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Theatre Royal Brighton  – until Saturday October 15 2022

Reviewed by Sue Bradley

4****

The writing team of Nick Newman and Ian Hislop first had the idea for this show when they realised that there is a generation of people who are entirely unaware of The Goons and, although perhaps aware of Spike Milligan via his later TV work, they do not know of his pivotal contribution to changing the nature of British comedy.

The comedy revolution that was The Goon Show started in 1953, still very much in he era of Radio as the prime source of entertainment for the public. Although this was now 8 years post-war,  Spike could not let go of ‘The War’ as a source of material, with constant lampooning of military characters and behaviour.

The Goons were viewed by the BBC as two ‘Talents’; Peter Sellers and Harry Secombe, and a ‘Writer’; Spike Milligan. If this show did nothing else (and it does do so much more) it helps us to see the visionary contribution that Spike made to what became a national institution. Effectively, no Spike – no Goon Show.

The term ‘Madcap’ often has a slightly derogatory connotation but in Spike’s case, it is entirely appropriate. His time as a soldier during the Second World War left him with what we would now recognise as PTSD and his experiences with the horrors of war and the ‘Officer’ classes left him with a fundamental disregard for authority and, indeed, organisation of any kind. Newman and Hislop have walked a fine line to allow us to see something of Spike’s mental health challenges without making it a show about a miserable funny man. This is a very funny show about a man who struggled not to be miserable.

If there is a stillness around which the storm of Spike whirls, it is Robert Mountfords’ Head of Comedy; an exasperated and exasperating character who couldn’t stand The Goons nor could he understand this new style of comedy. Robert Wilfort as Spike is engagingly eccentric with strong support from Jeremy Lloyd as Harry Secombe and Patrick Warner as Peter Sellers. Special mention too to Margaret Cabourn-Smith, playing the Sound Effects technician who opens both halves of the the show with entertaining demonstrations of the creation of various sound effects, which were an important part of the show.

Fast-paced and ever-changing, the show gives something of the sense of barely controlled chaos that underpins Spike’s work and relationships with those that worked, lived with and loved him. Even in the darker moments when we see something of Spike’s internal troubles, the laughs are never far away and we need never feel guilty about laughing along with him.

The deceptively simple set provided a constantly changing backdrop with full use of the stage – there are no centre stage soliloquies and the story keeps on moving.

One note of caution: Spike was very fond of explosions – it was almost a signature sound effect to close many many Goon Show episodes so it should come as no surprise that this production makes liberal use of them along with sudden black-outs and flashing lights. There is nothing gratuitous about this but those of a very nervous disposition might do well to be aware. But please do not deny yourself this very funny show! We loved it.

Yvonne Arnaud , Guildford – until 15 October 2022

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

5*****

Award winning author Malorie Blackman’s story sadly remains as relevant now as when she wrote it over 20 years ago. Gladly it remains just as impactful. Writer Sabrina Mahfouz and Director Esther Richardson take the Romeo and Juliet story to another level, with a true to life presentation that the impact of prejudice and social injustice has universally. Its appeal to younger audiences does not diminish the complexity of the tale and amplifies the modern day reality that our present generation of young people are experiencing. Blackman and Richardson’s respect for their integrity is clear.

Effie Ansah (Sephy) and James Arden (Callum) are front and centre of the production, maintaining a profound intensity that holds you until the curtain comes down. The quick changes of scene are clearly delineated by the creative team, with lighting and scrims, however it is Ansah and Arden that duck out and straight back into different times and places with ease. The cast are a well-oiled machine, moving between scenes, smoothly and effortlessly, including moving the scenery!

Bringing racial segregation, capital punishment and systemic oppression within an insular community on to the stage, brings its challenges and must be incredibly hard for the cast who, no doubt, have some lived experience. All the characters were believable and embodied characteristics of people we all know, however uncomfortable that may be to admit.

The importance of this play to our young people can not be under rated. It gives the opportunity for an open and honest dialogue about love, hate and oppression, particularly between older and younger generations in our own close knit communities. A performance worth all the awards it has attracted.

KILN THEATRE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST FOR THE RETURN OF

ZADIE SMITH’S AWARD-WINNING PLAY

THE WIFE OF WILLESDEN

Kiln Theatre today announces the full cast for the return of Zadie Smith’s The Wife of Willesden, directed by Artistic Director Indhu Rubasingham. Clare Perkins reprises her role as Alvita, The Wife of Willesden, alongside Marcus Adolphy as Winston/Mandela/Black Jesus, George Eggay as Pastor/Eldridge, Andrew Frame as Ian/Socrates/Bartosz, Troy Glasgow as Darren/Young Maroon, Claudia Grant as Polly/Sophie, Nikita Johal as Asma/Kelly, Scott Miller as Ryan/Colin, Jessica Murrain as Author/Zaire/Queen Nanny and Ellen Thomas as Aunty P/Old Wife. The production runs at Kiln Theatre from 14 December to 28 January, ahead of its US transfer in February where it will play at the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 25 February – 18 March 2023.

Kiln Theatre presents

THE WIFE OF WILLESDEN

Adapted by Zadie Smith

From Chaucer’s THE WIFE OF BATH

Kiln Theatre: 14 December 2022 – 28 January 2023, Opening Night 20 December

Directed by Indhu Rubasingham; Designed by Robert Jones; Lighting Design by Guy Hoare;Composition and Sound Design by Ben and Max Ringham;Associate Director Hannah Hauer-King; Associate Costume Designby Kinnetia Isidore; Casting by Julia Horan CDG; Movement Direction by Imogen Knight; Fight Direction by Kev McCurdy; Voice &DialectCoach Hazel Holder

‘Zadie Smith and Indhu Rubasingham have concocted a stunning piece of freewheeling stagecraft.’

★★★★★  Times

After a sold-out, critically acclaimed run in 2021, Alvita, The Wife of Willesden returns for one more round at the bar.

A proper local legend. Married five times. Mother. Lover. Aunt. Friend. Alvita will tell her life story to anyone in the pub – there’s no shame in her game. The question is: are you ready to hear it?

Because this woman’s got the gift of the gab: she can rewrite mistakes into triumphs, turn pain into parables, and her love life’s an epic poem. They call her The Wife of Willesden…

A play that celebrates the human knack for telling elaborate tales, especially about our own lives.

Critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, best-selling author Zadie Smith‘s ‘irresistably rambunctious’ (The Telegraph) The Wife of Willesden transports Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath to 21st Century North West London.

Director Indhu Rubasingham invites you to take your seat at the bar, order a pint or two, and listen to this bawdy, beautiful comedy up close, and very, very personal.

The Kiln Theatre auditorium will be transformed into a local London pub, complete with pub tables in the stalls.

The Wife of Willesden was originally produced in 2021 by Kiln Theatre in association with Brent20020, London Borough of Culture.

Marcus Adolphy returns to the roles of Winston/Mandela/Black Jesus. His theatre credits include Signal Fires (Eastern Angles/Hightide), One Man Two Guvnors (Wolsey Theatre), War Horse, The Comedy of Errors, The Suicide (National Theatre), The Convert (Gate Theatre), Backseat Drivers (The London Theatre), Keeler (Charing Cross Theatre), Macbeth (The Last Refuge Theatre), The Chicago Cowboy (Rosemary Branch Theatre), Twelfth Night (Nursery Theatre), Keeping Mum, 1867, A Christmas Carol (Brockley Jack Theatre) and The Children of Salt (Alma Theatre Bristol). His television credits include The Sandman, Scott and Bailey and Father Figure.

George Eggay returns to the roles of Pastor/Eldridge, and also appeared in Starstuck at the Kiln. His other theatre credits include Archbishop, The Last King of Scotland (Crucible, Sheffield), A Streetcar Named Desire, Frozen, The Power Book and The Wind In The Willows (National Theatre), The Firm (Hampstead Theatre), Ear for Eye (Royal Court Theatre), King Lear (The Old Vic), The Tiger’s Bones (New Perspectives), Arabian Nights (New Vic Theatre), Dishoodbe on TV (Hackney Empire), Passage to Freedom, This Accursed Thing (Andrew Ashmore Associates), The Ramayana (Birmingham Rep/ National Theatre), Servant Of Two Masters (Nottingham Playhouse), Crossfire (Paines Plough), The Robbers (Gate Theatre), The Meeting (Riverside Studios) and Love of the Nightingale (Theatre Melange). His television credits include Finding Alice, Black Earth Rising, Hugo Blick, The Love of Books, Shoot the Messenger and Between the Lines; and for film: All You Need is Kill and Final Passage.

Andrew Frame returns to the roles of Ian/Socrates/Bartosz. His recent theatre credits include Small Island, This House, Macbeth, Market Boy and Royal Hunt of The Sun (National Theatre), Mumburger (Old Red Lion Theatre), Twelve Angry Men (Garrick Theatre), Responsible Other (Hampstead Theatre), Sixty-Six Books (Bush Theatre), Wittenberg (Gate Theatre), The English Game and Rough Crossings (UK tours) and Festen (Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith). His television credits include EastEnders (as series regular, P.C. Hargreaves), Jewels, White House Farm, Save Me, Class, Inspector George Gently, Trial & Retribution, Wire in The Blood and Touching Evil.

Troy Glasgow plays Darren/Young Maroon. His theatre credits include DNA, Babygirl, The Miracle, Harper Regan (National Theatre), There’s Only One Wayne Matthews (Sheffield Crucible), A Streetcar Named Desire (Young Vic/St Ann’s Warehouse, New York) and Fatal Attraction (UK tour). His television credits include The Bill (as series regular Ashley Morgan), The Day of the Triffids, Adulthood, London’s Burning, M.I.High, Mr Harvey Lights a Candle, Shoot the Messenger, Piggy and World War Z.

Claudia Grant plays Polly/Sophie. Her recent theatre credits include Harry Potter and The Cursed Child (original West End cast, Palace Theatre), The Noble Nine (Tewl Theatre), The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre), Swallows and Amazons (ChesterStoryhouse), Juicy and Delicious (Nuffield Theatre), Spring Awakening (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Nuffield Theatre), Scarborough (White Bear Theatre), A Beautiful Recitation of Pi (Whitechapel Theatre), Knives in Hens (Camden People’s Theatre) and The Lover (Finborough Theatre). Her television credits include An Adventure in Space and Time.

Nikita Johal plays Asma/Kelly. Her recent theatre credits include The World Goes ‘Round (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford), Princess Caraboo (Finborough Theatre), Children of Eden (Union Theatre), Spring Awakening (Hope Mill Theatre), The Snow Queen (Liverpool Everyman), Broken Wings (Charing Cross Theatre), Aladdin (Newbury Corn Exchange) and What the Ladybird Heard (The Palace/UK tour).

Scott Miller returns to the roles of Ryan/Colin. His recent theatre credits include War Horse (National Theatre), Dragon (National Theatre of Scotland) and Don Quixote (Òran Mór, Glasgow). His film credits include The Outrun, The Road Dance, Balance Not Symmetry and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

Jessica Murrain plays Author/Zaire/Queen Nanny. Her recent theatre credits include Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), A Christmas Carol (RSC), Peter Pan (National Theatre), The Last Dinosaur (The Herd Theatre, Hull), When the Daffodils (Orange Tree Theatre), King Lear (Duke of York’s Theatre), Messiah (Bristol Old Vic), The Wind in the Willows (Sherman Theatre), The Long Trick (WardrobeTheatre), Treasure Island (Hull Truck Theatre) Skate Hard Turn Left (Battersea Arts Centre), DIGS (Edinburgh Fringe), Butter and PLAY 15 (VAULT Festival), Richard III (Leeds Playhouse), Cinderella; A Fairytale (Unicorn Theatre/Tobacco Factory), Maybe I Should Freeze My Eggs (New Wimbledon Studio) and Off (Arcola Theatre). Her television credits include The Sandman and The Baby; and for film: I Used to Be Famous, Blonde.Purple and Romeo & Juliet.

Clare Perkins returns to the role of Alvita, The Wife of Willesden. She is currently shooting BODIES for Netflix, and recently wrapped WOOL for AMC studios and feature film EMBERS, directed by Christian Cooke. She was recently seen in Amazon fantasy series The Wheel of Time, The Offenders on the BBC and Apple’s Suspicion. She was previously seen in Netflix series Young Wallander as well as guest roles in The Crown and Flack. In theatre, she starred as the title role in Emilia, which played at the Vaudeville Theatre. Other extensive theatre work includes Welcome to Thebes at the National Theatre, Little Revolution at the Almeida Theatre, The Convert for the Gate Theatre, Mules with the Royal Court and Genesis Inc at the Hampstead Theatre. She is well known for playing series regular, Ava Hartman in BBC’s EastEnders. Other television credits include BBC’s Death in Paradise, Damned for Channel 4, Netflix’s Been So Long. In film, she can be seen in Ken Loach’s Ladybird, Secrets and Lies directed by Mike Leigh and Saul Dibb’s Bullet Boy. She’s also in Censor which has just been released in cinemas. She has been a member of BBC Radio Drama Company and played Mel in Westway which ran for 8 years on the BBC World Service.

Ellen Thomas returns to the roles of Aunty P/Old Wife. Her recent theatre credits include Moon on a Rainbow Shawl, Egusi Soup and Tiata Delights (Almeida Theatre), Statement of Regret, The American Clock and Fuente Ovejuna (National Theatre), The Estate (Soho Theatre), Blest Be the Tie (Royal Court Theatre), Twelfth Night (Royal Exchange, Manchester), A Bitter Herb (Bristol Old Vic), Amen Corner (Tricycle Theatre/Nottingham Playhouse), Sisters (Riverside Studios) and Twelfth Night (Birmingham Rep). Thomas is most well known for playing series regular Claudette Hubbard in Eastenders and series regular Liz Webbe in Teachers. Her other television credits include Casualty (as series regular Omo Masters), Mount Pleasant, Rev. and Coming of Age, Outnumbered, Critical, Humans, Losing It, Trial and Retribution, The Play’s The Thing, Active Defence; and for film: Johnny English Reborn, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris and Golden Years.

Zadie Smith is the author of the novels White Teeth, The Autograph Man, On Beauty, NW, and Swing Time, as well as three collections of essays, Intimations, Changing My Mind and Feel Free and the collection of short stories, Grand Union. Her novels have won multiple literary awards and been translated into many languages. White Teeth was adapted for the stage at the Kiln Theatre in 2018. She is a professor of fiction at New York University and writes regularly for the New Yorker and the New York Review of Books.

Indhu Rubasingham is Artistic Director of Kiln Theatre. Her work for the company includes The Invisible Hand, Pass Over, When the Crows Visit, Wife, White Teeth, Holy Sh!t, Red Velvet (which transferred to New York and later to the Garrick Theatre as part of the Kenneth Branagh Season) and Handbagged (winner of Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre – also West End, UK tour, Washington DC and New York). Other productions for Kiln Theatre include A Wolf in Snakeskin Shoes, Multitudes, The House That Will Not Stand, Paper Dolls, Women, Power and Politics, Stones in His Pockets, Detaining Justice, The Great Game: Afghanistan, Fabulation and Starstruck. Other theatre credits include The Father and The Assassin, The Great Wave, Ugly Lies the Bone, The Motherf**cker with the Hat (Evening Standard Award for Best Play), The Waiting Room (National Theatre), The Ramayana (National Theatre/ Birmingham Rep), Belong, Disconnect, Free Outgoing, Lift Off, Clubland, The Crutch and Sugar Mummies (Royal Court Theatre), Ruined (Almeida Theatre), Yellowman and Anna in the Tropics (Hampstead Theatre), Secret Rapture and The Misanthrope (Minerva, Chichester Festival Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Chichester Festival Theatre), Pure Gold (Soho Theatre), The No Boys Cricket Club and Party Girls (Theatre Royal Stratford East), Wuthering Heights (Birmingham REP), Heartbreak House (Watford Palace Theatre), Sugar Dollies and Shakuntala (Gate Theatre), A River Sutra (Three Mill Island Studios), Rhinoceros (UC Davis, California) and A Doll’s House (Young Vic).

Kiln Theatre                                                                                                                                              Listings

269 Kilburn High Road, London, UK, NW6 7JR

Box Office: 020 7328 1000

www.KilnTheatre.com

Tickets from £15

All tickets for first preview £15

Kiln Theatre: 14 December 2022 – 28 January 2023, Opening Night 20 December

A.R.T.: 25 February – 18 March 2023 (Press Night 1 March)

FUNDRAISING EVENING IN AID OF KILN THEATRE – Thursday 19 January, 7.30pm

Please join us at this special fundraising night in aid of Kiln Theatre. Tickets are £30-£80, and include a donation to our work. As a registered charity, we rely on donations from audience members and our community of supporters. All proceeds from the evening are in aid of Kiln Theatre. Your support helps us to create internationally renowned, innovative productions, to make theatre available to our local community and to connect everyone, whatever their background, through the power of storytelling.

Post Show Q&As Tue 10 Jan and Fri 27 Jan

Captioned Performance 23 January

Audio Described Performance 12 January

Under 26 – £10 (subject to availability).

Access, Over 65, Local, Student and Group rates available, for further details, please see the website.

Subsidised tickets

We offer free tickets and exclusive discounts to those who can’t afford to come. If you fit any of the below criteria, get in touch and we can help you get a ticket.

If you are homeless, out of work or receive Housing Benefits, Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance (valid ID, statements or proof universal tax credit will be required when collecting tickets).

Employees of NHS, Police Force, Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, The Coastguard, RNLI, Prison Officers or Social Care Workers (valid ID payslip and name badges will be required when collecting tickets).

Email [email protected]

FIRST LOOK AT THE NEW CAST OF MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY AT THE O2, LONDON

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, London’s premier dining experience, is delighted to reveal production photography of the new cast who have taken over Nikos Taverna on the Greek island of Skopelos.

The new cast includes Javier Rasero as Nikos, Scarlet Gabriel as Debbie, Luke Friend as Adam, Noah Sinigaglia as Konstantina, Rosie Rowlands as Bella (at certain performances), Jamie Birkett, Caline Hampartzoumian, Robban Hogstrom, and Maison Kelley. They join Lorraine Chappell, who will continue in the role of Kate, Dawn Spence as Grandma, Allie Ho Chee as Bella (at certain performances), Claudia Bradley and Ellis Dackombe. Tamara Perks will play the role of Nina, and Oscar Balmaseda will play Fernando.

The musicians are John Donovan, Luke Higgins, Kathryn Tindall, Steve Rushton and Luke Roberts.

Due to extraordinary demand, MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is now booking until Sunday 26 February 2023 at The O2, London. Tickets are on sale now.

Created by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is a unique and magical experience in a class of its own, bringing all ABBA’s hits to life more vividly than ever before! Over the course of four glittering hours, guests can immerse themselves in a spectacular musical extravaganza, a four-course Greek feast and an ABBA disco, all in one unforgettable evening of dancing, dining and singing!

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is set in a taverna on the beautiful Greek island of Skopelos, where most exteriors of the first MAMMA MIA! film were shot. Nikos and his wife Kate run this exotic and wonderful restaurant together with their family and friends. Told through dialogue and timeless ABBA songs, a warm, romantic and funny story evolves and unfolds during the evening, taking place around the guests as they enjoy a gourmet Greek meal. The evening ends with a 1970s disco, where audience members are welcome to stay to sing and dance to ABBA recordings.

Food is at the heart of the experience and a menu has been created that delivers the finest Greece has to offer, made from the best, freshest ingredients. Guests are served a traditional mezze followed by the iconic Greek salad of fresh tomatoes, cucumber and feta. The main course of confit lamb shoulder and slow-cooked beef is served with roasted garlic potatoes, courgette peperonata, romesco and aromatic jus. For vegetarian and vegan guests, there is roasted cauliflower with a lemon-herb dressing served alongside a tomato stuffed with lentil ragout. A sumptuous Greek lemon cake served with confit orange skin and citrus yoghurt is the perfect end to this delicious meal. Vegan guests are served traditional loukoumades, delicious dough balls accompanied by a sweet fig jam.

Guests can get the ultimate MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY experience with one of the available packages. The Platinum Package provides a Tier A ticket in a prime location, a cast meet & greet with a tableside photo opportunity, champagne on arrival, half a bottle of wine and a MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY merchandise party pack. Guests can also upgrade their existing booking by adding the VIP upgrade package, taking their experience to the next level with champagne on arrival, half a bottle of Nikos house wine and a MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY merchandise party pack. 

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY has music and lyrics by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus (some songs with Stig Anderson), and a story by Calle Norlén, Roine Söderlundh and Björn Ulvaeus, with the English book by writer, comedian and broadcaster Sandi Toksvig.

The London version of MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY, which originally opened in Stockholm in January 2016, is co-directed and choreographed by Stacey Haynes and Roine Söderlundh, with set designed by Bengt Fröderberg, lighting designed by Patrick Woodroffe, sound designed by Gareth Owen, costumes designed by Annsofi Nyberg, music supervision by Robin Svensson and casting by David Grindrod CDG for Grindrod Burton Casting.

MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY is executively produced by Björn Ulvaeus and produced by Sally Davies for U-Live.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE NATIONAL THEATRE’S CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED

THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE,

TOURING UK AND IRELAND,

FROM DECEMBER 2022 UNTIL SEPTEMBER 2023

• NATIONAL PRESS NIGHTS WILL BE HELD ON 20 DECEMBER 2022 AT THE LOWRY, SALFORD AND 25 JANUARY 2023 AT NEW VICTORIA THEATRE, WOKING
   
• TOURING TO 29 VENUES ACROSS 40 WEEKS, INCLUDING 5 THEATRE NATION PARTNERS, THE LARGEST TOUR MOUNTED BY THE NATIONAL THEATRE SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Casting is announced for the National Theatre’s critically-acclaimed production of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, based on the best-selling novel by Neil Gaiman. Adapted by Joel Horwood and directed by Katy Rudd, this thrilling adventure of fantasy, myth and friendship will visit 29 towns and cities, across the UK and Ireland, from 12 December 2022 until 30 September 2023.

The cast includes, Daniel Cornish (alternate Boy), Trevor Fox (Dad), Emma-Jane Goodwin (understudy), Paolo Guidi (ensemble), Millie Hikasa (Lettie Hempstock), Lewis Howard (understudy), Kemi-Bo Jacobs (Ginnie Hempstock), Ronnie Lee (ensemble), Aimee McGoldrick (ensemble), Laurie Ogden (Sis), Keir Ogilvy (Boy), Domonic Ramsden (ensemble), Joe Rawlinson-Hunt (understudy), Risha Silvera (understudy) and Finty Williams (Old Mrs Hempstock).  Further casting to be announced.

National Theatre Director, Rufus Norris said: “We are delighted to be returning to nationwide touring with this spellbinding production of Neil Gaiman’s hit fantasy novel. Joel Horwood, Katy Rudd and their formidable creative team have created such a special show that appeals to all ages and beautifully showcases the magic of live performance. Before the pandemic over 50% of the National Theatre’s audience was seeing our work outside the capital, and so it is a pleasure to share this much-loved story with theatres and audiences across the UK and Ireland and to reconnect with them once again through live theatre.”

Daniel Cornish’s previous theatre credits include A Certain Term and The Good Scout. Trevor Fox has previously appeared in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and My Brilliant Friend for the National Theatre. Emma-Jane Goodwin was previously in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the National Theatre and in the West End. Paolo Guidi most recently was part of a new movement film Torch for Frantic Assembly. Millie Hikasa made her professional debut with the NT this summer in Jack Absolute Flies Again after graduating from ArtsEd this year. Lewis Howard’s previous theatre credits include War Horse. Kemi-Bo Jacobs has performed for the Royal Shakespeare Company and appeared on TV in The Letter for the King and The Great. Ronnie Lee’s previous theatre includes Harry Potter and Cursed Child. Aimee McGoldrick’s recent theatre credits include A Walk is Not Just a Walk at Lyric Theatre Belfast. Laurie Ogden has previously toured with Napoli, Brooklyn and appeared in Great Expectations for BBC. Keir Ogilvy will be making his touring debut with the National Theatre. Domonic Ramsden’s previous theatre credits include War Horse. Joe Rawlinson-Hunt recently toured with The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Risha Silvera will be making her touring debut with the NT. Finty Williams recent theatre credits include The Key Workers Cycle and The Chalk Circle and for TV she was a series regular in The A List.

Neil Gaiman is known for his graphic novels, including The Sandman series (a major new Netflix series which in its first 10 days was watched for over 198 million hours by audiences around the world); his novels for adults and children including Stardust, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book; and multiple film and television projects including Good Omens and Anansi Boys. The Ocean at the End of the Lane was the winner of the Book of the Year at the 2013 National Book Awards and has sold more than 1.2 million copies worldwide. This first major stage adaptation of his work blends magic with memory in a tour-de-force of storytelling that takes audiences on an epic journey to a childhood once forgotten and the darkness that lurks at the very edge of it.

Returning to his childhood home, a man finds himself standing beside the pond of the old Sussex farmhouse where he used to play. He’s transported to his 12th birthday when his remarkable friend Lettie claimed it wasn’t a pond, but an ocean – a place where everything is possible…

Plunged into a magical world, their survival depends on their ability to reckon with ancient forces that threaten to destroy everything around them.

An award-winning creative team join Katy Rudd (Camp Siegfried and Eureka Day, Old Vic) and Joel Horwood (E4’s Skins; I Want My Hat Back, National Theatre); with set design by Fly Davis (Beginning, National Theatre; Caroline or Change, Chichester Festival Theatre, West End, Broadway) and costume and puppet design by Samuel Wyer (The Wizard of Oz, Birmingham Rep; Wolf Witch Giant Fairy, Royal Opera House). Movement direction is by Steven Hoggett (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, National Theatre, West End, Broadway; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West End, Broadway and internationally), composition by Jherek Bischoff (collaborators include David Byrne and Amanda Palmer), lighting design is by Paule Constable (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, National Theatre, West End; The Normal Heart, National Theatre), sound design by Ian Dickinson for Autograph (Angels in America, National Theatre and Broadway; Small Island, National Theatre), magic and illusions direction and design by Jamie Harrison (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, West End; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, West End, Broadway and internationally) and puppetry direction by Finn Caldwell (Life of Pi, Sheffield Crucible, West End; War Horse, National Theatre). Tour casting is by Naomi Downham. The associate creative team include, Sophie Dillon Moniram as associate director, Tim Blazdell as associate set designer, Jess Williams as associate movement director, Rob Casey for Ammonite and Tom Turner as associate lighting designers, Chris Reid as associate sound designer, John Bulleid as magic and illusions associate, and Gareth Aled as associate puppetry director.

The tour will open at The Lowry in Salford where it will play over Christmas (12 December 2022 – 8 January 2023), before visiting New Victoria Theatre, Woking (24 – 28 January); Leicester Curve (31 January – 11 February); Theatre Royal Plymouth (14 – 25 February); Sunderland Empire (28 February – 4 March); Theatre Royal Bath (7 – 18 March); Grand Opera House, Belfast (21 – 25 March); Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (28 March – 1 April); The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (4 – 8 April); New Wimbledon Theatre (11 – 15 April); Edinburgh Festival Theatre (18 – 22 April); Liverpool Empire (2 – 6 May); Sheffield Lyceum Theatre (9 – 20 May); The Alexandra, Birmingham (23 – 27 May); Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (30 May – 3 June); Nottingham Theatre Royal (6 – 17 June); New Theatre, Oxford (20 – 24 June); Milton Keynes Theatre (27 June – 1 July); Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (4 – 8 July); Newcastle Theatre Royal (11 – 22 July); Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (25 – 29 July); Cliffs Pavilion, Southend (8 – 12 August); Bristol Hippodrome (15 – 19 August); His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (22 – 26 August); King’s Theatre, Glasgow (29 August – 2 September); Norwich Theatre Royal (5 – 9 September); Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (12 – 16 September); Hall for Cornwall, Truro (19 – 23 September) and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (26 – 30 September).

Assisted performances are available at every venue across the tour, with a Relaxed Performance added to the existing access performance schedule on 28 September 2023 at 2:30pm Wolverhampton Grand Theatre. Check individual venue websites for full details.

Touring for a total of 40 weeks, including 5 Theatre Nation Partner venues, this is the largest tour mounted by the National Theatre since before the COVID-19 pandemic.  This UK and Ireland tour follows a celebrated six-month run of The Ocean at the End of the Lane at the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End, which opened in 2021 after the production received its world premiere in the Dorfman Theatre in 2019.

Sunderland Empire – until 15 October 2022

Reviewed by Alex Sykes

3***

I saw Strictly Ballroom when it was in the West End in 2018.  I really enjoyed that production, so I was looking forward to seeing the show at Sunderland Empire.

Set in Australia in the 1990’s, Strictly Ballroom tells the tale of Scott Hastings who dares to dance his own steps.  Jeopardising his chances of winning the Pan-Pacific Grand Prix Dancing Championship, something his mum Shirley (Nikki Belsher) and dance partner Les (Quinn Patrick) have had him working towards since he was 6.  Scott’s partner Liz (Agnes Pure) leaves him and the plan is to get him dancing with Tina Sparkles (Danielle Cato).  Enter Fran (Maisie Smith) , a novice but willing to learn and happy to do their own steps.  When Scott follows Fran home, her Abuela (the excellent Karen Mann) and father Rico (the sublime Jose Agudo) teach him the Paso Doble, encouraging him to feel the rhythm.  But Australian Dance Federation Head, Barry Fife (Gary Davis) is against any kind of individuality and insists innovative dance routines will be banned.

In the West End version, Will Young played the character of Wally Strand who narrated the show, moving the characters along and singing the vast majority of the songs.  Wally is missing from this version, which could explain why it didn’t seem to move along as well as it could.

I’m hoping it’s just teething problems for the negatives but there are many.  Both Kevin Clifton and Maisie Smith can dance, they are amazing, and they can both sing but neither seemed to have the vocal strength to carry a musical.  In fact it was very difficult to hear them, especially Smith – whether this was down to the sound problem that persisted throughout the show I don’t know.  The live band (Dustin Conrad, Catherine Benson, Ryan Webber, Aidan Platts, Danny Newell and Hannah Corcoran) were excellent but loud, drowning out the majority of the singing – again this may be down to the sound problem.  In fact the whole cast seemed to shouting the dialogue instead of acting it.  The video screen at the back, setting the scene, had pixels all over the place during Act 1 but this was sorted by Act 2.  And for reasons I didn’t understand, whilst Scott lived in 1990’s Australia – it would appear Fran lived in 1940’s Latin America

But let’s get to the positives.  Lydia Hardimans costumes are fantastic.  Craig Revel Horwood and Jason Gilkinson’s choreography is FAB-U-LOUS, but I would expect nothing else.  The last scene of Act 1 is one of the best showstoppers I have seen; quite literally a superlative masterclass of the Paso Doble.  Jose Aguado and company fully deserved the standing ovation.

Hopefully the problems will be ironed out and the show can continue on tour to rave reviews, because I’m sure there is a brilliant show in there just waiting to waltz its way out there

SHAUN THE SHEEP COMES HOME FOR CHRISTMAS… WITH A LIVE ORCHESTRA!

Carrot Productions, in partnership with Aardman, is pleased to announce the world premiere of Shaun the Sheep in Concert with live orchestra.

This exciting new concert will take place at Wills Memorial Grand Hall on Sunday 27^th November 2022. Tickets go on sale today, Tuesday 11^th October, at 10am.

Shaun the Sheep in Concert is a baa-rilliant romp through Shaun’s life and adventures, featuring a professional orchestra comprising some of the country’s top musicians drawn from orchestras including the Hallé, BBC Philharmonic, and BBC Concert amongst others. For one night, and one night only, the orchestra has been appropriately renamed Mossy Bottom Philharmonic!

Shaun the Sheep, Aardman‘s family-favourite TV series, is well-known around the world for its slapstick humour, distinct visual style, and strong, quirky characters, and is enjoyed across multiple media platforms. Shaun first appeared in Nick Park’s Academy Award®-winning Wallace & Gromit film ‘A Close Shave’ in 1995, and then went on to star in his own BBC series in 2007.

Shaun is a sheep who deviates from the herd. In fact, he drags them into scrapes and scraps, turning the valley’s peace into mayhem in the meadow! It’s no surprise, then, that things go wrong at the concert, when Bitzer’s whistle mysteriously vanishes. It appears that one of the musicians is the perpetrator, so help will be needed to figure out who did the dastardly deed.

Rachel Whibley, Managing Director of Carrot Productions said, ”We are thrilled to have created this brand new Shaun the Sheep show in partnership with Aardman, and we are especially delighted to be holding the premiere in their home city, Bristol. A highlight is sure to be The Flight Before Christmas, performed with live orchestra for the first time ever, but with so much more included in the show – including a visit from Shaun himself – it’s sure to be a hit with all ages.”

Ngaio Harding-Hill, Head of Attractions & Live Experiences at Aardman, said,“Aardman is delighted to be partnering with Carrot Productions to bring our Shaun the Sheep seasonal classic – The Flight Before Christmas – alongside lots of new Shaun content to live audiences in this festive, orchestral show.  We hope the show will become an annual tradition with family audiences, following our successful partnership with Carrot Productions, delivering Wallace & Gromit in Concert to global audiences.”

Book today to see this laugh-out-loud show suitable for the whole family.

A Shaun the Sheep model-making workshop with an Aardman expert is also available to concert ticket holders. A fun, hands-on session for both children and adults.

WILTON’S MUSIC HALL ANNOUNCE JANUARY – APRIL 2023 SEASON

·      London Premiereof The City and The Town, by Anders Lustgarten

·      New Reinvigoration of Gilbert and Sullivan’s, Ruddigore directed by Peter Benedict

·      Sell-out Return of Charlie and Stan from Told by an Idiot as part of LIMF

·      New Show Jarman from Mark Farrelly

·      New Distillation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth from The Faction

·      Edinburgh Fringe transfer for Paris from Piaf to Pop

Wilton’s Music Hall are delighted to announce their 2023 spring season, following on from a stellar year of world class theatre and music productions.  Next year’s January-April season is no different, as the oldest surviving grand music hall teams up with several prestigious production companies to host a range of exciting theatre, music, opera, spoken word, and cabaret.

Kicking off the 2023 season smash-hit produced by Seabright Productions Ltd Buffy Revamped [9-13 January] returns to Wilton’s. This show is the perfect parody for Buffy aficionados and those who never enrolled at Sunnydale High alike bringing the entire 7 seasons of the hit 90s TV show Buffy the Vampire Slayer in just 70 minutes, as told through the eyes of the one person who knows it inside out…Spike. Highly satirical and bursting with pop-culture references, its creator Brendan Murphy recently won Best Play at the Worldwide Comedy Awards for Friend: The One with Gunther.

Next up a rather magical comedy musical inspired by real life events, Told by an Idiot’s acclaimed production of Charlie and Stan [18January-04 February]. This is the remarkable story of the greatest double act that nearly was and is a hilarious, charming, and deeply moving homage to two men Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, who changed the world of comedy forever. The enticing live piano score is by composer Zoe Rahman and is aided by the odd ditty (song arrangements by Sophie Cotton) and clever projected captions will take the audience back to the heydays of Victorian music hall and Hollywood silent pictures. There couldn’t be a more perfect venue for this glorious show.

Making its UK premiere at Wilton’s Music Hall (following previews at Hull Truck and Northern Stage) is a new play by Anders Lustgarten, The City and The Town [21–25 February]. Directed by Dritero Kasapi this funny and eclectic production is a uniquely political piece of theatre that brings a fresh perspective to some of the political divides and problems facing our country today. When Ben returns home to his father’s funeral after 13 years away, he is confronted with uncomfortable truths about the past, present, and future of the community and the family he grew up in and left behind. A poignant must-see amid our current political climate.

Dead Poets Live returns to Wilton’s for three nights of An Evening of Sylvia Plath [07-09 February], starring the award-winning actor, Denise Gough. Sixty years on from Sylvia Plath’s death, this show retraces the exhilarating, breath-taking, and nail-biting ascent that Plath made, with her most authoritative and riveting poetry, some of which was written in her final months.

Multi award-winning and critically acclaimed ensemble The Faction bring their reputation for bold, innovative reimagining of the classics to create a dazzling and new distillation of Shakespeare’s fast paced tragedy Macbeth [14-18 February]. Performed entirely by two actors, Macbeth / Partners of Greatness presents Shakespeare’s play from the perspective of the Macbeths themselves.  Bound by an unspeakable loss, the inseparable pair share their ambition to take what they feel life owes them. Together, they experience the joy and terror of doing the unthinkable.

For one night only, one of the most well-loved movies BUSTER KEATON in Steamboat Bill Jr. (1928) [28 February] plus shorts is presented by The Lucky Dog Picturehouse with a live piano score by the incredible Tom Temple Marlow. More music-filled nights are provided by Carradine’s Cockney Sing-along [01 & 04 March], which celebrates seven years of sell-out performances at Wilton’s with piano-playing host Tom Carradine returning for two uproarious evenings of song. Tom will lead in a traditional East End sing-along, for a good old-fashioned knees-up. And OneTrackMinds [02-03 March] makes a welcome return to Wilton’s with another vibrant selection of writers, thinkers, and musicians, each presenting a thought-provoking story about a transformational piece of music that has made a difference to their life changed their life. A life storytelling event that is a fascinating fusion of Desert Island Discs, The Moth Radio Hour and TED Talks.

Wilton’s is thrilled to be welcoming back the extraordinary genius that is writer and actor Mark Farrelly, with his vibrant new play Jarman [07,09 & 10 March]. In it he tells the story of filmmaker, painter, gardener, gay activist, and writer Derek Jarman, one of the most extraordinary lives ever lived. The play pays tribute to one of the UK’s most iconoclastic artists is an enthralling and at times distressing, but honest journey of Jarman’s life, from Prospect Cottage in Dungeness to deepest, brightest Soho. Mark Farrelly will also bring his masterful and uplifting play Naked Hope [08 and 11 March] giving the audience at Wilton’s Music Hall another chance of an up-close encounter with the original Englishman in New York, and one of the most memorable figures of the twentieth century, Quentin Crisp.

Not to be missed Oracle Productions presents a brand-new reinvigoration of Gilbert and Sullivan’s surreal comedy meets spooky melodrama Ruddigore [14–25 March]. Directed by Peter Benedict (Mapp & Lucia – The Musical and Terry Pratchett’s Guards! Guards!), expect all the familiar Gilbert and Sullivan’s elements: cheeky social satire, comic pathos and people singing faster than humanly possible – but with a seasoning of sinister spectres and splattering of visual surprises.

And the season will conclude with the smash-hit sell out show at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Paris from Piaf to Pop [28 March- 01 April] from award winning chanteuse, Christine Bovill, who is one of Europe’s finest interpreters of French song and no stranger to Wilton’s.  This show offers a sexy and delicious celebration of the Golden Age of French song and how it evolved during the Swinging Sixties. With her effortless vocals, singing in both French and English, Christine honours Edith Piaf, Jacques Brel, Serge Gainsbourg and Francoise Hardy, with a golden selection of musical numbers which will undoubtedly take the audiences breath away.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

A CHRISTMAS CAROL

By Charles Dickens
A new version by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Music by Eamonn O’Dwyer
Lyrics by Eamonn O’Dwyer & Morgan Lloyd Malcolm
Directed by Rosie Jones
Set & Costume Design by Frankie Bradshaw

A Rose Original Production

2 December 2022 – 2 January 2023

Rose Theatre today announces casting for Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, adapted by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, with music by Eamonn O’Dwyer and directed by Rosie Jones. Penny Layden will play the role of Ebenezer Scrooge joined by Killian Macardle (Bob Cratchit / Marley / Fezziwig), Natasha Magigi (Mrs Cratchit/Pawnbroker), Elexi Walker (Dickens) and Lizzie Winkler (Elizabeth/Ghost of Christmas Present). A Christmas Carol runs from 2 December 2022, until 2 January 2023.

The cast also features forty young people from Rose Youth Theatre who will perform in two alternate casts.  The Rose Youth Theatre company includes: Viola Johnson, Lily Rowell (Maud), Jemima Leason, Luke Groarke (Jojo), Alex Forster, Amelie Abbott (Robin), Jacob Towey, Tom Hardman (Fred), Isobel Whurr, Chloe Nichols (Ghost of Christmas Past), Scarlett Coburn, Ellie Searle (Young Ebbie), Benjamin Haxton, Elliot Shepherd (Young Edmund), Cathra Plant, Isla Griffiths (Young Fan), Holly Schofield, Penny Bennet (Apprentice Scrooge/Ricky), Darcey Abel, Jasmine Procter–Tarabanov (Allie/Martha Cratchit), Amelia Forster, Silvia Shea (Eddie/Ernie Cratchit), Isabella Quijano, Alice Young (Spike/Vic Cratchit), Jack Fernie, Skylar Muwonge (Caroline), Sally Page, Summer Toibayeva (Micky), Audrey Johnston, Sam Step (Alex/Stevie), Louie McKillop, Max Middleton (Billy), Florence Datta, Tait Walsingham (Jack), Ted Cullen, Nico Ozag (Frankie/August), Jasmine Duman, Atticus Wright (Kit), Ren Walsingham (Bobby).

Further casting and full creative team is to be announced.

Morgan Lloyd Malcolm said: “I am so excited to have had the chance to make this show. I adore the original story and making a version for the Rose Theatre with its rich tradition of including a large ensemble of young people has been such a fun exercise in joy and Christmassy vibes!  The whole creative team are so brilliant and this will be a festive feast for audiences young and old.”

It’s a cold Christmas Eve on the snowy streets of Victorian London, and preparations for another Christmas are well underway – but not for Ebenezer Scrooge. The cruellest, wealthiest woman in town; Scrooge hates charity, she hates carol singers, and most of all… she hates Christmas. Bah, humbug!

Join Charles Dickens and the children of the town, as they take Scrooge on a time-bending, enchanting journey of self-discovery to confront her past, present and future. Can Scrooge open her heart to undo years of misdeeds before it’s too late?

From Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, writer of the Olivier Award-winning Emilia, comes a brand-new retelling of Charles Dickens’ timeless classic.  With all new songs by Eamonn O’Dwyer (Beauty and the Beast) and directed by Rosie Jones (Hansel & Gretel), step into this heart-warming tale of generosity and forgiveness, and experience the spirit of Christmas with the whole family.

This Rose Original Production features a wealth of local talent from the Rose Youth Theatre performing alongside a professional cast.

Announcing the opening production at the new

Ian McKellen Theatre at Saint Stephens

A  Christmas season of ‘The Nutcracker’

to Tchaikovsky’s  wonderful music

by Olivier Award-winning director Peter Schaufuss

The Ian McKellen Theatre at Saint Stephens in Edinburgh will open in December with a stunning new ballet production of ‘The Nutcracker’ to Tchaikovsky’s wonderful music by Olivier Award-winning director Peter Schaufuss.

The only ‘Nutcracker’ performances in Edinburgh this Christmas will star Johan Christensen as the Prince and Katie Rose, leading a company from Edinburgh Festival Ballet.

Danish ballet star Johan shared the role of Hamlet with Sir Ian McKellen and Katie Rose was Ophelia in Peter Schaufuss’s record-breaking production of ‘Hamlet’, that proved to be the hottest ticket at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe seen by a capacity audience of 13,000.

Named Best Event Theatre at the Fringe by Theatre Weekly, the dance version of ‘Hamlet’ launched the 450-seat Ashton Hall at Saint Stephens Edinburgh, a new all-year performance venue in the Scottish capital from the legendary dance producer, director and choreographer, Peter Schaufuss, and named after the famous choreographer, the late Sir Frederick Ashton.

Schaufuss, who directed and choreographed ‘Hamlet, said: “Since the Fringe we have created a second 300-seat theatre at St Stephens, underneath the Ashton Hall, and I am delighted that Ian has accepted our offer to name the venue in his honour.

Tickets go on sale today for the ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet, which runs from 16 – 23 December.

Johan Christensen  (The Prince in ‘The Nutcracker’)

Johan Christensen was born in West Jutland in Denmark and joined the prestigious Royal Danish Ballet School as a child prodigy. He performed many of the children’s roles on stage, including the title role Peter in Sergei Prokofiev’s much loved ‘Peter and the Wolf’ and the Prince in the magical ‘Nutcracker’ production by Alexei Ratmansky.

During his schooling Johan was trained in the unique, to the Royal Danish Ballet, style of August Bournonville and participated in the 200th anniversary of the choreographers birth in 2005,
appearing in all the important children’s roles in the ballets presented during this the 3rd Bournonville Festival celebrations. After further extending his education at the world renowned choreographer John Neumeier’s school in Hamburg he joined Peter Schaufuss Ballet at only 16 as a dancer in 2008.

In the following years Johan developed and danced in the whole company repertoire including many leading roles such as the prince in Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake’, ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘The Nutcracker’ with great acclaim.  

In 2012 he danced the title role in Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ to Sir John Gielgud’s famous soliloquies and Tybalt in Sir Frederick Ashton’s legendary production of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev in performances in London.

However, in 2019 his career turned full circle as he returned working with Peter Schaufuss as the founding Principal of Edinburgh Festival Ballet School.

At the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe he shared the role of ‘Hamlet’ with Ian McKellen to great acclaim.

Peter Schaufuss

Peter Schaufuss was quite literally brought up in the theatre and is an Olivier, Evening Standard and Edinburgh Critic’s Award-winning choreographer, teacher, director and widely recognized as one of the most talented male dancers on the international stage.

In a stellar career he has performed with the most celebrated ballerinas of his time at all major ballet companies, and staged upwards of 100 productions worldwide. He has had ballets and choreography specifically created for him by the likes of Sir Kenneth McMillan, George Balanchine, Roland Petit, Sir Frederick Ashton, among others.

Peter has also been the director of ‘English National Ballet’, ‘Berlin Ballet’ at the German Opera Berlin and ‘Royal Danish Ballet’. He is the Founder of the ‘English National Ballet School’, the ‘Peter Schaufuss Ballet & School’ and the ‘Royal Danish Ballet School in Holstebro’.

Peter has had his own Emmy Award nominated television programme ‘Dancer’ for the BBC as well as built ‘Black Box Theatre’ to his design, in Denmark, which is his native country.

LISTINGS INFO

The Nutcracker
a ballet for all the family
by Tchaikovsky

by Olivier Award-winning
director Peter Schaufuss

A Christmas treat for the whole family

The only Nutcracker performances in Edinburgh this Christmas!

with
Johan Christensen as the Prince

16 – 23 December
at 4pm and 7pm

Ian McKellen Theatre at
Saint Stephens
105 St Stephen Street,
Edinburgh
EH3 5AB

Tickets:
General Seating
This ticket is for an unreserved seat for the performance
£27.22 each
£25.00 + £2.22 booking fee

Children (under 12)
£13.82 each
£12.50 + £1.32 booking fee

Family Ticket
Includes 2 adults & 2 children
£64.74 each
£60.00 + £4.74 booking fee

Priority Ticket
This ticket is for a reserved seat for the performance
£34.72 each
£32.00 + £2.72 booking fee

Tickets can be booked here: https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/events/edinburgh-festival-ballet/nutcracker/