VERITY RUSHWORTH
TO STAR AS HOLLY GOLIGHTLY IN
TRUMAN CAPOTE’S
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
ADAPTED BY RICHARD GREENBERG
FROM 2 MAY TO 11 JUNE 2016

Verity Rushworth will play the role of Holly Golightly on the UK Tour of Breakfast at Tiffany’s from 2 May to 11 June 2016, appearing at His Majesty’s Aberdeen, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Theatre Royal Bath, Glasgow Theatre Royal, King’s Theatre Edinburgh and Wycombe Swan.  She will be sharing the role with Pixie Lott, whose dates have been previously announced.  Truman Capote’s classic novella has been adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize-winning Finalist and Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright Richard Greenberg (Take Me Out, Three Days of Rain), and contains memorable songs from the era as well as original music by Grant Olding (One Man, Two Guvnors).

Verity Rushworth played the role of Donna Windsor in Emmerdale for 11 years, a role for which she won a British Soap Award this year. Her theatre roles include Velma Kelly in Paul Kerryson’s production of Chicago (Leicester Curve), Grace Farrell in Nikolai Foster’s production of Annie (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Maria in Jeremy Sams’s production of The Sound of Music (national tour) and Penny Pingleton in Jack O’Brien’s production of Hairspray (Shaftesbury Theatre, London).

Based on Truman Capote’s beloved masterwork, Breakfast at Tiffany’s is set in New York in 1943. Fred, a young writer from Louisiana, meets Holly Golightly, a charming, vivacious and utterly elusive good-time girl.  Everyone falls in love with Holly – including Fred.  But Fred is poor, and Holly’s other suitors include a playboy millionaire and the future president of Brazil.  As war rages on in Europe, Holly begins to fall in love with Fred – just as her past catches up with her.

Verity Rushworth said, “I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to play the dream role of Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I cannot wait to step into the fabulous shoes of such an icon and discover the endless layers to her complicated and fascinating personality – not to mention her wardrobe!”

Breakfast at Tiffany’s will be directed by Nikolai Foster, the Artistic Director of Leicester Curve, with production design by Matthew Wright, lighting design by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Mic Pool.

Nikolai Foster’s recent productions include Irving Berlin’s White Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse), the 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing (Leicester Curve and Nottingham Playhouse), Calamity Jane (Watermill Theatre, Newbury & UK tour) and a major new production of the Broadway musical Annie (West Yorkshire Playhouse & UK tour).

Breakfast at Tiffany’s will begin performances at the Curve Theatre, Leicester on 3 March 2016, before embarking on a UK & Ireland Tour.  There will be a 12-week season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London’s West End from 30 June to 17 September 2016.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is a co-production between the Curve Theatre, Leicester and Colin Ingram, Peter Kane, William Sinclair and Michael Melnick & Finlay Gray.

For more information, visit www.breakfastattiffanys.co.uk

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tiffanysonstage
Twitter:  @Tiffanysonstage

TOUR SCHEDULE 2016

*3 – 12 March                             LEICESTER                               0116 242 3595
Curve Theatre                             www.curveonline.co.uk

*15 – 19 March                           CANTERBURY                           01227 787787
Marlowe Theatre                          www.marlowetheatre.com

*4 – 9 April                                  LEEDS                                      0844 848 2700
Grand Theatre                             www.leedsgrandtheatre.com

*12 – 16 April                             SALFORD                                  0843 208 6000
Lowry Theatre                             www.thelowry.com

*18 – 23 April                               BIRMINGHAM                            0844 871 3011
Alexandra Theatre                      www.atgtickets.com/birmingham

*25 – 30 April                              SOUTHAMPTON                        02380 711811
Mayflower Theatre                      www.mayflower.org.uk

**2 – 7 May                                 ABERDEEN                               01224 641122
His Majesty’s                             www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

**9 –14 May                                NOTTINGHAM                            0115 989 5555
Theatre Royal                             www.trch.co.uk

**16 – 21 May                              BATH                                         01225 448844 (on sale spring 2016)
Theatre Royal                              www.theatreroyal.org.uk
**23 – 28 May                               GLASGOW                                 0844 871 7647
Theatre Royal                             www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

**30 May – 4 June                         EDINBURGH                               0131 529 6000
King’s Theatre                             www.edtheatres.com

**6 – 11 June                                HIGH WYCOMBE                       01494 512 000
Wycombe Swan                          www.wycombeswan.co.uk

*13 – 18 June                               DUBLIN                                      0818 719 377
Bord Gais Theatre                       www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

*20 – 25 June                               PLYMOUTH                                01752 267222
Theatre Royal                             www.theatreroyal.com

*30 June – 17 September                LONDON                                   020 7930 8800
Theatre Royal Haymarket             www.trh.co.uk

*Pixie Lott Dates
**Verity Rushworth Dates

Further dates and casting to be announced.

 BUSTED ARE BACK
Full original line-up of Charlie Simpson, Matt Willis & James Bourne

FIRST TOUR IN 12 YEARS

SHEFFIELD ARENA
Tuesday 17^th May 2016

“A year ago James and I got together and just started hanging out … and it felt really different, somehow, to how it had ten years ago. And the idea crept into my head after all that time apart: what would Busted look like today?” – Charlie Simpson

It’s the reunion they said could never happen – even the members themselves have admitted it. But today Busted announce their return to the world of pop in 2016. Matt, James and Charlie are returning to the road with a full UK arena tour, and they are working on brand new Busted music for the first time since 2004.

“For me, there’s a huge sense of unfinished business …  I always thought in my heart we’d do Busted again, but that it was just a matter of when and how” – Matt Willis

Wednesday 11th May 2016 will be their first show together in 12 years – and the first time in 12 years anyone will be able to see the three members play all their greatest hits together live – among them the simply huge, unforgettable smashes “What I Go To School For”, “Crashed The Wedding”, “You Said No”, “Air Hostess” and “Year 3000.”

For the gig Busted will return to the home of their biggest triumph, the venue where anybody last saw them – Wembley Arena. It was here that they broke a record in 2004 by selling out an incredible 12 shows. And it’s here that they will make their long overdue comeback.

“We’ve done this crazy, exciting, adventurous, scenic route back to being Busted. And now we’re here, we’re all super-re-energised” – James Bourne

With an incredible five million record sales, two 4 x platinum albums and four number one singles to their name, a staggering 700,000 concert tickets sold in one year, two BRIT Awards and a Record of the Year Award, Busted are one of the biggest home-grown pop acts of the 21st century.

Busted? These boys are fixed, back and ready to shake up the pop world all over again.

Busted will play Sheffield Arena on Tuesday 17^th May and the tickets go on general sale 9am Friday 13th November priced £41.25 & £45.65 (including booking fee) through www.sheffieldarena.co.uk or the ticket hotline on 0114 256 56 56.

IAN MCKELLEN, MICHAEL CASHMAN, ANNE REID AND JULIAN CLARY

AMONGST STARS APPEARING IN

A SOURCE OF LIFE – 25 YEARS OF THE IAN CHARLESON DAY CENTRE

Wednesday 25 November 2015

6.30 – 8.30pm

St Paul’s Church (The Actors’ Church), Covent Garden, London WC2E 9ED

Hosted by Julian Clary, with an introduction by Ian McKellen, the evening of song, speech and music to commemorate the 25^th anniversary of the Ian Charleson Day Centre at the Royal Free Hospital will include performances by Michael Cashman, Anne Reid and Stefan Bednarczyk, the X Factor’s Anton Stephans, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, actor Jack Lowden and the London Gay Men’s Choir.  Speakers will be Nick Partridge, Laurence Isaacson and Sean Mathias.  A Source of Life – 25 Years of the Ian Charleson Day Centre will be in front of an invited audience at St Paul’s Church (the Actors’ Church) in London’s Covent Garden on Wednesday 25 November.

The event is to celebrate the Ian Charleson Day Centre’s exceptional work over the years and the difference that has made to the lives of so many people.  Not only does the Centre help support patients in north London with HIV, but it also links with the UCL Institute of Immunity and Transplantation to be a global hub for medical centre with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.

In 1989, Professor Margaret Johnson launched the UK’s first open access HIV service at the Royal Free Hospital.  It was named the Ian Charleson Day Centre in 1990, after the death of one its patients, the late Ian Charleson. Ian was an actor admired and loved by critics, audiences and his fellow actors.  His roles included Eric Liddell inChariots of Fire and Hamlet at the National Theatre.

The Ian Charleson Day Centre (ICDC) treats HIV positive people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.  Even though there’s still no HIV cure, HIV has become a treatable condition that can be managed throughout a patient’s lifetime using antiretroviral drugs and other HIV treatments.  It is important to diagnose and treat HIV early and continually for the best results.  ICDC provides sensitive, non-judgemental HIV testing, counselling and treatment for people affected by this life-changing condition.

The Centre can be contacted on 020 7830 2051.

LORD OF THE DANCE: DANGEROUS GAMES

OFFERS FREE WEEKLY DANCE WORKSHOPS

FOR STUDENTS AGED 11 TO 18

FROM 10 NOVEMBER TO 15 DECEMBER

Michael Flatley has set up an outreach programme to provide young people the opportunity to dance on stage at the Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End. The talented cast of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games will conduct once-weekly workshops commencing 10 November through to 15 December.  In association with West End Creative Learning at ATG, students between the ages of 11 and 18 will be taught steps by the cast of Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games and be given an insight into the world of theatre.  Following the workshop, they will be invited to watch the evening performance of the show.  A limited number of places will be available for these workshops.

Michael Flatley said, “Every child should be given the opportunity to dance and it is my honour to be able to encourage young people to follow their dreams.” 

Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games opened at the Playhouse Theatre on 10 October and runs until 3 January 2016, following a highly successful six-month limited season at the Dominion Theatre, which finished on 5 September.

The cast at the Playhouse Theatre is led by some of Michael Flatley’s dynamic young stars James Keegan, Morgan Comer and Cathal Keaney. Rachael O’Connor plays the role of Erin the Goddess.

Flatley’s latest show Dangerous Games has exciting and ground-breaking new technology, including holographs, special effects lighting, dancing robots, world champion acrobats and the greatest team of Irish Dancers in the world.  The score is composed by Gerard Fahy.

For more information on how to apply for a Lord of the Dance workshop, please visitwww.creativelearning.atg.co.uk.

For further details on Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games, please visit www.lordofthedance.com.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Until 3 January 2016

Playhouse Theatre

Northumberland Avenue

London

WC2N 5DE

Performances:  Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2.30pm*

*From 15 November: Tuesday to Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday & Saturday at 2.30pm, Sunday at 3pm

See website for special Christmas schedule of performances

Ticket Prices:  From £25 to £65, with Standing at £15 and Premium at £90 – all prices include a £1.50 Restoration Levy*

*£10 off £45 and £65 tickets for all October performances by quoting ‘October’ via ATG Tickets

Box Office:  0844 871 7631 / www.atgtickets.com/playhouse

Running Time:  2 hours 10 minutes (including interval)

Northbank switches on the Strand’s very first Christmas lights

London, 9 November 2015: The Strand has been lit up for the first time with the switching on of its Christmas lights this evening. The milestone event comes 137 years after Northbank became the first area in London to benefit from electric street lighting.

The lights were switched on by the cast of MAMMA MIA! at St Mary Le Strand Church this evening. With the ice rink at Somerset House opening on 18 November, The Snowman at The Peacock Theatre kicking off on 25 November and the Christmas Tree in Trafalgar Square going up on 3 December, Northbank is shaping up to be London’s ultimate Christmas venue this holiday season.

Ruth Duston, CEO of Northbank BID, commented: “This is a landmark event for the Northbank. The Strand is a street rich in history and it is a pleasure to be adding to its heritage with the first Christmas lights. We hope these lights will provide a focal point for Londoners in the run up to Christmas and create a real festive atmosphere in the area.”

The cast of MAMMA MIA! sang a medley at the event, led from the piano by Musical Director Marcus Savage. The London production of MAMMA MIA! is based at the Novello Theatre on the Northbank, and since its premiere in 1999 has been seen by over 8 million people in London.

Philip Effemey, the General Manager of MAMMA MIA!, commented: “We were delighted to be asked to switch on the Strand’s Christmas lights. Our production has been a part of Northbank since we moved to the Novello in 2012 and our audiences will be able to enjoy the festive atmosphere these lights will create as they head to MAMMA MIA!.”

The lights will be switched on daily at 4pm from today until the 5^th January 2016.

The Northbank Business Improvement District (BID) is the largest BID in London, and includes Aldwych, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, the Strand and Embankment.

THOUGHT-PROVOKING THEATRE IN THE CRUCIBLE STUDIO THIS MONTH

The Crucible Studio stage plays host to two Edinburgh Fringe First award-winning pieces of theatre this month with Chris Thorpe’s Confirmation (Monday 23 – Tuesday 24 November) and Men in the Cities (Saturday 28 November) by Tim Goode.

In Confirmation, Chris Thorpe (recently seen in Third Angel’s Presumption) examines the phenomenon of confirmation bias – the way we choose to see only the evidence that proves we’re right and attempts to have an honourable dialogue, real and imagined, with political extremism.

Questioning the rise of extremist thinking within the UK’s political landscape and exploring the strength and grounding of people’s beliefs, Confirmation originates from Chris Thorpe’s own frustration with the current level of political discourse in the UK, and his own ‘liberal’ bias.  The piece which has been developed through academic research and through conversations with political extremism is his attempt to open discussion on the subject in a more objective environment.

Men in the Cities is an incendiary piece of experimental storytelling from Chris Goode (Kiss of Life, Fringe First 2002).  Framed by two violent deaths – the apparently inexplicable suicide of a young gay man, and the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby outside the Royal Artillery Barracks in Woolwich in May 2013 – Men in the Cities is a compelling piece about harm and complicity, and about the forces that shape our relationships.

Through fractured snapshots of seemingly disconnected lives, Men in the Cities blurs fiction and reality to create a complex, volatile, richly textured work and presents a challenging but radically humane portrait of how we live now.

Confirmation is at the Studio Theatre from Monday 23 – Tuesday 24 November.  Men in the Cities is at the Studio Theatre on Saturday 28 November.  Tickets for both productions can be purchased from Sheffield Theatres’ Box Office in-person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online athttp://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/ and are priced at £13.00 (a transaction fee of £1.50 (£1.00 online) applies to all bookings made at the Box Office, excluding cash), concessionary discounts are available.

• CLOSE TO YOU: BACHARACH REIMAGINED ANNOUNCES EXTENSION OF 5 EXTRA WEEKS
• PRODUCTION BREAKS BOX OFFICE RECORDS AT CRITERION THEATRE
• TWO EXTRA PERFORMANCES ADDED ON VALENTINE’S DAY, SUNDAY 14 FEBRUARY

CLOSE TO YOU: BACHARACH REIMAGINED has today announced that it is extending its West End transfer at the Criterion Theatre until Valentine’s Day 14 February 2016. The new booking period is now on sale.

Opening to public and critical acclaim on 15 October, new musical CLOSE TO YOU featuringBurt Bacharach’s songbook, broke box office records at the Criterion Theatre with the biggest advance in the venue’s history.

Sally Greene, Chief Executive of the Criterion Theatre said: ‘I couldn’t be more thrilled that we have been able to agree an extension of five weeks with the wonderful company of Close To You. It has been a pleasure to welcome such a warm-hearted and joyous show, and even better that they have broken all box office records!’

Burt Bacharach said: ‘CLOSE TO YOU: Bacharach Reimagined’ is a beautiful Valentine to me, and it’s also a Valentine to the audiences who are fortunate enough to experience it. I’m thrilled to hear that its West End run is being extended due to popular demand until Valentine’s Day which also seems very fitting since most of my songs are love songs.  I am in awe of what Kyle Riabko has done with my music, and I’m truly in love with this extraordinary show. It’s very gratifying to know that London audiences have embraced ‘CLOSE TO YOU’ and my music in the way that they have and that they’ll have the next few months to see the show if they haven’t already, or to see it again before it ends its glorious run at The Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus on the 14th of February.’

Performed by a young, multi-talented cast led by the visionary musician and performer Kyle Riabko, the show features Riabko’s thrillingly new yet beautifully faithful interpretations of Bacharach’s classics.  Blending nostalgia and innovation, generations old and new can now revel in all the hits as if for the very first time.  The show redefines the songbook musical by fusing this extraordinary reinterpretation of over 30 timeless Bacharach melodies with innovative choreography, taking the audience on an emotional and exhilarating journey.

The show, newly renamed CLOSE TO YOU, premiered to critical acclaim and was a smash hit at New York Theatre Workshop, original home of both Once and Rent, becoming the longest running show in the history of that theatre, followed recently by a sold out and highly acclaimed run at The Menier Chocolate Factory. The production at the Criterion Theatre will be the last opportunity for audiences to see the show in the West End.

Directed by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett, best known for his iconic movement for such hits as Once, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and Black Watch, Riabko leads an incredibly talented group of singers and musicians from both sides of the Atlantic through Bacharach’s greatest hits.

CLOSE TO YOU makes hearts sing and spirits soar with such classics as Alfie, Anyone Who Had a Heart, I Say a Little Prayer, Magic Moments, The Look of Love, Walk on By, Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head, I’ll Never Fall in Love Again, What’s New Pussycat, I Just Don’t Know What to Do with Myself, This Guy’s in Love With You, What the World Needs Now is Love and, of course, Close to You.

The New York Theater Workshop / Menier Chocolate Factory production of CLOSE TO YOU is presented in the West End by David Lane Seltzer for Entertainment 360, the producing arm of Management 360, also responsible for the blockbuster TV series Game of Thrones and the upcoming, highly anticipated Danny Boyle-directed Steve Jobs biopic.

CLOSE TO YOU features Music by Burt Bacharach and Lyrics by Hal David and others, with Musical Arrangements by Kyle Riabko who also conceived the show with Seltzer, and is Directed by Steven Hoggett, with Set Design by Christine Jones and Brett Banakis, Costume Design byMatthew Wright, Lighting Design by Tim Lutkin, and Sound Design by Richard Brooker.

Daniel Bailen, Anastacia McClesky, and James Williams are appearing with the permission of Actors’ Equity Association.  The Producers gratefully acknowledge Actors’ Equity Association for its assistance of this production.

LISTINGS

CLOSE TO YOU

Bacharach Reimagined

Venue:                   Criterion Theatre

Address:                 2 Jermyn St, London SW1Y 4XA

Dates:          Saturday 3 October – Sunday 14 February, 2016

Times:                   Until Sun 10 Jan

Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat at 7.30pm; Wed, Sat at 3pm; Sun at 2.30pm & 6pm
From Mon 11 Jan
Mon – Sat at 7.30pm; Wed, Sat at 3pm
Additional performances Sun 14 Feb at 2.30pm and 6pm
          No performance Mon 11 Jan

Box Office:            0844 847 1778

Website:                CloseToYouLondon.com

Facebook:              /CloseToYouLDN

Twitter:       @CloseToYouLDN

Civic Theatre, Darlington – 10 November 2015

“O brave new world, that hath such people in it!”

Aldous Huxley wrote Brave New World in 1931 after visiting Billingham in the North East, so this was almost a homecoming for the play.

This was Brave New Theatre, confidently and concisely adapted from page to stage by the Touring Consortium Theatre Company.

The play paints a picture of life that revolves around the idea of totalitarianism and is set in a futuristic world where a combination of science and pleasure form humanity.  Society has evolved to take away all feelings of negativity. Genetic engineering has advanced to a level where people are no longer born but despatched from the London Hatchery and Conditioning Centre where people are engineered to be either Alpha, Beta, Delta, Gamma or Epsilon, resulting in a pre-ordained caste system consisting of intelligent humans suited to the highest positions and conversely, serf-like beings genetically programmed to carry out menial works. In this world of Alphas, Betas, Gammas, Deltas and the unfortunate Epsilons, exists drug-induced happiness, caused by what is known as soma. Here, “everyone belongs to everyone else” emphasising the system of forced promiscuity, brainwashed into the people from the moment of birth. 

The outstanding cast executed major scenes expertly, with just 10 actors playing a multitude of different characters.  Gruffudd Glyn performed an excellent interpretation of protagonist Bernard Marx, a man unexpectedly born into the role of an ‘Alpha’, but dogged by the idea that it’s a caste in which he doesn’t quite belong. 

Like all great plays, we saw a love story bloom, ultimately challenging order, stability and happiness as beta girl Lenina (Olivia Morgan) falls for John the Savage, played by the captivating William Postlethwaite, whose charisma dominated the stage. Desperate for a familiar and comfortable narrative of ‘boy meets girl’, the tension in the play builds as audiences realise that this is not possible.

In a clash of worlds, ideologies and beliefs, the play was built to a catastrophic and shocking climax, with the tragedy on stage appearing so shockingly real.  There is an overwhelming sense of comfort and “happiness” within society that is brought about through two important things: recreational drugs and psychological conditioning. Death, relationships, class differences and work do not provide worry.  Because society does indeed work for the good of everyone in a hedonistic sense, the logic behind the system can only be challenged by pure human instinct

Using the theatre’s stage to its full potential, three words, Order, Stability, Happiness, were blazoned across the stage before the opening scene; highlighting the main themes of the play, with each one ultimately breaking into chaos.

Dawn King’s adaptation, James Dacre’s direction, Naomi Dawson’s design along with Colin Grenfell’s lighting, Eddie Kay’s choreography and George Dennis’ sound which enhances the original music from These New Puritans all work together to set the scene.  This adaptation did the book great justice, with phenomenal performances, a strong narrative and relevant themes.It has impact, its thought provoking, sensual but sensitive and surreal but disturbingly authentic

Whether you have read the book or not this production is worth a visit for the amazing acting and disturbing reality of our future.  In Darlington until Saturday 14th November and on tour around the UK

NEW THEATRE ROYAL SEASON GOES OFF WITH A CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG!

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

The Father 18-23 April ‘16

Tom 3 – 7 May ‘16

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour 12-16 July ‘16

The Commitments 6-11 Feb ‘17

Fresh from winning the ‘Most Welcoming Theatre in the UK’ award last month, Newcastle Theatre Royal has announced a sizzling new season for Spring/Summer 2016, full of delights for all tastes and ages.

The season features musical film classic, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1 – 12 Jun ‘16) which will have audiences of all ages flying high with its mixture of madness, intrigue and exuberance, but this isn’t the only musical extravaganza instore…

A brand new musical TOM. A Story of Tom Jones, The Musical is set to make its North East debut 3-7 May. An inspirational show full of Tom’s greatest hits, it takes audiences back in time to the working men’s clubs of the ‘60s where the legend of Tom Jones was born: a Valleys boy with a heart-stopping voice. Welsh West End star Kit Orton appears in the title role.

In July, the producers of the sell-out smash hit Puttin’ on the Ritz return with the dazzling song and dance extravaganza That’s Entertainment (5-9 July) celebrating the biggest hits of the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s.  The show includes sumptuous music by Lerner and Loewe, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Irving Berlin and Cole Porter and features glorious costumes and an award-winning cast of singers and dancers.

Back again in August due to popular demand is the international multi-award winning musical, Chicago (1-13 August). Based on real life events back in the roaring 1920s this world-famous show tells the sordid tale of a nightclub singer, a double-murderess, a smooth-talking lawyer and a cell block of sin, and features one of the sexiest, sassiest scores ever written.

February 2017 brings soul-celebration The Commitments (6-11 Feb 2017) to the Theatre Royal, direct from a phenomenally successful, record breaking two year run in London’s West End.  The musical has been adapted from the novel by Booker prize winning author Roddy Doyle himself and is directed by the award-winning Jamie Lloyd. Like the novel and the film, this tale of a talented group of working class Dubliners is full of heart and features over 20 soul classics performed live on stage including:Night Train, Try A Little Tenderness, River Deep, Mountain High, In The Midnight Hour and many more.

Another hit from the West End, this time for drama lovers, is The Father (18-23 April 2016), the winner of France’s highest theatrical honour – the 2014 Moliere Award -and the most acclaimed new play of the decade.  It tells the tragic tale of eighty year old Andre who has Alzheimer’s disease and whose life is starting to spiral out of control.  In Christopher Hampton’s crisp and witty translation it has dazzled audiences across the country and received an unprecedented ten five star reviews from major national critics. Tony Award nominee Kenneth Cranham reprises his indelible performance for this tour direct from the West Award.

A wonderfully uplifting family drama for May is the Olivier award-winning Goodnight Mister Tom (17-21 May) starring David Troughton (The Archers). A magical stage adaptation of Michelle Magorian’s heart-warming tale, set during the dangerous build up to the Second World War, the story follows young William Beech who is evacuated to the idyllic English countryside and forges a remarkable 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 also a world-wide literary favourite and a BAFTA award-winning TV film.

From one country idyll to another, and the first ever stage adaptation of ITV’s popular Sunday evening 60s police drama, Heartbeat visits in late May (23 – 28 May). Heartbeat ran for 18 years from 1992 to 2010 with audiences regularly exceeding 10 million viewers and constantly being in the top five TV programmes across all channels. This new stage production features all the show’s favourite characters, video footage,  an original script  and even members of the original TV cast, and perfectly recreates the show live on stage.

June sees the return of an old favourite – the Olivier Award winning comedy adaptation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, The 39 Steps (27 June – 2 July), this time on its 10th Anniversary Tour. Featuring only four actors playing a staggering 130 characters in 100 minutes, the show follows  handsome hero Richard Hannay on his incredible adventures as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women! This wonderfully inventive and gripping comedy thriller is set to be as fast-paced and thrilling as ever.

Following its sell-out success at Live Theatre, Lee Hall’s hit play Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour (12-16 July) makes its Theatre Royal debut in the summer. Adapted from Alan Warner’s brilliant novel about six girls on the cusp of change, the play tells a tale of love, lust, pregnancy and death – which all spiral out of control in a single day. Warner’s blisteringly funny dialogue – a tribute to being young, lost and out of control, ends in fireworks (literally).

Comedy fans will delight in two hit shows arriving in the Summer – national trinket, author, TV and Radio star Julian Clary is bringing ‘The Joy of Mincing’ on Sunday 15 May, a celebration of 30 years as a camp comedian and Julian at his filthy best, live and unplugged.  June then sees the return of those fabulous Grumpy Old Women (Sun 26 June) – back at the Theatre Royal after a critically acclaimed, total sell-out and extremely grumpy tour in spring  2015 and ready once again to  knock some sense into the nation!  Perrier Award-winning comedian, writer and original star of the show Jenny Eclair will be joined by fellow recruits Susie Blake (Handbagged, Coronation Street) and actress and singer Kate Robbins (Where The Heart Is).

A rare treat for North East audiences, one of the world’s most celebrated dance companies Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT2) will visit in the Spring (26-27 April).  Featuring a corps of 18 young international dancers aged 18-23, the company offers a unique blend of breathtaking dance, awe-inspiring skill and unparalleled creativity and promises to thrill and entertain with its sheer exuberance and astonishing athleticism.

A perennial favourite with Theatre Royal audiences – Scottish Ballet follows hot on NDT2’s heels, bringing its World Premiere of Swan Lake from 11-14 May. Set to enchant a whole new generation with an imaginative re-telling of the timeless tale, this new production is choreographed by the award-winning British

dance maker David Dawson – one of the most innovative choreographers in classical ballet today. This will be the company’s first tour of the ballet in over 20 years and is set to once again astonish with ethereal sets and costumes, and Tchaikovsky’s iconic score performed live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra.

Another favourite, this time with our younger audiences, Peppa Pig is back in Newcastle in July with her brand new live stage show, Peppa Pig’s Surprise (27-28 July)! Peppa is playing outside with her friends on a sunny day, and Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig have got a surprise for her and George! A charming, colourful new show with new songs and new life size puppets, perfect for pre-schoolers.

He’s impossible to categorise, and equally impossible to forget, the multi-award winning acknowledged ‘master of psychological illusion’ Derren Brown is back in the summer with his most provocative show yet, Derren Brown: Miracle (20-25 June).  Derren is one of the world’s most renowned live performers; a dark manipulator of magic and mind control, a miracle man of our modern times.  This new show delivers an evening of mind-altering genius full of extraordinary and unbelievable events – showmanship at its very best.

And there are plenty of great shows to suit all tastes already onsale in our current season with family-favourite musicals Hairspray(19 – 30 Jan ‘16),

Guys & Dolls (22 Mar – 2 Apr), The Mikado (15 – 18 June) and Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s multi award-winning musicalMary Poppins (8 Sept – 29 Oct). Lovers of mystery and intrigue will revel in Stephen Daldry’s multi award-winning West End production of J.B. Priestley’s classic thriller, An Inspector Calls (9-13 Feb) and No.1 best-selling author Peter James’ critically acclaimed stage hit – The Perfect Murder (22-27 Feb).

For dance fans, Rambert (2-4 Feb), Stomp (15-20 Feb) and the return of Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty (5-16 April) will offer a feast for the senses, while drama enthusiasts can delight in Regent’s Park Theatre’s adaptation of William Goulding’s cut-throat tale of young society run wild Lord of the Flies (8-12 March 2016) and Alan Bennett’s Olivier-award winning comedy Single Spies(15-19 March).  The Opera North Spring season features three hit productions: Mozart’s romantic Cosi Fan Tutte (2 & 4 March), Donizetti’s sunny L’Elisir D’amore (3 March) and Girodano’s tragic Andrea Chenier (5 March).

The Theatre Royal’s annual pantomime still reigns as the region’s favourite and with over 76,000 tickets already sold for the 15/16 extravaganza Dick Whittington (24 Nov ‘15 – 17 Jan ‘16) it’s set to break all records once again.

Tickets for all new shows in the Spring / Summer ‘16 season go on public sale on Friday 13 November.  Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk

Friends of the Theatre Royal can book new season shows on Monday 9 November, before the general public, and receive 20% off tickets, as well as discounts at our bars, exclusive ticket exchange and prices which never change. To become a Friend and book early, please contact the Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) or sign up online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.