Producers ROYO, Revolution Studios, Wendy Federman, Phil Kenny and executive producer Jennifer Garner are delighted to announce that West End stars, David Hunter and Grace Mouat, will star as Matt Flamhaff and Lucy Wyman respectively in the world premiere production of 13 GOING ON 30 – THE MUSICAL, opening at Manchester Opera House for a limited season from 21 September 2025.
David Hunter is best known for his leading roles in the West End productions of Kinky Boots, Waitress and Once. In 2020 he was nominated for Best Performer in a Male Identifying Role in a Musical for his role of Doctor Pomatter in Waitress. He originated the role of Henry in the world premiere production of The Time Traveller’s Wife The Musical at Chester Storyhouse and West End productions and can be heard on the Original Cast Recording.
Grace Mouat has starred in West End productions of SIX, & Juliet and The Great British Bake-Off Musical. This year she was nominated for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for her role of Karen in the West End production of Mean Girls.
Joining David, Grace and the previously announced Lucie Jones, who stars as Jenna Rink, will be Caleb Roberts (Passing Strange, Old Vic) as Richard, Andrew Berlin (Muriel’s Wedding, Leicester Curve) as Kyle Grandy, Dominic Andersen (Heathers, West End) as Alex, Ross Dawes (The Time Traveller’s Wife, West End) as Wayne, Suzie McAdam (Much Ado About Nothing, West End) as Bev and Iván Fernández Gonzáles (Heathers, Soho Place/UK Tour) as Darius Mark. The cast is completed by Tia Antione-Charles (Mean Girls, West End), George Bray (Crazy For You, West End), Elliot David Parkes (Pretty Woman, UK & Ireland Tour/Zurich), Sarah Drake (MAMMA MIA! The Party, The O2), Rose Galbraith (Cruel Intentions, The Other Palace), Jenna Innes (Heathers, Soho Place/UK Tour), Henry Lawes (Cluedo 2 – The Next Chapter, UK Tour), Rachel Moran (The Lightning Thief, The Other Palace), Amy Parker (MinerBirds, New Vic Theatre), Jack Rowell (Hello Again, Union Theatre), Rebecca-Daisy Wellington (The Book of Mormon, West End) and Kevin Yates (Cruel Intentions, UK Tour).
Children’s casting includes Max Bispham, Cyrus Campbell, Melody Caruana, Keira Chansa, Emmeline D’arcy-Walsh, Anna De Oliveira, Azaelea Zona Harris, Hughie Higginson, Bella Hockaday, Clare Keeley, Fearne Lily King I’anson, Amelia Minto, Florence Moluluo, Nyomi Okoro, Marlis Robson, Star Lily Shentall-Lee, Joel Tennant, Maddison Thew, Florrie May Wilkinson, Clark Young, and Hanya Zhang.
Jenna Rink is an adorably awkward 13-year-old girl who wishes she could skip over the misery of high school. When her birthday wish comes true, Jenna magically wakes up as an adult to find herself “thirty, flirty and thriving” as the editor of a fashion magazine with a seemingly perfect life. But as she gradually unravels the mystery of what kind of person she has become, she goes on a journey to work out what — and who — really matters.
13 GOING ON 30 – THE MUSICAL will have songs by Michael Weiner and Alan Zachary (First Date (Broadway), High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+). It is directed by Andy Fickman (Heathers, She’s The Man).
13 GOING ON 30 – THE MUSICAL is based onthe 2004 rom-com classic from Revolution Studios starring Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo, the musical is written by the film writers Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa with songs by Alan Zachary and Michael Weiner (First Date (Broadway), High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (Disney+). It will be directed by the award winning Andy Fickman (Heathers, She’s The Man) with choreography by Jennifer Weber (& Juliet West End, Broadway and UK and Ireland tour), set design by Colin Richmond (The Red Shoes, RSC, The Wizard of Oz, UK tour and West End), musical supervision, dance, vocal and incidental music arrangements by Alan Williams (Sunset Boulevard, West End and Broadway), orchestrations by Alan Williams, Michael Weiner and Alan Zachary, lighting design by Howard Hudson (Starlight Express, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, & Juliet West End, Broadway and UK and Ireland tour), sound design by Adam Fisher (Kinky Boots UK and Ireland tour, Sunset Boulevard West End and Broadway), video design by George Reeve (Hercules the Musical and OLIVER! West End), costume design by Gabriela Tylesova (Bad Cinderella, West End; Love Never Dies, West End), wigs, hair and make-up design by Sam Cox (Moulin Rouge, West End, Broadway and International Tour; HERE & NOW, Birmingham Alexandra Theatre, UK & Ireland Tour), casting by Will Burton (HERE & NOW, Birmingham Alexandra and UK tour, Evita West End), children’s casting & children’s general management by Keston & Keston (The Lion King, West End; Winnie the Pooh, UK & Ireland tour), musical direction by Amy Shackcloth (HERE & NOW, Birmingham Alexandra Theatre) and production management by Simon Gooding & Matt Jones for Gooding Jones Production Management (Sister Act UK tour).
13 GOING ON 30 – THE MUSICAL is produced by ROYO, Revolution Studios, Wendy Federman and Phil Kenny, with Todd Garner, Marla Levine, Dean Stolber and executive producer Jennifer Garner.
The Almeida Theatre announces Rupert Goold’s final season as Artistic Director
The final season of Goold’s tenure as Artistic Director: 10 productions, including four world premieres, a musical revival, and reimaginings of classic plays.
The world premiere of Romans: a novel, a new play by award-winning writer Alice Birch, featuring Kyle Soller and directed by Sam Pritchard.
Tony Award winner Michael Grandage directs the world premiere of The Line of Beauty, adapted by Olivier Award nominee Jack Holden from Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker Prize-winning novel.
Olivier Award winner Sam Grabiner presents the world premiere of Christmas Day, directed by James Macdonald.
In his final production as Almeida Artistic Director, Rupert Goold revisits his acclaimed production of musical thriller American Psycho.
Following her Olivier Award-winning performance in The Years, Romola Garai returns to the Almeida in HenrikIbsen’s A Doll’s House, in a new version by Anya Reiss, directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins.
An adaptation of Babak Anvari’s BAFTA-winning film Under the Shadow by Carmen Nasr, featuring Leila Farzad and directed by Nadia Latif.
Rebecca Frecknall directs Sarah Kane’s masterpiece Cleansed, her final production as Almeida Associate Director.
Sam Yates directs BAFTA winner Josh O’Connor in Clifford Odets’ American classic, Golden Boy.
Former Almeida Resident Director Ebenezer Bamgboye returns to direct Zackary Momoh in a revival of Desire Under the Elms by Eugene O’Neill.
Also announced
81 (Life) the second in a trilogy of plays exploring what it means to live, work, love, pray, celebrate and mourn in Islington, co-created by Rhianna Ilube with 81 local people and presented in partnership with All Change and Cardboard Citizens.
The Almeida Theatre is one of six theatres to join the newly launched National Youth Advisory Board, established to unite discussions about change in the industry.
The Almeida’s office and rehearsal space will undergo significant refurbishment to improve accessibility, sustainability, and artistic potential.
Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold said, “Today we announce my final season as Artistic Director at the Almeida. A season that, I hope, captures the spirit and values of our past 12 years. We present 10 productions including four world premieres, four revivals of classic plays and a revisit of the musical from my first season at the Almeida.
“New writing has always been a central pillar of our work so I’m proud to be premiering brand new plays from four of the most exciting voices in the country. Three of the writers are new to us in Alice Birch, Jack Holden and Sam Grabiner, while Carmen Nasr returns following her Almeida Young Company production The Maladies in 2022.
“Another artist continuing their journey with us is Ebenezer Bamgboye who was on our Resident Director Scheme in 2018 and now gives his take on Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms, featuring Zackary Momoh. This great American play joins Joe Hill-Gibbins and Anya Reiss’ new version of A Doll’s House, with Romola Garai following up her Olivier Award-winning performance in The Years; Rebecca Frecknall’s production of Sarah Kane’s infamous Cleansed; and Josh O’Connor featuring in Clifford Odets’ Golden Boy, directed by Sam Yates.
“I will be revisiting my production of American Psycho, the show with which I launched my tenure back in 2013 – partly to explore what may have changed since then.
“It’s a complex feeling to leave Islington and this unique theatre for a new challenge south of the river so it’s particularly pleasing that before I go, we will also present the second instalment of our Islington Trilogy community productions – a project that celebrates Islington and everyone who lives and works here. While we have looked to the world for our stories, our artists and our influence, our identity has remained as a local theatre.
“I look forward to seeing you over the next 18 months and thank you to everyone – artists, makers, supporters and above all audiences – for your support over the last decade.”
The Almeida Theatre, in partnership with All Change and Cardboard Citizens, presents
81 (LIFE)
Co-Created by Rhianna Ilube with 81 local people
Creative Direction by Dani Parr and Stephanie Bain
Thursday 21 August – Saturday 23 August 2025
Highbury Fields. Islington. A day in August 2025. 8.13pm.
60 strangers gather at a park at sunset. They don’t know why they are here, or who invited them, but here they are.
Here you are, too.
They arrive, and they settle into a rhythm. A woman lies alone on the grass. Three old friends catch each other’s eye. A tai-chi teacher sets up shop.
Each of these people are grappling with something big. A turning point, a sliding door, a question without an answer. And tonight they are all going to take their next big step. You’re welcome to join. In fact, we’d love for you to join.
Part poem, part game-show and part play, with original music by Alev Lenz, 81 (Life) is the second instalment of the Almeida’s ‘Islington Trilogy’, following 24 (Day) in 2023. Co-created by playwright Rhianna Ilube, in collaboration with associate artists Darragh O’Leary, Francesca Beard, Ella Zgorska, Jordana Golbourn and over 60 people from three community groups, 81 (Life) is an epic and heartfelt investigation into what it means to be human.
The final instalment of the community trilogy, 1000 (Millennia), will take place in 2026.
81 (Life) is supported by Big Give – Arts for Impact, Islington Giving and Islington Council’s Community Festivals Fund.
World Premiere
ROMANS
A NOVEL
by Alice Birch
Director: Sam Pritchard; Set & Costume Designer: Merle Hensel; Lighting Designer: Lee Curran; Sound Designer: Benjamin Grant; Casting Director: Amy Ball CDG
Tuesday 9 September – Saturday 11 October 2025
Adventure and Truth. Sacrifice everything for it. It is worth it.
HE is a motherless child. A bullied schoolboy. An adventurer scaling mountains. A coloniser of land, of people. Brother. Father. Soldier. Cult leader. He is sipping champagne at his book launch. He is up by 4am for weights, cardio, ice bath. He is recording a podcast. He is living as a badger.
Award-winning writer Alice Birch’s (Anatomy of a Suicide; Normal People) monumental, kaleidoscopic portrait of masculinity from the nineteenth century to the present day explores how male narratives have shaped the world we know, featuring Olivier Award winner Kyle Soller (The Inheritance; Andor) anddirected by former Royal Court Associate Director Sam Pritchard.
World Premiere
THE LINE OF BEAUTY
Based on the novel by Alan Hollinghurst
Adapted by Jack Holden
Director: Michael Grandage; Set & Costume Designer: Christopher Oram;Lighting Designer: Howard Hudson;Sound Designer & Composer: Adam Cork;Movement & Intimacy Director: Ben Wright; Casting Director: Sophie Holland CDG
Tuesday 21 October – Saturday 29 November 2025
I can’t explain it. I can’t explain any of it to you. The line of beauty which led me to him… to here.
London. Summer, 1983.
Nick Guest moves into the grand Notting Hill home of his university friend Toby — and into the dazzling world of Toby’s father Gerald, a newly elected Tory MP, his elegant wife Rachel, and their troubled daughter Cat. From private gardens to country estates, glittering parties to political dinners, Nick is swept up in a world of money, power and privilege. A world that promises everything — and exacts a cost.
As he pursues beauty in all its forms — aesthetic, erotic, aspirational — Nick finds himself caught between the freedoms of desire and the rigid boundaries of class, sexuality and public image in a rapidly changing Britain.
The Line of Beauty is a captivating portrait of Thatcher’s Britain at its most decadent and divisive, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by “one of the greatest writers of our time” (The Guardian) Alan Hollinghurst. Olivier Award nominee Jack Holden’s (Cruise; Kenrex) new adaptation of this poignant book is directed by Tony Award winner Michael Grandage.
The Line of Beauty is generously supported by The Charlotte Aitken Trust.
World Premiere
CHRISTMAS DAY
by Sam Grabiner
Director: James Macdonald;Set Designer: Miriam Buether;Casting Director: Amy Ball CDG
Tuesday 9 December 2025 – Saturday 10 January 2026
There’s something perverted about a Christmas tree.
They’ve got an aura.
It looks perverted and it gives me the creeps.
In an abandoned building somewhere above the Northern Line, with foxes prowling the deserted streets outside, a Jewish family gathers on Christmas Day.
A viciously funny new play about identity, belonging, and the rituals we perform with the people we love.
James Macdonald (Infinite Life; The Children) directs a darkly comic world premiere from Olivier Award-winning playwright Sam Grabiner (Boys on the Verge of Tears).
AMERICAN PSYCHO
Book by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa
Music and Lyrics by Duncan Sheik
Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis
Directed by Rupert Goold
Saturday 24 January – Saturday 14 March 2026
There is an idea of a Patrick Bateman, some kind of abstraction, but there is no real me, only an entity, something illusory.
Patrick Bateman has it all – looks, money, style and status. Engaged to the beautiful Evelyn Williams, he is about to win the prestigious Fischer account for his investment bank and celebrate by dining at Dorsia. But there’s another side to his life that Patrick keeps secret. And people – including those closest to him – keep disappearing…
Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold revives his ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ “stunning” (WhatsOnStage) musical, from the composer of Spring Awakening. An Almeida sell-out success, this darkly satirical commentary on capitalism “leaves us all dangerously entertained” (TheGuardian).
A DOLL’S HOUSE
by Henrik Ibsen
In a new version by Anya Reiss
Directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins
Tuesday 31 March – Saturday 16 May 2026
If I get run over tomorrow, how are you paying off the Amex?
If you get run over tomorrow, I’ll fling myself in the road after you.
Nora and Torvald’s marriage vows are a binding contract, but when scandal threatens to wreck their lives, it’s time to renegotiate the terms. Money, sex, power – this time nothing’s off the table.
Romola Garai returns to the Almeida, following her Olivier Award-winning performance in The Years, to play Nora in Henrik Ibsen’s subversive domestic tragedy. In a new version by Critics’ Circle Award winner Anya Reiss (Becoming Elizabeth; The Seagull), Joe Hill-Gibbins (The Tragedy of King Richard the Second; Ghosts) directs this provocative drama about the lies we tell to keep things sweet at home.
World Premiere
UNDER THE SHADOW
Based on the film by Babak Anvari
Adapted by Carmen Nasr
Directed by Nadia Latif
Tuesday 2 June – Saturday 4 July 2026
They travel on the wind, just like that missile, and they only land once they find someone to possess.
When Shideh’s husband is conscripted to serve on the frontline, she is left alone with her young daughter as Tehran is bombed. The missile strikes bring terror and destruction and something more ancient and malevolent carried on the wind.
Nadia Latif (Fairview; Marys Seacole) directs Leila Farzad (I Hate Suzie; Kaos) in Carmen Nasr’s (The Maladies; The Climbers) eerie adaptation of Babak Anvari’s BAFTA-winning horror film. Set amid the 1980s Iran-Iraq War, Under the Shadow explores the boundary between the rational and the irrational, and the question of whether to leave or stay.
CLEANSED
by Sarah Kane
Directed by Rebecca Frecknall
Tuesday 21 July – Saturday 22 August 2026
I love you now.
I’m with you now.
I’ll do my best, moment to moment, not to betray you. Now.
That’s it. No more. Don’t make me lie to you.
Two lovers and two siblings.
How far are they prepared to go to prove their devotion? And will their love survive when subjected to the most extreme violence?
Sarah Kane was one of the most original and controversial voices in British playwriting history. Rebecca Frecknall (A Streetcar Named Desire; Cabaret)directs Kane’s masterpiece which explores the brutality of desire and asks what happens to love when there’s nothing else worth living for?
GOLDEN BOY
by Clifford Odets
Directed by Sam Yates
Tuesday 8 September – Saturday 31 October 2026
I’m out for fame and fortune, not to be different or artistic! I don’t intend to be ashamed of my life!
1930s New York, at the height of the Depression.
Joe Bonaparte is a gifted young violinist with extraordinary talent and a future in music, until a chance at fame and fortune lures him into the brutal world of professional boxing. Pressured by a ruthless manager, tempted by a forbidden love, and bound by the expectations of his Italian-American family, Joe is a young man torn between the seductive promise of the American Dream and the quiet honour of a decent life. He must confront what he’s willing to sacrifice, who he’s willing to become, and how to find his place in a world that demands he choose a side.
Olivier Award winner Sam Yates (VANYA; Magpie) directs BAFTA winner Josh O’Connor (The Crown; Challengers) in this searing revival of Clifford Odets’ knockout American classic. Brought to life with a live string quartet, this propulsive drama explores ambition, identity, and the high price of success.
DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS
by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by Ebenezer Bamgboye
Tuesday 10 November – Saturday 19 December 2026
Ye can’t beat Nature, didn’t ye say?
As Eben and his half-brothers toil on their family farm, they dream of the future.
Peter and Simeon are lured by California and the promise of gold, while Eben longs to have the farm all to himself.
Any fantasies are on hold until the return of their patriarch Ephraim, who disappeared without a word two months ago. And when he does finally resurface, he is not alone. An unexpected companion instantly explodes both the status quo and their imagined futures.
Former Almeida Resident Director Ebenezer Bamgboye (The Lonely Londoners) directs Zackary Momoh (Seven Seconds; Harriet) in four-time Pulitzer Prize winner Eugene O’Neill’s shattering twentieth-century classic, inspired by Greek tragedy, about a raging battle between the passion of the heart and the reason of the mind.
NATIONAL ADVISORY YOUTH BOARD
Young people representing six theatres from across the UK have launched a national network of Youth Advisory Boards, to unite discussions about change in the industry.
Youth Advisory Board members from the Almeida Theatre, Capital Theatres Edinburgh, Chichester Festival Theatre, Curve Theatre,Leicester, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse, and the RSC are spearheading the initiative to launch a National Youth Advisory Board (NYAB). Organisations nationwide have been invited to collaborate, to ensure regions across the country are represented.
The aim of NYAB is to generate positive change by:
Combining collective energy to advocate for a more inclusive industry
Promoting the representation of young people and under-represented groups both on and off stage, in programming and decision-making
Sharing resources, ideas, and opportunities between organisations
An exploratory meeting was hosted by the Almeida Theatre in 2024, and a first formal meeting is scheduled to be held in June, chaired and hosted by the RSC.
ACCESS AND SUSTAINABILITY
From May to July, the Almeida’s office and rehearsal space will undergo significant refurbishment to improve accessibility, sustainability, and artistic potential.
Key upgrades include:
A new, fully accessible entrance for wheelchair users
Enhanced technical and structural facilities in the rehearsal room
Replacement of all windows to improve insulation and energy efficiency
These improvements are designed to reduce our energy consumption by 15%, supporting our commitment to full decarbonisation by 2030. As a participant in Julie’s Bicycle’s Capital Investment Programme, we’re proud to be taking meaningful steps toward a more sustainable future.
We are grateful to Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme and Garfield Weston Foundation whose support has made this work possible.
LIBERATOR FILM SERVICES presents a DAVID STONE and DONMAR WAREHOUSE production
THE ACCLAIMED WEST END AND BROADWAY MUSICAL
NEXT TO NORMAL
TO RECEIVE UK-WIDE CINEMA RELEASE ON
SEPTEMBER 11 AND 14 2025
The screenings follow Ghostlight Records
Next To Normal: London Cast Recording
digital and streaming album release on May 30 2025
Music by Pulitzer, Tony, Emmyand Grammy Award-winning composer Tom Kitt
Book and Lyrics by Pulitzer PrizeandTony Award-winning writer Brian Yorkey
Filmed at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the summer of 2024, the broadcast features the acclaimed cast of the Donmar Warehouse and Wyndham Theatre productions, including Caissie Levy, Jamie Parker, Jack Wolfe, Eleanor Worthington-Cox, Trevor Dion Nicholas and Jack Ofrecio.
Following celebrated seasons at London’s Donmar Warehouse and Wyndham’s Theatre under the direction of Michael Longhurst, Tom Kitt (Music) and Brian Yorkey’s (Book and Lyrics) powerful and emotionally charged rock musical Next To Normal is set to receive a UK screening across select Vue, Cineworld and Independent Cinema screens this autumn. Audiences can find their nearest screening at www.nexttonormal.com.
Nominated in the UK for four Olivier Awards, includingBest New Musical, Next To Normal is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief. At its heart is Diana Goodman, a suburban wife and mother living with bipolar disorder and haunted by her past.
When the landmark musical debuted on Broadway in 2010, Ben Brantley of The New York Times called it “Brave and breathtaking. It is something much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical.” And Peter Marks of The Washington Post called it “a moving, blisteringly honest, and inordinately powerful new musical stocked with beautiful songs that get to the heart of the story – and simply get to the heart.” Next to Normal went on to win three Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, as well as the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, one of only 10 musicals in history to receive the prestigious honour.
Michael Longhurst, who directed Next To Normal in the UK says of the cinema screenings: ‘After the absolutely astonishing reaction to its US release, I’m so excited that UK audiences will now be able experience the raw power of Next to Normal and the heartbreaking detail of those incredible performances in close up, on the big screen.’
The theatrical proshot recording was filmed by Liberator Film Services during the show’s run at the Wyndham’s Theatre, in London’s West End,which ran from Tuesday 18 June 2024 to Saturday 21September 2024. The recording was screened in the US on May 9 on PBS as part of their ‘Great Performances’ series.
Ghostlight Records release Next to Normal: Original London Cast Recording in streamed and digital formats on Friday 30th May 2025.
★★★★★
“Electrifying… beautiful… heartwrenching”
Sunday Express
“Kitt and Yorkey’s decision to write about mental health implicitly rebukes those who think musicals can’t be serious. Their approach is compassionate, thoughtful, but also witty”
Evening Standard
★★★★★
“It tears at the heart in a way few musicals manage.”
Attitude
The Donmar Warehouse and Wyndham’s Theatre company comprised principals Caissie Levy (original Elsa in Frozen on Broadway, Caroline Or Change and Leopoldstadt) as Diana;Jamie Parker – Olivier Award-winner for his role as Harry Potter in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in London and on Broadway) as Dan; Jack Wolfe (nominated in the Emerging Talent category at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards for his role in Next To Normal at the Donmar Warehouse) star of Netflix series Shadow and Bone) as Gabe; Eleanor Worthington-Cox, whose credits include Jerusalem at Apollo Theatre, and the youngest winner of an Olivier Award for her lead role in Matilda The Musical) as Natalie; Trevor Dion Nicholas (Aladdin, West End and George Washington in Hamilton) as Dr. Madden /Dr. Fine andJack Ofrecio (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Shakespeare’s Globe) as Henry.
The London cast was completed by Carolyn Maitland as Standby Diana,Ben Heathcote as Standby Dan / Doctors,Jake Reynolds as Standby Gabe / Henry and Lizzy Parker as Standby Natalie.
The creative team was rounded out by Musical Supervisor Nigel Lilley; Designer Chloe Lamford; Movement, Choreography and Additional Direction Ann Yee; Lighting Designer Lee Curran; Sound Designer Tony Gayle; Video Designer Tal Rosner; Casting Director Anna Cooper CDG, Musical Director Nick Barstow and Production Manager Chris Hay.
Liberator Film Services presentation of David Stone and Donmar Warehouse production was directed for the screen by Michael Longhurst and Austin Shaw.Editor, Egli Keli; Supervising Sound Editor, Tim Clark; Executive Producers, David Horn, Bill O’Donnell and produced by, David Stone, Aaron Glick and Austin Shaw.
Next To Normal was produced for the stage by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, John Gore, Ambassador Theatre Group, Aaron Glick, Pine Street Productions, P3 Productions and Donmar Warehouse.
High energy and frantic action bursts onto the stage as soon as the metaphorical curtain rises at The Drayton Arms Theatre in this whodunit farce.
The play is set backstage in a regional theatre, in the dressing room of three formidable, female actors of a certain age, right before the opening night of a new murder mystery. All hell breaks loose when a bombshell drops just moments before the play commences, as we’re nearing the end of Act 1 of our show. It all sounds a bit meta, doesn’t it? A conscious and effective choice by playwright Peter Rae.
While the overall plot of the piece is thin and wears thinner, the character work, “banter”, and dialogue between these women in the scene before the “exciting incident” are where the play truly shines. Rae has masterfully created three-dimensional characters who have their own distinct voices and aren’t afraid to speak up. Wonderfully portrayed by Helen Bang (who also directs), Rosalind Blessed, and Laura Morgan – there’s never a dull moment between these sharp-tongued titans, and the piece really holds up when they’re firing on all cylinders. Supporting the cast are the aforementioned Peter Rae, with Jonny Davidson and James Mackay, who seamlessly support in these often unsung roles throughout the frantic comedy but get a few moments of their own to shine.
The direction is slick and excellently paced. Bang has brought out wonderfully larger than life performances from every member of the company, but they can come across screechy at times; it’s as if they’re playing to a much larger house than this intimate space and some of the comedic beats can feel forced down your throat over allowing the audience to find the humour themselves. There are also repetitive gimmicks, and characterisations which opt for silly rather than genuinely funny. That being said, there are moments when the script dies down on laughs, and it’s up to the action of the play to reel in the comedy, which is successfully manages. This is a prime example of how the direction and writing can help each other out, with the play being at its peak performance when both are at their best.
This Is Not a Murder Mystery is the fast paced, high octane and at times hilarious farce it promises to be.
Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 31st May 2025
Reviewed by Jacqui Radford
5*****
‘Picture You Dead’ is the seventh adaption of a Peter James novel. It is a story about Detective Superintendent Roy Grace (played by George Rainford), drafted in to investigate a cold case that centres around crime in the art world. The story itself is inspired by James’ encounter with a former art forger, Dave Henty.
The show kicks off with a seemingly bland scene of Harry and Freya Kipling (played by Ben Cutler and Fiona Wade) who are an excitable couple, down on their luck and shopping at car boot sales. One of their ‘finds’ is a dusty old painting that was bought simply for its ornate frame. From this point forward, the couple are unwittingly dragged into the darker side of the art dealing world.
Motivated by a sense of curiosity, the Kiplings consult with Dave Heggarty on the best way to clean an old painting. Dave is a reformed criminal who has previously served time for forging paintings, courtesy of an investigation that was led by DSI Grace. Played by Mark Oxtoby, Dave is a slightly comical linch pin for the storyline. His character is endearing to the point that everyone is convinced of his innocence; so much so that he is almost a hero. DSI Grace himself has a soft spot for Dave.
The painting itself moves from scene to scene in various guises and is the primary focus of local art dealer Stuart Piper, whose self -conceit and greed drive him to employ Roberta Kilgore; an art consultant with links to the underworld of art forgery and dodgy dealings. Piper is looking to complete his collection at any cost. Ore Oduba and Jodie Steele each deliver a sterling performance, cementing our disdain for villains everywhere.
As an audience member it is difficult not to be drawn in to the mystery and intrigue that surrounds the painting and its movements through the underworld. The stage set is designed to show four separate locations all at once, while the pace of the performance moves swiftly from one to the other, adding to the sense of participation.
This show is gripping from the beginning. As self- designated supporting investigators, everyone watching the show is involved in second guessing the next turn of events, immersed in the tension throughout and rewarded with a fantastic twist at the end.
Song Contest: The Almost Eurovision Experience performed at the gorgeous Hinckley Concordia is an absolute sensation. Hilariously scripted by Glynn Nicholas and Bev Killick alongside David Spicer Productions, this show is an interactive theatrical experience like no other. Deftly produced and directed by John Hill, its full of glitz glamour and glorious amounts of guffaws.
Upon taking a seat, you get a flag denoting a given country, a voting sheet and a clapper to ensure lots of cheering. Bring a pen so you can vote and take notes about your favourite acts, you will definitely have more than one. There could be a different winner each night so come on more than one evening to experience a different outcome.
The songs are composed by a multitude of multitalented writers and are on par with what you would expect to experience at the real Eurovision. With a variety of power ballads, disco, folk, rock, fusion and confusion, they each have a quirky and humorous slant. Opening with the rousing ‘Beauty, Understanding, Music and Song’ (BUMS) we know we are in for a treat.
Our hosts, Laura Norton as Katarina Vogbogalov, Craig Martin as Iva Vopper and Sian Franklin as Bettina Bitjakokov are fabulous and funny. All the acts have brilliant names and cracking innuendos. Every performer works their socks off to pull off a slick and stella show. Choreography by Chris Moore and Kellie Vallance is arresting and lighting by Pete Watts enhances every performance.
The format of the show follows ten countries competing in act 1. At the end of the act, we vote. The votes are counted in the interval. During Act 2 we have a showstopping performance by hosting country Belarus. We then have each country deliver their points via streaming on screen, and we cut to scenes from the green room. The winners are announced, and they perform again. Chock full of comical capers, it would have been lovely to have ended the night with a sing/dance along. Having each countries song words on the screen would have been handy too as some of the mics were a little quiet at times and the very funny jokes were occasionally missed, but other than that, this show is marvellous and a top party night out.
Most Rare Vision brings to the stage a pacy, minimalist, two-hander of one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays and does not disappoint.
Ant Henson’s new professional theatre company certainly proves a little can go a long way as alongside newcomer Martha Ibbotson, he seamlessly shapeshifts from Macbeth to Seyton to Duncan to Lady Macduff and more. Dressed entirely in black on a black stage, both Henson and Ibbotson are staggeringly impressive as they race through this five act play in a little over 90 minutes.
Like many, I’ve studied the Scottish play at school and seen countless versions on stage and screen but this has to rank amongst my favourites and I couldn’t tell you what the team have surgically removed to achieve such a well-crafted edit. Shelton Wong’s sound and lighting design complement the stripped back approach, making excellent use of blackouts and torchlight to create dread and drama.
You won’t be able to tear your eyes away from Ibbotson’s enthralling portrayal of Lady Macbeth, anticipating her pitch perfect delivery of that oh so familiar line,“Out, damned spot!, I say”, but it’s her depiction of Macduff’s all-consuming grief in act four where she really excels. Her fight choreographer background has clearly stood her in good stead for these roles and Macbeth’s final showdown with Macduff feels as convincing as it is gripping.
It’s amazing what a hat, a pair of glasses, an accent change or the rolling up of a sleeve can do to guide the audience as this talented pair shifts from character to character. At no point did I lose the thread and it’s as much testament to Shakespeare’s precise language as it is the mastery of these performers in lacing each word with emotional truth.
This exciting new company has pulled off a breathtaking rendition of Shakespeare’s play about ruthless ambition and made it look easy.
Phillip Attmore, Lucy St. Louis, Clive Carter and Sally Ann Triplett lead the cast of Kathleen Marshall’s brand new production of Irving Berlin’s classic musical
TOP HAT
Music & Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Based on RKO’s Motion Picture
Adapted for the stage by Matthew White & Howard Jacques Directed and Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall
14 July – 6 September, Chichester Festival Theatre
The full company has been announced for Chichester Festival Theatre’s eagerly anticipated, brand-new production of Irving Berlin’s classic tap extravaganza Top Hat, directed and choreographed by the multi Tony and Olivier Award-winner Kathleen Marshall. It runs from 14 July – 6 September, with a press night on 24 July.
Based on the classic 1935 film which starred Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, the stage adaptation’s original West End production won the 2013 Olivier Award for Best New Musical and the Evening Standard Award for Best Night Out.
Phillip Attmore – one of Broadway’s most exciting performers, winner of the Fred and Adele Astaire Award for Best Male Dancer for Shuffle Along and a Playbill Breakout Performance Award for On the 20th Century – makes his UK debut as Jerry Travers. His US credits also include Hello, Dolly!, Cheek to Cheek: Irving Berlin in Hollywood and TV’s The Marvelous Mrs Maisel.
Lucy St. Louis plays Dale Tremont; her award-winning West End roles include Glinda in Wicked, Christine in The Phantom of the Opera (making history as the first Black actress ever to play this leading role), Diana Ross in Motown: The Musical, Guenevere in Camelot in Concert, and Little Eva in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.
Clive Carter, three-time Olivier Award nominee for Moulin Rouge, Come From Away and Into The Woods, makes his Chichester debut as Horace. His many West End credits also include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wicked and Priscilla Queen of the Desert (WhatsOnStage Award nominee).
Sally Ann Triplett, who last appeared at Chichester in A Damsel in Distress (2015),returns to play Madge. Among her many distinguished London roles are Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Gran in The Witches and Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes for which she won a WhatsOnStage Award (National Theatre), and Aunt Eller in Oklahoma!.
Joining them are James Clyde as Bates and Alex Gibson-Giorgio as Beddini.The company is completed by Lindsay Atherton, Rhiannon Bacchus, Jeremy Batt, Freddie Clements, Pedro Donoso,Bethan Downing, Autumn Draper, Tilly Ducker, Laura Hills, Connor Hughes, James Hume, George Lyons, David McIntosh, Jordan Oliver, Emily Ann Potter, Molly Rees Howe, Kirsty Sparks and Toyan Thomas-Browne.
Justin Audibert, CFT’s Artistic Director, comments: ‘We are dancing with delight that Kathleen Marshall has assembled such a fantastic cast for what promises to be a glorious summer highlight in Chichester. In Phillip Attmore, Lucy St. Louis, Clive Carter and Sally Ann Triplett, we have two of the brightest rising stars paired with two of the most distinguished and seasoned performers in musical theatre, on both sides of the Atlantic, with a wonderful supporting company. We can’t wait to welcome them all.’
There may be trouble ahead,
But while there’s moonlight, and music, and love, and romance… Let’s face the music and dance.
The musical equivalent of the finest vintage champagne – effervescent, elegant and exhilarating – Top Hat is a heady romantic cocktail laced with sparklingly witty dialogue, stunning choreography, lavish sets and gorgeous costumes. Irving Berlin’s irresistible score includes some of Hollywood’s greatest songs: the immortal Cheek to Cheek, Let’s Face the Music and Dance, Top Hat White Tie and Tails and Puttin’ on the Ritz.
When Broadway star Jerry Travers arrives in London to open a new show, he crosses paths with model Dale Tremont, whose beauty sleep is rudely interrupted by Jerry tap dancing in the hotel suite above hers. Instantly smitten, Jerry vows to abandon his bachelor life to win her heart – but the path of true love never does run smooth. Especially since Dale has mistaken Jerry for his hapless producer Horace, who’s trying to avoid the wrath of his formidable wife Madge, and Dale’s own fiery Italian admirer is planning a trip to Venice for her to showcase his couture gowns…
Acclaimed American director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall comes to Chichester to stage this brand-new production. A nine-time Tony nominee and three-time winner for her choreography on the Broadway productions of Wonderful Town, The Pajama Game and Anything Goes, her most recent revival of Anything Goes – which played at London’s Barbican, on a UK tour, and was also televised – received nine Olivier Award nominations in 2022 and Kathleen herself received the award for Best Choreographer. She has worked on more than twenty Broadway shows and she is the first woman to have directed a play, directed a musical and choreographed a musical on Broadway.
The set designer for Top Hat is Peter McKintosh; costume designers Peter McKintosh and Yvonne Milnes;musical supervisor Gareth Valentine, musical director Stephen Ridley,orchestrator & arranger Chris Walker, lighting designer Tim Mitchell, sound designer Paul Groothuis, casting director Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting, associate director Carol Lee Meadows and assistant director & choreographer Richard Pitt.
Following its Chichester run, the production of Top Hat will embark on a UK tour, produced by Kenny Wax Productions and Jonathan Church Theatre Productions.
At Chichester, there will be a Dementia Friendly performance on 31 July and a Relaxed Performance on 26 August. A Summer Gala on 29 August will support Chichester Festival Youth Theatre.
Top Hat is sponsored by Greenwood Wealth Solutions.
BOOKING INFORMATION
Tickets from £15
cft.org.uk Box Office 01243 781312
Prologue: £5 tickets for 16 – 30s Sign up for free at cft.org.uk/prologue
Siobhan Redmond, Forbes Masson, Alan Cumming and Patrick Ryecart in The High Life. Original series available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
New musical announced – touring in Spring 2026, based on the legendary 1990’s TV show.
The High Life reunites Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson with original cast members Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart
Acclaimed artists join the creative team including writer Johnny McKnight and director Andrew Panton
The first production announced, for the National Theatre of Scotland’s 20th anniversary programme in 2026.
National Theatre of Scotland and Dundee Rep Theatre in association with Aberdeen Performing Artsand Capital Theatres present
WORLD PREMIERE
The High Life. The Musical. Still Living it!
Story, Script and Lyrics by Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson and Johnny McKnight
Music by Forbes Masson, additional music by Alan Cumming Directed by Andrew Panton
Cast includes Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart.
Colin Richmond – Set & Costume Designer; Emily Jane Boyle – Choreographer; Musical Supervisor – Sarah Travis; Lighting Designer – Grant Anderson
Touring Scotland from Saturday 28 March until Saturday 16 May 2026.
Touring to Dundee Rep Theatre, His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh and King’s Theatre, Glasgow.
After a 30-year delay in the departure lounge, The High Lifereturns in a new musical spectacular featuring all four original cast members – Alan Cumming, Forbes Masson, Siobhan Redmond and Patrick Ryecart akaSebastian Flight, Steve McCracken, Shona Spurtle and Captain Hilary Duff.
The production will tour Scotland in Spring 2026, with previews and opening performance at Dundee Rep Theatre from 28 March, then onward touring to HMT Aberdeen, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Eden Court Theatre and King’s Theatre Glasgow until 16 May 2026.
The High Life is a creative collaboration between trailblazing, multi-award-winning artist Alan Cumming (US Traitors, X2 and Avengers: Doomsday and Cabaret on Broadway) and his long-time writing and performing partner, prolific stage and screen actor and writer Forbes Masson (Only Child, The Crown, Eastenders). The creative team is joined by celebrated writer, performer and panto-maker Johnny McKnight (Wendy Hoose, Radiant Vermin, River City) and the award-winning and internationally acclaimed Artistic Director of Dundee Rep, Andrew Panton (August: Osage County, No Love Songs, A History of Paper).
Oh deary me! Air Scotia has been sold, and unless our intrepid cabin crew can prove they’re still fit for purpose it looks like the future destination for Air Scotia is the scrap heap. In this flight for their lives, our cut-price cabin crew must get themselves (and their passengers) to their destination safely, testing their mettle and putting decades old friendships and rivalries finally to rest.
The High Lifewas first commissioned and broadcast by the BBC, created by and featuring Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson. It was a launchpad to its creators’ long and illustrious careers. Since airing in the 90s it has attracted cult status for its sharp wit, farcical storytelling and joyous buffoonery. Taking place in the fictional Air Scotia airline, it centres around air stewards Steve, Sebastian and Shona – the most useless cabin crew ever to push a drinks trolley while asking ‘U Fur Coffee?”.
This revival sees our iconic characters finding themselves growing older in an ever-changing world. It will feature new and original music, is stuffed full of camp silliness and is cleared for take-off.
Siobhan Redmond reprises her TV role as the iconic Shona Spurtle on stage. Siobhan has worked extensively in theatre, film and television and is known most recently for appearances in Two Doors Down, Death in Paradise and Rain Dogs. She is joined on board by Patrick Ryecart as the absent-minded Captain Hilary Duff. Patrick’s screen credits include The Crown, Poldark and The King’s Speech.
Cumming and Masson met at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in 1982 and formed the beloved comedy double act Victor and Barry. This momentous showbiz event was recently chronicled in the book Victor and Barry’s Kelvinside Compendium – A Meander Down Memory Close, a 40th anniversary celebration of their birth.
The pair later transmogrified Victor and Barry into Steve and Sebastian when they wrote the BBC sitcom, The High Life.
The High Life was first introduced to TV audience in an initial pilot in 1994 and then in a series of six episodes which were broadcast in early 1995. The series is currently available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Alan Cumming and Forbes Masson said
“Never say never! We are both beyond excited to be donning those nylon slacks and crimpelene blazers and connecting with our inner trolly dollies after all these years. Returning to these characters alongside the genius that is Johnny McKnight has been a joyful experience and we can’t wait to share what madness we’ve come up with around Scotland!”
Johnny McKnight said:
“I am absolutely thrilled to join the Air Scotia cabin crew. I grew up watching The High Life, wishing that one day I could get to fly thirty thousand feet with Alan, Forbes, Siobhan and Patrick. I never believed that a reunion show would happen, let alone that I would get to be part of the team working on it. The bags are packed, the tena-man pants on, and I am ready for check in. Fasten your seatbelts and get ready for the flight of a lifetime.”
Andrew Panton said:
“Having been a High Life fan right from take-off in 1994, it’s been a total joy to work with this amazing team of pure talent. Our development time together has been a riot of creative energy, hilarity and brilliant music and songs and I feel sure our new stage musical will appeal to both fans of the TV show and folks new to The High Life! I’m thrilled that we’re creating the show at Dundee Rep Theatre before it jets off to entertain audiences across Scotland.“
Alan Cumming is a multi-award-winning Scottish artist and much-loved star of stage and screen. He is the recently appointed Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre and his previous collaborations with the National Theatre of Scotland include Burn (Edinburgh International Festival, Joyce Theater, New York) and performances as Dionysus in The Bacchae (2007 Edinburgh International Festival, Scottish tour, London’s Lyric Hammersmith and the Lincoln Center Festival, New York) and as Macbeth which premiered at Tramway in 2012 and was presented on Broadway. Alan won two Emmys for hosting and producing the US Traitors and was seen recently hosting the BAFTA TV awards (BBC). He played the lead in Brian Cox’s directorial film debut Glenrothan and will return to the superhero fold in Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday.
Forbes Masson recently starred in the acclaimed solo performance of Jekyll and Hyde, by leading Scottish playwright Gary McNair (Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and tour). His extensive theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing and The Tempest (Jamie Lloyd Productions at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Farm Hall (Jermyn Street Theatre, Bath Theatre Royal and Tour), The Taxidermist’s Daughter (Chichester Festival Theatre) and The Boy in the Dress, Macbeth, Hamlet (Royal Shakespeare Company) He is an associate artist with the RSC and National Theatre of Scotland and he is known for appearances in Only Child (BBC) The Crown (Netflix) Crime, EastEnders, Red Dwarf (BBC) and Catastrophe. Writing includes Victor and Barry (Edinburgh Festival/Donmar Warehouse/Australian tour), Stiff (Tron/Lyceum) and Mince (Dundee Rep).
Johnny McKnight has been described in the press as ‘the new vanguard of pantomime’ with over 32 productions to his name and multiple Panto UK Awards and nominations. Writing credits include the book for the musical adaptation of 101 Dalmations which premiered at Regents Open Air Theatre and then toured the UK. Johnny recently directed the critically acclaimed Scottish premiere of Philip Ridley’s Radiant Vermin at the Tron Theatre and the production has been nominated for four Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2025. He has written over 45 episodes of River City with his anniversary episode winning Best Drama at the RTS Scotland awards.
Andrew Panton is an award-winning theatre director and is currently Artistic Director and Joint CEO of Dundee Rep Theatre, where his directorial credits include August: Osage County, The Children, A History of Paper (Scotsman Fringe First award and Musical Theatre Review’s ‘Best New Musical’), Oor Wullie, Passing Places, Spring Awakening and No Love Songs . He is currently directing Make it Happen, written by James Grahamand starring Brian Cox which previews at Dundee Rep Theatre in July and runs for a week at the Edinburgh International Festival in August 2025 co-produced with National Theatre of Scotland. Other previous work with NTS includes director of digital lockdown short Out of the Woods with Alan Cumming and Johnny McKnight and as staff director on the original UK & International tours of Black Watch. He has also directed productions for the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Citizens Theatre Glasgow, Royal & Derngate, Perth Theatre and The Stephen Joseph Theatre.
Siobhan Redmond is known for appearances in Two Doors Down, Death in Paradise, The Nest and Unforgotten. Her extensive stage credits include All’s Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare’s Globe); The Human Body (Donmar); The Straw Chair (Finborough); Vassa (Almeida); Top Girls; Dido, Queen of Carthage (National Theatre); Imperium; King John; Richard III; Dunsinane; Twelfth Night; The Comedy of Errors; Much Ado About Nothing; The Spanish Tragedy (RSC). Previous performances with National Theatre of Scotland include Dunsinane; Mary Stuart and The House of Bernarda Alba. Siobhan is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Patrick Ryecart most recently appeared in the acclaimed revival of Sondheim’s A Funny Thing happened on the way to The Forum directed by Cal McCrystal at the Lido 2, Paris. His first film appearance was in Richard Attenborough’s A Bridge Too Far. Other film appearances include Ken Russell’s Martinu, Prisoner of Honour, Heart of Darkness directed by Nic Roeg, Casanova, Camille, Silver Dream Racer, Michael Winners’ Parting Shots, and The Kings Speech. Stage appearances include Candida playing opposite Deborah Kerr, An Ideal Husband,The Beastly Beatitudes of Balthazar B with Billy Connolly (London and U.S) A Midsummer Nights Dream, See You Next Tuesday, Monogamy, The Importance, and at the National Theatre playing Jack Absolute in the Rivals .TV work includes Dr. Who Midsomer Murders and The Crown.
Touring to Dundee Rep Theatre; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen; Festival Theatre, Edinburgh and King’s Theatre, Glasgow in Spring 2026.
“an exhilarating ride via pop video, horror movie, art installation and therapy session… an extraordinary piece of theatre… Kimmings is an artist of exceptional integrity, compassion, imagination and guts”★★★★★
Miriam Gillinson, The Guardian
“Her extraordinary new show raises the bar considerably; it’s the best thing she’s ever done… Kimmings is the greatest show-woman in town”★★★★★
Andrew Eaton-Lewis, The Scotsman
★★★★★Evening Standard, Independent, Time Out, The Herald, The Stage
28th May – Playwright, performer, documentary-maker and screenwriter Bryony Kimmings (I’m a Phoenix, Bitch, Last Christmas, Channel 4’s The Sex Clinic, BBC Four’s Opera Mums) returns to the stage with Bog Witch —her first solo show in half a decade. Commissioned to celebrate the launch of Soho Theatre Walthamstow, the production runs from 9–25 October as part of the venue’s inaugural season.
Bog Witch is a show about uncertain times, ecosystem collapse and finding new ways to be happy. Bryony had enough to worry about; mental illness, a sick kid, single motherhood, bills coming out of her ears… she didn’t have time to worry about the planet. She had her coping mechanisms down pat —spending, doing, achieving to fill the void. But she began to wonder if those were the things that were making her unhappy. As with all her previous autobiographical shows Bog Witch follows a part of Kimmings’ real life story… this time the journey of uprooting her and her son’s life to live in a tumbledown cottage in the wilderness… to plug back into nature as a last ditch attempt to be happy again.
Bryony Kimmingssaid:“Bog Witch is about being the least likely eco-convert. The last person to let go of their capitalist trappings. It explores what happens when ordering things online, drinking from plastic coffee cups, and stuffing my face with Deliveroo no longer brings happiness. Beneath all the bought stuff and façade; the endless distraction and dopamine, we find we are sad animals. Animals who have been disconnected from our ecosystems for too long. This is the story not of dropping out… but of plugging back in, and one that changed absolutely everything.”
Steve Lock, Soho Theatre Head of Comedy, said: “Specially commissioned for the launch season of Soho Theatre Walthamstow, Bog Witch is our latest collaboration with Bryony. In the 15 years we have worked together she has created some of the most memorable shows to have played on our stages – from Sex Idiot and Seven Day Drunk to Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model and Fake it ‘til You Make It – and we can’t wait to see what comes next.”
Kimmings is inspired by female stories, social taboos, and dismantling power structures. In 2021 she made a public vow to only work on things that would help the planet at this time of climate crisis and eco-system collapse. Her latest screen-writing project is The Rapture, an upcoming psychological eco-thriller series for BBC One, starring Ruth Madeley, and based on the bestselling novel of the same name. She is also writing a feature with Climate Spring, Little Red Hen, a comedy eco-horror with folkloric elements.
On-stage, Kimmings has toured internationally with her acclaimed shows – all drawn from real events in her life -performing everywhere from the National Theatre to the Sydney Opera House. Her work as a writer and performer includes Sex Idiot, a tour through Bryony’s true-life sexual misadventures and self-realisations; 7 Day Drunk, a 7 day alcohol experiment, inspired by the historical links between artists and mind enhancing drugs; Credible Likeable Superstar Role Model, made with her nine-year-old niece to challenge the sexualisation of girls in pop culture; Fake It ‘Til You Make It, about clinical depression and men, made in collaboration with her former partner; A Pacifist’s Guide to the War on Cancer, a whistle-stop tour through five unconventional stories about cancer; and I’m a Phoenix, Bitch, a powerful, dark and joyful work about motherhood, heartbreak and finding inner strength.
Bryony added: “Everyone is a tree hugger. It’s weird to me nowadays that it’s used as a kind of cuss. As children we all communed with nature. Be it rolling in dirt in a city park or jumping on hay bales in a rural idyll, we knew we were of the earth. Overtime we forget, like a spell cast by a distant force. But when we stare at a fire, or we walk in a green space, a part of us always remembers. Something about it… just helps. The climate crisis is overwhelming, it is riddled with guilt, rage and grief. It is an almost impossible thing to comprehend as a human being. And often we find ourselves hiding or apathetic or exhausted. That is normal. This is a show about moving beyond that… what to do next. For me that started with a reconnection. I was dragged kicking and screaming. Let me drag you too”
Bog Witch is created and led by Bryony Kimmings, who is the Writer, Performer and Director. The creative team includes Tom Parkinson as Composer, Tom Rogers as Set and Costume Designer, Will Duke as Projection Designer, Guy Hoare as Lighting Designer, Lewis Gibson as Sound Designer, Sarah Blanc as Choreographer, Gemma Stockwood as Dramaturg, David Butler as Video Associate, and Faith Dodkins as Producer.
BSL is integrated into four performances. Kimmings reunites with long-time collaborator Katie Fenwick as BSL Interpreter, and works with Deepa Shastri as BSL Consultant to ensure the best access throughout. Joey Burford joins the team as Production Assistant.
