A NEW MUSICAL COMEDY
WITH MUSIC & LYRICS BY IRVING BERLIN
BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT WITH STUDIOCANAL
DIRECTED BY THOM SOUTHERLAND
STARRING LIZA GODDARD & BRIAN CAPRON
THE SMALLEST SHOW ON EARTH
TO TOUR THE UK FROM 25 SEPTEMBER 2015

Mercury Theatre, Colchester, Brian Eastman and Christabel Albery present a new musical comedy based on the StudioCanal Peter Sellers/Margaret Rutherford film The Smallest Show on Earth.  The stage show, which has a book by Thom Southerland and Paul Alexander, contains some of Irving Berlin’s greatest songs, including Blue Skies, Shakin’ the Blues Away, Let Yourself Go, Steppin’ Out with my Baby and How Deep is the Ocean, as well as some rediscovered gems.

Director Thom Southerland said “Berlin’s music provides the perfect accompaniment to our 1950s story, not only in lyric, but in style and period too.”

The UK tour of The Smallest Show on Earth will begin performances on Friday 25 September at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, before playing Coventry, High Wycombe, Glasgow, Plymouth, Crewe, Swansea and Malvern.

Newly-weds Matt and Jean Spenser inherit a cinema and think their fortune is made.  But the Bijou, better known as the fleapit, is the victim of a dirty tricks campaign from its rival flashy neighbour The Grand.  The Bijou’s benevolent manageress Mrs Fazackalee and unreliable projectionist Mr Quill combine with Matt and Jean to outwit the opposition and restore the Bijou to its former glory.

StudioCanal’s The Smallest Show on Earth was a 1957 British Lion film written by William Rose (Genevieve, The Ladykillers) and directed by Basil Dearden (Blue Lamp, League of Gentlemen). It starred Peter Sellers as Mr Quill and Margaret Rutherford as Mrs Fazackalee, along with Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as Matt and Jean.

THE ALMEIDA THEATRE ANNOUNCES

SUMMER FESTIVAL: ALMEIDA GREEKS

As Oresteia opens the Almeida’s new season tonight, the theatre announces a major one-off festival.ALMEIDA GREEKS will run from June to October alongside the three main stage productions of Oresteia,Bakkhai and Medea. Inspired in spirit and form by the ancient Festivals of Dionysos, the Almeida Greeks festival will include an eclectic mix of performances, events, talks and readings as an array of contemporary artists interrogate the Ancient Greek canon.

One festival highlight will see more than 50 artists read Homer’s The Iliad in its entirety.  Directed by Rupert Goold and Robert Icke, this unique, marathon event will commence at the British Museum and move to finish on the Almeida stage.

The Almeida Greeks festival is inspired by original Greek practice and the ancient tradition of debate and discussion runs throughout with masterclasses, panels and discussion, interrogating the themes of the season. These will include From Atreus to Pistorius with author A.C. Grayling and Dr Jennifer Wallace, chaired by Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke; From Medea to Mumsnet with Rachel Cusk; From Dionysos to Dawkins, reflecting on religion and its impact on art today; and From Aristotle to Albert Square, an interactive panel exploring the significance of tragedy in art and society, led by Charlotte Higgins. Why Greeks Matter brings together leading directors of classical work Ivo van Hove, Deborah Warner and Rupert Goold to discuss why these texts remain so central to the wider theatrical ecology, while classics scholar Professor Edith Hall and director Bijan Sheibani unpack the Oedipus complex in one day in Oedipus Explored.

In the Ancient Greek spirit of revelling from dusk until dawn to celebrate the spirit of Bacchus, Almeida Greeks includes a Greek-themed Midnight Run, a walking night-time cultural journey by award-winning poetInua Ellams. Comedian, journalist and classicist Natalie Haynes will lead The Big Greek Quiz and atAlmeida Lates, Slow Club’s Rebecca Lucy Taylor headlines a selection of DJs who will play into the night in the Almeida bar allowing audiences to soak up the summer atmosphere.

Almeida Greeks will also present an eclectic range of music and live art echoing the entertainment that once followed the formal tragedies. This will include a timely reworking of Lysistrata by all-female ensembleGaggle; Early Opera Company performing Médée Furieuse; a day of musical Dionysia with Bakkhaicomposer Orlando Gough, mezzo soprano Çiğdem Aslan and members of the Bakkhai chorus; a new performance lecture by award-winning drag artist Dickie Beau on how he became inspired by the Greek canon; plus readings of three rarely performed Greek comedies directed by Blanche McIntyre, Ramin Grayand Fiona Laird.

For the full festival line-up please see listings below.
ALMEIDA GREEKS: LISTINGS

EOS: DUSK TILL DAWN
“For now the nights move slowly and scarce end” – Homer

MIDNIGHT RUN
When Sat 18 Jul 6pm – 6am
Where Meet at Almeida Theatre Box Office
Tickets £15 (£13 concs)*
A walking, arts-filled, night-time cultural journey through London.  Award-winning poet, playwright and performer Inua Ellams began the Midnight Run in 2005 after a bus failed to arrive on time. Now in its tenth year, the Almeida and Inua have collaborated to create a Greek-inspired Midnight Run. Join a host of artists as we reclaim the streets with Inua and explore the hidden spaces of our capital after dark. *Limited availability. Early booking advised. Participants must be physically fit and are advised to dress for the weather.

THE ILIAD
When Fri 14 Aug 9am – late
Where British Museum (from 9am) and Almeida Theatre (8pm- late)
Tickets British Museum free, Almeida Theatre £30 (£27 concs) for first 100 tickets. See almeida.co.uk/greeks for details.
This summer, join us for a rare opportunity to experience a complete reading of Homer’s The Iliad.
More than 50 artists bring this masterpiece to life, beginning at the British Museum and culminating on the Almeida stage with the wrath of Achilles. Directed by Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold and Associate Director Robert Icke, Homer’s poem is the source myth of Greek drama and the greatest story of heroism, betrayal and war in literature. Join us for a few chapters or the entire tale—wherever your sense of adventure takes you.  The first 100 tickets will be sold at a special early-booking rate of £30 (£27 concs). For additional pricing and cast announcements visit almeida.co.uk/greeks

In association with the British Museum

PROAGON: DISCUSSION & DEBATE
“Leave no stone unturned” – Euripides

WHY GREEKS MATTER
When Mon 8 June
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)
Join Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold, Ivo van Hove and Deborah Warner in conversation to mark the launch of Almeida Greeks. As three of the world’s leading directors of classical work, Rupert, Ivo and Deborah will explore why these texts remain central to the ongoing practise of theatre-makers, audiences and the wider theatrical ecology.

FROM ATREUS TO PISTORIUS
When Thu 2 Jul 5.45pm
Where Islington Square, 116 Upper Street
Tickets £7 (£5 concession)
“Justice is incidental to law and order.” – J. Edgar Hoover
Is it ever acceptable to kill? Do the ends ever justify the means? Inspired by our production of Oresteia, this Almeida Questions panel explores the challenges of making moral decisions. Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke will be joined by A. C. Grayling (The God Argument) and Dr Jennifer Wallace, English Lecturer, University of Cambridge.

FROM DIONYSOS TO DAWKINS
When Thu 20 Aug 6pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concession)
“What if God was one of us?” – Joan Osborne
What if a god were alive and among us now? How would we know? What would it mean and how might we act? This Almeida Questions panel takes a closer look at the Athenian understanding of the divine and its relation to the human, and asks how it has shaped subsequent art, society and religion.

FROM MEDEA TO MUMSNET
When Thu 15 Oct 6pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)
“They f*** you up, your mum and dad.” – Philip Larkin
Which is more inviolable—the love between the makers of children or their love for those children? Can you love too much? Do women and men love differently? Is becoming a parent the beginning or end of bravery? As Rachel Cusk reimagines Medea for our stage, she joins this Almeida Questions panel to examine why Medea is such an incendiary figure and what her story asks of contemporary feminism.

FROM ARISTOTLE TO ALBERT SQUARE
When Thu 22 Oct 6pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)
“Tragedy is like strong acid—it dissolves away all but the very gold of truth.” – D. H. Lawrence
We refer to everything from environmental disaster to sporting failure as a tragedy, but what does it really mean when we use this most disputed word? From Aristotle to Wagner, the idea of tragedy with its mighty action, its awesome pity and its cleansing catharsis, has been the pinnacle of artistic endeavour. What does tragedy, in theory and in life, have to say to us now? This panel will be led by Charlotte Higgins, Guardian chief culture writer and author of It’s All Greek to Me.

OEDIPUS EXPLORED
When Sun 6 Sep 3 – 7pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £15 (£13 concs)
Director Bijan Sheibani (Almeida Theatre, National Theatre, Donmar Warehouse) unpacks the infamous Greek complex. The day will explore where art and psychoanalysis meet, culminating in a reading of the text. Among others, Bijan will be joined by Professor Edith Hall, Department of Classics and Centre for Hellenic Studies at King’s College London.

MASTERCLASSES
This series of masterclasses is led by artists who are defining our contemporary interpretations of Greek myth. The first masterclass will be led by award-winning classical actor Greg Hicks. Full line-up and dates at almeida.co.uk/greeks.

DIONYSOS: MUSIC, LIVE ART AND CELEBRATION
“Call upon loud-roaring and revelling Dionysos.” – Orphic Hymn

FAMILY DAY
When Sun 2 Aug 11am – 5pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets Free (workshop £4)*
We take over Almeida Street for a fun-filled day of Greek-inspired family activities, including storytelling workshops, arts and crafts, food and more. A specialist in creating immersive spectacles, festival favourite Gideon Reeling (Bestival, Camp Bestival) will lead us in the Sillympiad, an Olympic Games unlike any other. *Storytelling workshops take place at 11am & 3pm.
Under 16s should be accompanied by an adult (maximum of two children per adult).

THE BIG FAT GREEK QUIZ
When Sun 2 Aug 6.30pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £5
From Achilles to the elbow and everything in between, see how your Greek trivia stacks up. Hosted by Perrier-nominated comedian, classicist, writer and broadcaster Natalie Haynes (BBC Radio 4) and author ofThe Ancient Guide to Modern Life and The Amber Fury.

GAGGLE: LYSISTRATA
When Fri 7 & Sat 8 Aug 10.30pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £15 (£13 concs)
Written & directed by Deborah Coughlin
Critically-acclaimed, all-female, multi-talented Gaggle were named as one of NME’s Future 50 most innovative groups and have gone on to create boundary-breaking works across Europe’s festivals, on radio, in galleries and online. Now they return to London with a timely retelling of Lysistrata, the classic comedy about a gang of vigilante women set against a backdrop of post-election despair. Join Gaggle and special guests as they set about trying to figure out how we can change the world.

ALMEIDA PROJECTS: LABYRINTH
When Sun 9 Aug 2pm & 6pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)
This selection of new short plays is inspired by the Greeks and written, performed, directed and produced by Young Friends of the Almeida. Labyrinth is the culmination of a unique series of workshops that develop young artists, supported by Almeida creatives and producers committed to promoting young talent in London.

DJ LATES
When Fri 7 & Sat 8, Sat 15, Fri 21 & Sat 22, Fri 28 & Sat 29 Aug 10pm – late
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets Free
Soak up the post-show atmosphere in the bar as a selection of DJs play us into the night. Headlining is Rebecca Lucy Taylor from Slow Club with more guest DJs to be announced. Cocktails served until midnight.

ALMEIDA PROJECTS: OEDIPUS
When Fri 28 Aug 1.30pm & 3.30pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)
Young Friends of the Almeida perform a new abridged version of Sophocles’ iconic play on the Almeida stage, developed during two weeks of intensive rehearsals with a professional director and workshops with visiting drama specialists.

DICKIE BEAU: MASKING TAPES
When Fri 11 Sept 10.30pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £15 (£13 concs)
Award-winning drag fabulist and lip-synch maestro Dickie Beau has made his name channelling the voices of others. From a lecture by Peter Sellars to creating LOST in TRANS based on Narcissus and Echo and the responses to that show, Dickie discovered a profound link between his own artistic investigations and the origins of theatre. In this never-before-seen performance ‘lecture’, Dickie shares the story of why he became inspired by the Greek canon and how lip-syncing became his Greek mask.

ORLANDO GOUGH: THAT FEELING
When Sun 13 Sep 4 – 8pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £25 (£20 concs)
In the spirit of Dionysos, Bakkhai composer Orlando Gough and members of the Bakkhai chorus take over the building for an eclectic day of musical Dionysia. Rising star of Greek folk music Rebetiko, Çiğdem Aslan leads the line-up with wine and feasting to complete the full festival feel.

EARLY OPERA COMPANY: MÉDÉE FURIEUSE
When Sun 4 Oct 7.30pm
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £30 (£27 concs)
Throughout history the story of Medea has fascinated composers, never more so than in France in the 17th and 18th centuries. The acclaimed, Olivier-Award nominated Early Opera Company and Christian Curnyn are joined by mezzo-soprano Ciara Hendrick with exerts from Bernier ‘Médée’ and  Charpentier’s magnificent opera of the same name. Join the EOC ensemble of strings, lute and harpsichord on our operatic journey through the French Baroque, taking on this most dangerous of divas.

THE COMEDIES
“Comedy too can sometimes discern what is right. I shall not please, but I shall say what is true.” – Aristophanes

FROGS
When Fri 21 Aug 5.30pm & Sat 22 Aug 10.30am
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)
Award-winning director Blanche McIntyre directs a reading of Frogs by the great comic dramatist Aristophanes.

WASPS
When Fri 18 Sept 5.30pm & Sat 19 Sept 10.30am
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets £7 (£5 concs)Director and Guardian journalist Fiona Laird premieres her adaption of Aristophanes’Wasps.

LYSISTRATA
When Fri 16 Oct 5.30pm & Sat 17 Oct 10.30am
Where Almeida Theatre
Tickets All tickets £7 (£5 concs)
Ramin Gray (ATC Theatre, RSC, Hampstead Theatre) directs a new version of Lysistrata by Richard Bean. In association with Actors’ Touring Company.

THE CURRENT GREEK SEASON…

ORESTEIA
Aeschylus
a new version created by Robert Icke

until 18 July 2015
Press Night 5 June, 7pm

Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke reimagines Oresteia for the modern stage, in its first major London production in more than a decade.

Lia Williams returns to the Almeida as Klytemnestra. The cast also includes Lorna Brown, Jessica Brown Findlay, Rudi Dharmalingam, Annie Firbank, Joshua Higgott, John Mackay, Luke Thompson, Angus Wright, Hara Yannas, Amelia Baldock, Eve Benioff Salama, Clara Read, Ilan Galkoff, Cameron Laneand Bobby Smalldridge.

Orestes’ parents are at war. A family drama spanning several decades, a huge, moving, bloody saga, Aeschylus’ greatest and final play asks whether justice can ever be done – and continues to resonate more than two millennia after it was written.

Design is by Hildegard Bechtler with light by Natasha Chivers, sound by Tom Gibbons and video by Tim Reid. Casting is by Julia Horan CDG.

Almeida Associate Director Robert Icke most recently directed The Fever at The May Fair Hotel and Mr Burns at the Almeida.  Other Almeida credits include 1984, a co-production with Headlong and Nottingham Playhouse co-created with Duncan Macmillan, which enjoyed a successful West End run and two UK tours. Robert was previously Associate Director at Headlong where he worked with Rupert Goold to conceive and develop Decade, directed Boys by Ella Hickson and a UK tour of Romeo and Juliet.

BAKKHAI
Euripides
a new version by Anne Carson
directed by James Macdonald

23 July – 19 September 2015
Press Night 30 July, 7pm

James Macdonald returns to the Almeida to stage Anne Carson’s new version of Euripides’ hedonistic, visceral tragedy. Ben Whishaw makes his Almeida debut as Dionysos alongside Bertie Carvel as Pentheus and Kevin Harvey as Kadmos. Using three actors and a chorus, this new production will echo the original Ancient Greek performance model.

Pentheus has banned the wild, ritualistic worship of the god Dionysos. A stranger arrives to persuade him to change his mind.  Euripides’ electrifying tragedy is a struggle to the death between freedom and restraint, the rational and the irrational, man and god.

The Bakkhai includes Amiera Darwish, Eugenia Georgieva, Kaisa Hammarlund, Helen Hobson, Hazel Holder, Melanie La Barrie, Elinor Lawless, Catherine May, Louise Mills and Belinda Sykes.

Design is by Antony McDonald, with light by Peter Mumford, sound by Paul Arditti, composition byOrlando Gough and musical direction by Lindy Tennent-Brown. Choreography is by Jonathan Burrowsand Gillie Kleiman. Casting is by Anne McNulty CDG.

Anne Carson is a poet, essayist, translator, playwright – and classicist who frequently references, modernises – and translates Greek mythology. Anne’s translation of Sophocles’ Antigone, starring Juliette Binoche and directed by Ivo van Hove, played at the Barbican earlier this year having premiered at Théâtre National du Luxembourg.  Anne is a MacArthur Fellow; she has received the Lannan Literary Award for Poetry, the T.S. Eliot Prize and the Pushcart Prize, and was an Anna-Maria Kellen fellow at the American Academy in Berlin in 2007.

James Macdonald’s work at the Almeida includes The Triumph of Love, Judgement Day and A Delicate Balance. He was Associate Director of the Royal Court from 1992 to 2007 premiering works by Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill and Martin Crimp.  More recently at the Royal Court he has directed The Wolf From the Door,Cock and Love and Information.  His other credits include Roots (Donmar Warehouse), #aiww: The Arrest of Ai Wei Wei, And No More Shall We Part (Hampstead Theatre), King Lear, The Book of Grace, Top Girls(Broadway), Dido, Queen of Carthage, The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other, Exiles (National Theatre),Dying City (Lincoln Center), Drunk Enough to Say I Love You (Public Theater) and Glengarry Glen Ross(West End).

MEDEA
Euripides
a new version by Rachel Cusk
directed by Rupert Goold

25 September – 14 November 2015
Press Night 1 October, 7pm

One of world drama’s most infamous characters is brought to controversial new life in this production by Almeida Artistic Director Rupert Goold and feminist writer Rachel Cusk. Kate Fleetwood makes her Almeida debut in the title role.

Medea’s marriage is breaking up. And so is everything else. Testing the limits of revenge and liberty, Euripides’ seminal play cuts to the heart of gender politics and asks what it means to be a woman and a wife.

Design is by Ian McNeil, costume by Holly Waddington, composition and sound by Adam Cork and choreography by Scott Ambler. Casting is by Julia Horan CDG.

Rachel Cusk was selected by Granta as one of their Best Young British Novelists in 2003. Author of seven novels and three works of non-fiction, she won the Whitbread First Novel Award for Saving Agnes, a Somerset Maugham Award for The Country Life, and was shortlisted for the 2007 Orange Prize for Arlington Park. Her latest novel, Outline, was shortlisted for the Folio Prize and the Goldsmiths Prize.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

29 May – 18 July 2015
ORESTEIA
Aeschylus
a new version created by Robert Icke
Press Night 5 June, 7pm

23 July – 19 September 2015
BAKKHAI
Euripides
a new version by Anne Carson
directed by James Macdonald
Press Night 30 July, 7pm

25 September – 14 November 2015
MEDEA
Euripides
a new version by Rachel Cusk
directed by Rupert Goold
Press Night 1 October, 7pm

Address           Almeida Theatre, Almeida Street, London, N1 1TA

Café Bar           The Almeida Café Bar is open from 11.30am -11.00pm, Monday to Saturday
The Almeida Cafe Bar will be open later for Almeida Lates

Box Office       Phone 020 7359 4404 (10am – 7.30pm Monday – Saturday)
                         Online almeida.co.uk
                         In person 10am – 7.30pm, Monday – Saturday

                         Oresteia performances Monday – Saturday at 7pm
Saturday matinees at 1pm from 13 June
Wednesday matinees at 1pm on 24 June & 8 July

                         Bakkhai performances Monday – Saturday at 8pm
Saturday matinees at 3pm from 1 August
Wednesday matinees at 3pm on 5, 12, 19 & 26 August, 2 & 9 September

                         Medea performances Monday – Saturday at 8pm
Saturday matinees at 3pm from 3 October
Wednesday matinees at 3pm on 14, 21 & 28 October, 4 November

Website           almeida.co.uk

Twitter            @AlmeidaTheatre
#almeidagreeks

Facebook        facebook.com/almeidatheatre

Instagram       @almeida_theatre

Access           Oresteia Audio Described performance by VocalEyes Saturday 27 June at 1pm, Touch Tour 11.15am and Friday 10 July at 7pm, Touch Tour 5.30pm.

                        Oresteia Captioned performances Friday 3 July at 7pm

                        Bakkhai Audio Described performance by VocalEyes Saturday 5 September at 3pm, Touch Tour 1.15pm and Friday 11 September at 8pm, Touch Tour 6.15pm.

                        Bakkhai Captioned performances Friday 4 September at 8pm

                        Medea Audio Described performance by VocalEyes Saturday 24 October at 3pm, Touch Tour 1.15pm and Monday 2 November at 8pm, Touch Tour 6.30pm.

                        Medea Captioned performances Monday 26 October at 8pm

For information about festival access please contact the Box Office on 020 7359 4404 or go toalmeida.co.uk/access

Talkback         Post-show discussion with members of the company
Free to same day ticket holders
                        Oresteia Wednesday 1 July
                        Bakkhai Tuesday 18 August
                        Medea Monday 26 October

Wilton’s Music Hall will fully reopen to the public after four years of building works from September 2015 after completing much needed and vital Capital Project to secure the unique building. As part of the Capital Project, Wilton’s has opened up 40% of the building which was not previously accessible. When all rooms are re-opened, Wilton’s will present their inaugural artistic season and will feature a range of theatre, dance, opera as well as family events.

Frances Mayhew, Artistic Director of Wilton’s Music Hall said: “Now that we need no longer fear for the very fabric of our building, we can finally turn our attention to presenting a long term artistic programme that befits Wilton’s future.  Our aim is to be a Music Hall for today’s audience. We will be showcasing diversity in art form from theatre to dance to opera to classical music to puppetry to family shows with more popular performances sitting alongside more experimental works nurturing artists at the start of their careers. We want to bring artists and audiences from diverse disciplines and cultures together under this unique, creative and passionate roof, to produce a much fuller and richer programme across a more diverse range of disciplines. Now that Wilton’s is finally saved these ambitions for this tremendous and historic building can become a reality.”

Autumn Season

The Sting will open the season for the newly repaired Wilton’s Music Hall and will run from 9 September to 17 October 2015. Based on the 1973 caper film of the same name, in which two outraged, small-time con men set out to outwit a powerful mob leader and, to the accompaniment of Scott Joplin’s ragtime, the Big Con unfolds. The Sting will transport Wilton’s back to the 1930s depression era and the audience will have the chance to explore the newly repaired building.

Over the weekend of 24 and 25 October, Wilton’s will present The Magic of the Music Hall Family Weekender, a free weekend for people of all ages to come and learn about the history of music hall and the heritage of Wilton’s. The John Wilton Room, formerly known as The Library, will be officially reopened over the Family Weekender and will function as a dedicated history and heritage room from then on.

Following this, Box Tale Soup’s Casting The Runes will play over half-term from 27 to 31 October. An adaption of M.R. James’ classic thriller this hour-long production will feature just two performers, one hand-made puppet and a haunting soundtrack of original music. In addition to Casting The Runes, there will be family activities running during the day in all Wilton’s rooms.

The opera of the season will be l’Ospedale which will run from 10 to 21 November. Directed by James Hurley, Conducted by James Halliday and Designed by Rachel Szmukler, this exciting new operatic discovery will be the first fully staged production by Solomon’s Knot baroque collective. Based on the work of seventeenth-century poet Antonio Abati, and set to music to an unknown composer,l’Ospendale is a satire on patients, doctors and medical practices.

Wilton’s will present its long-awaited and first-ever panto this winter with Dick Whittington directed by Debbie Filtcroft and written by and starring Roy Hudd. Running from 1 to 31 December, Roy Hudd’s rip-roaring script will combine London and international travel themes that chime with Wilton’s own heritage.

2016 will see the return of Wilton’s Strike! Dance Festival from 8 to 14 February which showcases new and emerging dance artists. Presenting a selection of original concepts, the applications for participants will open in August 2015. The award-winning Mark Bruce Company will return to Wilton’s in February 2016 and following their success with Dracula with a retelling of Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey. This is an extraordinary new dance theatre production in which beauty, humanity, contemporary horror and fantasy splinter from ancient myth.

Capital Project

The Capital Project to repair Wilton’s started in 2011 (Phase 1) with the repair of the main auditorium space. Wilton’s is now approaching the end of the final phase (Phase 2) of works. Currently repaired and open to the public are: the main auditorium, new Aldgate and Allhallows Learning and Participation Studio, prop making workshop, The Champagne Charlie Room, The Study, The John Wilton Room (currently a temporary bar) and staff offices. By September 2015, repair work will also have finished on four accessible dressing rooms, a kitchen with pizza making facilities, lift and disabled access to all floors, The Mahogany Bar, store rooms and cellars. As a result of this, when the building is fully reopened in September 2015 Wilton’s will have many new spaces which will help the Music Hall realise its potential as a creative, hub, community resource and landmark heritage site.

Learning & Participation

From September 2015, Wilton’s learning and participation programme will sit alongside artistic and heritage events. This programme will include a range of imaginative activities which will include bespoke workshops, participation projects for schools and community groups and free family activities. The previously reopened Aldgate and Allhallows Learning and Participation Studio which is a new space for community and artistic activities, will sit alongside The John Wilton Room, a free public space which will include archaeology exhibitions and access to the Wilton’s archives. The full programme of learning and participation events will be announced in due course.

Last Chance to see Peter Pan

The critically acclaimed production of Peter Pan which opened the 2015 season at Regents Park Open Air Theatre, must end its limited run on 14 June.

George Llewelyn Davies, killed in action in WW1, was one of the children who inspired this iconic character. Remembering him and a generation of lost boys, Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel’s‘stunning, moving, definitive production of J.M. Barrie’s play is not to be missed’ Andrzej Lukowski, TIME OUT.  

Alongside Hiran Abeysekera in the title role is David Birrell as Captain Hook, Beverly Rudd as Smee,Kae Alexander (Wendy), and Rachel Donovan (Tinker Bell).

Rehearsal images released for The Seagull

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has today released rehearsal images for Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull,which plays at the theatre from 19 June – 11 July.

Celebrated as one of the most important plays of the nineteenth century, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have commissioned a new version by Torben Betts to mark the 120th Anniversary of Chekhov’s original play.

Janie Dee will star as Irina Arkadina, with Sabrina Bartlett as Nina and Matthew Tennyson as Konstantin. They will be joined by Tara D’Arquian as Natasha, Lisa Diveney as Masha, Tom Greaves as Yakov, Colin Hoult as Simon Medviedenko, Fraser James as Ilia Shamraev, Lisa Palfrey as Paulina Andreevna, Ian Redford as Peter Sorin, Alex Robertson as Boris Trigorin and Danny Webb as Eugene Dorn.

Directed by Matthew Dunster and with set design by Jon Bausor, The Seagull will have Movement Direction by Charlotte Broom, Lighting Design by Philip Gladwell, Sound Design by Christopher Shuttand casting by Julia Horan and Lotte Hines.

As guests assemble at a country house for the staging of an avant-garde open air play, artistic temperaments ignite a more entertaining drama behind the scenes, with romantic jealousies, self-doubt and the ruthless pursuit of happiness confusing lives, loves and literature.

Following on from J.M Barrie’s Peter Pan and The Seagull at Regent’s Park Open Theatre will be Seven Brides for Seven Brothers which will see director Rachel Kavanaugh reunite the creative team behind the theatre’s award-winning production of The Sound of Music. Lord of the Flies will then bring this year’s season to a close from 3 – 12 September before embarking on a nationwide tour.

FULL SEASON LISTINGS INFORMATION

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre 2015 season:

Box Office: 0844 826 4242
Online Bookings: www.openairtheatre.com

J.M. Barrie’s
Peter Pan
Directed by Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel
15 May – 14 June 2015
Performances: Tue – Sun (7.45pm); matinees Thurs, Sat & Sun (2.15pm)
By arrangement with Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity

The Seagull
By Anton Chekhov
In a new version by Torben Betts
Directed by Matthew Dunster
19 June – 11 July 2015
First preview: 19 June
Press night: 24 June (7.45pm)
Performances: Mon – Sat (7.45pm); matinees Thurs & Sat (2.15pm)
No matinee on 20 June

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Book by Lawrence Kasha and David S. Landay
Music by Gene De Paul   Lyrics by Johnny Mercer
New songs by Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn
Based on the MGM Film and The Sobbin’ Women by Stephen Vincent Benét
Directed by Rachel Kavanaugh
16 July – 29 August 2015
First preview: 16 July
Press night: 23 July
Performances: Mon – Sat (7.45pm); matinees Thurs & Sat (2.15pm)
No matinee on 16 July

William Golding’s
Lord of the Flies
Adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams
Directed by Timothy Sheader
3 September – 12 September 2015
Performances: Mon – Sun (7.45pm); matinees Weds, Thurs & Sat (2.15pm)
No matinee on 3 September

Tickets

Peter Pan, The Seagull and Lord of the Flies
£25 – £48.50
(Premium Seats £60, including best seat, programme and glass of wine)

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
£25 – £52.50
(Premium Seats £65, including best seat, programme and glass of wine)

A full performance schedule will be available from www.openairtheatre.com

WHAT THE FRINGE?! THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE LAUNCHES
2015 PROGRAMME

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is back with an innovative, international and adventurous festival, bound to provide many unforgettable moments for festival goers travelling to Scotland’s capital city from all around the world. With theatre, dance, circus, physical theatre, comedy, music, musicals, opera, cabaret and variety, children’s shows, free shows, exhibitions, events and spoken word on offer, there truly is something for everyone. And something new for everyone to experience.

2015 will see 50,459 performances of 3,314 shows from 49 countries in 313 venues across Edinburgh. The number of shows reflects a 3.8% increase on last year’s programme, with 14 new venues becoming involved in the Fringe from across the city.

Kath M Mainland, Chief Executive of The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society said:

“It’s great to be launching the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme.

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest, oldest, most well renowned festival in the world.

“Every year we think we know what it’s going to deliver, but every year it surprises, delights, amazes and inspires.  The Fringe is a festival like no other.  Completely open access – where artists don’t need to wait for an invitation, where anyone with a story to tell is welcome.  Where there’s no curator, no vetting, no barriers.  Just incredible talent from almost fifty countries all over the world.

“It’s also an incredibly important festival for Scotland, the UK and our performing artists.  A vital platform to showcase the range and diversity of creative skills on offer.  A profoundly international market place which can have transformative effects on careers.  An explosion of culture which can be life changing for the audience.  And lots and lots of fun.

“I can’t wait for the 2015 Edinburgh Festival Fringe to start and look forward to welcoming the participants and audiences to this great festival city in August.”

Fiona Hyslop MSP, The Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs said:

“This year’s programme shows once again why the Edinburgh Festival Fringe is one of the most important events in the international cultural calendar. The festival is a premier event bringing thousands of people to Scotland. It demonstrates the scale of Scotland’s creativity and ambition and raises our standing on the world stage.

“As one of the most significant arts market places in the world, with over 1,000 arts professional attendees each year, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe offers unrivalled opportunities for Scottish, UK and international artists. We are committed to supporting the festival and the ambitions of the Scottish creative talent at the Fringe through the Made in Scotland programme as part of the £2.25 million Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.”

Cllr. Richard Lewis, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Festivals and Events Champion said:

“Edinburgh has been working since 1947 on expanding and bettering our festivals offering and this longevity and growth is one of the greatest reflections on their success. Almost 70 years on, thousands of visitors and journalists continue to travel from all over the world to experience Edinburgh in August.

 “Last summer the Fringe put on almost 50,000 performances of more than 3,000 shows across 300 venues making it the largest scale Fringe. This year is set to be just as adventurous and entertaining. The range of artists coming to Edinburgh from around the world is as diverse as ever, and we will also see a wealth of Scottish performers taking part.”

Janet Archer, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland said:

“The Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues to provide an important platform for Scottish artists to showcase their work to local and international audiences.  It is also an unrivalled opportunity to make and develop touring contacts, to forge creative partnerships and to see artistic excellence from around the world.”

This year the Fringe Society has unveiled a new strategic partnership with Airbnb to help increase the range and diversity of accommodation options available to visitors to Edinburgh during August.

James McClure, Country Manager Airbnb UK & Ireland said:

“Airbnb is all about connecting people from all around the world and helping travellers enjoy destinations through the host experience and their local lens. The Fringe is an extremely exciting time not only for the residents of Edinburgh but for the thousands of visitors that descend on the city during August – and what better way to bring people together than through the arts and entertainment! We are very proud to be working with the Fringe Society to make sure that everyone who comes to Edinburgh during August gets the warmest of Edinburgh welcomes during their visit.”

This will also be the second year that the Fringe Society has had a ticket collection point at Edinburgh Airport. Last year, a staggering 14,000 tickets were collected from the airport. This year, the ticket collection point will be operating from 03 August, in plenty of time for the first Fringe visitors stepping off their planes.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport said:

“The airport ticket machine was a big success last year with over 14,000 tickets being collected in the terminal.  We’re delighted to be working with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society to offer our passengers this option again this year.  I used the ticket machine myself several times last summer and am looking forward to seeing what will be on offer at this year’s festival.    

“We love thinking outside the box and giving our passengers a great experience.  Summer is always an incredibly busy time for us and this year will be no exception as we get ready to welcome hundreds of thousands of passengers from all over the world. Festival-goers will soon be able to collect their tickets as soon as they arrive into Edinburgh.”

VENUES
As the Edinburgh Festival Fringe continues to grow and evolve, 14 additional new and unique venues will play host to performing companies this year. Underbelly will introduce Circus Hub, formed of two big tops calledThe Lafayette and The Beauty situated on the Meadows in the city’s southside. The new circus venue will provide a space for the most technically ambitious circus performances on a scale the Fringe has never seen before. The Circus Hub’s pop-up sister venue, the giant purple cow Udderbelly will move to within a stone’s throw away, in George Square. The hit show The Lady Boys of Bangkok will move to their new location at Fountainbridge, alongside the beautiful Union Canal.

Next door, the new Big Sexy Circus City will complete an immersive circus landscape with shows taking place in marquees. Now under the management of Momentum Venues, St Stephen’s Church, a Grade-A Georgian listed building almost 200 years old in the vibrant area of Stockbridge will offer a magnificent space for performers and audiences alike. St Stephen’s Church has been run in previous Fringes by a number of different groups, most famously by Aurora Nova. These days Aurora Nova might not be running their own venue but they are a considerable presence at the Fringe with eight shows spread over four venues this year, covering themes ranging from life in a war zone (B-Orders, Underbelly, p.187) to a study of human relationships (Portraits in Motion, Summerhall, p.359).

SpaceUK will debut a new venue for 2015 called SpaceTriplex in The Prince Philip Building at 19 Hill Place, this new state of the art facility will spread over three floors, located next door to theSpace @ Surgeons Hall and theSpace @ Symposium Hall.  Hardeep Singh Kohli’s Communal Craft Beer and Curry Bar V Deep in Leith will turn into a performance space, as will The Laundrette, 342 Leith Walk hosting performances ofMedea of the Laundromat (p.347) after hours.  Heroes @ Bob’s BlundaBus is new for 2015, the double-decker bar and venue will be parked on South College Street throughout the Fringe, and will go ‘on the road’ around town every Wednesday. For the first time in some years The Ross Bandstand in West Princes Street Gardens will host a programme of open air music concerts in the heart of the city during the Fringe. Greenside will open a new venue in 2015, Greenside @ Infirmary Street, on the back of their Nicolson Square venue which opened in 2014.

For those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, Crichton Collegiate Church in Midlothian – a stunning fifteenth century church, will once again turn into a performance space hosting Plainsong at Crichton (p.255), a choir recreating a mediaeval vespers for the Feast of the Assumption in a one-off setting. The Village Pub Theatre in Leith will take part in the Fringe for the first time with its grassroots new-writing theatre programme.  Gilded Balloon will celebrate their 30^th anniversary with a star studded one-night performance at the Edinburgh Playhouse. The Gilded Balloon 30^th Anniversary Gala (p.101) line-up includes Johnny Vegas, Ross Noble, The Boy with Tape on His Face, Alan Davies, Stephen K Amos and many more.

DANCE, PHYSICAL THEATRE AND CIRCUS
The increasing popularity of circus and physical theatre is evident in this year’s programme. While companies familiar to the Fringe such as Circa will return with their show Close Up, (Underbelly, p.188)other companies such as Ockham’s Razor will make their Fringe debut, with Ockham’s Razor: Arc and Every Action (Underbelly, p.197). Belgian company Theatre d’un Jour will use their unique kind of storytelling circus in L’Enfant qui (Institut français d’Ecosse, p.195). UK based contemporary circus company Lost In Translation will bring their spectacular family show The Hogwallops (Underbelly, p.193) to the brand new Circus Hub on the Meadows. Hitch! (Big Sexy Circus City, p.193) a circus and cabaret show based on the life and work of Alfred Hitchcock will be performed by Mary Bijou Circus Theatre Company. The Famous Spiegeltent will play host to VELVET (p.16) – a sexy, spectacular and sparkling show by La Clique which completely redefines cabaret as a disco inferno.

FAMOUS NAMES
A number of familiar faces and well-known names from the world of comedy will return to the Fringe. Jo Brand (Gilded Balloon, p.117) will take a break from her regular prime time TV appearances while fellow female comic Nina Conti will bring her show In Your Face (Pleasance, p.145) to the festival. Ed Byrne(Gilded Balloon, p.88), Al Murray, (Assembly, p.54) Sue Perkins (BBC @ Potterrow, p.64), Fred MacAulay(Assembly Rooms, p.96), Patrick Kielty (Assembly, p.149), Paul Merton (Pleasance, p.151), Alan Davies(Gilded Balloon, p.51), Trevor Noah (Assembly, p.177), Marcus Brigstocke (Assembly, p.134) Katheryn Ryan (The Stand, p.123), Mark Thomas (The Assembly Rooms, p.136), Josh Widdicombe (Assembly, p.121), Michael Che (The Stand, p.138) and Reginald D Hunter (Pleasance, p.156) will also bring their material to the festival in 2015. Jo Brand, Phill Jupitus, Mark Thomas, Susan Calman, Bridget Christie, Liz Lochhead, Arthur Smith, Fred MacAulay and more will come together for special night of comedy celebrating the great talent that was Linda Smith in Loving Linda Smith Gala Concert: In Aid of Target Ovarian Cancer (The Assembly Rooms, p.131).

Recognisable names will also be treading the boards across Edinburgh. Renowned Hollywood and Scottish actor John Hannah will take to the stage as a mysterious illusionist in the UK premiere of the Bulgarian playThe Titanic Orchestra (Pleasance, p.375). Meanwhile actors widely known for their roles in Hollywood will travel from across the pond to perform at the Fringe. Valorie Curry and Sam Underwood will star in One Day When We Were Young by Nick Payne (Assembly, p.354) a two-hander set in the period of World War Two. Renowned virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie and acclaimed Russian visual artist Maria Rud deliver an unforgettable sound and image fusion in The Animotion Show (George Heriot’s School Quad, p.204). A cast led by Kevin McNally will lovingly recreate BBC Radio 4’s hit Hancock’s Half Hour – The Missing Hancocks: Live in Edinburgh (The Assembly Rooms, p.141), bringing back to life missing episodes rediscovered by actor Neil Pearson.

UPCOMING TALENT
The Fringe is a great level playing field, providing an opportunity for emerging talent to rub shoulders and share facilities with established stars, for new material to be tested and new talent to be discovered. Ones to watch in 2015 include Fern Brady: People Are Idiots (The Stand, p.93), Rhys James: Remains(Pleasance, p.156) Michael J Dolan: Miserable Guts (The Stand, p.138) and Susie McCabe: The Drugs Don’t Work (The Stand, p.172).

SPOKEN WORD
England cricket hero Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff will make his Fringe debut with Freddie Flintoff 2^nd Innings(Pleasance, p.284), joined on stage by comedy writer Clyde Holcroft in an unscripted trip down memory lane offering insights into the world of cricket. One of the best known British parliamentarians and Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow will discuss his career, the role of the Speaker and the future of Westminster (University of Edinburgh Business School, p.209). Ricky Tomlinson: Guilty My Arse (The Assembly Rooms, p.288) is a no holds barred conversation with Ricky Tomlinson about how he and his building site workmates were stitched up and sentenced to three years imprisonment in 1973, in a trial that in today’s money cost around £10 million. Meanwhile Fashion and the Selfie Culture (Stand in the Square, p.284) debates the role that fashion plays in stereotyping ideals of beauty by looking at the rise of the ‘me, me, me’ selfie culture and asking whether empathy can ever change the strict doctrines of current beauty codes. Jon Ronson: So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed (The Assembly Rooms, p.286) is an illustrated one-man show about the renaissance of public shaming. Author of the successful book The Psychopath Test, Jon Ronson has spent three years with people who have been torn apart on Twitter, or have been part of tearing someone apart on Twitter, and is ready to tell the tale.  

THEME: POLITICS AND POLITICIANS
In the year of the general election, politics and politicians are a key theme. The premiere of Walking the Tightrope: The Tension between Art and Politics (Underbelly, p.382) will see short political plays by the likes of Caryl Churchill, Neil LaBute and Timberlake Wertenbaker followed by a post-show panel discussion exploring the freedom of expression in the UK arts today. Another series of political short plays by leading writers will take to the stage at Summerhall in Theatre Uncut (p.373). When Blair had Bush and Bunga(Pleasance, p.384) is a new comedy by Patrick Ryecart about mistaken identities, unruly maids, a marauding US president and a phone call from the Pope. Written and directed by RADA graduates and founders of Hell Bent Theatre Company, UKIP! The Musical (SpaceUK, p.277) uses satire and original music. A brand new show So That’s What We Voted For? (Assembly Rooms, p.167) takes a look back at the past year in Scottish politics using stand-up, chat and comment. A satirical look on the life and politics of Boris Johnson in Boris: World King (p.302) will play at the Pleasance Courtyard. Comedian and impressionist Matt Forde, fresh from his appearance in BBC Two’s Rory Bremner’s Election Report, will look at the outcome of the election in Get the Political Party Started (Pleasance, p.137). Chris Mullin: The Art of Political Leadership (The Assembly Rooms, p.283) sees political diarist and former Labour minister Chris Mullin examine the qualities of the great British political leaders of the twentieth century and question whether today’s politicians are minnows by comparison.

THEME: FATHER AND CHILD RELATIONSHIPS
The father and child relationship is a common theme in this year’s programme. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Family (p.333), a one-man show about love, loss and the search of a father by UK poetry slam champion Ben Norris will play at Underbelly, Cowgate. Comedian Jimmy McGhie brings his show Jimmy McGhie – Winged Goddess of Victory (Pleasance, p.117) to Edinburgh and confronts masculinity, early childhood humiliations and the sins of the father. TheatreState blend video and performance in their showTribute Acts (Assembly, p.379) asking the question, are we all a tribute act of our fathers? John-Luke Roberts presents Stdad-Up (PBH’s Free Fringe / Voodoo Rooms, p.120) a comedy show about having and then not having a father while John Hastings: Marked from the Start (Pleasance, p.119) looks at what’s brought him and his father close together, and becoming a godfather to his nephew. So It Goes (Underbelly, p.368) the wordless, 2014 sell-out hit returns for one week only and tells a moving and frank true story about the loss of a father.

THEME: POPULAR MUSICIANS AND POPULAR CULTURE
Shows based on, and inspired by, musicians and popular culture also feature heavily at this year’s festival.Five Feet in Front (The Ballad of Little Johnnie Wylo) (Summerhall, p.324) is inspired by the lyrics to Eminem’s seminal hit Stan and tells a tale of obsession, murder and tragedy. Lennon: Through a Glass Onion (Assembly Hall, p.246) celebrates the genius and music of John Lennon. This year also sees the first stage performance of John Lennon’s In His Own Write (PBH’s Free Fringe / The Voodoo Rooms, p.340) while cabaret artist Michael Griffiths will perform Annie Lennox’s unforgettable songs from her time with the Eurythmics and her solo career in Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox (Assembly, p.22). Regular Music and National Theatre of Scotland’s Janis Joplin: Full Tilt (p.338) will play at The Queen’s Hall in the form of part theatre, part live gig following its success at last year’s Fringe, winning Best Performance Award at the UK’s 2014 Musical Theatre Network Awards. A play based on the story of The Beatles’ road manager and his personal involvement with the band A Life with the Beatles (p.343) by Italian playwright Davide Verazzani will play at Sweet Grassmarket.

THEME: WOMEN’S EXPERIENCE
The experiences of girls and women in the past and present is also a prominent theme. A new writing piece,Brute (Underbelly, p.303) takes a look at the experience of a new girl who’s just started at an all-girls state school in a provincial English town, and how girls are treated at school. Girl from Nowhere (Pleasance, p.328), set in Texas in 1969 tells the story of rock singer Jeannie, and the small-town values of a home she’s outgrown. This new play looks at how women were treated in the 1960s, often recognised for their bodies more than their talent. Where Do Little Birds Go? (Underbelly, p.384) is a one-woman play based on the true story of an 18 year old woman abducted by the Kray twins in London in the 1960s, and looks at the exploitation of women. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (Underbelly, p.384) is written and performed by Rebecca Crookshank based on her time in the Royal Air Force serving Queen and Country, and what it means to be a woman in that role. Women’s Hour (Summerhall, p.387) is a piece of comedy and performance art theatre which asks questions such as what happens when women are given a whole hour a day to think about what it is to be a woman.

THEME: CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Climate change, ecological disasters and the environment are also major themes in 2015. FellSwoop Theatre’s piece Current Location (Summerhall, p.312) presents an allegorical response to the ongoing and ever-increasing number of ecological disasters. Baba Brinkman’s Rap Guide to Climate Chaos (Gilded Balloon, p.361) takes a comedic look at global warming, identifying which people are in a better position to capitalise on it, and which species can do well from it. Martin Kiszko’s Green Poems for a Blue Planet(Gilded Balloon, p.284) is a dramatic stand-up performance poetry accompanied by Wallace and Gromit creator Nick Park’s images, based on their books Green Poems for a Blue Planet and Verse for the Earth. Northern Stage’s Going Viral (Summerhall, p.329) explores how things such as disease, panic and idea spread. Rhapsody In Green by Mike Maran (Valvona & Crolla, p.362) is a one-man show and emotional declaration of love for the wilderness, which celebrates the life and work of mountaineer, pioneering environmentalist, founder of the American national parks and storyteller, John Muir. Fausted (C venues, p.322) from Fitchburg State University, USA, is a story about an environmentalist who resorts to summoning the devil to help save mankind.

THEME: MENTAL HEALTH – DEMENTIA AND ALZHEIMERS
Mental health, often a common theme, is once again prominent within the programme, with many works specifically relating to dementia. The world premiere adaptation of Sarah Moore Fitzgerald’s novel about Alzheimer’s and time travel Back to Blackbrick (Pleasance, p.296) has a live original folk score. Bedsocks and Secrets (Spotlites, p.298) deals with the controversial subject of dementia care, exploring the changing relationship between a mother and son as her symptoms worsen and his feelings of guilt and isolation spiral.Tomorrow (Traverse, p.376) is a profound, original meditation on needing care and needing to care, telling the story of a young man who suddenly finds himself in an alarming unfamiliar place, where everyone has his best interests at heart but he is not allowed to leave. Spillikin – A Love Story (Pleasance, p.368) is a play with four actors, live music and a real robot, about one man’s attempt to make a better version of himself to look after his wife, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, when he’s gone. Camera Obscura – A Way of Seeing (C venues, p.188) by the Street Dance Club is an emotionally-charged performance which moves sensitively through the shadows of grief and loss experienced in dementia.

THEME: GENDER
A number of new works based around gender will play a part in this year’s Fringe. Trans Scripts(Pleasance, p.378) created from actual interviews will explore gender identity through the struggles and triumphs of six transgender women. The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven (Summerhall, p.330) is written and performed by trans playwright, performer and poet Jo Clifford. Bread is shared, wine is drank and familiar stories are reimagined by a transgender Jesus. The Traverse Theatre will present the world premiere of Swallow (Traverse, p.371), a new play by Stef Smith which takes a long, hard look at the extremes of modern life with questions of identity, heartbreak and hope. From the Czech Republic Boys Who Like to Play With Dolls (DanceBase, p.187) is contemporary dance show set in a world in which masculinity and femininity are unrelated to male and female forms, attacking conventions and clichés of gender.

THEME: SEXUALITY
Sexuality is also a key theme. By the Bi (Spotlites, p.187) uses a unique cohesion of modern dance, physicalised movement and spoken word, and unpacks how society’s isolation of bisexual culture perpetuates harmful and hurtful stereotypes of bisexuality that include confusion, greediness and promiscuity. The International Stud (C venues, p.337) is an award-winning play which follows drag queen Arthur on his search for love in the backrooms of the 1980s gay scene. These Troubled Times (C venues, p.374) is a comedic and irreverent exploration of homophobia, religion and the meaning of family. How to Keep an Alien (p.334) will make its debut at the Traverse. Based on a true story, Irish Sonya meets Australian Kate and they fall in love, just weeks before Kate’s visa is up and she must leave Ireland. Together they have to find a way to prove to the Department of Immigration that they have the right to live together.

PRODUCTION COMPANIES
A range of notable performance companies and production houses will bring their work to the Fringe in 2015. The UK’s premiere centre for contemporary dance The Place will make their Fringe debut with Idiot-Syncrasy (Summerhall, p.194). Fuel Theatre Company will bring four pieces of work to the Fringe this year.Portrait (Pleasance, p.359) and I am Not Myself These Days (Pleasance, p.336) will premiere at the festival and Fiction (Pleasance, p.323) will play after its sold out run at Battersea Arts Centre. Fuel is also Associate Producer on Clod Ensemble’s The Red Chair (Summerhall, p.362). Shakespeare’s Globemakes their Fringe debut this year with two shows from Globe Education’s family-friendly series – Romeo and Juliet (The Party Planner’s Tale) and Titus Andronicus (The Piemaker’s Tale) (Pleasance, p.44). The two shows will be co-presented with Seabright Productions. Northern Stage’s work will play at Summerhall for the first time. Here is the News From Over There (Over There is News from Here) – A Borderless Twitter Ballad Fresh from the Middle East (p.333) is a new story from Middle Eastern and UK writers told in the form of tweets, music and contemporary storytelling. Paines Plough will return to the Fringe producing and co-producing a number of shows including Our Teacher’s a Troll (Summerhall, p.41)The Human Ear (Summerhall, p.335) Every Brilliant Thing (Summerhall, p.320) and Lungs (Summerhall, p.345).

MUSIC
Music forms 14% of this year’s programme, with a diverse mix of genres for audiences to choose from. Ali Affleck’s Speakeasy Sessions, New Orleans Jazz and Blues, Moody Moonshine (Outhouse, p.223) promises to transport music lovers to the prohibition era with the early jazz and blues divas. Africa Live!(Central Hall, p.222) showcases some of the very best African music today, featuring a new line-up every night. Film, TV and West End star Anita Harris (Brunton Theatre, p.224) sings her favourite songs every night while the Edinburgh Youth Chamber Orchestra with Julian and Jiaxin Lloyd Webber (Greyfriars Kirk, p.238) will perform the greats – Haydn, Mozart, Elgar and more. Award-winning a cappella group The Sons of Pitches (Gilded Balloon, p.260) will sing live in Edinburgh after their huge success on YouTube.Alien Lullabies – Songs from a Decaying Future (Summerhall, p.223) merges 3D animation and off-world electronica and stunning live vocals to evolve into a multimedia artwork. The Edinburgh International Conference Centre will play host to the China Conservatory Orchestra 2015 Concert (Venue 150@EICC, p.234) a Chinese folk music show representing over three thousand years of tradition using several traditional instruments such as Bangdi, Liuqin and Zheng.

MUSICALS
A variety of musicals will take to the stage at this year’s Fringe. Award-winning satirical musical Urinetown(Assembly, p.278) tells the tale of a town fit to burst, where peeing is a privilege and no relief is rent free. 2 Become 1 (C venues, p.277) is a comedy pop-musical following four 90s girls embarking on a wild night of speed dating, full of infectious pop anthems and ballads. Telling the life story of poet Robert Burns A Man’s a Man (Clifton Hall, p.272) stars award-winning traditional Scots singers Claire Hastings and Robyn Stapleton, and introduces Kieran Bain as Burns. After Freedom: New Rhythms of Soweto (Central Hall, p.266) brings mind-blowing energy, fresh vibes and enticing rhythms from South Africa, blending tribal and urban andAround the World, My Journey Continued After You Left (New Town Theatre, p.266), is a new musical from award-winning Chinese director Zhao Miao and tells the story of a lost love and the journey made to rediscover life.

FREE SHOWS
There are 807 free shows taking part in this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe. There are three organisations producing most of the free shows in the Fringe programme; PBH’s Free Fringe, the Laughing Horse Free Festival and La Favorita’s Freestival. PBH’s free line-up includes Butt Kapinski (PBH’s Free Fringe / Liquid Room Annexe, p. 71) who invites the audience to co-star in a film noir fantasia. Harry Baker – The Sunshine Kid (PBH’s Free Fringe / Banshee Labyrinth, p.285) follows Harry’s journey to becoming the youngest ever World Poetry Slam Champion with raw honesty and tongue-in-cheek humour. Phill Jupitus is Porky the Poet in Apologist Now! (PBH’s Free Fringe / Liquid Room Annexe, p.288) sees Phill Jupitus return with his poetic alter-ego. The Laughing Horse Free Festival’s shows include Abigoliah’s GoPro Comedy Talk Show! (The Laughing Horse Free Festival / The Free Sisters, p.26), a devised talk show involving the audience which is filmed and then uploaded to the internet to share. Chris Martin: This Show has a Soundtrack (The Laughing Horse Free Festival / The Free Sisters, p.75) sees observationalist stand-up perform to an original soundtrack. Freestival also host a number of acts including Canadian Rasta Oh It’s That Guy! Comedian Matt Henry (St Mary’s, p.147). The Glummer Twins (Fingers Piano Bar, p.284) put the 21^st century to rights using rock, rhyme and poetry.

INTERNATIONAL WORK
International work from 45 countries will travel to the festival city this August to take part in the Fringe. A showcase of four pieces of work from Finland will play at the festival, in Start to Finnish. Loranga, Masarin and Dartanjang (Pleasance, p.37) is a play for families based on Barbro Lindgren’s award-winning novel while The Outsider (New Town Theatre, p.355) uses the visual style of silent films, taking them into a contemporary format, forming a delightful fantasy for grown-ups. The Year of the Hare (Pleasance, p.387) tells the story of a middle-aged, middle-class hero who works 12-hour days in his office cubicle, when an eccentric hare re-awakens his lust for life. Finishing the showcase, a sell-out hit in Finland Dark Side of the Mime (Assembly, p.82) is an audacious, dark and dirty romp full of raunchy humour and a new kind of mimical clownery.

The Taiwan Season will present Gaze of the Kavaluan (DanceBase, p.201), a contemporary dance piece exploring self, art and sexuality and the traditions of female chastity among indigenous Paiwan and Rukai people. The Paper Play (Summerhall, p.45) is a double bill for younger audiences and their families, exploring the incredible storytelling power of ordinary paper.

Assembly will host a Korean season with a programme of five shows across three genres – theatre, dance and a children’s show. One Fine Day (Assembly, p.197) sees one of Korea’s most celebrated contemporary dance companies, EDx2 Dance Company, present two of their most acclaimed works in a tender and playful double bill. PAN (Assembly, p.356) is a Korean word meaning ‘festival’. This performance fuses modern and traditional drumming and dance with colourful exuberance and folksy sensibility.

A variety of work will come from the Czech Republic, including Czech Dance Piece of the Year Correction(Zoo, p.189) which uses humour, passion and live music by Clarinet Factory, and puts seven performers in a perfect line and shows that limits can result in comfort, relief and happiness. Cirk La Putyka will make their UK debut with Dolls (Underbelly, p.190) using multidiscipline masters of trapeze, acrobatics and contemporary dance from Prague presenting stories of obsession, joy and longing.

Fourteen shows will come from France including Skins and Hoods (Institut franҫais d’Ecosse, p.367), a new writing multimedia theatre piece by Gustave Akakpo performed by Cie du Veilleur. Oh Là Là! Starring Isabelle Georges (Assembly, p.20) features the Parisian cabaret star embarking on a passionate journey through the French repertoire and beyond, with a five-piece band. Homme │Animal (Greenside, p.193) is a breathtaking dance piece about the animal in all of us and our complicated emotional states, while Cathedral Chamber Music – Piano (St Mary’s Cathedral, p.232) sees exciting young French pianist Louise Cournarie perform music by Handel, Schubert and Mendelssohn.

Germany will also bring an eclectic mix of shows to the Fringe including The Power of Music (SpaceUK, p.255) about the unsung heroes of music – jingle writers. Portraits in Motion (Summerhall, p.359) witnesses performer Volker Gerling recount the stories of people he met while walking over 3,500 km through Germany, creating photographic flip books. Fold (SpaceUK, p.192) from Hong Kong presents a striking innovative piece uniting the art of origami and dance. Ireland has a strong presence at this year’s Fringe with shows including an adaptation of Eimear McBride’s A Girl is a Half-formed Thing (Traverse, p.328) by The Corn Exchange, adapted for the stage by Annie Ryan and Little Thing, Big Thing (Assembly, p.344) – a thriller with an ex-con and a nun chased through Ireland for a roll of film.

Japan will bring 20 shows to the Fringe this year. Siro-A (Assembly, p.199) uses dance, technology and music to create a visual sensation on a whole new frequency for all the family and Messages from Japan / Super-cussion (SpaceUK, p.250) a unique drum show of Japanese traditional music created by an ensemble of drummers. Mexico will bring Vagabond (New Town Theatre, p.47) a children’s story of three vagabonds in search of happiness and how a dandelion transforms the meaning of their lives.

Russia will also present a colourful, interactive, dance-acrobatic family show to the festival named Colors(Spotlites, p.31) exploring the values of friendship, equality of rights, understanding and love. Russian performer Nastya Rybachuk’s premiere of her provocative and witty show For Big Boys Only (St John’s, p.15) uncovers the linguistic layers of a Russian doll, using a showcase of pop-art poems.

Science stand-up comedian Lieven Scheire comes from Belgium with The Wonderful World of Lieven Scheire (Gilded Balloon, p.184). Aunty Donna return from Australia with a new comedy sketch show (Gilded Balloon, p.59) and South African comedian Tats Nkonzo: The African with Wifi (Pleasance, p.172) will perform his UK and Edinburgh debut.

BRITISH COUNCIL SHOWCASE
Thirty companies from around the UK will come together for the 2015 British Council Showcase, a snapshot of the diverse work currently being created in the UK. The main programme includes devised, visual and physical theatre; new writing; live art and installation; interactive and immersive theatre; and dance theatre. The programme will be presented to a delegation of visiting international programmers so that a new global audience can experience British performances. The showcase includes Edinburgh Fringe First Winner Bryony Kimmings’ new work about clinical depression and men, Fake It ‘Til You Make It (Traverse p.321), Ramesh Meyyappan’s Butterfly (Greenside, p.304) a striking adaptation of Madame Butterfly told with beautiful, handcrafted puppets and Backstage in Biscuit Land (Pleasance, p.296), a two-woman show which explores disability through comedy, puppetry and song.

MADE IN SCOTLAND
Twenty-one companies and artists will take part in this year’s Made in Scotland programme, a curated showcase of music, theatre and dance, made and produced in Scotland and performed during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. A partnership between the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, the Federation of Scottish Theatre, the Scottish Music Centre and Creative Scotland, Made in Scotland highlights the wealth and diversity of work being created in Scotland. The theatre programme includes The Secret Life of Suitcases(Scottish Storytelling Centre, p.44) about a character called Larry whose world is turned upside down by a fantastical flying suitcase. On the dance front, Douglas (Zoo Venues, p.190) is both a reflection on human physical contact with the world and a lo-fi take on choreography that extends beyond the body. And as a part of the music programme, Dedicated (Broughton High School, p.237) refines the modern classical music scene with original music dedicated to the lives and achievements of pioneering women from throughout history.

BBC AT THE FRINGE
The BBC returns to Edinburgh to broadcast highlights and daily live performances across radio, TV and online. Capturing the festival’s most exciting new talent, biggest names, hidden gems and Fringe stories.

A number of national TV and radio networks will broadcast from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe during August. There will be a brand new show with Kaye Adams (BBC Scotland), while Janice Forsyth (BBC Scotland)Simon Mayo Drivetime (Radio 2) and In Tune (Radio 3) will return to the city to broadcast their shows live. Radio 1’s Fun and Filth Cabaret (Radio 1) Front Row and Just A Minute (Radio 4), Afternoon Edition(Radio 5 Live), Shaun Keveney (Radio 6 Music), and Asian Network’s Big Comedy Night (Asian Network) will also make appearances.

FRINGE CENTRAL
The Fringe Society’s Participant Centre, Fringe Central, will be split across two buildings in 2015. For the seventh consecutive year the University of Edinburgh’s Appleton Tower will host practical resources and facilities including a café/ bar for participants and will be home to the Fringe Society’s Media Office. For the first time the University of Edinburgh’s David Hume Tower will also be utilised to house the Fringe Society’s Arts Industry Office and event and rehearsal room facilities. Fringe Central offers an unrivalled, unique and a completely  free programme of professional and career development opportunities for everyone participating in a Fringe show.

TICKETING
Following the success of the ticket collection point based at Edinburgh Airport last year, with over 14,000 tickets were picked up, the collection point will return to domestic arrivals in the terminal building. From 04 June tickets will be available for collection from the Fringe Box Office, 180 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QS and from the University Visitor Centre, 2 Charles Street, Edinburgh EH8 9AD. There are over 20 collection points throughout the city open during the Fringe. For a list, and for more information please go to edfringe.com.

VIRGIN MONEY STREET EVENTS
The Royal Mile and The Mound will once again be vibrant focal points where street entertainers busk and perform extracts of their shows on the cobbles, thanks to the support of Virgin Money. Over 250 shows will take place between the two locations every day between 11am and 9pm, providing a carnival atmosphere in the streets of the festival city. Last year over 6,000 separate performances by 912 groups across 22 performance spaces took place outdoors in Edinburgh, as a part of the Fringe.

Fringe Facts 2015

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2015 features 50,459 performances (up from 49,497 last year) of 3,314 shows (up from 3,193 shows last year) in 313 venues (up from 299 venues last year).

Comedy makes up 34% (compared to 34.5% last year)
Theatre makes up 27% (compared to 27.5% last year)
Music makes up 14% (compared to 13.1% last year)
Musicals and Opera makes up 3% (compared to 3.4% last year)
Children’s Shows make up 5% (compared to 5% last year)
Dance, Circus and Physical Theatre makes up 4% (compared to 3.6% last year)
Events make up 4% (compared to 4.3% last year)
Cabaret and Variety makes up 4% (compared to 3.2% last year)
Spoken Word makes up 4% (compared to 3.9% last year)
Exhibitions make up 2% (compared to 1.6% last year)

There are 807 free shows, 1,778 premieres and 49 different countries represented.

The countdown has begun! With less than a week to go until the award winning musical Avenue Q hits Darlington Civic Theatre, the venue is preparing to host the most unholy comic allegiance between humans and puppets the world has ever seen. Following massive success all over the globe and nearly five years of mischief, bad behaviour and political incorrectness in the West End, Avenue Q finally arrives in Darlington from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 June as part of its current national tour.

Avenue Q is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 June. Tickets* are priced £19 to £30.50

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

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy. Age recommendation 14+

A new generation of professional actors will receive training from some of the UK’s leading professionals thanks to a brand new programme being launched at Newcastle Theatre Royal.

Project A is the first course of its kind in the North of England dedicated to actor training and will offer practical and theoretical training to young aspiring actors aged 18-25 years old, who are looking to make a serious career as an actor.

Leading the project is Philip Hoffmann, a professional actor and director who originally hails from Manchester but has lived and worked in the North East for over twenty years. He said: “There is a huge need here in the North East as far as access to top quality actor training goes and for many years now people in the industry have been asking why there isn’t a dedicated actor training institution here in the North East.

“Our talented young people shouldn’t have to leave the region to get access to the best professionals and so we hope thatProject A will provide the perfect solution to this problem.”

The course, which will be offered completely free of charge for its inaugural year, will be run over three terms in an academic year and will include vocal, physical and performance skills training as well as specialist training including Meisner technique, improvisation, acting for screen and stage combat.  These areas will be developed alongside the students’ continuous training in character development and text analysis.

Phil added “There is a definite need for this kind of programme and support from within the regional arts scene, so I am delighted that Newcastle Theatre Royal is taking the lead in the field and providing this wonderful opportunity for young actors.

“All that we ask of those taking part is that they have a genuine desire to work as a professional actor and that they are 100 per cent committed to the course.”

Project A is open to anyone aged 18-25 with acting experience, details and a downloadable application pack can be found atwww.theatreroyal.co.uk/taking-part/project-a. closing date for applications is 15 July.

Superbolt Theatre is back with its most jaw-dropping show to date, a ground-breaking take onJurassic Park, following hit Edinburgh shows, a sell-out run at VAULT Festival 2015 and spectacular international tours.

The audience is greeted by an increasingly dysfunctional family: Terry and his two reluctant teenage children, Noah and Jade. Everything has been carefully prepared and the people of Lyme Regis are buzzing. The event? A public screening of their favourite childhood film. A last chance for a fractured family to honour their palaeontologist mother.

A technical hiccup forces our three hosts to dig deep within themselves and present their own retelling of the dino-tastic epic. The piece shifts from the film to reality, past and present using physical comedy, music, puppetry and a healthy scoop of blockbuster mania.

As this impromptu performance unfolds, family feuds are faced with the rapturous roar of DIY dinosaurs. This laugh-out-loud spin on Spielberg’s classic is a theatrical celebration of cinematic nostalgia and a moving reminder of the ones we love.

WHEN YOU COME FACE TO FACE WITH THE PAST, REMEMBER NOT TO SCREAM

Superbolt Theatre is an international company founded at the Jacques Lecoq Theatre School in Paris. Their work tours internationally, playing to people of all ages and backgrounds. Recent work includesCentralia, Piatto Finale and The Uncanny Valley. Jurassic Park won the VAULT Festival Pick of The Week Award and the Origins Award for Outstanding New Show, also picking up a nomination for the Festival Spirit Award.

LISTING INFORMATION

Venue:  Assembly Roxy, Upstairs, 2 Roxburgh Place, EH8 9SU (Venue 139)
Time:  18:50
Running Time: 60mins
Age Guidance: PG
Dates: 5 – 30 August. Previews 5 – 7 August. No show Mon 17 August.
Tickets: Previews £7; 8 & 9, 12 & 13, 18-20 & 24-27 August £10; 10 & 11, 14-16, 21-23, 28-30 August £12
Bookings: assemblyfestival.com, 0131 623 3030 or Assembly box offices at Assembly Hall and Assembly Roxy, Assembly George Square and Assembly Checkpoint
Web: superbolttheatre.com  Web: assemblyfestival.com  Twitter: @superboltplays  Facebook: /superbolttheatre

ROSS NOBLE AND JASON MANFORD HEAD TO LEEDS WITH THE MEL BROOKS SMASH HIT MUSICAL

THE PRODUCERS

Based on Mel Brooks’ beloved Academy Award winning movie, The Producers is a hilarious musical comedy that has taken Broadway and the West End by storm, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards and 3 Olivier Awards; it comes to Leeds Grand Theatre next week bringing with it two great Northern comedians.

Ross Noble joins forces with fellow comedian Jason Manford and a sterling cast including Cory English, David Bedella, Tiffany Graves and Stephane Anelli.

Impoverished by a string of flops, New York producer Max Bialystock (Cory English) recruits downtrodden accountant Leo Bloom (Jason Manford) to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. Together they aim to produce the worst show ever and run away to Rio with millions, but they learn that Show Business can always find a way to kick you in the teeth.

Ross said of his role; “I am very excited about appearing in The Producers. I am a huge fan of the show and for anyone who loves comedy, the chance to perform the work of Mel Brooks is amazing!”

Jason said; “I’m so thrilled to be starring in my favourite musical of all time. Mel Brooks is a genius and I’m so excited to be playing the iconic role he created. The show is a riot of laughs from start to finish.”

Featuring a riotous mix of eccentric characters and the all-time classic song ‘Springtime For Hitler’, The Producers is the funniest Broadway musical of all time.

Mel Brooks said; “It’s brilliant to see ‘The Producers’ being brought to life again with this new production.”

The Producers is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 8th to Saturday 13th June 2015.

Tickets are on sale now priced from £18.50 to £40.

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

A SEA OF HOPE OR DESPAIR?

Professor Callum Roberts to give an insight into humanity’s relationship with the sea at Central Hall, Dolphin Centre on Friday 19 June.

Callum Roberts is Professor of Marine Conservation at the University of York. He was first tempted into marine science by a trip to the coral reefs of Saudi Arabia, where he studied behaviour and coexistence of herbivorous fishes. This led to a lifelong love of coral reefs and effectively dispelled his prior notion that marine science was all about freezing on the deck of a North Sea trawler knee deep in fish. In the early 1990s his interests in behaviour gave way to concern about the deteriorating condition of coral reefs, leading to his current emphasis on marine conservation.

In this presentation Callum will explore the remarkable story of humanity’s relationship with the sea, from the first fisheries to our planetary dominance today. We are changing the oceans faster and in more ways than at any time in human history, threatening sea-life and putting human wellbeing in jeopardy. Are we headed for disaster or can we chart a course to safe waters?

Callum Roberts Future Oceans: A Sea of Hope or Despair is at Central Hall, Dolphin Centre on Friday 19 June. Tickets* are priced £12

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

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.