I Should Be So Lucky is the musical featuring Stock Aitken Waterman songs. It tells the story about a couple and their love for each other. On their Wedding Day Ella is left jilted at the alter by her finance Nathan. Ella and her friends and family decide to go on the couple’s honeymoon to Paradise Love Island, Turkey. Meanwhile Nathan has a change of heart and together with his friend Ash go to Turkey for Nathan to try to win back Ella.
There are over 20 of the 80’s smash hit songs featured in this musical, all of which are flowed into from the dialogue. Many of the songs are cut short and mere snippets but still gave you the blast from the past. When the songs that were the fuller version were sang these were outstanding. The best vocal performance for me was from Kayla Carter who played Bonnie when she sang “You’ll Never Stop Me From Loving You”, closely followed by Gary Davis (Big Mike) and Melissa Jacques (Shelley) when they did their duet.
Ella is played by Lucy-Mae Sumner whose dancing is amazing, she seems to glade effortlessly from move to move.
Nathan (Billy Roberts) and his best man Ash (Giovanni Spano) were a good duo combination.
The dancing by everyone in the night club scene was brilliant, you could easily imagine yourself years ago bopping out the moves.
The musical is full of laughter. Scott Paige playing Michael added much comedy to this hilarious musical which is full of 80’s cheese.
Ella’s grandma showcases that there is plenty of life left in the older generation and this is portrayed brilliantly by Jemma Churchill.
The scenery with the love heart shaped theme was simple but very effective, the hot air balloon basket and jet skis were a couple of my favourite props.
There were party poppers, streamers and beach balls all coming out to the audience giving it that extra bit of 80’s vibe.
The Pop Queen herself, Kylie, featured by video appearing on stage via a mirror.
When you left the theatre, you could feel and hear the buzz from everyone. Brilliant, funny and definitely one to go and watch.
“The ultimate Broadway musical from the golden age”
Financial Times
BARBICAN THEATRE
FROM 4 JUNE 2024
STRICTLY LIMITED ENGAGEMENT UNTIL 14 SEPTEMBER
TICKETS ON SALE TOMORROW TO BARBICAN MEMBERS
PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS 10.00AM ON FRIDAY 19 JANUARY
FROM KISSMEKATEMUSICAL.COM
One of the all-time classic musical comedy farces, KISS ME, KATE is making a long awaited return to the London stage this summer for a strictly limited 15-week season at the Barbican Theatre, starring the multi-award-winning Adrian Dunbar (Ridley, Line of Duty) making his musical theatre debut as Fred Graham / Petruchio and Broadway musical superstar and Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block (Into The Woods, The Cher Show, 9 To 5) making her West End debut as Lilli Vanessi / Katharine.
From the producer of the smash hit musical Anything Goes and A Strange Loop (both staged at the Barbican), comes this majestic new production of Cole Porter’s musical masterpiece, premiering at the Barbican Theatre on 4 June 2024 until 14 September. Tickets go on general sale on Friday January 19 at 10.00am from KissMeKateMusical.com.
With music and lyrics by Cole Porter and the original book by Bella & Samuel Spewack, this magnificent new production, directed by Bartlett Sher (The King and I, South Pacific and To Kill A Mockingbird), promises a symphony of wit, charm and musical brilliance for London audiences next year. Joining the dynamic creative team is renowned choreographer Anthony Van Laast, accomplished costume designer Catherine Zuber and leading set designer Michael Yeargan. This all-star creative team have collectively earned a remarkable 20 Tony awards. With a company of over 50, including a full-scale orchestra, and featuring Cole Porter classics such as ‘Another Op’nin’, Another Show’, ‘Brush Up Your Shakespeare’, ‘Tom, Dick or Harry’ and ‘It’s Too Darn Hot’KISS ME, KATE is the perfect musical spectacle for 2024.
Producer Howard Panter said: “I’m delighted to be working with Adrian, Stephanie and Bart to bring this classic, hilarious golden-age musical comedy to the Barbican this summer. Cole Porter’s timeless masterpiece has everything you want: it’s fun, infectious and pure entertainment. This, like Anything Goes, will be the perfect summer treat for London audiences this year.”
Adrian Dunbar said: “I’m so delighted to be returning to the stage this summer to my spiritual home at the Barbican – where I started my career at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama – especially in this Cole Porter classic with the wonderful creative team including Bart Sher and Stephanie J. Block. Summer 2024 just got a lot brighter!”
Stephanie J. Block said: “Look…when asked to bring a Cole Porter classic to the Barbican stage under the care and vision of Bart Sher, one must say yes! There are so many ‘firsts’ to this opportunity, and at this stage of my career, ‘firsts’ are not the norm. How wonderfully scary and challenging and THRILLING. I cannot wait to dive into this timeless classic and put a fresh stamp on it alongside the incredible Adrian Dunbar. Mark my words, this KISS ME, KATE will most definitely not be just ‘another openin’, another show’.”
Toni Racklin, Head of Theatre & Dance at the Barbican, said: “We’re thrilled for this spectacular, brand new production of Kiss Me, Kate, led by its celebrated cast and creative team, to inspire first time and returning audiences this summer. With our welcoming spaces and dramatic architecture, magnificent stage and beautiful auditorium, the Barbican is uniquely suited to presenting what promises to be a dazzling and joyful experience. This exciting collaboration with Trafalgar Entertainment further solidifies the City of London’s position as a leading cultural destination, with the Barbican at the heart of its offer.”
This musical farce which brilliantly showcases Cole Porter’s razor-sharp wit, has won Best Musical at the Tony Awards. It’s a sophisticated, ferociously funny, show within a show – which whisks you into a world of backstage chaos and romantic entanglements as a theatre company attempt to put on a production of Shakespeare’s ‘The Taming of the Shrew’. The battle of the sexes takes centre stage as former spouses feud, only to find the off-stage antics rival the drama on-stage. Throw in a number of cases of mistaken identity, confused love, gangsters and a spectacular tap routine and you get KISS ME, KATE – which will bring unabashed joy to audiences next year.
CREATIVE TEAM
Bartlett Sher – Director
Anthony Van Laast – Choreographer
Michael Yeargan – Set Designer
Catherine Zuber – Costume Designer
Donald Holder – Lighting Designer
Adam Fisher – Sound Designer
Stephen Ridley – Music Supervisor
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Barbican Theatre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS
First Performance: 4th June 2024
Final performance: 14th September 2024
Performances: Mon – Sat eves at 7.30pm, Thu and Sat mats at 2.30pm
SHEFFIELD THEATRES ANNOUNCE CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR
THE CRUCIBLE
By Arthur Miller
Director Anthony Lau Designer Georgia Lowe Lighting Designer Jess Bernberg
Composer and Sound Designer Giles Thomas Musical Director and Arrangements Chris Poon Casting Director Jacob Sparrow
Movement Director and Choreographer Aline David Intimacy and Fight Director Haruka Kuroda
Assistant Director Jessica Millward By arrangement with Josef Weinberger Plays Ltd.
Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Saturday 2 – Saturday 30 March 2024
Sheffield Theatres today announces the cast for The Crucible. Arthur Miller’s timeless masterpiece, based on the events of the infamous Salem witch trials, is directed by Anthony Lau (Miss Saigon, Anna Karenina) and runs in the Crucible from Saturday 2 – Saturday 30 March.
The full cast includes: Geoffrey Aymer as Giles Corey; Ian Drysdale as Deputy Governor Danforth; Jasmine Elcock as Mercy Lewis; Honor Kneafsey as Betty Parris; Joseph Langdon as Ezekiel Cheever; Anoushka Lucas as Elizabeth Proctor; Andrew Macbean as Francis Nurse; Simon Manyonda as John Proctor; Alexandra Mathie as Rebecca Nurse; Giullianna Martinez as Tituba; Laura Pyper as Ann Putnam and Sarah Good; Sid Sagar as Reverend Hale; Rose Shalloo as Abigail Williams; Mark Weinman as Thomas Putnam; Millicent Wong as Mary Warren; and Sargon Yelda as Reverend Parris.
Returning to Sheffield after previously performing in Sheffield Theatres productions is: Andrew Macbean, who performed across all three theatres in ROCK / PAPER / SCISSORS in 2022; Simon Manyonda, who performed at the Crucible in Romeo and Juliet in 2015; Sid Sagar, who performed in hangin the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse in 2019; and Mark Weinman, who performed in Sheffield Theatres’ production of Wildfire Road in the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse in 2023. All other members of the castmake their Sheffield Theatres production debut with The Crucible.
Fear and hysteria grip a feuding community as a battle between innocence and guilt exposes the very darkest corners of human nature. When a group of young girls are discovered dancing and chanting in the forest, they are accused of witchcraft. With the threat of execution hanging over them, the girls draw the people of the town into a world of secrets, lies and manipulation where the only goal is self-preservation.
Tickets for The Crucible are on sale now. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 20th January 2024
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
4.5****
Pamela Raith
Noises Off, the wonderful British farce, is a play within a play in which a group of actors navigate through the staging of the fictional “Nothing On” where, naturally, things don’t go as planned and interpersonal relationships complicate matters.
The first act opens on the final rehearsal; the cast are suffering from rather shambolic performances, unfamiliarity with lines and battling the many props the author has inflicted upon them. Chief among these are plates of sardines. We’re introduced to the characters in the order they appear in “Nothing On” though, of course, during this first act we also get introduced to all their issues. This includes a complicated love triangle and a cast member whose familiarity with drink triggers consternation for all.
Liza Goddard plays Dotty the housekeeper (in “Nothing On”) and an actress who has a stake in the production both financially and romantically with a fellow cast member. A performance full of wit and a lovely natural quality that was ever more effective as the play rushed towards its manic finale. She was a delight to watch.
Soon enough director Lloyd Dallas (played by Simon Shepherd) interrupts to give some needed (yet seldom headed) direction, trying to get the cast back on track and focused. Mr Shepherd brought gravitas and an attractive realism to the role in a commanding performance.
A superb ensemble gave their all and each had their highlights. A tight word count prevents me waxing lyrical about each of them. I will briefly mention Paul Bradley as Selsdon as my particular highlight as I really enjoyed his bumbling, the misunderstandings he wrought and his attempts to get his hands on that bottle in the second act…
In that second act we join the cast some weeks into the play’s run to discover that the pressures have taken their toll. The backstage crew, seen in the first act, really come into their own in this second act as they try to navigate the increasingly choppy waters and series of unfortunate misunderstandings (especially when the Director turns up with the aforementioned booze and instructions to purchase flowers for one of the cast). Tim (Daniel Rainford) and Poppy (Nikhita Lesler) played these behind the scenes (and under the cosh) heroes with superb comic timing and relish; working together wonderfully to produce cascades of hilarity – especially in the non-stop, non-sequential audience announcements. The final act brings us the rather unfortunate closing night. I won’t spoil the surprise but if you have ever seen The Play That Goes Wrong you will know what to expect.
I love the premise to this work, it’s ingenious to see the same play from three different stages of its run. It looks like a whole lotta fun to perform in and it’s certainly many barrels of laughs to watch. With disappearing props driving the company to despair, wardrobe malfunctions aplenty and a cast doing their best to just get to the end at all costs whilst all around unravels, this show has plenty for everyone to enjoy. A pleasure to see this work on the stage again, it’s just what the Dr ordered to dispel those winter blues. Highly reccommended.
Flute Theatre returns to Orange Tree Theatre (OT) with a new production of Twelfth Nightto mark their 10th anniversary season. Adapted and directed by Flute Theatre Artistic Director Kelly Hunter, Twelfth Nightmarks the company’s fourth full-length show specifically created for audiences on the spectrum and runs at the OT from 29 January – 10 February. The production will then run at Riverside Studios from 12 – 16 February.
Flute Theatre performs shows for autistic individuals around the world in multiple languages, adapting performances according to the needs of the participants. Up to 12 participants will experience Shakespeare’s play on the OT stage with the actors. In addition to the new production of Twelfth Night the company celebrates their 10th Birthday with the first International Shakespeare Festival for autistic individuals at Riverside Studios in August 2024.
Artistic Director of Flute Theatre Kelly Hunter said today, “I am very happy to be returning to the Orange Tree this year to create our 4th production of Shakespeare for autistic people. The Orange Tree may be little, but it has a huge heart and knows no bounds in imagination and ambition. A perfect fit for Flute.”
William Shakespeare’s TWELFTH NIGHT
Adapted and directed by Kelly Hunter An Orange Tree Theatre and Flute Theatre co-production
29 January – 10 February
Flute Theatre creates ground-breaking productions of Shakespeare for autistic individuals and their families. In the 90-minute performance, up to 12 participants sit with the actors on the OT stage and experience Shakespeare’s story through sensory games, which everyone plays together. Each performance is adapted to the specific needs of the participants, however complex they may be.
Kelly Hunter adapts and directs. She founded Flute Theatre in 2014 and is Artistic Director. For Flute Theatre, she her directorial credits include Hamlet, The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Pericles, Wildcat’s Last Waltz and Deconstructing the Dream.
The hit play F**king Men by Tony-winning Joe DiPietro returns to London for a final 6-week season
Waterloo East Theatre Saturday 13 April – Sunday 26 May, 2024
After a complete SELL OUT season in 2023, the hit play F**king Men by Tony-winning Joe DiPietro is to return to Waterloo East Theatre for a final strictly limited 6-week run from April 13.
A modern retelling of Schnitzler’s infamous classic ‘La Ronde’, F**king Men is a fascinating, funny and provocative story of sex, love and connection.
This dramatic comedy follows 10 men through a series of erotic encounters that change their lives in small but significant ways. In this raw and updated new version, Joe DiPietro (‘Memphis’, ‘The Toxic Avenger,’ ‘What’s New Pussycat?’, ‘Sinatra’), takes a sharp and insightful look at the experiences of modern gay men as they navigate their conflicting desires for the comfort of monogamous love and the thrill of sexual freedom.
DiPietro said: “I couldn’t be more excited about this updated version of ‘F**king Men’. Much about our queer lives has evolved and changed since the play’s debut, so to bring contemporary attitudes to this roundelay of sex, love and intimacy has opened up new layers of meaning. I’m especially excited to see this play through a youthful and modern lens, which promises to deliver a sexy, incisive and hilarious night out.”
F**king Men starts previews at London’s Waterloo East Theatre from Saturday 13 April, 2024. The strictly limited season is booking to Sunday 26 May.Cast to be announced.
Creative team: Director Steven Kunis Movement/Intimacy Director Lee Crowley Set/Costume Designer Cara Evans Lighting Designer Alex Lewer Voice and Accent Coach Amanda Stephens-Lee Production Manager Carrie Croft Company Stage Manager Gareth McLeod Marketing Manager Emma Martin Casting Director Anne Vosser
Produced by Adam Roebuck (‘Afterglow’, UK premiere, Southwark Playhouse and Waterloo East Theatre).
LISTINGS INFO
Adam Roebuck presents
F**king Men by Joe DiPietro based on Schnitzler’s ‘La Ronde’
Michael Hastings was just 18 when he wrote Don’t Destroy Me in 1956 – a play informed by his own fractured life in post war Britain. The story follows Sammy (Eddie Boyce), a Jewish teenager born in Hungary, raised by an aunt in Croydon, and sent to live with his drunk father (Paul Rider) and young stepmother (Nathalie Barclay) in a Brixton tenement. Surrounded by a carousel of outcasts, Sammy tries to navigate his new life in the city, and the trials tribulations of being a 15 year old boy. There is hardly any reprieve while neighbours come and go, and everyone’s lives are laid bare with people hanging on every word on the stairs and at the door.
Opposite lives George (Timothy O’Hara), a rakish and unlikeable bookie who is having an affair with Shani, Sammy’s bored stepmother. The upstairs neighbour (Alix Dunmore) is living in her own world, and her teenage daughter Suki (Nell Williams) who she refuses to acknowledge is barely clinging on, but is also somehow the most reasonable character in the whole piece. The damage inflicted on the teenager’s young lives is ever present and unshifting, simultaneously bringing them together and tearing them apart. There are laughs though, and the landlady Mrs Miller (Sue Kelvin) is a welcome relief bringing a different pace.
While the writing at times definitely feels like an 18 year old’s diary entry, Tricia Thorns’ Two’s Company production is clever and well put together. The cast are excellent, and Alex Marker’s claustrophobic set is full of smart details like the bare bones door and the record player that is never given a chance before being unplugged and moved. The young Hastings’ writing feels like a work in progress full of potential, much like the character of Sammy, and maybe that’s the point. All of these lives are so full of promise and hope, but the shadow of war and uncertainty looms large in this frenetic family drama.
IN CELEBRATION OF THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS LEGENDARY PRODUCTION
OPENING AT PLYMOUTH THEATRE ROYAL
ON 11 NOVEMBER 2024
THEN PLAYING AT THE LOWRY, SALFORD
AHEAD OF THE ANNUAL CHRISTMAS SEASON
AT SADLER’S WELLS, LONDON
AND A 2025 UK TOUR
New Adventures is delighted to announce that Matthew Bourne’sSwan Lake will return for its 30th anniversary with a 2024-25 UK tour. This reinvention of Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece caused a sensation when it premiered almost 30 years ago and has since become the most successful dance theatre production of all time. In celebration of that ongoing impact, Swan Lake will take flight once more in this major revival.
Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake begins at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 11 November until 16 November before visiting TheLowry, Salford from 19 November until 30 November, ahead of the 8-week annual Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from 3 December 2024 to 26 January 2025. Further tour dates and casting to be announced soon.
Matthew Bourne said today, “When our Swan Lake was premiered nearly 30 years ago it created a sensation that none of us could have predicted. I think we knew that we had a good idea but could never have dreamt of the impact it would have on all of us, our audiences and the wider dance world. I have seen over those 30 years how this production has continued to change lives, create new audiences and inspire young dancers.
The inspiration of Swan Lake is central to our “talent development” programme at New Adventures, especially in our Cygnet School and Swan School, where we aim to develop the dancers of the future to feature in our many productions. Indeed, this new revival of Swan Lake will feature dancers who have been nurtured through these programmes, or through their professional development as New Adventures company members, with many of them making their debuts in these coveted roles.
As our swans take flight once more in this major revival, I’m full of anticipation for the challenges it will bring for our next generation of dancers and the wonder that it will bring to audiences who will experience it for the very first time.”
Thrilling, bold, witty and emotive, this genre-defining event is still best known for replacing the female corps-de-ballet with a menacing male ensemble, which shattered convention, turning tradition on its head.
First staged at Sadler’s Wells in London in 1995, Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake took the dance theatre world by storm becoming the longest running full-length dance classic in the West End and on Broadway. It has since been performed across the globe, collecting over thirty international accolades including the Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production and three Tony Awards for Best Director of a Musical, Best Choreography and Best Costume Design.
Alongside performances of Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, New Adventures will deliver a programme of activity designed to encourage talent development, and to improve the well-being of children and young people through engaging them in dance. In addition to the New Adventures regular Schools Tour, this expanded programme will be specific to Swan Lake with further details to be announced.
CROFT & DYE PRODUCTIONS AND SALT LICK PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE THE WORLD PREMIÈRE OF
HARRY MCDONALD’S FOAM AT FINBOROUGH THEATRE
Croft & Dye Productions and Salt Lick Productions todayannounce the world première of Harry McDonald’s Foam. Matthew Iliffe directs this new play inspired by the true story of Nicky Crane spanning twenty years of the collision of queer identity and extremist politics in 1970s and 80s London. Matthew Iliffe leads a creative team with Set Design by Nitin Pamar, Costume Design by Pam Tait and Lighting Design by Jonathan Chan.
Foam will première at Finborough Theatre on 21 March 2024, with previews from 19 March and run to 13 April 2024.
Harry McDonald said today, “Learning and then writing about Nicky Crane was a fascinating experience. A cult figure, and a personality that on a very superficial first glance appeared to be a horrible tangle of contradictory ideas, but that nonetheless made complete sense to him – a violent and vicious sense, but a sense. His life, it seemed to me, was a way to talk about how easily people can be seduced into extremist politics regardless of their identity. As I’ve worked on the play society seems to be veering ever-rightwards, and, as exemplified by a number of cultural commentators, there is no inherent contradiction between a queer identity and being a fascist.”
Director Matthew Iliffe added “Harry McDonald’s new play Foam boldly examines the life story of the infamous skinhead Nicky Crane, as it unravels through a series of exposing interactions. Through the lens of these encounters, the play skilfully examines tensions existing between identity and politics, challenging audiences to contemplate the conflict between personal beliefs and public personas. In doing so, the play provocatively invites us to confront our own contradictions and shared humanity amidst a backdrop of prejudice, violence, and mortality. Politically charged and bleakly humorous, Foam is a compelling portrait of a unique and neglected queer history that speaks directly to polarisation and political extremism of our own times.”
Croft & Dye Productions and Salt Lick Productions present
FOAM
Written by Harry McDonald
19 March – 13 April
Directed by: Matthew Iliffe; Written by: Harry McDonald;Set Designer: Nitin Pamar;
Costume Designer: Pam Tait; Lighting Designer: Jonathan Chan
“You forget I knew you were a queer long before I knew you were a fascist.”
1973, a public lavatory. Nicky shaves his head, watched by an older man.
Publicly, Nicky is a neo-Nazi. A skinhead. But right now, in this place, that doesn’t matter.
He’s not the first man Nicky meets in a public toilet, and he won’t be the last…
Spanning twenty years and inspired by a true story, Foam examines the nature of identity and the consequences of right-wing extremist ideology against the backdrop of London’s skinhead and gay scenes of the 1970s and 1980s.
With right-wing extremism again on the rise, Foam confronts the flashpoint where the terrifyingly personal and the violently political collide.
Harry McDonald’s debut play Don’t Smoke in Bed, premièred at the 2023 VAULT Festival. His short fiction has been published by Another North, and he has also created work for the Liverpool Everyman’s Love Liverpool project.
Matthew Iliffe directs. His previous credits include, Breeding (King’s Head Theatre), Bacon (Finborough Theatre, Riverside Studios, Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Bristol Old Vic), Four Play (Above The Stag), The Niceties, Maggie May (Finborough Theatre), and The Burnt Part Boys (Park Theatre); and as assistant director, Assassins (Chichester Festival Theatre), BLACK SUPERHERO (Jerwood Theatre Downstairs, Royal Court Theatre), Brass (National Youth Music Theatre/Hackney Empire), and Musik (Leicester Square Theatre).
Michael Cohl, Tony Smith, the estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for Jam, Inc. are delighted to announce A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN which makes its UK premiere at the Peacock Theatre, Sadlers Wells’ home in the West End, on 20 August starring Mary Bridget Davies as Janis, running until 28 September 2024. Tickets will go on sale on 26 January. Further casting is to be announced.
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is a musical journey celebrating Janis Joplin and her biggest musical influences – trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, all of whom inspired Joplin to become one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest legends. Like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Her unmistakable voice, filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort, made Joplin a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. Audiences will enjoy Joplin’s favourites, including ‘Piece of My Heart,’ ‘Cry Baby’, ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ and many others.
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN began in 2011 and was an immediate success, touring for the next 2 years and breaking box office records at nearly every theatre. In October 2013, the show opened on Broadway at the Lyceum Theatre to rave reviews and has been touring the US ever since. The show also played in Japan in 2022 at the Tokyo International Forum Hall. Mary Bridget Davies played the role of Janis Joplin for both the touring and Broadway productions, receiving a Tony Award® nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Musical for her performance.
Janis Joplin’s sister, Laura Joplin, says A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLINis a “full belted memory that drives joy into my heart and tears from my eyes” with The New York Times saying the show “rocks the house with a fervour that is riveting”.
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN has a Book and direction by Randy Johnson, choreography by Patricia Wilcox (A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN – Broadway, Motown – Broadway, West End). Casting is by Anne Vosser.
Randy Johnson (creator, writer and director) made his Broadway debut as a playwright and director with Tony Award nominated musical A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN at the Lyceum Theatre. At the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and on Broadway at the Longacre Theatre, Randy directed and co-wrote The World Premiere of Mike Tyson – The Undisputed Truth, starring international sports legend Mike Tyson and directed and staged Carly Simon’s return to the concert stage at The Apollo Theatre in New York. Randy also co- conceived and directed the now historic ELVIS THE CONCERT, which reunited Elvis’ original band, singers and musical director in a virtual interactive concert featuring Elvis. The show was an immediate hit, with sold out shows at Radio City Music Hall and arenas worldwide including Wembley and the O2 Arena. Other regional theatre credits include the world premieres of Jukebox Hero – The Foreigner Musical (Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto). He was honored twice by the NAACP for his direction on Shout Sister Shout – The Rosetta Tharpe Story (Pasadena Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre).
Mary Bridget Davies is a distinguished American singer and actress who has made musical history with her powerhouse vocals and captivating performances. Davies’ accolades include the 2014 LA Outer Critic’s Circle Award and Theatre World Award, alongside a Helen Hayes Award nomination and numerous Blues Blast Award nominations. In 2019, Davies recorded her album Stay With Me: The Reimagined Songs of Jerry Ragovoy, the late legendary songwriter who co-wrote Joplin classics ‘Piece of my Heart’ and ‘Cry Baby’. Davies’ career has also included touring with Janis Joplin’s original band, Big Brother and the Holding Company, starring as Virginia Wolf in the developmental readings of A Room of One’s Own (54 Below and The Public Theatre’s Joe’s Pub), and Narrator in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Beck Theatre).Currently, Davies is set to embark on the soon to be announced U.S. leg of her tour Don’t Compromise Yourself.
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is produced by Michael Cohl, Tony Smith and the estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for Jam, Inc, with UK General Management by MPSI Ltd.
