National and International Success for Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour as the successful Live Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland Co-production written by Lee Hall transfers to National Theatre, London and Melbourne Festival, Australia

Adapted by Lee Hall from the novel The Sopranos by Alan Warner.

Directed by Vicky Featherstone
Music Arranger and Supervisor, Martin Lowe
Designed by Chloe Lamford
Lighting Design by Lizzie Powell
Choreography by Imogen Knight

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, the hugely successful play, adapted by Lee Hall from Alan Warner’s cult Scottish novel The Sopranos and the first collaboration between Live Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland has its London premiere at National Theatre next week running between Monday 8 August and Saturday 1 October. It has also just been announced that Our Ladies…, will then transfer to a run at Melbourne Festival between Thursday 6 and Sunday 23 October 2016.

A conversation between writer Lee Hall and director Vicky Featherstone led them to discover a mutual love of Alan Warner’s cult Scottish novel, The Sopranos, and a desire to work together to turn it into a stage play. This led to the first and hugely successful collaboration between Live Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland.

Our Ladies… premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2015, and enjoyed a successful sell-out run at the Traverse Theatre, earning critical and audience acclaim, and picking up four awards. It embarked on a sell-out Scottish tour and a sell-out run at its English Premiere at Live Theatre in October 2015, where it also gained a Journal Culture Award for best production in 2015.

The play toured the UK in summer 2016 including a week at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal, and was featured internationally at Galway Festival, Ireland and The Festival of Art and Ideas, New Haven, USA where The New York Times review said:

‘Vibrant performances and the show’s raunchy good humo[u]r draw you in.’

Our Ladies… will receive its London premiere in summer 2016, at the Dorfman Theatre at the National Theatre of Great Britain. Live Theatre and Lee Hall have previously collaborated with National Theatre when The Pitman Painters was co-produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain in 2009.

Max Roberts, Artistic Director, Live Theatre said

“We are delighted that our co-production with The National Theatre of Scotland Our Ladies…, written by Live Theatre’s long-time collaborator Lee Hall has gone on to delight audiences both nationally and internationally. It’s a rich theatrical mix of humour and pathos with stunning live music and choreography delivered by a superb young cast is a joy to behold and we are very proud to be part of this collaboration.”

Alan Warner’s novel and Lee Hall’s musical stage play tell the story of six girls on the cusp of change. Love, lust, pregnancy and death all spiral out of control in a single day. Funny, sad, rude and beautifully sung, Our Ladies …. is a tribute to being young, lost and out of control, featuring a soundtrack of classical music and 70s pop rock, with music by Handel, Bach  and ELO including the songs Mr Blue Sky, Don’t Bring Me Down, Long Black Road and more.

Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, collaborates with Lee Hall, (Shakespeare in Love, Billy Elliot and The Pitmen Painters), to create a wild and tender play meets gig about singing, sex and sambuca.

Alan Warner wrote The Sopranos in 1998, followed by its sequel The Stars in the Bright Sky which was long listed for the 2010 Man Booker Prize. He has written eight novels and is best known for Morvern Callar which was made into a film starring Samantha Morton in 2002. His most recent novel is Their Lips Talk of Mischief, published by Faber in 2014.

Our Ladies… can be seen at the Dofrman Theatre, National Theatre, London between Monday 8 August and Saturday 1 October and Melbourne Festival, Australia between Thursday 6 and Sunday 23 October 2016.

THE BIG-TIME BROADWAY SHOW!

42^ND STREET

ARRIVES IN THE WEST END MARCH 2017

MULTI TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

INCLUDES THE ICONIC SONGS ‘WE’RE IN THE MONEY’ ‘LULLABY OF BROADWAY’ AND ‘DAMES’

PREVIEWS FROM MONDAY 20 MARCH 2017

AT THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY LANE

42nd STREET, the quintessential backstage musical comedy classic, is to play the Theatre Royal, Drury Lanefrom Monday 20 March 2017, with a press night on Tuesday 4 April 2017 at 7:00pm. Tickets go on-sale today, Friday 5^th August.

This new production of 42^nd STREET – the dazzling and romantic homage to the world of musical theatre – arrives in London with an all-singing, high-kicking cast of over 50 and some of the greatest songs in musical history, ready to explode on to the West End’s biggest stage.

42nd STREET is the song and dance, American dream fable of Broadway and includes some of the greatest songs ever written, such as ‘We’re In The Money’, ‘Lullaby of Broadway’, ‘Shuffle Off To Buffalo’, ‘Dames’, ‘I Only Have Eyes For You’, and ‘42nd Street’.

Young Peggy Sawyer is fresh off the bus from small-town America and just another face in the chorus line on Broadway’s newest show. But when the leading lady gets injured, Peggy might just have the shot at stardom she’s always dreamed of…

42^nd STREET has played to great global acclaim for almost 40 years. Its phenomenal popularity serves as a legacy to Gower Champion, for whom 42^nd STREET stands as the outstanding, timeless tribute to the legendary director and choreographer of the original, Tony Award-winning production. The new West End production will be directed by the show’s author Mark Bramble (whose other hit shows include Barnum,Treasure Island, The Three Musketeers, The Grand Tour), and director of many award-winning previous productions of 42^nd STREET around the world.

Mark Bramble said, “The original production had the look of a Warner Brothers black and white film.  This time we’re doing an MGM Technicolor version of 42nd Street with additional songs and dances.  The theme of the show speaks louder today than ever before:  follow your bliss and with talent and hard work dreams can come true. I’m delighted that Linnit/Grade are bringing our song and dance extravaganza to the magnificent Theatre Royal Drury Lane.”

The producers are also pleased to confirm that Douglas W Schmidt will return as Set Designer and Roger Kirk as Costume Designer, as they have been for previous productions of “42nd STREET”.

Mark Bramble has been involved in writing, directing and producing of musicals all over the world. He began his theatrical career under the mentorship of legendary Broadway producer David Merrick, for whom he worked on many Broadway productions.  As author, his shows include BARNUM, starring Jim Dale (Michael Crawford in London) which introduced Glenn Close as a leading actress, with songs by Cy Coleman and Michael Stewart (Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical, and ten Tony Award nominations including Best Book and Best Musical,), 42ND STREET with songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin, produced by David Merrick and staged by Gower Champion (Tony Award for Best Musical, Tony Award nomination for Best Book of a musical, Laurence Olivier Award for Musical of The Year, Evening Standard Drama Award for Best Musical, Plays and Player Citation For Musical Of The Year, etc.),  THE THREE MUSKETEERS with the music of Rudolph Friml,  many collaborations with Michael Stewart includingTHE GRAND TOUR with songs by Jerry Herman, TREASURE ISLAND with songs by Jule Styne, and the off Broadway opera ELIZABETH & ESSEX based on Maxwell Anderson’s ELIZABETH THE QUEEN.  At the Haymarket Theatre, in Leicester, England, Mr. Bramble and Henry Krieger (composer of DREAMGIRLS) created FAT PIG, a rock and roll extravaganza about health. He directed the 2001 Tony Award winning Best Revival of 42ND STREET on Broadway (Tony Award nomination for Best Director), as well as productions of the show around the world. 

Previous productions of 42^nd Street have won a series of major international awards, including:

·         Original Broadway Production 1981: Tony Award Best Musical

·         Original Broadway Production 1981: Tony Award Best Choreography

·         Original London Production 1984: Laurence Olivier Award Best New Musical

·         Original London Production 1984: Evening Standard Award Best Musical

·         Broadway Revival 2001: Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical

Further information and casting to be announced.

42^nd STREET is presented in London by Michael Linnit & Michael Grade for Gate Ventures PLC present, with Executive Producer Johnny Hon.

BILL KENWRIGHT

BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH THE REALLY USEFUL GROUP
PRESENTS

EVITA

Lyrics by TIM RICE      Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

FOLLOWING A SMASH HIT RUN IN LONDON

THIS EXTRAORDINARY MUSICAL RETURNS

TO THRILL AUDIENCES ACROSS THE UK IN 2017

Following its smash hit run at London’s Dominion Theatre, Bill Kenwright’s production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita is set to thrill audiences once again across the UK. The tour will open inBromley on Thursday 12 January and is set to visit Southampton, Liverpool, Stoke-On-Trent, Edinburgh, Bristol, Wimbledon, Oxford, Salford Quays, Cardiff, York and Sunderland with further dates to be announced.

Telling the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, Evita follows Eva’s journey from humble beginnings through to extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately lead her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’ by the Argentine people.

With more than 20 major awards to its credit, and an Oscar winning film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita is iconic. Featuring some of the best loved songs in musical theatre, including Don’t Cry for Me Argentina, On This Night of a Thousand Stars, You Must Love Me, and Another Suitcase in Another Hall, this spectacular production promises once again to be the theatrical event of the year. Don’t miss the 2017 UK tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s extraordinary musical Evita.

Further dates and star casting to be announced.

www.kenwright.com

The Boys in the Band

by Mart Crowley

MUSICAL THEATRE STAR DANIEL BOYS,

EASTENDERS’ HEARTTHROB JACK DERGES,

MIRANDA STAR JAMES HOLMES,

MIDSOMER MURDERS’ JOHN HOPKINS,

PRIMEVAL’S BEN MANSFIELD

AND UNDERCOVER’S NATHAN NOLAN

TO STAR ALONGSIDE

OLIVIER AWARD WINNER MARK GATISS AND IAN HALLARD

AT PARK THEATRE THIS AUTUMN

AND THEN ON UK TOUR

Producers Tom O’Connell and James Seabright are pleased to announce further casting for the first class revival of Mart Crowley’s ground-breaking play, THE BOYS IN THE BAND, opening at Park Theatre in London this autumn, then touring to The Lowry, Theatre Royal Brighton and West Yorkshire Playhouse.

There’s a party about to commence when nine men gather in a New York apartment for a birthday celebration. Harold, a self-confessed ‘Jew fairy’, receives a surprise birthday gift – a beautiful male hustler dubbed Cowboy. Meanwhile, party host Michael gets an unwanted surprise of his own in the shape of a figure from his past. As the booze is drunk and the dope smoked, the mood swings from hilarity to heart-break.

Olivier Award winner Mark Gatiss will star alongside his husband Ian Hallard in this eagerly anticipated production, which sees the pair playing ‘Harold’ and ‘Michael’.

West End musical theatre star Daniel Boys will star as ‘Donald’, Jack Derges, recently seen as the mysterious ‘Andy Flynn’ in EastEnders, will play ‘Cowboy’, Miranda star James Holmes will star as ‘Emory’, Midsomer Murders’ John Hopkins will play ‘Alan’, Primeval’s Ben Mansfield will play ‘Larry’, and Undercover’s Nathan Nolan will play ‘Hank’. Further casting to be announced.

The production is directed by A Small Family Business & One Man Two Guvnors’ director, Adam Penford, and will open at Park Theatre in London from 28 September 2016 – 30 October 2016, with a press night on Tuesday 4 October. The show will then embark on a short UK Tour visiting The Lowry, Salford from 3 – 6 November, Theatre Royal, Brighton from 8 – 12 November, and the West Yorkshire Playhouse from 14 – 19 November.

SARAH HARDING AND ANDY MOSS

GIRLS ALOUD POP SENSATION AND HOLLYOAKS HEARTTHROB

JUST ANNOUNCED FOR THIS YEAR’S NEW PRODUCTION OF

GHOST – THE MUSICAL

UNCHAINED AND REIMAGINED

A NEW MUSICAL PRODUCTION BASED ON THE MUCH-LOVED MOVIE MASTERPIECE

Singer and actress Sarah Harding will make her stage debut this autumn in Bill Kenwright’s new production of the timeless story of love, despair and hope: GHOST – THE MUSICAL. She will star as ‘Molly’ opposite Andy Moss, best known for starring as ‘Rhys Ashworth’ in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, as ‘Sam’.

Taking its inspiration from the classic movie, this innovative reimagining will feature an expanded book, new music and original staging, and will tour the UK this autumn, opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre on Thursday 1 September, with this year’s dates culminating on 3 December at Theatre Royal Nottingham.  

For over ten years Sarah Harding was part of one of the most successful pop acts in UK history, Girls Aloud. With 20 consecutive Top Ten singles, including 4 Number 1’s, 2 Number 1 albums and 6 Platinum Albums in the UK, Girls Aloud received 5 Brit Award Nominations and became the first girl group since the Spice Girls to achieve 6 consecutive Top 3 singles. Sarah’s acting credits includeBad Day, Freefall, Run For Your Wife, Coronation Street and St Trinians 2: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold.

Sarah Harding said, “I’m absolutely delighted to be making my theatre debut in Ghost – The Musical. The film is one of my all-time favourites, so to get the opportunity to play ‘Molly’ in Bill Kenwright’s new production is a huge honour for me and I can’t wait to get started!”

Joining Sarah on stage is Andy Moss. Andy is best-known for starring as Rhys Ashworth in Channel 4’s Hollyoaks, one he played for 8 years. His credits also include Cutting It, Coronation Street and most recently he appeared as ‘Paul Cuthbert’ in the long running BBC soap opera Doctors.

The Double Academy Award winning movie is a huge success story, both critically and at the box office, where it was the highest grossing film in the year of its release. It starred the late Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Jerry Zucker. Bruce Joel Rubin’s script won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay and Whoopi Goldberg won the Oscar® for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film’s most iconic and moving scene was famously performed to The Righteous Brother’s Unchained Melody, which also features in the musical version.

Walking back to their apartment late one night a tragic encounter sees Sam murdered and his beloved girlfriend Molly alone, in despair and utterly lost. But with the help of a phony storefront psychic Sam, trapped between this world and the next, tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving her from grave danger…

Bill Kenwright said; “Ghost is a story full of hope, and is one of those films which never leaves you. The book by Bruce Joel Rubin and score by Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballad come together wonderfully in one of my favourite new musicals in years.”

Bruce Joel Rubin said; “This is a show with such a strong emotional and musical life that it can mould to many visions and interpretations.  It can be performed on any scale, and its vibrant heart will still captivate an audience and allows the imagination to flourish. It is purely theatrical in the greatest sense.  We are very excited by the potential that the new version holds and elated it will tour the UK with Bill Kenwright”.

Further casting to be announced.

2016

2017 (Casting to be announced)

The Barricade Boys 

join the concert line-up for this weekend’s fun day

Les Misérables V The Phantom of The Opera 

at Bromley Football Club on Sunday 7th August 2016

Football match and live music from top West End performers

Do you hear the people sing? The Barricade Boys will join the musical line-up for the Les Misérables V The Phantom of The Opera football match and concert this Sunday 7th August.

With fabulous harmonies, incredible vocals, dashing good looks and fantastic personalities The Barricade Boys showcase some of the finest male voices from the world’s longest running musical Les Misérables and other hit West End shows.  Not only do they perform the world’s greatest show tunes but they also celebrate music from some of the most iconic names in the music industry, from powerful ballads and beautiful operatic arias to some of the best pop, rock and swing numbers of all time.

For your chance to see them perform along side other West End and Broadway stars, don’t miss the award-winning charity football match Les Misérables V The Phantom Of The Opera as it returns for The Decider this weekend!  Delicately poised with each team winning two matches in recent years, the two titans of the West End will battle it out for the title of ultimate champions at Bromley Football Club on Sunday 7th August 2016.

Raising money this year for Macmillan Cancer Support and the road safety charity Brake, this year’s event promises to be a great day out for all the family.

The West End teams will be joined on the day by celebrities and professional footballers to add to the excitement.  The afternoon will open with a concert at 1.30pm, with performances from stars of the West End and Broadway including Nathan Amzi, Daniel Boys, Kerry Ellis, Rob Houchen, Eva Noblezada, Lauren Samuels and VOX. Full line-up to be announced, and subject to change.

The match kicks off at 3.00pm and Les Misérables will be managed by England U21 managerGareth Southgate, whilst the Phantom team will be coached by England Ladies manager Mark Sampson.

Alongside the West End performers and backstage crews, famous players in the match will include Hollyoaks stars Danny Mac and Ayden Callaghan, X-Factor winner Sam Bailey, TV presenter Matt Johnson, CBeebies host Andy Day and ex-professional footballers Paul McVeigh, former Arsenal players David Livermore and Omer Riza and Southampton legend, Francis Benali.

Radio 5 Live and BBC TV pundit Mark Clemmit will also be there to bring a lively pitch-side commentary throughout the day.

The day promises to be a fabulous fun day for all the family with face painting, bouncy castle, stalls and a raffle. Food and drink will be available to make for a fabulous summer day out.

For tickets, which range from £5 – £35 (£35 VIP tickets include access to a reserved seating area, private bar and the opportunity to meet and mingle with the players), visitwww.ticketsource.co.uk/lesmisvphantom5.

The charity football match – known to fans as Les Mis v Phantom – has raised over £80,000 for good causes since it was started.  Five years ago, Melanie Oakley-Dow, the wig mistress at Les Misérables was diagnosed with cancer. The match between the 2 titans of the West End Les Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera was set up by Chris Key to support her and raise money for her chosen charity: Macmillan Cancer Support. Sadly, Melanie passed away in 2014, so this day is now in her memory. It made sense to return this year to Melanie’s chosen charity this year to help them with the great work they do for people suffering from cancer.

A substantial donation will also be made to Brake, the road safety charity. Brake has been chosen as one of the nominated charities this year because of one star’s personal connection with the charity. Jonny Purchase from Les Misérables tragically lost his dad in a road crash. Jonny Purchase, currently staring as Feuilly in Les Misérables, said: “I lost my father in a motorcycle crash in 2002 and Brake did tremendous work for our family, helping and supporting us through that difficult time. The work Brake undertakes is so important in helping those who have been involved or have had loved ones involved in road traffic crashes.”

LISTINGS:

Les Mis v Phantom – “The Decider”

Charity football match, concert and family fun day.

Bromley Arena, Hayes Lane, Bromley, BR2 9EF

Gates open at 12.30

Concert starts 13.30

Kick off 15.00

See how much fun we are having making the show – that’s how much fun you can have watching it.

Buy your tickets now

www.themajestictheatre.nutickets.com/…/Horror+Film+The+M…