress from the region. They do a brilliant job of signalling class and status, making it easy to understand the shifting power dynamics on stage. The set itself is very simple — perhaps a little too simple at times — and there were moments where it wasn’t always clear when or where we were. Alexandra Stafford’s lighting design helps to fill in those gaps, marking changes in location and building tension throughout the play. It’s particularly effective during the many murder scenes, where the lighting sharpens the atmosphere and keeps the sense of danger close.

Crown of Blood is a thought-provoking piece of theatre that reimagines a familiar story now deeply rooted in a new cultural setting. With powerful performances, striking music and moments of both tension and humour this is a real opportunity to see and experience something different — the kind of theatre that gently nudges you out of your comfort zone and reminds you why live performance can make life feel that little bit richer and more interesting.