DEM Productions are delighted to announce the full cast for the musical adaptation of PIGS MIGHT FLY from Michael Morpurgo’s Mudpuddle Farm with book, music & lyrics by Caroline Wigmore and Jen Green. The show will embark on a UK Tour from 24 May 2023 at Theatre Peckham, with a national press performance on 25 May, and will be directed by Kate Golledge.
Megan Swaisland (The Hogmoor Troll, 440 Theatre) will star as Pintsize with Rachel Lea-Gray (Pigs Might Fly, 2022 UK Tour, Jungle Rumble, Fortune Theatre) as Farmer Brightwell and Jazz Evans (Claus the Musical, Lowry Manchester, Spamalot UK Tour) as Farmer Rafferty.
This bold and energetic new musical follows the air-raising adventures of Pintsize, the youngest and most daring piglet on Mudpuddle Farm. Pintsize loves nothing more than playing with his neighbour and best friend Diana the sheep, until one day Pintsize wakes up to discover a tall fence built between their two farms. Devastated by the loss of playtime with his best pal, Pintsize resolves that he will figure out how to fly over it instead.
Can his determination and ingenuity defy the laws of physics? Will crotchety Farmer Rafferty finally make peace with his neighbour, Farmer Brightwell? Can Albertine the clever goose keep Pintsize from hurting himself as he tries to fly?
Based on the book by Michael Morpurgo, PIGS MIGHT FLY brings the farmyard to life with catchy songs, puppetry, and plenty of frolicsome fun.
PIGS MIGHT FLY has choreography by Chris Whittaker (Lady Chatterley’s Lover, Gatsby) and set and costume design by Stewart J Charlesworth (From Here To Eternity, The Dark).
PIGS MIGHT FLY is produced by Deus Ex Machina Productions.
Instagram: @pigsmightflymusical
Facebook: @ pigsmightflymusical
Twitter: @PMF_Musical
Running Time: 50 minutes
Age Guidance: 3-11
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Weds 24 – Fri 26 May LONDON Theatre Peckham 020 7708 5401
ADDITIONAL VENUES ANNOUNCED FOR TOUR OF SMASH HIT 2:22 – A GHOST STORY, TAKING THE TOTAL TO 30 VENUES, WITH MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED
THE TOUR WILL NOW ALSO VISIT EDINBURGH, CARDIFF, WYCOMBE, ABERDEEN, BROMLEY, LIVERPOOL, TRURO, BLACKPOOL, HULL, AND SUNDERLAND
THE WEST END SHOW REOPENS ON 14 MAY AT THE APOLLO THEATRE WITH A BRAND NEW CAST – STARRING SOPHIA BUSH, RICKY CHAMP, CLIFFORD SAMUEL, AND JAIME WINSTONE
Producer Runaway Entertainment today announces additional 10 venues for the UK tour of the critically acclaimed, smash hit, supernatural thriller 2:22 – A Ghost Story.
Joining the previously announced venues are Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Cardiff New Theatre, Wycombe Swan Theatre, His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Churchill Theatre Bromley, Liverpool Empire, Hall for Cornwall Truro, Blackpool Grand, New Theatre Hull, and Sunderland Empire. The touropens at Bath Theatre Royal on 1 September 2023, and it will visit venues across the UK until May 2024, with casting to be announced shortly.
The additional venues are announced ahead of the opening at the Apollo Theatre this Sunday, which marks a record-breaking fifth transfer for the show. The tour will bring this edge-of-your-seat thriller to audiences across the country.
Written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr; 2:22 is an adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may, or may not, appear…
Danny Robins said: “I’m so pleased to announce that EVEN MORE audiences across the UK will be able to experience the spine-tingling thrills of 2:22 – A Ghost Story. I can guarantee that every audience, from Truro to Aberdeen, will laugh, scream, cry, and jump out of their seats at this ghostly tale.”
What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth?
“THERE’S SOMETHING IN OUR HOUSE. I HEAR IT EVERY NIGHT, AT THE SAME TIME”
Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up… until 2:22… and then they’ll know.
“A slick, chilling, romp of a play” The Guardian
‘A modern classic’ Sunday Times
The production premiered at the Noel Coward Theatre, starring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser, and Jake Wood, where it won the WhatsOnStage award for Best Play. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre for 10 weeks, starring Stephanie Beatriz, James Buckley, Elliot Cowan, and Giovanna Fletcher, which completed its run on 12 February 2021. For the first season at the Criterion (May – September 2022), the cast included Tom Felton, Mandip Gill, Sam Swainsbury, and Beatriz Romilly, the second season, launching in September, starred Laura Whitmore, Matt Willis, Felix Scott, and Tamsin Carroll.
The box office record-breaking run at the Lyric cast includes Cheryl, Jake Wood, Scot Karim, and Louise Ford, concluded its run on 23 April. The newly announced cast – Sophia Bush (Lauren), Ricky Champ (Ben), Clifford Samuel (Sam), and Jaime Winstone (Jenny) – will begin their run at the Apollo Theatre on 14 May.
2:22 – A Ghost Story features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound and illusions by Chris Fisher. Casting by Matilda James.
2:22 – A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon.
SuRie who represented the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 will star as Annie Oakley in Irving Berlin’s classic musical ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ at the stunning new open-air Lavender Theatre sited on a lavender farm in Surrey
SuRie, who was famously interrupted by a rogue stage invasion during the Eurovision live final, said: “Ever since my first encounter with Annie Oakley during my time at The Royal Academy of Music it’s been a dream to play that strong character with her fabulous, self-deprecating sense of humour. It is that same down-to-earth humour that got me through my own Wild West adventure that was the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. This time, however, watch out; the girl is armed..!”
Across 2 albums, 1 EP and multiple singles, SuRie has amassed over 6 million sales, streams and downloads for her music, and has performed in concert venues and to arena crowds all over the world. Her performance in Lisbon’s Altice Arena was broadcast to an audience of 180 million when representing the UK at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest. SuRie’s forthcoming studio album ‘Building A Woman’ is to be released on 14 May, followed by a string of live dates across the UK with her new show ‘Cover/Me’, before she saddles up for ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ at the Lavender Theatre this summer.
Emily Fletcher, Irving Berlin’s granddaughter, said today: “I’m thrilled that, as part of the 135th celebrations of my grandfather’s birthday, there is a new cast announced for the latest UK production of ‘Annie Get Your Gun!’ It is wonderful that theatres around the world keep his legacy alive through reviving his iconic characters and timeless songs, including two of my favourites ‘I Got Lost in His Arms’ and ‘Moonshine Lullaby’.
Featuring a glittering score of Irving Berlin’s best-loved songs, ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ proves There’s No Business Like Show Business in all-singing, all-dancing, gun-toting glory! Director/choreographer Simon Hardwick will bring the story to life in 2023 with a raw and kinetic staging evoking the energy of Buffalo Bill’s original touring celebrations of the Wild West.
It will run at the 250-seat open air theatre Lavender Theatre from 17 July – 5 August.
Leading the cast are SuRie as Annie Oakley, Charlie McCullagh (‘Bonnie & Clyde’, ‘Dr. Zhivago’, ‘42 Balloons’) as Frank Butler, Chlöe Hart (Catherine of Aragon in the national tour of ‘Six’, ‘Evita’, ‘Kinky Boots’) as Dolly Tate and Elliot Broadfoot, a 2023 graduate from Leeds Conservatoire making his professional debut as Buffalo Bill.
The rest of the company features Nina Bell (‘Dr. Suess’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas’, ‘Matilda’, UK & Ireland Tour), Joe Boyle (‘Top Hat’, ‘Heathers’), Kyerron Dixon-Bassey (‘From Here To Eternity)’, Jay Faisca (‘Henry VI: Days of Rebellion’), Marisa Harris (‘Yeast Nation’, ‘Tony! The Tony Blair Rock Opera’), Holly Lawrence (‘Grease’, Royal Caribbean), AJ Lewis (‘Mandela’, ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’), and Joseph Vella (‘Gypsy’, ‘From Here To Eternity’).
Playing Annie’s younger siblings are Olivia Ainsworth, Mayah Balcerak, Layla Duke, Mahlie Duval, Poppy LeRougetel, and Caitlin Muggeridge.
Creative team: Director/Choreographer Simon Hardwick (‘My Fair Lady’) Associate Director and Choreographer Maria Graciano (‘Moulin Rouge’) Musical Supervisor Matthew Spalding (‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’, ‘Singin’ In The Rain’) Musical Director Debbi Clarke (‘Stranger Sings’, ‘DIVA: Live From Hell!’) Casting Danielle Tarento
Produced by Lavender Theatre Artistic Director Joe McNeice for Lavender Productions Ltd
LAVENDER THEATRE Just a stone’s throw from London and set amidst rolling lavender fields, the Lavender Theatre will open for its inaugural summer season this July in Epsom. The 250-seat open air theatre will be home for an annual season of plays and musicals with a truly elegant backdrop. Based at Mayfield Lavender in Surrey, the theatre has been co-founded by director Joe McNeice and Mayfield owner Brendan Maye. The launch of the theatre will see the completion of a £2m+ investment into the Epsom site, which already boasts a coffee bar, shop, and a full service glasshouse restaurant due to open alongside the theatre this summer. Audiences will be able dine in a glass house restaurant underneath Mediterranean citrus trees, or grab a picnic to enjoy among the blossoming rows of lavender as the sun begins to set, before taking their seats in our covered auditorium to watch a show under the stars. It promises to be a truly special experience.
LISTINGS INFO
Annie Get Your Gun
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin Original Book by Herbert Fields and Dorothy Fields| As Revised by Peter Stone
Monday 17 July to Saturday 5 August.
Evening performances at 19:30 Monday – Saturday matinee performances at 14:30 on Wednesdays and Saturdays There are 2 press performances: Friday 21 July and Saturday 22 July (matinee)
Tickets: £35 – £65, plus £2 transaction fee for online bookings. No transaction fee is charged for customers who book in person at Mayfield Lavender, 139 Reigate Road, Epsom KT17 3DW, or from Epsom Playhouse.
Tickets are available at £28 for full time students and under 14s for Monday-Friday performances. ID will be required upon arrival at the theatre to prove eligibility for the Under 14s/Students rate. Transaction fee applies to Under 14s/Students rate bookings made online.
Grand Opera House York – until Saturday 13th May 2023
Reviewed by Michelle Richardson
5*****
The award winning, Heathers The Musical is currently showing in York this week. It is based on the 1980’s film and is now a cult classic. I have previously seen the film and had a small recollection of the of the tale. Following the pupils of Westerberg High, it is a black comedy, filled with some quite dark content, bullying, suicide, sexual violence and murder. Billed at suitable for ages 14 and over.
The school is run by three popular girls, all named Heather. The leader Chandler (Verity Thompson) and her two mini me’s, Duke (played by understudy Summer Priest) and McNamara (Billie Bowman), striking in their red, green and yellow kilts with matching jackets. Think Mean Girls and you get the gist. Studious Veronica Sawyer (Jenna Innes) appears content with being an outsider, despised by the in crowd, until a good deed sees her joining the ‘Heathers’ clique. She is soon dressing and acting just like them, becoming part of their gang to the detriment of her true friends. She comes to realise that they are bullies, creating a toxic environment, and she is being manipulated and used by them.
Veronica is attracted to an alluring newcomer, the damaged Jason ‘JD’ Dean (Jacob Fowler). He’s all dark, sinister, and mysterious. Their bond takes an unnatural turn after the accidental death of Chandler, where they cover it up to look like suicide. Things rapidly spiral out of control with other victims and even darker scenes, culminating with a bang.
This show is packed full of music with every song resulting in huge cheers from the audience. I don’t believe I have ever heard such loud applause, from every number sung before. The noise resonated throughout the theatre, you felt that the audience were on the stage, part of the stage, powerful!
The standout numbers for me were My Dead Gay Son, which though sounds pretty macabre was just so funny, and loved the end of that number. It was executed brilliantly by the two dads, Conor McFarlane and Jay Bryce, who played numerous roles in the show, from dads to coach to principal and even filling in as students. The powerful lyrics of Dead Girl Walking were sung fabulously by Innes, who has such a great voice. Her duet with Fowler with Seventeen was magical, if only that innocence could have lasted with their love story.
The talented, energetic cast brought the turmoil of high school to life. Innes was a strong lead who portrays the confused teenager, struggling with her identity and place in the world. Fowler had a very strong Christian Slater vibe, who played JD in the film, just the right amount of unhingedness. Thompson shone as the lead Heather, especially her comedic turn during her ghost phase, it had us all in hysterics. I must also mention Mogan Jackson and Alex Woodward, who played Ram and Kurt, the two jocks, superbly. They were hilarious and I especially loved the slo-mo fighting scene between them and JD. Bravo to them both playing the second half in only their underwear, well Jackson also donned a tie. What a great double act.
This musical if full of bite, not afraid to tackle some serious and difficult topics, such as bullying, teen suicide, homophobia, sexual assault. These are balanced out with humour and is full of some great, catchy songs.
I never realised that Heathers had such a cult following amongst the youth of today, my, don’t I sound ancient. It was fabulous to see the theatre packed out with such a young and enthusiastic crowd, it lifted the whole experience to another level. One not to miss.
Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – until Saturday 20 May 2023
Reviewed by Carol Crann
5*****
The Ocean at the End of the Lane tells the story of a man returning home for his father’s funeral and revisiting the farm where he used to play as a child. There he is transported back in time to his birthday and his friendship with an amazing young lady called Lettie, played brilliantly by Millie Hikasa, who quickly gives you a taste of what is to come throughout the evening, delighting the audience with her humour, love, fear and hope.
Lettie explains to the young boy (Keir Ogilvy) that the duckpond is The Ocean, and as a result their immediate world becomes a very different place. The three generations of her family – Ginnie Hempstock, her Mum (Kemi-Bo Jacobs) and her Grandmother Old Mrs Hempstock (Finty Williams) – combine to try and defeat the common enemy, and are all portrayed as eccentric but fiercely independent and powerful women desperate to protect those they love.
Before the show even opens the set looks impressive, with an other-worldly feel that could only hint at what was about to come. As props are added by an ensemble dressed in black and adding to the performance – it quickly becomes a magical domain.
It didn’t take long for the audience to get caught up in the tale, and brilliant costumes – especially for the creatures from the edge – you’re left unsure of what you’re actually looking at, giving a palpable increase in tension.
The choreography was amazing, with incredible special effects often taking the audience by surprise, leaving us gasping in shock or horror. Charlie Brooks as Ursula is impressive as you watch the impact she has on the lives of this normal family, and we see how she wins over Sis (Laurie Ogden) and Dad (Trevor Fox) by playing to their perceived needs. Little do they know, though, that she’s corrupting the way they behave as she tries to wreak havoc on the boy’s life.
The Ocean at the End of the Lane truly is one of the best shows I have seen in a while, and it feels like a real collision of genres. Sci-fi combines with horror. Fantasy, magic and storytelling are all part of the narrative, and there is a fascinating utilisation of many theatrical styles.
With a unique, strong and characterful technique of dance you see the ensemble support the main cast in creating an impression of movement to music that is quite clearly created specifically for this show.
The use of lighting is also key to the ambience and atmosphere of the different scenes, even using a total lack of light to further increase the tension. Using numerous doors portray different realities is a stroke of genius, especially when you see the frames change colour as their significance alters, and the terrific use of puppetry offers an opportunity to create otherwise impossible scenes and draw the audience into the action on stage.
I thoroughly enjoyed this performance and strongly recommend you go and see it at the Lyceum if you get the chance. I really can’t imagine you being disappointed.
COMES TO CINEMAS AROUND THE GLOBE FOR TWO DAYS ONLY
JULY 16 AND 19, 2023
CINEMA EVENT COMMEMORATES 80TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE GROUNDBREAKING MUSICAL
Today Trafalgar Releasing, in partnership with Concord Originals and The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization, announced the international cinema release of the National Theatre’s acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Starring then-newcomer Hugh Jackman (Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman) as Curly, this riveting stage revival was filmed following its record-breaking 1998 run in London. Tickets are on sale now at OklahomaInCinemas.com.
The film will be screened in more than 800 cinemas around the globe for two days only, on Sunday, July 16 and Wednesday, July 19 – including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Norway and Australia.
Directed by theatre legend and three-time Tony Award winner Trevor Nunn (CATS, Les Misérables) with new choreography by five-time Tony Award winner Susan Stroman (The Producers, Crazy for You), the film also stars Maureen Lipman as Aunt Eller, Josefina Gabrielle as Laurie, Tony and Olivier Award winner Shuler Hensley as Jud Fry, Vicki Simon as Ado Annie, Jimmy Johnston as Will Parker and Peter Polycarpou as Ali Hakim. The stage production transferred to London’s West End in 1999 and won four Olivier Awards, including Outstanding Musical Production.
This 25-year-old production of Oklahoma! – coinciding with the 80th anniversary of the musical’s groundbreaking 1943 premiere on Broadway – features some of the most delightfully hummable songs by the legendary team of composer Richard Rodgers and librettist/lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, including “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’,” “The Surrey with the Fringe on Top,” “People Will Say We’re in Love” and the joyous title tune, “Oklahoma.”
The creative team includes set and costume designer Anthony Ward, lighting designer David Hersey, music director John Owen Edwards and orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, with additional orchestrations by William David Brohn and new dance music arranged by David Krane.
The 1998 production is considered Hugh Jackman’s breakout musical role. “It’s hard to imagine a more immediately charming Curly than Jackman,” wrote Variety in 1998. “He’s as pliable, the staging suggests, as Jud is rigidly doomed, and Jackman makes an appealing (and beautifully sung) case for a man who won’t be left behind by the winds of change in ‘this here crazy country.’”
“The 80th anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! allows us to share this quintessential slice of Americana with global fans,” said Kymberli Frueh, SVP of Content and Programming Acquisitions at Trafalgar Releasing. “This particular production is acknowledged as one of the best through the eight decades of performances in theatres around the world. All the talent in this classic version of Oklahoma! hit their mark brilliantly and musical theatre fans can experience for themselves why it is credited with launching Hugh Jackman’s stage career. We’re proud to be a part of this momentous anniversary”.
“This musical is the living, breathing proof that important works will find and impact multiple generations in meaningful ways,” said Sophia Dilley, SVP of Concord Originals. “We couldn’t be more proud to champion this anniversary re-release of Sir Trevor Nunn’s stunning 1998 revival with Trafalgar Releasing.”
“80 years after first premiering on Broadway, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is recognized as a theatrical landmark,” said Imogen Lloyd Webber, SVP at Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. “It was the first successful, truly unified musical – a seamless integration of song, story and dance. This 1998 production masterfully combined those three elements, and the resulting film is a treasure trove for musical theatre fans of all ages.”
BIOGRAPHIES
About Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! is the first musical written by Rodgers & Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs’ 1931 play Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tells the story of farm girl Laurey Williams and her courtship by two rival suitors. The original Broadway production opened on Broadway on March 31, 1943. It was a box-office smash and ran for an unprecedented 2,212 performances, later enjoying award-winning revivals, national tours, foreign productions and an Academy Award-winning 1955 film adaptation. Oklahoma! redefined and revolutionized the American musical, and launched the most successful songwriting partnership in Broadway history. Learn more about the history of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! by visiting https://rodgersandhammerstein.com/oklahoma.
About Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II
After long and highly distinguished careers with other collaborators, Richard Rodgers (Composer, 1902-79) and Oscar Hammerstein II (Librettist/Lyricist, 1895-1960) joined forces in 1943 to create the most successful partnership in American Musical Theatre. Prior to joining forces, Rodgers collaborated with lyricist Lorenz Hart on musical comedies that epitomized wit and sophistication (Pal Joey, On Your Toes, Babes In Arms, and more), while Hammerstein brought new life to operetta and created the classic Show Boat with Jerome Kern. Oklahoma!, the first Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, introduced an integrated form that became known as “the musical play.” Their shows that followed included Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music. Collectively, the Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals have earned Tony, Oscar, Grammy, Emmy, Pulitzer and Olivier Awards. The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization is a Concord Company, www.concord.com.
Concord Originals is the narrative content creation division for Concord, the world’s leading independent music company and licensor of stage productions. Ready access to Concord’s vast well of iconic intellectual property and award-winning Concord-represented writers, along with robust in-house production capabilities, uniquely positions the Concord Originals team to swiftly develop and produce stories that satisfy the growing demand for fresh takes on beloved content. The division’s slate is comprised of feature films, series, documentaries and podcasts, including remakes and re-imaginings of properties from Concord’s legendary artists, music and theatrical works. Upcoming projects include a multi-part docuseries about the legendary Stax Records for HBO from executive producer Ezra Edelman (O.J.: Made in America) and directed by Jamila Wignot (Ailey), and two documentary features in production with White Horse Pictures that Concord Originals has co-financed, Shari & Lamb Chop and an untitled biopic about celebrated musician Billy Preston. Concord Originals also has an active scripted slate, including a remake of The King and I with Temple Hill for Paramount Pictures and a limited series adaptation of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella with Skydance TV and Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions.
About Concord Theatricals
Concord Theatricalsis the world’s most significant theatrical company, comprising the catalogs of R&H Theatricals, Samuel French, Tams-Witmark and The Andrew Lloyd Webber Collection, plus dozens of new signings each year. Their unparalleled roster includes the work of Irving Berlin, Agatha Christie, George & Ira Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch, Lorraine Hansberry, Kander & Ebb, Tom Kitt, Ken Ludwig, Marlow & Moss, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anaïs Mitchell, Dominique Morisseau, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hammerstein, Thornton Wilder and August Wilson. They are the only firm providing truly comprehensive services to the creators and producers of plays and musicals, including theatrical licensing, music publishing, script publishing, cast recording and first-class production. www.concordtheatricals.com
Trafalgar Releasing, the global leader in event cinema distribution, harnesses the power of cinema to bring fans together in more than 13,000 locations in 132 countries worldwide. A subsidiary of Trafalgar Entertainment, Trafalgar Releasing’s worldwide operations include production, acquisition, marketing and distribution of live or pre-recorded content to cinemas led by an international team of specialists. Featuring live concerts, music documentaries, world-class opera and dance, award-winning theatre, and more from leading names in entertainment such as BTS, Metallica, Oasis, Coldplay, Billie Eilish, George Michael, Sonia Friedman Productions, the Royal Opera House and Berliner Philharmoniker, Trafalgar Releasing has repeatedly shattered event cinema box office records, most recently with BTS: Yet To Come in Cinemas which grossed more than $40M at the global box office.
Award-winning storyteller Danyah Miller today announces a unique Gala Performance of her acclaimed production of I Believe in Unicorns, based on the story by the best-selling children’s author Michael Morpurgo, to celebrate The Reading Agency’s 21st birthday. As part of an exclusive audience experience, Michael will join Danyah on stage for a post-show talk at the Gala on Sunday 9 July at the Lyric Theatre, with all profits being donated to The Reading Agency.
richard@rwdavenport.co.uk.
Following on from the Gala, this new production of I Believe in Unicorns opens at the Apollo Theatre for a six-week summer season on 31 July, with previews from 27 July, and plays until 2 September.
Danyah Miller said: “I’m passionate about sharing stories with families because I’ve seen first-hand the positive effect stories have in our lives. I am thrilled to be bringing this magical show back to the West End in its 10th anniversary year, and to support the ground-breaking work of The Reading Agency with our Gala. We look forward to a new generation of children discovering this story for the first time.”
richard@rwdavenport.co.uk.
Karen Napier MBE, Chief Executive of The Reading Agency, said: “It is really exciting to mark our 21st birthday with this performance of Danyah’s enchanting show, and we are immensely grateful to the team for their generous donation of the proceeds. The Reading Agency works closely with public libraries to bring the power of reading to people and this inspiring adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s wonderful book celebrates everything that libraries do to support children’s imaginations.”
Michael Morpurgo added: “Danyah is one of the great storytellers in this country – she brings stories to life in the most enchanting way. See her in full flow on stage, and you never look away. She invites her audience to join her in the story, and seven years of age or seventy, we go with her.”
Danyah Miller Storyteller Ltd presents
Richard Davenport. richard@rwdavenport.co.uk.
I BELIEVE IN UNICORNS
Lyric Theatre
Gala Performance
Sunday 9 July at 2.30pm
Apollo Theatre
27 July – 2 September
I Believe in Unicornsis adapted for the stage by Danyah Miller and Dani Parr; performed by Danyah Miller; directed by Dani Parr; designed by Kate Bunce with lighting by Will Evans; sound by Martin Thompson and projection by Arnim Friess
Bringing Morpurgo’s treasured story to life, this interactive and enchanting show is set in a library full of books that hold more than stories within their pages.
I Believe in Unicorns tells the tale of the power of books, and the bravery of eight-year-old Tomas who hates reading and school. The young boy’s world is turned upside down the day he meets the Unicorn Lady in his local library and embarks on a spellbinding journey…
Richard Davenport. richard@rwdavenport.co.uk.
The Gala performance ofI Believe in Unicornsis a one-off event for families which includes a performance of the award-winning production, followed by a post-show talk with Michael Morpurgo who will join Danyah Miller on stage with other special guests.
In addition to a raffle on the day with prizes including a family ticket package at the Unicorn Theatre, tickets to Matthew Bourne’s Edward Scissorhands, tickets to The Old Vic’s press night of A Christmas Carol and a Fortnum and Mason’s hamper, young audience members can take part in a special book swap and bring along a favourite pre-loved children’s book (for ages 6 upwards) to form part of the stage set. After the show, children will be invited to swap their book for another and choose a new story from the library to take home with them.
Premium ticket options for the Gala include:
£60 – Pre-Show Reception + Goodies Package
A pre-show reception including a glass of Fortnum and Mason’s fizz for adults and ice cream for children, a family goody bag, complimentary programmes and a post-show Q&A with Michael Morpurgo and Danyah Miller.
£45 – Ticket + Bag of Goodies per family
A bag of goodies includes a complimentary programme, a hand-crafted The Secret Garden ‘Story-in-a-Box’ home experience and a post-show Q&A with Michael Morpurgo and Danyah Miller.
Richard Davenport. richard@rwdavenport.co.uk.
All profits for the Gala Performance are being donated to The Reading Agency to support the work of the national charity tackling life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading.
Richard Davenport. richard@rwdavenport.co.uk.
Following the Gala, I Believe in Unicorns will take up residence at the neighbouring Apollo Theatre for six weeks through the summer. 2023 is the 10-year anniversary of the show which has been seen by over 80,000 people with performances at every scale, has had two previous runs in the West End and won an Argus Angel Award for Artistic Excellence at the Brighton Festival.
NATHANIEL CURTIS ANNOUNCED TO APPEAR IN THE WORLD PREMIERE OF DISRUPTION
BY ANDREW STEIN
Presented by Jack DePalma and Max Needle, Todd and Nancy Allan, Rick Feldman, Joanne F. Guerrerio, Robert Frier/Andy Tobias in association with Park Theatre
PARK200 AT PARK THEATRE, LONDON
FRIDAY 7 JULY – SATURDAY 5 AUGUST 2023
Nathaniel Curtis has today been announced as the first actor to join the cast of the world premiere of a cautionary play about AI – Andrew Stein’s Disruptionwill run at Park Theatre from Friday 7 July to Saturday 5 August, with further casting to be announced in coming weeks.
Nathaniel is well known for his portrayal of Ash Mukherjee in It’s a Sin, the award-winning television series by Russell T Davies, and for The Witcher: Blood Origin on Netflix. Theatre-going audiences will also recognise him from the title role in Britannicus at the Lyric Hammersmith last year.
Does anyone know what would make them truly happy? Tech entrepreneur Nick thinks he has the answer.
After tremendous Silicon Valley success and a big exit, Nick presents his three best friends with his next big idea: an algorithm that is more complex than the human brain and promises to guide them through big life decisions better and more effectively than they can guide themselves.
In an era where every aspect of human life has been documented with data and disrupted by technology, do computers know us better than we know ourselves? And even if they do, should we listen? Andrew Stein’s sharp, unnerving thriller is a timely and insightful exploration of our tech obsessed world.
Director Hersh Ellis says“Nathaniel is such an engaging, unique talent. I’ve been so impressed with him already and am truly thrilled that he’s joining our company as Ben.”
Writer Andrew Stein said, “When I started working on Disruption, the idea that our phones were listening to us and algorithms were mapping our every click was pretty new. A.I. seemed far down the road, but there was something about these “random” coincidences and the way people in tech were so obsessed with the idea of “disruption” that sparked my interest and drew me in. I have been extremely fortunate to develop this play with Jack and Hersh, who’s brilliance and generosity never cease to amaze me. To have this premiere in London at The Park is nothing short of surreal. It is truly a dream come true for me and I couldn’t be happier or more grateful for this incredible opportunity.”
Andrew Stein’s previous plays include White Privilege and Cringe (semi-finalist at O’Neill 2019) and he is finishing two others, Camp, a ghost story and A Weekend in Vermont. He graduated from Brown University and is the co-founder of a commercial real estate firm in Manhattan.
Second Half Productions present LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
Patricia Clarkson, Alex Lawther, Daryl McCormack and Louisa Harland return to London’s West End to star alongside Brian Cox in Eugene O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
Directed by Jeremy Herrin, Long Day’s Journey into Night will preview at Wyndham’s Theatre from 19 March, with opening night on Tuesday 2 April.
Tickets go on general sale from 10am on 11 May, with priority booking open from 10am today.
Tickets start at £25 with 50 seats available at that price for every performance throughout the run
Second Half Productions has today announced the full cast for a new production of Eugene O’Neill’s autobiographical magnum opus Long Day’s Journey into Night, directed by Jeremy Herrin (Best of Enemies).
Golden Globe and Emmy award-winning actress Patricia Clarkson (Sharp Objects) will star as matriarch Mary Tyrone alongside Alex Lawther (The End of the F***ing World, Black Mirror) as Edmund, BAFTA award-nominee Daryl McCormack (Bad Sisters, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) as James Jr and Louisa Harland (Derry Girls) as Cathleen. They join Emmy award-winning actor Brian Cox (Succession) who will play James Tyrone, in his first West End role in almost a decade.
Long Day’s Journey into Night will begin previews at Wyndham’s Theatre from 19 March 2024 with opening night on Tuesday 2 April 2024. Fifty seats at £25 will be available for every performance throughout the run. Tickets go on general sale from 10am on 11 May, with priority booking open from 10am today.
Often regarded as the greatest American play of the 20th Century, O’Neill’s Pulitzer Prize-winning piece depicts a summer day in the life of the Tyrones, closely based on O’Neill’s own dysfunctional family. Moving and inspiring in equal measure, O’Neill’s masterpiece is a compelling story of love, hate, betrayal, addiction and the impossible fragility of family bonds.
Following his recent acclaimed production of Best of Enemies, Jeremy Herrin’s new production will bring into sharp focus the universality of O’Neill’s beautifully crafted characters and language. Long Day’s Journey into Night is designed byLizzie Clachan with further creative team to be announced.
Patricia Clarkson says: “Mary Tyrone is a complex and multifaceted woman—a gift for any actor to play. I’m thrilled to be returning to the West End with this brilliant cast and director. I look forward to tackling this great American play.”
Brian Cox says:“It has long been an ambition of mine to play Eugene O’Neill’s flawed patriarch James Tyrone, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to do so on a West End stage. I’m a great admirer of Jeremy Herrin’s work and I am looking forward to us delving into O’Neill’s masterpiece together.”
Alex Lawther says: “I can’t wait to discover O’Neill’s beautiful final play with this brilliant cast and team, and to be doing so under Jeremy’s direction – a director I have had the joy of working with once before and have been hoping to do so again, since.”
Daryl McCormack says: “It has been a dream of mine to bring this play to life, since I first read it as a student more than ten years ago. To be accompanied by such talented actors and have a brilliant director in Jeremy, it is a true gift. I eagerly await the work that is ahead of us in reviving this magnificently tragic and haunting play.”
Jeremy Herrin says: “A great play is always relevant and ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night’ is, it’s often argued, the greatest play of the 20th Century. With its searing honesty and blistering depth of emotion, it must be up there.
What is impossible to argue with is that we have the best cast and, in Lizzie Clachan, one of the most exciting designers in the country, to discover what makes O’Neill’s masterwork relevant for now.
I can’t wait to bring this classic to life. I anticipate a feast of fine acting and vivid performances in what I hope to be a high definition production.”
Brian Cox’s theatre credits include: The Score (Theatre Royal Bath); The Great Society (Broadway); The Weir (Donmar Warehouse); The Championship Season (Broadway); Lolita (National Theatre); Rock N Roll (Royal Court, Broadway); Uncle Varick (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh); Waiting for Godot (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh); Desire Under The Elms (Broadway); Dublin Carol (Royal Court Theatre); Skylight (Mark Taper Forum, L.A.); Art (Royale Theatre, NYC); St. Nicolas (Primary Stages, NYC and Bush Theatre, London); The Music Man (Regent’s Park, Tour); The Master Builder (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh, Riverside); King Lear/ Richard III (National Theatre).
Television: Succession seasons 1-4 (HBO); Urban Myths – Elizabeth, Michael and Marlon (Sky); Medici: Kingdom of Gold (Big Light Productions); Penny Dreadful (Neal Street Productions); War and Peace (BBC Wales); The Slap (NBC); Scotland in a Day (Channel 4); The Game (BBC Wales); Shetland (BBC Scotland); An Adventure through Space and Time (BBC); The Curse of Edgar (Program 33); Bob Servant (BBC Scotland); Gotham (ABC); The Straits (Bala Pictures Ltd); The Sinking of Laconia (Talkback Thames); The Big C (Sony); On Expenses (BBC); The Day of the Triffids (BBC); Kings (BBC); The Take (Company/ Sky); Miss Marple (ITV); Lost and Found (NBC); The Secret of the Nutcracker (Joe Media).
Film: Little Wing (Paramount+); The Parenting (HBO Max); The Electric State (Universal Pictures); Skelly (Walk Like A Duck Entertainment); Prisoner’s Daughter (Oakhurst Entertainment); The Independent (Anonymous Content); Mending the Line (Artimage Entertainment); The Last Right (CrossDay Productions); Separation (Yale Productions); Remember Me (Create Entertainment); The Bay of Silence (Silent Bay Productions); Strange But True; Churchill (Salon Pictures); The Etruscan Smile (Don Valley Films); Morgan (Fox UK Productions); The Anomaly (Universal Pictures); Supertroopers 2 (Broken Lizard Industries); The Jesuit (Itaca Films); Mindscape (Safran Company); Red 2 (DC Entertainment); The Campaign (Everyman Pictures); Blood (Red/ Neal Street); The Autopsy of Jane Doe (42); The Carer (Hopscotch Films); Dog Fight (Everyman Pictures); Theatre of Dreams (Messiah Pictures Limited); Edwin Boyd (Myriad Pictures); Caesar: Rise of the Apes (20th Century Fox); Pixels (Columbia Pictures).
Academy Award nominee, Golden Globe Award, Critics’ Choice Award and Emmy Award-winning actress, Patricia Clarkson takes on roles as varied as the platforms for which she plays them. This multi-faceted approach makes her one of today’s most respected actresses.
Clarkson’s continuous innovative work in independent film earned her the 2018 British Independent Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sally Potter’s film The Party. In 2010 she received rave reviews for her starring role in the award-winning romantic drama, Cairo Time, which put her career in the American spotlight. She won the Independent Award for Acting Excellence at the 2009 ShoWest Awards. In 2003, her role in Pieces of April earned her nominations for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, SAG, Broadcast Film Critics and Independent Spirit awards. The National Board of Review and the National Society of Film Critics named her Best Supporting Actress of the Year for her work in Pieces of April and The Station Agent.
She will next be seen in the artistic masterpiece and timely drama Monica from Andrea Pallaoro. Clarkson most recently finished filming biopic Lilly, playing the title role of Fair Pay activist Lilly Ledbetter, and playing the lead character in spy series Gray. This year has already seen her in She Said about the New York Times reporters who helped launch the #MeToo movement, in the role of Pulitzer-prize winning editor Rebecca Corbett.
In television, was most recently seen in the second season of AMC+/Sundance TV’s State of the Union alongside Brendan Gleeson, for which she won her third Emmy Award. She just completed filming television series Gray, in the lead role of Cornelia Gray, a CIA spy. Recent television projects include the HBO limited series Sharp Objects and the sixth and final season of Netflix’s House of Cards.
2019 garnered Clarkson the Golden Globe Award and Critics’ Choice Award for her role in HBO’s Sharp Objects. The same year she was also seen at the helm of the Krewe of Muses Mardi Gras Parade, she was honoured with the Precious Gem Award at the Miami Film Festival, and honoured with the prestigious “Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema” from the 54th annual Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
Recent films include Isabel Coixet’s The Bookshop, the independent film drama Jonathan, opposite Ansel Elgort, the final instalment of the Maze Runner trilogy, the detective film Out of Blue based on the Martin Amis novel, in which she plays the lead character, and Sally Potter’s film The Party, for which she won a British Independent Film Award for her role.
In 2014 she starred alongside Sir Ben Kingsley in Learning to Drive directed by Isabel Coixet. The film won runner up honours for the People’s Choice Award at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in August 2015 and opened to critical acclaim. Other recent films include the timely thriller The East, opposite Brit Marling and Alexander Skarsgård, the comedy Friends with Benefits, in which she co-stars with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis and the Lone Scherfig directed drama, One Day with Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. In 2010, she was seen in the box office hit Easy A.
Clarkson and the cast of Good Night, and Good Luck. with George Clooney and David Straithairn, received both Screen Actors Guild and Gotham Award nominations for Best Ensemble. Far From Heaven won her a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Supporting Actress, All The Real Girls won her a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival, and The Safety of Objects earned her an Acting Prize at the Deauville Film Festival. The Green Mile earned Clarkson and cast (including Tom Hanks and James Cromwell) a Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Award nomination, and High Art earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Supporting Actress.
Other film credits include: Martin Scorsese’s thriller Shutter Island, Woody Allen’s Whatever Works and Vicky Christina Barcelona, Blind Date with Stanley Tucci, Elegy, No Reservations, All The King’s Men, Lars and the Real Girl, Simply Irresistible, The Pledge, Jumanji,Rocket Gibraltar and The Untouchables.
In 2011, Clarkson was seen in Lifetime’s Five, an anthology of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives directed by Jennifer Aniston, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Patty Jenkins and Penelope Spheeris. She previously guest starred in the critically acclaimed HBO series Six Feet Under, for which she won an Emmy in 2002 and again in 2006.
In December 2014, Clarkson returned to Broadway, after a 25-year hiatus from the stage, to star in The Elephant Man, opposite Bradley Cooper and Alessandro Nivola. Following its successful run on Broadway, the cast reprised their roles on the West End at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London the following year. That year, Clarkson was nominated for an Outer Critics Circle award for “Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play” and a Tony Award nomination for her role in The Elephant Man.
Alex Lawther’s theatre credits include: Hamlet (Park Avenue Armoury, NYC); The Winter’s Tale (La Criée, Marseille), The Tempest (Les Bouffes du Nord, Paris); The Jungle (St Ann’s Warehouse, New York; Playhouse Theatre, West End; Young Vic); Crushed Shells and Mud (Southwark Playhouse); The Glass Supper (Hampstead Theatre); Fault Lines (Hampstead Theatre); South Downs (Harold Pinter Theatre, West End and Chichester Festival Theatre).
Television includes: Star Wars: Andor (Disney+); The End of the F***ing World/ 2 (Channel 4/ Netflix); Howards End (BBC); Black Mirror (Netflix)
Film includes: Earwig (RookFilm); The Last Duel (Scott Free Productions); The French Dispatch (Fox Searchlight); Les Traducteurs (Trésor Films); Ghost Stories (Warp Films); Goodbye Christopher Robin (Fox Searchlight); Old Boys (Film4); Freak Show (Maven Pictures); Departure (Motion Group Pictures); The Imitation Game (Black Bear Pictures); X plus Y (Origin Pictures).
Alex also writes and directs. His debut short film For people in trouble, produced by Matt Damon & Ben Affleck will premiere at Tribeca this year.
Daryl McCormack is well known for his lead role in British comedy-drama Good luck to you, Leo Grande (2022) opposite Emma Thompson and directed by Sophie Hyde. The film premiered at Sundance Film Festival 2022, and released later the same year, to critical acclaim, earning Daryl two BAFTA nominations, for EE BAFTA Rising Star and Best Lead Actor for his role as ‘Leo’, as well as Daryl and Emma a joint BIFA nomination for Best Joint Lead Performances, amongst other film and crew nominations.
Daryl studied Theatre and Performance at DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama and has been named by Screen International as one of their 2021 ‘Stars of Tomorrow’, and The Hollywood Reporter ‘Next Gen’ talent and AP Breakthrough Entertainer’s lists for 2022.
Up next for Daryl is the thriller feature The Lesson, alongside Richard E Grant and Julie Delpy for Bleecker Street.
Daryl recently wrapped filming a co-lead role in gothic thriller The Woman in the Wall, for the BBC in the UK and Showtime in the US, opposite Ruth Wilson.
In August 2022, Daryl featured as Matt Claffin in Sharon Horgan’s dark comedy series, Bad Sisters, which follows a group of five sisters (the Garvey’s) after their parent’s premature death, via Apple TV+.
Daryl joined the season 5 cast of Peaky Blinders (2019) as a preacher’s son, taking over the role of ‘Isaiah Jesus’ from Jordan Bolger, and returned for the 6th iteration of the BBC in February 2022.
In 2020, Daryl starred in Barnaby Thompson’s Pixie as ‘Harland McKenna’.
Louisa Harland is best known for playing Orla McCool in the hit Channel 4 series Derry Girls.
Before commencing her training at Mountview, Louisa appeared as a series regular in Love/Hate for RTE alongside Aidan Gillen and Robert Sheehan. Further screen credits include Channel 5’s The Deceived, Discovery’s mini-series Harley and the Davidsons, Woody Harrelson’s feature film Lost in London and Amy Huberman’s RTE comedy Finding Joy.
On stage Louisa starred in the one woman show Cotton Fingers with National Theatre Wales and performed in a sell-out run at the Royal Court of Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp; a collection of new plays by Caryl Churchill.
Louisa played a leading role in the comedy/horror feature film Boys from County Hell and in 2022, the third and final season of Derry Girls aired, to wide-spread critical acclaim.
Louisa will be playing the title role in Sally Wainwright’s highly-anticipated new Disney+ series, The Ballad of Renegade Nell. She is currently starring as Agnes in Dancing in Lughnasa at The National Theatre.
Jeremy Herrin trained as a theatre director at both the National Theatre and the Royal Court, where he became Deputy Artistic Director in 2008. Between 2000 and 2008 he was an Associate Director at Live Theatre in Newcastle upon Tyne. Jeremy replaced Rupert Goold as Artistic Director of Headlong Theatre in September 2013. In 2007, he directed the UK premiere of David Hare’s play, The Vertical Hour, as well as Polly Stenham’s award-winning That Face at the Royal Court. That Face later transferred to London’s West End, where it starred Lindsay Duncan and Matt Smith and was produced by Sonia Friedman. Two years later, in 2009, Jeremy directed Polly’s second play, Tusk Tusk for which he was nominated for an Evening Standard Best Director Award. Other work at the Royal Court includes EV Crowe’s Hero, Richard Bean’s The Heretic, Kin, Spur of the Moment, Off The Endz and The Priory, which won an Olivier Award for best Comedy.
In 2012 Jeremy directed the Olivier-nominated This House, written by James Graham, at the National Theatre. The production was revived at the Garrick Theatre at the end of 2016 and toured the UK in 2018.
In 2014 Jeremy directed the critically acclaimed adaptations of Hilary Mantel’s novels Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies for the RSC and was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Director. The productions transferred to the West End at the end of 2014 and opened on Broadway in April 2015. He also directed the Broadway production of Noises Off which opened in January 2016. His production of People, Places and Things at the National Theatre transferred to the Wyndhams Theatre in March 2016 and then to St Ann’s Warehouse in October 2017. Jeremy directed James Graham’s Oliver Award Winning Labour of Love which opened in November 2017 and his production of David Hare’s The Moderate Soprano transferred from Hampstead Theatre to the West End in April 2018.
Most recently Jeremy directed Noises Off at The Garrick Theatre, The Visit at The National Theatre and After Life at The National Theatre and The Mirror and The Light at the Gielgud, West End, and The Glass Menagerie at the Duke of York’s Theatre. For TV Jeremy directed Talking Heads and Unprecedented for the BBC.
Jeremy has most recently directed the West End production of Best of Enemies starring Zachary Quinto and David Harewood at the Noël Coward Theatre.
Lizzie Clachan designs for theatre and opera in the UK and Internationally and was nominated as Designer of the Year at the International Opera Awards 2020 and 2022. She also co-founded the performance company Shunt.
Theatre includes: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Malmo Stadsteater); Fever Syndrome (Hampstead Theatre); Blindness (Donmar Warehouse/ International & UK tour); A Number, White Noise (Bridge Theatre); Far Away and The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Donmar Warehouse); The Son (Kiln/ West End); The Nico Project (MIF/ Melbourne Festival); Rutherford and Son, Absolute Hell, As You Like It, Treasure Island, Edward II (National Theatre); Cyprus Avenue (Public Theater, New York /Abbey Theatre, Dublin / MAC Belfast), Adler & Gibb (Royal Court); DreiSchwestern (Stadttheater Basel, Berlin); Ibsen Huis for (Toneelgroep/ Avignon Festival); Yerma (Young Vic/ The Armoury, NYC/ Schaubuhne, Berlin); The Life of Galileo, Macbeth, A Season in the Congo (Young Vic); Carmen Disruption (Almeida).
Opera includes: Lucia Di Lammermoor (The Metropolitan Opera/ LA Opera); The Blue Woman,Seven Deadly Sins/Mahogany Songspiel (Royal Opera House); TheMask of Orpheus, Orphée, Orpheus in the Underworld and Orpheus and Euridice (ENO); Jenufa (Dutch National Opera); La Traviata (Theater Basel/ENO); Pelléas et Mélisande (Festival d’Aix/ Warsaw/ Tokyo); Le Vin Herbé (Staatsoper Berlin).
“The evening triumphs through technical slickness, loving attention to detail, a high gag-rate and character-count and a trenchant storyline…a barrel-load of offence-giving fun and a salty dash of rebellion.” ★★★★★
Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph
“A healthy disrespect for the Establishment… technically ingenious production… the smarts to crowbar in updated topical refernces” ★★★★
Mark Wareham, Mail on Sunday
As Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musicalwritten by a tour de force comedy team made up of Al Murray (The Pub Landlord) Matt Forde(The Political Party) and double Olivier award winner Sean Foley(The Upstart Crow, The Play What I Wrote) heads towards its West End Premiere at the Phoenix Theatre the full cast of voice-over artists and puppeteers and is released today (Wednesday 10 May 2023).
As well as co-writing the piece Al Murray and Matt Forde are part of the stellar line-up of voice-over artists. They are joined by: Oliver Chris (Green Wing, The IT Crowd, and Prince William in Charles III on Broadway and on film) Kathryn Drysdale (Bridgerton, TheWindsors, Christmas on Mistletoe Farm, The Bubble, The Queen and I and Plebs), Jason Forbes (The Tracy Ullman Show, The Mash Report and Horrible Histories: The Movie and Borg Mcenroe), Luke Kempner (Spitting Image, Steph’s Packed Lunch, The Last Leg, Stand-up Sketch Show and The Imitation Game), Lorna Laidlaw (Doctors, Coronation Street, Getting ItStraight and A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Jackie Lam (Strangers, All that Remains and Emma) Shri Patel (Rishi Sunak in This England, Emmerdale and Pennyworth), Jess Robinson (Spitting Image, The Last Leg, Stars in Their Ears, and The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and Britain’s Got Talent), Debra Stephenson (The Impressions Show, Dead Ringers, Rich Hall’s Election Breakdown, Newzoids, Coronation Street and Bad Girls)and Ronan Summers (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom and Krays: Code of Silence, Doctor Who and Episodes).
The talented ensemble who are be bringing the puppets to life on stage are: Antony Antunes, Rianna Ash, Katie Bradley, Emily Essery, Kaidan Dawkins, Bertie Harris, Pena Iiambo, Jackie Lam, Bright Ong, Will Palmer, Helen Parke, Rayo Patel, Tom Quinn, Richard Vorster and Faye Weerasinghe.
The critically acclaimed show, which was developed at Birmingham Rep, is directed by the Rep’s Artistic Director Sean Foley alongside a creative team spearheaded by the original Spitting Image co-creator, Roger Law.
Director and co-writer Sean Foley said’ ‘I am thrilled that my first ever new production for The Rep as Artistic Director is transferring to the West End. Spitting Image The Musical has been an amazing journey so far… From throwing away 3 entire scripts, to the constant re-writes and creating the new puppets and characters which reflect the crazy world of UK culture and politics, we have been delighted that our audiences so far have laughed as hard and as long as they have. Now, with our amazing cast of puppeteers and voice artists, (not to mention the incredible design, dancing, musical numbers, video, sound, and of course the amazing puppets themselves created by a team advised by our Spirit Guide, original co-creator of Spitting Image, Roger Law), we have been updating and reflecting on the most recent events possible… and can exclusively reveal what ‘really’ happened behind the scenes in the week leading up to the King’s Coronation.’
Introduced by Master of Ceremonies Sir Ian McKellen,the musical features a stellar line-up of over 100 puppets of the great and the not so good. Tom Cruise is tasked by His Majesty The King to create the UK’s very own ‘Magnificent Seven’ of celebrity misfits – Tom Cruise, Greta Thunberg, Meghan Markle, Tyson Fury, RuPaul, Angela Rayner and Idris Elba – to save the nation from a cabal of dark forces seeking to destroy it – that’s all the usual suspects. And James Corden. They are joined by: Ant & Dec, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Keir Starmer, Stormzy, Vladimir Putin, The Tory Party Cabinet and many many many many many more.
The full creative team is: Writers Al Murray, Matt Forde and Sean Foley, director Sean Foley, Caricaturist Supremo Roger Law, Production Designer, Alice Power, Video Designer Nina Dunn for Pixel Lux, Lighting Designer Tim Mitchell, Sound Designer Richard Brooker, Puppet Master Scott Brooker,Costume Designer Lotte Collett, Choreographer Lizzi Gee, Composer and Musical Director Alexander S. Bermange, Music Supervisor Jerome van den Berghe, Creators of Spitting ImagePeter Fluck and Roger Law, General Manager Emma Brunjes for ebp, and Producers Richard Allen-Turner and Jon Thoday for Avalon.
The BAFTA and Emmy award-winning satirical Spitting Image television series originally ran for 18 series between 1984 and 1996, and was watched by over 15 million viewers. It recently made a popular return to TV on BritBox, where across official social media channels, Spitting Image content has been hugely popular with over 200 million views globally, three number 1 trending videos on YouTube and achieved critical praise across the political divide. Three one-off specials for ITV have also seen huge success on terrestrial television: with a 4.4 million audience achieving ITV’s highest Saturday night ratings at that time in four years.
Idiots Assemble: Spitting Image The Musical is presented by Avalon, and originally produced at Birmingham Rep where it had a hugely successful run.
