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GOLDEN GLOBE AWARD WINNER, MULTI-EMMY AWARD NOMINEE AND STAR OF THE GLOBAL PHENOMENON STRANGER THINGS MATTHEW MODINE

TO PLAY ATTICUS FINCH

MULTI-OLIVIER AWARD NOMINEE

CECILIA NOBLE

TO PLAY CALPURNIA

AND FURTHER CAST ANNOUNCED TO JOIN THE COMPANY

OF THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

CURRENTLY RUNNING IN THE WEST END

THE NEW COMPANY BEGIN PERFORMANCES FROM

MONDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 2022

Barry Diller and Sonia Friedman announced today that Matthew Modine and Cecilia Noble will lead the new company of the critically acclaimed production of Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird – a new play by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Bartlett Sher, currently running at the Gielgud Theatre, West End.

Matthew Modine’s iconic portrayals in films such as Alan Parker’s Birdy, Louden Swain in Vision Quest, Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, and Dr. Martin “Papa” Brenner in the global phenomenon Stranger Things have cemented Matthew’s legacy in the entertainment industry.

Cecilia Noble is a highly acclaimed stage and screen actress, nominated for two Olivier Awards and two Evening Standards Awards.  Her extensive stage credits include Faith, Hope and Charity, Nine Night, Downstate and The Amen Corner at the National Theatre, and her television credits include Killing Eve, Teacher, Call the Midwife and Black Mirror.

Anna Munden will play the pivotal role of Scout Finch, joined by Sam Mitchell as Jem Finch, and Ellis Howard as Dill Harris. Taking the role of Bob Ewell is Welsh stage and screen actor Jason Hughes.

Matthew Modine and Cecilia Noble are joined by Cheryl Burniston, Colin R Campbell (Mr Roscoe/Dr Reynolds), Jack Crumlin, Alan Drake, Max Ferguson, Phillipa Flynn, Ellis Howard (Dill Harris), Jason Hughes (Bob Ewell), Niamh James, Julie Legrand, Nigel Lister, Sam Mitchell (Jem Finch), and George Telfer. The new company will begin performances on 21 November, 2022. Remaining in the company are Harry Attwell (Mr. Cunningham/Boo Radley), Helen Belbin (Miss Stephanie/Dill’s Mother), Niall Buggy (Judge Taylor), John Hastings (Bailiff), Rebecca Hayes (Mayella Ewell), Simon Hepworth (Link Deas), Tom Mannion (Sheriff Heck Tate), Anna Munden (Scout Finch), Tiwai Muza, Itoya Osagiede, Jude Owusu (Tom Robinson), Oyin Oyija, David Sturzaker (Horace Gilmer), and Natasha Williams (Mrs Dubose’s Maid). Candida Caldicot (on organ), Ciyo Brown and Jack Benjamin (on guitar) also continue with the production.

The current company, with Richard Coyle as Atticus Finch, will play their final performance on 19 November. The production is currently booking until 4 February, 2023.

★★★★★

“ALL RISE FOR A MAGNIFICENT ‘MOCKINGBIRD’.

UNBEARABLY MOVING. SHEER EMOTION AND MORAL FORCE MAKE THIS

A POWERFULLY UPLIFTING EVENT’ EVENING STANDARD

★★★★★

“THIS UTTERLY RIVETING AND REVELATORY STAGING

BLAZINGLY CAPTURES THE ZEITGEIST.” DAILY TELEGRAPH

The Harper Lee adaptation has been one of the major hits of this year’s West End season, playing to packed houses at the Gielgud Theatre since its opening in March.

Set in Maycomb, Alabama in 1934, To Kill a Mockingbird has provided American literature with some of its most indelible characters: lawyer Atticus Finch, the tragically wronged Tom Robinson, Atticus’ daughter Scout, her brother Jem, their housekeeper and caretaker Calpurnia and the reclusive Arthur “Boo” Radley. For the past six decades and for every generation, this story, its characters and portrait of small-town America have helped to, and continue to, inspire conversation and change.

Harper Lee’s enduring story of racial injustice and childhood innocence has sold more than 45 million copies of the novel worldwide. 2020 marked the 60^th anniversary of its publication. 

Harry Attwell plays Mr Cunningham/Boo Radley. His theatre credits include The Great Murder Mystery (The Lost Estate), Artists Talk (The Yard Theatre), Frankenstein, Twelfth Night, The Skriker, Orpheus Descending (Royal Exchange Theatre), A Tale of Two Cities (Royal & Derngate and tour), The Crucible, The Duchess of Malfi (The Old Vic), Henry V (Michael Grandage Company), and for the Donmar Warehouse, Richard II, King Lear (also UK tour and BAM), Hamlet (also Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway), Hamlet and Twelfth Night (Donmar West End at Wyndham’s Theatre). For television, his credits include On Order and Away, The Night Manager, Da Vinci’s Demons, Mayday, The Identity; and for film Wakefield, Text for You, Intervention, Breathe, Genius and Maleficent.

Helen Belbin plays Miss Stephanie/Dill’s Mother. Her theatre credits include Wuthering Heights (Oxford Shakespeare Company), Market Boy (Union Theatre), About Last Night (Arcola Theatre), A Haunting (Belgrade Theatre Coventry), The History Club (Old Red Lion), Kings (Vault Festival), The Flouers O’ Edinburgh, Northern Star (Finborough Theatre) and Verdict (UK tour). Her television work includes The Outlaws, Holby City Silent Witness, Call the Midwife, and Wolfblood; and for film Mad to Be Normal, Waterboys, The Carrier, Always in the Present and Je Suis Daddy.

Niall Buggy plays Judge Taylor. His theatre credits include Krapp’s Last Tape (Tron Theatre, Leeds Playhouse), The Old Tune (Jermyn Street Theatre), Furniture (Druid Theatre), The Plough and The Stars (Lyric Hammersmith), St Joan (Donmar Warehouse), On Blueberry Hill (Origin 1st Irish Theatre Award Best Actor – Trafalgar Studios, Dublin Theatre Festival, New York), The Importance of Being Earnest (Harold Pinter Theatre), Translations (Sheffield Theatres / Rose Theatre), The Hanging Gardens (Abbey Theatre), DruidMurphy (Druid Theatre, Hampstead Theatre and Washington), The Weir (Royal Court Theatre, Duke of York’s Theatre, New York), Haunted (Sydney/Royal Exchange/New York), Penelope (Druid Theatre/Hampstead Theatre/Edinburgh/New York/Washington), John Bull’s Other Island (Tricycle Theatre), After Play (Gate Dublin, Edinburgh, New York, Sydney), Uncle Vanya (Irish Times Best Actor- Gate Dublin), A Kind of Alaska (Gate Dublin). Dead Funny (Olivier Award, Best Actor – Hampstead / Vaudeville Theatre), Juno and The Paycock (TMA Award – Albery Theatre), Rough Crossing, Love for Love, The Threepenny Opera, The School for Scandal (National Theatre), and Aristocrats (Clarence Derwent Award, Time Out Award, Drama Desk Award, OBIE Award – Hampstead Theatre /New York). For television, his work includes Cobra, Will, My Mother and Other Strangers, Malice Aforethought, Grease Monkeys, The Cruise, Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married, Upwardly Mobile, Agony Too, Father Ted, and The Citadel; and film includes, As Luck Would Have It, The Duel, Mr Turner, Sleeping with the Fishes, Rufus Stone, Mamma Mia!, The Libertine, Sweeney Todd, Anna Karenina, and Cruise of the Gods. 

Colin R Campbell plays Mr Roscoe/Dr Reynolds.  His stage work includes The Incident Room (New Diorama Theatre/The Pleasance), The Epic of Gilgamesh (The Listening Hare), The Mirror Crack’d (Salisbury Playhouse/Wales Millennium Centre), The Throne (King’s Head Theatre), Blood Wedding (False Dawn on the Leaves), Skellig (Birmingham Stage Company/New Victory Theatre, New York), George’s Marvelous Medicine, and Twelfth Night (Birmingham Stage Company). For television, his work includes The Diplomat, The Long Shadow, Unforgotten, The Crown, The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe; Broken, Jericho and Downton Abbey; and for film, This is Christmas. 

John Hastings plays Bailiff. His theatre work includes Corpse! (Park Theatre), Season’s Greetings (Manor Pavilion Theatre), Small Island, Angels in America, The Beaux’ Stratagem, King Lear (National Theatre), King Lear (Chichester Festival Theatre and Duke of York’s Theatre), Frozen (Theatre Royal Haymarket), King Lear (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Merchant of Venice (Shakespeare’s Globe), The Homecoming (Harold Pinter Theatre). For film, his work includes Hot Property and Love Me Do. For radio, his credits include The Corrupted.

Rebecca Hayes plays Mayella. Her theatre work includes The Rhythmics (Southwark Playhouse), Constellation Street (National Theatre Wales/Sherman Theatre), A Christmas Carol (Bristol Old Vic), The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru), The Playboy of the Western World, Split, The Night Watch, Punk Rock, Stars in the Morning Sky (The Richard Burton Company), and Romeo and Juliet (National Youth Theatre of Wales). For television, her work includes The Pact, Bregus, Bang, 35 AWR and The Bastard Executioner.

Simon Hepworth plays Link Deas. His theatre credits include La Cage aux Folles, Mother Of Him (Park Theatre), Absolute Hell (National Theatre), Antony and Cleopatra (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Lion in Winter (Theatre Royal Haymarket), King Lear (Guildford Shakespeare Company), Joe & I (King’s Head Theatre), The Rivals (Compass Theatre Company), A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth (Arundel Festival and tour), Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic), The Winter’s Tale, The Glass Menagerie, The Deep Blue Sea (Royal & Derngate), Bang Bang (After Feydeau), Romeo and Juliet, Burn This, Tartuffe, My Cousin Rachel (Mercury Theatre, Colchester), Mario and the Magician (Almeida Theatre), Party Trap (Shoreditch Town Hall), Agatha Christie Theatre Festival 2001 (Palace, Westcliff) and The Best Man, The Hollow (UK tours). His television work includes This Sceptred Isle, Endeavour, Fearless, Foyle’s War, Law and Order UK, Trial and Retribution, Wire in the Blood, Inspector Morse – The Remorseful Day, Wallis & Edward, Bliss, Bodyguards, Departures, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Ruth Rendell’s Thornapple and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles; and for film, Walking With The Enemy, Under Her Skin, Sink, Love’s Kitchen, 47 Cleveland, The Holly Kane Experiment, Tezz and The Walker. He appeared as The Politician in the music video for BΔSTILLE’s Fake It (Universal Music).

Ellis Howard plays Dill Harris. His theatre work Romeo and Juliet (National Theatre). For television, his work includes Home, Red Rose and Catherine the Great.

Jason Hughes plays Bob Ewell. His theatre credits include Violence & Son, 4:48 Psychosis, A Real Classy Affair (Royal Court Theatre), The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (Theatre Royal Haymarket), In Flame (Ambassador’s Theatre), Our Country’s Good, Look Back in Anger (National Theatre), Way Upstream (Chichester Festival Theatre), In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play (St James Theatre), Design for Living, The Fight for Barbara (Theatre Royal Bath), Caligula, Badfinger (Donmar), Kiss Me Like You Mean It (Soho Theatre), The Herbal Bed (RSC/UK tour), Snake in the Grass (Old Vic), The Illusion (Royal Exchange, Manchester) and Macbeth (Theatr Clwyd). For television, his credits include series regular Warren in This Life, series regular Detective Sergeant Ben Jones in Midsomer Murders, series regular Max in The Pact and series regular Vince Whitman in Marcella; and for film, Crow, For N(o)ne, Dead Long Enough, Dirty Bomb, Phoenix Blue, Killing Me Softly, Shooters, House! and We Are Kings.

Julie Legrand plays Mrs Dubose. Her theatre work includes The Indian Queen (The Opera House, Lille), My Fair Lady (Italy), Richard III, Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare’s Rose Theatre), Lady of Letters (Lichfield Festival), Gypsy (Savoy Theatre/Chichester Festival Theatre), The Rivals (Bristol Old Vic), Wit (Royal Exchange Theatre), This is Not an Exit, The Ant and The Cicada, Romeo and Juliet (RSC), To Kill a Mockingbird, The Importance of Being Earnest (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Wicked (Apollo Victoria), See How They Run (Duchess Theatre, UK tour), The Wizard of Oz (Royal Festival Hall), and Fiddler on the Roof (Sheffield Theatres and Savoy Theatre). Her television work includes The Romantic Getaway, Silent Witness, The Power, Flack, Call the Midwife, Edge of Heaven, Footballers’ Wives, Fields of Gold and North Square; and for film, One for the Road, Prick Up Your Ears and Water.

Tom Mannion plays Sheriff Heck Tate. His theatre work includes Macbeth (National Theatre tour), Insignificance (Arcola Theatre), Hamlet (Trafalgar Studios and UK tour), The Autumn Garden (Jermyn Street Theatre), All My Sons (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), An Inspector Calls (UK tour), The Price (Octagon Theatre, Bolton),  A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), Metamorphosis (Lyric Hammersmith), Hamlet (The Old Vic) and for the RSC, Coriolanus, Julius Caesar, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Cyrano de Bergerac, Much Ado About Nothing and The Duchess of Malfi. For television, his work includes Traces, The Crown, Bridgerton, The Victim, Fearless, Unforgotten, Lucky Man, Mr Selfridge, Inside Men, Identity, Lip Service, Spooks, Missing, Belle de Jour, John Adams, New Tricks and Life on Mars; and for film, Susu, Waterboys, Centurion, F, Beyond the Sea, Brothers, Iris and Beautiful Creatures.

Sam Mitchell makes his professional stage debut as Jem Finch.

Matthew Modine plays Atticus Finch. On stage, Modine’s credits include Arthur Miller’s Finishing the Picture (Chicago’s Goodman Theatre) and Resurrection Blues (The Old Vic), and in 2010, he starred in the 50th Anniversary Broadway rival of The Miracle Worker (Circle in the Square Theatre). For television, Modine is currently playing Dr Martin “Papa” Brenner in the global phenomenon Stranger Things – Screen Actors Guild Best Ensemble Performance Award. Other television work includes the Emmy-winning Showtime series Weeds. An acclaimed film actor, Modine has worked with many of the industry’s most respected directors, including Oliver Stone, Sir Alan Parker, Stanley Kubrick, Robert Altman, Alan J. Pakula, John Schlesinger, Tony Richardson, Robert Falls, Sir Peter Hall, Abel Ferrara, Spike Lee, Jonathan Demme, John Sayles, and Christopher Nolan, but it was Robert Altman who propelled Modine to international acclaim with his film adaptation of David Rabe’s play Streamers – for which the cast received an unprecedented Best Actor Award from the Venice International Film Festival. His signature roles include as Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, Alan Parker’s Birdy – which won the Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix, Louden Swain in Vision Quest, Treat in Alan Pakula’s film adaptation of the hugely successful Lyle Kessler play Orphans, F.B.I. agent Mike Downey in Jonathan Demme’s screwball comedy Married to the Mob and Robert Altman’s Shortcuts – Golden Globe for Best Ensemble. Other recent credits include Oppenheimer, Hard Miles, Retribution opposite Liam Neeson, Foster Boy with Louis Gossett Jr, Miss Virginia opposite Uzo Aduba, Wrong Turn and Operation: Varsity Blues: The College Admission Scandal. Modine has directed several distinguished short films When I Was a Boy (1993), Smoking (1994), Ecce Pirate (1997), I Think I Thought (2008), To Kill an American (2008), Jesus Was a Commie (2011) and soon to be released, I Am What You Imagine Is Love. In 2010, Modine co-founded Cinco Dedos Peliculas (CDP) with former Apple Marketing executive Adam Rackoff. CDP develops narrative films, documentaries, animation projects, mobile apps, and initiatives with a focus on environmental activism.

Anna Munden plays Scout Finch. She trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Her stage work includes Starcrazy (Miracle Theatre), Youth Without God (The Coronet Theatre), Spilikin (Pipeline Theatre) and The Crucible (Cube Theatre Company). Her television work includes Father Brown, Showtrial and The Nevers.

Cecilia Noble plays Calpurnia. Her theatre work includes The Welkin, Faith, Hope and Charity, Downstate, Nine Night – Olivier and Evening Standard Award for Best Supporting Actress, The Amen Corner – Olivier, Evening Standard and WhatsOnStage Award nominations for Best Supporting Actress, His Dark Materials, Henry V and The Recruiting Officer (National Theatre), The Comedy of Errors, Twelfth Night, The Tempest (RSC), Liberian Girl (Royal Court Theatre) and In the Red and Brown Water (Young Vic). Her television work includes Killing Eve, The Teacher, Small Axe, Semi-Detached, Black Mirror, Call the Midwife, Undercover, Together, Nurse, Our Girl, Silent Witness, Death in Paradise, Waking the Dead, EastEnders, Doctors and Holby City; and for film, Dead in a Week, The Lady in the Van, Danny and the Human Zoo – MViSA Award for Best Actress, Kaleidoscope, Of Mary, New Year’s Day, Native and Mrs Caldicott’s Cabbage War.

Jude Owusu plays Tom Robinson. His theatre work includes The Taming of the Shrew, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Bartholomew Fair (Shakespeare’s Globe), Tamburlaine, I Cinna, Julius Caesar (RSC), The Cherry Orchard (Bristol Old Vic), A Tale of Two Cities (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Jeramee, Hartleby and Ooglemoore (Unicorn Theatre), The Comedy of Errors (National Theatre), Othello (Malachite Theatre), Africker (Hoxton Hall), Wayne (Etcetera Theatre), and The Robbers (New Diorama Theatre). For television, his work includes The Dumping Ground, Father Brown and The Hollow Crown: Wars of the Roses – Richard III.

David Sturzaker plays Horace Gilmer. His theatre credits include The Cutting Edge (Arcola Theatre), Creditors, Bloody Poetry (Jermyn Street Theatre), Tamburlaine, Timon of Athens, The White Devil (RSC), Frost/Nixon (Sheffield Theatres), Nell Gywnn (Apollo Theatre), Richard II, The Merchant of Venice, Titus Andronicus, Comedy of Errors, Troilus and Cressida, Measure for Measure and The Winter’s Tale (Shakespeare’s Globe), Eternal Love, Anne Boleyn (Shakespeare’s Globe/UK tour), Cool Hand Luke (Aldwych Theatre), Journey’s End (Playhouse Theatre), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Chichester Festival Theatre/Duchess Theatre), A Doll’s House (Royal Exchange); Four Knights in Knaresborough (Southwark Playhouse), Kingdom of Earth (The Print Room), As You Like It (The Rose, Kingston), War and Peace (Shared Experience), Visiting Mr Green and Romeo and Juliet (UK Tour), Future Me (Theatre 503), Bash (Trafalgar Studios), Henry V and Much Ado About Nothing (Tour De Force); and for television, Endeavour, Father Brown, Da Vinci’s Demons, Medici, and as series regulars in Murder on the Home Front and Doctors. His radio credits include The Forsyte Saga, Last of the Volsungs, King Solomon’s Mines, Everybody’s got Conditions, Gudrun, Blood and Milk and Richard II.

Natasha Williams plays Mrs Dubose’s Maid. Her theatre work includes Malindadzimu (Hampstead Theatre), Off the Endz, Ambulance (Royal Court Theatre), Black Crows (Arcola Theatre), You Can’t Take It With You (King’s Head Theatre), and The Fatherland (Bush Theatre). For television, her credits include It’s a Sin, Whitechapel, Quick Cuts, Silk, The Jury, Phone Shop, Silent Witness, Doctor Who, Pinochet in Suburbia, Rose and Maloney, The Commander, Grease Monkeys, The Last Detective, Fugee Girl, Time Gentlemen Please, The Murder of Stephen Lawrence, Blood River, The Bill – as series regular Delia French, Last Supper and Fighting Back; and for film, Slum Woman, City Rats, The Fourth Angel, Ruby’s Slippers and The Theory of Flight.

Cheryl Burniston’s theatre credits include Chelsea’s Choice, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Alter Ego Theatre Company), Sweet Love (Futures Theatre Company), Isobel’s Tree (MunMun Productions), Pandora (Unnamed Theatre Productions), Stig of the Dump (Jump the Moat Theatre Company), and Road (Royal and Derngate). Her television work includes Pistol, Pennyworth, The Nevers and Flirt English; and for film, The Railway Children Returns, Paintball Massacre, Dragon Kingdom, Hooligan Escape: The Russian Job, and Identicals.

Jack Crumlin recently graduated from Actors Centre Australia. His theatre work includes Anatomy of a Suicide, Chorus and Amongst Ruins (Red Line Productions), Journey’s End (Australian Theatre for Young People), and Wasted (Kings Collective). For television, his work includes Reef Break; and for film, The Casting Game.

Alan Drake’s theatre credits include The Railway Children (King’s Cross Theatre), Boeing Boeing (Harrogate Rep and Eastbourne), Fen, Far Away (Sheffield Theatres), Kissing Sid James (59E59 Theatre New York, Jermyn Street Theatre), and Danny’s Wake (King’s Head and Edinburgh). His television work includes Peaky Blinders, Call The Midwife, The Amazing Dermot and Little Miss Jocelyn.

Max Ferguson’s theatre includes Felt (Southwark Playhouse/Vaults Festival), Man Down (Tristan Bates Theatre), The Night Just Before the Forest (Out of Ink), and Healing Wounds (Wardown Museum/ The Hope Theatre). For film, his work includes Cost of Living.

Phillipa Flynn’s theatre credits include People, Places and Things (National Theatre / Wyndham’s Theatre), Nell Gwynn (Shakespeare’s Globe / English Touring Theatre), Girl on a Train (Duke of York’s Theatre), Strangers on a Train, How the Other Half Loves (UK tours), Confusions, Hero’s Welcome, Roundelay (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Macbeth (National Theatre Luxembourg), Pride and Prejudice, Much Ado about Nothing (Heartbreak Productions), and The Secret Garden (Proper Job Theatre).

Niamh James’ theatre credits include The Mirror and the Light (RSC) and The Weatherman (Park Theatre).

Nigel Lister’s theatre credits include Our Man in Havana, The Secret Adversary (The Watermill Theatre), The Wizard of Oz (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Partners in Crime (Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch), Footloose the Musical (UK tour), and Sex and Docks and Rock n Roll (Red Ladder). His television work includes It’s a Sin, The Crown, WPC 56, Dream Team, Steel River Blues, and Footballers’ Wives.

Oyin Orija’s theatre credits include Here’s What She Said To Me (Utopia Theatre), The Werewolf of Washington Heights (Cockpit Theatre/ Camden Fringe Festival), and Hilda and the Northern Powerhouse (Grimsby Minster).

Itoya Osagied’s theatre work includes Notes on Grief (MIF), Tears are a Luxury, Belong (Royal Court Theatre), The Hunt (Almeida Theatre), Twelfth Night (Gods and Monsters), Palm Wine and Stout (Eastern Angles Theatre), Blue/Orange (Contexture Theatre), and Teach Me (Soho Theatre). For television, his credits include War on Drugs, Beowulf, American Odyssey, and Spotless; and for film, Second Coming, Farming, Okora and Dark Lights.

George Telfer‘s theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing, The Merchant of Venice (Derby Theatre), as well as work at The Mill at Sonning. He has been working for several years with Stephen Berkoff on Corpse in which he plays Sir John Gielgud. For television, his work includes Emmerdale, Sister Boniface; and for film, Innocent Crimes and The Auton Trilogy.

To Kill a Mockingbird is running the All Rise ticket scheme in an exclusive partnership with TodayTix, offering £15 seats for every performance across the run. The initiative provides access at affordable prices to as wide an audience as possible. More than 1,400 tickets will be released each month. In addition to the All Rise initiative, there is an opportunity to purchase £15 tickets via Today Tix daily rush – where a limited number of additional seats will be available on each performance day via the app. The TodayTix app can be downloaded onto iOs or Android devices for free via the app store; or you can access online via TodayTix.com.

Sher and the original Broadway creative team – Miriam Buether (Set), Ann Roth (Costume), Jennifer Tipton (Lighting), Scott Lehrer (Sound), Adam Guettel (Original Score), Kimberly Grigsby (Music Supervision) and Campbell Young Associates (Hair & Wigs) – are joined by Serena Hill as Casting Director, Hazel Holder as Voice & Dialect Coach, Titas Halder as Associate Director, Candida Caldicot as Musical Director, Tavia Rivée Jefferson as Cultural Coordinator and Rasheka Christie-Carter as Assistant Director.

DATES AND VENUE CONFIRMED FOR LIZ KINGSMAN’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED, SMASH-HIT

ONE WOMAN SHOW

★★★★★

“Do everything legal you can to get a ticket” Evening Standard

Wessex Grove, Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Bad Robot Live today announce dates for the West End transfer of Liz Kingsman’s critically acclaimed, smash-hit One Woman Show. The production will open at the Ambassadors Theatre on 19 December, with previews from 14 December, and runs until 21 January 2023. Priority booking opens today, with public booking opening tomorrow, 11 October – tickets are from £15.

WESSEX GROVE, AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP PRODUCTIONS AND BAD ROBOT LIVE PRESENT

ONE WOMAN SHOW

Written and performed by Liz Kingsman

Director Adam Brace; Designer Chloe Lamford; Lighting Designer Daniel Carter-Brennan;

Sound Designer Max Perryment;Choreographer Joshua Lay

★★★★★

“A gloriously stupid, ‘Airplane’-esque daft romp… Fight for a ticket” Telegraph

Following sensational critical acclaim One Woman Show played sold out runs at Soho Theatre London and Traverse Theatre Edinburgh and was called “the single hottest ticket in the capital right now” (Time Out).

Liz Kingsman’s Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated show within a show is “an uproarious spoof” (Telegraph) of the genre it borrows its title from, and was listed as The Guardian’s Number 1 Comedy Event of 2021.

A bold, irreverent, raw, moving and triumphant celebration of adjectives, this blurb will nail down nothing. This is a show so unflinching you’ll be begging for a flinch.

Trigger warning: contains blinding ambition.

Liz Kingsman is an actor and writer, and creator of the Edinburgh Comedy Award nominated One Woman Show. She can currently be seen in the second season of critically acclaimed French political satire Parlement on France 2, and Down From London, streaming on Topic (US), which she co-created and wrote with Sharon Horgan’s Merman Productions based on an award-winning short film. Previous acting credits include BAFTA-nominated ITV2 sitcom Timewasters, Borderline on Netflix, and topical Channel 4 comedies Ballot Monkeys and Power Monkeys. She is this year’s winner of the Times Breakthrough Award at the Sky Arts South Bank Awards, and was named in The Evening Standard and The Observer’s Faces to Watch in 2022.

Adam Brace directs. He is Associate Director at Soho Theatre, London where he works across Comedy, Theatre and Performance Art, in roles spanning dramaturg, director and writer. He has developed a varied range of work including 9 Edinburgh Comedy Award-nominated shows, 2 Herald Angel Award-winners, 3 Fringe First Winners, 2 nominees for the Melbourne Barry Award, and 2 Southbank Sky Arts Awards. Directing credits include all of Alex Edelman’s shows, most recently Just For Us (Drama Desk Nominee 2022 – extended six times Off-Broadway, transferring to London in January); Age is a Feeling by Haley McGee (Fringe First 2022, returning to Soho Theatre in Feb 2023); all of Sh!t Theatre’s multi-award-winning international shows. Previously he was a playwright and was produced by Almeida Theatre, the National Theatre and the Donmar Warehouse; his plays are published by Faber and Faber. 

One Woman Show was originally produced at the Soho Theatre and Traverse Theatre by Country Mile Productions.

www.onewomanshow.co.uk

Please note new website and social handles:

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook: onewomanshowldn

ONE WOMAN SHOW

LISTINGS

Ambassadors Theatre

West Street, London WC2H 9ND

www.atgtickets.com

Box Office: 0844 871 7615

14 December 2022 – 21 January 2023

Tickets from £15

FULL PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:

Wednesday 14 December 2022                8pm

Thursday 15 December 2022                     6pm      8.30pm

Friday 16 December 2022                          8pm

Saturday 17 December 2022                     6pm      8.30pm

Monday 19 December 2022                      7pm

Tuesday 20 December 2022                      8pm

Wednesday 21 December 2022                6pm      8.30pm

Thursday 22 December 2022                     8pm

Friday 23 December 2022                          6pm      8.30pm

Saturday 24 December 2022                     5pm     

Tuesday 27 December 2022                      6pm      8.30pm

Wednesday 28 December 2022                6pm      8.30pm

Thursday 29 December 2022                     8pm

Friday 30 December 2022                          6pm      8.30pm

Saturday 31 December 2022                     5pm     

Tuesday 3 January 2023                             8pm

Wednesday 4 January 2023                       8pm

Thursday 5 January 2023                            7pm      9.15pm

Friday 6 January 2023                                 7pm     

Saturday 7 January 2023                            6pm      8.30pm

Monday 9 January 2023                             8pm

Tuesday 10 January 2023                           7pm      9.15pm

Wednesday 11 January 2023                     7pm     

Thursday 12 January 2023                         8pm

Friday 13 January 2023                               7pm      9.15pm

Saturday 14 January 2023                          6pm      8.30pm

Monday 16 January 2023                           8pm

Tuesday 17 January 2023                           7pm      9.15pm

Wednesday 18 January 2023                     7pm     

Thursday 19 January 2023                         8pm

Friday 20 January 2023                               7pm      9.15pm

Saturday 21 January 2023                          6pm      8.30pm

REBECCA LOCK

COMPLETES THE CAST OF

ELF THE MUSICAL AT

LONDON’S DOMINION THEATRE

FOR A STRICTLY LIMITED 8-WEEK SEASON

FROM 14 NOVEMBER 2022

Renowned theatre actress Rebecca Lock will play Emily Hobbs in ELF, the smash hit musical which returns to London in a new production at the Dominion Theatre for a strictly limited 8-week season. Rehearsals for ELF begin today in anticipation of previews from 14 November and an official opening on 24 November 2022, with the season finishing on 7 January 2023.

Rebecca Lock’s credits include Rosalie Mullins in School of Rock (UK tour), Carmen in Curtains (UK tour and Wyndhams Theatre), Ms Fleming/Veronica’s Mom in Heathers (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Rosie in Mamma Mia! (Novello Theatre), Carlotta Giudicelli in The Phantom of the Opera (Her Majesty’s Theatre), Kate Monster/Lucy the Slut in Avenue Q (Noel Coward Theatre) and Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre).

She joins the previously announced Simon Lipkin as Buddy, Georgina Castle as Jovie, Tom Chambers as Walter Hobbs, Kim Ismay as Debs, Nicholas Pound as Santa and Dermot Canavan as Store Manager.

Also in the cast are Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Kyle Cox, Jade Davies, Bethan Downing, Francis Foreman, Morgan Gregory, Ryan Jupp, Ellis Linford-Pill, Shane O’Riordan, Theo Reece, Chloe Saunders, Heather Scott-Martin, Jessica Spalis, Michael Tyler, Katie Warsop and Natalie Woods.

Dexter Barry, Logan Clark, Alfie Morwood and Frankie Treadaway will alternate the role of Michael.

Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit starring Will Ferrell, ELF features a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone), with songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

The new production will be directed by Philip Wm. McKinley, with original set and costume design by Tim Goodchild, choreography by Liam Steel, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound by Gareth Owen, video design by Ian William Galloway, music direction by Alan Williams and wig and hair design by Richard Mawbey.  Casting is by Grindrod Burton Casting.

ELF is the funny and charming tale of Buddy, who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts as a baby and is transported back to the North Pole and raised as an elf! Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities finally cause him to face the truth and realise he’ll never belong in the North Pole. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York to find his birth father, discover his true identity and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

ELF the Musical is produced by Temple Live Entertainment.

Website: elflondon.com

Instagram: @elfmusicalLDN

Facebook: @elfmusicalLDN

Twitter: @elfmusicalLDN

TikTok: @elfmusicalLDN

LISTINGS INFORMATION

ELF the Musical

14 November 2022 to 7 January 2023

Dominion Theatre

268-269 Tottenham Court Road

London W1T 7AQ

Box Office:  0345 200 7982

Performances: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday & Saturday at 2.30pm

Running Time:  2 hours 25 minutes (including interval)

Grand Opera House York – Friday 7th October 2022

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4 ½ ****

The iconic 1980 Blues Brothers film is such a cult classic that The Chicago Blues Brothers have been touring the globe for over 30 years. Each tour is themed, this one being A Night At The Movies, bringing to the stage a wide range of songs from a variety of films. Accompanied by a seven-piece live band, director and producer Chris “Jake” Hindle and Gareth “Elwood” Davey, take to the stage with Sweet Soul Sisters Stacey and Megan, for what promises to be an all singing, all dancing, all action mash up of a show, celebrating the music of the movies.

With the help of a screen projection behind, the set is based on the old Blockbuster stores, renamed Bluesbuster for their purposes. We were treated to classics from Dirty Dancing, Footloose, The Greatest Showman and many, many more. I must admit my personal favourite, but only because it is one of my all-time favourite songs, after listening to my mum’s LP’s when I was younger, was Green Onions. If you’ve never heard of it, it’s an instrumental, and boy the band sure did it justice, made my night.

Hindle and Davey are great as Jake and Elwood, encapsulating their characters so well. At times though the attempts at American accents were a bit dodgy, that was of on consequence as we were all having such fun. They were both slick in their singing and dance moves, Davey especially with his floor skills. They were well supported by the Sweet Soul Sisters, who both had their opportunity to strut their stuff, and to shine with solo numbers. The band were all talented musicians, playing live music with such passion. A shout out to Danny, the trumpet player, with all his eagerness in wanting to perform La Bamba, such a funny character. There is so much interaction and banter within the cast and the audience, they really do look like they are having a blast.

I must admit that I wasn’t familiar with some of the numbers, but the show was that infectious that it had me up on my feet dancing along. For virtually the whole of the second half the majority of the audience were up on their feet dancing and singing along, “Shaking our Tailfeathers”. What more could you want from a night at the theatre?

Straight from walking into the theatre we just knew we were going to be in for a great night, it had been invaded by tons of Jakes and Elwoods. They were everywhere, splendid in their black suits and skinny ties, fedoras and shades, a terrific sight to see. A bonus for us was the two men in one of the boxes, dressed up, who had all the moves to all the numbers. We had a blast copying them in our seats. I managed to speak to them afterwards, they’re from Newcastle and this was about their 15th visit to this show, with more planned, true dedication.

This is a smashing show not to be missed, full of fun and energy.

Waterloo East Theatre – until 30 October 2022

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Skitzoid Productions new musical is a heartfelt but muddled queer romp towards the apocalypse. Sam (Jonny Brace), CEO of supportme – an IT company that prepares business for the apocalypse – is awaiting news of a contract renewal in an underground bunker in Southwark. Flirting with the DPD delivery guy (Daniel Nyari), Sam accidentally starts the countdown to a missile launch, and he can’t remember his newly changed password to stop nuclear Armageddon.

As Sam and his team try to escape the bunker, a series of calamities render them unconscious, and the show enters Sam’s mind. To cope with impending doom and his ongoing mental health issues, his subconscious turns everything into a musical number. To find a solution, Sam’s mind delves into each character’s issues while shoehorning them into his TV writing project Regency Abbey. When the characters start to rebel after a few lacklustre seasons, Sam’s favourite character Rev. Cassock gets a modern-day detective series called Cassock’s Clutch. Aesha (Zara Evans) seems superficial and obsessed with social media but is still in the denial stage of grief. Stats (Katie Penfold) needs structure because of her abusive childhood, T-Base (Nyari) acts out his religious father’s prejudices and Sam’s avoidance of conflict stems from the violent abuser in his family. To touch on all these themes in a musical is ambitious and there are some lovely moments, but the segues into song are unsuccessful at times. As his characters stop co-operating, Sam’s frustrated cry of “I need to find a dramaturg” seems sound advice for Bain. A slicker, more streamlined approach would allow the story to flow and make some scenes feel less clunky and easier to relate to – supportme’s motto is, after all, Connect to Survive.

On a positive note, the performances are all strong and vocals impress. Penfold’s facial reactions as she loses control; of her body in early choreography are wonderful. I thought it was hilarious that Marcus Bentley from Big Brother was the Voice of God, counting down the minutes to the apocalypse, and didn’t realise that he had not recorded his part but was speaking live from the back of the theatre until he strode onto the stage for a small but pivotal role. There is a decent range of musical styles in the score, but the overuse of electronic instruments in all songs does begin to resemble shopping mall muzak. This is a shame as some of the songs have exciting potential and varied arrangements would help differentiate them. Valentina Turtur’s set design works well as the bunker and Sam’s subconscious, with Oliver Hynds’ lighting adding an intimidating and claustrophobic atmosphere. Benjamin Harvey’s animation is a fantastic touch as Stats works out her self esteem issues playing a video game Space Evaders.

With moments of charming introspection, absurd humour, and full of energy, Last Sales Conference of the Apocalypse highlights important mental health issues. This is a show with lots of potential but needs a lot more work before it is the finished article.

Southwark Playhouse – until 29 October 2022

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

Jenna Fincken’s unsettling and unforgettable play about coercive control chronicles a relationship from meeting to the first act of violence.

When Louise meets Ryan at Jess’s engagement party, it does not start well. She is suspicious and he is disgustingly nice. Their first date ends disastrously, but soon they are moving in together in a new town, far from her friends and family. Louise is happy and does not notice the red flags that keep popping up. As Ryan isolates her increasingly from the world, (no phone, no access to the joint account…) her friends and family try to intervene, but Louise is defensive and protective of Ryan. After exerting control on every aspect of Louise’s life, Ryan’s assertion that he cannot survive without her and threats of self-harm if she leaves stop Louise from breaking away. Nobody who sees this play will ever say “She could have just left him.”

Fincken has written Louise as an intelligent, independent young woman, a teacher seeking deputy headship positions. When she realises her situation Louise says that she is trained to spot this in her work – but living it is a different matter. We only hear Ryan’s voice (Matthew Durkan) and so his casual and vindictive acts of cruelty – poor Sharky! – are described and excused after his apologies until, about 18 months in, he is finally violent to Louise.

Fincken’s writing and performance are phenomenal. She jumps between characters seamlessly -Whiny Briony is a hoot! Fincken keeps Louise sharp and funny between her moments of self-doubt and terror as she struggles to maintain Ryan’s exacting standards. Georgia Green’s direction and Miranda Keeble’s set design is perfectly judged to allow the story telling to be animated and dynamic. Fincken’s physicality, Simeon Miller’s lighting and projection and Tingying Dong’s sound design all work together to create a chaotic and increasingly claustrophobic atmosphere as the relationship inexorably travels towards violence.

Funny, disturbing and uncomfortable – Louise asks us “Did you see?” – Ruckus is a brilliant production.

Maltings Theatre, St Albans – until 15 October 2022

Reviewed by Ross McGregor

Beginning 4**** Middle 5*****

Late Night Love’s Labours Lost in the Pesto Triangle

Presented on alternate nights and as a double-bill on Saturdays, OVO Theatre have brought David’s Eldridge’s “Beginning” and “Middle” to the Maltings Theatre, in a welcome revival following their National Theatre debuts a few years ago.

The two plays are naturalistic two-handers, both running as continuous single scenes spanning 90 minutes (Beginning) and 100 minutes (Middle). Whilst the characters in each play are unrelated to those in their companion piece, and their respective subject matter unique and separate, director Adam Nichols has made the decision to use the same two actors (Matt Betteridge & Emma Wright) in both plays to perhaps highlight the thematic links between the pieces that exist in the texts. Or perhaps he just wanted to give two actors an immense amount of lines to learn, who knows.

We find ourselves in a type of theatrical style made popular by writers like Hare and Harrower – there is a working fridge-freezer that chills the fish fingers, real beers that are opened and spilled, real plates that are broken and real Pringles that are eaten. The references are (sort-of) modern with shout-outs to Facebook, Paloma Faith, DM sliding and Jeremy Corbyn, and it’s not often that the playwright allows one of his characters to finish a sentence. But as the protagonists hunt futilely for their own fullstops before eventually having to make do with a hyphen – we are presented with two slices of relationship life that feel truthfully raw, engagingly charming, surprisingly funny and painfully sad.

Dealing with the plots first – it is safe to say that both Beginning and Middle serve as long dark Saturday nights of the soul.

In “Beginning”, we meet Laura and Danny – two early-forty-something-singletons at Laura’s birthday house party. They don’t seem to know each other well, but something is keeping them from calling it a night. Might there be romance in the air amongst the stale beer and cigarette smoke? Or is it just hormones? Another one-night-stand to add to the list of casual conquests or the start of something real?

Betteridge’s Danny is mercurial in his sliding between the over-confident corporate lad that’s not afraid of a one-night stand, and the sensitive clean-freak man-child residing beneath that very much is. Betteridge swaggers and struts with impeccable comic timing, knowing when to hold and when to push – he gives Danny a real charm and isn’t afraid of leaning into the character’s more painful secrets and insecurities when the playwright allows him access to them. By contrast, Wright’s Managing Director Labour-Leaning Laura seems on the surface to have her life a little more together – she’s more forthright about she wants and why she’s allowed Danny to hang around post-party, but Wright gradually opens her performance up and lets her character’s true motivations shine as the play progresses and it’s handled with sensitivity and truth. I personally feel that the playwright preferred writing Danny than Laura, and that shows in the script’s weighting of the two roles (I’m afraid the dreadfully overused “male playwright writing a female character’s motivation” trope rears its head here – no spoilers dear reader but it rhymes with “baving a haby”), but despite that lazy decision, it’s a touching piece, funny and awkward – as two strangers in the middle of their lives wrestle with the decision to take a chance on love one more time, hampered by all the baggage of the past, shouting over the ghosts of past ambitions and the voids of absent parents that clearly still plague them.

In “Middle”, which to my mind is the stronger of the two pieces, we meet Gary and Maggie. This time Betteridge and Wright are slightly older in their playing ages – and suit the characters slightly more. Gary and Maggie have been married for almost twenty years – but when Maggie can’t sleep late one night – Gary comes down into the kitchen to defrost the Sunday Roast – and what slowly unfurls is a devastating and brutal evisceration of their life together, their past, their wants and needs, both then and now. To say more would be telling, but suffice to say – both actors are at the absolute top of their game, and the script scorches and sizzles in their incredibly capable hands. It’s a barnstorming belter of a piece that flies by, almost leaving you breathless. Betteridge’s Gary is an absolutely effortless work of genius – he shines in speeches and silence alike – it’s so rare to see a performer truly living in their world they’re inhabiting, breathing and responding naturally from line to line – he’s an absolutely captivating performer, and Gary soars under his carefully structured delivery. Wright, thankfully, is given more to do in Middle than she is in Beginning, and her Maggie is a masterpiece of silent pain, a terrible truth simmering within her just as scorching as the milk she’s warming on the stove in their kitchen island. Maggie is both a tempest and the ship trapped within one, she’s powerless as she’s swarmed by memories and the echoes of her lost ambitions and dreams – and yet the winds that wrack her frame are of her own making. Middle is basically the story of a marriage in crisis, and it is a testament to both the actors and the skills of their director that I found myself changing allegiances multiple times through the course of the play.

Simon Nicholas’s set is doing double duty for the piece, but there’s enough skilful reconfiguration between the two shows to make them separate and distinct from each other. The aim for the pieces is naturalism, so Nicholas is clearly going for realism – a goal that he more than achieves for the studio space, and there are some nice touches to his decisions that give us hints into the characters and their psychologies – Laura’s lounge for instance has a bookshelf filled with travel books and intellectual door-stop classics but no photographs of family, similarly she has a sofa – which she lounges across, betraying that she often sits there by herself, and two chairs across the room with cushions on them too large to be sat on without throwing them on the floor – revealing that no-one ever does – therefore company in her personal space is rare. She may be saying to Danny that she has friends and a good job and social life and independence, but subtly underneath, her room is whispering that she’s lonely. The set should never be the star of the show, and it’s not here – which is a good thing – but Nicholas’s design and attention to detail give authenticity, insight and class to proceedings.

Adam Nichols directs both pieces and his handiwork is deft, direct and daring. He is astute enough to know when to push his cast forward and give the dialogue wings, and yet sensitive enough to know when to pause, to hold, and to let go – his characters have painful tales to tell, and he allows them time and space with which to tell them. His focus on the stage is always clear and tight, and he never lets things descend into melodrama – his audience is a fly on the wall, trapped watching a real situation with real people play out – and Nichols handles this with an aplomb that betrays his experience and a sharp eye and ear for the human condition.

Although there is nothing tangible to link the characters from the two plays into a foursome – other than perhaps a predilection for choosing the name Annabelle from the Bumper Baby Book of Names – both plays present characters in search of comfort and companionship, redemption and understanding. The people in these stories have walked as far through their lives as they have left to go, and it’s at this middle point – an interval, if you will, although both productions ironically lack one, where they take stock, look back, look forward, then reach out into the dark – searching for a hand to hold as they step off into the unknown of their lives’ second act.

If you can catch both shows – then absolutely do it – it’s an epic event that will keep you engaged and entertained, and the pieces are made more nuanced and impressive by using the same cast in both. But if you can only catch one – then it has to be Middle – as it’s stuck with me for hours after seeing it, and in Middle – Nichols and his cast have captured pure lightning in a kitchen sink bottle.

Touring across the Portsmouth Region – until 12th Nov 2022

Reviewed by Emma Barnes

5*****

The story is told by just four characters,  it tells the experience of three women in the run up and during the Falklands conflict in the early 80’s.   The 75 riveting minutes of classic 80’s tunes are perfectly balanced with a poignant and relevant storyline with local historical context. An uplifting and moving tribute to the Portsmouth region.

The indomitable Stella (Nathalie Gunn) is magnificent, masterful and maternal in her portrayal of the strong female role model for the two younger women. She welcomes us into her club and captures our hearts as each of their different stories unfold.  She introduces us to Polish refugee Susan (Julia Grela) and the lovesick Lesley (Emily Ambrose). Each provide stand out solo performances and together their harmonies were absolutely on point and a joy to listen to throughout.   Derek (Scott Ramsay) expertly lifts the tone with well delivered comedy. The Jazzercise sequence was our highlight of the night and if anything could have been taken to greater extremes.

Key to the success of this production is the setting. We were welcomed into a Church Hall  which had been transformed for the evening into ‘The Paradise Club’  a fictional social club typical of the times.   The characters greet the audience and engage them in conversation creating a real atmosphere and transporting those of us who are old enough to remember back in time.   The characters in the story are not real, but the events are, and the place is.  The names all of all UK teenagers lost in the conflict are a stark reminder of the tragedy faced by so many families.  The timely staging of this piece also serve to reflect real events currently taking place on the world stage.

We give this performance 5 stars because it succeeds in leaving a lasting imprint. This is feel good ‘gig theatre’ at its best, an immersive engaging experience with stand out vocals,  a heart warming storyline combined with the thrill of being in a small room with a live band (South Coasts hottest party band – The Spoils).  There are no special effects, no scenery, no frills,  just stripped back raw talent and a clever delivery which keeps alive a local history that should be retold.

And it really worked !  The mood in the room was contagious. By the final song every member of the audience was up and dancing.   Prepare to be entertained, prepare to shed one or two tears, prepare to clap and sing.  A great night out combined with a lesson in local history that we highly recommend.

The show tours to 20 community venues across the region this Autumn.

https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/undertow1982-1124949

The Theatre Café Diner, 154 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2H 8HL

Opening times:

Mon & Tues: 3.30 – 11.30

Wed – Sat: 12 – 11.30

Sun: 12 – 10.30

Bookings recommended

thetheatrecafediner.co.uk

We were lucky enough to get a sneak peek at The Theatre Café Diner before it’s official opening tonight – Saturday 8th October – and IT IS MUSICAL THEATRE HEAVEN.

In a prime position on Shaftesbury Avenue, The Theatre Café Diner takes the sparkles and joy of the original Theatre Café and amps it up to 11. Set over two floors, the themed tables and booths reflect MT classics and there is even a Royal Booth with gold curtains. We were lucky enough to get seated in the Six booth, so spent the night toasting the queens as they looked down on us. The design is so well thought out – wherever you sit, there is so much to see. Next time I want to sit on the Kinky Boots stools to live the dream of having legs that go on forever.

Unfortunately, I was so busy living my best life that the only decent photos I have are of the toilets… but the loos are lush. The only seats in town where you get a round of applause for doing your business.

The menu is full of MT themed dishes: Whistle Down the Wings, Aaron Burr-ger, Shuffle Off to Buffalo Chicken Burger, and my favourite side – Dancing Through Fries. The cocktail menu doesn’t disappoint either: Bend and Schnapps, Long Island Iced Tea-nage Dream and Madame Midori-bbles Sour.

The main selling point, and what makes this place so magical, is the waiting team. Apart from being the friendliest and most welcoming in London, they are also the most talented. The cast includes students and graduates with killer voices and, I expect, the acting chops to deal with the most obnoxious customers with a smile. The live performances are incredible, with each singer moving between the two floors as well as screens to show you what is going on upstairs/downstairs. There is a varied mix of songs from modern and classic musicals, and a glorious range of vocal styles. You may forget to chew – they are so amazing.

Whether you are looking for a pre-theatre treat or simply a joyful dining experience, The Theatre Diner is THE place to go. Food, drink and musical theatre, what else do you need in life? – this will be a lot of people’s Happy Place.

Wyndham’s Theatre London – until 15th January 2023

Reviewed by Liberty Noke

5*****

Life of Pi has become a well known story after the huge success of both the book and the film. In my opinion this play is even better. On the surface this is the story of a boy who survived an almost unbelievable tragedy but this story is so much more with themes of religion and humanity it is a story that resonates with the audience.

The stage is set with a simple hospital bed and the play begins with Pi (Nuwan Hugh Perera) being interviewed about his time as a castaway. Perera perfectly portrays a frightened, traumatised boy, shaking with fear and walking uneasily speaking quickly and fanatically then suddenly not at all. But then, all of a sudden, the scene changes. As Pi recounts his childhood the stage becomes his family zoo and Perera is playing an altogether different character: the Pi who had not yet suffered. This sudden change in scenery was achieved by the chorus walking in stage with butterflies, the lights and music changing and Pi suddenly is happy and at peace. This is testament to what a remarkably talented Actor Perera is

At the zoo we meet many animals, the animals on the stage are puppets operated by actors and the way they move is phenomenal. Finn Caldwell, Nick Barnes and Caroline Bowman did a fantastic job in creating these puppets. The way the animals moved was almost life-like and I found myself genuinely terrified of a tiger I knew wasn’t real. Richard Parker, the tiger was operated by Owain Gwynn, Rebecca Killick and Elan James. All three actors were incredible and it must’ve taken a lot of rehearsal to move together as one in such a way that I forgot the actors were there at all.

There wasn’t a single part of this play that didn’t amaze me. The lights and music able to transform the theatre into a stormy sea, the set that had me believing Pi was really swimming, the faultless performances of every actor and the incredible puppets that make this play truly special. I enjoyed this play not just because it is a fantastic story brought to life by an incredible team of creatives but also because of the way it challenged me.

I was left, on my journey home from the theatre, contemplating life. Wondering what it meant to be human, what sets us apart from animals? Are we really that different from the living beings we share this earth with? I was also left contemplating faith. In times of trouble many of us turn to a higher power and Life of Pi calls this into question. Do we lose faith when all seems lost? Or is that a reason to hold in to it? This is so much more than a play it is a beautiful, moving commentary on the human species.