
UK premiere of JUMP OUT OF SKIN arrives at Pleasance Theatre next week

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NINA SOSANYA TO JOIN
SURANNE JONES AND JASON WATKINS
IN A NEW WEST END PRODUCTION OF THE AWARD-WINNING PLAY
FROZEN
By Bryony Lavery
Frozen by Bryony Lavery
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Friday 9 February 2018 – Saturday 5 May 2018
Press Night: Wednesday 21 February
Nina Sosanya (W1A, Last Tango in Halifax) has today been announced as playing the role of Agnetha in Bryony Lavery’s Award-Winning play, Frozen. Nina joins the previously announced Suranne Jones (Doctor Foster, Scott & Bailey) who plays the role of Nancy and Jason Watkins (Line of Duty, Taboo, W1A) who plays the role of Ralph. This psychological thriller about a mother whose child goes missing is directed by Jonathan Munby and will play a strictly limited twelve-week season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from Friday 9 February 2018.
One sunny evening a young girl walks to visit her Grandma, she never arrives. A play about retribution, remorse and redemption, Frozen explores the interwoven lives of three strangers as they try to make sense of the unimaginable.
Nina Sosanya theatre credits include: ‘Anna Petrovna’ in Platonov and Ivanov (National Theatre and Chichester Festival Theatre), ‘Laura’ in The Vote, Privacy and ‘Clara Hibbert’ in The Vortex (Donmar Warehouse), ‘Woman’ in Where’s My Seat? and ‘Claire’ in Apologia (Bush Theatre), ‘Mae Pollitt’ in Cat On a Hot Tin Roof (Novello Theatre), ‘Rosaline’ in Love’s Labour’s Lost, ‘Rosalind’ in As You Like It, ‘Hester Fletcher’ in The Herbal Bed and ‘Boy’ in Henry V (RSC), ‘Alice’ in Fix Up, ‘Pearl’ in House and Garden and ‘Iras’ in Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre), ‘Sara’ in Almost Nothing (Royal Court Theatre), ‘Suzanna’ in The Marriage of Figaro (Manchester Royal Exchange), ‘Mary’ in The Nativity (Young Vic), ‘Melanie’ in Deadmeat (West Yorkshire Playhouse), ‘Rita’ in Educating Rita (Southampton). Nina is currently shooting the role of ‘Sister Mary Loquacious’ in Neil Gaiman’s Good Omens. Also: Strike Back, Marcella, Apocalypse Slough, W1A, Last Tango in Halifax, Shetland, Wizards vs Aliens, Lewis: The Indelible Stain, Vera: The Ghost Partition, Hustle: Curiosity Killed the Cat, Treasure Island, Silent Witness: Fear, Twenty Twelve, Silk, FM, Framed, Bonekickers, Messiah: The Rapture, Cape Wrath, Doctor Who, Sorted, The Reichenbach Falls, The Wide Sargasso Sea, Casanova, Much Ado About Nothing, Nathan Barley, The Debt, People Like Us, The Jury and Teachers. Films include Juliet, Naked, David Brent: Life on the Road, Manderlay, Code 46 and Love Actually.
Suranne Jones is currently reprising her BAFTA Award-winning title role in the second series of BBC One’s hugely successful drama Doctor Foster. She recently completed filming for Save Me opposite Lennie James and Stephen Graham for Sky Atlantic. Other recent television work includes five series of the popular ITV drama Scott & Bailey, playing ‘Rachel Bailey’ opposite Lesley Sharp, as well as The Brian Pern Show and The Crimson Field for the BBC. Other television credits include Lawless, Touch of Cloth, Doctor Who, Unforgiven and Coronation Street. Suranne’s theatre credits include Top Girls at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End, A Few Good Men at Theatre Royal Haymarket with Rob Lowe, for which she received the Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress, Blithe Spirit and Terms of Endearment. Suranne played the role of ‘Sandra’ in the 20th anniversary West End revival of Beautiful Thing at the Arts Theatre, as well as the title role in Orlando at the Royal Exchange in 2014.
Jason Watkins is best known for his performance in the title role in acclaimed drama The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies, for which he won Best Actor at the 2015 BAFTA Television Awards. He is also known for playing ‘Gavin Strong’ in Sky 1 comedy series Trollied, as well as ‘Simon Harwood’ in the popular BBC comedyW1A. Airing this September, Jason will be playing ‘Roger’ in the BBC One sitcom Hold The Sunset. He has appeared in over 70 plays and was nominated for an Olivier Award in 2001 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in A Servant To Two Masters for the RSC/Young Vic production in the West End. Recent theatre includes The Late Henry Moss by the late Sam Shepard at the Almeida Theatre and A Farewell to the Theatre at the Hampstead Theatre. Film credits include Hampstead opposite Diane Keaton, Gordon Shakespeare in the Nativity! film series and future releases, The Children Act with Emma Thompson and The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, directed by Terry Gilliam.
Bryony Lavery’s plays include A Wedding Story, Last Easter, Her Aching Heart (Pink Paper Play of The Year 1992) Smoke, Dirt, and More Light. Her play Frozen, commissioned by Birmingham Repertory Theatre, won the TMA Best Play Award, the Eileen Anderson Central Television Award and was then produced on Broadway where it was nominated for four Tony Awards. Stockholm, for Frantic Assembly, won the Wolff-Whiting award for Best play of 2008. Beautiful Burnout for The National Theatre of Scotland and Frantic Assembly received a Fringe First at Edinburgh, before performances in the UK, New York, Australia and New Zealand. Stage adaptations include 101 Dalmatians (a musical), Chichester 2014, A Christmas Carol (for Birmingham Rep/Chichester Festival Theatre), Precious Bane, The Wicked Lady, Treasure Island (National Theatre 2014-5) and Behind The Scenes At The Museum for York Theatre Royal. Recent work includes The Believers for Frantic Assembly, Thursday for ETT/Brink, Australia, Queen Coal at Sheffield Crucible, and Brideshead Revisited for York Theatre Royal/ETT and Our Mutual Friend for Hull Truck. She is currently writing Balls for One Year Lease Theatre Company, New York, Forever Young for Manchester Royal Exchange, adapting Brighton Rock for Pilot Theatre The Lovely Bones for Birmingham Rep, and developing Cruising for TV.
Jonathan Munby’s UK Theatre include: King Lear starring Ian McKellen and Sinead Cusack, First Light(Chichester Festival Theatre); All The Angels: Handel and The First Messiah, The Merchant Of Venice starring Jonathan Pryce, Anthony and Cleopatra starring Eve Best and Clive Wood and A Midsummer Night’s Dream(WhatsOnStage nomination for Best Shakespearean Production) (Shakespeare’s Globe); Wendy and Peter Pan, The Canterbury Tales (Stratford, Tour and West End) and Madness In Valencia (RSC); Twelfth Night (UK Theatres Awards nomination for Best Touring Production) Company starring Daniel Evans, The Comedy Of Errors and Bird Calls (Sheffield Theatres); Thérèse Raquin starring Alison Steadman and Pippa Nixon (Theatre Royal Bath); ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (West Yorkshire Playhouse); The Prince of Homburg starring Charlie Cox and Life Is A Dream starring Dominic West (Donmar Warehouse); A Number (WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice nomination for Best Regional and Best Off-West End Production) (Menier Chocolate Factory and Sheffield Theatres); Serious Money and She Stoops To Conquer (Birmingham Rep); The White Devil(WhatsOnStage Theatregoers Choice nomination for Best Off-West End Production) (Menier Chocolate Factory); 24 Hour Plays (Old Vic); Henry V And Mirandola (Manchester Royal Exchange); Nakamitsu (Gate Theatre Notting Hill); Opera includes: Carmen (Opera Holland Park); Don Giovanni (English Touring Opera); Sweetness and Badness (WNO Max Project). International Work includes: King Kong: Legend Of A Boxer, the South African Musical (Fugard Theatre Cape Town and Joburg Theatre Johannesburg); Othello and Julius Caesar (Chicago Shakespeare Company); The Crucible (Cocoon Theatre Tokyo); A Human Being Died That Night (Recorded for BBC Radio 3) (BAM New York, Fugard Theatre Cape Town and Hampstead Studio); Measure For Measure and The Dog In The Manger (Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Director) (Shakespeare Theatre Company Washington DC); Romeo And Juliet (Akasaka Act Theatre Tokyo and Theatre Brava Osaka); The Recommendation (Old Globe San Diego); The Winter’s Tale (Guthrie Theatre Minneapolis); Noises Off (Kreegar Theatre Washington).
Writer Bryony Lavery
Director Jonathan Munby
Designer Paul Wills
Lighting Designer Jon Clark
Video Designer Luke Halls
Composer Rupert Cross
Sound Designer Christopher Shutt
Frozen is presented by Jonathan Church Productions, TRH Productions and Scott M. Delman.
BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
FROZEN
Theatre Royal Haymarket
Haymarket
London SW1Y 4HT
Box office number: 020 7930 8800
Website: FrozenThePlay.com
Dates: Friday 9 February – Saturday 5 May 2018
Press Night: Wednesday 21 February 2018
Performance Times: Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday at 3pm
Ticket Prices: From £15
Premium tickets available.
Social media handles:
Facebook: Frozen The Play (url: Facebook.com/FrozenThePlay)
Twitter @FrozenThePlay
Hashtags: #FrozenPlay
WRITER AND DIRECTOR OF SMASH HIT “BOUDICA”
REUNITE FOR 1950s ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MUSICAL
SARAH LOADER FOR SNAPDRAGON PRODUCTIONS
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
THE WATERMILL THEATRE PRESENT
THE AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL
“TEDDY”
BY TRISTAN BERNAYS
MUSIC BY DOUGAL IRVINE
AND DIRECTED BY ELEANOR RHODE
AT THE WATERMILL THEATRE
THURSDAY 11 JANUARY – SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY 2018
AHEAD OF A NATIONAL TOUR AND A LONDON SEASON AT
THE VAULTS
THURSDAY 29 MARCH – SATURDAY 5 MAY 2018
Sarah Loader for Snapdragon Productions in association with The Watermill Theatre present the award-winning musical “TEDDY” at The Watermill Theatre from Thursday 11 January – Saturday 10 February 2018 (Press Night Monday 15 January at 7.30pm), ahead of a national tour and a London season at The Vaults, Waterloofrom Thursday 29 March – Saturday 5 May 2018. Full tour schedule and on sale information below.
Following the recent success of their smash hit production “Boudica” at The Globe, Tristan Bernays reunites with director Eleanor Rhode and choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves for the 1950s Rock ‘n’ Roll musicalTEDDY. First seen at the Southwark Playhouse in 2015 and winner of Best New Musical at the Off West End Awards, TEDDY has music by Dougal Irvine, Musical direction by Harrison White, Set design by Max Dorey, Lighting design by Christopher Nairne, Sound design by Max Pappenheim, Costume design by Holly Rose Henshaw and Casting by Natalie Gallacher for Pippa Ailion Casting.
Tristan Bernays said today, “More than any other play I’ve written, people keep asking me “What’s happening with Teddy? Is it ever coming back?” Well, now I can say to them “Damn right it is”, and I couldn’t be happier”.
Set in the aftermath of the Blitz against a backdrop of austerity, it follows the lively story of Teddy and Josie, all dressed up and ready to hit the streets of London for an unforgettable night out, no matter how dangerous the consequences. TEDDY is the ultimate story of teenage rebellion and the birth of a new musical era. Music includes electrifying original songs plus well-known hits from the 1950s performed by the on-stage live band Johnny Valentine and the Broken Hearts.
LISTINGS
TEDDY
Twitter: @teddyuktour |Facebook page Teddy UK Tour | Instagram: @teddyuktour
The Watermill Theatre
Thursday 11 January – Saturday 10 February 2018
Press night – Monday 15 January 7.30pm
Performances – Monday – Saturday 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm
Saturday 10 February at 1.30pm and 6.30pm
Tickets: £15 – £26.50
Box Office: 01635 46044 | www.watermill.org.uk
ON SALE NOW
Salford Lowry Quays Studio – Tuesday 13 February – Saturday 17 February 2018
ON SALE 20 OCTOBER 2017
Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds – Monday 19 February – Saturday 24 February 2018
ON SALE 28 OCTOBER 2017
Nuffield Southampton – Monday 26 February – Saturday 3 March 2018
ON SALE 15 NOVEMBER 2017
Chesterfield Pomegranate – Monday 5 March – Saturday 10 March 2018
ON SALE SOON
New Wolsey Ipswich – Monday 19 March – Saturday 24 March 2018
ON SALE 11 NOVEMBER 2017
The Vaults
Thursday 29 March – Saturday 5 May 2018
www.thevaults.london/whats-on
ON SALE SOON
THE WEST END’S
THE SIMON & GARFUNKEL STORY
ADDS NEW PERFORMANCES
The tale of the duo’s incredible journey throughout the 1960s
Now playing: 6th Nov, 4th Dec 2017, 22nd Jan, 26th Feb & 26th Mar 2018
Following an acclaimed opening in London’s West End, The Simon & Garfunkel Story has extended performances into 2018. Returning to the Lyric Theatre after touring every corner of the world, the production will take audiences through the story of Simon & Garfunkel’s incredible career.
Having formed in 1957 as Tom & Jerry, Simon & Garfunkel went on to become the world’s most iconic folk rock group. Revealing the incredible journey shared by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, The Simon & Garfunkel Story takes audience through their meteoric highs and lows. From their humble beginnings, right through their worldwide successes and bitter break-up, culminating with a stunning recreation of their 1981 Central Park reformation concert, audiences can re-live the moments that justified their ten Grammy Awards andRock and Roll Hall of Fame induction.
The Simon & Garfunkel Story not only tells the tale of the legendary musicians, but relives their journey within a time capsule of contemporary newsreels, adverts and film footage from the 1960s and beyond.
Led by Sam O’Hanlon (Paul Simon) and Charles Blyth (Art Garfunkel), a full live band and brass ensemble will rekindle all the duo’s classic hits including: Mrs Robinson, Cecilia, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Homeward Bound, The Sound of Silence and many more.
Returning to London for the first time since 2015 (Leicester Square Theatre), The Simon & Garfunkel Story continues to enjoy international success from Sydney to Seattle.
LISTINGS
The Simon & Garfunkel Story
Venue: Lyric Theatre, 29 Shaftesbury Avenue, London, W1D 7ES
Dates: 6th Nov, 4th Dec 2017, 22nd Jan, 26th Feb & 26th Mar 2018, 7.30pm
Prices: £15.00, £19.50, £29.50, £39.50, £49.50 & £60.00 (premium)
Booking: www.nimaxtheatres.com
Box office: 0330 333 4812
SUSAN PENHALIGON
STAR IN THE 2018 UK TOUR OF
OSCAR WILDE’S
“THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST”
FROM 24 JANUARY 2018
Gwen Taylor will star as Lady Bracknell in the 2018 UK tour of Oscar Wilde’s THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST, alongside Susan Penhaligon as Miss Prism. The tour will begin on 24 January at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford, ending on 28 April in Eastbourne. Further casting is to be announced.
Gwen Taylor is best known for playing the title role in the ITV sitcom Barbara, as well as Anne Foster in Coronation Street, Peggy Armstrong in Heartbeat, Rita Simcock in A Bit of A Do, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA TV Best Actress Award, and Amy in Duty Free. Her film appearances include The Lady in the Van and Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Gwen most recently played Mrs Bramson in Luke Sheppard’s critically acclaimed touring production of Emlyn Williams’s Night Must Fall and Daisy Worthen in Driving Miss Daisy at Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre. Other theatre credits include Calendar Girls (UK Tour), the title role in the national tour of Shirley Valentine, Top Girls (Royal Court and New York), and Gertrude in Sir Peter Hall’s production of Hamlet (London’s Gielgud Theatre and national tour).
Susan Penhaligon is currently appearing in Rufus Norris’s production of Cabaret alongside Will Young and Louise Redknapp. She has a wide range of TV credits to her name, including Upstairs Downstairs, Tales of the Unexpected, Bergerac and A Bouquet of Barbed Wire. She played Judi Dench’s sister Helen in four series of the award-winning BBC sitcom A Fine Romance, and the regular role of Jean Hope in ITV’s Emmerdale. Susan also played Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew for the BBC’s Shakespeare season. Susan has toured the UK extensively, having previously worked with The Original Theatre Company, playing Queen Charlotte in their 2010 production of Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III. She has also appeared in productions of George Bernard Shaw’s Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Agatha Christie’s Verdict and Oscar Wilde’s Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime.
Oscar Wilde’s greatly admired and much loved comedy THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST follows Jack Worthing’s endeavours to marry Algernon’s cousin, the beautiful Gwendolen. But first he must convince the fearsome Lady Bracknell of his respectability. Wilde’s classic play looks at the clash of town and country in a story of romance, identity, perambulators and capacious handbags.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST will be directed by The Original Theatre Company’s Artistic Director, Alastair Whatley, with set and costume designs by Gabriella Slade, sound and music by Giles Thomas and lighting by Alan Valentine. The UK tour is produced by Tom Hackney for The Original Theatre Company.
Website: www.originaltheatre.com
Facebook: TheOriginalTheatre
Twitter: @OriginalTheatre
2018 TOUR SCHEDULE
24 January – 3 February Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford 01483 440000
www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk
5 – 10 February Courtyard Theatre, Hereford 01432 340555
13 – 17 February Theatre Royal Plymouth
20 – 24 February Belfast Grand Opera House 028 9024 1919 goh.org.uk
27 February – 3 March Bath Theatre Royal
5 – 10 March Theatre Royal Winchester 01962 840440
13 – 17 March Manchester Opera House
20 – 24 March Salisbury Playhouse
27 – 31 March Lichfield Garrick Theatre
3 – 7 April Churchill Theatre, Bromley
17 – 21 April York Theatre Royal 01904 623568 www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk On sale soon
24 – 28 April Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne 01323 412000
www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk On sale soon
GREASE IS BACK AND IT’S
SLICKER THAN EVER
Pull up your bobby socks and slick back your hair because the original high school musical (and ‘Greatest of all time’*) Greasereturns to Newcastle Theatre Royal this Autumn and it’s slicker, fresher and more star-studded than ever before! Play truant and make a date with the T-Birds and the Pink Ladies 16-21 October 2017.
This new hit production of the timeless 70s musical stars Tom Parker (The Wanted) in his musical theatre debut as Danny Zuko, Danielle Hope (Over the Rainbow, winner) as Sandy and Louisa Lytton (Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders) as Rizzo.
Since opening on Broadway in 1972 and going global in the smash hit movie starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in ‘78,Grease’s place has been firmly established in the musical Hall of Fame. It has seduced millions with its iconic tunes and rebellious teenage characters – Sandy, Danny, the groovy T Birds, the sassy Pink Ladies and the gang at Rydell High. The new production is once again bursting with all the songs from the hit movie including You’re The One That I Want, Grease Is The Word, Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted to You, Sandy, Greased Lightnin’ and many more.
The show that spawned a thousand spin-offs, Grease has proved that a musical love story, bursting with denim, cheerleaders, ponytails, rock’n’roll, 1950’s pop culture and an irresistible mix of teenage angst and young romance is timeless and universal. Forty five years on it remains the ultimate feel-good, pick-me-up musical – an electrifying extravaganza, packed with fun, energy and vibrant physicality. The show is guaranteed to thrill and leave everyone hand-jiving the night away with “A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop, a wop-bam-boom!”
This award-winning production originally opened in the West End in 1993 where it enjoyed a hugely successful run of six years at the Dominion and Cambridge Theatres. The show has since toured throughout the world playing to sell-out audiences and breaking box office records everywhere. It has been seen by over 12 million people in the UK alone.
Completing the cast are Washington-born ensemble member Anna Murray, Tom Senior as Kenickie, Michael Cortez as Sonny, Oliver Jacobson as Roger, Ryan Heenan as Doody, Callum Evans as Eugene, Lauren Atkins as Marty, Rosanna Harris as Jan, Rhiannon Chesterman as Frenchy, Gabriella Williams as Patty and Ailsa Davidson as Lynch. The ensemble also includes Charlotte Coggin, Anthony Hughes, Alessia McDermott, Natasha Mould, George Olney, Rory Phelan and Grant Thresh.
Tom Parker has amassed worldwide success with his band The Wanted, achieving two UK number 1s and 9 top 10 singles as well as 4 Billboard 100 singles, with Glad You Came placing in the top 5 and selling over 900,000 records. The band have had three platinum albums, two sold out arena tours, and 3 million singles sold in America. Tom is also a winner of BBC Radio 1’s Teen Choice Award and US People’s Choice Award with The Wanted.
Danielle Hope made her professional debut as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium, after competing against over 9,000 girls to win the BBC’s smash hit Over The Rainbow. She went on to star as Eponine in the West End production of Les Miserables (Queen’s Theatre) – a role to which she most recently returned, Cathy in The Last Five Years(Greenwich Theatre & Warren Theatre, Brighton), Narrator in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (National Tour) and Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music which visited the Theatre Royal in 2015.
Louisa Lytton trained at the Sylvia Young Theatre School and secured her first professional role as the innocent schoolgirl Ruby Allen in EastEnders. Following this Louisa joined The Bill, playing the inexperienced and shy police officer Beth Green. She has since enjoyed a host of varied roles, from parts in the internationally successful American Pie franchise, to the British Shakespeare Company’s productions of both A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Much Ado About Nothing. Most recently she has appeared in the new prime-time ITV comedy drama The Edge of Heaven, filmed a thriller due to be released this month called Fractured, appeared in the Canadian period drama Murdoch Mysteries and starred in the touring production of Swap!. Aside from acting, Louisa reached the quarter-finals in the fourth series of Strictly Come Dancing, and subsequently toured the country as part of the sold-out Strictly Come Dancing arena tour. She also represented the UK in the 2008 Eurovision Dance Contest. Louisa recently took park in Channel 4’s The Jump.
The production is written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, directed by David Gilmore (Daisy Pulls It Off, Happy Days, Song & Dance, Footloose) and choreographed by Arlene Phillips (Starlight Express, Saturday Night Fever, Flashdance The Musical & BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing). It is designed by Terry Parsons, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou. Grease is presented by Paul Nicholas and David Ian.
Grease is at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Mon 16 until Sat 21 October 2017, playing evenings Mon – Thu at 7.30pm, Fri & Sat 8.30pm, matinees on Friday at 5.30pm and Sat 5pm. Tickets from £16.50. Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk
For more information, visit www.greasethemusical.co.uk @greasemusical
* (100 Greatest Musicals, Channel 4)
Greenwich Theatre 27 – 30 September, Touring until 27 October. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
3***
Bilimankhwe’s production of The Tempest begins in bold and beautiful style, with Robert Magasa and Joshua Bhima dancing to Ben Mankhamba’s atmospheric music. The music and physical movement was the highlight of the production for me, as this pared down version of Shakespeare’s text lost its impact.
Isolated on his island for years with only his daughter Miranda, spirit Ariel and the monstrous Caliban for company, Prospero dreams of revenge on his enemies. When he finds out that they are sailing close to the island, Prospero conjures up a fierce storm to trap them and, with Ariel’s help, sets his plot in motion. The production keeps the themes of patriarchy, with Prospero engineering his daughter’s marriage, and colonialism, with Prospero enslaving the island’s original inhabitants and acting as their god/king, but the revenge is lost. Prospero’s long speech about his brother’s backstabbing ways is kept in, but we never meet him or his devious courtiers. This makes Prospero’s anger too abstract and a little irrelevant. The only castaways we see are Ferdinand, and then Trinculo and Stephano (slightly too long spent on those “comedy” characters for my taste here) – with Ferdinand and Miranda’s romance and Caliban’s drunken antics with Trinculo and Stephano giving this production the feel, at times, of a rather vindictive episode of Love Island.
The use of Chichewa by Caliban and Ariel adds a magical quality to the characters, as does the splitting of Ariel into two actors. Magasa and Bhima watch with catlike grace as their mischievous actions cause chaos. Cassandra Hercules and Reece Weathers are a whirlwind of hormones as Miranda and Ferdinand – her giggles and gleeful jumps are a joy to watch. Christopher Brand is a strong Prospero, although his journey to redemption is somewhat stifled by the lack of protagonists. In this production, the impression is that finding a husband for his daughter was his main quest.
Bilimankhwe’s The Tempest is more of a gentle summer breeze in its dramatic impact, but is still an enjoyable and energetic production, with wonderful music and choreography.
Little Angel Studios Touring until 4 November. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Monstro Theatre’s puppet musical is a charming and moving celebration of the magic of books and libraries.
Brian’s father read books to him from the time he was a tiny baby. They both loved books so much that the house became filled with them, so they opened their home as a library. Now Brian is grown up and his father is an old man in a nursing home, but their beloved library is still going strong. The books are also very happy, dancing around the library when the humans aren’t about. Everything changes when Brian’s father dies, and Brian’s favourite childhood book comes to the library – setting one of the books on a dangerous adventure across the town.
Each book has its own quirky character and striking retro cover, with writer Ben Glasstone throwing in lots of recognisable stereotypes for the adults. There’s even a Shakespeare tome spouting melancholy quotes! Performers Phil Yarrow, Karina Garnett and Andrea Sadler shine as the librarians and handle the puppets with skill and love, encouraging the young audience to accept the puppets as real characters. When Garnett took her puppet into the audience, the children were desperate to speak to it, although us adults were slightly more bashful. The weird and wacky ideas that the children suggested – at this performance a young boy suggested that she needed to take an aeroplane that would crash into the sea to travel across town – were celebrated and used throughout the performance, with a particularly touching reference at the end of the play. The songs and puppet choreography are harmonised beautifully, and are just the right length to keep the young audience’s interest and maintain the story’s momentum.
The theme of bereavement and loss is handled deftly and sensitively, and the message that reading is a source of inspiration for creating your own stories is delivered with hopeful excitement. Book Story is simply wonderful family entertainment –a spellbinding love letter to literature that will entrance both children and adults.
Tristan Bates Theatre 26 September – 21 October. Reviewed by Claire Roderick
4****
Whatever Guise’s inaugural production tackles mental health with an honesty that is both brutal and compassionate.
Corporate lawyer Jen wants to save the world, with dreams of working for the UN, but she has realised that she needs to save herself first, trying to cope with her dark feelings and pain, and settling for a miserable job and even more miserable relationships, much to her childhood friend – socialist, hard-drinking musician Robbie’s disgust. He still dreams of hitting the big time with his music. Jen and Robbie’s annual encounters at Jen’s birthday party frame the narrative, with Jen opening up to Robbie about her depression. Writer Jess Moore’s dialogue is naturalistic and authentic. In the first scene, set in the garden, it feels as if you are listening over the garden fence to two people who think they know each other inside out, but don’t understand each other at all. The circular, meandering conversation veers between teasing childhood memories, lamenting their lost dreams, socialist rants, Jen trying to describe how she feels, and Robbie doing his best comedy to cheer her up without tackling the issue – as best friends do.
Jessica Guise and Tristan Beint are completely believable as the two friends. Watching Guise as Jen pulls herself together and jokes around after sharing her despair will bring a lump to your throat, and her performance in the hospital scene is devastating. Beint is wonderful as Robbie, with some superb drunk acting, spitting out his world-weary rants with relish, and throwing in some hilarious impressions and funny voices. The actors’ onstage chemistry is fantastic, with perfect timing.
Director Ryan Gage keeps things simple, keeping the focus on the actors and allowing them to shine. The set, covered with old photos of the pair behind multiple frames, reinforces the long relationship of the pair, but also highlights our skewed perceptions of friends that we see smiling in all our photos, and perhaps never think about their true feelings. Moore jumps on this issue, with Jen so focussed (and rightly so) on her own search for ways to cope and find happiness, that she doesn’t notice Robbie’s vulnerability. Moore’s writing of Robbie is instantly recognisable to anyone who has reacted with guilty shock as they realise that their funny, sarky, confident and strong friend has been screaming internally or trying to numb their own pain, without anyone noticing until they reach crisis point.
With after show talks from CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably), Gin for Breakfast’s examination of friendship and mental health is an emotionally devastating, bittersweet evening that will change (for the better) the way you look at your mates. Grab a ticket while you can