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Just in time for the King’s Coronation, hang out the bunting to celebrate the 1st London revival of royal-themed musical comedy
‘BETTY BLUE EYES’

Book by Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman
Music by George Stiles  Lyrics by Anthony Drewe

based on the film ‘A Private Function’
by Alan Bennett and Malcolm Mowbray

Union Theatre

29 March – 22nd April, 2023

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

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

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

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

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

Stiles & Drewe said: “‘Betty’ was one of the most enjoyable shows of our 40-year career, both to write, develop and to have produced. We are thrilled that she’ll be able to bat her blue eyes once more at the Union Theatre, as our new King takes to the throne, the city will once again be buzzing with street parties and very Private Functions. Not seen in London since her run at the Novello Theatre in 2011, three cheers and welcome back, ‘Betty’!”

Cast to be announced.

Creative team:
Director Sasha Regan
Choreographer Kasper Cornish
Designer Reuben Speed
Casting Adam Braham
Produced by Sasha Regan & Stuart Simons

Premiering in 2011, ‘Betty Blue Eyes’ received nominations for ‘Best New Musical’ in the Olivier Awards, The Evening Standard Awards and the WhatsOnStage.com Awards.

Stiles and Drewe – Music and Lyrics

Stiles and Drewe are a multi award-winning musical theatre writing partnership whose shows have been seen all over the world and have been translated into many languages.

Their scores include the international smash-hit Cameron Mackintosh/Disney production of ‘Mary Poppins’, the Olivier Award-winning ‘Honk!,’ which has been seen by more than 6 million people in over 8,000 productions, and the West End productions of ‘Half A Sixpence’ and ‘The Wind in the
Willows’. Their other shows are ‘Soho Cinders’, ‘Travels With My Aunt’, ‘Peter Pan – A Musical
Adventure’, ‘Just So’ and ‘Tutankhamun’.

George and Anthony have also completed a trilogy of 50-minute musicals for younger audiences,
‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ and ‘The Three Little Pigs’.

Current projects include ‘Identical’ based on ‘The Parent Trap’ and ‘Becoming Nancy’ with director/
choreographer Jerry Mitchell.

Future projects include a stage version of Robert Harling’s film ‘Soapdish’.

Independently, as a composer, George’s credits include the musicals ‘Moll Flanders’, ‘The Three
Musketeers’, ‘Tom Jones’ and the scores for Sam Mendes’ stage productions of ‘Twelfth Night’ and
‘Uncle Vanya’ (Donmar Warehouse/BAM NYC).

Independently, as a lyricist, Anthony’s credits include ‘The Card’ (Watermill/Regent’s Park) and ‘A Twist Of Fate’ (Singapore Rep).

Honk! has won many international awards including the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical. Mary Poppins has won 45 major theatre awards around the globe, including Tony, Olivier, Helpmann and London Evening Standard Awards. Stiles and Drewe were nominated for Best New Musical at the 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards for Half A Sixpence and Betty Blue Eyes was nominated for the 2012 Olivier Award. Other awards include the TMA Best Musical Award for Moll Flanders and The Straits Times Award for Best Musical for A Twist of Fate.

Stiles and Drewe’s passion for new musical theatre is recognised via the annual Stiles and Drewe Prize for Best New Song, now in its 13th year, and their Mentorship Award supported by Music Theatre International (Europe). They are also founding board members of Mercury Musical Developments (MMD), Associate Artists at The Watermill Theatre and patrons of the London Musical Theatre Orchestra (LMTO) and The Musical Theatre Academy (MTA).

‘Mary Poppins’ has won 45 major theatre awards around the globe, including Tony, Olivier, Helpmann and London Evening Standard Awards. Stiles and Drewe were nominated for Best New Musical at the 2016 WhatsOnStage Awards for ‘Half A Sixpence’. Other awards include the TMA Best Musical Award for ‘Moll Flanders’.

Along with Anthony, George’s passion for new musical theatre writing is recognised via the annual
Stiles and Drewe Prize for Best New Song, and their Mentorship Award supported by Music Theatre International (Europe). They are founding board members of Mercury Musical Developments (MMD), Associate Artists at The Watermill Theatre and patrons of the London Musical Theatre Orchestra and the Music Theatre Academy (MTA).

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman – Book

Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman are American writers and producers. Their work together includes:
‘Queer as Folk’ (2000–2005) US TV series, ‘Sisters’ (1991) TV series, ‘The Love She Sought’ (1990) (TV film), ‘An Early Frost’ (1985) (TV film), ‘Knots Landing’ (1984). Ron Cowen’s first play, ‘Summertree’ won a Drama Desk Award and was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.

Sasha Regan and Stuart Simons
present

Betty Blue Eyes

Book by
Ron Cowen & Daniel Lipman

Music by George Stiles
Lyrics by Anthony Drewe

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

Director – Sasha Regan

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

29 March – 22nd April

Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm
Saturday Matinee 2.30pm

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

Tickets:
Previews  £20
Tickets £25

Social media:

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Originally produced in London by Cameron Mackintosh

Presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International

Alphabetti Theatre, Newcastle – until 18 March 2023

Reviewed by Jessica Brady

3***

Great technical and interactive elements for an audience but a confusing end from where we begin. 

On a rainy Wednesday eve in Newcastle I ventured to the wonderful Alphabetti Theatre to see Person Spec which has been created by Forest Sounds Theatre, a company that strives to push the boundaries between audience and actor, exploring how we treat others, and how we treat ourselves. 

Disguised as a corporate recruitment event, Person Spec is a participatory performance piece that invites audience members to be an active and essential part of a looming first job interview.

The show is held together with a mixture of technical interaction and a singular character- Marion played by Inés Collado.  Marion is an unemployed woman in her twenties whose second language is English. She is on the precipice of a whole new life and this interview is a huge opportunity for her. 

Structured around a series of interview tasks,  Person Spec let’s the audience facilitate and rate Marion’s performance through a cleverly placed projection which is updated in real time based on audience suggestions and with a series of prompts for the audience to read in unison.  The audience is very much a second character throughout the show and used cleverly to progress the story and add many moments of humour.

However, as the interview progresses it becomes apparent that these tasks aren’t intended merely for Marion, but are a part of something a lot more sinister. Whether the candidate succeeds or not is down to the audience and ‘Zantion Recruitment’ has every faith in them.

Inés Collado gives an authentic and truthful performance showing the desperation of wanting more for herself by jumping through many hoops (including a twerk) in order for her true self to be seen by people who can change her future prospects.

The initial set up of the show works well and is cleverly designed to allow an easiness for participatory action with some genuinely funny moments and an opportunity to look at the idea of how humans are measured by potential.  However there seems to be a slight disconnect in the way the first half of the show is structured to how it ends.  I was left feeling a little confused as to what had shifted in the performance and where we were led to by the end of the show.  What started out as a lighthearted clever jibe at how people are categorised and their worth measured, ended with a dark setting where we were taken to a scenario from the interview that became real life (a boat and stranded on a desert island).  Perhaps the symbolic nature of the end show passed me by but I left the show wishing that we had continued down the road that we had started on at the beginning of the piece. 

The set and digital aspects of this show are really clever and I haven’t been to a show which uses this as a device so well in a long time.  It is certainly worth going to see the show to experience the digital screen action which has a whole personality of its own.  

Overall, I feel the show has a lot of potential to be a ground breaking interactive adventure but would need some tweaks to make it feel cohesive as it felt like I had watched two difference pieces by the end.  

You can catch Person Spec at Alphabetti Theatre from Tuesday 28th February– Saturday 18th March 2023, 1:00pm and 7:30pm. 

THE WATERMILL THEATRE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH KEVIN WALLACE FOR KWL & MIDDLE EARTH ENTERPRISES PRESENT

THE LORD OF THE RINGS

THE WATERMILL’S EPIC AND INTIMATE IMMERSIVE SUMMER MUSICAL

25 JULY – 15 OCTOBER

FRIENDS ON SALE 15 MARCH

EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS ON SALE 21 MARCH

GENERAL ON SALE 22 MARCH

BOOK ONLINE AT WATERMILL.ORG.UK OR VIA THE BOX OFFICE ON 01635 46044

One ring to rule them all, One ring to find them, One ring to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them…

Artistic Director Paul Hart, Executive Director Claire Murray and the team at Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre are thrilled to announce details of their epic summer musical; a brand-new production of THE LORD OF THE RINGS, a musical tale based on the classic trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien, with book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and music by A.R. Rahman (Bombay Dreams, Slumdog Millionaire), Värttinä and Tony Award winner and Grammy nominated Christopher Nightingale (Matilda the Musical).

With the production set across both the Watermill auditorium and gardens, audiences will be immersed in the magical landscape of Tolkien, joining an ensemble cast and large-scale puppets on an epic journey celebrating the power of friendship and common goodness to conquer unimaginable evil.

The Lord of the Rings will play at the Watermill from Tuesday 25 July until Sunday 15 October 2023. 

Tickets will go on sale to Friends of The Watermill on 15 March, to Watermill email subscribers on 21 March (sign up here), and on general sale on 22 March, via watermill.org.uk/The-Lord-Of-The-Rings.  Tickets for the performance on 22 September, Bilbo Baggins’ birthday, will include a celebration in the Watermill gardens before the show.

As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday, he gifts his nephew Frodo his inheritance – including his most precious belonging – a gold ring. Little does he know that his legacy will confront Frodo with an immense and impossible task; a perilous journey across the darkest realms of Mordor to foil the Dark Lord’s quest for total dominion. 

Paul Hart said, “We are thrilled to be bringing Bag End to Bagnor this summer with one of the most epic stories ever written.  Our production of The Lord of the Rings will take audiences from the lush idyll of the Shire in our gardens to the darkest depths of the Cracks of Doom. You may be wondering how we’re going to fit this huge show in our 200-seat theatre – come and witness the impossible!”

Claire Murray said, “Staging The Lord of the Rings reflects that our ambition hasn’t been diminished by the loss of Arts Council England funding. We’re continuing to invest in the work on our stages, in the talented artists who create this work and in reaching and connecting with audiences locally and nationally. To enable this, we’re continuing to review our business model and we’re pleased to say that we’re able to offer 28% of the tickets for the show for only £25, with priority on sales for Friends and email subscribers.  With a 12-week long run, we can’t wait to welcome more people than ever to our unique and magical site to experience this epic story.”

Fredrica Drotos, Director of Brand and Licensing at Middle-earth Enterprises added; “Middle-earth Enterprises along with Kevin Wallace can’t imagine a more fitting locale for the live staging of the Fellowship’s epic adventures from the Shire to Mordor, and back again, than at the Watermill Theatre, set in the bucolic Berkshire countryside.”

The Lord of the Rings will be directed by Paul Hart with design by Simon Kenny.

The Watermill is a 200-seat regional powerhouse, with an unparalleled reputation for producing bold, world-class theatre with local and national reach from its home in West Berkshire. It also has an extensive programme of community outreach, and schools touring work, and a firm commitment to diversity, education, and talent development. 

Cast and creative team announced for the hit play
F**king Men
by Tony-winning Joe DiPietro
returning to London in a new updated version for 2023

Alex Britt, Charlie Condou, Derek Mitchell and Stanton Plummer-Cambridge are announced today as the cast in F**king Men, a fascinating, funny and provocative story of sex, love and connection.

A modern retelling of Schnitzler’s infamous classic ‘La Ronde’, this dramatic comedy follows 10 men through a series of erotic encounters that change their lives in small but significant ways.

In a raw and updated new version for 2023, Tony-winning writer Joe DiPietro (‘Memphis’, ‘The Toxic Avenger,’ ‘What’s New Pussycat?’), takes a sharp and insightful look at the experiences of modern gay men as they navigate their conflicting desires for the comfort of monogamous love and the thrill of sexual freedom.

It starts previews at Waterloo East Theatre from Thursday 20 April. The strictly limited season is booking to Sunday 18 June

Creative team:
Director Steve Kunis
Set and Costume Designer Cara Evens
Lighting Designer Alex Lewer
Sound Designer Charlie Smith
Movement & Intimacy Director Lee Crowley
Casting Director Anne Vosser

Produced by Adam Roebuck (‘Afterglow’, UK premiere, Southwark Playhouse and Waterloo East Theatre).

Alex Britt – Theatre credits include: ‘Dumbledore Is So Gay’ (Pleasance & VAULT Festival); ‘My Dad’s Gap Year’ (Park Theatre); ‘Corpus Christi’ (Arcola Theatre); ‘Man-Cub’ (Etcetera Theatre & King’s Head Theatre).

Charlie Condou (appearing to 21 May only) – Theatre credits includes: ‘After The Rain’ (Gate Theatre); Cracked (Hampstead  Theatre);  ‘Shopping & F***ing’ (nominated Best Actor at the MEN awards);  ‘The Changeling’
(Southwark Playhouse); ‘Dying for It’ (Almeida); ‘Next Fal’l (Southwark Playhouse); ‘The Crucible’ (No.1 tour); ‘The Rocky Horror Show’ (No. 1 tour); ‘Straight White Men’ (Southwark Playhouse). On TV he played sonographer Marcus Dent in ‘Coronation Street’ from 2007 – 2014, and played Ben Sherwood in the medical drama ‘Holby City’.

Derek Mitchell – Theatre credits include: ‘Suddenly Last Summer’, ‘The Bacchae’ and ‘Hedda Gabler’ (Oxford Playhouse) and ‘The Pillowman’ (Polanentheater, Amsterdam). On TV, Derek recently appeared in the third series of ‘Ted Lasso’ on Apple TV+. One half of comedy duo Horseplay, Derek has toured with original narrative sketch shows Witch Hunt and Bareback to theatres in London, Oxford, Barcelona and Amsterdam, and to five Edinburgh Fringes

Stanton Plummer-Cambridge – Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, his Theatre credits include: ‘Coming Clean’ (Trafalgar Studios); ‘Macbeth’ and ‘The Tempest’ (both Southwark Playhouse). TV includes ‘Black Earth Rising’ (Netflix) and ‘The Durrells’ (ITV).

Joe DiPietro (Playwright)
Joe has won two Tony Awards, a Drama Desk Award and 2 Outer Critics Circle Awards. Broadway credits include: ‘Diana’, ‘Nice Work If You Can Get It’ (Tony nominations include Best Musical & Best Book; Drama Desk Award – Best Book); ‘Memphi’s (Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Book, Best Score); ‘All Shook Up’ and ‘Living on Love’. Off-Broadway credits include: ‘Ernest Shackleton Loves Me’, ‘Clever Little Lies’, ‘The Toxic Avenger’, ‘The Thing About Men’, ‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ and the record-breaking ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’.

Steven Kunis (Director)
Steven was nominated Best Director of a Play at the Off West End Awards for the UK premiere of Young Jean Lee’s ‘Straight White Men’ (Southwark Playhouse), which was named by The Independent as one of the UK’s top ten theatre events of 2021. Recently, he directed the UK premiere of Tanya Barfield’s ‘Bright Half Life’ (King’s Head Theatre) and the world premiere of Shaun McKenna’s ‘Rocky Road’ (Jermyn Street Theatre), which was listed by the Guardian among the top online theatre experiences of lockdown. He also directed the UK debut of the Refugee Orchestra Project at the London Symphony Orchestra’s St Luke’s venue, and in 2019 he was again nominated for Best Director at the Off West End Awards for the critically acclaimed three-month run of S. Asher Gelman’s ‘Afterglow’ (Waterloo East).

LISTINGS INFO

Adam Roebuck
presents

F**king Men
by Joe DiPietro
based on Schnitzler’s ‘La Ronde’

Waterloo East Theatre
Brad Street
London
SE1 8TN

Box Office
https://www.waterlooeast.co.uk

Previews from Thursday 20 April

Booking period to Sunday 18 June

Performance Schedule:

Tuesday at 7.30pm
Wednesday at 7.30pm
Thursday at 7.30pm
Friday at 7pm and 9.15pm
Saturday at 7pm and 9.15pm
Sunday at 4pm

Ticket prices:
Previews:
£30 for (front two rows)
premium seats
£20 for all other seats

For the run premium seats £40
all other seats £28

Contains strong language,
homophobic violence and nudity

Social media

Facebook
@FKingMenThePlay

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 4th March 2023

Reviewed by Jacqui Radford

4****

Based on the book ‘These Foolish Things’ by Deborah Moggach, this play shares its title with the hit film that perhaps many of us are very familiar with. If it’s been a while since you enjoyed the film, then the play will bring everything flooding back.

Set in a crumbling hotel chosen for retirement living by an eclectic group of British travellers searching for rejuvenation and new horizons, the play is a comment on our attitude to getting older and being ‘abandoned’ to the care system. Each of the characters portray various family dynamics and experiences that have essentially left each of them finding their own way back to happiness.

The hotel itself also needs a new lease of life and seemingly, that is provided by the group of retirees who don’t want to give up on life or their own retirement plans and find themselves encouraging the hotel owners to give it one last shot.

This show has an excellent cast, including Paul Nicholas, Tessa Peake- Jones who play characters discovering freedom, friendship and new love by the end of the play. As a whole the cast deliver caustic comment on life and punch lines galore that raise laughter throughout. Perhaps that’s because we all recognise that we sometimes look at our elders as though they are beyond hope and yet secretly realise that we all need to believe there is always more to discover while we are still breathing.

The set is beautifully designed to show a colonial hotel at the heart of past and present communities, bringing the two together with added warmth as the play progresses. The grand finale and feel- good factor we are all craving is delivered in all its glory with a final injection of music and dance that got everyone involved. Nobody left without a smile on their face and that included the cast, who clearly had a whale of a time.

Old Red Lion Theatre – until 6 May 2023

Reviewed by Philip Brown

3.5***

This one woman show conceived, written and brilliantly performed by Collette Cooper is an extraordinary portrait of Janis Joplin, perhaps the ultimate American west coast “rock chick”, who shot to fame  in the second half of the 60s but was dead by October 1970 – an early member of the infamous 27 club (Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison & Grateful Dead’s Pigpen – all substance abuse related deaths at the age of 27).  The show’s title reflects her essential balls-out, “carpe diem” attitude to life.

I couldn’t smell patchouli, but the bijou theatre at the top of the Old Red Lion was decked out like a flower power emporium whilst a “head” in a kaftan offered spiritual drugs on entry.  Alongside  a central performance area, is Joplin’s small boudoir full of her iconic stage garb which gets whipped off and on as things progress, along with trolleys of her favourite poison – Southern Comfort.   Completing the picture, at the rear of the “main stage” was a very good three-piece band (the TSP band), playing the Big Brother & Holding Company role, delivering searing acid rock backing (Jack Parry as Sam Andrew on lead guitar, David Malek as James Gurley on bass and Jan Simson as Dave Getz on drums).

The show kicks off with one of Joplin’s later songs – “Tell Mama” – in which Cooper establishes her hard rocking credentials.  Joplin was renowned for her dynamic, uninhibited live performances and Collette Cooper emulates Joplin’s ferocious “on-stage” energy superbly throughout, with a singing voice that is a pretty close match to Joplin’s rasp without being quite as flexible.

Between songs, Cooper moves to the boudoir where we learn about Joplin’s life, from childhood in Port Arthur, Texas to discovering the blues, to Haight Ashbury, San Francisco and back.   Whilst these interludes are generally Southern Comfort fuelled, angst ridden reflection about not fitting in and other insecurities, they feel natural, convincing and surprisingly nuanced – a tribute to Cooper’s writing and performing skills.  Overall, it’s a sad story and despite apparently claiming to be at her happiest at the peak of her fame, and on the verge of a  triumphal return to Port Arthur as the first queen of rock,  deep down, you feel  Cooper as Joplin probably doesn’t fully buy it.

It is testament to Cooper’s magnetic story-telling that this 90 minute show (without interval) kept the audience gripped throughput and passed in a flash.  There were several moments of audience participation which were mostly charming and fun, but therein lies an issue with the show.  It’s attempting to create a feel-good right here right now, party atmosphere from an ultimately tragic story.

As a celebration of Joplin’s music, I could quibble about the choice of songs – no room for “Summertime”, “Down on Me” or “I Need a Man to Love” – and one or two more numbers would have been welcome, but if this show sends the audience back to the source, it will have succeeded.   

Overall, you have to admire Collette Cooper’s fine accomplishment.  In fact it’s a gas. Artistically, “Tomorrow May Be My Last” amounts to her magnum opus – a honed and well-constructed entertainment bringing a pioneering, but, these days, relatively obscure female musician back to life.  Commercially,  it taps right into the burgeoning  music nostalgia market.

Darlington Hippodrome – until 4th March 2023

Review by Stee Leahy

4****

A rock and roll revival for the people of today!

As I took my seat I was transported back to the 1950s with music softly playing from the era. It was a great way you settle the audience and set them up for the treat that was lying ahead. 

As the show starts, we as an audience are introduced to radio host and show narrator, ‘Hippockets Duncan’ played by the wonderfully diverse Thomas Mitchell, respectively.

He tells the tale of the leading chap ‘Buddy Holly’ played by Christopher Week and his two friends, the fun ‘Joe B Mauldin’ played by Joe Butcher and ‘Jerry Allison’, played by Josh Haberfield to great acclaim. The three friends form the band ‘Buddy Holly and the Crickets’. 

The story follows the band as they start off, firstly playing country music, performing for a local radio station in Texas, known as KDAV. However, Buddy sick of playing country and western music takes it upon himself to play his own style of music with the Crickets on a different radio station, Decca Records, this outrages KDAV!

Later Hippockets Duncan recommends Buddy to a new up and coming Record producer, Norman Petty and his wife Vi, played superbly again by Thomas Mitchell and Stephanie Cremona. Vi, a pianists helps Buddy and the Crickets work on smash hits ‘That’ll be the Day’ and ‘Everyday’. This scene in particular was excellently acted and captivating from start to finish. The chemistry was nothing less than perfect. 

As the story moves forward, we watch as Buddy and The Crickets shoot to fame with their smash hit ‘That’ll be the day’, and thanks to their single hitting the charts, the band set off on a national tour. 

Whilst on tour they arrive in Harlem. 

Here we meet two Apollo Performers, portrayed by the incredibly talented Samuelle Durojaiye and Laura-Dene Perryman. We watch as Buddy and the band try and win them both over. 

Later Buddy meets Maria Elena played by the enthrallingly captivating ‘Daniella Agredo Piper’ and asks for her hand in marriage after just 5 hours! 

The show takes a dramatic turn towards the end. 

The last chapter had everyone hooked. It was tense and brilliantly played by all involved. You could hear a pin drop. 

The show itself has a great feel of a concert, with the story being told in such a way that it complimented the hits of ‘Buddy Holly and the Crickets’.

The set was minimalistic but effective to say the least. Themed like a 50s cafe, it complemented the production perfectly. 

The costumes, I can imagine we’re very nostalgic to anyone from or who remembers the era. 

This production is the perfect treat for anyone who is a fan of Buddy Holly, the 50’s or good theatre! 

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR

TONY! [THE TONY BLAIR ROCK OPERA]

BY HARRY HILL & STEVE BROWN

‘Look anyone will tell you, I’m a pretty straight sort of guy.’ Tony Blair

A reckless reappraisal of the life of former Ugly Rumours front man and Britain’s first pop Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The full cast for the London run and UK Tour of Harry Hill and Steve Brown’s hilarious musical, TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] will be Jack Whittle as Tony Blair, Howard Samuels as Peter Mandelson, Tori Burgess as Cherie Blair, Phil Sealey as Gordon Brown, Martin Johnston as Neil Kinnock, Rosie Strobel as John Prescott, Sally Cheng as Robin Cook, Emma Jay Thomas as Princess Diana and William Hazell as on-stage cover.   Other characters featured in the musical, who are played by the cast, include Saddam Hussein, Liam Gallagher, Alastair Campbell, Osama Bin Laden and many more.

TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] will play a limited season in London’s West End at the Leicester Square Theatre from 15 April to 21 May, with a press night on 25 April.  The musical will tour the UK from 25 May, including Tony Blair’s previous constituency of Sedgefield and four weeks at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in association with Pleasance, with further dates to be added.

The musical tells the story of how one man went from peace-loving, long-haired hippy and would-be pop star to warmongering multimillionaire in just a couple of decades. Throw in a stellar cast of larger-than-life characters – Cherie Blair, Princess Diana, John Prescott, Peter Mandelson, Alastair Campbell, Osama bin Laden, George W Bush, Saddam Hussein and Gordon Brown – it’s Yes, Minister meets The Rocky Horror Show and a musical like no other.

Please note: Neither Tony Blair, the Tony Blair Institute, nor any other person featured in this production have endorsed the production or its marketing materials and are in no way affiliated with the production.

Jack Whittle’s theatre credits include the West End company of Mischief Theatre’s The Comedy About A Bank Robbery, first playing Sam Monaghan and later Mitch Villiers, the first UK Tour of Laura Wade’s Posh, playing Harry Villiers, and Mischief Theatre’s multi-award winning West End production of The Play That Goes Wrong at The Duchess Theatre. 

Howard Samuels was in the original cast of TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] when it premiered at Park Theatre last year.His recent credits include Jewish Hollywood (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Max Detweiler in The Sound of Music (UK Tour), Nigel Bishop in The Cereal Cafe (The Other Palace) and his cabaret Unleashed (The Crazy Coqs).  His West End Theatre credits include Jorge in Tonight’s the Night (Victoria Palace Theatre), Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show (Duke of York’s Theatre) and Fyedka in Rebel in Paradise (Young Vic).

Tori Burgess was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role as Mary Bennet /Mister Collins/Lydia Bennet/Anne in Pride & Prejudice* (*Sort Of) at the Criterion Theatre.  Her other theatre credits include Beryl (Oldham Coliseum), Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh) and Margaret Saves Scotland (Traverse Theatre). 

Phil Sealey’s theatre credits include Robin Hood (Greenwich Theatre), Rehab The Musical (Playground Theatre, London), The Railway Children (Brewhouse Theatre, Taunton), Sounds and Sorcery (The Vaults), Fatbusters The Musical (Park Theatre) and Alice’s Adventures Underground (Les Enfants Terribles). 

Martin Johnston was in the original cast of TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] when it premiered at Park Theatre last year.  His other credits include Lindsay Turner’s acclaimed production of The Crucible(Olivier Theatre and NT Live), Mike Richards in the feature film Room 7 (won Best Actor in a Feature Film Award at the BSI Film Festival), the original cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Parts I & II (Palace Theatre, London), the original West End cast of Footloose – The Musical(Novello Theatre) and The Postman Always Rings Twice(Playhouse Theatre, West End) opposite Val Kilmer. 

Rosie Strobel was in the original cast of TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] when it premiered at Park Theatre last year.  Her other theatre credits include Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act, My Fair Lady and Me And My Girl (Kilworth House Theatre) and Katisha in The Mikado, Iolanthe, HMS Pinafore, Trial By Jury (Charles Court Opera).  For eight years, Rosie was the lead vocalist with the London Breakbeat Orchestra, the UK’s first EDM 32-piece orchestra, performing at major UK festivals, recording two ‘Live at Maida Vale’ sessions for BBC Radio 1 and collaborating with superstar DJs, Swedish House Mafia and Goldie.  

Sally Cheng’s theatre credits include A Christmas Carol (RSC), The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 and 3/4 The Musical (Queen’s, Hornchurch), The Play That Goes Wrong (West End), Shadowlands (Chichester Festival Theatre) and Twelfth Night (RSC). 

Emma Jay Thomas has appeared as Cleo/Stuzzi/Emily Greenleaf in The Talented Mr Ripley (Faction Theatre Company: Wilton’s Music Hall, Vaults Festival and tour); Goddess u/s Miranda in The Tempest and Iras u/s Octavia/Charmian (RSC); the original company of Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward Theatre); Mimi and Gigi u/s Ellen in Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane and Tour); Meg in Merrily We Roll Along (Donmar Warehouse and Queen’s Theatre); Sarah in Ragtime (Piccadilly Theatre). 

William Hazell’s theatre credits include The Choir Of Man (NCL), Doctor Who Live (UK arena tour), Bayside The Musical (The Other Palace), Dinosaurs In The Wild (Birmingham NEC) and Titus Andronicus (Shakespeare’s Globe).  He has worked extensively with a number of different vocal harmony groups, most notably The Kings, The Eastcoast Boys, The Brit Tones, The Somebodys and The Four Harmonies.

TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] is directed by Peter Rowe, with set and costume design by Libby Watson, lighting design by Mark Dymock, sound design by Richard Brooker, choreography by Francesca Jaynes and casting by Debbie O’Brien.  The Park Theatre production of TONY! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] is produced in the West End and on tour by Nicholson Green Productions.

For more information, visit www.tonyblairrockopera.co.uk

Twitter and Instagram: @tonyrockopera

LISTINGS INFORMATION

15 April – 21 May 2023

Leicester Square Theatre

6 Leicester Place

London WC2H 7BX

Performances vary, so please check the website

Box Office: 020 7734 2222

Website: leicestersquaretheatre.com

Tickets: from £26.50

Running Time at Leicester Square Theatre: 2 hours (inc. interval)

Suitable for 14+

TOUR SCHEDULE

25 May – 3 June             Guildford Yvonne Arnaud                                                                   01483 44 00 00                

                                  www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk                

7 – 10 June                      Birmingham Rep                                                                                  0121 236 4455

                                          www.birmingham-rep.co.uk                                                            

14 – 17 June                    Cardiff New Theatre                                                                             0343 310 0041

                                          www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk                                                        

21 – 24 June                    Richmond Theatre                                                                                 

                                          www.atgtickets.com/Richmond                                                      

27 June – 1 July              Brighton Theatre Royal                                                                        

                                         www.atgtickets.com/Brighton                                                                     

3 – 8 July                           Bath Theatre Royal                                                                              01225 448844

                                          Theatreroyal.org.uk                                                                              

11 – 15 July                      Chester Storyhouse                                                                             01244 409113

                                          storyhouse.com                                                                                      

18 – 22 July                      Malvern Festival Theatre                                                                    01684 892277

                                          www.malvern-theatres.co.uk                                                          

24 – 26 July                      Darlington Hippodrome                                                                      01325 405405

                                          www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk                                               

27 – 29 July                      Sedgefield Parish Hall                                                                          

                                          www.eventbrite.com/e/tony-the-tony-blair-rock-opera-tickets-537360799617   

2 – 27 August                 Edinburgh Pleasance at EICC (Venue 150)                                      020 7609 1800/0131 556 6550 

                                   www.pleasance.co.uk                                                                         

2 – 7 October                 Salford The Lowry                                                                                 0161 876 2015

                                         www.thelowry.com                                                                              

Further dates to be added

ANCHORS AWAY! BIRMINGHAM STAGE COMPANY ANNOUNCE CAST AS THEY SET SAIL FOR THE TERRIBLE THAMES RIVER TOUR

Birmingham Stage Company today announce the cast coming aboard the Terrible Thames. This is a unique immersive theatrical tour taking in prime historical locations such as The Tower of London, Parliament, Shakespeare’s Globe, and the Golden Hinde. It sets sail on Saturday 1 April, with press performances on 11 and 12 April, and voyages until October 29 2023.

Neal Foster captains his crew Jake Addley, Rob Cummings, James Elliot, Andrew Franklin, Harriet Munday, Roger Parkins, Harry Sutherland, Dominic Treacy and Nathan Zammit on this maritime adventure, where audiences learn about the horrible history of London and the Thames.

Actor/Manager of Birmingham Stage Company, Neal Foster said today: “When we launched Terrible Thames in 2021, I could never have imagined it would be become such a popular attraction in such a short time. We have been overwhelmed by the positivity about London it has generated and can’t wait to hit the waves again this year”.

Birmingham Stage Company presents

TERRIBLE THAMES

by Terry Deary and Neal Foster

Directed by Neal Foster;Design by Jackie Trosudale;Music by Matthew Scott; Sound by Nick Sagar; Choreography by Kenn Oldfield 

Saturday 1 April – Friday October 29, 2023

Horrible Histories proudly presents its wicked river tour of the Terrible Thames. Climb aboard and hear the horrible history of the most famous river in the world!

Tremble in terror at the Tower! Sizzle at the Savoy! Give Cleopatra the needle! Be washed away at Westminster! Lose yourself in Lambeth! Get gobsmacked by the Globe! Hold onto your head at London Bridge and escape from Execution Dock!

Dive with Horrible Histories into the stories of King Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, Julius Caesar, Queen Boudicca, Jack the Ripper and Captain Kidd, in this history of the Thames with the nasty bits left in.

Terry Deary is the creator of Horrible Histories and one of Britain’s best-selling authors of the 21st Century. He’s also the tenth most-borrowed author in British libraries. There are around 50 Horrible Histories titles with total sales of 25 million in 40 countries. Deary is also the author of over 200 fiction and non-fiction books for young people including his series of books Dangerous Days.

Neal Foster directs. He is Actor/Manager of Birmingham Stage Company which since its foundation in 1992 has staged over one hundred productions. The company has become one of the world’s leading producers of theatre for children and their families, including Horrible Histories Live on Stage for eighteen years in the UK, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Qatar, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand and Australia. Foster has directed and co-written all of the most recent Horrible Histories shows including Barmy Britain – Parts One, Two, Three, Four and Five, and Terrible Tudors (Garrick Theatre, Apollo Theatre and Sydney Opera House), Groovy Greeks and Incredible Invaders for a national tour and Wicked Warwick at Warwick Castle. His first fictional adaptations were David Walliams’ Gangsta Granny and Billionaire Boy, both of which transferred to the Garrick Theatre, and were nominated for an Olivier Award.

Jake Addley’s theatre credits include Peter Pan, Aladdin, and Snow White (South Hill Park), Mother Courage, Teechers, Animalphabet  (UK tour), Cartoon Network (International tour), The Gruffalo,  The Gruffalo’s Child (West End, UK/International tour) & The Gruffalo (West End, UK & International tour), OiFrog! (UK tour).

Rob Cummings’ theatre credits include Treasure Island (EM Forster Theatre), Fear & Misery of the Third Reich (UK schools tour), War of the Worlds (Metal Exchange), Aladdin (Kingdom International Theatre), The Greatest Liar in all the World (Greenwich Theatre, Bristol Old Vic), The Little Mermaid (QE2 Dubai), Only Fools and Horses (West End, Australia tour, Edinburgh Festival), Beauty and The Beast (Woodville Theatre), Peter Pan (Theatre Royal Margate), Dracula (Kings Head Theatre), Fawlty Towers (West End and nationwide tour), The Wizard of Oz (Abney Park), and Tom, Dick & Harry (Dugdale Centre).

James Elliot’s theatre credits include Birmingham Stage CompaniesBillionaire Boy (UK tour).

Andrew Franklin’s theatre credits include Beauty and The Beast (Courtyard, Hereford), Rapunzel (UK tour, Immersion Theatre)

Harriet Munday makes her professional debut in Terrible Thames.

Roger Parkins’ theatre credits include The Lion King (Disneyland Paris), Hamlet (European castle tour), Cinderella (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Next time I’ll Sing to you (Orange Tree Theatre), The Glass Protegé (Park Theatre), Let’s Pause There (The King’s Head Theatre), and Catnip (Arts Theatre).  His film credits include Followers, and Sweet Potatoes. He was nominated for Best Male Narrator for the Audie Awards 2022.

Harry Sutherland’s theatre credits include for Birmingham Stage Company Awful Auntie (UK tour), and Tom Gates (UK tour and UAE tour).  Henry V, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Twelfth Night (Pendley Shakespeare Festival).For The English Theatre Company, Curious Adventures of Jack Todd, D.I.Y. and Dream On (European tour). And for film, Shadows.

Dominic Treacy’s theatre credits include Buttons in Cinderella (Upstage Productions) Timms in The History Boys (Wolverhampton Grand) The Musical of Musicals, (The Musical!) (Hope Street Theatre).

Nathan Zammit’s theatre credits include The Full Monty and, On Your Feet, (UK tours).

Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames

Listings

Tower Bridge Quay

St Katharine’s Way, London E1W 1LD

https://terriblethames.seetickets.com/

Saturday 1 April – Friday 29 October

Press performance: [xx] and [xx]

Tickets from £15

Family tickets:

£60.00 (1 adult and 3 children)

£70.00 (2 adults and 2 children)

FOLLOWING ITS FINAL PERFORMANCE IN

LONDON’S WEST END AT THE FORTUNE THEATRE

SUSAN HILL’S

THE WOMAN IN BLACK

TO TOUR THE UK

OPENING

WEDNESDAY 6 SEPTEMBER 2023

AT THE

WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND THEATRE

PW Productions is delighted to announce that Susan Hill’s The Woman in Black will embark on a UK Tour, opening at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre on Wednesday 6 September 2023, following the production’s final performance in the West End at The Fortune Theatre tomorrow, Saturday 4 March. Following Wolverhampton, the tour will visit Cardiff, Billingham, Buxton, Aylesbury, Southend, Richmond, Poole, Nottingham, Liverpool, Norwich, Truro, York, Birmingham, Bradford, Brighton, Ipswich, Glasgow, Milton Keynes, Dartford, High Wycombe and Crewe. Further tour dates and casting to be announced.

Over 33-years THE WOMAN IN BLACK has played over 13,000 performances in the West End and been seen by over 7-million people in the UK. In June 2019 the production celebrated its 30^th Anniversary in London’s West End with a special gala performance.

Stephen Mallatratt’s adaptation of Susan Hill’s best-selling novel tells the story of a lawyer obsessed with a curse that he believes has been cast over his family by the spectre of a ‘Woman in Black’. He engages a young actor to help him tell his story and exorcise the fear that grips his soul. It begins innocently enough, but as they delve further into his darkest memories the borders between make-believe and reality begin to blur and the flesh begins to creep.

Following a Christmas production in 1987 at a pub in Scarborough, THE WOMAN IN BLACK was brought to Hammersmith’s Lyric Theatre in January 1989. Reviews were sufficiently encouraging (apart from The Independent, who regretted the production’s inability to incorporate a live dog) to warrant a West End run. Its West End tour started at the Strand (now Novello) Theatre in March and moved to the Playhouse in April, finally lodging at the Fortune on June 7, 1989.

Throughout the production’s run in the West End and during its many tours the producer has been determined to keep ticket prices within the range of students and young people. This policy will continue in whatever form the play and production take in the future.

THE WOMAN IN BLACK is directed by Robin Herford, with designs by Michael Holt and lighting by Kevin Sleep.