Stockton Globe Theatre, Stockton – until 29th April 2023
5*****
Recently, theatre was in the news due to audience etiquette and people singing along. Well, if you read any of those articles just know that they do not apply to The Rocky Horror Show, which wouldn’t be the same without the audience heckles and the singing along.
The opening number, Science Fiction/Double Feature is sung by Suzie McAdam, in her role as the Usherette, who had the audience cheering before she even started singing. McAdam also deserves a mention for how quickly she managed to get changed at the end of the show from the Usherette outfit back into the Magenta outfit. Jackie Clune is brilliant in her role as the narrator as she receives the most heckles from the audience but responds to them brilliantly, whether or not these replies are scripted remains unknown but the timings and the responses are spot on, Clune is possibly one of the best narrators I have seen, and at this point I am into double figures for the amount of times I have seen the show.
Sweet and innocent Brad and Janet are played by Ore Oduba and Haley Flaherty who have amazing on stage chemistry. The pair also take the heckles well, although at times you could tell Oduba was trying not to laugh, especially during the scene with the cocktail shaker. Joe Allen brings both Eddie and Dr. Scott to life but is better in the role as Eddie as it is much more lively. Ben Westhead is wonderful in his role of Rocky, parading around the stage in his little gold pants. Darcy Finden tap dances her way into the role of Columbia, although the role should be bigger as her talents are not used as well as they should be. Stars of the show though are Stephen Webb and Kristian Lavercombe who play Frank N. Furter and Riff Raff respectively. The pair have a brilliant connection and use each other to work out how to play the scene, and Lavercombe has racked up over 2000 performances as Riff Raff.
All in all a brilliant night out which would make Richard O’Brien proud and will make fans of the Rocky Horror Show keep coming back to do the Time Warp again and again.
With Noël Coward’s Private Lives currently running until 27 May, Donmar Warehouse Artistic Director Michael Longhurst and Executive Director Henny Finch today announce full casting for the world première of Jack Thorne’s play When Winston Went to War with the Wireless. Katy Rudd directs Kitty Archer, Ravin J Ganatra,Haydn Gwynne, Mariam Haque, Kevin McMonagle, Luke Newberry, Seb Philpott, Elliott Rennie, Laura Rogers, Shubham Saraf, alongside the previously announced Stephen Campbell Moore as John Reithand Adrian Scarborough as Winston Churchill.
The production opens on 13 June, with previews from 2 June, and runs until 29 July. The Donmar continues its 30th anniversary celebrations providing £10 tickets for audiences aged under 30 to mark the milestone, with generous support from Associate Sponsor Barclays.
The production is designed by Laura Hopkins, with sound design by Ben and Max Ringham,lighting design by Howard Hudson, movement direction by Scott Graham, music by Gary Yershon, video design and animation by Andrzej Goulding and casting by Anna Cooper CDG.
World Première
WHEN WINSTON WENT TO WAR WITH THE WIRELESS
by Jack Thorne
Director – Katy Rudd; Designer – Laura Hopkins, Sound Designers – Ben and Max Ringham, Lighting Designer – Howard Hudson, Movement Director – Scott Graham, Composer – Gary Yershon, Casting Director – Anna Cooper CDG, Video Designer and Animator – Andrzej Goulding, Foley Consultant – Tom Espiner, Voice Coach – Charlie Hughes-D’Aeth, Dialect Coach – Penny Dyer, Associate Sound Designer – Ellie Isherwood; Resident Assistant Director – Adam Karim; Assistant Set & Costume Designer – Jingyi; Assistant Sound Designer: Raffaela Pancucci.
2 June – 29 July 2023
A true story about truth
In May 1926 Britain grinds to a halt, as workers down tools for The General Strike.
With the printing presses shut down, the only sources of news are the government’s The British Gazette, edited by Chancellor of the Exchequer Winston Churchill, and the independent, fledgling British Broadcasting Company, led by John Reith. What follows is a fierce battle for control of the news and who gets to define the truth.
At a time when the BBC is faced once again with the challenges of impartiality, When Winston went to War with the Wireless is a gripping new play about the birth of a great British institution by multi award-winning stage and screen writer Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child stage play, His Dark Materials for BBC One), directed by Katy Rudd (Ocean at the End of the Lane, Eureka Day).
This production is generously supported by Charles Holloway, Season Supporter.
Additionally, we would like to thank our Production Supporters: Charles J Burdick, Mr Rajeev Philip and an anonymous supporter.
Jack Thorne’s credits as a playwright include The Motive and the Cue, After Life (National Theatre), A Christmas Carol, Woyzeck (Old Vic Theatre), Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (The Palace Theatre/Lyric Theatre Broadway), Sunday (Atlantic Theatre), The End of History, Hope (Royal Court), King Kong (Broadway Theatre), Mydidae (Soho Theatre), Stacy (Tron, Arcola Theatre, New Diorama Theatre), Let the Right One In (Apollo Theatre, Dundee Rep, Royal Court), Junkyard (UK tour), The Solid Life of Sugar Water (UK tour, National Theatre, Orange Tree Theatre), Bunny (Edinburgh Festival Fringe, UK tour, E9E59 Theatres) and Stuart: A Life Backwards (Sheffield Theatre/UK tour). His television credits include Help, Then Barbara Met Alan, Crip Tales, The Eddy, The Accident, His Dark Materials, Electric Dreams, Kiri, National Treasure, The Last Panthers, Don’t Take My Baby, This is England, The Fades, Glue, Cast-Offs and for film; The Swimmers, Enola Holmes, The Secret Garden, The Aeronauts, Dirt Music, Radioactive, Wonder, War Book, The Long Way Down and The Scouting Book for Boys. His work for television has won him 5 BAFTAs and an RTS Television Award. In 2022, he was the recipient of both the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain award for Outstanding Contribution to Writing, and the Royal Television Society’s award for Outstanding Contribution to British Television. Jack is a patron of Graeae Theatre Company, and associate artist of the Old Vic Theatre, and launched the pressure group Underlying Health Condition to champion disabled representation in the TV industry.
Kitty Archer plays Isabel Shields. Her theatre credits include Present Laughter (Old Vic), One For Sorrow (Royal Court Theatre), Tartuffe (National Theatre) and Othello (English Touring Theatre). For television, her credits include The Amazing Mr Blunden,The Pursuit of Love and Call the Midwife. Kitty trained at RADA.
Stephen Campbell Moore plays John Reith. He previously appeared in Berenice at the Donmar Warehouse. His other theatre credits include Consent (Harold Pinter Theatre); Photograph 51 (Michael Grandage Company/Noël Coward Theatre); Chimerica; Richard II; Coriolanus (Almeida); Clybourne Park (Royal Court/Wyndham’s); All My Sons (Apollo Theatre); The History Boys (National Theatre/Broadway); Much Ado About Nothing; Antony and Cleopatra (RSC); Death of a Salesman (Compass Theatre Company); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Albery); The Changeling (Salisbury Playhouse). TV includes: Criminal Record; The Confessions of Frannie Langton; Masters of the Air; The One; Responsible Child; The One; War of the Worlds; Traitors; Action Team; The Child in Time; The Last Post; Stag; The Wrong Mans; The Go Between; Our Zoo; Hunted; Just Henry; Titanic; Sleepyhead; Pulse; Ben Hur; Larkrise to Candleford; Ashes to Ashes; Rough Crossings; Hustle; Wallis and Edward; He Knew He Was Right; Byron. Films include: Our Man from Jersey; Downton Abbey; Red Joan; Goodbye Christopher Robin; How to Talk to Girls at Parties; The Lady in the Van; The Ones Below; Burnt; Moonwalkers; Man Up; Complicit; Johnny English Reborn; Season of the Witch; A Short Stay in Switzerland; Sea Wolf; The Children; The Bank Job; Amazing Grace; The History Boys; A Good Woman; Bright Young Things.
Ravin J Ganatra plays Archbishop of Canterbury / JCC Davidson. His theatre credits include The Father and the Assassin, Aurengzebe (National Theatre), Laila, The Deranged Marriage (Rifco Arts/Watford Palace), Bombay Dreams (Apollo Victoria Theatre), Behud (Soho Theatre), The Jigsaw Puzzle (Kali Theatre), Journey to the West (Parts 1-3) (Tara Theatre), and The Life of Galileo (Manchester Library Theatre). For television, his credits include This England, The Canterville Ghost, War of the Worlds, The Boy with the Topknot, In the Club, Torchwood, The Fugitivies, Dalziel and Pascoe; and for film, Unicorns, Goldfish, On the Line, A Girl Can Touch the Sky, Greed, The Infidel, Tom and Thomas, Entrapment and No Child of Mine.
Haydn Gwynne returns to the Donmar to play Stanley Baldwin. She previously appeared in The Way of the World and Company. Her other theatre credits include Anything Goes (Barbican Theatre), Copenhagen (Bath Theatre Royal), The Welkin, The Threepenny Opera (National Theatre), Hedda Tesman (Chichester Festival Theatre), A Little Night Music (Huntington Theatre Boston), Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse Theatre), The Audience (Gielgud Theatre), Duet for One (UK Tour), Richard III (The Old Vic, BAM New York), Becky Shaw (Almeida Theatre), The Merry Wives of Windsor, Coriolanus, Peer Gynt, Twelfth Night, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (RSC), Billy Elliot the Musical (Victoria Palace Theatre, West End – Olivier Award nomination), The Memory of Water (Hampstead Theatre), (RSC Stratford), City of Angels (Princes Wales Theatre – Olivier Award Nomination), The Recruiting Officer, The Cabinet Minister (Manchester Royal Exchange), Macbeth (Ludlow Festival), The Way of the World (Theatre Royal Bath), Hedda Gabler (Bolton Octagon Theatre), Zeigfield (London Palladium) and His Monkey Wife (Stephen Joseph Theatre). Her television credits include The Crown, The Midnight Gang, The Windsors, Father Brown, Ripper Street, The C Word, Law and Order, Death in Paradise, Uncle, Silent Witness, Sherlock, New Tricks, Poirot, The Third Girl, Lewis, Consenting Adults, Absolute Power, Dalziel and Pascoe, Rome, Midsomer Murders, The Secret, Mersey Beat, Peak Practice, Verdict, Hospital, Rory Bremner, A Brand from the Burning, The Merchant of Venice and Drop the Dead Donkey; and for film, Beauty and the Beast, Hunky Dory, These Foolish Things, Remember Me and The Pleasure Principle.
Mariam Haque plays Muriel Reith. Her theatre credits includeFolk (Hampstead Theatre), Living Newspaper Edition 2, Primetime (Royal Court Theatre), All of Us, Dara, Behind the Beautiful Forevers (National Theatre), When the Crows Visit (Kiln Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth (RSC), Home Truths (Cardboard Citizens, Bunker Theatre), Diana of Dobsons (New Vic), Almost Near, Hurried Steps (Finborough Theatre), Twelve (Kali Theatre, The Knight and the Crescent Hare (Ankur Productions), Roundabout/Bush Bazaar (Bush Theatre, Theatre Delicatessen), Leon and the Place Between (Building Site Theatre Company, The Unicorn), Crossed Keys (Eastern Angles), Invasion! (Tooting Arts Club), The House of Bilquis Bibi (Hampstead Theatre, Tamasha), Monster Under the Bed (Polka Theatre), Hearts and Minds (Khayaal Theatre) and Au Revoir Les Enfants (Tour de Force, European Theatre). For television her credits include Henpocolaypse, Live at the Moth Club, Plebs: The Finale, Ladhood, Worzel Gummidge, This is Going to Hurt, Pls Like, Finding Alice, Trying, Homeland, Flowers, Black Mirror: Shut Up and Dance, Nemesis and Hunted; and for film, What’s Love Got to do with it?, Benjamin, Undercliff, Smear, The Long Weekend, Reparations for the Soul and Lost Paradise.
Kevin McMonagle plays Ernest Bevin. He previously appeared in The Family Reunion at the Donmar. His other theatre credits includeBest of Enemies (Noel Coward, Young Vic, Headlong); I Joan, Henry VIII (Shakespeare’s Globe); Afterlife (National, Headlong); Witness for the Prosecution (County Hall); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Bridge Theatre); Mother Courage and Her Children (Royal Exchange, Headlong); The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (Park Theatre); Junkyard (Headlong, Bristol); People, Places and Things (Wyndham’s, St Ann’s NY, National Theatre, Headlong); The Divided Laing (Arcola); No Nothing (Lemon Tree); The Tempest (Coronet); A Doll House (National Theatre of Scotland); Twelfth Night, The Tempest, The Comedy of Errors, Richard III (RSC); Kin, Ladybird, Thyestes, Ambulance (Royal Court); Pieces of Vincent (Arcola); Ghosts, Educating Agnes, Therese Raquin, Waiting for Godot (Glasgow Citizens); Fall, Further than the Furthest Thing (Traverse, National); The Unconquered, Anna Karenina, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, The Girls of Slender Means (Stellar Quines); The Escapologist (Suspect Culture); Russian National Mail (Sputnik); Hamlet, Broken Glass (Leeds Playhouse).Television includes:New Tricks; Rebus; Krakatoa – The Last Days; Monarch of the Glen; Quite Ugly One Morning; Rose and Maloney; Blue Murder; Bramwell. Film includes: Highs; Dracula; Cla’am and Greenfingers.
Luke Newberry returns to the Donmar to play Charlie Bowser. He previously appeared in Teddy Ferrara. His other theatre credits include Living Newspaper Edition 7: The Last Word (Royal Court Theatre), The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth (RSC/Barbican), iHo (Hampstead Theatre), A Little Hotel on the Side (Theatre Royal Bath), Antigone (National Theatre), The Aliens (Trafalgar Studios) and The Secret Garden (RSC). His television credits include Gentlemen Jack, The Singapore Grip, To Walk Invisible, Death in Paradise: Man Overboard, From Darkness, Banana, Lightfields, Mrs Biggs and Sherlock; and for film, Dusty and Me, The Legend of Hercules, Frankenstein’s Army, Quartet, Anna Karenina, 8 Minutes Idle, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and The Heart of Me.
Seb Philpott plays Speaker of the House/Musician. His theatre credits include Aladdin (Prince Edward Theatre), Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre), Evita, On The Town (Regent’s Park Theatre), Les Misérables (Sondheim Theatre), Matilda (Cambridge Theatre), Motown (Shaftesbury Theatre), Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Follies, Saint George and the Dragon (National Theatre), Funny Girl (Savoy Theatre), Assassins (Menier Chocolate Factory), Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), The Secret Life of Bees (Almeida Theatre), Crazy For You (Chichester Festival Theatre), My Neighbour Totoro (Barbican) and Elf (Dominion Theatre).
Elliott Rennie plays Arthur Pugh/Musician. His theatre credits include Hopeless Romantics (Courtyard Theatre), Icarus (VAULT and Nottingham Playhouse), The Man in the White Suit (Theatre Royal Bath and Wyndham’s Theatre), The Jungle Book (Derby Theatre), Alice in Wonderland, A Christmas Carol, Pinocchio (Stephen Joseph Theatre), No Place for a Woman (Theatre503), The Trench (UK tour), Shakespeare in Love (Noël Coward Theatre), 101 Dalmatians (New Vic Theatre), Jekyll and Hyde (Southwark Playhouse), Matchgirls (Wilton’s Music Hall), Faust (Greenwich Theatre), Sweet Charity (MAC, Belfast) and The BFG (Derby Theatre).
Laura Rogers plays Clemmie Churchill/Amelia Johnson. Her theatre credits include Pressure (Royal Alexandra Theatre, Canada/Park Theatre/Ambassadors Theatre), Murder on the Orient Express (Chichester Festival Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal) The Ocean at the End of the Lane (National Theatre, Duke of York’s Theatre), The Memory of Water, Revelations (Hampstead Theatre), Platonov (The Faraway Plays), Our Town (Regent’s Park Theatre), Suzy Storck (National Theatre of Brittany, Paris), Rules for Living (UK tour), A Lie of the Mind (Southwark Playhouse), Winter Solstice (Orange Tree Theatre), A Lovely Sunday for Creve Coeur (The Print Room), Private Lives (UK tour), Tipping the Velvet (Lyric Hammersmith/Lyceum), An Ideal Husband, Blue Remembered Hills, Hay Fever (Chichester Festival Theatre), Masterpieces (Royal Court Theatre), Wolf Hall/ Bring up the Bodies (RSC), Three Sisters (The Wapping Project), 55 Days (Hampstead Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe, Santa Barbara/Santa Monica), 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre), The Dark Philosophers (National Theatre of Wales), Macbeth, A New World, A Life of Thomas Paine, As You Like it, Timon of Athens, The Taming of the Shrew, Richard III (Shakespeare’s Globe), Gloucestershire (Arcola Theatre), See How They Run (Manchester Royal Exchange), Bad Girls the Musical (Garrick Theatre and West Yorkshire Playhouse), The Three Musketeers, The Barber of Seville (Bristol Old Vic), Celestina (Birmingham Rep, Edinburgh Festival and The Hague), Jamaica Inn (Salisbury Playhouse), Hay Fever (Oxford Stage Company) and Blackwater Angel (Abbey Theatre). Her television credits include Grantchester, New Tricks, The Smoke, Law and Order, Dates, Dark Matters, Twelfth Night, Midsomer Murders, Albert’s Memorial, Missing, Elvia Mania, Bad Girls, Rockface, Relic Hunter, The Sins, Tales of Pleasure Beach and Running Scared; and for film, Love Me Do.
Shubham Saraf plays Peter Eckersley. His theatre includes The Father and the Assassin (National Theatre), Three Sisters (Almeida Theatre), An Adventure (Bush Theatre), Hamlet/As You Like It, Lions and Tigers (Shakespeare’s Globe), and (I Feel Fine) (Fat Git Theatre). For television his credits include Shantaram, Criminal, A Suitable Boy, Bodyguard, Boomers and Fresh Meat; and for film, I’ll Play Mother, Romeo and Juliet, 6 Underground, Overlord, The Cut, Honour and Suspension of Disbelief.
Adrian Scarborough plays Winston Churchill. He previously appeared in Accidental Death of an Anarchist and To The Green Fields Beyond at the Donmar Warehouse. Other theatre credits include Leopoldstadt, Don Juan in Soho (Wyndham’s Theatre), The Madness of George III, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, The Clothes They Stood Up In (Nottingham Playhouse), Exit the King, King Lear, After the Dance, The Habit of Art, Time and the Conways, Once In A Lifetime, Henry IV Part 1 and 2, The Mandate, The False Servant, The Day I Stood Still, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead, Racing Demon, Murmuring Judges, The Absence of War, The Miser, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, The Wind in the Willows, The Recruiting Officer, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre), Hedda Gabler (The Old Vic), Betty Blue Eyes (Novello Theatre), Humble Boy (Gielgud Theatre), Platonov, The Tempest (Almeida Theatre), What the Butler Saw (Sheffield Theatres), Comedians, Hamlet (Belgrade Theatre), The Comedy of Errors, Little Murders (Royal Exchange Theatre), and Dona Rosita, The Master Builder, Master Harold and The Boys and Oliver Twist (Bristol Old Vic). His television credits include The Chelsea Detective, Bloods, Sanditon, The Bremmer Files, The Windsors, The Accident, Killing Eve, A Very English Scandal, Urban Myths: The Mysterious Case of Agatha Christie, Little Women, Maigret, Professor Branestawn, Crashing, Midsomer Murders, Blunt Talk, Up the Women, Father Brown, Plebs, Edge of Heaven, Death in Paradise, The Paradise, Our Story, Restless, Doctor Who, Mrs Biggs, Watson and Oliver, Miranda, Upstairs/Downstairs, Gavin & Stacey, Cranford, Psychoville, Minder, Kingdown, Ten Days to War, Poppy Shakespeare, The Cranford Chronicles, The Commander: The Fraudster, Maxwell, New Tricks, The History of Mr Polly, The Trial of Tony Blair, Saxondale, Promoted to Glory, T.L.C, Let Them Eat Cake, The Passion, The Governor and Fist of the Dragonfly;and for film, 1917, Artemis Fowl, Lyrebird, Christopher Robin, Patrick, On Chesil Beach, A Little Chaos, Delicious, Les Miserables, The King’s Speech, Golden Age, The Tenth Man, Notes on a Scandal, The History Boys, Vera Drake, Bright Young Things, To Kill a King, Dirty Pretty Things, Gosford Park, Love is the Devil, In the Bleak Midwinter and The Madness of King George.
Katy Rudd’s credits as a director include Eureka Day, Camp Siegfried (The Old Vic), The Ocean at the End of the Lane (National Theatre/Duke of York’s Theatre), The Almighty Sometimes – Winner of The Stage Debut Award for Best Director (Royal Exchange Theatre), and her credits as an Associate Director include Lungs, The Master Builder (The Old Vic), Groundhog Day (The Old Vic/August Wilson Theater), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time (National Theatre/Piccadilly Theatre/UK tour), Husbands and Sons, Pinocchio (National Theatre), Linda (Royal Court), and as an Assistant Director; Mojo (Harold Pinter Theatre), The Playboy of the Western World (Old Vic Theatre) and Into the Woods (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre).
Preview discounts apply to the first four performances only
BARCLAYS UNDER 30s £10 TICKETS
To celebrate our 30th birthday and thanks to generous support from our Associate Sponsor Barclays a limited number of £10 tickets are available for under 30s for every performance.
New tickets on sale every day at the Donmar. Allocations of tickets will be made available every day for performances 7 days later. Tickets will be available across the auditorium at every price band.
ACCESS
The Donmar Warehouse is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium. There is a Loop system and a Radio Frequency system fitted in the main auditorium and there are also hearing loops at all the front of house counters.
ASSISTED PERFORMANCES
If you require a companion to attend the Donmar, their ticket will be free. To book call 020 3282 3808 or email access@donmarwarehouse.com.
For all other access enquiries or bookings call 020 3282 3808.
CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES – 7.30pm (captioned by Stagetext)
When Winston Went to War with the Wireless: Monday 17 July
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE – 2.30pm (audio-described by VocalEyes)
When Winston Went to War with the Wireless: Saturday 8 July, touch tour at 1pm
BRITISH SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED PERFORMANCES – 7.30pm
When Winston Went to War with the Wireless: Friday 22 July
DICKIE BEAU’S RE-MEMBER ME COMES TO HAMPSTEAD THEATRE
Actor and artist Dickie Beau brings his remarkable show Re-Member Me to Hampstead Theatre for a strictly limited run from 25 May to 17 June.
When lip-synching sensation Dickie Beau realised he might never get to play The Dane, he decided instead to build a human Hamlet mix-tape, taking recordings of great Hamlets from the past to channel into an epic one-man lip-sync show.
Along the way he found one especially masterful rendition. This ghost from Hamlet’s past left an indelible mark on all who saw it, however, this Hamlet can never be “re-membered” because no recording exists.
Join Dickie Beau as he brings this Hamlet back to life, through exclusive recordings of interviews with Ian McKellen, Richard Eyre and more. Re-Member Me is part documentary theatre, part 21st century séance, and a unique theatrical eulogy to the greatest Hamlet almost never seen.
Dickie Beau’s work is considered unlike that of any other practitioner, with The Guardian calling him “theatre’s master of lip-sync”, The Times proclaiming him “peerless”, and What’s On Stage declaring him “one of our great living artists”. He dazzled audiences with a new stage-show iShowmanism! at the Ustinov Studio, Bath last year and played the title role in Botticelli in the Fire at Hampstead Theatre in 2019. His other wide-ranging credits include Kenny Everett in Bohemian Rhapsody and The Dame in Dick Whittington at the National Theatre.
First presented as a scratch performance at the Almeida Theatre on the set of Robert Icke’s production of Hamlet in 2017, Re-Member Me transferred to the Public Theater, New York and went on to play at the Melbourne International Arts Festival and Perth International Festival. It was subsequently nominated for a Helpmann Award in Australia.
Re-Member Me is directed and co-devised by Jan-willem van den Bosch with lighting design by Marty Langthorne.
Re-Member Me is at Hampstead Theatre from 25 May to 17 June. Tickets are on sale from today, Monday 24 April, for priority bookers and on general sale from Thursday 27 April athampsteadtheatre.com.
SPECIFICALLY FOR UNDERREPRESENTED GROUPS AND THOSE AGED 25 AND UNDER
TO SEE THE SHOW FREE OF CHARGE
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM 5PM
ON TUESDAY 25 APRIL
FOR PEOPLE AGED 25 OR UNDER
AND NEW PRODUCTION IMAGES ARE RELEASED FOR THE AWARD-WINNING PRODUCTION
ATG Creative Learning and Community Partnerships will target schools, youth organisations, youth services, alternative education provisions and community organisations to access A Streetcar Named Desire for free/free at point of access. In the past 12 months, the UK wide Creative Learning programme has engaged 101,296 participants across 1446 creative learning events and experiences and offered 8727 tickets across this period.
Almeida For Free is a programme that the Almeida Theatre runs for people aged 25 and under, giving young people the chance to see productions for free. There will be 500 free of charge tickets available through this scheme for people aged 25 or under, and they will be able to book these on a first-come, first-served basis from 5pm on Tuesday 25 April for the performance at 2pm on Tuesday 02 May.
A further 500 free of charge tickets are being placed within specific community and outreach groups of all ages by ATG’s Creative Learning department and the Almeida’s Participation team.
Rebecca Frecknall, Director of A Streetcar Named Desire, and Associate Director at the Almeida Theatre said “I am delighted that ATG and the Almeida Theatre can offer this extra performance of Streetcar to ensure that audiences and groups that can’t normally access West End theatre will be able to see the production. I am really proud that we can offer this extra performance and want to thank the company for agreeing to do this extra show”.
A Streetcar Named Desire just won the Best Revival award at the 2023 Olivier Awards, alongside Paul Mescal winning a Best Actor award, Anjana Vasan winning for Best Supporting Actress in a Play, whilst Patsy Ferran took the award for Best Actress at the Critic’s Circle Awards.
Other ticket schemes to see A Streetcar Named Desire continue as detailed below, before the production finishes on 06 May.
ENTER THE ONLINE LOTTERY A limited number of £25 tickets are reserved for lottery winners at each performance. The lottery will be drawn every Wednesday for all of the performances in the following week. Winners will be sent a unique link and have 24 hours to pay for their tickets. To maximise your chances, you will be automatically entered into the draw every week once you sign up but can unsubscribe at any time. To enter the lottery sign up HERE.
DAY SEATS Day seats are located in the front rows of the stalls and cost just £10 each. Day Seats are sold in person from the box office at 5pm (evenings) or 12pm (matinees). The opportunity to buy these seats is allocated via a game of chance that takes place in-person outside the Phoenix Theatre. There are 10 Day Seats in total and 5 winners will have the opportunity to buy a pair. For safety and security, the ticket draw is limited to no more than 30 people.
The full cast for Streetcar is Eduardo Ackerman (Pablo), Alexander Eliot (Steve),
Patsy Ferran (Blanche), Gabriela García (Mexican Woman),Cash Holland (Eunice)
Paul Mescal (Stanley), Tom Penn (Doctor/Drummer), Jabez Sykes (Young Collector), Anjana Vasan (Stella)Dwane Walcott (Mitch)alongside understudies Rob Dempsey, Francesca Knight, Zach Parkin and Constanza Ruff.
A Streetcar Named Desire runs at The Phoenix Theatre from 20 March to 06 May 2023.
★★★★★
The Times, The Sunday Times, The Observer, The i
“How pretty the sky is! I ought to go there on a rocket that never comes down.”
On a street in New Orleans, in the blistering summer heat, a sister spirals.
When Blanche unexpectedly visits her estranged sister Stella, she brings with her a past that will threaten their future. As Stella’s husband Stanley stalks closer to the truth, Blanche’s fragile world begins to fracture. Reality and illusion collide and a violent conflict changes their lives forever.
Almeida Associate Director Rebecca Frecknall’s “heart-stopping” (The Telegraph)revival of Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece runs in the West End until 06 May 2023.
Paul Mescal (“tremendous” The Times)stars as Stanley alongside Patsy Ferran (“astonishingly good” Time Out) as Blanche DuBois and Anjana Vasan (“outstanding” New York Times) as Stella in this “mesmerising” (The i) production.
A Streetcar Named Desire is presented by special arrangement with The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee.
A Streetcar Named Desire’s creative team is as follows: Director: Rebecca Frecknall; Set Designer: Madeleine Girling; Costume Designer: Merle Hensel; Lighting Designer: Lee Curran; Sound Designer: Peter Rice: Composer: Angus MacRae and Casting Director: Julia Horan CDG.
A Streetcar Named Desire is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions the Almeida Theatre, Gavin Kalin productions, Wessex Grove, GGRS and Los Angeles Media Fund.
LISTINGS
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
DIRECTED BY REBECCA FRECKNALL
RUNNING AT THE PHOENIX THEATRE
20 MARCH – 06 MAY 2023
EXTRA ‘FREE OF CHARGE’ PERFORMANCE – TUESDAY 02 MAY AT 2PM
There will be 500 free of charge tickets available through this scheme for people aged 25 or under, and they will be able to book these on a first-come, first-served basis from 5pm on Tuesday 25 May for the performance at 2pm on Tuesday 02 May.
To access tickets for this please go to streetcarwestend.com/u25.
A further 500 free of charge tickets are being placed within specific community and outreach groups of all ages by ATG’s Creative Learning department and the Almeida’s participation team.
Performance schedule: Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, matinees on Thursday and Saturdays at 2.30pm (N.B no matinee on 23 March)
Ticket Prices: From£15
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 45 minutes including a 20-minute interval
Age Recommendation: Recommended for ages 14+. This production contains xenophobic language, domestic violence, alcoholism, mental health difficulties including anxiety and depression as well as references to suicide and sexual assault. It also includes sudden loud noises, haze and the smoking of herbal cigarettes.
David Morrissey leads the cast in this compelling double bill of two works from one of the most influential British dramatists of the last century, Harold Pinter.
These two plays showcase Pinter’s unique and darkly comic perception of love, marriage and relationships. The Lover is a quirky, tense and intriguing glimpse at the private intricacies of modern marriage; The Collection, a comic play of suspense and sexual jealousy between two couples, sparked by an anonymous phonecall in the dead of night…
Described by the British Film Institute as “one of the most versatile English actors of his generation”, David Morrisey’s 40-year screen and stage career has established his position as one of the leading figures of British acting thanks to roles on both sides of the Atlantic, including the original UK series of State of Play, The Walking Dead, Doctor Who and his current role as the star of the Sky/Amazon Prime series, Britannia. His film credits include roles in major movies such as Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Robin Hood and The Other Boleyn Girl. He has played some of the great theatre roles, including Macbeth, Julius Caesar, and Peer Gynt, and has also played with the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Director Lindsay Posner returns to the Ustinov Studio fresh from his widely acclaimed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? One of the UK’s most accomplished directors, his recent productions in Bath and for the West End include Noises Off, God of Carnage, Stone in his Pockets, She Stoops To Conquer and Hay Fever.
Further cast and further creative team will be announced in due course.
Listings
DAVID MORRISSEYin THE LOVER / THE COLLECTION by Harold Pinter Directed by Lindsay Posner
Ustinov Studio, Theatre Royal Bath
Thursday 14 March – Saturday 13 April 2024 Evenings 7.30pm Matinees Thursday & Saturdays 2.30pm (not 14 & 16 March)
Tuesday 16 – Saturday 20 May 2023 THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO
Nottingham Playhouse, in association with Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse and UK Productions Ltd, present the world premiere tour of Nesrin Alrefaai and Matthew Spangler’s stage adaptation of Christy Lefteri’s gripping bestselling novel, The Beekeeper of Aleppo.
Reuniting the team that produced the international stage sensation The Kite Runner, the production opens in Cambridge on Tuesday 16 May and runs until Saturday 20 May.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
‘Sparklingly assured… anchored in strong performances from a
uniformly excellent ensemble cast.’
The Telegraph
‘Open-hearted…’ and ‘beautifully acted…’
The Times
Directed by Olivier Award winning Miranda Cromwell (Death of a Salesman – Young Vic, Piccadilly Theatre and Broadway), the production will feature Alfred Clay (The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors – RSC) as Nuri, Roxy Faridany (This Is Going To Hurt – BBC, Magic Goes Wrong – West End) as Afra, Joseph Long (Spiderman Far From Home – Marvel Studios, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – tour & West End) as Mustafa, Aram Mardourian (The Borrowers – Polka Theatre, The Night Of The Iguana – Ustinov Studio) as Nadim, Fotakis, Ali and other parts, Daphne Kouma (Dirty Dancing – Secret Cinema, Offside – Pleasance Courtyard) as immigration officer, Dr Faruk, Dahab and other parts, Nadia Williams (The Darkest Part of The Night – Kiln Theatre, The Meaning of Zong – Bristol Old Vic) as Angeliki, Lucy Fisher and other parts, Elham Mahyoub (The Visit – National Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Lazarus Theatre) as Mohammed and Sami and Fanos Xenofós (Margot, The Most Famous Ballerina In The World – King’s Head Theate, Don Quixote of Algiers – White Bear Theatre) – and Lily Demir (The Secret Love Life of Ophelia – Greenwich Theatre, Empty – Soho Theatre) – as swings.
The Beekeeper of Aleppo tells the story of Nuri, a beekeeper, and his wife Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. On their terrifying journey, they must face the pain of their own unbearable loss alongside incredible danger. Above all, they must journey to find each other again.
This compassionate and beautiful play is a story of connection – between friends, families and strangers.
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
‘Essential viewing… There is hope and beauty to be found in The Beekeeper of Aleppo’
Broadway World
Nottingham Playhouse Artistic Director, Adam Penford says ‘We’re delighted to be bringing this beautiful and humane story to the stage. Miranda Cromwell is one of the UK’s most exciting directors, and it’s an honour to welcome her to Nottingham, following her recent success with Death of a Salesman on Broadway. It’s also a pleasure to be reunited with our co-producers, UK Productions and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse, and writer Matthew Spangler, following the continuing global success of The Kite Runner. Nottingham Playhouse proudly holds Theatre of Sanctuary status and this production continues our commitment to supporting refugees and asylum seekers, by telling their stories onstage, and through offstage initiatives, such as the Conversation Cafe.’
Director of The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Miranda Cromwell says ‘I am so thrilled to be working on this beautiful adaptation of Christy Lefteri’s stunning book. An arresting, courageous exploration of one family’s struggle to deal with the aftermath of losing everything. Deeply moving and visually striking this layered story illuminates their nearly impossible journey to find a way to live again, a way back to each other. It holds a mirror to this moment in our history when so many people are being forced from their homes. It is a call to arms for compassion, understanding, connection and love.’
Christy Lefteri’s novel was the Winner of the Aspen Words Award, Runner up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and one of The Times top three bestselling books of 2020.
PAUL ZERDIN, NIGEL HAVERS, GARY WILMOT AND ROB MADGE
TO HEADLINE
Performances begin 9 December at The London Palladium
London, Monday 24 April: Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes today announced the return to the West End of The London Palladium Pantomime for an eighth year, with Jennifer Saunders and Julian Clary leading the cast in a brand new production of Peter Pan.
Saunders and Clary will be joined by returning Palladium panto favourites Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Gary Wilmot and Rob Madge, with performances beginning on Saturday 9 December at the world-famous London Palladium for a strictly limited five-week run.
Once again directed by Michael Harrison, Peter Pan will run from Saturday 9 December 2023 – Sunday 14 January 2024. Priority booking opens at 10am on Thursday 27 April 2023 (sign up at www.palladiumpantomime.com) with public booking opening on Friday 28 April 2023 at 10am.
Jennifer Saunders, who will be making her Palladium Panto debut in Peter Pan playing Captain Hook, said:
“I could not be more delighted to be doing my first panto ever at the Palladium. I am a huge fan of panto and The Palladium always delivers. I wouldn’t want to be in Peter Pan’s tiny soft shoes let me tell you, because I am going to give Hook my all!’
Michael Harrison, Producer and Director of all eight London Palladium pantomimes said:
“I’m thrilled to be welcoming comedy legend Jennifer Saunders to our panto as Captain Hook. She is going to be a sensational addition to our show. Julian Clary is without doubt one of the greatest performers ever to grace The Palladium stage and it’s also a huge pleasure to welcome back the much-loved team of Paul, Nigel and Gary. I am particularly excited that the inimitable Rob Madge loved appearing in last year’s show so much they have signed up for another year of Palladium madness!”
Julian Clary, Nigel Havers and Paul Zerdin have starred in pantomimes at The London Palladium since the 2016 production of Cinderella. Gary Wilmot joined the cast in 2017, with Rob Madge making a triumphant Palladium Panto debut in last year’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk.
Gary_Wilmot photographed by Wolf Marloh
Harrison’s production has set designs by Mark Walters and costume designs by Hugh Durrant created especially for The London Palladium, choreography by Karen Bruce, lighting designs by Ben Cracknell, sound designs by Gareth Owen and composition and orchestrations by Gary Hind.
Peter Pan is produced by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes.As a producer in the West End his credits include The Drifters Girl, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Gypsy, The Bodyguard, Annie, Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, Crazy For You and The Wizard of Oz.
Crossroads Pantomimes is the world’s biggest pantomime producer and part of Crossroads Live, a global leader in the production of musical theatre and immersive entertainment experiences.
With a glittering array of star names headlining spectacular, lavish productions, Crossroads Pantomimes is the world’s biggest pantomime producer. With renowned creative teams, talented casts and musicians, and passionate production teams, the company create pantomimes which are at the heart of family entertainment across the UK. As part of Crossroads Live, the company works under the leadership of Michael Harrison and is chaired by David Ian.
The London Palladium has been the capital’s majestic home of variety for over a century, and to this day it continues to delight and surprise audiences with its rich tapestry of acts. We’ve welcomed a staggering selection of greats from Bob Hope and Louis Armstrong to the Two Ronnies, Bruce Forsyth and Cliff Richard. This proud tradition has continued since the theatre joined the LW Theatres family in 2000, hosting recent headliners as diverse as Bob Dylan, Madonna, Coldplay, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Ocean and Dita Von Teese. An annual pantomime made a return to The London Palladium in 2016.
Animal arrives in London riding high on rave reviews – believe the hype! John Bradfield’s unflinching but hilarious play is a queer, inclusive joy.
David (Christopher John-Slater) is a 25-year-old virgin who can’t stop thinking about sex. David also has cerebral palsy and cannot feed or wash himself without assistance, so scratching this itch himself is out of the question. We first see David making a complaint call about a sex aid he is unable to use, and he is encouraged by his friend Mani (Harry Singh) to take the plunge and download Grindr.
John-Slater is brilliant as David – effortlessly delivering cutting one liners and withering looks with perfect comic timing, but also heartbreakingly vulnerable in quieter moments. Bradfield, working with story originator Josh Hepple, ensures that David is not some heroic disability role model – in fact, David is often his own worst enemy as he navigates his way through a series of sexual encounters and disappointments, taking his frustrations out, often cruelly, on his friends. His support network is a group that could so easily slip into stereotypes, but in the skilful hands of the cast, each character is nuanced and believable. Mani (Harry Singh) is gloriously flamboyant and seemingly flippant about life, but there is much more beneath the surface and Singh excels in the more thoughtful and reflective moments. Struggling actor Derek (Matt Ayleigh) is Derek’s daytime assistant while live in assistant Jill (Amy Loughton) works in a terrarium shop, where she begrudgingly must mix with actual customers. Ayleigh is hilarious as Derek haplessly tries to defuse tense situations between David and Jill, and Loughton is a hoot as straight talking but caring Jill who is becoming increasingly aware that her friendship with David won’t survive unless she leaves.
David’s messages are projected onto the walls of Gregor Donnelly’s versatile set, and the rejections when he tells various men that he is in a wheelchair are soul destroying as are the times he is ghosted after meeting for sex. All his meetings happen in his flat and include William Oxborrow as three different older men (his pensioners, as Mani calls them) in unforgettably toe curling and hilarious encounters. When he meets Liam (Joshua Liburd), David thinks he has made a connection, but Liam lets him down. Liburd plays Liam almost meditatively, as if the effort of presenting a calm and “normal” exterior to the world is all that Liam can focus on. This makes his opening up to David, just for a few minutes, even more poignant.
Director Bronagh Lagan masterfully keeps the pace fast, with stark portrayals of the reality of living with a disability, and an honest look at friendship and co-dependency layered amongst the laughs. The play doesn’t shy away from the danger of inviting strangers into your home for sex – and one excruciating scene lays David’s vulnerability bare. Filthy and funny, Animal is unmissable entertainment.
THE WORLD PREMIERE OF NEW MUSICAL ‘STARTER FOR TEN’ BASED ON THE BESTSELLING DAVID NICHOLLS NOVEL AND POPULAR HBO/PLAYTONE FILM WILL RUN AT BRISTOL OLD VIC 29 FEBRUARY – 30 MARCH 2024
SET IN 1980’S BRISTOL, WITH THE BACKDROP OF TV QUIZ SHOW UNIVERSITY CHALLENGE, THIS BIG-HEARTED SHOW IS PART OF NANCY MEDINA’S FIRST SEASON AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF BRISTOL OLD VIC
‘STARTER FOR TEN’ WILL FEATURE AN 80S-INSPIRED ORIGINAL SCORE AND LYRICS BY TOM RASMUSSEN AND HATTY CARMAN, WITH BOOK AND LYRICS BY EMMA HALL AND CHARLIE PARHAM
TICKETS GO ON GENERAL SALE ON THURSDAY 27 APRIL AT 10AM. FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.STARTERFORTENMUSICAL.COM
Antic Productions, Bristol Old Vic, Longshot Films and Playtone are delighted to announce that new musical Starter for Ten will receive its world premiere at Bristol Old Vic from 29 February – 30 March 2024 as part of Nancy Medina’s inaugural season as Artistic Director.
Based on the hilarious coming-of-age novel by David Nicholls (One Day, Us, Sweet Sorrow) and the popular 2006 film adaptation starring James McAvoy, Benedict Cumberbatch, James Corden and Rebecca Hall, this tale of love, class and growing up in the 1980s is set in Bristol against the backdrop of legendary British quiz show University Challenge. Casting for the new musical is to be announced.
Starter for Ten will have a book and lyrics co-written by Emma Hall and Charlie Parham, Artistic Directors of Antic Productions. The 80s-inspired original score and lyrics will be composed by queer, pop-punk composers Tom Rasmussen (who recently supported Self Esteem on UK tour with their debut album, Body Building) and Hatty Carman. The production will be directed by Charlie Parham, with set and costume design by Olivier award nominee Frankie Bradshaw, lighting design by Jai Morjaria and casting by Will Burton for GBC.
David Nicholls, author of the bestselling novel Starter for Ten, said “Nearly 20 years after publication, it’s such a thrill that Brian’s misadventures are being brought to the stage, and by such a brilliant, dynamic team.”
Emma Hall and Charlie Parham, Artistic Directors of Antic Productions, said: “Ever since we first read David Nicholls’ brilliant novel, which brims with music on every page, we just knew it had to be a stage musical. To be presenting the world premiere of a Bristol-based story at the Bristol Old Vic is sincerely a dream come true. We cannot wait to bring this electrifying mix of general knowledge and anthemic, 80s-inspired music to audiences.”
Hatty Carman and Tom Rasmussen, composers of the new musical, said “We have absolutely adored bringing David Nicholls’ totally flawed, completely loveable characters to the stage. As musicians, it’s exhilarating to bring our love of the DIY music scene that raised us to a theatre like Bristol Old Vic.”
Fingers on buzzers! Here’s your Starter for Ten…
What is eighteen-year-old Brian Jackson’s proudest achievement to date? His A-level results. His idol? Kate Bush. His lifelong dream? To compete on legendary TV quiz show University Challenge. It’s 1985 and, leaving Southend to start his first year at Bristol University, Brian soon discovers that falling in love and growing up take a lot more than general knowledge…
Featuring an irresistible original soundtrack inspired by the riotous student scene of the 80s, Starter for Ten is a bright, big-hearted coming-of-age comedy about love, belonging and the all-important difference between knowledge and wisdom.
Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group are thrilled to announce that Dianne Pilkington, Louis Gaunt and Christina Bianco will join the cast of The Wizard of Oz this summer. Dianne will play the Wicked Witch of the West, Louis will be the Scarecrow and Christina will play Glinda The Good Witch.
They join the previously announced Jason Manford (the Cowardly Lion), Ashley Banjo (the Tin Man) and Palladium legend Gary Wilmot, who will play The Wizard.
Michael Harrison, the producer of the smash-hit Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, presents Curve’s brand-new production of one of the world’s most beloved musicals, beginning performances on Friday 23 June.
Dianne Pilkington has starred in West End shows including Wicked (as Glinda at Apollo Victoria Theatre) and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein (Garrick Theatre) and originated the iconic role of Eglantine Price in the world stage premiere of Bedknobs and Broomsticks(National Tour).
Louis Gaunt has West End credits including the title role in last year’s production of Jack and the Beanstalk(London Palladium) and Bert in Mary Poppins(Prince Edward Theatre). He can be seen as Lord Lumley in Series 2 of hit series Bridgerton on Netflix.
Christina Bianco is a two-time Drama Desk Award nominee, who made her West End debut starring in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s production of Forbidden Broadway at the Vaudeville Theatre. She captured international acclaim as a YouTube sensation with her ‘diva’ impression videos gainingover 25 million views.
Further casting is to be announced.
Join Dorothy and Toto on an unforgettable adventure as they are swept over the rainbow to the merry old land of Oz.
Featuring the iconic original score from the Oscar-winning MGM film, including Over The Rainbow,Follow The Yellow Brick Road and We’re Off To See the Wizard – with additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice – this spectacular production will be a magical experience for all the family.
Directed by Nikolai Foster (Billy Elliot The Musical, A Chorus Line) The Wizard of Oz has choreography by Shay Barclay, Set Designer is Colin Richmond, Projection Designer is Douglas O’Connell,Costume and Puppet Designer is Rachael Canning, Lighting Designer is Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer is Adam Fisher, Creative Consultant is Mark Kaufman, Musical Director and Musical Supervisor is George Dyer, Casting Director is Kay MagsonCDG, Props Supervisor is Marcus Hall Props and Wigs, Hair and Makeup Designer is Elizabeth Marini.
Follow the yellow brick road next summer to The London Palladium!
Michael Harrison, Gavin Kalin with David Mirvish, Crossroads Live, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Nick Thomas, Rupert Gavin, Mallory Factor & Playing Field by arrangement with The Really Useful Group Limited, present the Curve production of The Wizard of Oz.
