Southwark Playhouse Borough – until 4 May 2024

Reviewed by Rebecca Sargeant

4****

You Are Going To Die, the latest one-man show from the mind of Adam Scott-Rowley, is nothing short of a masterclass on body language and facial expressions. Armed with just a random toilet and microphone as his only props, Scott-Rowley jumps between an array of interesting characters who are each identifiable from his movements.

Between an elderly person dwelling on the death of their cat, a working-class widow reflecting on his mother-in-law and new sexual habits, a young party girl stuck in a well, and the feeble figure who gestures to the audience with two fingers at any given moment – the various characters in You Are Going To Die put together a fascinating mismatched narrative that is representative of life, death, and everything in between.

The lack of set and clothes gives the show an unusual but endearing tone. Scott-Rowley being naked for the entire piece, flashing his hole at the audience multiple times, isn’t for everyone. However, this decision is beautifully reflective of the themes in the piece. When stripped of artificial layers, everyone is simply a person who all experience feelings of lust, anxiety, and loneliness. Centred around a porcelain toilet in the middle of the stage, his characters shift between moments of euphoria and despair which amazingly demonstrates Scott-Rowley’s range as a performer.

I applaud the production team for their use of sound and lighting throughout the piece. Matt Cater’s lighting is essentially another prop, and as the show progresses, it is easy to work out which character is returning based on this. However, anyone who is susceptible to seizures should be aware that one sequence toward the end of the piece uses a lot of flashing lights. Sam Baxter’s sound design is also stellar; however, Phil McDonnell’s final composition truly makes the show as a whole.

You Are Going To Die will make you laugh and cry, sometimes within a matter of seconds, and is a beautiful and raw take on the one thing humanity shares: death.

Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition winners announced 

• Young writers nationwide submitted passionate, persuasive pieces about environmental issues to national writing competition hosted by Wicked and the National Literacy Trust, and winners are announced today, Earth Day 2024 (22 April)
• Pupils got creative with this year’s theme and explored issues from plastic pollution to our place in the solar system
• Judges included award-winning children’s author, M. G. Leonard; English teacher, writer, and presenter of Holly’s Classroom, Holly King-Mand; Executive Producer of Wicked, Michael McCabe, and Chief Executive at the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas
• Winners, runners-up, and shortlisted pupils will be published in the Wicked Writers Anthology, available to purchase via Amazon HERE

Read 2024’s winning and runner-up entries: HERE

The winners of the 2024 Wicked Writers: Be The Change writing competition, a collaboration between the National Literacy Trust and the stage musical Wicked, as part of its Wicked Active Learning cultural and social education programme, have been announced.

This year’s theme was the environment, and 1600 children across the UK have made their voices heard about the issues they are passionate about, including climate change, earth and sea pollution, and animal extinction, with the winners announced today, Earth Day 2024 (22 April).

Earth Day is an annual event on 22 April to demonstrate support for environmental protection. First held on 22 April, 1970, it now includes a wide range of events coordinated globally by www.Earthday.org including 1 billion people in more than 193 countries. The official theme for 2024 is “Planet vs. Plastics.”

The winner in the 9-11 age group is Sebastian Kesley, 10, from Hiltingbury Junior School in Hampshire who wrote a thoughtful first-person story about the impact of plastic in the ocean on marine life from the perspective of the ocean itself.

Arthur Stock, 10, from Stanford Junior School in Brighton is the runner-up in this category and wrote a moving and informative piece about a lonely turtle caught in a plastic bag, with tips at the end for how people can help to reduce plastic pollution.

The winner in the 11-14 age group is Luo Chen He, 13, from Co-op Academy in Stoke-on-Trent who impressed the judges with a creative tale about the importance of activism and the struggle to change the world.

Samsritha Vakani, 14, from West Bromwich Collegiate, 14, is the runner-up in the older age category with a poem about planet Earth’s two potential futures – one positive and bright, and one destroyed without intervention.

Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that children and young people’s enjoyment of writing is at one of its lowest levels since 2010 [1], holding many back from the potential academic [2] and well-being benefits writing can bring. 

According to the charity’s research, giving young people the opportunity to write to support the causes they care most about can be a powerful motivator [3] – demonstrated by the overwhelming response to this year’s Wicked Writers: Be the Change competition and the high quality of the entries.

The judges were M. G. Leonard, award-winning children’s author of Beetle Boy and the Adventures on Trains series; English teacher, writer, and presenter of Holly’s Classroom, Holly King-Mand; Michael McCabe, Executive Producer of Wicked in the UK, and Jonathan Douglas, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust.

Tim Judge, Head of School Programmes at the National Literacy Trust, said: “We have been blown away by the amount of impassioned, persuasive essays and stories submitted by pupils this year on the environment. Writing can be great for young people’s wellbeing and this competition shows pupils how they can use their literacy skills to have their voices heard on issues they care about.”

Michael McCabe, judge and Executive Producer of Wicked said: “We are particularly proud to announce the winners and runners up of the Wicked Writers: Be The Change competition on Earth Day 2024. These outstanding pieces of persuasive writing demonstrate how environmentally conscious young people are, and how strongly they advocate for urgent climate action.”

M. G. Leonard, judge, and award-winning children’s author, added: “It was a profound privilege to get to read such a wonderful mix of wildly creative and persuasive pieces of writing from so many young people. The standard of the writing and the passion with which they wrote about the environment made it almost an impossible task to judge this prize. I have found it a humbling and hopeful experience because the concern and care for the natural world is crystal clear in their artfully chosen words.”

Holly King-Mand, judge, and presenter of Holly’s Classroom, said: Once I relaxed into enjoying the thoughtful, passionate, and original work from the students, it became easy to pick out some of the most astonishing writing I’ve seen from young people (and I’ve seen a lot!). It certainly gives me hope that our planet’s future is in good hands, and that the passion to put pen to paper is alive and well amongst our children.

The judges described Sebastian Kesley’s winning entry in the 9-11 age group as: “Written from the viewpoint of an ocean, this is an extraordinary piece of persuasive writing – impassioned, eloquent and original. Its ambitious, creative use of imagery creates an emotional and expansive challenge, and its very language mimics the waves lapping on the shore. It is passionate and beautifully powerful.”

After hearing about his win, Sebastian said: “I am excited and flabbergasted that I was chosen as the winner, I didn’t expect it. I enjoyed the thrill and suspense of the competition. I am enthusiastic about this topic and I thoroughly enjoyed writing as the sea to share this message.”

Explaining why 13-year-old Luo Chen He was chosen as the winner of her age group, the judges said: “Using a Kafkaesque vision of the world to articulate the importance and ability of the individual to effect seismic change for their future, this emotive piece of writing inspired us all. It is refreshingly thought-provoking: the shifting narrator is incredibly original and therefore powerfully persuasive. It is a wonderfully creative concept that captures the difficulty of making a change and yet is also hopeful.”

Luo said: “From all the fabulous applicants, I am amazed and grateful that I have won this competition. I tried to make my approach to the theme unique by focusing on human thoughts about the environment. I totally recommend anyone to enter this competition next year, and to be original with their piece. When you write, you make might – isn’t that true?”

All four students have won whole-class or writing group trips to see Wicked in London, and Luo and Sebastian have also won their classes a workshop with M. G. Leonard, where they will learn how to craft a great persuasive essay or story, and tips on making their voice and passion heard.

References:  

[1] Children and young people’s writing in 2023 | National Literacy Trust 

[2] Writing for Enjoyment and its Link to Wider Writing – Findings from our Annual Literacy Survey 2016 Report | National Literacy Trust) 

[3] Children and young people’s letter writing in 2021 | National Literacy Trust 

MATTHEW BOURNE’S NEW ADVENTURES

RECEIVES

FIVE NOMINATIONS

AT THE

NATIONAL DANCE AWARDS

INCLUDING OUTSTANDING COMPANY

CEMENTING IT AS THE UK’S LEADING DANCE COMPANY

Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures is thrilled to have received five nominations at this year’s National Dance Awards, including Outstanding Company. This marks an unprecedented year of activity for the company, with a UK tour of EDWARD SCISSORHANDS, and both UK and international tours of ROMEO AND JULIET. In 2023, over 165,000 people saw a New Adventures production live on stage, and many more were engaged in its Take Part activity, cementing it as the leading dance company in the UK.

New Adventures’ other four nominations are for Paris Fitzpatrick, who is currently touring internationally with the company of ROMEO AND JULIET and is nominated both for Best Male Dancer and for Outstanding Male Dancer (Modern) for his performance as Romeo. Liam Mower is also nominated for Outstanding Male Dancer (Modern) for his performance as Edward in EDWARD SCISSORHANDS. Cordelia Braithwaite is nominated for Outstanding Female Dancer (Modern) for her portrayal of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet.

Matthew Bourne said: “I am so very proud of my New Adventures family for being nominated for Outstanding Company at this year’s National Dance Awards, and especially to our leading dancers Liam Mower, nominated for his role in Edward Scissorhands, Cordelia Braithwaite for Romeo and Juliet and Paris Fitzpatrick for his two nominations for Romeo and Juliet. My love and congratulations to everyone in my New Adventures family for this very deserved recognition.”

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS has been performed 155 times on its current UK tour, which opened in Plymouth on 20 November 2023 and continues to play into May this year. ROMEO AND JULIET had 125 performances in 2023 and has now been performed a further 65 times on its 2024 international tour, including seasons in Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo.

Winners of the National Dance Awards will be announced at an awards ceremony held on Monday 3 June at The Coronet Theatre.

For more information please visit: www.new-adventures.net

Facebook /MBNewAdventures    Twitter @New_Adventures     Instagram @MBNewAdventures

TikTok @MBNewAdventures

FOURTH WALL LIVE ANNOUNCES

SONGWRITER

SCOTT ALAN

LIVE AT CADOGAN HALL

SUNDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2024

FOURTH WALL LIVE are delighted to announce internationally acclaimed songwriter SCOTT ALAN live at Cadogan Hall on Sunday 10 November 2024 at 6.30PM. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 26 April at www.fw-live.com and www.cadoganhall.com

Scott will be joined by very special guest vocalists throughout the night, who will be announced in the coming weeks.

Scott Alan is an internationally acclaimed songwriter who has worked with some of the brightest stars of theatre, TV, film and recording.  Some of those artists include Grammy Award winning Pentatonix, Grammy nominated artist Jane Monheit, Westlife’s Mark Feehily, Taylor Dayne, Tony Award winning artists Sutton Foster, Adriane Lenox, Randy Graff, Frances Ruffelle, Lea Salonga, film and TV stars Tracie Thoms, Patina Miller, Katie Stevens, Mark Feehily, Cheyenne Jackson, Megan Hilty, Samantha Barks, Jeremy Jordan and reality stars Sam Bailey, Collabro, Diana DeGarmo and Christina Marie, among others.

After the 2007 release of his debut album Dreaming Wide Awake, Alan has gone on to release six further albums that include Keys, What I Wanna Be When I Grow Up, Live, Anything Worth Holding On To, Cynthia Erivo and Oliver Tompsett sing Scott Alan and Lifeline. 

Alan has toured the world, selling out concerts in New York City, Japan, London, Holland, Germany, San Francisco, Boston, Los Angeles, Australia & various cities in South and North America. His compositions have also been featured on American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, Entertainment Tonight, HBO, MTV, VH1 and various other programs. In addition to songwriting, Scott teaches piano and vocal to students at the Scott Alan Studio in St. Petersburg, Florida as well as virtually all over the world. 

Alan continues to tour and just released his new album Nothing More, a collection of songs written for his daughter, Alex Vivian, featuring Gay and Transgender fathers. 

Scott said “Returning to London after so many years away feels like a coming home.  I can’t wait to return with some of my favourite people, in my favourite city, celebrating the 15 year anniversary of “Dreaming Wide Awake.” To have my dear friend Darren Bell, whom I met at my first UK concert in 2008, and Fourth Wall Live produce this night feels like a giant hug.”

FOURTH WALL LIVE is an entertainment company that produces events, concerts and on-stage shows. In January 2022, FWL presented Bonnie and Clyde The Musical In Concert for two nights to a sold-out audience at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, starring Broadway favourite Jeremy Jordan. The concert broke Drury Lane box office records selling out a two-night run in less than six minutes. 

In recent months, Fourth Wall Live has presented Audra McDonald at the London Palladium, Jeremy Jordan at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Ariana DeBose at the London Palladium and both Rachel Tucker and Stephanie J Block at Cadogan Hall. FWL regularly presents concerts featuring stars of the West End and Broadway including Keala Settle, Sierra Boggess, Matthew Morrison and Hannah Waddingham among others.

Fourth Wall Live is also a producer of the WhatsOnStage Award winning Bonnie & Clyde The Musical which recently ended its successful run at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Sunday 10 November

Cadogan Hall

5 Sloane Terrace

London 

SW1X 9DQ

Performance: 6.30pm

Tickets: From £18

Box Office: 020 7730 4500

Website: www.fw-live.com and www.cadoganhall.com

Instagram: @scottalanmusic / @f_w_live

RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN’S

CAROUSEL, A CONCERT

STARRING JAMIE MUSCATO WITH CHRISTINE ALLADO & REBECCA CAINE

AT THE ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL, SOUTHBANK CENTRE

7PM ON SATURDAY 13 JULY 2024

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL is coming to the Royal Festival Hall for a one-night-only concert this July. 

CAROUSEL, A CONCERT will star Jamie Muscato (Moulin Rouge, Heathers, Les Miserables) as bad-boy carousel barker Billy Bigelow. Joining him will be Christine Allado (Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Prince of Egypt, Hamilton) as Julie Jordan and Rebecca Caine as Nettie Fowler (original Cosette in the premiere of Les Misérables, original Christine in The Phantom of the Opera, Canada) together with a star-studded cast of West End royalty, an ensemble company and a full orchestra.

The Concert is directed by Emma Butler (Side Show in Concert, Never Have I Ever at Chichester Festival Theatre, Annie Get Your Gun in Concert) with musical direction by Adam Hoskins (Once in Concert, Side Show in Concert, Songs for a New World in Concert). Full casting will be announced at a later date.

Chosen as Time Magazine’s ‘Best Musical of the 20th Century’, CAROUSEL’s much-loved score includes some of the most powerful music ever written for the stage; ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, ‘Mister Snow’ and ‘If I Loved You’. 

This timeless, classic musical is an extraordinary celebration of hope, redemption and the power of love.

Tickets will go on public sale on Thursday 25 April, with sign up from 10am on Monday 22 April and Southbank members presale on Wednesday 24 April.

Sign Up: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/performance-dance/rodgers-and-hammersteins-carousel

Instagram and Facebook: @lambertjacksonproductions

Twitter: @ljprods

The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces that Jessica Martin joins Cassidy Janson and Julie Yammanee to complete the company for the revival of Jerry Herman’s JERRY’S GIRLS.

Directed by Hannah Chissick, the show will feature choreography by Matt Cole, set and costume design by Paul Farnsworth, lighting design by Philip Gladwell, musical supervision and arrangements by Sarah Travis, and an all-female band. This new production opens on 22 May, with previews from 18 May, and plays a strictly limited season until 29 June.

Lyn Paul withdrew from the production for personal reasons.

The Menier Chocolate Factory

JERRY’S GIRLS

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Concepts by Larry Alford, Wayne Cilento and Jerry Herman

18 May – 29 June

Director: Hannah Chissick; Choreographer: Matt Cole; Set & Costume Designer: Paul Farnsworth; Lighting Designer: Philip Gladwell; Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator: Sarah Travis

JERRY’S GIRLS celebrates the life and legacy of legendary award-winning Broadway composer Jerry Herman.

Featuring songs from such timeless musicals as Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack and Mabel, Dear World and La Cage Aux Folles, JERRY’S GIRLS comes to the Menier Chocolate Factory for 6 weeks only.

JERRY’S GIRLS was created by Herman and collaborator Larry Alford in 1981, opened Off-Broadway to critical acclaim and resulted in a hit National Tour and a Tony-nominated run on Broadway, directed and choreographed by Wayne Cilento.

Jerry Herman’s list of awards and honours is seemingly endless – it includes multiple Tony, Grammy, Olivier and Drama Desk Awards, the Johnny Mercer Award, the Richard Rodgers Award, the Oscar Hammerstein Award and an entry into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Cassidy Janson returns to the Chocolate Factory, having previously appeared in Candide and Tick, Tick…Boom!.  Her other theatre credits include Bare (The London Palladium), & Juliet (for which she won the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), playing Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Aldonza in Man of La Mancha (London Coliseum) Elphaba in Wicked (Apollo Victoria), Chess (London Coliseum), The Mousetrap (St Martin’s Theatre), Avenue Q (Gielgud Theatre) and Once (Tokyo).

Jessica Martin made her West End debut playing Sally Smith opposite Gary Wilmot in Me and My Girl (Adelphi Theatre) and has performed in over thirty musicals. Her other theatre credits include playing Mabel in Mack and Mabel (Piccadilly Theatre) and later playing Lotte in Mack and Mabel at Southwark Playhouse, Babes in Arms and The Card (Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park), The Wizard of Oz(Theatre Royal Plymouth and UK tour), South Pacific (Churchill Theatre and UK tour), Sweeney Todd (Bridewell Theatre), Sunset Boulevard (Comedy Theatre), Spamalot (UK tour), Sondheim at 80 (Royal Albert Hall), Elf the Musical (Dominion Theatre), Shirleymander (The Playground Theatre) Blitz! (The Union) and Menopause – The Musical 2 (UK & Ireland tour). For television, she played Mags, an intergalactic werewolf in the Seventh Doctor season of Doctor Who, later reprising the role on radio. She was also a regular voice actor on the iconic Spitting Image series as well as starring in Copy Cats and alongside Bobby Davro in his series Bobby Davro’s TV Weekly. At this time, she was a frequent guest on variety shows such as Sunday Night at the Palladium, Summertime Special and several Royal Variety Shows.

Julie Yammanee previously appeared at the Chocolate Factory in Spamilton. Her other theatre credits include Bonnie and Clyde (Garrick Theatre), Clueless (Churchill Theatre, Bromley), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Hope Mill Theatre), Gatsby (Southwark Playhouse), Lazarus (King’s Cross Theatre), Here Lives Love (National Theatre), Carousel (Kilworth House Theatre), Priscilla Queen of the Desert (UK & international tour) and Avenue Q (UK tour).  Her film credits include Matilda and A Christmas Story Christmas.

Hannah Chissick returns to the Menier to direct – she previously directed Pack of Lies for the company. Her most recent work includes Eugenius (Turbine Theatre – Best Director, The Offies), Treason the Musical (West End and Alexandra Palace Theatre), The Boy Who Sailed the Ocean in an Armchair (NYMT), Mother Courage and Her Children and the UK professional première of the musical Side Show (Southwark Playhouse), Down the Dock Road (Liverpool Royal Court), for the NYMT – Brass (Hackney Empire) and Sunday in the Park With George (The Other Palace), Rags, Amour (Royal Academy of Music), Marry Me a Little (St James Studio) and Teechers (John Godber Theatre Company). She was Assistant Director to Matthew Warchus on the play Art in London and New York and was Associate Director on his acclaimed production of Boeing Boeing, directing casts in London, on Broadway and in Melbourne. In 2003, she became the youngest women to become an Artistic Director in the UK, when Harrogate Theatre appointed her at the age of 25. Other credits include the critically-acclaimed revival of Side by Side by Sondheim (The Venue, London), Abigail’s Party (Northcott Theatre Exeter), a tour of Grumpy Old Women Live, the world première of Horrid Henry – Live (tour and West End), and the world premiere of Pushing Up Poppies (Theatre503).

Matt Cole returns to the Menier, where he previously worked on Fiddler on the Roof (and its transfer to the Playhouse; Olivier Award nomination for Best Choreography). His recent credits include Police Cops (Edinburgh Fringe Festival), Roman Holiday (Bath Theatre Royal), Newsies (Director and Choreographer – Olivier Award and WhatsOnStage Award for Best Choreography), Identical (Nottingham Playhouse), Fisherman’s Friends, The Night Pirates (UK tours), Taboo (in concert at the Palladium Theatre London), Berlin Berlin (Germany), Lovesick (Theatre J, Washington DC), Parade, The Beautiful Game (NYMT), Oklahoma! (Chichester Festival Theatre), Amour (Charing Cross Theatre), Flashdance, Footloose, Little Shop of Horrors (UK and international tours), The Sweet Smell of Success (Royal Academy of Music), and The Producers (China and Asian Tour).

Sarah Travis won a Tony and Drama Desk Award for her Orchestrations on The Watermill Theatre Production of Sweeney Todd – directed by John Doyle, which transferred to Trafalgar Studios and the Eugene O’Neill Theatre, Broadway. Her theatre credits include Grease (Dominion Theatre, Curve and UK tour), 101 Dalmatians (Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), The Late Toy Show (Dublin), The Magician’s Elephant (Orchestrator – RSC), Talent (Sheffield Theatres), West Side Story (Curve – Music Supervisor only), Curtains, Sister Act, Fiddler on the Roof, Chess (UK tours), Miss Littlewood (RSC), Sweet Charity, A Little Night Music (The Watermill Theatre), An Officer And A Gentleman (UK Tour – Music Supervisor only), Legally Blonde (Curve), The Hired Man (NYMT), The A to Z of Mrs P (Southwark Playhouse), Jungle Book (Glasgow Citizens Theatre), Dear World (Charing Cross Theatre), Copacabana, Spend Spend Spend (Winner 2009 Regional Theatre Award for Best Musical), and Sunset Boulevard (Comedy Theatre). As a composer her work for theatre and radio includes Extraordinary Women, The Lost Toy’s Big Adventure, The Secret Garden, The Marriage of Figaro, A Star Danced, The Last Fattybottypuss in The World, Tales My Lover Told Me and A Womb with a View.

JERRY’S GIRLS  is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. 

www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

LISTINGS INFORMATION

MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY

53 Southwark St, London SE1 1RU

POWER OF SAIL

Until 12 May

JERRY’S GIRLS

18 May – 29 June

Box Office:                         020 7378 1713 (£2.50 transaction fee per booking)

Website:                             www.menierchocolatefactory.com (£1.50 transaction fee per booking)

Tickets:                               Prices vary, as below from discounted preview tickets to premier seats. With the emphasis on ‘the sooner you book, the better the price’:

Please note at this time the restaurant is unable to open due to circumstances beyond the company’s control.

www.menierchocolatefactory.com

Twitter: @MenChocFactory

Instagram: @menierchocolatefactory

JANE McDONALD    JULIAN CLARY

PAUL ZERDIN     NIGEL HAVERS
MARISHA WALLACE

ROB MADGE     TOSH WANOGHO-MAUD 

and 

CHARLIE STEMP

TO HEADLINE

Performances begin 7 December at The London Palladium

London, Monday 22 April: Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes has today announced the title and cast for The London Palladium Pantomime which returns to the West End for a ninth year, with a brand-new production of Robin Hood.

Starring national treasure Jane McDonald as Maid Marion and Palladium panto royalty Julian Clary as Robin Hood, this spectacular show also sees the return of favourites Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers, Charlie Stemp and Rob Madge, alongside West End stars Marisha Wallace and Tosh Wanogho-Maud who make their Palladium panto debut. 

From the creative team behind the last eight years of panto, expect a West End spectacle to remember, with stunning sets and costumes, rip-roaring comedy and incredible special effects, Robin Hood will have you merrily riding off into the night.

Robin Hood will run from Saturday 7 December 2024 – Sunday 12 January 2025 at the world-famous London Palladium. Priority booking opens at 10am on Thursday 25 April 2024 (sign up at www.palladiumpantomime.com) with public booking opening at 10am on Friday 26 April 2024.

Back for a ninth magnificent season, The London Palladium pantomime returns for a spellbinding journey to the enchanting depths of Sherwood Forest.

Jane McDonald, who will be making her Palladium Panto debut in Robin Hood playing Maid Marion, said:

“I am thrilled to be making my debut in the iconic London Palladium panto, one of the highlights of the theatrical year. Julian and I are already falling in love off-stage, and we can’t wait to bring this to Maid Marion and Robin Hood come Christmas!”

Michael Harrison, Producer and Director of all nine London Palladium pantomimes said:

“One of the highlights of my year is bringing together our magnificent London Palladium panto cast and preparing to stage our much-loved Christmas spectacular at London’s home of variety. I’m absolutely thrilled that Robin and Marion, two of the greatest lovers in history will be played by the wonderful Jane McDonald and Palladium royalty Julian Clary. This is a love story like no other bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘Robin Hood’s Camp’.

Alongside announcing today’s cast, planning is well underway to create the spectacle on stage that we know our Palladium Panto audiences have come to expect, including some of the most jaw-dropping special effects ever seen in the West End, giving the Palladium Pantomime a totally new dimension.”

Julian Clary, Nigel Havers and Paul Zerdin have starred in pantomimes at The London Palladium since the 2016 production of Cinderella. Charlie Stemp makes a welcome return having last performed in the Palladium Panto in Pantoland in 2020 and before that Dick Whittington in 2017 and Snow White in 2018. Rob Madge made a triumphant Palladium Panto debut in 2022’s Jack and the Beanstalk and returned last year with Peter Pan.

Harrison’s production has set designs by Mark Walters and costume designs by Hugh Durrant created especially for The London Palladium, choreography by Karen Bruce, visual special effects by The Twins FX, lighting designs by Ben Cracknell, sound designs by Matt Peploe for Gareth Owen Soundand composition and orchestrations by Gary Hind.

Robin Hoodis produced and directed by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes.As a producer in the West End his credits include Sunset Boulevard, The Little Big Things, Crazy For You, The Wizard of Oz, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Drifters Girl and Gypsy, as well as the forthcoming productions of Starlight Express and Hello, Dolly!

Crossroads Pantomimes is the world’s biggest pantomime producer and part of Crossroads Live, a global leader in the production of musical theatre and immersive entertainment experiences.

ROBIN HOOD | LISTINGS INFORMATION 

The London Palladium

Argyll Street

London

W1F 7TF

Cast

Jane McDonald   Maid Marion

Julian Clary   Robin Hood

Paul Zerdin   Will Scarlet

Nigel Havers   Friar Tuck

Marisha Wallace  The Sheriff of Nottingham

Charlie Stemp   Alan-A-Dale 

Rob Madge   The Spirit of Sherwood

Tosh Wanogho-Maud  Little John

Further cast to be confirmed

Dates

Saturday 7 December 2024 – Sunday 12 January 2025

Performances

Times vary, see www.palladiumpantomime.com for details

Tickets

Tickets from £20 – no booking fees

Website

www.palladiumpantomime.com

Social Media

Twitter:   @PalladiumPanto   

Facebook:   PalladiumPanto

Instagram:    palladiumpanto

Crossroads Pantomimes

With a glittering array of star names headlining spectacular, lavish productions, Crossroads Pantomimes is the world’s biggest pantomime producer. With renowned creative teams, talented casts and musicians, and passionate production teams, the company create pantomimes which are at the heart of family entertainment across the UK. As part of Crossroads Live, the company works under the leadership of Michael Harrison and is chaired by David Ian.

The London Palladium has been the capital’s majestic home of variety for over a century, and to this day it continues to delight and surprise audiences with its rich tapestry of acts. We’ve welcomed a staggering selection of greats from Bob Hope and Louis Armstrong to the Two Ronnies, Bruce Forsyth and Cliff Richard. This proud tradition has continued since the theatre joined the LW Theatres family in 2000, hosting recent headliners as diverse as Bob Dylan, Madonna, Coldplay, Whoopi Goldberg, Billy Ocean and Dita Von Teese. An annual pantomime made a return to The London Palladium in 2016.

King’s Head Theatre, London – until 5 May 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

Awkward Productions’ Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story is the gift that keeps on giving. Camp, chaotic and absolutely hilarious, this show delivers the unexpected (sometimes even for the performers themselves).

Diana deigns to share her story with the audience at the King’s Head, direct from heaven. And we get the WHOLE story, from conception to royal death plots. Written and performed brilliantly by Linus Karp, this Diana has all the familiar mannerisms, phrases and iconic outfits, and the already absurd story of royal life becomes wonderfully unhinged and ridiculous as Diana takes matters into her own hands.

We are reminded of Diana’s bona fides as a humanitarian, queer icon and Princess of Hearts by on and offstage cameos from audience members playing teachers, corgis… and landmines… The genius of involving the audience creates a new experience every time you see the show – on press night, Diana was lucky to have the hottest parents ever – and the intuition and charm of co-director Joseph Martin watching the audience file in and then picking victims has paid off each time I’ve been.

Video appearances from Geri “I am the Queen” Allen, counting down her reign as she plots against Diana, and Zina Badran as God add even more fabulous nonsense to the proceedings, while Charles is a cardboard cutout very subtly de-aged. The demonic voice of Camilla promises silliness, but nothing can prepare you for Joseph Martin’s rough handling of the Camilla puppet as it jumps on anything with a pulse within reach – completely bonkers.

Karp and Martin have created one of the best shows out there. Mad as a box of frogs and a wonderful evening of communal joy and side-splitting silliness, Diana is simply brilliant entertainment … whatever entertainment means.

Arts Theatre, London – booking until 29 September 2024

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

5*****

The Choir of Man continues its joyous run in the West End as an exciting new cast takes over the barstools, ensuring the fun isn’t stopping any time soon.

With a functioning bar on stage to serve preshow beers (and some during the performance if you are lucky), The Arts Theatre is the perfect venue to turn into The Jungle pub, with its wonky, sometimes sticky, flooring and ancient seats always giving charming giant pub theatre vibes. The concept is simple – 9 men singing in a pub with monologues in between each musical number. But the song choices (from Adele and Sia to Queen via the Red Hot Chili Peppers) and Ben Norris’s writing gives the show a huge heart. Perfectly capturing the camaraderie, earned trust, honesty and occasional idiocy of a group of male friends, the show touches on loss, relationships, men’s mental health and community with Sam Ebenezer’s poet linking songs and introducing the pub’s regulars with heartfelt and funny words. Celebrating the community and shelter of pubs and mourning the loss of those amazing places where 90-year-olds and teenagers mix and share shaggy dog stories with a bar food menu that runs to peanuts and crisps, the audience cannot help but be caught up in the sense of belonging and togetherness emanating from the stage.

The cast all play instruments throughout the show, accompanying the amazing band above the bar – Jacob Evans, Jack Hartigan, Darius Luke Thompson and Sam Tookey. Everyone onstage is introduced as stereotypes: the Beast, the Bore, the Handyman, but each has a musical number to shine and let their character break through. The section about what home means to different people gives Ebenezer a chance to introduce each cast member by name and share a little something about their lives and manages to be melancholy and uplifting at the same time. Jack Blume’s musical arrangements are phenomenal, and Freddie Huddleston’s choreography is still seamless. The cast’s voices are all gorgeous, and blend beautifully. Welsh wonder Sam Ebenezer takes over as Poet after a fantastic run as swing, while Adam Bayjou (the Hard Man), Michele Maria Benvenuto (Maestro), Ben Goffe (Handyman), Luke Conner Hall (Romantic) and Mark Irwin (Barman) continue to amaze in roles that they have made their own. Olugbenga Adelekan (Bore), Rob Godfrey (Beast) and Sam Pope (Joker) join the cast and are the perfect fit, clowning around as if they have been in the roles for years. The Choir of Man family has strength in depth, and the company swings are incredibly talented. On gala night, Seán Keany played the Hardman brilliantly (he also impressed as a hilarious Poet a few weeks ago), and if you ever get the chance to see Niall Woodson, Richard Lock and Alex James Ellison, you are in for a treat. Whoever is performing, the camaraderie and joy that fills the auditorium makes for an unforgettable show.

The Mill at Sonning, Reading – until 1st June 2024

Reviewed by Marcia Spiers

4****

Directed by Sally Hughes this amusing but emotional play by Tim Firth is based on a true story and much-acclaimed 2003 film which had an all-star cast. Set in Yorkshire, it follows the antics of a group of women who belong to a local Women’s Institute. When one loses her beloved husband to leukaemia, she and her best friend decide to raise funds for the local hospital by creating a calendar featuring themselves in tastefully chosen nude poses. As expected, not all in the upstanding community are supportive of the idea but as time evolves, the group achieve celebrity status both locally and around the world.

Elizabeth Elvin gives a solid performance as Marie the haughty leader of the WI. The main cast – Rachel Fielding as Chris, the ballsy ambitious friend of Annie played by Natalie Ogle who admirably depicted the emotions associated with a close bereavement. I particularly liked the performances from Sarah Whitlock as Jessie who has some brilliant lines which made everyone chuckle and Ciara Johnson as Ruth the downtrodden wife who grows throughout the events that take place. Debbie Arnold as Cora the rebel with insecurities and Basienka Blake as Celia provides the glamour. Finally, Dawn Perllman as Brenda Hulse and Lady Cravenshire, distinct parts executed well.

I must credit the men here! Andrew Ryan in the role of John Clark, Annie’s husband who quickly deteriorates after his diagnosis. One could feel the emotion within his performance. Steven Pinder gives a sound performance as the Chris’s husband struggling with a business that is failing and without the support of his wife feels very much alone.

Oscar Cleaver makes his debut as initially reluctant Lawrence the photographer and then in contrast the jack the lad advertising producer Liam. I really liked the way he played Lawrence. Kitty Harris also plays two parts as Elaine and then Heather the young blond bimbo from the local spa where she shines.

Clever use of set and props enabled us to feel the open spaces of the Yorkshire Dales and a local village hall much like mine. The photography scene was well orchestrated, and costumes varied. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this play. It certainly made the audience laugh aloud at times and yet the sadness behind the story was much conveyed.