2015 CRITICS’ CIRCLE THEATRE AWARD WINNER FOR BEST ACTOR

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                  24^th February – 26^th March 2016

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

Guardian                              Observer                        Times                          Daily Telegraph

                         ★★★★★                     ★★★★★                    ★★★★★                   ★★★★★                     ★★★★★                                                       Mail on Sunday             Evening Standard              Sunday Times                      Daily Mail                    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, 24^thFebruary – 26^th March 2016, prior to a national tour.

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

Kenneth Cranham, recipient of the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for Best Actor for his performances in 2015, 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,Maleficent, Hot Fuzz, Oliver! and Hellbound: Hellraiser II.

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

Evening Standard Award nominee Amanda Drew will play Anne. Theatre credits include Three Days in the Country (National Theatre), Love and Information (Royal Court) and Enron (Royal Court, West End) whilst TV credits include ‘Broadchurch’.

The cast also includes; Rebecca Charles (‘Homefront’, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Julius Caesar)  Brian Doherty (‘Call the Midwife’,Tomcat, Death of a Comedian), Daniel Flynn (Stephen Ward, 55 Days, Richard II) and Jade Williams (Young Chekov Trilogy, Doctor Faustus, Romeo and Juliet).

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 includeCock, Drunk 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.

LISTINGS

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

Dates:                 24^th February – 26^th March 2016

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

Press night:    Tuesday 1^st March, 7pm

Tickets:              £20 – £49.50

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 28^th March; Hall for Cornwall, w/c 4^th April; Richmond Theatre, w/c 11^th April; Theatre Royal Newcastle, w/c 18^th April; Brighton Theatre Royal, w/c 25^thApril; Birmingham Rep, w/c 2^nd May; Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, w/c 9^th May. For information on the tour please contact Jane Morgan Associates on 020 7263 9867.

Fiery Angel, The Ambassador Theatre Group, CFT Enterprises, Fiery Dragons & The Children’s Touring Partnership present the Chichester Festival Theatre Production of
Goodnight Mister Tom

By David Wood
From the classic novel by Michelle Magorian

• Last chance to see Goodnight Mister Tom at the Duke of York’s Theatre ahead of UK tour

• Final performance of Angus Jackson’s Oliver Award-winning production in the West End on 20 February

• The tour of this critically acclaimed production will open in Spring 2016 visiting Manchester, Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Birmingham, Oxford, York, Richmond, Aylesbury, Woking, Bath, Cambridge, Cardiff and Newcastle

Audiences have just over two weeks left to catch the Olivier Award-winning stage adaptation of Michelle Magorian’s classic Goodnight Mister Tom which will end its limited West End run on Saturday 20 February.  Adapted for stage by David Wood, this Chichester Festival Theatre production of Goodnight Mister Tom has enjoyed critical and public acclaim during its return to the West End after opening on 11 December 2015.

The cast, led by David Troughton in the central role of Tom Oakley, will embark on an extensive UK tour, opening at Manchester Opera House on 23 February.  The tour will continue on to Milton Keynes Theatre, Glasgow Theatre Royal, Birmingham New Alexandra Theatre, Oxford New Theatre, York Grand Opera House, Richmond Theatre, Aylesbury Waterside, Woking New Victoria, Bath Theatre Royal, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cardiff New Theatre and Newcastle Theatre Royal. David Wood’s stage adaptation enjoyed great critical acclaim in 2012/13, winning the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family.

Angus Jackson leads a stellar creative team that includes designer Robert Innes Hopkins(Oppenheimer; RSC/ West End), lighting designer Tim Mitchell (King and Country: Henry IV Part I And Part II; RSC/ Barbican) and sound designer Gregory Clarke (The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas; Chichester Festival Theatre & Children’s Touring Partnership). They are joined by composer Matthew Scott (Taken at Midnight; Chichester Festival Theatre/ West End), puppet designer and director Toby Olié (associate puppetry director of War Horse; West End) and choreographer Lizzi Gee (Future Conditional; Old Vic).

The novel Goodnight Mister Tom is now a modern classic and celebrates its 35th anniversary year in 2016. Michelle Magorian’s wonderfully uplifting tale is brought gloriously to life in this magical stage adaptation by David Wood. Set during the dangerous build up to the Second World War, Goodnight Mister Tom follows young William Beech, who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and forges a remarkable and heart-warming friendship with the elderly recluse, Tom Oakley.

Winner of the Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize and commended for the Carnegie Medal, Goodnight Mister Tom is now a world-wide literary favourite and BAFTA award-winning TV film (starring John Thaw), and continues to inspire audiences and bring generations together.

David Troughton is currently playing the role of Tony Archer on BBC Radio 4’s long-running British contemporary rural drama, The Archers (since 2014). He has performed numerous times with both the RSC (The Shoemaker’s Holiday, Macbeth, Macbett, Henry IV: parts 1 and 2, Richard II andRichard III, The Cherry Orchard, The Tempest, King Lear, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Venetian Twins) and the National Theatre (Season’s Greetings, Playing with Fire, Measure for Measure, Peter Pan and Fool For Love). He is also a regular on TV where his appearances includeGrantchester, Unforgotten, The Hollow Crown and many more.

Goodnight Mister Tom is adapted for the stage by David Wood OBE, the country’s leading writer and director of plays and musicals for children.  Also over the Christmas season, David’s Olivier Award-nominated stage production of The Tiger Who Came to Tea ran at the Lyric Theatre and his adaptation of The Witches enjoyed a run in Leicester.

Author Michelle Magorian was inspired to write Goodnight Mister Tom after hearing her mother’s tales about her time as a nurse in the war.  Published in 1981, it has been translated into 11 languages and won awards in the UK, America and Australia.  Her novel Just Henry won the Costa Award for children’s fiction in 2008, was adapted for television in 2011, and starred Sheila Hancock who appears briefly as her younger self in Michelle’s latest novel, Impossible! Michelle is currently working with the composer Stephen Keeling on the musical Sea Change.

The production is directed by Angus Jackson, whose work includes Oppenheimer for the RSC Swan and Vaudeville Theatre, King Lear for Chichester and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, The Browning Version for Chichester and the Harold Pinter Theatre, Bingo for the Young Vic and Chichester, The Power Of Yes for the National’s Lyttleton theatre, and Elmina’s Kitchen for the National’s Cottesloe theatre and the Garrick Theatre. Forthcoming work includes Don Quixote in a new version by James Fenton for the RSC’s 400th anniversary season, starring David Threlfall and Rufus Hound.

Amber Riley will star as ‘Effie White’ in the West End production.

Dreamgirls will be directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw.

London’s Savoy Theatre with performances from November 2016.

Tickets go on sale spring 2016.

Website – Dreamgirlswestend.com
Twitter handle – @DreamgirlsLDN
Facebook page – DreamgirlsLDN
Instagram account – DreamgirlsLDN
Hashtag – #DreamgirlsLDN

Amber Riley will make her West End debut this year in the UK premiere of the Tony-Award® winning musical Dreamgirls. The American actress and singer best known for her role as ‘Mercedes Jones’ in the Golden Globe Award winning television musical comedy Glee, will play soulful singer ‘Effie White’ in the production which will open at the Savoy Theatre with performances from November 2016. Tickets will go on sale this spring with further dates, casting and creative team to be announced soon.

Amber Riley says: “I am so honoured and excited to not only be playing such an iconic role, but also to be working with Sonia Friedman and Casey Nicholaw. Working on the West End is now a dream realised, I just feel like this is going to be something special!”

Olivier and Tony-Award® winning Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Disney’s Aladdin andSomething Rotten!) will direct and choreograph Dreamgirls and says: “I am beyond thrilled to be directing and choreographing Dreamgirls in the West End. It was one of the first shows I saw when I moved to New York in 1982 and has been my favourite show ever since. We’ve begun to assemble a terrific cast of actors here in the UK. We also have a terrific design team lined up – it’s going to be a smart and sexy production. I’m so excited about working with Amber. I loved her on Glee and when her name came up for this, I thought – Wow, I think she could be incredible – and then when she came in to audition for us, she blew us away!”

Presented in the West End by Sonia Friedman Productions (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, The Book of Mormon and Funny Girl), Sonia Friedman says of Dreamgirls: “This great, now classic American musical is coming to London at long last, and I couldn’t be more excited to confirm that Amber Riley will be joining the cast of Dreamgirls for the West End season.  This new production will begin performances later this year, directed by the brilliant, multi-award winning Broadway director Casey Nicholaw.  Having met Amber and having had the privilege of hearing her sing two of the iconic songs from Dreamgirls: ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ and ‘I Am Changing’ – I was left with goosebumps, tingles and tears; I was completely knocked out by this talented performer. London is very lucky to be the first to see her Effie.”

Inspired by R&B music acts in 1960s America, Dreamgirls transports you to a revolutionary time in American music history. Dreamgirls charts the tumultuous journey of a young female singing trio, from Chicago, Illinois called ‘The Dreams’, as they learn the hard lesson that show business is as tough as it is fabulous and features the classic songs ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’, ‘I Am Changing’ and ‘One Night Only’.

American actress and singer Amber Riley is best known for her role as ‘Mercedes Jones’ on the Golden Globe Award winning musical comedy, Glee. Additional television appearances include playing ‘Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North’ in the NBC live performance of the musical,The Wiz and competing in Dancing with the Stars, which she won in 2013. Riley’s numerous theatre credits include Alice in Wonderland, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Into the Woods andMystery on the Docks with the Los Angeles Opera. In November 2012, she made her New York stage debut to rave reviews in New York City Center’s Duke Ellington’s Cotton Club Parade.

Olivier and Tony Award®-winning Director and Choreographer Casey Nicholaw’s West End credits include co-director of The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Disney’sAladdin which opens in London this summer and The Drowsy Chaperone. On Broadway, credits include The Book of Mormon, Disney’s Aladdin, Something Rotten!, Elf: The Musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, Monty Python’s Spamalot. Casey’s additional New York credits include the highly acclaimed City Center Encores! productions of Anyone Can Whistle, Follies, Bye Bye Birdie and Can-Can, plus directing and choreographing the world premieres of Minsky’s at Center Theater Group in Los Angeles and Robin and the 7 Hoods at the Old Globe, San Diego. In 2016, Casey is set to direct and choreograph Tuck Everlasting on Broadway.

With book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger, the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett opened in 1981 and subsequently won six Tony Awards®. The original cast recording won two Grammy awards for Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday’s ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.’ In 2006 it was adapted into an Oscar winning motion picture starring Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.

York Theatre Royal’s On Our Turf project is shortlisted for a Hambleton District Council Community Award.

As part of the search to find and honour Hambleton’s community champions, the team at York Theatre Royal was delighted to hear that the On Our Turf project had made it to the shortlist for an Arts and Culture Award.

On Our Turf has been a collaboration between the theatre and four market towns in Yorkshire over the last three years. The ambitious project, funded largely by Arts Council England, aimed to co-programme and create work with communities around the region through a series of festivals and events. These have included large scale community productions, pop-up music and comedy events, workshops by world class artists and many surprising and engaging happenings that have enlivened the arts scene in Helmsley, Pocklington, Selby and Easingwold.

The project culminated in 2015 with a promenade production of Alice in Wonderland, directed by Phil Grainger, in Easingwold as part of the town’s LittleFest. Over 100 community members were involved in the making of the production and an audience of over 500 people saw it over the course of the weekend in October.

Beverly Bond, one of the community festival organisers said:

The event was highly inclusive and brought together many different groups of residents including people with learning disabilities, mental health service users, young people, elderly, local businesses, schools, the Women’s Institute, to name but a few. It did everything and more than a community arts project could be expected to achieve and I am very proud that this took place in our town. 

York Theatre Royal and the Arts Council are in the process of evaluating the three year initiative and are delighted that the Easingwold leg of the project has been recognised with an award nomination. The York Press named Alice in Wonderland the community production of the year at the end of 2015.

Abbigail Ollive, Head of Communications at York Theatre Royal:

On Our Turf has been a fantastic project to be involved in. It has brought communities together in creative ways and left a legacy to produce and curate work in these towns into the future. 

The Hambleton District Council Awards were launched two years ago to recognise and celebrate the exceptional contribution to the district made by countless residents – young and old. They cover everything from Community Group of the Year to Citizen of the Year.

Councillor Mrs Bridget Fortune, Portfolio Holder for Customer and Leisure Services said:

We want to reward the positive – and often unnoticed – voluntary work undertaken by our residents who all work hard to ensure their communities are a nice place to live. These individuals and groups work tirelessly for no pay, to provide excellent services, projects and experiences for their communities.  The awards will allow us to give them the praise they so richly deserve.

The Arts and Culture Award recognises individuals, groups or projects that have made an outstanding contribution to the arts and other cultural activities in the area.  The activity must have improved participation in the arts and be able to demonstrate high quality arts experience.

The award ceremony will be held on the evening of the 17^th March.

The UK’s longest established contemporary dance powerhouse, Rambert are back in Newcastle this year with a brand new show celebrating the dual forces of nature and art.  Thought provoking, visually stunning, and featuring Tyneside-born dancer Adam Park, the new tour is set to blow audiences away at Newcastle Theatre Royal 2 – 4 Feb ‘16.

The tour programme features two new pieces – the Picasso-inspired The 3 Dancers and Frames, which takes us into a choreographer’s world, and a third piece, which was one of the huge successes of 2014 – The Strange Charm of Mother Nature.

The 3 Dancers is inspired by the tragic love triangle behind Picasso’s masterpiece of the same name.  A new work from former Rambert dancer Didy Veldman, it will explore the eternal themes of the painter’s work: love, desire and death. An internationally-renowned choreographer, Veldman uses a total of six dancers, three dressed in white and three as their shadows or darker selves in order to delve into the social, psychological and human elements of Picasso’s work.

Veldman, well known for her theatrical style and earthy choreography, reveals how Cubism can be applied to movement to create the fragmented world which is so characteristic of Picasso’s work. The 3 Dancers features an original score by Australia’s leading composer Elena Kats-Chernin.

Frames is a new work from another Rambert alumni, Alexander Whitley, which lays bare the process of making a dance performance. Twelve performers assemble and dismantle the set, move lighting and change angles, constantly creating new spaces and playing with what’s revealed and what’s hidden in their sequences of highly technical dancing.

This thought-provoking work, which sees dancers create a stage within a stage, is a continuation of Whitley’s collaboration with award-winning visual artists Tuur Van Balen and Revital Cohen and is accompanied by a new score from Icelandic composer Daníel Bjarnason.

The Strange Charm of Mother Nature, which premiered in September 2014, is inspired by particle physics and the recent discovery of the Higgs boson ‘God Particle’. Continuing choreographer Mark Baldwin’s fascination with science which has seen previous pieces inspired by the theories of Einstein and Darwin, the show sees dancers fizz with the energy of the miniscule building blocks that created life, the universe and everything. The work is set to a musical score of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.3, Stravinsky’s Dumbarton Oaks and a new piece by Cheryl Frances-Hoad.

This season, the company once again features north-east born dancer Adam Park, aged 24, of Jesmond who trained at Dame Allan’s and Dance City and has been in the company for four years.  Adam last performed with Rambert at Newcastle Theatre Royal in 2012 as part of the Seven for a Secret tour.

Rambert appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tue 2 – Thu 4 February 2016 (Evenings: 7.30pm, Matinee: Thursday 2pm). Tickets are from £12.00

(pay less online) and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Five theatres to receive London Theatres Small Grants Scheme awards from the Theatres Trust through Cameron Mackintosh donation 

• £25,000 awarded to five small London theatres in first round of London Theatres Small Grants Scheme
• Grants awarded to Battersea Arts Centre, Bush Theatre, The Cockpit, New Diorama Theatre, and SPID Theatre
• Awards go towards urgent building repairs, backstage and building access route improvements, and urgently needed new office and education space
• First round of grants made possible by the Scheme’s first donor, the Mackintosh Foundation, run by Cameron Mackintosh
• London Theatres Small Grants Scheme has the support of the Mayor of London and aims to build a fund to help small theatres with capital grants, in response to a London Assembly investigation into London’s small theatres

Three quarters of small venues surveyed in 2013 as part of the Economy Committee of the London Assembly’s ‘Centre Stage’ report into the needs of small theatres in London said they needed to significantly upgrade or repair their buildings but 93% had yet to raise the money to carry out the work.

The Theatres Trust is pleased to announce that five small theatres in London will benefit from the first round of its new London Theatres Small Grants Scheme, made possible through a donation from the Mackintosh Foundation.

The five successful projects are:

Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) in Wandsworth is awarded £5,000 to replace their temporary wheelchair ramp leading to the café / bar and first floor performance space with a new permanent ramp. This improves access to BAC and contributes to the major Haworth Tompkins-led BAC capital redevelopment and restoration project.

Bush Theatre in Hammersmith & Fulham is awarded £5,000 to repair the pitched roofs and dormer windows of their former Old Library building. These repairs help to maintain the condition of this locally listed theatre’s façade.

The Cockpit in Camden is awarded £5,000 to repair their leaky flat roof which sits over the theatre’s dressing rooms. This improves backstage conditions for performers and theatre staff and keeps costumes and equipment safe.

New Diorama Theatre in Camden is awarded £5,000 to install a converted storage container in their back yard to provide much needed space for their outreach programme and an accessible office space.

SPID Theatre in Kensington and Chelsea is awarded £5,000 to carry out urgent works to replace doors, and install disabled ramps and double glazing windows in their Grade II* building.

Cameron Mackintosh said: “It’s an honour for the Mackintosh Foundation to be the first donor to the London Small Theatres Grants Scheme and provide capital funding to help these theatres. Working with the Theatres Trust and the Mayor of London we’re making a start in helping to solve the urgent capital needs of London’s smaller theatres. This is so important for the next generation of artists and audiences and the continuing success of London’s theatre scene.”

Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “London’s smaller theatres are vital to its preeminence as a cultural capital on the world stage. Dotted throughout our city they entertain Londoners and bring in visitors, contributing to the local economy. In addition, they are a fertile seedbed for the vibrant talent and creativity that also feeds into the major houses, as well as film and television. These awards will help ensure some of our key players can get on with their core business, which is exciting work for the public to enjoy.”

Tim Eyles, Theatres Trust Chair said “London’s small theatres face so many challenges raising capital funding for repairs and upgrades, so I’m delighted that we’ve been able to announce these awards today. We need to see more capital investment going into fringe theatres if we are to ensure theatre makers have a home in the city to make and present their work. I want to say a big thank you to Sir Cameron Mackintosh and the Mackintosh Foundation for their incredible support in making these first grants.”

Tom Copley, AM said: “Small grants can make a big difference. I’m delighted that five of London’s small theatres will be able to improve working conditions for performers and staff, make their buildings more accessible and restore historic buildings. Huge thanks must go to the Mackintosh Foundation for being the first donor to the London Theatres Small Grants Scheme, which will support London’s small theatres and help them to continue to grow.”

GET DOWN AND SEE A MUSIC ICON

Global music superstar Gilbert O’Sullivan comes to Darlington Civic Theatre on Monday 15 February.

Gilbert O’Sullivan’s first taste of chart success came with ‘Nothing Rhymed’, a UK Top Ten hit in 1970, taken from his debut album Himself, but it was 1972’s ‘Alone Again (Naturally)’ that shot him to international stardom, topping the U.S. charts for six weeks and garnering three Grammy Award nominations. Soon after, he scored three UK number ones with the singles ‘Clair’ and ‘Get Down’ and the album Back to Front, before being named Songwriter of the Year at the 18th Ivor Novello Awards.

Gilbert O’Sullivan will be on stage with his fabulous ten-piece band to bring you all his hit songs as well as brand new compositions from his newly released album Latin Ala G. To catch a glimpse of what to expect, Gilbert O’Sullivan will be appearing on the BBC Radio 2 programme Friday Night Is Music Night on Friday 12 February.

Gilbert O’Sullivan is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Monday 15 February at 7.30pm. Tickets* are priced £29 & £30.50

*All prices include a £1 restoration levy

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

DON’T MISS THE BOAT, ME HEARTIES

A fabulous family production of Treasure Island is coming to Darlington Civic Theatre just in time for the half term holidays.

Audiences will be taken on a magical trip into a world of pirates, adventure and princesses as one of the nation’s favourite children’s novels is brought to life with a lively modern twist at Darlington Civic theatre on Tuesday 16 February.

See Jim Hawkins, Jolly Roger, old Ben Gunn, Billy Bones, Sneaky Beaky the parrot and of course Long John Silver, star with action aplenty on the high seas. This show is jam-packed with shanties, cheering, booing, puppets, lots of colourful costumes, amazing sets, illusions and maybe even a monkey or two!

The show is the brainchild of popular comedian and entertainer Tom Beard.

Tom is no stranger to children’s shows, having appeared in number one venues over the past ten years, where he frequently had children (and adults) doubled up with mirth at his comedy antics. Tom said: “Everyone knows and loves the original pirate story but you won’t have enjoyed the tale quite like this before. We want our audience (both young and old!) to get involved with lots of shouting and cheering. We are after non-stop fun and laughter, whilst also staying as close to the original tale as possible.”

He continued; “We’ve respectfully kept to Robert Louis Stevenson’s swashbuckling tale which everyone can enjoy, along with some humour for both the adults and the children. The one thing we can guarantee is that everyone will leave with a smile on their face.”

Treasure Island is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 16 February at 2pm.

Tickets are priced £10 & £12, Family Ticket £40

Recommended age 3+

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

STRICTLY SPEAKING, BRENDAN’S ONE OF THE BEST

Brendan Cole presents A Night To Remember at Darlington Civic Theatre on Thursday 18 February.

Strictly Come Dancing’s Brendan Cole is set to dazzle audiences with his latest dance extravaganza, A Night To Remember.

Brendan, one of Strictly Come Dancing’s most charismatic choreographers and performers, will host throughout the night as he leads his cast on a journey of music and dance in a spectacular night of theatrical entertainment.

Loaded with ballroom magic and Latin excitement, Brendan’s newest live music and dance spectacuar will be 2016’s must see show.

Brendan Cole A Night To remember is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Thursday 18 February at 3pm & 7.30pm. Tickets* are priced £34 & £36

*All prices include a £1 restoration levy

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