FOUR NEW SEASONS

FOR THE SMASH HIT MUSICAL “JERSEY BOYS”

AS IT CELEBRATES 8 YEARS IN LONDON

NEW CAST ANNOUNCED

From Tuesday 15 March, there will be four new Seasons joining the cast of JERSEY BOYS at the Piccadilly Theatre ahead of its 8^th Anniversary on 18 March.  This is the first time since the show opened in London that all four Seasons have changed. 

Jersey Boys is firmly established as one of the longest running and most popular shows in the West End.

The musical has now been seen by over 23 million people worldwide and celebrated its 10^th anniversary on Broadway last November.

The new London cast will feature Matt Corner as Frankie Valli, Simon Bailey as Tommy De Vito, Declan Egan as Bob Gaudio and Matt Hunt as Nick Massi, with Dayle Hodge playing Frankie Valli at certain performances.

Matt Corner joins the West End cast direct from the record-breaking UK and Ireland touring production of JERSEY BOYS, where he played Frankie Valli to 5-star reviews.  Previously in the West End, he played Galileo in We Will Rock You. 

Simon Bailey’s extensive West End credits include I Can’t Sing! The X-Factor Musical, Pharaoh in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Enjolras in the 21st Anniversary cast of Les Misérables (Queen’s Theatre) and Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera.  Simon is also a founder member of ‘Theatreland’s First Supergroup’, Teatro.  Teatro achieved gold status with their eponymous debut album after just three weeks, making them one of the fastest selling musical theatre acts of all time. 

Australian-born Declan Egan played Bob Gaudio in the Australian and New Zealand tour of JERSEY BOYS. Most recently, he appeared in the US Tour of The Book of Mormon.  JERSEY BOYS at the Piccadilly Theatre marks his West End debut. 

Fellow Australian Matt Hunt made his professional theatre debut in the Australian and New Zealand touring production of JERSEY BOYS and the London production also marked his West End debut.  He originally joined the cast in 2014 as Norm Waxman. 

Dayle Hodge joins the London cast straight from the UK & Ireland touring production of JERSEY BOYS, where he understudied and played Frankie Valli.  His other West End credits include Les Misérables, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (original London cast) and Chip in the original London cast of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.

Also joining the cast of JERSEY BOYS in London on 15 March will be Mark Dugdale, Leanne Garretty, Will Haswell, Mark Heenehan, Joe Maxwell, Nathaniel Morrison and Dan O’Brien, who

will join Nicola Brazil, Stuart Dawes, Lucinda Gill, Nicky Griffiths, Mark Isherwood, Ben Jennings, Chris Stoddart, Helen Ternent and Ben Wheeler.

JERSEY BOYS opened in London at the Prince Edward Theatre in 2008 and moved to the Piccadilly Theatre in March 2014.  The show completes its first, record-breaking tour of the UK and Ireland on 5 March.

JERSEY BOYS is the remarkable true story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and their rise to stardom from the wrong side of the tracks.  These four boys from New Jersey became one of the most successful bands in pop history, were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold 175 million records worldwide, all before they turned 30.  The show is packed with their hits, including Beggin’, Sherry, Walk Like A Man, December, 1963 (Oh What a Night), Big Girls Don’t Cry, My Eyes Adored You, Let’s Hang On (To What We’ve Got), Bye Bye Baby, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back to You, Fallen Angel, Rag Doll and Who Loves You.

Winner of Broadway’s Tony, London’s Olivier and Australia’s Helpmann Awards for Best New Musical, JERSEY BOYS is the winner of 57 major awards worldwide.  As well as still running on Broadway and in the West End, and on tour in the UK and Ireland, JERSEY BOYS can be seen in Las Vegas and across the United States on its US National Tour.

JERSEY BOYS is written by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe.  The London production is staged by the entire original Broadway creative team, led by director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo, with scenic design by Klara Zieglerova, costume design by Jess Goldstein, lighting by Howell Binkley, sound by Steve Canyon Kennedy and projection design by Michael Clark.  The orchestrations are by Steve Orich and the music supervision and vocal arrangements by Ron Melrose. 

JERSEY BOYS is produced in London by the Dodgers, with Joseph J. Grano, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group, in association with Latitude Link, Rick Steiner, and a small clutch of UK colleagues.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Piccadilly Theatre

16 Denman Street

London W1D 7DY

Performances:  Tuesdays – Saturdays at 7.30pm, Tuesday & Saturday matinees at 3.00pm, Sundays at 5.00pm

Current booking period to 23 October 2016

Tickets from £24.50

Box Office:  0844 871 7630

Website:  www.jerseyboyslondon.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/JerseyBoysLondon

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/JerseyBoysUK

Presented by TRH Productions, Lee Dean and Theatre Royal Bath Productions

Dominic Cooper in
The Libertine

Written by Stephen Jeffreys
Directed by Terry Johnson

• Dominic Cooper returns to the stage in Stephen Jeffreys’ sexually charged Restoration piece

• Theatre Royal Bath from 31 August to 17 September, as part of the venue’s Summer Season 2016

• Theatre Royal Haymarket from 22 September to 3 December with opening night for press on 27 September

• Tickets are on sale now here

Dominic Cooper returns to the stage this year to play debauched 17th Century rake the Earl of Rochester in The Libertine.  This sexually charged masterpiece by award-winning playwright Stephen Jeffreys will play a limited run as part of the 2016 summer season at Bath Theatre Royal from 31 August to 17 September prior to the West End’s Theatre Royal Haymarket from 22 September to 3 December with opening night for press on 27 September.

Full casting has yet to be announced for The Libertine which will be directed by the Olivier and Tony Award-winning Terry Johnson.

John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester is a charismatic poet, playwright and rake with a legendary appetite for excess. Yet this most ardent of hedonists is forced to reconsider everything he thinks and feels when a chance encounter with an actress at the Playhouse sends him reeling. With flair and wit, this wild romp through 1670s London offers an incisive critique of life in an age of excess.

Dominic Cooper has notable stage credits, particularly at the National Theatre including The History Boys, Mother Clap’s Molly House and more recently in Phedre alongside Helen Mirren. Cooper’s numerous film credits include The History Boys, The Duchess, My Week with Marilyn, Mamma Mia, Captain America: The First Avenger and he is soon to star in Preacher.

Stephen Jeffreys is the author of A Going Concern, The Clink and Valued Friends, which won him the Evening Standard Most Promising Playwright Award.

Terry Johnson is a dramatist and director who has won numerous theatre awards including two Oliviers as a playwright for Best Comedy and a Tony for Best Director of a Musical for La Cage Aux Folles. Other directing credits include The Graduate, Entertaining Mr Sloane and One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

The Libertine was first performed on tour and at the Royal Court Theatre alongside the Restoration comedy, The Man of Mode, which presented another, contemporary view of Rochester. It later transferred to Chicago’s Steppenwolf starring John Malkovich and directed by Terry Johnson before Johnny Depp took the title role in the 2004 film adaptation.

The Libertine is produced by TRH Productions, Lee Dean and Theatre Royal Bath Productions with Ilene Starger as Executive Producer.

LISTINGS

Website: www.TheLibertineOnStage.com
Twitter: @TheLibertineLDN
Facebook: Facebook.com/TheLibertineLDN
Instagram: @TheLibertineLDN

Theatre Royal Bath, Sawclose, Bath BA1 1ET

www.theatreroyal.org.uk
Box Office: 01225 448844

First performance Wednesday 31 August 2016
Last performance Saturday 17 September 2016

Performances
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm
(No 2.30pm matinee performance on Thursday 1 September)

Prices
From £24.50

For full details either visit www.theatreroyal.org.uk or call 01225 448844

Theatre Royal Haymarket, Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT

www.trh.co.uk
Box Office: 020 7930 8800

First performance Thursday 22 September 2016
Final performance Saturday 3 December 2016
Opening Night for Press on Tuesday 27 September 2016

Performances
Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm
Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm

Prices
From £15.00
For full details either visit www.trh.co.uk or call 020 7930 8800

TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW

WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE TO PRODUCE  

ITS FIRST FULL-SCALE NEW MUSICAL THIS EASTER

“ONLY THE BRAVE” TO PREMIERE AT  WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE

FROM 28 MARCH TO 2 APRIL

STARRING DAVID THAXTON, CAROLINE SHEEN AND NEIL MCDERMOTT

 

This Easter, Wales Millennium Centre will premiere its first full-scale, original musical, ONLY THE BRAVE, produced with Soho Theatre, Daniel Sparrow Productions and Birdsong Productions. Based on the real lives of men and women caught up in the D-Day landings, this new production will star David Thaxton, Caroline Sheen and Neil McDermott, directed by Steve Marmion, Artistic Director of London’s Soho Theatre.

With a book by writer Rachel Wagstaff, music by Matthew Brind and lyrics by Steve Marmion, ONLY THE BRAVE tells the heart-breaking and inspirational true story of two couples brought together by war, Captain John (Thaxton) and Joy (Sheen) Howard and Lieutenant Denham (McDermott) and Maggie Brotheridge. This emotionally charged new musical brings to life the passion, camaraderie and courage of an incredible generation.

David Thaxton, born in Neath, South Wales, won an Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Giorgio in the Donmar Warehouse production of Passion. Other West End roles include Enjolras and Javert in Les Misérables, Raoul in Love Never Dies and Maximilian in Candide. He was also a member of Only Men Aloud!, the Welsh male voice choir which won the BBC’s Last Choir Standing, and is a founding member of the band Divisions.

Caroline Sheen, also from South Wales, made her West End debut as Marty in Grease at the Cambridge Theatre, and later played Sandy in a revival at the Victoria Palace Theatre. She was in the original casts of Mamma Mia! and The Witches of Eastwick and other West End roles include Eponine and Fantine in Les Misérables and Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. She played the title role in the UK and US Tours of Mary Poppins. Most recently, she played Alaura/Carla in City of Angels at the Donmar Warehouse.

Neil McDermott is currently reprising his role as Ryan Malloy in EastEnders on BBC 1, a role he previously played between 2009 and 2011 and reprised in 2014. He also played Dr Ralph Ellis in The Royal between 2009 and 2011. His West End theatre credits include Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical, Jean-Michel in La Cage aux Folles, Young Buddy in Follies, Rolf in The Sound of Music and the title role inAladdin opposite Ian McKellen at the Old Vic.

Writer Rachel Wagstaff successfully adapted for the stage Sebastian Faulks’s novel Birdsong. She is currently co-writing two screenplays with Sebastian Faulks and is under commission to write a new musical for Vicky Graham Productions/Old Vic. Rachel also adapted Sebastian Faulks’s novel, The Girl at the Lion d’Or, for BBC Radio Four (Woman’s Hour).

Composer Matthew Brind is the musical arranger and conductor for X Factor, Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent. His theatre credits include composer for David Walliams’s Mr Stink, musical director for Legally Blonde, and musical supervisor for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Matthew is principal conductor and arranger for the Welsh Pops Orchestra.

Director and lyricist Steve Marmion has been Artistic Director of London’s Soho Theatre since 2010. A former associate director at the Royal Shakespeare Company and a creative associate at the Bush Theatre, he trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. His credits away from Soho Theatre include 24 Hour Plays at the Old Vic, Macbeth at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, and Faustus and Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness for Headlong.

ONLY THE BRAVE’s original concept was by Steve Coleman, Matthew Brind and Rachel Wagstaff.  

LISTINGS

Only the Brave

28 March to 2 April 2016

Donald Gordon Theatre

Wales Millennium Centre

Bute Place

Cardiff Bay

CF10 5AL

Performances:  Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Thu & Sat 2.30pm

Tickets:  Mon – Wed (previews), £11 – £25 (Premium Packages, £35); Thu – Sat, £14 – £29 (Premium Packages, £39)

Box Office:  029 2063 6464

Website:  www.wmc.org.uk

Age Guidance:  11+ (no under 2s)

NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FURTHER PROGRAMMING FOR 2016

• ARTISTIC DIRECTOR WILLIAM GALINSKY WILL DIRECT AN EXTRAORDINARY NEW PRODUCTION OF THE TEMPEST AT THE GREAT YARMOUTH HIPPODROME

• WORLD PREMIERE OF 14-18 NOW’S FIERCE LIGHT

• CHRIS THORPE’S ACCLAIMED PLAYS CONFIRMATION & AM I DEAD YET?

• ONE NIGHT ONLY PERFORMANCE FROM BILLY BRAGG

• NORFOLK & NORWICH FESTIVAL RUNS FROM FRIDAY 13 – SUNDAY 29 MAY

Norfolk & Norwich Festival, one of the biggest arts festivals in the UK, has today announced further events for its 2016 Festival. With the full programme still to be announced, further highlights revealed today include a brand new production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest directed by Artistic Director of Norfolk & Norwich Festival William Galinsky at theGreat Yarmouth Hippodrome – Britain’s only surviving purpose circus building erected in 1903 and Wild Life, an extraordinary collaboration between CAMPO’s Artistic Collaborator Pol Heyvaert and young singer-songwriters from across Norfolk. Wild Life developed organically from the lives of the performers, and focuses on the songs they have written and what science tells us about how teenagers’ brains work. The Festival have also announced Fierce Light, the world premiere event and exhibition from 14-18 NOW bringing together poets of international standing with contemporary film makers and visual artists to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the First World War, Chris Thorpe’s acclaimed plays Confirmation and Am I Dead Yet? about political extremism and what happens when we die respectively, an evening of French song and poetry with the powerful and unconventional ensemble troupe, I Fagiolini, a one-night only performance by the sensational singer-songwriter and political activist Billy Bragg and the English indie band Tindersticks.

The line-up join the previously announced ground-breaking UK premiere from contemporary circus cabaret troupe Race Horse Company, the world premiere of a major new commission from one of the UK’s foremost young composers – Kemal Yusuf, excerpts from electro-acoustic polymath Max Richter’s intensive investigation in the power of the human brain – SLEEP,Aurélien Bory’s industrial robot’s dance with acrobats Sans Objet, Twenty Feet From Stardom’sLisa Fischer’s first ever solo UK  concert, an epic staging of Mahler’s Symphony of a Thousand by Norwich Philharmonic and a revival of Rona Munro’s critically acclaimed The James Plays.

The Festival runs 13 – 29 May 2016 with full line up still to be announced.

The flagship arts organisation for the East of England, Norfolk & Norwich Festival showcases some of the world’s most renowned international artists alongside regional talent, drawing audiences from across the UK.

Full information on all Norfolk & Norwich Festival events at www.nnfestival.org.uk.

Twitter: @NNF
Facebook: www.facebook.com/NNFestival
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/nnfest

Award winning company Opera North are back at Newcastle Theatre Royal in March with a trio of continental masterpieces: Mozart’s playful Cosi fan tutte, Donizetti’s sunny L’Elisir D’Amore and Giordano’s passionate Andrea Chenier. Let your senses be stirred: Wed 2 – Sat 5 March 2016.

 

Giordano’s Andrea Chénier (Sat 5 March ’16) is presented by Opera North for the first time. Taking the life of the French poet André Chénier as its inspiration, the opera explores love and the individual at the time of the French Revolution before charting the rapid descent of hope and optimism into the Terror. Combining a dramatic storyline with compelling music, this new production looks set to become an unforgettable addition to the Company’s repertoire.

 

Also written at the time of the French Revolution, but with a very different focus, is Mozart’s Così fan tutte (Wed 2 and Fri 4 March ‘16). The production captivated audiences at the Theatre Royal back in 2009 and recently wowed at the Glimmerglass Opera Festival in New York. It is once again set to intrigue people with its thoughtful exploration of fidelity, deception, human motivation and the dangers of desire. It all begins innocently enough when Don Alfonso comes up with a wager: that the fiancées of two young men are far more likely to succumb to another’s amorous advances than they might choose to believe. The ensuing, often disconcerting, consequences are accompanied by some of the most beautiful music Mozart ever wrote.  A vibrant young cast includes Dublin-born soprano Máire Flavin, who represented Ireland at the 2011 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, making her Opera North debut as Fiordiligi.

A more light-hearted approach to the twists and turns of love is found in a sun drenched 1950s-style production of Donizetti’s comic opera L’elisir d’amore (Thur 3 March ‘16). Having enjoyed critical acclaim at Spain’s Ópera de Oviedo, it returns to England to charm audiences in the North with its playful tale of the ineffectual but good-hearted Nemorino and his quest to win the hand of the very self-assured Adina. Can Dr Dulcamara’s ‘love potion’ really solve all his problems?

 

Complete with hot-air balloon and Vespas, this stylish production is a perfect fit for Donizetti’s irrepressibly fresh comedy. Funny and moving, the opera includes one of the best-loved of all tenor arias in Nemorino’s ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ (A furtive tear).

 

The Spring Opera North season appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Weds 2 March until Sat 5 March 2016, playing evenings at 7.30pm (L’elisir d’amore and Andrea Chenier) and 7pm (Così fan tutte). Tickets from £18.50 (Great offers available for under 18s and school groups). Tickets can be purchased online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge)

MATT BARBER TO STAR AS FRED

OPPOSITE PIXIE LOTT’S HOLLY

IN TRUMAN CAPOTE’S BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S

ADAPTED BY RICHARD GREENBERG

2016 UK & IRELAND TOUR AND WEST END SEASON

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED

 

The full cast has been announced for the 2016 UK and Ireland Tour and the West End limited season of Truman Capote’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s, adapted by Richard Greenberg and directed by Nikolai Foster.

 

Matt Barber (Atticus Aldridge in Downton Abbey) will play Fred and Victor McGuire (the sit-coms Trollied and Bread) will play Joe Bell. They will be joined by Robert Calvert as Doc, Naomi Cranston as Mag, Charlie De Melo as José, Tim Frances as Rusty Trawler/Editor at 21, Andrew Joshi as Yunioshi, Melanie La Barrie as Mme Spanella, and Sevan Stephan as OJ Berman/Dr Goldman, with Katy Allen and Andy Watkins.

 

As previously announced, Pixie Lott will star as Holly Golightly for the UK and Ireland Tour, from 3 March to 30 April and 13 to 25 June, and at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket from 30 June to 17 September.

 

Truman Capote’s classic novella has been adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning Finalist and Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), and contains memorable songs from the era as well as original music by Grant Olding (One Man, Two Guvnors, RSC’s Don Quixote). 

 

Based on Truman Capote’s beloved masterwork, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is set in New York in 1943. Fred, a young writer from Louisiana, meets Holly Golightly, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good-time girl. Everyone falls in love with Holly – including Fred. However Fred is poor, and Holly’s other suitors include a playboy millionaire and the future president of Brazil. As war rages on in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with Fred – just as her past catches up with her.

 

Artistic Director of Curve, Nikolai Foster said, “It’s a testament to the beauty of Capote’s imagination, the extraordinary characters he created and Greenberg’s faithful adaptation, that alongside Pixie and Matt, we have assembled such an accomplished company of actors to bring this dazzling play to life. We are thrilled to welcome the company to Curve and our audiences in Leicester and on tour in the UK. Every week of 2016 will see a Curve production on a UK stage and we are thrilled Breakfast at Tiffany’s will be part of this commitment to sharing work that has been made at Curve.” 

 

Breakfast at Tiffany’s will be directed by Nikolai Foster, the Artistic Director of Curve, with production design by Matthew Wright, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Mic Pool and wig design by Campbell Young.

 

Nikolai Foster is Artistic Director at Curve. Recent productions include Roald Dahl’s The Witches, Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, Wertenbaker’s Our Country’s Good and Shakespeare’s Richard III (all Curve), Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse), the 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing (Curve and Nottingham Playhouse), Calamity Jane(Watermill Theatre, Newbury & UK tour) and a major new production of the Broadway musical Annie (West Yorkshire Playhouse & UK tour).

 

Breakfast at Tiffany’s will begin performances at the Curve, Leicester on 3 March 2016, before embarking on a UK & Ireland Tour. There will be a 12-week season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End from 30 June to 17 September 2016.

 

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a co-production between the Curve and Colin Ingram, Peter Kane, William Sinclair and Michael Melnick & Finlay Gray. 

 

For more information, visit www.breakfastattiffanys.co.uk.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tiffanysonstage

Twitter:  @Tiffanysonstage

 

TOUR SCHEDULE 2016

 

*3 – 12 March                              LEICESTER                                 0116 242 3595   

                                                   Curve                                          www.curveonline.co.uk               

                                                   

*15 – 19 March                            CANTERBURY                             01227 787787

                                                   Marlowe Theatre                          www.marlowetheatre.com           

                                                                                                       

*4 – 9 April                                   LEEDS                                        0844 848 2700

                                                   Grand Theatre                              www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

 

*12 – 16 April                               SALFORD                                    0843 208 6000

                                                   Lowry Theatre                              www.thelowry.com

 

*18 – 23 April                               BIRMINGHAM                             0844 871 3011 

                                                   New Alexandra Theatre                www.atgtickets.com/birmingham

 

*25 – 30 April                               SOUTHAMPTON                         02380 711811

                                                   Mayflower Theatre                       www.mayflower.org.uk

 

2 – 7 May                                    ABERDEEN                                01224 641122

                                                  His Majesty’s                               www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

 

9 –14 May                                    NOTTINGHAM                             0115 989 5555   

                                                   Theatre Royal                              www.trch.co.uk                               

 

16 – 21 May                                 BATH                                          01225 448844 (on sale spring 2016)          

                                                   Theatre Royal                               www.theatreroyal.org.uk      

                                                                                                       

23 – 28 May                                 GLASGOW                                  0844 871 7647

                                                   Theatre Royal                              www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

 

30 May – 4 June                          EDINBURGH                                0131 529 6000

                                                  King’s Theatre                              www.edtheatres.com

 

6 – 11 June                                 HIGH WYCOMBE                         01494 512 000

                                                  Wycombe Swan                            www.wycombeswan.co.uk

 

*13 – 18 June                              DUBLIN                                       0818 719 377       

                                                  Bord Gais Theatre                        www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

 

*20 – 25 June                              PLYMOUTH                                 01752 267222

                                                  Theatre Royal                               www.theatreroyal.com

 

*30 June – 17 September             LONDON                                      020 7930 8800

                                                  Theatre Royal Haymarket              www.trh.co.uk

 

*Pixie Lott Dates

 

 

 

Call out for Live Theatre and Northumbria University’s second joint Writer in Residence

Live Theatre and Northumbria University are delighted to announce a call out for applications for their joint Writer in Residence towork across both organisations for a year from September 2016.

The writer should have substantial experience of writing for theatre and performance; a strong current knowledge of modern and contemporary theatre practices, plays and playwrights; and a track record of professional production. The residency will allow the writer to develop their own practice, and share their expertise with communities at both Live Theatre and Northumbria University.

In addition to a £20,000 fee, the successful writer will gain access to space, resources and equipment, cultural and research networks, and support from academic, creative and professional staff from both organisations.

The residency will be tailored to the skills and interests of the successful applicant. It is anticipated that the Writer in Residence will research and develop an idea for play for Live Theatre, in line with the theatre’s mission and identity, which may lead to commission with the Theatre beyond the residency.

The Writer in Residence will also engage with Literary Department at Live Theatre, contribute to the teaching of Northumbria Performing Arts (NPA) undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, and to the collaborative research culture of the University.

Gez Casey, Literary Manager Live Theatre, said:

“This residency is a brilliant opportunity for a playwright to work both with a new writing theatre and also in an academic environment. In a programme specially tailored to the interests of the writer involved, it will provide the space and time to develop their own ideas and also to share their expertise with aspiring playwrights in the North East.  Live Theatre is delighted to be working once again with our partners at Northumbria University in providing the resources and support for such a flexible and unique residency.”

Lucy Winskell OBE, Northumbria University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor (Business and Engagement) said:

“This is a hugely exciting opportunity for an established playwright to work with Northumbria University and Live Theatre as our next Writer in Residence.  Following in the footsteps of Paddy Campbell, the successful candidate will contribute to the innovative partnership between our two organisations by engaging in a wide range of activities, from helping to shape collaborative research projects to developing new ways of teaching and learning for our students.  Our joint Writer in Residence programme is a unique and exciting role and another example of our highly successful partnership with Live Theatre.”

This is second of year of Live Theatre and Northumbria University’s three year collaborative residency programme running between 2015-2018. The first joint Writer in Residence is Paddy Campbell, writer of Live Theatre successes Wet House and Day of the Flymo, and a Northumbria University graduate. Paddy is spending the year developing new work and collaborating with students and staff at Northumbria University to enhance research and teaching.

Paddy Campbell, current joint Writer in Residence said:

“I feel greatly privileged to have been given this opportunity. Live Theatre has supported my writing from the very start and I’m thrilled to have the chance to develop new plays for the company during my residency. I moved to Newcastle fifteen years ago to study at Northumbria University and had such a good time I decided to stay. I’m hugely grateful to Northumbria for their partnership in this residency and am enjoying working with both organisations as part of the residency.”

Steve Gilroy, Director of Performing Arts Programmes, Northumbria University said:

“Our partnership with Live Theatre presents great opportunities for our students and valuable links for our own research and professional practice community. Relationships with excellent arts and cultural organisations like Live Theatre illustrate the industry focus of Performing Arts at Northumbria University Newcastle.”

Previous Writers in Residence at Live Theatre include Lee Hall whose work includes Billy Elliot, The Pitmen Painters and Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, and Julia Darling whose plays The Last Post, Attachment and Personal Belongings were developed during her time as Writer in Residence between 2001 and 2003.

The writer in residence programme is the cornerstone of an exciting and innovative partnership between Northumbria University Newcastle and Live Theatre, that seeks to create cultural collaborations that connect with the people of the North East, enhance teaching and learning, inspire new research, and connect academic research with the world of professional theatre.

The deadline for applications for Writer in Residence is Monday 22 February 2016. For more information and how to apply, applicants are encouraged to see http://www.live.org.uk/about-us/jobs-opportunities or https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/about-us/news-events/news/2016/01/live-theatrenorthumbria-university-writer-in-residence-201617/

For more information about Live Theatre visit www.live.org.uk and Northumbria University www.northumbria.ac.uk.

 

ELTON JOHN ANNOUNCES NEWCASTLE METRO RADIO ARENA SHOW ON DECEMBER 3RD 2016 AS PART OF HIS ‘WONDERFUL CRAZY TOUR’

POP ICON’S FIRST SHOW IN NEWCASTLE FOR 2 YEARS

Following on from his huge summer dates around the UK in June, Elton John has now added another massive show, this time performing in Newcastle at the Metro Radio Arena on the 3rd December, in what will be his 20th concert in the city.

Since his first performance in Newcastle in 1971 at the City Hall as a 3-piece, Elton has gone on to give solo performances in the city, as well as with a 13-piece band in 1986.

The show in December will be Elton’s first on Tyneside since 2014, and will see him performing songs from his brand new album ‘Wonderful Crazy Night’, which will arrive on the 5th February 2016, as well as his most-loved hits.

Having given over 4000 performances in a career spanning more than fifty years, Elton said:

“The simple truth is I want to spend more time with my family, and I am only too aware of just how precious the time ahead is. My sons are growing up so quickly; their early years are just flying by and I want to be there with them. So these concerts will give me the chance to thank the Newcastle audiences who have been so faithful to me over these many decades.”

An unmistakable name in the history of popular music, Elton John has done it all – and then some. From being awarded multiple Grammys and BRITs, and even an Oscar and a Tony Award, Elton has proven his universal acclaim. In addition to selling more than 250 million records worldwide, through his partnership with lyricist Tim Rice Elton wrote the music for the feature film and Broadway stage production of ‘The Lion King”.

Having performed at several of the world’s most recognisable venues – including a pair of residencies at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Elton John continues to be one of this country’s biggest pop-culture exports, and as such, welcoming him to Newcastle on December 3rd will be a fantastic opportunity.

Tickets for events at the Metro Radio Arena prices: £40, £55 & £75 subject to booking fee are on sale Friday 29th January 2016 and are available from:-

• Credit Card Booking and Information Line 0844 493 6666
• The Metro Radio Arena Newcastle Box Office (Mon – Fri: 10.00am – 4.00pm, Sat: 11.00am – 2.30pm)
• Internet Site:- www.metroradioarena.co.uk / www.eventim.co.uk
• Group Bookers should call (0191) 260 6006
• Accessibility bookings should call (0191) 260 6066 for further details.

 The Human League
Sheffield Arena
Saturday 3^rd December 2016

 

Sheffield band The Human League will bring their ‘A Very British Synthesizer Group Tour’ to Sheffield Arena for their hometown gig on Saturday 3^rd December.

Special guests will be Ekkoes.

Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 29^th January and will be available online at www.sheffieldarena.co.uk, via the ticket hotline on 0114 256 5656 or in person at the Arena box office.

Tickets purchased online or by phone are priced £46.75 & £39.60 including booking fee.  Tickets purchased in person at the Arena box office are priced £44.63 & £37.80 including booking fee.

WICKED, the West End musical that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, has announced its first ever Autism-Friendly performance on Saturday 14th May 2016 at 1:30pm.

The production is working closely with the National Autistic Society, the UK’s leading charity for people on the autism spectrum and their families, to create a friendly and supportive environment in which to enjoy the show. The specially adapted performance is suitable for people with autism, with trained staff on hand in dedicated quiet and activity areas should anyone need to leave their seats.

Mark Lever, Chief Executive of the National Autistic Society, said: “We were delighted to be offered the opportunity to work with the Apollo Victoria Theatre, the Ambassador Theatre Group and the producers of this hugely successful show. More than one in one hundred people have autism in the UK, and many of those affected by this lifelong condition are acutely sensitive to everyday sights and sounds, which other people are able to filter out, such as fluorescent lighting, background music or traffic noise. Autistic people and their families tell us that they would love to go to the theatre but because of sensory issues are prevented from doing so. Wicked’s production team have taken great care in adapting the show which means that for some of the audience on 14 May, this will be the very first time that they are able to experience the thrill of a live performance.”

Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe said: “We are greatly indebted to the National Autistic Society and to the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) for their support in arranging this dedicated Autism-Friendly performance. We’r­e delighted to be able to welcome fans of Wicked who wouldn’t normally be able to attend a standard performance and look forward to what promises to be an inspiring experience for us all.”

People with autism can experience sensory overload so to deal with this there will be adjustments made to the sounds and lighting. People will be able to leave the auditorium as needed and there will be chill out spaces identified around the theatre. Theatre staff, cast and crew will have been given an insight into autism so they are more aware of the needs of this audience.

Based on the international best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire that ingeniously re-imagined the stories and characters created by L. Frank Baum in ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, Wicked tells the incredible untold story of an unlikely but profound friendship between two sorcery students. Their extraordinary adventures in Oz will ultimately see them fulfil their destinies as Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.

 

Wicked has music and lyrics by multi Grammy® and Academy® Award-winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell; Disney’s Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame) and is based on the novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’ by Gregory Maguire and adapted for the stage by Winnie Holzman. Musical staging is by Tony® Award-winner Wayne Cilento and the production is directed by two-time Tony® Award-winner Joe Mantello.

Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe.

Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG

LISTINGS INFORMATION
Wicked – Autism Friendly Performance
Saturday 14 May 2016, 1:30pm (please note early start time).
Tickets: £40.00 | £35.00 | £25.00 | £15.00
Book online: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk/AutismFriendly
Book By Telephone: 020 7828 7074
Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG
The theatre is 1 minute from London Victoria Mainline and Underground Stations
Box Office Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday 10.00am – 7.45pm