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NEW CAST MEMBERS ANNOUNCED FOR

OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING

DISNEY’S NEWSIES

AT LONDON’S TROUBADOUR

WEMBLEY PARK THEATRE

MUST END 30 JULY 2023

The producers of Disney’s NEWSIES are delighted to welcome new cast members joining the production, which must end at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on 30 July 2023.

The producers are also thrilled that director and choreographer Matt Cole won the 2023 Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer.

The new cast members joining on 19 April are Spencer Darlaston-Jones as Romeo, Morgan Gregory as Swing, Mireia Mambo as Ensemble Forbes Masson as Joseph Pulitzer, Kai Oxley as Swing, Bradley Perret as Elmer, Owen Stringer as Oscar Delancey, Lucy Young as Swing and Ben Dalton and Harry Newby as Les.

They join existing cast members Michael Ahomka-Lindsay as Jack Kelly, Moya Angela as Medda Larkin, Lindsay Atherton as Ensemble, Imogen Bailey as Swing, Samuel Bailey as Specs, Bronté Barbé as Katherine Plumber, Josh Barnett as Race, Jack Bromage as Tommy Boy, Bobbie Chambers as Ensemble, Alex Christian as Buttons, Arcangelo Ciulla as Ike, George Crawford as Morris Delancey, Ross Dawes as Snyder, Joshua Denyer as Mush, Ross Dorrington as Splasher, Matthew Duckett as Crutchie, Jacob Fisher as Albert, Jamie Golding as Wiesel, Damon Gould as Finch, Barry Keenan as Nunzio, Ryan Kopel as Davey, Sion Lloyd as Bunsen, Mukeni Nel as Jo Jo, Mark Samaras as Mike, Rory Shafford as Swing, Matt Trevorrow as Henry, Lillie-Pearl Wildman as Ensemble and Nesim Adnan and Ethan Sokontwe as Les.

Based on a true story, NEWSIES is set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It’s the rousing tale of a ragged band of teenage newspaper sellers, who dream of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. After newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer hikes up the prices for his papers charged to the newsies, Jack Kelly rallies his fellow newsies in an attempt to protest the change, falling in love with young reporter Katherine along the way. These young newsies from across the city come together and rise up against the exploitation of wealthy publishing tycoons and fight for justice using the only power they have – solidarity.

The original production of NEWSIES opened on Broadway in 2012 and was slated to play only 100 performances but went on to play over 1,000 performances before touring and winning two Tony Awards®, including Best Original Score. The original production was filmed live on stage and released in cinemas in 2017.

Now for the very first time, audiences in the UK have a chance to enjoy the thrill of one of the biggest Broadway hits of recent years. In an innovative and brand new production at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, theatregoers will be thrust right inside the action as the newsies dance, sing, jump and fly around the streets of a booming 19^th century New York City.

NEWSIES is Directed and Choreographed by Olivier winner Matt Cole, with Set Design by Morgan Large, Musical Supervision, New Dance Arrangements & Musical Direction by Nigel Lilley, Costumes by Natalie Pryce, Lighting by Mark Henderson, Sound by Tony Gayle, New Orchestrations by Simon Hale, Performer Flying by John Maddox for Suspended Illusions Ltd, Casting by Lucy Casson, Children’s Casting by Jo Hawes, Fight Directors Rachel Bown-Williams & Ruth Cooper-Brown for RC Annie, Associate Director Rachael Nanyonjo, Associate Choreographer Jane McMurtrie, Associate Musical Director Chris Ma and Production Management by Lee Batty and Andy Fox for Setting Line.

NEWSIES is produced by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Gavin Kalin, Hunter Arnold, Kater Gordon and Dianne Roberts, by permission of Disney Theatrical Productions.

Website: newsiesthemusical.co.uk

Instagram: @newsies_uk

Facebook: @newsiesuk

Twitter: @newsies_uk

LISTINGS

Disney’s NEWSIES

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

3 Fulton Rd

Wembley Park

London HA9 0SP

Performances: Wednesday-Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday & Saturday at 2.30pm, Sunday at 1pm & 5:30pm

Please note, there will be an additional matinee on 31 May and no performances w/c 1 May or w/c 26 June

Family tickets are available – see website for details

Suitable for age 5+

FOLLOWING THE SOLD-OUT SEASON AT THE LONDON PALLADIUM THE OLIVIER AND TONY MULTI AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

TO MAKE A TRIUMPHANT RETURN TO LONDON’S WEST END

STARRING HELEN GEORGE

DOMINION THEATRE

20 JANUARY – 2 MARCH 2024

Music by RICHARD RODGERS

Book and Lyrics by OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II

Directed by Tony Award Winner BARTLETT SHER

“I doubt I will ever see a better production in my lifetime”

WALL STREET JOURNAL

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FROM KINGANDIMUSICAL.CO.UK

The smash-hit musical sensation The King & I is set to return to London’s West End next year starring Call The Midwife’s Helen George as Anna Leonowens following its current sold out UK tour.

Directed by Bartlett Sher (South Pacific / My Fair Lady / To Kill A Mockingbird), this Rogers and Hammerstein majestic masterpiece musical will open at London’s Dominion Theatre on 20 January for a strictly limited six-week season.

Helen George, known to millions over the past decade as Trixie in the hugely popular BBC One drama series Call The Midwife, will return to the stage to reprise the lead role she is currently playing to sold out theatres on tour across the UK. She will be reunited on the Dominion stage with her co-star, Broadway and film actor Darren Lee who played The King on Broadway. Both have been receiving rave reviews on tour, which continues until November this year.

Helen George said: “I am so delighted to continue to play the formidable Anna Leonowens in this incredible production of The King and I. I have really enjoyed playing such an incredibly strong character whilst on tour, but to play her on the West End stage is an honour.”

Producer Howard Panter said: “Our last London residency of this multi award-winning production at the London Palladium broke Box Office records, received critical acclaim and enjoyed standing ovations at every show – we were overwhelmed with the rapturous response. So we are thrilled to bring Helen George and Darren Lee who played The King in the Broadway production to the Dominion next year and offer West End audiences the chance to experience this wonderous production once more. This really is musical theatre at its very best.“

Following the original Broadway smash-hit run at the Lincoln Center Theatre, 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 West End stage 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”.

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.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Dominion Theatre, 268/269 Tottenham Court Road, London W1T 7AQ

Press Night: Wednesday 14th February at 7:30pm

Performances: Tuesday – Saturday evening at 7:30pm

Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm

Website: KingandIMusical.co.uk

Twitter: @thekingandiuk

Facebook: @thekingandiuk

Instagram: @thekingandiuk

Theatre Royal Windsor – until Saturday 8 April 2023 

Reviewed by Carly Burlinge 

5***** 

The Valley of Fear tells the story of a coded message received by Sherlock Holmes (Luke Barton) and Dr John Watson (Joseph Derrington). The message reveals that a murder has taken place in an old manor house in the Pennsylvanian Vermissa Valley within a secret society. As they both begin to unravel the clues, it leads them down a path of danger, darkness and deceit. The production opens with a tense beginning of all characters repeating sentences over and over that danger is upon them and Sherlock’s begins with the words ‘Brutal the most Brutal crime I’ve ever seen’ this immediately drawing you straight in to an impressive production. 

Holmes plays his character on point going into great detail, he is chaotic at times and explores all aspects of the crime before our eyes with great expression, description and accurate speech. I think he plays a spectacular Holmes, keeping the audience gripped throughout. His partner, Doctor Watson also has much to offer he plays a patient character that’s observant as well as intelligent and together they make a great duo. His character comes across bold as he also narrates, walking us through the story, keeping us up to date with what’s happening as there is a lot going on. He does it fantastically well and is a joy to watch.  I also loved how lighting was used during narrating. When interrogation arose, there was music in the background intensifying the moment, cleverly done and intriguing to watch. As the two work their way through crime it’s very apparent that there is emotion between the pair as the words are spoken ‘without Sherlock there is no game but without Sherlock there is no Watson’. This showing the steady friendship whilst fighting and uncovering crime. 

With an interlocking story apparent the cast double up in roles and do this exceptionally well. 

Although this production is quite intense it does offer the right amount of drama alongside some light comedy giving the show a great balance for viewing. 

I really enjoyed watching this performance that offered a great story line with unexpected twists and plots. 

I would definitely, recommend this show and if you’re a Sherlock fan you’ll enjoy it just that little bit more. 

TO BE RELEASED ON MAY 12^TH VIA SONY MUSIC – PRE-ORDER HERE

LISTEN TO THE TRACK SAIL ON, BOYS HERE

“A dazzling series of gender-switching roles…a Beyoncé-esque assertion of female power…excellent performers… There are some big, blowsy shows around in the West End, but this little belter is staging its own audacious invasion plan” ★★★★★
Suzi Feay, Financial Times

“A miraculous musical that tells the entire story in a kind of accelerated farce that is part Mel Brooks, part SIX, part Hamilton with a side order of One Man, Two Guvnors.” ★★★★★
Neil Norman, The Daily Mirror

“This is the musical you didn’t know you needed… a little show with a very big future.”
David Benedict, Variety

Sony Music is delighted to announce the full Original London Cast Recording of the critically acclaimed  Operation Mincemeat – A New Musical will be released on Friday, 12^th May 2023. The album will be released on CD, vinyl, streaming and digital platforms, and is now available to pre-order HERE. A signed limited edition vinyl format is also available to pre-order exclusively via the official Operation Mincemeat mailing list HERE.

The album is launched alongside the new track Sail On, Boys. Fans were invited to vote for their four favourite songs which would be released ahead of the album, with Sail On, Boys following the first track God That’s Brilliant. Two additional fan favourites, All the Ladies and Das Übermensch, will be released soon. 

News of the album release arrives as the musicalstarted previewing at the West End’s Fortune Theatre last Friday, ahead of a limited 8-week run beginning on 9^th May, following thirty-three hugely successful years of The Woman In Black.

Produced by Grammy Award winning and Tony, Emmy, Olivier award nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre), the highly anticipated album includes recordings from the 2023 Off-West End awardwinning cast, David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Jak Malone and Zoë Roberts, alongside the esteemed in-house band.

Following five sold-out development runs at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 and Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 & 2022, plus an extended Riverside Studios run last summer, Operation Mincemeat is back.

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. 

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? 

2023 Olivier Award nominated Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre) is director, following providing directorial support for the Riverside Studios run, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as choreographer. Also from Standing at the Sky’s Edge at theNational Theatre on the creative team are: 2023 Olivier Award nominated  Ben Stones (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as set and costume designer, Tony Award, six-time Olivier Award and Bafta Award winning Mark Henderson (Girl From the North Country, Broadway & Noël Coward Theatre) as lighting designer and Olivier Award winning Mike Walker (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) as sound designer. Grammy Award winning and Tony, Emmy, Olivier award nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre) is orchestrator and vocal arranger. Georgie Staight is Associate Director.           

Operation Mincemeat won The Stage Debut award for Best Composer/Lyricist, the Off-West End award for Best Musical Production and Best Company Ensemble and following the first New Diorama Theatre run was listed in The Observer’s Top 10 shows of the year and most recently was listed in The Independent’s Top 15 shows of the year.  The show is currently featured in the V&A’s Re:Imagining Musicals display, exploring how musicals have continuously reimagined, reinvented and reinterpreted themselves over time.

Operation Mincemeat is written and composed by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, who form SpitLip. The show is presented in the West End by Avalon (in association with SpitLip), who have supported since the Southwark Playhouse runs.

The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with additional support from Avalon. 

Tickets are on General Sale now from the Official Box Office at OperationMincemeat.com. Priority access to the best seats is available via the official mailing list.

Arcola Theatre’s Grimeborn Opera Festival 
returns for a 16th year

Arcola Theatre today announces the full programme of productions in the 2023 Grimeborn Opera Festival, which is returning for its 16th year.

The Festival centrepiece is the European premiere of Marc Blitzstein’s ‘No For An Answer’ (26 – 29 July), directed by Arcola Theatre’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen.

Set in a Greek-American social club at times of austerity, cost of living crisis and rising unemployment, ‘No For An Answer’ was written in 1941 but speaks to the present with terrifying prescience and will demonstrate the compassion and farsightedness of Blitzstein and speak to a modern British audience.

American composer Blitzstein, a gay man murdered in 1964, won national attention in 1937 with the pro-union musical ‘The Cradle Will Rock’, also directed by Mehmet Ergen as Arcola’s 10th Anniversary production. It was originally directed by Orson Welles.

Leonard Bernstein, a close friend, said that Blitzstein’s contribution to the American musical theatre was “incalculable”. Blitzstein is also known for his off-Broadway translation/adaptation of ‘The Threepenny Opera’ by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, the opera ‘Regina’, an adaptation of Lillian Hellman’s play ‘The Little Foxes’ and the Broadway musical ‘Juno’, based on Seán O’Casey’s play ‘Juno and the Paycock’.

Arcola Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen said: “Every year it is a joy to bring ambitious and adventurous Opera to contemporary audiences at the Arcola Theatre. We’re passionate about making Opera accessible to all. Grimeborn allows us to do that with programming from both classical and radical, thought-provoking artists and companies from across the continent and some of the most affordable ticket prices in the UK.”

SEASON IN FULL

STUDIO 1

Merry Wives of Windsor
19 – 22 July
all performances 7.30pm
Queer Voices (Skeive Stemmer), Norway’s first officially queer opera, has created a performance-opera, highlighting the conflict and power-play between the sexes, and challenging traditional gender roles, while retaining the comedy, intrigue and drama.

No For An Answer
26 – 29 July
all performances 7.30pm
Arcola Theatre’s Artistic Director Mehmet Ergen and Composer John Jansson will join forces to revive this forgotten text and score for the European premiere of ‘No For An Answer’. Set in a Greek-American social club at times of austerity, cost of living crisis and rising unemployment, ‘No For An Answer’ was written in 1941 but speaks to the present with terrifying prescience and will demonstrate the compassion and farsightedness of Blitzstein and speak to a modern British audience.

La Cenerentola
1 – 5 August
all performances 7.30pm
Barefoot Opera presents a world where Alice in Wonderland meets Tik Tok in this physical theatre take on Cinderella: Rossini’s Cenerentola features wannabe influencers and their posturing dad trashing the planet while Cinders finds her Prince.

Trouble in Tahiti
9 – 12 August
all performances 7.30pm
In a seemingly utopian suburbia, Sam and Dinah are unhappily married. Both escape from their dysfunctional home scene through work, the gym and going to the movies. However, with their young son Junior in the house, both are forced to address their growing isolation for the good of the family. In this production, dancers physically represent the jazz trio who play the role of the Greek chorus in Bernstein’s short satire of the American dream.

Loyola
11-12 August
both performances 8.45pm
El Parnaso Hyspano presents The UK stage premiere of Zipoli’s long-lost baroque opera. Written for performance by Indigenous musicians on the Jesuit missions in Bolivia, ‘LOYOLA’ is by turns comic, impassioned and deeply spiritual.

A&E – world premiere
15 – 19 August
all performances 7.30pm
When Adam meets Eve at the A&E ward of Homerton Hospital it’s love at first radiography but a cheeky boy will tempt Adam to download Tinder and that will change everything… ‘A&E’ is the debut opera of the iconoclastic creative tandem Muelas+Ward. A librettist and a composer, a director and a producer who want to make opera for people who are normally scared of opera.

Turandot
23 – 26 August
Wednesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 3.30pm
A radical and unnervingly relevant reinterpretation of ‘Turandot’. A British East & Southeast Asian company confronts Puccini’s last opera exposing the harmful tragedy of online obsession.

Cephale et Procris
29 August – 2 September
Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 2.30pm
A story that shows how French Baroque Opera can be relevant today: Beautiful singing, Baroque instruments, minimalist setting, symbolism, physical theatre.

Jane Eyre
6 – 9 September
all performances at 7.30pm
After a triumphant run of ‘Bluebeard’s Castle’ at Grimeborn 2022 (***** British Theatre), Green Opera, the first environmentally-sustainable opera company, returns with the first staged production of John Joubert’s moving and dynamic adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel.

Brontë – world premiere
12 (preview) 13, 15 & 16 September
all performances 7.30pm
A compelling literary detective story about the turbulent lives of the Brontë sisters based upon an acclaimed play by Polly Teale, adapted as an opera by composer Lisa Logan (premiere).

The Mikado
19 – 21 & 23 September
Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Saturday matinee at 3.30pm
Charles Court Opera, “the masters of G&S in small spaces” present their stylish, intimate, highly successful 5-star production of the most loved of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic operas, ‘The Mikado’.

STUDIO 2

Portrait of Manon & L’Heure Espagnole
22 – 26 August
Tuesday – Saturday at 7pm, Relaxed Saturday matinee at 3pm
Love can be longed for, but is too quickly lost. In this double bill, love is examined from both of these angles – regretful heartache at what has been, and frustrated desire at what could be.

ARCOLA THEATRE
Arcola Theatre was founded by Mehmet Ergen and Leyla Nazli in September 2000. Originally located in a former textile factory on Arcola Street in Dalston, in January 2011 the theatre moved to its current location in a former paint-manufacturing workshop on Ashwin Street. In 2021, we opened an additional outdoor performance space just around the corner from the main building: Arcola Outside. Arcola Theatre produces daring, high-quality theatre in the heart of East London and beyond. We commission and premiere exciting, original works alongside rare gems of world drama and bold new productions of classics. Our socially engaged, international programme champions diversity, challenges the status quo, and attracts over 65,000 people to our building each year. Ticket prices are some of the most affordable in London.

Every year, we offer 26 weeks of free rehearsal space to culturally diverse and refugee artists; our Grimeborn Festival opens up opera with contemporary stagings at affordable prices; and our Participation department creates thousands of creative opportunities for the people of Hackney and beyond. Our pioneering environmental initiatives are award-winning and aim to make Arcola the world’s first carbon-neutral theatre.

Arcola has won awards including the UK Theatre Award for Promotion of Diversity, The Stage Award for Sustainability and the Peter Brook Empty Space Award.

Aylesbury Waterside – until Saturday 8th April 2023

Reviewed by Julia Spargo

2**

Bringing one of the British public’s best loved films to the stage was always going to be an ambitious project. The story of a man, wrongly imprisoned for the murder, forging a strong friendship with a fellow inmate, both the original novella by Stephen King (Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) and the subsequent 1994 film are harrowing and moving. Unfortunately, this production, adapted for the stage by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns, falls short of packing the emotional punch.

The play opens with three new inmates arriving at Shawshank State Prison, one of whom is Andy Dufresne (Joe Absolom), convicted for the murder of his wife and her lover. Narrated by established inmate, Ellis ‘Red’ Redding (Ben Onwukwe), the menace of the prison is frequently alluded to but not brought to life; sound issues in this performance meant the audience were unable to hear Red’s monologue, and the prison guards make unconvincing bullies, to the extent that when they are responsible for the death of an inmate later in the play, it comes as a huge shock.

The lack of menace continues throughout; an on-stage assault by on Andy by Bogs Diamond (Jay Marsh) and other inmates does not portray the sheer menace of the attack and has to be narrated by Red as “gang rape”. A further beating later in the play is almost slapstick. When Andy reappears in the Warden’s office after having spent some weeks in the infirmary as a result of the attack, there is no wariness or change in his demeanour. The set remains the same for almost the entire play but the opportunity to use this to deepen the sense of pervading threat from both staff and fellow inmates is lost. Warden Stammas (Mark Heenahan) has a voice so deep that many in the audience were struggling to hear him and the staging exacerbates this as his back is to half the audience during most of his scenes. Rooster (Leigh Jones) has a cackle that comes across as irritating rather than psychopathic. The most convincing character is Brooksie, the prison librarian. He provides some much-needed light moments, and Kenneth Jay is persuasive as the institutionalised, arthritic curmudgeon.

There are clever moments. The way a “wall” raises to reveal a murdered inmate is shocking and well-executed. Music throughout the ages is used during each scene change to show time progressing where costumes cannot; the inmates’ attire remaining the same. The second half definitely picks up in pace, with moments of humour and better character development. The ending is a good contrast to the dullness of the prison setting, but not as moving anticipated. Nevertheless, the themes of compassion, friendship and hope are what this production depicts well in the final scene. An ambitious project, indeed

OPENING TONIGHT!
1st look at

 Betty the Pig and the cast of

the 1st London revival of BETTY BLUE EYES

Premiering in 2011, ‘Betty Blue Eyes’, Book by Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman, Music by George Stiles  Lyrics by Anthony Drewe based on the film ‘A Private Function’ by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray, received nominations for ‘Best New Musical’ in the Olivier Awards, The Evening Standard Awards and the WhatsOnStage.com Awards.

It is 1947, war has ended but Britain’s citizens are suffering under the burden of food rationing, high unemployment and the coldest winter for decades.

The only bright spark on the horizon is the impending marriage of Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip. Enter Betty, an adorable pig who is being illegally reared to ensure local dignitaries of a small community in Yorkshire can celebrate the Royal Wedding with a lavish banquet whilst the local population make do with Spam.

‘Betty Blue Eyes’ is an utterly British musical, full of eccentric characters, such as odd couple Gilbert Chilvers – a humble chiropodist, and his wife Joyce, a nobody determined to be somebody; Inspector Wormold – an obsessive destroyer of illegal meat; Mother Dear – “She’s 74 and ravenous”; along with a weird assortment of bullies, spivs and snobs, and of course, Betty the pig.

It has a deliciously infectious, toe-tapping, retro contemporary score by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, with a book by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, adapted and expanded from Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray’s hilariously funny and sharply observed comic film ‘A Private Function’.

‘Betty Blue Eyes’, directed by Sasha Regan, is the first in-house production at the Union Theatre since Covid.

Cast: Sam Kipling, Amelia Atherton, Jayne Ashley, David Pendlebury, Stuart Simons
Josh Perry, Tom Holt, Emma Jane Fearnley, Jade Marvin, Katie Stasi, Laurel Dougall, Aimée McQueen, Shannon Farrell, Hannah Lawton, Kane Stone, Jonny Weston, Georgia Boothman, George Dawes.

Veronica Allardyce will be played by members of the Union Youth Theatre;

Nellie Regan, Ava Jennings-Grant and Coco Bennett.

Creative team:
Director Sasha Regan
Musical Director Aaron Clingham
Choreographer Kasper Cornish

Designer Reuben Speed
Casting Adam Braham
Produced by Sasha Regan & Stuart Simons

LISTINGS INFO

Sasha Regan and Stuart Simons
present

Betty Blue Eyes

Book by
Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman

Music by George Stiles
Lyrics by Anthony Drewe

Based on the Handmade film ‘A Private Function’
and the original story by Alan Bennett and
Malcolm Mowbray
Adapted from the screenplay by Alan Bennett

Director – Sasha Regan

Union Theatre
Arch 22 & 23 Old Union Yard  Arches
229 Union Street
London SE1 0LR

29 March – 22nd April

Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm
Saturday Matinee 2.30pm

Previews: Previews 29th, 30th, 31st, March  

Tickets:
Previews  £20
Tickets £25

Social media:

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TheUnionTheatre

Facebook
TheUnionTheatre

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theuniontheatre


Originally produced in London by Cameron Mackintosh

Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International

RSC CELEBRATES SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHDAY WEEKEND WITH FREE ACTIVITIES FOR ALL

• The Play’s The Thing 
• ثلاثة خيوط ذهبية  / Three Gold Threads.  
• Toast by Pif-Paf Theatre 
• RSC Sensory Map 

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is offering visitors to Stratford-upon-Avon a range of free activities to help celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday on Saturday 22 April.  

Reopening for the first time in three years will be the RSC’s permanent exhibition, The Play’s the Thing which has been co-curated with local community groups. Participants took part in workshops at the RSC Collection to select the items on display, including costumes worn by Judi Dench, Laurence Olivier and Kenneth Branagh. The Play’s The Thing will also connect with a new community engagement project, ثلاثة خيوط ذهبية  / Three Gold Threads.  

Free family friendly activity will continue in the Swan Theatre Gardens between 12-1.30pm and 2.30-4.30pm with performances of TOAST by Pif-Paf Theatre, an energetic, ambitious, and communal celebration of food, song, story, dance and fire with storytelling from Ian Douglas. Visitors will also be invited to explore the new RSC Sensory Map which will encourage visitors to find out more about the heritage of the RSC’s buildings using their senses. 

There will also be the chance to see the premiere of RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran’s new staging of William Shakespeare’s dark fairytale Cymbeline (7.15 pm) in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. Cymbeline will mark Doran’s 50^th production for the RSC. RSC Acting Artistic Director Erica Whyman’s production of Hamnet (7.30 pm) will also be showing in the newly reopened Swan Theatre.  

Celebrations continue with Pragnell’s annual Shakespeare Birthday Lunch, hosted by Alexander Armstrong. This year the RSC and Pragnell have partnered together for an exclusive showcase performed during the lunch and directed by Roberta Zuric­. This will be followed by the presentation of the annual Pragnell Shakespeare Birthday Award. The award celebrates individuals who have significantly furthered society’s understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the Shakespeare’s work and this year’s winner is RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran.   

Prior to the Birthday Weekend, on Thursday 20 April, My Shakespeare: A Director’s Journey through the First Folio by Gregory Doran will be published. 

The Play’s The Thing /  ثلاثة خيوط ذهبية / Three Gold Threads    

A FREE exhibition  

The Play’s The Thing is the RSC’s permanent exhibition, comprising items from the RSC collection. Started by Charles Edward Flower in 1879, the RSC Collection is one of the most significant Shakespeare and theatre collections in the world. It contains material spanning from the 1600s to the present day and offers an insight into the history of performance, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company. A highlight of the 2023 exhibition will be the First Folio, published 400 years ago in 1623, a literary icon and the preferred version of Shakespeare’s text preferred by many actors and directors.

Over the past year the RSC’s Creative Placemaking and Public Programmes team have been working with communities in Stratford-upon-Avon through collections workshops to co-curate the new exhibition. The Play’s The Thing is located in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre building. Entrance is free, and the exhibition will be open from 12noon daily, closing at 7.15pm (5pm on Sundays). No advance booking required.

The community groups that have worked with the RSC are the Goodwill and Growth for Africa (GAGA) Yarn Bombers, a network of local knitters and crocheters who support vulnerable people in marginalised communities in Africa and collaborate on yarn bombing (yarn-based graffiti) projects in the local area; Welcome Here, a support group for refugees new to the UK; and second-year fashion and make-up students at Stratford-upon-Avon College. Each group has selected items from the RSC Collection which will tell the story of performance in Stratford-upon-Avon through the eyes of its residents. This careful co-curation of costumes, fine art, props and sculpture will give an insight into how interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays have changed, and how theatrical and costume design have developed over time.

Items in the exhibition include: dress worn by Josette Simon as Rosaline in Love’s Labour’s Lost (1984), costume worn by Lucien Msamati as Iago in Othello (2015), armour dress worn by Helen Mirren as Queen Margaret in Henry VI (1977), costume worn by John Gielgud as Prospero in The Tempest (1957), cap worn by Deborah Findlay as Olivia in Twelfth Night (1987), headdress worn by Mark Rylance as Ariel in The Tempest (1981) and a dress worn by Amara Khan as Hero in Much Ado About Nothing (2012).

In addition, on Saturday 22 April only, from 12-4pm each of the three community groups will have their own Community Inspiration Station located in and around the Swan Theatre. Visitors can get creative by making beaded jewellery with the Gaga Yarn Bombers, celebrate the start of Eid with Welcome Here by making lanterns to take home and learn how to design their dream costume or wildest fashion accessory with Stratford-upon-Avon College by using the RSC’s creative design sheets and fabric scraps from the Costume Department. Free, no booking required. Suitable for age 5+ 

In connection with the re-launch of The Play’s The Thing the RSC will also be presenting a new artwork, ثلاثة خيوط ذهبية  / Three Gold Threads. The RSC’s Creative Placemaking and Public Programmes team has been working with artist and composer Liz Gre and 9 women, who are part of the refugee community and are supported by Welcome Here, to examine Shakespeare’s First Folio from the perspectives of refugees living in Stratford-upon-Avon today.

Through workshops, Liz Gre and the participants have co-created an artwork that aims to elevate stories by Black people, Indigenous people, and people from the global majority who have interacted with the First Folio throughout history. The project wants to redress the balance of who engages with Shakespeare’s stories, challenging public perceptions of cultural heritage and exploring how underrepresented communities have shaped British history.

Liz Gre said, “I wanted to use the First Folio to highlight the stories of people living near the RSC now, from everyday occurrences through to monumental stories of making a life in a new place.

“I hope the women who have co-created this work with me feel seen and feel connected with the place they now live, and that what we’ve produced honours and protects their words.”

The co-created artwork will be presented in The Play’s The Thing exhibition with the intention that it will inspire deeper thought regarding the First Folio.

FREE FAMILY ACTIVITY

Pif-Paf Theatre will present energetic live performances of TOAST, a mixture of songs, storytelling from Ian Douglas and recipes from around the world. Pif-Paf will entertain from onboard their ever-moving mobile kitchen. With performances featuring a mixture of song, food and drink, dance and some theatre, audiences should expect flying pancakes, singing, maybe some dancing, a bit of eating and drinking, laughing and lots of new friends.  

RSC SENSORY MAP 

The RSC will also present a brand-new sensory trail of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre co-created by artist Thomas Cross, the RSC Front of House team and Tour Guides, Ileap and Orchestra of the Swan Café Muse members. Through this collaboration, the RSC have created a menu of free, exciting, innovative, and surprising moments to do in the building, that will reveal insight into the heritage of the RSC. Visitors can ask a member of RSC staff where to collect their map from Saturday 22 April onwards. 

THE ODYSSEY BEGINS ITS JOURNEY ACROSS ENGLAND

Production images of The Lotus Eaters at Restoke released 

– The Odyssey is reimagined for today in five episodes by five writers across the country and told with hundreds of community members 

– The landmark production began at Restoke in Stoke-on-Trent this weekend and will travel to four other locations across England 

– The Galley, a 10-metre ship crafted from bamboo, is journeying across the country alongside the productions and collecting messages of remembrance from local communities

The National Theatre’s multi-location production of The Odysseyhas begun its journey across five locations in England, opening with Episode 1: The Lotus Eaters in Restoke in Stoke-on-Trent. The production is a joyful celebration of national community marking the fifth anniversary of Public Acts, the NT’s nationwide programme to create extraordinary acts of theatre and community. 

The Lotus Eaters is Restoke’s innovative take on Odysseus, the hero of Homer’s legendary Odyssey, written by Gabriella Gay. At its heart, The Lotus Eaters is a tale of resilience, a theme deeply personal to many of the show’s participants, who have themselves overcome immense challenges, including drug and alcohol addiction, to open a new chapter in their lives. 

Member of the community company, Charis Jones, said,“Being part of The Lotus Eaters has been truly life changing. I have found a new family, reignited my love of performing and regained confidence in myself. I am now changing course, creating a new future that would have seemed impossible a year ago. Thank you, everyone who steered this incredible voyage.  I can’t wait to get stuck into Episode 5.” 

Participant Ella Yates also said, “OUR Greek epic brought back to life our community spirit with energy, tears, laughter and everlasting friendship”.   

Emily Lim, Director of Public Acts at the National Theatre said, “It’s been so special to kickstart the journey of The Odyssey with our friends in Stoke. Their beautiful, important piece is a love song to the everyday heroes within their community. We have loved watching audiences meet our ancient story told with such heart and newness by this amazing company.”  

The Odyssey is an epic, multi-venue production made in collaboration with hundreds of community members and professional artists from across the country. Through this landmark project, the adventures of Odysseus are reimagined for today as a universal story of resilience, loss, healing and hope. 

The next episodes being created and performed by local artists and communities in partner organisations across the country are Cast in Doncaster (15–16 April), Trowbridge Town Hall in Trowbridge (22–23 April) and The Fire Station (for Sunderland Culturein partnership with Sunderland Empire)in Sunderland (28–29 April). 

Journeying alongside the productions, The Galley appears in public places including markets, local beaches and parks to collect messages of remembrance from the local community. A 10-metre-long ship crafted from sustainable materials including bamboo and rope, The Galley represents Odysseus’ epic voyage and the nationwide connection between the communities who will tell the story. After each of the episodes, The Galley transforms into the stage of a closing ceremony to pass the baton of the storytelling forward.   

The culmination of The Odyssey’s journey, the fifth episode, will be staged as a full-scale musical production at the National Theatre on 26-28 August 2023. This final production will feature community performers from all four previous episodes, as well as members recruited through Public Acts founding community partners, founding theatre partner Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch, and Trybe House Theatre in London.   

Schedule of The Odyssey upcoming performances and The Galley appearances

Episode 2 – The Cyclops at Cast in Doncaster 

Sat 15 April 7.30pm, Sun 16 April 2.30pm 

Written by Tajinder Singh Hayer and directed by Madeleine O’Reilly 

Galley Schedule: Sat 15 April 10am-2pm at Doncaster Market, 6-7.30pm outside Cast  

Episode 3 – The Four Winds at Trowbridge Town Hall, Trowbridge 

Sat 22 April 2.30pm & 6.30pm, Sun 23 April 2.30pm & 6.30pm 

Written by Florence Espeut-Nickless and directed by Jesse Jones 

Galley Schedule: Sat 22 April 12.30-8pm at Trowbridge Park    

Episode 4 – The Island of the Sunat The Fire Station, Sunderland 

Fri 28 April 7.30pm, Sat 29 April 6pm 

Written by Lindsay Rodden and directed by Annie Rigby 

Galley Schedule: Thurs 27 April Penshaw Monument for sunset, Fri 28 April Roker Beach 11am – 3pm, Sat 29 April 4-6pm outside The Fire Station   

Episode 5 – The Underworld at Olivier Theatre, National Theatre 

Sat 26 August 7pm, Sun 27 August 7pm, Monday 28 August 2pm & 7pm 

Written by Chris Bush, With Music by Jim Fortune and directed by Emily Lim 

Public Acts is supported by Arts Council England’s Strategic Touring Fund, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, The CareTech Charitable Foundation, Garfield Weston Foundation, The Mosawi Foundation and The 29th May 1961 Charitable Trust. 

After much anticipation due to an acclaimed limited run in 2019

F. SCOTT FITZGERALD’S

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON

A NEW MUSICAL

BY JETHRO COMPTON AND DARREN CLARK

STARRING JAMIE PARKER AND MOLLY OSBORNE

AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE ELEPHANT

FROM

22^nd MAY TO 1^st JULY 2023

Following a limited run in 2019, where it received critical and audience acclaim, ATG Productions, GBA, Gavin Kalin Productions, Eilene Davidson Productions, and Jethro Compton Productions are delighted to announce that F. Scott Fitzgerald’s THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON A New Musical by Jethro Compton and Darren Clark, will return in a new production at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from 22^nd May to 1^st July 2023. Tickets now on sale at southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

In the roles of Benjamin Button and Elowen Keene are Olivier Award winner Jamie Parker and Molly Osborne. They lead the 12-strong actor-musician ensemble featuring Matthew Burns, Jonathan Charles, Oonagh Cox, Anna Fordham, Philippa Hogg, Damien James, Ann Marcuson, Jack Quarton, Benedict Salter, and Tonny Shim.

Discover a sleepy fishing harbour on the north coast of Cornwall, home to a most curious story.

Born in rather unusual circumstances, Benjamin Button is an old man, not at the end of his life, but at the beginning. Locked away from the world and branded a monster, Benjamin dreams of the chance to live a little life. More than anything, he dreams of love. With no hope of finding it, Benjamin resigns himself to a life of solitude, until, one day, a miracle occurs – the local barmaid, Elowen Keene. But as the years come and go, time and tide threaten to tear the two apart. 

Experience this extraordinary, inspiring, and timeless tale of a love that defies all odds. Set to a thunderous, foot-stomping folk score, THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON reminds us, no matter how much time we have, to make every second count.

Jamie Parker is best known for his role as Harry Potter in the original West End cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, for which he received an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play and a WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Play. He also received a Tony Award Nomination for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his portrayal of the character in the original Broadway production. Other notable roles include Sky Masterson in Guys & Dolls (Olivier nomination, Best Actor in a Musical, 2015; UK Theatre Award win, Best Performance in a Musical, 2015); Henry V at Shakespeare’s Globe, 2012; Scripps in The History Boys (original National Theatre and Broadway cast and film); Alan Greene, QC in Des (ITV, 2020); and John Dudley in Becoming Elizabeth (Starz, 2022).

Molly Osborne is known for her work at The Menier Chocolate Factory, where she has been seen in The Sex Party by Terry Johnson, Rebecca Taichman’s Tony Award winning Indecent by Paula Vogel, and Trevor Nunn’s 2018 revival of Fiddler In The Roof, with which Molly made her West End debut in 2019. Molly is soon to appear in the screen adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Anansi Boys, produced by Amazon Studios.

Jethro Compton says: “I’m thrilled to be bringing this story back to London. Southwark Playhouse has been a home to me for almost fifteen years, and to have the chance to return with this new production of Button, in their new venue, feels like the perfect homecoming. It’s a show about time, and home, and love – things that I’m sure have new meaning for most of us after these years of uncertainty.”

“I have so much love for the 2019 production. It was a scrappy little show, produced on a shoestring, with an enormous amount of heart.  The last four years have given us time to let the story and the music grow and develop. But for those who loved what we made in 2019, don’t worry – the heart of that scrappy little show is very much alive.”

THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON is based on the short story of the same name by F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of The Great Gatsby and The Tender and the Damned. With Book & Lyrics by Jethro Compton and Music & Lyrics by Darren Clark. It is directed by Jethro Compton who also designs the stage, with choreography and movement by Chi-San Howard, co-music supervision by Mark Aspinall and Darren Clark, costumes and associate stage design by Anna Kelsey, sound by Luke Swaffield, and musical direction by Mark Aspinall.