THE PHOENIX ARTS CLUB ANNOUNCES SPECIAL EVENTS FOR BURNS NIGHT, GALENTINE’S DAY, VALENTINE’S DAY AND ST PATRICK’S DAY
The Phoenix Arts Club, the renowned hub for entertainment nestled in the heart of London’s West End, is proud to announce four special events to be held to celebrate: Burns Night, Galentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
The Burns Night Cabaret Show & Supperon 25 January will be hosted by international drag diva Vanity von Glow and will feature performances from Scotland’s very best cabaret performers alongside a three course traditional Scottish supper (vegan and gluten free options available) served throughout the night. Tickets include a dram of whisky, and the night will also include traditional Burns Night piper, poetry readings and a late night ceilidh.
The Galentine’s Day Cabareton 13 February will consist of a three-course culinary adventure combined with a show from the Phoenix Artist Club’s dazzling cabaret performers. The event is billed as a night of indulgence, entertainment, and the kind of memories that are best made with your favourite friends. Tickets include a glass of prosecco.
The Cupid’s Cabareton 14 February promises gourmet indulgence and dazzling cabaret spectacle with a lavish three-course dinner followed by a special cabaret show that whisks couples int a world of love, laughter, and glamour. Tickets include a glass of prosecco on arrival.
The St Patrick’s Day Cabaret Show & Dinneron 17 March will consist of a jam-packed night of cabaret featuring the very best of Irish talent. The night will include a traditional Irish three course dinner (vegan options available), and the show will feature comedians, burlesque artists, West End musical theatre stars, Irish dancers, drag kings and more.
Peter Dunbar, Managing Director of the Phoenix Arts Club said, “At Phoenix Arts Club, we are dedicated to curating exceptional experiences that resonate with our diverse and vibrant community. The introduction of our Galentine’s Day event and the encore of our top-selling show exemplify our commitment to providing unique and engaging entertainment for our valued patrons.”
Rehearsals for the UK Premiere of Bhangra Nation – A New Musical, presented by Birmingham Rep in association with Mara Isaacs, Tom Kirdahy and Peggy Koenigbegan this week.
Completing the already announced cast is the internationally renowned Sohm Kapila. Her many credits include: Aquaman 2, Spider-Man Across the Spider Verse, Grizzly Night Out, The Uninvited, The Mummy on the big screen and Never Have I Ever, The Morning Show, Charmed, Jane the Virgin, Madam Secretary and 911 for TV. She is very excited to be back in Birmingham after her many years working at The Mailbox on the radio play Silver Street for BBC Worldwide.
Bhangra Nation – A New Musical is a powerful and pulsating new show about competitive Bhangra dancing, which will run at Birmingham Rep from 17 February to 16 March 2024,with a press night on Tuesday 27 February 2024. When Mary and Preeti’s Bhangra team qualifies for the USA nationals, they set off on opposing quests to dance to their own beat. Drawing from competitive Bhangra and mixing it with other Indian and Western dance forms, Bhangra Nation – A New Musical is a brash, intoxicating and joyous musical comedy for today.
The complete cast is: Zaynah Ahmed (Preeti), Gregory Armand (Jake), Siobhan Athwal (Sunita), Tia Antoine Charles (Lily), Lydia Danistan (Shilpa), Kyle Evans (Noah), Iván Fernández González (Billy), Kuldeep Goswami (Mohan), Bob Harms (Wallace), Raimu Itfum (Varun), RoMaya Jey (Swing), Sophie Kandola (New Mary), Sohm Kapila (Rekha), Arysha Kelly (Shetal), Ai Kumar (Constance), Aaron Mistry (Swing), Mervin Noronha (Amit), Jena Pandya (Mary), Ajay Sahota (Gobind), Edward Turner (Swing) and Leo Udvarlaky (Bob).
With a book by Rehana Lew Mirza and Mike Lew, music and lyrics by Sam Willmott, direction by Stafford Arima and choreography by Rujuta Vaidya, this ambitious and exhilarating new musical will be built and rehearsed at The Rep. Joining the already announced creative team are: Michael Taylor (set design), Linda Cho (costume design), Nick Richings (lighting design) Adam Fisher (sound design), David Bengali (projection design), Rebecca Howell (additional choreography and musical staging), Parambeer Samrai (bhangra consultancy), Richard Morris (musical supervision), Matthew Malone (orchestrations) Kuljit Bhamra(additional arrangements and orchestrations) and casting by David Grindrod for Grindrod Burton Casting.
The Tony Award-winning producers Mara Isaacs (Hadestown) and Tom Kirdahy(Hadestown and The Inheritance) said:
‘Bhangra Nation – A New Musical is a joyful, exuberant celebration of Bhangra and a deeply felt exploration of identity and community among young people finding their own way forward in the world. We can’t imagine a better home to help launch Bhangra Nation in the UK than in Birmingham!’
Birmingham Rep Artistic Director Sean Foley added:
‘I am beyond thrilled to be welcoming the amazing cast, the award-winning producing team, the extraordinary international creative team, and this spectacular show, to the Birmingham Rep. In a City that has a claim to be the modern centre of Bhangra, I’m looking forward to seeing the show connecting with both our South Asian communities, and with all audiences looking for a great night out. The Rep is a theatre for everyone, and I hope many people who perhaps will have never been to the theatre before will come along to enjoy the sheer talent involved in this feel-good new musical.’
The show originally premiered at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2022 under the title Bhangin’ It.
NEW CAST MEMBERS JOIN GUYS & DOLLS AT THE BRIDGE THEATRE AHEAD OF ITS FIRST ANNIVERSARY
with Owain Arthur as the new Nathan Detroit and Timmika Ramsay as Miss Adelaide
credit Craig Sugden
London, 15 January 2024 – Nicholas Hytner’s critically acclaimed immersive production, Guys & Dolls is delighted to unveil an exciting lineup of new cast members ahead of their first anniversary.
Owain Arthur (The History Boys, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Lordof the Rings) will star as Nathan Detroit and Timmika Ramsay (MoulinRouge, Cinderella) as the new Miss Adelaide. GeorgeIoannides (An Officer and a Gentleman, Annie, MAMMA MIA!) will continue his lead role as Sky Masterson, and Celinde Schoenmaker (Howard Goodall’s Love Story, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera) will continue playing Sarah Brown.
Other additions to the cast include Jonathan Andrew Hume (Come from Away; nominated for Best British Actor in a Musical at the Black British Theatre Awards)playing Nicely-Nicely Johnson, Ryan Pidgen (Matilda (for the RSC), Man of La Mancha, The Wind in the WiIlows) as Benny Southstreet, Tori Scott (The Cher Show, Cotton Candy and Cocaine in NYC)as General Cartwright, Niall Buggy (To Kill A Mockingbird, Juno and The Paycock, Rough Crossing) as Arvide Abernathy, TJLloyd as Rusty Charlie and Dashaun Vegas as Harry the Horse.
Continuing in the cast, Iroy Abesamis (Swing), Cornelius Clarke (Lieutenant Brannigan), Cameron Johnson (Big Jule), Saffi Needham (Ensemble), James Revell (Swing), Charlotte Scott (Swing, Co-Dance Captain), and Dale White (Swing, Dance Captain, Fight Captain) will be joined by new ensemble cast members; Katie Bradley, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Filippo Coffano, Eamonn Cox, KamillaFernandes, AlexGiven, LucieHorsfall, HollieJaneStephens, DominicLamb, Siân Nathaniel-James, Sophie Pourret, Nathan Rigg, PierceRogan and SamuelRoutley.
Guys & Dolls– a musical fable of Broadway, based on the story and characters of Damon Runyon – opened on 14 March 2023, marking Hytner’s first musical presented at the Bridge Theatre. The award-winning musical takes its audience on a whirlwind adventure from Broadway to Havana. In November 2023, the production won Best Musical at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards.
The Bridge transforms one of the greatest musicals of all time. It has more hit songs, more laughs and more romance than any show ever written. The seating is wrapped around the action while the immersive tickets transport you to the streets of Manhattan and the bars of Havana in the unlikeliest of love stories. Join us on Broadway for the explosion of joy that is Guys & Dolls.
Guys & Dolls has music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, with – choreography by Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, musical supervision and arrangements by Tom Brady, set by Bunny Christie, costumes by Bunny Christie and Deborah Andrews, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Arditti, orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, associate direction by James Cousins and Lily Dyble, casting by Charlotte Sutton, Fight Direction by Kate Waters and Wigs, Hair and Make-Up by Campbell Young Associates.
Guys & Dollsis booking at the Bridge Theatre until 31 August 2024.
LISTINGS INFORMATION FOR THE BRIDGE THEATRE
Address: Bridge Theatre, 3 Potters Fields Park, London, SE1 2SG
Orange Tree Theatre (OT)today announces full casting for Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya. Trevor Nunn directs David Ahmad (Telegin), William Chubb (Professor Serebryakov), Juliet Garricks (Marina), Madeleine Gray (Sonya), James Lance – best known for his Emmy nominated performance in Ted Lasso (Vanya), Guys and Dolls’ Andrew Richardson (Astrov), Lily Sacofsky (Elena) and Susan Tracy (Maria) in his adaptation of Chekhov’s tragicomedy. Uncle Vanya opens at the Orange Tree on 7 March and runs until 13 April, with previews from 2 March.
Trevor Nunn said today, “Uncle Vanya is a masterpiece of naturalistic theatre, requiring of the audience total belief in each and every character and situation. So, it is a great privilege for me to have the opportunity to investigate Chekhov’s multi-layered human comedy in the intimate, inclusive and immersive environment of the Orange Tree Theatre. The keenness of my anticipation has now been multiplied by having assembled a cast of brilliant actors to explore all three dimensions of this famous play.”
Anton Chekhov’s
UNCLE VANYA
Adapted and directed by Trevor Nunn
2 March – 13 April 2024
Cast: David Ahmad (Telegin), William Chubb (Professor Serebryakov), Juliet Garricks (Marina), Madeleine Gray (Sonya), James Lance (Vanya), Andrew Richardson (Astrov), Lily Sacofsky (Elena), Susan Tracy (Maria).
Associate Director: Leah Harris; Designer: Simon Daw; Lighting Designer: Johanna Town; Sound Designer: Max Pappenheim; Casting Director: Matilda James CDG.
Production supported by Derek Robinson.
I cannot go on living in the country. Human beings were not meant to live in the wild
Sonya and her Uncle Vanya lead an uneventful life on their country estate, animated only by visits from the dashing local doctor. But when Sonya’s famous father and his glamorous new wife unexpectedly turn up, old grudges return, and new desires ignite. In the heat of summer, tempers boil over and forbidden lusts threaten to end in catastrophe.
An unmissable opportunity to see Chekhov’s tragi-comic masterpiece about the frustrations of rural life and middle age performed in the most intimate surroundings.
David Ahmad plays Telegin. He returns to the Orange Tree having previously appeared in Romeo and Juliet. His theatre credits include Pop Music (Hull Truck Theatre), The Crucible, Hamlet (National Theatre), The Bolds, Mr. Holgado (Unicorn Theatre), The Prince and The Pauper (New Vic Theatre Newcastle Under-Lyme), The Man Without A Past (New Perspectives Theatre), Our Man in Havana (Frinton Festival Theatre), The Kite Runner (Wyndham’s Theatre, Nottingham and Liverpool Playhouse), Ideomotor (Vaults Festival), Earnest and The Pale Moon, What I heard about Iraq (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), The Good Soul of Szechuan (Watford Palace Theatre), Eyecatcher (Sheffield Theatres) and Potted Potter – The Unauthorised Harry Experience (Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Little Shubert Theatre, New York). His television credits include Ghosts, Apple Tree Yard, The Frank Skinner Show; and for film, The Phantom of the Open and Kat and The Band.
William Chubb plays Professor Serebryakov. His theatre credits include Farmhall, The Tempest, Racing Demon and You Can Never Tell (Theatre Royal Bath), The Taxidermist’s Daughter, Life of Galileo (Chichester Festival Theatre), Othello, Richard II (Shakespeare’s Globe), This House, Waste, Great Britain, Othello, Scenes From An Execution, The History Boys, The London Cuckholds, The Madness Of George III (National Theatre), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, King Lear (The Old Vic), In the Depths of Dead Love (Coronet Theatre), Lawrence After Arabia (Hampstead Theatre), Yes Prime Minister (Chichester Festival Theatre, Gielgud Theatre), The Sea, Hayfever (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Whose Life is it Anyway? (Duke of York’s Theatre), Galileo’s Daughter, Man and Superman, Fight for Barbara (Theatre Royal, Bath), Justifying War (Kiln Theatre), Homebody Kabul and A Raisin in the Sun (Young Vic Theatre). His television credits include The Lord Of The Rings: The Rings Of Power, Vampire Academy, Sandman, Pistol, Miracle Workers, Quiz, Close to the Enemy, My Baby, Breathless, Edge of Heaven, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Silk, A Very British Sex Scandal, Phoo Action, Absolute Power, Cherished, Trial and Retribution VIII, A & E, Extremely Dangerous and The Ambassador; and for film, A Week in Paradise, Empire of Light, 6 Days, Adrift in Soho, Tezz, The Taking of Prince Harry, Veer, Affair of the Necklace, Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War, Milk and The Woodlanders.
Juliet Garricks plays Marina. Her theatre credits include The Doctor (Park Avenue Armory, New York, Almeida Theatre), and 100 Paintings (The Bread & Roses Theatre). Her television credits include Mr. Loverman and Murder they Hope; and for film Out of the Grey, South Facing, Reliable Witness, Phallacy, Secrets and After Work.
Madeleine Gray plays Sonya. Her theatre credits include A Murder Has Been Arranged (Theatre Royal Windsor), She Howls Kelp (Vault Festival), Endless Second, Timpson the Musical (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), The Unfortunate Life of Bees (Etcetera Theatre), Hot Lane (Spode Works, Claybody Theatre). Her television credits include Riches; and for film, The Batman.
James Lance plays Vanya. His theatre credits include Of Kith and Kin (Sheffield Theatres, Bush Theatre), The Dead Monkey (Park Theatre), Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (Duke of York’s Theatre), Celebrity Autobiography (Leicester Square), Ingredient X (Royal Court Theatre), Pythonesque (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Ordinary Dreams (Trafalgar Studios), Pirandello’s Henry IV (Donmar Warehouse), Christmas, A Place at the Table, The Back Room (Bush Theatre), Tape (New Venture Theatre), The Inland Sea (Wilton’s Musical Hall), Elegies for Angels, Ragin Queens (King’s Head Theatre) and Brilliant The Dinosaur (Chichester Festival Theatre). His television credits include Ted Lasso (Primetime Emmy Award Nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series), The Canterville Ghost, Pennyworth, Agatha Raisin, Mount Pleasant, Hoff The Record, I Want My Wife Back, Houdini and Doyle, Babylon, Siblings, Toast of London, Black Mirror, Being Human, Boy Meets Girl, No Heroics, Top Buzzer, People Like Us, Saxondale, The Book Group, The Upper Hand, Sensitive Skin, Teachers, The Impressionists, The Famous Five, Smack the Pony and Absolutely Fabulous; and for film, Northern Soul, Marie Antoinette, Bel Ami, Hounded, Me Myself and Di, Late Night Shopping, The Search for John Gissing and Bronson.
Andrew Richardson plays Astrov. His previous theatre credits include Guys and Dolls – Evening Standard Theatre Award Nomination for Emerging Talent(Bridge Theatre), The Rover, The Three Muskateers (Carnegie Mellon), Othello, The 39 Steps (Harvey Theater) and The Taming of the Shrew (Chautaqua Institution). His television credits include Extrapolations, Triage, and The Last O.G; and for film, Daughter of the Bride, The Independent, Killer Among Us, Martin Eden and A Call to Spy.
Lily Sacofsky plays Elena. Her theatre credits include The Mighty Waltzer (Royal Exchange Theatre) and Three Days in the Country (National Theatre). Her television credits include McDonald and Dodds, Sanditon, Dangliesh, Summer of Rockets and Bancroft.
Susan Tracy plays Maria. Her theatre credits include Our Church (The Watermill Theatre), About Leo (Jermyn Street Theatre), Cyril’s Success, Dream of Perfect Sleep, Variation on a Theme (Finborough Theatre), A Day By The Sea (Southwark Playhouse), The Wars of the Roses (Rose Theatre Kingston), A Chorus of Disapproval (Harold Pinter Theatre), Playhouse Creatures, Rattigan’s Nijinsky, The Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre), Inherit the Wind, Richard 11, 900 Oneonta (The Old Vic), Gone With the Wind (Gillian Lynne Theatre), Anything Goes (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, National Theatre), Denial (Bristol Old Vic), The Old Country (English Touring Theatre, Trafalgar Studios), Runaway, The Merry-Go-Round (Royal Court Theatre), Eurydice (Trafalgar Studios), His Lordship’s Fancy (Gate Theatre), Favourite Nights (Lyric Hammersmith Theatre), The Relapse, Bartholemew Fair, Twelfth Night, Julius Caesar, Heresies, Mephisto, No Limits to Love, Anna Christie, Othello, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Suicide, Three Sisters (RSC), Zack, The Rivals, Much Ado About Nothing, Loot (Royal Exchange Theatre), Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Ambassadors Theatre) and Long Day’s Journey into Night (Cambridge Theatre, UK tour). Her television credits include Ted Lasso, Manhunt: The Night Stalker, Piss Off, I Love You, The Trial, Silk, The Cry, Goodnight Sweetheart, Minder/Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, Playing the Field; and for film, The Death and Life of John F Donovan.
Trevor Nunn was Artistic Director of the National Theatre from 1997 to 2003, where his productions included The Merchant of Venice, Summerfolk and The Cherry Orchard, as well as Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady and Anything Goes. He was also the longest serving Artistic Director of the RSC, from 1968 to 1986, directing much of the Shakespeare canon, as well as Nicholas Nickleby and Les Misérables. He has directed the world premieres of Every Good Boy Deserves Favour, Arcadia, The Coast of Utopia and Rock ’n’ Roll, Cats, Starlight Express, Sunset Boulevard and The Woman in White. Other theatre includes, Timon of Athens and Skellig (Young Vic), The Lady from the Sea (Almeida), Hamlet, Richard II and Inherit the Wind (Old Vic), A Little Night Music (London/New York), Cyrano de Bergerac and Kiss Me, Kate (Chichester Festival Theatre), Flare Path, Rosencrantz and GuildensternAre Dead, The Tempest and The Lion in Winter (Theatre Royal, Haymarket), A Chorus of Disapproval (West End), Beckett’s All That Fall (London/New York), Relative Values and Agnes Colander (Bath Theatre Royal/West End), Schikaneder (Vienna), Love in Idleness, Fiddler on the Roof (West End). Opera includes, Idomeneo, Porgy and Bess, Così fan tutte and Peter Grimes (Glyndebourne and Salzburg) and Katya Kabanova and Sophie’s Choice (Royal Opera House). His television credits include, Antony and Cleopatra, The Comedy of Errors, Macbeth, Three Sisters, Othello and King Lear; and for film, Hedda, Lady Jane, Twelfth Night and Red Joan.
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
SEASON AT A GLANCE
SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER
OT On Screen: Tue 16 – Fri 19 Jan
NORTHANGER ABBEY
20 January– 24 February 2024
Mon – Sat 7.30pm
Thu & Sat 2.30pm (from Thu 25 Jan)
Captioned Performance: Wed 14 Feb 7.30pm
Audio Described Performance: Tue 13 Feb 7.30pm
OT On Screen: Tue 21 – Fri 24 May 2024
Octagon Theatre Bolton
1 – 23 March 2024
Stephen Joseph Theatre
27 March – 13 April 2024
Theatre by the Lake
27 April – 17 May 2024
FLUTE THEATRE: TWELFTH NIGHT
29 January – 20 February 2024
Mon – Sat: 10.30am
Further summer programming includes:
UNCLE VANYA
2 March – 13 April
TESTMATCH
20 April – 18 May 2024
SUITE IN THREE KEYS
24 May – 6 Jul 2024
Primary Shakespeare: HAMLET 3 June – 5 July 2024 (workshops and performances) Mon, Tue & Fri
RED SPEEDO
13 Jul – 10 Aug 2024
ABOUT THE ORANGE TREE THEATRE
The Orange Tree (OT) is an award-winning, independent theatre. Recognised as a powerhouse that creates high-quality productions of new and rediscovered plays, it entertains 70,000 people across the UK every year.
The OT’s home in Richmond, South West London, is an intimate theatre with the audience seated all around the stage: watching a performance here is truly a unique experience. We believe in the power of dramatic stories to entertain, thrill and challenge us; plays that enrich our lives by enhancing our understanding of ourselves and each other.
As a registered charity (266128) sitting at the heart of its community, we work with 10,000 people in Richmond and beyond through participatory theatre projects for people of all ages and abilities. Our mission is to enable audiences to experience the next generation of theatre talent, experiment with ground-breaking new drama and explore the plays from the past that inspire the theatre-makers of the present. Operating without regular support from Arts Council England, the OT relies on the support of its audiences and funders to raise £500k a year to create this outstanding work on stage and in the community.
Ahead of its 25th anniversary on 6 April 2024, Stevie Doc and Tobias Turley, the winners of ITV’s MAMMA MIA! I Have a Dream, will join the production of the global smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! in the respective roles of Sophie and Sky at London’s Novello Theatre from Monday 29 January 2024.
Each week on the TV show, Stevie and Tobias, along with the other theatre star hopefuls, were put through a series of challenging paces with workshops, masterclasses and performances by no other than MAMMA MIA!’s legendary choreographer Anthony Van Laast and the show’s musical maestro Martin Lowe, before being whittled down to the final four by the show’s judges, Alan Carr, Jessie Ware, Amber Riley and Samantha Barks, who had creator and global producer of MAMMA MIA!, Judy Craymer as mentor. In the end, though, it was down to the great British public to make the difficult choice on deciding who of the four finalists would take the prize, with host Zoe Ball revealing Stevie and Tobias as the worthy winners in the show-stopping final, live from The Novello Theatre on Sunday 10 December.
Judy Craymer said, “After their extraordinary performances on ITV’s hit series MAMMA MIA! I Have A Dream, I cannot wait to see Stevie and Tobias make their debut at the Novello Theatre on 29 January. The stakes were high, but they both completely shone throughout the competition and dazzled both the judges and the public to win their respective roles in our musical. I am super excited to welcome them to the MAMMA MIA! family and celebrate this incredibly special year.”
Stevie Doc graduated from Arts Educational Schools in 2023 and will be making her professional and West End debut in MAMMA MIA!. Tobias Turley graduated from the Guildford School of Acting and has since appeared in Heathers The Musical (The Other Palace), West Side Story (Ljubljana Festival), Giovanni Pernice: Made In Italy (UK Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Mansfield), The Nutcracker (Birmingham Royal Ballet) and Magic of Animation and Carousel in Concert (both West End Does at Cadogan Hall).
Stevie and Tobias will join the London cast led by Mazz Murray as Donna, Kate Graham as Tanya, Nicola-Dawn Brook as Rosie, Haydn Oakley as Sam, Christopher Dickins as Harry and Stephen Beckett as Bill, with Natalie Langston returning from maternity leave on 22 January and playing Donna at certain performances. Also in the cast are Jessie Odeleye as Ali, Olivia Brookes as Lisa, Chay Wills as Eddie and Arcangelo Ciulla as Pepper.
Also in the cast are Aaron Archer, Amy Barker, Matthew Barrow, John-Paul Birss, Daniel J Brian, Sinéad Courtney, Izzy Cross, Ellis Dackombe, Lauren Dawes, Léa Desjacques, Lawrence Guntert, Samantha Ivey, Jennie Jacobs, Luke Jasztal, Nicole Lupino, Flyn Mullins, Hayley-Jo Murphy, Bradley Perret, Jacob Ritzema and Ella Tweed.
Since premiering in London in 1999, the irresistible feelgood musical has captured the hearts of millions around the globe. The sunny, funny tale of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads on a Greek island idyll, all unfolding to the magic of ABBA’s timeless pop masterpieces, has now been seen live on stage by over 65 million people across the world and turned into two record-breaking movies – MAMMA MIA! The Movie and MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again.
To date, MAMMA MIA! has been seen in 50 productions in 16 different languages grossing more than $4 billion at the box office. In 2011, it became the first Western musical ever to be staged in Mandarin in the People’s Republic of China.
MAMMA MIA! originally opened in London at the Prince Edward Theatre on 6 April 1999, before transferring to the Prince of Wales Theatre in 2004, and then to the Novello Theatre in 2012. The London production of MAMMA MIA! has been seen by over 10 million people, played over 9,300 performances and has broken box office records in all three of its London homes. It will be only the third musical in West End history to reach 25 years.
Produced by Judy Craymer, MAMMA MIA! The Movie became the highest grossing live action musical film of all time upon its release in 2008. A second film, MAMMA MIA! Here We Go Again, opened in July 2018 and is the most successful live musical movie sequel of all time.
With music & lyrics by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus, MAMMA MIA! is written by Catherine Johnson, directed by Phyllida Lloyd and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast. The production is designed by Mark Thompson, with lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Andrew Bruce & Bobby Aitken, and musical supervision, additional material & arrangements by Martin Koch.
MAMMA MIA! is produced by Judy Craymer, Richard East & Björn Ulvaeus for Littlestar in association with Universal.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
Novello Theatre
Aldwych
London WC2B 4LD
Ticket Prices: from £17.75*
*All prices include a £2.75 per ticket booking fee and £1.50 restoration levy
Early Bird Pricing – anyone booking 16 weeks or more in advance of the performance they are attending (Monday to Thursday performances only) will save £20 on Band B, Band A and Premium tickets, but only through Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, either online or by calling the Novello Theatre Box Office.
Family Ticket Rate – £199 for a group of four on Band B or Band A tickets (up to a saving of £151), OR £99 for a group of four on Band D and Band C tickets (up to a saving of £111), for Monday to Thursday performances, excluding peak performances, but only through Delfont Mackintosh Theatres, either online or by calling the Novello Theatre Box Office.
Performance Times:
Monday – Saturday 7.30pm
Matinees – Thursdays & Saturdays 3.00pm*
*Extra 3pm matinee on Wednesday 14 February, Tuesday 9 April, Tuesday 9 July, Tuesday 6 August and Tuesday 20 August.
Currently booking to 28 September 2024
The performance lasts 2 hours and 35 minutes (including a 15-minute interval)
Ballroom-inspired play Syncopation comes to London this Spring Bridewell Theatre, 14 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, EC4Y 8EQ Thursday 14th March – Saturday 13th April 2024
Award-winning writer Allan Knee’s ballroom-inspired play Syncopation is coming to London this Spring. Known for musical Little Women and play The Man Who Was Peter Pan, Knee’s comedic drama follows two lost souls in New York in 1912 who come together to dance in a stirring and tender tale about finding yourself and moving to your own beat.
Inspired by Irene and Vernon Castle – ballroom superstars of their day, who laid the foundation for ballroom dancing as we know it and were the subjects of a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers film – meatpacker Henry Ribolow and seamstress Anna Bianchi decide to embark on a journey to become renowned ballroom dancers in pre-war New York. Responding to Henry’s advertisement in the paper, Anna finds herself drawn into the freeing and passionate world of dance, set against the backdrop of exciting, revolutionary ideas at the turn of the century, the urban rhythm of New York City, and Ragtime.
From Manilla Street Productions, this is a unique version of Syncopation, with a carefully curated Ragtime and jazz score specifically selected for the London production, including classics like By the Light of the Silvery Moon and Little Brown Jug, Scott Joplin’s Elite Syncopations and Irving Berlin’s Always.
West End and Broadway triple threats Devon-Elise Johnson (Mamma Mia! and Half a Sixpence, West End; Titanic the Musical, UK tour) and Jye Frasca (Wicked, Broadway and West End; Jersey Boys and Mary Poppins, West End) star as Anna and Henry respectively. Syncopation is directed by Karen Jemison (Blood Brothers; Pacific Overtures; Bad Blood Blues, Melbourne) and choreographed by Jenny Thomson (Strictly Come Dancing, BBC; So You Think You Can Dance, Fox; Dancing with the Stars, ABC).
Director Karen Jemison comments, Syncopation has everything you could want in a play and more – wonderful Ragtime music, a touching comic drama with two highly engaging characters and lots of ballroom dancing! There are not many plays featuring ballroom dancing and this unique piece of theatre is a perfect fit for London. I think audiences will be blown away by the talents of this cast and the beautiful writing of Allan Knee.
The European premiere of Kim’s Convenience is long overdue, with Ins Choi’s 2011 play and the Netflix series it inspired great successes. Choi’s tragicomic love letter to first-generation immigrants is based on his own early life, living above his uncle’s convenience store in Toronto. Choi plays the elder Mr Kim in this production, having originated the role of his son.
As you wait for the play to begin, spotting the items on the shelves of Mona Camille’s detailed set is a delight, and Choi’s long, non-verbal entrance as Mr Kim establishes the character immediately as he goes about his morning routine opening the store and keeping an eye on the neighbourhood. Regent Park is beginning to be gentrified, but Kim’s unbending vision of his children carrying on his legacy in the store makes selling to developers out of the question.
With Kim’s father’s memories of living under Japanese rule and then the Korean War and his parents coming to Canada for a better life for their children, the Western attitudes of Kim’s children confuse and anger him. The tension between generations and cultures is at the heart of the family comedy, with Kim’s overbearing attitude frustrating and alienating his children. Kim’s black and white view of the world – which his daughter sees as racist and misogynistic – is very much a product of his family’s trauma, and Choi writes and delivers these lines with a smart rawness and daughter Janet (Jennifer Kim) is there to correct him. Among the fatherly concern and humour, there is an undercurrent of anger and cruelty in Kim’s interactions with Janet, and hints about Kim’s estranged son Jung (Brian Law) are dropped until he finally appears as he meets his mother (Namju Go) at church. Miles Mitchell plays a variety of neighbourhood characters, the highlight being his flirting with Janet and consequent interrogation by Kim.
The cast are all excellent and have wonderful chemistry, with even the quietest moments effortlessly revealing so much about their characters and their relationships with a gentle humour throughout that seamlessly veers from high physicality to melancholy. Director Esther Chun paces the story wonderfully, allowing quieter scenes to hit before moving on, and Kim’s realisation that his children are more important to him than his store is played beautifully by Choi, completely convincing as a man full of love and shame trying to make amends.
Charming and full of heart, Kim’s Convenience is not to be missed.
Richmond Theatre – until Saturday 13th January 2024
Reviewed by Brooke Burlinge
5*****
Richmond Theatre brings you Swan Lake presented by Mergaliyev Classical Ballet, the well-known classic, composed by Tchaikovsky which, to this day is still adored by audiences across the world.
Swan Lake unravels the beguiling and timeless story of both love and betrayal, the journey of many highs and lows as well as the power that love itself can behold.
Prince Seigried (Azamat Askarov) is admired by many, yet no one manages to catch his eye. That is until he meets the stunning, captivating, flawless Odette (Assel Askarova) who captures his heart. However, the malicious magician, Rothbart (Jackson Stewart) has enchanted Odette along with multiple other young ladies to spend the rest of their lives as swans. Apart from the few hours every night where they can return to their human forms. The only way the curse can be broken is through the act of true love, which the Prince promises to do so while he expresses his eternal love for Odette. Unfortunately, the Prince is tricked back at the Queen’s (Priscilla Volpe) castle where a ball is being held for him. He is tempted and lured in by Odille, Rothbart’s daughter, believing it truly is Odette, therefore breaking the vow he had made to Odette, causing her to be in despair as she dies. Once Prince Seigfried realises his mistake, he confronts Rothbart in a fierce battle. Triumphant, Siegfried breaks the evil spell, leaving him and Odette to live their ‘happily ever after.’
Throughout the ballet, all dancers provided utter perfection, allowing the audience to really appreciate the story. Everyone played their roles flawlessly, depicting a multitude of emotions with their elegant movements and facial expressions.
Whenever Odette was on stage, I simply could not take my eyes off her, her dancing was particularly precise while also being soft and delicate. When dancing with Prince Seigfried, she showed control and structure. Both truly gave us a phenomenal performance. He too was amazing, performing wonderfully and showing a true connection with Odette.
Rothbart certainly embodied the darkness and mystic feel of the character, lurking in the shadows and floating across the stage.
The Jester (Aibar Toktar) juxtaposed the sometimes dark atmosphere. His touch of comedy got the audience to laugh through little parts of the production.
I must say that the Cygnets (Amara Galloway, Kira Ewing, Emily Pohl and Lilou Coulad) did an exceptional job at their specific dance. It was exquisitely executed and left me in awe.
The scenery was simple yet perfectly portrayed the atmosphere and overall mood of the scenes. Not to mention the orchestra were remarkable, it was magnificent to be able to see them playing. The music added much depth and meaning to each dancing, reflecting the dainty, soft nature of certain dances as well as the more sharp, intricate dances.
Watching this ballet certainly put a smile on my face. The whole production was breathtaking, and I would definitely recommend coming to see this.
CinemaLive today announces a new season of musical events to play in 475 cinemas across the UK and Ireland in 2024. As one of the leading producers and distributors of event cinema, this season will see CinemaLive bringing much loved West End and Regional productions to audiences across the UK and Ireland.
Adding to the previously announced cinema release of My Favorite Things: Rodgers and Hammerstein 80th Anniversary Concerton 14 and 18 February 2024, are Kinky Boots on 1 and 4 February, Titanic– The Musical on 7 and 10 March, An American in Paris on 18 and 21 April and 42nd Street on 16 and 19 May.
Booking for CinemaLive’s Season of Musicals is now open.
Cast includes: Killian Donnelly (Charlie Price), Matt Henry (Lola) and Amy Lennox (Lauren)
Director and Choreographer: Jerry Mitchell; Set Designer: David Rockwell; Costume Designer: Gregg Barnes; Lighting designer: Kenneth Posner; Musical supervision, arrangements and orchestrations: Stephen Oremus.
Kinky Boots -The Musical, filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre in the heart of London’s West End, is strutting onto the big screen! With songs from Grammy and Tony award winning pop icon Cindy Lauper, book by legendary Broadway playwright Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray), the musical is based on the film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. Featuring the Original London Cast including Matt Henry who won the 2016 Olivier award for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Lola.
Inspired by true events, this huge-hearted hit tells the story of two people with nothing in common – or so they think.
Charlie (Killian Donnelly) is a factory owner struggling to save his family business, and Lola (Matt Henry) is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, this unexpected pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen! But in the end, their most sensational achievement is their friendship. This unmissable musical theatre event celebrates a joyous story of British grit transforming into a high-heeled hit as it takes you from the factory floor of Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan!
Concord Originals, Concord Theatricals, Kilimanjaro Live/JAS Theatricals, Austin Shaw and Rob Bagshaw
MY FAVORITE THINGS:
THE RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN 80TH ANNIVERSARY CONCERT
Wednesday 14 and Sunday 18 February
Cast includes: Joanna Ampil, Michael Ball, Maria Friedman, Daniel Dae Kim, Audra McDonald, Julian Ovenden, Lucy St. Louis, Aaron Tveit, Marisha Wallace and Patrick Wilson
Director: Christopher Gattelli; Conductor: Simon Lee
Featuring a 40-piece orchestra and international stars of the stage and screen, this special anniversary concert will be presented at London’s newly restored Theatre Royal Drury Lane – the same venue that premiered the original West End production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific and The King and I.
Directed and staged by Tony Award-winning director and choreographer Christopher Gattelli (Broadway’s The King and I, South Pacific), the celebration of the historic partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II will showcase original arrangements of the most iconic songs from Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, Cinderella and The Sound of Music.
Featuring a star-studded cast including Joanna Ampil, Michael Ball, Maria Friedman, Daniel Dae Kim, Audra McDonald, Julian Ovenden, Lucy St. Louis, Aaron Tveit, Marisha Wallace and Patrick Wilson, the landmark event additionally comprised of the 40-piece Rodgers & Hammerstein Concert Orchestra, conducted by Simon Lee, along with a West End chamber choir, dance ensemble and surprise guest appearances from Chita Rivera and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
TITANIC – THE MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by Maury Yeston
Book byPeter Stone
Thursday 7 and Sunday 10 March
Cast: Mark Allanson (Ismay), Valda Aviks (Ida Straus), Grham Bickley (Captain Smith), Sam Brown (Fleet), James Darch (Edgar Beane), David Delve (Isidor Straus), Adam Filipe (Barrett), Alastair Hill (Bride), Barnaby Hughes (Pitman/Etches), Niamh Long (Kate Mullins), Ian McLarnon (Andrews), Jack North (Lightoller), Billy Roberts (Murdoch), Bree Smith (Alice Beane).
Director: Tom Southerland; Set and Costume Designer: David Woodhead; Lighting Designer: Howard Hudson: Sound Designer: Andrew Johnson
In the final hours of 14th April 1912, the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and the ‘unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. 1,522 men women and children lost their lives.
Based on the real people aboard the most legendary ship in the world, Titanic the Musical is a stirring production, focusing on the hopes, dreams and aspirations of her passengers, all innocently unaware of the fate awaiting them.
With music and lyrics by Maury Yeston and book by Peter Stone, the original Broadway production won five Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book. This stunning production filmed at New Victoria Theatre Woking celebrates the 10th anniversary of its London première where it recieved sweeping critical acclaim across the board.
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Featuring music and lyrics by George and Ira Gershwin
Director and Choreographer: Christopher Wheeldon; Set and costume design: Bob Cowley
This breathtakingly beautiful Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the Oscar winning MGM film, tells the impassioned story of discovering love in the ‘City of Light’.
Jerry Mulligan is an American GI striving to make it as a painter in a city suddenly bursting with hope and possibility. Following a chance encounter with a beautiful young dancer named Lise, the streets of Paris become the backdrop to a sensuous, modern romance of art, friendship, and love in the aftermath of war.
Featuring the gorgeous music and lyrics of George and Ira Gershwin (including the classic hits, Wonderful and I Got Rhythm), stunning designs, and show-stopping choreography, this incredible production received 28 five-star reviews from the critics for its London Première at the Dominion Theatre.
42nd STREET
Book by Mark Bramble and Michael Stewart
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dublin
Thursday 16 and Sunday 19 May
Cast: Bonnie Langford (Dorothy Brock), Tom Lister (Julian Marsh), Clare Halse (Peggy Sawyer), Jasna Ivir (Maggie Jones), Christopher Howell (Bert Barry), Matthew Goodgame (Pat Denning), Graeme Henderson (Andy Lee), Bruce Montague (Abner Dillon), Emma Caffrey (Annie) Ella Martine (Lorraine), Clare Rickard (Phyllis) and Paul Knight (Oscar)
Director: Mark Bramble; Choreographer: Randy Skinner
42nd Street, the legendary Broadway musical theatre classic, is a ‘glorious’ (Sunday Express) and ‘utterly moreish extravaganza of glitz’ (The Times).
Telling the story of Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway, this is the largest ever staging of the Tony Award-winning musical and it was filmed live at the magnificent Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the heart of London’s West End. Starring national treasure Bonnie Langford as Dorothy Brock and featuring iconic songs 42nd Street, We’re In The Money and Lullaby Of Broadway, this is pure musical magic from the West End brought to the Big Screen.
Tim Johanson Productions, Glass Half Full Productions and Jamie Wilson Productions present the Kiln Theatre production of
TWO STRANGERS (CARRY A CAKE ACROSS NEW YORK) TRANSFERS TO THE CRITERION THEATRE FROM 4 APRIL TO 14 JULY 2024 AFTER A RECORD-BREAKING RUN AT KILN THEATRE.
OLIVIER AWARD-WINNER SAM TUTTY AND DUJONNA GIFT STAR IN THIS NEW BRITISH MUSICAL BY JIM BARNE AND KIT BUCHAN, DIRECTED BY TIM JACKSON AND DESIGNED BY SOUTRA GILMOUR.
THE OPENING SONG ‘NEW YORK’ IS NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON SPOTIFY HERE WITH FURTHER MUSIC NEWS COMING SOON.
New British musical Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), will transfer to the Criterion Theatre in the West End from 4 April – 14 July 2024, following a record-breaking run at Kiln Theatre. Tickets go on sale today from midday at www.twostrangersthemusical.com.
Directed by Tim Jackson, written by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan and designed by Soutra Gilmour, the critically acclaimed production has enchanted audiences during its extended 10-week sold-out run at Kiln which will finish on Saturday 20 January 2024. Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) will mark Jackson, Barne and Buchan’s West End debuts. Barne and Buchan won The Stage Debut Award and the Stiles & Drewe prize for new musical theatre for an earlier version of the musical titled The Season, co-produced by Royal & Derngate, Northampton and the New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich.
Having clocked up more than a million views on TikTok and 100k views on YouTube for three of the songs that feature in the show, ‘New York’, ‘If I Believed’ and ‘What’ll It Be’, the opening song ‘New York’ performed by Sam Tutty and Dujonna Gift is now available on all streaming platforms, with further tracks to be released soon.
Sam Tutty plays Dougal. His theatre work includes the role of Evan Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen (Noël Coward Theatre) for which he won the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical and Once on this Island (British Theatre Academy/Southwark Playhouse). For film, his work includes Four Minute Warning and Romeo & Juliet, and for television, Hollyoaks.
Dujonna Gift plays Robin. Her theatre work includes the multi-Olivier Award-winning, smash hit musical Hamilton (Victoria Palace Theatre), Caroline or Change (Playhouse Theatre) and Motown: The Musical (Shaftesbury Theatre). Her film work includes the upcoming Disney’s Snow White opposite Rachel Zegler.
Dougal is a naive, impossibly upbeat Brit, flying to New York for his Dad’s second wedding. The Dad he’s never known.
Waiting for him at the airport is Robin, the sister of the bride. She’s a native New Yorker, she’s late for work, and she doesn’t have time to stop and see the sights.
Instant attraction? Definitely not.
But with an extravagant wedding approaching and the city at their feet – anything could happen.
The producers said:“We’re thrilled to collaborate and present this record-breaking new British musical at the iconic Criterion Theatre. That we get to champion a stellar team including newcomers Buchan and Barne makes it all the sweeter. We’re excited to continue serving up this incredible production to new audiences and transporting them on a captivating journey across the Atlantic every night this spring.”
The full creative team includes Director and Choreographer Tim Jackson; Designer Soutra Gilmour; Lighting Designer Jack Knowles; Sound Designer Tony Gayle; Orchestration by Lux Pyramid; Casting Director Julia Horan CDG and Associate Director Claira Vaughan.
