THE TONY AWARD WINNING MUSICAL
ANNOUNCES BOOKING EXTENSION
THROUGH TO 7 DECEMBER 2024

NOW PERFORMING AT PRINCE EDWARD THEATRE, LONDON

www.mjthemusical.com

London, Thursday 7 March 2024: Lia Vollack, John Branca and John McClain, producers of the acclaimed Broadway musical MJ, today announce that the UK production has extended booking through until Saturday 7 December 2024.

The musical, which gave its first performance in London last night to a packed house and standing ovation at the Prince Edward Theatre, also today releases its first production photography. Download images *here*

Myles Frost, who originated the role of Michael Jackson in New York and for which he won the Tony Award® for Best Actor in a Musical, leads the UK cast of MJ.

He is joined by Ashley Zhangazha as Joseph Jackson / Rob, Mitchell Zhangazha as Michael, Philippa Stefani as Rachel, Phebe Edwards as Katherine Jackson / Kate, Matt Mills as Berry Gordy / Nick, Rohan Pinnock-Hamilton as Tito Jackson / Quincy Jones, Matt Gonsalves as Alejandro, Jon Tsouras as Dave, Kieran Alleyne as MJ Alternate & Standby for Michael, Kwamé Kandekore Standby for MJ & Michael

The full cast includes Derek Aidoo, Morgan Baulch, Milan Cacacie, Spencer Darlaston-Jones, Hanna Dimtsu, Aden Dzuda, Marie Finlayson, Christopher Gopaul, Kalisha Johnson, Grace Kanyamibwa, Travis Kerry, Dianté Lodge, Simeon Montague, George Ross, Lydia Sterling, Toyan Thomas-Browne, Taylor Walker, Charlotte-Kate Warren and Tavio Wright.

MJ also introduces Jaydon Eastman, Elliot Mugume, Ethan Sokontwe and Dylan Trigger as Little Michael, Cristiano Cuino, Sekhani Dumezweni, Khanya Madaka and Aidan Oti as Little Marlon.

He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to the West End stage direct from Broadway in the multiple Tony Award®-winning new musical MJ.  

Centred around the making of his 1992 Dangerous World Tour, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star to offer a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Jackson to legendary status. 

MJ delivers a theatrical experience like no other, electrifying audiences with dozens of the most iconic songs in music history, including Billie Jean, Beat It, Man in the Mirror, Thriller and Smooth Criminal. 

The internationally renowned creative team for MJ, helmed by two-time Pulitzer Prize® winning writer Lynn Nottage (Ruined, Sweat) and two-time Tony Award® winning Director & Choreographer, and Royal Ballet Associate Artist Christopher Wheeldon (MJ, An American in Paris), includes Scenic Design by two-time Tony Award® and two-time Emmy Award® winner Derek McLane (Moulin Rouge! The Musical), Lighting Design by six-time Tony Award® winner Natasha Katz (Once), Costume Design by Tony Award® and Emmy Award® winner Paul Tazewell (Hamilton), Sound Design by Tony Award® and Olivier Award winning Gareth Owen (Come From Away), Projection Design by two- time Tony Award® nominee Peter Nigrini (Dear Evan Hansen), and Hair & Wig Design by two-time Emmy Award nominee Charles LaPointe (The Color Purple). Musical Supervision is by Tony Award® nominee David Holcenberg (Matilda), and the Orchestrations and Arrangements are by David Holcenberg and Tony Award® winner Jason Michael Webb (The Color Purple). UK Casting is by Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG.

SOMEONE MAGICAL IS RETURNING…

CAMERON MACKINTOSH

AND
DISNEY THEATRICAL GROUP
ANNOUNCE THE 2024/2025 UK AND IRELAND TOUR

OF THE CLASSIC MULTI AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL

BASED ON THE STORIES OF P.L. TRAVERS AND

THE WALT DISNEY FILM

ACCLAIMED AUSTRALIAN STARS

STEFANIE JONES IS MARY POPPINS
AND

JACK CHAMBERS IS BERT

OPENING AT BRISTOL HIPPODROME
ON 4 NOVEMBER 2024

Direct from the West End, Cameron Mackintosh and Disney Theatrical Group are delighted to announce the spectacular full production of the classic multi award-winning musical MARY POPPINS will embark on a 2024/2025 UK and Ireland tour. marypoppins.co.uk

20 years after the world premiere in Bristol and subsequent, record breaking productions around the world, Mary Poppins flies back into Bristol Hippodrome on 4 November 2024 where it will run until 30 November 2024 ahead of playing Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (11 December 2024 – 11 January 2025), Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (22 January 2025 – 15 February 2025), Theatre Royal Plymouth (26 February 2025 – 29 March 2025) and Palace Theatre Manchester (9 April 2025 – 17 May 2025). Further venues to be announced.

Acclaimed Australian stars, Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers reprise their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert, having both received critical acclaim and nightly standing ovations for their performances in the recent Australian production. The Age hailed Stefanie “a terrific Mary Poppins, who gives an impeccable performance”, and called Jack Chambers “a glorious Bert, with happy feet and a thousand-watt smile.”  Further casting to be announced soon.

Based on the stories of P.L. Travers and the Walt Disney film, the story of the World’s favourite nanny arriving on Cherry Tree Lane is more magical than ever before featuring dazzling choreography, incredible effects and unforgettable songs.

Producer and Co-creator Cameron Mackintosh said today, “It is amazingly already 20 years since Mary Poppins first landed onto the stage at the Bristol Hippodrome and started spreading Pamela Travers’ magical stories around the great cities of the world. Mary has soared triumphantly around the globe and our recent Australian production discovered two of the most delightful Mary and Berts ever – Stefanie Jones and Jack Chambers – whom I’m thrilled to be bringing to the United Kingdom and Ireland to star in this spectacular new National tour. They are heading a wonderful cast and I’m sure you will find this the most magical production of Mary Poppins ever, practically perfect in every way!”

Thomas Schumacher, Chief Creative Officer and Producer, Disney Theatrical Group said today “It is a joy to bring this glorious production back to the UK and Ireland under the guiding hand of our long-time partner Cameron Mackintosh. It is a privilege to keep the beloved tale of Mary and the Banks family alive for audiences who know it well, and for a new generation of theatregoers.”

Stefanie Jones established herself in the firmament of Australian Leading Ladies when she starred in the Australian National Tour of Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s production of Mary Poppins. For her portrayal she received a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical. Further theatre credits include Rhonda Epinstall in the Australian National Tour of Muriel’s Wedding The Musical for which she won the Sydney Theatre Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Liesl von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Giulietta in Aspects of Love, Jean MacLaren in Brigadoon, Dream Ballet Laurie in Oklahoma! and South Pacific. She was also a 2016 finalist in the ANZ Trustees prestigious Rob Guest Endowment Competition. Stefanie’s screen credits include Molly, The Divorce and the role of Megan Dennison in Neighbours. 

Jack Chambers is an Australian “triple threat” with a renowned reputation. Training since the age of three at the Julie-Ann Lucas School of Dance, Brisbane he has performed throughout Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe and Asia. He became well known to Australian audiences by winning the first season of So You Think You Can Dance Australia in 2008. His musical theatre credits include Kurt Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Link Larkin in  Hairspray, Cosmo Brown in Singin’ in the Rain – Helpmann Award nomination for Best Supporting Role, winning a Green Room Award and Australian Dance Award 2017. Jack’s dance credits include Project X – touring USA/Singapore/Netherlands/South Korea, Spring Gala (The Kennedy Center, Washington DC) – hosted by Liza Minnelli, Burn the Floor in the  West End and Japan, Untapped! (Off Broadway/Adelaide Fringe) and the Baz Luhrmann film Elvis. Jack has worked internationally as a choreographer and teacher, including at the Joffrey Ballet School and Peridance Capezio Centre in Manhattan NYC. He has worked with industry greats such as Kelley Abbey, David Atkins, Jason Gilkison and has performed alongside Olivia Newton John, Tina Arena, Neil Young, Keala Settle, Robbie Williams and toured the globe with Hugh Jackman in The Man, The Music, The Show, performing in the biggest venues in the world. For his portrayal of Bert in the Australian tour of Mary Poppins, he received a Sydney Theatre Award nomination for Best Performance in a Leading Role in a Musical.

PRAISE FOR STEFANIE JONES AND JACK CHAMBERS

Jones heads the cast with an impeccable performance.

She’s a terrific Mary Poppins, as sharp as her Edwardian-inspired outfits from the moment she appears from thin air until the final scene, in which she soars above the audience to who knows where. The Age (Melbourne)

Stefanie Jones is a magnetic Mary. Her eyes twinkle with mild vanity and well-intentioned mischief. She’s the automatic focus whenever she’s on stage. Sydney Morning Herald

And the super-nanny’s sidekick, the chimney sweep Bert (Jack Chambers), launches his happy feet and thousand-watt smile into a glorious, gravity-defying tap-dance that has to be seen to be believed. The Age (Melbourne)

“Jack Chambers is the consummate song and dance man with the role of Bert seemingly made for him. His cheek, charisma and heart are on full display alongside a spot of slapstick brilliance and enviable dance skills that hit full throttle during Step in Time as Chambers takes tap dancing to a gravity defying height.” The West Australian (Perth)

MARY POPPINS has original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman with new songs and additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. The book is by Julian Fellowes and this production is co-created by Cameron Mackintosh. It has orchestrations by William David Brohn and dance and vocal arrangements by George Stiles. It has sound design by Paul Gatehouse and lighting by Hugh Vanstone. Co-Choreography is by Stephen Mear. The set and costume designs are by Bob Crowley. Co-direction and choreography is byMatthew Bourne and direction is by Richard Eyre.    

MARY POPPINS UK TOUR – 2024/2025 TOUR LISTINGS

marypoppins.co.uk

MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER 2024 – SATURDAY 30 NOVEMBER 2024

BRISTOL HIPPODROME

www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome

ON SALE 18 MARCH 2024

WEDNESDAY 11 DECEMBER 2024 – SATURDAY 11 JANUARY 2025

BORD GÁIS ENERGY THEATRE, DUBLIN

www.bordgaisenergytheatre.ie

ON SALE SOON

WEDNESDAY 22 JANUARY 2025 – SATURDAY 15 FEBRUARY 2025

FESTIVAL THEATRE, EDINBURGH

www.capitaltheatres.com

ON SALE 18 MARCH 2024

WEDNESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2025 – SATURDAY 29 MARCH 2025

THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH

www.theatreroyal.com

ON SALE 28 MARCH 2024

WEDNESDAY 9 APRIL 2025 – SATURDAY 17 MAY 2025

PALACE THEATRE MANCHESTER

www.atgtickets.com/venues/palace-theatre-manchester

ON SALE 18 MARCH 2024

FURTHER VENUES TO BE ANNOUNCED

PLAYHOUSE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 9TH MARCH 2024

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

Having caught a previous production of Unfortunate, whilst touring the UK in 2022, I was thrilled to see that this musical is back and even better – it’s bigger, louder, and wetter than ever! The previous production has been revised to transform the original 80-minute musical into a show now lasting over 2 ½ hours (including the interval), filled with uproarious and witty camp humour!

Last night, the musical parody that gives a new spin on the tale of The Little Mermaid was a hit at the Playhouse, causing quite a splash and things got very wet. If you are anticipating a musical resembling the Disney adaptation, prepare for a big surprise! This unique production features an explicit pop soundtrack, risqué humour, and a mix of sex, swearing, and sorcery that promises a hilarious and thought-provoking evening.

Elphaba, Cruella, and Maleficent have all had their time in the spotlight, so it is only right that Ursula, the Queen of villains, has her moment too. It seems that the Sea Witch has been unfairly misunderstood and is actually a heroine.

Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx’s writing is truly exceptional, brimming with wit, innuendos, puns, and many laugh-out-loud moments. When you find yourself sporting a huge smile throughout an entire comedy musical, you know it’s truly hitting the mark.

The music, by Tim Gilvin is fantastic, featuring several catchy songs and impressive dance numbers. My favourite was ‘We didn’t make it to Disney‘, performed by all the outcasts, the ugly ones and undesirables. Melody Sinclair’s choreography provides opportunities for everyone to showcase their talents. It cleverly utilises the energetic ensemble by combining dancing with puppeteering and acting to create an engaging performance. Abby Clarke’s work on the set, the costumes and especially the puppets is exceptional. The visuals in this production are absolutely stunning.

The standout stars of this production are Allie Dart and Jack Gray, who play the roles of Sebastian and Grimsby. They also take on other parts, including the two very flamboyant eels, who provide comedic brilliance!

Don’t be one of those unfortunate souls who miss out on a truly enjoyable night out!

Hull New Theatre – until 10th March 2024

Reviewed by Dawn Bennett

5*****

What a brilliant night was had at Hull New Theatre watching DreamWorks Shrek the Musical. This is a must-see production! It was funny, heartwarming and it had a Princess, a Lord, ogres, a talking donkey, nursery rhyme characters and we even had a dragon!

Brought to Hull New Theatre by Mark Goucher, Matthew Gale, Gavin Kalin and Laurence Myers it tells the story of Shrek (Antony Lawrence) who at the age of 7 is booted out of home by his Mum and Dad to live in his own swamp. All is quiet until his peace is shattered by the arrival of the Nursery Rhyme characters who have been banished to the forest by Lord Farquaad (James Gillan). Shrek is joined by Donkey (Brandon Lee Sears) and together they go to rescue Princess Fiona (Joanne Clifton), who has been locked up in a tower for years, so that Shrek can get his swamp back from Lord Farquaad. Princess Fiona has to be rescued by her one true love but lots of people have tried, failed, and died, in the process as the tower is guarded by a dragon (Cherece Richards). (The puppeteers of the dragon Remi Ferdinand, Jessica Lim and Rory Shafford brought the dragon to life wonderfully). Why was Princess Fiona in the tower? Do Shrek and Donkey rescue her? And does everyone live happy every after?? Well, you’ll have to go and watch!

If you’ve seen the film of the same name this musical follows the same story but the musical numbers make this a brilliant production to watch. Antony Lawrence is a fabulous Shrek he manages to portray him as a sensitive soul and his singing is just jaw droppingly good! Joanne Clifton played Princess Fiona brilliantly, she is definitely becoming one of the best in the business …absolutely a triple threat! James Gillan was hilarious as Lord Farquaad his comic timing was brilliant, his character was camp with just a hint of malevolence! Brandon Lee Sears was amazing as Donkey; his physical comedy and fabulous stage presence was a joy to watch! Cherece Richards who played the dragon (along with the Wicked Witch) has the most fabulous voice!

The ensemble was outstanding, their singing, acting, dancing and comic timing was out of this world. They all played multiple parts and their energy up to the very last beat of the show had to been seen to be believed. I particularly loved the four knights that had been locked up in the tower, with chains fastening their hands and feet together they totally gave Take That/Backstreet Boys boyband vibes…hilarious!

The orchestra (led by Musical Director Richard Atkinson) played magnificently all the toe tapping musical numbers which included “Morning Person”, “This is How a Dream Comes True” and “Freak Flag” and many more.

This production is stunning and very much worth going to watch and the I think the audience who gave the cast a standing ovation would agree!!

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre – until Saturday 9th March

Reviewed by Nadia Dodd

4****

For anyone unfamiliar with the wanna be outlaws/bank robbers Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow: they died in the end. In the musical Bonnie & Clyde, they die in the beginning, too. I was surprised to see the opening scene of the couple in their Ford Sedan, Clyde behind the wheel and Bonnie’s head resting on his shoulder. The voice over explains that gun wielding cops had finally caught up with the infamous duo. The scene is then set to start the musical explaining how the couple first met and how their love affair began.

Bonnie (played by Katie Tonkinson) lives with her mother, Emma and is desperate to leave her life at home, she dreams of following in the footsteps of silent film star Clara Bow. Clyde (played by Alex James-Hatton) is obsessed with criminal role models, living the American Dream and he also wanted freedom. Criminals enjoyed cult status in the 1930’s such as Al Capone, a ruthless murderer.

Clyde and his brother Buck, (played by Sam Ferriday) plan where they are going to rob next and Clyde always drives the getaway car, the faster the better. When they are both sent to jail Clyde decides to break them both out, and they do manage to escape until Buck’s wife, Blanche (played by Catherine Tyldesley) does convince him to hand himself in, go back to jail, serve his sentence so that they can both settle down and not be living life on the run any longer.

While Clyde is on the run and not knowing that his brother will be handing himself back over to the police, he meets Bonnie, and they do fall in love at first sight. Bonnie reads him some poems she has been writing and Clyde somehow convinces her that the two of them should be together but both living looking over their shoulder, committing crimes and never to settle down in one place.

Eventually we are taken back full circle as of course they are caught and we all know how their story ends, ‘going down together’.

The cast of this show were simply fantastic, the voice of the preacher (Jaz Ellington) was mesmerising, his soulful, joyous gospel scene could not stop me feet from tapping along.

A truthful and inventive version of the cult-sensation that were Bonnie and Clyde in a musical for audiences to enjoy.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR NOËL COWARD’S SUITE IN THREE KEYS

AT ORANGE TREE THEATRE

Orange Tree Theatre (OT) today announces casting for Noël Coward’s Suite in Three Keys. OT Artistic Director Tom Littler directs Stephen Boxer (Hugo Latymer, George Hilgay and Verner Conklin), Emma Fielding (Hilde Latymer, Anne Hilgay and Anna-Mary Conklin) and Tara Fitzgerald (Carlotta Gray, Linda Savignac and Maud Caragnani) in a rediscovery of Coward’s trilogy.

The creative team is completed by Designer Louie Whitemore, Lighting Designer Chris McDonnell, Sound Designer Tom Attwood and Associate Designer Jessica Statton. Suite in Three Keys opens on 5 June and runs until 6 July with previews from 24 May. Following its run at the Orange Tree Theatre, Suite in Three Keys will run at Theatre Royal Bath from 9 to 13 July.

OT Artistic Director Tom Littler said today,“Suite in Three Keys is an exquisite trio of plays representing Noël Coward’s final work for the theatre. Dating from the mid-1960s, these plays have all of Coward’s trademark wit and verbal invention whilst confronting themes of mortality, sexuality and honesty with remarkable daring. I’m delighted to welcome Tara Fitzgerald back to the Orange Tree after her excoriating performance in Duet for One, and to introduce OT audiences to the remarkable talents of Stephen Boxer and Emma Fielding.”

Noël Coward’s

SUITE IN THREE KEYS

Directedby Tom Littler

Cast includes: Stephen Boxer, Emma Fielding and Tara Fitzgerald

Designer: Louie Whitemore; Lighting Designer: Chris McDonnell; Sound Designer: Tom Attwood; Associate Designer: Jessica Statton

24 May – 6 Jul 2024

In a luxury Swiss hotel suite, three separate stories unfold. In the full-length A Song at Twilight, an elderly writer faces blackmail at the hands of an ex-lover threatening to expose his secret past. Shadows of the Evening and Come into the Garden, Maud form a perfect double-bill, combining a late-life love triangle and a fizzing comedy about Americans abroad.

Noël Coward was one of the premiere entertainers of the 20th Century. Nicknamed, “The Master,” Coward was a playwright, a lyricist, a composer, an actor, a singer, a director, and a producer. He has over fifty of his plays published, including The Young Idea, The Vortex, Fallen Angels, Hay Fever, Private Lives, A Design for Living, Tonight at 8:30, Present Laughter, This Happy Breed and Blithe Spirit.

Stephen Boxer plays Hugo Latymer, George Hilgay and Verner Conklin. His theatre credits include The Box of Delights (RSC), A Splinter of Ice (Jermyn Street Theatre), Macbeth, Stories, King Lear, The Holy Rosenbergs, Aristocrats, Power (National Theatre), Raising Martha (Park Theatre), The Inn at Lydda (Shakespeare’s Globe), Written on the Heart (Duchess Theatre), The Great Highway (Gate Theatre), A Chaste Maid (Almeida), Titus Andronicus, The Heresy of Love, Written on the Heart, The Taming of the Shrew and The Tragedy of Thomas Hobbs (RSC). His television credits include The Crown (as Denis Thatcher), Garrow’s Law and Doctors (as series regular Dr Joe Fenton); and for film, The Iron Lady, The Guard of Auschwitz, Red Joan, Teen Spirit and Postcards from London.

Emma Fielding plays Hilde Latymer, Anne Hilgay and Anna-Mary Conklin. Her theatre credits include A Museum in Baghdad (RSC), Mary’s Babies (Jermyn Street Theatre), A Woman of No Importance (Vaudeville Theatre), Terror (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again (RSC), In the Republic of Happiness, Spinning into Butter (Royal Court Theatre), The King’s Speech (Wyndham’s Theatre, UK tour), Playing with Fire, Look Back in Anger, Arcadia (National Theatre), Rock ‘n’ Roll (Duke of York’s), Macbeth, Heartbreak House, 1953, School for Wives (Almeida), Private Lives (Noel Coward Theatre, Richard Rodgers Theatre). Her television credits include Van Der Valk, Close to the Enemy, Cranford; and for film, Fast Girls, Twenty8K, The Other Man, Discovery of Heaven, Pandemonium and The Scarlet Tunic.

Tara Fitzgerald plays Carlotta Gray, Linda Savignac and Maud Caragnani. She returns to the Orange Tree, having previously appeared in Duet for One. Her other theatre credits include The Secret Theatre (Sam Wanamaker Playhouse), Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), Broken Glass (Kiln Theatre), A Doll’s House (Donmar Warehouse), And then there were none (Gielgud Theatre), Antigone (Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, The Old Vic) and Hamlet (Almeida, Belasco Theater). Her television credits include Requiem, The Strike Series, Churchill’s Secret, In the Club, The Musketeers, Game of Thrones, The Body Farm, Waking the Dead, Jane Eyre, The Virgin Queen; and for film, The Runaways, Una, Exodus, Universal Pictures, Child 44, Five Children and It, In a Dark Place, I Capture the Castle, Secret Passage, Susan, Brassed Off, The Englishman Who Went Up A Hill But Came Down a Mountain and Sirens.

Artistic Director of the OT Tom Littler directs. His theatre credits include She Stoops to Conquer, The Circle (Orange Tree Theatre) Saturday Night (Jermyn Street Theatre, Arts Theatre), A Little Night Music (Budapest) Good Grief (Theatre Royal Bath), Dances of Death (Gate Theatre), Martine (Finborough Theatre), Miss Julie and Creditors (Theatre by the Lake, Keswick, Jermyn Street), Tonight at 8.30, Cancelling Socrates, The Tempest, The Odyssey, 15 Heroines (Jermyn Street Theatre), Cabaret (English Theatre Frankfurt, Deutsches Theater Munich), and Hamlet (Guildford Shakespeare Company). He was Artistic Director of Jermyn Street Theatre from 2017 to 2022, before moving to the OT.

ORANGE TREE THEATRE

LISTINGS

1 Clarence Street, Richmond, TW9 2SA

Box Office: 020 8940 3633 (Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm)

orangetreetheatre.co.uk

Ticket prices (NO BOOKING FEES)

In person tickets: from £15, prices increase with demand

Under 30s: £15

OT On Screen: From £15

Access: £15

Recipients of Universal Credit / London Ticket Bank Scheme: limited £1 tickets

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre – until 9 March 2024

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

Put aside any thoughts that you are coming to see a serious rendition of the phenomenal book by H.G. Wells. Instead prepare yourself for a frantic, physical play within a play that will keep you laughing from the opening scene to the last. Whilst still maintaining the essence of the original book, Writers Steven Canny and John Nicholson have cleverly woven in audience participation, to not only break the bounds of time but also the 4th wall.

The charismatic, slightly narcissistic George Kemp leads the cast through a riotous series of mishaps, bringing us all to a one challenge only – saving Michael. Michael Ryan is the opposite of George, bringing a frenetic energy and humour to the stage, that encourages the audience to love him and root for him. Amy Revelle is a sensitive soul that you really don’t want to mess with! She is the glue that sticks the team together. To stage a play that goes horribly wrong because the time traveller is desperately trying to find a way to save Michael, by reliving the same scene over and over again takes courage, exceptional timing and for the cast to be completely in tune. Even the science was delivered with humour! The care given by all three actors to the audience members brave enough to step on stage, allows the comedic value to flow naturally. 

The creative team has devised a set that can cope with the quick changes and fast paced physical performance. The music and costumes give you clear queues to the era and character being portrayed, whilst making you laugh out loud. Both are no mean feats!

In some ways this is a play to escape in to and forget what’s going on outside. On the other hand, if you think a little deeper, you will be surprised that the original story by H.G. Wells has some resonance with the state of the world today. If nothing else this play will encourage you to read or revisit the original book.

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 9th March 2024

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

5*****

Twelve Angry Men was originally conceived by TV writer Reginald Rose when finding himself part of a jury in a manslaughter case. From within the jury room he realised he had stumbled upon his idea. This work soon made its way from the small screen to the stage and ultimately, in 1957, to the big screen. And here we are enjoying its return to the incomparable Malvern Theatres.

This work is an interesting piece – the characters don’t even have names – just Guard, Juror 1 etc. That’s a novel approach which reminded me of the 60’s TV show The Prisoner (very apt). I loved that we didn’t get embroiled in the back story of the jurors or, at least, only as much as was needed to advance the plot. No characters stood out as being the most interesting as they were all interesting, no actors stood out as they were all amazing and shone equally brightly! Actually, I’ll amend that statement to “all of the actors stood out”. That said, I will mention a couple due to their character’s pivotal role in proceedings…

Jason Merrells as Juror 8 gave a deliciously logical character, being at times the voice of reason and the first to raise doubts. He was the Poirot the play needed to start the arguments rolling. Without his early intervention it would have been a much speedier affair, so thank God for Juror 8. Juror 3, played with gusto by Tristan Gemmill, was not so impressed by any of his fellow juror’s flapdoodling leading to some gloriously full throttled outbursts. Samarge Hamilton gave us an exceptional portrayal of Juror 5, palpably battling with the inner turmoil of the question at hand and a lifetime of being unjustly pre-judged. His character was pitched with an authenticity that did him and the work justice (pun slightly intended). I also very much enjoyed the more whimsical elements introduced throughout by several characters which kept it all light and frothy.

There was little to no special effects or music, no costume changes and just one static set (more a suggestion than a fully realised set – reminding one of the way season 3 of Adam West’s Batman rendered sets). And it was all the more powerful for it as it concentrated the attention on the drama; on the words, the dilemma and the acting.

It was fascinating to watch the tone of the room and protagonists shift as the arguments for and against the accused unfolded. This included the resistance that some showed to the facts and the reasons why people shifted their position. The portrayals were sometimes subtle and sometimes painted in broader strokes but always riveting and served the forward thrust of the story.

A superbly acted ensemble piece that holds a mirror up to our assumptions and asks us to look again at our preconceptions. It’s a powerful piece of social commentary but also wildly entertaining. It may have started with twelve angry men but it ended with one happy audience. I can think of no greater accolade for tonight’s cast than I now intend to seek out the original film version. Bravo!

John Gertz in association with Love Sick Development LLC and Park Theatre present the European Premiere of

A SONG OF SONGS

The full cast and production team are announced for the European premiere of A Song of Songs, the award winning and critically acclaimed musical theatre experience, will open at the Park Theatre, Thursday 9 May to Saturday 15 June 2024.

The cast of twelve performers and musicians bring this epic, poetical musical theatre to vibrant life, led by the prolific Israeli actress, writer and composer Ofra Daniel, making her UK stage debut.

Ofra Daniel is joined by Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Pacific Overtures – Menier, Then, Now & Next – Palladium, Heathers The Musical – Theatre Royal Haymarket); Matthew Woodyatt (The Fair Maid of the West – RSC, Moving Stories – Globe, One Man Two Guvnors – Theatre Royal Haymarket + UK tour); Laurel Dougall (Singin’ in the Rain – Adelphi, Street Scene – Opera de Monte Carlo); Rebecca Giacopazzi (Films – Wicked, Death on the Nile); graduate Ashleigh Schuman (young Sally in Follies – TRCSofS&D); Shira Kravitz (The Band’s Visit – Donmar). Alongside five on stage musicians led by Musical Supervisor on keys Jerome van den Berghe who will be creating and jamming with his musicians, bringing their own inclusive fusion of extraordinary musicality.

Winner of The San Francisco Critics Award for best new production, A Song of Songs fuses a world music score from Middle Eastern harmonics, the sounds of modern European Flamenco, Klezmer and the Middle-East with dazzling choreography; in the timeless story of passion and awakening.

A Song of Songs tells the evocative story of a young wife, Tirzah (Daniel), in a loveless marriage (The Husband – Woodyatt). Tirzah discovers she has an unseen admirer (The Lover – Valdes) and enters into a mysterious and fervent love affair; finding herself in what is a seductive, sensuous, soul-searing journey of sexual and climatic personal empowerment…. or is it love-induced madness?

Ofra Daniel says: “I want to bring a different musical theatrical experience to audiences. I was inspired by some of the most beautiful poetry ever written in the epic A Song Of Songs. Poetry and music are the highest forms of expression: stirring the senses, mind and body. A Song Of Songs brings the timeless story of love sickness into an explosion of pulsating, rhythmical music and physical live theatre.”

A Song of Songs creative team features a multicultural collection of award-winning artists including: prolific Actress, Writer, Composer and Director Ofra Daniel (Behind Closed Doors, Edges, What if?, Kassit – The Musical – San Francisco); Associate Director is Columbian Actress and Director Victoria Góngora (Maria, Vagina Monologues, acting coach Museo Rayo, University Del Vale); Original Direction and Dramaturgy by Christopher Renshaw (We Will Rock You, Zorro: The Musical, Taboo); Music by Ofra Daniel (and Lior Ben-Hur, in collaboration with Ali Paris). The lyrics inspired by A Song Of Songs. Musical Supervisor Jerome van den Berghe (Spitting Image the Musical – Pheonix, Bat Out of Hell – UK & Ireland tour). Choreographer Billy Mitchell (Cats, Matilda – Teatro Sistina, Rome; Associate Choreographer Cinderella, School Of Rock – Gillian Lynne Theatre; Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Palladium & Australia); Lighting Designer Aaron J Dootson (OffWestEnd Award best lighting design The Night Larry Cramer Kissed Me); Sound Designer Andrew Johnson (Broadway World Award for Best Sound Design The Play That Goes Wrong – Broadway; Grand Hotel, Mack & Mabel and Titanic – UK); Set Design by visual artist Marina Paz; Production Manager James Anderton (Little Women – Park Theatre); Casting Director Jane Deitch (Tick Tick Boom, The Addams Family). Producer for A Song of Songs is John Gertz (Zorro: The Musical) and General Manager is Aria Entertainment’s Katy Lipson and Ollie Hancock (Rags – Park Theatre).

A Song of Songs – a unique musical and theatrical experience.

The 2017 San Francisco premiere of A Song of Songs: “Jubilant and mournful, it’s a stirring world-music mix” – San Jose Mercury News /  “This story seems ordained by gods!” – San Francisco Chronicle / “Daniel is positively hypnotic…The Israeli-born performer almost dares you to look away” – DC Theatre Scene.

FULL LISTINGS INFORMATION

John Gertz in association with Love Sick Development LLC and Park Theatre present the European Premiere of

A SONG OF SONGS

at

from

THURSDAY 9 MAY–SATURDAY 15 JUNE 2024

A Song of Songs fuses a world music score from Middle Eastern harmonics, modern European Flamenco, Klezmer and the Middle-East with dazzling choreography; in the timeless story of passion and awakening.

PARK200, PARK THEATRE 13 Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London N4 3JP

BOX OFFICE: parktheatre.co.uk/ – 0207 870 6876

Dates
Thursday 9 May 2024 – Saturday 15 June 2024.

Previews: Thursday 9 May – Saturday 11 May
Plays: Thursday 9 May – Saturday 15 June
Press night: Tuesday 14 May 19.00

Performances
Monday – Saturday Evening 19.30
Thursday & Saturday Matinees 15.00

Prices
Previews: £15 – £29.50
Standard: £22.50 – £47.50
65+: £20 – £26.50 (Monday evening and Thursday matinee)
Access: £17.50

Park Up Members (16-26 yrs) – Tickets £10 (available on Band C seats for all perfs)

Group bookings – Buy 10 tickets, get the 11th ticket free. Discount automatically applies in basket.

Booking Fees – Telephone booking fee £3 per transaction applies. All ticket prices inclusive of a £1.50 building levy.

Match Day – Finsbury Park station and the surrounding area can get very busy when Arsenal play at home. These days are highlighted on the schedule.

‘WICKED’ EXTENDS BOOKING INTO 2025

400,000 new tickets now on sale with booking extended

 to Sunday 1 June 2025

Six extra shows added

www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

WICKED, the West End stage musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, today releases over 400,000 new tickets, extending public booking to Sunday 1 June 2025. It is the long-running production’s 37^th extension.

Performances begin Tuesday – Saturday at 7.30pm, and Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2.30pm. The following six added shows are also now on sale: Thursday 4 April, Thursday 1 August, Thursday 15 August, Thursday 31 October 2024, Thursday 20 February, and Thursday 17 April 2025, all at 2:30pm.  DOORS OPEN 90 MINUTES PRIOR TO THE START OF ALL PERFORMANCES.

“One of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), Wicked opened in London in 2006 and is already the 11^th longest-running West End production in history. Winner of more than 100 global awards, the production has now been seen by more than 12 million people in London alone.

From Tuesday 12 March 2024,the London production will star Alexia Khadime (Elphaba), Lucy St. Louis (Glinda), Ryan Reid (Fiyero), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Morrible), Michael Fenton Stevens (The Wizard), Caitlin Anderson (Nessarose), Graham Kent (Doctor Dillamond), Joe Thompson-Oubari (Boq), Laura Harrison (Standby for Elphaba), Christine Tucker* (Standby for Glinda), Zac Adlam**, Conor Ashman, Jessica Aubrey, Jeremy Batt, Felipe Bejarano, Asmara Cammock, Joshua Clemetson, Effie Rae Dyson, Aston Newman Hannington, Aimee Hodnett, Kate Leiper, Jemima Loddy, Joshua Lovell, Rory Maguire, PaddyJoe Martin, Darnell Mathew-James, Millie Mayhew, Ayden Morgan, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, Aiesha Naomi Pease, Jeanie Ryan, Natalie Spriggs, Charlotte Anne Steen, James Titchener, Micaela Todd, Taela Yeomans-Brown, and Jacob Young.  *Maternity cover for Lisa-Anne Wood. **Maternity cover.

Current cast members Mark Curry (The Wizard), Steven Pinder (Doctor Dillamond), Amy Webb (Standby for Elphaba), Yuki Abe, Kofi Aidoo-Appiah, Fergus Dale, Nicola Espallardo, Danny Fogarty, Ross Harmon, Harry Mills, Daniel Parrott, and Jaydon Vijn all depart on Sunday 10 March 2024.

Wicked is also touring to various cities in England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland until January 2025. Currently playing at the Birmingham Hippodrome until 7 April 2024, the critically acclaimed production then continues to Bradford Alhambra Theatre; Southampton Mayflower Theatre; Liverpool Empire; Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre; Sunderland Empire; and Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre. The tour will conclude with a 2024/5 Christmas season at the Manchester Palace Theatre, the venue that hosted the tour premiere in September 2013.

Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s celebrated stage musical is based on the acclaimed novel by Gregory Maguire and imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, revealing the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming ‘Glinda The Good’ and the ‘Wicked Witch of the West’.

Wickedhas music and lyrics by multi-Oscar and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (‘Godspell’, ‘Pippin’, ‘The Prince of Egypt’, Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’, ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’and ‘Enchanted’). It is based on the multimillion-copy best-selling novel ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of theWest’ by Gregory Maguire and written by Emmy and Tony Award nominee Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series ‘My So-Called Life’). Musical staging is by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.

Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt, and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe.

Through its ‘For Good’ charitable endeavours and acclaimed Wicked Active Learning cultural and social education programme, the London production of Wicked proudly supports and champions the work of the Anti-Bullying Alliance, the National Literacy Trust, and Theatre Works!, the charity providing theatre tickets to disadvantaged children across the UK.

The Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1LG

Official UK website: www.WickedTheMusical.co.uk

Education programme: www.WickedActiveLearning.co.uk

‘X’ (Twitter): @WickedUK  |  Facebook: /WickedUK  |  Instagram: @WickedUK