ANDREW “FREDDIE” FLINTOFF TO MAKE STAGE DEBUT INFAT FRIENDS – THE MUSICAL AT LEEDS GRAND THEATRE

Former England cricket captain and star of SKY’s League of Their Own, Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff, will swap the cricket pitch for the stage as he joins an all-star cast for the world premiere of Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends – the Musical which opens at Leeds Grand Theatre on 7^th November 2017.

Freddie will play Kevin Chadwick opposite the previously announced Jodie Prenger as his fiancée, Kelly. X-Factor winner Sam Bailey will also feature with further casting to be announced.

Speaking about his debut, Freddie said: “I am really excited to be starring in Fat Friends – The Musical at Leeds Grand Theatre in November and at some other great venues around the UK in 2018. Having had the pleasure of recently working on an episode of Kay’s latest TV series, it’s great to have the opportunity to work with her again. I loved the TV series and think Fat Friends – The Musical, is going to give people a great night out. I’m really looking forward to it.”

One of the world’s most recognised cricket stars, Freddie Flintoff won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2005 after playing a pivotal role in regaining the Ashes from Australia. Since the Lancashire Lad’s cricket career ended in 2010, he has forged a career as a much-loved presenter and broadcaster appearing as a captain on SKY’s ‘A League of Their Own’ and being crowned King of the Jungle in the first Australian version of ‘I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!’ Freddie has also launched a clothing range ‘Flintoff by Jacamo’.

Having just filmed a part in Kay Mellor’s new ITV series, this role will see Freddie continue to affirm his acting credentials after bowling over the show’s creator, Kay Mellor and composer Nicholas Lloyd Webber during auditions.

“I was introduced to Freddie at one of our TV casting sessions” said Kay. “It was clear to me that he could leave his cricket bat behind, embody a character and understand the drama. It was a no brainer… he got the part. Then, as we were talking through Fat Friends – The Musical, I wondered if Freddie could sing. I was ecstatic when Nick met him and agreed his voice was perfect for the role.

“I am thrilled and delighted that Freddie is able to join us for our run at Leeds and part of the tour as well, playing our leading male. I can’t wait to start working with the super talented cast we’ve got so far!”

Nicholas Lloyd Webber added: “I am thrilled that Freddie will be joining our stellar cast of Fat Friends – the Musical. He immediately really impressed us in his audition and we are so excited to be working with him on our show. Our starting XI is now nothing short of sensational.”

The award-winning TV drama has been adapted for the stage by its creator and one of the UK’s most prolific writers, Kay Mellor, whose extensive television credits include hit series Band of Gold, The Chase, The Syndicate and In the Club, and whose stage credits include A Passionate Woman.

Produced by Joshua Andrews and Adam Spiegel, with original music and songs composed by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, Fat Friends – The Musical is packed full of warmth, life and weight loss. This brand-new stage show reunites our favourite foodie friends in an original musical bulging with hopes, humour and heart. Join the infamous group of loveable characters as they are put through their Zumba paces at their local branch of Super Slimmer’s by the lovelorn Lauren, whilst Kelly fantasises about fitting into the wedding dress of her dreams. Fat Friends – the Musical offers a generous serving of hilarious fun with a sprinkle of romance on top!

Fat Friends hit television screens in October 2000, following the lives of a group of overweight friends as they struggled with the absurdities of modern dieting. Running for five years on ITV, the show starred Alison Steadman, Gaynor Faye and Lisa Riley, and launched the careers of James Corden and Ruth Jones. Written by Kay Mellor, the show was nominated for multiple awards including the BAFTA for Best Drama Series.

Fat Friends – the Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 7^th Nov to Saturday 2^nd Dec 2017

Tickets are priced from £20 (restricted viewing) to £50

(prices include a £3 booking fee. Postage charge £1 where applicable)

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Harrogate Theatre – 21 June 2017.  Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

1927 presents Golem and the company is reputed for its productions which have a specific emphasis on combined animation and claymation and are complimented with live music. Their current production is no exception and is currently on a worldwide tour. Golem is co-produced with Salzburg Festival, Théâtre de la Ville Paris and the Young Vic in London and its show was in its development stage at Harrogate Theatre back in 2014.

The talented and creative cast tells the story about a unique man who is created in clay and is programmed to be in subordination to his master. The story is supported by eclectic staging that represents contrasts of the old and the new and the traditional and modern with a background of animation and visual puppetry. The story synchronises superbly with the performers on stage and its moving visuals.

The story is chaotic but at the same time it adds ambience to the world’s state of mind with people being in control and being controlled. It certainly underlines themes that matter to many in the audience particularly with one’s relationship with gadgets and technology. One can only think that technology, particularly the internet, at one time didn’t exist in the majority of households but now it’s fully dependable by many and can be accessed from any technological device 24 hours a day. Through Golem one is reminded how gadgets are programmed according to humans’ commands but over the time the programming changes with increased demands as in the case newer versions of Golem in the story. The demands are so much so that it can enslave and influence people lives in which their future depends on it – such as the case of Robert, Golem’s master, who is led to make life changing decisions. There are constant reminders about moving with the times and not being left behind and seeking infinitive opportunities. It is so parallel today and everyone is affected whether it’s from a technological or humanity perspective.

Accompanied with live music, with a couple of actors doubling up as musicians, this production is certainly remembered for its eye-catching animation and its satirical approach to technology told through the story of a man made character. Golem is despotic as much as liberal and leaves a lot of food for thought with regards to the digital world one lives in.

@fiveguysmusical / facebook.com/fiveguysmusical / fiveguysmusical.com

Underbelly Productions
in association with Cameron Mackintosh,
Steven Harris and Westminster City Council presents

A NEW PRODUCTION OF
FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE
A musical by Clarke Peters
Featuring Louis Jordan’s greatest hits
Directed by Clarke Peters
Musical Staging and Choreography by Andrew Wright
Inspired by Charles Augins’ original choreography

• FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED & FIRST PICTURES RELEASED FOR BRAND NEW PRODUCTION OF THE HIT WEST END AND BROADWAY MUSICAL FIVE GUYS NAMED MOE

• DIRECTED BY CLARKE PETERS WITH MUSICAL STAGING AND CHOREOGRAPHY BY ANDREW WRIGHT THE PRODUCTION WILL RUN IN A BRAND NEW THEATRE IN MARBLE ARCH FROM SEPTEMBER 

Underbelly Productions have today announced full casting for a brand new production ofClarke Peters’ Olivier Award-winning and Tony-Award nominated musical, Five Guys Named Moe. The production will open on 14 September 2017 in a new temporary theatre in Marble Arch, London.

Edward Baruwa will play Nomax and the ‘Moes’ will be played by: Ian Carlyle (Four-Eyed Moe), Dex Lee (Know Moe), Idriss Kargbo (Little Moe), Timothy Martin (Big Moe) and Emile Ruddock (Eat Moe).Underbelly have also released the first look at how the inside of the new Marble Arch Theatrewill look. Specifically designed for the production will be reminiscent of 1940s New Orleans Jazz clubs, occupying the whole space. There will be cabaret table seating in the centre of the space with a drinks table service.

In addition to the theatre, there will be a connecting foyer designed in the style of a New Orleans courtyard with hanging atmospheric foliage, festoon lighting, a beautiful bespoke bar, a performance area for a jazz trio and concession stands selling popcorn, sweets, snacks and merchandise as well as a cloakroom area.

Five Guys Named Moe was first seen at the Theatre Royal Stratford East in 1990, it transferred to the West End and played for four years, subsequently playing on Broadway from 1992. Clarke Peters’ career defining musical features the irresistible hits of trailblazing ‘King of the Jukebox’Louis Jordan, including Early In The Morning, Is You Is or Is You Ain’t My Baby, Choo Choo Ch’Boogie and Saturday Night Fish Fry. The soundtrack of soul, blues, gospel and early r ‘n’ b is performed on stage by a live band.

The production, which is to be directed by Peters himself,  is currently booking from 29 August to 25 November 2017, with an Opening Night on 14 September.

Five Guys Named Moe will be directed by Clarke Peters (The Wire, Treme, Person of Interest, Porgy and Bess, The Ice Man Cometh) with musical staging and choreography by Andrew Wright (Half a Sixpence, Singin’ in the Rain, Guys and Dolls), inspired by Charles Augins’ original choreography, set and costume design by takis (Side Show, In The Heights, Hairspray,The Good Person of Sichuan), lighting design by Philip Gladwell (The James Plays, Cymbeline, Trainspotting, After Miss Julie, Hairspray), sound design by Ben Harrison (Cabaret, Dreamboats and Petticoats, Dancing in the Streets, The King & I, Starlight Express, Blood Brothers, Soul Sister) and musical supervision from Steve Hill (Fame, RENT, The House That Nat Built, Bent, Hair).

Cameron Mackintosh said: “I am really thrilled that Underbelly are producing a brand new production of Five Guys Named Moe in London later this year. It’s a show that brought fun and joy to audiences in the West End for many years so it’s great to see its return for its 25th Anniversary. I am particularly excited that this new production is being staged in a Spiegeltent theatre specifically tailored for Five Guys so that Underbelly’s unique style will give audiences and the show a special intimate experience which will definitely make it the best party in town – a party which I’m delighted to support Underbelly in throwing.”

Clarke Peters said: “It’s a rare and wonderful thing to have the chance to direct a show that not only you have created but also performed in. It’s a show that is very close to my heart and soul and is so much of who I am. It’s an honour to return to it on its 25th Anniversary and reimagine the show in this new theatre space; one which is perfect for creating a closeness and dynamic energy between the story and the audience. Further to this it’s a treat to be working with a fantastic creative team and I can’t wait to transport audiences into the magical world of rhythm and blues. This rhythm will lift one and all from their blues!”

Robert Davis, Westminster City Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Business, Culture and Heritage said: “Westminster City Council is delighted to be working with Underbelly Productions to bring Five Guys Named Moe to Marble Arch in its very own, bespoke theatre. Bringing this internationally acclaimed musical to this world-renowned, iconic space is a truly mouth-watering prospect that will further increase the cultural offer available to residents, businesses and visitors throughout the City of Westminster.  To quote the show itself; ‘Let The Good Times Roll!’”

Edward Baruwa’s (Nomax) theatre credits include: Motown (Shaftesbury Theatre); Peter Pan in Concert (Adelphi Theatre); Dessa Rose (Trafalgar Studios); Little Shop of Horrors (Aberystwyth Arts Centre); Sister Act (UK Tour); Smokey Joe’s Café (Landor Theatre); Avenue Q, (Noel Coward Theatre & Gielgud Theatre); Les Miserables (Queens Theatre); Porgy and Bess; (Savoy Theatre),Dancing in the Streets; (Cambridge/Aldwych Theatre); Jerry Springer the Opera (Cambridge Theatre); Miss Saigon (Original UK Tour); The Rocky Horror Show (European Tour); and The Wiz (Hackney Empire). Feature Film credits include: Florence Foster Jenkins and London Road.

Ian Carlyle’s (Four-Eyed Moe) recent theatre credits include: Showboat (Sheffield Crucible);Sister Act (National Theatre Dublin); Notre Dame de Paris (International Tour); Jesus Christ Superstar (UK National Arena Tour); We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre) Porgy and Bess(Savoy Theatre); Miss Saigon (UK Tour) and Disney’s The Lion King (Lyceum).

Dex Lee (Know Moe) most recently appeared in The Wild Party (The Other Palace). His theatre credits include: Grease (Curve, Leicester); Father Comes Home From The Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3)(Royal Court Theatre); In The Heights (King’s Cross Theatre and Southwark Playhouse)Hairspray (UK Tour); Carrie (Southwark Playhouse) and The Scottsboro Boys (Garrick Theatre).

Idriss Kargbo’s (Little Moe) credits include Wicked (Apollo Victoria); Shrek The Musical (UK Tour) Scottsboro Boys (Young Vic); Disney’s The Lion King; (Lyceum); Thriller Live! (Lyric Theatre) and Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). Film credits include Been So Long.

Timothy Martin’s (Big Moe) musical credits include: Ragtime (Bologna Opera Theatre); Sister Act (UK Tour); Candide (Florence Opera Theatre); Rent (Trainon Theatre, Naples); The Full Monty (Italian Tour); Lady Day (Italian Tour); Tony, West Side Story (Theatre Argentina) and Treemonisha (New York City Parks). Theatre includes: Moby Dick (Italian Tour);Blue/Orange  (Italian Tour); Guess who’s Coming to Dinner (Italian Tour); The Blacks (Italian Tour) and Driving Miss Daisy (Manzoni Theatre). Television includes: The Amanda Knox Story; Black Butterfly and Bent.

Emile Ruddock’s (Eat Moe) recent theatre credits include: Crazy For You (Watermill Theatre); Kiss Me Kate (UK Tour); The Scottsboro Boys (Garrick Theatre and Young Vic Theatre);Avenue Q (Rugby Theatre); 42nd Street Gala (London Palladium and Dominion Theatre) and42nd Street (Rugby Theatre). His film and television credits include: The X Factor 2015 (Backing Dancer); The 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and Got to Dance 2013 with ‘The Pulse Collective’.

Clarke Peters has a long-established and wide-ranging career in theatre, television, radio and film. His many stage credits include: King Lear (Shakespeare in the Park), Race, Chicago, The Iceman Cometh (New York), Guys and Dolls, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Mourning Becomes Electra (National Theatre), Porgy in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess (Savoy Theatre), Driving Miss Daisy, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Little Shop of Horrors, Blues in the Night and Five Guys Named Moe also written by Clarke.  Films include: Spike Lee’s Red Hook Summer, Notting Hill, Mona Lisa, Bad Education, Marley and Me, Freedomland, The Benefactor, Endgame, Mandela: The Prison Years and Nativity! Peters is also known for his varied television career including regular appearances in The Wire, Tremé, Jericho, The Divide, Chance and The Corner.

Andrew Wright is a double Olivier Award nominee. He choreographed Half A Sixpence for Cameron Mackintosh (Chichester Festival Theatre, Noel Coward Theatre), Singin’ In The Rain  (Chichester Festival Theatre, Palace Theatre, UK national tour, Japan, Asia, Russia and Australia; winner of Best Choreographer WhatsOnStage Awards 2013 and nominated for Best Choreographer Olivier Awards 2012), Guys and Dolls (Chichester Festival Theatre, Phoenix Theatre, Savoy Theatre, UK national Tour; nominated for Best Choreographer Olivier Awards 2016 and Broadway World Awards 2014/16), Barnum  (Theatre in the Park, Chichester, UK national Tour), 42nd Street  (Chichester Festival Theatre, Curve Theatre, Leicester), The Critic/The Real Inspector Hound  (Minerva Theatre), High Society (UK national tour), Wonderful Town (UK national tour),Betty Blue Eyes  (UK national tour), Saturday Night Fever  (UK national tour), A Little Night Music  (Palace Theatre), Follies (Royal Albert Hall), the world premiere of Mrs Henderson Presents (Theatre Royal, Bath ,Noel Coward Theatre, Toronto), The Showgirl Within  (Garrick Theatre) and Almost Like Being In Love  (National Theatre).

The ensemble cast includes: Omari Douglas, Nathaniel Morrison and Mykal Rand.

Let the Good Times Roll!

Nica Burns presents the Sheffield Theatres production of

Music by Dan Gillespie Sells
Book and Lyrics by Tom MacRae
From an idea by Jonathan Butterell
Directed by Jonathan Butterell
Design by Anna Fleischle
Choreography by Kate Prince
Lighting design by Lucy Carter
Sound design by Paul Groothuis
Musical direction by Theo Jamieson
Casting by Will Burton

Apollo Theatre
Previews from Monday 6 November 2017
Press Night Wednesday 22 November 2017

Once upon a time there was a 16-year-old boy who had a secret he wanted to tell…

So, he approached a documentary film maker as you do, and asked if they would help him tell it. The resulting documentary was seen by a theatre director and it inspired him to create a musical. A producing regional theatre backed him. He then bumped into a famous musical theatre star who introduced him to a well-known pop composer who was working with a lyricist and book writer. The
theatre put on the production. A major producer saw it and offered them a West End theatre.

So, thanks to Jamie Campbell, Firecracker Films, Michael Ball, Sheffield Theatres and Nica Burns, a new British musical by a new British theatre writing and directing team, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie opens at the Apollo Theatre on Wednesday 22 November 2017.

Fairy tales really do come true.

“Touching, Funny, Joyous”
THE OBSERVER

“Sends you out on a feel-good bubble of happiness”
DAILY TELEGRAPH

“Everyone should really be talking about Jamie”
THE TIMES

“The show is terrific and John McCrea gives an exceptional performance. The West End has a talented new leading man.”
MICHAEL BALL

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield.
Jamie doesn’t quite fit in.
Jamie is terrified about the future.
Jamie is going to be a sensation.

Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight. This fearless, funny, fabulous brand new musical sensation hits London with catchy new songs by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae. Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.

John McCrea will reprise his role of Jamie, alongside the majority of the Sheffield Crucible cast including: Josie Walker, Mina Anwar, Tamsin Carroll and Daniel Anthony, Luke Baker, Courtney Bowman, James Gillian, Harriet Payne, Shiv Rabheru, Lucie Shorthouse, Kirstie Skivington.

Director Jonathan Butterell, Composer Dan Gillespie Sells and writer and lyricist Tom MacRae said:

“After Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was commissioned we spent three hours in a wig room in Sheffield in which we wrote the complete plot and framework for the show before catching the train back to London. The three of us just clicked and we were instantly a team. It has been a new adventure for all of us, this is our first musical and going from zero to West End has felt like a fairy tale.

There is a bit of all three of us that has ended up in Jamie. We knew we needed a very specially talented performer to play him and when John McCrea walked into the room he was perfect. We hope that audiences will see a bit of Jamie in themselves too.”

Producer and theatre owner Nica Burns said:

“Everybody seemed to be talking about the show so I went to see the final matinee in Sheffield with no expectations. I came out of the auditorium singing the tunes having laughed, cried, laughed again and dancing with happiness. I found the director, and immediately offered to produce the show in London
at one of my theatres. It had to come to the West End. This is an uplifting musical for our times and for everyone.”

Liz McClarnon and Louis Emerick join the cast of Elf: The Musical for its Christmas 2017 season

Further casting has been confirmed for Elf: The Musical which heads toTheatre Royal Plymouth and The Lowry, Salford for a limited run this winter.

Liverpudlian chart topper Liz McClarnon will star in the production as ‘Jovie’ and much loved British TV actor Louis Emerick will take on the role of ‘Santa Claus’. They will appear alongside previously announcedBen Forster as ‘Buddy’, Joe McGann as ‘Walter’ and Jessica Martin as ‘Emily Hobbs’, who all reprise their roles from the record-breaking 2015 Christmas run in the West End.

Liz McClarnon is well-known for being one third of British chart topping girl group Atomic Kitten. As part of the group Liz accumulated countless awards and a multitude of chart topping hits including “The Tide is High”, “Eternal Flame” and “Whole Again”. Atomic Kitten’s number one hit “Whole Again” spent four weeks in the UK charts as well as topping the charts in seventeen countries.

Liz has starred in an array of theatre productions including Legally Blonde, War Of The Worlds and more recently in the hit musical SHOUT.  She is also a regular on both TV and radio includingCelebrity Masterchef (2008 champion), Hotter Than My Daughter(BBC 3) and Heart North West Breakfast.

Louis Emerick is best known for his portrayal of Mick Johnson in the soap opera Brookside and for his recurring role of PC Walsh in Last of the Summer Wine. Numerous television and film credits also includeCold Feet, The Bill, Holby City, Doctors and Layer Cake (alongside Daniel Craig).

Alongside his numerous screen credits, Louis has proven himself as a highly accomplished and critically acclaimed stage actor. Notable theatre credits include; The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui alongside Mark Rylance (Contact Theatre, Manchester); On the Ledge (Royal Court, Liverpool), Basil and Beattie (Royal Exchange), the National Tour of Soap Opera, Bouncers (The Royal Court, Liverpool) and most recently the role of Horse in the National Tour of The Full Monty.

Elf: The Musical returns to Theatre Royal Plymouth for one week only, from Sat 11 – Sat 18 November before heading to The Lowry, Salford. The Salford venue will host the show’s first Christmas season outside of London from Fri 24 November 2017 until Sun 14 January 2018.

Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit starring Will Ferrell, Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Michael Rose in association with the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin present the Theatre Royal Plymouth production of Elf at The Lowry.

Elf: The Musical features a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone), with songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar andChad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).

The production will feature direction and choreography by Morgan Young (Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), set design and costumes by Olivier Award winner Tim Goodchild, lighting design by Olivier Award winner Tim Lutkin, orchestrations by Doug Besterman, video design by Ian William Galloway and sound design by Avgoustos Psillas & Terry Jardine for Autograph.  Musical supervision will be by Stuart Morley.

Listings Info 
Elf: The Musical
Dates: Fri 24 November 2017 – Sun 14 January 2018
Times: 7.30pm. Wed, Sat & Sun 2pm.
Tickets: £25.50 – £58.50 (including booking fee)
Website

DUE TO OVERWHELMING PUBLIC DEMAND

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

JIM STEINMAN’S

BAT OUT OF HELL – THE MUSICAL

ADDS A FURTHER TWO WEEKS OF EXTRA PERFORMANCES

AT THE LONDON COLISEUM –

FINAL TWO-WEEK EXTENSION ON SALE NOW

With wonderful reactions from audiences, standing ovations every night and audiences singing their hearts out at the end of each performance, the producers of Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical are delighted to announce a further extension to the run at the London Coliseum this summer. The production officially opened in London’s West End last night, and, due to overwhelming public demand, a further two weeks of extra performances have been added.  This will be the final extension – the limited season must end 22 August 2017.

As with many great works of art, the genesis of the Bat Out Of Hell album occurred across a number of years.  One of the songs was written while Steinman was an undergraduate at Amherst College in the late 1960s.  In the 1970s, Steinman wrote a theatrical musical that was presented in workshop in Washington D.C. in 1974 and featured many of the songs that would ultimately appear on the Bat Out Of Hell album, which was released in 1977.

Bat Out Of Hell became one of the best-selling albums in history, selling over 50 million copies worldwide.  16 years later, Steinman scored again with Bat Out Of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which contained the massive hit I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That).

For the stage musical, the legendary and award-winning Jim Steinman has incorporated iconic songs from the Bat Out Of Hell albums, including You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, Bat Out Of Hell, I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That) and Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, as well as two previously unreleased songs, What Part of My Body Hurts the Most and Not Allowed to Love.

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical is a romantic adventure about rebellious youth and passionate love, set against the backdrop of a post-cataclysmic city adrift from the mainland.  Strat, the forever young leader of The Lost, has fallen for Raven, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical, ruler of Obsidian.  

Jim Steinman’s previous musicals include his collaboration with Andrew Lloyd Webber on Whistle Down the Wind, including the hit single released by Boyzone, No Matter What, and the musical Tanz der Vampire, which has been running for 20 years and has been presented in Vienna, Stuttgart, Berlin, Hamburg, Paris, Budapest, Warsaw, St Petersburg and Tokyo.

Directed by award-winning theatre and opera director Jay Scheib, the cast of Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical is led by newcomer Andrew Polec as Strat and Christina Bennington as Raven, with Rob Fowler as Falco and Sharon Sexton as Sloane.  Also starring are Aran MacRae as Tink, Danielle Steers as Zahara, Dom Hartley-Harris as Jagwire, Giovanni Spano as Ledoux and Patrick Sullivan as Blake.  Also in the cast will be Jemma Alexander, Emily Benjamin, Stuart Boother, Georgia Carling, Natalie Chua, Jonathan Cordin, Amy Di Bartolomeo, Jordan Lee Davies, Olly Dobson, Hannah Ducharme, Isaac Edwards, Phoebe Hart, Linus Henriksson, Rosalind James, Kalene Jeans, Michael Naylor, Eve Norris, Tim Oxbrow, Andrew Patrick-Walker, Benjamin Purkiss, Anthony Selwyn, Courtney Stapleton and Ruben Van keer.

Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical has book, music and lyrics by Jim Steinman, direction by Jay Scheib, choreography by Emma Portner, with musical arrangements and supervision by Michael Reed, set design by Jon Bausor, costume design by Jon Bausor and Meentje Nielsen, video design by Finn Ross, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen, orchestration by Steve Sidwell, casting by David Grindrod Associates and musical direction by Robert Emery.

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical is produced by David Sonenberg, Michael Cohl, Randy Lennox, Tony Smith.

Website:  www.BatOutOfHellMusical.com

Twitter & Facebook:  @BatTheMusical

LISTINGS INFORMATION

5 June – 22 August 2017

London Coliseum

St Martin’s Lane

London

WC2N 4ES

Performances:  Mon-Sat at 7.30pm, Thurs & Sat at 2.30pm (extra 2.30pm matinee on Tue 22 August)

Tickets:  from £15.00

Box Office:  020 7845 9300

Co-commissioned by Live Theatre and The Marlowe Theatre
The Paper Birds present
Mobile – new tour dates added
Until 22nd October 2017
An ordinary looking caravan. An extraordinary experience. A treasure trove of
magical theatre and digital wizardry.

New dates for The Paper Birds’ tour of Mobile have just been announced. Continuing to make theatre as accessible as possible, they will caravan the breadth of the country popping up by the seaside, on high streets, at schools, and in arts centres and theatres across the UK.

Staged in a caravan, Mobile is an inventive and intimate piece of verbatim theatre about class, family and belonging. Based on personal testimonies collected in the community workshops, from research by collaborator Professor Sam Friedman, and the company’s own lives, the play explores our sense of home, aspiration and the realities of social mobility.

We are taught from a young age to aim high, to reach for the stars, to want more, more than our parents, more than the generations before us, to climb the social ladder. But, as we surge forward, what are we leaving behind? And, if we look back, what do we see?

The Paper Birds will take Mobile to new locations for the very first time such as HighTide Festival in London and Aldeburgh, HOME in Manchester, Festival of Thrift in Redcar, and Arts Depot in London. The company will also make its debut in Wales at The Ffwrnes in Llanelli and The Miner’s Theatre in Amanford.

Jemma McDonnell, Artistic Director of The Paper Birds and director of Mobile, comments, Mobile explores class with both head and heart. Whilst social mobility is highly political, at the root of it

Mobile is about family. Who we are is so deeply influenced by where we have come from; the homes we grew up in, the food we ate, the jobs of our parents, the holidays we did or didn’t go on, they all affect our seating in the world. Mobile aims to transport its audience to board games on rainy family holidays or busy Christmas dinners with not enough chairs, to question how these long-forgotten childhoods have shaped who we are today.

Mobile is The Paper Birds’ second show in a trilogy about class in modern Britain. Made for audiences of up to eight people at a time, this intimate 40-minute show incorporates stunning digital visuals by The Media Workshop and original music composed by Shane Durrant. As the caravan comes to life so do stories of origins and aspirations.

Mobile neatly turns the caravan into a magic box where every cupboard and drawer springs a surprise in a piece that explores social mobility, class and what going on a caravan holiday says about you (the Guardian).

This is a co-commission by Live Theatre and The Marlowe Theatre that has been supported with public funding by Arts Council England.

FURTHER CASTING ANNOUNCED
The Seagull
By Anton Chekhov in a new version by Simon Stephens
Directed by Sean Holmes
A Lyric Hammersmith production
Tuesday 03 October – Saturday 04 November 2017

The Lyric Hammersmith today announces further casting for Simon Stephens’s new version of Anton Chekhov’s highly renowned play, The Seagull, directed by Artistic Director Sean Holmes. Adelayo Adedayo plays Nina, Michele Austin plays Pauline, Paul Higgins plays Hugo Dorn, Cherrelle Skeete plays Marcia, Nicolas Tennant plays Peter Sorin and Brian Vernel plays Konstantin, joining the previously announced Lesley Sharp who plays Irina Arkadina.

Unrequited love. Creative jealousy. Guns. Vodka.
And Art.

Chekhov’s celebrated masterpiece is given vibrant new life in this dynamic new version by Olivier award winning playwright Simon Stephens directed by Sean Holmes.

Switching effortlessly between the ridiculous and the profound The Seagull forensically examines the transcendence and destructiveness of love. The burning need to create Art and how harshly that need can be crushed permeates this classic play.

Cast Includes: Adelayo Adedayo, Michele Austin, Paul Higgins, Lesley Sharp, Cherrelle Skeete, Nicolas Tennant and Brian Vernel.

Adelayo Adedayo plays Nina

Theatre credits include: Cuttin’ It (Young Vic/Royal Court); Klippies (Southwark Playhouse); Rachel (Finborough Theatre) and The Dead Wait (Park Theatre)

Film and TV credits include: Unlocked, Timewaster, Houdini & Doyle, Some Girls, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Law & Order UK, Skins, Gone Too Far, Sket, MI High, Meet The Bandaiis and The Bill.

Michele Austin plays Pauline

Theatre credits include: Medea and The Chain Play (Almeida); Pride and Prejudice (Sheffield Crucible Theatre); The House That Will Not Stand and The Riots (Tricycle); I Know How I Feel About Eve (Hampstead Theatre); To Kill A Mockingbird (Regents Park); Six Books (Bush); Wild Child (Rough Cuts); The Lost Mariner, Been So Long and Breath, Boom (Royal Court); Generations (Young Vic); Out In The Open (Hampstead); Our Country’s Good (Out of Joint) and It’s A Great Shame (Stratford East).

Film and TV credits include: The Children Act, What We Did On Our Holidays, Another Year, The Infidel, All Or Nothing, I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, Second Nature, Secrets & Lies, Eastenders, The Coroner, The Casual Vacancy, Death In Paradise, Harry And Paul, Holby City, Peep Show, Silent Witness, Britannia High, Outnumbered, Never Better, Secret Life, The Bill, The Wife Of Bath, Clare In
The Community, Doctors, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Eastenders, The Bill, Babes In The Wood, Kiss Me Kate and The Perfect Blue.

Paul Higgins plays Hugo Dorn

Theatre credits include: Temple, Luise Miller, The Cosmonaut’s Last Message (Donmar); Blackbird, King Lear (Citizens); Hope, Nightsongs, American Bagpipes, The Conquest of the South Pole (Royal Court); Children of the Sun, White Guard, Paul, An Enemy of the People, The Hare Trilogy (National Theatre); Damascus (Traverse/Tricycle/Middle East); The Tempest (Tron); Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland); Macbeth, Conversations After A Burial (Almeida); Measure for Measure (RSC); The Golden Ass, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Globe).

Film and TV credits include: Line of Duty, Decline and Fall, The Thick of it, New Town, The Last Enemy, Murder, Raised By Wolves, Utopia, Low Winter Sun, Victoria & Abdul, Couple in a Hole, In The Loop, Red Road, Bedrooms and Hallways, Apostle and The Party’s Just Beginning.

Lesley Sharp plays Irina Arkadina

Theatre credits include: A Taste of Honey, Harper Regan, Mother Courage and her Children, Murmuring Judges, Uncle Vanya – Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress (National Theatre); Ingredient X, Top Girls and Our Country’s Good (Royal Court); Ghosts (Duchess); Little Voice (Vaudeville); God Of Hell, A Family Affair – Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Performance
(Donmar); Playing With Trains and Mary and Lizzie (RSC) and Summerfolk (Chichester Festival Theatre).

Film and TV credits include: Three Girls, Scott & Bailey, Capital, Starlings, The Shadow Line, Whistle and I’ll Come To You, Cranford, Poirot, Moving On, The Diary of Anne Frank, Dr Who, Afterlife, Planespotting, The Survivors, Carla, Carrie’s War, Bob and Rose Slapper and Me, Inkheart, Vera Drake, Cheeky, From Hell, The Full Monty, Naked, Priest, Close My Eyes, The Rachel Papers, Rita, Sue and Bob Too, The Love Child. Clocking Off, Great Expectations, Playing The Field and Common as Muck.

Cherrelle Skeete plays Marcia

Theatre credits include: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Palace); Three Days in the Country and Amen Corner (National Theatre); Wind in the Willows (Royal and Derngate, Northampton); And I and Silence (Finborough) and The Lion King (Lyceum).

Film and TV credits include: Silent Witness, Danny and the Human Zoo, The Five, Ordinary Lies and Call the Midwife.

Nicolas Tennant plays Peter Sorin

For the Lyric: Three Kingdoms (also Tallinn/Munich),

Theatre credits include: Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time (Apollo); Hamlet, Taming Of The Shrew, King Lear, As You Like It and All’s Well That Ends Well (RSC); The Alchemist and Dr Faustus (Liverpool Playhouse); Tiger Country and Love Me Tonight (Hampstead); The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists (Liverpool Everyman /Chichester); The Power Of Yes, The Blue Ball and The U.N.
Inspector (National Theatre); Roaring Trade and Piranha Heights (Soho); People At Sea (Salisbury Playhouse); Caucasian Chalk Circle (Tour); Under The Black Flag (Shakespeare’s Globe); Members Only (Trafalgar); Dead Funny (West Yorkshire Playhouse); Cloud 9 and Teeth ‘N’ Smiles (Sheffield Theatre) and Bad Company, Sugar, Sugar and Love & Understanding (Bush).

Film and TV credits include: Peaky Blinders, The Bill, The Gift, The Fool, Nice Town, Between the Lines, Breaking The Bank, Oscar & Lucinda, Friday On My Mind, Backbeat and Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic.

Brian Vernel plays Konstantin

Theatre credits include: Barbarians (Young Vic); Future Conditional (The Old Vic); Takin’ Over the Asylum (Royal Lyceum/Citizen’s); Macbeth, They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, The Cherry Orchard (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); The Static, Blackout (ThickSkin) and Four Parts Broken (National Theatre Of Scotland/Traverse /Oran Mor).

Film and TV credits include: Dunkirk, Papillon, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Winter Song, Offender, Let Us Prey, Collateral, The Tunnel, Dr Who, The Missing 2, The Last Kingdom, The Casual Vacancy, Grantchester, Prey and The Field of Blood.

Further casting to be announced.

Booking Information
Tickets 020 8741 6850 | www.lyric.co.uk
Lyric Square, King Street, London, W6 0QL
The Seagull
Tuesday 03 October – Saturday 04 November 2017
Mon-Sat 7.30pm. Also Sat 2.30pm (excluding 7 October) & Wed 1.30pm (excluding 4 & 11 October) & Thu 12 Oct at 1.30pm.
Free First Night: Tuesday 03 October. For more information: www.lyric.co.uk
Previews: Wednesday 04 – Monday 9 October 2017 | Press Night: Tuesday 10 October 2017 at 7pm
Preview & Mid-week Matinees: £15, £20 | Tickets: £15, £20, £25, £30, £35, £40.
No booking fee.
Open Captioned Performance: Saturday 28 October 2:30pm
Audio Described Performance: Saturday 28 October 7:30pm

Directed by Luke Sheppard (In The Heights) the cast of WORKING includes Gillian Bevan (Teachers, Holby City), Dean Chisnall (Shrek, Blood Brothers), Krysten Cummings (Rent), Siubhan Harrison (Guys and Dolls), Peter Polycarpou (City of Angels, Miss Saigon, Oklahoma) and Liam Tamne (Rocky Horror, Les Miserables,The Phantom of the Opera). Completing the cast are rising stars Patrick Coulter, Nicola Espallardo, Izuka Hoyle, Luke Latchman, Huon Mackley and Kerri Norville, who are all making their professional debut.

WORKING is based on 1985 Pulitzer Prize-winner Studs Terkel’s best-selling book of interviews with the American workforce: Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. The show follows the day-to-day lives of the American workforce, who are often overlooked – the schoolteacher, the housewife, the fireman and the waitress to name a few, and has musical contributions from several composers, including five-time Grammy Award-winner James Taylor and Pulitzer Prize-winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (Hamilton, In The Heights)