Opera North returns to Hull New Theatre with festival of Little Greats

Performances will be the first by the company at the venue in more than a decade

Following its £16m refurbishment, Hull New Theatre is to host Opera North’s acclaimed festival of short operas, The Little Greats, later this month.

The Leeds company will return to the newly-reopened venue for the first time in more than a decade from Thursday, October 26 to Saturday, October 28, presenting five brand new productions in innovative double bills and a family-friendly matinee.

From red-blooded Italian classics to the jazzy 1950s satire of Bernstein’s Trouble in Tahiti, The Little Greats showcases the incredible breadth of opera, offering the perfect introduction to the art form for newcomers, together with some daring adaptations and rarely-performed gems for aficionados.

Allowing audiences the chance to experience all of the power and passion of opera in a shorter, bite-sized format, there are £5 children’s tickets available for the family matinee of Ravel’s enchanting The Child and the Magic Spells (L’enfant et les sortilèges) and £10 tickets for double bills for anyone aged 19 to 30.

A double dose of Italian passion, violent revenge and tragedy raises the curtain on the season. Staged as a darkly knowing exploration of the fine line between art and life, Pagliacci opens in a rehearsal room as an opera company is preparing for a show. But real-life passions are roiling beneath the greasepaint and as the crowd gathers for the performance the stage becomes the scene of a bloody reckoning.

Mascagni’s gritty drama of betrayal, jealousy and vengeance, Cavalleria rusticana follows, featuring gorgeously lyrical melodies including the famous Intermezzo, familiar from its use in The Godfather and Raging Bull. Young Polish director Karolina Sofulak has transplanted this classic Italian opera to a less familiar setting though: her home country in the late-1970s, complete with an iconic Fiat 126 and echoes of classic Polish cinema.

On Friday, October 27 Bernstein’s deeply moving Trouble in Tahiti takes a look at the dark side of the American Dream with a dazzling fusion of Broadway, Hollywood and jazz steeped in 1950s glamour. An early Gilbert & Sullivan gem, Trial by Jury concludes the evening in hilarious, topsy-turvy style with all of the duo’s trademarks: satirical wit, catchy tunes and an ingenious plot which refuses to turn out quite as expected.

Ravel’s surreal and utterly charming The Child and the Magic (L’enfant et les sortilèges) is performed as a matinee on Saturday, October 28, with acute examinations of the pleasures and pains of growing up, characters including a Grandfather Clock, a Tea Pot and an Armchair — and a heartwarming resolution — all packed into a running time of just 45 minutes. Younger visitors and their families can also get an introduction to the story in a fun, interactive workshop in the theatre’s Circle Bar before the performance.

On Saturday evening, the grown-up excesses of Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana return to the stage to close the run in flamboyant style.

Opera North will also be reaching beyond the stage during their week in Hull, with a free Whistle Stop Opera for audiences of all ages at The Octagon Centre on the Thornton Estate on Tuesday, October 24.

Devised and narrated by John Savournin, the director of Trial by Jury, the performance compresses the power of opera even more tightly into a half-hour packed with laughter, deceit, love and tragedy. Arias featured in The Little Greats, plus classics including Nessun dorma, chart the comic ups and downs of a young couple (soprano Elin Pritchard, who sings the role of Nedda in Pagliacci, and baritone Milo Harries).

The performance will celebrate the start of Opera North’s new partnership with The Goodwin Trust to run regular weekly music-making and singing sessions for residents of the Thornton Estate. Opera North’s Education department has operated groundbreaking community residency programmes in schools in Bransholme since 2013 but this new initiative will allow people of all ages to participate in open access workshops in a long-term arts participation project on one of the city’s largest and most diverse estates.

The Child and the Magic Spells family workshop will also visit the estate on Thursday, October 26, giving residents the chance to find out more about the opera before they attend the matinee on Saturday, October 28.

The Little Greats marks Opera North’s third visit to the city as part of Hull UK City of Culture 2017. The Height of the Reeds, the company’s sound walk for the Humber Bridge, ran at full capacity for its entire duration between April and June this year and their concert staging of Puccini’s Turandot sold out at Hull City Hall in May.

Richard Mantle, General Director, Opera North, said: “We’re delighted to be returning to the revitalised Hull New Theatre after more than ten years away and to have the opportunity to present our adventurous new season in the city.

“Following on from an incredibly warm reception for Turandot, The Little Greats is a season which really does demonstrate the diversity of operatic style, and the indomitable company spirit which is at the heart of everything we do.

“Having worked with the very youngest generations in the area for the past few years, we’re excited to return to full scale performance in Hull in the year of the City of Culture.”

Opera North’s season of short operas, The Little Greats, comes to Hull New Theatre from Thursday 26 October. Tickets for double bills are from £16.50 to £44 or just £10 for 19 to 30 year-olds. Tickets for the matinee of The Child and the Magic Spells are available from £10 to £27.50 with children’s tickets just £5.

The Little Greats season is supported by the Garfield Weston Foundation. Opera North’s work in Hull is supported by Arts Council England, Mrs Maureen Pettman and the late Professor Barrie Pettman and the University of Hull. Opera North’s Education programme in Hull is supported by The Liz and Terry Bramall Foundation, the Opera North Future Fund, The Whitaker Charitable Trust and the William Jackson Food Group. Opera North’s Little Greats tours to Hull New Theatre as part of Hull UK City of Culture 2017.

Blue Elephant Theatre 2017 Winter Season

“The exciting fringe outpost that is the Blue Elephant”

Graham Watts, Dance Tabs

The Blue Elephant continues to offer a wealth of exciting performances by emerging artists across the arts. New writing, family shows and physical theatre feature strongly in the programme, tackling topics from immigration and aging to consent and mental health.

Exciting theatre companies Original Impact, The Dot Collective and Moon on a Stick return to the Blue Elephant this season and their work alone demonstrates the breadth of the programme. Original Impact are a performance collective with a strong actor-musician focus who present new work and contemporary retellings of classics. The Dot Collective creates high-quality work with and for older people, especially those with dementia. Moon on a Stick creates original shows for children, using puppetry and live music.

This is Blue Elephant Theatre’s first season to be announced since learning in June that it is to be added to Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisations from April 2018. Blue Elephant Theatre was amongst just five new theatre organisations in London to be added to the portfolio, offering the theatre more stability and greater opportunities to develop its work.

Listings Information:

Venue: Blue Elephant Theatre, 59a Bethwin Rd, Camberwell, SE5 0XT (entrance on Thompson Ave)

Nearest tube: Oval (Northern Line)

Wheelchair accessible

Box Office: 020 7701 0100

www.blueelephanttheatre.co.uk

info@blueelephanttheatre.co.uk

Twitter: @BETCamberwell

The Vaults 11th October 2017- 13th January 2018.  Reviewed by Jessica Brady

4****

Hair the musical is back for a 50th anniversary run at The Vaults Waterloo with an immersive edge. Hair over the years it’s been produced has at times caused controversy, intrigue and shock and this latest revival ticks all those boxes in a spectacular way (and I’m not just talking about the ‘will they/won’t they get naked? question. I’m not going to ruin it for you either so go see it to find out!).

Set in late 1960’s America, Hair is a culmination of rebellion against the Vietnam War, breaking racial and sexual prejudice and freedom. The Show introduces us to a tribe of hippies who in turn speak to the crowds and share their stories of how they came to be in this drug fuelled, free loving clan. Each tribe member appears to be far removed from the real world from an outsider’s perspective but when you get to the heart of the matter, they are probably more grounded than most of the top flying politicians of the decade whose decisions were leading a nation into crisis.

Hair is a wonderfully psychedelic trip for an audience with a foyer decked out like a hippy festival, colourful and with posters and placards of the times displayed throughout, you soon settle into the vibe that is being created. As you enter the bunker like auditorium at the vaults you see the cast around an incense burner meditating as you make your way to your seats. The set is designed to appear like a grassy knoll with a fence at the back where the live band is based while streams of colourful ribbons are covering the ceiling and walls setting the scene for the experience about to unfold.

The score to Hair has always been a personal favourite of mine, with each song offering something special and unique in its style and lyrics but one thing always the remains, the cast vocals have to be on point, this cast excelled in vocal ability. It’s difficult to single out performers from this 14 strong cast as each member was great in their role and all showed great skill with the inventive choreography that was bursting with energy. I must mention that I couldn’t keep my eyes of Natalie Green as Cassie/Mom as her voice was just INCREDIBLE as was Laura Johnson as Shelia, both these woman were electric and full of the spirit of Hair and I found I was drawn to their performances. The only thing I noticed was occasionally the authenticity of the acting, as it came across a little hammy and stereotypical of a generic ‘hippy’ in parts but I didn’t mind so much as the cast blew me away with their ensemble vocals and the chemistry was powerful with the cast.

I think this revival at The Vaults has set the bar high for the future of Hair The Musical, with great direction by Jonathan O’Boyle, impressive choreography by William Whelton and seamless musical direction by Gareth Bretherton it has all the ingredients to be a success and would urge lovers of this musical not to miss it as you will not be disappointed. As for new audience members who may not know much about Hair, go along and let the sunshine in as it will leave you uplifted and definitely feeling the love!

Northern Ballet brings new adaptation of bestselling novel to Hull New Theatre

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas stars Hull dancer Ashley Dixon in leading role of Shmuel

Northern Ballet returns to Hull for the first time in two years next week with an adaptation of John Boyne’s bestselling novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

The heart-breaking new production is the first full-length dance adaptation of the world-famous story and stars Hull dancer and former Northern Academy of Performing Arts (NAPA) student, Ashley Dixon.

Ashley will perform the lead role of Shmuel in the show which tells the story of an unlikely friendship blossoming through the disturbing events of the Second World War.

Previously adapted for a 2008 film by Miramax, Northern Ballet’s production is choreographed by the company’s artistic associate, Daniel de Andrade and features an original score by Oscar-nominated composer Gary Yershon.

Daniel said: “I was challenged to develop new storytelling techniques which reflect the first person perspective of the book without shying away from representing the stark reality of the story’s setting.

“I was very conscious of doing justice to the tension between darkness and innocence in the original, without sanitising the awful events at its heart.”

The original storytelling ballet company, Northern Ballet is renowned for creating bold new work which challenges the perceptions of what stories can be told through dance and has a company of exceptional dance actors.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is at Hull New Theatre from Wednesday, October 18 to Saturday, October 21 nightly at 7.30pm. There are matinee performances at 2.30pm on Thursday and Saturday.

Tickets are from £10. Book online at www.hulltheatres.co.uk or use this link. Tickets can also be booked by calling 01482 300 306 or in person at the Hull New Theatre or Hull City Hall box offices.

FROM WIZARD – TO KING – TO ‘DEVIL’
IAN MCKELLEN 
TO FEATURE AS THE VOICE OF THE DEMON 
IN THE WEST END PREMIERE OF THE TERRIFYING STAGE ADAPTATION

THE EXORCIST

INSPIRED BY TRUE EVENTS

“Would you like to play a game, Regan?”

It is announced today that Ian McKellen will feature in the West End premiere of The Exorcist as the voice of the Demon. The trailer which features a preview of McKellen’s devilish new role can be viewed here.

From 20 October at the Phoenix Theatre, the stage adaptation of William Peter Blatty’s iconic best-selling novel will be unleashed onto the London stage for the very first time in a uniquely theatrical experience directed by Sean Mathias and adapted by John Pielmeier.

“Oh please, Mother, make it stop!”

When the medical profession fails to provide answers to young Regan’s strange symptoms her desperate mother Chris turns to a local priest for help. But before Father Damien can tackle what’s before him, he must overcome his own shaken beliefs, as this fight is for more than just one girl’s soul…

“I’m telling you that ‘thing’ upstairs isn’t my daughter…”

As previously announced, Jenny Seagrove will play Chris MacNeil opposite Peter Bowles as Father Lankester Merrin, Adam Garcia as Father Damien Karras, Todd Boyce as Doctor Strong, Elliot Harper as Father Joe, Isla Lindsay as Sharon, Mitchell Mullen as Doctor Klein,Tristram Wymark as Burke and Clare Louise Connolly as Regan.

Widely considered the scariest movie of all time, the film adaptation of The Exorcist sparked unprecedented worldwide controversy when it was released in cinemas in 1973. Winner of two Academy Awards, William Friedkin’s masterpiece saw audiences petrified to the point of passing out and went on to become one of the top ten highest grossing films of all time.

Multi award-winning Ian McKellen has had a 55 year long career on stage and on screen. For the Royal Shakespeare Company he has played Romeo, Macbeth, Iago and King Lear and at the National Theatre, has appeared in productions of Coriolanus, Richard III, Uncle Vanya and The Seagull. He gained his first Oscar nomination for Gods and Monsters and his second for Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is Magneto to Patrick Stewart’s Xavier in the X-Men movies, Richard III and most recently Mr Holmes. He is currently starring in King Lear in Chichester and was last seen on stage in London with Patrick Stewart in No Man’s Land.

The Exorcist is designed by Olivier Award-winning Designer Anna Fleischle (Hangmen), Lighting Design by Philip Gladwell (Five Guys Named Moe), Composition and Sound Design by Adam Cork (London Road), Projection Design by Jon Driscoll & Gemma Carrington (Brief Encounter) and Illusion Design is by Ben Hart (Impossible). Associate Director is Alexander Lass.

LISTINGS

Bill Kenwright presents
THE EXORCIST

A play by John Pielmeier.
Adapted from the novel by William Peter Blatty.
Directed by Sean Mathias.

By Special Arrangement with Ben Sprecher and Stuart Snyder.
In Association with Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Phoenix Theatre
Charing Cross Rd
London
WC2H 0JP

PLEASE NOTE this production contains material which may shock and offend. Recommended age guidance 18+.

First Performance: 20 October 2017
Booking to 10 March 2018

Monday – Thursday 8pm
‘Friday is Fright-Night’ 6pm evening and ‘Fright Night late show’ 9pm
Saturday 4pm and 8pm

www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-exorcist/phoenix-theatre/
0844 871 7629

Facebook: @TheExorcistLIVE
Twitter: @TheExorcistLIVE

Roll up, roll up! 
Half term Family Festival for all ages at The Lowry

Circus inspired Family Arts Festival brings week-long celebration of performances, activities and workshops suitable for the whole family to The Lowry, Sat 21 – Sun 29 October 2017.

Clowns, acrobats and open air theatre form some of the diverse range of performances, activities and workshops at the festival.

In the Lyric theatre a world-renowned company of clowns led by Slava Polunin will present Slava’s Snowshow, a combination of theatrical clowning and stunning visual spectacle. Whilst in the Quays theatre multi-award-winning storyteller Danyah Miller vividly brings to life Michael Morpurgo’s enchanting tale Why The Whales Came.
 
Circus in a Box, a playful duet by international handstand artists and acrobats choreographed in and around a large box, will pop-up in the galleries.
 
For those looking to get more actively involved The Circus House will be hosting free workshops in acrobalance, juggling and plate spinning on Fri 27 October. Whilst on Sat 28 October there will be the opportunity for visitors to put their tight-rope walking skills to the test. 

The variety of performances, workshops and activities on offer will also include Mini Cruises around Salford Quays, interactive sessions with Legoland’s Master Builder, Under 5’s First Steps dance classes and pop-up performances outside on the plaza of How I Hacked My Way in to Space. 

Across the week Pier Eight Restaurant will be offering their popular Kids Eat Free promotion – for every adult that dines in Pier Eight Restaurant a child can eat from the children’s menu free of charge.
 
A full schedule of everything on offer as part of the festival can be found on the Family Festival website.  Visitors can purchase tickets to performances and book places online for the free activities in advance. Tickets can be purchased and places reserved for workshops via the Family Festival website. There will also be a limited number of tickets available on the day.

Grand Opera House York – until Saturday 14th October.  Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

Originally shown in 1969, How the Other Half Loves is an Alan Ayckbourn play, directed here by Alan Strachan. It centres around three couples, an affair, two dinner parties and an intricate web of lies.

Set in the 60’s we have the older, middle-class couple of Frank and Fiona, the brash younger Teresa and Bob and finally the meek and mild, and somewhat dull Mary and William. Fiona and Bob have had a fling, poor Mary and William have been drawn into proceedings in order to hide their infidelity and Frank bumbles along getting the wrong end of the stick.

The very strong cast, Robert Daws, Caroline Langrishe, Charlie Brooks, Leon Ockenden, Sara Crowe and Matthew Cottle played their parts wonderfully, especially Daws, Langrishe and Crowe. I did feel at times that Brooks and Ockenden were a bit over the top, and how anyone could fall for the male chauvinist charms of Bob, is beyond me, though I do suppose he is a bit of eye candy!

Daws play his character Frank with such flare, and you can’t help but love this bumbling old gent who constantly misinterprets everything going on around him and so brings this comedy to life.

Some parts of the play left me with conflicting emotions because of the attitude towards women, historically interesting at times, but also cringingly uncomfortable. I suppose that is only to be expected and it is indicative of the time that the play was originally written.

All of the play is played out with two scenes running simultaneously, though we are treated to several scene changes. I must admit that I was a bit sceptical at first about this, but it worked superbly well. The cast looked like they were having a hoot playing some of the scenes, most notably at the dinner parties. How they all managed to keep a straight face I do not know and their timing was brilliant, especially Crowe and Cottle.

There is one small criticism, the scene change during Act I could have been done a lot quicker and done more seamlessly. The curtain went down and several audience members were a bit unsure what was happening and thought it was the interval, and even got up to get refreshments, only to hastily realise their mistakes.

This is a great adaptation of a classic, a first rate comedy, with laugh out moments abound. Well worth seeing.

Richmond Theatre – until 14th October.  Reviewed by Jess Brady

5*****

If you are a fan of Joseph and his Technicolor Dreamcoat then it will come as no surprise to you that this touring production is a complete treat for all ages. A colourful, wonderful couple of hours with an uplifting score by Andrew Lloyd Webber brings nostalgia and that feel good feeling you hope for.

Based on the story from the Bible’s book of Genesis, we follow Joseph’s tale of being sold by his 11 jealous brothers as a slave as they realise he is their father Jacob’s favourite when Joseph receives a coat of many colours as a gift. The brother’s lie to Jacob and tell him Joseph died and bring him back the coat of many colours in shreds and covered in goat’s blood. We see Joseph hit rock bottom and rise to the top to be the Pharaoh of Egypt’s right hand man. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has stood the test of time making its first performance way back in 1968 and is a firm favourite amongst most musical theatre lovers and it’s not difficult to see why. This heart warming production is bursting at the seams with incredible songs that are easily recognisable and a joy to watch.

2009 X FACTOR winner Joe McElderry leads the cast in the title role of Joseph and plays him perfectly. He has such likeability and outstanding vocals that come effortlessly in particular when singing ‘Close every door’ [a goosebump moment for me] that it’s easy to get swept into the story and not want it to end. Trina Hill plays the Narrator and has that warm and familiar personal touch that lets you know it’s all going to turn out ok in the end as well as belting out some impressive vocals that elevate most of the songs that make this production very special. We get an equally as strong performance from Ben James-Ellis as the Elvis inspired Pharaoh and his breakout number where he explains his troubling dreams to Joseph was a total highlight. The whole cast were spectacular with tight energetic choreography, vocals and humour that leave the audience completely hooked and loving every minute of the show.

The performers, the story, a beautiful set and dazzling costumes, it’s safe to say that this production packs a punch and has you dancing in the aisles. I urge anyone who is feeling a little drab with the dark night’s drawing closer and cold weather coming to see this uplifting production as you can’t help leaving the theatre with a huge smile on your face and enjoying a great musical classic.

LEEDS AT WAR; A TALE OF A CITY OF CULTURE

It is somewhat fitting that on Remembrance Day this year, the City Varieties Music Hall in Leeds will welcome a production that commemorates both Armistice and the theatre’s own starring role during World War 1.

Those Were The Days takes to the stage on Saturday November 11^th – exactly 99 years after the hostilities of WW1 ended. It looks at both the dark days of the war along with the joys of live performance and Yorkshire spirit. Performed by actors ranging from aged 6 to 60, the production brings together history, entertainment and theatrical style with humour, emotion and a large dollop of Leeds.

Leeds writer and director Liz Coggins is the creative behind the piece: “Those Were The Days celebrates this city; its people, its culture and, importantly, its theatres,” she explains.

“In the late 1800s and early 20^th century, there were six theatres in Leeds and a music hall on practically every corner of the city centre; they Music Halls were the heart of the culture of the working classes; people would gather and sing, drink and laugh together and forget their troubles; when war broke out this didn’t stop – in fact it became even more important.”

The City Varieties was one such music hall. It began its life in 1865 as a room above a pub and went on to entertain the people of Leeds through two world wars before becoming world-famous for hosting the BBC programme The Good Old Days which ran every weekend for 30 years from 1953. As other such venues closed, the City Varieties continued and today is the longest running music hall in the country.

“I have such a deep-rooted love of this venue,” says Liz.  “It is steeped in history – a history you feel when you walk through the doors.  The list of stars that have graced those boards is incredible and I have drawn on this within the production.”

In what promises to be a pure celebration of music hall entertainment, the show will introduce audiences to  the stars of the time;  Marie Lloyd, Vesta Tilley, Florrie Ford, Charlie Chaplin and Leeds lass Vesta Victoria each make an appearance, buoyed by the songs and comedy sketches of the era. A live band supports the cast and songs include the famous Marrow Song, Yes! We Have No Bananas, It’s A Long Way To Tipperary and many more.

The Leeds characters that introduce the production and take the audience on their journey may well be fictitious, but their tales are based on real life stories; the story of the famous 15th Service Battalion West Yorkshire Regiment – better known as The Leeds Pals – is honoured in the second half and is based on the accounts of a Leeds Pal called Harry – Liz’s own Grandfather.

“Of course those who lived through WW1 are no longer with us,” says Liz. “I don’t want these stories to die with them. Our history is important to our understanding of the present day.”

The younger cast members are students at On Stage Academy, a drama class based in Leeds city centre. They work with Liz and her team to learn every aspect of theatre and stagecraft.

“It is such a delight to see young people performing pieces from 100 years ago,” says Liz. “Children are never too young to experience live professional theatre and its many genres. The history of this profession is as important as the craft itself.  To this end I would encourage families to come together for an old-fashioned, much-loved evening at the theatre.”

Those Were The Days is at City Varieties Music Hall on Saturday November 11^th at 7pm

Tickets are on sale now priced at £19.60

Book online at cityvarieties.co.uk or call Box Office on 0113 243 0808