One German’s perspective on how to survive Fringe: Familie Flöz is back!

Mask theatre specialists and Fringe veterans, Familie Flöz return to Edinburgh with their 2004 hitTeatro Delusio – a silent show, theatre about theatre – and company’s producer Gianni Bettucci shares their advice on how to survive August in Edinburgh (including: don’t bother with flyers and locate your nearest tumble dryer asap).

Familie Flöz presents

TEATRO DELUSIO

The art of saying everything without a single word

• Familie Flöz returns to the Pleasance after 2015’s sell out success HOTEL PARADISO
• World leading mask theatre specialist Familie Flöz presents TEATRO DELUSIO, 12 years after its acclaimed Festival Fringe premiere.
• The show takes over The Pleasance’s biggest stage in The Grand between 3 and 29 of August.
• Theatre in a theatre, TEATRO DELUSIO tells the story of three stage technicians fighting for their own happiness behind the scenes.

©Eckard-Jonalik

 

Established in 1994, Familie Flöz – Essen-originated and now Berlin-based physical theatre company – brings back their 2004 sell-out show TEATRO DELUSIO to this year’s Fringe to take over the biggest stage at The Pleasance for almost four weeks. The show is back on tour by popular demand after a four year break. This is Familie Flöz’s fourth visit to the Fringe, following the sell-out success of Hotel Paradiso in 2015.

From the world’s leading mask theatre specialist comes TEATRO DELUSIO, a dark comedy revolving around three stage technicians whose lives, usually hidden, take centre stage as the glamorous world of pretence blends with the down to earth life backstage in this silent show.

The efficient Bob is young, strong and unpredictable; the chronically tired and sickly Bernd is constantly bossed around and the idle, always hungry Ivan is permanently anxious not to lose control over the shows. This fantastic ensemble excels in breath-taking fighting scenes, deadly intrigues and heart-breaking arias of world-famous plays.

Familie Flöz is one of Europe’s most prolific touring theatre companies: with over 150 shows per year, they have performed in 34 countries worldwide. TEATRO DELUSIO premiered in the Arena Berlin in 2004 and toured South America, Asia and Europe.

Wordless and yet somehow so expressive, full of yearning and yet also filled with joy; this is splendid and immensely skillful character comedy. The Guardian

Every now and then, a show comes along that scoops you up from the start, whisks you along on a roller coaster ride and deposits you at the end of the track, gasping for breath and wanting to do it all again. This is one of those. Edinburgh Evening News

This weekend, on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July, Live Theatre will be officially launching Live Garden, the theatre’s new outdoor public garden and performance area, with a special outdoor promenade performance featuring some of Live Theatre’s favourite artists and writers celebrating the theatre’s past and present.

 

Led by performance poet and former Live Lab Associate Artist Rowan McCabe this 50 minute showcase of work will include a new short piece by current writer-in-residence Paddy Campbell called Mother Hen, Alan Plater’s monologue Wor Tony and The Great White Sharkperformed by Trevor Fox; alongside a new exciting theatrical performance called The Wild Flowers devised and performed by 35 young people from Live’s Youth Theatre working with balletLORENT and composer Scott Twynholm. The event will culminate with a performance of a new song about Live Theatre, its heritage and its future, called If These Walls Could Talk written by Jane Holman.

This new public garden will host a range of events and performances throughout the year, as well as being a social space on the Quayside for the people of Newcastle and visitors to enjoy every day.

 

Live Garden has been created as part of the Live Works £10.5 million capital development which will bring new revenue streams enabling Live Theatre to grow and sustain its work in the production of new plays, the development of creative talent, education and participation.

 

Jim Beirne, chief executive, Live Theatre said:
“This summer sees the culmination of two years of development work on Live Works and we’re delighted to be launching an exciting new outdoor performance area.

 

“The Live Garden Launch is a great opportunity to mark the official opening of Live Garden with a specially curated showcase that combines some of Live Theatre’s ‘classics’ with newly commissioned material, performed by some of Live Theatre’s favourite artists and writers.

 

“Live Garden is a beautiful public space that we hope will become a recreational addition to the area and a place for people to relax and escape the bustle of the Quayside.”

 

Paul James, Associate director – Education and Participation, Live Theatre said:

“We are delighted to be collaborating with balletLORENT to create an exciting piece of physical theatre for the launch of our new outdoor performance space. Live’s Youth Theatre is working with Ballet Lorent’s Artistic Director Liv Lorent, composer Scott Twynholm and dancers from balletLORENT, to produce an imaginative outdoor event which will be shown alongside a series of other performances to mark the opening of the Garden.”

 

Liv Lorent, Artistic Director, balletLORENT said:

“We are thrilled to be working with Live Theatre and developing a new work inspired by the brilliant and creative individuals who are part of their Youth Theatre. Composer Scott Twynholm and I are creating a physical theatre piece together with live music performed by the cast. The garden is beautiful, and is offering us a creative opportunity to develop a work exclusively to its landscape design.”

 

A few tickets remain for Live Garden Launch. They are free but must be reserved in advance by contacting Live Theatre’s Box Office on (0191) 232 1232 or online at www.live.org.uk. The 50 minute promenade performance will take place on Saturday 9 July at 12.30pm & 6pm and on Sunday 10 July at 12noon, 2.30pm & 6pm

 

Live Garden will also host further events throughout the year including a Mini Mela on Sunday 17 July between 11am and 3pm. GemArts Masala Festival will culminate with a spectacular outdoor event as it brings Live Garden to life with all the fun, hustle and bustle of an Indian bazaar.

 

And in the autumn Live Garden will participate in the national Fun Palaces initiative on Saturday 1 October between 11am and 5pm, with workshops and performances, including puppetry and illustration, for families and young people, as well as pop up events all day with storytelling, acoustic buskers and much more.

 

The £10.5m entire Live Works project cost is supported by a £2.1 million grant from the North East European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) Programme 2007 to 2013, and grants from Arts Council England, Catherine Cookson Charitable Trust, Gillian Dickinson Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, the Monument Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation,  Sir James Knott Trust, the Social Investment Business and the Wolfson Foundation.

Grand Theatre, Leeds.  Monday 4th to Saturday 9th July 2016

Rehearsal For Murder arrives at Leeds Grand this week.  This is Bill Kenwright’s latest creation – The Classic Thriller Theatre Company having had a fantastic 10-year success with the The Agatha Christie Theatre Company, which sold over two million tickets.  If this is a sign of things to come from The Classic Thriller Theatre Company then Rehearsal For Murder is an exciting start.

A play within a play, playwright Alex Dennison (Alex Fearns) is left heartbroken when his fiancée and leading lady Monica Welles (Susie Amy) is found dead from an apparent suicide after the opening night of her stage debut.

With an effective, simple single set throughout the play and carefully created flashbacks to a murder believed to be a suicide a year ago to the day when the characters reunite, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

This production is a gentle and enjoyable twist on the traditional murder mystery format.  The clues are laid out in a beautifully subtle way that become obvious with the power of hindsight, but at the time can be easily missed.

Written by the team behind Murder She Wrote, Richard Levinson and William Link and directed Roy Marsden who played PD James’ Inspector Dalgliesh for 14 years – this has whodunit royalty at the helm

Fearns carries the play magnificently.   He is excellent as the heartbroken fiance, his anger pretty much contained as he raises suspicions and tries to convince everyone a murder had been committed.

The fateful night is played very cleverly in flashback, before the cast (Gary Mavers, Anita Harris, Mark Wynter, Lauren Drummond and Ben Nealon) run through their scenes, each one supposedly flushing out a motive for the murder.

Fearns and Amy, as Alex and Monica, perform a spectacular diversion from current day to flashbacks to a year ago.

Audiences love a good thriller, and Kenwright knows how to deliver.

It will keep you intrigued and guessing to the end.

 

    

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY:SHORTLISTED ENTRIES FOR THE IMAGINATION AWARDS

The shortlists have been announced for The Imagination Awards, a new competition launched by the award-winning West End production of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, to encourage creativity among inventive youngsters and budding theatre designers.

Entries were invited from young inventors aged 5-15, who were asked to invent a solution to a problem in the world around them, and from theatre designers aged 13-21.

Shortlisted young inventors include Ludwig Karg, age 6, from London. He invented a teddy bear which would detect whether food contained nuts. He was inspired by his brother who has a severe nut allergy.

Also shortlisted is Thomas Hanlon, age 9, from Sutton Coldfield. He came up with the idea of The Amazing Speech Bubble Glasses for his deaf grandfather, which would automatically translate speech into subtitles on the inside of his glasses.

And Lewis Kilner, age 12, from Sheffield, invented Supreme Robo-Legs, which would allow those who had lost the use of their legs to get about without a wheelchair.

Amber Sinclair, age 9 from Essex, suggested shoes with a GPRS signal which would automatically take you to your chosen destination.

Entries came from all across the UK in many different forms, including pictures, stories, and even short films.

The Young Theatre Designers category (open to ages 13-21) also received many fascinating, inspiring and creative entries.

The full shortlists are available at www.imaginationawards.co.uk

Renowned educationalist Sir Ken Robinson is Patron of the awards with Director Sam Mendes also on the judging panel. The Imagination Awards encourage young inventors and designers to get creative for the chance to win a VIP visit and behind-the-scenes experience to the hit West End show.

The Imagination Awards are divided into two separate awards:

Charlie’s Challenge: a national award for 5-15 year olds (in three age categories, 5-7, 8-11, 12-15), looking for creative inventions and ideas which would benefit a family member.
Judges: Roma Agrawal, James Anderson, Mark Champkins, Emily Mulhall
Prize: The winner will receive an Imagination Pack full of prizes to encourage invention and creativity, plus a VIP trip to London to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The school that submits most entries will receive an Imagination Workshop at their school and a talk from one of the judges.

The Young Theatre Design Award: open to 13-21 year olds across the UK (in two age categories, 13-18 and 19-21) and split into two separate categories: Set Design and Costume Design. Young designers were asked to submit an original set or costume design for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Judges: Sam Mendes, Jess Moore, Caro Newling, Mark Thompson
Prize: The winner from each category will be invited to London to meet with the creative team and watch a matinee performance of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, before experiencing the production from backstage during the evening performance.

Charlie’s Challenge was designed to be inclusive for all young people. The award encourages creativity in the classroom, and champions invention and imagination as valuable skills for any future career. The production created resources to help unlock the doors to the world of theatre, and showcase the opportunities in the arts that exist for young people interested in the process of theatre making and design.

The Young Theatre Design Award looks for those who have already experimented with set and costume design, and also seeks out aspiring artists and those with relevant skills who have not yet considered a career in the theatre industry.

The winners will be announced on Friday 15th July.

The judging panel for the awards includes:

• Members of the Charlie and the Chocolate Factory creative team including: Sam Mendes, Director; Caro Newling, Producer; Mark Thompson, Set and Costume Designer
• Jess Moore, Executive Director of Corporate Responsibility, Warner Bros.
• Roma Agrawal, Structural Engineer, WSP Group
• James Anderson, 18 year old entrepreneur and founder of Thinkspace
• Mark Champkins, Inventor in Residence, Science Museum
• Emily Mulhall, Animator

Since opening in 2013, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has offered teachers numerous ways to explore the show through an educational ‘Page-to-Stage’ resource that includes activities and exercises for students to bring the musical to life in the classroom. January 2016 has seen the launch of the new official Charlie and the Chocolate Factory school workshops in the areas of drama, singing, dance, musical theatre and storytelling.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has also provided 15 one-week paid backstage work experience placements and three eight-week paid internships through the Golden Tickets scheme, part of Warner Bros. Creative Talent, a programme of investment in skills and training for the UK creative industries.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory presented its first ‘relaxed performance’ on 19th January 2016. Presented in association with Mousetrap Theatre Projects, the relaxed performance was aimed at families with one or more children with special needs. It was designed to provide an opportunity for people with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory and communication needs, who require a more relaxed environment, to enjoy the show.

Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has quickly become one of the West End’s most popular and successful stage musicals, and recently celebrated its 1000th performance as well as winning a London Lifestyle Award for Theatre Show of the Year, as voted for by readers of the London Evening Standard. It also won two Olivier awards in April 2014, and has broken records at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it has been seen by over 2 million people since it opened in June 2013. It is currently taking bookings until January 2017.

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.

The Official Cast Recording album is available on Sony Records, on CD and download.

This world premiere musical 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
Booking until January 2017

As previously announced, Beverley Knight returns to the international hit musical The Bodyguard for a strictly limited six month run West End run to play Oscar-nominated superstar Rachel Marron with Ben Richards as Frank Farmer, Marron’s bodyguard. Performances begin at the Dominion Theatre on 15 July 2016 for this strictly limited season to 7 January 2017.

The full cast comprises Beverley Knight (Rachel Marron), Ben Richards (The Bodyguard), Rachel John (Nicki Marron), Carole Stennett (alternate Rachel Marron), Mark Holden (Bill Devaney), Alex Andreas (Tony), Dominic Taylor (Sy Spector), Matthew Stathers (Stalker) and Glen Fox (Ray Court). Ensemble members are Omari Bernard, Faye Best, Pablo Ceresuela Torres, Lisa Darnell, Charles Hagerty, Emma Joy Hopkins, Ibinabo Jack, Christopher Jeffers, Verity Jones, Annie Kitchen, Phoebe Liberty, Elliot Powell, Raul Naranjo Garcia, Mary Lynn Tiep, Michael Wade-Peters, Kyle Wardlaw, Matthew Wesley, Emmy Willow and Mark Willshire. Keaton Edmund, Max Fincham, Jaden Oshenye and Mickell Stewart Grimes alternate the role of Fletcher, Rachel Marron’s young son.

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. A romantic thriller, The Bodyguard features a whole host of irresistible classics including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, I’m Your Baby Tonight, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance With Somebody and one of the greatest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.

Queen of British Soul Beverley Knight is a singer, songwriter and record producer who has been one of the UK’s most consistent artists since the release of her debut album in 1995. She has sold over a million albums in the UK, scoring several top 10’s and four gold certified albums as well as the platinum selling Voice: The Best of Beverley Knight. To date, she has won three MOBO Awards, an Outstanding Achievement Award at the Urban Music Awards, been three times nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards, as well as for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and was also awarded an MBE for her services to music and charity in 2007. Knight has presented four series of Radio 2 show Beverley’s Gospel Nights and appeared in two series of hit BBC1 show Just The Two of Us as well as appearing on stage with the likes of Prince, Stevie Wonder and Take That. In 2012 she wowed a viewing audience of one billion with a rendition of the song I Am What I Am at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. Beverley Knight originally played the leading role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard at the Adelphi Theatre to great acclaim in 2013. She followed this by playing the role of Felicia in Memphis The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical, and completed a hugely successful run at the London Palladium playing Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats. Knight released her eighth studio album earlier this month, her first in almost five years, as well as completing a solo tour across.

Ben Richards was recently seen in Hollyoaks playing Sergeant Ben Bradley, a role he played for just over a year. Previously on television he played Nate Roberts in The Bill, Bruno Milligan in Footballer’s Wives as well as roles in Doctors and Holby City. His many leading roles in musical theatre include Sky Masterson in Guys and Dolls on tour and in the West End, Danny Zuko in Grease at the Victoria Palace Theatre and on tour, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever at the London Palladium and on tour, Jerry Lukowski in The Full Monty at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical at the Palace Theatre, Bill Sykes in Oliver at Sheffield Crucible as well as Franklyn Hart in 9-5 and Stacee Jaxx in Rock of Ages, both on tour.

Thea Sharrock’s production of The Bodyguard received its world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in November 2012 where it opened to critical acclaim with Heather Headley as Rachel Marron and due to public demand the show’s run was extended. In 2013 Beverley Knight joined the cast and took over the lead role. The show continued to play to packed houses and released a further 300,000 tickets for sale. Alexandra Burke followed Knight as Rachel Marron in June 2014 who continues to play the role in the show’s UK and Ireland sell-out tour which completes its hit run in June this year.

Above the Arts Theatre 1 – 23 July.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Claudio Macor’s intense new play, inspired by a Peter Tatchell article, deals with the work of Dr Carl Værnet, a Danish doctor who claimed to have perfected a “cure” for homosexuality. When the Nazis occupied Denmark, they seized upon this cure and Værnet experimented on homosexuals in Buchenwald concentration camp. After the war, instead of being prosecuted by the Danish and the Allies, Værnet was protected and settled, with his family, in Argentina. Inspired by an article by Peter Tatchell on this little-known war criminal, Macor does not just give an account of Værnet’s work, but also portrays the devastating damage inflicted upon his victims and their loved ones by introducing the love story of Zack and Nicholai, which is the beating heart of the play.

Copenhagen 1940, and Zack (Nic Kyle), an American diplomat, and Nicholai (Alexander Huetson), a Copenhagen art dealer are arrested by the Nazis after being caught together on the streets. Zack is released, but Nicholai is imprisoned and sent for treatment to Dr Værnet (Gary Fannin). Keen to demonstrate his cure to General von Aechelman (Bradley Clarkson), Værnet uses Nicholai as a guinea pig for his brutal treatment, which involved injecting monkey testosterone directly into the testicles. Without anaesthetic. Not a pleasant scene to watch.

As the experiment is deemed a success, Værnet is moved to Prague and Buchenwald, and his patients are released. Nicholai is taken in by Ilse (Emily Lynne), Værnet’s disillusioned nurse, who contacts Zack, back in the US, but still desperately trying to find Nicholai.

Huetson and Kyle are wonderful as the two lovers – Huetson’s battered and broken Nicholai never quite relinquishing his humanity, and their reunion scene is simply heart-breaking.

Fannin is terrifying as Værnet – portraying the zealous self-belief and certainty in his actions without any emotion for his subjects. The only glimpse we get of the reasons for his beliefs is the story he tells of his childhood friend. But again, whatever trauma he felt, it has been channelled into his work. Lynne shows the subtle changes in nurse Ilse’s attitude towards the doctor and his methods effortlessly, and does well with this slightly underwritten character.

The play does feel a little long, mostly because of the sub plot involving the General and Georg (Lee Knight). Georg ran The Corner Light Club in Copenhagen (and made a stunning entrance in full drag – gorgeous), but the General kept him in his quarters until the war was lost. Rather than losing these scenes though, it would be better to cut elsewhere, because these characters are the most interesting in the play. Von Aechelman is not a monster, just an urbane, conflicted closet homosexual. His explanation of why men like him went along with Hitler at the beginning is particularly well written and played flawlessly by Clarkson, who manages to make the character almost likeable. Knight is full of simmering rage and dignity as Georg, with an exit line that matches the impact of his entrance. The balance of power in their relationship twists and turns to delicious satisfaction, and acts as a counterbalance to the more straightforward lovers parted /reunited arc of Zack and Nicholai. Thinking about it, these two stories highlight the idiocy, barbarity and prejudice of Værnet, the Nazis and modern bigots just by existing. Macor knows what he’s doing.

With simple set design – so effective in such a tiny space – and authentic costumes (just watch von Aechelman’s Iron Cross morph into a bling medallion), the production values are first rate. Macor’s script is full of glorious lines and heartfelt warnings about discrimination; and with a few little tweaks, this excellent play could become something truly great.

The Old Red Lion Theatre 28 June – 16 July.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

It’s a great time to be Welsh right now, and as part of the London Taffia, watching Ugly Lovely was like popping back home for the evening – it’s just lovely to hear people talk tidy.

Ffion Jones’ debut play about Swansea girl Shell (played by Jones) and her longing for an escape from her car crash of a life is loud, lairy, and unashamedly Welsh. The girls are instantly recognisable to anyone who’s walked down Wind Street in Swansea or St Mary Street in Cardiff (am I allowed to use the C word in a piece about Swansea?) and Jones has done a fine job in giving both characters depth, showing the emotional, darker side which explains their choices. Jones never mocks them, or Swansea, instead portraying with great empathy the different attitudes and aspirations of people stuck in unhappy lives.

The fractured state of Shell’s relationships with her boyfriend and her mother are explored with gut wrenching honesty through monologues with her dead nan, Wendy. Wendy looms large in the story, even though she’s simply an urn full of ashes (which Shell carries around in her handbag – providing some of the biggest laughs in the play).

Jones manages to keep the audience’s sympathy even when Shell is being vile and stupid – constantly revisiting melancholy lines from her heart to hearts with Wendy, and never allowing the smiles and laughs to appear completely genuine, more like forced hysteria.

As Shell gets more and more self-destructive, she hooks up with Robyn (Oliver Morgan-Thomas – so convincing as the bullying little git that I almost cheered when he got his come-uppance). Drunken and drug-fuelled nights out with Tash (Sophie Hughes – hysterical and fearless), Shell’s hopeless but loveable school friend are her only escape from her empty house as she dreams of leaving. These nights are full of shrieking, cheap wine and collapsing on toilet floors – well, Swansea was in the running for City of Culture.

Jones’ dialogue is sharp and snappy, and small events are escalated into huge dramas by the bored and unhappy characters – just like in real life. Lizzy Leach’s costume design (spot on) and set are authentic and atmospheric – walking into the theatre felt like walking into any shabby seaside caff in South Wales. I loved the seagulls calling, but the music between scenes did become slightly migraine inducing (but that may just be my age).

Tackling some dark issues, but full of hope and lots of filthy laughs, Ugly Lovely is a cracking debut from Ffion Jones, and well worth a look.

 

STUDIO

Folie à deux Productions and From Ground Up Theatre Company

in association with Sheffield Theatres

OPERATION CRUCIBLE

By Kieran Knowles

Director: Bryony Shanahan; Designer:

6 – 24 September

Press night: 8 September at 7.45pm

Folie à deux Productions and From Ground Up Theatre Company in association with Sheffield Theatrestoday announce the full cast for Kieran Knowles’ Operation Crucible. Bryony Shanahan directs Salvatore D’Aquilla, Kieran Knowles, Paul Tinto and James Wallwork. The production opens on 8 September, with previews from 6 September, and runs until 24 September. Following performances at Sheffield, the productions tours to Oxford Playhouse; Maltings Farnham; Phoenix Arts Centre, Bordon; Library Theatre, Leighton Buzzard; Old Town Hall Arts Centre, Hemel Hempstead; Quarry Theatre, Bedford; Cornerstone, Didcot; Artsdepot; The Hat Factory, Luton; Norwich Playhouse; The Woodville, Gravesend; Arts Centre, Hounslow; Theatre Royal, Margate; and The Cryer, Sutton.

 

‘Sheffield was on fire. It was glowing orange, like hell, like a furnace, like steel.’

Set against the backdrop of the Sheffield Blitz, Operation Crucible is the story of four ordinary men in extraordinary times…

On the 12 December 1940 a single bomb reduced the Marples Hotel, which stood proudly in Fitzalan Square, from seven storeys to just 15 feet of rubble. Only one of the ten compartments in the hotel’s cellars withstood the blast. Within it, trapped, were four men.

This is their story, from beginning to end…

Kieran Knowles, was nominated for Most Promising New Playwright for his first play, Operation Crucible, he is a graduate of Loughborough University, LAMDA and the Royal Court Young Writer’s Programme. As an actor his work includes Toast (UK tour and New York), Operation Crucible (Finborough Theatre and UK tour), The Bear, The Owl and The Angel (New Wimbledon Studio), The Winter’s Tale, The Taming of the Shrew (RSC), The Witches’ Promise (Birmingham REP), Waiting For Lefty (Theatre Royal Haymarket),Darkness (Lakeside Theatre, Colchester, and Edinburgh) and The Exclusion Zone (Southwark Playhouse).

Salvatore D’Aquilla’s theatre work includes Comet (Redbridge Drama Centre), Operation Crucible(Finborough Theatre), War Horse (National Theatre/West End), The Way of The World (Chichester Festival Theatre), and Still Life (Old Red Lion Theatre).

 

Paul Tinto’s theatre credits include Operation Crucible (Finborough Theatre), In Time O’ Strife, international tour of Black Watch (National Theatre of Scotland), Chariots of Fire (Hampstead Theatre/West End), The Odyssey (National Theatre), Claustrophobia, Release (Edinburgh Fringe Festival). For television, his work includes First Light and Outlander; and for film, Tommy’s Honour.

 

James Wallwork’s theatre credits include Operation Crucible (Finborough Theatre), My Beautiful Laundrette(ATS Theatre) Darkness (Lakeside Theatre, Colchester and Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and Last Man Standing(Nursery Theatre). For film, his work includes A Thousand Empty Glasses, V.P. and Nightstand. Wallwork is also a Director and co-founded the award-winning film company Take Cover Films in 2011.

Director Bryony Shanahan is Co-Artistic Director of Snuff Box Theatre. Directing credits include Boys Will Be Boys (National Theatre), Bitch Boxer (Soho Theatre, UK tour and Adelaide Fringe Festival), Quiet Violence(Camden Roundhouse), Macbeth (East 15 Acting School), Chapel Street (national tour), You and Me(Greenwich Theatre and national tour), The Altitude Brothers (national tour), Doctor Faustus (St Mary Magdelene Church, Paddington) and Babies (Southwark Playhouse). In 2014, she won a BBC Performing Arts Award to work at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester, where she assisted on Sarah Frankcom’sHamlet with Maxine Peake, as well as developing new Snuff Box piece Weald. She returned to the Royal Exchange Theatre in 2015 as Associate Director on The Skriker as part of the Manchester International Theatre Festival.

Shanahan was also awarded the 2016 Young Vic Genesis Future Directors Award.

First performed at the Finborough Theatre, London under Neil McPherson, Artistic Director.

 

Suitable for age 10+

#OperationCrucible

www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Twitter: @crucibletheatre @SheffieldLyceum

 

NEWCASTLE THEATRE ROYAL ANNOUNCES

AUTUMN ’16 / SPRING ’17 SEASON

 

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

The Woman in Black 24 – 29 Apr ‘17

Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes 2 – 6 May ‘17

Funny Girl 16 – 20 May ‘17

Jane Eyre 3 – 8 July ‘17

 

There’s something to suit every taste with spellbinding dance, madcap comedy and scintillating drama amongst the world-class productions announced by Newcastle Theatre Royal for the Autumn ’16 / Spring ’17 season.  

 

The eagerly-awaited Matthew Bourne’s The Red Shoes (Tue 2 – Sat 6 May ‘17) is set to dazzle audiences in an intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences.  A beloved fairytale and Academy Award-winning movie, The Red Shoeshas seduced audiences and inspired generations of dancers with its tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world.  Matthew Bourne’s magical adaptation of the classic Powell and Pressburger film is set to a new score arranged by Terry Davis using the mesmerizing music of golden-age Hollywood composer Bernard Hermann with sumptuous designs by Lez Brotherston (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting) and Paul Groothuis (sound).

 

Dance fans are certainly spoilt for choice; unwrap a tasty winter treat with Scottish Ballet’s magical Hansel & Gretel (Wed 1 – Sat 4 Feb ’17).  A carousel of delicious treats from start to finish, Hansel & Gretel is full to the brim with magic and wit, with toys that come to life and a beautiful, bewitching ballerina who is not at all what she seems.  And younger audiences will be delighted byWee Hansel & Gretel (Fri 3 Feb ’17), an enchanting journey into the woods for children aged 3+.

 

Afro Caribbean rhythms, jazzy American modernism and inflections from European ballet come together in Danza Contemporana de Cuba (Tue 21 – Wed 22 Feb ’17) to create an intoxicating blend which evokes the sensual, mystical and raw heart of Cuban spirit from the nation’s flagship contemporary dance troupe.

 

The magic of Ballroom and Latin dance is celebrated in Keep Dancing (Tue 18 – Sat 22 Apr ’17) – a breathtaking dance extravaganza featuring Robin Windsor, professionals and a guest celebrity from Strictly Come Dancing and a host of world-champions in a fast paced, high intensity production.

 

Audiences will laugh out loud at the multi award-winning West End smash hit comedy The Play That Goes Wrong (Tue 17 – Sat 21 Jan ’17) which has won a host of celebrity endorsements from the likes of Joanna Lumley and Ant & Dec.  The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society are putting on a 1920s murder mystery and everything that can go wrong does – this brilliantly funny comedy is guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter!

 

The spine-chilling The Woman in Black (Mon 24 – Sat 29 Apr ’17) returns to Newcastle having continued to captivate audiences in a record breaking run in London’s West End.  Susan Hill’s acclaimed ghost story comes dramatically alive in Stephen Mallatratt’s ingenious adaptation.  This gripping production, directed by Robin Hertford, is a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion and controlled horror.

 

Hot on the heels of a record breaking, sold out West End run, the new production of the iconic Funny Girl (Tue 16 – Sat 20 May ’17) is set to delight fans of musical theatre.  Funny Girl brought global fame to Barbra Streisand 50 years ago and boasts some of the best-loved songs in film and theatre history including People and Don’t Rain On My Parade.  The critically acclaimed production tells the story of Fanny Brice, whose vocal talents and comedic ability see her rise from Brooklyn music hall singer to Broadway star.  Don’t miss your chance to see it when Funny Girl comes to the Theatre Royal for 1 week only.

 

The innovative drama based on Mark Haddon’s award-winning novel, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (Tue 30 – Sat 10 June ’17) has been adapted for stage by playwright Simon Stephens and is directed by Olivier and Tony Award-winning director Marianne Elliot.  Returning to Newcastle after a sell-out run in 2015, this smash-hit new production continues to play to sold-out houses in London’s West End and on Broadway and tells the story of 15 year old Christopher whose extraordinary brain – whilst being exceptional at maths – is ill-equipped to interpret everyday life.  This dazzlingly inventive show about the wonders of life is set to enthral audiences on this much anticipated tour.

 

Following a critically acclaimed season at the National Theatre, Jane Eyre (Mon 3 – Sat 8 July ’17) comes to Newcastle.  This innovative re-imagining of Charlotte Bronte’s masterpiece is as inspiring as ever as this bold and dynamic production uncovers one woman’s fight for freedom and fulfilment on her own terms.  Directed by Sally Cookson, this collaboration between the National Theatre and Bristol Old Vic is guaranteed to take the audience on a wave of emotions as the spirited heroine faces life’s obstacles head on before taking the ultimate decision to follow her heart.
And there are plenty of great shows to suit all tastes already on sale in the current season. The magical story of the world’s favourite Nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is set to delight audiences when Mary Poppins flies onto the Theatre Royal stage (Fri 9 Sept – Sat 29 Oct ‘16).  A jam-packed line up of top-class musicals includes West Side Story (Tue 19 – Sat 23 July ‘16), the sexy and sensational Chicago (Mon 1 – Sat 13 Aug ’16), Dirty Dancing (Mon 23 – Sat 28 Jan ’17), The Commitments (Mon 6 – Sat 11 Feb ’17), the ever-popular Blood Brothers (Mon 13 – Sat 18 Mar ’17), Mamma Mia! (Tue 28 Mar – Sat 15 Apr ’17) and the Broadway and West End smash Sister Act (Mon 19 – Sat 24 Jun ’17).

 

Comedy fans can enjoy a night with Stewart Lee (Sun 6 Nov ’16) and Al Murray (Sun 19 Feb ’17) and there will be laughs a plenty when our show-stopping 16/17 Pantomime Cinderella takes to the stage (Tue 22 Nov ’16 – Sun 15 Jan ’17) bringing fun and adventure for all the family.

 

Special guests, The Overtones will be starring in That’s Entertainment (Tue 5 – Sat 9 Jul) and music fans will be thrilled by the story of rock ‘n’ roll legends Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins coming together in Million Dollar Quartet (Mon 6 – Sat 11 Mar ‘17).

 

The raucous Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour are set to cause havoc (Tue 12 – Sat 16 July ’16) and following their hit run on Broadway, Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart star in the brilliantly entertaining No Man’s Land (Mon 15 – Sat 20 Aug ’16).  Jane Austen’s most beloved novel is reborn in Pride and Prejudice (Tue 14 – Sat 18 Feb ’17), Hadaway Harry (Fri 24 – Sat 25 Feb ’17) tells the story of local sporting hero Harry Clasper and spine-tingling drama comes by way of Peter James’ Not Dead Enough(Mon 20 – Sat 25 Mar ’17).

 

Dance fans will be swept away by the magic of Northern Ballet’s Beauty and the Beast (Tue 8 – Sat 12 Nov ‘16), younger ballet fans will be delighted with a special performance of Goldilocks & the Three Bears (Fri 11 Nov ’16) and pre-schoolers will be delighted when Peppa Pig’s Surprise arrives (Wed 27 – Thu 28 Jul ’16).  Opera fans will be mesmerised with a host of performances from Opera North including Der Rosenkavalier (Wed 2 & Sat 5 Nov’ 16), Billy Budd (Thu 3 Nov ’16), Il tabaroo / Suor Angelica double bill (Fri 4 Nov ’16), Hansel and Gretel (Wed 1 & Sat 4 Mar ’17), Cinderella (Tue 2 & Sat 4 Mar ’17) andThe Snow Maiden (Fri 3 Mar ’17).

 

Tickets for all new shows in the Autumn ‘16 / Spring ‘17 season go on sale to the general public at 9am on Friday 8 July 2016 and can be purchased online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge).

 

Friends of the Theatre Royal can book new season shows on Monday 4 July, before the general public on Friday 8 July, and receive discounted tickets as well as other benefits – visit www.theatreroyal.co.uk/support/become-a-friend for more information.