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FULL CASTING and FULL TOUR DATES
ANNOUNCED
FOR
MATTHEW BOURNE’S
DOUBLE OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING
SMASH HIT PRODUCTION OF

Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
Tuesday 17 – Saturday 21 March 2020
*Tickets from £20.50
Call the Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk
*All prices shown include booking fees but are subject to postage charge if applicable.
Bradford Theatres usual terms and conditions apply.

New Adventures is delighted to announce the full cast for the return of Matthew Bourne’s double Olivier award-winning, smash hit production of THE RED SHOES arriving at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford in March 2020.

Matthew Bourne said today: “I’m proud that for nearly 20 years, New Adventures has built an unprecedented audience for dance throughout the UK, and for this national tour of “The Red Shoes” we will play over 200 performances across 21 leading regional large-scale theatres, more than any other UK dance company. We have an audience who are fiercely loyal, questioning and openminded, as has been shown on the current tour of our radical reinterpretation of “Romeo and Juliet”. As ever, I am grateful for their trust and enthusiastic support.

I’m thrilled that for the first revival of our 2016 hit, “The Red Shoes”, most of the original leading cast will be returning including Ashley Shaw in her multi award-winning performance as Victoria Page. Along with several New Adventures rising stars, who will be performing in the production for the first time, I’m particularly excited to be re-united with my original Swan, the wonderful Adam Cooper, who joins us for the first time in twenty years.”

The full cast is:

BORIS LERMONTOV – Glenn Graham, Reece Causton (from February 2020), Ben Brown (from February 2020) and Andrew Monaghan (from March 2020)

VICTORIA PAGE – Ashley Shaw and Cordelia Braithwaite

JULIAN CRASTER – Dominic North, Stephen Murray (until March 2020), Harrison Dowzell (until March 2020) and Andrew Monaghan (from March 2020)

IRINA BORONSKAJA – Cordelia Braithwaite, Michela Meazza (until February 2020) and Sophia Hurdley (from February 2020)

IVAN BOLESLAWSKY – Liam Mower and Jackson Fisch

GRISCHA LJUBOV – Glenn Graham, Liam Mower and Danny Reubens

They are joined by Steph Billers, João Carolino, Cameron Flynn, Christina Rebecca Gibbs, Rose Goddard, Bryony Harrison, Kate Lyons, Matt Petty, Catrin Thomas, Jem Trim and Bryony Wood.

A sell-out before its world premiere season opened in 2016, Matthew Bourne’s triumphant adaptation of the legendary film returns in 2019, having won two Olivier Awards and dazzled audiences across the UK and the USA.

THE RED SHOES is a tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion.

Set to the achingly romantic music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Herrmann, THE RED SHOES is orchestrated by Terry Davies and played by the New Adventures Orchestra, with cinematic designs by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Groothuis and projection from Duncan McLean.

An intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences, THE RED SHOES will dazzle your senses and break your heart.

THE RED SHOES is supported using public funds by Arts Council England.

BRUMMIES BRAVE THE RAIN TO BE FIRST TO SEE

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Today (24 Feb), tickets went on sale for a special additional preview performance of The Book of Mormon at Birmingham Hippodrome on Tuesday 3 March 2020 at 7.30pm. The performance will be the first chance for fans to see the much-anticipated Broadway smash hit in Birmingham.

Hundreds of fans queued outside of the theatre, with some braving the rain for over three hours, to get their hands on tickets when the box office opened at 10am this morning.

Over 1,500 tickets for the first Birmingham preview are priced at just £15 each and available to purchase in person only via the Birmingham Hippodrome Box Office.

The Tony®, Olivier® and Grammy® award-winning show plays at Birmingham Hippodrome through to Saturday 28 March 2020 with tickets available via www.thebookofmormonmusical.com and www.birminghamhippodrome.com.

The cast of The Book of Mormon in Birmingham will be led by Robert Colvin as Elder Price and Conner Peirson as Elder Cunningham. They are joined by Nicole-Lily Baisden as Nabulungi, Will Hawksworth as Elder McKinley, Ewen Cummins as Mafala Hatimbi, Johnathan Tweedie as Joseph Smith and Thomas Vernal as the General.

The company will include Jed Berry, David Brewis, Melissa Brown-Taylor, Chinasa, Sanchia Amber Clarke, Tre Copeland-Williams, George Crawford, Tom Dickerson, Jordan Lee Davies, Jemal Felix, Olivia Foster-Browne, Patrick George, Isaac Hesketh, Evan James, Alex James-Hatton, Nicole Louise, Fergal McGoff, Jesus Reyes Ortiz, Lawrence Rowe, Lukin Simmonds, Chomba S Taulo, Tommy Wade-Smith, Sharon Wattis and Jacob Yarlett.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the creators of the Emmy and Peabody award-winning television show, South Park, now in its twenty-second season, and the feature films South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut and Team America: World Police.

Robert Lopez co-created the Broadway musical Avenue Q and co-wrote the songs for Disney’s Frozen and Coco. He is one of only fifteen artists to win all four major entertainment awards – Emmy®, Grammy®, Oscar® and Tony® Awards.  

The Book of Mormon follows a pair of Mormon boys sent on a mission to a place that’s a long way from their home in Salt Lake City.

Since making its world premiere in March 2011 at New York’s Eugene O’Neill Theatre, where it won nine Tony® Awards, including Best Musical, The Book of Mormon has been performed on three continents and won over thirty international awards. The musical has smashed long-standing box office records in New York, London, Melbourne, Sydney and cities across the U.S.

The London production opened in February 2013, winning four Olivier Awards® including Best New Musical, and breaking the record for the highest single day of sales in West End history. It has sold out every one of its 2918 performances to date at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

Book, Music and Lyrics are by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone.  Directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon has choreography by Casey Nicholaw, set design by Scott Pask, costume design by Ann Roth, lighting design by Brian MacDevitt, sound design by Brian Ronan, orchestrations by Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus and music supervision and vocal arrangements by Stephen Oremus.

The Book of Mormon is produced by Anne Garefino, Scott Rudin, Important Musicals and Sonia Friedman Productions.

The Book of Mormon comes to Birmingham Hippodrome from Tuesday 3 – Saturday 28 March 2020. Visit birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0844 338 5000 (4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) for more information and to book.

Conner Peirson is appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange programme between American Equity and UK Equity

WORLD PREMIÈRE OF JOHN GODBER’S

ANGELS OF THE NORTH TRANSFERS TO THE WEST END

The world première of John Godber’s new comedy Angels of the North transfers to the West End, opening at the Trafalgar Studios on 14 May, with previews from 12 May, and runs until 6 June. The production ran at Theatre Royal Wakefield until 15 February, ahead of performances at East Riding Theatre from 4 – 28 March.

Dennis and Mick are the worst taxi drivers in the North; ignorant, offensive and rude!  But when longstanding owner Val suddenly dies, they have to deal with her savvy, streetwise, tourism guru of a niece; feisty new graduate Roxy, who takes over the running of the firm. 

Set before, during and after, the General Election on 12 December 2019, Angels of the North is a hilarious and touching insight into what it means to the North now the red wall has fallen, seen through the eyes of a struggling taxi firm at the end of the line.

Dennis and Mick might be the worst taxi drivers on the planet, but they know what it takes to survive. Roxy might be a thorn in their side, but she may well just be an angel in disguise.

Written as a companion piece to the hugely successful and critical hit, Scary Bikers, Angels of the North is a contemporary comedy which negotiates the idea of a new North under a new government. Told with the signature wit and dry observations which make Godber’s work so popular. 

John Godber plays Dennis, and is joined on stage by his former student Adrian Hood (Mick), and creating the part of Roxy is Martha Godber who recently graduated from LIPA.

John Godber said today, “I can’t wait to be on stage with both my former pupil and my daughter – they’ll certainly keep my on my toes! The response to Scary Bikers in London was wonderful, enjoying both critical and audience acclaim, and we look forward to taking this new authentic slice of Yorkshire life back into the West End.”

John Godber is a writer and director. His plays are performed across the globe, making him one of the most performed writers in the English language. He has won numerous awards for his plays, including a Laurence Olivier Award and seven Los Angeles Drama Critics ‘Circle Awards. His credits as a playwright include Scary Bikers, This is Not Right, Bouncers, Up ‘n’ Under (Olivier Award for Best New Comedy), April in Paris, Teechers, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Cramp, Happy Jack, September in the Rain, Salt of the Earth, Passion Killers, Happy Families, Up ‘n’ Under ll, Gym and Tonic, Dracula, Lucky Sods, Hooray for Hollywood, Weekend Breaks, It Started With a Kiss, Unleashed, Thick As a Brick, Big Trouble in the Little Bedroom, Seasons in the Sun, On a Night Like This, Our House, Departures, Men of the World, Reunion, Screaming Blue Murder, Black Ties and Tales, Perfect Pitch, Going Dutch, Christmas Crackers and Crown Prince. For the screen, he also devised the BBC2 series Chalkface, and his screenplay My Kingdom for a Horse was nominated for an Alternative BAFTA Award. His first feature film, Up ‘n’ Under, was released in January 1998. In 2005, he co-wrote Odd Squad for BBC2 with his wife, Jane Godber, which was shot in Hull using local actors – winning two BAFTAs in the Schools Drama category and in the Original Writer section. He was Artistic Director or Hull Truck for 26 years, years, taking it from bankruptcy in 1984 to its new home in a £15 million theatre in 2010; and in 2011 set up The John Godber Company with his wife.

Martha Godber recently graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts. For theatre her work includes Seasons in the Sun (East Riding Theatre and Theatre Royal Wakefield), POP (Oldham Coliseum), The Memory Project, The Remarkable Tale of Dorothy Mackail (Smashing Mirrors Theatre), I Want That Hair (East Riding Theatre), Three Emos (UK tour), RIGHT (The Old Vic), This Is Not Right (Wilton’s Music Hall) and Slung Low Shorts. For television, her work includes South Riding; and for film, Residue and The Last Laugh. For BBC Radio 4, her work includes The Gift, Fact to Fiction, D for Dexter and Talk to Me: HP Lovecraft. She was a finalist in the Spotlight Showcase 2018, and was awarded the Joan Plowright Lady Olivier Award 2018 for best acting performance.

Adrian Hood attended Minsthorpe High School where John Godber was his Drama teacher. His first professional job was at the Theatre Royal Wakefield in Salt of the Earth by Godber, before going on to work with Hull Truck in many different shows including Bouncers,  Fly Me To The Moon, Perfect Pitch, Our House, Weekend Breaks, Up n Under, Up n Under II, Stand, Billy Liar and  Pub Quiz is Life. His other theatre work incudes Harvest (Royal Court Theatre), The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, The Comedy of Errors (National Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing, The Mystery Plays (Shakespeare’s Globe) and more recently for Hull’s City of Culture he appeared in the RSC’s production of The Hypocrite. For television, his work includes as series regular Norman in dinnerladies, All Quiet on the Preston Front, The Syndicate, Ben and Lump, Zen, Kingdom, The Invisibles, The Last Detective, Johnny Shakespeare, Not Going Out, Oddsquad, Feel the Force, Micawber, Thunder Road, Buried, Stan the Man, Victoria Wood with All The Trimmings, Witness against Hitler, Hibbert and Long, Chernobyl, Harry, My Kingdom For A Horse, Small Zones; and for film, Up ‘n’ Under, Magicians, Brassed Off, Undercliffe and Pond Life.

Listings                                                                                                                                    Angels of the North

Trafalgar Studios – Studio 2

14 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2DY

Box Office: www.atgtickets.com/shows/angels-of-the-north/trafalgar-studios/

Tickets from £30.00

Access Booking line: 0800 912 6971

Twitter:               @jgodberco

Instagram:          @jgodberco

Performances:

Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm (matinees on Thursday and Saturdays)

Please check the website for full details of performance schedule.

BLUE PLAQUE UNVEILED TO HONOUR

ACCLAIMED AUTHOR HELEN FORRESTER

Celebration marks 100^th Birthday of writer born in Hoylake

Plaque unveiled by actors Sian Reeves and Mark Moraghan

By The Waters Of Liverpool to start 17-theatre UK Spring Tour

A prestigious Blue Plaque has been unveiled at the childhood home of acclaimed author Helen Forrester, who penned a series of best-selling books including Twopence To Cross The Mersey.

The plaque was officially unveiled at Helen’s childhood home in Warren Road, in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula, at a special presentation on Friday (21 February), led by Helen’s son Robert Bhatia who had travelled from his home in Canada specially for the events.

Actors Sian Reeves and Mark Moraghan unveiled the plaque, they play Helen’s Mother and Father in the new stage production of By The Waters Of Liverpool. Guests also included the Deputy Mayor Of Wirral, Councillor George Davies.

Robert Bhatia commented: “I am thrilled to see this Blue Plaque where my Mother discovered her passion for books on her grandmother’s bookshelves. It is also where she along longed to come if only she had had twopence to cross the Mersey. The partnership between playwright Rob Fennah and my mother Helen, and her legacy, has been outstanding.”

Helen Forrester won a legion of loyal fans through her gritty, working class memoirs which also included Liverpool Miss, By The Waters Of Liverpool and Lime Street At Two. Her autobiographical writing was characterised by a lack of self-pity and an unsettling honesty as she portrayed her life during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The latest work of Helen’s works to be brought to life on stage is By The Waters Of Liverpool, and follows a hugely successful run at the Liverpool Empire Theatre in October 2018, when the new production was premiered to rave reviews. The show is about to embark on a 17-theatre tour of the UK.

The new touring production of By The Waters Of Liverpool is again produced by Pulse Records Limited in association with Bill Elms and is directed by Gareth Tudor Price. Writer and friend of Helen Forrester, Rob Fennah has written both the stage play versions of Twopence To Cross The Mersey and By The Waters Of Liverpool.

Helen’s Blue Plaque joins a whole host of other sites across Wirral which have been recognised with the accolade, awarded by Conservation Areas Wirral. Others include Prime Minister Harold Wilson; poet Wilfred Owen; Ann Davison, first female to sail the Atlantic solo in a small boat; and Everton and Tranmere footballer Dixie Dean.

Born June Huband on 6 June 1919 in Hoylake, Helen was the eldest of seven children of inept, socialite, middle-class parents who lived on credit. When her father was made bankrupt during the Great Depression, the family was thrown into poverty. Evicted from their comfortable home in England’s gentler South West, with nothing more than the clothes they stood up in, the large family took the train to Liverpool where they hoped to rebuild their lives.

While Forrester’s father searched unsuccessfully for work, the family were forced to live together in a bug-infested single room. As the eldest child, the 12-year-old Helen was kept away from school to look after her six younger brothers and sisters. For the next few years the family had to rely on meagre hand-outs from the parish and the kindness of strangers. At the age of 14, Forrester rebelled against her life of drudgery and her parents agreed to allow her to attend evening classes to make up for her missed years of education. Throughout her teenage years, Forrester worked for a charitable organisation in Liverpool and it was this period in her life that provided the background for many of her books.

During her family’s estranged years suffering in the slums of Liverpool, across the River Mersey, in the affluent Wirral suburbs lived her well-heeled grandmother. She had fallen out with her son after he had borrowed heavily from family members and was unable to repay his debts. Condemning him as a worthless spendthrift, Helen’s grandmother would have no more to do with him. Despite this, Helen was convinced that if she could muster up the tuppence required for a ferry boat ticket, she could visit her grandmother, explain what was happening to the family, and she would come to their rescue. Although this never came to pass, it did provide the title of her first book, Twopence To Cross The Mersey.

Helen had previously said: “For the first six months of my life I lived at Grandma’s house in Hoylake with my mother; my father was overseas fighting in Russia. In subsequent years, until the age of 11, I spent all my school holidays there. They were the happiest days of my childhood.”

After surviving the Blitzing of Liverpool and losing two consecutive fiancés to the Second World War she went on to marry Dr. Avadh Bhatia in 1950. The couple travelled widely, eventually settling in Edmonton, Canada. In 1955, Dr. Bhatia became director of the Theoretical Physics Institute at the University of Alberta. Helen was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Liverpool in 1988 and by the University of Alberta in 1993. She died on 24 November 2011 in Edmonton aged 92. Her writing continues to inspire readers around the world.

By The Waters Of Liverpool Spring 2020 UK Tour opens on Tuesday 3 March at the New Brighton Floral Pavilion in Wirral – just a few miles from where author Helen Forrester was born.

The play also features sizeable chunks from Helen’s earlier book Liverpool Miss and flashbacks to Twopence To Cross The Mersey. The tour will then visit Stockport, Warrington, St Helens, Lancaster, Crewe, Southport, Rhyl, Swansea, Darlington, Malvern, Eastbourne, Isle Of Man, Hayes, Winchester, Liverpool and Blackpool.

By The Waters Of Liverpool features a stellar cast from stage and screen – Sian Reeves, Mark Moraghan, Parry Glasspool, Lucy Dixon, Eric Potts, Lynn Francis, Danny O’Brien, Roy Carruthers, and Chloe McDonald.

Playwright and friend of Helen, Rob Fennah, added: “Although Helen is no longer with us, she is always in my thoughts. While I was adapting By The Waters Of Liverpool, I imagined her looking over my shoulder, checking that all the little details were correct and in order. It’s a real privilege to be entrusted with her most famous works, but also a huge responsibility. And I am thrilled Helen’s talent and achievements have now been recognised with a Blue Plaque at her childhood home in Hoylake.

“Helen refers to her Father as a ‘butterfly in the rain’ in her first book, Twopence To Cross The Mersey. This beautiful image inspired me to write a song of the same title. Helen heard the track, really liked it, and asked if she could use it when promoting her books around the world. The friendship started right there. A picture was taken on the day we met, which Helen and I jokingly referred to it as ‘when leather met tweed’. It’s a lovely photograph and says everything about the friendship that was to follow.”

From there, Rob and Helen’s friendship continued. Rob then brought Helen’s books to the stage for the very first time with a musical version of Twopence To Cross The Mersey.

Website:         www.bythewatersofliverpool.com

Facebook:       www.facebook.com/ByTheWatersThePlay

SWITCHFLICKER PRODUCTIONS ANNOUNCE LONDON PREMIÈRE AND UK TOUR DATES FOR PLANT FETISH

Switchflicker Productions present

PLANT FETISH

By Chanje Kunda

Vault Festival – CAGE

Director: Darren Pritchard; Costume Designer: Sidnie Pantry; Lighting Designer: Nigel Edwards

Following a successful run at HOME, Manchester, Switchflicker Productions today announce theLondon première and UK tour of Chanje Kunda’s Plant Fetish. Darren Pritchard directs Chanje Kunda in this one woman show. The production opens as part of the 2020 Vault Festival from 21-22 March, with previews at Oldham Coliseum on 10 March, before touring to Hull Truck Theatre, Bury MET, Salisbury Playhouse, Bernie Grants Arts Centre, and Pound Arts, concluding its run at The Holbeck on 28 June.

Chanje Kunda was suffering with anxiety when she discovered that plants reduce stress. She then learnt that some women in Mexico, fed up with men, were getting married to trees. The trees aren’t very talkative, but they are tall, do great things for the planet, and are renowned for their wood. Chanje was inspired and surrendered to this notion. She fell in love with plants, fleshy succulents, monstera’s hand shaped leaves, venus flytrap, the twining of a creeper. The pressures of life drifted away.

This show maps her journey and features a harem of stunning tropical plants. There will be music and movement, dramatic narrative and metaphors and growth and renewal, and the show ends on a climax…

With us forever comparing our lives to those of others on social media and the superficial numbers game that is dating via online apps, Plant Fetish will inspire audeinces to embrace foliage over FOMO!

Chanje Kunda said today, “I started buying and cultivating lots of plants in a bid to save myself and the planet from impending demise, it changed my life and I decided to make a show about it. The show is a celebration of diversity, and is designed to inspire people to reclaim the right to experience joy, to dance and enjoy exotic plants and nature, outside of the ideologies that make people stressed out in the first place. Engaging with plants and nature is a pleasurable way to lead more enjoyable and less stressful lives by becoming mindful of the beauty of creation”

Chanje Kunda is a playwright, poet and actor who performs nationally and internationally. As a poet she has performed at venues including the Royal Albert Hall, Calabash Literature Festival Jamaica, Black Magic Woman Festival Amsterdam, Apples and Snakes at Soho Theatre, and Latitude Festival. She has also been published in literary journals and anthologies, and has written Amsterdam, a full-length solo collection published by Crocus Books. She is the winner of The Verb’s New Voices Award, and won a year-long Artist Residency in 2012 at the Heesterveld Creative Community in Amsterdam, where she performed extensively in the Netherlands.

Darren Pritchard directs. His previous directing credits include Rent Party (UK tour) and he is co-artistic director of the Black Gold Arts Festival.

Instagram @ChanjeKunda

Twitter @ChanjeKunda

#PlantFetish

PLANT FETISH                                                                                                                                            Listings

Oldham Library                      

10 March, 7pm 

Box Office: 0161 624 2829

www.coliseum.org.uk

Vault Festival, CAGE                   

22 March 

Box Office: 0208 050 9241

www.coliseum.org.uk

Hull Truck Theatre

15 May, 7.30pm

Box Office: 01482 323638

www.hulltruck.co.uk

Bury Met

26 May, 7.45pm

Box Office: 0161 761 2216

www.themet.org.uk

Salisbury Playhouse

26 May, 7.45pm

Box Office: 01722 320 333

www.wiltshirecreative.co.uk

Bernie Grants Arts Centre

29 May, 7.30pm

Box Office: 020 8365 5450

www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk

Pound Arts

28 June, 5pm

Box Office: 01249 701 628 

www.berniegrantcentre.co.uk

The Holbeck

30June

Box Office: boxoffice@slunglow.org
www.slunglow.org

DARREN DAY TO JOIN GARETH GATES IN

UK TOUR OF FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL

Selladoor Productions today announces that musical theatre favourite Darren Day will join the cast of Footloose The Musical as Reverend Moore in the brand-new UK Tour opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre on the 24 April.  Following two critically acclaimed tours and due to huge popular demand an additional 11 venues have today been added to the tour schedule ( for full details visit www.footloose-musical.com  ).

Darren will join Gareth Gates* on stage alongside additional cast announced today including;  Geri Allen, Holly Ashton, Jess Barker, Ben Barrow, Alex Fobbester, Josh Hawkins, Lucy Ireland. Evie Rose Lane, Ben Mabberley, Daniel Miles, Tom Mussell, Samantha Richards, Dionne Ward Anderson and Anna Westlake.

Darren Day’s first starring theatre role was in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with an extensive career in the West End including Summer Holiday, Copacabana and Grease.   Tours include Alfie, Carousel, Great Expectations, Godspell, The Rocky Horror Show, We Will Rock You and many more – most recently Mame, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Bob in Rita Sue and Bob Too and new musical Bumblescratch at the Adelphi Theatre.

Darren’s television career has included roles in  Sky’s Stella, Hollyoaks and Holby City, as well as many presenting appearances. Darren was a finalist in the 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother. Recent feature films include White Island, Name of the Game, Rudy and Demon Eye as well as The Krays – Dead Man Walking.

Darren is also an established recording artist and has made guest appearances as a singer on a wide range of television shows.

Darren says “I’m truly happy and excited to be a part of this brilliant production. I was a teenager in the 80’s, which is such an impressionable age for movies and music. This is one of the most iconic films and soundtracks from my teenage years.  I can remember hearing Footloose on the radio for the first time and thinking… what a tune! It’s been a while since I went out on tour with a musical and am very much looking forward to going back to my musical theatre roots around the UK. See you all in the Spring!”

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

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

Footloose The Musical will be presented by Selladoor Productions and Runaway Entertainment, and will be directed by Racky Plews, with choreography from Matt Cole, musical supervision by Mark Crossland and design by Sara Perks with lighting design from Chris Davey and sound design from  Chris Whybrow.

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

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

*Please note Gareth Gates will perform on the tour until 26 September 2020 but will not be performing on 24th and 25th March/ 29th – 6th April / 5th – 9th May / 13th – 17th May / 6th – 12th June / 10th – 15th August

24 April – 02 May – Wimbledon New Theatre* – www.atgtickets.com/wimbledon – 0844 871 7646

04 – 09 May – Birmingham Alexandra Theatre* – www.atgtickets.com/Birmingham  – 0844 871 3011

11- 16 May – Derby Theatre – www.derbytheatre.co.uk – 01332 59 39 39

18 – 23 May – Queens Theatre Barnstaple – www.queenstheatre-barnstaple.com – 01271 316 523

25 – 30 May  – Sunderland Empire  –  www.atgtickets.com/sunderland  – 0844 871 3022

01 – 06 Jun – Llandudno Venue Cymru  – www.venuecymru.co.uk – 01492 872000

08 -13 Jun – His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen  – www.aberdeenperformingarts.com –  01224 641122

22 – 27 Jun – Brighton Theatre Royal *– www.atgtickets.com/brighton – 0844 871 7650

29  Jun – 04 Jul – Milton Keynes Theatre* – www.atgtickets.com/Miltonkeynes  – 0844 871 7652

07 – 11 Jul – Peterborough New Theatre – www.newtheatre-peterborough.com – 01733 852 992

13 – 18 Jul – Malvern Theatre – www.malvern-theatres.co.uk  – 01684 892277

20 – 25  Jul – Blackpool Opera House* – www.wgbpl.co.uk – 0844 856 1111

28 Jul – 01 Aug – Edinburgh Playhouse * – www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh – 0844 871 3014

03 – 03 Aug – Glasgow King’s Theatre – www.atgtickets.com/glasgow – 0844 871 7648

17 – 22 Aug – Plymouth Theatre Royal – www.theatreroyal.com – 01752 267222

24 – 29 Aug – Bournemouth Pavilion – www.bournemouthpavilion.co.uk – 0300 500 0595

01 – 05 Sep – Oxford New Theatre* – www.atgtickets.com/Oxford – 0844 871 3020

07 – 12 Sep – Bradford Alhambra Theatre – www.bradford-theatres.co.uk – 01274 432000

14 – 29 Sep – Doncaster Cast – www.castindoncaster.com –  01302 303 959

21 – 26 Sep – Cheltenham Everyman Theatre – www.everymantheatre.org.uk – 01242 572 573

05 – 10 Oct – Manchester Opera House* – www.atgtickets.com/manchester – 0844 871 3018

13 – 17 Oct – Skegness Embassy Theatre – www.embassytheatre.co.uk – 01754 474100

19 – 24 Oct – Wales Millennium Centre – www.wmc.org.uk – 029 2063 6464

26 – 31 Oct – Woking New Victoria Theatre* – www.atgtickets.com/Woking – 0844 871 7645

09 – 14 Nov – Stoke Regent Theatre * – www.atgtickets.com/stoke  – 0844 871 7649

HAIRSPRAY THE MUSICAL

UK TOUR

Directed by Paul Kerryson
Choreographed by Drew McOnie

HAIRSPRAY THE MUSICAL TOUR ANNOUNCES FULL DATES
FOR 2020-21

As previously confirmed, following two extremely successful tours in 2015/16 and 2017/18, producers Mark Goucher and Matthew Gale will tour their smash hit production of Hairspray in 2020-21. It can now be confirmed that the tour will open at Leicester Curve on 20 August and will visit the following venues in 2020: Manchester Palace, Bradford Alhambra, Blackpool Winter Gardens, Aylesbury Waterside, Birmingham Hippodrome, Glasgow Kings Theatre, Northampton Royal and Derngate, Woking New Victoria, Liverpool Empire and Brighton Theatre Royal.  

The tour will then extend into 2021 starting at Southampton Mayflower on 11 January 2021 and continuing on to Bristol Hippodrome, Edinburgh Playhouse, Inverness Eden Court, Ipswich Regent, Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Milton Keynes Theatre, Sunderland Empire, Sheffield Lyceum, Nottingham Theatre Royal, High Wycombe Swan, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Belfast Grand Opera House, Wolverhampton Grand, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre, Norwich Theatre Royal, Leeds Grand, Southend Cliffs Pavilion and finishing at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham in May.

On-sale dates and further updates will be available in due course via the website: http://www.hairsprayuktour.com/

Featuring the iconic music and lyrics by Academy Award, Tony and Emmy winning duo Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, this much-loved musical comedy is choreographed by Olivier Award-winning Drew McOnie with direction from Paul Kerryson.

It’s Baltimore 1962, where Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, is on a mission to follow her dreams and dance her way onto national TV. Tracy’s audition makes her a local star and soon she is using her new-found fame to fight for equality, bagging local heartthrob Link Larkin along the way.

Hairspray is a musical based on the 1988 film of the same name which starred Divine and Ricki Lake, by cult filmmaker John Waters. With music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Hairspray originally opened to rave reviews on Broadway in 2002 and subsequently won eight Tony Awards. The production opened in London at the Shaftesbury Theatre in 2007 and won four Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. Proving to be an international success, Hairspray has also opened in South Africa, Japan, South Korea, China and Dubai. Following the musical’s phenomenal success on stage, a film of the musical was released in 2007 which starred John Travolta, Michelle Pfeiffer and James Marsden.

TOUR DATES

Leicester Curve
Thurs 20 – Sat 29 August 2020
On sale now

Manchester Palace
Wed 2nd Sep – Sat 12 Sep
On sale now

Bradford Alhambra
Tue 15 Sep – Sat 19 Sep
On sale now

Blackpool – Winter Gardens (Opera House)
Mon 21 Sep – Sat 26 Sep
On sale now

Aylesbury Waterside
Mon 5 Oct – Sat 10 Oct
On sale now

Birmingham Hippodrome
Mon 12 Oct – Sat 17 Oct
On sale now

Glasgow Kings
Mon 19 Oct – Sat 24 Oct
On sale now

Northampton Royal and Derngate
Mon 26 Oct – Sat 31 Oct
On sale now

Woking New Victoria
Mon 2 Nov – Sat 7 Nov
On sale now

Liverpool Empire
Mon 9 Nov – Sat 14 Nov
On sale now

Brighton Theatre Royal
Mon 16 – Sat 21 Nov
On sale 2 March

SECOND LEG 2021

Southampton Mayflower
Mon 11 Jan – Sat 16 Jan
On sale now

Bristol Hippodrome
Mon 18 Jan – Sat 23 Jan
On sale 2 March 2020

Edinburgh Playhouse
Mon 25 Jan – Sat 30 Jan
On sale 2 March 2020

Inverness Eden Court
Mon 1 – Sat 6 Feb
On sale soon

Ipswich Regent
Mon 8 – Sat 13 Feb
On sale now

Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre
Mon 15 – Sat 20 Feb
On sale soon

Milton Keynes Theatre
Mon 22 – Sat 27 Feb
On sale 2 March 2020

Sunderland Empire
Mon 1 – Sat 6 Mar
On sale 2 March 2020

Sheffield Lyceum
Mon 15 – Sat 20 Mar
On sale soon

Nottingham Theatre Royal
Mon 22 – Sat 27 Mar
On sale 2 March 2020

High Wycombe Swan
Mon 29 – Sat 3 Apr
On sale soon

Plymouth Theatre Royal
Mon 5 – Sat 10 Apr
On sale soon

Belfast Grand Opera House
Mon 12 – Sat 17 Apr
On sale soon

Wolverhampton Grand
Mon 19 – Sat 24 Apr
On sale soon

Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre
Mon 26 – Sat 1 May
On sale soon

Norwich Theatre Royal
Mon 3 – Sat 8 May
On sale 2 March 2020

Leeds Grand
Mon 10 – Sat 15 May
On sale soon

Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Mon 17 – Sat 22 May
On sale soon

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham
Mon 24 – Sat 29 May
On sale 2 March 2020

LAUNCH DIGITAL ORDERING APP

ENABLING AUDIENCES AT THE CLICK OF A BUTTON

TO ORDER & RECEIVE REFRESHMENTS TO THEIR SEATS

AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD FROM THE APP STORE & GOOGLE PLAY AND ACCESSIBLE ACROSS ALL SELLADOOR VENUES

Selladoor Worldwide, one of the UK’s leading theatre producers (and winner of The Stage Awards’ 2020 International Award, and no. 18 in The Stage 100’s 2020 list of most influential people working in the performing arts industry), spearheaded by Selladoor Venues, is setting out to make interval refreshments more accessible with the launch of mobile ordering app, DIVA, powered by Preoday. 

Selladoor Venues’ app will cut interval refreshment queues and give users the chance to select their in-venue drinks and snacks, pre-show, at leisure. The initial launch will enable guests to enjoy delivery to their seats during the interval – perfect for audience members that prefer to remain in their seats – with future introductions offering collection from designated bar points and table service during dining events.

The multi-venue app will enable customers to access pre-ordering at three venues: The Queen’s Theatre in Barnstaple, The Landmark in Ilfracombe, and the New Theatre in Peterborough.

Selladoor is proud to be at the forefront of using digital technology to reach audiences. It has a considerable social media following and encourages direct communication with patrons across all digital platforms in order to hear audience feedback, loud and clear. The data Preoday’s platform gathers from users will act as its own form of feedback, communicating buying trends and customer preferences to the theatres. This in turn will enable Selladoor Venues to refine its menus and marketing activity. 

Anna Marie Lambert, Director of Hospitality, Selladoor Venues comments: “We’re excited about the launching of our pre-show ordering app. Rather than our loyal audiences having to download separate apps, per venue, this will allow them to manage their interval experiences in one place”.

Nick Hucker, CEO, Preoday adds: “Preoday’s platform has been having a positive impact for theatre-goers across Britain and we are proud to now extend that effect to audiences attending shows and events at all Selladoor venues.” 

BE MORE CHILL

EXTENDED UNTIL 14 JUNE 2020

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED MUSICAL BECOMES

LONGEST RUNNING SHOW AT THE OTHER PALACE

The producers of the UK premiere of Joe Iconis’ mind-bendingly fun musical, Be More Chill, which premiered to great critical and popular acclaim last week, are delighted to announce a six-week extension.  It will now run at The Other Palace in London until Sunday 14 June 2020, making it the longest running musical at London’s The Other Palace.

Joe Iconis said:  ‘Making my London debut as a musical theatre writer has long been a dream of mine and my experience with Be More Chill at The Other Palace has exceeded all expectations. I have been blown away by the response of audiences and the theatre community here in the UK and am ecstatic that we will be extending our run until 14 June. How thrilling that more people will now get to experience this production I am so proud of, populated by a genius cast of British unicorns. I look forward to returning this summer to see those brilliant creatures work their misfit magic once again.‘

Scott Folan plays the central character of Jeremy Heere, with Blake Patrick Anderson as Michael Mell and Miracle Chance as Christine Canigula.  Stewart Clarke plays The Squip, Eloise Davies is Brooke Lohst, Christopher Fry plays Mr Heere and Mr Reyes, James Hameed plays Rich Goranski, Renee Lamb is Jenna Rolan, Millie O’Connell is Chloe Valentine and Miles Paloma plays Jake Dillinger.  Understudies are:  Gabriel Hinchcliffe, Eve Norris and Jon Tsouras.

Be More Chill is based on the groundbreaking novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini.  With original music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz. 

Be More Chill tells the atypical love story of a boy, a girl … and the supercomputer inside the boy’s head guiding him every step of the way. The boy is desperately trying to fit in. The girl’s longing to be noticed. And the supercomputer just wants to take over the world.

Since the 2015 Original Cast Recording was released by Ghostlight Records, millions of people streamed the album and formed a passionate community of Be More Chill fans, leading the musical to receive a Broadway production, and now this new London production.

When the 2019 Broadway Cast Recording was released by Ghostlight Records, it debuted at #2 on the Top Cast Albums Chart. Songs from the musical have now accumulatively garnered over 350 million streams, with the breakout track Michael In The Bathroom amassing over 31 million streams and 8 million YouTube views alone. Tumblr has ranked Be More Chill as the #2 most talked-about musical on their platform, behind only Hamilton.

Joining Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz on the creative team are director Stephen Brackett, choreographer Chase Brock, set designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Bobby Frederick Tilley II, lighting designer Tyler Micoleau, sound designer Ryan Rumery and video designer Alex Basco Koch with wigs by Dave Bova. Orchestrations are by Charlie Rosen, vocal arrangements by Emily Marshall, UK Musical Direction by Louisa GreenandUK casting is by Will Burton. 

Jerry Goehring and Lisa Dozier King are Executive Producers for the UK Production of Be More Chill.

JASON MANFORD MAKES A WELCOME RETURN TO DARLINGTON HIPPODROME

Jason Manford has announced a new UK and Ireland tour which will include a date at Darlington Hippodrome on Saturday 31 July, 2021.

Jason Manford is back! It’s been a busy few years since Jason’s last smash-hit stand-up show, but fans of his Absolute Radio show will know this nationally acclaimed comedian hasn’t changed a bit. ‘Like Me’ is Jason’s latest comic offering, set to hit the road for a massive 99 date UK & Ireland tour, kicking off in Basingstoke on 3 February 2021 and culminating with a huge homecoming show at the Manchester Arena on 23 October 2021.

Jason said: “After the fun we had on my last tour ‘Muddle Class’, I’m excited to get back on the road with my new stand-up show ‘Like Me’. In these trying times, it’s always important to be able to get away for a couple of hours and exercise the old chuckle muscle! So, I’m coming to Darlington in 2021, so we can have a good laugh together. See you then!”

Jason’s work spans comedy, acting, singing and presenting and includes a host of top TV credits: ‘First & Last’ (BBC One), ‘The Masked Singer’ (ITV1), ‘What Would Your Kid Do?’ (ITV1), ‘Olivier Awards’ (ITV1), ‘Scarborough’ (BBC One), ‘8 Out of 10 Cats’ (Channel 4), ‘The Nightly Show’ (ITV1), ‘Sunday Night at the Palladium’ (ITV1), ‘Live at the Apollo’ (BBC One), ‘Have I Got News For You’ (BBC One), ‘QI’ (BBC Two) and ‘The Royal Variety Performance’ (ITV1).

Jason Manford comes to Darlington Hippodrome for one night only on Saturday 31 July 2021.

Tickets go on sale on Friday 28 February at 10am. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 405405 or visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk