Doctor Who’s Colin Baker and The Archers’
Terry Molloy return in Sherlock Holmes’ The
Hound of the Baskervilles live on stage
UK Tour: March – May 2024

After delighting audiences up and down the country in 2022, Crime And Comedy Theatre Company are reuniting Doctor Who stars Colin Baker (Doctor Who, BBC; The Brothers, BBC) and Terry Molloy (The Archers, BBC Radio 4; Doctor Who, BBC) once more in their new stage adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s world-famous tale The Hound of the Baskervilles. Treading the boards in spring 2024, audiences are invited to this radio-play-on-stage, to be transported to the mysterious moors in this classic detective tale.

Once facing each other as mortal enemies as the Doctor and Davros in Doctor Who, Baker and Molloy, who is best known for playing the infamous Mike Tucker in The Archers for over 40 years, return as the iconic dynamic duo of Holmes and Watson respectively. Joined once again by Dee Sadler (No Place Like Home, BBC; All Creatures Great and Small, BBC) as Doctor Mortimer, this production brings to life one of the greatest detective mysteries ever told

Adaptor and director Martin Parsons comments, We originally staged this brand new adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles in 2022 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of its publication. But such was the popularity of the tour with audiences that we’re delighted to be returning to theatres in 2024. The key to its success was the pitch-perfect performances of Colin Baker and Terry Molloy in their portrayals of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. We’re in for another treat and I’m thrilled to be able to bring two such fine actors together again on stage in these iconic roles.

The cast is completed by Kate Ashmead (The Importance of Being Earnest, Palchetto Stage; Educating Rita, Regent Theatre) as Mrs Barrymore and Martin Parsons (Doctor Who, Big Finish; Eric Chappell’s Ground Rules, UK Tour) as Jack Stapleton.

The setting is a radio studio, the actors ready as if for a radio broadcast, and the sound effects created live on stage, all combining to transport the audience from Baker Street to Dartmoor, as this tale of murder, mystery and horror is brought to life – surely the greatest detective story ever told! A rare chance to see these popular actors live at your local theatre, this is a play not to be missed.

Previous praise for The Hound of the Baskervilles:

Colin Baker was born to be Sherlock Holmes, Terry Molloy is my favourite Dr Watson to date. A phenomenal evening at the theatre, I can’t recommend this play enough! – ★★★★★ Entertainment Views

Colin Baker & Terry Molloy have terrific stage presence & their interactions sparkle – one not to miss! – ★★★★★ Cult Box

An immensely entertaining evening – ★★★★ West End Best Friend

Holmes & Watson at their best! – ★★★★ Sadie Takes The Stage

A well-judged production in every sense… a howling success! – ★★★★ Be My Guest

A master class in razor-sharp interplay – Henley Standard

PERFORMED IN VICTORIAN SPLENDOUR AT HOXTON HALL

The Festive Spirits arrive early at Hoxton Hall on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 December at 4pm, with the award winning Dickens Theatre Company’s joyously authentic

production of A Christmas Carol,staged in the most perfect setting – the unique Grade II* listed Victorian Music Hall -the world renowned Hoxton Hall.

Built in 1863, Hoxton Hall‘s stunning original wrought iron balconies and fireplaces in the auditorium will add an extra level of theatrical magic to Charles Dickens’ famous Christmas ghost story and Victorian classic, A Christmas Carol.

As A Christmas Carol’s classic ghosts: Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future reveal themselves – Hoxton Hall‘s very own Victorian ghosts (of which there are many within the walls of this beautiful and historic building), will sparkle and applaud their fellow spirits!

The wonderfully uplifting and unique interpretation of A Christmas Carol – with just two actors Ryan Philpott and Hannah Blaikie taking on over 30 characters, is a fast-paced and action-packed 75 minute production! Eastend actor, Ryan Philpott, is delighted to be back on home turf, is known for his regular role in Eastenders over the past 14 years (Seargent Kenny Morris) says: “Hoxton Hall has to be the perfect venue for DTC’s A Christmas Carol , and is the first time we have performed it in a proper Victorian Music Hall. The fictitious counting house that belonged to Scrooge and Marley is half a mile away and Charles Dickens was famous for his night walks from his home in Chancery Lane out towards the City and the East and must have frequented Hoxton Hall regularly. I can hear Marley’s chains already!”

Dickensian London comes to life behind Hoxton Hall’s classic 19^th Century frontage on Hoxton Street – a street walked by Charles Dickens – a regular visitor to the variety shows at Hoxton Hall.

A Christmas Carol is adapted by Ryan Philpott, directed by Eric Richard, with the most beautiful and haunting music by Paul Higgs.

A Christmas Carol – a Joyful and Festive start to December’s festivities at Hoxton Hall – bursting with Victorian pride and joy!

NEW IMAGERY RELEASED AHEAD OF EPIC NEW COLLABORATION

BALLETBOYZ:

ENGLAND ON FIRE

• BALLETBOYZ RETURN TO THE STAGE WITH THEIR MOST AMBITIOUS PRODUCTION YET, COLLABORATING WITH OVER 40 CHOREOGRAPHERS, COMPOSERS, DANCERS, ARTISTS AND PERFORMERS
   
• BRAND NEW IMAGERY BY GEORGE PIPER AND TEASER TRAILER RELEASED
   
• FOUR PERFORMANCES ONLY AT SADLER’S WELLS 8-11 NOVEMBER

Widely acclaimed dance pioneers, BalletBoyz return to the stage this winter with England on Fire at Sadler’s Wells for four nights only from Wednesday 8 – Saturday 11 November 2023.

Inspired by the groundbreaking artbook of the same name by Stephen Ellcock and Mat Osman, England on Fire will see over 40 collaborators across multiple disciplines including choreographers, composers, dancers and performers come together to create a unique kaleidoscope of mesmerising performance. BalletBoyz will bring together leading artists in their field for a performance featuring arresting visuals accompanied by live music from folk to punk and everything in-between and supported by a 3D soundscape for a truly immersive theatrical experience, allowing a sound-world to be choreographed to augment the movement on stage. 

England on Fire will be an evocative journey into contemporary life that defies all expectation, seen through the eyes of an innocent observer. The production recounts a search for meaning amidst the challenges of life, modern, and ancient. Audiences are invited to get lost in elusive explorations of trust and betrayal, friendship and love, identity and loneliness, honour and redemption. Through an eclectic array of voices curated by Michael Nunn and Billy Trevitt, England on Fire is a genre-defying spectacle of political and artistic intrigue, with artists both new and returning to collaborating with BalletBoyz. 

England on Fire will bring together some of dance’s leading choreographers for this one-off event including Edd Arnold, Lucy Bennett, Holly Blakey, Ola Ince, Shelley Maxwell, Russell Maliphant, Vidya Patel and Thick & Tight. 

Acclaimed composers contributing to England On Fire include Gwilym Gold, Charlotte Harding, Keaton Henson, Cassie Kinoshi, Mukul and Joe Zeitlin. Performers Gag Salon and Kami Thompson will take to the stage alongside a company of exceptional dancers.

The BalletBoyz company for England on Fire will include dancers Edd Arnold, Harry Alexander, Tania Dimbelolo, Seirian Griffiths, Benji Knapper, Roseanna Lindsey, Luigi Nardone, Folu Odimayo, Sophie Ormiston, Oxana Panchenko, Artemis Stamouli, Meghan Stevens, Kai Tomioka, and Holly Vallis. 

BalletBoyz founders, Michael Nunn and William Trevitt said; “With England on Fire, we’re doing what we love best: embracing the chaos of an eclectic group of collaborators without fear or inhibition. 

“In pursuit of our lifelong ambition to redefine what performance can do, we have provided a stimulus to artists to explore the experience of the marginalised, and it has been exciting to see the diverse range of interpretations that have been created. 

“We realised that we no longer wanted to second-guess every element of making new productions for fear of getting it wrong; instead, we are following our instincts and presenting an extraordinary cultural event that exemplifies a confident England, on fire with talent, ambition, potential and rebellion. (But no cash).“

Stephen Ellcock is an ‘image alchemist’, curator, and author of England On Fire with Mat Osman. His newest book, Underworlds, is out now with Thames & Hudson.

Twitter: @BalletBoyz | Facebook: /BalletBoyz | Instagram: @BalletBoyz

JIMMY WALTERS DIRECTS EUROPEAN PREMIÈRE OF

MICHAEL HEALEY’S

HIT SATIRICAL POLITICAL COMEDY 1979

Sarah Lawrie for Proud Haddock in association with Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre today announce the creative team for the European première of award-winning playwright Michael Healey’s hit satirical political comedy 1979 at the Finborough Theatre. Jimmy Walters directs, with design by Mim Houghton and sound design by Julian Starr.

The production opens on 4 January 2024, with previews from 2 January, and runs until 27 January 2024.

This fast-paced satirical political comedy is an illuminating insight into the rapidly changing world of Conservative party politics.

Jimmy Walters, Artistic Director of Proud Haddock, says: “As the UK heads into what will almost certainly be another General Election year, the timeliness of our production is very apt, and will hopefully bring some much-needed light relief to our own political landscape.”

Sarah Lawrie for Proud Haddock in association with

Neil McPherson for the Finborough Theatre present

1979

By Michael Healey

Director: Jimmy Walters; Designer: Mim Houghton; Sound Design: Julian Starr

2 – 27 January 2024

“You’re a forgettable blank. A complete nobody. You’re the leader of this country, and the vast majority of Canadians couldn’t pick you out of a police line-up. And that’s good. As long as the leader is as still, silent, and blank as possible…he can do whatever he wants.”

In May 1979, Progressive Conservative Joe Clark was elected as Canada’s youngest ever Prime Minister.

By Christmas 1979, it looked as though it was all over.

But Clark is young and idealistic, resolute on making his mark in office, and governing for the whole country, not just his own party supporters. Faced with a critical decision, his colleagues – including his predecessor Pierre Trudeau – take the opportunity to steer him in completely different directions…

1979 opened to great critical acclaim on its première in Calgary in 2017, and received six Betty Mitchell Award nominations. The production subsequently ran at the Berkeley Street Theatre in Toronto in 2019.

Michael Healey is a playwright and actor. His first play, Kicked, was produced at the Fringe of Toronto Festival in 1996, subsequently toured across Canada and internationally, and won Toronto’s most prestigious theatre award, the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play. The Drawer Boy, his first full-length play, premièred in Toronto in 1999, and won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play. Healey’s other works include The Road To Hell (co-authored with Kate Lynch), Plan B, Rune Arlidge, The Innocent Eye Test, The Nuttalls, and Are You Okay. Finborough Theatre has presented three productions of his work including his UK debut with Generous, the London première of The Drawer Boy and the UK première of Proud. His trilogy focusing on Canadian values and politics, entitled Generous, Courageous, and Proud has had multiple productions in Canada, and his plays have won the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play five times. He has also adapted works by Chekhov, Molnar, Hecht and MacArthur, Dürrenmatt and Bernard Shaw for the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival and Soulpepper, Toronto. Healey’s newest play The Master Plan, will première in Toronto in Autumn 2023.

Artistic Director of Proud Haddock Jimmy Walters directs. Previous credits at Finborough Theatre include Square Rounds, The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus, How to Survive an Apocalypse and A Subject of Scandal and Concern. Other directing credits include The Skin Game, Billy Bishop Goes To War and The Dog Beneath The Skin (Jermyn Street Theatre), Mrs Orwell (Southwark Playhouse), Julius Caesar (Saatchi Gallery), A Naughty Night With Noël Coward (Old Red Lion Theatre) Improbable Fiction (Courtyard Theatre), Hamlet (Bedouin Shakespeare Company), I the Jury (Hen and Chickens Theatre), Watching Paint Dry (Barons Court Theatre), Breaded Butler (Troubadour) and Dear Ray (Edinburgh Festival). Credits as Assistant Director include Young Shakespeare Company tours of Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet (Bloomsbury Theatre), Othello (Riverside Studios) and Knock Yourself Out (Courtyard Theatre).

Listings

1979

Finborough Theatre

118 Finborough Road, London SW10 9ED

1979

2 – 27 January 2024

Tuesday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm

Saturday and Sunday matinees at 3.00pm

Book online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

Box Office 020 7244 7439

No booking fees

Approximately 90 minutes with no interval

Ticket prices

Previews (2 and 3 January) £15 all seats

£15 tickets for residents of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham on Saturday, 6 January 2024 at 7.30pm when booked online only.

£10 tickets for Under 30s for performances from Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online only.

Prices until 14 January 2024 – Tickets £20, £18 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £18 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £20 all seats.

Prices from 16 January 2024 – Tickets £23, £20 concessions, except Tuesday evenings £20 all seats, and Friday and Saturday evenings £23 all seats.

RUNAWAY ENTERTAINMENT PRESENTS THE UK TOUR OF

NEW MUSICAL VERSION OF THE CLASSIC FAMILY TALE

TO TOUR THE UK IN 2024

A new musical version of Dodie Smith’s classic book 101 Dalmatians will embark on a UK tour,  launching at the New Wimbledon Theatre in June 2024.

This new musical is written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris and is reimagined from the acclaimed Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production in 2022. Cast and creative team to be announced.

When fashionista Cruella de Vil plots to swipe all the Dalmatian puppies in town to create her fabulous new fur coat, there’s trouble ahead for Pongo and Perdi and their litter of adorable, tail-wagging young pups.

This classic canine caper is brought to life on stage with spectacular puppetry, show-stopping choreography, hilarious songs and irresistible puppies!

After launching in Wimbledon the production will visit Birmingham, Norwich, Canterbury, Leicester, Manchester, Belfast, Wolverhampton, Newcastle, Southend, Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Woking, Cardiff, Southampton, Aberdeen, York, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Further dates to be announced.

For more information visit www.101dalmatians.co.uk.

Follow 101 Dalmatians The Musical on social media:

Facebook: /101Dalmatians

Instagram/TikTok: @101DalmatiansUK

101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL 2024 UK TOUR VENUES

New Wimbledon Theatre

22-29 June 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham 

2-6 July 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/the-alexandra-theatre-birmingham

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Norwich Theatre Royal

9-13 July 2024

www.norwichtheatre.org

On sale now

Canterbury Marlowe Theatre

16-20 July 2024

www.marlowetheatre.com

On sale soon

Leicester Curve

23-27 July 2024

www.curveonline.co.uk 

On sale soon

Palace Theatre, Manchester

30 July – 10 August 2024

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

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Belfast Grand Opera House

13-17 August 2024

www.goh.co.uk

On sale now

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

20-24 August 2024

www.grandtheatre.co.uk

On sale soon

Newcastle Theatre Royal

27 August – 1 September 2024

www.theatreroyal.co.uk

On sale soon

Cliffs Pavilion, Southend

5-8 September 2024

www.southendtheatres.org.uk

On sale soon

Liverpool Empire

24-28 September 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Milton Keynes Theatre

1-5 October 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Woking, New Victoria Theatre

8-12 October 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

New Theatre Cardiff

15-19 October 2024

www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk 

On sale soon

Southampton Mayflower Theatre

22-26 October 2024

www.mayflower.org.uk

On sale soon

His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen

29 October-2 November 2024

www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/his-majestys-theatre

On sale soon

York Grand Opera House

5-9 November 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york/ 

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Glasgow King’s Theatre

12-16 November 2024

https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow/

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Edinburgh Playhouse

19-23 November 2024

www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse

Priority on sale now, general on sale Friday 20 October 2023

Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham – until 28th October 2023

Reviewed by Jacqui Radford

5*****

Starring Lesley Joseph as Mother Superior, this production delivers everything that is promised. From the minute you sit down, you get a feeling that this production is going to be packed with quality touches. Set in 1970s Philadelphia, the storyline follows an ambitious singer into witness protection, through desperation and ultimate transformation.

The stage and tone for the production are set perfectly by the attention to detail in design and lighting. The bar and tempo are both set to ‘high’ by the opening scene and musical rendition.

Deloris Van Cartier, is an attention seeking, gifted singer who relies on the power and influence of her boyfriend Curtis to get her first big break. Unfortunately for Deloris, Curtis (played by Ian Gareth-Jones) is more interested in his power and influence on the streets.

After seeing Curtis murder one of his followers and feeling disillusioned at receiving a second hand ‘murdered smurf’ fur coat as a gift, Deloris reports what she has seen to the police. In a moment of classic coincidence, Deloris discovers that ‘Steady’ Eddie Souther from her school days is now in charge of Philadelphia policing.

With a flame for Deloris re-ignited, Eddie (played by Alfie Parker) kicks into gear to protect her until Curtis is brought to justice. Eddie determines that the perfect hiding place is the local Church of Eternal Sorrow, host to an order of nuns and in a rapidly deteriorating condition. The church and its order feel cold, sombre and hopeless; further enhancing the exaggerated personality that Landi Oshinowo brings to the role of Deloris.

Disheartened by the conditions of stay imposed on her by Mother Superior, Deloris’ spirit is not broken. Frustrated by Deloris’ lack of humility and risky behaviours, Mother Superior directs her to join the choir where she turns a group of caterwauling nuns into soul singers able to harness their new harmony to raise enough money to save the church from ruin.

Without doubt, the star of this show is the perfect combination of costume design, ironic humour, storytelling through song and the restorative effect of soul music. It really is a divine musical comedy! Go and see this show if you get the chance and witness the transformative effect of hope, laughter and soul for yourself.

Rehearsal images have been released for the World Premiere tour of the official Stock Aitken Waterman musical, I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY.

I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY will open at the Manchester Opera House on Thursday 2 November 2023 before embarking on a UK tour.  www.soluckymusical.com @SoLuckyMusical

The cast includes Kayla Carter as Bonnie, Jamie Chapman as Spencer, Jemma Churchill as Ivy, Matthew Croke as Nadeem, Jessica Daley as Britney, Gary Davis as Big Mike, Melissa Jacques as Shelley, Scott Paige as Michael, Billy Roberts as Nathan, Giovanni Spanò as Ash, Lucie-Mae Sumner as Ella and Anna Unwin as Olivia. Kylie Minogue will also digitally appear throughout the show as a specially created character unique to the musical.

The company is completed by Tegan Bannister, Ralph Bogard, Elliot Broadfoot, Emma Crossley, Kade Ferraiolo, Sydney Isitt-Ager, Joe Kelly, Aidan Nightingale, James Willoughby Moore, Lauren Woolf and Louie Wood.

The official Stock Aitken Waterman musical featuring the soundtrack of a generation with music from pop royalty including Kylie Minogue (I Should Be So Lucky), Rick Astley (Never Gonna Give You Up), Jason Donovan (Too Many Broken Hearts) and Bananarama (Love In The First Degree). I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY: THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN MUSICAL features no less than 10 Number 1 singles and over 25 songs from the Hit Factory whose music defined an era.

I SHOULD BE SO LUCKY: THE STOCK AITKEN WATERMAN MUSICAL is written and directed by Debbie Isitt (the hit NATIVITY! franchise), choreographed by Jason Gilkison (Creative Director of Strictly Come Dancing and Eurovision 2023), with orchestrations and musical direction by George Dyer, set and costume design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Ben Harrison, casting by Anne Vosser and production management by Simon Marlow. It is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Gavin Kalin Productions.

ACTING FOR OTHERS AND ROBERT REES

ANNOUNCE RETURN OF

A NIGHTMARE ON WEST STREET

Theatrical charity, Acting for Others, The Ivy Club and actor Robert Rees announce the welcome return of A Nightmare on West Street, following its hugely successful debut in 2022. With an opportunity to party with West End stars, the event will take place on Sunday 29 October from 6pm – 2am at London’s exclusive private members’ bar The Ivy Club, West Street.

Entertainment at the Halloween Spooktacular Soirée will include a live band, DJ and dance floor, face painting, a photo booth, magician, tarot card reader, and a raffle. Guests will be able to go on to the spectacular roof garden and there will be prizes for Best Dressed decided by the judges, with the winner announced at the event. Surprise West End performances are to be announced.

The £15 ticket includes a welcome drink and canapés, and The Drawing Room will also be open for dinner reservations across two sittings at 7.00pm & 9.00pm with a thrilling three-course set menu and a daring drink on arrival.

Please note that tickets are limited for this event.

To book please email [email protected]and mention Robert Rees or ring 020 7557 6095

A Nightmare on West Street is produced by Robert Rees and The Ivy Club in aid of Acting for Others, a fundraising organisation for 14 UK theatrical and welfare charities.

For those unable to attend the event, Acting for Otherscan still be supported by donating at www.actingforothers.co.uk/donate

www.actingforothers.co.uk       

Twitter: @ActingForOthers

Nightmare on West Street

Sunday 29 October 2023, 6pm – 2am

The Ivy Club, 1-5 West Street, London, WC2H 9NQ

Michael Sheen to play founder of NHS in new production by Wales Millennium Centre and National Theatre

A major new play charting the life of one of Wales’s most influential political and social figures will be co-produced by the National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre, coming to the Cardiff venue next year.

Nye charts the life and legacy of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan, a former coal miner from Tredegar who transformed the UK’s welfare state. Written by Welsh playwright and screenwriter Tim Price (Teh Internet is Serious Business) and directed by the National Theatre’s Artistic Director Rufus Norris (Cabaret – West End, London Road, Small Island), Nye will play at Wales Millennium Centre for two weeks on 18 May – 1 June 2024.

Michael Sheen (The Queen, The Damned United, Masters of Sex, Under Milk Wood) has been cast in the title role of Aneurin ‘Nye’ Bevan.  He will be joined by Welsh actors Remy Beasley, Roger Evans, Kezrena James, Rebecca Killick and Rhodri Meilir, alongside Jon Furlong, Stephanie Jacob, Tony Jayawardena and Sharon Small, with further casting to be announced.

From campaigning at the coalfield to leading the battle to create the NHS, Nye Bevan is often referred to as the politician who’s had the greatest influence on the UK without ever being Prime Minister. Confronted with death, Nye’s deepest memories lead him on a mind-bending journey back through his life; from childhood to mining underground, Parliament and fights with Churchill in an epic Welsh fantasia.

Tickets for Nye will be on public sale from Friday 27 October 2023, with Wales Millennium Centre members able to skip the queues to secure their tickets days before public release. Find out more about Ffrind membership at wmc.org.uk/ffrind.

The team behind this production includes Welsh artists Jess Williams (Co-Choreographer), Will Stuart (Composer) and Francesca Goodridge (Associate Director).

The creative team is completed by Set Designer Vicki Mortimer, Costume Designer Kinnetia Isidore, Lighting Designer Paule Constable, Co-Choreographer Steven Hoggett, Sound Designer Donato Wharton, Projection Designer Jon Driscoll and Casting Director Alastair Coomer CDG.

Graeme Farrow, Wales Millennium Centre’s Artistic Director, said:
“We’re thrilled to be working with the National Theatre again, bringing the story of this Welsh radical reformer to audiences a mere stone’s throw from the Valleys communities which shaped Nye Bevan and his vision.

“In this new play by Tim Price we welcome Michael Sheen to perform on home soil once again. A Welsh icon of social change, played by a Welsh icon of stage and screen, under our iconic Welsh roof – this will be an epic experience with deep resonance for audiences next year.”

Rufus Norris, National Theatre’s Artistic Director, said: “I am excited to announce today that Tim Price’s brilliant new play Nye, which I will be directing in the Olivier in February, will be a co-production with Wales Millennium Centre where it will transfer following its run with us.

“To bring the story to Nye Bevan’s home in Wales feels very special and an appropriate way to further honour his legacy through this production.”

This first co-production between the National Theatre and Wales Millennium Centre continues a growing relationship between the two national companies,  following the transfer of The Boy with Two Hearts from Cardiff to the National’s Dorfman Theatre in 2022, as well as the ever-increasing touring presentations of National Theatre productions including the multi-award-winning War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time and most recently The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

ROYAL EXCHANGE THEATRE

Presents

BRIEF ENCOUNTER

By Noël Coward. Adapted for stage by Emma Rice

2 DECEMBER 2023 – 13 JANAUARY 2024

A new musical production with live Jazz on stage

Directed by Sarah Frankcom

In a busy railway station, where everyone is simply passing through, Laura and Alec find each other. Falling passionately and wildly in love in a few stolen moments they live and breathe a lifetime of epic emotions, reawakening everything they buried deep inside. Together they find themselves in a bittersweet, hopelessly romantic, elegantly awkward love affair.

This December, Royal Exchange Theatre presents Brief Encounter, a huge beating heart of a musical for incurable romantics. This unique and timely version of Emma Rice’s smash hit stage adaptation of Noël Coward’s iconic original, marks the 50th anniversary since the playwright’s death and showcases his remarkable talent as a writer, composer and songwriter.

Musical theatre performers Baker Mukasa, fresh from his role in the acclaimed hit musical STANDING AT THE SKY’S EDGE, and Hannah Azuonye who appeared in the West-End transfer of GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY, will star opposite each other as the hopeless lovers Alec and Laura, supported by a five-strong multi-rolling cast of characters.

This new production, spanning 6 weeks from 2 December until 13 January 2024, will be directed by the Royal Exchange Theatre’s former Artistic Director Sarah Frankcom (WEST SIDE STORY Royal Exchange Theatre; THEY MIF; THE BREACH Hampstead Theatre) and showcases for the first time a full complement of musical numbers drawn from Coward’s extraordinary songbook, accompanied by live Jazz on stage arranged by Musical Director Matthew Malone (STANDING AT THE SKY’s EDGE Sheffield Crucible; CAROUSEL Regents Park Open Air Theatre). The brand-new set design will be by 2019 Linbury Prize for Stage Design winner Rose Revitt.

Sarah Frankcom says of this show: “Remembering Noël Coward in this 50th anniversary year allows us to really foreground his mastery as a remarkable songwriter responsible for delivering and performing some of the most iconic songs of the last 100 years. I’m really looking forward to creating a production that allows these enduring characters to inhabit the world of the song and lets us understand the inside of their hearts.”

She adds: “This is an iconic story that takes place in a railway station, the most public of spaces, and as the audience watch the most extreme and intimate moments of a relationship played out in front of them, in a theatre, in the round, in a huge public space that is the Royal Exchange, there’s an exciting synergy that I can’t wait for audiences to experience.”

The production runs from 2 December until 13 January 2024.

CAST

Hannah Azuonye Laura

Baker Mukasa Alec

Matthew Allen BOBBIE and Bill or Johnnie

Georgia Frost Stanley and Bill or Johnnie

Richard Glaves Albertr, Fred and Stephen Lynn

Christina Modestou Myrtle, Mary and Kardomah waitress

Ida Regan Beryl, Hermione, Dolly, Kardomah waitress and Margaret

CREATIVES

Written by Noël Coward and adapted by Emma Rice

Director Sarah Frankcom

Designer Rose Revitt

Lighting Designer Simeon Miller

Sound Designer Russ Ditchfield

Orchestrator, Musical Supervisor and

Musical Director Matthew Malone

Movement Director Sundeep Saini

Casting Director Hannah Miller CDG

Birkbeck Assistant Director Amara Heyland

LISTINGS

Venue: Royal Exchange Theatre Company

Dates: 2 December 2023 – 13 January 2024

Times: 2.30pm & 7.30PM. see website for details

Tickets From: £12

Website: https://www.royalexchange.co.uk/

Social Media: @rxtheatre