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Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh – until 18 April 2020

Reviewed by Hannah Plumb

5*****

Since announcing its return to the capital Edinburgh audience has awaited the arrival of The Lion King with much excitement. I am glad to say that the show lives up to that expectation. The 1997 West End showstopper feels just as alive today as when it first opened. There is always a fear with big brassy shows that they will lose some of their magic when taken out of their home theatre but this is not the case with this production. 

Following the classic story of everyone’s favourite mischievous lion cub Simba as he journeys to follow his destiny and become King of the Pride Rock. A timeless tale of bravery, friendship, love and family. 

From the moment the lights go down the colourful scenery, spectacular performers and breathtaking score transport the audience into the African Savannah. There are very few theatrical experiences that can match seeing “Circle of Life” performed live in front of you. No matter how ‘grown-up’ you think you are I defy anyone to not turn back into a little kid when the theatre floods with giraffes, antelope and rhinos. The puppets are beautiful and the puppeteers are phenomenal using their bodies to bring the animals alive. I particularly enjoyed the baby elephant. The entire cast on The Lion King is so impressive, whether it’s the spot-on movement which convinces you there is a herd of buffalo galloping towards you. Or the vocals that create the atmosphere of Pride Rock and belt out the well-loved score. 

While all the performances in The Lion King are of an astonishingly high standard the physicality and vocal characterisation of Thandazile Soni’s Rafiki deserve a particular mention. From the word go her animated depiction of everyone’s favourite baboon tells the audience they are in for something special. Another standout performance was Jean-Luc Guizonne as Mufasa. His strong voice and powerful physicality made him a presence that captured your attention every time he was on stage. 

The entire production is well balanced and provides moments tailored for both adults and children. Making this a really family-friendly show. It combines clever comedy and vibrant pictures which make it enjoyable for everyone. The live music, led by conductor Jonathan Gill is nothing short of spectacular. The combination of the orchestra and singers means this is a show that you could go to close your eyes and enjoy the music alone.

It’s no wonder that The Lion King has extended its stay in Edinburgh between the standing ovations and the roof-raising cheers I have no doubt that every audience member is going home and spreading the word that The Lion King is not to be missed. 

Tyne Theatre and Opera House celebrates
five years of independence

The Tyne Theatre and Opera House are celebrating five years since becoming an independent venue in January 2015. In the five years whilst operating independently, the Theatre has seen significant and growing success which will serve as a firm foundation to build upon into the next decade and beyond.

The Grade 1 listed Theatre was built in 1867 by industrialist and politician Joseph Cowen who envisioned ‘a Theatre for everyone’ during a time of heavy industry when life was hard. The warmth, light and escapism of the Theatre answered a major need for working people.

Over 150 years later, the Tyne Theatre & Opera House continues to hold Cowen’s vision of ‘a Theatre for everyone’ at the heart of their ethos.

Joanne Johnson, Theatre Director, said “We work to create a warm and welcoming space with a varied events programme that offers something to appeal to all. We can’t wait to continue to welcome new and returning audiences to the Tyne Theatre and Opera House in 2020.”

After years of private ownership, the Theatre is now its own charity which took the brave step to set up its own operating company in 2015, with the objective that all funds generated by the operations are now reinvested back into the heritage asset.

The last five years has seen a significant growth in the success of the Theatre with the number of events increasing from 148 in the first year of independence to an average of 224 events per year from 2017 to 2019.

Over the last five years the Theatre has welcomed household names such as; Dame Joan Collins, Sir Roger Moore, John Carpenter, Anthony Joshua, Alan Shearer, Michael Palin, Joe McElderry, Seth Lakeman, Sharon Van Etten, productions from Russian State Ballet & Opera House, the Season 1 cast of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and the podcast No Such Thing As A Fish.

The comedy programme in particular has seen great success with; Sarah Millican, Chris Ramsey, Romesh Ranganathan, Dylan Moran, Katherine Ryan, Ed Byrne, Count Arthur Strong, Ben Elton and James Acaster all having taken the Tyne Theatre stage over the last five years.

Upcoming events continue to showcase the diversity of the programme and include; the sell out An Evening With Vic and Bob, poet and songwriter Satinder Sartaaj, Status Quo’s Francis Rossi, writer and podcaster Adam Buxton, Strictly Come Dancing favourite Giovanni Pernice, stand-up superstar John Bishop and the annual Tyne Theatre Productions show The Full Monty.

Income from theatre hire has also more than doubled during the five years of independence, as has the number of core staff, from 6 in 2015 to the current 12.

This measurable and significant growth has been made possible by the hard work of the permanent, part-time and casual staff, and the dedicated trustees and volunteers. However, these efforts would be fruitless without the support of first-time and returning audiences. If not for their visits, donations and feedback, the growing success of the Theatre would not be possible.

Demonstrating a commitment to restoration of the listed building, the Theatre has introduced Name a Seat and a Friends’ Club scheme to raise money for refurbishment. Along with a small levy on some tickets and theatre-goer donations, the Trust has been able to refurbish many areas of the Theatre including over 60% of the seats in the stalls and grand circle. Plans are in place to complete the seat refurbishment and refurbish the toilets.

The Trust also runs a very popular Theatre Tours programme and works closely with local community groups, schools, colleges and universities.

Looking ahead, the Theatre hopes to build on its success and continue to run a warm and welcoming venue for the people of Newcastle upon Tyne and surrounding areas.

Michael Wilmot, Chairman of the Trust, has said “These are exciting times for the Tyne Theatre and Opera House which is unique for its lavish auditorium, its world class acoustics and its complete Victorian wooden stage machinery. We are proud to be an independent venue employing our own staff, that now generates sufficient annual surpluses to allow us to reinvest and gradually restore one of Newcastle’s most loved buildings. We are looking forward to continuing to grow our audiences and participation with our beautiful Theatre over the next decade.”

More information on the Theatre and upcoming shows at:
www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk

VAULT Festival, Leake Street, London SE1 7NN
Tuesday 3rd – Sunday 8th March 2020

V&V tells the iconic love story of literary treasure Virginia Woolf and esteemed socialite Vita Sackville-West, alongside a modern narrative of Lottie from Tunbridge Wells and love cynic Mia. Shortlisted for the Charlie Hartill Theatre Reserve 2019, V&V now makes its debut at VAULT Festival 2020 exploring communication then and now.

Through carefully crafted letters that were anticipated with relish, Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf began an exquisite romance almost a century ago. They conquered each other’s hearts with wit and elegance inked onto a page. Luckily, their husbands didn’t mind.

Today, in the overwhelmingly tangled world of dating apps, Mia and Lottie meet online, flirting through the beam of a phone screen. When an emoji can change not just the tone of the conversation but its entire meaning, reading between the lines becomes a whole new challenge.

Examining the importance of communication in a relationship and how it can fall prey to misinterpretation, the piece interrogates the life-changing impact of technology. The contemporary story explores the sending of messages in the heat of the moment and the regret that can follow. The letters of Vita and Virginia reveal two women engaging in a beautiful but sometimes fraught relationship, as they are frequently physically separated. Hurtful messages sent instantly without thought can become immortalised in a screenshot; messages unsent can haunt a person forever.

Writer and director Misha Pinnington comments, It’s fascinating to explore how communication has changed over time, especially now in our global landscape of technological immediacy. I was lucky enough to hear Juliet Nicholson (descendant of Vita Sackville-West) speak about the physical and epistemological relationship between Vita Sackville-West and Virginia Woolf, which inspired this play. We have two actors who will explore how women communicated romantically both in the early 20th Century and in the modern day. Have we lost the passion that old fashioned letter writing facilitated, or is this new dating app culture equally as romantic?

CAMBRIDGE AUDIENCES RAISE OVER
£18,000 FOR SELECTED CHARITIES

Audiences for Cambridge Arts Theatre’s spectacular family pantomime, Cinderella, raised over £18,000 – an outstanding £3,000 more than the year prior – for several selected charitable causes through bucket collections.

The charities that benefited from the audiences’ generosity are: Cambridge Joint Playschemes, The Laughter Specialists, Headway Cambridgeshire, Macmillan Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital Paediatric Music Therapy, Prostate Cancer UK, Royal Society for Blind Children, and the Theatre’s inhouse charity Panto Wheels scheme, which enables students from disadvantaged areas and those with special educational needs to experience a trip to the pantomime.

Kat Collins, Head of Sales and Marketing at Cambridge Arts Theatre: “We are all delighted with the amount of money our audiences have raised this year, particularly as funds managed to surpass last year’s total. The selected charities will benefit immensely and are extremely grateful of our audiences’ generosity; from the Theatre staff and the Cinderella company, we extend a huge thank you to everyone who donated across the pantomime season.”

Money raised by the Theatre’s in-house charity Panto Wheels enabled 4,353 school children to come and see Cinderella, subsidising both travel expenditure and ticket cost. This year a total of 50 schools from Cambridgeshire attended the pantomime.

The play opened at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham on 22 January, and will continue to tour the UK until 18 April 2020.

THE CROFT is set in the remote Scottish Highlands village of Coillie Ghille, where we encounter three women from different eras whose lives are intertwined by the croft’s dark history. In the 1880’s, we have Enid, the last person left in the village – she’s resilient, a survivor, who takes in the Laird’s pregnant daughter, Eilene. In 2005, Ruth occupies the croft, which she and her husband Tom bought as a holiday home and where Ruth has her affair with local man, David. In the present day, Laura returns with her friend Suzanne to her parent’s croft after her mother Ruth’s death. They discover the terrifying truth that lurks within the croft. In this bold and haunting play, the present interweaves with the past, as these women search for love in the midst of great danger. As we watch their stories intertwine and ancient tales surface, can the present heal the past?

Starring Gwen Taylor, Caroline Harker, Drew Cain, Lucy Doyle and Simon Roberts.

THE CROFT is directed by the award-winning director Philip Franks and produced by The Original Theatre Company.

TALAWA THEATRE COMPANY

REVEALS FIRST PRODUCTION AT NEW HOME

Run It Back revealed as first production to be staged at
Talawa Theatre Company’s new residence

To coincide with relaunch of the TYPT programme: the progenitor of
Run It Back

26 – 28 March & 2 – 4 April 2020

Talawa Theatre Company will be opening the Talawa Studio at Fairfield Halls with a revival of their sell-out show Run It Back. Conceived and directed by Coral Messam, created with Gail Babb, and devised by TYPT:18, Run It Back brings rave to theatre, exploring how Black British music liberates, connects and divides while fighting to stay alive in the face of disappearing spaces and changing legislation.

Set in an explosive club night, Run It Back immerses the audience in Black British club culture with dance, physical theatre and a live set from DJ and turntablist Psykhomantus.

A disused warehouse. A party rages. Distorted bass pulses through the streets, calling the ravers in. Lost in the music and dripping with sweat, they surrender to the DJ’s game. Bring your rags and flags for a night of theatre powered by grime, bashment and afrobeat.

Talawa Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Michael Buffong, said: “For 34 years Talawa Theatre Company has been an essential platform for Black creative talent creating fresh, innovative and unapologetic work. Run it Back is an example of just such a story – vital and dynamic, telling the story of Black British culture in the here and now. Talawa’s new home is providing space for new stories that will fill the next chapter of Black British theatre history for audiences everywhere.”

TYPT alumni include Michaela Coel (E4’s Chewing Gum and The Aliens, Channel 4’s Top Boy and Home, National Theatre), Nonso Anozie (HBO’s Game of Thrones, CBS’ Zoo and Disney’s Cinderella), Shanika Warren-Markland (Noel Clarke’s Adulthood, Brotherhood and 4321 and BFI’s Gone Too Far!), Sandra Thompson-Quartey (Artistic Director High Rise Avenue Theatre Company and Talent Agency), Femi Oguns MBE (Director of The Identity Drama School), Natasha Marshall (Talawa Theatre Company, Soho Theatre and Channel 4’s Half Breed).

Originally created by TYPT 2018, Run It Back’s performance coincides with the relaunch of TYPT as an intensive programme for young Black theatre makers over an extended period. Previously run as a summer school culminating in a devised production at the end of one month, TYPT will now run from April – December each year, enabling a larger cohort to take part in on and off stage roles to devise a new production.

TYPT applications from aspiring Black artists and theatre makers aged 18 – 25 will open at the end of January. The new nine-month TYPT schedule will enable artists to learn from established performers and directors as well as from leaders in off stage fields such as writing, stage management, lighting, sound and set and costume design.

Participants in the relaunched TYPT will be supported to build peer networks and deepen their engagement with the theatre industry, giving them the platform to create bold new work which grows the diverse audiences of the future.

Havingtaken up residence in September 2019 within the redeveloped Fairfield Halls in Croydon, Run It Back celebrates the opening of Talawa Studio, Talawa’s first on-site R&D and performance space since 1995. As well as allowing the company to develop and premiere new work, the space operates as a central hub for Black artists.

As a development of its community outreach programme, Talawa Theatre Company is pleased to announce its participation in C3: a three-year Croydon Youth Arts training programme. As a delivery partner, Talawa Theatre Company will support young people and partner organisations to deliver life-changing opportunities for young people in Croydon.

Talawa Theatre Company is the most successful Black theatre company in the UK. They have established a track record of producing work which shines a spotlight on Black artists, creating theatre for diverse audiences across the country. Mounting more than 80 productions over their 34-year history, their current production, Run It Back, opens the Talawa Studio at Fairfield Halls. Later in 2020, Talawa are co-producing Archie Maddocks’ debut play A Place for We with Park Theatre. The Tide was a 2019 collaboration with Breakin’ Convention, Greenwich & Docklands International Festival and Talawa’s first exclusively outdoor production. Also in 2019 Talawa’s co-production of Superhoe by Nicole Lecky played at the Royal Court. Other recent productions have included collaborations with Soho Theatre for Natasha Marshall’s Half Breed; Royal Exchange Theatre for Guys & Dolls, King Lear (in association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre) and All My Sons (Royal Exchange Theatre, UK tour); Girls by Theresa Ikoko (co-production with Soho Theatre, HighTide).

THE KING AND I: Interview with Annalene Beechey

What first attracted you to the part of Anna?

“Absolutely everything. Anna has a wonderful journey throughout this show, she’s tough, feisty, funny, warm and believes so passionately in the power of knowledge. She also has the most beautiful songs- vocally and lyrically.”

What were your first thoughts when you were offered the role?

“I was, and still am, very honoured to play this role. It’s a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic musical and Bartlett Sher’s Tony Award winning Production is simply beautiful. I was also maybe a little worried about dancing the polka in that huge skirt.”

If you could go back in time and meet the real life Anna what would you say to her?

“I’d tell her how extraordinary she is. A courageous pioneer. And how much I admire her. I’d have questions: ‘How and why did she do it?’ How frightening it must have been to move herself and her son to another country speaking another language, different culture.”

There is a real love story at the heart of the musical – what do you think attracts Anna to the King?

“There is a tremendous amount of respect between Anna and the King, which grows throughout the show. Anna sees in the King, a man who wants to know everything, to be the best that he can be to protect his people, which sparks in Anna a challenge, and a sort of mutual admiration.”

The King is a very single-minded character what qualities does Anna have to win him around to her way of thinking?

“I’m not sure she ever does. But what she does do is spark even more questions in him. Anna constantly challenges him to look at every angle, and to do the right thing. He was a very progressive King and she could offer the real knowledge and experience of the western world which she understood would be invaluable to him.”

In lots of ways Anna was a modern woman do think this is why the story has stood the test of time?

“Very much so. If you ignore the period costumes and just look at the bare bones of this story, you see a single working mother doing the best she can for her son. She fights for what she believes in, and cares very deeply for the world in which she is preparing her pupils to live.”

What can audiences expect from the show?

“Bartlett Sher’s multi Tony Award winning Lincoln Centre Theatre production is elegant and classy. Critically acclaimed Broadway star, Jose Llama is reprising his role as the King, having played him on Broadway and on the American tour. The show has the most glorious Rodgers and Hammerstein score with songs like Whistle A Happy Tune, Getting to Know You, Shall We Dance and so many more. It’s heart wrenching, funny, intimate, passionate, and opulent. There is so much to enjoy with this production but at its heart it’s simply an extraordinary true story of the King of Siam and an English schoolteacher.”

What are you doing to prepare for the role?

“It’s an enormous role. Requiring physical, vocal and emotional strength. The dialogue is fast paced with lovely long scenes to get your teeth into, so I’m revising like crazy. But mainly I’m building up my stamina. I run and I do yoga regularly. You need a strong core for the corset and large skirts.”

What’s it like to dance in a crinoline?

“Hard. You stop and it keeps moving. And it’s very heavy, almost 20 kilos in weight.”

What’s your favourite number in the show?

“Hard to choose. The ballet is extraordinary. The first time I saw the cast perform it in the rehearsal room, I cried. It took my breath away. And still does. It’s a privilege to watch our incredible dancers perform this up close. Out of the songs I sing, I love performing Hello Young Lovers.”

What do you love most about musical theatre?

“It can communicate on so many levels all at once. Music, drama, and dance all colliding in a burst of emotions, and it doesn’t shy away from that. A good musical should take you through it all in one night, the tears and laughter and everything in between. The drama of dialogue is underscored to heighten each emotion, characters sing because words simply aren’t enough and dance because only their bodies can release the feelings they are experiencing. Pure escapism.”

What was your first experience of musical theatre?

“I saw Phantom of the Opera when I was 12 years old and just knew this was what I wanted to do.

What’s the most challenging aspect of touring?

“Being away from my family. I have a husband and two children, so thank goodness for technology, but as long as I can see them at the weekends we’re all ok.”

When you’re on tour – what’s the one thing you can’t live without?

“Only one thing? I hate to admit it, but it’s my phone. Aside from that. Earplugs. And my pillow. I need my sleep.”

BroadwayWorld describes your voice as “angelic” and “a pleasure to listen to”. How do you take care of it?

“That’s very lovely. I look after it. I steam my voice, drink lots of water, wear a lot of scarves in the colder months and try not to eat too much chocolate.”

How does this part differ from other roles that you’ve played?

“I’ve never played a mother before actually. And I love working with the children on stage. They are just wonderful, all so individual, full of energy, funny, sweet and we do have a local young actor joining us as one of the children.”

Time Out, WhatsOnStage

★★★★

The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, Evening Standard, Daily Telegraph,

Sunday Times, Radio Times, The Stage, Mail On Sunday, Metro

OK, FOR ONE MILLION POUNDS, LET’S PLAY!

DIRECT FROM THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED WEST END SEASON

JAMES GRAHAM’S SMASH HIT COMEDY

THE CHICHESTER FESTIVAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

DIRECTED BY DANIEL EVANS WITH SEAN LINNEN

EMBARKS ON A UK & IRELAND TOUR FROM AUGUST 2020

James Graham’s critically acclaimed smash hit comedy, Quiz, will embark on a 20-week UK and Ireland tour from August 2020.

In September 2001, the nation was gripped by a scandal that remains, to this day, a mystery. Charles Ingram, aka the Coughing Major, and his accomplices duped the world’s richest and most popular TV quiz show – Who Wants to Be a Millionaire – out of £1,000,000. Or did they? And if they did cheat, how did they really do it?

Uncovering new evidence, and using bespoke technology never seen before on a UK tour, Quiz asks the audience to decide the ultimate 50-50: guilty or not guilty.

Quiz returns to the stage following its highly successful world premiere at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre in 2017 and subsequent West End transfer in 2018. The production is directed by Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, Daniel Evans with Sean Linnen, designs by Robert Jones, lighting by Tim Lutkin, music and sound by Ben and Max Ringham, video design by Tim Reid, and original movement direction by Naomi Said. The tour is produced by William Village and Adam Spiegel. Casting will be announced in due course.

Set to air in 2020, the Olivier Award winning writer,James Graham, has also adapted Quiz into a three-part drama for ITV. The TV series of the same name is directed by Stephen Frears and stars Michael Sheen, Matthew Macfadyen, Sian Clifford, Aisling Bea and Helen McCrory.

Quiz is a fictional imagination based on real events which took place in 2001 following an episode of Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? It is not in any way connected with the makers of the programme or any of the individuals portrayed.

LISTINGS

QUIZ

24 AUGUST 2020 – 21 NOVEMBER 2020

UK TOUR

WRITTEN BY JAMES GRAHAM
DIRECTED BY DANIEL EVANS WITH SEAN LINNEN

PRODUCED BY WILLIAM VILLAGE & ADAM SPIEGEL

Running Time: Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes (including interval)

Website: www.quiztheplay.co.uk

Twitter/Facebook/Instagram: @QuizThePlay

DATES & VENUES

Bromley, Churchill Theatre                                   churchilltheatre.co.uk

24 Aug – 5 Sept 2020                                               020 3285 6000

Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre                              marlowetheatre.com

7 Sept – 12 Sept 2020                                             01227 787787

Leicester, Curve Theatre                                        curveonline.co.uk

14 Sept – 19 Sept 2020                                           0116 242 3595

Newcastle, Theatre Royal                                      theatreroyal.co.uk

21 Sept – 26 Sept 2020                                           08448 11 21 21

Sheffield, Lyceum Theatre                                    sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

28 Sept – 3 Oct 2020                                               0114 249 6000

Dublin, Bord Gais Energy Theatre                        bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

5 Oct – 10 Oct 2020                                                 +353 (1) 677 7999

Southampton, Mayflower Theatre                       mayflower.org.uk

12 Oct – 17 Oct 2020                                                02380 711811

Nottingham, Theatre Royal                                     trch.co.uk

19 Oct – 24 Oct 2020                                                 0115 989 5555

Bath, Theatre Royal                                                  theatreroyal.org.uk

26 Oct – 31 Oct 2020                                                  01225 448844

Cardiff, New Theatre                                                 newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

2 Nov – 7 Nov 2020                                                    02920 878 889

Edinburgh, King’s Theatre                                        capitaltheatres.com

9 Nov – 14 Nov 2020                                                  0131 529 6000

Inverness, Eden Court                                               eden-court.co.uk

16 Nov – 21 Nov 2020                                                01463 234 234

Further 2021 tour dates and venues will be announced in due course.

WINNER OF THE 2019 PAPATANGO PRIZE – SAMUEL BAILEY’S SHOOK

TRANSFERS TO THE WEST END

“An astonishingly brilliant production… One of the best debut plays I have ever seen”

Saturday Review, Radio 4

“Bailey’s a major talent to be reckoned with” Evening Standard

Papatango Theatre Company and James Quaife Productions

in association with Rupert Henderson and London Limelight

present the West End premiere of

SHOOK

by Samuel Bailey

Trafalgar Studios

8 April – 9 May

Director George Turvey; Set and Costume Designer Jasmine Swan

Lighting Designer Johanna Town; Sound Designer Richard Hammarton

Papatango and James Quaife Productions today announce the West End transfer of Papatango’s original production of Samuel Bailey’s critically acclaimed Shook – 2019’s winner of the annual Papatango New Writing Prize. The production opens at the Trafalgar Studios on 14 April, with previews from 8 April, and runs until 9 May, marking Papatango’s first West End transfer. Artistic Director George Turvey reunites the company from the acclaimed debut run at Southwark Playhouse and on tour in 2019 – Josef Davies (Jonjo), Josh Finan (Cain), Andrea Hall (Grace) and Ivan Oyik (Riyad). The production was nominated for seven Off West End Awards (Best Production, Best New Play, Most Promising Playwright, Best Performance Ensemble, Best Director, Best Set and Best Sound); and is currently a finalist for Best Production and Most Promising Playwright Awards.

George Turvey said today, “We’re thrilled to transfer Shook in Samuel Bailey and Papatango’s West End premières. After a record-breaking run at Southwark Playhouse and a national tour, it’s a joy to revive this very special show and share it with a wider audience.”

James Quaife added, “Having seen Samuel Bailey’s brilliant debut last year, I am delighted to be able to transfer the production with Papatango into the West End for a richly deserved longer run, so even more people can see this extraordinary play.”

“He’ll look different. My little boy. When I get out. Like… to the picture I’ve got in my head. Be like meeting him all over again. Be a whole new start.”

Instead of GCSEs, Cain, Riyad and Jonjo got sentences. Locked up in a young offenders’ institution, they trade sweets, chat shit, kill time – and await fatherhood.

Grace’s job is to turn these teenagers into parents, ready to take charge of their futures. But can they grow up quickly enough to escape the system?

Winner of the 2019 Papatango New Writing Prize from a record 1,406 entries, Samuel Bailey’s debut full production tenderly and honestly examines the young men society shuts away.

Samuel Bailey was born in London and raised in the West Midlands. He began writing plays in Bristol and developed work with Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatres and Theatre West before moving back to London. He is an alumnus of the Old Vic 12 and Orange Tree Writers’ Collective. Shook was originally supported by the MGCfutures bursary programme, and won the 2019 Papatango New Writing Prize, being developed and produced by Papatango in a record-breaking run at Southwark Playhouse followed by a UK tour. It was nominated for seven Off West End Awards.

The Papatango New Writing Prize was the UK’s first – and remains the only annual – opportunity guaranteeing a new writer a full production, publication by Nick Hern Books, a royalty of 10% of the gross box office, and a £6500 commission with full developmental support for a follow-up play.

In addition, every entrant receives feedback on their script – a commitment made by no other company, especially significant as the Prize averages more submissions on a yearly basis than any other playwriting award.

For the past five years, the Prize-winning play has been showcased at Southwark Playhouse including the world premières of the 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015 Papatango New Writing Prize winners: Shook by Samuel Bailey, The Funeral Director by Iman Qureshi, Trestle by Stewart Pringle, Orca by Matt Grinter and Tomcat by James Rushbrooke. These productions have received 16 nominations for Off West End Awards including Best New Play and Most Promising Playwright.

Other writers produced under the Prize include Dawn King, Dominic Mitchell, Tom Morton-Smith, Fiona Doyle, Luke Owen and Louise Monaghan. Collectively, writers launched through the Prize have won BAFTAs, Off West End, and RNT Foundation Awards, been nominated for the James Tait Black Drama Prize and twice nominated for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, premièred in over twenty countries worldwide, and gone on to work with the National Theatre, RSC, Hampstead Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, Theatre Royal Bath, Royal and Derngate, Bush Theatre, Headlong, English Touring Theatre and The Old Vic, as well as in the West End, and for the BBC and HBO.

Josef Davies plays Jonjo. His previous theatre credits include Hangmen (Royal Court Theatre, Wyndham’s Theatre), The 306 (National Theatre of Scotland), and Junkyard (Headlong). For television, his credits include Chernobyl, World on Fire, Silent Witness, Shakespeare and Hathaway, The Bisexual, Curfew, Call The Midwife, and Uncle. For film, 1917, The King, Dumbo, Undercliffe, and The Limehouse Golem.

Josh Finan plays Cain. His previous theatre credits include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and The Merry Wives of Windsor (RSC), The Nutcracker (Theatr Clwyd), Champ (Tobacco Factory Theatres), E15 (Lung Theatre, Northern Stage), The Barricade (Theatre503), Takeover – Pancake Day (Bunker Theatre), and Dolly Wants to Die (Lung Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Fringe – Underbelly Theatre). For television, his credits include Doctors and Guerrilla; and for film, Surge, Hellboy, and The Current War.

Andrea Hall plays Grace. Her previous theatre credits include Ares (Vaults Festival), The Wild Duck (Almeida Theatre), The Notebook of Trigorin (Finborough Theatre), Hyacinth Blue (Clean Break), Talkin’ Loud (Theatre503), Abena’s Stupidest Mistake (The Drill Hall), Parting Shots (Bootleg Theatre), Large Tales (Nottingham Playhouse), The Palace of Fear (Leicester Haymarket), and Johnny Dollar (Bloomsbury Theatre). For television, her credits include Unforgotten, The Child in Time, Broadchurch, Flack, Humans, Joe All Alone, Apple Tree House, Trauma and Thirteen.

Ivan Oyik plays Riyad. His previous theatre credits include Blue Orange (Birmingham Rep – for which he was nominated for The Stage Debut Award for Best Actor in a Play) and Red Pitch (Ovalhouse).

George Turvey co-founded Papatango in 2007 and became the sole Artistic Director in January 2013. Credits as director include Shook (Papatango, UK tour), Hanna (Papatango, UK tour), The Annihilation of Jessie Leadbeater (Papatango at ALRA), After Independence (Papatango at Arcola Theatre, 2016 Alfred Fagon Audience Award, and on BBC Radio 4), Leopoldville (Papatango at Tristan Bates Theatre), and Angel (Papatango at Pleasance London and Tristan Bates Theatre).

Turvey trained as an actor at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts (ALRA) and has appeared on stage and screen throughout the UK and internationally, including the lead roles in the world première of Arthur Miller’s No Villain (Old Red Lion Theatre and Trafalgar Studios) and Batman Live World Arena Tour.  As a dramaturg, he has led the development of all of Papatango’s productions. He is the co-author of Being A Playwright: A Career Guide For Writers, published by Nick Hern Books.

ABOUT PAPATANGO

Papatango is a charity who discover and champion new playwrights by running free open application schemes and opportunities.

The Papatango New Writing Prize is free to enter and open to any resident of the UK or Ireland. It is assessed anonymously by a reading team which identifies as at least 50% female and is at least 25% BAME. All entrants receive personal feedback on their scripts, an unmatched commitment to supporting aspiring playwrights. The 2019 Prize assessed and gave personal feedback to 1,406 plays from every region of the UK and Ireland. The winner is guaranteed a full production, publication, royalties and commission. The Prize was the first UK award to make such a commitment, changing the landscape for new writing.

Winners have been evenly divided between men and women, aged from their 20s to their 50s, and 70% have been state educated. They have won BAFTAs, Off West End and Royal National Theatre Foundation awards, premiered in over 20 countries, and worked with the RSC, National Theatre, BBC and HBO, among many other leading organisations.

As well as the Prize, Papatango offers a yearly Resident Playwright scheme, taking an emerging playwright through commissioning, development and production of a new play. Previous Residents have won an Alfred Fagon Audience Award, adapted their play for BBC Radio Four, been commissioned by Headlong, the Tricycle Theatre, and the North Wall Arts Centre, and seen their work tour nationwide with Papatango.

Papatango also run GoWrite, an extensive programme of free playwriting workshops, performances and publication for children and adults across the country. Each year it provides free face-to-face training or productions for over 4000 budding writers at state schools, regional venues and community centres, launching plays that have gone on to be staged at Hampstead Theatre, the Vaults Festival, Old Red Lion Theatre, Arcola Theatre, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Luton Hat Factory and the Quarry Theatre, Bedford. GoWrite also provides £5000 in bursaries to enable in-need writers nationwide to access opportunities. In 2019 Papatango launched WriteWest, a playwriting programme across south-west England which provides free training, performances and seed funding for grassroots writers and producers.

Papatango’s first book, Being A Playwright: A Career Guide for Writers, was published in autumn 2018 by Nick Hern Books. It topped Amazon’s best-seller list in the playwriting category, and has been described as a “phenomenon for playwriting good…a bible for playwrights” by Steve Waters and “enlightening…an excellent tool for playwrights” by Indhu Rubasingham.

www.papatango.co.uk

ABOUT JAMES QUAIFE PRODUCTIONS

Formed in 2009, James Quaife Productions (JQP) is an award-winning theatrical and entertainment production company producing theatre in the West End and around the UK.

With a background in both the subsidised and commercial sector, JQP is passionate about nurturing and developing new and innovative work for the stage, as well as offering the highest quality of theatre and live entertainment possible. 

As an independent producer and general manager, productions include: Sweat (Gielgud Theatre; Winner of the Evening Standard Award for Best Play 2019 and Olivier Nominated for Best New Play), Good People starring Imelda Stanton (Noël Coward Theatre), the world premiere of Barking in Essex starring Lee Evans, Sheila Hancock and Keeley Hawes (Wyndham’s Theatre; Evening Standard and WhatsOnStage Award nominations for Best New Comedy), Next Fall starring Charlie Condou (Southwark Playhouse), Step 9 (of 12) starring Blake Harrison and Precious Little Talent (Trafalgar Studios). 

From 2014 – 2019 James was the Producer for English Touring Theatre, productions include: Equus (Trafalgar Studios/Theatre Royal Stratford East/UK tour; Winner of the UK Theatre Awards, Best Revival 2019), Two Trains Running (Royal & Derngate/UK tour), Dealing with Clair (Orange Tree, Richmond), A Streetcar Named Desire (UK tour; UK Theatre Awards nomination – Best Touring Production 2018), Rules for Living (Royal & Derngate/Rose Theatre Kingston/UK tour), Silver Lining (Rose Theatre Kingston/ UK tour), Hamlet (Trafalgar Studios), Brideshead Revisited (York Theatre Royal/UK tour), The Herbal Bed (Royal & Derngate/Rose Theatre Kingston/UK tour; Winner – UK Theatre Awards Best Touring Production 2016), The Odyssey: Missing Presumed Dead (Liverpool Everyman/ Shakespeare’s Globe/UK tour) and Arcadia (Theatre Royal Brighton/UK tour). 

James is a member of The Society of London Theatre and the League of Independent Producers.

www.jamesquaifeproductions.com

LISTINGS:                                                                                                                                              SHOOK

Trafalgar Studios 2

14 Whitehall London SW1A 2DY

Box Office: 0844 871 7632

www.trafalgar-studios.com

Tickets: £25, £30, £35 (plus a £3.50 transaction charge)

Twitter: @PapaTangoTC

Facebook: PapaTango Theatre Company

Instagram: Papatangotc

#ShookPlay

@JamesQuaife

@TrafStudios

ROSE THEATRE ANNOUNCE THE FULL CAST OF

THE CREATURE: [FRANKENSTEIN RETOLD]

Rose Theatre presents A Rose Original Production

The Creature: [Frankenstein Retold]  

Based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and adapted by Ciaran McConville

Rose Theatre

27 February – 29 February

Rose Theatre today announce The Creature: [Frankenstein Retold] based on Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, and adapted for the stage by Ciaran McConville. The production, directed by Lucy Morrell, opens on 28 February and runs until 29 February, with previews from 27 February.

This cast is formed of Rose Youth Theatre alumni, Morrell directs Billy Brown (Henri/Landlord), Eleanor Clark (The Creator), Katherine Liley (Flic/Safi), Louis Mertens (Mr Kirwin/Elias/Aleksei), Joshua King Milne (Professor Waldman/Fira/ Moritz), Frankie Oldham (Mr Kremp/Vadim), Anna Pryce (The Creature), Francis Redfern (Ralf Wile) and Daisy Tucker (Elizabeth).

‘I was both one and zero, creator and destroyer, disease and cure, God and monster.’

An arctic vessel trapped in the frozen ocean takes on a stranger far from shore, who warns of an impending attack from a creature of superhuman strength. As the captain tries to find some way of defending his cargo, a horrifying story emerges.

This unflinching, contemporary retelling of Mary Shelley’s masterpiece is a professional debut for alumni of the dynamic Rose Youth Theatre.

Director Lucy Morrell said today, ‘It is brilliant to be working with a group of our outstanding young performers in bringing The Creature: [Frankenstein Retold] to the Rose main stage. This is an exciting production and these young artists are a testament to the Rose’s commitment to supporting young people in the community. I’m thrilled that we’re able to offer them this opportunity to make their professional stage debut.’

Lucy Morrell directs and is the current Director of Learning and Participation at Rose Theatre. Her previous directing credits include 1984, Our Town, Much Ado About Nothing, The Jungle Book, Charlotte’s Web, Treasure Island, The Railway Children, Macbeth, Gulliver’s Travels and Black Beauty (Rose Theatre Kingston) and The Creature (Oldenburg State Theatre).

The Creature                                                                                                                                         Listings

Rose Theatre Kingston

24-26 High Street, Kingston, KT1 1HL

Thursday 27 February to Saturday 29 February 2020

PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Thu 27 Feb                          19:30

Fri 28 Feb 19:30    

Sat 29 Feb                           14:30

Sat 29 Feb                           19:30

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Twitter: @Rosetheatre

Facebook: /RoseTheatreKingston

Instagram: RoseTheatreKingston