Small Faces musical, ALL OR NOTHING, gets West End transfer

ALL OR NOTHING – THE MOD MUSICAL

BASED ON THE STORY OF THE SMALL FACES

TO PLAY LIMITED WEST END SEASON

AT ARTS THEATRE

6 FEBRUARY TO 11 MARCH 2018

WITH NATIONAL PRESS NIGHT ON THURSDAY 8 FEBRUARY 2018

CAST ALBUM RELEASED TODAY, TUESDAY 10 OCTOBER 2017

 

Following a third, critically acclaimed, sell-out tour, ALL OR NOTHING – THE MOD MUSICAL,based on the story of the Small Faces, will play a limited West End season at the Arts Theatre, London from 6 February to 11 March 2018, with a press night on Thursday 8 February.  The producers of ALL OR NOTHING are also delighted to announce the release of a 29-track cast recording, as well as a limited edition 15-track blue vinyl LP, available from today, Tuesday 10 October 2017, from venues hosting the show on the current tour, as well as from the show website, www.allornothingmusical.com, and, when it is playing there, from the Arts Theatre.

 

Written and directed by the award-winning actress Carol Harrison, ALL OR NOTHING is the story of four charismatic young kids from East London with humour, attitude, passion and, above all, talent.  They became the Small Faces and were rocketed into the big time, only to discover the path to success is paved with exploitation, betrayal and, ultimately, tragedy. 

 

The cast at the Arts Theatre will be led by Carol Harrison as Kay Marriott and Chris Simmons as the older Steve Marriott.  Further casting is to be announced.

 

In 1965, a new phenomenon erupted out of London’s East End.  It was the essence of all that was cool.  It was Mod.  ALL OR NOTHING follows the rise and demise of the Small Faces, the band who encapsulated all that was Mod – a unique blend of taste and testosterone, clothes-obsessed and street-wise – but most of all, a dedication to rhythm ‘n’ blues.  The musical celebrates the unique sound of this iconic Mod band, with all the Small Faces’ hits, including Whatcha Gonna Do About It, Tin SoldierLazy SundayHere Comes the NiceItchycoo Park and, of course, All or Nothing.

 

Carol Harrison said of the West End transfer, “I am honoured that ALL OR NOTHING has been embraced by so many wonderful audiences who have laughed, danced, wept and sang with us across the length and breadth of the country.  I am so thrilled that we can now bring the ALL OR NOTHING experience to the West End.  Watch out, ‘cos the Mods are coming ……Or maybe we just never went away!”

 

Carol Harrison is probably best known for her role as Louise Raymond in EastEnders.  Other television roles include seven years as Gloria in Brushstrokes, Loretta opposite Ray Winstone in Get Back, and Dorothy in two series of London’s Burning.  Carol’s theatre work includes Michael Rudman’s production of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at the National, Ripen Our Darknessat the Royal Court, Alan Parker’s production of Alfie at the Liverpool Playhouse and Lee Hall’s Cooking with Elvis at the Lyceum Theatre, Crewe.  She was also a founder member of Half Moon Theatre in London’s East End.  Her film credits include The Elephant ManQuadrophenia and Human Traffic.

 

Chris Simmons is probably best known for playing the role of DC Mickey Webb for over twelve years in the long running ITV series The Bill.  He has also appeared in EastEnders as Mark Garland and in the Tracy Beaker spin-off CBBC show, The Dumping Ground.  Chris’s theatre credits include Alan Ayckbourn’s Absent Friends (Gordon Craig Theatre, Stevenage), Entertaining Strangers (Lyric Hammersmith), Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (tour), Iago in Othello(tour) and Epicoene (Tristan Bates Theatre).

 

The show is endorsed and supported by many of those who feature in its story, including singer P.P. Arnold and Steve Marriott’s daughter, Mollie Marriott, who is the show’s vocal coach and creative consultant.

 

ALL OR NOTHING – THE MOD MUSICAL is directed by Carol Harrison, with musical supervision by Pat Davey.  ALL OR NOTHING – THE MOD MUSICAL is produced in the West End by Rock ‘n’ Roll Productions.

 

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

 

ALL OR NOTHING – THE MOD MUSICAL

 

6 February – 11 March 2018

 

Arts Theatre

6-7 Great Newport St

London WC2H 7JB

 

Performances:  Tue – Sat 7.30pm*, Thurs, Sat and Sun matinees 3pm (*Thursday 8 Feb 7pm)

Running Time:  2 hours, 35 mins, including interval

Tickets:  From £19.50

Box Office:  020 7836 8463

 

N.B.  Contains strong language

 

www.allornothingmusical.com

@AONTheMusical

First look at official production photos for record-breaking CABARET starring Will Young & Louise Redknapp

FIRST LOOK AT OFFICIAL PRODUCTION PHOTOS FOR

RECORD-BREAKING

CABARET

STARRING WILL YOUNG & LOUISE REDKNAPP

 

RUFUS NORRIS’ ACCLAIMED TOURING PRODUCTION OF KANDER AND EBB’S MUSICAL MASTERPIECE

 

Rufus Norris’ CABARET starring WILL YOUNG, who reprises his award-winning performance as the Emcee, and LOUISE REDKNAPP, making her stage debut as Sally Bowles, is breaking records at the box office as the production begins its UK tour.

Playing to packed houses at the New Wimbledon Theatre where the production opened on 21 September and broke box office records for a 12-show run, CABARET is proving a hit with audiences across the country as sales of the landmark musical are exceeding expectations. At Theatre Royal in Brighton, CABARET is officially the highest grossing single week-long musical in the theatre’s history, and at Malvern Theatre, the show’s sales have smashed records as the highest grossing single week-long musical or play.

Currently in Malvern Theatre, CABARET continues its autumn tour until 9 December, and visits Cardiff New Theatre, Leeds Grand Theatre, Milton Keynes Theatre, The Lowry in SalfordEdinburgh Playhouse, Churchill Theatre BromleyDublin’s Bord Gáis Energy Theatre and Brighton Theatre Royal.

 

CABARET features show-stopping choreography, dazzling costumes and some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre including ‘Money Makes The World Go Round’‘Two Ladies’ ‘Maybe This Time’ and of course ‘Cabaret’. The production turns Weimar Berlin of 1931 into a sassy, sizzling haven of decadence, and at its dark heart is the legendary and notorious Emcee, who performs nightly at the infamous Kit Kat Klub.

 

Since its Broadway premiere in 1966 and the famous movie version with Liza Minnelli and Oscar winner Joel Grey, CABARET has won a staggering number of stage and screen awards including 8 Oscars, 7 BAFTAs and 13 Tonys. Norris’ production has enjoyed two smash hit West End runs and has picked up 2 Olivier Awards.

Internationally renowned singer/songwriter, WILL YOUNG, reprises his Olivier Award-nominated performance as the enigmatic EmceeEver since winning the inaugural series of Pop Idol in 2001, Will Young has been one of the UK’s most popular and successful music artists. He holds the record for the fastest selling debut single in British chart history, and has enjoyed a phenomenal career in music with four No1 albums, as well as acting alongside Dame Judi Dench in the film Mrs. Henderson Presents.

 

LOUISE REDKNAPP rose to fame as a member of the girl group Eternal. She left the band to carve out a successful solo career achieving an impressive twelve Top 20 singles, including the hits Naked and Stuck in the Middle and selling over 5 million records with 5 albums. Since then she has rarely left our television screens and most recently wowed the nation with her dancing skills finishing ‘runner up’ in the 2016 series of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing.

 

The cast also includes Susan Penhaligon as Fraulein Schneider. Best known from the popular television series Bouquet of Barbed Wire and the sitcom A Fine Romance with Judi Dench, Susan’s film appearances include Under Milk Wood, The Land That Time Forgot and Paul Verhoeven’s Soldier of Orange. Extensive stage credits across the UK include Dangerous Obsession, Mrs Warren’s Profession and The Constant Wife. West End credits include Three Sisters and The Real Thing.

 

Joining her are: Basienka Blake (Fraulein Kost), Linal Haft (Herr Schultz), Charles Hagerty (Cliff Bradshaw) and Nick Tizzard (Ernst Ludwig). The company is completed by Maria GarrettSophie HirstLuke JacksonKatrina KleveJordan LiveseyLiam MarcellinoAlicia MenciaJack MitchellHannah Nicholas, Helen Siveter and Matthew Wesley.

Rufus Norris is Director of the National Theatre and a multi-award winning theatre and opera director. For the National Theatre, he has directed The Threepenny Operawonder.landEverymanBehind the Beautiful ForeversThe Amen Corner, TableLondon Road (Critics Circle Award), Death and the King’s HorsemanMarket Boy. Other theatre includes Vernon God Little (Young Vic), Les Liasons Dangerouses (Broadway – five Tony Award nominations), Festen (West End and Broadway) The Country Girl (Apollo) and Afore Night Came at the Young Vic (Evening Standard Award). Film credits include London Road and Broken.

 

Choreography is by Javier De Frutos who won the Olivier Award for his work on this original production of Cabaret.  Named by the Evening Standard as one of 2016 most influential people, he’s one of only three artists in the history of the Olivier Awards to receive nominations in all dance categories. Other awards include an Evening Standard Award for The Most Incredible Thing in collaboration with Pet Shop Boys, Critics’ Circle Awards for Milagros with Royal New Zealand Ballet and Fiction for BalletBoyz named Best of Dance by The Arts Desk and Top 10 by the Guardian for 2016.

 

BILL KENWRIGHT PRESENTS CABARET

Book by JOE MASTEROFF Music by JOHN KANDER Lyrics by FREDD EBB

Based on the play by JOHN VAN DRUTEN and Stories by CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD

Pumpkins, Plague and Witch Prickers

PUMPKINS A-PLENTY AT YORK DUNGEON
IT’S THE HOME OF HALLOWEEN
Until Saturday 4 November

It’s that time of year, pumpkins, witches, ghosts and ghoulies and you will find it all at York Dungeon.  For those looking to make the most of the scariest time of the year look no further. The York Dungeon is the ‘Home of Halloween’ with new events and surprises throughout the month of October.

Learn about the darker side of York’s history, with something new lurking around every corner and lots of surprises to all of the 10 live shows.
This year also sees the return of the popular Trick or Treat Walking Tours, a family-only event designed with younger visitors in mind.
“Although we love being scary, we love having fun too, and our Walking Tours have always been the perfect event for little ones who may be too scared to come inside The York Dungeon” explains Marketing Executive, Simon Alnaimi.
Families will be led by characters from The York Dungeon, around key locations in the city centre with historical significance, and then told of all the horrible and spooky stories they have to tell.
The York Dungeon is bringing a whole list of brand new events to York for the first time, exclusively for Halloween.  There’s something for everyone, whatever the age.
Looking forward to Halloween at York Dungeon are The Plague Doctor (played by Naomi Lombard), The Torturer (played by Nick Trott), and the Witch Pricker (Samuel Glover). Picture David Harrison.

There’s the City Bus Tour, in partnership with Yorkshire Belles, where families will see even more of the city, and find out about the grislier details of history they don’t learn in school; The York Dungeon Late event, which is strictly adults only, with cheekier scripts and even more scares; and the Ghost Cruise on the Ouse, in partnership with City Cruises York, this is a unique Halloween event that combines a trip on the river, with some of the scariest ghost stories in York.

The York Dungeon will be open until 9pm on the 18th & 31st October, enabling you to experience the darker side of history, after dark.
For more information, or to book onto any of the events, head to:  https://www.thedungeons.com/york/en/plan-your-visit/halloween.aspx

A Murder is Announced Review

Salisbury Playhouse – until 14 October.  Reviewed by Sharon MacDonald Armitage

3***

When an announcement is placed in Chipping Cleghorn’s daily paper stating a murder will take place in the home of Letitia Blacklock (Janet Dibley) at 6.30pm that evening it is greeted with both incredulity and dark humour. However, despite no one having knowledge of placing the notice, it doesn’t stop a number of locals arriving at Blacklock’s house to see what ensues. Cue the striking clock, a blackout, and gunshots and you have the opening of one of Agatha Christie’s well known novels.

Adapted for stage by Leslie Darbon, there is most certainly the essence of Christie’s novel, albeit with some changes. There is the stereotypical blundering police officer, Inspector Craddock (Tom Butcher), the rather abrupt cook Mitzi (Lydia Piechowiak), the forgetful companion Dora Bunner (Sarah Thomas) and the iconic busy body Miss Marple (Louise Jameson). Peppered with a number of waifs, strays and distant family members you may think this is enough to make for a challenging evening of sleuthing and detection. However, it became a slight caricature of life in a 1950’s English village.

Janet Dibley gave a good solid performance as Blacklock and commanded the stage throughout. The set allowed for a clear view of Dibley’s stage craft and if you know the plot and outcome there are tell-tale signs of what is to come.

Louise Jameson’s Marple is an oddity as she is not the interfering, sharp of brain, little old lady we see in the novels and many TV and film adaptations. There is something rather comical and vacant about her. Rather than at the centre of the investigation, we are not shown her inquisitive skills until the final act when she starts discussing things with Inspector Craddock. This is where we see Marple as many would expect, which makes the latter part of the play more engaging.

It is difficult to know what the audience thought as there was a lot of giggling and laughing at what did not seem appropriate times.  The humour was there with Piechowiak’s maid Mitzi and with Thomas’ Bunner. But it did seem the audience found humour where there was not supposed to be any.

The costumes for this production are rather charming and plentiful and totally in keeping with the era as is the set which is open and allows all characters to be seen clearly as they move around it.

Overall this is a decent production, but it lacks the finesse of an individual’s imagination when reading the novels. Those that do not know Christie’s work and do not know this plot, will possibly get more out of it than those that do.  

Sunset Boulevard Review

Newcastle Theatre Royal – until 14 October 2017

5*****

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard arrives at the beautiful Theatre Royal in Newcastle for a new week on its new UK tour.

Joe Gillis (the incredibly talented Danny Mac) is a skint screenwriter, hustling studio execs for money or a job.  In a bid to shake off debt collectors after his car, he ends up at 10086 Sunset Boulevard the home of faded movie star Norma Desmond (the phenomenal Ria Jones).

Mistaken for the undertaker he waits while Desmond sings a lament to her dead companion, a pet monkey.  Discovering Gillis is a writer she invites him to read her new screenplay, Salome.  This is the film that will see Desmond return to the silver screen, playing the title role herself.

Kept a virtual prisoner by Desmond and her manservant Max (Adam Pearce – whose vocals are both tender and commanding), he manages to escape to New Year Party at Schwab’s after Desmond declares her love for him.  He bumps into his friend Artie (Dougie Carter) and his fiancee Betty (Molly Lynch) who wants to write a screenplay with Gillis.  It’s during the party that Gillis discovers in his rejection of Desmond she has cut her wrists with his razor.  He returns back to her, his life now bound as tightly to her as the bandages bound around her cut wrists.

The songs are the thing for this show, Lloyd Webber’s luscious music and powerful lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton.  A triumphant masterpiece, brought to life by Adrian Kirk and his 16-piece orchestra.  Charismatic but calculating, Danny Mac’s Gillis, sings and acts with impressive commitment and talent, particularly in the show’s powerful title song “Sunset Boulevard”.  Barely off stage, his is a complex portrayal that mines the darkness of his character beautifully.  Ria Jones presents a masterclass in performance as she plays to the whole audience from the stalls to the gallery.  Her hauntingly beautiful versions of “With One Look” and “The Greatest Star of All” introduce you to her bewilderment of no longer acting and her fragile emotional state.  But it’s in the second act where she sings “As if we Never Said Goodbye” that Jones stops the show with the power of her vocals, articulating all the facets of Norma’s psyche, from the pride and glory of her past, clinging to her dreams and her sanity.

When it is revealed that Max is really her first film director Max Von Meyerling, and her first husband, Gillis understands the strange facade in which he has been trapped and tries to leave to be with Betty, with whom he has fallen in love whilst writing with her.

It’s easy to see why Max needs to protect “Madam”, keeping up the pretence she is still a huge star but maybe if he had been a bit more honest it might have had less fatal consequences for all.

This is an emotional roller coaster of a night out.  A full scale spectacular from the sets to the band, to the blistering climax. Sunset Boulevard is possibly the greatest masterpiece from the Lloyd Webber repertoire, the shining jewel in his theatrical crown.

MATTHEW KELLY AND JOSEFINA GABRIELLE TO STAR IN THE WORLD PREMIERE STAGE ADAPTATION OF MAGICAL CHRISTMAS BOOK THE BOX OF DELIGHTS BY PIERS TORDAY BASED ON THE NOVEL BY JOHN MASEFIELD AT WILTON’S MUSIC HALL

Matthew Kelly and Josefina Gabrielle to star in the world premiere stage adaptation of magical Christmas book The Box of Delights by Piers Torday based on the novel by John Masefield at Wilton’s Music Hall

·        Cast announced today for enchanting reworking of Christmas classic by John Masefield

·        Reimagined by top children’s author Piers Torday and director Justin Audibert and designed by Tom Piper

·        All new production presented by Wilton’s Music Hall and Hero Productions

·        Running 01 December – 06 January

National treasure Matthew Kelly and West End superstar Josefina Gabrielle are to star in the brand-new stage adaptation of The Box of Delights, it has been announced today. This original production is the first time Poet Laureate John Masefield’s festive classic has been reimagined for the stage, and will be brought to life by an ensemble cast in the gloriously Christmassy surroundings of Wilton’s Music Hall.

Joining Kelly and Gabrielle as part of the stellar cast will be Mark Extance, Safiyya Ingar, Tom Kanji, Samuel Simmonds, Rosalind Steele and Alistair Toovey.

Matthew Kelly is an Olivier-award winning actor best known for television and stage acting and presenting family favourites Stars In Their Eyes and Game For a Laugh. Having appeared in several West End productions; Of Mice and Men, Waiting For Godot, Funny Peculiar and Sign of the Times to name a few, Matthew has most recently been appearing in Desire Under The Elms at the Sheffield Crucible. Three-time Olivier-nominated Josefina Gabrielle has appeared in countless West End shows, including Stepping Out, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Sweet Charity and Merrily We Roll Along. Her television credits include Miranda, Doctors, Auf Wiedersehen Pet and Heartbeat.

The original great British children’s literary classic, which has inspired authors from C S Lewis to J K Rowling, The Box Of Delights was reinvented as an award-winning BBC television show in the 1980s and became an instant cult classic, creating a fanbase of thousands around the world. This brand-new stage show, written by beloved children’s author Piers Torday whose work includes the bestselling Last Wild trilogy and new novel There May Be A Castle, tells the story of young orphan Kay Harker, the boy who must save Christmas. On the train home for the holidays he encounters an old magician, Cole Hawlings, who tasks Kay with protecting his Box of Delights, a wondrous device with time travelling powers. And so begins a tale of adventure that transports Kay through time and space, as he must protect the Box against Cole’s nemesis, the evil sorcerer Abner Brown.

Matthew Kelly says I couldn’t be more delighted to be returning to Wilton’s, a magical venue and the perfect setting for the Christmas classic The Box of Delights. How they will achieve the effects of snow, flood, talking animals, miniaturised children and flying cars in this exciting time-travel adventure I have no idea. If anybody can do it, Justin Audibert directing and Tom Piper designing can and that’s why I’m on board. Hurrah.’

Josefina Gabrielle says ‘I’m so excited to be joining the cast of The Box of Delights. And I can’t wait to see what this incredible creative team has in store for us in bringing this wonderful story to life at the very special Wilton’s Music Hall this Christmas.’

Packed with Christmas spirit, festive fun and magic, this classic family show is brought to life by an acclaimed creative team including Director Justin Audibert (Royal Shakespeare Company; National Theatre) and Olivier award-winning Designer Tom Piper and takes place in the wonderful Wilton’s Music Hall, a venue so Christmassy the smell of mulled wine positively oozes from the walls…

The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde Review

Greenwich Theatre 4 – 7 October, touring until 29 November and January– March 2018.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

3***

Blackeyed Theatre’s touring production of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is suitably dark and atmospheric. Nick Lane’s adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic adds a pivotal new female character, raising questions about Jekyll’s motivations and character before Hyde surfaces.

Henry Jekyll, weak and suffering from an unnamed malady, is passionate about his research in the new field of neuroscience, convinced that chemical experimentation on the brain can affect personality and behaviour. As his animal experiments reach their limit, he begins to search the many asylums for human subjects. When his unethical and lethal experiments are discovered by a close friend, Jekyll is finally desperate enough to test his formula on himself and transforms into Edward Hyde. Hyde is physically powerful but has no morals, and his violent actions create chaos and fear.

The cast of four constantly move chairs around the stage to define different rooms in front of the wooden backdrop, and play multiple roles expertly. Huge praise on press night for the cast’s professionalism – if I were Hyde I’d have waded into the mob of GCSE students and used my cane on them. The giggling, chatting and constant unwrapping of endless supplies of sweets was a little distracting to say the least, but the cast soldiered on. It bemuses me that these teenagers can maim and kill in video and watch softporn like Game of Thrones without blinking an eye, but the sight of two fully clothed adults kissing live on stage makes them gasp and giggle like six-year olds.

Jack Bannell impresses as Jekyll and Hyde. There are no fancy tricks for the transformation between the two characters – simply an eerily convulsing giant shadow convulsing as Bannell writhes on the floor for the first occasion, followed by diminishing physical signals until Hyde and Jekyll switch with a mere shrug from Bannell. No theatrical tricks are used to disguise Hyde, Bannell simply changes his gait from a tremulous limp to an animalistic loping stride, deepens his voice a shade, and glares at the world with contempt. Ashley Sean-Cook as Hastings Lanyon is the moral compass of the play, decent and upright and full of horror at Jekyll’s cruelty to animals and humans in his experiments. His wife Eleanor Landon is an interesting character, played passionately by Paige Round. An Irish music hall singer, bored with her decent but dull husband, she gets involved with Jekyll’s research and they fall in love. It is Eleanor who goads Jekyll into taking the formula, and she and Hyde begin a physical affair. This is all just a bit soapy for me. I understand Lake was inspired by Stevenson’s wife’s strident support of her husband, but the histrionics got a little too much for me, muddying the reasons behind Jekyll’s choices. Zach Lee as lawyer/narrator Gabriel Utterson has the tough job of keeping long passages of exposition entertaining, and largely succeeds, but this is another problem for me. At least 20 minutes could be shaved off the play to tighten the narrative and stop the pace flagging. There are some tense scenes, most notably the slowmo attack by Hyde on a passing stranger, but this is a now familiar device, no matter how well it is done, and a lot of the play is taken up by dry passages directed at the audience.

Blackeyed Theatre’s adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde is a decent attempt at adding a feminine touch to the novel with strong performances all round.

What Shadows Review

Park Theatre 27 September – 28 October.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

A play revolving around Enoch Powell and his controversial and divisive 1968 ‘rivers of blood’ speech may not instantly appeal, but Chris Hannan’s What Shadows takes an intelligent and unsentimental look at immigration and identity, throwing in a fair few laughs along the way.

Powell’s speech mentioned the last white woman living in a street in Wolverhampton, and uses grotesque language to describe the black children on the street. One of those children, Rose, grows up to be an Oxford academic, and in 1992 begins to research a book about identity with Sofia, the woman she replaced on the faculty. Sofia controversially stated that Powell’s speech had never been answered, and was hounded out of academia for her racist views. The two women travel to Wolverhampton to interview the 1968 inhabitants of Rose’s street before Rose interviews Powell himself.

Interwoven with the women’s plot is the story of Powell and his Quaker friends before and after the speech. Clem is a newspaper editor and reluctantly gives Powell advice on when to stage a speech for maximum press impact, even though he finds Powell’s views repellent.

Ian McDiarmid is so utterly convincing as Powell, nailing the bizarrely nasal accent, that I wanted to throw my shoe at him as he delivered (an abridged version) of the speech. His portrayal of Powell’s Parkinson’s tremors was finely nuanced, developing a little sympathy for the man, until he opened his mouth again. McDiarmid conveys Powell’s sharp wit, revelling in some of the best one liners in the play. Hannan’s version of Powell is a petulant, entitled and frustrated man who delights at being a grammar school boy amongst the more privileged Tories and remains full of bitterness at having his dreams of governing India taken from him. He has developed a poetic, idealised vision of England that is threatened by immigration and multiculturalism, and is willing to risk his political career to air views he feels all English people share. He also risks his friendship with Clem and Marjorie, and this relationship is written beautifully, full of meaningless meandering conversations, peppered with some of the Powells’ racist views that the Jones’ gloss over to avoid confrontation.

Sofia’s claim that everyone is racist, that all groups look down on others, is met with scorn by Rose, but as her mother and her neighbours are seen in the 60s, this truth becomes obvious. The scenes and characters are slightly reminiscent of the abuse the students threw at each other in that 70s classic Mind Your Language, with everyone accepting the derogatory terms as everyday language. Sultan determinedly wooing white war widow Grace is a delight, and makes their final scene together in 1992 very moving. The loss of identity is shattering for both, and this constant search for identity and a sense of belonging is relevant to all the characters.

The relationship between the two academics is interesting, but as Sofia gradually opens up and becomes the humane voice of reason of the play, Rose just becomes more and more smug and stubborn. Her meeting with Powell descends into her berating him, and their inability to resolve their opposing views could feel a little unsatisfactory to some, but is totally in keeping with society’s lack of solutions in this digital age when anonymous keyboard warriors constantly spout hatred and bigotry through social media, and world leaders cynically incite fear and intolerance to enhance their powerbase.

This is a play about the power of words to divide and incite, so director Roxana Silbert focusses the audience’s attention on the stellar cast and the script with unfussy movement and a bare stage, with a few stark trees.

What Shadows isn’t an easy play to watch at times, but the relevance and intelligence of Hannan’s writing, along with the chance to see the incomparable Ian McDiarmid in the flesh, make it well worth a look.

Cast announced for age-blind production of Daisy Pulls It Off

Go People and Glass Half Full Productions in association with Park Theatre presents
DAISY PULLS IT OFF
Olivier Award-winning comedy revived with age-blind, diverse cast for modern London
Directed by Paulette Randall MBE
 
Tuesday 5th December 2017 – Saturday 13th January 2018 PARK200

A ripping revival of Denise Deegan’s Olivier Award-winning, festive heart-warmer Daisy Pulls It Off is set to wrap up Park Theatre’s 2017 season. This affectionate parody of 1920s boarding schoolgirl novels, directed by Paulette Randall MBE, will feature a truly diverse ensemble cast.
 
Starring Anna Shaffer (Harry Potter film series, Hollyoaks), Pauline McLynn (Father Ted, Shameless), Shobna Gulati (Dinnerladies, Coronation Street) and Clare Perkins (EastEnders, Family Affairs), the official press night will be on Friday 8 December, 7pm.
 
Paulette Randall says: “We knew straightaway that we were never going to cast an actual bunch of 12-year-old schoolgirls to portray the play’s army of smart, brave and hilarious characters. So why even try with a bunch of sort-of lookalikes? Instead, we’ve thrown the rulebook out the window, casting a brilliant bunch of talented and diverse actors who, gloriously, tick none of the boxes. Not being bound by age and race has been such a freeing experience, and the results are hugely exciting. Our only criteria were: Are they smart? Are they brave? And – most importantly – are they hilarious? It’s all about creating a modern Daisy for a modern London crowd.”
 
Daisy Meredith, the energetic new girl from an underprivileged background, is the first scholarship student to attend Grangewood School for Girls. Faced with prejudice and pranks from the wealthier schoolgirls, Daisy also discovers her new school is faced with financial closure. Having won over a zany group of chums, Daisy concocts a wizard plan to save the school with the discovery of a secret treasure.
 
Daisy Pulls It Off won the 1983 Olivier Award for Best Comedy and ran for 3 years, launching the careers of actresses like Samantha Bond and Gabrielle Glaister.
 
 
CAST & CREATIVES
Anna Shaffer as Daisy 
Pauline McLynn as Trixie
Shobna Gulati as Sybil / Mummy 
Clare Perkins as Monica / Belinda 
Melanie Fullbrook as Clare / Winnie / Miss Granville
Lucy Eaton as Alice / Miss Gibson
Freddie Hutchins as Mr Thompson / Mr Scoblowski / Mademoiselle
 
Directed by Paulette Randall
Written by Denise Deegan
Designed by Libby Watson
 
Anna Shaffer recently filmed Fearless (produced by Mammoth for ITV), and Lovesick for Netflix. Other recent credits include the role of Poppy in I Live With Models (produced by Rough Cut for Comedy Central) and the role of Rachel in the BBC’s Doctor Who spin-off Class. Anna had a regular role in Hollyoaks and played Romilda Vane in the Harry Potter film series.
 
Pauline McLynn’s television credits include: EastEnders (BBC), Father Figure (BBC), Threesome (Comedy Central), Shameless (Channel 4), The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff (BBC) Pramface (BBC), Jam and Jerusalem (BBC),Bremner, Bird and Fortune (Channel 4), High Hopes (BBC), French and Saunders (BBC), TV To Go (BBC) and The Dark Ages (ITV). She is well known for her award-winning role as Mrs Doyle in Father Ted (Hatrick/ Channel 4). Her theatre credits include Happy Days (Sheffield Crucible), The Taming of the Shrew (Smock Alley Theatre),Playboy of the Western World (Donmar Warehouse), Cymbeline and The Knight of the Burning Pestle (The Globe Theatre) and East is East (Ambassadors Theatre).
 
Shobna Gulati became a household name for her role as Anita in Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies and as Sunita in Coronation Street. Her other TV credits include:  Paranoid (ITV1/RED PRODUCTIONS), Casualty (BBC1), Kay Mellor’s In the Club (BBC1) and The Circle (Channel 4). Her theatre credits include: Anita & Me (The Touring Consortium), Grease (Leicester Curve Theatre), Mamma Mia (International Tour 2015- 2016), Hunger for Trade and Come Closer (Royal Exchange Theatre), The Jungle Book, (West Yorkshire Playhouse), and The Vagina Monologues (Mark Goucher Ltd).
 
Clare Perkins’ theatre credits include: Primetime (Royal Court), The Convert (The Gate), Little Revolution(Almeida Theatre), Generations of the Dead (Young Vic), The House That Will Not Stand (Tricycle Theatre),Mules (Royal Court), Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre), The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime(National Theatre Tour), Removal Men (The Yard), Caucasian Chalk Circle (Shared Experience). Her screen credits include Death In Paradise (BBC), EastEnders (BBC), Men Behaving Badly (BBC), Family Affairs (Channel 5).
 
Lucy Eaton trained at LAMDA. Her theatre credits include: The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Donmar Warehouse), The Duchess of Malfi (Old Vic), Khadija is 18 (Finborough Theatre), A Midsummer Night’s Dream(Southwark Playhouse), Almost, Maine (Park Theatre), Romeo and Juliet (Cambridge Arts Theatre),Win/Lose/Draw (Waterloo East Theatre), This Year It Will Be Different (Theatre 503), Cyrano De Bergerac(White Bear), The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Edinburgh Fringe). Film credits include:Sedu (Ansu Kabia Productions) and Exposure. Her TV credits include: Murder Maps (Netflix).
 
Melanie Fullbrook trained at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Her theatre credits include: Playing For Time (Sheffield Crucible), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Southwark Playhouse), Almost, Maine (Park Theatre), See What I See (Eyestring Theatre), The Voice Of The Turtle (London tour), BASH! (Rag Factory) andWin/Lose/Draw (Waterloo East Theatre). Radio credits include: Peer Gynt (BBC Radio). Her directing credits include: Joy (director at Theatre Royal Stratford East), In Night’s Darkling Glory (Director), Experience(assistant director at Hampstead Theatre), Diminished (assistant director at Hampstead Theatre), Looking at Lucien (associate director at Theatre Royal Bath)
 
Freddie Hutchins trained at Bristol Old Vic. His theatre credits include: Coram Boy (Bristol Old Vic), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Southwark Playhouse), The Provoked Wife (London tour), While the Sun Shines(Lion and Unicorn), Richard III (Tower of London), Brewing Tea (White Bear) and Tartuffe (Courtyard Theatre). Film credits include Viking: The Berserkers (Lindisfarne Films). Freddie is a regular participant of the Read Not Dead initiative at Shakespeare’s Globe.
 
Libby Watson trained at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School and Wimbledon School of Art. Her design credits include: The Philanthropist (Trafalgar Studios), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (New Wolsey Theatre), Godiva Rocks (Belgrade Theatre), Sweet Charity (Wolsey Theatre), Rudy’s Rare Records (Birmingham Rep and Hackney Empire), Frankie and Johnny (Chichester Festival Theatre), History Boys (UK tour), What’s in the Cat and Blest Be the Tie (Royal Court). Libby also designed The Mountaintop at Trafalgar Studios, which was the winner of the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Play.
 
Paulette Randall is a freelance theatre director and producer. Her most recent theatre credits include; Five Guys Named Moe (Underbelly and Cameron Mackintosh), The Disappearance of Dorothy Lawrence (Vital Exposure), Obama-ology (RADA), Play Mas (Orange Tree Theatre), Frankie and Johnny in the Clair De Lune(Chichester Festival Theatre), and Rudy’s Rare Records – starring Lenny Henry (Birmingham Rep and Hackney Empire). Her TV credits include River City, Holby City, The Real McCoy  (BBC Two), Desmond’s, Porkpie, C4, The Crouches, Comin Atcha, CITV and Kerching! (CBBC). Paulette was also the Associate Director of the London Olympics Opening Ceremony in 2012.
 
Box office: 020 7870 6876*

George’s Marvellous Medicine at Leicester Curve

CAST AND TOUR DATES FOR CURVE’S GLORIUMPTIOUS, WHOOPSY WHIFFLING PRODUCTION OF ROALD DAHL’S GEORGE’S MARVELLOUS MEDICINE

The cast, production team and tour dates have been announced for Curve and Rose Theatre Kingston’s production of Roald Dahl’s George’s Marvellous Medicine.

Joining Director Julia Thomas for David Wood’s imaginative and fun-filled adaptation of the much loved classic tale will be Designer Morgan Large, Composer Tasha Taylor-Johnson (who is supported by the Cameron Mackintosh Resident Composer Scheme), Lighting Designer Jack Weir, Sound Designer David Gregory and Casting Director Kay Magson.

Taking the role of the show’s creative hero George is talented young actor Preston Nyman, son of Leicestershire-born Andy Nyman. Lisa Howard, known for her recurring role as Grace Sheehan in Emmerdale, will play the grizzly Grandma. Completing the cast is Catherine Morris who will play George’s Mum, Justin Wilman as his Dad and Chandni Mistry as the Chicken.

The production is Curve’s fourth Roald Dahl adaptation following The Twits, The Witches – which were also co-produced with the Rose – and most recently Fantastic Mr. Fox, a co-production with Nuffield Southampton Theatre which played to audiences at the Lyric Hammersmith over the summer.

Speaking about the production, Curve’s Chief Executive Chris Stafford and Artistic Director Nikolai Foster said:

“One of the recurring themes in Dahl’s work is the emergence of young leaders and how the next generation can shape our future for the better. We are thrilled our fantastical, phizz-whizzing production of George’s Marvellous Medicine introduces a great new leader to British theatre – our Regional Theatre Young Director Julia Thomas directs this production. Alongside Julia, an astonishing group of actors and a first class production team will create this brand new production of David Wood’s superlative adaptation.

“We are proud to be working alongside our friends at the Rose and with venues across the UK.”

Most grandmothers are lovely, kind, helpful old ladies. Not George’s Grandmother. George’s Grandmother likes to gobble up slugs and bugs, and is always telling George what to do.

But one day, when his parents leave him alone with the grizzly old grunion, George takes his chance and sets about creating a brand new medicine to cure her of her cruelty. Little does he know that his perilous potion will be the start of a rather marvellous adventure…

After premiering at Curve 9 Dec – 20 Jan, George’s Marvellous Medicine will embark on a four month tour to cities including Sheffield, Southampton, Belfast and Kingston.

For more information on dramatist David Wood, visit www.davidwood.org.

To find out more about Roald Dahl, see www.roalddahl.com.

For more information and to book tickets, visit www.curveonline.co.uk or call Curve’s Ticket Office on 0116 242 3595.

TOUR DATES:

Curve, Leicester

9 December – 20 January

Tickets £18 – £10

Lyceum, Sheffield

23 – 27 January

Waterside, Aylesbury

30 January – 3 February

Grand Opera House, Belfast

13 – 17 February

Quays Theatre, Manchester

20 – 24 February

Theatre Royal, Brighton

27 Feb – 3 March

Princess Theatre, Torquay

6 – 10 March

West Yorkshire Playhouse

13 – 17 March

Nuffield, Southampton

20 – 24 March

Rose Theatre, Kingston

28 Mar –7 Apr

Playhouse Theatre, Oxford

10 – 14 April

More dates to be announced soon.