TICKETS ON SALE

THURSDAY 27 JULY AT 10.00AM

FOR

RALPH FIENNES AND INDIRA VARMA

IN

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S

MACBETH
DIRECTED BY SIMON GODWIN

AT

THE DEPOT, LIVERPOOL

FROM 18 NOVEMBER – 16 DECEMBER 2023

Wessex Grove and Underbelly, in association with Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C. are delighted to announce that tickets are now on sale for MACBETH starring Ralph Fiennes and Indira Varma at The Depot, Liverpool from 18 November – 16 December 2023. For tickets please go to MacbethTheShow.com.

This brand-new production of one of Shakespeare’s most iconic plays will be staged like never before in custom built theatre spaces unique to this production. Following the run at The Depot, Liverpool (18 November – 16 December 2023), the production will play in Edinburgh at the Royal Highland Centre (13 – 27 January 2024) and London at Dock X, Canada Water (10 February – 23 March 2024), giving audiences the chance to be even closer to the action.

The production will then play a season in Washington, D.C. (2 – 28 April 2024) with tickets now on sale as part of a six-play subscription to Shakespeare Theatre Company’s 23/24 Season.

Macbeth is coming. A couple corrupted by their relentless lust for power have blood on their hands. Witness the gripping tale of greed, murder, deception and superstition. Once you cross the line, you can never turn back.

Tony and BAFTA Award-winning Ralph Fiennes will star as Macbeth and Olivier Award-winning Indira Varma will star as Lady Macbeth in a new production of William Shakespeare’s MACBETH. Directed by Simon Godwin with set and costume design by Frankie Bradshaw and an adaptation by Emily Burns. Further creative team and full casting to be announced soon.

Leeds Grand Theatre – until Saturday 29 July 2023

5*****

One of the things I wanted to do when visiting New York was to tap dance down 42nd Street.  I can’t tap dance or sing so I envy those who can. But I did my version and a tick was placed on the bucket list.  For me, you can never go wrong with a good old fashioned musical filled with tap dancing, so 42nd Street was always going to make me happy

The story of the talented dancer plucked from the chorus line to take the starring role in a Broadway musical is the Cinderella story of the American Depression, and this revival is injected with new energy. 

Singer Dorothy Brock is due to be the star of “Pretty Lady”, the new musical by Julian Marsh.  Unfortunately she can’t dance so Marsh demands lots of chorus girls to hide this. Small-town hopeful Peggy Sawyer joins the chorus line, but has a lucky break (literally – when Dorothy cracks her ankle) and gets to play the lead role. The attraction of 42nd Street is the dancing, and a string of catchy 1930s songs by Harry Warren and Al Dubin – the kind you know without knowing you know them (‘We’re in the Money’, ‘Lullaby of Broadway’, ‘Forty Second Street’, etc). Satisfyingly, the show starts with a curtain rising to show tap-dancing feet – it can only get better.

Nicole-Lily Baisden is a powerhouse of tap, with unbelievable solos in 42nd Street, and nails Peggy Sawyer’s naivety and ambition. Sam Lips as cocky tenor Billy Lawler is the perfect dance partner, while Michael Praed as Julian Marsh marshals proceedings with convincing egotism and drive.  Faye Tozer and Les Dennis make a sparkly Maggie Jones and Bert Barry, and Sarah-Marie Maxwell, Aimee Hodnett and Brianna Craig are endlessly bright and fun as chorus girls. But the entire company are perfect and every step is a joy to watch. Samantha Womack and Baisden compete to steal every scene, bubbling with energy and presence. Womack has great comic timing and lack of vanity. Whether she’s belting out Boulevard of Broken Dreams or swooning in I Only Have Eyes For You.  Baisden just has talent by the bucketful, which we get to see with every dance step she takes.

Outstanding choreography by Bill Deamer is pure Hollywood and the set and costume designs by Robert Jones just sparkle under the assured direction of Jonathan Church.  The live band (Jennifer Whyte, Grant Walsh, Toby Kelly, Simon Willims, Rhodri Taylor, Jamie Fathers, Tom Tait, Kevin Ferris, Alan Hase, Jamie Pimenta, Simon Walker, Dave Oxley, Mark Fincham, Paul Rosi), who are kept in a a pit for a reason, give life to the music and lyrics of Warren and Dubin.

The show is just tap dancing heaven. It’s very early in the tour so there is plenty of chance to see this totally joyous musical and everyone can come and meet those dancing feet, at the avenue I’m taking you to, 42nd Street. 

Kings Theatre Portsmouth – until Saturday 29th July 2023

Reviewed by Lucy Hitchcock

5***** – because that’s the most I’m allowed to give!

Richard O’Brien’s cult classic ‘Rocky Horror’ has beamed into Portsmouth for one week only for the best night you’ll have this year!

This classic sees an extremely talented cast including Kristian Lavercombe as ‘RiffRaff’, a role he has performed over 2200 times earning him a world record, Hayley Flaherty and Richard Meek as our romantic leads Brad and Janet and Stephen Webb as‘Frank’n’furter’ to name a few; each and every member of this cast is phenomenally talented.

Narrated by Phillip Franks, Rocky Horror is full of sex, fun, hilarity and heel offering the chance for the audience to heckle the cast to provide an interactive experience for all-each performance is slightly different as Phillip improvises responses to the audience each night. Franks is the perfect narrator, he handles and encourages the audience participation with ease and teases the audience throughout the show with his incredibly witty charm.

Kristian Lavercombe as RiffRaff is exceptional. His talent and incredible singing is not to be missed in this role and lends a performance that I can never get bored of. His comic timing is spot on and during ‘Over at the Frankenstein Place’ he gives the audience a glimpse of why he has been in the production over 2200 times. Lavercombe is an amazing actor, one that uplifts and holds the show to the standard it is through his acting of the highest calibre. He truly is a star and I cannot wait to return to the show to see him perform again. Together with Suzie Mcadam as his sister ‘Magenta’,this duo is a treat to watch. Their performances are in sync and with the talent that flows through them both, it is a wonder how they do it each night!

Hayley Flaherty and Richard Meek as ‘Janet’ and ‘Brad’ had the perfect mix of romance and vulnerability and with a little hint of humour, we saw a great story unfold. They are both extremely talented and with show off pieces such as ‘Toucha Touch Me’ and ‘Once in a While’ we see the extent of their skill, providing a wonderful audience experience. It was a joy to watch their romance change and they are perfectly suited together.

Stephen Webb, as ‘Frank’n’Furter’ is superb. He absolutely melted into the role, creating a seamlessly sexy performance to tantalise your tastebuds and is a feast for the eyes and ears. Webb, with his platformed heels, fitted corset and flowing feather boa, pranced around the stage as if he was at home-it was a joy to see such a passion for the role he was playing and I forgot I was watching him; he really was ‘Frank’! He commanded the stage with such ease and enthusiasm and connected with the audience instantly creating an atmosphere that completely encapsulated the whole audience!

I particularly enjoyed the outlandish costumes from the mind of Sue Blane, keeping fairly close to the cult classic film but with a modern twist of an absurd amount of sequins!!

Sonnets at the Bar.  The Bar Convent, Blossom Street, YORK.

York Shakespeare Project is delighted to bring its popular Sonnets at the Bar back to the secret garden of The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, Blossom Street, from August 11-19.

“The invitation is as warm as ever”, says this year’s director, Tony Froud.  “On a summer’s evening, it has always proved a lovely experience.  While sipping your complimentary drink in the convent’s delightful garden setting, sit back and enjoy a taste of Shakespeare that is both entertaining and accessible”.

In a format which has always proved successful, the show features a series of larger than life modern characters, each with a secret to reveal.  And, to the surprise of the audience, the characters each in turn speak one of Shakespeare’s sonnets to reveal the heart of their story.

“It’s a simple device that always seems to work”, explains Tony.  “Very often the actor can be halfway through the sonnet before the audience realises that the language has become Shakespearean”.

YSP first brought Shakespeare’s sonnets to life in 2014 with the Sonnet Walks, in which a group of audience members encountered colourful characters as they walked round the streets of York.

“Many people will remember the Walks fondly”, admits the show’s writer Helen Wilson, “but staging the show in a single setting has great advantages, allowing characters to meet, exchange conversations and reappear.”

Helen, who, with Maurice Crichton, created the original Sonnet Walks in 2014, has shaped the script based on the improvisations of the cast.  “We have been inspired by the hotel setting, but our hotel is very different to the Bar Convent”, she explains. “The combination of eccentric staff and a whole variety of residents with fascinating back stories has offered great possibilities. The cast features a good number of actors familiar to YSP regulars, but includes some new faces as well. A big part of the fun of the show is guessing which unusual characters they will be playing.”

Sonnets at the Bar runs from Friday 11 – Saturday 19 August (except Monday 14), at 6pm and 7.30pm, plus 4.30pm on Saturday 12 & Saturday 19 August.

Tickets are available online:  Sonnets at the Bar 2023 | York Theatre Royal or from the York Theatre Royal Box Office (01904 623568).

Ticket prices: £10 and £5 (14-17).  The price includes a drink.

64 ★★★★★ reviews and counting!

The West End’s new 5 star show.

“The West End show you need tickets for, now. Operation Mincemeat is this summer’s smash hit”

Sam Marlowe, The i

“Hilarious tale makes Mincemeat out of its rivals…Before curtain I talked to a fan seeing this for the seventh time. I wondered why anyone would see the same show seven times. Now I know”

Neil Armstrong, The Mail On Sunday

“irrepressible wartime musical is a West End triumph”
Emma John, The Guardian

“LAUGHING so hard I could barely breathe is not what I expected for a musical about a World War II top-secret plan.…the perfect invasion of the West End. Long may they occupy it.”
Thea Jacobs, The Sun

It was announced today, 25^th July, that Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical extends booking into 2024, joining hits including Hamilton, Six, Book of Mormon, Cabaret and Les Misérables, as it continues its run at the West End’s Fortune Theatre through 24^th February. This is the show’s fourth extension.

Extension tickets will be available on general sale on Friday 28^th July at 10am from the Official Box Office here

For the new booking period from 6^th November through 24^th February 2024, Monday shows will be exclusively available for now through the Official Operation Mincemeat Mailing list here

Christmas week (26^th through 31^st December) show tickets will also be exclusively available for now through the Official Operation Mincemeat Mailing list here

Garnering 64 five-star reviews and now starting to gain international acclaim including titles from the USA -“My far-and-away favorite production” (The New Yorker), Israel – “A story about the impossible that was possible…The guys who put on a show with zero budget conquered the most coveted goal of all. The mouse that roared… Fly to London now, right now” (Shlomut by Globes) and Germany –“stands out from the plethora of West End productions…The current must-see show” (Musicalzentrale), the extraordinary debut musical is written and composed by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts.

David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts said: “We’re delighted and truly stunned that the gates to London’s West End remain unlocked for our little show, and cannot wait to spend Christmas and beyond with our gorgeous audiences  – is ‘mulled sangria’ a thing?”

If you would like to enter the ticket lottery sign-up here. £25 tickets are available Wednesday – Saturday. The lottery is drawn every two weeks on a Monday, with the next draw taking place on 7^th August.

After five sold-out development runs at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 and Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 & 2022, plus an extended Riverside Studios run last summer, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical is back.

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. 

Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler? 

The production is directed by 2023 Olivier Award nominated  Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge, National Theatre – 2023 Best New Musical Olivier Award winner), following providing directorial support for the Riverside Studios run, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. Also from Standing at the Sky’s Edge at theNational Theatre on the creative team are: 2023 Olivier Award nominated  Ben Stones (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as Set and Costume Designer, Tony Award, six-time Olivier Award and Bafta Award winning Mark Henderson (Girl From the North Country, Broadway & Noël Coward Theatre) as Lighting Designer and Olivier Award winning Mike Walker (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) as Sound Designer. Grammy Award winning and Tony, Emmy, Olivier award nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre) is Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger. Georgie Staight joins as Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles as Associate Choreographer.        

Operation Mincemeat won The Stage Debut award for Best Composer/Lyricist and the Off-West End award for Best Musical Production and Best Company Ensemble. Following the first New Diorama Theatre run, Operation Mincemeat was listed in The Observer’s Top 10 shows of the year and most recently was listed in The Independent’s Top 15 shows of the year.  The show is currently featured in the V&A’s Re:Imagining Musicals display, exploring how musicals have continuously reimagined, reinvented and reinterpreted themselves over time.  

The 2023 Off-West End Best Musical Production Award winning returning cast (Southwark Playhouse/ Riverside Studios), David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Jak Malone and Zoë Roberts, are joined by: Seán Carey (returning Riverside Studios), Geri Allan, Christian Andrews and Holly Sumpton. Casting is by Pearson Casting.

Operation Mincemeat is written and composed by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, who form SpitLip.

Operation Mincemeat is presented in the West End by Avalon (in association with SpitLip), who have supported since the Southwark Playhouse runs. The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.

Full company announced for Arthur Miller’s A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE

A co-production with Headlong, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Rose Theatre

6 – 28 October, Festival Theatre

The full cast has been announced for Arthur Miller’s classic A View from the Bridge, a co-production with Headlong, Octagon Theatre Bolton and Rose Theatre, running at Chichester Festival Theatre from 6 – 28 October (press night: Tuesday 10 October).

Acclaimed stage and screen actor, Jonathan Slinger (Crave at Chichester Festival Theatre, Hamlet, Macbeth at the RSC) will playthe role of Eddie. He is joinedby Nancy Crane (TV’s Inside Man and Suspicion, Summer & Smoke and Chimerica at theAlmeida / West End) who will be the first woman to play the role of Alfieri in this new productionwhich looks at the psychology of the play and its gender politics afresh.

They are joined by Kirsty Bushell (Regan in King Lear at Chichester, Richard III at the RSC, Angels in America for Headlong) as Beatrice, Rachelle Diedericks (Our Generation at Chichester & the National Theatre, The Crucible at the NT) as Catherine, Elijah Holloway in his professional stage debut as Louis/Immigration Officer, Luke Newberry (When Winston Went to War with the Wireless at the Donmar Warehouse, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Macbeth at the RSC/Barbican) as Rodolpho, Tommy Sim’aan (Vigil, The Tempest at the RSC) as Marco and Lamin Touray (Bouncers UK tour, Shakespeare in the Squares, Coronation Street) as Mike/Immigration Officer.

On the Brooklyn waterfront, where the fierce passions of ancestral Sicily linger, the orphaned Catherine falls for her handsome, newly arrived cousin Rodolpho – an illegal migrant. Their romance is encouraged by her aunt Beatrice but stirs complex feelings in her uncle, Eddie Carbone. As tensions rise, their story spins inexorably beyond control.

This brand-new production will be directed by Headlong Artistic Director Holly Race Roughan. Holly said; “Quite honestly, A View from the Bridge remains one of the mostextraordinary plays I have ever read, and it is an honour to be co-producing it alongsidesome of the country’s most important theatres.”

The full creative team includes Moi Tran – Set and Costume Designer, Alex Fernandes – Lighting Designer, Max Perryment – Composer and Sound Designer, Malik Nashad Sharpe – Movement Director, Kev McCurdy – Fight Director, Yarit Dor – Intimacy Director, Aundrea Fudge – Voice and Dialect Coach, Emily Ling Williams – Associate Director, Mona Camille – Set and Costume Associate, Keegan Curan – Sound Associate.

The production will also play at Octagon Theatre Bolton 8 – 30 September, and Rose Theatre in Kingston 31 October – 11 November.

A View from the Bridge is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Limited.

At Chichester, the production is sponsored by Portsmouth Grammar School.

cft.org.uk       Box Office 01243 781312      

Darlington Hippodrome – until Saturday 29 July 2023

4****

From his birth to his deathbed confession, we follow the life of Anthony “Call me Tony” Blair, from his man crush on Mick Jaggers (yes he does refer to him like that), his university days, meeting Cherie and becoming Prime Minister – we see it all through the eyes of writers Harry Hill and Steve Brown and it is BONKERS!

Jack Whittle leads the cast in the titular role of Tony, with his perma-smile and pointing thumbs.  His cheeks must be agony by the end of the show. But it’s Howard Samuels who steals the show as Lord Peter “Call me Mandy” Mandelson (and also Dick Chaney and Alastair Campbell).  Phil Sealey is excellent as Gordon Brown, wanting to be Prime Minister until he actually becomes Prime Minister and he’s hysterical in the second half when he sings “I Never Done Anything Wrong” as Saddam Hussein.  Rosie Strobell is punch happy as John Prescott but laugh-out-loud funny as one of the Gallagher brothers singing about New Labour and as Osama Bin Laden singing “Kill the Infidel”. The People’s Princess, Diana (Emma Jay Thomas), makes an appearance both before and unexpectedly after her death.  We also meet Robin Cook (Sally Cheng), Neil Kinnock (Martin Johnston) and William Hazel fills all the other roles.  But we can’t have Tony without Cherie and Tori Burgess is hilarious in a curly wig with a thick scouse accent.

The band (Tiara Litvack, Toby Morgan and Harry Brent) are on stage throughout as the Rock Opera evolves.  Libby Watsons set is plain but effective and the cast wear suits with red ties and socks throughout. Peter Rowe has directed a total farce, even if it is a bit heavy on the smoke machine at times.

If Harry Hill’s humour appeals to you, then you will love this.  It has the essence of a fringe show and it is appearing in Edinburgh in August.  But if you too want to spend the rest of the night singing along to “The Whole WIde World is run by Assholes” and laughing until your sides ache and you have a grin stuck to your face like Tony, then this is the show for you.  A word of warning – don’t sit in the front row!!!

Final casting announced for the European premiere
of the multi award-winning manga stage musical
Death Note THE MUSICAL in Concert

including Aimee Atkinson, Rachel Clare Chan
Christian Ray Marbella and Adam Pascal

Broadway legend Adam Pascal (Roger in the original cast of ‘RENT’), Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard  in the original cast of ‘Six’, Vivian in ‘Pretty Woman’), Rachel Clare Chan (a recent graduate from the Royal Academy of Music) and Christian Ray Marbella (Engineer in ‘Miss Saigon, international tour) join the previously announced Frances Mayli McCann, Dean John-Wilson and Joaquin Pedro Valdes to star in Death Note: THE MUSICAL in Concert.

They are joined by an ensemble featuring Felipe Bejarano, Charlotte Coggin, Jade Copas, Eu Jin Hwang, Yojiro Ichikawa, Deena Kapadia, David Kar-Hing Lee, Nick Len, Jasmine Leung, Jojo Meredith, Marcel Li-Ping, Janine Somcio.

Following acclaimed productions in Japan and Korea Death Note THE MUSICAL will get its English language premiere with three star-studded concerts at the London Palladium on 21 & 22 August.

Tickets sold out for the two evening  performances in just 8 hours and only limited tickets remain available for the matinee.

Based on the best-selling Japanese manga series of the same name by Tsugumi Ohba and Takeshi Obata/Sheuisha, this ground breaking musical (Winner Best Musical, Korea Musical Awards) has a score by Frank Wildhorn (‘Jekyll & Hyde’, four years on Broadway, ‘Dracula’, ‘Bonnie & Clyde’) with lyrics by Jack Murphy and book by Ivan Menchell.

It will be directed by Nick Winston and is produced by Carter Dixon McGill Production (‘Chess in Concert’, ‘Kinky Boots in Concert’, ‘Treason the Musical in Concert’), Indie Theatrical and HoriPro.

Light Yagami, a bright but dissatisfied high school student in Tokyo comes across a discarded notebook owned by Ryuk, a mythological god of death. Discovering he can kill anyone by just writing their names in the supernatural notebook, Light takes justice into his own hands by filling the notebook with names of the nation’s most wanted criminals. But a detective only known as ‘L’ is soon tracking him down…

Adam Pascal  will play Ryuk, a Shinigami (“god of death”).
A rock singer, Adam was chosen to create the role of Roger Davis in the original 1996 cast of Jonathan Larson’s musical ‘RENT’ on Broadway, he played the role in the West End premiere and  the 2005 movie version of the musical. His other roles include Radames in Elton John and Tim Rice’s ‘Aida’,  the Emcee in the 1998 revival of ‘Cabaret’, and for playing Huey Calhoun in the Broadway company of ‘Memphis’. More recently, he played William Shakespeare in the Tony Award-winning musical ‘Something Rotten!’.

Aimie Atkinson will play Rem, a Shinigami (“god of death”).
Aimie created the role of Katherine Howard  in the original cast of ‘Six’ and was Olivier nominated Best Supporting Actress, then played the lead role of Vivian Ward in ‘Pretty Woman’ (West End). Her other roles include Daniela in ‘In the Heights’ and Serena in ‘Pretty Woman’ (KIlworth House).

Rachel Chan will play Sayu, Light’s little sister.
Rachel recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Musical Theatre. She is the recipient of the ABRSM Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Award. She will next apperar in ‘Oliver!’ at Leeds Playhouse.

Christian Ray Marbella will play Soichiro.
Christian recently played Herod in ‘Jesus Christ Supertstar’ in Vienna. His other roles include Engineer in ‘Miss Saigon’ (international tour), Lun Tha in ‘The King & I’, Gary in ‘The Full Monty’.

Creative team:
Director and Choreographer Nick Winston
Associate Director and Choreographer Alex Sarmiento,
Costume Designer Kimie Nakano
Musical Supervisor  Katy Richardson
Musical Director Chris Ma
Orchestrator Jason Howland
Designer Justin Williams
Lighting Designer Ben Cracknell
Sound Designer Ben Harrison
Casting Harry Blumenau
Artwork by Rebecca Pitt Creative
Producers Carter Dixon McGill Productions, Indie Theatrical and HoriPro

Death Note THE MUSICAL premiered in 2015 in Tokyo, Japan. A 2022 Korean production won four awards at the Korea Musical Awards after being nominated in 10 categories (“Death Note offers a glimpse at the future of musicals”, The Korea Herald). In 2017, Netflix released a TV adaptation of ‘Death Note’ starring Willem Defoe.

Frank Wildhorn said: “Death Note THE MUSICAL has been the most unique, strange, edgy, and wonderful musical journey for me. It’s been a dream of mine to bring this show from Asia to the West End of London, and here we are!”

Frank Wildhorn
In 1999, Frank became the first American composer in 22 years to have three shows running simultaneously on Broadway with Jekyll & Hyde, The Scarlet Pimpernel and The Civil War. Also for Broadway: Bonnie & Clyde, Dracula, Victor/Victoria, Wonderland, and the revival of Jekyll & Hyde. West End: Bonnie & Clyde. International: Carmen, Camille Claudel, Casanova, Cyrano, Death Note, Fist of the North Star, Mata Hari, Mitsuko, Never Say Goodbye, No Longer Human, Rudolf, Tears of Heaven, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Man Who Laughs, Your Lie in April and Xcalibur. Upcoming: Song of Bernadette and Reunion. He Produced Harlem Song at the famed Apollo Theatre. The Korea Times recently proclaimed Wildhorn as “Korea’s most popular musical composer”.

Carter Dixon McGill Productions
Carter Dixon McGill Productions are an Olivier nominated production and general management company with offices in London and Glasgow. Co-founded by John-Webb Carter, Jamie Chapman Dixon & Stephen McGill, they have over 30 years of experience within the entertainment industry.  
Recent productions include: ‘Blippi the Musical ‘(Apollo Theatre & Lyric Theatre); ‘Chess the Musical in Concert’ (Drury Lane Theatre); ‘Kinky Boots the Musical in Concert’ (Drury Lane Theatre); ‘Treason the Musical in Concert’ (Drury Lane Theatre). Previous productions include: ‘Wonderville: Magic & Illusion’ (Palace Theatre, London); ‘Death Drop’ (Criterion Theatre, Garrick Theatre & UK Tour).

Indie Theatrical
Indie Theatrical was established in 2014 by Broadway veteran, Louis Hobson, and theatrical producer, Jake Groshong. In addition to serving as Frank Wildhorn’s US producer, Indie has created global partnerships and established collaborations with industry leaders, top regional theatres, festivals, film and theatre producers, both domestically & internationally, to produce a wide variety of programming.  Credits include ‘Grey House’ on Broadway, executive producer of the 2023 Grammy nominated album, ‘Some Lovers’, by Burt Bacharach and Steven Sater; Shaun Cassidy’s ‘Magic of the Midnight Sky’; and Frank Wildhorn’s, ‘The Song of Bernadette’, which will premiere in 2024 by special arrangement with Buena Vista Theatrical. Indie is also currently developing Frank Wildhorn’s new musicals ‘Reunion’, and ‘Your Lie In April’, which will both premiere in 2024.

HoriPro
Live Entertainment Division
Live Entertainment Division plan, produce and present various theatrical works including plays and musicals. Starting from the musical ‘Peter Pan’, which is presented every summer, HoriPro Stages, works produced by our company, are loved by many fans. We have brought the great works directed by the late Yukio Ninagawa, such as ‘Musashi’, ‘Shintokumaru’, and ‘Kafka On The Shore’ to other parts of the world and received fantastic reviews in London, New York, and other cities. In addition to producing our own directing version of musicals and plays such as ‘Thrill Me, ‘The Miracle Workers’, etc., we have presented the Japanese version of major musicals including ‘Billy Elliot’ and ‘Mary Poppins’ and have established a unique position in the Japanese theatrical industry. We are also the Japanese producer of ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’, which is being presented in Asia for the first time. Our original musical production ‘Death Note THE MUSICAL’, which is being presented in Korea too, is the first production HoriPro had licensed to another country.

LISTINGS INFO

Carter Dixon McGill Productions
and Indie Theatrical present

Death Note THE MUSICAL
in Concert
Music by Frank Wildhorn,
Lyrics by Jack Murphy, book by Ivan Menchell
©️Tsugumi Ohba, Takeshi Obata/SHUEISHA, HoriPro

London Palladium
8 Argyll Street,
London W1F 7TF

Monday 21 & Tuesday 22 August
at 7.30pm
Tuesday 22 August at 2.30pm

running time:tbc

age recommendation: tbc

Tickets from £25

Booking link:
www.lwtheatres.co.uk

Website
www.deathnotethemucial.co.uk

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter
@DeathnoteLDN
@ CDMProds
@frankwildhorn

Facebook
@frankwildhorn

Instagram
@DeathnoteLDN
@frank.wildhorn

TikTok
@DeathnoteLDN

AEG AND FOURTH WALL LIVE

ANNOUNCE

ALAN CUMMING

IS NOT ACTING HIS AGE

IN LONDON, MANCHESTER, AND GLASGOW

JANUARY 2024

AEG and Fourth Wall Live are thrilled to announce ALAN CUMMING IS NOT ACTING HIS AGE a one-man show presented by Alan Cumming will play at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall and Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo in January 2024. Full dates and details below.

Monday 15 and Tuesday 16 January 2024 at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Thursday 18 January 2024 at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall

Saturday 20 January 2024 at Glasgow SEC Armadillo

Tickets go on sale Friday 28th July at 10.00am and are available from aegpresents.co.uk/alancumming (https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/)

What exactly is acting your age?  And who decides?  These are the questions Alan Cumming has been grappling with for a very long time.

Alan Cumming said, ‘I’m constantly told, even now in my sixth decade, that I am child-like or puckish, and yet at the same time I’m also called a silver fox and a daddy. I think we all get really mixed messages about ageing.  We’re told to worship at the fountain of youth, to do everything we can to our bodies and our minds to stay young, yet then we bandy around pejoratives like “grow up” or “act your age”, even that we’re “mutton dressed as lamb”. I feel I’m still at an age where I can dance till dawn but also be able to dole out some wisdom to my fellow revellers!  Wisdom is just being able to recognize the repeating patterns that emerge as you get older, and maybe deciding to react to them differently. It’s just the same show with different costumes.’

In Alan Cumming Is Not Acting His Age, he covers all the bases: sex, death and bacchanalia, with a set list as eclectic as the man himself.  Songs from Cabaret authors Kander and Ebb blend with contemporary favourites and even a self-penned paean against plastic surgery.  He also discusses the effects of gravity, the time the mum from the Brady Bunch asked him to punch her, and what his dog taught him about the quality of life.

Alan Cumming’s most recent range of eclectic projects include creating a solo dance theatre piece about the Scottish bard Robert Burns, lip-synching the protagonist in a documentary, hosting the American version of the The Traitors, directing a podcast series about a sperm bank heist, playing a gangster opposite Liam Neason in a Neil Jordan film, curating a cabaret festival in Australia and recording a duet with a Gaelic rapper.

Thirty years ago, his Hamlet stormed the West End, a quarter of a century ago he was a sensation as Cabaret’s Master of Ceremonies in a production that forever changed the Broadway landscape, A decade ago his visceral, virtually one man Macbeth was a stunning, transatlantic coup de theatre.

His screen work ranges from art house to blockbuster, cult to mainstream, but his performances are always indelible and some immortal: Mr Floop in Spy Kids, Eli in The Good Wife, Nightcrawler in X2: X Men United, Sebastian in The High Life, ‘O’ in Sex and the City, Boris in Goldeneye, King James in Doctor Who, Sandy Frink in Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, Mayor Menlove in Schmigadoon and himself on Broad City.

He is the author of six books including a New York Times #1 bestselling memoir, performs in concert regularly in halls around the world and co-owns his own, eponymous cabaret bar Club Cumming, a home for ‘all ages, all genders, all colours, all sexualities, where kindness is all and anything could happen!’

The list of his collaborators over the years includes Liza Minnelli, Jeremy O. Harris, Jackie Chan, the Smurfs, David Bowie, The Simpsons, Robert Wilson, Stanley Kubrick, Jay Z, Bianca Del Rio, the Spice Girls, George Lucas, Terence Blanchard, KT Tunstall and not forgetting Dora the Explorer, Arthur and Elmo.

He had a photo exhibition named Alan Cumming Snaps!and an award-winning fragrance named Cumming. He has played Dionysus, the Devil, God, the Pope and was shot by Herb Ritts for Vanity Fair as Pan. He recently played a 70 year old woman. He has been a Lee Jeans model and on a stamp. He is a Tony and Olivier award winning theatre actor. He hosted the Tonys and was nominated for an Emmy for doing so. In fact he has been nominated for five Emmys, won a New York Emmy, a Scottish BAFTA and a British Comedy Award. He is an Independent Spirit award-winning producer and National Board of Review winning director. He is a Grammy and multiple Golden Globe nominee. His portrait hangs in the Scottish National Portrait Gallery. He has four honourary doctorates and over forty awards for being a humanitarian, but as he says, ‘awards mean nothing’!

NEW BRITISH MUSICAL

WRITTEN BY EMIL DALE & STEFAN KELK

KIN

TO HAVE STAGED CONCERT RUN THIS NOVEMBER

JOSEPH PEACOCK TO LEAD PRODUCTION IN THE ROLE OF NOAH

RUNNING AT THEATRO TECHNIS @ 26 CROWNDALE

LONDON KING’S CROSS

1-4 NOVEMBER (2 NOV @ 7PM)

Emil Dale on behalf of Factory Playhouse Productions Ltd has announced today that the new British musical Kin will have a staged concert run at Theatro Technis @ 26 Crowndale, London King’s Cross from 1-4 November (Press Night: 2 November).

When a controversial cult leader buys an old ranch in a small town in southern America, tensions with the local townsfolk reach boiling point! As the conflict escalates, the shocking depths of their clash are exposed, with a startling revelation: Noah, the mayor’s son, has found himself entangled in the cult’s grip.

Inspired by true events that took place in 1980s America and featuring an original 1980s pop-inspired score, the musical written by Emil Dale & Stefan Kelk will be performed in a staged concert form in the King’s Cross based converted church in London featuring design by Justin Williams and casting by Claire Cassidy for Debbie O’Brien Casting.

Joseph Peacock, who is currently appearing in the UK tour of Titanic the Musical, will lead the production in the role of Noah. Peacock trained at Dale’s Emil Dale Academy and his credits include originating the role of Donny Osmond in the musical The Osmonds, playing the role of Young Gideon on the US tour in Sting’s musical The Last Ship and understudying and playing the role of Tink in the West End production of the musical Bat Out of Hell.

Emil Dale said of today’s announcement, “We just cannot wait for audiences to step into the extraordinary world of ‘KIN’!  The creative team will be fine-tuning the production during its run and we invite you to become an integral part of its evolution through feedback! We hope the way people engage with the material will inform the future life and hopefully even the future home of this brand-new British Musical!” 

The concept album for Kin is available on all streaming platforms including SPOTIFY – APPLE MUSIC – AMAZON MUSIC. Tickets for the production are now available for priority members with general sale on 31^st July at 10:00am via www.kinthemusical.com.