GARY BARLOW TAKES LEEDS BY SURPRISE AT THE GRAND THEATRE

Take That star Gary Barlow gave Leeds a rare treat last night (Monday 16^th November) when he took to the stage for the curtain call of his new musical The Girls which is currently having its world premier at Leeds Grand Theatre until December 12^th.

Barlow, with his childhood friend Tim Firth – the writer of both the film and play The Calendar Girls – joined the cast as they took their bows much to the audiences delight.  After thanking the cast and the Leeds audiences he lead a rousing rendition of the Show’s opening number, simply titled ‘Yorkshire’.

“The atmosphere in the auditorium was electric,” said Producer David Pugh. “The audience were already giving a standing ovation and when Gary and Tim came on there was an uproarious cheer!”

At the end of the anthemic show number, the original Calendar Girls also took to the stage to great applause. The show has received standing ovations at each performance so far though whether Gary is due to appear again remains a mystery.

David concludes: “Gary and Tim enjoyed it very much so you never know.”

The Girls is a brand new musical based on the true story of the Yorkshire Women’s Institute who appeared nude, but for carefully placed buns, teapots and other such props, for a calendar back in 2000. The calendar was an immediate success and the women took the world by storm spawning a film and award-winning play, both of which were written by Tim Firth.

This musical comedy shows the women’s life in a Yorkshire village, how the story began, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters and how a group of ordinary women achieved something extraordinary.

The Girls is making its world premier at Leeds Grand theatre until Saturday 12^th December

 

Tickets are still available priced from £10 to £45

 

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

 

Civic Theatre, Darlington – 16 November 2015

Rude, crude, lewd and very very funny, The Full Monty arrived in Darlington this week.

In a packed to the rafter theatre, on a wet and cold Monday evening, there was an air of expectation in the predominantly female audience.  The oestrogen overloaded ladies weren’t all young either, there was a large number of women who wouldn’t see 60 again and a few who’d not see 70 either!

The 1997 a film about six Sheffield steel workers who decide to try and make a bit of cash by putting on a strip show became something of a sensation and Oscar-winning writer Simon Beaufoy has adapted his hit film into a stage show, complete with music, dancing and – of course – stripping.

Much of the dialogue was taken directly from the film, but the storyline held up well and often the translation from stage to screen was impressive, with jokes and situational comedy well adapted for the surroundings.

Those who were there for more than to admire a soap star body or two were also treated to some cracking acting performances, it would be very easy to write Gary Lucy off as just another soap actor but you’d be a fool to do so.  Aside from a dodgy Sheffield accent (I was brought up near Sheffield and I’m a purist) he did pull off the part quite well.  He gave depth to the part of an unemployed, part time dad, desperate to see his son, Nathan,  but too skint to pay the child maintenance.

With four boys playing the part of Nathan – James Burton, Brook Exley, Fraser Kelly and Ewan Phillips who was on stage at press night. Nathan was a loveable character. It wasn’t a cutesy child part by any stretch of the imagination, with the character having to cope with the break up of his parents marriage, his fathers unemployment and the ongoing court procedures, but he had faith and love for his father and its a touching father and son relationship.

There is superb work, too, from Martin Miller as the obese Dave, who has been rendered impotent by the emasculation of unemployment, and a delightfully oddball performance from Bobby Schofield as the gay and initially suicidal Lomper.  The scene in the job club is a joy, where Lomper is happy to be there as he never saw anyone when he was a security guard but now he has friends, warmth, dominoes and tea.

Comical Horse (Louis Emerick ) has the audience in stitches as he arrives for his dance audition supported by a walking stick and struggling with a dodgy hip!  Pompous gnome-loving Gerald (played by Andrew Dunn) is desperate to hide his redundancy from wife Linda.

Rupert Hill’s character of Guy makes up the rest of the troup complete with prosthetic penis, the sight of which brings down the curtain on the first half

The play touches on some serious issues – unemployment, depression, poverty, body image and homosexuality to name a few – but as well as being touching it is also very funny.  Beaufoy’s  play has warmth of characterisation and camaraderie that the men find in each other, and keeps lot of jokes from the original film. It has the added pleasure of a cast who make it enjoyably fresh, but there’s not an Adonis amongst them

Robert Jones’ set is huge and magnifient, working well as a disused steel works, job club, Conservative club and the stage where the action finally takes place and the Ian West’s choreography is also fabulous.  The soundtrack that includes songs by Donna Summer, Hot Chocolate and Tom Jones is familiar and you know what to expect.

And do they go the Full Monty?  Only a trip to Darlington Civic before Saturday 21st November will answer that question!

 

 

Theatre N16  8 – 19 November.  Reviewed by Claire Roderick

Steve Thompson’s Spin Cycle, set in an advertising agency, is billed as relevant and timely. This may well have been true when it was written in 2003, but the world has moved on, and today, when politicians with a lack of media savvy polish are a breath of fresh air, the play feels very dated. We are all too aware of the media’s manipulation of the public, even though we still fall for the tricks, and have seen this all before.

The TV series “Absolute Power” with John Bird and Stephen Fry absolutely nailed the mercenary and hypocritical world of advertising agencies, so why the Canting Crew chose to stage this inferior version is a mystery. Thompson has written other, better plays. This was Thompson’s first play – he has gone on to write some brilliant Sherlock and Doctor Who episodes, and there are some signs of that promise here. There are wonderfully acerbic lines and moments, but they are surrounded by lots of fluff.

Poor Anneli Page as Jane has to deliver the exact same sentiment in nearly every scene – it is as if Thompson was challenged to find as many different ways as possible to pronounce the dishonesty of the industry. Completely unnecessary. The cast do well with the material – Mary Looby is a hoot as the snooty Tory wife, insulting all and sundry with impeccable manners. Gregory A. Smith as Miles was fantastically arch and manipulative (with shades of the ballroom dancer from Hi-de-Hi), although he did seem to be under the impression that he was at the Globe with helicopters hovering overhead – stunning voice projection, but a little too much in such a small space. The whole cast give good performances, it’s just that their characters are all very, very familiar stereotypes now – the bitchy workaholic career woman, the loyal PA, the innocent intern etc. etc.

The plot, about relaunching a Tory MP’s image and the damage control necessary when a tabloid is about to reveal he is secretly gay, against the backdrop of office politics and plots, is busy but ultimately as shallow as the characters. The story Ash Merat’s Piers tells to explain his leaving the industry is so banal that I hope it was about his character’s delusional self-justification rather than a serious plot point. The shift to verse during presentations and meetings is a clever idea to highlight the hypnotic allure of media imagery, but just doesn’t sit right with the rest of the play.

Stephen Oswald’s direction is brisk and noisy, and highlights the fact that this could work so much better as a TV play. The noughties’ music playing as the cast shifted furniture around the stage sometimes lasted longer than the following scene. Perhaps a sharper, immediate cut to the next scene could benefit the flow of the piece.

This isn’t a bad play, it just doesn’t have anything new to say that hasn’t already been said better before. The game cast are very entertaining – worth seeing if you are nostalgic for the noughties.

Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 December

Turning Pages                                                                                                 

Six young writers aged between 13 to 15 from Furrowfield School in Gateshead and Red House Academy in Sunderland will have their plays performed in the Main Theatre at Live Theatre between Thursday 3 and Saturday 5 December.

The plays were developed in partnership with Live Theatre as part of Write Stuff, a creative writing programme that provides young voices with a platform to share issues that affect their lives. The show promises an eclectic mix of colourful characters and stories with plenty of laughs along the way.

Zoë Whitby, English Co-ordinator at Furrowfield School in Gateshead said:

“Write Stuff is a project that mentally and physically engages young people in the writing process. Writing skills are being developed, confidence is growing and young writers have become totally engaged in a project that they are beginning to drive for themselves. I can’t wait for the end result.”

The plays written by students from Furrowfield School in Gateshead are Doctor Death by Lee Harrison, Soulless and Goallessby Leonnie Lartey and Scary House by Reece Weightman. The plays written by students from Red House Academy in Sunderland are Could It Be A Tuna? by Nathan Beckett, Memories Of The Sea by Amy Connor, and Never Never Land by Lauren Dickson.

Drama workers from Live Theatre visited Furrowfield School and Red House Academy over a series of weeks to deliver workshops covering everything from imagination and improvisation to plot development and how to structure a play. Three pupils from each school were given the opportunity to attend a residency weekend at Live Theatre, where they were supported by professional dramaturgs to produce their short plays.

Following a sold-out script-in-hand performances in Live Theatre’s Studio Theatre earlier this year, these six selected plays have been further developed and rehearsed with professional actors and directors for full productions in the Main Theatre.

Audience members from the script-in-hand performances earlier this year said:

“A fantastic evening. The writing and performances were breath-taking. More of this please!’
‘Inspirational and hard hitting. A great opportunity for the young people’.

Rehearsals for Turning Pages start next week and the cast of professional actors includes: Natalie Jamieson (Michaela’s Mistake), Chris Connel (Wet House), Christina Berriman Dawson (The Bodies), Judi Earl (A Nightingale Sang in Eldon Square), Adam Donaldson (Between the Lines) and Donald McBride (Chalet Lines).

Paul James, Associate Director of Education & Participation at Live Theatre said:

“Turning Pages features a selection of the best short plays that have come through Live Theatre’s flagship writing programme for young people Write Stuff. Performed by a cast of professional actors in the Main Theatre, Turning Pages promises to be an absolutely unmissable event.’

Turning Pages is at Live Theatre, Newcastle from Thursday 3 – Saturday 5 December. Tickets cost £8 with £6 concessions and are available from Live Theatre’s box office on (0191) 232 1232 or online at www.live.org.uk

 

All Star Productions are delighted to announce: THE KISSING DANCE PERFORMANCES FROM FEBRUARY 10TH 2016. Music by Howard Goodall Book and Lyrics by Charles Hart Continuing our commitment to producing revivals of rarely produced Musicals, we are proud to announce that our first show of 2016 will be THE KISSING DANCE.  This is also our fourth show with music by Howard Goodall having produced the first ever London revival of GIRLFRIENDS in 2011, a new revue of his Musical Theatre works LOVE & WAR in 2012 and DAYS OF HOPE in 2013. Based on Oliver Goldsmith’s play She Stoops to Conquer, THE KISSING DANCE is a tale of match-making, mischief and misunderstanding, dished out with a good helping of disguise and deceit. It is All Fools’ Eve, a night when in the realms of love, the world can be turned upside-down and the lord of Misrule can take control…. Mr and Mrs Hardcastle have invited the son of an old friend, Charles Marlow, to their country estate with the intention of pairing him off with their daughter, Kate. Accompanying him is his friend George Hastings, who happens to be the secret beau of Kate’s cousin Constance, who in turn is on an enforced promise to Kate’s half witted half brother Tony Lumpkin. However, the mischievous intervention of Lumpkin results in the pair of visitors thinking the Hardcastle’s estate is actually a country inn, and Mr Hardcastle whom they have never met, is the inn keeper. Mistakes and misunderstandings swiftly ensue.

LISTINGS INFORMATION Venue: Ye Olde Rose and Crown Theatre, 53 Hoe Street, London, E17 4SA Closest Tube/National Rail: Walthamstow Central, Victoria Line. (5 mins walk) Dates: 10th – 28th February 2016 Press Night: Friday 12th February 2016 Times: Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm; Sunday at 3.00pm; No performances on Mondays Price: £18.00/ £16.00 Concessions Box Office: 020 8520 8674/ www.ticketsource.co.uk/allstarproductions Director: Brendan Matthew Musical Director: Aaron Clingham Casting: Benjamin Newsome Producer: Andrew Yon Website: www.allstarproductions.co.uk Twitter: @thekissingdance Other: Originally commissioned by National Youth Music Theatre.

This Christmas, Empire Cinemas brings big stage productions to the big screen. December and January see a stunning array of live performance screenings, including:

·         Royal Opera House – The Nutcracker (Live)

·         National Theatre Live – Jane Eyre

·         MET Opera – Les  Pecheurs De Perles

The Empire Extra programme from Empire Cinemas lets you experience big stage productions and events from the comfort of your local cinema. Be it theatre, opera, ballet or music; enjoy the big screen experience, in stunning high definition and from the best seat in the house. This Christmas you can enjoy the spectacular, world-class ballet The Nutcracker from The Royal Opera House, as well as an exhilarating performance of Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece, Jane Eyre from National Theatre Live.

The New Year also brings with it a brand new line up of live performance screenings. This January cinemagoers and arts fans can enjoy Les Liaisons Dangereuses from the National Theatre Live and Two Pigeons / Rhapsody from the Royal Opera House.

 

DECEMBER

English National Opera – The Mikado (LIVE)

Released 3^rd December 2015

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1SbQmUi

Set in an ever-so English 1930s seaside hotel, ENO’s dazzlingly inventive staging of The Mikado returns to the London Coliseum for what for many has become the definitive production of this much-loved Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera. Broadcast live from the London Coliseum in stunning HD, The Mikado is sung and subtitled in English.

National Theatre Live – Jane Eyre

Released 8^th December 2015

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1RI8jJX

Almost 170 years on, Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece is as inspiring as ever. This bold and dynamic production uncovers one woman’s fight for freedom and fulfilment on her own terms. Director, Sally Cookson, brings her celebrated production to the National Theatre, presented as a single, exhilarating performance.

Royal Opera House – Cavalleria / Pagliacci (Live)

Released 10^th December 2015

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1RI8zsz

This screening includes two short Italian operas; each are regarded as the composers’ masterpiece. The two are brought together in a new staging by award-winning director Damiano Michieletto, who sets both operas in a poverty stricken village in 1980s southern Italy, where the Mafia has a hold. The Royal Opera’s Music Director Antonio Pappano conducts a cast that includes charismatic Dutch soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek, exciting Italian soprano Carmen Giannattasio and the thrilling Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko.

Royal Opera House – The Nutcracker (Live)

Released 16^th December 2015

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1NEyPF1

Christmas simply wouldn’t be Christmas without The Royal Ballet’s classic production of The Nutcracker. Loosely based on a story by E.T.A. Hoffmann, it opens with the Christmas festivities of little Clara and her family and progresses through a magical journey to the Land of Snow and the Kingdom of the Sweets. Peter Wright’s enchanting production with its wondrously growing Christmas tree, retains exquisite surviving fragments of the original Ivanov choreography, including the beautiful pas de deux for the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier.

JANUARY

 

MET Opera – Les Pecheurs De Perles

Released 16^th January

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1WM2dtp

Bizet’s gorgeous opera of lust and longing set in the Far East returns to the Met stage for the first time in 100 years. Soprano Diana Damrau stars as Leïla, the beautiful Hindu priestess pursued by rival pearl divers competing for her hand. Her suitors are tenor Matthew Polenzani and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien, who sing the lilting duet “Au fond du temple saint,” which opera fans know and adore.

Royal Opera House – Two Pigeons / Rhapsody (Live)

Released 26^th January

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1XZCDnm

This delightful Frederick Ashton double bill opens with his setting of Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, using the music’s dark turbulence and brilliance to inspire some of his most thrilling choreography. The second half of the programme features Ashton’s delicate, deceptively comic The Two Pigeons – a work rarely performed and a real treat for ballet fans everywhere.

National Theatre Live – Les Liaisons Dangereuses

Released 28^th January

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1PxL3za

Following the hugely successful broadcasts of Coriolanus and King Lear, National Theatre Live brings the Donmar Warehouse’s highly anticipated new production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses to cinemas – broadcast live from the Donmar’s London home. In 1782, Choderlos de Laclos’ novel of sex, intrigue and betrayal in pre-revolutionary France scandalised the world. Two hundred years later, Christopher Hampton’s irresistible adaptation swept the board, winning the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Play. Josie Rourke’s revival now marks the play’s thirty year anniversary.

MET Opera – Turandot

Released 30^th January 2015

Ticket link: http://bit.ly/1kG5GNT

Three of opera’s greatest dramatic sopranos; Christine Goerke, Lise Lindstrom, and Nina Stemme, take turns in the title role of the proud princess of ancient China, whose riddles doom every suitor who seeks her hand. Tenors Marcelo Álvarez and Marco Berti are Calàf, the brave prince who sings “Nessun dorma” and wins her love. Franco Zeffirelli’s golden production is conducted by Paolo Carignani.

Jon Nutton, Marketing Director of Empire Cinemas, said: “Our Empire Extra programme means cinemagoers and performing arts lovers can experience the excitement of live events and stage productions with ease and comfort, at their local cinema. What better way to spend time with the family this Christmas than by watching an amazing performance of the ultimate Christmas production, The Nutcracker.”

 

For further ticketing information visit www.EmpireCinemas.co.uk or call 08714 714 714.

 

KATY LIPSON FOR ARIA ENTERTAINMENT

AND GUY JAMES PRESENT

SEASONS OF LARSON

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JONATHAN LARSON

MONDAY 25 JANUARY 2016

THE LYRIC THEATRE, SHAFTESBURY AVENUE

The life and music of legendary Broadway composer Jonathan Larson will be celebrated in a special one-off concert on Monday 25 January 2016, when Seasons of Larson will play for one night only at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue.

On 25 January 1996, the day of the first preview of RENT Off-Broadway, its composer Jonathan Larson died unexpectedly at the age of 35. Tragically he would never live to see the impact his work would have, not only on the face of musical theatre but also on a generation of young artists and performers. Nor would he get to hold the numerous awards he posthumously received. 20 years to the day,Seasons of Larson will explore how Larson become a voice for a new generation on the stage, and celebrate his musical legacy that continues to resonate with people all over the world.

 

Jonathan Larson is best known for his rock musical RENT, for which he posthumously received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1996 Tony Award for Best Musical. RENT played on Broadway for 12 years, making it the 10^th longest running show in Broadway history, and has since received productions all over the world. His earlier works include Superbia and tick, tick… BOOM!.

 

Seasons of Larson will bring together an exciting company of West End performers, to be announced in due course. It will be directed by Hannah Chissick, whose credits include Marry Me a Little (St. James Studio), Abigail’s Party (Exeter Northcott Theatre), Grumpy Old Women Live (UK Tour) and Horrid Henry – Live and Horrid! (UK Tour and West End). Seasons of Larson is produced by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment, whose recent productions include Tommy (Greenwich Theatre), The House of Mirrors and Hearts (Arcola Theatre), Jerry’s Girls (Jermyn Street Theatre) and Marry Me a Little (St. James Studio).

www.seasonsoflarson.com

@SeasonsOfLarson

LISTINGS

Monday 25th January 2016, 8.00pm
LYRIC THEATRE, Shaftesbury Avenue
Tickets: From £27.50 (booking fees apply)
Box Office: 0844 482 9674 | www.seasonsoflarson.com

THE 39 STEPS

based on Alfred Hitchcock’s movie

adapted for stage by Patrick Barlow

directed by Maria Aitken

 

4 ACTORS, 130 CHARACTERS IN 100 HILARIOUS MINUTES

 

NEW UK TOUR: THURS 7 JAN – SAT 2 JULY 2016

to mark the show’s 10th anniversary

love39steps.com

@39stepsplay

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgBqiTf8lDY

 

The West End’s long-running show, THE 39 STEPS, will tour the UK and Ireland next year to mark the Olivier Award-Winning Comedy’s 10th anniversary. Based on Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 movie and John Buchan’s 1914 spy thrillerThe Thirty Nine Steps and adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow, THE 39 STEPS will visit 24 cities, including Dublin, from 7 January to 2 July.

 

THE 39 STEPS follows dashing hero Richard Hannay – complete with stiff upper lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache – in a dangerous tale of cat-and-mouse from London to the Scottish Highlands. In this hilarious production four actors play over 130 characters in 100 minutes. The cast for this touring production are Richard Ede (the eponymous hero Hannay), Olivia Greene (the three women in Hannay’s life, Pamela, Annabella and Margaret) and the myriad of other roles are played with breath-taking speed and dexterity by Andrew Hodges and Rob Witcomb.

 

Richard Ede’s theatre credits include A Little History of the World (Watermill , Newbury); The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s The Bible – Abridged; George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life (Farnham Maltings); Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing; Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew; Cassio in Othello; Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet; Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; Horatio in Hamlet, Fagin in Oliver Twist (all World Tours for TNT/ADG); Sir Roland in The Wife of Bath (Rude Mechanicals); Lovewell in Clandestine Marriage (Dr Johnson’s House); Beast in Beauty and the Beast (Colchester Mercury); Hook in Peter Pan (Dubai/Thailand Arena Tour); Baron De Coubertain in Horrible Histories (Olympic Flame UK Roadshow for BBC); Bagheera in Jungle Book (Oman); Stanley/The Mask in The Mask (UK Tour) and Sandy in Ben Elton’s Gasping (Cragrats Theatre). His TV work includes Modern Manners (BBC), a promotional film for a Korean Video Game, various commercials and voice-over work for Cartoon Network.

 

Olivia Greene’s theatre credits include Dorothy Brock in 42nd Street at Bird College; Eva in Kindertransport at Little Theatre, Leicester; Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz and orphan in Oliver at Haymarket Leicester.

 

Andrew Hodges originally trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in 2003. He has worked with a number of theatre companies and commercial producers including TNT Theatre, GB Theatre, The Oxford Shakespeare Company, The Reduced Shakespeare Company and Fiery Angel. His most recent work was with Antic Disposition’s acclaimed Henry V, playing the role of Fluellen, both in France and at The Temple Church, London. Andrew has appeared on screen in More4’s Iraq: The Bloody Circus; BBC’s Hands on History film; and in adverts for Tesco and IBM. Since last performing in The 39 Steps in 2014, Andrew has gained an MA in Mediaeval Studies at UCL.

 

Rob Witcomb’s recent theatre includes The Wind in the Willows, The Taming of the Shrew (Guildford Shakespeare Company); As You Like It (Oxford Shakespeare Company); The Dragon (Southwark Playhouse); Mucky Kid (Theatre 503); The Merry Wives of Windsor (Oxford Shakespeare Company); Fuente Ovejuna (Southwark Playhouse); Newsrevue (Canal Cafe Theatre). Recent TV includes The Five (Sky 1); Soul Broken Sky (MTV); Casualty (BBC); Trying Again (Sky); Lucan (ITV) & the title role in Les Dawson, An Audience With That Never Was (ITV). Film includes Dead Cool (Glass Gun Films), Mariah Mundi (E-Motion/Arcadia) and 3 & Out (Rovinge).

 

Patrick Barlow’s adaptation of The 39 Steps opened at the Tricycle in 2006 and the same year transferred to the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus where it played for nine years and won the Olivier Award for best new comedy. In 2008 The 39 Steps was produced on Broadway where it was nominated for the Tony Award for best play. Patrick created the two-man National Theatre of Brent in 1980, in which he plays Artistic Director and Chief Executive Desmond Olivier Dingle. The company’s legendary two-man epics have been performed on stage, radio and television and include The Charge of the Light Brigade, Zulu!, The Black Hole of Calcutta, Wagner’s Ring Cycle, The Messiah, The Wonder of Sex, French Revolution!, Massive Landmarks of the Twentieth Century, The Complete and Utter History of the Mona Lisa, The Charles and Diana Story, The Arts and How They was Done, Iconic Icons and most recently, Giant Ladies Who Changed the World. They have won two Sony Radio Academy Awards, a Premier Ondas and New York Festival Award for Best Comedy. His other writing for film and television includes The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole, Christopher Columbus, Queen of the East, The Judgment of Paris, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Van Gogh and The Young Visitors. His adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol will have its West End debut this Christmas at the Noel Coward Theatre starring Jim Broadbent as Scrooge. Concurrently to A Christmas Carol, Patrick will have his four-man adaptation of General ‘Lew’ Wallace’s Ben Hur playing at the Tricycle Theatre in London.

 

THE 39 STEPS is directed by Maria Aitken, with design by Peter McKintosh, lighting by Ian Scott, sound by Mic Pool, and movement by Toby Sedgwick. The Associate Director is James Farrell. It is presented by Edward Snape for Fiery Angel and Tricycle London Productions with the West Yorkshire Playhouse. From an original concept by Simon Corbleand Nobby Dimon.

 

After a short run at the Tricycle Theatre in London, The 39 Steps opened at the Criterion Theatre in September 2006, where it ran for 9 years, seen by over 1 million people. During that time, it attracted worldwide attention and spawned international productions in over 40 countries, including the cities of Moscow, Tokyo, New York and Paris, reaching a global audience in excess of 3 million. In addition to its Olivier Award for Best New Comedy, in the US the play co-won the Drama Desk Award and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play. It won a Molière Award for Best Comedy in France, and a Helpmann Award for Best Comedy in Australia.

 

The Thirty Nine Steps was also famously adapted for the screen by Alfred Hitchcock in what is widely regarded as one of the best films from his early period. The stage production references a number of the legendary scenes from this 1935 classic movie thriller of the same name, including the chase on the Flying Scotsman train, the escape on the Forth Road Bridge and the controversial ‘stocking and suspenders’ scene.

 

Grand Opera House York

Monday 14 – Saturday 19 March 2016

Tickets are priced from £13.50 and are available in person from the theatre box office or call ATG Tickets on 0844  871 3024. To book online go to www.atgtickets.com/york

 

 

THE 39 STEPS

UK & IRELAND TOUR 2016

 

Website: love39steps.com

Trailer:                   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgBqiTf8lDY

 

Twitter:                  @39stepsplay

Facebook:             https://www.facebook.com/The39StepsPlay/

You Tube:             https://www.youtube.com/user/love39stepswestend

Instagram:            http://instagram.com/39stepsplay/

 

 

TOUR DETAILS

Tickets prices available on the theatre websites listed below, where some charges may apply

 

THURS 7 – SAT 16 JANUARY                                                       ROYAL & DERNGATE, NORTHAMPTON

Evenings at 7.45 pm                                                                           www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Matinees: Sat 9, Thurs 14 & Sat 16 at 2.30 pm

Press invited from Friday 8 January at 7.45 pm

 

TUES 19 – SAT 23 JANUARY                                                        EVERYMAN THEATRE, CHELTENHAM

Evenings at 7.45 pm                                                                           www.everymantheatre.org.uk

Matinees: Thurs 21 & Sat 23 at 2 pm

 

MON 25 – SAT 30 JANUARY                                                         CAMBRIDGE ARTS THEATRE

Evenings at 7.45 pm                                                                           www.cambridgeartstheatre.com

Matinees: Thurs 28 & Sat 30 at 2.30 pm

 

MON 1 – SAT 6 FEBRUARY                                                           ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

Matinees: Wed 3 & Sat 6 at 2 pm

 

MON 8 – SAT 13 FEBRUARY                                                        THEATRE ROYAL BATH

Evenings: Mon – Wed at 7.30 pm                                    www.theatreroyal.org.uk

                & Thurs – Sat at 8 pm

Matinees: Wed 10 & Sat 13 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 16 – SAT 20 FEBRUARY                                     SHEFFIELD LYCEUM

Evenings at 7.45 pm                                                                           www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

Matinees: Thurs 18 at 2 pm; Sat 20 at 3 pm

 

MON 22 – SAT 27 FEBRUARY                                                      RICHMOND THEATRE

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.atgtickets.com

Matinees: Wed 24 & Sat 27 at 2.30 pm

 

MON 29 FEB – SAT 5 MARCH                                                      BIRMINGHAM REP

Evenings at Mon 29 at 7 pm, all others 7.30 pm                          www.birmingham-rep.co.uk

Matinees: Thurs 3 & Sat 5 at 2 pm

 

MON 14 – SAT 19 MARCH                                                             GRAND OPERA HOUSE, YORK

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.atgtickets.com

Matinees: Wed 16 & Sat 19 at 2.30 pm

 

MON 21 – SAT 26 MARCH                                                             CLIFFS PAVILION, SOUTHEND

Evenings at 8 pm                                                                 www.southendtheatres.org.uk

Matinees: Thurs 24 & Sat 26 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 29 MARCH – SAT 2 APRIL                                GAIETY THEATRE, DUBLIN

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.gaietytheatre.ie

Matinee at Sat 2 at 2.30 pm

 

MON 4 – SAT 9 APRIL                                                                     LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.everymanplayhouse.com

Matinees: Thurs 7 at 1.30 pm & Sat 9 at 2 pm

               

MON 11 – SAT 16 APRIL                                                CREWE LYCEUM

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.crewelyceum.co.uk

Matinees: Wed 13 & Sat 16 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 19 – SAT 23 APRIL                                                               KING’S THEATRE, EDINBURGH

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.edtheatres.com

Matinees: Wed 20 & Sat 23 at 2.30 pm

 

 

MON 25 – SAT 30 APRIL                                                THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.theatreroyal.com

Matinees: Thurs 28 & Sat 30 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 3 – SAT 7 MAY                                                                       NUFFIELD THEATRE, SOUTHAMPTON

Evenings at 7 pm                                                                 www.nuffieldtheatre.co.uk

Matinees: Thurs 5 & Sat 7 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 10 – SAT 14 MAY                                                   WEST YORKSHIRE PLAYHOUSE, LEEDS

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.wyp.org.uk 

Matinees: Thurs 12 at 1.30 pm & Sat 14 at 2 pm

 

MON 16 – SAT 21 MAY                                                    THEATRE ROYAL, GLASGOW

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.atgtickets.com

Matinees: Thurs 19 & Sat 21 at 2.30 pm      

 

MON 23 – SAT 28 MAY                                                    YVONNE ARNAUD THEATRE, GUILDFORD

Evenings: Mon – Thurs at 7.45 pm; Fri & Sat at 8 pm www.yvonne-arnaud.co.uk              

Matinees: Thurs 26 & Sat 28 at 2.30 pm

 

MON 30 MAY – SAT 4 JUNE                                                          WYCOMBE SWAN

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.wycombeswan.co.uk

Matinees: Thurs 2 & Sat 4 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 7 – SAT 11 JUNE                                                    LEICESTER CURVE

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.curvetheatre.co.uk

Matinees: Wed 8 & Sat 11 at 2.15 pm

 

TUES 14 – SAT 18 JUNE                                                 NEW THEATRE, CARDIFF

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk

Matinees: Wed 15, Thurs 16 & Sat 18 at 2.30 pm

 

TUES 21 – SAT 25 JUNE                                                 THE LOWRY, SALFORD

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.thelowry.com

Matinees: Thurs 23 & Sat 25 at 2 pm

 

MON 27 JUNE – SAT 2 JULY                                                        THEATRE ROYAL NEWCASTLE

Evenings at 7.30 pm                                                                           www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Matinees:              Thurs 30 at 2 pm

                                Sat 2 at 2.30 pm

 

 

FANTASTIC FAMILY FUN AT THE CRUCIBLE THIS CHRISTMAS

This Christmas, children and their grown-ups are invited to take part in two very special festive missions as fantastic interactive productions 59 Minutes To Save Christmas (Friday 4 – Thursday 24 December) andEmergency Story Penguin (Saturday 12 December – Saturday 2 January) visit Sheffield Theatres.

In 59 Minutes To Save Christmas things are very, very wrong.  Christmas trees are behaving strangely, there are rumours of grumpy fairies and the elves are throwing baubles at shoppers!  Join General Algernon Crisis of the Royal Christmas Brigade as he tries to find out what is happening.  Meeting curious festive characters along the way, audiences will help him as he battles to discover who is out to spoil everyone’s holiday fun!  59 Minutes To Save Christmas is a fun, interactive adventure around the Crucible; ideal for intrepid explorers young and old!

The magical show Emergency Story Penguin will take audiences on a heart-warming adventure to Antarctica.  A penguin is stranded and it’s up to the Emergency Story Unit to save it.  Jump aboard their state-of-the-art submarine and help the team come to the rescue!  Emergency Story Penguin incorporates puppetry, video and music, for a charming show that will delight the family.

Don’t miss these interactive family adventures for ages 5+ this Christmas.

 

59 Minutes To Save Christmas takes place around the Crucible from Friday 4 – Saturday 24 December. Emergency Story Penguin is in the Studio Theatre from Saturday 12 December – Saturday 2 January. Tickets can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk and are priced at £10.00 (a transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash).  Family tickets are priced at £36.00 (4 people, minimum 1 under 16 years) and £27.00 (3 people, minimum 1 under 16 years) a joint ticket price is available – book for both shows at the same time for £18.00 – available from the Box Office only (booking fee applicable, excluding cash).