Soul

A new play by Roy Williams

Directed by James Dacre

Royal & Derngate, Northampton – Friday 20 May to Saturday 11 June; Press Night: Tuesday 24 May 7pm

Hackney Empire – Wednesday 15 June to Sunday 3 July

Cast, creative and choirs announced for Roy Williams’Soul

This summer, Royal & Derngate Northampton and Hackney Empire will co-produce the world première of Soul, a new play by Roy Williams about the family life of soul legend Marvin Gaye. Directed by James Dacre and designed by Jon Bausor, Soul takes to Northampton’s Royal stage from Friday 20 May to Saturday 11 June, before its run at Hackney Empire from Wednesday 15 June to Sunday 3 July.

Full cast: Adjoa Andoh, Leo Wringer, Petra Letang, Mimi Ndiweni, Nathan Ives-Moira, Keenan Munn-Francis, Abiona Omonua.

On April Fool’s Day 1984, hours before his 45th birthday, Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father in the shared family home they called the ‘Big House’. What happened there has since been shrouded in mystery.

Revealing the events that took place during Marvin Gaye’s haunting final days and exploring his extraordinary life, Soul is a parable about an American family crushed by fame – a searing portrait of the dark side of the American dream.

Written by award-winning Roy Williams (Sucker Punch, Days of Significance) in close collaboration with members of Marvin Gaye’s family, this play with music will feature Royal & Derngate’s and Hackney Empire’s celebrated community choirs. Original instrumental music has additionally been composed and recorded for the production by Marvin Gaye’s close musical collaborator Gordon Banks, widely considered to be one of soul music’s great guitarists.

Adjoa Andoh (Invictus, Adulthood, Julius Caesar, RSC) and Leo Wringer (As You Like It, National Theatre; Blackta, Perseverance Drive, Young Vic) play the central roles of Marvin’s parents, Alberta and Marvin Gay Snr.

Petra Letang (Holby City, EastEnders and leading roles at the National Theatre, Royal Court and Young Vic) and Mimi Ndiweni (Mr Selfridge; Warner Bros’ The Legend of Tarzan; Wendy and Peter, Taming of the Shrew, RSC) will play Marvin Gaye’s sisters Jeanne and Zeola Gay.

Rising stars Nathan Ives-Moiba (As You Like It, National Theatre; Our Country’s Good, Out of Joint) and Keenan Munn-Francis (The Scottsboro Boys, The Lion King) play the role of Marvin Gaye as an adult and teenager respectively. Abiona Omonua (The Colour Purple, Menier Chocolate Factory;Legally Blonde, West End) will play Tammi Terrell.  

Soul is directed by Royal & Derngate’s Artistic Director James Dacre, whose recent productions include Peter Whelan’s The Herbal Bed, Dawn King’s Brave New World, Arthur Miller’s The Hookand Shakespeare’s King John. The Designer is RSC Associate Artist Jon Bausor, who designed the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympic Games and the critically acclaimed historic trilogy The James Plays for National Theatre of Scotland and the National Theatre. Video design is by BAFTA-winning Tal Rosner, whose credits include The BRIT Awards, The Pet Shop Boys’ The Most Incredible Thing, Everyman (National Theatre) and X (Royal Court). Lighting design is by Mark Howland (The Christians, Gate Theatre; Four Minutes Twelve Seconds, Hampstead Theatre) and sound design is by Fergus O’Hare (Tiger Country, Hampstead Theatre; Richard II, Hamlet, The Entertainer, Old Vic).

Anna Morrissey (Constellations, Royal Court; King Charles III, Almeida and West End) is Movement Director, RC-Annie (Cleansed, National Theatre; The James Plays, National Theatre of Scotland and National Theatre) are Fight Directors and Hazel Holder (Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Les Blancs, National Theatre) is Voice and Dialect Coach.

The Musical Director is Joseph Roberts (Rudy’s Rare Records, Birmingham Rep and Hackney Empire) and the production features the Royal & Derngate Community Choir in its Northampton performances and the Hackney Empire Community Choir for its London run.

Soul was commissioned by Bob Blagden and Barbara Cole. The play was inspired by Jeanne Gay’s memoir Bitter Sweet, interviews with Jeanne and Zeola Gay amongst many others and further extensive research.

The production is recommended ages 14 and upwards.

#UntoldSoul

DIRTY DANCING – THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE

FRESH, YOUNG & SEXY CAST ANNOUNCED FOR

WORLDWIDE PHENOMENON

HITTING THE ROAD WITH A BRAND NEW PRODUCTION FROM AUGUST 2016 – IT’S BACK AND SEXIER THAN EVER!

Producers Karl Sydow and Paul Elliott are delighted to announce casting for the UK and Ireland tour of the brand new production of Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story On Stage. The classic story of Baby and Johnny, featuring the hit songs‘Hungry Eyes’, ‘Hey! Baby’, ‘Do You Love Me?’ and the heart stopping ‘(I’ve Had) The Time Of My Life’, returns to the UK this summer, following two blockbuster West End runs, two hit UK tours, and various sensational international productions.

Lewis Griffiths will star as ‘Johnny Castle’, one of the most iconic roles in popular culture. Lewis has had a prolific career in musical theatre, most recently starring as ‘Nick Massi’ on the UK tour of Jersey Boys. Other roles in UK tours include Ghostand Legally Blonde, and West End credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rent and Whistle Down the Wind.

Katie Hartland will make her professional musical theatre debut carrying the watermelons as she takes on the role of ‘Baby Houseman’, having graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2015.

Carlie Milner will star as ‘Penny Johnson’. Carlie is part of the Dirty Dancing family; starting as a member of the ensemble in 2014, she covered and subsequently took over the role of ‘Penny’ in 2015.

Joining Lewis, Katie and Carlie will be Julian Harries as ‘Jake Houseman’, Simone Craddock as ‘Marjorie Houseman’, Roger Martin ‘as Max Kellerman’, Jo Servi as ‘Tito Suarez’, Lizzie Ottley as ‘Lisa Houseman’, Michael Kent as ‘Billy Kostecki’, Greg Fossard as ‘Neil Kellerman’, Tony Stansfield as ‘Mr Schumacher’, and Daniela Dobega as ‘Elizabeth’. Also joining the company are Gabby Antrobus, Imogen Brooke, Simon Campbell, Robert Colvin, Katie Eccles, Beth Highsted, Megan Louch,Ashley Rumble, Callum Sterling, Austin Wilks and Karl James Wilson.

Full of passion and romance, heart-pounding music and sensationally sexy dancing, the record-breaking show has been reconceived in an all new production created by an innovative new creative team; directed by Federico Bellone, choreographed by Gillian Bruce and with design re-imagined by top Italian set designer Roberto Comotti. The production premiered in Milan in July 2015, subsequently packing out the 15,000 seat Roman Arena in Verona, and has played a season in Rome, and will shortly be embarking on a major Italian tour.

Tour Dates for the UK production are as follows, Blackpool Opera House (11- August 2016), Theatre, Dartford (1 – 10 September), Grand, Swansea (12 – 17 September), Aylesbury Waterside (19 – 24 September), New Theatre, Wimbledon (26 September – 1 October), Palace Theatre, Manchester (10 – 15 October), Grand Opera House, York (17 – 22 October), Carlisle Sands Centre (24 – 29 October), Northampton Derngate (31 October – 5 November), Regent Theatre, Stoke (7 – 12 November), Kings Theatre, Southsea (14 – 19 November), Reading Hexagon (21 – 26 November), and Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (28 November – 3 December). Southend Cliffs Pavilion (10 – 21 January), Belgrade Theatre Coventry (30 January – 4 February), Dublin Bord Gais Theatre (6 – 11 February), Millennium Forum, Derry (13 – 18 February), Grand Opera House Belfast (20 – 25 February), INEC Killarney (27 February – 4 March), Ipswich Regent (20 – 25 March), Cardiff New Theatre (27 March-1 April) [on sale in June], Wycombe Swan (3 – 8 April), Leicester De Montfort Hall (10 – 15 April), Hall for Cornwall Truro (17 – 22 April) [on sale soon], Milton Keynes Theatre (24 – 29 April), Birmingham Alexandra (29 May – 3 June).

Be Prepared

• PLAYWRITING DEBUT FROM IAN BONAR PREMIERES AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE

• THE PRODUCTION WILL PLAY AT BIG BELLY, COWGATE FROM 4TH AUGUST

• TICKETS ON SALE AT 9AM ON THURSDAY UNDERBELLYEDINBURGH.CO.UK

The Corner Shop Events today announces that Be Prepared will premiere at the 2016 Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the first season of Underbelly Untapped. Be Prepared is the first full-length play from actor and writer Ian Bonar, and has been developed at The RSC’s studio theatre The Other Place.

By turns poignant and gut-wrenchingly funny, Be Prepared is based on Bonar’s own experiences and includes verbatim extracts of his grandfather’s memoir. The production is directed by Rob Watt and features a blistering central performance by Bonar himself. Lighting design is by Elliot Griggs and sound design by Alex Crispin.

‘Imagine seeing all the stuff that you’ve done played out in your head in glorious fucking technicolour… and then opening your mouth to speak and all that comes out is mixed-up nonsense and spit and dribble.’

Tom’s dad is dead. Mr Chambers needs a funeral director. Tom is not a funeral director.

Conversations become confused. Mr Chambers’ mind begins to disintegrate. As their memories intertwine and unravel, Tom connects to his father in ways he had never expected.

A heartbreaking, hilarious new play about one man struggling to remember while another tries to un-forget.

Ian Bonar’s acting credits include Interlude in Prague, New Blood, Black Mirror, Southcliffe, Spectre and Atonement, as well as stage work such as The Witch of Edmonton and the Roaring Girls season (RSC), The Blackest Black (Hampstead Theatre) and Brilliant Adventures (Royal Exchange). He is a member of the Orange Tree Writers Collective and his second play, St Anthony, was recently longlisted for the Bruntwood Prize.

Rob Watt is a director and theatre-maker who is currently Youth Programme Manager at the National Theatre. His directing credits include Party Trap by Ross Sutherland (Summerhall / Shoreditch Town Hall), A Lie (Soho Theatre / Norfolk & Norwich Festival / Latitude Festival) andStandby for Tape Back-Up (Summerhall / Bush Theatre / Soho Theatre / Shoreditch Town Hall / UK tour).

Ovation presents
A NEW PLAY WITH MUSIC
WALLISa certain person…                                                                                 
Written by Jennifer Selway
Original Music by Simon Slater
Devised and Directed by John Plews

Set between 1931 and 1936, Wallis is a dramatic account of the love affair that led to the biggest constitutional crisis in modern Royal history. Just how did Mrs Simpson, a divorced American,capture and keep the heart of the playboy prince?   What secrets lay beneath the scandal that rocked British Society and threatened to bring down Stanley Baldwin’s Government?

27th May – 26th June 2016

PRESS NIGHT WEDNESDAY 1st JUNE – 7.30pm

               Katie Arnstein                 Robert Hazle                Eliza McClelland            Grant McConvey                                                                         
                                               
Emma Odell          Lee Ormsby             Bernard O’Sullivan       Alice Pitt-Carter      Tom Slatter

Taking on the title role is EMMA ODELL who was last seen Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Ovation’s hugely successful production of INTO THE WOODS. Also making welcome returns to Highgate are GRANT MCCONVEY& LEE ORMSBY who were part of Aria productions recent AMERICAN JEWISH SONGBOOK and KATIE ARNSTEIN who was a member of Ovation’s BLONDE BOMBSHELLS OF 1943.  ELIZA MCCLELLAND   takes on the dual role of Lady Cunard and Lucy Baldwin with BERNARD O’SULLIVAN playing the Conservative Prime Minister of the time – Stanley Baldwin.   Also in the cast are ROBERT HAZLE as the piano-playing ‘narrator’,TOM SLATTER recently seen in CLOSE TO HOME at the Finborough and as Lady Thelma Furness, the long-time mistress of the Prince of Wales, ALICE PITT-CARTER.

Designer – Emily Bestow

Lighting Designer – Sam Waddington
Casting – Katie Bradley

PRODUCED by KATIE PLEWS for OVATION 

Performances: Tuesday – Saturdays at 7.30pm / Sunday Matinees at 4.00pm

David Hutchinson, Phillip Rowntree and Stephen McGill

for Sell A Door Theatre Company Ltd

and Damien Tracey Productions Ltd

Present

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

Touring the UK from August 2016 in a brand new production

With Rhydian as The Dentist

Hit musical comedy Little Shop of Horrors is back, and bringing everyone’s favourite carnivorous plant to theatres across the UK in a brand new tour for 2016, opening at Bournemouth Pavilion on Thursday 4 August 2016. Full tour schedule attached. There will be a press night at New Wimbledon Theatre on Tuesday 23 August.

A charming, kooky and hilarious 1950s musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of Seymour, the assistant at Mushnik’s Flower Shop in downtrodden Skid Row, who becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers a strange and exotic plant. He names it Audrey Two in order to impress glamorous Audrey, the shop assistant he’s secretly in love with. But Audrey Two has a mind of its own, and soon grows into a bad-tempered, foul-mouthed carnivore with an appetite that can’t be satisfied. Seymour must keep the meals coming to stop his prized plant from wilting, but how far is he willing to go to get the girl of his dreams?

Rhydian will play The Dentist, Orin Scrivello. Rhydian rose to fame as a runaway success on ITV’s X Factor and has sold in excess of a million albums worldwide. He has released 6 albums and duetted and performed with some of the biggest names in the music industry including Michael Bublé, Taylor Swift, Enrique Iglesias, Celine Dion and Nicole Scherzinger. Rhydian’s many theatre credits include Grease, We Will Rock You, The War Of The Worlds, Jesus Christ Superstar and the 40th Anniversary Tour of The Rocky Horror Show. Rhydian has just completed his third solo UK tour and is a Classical Brit Award nominee.

Little Shop of Horrors originally opened Off-Off-Broadway in 1982 before moving to the Orpheum Theatre Off-Broadway later that year, where it ran for five years and won numerous awards including the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical. It opened in the West End the following year, and in 1986 was adapted into the now iconic cult film starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin. Other notable stage productions include the 2006 London revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End, starring Sheridan Smith as Audrey.

Little Shop of Horrors features music by legendary composer Alan Menken, best known for his iconic Walt Disney film scores including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas, all of which have earned him Academy Awards.

Little Shop of Horrors is directed by Tara Wilkinson (Associate Director of Motown the Musical, Memphis andSunday in the Park With George, all in the West End) with choreography by Matthew Cole (Footloose The Musical UK Tour). The Musical Supervisor is Mark Crossland. It is presented by Sell a Door Theatre Company and Damien Tracey Productions. Sell a Door Theatre Company have previously toured critically acclaimed productions of Avenue Q, The History Boys, American Idiot and Seussical the Musical.

Further casting is to be announced.

@LittleShopTour

The Big House Theatre Company presents:

ALEXANDRA BURKE COMES TO LEEDS WITH THE BODYGUARD

Based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 Oscar-nominated film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, the stage musical of THE BODYGUARD is heading to Leeds next month.

Leeds Grand Theatre welcome X Factor winner Alexandra Burke and Stuart Reid in the lead roles of Rachel Marron and Frank Farmer for its two-week run from Tuesday 10^th to Saturday 21^st May.

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 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 biggest selling songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.

“We are excited to welcome Alexandra and The Bodyguard to Leeds,” said Ian Sime, General Manager of Leeds Grand Theatre. “It promises to be a dazzling show with a great soundtrack performed by a wonderful singer! We’re very much looking forward to it.”

The Bodyguard is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 10^th to Saturday 21^st May

Tickets are priced from £24 to £52.50

Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Jonathan Church Productions and Duncan C. Weldon  present

MARTIN SHAW, NAOMI FREDERICK and BRYAN DICK in

HOBSON’S CHOICE by Harold Brighouse

Directed by Jonathan Church

Vaudeville Theatre, London WC2                            8^th June to 10^th September 2016

Marking the One Hundredth anniversary of the first UK production of this classic comedy, HOBSON’S CHOICEwill play at London’s Vaudeville Theatre for a limited season, Wednesday 8^th June – Saturday 10^th September.

Martin Shaw plays Henry Horatio Hobson, one of the greatest characters in English drama. Self-made man, shopkeeper, skinflint and boozer, he’s a tyrant to his daughters and a law unto himself. When Maggie, his eldest daughter, defies Hobson’s wishes by marrying Will Mossop, his own boot-maker, a battle of wills begins in which he stands to lose his customers, his girls and his pride, but ultimately it is Hobson’s choice.

“Martin Shaw shines…” Daily Telegraph ****

Martin Shaw is one of the UK’s favourite actors, well-known for starring in Inspector George Gently, Judge John Deed, and The Professionals on television. His stage roles include Saturday, Sunday, Monday opposite Laurence Olivier; he was Tony Award nominated for An Ideal Husband on Broadway and won a Drama Desk award. Recent West End credits include A Man for All Seasons and Twelve Angry Men.

“…extremely well done….tip top performances, high production values….” The Times ****

Naomi Frederick’s (Maggie Hobson) theatre credits include The Heresy of Love, The Globe; Made in Dagenham, Adelphi Theatre; Emil and the Detectives, National Theatre; and The Winslow Boy, Old Vic.

Bryan Dick’s (Willy Mossop) theatre credits include Seminar, Hampstead Theatre; School Play, Soho Theatre;Sliding With Suzanne, Out of Joint/Royal Court; The Alchemist, National Theatre.

Gabrielle Dempsey’s (Vickey Hobson) theatre credits include The Rehearsal, Chichester Festival Theatre;Spring Awakening, National tours; All My Sons, Embassy Theatre.

Joanna McCallum’s (Mrs Hepworth) theatre credits include A Month in the Country, Chichester Festival Theatre; The Importance of Being Ernest, Salisbury Playhouse; Hamlet; The Globe.

Further casting details to be announced.

Artistic director of the Chichester Festival Theatre since 2006, where his acclaimed productions have includedTaken at Midnight, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui and Singin’ in the Rain, Jonathan Church has recently been appointed Artistic Director of Sydney Theatre Company.

Design is by Simon Higlett; lighting design is by Tim Mitchell; sound design is by Mike Walker; and the composer is Matthew Scott.

LISTINGS INFORMATION:

Venue:                 Vaudeville Theatre, 404 Strand, London WC2R 0NH

Dates:                  Wednesday 8^th June – Saturday 10^th September

Times:                  Monday – Saturday, 7.30pm;

                Thursday & Saturday matinees, 2.30pm

Press Night:      Tuesday 14^th June, 7pm

Box Office:        0330 333 4814

Tickets:                 £25 – £57.50

ROYAL SHAKESPEARE COMPANY ANNOUNCES CONTINUING ARTISTIC PROGRAMME FOR LONDON THROUGHOUT AUTUMN/WINTER 2016

ISSUE: 11th April 2016

• The Alchemist and Doctor Faustus – two shows transfer direct from the Swan Theatre to the Barbican (2 September – 1 October 2016)
• Cymbeline and King Lear –  two shows from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre transfer to the Barbican (31 October – 23 December 2016)
• Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing (or Love’s Labour’s Won) transfer from Chichester Festival Theatre to the Theatre Royal Haymarket (9 December 2016 – 18 March 2017)

Following the four Shakespeare history plays, King & Country: Shakespeare’s Great Cycle of Kings,which kicked off 2016 at the Barbican Theatre, the touring production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream: A Play for the Nation visits the Barbican for a week of performances in May, with London amateurs from the Tower Theatre joining the cast as the Rude Mechanicals, and pupils from Eastbury Community school and Beam Primary school in Barking and Dagenham playing Titania’s fairy train.

Six other RSC productions will play in London during the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death, including two shows from the Company’s current Swan Theatre repertoire, alongside the RSC’s long-running production of Matilda The Musical in the West End.

The Alchemist and Doctor Faustus will transfer from the Swan Theatre into the Barbican from late August and play in repertoire from the beginning of September for a four week run, with the same cast directed by Polly Findlay and Maria Aberg respectively.

They will be followed by Cymbeline and King Lear transferring direct from the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at the end of October for an eight week run in repertoire, directed by Melly Still and Gregory Doran respectively.

We are also pleased to announce jointly with Chichester Festival Theatre that, following their run in Chichester, the RSC productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado about Nothing (or Love’s Labour’s Won) will be staged at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End from 9 December.

Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director said today; “I am thrilled that we are able to share so much of our work with audiences in London this year, with a total of twelve productions playing at the Barbican and the West End.

“Our work in the wonderful Swan Theatre has often missed out in transfers, so I am glad that Maria Aberg’s Faustus and Polly Findlay’s Alchemist will play at the Barbican, along with our two epic Shakespeare plays Cymbeline and King Lear.

“I am also delighted about our revival of Christopher Luscombe’s heart-warming Lost and Won double bill, Love’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, at the Haymarket – with Edward Bennett reprising his roles as Berowne and Benedick.”

Toni Racklin, the Barbican’s Head of Theatre said: “Continuing our ongoing collaboration with the RSC we are thrilled that Polly Findlay, Melly Still and Maria Aberg make their Barbican debuts and we look forward to welcoming back Gregory Doran and Antony Sher with their highly anticipated new production of King Lear. This bumper autumn season sees two clever pairings of work by Shakespeare and his contemporaries from two of the RSC’s Stratford-Upon-Avon stages.”

Jonathan Church, Artistic Director of Chichester Festival Theatre said: “We are delighted to be welcoming the Royal Shakespeare Company to our stage this autumn with the ingenious pairing ofLove’s Labour’s Lost and Much Ado About Nothing, and to be collaborating with the RSC and the Haymarket to transfer the productions to London – particularly in this 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare’s death.”
Talks

King Lear’s Subjects: The Fool, Cordelia and Kent

Saturday 19 November, Saturday 3 December and Saturday 10 December

10.30-11.30am
Onstage, £8

Each discussion will explore the actions of King Lear through the eyes of one of his most loyal subjects. Actors in the roles in current and past productions discuss the relationship of The Fool, Cordelia and Kent with the eponymous king, all three remaining devoted to him as his kingdom falls apart.

Post Show Talkback: The Alchemist           

Tuesday 20 September

Onstage after the show, FREE

Post Show Talkback: Doctor Faustus            

Tuesday 27 September

Onstage after the show, FREE

Post Show Talkback: King Lear
Tuesday 22 November
Onstage after the show, FREE

Post Show Talkback: Cymbeline
Monday 28 November
London RSC press nights:

Barbican

Tuesday 13 September, 7pm             Doctor Faustus

Wednesday 14 September, 7pm        The Alchemist

Thursday 3 November, 7pm              Cymbeline

Tuesday 15 November, 7pm              King Lear

Theatre Royal Haymarket

Saturday 17 December, 2pm              Love’s Labour’s Lost

Saturday 17 December, 7pm             Much Ado About Nothing

The RSC Acting Companies are generously supported by THE GATSBY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION and THE KOVNER FOUNDATION