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Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff – until 27 November 2021

Reviewed by Rhys Payne

4****

Grease is probably one of the most well-known movies/musicals to ever be created and so most people go into the show knowing what to expect. I myself have seen three different versions of this show three times and so I go in knowing what points in the show will be a highlight but also how much energy the performers need to do a complete run of the stage musical. One of the most impressive things about this musical is how the ensemble are able to endure the whole high-energy musical that is crammed full of energetic dance numbers without running out of energy as I know for a fact that I wouldn’t make it through the first two numbers! Every cast member managed to get through the whole musical without the standard of dance specifically always being very high!

The tour was headlined by the incredible Dan Partridge who plays the lead burger boy and iconic Danny Zuko. Dan is clearly a very talented vocalist which was a constant highlight during this portrayal of the character. His rendition of the ambitious song “How Big I’ll Be” was incredible with the emotion and fantastic stage present demonstrated throughout the number! Alongside Dan as Danny, we have Sandy who was played by Laura Jayne Fenny. This is my third time seeing a production of Grease and every time I do think that the reveal of Sandy’s new persona should be a much bigger moment instead of a normal entrance. Laura’s performance of “Hopelessly Devoted To You” was absolutely insane! The two-character work together a lot and Laura and Dan’s voice sounded beautiful when performed alongside each other!

As you would expect the high-energy dance number “Grease Lightening” was an absolute spectacle to watch with energetic choreography, a car and strangely a sort of tap section on dust bins. I can guarantee that if you play this song at any party then people will bust out the classic arm based choreography which actually did not exactly make an appearance in this production!

I liked the inclusion of Peter Andre as both the teen angel and Vince Fontaine with the latter taking up the majority of his time on stage. As Vince, Peter was wonderfully camp and Elvis inspired that was incredibly entertaining throughout where even he was not the focus of the scene I found myself focusing on him. I was absolutely amazed to watch Peter (aged forty-eight) pull out incredible jazz splits which were then made into a joke with the cast members helping him back up after this incredible stunt! The scene as the Teen Angel allowed Peter to showcase his vocal abilities where he was a lot better than I expected! I thought that the pairing of Josh Barnett as Roger and Maeve Byrne as Jan worked fantastically together. Their rendition of “Mooning” was fantastically funny with both performers giving everything into this comedic number.

There has been a lot of discussion in many of the theatre-related social media pages about the lack of theatre etiquette since returning. While there are some things that are generally unacceptable such as talking during the show, answering phone calls or recording production but there is one controversial issue that is always coming up. People seem to get very annoyed by audience members who sing along during musicals and I have a bit of a strange opinion on this. I personally love a sing-song and can’t help it when one of my favourite songs is being performed! Despite this, I always keep in mind that the people around me, may not enjoy my singing so I keep it as quiet as possible. While watching the brand new production of probably one of the most well-known movies/musicals Grease I noticed that a lot of people were singing along which usually isn’t a problem. They all seemed to known the words which is great but the issue was that they didn’t seem to get either pitch or timings. People were shouting out the wrong lyrics at the wrong time or worst of all-singing during breaks in the music which caused the audience to laugh which must have been very distracting for the performers on stage. I totally understand that the majority of people know the songs from Grease inside out but it’s incredibly frustrating when the focus is taken off the actors who are literally paid to put on a show. Also, there is a mega-mix at the end of the show where everyone is encouraged to get up and dance with all their hearts out so the audience should keep participating to mostly this point! On a much more positive note a quick thank you needs to go to Wales Millennium Centre who had done everything within their power to rearrange a booking to see Grease after the shows earlier in the week were cancelled due to cast change/illness!

Overall, Grease is a musical that showcases the endurance of its ensemble members while showcasing the vocal abilities of many of the key characters. I was pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of icon Peter Andre where he showcase his singing abilities and surprising dancing skills where it was clear that he was also having a great time performing! I love any musical that contains a mega-mix at the end of the show which should be the only opportunity for the audience to get involved.

Grand Opera House York – until Friday 3rd December

Review by Zoe Giles

5*****

Elf the Musical is brought to us here in York by the producer who brought us SHREK, The Sound of Music, Ghost and many more West end and Broadway productions NiK Briggs and York stage Ltd is the director. Based on the classic festive favourite film Elf staring Will Ferrell, Elf is the story of an orphan baby who unwittingly sneaks into Santa’s bag one Christmas and gets taken back to the north pole where unaware he is actually a human Buddy is cared for and raised by Santa and the elves. As Buddy continues to grow to an enormous size and his complete inability to work and produce toys to the same quantity or quality of the elves he has to face the truth that he is actually a human, with Santa’s blessing Buddy sets of on the adventure of a life time to New York City to find his birth father and remind him of what Christmas really means and relight his Christmas spirit.

The set designers have obviously put a lot of thought into how to create a winter wonderland and in doing so have created a giant snowball giving the effect that the performers are inside a beautiful snow globe and although the props and set may not be wild or as elaborate as some other shows they certainly set the mood for each section of the story , costume design was incredible so much thought and effort had gone into them especially the “little elves”, along with music from Tony award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with book by Tony Award Winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone)

Damien Poole with his wealth of stage musicals and back ground is totally believable as the lovable elf Buddy, having previously worked for over ten years in the West end in shows such as Grease, Shrek the Musical and Groundhog Day, his energy, movement, comedy and mannerism’s and of course vocals, will keep the audience engaged throughout this stage production.

Very clever and subtle adult and topical humour also pops up from time to time to keep slightly more mature members of the audience engaged and belly laughing as well as the usual Buddy the elf antics and funny moments we have all grown to love from the movie which are cleverly incorporated onto the stage.

The cast are all amazing and have wonderful stage awareness, the way in which they used all of their bodies to implement different movement, dancing, delivery of lines and of course singing, special mention to the young actor playing Buddy’s younger brother Michael who had an outstanding voice defiantly a future west end star in the making. Praise must go to all those behind the scenes such as make up, hair, sound and light technician’s and I’m sure a thousand and one other people who help to make this show truly magical and a great experience for everyone to enjoy.

If you are a fan of the movie Elf you must go and see this magical musical as it is suitable for the whole family to enjoy together it really does get you into the Christmas mood and fill you with Christmas Spirit.

As the National Theatre celebrates one year of its 
on-demand streaming platform National Theatre at Home, it adds 6 new productions including acclaimed Antony & Cleopatra and War Horse in time for Christmas 

• Available today is Antony & Cleopatra with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo
• War Horse will be on the platform for worldwide audiences for the first time, to watch anytime anywhere from 1 December.
• East is East, Hedda Gabler, Saloméand 50 Years on Stage coming soon
   

Ahead of National Theatre at Home’s one year anniversary on 1 December, the National Theatre has today announced the next filmed productions to be added to the streaming service, which is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

Joining the platform today is Simon Godwin’s critically acclaimed 2018 production of Antony & Cleopatra in the Olivier theatre, with Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo playing Shakespeare’s famous fated couple. Then the iconic and multi-award-winning production of War Horse, based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo, will be available from 1 December until 31 January 2022 on demand internationally for the first time since its premiere 14 years ago. It will be available with British Sign Language, audio description and captions.

Coming soon to the platform will be the recent Birmingham Rep co-production of East is East in the Lyttelton theatre following the much-loved film; Yaël Farber’s 2017 play Salomé; Ivo van Hove’s production of Hedda Gabler with Ruth Wilson and Rafe Spall and 50 Years on Stage – a filmed on-stage celebration of 50 years of the NT from 2013 which features Britain’s greatest actors including Dame Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi, Simon Russell Beale, Dame Helen Mirren, Benedict Cumberbatch, Adrian Lester among many more.

Over the last year, new productions have been added each month and there are now 41 productions available to stream on the platform, including newly filmed shows from the NT’s stages and classics from the archives. It has been nearly a year since the platform launched and, in that time, National Theatre at Home has been streamed in 130 countries for over 17 million minutes and gifted 7,300 times.

Available to watch online anywhere in the world at any time, all productions are available with captions and 23 have audio description.

Emma Keith, Director of Digital Media for the National Theatre, said: “We are delighted and proud to be celebrating a whole year of our on-demand international streaming platform National Theatre at Home. It has been an honour to provide audiences with some of these much-loved titles from National Theatre Live and our Archive and to see the audience responses. We’ve heard from audiences who are sharing the experience with loved ones in separate homes or countries, or those who have gathered together in person. Some audiences returning to a forgotten favourite they watched live or in the cinema, some discovering productions afresh. In a year we have managed to make over 41 productions available and look forward to working with our creative teams, co-producers and casts to keep building the library even further. There are lots of exciting titles still to come this Christmas and into the new year!”

Jemma Read, Global Head of Corporate Philanthropy at Bloomberg L.P, said: “At Bloomberg, we believe in the power of art and performance to inspire creativity and spark collaboration. We’re immensely proud that through our partnership with the NT on National Theatre at Home, communities across the globe are able to access world-leading productions and can deepen their engagement through the National Theatre guide on the Bloomberg Connects app.”

National Theatre at Home is available now at ntathome.com, with single titles available from £5.99 – £8.99, a monthly subscription for £9.99 or a yearly subscription for £99.99.  

Gift subscriptions are available for anything between 1 month and 12 months. 

National Theatre at Home is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies.  

National Theatre at Home is also supported by The Linbury Trust.

#NationalTheatreatHome   

Antony & Cleopatra

Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo play Shakespeare’s famous fated couple in his great tragedy of politics, passion and power. Directed by Simon Godwin (Romeo & Juliet, Hansard).

Caesar and his assassins are dead. General Mark Antony now rules alongside his fellow defenders of Rome. But at the fringes of war-torn empire the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra and Mark Antony have fallen fiercely in love. In a tragic fight between devotion and duty, obsession becomes a catalyst for war.

Directed by Simon Godwin, set design by Hildegard Bechtler, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Tim Lutkin, music by Michael Bruce, movement direction by Johnathan Goddard and Shelley Maxwell, sound design by Christopher Shutt, video design by Luke Halls and fight direction by Kev McCurdy.

With Ralph Fiennes as Antony and Sophie Okonedo as Cleopatra, the cast also includes Tunji Kasim, Katy Stephens, Fisayo Akinade, Gloria Obianyo, Georgia Landers, Hiba Elchikhe, Tim McMullan, Ben Wiggins, Shazia Nicholls, Nicholas Le Prevost, Sam Woolf, Sargon Yelda, Gerald Gyimah, Waleed Hammad, Nick Sampson, Hannah Morrish, Alan Turkington, Alexander Cobb, Henry Everett, Samuel Arnold and Catherine Deevy.

Filmed by National Theatre Live, a production from the National Theatre.

Available at least until 26 November 2022.

War Horse  

The winner of more than 25 international awards, including the Tony Award for Best Play on Broadway, War Horse, which has been seen by eight million people worldwide, is directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris. Nick Stafford’s adaptation of Michael Morpurgo’s remarkable story of courage, loyalty and friendship tells the story of a young boy called Albert and his horse Joey, set against the backdrop of the First World War. This powerfully moving and imaginative drama is a show of phenomenal inventiveness, filled with stirring music and songs, featuring ground-breaking puppetry work by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, which brings breathing, galloping horses to life on stage. At the outbreak of World War One, Albert’s beloved horse, Joey, is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France. Though still not old enough to enlist he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. 

War Horse is designed by Rae Smith, with puppet direction, design and fabrication by Basil Jones and Adrian Kohler for Handspring Puppet Company, lighting by Paule Constable, and movement and horse choreography by Toby Sedgwick, with video design by Leo Warner and Mark Grimmer for 59 Productions, songmaker John Tams, music by Adrian Sutton and sound by Christopher Shutt.   

Filmed by National Theatre Live, a production from the National Theatre.

Available from 1 December 2021 until 31 January 2022.

Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage
announces West End run and
celebrates 35th anniversary of iconic film
Dominion Theatre, London
Wednesday 2nd February – Saturday 16th April 2022

Producer Karl Sydow is delighted to announce the West End return of a dazzlingly renewed version of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage, following a sell-out 2021 UK and Ireland tour. The iconic story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs ‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, returns to London following two blockbuster West End runs, four hit UK tours, and multiple sensational international productions.

Dirty Dancing is back! Exploding with heart-pounding music, breath-taking emotion and sensationally sexy dancing, see the hit film come to life before your eyes with this fantastic, emotional and triumphant live stage show

Seen by millions across the globe, this worldwide smash tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives.

Producer Karl Sydow said, We can’t wait to bring this amazing show back to the West End, after dazzling audiences across the UK and Ireland. Now more than ever, theatre needs the excitement and joy that Dirty Dancing brings – you’ll have the time of your life!

Featuring the original 1987 script by Eleanor Bergstein and directed by Federico Bellone (West Side Story, Milan; Sunset Boulevard, Milan), the creative team are completed by lighting designer Valerio Tiberi (Ghost the Musical, Italian national tour), sound designer Armando Vertullo (Jersey Boys, Italian national tour), supervising musical director Richard John (Legally Blonde, Savoy Theatre; Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Savoy Theatre), choreographer Austin Wilks (Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, Piccadilly Theatre) and costume designer Jennifer Irwin (Royal New Zealand Ballet, Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games).

THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL, ADAPTED FOR THE STAGE, TO TOUR THE UK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2022

PRIOR TO THE WEST END

Deborah Moggach’s feel-good tale of love, adventure and starting-over, makes its stage debut next year, directed by Lucy Bailey.

Simon Friend Entertainment is today delighted to announce that a brand-new stage adaptation of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is set to be a major new theatre production. Written by Deborah Moggach, adapted from her bestselling novel which inspired the BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated film, and directed by Lucy Bailey, the cherished story will be brought to life on stage when it opens at the Richmond Theatre on Tuesday, 30^th August 2022.

The tour then visits Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield; Theatre Royal, Brighton; Theatre Royal, Glasgow; Theatre Royal, Newcastle; Hall for Cornwall, Truro; Churchill Theatre, Bromley; Theatre Royal, Norwich; Curve, Leicester; The Lowry, Salford and the New Victoria Theatre, Woking before concluding at Theatre Royal, Bath next December. Further dates in 2023 are to be announced.

Based on the Sunday Times bestseller which inspired one of this century’s most treasured films, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel takes us on a journey to India with an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life. The luxury residence is far from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in unexpected and life-changing ways.

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a joyous, feel-good comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances, even in the most surprising of places.

Based on Deborah Moggach’s 2004 novel These Foolish Things, the film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (directed by John Madden) saw its UK theatrical release in 2012. Within two weeks of its cinematic distribution, the film had topped the UK Box Office and went on to become a hit internationally performing as one of the highest-grossing films of 2012 in Australia and New Zealand as well as the United Kingdom.

The interlinked stories of the film’s stellar ensemble, which included Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Penelope Wilson, Tom Wilkinson, Celie Imrie and Ronald Pickup – with Dev Patel as the put-upon owner of a past-it-best hotel for ‘the elderly and beautiful’ – shone a light on issues such as the outsourcing of care and NHS treatments, the complexity of family relationships around the world, love, compassion and companionship in our twilight years.

Deborah Moggach says of today’s announcement:

“I’m so thrilled that my characters are stepping into a new life on the stage. They’ve been waiting impatiently for the curtain to rise, and none of them is getting any younger. So welcome again to the Marigold Hotel! We’re assembling an amazing cast, so I hope they bring you plenty of laughs and some warm sparks of recognition.”

Producer Simon Friend continues:

“I have been a huge fan of Deborah Moggach’s writing for years, so it’s an honour to work with her on this exciting new adaptation of her beloved story, which I feel has always called out to be experienced as live theatre.“

Deborah Moggach has written 20 novels including These Foolish Things which became The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, directed by John Madden. Deborah’s screenplay for the 2005 Working Title movie of Pride and Prejudice, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew McFadyen, was nominated for a BAFTA. Adaptations of other writers’ work include Nancy Mitford’s Love in a Cold Climate, The Diary of Anne Frank and Anne Fine’s Goggle-Eyes, which won the Writers’ Guild Award for Best Adapted TV Serial. The movie, Tulip Fever, based on her novel of the same name starred Christoph Waltz and Judi Dench. Deborah has adapted some of her other novels for television: Seesaw, Close Relations, Stolen and Final Demand. Double Take, Deborah’s first original stage play was produced at the Minerva Theatre, Chichester. 

Lucy Bailey directs the new production.Lucy studied English at Oxford University where she directed the world premiere of Lessness by Samuel Beckett. Recent productions include: David Mamet’s Oleanna (UK Tour & West End); Gaslight (UK Tour); Witness for the Prosecution (London’s County Hall); Ghosts (Royal & Derngate, Northampton); Switzerland (Bath Ustinov / West End); Cave (a site specific opera for London Sinfonietta and Royal Opera House, at the Print Works, London); Comus, A Masque in Honour of Chastity (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, Globe); Kenny Morgan (Arcola, London).

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is produced by Simon Friend.

Full casting to be announced.

Get ready for the journey of a lifetime.

www.marigoldshow.com 

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – 2022 Tour Dates

Tue 30 Aug – Sat 10 Sept  Box Office: 03330 096 690

Richmond Theatre, Richmond  www.atgtickets.com/venues/richmond-theatre

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Tue 13 – Sat 17 Sept   Box Office: 0114 249 6000

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield   www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Tue 20 – Sat 24 Sept   Box Office: 0844 871 7650

Theatre Royal, Brighton   www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Tue 27 Sept – Sat 1 Oct   Box Office: 0844 8717647

Theatre Royal, Glasgow  www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-glasgow

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Tue 4 – Sat 8 Oct   Box Office: 08448 11 21 21 

Theatre Royal, Newcastle  www.theatreroyal.co.uk 

Tue 11 – Sat 5 Oct   Box Office: 01872 262 466

Hall for Cornwall   www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

On sale soon

Tue 18 – Sat 22 Oct   Box Office: 0343 310 0020

Churchill Theatre, Bromley  www.churchilltheatre.co.uk

Tue 25 – Sat 29 Oct   Box Office: 01603 630 000     

Theatre Royal, Norwich   www.norwichtheatre.org

Tue 1 Oct – Sat 5 Nov   Box Office: 0116 242 3595

Curve, Leicester    www.curveonline.co.uk

On sale soon

Tue 8 – Sat 12 Nov   Box Office: 0343 208 6000

The Lowry, Salford   www.thelowry.com

Tue 15 – Sat 19 Nov   Box Office: 0333 009 6690 

New Victoria Theatre, Woking  www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

On sale to members Mon 29 Nov, general on sale Tue 30 Nov

Mon 28 Nov – Sat 3 Dec   Box Office: 01225 448 844

Theatre Royal, Bath   www.theatreroyal.org.uk

On sale soon

THE SNOWMAN

RECORD BREAKING CHRISTMAS SHOW RETURNS

Birmingham Rep is delighted to welcome back to its stage the enchanting production of The Snowman running for a limited season from Thursday 6 – Sunday 9 January 2022.

‘Irresistible piece of nostalgia’ ★★★★ Sunday Express

The much-loved magical, live stage show, created at The REP in 1993, tells the story of a young boy’s adventures when his snowman comes miraculously to life on Christmas Eve. Featuring a dazzling array of colourful characters including dancing penguins, a beautiful snow princess, wicked Jack Frost and of course, Father Christmas himself, The Snowman is a treat for all the family and a perfect introduction to theatre and dance for the very young.

The production, which features the music of Howard Blake who wrote the show’s additional music whilst backstage at the theatre, is the longest running Christmas show in English theatre history and has delighted audiences of all ages for over 25 years.

‘Sheer theatrical magic. Go see The Snowman and melt’ The Times

This enchanting production features a total of 60 stunning costumes made by hand by The Rep’s wardrobe department with each of the 11 snowman costumes taking 1 week to make from more than 11 miles of white net.

Inspired by the film directed by Dianne Jackson and produced by John Coates, The Rep’s production of The Snowman features virtuoso choreography by Robert North, direction by Bill Alexander, design by Ruari Murchison, lighting by Tim Mitchell and unforgettable music and lyrics by Howard Blake – including the timeless ‘Walking in the Air’.

The Snowman runs from Thursday 6 – Sunday 9 January 2022.  Tickets start from £16.50 and can be booked online www.birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/

Schools Performances: Thursday 6 January and Friday 7 January. Relaxed performance Saturday 8 January. Audio Described Performance Sunday 9 January.

‘The Rolls-Royce of children’s entertainment’ Evening Standard

In line with current Government regulations, The Rep is now open to full capacity, but we continue to take a number of carefully managed steps and precautions to help audiences feel safe and enjoy their chosen performance. The wearing of masks is encouraged throughout the building and additional cleaning will continue.

Digital Theatre+ partners with Sonia Friedman Productions to Provide Education Platform for Uncle Vanya 

From Thursday 25^th November, Schools, universities, and educational institutions all over the world will be able to see Conor McPherson’s stunning adaptation of Chekov’s masterpiece Uncle Vanya thanks to a partnership with producers Sonia Friedman Productions and Digital Theatre+, Digital Theatre’s education platform. 

The original run of Sonia Friedman Production’s sold-out stage production of Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the midst of the first lockdown Sonia Friedman Productions and Angelica Films, in association with BBC Arts, commissioned a film of the stage production, which received critical acclaim and went onto win the Theatre Award at the South Bank Sky Arts Awards 2021.

Now this award-winning filmwill be made available alongside a suite of educational resources produced by Digital Theatre+ designed to support teachers and educators in inspiring and engaging students studying the play. 

The collaboration between Digital Theatre + and Sonia Friedman Productions follows earlier successful collaborations on Funny Girl (with Sky) and Ghosts (with the Almeida) and is among a number of partnerships Digital Theatre+ has with theatres and producers worldwide to capture and share original content with the education sector. Educational support packages are tailored to fit each production and can include including biographies, documentaries, essays, lectures, workshops, study guides, and interviews alongside other learning aids. 

The two-hour film of Uncle Vanya is directed by Olivier Award-nominated Ian Rickson and features a superlative cast including Toby Jones, Richard Armitage, Rosalind Eleazar, Aimee Lou Wood, Anna Calder-Marshall, Dearbhla Molloy, Peter Wight and Roger Allam, and is directed for screen by Ross MacGibbon.

Sonia Friedman said: “One of the most important roles of a producer is to develop audiences of the future and to do everything possible to make theatre accessible for all. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously at Sonia Friedman Productions, and something we seek to promote across all our work. As such, we’re thrilled to partner with Digital Theatre Plus to make our award-winning production of Uncle Vanya available to students across the UK. 

The original run of Ian Rickson’s critically acclaimed, sold out, truly mesmeric production was cut short in March 2020 due to the pandemic. In a new version by Conor McPherson, this production had such a profound impact on audiences, that once we realised it would be impossible to bring the company back together to complete our run, we knew we had to find a way to preserve this work. So, together with our partners at Angelica Films and the BBC we were able, in the midst of strict lockdown, to produce a film of this work specifically for cinema and television.

In the empty Harold Pinter Theatre in July 2020, we were the first company to reunite to create and commit work to film. The production lost none of its beauty and power on screen, with Ross MacGibbon’s screen direction enabling Ian’s and my vision so perfectly. It was such a moment of hope in a very bleak time for the theatre industry, and I believe set a new standard for filmed theatre.”

Ian Rickson, director of the celebrated work said ‘I am delighted that Digital Theatre are able to share ‘Uncle Vanya’ on its education platform. It’s one of the great plays, which speaks to every generation in a deeply profound way. Its concerns about inheritance, equality and the environment feel so contemporary, and the performances are richly alive.’

Neelay Patel, CEO of Digital Theatre+ said “We are delighted that Digital Theatre+ will provide access to this powerful new adaptation of Uncle Vanya to students around the world. Chekhov is a key playwright on many global curricula, and Conor McPherson’s adaptation of this seminal play will be an important addition to our educational platform.”.

Digital Theatre+ is a global educational platform focused on the teaching of English and Performing Arts. The company works with all levels of education from age 11 up to Higher Education. Digital Theatre+ partners with the theatre industry, sharing captured and original content globally with educators and students from companies such as Frantic Assembly, Royal Shakespeare Company, Gecko, Complicite and the Lincoln Centre. DT+ works with theatre professionals to support their commitment to education, and to help instil a passion for theatre in young people that will help create the theatre goers of tomorrow.

ORANGE TREE THEATRE ANNOUNCES FURTHER PROGRAMMING FOR THE RECOVERY SEASON WITH NEW PROGRAMMING UNTIL AUGUST 2022 AS PART OF ITS 50^th ANNIVERSARY YEAR

With the return of Terence Rattigan’s While The Sun Shines currently running at the Orange Tree Theatre, Artistic Director Paul Miller and Executive Director Hanna Streeter today announce further programming for The Recovery Season.In celebration of the theatre’s 50^th Anniversary Year from 31 December 2021, the Museum of Richmond will host an exhibition OT:50 50 Years of the Orange Tree, to honour the anniversary, which opens on 15 December 2021 and runs until 31 August 2022.

The season opens with the world première of Sonali Bhattacharyya’s Two Billion Beats directed by Nimmo Ismail, followed by Franz Xaver Kroetz’s Tom Fooldirected by Diyan Zora. Oscar Toeman directs the UK première of Pamela Carter’s The Misfortune of the English;and completing the season, Miller directs the first major revival of Martin Crimp’s translation of The False Servant by Pierre Marivaux. Each production will be available to watch livestreamed or on-demand thanks to the continuation of OT On Screen, allowing greater access for audiences far and wide to connect with the OT digitally.

Paul Miller says today “The next stage of our Recovery Season sees a classic OT mix of new plays, emerging artists, internationalism, a European classic and a new Community Festival. We are all reconnecting with society and seeing the world from new perspectives, and in our 50th anniversary year, this season at the OT aims to further this process, as we continue to reconnect with our audiences and the artists who make theatre happen. The great Recovery continues!”

Following the success of its run at the OT, Michele Lee’s Rice – in co-production with Actors Touring Company and in association with Theatre Royal Plymouth, will embark on a UK tour. With direction from ATC Artistic Director Matthew Xia, the production opens at The Drum Theatre on 4 February before touring to Oxford, Scarborough, Sheffield, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and culminating in York.

The OT Community programme continues its work offering theatre classes across a range of age groups from babies to over 60s, bringing people together, building confidence and providing an opportunity to have fun, learn and create work together. OT Community will present Play On: A Midsummer Night’s Dream, for primary and secondary schools. The OT’s Community groups will come together in August 2022 for performances in a Community Festival.

WORLD PREMIÈRE

TWO BILLION BEATS
by Sonali Bhattacharyya

Directed by Nimmo Ismail

5 February – 5 March

OT On Screen: Thursday 24 February at 7.30pm

Seventeen-year-old Asha is an emphatic rebel, unafraid of pointing out the hypocrisy around her but less sure how to actually dismantle it. Her younger sister, Bettina, wide-eyed and naïve, is just trying to get through the school day without getting her pocket money nicked. Between essays, homework, and bus journeys home the two sisters meet outside the school gates each afternoon, smarting at the injustice of the world around them.

Bouncing with wit, Sonali Bhattacharyya’s mesmerising new play is an insightful, moving and tremendously funny coming-of-age story about the unfairness of growing up in a world where you don’t make the rules.

Originally presented as a short play as part of the OT’s Inside/Outside livestreams in 2021 the play has been further developed into a full-scale production.

Sonali Bhattacharyya was 2018 Channel 4 writer in residence at the Orange Tree, where she wrote Chasing Hares, winning the Sonia Friedman Production Award and Theatre Uncut Political Playwriting Award. Her credits include Megaball (National Theatre Learning), Slummers (Cardboard Citizens/Bunker Theatre), 2066 (Almeida Theatre), The Invisible Boy (Kiln Theatre) and White Open Spaces (Pentabus Theatre).

Nimmo Ismail’s work includes Glee & Me, The Christmas Star (Royal Exchange Theatre), Fragments, My England (Young Vic), and SNAP (The Old Vic).

TOM FOOL
by Franz Xaver Kroetz

Directed by Diyan Zora

12 March – 16 April

OT On Screen: 7 April at 7.30pm

“I’d like to climb out of my skin, if I could.”

Every night Martha listens to the minute details of husband Otto’s day at the factory. He’s a man with big dreams, stuck in a job where he feels like a cog in the machine. Their teenage son Ludwig just wishes he had a job, or at least his own space, far far away from his parents.

They are each frustrated with a life they can’t seem to escape.

When money goes missing, a family on the brink hurtles over the edge, and Martha has to decide whether she will stay to pick up the pieces.

A dark and unnervingly funny play about how capitalism creeps into the minutiae of one family’s life, just at the moment women started to change the rules of the game.

Franz Xaver Kroetz is an author, playwright, actor and director and Germany’s most frequently performed playwright. He has written over 60 plays including The Nest, Through the Leaves, Game Crossing, Michi’s Blood, Persistent, Men’s Business, Farmyard, Global Interest, Upper Austria, Dear Fritz, Neither Fish Nor Flesh, Munich Child and Request Concert.

Diyan Zora was the 2021 winner of the Genesis Future Directors Award and directed Klippies (Young Vic). Other theatre credits include Othello (Barons Court Theatre); and as an associate director, her work includes Faith, Hope and Charity and Love (National Theatre).

UK PREMIÈRE

THE MISFORTUNE OF THE ENGLISH

by Pamela Carter

Directed by Oscar Toeman

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.

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.

THE FALSE SERVANT

by Pierre Marivaux,translated by Martin Crimp

Directed by Paul Miller; Designed by Simon Daw; Lighting Design by Mark Doubleday;

Composer and Sound Design by Elizabeth Purnell

8 June – 23 July

OT On Screen: Thursday 7 July at 7.30pm

When a man thinks he can cynically take a rich woman’s money and then run off with an even more lucrative potential fiancée, he’d best not tell the fiancée by mistake.

Le Chevalier, a woman disguised as the son of an aristocrat, embarks on a plan that will expose the dark heart of this male power-play.

Martin Crimp’s previous work for the Orange Tree includes the world première of Play House and a revival of Definitely the Bahamas. His other plays include When We Have Sufficiently Tortured Each Other, Men Asleep, The Rest Will Be Familiar To You From Cinema, In The Republic of Happiness, The City, Fewer Emergencies, Cruel and Tender, Face to the Wall, The Country, Attempts on Her Life, The Treatment, Getting Attention, No One Sees The Video, Play with Repeats, and Dealing with Clair. His work translating plays includes Gross und Klein, Rhinoceros, The Triumph of Love, The Maid’s, The Chairs, Roberto Zucco, and adaptations of Cyrano de Bergerac and The Misanthrope. His work has been produced in the UK by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre, Almeida, Young Vic, Barbican, Complicité, and the Royal Court Theatre, and he was the 2020 winner of the Nyssen-Bansemer Theatre Prize.

Paul Miller directs. As Artistic Director of the Orange Tree, he has directed While The Sun Shines, French Without Tears (also UK tour with ETT), How He Lied to Her Husband, Overruled, Candida, Losing Venice, Humble Boy, Misalliance, The Philanderer, Widower’s Houses, Poison, Lottery of Love, Sheppey, Each His Own Wilderness and The Widowing of Mrs Holroyd. He was previously Associate Director at Sheffield Theatres, where his work included Wonderful Tennessee, The Winter’s Tale, The Daughter-in-Law, Democracy, Hamlet and True West. For the National Theatre, he directed The History Boys (West End revival and UK tour), Baby Girl, DNA, The Miracle, The Enchantment, Sing Yer Heart Out for The Lads and The Associate.

Orange Tree Theatre

Listings

1 Clarence Street, Richmond, TW9 2SA

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

orangetreetheatre.co.uk

ABOUT THE ORANGE TREE THEATRE

The Orange Tree (OT) is an award-winning, independent theatre. Recognised as a powerhouse that creates high-quality productions of new and rediscovered plays, it entertains 70,000 people across the UK every year. In May 2021 the OT reopened with its Recovery Season. As an independent theatre and registered charity that relies on ticket income, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to pose significant risk to the OT. To support the theatre’s return to a producing powerhouse at this time, it is raising funds through its Recovery Fund.

The OT’s home in Richmond, South West London, is an intimate theatre with the audience seated all around the stage: watching a performance here is truly a unique experience. We believe in the power of dramatic stories to entertain, thrill and challenge us; plays that enrich our lives by enhancing our understanding of ourselves and each other.

As a registered charity (266128) sitting at the heart of its community, we work with 10,000 people in Richmond and beyond through participatory theatre projects for people of all ages and abilities. The Orange Tree Theatre’s mission is to enable audiences to experience the next generation of theatre talent, experiment with ground-breaking new drama and explore the plays from the past that inspire the theatre-makers of the present. 

Artistic Director Paul Miller   

Executive Director Hanna Streeter

Website orangetreetheatre.co.uk | Email [email protected]

Twitter @OrangeTreeThtr | Facebook/Instagram OrangeTreeTheatre

SEE IT SAFELY

We have been granted the use of Society of London Theatre & UK Theatre’s See It Safely mark. The mark certifies that we are complying with the latest Government and industry COVID-19 guidelines, to ensure the safety of our staff and audiences. You can find out more here https://orangetreetheatre.co.uk/covid-19-safety about the measures put in place ready for your visit, and what you will need to know beforehand.

SEASON AT A GLANCE

WHILE THE SUN SHINES

Until 15 January 2022 

Mon – Sat 7.30pm (except 24 Nov at 7pm)
Thu & Sat 2.30pm (from 27 Nov)
Additional matinees 24 & 31 Dec at 2.30pm
No performances 25, 27 Dec & 3 Jan
Audio Described performance: Sat 18 Dec 2.30pm
Captioned performance: Tue 14 Dec 7.30pm

PINOCCHIO

14 December – 31 December

Mon – Sat 10am (excluding 25 December)

Tickets from £1, £10, £12, £16

TWO BILLION BEATS

5 February – 5 March 2022

Tue – Sat at 7.30pm (except 9 Feb at 7pm)

Thu & Sat at 2.30pm (from 12 Feb)

Also Mon 7 Feb at 7.30pm

Captioned Performance: Tue 1 March 7.30pm

Audio Described performance: Thu 3 March 7.30pm

OT On Screen:

Livestream: Thu 24 Feb 7.30pm

On Demand: Tue 8 – Fri 11 March

TOM FOOL

12 March – 16 April

Tue – Sat at 7.30pm (except 16 March at 7pm)

Thu & Sat at 2.30pm (from 19 March)

Also Mon 14 March at 7.30pm

Captioned Performance: Tue 5 April 7.30pm

Audio Described performance: Tue 12 April 7.30pm

OT On Screen:

Livestream: Thu 7 April 7.30pm

THE MISFORTUNE OF THE ENGLISH

25 April – 28 May

Tue – Sat at 7.30pm (except 28 April at 7pm)

Thu & Sat at 2.30pm (from 30 April)

Also Mon 25 April at 7.30pm

Captioned Performance: Tue 17 May 7.30pm

Audio Described performance: Thu 19 May 7.30pm

OT On Screen:

Livestream: Thu 12 May 7.30pm

On demand: Tue 31 May – Fri 3 June

THE FALSE SERVANT

8 June – 23 July

Tue – Sat at 7.30pm (except 13 June at 7pm)

Tue, Thu & Sat at 2.30pm (from 16 June)

Captioned Performance: Tue 12 July 7.30pm

Audio Described performance: Thu 14 July 7.30pm

OT On Screen:

Livestream: Thu 7 July 7.30pm

On demand: Tue 26 – Fri 29 July

OT ELSEWHERE

RICE

The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth

4 – 12 February

Box Office: www.theatreroyal.com/venue/the-drum 

North Wall, Oxford

18-19 February

Box Office: www.thenorthwall.com

Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough

4-5 March

Box Office: www.sjt.uk.com

Crucible Studio Theatre, Sheffield

7-9 March

Box Office: www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/whats-on/studio-theatre

Unity Theatre, Liverpool

17-19 March

Box Office: www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk

HOME, Manchester

29-30 March

Box Office: www.homemcr.org

Northern Stage, Newcastle

1-2 April

Box Office: www.northernstage.co.uk

York Theatre Royal

13-14 April

Box Office: www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

Blockbuster new season announced for Birmingham Hippodrome including the return of Jason Donovan in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

• Following his pantomime debut in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Jason Donovan returns to Birmingham Hippodrome in April in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

• New shows announced for 2022 include Akram Khan’s Jungle Book, Mischief’s Magic Goes Wrong, a new production of the award-winning West End and Broadway hit Beautiful – the Carole King Musical, and the return of panto in 2022 with Dick Whittington

• The new season also sees the arrival of much awaited blockbuster musicals including Mamma Mia!, We Will Rock You and Les Misérables

Birmingham Hippodrome have announced Jason Donovan will return to the Hippodrome stage as the Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (5-16 Apr) following his panto debut in Goldilocks and the Three Bears this Christmas.

The smash hit London Palladium production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoatwill run at Birmingham Hippodrome for just two weeks only in April. Joining Jason will be Alexandra Burke as The Narrator and previous Hippodrome panto star Jac Yarrow as Joseph.

Newly announced productions for 2022 include Akram Khan’s Jungle Book Reimagined (29-30 Apr), a brand new dance show based on the original story by Rudyard Kipling. After a triumphant run of The Play That Goes Wrong in October, Mischief return to the Hippodrome in May with Magic Goes Wrong (24-29 May), their biggest comedy catastrophe to date, created with magic legends, Penn & Teller. A new production of the award winning West End and Broadway show Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, (30 Aug – 3 Sep) will hit the Hippodrome stage in summer, telling the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom.

The Hippodrome have also announced the return of Birmingham favourite Matt Slack in 2022’s pantomime Dick Whittington (17 Dec 2022 – 29 Jan 2023), marking Matt’s ninth year of panto in Birmingham.

Previously announced highlights include Matthew Bourne’s reimagined Nutcracker! (8-12 Feb) which will burst onto stage with delicious new surprises and family-sized helpings of Bourne’s trademark wit and magical fantasy. The most enchanted musical of all time, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, (3-26 Mar) returns to the Hippodrome in March with a spectacularly reimagined production.

The new season sees the arrival of the much-awaited musicals which were rescheduled from 2020, including the timeless favourite Mamma Mia! (3-14 May), London’s smash hit musical comedy Waitress (16-21 May), We Will Rock You (4-30 July) with an extra two weeks added due to phenomenal demand and Les Misérables (9-27 Aug), returning to Birmingham after a sell-out run in 2019.

The new season also features a line up of comedy legends including Jack Dee (5 Feb), Stewart Lee (13 Feb), Russell Kane (12 June) and Rob Beckett (14 June).

Birmingham Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio will be hosting a season of family favourites, including the magical Dear Santa (15 – 24 Dec), a charming festive family show which is the perfect introduction to theatre for children age 2+. In the spring, families can enjoy the stage adaption of Rod Campbell’s much loved book Dear Zoo (8-10 Apr) and Oi Frog & Friends!, (21-29 May)the Olivier Award nominated action-packed stage adaptation of Kes Gray and Jim Field’s bestselling books.

2022 in the Patrick Studio will also see the return of Unislam, (18 – 20 Mar),featuring performances from some of the UK and Ireland’s most exciting spoken word poets and Verve Festival of Poetry and Spoken Word (16-20 Feb), which is now celebrating its fifth year.

Chilina Madon, Director of Audiences and Communications at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We have had a very special autumn here at the Hippodrome, welcoming back over a hundred thousand visitors in just over three months.

Our wonderful audiences have provided us with so much support and love while we were closed, and we can’t wait for them to finally experience our rescheduled productions that they have waited so patiently for, along with some absolutely stunning new shows.”

Chilina added: “The safety of our staff and audiences will continue to remain a top priority in 2022 and we urge ticket buyers to check our website and their pre-visit emails for the latest guidance of what to expect when visiting Birmingham Hippodrome.”  

Tickets for all shows can be booked at www.birminghamhippodrome.com or by calling 0844 338 5000*

Tickets are on sale to Friends of Birmingham Hippodrome today (Thursday 25 November) and on general sale on Monday 29 November at 11am.

 *0844 calls will cost you 4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge.

Alphabetti Theatre Newcastle – until 11th December 2021

Reviewed by Sandra Little

4****

This play is a one woman comedy drama set in Penrith, Cumbria. It is written and performed by Hannah Sowerby who plays 19 year old Jodie. We learn that most of Jodie’s friends have left Penrith to go to uni and she finds herself living a dreary life with her elderly nana and shelf stacking at Sainsbury’s!

Jodie is not at all happy with her life and struggles to think of 10 things to do in Penrith! She tells us that she lives above a kebab shop and not “a grand Manor House by the side of a lake.”

Jodie finds herself questioning her sexuality and is often attracted to other women, however the only woman available in Penrith is her friend’s mam. This meeting does not go well but is probably one of the funniest parts of the play. On another occasion Jodie goes to a strange static caravan with a male resident of Penrith; another liaison that does not go well!

To help deal with her mental health issues Jodie has counselling sessions with a fairly incompetent counsellor. Jodie thinks her counsellor,”gets her phrases from Card Factory” and during one session her counsellor suggests “colouring in” to help Jodie deal with her mental health issues.

This play is staged in the round in a tiny theatre with a “pay what you feel” policy. The set consists of numerous cardboard boxes that are used to good effect and contain some very interesting props! It lasts for about 80 minutes and is a very funny, fast paced, one woman show which includes some hilarious one liners. However there are also some serious issues, including grief and mental illness, woven into the trivia of Jodie’s daily life. Themes of a sexual nature are also included and the play is recommended for over 16s.

I found this play really enjoyable and very funny. Do not be fooled by the rather genteel title of this production, more serious themes are included and are quite thought provoking. I was able to empathise with Jodie and her tribulations and the 80 minute performance seemed to go by very quickly. I found the ending of the play quite uplifting.