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NEW ADVENTURES

ANNOUNCES

FULL CASTING, TOURING DATES AND AN

EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH FORTNUM & MASON

FOR

THE 30^th ANNIVERSARY, NEWLY DESIGNED AND

RE-IMAGINED PRODUCTION OF

MATTHEW BOURNE’S

NUTCRACKER!

MUSIC BY TCHAIKOVSKY

TOURING TO 14 VENUES THROUGHOUT THE UK

INCLUDING AN 8 WEEK CHRISTMAS SEASON AT SADLER’S WELLS

New Adventures is delighted to announce full casting and touring dates for 30^th Anniversary, newly designed and reimagined production of Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!  The tour opens at Theatre Royal Plymouth on Monday 15 November 2021 ahead of a Christmas Season at Sadler’s Wells, London from Tuesday 7 December 2021 to Sunday 30 January 2022. The tour then continues until April 2022, visiting a total of 14 venues across the UK. Full listings below.

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! features a cast of well-loved New Adventures stars along with many stars of the future!  Cordelia Braithwaite and Katrina Lyndon will play Clara with Ashley Shaw and Monique Jonas as Princess Sugar. Harrison Dowzell will play the title role, along with Ben Brown and Reece Causton and Fritz will be played by Dominic North, James Lovell and Stephen Murray. Playing the formidable Dr Dross we have Neil Westmoreland, Reece Causton and Danny Reubens with his wife, Mrs Dross performed by Madelaine Brennan, Daisy May Kemp and Steph Billers.

The citizens of Sweetieland are performed by New Adventures’ dancers Jonathon Luke Baker, Benjamin Barlow Bazeley, Alistair Beattie, Isaac Peter Bowry, Kayla Collymore, Keenan Fletcher, Cameron Flynn, Rose Goddard, Shoko Ito, Harry Ondrak-Wright, Catrin Thomas and Bryony Wood. Making their debuts with New Adventures are Jade Copas, Jessica Crompton, Gabrielle de Souza, Kurumi Kamayachi and Rory Macleod. New Adventures are thrilled to announce and welcome their first Emerging Artist Apprentice, Enrique Ngbokota who joins the company having been supported and mentored by New Adventures throughout their third year of training. This apprenticeship is supported by The Archie Lloyd Chartiable Foundation. 

New Adventures also announced today an exciting partnership with Fortnum & Mason and Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!

The magic of Nutcracker! will be brought to life in the Fortnum & Mason Piccadilly flagship store this festive season, including a themed Christmas window conjured up by Nutcracker! designer Anthony Ward. Later this year, Fortnum & Mason will unveil their Christmas campaign, which includes characters from the production exploring the store at night, alongside sweet new creations in The Parlour and the Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon. Throughout the Christmas season £1 of each Knickerbocker Glory purchased at Fortnum & Mason will be donated to further New Adventures’ engagement work with young people and communities.

The sweetest of all Matthew Bourne’s treats returns for the first time ten years; it’s a Nutcracker! for all seasons. With family-sized helpings of Bourne’s trademark wit, pathos and magical fantasy, Nutcracker! follows Clara’s bittersweet journey from a darkly comic Christmas Eve at Dr. Dross’ Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland, influenced by the lavish Hollywood musicals of the 1930s.

Tchaikovsky’s glorious score and Anthony Ward’s newly-refreshed delectable sets and costumes combine with Bourne’s dazzling choreography to create a fresh and charmingly irreverent interpretation of the classic.  Expect a sprinkling of delicious new surprises in this reinvented production for 2021.

Recipient of the 2019 Special Olivier Award, Sir Matthew Bourne and New Adventures have produced some of the most successful dance productions of the last three decades. A truly national, dance-theatre touring company and one of Britain’s leading exporters of dance internationally, their productions include Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Red Shoes, Edward Scissorhands the acclaimed re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet and the recent world premiere of The Midnight Bell.

New Adventures is a national portfolio organisation supported using public funds by Arts Council England.

For more information please visit: www.new-adventures.net

Facebook /MBNewAdventures    Twitter @New_Adventures     Instagram @MBNewAdventures

NUTCRACKER!

UK TOUR LISTINGS

MONDAY 15 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2021

Theatre Royal Plymouth

www.theatreroyal.com

TUESDAY 23 NOVEMBER – SATURDAY 4 DECEMBER 2021

The Lowry, Salford

www.thelowry.com

TUESDAY 7 DECEMBER 2021 – SUNDAY 30 JANUARY 2022

Sadler’s Wells, London

www.sadlerswells.com

TUESDAY 1 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 5 FEBRUARY 2022

Bristol Hippodrome

www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

TUESDAY 8 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2022

Birmingham Hippodrome

www.birminghamhippodrome.com

TUESDAY 15 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 19 FEBRUARY 2022

Milton Keynes Theatre

www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre

TUESDAY 22 FEBRUARY – SATURDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2022

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow

TUESDAY 1 MARCH – SATURDAY 5 MARCH 2022

Liverpool Empire

www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

TUESDAY 8 MARCH – SATURDAY 12 MARCH 2022

The Marlowe, Canterbury

www.marlowetheatre.com

TUESDAY 22 MARCH – SATURDAY 26 MARCH 2022

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

www.wmc.org.uk

TUESDAY 29 MARCH – SATURDAY 2 APRIL 2022

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton

www.mayflower.org.uk

TUESDAY 5 APRIL – SATURDAY 9 APRIL 2022

Newcastle Theatre Royal

www.theatreroyal.co.uk

TUESDAY 12 APRIL – SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2022

Theatre Royal, Nottingham

www.trch.co.uk

TUESDAY 19 APRIL – SATURDAY 23 APRIL 2022

New Victoria Theatre, Woking

www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Eilene Davidson Productions present the Nottingham Playhouse production of… 
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
A GHOST STORY

By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Mark Gatiss
Directed by Adam Penford 

• FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR BRAND-NEW ADAPTATION OF DICKENS’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL ADAPTED BY MARK GATTIS AND DIRECTED BY ADAM PENFORD.

• JAMES BACKWAY, ANGELINA CHUDI, JO EATON-KENT, ZAK FORD-WILLIAMS, AOIFE GASTON, CHRISTOPHER GODWIN, EDWARD HARRISON, SARAH RIDGEWAY AND JOE SHIRE WILL STAR ALONGSIDE GATISS AND NICHOLAS FARRELL.

• THE PRODUCTION RUNS AT NOTTINGHAM PLAYHOUSE  FROM 29 OCTOBER – 20 NOVEMBER 2021 PRIOR TO A CHRISTMAS RUN AT ALEXANDRA PALACE FROM 26  NOVEMBER – 9 JANUARY 2022

• TICKETS FOR BOTH VENUES ARE ON SALE NOW 

Producer Eleanor Lloyd and Nottingham Playhouse have today announced full casting for Mark Gatiss’ brand-new adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol directed by Adam Penford. Originally scheduled to open in 2020 the production will premiere at Nottingham Playhouse on 29 October, ahead of its London premiere at Alexandra Palace on 26 November.  

Olivier award-winner Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, The League of Gentlemen, Doctor Who) stars as Jacob Marley in his own retelling of Dickens’ classic winter ghost story alongside Nicholas Farrell (Chariots of Fire, The Crown, The Iron Lady and 37 Days) as Scrooge; James Backway (Holes, The Taming of the Shrew, War Horse) as Fred; Angelina Chudi (Dear Elizabeth, Patricia Gets Ready (for a date with the man that used to hit her)) as Caroline; Jo Eaton-Kent (The Watch, Don’t Forget the Driver, Carousel) as the Ghost of Christmas Past; Zak Ford-Williams as Tiny Tim; Aoife Gaston (Barbarians, Love & Information) as Belle; Christopher Godwin (Amadeus, This House, The Dig) as the Narrator; Edward Harrison (Wolf Hall, Bring up the Bodies, Holes, Skellig) as Bob Cratchit; Sarah Ridgeway (HALO, Fury, The Captive Queen) as Mrs Cratchit and; Joe Shire (Witness for the Prosecution, The Island) as Ghost of Christmas Present. Filled with Dickensian, spine-tingling special effects, prepare to be frightened and delighted in equal measure as you enter the supernatural Victorian world of A Christmas Carol.

It’s a cold Christmas Eve and mean-spirited miser Ebenezer Scrooge (Nicholas Farrell) has an unexpected visit from the spirit of his former business partner Jacob Marley (Mark Gatiss). Bound in chains as punishment for a lifetime of greed, the unearthly figure explains it isn’t too late for Scrooge to change his miserly ways in order to escape the same fate, but first he’ll have to face three more eerie encounters…

A Christmas Carol is the latest collaboration between Gatiss and Penford following Nottingham Playhouse’s award-winning production of The Madness of George III in 2018. The production is designed by Paul Wills, lighting design by Philip Gladwell, sound design by Ella Wahlström, video design by Nina Dunn,movement direction by Georgina Lamb, composition by Tingying Dong, Sam Stevenson is the casting director, Matthew Forbes is the puppet director, Tom Atwood is the music director and Jasmine Teo is the associate director.  

A Christmas Carol will open first at Nottingham Playhouse directed by its Artistic Director Adam Penford. Nottingham Playhouse is dedicated to making bold and thrilling world-class theatre in the heart of Nottingham and was named Regional Theatre of the Year in The Stage Awards 2019.

Over Christmas the production will transfer to Alexandra Palace. Originally built in 1875, the Alexandra Palace Theatre has been reawakened and its Victorian features have been restored, making it the perfect backdrop to experience this landmark production.

Brill Productions Limited in association with Park Theatre present:

Abigail’s Party

Mike Leigh’s classic comedy of manners returns to the London stage with former EastEnders star Kellie Shirley

Written by Mike Leigh | Directed by Vivienne Garnett

PARK 90, Wednesday 10^th November – Saturday 4^th December 2021

Twitter: @ParkTheatre | facebook: ParkTheatreLondon | Instagram: ParkTheatreLondon | www.parktheatre.co.uk

Mike Leigh’s iconic comedy drama returns to the London stage with former EastEnders star Kellie Shirley playing Beverly, and Ryan Early (Lee Bryce in The Archers) playing her angst-driven husband Laurence. The 1970s comedy of manners, full of new-found suburban pretensions and social aspirations, was a huge hit when it premiered at the Hampstead Theatre, and the TV adaptation has been voted as one of the greatest British TV programmes by both industry professionals and the public.

Beverly and estate agent husband Laurence are happily ensconced and living the dream in suburbia. They know what records to play, what art prints to buy and what wine to drink. And Beverly just can’t resist the temptation to spread her knowledge and help improve the lives of their neighbours, Tony, Angela and Abigail’s Mum, Susan. What better way to help out than to invite them all for drinks and titbits?

Abigail’s Party is Mike Leigh’s classic 1977 play that was first developed through lengthy improvisations, a style which became the hallmark of Leigh’s future success in film and TV. It first ran at the Hampstead theatre for 104 performances and was due to transfer to the West End, but instead it was whisked into a BBC TV studio and the subsequent broadcast quickly became a cult classic repeated many times over the years.

Director Vivienne Garnett said, “In many people’s minds, Abigail’s Party is the epitome of British suburbia in the 1970s, yet despite being very much ‘of its time’, the almost desperate aspirationalism and materialism are certainly themes we can identify with today. These are characters whom we still recognise, even 44 years after their conception, and it had been a joy to reincarnate them with such a tremendous cast. So, whether you’re a fan of olives or ‘a little cheesy-pineapple one’, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this acerbic tragi-comic drama.”

Kellie Shirley takes on the lead role of Beverly, originally played by Alison Steadman. Kellie is best known as playing Carly Wicks in EastEnders, and Kirsty De La Croix in Sky One comedy series In the Long Run. Her theatre credits include Great Britain (National Theatre) and One Man, Two Guvnors (Theatre Royal Haymarket). She is joined by Ryan Early, best known as Lee Bryce in The Archers.

Brill Productions produces drama across theatre and radio. Run by Clive Brill, its most recent productions include G F Newman’s The Corrupted for BBC Radio 4, starring Toby Jones and Believe it for BBC Radio Comedy starring Richard Wilson.  Clive has previously produced and directed two productions at Park 90. Black Chiffon by Lesley Storm, starring Abigail Cruttenden (Offie nominated) and Corpse! by Gerald Moon. Clive is also Producer and Artistic Director of Frinton Summer Theatre.

Park Theatre presents exceptional theatre in the heart of Finsbury Park, boasting two world-class performance spaces: Park200 for predominantly larger scale productions by established talent, and Park90, a flexible studio space, for emerging artists. In eight years, it has enjoyed eight West End transfers (including Daytona starring Maureen Lipman, The Boys in the Band starring Mark Gatiss, Pressure starring David Haig and The Life I Lead starring Miles Jupp), two National Theatre transfers, twenty-five national tours, five Olivier Award nominations, has won Offie Awards for Best New Play and Best Foodie Experience and won a Theatre of the Year award from The Stage. Park Theatre are grateful to all those who have donated to the Park Life fund, supporting the venue through the pandemic.

Running Time: 2 hours (including interval) | Suitable for ages 16+

Company information

Directed by Vivienne Garnett                Written by Mike Leigh

Set design by Beth Colley         Lighting design by Pip Thurlow            Costume design by Neil Gordon

Cast
Kellie Shirley, Ryan Early, Emma Noakes, Barbara D’Alterio

Listings information

10^th November – 4^th December

Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP

Previews: Weds 10^th November 7.45pm and Thurs 11^th November 3.15pm | £14.50

Mon – Sat evening 7.45pm, Thurs and Sat matinees 3.15pm

Standard £18, concessions £16.50
www.parktheatre.co.uk | 020 7870 6876*

* Telephone booking fee: 10% capped at £2.50 per ticket

Storyhouse, Chester – until 2 October 2021

Reviewed by Mia Bowen

4****

Last night was an evening of many firsts for me; my first visit to the Storyhouse, the first time I watched Blood Brothers live on stage and the first time back in the middle of a huge auditorium packed with people.

The Storyhouse includes a library, cinema and theatre. It is situated in the city centre of the historical city of Chester and currently holds the official title as the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre 2019/20 – UK Theatre Awards.

At the beginning of the performance it was announced that there would be some changes to the cast for the evening; the role of Mrs Johnstone would be played by Paula Tappenden and the role of Mrs Lyons by Grace Galloway, both understudies.

The Narrator, played by Robbie Scotcher serves several purposes in the play. He acts as a social conscience, drawing the audience’s attention to the rights and wrongs of the characters actions. He speaks directly to the audience, repeating the word ‘we’ and guides us towards making a conclusion about the significance of social class in our lives. What caught my eye was the Narrator, unbuttoning his jacket at the start of Act 1, as he started narrating and buttoning up his jacket at the end of Act 2, as the performance finished.

Mrs Johnstone, played by Paula Tappenden is a warm and caring mother, despite the struggles she faces supporting her eight children alone. As the play goes forward, she becomes tortured by guilt and regret. She is the moral center of the pay. One of the first songs in the musical constantly returns to the refrain of Marilyn Monroe and Dancing. At first Marilyn Monroe, is when she is describing her relationship with her husband. Towards the end she compares Mickey’s, Alexander Patmore’s, addiction to Marilyn’s. She recalls dancing, used to suggest happiness, with her husband when they first met. Significantly the dancing stopped when the children were born.

With it being set in Liverpool, the performers mastered the Scouse accent, slang and dialect throughout the musical, with plenty accomplished slapstick comedy.

The score was very moving and sensitive, especially with Mrs Johnstone and company’s execution of ‘Tell me it’s not True’. A lady sitting next to me, looked at me and said ‘I am a mess, it hits you when you are a mum of two boys’.

The stage lighting superbly created and enhanced the mood and atmosphere. There were several costume changes throughout the play and they helped locate a scene in time and convey the social status.

As I stood cheering and clapping, I watched the whole cast take their third standing ovation, I saw the smiles on their faces, of pure joy, being back on stage doing what they love after what must have been a very uncertain and unnervingly period.

Grand Opera House York – until 3 October 2021

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

The hugely popular ‘The Play That Goes Wrong’, the multi award winning production from Mischief, is visiting York and the Grand Opera House once again, following on from its previous sell-outs.

The play is a play, within a play. The fictional drama group, The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are performing ‘Murder at Havisham Manor’, after finally having enough cast members to fill all the roles. This amateur production, introduced by the director (Tom Bulpett), double hatting as Inspector Carter, promises to be a whodunit with twists, shocks, and gripping suspense. What actually happens are shocks galore, but not in suspense or the whodunit, but by everything going wrong, in fact nothing goes right and just descends into mayhem.

The cast have to improvise, as one thing after another goes awry. This is executed with almost military precision, contending with collapsing sets, faulty props and fluffed lines. Each actor has at least two roles, their character and the role/roles that their character plays. The very talented cast work tirelessly delivering a very funny and extremely physical performance, full of energy and overacting as demanded by their characters.

All the cast are excellent, but I must mention April Hughes playing the femme fatal of the piece, Florence Colleymoore, she surely must be covered in bruises from the window scene. Also, her competition for the role of Florence, with Laura Kirman, a stand-in when she is knocked out, their behaviour and one-upmanship gets more and more extreme.

Tom Babbage, as Max, playing Cecil Havensham and the gardener, is first-rate. Once his character realises he is performing to a live audience, he can’t resist playing up. After he gets an initial laugh, his actions become more and more outlandish and over the top. He certainly delivers a hilarious energetic performance, and is very lithe and supple, covering the stage well, lapping up all the attention.

The ingenuity of the design of the stage is totally mind blowing, so complex when things are falling apart and falling down. The action is clearly well-rehearsed, with impeccable timing, I would say, in order to prevent injury. At times it did look pretty dangerous, and it is amazing that it was all done so effortlessly.

The Play That Goes Wrong is so cleverly done, and the end result was quite magnificent in its chaos. This is a side-splitting, laugh out loud, comedy that will lift your spirits up no end

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh – until 2 October 2021

 Reviewed by Rachel Farrier 

3***

There can’t be many people who haven’t seen Grease (at least the film version) before, so there was a palpable sense of anticipation and excitement in the audience well before curtain up – we’ve all been stuck at home for so long, the audience were clearly all set for a fun night out.  

This production of Grease didn’t try to push any boundaries or try anything new, but it delivered a classic performance with some exceptional all-cast numbers, especially ‘Born to Hand Jive Baby’ and ‘We Go Together’ which both had some outstanding choreography – also witnessed in ‘Greased Lightning’. There were three understudies playing main parts – including Ellie Kingdon as Sandy, and this may explain why some of the dialogue sections felt somewhat uncertain and stilted, however it felt like the whole cast warmed up as the evening went by. Inez Bud’s brilliant rendition of Marty’s ‘Freddy My Love’ seemed to get the show properly underway and Ellie Kingdon put in a confident and accomplished performance as Sandy. Both she and Dan Partridge as Danny Zuko had exceptional voices – ‘Hopelessly Devoted to You’ was a stand out number. Jacob Fisher (and his hips!) as Vince Fontaine/Teen Angel completely stole the show when he was on stage, and the audience went wild for him.  

It seemed that the audience were willing to forgive and forget any imperfections in favour of lapping up the fun and energy provided by an evening full of familiar songs and jokes, and by the end most of the audience were on their feet singing along with the medley.  

Having not seen Grease for some years and introducing my 12 year old daughter to it at this performance, I couldn’t help but note that it really is a musical of the era in which it was both set and written – the unreconstructed masculinity (e.g. the boys constantly making lewd comments about the girls bodies) felt pretty uncomfortable and, as my daughter said, it now seems ridiculous that the pivotal plot point is a girl having to completely change how she looks to get an already disrespectful boy to actually pay her attention.. 

If you could put that aside, this was a fun night out with plenty of impressive whole cast numbers to satisfy an audience who have been deprived of the excitement and rush of musicals over lockdown.  

Lyceum, Sheffield – until 2 October 2021

Reviewed by Alison Beaumont

5*****

Waitress is a musical comedy about a waitress (Jenna) and expert pie maker who longs for happiness in her life. She finds out she is pregnant to her abusive husband. Her life becomes complicated when she falls for the new doctor in town, Dr Pomatter. Her work friends are there to support her in whatever life throws at her. It is based on the film “Waitress” from 2007.

This was yet another musical that I hadn’t seen the movie for and boy was I in for a treat.

Jenna was played by Lucie Jones, former contestant of the X Factor and UK’s Eurovision entry in 2017 and did not disappoint at all with her vocals. You definitely need to get your tissues ready when she sings “She used to be Mine”, even Lucie had tears rolling down her face, very emotional.

Dr Pomatter was played by the one and only Matt Jay-Willis from Busted who showed his talent with a very different style of vocals from the pop music I used to listen to him sing to being in musical theatre and thought he did exceptionally well.

There were a few minor mistakes but to the untrained eye these would have been easily missed. The ad lib by Old Joe played by Michael Starke, and for those of you who don’t know who he is he played Sinbad in Brookside (all us oldies will remember) was so funny, there was a part he was in a wheelchair being wheeled on to see Jenna in hospital when she had her baby and was accidentally wheeled into the stage prop to which he said “it’s a good job I’m already in hospital”, qualities of an experience actor.

I really really enjoyed the scene where Ogie (George Crawford – watch this space for this up and coming young actor) sang “Never ever getting rid of me” I found this so funny. I wonder how long it took him to get the jump over the chair correct! Ogie was definitely the funniest character for me.

To say that this was only the 4th venue they had performed since touring can only mean that this musical will get better. The connection between Jenna and Dr Pomatter over time will definitely add to the chemistry of the characters.

There was a little mention of Sheffield in the musical adding to the personal touch.

Everyone deserves a mention in this musical as they all were stars in the own right – Becky (Sandra Marvin), Dawn (Evelyn Hoskins) – brilliant character, Earl (Tamlyn Henderson) and Cal (Christopher D Hunt). And let’s not forget little Lulu who came on for her 5 minutes of fame towards the end, could this be the next up and coming star.

A standing ovation from the audience shows the magnificence of this show. Well done everyone.

I will end this review a bit cryptic, and if you have seen Waitress before you will probably know what I mean and if you haven’t’ then you need to go and see it to find out what I mean when I say “Pineapple upside down cake”.

New Victoria Theatre, Woking – until 2 October 2021

Reviewed by Alexandra Sykes

5*****

Based on the hit film of the same name, School of Rock tells the story of a fake teacher who enters his class of prep school students in a battle of the bands competition. 

Jake Sharp plays layabout Dewey Finn who impersonates best friend and roommate Ned Schneebly (Matthew Rowland) in order to pay his rent. Rebecca Lock portrays school head teacher Rosalie Mullins, running the school to produce future Ivy league students.

The true stars of the schow are the students of Horace Green school. As well as having to sing and dance, the children also play their own instruments, with the band consisting of Joseph Sheppard (Zack, guitar), Chloe Marler (Katie, bass), Eva McGrath (Freddy, drums) and Angus McDougall (Lawence, keyboard). Joining the band are manager Summer (Kiera Laver), singer Tomika (Angel Lucero) and stylist Billy (Logan Matthews) as well as the rest of their classmates acting as back up singers, roadies and security. 

With classic rock and pop culture references scattered throughout the show and catchy songs that make you want to sing along, such as Stick It To The Man and School of Rock, this production is the perfect show for all members of the family and should not be missed.

That’s what I call…enterTRAINment!

• UK’s largest rail company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) teams up with regional theatres to encourage customers to support local arts
• New partnership offers limited-edition discount to customers who travel to the theatre by train

September 2021: This autumn, the rail company that operates Southern, Thameslink and Great Northern services, is putting local theatres centre-stage with an exciting new partnership that promises to thoroughly entertrain. Teaming up with top regional theatres across its network, the company is offering customers the chance to claim exclusive discounts on spectacular shows in October and November. 

With theatres finally being able to pull up the curtains after more than a year of closure, the rail operator is taking the opportunity to support the arts community and highlight smaller, more independent venues that will really benefit from some extra support.

Working with selected theatres – from Portsmouth, Chichester and Brighton, to Croydon, St Albans and Cambridge – GTR’s #entertrainment campaign offers limited-edition discount on top shows for those who travel by train. As the largest rail operator in the UK, GTR serves 339 stations; meaning customers can truly make the most of a staycation or weekend break when travelling by train.

Steve White, Chief Operating Officer at Govia Thameslink Railway, said: “We’re very lucky to have so many great theatres on our network. After being closed for over a year, this is the perfect time to get behind the arts and enjoy live theatre once again! We’ve partnered with venues that are easily accessible by train and we hope our customers feel inspired to visit somewhere new this autumn whilst enjoying a brilliant show.”

The #entertrainment partnership will be live from October until December. To find out more information and book tickets, visit the following websites:

• Southern
• Thameslink
• Great Northern

Each theatre has individual terms and conditions which will be hosted on their own websites. A valid rail ticket must be shown upon arrival at the theatre.

Hull New Theatre – 28 September 2021

Reviewed by Catherine McWilliams

5*****

Passagers is a train journey like no other or rather a series of journeys on different trains in very different situations and places. Hull New Theatre in conjunction with the Dance Consortium and Freedom Festival Arts Trust presented us with the gem that is Passagers, delivered by The 7 Fingers. Passagers is written, directed and choreographed by Shana Carroll, assisted by Isabelle Chassé.

The advance publicity for Passagers describes The 7 Fingers as one of Canada’s leading circus companies – this does them a disservice, this is so much more than circus. Do not expect glitter and glam and showiness, instead look out for grit and joy, wit and poignancy and utter utter brilliance.

Passagers is performed by eight extremely talented artists and skilfully interlinks different stories and journeys. It shows us that train travel is about beginnings and ends, hope and despair, loneliness and joy and at times boredom. Sometimes it is not even about where you are going but about the journey itself. There is dance, music, speech and circus skills, but the circus skills are not just there for show, they help to tell the story.

This is a fast-moving show that mesmerises and draws you in, I could feel the audience around me holding their breath at times and at one point the entire theatre gave an audible gasp. It took us through the full range of emotions and the audience were fully invested in the performance.

There was jaw dropping trapeze and silks and juggling and hoops, both on the ground and in the air, there was tumbling and dance but through it all the story lines never faltered, the characterisation is always there, whether showing fragility, joy, sheer mischief or the despair of leaving loved ones. The 7 Fingers cast have superb timing, the eight cast members becoming one as the stories ebb and flow. There is not one stand out performer, they are all outstanding and reliant on one another to perform this piece.

The back drop varied according to the journey, with a variety of films showing places passed or train carriages or the lyrics to the music, it worked beautifully with the stories. The lighting added to the atmosphere of the piece, with its clever use of dark and shadows. The music emphasised the speed of the journey and the emotion of the characters at that time. A limited range of props were used with great effect, suitcases, luggage racks that doubled as train windows, and chairs that moved around for the layout of the different train carriages.

Hull is a city at the end of the line, our lives are full of journeys of leaving and arriving and of farewells and joyful reunions, I think this made Passagers even more poignant as we recognised ourselves in this piece.

I was totally enthralled for 90 minutes and was so disappointed when it was over, I would have happily watched it all over again. I clearly was not alone in this view as the entire theatre buzzed and roared at the end of the performance with a well-earned standing ovation.

It was an incredible privilege to review Passagers, to see such talent, to sit with my mouth agape in awe, to gasp at the sheer audacity and wonder and to be drawn into the beautiful stories. This really is a must-see performance – joyous, moving, exuberant, witty and jaw dropping. If The 7 Fingers are pulling into your local theatre with Passagers make sure to buy a ticket.