Home

QUEEN’S THEATRE HORNCHURCH ANNOUNCES CASTING FOR UPCOMING MUSICAL

THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13 ¾

THE MUSICAL

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch production

Book and Lyrics by Jake Brunger | Music and Lyrics by Pippa Cleary

Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch today announce full casting for their brand new fresh and joyful musical adaptation of The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – the Musical (28 April – 21 May 2022).

Based on Sue T‎ownsend’s best-selling book, this outrageously funny tale of teenage angst and unrequited love features one of the most endearing comedy characters of all time. 

Life’s pretty hard when you’re a misunderstood and spotty teenager living in a cul-de-sac in 80s Leicester. Adrian’s life simply can’t get any worse – until new girl Pandora joins a class and captures his heart. But can Adrian win her love and escape from the school bully and his chaotic family life?

Cast includes James Hameed Be More Chill (The Other Palace, Shaftesbury Theatre) in the title role of Adrian, Ben Williamson-Jones (Spend, Spend, Spend!  At Guildford School of Acting)as Barry, Claire Storey (Malvolio in Twelfth Night Shakespeare Rose Theatre, York) as Grandma, Dominic Gee-Burch (Footloose  UK & International Tour and The Gruffalo’s Child  – Lowry, Salford and Alexandra Palace, London)as Mr Lucas/Mr Scruton, Lauryn Redding (What’s On Stage nominated ‘Bloody Elle: A Gig Musical’ at the Royal Exchange Theatre)as Doreen/Miss Elf, Luke Thornton (Love Letters at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch)as Nigel, Sally Cheng (Twelfth Night and Christmas Carol at the RSC)as Pandora, Sioned Saunders (Amelie, Criterion Theatre) as Pauline Mole,  Tom Self (Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music & Dance – Leverhulme Musical Theatre Trust Scholar) asBertand Steve Simmonds (Love Letters at Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch) as George Mole.

James Hameed said: ‘I’m looking forward to bringing this material to a whole new audience, with a fresh new take. It’ll be wonderful returning to the Queens Theatre Hornchurch, I first did a show there back when I was six years old so it’s more like a homecoming!’

From the team behind Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Made in Dagenham, this new production of a hit West End musical, based on the classic novels which also inspired the iconic ITV sitcom, has an infectious score that will make you laugh whilst tugging at your heartstrings.

‘A show for all ages’ Daily Telegraph

‘Warm and joyful energy’ Evening Standard

The musical will be directed by Douglas Rintoul assisted by Adam Dear with Musical Direction by Tom Self and Choreography from Sundeep Saini, Set & Costume Design is by Alfie Heywood, Lighting Design by Sherry Coenen, Sound Designer by Chris Murray with Accent Coaching from Charmian Hoare.

Director Douglas Rintoul said: ‘We’re excited to get started on this hugely enjoyable, hilarious, and quintessentially British musical. It’s just what we’ll need this spring, and I can’t think of a better way to end my time here at Queens Theatre Hornchurch. We’ve put together a top tea, (you’ll recognise many from other hit musicals and pantos at the Queen’s who are stoked about bringing one of the UK’s best-loved comedy characters to life. This is going to be a great night out for all generations.’

Tickets are on sale now for this must-see musical for Spring.  Book now and find out more at www.queens-theatre.co.uk. The Theatre will also be providing an Audio Described performance (14 May ) a Dementia Friendly performance (05 May) and a Relaxed Performance (07 May) for more details visit the website.

HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES CAST & CREATIVE TEAM FOR THE UK PREMIERE OF CHÉ WALKER’S WOLF CUB, RUNNING FROM 8 APRIL UNTIL 7 MAY 2022

Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce the cast and creative team for the UK premiere of Wolf Cub, running at Hampstead Downstairs from 8 April until 7 May. 

Blending poetic beauty with brutal honesty, Wolf Cub is a visceral odyssey written and directed by Ché Walker.  Making her Hampstead Theatre debut, Atlanta native Clare Latham will perform in this one-person play.  Latham’s previous credits include Fairview (Soho Rep/Theatre For A New Audience, Off Broadway); Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and A Parable (Southwark Playhouse); Blue Surge and Don’t Smoke In Bed (Finborough Theatre).  Television work includes Mr Robot and Suspicion.

Walker is joined by designer, Amy Jane Cook, lighting designer, Bethany Gupwell, sound designer John Leonard, composer Sheila Atim and assistant director Emma Tolleson.

Ché Walker playwright and director ofWolf Cub said:

“I am excited to be creating Wolf Cub with this amazing team of artists.  Clare Latham is an incredible actor that I have had the great privilege of working with over the years.  Clare is from the Southern United States where, Maxine, the fierce heroine at the heart of this odyssey originates from.  I can’t wait to see what she does with the role.”

My eyes turn yellow. Fur springing out all over me and the fangs snapping in my gums…

1980s, America.  Teenage Maxine has teenage problems.  There’s moving from Rural Georgia to Urban Los Angeles with her booze-sodden Dad, there’s high school, boys, drugs, murder, Nicaraguan Contras, CIA, the LA uprising, the Northridge Earthquake…. Not for the faint-hearted or Ronald Reagan.  Blazing through a turbulent coming of age, and now trapped in a country sick with injustice, Maxine’s eyes are yellow, her hands are claws and she has a howl desperate for release…

Ché Walker makes his Hampstead debut.  Previous writing credits include The Frontline and The Lightning Child (both Shakespeare’s Globe), Fleshwound (Royal Court) and Been So Long (Netflix).  Previous directing credits include Been So Long (Young Vic), Klook’s Last Stand (Park Theatre), The Glory of Living (Battersea Arts) and Macbeth (Southwark Playhouse).

***

The world premiere of The Fever Syndrome, Alexis Zegerman’s thrilling portrait of a brilliantly dysfunctionalfamily, begins previews on Hampstead Theatre’s Main Stage on 24 March.  Directedby Roxana Silbert, Hampstead’s Artistic Director, The Fever Syndrome features Lisa Dillon, Jake Fairbrother, Alexandra Gilbreath, Robert Lindsay, Sam Marks, Bo Poraj and Alex Waldmann.  They are joined in the cast by Nancy Allsop and Charlotte Pourret Wythe.  The Fever Syndrome will run until 30 April.   

The Animal Kingdom, Ruby Thomas’ critically acclaimed new play, is currently running at Hampstead Downstairs until 2 April.  Directed by Lucy Morrison, The Animal Kingdom is an observation of family dynamics told with wit and compassion, featuring Paul Keating, Martina Laird, Jonathan McGuinness, Ashna Rabheru and Ragevan Vasan.

Re-imagining of Chekhov classic Uncle Vanya
comes to the Old Red Lion Theatre
Tuesday 3rd– Saturday 14th May 2022
Old Red Lion Theatre, 418 St John Street, London, EC1V 4NJ

Candid Broads Productions are bringing Chekhov into the 21st century with a roaring new take on the classic play Uncle Vanya. Playing at the Old Red Lion Theatre for a limited run, this new translation by Luba Hilman and Clementine Pinet shows that Uncle Vanya is still as relevant as ever 120 years on, while highlighting its timeless humour. This female-led production, with actors of the global majority, is not to be missed.

Originally staged in 1899, Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya has more current resonance than ever, as it presents characters locked down in one space together, with nothing much to do… Highlighting our collective experience from the last few years, this entertaining and explosive portrayal will leave audiences feeling that despite the worst of times, our personalities and desires cannot be dimmed. Expect humour, music… and a little vodka.

The cast are intentionally younger than in Chekhov’s original, highlighting how the feeling of being held back has manifested in the younger generations recently. The production stars Jonathon George (#WeAreArrested, Royal Shakespeare Company; Boris Godunov, Royal Opera House), Faye Bennett (Midsummer Night’s Dream, Edinburgh Festival; Fire Sale, Theatre503), Adé Dee Haastrup (Darkest Hour, Working Title; Barber Shop Chronicles, National Theatre), Clementine Pinet (multi award-winning series Call it a Day, award-winning short film Fabulous), Sally Faulkner (Doctor Who, BBC; The Bill, ITV), Anne Farnworth (Remember, The Cockpit; The Picture of Dorian Grey, Greenwich Theatre, The Trip To Bountiful, Courtyard Theatre), David Whiting (Lost Pirate Kingdom, Netflix; Doctors, BBC) and Simon Furness (Wednesday, Netflix; The Cleaner, Arcola Theatre).

Director Kieran Bourne said… Today, young people are more concerned with what they will accomplish by 30 instead of by retirement so we have reframed this as an inter-generational story and one dealing with the “quarter-life” crisis. With many losing two years due to the pandemic, the frustrations and delusions of Chekhov’s characters are incredibly relevant yet also darkly humorous.

Gareth Gates to Star in Jack And The Beanstalk

alongside Hull Panto Favourite Neil Hurst

Pantomime will be making a gigantic return to Hull New Theatre this festive season as pop and musical theatre star Gareth Gates is set to headline the family Christmas spectacular, playing Jack Trot. Gareth will be joined by Hull’s favourite comic Neil Hurst, who returns for his third season.

Gareth Gates rose to stardom as runner-up in the UK’s first Pop Idol. In a phenomenal career that followed, he has sold more than 3.5 million records in the UK, released three albums, and had four UK number one singles as well as storming the Musical Theatre circuit in productions such as Les Misérables, Legally Blonde, and Loserville

Playing Jack’s brother, Simon Trot, will be comedian Neil Hurst, who returns for his third season following his much-loved Hull panto appearances in both Aladdin and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Best-known for his roles in The Syndicate and Fresh Meat, Neil also co-hosted ITVs All Star Family Fortunes, starred alongside John Malkovich and Rupert Grint in The ABC Murders for the BBC and has appeared in family favourites such as Coronation Street, All Creatures Great and Small and Casualty

Jack and the Beanstalk will be produced by the world’s biggest pantomime producer and the team behind last year’s production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Crossroads Pantomimes. Packed full of the magical ingredients Hull audiences have come to expect including striking sets, stunning song and dance, plenty of audience participation, and moo-vellous amounts of laughter this is a giant adventure the whole family can enjoy.

Crossroads Pantomime’s Chief Executive Michael Harrison said: “I’m delighted to have Gareth and Neil with us in pantomime this year at Hull New Theatre. Gareth is a hugely talented performer and has always delighted audiences wherever he’s appeared in panto. Gareth will be a fantastic addition to the show alongside the return of the well-loved and hilarious talent that is Neil. I’m certain that with the two of them together on stage, Hull audiences are in for a real treat this Christmas.”

Janice Wincott, Theatres and Halls Manager said: “Pantomime is one of the highlights of Hull New Theatre’s annual programme. It is a time when families can come together to enjoy live entertainment, sometimes for the first time, and we are proud to be able to facilitate this. We look forward to welcoming the talented Gareth Gates and are thrilled that Neil Hurst is returning for his third pantomime with us.”

With further casting to be announced, don’t miss your chance to grab your tickets to the biggest adventure in town this Christmas which promises to be full of extra Fe-Fi-Fo-Fun!

Tickets are on sale now for Jack and the Beanstalk which runs from Saturday 10 – Saturday 31 December 2022 visit hulltheatres.co.uk or call 01482 3003 306 to book.

THE GRANDE DAME OF PANTO, CHRISTOPHER BIGGINS SET TO MAKE A FLYING RETURN TO DARLINGTON THIS CHRISTMAS!

Darlington Hippodrome is delighted to announce that stage, screen and pantomime legend, the one-and-only Christopher Biggins, will be returning to where it all began as he stars in The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan as Mrs Smee this Christmas from Friday 9th December.

A mainstay of entertainment over the last five decades, Biggins first started his panto Dame career back in Darlington over 45 years ago where he starred in Mother Goose, Dick Whittington and Jack and the Beanstalk at Darlington Civic Theatre, before forging a highly successful career in show business. Best-known for his numerous iconic television appearances, Biggins appeared opposite the late Ronnie Barker in the BBC sitcom Porridge, held roles in Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?, appeared alongside Michael Crawford in Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em and played Nero in the critically acclaimed dramatisation of I, Claudius.

Biggins is also known and well-loved for his hosting credits, including co-hosting Surprise, Surprise, On Safari, appearing on numerous celebrity specials and as King of the Jungle having won ITV’s I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! in 2007. On stage he has starred as The Baker in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, played Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar and the Baron in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in the West End.

It is pantomime for which Biggins is most-loved, entertaining thousands of festive theatregoers each year. From Glasgow to Plymouth, Biggins has donned a host of outrageous frocks and had audiences in fits of laughter year-after-year.

Biggins said: “I did my first ever pantomime as Dame in Mother Goose at the Civic Theatre in Darlington and I loved it. I’m thrilled to be coming back to Darlington this year as Mrs Smee in The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan at the Hippodrome. I can’t wait, I’m so looking forward to it!”

Chief Executive of Crossroads Pantomimes Michael Harrison said: “We’re delighted that Biggins will be starring as the comical Mrs Smee in this year’s production of The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan. Not only is he pantomime royalty and a stalwart of the artform, but he’s hilariously entertaining and sure to make this season very special for our Darlington Hippodrome audiences.”

Speaking on the casting, Heather Tarran-Jones, Programming and Development Director of Darlington Hippodrome said: “We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Biggins will be with us for pantomime this year. I am sure he will be a great hit with audiences of all ages making a welcome return to the Hippodrome where his panto Dame career began.”

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan will be a fun-filled Christmas extravaganza with a fabulous cast and orchestra, laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery and of course, plenty of audience participation.

Join Biggins on a swashbuckling trip this Christmas at Darlington Hippodrome where laughter is guaranteed by the barrel-load. Be part of the panto magic and hook your tickets today!

The Pantomime Adventures of Peter Pan runs from Friday 9 to Saturday 31 December. Tickets are on sale now with early booking advised. For full details and to book visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or call the box office on 01325 405405

PUNCHDRUNK RELEASES NEW IMAGES OF THE BURNT CITY WHICH PREVIEWS FROM TONIGHT

With previews beginning from tonight, Punchdrunk has released new images of its new show The Burnt City. A limited season is on sale until 28th August 2022. The official opening will be on Thursday 21st April and tickets are now on sale from theburntcity.com with best availability from May/June.

The production is the internationally-acclaimed theatre company’s first time in London since 2014 and their most ambitious show to date. It reunites the creative team behind Sleep No More and features a cast of international performers, including original members of the first Punchdrunk shows. 

Preparations are well underway with the vast set under construction in Woolwich Arsenal – taking over two Grade II Listed Buildings. It will be the first time some of the buildings – with over 100,000 square feet of space – have ever been opened to the public. Workshops with the international cast took place in September ahead of full rehearsals beginning in January 2022. 

On their own theatrical adventure, audiences are free to explore this dystopian landscape – taking them from the majesty of royal palaces to the pulsating underworld of Troy. Audiences may choose to follow the characters who emerge from the shadows, saturate themselves in the show’s shifting atmosphere, or break free of the crowd and discover mysteries lying in wait at the heart of the labyrinth.

“As the smoke soars on wings to heaven, so sinks our city”

In the smouldering promise of the fall of Troy, a mythical world of Gods and mortals rises from the ashes.

As Greece teeters on the brink of victory, the neon backstreets of Downtown Troy give way to a sprawling labyrinth hiding secrets even the prophecies could not foretell.

In this colossal playground, the furies watch on as mortals play out their fate. And as night falls, the city comes alive. One last time.

Punchdrunk is committed to working with the local community including running community events and partnerships with local arts and community groups in the borough, offering support, learning and resources. 

The Burnt City is supported by Porsche as Headline Partner.

ORANGE TREE THEATRE ANNOUNCES FULL CAST

FOR THE UK PREMIÈRE OF PAMELA CARTER’S

THE MISFORTUNE OF THE ENGLISH

The Orange Tree Theatre today announces the full cast for the UK première of Pamela Carter’s The Misfortune of the English. Oscar Toeman directs Hubert Burton (Harrison), Vinnie Heaven (Eaton), Eva Magyar (Tour Guide), and Matthew Tennyson (Lyons). The production opens on 28 April, with previews from 25 April, and runs until 28 May, with a livestreamed performance via OT On Screen on 12 May and available to stream on demand from 31 May – 3 June.

Artistic Director of The Orange Tree Theatre, Paul Miller says today “It’s a real pleasure to welcome such a talented company for The Misfortune of the English, each of them making their OT debuts in Oscar Toeman’s production. Pamela Carter’s highly original new play, based on real events, tackles the nature of memory and storytelling, our relation to Europe and the problems of leadership.”

UK PREMIÈRE

THE MISFORTUNE OF THE ENGLISH

by Pamela Carter

Directed by Oscar Toeman; Sound Design by Dan Balfour; Lighting Design by Elliot Griggs; Movement Direction by Rachel-Leah Hosker; Casting by Christopher Worrall

25 April – 28 May

OT On Screen: Thursday 12 May at 7.30pm

“Guten Tag meine Herren und Frauen von Freiburg, von Deutschland. We have travelled here from London, England. You may have heard of it.”

On the morning of 17 April 1936, a group of 27 schoolboys, led by their teacher and newly arrived in Nazi Germany, set out on the first of a seven-day walking tour of the Black Forest.

By 8pm that evening, local villagers were searching for them in a blizzard.

“You did say you wanted to take the scenic route.”

Inspired by true events: a story of (mis)adventure and blind optimism, nationhood, and courage in

the face of disaster.

Pamela Carter is a playwright and dramaturg. Her work includes Lines (Year Theatre), Fast Ganz Nah/Almost Near (Theater Dresden), Skåne (Hampstead Theatre), What We Know (Traverse Theatre), Wildlife (Magnetic North), Them! (National Theatre of Scotland), The Male Queen (Lyceum Theatre/RSC). Her work for Untitled Projects and long-term collaborator Stewart Laing include The End of Eddy, Slope, Paul Bright’s Confessions of a Justified Sinner and Arguments About Sex (After Marivaux). As a dramaturg, she has worked with Graeae Theatre, Vanishing Point Theatre, The Pappy Show, DAU Films, Malmö Opera and National Theatre of Scotland.

Hubert Burton plays Harrison. His theatre credits include Into The Night (Original Theatre), Relatively Speaking, Breaking The Code (Salisbury Playhouse), Mancoin (Vault Festival), The Inheritance (Young Vic/Noel Coward Theatre), Deep Blue Sea, Waste (National Theatre), She Stoops to Conquer (Bath Theatre Royal). His television credits include The Last Post, Jekyll and Hyde, 100 Days of UKIP, The Outcast and The Passing Bells; and for film, his credits include Living and Their Finest, The Most Reluctant Convert and Testament of Youth.

Vinnie Heaven plays Eaton. Their recent theatre credits include Cuckoo (Soho Theatre), Half The World Away (UK tour) and Malory Tower (Bristol Old Vic). Their television credits include The Nevers and Power Out.

Eva Magyar plays the Tour Guide. Her theatre credits include Tristan and Yseult, Hedda Gabler, From Morning to Midnight (National Theatre), The Wild Bride, Ramayana (Lyric Hammersmith), Midnight’s Pumpkin (Battersea Arts Centre), The Bacchae (Bristol Old Vic), Romeo and Julist (RSC), Marlene (Tristan Bates Theatre/Katona Jozsef Theatre, Budapest), The Arabian Nights (Tricycle), Breathing Irregular and The Sexual Neuroses of our Parents (Gate Theatre). Her television credits include Father Brown, X Company, Paranoid and Mars; and for film, her credits include Overlord, X-Men:First Class, Let Me Go, Headhunter, Dark Woods 2, Daniel, Monte Carlo, The Death of Pentheus and A Matter of Life.

Matthew Tennyson plays Lyons. His theatre credits include The Lodger (Coronet Theatre), A Monster Calls (The Old Vic), Salome (RSC), Cleansed (National Theatre), The Seagull (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), A Breakfast of Eels (The Print Room), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare’s Globe), Making Noise Quietly (Donmar Warehouse), Beautiful Thing (Manchester Royal Exchange) and Flare Path (Theatre Royal Haymarket). His television credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Father Brown, Grantchester, Humans, Babylon and The Hollow Crown; and for film, his credits include Benediction and Making Noise Quietly.

Oscar Toeman returns to the Orange Tree to direct, having previously directed The Sugar Syndrome for the company. His other theatre credits include, Actually (Trafalgar Studios), After October and Laburnum Grove (Finborough Theatre). He is an alumnus of the Lincoln Center’s Directors Lab in New York, an MGCfutures Bursary recipient, and an Associate at the National Youth Theatre.

Orange Tree Theatre

Listings

1 Clarence Street, Richmond, TW9 2SA

Box Office: 020 8940 3633 (Mon-Sat, 12-6pm)

orangetreetheatre.co.uk

MARIA FRIEDMAN TO DIRECT & PERFORM IN CELEBRATION OF LEGENDARY MUSICAL THEATRE WRITERS AHRENS & FLAHERTY

A JOURNEY TO THE PAST

FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY IN THE WEST END

LYRIC THEATRE – MONDAY 6^TH JUNE AT 7:30PM

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 21^ST MARCH

Bray Productions Ltd have today announced that Olivier Award winner Maria Friedman will direct and perform in A Journey to the Past, a West End celebration of the works of the Tony Award-winning and world-renowned musical theatre writing team Ahrens & Flaherty.

The musical celebration will feature a selection of music from the writing duo’s most beloved works, including Maria Friedman reprising her Olivier Award-winning performance of “Back to Before” from Ragtime.

A Journey to the Past will be performed for one performance only at the Lyric Theatre. Tickets will go on sale on Monday 21^st March.

Joining Maria Friedman in the creative team are Simon Lee as Musical Supervisor, Michael Bradley as Musical Director, Leon Kay Casting as Casting Director and Andrew Exeter as Set & Lighting Designer.

Casting will be announced at a later date.

Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty are considered the foremost theatrical writing team of their generation. They won Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for the Broadway hit Ragtime and were nominated for two Academy Awards and two Golden Globes for Twentieth Century Fox’s animated feature film Anastasia, which they also adapted for the Broadway stage.

Their musical Once On This Island won London’s Olivier Award and Broadway’s 2018 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical. Other theatre credits include Seussical (one of the most produced shows in America); Rocky; My Favourite Year; Chita Rivera – The Dancer’s Life; Dessa Rose; A Man of No Importance; The Glorious Ones; Lucky Stiff and two upcoming shows, Knoxville and Little Dancer.

They serve on Council for the Dramatists Guild of America and co-founded the DGF Fellows Program for Emerging Writers. They are four-time Grammy nominees, recipients of the Oscar Hammerstein Lifetime Achievement Award, and in 2015 Ahrens and Flaherty were inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame.

Lynn Ahrens said, “After two long years of uncertainty, what a wonderful way to celebrate the return to theater. I’m honored to have my work back on the boards in London!”

Stephen Flaherty said, “I can’t wait to have our music and lyrics back on the West End in the historic Lyric Theatre, under the direction of our RAGTIME leading lady and friend, Maria Friedman. What an evening it’s going to be!”

Released today – production shots of Fra Fee (Emcee), Amy Lennox (Sally Bowles), Omar Baroud (Cliff Bradshaw) and Vivien Parry (Fraulein Schneider) in CABARET at the Kit Kat Club ahead of their first performance this evening, Monday 21 March

CABARET at the Kit Kat Club has recently been nominated for 11 Olivier Awards including Best Musical Revival,  Best Director, Best Set Design, Best Costume Design, Best Theatre Choreographer, Best Lighting Design and Best Sound Design.  

Fra Fee (Emcee) most recently starred as Kazi in the hit Disney+ series Hawkeye, set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He created the role of Michael Carber in the award-winning play The Ferryman at the Royal Court, the Gielgud Theatre in the West End and the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Broadway. His other theatre credits include Owen in Translations and Amiens in As You Like It, both at the National Theatre and the title role in Candide at the Menier Chocolate Factory. He played Courfeyac in the film of the musical Les Misérables and also appeared in the stage production at the Queen’s Theatre.

Amy Lennox (Sally Bowles) received an Olivier nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her portrayal of Lauren in the West End production of Kinky Boots. Her other credits include Ellie in the London premiere of the David Bowie and Enda Walsh musical Lazarus. She was in the original West End cast of the musical Legally Blonde and created the role of Doralee in the original UK production of 9 to 5 The Musical.

Fra and Amy appeared together in the critically acclaimed production of The Last Five Years in Belfast.

Omar Baroud (Cliff Bradshaw) is soon to appear in the series Wedding Season for Disney+. His other TV credits include Baptiste for the BBC and The Innocents for Netflix. His theatre credits include You Bury Me for Paines Plough, As You Like It at the Watermill Theatre, A Song at Twilight at the Theatre Royal Bath and All Places That The Eye of Heaven Visits at Shakespeare’s Globe.

Vivien Parry (Fraulein Schneider) has appeared in many West End productions including Madge Hardwick in the original cast of Top Hat at the Aldwych Theatre, Madame Thénardier in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, Donna in Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre and Mrs Walshingham in Half A Sixpence at the Noel Coward Theatre. Vivien’s other credits include Twelfth Night and The Shoemaker’s Holiday, both for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Celia in The Girls at Leeds Grand Theatre.

They join the full company including Elliot Levey as ‘Herr Schultz’ (Olivier Award nominee for his role in this production), Stewart Clarke as ‘Ernst Ludwig’ and Anna-Jane Casey as ‘Fraulein Kost’. The cast is completed by Josh Andrews, Emily Benjamin, Sally Frith, Matthew Gent, Emma Louise Jones, Ela Lisondra, Theo Maddix, Chris O’Mara, Daniel Perry, Andre Refig, Christopher Tendai, Bethany Terry, Lillie-Pearl Wildman and Sophie Maria Wojna.

CABARET is directed by Rebecca Frecknall,  set and costume design is by Tom Scutt with choreography by Julia Cheng. Musical supervision and direction is by Jennifer Whyte. Lighting design is by Isabella Byrd with sound design by Nick Lidster. The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director is Jordan Fein.

Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is booking until October 2022.

OPERATION MINCEMEAT ANNOUNCES EXTENSION IN NEW HOME, RIVERSIDE STUDIOS
STARTS 28^TH APRIL 2022

“a buzz louder than a doodlebug surrounds Operation Mincemeat…a kind of genius declares itself”

Dominic Cavendish, The Telegraph

★★★★★ Financial Times, The Daily Mail, The Sunday Mirror, The Daily Mirror, The Stage, The Sunday Express, Gay Times, WhatsOnStage, The Express, Broadway World

★★★★ The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Telegraph, The i, The Independent

“a little show with a very big future”

David Benedict, Variety

Following three sold-out runs at Southwark Playhouse, Operation Mincemeat is back for an extension in its new home, Riverside Studios, with previews commencing on 28^th April and performances running through to 9th July 2022.

Tickets are on General Sale now from the Official Box Office at OperationMincemeat.com

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. 

After sold-out runs at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 and Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 and earlier in 2022, Operation Mincemeat is back. Having spent lockdown rewriting the show, weeping and eating biscuits, SpitLip has extended the run of this newer, bigger and (somehow) even better version.

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? 

Operation Mincemeat the Musical is not to be confused with the film starring Colin Firth set to be released in cinemas from 15^th April and on Netflix.

Operation Mincemeat won The Stage Debut award for Best Composer/Lyricist, the Off-West End award for Best Company Ensemble and was listed in the Observer’s Top 10 shows of the year.  The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat with additional support from Avalon. 

Riverside Studios is a multi-arts venue, situated in a beautiful location on the banks of the Thames in Hammersmith, west London. For over 45 years, it has been the home of an extraordinary mix of theatre, film, comedy, art, dance, music and television. It reopened fully in 2020 after a total redevelopment.

Rachel Tackley, Creative Director of Riverside Studios said:

“Operation Mincemeat has been described as audacious, miraculous, dazzling, multitasking with little more than a few strings of telephone wire and with a very big future. I feel like we are made for each other!”