REVIEW: THE BODYGUARD (Sunderland Empire)

March 3, 2016 

For: West End Wilma 

https://www.westendwilma.com/review-the-bodyguard-sunderland-empire/

The Bodyguard arrives with a bang in to Sunderland Empire. Based on the 1992 film of the same name starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, the musical has been adapted and updated for the stage and is jam packed full of Houston’s greatest hits.

Playing Rachel Marron in Sunderland was North East favourite Zoe Birkett. No wannabe Whitney Warbler here, she sings the songs with pitch and tone to match her exquisite voice and the standing ovation for I Will Always Love You was rightly deserved.

However Stuart Reid’s karaoke version as the bodyguard in question, Frank Farmer, maybe wasn’t the best. He does smoulder quite well and his interaction with 10 year old Fletcher (T’Jai Adu-Yeboah) shows the tender side of the tough man.

Telling the story of Marron, a famous singer who hires an uncompromising ex-secret service agent, Farmer, to protect her from an obsessed stalker this is a love story between Rachel and Frank, with sister Nicki forced on the sidelines again, despite her own feelings for the bodyguard.

Rachel John is at times a show-stealer as sister Nicki. She gives an emotional performance as the hard-done-by younger sister who is outshone by her famous sibling at every turn, her version of All At Once was outstanding. John has a beautifully clear and soulful voice and the Run to You duet between her and Birkett is the standout scene in the first half, their voices are vastly different, but work incredibly well together.

It’s not just the show-stopping numbers that keep the audience gripped, it’s also the thriller of a storyline as the gun-toting stalker edges ever closer to our superstar heroine. Matthew Stathers is incredibly sinister as the mysterious psychopath. He ratchets up the suspense until we’re on the edge of our seats. And the shooting scenes as he tries to kill from the middle of the audience are mesmerizing.

Don’t be thinking this is a mere jukebox musical though. It’s a truly stunning theatrical reimagining of the film, with spectacular staging in both the sets and costume design from Tim Hatley. With Lighting by Mark Henderson, Sound by Richard Brooker and the live band lead by Tom Gearing. The production is technically brilliant making this a very lavish performance.

From the explosive start to the feel good finale, the show dazzles and shines. It’s a high octane, emotional, enjoyable disco roller coaster ride and well worth the visit to see.

THE LAST WORD 2016

ROUNDHOUSE                24 MAY – 18 JUNE

Following the success of last year’s THE LAST WORD festival, the Roundhouse announces a thrilling programme for its third season, presenting the best of spoken word, storytelling and live performance, from Tuesday 24 May – Saturday 18 June.

Showcasing the finest home grown Roundhouse talent, alongside the genre’s rising stars and the original trailblazers, The Last Word’s highlights include:

·         Words First Live, a partnership between BBC Radio 1Xtra and Roundhouse, featuring Kate Tempest and six of the hottest young spoken word artists from across the UK

·         Debris Stevenson’s Dirtee Verse

·         Mark Grist & Tim Clare’s Only You Can Save Poetry

·         Burning Eye poets Hollie McNish, Liv Torc and Lydia Towsey present Mum’s The Word

Lucy Atkinson, festival producer says: “This will be the third instalment of The Last Word, the UK’s first festival dedicated to spoken word. Celebrating this exciting and vibrant scene, The Last Word will host the best in young spoken word talent at the Roundhouse Poetry Slam, now in its 8^th year. An exciting partnership with BBC 1Xtra – Words First reaches its one year conclusion in the search for the writing and performing talent of the future. Alongside new shows from John Berkavitch, Mark Grist/Tim Clare and Baba Israel, an audio installation from Talia Randall and the biggest show ever from spoken word/music maestros Tongue Fu.”

 

WRONG by John Berkavitch
24 – 25 May, 8pm

£12.50 / Sackler Space

“I’ve never been as certain as when I was wrong.”

Following on from the critically acclaimed SHAME, Berkavitch and company return to The Last Word festival with a brand new work of spoken word-dance theatre.

Written and performed by poet John Berkavitch and combining poetry, dance and live illustration, Wrong is a story of fatherhood.

Berkavitch is joined on stage by a group of dancers and illustrators, who physically manipulate, interrogate, annotate and enable him to tell a story about having, becoming and being a dad.

Script development from Sabrina Mahfouz. Music by My Panda Shall Fly.

“Berkavitch is a compelling storyteller and there is a chocolatey richness in his language”

The Guardian on SHAME

Developed with support from Arts Council England, Roundhouse Camden, Curve Theatre and Breakin’ Convention.

 

A LANGUAGE WE BOTH KNOW HOW TO SOUND OUT by Raymond Antrobus

25 May, 7pm

£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

A LANGUAGE WE BOTH KNOW HOW TO SOUND OUT is a series of poems written by London laureate Raymond Antrobus on how he, as a hard of hearing poet, navigates the hearing world.

This is a collaboration with actress and director, Charmaine Wombwell (Deafinitely Theatre).

Directed by Charmaine Wombwell.

DIRTEE VERSE by Debris Stevenson

27 May, 8pm
£10 / Sackler Space

Mashing up the hype of grime with the craft of spoken word, poet Debris Stevenson lyrically reinterprets Dizzee Rascal’s award-winning debut album Boy In Da Corner in her own way – Poet In The Corner.

 

Collaborating with producer Rapsz Katai (JME, Skepta), Stevenson will perform several tracks with Jammz, TrueMendous, Youth Oracle, Eklipse and more.

Dirtee Verse will also feature DJ sets, grime inspired poems, a Clash Money battle between Nottingham based Mouthy Poets and MCs and more. A vybzing skank and hype-ting event, tonight is for lyric conscious, spoken word, poetry and grime-lovers alike. See these art forms clash, collaborate and take over the stage…

BUILDING A VOICE-PERCUSSION GUN TO KILL GLITCHES IN MEMORY by Antosh Wojcik 
28 May, 2pm
£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

 

Antosh Wojcik presents a performance based on the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s on voice, memory and motor skills, reciting poems over live glitch-drumming to shift rhythms and fluency of his vocal delivery.

A narrative that explores speech dislocated by dementia, constructing a sound-weapon to kill his mother’s inherited Alzheimer’s and questions for a grandmother walking with Alzheimer’s in the afterlife.

Produced by Penned In The Margins.

Testament in association with LittleMighty present

THE PRIVILEGE SHOW 
28 May, 7pm
£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

In the first public performance of material that will form part of his new show, Guinness World Record holding beatboxer Testament fuses together spoken word, loop station theatrics, poetry and rap and to tell a powerful new story of contemporary Britain. Two people head out on a booze-fuelled bender, and are forced to face up to their own prejudices, as Testament tackles issues of race, gender and understanding people who don’t share our point of view.

RAISING LAZARUS written and performed by Kat Francois

28 May, 3pm

£10 / Sackler Space

The critically-acclaimed Raising Lazarus charts the true story of Kat Francois’ relative, Private Lazarus Francois, from the Caribbean island of Grenada, who joined the British West Indies Regiment in 1915 to fight for Britain during the First World War.

Francois weaves a story of how she discovered she was connected to a part of British history that she previously assumed had no relevance to her, whilst exposing a small part of the journey undertaken by thousands of Caribbean soldiers who volunteered for King and Country.

FINDING HOME by Cecilia Knapp
28 – 29 May, 8pm

£12.50/ Sackler Space

Along the cycle paths, alleyways and canals of London comes a coming-of-age story that maps the journey of a girl from a seaside town to the tenements of East London as a 20-something.

 

Writer and performer Cecilia Knapp’s debut piece is a journey through grief, loss and growing up.

Cecilia takes us from her childhood in Brighton to her life in London. She shines a light on how we deal with loss, how we talk about mental health, and explores what it is like to grow up amongst these things. We meet the characters that have influenced her, listen to her old cassettes, hear her story and discover how she found home amongst chaos.

 

Directed by Stef O’Driscoll (Kate Tempest’s Hopelessly Devoted, A Tale from the Bedsit) FINDING HOME is brought to the stage through an evocative collaboration of words, projections, vocals and instrumentals, both classical and contemporary.

 

ALL THE THINGS I LIED ABOUT by Katie Bonna 
29 May, 2pm
£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

 

Would the world be a better place if we were all honest?

Award-winning writer and performer Katie Bonna is doing a TED talk on our passion for dishonesty and the science of lies. Sort of. TED haven’t actually asked her to do one – yet.

From tricking her sister into drinking her wee to monstrous infidelities, Katie charts her family history to confront our fibs.

Part TED talk, part poetry, part comedy – mostly lies.

“Katie Bonna puts in a simply dazzling performance” The Stage

COAT by Yomi Sode

29 May, 7pm

£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

In COAT, Yomi Sode tackles migration and identity using the audience as his counsellor.

An attack at his workplace uncovers various flash points in Yomi’s upbringing that are confusing, at times humorous, and uncomfortable.

Movement by John Berkavitch
Developed as part of RE:Play alongside Lemn Sissay and Polarbear

Spare The Poets presents

MILK TEETH

Double bill with The Roundhouse Poetry Collective

29 May, 3.30pm

£7.50 / Sackler Space

We’ve left the womb, learned words, dipped our fingers in paint, changed shape, passed tests, packed boxes, paid tax… Where are we now?

In their debut show ‘Milk Teeth’, Spare The Poets dig memories from playground sandpits, prise them from sticky night-club floors, and put them under a microscope, asking: When did we stop playing? Will these acne scars ever fade? And whatever happened to our milk teeth?

Spare the Poets hatched during the Roundhouse Poetry Collective 2014/15, by mother hens Bohdan Piasecki and Debris Stevenson. Now, having flown the nest, this exciting fifteen strong collective is making waves in the London poetry scene.

This performance will be a double-bill with a new commission by The Roundhouse Poetry Collective – further details to be announced.

 

ONLY YOU CAN SAVE POETRY by Mark Grist & Tim Clare
31 May – 2 June, 8pm

£12.50 / Sackler Space

 

Modern poetry is amazing, right? Angry strangers shouting your own opinions back at you for money! Literature graduates competing to find the most complicated way of saying ‘I feel sad’! Mark Grist and Tim Clare have been part of this strangely unappreciated scene for years, and believe it’s now time for something different.

Using ground-breaking techniques of data collection and live feedback from the audience they will perform a series of experiments to determine: what is the most erotic line of verse possible? What would the perfect poem contain? And, most importantly: who is best – Mark or Tim?

Mark Grist went from being an English teacher to defeating a grime artist in a ‘student versus teacher’ rap battle that has attracted over five million hits on YouTube. Since then he has appeared on television, toured the country and been hailed as a “poetry standout” (Financial Times), “YouTube sensation” (The Sun) to an “unlikely heart-throb” (Guardian).  Tim Clare is a uniquely original poet; author and musician described as “shrewd and funny” (The Scotsman). He is the creator of the world’s first Poetry Take-Away and the ambitious 101 Poems In A Day where he wrote and published online a 101 original new poems!

POETRY SLAM FINAL

2 June, 7pm

£10-£15 / Main Space

The Roundhouse Poetry Slam Final takes place on the Main Space stage after a complete sell-out last year. The evening features the next generation of spoken word artists and poets aged 16-25 competing for the much-coveted Slam title. Host and judges to be confirmed.

90 SICK EP by Paul Cree

2 June, 7pm

£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

“If you work really, REALLY hard, with a lot of luck, you could get a C… but you probably won’t.”

Writer and performer Paul Cree weaves his way through the tales of two mates, from primary school to adulthood and low skilled employment. Expect tales of football, cars, cress plants, train tracks, Drum ‘N Bass, hash, booze and GNVQ’s.

“His storytelling was thoroughly engaging, layered with experience and iced with wit. I was hungry for more.” Broadway Baby

Burning Eye presents

MUM’S THE WORD

3 June, 2pm

£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

What does it mean to be a mother and poet in the 21^st Century?

For this special afternoon performance, Burning Eye poets Lydia Towsey, Liv Torc and Hollie McNish will entertain parents in need of culture, amusement and adult conversation.

Burning Eye Books is a small independent published in the South West predominantly specialising in promoting spoken word artists. They aim to dispel the assumption that performance poetry does not transfer well to page as well as give emerging and established artists publishing opportunities where they might otherwise be rejected from other traditional poetry publishers.

Parents and babies welcome.

 

TONGUE FU
3 June, 7pm

£10-£15 / Main Space

The UK’s sharpest poets, storytellers, rappers and comedians perform with jaw-dropping improvised soundtracks from the genre hopping Tongue Fu Band and animations from design studio CR&D. 

 

Created and hosted by poet Chris Redmond, Tongue Fu  is one of the UK’s liveliest and largest spoken word shows: a riotous experiment in live literature, music and improvisation.

 

Line-up so far includes Hollie McNish, Buddy Wakefield and Vanessa Kisuule with special guests to be announced

“It’s poetry, but not as you know it…amazing” The Guardian

“Top performance poetry night” The Independent

THE SPINNING WHEEL KEEPS TURNING

Presented by Unfinished Business in association with Baba Israel

3 – 5 June, 8pm
£12.50 / Sackler Space

Steve Ben Israel was a New York jazz musician, poet, stand-up comic, political activist and core member of the iconic ensemble The Living Theatre. He passed away in 2012, leaving behind a legacy of 1960’s countercultural and a son – Baba Israel.

THE SPINNING WHEEL KEEPS TURNING is an international collaboration between New York hip hop theatre artist Baba Israel, Artistic Director of Unfinished Business Leo Kay and musician Yako 440, with video by Richard Ramchurn and Dramaturgy by Talvin Wilks.

Celebrating artistic expression, political activism and intergenerational collaboration it remixes past and present in a fusion of storytelling, projection mapping, hip hop, jazz and spoken word.

Created by Baba Israel, Leo Kay & Yako 440.

 

THE SLEEP SHOW by Rob Auton

4 June, 2pm
£10 / Sackler Space

Comedy-meets-theatre-meets-talking about water in this new show from award-winning writer and performer Rob Auton. Having explored the colour yellow in 2012’s THE YELLOW SHOW, the sky in 2013’s THE SKY SHOW, faces in 2014’s THE FACE SHOW, water in 2015’s THE WATER SHOW, Rob now turns his attention to sleep with 2016’s THE SLEEP SHOW, a show suitable for anybody who has slept or seen someone sleeping.

“Charming, eccentric and uplifting, Auton is a talent to watch” The Independent

“A genuine original. Poetical, philosophical, humane, completely charming and funny to boot”
The Guardian

“Funny, baffling, and deeply moving” The Telegraph

THE SUNSHINE KID by Harry Baker

4 June, 3.30pm
£10 / Sackler Space

Voted ‘Best Spoken Word Show’ of the Edinburgh Fringe 2015, THE SUNSHINE KID follows Harry Baker’s journey from writing Jay Z / maths parodies in school music competitions to being crowned the youngest ever World Poetry Slam Champion and beyond.

Taking poems from his debut anthology that has sold thousands of copies in over 30 countries worldwide; Harry’s 3rd solo show contains the raw honesty, tongue-in-cheek humour and blistering wordplay that has won the hearts and minds of audiences across the globe.

‘Simply put… the greatest performer on Earth’ ★★★★★  Scott Mills Show, BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1Xtra & Roundhouse present
WORDS FIRST LIVE
4 June, 7pm
Free / Main Space

Hosted by BBC Radio 1Xtra presenter DJ Target, Words First Live is an opportunity to come face to face with the future of spoken word.

Over the last 6 months, BBC 1Xtra and the Roundhouse have scoured the country for the freshest aspiring spoken word artists, rappers, MCs and poets. Following a series of workshops across Glasgow, Bristol, Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester and London, six artists aged 16-25 were chosen to receive mentoring by some of the leading talent on the spoken word scene.

Join us for an electrifying evening showcasing this new generation of voices in action as they premiere work exploring our different individual, family and global identities.

The final six – Isaiah Hull, Asma Elbadawi, Solomon O.B, Amina Jama, Liam McCormick and Reuben Field – will perform alongside some of the UK’s leading spoken word artists including Kate Tempest and more acts to be announced.

THE HARRY AND CHRIS SHOW! by Harry Baker and Chris Read

4 June, 1pm

£7.50/ Dorfman Hub

See what happens when Harry’s Baker’s award-winning words combine with Chris Read’s jazz/pop/funk musical stylings.

Harry and Chris have performed together since their schooldays and delivering newspapers from the same newsagent at the tender age of 15.

Since then their solo careers have blossomed, and from their debut EP ‘Whaddyawannado’ their first joint show is born. Flight of The Conchords meets Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip.

SPOKEN WORD AND SOCIAL ACTIVISM

4 June, 6pm

£7.50 / Dorfman Hub

Spoken word is being used across the world to galvanise communities and stimulate social activism. This event will feature a range of exceptional performance poets who are working in a range of settings from the criminal justice system and prisons, to gender issues, race issues and experiences of migration, as well as some of the participants they have been working with.

Mixing performance, film, personal stories and provocation, the evening will delve into the power of spoken word in complex social settings.  Featuring poems and stories from Toni Stuart, Zena Edwards, Simon Mole, Femi Martin and Indigo Williams.

In partnership with Free Word.

Nimble Fish presents

LOST IN BLUE written & performed by Debs Newbold

5 June, 5pm
£10 / Sackler Space

Debs Newbold, highly celebrated performer and Shakespeare’s Globe storyteller, delivers a touching, funny, cinematic and surreal one-woman show enhanced by live music technology.

Through the prism of Vincent van Gogh’s recognisable late work, Bedroom in Arles, she explores the phenomenon of living life in a coma and the healing power of art.

 

When she was three years old, Annie’s life was skewed off-course. On her 18^th birthday, it threatens to happen again. What is it like to be in a coma? To love someone in a coma? What would van Gogh say about it if you hung out with him in his room at Arles?  And what does a pigeon called Muhammad Ali eat for breakfast?

 Directed by John Wright.

 

Paines Plough and Latitude Festival present

WITH A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK by Sabrina Mahfouz

14 – 18 June, 8pm

£12.50 / Sackler Space

‘I want to be iconic. I want to be beautiful, reckless, feared, hated, ahead of the times. I want to be different, I want to be dangerous…’

London, 2001. Raves. Revision. Re-election.

Nadia is swept up in one hot summer’s night of love that promises endless possibilities. Drinking, dancing, hope, ambition, lust, greed… and decisions that will determine the rest of her life.

Rhythmically underscored by a live mix of old school UK Garage, award-winning writer Sabrina Mahfouz explores the legacy of a cultural movement that defined the hopes of a generation.

London, 2015. Re-wind.

 

“Fist-pumping euphoria…one of the highlights of Latitude’s sun-stroked 10th anniversary festival… crackle[s] with a rare and unexpected life” The Stage

“Gorgeous genre-melding music and theatre” Exeunt

 

Directed by Stef O’Driscoll

 

THE WHISPER

2 – 4 June
Free entry / Roundhouse Foyer

Step into a labyrinth of whispers.
Listen to a million voices flutter all around you.
Experience a hundred tiny speakers transmitting streams of words that transform as you move around them.

Whether these voices are warped and discordant or harmonious and unified these are words you need to hear. A unique fusion of sound, vision and poetry, The Whisper is a collaboration between Vahakn Matossian and Talia Randall.

“Inspiring. Beautiful. Genuine.”  Electronic Sound Magazine on Vahakn Matossian

 

“Talia Randall was the highlight of the evening” Sabotage Reviews

COMING OUT

2 – 4 June

Free entry / Various locations within the Roundhouse

What is the future of love? Encounter a series of objects that will trigger audio through your own mobile and help you imagine what romance will look like in twenty years’ time. An opportunity for Last Word audiences to sample an upcoming interactive installation that will have its world premiere at FutureFest 2016.

This project is a co-production by Nesta and Roundhouse Radio.

 

LISTINGS:

Dates:     24 May – 18 June 2016

Venue:    Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London NW1 8EH

Tickets:  0300 6789 222 / www.roundhouse.org.uk

 

 

Balloons Theatre presents:

BILL KENWRIGHT PRESENTS

UNCHAINED AND REIMAGINED – A NEW MUSICAL PRODUCTION

BASED ON THE MUCH-LOVED MOVIE MASTERPIECE GHOST

 

GHOST – THE MUSICAL

Book and Lyrics by BRUCE JOEL RUBIN

Music and Lyrics by DAVE STEWART AND GLEN BALLARD

Based on the Paramount Pictures film written by BRUCE JOEL RUBIN

 

This autumn BILL KENWRIGHT will stage a new production of the timeless story of love, despair and hope:GHOST – THE MUSICAL.

Taking its inspiration from the classic movie, this innovative reimagining will feature an expanded book, new music and original staging.

The Double Academy Award winning movie is a huge success story, both critically and at the box office, where it was the highest grossing film in the year of its release. It starred the late Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Jerry Zucker. Bruce Joel Rubin’s script won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay and Whoopi Goldberg won the Oscar® for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. The film’s most iconic and moving scene was famously performed to The Righteous Brother’s Unchained Melody, which also features in the musical version. Ghost won numerous other awards and nominations, including being nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film.

Walking back to their apartment late one night a tragic encounter sees Sam murdered and his beloved wife Molly alone, in despair and utterly lost. But with the help of a phony storefront psychic Sam, trapped between this world and the next, tries to communicate with Molly in the hope of saving her from grave danger…

Bill Kenwright said “GHOST is a story full of hope, and is one of those films which never leaves you. The book by Bruce Joel Rubin and score by Dave Stewart and Glenn Ballad come together wonderfully in one of my favourite new musicals in years.”

Bruce Joel Rubin said “This is a show with such a strong emotional and musical life that it can mould to many visions and interpretations.  It can be performed on any scale, and its vibrant heart will still captivate an audience and allows the imagination to flourish. It is purely theatrical in the greatest sense.  We are very excited by the potential that the new version holds and elated that it will be launched in the US at The Fulton Theatre, then tour the UK with Bill Kenwright”.

The production tours the UK from 29 August, opening at the New Theatre Wimbledon.

Dates currently on sale at www.kenwright.com. Creative team and casting to be announced.

Paul Taylor-Mills presents

 

THE UK PREMIERE

OF BROADWAY MUSICAL

SIDE SHOW

From the composer of Dreamgirls

 

AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

FROM FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER TO SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 2016

Broadway musical Side Show will receive its UK Premiere in a brand new production at Southwark Playhouse, opening on Wednesday 26 October with previews from Friday 21 October.

Inspired by the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, Side Show is a remarkable musical about love, acceptance and embracing the unique.

The Hilton Sisters make ends meet playing a headline act at a seedy side show, languishing under the rule of an oppressive ringmaster. But when spotted by a talent agent, they are thrust into the spotlight of the famed 1920’s Orpheum Circuit. They soon become the highest paid vaudeville stars of their time, but whilst Daisy relishes the spotlight, Violet wishes for a quiet life with a man she loves, and who loves her. Can they balance their individual dreams with their inescapable physical connection? Side Show is a heartwarming musical about the search for love and acceptance amidst the spectacle of fame.

 

Side Show first opened on Broadway in 1997, where it was nominated for four Tony Awards; Best Musical, Best Score, Best Book and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, the only time a nomination has been shared by two actresses; Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner.

 

Side Show features a score by Dreamgirls composer Henry Krieger, with both shows making their London debuts just weeks apart from each other when Dreamgirls opens in the West End in November. Krieger was nominated for Tony Awards for Best Score for Side Show and Dreamgirls, won a Grammy Award for the cast album of Dreamgirls, and received three Academy Award nominations for the additional songs he wrote for the 2006 film.

 

It has a Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell, who received a Tony Award nomination for Best Book, and shared the nomination for Best Score with Krieger. Russell’s other musicals include Elegies for Angels and Punks and Raging Queens. Additional Book material is by Bill Condon, who reworked Side Show for its 2014 Broadway revival. Condon is an Academy Award-winning screenwriter and director, best known for writing the screenplay for the 2002 film Chicago, and directing and writing the critically acclaimed films Gods and Monsters and Dreamgirls, for which he won a Golden Globe.

Side Show is presented by Paul Taylor-Mills, who returns to Southwark Playhouse following his acclaimed productions of In The Heights and Carrie: The Musical. In The Heights this week received four Olivier Award nominations including Best New Musical for its transfer to King’s Cross Theatre, whilst Carrie: The Musical last month won the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Off West End Production.

 

It will be directed by Hannah Chissick (Down the Dock Road, Royal Court Liverpool, Brass, NYMT, Marry Me a Little, St. James Studio). Casting is by Will Burton. Side Show has music by Henry Krieger and Book and Lyrics by Bill Russell, with additional Book material by Bill Condon.

Casting is to be announced.

 

Twitter @Side_ShowUK

LISTINGS

FRIDAY 21 OCTOBER – SATURDAY 3 DECEMBER 2016

SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE, The Large

77-85 Newington Causeway, London SE1 6BD

Nearest Tube:               Borough / Elephant and Castle

Press Night:                   Wednesday 26 October, 7.30pm

Performances:               Monday – Saturday 7.30pm, Saturday 3.00pm (additional perf Tues 29 November 3.00pm)

Tickets:                         £14 previews / £25 standard / £20 concessions / £7-£12 PAYG members

Box Office                     020 7407 0234 | www.southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

ON SALE NOW

Note: Southwark Playhouse has introduced allocated seating in The Large space. Patrons can pick their seats online or will be given best available seats when booking over the phone.

TAKE PART IN THE GOOD OLD DAYS

An opportunity for children to be part of the show with a half term workshop and performance with The Good Old Days of Variety at Darlington Civic Theatre in April.

And now, for your delectation and amusement, a fantastical foray into the magical world of Music Hall and Variety…

With half term just around the corner, what better way to keep your little ones entertained than on a special workshop and performance at Darlington Civic Theatre.

On Tuesday 5 April go back in time to visit the Civic Theatre’s roots in the era of music hall and variety. Children will work with expert leaders in the workshop to create a singing routine to be performed on Wednesday 6 April as part of the professional show The Good Old Days of Variety starring legendary entertainer Anita Harris and The Grumbleweeds.

The workshop will run from 10am to 3pm on Tuesday 5 April. The performance will run from 2pm to approximately 4pm on Wednesday 6 April.

This is a fantastic opportunity for young children to learn new skills, make new friends and tread the boards of the Civic Theatre stage. The cost per young person (suitable for ages 7+) is £15.

ArtsSpark Youth Theatre and Dance members £10.

With a full supporting cast, hilarious comedy, live musicians and lots of songs to sing along to, The Good Old Days of Variety is a guaranteed fun show for the whole family.

To book a place on the workshop please call the Box Office on 01325 486 555

The Good Old Days of Variety is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Wednesday 6 April at 2pm. Tickets* are £15.50 with discounts available.

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

EASTER WEEKEND IN LONDON

 

The renowned Wintershall Players bring their awe-inspiring full scale re-enactmentThe Passion of Jesus to Trafalgar Square on Good Friday, 25 March 2016

Brought to life by a cast of over a hundred, all in resplendent costumes, along with horses, doves and donkeys. Featuring realistic scenes and a heart moving interpretation of the crucifixion and resurrection, The Passion ofJesus is an unforgettable experience.  (Parental guidance is advised)

The Passion’s Christian message embraces all denominations and this is highlighted by the active and continued involvement of the ecumenical Christian charity, Bible Society, as well as two of the country’s principal Church leaders, The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster and the Bishop of London.

 

‘As Londoners across the capital and beyond celebrate Easter I am delighted that The Passion of Jesus returning to Trafalgar Square. It is a wonderful event that brings to life the Christian message and attracts people of all faiths right in the heart of our great city.’ –The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson

The Wintershall Players will be performing the Life of Christ at the Wintershall Estate in Surrey from the 21-26 June and the Wintershall Nativity from the 14-18 December.

NORTHERN BALLET BRING CLASSIC LOVE STORY TO SHEFFIELD

Northern Ballet returns to the Lyceum Theatre this spring with modern classic Swan Lake from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 March.  A modern take on a beautifully tragic tale of love and obsession, Swan Lake, choreographed by David Nixon OBE, is told through the Company’s unique blend of classical ballet and drama

Haunted by a childhood tragedy resulting in the death of his beloved brother, Anthony looks to the water for answers – in whatever form they take. An ethereal swan-like creature emerges and Anthony finds an unknown joy and freedom he has not felt since he was a boy, but on returning home, he finds himself conflicted. Torn between his two friends, the mystical swan beckons – what path will Anthony choose?

Set in New England at the start of the twentieth century, a time of long lazy summers and old world grace, this production, which was first performed in 2004, features costumes capturing the luxury and refined affluence of the era.

Set designs by Dave Gillan, lighting by Peter Mumford and Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia complete the retelling of this infamous story.

Lovers of dance will not want to miss this absorbing adaptation of one of the greatest love stories of all time.

Swan Lake visits the Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 March.  Tickets are on sale now, priced from £12.00 – £37.00 and can be purchased in person at Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office, by calling 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk. A transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash.

Ruby in the Dust presents:

The Woman In Black
Adapted by Stephen MALLATRATT
from the novel by Susan HILL                                                     

• New cast for hit thriller The Woman In Black
• Malcolm James and Matt Connor have their first performance this evening
• Show now in its 27th year in West End
• Booking until 21 January 2017

 

A new cast will take to the stage of the Fortune Theatre this evening in The Woman In Black, one of the most exciting, gripping and successful theatre events ever performed, now in its 27th year in the West End in a production revisited by original director Robin Herford.

Malcolm James plays Arthur Kipps and Matt Connor plays The Actor.

Malcolm James reclaims the role of Arthur Kipps after starring in the national tour of The Woman in Black. His recent theatre credits include Birdsong (national tour), Equus (London Classic Theatre), Potting Shed (Finborough Theatre), The Importance of Being Earnest, Private Fears in Public Places, My Night With Reg (all Library Theatre) and The Lady in the Van(Salisbury Playhouse).

Matt Connor makes his West End debut in The Woman In Black.  His previous roles include Sons of the Desert (Royal Court Liverpool), The Glass Menagerie (Chipping Norton Theatre), 101 Dalmatians, Around the World in 80 Days and A Christmas Carol all New Vic).  On screen he has appeared in Doctors (BBC), Coronation Street (Granada) and Hollyoaks (Lime Pictures).

Unanimously acclaimed by the critics, The Woman In Black combines the power and intensity of live theatre with the cinematic quality of film noir.  More than seven million people have been transported into a terrifying world in an unremitting drama that has them literally jumping out of their seats.

The Woman In Black was first performed at the Theatre-By-The-Sea in Scarborough in 1987. The original production received rave reviews, paving the way for future productions throughout the country. It reached the West End in 1989 where it has been a major success ever since. Its success has subsequently reached a global level, having spread to the US, South America and through to the Tokyo theatre scene, and beyond.

A major motion picture version of The Woman In Black was released in February 2012, starring Daniel Radcliffe. It became the highest-grossing British horror film ever, taking more than $100 million worldwide.