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CAST ANNOUNCEMENT FOR LONDON’S BIGGEST NEW ATTRACTION

TOM FELTON TO PLAY GUY FAWKES IN HISTORY’S MOST DARING CONSPIRACY

STAR LEADS A DIGITAL CAST OF OVER 50 INCLUDING GARY BEADLE, TAQI NAZEER, MICHELLE ASANTE AND ASH RIZI TO BRING HISTORY TO LIFE 

• London’s biggest new attraction opens 20^th May in Tower Vaults at the Tower of London, in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces
• This multi-sensory adventure is written by Olivier nominee Danny Robins and Creative Direction by stage director and multi BAFTA award-nominated games performance director Hannah Price
• The Gunpowder Plot is the latest immersive experience from Layered Reality, the award-winning producers of the Jeff Wayne’s The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience  
• Virtual Reality provided by award winning VR studio Figment Productions, headed by Simon Reveley
• Inspired by Historic Royal Palaces research
• Cast of over 50 digital actors alongside over 20 live actors create a truly hybrid theatrical experience

 1605. The fuse of rebellion is lit. The peace of the nation balances on a knife edge.  Who will you trust?

The Gunpowder Plot is delighted to announce that the starring role of Guy Fawkes will be played by actor Tom Felton who first found fame playing Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series.  Since then, Tom has starred in numerous film and TV productions including ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’, Neil LaBute mini-series ‘Full Circle’, and Ridley Scott’s ‘Labyrinth’. Tom can most recently be seen starring in Netflix’s war epic ‘The Forgotten Battle’ and in the Sky Original film ‘Save the Cinema’. Tom will next be seen on screen in the upcoming thriller ‘BURIAL’ and he makes his West End debut in ‘2:22: A Ghost Story’ this Spring.

Now he is set to play the starring role in The Gunpowder Plot, which mixes both live actors and digital stars in a multi-sensory theatrical adventure. Tom will work with leading Virtual Reality experts Figment Productions, whose magic will allow Tom’s image and movements to be motion captured and rendered “live” in the virtual world. Here audiences will interact with Guy Fawkes inside Virtual Reality, as they infiltrate the plotter’s company and learn of the conspiracy against the Houses of Parliament. 

Speaking about the role, Tom said “I’m very excited to be playing a character so famous (and infamous!) for being at the centre of the most famous conspiracy plot in UK history. Guy Fawkes is a fascinating character with a complex history and with passionate advocates and detractors then and now. To be able to bring the character to life through Virtual Reality, and to allow him to interact with audiences in a way that has never been done before, is thrilling.”

The team of talented digital actors also include Gary Beadle as Edmund (Paul in ‘EastEnders’, ‘Around the World in 80 Days’ alongside David Tennant for PBS and ‘Skint’, BBC Four), Taqi Nazeer as King James (Writer and actor of Oran Mor sell-out show ‘Rishta’ as part of National Theatre of Scotland’s Breakthrough Writers programme. Writer of   ‘An Edinburgh Christmas Carol’ @ the Lyceum, ‘ and Ankur production’s ‘Heer Ranja’ @ Tramway Theatre). Michelle Asante as Alice (‘Welcome Home Captain Fox’ at the Donmar Warehouse, nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Play at the Broadway World Awards for ‘Sunset Baby’ at the Gate Theatre, currently starring in Netflix’s ‘Top Boy’) and Ash Rizi as Jack (Darius Kazemi ‘EastEnders’, Nathan in Channel 4 comedy ‘Drifters’, Mohan Rai in BBC One crime-thriller ‘Luther’).

More Digital Cast & Live Cast details in credits at end of release.

‘THE GUNPOWDER PLOT’ is a seamless integration of immersive theatre and virtual reality where live actors, the latest in digital technology and a cavalcade of multi-sensory special effects combine to allow audiences to step back in time to 1605. Here audiences don’t just witness the action, they play an ever-active role in one of the greatest stories in British history. The guests’ mission: go undercover, infiltrate the plotters and become part of history’s most daring conspiracy.

The experience has been created in collaboration with Historic Royal Palaces, the independent charity which cares for the Tower of London. Audiences will find themselves in a purpose-designed immersive theatre space in Tower Vaults, a location that was last accessible to the public two decades ago. Tower Vaults are situated alongside the UNESCO World Heritage Tower of London, where much of the prelude to the real Gunpowder Plot took place over 400 years ago.

Layered Reality is fast establishing itself as one of the foremost providers of immersive experiences in the capital – recent project, ‘The War of The Worlds: The Immersive Experience’ won the prestigious THEA Award (the “Oscars” of themed entertainment) and is in TripAdvisor’s Top 10% of attractions globally. 

The Gunpowder Plot brings together an incredible team. Creative Director Hannah Price is the founder of Theatre Uncut, andco-Artistic Directorof King’s Head Theatre alongside Mark Ravenhill and is one of the UK gaming industry’s most acclaimed Performance Directors. Her work on Control (Remedy Games) helped the title achieve 11 Bafta nominations and multiple Game of the Year Awards.

BAFTA-nominated writer Danny Robins (The Battersea Poltergeist) recently won a WhatsOnStage award (voted for by audiences) and has also just been nominated for an Olivier award – both for ‘2.22: A Ghost Story’,starring Lily Allen.Hannah and Danny developed the story, alongside Associate Director Rosie Jones (Nintendo, Remedy Games, Audible, Rose Theatre Kingston, RSC), and working closely with Historic Palaces Curator Dr Alden Gregory to draw on historic research to inform everything from characters to sights and smells in the experience. Virtual Reality elements of the experience are provided by leaders in personalising the VR experience Figment Productions (winner of The international VR Award for ‘Current, Rising’ at the Royal Opera House – Best Out-Of-Home VR Experience of the Year 2021) headed by Simon Reveley. 

Curator Alden Gregory (curator of Historic Buildings at Historic Royal Palaces)and producer Tim Powell (Historic Royal Palaces creative consultant) bring their vast historical knowledge to the production and the historically accurate depiction of the city as a backdrop for the action is overseen by Gregory. Everything has been meticulously researched by Gregory to ensure that the experience is inspired by the sights, sounds and even swear words of Jacobean life, to create a sense of authenticity and understanding of what the past really looked like. 

Intricate, large-scale walk-around locations and first-class actors performing live are integrated with ambitious technology including virtual reality and projection mapping, ambisonics and multi-sensory SFX. The final layer, intended to fully immerse audiences is physical sensations: temperature, scent, taste, touch and sound. 

Speaking about The Gunpowder Plot, the Creative Team said:

“We want it to feel like somebody made a movie version of the Gunpowder Plot and it came to life around you and exploded in your face with bits of Jacobean London flying at you”. Says writer Danny Robins “This is a story about activism. It’s about trying to change the world but then realising that you’re doing it the wrong way.” 

“We cannot wait to share this groundbreaking production with an audience. Incredibly realistic sets you can step onto and run your hands across. Cutting edge VR that puts our audience in the heart of London in one of its most volatile moments. Layered levels of immersion so everything you see, feel, touch, and even smell takes you further into the story. Add live actors and a brilliant script and our audience will have an experience like no other.” Creative Director Hannah Price

“We will transport you back to 1605, all of your senses will tell you that you’re actually there. Your eyes will see London as it was in 1605, you get the smells, you will see the Tower of London as it looked then, and you’ll go down the Thames as it was at that time. That’s what makes it magical.”Layered Reality CEO Andrew McGuinness

“We want to give people the sense that they might have literally time travelled through this show, feeling the same experiences of joy, confusion, and fear that the conspirators felt. We’re pushing things to a whole new level, doing something with immersive theatre that hasn’t been tried by museums in this way; simultaneously creating an experience rooted in history and a show-stopping night of entertainment designed to reach a wider audience than might be drawn to more traditional heritage attractions. And ultimately my role is making sure that what we do really evoke that moment in time to transport participants back to seventeenth century London.” Alden Gregory, Historic Royal Palaces.

“The show is set up in such a way that it fools the body into telling the mind that you are physically there, that those characters are speaking to you directly and this encourages the belief that you are both present and able to influence the history that’s happening around you. It’s a fundamentally new way of experiencing history because you’re not just witnessing it but actually participating in it for the first time. The multisensory elements will form memories that will really feel real.”Tim Powell, Historic Royal Palaces creative consultant.

“My ultimate reward would be if when people are recounting the experience, they don’t specify which parts were VR and which parts were live performance, the more seamlessly we can integrate every element in people’s minds, the more realistic and immersive the experience”. Simon Reveley, Figment Productions

Leeds Playhouse – until 23^rd April 2022

Reviewed by Katie Goldsbrough 

4****

Hedwig and the Angry Inch has become somewhat of a cult classic since it’s Broadway release in 1998, it tells the story of Hedwig, a gender queer rock and roll singer. Beginning in East Berlin we learn of the upbringing of Hansel Schmidt, living in a city divided by a wall the young Hansel dreams of the other side and seeing the world he can only imagine through music. We discover how Hansel ends up living in America as a woman, after meeting Luther Robinson, an American Soldier and how this leads to further struggles with identity. Facing relationship breakdowns and a lack of a loving family we learn of the difficult life Hedwig has faced leading them to where they are today. 

Throughout the show Hedwig struggles with the fact that Tommy Gnosis an ex and previous collaborator is currently having a much more successful career than her own. Hedwig appears in her own rock ‘n’ roll band with her assistant/husband Yitzhak, a Jewish drag queen. Hedwig seems to be threaten, by Yitzhak to his natural talent resulting in her verbally abusing him throughout the show and only agreeing to marry him if he promises never to put on a wig again. It’s not until the end of the show that Hedwig finally begins to accept themselves for who they are. 

At this performance the role of Hedwig is taken on by the fabulous Divina De Campo, who found fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race and has an excellent stage presence, rivalled only by Elijah Ferreira’s hilarious performance as Yitzhak. The rest of the band is also great, with fantastic music throughout only adding to the story. This is a brilliant, hilarious show full of laughter and rock ‘n’ roll. The raw exploration of gender, sex and sexuality is something rarely seen on stage and is something people shouldn’t be afraid to talk about. For anyone struggling with who they are, this is a great show to see that you can be anyone and everyone should learn to accept themselves. The show ended with a much-deserved standing ovation. With Divina De Campo meet and greets available on certain nights, this is a show not to be missed. Tickets are selling fast so if you’ve yet to get yours you need to be quick about it.  

ASTON MERRYGOLD ANNOUNCED TO TAKE ROLE OF WILLARD IN UK TOUR OF FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL

Selladoor Worldwide are delighted to announce that Aston Merrygold will join the cast of Footloose the Musical to perform in the role of Willard in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Wimbledon from 25 July.

The critically acclaimed tour opened in February to rave reviews and continues to delight audiences across the UK.

“Let’s hear it for the boys and girls! – the cast of 80s crowd pleaser Footloose cast were a knockout” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Manchester Evening News

Aston Merrygold is best known for his incredible stage presence during his time with X Factor formed band JLS. He has gone on to sell out countless arena tours and has sold over 10 million records, including five Number 1 hits and numerous awards. Whilst the band took a seven year break, Aston made strides in his solo career appearing in the West End, on Strictly Come Dancing and releasing his platinum debut single ‘Get Stupid’ and more recently ‘Overboard’ and ‘Share a Coke’. JLS made their comeback last year and performed all over the UK and Ireland.

Alongside pursuing his musical ambitions, Aston has remained at the forefront of entertainment, becoming a judge on the Sky 1 talent show, Got to Dance. He was also unmasked as Robin in the Semi Finals of the 2020/2021 series of the Masked Singer UK and joined the cast of CBBC’s comedy drama, ‘Almost Never’, playing Jordan. Most recently, Aston was a panellist for the Masked Singer Live tour across the UK.

Aston said of joining Footloose:

“I’m delighted to be joining the phenomenal cast of Footloose.  Willard is a superb role and I’m really looking forward to the challenge of stepping into such a lovable, comedy part and performing on these amazing stages. Footloose is just the best night out and I guarantee if you come along you’ll leave with a spring in your step and a smile on your face. I’m so looking forward to working with this team and I can’t wait to see you all there.”

Additional casting remains including Darren Day as Reverend Moore with Lucy Munden (Ariel), Oonagh Cox (Rusty), Anna Westlake (Lulu) Alex Fobbester (Bickle) Ben Barrow (Wes) Ben Mabberley (Jeter) Geri Allen (Ethel) Holly Ashton (Vi), Jess Barker (Wendy-Jo) Joshua Hawkins (Ren) Samantha Richards (Urleen) Tom Mussell (Chuck) and Daniel Miles and Lucy Ireland as off-stage swings.

City boy Ren thinks life is bad enough when he’s forced to move to a rural backwater in America. But his world comes to a standstill when he arrives at Bomont to find dancing and rock music are banned. Taking matters into his own hands, soon Ren has all hell breaking loose and the whole town on its feet.

Based on the 1980s screen sensation which took the world by storm, Footloose The Musical sizzles with spirit, fun and the best in UK musical talent. With cutting edge modern choreography, you’ll enjoy classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose.

Footloose The Musical is presented by Selladoor Productions, Runaway Entertainment and Jason Haigh Ellery with casting by Debbie O’Brien, direction by Racky Plews, with choreography from Matt Cole, musical supervision by Mark Crossland, design by Sara Perks with lighting design from Chris Davey and sound design from Chris Whybrow.

Everybody cut loose for a night of dazzling excitement music and dancing!

Tickets are on sale now – for full listings visit www.footloose-musical.com  follow on social media @FootlooseTour  #EverybodyCutLoose.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents

CAROLINE QUENTIN and ROSE QUENTIN in

MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION

by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Anthony Banks

WhatisMrs Warren’s profession? 

Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents George Bernard Shaw’sMrs Warren’s Profession starring mother and daughter Caroline Quentin and Rose Quentin as Mrs Warren and her daughter Vivie. 

Directed by Anthony Banks, Mrs Warren’s Profession will open at the Theatre Royal Bath from 9 November 2022, before touring with venues and information on full cast to be announced.

Mrs Warren’s daughter Vivie has never really known much about her mother. A sensible young woman, she has enjoyed a comfortable upbringing, a Cambridge education, a generous monthly allowance and now has ambitions to go into Law. Is it conceivable that her privilege and respectability has been financed from the profits of the world’s oldest profession? How will Vivie react when she finds out the startling truth about her mother’s business empire and that freedom comes at an emotional price?

Shaw’s acid test of a mother-daughter relationship is one of his most witty and provocative plays. Written in 1894 but banned for thirty years by a Lord Chamberlain who found it “immoral and improper”, Mrs Warren’s Profession is a ripe attack on English hypocrisy and its “fashionable morality”

Twice winner of the British Comedy Award for Best Comedy Actress, Caroline Quentin’s many television roles have ranged from Men Behaving Badly, Kiss Me Kate and Jonathan Creek to Stephen Poliakoff’s Dancing on the Edge, and the 2020 season of Strictly Come Dancing. Her previous visits to Bath have included Relative Values with Patricia Hodge and Rory Bremner, which transferred to the West End.

Shortly after graduating in 2019, Rose Quentin starred in the horror movie York Witches Society, and recently created the role of Katrina Van Tassel on tour in the stage version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with Wendi Peters and Bill Ward.

Anthony Banks was Associate Director at the National Theatre from 2004 – 2014. His many directing credits include The Girl on the Train, Twilight Song, Gaslight, Strangers on a Train, After Miss Julie and My Cousin Rachel.

Presented by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Mrs Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw is Directed by Anthony Banks and Designed by David Woodhead.

Listings

Theatre Royal Bath Productions presents
CAROLINE QUENTIN and ROSE QUENTIN in
MRS WARREN’S PROFESSION
by George Bernard Shaw
Directed by Anthony Banks 

9 – 19 November 2022
Theatre Royal Bath 
theatreroyal.org.uk

Tour details to be announced

LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FANTASTIC PROGRAMME OF FRESH TALENT FOR 2022

Twelve new shows will entertain festival audiences over six days at Little LTF at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church

Event is a curtain-raiser to the main Liverpool Theatre Festival

Liverpool Theatre Festival has today revealed the exciting line-up of shows set to be premiered at Little LTF, its festival of new works when it returns to Liverpool City Centre next month.

The second annual Little LTF will be staged at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church from Tuesday 3 May to Sunday 8 May 2022.

The festival, a sister event to the main Liverpool Theatre Festival which returns this August for a third year, was founded by award-winning Liverpool theatre producer Bill Elms and is dedicated to nurturing up-and-coming talent and showcasing new works for the first time.

Last year the inaugural Little LTF attracted 1,200 festivalgoers.

Now 12 new productions will be premiered over six days in an intimate marquee setting at St Luke’s Bombed Out Church. Tickets go on sale today at 12pm.

The new productions were chosen from more than 30 entries by an experienced panel of industry professionals. Media and industry professionals will be invited to see the shows first-hand at the festival and accolades will also be given to outstanding productions in specific categories. 

The 2022 festival opens on Tuesday 3 May with Megan Hindley and Beth Amos’ murder-mystery comedy Not Drunk But Disorderly, followed on Wednesday 4 May with Grandmother, a heart-warming musical play by Asa Murphy.

It continues on Thursday 5 May with comedy Keeping Mum, written by Karl Voden,and Mark Heller’s drama Killing Mice, while on Friday 6 May festivalgoers can enjoy Paul Daley’s saucy, warm-hearted romantic comedy It Must Be Love, being brought to the stage by Pampas Plays, and get up close and personal with the star of Angie Waller and Claire Jones’ cabaret show An Evening With Nana Funk.

A busy weekend of shows opens on Saturday 7 May with Murder, Mayhem and Magic, a children’s show from Kate Allerston and A Place for Us CIC Theatre, followed by drama Around the World in 72 Days: The Story of Nellie Bly by writer Rebekah McLoughlin and presented by Crew of Patches Theatre Company, and Sh*t Faced Santa, an outrageous festive comedy by All Day Breakfast Theatre Company.

And the festival concludes on Sunday 8 May with writer and director Victoria Evaristo’s disability arts drama Just Aretha, Rebecca Casey and company’s musical theatre extravaganza Bigger Than Broadway, and powerful Hillsborough play 97+ by Tom Cain.

The selection panel was made up of LTF Festival Director Bill Elms; theatre director and producer James Baker; Francesca Peschier, Head of New Works at Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse; arts marketing professional Anthony Proctor; freelance arts consultant Sue Williams and national theatre booker David Fry. 

Producer and artistic director Bill, who recently won the title of Covid-19 Creative Response (Individual) at the Liverpool City Region Culture and Creativity Awards, said: “When we launched Little LTF last year, we were overwhelmed by the response both from creatives and from our audiences who flocked to see the fantastic range of new work staged at the Bombed-Out Church.

“That has continued this year with an incredibly high standard of submissions across the board. The ambition, creativity and talent on show means the panel has had a really tough time choosing just 12 shows to premiere at next month’s festival.

“I can’t wait to see them staged for the first time and I know our audiences are going to be just as inspired and entertained by what they see.”

Genres represented in the diverse and inclusive programme include cabaret, comedy, disability arts, drama, family entertainment, LGBTQ and musical theatre. 

Shows run between 50 minutes and 75 minutes (see individual show listings on the website), and there are no intervals. The festival will adhere to any Covid-19 guidelines required at the time. 

Tickets for all the shows go on sale from 12noon on Thursday 7 April at www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com

Little LTF is supported by The Granada Foundation, sponsored by Falconer Chester Hall architects and partners include Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse Theatres, Epstein Theatre, St Luke’s Bombed Out Church and dBS Solutions.

Visit www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com for the latest news updates. 

Website:         www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com  

Facebook:       /liverpooltheatrefestival 

Twitter:           @lpoolTFestival 

Instagram:      liverpooltheatrefestival 

Hashtag:         #LTF

LITTLE LTF SHOW LISTINGS

LITTLE LTF – LIVERPOOL THEATRE FESTIVAL OF NEW WORKS

Tue 3 – Sun 8 May 2022

St Luke’s Bombed Out Church, Leece Street, Liverpool, L1 2TR

Tickets for all the shows go on sale from 12noon on Thursday 7 April at www.liverpooltheatrefestival.com

NOT DRUNK BUT DISORDERLY

Date: Tuesday, 3 May

Time: 8pm

Tickets: £14

GRANDMOTHER

Date: Wednesday, 4 May

Time: 8pm

Tickets: £14

KEEPING MUM

Date: Thursday, 5 May

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £14

KILLING MICE

Date: Thursday, 5 May

Time: 9pm

Tickets: £14

IT MUST BE LOVE

Date: Friday, 6 May

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £14

AN EVENING WITH NANA FUNK

Date: Friday, 6 May

Time: 9pm

Tickets: £14

MURDER, MAYHEM & MAGIC

Date: Saturday, 7 May

Time: 2.30pm

Tickets: £14 (child discount available)

AROUND THE WORLD IN 72 DAYS: THE STORY OF NELLIE BLY

Date: Saturday, 7 May

Time: 6.30pm

Tickets: £14

SH*T FACED SANTA

Date: Saturday, 7 May

Time: 9pm

Tickets: £14

JUST ARETHA

Date: Sunday, 2 7May

Time: 2pm

Tickets: £14

BIGGER THAN BROADWAY

Date: Sunday, 8 May

Time: 5pm

Tickets: £14

97+

Date: Sunday, 8 May

Time: 8pm

Tickets: £14

Instagram & Twitter: @LIFTMUSICALLDN | #LIFTLDN

CAST ANNOUNCED FOR LIFT AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE! 

·       X-Factor finalist Luke Friend leads the company of this iconic British musical. 

·       Direct from the UK Tour of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, West End star Hiba Elchikhe returns to Southwark Playhouse. Fellow West End star Kayleigh Mcknight joins Elchikhe.

·      With a continued passion for supporting graduates, Gartland Productions ensures three performers make their professional debut within the company of LIFT

Gartland Productions is thrilled to announce the cast of LIFT, opening at Southwark Playhouse on Friday 13^th May 2022.

Leading the company, X Factor finalist Luke Friend He/Him (Footloose, American Idiot) will play the role of Busker. He will be joined by West End star Hiba Elchikhe She/Her (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Fiver), playing the role of Secretary.

Direct from Westerburg High School, Kayleigh McKnight She/Her (Heathers, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical) will play the role of the French teacher. Also returning to Southwark Playhouse, Jordan Broatch They/Them (Anyone Can Whistle) will play the role of Avatar, with Marco Titus He/Him (Mandela- A New Musical) playing the role ofBYT.

Making their professional debutCameron Collins He/Him will play the Ballet Dancer, Tamara Morgan She/Her will play the role of the Lap Dancer and Chrissie Bhima She/Her will play the role of Avatar.

Luke Friend, Busker, said “I’m absolutely delighted to be a part of the wonderful cast of LIFT! This show is going to be so intimate and unique. Being a songwriter and Busker myself for many years, I feel as though I completely and utterly relate to my character’s story and the message he is trying to bring across. I can’t wait to give everything to this role and perform at Southwark playhouse for the first time. This is a real treat for me.”

Hiba Elchikhe, Secretary, said “I am really looking forward to being a part of LIFT the musical with this incredible group of people. I can’t wait for you all to see it.”

Directed by Dean Johnson He/Him (Godspell, BKLYN, Dogfight) with Musical Direction and new arrangements by Sam Young He/Him (White Christmas, The Man in the Ceiling) and Choreography by Annie Southall She/Her (The Jungle Book, The Boyfriend), this brand-new production of LIFT, music and lyrics by Craig Adams and book by Ian Watson, will run at Southwark Playhouse from Friday 13^th May 2022 until Saturday 18^th June 2022.

Dean Johnson, Director of LIFT said “Since we first began the journey of our revival of LIFT, we knew casting would be integral to how we could present the show as a snapshot of London in 2022. We had the most sensational audition process and the UK is certainly not short of incredible and diverse talent, and this allowed us to find an incredible group of people that can bring this story to life in a fresh way. I really believe our cast demonstrates how exciting the talent pool is in our industry with a mixture of established and incredible artists alongside fresh new faces. I really think they are going to blow the roof off Southwark Playhouse as a collective group of artists!”

Developed by Perfect Pitch, LIFT is set in a London underground lift, in one man’s imagination, on its way to the surface during one minute. In the 54 seconds of the lift’s passage, we are taken on a much greater journey that reveals the people behind the masks they wear, the secrets they dare not speak, and the unrealised connections between them.

The creative team will include Andrew Exeter He/Him as production designer (High Fidelity, Hair in Concert, Jon + Jen), Associate Designer by Natalia Alvarez She/Her, Assistant Design by Xinyi Du She/Her, Assistant Direction by Eden Howes She/Her and casting by Pearson Casting.

Tickets are available now via Southwark Playhouse website.

 FESTIVAL THEATRE, EDINBURGH – UNTIL 9th APRIL

 REVIEWED BY RACHEL FARRIER 

4****

This musical about the life of Carole King was written by Carole King herself (with collaborators) but rather than being a cringey ego trip, it is a sweetly honest account of both her professional and personal life, and how they were entirely intertwined for most of her life, for good and ill. The script has a definite flavour of New York sass and humour about it (King grew up in the city) which felt refreshing although the dialogue sections come very much in second place to the musical numbers and there were some fairly wooden exchanges throughout. However, as soon as a musical number or interlude was under way, the stage lit up with the tremendous musical talent of the performers – the cast ARE the band for the show.  

Molly-Grace Cutler as Carole produces an outstanding performance both vocally and on the piano (at the same time!), as well as occasionally playing the guitar and percussion. Her rendition of ‘It’s too late, baby’ was particularly spine-tingling, although she shone in every song that she performed. In fact, every cast member appeared to play several instruments and sing, and effortlessly glided between them throughout. With every song, everyone on stage was playing something if they weren’t dancing and this gave a wonderful energy to the entire show. Other stand out performances came from Seren Sandham-Davies as Cynthia Weil with an incredible voice and excellent comic timing, as well as Kevin Yates whose voice seriously impressive. Jos Slovick as Barry was excellent and deserves a special mention for managing to tune a guitar that had clearly lost its key, whilst in the middle of some fairly involved dialogue.  

As Carole King wrote for other groups and singers before becoming a solo artist in her own right, the appearance of The Shirelles, The Drifters and The Righteous Brothers (amongst others) singing songs she had written was a brilliant highlight – cast members fully inhabited the roles of the various band members and there were some fabulous shimmy-ing and sashay-ing dance routines.  

For me, the performers were let down by the set, which had a rather high school production vibe about it, and the fact that the wings of the set were open to audiences at either side was slightly distracting – although this is perhaps intentional to create the impression that the audience are ‘backstage’ with Carole and her fellow performers.   

Overall, this is a brilliant night out, and even if you aren’t a Carole King fan, you are likely to be swept along by the energy and talent of the performers on stage.  

New images of

JONATHAN BAILEY and

JOEL HARPER-JACKSON

in

By Mike Bartlett

At the Ambassadors Theatre

New photographs of Jonathan Bailey and Joel Harper-Jackson in Mike Bartlett’s razor sharp, and hilarious play C O C K have been released today (6 April 2022)

The photographs taken by Matt Crockett  alongside original production photographs taken by Brinkhoff/Moegenburg.

C O C K is running at the Ambassadors Theatre in London until Saturday 4 June 2022.

The Olivier Award-winning Jonathan Bailey, who plays John in the production, is currently starring in the Netflix blockbuster, Bridgerton.

The full cast of C O C K is:  Jonathan Bailey (John), Joel Harper-Jackson (M), Jade Anouka (W) and Phil Daniels (F).

The understudies are: Dominic Holmes (John and M), Jessica Whitehurst (W) and John Vernon (F).

The creative team for C O C K is:  Director Marianne Elliott, Designer Merle Hensel, Lighting Designer Paule Constable, Sound Designer Ian Dickinson, Composer Femi Temowo, Movement Director Annie-Lunette Deakin-Foster, Casting Director Charlotte Sutton, Vocal Coach Hazel Holder and Associate Director Chloe Christian.

C O C K is produced by Elliott & Harper Productions.

Royal & Derngate, Northampton – until 9th April 2022

Reviewed by Ely King

3***

Millions of people around the world will know the name Michael Flatley or the title Lord of The Dance, and for good reason.

Flatley is known for his unique adaptation of Irish/Line dancing, pushing the boundaries of the art-form and transforming an already impressive dance style into something truly phenomenal.

Whilst Flatley wasn’t at the performance in person, there was a large company of equally talented dancers ready to continue his legacy around the world.

Even without the physical presence of the legend, he appeared multiple times throughout the performance via the LCD screen on stage. The show opened and closed with compilations of worldwide Lord of The Dance shows, complete with voice overs and closeups of Flatley himself. He even had his own solo performance on screen at the end where he ‘battled’ duplications of himself to show that, yes, he’s still got it.

For each performance the lead dancers will change and rotate, presumably to split the up the insane workload. For this performance the leads were:

Lord of The Dance – Matthew Smith

Dark Lord – Declan Durning

Saoirse – Lauren Clarke

Morrighan – Cyra Taylor

The Spirit – Cassidy Ludwig

Lord of The Dance is the biggest selling dance show of all time, and it’s clear to see why.

The talent displayed onstage is second to none. If ratings purely went on performer’s talent, this production would get full marks.

The way they perform in perfect synchronicity is borderline overwhelming at how flawlessly the steps are executed.

The stage was laid out with a main dancing area and stairs up to a higher platform, all of which were framed by a large LCD screen that displayed the relevant background for each scene. There was minimal staging to allow for maximum dancing and it worked really well.

However, the show was let down in a few areas, none of which were the performers’ faults.

Whilst it was clear to see that the dancers were all having the time of their lives and truly enjoying themselves, the constant happy expressions (a typical dance rule) didn’t really sell the good vs evil narrative that was trying to be sold onstage.

Due to no props or backdrops, it really was down to the dancers, their costumes, the screen and the music to help portray the storyline.

The story itself was your typical good versus evil narrative, something simple but easy to display. The ‘good’ and ‘evil’ dance troupes also allowed for a variety of musical choices and dance styles to truly show off their talent.

The ‘good’ performances were led by Matthew and Lauren as The Lord and Saoirse, and were often performed to a flute heavy, ethereal, fairytale- like backing track.

Matthew as The Lord is a fantastic choice, his joyous charisma is infectious, it’s hard not to have fun when you have a proud dancer beaming onstage.

Whereas the ‘bad’ dance numbers were led by Declan and Cyra as The Dark Lord and Morrighan and had a much heaver and darker backing track of electric guitars and guttural drum solos synonymous to fight scenes in action movies.

In group performances, there was always something that made the leads stand out, from Saoirse’s pink bustier to The Spirits all-gold leotard, everything fit seamlessly and aided character development.

The best outfits in the entire show had to be the black and red outfits and the black and silver finale outfits.

The ‘bad guys’ looked like they were ready to step into a video game battle in their over-the-top costuming and it was amazing.

The WWE style ‘Lord of The Dance’ belt is a truly iconic piece of costume and was a really fun edition. It was also fantastic to see that The Lord had their initials on the back of their white jacket just like Michal Flatley does, showing that they’re truly carrying on his legacy.

One outfit choice that was a bit disappointing were the tearaways. At the risk of sounding like a prude, seeing the men shirtless and the women in bralettes did nothing to improve the show and just felt very weird and forced.

It didn’t make their dancing look better or more impressive.

On the contrary, it was much more impressive to see the billowing skirts as the women twirled and glided across the stage.

It got cheers from the drunk people in the crowd, so if that’s what was wanted, mission accomplished.

Speaking of drunk cheers, I feel sorry for ‘Tom’ as whoever was there to see him last night were shouting out constantly, even during women’s solo performances. It was cringey, annoying, and the fact they weren’t spoken to by ushers is a miracle.

Whilst the dancers onstage all undoubtedly deserve to be there, there is an incredible lack of diversity. Whilst it can be understood that certain physiques may be desired to aide synchronicity, a lot of the cast looked like cookie-cutter duplications of one another. It’s pretty disappointing when the only ‘diversity’ to celebrate in such a large cast is the fact a couple of the women were quite petite.

It’s 2022, there are no excuses for lack of representation onstage.

An unexpected, but welcome, addition to the show was the inclusion of a singer and live violinists.

All of which were incredibly talented and deserved their own time in the spotlight

During the finale, it was nice to see the cast all just having fun and messing around with each other when they weren’t in the spotlight, you can see the true friendship and camaraderie this company have that is detrimental to dance routines like this.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until Saturday 9th April 2022

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

4.5****

Private Lives was originally written by Noel Coward in 1930 as a vehicle for him and his close friend Gertrude Lawrence. The plot revolves around Elyot and Amanda, long since divorced, finding themselves suddenly face to face on adjoining balconies in a hotel in Deauville, much to their astonishment since they are both there honeymooning with their new respective partners. The situation spirals out of control rather rapidly over cocktails and reminiscences…

Nigel Havers plays Elyot (the part Coward played in the original run) and he could not have been more perfect. Always an attractive leading man, he seems to get more suave and elegant with age, looking right at home in this high class setting. He showed an impressive range of emotions, including jealousy and anger bursting forth in the middle of a jocular exchange. And his facial expressions showed an accomplished comic talent. A stellar performance.

Patricia Hodge (playing Amanda), likewise, is known as being a stunning, high class lady and so was the perfect lead to accompany Havers. She matched him in every respect and way (range, comedic timing etc) making them a thoroughly believable couple. I was shocked how beautiful her singing voice was; having a mellifluous tone which left me wanting more.

As you would expect from Coward, the script is quick fire, cutting and very much of its time. It reminded me of Aldous Huxley’s Crome Yellow in its fascinatingly cynical way of thinking and somewhat archaic (to our modern ears) style of conversation. That’s not to detract from the piece, indeed it was a reason to rejoice in a bygone era that is sorely lost.

The timing of the entire cast, dovetailing each line with comedic exactitude, was highly impressive. The delivery felt natural though, which I’m sure is a testament to all the wonderful actors as much as Director Christopher Luscombe’s decisive input. The first time honeymooners (Natalie Walter playing Sibyl and Dugald Bruce-Lockhart playing Victor) were excellent too, with fantastic performances from the moment they appeared to the culmination of the play when they really shone through a rather surprising, though perhaps inevitable, ending.

A special mention goes to Music Supervisor Nigel Hess for the clever use of song to draw our two main protagonists together (both in the moment and also into their shared past). A genius move and one of the highlights of this wonderful production. Indeed, music makes quite an impact throughout the work, not only in presenting a number of Coward’s own contemporary pieces but also on record (but I won’t spoil that surprise with an elaboration).

Amanda’s flat in Paris, overlooking the Champs Elysees, had an expansive (and expensive looking) grandeur that was a joy to behold. Impressive scale and oppulance from Designer Simon Higlett.

A triumphant inaugural show from The Nigel Havers Theatre Company and one of many more to come I’m sure. An auspicious start and fantastic evening’s entertainment which I highly recommend.