Churchill Theatre, Bromley – until 19 October 2019
Reviewed by Elizabeth J Smith
5*****
I loved the book TheGirl On The Train and was extremely disappointed by the film, so what of the play?
The Girl on the Train is a story of manipulation, passion and jealousy.
We watch as Rachel sinks lower into despair, defeated by the demon drink. She has lost her husband, her job and now her home. She faces allegations of murder and as she can’t remember what she has done the night before or almost any nights lately, how will she unravel this puzzle as to what happen to Megan Hipwell. Prior to the night she died, Megan had been the fantasy character in Rachel’s confused and deteriorating mind. As she watched Megan and her husband from the train she built a whole world for this coupled and as fate would have it, they lived just down the road from Rachel’s ex husband, Tom, and his new wife Anna.
Rachel’s own story reveals how she got where she is today but was it really all her doing or was there a driving force behind her demise? Could she really kill someone? As the story unfolds and the drunken fog in her mind begins to clear can she work out what really went on that fateful Saturday night.
Samantha Womack, Rachel Watson, gives a tremendous performance of a woman losing herself in the bottle. From her unkempt appearance, to her untidy home, she convinces us of Rachel’s demise into blackout mode and confusion. Her portrayal of a functioning drunk is subtle and totally convincing. As we follow Rachel’s story Samantha transform her into a less confused individual to one that is thinking clearer each day.
Oliver Farnworth, plays Scott Hipwell, the grieving husband of the deceased Megan. He expertly shows us how love can turn to hatred and violence in a flash. But does that make him a killer?
Adam Jackson-Smith, convinces us of Tom Watson’s caring side as he tends to his ex wife in her hour of need and we watch the transformation of Tom into a manipulative monster who will do anything to secure his perfect life.
John Douglas, DI Gaskill, brings a lighter side to this destructive story, with great one liners and an air of “it’s just a job” attitude.
The rest of the characters are played with finesse, unravelling each twist and turn of the story to reveal the unexpected finale.
So as for the play, I loved it.
The staging was dark, with minimalist sets, emphasising the depressing state of Rachels mind and situation.
This for me was a truer interpretation of the original book and if you love a murder mystery you’d be hard pressed to find one as good as this.
The Olivier Award nominated producers of the 2017 smash-hit La bohème, present a Puccini double-bill, Opera Undone: Tosca & La bohème, in brand new English versions by David Eaton and Adam Spreadbury-Maher. The production will run at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 5 February to 7 March 2020. Adam Spreadbury-Maher, Artistic Director of the King’s Head Theatre, will also direct the production, with musical direction from David Eaton.
Opera Undone is a new strand of the King’s Head Theatre’s celebrated opera programming, whereby famous operas are radically reimagined in a punchy 60-minute format and sung entirely in English. This revolutionary new form tears up the opera rulebook for a whole new generation. Newcomers to opera, along with diehard fans will be able to experience in one evening two enthralling tales of love, heartbreak and deception as they’ve never been told before.
La bohème is a thoroughly modern look at relationships, addiction and co-dependency in London’s hip and happening Peckham. On-off couple Marcus and Melissa navigate the emotional complexities of a polyamorous relationship, whilst flatmate Rod’s gratification on Grindr is disrupted when he meets the beautiful and enigmatic Luca.
Tosca is an electrifying tale of love, lies and abuse in present-day Hollywood. Amidst the glitz and glamour of Tinsel Town, an all-powerful producer preys on an actress, seeking to manipulate and distort her relationship with an up-and-coming screenwriter for his own nefarious and troubling purposes.
The King’s Head Theatre’s Artistic Director, Adam Spreadbury-Maher, founded the Cock Tavern Theatre, OperaUpClose and the Hope Theatre before joining the King’s Head Theatre as Artistic Director in 2010. In 2009, Adam produced La bohème at the Cock Tavern and Soho Theatres which won the Olivier Award for Best Opera and was nominated for Best New Opera in 2017. Since becoming Artistic Director of the King’s Head Theatre, Adam’s directing highlights include Trainspotting and therecent 35th-anniversary production of Kevin Elyot’s Coming Clean, also returning to Trafalgar Studios 2 in 2020.
David Eaton has been the Musical Director of leading chamber opera company, Charles Court Opera, for over ten years, and has worked with them on productions from across the classical repertoire, most notably Gilbert & Sullivan but also Puccini, Mozart, Ligeti, Peter Maxwell Davies and Rodgers. As an accompanist, he has played at concert venues across the country including St. John’s Smith Square, the Purcell Room and the Wigmore Hall as well as performing several times live on Radio 3 and BBC Television. David has also had translations performed at the Grimeborn Festival.
Opera Undone: Tosca & La bohème will be directed by Adam Spreadbury-Maher, with musical direction from David Eaton, with design by Amanda Mascarenhas and lighting by Nic Farman.
This production is produced by King’s Head Theatre, Making Productions and RGM Productions in association with DeVere Productions.
“The best musical of this century.” Ben Brantley, The New York Times
The Book of Mormon, Broadway’s smash-hit musical written by Trey Parker, Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, is coming to Birmingham Hippodrome next year from 4 March 2020.
Public booking for the Tony®, Olivier® and Grammy® award-winning show will open at 10am on Tuesday 22 October at www.thebookofmormonmusical.com and www.birminghamhippodrome.com.
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 2766 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.
Public booking opens Tuesday 22 October at 10am. For tickets visit www.thebookofmormonmusical.com, www.birminghamhippodrome.com or call 0844 338 5000 (4.5p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge).
With the world première of Emily White’s Pavilion running at the theatre, and the company’s large-scale promenade show Mold Riots about to take to the streets, Artistic Director of Theatr ClwydTamara Harvey and Executive Director Liam Evans-Ford today announces the company’s new season, which centres on two world premières by Seiriol Davies and Alan Harris.
The season opens with Milky Peaks – a fiercely hilarious new musical written and composed by Seiriol Davies, which opens at Theatr Clwyd on 30 March, with previews from 20 March, runs until 11 April, and then embarks on a tour across Wales; followed by a brand new comedy from award-winning Welsh playwright Alan Harris, For The Grace of You Go I, which opens on 30 April, with previews from 27 April, and runs until 9 May.
Tamara Harvey said today, “We’re properly proud of the extraordinary talent here in Wales, and delighted to share their unique voices with audiences across the nation. Following Emily White’s brilliant debut with Pavilion and the forthcoming Mold Riots by Bethan Marlow we stage Seiriol Davies’ new musical Milky Peaks – lyrically nimble and musically exhilarating, his songs and stories are rich, nuanced and intensely funny. We then welcome Alan Harris, one of the best comedic playwrights of his generation, with his new play For The Grace Of You Go I, exploring humanity in its most personal and intimate moments while still finding light, and laughter, in darkness.”
Highlights of the visiting season include the stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Kate Wasserberg’s production of Richard Cameron’s The Glee Club, The Croft with Gwen Taylor, and Alan Bennett’s The Habit of Art with Matthew Kelly; as well as dance from Rambert and National Dance Company Wales, and the hit new musical SIX.
THEATR EMLYN WILLIAMS
Theatr Clwyd, Áine Flanagan Productions and Seiriol Davies present the world première of
MILKY PEAKS
Written and composed by Seiriol Davies
Devised by Seiriol Davies, Matthew Blake and Dylan Townley
Directed by Alex Swift; Additional composition by Dylan Townley
20 March – 11 April
An edgy and extremely funny musical comedy. Nestled in the heart of Snowdonia, the small town of Milky Peaks is nominated for ‘Britain’s Best Town’. The award brings with it a dark right-wing agenda, threatening the heart and soul of the town. Can the community club together to save the identity of their beloved Milky Peaks?
Milky Peaks reunites Davies with collaborators Matthew Blake, Alex Swift, Dylan Townley and Áine Flanagan Productions.
Seiriol Davies trained at LISPA. He is the writer, composer and star of queer musical How to Win Against History, which was the critical and audience smash of the 2016 and 2017 Edinburgh Fringe, and toured England and Wales extensively before a run at London’s Young Vic, which was extended due to popular demand. He previously worked with companies and artists including Punchdrunk, Caroline Horton, Verity Standen, Underbling & Vow, Christopher Green and Gideon Reeling. He has written work for The Old Vic, Gate Theatre, National Theatre Wales and English National Opera. Upcoming work includes the musical Betty! – co-written with Maxine Peake – for the Manchester Royal Exchange.
Alex Swift is the Artistic Director at Permanent Red and Associate Artist at Daedalus Theatre Company. Directing for theatre includes All of Me(Summerhall, Edinburgh and The Yard, London), How to Win Against History (Young Vic and tour), An Injury (Ovalhouse), Heads Up (Summerhall, Edinburgh and tour), Luca Rutherford’s Political Party (ARC Stockton and tour), Instructions For Border Crossing (Summerhall and tour), Me & Mr C (Ovalhouse, Alphabetti Theatre and tour), Fat Man(Vault Festival and tour), Error 404 (Polka Theatre and tour), Mess (Traverse theatre and tour), I Told You This Would Happen (ARC Stockton and tour) and Puffball (BAC and Yard Theatre).
Milky Peaks has been supported by the National Theatre New Work Department, Theatr Clwyd, Arts Council England and Cyngor Celfyddydau Cymru.
THEATR EMLYN WILLIAMS
Theatr Clwyd presents the world première of
FOR THE GRACE OF YOU GO I
By Alan Harris
Director: James Grieve
27 April – 9 May
Jimmy’s writing messages. In pepperoni. On top of pizzas. Adding meats to “handmade” artisan pizzas, Jim’s life is going nowhere. But after watching the film I Hired A Contract Killer, he’s found a solution – he puts out a hit on himself. A darkly funny, quick witted, fastmoving new comedy by acclaimed writer Alan Harris.
Alan Harris’ plays include Sugar Baby (Edinburgh Fringe 2017, Soho Theatre 2018), How My Light is Spent (winner of the Judges’ Award at the 2015 Bruntwood Prize, produced by the Royal Exchange, Manchester, Sherman Theatre and Theatre By The Lake), Love, Lies and Taxidermy (Paines Plough, Theatr Clwyd and Sherman Theatre), The Opportunity of Efficiency (New National Theatre Tokyo / National Theatre Wales), A Good Night Out in The Valleys (the inaugural production of the newly formed National Theatre Wales), The Future For Beginners (liveartshow / Wales Millennium Centre), The Magic Toyshop (Invisible Ink / Theatr Iolo), Cardboard Dad (Sherman Cymru), Miss Brown To You (Hijinx Theatre), and Orange (Sgript Cymru).
James Grieve returns to Theatr Clwyd to direct – he previously directed The Assassination of Katie Hopkins. He was joint Artistic Director of Paines Plough – the UK’s national theatre of new plays – where his credits for the company included Out Of Love, Black Mountain and How To Be A Kid (Roundabout, Theatr Clwyd and Orange Tree), Angry Brigade and Jumpers For Goalposts (Bush Theatre), Hopelessly Devoted (Tricycle Theatre, UK Tour), Wasted (Latitude Festival), Tiny Volcanoes (Liverpool Everyman) You Cannot Go Forward From Where You Are Right Now (Traverse Theatre). Other credits include the forthcoming God’s Dice (Soho Theatre), the award-winning Translations (Sheffield Theatres), The Whisky Taster,Psychogeography (Bush Theatre) and The List (Arcola Theatre).
Cambridge Arts Theatre is delighted to announce the full principal cast for this year’s traditional family pantomime, Cinderella, with legendary ballet dancer and TV personality Wayne Sleep leading the cast for a second year as an Ugly Sister, alongside Corrie’s Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts), playing Baron Hardup.
Sleep made his Arts Theatre debut as the evil Abanazar in the 2018 pantomime Aladdin, but is best known for his legendary career at the Royal Ballet, achieving a coveted scholarship which led to him to become a senior principal dancer for the company. He famously set a world record by performing an entrechat-douze – the most jumps ever completed in the step. His stage credits include originating the role of Mr Mistoffelees in Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats in the West End, the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and over 20 pantomimes. Notable recent TV appearances include The Chase, Celebrity Big Brother and The Real Marigold Hotel.
Kevin Kennedy will play Baron Hardup in his Arts Theatre debut. Best known for playing Curly Watts on ITV’s Coronation Street for 20 years, Kennedy has starred in numerous pantomimes, and has most recently starred as Dennis Dupree in the Rock of Ages musical from 2018- 2019.
They are joined by acclaimed stage and television actress Liza Goddard as the Fairy Godmother, who returns to Cambridge following her Arts Theatre appearances as Fairy Beansprout in Jack and the Beanstalk and the Empress in Aladdin. Goddard is much loved for her roles as the glamorous jewel thief Philippa Vale in Bergerac, Mrs Jessop in Woof! and Clarissa ‘Clancy’ Merrick in Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, as well as numerous stage roles.
Cambridge’s #1 pantomime dame, the hilarious Matt Crosby (The Importance of Being Earnest) will take centre stage alongside Sleep in his fourteenth pantomime at the Arts Theatre, but his first as an Ugly Sister!
Charlotte Kennedy will star as Cinderella. Kennedy made her professional debut in Les Misérables in the West End and also appeared in Honeymoon in Vegas (London Palladium) and Elaine Paige in Concert (The Royal Albert Hall).
Isaac Stanmore will play Buttons. Stanmore originated the role of Saul in Sally Cookson’s Hetty Feather in 2014, other stage works includes Robin & Marian and Dracula.
Completing the cast are Emily Squibb as Prince Charming, whose recent credits include first cover for Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein and The Wizard of Oz at Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and Nancy Hill playing Dandini. Nancy’s musical credits include Legally Blonde, Sweeney Todd and Hairspray.
Cinderella is directed by Phil Clark, who boasts over 40 years’ experience as a professional theatre director and writer. His previous productions include Horrible Histories Live on Stage, Roald Dahl stage adaptations The BFG and George’s Marvellous Medicine as well as last year’s Arts Theatre pantomime Aladdin.
The biggest and best Christmas show in town, presented with the Arts Theatre’s trademark blend of singalong tunes, spectacular dance routines, dazzling costumes and classic panto jokes, Cinderella opens on Thursday 28 November 2019 and runs until Saturday 11 January 2020. For full information and ticket prices visit www.cambridgeartstheatre.com
LISTINGS
CINDERELLA Cambridge Arts Theatre Directed by Phil Clark 29 November 2019 – Saturday 11 January 2020 Press Night: Tuesday 3 December at 7.30pm
Address: 6 St Edward’s Passage, Cambridge, CB2 3PJ
He’s Performed for The Royal Family, Countless Celebrities around the Globe, Appeared on National Television and now Chris Cross the Magician is Celebrating 20 years in Showbusiness by embarking on his FIRST EVER THEATRE TOUR this Autumn!
Between 19th October – 19th November Cross will be Appearing (and Disappearing) at 10 Theatres in the North of England, with his Show featuring some of his trademark Comedy Magic Tricks and Daredevil Escapology Stunts.
You can expect some brand new material too – including the revival of some BBC TV illusions that belonged to his late hero, Paul Daniels. After Paul’s death, last year Cross uncovered a dozen of the Master Magician’s props in a barn in Wales and they haven’t been performed in Over 20 years. Paul used the props on Television in the 70’s & 80’s…
In the past 12 months, Cross has Performed both Nationally and Internationally for lots of Celebrity & VIP events – He’s appeared on BBC’s The ONE Show and He was a Surprise Special Guest on the US illusionist, David Blaine’s, First Ever UK Tour.
Over the years Cross has Performed his multi-award winning magic tricks for Prince Charles’s State Visit to Northumberland, Boy George’s 50th Birthday Party, Mike Tyson’s Sportsmans Dinner, Alan Shearer’s Private Party, Alice Cooper’s Press Conference, Consulting for The Hairy Bikers Theatre Tour, Providing Backstage Entertainment for Miles Kane, Ocean Colour Scene and The Arctic Monkeys – to name but a few celebrity clients! He has Amused & Entertained everyone in his path – from New York to New Zealand, Bahrain to Duabi, Brazil to Bangkok, London to Paris and most places in-between!
CROSS Says: ”I’m Very Excited to be Finally embarking on a Touring Magic Theatre Show this Autumn in my native North-East – I’ve wanted to tour Theatres with a Magic Show since I was 12 years Old, after watching Paul Daniels on stage in Newcastle. This will be the First Tour of Many more to come I hope and I’ve Specifically Priced the Tickets to make my Show affordable to almost anyone that wants to come along and Enjoy a Proper Night out at The Theatre. We are living in a World where Theatre and Arena Shows are only for the Wealthy, sadly, with Ticket Prices more expensive than ever before. My show IS affordable and I think Entertainment needs to be kept LIVE – and that can only work if the people buy the tickets.So get off your ipads and portable devices, round up your friends and family for some Quality time together and come and enjoy a proper Comedy, Magic and Variety Show in the Decadent surroundings of your local theatre!’
The Great Magician of the North Tour will feature some Special Guests; Including Comedians Jimmy Cricket, Bobby Pattinson & Sue Sweeney.
“CHRIS HAS PERFORMED SEVERAL TIMES AT ALNWICK CASTLE AND HAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY. HE IS VERY PROFESSIONAL WITH A WONDERFUL SKILL FOR ENTERTAINING HIS AUDIENCE AND HIS NATURAL ABILITY TO KEEP PEOPLE FASCINATED THROUGHOUT HIS PERFORMANCE IS QUITE UNIQUE.”– HER GRACE, THE DUCHESS OF NORTHUMBERLAND
Alex Turner Productions and Trish Wadley Productions
in association with Park Theatre present
THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY REVIVAL OF CLYBOURNE PARK By Bruce Norris
Directed by Oliver Kaderbhai
25 March – 2 May
Alex Turner Productions and Trish Wadley Productions, in association with Park Theatre, today announce the 10th anniversary revival of Bruce Norris’ seminal play Clybourne Park. The production opens on 30 March, with previews from 25 March, and runs until 2 May.
A timely 10th anniversary production of this razor-sharp satire about the politics of race and real estate, winner of both the Tony and Olivier Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for author Bruce Norris.
In 1959, Russ and Bev are moving to the suburbs after the tragic death of their son and have sold their house to the neighbourhood’s first black family.
Decades later, the roles are reversed when a young white couple buys the lot in what is now a predominantly black neighbourhood, signalling a new wave of gentrification. In both instances, a community showdown takes place – are the same issues festering beneath the floorboards fifty years on?
Bruce Norris is an American actor and playwright who lives in New York. He is the author of Clybourne Park, which premiered at Playwrights Horizons in New York, in 2010, before transferring to the Royal Court Theatre and the West End. A playful response to Lorraine Hansberry’s seminal drama, A Raisin in the Sun, Clybourne Park is the only play to date to have received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony, Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Play. His other plays include The Infidel (2000), Purple Heart (2002), We all Went Down to Amsterdam (2003), The Unmentionables (2006), A Parallelogram (2010) and Downstate (2018) which were all first produced by Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago; The Pain and the Itch (Playwrights Horizons, Steppenwolf, 2004, Royal Court Theatre, 2007; winner of Chicago’s Jefferson Joseph Award for Best New Work); The Low Road (Royal Court Theatre, 2013), Domesticated (Lincoln Center, 2013), and The Qualms (Playwrights Horizons, 2014). He is the recipient of the Steinberg Playwright Award (2009) and the Whiting Foundation Prize for Drama (2006). As an actor he can be seen in the films A Civil Action, The Sixth Sense and All Good Things.
Oliver Kaderbhai is an actor, director, producer and founding Artistic Director of DELIRIUM. He is currently performing in The Man in the White Suit at the Wyndham’s Theatre. His experience in the UK spans Fringe to the West End working with actors such as Andrew Scott, Kate Fleetwood, James Norton and Orlando Bloom, and he has created six productions with DELIRIUM which have sold out venues across the UK. Director credits include Striking 12 (Union Theatre), Songs of Abdulkarim (59 Productions), Peter Pan (Co-Director, Chichester Festival Theatre), One Minute (The Vaults), The Provok’d Wife (Go People), From Where I’m Standing (Pegasus Theatre), Oranges on the Brain (Pegasus Theatre), Go To Your God Like A Soldier (Old Vic Tunnels), and Your Nation Loves You (Old Vic Tunnels). Movement Director credits include Killer Joe (Trafalgar Studios), The Dazzle (Found 111), BUG (Found 111), Almost Maine (Park Theatre), Phenomena (The Albany), Dhow Under The Sun (KSF/META, UAE); and Assistant or Associate Director credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, Running Wild (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Guys and Dolls (Playmakers Rep, USA) .
Listings Clybourne Park
Park Theatre, Park 200
Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP
Box Office: 020 7870 6876*
Mon – Sat from 10am – 6pm (excluding Sunday and public holidays)
In person: Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri from 3pm – 8pm and Thu and Sat from 12pm – 8pm. Sun closed (Tickets can be purchased from the ground floor cafe bar during opening times)
Following the critically acclaimed season at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester earlier this year, Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and Joseph Houston and William Whelton for Hope Mill Theatre are delighted to announce the transfer of their production of Stephen Schwartz’s RAGS The Musical to Park Theatre, London, for a limited season from 9 January to 8 February 2020.
RAGS The Musical is a heart-warming and powerful musical with book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof), revised book by David Thompson, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and music by Charles Strouse (Annie), which tells the story of Russian immigrant Rebecca, who, with her son David, travels to America in search of a better life. Rebecca must decide what matters more to her – staying true to her roots or adopting a new cultural identity in an attempt to ‘fit in’.
RAGS The Musical is directed by Bronagh Lagan (Little Women, Broken Wings), musical direction by Joe Bunker, orchestrations by Nick Barstow, choreography by Philip Michael Thomas, set and costume design by Gregor Donnelly, lighting design by Derek Anderson, sound design by James Nicholson and casting by Jane Deitch. Casting is to be announced.
RAGS The Musical at Park Theatre is produced by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, Hope Mill Theatre in association with Knockhardy Productions and Park Theatre and is presented by arrangement with MTI Europe.
Hope Aria Productions are also delighted to announce AN EVENING WITH STEPHEN SCHWARTZ. The world-renowned composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Children of Eden, Pippin, Godspell, Rags and the soon to be premiered in London The Prince of Egypt) will visit Park Theatre to present a showcase of his most memorable numbers and take part in a panel discussion and audience Q&A about his life and work on Sunday 12 January.
Featuring his favourite works, performed by artists from previous Aria Entertainment and Hope Mill Theatre productions, this will be a wonderfully intimate evening with the composer and lyricist of some of the most famous works in film and theatre.
All proceeds from the evening will go towards funds needed to stage this ambitious work for its limited run at Park Theatre. Tickets will be put on sale when Park Theatre’s 2020 season is released to the general public on Thursday 17 October at 10am.
LEEDS GRAND THEATRE IS GETTING TO KNOW THE KING AND I
Following its critically acclaimed Broadway smash hit run and a sold-out record-breaking season at the London Palladium, the multi Tony Award-winning production of The King and I comes to Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 29 October to Saturday 9 November 2019.
Directed by Bartlett Sher and produced by the celebrated creative team that brought the production to the Palladium, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.
Performing as Anna, fresh from her West End success, will be Annalene Beechey, and reprising his critically acclaimed Broadway performance as The King will be Jose Llana. The two stars have been wowing audiences since the musical embarked on its international tour earlier this year. Annalene said: “I absolutely love playing Anna, she is a dream role for any actress. I’m delighted to bring this wonderful production and our glorious King to Yorkshire!”
Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical boasts one of the finest scores ever written, including Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know You and Shall We Dance, and features a company of over 50 world-class performers with full-scale orchestra; The King and I is a testament to the lavish heritage of gloriously romantic musical theatre.
The King and I is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 29 October to Saturday 9 November 2019
Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700
HALF TERM FAMILY OPEN DAY AT DARLINGTON HIPPODROME
On Wednesday 30 October Darlington Hippodrome will throw its doors open for a fabulous family open day to be held between 10.30am and 3.30pm.
A whole host of activities will be on offer on Wednesday 30 October at Darlington Hippodrome including backstage tours, craft workshops, face painting and competitions throughout the day. The Hippodrome will also be opening its archives to show the historic collection of show programmes and posters.
While you are in the theatre you can enjoy a drink and a bite to eat in the Hippo Lounge and take a walk around the theatre taking in the gallery spaces and the current exhibitions on offer.
Tickets for the tours and workshops are £5 with discounts at £2.50. Advance booking is required. The archives and competitions are free to view / take part in all day.
For further information or to book your spaces visit www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk or call 01325 405450.
