2 time Tony Award® winner Christine Ebersole
2 time Tony Award® nominee Bob Gunton
West End leading man Tobias Turley and Miyuki Miyagi
are the final stars to be announced for the world premiere
Studio Cast Recording of
Jo – The Little Women Musical

Two-time Tony Award® winner Christine Ebersole (Grey Gardens, 42nd Street) will play Aunt March, two-time Tony Award® nominee Bob Gunton (Sweeney Todd, Evita, the Warden in The Shawshank Redemption movie), Grandfather, with rising West End star Tobias Turley (winner of ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream, the TV search for Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia!), Fred Vaughn, and Miyuki Miyagi (Natasha in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812) as Sallie Gardiner in a new musical adaptation of Louisa May Alcott’s iconic coming-of-age novel Little Women.

Jo – The Little Women Musical, with music by Dan Redfeld, book and lyrics by Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej, will get its world premiere with a Studio Album recorded at London’s iconic Abbey Road Studios featuring a mix of Broadway, West End and international stars and a 29-piece orchestra, produced by five-time Grammy nominee and three-time Emmy winner Nigel Wright and Dan Redfeld.

The recording session will be followed by the release of several tracks and videos, the album and the full show will be presented in semi-staged concert on the West End, directed by JoAnn M. Hunter (20 Broadway shows to her credit as a Choreographer including Bad Cinderella and School of Rock, Associate Choreographer and Performer. Most recently Director of SuperYou a new Rock Musical at Curve, Leicester and Choreographer of the upcoming Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat UK tour starring Donny Osmond).

Jo – The Little Women Musical studio album will be released under Grammy® winning record label Center Stage Records in March.

The date, theatre and ticket onsale for the West End concert will be announced soon.

Christine Ebersole (Aunt March) has been recognised with a string of honours that includes two Tony Awards, she has appeared in 20 Broadway and Off-Broadway productions, as well as gracing TV series and specials, films, concerts, recordings and opera. It was for her “dual role of a lifetime” as Edith Beale and Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens that Ebersole won her second Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as virtually every available Off-Broadway honour. Other memorable New York roles include her Tony-winning turn as Dorothy Brock in the hit revival of 42nd Street, her Tony-nominated portrayal of Elizabeth Arden opposite Patti LuPone in War Paint, her Tony-and Outer Critics Circle-nominated appearance in Dinner at Eight, her Obie-winning and Drama Desk-nominated appearance in Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads, her performance as Guinevere alongside Richard Harris and Richard Burton in Camelot, and her leading roles in Oklahoma!,On the Twentieth Century, Steel Magnolias, The Best Man, and the revival of Noël Coward’s Blithe Spirit. In 2018 she made her operatic debut under James Conlon’s leadership as the Old Lady in Francesca Zambello’s production of Candide at LA Opera. Recently starring as Lucille Dolittle, a role based on Lucille Ball, in Paul Thomas Anderson’s Oscar-
nominated Licorice Pizza, Ebersole has appeared in numerous feature films. Previous film credits include The Wolf of Wall Street, Amadeus, Black Sheep, Dead Again, Folks!, Ghost Dad, My Girl 2, Richie Rich, Tootsie, True Crime, and The Big Wedding, which features her account of her original song “ Gently Down the Stream.”

Bob Gunton (Grandfather) in a distinguished 30-year career he has played a potpourri of memorable roles in notable productions in theatre, television and film. On Broadway, Gunton received Tony Award nominations for his Sweeney Todd and for his portrayal of Juan Peron in Evita. He was also featured in Big River, Roza, Passion, King of Hearts, Working, and Happy End. He received an Obie Award for playing 21 characters in How I Got That Story, as well as the Clarence Derwent Award for The Most Promising New New York Actor of 1980. In 2004, Bob was nominated for a Barrymore Award for playing the eponymous role in The Great Ostrovsky – the great Cy Coleman’s last musical, in a pre-Broadway production. Gunton’s feature film work runs the gamut from farce to drama. Working with some of Hollywood’s most celebrated directors, Gunton has appeared in Oliver Stone’s JFK, and Born On The Fourth of July, Ed Zwick’s Glory, John Woo’s Broken Arrow and, most memorably, as the Warden in Frank Darrabont’s The Shawshank Redemption.

Tobias Turley (Fred Vaughn) was the winner of ITV’s Mamma Mia I Have A Dream, the televised search for Sky in the West End production of Mamma Mia!. He will be seen next in the UK premiere of White Rose the Musical (Marylebone Theatre) Other credits include: Heathers The Musical (The Other Palace), West Side Story (Ljubljana Festival).

Miyuki Miyagi (Sallie Gardiner) is an actor, singer, dancer, and violinist. Credits include: The Mystery of Edwin Drood (Goodspeed), Natasha Rostova in Natasha, Pierre, & the Great Comet of 1812 (Capital City), Peggy Maruyama in Allegiance with George Takei (East West Players), When You Wish (Tuacahn), Anne in A Little Night Music (Princeton Summer Theater).

Other cast previously announced for the album recording include:

Laura Benanti (Marmee March), a Tony Award® winner and five-time Tony Award® nominee, took Broadway by storm at the age of 18 as Maria in The Sound of Music and has subsequently starred in 10 Broadway shows (musicals, straight plays, comedies, and dramas) including Into the Woods, Nine (opposite Antonio Banderas), Gypsy (for which she won a Tony Award), She Loves Me, My Fair Lady, and Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower.

Julian Ovenden’s (Father) theatre work includes leading roles at the Donmar Warehouse, Almeida, Theatre Royal Haymarket, Young Vic, the RSC, Roundabout in NYC, and in the West End and on Broadway. His recent stage work includes starring opposite Gillian Anderson in Ivo Van Hove’s All About Eve and playing Emile de Becque in the smash-hit revival of South Pacific at Chichester Festival and Sadler’s Wells, for which he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Leading Actor in a Musical.

Christine Allado (Jo March) is a Grammy Award nominated artist. She was Peggy Schuyler and Maria Reynolds in the original London cast of Hamilton (Victoria Palace), Cinderella in Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends (Gielgud); Meat in We Will Rock You (London Coliseum); Tzipporah in The Prince of Egypt (Dominion).

Creative team:

Dan Redfeld – Composer, Conductor, Orchestrator, Studio Album Co-Music Producer
Christina Harding – Co-Lyricist & Book
John Gabriel Koladziej – Co-Lyricist & Book
JoAnn M. Hunter – Director
Nigel Wright – Studio Album Co-Music Producer
Brian Purcell – Lead Producer
CDM Productions – General Managers

Dan Redfeld (Composer) said: “It’s always been our hope for Jo – The Little Women Musical to be heard around the world the way we intended – with an international cast of stellar artists and 29-piece orchestra. For that to come to fruition in a full Studio Album is a dream come true.”

Christina Harding and John Gabriel Koladziej (Co-Lyricists and Book Writers) continued: “Assembling such a talented group of performers to bring our material to life is truly thrilling. We are excited to share our new interpretation of Louisa May Alcott’s timeless classic with a multi-generational audience.”

Lead Producer Brian Purcell (4 Times Entertainment, Inc.) added: “We are honoured to be recording at Abbey Road Studios where some of the world’s most influential artists and albums – from The Beatles to Star Wars to Lady Gaga – have been immortalised.

Social media:
Website: www.jothemusical.com 
Instagram: @jothemusical  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jothemusical

Eleanor Grant (Beth March) was recently a guest soloist in the world premiere screening of Avatar LIVE (Royal Albert Hall). Her other credits include the film soundtracks Cinderella, Cruella, Puss in Boots and Disney’s live-action remakes of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid.

Rob Houchen (Theodore “Laurie” Laurence) is currently starring as Jack in Titanique at the Criterion Theatre. His other West End credits include Sondheim’s Old Friends, South Pacific, The Light in the Piazza and the Les Misérable All Star Concert.

Chris Mann (Professor Bhaer) is a critically acclaimed singer, actor and viral comedian. He starred as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera’s 25th Anniversary Tour for over 700 performances. His self-shot musical parody videos during covid have been viewed 600 million times. .

Kelly Mathieson (Meg March) made her West End debut as Christine Daaé in The Phantom of the Opera and played the role for almost three years. Her other credits include Cinderella in Into the Woods (Lyric Theatre, Belfast), Nellie in South Pacific (Toulon Opera house) and Tonia in Dr Zhivago (London Palladium).

Sophie Pollono (Amy March) was Delia Abbott for five seasons on the long-running daytime soap opera Young and the Restless. She starred as the titular character in the Disney Channel limited series  Fastlayne. Her stage credits include the American premiere of Oppenheimer and the world premiere of My Girlfriend is an Alien.

Liam Tamne (John Brooke) was recently seen in The Baker’s Wife at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Assassins at Chichester Festival Theatre, and in the West End as Ted Hinton in Bonnie & Clyde, Ramses in The Prince of Egypt, Raoul in The Phantom Of The Opera, Enjolras in Les Misérables, Fiyero in Wicked.

DRAG RACE STARS BRING SMASH HIT

SENSATION ‘GALS ALOUD’ BACK TO LONDON!  

TuckShop Presents

GALS ALOUD
LIVE

4TH APRIL | HERE AT OUTERNET
TICKETS ON SALE NOW

 ‘IT’S CAMP. IT’S SILLY. IT TREADS THE LINE BETWEEN HOMAGE AND PARODY
IN A WAY THAT ONLY DRAG CAN.’ – VICE

GALS ALOUD ARE BACK IN LONDON WITH THEIR SMASH-HIT, HILAIROUS SHOW!  

The greatest girl band of the millennium, Girls Aloud, are back back back again… as you’ve never seen them before. This fierce, funny and fabulous DRAG extravaganza returns to the West End for one night only at HERE at Outernet (Sailor Moon, Priscilla the Party).  

‘A HELL OF A LOT OF FUN’
-British Theatre

Starring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK stars CHERYL and KITTY SCOTT-CLAUS, and drag superstars HERR, OPHELIA LOVE, LYDIA L’SCABIES, with a special appearance from Drag Race UK/Canada’s Drag Race vs the World star VANITY MILAN as Javine, this is the only tribute show to the reality TV supergroup you’ll ever need. Please enquire for press/interview opportunities.

Taking the stage at HERE at Outernet, this brand new version of the five star show will feel even more like a real concert as we immerse you in the world of Nadine, Cheryl, Sarah, Nicola, and Kimberley like never before. This full, hilarious comedy show bridges the gap between pop concert and pure comedy as the Gals take you on a nostalgic ride through the history, highs and lows, and major hits of Girls Aloud. Plus, the return of the one and only Javine…!

Drag Race finalist Kitty Scott-Claus (Masterchef, Death Drop, Queen of the Night) said “I am SO excited for Gals Aloud to be heading back to London! It’s been over a year and all I can say is… IT’S ABOUT TIME! We always have the best time doing this show and we have the best audiences in the whole of the West End!”

Cheryl added “It is always such an honour to perform in the West End, and I’m so excited to be back performing in my favourite show alongside some of my favourite people in the world. This show is so joyous, fun and a celebration of the group who made me the artist I am today”.

TuckShop founder, Christopher Clegg (Cool Rider Live, [title of show], Death Drop), directs this camp romp of a show, had this to add: “We are currently celebrating TuckShop’s 7th Birthday and Gals Aloud was the first show we created, so to be bringing it back again is so exciting. Audiences LOVE this hysterical show…expect a camp night of nonsense packed with the hits of one of the most iconic girl bands ever!”

Featuring all the hits of Girls Aloud, classic solo singles, awkward tv appearances, missing passports, cloakroom attendant altercations and much more. This is a show you do not want to miss!

London Palladium – until 4^th February 2025

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

5*****

Ashley Jana and Will Nunziata have woven a familiar tale of youthful yearning, innocence and betrayal. You can give your full attention to the lyrics and phenomenal, well seasoned voices of the cast as they draw you in to the story. There are reflections of Phantom with a smattering of Les Mis as the leading lady gives away her innocence and gains maturity. 

Cayleigh Capaldi (Sienna) brings the house down with her soprano notes at the height of her characters delusion, portraying a naivety that allows Figaro (Jon Robyns) to have complete control. Capaldi gives an outstanding performance, easily switching from naïve to ‘wiser for the experience’.  Jon Robyns commands the stage with a strong physical performance and a baritone that gives you evil undertones and eventually desperation in the storytelling.

Lucia (Aimie Atkinson) reminds you of Nancy in Oliver. Once enthralled like Sienna, now a seasoned and weary muse of Figaro. Atkinson has depth in her tone that tells a million stories. Ava Brennan (Gia) is the most natural performer on the stage, with an warmth in her voice to compliment Capaldi. Alongside the children Cian Eagle-Service (Gianni) and Sophia Goodman (Amelia) you have an insight into the makeshift family that is often the makeup of travelling shows. Only this one has a more sinister under current. The children bring a different dimension to the show, including their awesome vocals.  

The stripped back set gives the creative team a challenge to produce different atmospheres and settings, which is well accomplished. This is a show that has the potential for a much larger stage. 

A coming-of-age story that offers pure escapism as the cast immerses you into the delicious songbook. 

Windsor Theatre Royal – until 8th Feb 2025

Reviewed by Liberty Noke

5*****

Boys from the Blackstuff is a play based on the 1982, 5 part drama that aired on BBC 2 by the same name. It follows 5 tarmac layers lives in Liverpool who have been out of work for a year.

It is clear that this is a gritty drama from the moment you walk in, the stage is set up with scaffolding reminiscent of a building site. We meet the 5 main characters as they are being interrogated by the unemployment department so that they can continue to receive benefits.

The characters find cash-in-hand work and attempt to hide it from the council but they know it is risky. They are all tormented by their morals but are desperate enough to take the jobs despite the risk. The council do find them and Snowy Malone, played by Reiss Barber, falls to his death in an attempt to outrun them.

Jay Johnson’s performance of Yosser is incredible. He comes across as unlikeable to begin with- loud, rude and violent. He seems to be the comic relief with his catchphrases “gi’ us a job” and “I could do that” but you quickly come to learn that he is simply a desperate man on the edge. He is perfectly funny and tragic. We see him decline through the second act desperate for a job he harassed people in the streets telling them “I could do that” as he mimics their jobs.

When Boys From The Blackstuff first aired, unemployment was at a record high but it is clear to see why this play has been so successful today. The running theme of men’s mental health is just as relevant and unemployment is still a prevent issue as well as the class divide. This play resonated with me and with much of the audience reminding us, perhaps that we can take a stable income for granted. While this play isn’t the happily ever after that so many of us want from the theatre but it is a gripping, gritty depiction of unemployment that shows us how our morals can be changed by our circumstances.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

HADESTOWN
AS THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED PRODUCTION ENTERS ITS SECOND YEAR IN THE WEST END

DESMONDA CATHABEL AS EURYDICE
VICTORIA HAMILTON-BARRITT AS PERSEPHONE
CHRIS JARMAN AS HADES
CEDRIC NEAL AS HERMES
DYLAN WOOD AS ORPHEUS
MELANIE BRIGHT, ALLIE DANIEL AND LAURAN RAE AS THE FATES

uk.hadestown.com

3 February 2025, London: New casting is announced today for the critically acclaimed West End production of Hadestown for performances from 11 March 2025.

The year two West End cast includes Desmonda Cathabel, who most recently played Jasmine in the UK & Ireland tour of Disney’s Aladdin, as Eurydice; Olivier Award-nominee Victoria Hamilton-Barritt, whose many credits include The Stepmother in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, as Persephone; Chris Jarman,who originated the role of Hagrid in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in the West End, joins the company as Hades; Cedric Neal who was nominated for an Olivier Award for his portrayal of Nicely-Nicely Johnson in Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre, as Hermes; and Dylan Wood,who made his West End debut in Hadestown last year, returns as Orpheus.

Melanie Bright and Lauran Rae join Allie Daniel as the Fates; Femi Akinfolarin, Michelle Andrews, Ollie Bingham, Laura Delany and Sebastian Lim-Seet will play the Workers, with Lucinda Buckley, Juan Jackson, Oisín Nolan-Power, Lindo Shinda and Jasmine Triadi as Swings.

All biographies for the cast, as well as information on Hadestown and how to buy tickets, can be found at uk.hadestown.com

Hadestownopened to huge critical acclaim at the Lyric Theatre, London in February last year, five years after a sold-out engagement at the National Theatre in 2018 and is now booking in the West End until 28 September 2025.

Blending American songwriting traditions, from indie folk, to pop, blues, and New Orleans-inspired jazz, Hadestown has music, lyrics, and book by acclaimed Tony® and Grammy®-winning singer-songwriter and BBC Radio 2 Folk Award-winner Anaïs Mitchell whooriginated Hadestownas anindie theatre project and acclaimed album, before transforming the show into a genre-defying new musical alongside artistic collaborator and Tony® Award-winning director Rachel Chavkin.

Hadestowntakes you on an unforgettable journey to the underworld and back, intertwining two mythic love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone.  A deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience, Hadestown invites you to imagine how the world could be.

The Hadestown creative team includes David Neumann (Choreography), Rachel Hauck (Scenic Design), Michael Krass (Costume Design), Bradley King (Lighting Design), Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz (Sound Design), Liam Robinson (Music Supervision and Vocal Arrangements), Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose (Arrangements and Orchestrations), Ken Cerniglia (Dramaturgy), Maria Crocker (UK Associate Director), and Tarek Merchant (Musical Director & Associate Music Supervisor). Casting by Jacob Sparrow.

Hadestownis produced in London by Mara Isaacs, Dale Franzen, Hunter Arnold, Tom Kirdahy and the National Theatre in association with JAS Theatricals.

Cast announced for the world premiere of the musical
SUPERSONIC MAN

Dylan Aiello (Kissing a Fool), James Lowrie (Bat Out Of Hell The Musical), Jude St James (The Sound of Music), Dominic Sullivan (Young Sherlock) and Mali Wen Davies (making her professional debut) will star in the world premiere of the musical Supersonic Man, written and directed by Chris Burgess, at Southwark Playhouse Borough, Wednesday 9 April to Saturday 3 May.

Supersonic Man is a joyous and moving new musical set among the LGBTQI+ community of Brighton.  

Adam is a fun-loving ‘influencer’ having the time of his life. But when he is struck down with a terminal condition, he faces losing everything, including the love of his life, Darryl. Adam and Darryl vow that this will not be the end. Instead they seek a completely new beginning and explore new ways to live. Adam will become a human cyborg!

Supersonic Man combines jazz hands with high drama to tell a tale inspired by the true-life story of Peter Scott-Morgan, as depicted in the acclaimed 2020 C4 documentary, Peter – The Human Cyborg.

Creative team: Writer and Director Chris BurgessMusical Director Aaron ClinghamMusical Arrangements Steven EdisChoreographer Philip JoelDesigner David ShieldsLighting Richard Lambert
Production Assistant Angie LawrenceGraphic Design Steve CaplinProduction Photography Peter Davies
Produced by LAMBCO Productions
LISTINGS INFO

SUPERSONIC MAN
a new musical

Written and Directed
by Chris Burgess

Southwark Playhouse Borough
77-85 Newington Causeway,
London, SE1 6BD

Closest Tube Station: Elephant & Castle
(Northern Line & Bakerloo Line)
Take the London Southbank University exit

Wednesday 9 April to Saturday 3 May

Performances
Monday to Saturday at 19:30
Matinees Tuesday & Saturday at 15:00
No shows on Sunday

Tickets:
 £10 Pioneers’ Preview/ £16 previews /
£24 standard / £19 concessions

Concessions apply to full time students, patrons over 65, and patrons claiming Universal Credit.
Concessions are available Monday to Thursday and on Tuesday and Saturday matinees.
Disabled patrons may bring a companion / carer free of charge.  

How To Get To Borough Venue: The nearest stations are Elephant & Castle and Borough

Box office:
southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/supersonic-man/

EMMY AND TONY AWARD-WINNER

SEAN HAYES

BRINGS HIS TONY-AWARD WINNING PERFORMANCE TO LONDON

GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR

THE SMASH HIT PLAY TRANSFERS FROM BROADWAY

TO LONDON’S BARBICAN THEATRE

ONE TIME ONLY SEVEN WEEK SEASON FROM 31 JULY

GENERAL ON SALE FROM THURSDAY 6 FEBRUARY* AT 10.00AM

FROM GOODNIGHTOSCAR.COM

Emmy and Tony Award-winner Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) will reprise his much-lauded Tony Award-winning performance in Good Night, Oscar at the Barbican Theatre this summer. Direct from a critically acclaimed Broadway run, this strictly limited seven-week season runs from 31 July until 21 September. Tickets will go on general sale at 10.00am on Thursday 6 February from GoodNightOscar.com.

Sean Hayes will make his West End debut in this new play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Doug Wright, playing Oscar Levant: Hollywood actor, concert pianist, and the most subversive wit ever to appear on television during its Golden Age.

It’s 1958, and Jack Paar hosts the hottest late-night talk-show on television. His favourite guest? Wild card Oscar Levant. Famous for his witty one-liners, Oscar has a favourite: “There’s a fine line between genius and insanity; I have erased this line.” Tonight, Oscar will prove just that, when heappears live on national TV in an episode that Paar’s audience – and the rest of America – won’t soon forget.

Sean Hayes said: “It’s thrilling to be making my West End debut at the Barbican this summer with Good Night, Oscar. I’m eager to introduce one of the all-time greats, Oscar Levant, to the UK. The response we received on Broadway was incredible and I’m hoping British audiences will appreciate the history of this fascinating man – a multi-faceted pioneer, from concert pianist to infamous raconteur. It’s an honour to bring this production to London.”

Writer Doug Wright said: “Good Night, Oscar was one of my very happiest Broadway experiences, and a richly satisfying collaboration with the celebrated Sean Hayes and our director Lisa Peterson. I can’t wait to introduce the irascible, indefatigable whirlwind that was Oscar Levant to London audiences. He’d be thrilled to play the Barbican, even posthumously.”

Producer Howard Panter said: “We are delighted to be bringing Good Night, Oscar to the Barbican this summer. Following the huge success of our previous summer productions, including Anything Goes, A Strange Loop and Kiss Me, Kate, the Barbican summer has become a highly anticipated fixture in London’s theatrical calendar. With the addition of Good Night, Oscar alongside our recently announced Fiddler on the Roof, this season once again promises world-class storytelling and unforgettable performances.”

Toni Racklin, Barbican Head of Theatre & Dance, says: “We are delighted that major Broadway hit, Good Night, Oscar, will be part of the Barbican’s summer season this year, led by its Tony Award-winning star, Sean Hayes. Along with the transfer of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s glorious production of Fiddler on the Roof, we are thrilled to offer this terrific double bill of theatrical magic to our audiences, brought to our stage by our partners Trafalgar Theatre Productions.”

Full of humour, with an unmissable, virtuosic performance from Sean Hayes, Good Night, Oscar is directed by Lisa Peterson and masterfully explores fame, artistry, and the fragility of genius. Further casting will be announced soon.

Hayes is currently filming The Running Man for Paramount and will begin production on Is This Thing On, directed by Bradley Cooper, later this year.

BARBICAN LISTINGS INFORMATION

Barbican Theatre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

First Performance: 31 July 2025

Final performance: 21 September 2025

Performance times: Wednesday – Saturday at 7pm, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm,

Sunday at 3pm. Additional performance Tuesday 5 August at 7pm

Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes (no interval)

Age guidance: 12+

*Tickets on sale as follows:

Monday 3 February at 10am: Barbican Premier, Principal and Director’s Circle Patrons

Tuesday 4 February at 10am: Barbican Patrons

Wednesday 5 February: Barbican Members

Thursday 6 February at 10am: General Public on-sale

Access Performances:

BSL Interpreted: Saturday 23 August, 2.30pm

Audio Described: Friday 5 September, 7pm

Captioned: Wednesday 27 August, 7pm

Tickets from £25 (plus booking fee) Barbican Box Office: Barbican.org.uk or 020 7870 2500

(Telephone lines open Monday to Friday, 12.00 – 5.30pm)

Social Media:

Website: GoodNightOscar.com

X: Goodnightoscar

Facebook: Goodnightoscar

Instagram: Goodnightoscar

Presented in association with the Barbican

‘QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT’

A GALA CONCERT CELEBRATING

50 YEARS OF BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY

TO PLAY

THE LONDON PALLADIUM

ON TUESDAY 8 APRIL 2025

Simon Gordon and Daniel Wood of Kinda Dusty Ltd. are delighted to present QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT, a gala concert celebrating 50 years of Bohemian Rhapsody in a concert packed with over 25 of Queen’s biggest hits. The concert will take place at the London Palladium on Tuesday 8 April with tickets on sale Friday 7 February, 10am.

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT has played over 300 sold-out shows across the world including Carnegie Hall, New York, arenas and theatres in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Australia, New Zealand and the UK and was the first ever live rock concert to play St Paul’s Cathedral. The concert boasts an incredible night of over 25 Queen Anthems, performed by candlelight and features a cast of West End singers who have previously all performed in QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT, coming together for this special gala concert, accompanied by an epic live rock band.

The cast includes Georgia Carling (Matilda The Musical, Babies: A New Musical), Daniel Conway (Kinky Boots), Kinda Dusty co-director Simon Gordon (Bat Out of Hell, Heathers the Musical), Joel Harper Jackson (Cock, Jesus Christ Superstar), Nathan Lodge (Queen by Candlelight World tour), Patrick O’Sullivan (Bat Out of Hell, Dr Doolittle the Musical), Benjamin Purkiss (Bat Out of Hell, Zorro The Musical), Sandra Regan (Queen by Candlelight World tour), Rory Taylor (Thriller Live, RENT), Sam Toland Leigh (The Book Of Mormon, We Will Rock You) and Becca Wickes (SIX the Musical, Heathers the Musical).

Special guest stars to be announced.

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT includes some of the most iconic songs of all time, including Bohemian Rhapsody, It’s a Kind of Magic, We Are The Champions, Who Wants to Live Forever and many more.

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT is produced and directed by Simon Gordon and Daniel Wood of Kinda Dusty Ltd. with general management by Patrick O’Sullivan, orchestrations and musical supervision and direction by Sam Broadbere.

Website: concertsbycandlelight.com

Instagram: @concertsbycandlelight

LISTINGS INFORMATION

QUEEN BY CANDLELIGHT

Tuesday 8 April 2025, 7.30pm

The London Palladium

8 Argyll Street

London

W1F 7TF

lwtheatres.co.uk/the-london-palladium

Box Office: 020 3925 2998

Pre-sale: Wednesday 5 February,10am

General on sale: Friday 7 February, 10am

Tickets: from £24

Leeds Grand Theatre – until 21 February and on tour until March 2025

Reviewed by Dawn Smallwood

4****

Opera North’s new season is underway with its first performance of Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman at the Leeds Grand Theatre. This is Opera North’s new production, and it originally premiered in 1843 in Dresden, Germany, and first ever performed by Opera North in 1979. The Flying Dutchman is based on an old Dutch legend of a ghost ship with its ghostly crew. The crew are indefinitely condemned to sail the seas, however every seven years they are allowed to land on shore, and in order for The Dutchman (Robert Hayward) to find a faithful wife.

The society ashore are occupied with bureaucracy and, to an extent, ignorance, and it is oblivious to The Dutchman’s fate except for one woman, Senta. Senta (Layla Claire) is knowledgeable about his plight and is empathetic. Both Senta and The Dutchman meet, and their bond strengthens which is consequentially fateful as the plot unravels in the opera.

The plot is parallel to today’s resonances especially the relationships between authority, bureaucracy and displacement and refuge. This is reinforced with voices of individuals, in collaboration with this production, being heard at the beginning of each act who have experienced these situations in their lives.

Joanna Parker’s staging is used effectively as an office and also there are touches of a ship. The canvas hung above the stage projects Parker’s eye-catching video imagery of The Flying Dutchman, one’s circumstance and plight which is constantly being reminded in the opera. Kevin Treacy’s lighting highlights the complex and sombre moods and its ambience throughout.

Directed by Annabel Arden, the cast and creative crew give an excellent retelling and re-imagining of this opera. Excellent performances from Clive Bayley whose portrayal as an authoritative and bureaucratic leading Daland, Edgaras Montvidas as Erik, Hayward as The Flying Dutchman and Claire as Senta (Due to her illness, the role of Senta in this performance, is sung by Mari Wyn Williams from the side of the stage). All of them are supported by the Chorus of Opera North.

The opera, sung in German with English surtitles, gives a lot to think about especially some of today’s themes specifically those of the vulnerable and displaced who are seeking refuge and safety in many communities from natural and man-made challenges and dangers.

Playhouse, Sheffield – until February 1st 2025

Review by Sharon Farley

4****

Interweaving contemporary dance, personal story-telling, cultural tradition and sport is not a combination many theatre productions achieve, or even attempt, but in Endurance Jennifer Jackson (WrestleLadsWrestle) moves efficiently between each element, with the greatest action given, surprisingly, to sport.

She first appears in a Bolivian Diablada mask, a huge, horned, non-human representation of the entities believed to exist as a link between the worlds of the living and the dead; the accompanying traditional dance seems mostly a feat of balance to hold its colourful mass upright. At the end, Jennifer strips away the bulk of the costume – a representation of her cultural heritage via her Bolivian mother – and is left standing small by comparison in a simple shorts and vest ensemble. The mask remains aside, watching over the rest of the performance. Jennifer laboriously dons running shoes and a heart rate monitor with the intensity of a meditative practice. There is silence and the plain backdrop of a black stage; she begins running between one point and another. The quiet and endless repetition may make you wonder if the feat of ‘endurance’ is to be that of the audience, patiently waiting for something to happen.

Soon, all is revealed via a digital backdrop displaying the words spoken by a robotic voice, explaining everything we need to know about Jennifer, her repetitive motion, the heart monitor ticking away on screen, her determination, and the belief that her maternal Bolivian genes will make her a natural mountain runner. So, is this the feat of endurance we are here to witness? The machine generated voice humorously entertains us with our own thoughts and opinions on what we are watching, with some considerable accuracy. This performance is more interesting than it at first appears.

The screen voice takes us through Jennifer’s thoughts, influences, dialogues with family and friends, difficulties of acceptance within British society – the other half of her heritage – and her obsession with a historical, female, Bolivian revolutionary, Bartolina Sisa, who fought against Spanish colonisers alongside her husband, Túpac Katari. The audience become spectators not only of Jennifer’s athletic endurance, but also that of the Latin American people, robbed and subjugated yet still surviving.

As we listen, we watch Jennifer’s heart rate rise. The internal dialogue on the screen turns negative, she’s hitting the runner’s wall. We see her pushing through the hardship, again a reflection of the endurance of the colonised indigenous people providing her with the genetic material to battle on, even when she just wants to hide under the duvet and cry. The heart rate keeps rising, are we about to witness a heart attack too? Dammit! She even knew we’d think that!

A break in the repetitive running leads us to the next act, as a dapper, skull headed figure appears bathed in a spotlight at one side of the stage. The robotic voice is silenced, and we are left to interpret for ourselves what the dance between Jennifer and the male figure means. Is it a depiction of Jennifer’s relationship with her Bolivian heritage? Are we viewing the difficulties of women struggling to establish their own space? Is it the repeated generational blending of indigenous people with European invaders? Or a struggle for meaning between life and death?

When the male dancer exits, Jennifer picks up from the same point she left off when he arrived; continuing her own personal endurance test, now accompanied by stories of her childhood. In contrast to the detailed breakdown of the on screen dialogue in the first act, this section is a little vague and leaves some uncomfortable questions hanging in the air.

The individual elements of this complex piece do not always fit seamlessly hand in hand, much as the experience of the children of inter-cultural relationships is rarely a smooth ride. One might wonder what part ancestral cellular memory plays in our own tangled personal development, given we are all the result of a widely mixed gene pool, often generated by historical invasions.

Evidently, a lot of thought has gone into this production, and though we may not be privy to all the inner workings of Jennifer’s process, take the time to invest in the piece with her and you may even feel the reflection of her heart beat within your own chest.