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EMPIRE THEATRE LIVERPOOL – 14 FEBRUARY 2022

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

The Russian State Ballet of Siberia is once again touring the UK. Presenting their iconic and classical repertoire of five ballets, brought to life with magical special effects and accompanied by the Russian Ballet Orchestra. They have established themselves as one of Russia’s leading ballet companies and have built an international reputation for delivering performances of outstanding quality and depth.

Last night the company was in Liverpool, performing the world’s greatest love story, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s romantic tale of passion and tragedy, brought to life by Sergei Prokofiev’s score, with emotionally charged choreography.

‘Two households, both alike in dignity, in fair Verona, where we lay our scene, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes a pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life; whole misadventured piteous overthrows do with their death bury their parents’ strife’. Romeo and Juliet (1.1)

Most people are very familiar with the story of the doomed lovers Romeo and Juliet and it was wonderful to watch the journey of their love until its poignant end.

The choreography, by Sergei Bobrov was excellent and brought to life the story through mesmerizing dance variations. I was in awe at the talent and stamina of all the dancers and to think that they perform five different ballets on different days, each ballet with technically difficult and different steps. The lighting was beautiful and the simplicity added alluring detail that enhanced the overall feel of the ballet. The set, designed by Dmitry Tcherbadzhi was very simple, with back projections transporting us to fair Verona. Tcherbadzhi also designed the costumes, which were frankly striking, especially the ‘silent choir of the menacing Heralds of Death masked’, in funereal black. By using different colours red and blue, it also helped the audience distinguish between who were Capulet’s and who were Montague’s.

I would highly recommend The Russian State Ballet of Siberia in any of their five productions; The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Snow Maiden, Cinderella, and Romeo and Juliet, their dancing is exceptional, accompanied by beautiful music. Their tour is on until the end of March. If you get the chance to watch any of these ballets, you will not be disappointed.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 19th February 2022.

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

4.5 ****

Sunshine duly brought!

The Play What I Wrote is more than just a staged version of a Morecambe and Wise TV episode. There are, of course, some of their signature trademarks: face slapping, the long coat and flat cap, the dance off etc. But this is much cleverer than just a modern impression of Eric and Ernie. It is a show with its own multifaceted story to tell. And a mighty enjoyable one at that!

The show opens with a recurring joke (involving a harmonica) before exploding at breakneck speed as our two principle actors, Dennis Herdman and Thom Tuck (playing themselves), introduce their manic characters with some lightning fast jokes, skits and comedic songs.

Dennis and Thom are extremely funny and do an amazing job evoking the spirit of Eric and Ernie – but in their own inimitable style. They were thoroughly entertaining throughout and it was obvious they are also steeped in the history of British comedy, with shades of Monty Python (silly walks), Carry On’s bawdy double entendres and the heyday of light entertainment evident in abundance.

Mitesh Soni (playing Arthur & others) is hysterical. The show, arguably, has three principle actors – with Arthur being the third. In the best tradition of Panto (and 70’s TV) his “others” included several extraordinarly implausable female characters which the principles play off to hilarious effect.

One of the highlights of any Morecombe & Wise show was the sending up of the guest star, who was in on the joke. Who can forget Des O’Connor, Andre Previn, Shirley Bassey or Glenda Jackson’s turns, to name but a few? Tonight’s special star guest was someone you will undoubtedly know and love; being a lady of bona fide comedy credentials, having starred in several of the nation’s all time favourite television comedies. I won’t spoil the surprise as to who it is (as I understand she will be appearing again) but she was fabulous. I especially enjoyed her asides and address to the audience which were pitch perfect.

The play what he wrote, “The Scarlet Pimple Gets Squeezed”, is well worth waiting for with some wonderful visual gags and some fine “knowing” dialogue making it clear that the piece is clearly beneath the star guest’s dignity.

If you love the style of comedy that Eric and Ernie were masters of you will love this show. It will leave you with aching sides and a warm fuzzy feeling in your heart. Like their bygone era’s Saturday night TV schedule, this show has everything – song, dance, slapstick, saucy jokes, a nice line in name mispronounciation and much more. This show is a nostalgic and affectionate homage and one that all the family will enjoy.

The director (Sean Foley) calls the show’s style of comedy “sophisticated daftness” and I think that is a perfect way to describe it. Whatever you call it, it’s a show that will leave you smiling long after the roars of laughter have died down. Sunshine duly brought!

Hope Theatre, Islington – 14th February 2022

Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton

5*****

To Have and To Hold by Mark Bastin is an absolute theatrical masterpiece. It tells the story of married couple Dennis (Mark Steere) and Gina (Susan Graham), through two monologues that are intertwined with one another, varying the story ever so slightly. Dennis tells what seems to be a more romanticised version of the story, until near the end when his monologue becomes more realistic. Gina, on the other hand, tells her side of the story in a much harsher way, allowing the audience to fully grasp the details of their marriage, and some of her childhood. The tone of her monologue changes slightly towards the end, as she embraces the love and care she receives from her husband.

The set has been expertly designed by Ceci Calf, and is made to look like a typical living room in an elderly person’s house. The theatre is so small that the audience feels as if they are actually in their living room as opposed to just seeing it. It feels a little invasive as though the audience are intruding into their home, and shouldn’t be there, but this works brilliantly with the way that the story is told.

As the two reflect on their lives together, it becomes very clear that the couple are the most unlikely pairing. The characters seem like polar opposites, with Dennis being the shy, caring type and Gina being the confident, outspoken type. It also becomes clear that, while their marriage has been a long one, it isn’t necessarily a happy one, with secrets being revealed that show a true insight into the struggles of their relationship.

This play is the perfect thing for Valentine’s day, although not for the reasons you think.

Grand Opera House York – until Saturday 19th February 2022

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4½ ****

We Will Rock You, with music and lyrics by Queen and the book written by Ben Elton, has been around for 20 years, and this is the first time I’ve seen it. I had heard of the musical and knew it centred around the music of Queen, but that was it, I never like to read up about any show I go to see, I like to see it through fresh eyes.

I knew it was a popular show and the queue outside the theatre confirmed that. It was no problem queuing up and the staff were very efficient, checking Covid passes and scanning tickets. The theatre was packed with very few vacant seats, always a great sign and makes a wonderful atmosphere, we were all eager to hear the wonderful music of Queen.

Set in a dystopian future where music, as we know it, has been banned, where the all-powerful GlobalSoft, led by the Killer Queen (Jenny O’Leary) and her second in command Khashoggi (Adam Strong), has universal dominance of the iPlanet. It’s a world where everyone is expected to conform, full of GaGa girls and boys. As with any dictatorship there are always those who will rebel, in this case The Bohemians, who are fighting to bring back rock music, though they are not too sure what that is. They’ve named themselves after Rock Gods, such as Britney Spears(?!), Cliff Richard (?!) and Meatloaf, having no clue who they really are. Cliff (Michael McKell) is the leader of this eclectic bunch. McKell has a lot of stage presence, as well as a fine voice.

Galileo (Ian McIntosh) and Scaramouche (Elena Skye), know they are different. After showing freewill, they find themselves locked up together, ready to be reprogrammed. Subsequently they escape and go in search of The Bohemians, trying to make sense of the words in Galileo’s head. The chemistry and dialogue between the two is great, though Scaramouche does have the best lines.

A few years ago, I saw Queen in concert in Sheffield, with Adam Lambert as lead singer, and it was excellent, best concert I’ve been to. McIntosh as one of the leads, lives up to the Queen name, doing justice to the iconic music, he was fabulous. It was good to see that the whole cast were given the opportunity to shine and sing a Queen song.

The set was dark, with scaffolding at the back of the stage, digital images projecting onto screens within. It wasn’t until later that we realised that the band, a fantastic group of musicians, were playing behind the screens on the top floor, hidden for most of the show.

At first when I saw the programme I was like, wow, how many cast, and how are they all going to fit on this small stage? Even the first number, when the stage was packed, I wasn’t convinced that it would work, but boy was I proven to be wrong. The choreography and energy on stage was quite electrifying, everyone looked like they were having a fabulous time.

The story is absolutely bonkers, but I do love this kind of theatre. It was funny, maybe at times a bit pantomime, but that’s not a negative thing. It’s a vibrant show full of innuendo and cultural references. With its timeless music, just go out and enjoy it for what it is, a bit of fun and a great night out.

Lyric Theatre, London – February 14th 2022

Reviewed by Melissa O’Neill

5*****

The stage is set with floating bubbles of love for the most romantic evening of the year, Valentines Day. Resplendent in a silk floral gown, the show’s host, Shanay Holmes steps into a packed theatre amidst the excitable chit chat of fans of West End Musical. Shanay Holmes makes a touching speech dedicated to the creative works of the late Stephen Sondheim before singing the opening song accompanied by Tom Leaper on Saxophone. Shanay Holmes powerful voice was embraced by the red sequin outfits of her backing dancers, their bodies moving like fire cracking birds of paradise.

Tom Leaper played throughout the evening adding a soulful and seductive sound.

Nikki Bentley sang Somewhere (there’s a place for us) from West Side Story, a sweet song sang with heartfelt joy, and complimented by Sam Barrett’s rendition of Maria. They later teamed up for a fabulously flirty and fizzy You’re the One that I Want. Nikki Bentley performed an energetic mash up of Madonna, Britney and Eurythmics with scantily clad dancers seducing the audience.

Sam Barrett, along with enthusiastic audience participation sang Unchained Melody, with a maturity beyond his years.

Emma Hatton, dressed in a delicately silken green gown performed a duet with Nikki Bentley, taken from Wicked, I KnewYou. Their performance reflected a close and comfortable feeling, each enabling the other to shine. Just lovely!

Emma Bentley made a beautiful pairing with Jon Robyns as they sang Beauty and the Beast, I felt goosebumps all over as I was taken into a world of make believe. Jon Robyns commands attention in his orange velvet jacket, and his voice delights the audience as he sings from the Wedding Singer with Shan Ako on accompanying guitar.

Shan Ako brought funk and delight to the stage with her wonderful voice as she sang Bob Marley’s I Wanna Love You, the audience lapped it up. Shan Ako and Tom Leaper brought the audience to its feet with Whitney Houston’s, I Want to Dance with Somebody, we certainly did.

Jodie Steel, as light as a bird with a voice as hot as the blazing sun. Jodie Steel was the perfect person to sing Abba’s, Save all your love for me.

Natalie Paris, sang out a vivacious, Lets hear it for the boys, from Footloose and with Sam Barrett, Come what May, from Moulin Rouge. This song had to have had the most romantic line of all, I want to vanish inside your kiss………..swoon.

At the end of the first act Shanay Holmes sang I Will Always Love You from The Bodyguard, with a dedication to her husband and co producer of the show. It was a testament to their passion and dedication in producing this joyous evening. Shanay Holmes then brought some disco and desire in the form of Michael Jackson’s The Way you Make me Feel.

West End Musical Love Songs was a special way to celebrate Valentines with the one you love. It had excitement, energy, some flirting, a little tenderness and a whole lot of warmth. What else could you ask for?!

HOSTS, PRESENTERS AND PERFORMANCES ANNOUNCED FOR THE

22^ND ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS

WhatsOnStage today announces that Jodie Prenger and Tom Read Wilson will host the 22^nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, the only major theatre prize-giving decided entirely by the theatregoers themselves. They are joined by Chris Bush, Graziano Di Prima, Omari Douglas, James Graham, David Harewood, Frances Mayli McCann, Stephanie McKeon, Drew McOnie, Daniel Monks, Tracy Ann Oberman, Johannes Radebe, Kitty Scott Claus, Ella VaDay, Miriam-Teak Lee and Eric Underwood who will present the awards at the Ceremony on 27 February 2022 at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

In addition, Amy Hart and Oscar Conlon-Morrey will be live on the red carpet chatting to the stars as they arrive from 6.30pm via WhatsOnStage’s Facebook page.

The evening will feature performances including:

• The event opens with the new composition – We’re Back in the Game featuring Jodie Prenger, Tom Read Wilson and an all-star ensemble – with music by Alex Parker and lyrics by Katie Lam
• Isaac Gryn, Ryan Anderson, Alex Christian, Michael O’Reilly and Dale White will perform Gee, Officer Krupke from West Side Story
• Julian Ovenden and Gina Beck performing Some Enchanted Evening/ I’m In Love from South Pacific
• Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Rebecca Trehearn performing I Know You from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella
• Olly Dobson, Cedric Neal and Courtney-Mae Briggs performing The Power of Love from Back to the Future the Musical
• Samantha Barks performing Let It Go from Frozen
• Aimie Atkinson performing I Can’t Go Back from Pretty Woman: The Musical
• Liisi LaFontaine and Jamie Bogyo performing Elephant Love Medley from Moulin Rouge! The Musical
• The evening will conclude with A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim, featuring an all-star ensemble

Leading the nominations this year is the new musical Frozen – currently running at Theatre Royal Drury Lane – with 13 nominations across acting and creative categories including nominations for Best New Musical, for both Samantha Barks and Stephanie McKeon in the Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Musical category, with Oliver Ormson and Obioma Ugoala both nominated for Best Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Musical. In addition, the production also receives nominations for Best Direction for Michael Grandage, and nominations for Best Set Design, Best Costume Design, Best Choreography, Best Musical Direction, Best Lighting, Best Video Design and Best Graphic Design.

In the musical categories, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical receives 10 nominations, with Back to the Future the Musical revving up closely behind with 9 nominations. Cabaret makes its mark with 7 nominations, mirrored by Moulin Rouge! The Musical and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella.

In Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Musical, Barks and McKeon face stiff competition from Cabaret’s Jessie Buckley, Aimie Atkinson for Pretty Woman, Beverley Knight for The Drifters Girl and previous WhatsOnStage Award winner Carrie Hope Fletcher for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. For Best Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Musical, Back to the Future’s Roger Bart and Olly Dobson go head to head against Ivano Turco for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Arinzé Kene for Get Up, Stand Up!, Eddie Redmayne for Cabaret, and Julian Ovenden in South Pacific.

In the musical supporting categories, Ormson and Ugoala face Hugh Coles and Cedric Neal both from Back to the Future the Musical, Blake Patrick Anderson from Be More Chill and Robert Lindsay from Anything Goes; and in the Best Supporting Performer in a Female Identifying Role, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella’s Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Rebecca Trehearn are both nominated, alongside Gabrielle Brooks for Get Up, Stand Up!, Joanna Ampil for South Pacific and Millie O’Connell for Rent.

Leading the straight plays categories is Yaël Farber’s production of The Tragedy of Macbeth, which recently completed its run at the Almeida Theatre, receiving 5 nominations for Saoirse Ronan for Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play, Akiya Henry for Best Supporting Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play, Richard Rankin for Best Supporting Male Identifying Role in a Play, Best Direction and Best Play Revival.

Also performing well in the straight play categories are The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Magic Goes Wrong, 2:22 A Ghost Story and Cyrano de Bergerac with 4 nominations each.

For her stage debut in Anna X as part of Sonia Friedman’s RE:EMERGE season, Emma Corrin receives their first WhatsOnStage nomination for Best Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play, nominated alongside Gemma Arterton for Walden in the same season, Lily Allen for 2:22 A Ghost Story, Patsy Ferran for Camp Siegfried, Sheila Atim for Constellations, alongside Saoirse Ronan. Best Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Play nominees are Henry Lewis for Magic Goes Wrong, Ben Daniels for The Normal Heart, Hadley Fraser for 2:22 A Ghost Story, Richard Armitage for Uncle Vanya and James McAvoy for Cyrano de Bergerac.

For Best Supporting Performer in a Female Identifying Role in a Play, the nominees are Nancy Zamit for Magic Goes Wrong, Michelle Fox for Shining City, Penny Layden for The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Isobel McArthur for Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), Akiya Henry for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Aimee Lou Wood for Uncle Vanya. Best Supporting Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Play nominees include Jake Wood for 2:22 A Ghost Story, Richard Rankin for The Tragedy of Macbeth and Jonathan Sayer for Magic Goes Wrong – all 3 plays receiving 3 acting nominations each, alongside Stephen K Amos for My Night with Reg, Nathaniel Parker for The Mirror and the Light, and Dino Fetscher for The Normal Heart.

In the fiercely fought Best New Musical category, Frozen faces competition from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Back to the Future the Musical, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical, Pretty Woman the Musical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical; and in Best New Play, the nominees are Magic Goes Wrong, 2:22 A Ghost Story, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), J’Ouvert and last year’s Olivier Award winner Leopoldstadt.

Best Play Revival nominees are The Normal Heart, Constellations, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Uncle Vanya, My Night with Reg and Cyrano de Bergerac; and Best Musical Revival sees the recently opened Cabaret face off against Anything Goes, Rent, South Pacific, Carousel and West Side Story.

Best Direction sees a split between musical theatre with Frozen’s Michael Grandage nominated alongside Clint Dyer for Get Up, Stand Up!, and Rebecca Frecknall for Cabaret, and straight plays with The Tragedy of Macbeth’s Yaël Farber, Katy Rudd for The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Jamie Lloyd for Cyrano de Bergerac completing the category.

South Pacific receives 6 nominations in total, having opened at Chichester Festival Theatre and been streamed, including Best Regional Production, where it faces competition from RENT – with 5 nominations, What’s New Pussycat?, West Side Story, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Bloody Elle; and for Best Off-West End Production, the nominees are My Son’s a Queer (but What Can You Do?), The Last Five Years, Pippin, Saving Britney, Old Bridge and Anything is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough.

Mischief Theatre receives 5 nominations in total – 4 for Magic Goes Wrong, and also for The Play That Goes Wrong in the popular Best West End Show category. Other nominees in the Best West End Show category are SIX the Musical, Wicked, Les Misérables, Come From Away and Hamilton.

Tickets are available via awards.whatsonstage.com 

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TARON EGERTON, JONATHAN BAILEY

JADE ANOUKA & PHIL DANIELS

IN

BY MIKE BARTLETT

NEW IMAGES RELEASED TODAY

New images of Taron Egerton, Jonathan Bailey, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels, the stars of C O C K by Mike Bartlett were released today (15 February 2022).

Directed by Tony and Olivier award winning Marianne Elliott, the award-wnning play about love and identity will have a limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre in London from Saturday 5 March 2022 to Saturday 4 June 2022. 

“The fact is that some of us like women and some like men and that’s fine that’s good in fact that’s good, a good thing, but it seems to me that you’ve become confused.”

In a world full of endless possibilities why must we still limit ourselves with labels?

Taron Egerton, Jonathan Bailey, Jade Anouka and Phil Daniels star in Mike Bartlett’srazor sharp play which redefines the battle of the sexes. 

Marianne Elliott said  ‘I feel so excited to be working on this beautifully crafted and hilarious play by Mike Bartlett. It keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. A truly theatrical piece in that it asks the audience to enter the imagination of the storytelling – as only live theatre can do. It’s also all about the acting so to have such a talented, highly experienced, stellar cast is an absolute dream!’

Mike Bartlett added:  ‘I love Marianne Elliott’s work and have done for a long time, so I’m thrilled to be able to collaborate with her on this revival. Especially with this incredible cast, which I know will bring both a fresh take and vast experience to a play about love, identity and the passionate human being.” 

Taron Egerton won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of Sir Elton John in Rocketman and also recorded the original song for the film I’m Gonna Love Again with Sir Elton which went on to win Best Original Song at the Academy Awards. He will next be seen starring in Blackbird, a limited series drama for Apple TV alongside Paul Walter Hauser, Tetris directed by Jon S. Baird and produced by Matthew Vaughn for Apple + and is also set to star in Claire Denis’ romantic drama thriller Stars at Noon, opposite Margaret Qualley. Egerton shot to fame when he played Gary ‘Eggsy’ Unwin in Matthew Vaughn’s Kingsman: The Secret Service and reprised the role in Kingsman: The Golden Circle.  Other credits include Eddie the Eagle, Testament of Youth, Legend, Sing, Robin Hood, and The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance. On stage he has appeared in The Last of the Haussmans at the National Theatre and Tommy in No Quarter at the Royal Court Theatre. 

Jonathan Bailey won an Olivier Award for his ground-breaking role of Jamie in Marianne Elliott’s West End revival of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s musical Company.  Jonathan plays Viscount Anthony Bridgerton in the Netflix’ period drama, Bridgerton, a role he is reprising in the second series scheduled for release in 2022.  His other TV credits include the ITV series Broadchurch, Leonardo da Vinci in Leonardo, Me and Mrs Jones, Doctor Who and WIA (all for the BBC) and Crashing and Chewing Gum for Channel 4.  His theatre credits include David Hare’s South Downs, American Psycho at the Almeida Theatre, The York Realist at The Donmar Warehouse, and King Lear (alongside Sir Ian McKellen) for Chichester Festival Theatre.

Jade Anouka’s recent TV credits include Ruta Skadi in BBC/HBO’s His Dark Materials, Channel 5’s The Drowning and ITV’s Cleaning Up. Her film credits include Ear For Eye, Fisherman’s Friends and Last Christmas. In theatre Jade has played the title roles in Hampstead’s Olivier nominated The Phlebotomist and Queen Margaret at The Royal Exchange. Other theatre credits include Moon On A Rainbow Shawl at The National Theatre, Doctor Faustus in the West End and the Donmar Warehouse Shakespeare Trilogy where she played Mark Antony in Julius Caesar, Hotspur in Henry IV and Ariel in The Tempest.  She wrote, directed and co-starred in a short film –  Her & Her for BBC’s Culture In Quarantine series which has since got in to 23 film festivals. 

Phil Daniels’ early films include Anoop and the Elephant, Bugsy Malone, Breaking Glass, Scum and the central role of Jimmy in Quadrophenia. He starred in a 1985 British snooker musical, Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire. More recent films include playing the voice of Fletcher in Chicken Run, Free Jimmy, Freebird, Vinyl and The Hatton Garden Job.  He narrated tracks Parklife and Me, White Noise on the Parklife and Think Tank albums for Blur.  On TV,  he played Kevin Wicks in EastEnders and appeared in Sunnyside Farm, Time Gentlemen Please, and Rock and Chips.  His theatre credits include: The Merchant of Venice, The Jew of Malta and A Clockwork Orange for the RSC, This House for the National Theatre, King Lear at Chichester Festival Theatre and Thenardier in Les Miserables in the West End.

Mike Bartlett is a multi-award-winning writer for both stage and screen. His five part drama series Doctor Foster won the National Television Award for Best New Drama and was seen by almost 10 million viewers. Other television work includes  Life, Doctor Foster series 2, King Charles III,  Sticks and Stones, Trauma, Press, Doctor Who and The Town. Bartlett’s stage plays include: Vassa, Albion and Game for the Almeida Theatre,  Snowflake for Arts at the Old Fire Station; Wild at Hampstead Theatre; the Olivier Award winning King Charles III at the Almeida Theatre, Wyndham’s Theatre and Music Box Theatre in New York (also winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play 2014);  An Intervention for Paines Plough and Watford; Bull at Sheffield Theatres, Off Broadway and the Young Vic (Winner of Best New Play at the National Theatre Awards 2013); Medea for Headlong, Glasgow Citizens, Watford Theatre and Warwick; Chariots of Fire at the Hampstead Theatre the Gielgud Theatre in the West End; 13 at National Theatre; Cock for the Royal Court; Decade for Headlong; Earthquakes in London for Headlong and the National Theatre; Love, Love, Love for Paines Plough, Plymouth Theatre Royal, the Royal Court, Roundabout Theatre Company, New York and the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre; Contractions for the Royal Court and Crucible Theatre, Sheffield; My Child for the Royal Court; Artefacts for the Bush Theatre and Honest for the Theatre Royal Northampton.

Marianne Elliott recently directed Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s Company at the Gielgud Theatre.  It won four Olivier Awards including ‘Best Revival of a Musical’.  Its Broadway transfer will re-open (following the Covid shutdown) in New York this autumn. Her other shows for Elliott & Harper include the Olivier Award winning Death of a Salesman (co-directed with Miranda Cromwell) in the West End and at the Young Vic.  For the National Theatre she directed the Olivier and Tony award-winning Angels in America (in London and on Broadway), the Olivier and Tony-award-winning The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (at the NT, West End, on Broadway and on tour).  She co-directed the world-wide hit War Horse alongside Tom Morris (at the NT, West End on Broadway and on tour).  She received a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play for War Horse. On winning the Tony Award for Curious Incident in New York, Marianne became the first woman in Broadway history to have won two Tony Awards for Best Direction of a Play.  Other productions at the NT include The Light Princess, Women Beware Women, Port, Saint Joan (Olivier Award for Best Revival, South Bank Show Award) and Pillars of the Community (Evening Standard Best Director Award). Elliott recently directed two of the episodes of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads for the BBC.

Joining Marianne Elliott on the creative team are:  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.

Chatback Theatre announces cast for the UK Tour
of the acclaimed If This Is Normal
Wednesday 13th April – Saturday 30th April 2022

Chatback Theatre has announced the cast of the coming-of-age hit If This is Normal, which is heading on a UK tour this April. Critically acclaimed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019 and VAULT Festival in 2020, the show is set in the no-man’s land between childhood and adulthood, complicated by unfiltered access to technology and pop-feminism. The audience will follow a trio of teenagers coming of age whilst exploring the power of weaponised language when applied to human emotion.

The full cast returns from the previous Edinburgh Fringe Festival and VAULT festival runs with Aoife Smyth as Alex (On Railton Road, Brixton Base; If I Can Get This Part Right At Least, Nottingham Playhouse), Isambard Rawbone as Madani (Midnight Hustle, Rogue Productions/ VAULT Festival, Hamlet and Sense and Sensibility, Aquila Theatre/ US Tour) and Zarima McDermott as Maryam (Beast on the Moon, Finborough Theatre, which earned her a “Best Lead Female Performance” nomination at the Off West End Awards 2019; It’s a London Life for Me, Greenwich Theatre; The Seagull, National Theatre, Dublin).

In If This Is Normal the characters make the transition from the relative ease of childhood to the complications of adulthood, their personalities and desires no longer quite as aligned over the course of a ten-year friendship. Written by Lucy Danser (Lost in Thought, Edinburgh Fringe Festival /Theatre503 and Rachael’s Café, UK Tour) and directed by Helena Jackson (Resident Director of the repertory company Theater KR/MG and Offie-finalist La Traviata, King’s Head Theatre) the tour will visit The Wardrobe Theatre, Old Fire Station, Mill Studio and 53Two.

Growing up in Kilburn, siblings Madani and Maryam plus schoolmate Alex hit it off from the moment they meet. 10 years later, playful chats about ninja turtles and bobble pens have been kicked out by teen opinions powered by podcasts, porn and politics. Still, best friends can talk about anything. So why are there suddenly so many unspoken thoughts between the three?

Writer Lucy Danser comments, After the pandemic forced us to stop the show more than two years ago it’s wonderful to be able to return with If This is Normal. It’s this type of small-scale, fringe theatre that I really missed. The opportunity to have an entertaining, moving and intimate experience with a group of strangers, live and in person! It is however somewhat sad that the themes in the play are even more relevant two years on. I’m excited to share the play and start some important conversations.

Director Helena Jackson comments, I´m thrilled to have the time and space to be able to further develop If This Is Normal creatively, and especially excited to share Maryam, Alex and Madani with audiences all around England. Directing Lucy´s writing has always been a complete and utter joy!

Chatback Theatre is committed to delivering accessible performances for audiences. At 53Two as part of the venue’s outreach programme, there will be a BSL signed performance and a post-show Q&A/workshop.

CAST AND TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

BEAUTIFUL – THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL

Molly-Grace Cutler as Carole King
Tom Milner as Gerry Goffin
Seren Sandham-Davies as Cynthia Weil
Jos Slovick as Barry Mann

A Curve, Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Mayflower Theatre Southampton co-production

Leicester’s Curve, Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Mayflower Theatre Southampton have announced the company of talented actor-musicians joining their new UK tour of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

Opening at Curve on Monday 28 February 2022, the company will be led by Molly-Grace Cutler (The Worst Witch, Girls Don’t Play Guitars, We’ll Live and Die in these Towns) as Carole King. Tom Milner (Holby City, Waterloo Road) will play Gerry Goffin, Carole’s former husband and collaborator. Seren Sandham-Davies (Crazy For You, Brassed Off) and Jos Slovick, who performed in the original West End production of Once, will play husband and wife song-writing duo Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann.

Garry Robson returns to Curve as music producer and talent manager Don Kirshner. Garry was last seen on-stage in Leicester as General Henry Waverly in the 2018 Made at Curve production of White Christmas.

Claire Greenway, who originated the role of Sister Mary Patrick in Sister Act at the London Palladium, will play Carole’s mother Genie Klein, and Dan de Cruz will join as the production’s on-stage Musical Director. The cast is completed by Naomi Alade, Kemi Clarke, Chris Coxon, Amena El-Kindy, Louise Francis, Dylan Gordon-Jones, Jessica Jolleys, Sorrel Jordan, Myles Miller, Peter Mooney, Adrien Spencer and Kevin Yates.

After its run in Leicester, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will tour to Theatre Royal Bath 17 – 26 March, Theatre Royal Brighton 29 March – 2 April, Festival Theatre Edinburgh 5 – 9 April, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton 12 – 16 April, Newcastle Theatre Royal 19 – 23 April, Orchard Theatre Dartford 26 – 30 April, Malvern Theatres 3 -7 May, Cambridge Arts Theatre 10 – 21 May and New Theatre, Cardiff 24 – 28 May.

Based on the story of Carole King’s remarkable rise from singer/songwriter to chart-topping music legend, this production of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will take audiences back to the heart of King’s landmark 1971 album ‘Tapestry’.

The musical will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster, whose recent credits include acclaimed five-star productions of A Chorus Line, West Side Storyand 2020’s streamed production of Sunset Boulevard – at Home.

Speaking about the cast, Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“Carole King’s body of work speaks for itself and it is an honour to work on a show which celebrates some of the greatest pop songs ever written and the extraordinary life of the woman who has provided the soundtrack to our lives across the decades.

“In Molly-Grace Cutler, we have the perfect actor to lead our production and embody the spirit of King’s supreme artistry. Molly leads a phenomenal company of actor-musicians, who will recreate all the hits live onstage, under the supreme musical talents of Grammy winner Steve Sidwell and Tony winner Sarah Travis.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with our friends at Theatre Royal Bath and Southampton Mayflower, flying the flag for Leicester once Beautiful tours from Curve.”

Carole King’s music will be brought to life by Grammy Award-winning Orchestrator Steve Sidwell and adapted by Tony Award-winning Curve Associate and Musical Supervisor Sarah Travis. The production will be choreographed by rising star Leah Hill (The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre), with Associate Choreographer Tarik Frimpong, and the creative team also includes Set Designer Frankie Bradshaw, Costume Designer Edd Lindley, Lighting Designer and Curve Associate Ben Cracknell, Sound Designer Tom Marshall, Associate Director Jennifer Lane Baker and Casting Director and Curve Associate Kay Magson CDG. The production will also provide training opportunities for Regional Theatre Young Directors Scheme (RTYDS) Resident Assistant Director Lilac Yosiphon and Birkbeck Trainee Director Thyrza Abrahams.

Featuring countless classics such as You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, Take Good Care of my Baby, You’ve Got a Friend, Up on the Roof, Locomotion and You’ve Lost That Loving Feeling, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is written by Douglas McGrath, with songs by Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical was originally produced on Broadway and in London by Paul Blake, SONY/ATV Music Publishing and Mike Bosner.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

Book by Douglas McGrath

Words & Music by Gerry Coffin & Carole King, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil

Music by arrangement with Sony/ATV Music Publishing

JEREMY EDWARDS TO STAR IN WORLD PREMIERE UK TOUR OF

HILARY BONNER’S DEBUT PLAY DEAD LIES

Billed as ‘The Most Scandalous Thriller Of The Year’, Red Entertainments Dead Lies, written by No.1 Best Selling Crime Novelist Hilary Bonner, will receive its world premiere this Spring opening at The Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple (14-16 April) prior to a UK Tour.

Dead Lies is a political thriller inspired by the Jeremy Thorpe scandal of the 1970’s set against the political backdrop of current day Westminster. In this fast-moving, hard-hitting political English thriller the action takes place during a fiercely fought election campaign, following Peter George, a politician who promises a new kind of politics beyond sleaze and spin. He is welcomed as a messiah by the British public and expected to restore trust in a broken political system. But a shocking secret lies in the past of our country’s hero. As buried truths rise from the ashes, personal and political influences begin to shake the faith of those closest to him, and a media cascade threatens to bring down Britain’s new saviour.

Making an eagerly awaited return to the stage is Hollyoaks and Holby City actor Jeremy Edwards who plays would be Prime Minister Peter George.

Jeremy Edwards said: “Joining the cast of Dead Lies is a phenomenal opportunity for me. It has that rare combination of the right script at the right time. I have been waiting for such a strong piece of drama to come along for quite some time. Not only because it is sexy, scandalous and mysterious it is incredibly on point, I’m delighted”.

Joining Jeremy on stage will be Alicia Charles (Coronation Street, Holby City) who plays Kate Compton, Press Secretary to Peter George. Kate is to Peter what Alistair Campbell was to Tony Blair and Dominic Cummings to Boris Johnson.  Portia Booroff (Doctors, EastEnders) as Peter’s devoted wife Jo George, and Claire Dyson, fresh from appearing opposite Liam Neeson in Made In Italy, as ex-supermodel Stephanie Jones.  Making his UK tour debut is George Verghis in the role of Peter George’s Campaign Manager James Gillen.

Dead Lies is directed by directed by the critically acclaimed Joe Harmston who said:   “Hilary does that rare thing writing a thriller for the stage: like Agatha Christie, she puts psychology first, making Dead Lies the best sort of whodunnit”

The parallels between the real-life scandal that saw Barnstaple MP Jeremy Thorpe disgraced and stripped of his leadership in the 70’s and the fiction of Dead Lies are plain to see. It’s no artistic coincidence that North Devon culture heavily influences the script, a natural choice for writer Hilary Bonner who was born and raised there, prior to embarking on her illustrious career in Fleet Street where she reported on the Thorpe scandal. The opening night of Dead Lies will see Bonner’s theatrical journey turn full circle as her first experience of live theatre was as a small child sat in the stalls at the Queen’s.

RED Entertainment’s Executive Producer Matt Brinkler said: “North Devon is intrinsic to Hilary’s gripping contemporary script and her powerful, dramatic plot will have extra resonance when it plays on the Queen’s stage in its opening week. It’s so fitting that theatre goers in North Devon get to see Dead Lies on home soil before we share its brilliance with the rest of the UK.”

Mark Farley Director of the Queen’s Theatre, Barnstaple said: “We are delighted that we are able to stage the world premiere of Dead Lies prior to its national tour and welcome home its writer Hilary Bonner. We know our audiences will be on the edge of their seat for this cutting edge drama” 

Dead Lies is a roller-coaster ride of a play, packed with twists and turns until the very last scene. Expect the unexpected. No one is safe. 

For tickets and more information visit www.deadlies.co.uk