Full casting announced for Nell Gwynn West End transfer

Michele Dotrice, Michael Garner, Peter McGovern and Nicholas Shaw will join the original cast and previously announced Gemma Arterton for the West End transfer of Jessica Swale’s new play Nell Gwynn.

The transfer sees Arterton take over the title role following Gugu Mbatha-Raw’s acclaimed performance, with the full cast including Paige Carter, Michele Dotrice, Matthew Durkan, Michael Garner, Greg Haiste, George Jennings, Ellie Leah, Peter McGovern, David Rintoul, Anneika Rose, Nicholas Shaw, David Sturzaker, Jay Taylor, Sasha Waddell and Sarah Woodward.

Directed by Christopher Luscombe, Nell Gwynn is set in 1660 after the restoration of Charles II to the throne. Billed is an “effervescent celebration of life in the theatre”, it charts the rise of Gwynn from her roots in Coal Yard Alley to her success as Britain’s most celebrated actress and the king’s consort.

Following its sell-out run at Shakespeare’s Globe, Nell Gwynn will run at the Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue from 4 February 2016.

Round and Round The Garden

British farce at its finest in Alan Ayckbourn classic

Playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s hilarious farce is set to delight audiences new and old as a new production of his award-winning play prepares to tour the UK.

Round GardenRound and Round the Garden, which comes to Darlington Civic Theatre from 18 – 20 January, follows assistant librarian Norman, his in-laws and the local vet over one summer weekend in a Sussex country house.

Norman is intent on making all the women in his life happy by simultaneously Kevin Pallisterattempting to seduce his sister-in-law Annie, charm his brother’s wife Sarah and still keep his own wife, Ruth, happy.

But, oblivious to the repercussions of his actions, Norman leaves a trail of havoc, misunderstandings and comedy consequences.

At times wildly comic, and at times poignant Round and Round the Garden brilliantly portrays the complicated relationships amongst these six intertwined characters.

natasha-grayThis new production is the joint creation of Talking Scarlet and Jordan Productions, in association with Eastbourne Theatres, and stars Natasha Gray and Kevin Pallister from ITV soap Emmerdale.

Round and Round the Garden runs at Darlington Civic Theatre from Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 January.

Tickets* £12.60 to £20, discounts available.

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

*All prices include a £1 restoration levy

TORBEN BETTS’S INVINCIBLE TO TOUR THE UK FOR THE FIRST TIME

THE ORIGINAL THEATRE COMPANY &

THEATRE ROYAL BURY ST EDMUNDS

PRESENT THE FIRST NATIONAL TOUR OF

TORBEN BETTS’S CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

INVINCIBLE

Dated: 07/01/2016 Writer Torben Betts who has penned Northern Stage's dark and stylish new Northern Stage adaptation of Get Carter which opens in Newcastle (12 Feb - 5 March)  #NorthNewsAndPictures/2daymedia

The Original Theatre Company and Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds will present the first national tour of Torben Betts’s INVINCIBLE, directed by Christopher Harper. The tour will begin at the Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds on 30 March.

With the recession biting hard, Emily and Oliver have decided to downsize and shift their middle-class London lifestyle to a small town in the north of England. One night, they open their doors to their next door neighbours, Dawn and Alan. Over the course of a disastrous evening of olives, anchovies, Karl Marx and abstract art, class and culture collide, resulting in consequences that are both tragic and hilarious.

Torben Betts said of the new production of his play, “I’ve always been impressed by Original Theatre Company. I’m delighted they are touring INVINCIBLE this year. It is, amongst other things, a play about the North/South divide so it will be interesting to see what audiences away from and north of London make of it.”

INVINCIBLE had its world premiere at the Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond in 2014 and transferred later that same year to St James Theatre, London. It received great critical acclaim.

Torben Betts was born in Lincolnshire and studied at Liverpool University. He became the resident dramatist at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre in 1999. Poet and dramatist Liz Lochhead said Betts “is just about the most original and extraordinary writer of drama we have.” His play The Unconquered won Best New Play 2006/07 at the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland. 2015 saw a revival of his acclaimed 2012 play Muswell Hill at London’s Park Theatre, his latest work, What Falls Apart, opened at Newcastle’s Live Theatre, and his version of Chekhov’s The Seagull was staged at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.  He has adapted Get Carter for Northern Stage in Newcastle, where it opens in February this year, before embarking on a major national tour.

Director Christopher Harper is an Associate of the Original Theatre Company and directed their 2011 production of See How They Run. As an actor, he recently finished playing Benedick on a world tour of Much Ado About Nothing for the Globe, and starred as Victoria Wood’s son, Cliff Last, in the television film Housewife 49.

Christopher Harper said of INVINCIBLE, “In 2009, I was in a very dark and edgy play of Torben’s about a man and wife moving in together, just as my wife and I first moved in together.  And she was cast as the wife! INVINCIBLE is lighter and a brilliant, fast-moving story, but Torben’s uncanny ability to depict life and find both the dark and the hysterically funny hasn’t changed.  We all know people like the four in INVINCIBLE.  When you watch you’ll have your head in your hands, you’ll cover your eyes, you’ll grip your seat and punch the air.  It’s a masterpiece of comic timing, one-liners and heart-breaking loss.”

INVINCIBLE will be designed by Victoria Spearing, with sound by Dominic Bilkey. The national tour is produced by Tom Hackney for The Original Theatre Company and Adrian Grady for Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

Karen Simpson, Director of Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, said, “Theatre Royal is delighted to be co-producing with Original Theatre again following our successful collaboration with Three Men in a Boat.  Torben Betts’s play is a great piece of new writing from one of the UK’s most talented contemporary playwrights and we are really excited about touring it nationally.”

Website: www.originaltheatre.com / www.theatreroyal.org

Facebook: TheOriginalTheatre 

Twitter: @OriginalTheatre @TheatreRoyalBSE

2016 TOUR SCHEDULE

30 March – 2 April                     Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds                                             

                                                www.theatreroyal.org                                         01284 769505

5 – 9 April                                 Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford                              

                                                www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk                                 01483 440000

12 – 14 April                              Hull Truck Theatre

                                                www.hulltruck.co.uk                                           01482 323638

19 – 23 April                              New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich              

                                                www.wolseytheatre.co.uk                                   01473 295900

26 – 27 April                              South Hill Park, Bracknell

                                                www.southhillpark.org.uk                                   01344 484 123

28 – 30 April                              Mercury Theatre, Colchester                            

                                                www.mercurytheatre.co.uk                                 01206 573948

2 – 4 May                                  Gala Theatre, Durham

                                                www.galadurham.co.uk                                      03000 266600

6 – 7 May                                  Stamford Arts Centre

                                                www.stamfordartscentre.com                             01780 763203

10 – 14 May                              Devonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne

                                                www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk                           01323 412000   

17 – 21 May                              Birmingham Repertory Theatre                      

                                                www.birmingham-rep.co.uk                                0121 236 4455 

23 – 24 May                              Theatre Royal Winchester                                

                                                www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk                      01962 840440

26 – 28 May                              Key Theatre, Peterborough

                                                www.vivacity-peterborough.com                         01733 207239

7 – 11 June                               Exeter Northcott Theatre                                  

                                                www.exeternorthcott.co.uk                                 01392 726 363

14 – 18 June                             Festival Theatre, Malvern                                            

                                                www.malvern-theatres.co.uk                               01684 892277

OF MICE AND MEN – UK TOUR

OF MICE AND MEN

 

TOURING CONSORTIUM THEATRE COMPANY CELEBRATES 20 YEARS

WITH A NEW TOUR OF JOHN STEINBECK’S CLASSIC

 

Guys like us, that work on ranches, are the loneliest guys in the world. They got no family. They don’t belong no place…with us it ain’t like that. We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us.

 

The Touring Consortium Theatre Company and the Birmingham Repertory Theatre present a new tour of John Steinbeck’s classic OF MICE AND MEN, opening at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 4 February 2016, with a national press night on 9 February, and touring the UK until May.

 

Two migrant farm workers held together by a mutual dependence, a deep affection and an undying loyalty go in search of new beginning in the hope of attaining their shared dream: of putting together enough money to buy a small piece of land and building a home. No strangers to trouble, George and Lennie soon find themselves reeling from the fallout of an innocent misunderstanding which spirals out of control and leaves the two men, bound together by friendship, facing an earth-shattering climax. A story, raw in speech and action, full of heart and unflinching realism, it remains one of the most poignant statements of being human our contemporary theatre has produced.

 

Of Mice and Men - William Rodell as %27George%27 & Kristian Phillips as %27Lennie%27 - cShaun WebbOF MICE AND MEN will be directed by Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s Artistic Director Roxana Silbert, with design by Liz Ascroft, lighting by Simon Bond, sound design and original composition by Nick Powell, and with Nick Pitt as Associate Director and Lucy Cullingford as Movement Director. The cast will include Dave Fishley as ‘Crooks’, Nicholas Goode as ‘Whit’, Saoirse-Monica Jackson as ‘Curley’s Wife’ Neil McKinven as ‘Carlson / Boss’, Kristian Phillips as ‘Lennie’, Jonah Russell as ‘Slim’, and William Rodell as ‘George’, Ben Stott as ‘Curley’ and featuring Dudley Sutton as ‘Candy’.

 

Dudley Sutton is best known for his role in the BBC classic Lovejoy but is also a renowned stage actor who began his career starring in some of the most iconic plays of the sixties, including Jo Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane and Tom Murphy’s A Whistle In The Dark. Over the course of his career he has worked with legendary directors including Federico Fellini, Derek Jarman, Sally Potter and Ken Russell.

Shaun Williamson to play Perks in The Railway Children in London

SHAUN WILLIAMSON TO JOIN THE CAST OF

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

ON ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY AT

KING’S CROSS THEATRE IN LONDON

FROM SATURDAY 16 JANUARY 2016

2016 MARKS THE 110TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE PUBLICATION OF E. NESBIT’S NOVEL

Shaun Williamson will join the cast of the Olivier Award-winning production of Mike Kenny’s stage adaptation of E. Nesbit’s novel The Railway Children – Live on Stage at the same time as the show celebrates its first anniversary at King’s Cross Theatre in London. Shaun will play Mr Perks from Saturday 16 January. 

The Railway Children opened at the King’s Cross Theatre to critical and public acclaim on 14 January 2015, following previews from 16 December 2014.

The Railway Children by Kenny,             , Written by - Mike Kenny, Director - Damian Cruden, Designer - Joanna Scotcher, Lighting - Richard G Jones, King's Cross, London, Uk, 2016, Credit: Johan Persson/

Shaun Williamson is best known for playing Barry Evans in EastEnders, a role he played for nine years. With Ricky Gervais he starred in two series of Extras and Life’s Too Short. Most recently on television, he appeared in the US mini-series Houdini with Adrien Brody, and guest starred in ITV’s Plebs. On film, he has appeared in Daylight Robbery and Ricky Gervais’s The Invention of Lying.  In the theatre, he made his West End debut in Saturday Night Fever playing Monty the DJ. He has starred as Nathan Detroit on tour in Guys & Dolls and played the Narrator in The Rocky Horror Show. Recent theatre includes Fletch in the tour of Porridge and Louis in The Ladykillers and he starred opposite Max Irons in Farragut North at the Southwark Playhouse.

The Railway Children by Kenny,             , Written by - Mike Kenny, Director - Damian Cruden, Designer - Joanna Scotcher, Lighting - Richard G Jones, King's Cross, London, Uk, 2016, Credit: Johan Persson/

Also joining the cast of The Railway Children on 16 January will be Sophie Ablett as Bobbie, Beth Lilly as Phyllis, Matt Jessup as Peter and Lindsay Allen as Mrs Perks. Sophie Ablett and Beth Lilly are both making their West End debuts with The Railway Children. Sophie has just graduated from Oxford University, after taking a year out to study at École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in France. She recently finished shooting Taboo, a new mini-series starring Tom Hardy, for BBC1/FX. Last year, Beth played Phyllis in the York Theatre Royal production of The Railway Children at the National Railway Museum in York.  She also appeared in the opening episode of ITV’sGrantchester.  Matt Jessup was the winner of the Society of London Theatre’s 2014 Laurence Olivier Bursary Award.  Having only recently graduated from Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Matt’s theatre credits include Timon of Athens (National Theatre) and Orpheus & Eurydice(Old Vic Tunnels).

The new cast members will join Caroline Harker as Mother, Peter Gardiner as Doctor/Butler, Mark Hawkins as Jim/District Super, Connie Hyde as Mrs Viney, Blair Plant as Father/Schepansky, and Moray Treadwell as the Old Gentleman, as well as Helen Brampton, Rebecca Brierley, Timothy George and Daniel Griffin, plus a children’s ensemble made up of three teams of ten children aged between 9 and 15.

A purpose built 1,000-seat theatre, complete with a railway track and platforms, and with a state of the art air conditioning and heating system, was specially created for this production on King’s Boulevard, behind King’s Cross Station, a site which has been loaned to the production for the duration of the run by Google. The York Theatre Royal production, which is in association with the National Railway Museum, features a live steam locomotive and a vintage carriage, originally built in 1896.

The production at King’s Cross Theatre is in support of the Railway Children Charity that aims to help homeless and runaway children throughout the world, with £1 per ticket donated to the charity. To date, £335,000 has been raised by the theatre production since its West End debut in 2010.

Directed by Damian Cruden, the Artistic Director of York Theatre Royal, with design by Joanna Scotcher, lighting by Richard G. Jones, music by Christopher Madin and sound by Craig Vear, Mike Kenny’s adaptation of The Railway Children was first produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum, York, where it enjoyed two sell-out and critically acclaimed seasons in 2008 and 2009.  The production then opened at Waterloo Station in the former Eurostar terminal in July 2010, where it again played two critically acclaimed sell-out seasons and won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, before opening in Toronto in 2011 in a temporary theatre built at the base of CN Tower in Roundhouse Park.

The Railway Children tells the story of Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis, three children whose lives change dramatically when their father is mysteriously taken away. They move from London to a cottage in rural Yorkshire with their mother, where they befriend the local railway porter, Perks, and embark on a magical journey of discovery, friendship and adventure.  But the mystery remains – where is Father, and is he ever coming back?

2016 marks the 110th anniversary of the publication of Edith Nesbit’s much loved classic children’s book The Railway Children, which has subsequently been adapted for the stage and screen, most famously in the 1970 film version directed by Lionel Jeffries and starring Jenny Agutter, Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sheridan and Sally Thomsett.

The production is presented in London by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Oliver Royds for BOS Productions and Sue Scott Davison, in association with York Theatre Royal and the National Railway Museum.

 

LISTINGS INFORMATION

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN – LIVE ON STAGE

King’s Cross Theatre

Goods Way

King’s Cross

London N1C 4UR

Currently booking until         10 April 2016

Running Time                       2 hours 10 minutes (including an interval)

Box Office                            0844 871 7604                   

 

Tickets                                 £25.00-£49.50, with 25% off for Under 16s (Premium Seats available at £69.50 +

                                           Limited edition show poster)

 

Website                               www.railwaychildrenlondon.com

Facebook                            www.facebook.com/railwaychildrenlondon

Twitter                                 @TRCKingsCross

Google+                              plus.google.com/+RailwayChildrenLondon

 

Performance Schedule:             Wednesday at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

                                               Thursday at 2.30pm

                                               Saturday at 1pm & 4.30pm

                                               Sunday at 2pm

*Extra performances:  1pm & 4.30pm on 14, 15, 18 February (no 2pm or 2.30pm performances on these dates), & 2.30pm on 19 February

**No performances between 4 and 15 January2016

 

2016 EASTER PERFOMANCE SCHEDULE

 

Friday 25 March                        2.30pm

Saturday 26 March                    1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 27 March                      No performance

Monday 28 March                     2.30pm

Tuesday 29 March                     2.30pm

Wednesday 30 March                2.30pm & 7.30pm

Thursday 31 March                    2.30pm

Friday 1 April                            2.30pm

Saturday 2 April                        1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 3 April                          1pm & 4:30pm

Monday 4 April                         No performance

Tuesday 5 April                         1pm & 4:30pm

Wednesday 6 April                    2.30pm

Thursday 7 April                        1pm & 4.30pm

Friday 8 April                            2.30pm

Saturday 9 April                        1pm & 4.30pm

Sunday 10 April                         2pm

Britain’s Got Talent’s Lucy Kay joins Joseph cast

BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT’S LUCY KAY

TO PLAY THE NARRATOR

JOINING X FACTOR WINNER JOE MCELDERRY

IN

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

UK TOUR FROM 26th JANUARY

 

BRITAIN’S GOT TALENT’s Lucy Kay will play the Narrator in the upcoming 2016 touring production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, starring X FACTOR winner Joe McElderry, from 26th January. Full cast to be announced.  Full info and tour dates onwww.josephthemusical.com

 

Lucy Kay scored her first number one album in 2014, after her stunning debut album ‘Fantasia’ shot straight to the top of the Classical Album Chart. The singer, originally from Leicestershire, shot to fame and captured the country’s hearts as runner up on ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ in 2014.

 

Following her success on the show, Lucy also recorded the song ‘Flower of Scotland’ with the band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the Royal Navy. Lucy was also a special guest on Andrea Bocelli’s 2014 tour.

 

Previously announced as Joseph, Joe McElderry was just 18 when won the sixth series of ‘The X Factor’ having been mentored by Girls Aloud star Cheryl Fernandez-Versini and beating off fierce competition from Olly Murs and Stacey Solomon. Joe then soared to number one on the UK Singles Charts with his rendition of Miley Cyrus’s The Climb and his debut album Wide Awake went straight in at number 3 on the UK Albums Chart. He has since gone on to have two more top ten albums, and he became the first X Factor star to release four albums, with a fifth in the making.

 

Having garnered sensational reviews and standing ovations at every performance since its inception almost 35 years ago, Bill Kenwright’s ‘amazing’, ‘superb’, ‘wonderful’ and ‘brilliant’ production of this sparkling family musical has now sold an estimated 20 million tickets.

 

This vibrant and exciting retelling of the biblical story about Joseph, his eleven brothers and the coat of many colours sings out to young and old alike with a score which is crammed wall to wall with hits, including Jacob and Sons, Close Every Door and Any Dream Will Do.

Bill Kenwright by special arrangement with the Really Useful Group presents

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT

Lyrics by TIM RICE Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
www.josephthemusical.com

THE FATHER: Back in the West End for only five weeks prior to a national tour

Kenneth Cranham

stars in

THE FATHER

Back in the West End for only five weeks

prior to a national tour

 

Duke of York’s Theatre, London               24th February – 26th March 2016

★★★★★                     ★★★★★                  ★★★★★                    ★★★★★

Guardian                        Observer                    Times                          Daily Telegraph

★★★★★                     ★★★★★                    ★★★★★                    ★★★★★                     ★★★★★

Mail on Sunday            Evening Standard       Sunday Times          DailyMail                    Financial Times

By Florian Zeller in a new translation by Christopher Hampton

Directed by James Macdonald

Following successful runs at the Theatre Royal Bath, the Tricycle Theatre in London and a West End season at Wyndham’s Theatre, Florian Zeller’s Moliere award-winning play, THE FATHER, will play at the Duke of York’s Theatre for a limited five week run, 24thFebruary – 26th March 2016, prior to a national tour.

“As playful as it is painful… unforgettable acting” Dominic Maxwell, The Times

Kenneth Cranham reprises his role as Andre. Now 80 years old, Andre was once a tap dancer. He lives with his daughter Anne and her husband Antoine. Or was he an engineer whose daughter Anne lives in London with her new lover, Pierre? The thing is, he is still wearing his pyjamas, and he can’t find his watch. He is starting to wonder if he’s losing control.

“My play of the year…. Devastating drama” Georgina Brown, Mail on Sunday

Nominated for a Tony Award for Stephen Daldry’s An Inspector Calls on Broadway, Kenneth Cranham’s numerous stage credits also include The Cherry Orchard at the National Theatre, The Homecoming at the Almeida and West End productions of Entertaining Mr Sloane, Loot, The Birthday Party and Gaslight. Screen credits range from the title role in Shine On Harvey Moon to Layer Cake,MaleficentHot FuzzOliver! and Hellbound: Hellraiser II.

“Kenneth Cranham is quite simply shattering” Sarah Hemming, Financial Times

 Director James Macdonald has worked extensively off Broadway where he was recently the winner of the 2014 Obie Award for Best Director for Love and Information. He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1992 to 2007 and his credits includeCockDrunk Enough to Say I Love You, the European and US tours of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis, Exiles at the National Theatre, andGlengarry Glen Ross in the West End.

Stunning… quietly devastating” Henry Hitchings, The Evening Standard

Florian Zeller is fast becoming one of France’s most well-known contemporary playwrights. His 2010 play The Mother was the winner of the Moliere Award, France’s highest theatrical honour.

Translator Christopher Hampton’s own work includes The Philanthropist, Savages, Tales From Hollywood and Les Liaisons Dangereuse. He has translated plays by Ibsen, Molière, Chekhov and Yasmina Reza (including Art and Life x 3).

Designed by Miriam Buether; lighting designed by Guy Hoare; sound designed by Christopher Shutt. Presented in the West End by Theatre Royal Bath Productions, the Tricycle Theatre and Simon Friend.

The rest of the cast is to be confirmed.

 

LISTINGS

Venue:                Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4BG

Dates:                 24th February – 26th March 2016

Times:                 Monday – Saturday, 7.30pm; Thursday and Saturday matinees, 2.30pm

Press night:    Tuesday 1st March, 7pm

Tickets:              £49.50, £35, £20

Box Office:       0844 871 7623   www.atgtickets.com

Following the West End, THE FATHER embarks on a UK tour, visiting Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford, w/c 28th March; Hall for Cornwall, w/c 4th April; Richmond Theatre, w/c 11th April; Theatre Royal Newcastle, w/c 18th April; Brighton Theatre Royal, w/c 25thApril; Birmingham Rep, w/c 2nd May; Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, w/c 9th May. For information on the tour please contact Jane Morgan Associates on 020 7263 9867.

CBEEBIES’ CHRIS JARVIS TO HOST RELAXED PERFORMANCE PANTO.

Newcastle Theatre Royal is delighted to announce that TV presenter and children’s favourite, Chris Jarvis, will host the Relaxed Performance of Dick Whittington on Tuesday 12 January.

 

Newcastle Theatre Royal/ QDos  production of DICK WHITTINGTON Joining the panto legends Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Chris Hayward will be a quadruple of sensational North East talent - Charlie Hardwick (Emmerdale's Val Pollard) as Spirit of the Tyne, Pete Peverley (The Bobby Thompson Story, RSC) as Dick's Cat, legendary panto villain Steve Arnott as dastardly King Rat and Jarrow lassie and West End star Alice Stokoe as Alice Fitzfenwick.

Best known for his work as a presenter on CBeebies, Chris will join the cast at Newcastle Theatre Royal, for its first Relaxed Performance since it became the first theatre in the UK to be awarded the Autism Access Award (AAA) from the National Autistic Society.

 

The well-known TV personality will host the Relaxed Performance, which is specifically designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorder into the theatre.

 

Chris said: “I am thrilled to be returning to the most spectacular and hilarious of pantomimes for this year’s relaxed performance ofDick Whittington. We all enjoy laughing and joining in at Panto, well now absolutely everyone is included thanks to the hard work and dedication of the team at Newcastle Theatre Royal.  The thought and care that goes into this unique performance ensures the audience feels safe and completely comfortable without destroying any of the magic – which this show has in abundance.”

 

Newcastle Theatre Royal/ QDos  production of DICK WHITTINGTON Joining the panto legends Danny Adams, Clive Webb and Chris Hayward will be a quadruple of sensational North East talent - Charlie Hardwick (Emmerdale's Val Pollard) as Spirit of the Tyne, Pete Peverley (The Bobby Thompson Story, RSC) as Dick's Cat, legendary panto villain Steve Arnott as dastardly King Rat and Jarrow lassie and West End star Alice Stokoe as Alice Fitzfenwick.

The relaxed performance is designed to provide an opportunity for people who would otherwise find it difficult to go to see a show – for example people who make involuntary noise, or are likely to need to talk a lot, or move around. During a regular performance this can disturb the other audience members, and the show, but at a relaxed performance it’s expected that the auditorium will be noisy and our staff are trained to support this.

 

The show will have a less formal, reassuring atmosphere in order to reduce anxiety levels. Lighting and special effects will be slightly altered – including removing strobes and flashing lights and reducing very loud noises, however the content of the show will not be specifically changed so all the magic of pantomime is maintained.

 

Chief Executive, Philip Bernays, said: “We are very proud that as an AAA accredited theatre, we will once again be flying the flag for Relaxed Performances. We are one of only a handful of theatres in the UK to offer these specially tailored performances and we are delighted that by doing so, we bring the best panto in the UK to hundreds of children, families and adults who might otherwise never experience its magic. We are dedicated to making our theatre as accessible as possible and have already started taking bookings for next year’s Relaxed Performance of Cinderella too!”

Dick Whittington Relaxed Performance plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Tuesday 12 January at 12 noon. Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Group Bookings team on 08448 11 21 22 (all calls are charged at 7p a minute plus your phone company’s access charge, calls from mobiles may vary, please contact your operator for details) or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Darlington Civic Theatre – Sing-a-long-a Dirty Dancing

Civic-Theatre-Hi-Res-Logo-1-117x300GET READY TO HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE

Darlington Civic Theatre hosts Sing-a-long-a Dirty Dancing on Saturday 23 January.

Darlington Civic Theatre will host Sing-a-long-a Dirty Dancing, when the unique, interactive screening of the hit musical film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey rolls into town.

It’s the summer of 1963, it’s college boys versus dancing hunks, it’s one of the best loved movies of all time and, yes, there is a guy as great as your dad.

Join Baby and Johnny in a fun-filled screening of the 1987 classic dance film where YOU are the star of the show. Your host will lead a vocal warm-up, show you how to use your ‘magic moments fun pack’ and have you dancing in the aisles, and remember, “Nobody puts Baby in the corner”. This is your chance to show Patrick and Jennifer how it’s done.

Sing-a-long-a Dirty Dancing is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday 23 January at 7.30pm. Tickets* are priced £13 & £15, discounts available.

*All prices include a £1 restoration levy

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

Darlington Civic Theatre – Sing-a-long-a Frozen

Civic-Theatre-Hi-Res-Logo-1-117x300YOUR CHANCE TO REALLY LET IT GO

Darlington Civic Theatre hosts Sing-a-long-a Frozen on Saturday 23 January.

Darlington Civic Theatre will host Sing-a-long-a Frozen, when the unique, interactive screening of the worldwide phenomenon Frozen rolls into town as part of a nationwide UK tour.

Disney’s Frozen is the Sing-a-long-a must see! A screening of Disney’s Frozen with lyrics on screen to help you sing along with Elsa and Anna and all your favourite characters. The evening is introduced by a live host who will show you how to use your interactive prop bag and then just sit back and ‘Let it Go’! YOU the audience can be the stars!

Remember to dress up as your favourite character and be a Snow Queen for the day or Olaf the snowman, the coolest iceman ever!

Disney’s Frozen has taken the world by “snowstorm” and has become the biggest animated film in the world. In this heart-warming tale, fearless optimist Anna sets off on an epic journey, teaming up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven, to find her sister Elsa whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter. Encountering Everest-like conditions, mystical trolls and a hilarious snowman named Olaf, Anna and Kristoff battle the elements in a race to save the kingdom.

The Academy Award winning song “Let it Go”, which has now sold over 250,000 copies in the UK, will feature as part of Sing-a-long-a-Frozen, along with the rest of the platinum certified soundtrack making this sing-a-long one not to be missed.

Sooooo ‘do you wanna build a snowman…..?’

Sing-a-long-a Frozen is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Saturday 23 January at 3pm.

Tickets are priced:

Adults £13 & £15, Children £10

2 adults & 2 children £46

1 adult & 2 children £33

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk