Adam Kenwright for Kindred Partners presents The Official Take That Musical Greatest Days based on the book by Tim Firth and music and lyrics by Take That.
The story starts with five 16-year-old friends from school who are massive fans of The Band and their music. We see how their life is and we hear about their hopes and dreams. Young Rachel (Olivia Hallett) wins tickets to see the band in Manchester and takes her friends with her, Debbie (Mary Moore), young Heather (Kitty Harris), young Zoe (Hannah Brown) and young Claire (Mari McGinlay). They see the band and decide to go and try and meet them afterwards missing their train back home which causes a chain of events which ends in tragedy for the girls.
The next time we meet the girls it’s 25 years later. Rachel (Jennifer Ellison) lives with her partner Jeff (Christopher D. Hunt) and they hear on the radio that she has won a competition for 4 people to watch The Band in Athens with a meet and great with them as well. Jeff decides to ask two of their friends to go with them but Rachel wants to get in touch with her friends from school to take them instead.
At the airport we meet Heather (Rachael Marwood), Zoe (Karen Holmes) and Claire (Jamie-Rose Monk) and they have had very different lives to how they thought they would have lived and how the tragedy when they were younger affected them. They board the plane to Athens where things don’t exactly go to plan!
The Band (played by Kalifa Burton, Benjamin Cameron, Jamie Corner, Archie Durrant and Alexanda O’Reilly) were on stage for most of the production and were brilliant. Their singing was so good and the certainly had the moves of Take That!
Alan Stocks plays Every Dave and he plays lots of different characters, school janitor, roadie, Greek policeman and a few more, and he, along with the sets and costumes (designed by Lucy Osborne) made a simple set come alive.
Take That’s back catalogue is amazing, and I say this as a fan of many years. The musicians (under musical director Josh Cottell) played it so well last night and it brought back lots of memories. The music and words fit in well with the story line and it really made me think of what the lyrics meant and how they fitted the story.
This production is heartwarming, poignant, funny and heartbreaking in equal measures. The acting, singing, dancing and storytelling is superb. You really don’t have to be a fan of Take That’s music to go and see this show but I can probably guarantee by the end of it you will be!
OLD FRIENDS HELPING MAN’S BEST FRIEND ELAINE PAIGE AND BERNADETTE PETERS
TO HOST LONDON’S FIRST LIVE
“WEST END WOOFS”
(AND MEOWS)
ON SATURDAY 18 NOVEMBER AT ST PAUL’S CHURCH, COVENT GARDEN
Following the success of Broadway Barks across the pond, stage icons Elaine Paige and Bernadette Peters are thrilled to host the first live WEST END WOOFS (AND MEOWS) on Saturday 18 November from 10.00am – 12.30pm at St Paul’s Church, Covent Garden bringing together much-loved talent of the West End and their four-legged friends for a dog and cat adoption event.
Elaine and Bernadette previously teamed up to co-host the first virtual edition of WEST END WOOFS during lockdown in 2020.
Elaine Paige said today “When Bernadette and I first presented West End Woofs online it was such a success! We raised money and awareness for many shelters caring for animals in need of adoption. Here’s hoping this year’s West End Woofs is even more successful for our neediest four-legged friends!”
Bernadette Peters said today “Nothing thrills me more than to be doing West End Woofs ‘live’ for the first time at St. Paul’s Actors Church with my dear friend Elaine Paige and my cast members from ‘Old Friends’. Looking forward to finding many dogs and kitties their forever homes”.
The adoption event on Saturday 18 November begins at 10.00am with a ‘meet and greet’ with all the adoptable pets. From 11.30am adoptees make their West End debut on stage alongside some of the West End’s favourite stars, with guests to be announced, including a special performance of ‘Old Friends’ by the company of Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends.
WEST END WOOFS is free and open to the public. It will feature adoptable pets from the following participating shelters and rescue groups with all proceeds from the event benefitting the great work they do.
Helping Dogs and Cats UK
Pro Dogs Direct
Home Run Hounds
Saving Saints Rescue
Noah’s Ark Dog Rescue
German Shepherd RescueSouth
All Dogs Matter
Full details of each organisation below.
Over the past 25 years in New York, more than 2,100 dogs and cats have grabbed Broadway’s spotlight and the hearts of all who come to Broadway Barks. Approximately 85% of these furry friends have successfully found forever homes.
WhatsOnStage today announces that the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards will take place on Sunday 11 February 2024, at a West End theatre to be revealed very soon.
As well as seeing the winners crowned across a range of categories, theatregoers will also enjoy a host of exclusive live performances from top stage talent. The event is co-produced with creative directors Alex Parker and Damian Sandys.
Now in their 24th year, the WhatsOnStage Awards are the only major theatre awards decided by the theatregoers themselves.
Nominations are now open and will close on Thursday 23 November 2023 ahead of the shortlist being announced on Thursday 7 December 2023. Voting will then open at the same time, closing on Thursday 11 January 2024, with the winners being announced at the ceremony on Sunday 11 February 2024.
WhatsOnStage’s Alex Wood and Darius Thompson-Smith said today: “The WhatsOnStage Awards have been going from strength-to-strength every year, and we’re excited to keep that momentum going into 2024. The last 12 months has seen some revelatory productions that have both enchanted audiences and brought new theatre fans into the fold. We can’t wait to both see who our readers nominate and celebrate together in our sparkling West End concert ceremony next February!”
The awards categories will continue as before. Performance categories will be gender-free and, for each of the following, readers will be able to nominate and vote for one individual:
• Best Performer in a Play
• Best Performer in a Musical
• Best Supporting Performer in a Play
• Best Supporting Performer in a Musical
Additional audience-nominated categories include Best New Play, Best New Musical, Best Play Revival, Best Musical Revival, Best Regional Production, Best Takeover Performance, Best Professional Debut, Best Concert Event, Best West End Show and Best Off West End Production. Eligibility criteria are available on the WhatsOnStage Awards website (awards.whatsonstage.com).
The shortlist for the technical categories (Choreography, Costume Design, Direction, Graphic Design, Lighting Design, Musical Direction/Supervision, Set Design, Sound Design, Casting Direction and Video Design) will be decided once again by an independent panel of industry experts from across the UK appointed by WhatsOnStage, taking the total number of categories to 24. Shortlists will then be voted on by the general public.
“We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!” – USA Today
● Public booking now open!
● Previews start at the Savoy Theatre on 5 June 2024
Lorne Michaels, Sonia Friedman Productions, and David Ian forCrossroads Live – producers ofMEAN GIRLSin the West End – are delighted to announce that tickets go on sale today for MEAN GIRLS at the Savoy Theatre! The smash hit musical comedy based on the Paramount Pictures film of the same name will debut at the West End’s Savoy Theatre on 5 June 2024, with opening on 19 June 2024.
It’s gonna be a little bit dramatic…
Get in, loser, MEAN GIRLS is coming to London! Broadway’s hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team including writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director and choreographer Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon), opens at the Savoy Theatre late next spring.
Meet The Plastics –Regina, Gretchen and Karen. They rule North Shore High and will burn anyone who gets in their way. Home-schooled Cady Heron may think she knows a thing or two about survival of the fittest thanks to her zoologist parents, but high school is a whole new level of savage. When Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung.
Expect iconic characters, razor-sharp wit, and killer songs. Grab your friends and your cool mom, this is going to be fetch – and YES London, we’re making it happen!
The reign begins June 2024. If you want to sit with us, book your tickets and don’t forget… on Wednesdays, we wear pink.
Casting will be announced at a later date.
Working with ATG’s Creative Learning Department, MEAN GIRLS will be providing a selection of matinees for schools and community groups who otherwise may not be able to access the show. To complement this, workshops and Q&As will be made available to these groups that centre around anti-bullying and empowerment. A weekly ticket access scheme will also be announced closer to performances.
MEAN GIRLS had its world premiere in 2017 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C and opened on Broadway in April 2018 at the August Wilson Theatre to ecstatic responses, where it played to packed houses. The show then went on a hugely successful US tour in 2019 and is currently on its second US tour. The upcoming MEAN GIRLS musical film adaptation from Paramount Pictures will debut in UK cinemas in early 2024.
Originally released in 2004, the film Mean Girls has had a profound impact on pop-culture for nearly 20 years. Tina Fey’s hilarious and relatable portrayal of high school life struck a chord with audiences across the globe and the film’s whip-smart satire, iconic catchphrases, and unforgettable characters made it a phenomenon that remains a cultural touchstone to this day.
The genius choreography of Matias Jamie is in full flight throughout this dynamic performance. He has captured the Argentine spirit in the traditional dance of The Malambo, soaring it beyond its avant-garde origins, combining it with flamenco and urban percussion.
The impact of the opening number with the full award-winning company on stage with drums and bare chests is sustained into every performance. The 13 strong all men troupe, build up to a crescendo time and again with more complex and faster footwork, maintaining the proud and strong stance we are so used to seeing in the Argentine tango. The Zapateo is different from any tap dance or foot stomping you have ever seen, keeping the audience completely engaged. The skilful display of Boleadoras, a hunting weapon used by the gaucho of La Pampa, is unique and introduces an unexpected level of jeopardy. The dance captains, Miguel Flores and Ariel Pereyra, keep the synchronicity and accuracy of the troupe at a mesmerising level and pace.
The incorporation of the band into the performance is a great reflection of how The Malambo happens in its traditional South American setting. Like the dance, there is a fusion of traditional and modern music, with an impressive Bandoneon – the longest squeeze box I have ever seen!
Matias Jamie has given all the artists involved in Malevo more than an opportunity to proudly display traditions of their country, he offers a way of life that incorporates their cultural heritage. Come and be immersed into this fantastic fusion of past and present Argentine culture.
Sister Act The Musical crowned Theatre Show of the Year at the London Lifestyle Awards® 2023
Sister Act The Musical has been announced as the winner of the Theatre Show of the Year category at the London Lifestyle Awards® 2023. The show emerged as the winner of a close-run race with some of the most extraordinary shows of the last year having made it into the Theatre Show of the Year TOPTEN shortlist. The category highlights the very best of London’s worldleading theatre scene and also included 2:22 A Ghost Story, A Streetcar Named Desire, Dirty Dancing – The Classic Story on Stage, Guys & Dolls, Legally Blonde, My Neighbour Totoro, My Son’s a Queer, SIX the Musical and The Drifters Girl.
Award winners from across the capital were announced at a star-studded ceremony on Monday 30th October 2023 at Grosvenor House, Park Lane. Rising West End star Tobias Turley, represented by BBA Management, performed ABBA’s Does Your Mother Know. Tobias is currently competing in ITV’s Mamma Mia! I Have a Dream. Attendees also enjoyed musical performances from opera superstar Lucy Kay and Ben Haenow and his band.
The London Lifestyle Awards® is an all-year-round celebration of what this great global city has to offer. Categories at the London Lifestyle Awards® 2023 including restaurants, bars and hotels, sport and fitness, cafés and coffee shops, hair and beauty, members’ clubs, and of course theatre. CEO Jason Gale created the awards in 2009, after an inspiring meeting and discussion with President Clinton about their shared love of London. Gale’s goal is for the Awards to celebrate London as an incredible city for culture and lifestyle, making it a great destination for tourists and an exciting place to live.
London Lifestyle Awards® founder Jason Gale comments, Huge congratulations to the team behind Sister Act The Musical on their well-deserved win. This feel-good gospel hit is a toe-tapping riot, full of heart. It’s a testament to the incredible quality of theatre available to audiences in London that the Theatre Show of the year category was so hotly contested. We look forward to welcoming Sister Act back to the capital in Spring 2024!
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton – until 4 November 2023
Reviewed by Gemma Gibson
5 ****
The Bodyguard is a classic – the love story and its unforgettable songs. When I found out it was coming to Southampton Mayflower I jumped at the chance to go.
After an unknown stalker leaves a letter in superstar Rachel Marron’s dressing room, a bodyguard is hired to protect her. At first Rachel fights the bodyguard’s wishes, wanting to feel free while maintaining the busy lifestyle of a musician and mother, but it’s not long before love takes over.
Emily Williams, who plays Rachel, is phenomenal. The real Queen of the Night. I don’t think there is one song she can’t sing. Smash hits including Greatest Love of All, One Moment in Time and All the Man that I Need are performed by Williams with a perfect blend of emotion, power and ease. As every song ends she leaves the Bodyguard (and audience!) stunned and enamoured. Especially after her rendition of I Have Nothing, which was my favourite.
The Bodyguard, Frank Farmer, played by Ayden Callaghan, Rachel’s sister Nicki (Emily-Mae) and the terrifying stalker – making us jump every time he came on stage – (Marios Nicolaides) are the other main stars of the show. It is so expertly cast. And of course there is Rachel’s son Fletcher, played opening night by Sam Stephens, who wowed the audience with his impressive vocal range and dance tricks time and time again.
This musical soundtrack, which we all know and love, cannot be outdone. Not only is it the backbone of this show, but it’s just a brilliant mix of heartfelt ballads and upbeat bops. It has the power to make us cry, smile and dance along in our seats. I Will Always Love You is undoubtedly the song everyone is waiting for, and Williams does not disappoint. I was quite surprised by the message at the beginning of the show asking the audience to not sing along, but by the time we were treated to a medley of Million Dollar Bill, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and So Emotional, it made sense. It took everything in me to not join in, but the incredible voices and choreography onstage made it worth it.
The music would be nothing without the live orchestra, which, under the direction of Sam Hall, brings the spectacle to life. From the opening beats of Rachel’s entrance, to the cast exploding onto the stage for a sparkly and energetic Queen of the Night, I immediately knew I was in safe hands with this production.
This is just one of those musicals that has everything – the fairytale romance, the drama, the jaw-dropping dance numbers, complete with dazzling set and costume. The scene and set changes must also be commended, with transitions so smooth you almost forget it’s happening live.
Ending the show with I Wanna Dance with Somebody the atmosphere at The Mayflower on Monday night was electric, as The Bodyguard received the standing ovation it so rightly deserved
New Old Friends in association with Yvonne Arnaud Theatre present
A BRAND NEW TOUR FOR 2024
New for 2024 Award-winning theatre company New Old Friends in association with Yvonne Arnaud Theatre present HOUDINI’S GREATEST ESCAPE which will open at Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford on 08 February and Tour the UK throughout Spring.
Almost 100 years ago today, Harry Houdini performed his final disappearing trick. Every year since, magic enthusiasts across the world have held Halloween seances in an attempt to solve the great escapologist’s last mystery. Surely if anyone could cheat death it would have been Houdini! New Old Friends can’t promise to shed any light on that story but do have a brand new one…
Harry Houdini is the world’s greatest entertainer. Just as his death-defying escapology stunts have him, and his wife Bess, on the cusp of a career-defining performance for King Edward, he finds himself framed for murder by a gang of criminals in cahoots with the chief of police. Can Harry & Bess escape the plot and clear their names? And how is their rival, The Superstar Spiritualist medium, Agatha, involved?
All will be revealed in this hilarious 39 Steps-esque thriller, played out in New Old Friends’ (Crimes on Centre Court) inimitable, award-winning style of physical comedy, sparkling wit and just a touch of chaos.
Featuring a hard-working cast of four playing multiple roles on an almost harder-working set, this show will have you laughing and gasping throughout at the magic of theatre and the ‘real’ magic of illusions designed by TV’s Pete Firman (Netflix Good Omen’s / BBC One’s The Magicians) Cast includes Ben Higgins as Harry Houdini, Lydia Piechowiak as Bess Houdini with ‘many other characters’ played by Kirsty Cox and Adam Elliott
Praise for New Old Friends:
“Celebrations of theatricality… low budget aplomb worthy of The 39 Steps” – The Times
“a delight from start to finish! Fast and smart …a great night out!” –Emma Rice
“hilarious” –The Stage
The tour will also visit Basingstoke, Bolton, Bracknell, Bury St Edmunds, Chipping Norton, Crawley, Colchester, Darlington, Eastbourne, Exeter, Hereford, Huddersfield, Inverness, Ipswich, Lancaster, Lichfield, Lytham Saint Annes, Middlesborough, Newbury, Northampton, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Salisbury, Southampton, Wakefield, Winchester and Worthing with more venues including London dates to be announced.
Houdini ‘s Greatest Escape is presented by New Old Friends, a touring theatre company whose primary goal it is to make people laugh out loud in association with Yvonne Arnaud Theatre. The Creative Producer is Heather Westwell. It is written and directed byFeargus Woods Dunlop, Illusion Design is by Pete Firman, Set Design by Caitlin Abbott, Costume Design by Connie Watson, Lighting Design by George Seal, Sound Design by Fred Riding. The Composer is Guy Hughes with Movement Direction by Sam Archer,
Feargus Dunlop- Woods said: “This is a show we have wanted to make for years and are over the moon that the company in finally in a position to realise the vision of blending our slightly chaotic ‘overtly theatrical’ nonsense with some genuine illusions. Researching and ‘getting to know’ Harry and Bess Houdini has been fascinating and this, entirely fictional, episode in their crusade against fraud mediums has been a huge amount of fun to create. We can’t wait to share it with the country.”
Yvonne Arnaud Theatre added “We are thrilled to be working with a company with such unashamed and passionate a commitment to entertainment and can’t wait to present Houdini to our audiences next year”.
AUDIENCE TO USE HEADPHONES TO EXPERIENCE THE PRODUCTION’S BINAURAL SOUND
With the critically acclaimed production of Clyde’s currently running at the Donmar, Artistic Director Michael Longhurst and Executive Director Henny Finch today announce the full cast for Macbeth.
Joining the previously announced David Tennant (Macbeth) and Cush Jumbo (Lady Macbeth) are Moyo Akandé (Ross), Annie Grace (Musician & Gentlewoman), Brian James O’Sullivan (Donalbain/Soldier/Murderer & Musician), Casper Knopf (Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward), Cal MacAninch (Banquo), Kathleen MacInnes (The Singer & ensemble), Alasdair Macrae (Musician & ensemble), Rona Morison (Lady Macduff), Noof Ousellam (Macduff), Raffi Phillips (Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward), Jatinder Singh Randhawa (The Porter/Seytan), Ros Watt (Malcolm), and Benny Young (Duncan/Doctor). Donmar Associate Director, Max Webster’s production opens on 15 December, with previews from 8 December, and runs until 10 February 2024.
This production of Macbeth will use binaural technology to create an intense and unnerving 3D sound world, which the audience will experience through wearing headphones, placing them right inside the head of the central couple. Director Max Webster will collaborate with sound designer Gareth Fry, who previously used binaural sound for Complicité’s multi-award winning production The Encounter. Live music will come from an onstage Scottish folk band lead by Alasdair Macrae and featuring award-winning Gaelic singer Kathleen MacInnes.
The full creative team are Rosanna Vize (Designer), Bruno Poet (Lighting Designer), Gareth Fry (Sound Designer), Shelley Maxwell (Movement Director), Alasdair Macrae (Composer & Musical Director), Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of RC-Annie Ltd (Fight Directors), and Anna Cooper CDG (Casting).
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MACBETH By William Shakespeare
Directed by Max Webster
8 December 2023 – 10 February 2024
Cast: Moyo Akandé, Annie Grace, Brian James O’Sullivan, Cush Jumbo, Casper Knopf, Cal MacAninch, Kathleen MacInnes, Alasdair Macrae, Rona Morison, Noof Ousellam, Raffi Phillips, Jatinder Singh Randhawa, David Tennant, Ros Watt and Benny Young.
Designer: Rosanna Vize
Lighting Designer: Bruno Poet Sound Designer: Gareth Fry Movement Director: Shelley Maxwell
Composer & Musical Director: Alasdair Macrae
Fight Directors: Rachel Bown-Williams and Ruth Cooper-Brown of Rc-Annie Ltd Casting Director: Anna Cooper CDG
“O, full of scorpions is my mind”
A spellbinding story of love and murder, the renewing power of nature, and of the internal struggles of a damaged man as he tries to control his destiny. This bracingly fresh production of the Scottish play uses binaural sound technology to place us inside the minds of the Macbeths, asking are we ever really responsible for our actions?
Shakespeare’s most extraordinary psychological drama is led at the Donmar this winter by David Tennant,who plays the title role for the first time in his illustrious stage career. He is joined by Cush Jumbo (Hamlet, The Good Fight) as Lady Macbeth, directed by Donmar Associate Director Max Webster (Henry V, Life of Pi).
Moyo Akandé playsRoss. Her theatre work includesThe Special Relationship (Soho Theatre), Interference (National Theatre of Scotland), The Two Noble Kinsmen, Lightning Child, Macbeth (Shakespeare’s Globe), Flowers for Mrs Harris (Sheffield Crucible), Only the Brave (Wales Millennium Centre), Skins & Hoods (Institut Francais – Edinburgh Festival), The Witches, Sunshine on Leith (Dundee Repertory Theatre), Wallace (The Arches), White Christmas (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Thoroughly Modern Millie (The Watermill Theatre), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Birmingham Rep), Peter Pan (Barbican/National Theatre of Scotland),and The Wizard of Oz (Royal Festival Hall). For television, her work includes Professor T, Crime, Inside No.9, The Wedding, Agatha Raisin, Annika, Back, Scenes for Survival – The Present, Guilt, The Demon Headmaster, Still Game, The Cry, Vera, Only an Excuse?, The Rebel, Porridge, Bob Servant Independent, and Lip Service; and for film, A.V. Van,Man & Witch, Tetris, Up on the Roof, Zebra Girl, Make Me Up, The Hurricane Heist,and 1745.
Annie Grace plays Musician and Gentlewoman. Her theatre work includes Macbeth (RSC), Anything that Gives off Light (NTS/The Team/EIF), Hello in there (Òran Mór), The Tale of Little Bevan (Pentabus), Hysteria! (Òran Mór/Traverse), The Winter’s Tale (Royal Lyceum Theatre), The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart, Blabbermouth, Five Minute Theatre, The Tin Forest, Peter Pan (National Theatre of Scotland), Threads (Stellar Quines), Dark Woods Deep Snow (Northern Stage), Thank God for John Muir, Cyrano de Bergerac, Poker Alice, Tir Na Nog (one-woman show,Òran Mór/A Play, A Pie and A Pint), Pinnochio (Arches Theatre), Tam O’Shanter (Perth Theatre/Communicado), Homers (Traverse), The Celtic Story (Wildcat Theatre), The Wedding (Rightlines Productions), The Stamping Ground (Eden Court/Raw Material), Fisherman’s Friends (Cornwall Playhouse), and The Last Ship (Northern Stage/USA tour/Toronto).
Brian James O’Sullivan plays Donalbain/Soldier/Murderer and Musician. His theatre credits include Maw Goose – winner of Best Dame at UK Pantomime Awards (Macrobert Arts Centre), Uh Huh: The Janice & Frank Story Parts 1, 2 & 3 (Òran Mór), The Stamping Ground (Raw Material), Oscar; My Name is Sarah, and…, Meetings with the Monk (Glasgow Lunchtime Theatre), An Edinburgh Christmas Carol, The Arabian Nights, The Winter’s Tale (Royal Lyceum Theatre), Chic Murray: A Funny Place for a Window (Òran Mór, Glasgow/Winhill Productions/Fair Pley/BBC Scotland/Lemon Tree Theatre), McGonagall’s Chronicles (Òran Mór/Traverse Theatre), Twelfth Night (Royal Lyceum Theatre/Bristol Old Vic), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Dundee Rep), The James Plays (National Theatre of Scotland), The View from Castle Rock (Stellar Quines), and Oliver! (West End). He also hosts the popular Scottish theatre podcast, Putting it Together, which has released over 300 episodes since 2017.
Cush Jumbo returns to the Donmar Warehouse to play Lady Macbeth – she previously appeared in Julius Caesar (also St Ann’s Warehouse, New York). Her other theatre includes Hamlet (Young Vic), Common, She Stoops to Conquer (National Theatre), The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare in the Park, New York), The River (Broadway), Fred’s Diner (Chichester Festival Theatre), Pygmalion – Ian Charleson Award nomination, A Doll’s House, As You Like It (Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester), An Argument About Sex (Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh), Liquid Gold (Almeida Theatre), Brixton Stories (Lyric Hammersmith), and Love’s Labour’s Lost (Shakespeare’s Globe). As writer/performer, her theatre work includes Josephine and I (Bush Theatre/Public Theater, New York); and as writer, The Accordion Shop (National Theatre Connections). Her television work includes Criminal Record, Balestra, Stay Close, The Beast Must Die, Deadwater Fell, The Good Fight, Trying, The Good Wife, Vera, Getting On, Lip Service, Torchwood, and Harley Street; and for film, The Postcard Killings, City of Tiny Lights, Remainder, and The Inbetweeners.
Casper Knopf plays Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward, marking his professional stage debut. His television work includes Silent Witness, Rough Diamonds, Our House, Halo and The Small Hand; and for film, How to Date Billy Walsh.
Cal MacAninch plays Banquo. His theatre work includes The Judas Kiss (BAM/Ed Mirvish Theatre/Hampstead Theatre/West End), Peter Pan (National Theatre of Scotland/Barbican), The Mistress Contract (Tron Theatre), A Tale of Two Cities, A Whistle in the Dark, Enrico Four, Frankenstein, Hamlet, Oedipus Rex, ‘Tis Pity She’s a Whore (Glasgow Citizens Theatre), Anna Karenina (Shared Experience), Childminder (Traverse Theatre), How Like an Angel (Edinburgh Traverse Theatre), Macbeth (Open Act Theatre Co.), Not About Heroes (Heroes Theatre Company), Wee Andy (Òran Mór), The Bacchae (National Theatre of Scotland/Lincoln Centre, NY), The Cherry Orchard, The Philanthropist (Dundee Repertory Theatre), The Wood Demon (Playhouse Theatre), Under the Black Flag (Shakespeare’s Globe), and My Eyes Went Dark (Finborough/Traverse Theatre). For television, his work includes Mayflies, The Essex Serpent, Trigger Point, Vigil, Time, Des, Vera, The Small Hand, The Victim, Frontier, Crown Court, Scott and Bailey, Banished, DCI Banks, Mr Selfridge, Lake of Darkness, Rik Mayall – The Big One, Alive & Kicking, Angel Eyes, The Chestnut Soldier, The Riff Raff Element, The Advocates, Nervous Energy, Dangerous Lady, A Mind to Murder, Speak Like a Child, Warriors, Littlebird, Waking the Dead, Rockface, Best of Both Worlds, Silent Witness, Murphy’s Law, Ghost Squad, Sorted, Merlin, Strike Back, Garrow’s Law, and Downton Abbey; and for film, Nobody Has to Know, Intrigo: Dear Agnes, Intrigo: Samaria, Calibre, The Hamilton Trilogy 2, The Awakening, Screwed, Slapper, Doomsday, Rag Tale, Dear Frankie, The Point Men, Breathtaking, Truel, Best, The Lost Son, Sentimental Education, Splitting Heirs, The Woodlanders, and Doctor Reitzer’s Fragment.
Kathleen Macinnes plays The Singer and ensemble. MacInnes is a Scottish singer and actress who performs primarily in Scottish Gaelic. She won the Scots Trad Music Award for Gaelic Singer of the Year in 2006 and in 2012 her second album, Cille Bhrìde won Best Album. In 2010, she appeared on the soundtrack to the Ridley Scott film Robin Hood and was vocalist on GoM Circus, Macro at the opening of The Edinburgh Festival 2022. Her television work includes Machair, RanDan, Highland Sessions, and Transatlantic; and for film, An Ceasnachadh: The Interrogation of a Highland Lass, Seachd: The Inaccessible Pinnacle, Choirmaster for Justin Kurzel’s Macbeth, Outlaw King, and Robert The Bruce.
Alasdair Macrae playsMusician and ensemble. His theatre work includes Macbeth (RSC),The Cheviot, The Stag and the Black, Black Oil (National Theatre of Scotland/Dundee Rep), A Six-inch Layer of Topsoil and the Fact it Rains (Perth Rep/Horsecross Arts), Twelfth Night (Bristol Old Vic/Royal Lyceum Edinburgh), Cockpit, The Winter’s Tale (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh), The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (National Theatre of Scotland/McKittrick Hotel, NY), The James Plays (National Theatre of Scotland/National Theatre/EIFF), Gastronauts (Royal Court Theatre), Interiors,Subway (Vanishing Point), Once in Concert (London Palladium), and Hi-Viz (Forest Row Village Hall). For film, his work includes Wild Rose.
Rona Morison returns to the Donmar to play Lady Macduff; she previously appeared in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie for which she was nominated for the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Emerging Talent. Her other theatre work includes The Meaning of Zong (Barbican Theatre), Mary, The Haystack (Hampstead Theatre), Cover My Tracks (The Old Vic), Dead Don’t Floss, The James Plays (National Theatre), Glory on Earth (Royal Lyceum Theatre), Orca, The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Southwark Playhouse), Julie (Northern Stage), The Crucible (Bristol Old Vic); buckets (Orange Tree); Scuttlers (Manchester Royal Exchange); Anhedonia (Royal Court Theatre), To Kill a Mockingbird (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Illusions (Bush Theatre), The Second Mrs Tanqueray (Rose Theatre), and Illusions and Crave (ATC). For television, her work includes The Control Room, Absentia and Decline and Fall; and for film, Our Ladies, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Ready Player One, and Love Bite.
Noof Ousellam plays Macduff. His theatre credits include Baghdaddy (Royal Court Theatre), Leopoldstadt (West End), Buggy Baby (The Yard Theatre), Wildefire (Hampstead Theatre), Richard III (Cockpit Theatre/Custom Practice), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Almeida Theatre), Respect (Birmingham Rep), and Rendition Monologues (Sheffield Theatres). His television work includes Vigil, Rebus, Andor, Guilt, The Cure, Trust Me, Hanna, Love, Lies and Records, and Meet the Jury; and for film, Entebbe, Teen Spirit, The Mummy, Leave to Remain, The Conversations,and Extraordinary Rendition.
Raffi Phillips plays Macduff’s Son/Fleance/Young Siward. His theatre work includes Winnie the Pooh (UK tour), Over the Waves; Max to the Future (Strange Town Youth Theatre), and An Inspector Calls (National Theatre). For television, his work includes The Gold and Pennyworth.
Jatinder Singh Randhawa plays The Porter/Seytan. His theatre work includes Moorcroft (Tron Theatre/National Theatre of Scotland), Cinderella the Musical (Dundee Rep), Peter Gynt (National Theatre), and The Arrival by Shaun Tan (Solar Bear). His television work includes Crime, Scot Squad, The Control Room, and The Nest; and for film, Damaged and Shepard.
David Tennant returns to the Donmar to play Macbeth – he previously appeared in Lobby Hero (Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor). His other theatre credits include Good (Harold Pinter Theatre, Olivier Award nomination for Best Actor); Don Juan in Soho (Wyndham’s Theatre,winner of WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor); Much Ado About Nothing (Wyndham’s Theatre); Richard II (RSC/Barbican/BAM, winner of WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor); Hamlet (winner of Critics Circle Award for Best Shakespearean Performance); Love’s Labour’s Lost; Romeo and Juliet; Comedy of Errors; The Rivals; As You Like It; The Herbal Bed; The General from America (RSC); Look Back in Anger (Royal Lyceum Edinburgh/Theatre Royal Bath, CATS Award); The Pillowman; What the Butler Saw (National Theatre); Push Up (Royal Court); Comedians (Exeter/Oxford); King Lear; An Experienced Woman Gives Advice (Royal Exchange Theatre); Vassa (Albery); The Real Inspector Hound/Black Comedy (Comedy Theatre); Hurlyburly (Queen’s Theatre); Long Day’s Journey into Night; The Glass Menagerie (Dundee Rep). TV includes Doctor Who (BAFTA Wales Best Actor, TV Times award, four National Television Awards and three TV Choice awards for Best Actor); Des (International Emmy Award for Best Actor, Broadcasting Press Guild Award for best actor, and National Television Award, Most Popular Drama Performance); Litvenenko;Good Omens; Inside Man; Staged; Around the World in 80 Days; Criminal; Deadwater Fell; There She Goes; Jessica Jones; Camping; Broadchurch (three TV Choice awards for best actor, Crime Writers Association award for Best Actor); W1A; Gracepoint (People’s Choice Award); The Escape Artist (BAFTA Scotland Award); The Politician’s Husband; Spies of Warsaw; Playhouse Presents: The Minor Character; True Love; Twenty Twelve; This is Jinsy; United; Single Father (TV Choice Award for Best Actor); The Sarah Jane Adventures; Hamlet; The Catherine Tate Show; Einstein and Eddington; Extras; Learners; Recovery (Royal Television Society Award nomination for Best Actor); The Chatterley Affair; Secret Smile; The Quatermass Experiment; Casanova; Blackpool; He Knew He Was Right; Terri McIntyre; Posh Nosh; Trust; Foyle’s War; People Like Us; Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased); The Mrs Bradley Mysteries; Love in the 21st Century; Duck Patrol; The Tales of Para Handy; Dramarama; Rab C Nesbitt; Takin’ Over the Asylum; and for film, Mary Queen of Scots; Bad Samaritan; You, Me & Him; Mad to Be Normal; What We Did on Our Holiday; Fright Night; The Decoy Bride; Glorious 39; Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire; Bright Young Things; Being Considered; The Last September; LA Without A Map; Jude.
Ros Watt plays Malcolm. His theatre work includes Dracula: Mina’s Reckoning (National Theatre of Scotland), Never Swim Alone (StoneCrabs Theatre Company), Godot is a Woman (Silent Faces/Pleasance Theatre), Wait Til the End (The Pappy Show), and Charlotte’s Web (UK tour).
Benny Young returns to the Donmar to play Duncan/ The Doctor. He previously appeared in Be Near Me (co-production with National Theatre of Scotland). His other theatre work includes Eulogy, Philoctetes, The Importance of Being Alfred, Love with a Capital L, Sweet Silver Song of the Lark (Òran Mór),Don Quixote (Perth Theatre), Monarch of the Glen (Pitlochry Festival Theatre), Still Game Live 2: Bon Voyage (Phil McIntyre Entertainment), Hay Fever (Citizens Theatre), The Tempest (Xinchan Performing Arts Co.), Waiting for Godot, Hedda Gabler (Edinburgh Lyceum Theatre), Right Now, Unfaithful (Traverse), Macbeth (Park Avenue Armoury, New York/Manchester International Festival), Never Land (Eden Court), Wallace (Glasgow Arches), The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Seafarer (Perth Theatre/Belfast Lyric), Midsummer, and A Christmas Carol (National Theatre of Scotland). For television, her work includes Good Omens; Shetland, Rillington Place, Scot Squad, Still Game, One Day Like This, Garrow’s Law, Ian Brady: Roghainn a’ Bhàis?, Waking the Dead, Spooks, Talk to Me, Taggart: Genesis, Playing the Field, Castles, Doctor Finlay, All or Nothing at All, Tell Tale Hearts, Boon, Star Cops, Screen Two, Maggie, The Gentle Touch, Play for Today, Square Mile of Murder, Airport Chaplin, and Sutherland’s Law; and for film, Funny Man, A Woman at War, Captive, Out of Africa, White Nights, The Girl in the Picture. King Lear, Chariots of Fire, and Nosy Dobson.
Max Webster is an Associate Director at the Donmar Warehouse where he has directed Henry V. Max’s other work as a theatre director includes Life of Pi (Sheffield Crucible/West End/Boston/Broadway, Olivier Award nomination for Best Director); Antigone;As You Like It; Twelfth Night (Regent’s Park Open Air); The Lorax (The Old Vic/Children’s Theatre, Minneapolis/Old Globe, San Diego), Fanny and Alexander and Cover My Tracks (The Old Vic), The Sea of Fertility and Mary Stuart (Parco, Japan), The Jungle Book and King Lear (Royal & Derngate, Northampton/UK Tour), The Winter’s Tale (Lyceum, Edinburgh), The Twits (Curve, Leicester), Much Ado About Nothing (Shakespeare’s Globe/World Tour), James and the Giant Peach and My Generation (WYP), Orlando, To Kill a Mockingbird and My Young and Foolish Heart (Royal Exchange, Manchester), The Chalk Circle (Aarohan Theatre, Kathmandu) and Carnival Under the Rainbow and Feast Kakulu (Hilton Arts Festival, South Africa). Film Credits include The Lorax: In Camera (Old Vic) and How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical (Sky Arts/NBC). Opera credits include La Bohème (Goteborg Opera, Sweden) and The Merry Widow (ENO). Nominated for the Olivier Award, Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Director.
Macbeth Evenings Mon – Sat: 7.30pm Tuesday matinee (2 Jan) 2.30pm Thursday matinees (4, 11, 25 Jan, 8 Feb) 2.30pm Saturday matinees 2.30pm No performances 24 Dec – 1 Jan
TICKET PRICES
Clyde’s
£55 (£50) / £41 (£38) / £21 (£19)
£10 standing tickets
*Preview discounts apply to the first four performances only
Macbeth
£69 (£64) / £48 (£43), £25 (£23)
£15 standing tickets
*Preview discounts apply to the first four performances only
For Macbeth, standing tickets will be released for purchase online from 12pm on the day of the performance. Please note you will not be able to purchase standing tickets in person or over the phone.
Every booking made online, via telephone or in person is subject to a £1.50 transaction fee
YOUNG+FREE
YOUNG+FREE tickets for 16-25 year olds released by ballot. Sign up atwww.donmarwarehouse.com.
Generously supported by S&P Global.
BARCLAYS UNDER 30s £10 TICKETS
Thanks to generous support from our Associate Sponsor Barclays, a limited number of £10 tickets were available for under 30s for every performance of MACBETH.
DONMAR DAILY
New tickets on sale every day at the Donmar. Allocations of tickets will be made available every day for performances 7 days later. Tickets will be available across the auditorium at every price band.
ACCESS
The Donmar Warehouse is fully wheelchair accessible. Guide dogs and hearing dogs are welcome in the auditorium. There is a Loop system and a Radio Frequency system fitted in the main auditorium and there are also hearing loops at all the front of house counters.
Wheelchair space prices vary across all price bands, check the website for details
ASSISTED PERFORMANCES
If you require a companion to attend the Donmar, their ticket will be free. To book call 020 3282 3808 or email [email protected].
For all other access enquiries or bookings call 020 3282 3808.
CAPTIONED PERFORMANCES (captioned by Stagetext)
Clyde’s: Monday 20 November 2024 7.30pm
Macbeth: Monday 29 January 2024, 7.30pm
AUDIO DESCRIBED PERFORMANCE – 2.30pm (audio-described by VocalEyes)
Clyde’s: Saturday 25 November
Macbeth: Saturday 27 January 2024, 2.30pm
With special thanks to Charles Holloway, Season Supporter
Additionally, we would like to thank MACBETH Production Supporters and the MACBETH Production Syndicate.
Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and John Stalker Productions are delighted to announce that following two hugely successful UK and Ireland tours, THE ADDAMS FAMILY, A Musical Comedy will perform live in concert in the West End for the first time, playing at the London Palladium on Monday February 12 and Tuesday 13 2024. The show will star Michelle Visage as Morticia Addams, Ramin Karimloo as Gomez Addams. Lesley Joseph will play the role of Grandma.
Further casting is to be announced.
Michelle Visage is a multiple Emmy and Producers Guild Award winning, internationally renowned television personality, radio show and podcast host, platinum-selling recording artist and author. She is best known as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race (Logo TV/VH1/MTV) and its international spin-offs in the UK (BBC) and Down Under (Stan). Michelle has also been a judge on Queen of the Universe (Paramount+) and Ireland’s Got Talent (Virgin Media One) and competed in the 17th season of Strictly Come Dancing. Michelle has been a staple on morning radio for 17 years, hosting and co-hosting programs on various stations such as WKTU 103.5 in New York, HOT 92.3 in Los Angeles, WMIA in Miami and Sirius XM, to name a few. She is also the host of her own podcast on the BBC entitled Rule Breakers with Michelle Visage and hosts a weekly Friday night show on BBC Radio 2. Michelle is the author of best-selling book The Diva Rules.
Ramin Karimloo recently reprised the role of The Phantom in a new production of The Phantom of theOpera in Italy & he is due to perform in the production again in Monte Carlo at the end of the year. He has also received great acclaim for his performances as The Phantom in Love Never Dies and Jean Valjean in Les Miserablés. His other stage credits include: Nicky Arnstein in Funny Girl (August Wilson Theatre, Broadway), Anatoly in Chess in Concert (Umeda Arts Theatre, Osaka & Tokyo International Forum), Judas in Jesus Chris Superstar in Concert (Theatre Orb, Tokyo), Che in Evita (Theatre Orb, Tokyo & Vancouver Opera), Gleb Vaganov in Anastasia (Broadway, NYC), Tom in Murder Ballad (Arts Theatre, London), Chris in Miss Saigon and Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard. His film and television credits include: Echelon (Sthenic Studios), Holby City (BBC1), Jesus: His Life (History Channel), Nativity Rocks (Mirrorball Films), The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: 25th Anniversary and Les Miserables in Concert: 25th Anniversary. Ramin has also performed as part of the Festival of Remembrance for BBC1 two years running.
Lesley Joseph is best known for playing Dorien Green, the neighbour from hell, in the sitcom Birds of a Feather, alongside Pauline Quirke and Linda Robson. In 2018, Lesley starred as Frau Blücher in Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein at the Garrick Theatre, a performance which earned Lesley an Olivier Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. After this, Lesley toured the country in Annie the Musical, reprising her role as Miss Hannigan and also Calendar Girls the Musical. On television, she starred in the ITV soap Night and Day for nearly two years, has appeared in Rumble with Brian Glover, Easy Money, Spywatch, Minder, Roots, The Knowledge, The Secret of Eel Island on Channel 5 and guest-starred as Erica in the BBC’s The Slammer. Recently, Lesley starred in the BBC’s Pilgrimage: The Road To Rome, where she embarked on a pilgrimage from the Swiss Alps to Rome and met the Pope. Lesley also donned her dancing shoes as one of the contestants in 2016 Strictly Come Dancing with dance partner Anton du Beke. Lesley joined the hit Strictly Come Dancing National Arena Tour. She is currently appearing in the UK tour of Sister Act.
Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows; she’s fallen in love with a sweet, smart young man from a respectable family! Now, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before — keep a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on the fateful night they host a dinner for Wednesday’s “normal” boyfriend and his parents. All the usual clan are present – Uncle Fester, Lurch, Pugsley et al.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY, A Musical Comedy live in concert will be directed by Matthew White, with choreography by Alistair David, production design by Diego Pitarch, orchestrations by Richard Beadle, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Richard Brooker and casting by Jane Deitch. Book is by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, and music and lyrics by Andrew Lippa, based on the characters created by Charles Addams.
THE ADDAMS FAMILY is produced by Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and John Stalker Productions, with co-producers Jason Haigh-Ellery and Guy James and is presented through special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide.
