MARVEL UNIVERSE SUPER HEROES COME TO LIFE AS LIVE ACTION FAMILY SPECTACULAR TOURS UK FOR FIRST TIME

Tickets for Marvel Universe LIVE! go on general sale Friday 4^th March 2016

Pre-sale tickets available from 23^rd February 2016

SHEFFIELD – 23^rd February 2016 – Marvel families unite! For the first time ever, iconic Marvel Super Heroes and villains will be brought to life in a spectacular live action family arena show, whenMarvel Universe LIVE! Super Heroes Assemble touches down in Sheffield in January next year.

This show is taking the live entertainment experience to a whole new level, with an epic show unlike anything seen before. Bringing together the largest assembly of Marvel characters in a live production, audiences will be able to watch some of their favourite Marvel Super Heroes step out of the silver screen and onto the stage – bringing the action to life right before their eyes.

Everyone will be able to cheer for their favourite Marvel Super Heroes, including Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Widow and more, as they battle Loki and Marvel’s most sinister villains in a live, action-packed arena performance for the whole family. It’s being hailed as the most technically advanced live show ever, with cutting-edge special effects, pyrotechnics, aerial stunts, martial arts, motorcycles and more.

From the creative team that brings you such arena spectaculars as Disney On Ice, Feld Entertainment Inc, the world’s leading producer of touring live entertainment is excited to announce the UK tour of Marvel Universe LIVE! This arena stunt spectacular will be swinging into five major UK cities along with Sheffield – Nottingham, London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester – for an electrifying run of over 40 shows that have already entertained almost 2 million families in over 65 US cities to date in its first tour.

“We are delighted to bring Marvel Universe LIVE! to the UK, giving families an opportunity to enjoy this spectacular live show for the very first time. The audience will feel like they’ve been transported into a jaw-dropping Marvel blockbuster film, with an engrossing storyline and non-stop stunts”, said Steven Armstrong, VP of Europe North at Feld Entertainment, Inc.

Featuring over 50 cast members and taking over two years to research and develop, Marvel Universe LIVE! utilises some of the latest innovations in arena set design and aerial pyrotechnics, with stunts developed by the team from Hollywood blockbuster, Thor, and the recent The Amazing Spider-Man films. The set includes innovative lighting design, transformative 3D projection, 21 projectors, the largest flying system ever used for a live arena tour and the debut of a new Spotlight Tracking System.

Marvel Universe LIVE! will be in Sheffield from 19^th – 22^nd January 2017 at the Sheffield Arena.

“To see all the elements of this spectacular live show come together has been truly incredible,” said Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada. “The technology utilised in the show is not only going to blow your mind, it is going to take you to a whole new Marvel world like nothing British families have ever seen before.”

Join Marvel families for this monumental performance. The fate of the universe depends on it!

Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday 4^th March, with pre-sale tickets available starting 23^rd February from the Marvel Universe LIVE! website www.MarvelUniverseLive.co.uk or direct from the Sheffield Arena Box Office on 0114 256 56 56 or www.sheffieldarena.co.uk.

Eager fans can sign up to receive advanced priority bookings, discount offers and advanced show information from: http://www.feldentertainmentpcsignup.com/

The website features the complete list of UK tour dates and fans can check the latest news and announcements via social media:  
Facebook:  www.facebook.com/MarvelOnTour
Twitter:  @MarvelOnTour
Instagram (@MarvelOnTour) 

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory enters its fourth and final year at Theatre Royal Drury Lane 

The award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Sam Mendes, continues to capture the imagination of audiences as it enters its fourth and final year at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals and has broken house records at Theatre Royal Drury Lane where it has been seen by over 1.8 million people since it opened in June 2013. It currently sits alongside Miss Saigon and 42nd Street in the top three longest-running productions of the last 50 years at the historic venue, one of London’s largest theatres.

A Broadway production will open in New York in the 2016-2017 season and tickets for a UK-wide tour will go on sale next year.

Over the course of the year the stage musical will take part in the nationwide celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Roald Dahl.

Jonathan Slinger, as Willy Wonka, continues his celebrated performance, as do the principal cast members: Barry James as Grandpa Joe, Ross Dawes as Mr Salt, Josefina Gabrielle as Mrs Teavee, Jasna Ivir as Mrs Gloop, Paul J Medford as Mr Beauregarde, Claire Carrie as Grandma Josephine, Lara Denning as Mrs Bucket, Myra Sands as Grandma Georgina and Kraig Thornber as Grandpa George. Chris Grahamson joins the cast as Mr Bucket.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is directed by Sam Mendes. Featuring ingenious stagecraft, the wonder of the original story that has captivated the world for almost 50 years is brought to life with music by Marc Shaiman, and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, a book by award-winning playwright and adaptor David Greig, set and costume designs by Mark Thompson and choreography by Peter Darling.

Joining the ensemble are Alexander Bartles, Lisa Bridge, Melanie Brown, Helen Colby, Ashley Cooper, Alastair Crosswell, Katrina Dix, Ryan Gover, Rebecca Hodge, Peter Houston, Thomas Inge, Mikey Jay-Heath, Joanne McShane, Ben Redfern, Ainsley Hall Ricketts, Johnathan Tweedie.

Remaining in the ensemble are: Andy Brady, Georgia Carling, Andrew Carthy, Sam Lathwood, Lucinda Lawrence, Steven Serlin, Robert Tregoning, Tara Verloop, Michelle White.

Tickets are currently available for performances up to Saturday 7th January 2017.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is produced by Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Neal Street Productions and Langley Park Productions.

www.CharlieandtheChocolateFactory.com

Box Office: 0844 858 8877

Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London, WC2B 5JF

Artistic Director Madani Younis announces major redevelopment of the Bush Theatre and new season of work 

• The Bush Theatre to be redeveloped by architects Haworth Tompkins
• New studio theatre gives second space
• Improved and upgraded backstage facilities for artists
• Fully accessible across all areas
• Increased sustainability

• New season of work will take place outside the current building:
• Boys Will Be Boys by Melissa Bubnic at Bush Hall
• This Place We Know in found spaces along Uxbridge Road
• The Neighbourhood Project in homes and streets of Shepherd’s Bush
• The Royale by Marco Ramirez at The Tabernacle

Launch video available here and short film with Madani Younis here

In 2016, as part of Madani Younis’ stated aim of creating a theatre that truly reflects the community in which it sits, the Bush Theatre will undergo a major redevelopment of its building from March, creating a new second space, improved backstage facilities and a new front-of-house area, and making the whole building fully accessible and more sustainable.

During the building works, the Bush Theatre’s programme will move out into the local community, embracing the buildings and people of West London. Shows will include: the European premiere of Boys Will Be Boys, about representations of women in the male-dominated world of the city and the first co-production between the Bush Theatre and Headlong; This Place We Know, a series of plays performed along the iconic and chaotic Uxbridge Road featuring new and established talent from the Bush Theatre’s history; The Neighbourhood Project, a community project in collaboration with Look Left Look Right and featuring residents of Shepherd’s Bush; and a revival of The Royale, the critically and publically acclaimed play based on the story of the first African-American heavyweight champion of the world. Booking for Boys Will Be Boys and The Royale opens today.

The redevelopment and off-site programme will cost £4 million, of which 90% has been raised already. Supporters of the project include Arts Council England and the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham as well as generous trusts and foundations, local businesses and individual donors. The Bush Theatre continues to fundraise for the remaining 10% to deliver the project successfully and cement the theatre as a world-class venue in the heart of Shepherd’s Bush.

The redevelopment will unlock the potential of the Old Library: increasing the capacity of the theatre and creating a new studio theatre space. It will also provide much better facilities for audiences and artist, with nearly 50% more space in the bars and café areas, and a revamp of the backstage areas. Across three spaces – the auditorium, attic and the studio theatre – the Bush Theatre hopes to welcome around 15,000 more people per year to the venue.

Madani Younis, Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre, said:

“Whilst we are incredibly proud to be redeveloping our theatre for the next generation, a theatre should not be defined by its walls – which is why we want to go beyond them. We have the privilege of being at the heart of one of the most diverse places in the country, and at a cultural crossroads of everything that it is to live in London today. We want to create a building that embraces this, and work that celebrates this.

“It’s my hope that 2016 is not just remembered as the year that the Old Library ‘had some building work done’. I want this to be remembered as the year where Uxbridge Road became our stage, where we met new audiences, and where we discovered the voices whose work will form the bedrock of British Theatre for years to come. All too often, theatre in this country doesn’t reflect the culture of this country. By the end of this year, I hope that we can say with pride that this theatre truly represents the culture of the Uxbridge Road.”

Steve Tompkins, Director of Haworth Tompkins, said:

“We helped the Bush Theatre move in to its new home in 2010 and have been happily accompanying this brilliant, important theatre on its journey ever since. This phase of work should open up a whole new set of theatrical and communal possibilities for a theatre that has always punched above its weight.”

 

A first look at the production photos of the national tour of Shadowlands, starring Stephen Boxer as C.S. Lewis, Amanda Ryan as Joy Davidman and Denis Lill as Major W.H. Lewis ‘Warnie’.

They are joined by Simon Shackleton as Professor Christopher Riley, Jeffrey Harmer as Rev ‘Harry’ Harrington, Ian Marr as Alan Gregg, Richard Holliday as Dr Maurice Oakley and Shannon Rewcroft as Douglas, with Holly Smith and Alistair Higgins playing multiple supporting roles.

Directed by Alastair Whatley, William Nicholson’s play tells the love story of C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Screwtape Letters, and American poet Joy Davidman. The production opened at Guildford’s Yvonne Arnaud Theatre on Thursday 18 February where it will run until Saturday 27 February, with a national press night on Friday 26 February. It will then tour the UK until Saturday 30 July. Tour dates: http://www.shadowlandstour.com

ACTRESS SAM WOMACK LAUNCHES EXCITING NEW ARTS THEATRE

Actress Sam Womack launched a project to create a new 400-seat theatre in Letchworth Garden City this week (22 February), as part of a £4million investment in the arts which also sees a gallery opening in the town later this week.

Sam, whose career has made her a household name in television and theatre, lives locally and is excited at the prospect of the first major professional theatre in the town, as an addition to the Art Deco Broadway Cinema.

She said: “It’s really exciting to have this new theatre locally, in this lovely building. We have had many happy visits to the cinema and I look forward to the theatre coming this autumn.”

The theatre marks a major investment in the arts by Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation, who are using the revenue from their unique Garden City legacy to make the town a major centre for the Arts.

Also opening in the town this Wednesday (24 February) is the new Broadway Gallery – with a major show by international modern art pioneer Richard Smith. Smith was born and raised in Letchworth Garden City and went on to have his work showcased at the Venice Biennale and the Tate Gallery.

 

Colin Chatfield, Chairman of Letchworth Garden City Heritage Foundation said: “It is great to have Sam Womack along to launch the build of our new theatre, and highlights the calibre of actors and shows we will attract when the theatre opens later this year. It’s going to be an exciting year for the arts in Letchworth.”

 

Work on the theatre begins in earnest on Monday, with builders working seven days a week in order to keep the work as short as possible while allowing the cinema to remain open. During the building work the cinema will be open Monday to Friday from 4pm, and from 3pm at the weekend.

Work has been carefully planned to ensure it is in keeping with the cinema’s beautiful Art Deco design. Dressing rooms and a stage will be added to Screen One so it can be changed from a cinema to theatre, and back, overnight, allowing it to host theatre, children’s shows, live comedy and acoustic music, as well as mainstream films. It will also create a new bar area and add an air cooling system.

The work will continue until late 2016 with theatre previews and back stage tours taking place in November ahead of the first theatre season in 2017. 

 

Further details of the theatre plans are available online at www.broadway-letchworth.com

YOUTH THEATRE SET THEIR SIGHTS HIGH

Members of ArtsSpark – Darlington Civic Theatre’s youth theatre, will be performing a play called Eclipse by Simon Armitage on Tuesday 23 and Wednesday 24 February as part of the National Theatre’s Connections Festival.

As part of the Festival, youth theatre groups from around the country are each given a play to perform, specially written for young people. ArtsSpark members were thrilled to be given this challenging play to work on and have been rehearsing hard since October.

A representative from the National Theatre will attend a performance at the Civic Theatre to give valuable feedback to the actors. The group then have a further 2 weeks to fine-tune the play before taking it to the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough on 12th March where they have the opportunity of being chosen to take the play to London for a performance at the National Theatre as part of the Connections Festival.

Eclipse is by Simon Armitage, professor of poetry at the University of Sheffield. The play is based around six friends who are interviewed by the police following the disappearance of a girl called Lucy Lime. The group had met Lucy beneath the cliffs on a Cornish beach just before a total eclipse of the sun.

The group have created a special ‘in-the-round’ performance space on the Darlington Civic Theatre stage to bring the audience even closer to the action.

Eclipse is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 23 February at 7pm and Wednesday 24 February at 1.30pm & 7pm. Tickets are priced £4 for adults and £2 for children.

Age recommendation 13+ (there is some strong language and adult themes)

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555

Karl Sydow and Out of Joint present

 

A VIEW

FROM ISLINGTON NORTH

 

MAX STAFFORD-CLARK DIRECTS

AN EVENING OF POLITICAL SATIRE

FROM ALISTAIR BEATON, CARYL CHURCHILL, STELLA FEEHILY, DAVID HARE AND MARK RAVENHILL

WITH MUSIC BY BILLY BRAGG

 

Arts Theatre, 18 May – 2 July 2016

“Politics has become too serious a matter to be left to politicians”

TS Eliot

Acclaimed director Max Stafford-Clark will team up with some of the UK’s most celebrated playwrights for an evening of political satire: A VIEW FROM ISLINGTON NORTH, opening at the Arts Theatre in London on 18 May until 2 July, with a press night on 24 May.

In THE ACCIDENTAL LEADER and HOW TO GET AHEAD IN POLITICS, Alistair Beaton (Feelgood, Not the Nine O’Clock News, A Very Social Secretary) and Stella Feehily (This May Hurt A Bit, Bang Bang Bang, Duck) make merry with the machinations behind the closed doors of our major political parties.

David Hare (The Moderate Soprano, Stuff Happens, The Judas Kiss ) takes us inside George Osborne’s mind in AYN RAND TAKES A STAND

In The MOTHER, Mark Ravenhill (Shopping and Fucking, Mother Clapp’s Molly House, Candide) eyes the cost of our military adventures, as a soldier’s mother does all she can to avoid hearing the news she dreads.

And in TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE, Caryl Churchill (Love and Information, Escaped Alone, Top Girls) imagines a world where even language is sponsored…

 

Max Stafford-Clark said, “From Beyond The Fringe to Spitting Image to The Thick of It, political satire has never really gone out of fashion, and continues to act as a pungent corrective to political pomposity and ambition. Over a few years Out of Joint has accumulated a number of short plays, originally written for other purposes;  Caryl Churchill’s play Tickets Are Now On Sale formed part of a Theatre Uncut season, and Stella Feehily’s How to Get Ahead in Politics was written for a one-off occasion on the eve of the General Election.  And I’ve always wanted to revisit Mark Ravenhill’s searing play The Mother, since it was first performed at the Royal Court in 2008. It occurred to me then that we had the beginnings of a pertinent and provocative evening! Alistair Beaton and David Hare happily responded to an invitation to write new plays, Billy Bragg agreed to compose a new song, and there we had A View from Islington North.

 

Of course Islington North has long been estate-agent speak for Holloway – not only is it the political seat of the Leader of the Opposition but also, even more importantly, it has been Out of Joint’s home for over 20 years.”

The 39 Steps returns to York

Full steam ahead at the National Railway Museum when the cast of The 39 Steps rolled into York on Friday 19 February to promote the play, which comes to York next month. Richard Ede, Olivia Green, Andrew Hodges and Rob Witcomb arrived in character to the delight of the public.

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, The 39 Steps, brilliantly and hilariously recreated for the stage as the smash hit Olivier Award Winning Comedy.

Follow the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women.

This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller features four fearless actors, playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action.

The 39 Steps is a melodrama adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The original concept and production of a four-actor version of the story was by Simon Corble and Nobby Dimon. Patrick Barlow rewrote this adaptation in 2005.

The play’s concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film The 39 Steps to be performed with a cast of only four. One actor plays the hero, Richard Hannay, an actress (or sometimes actor) plays the three women with whom he has romantic entanglements, and two other actors play every other character in the show: heroes, villains, men, women, children and even the occasional inanimate object. This often requires lightning fast quick-changes and occasionally for them to play multiple characters at once. Thus the film’s serious spy story is played mainly for laughs, and the script is full of allusions to (and puns on the titles of) other Alfred Hitchcock films, including Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest.

Tickets: From £13.50

Box Office: 0844 871 3024

Online Booking: www.atgtickets.com/york

 Upstairs At The Gatehouse  9-28 February, The Radlett Centre 6 March.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Chris Burgess has written another fantastic review showcasing Jewish talent. This is a man who is passionate about the subject, and here he has had the near impossible task of picking only a few of the wonderful songs of Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Richard Rodgers & Lorenz Hart, Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein and Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick.

Can’t Help Loving That Man, Fascinatin’ Rhythm, Putting On The Ritz, The Lady Is A Tramp, You’ll Never Walk Alone and L’Chaim (Burgess loves to end with this – and who can blame him?) are just a few of the classics performed. With material like that, you really don’t need to do much in between, but in this show the performers talk about the composers’ lives, loves and careers, pulling the heartstrings with expertly judged song choices. Pogroms, integration, persecution and Jewish tradition and values are discussed and give insight into the composers’ and lyricists’ choices, along with some great one-liners from the men themselves.

Performers Jennifer Harding, Jessie May, Grant McConvey and Lee Ormsby are excellent, producing stunning 4 part harmonies and lovely solo numbers. Ormsby’s Ol’ Man River and  Harding and May’s Suppertime are particularly moving, while McConvey’s rendition of When Messiah Comes is worthy of the West End. The talented band – Neil MacDonald, Doug Grannell and Joe Pickering – plays with gusto, the look on MacDonald’s face when he has to make deliberate mistakes is a picture!

The smiles on the faces of the audience as the lights went up are the best review of this show. An uplifting, joyful evening filled with wonderful, timeless music.