A VIEW FROM ISLINGTON NORTH – CASTING ANNOUNCED

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

A VIEW

FROM ISLINGTON NORTH

 

AN EVENING OF POLITICAL SATIRE

DIRECTED BY MAX STAFFORD-CLARK

 

COMPANY INCLUDES BRUCE ALEXANDER, SARAH ALEXANDER,
ANN MITCHELL, KATHRYN O’REILLY, JOSEPH PROWEN

STEVE JOHN SHEPHERD AND JANE WYMARK

 

WITH WORLD PREMIERES FROM ALISTAIR BEATON AND DAVID HARE,

THE FIRST FULL PRODUCTIONS OF NEW PIECES BY CARYL CHURCHILL AND STELLA FEEHILY,

AND MARK RAVENHILL’S THE MOTHER

WITH MUSIC BY BILLY BRAGG

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

TS Eliot

Casting has been announced for A VIEW FROM ISLINGTON NORTH, an evening of imaginative, provocative and hilarious political satire from some of the UK’s most celebrated playwrights, directed by Max Stafford-Clark, playing at the Arts Theatre in London from 18 May until 2 July, with a press night on 24 May.

The company includes Sarah Alexander (Smack the Pony, Coupling, Armstrong and Miller), Ann Mitchell (extensive screen and stage credits, most recently series regular ‘Cora Cross’ in EastEnders), Bruce Alexander (A Touch of Frost, Love and Marriage), Steve John Shepherd (‘Michael Moon’ in Eastenders, Jo in This Life) Jane Wymark(Midsomer Murders, Poldark), Joseph Prowen and Kathryn O’Reilly.

In THE ACCIDENTAL LEADER by Alistair Beaton (Feelgood, Not the Nine O’Clock News, A Very Social Secretary), Jim, a backbench MP in the party of Her Majesty’s Opposition is attempting to orchestrate a very British coup. But trouble comes in the shape of Nina, Deputy Chair of the party’s grass roots organisation…‘Impetus’

 

In HOW TO GET AHEAD IN POLITICS by Stella Feehily (This May Hurt A Bit, Bang Bang Bang, Duck), The Chief Whip practices his dark arts on an MP, who doesn’t stand a chance…

In AYN RAND TAKES A STAND by David Hare (The Moderate Soprano, Stuff Happens, The Judas Kiss ) members of the current government, feeling their ideology fall apart, receive a bracing visit from Ayn Rand, the high priestess of the free market.

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

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

THE TRIAL OF JANE FONDA – NEW PRODUCTION TO MAKE LONDON DEBUT AT PARK THEATRE

THE TRIAL OF JANE FONDA
    by Terry Jastrow

 

·        NEW PRODUCTION TO MAKE ITS LONDON DEBUT AT PARK THEATRE

·        STARRING ANNE ARCHER

·        DIRECTED BY JOE HARMSTON

 

Oscar nominated and Golden Globe winning actress Anne Archer will return to the UK to star as ‘Jane Fonda’ in a brand new production of THE TRIAL OF JANE FONDA, written by seven-time Emmy award-winner Terry Jastrow, and directed by Joe Harmston, opening at Park Theatre on 13 July until 20 August, with a press night on 14 July.

1972. North Vietnam: Driven to halt the slaughter of young lives, iconic movie star Jane Fonda travels to Vietnam where she is photographed laughing and clapping, astride an anti-aircraft gun, designed to shoot down American planes. Overnight the soldiers’ sexy pin-up becomes ‘Hanoi Jane’; traitor to her country and betrayer of those very young men. 1988. Waterbury, Connecticut: Bitter demonstrations by veterans halt filming on a movie co-starring Fonda and Robert De Niro. Determined to stop her past dictating her future, Jane requests a meeting and enters a room full of angry men for whom the war still rages. The content of the meeting is never divulged. Having retraced Fonda’s steps, interviewed her guides, dozens of veterans and Fonda herself, Terry Jastrow’s powerful drama conjectures the battles which were fought in that encounter; battles which are as much to do with the ability of recorded images to dictate our memories as they are to do with truth.

 

The most famous actress of her time, Jane Fonda was vocal in her opposition to the Vietnam War. In 1972 she went to the capital city of North Vietnam, Hanoi, to call worldwide public attention to the Nixon administration’s cover-up of US policy of deliberately bombing the country’s vital system of irrigation dikes. During that trip she made radio broadcasts denouncing as a war crime the US use of antipersonnel bombs banned by the Hague Convention, and visited US POWs. On the final day of her trip, she was photographed laughing and clapping astride a North Vietnamese anti-aircraft gun. This activity by Fonda caused enormous controversy and galvanized a huge hate campaign amongst the US military and supporters.

ANNE ARCHER was nominated for an Academy Award®, a Golden Globe and the British (BAFTA) Academy Award for her role opposite Michael Douglas in Adrian Lyne’s thriller Fatal Attraction.  Other key roles include her Golden Globe-winning performance in the ensemble cast of Robert Altman’s Short Cuts and for playing Harrison Ford’s beleaguered wife in Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger. She made her West End debut as ‘Mrs Robinson’, receiving rave reviews, in The Graduate; other theatrical credits include A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking (Off Broadway), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Williamstown  Theatre Festival), The Poison Tree (Mark Taper Forum), and The Vagina Monologues (LA). In 2014 she starred in The Trial of Jane Fonda at the Edinburgh Festival. Throughout her motion picture career, she has starred opposite some of Hollywood’s most dynamic and respected leading men, including Gene Hackman in Narrow Margin, Donald Sutherland in Eminent Domain, Sylvester Stallone in Paradise Alley, Tommy Lee Jones In Rules of Engagement and Man of the House and in the romantic comedy Ghosts of Girlfriends    Past with Mathew McConaughey, and most recently the feature filmLullaby, with a powerful ensemble cast of Garrett Hedlund, Richard Jenkins, Amy Adams, Jessica Brown Finley, Jessica Barden, Jennifer  Hudson, and Terrance Howard. Television credits include It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, starring opposite Danny DeVito and Ghost            Whisperer on CBS as the mother of Jennifer Love Hewitt, Privileged (The CW) and the Fox Series The Grinder starring Rob Lowe and Fred Savage. In 2013 she co-produced her first feature film The Squeeze, written and directed by Terry Jastrow. In 2006 she founded Artists for Human Rights (AFHR), which brings the full force of artistic expression to bear in the human rights arena by working hand-in-hand with effective human rights advocates and leading organizations worldwide to raise awareness and eradicate the most egregious human rights abuses.

Writer Terry Jastrow has produced and/or directed the television coverage of some of the world’s most important sporting events including six Olympic Games, The Super Bowl, 62 major championships of golf including the Open Championship. The plays he has written and directed include As if it Matters at the Beverly Hills Playhouse, Eight One Acts over Two Nights at The Acting Center, Hollywood, California, andTheVaginal Lock at the Skylight Theatre, Los Angeles. More recently, Terry wrote and directed a feature film, The Squeeze, which was released in April 2015, and is available on-demand.

Joe Harmston’s career began 23 years ago directing the critically-acclaimed King James’ Ear by Rod Dungate at The Old Red Lion.  Since then highlights have included directing Harold Pinter in his own plays, particularly The Lover and The Collection at The Donmar and his long associations with other writers including Sir Ronald Harwood, Sir Alan Ayckbourn, Sir David Hare and Sir Peter Ustinov.  He was Associate Director of Chichester Festival Theatre and Artistic Director of the Agatha Christie Theatre Company and is still a Creative Associate Director of the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. He was last at Park Theatre directing Paul Herzberg’s The Dead Wait.

The Trial of Jane Fonda’s Set Design is by Sean Cavanagh, Composer & Sound Designer is Matthew Bugg, Video Projection Designer is Louise Rhoades-Brown, Lighting Designer is Tony Simpson and Costume Designer is Roberto Surace.

 

www.thetrialofjanefonda.com

Facebook: TrialOfJaneFonda

Twitter: @janefondaplay

Cast, creative and choirs announced for Roy Williams’ Soul

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 PeterTaming 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 UK TOUR – CASTING ANNOUNCED

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 premieres at the Edinburgh Fringe

Be Prepared

  • PLAYWRITING DEBUT FROM IAN BONAR PREMIERES AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
  • THE PRODUCTION WILL PLAY AT BIG BELLY, COWGATE FROM 4TH AUGUST

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).

Wallis ‘a certain person’ – Upstairs at the Gatehouse

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

                   cid:image002.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0           cid:image003.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0            cid:image004.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0             cid:image005.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0

               Katie Arnstein                 Robert Hazle                Eliza McClelland            Grant McConvey                                                                         
cid:image006.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0              cid:image007.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0                 cid:image008.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0          cid:image009.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0      cid:image010.jpg@01D197DF.28EA25F0
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

Little Shop of Horrors returns for UK Tour with Rhydian as The Dentist

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

 

Real stories of the underprivlieged alongside Hawaiian food in Stoke Newington, starring Kidulthood’s Adam Deacon

The Big House Theatre Company presents:

KNIFE EDGE
May 18th – June 12th 2016, Pond Restaurant

Sometimes life cuts deep. Sometimes life needs a slap.

Knife Edge, written by David Watson (Housed, The Old Vic) and directed by The Big House artistic director, Maggie Norris, is a play about fear, food and family that begins with a murder and ends with a feast. A girl with no name, hungry for life, fights to tell her own story. Immerse yourself in a darkly comic world, and join her on a journey of discovery, culminating in a culinary coming-together of cast and audience.

“visceral storytelling (…) shot through with moments of pure theatre, graced with vivid, moving performances by an excellent young cast” Jez Butterworth on PHOENIX

The Big House has blasted onto the theatre scene and established a reputation for staging immersive productions that take the audience on an emotional journey, inspired by the stories of its cast. Their mission is to work with care leavers, offenders and young people at risk of offending, to break the cycle that many find themselves trapped in. They are joined for this production by Kidulthood star and BAFTA winner Adam Deacon, a big supporter of their work. The Big House combines theatre with wraparound support, psychotherapy and long term mentoring to help our young people get their life back on track and to help them fulfill their potential.

“Within all of us there is a real expression of what we want to see of the world. And what The Big House does is open it up and bring it out. It’s wonderful. I loved every minute of it.” Rt. Hon. Jeremy Corbyn MP, Leader of the Labour Party

Previous productions include Electric, Politrix, The Realness, Phoenix and BABY/LON, The world premiere of Knife Edge takes place in Pond, London’s first authentic Hawaiian restaurant and the traditional barriers between audience and cast are broken down when everyone shares a feast at the end of the play. This decision reflects our desire to enable these young people to move from the margins to the centre of our society and to help turn painful histories into lives well lived.

Jersey Boys Extends Booking Period in London

THE SMASH HIT MUSICAL “JERSEY BOYS”
EXTENDS ITS BOOKING PERIOD

AS 250,000 NEW TICKETS ARE RELEASED

NOW BOOKING AT THE PICCADILLY THEATRE

UNTIL 16 APRIL 2017

 

JERSEY BOYS, the smash hit musical, has extended its booking period at the Piccadilly Theatre until 16 April 2016, with 250,000 tickets released today.

JERSEY BOYS stars Matt Corner as Frankie Valli, Declan Egan as Bob Gaudio, Simon Bailey as Tommy DeVito and Matt Hunt as Nick Massi. Dayle Hodge plays the role of Frankie Valli at certain performances. Also in the cast are Nicola Brazil, Stuart Dawes, Mark Dugdale, Leanne Garretty, Lucinda Gill, Nicky Griffiths, Will Haswell, Mark Heenehan, Mark Isherwood, Ben Jennings, Joe Maxwell, Nathaniel Morrison, Dan O’Brien, Chris Stoddart, Helen Ternent and Ben Wheeler.

JERSEY BOYS opened in London at the Prince Edward Theatre in 2008 and moved to the Piccadilly Theatre in March 2014. The show celebrated its 8th London Birthday with a star-studded Gala Night on 12 April 2016 – https://youtu.be/lyt65T6qqk0.

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

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

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

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

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Piccadilly Theatre

16 Denman Street

London W1D 7DY

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

2016-17 CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Monday 19 December             No Performance

Tuesday 20 December            3.00pm & 7.30pm

Wednesday 21 December       7.30pm

Thursday 22 December           7.30pm

Friday 23 December                7.30pm

Saturday 24 December            3.00pm

Sunday 25 December              No performance

Monday 26 December             No performance

Tuesday 27 December            3.00pm & 7.30pm

Wednesday 28 December       3.00pm & 7.30pm

Thursday 29 December           3.00pm & 7.30pm

Friday 30 December                7.30pm

Saturday 31 December            3.00pm & 7.30pm

Sunday 1 January                    5.00pm

 

Current booking period to 16 April 2017

Tickets from £24.50

Box Office:  0844 871 7630

Website:  www.jerseyboyslondon.com

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

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

Alexandra Burke in The Bodyguard

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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 10th to Saturday 21st 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 10th to Saturday 21st May

 

Tickets are priced from £24 to £52.50

 

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