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MGC today announces the full company for their production of Orlando – joining Emma Corrin, in the title role, are Deborah Findlay (Mrs Grimsditch), Jessica Alade (Virginia, Drunken Tory), Debra Baker (Virginia, Favilla, The Captain), Akuc Bol (Virginia, Euphrosyne, Prue), Lucy Briers (Virginia, Queen Elizabeth, Officer), Richard Cant (Virginia, Harriet, Kitty), Melissa Lowe (Virginia, Drunken Tory), Jodie McNee (Virginia, Marmaduke), Oliver Wickham (Virginia, Clorinda), and Millicent Wong (Virginia, Sasha, Nell). Michael Grandage’s production opens at the Garrick Theatre on 5 December 2022, with previews from 26 November, and runs until 25 February 2023.

The production sees Emma Corrin returning to the London stage as the title role in Orlando, from the novel by Virginia Woolf in a new version by Neil Bartlett. Michael Grandage directs, reuniting him with Corrin, following their recent collaboration on the feature film My Policeman for Amazon.

Continuing their commitment to accessible ticket prices across their productions, MGC will have over 10,000 £10 tickets available across the run.

MGC and Sand and Snow Entertainment present

ORLANDO

FROM THE NOVEL BY VIRGINIA WOOLF

ADAPTED BY NEIL BARTLETT

Cast: Emma Corrin (Orlando), Deborah Findlay (Mrs Grimsditch), Jessica Alade (Virginia, Drunken Tory), Debra Baker (Virginia, Favilla, The Captain), Akuc Bol (Virginia, Euphrosyne, Prue), Lucy Briers (Virginia, Queen Elizabeth, Officer), Richard Cant (Virginia, Harriet, Kitty), Melissa Lowe (Virginia, Drunken Tory), Jodie McNee (Virginia, Marmaduke), Oliver Wickham (Virginia, Clorinda), and Millicent Wong (Virginia, Sasha, Nell)

Direction: Michael Grandage; Set and Costume Design: Peter McKintosh;

Lighting Design: Howard Hudson; Composer and Sound Designer: Alex Baranowski;

Movement: Ben Wright; Associate Director: Anna Girvan; Casting: Jacob Sparrow

26 November 2022 – 25 February 2023

Garrick Theatre

“Nothing is any longer one thing”

Orlando tells a story like no other. Born in the reign of Elizabeth 1st, its hero-heroine journeys through five centuries and a myriad of encounters in search of the answer to just one question; how do any of us find the courage to truly be ourselves?

Michael Grandage directs Emma Corrin in Neil Bartlett’s joyous new adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s modern masterpiece – Orlando. 

Leading an eleven-strong company in a bold new staging, Olivier Award nominee Emma Corrin returns to London’s West End in one of the most surprising stories in the English language.An inspiring vision of all bodies having equal rights to love. 

Orlando opens at the Garrick Theatre this November for a strictly limited season.

Emma Corrin returns to the stage to play Orlando, following their Olivier Award and The Stage Debut Award nominated performance in Anna X (Harold Pinter Theatre).For television, their credits include playing Lady Diana Spencer in the award-winning The Crown -for which they won a Golden Globe and Critics Choice Award, as well as receiving a SAG and Emmy nomination. They will star in the upcoming films My Policeman and Lady Chatterley’s Lover, and limited-series Retreat.

Deborah Findlay plays Mrs Grimsditch. Her extensive theatre work includes Allelujah! (Bridge Theatre), for the Royal Court Theatre – Escaped Alone (also BAM), The Children (also Broadway – Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play), Top Girls (also Broadway – won OBIE), and Tom and Viv; for the National Theatre – Rules for Living, Timon of Athens, The Mandate, Mother Clap’s Molly House, The Winter’s Tale, Stanley (also NY; Best Supporting Actress Olivier Award, Outstanding Performance NY Drama League); for the Donmar Warehouse – Coriolanus, Moonlight, Madame de Sade (Donmar West End), John Gabriel Borkman, The Cut (Olivier nomination for Best Supporting Actress) and The Vortex (Donmar Warehouse); The Glass Menagerie (Young Vic), The Winslow Boy (The Old Vic), Separate Tables (Chichester Festival Theatre), Like a Fishbone, Keyboard Skills, Commitments (Bush Theatre), Vincent River (59E59, New York), The Threesome, Cinderella and Her Sisters (Lyric Hammersmith), Tongue of a Bird, Hedda Gabler (Almeida Theatre), The Clandestine Marriage, The House of Bernarda Alba (West End), The School for Scandal, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, The New Inn, Three Sisters (RSC), Macbeth (Nuffield Southampton), and As You Like It and King Lear (Oxford Playhouse and UK tour). For television, her work includes The Split – as series regular Ruth Defoe, The Drowning, Collateral, Lovesick, High and Dry, Lambert, Life in Squares, Kaijser, Coalition, Starlings, Leaving, Torchwood, The Good Samaritan, This Life – 10 Years On, State of Play, Anna Karenina, and Wives and Daughters; and for film, Making Noise Quietly, Hampstead, Jackie, The Lady in the Van, Arthur Christmas, Vanity Fair, The End of the Affair and Truly Madly Deeply.

Jessica Alade plays Virginia, Drunken Tory. Her theatre credits include Hamlet (National Theatre); and for television, Showtrial, Buffering and I Hate Suzie. 

Debra Baker plays Virginia, Favilla, The Captain. For theatre, her work includes SAD (Omnibus Theatre, Clapham), The Witchfinder’s Sister (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Big Guns (Yard Theatre), Home Theatre (Theatre Royal Stratford East), and Radiant Vermin (Soho Theatre and New York).For television, her work includes It’s a Sin, King Gary, Home, Call The Midwife, Sliced, Close to the Enemy, The Five, and Phoneshop; and for film, Re-Awakening, Body of Water, London Road, Lie Low, and Night Bus.

Akuc Bol plays Virginia, Euphrosyne, An Irish Debutante, Prue. Her theatre work includes Peter Pan, Attempts on Her Life, Julius Caesar, Philistines (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland), Mirthidate, Suréna (Conservatoire National Supériuer d’Art Dramatique), Bite Your Tongue (Talawa Theatre Company), Hamlet (RADA Youth Theatre), The Mini Dream, Encourage the Others (Almeida Theatre),and Banana Boys, Fisheress, God is a DJ, and Class of ’09 (Hampstead Theatre).For television, her work includes London Kills, Messiah, and The Dumping Ground; and for film, The Swimmers.

Lucy Briers plays Virginia, Queen Elizabeth, Officer. Her theatre work includes All of Us (National Theatre), Rosmersholm (Duke of York’s Theatre – Winner of Clarence Derwent Award 2019), Wild East (Young Vic), Forty Years On, The Seagull, Ivanov (Chichester Festival Theatre), Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, Ivanov and Top Girls (West End), Bedroom Farce, Miss Julie (Rose Theatre Kingston), Some Kind of Bliss (Trafalgar Studios/Brits Off Broadway), Catch (Royal Court Theatre), The Voysey Inheritance (National Theatre), and Teeth ‘n’ Smiles, Don Juan, and As You Like It (Sheffield Theatres).Her television work includes House of the Dragon, Home, Endeavour, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pride & Prejudice, Count Arthur Strong, Press, Mrs Wilson, Gentleman Jack, Victoria, The Thick of it, and Twenty Twelve; and for film, My Policeman, Emma, The Show, Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, and Genius.

Richard Cant plays Virginia, Harriet, Kitty. For theatre, his work includes Handbagged, Wife (Kiln Theatre), The Normal Heart, Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear (National Theatre), Talent (Sheffield Theatres), After Edward, Edward the Second (Shakespeare’s Globe), Maydays, Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing (RSC), Saint Joan (Donmar Warehouse), My Night with Reg (Donmar Warehouse/Apollo Theatre), Medea (Almeida Theatre), The Trial (Young Vic), War Horse (New London Theatre), Salome (Headlong), Troilus and Cressida, Cymbeline (Cheek by Jowl), Original Sin, The Country Wife (Sheffield Theatres), Other People (Royal Court Theatre), Pera Palas (Gate Theatre), The Canterbury Tales (Garrick Theatre) and Charley’s Aunt (York Theatre Royal). His television credits include The Crown, It’s a Sin, Silent Witness, Taboo, Outlander, Bleak House and The Way We Live Now; and for film, My Policeman, Mary Queen of Scots, Stan and Ollie, Sparkle, (Past Present Future) Imperfect and The Lawless Heart.

Melissa Lowe plays Virginia, Drunken Tory. Their theatre credits include A Billion Times I Love You (Liverpool Everyman Theatre), Hungry (Soho Theatre/ ROUNDABOUT @ Summerhall – Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Gypsy (Royal Exchange Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds), The Importance of Being Earnest (Octagon Theatre Bolton), The Cat in the Hat (Leicester Curve and UK tour) and Me and My Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre). Their television work includes The Midwich Cuckoos.

Jodie McNee plays Virginia, Footman, Marmaduke. Her theatre credits include Adult Children (Donmar Warehouse), Unprecedented: Fear Fatigue, Faustus: The Damned Woman (Headlong), Venice Preserved, Measure for Measure, Written on the Heart (RSC), Anatomy of a Suicide (Royal Court Theatre), Nora: A Doll’s House, The Night Watch, Hamlet, Orpheus Descending, A Taste of Honey (Royal Exchange Theatre), Twelfth Night (Liverpool Everyman), The Oak Tree, Our Country’s Good, Three Winters (National Theatre), and Game (Almeida Theatre). Her television work includes Mrs Sidhu Investigates, Culprits, Hollington Drive, Britannia series 1-3, Anthony, Agatha and the Death of X, Vera, Little Boy Blue, Ripper Street, Criminal Justice 2, Poirot, The Liverpool Nativity; and for film, Judy, Official Secrets, Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool, and The Physician.

Oliver Wickham plays Virginia, Clorinda. Their theatre work includes Macbeth (Queen’s Theatre), Either (Hampstead Theatre), Out of Water (Orange Tree Theatre – Offie Nominated Best Performance), Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge Arts Theatre), and SIX The Musical (Edinburgh Festival Fringe); and for television, Wednesday and Chloe.  

Millicent Wong plays Virginia, Sasha, Nell. Her theatre credits include Henry V (Donmar Warehouse), Athena (Yard Theatre), After Life (National Theatre), The Doctor (The Adelaide Festival), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe (Bridge Theatre), The King of Hell’s Palace (Hampstead Theatre) and Pah-La (The Royal Court). Her television credits include Silent Witness, Annika and Dracula.

Neil Bartlett‘s vividly theatrical adaptations, translations and  plays have been staged by the National Theatre (Berenice, The Game of Love and Chance, In Extremis and Or You Could Kiss Me, his collaboration with Handspring Theatre Company, the creators of Warhorse), theRSC ( The Dispute, The Prince of Homburg), the Abbey in Dublin ( The Picture of Dorian Gray), the Royal Exchange, Manchester (Everybody Loves A Winner, Twenty-Four Hours of Peace), Bristol Old Vic (Great Expectations)and the Lyric Hammersmith (Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol). He has also made work for, amongst others, the Drill Hall, the Glasgow Citizens, the Royal Court Theatre and the Royal Vauxhall Tavern. From 1994 to 2005 Bartlett was Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith, and his work there earned him both an OBE (in 2003) and a nomination for an Olivier Award for Outstanding Theatrical Achievement (in 2000).  In 2008 he was an awarded an honorary degree by Brookes University Oxford in recognition of his pioneering and longstanding commitment to gay culture and civil rights; this year, his fifth and most recent novel, Address Book, has just been longlisted for the Polari Prize. www.neil-bartlett.com

Michael Grandage is Artistic Director of the Michael Grandage Company (MGC) where he most recently directed the film My Policeman (2022) starring Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, David Dawson and Rupert Everett which will be released on 21 October 2022. Previously, his other film work for MGC included Genius (2016) starring Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, and Laura Linney which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival. For MGC in the theatre he has directed Ian McDiarmid in The Lemon Table (UK Tour), Aidan Turner in The Lieutenant of Inishmore (Noël Coward Theatre), Alfred Molina and Alfred Enoch in Red (Wyndham’s Theatre), Nicole Kidman in Photograph 51 (Noël Coward Theatre), Dawn French: 30 Million Minutes (national and international tour and West End), Jude Law in Henry V, David Walliams and Sheridan Smith in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Daniel Radcliffe in The Cripple of Inishmaan, Judi Dench and Ben Whishaw in Peter and Alice and Simon Russell Beale in Privates on Parade as part of the season at the Noël Coward Theatre. In September he directs Dawn French’s new show Dawn French is a Huge Tw*t. His opera work includes Madama Butterfly for Houston Grand Opera and Chicago Lyric Opera, Le Nozzi de Figaro for Glyndebourne and Houston, Don Giovanni for the Met and Billy Budd for San Francisco, Glyndebourne and BAM in New York. He was Artistic Director of the Donmar Warehouse (2002–2012) and Sheffield Theatres (2000-2005) where his work included Chiwetel Ejiofor in Othello, Frank Langella and Michael Sheen in Frost/Nixon, Derek Jacobi in King Lear, Eddie Redmayne and Alfred Molina in Red (Tony Award for Best Director), Jude Law in Hamlet and Kenneth Branagh in Ivanov. He won three Olivier Awards for his musical productions of Guys and Dolls, Merrily We Roll Along and Grand Hotel. He is President of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. He was appointed CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honors 2011. His book, A Decade At The Donmar, was published by Constable & Robins in 2012. His charity, set up to help young theatre makers, can be found at www.mgcfutures.com. 

www.michaelgrandagecompany.com

Twitter: @michaelgrandage

Facebook/Michael-Grandage-Company

Instagram: michaelgrandagecompany

orlandowestend 

ORLANDO

LISTINGS

Garrick Theatre
2 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0HH

Box Office:  0330 333 4811
https://nimaxtheatres.com/

Tickets from £10

Concessions available – please see website

26 November 2022 – 25 February 2023

Dates of access performances will be announced shortly

FULL CAST REVEALED FOR NEW VERSION OF MASQUERADE

COMING TO LIVERPOOL’S EPSTEIN THEATRE

Powerful tale of love, loss, freedom and friendship set in city’s iconic 1980s gay club

A powerful and poignant tale of love, loss, freedom and friendship among Liverpool’s LGBT+ community comes to the city’s Epstein Theatre next month.

The electrifying new and reimagined production of Masquerade, written by Laura Lees with additional material by Tom Lloyd and James Baker is set in Liverpool’s iconic gay club in the 1980s and features a heavenly disco soundtrack. The play runs at the Hanover Street theatre from Tuesday 22 to Saturday 26 November and the full cast has now been announced.

Mike loves Tony (but not like that). He’s his best mate. To be confident, outgoing, and open is a big deal in a city like Liverpool in 1986 especially during the Aids crisis. When they discover The Masquerade Club, Mike gets a taste of the life he could and should be living.

He is welcomed with open arms, soon becoming the resident DJ in a club that becomes the centre of his universe. Outside of the club walls he needs to find the courage to tell his parents that he is not the son they want him to be. Will he find the strength to stand up for himself especially when tragedy strikes?

Jamie Peacock returns to the role of Mike after playing him in the original production of the play which was staged at the Royal Court Studio in 2019, while Joe Owens plays Tony.

The cast is completed by Neil MacDonald as club owner Frank, Catherine Rice as barmaid Norma, Michael Bailey who plays the role of Stuart and his alter ego resident drag queen Judy, and Leah Gould as Leanne and ensemble female roles.

Jamie Peacock was born and bred in Liverpool and studied at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), graduating this summer. His roles while studying included Doctor Joseph Cardin in The Children’s Hour by Lilian Hellmann. Jamie played Mike in the original production of Masquerade at the Royal Court Studio, and recently also appeared at the theatre as Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night.

Joe Owens is a Liverpool based actor born and raised on Merseyside. His training includes the BA Acting course and Foundation Certificate at LIPA, as well numerous years spent with the Young Everyman and Playhouse (YEP) company. His list of credits includes T in DOGS directed by Nathan Powell, Longaville in Love’s Labour’s Lost directed by Conor Wray and George Balfour in Posh, directed by Francesca Goodridge. 

Neil MacDonald returned to acting following a successful career as a singer/frontman in several bands in Liverpool.His stage credits include playing Cilla’s dad in the nationwide tour of Cilla The Musical, Scott Murphy’s Closing Time in Liverpool, on tour and at the Edinburgh Fringe, Second Chance Saloon, Good Education, Millionaire’s Anonymous, Shake It Up Baby and Ashes to Ashes.

Catherine Rice is a Liverpool-based actress, comedian and writer. She has performed in many theatres tours up and down the country, and at the Liverpool Theatre Festival, Playhouse and the Royal Court. She has also appeared in numerous TV and film projects. Her recent stage credits include Making It, a spin off from her award-winning one-woman show and web series Our Bev, and which is now in early development for a TV comedy series, Irish Annie’s, Smigger’s Wrecked Head, Lost Soul 2 and Broken Biscuits. She also performs in improv and comedy stand up nights including creating Ya Nan’s Big Quiz.

Michael Bailey trained at Liverpool Theatre School. Since graduating in 2011 he has worked extensively on stage, film and theatre in education. Career highlights include dancing in the first ever Dance Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, appearing as part of the original cast of new musical Liver Birdsong, and co-writing and starring in his own musical Twice Nightly at Liverpool Theatre Festival. He has been the resident comic at the Gladstone Theatre since 2017, appearing in several pantomimes, and this month he plays the Lion in The Wizard of Oz at the Epstein Theatre.

Leah Gould is a Liverpool-born actress whose love of performing was sparked at an early age. She is a former member of the Young Everyman Playhouse (YEP) company and was also a member of the Everyman Rep company in 2018 where she played the role of Bianca in Othello. She went on to study at LIPA, graduating in 2021.

Masquerade is produced by Bill Elms (Something About George/Simon, Swan Song, The Ruby Slippers), and directed by James Baker (Cherry Jezebel, Yank, Parade). Most recently, Bill and James worked together on productions Jerry Springer The Opera and 2Gorgeous4U.

The new production includes additional material by dramaturg Tom Lloyd and additional script development and dialogue by James Baker, while Joey Colasante is assistant director and movement.

The production is designed by Ellie Light, with sound design by Daniel Mawson, and lighting design from Doug Kurht.

The play tells a fictional story based around the now demolished iconic Cases Street venue, affectionately known as The Mazzie, which was frequented at the time by famous faces including Holly Johnson, Paul O’Grady, Paul Rutherford, and Margi Clarke. The Mazzie became a safe haven in a political and cultural period where being gay was demonised. It offered many gay people an alternative family who provided them with the love and care that was ripped away from their relatives.

Director James Baker says: “Building the right team for this production has been crucial; it’s important that it represents Liverpool and those this story is about. We’ve found an exceptional cast who are going to champion this story with real heart. I’m proud that I get to steer this masquerade of talent.”

Producer Bill Elms of Bill Elms Productions Ltd and Artistic Director of Epstein Theatre continues: “I’m really pleased to be able to reveal such a fantastic cast for this brand-new version of Masquerade, which was a huge hit and struck a real chord when it was first staged at the Royal Court Studio three years ago. After months of development and planning by a fantastic creative team I can’t wait to present the new full-scale production and I’m delighted that Jamie Peacock is able to return to reprise the role of Mike along with a hugely talented cast.

“I know Masquerade will be one of the highlights of the autumn when it’s performed on the Epstein Theatre stage in November.”

The Epstein Theatre is Grade II Listed and located in the heart of Liverpool city centre, it was named after the legendary gay Beatles’ manager and ‘Fifth Beatle’ Brian Epstein.

In October 2021, a new team took the helm at the historic venue. Epstein Entertainments Ltd is a joint venture between Liverpool producers Bill Elms, Artistic and Communications Director; Chantelle Nolan, Artistic and Operations Director; and Regal Entertainments Ltd Company Director Jane Joseph.

Follow the Epstein Theatre on social media channels:

Facebook: /EpsteinTheatre

Twitter: @EpsteinTheatre

Instagram: @EpsteinTheatre

SHOW LISTING

MASQUERADE

Tuesday 22 – Saturday 26 November 2022

Epstein Theatre, 85 Hanover Street, Liverpool, L1 3DZ

Tickets from £20

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Tuesday 22 November – 7.30pm – Preview

Wednesday 23 November – 7.30pm – Press Night

Thursday 24 November – 2.30pm

Thursday 24 November – 7.30pm

Friday 25 November – 5pm

Friday 25 November – 8.30pm

Saturday 26 November – 2.30pm

Saturday 26 November – 7.30pm

HOW TO BOOK

Book online: www.epsteintheatre.co.uk 24/7

Telephone bookings: 0344 7360151

In person: The Epstein Theatre Box Office is open two hours prior to the performance time and from 12-6pm on Saturday. Please note there is a £1 per ticket transaction fee when booking in person at the box office.

VENUE DETAILS:

The Epstein Theatre

85 Hanover Street

Liverpool

L1 3DZ

Reminding audiences to live in the moment,
Out, Out! comes to Alphabetti Theatre
Alphabetti Theatre, St James’ Boulevard, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4HP
Tuesday 18th October – Saturday 5th November 2022, 7:30pm

As part of Alphabetti Theatre’s Reaction Artist programme, Joana Geronimo’s Out, Out! will unite audiences as they join her on a journey of self-discovery into social media. This joyous and lyrical production will explore societies dependency on social media, our individual intake and the ways in which we choose to portray ourselves online. Based in Newcastle, Joana Geronimo (From the Sky to Your Hands, May 2022; The Space Between Us, Open Clasp) will star in this wonderous one-woman show, directed by Wambui Hardcastle (Winner of the Young Northern Writer Award, 2020).

Joanna is getting ready to hit the town – her boots are on, her phone is charged and she is ready to dance until dawn! She isn’t going to think about how good a picture this would be, how happy everyone would be if she shared it or how she can prove she was there. Joanna’s life stretches across two worlds, the old and the new and sometimes she struggles to tell the two apart. But just for tonight, the phone is going down, her hands are going up and she wants you to join her!

Out-Out! will create an open conversation with audiences about navigating life in the ‘real’ and online world, to challenge the absence of the internet in live theatre and use this as a method for audiences to create and play alongside an actor. Geronimo will delve into these moments, by sharing stories of her favourite memories growing up and her relationship, or rather lack of, with the internet when living in Angola.

This celebration of life will showcase how even the tiniest of moments, can result in the most joy, as audiences are invited to dance and interact with the performance. The staging will be supported by AV projection that will act as the set of the show, alongside more minimal props of pebbles and chalk.

Performer Joana Geronimo comments, It is good to be on social media sometimes, as long as we use it and don’t let it use us, because there is a war, and you know what the prize is? The soul!

Producer Eilis McGowan comments, Joana is inviting the audience to create a special moment with her, and I think audiences are really going to love it.

CURVE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST OF CHRISTMAS MUSICAL

THE WIZARD OF OZ

19 NOVEMBER 2022 – 8 JANUARY 2023

Joining Georgina Onuorah as Dorothy:

Christina Bianco as Glinda

Jonny Fines as Scarecrow

Paul French as Tin Man

Charlotte Jaconelli as The Wicked Witch of the West

Mark Peachey as Professor Marvel and The Wizard

Giovanni Spanó as Lion

Ben Thompson as Toto

There’s no place like Curve this Christmas as the theatre reveals the full cast of its festive musical The Wizard of Oz.

Running in Leicester Saturday 19 November 2022 to Sunday 8 January 2023, the previously announced Georgina Onuorah (Dorothy) will be joined by Leicestershire’s Jonny Fines (Curve’s My Beautiful Laundrette and An Officer and a Gentleman) as Scarecrow, Paul French (Curve’s Grease, Dominion Theatre) as Tin Man and Giovanni Spanó (Bat Out Of Hell, London Coliseum) as Lion. Ben Thompson (101 Dalmatians, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) will take on the role of Dorothy’s canine companion Toto, brought to life on stage using puppetry.

Stage, screen and YouTube sensation Christina Bianco will play Glinda, while Charlotte Jaconelli (Heathers the Musical, Theatre Royal Haymarket and Britain’s Got Talent runner-up) will join as the Wicked Witch of the West. Leicester actor Mark Peachey, who first made his Curve debut in the theatre’s community production of Richard III and has recently appeared in Dear Evan Hansen in the West End, will take on the role of Professor Marvel and the Wizard.

Dorothy’s Aunt Em will be played by Jacqui Dubois (Bedknobs and Broomsticks, UK tour) and Uncle Henry will be played by Geoffrey Aymer, who was last seen on Curve’s stage in the WhatsOnStage Award-winning Made at Curve production of The Color Purple.

The cast is completed by Andrew Dillon, Jonathan Dryden Taylor, Martin McCarthy, Ellie Mitchell, Natasha Mould, Mervin Noronha, Amy Oxley, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Christina Shand, Charlotte St. Croix, Tom Watson and Daisy West.

The Made at Curve production of The Wizard of Oz will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, whose recent productions have included the acclaimed Billy Elliot the Musical, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, A Chorus Line and Grease, which is currently running at the Dominion Theatre.

This production of The Wizard of Oz marks the regional premiere of the musical which features additional songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, as well as Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg’s iconic songs from the original MGM film, including ‘Over the Rainbow’, ‘Follow the Yellow Brick Road’ and ‘We’re Off to see the Wizard’.

The production will be choreographed by Shay Barclay,with George Dyer as Musical Director and Musical Supervisor. The spectacular world of Oz will be created on Curve’s stage by set designer Colin Richmond, with projection designs by Douglas O’Connell, costume and puppet design by Rachael Canning, lighting design by Curve Associate Ben Cracknell and sound design by Adam Fisher.

The company has been assembled by Curve Associate Casting Director Kay Magson CDG and the production team also includes Magic Consultant Scott Penrose, Props Supervisor Marcus Hall Props, Costume Supervisor Anna Josephs, Wigs, Hair and Make-Up Designer Elizabeth Marini, Production Manager Patrick Molony, Associate Director Christopher Key, Associate Choreographer Kate Ivory-Jordan and RTYDS Resident Assistant Director Lilac Yosiphon.

Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“Joining our extraordinary Dorothy, Georgina Onuorah, on the glorious yellow brick road, a company of musical theatre’s finest. Jonny Fines, Paul French and Giovanni Spano will raise the roof as Scarecrow, Tin Man and Lion respectively. Christina Bianco and Charlotte Jaconelli ignite the Emerald City with Glinda and the Wicked Witch. We are thrilled to welcome them all, alongside a phenomenally talented company of actors, who will bring this magical musical to life. Christmas at Curve is always a special time of the year, but this year promises to be extra special with families and children of all ages coming together to share this much loved musical adventure with magnificent actors, all born to play these iconic roles. There’s no place like Curve this Christmas!”

Click your heels together three times and say, ‘there’s no place like Curve this Christmas’.

Join Dorothy and Toto as they are swept up from sepia-soaked Kansas and transported over the rainbow to the technicolour wonderland of Oz.

On her adventure down the Yellow Brick Road Dorothy meets new friends Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion who help her on her way, but the villainous and frightfully glamourous Wicked Witch has other plans for Dorothy, and in Oz – nothing is quite as it seems.

Through the deep Dark Forest to the bright neon lights of Emerald City, Dorothy and her friends search for the powerful and mysterious Wizard of Oz, the only person who can grant their hearts desires, and maybe even a way home.

Tickets for The Wizard of Oz at Curve are on sale now. To find out more and book, visit www.curveonline.co.uk, call 0116 242 3595 or visit Curve’s Box Office in-person.

THE AWARD WINNING MUSICAL

SETS FINAL PERFORMANCE DATE

IN THE WEST END

Multiple Olivier Award-winning show opened in Manchester in October 2019, before transferring to the Shaftesbury Theatre in November 2019

Final performance set for Saturday 25 March 2023

at Shaftesbury Theatre, London

New productions to open in New York and Melbourne, with a UK Tour and European production to be announced soon

www.andjulietthemusical.co.uk

& JULIET, the award-winning musical which has been thrilling audiences in London since opening in 2019, will play its final performance at the Shaftesbury Theatre on Saturday 25 March 2023.

& Juliet first opened at the Manchester Opera House in October 2019. It transferred to London the following month and ever since has played to nightly standing ovations. As well as three Olivier Awards, & Juliet also won 6 Whatsonstage Awards – the most of any production in 2020 – and won further awards at The Black Theatre Awards and The Mousetrap Theatre Awards.

New productions of & Juliet have been announced for the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in New York and the Regent Theatre in Melbourne. Earlier this year the show played a season in Toronto, and a UK Tour and European production will also be announced soon.

The musical contains many of the biggest and most anthemic songs of the last 30 years, including Baby One More Time, Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), Love Me Like You Do, Confident, It’s My Life, Can’t Feel My Face and the roof-raising Roar.

& Juliet soars with the music of Max Martin, the acclaimed songwriter of some of pop’s most iconic songs and recorded by artists including Backstreet Boys, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Ariana Grande, all brilliantly arranged for the musical by Tony® and Grammy Award-winning orchestrator Bill Sherman.

Brought to life by an award-winning creative team in an explosive fusion of styles, & Juliet is directed by Luke Sheppard with a book by David West Read (Schitt’s Creek), electrifying choreography from Jennifer Weber, stunning set design from Soutra Gilmour and costume design by Paloma Young.

Max Martin and Tim Headington present & Juliet, which is produced by Martin Dodd, Tim Headington, Max Martin, Jenny Petersson and Theresa Steele Page.

York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 8th October 2022

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

The Original Theatre Company is currently touring with a new adaption, by Rachel Wagstaff, of The Mirror Crack’d, from Agatha Christie’s 1962 novel, The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side. It is a classic whodunit from one of the best crime writers, with one of her best-known characters, Miss Marple.

The Mirror Crack’d follows the story of the death Heather Leigh (Jules Melvin) whilst attending a party at Gossington Hall, the new home of Hollywood actress Marina Gregg (Sophie Ward) and her director husband Jason Rudd (Joe McFadden). Chief Inspector Craddock (Oliver Boot) is brought in to solve the case. When he visits his aunt, Miss Jane Marple (Susie Blake), who is holed up at her cosy cottage in the supposedly sleepy village of St Mary Mead, after suffering an injury to her ankle, she can’t resist the pull of the mystery and becomes involved in the case.

Susie Blake is fabulous as Miss Marple, with a twinkle in her eye and sharp as a whip. Her interactions with the poor old Chief Inspector and her good friend Dolly Bantry (the wonderful Veronica Roberts), are delightfully comical and so fresh and witty. With comments about the nearby development of houses and the building of dreadful supermarkets, you can’t help but laugh at the snobbery.

The set, designed by Adrian Linford, is quite basic, but is very creative and effective. Mostly set in Miss Marple’s drawing room, there is a mirrored movable structure behind. This is used as an avenue for the cast to appear on the stage and depicts different locations, being moved into various positions by the cast as the show evolves.

The talented cast really made a delight of a show, a show I have not seen before on stage or screen. I was eager to see if I could guess whodunit, I didn’t, my guess was way off, which was a bonus. Agatha Christie was a prolific writer, and her work has certainly stood the test of time, with adaptations of a wide variety of her work on stage, television, and film, still being made to this day. This classic show was as fresh and relevant today as it was back when written. On a rainy blustery Tuesday, the people of York certainly agreed with this, it was great to see the theatre packed out, what a great atmosphere.

Under the direction of Philip Franks, The Mirror Crack’d is now showing at York Theatre Royal, before continuing the rest of its tour around the UK. An excellent whodunit, you won’t be disappointed.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre- until 8th October 2022

Reviewed by Emma Millward

4****

Ramps on the Moon is a collaborative partnership, led by the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich, of six leading regional theatres- including Birmingham Repertory. They aim to enrich the stories they tell and the way they tell them by normalising the presence of deaf and disabled people both on and off stage.

From the outset, it is very clear this is a totally unique kind of production. The cast congregate upstage in a log cabin with patio doors. They wave to the audience and emerge excitedly, coming forward to speak to the crowd. One by one, they introduce themselves and describe their outfits and their surroundings onstage. They make it clear the performance is for all, and that everybody should feel free to make noise, move around and use electronic devices if it will help them feel more comfortable in the auditorium. There is a lot of information to take in during the show. British Sign Language (BSL) is used throughout, often translated by other actors onstage. The log cabin roof doubles as a captioning screen, slowly scrolling with the entire dialogue of the play.

William Shakespeare’s comedy revolves around the relationship of Claudio (Taku Mutero) and Hero (Claire Wetherall), and the match making of other characters determined to get Beatrice (Daneka Etchells) and Benedick (Guy Rhys) together, despite their joint denial of being capable of love. The whispers and eavesdropping that follows are fast-paced and often silly. Director Robert Hastie adds quite a few modern twists to the tale. The ‘Masquerade Ball’ becomes a line dancing masked ‘hoedown’. While Benedick utters the immortal line “I pity the fool” as he describes those who fall in love! 

The second half of the show definitely feels less frenetic than the first half, and we get to know the other characters better. Hero’s parents, Leonato (Gerard McDermott) and Antonia (Karina Jones), in particular shine as they endeavour to prove their daughter’s innocence when she is wrongfully accused of adultery. While Dogberry (Caroline Parker) and Verges (Lee Farrell) make a funny and camp duo who cause lots of confusion as the Constables.

Although the whole ensemble work brilliantly together, Daneka Etchells and Guy Rhys definitely stand out as Beatrice and Benedick. The scene when they finally declare their love for each other is both touching and heart breaking in equal measure. Etchells, who is autistic, doesn’t hold back their physical stims and taps on their arms ever more aggressively as Beatrice gets increasingly upset. As the parent of a daughter with Autism, I found it refreshing to see this occurring onstage, but also found myself very emotional watching this overwhelming scene.

At almost three hours long (including a short interval), it can begin to feel a bit laboured in places, but the ensemble’s obvious enthusiasm and charisma helps to draw the audience back in. All in all, it is a brilliantly modern and diverse take on a classic production that proves Shakespeare can be accessible to all. 

Grand Opera House, York – Wednesday 5th October 2022

Reviewed by Aimee Liddington

4****

Travel back in time for this fabulous ABBA extravaganza performed by the magnificent Thank You for the Music. As a tribute band, this foursome is a delight and certainly take us back in time with their recreation of the sounds and sights of one of the biggest bands in pop history. The audience are catapulted back to the 70s and 80s with Björn and Benny’s bell-bottomed trousers and Agnetha and Anni-Frid’s white platform boots. If you only looked once, the uncanny likeness of the band to the real deal would have you believing you were really there.

The 70’s dance moves are choreographed impeccably to reflect the style of the time and the girls have the audience bopping and swaying along with them throughout. Agnetha and Anni-Frid never miss a note and their crisp vocals and tuneful harmonies ensure that those sweet tunes we all know so well sound just how we expect them to.

Björn and Benny steal the show visually as they lose themselves in the music and actually make their musical genius look like an easy feat. They charm the audience in particular in their rock rendition of ‘Does Your Mother Know’ – whilst the girls have a wardrobe change the men are left alone to ‘do their thing’ and the audience is not complaining. Björn throws himself across the stage like a true rockstar and Benny flings himself around as much as he can whilst frantically tickling the ivory keys (as he is so well known for doing).

The flirtation amongst the band members in between songs coupled with their Swedish accents has you believing that you’re really there with them in the 70s – they create realistic relationships whilst also playing on the love stories that shaped the band’s musical career through the decades.

Mamma Mia, what a show! Stick on your dancing shoes and become a ‘Dancing Queen’ – ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ it’s the best you can do!

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield – until Saturday 8 October 2022

Reviewed by Lottie Davis Browne

5*****

Last night I was fortunate enough to catch the touring production of Fat Rascal’s UNFORTUNATE: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch.

There were two reasons I just HAD to see this fresh new musical. Firstly – ever since being introduced to the musical genius that is Fat Rascal a few years ago, with laugh out loud musical – “Buzz – The History of the Vibrator” – I’ve been left wanting more. Just as with Buzz, I knew to expect copious amounts of adult humour, side splitting one liners and fresh pop style musical numbers. Unfortunate did not fail to deliver on all elements.

My second (and main reason) I was so eager to see this show was down to their latest recruit – George Whitty (aka King Tritan), who I met by chance some ten years or so ago he was part of a youth performing arts company a friend of mine was a chaperone for. George was studying Performing Arts at college at the time with the plan to then gain a place at one of London’s many prestigious Performing Arts and Music Schools. After seeing his performance as Jean Val Jean in Les Miserables I was blown away by his voice, matched with his acting and dance skills and was keen to see him perform again, so much so I enrolled with the group as chaperone for their next production – Phantom of The Opera; again with George in the lead role.

Watching George develop and grow as a performer was something truly magical and I knew he was destined to go far.

Just as with Wicked we we get to see Elphaba (The Wicked Witch of the West) from a different perspective and see her in a whole new light – to the point where the audience end up favouring her over any other character in the Wizard Of Oz.

Unfortunate does the same. Although to be fair she’s literally the most adored Disney Villain there is.

Fresh from Edinburgh Fringe, with just a cast of six – most playing several roles with heaps of lightning fast costume changes, this is a true fringe show. Each actor performs each role so convincingly, that the show has already earned a cult following and has the soundtrack on Spotify, and the show is usually met with standing ovations (last nights opening performance at Sheffield’s Lyceum – a near sell out), was no different.

Written by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx, Unfortunate is a wickedly sexy new musical with killer costumes, copious amounts of adult humour, the story tells of how Ursula came to be and what twenty years of mistaken identity and a deal promise between two star crossed lovers. We get to see Ursula in a different light, whilst finding Ariel both irritating yet so funny with it.

It’s woke, it’s vulgar, it’s fishy, it’s pure genius!

At this evenings performance we got to see Robyn Grant (alternate Ursula) in the title role – which is exactly who I was hoping to see in this role out of the cast of six. Ursula is a mix between Bette Midler and Dolly Parton – just as voluptuous but with eight tentacles. She’s a saucy temptress who knows exactly what she wants and just how to get it. Every other line she says had the audience in loud roars of laughter – this is a role Grant was born to play – I could’ve listened to her filthy humour all night long. Miracle Chance brings to life an Ariel you both love and loathe at the same time – with an annoying voice and the singing voice of an X Factor reject, Ariel is a dim witted Daddies girl who dreams of going to the “land of dick” and live a life on land where she’d be able to get as much dick as she can handle (which we get the feeling is a hell of a lot!). Think Stacey Solomon on crack and you’re halfway there. Allie Dart plays Sebastian the Crab, along with various other roles, often with speedy costume changes, Sebastian seems to suddenly be Irish and not the best friend Ariel believes him to be, when she, Tritan and Ursula devise a plan against Ariel’s behaviour.

George Whitty shows that his years of vocal training and theatre studies have been worth his while – his voice is truly something spectacular that has to be seen to be believed. This guy could easily take on any vocally challenging West End lead role with ease. The pairing of Whitty and Grant is pure heaven – it’s been years since such raw talent has come to Sheffield and I hope to see more of Fat Rascals productions in Sheffield – minus the long gap following their last Sheffield visit for “Buzz”.

My only criticism – and this is more down to the theatre than anything- is something I’ve had issues with for some time now – the lack of sound in the stalls on the far side (closest to the accessible toilets and the only wheelchair accessible seats in the stalls) to the point we often found ourselves missing the jokes or song lyrics which obviously took some of the enjoyment out of the otherwise outstanding musical. Had we been closer to the front (and not under the Dress circle) this most likely wouldn’t have been an issue – but it’s getting a long running issue for myself in this particular theatre. If only this production was here for more than a week, I’d be doing all I could to get back and see it again sitting closer to the stage or speakers but I don’t have any free time for the rest of its run. Despite this technical issue which is out of the hands of the production company, I highly recommend this fresh new musical. Just leave the kids at home…!

I now eagerly sit following Fat Rascal on social media – thirsty for my next fix.

Playing at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 8th October 2022.

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 8th October 2022

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

Most of us have a soft spot for classic rock songs. We enjoy belting them out at the top of our lungs while playing air guitar. From Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” to Starship’s “We Built This City”, they are timeless, and guaranteed to feature on any rock anthems playlist. This is perhaps why Rock of Ages works so well. It is a jukebox musical which uses the best of these songs as the backdrop to its love story.

Set in the late 80s, the show moves along with high effervescent energy right from the start. The audience is introduced to the story by narrator Lonny Barnett, played by the talented Joe Gash. This is a lynchpin role and Gash channels a mixture of Justin Hawkins and Frank N. Furter in his depiction of Lonny, the Bourbon Room’s sound guy. Initially I thought Gash’s performance would really irritate me as it’s a bit shrieky at times. However ultimately Gash turned out to be a standout star. There is a lot of innuendo in his role that comes close to being cringeworthy, but he performs it brilliantly and keeps it (narrowly!) on the right side of the line. He is embraced by the audience who loved his bawdy buffoonery and plays the flamboyant character to perfection. There is no fourth wall in this show! Gash picks on a member of the audience (well done Gillian and her husband the vicar!), refers to an “Acting for Dummies” book, comments on reviews of the show and calls on the ensemble for jazz hands. He delivers some killer ad-libs which had the crowd in stitches. And let’s not forget what a fantastic voice he has, which is perfectly showcased in “I Can’t Fight this Feeling”

Through Lonny, we meet Drew, played by Sam Turrell, who is working in the Bourbon Room, a famous Hollywood bar which is much loved by everyone who goes there. Drew has bigger dreams of becoming a rock star, while his love interest, Sherrie, played by Gabriella Williams, has escaped her small town to pursue her ambition to become an actress. Of course, this romance is not going to be straightforward. With the bar under threat from evil developers, owner Dennis Dupree, played by Kevin Kennedy, (who most will remember as Curly Watts in Coronation Street) calls on rock star Stacee Jaxx (Cameron Sharp) to perform one last show with his band Arsenal to boost the Bourbon Room’s finances.

The story-line and songs are woven together effectively, and at times to great comic effect. There are some wonderful performances here by the whole cast who are not simply great comedians but fabulous singers too. Everyone gets a shot at the limelight but here are a few bits that stood out for me. David Breeds and Vicki Manser as mismatched duo, Franz and Regina, are brilliant when singing Pat Benatar’s, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot”. REO Speedwagon’s, “I Can’t Fight This Feeling” is another highlight. This charming duet between Dupree and Lonny showcases a sweet little subplot. It’s funny, but genuinely tender. And I particularly enjoyed the final moment as the two lie on the floor, outstretched arms touching fingers, just for a second, like Michelangelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel!

There are loads of silly funny bits which cracked me up. Wannabe rocker Drew arrived for his first-date picnic with Sherrie on a heroic motorbike, but a tiny mini version. And Dupree performs an amazing feat, cartwheeling across the stage. Who knew that Curly Watts had it in him?! Stacee Jaxx has an unusual approach to seduction when he suggests to a smitten Sherrie “This place is noisy – maybe you’d like to hang out in the men’s bathroom and talk about our dreams?”

Directed and choreographed by Nick Winston, Rock of Ages is a cracking show. The cast brings a tremendous energy to the stage, supported by a fabulous live band and an ensemble that’s second to none. The choreography Is sparking and vivacious, and Morgan Large’s set, sprinkled with spotlights and stacked with amps, takes you right back to the 80s. He cleverly uses three levels to keep your eyes moving and there’s always something amusing happening in the background, which makes every bit of the stage come alive.

This gloriously bonkers jukebox musical never takes itself too seriously. Full of ridiculous humour and self-parody, it is very funny and provides a fabulous platform to showcase just how great these songs are. From the choreography to the vocals, every song was performed with the high energy it demands. Rock of Ages isn’t a dignified classy show. It’s chaotic, it’s crude, and it’s very enjoyable. A great show with a strong cast, classic rock songs, and lots of laughter. One not to be missed.