SHOWPATH ENTERTAINMENT ANNOUNCES

TELEVISION STAR

TOM READ WILSON
TO PLAY SQUIDWARD

IN

AT

THE ALHAMBRA BRADFORD, MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE, SHEFFIELD LYCEUM, PETERBOROUGH NEW THEATRE, WOLVERHAMPTON GRAND, LEICESTER CURVE AND HIS MAJESTY’S THEATRE ABERDEEN.

Showpath Entertainment are delighted to announce that television star Tom Read Wilson will star as Squidward in the UK Premiere of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, joining the previously announced Divina de Campo as Plankton. Tom will play the role in Bradford, Manchester, Sheffield, Peterborough, Wolverhampton, Leicester and Aberdeen.

Tom Read Wilson (Squidward)is probably best known as the receptionist on Channel 4’s Celebs Go Dating. He studied at Rose Bruford College and the Royal Academy of Music before performing in Sleeping Beauty at Wellingborough Castle Theatre, Alice in Wonderland at Madinat Theatre, Dubai, the UK Tour of Cat in the Hat and in Sweet Revenge at Theatre Royal Windsor.

As previously announced, Gareth Gates will play the role of Squidward in Southampton, Birmingham, Oxford, Dublin, Belfast, Cardiff, Blackpool and Norwich.

Further casting for the production’s run at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, in Plymouth and Newcastle to be announced. Full tour details and listings below www.spongebobstage.com

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL cast is completed by Lewis Cornay (he/him) as SpongeBob, Irfan Damani (he/him) as Patrick, Chrissie Bhima (she/her) as Sandy, Richard J Hunt (he/him) as Mr Krabs, Sarah Freer (she/her) as Pearl, Eloise Davies (she/her) as Mrs Puff, Hannah Lowther (she/her) as Karen and Rebecca Lisewski (she/her) as Mayor. They are joined by Sam Beveridge (he/him), Jeremiah Olaleye (he/him), Eleanor Turiansky (she/her), Rhys Batten (he/him) and Reece Kerridge (he/him).

Gareth Gates (Squidward) shot to fame in 2002, coming runner up in the UK’s first Pop Idol. He went on to sell over 5-million records worldwide including five UK number-one singles. His theatre credits include playing Marius in the both the West End and 25^th Anniversary Tour of Les Misérables, Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in the West End and on tour, Warner in the UK tour of Legally Blonde and Willard in the UK tour of Footloose.

Divina De Campo (Sheldon J. Plankton) is a seasoned British drag queen and singer who was recently crowned runner up on the first Series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. Known for her high soprano and four -octave range, Divina has been featured on ITV’s The Voice and the BBC’s All Together Now. Her critically acclaimed theatre credits include Mary Sunshine in Chicago and most recently her award nominated performance as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Lewis Cornay (SpongeBob) was most recently seen as Amos in Whistle Down The Wind at The Watermill. His West End credits include The Book of Mormon, The King and I, The Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. As a writer, Lewis had his debut play Daddy Issues premiere at the Seven Dials Playhouse last year.

Irfan Damani (Patrick Star) was most recently seen in The New Musketeers and The Aliens Who Saved Christmas as part of Trinity Theatre Christmas Rep. His West End credits include Raj in Billionaire Boy at the Garrick Theatre and Father in Ishq the Musical at Sadler’s Wells Theatre. On television he has appeared as Saleem in BBC One’s EastEnders and on film in Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again.

Chrissie Bhima (Sandy) graduated from ArtsEd in 2022. Her theatre credits include Candy in Whistle Down The Wind at The Watermill, Jennifer in The Witches of Eastwick in Concert at the Sondheim Theatre and Avatar in Lift at the Southwark Playhouse.

Richard J Hunt (Mr Krabs) most recently appeared as Mudge in Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol at the Southbank Centre. His other theatrical credits include Bromance The Dudesical at The Other Palace, the UK and European Tour of Jesus Christmas Superstar, Mack and Mabel at the Southwark Playhouse, Me and My Girl at the London Palladium and the UK and European Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. On television he has been seen BBC2’s Beautiful People, RTE’s The Late Late Show and Channel 4’s Teachers. 

Sarah Freer (Pearl) has recently appeared in Jack and the Beanstalk at Sheffield Lyceum as well as in the UK Tour of Zog and the Flying Doctors. She has also appeared in The Color Purple at Cadogan Hall.

Eloise Davies’ (Mrs Puff) West End credits include 42 Balloons at the Vaudeville Theatre, Grease at the Dominion Theatre, Bonnie & Clyde in Concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Taboo 10^th Anniversary at The London Palladium, Be More Chill at The Other Palace, and West End Heroes at the Dominion Theatre.

Hannah Lowther (Karen) has most recently appeared in the West End concerts for Emojiland at the Garrick Theatre and Kinky Boots at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. She has also appeared in Millennials in The Other Palace Studio and Heathers The Musical at The Other Palace where she made history as the first actress to play all three Heathers in Heathers The Musical and went on to win three West End Wilma Awards including Best Understudy.

Rebecca Lisewski (Mayor)most recently appeared in the West End in Strictly Ballroom at the Piccadilly Theatre. Her other West End credits include Mamma Mia! And Carousel. She has also appeared in the UK Tours of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Tango Moderno, The Last Tango, and Starlight Express.

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and became the hottest star on Broadway? SpongeBob SquarePants! Plunge into this stunning all-singing, all-dancing, dynamic stage show!

When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world!

With lives hanging in the balance and all hope lost, a most unexpected hero rises up. The power of optimism really can save the world! An exciting new production featuring irresistible characters, magical choreography and dazzling costumes; this deep-sea pearl of a show is really set to make a splash with audiences young and old as the must-see musical of 2023. The future is bright, the future is bold, the future is THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg, with book by Kyle Jarrow and featuring original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A, Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants and T.I. and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny and Andy Paley. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music by Tom Kitt. Musical production conceived by Tina Landau.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL will be directed by Tara Overfield Wilkinson (she/her), with choreographer Fabian Aloise (he / him), designer Steve Howell (he / him), Musical Supervisor Mark Crossland (he / him), Musical Director Marcus Carter-Adams (he/him), Costume Designer Sarah Mercade (she / her),  Lighting and Video Designer Ben Bull (he / him), Sound Designer Ben Harrison (he / him), Costume and Wig Supervisor Megan Rarity (she / her), Associate Choreographer Paris Green (she/her) and Casting Director Harry Blumenau Casting (he / him). Selladoor Worldwide General Management.

©2023 Viacom International Inc. All Rights Reserved. Nickelodeon, SpongeBob SquarePants and all related titles, logos and characters are trademarks of Viacom International Inc. Created by Stephen Hillenburg

About Nickelodeon

Nickelodeon, now in its 43^rd year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The brand includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, digital, location-based experiences, publishing and feature films. For more information or artwork, visit http://www.nickpress.com. Nickelodeon is a part of Paramount’s (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment brands.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

INITIAL CASTING ANNOUNCED
FOR AWARD-WINNING HIT MUSICAL

EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE

2023-24 UK & IRELAND TOUR

The smash-hit and critically acclaimed musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie announces initial casting for its second UK & Ireland tour.

The cast includes Ivano Turco (Get Up, Stand Up!, Cinderella) as Jamie New, Rebecca McKinnis (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West End, Dear Evan Hansen, We Will Rock You, Les Misérables) as Margaret New,  Shobna Gulati (The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie West End and Film, Coronation Street, Brassic) as Ray, Talia Palamathanan (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie Tour and film) as Pritti, with John Partridge (Eastenders, The View Upstairs, La Cage Aux Folles, Chicago, A Chorus Line, CATS) as Hugo/Loco Chanelle (7 September until 11 November 2023 and 16 January until 16 March), Further casting to be announced.

Nica Burns, Producer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie said: “We are absolutely delighted to be announcing a cracking cast for our second national tour. A huge welcome two new talented stars to the cast of Jamie:  Ivano Turco in the title role and John Partridge as his mentors, Hugo/Loco Chanelle.  They join two superlative fan favourites from the West End cast, Rebecca McKinnis as mum Margaret and Shobna Gulati also reprising her role in the film as Ray.  Talia Palamathanan who was such a hit in the ensemble steps up to the lead role of Pritti.

We thank all our audiences for the incredible reception they have given us and look forward to sharing our joyful musical once again on tour round the UK”.

Following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, sold out UK & Ireland Tour and Amazon studios award-winning film the show opens at The Lowry on 7 September 2023 before visiting Sunderland, Nottingham, Bromley, Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, Leeds, Blackpool, Llandudno, Oxford, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Woking, Sheffield, Liverpool and Glasgow with further tour dates to be announced.

Jamie New is sixteen and lives on a council estate in Sheffield. Jamie doesn’t quite fit in. Jamie is terrified about the future. Jamie is going to be a sensation. Supported by his brilliant loving mum and surrounded by his friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

This ‘Funny, outrageous, touching’ (Daily Telegraph) musical sensation is to be experienced by all the family and not to be missed!

Set to an original score of catchy pop tunes that will ‘blow the roof off the theatre’ (Mail on Sunday) by lead singer-songwriter of The Feeling, Dan Gillespie Sells and writer Tom MacRae (Doctor Who). Choreographed by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince (Into The Woods, Some Like It Hip Hop, SYLVIA, Message In A Bottle). This ‘sparkling coming-of-age musical’ (The Times) will have everybody talking about Jamie for years to come.

Sixteen: the edge of possibility. Time to make your dreams come true.

Watch the Everybody’s Talking About Jamie trailer 

Music by Dan Gillespie Sells

Book and Lyrics by Tom MacRae

From an idea by Jonathan Butterell

Directed by Matt Ryan from original direction by Jonathan Butterell

Design by Anna Fleischle

Choreography by Kate Prince

Lighting design by Lucy Carter

Sound design by Paul Groothuis

Video Design Luke Halls

Casting by Will Burton

Musical Supervisor Theo Jamieson

CAST BIOGRAPHIES

Ivano Turco plays Jamie New. Early training: Arts 1 School of Performance, The Urdang Academy. Credits while training: Sleeping Beauty (Belgrade Theatre, Coventry). Upon graduating in 2020 he debuted in the Original West End cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella starring as Prince Sebastian (Gillian Lynne Theatre). He was a part of ALW’s Cinderella Original Album Cast Recording which received a GRAMMY Nomination for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2021 with Ivano further receiving a nomination as a Featured Artist. In 2021 he was the winner of the Black British Theatre award for Best Male Actor in a Musical for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, sharing the same nomination at the WhatsOnStage Awards 2021. In 2021 he starred as Mordred in Lambert Jackson’s CAMELOT: In Concert (London Palladium); he was a part of the original London workshop cast of FANGIRLS as Salty/Dance captain. He also appears on the studio album of Footballer’s Wives as Salvo, featuring on the singles ‘Lonely Moon’ and ‘Let’s Dance’. Most recently Ivano was the alternate Bob Marley in Get Up! Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical. (Lyric Theatre).

Rebecca McKinnis plays Margaret New. Her theatre credits include Tessa in Wish You Were Dead (UK Tour), Heidi Hansen in Dear Evan Hansen (Noël Coward Theatre); Joan in You Are Here (Southwark Playhouse); Bridget in St Anne Comes Home (The Actors Church); Margaret in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (Apollo Theatre); Christina in Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Playhouse Theatre); Tina Ruston in A Small Family Business (National Theatre Olivier); u/s and Lauren in Viva Forever (Piccadilly Theatre); Les Misérables (25th Anniversary Tour); Teacher and u/s Killer Queen in We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre); u/s Jeanie in Fat Pig (Trafalgar Studios); Susannah Townley in Three Hours After Marriage (Union Theatre); Grumio in The Taming of the Shrew (Changeling Theatre Company); Lucy Lockett in Beggar’s Opera (Changeling Theatre Company); u/s and Donna/Tanya in Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales); Virus/cover Kim and Big Sue in Taboo (UK Tour); Starting Here Starting Now (Upstairs at the Gatehouse); Kitty in Charley’s Aunt (CMC). Other credits include: Sound of Music Live (ITV); Comedy Cuts (ITV2) and Beauty and the Beast (Disney).

Shobna Gulati plays Ray. Shobna will soon be seen returning to the role of Nima in the upcoming second series of Channel 4’s Hullraisers. She became a household name for her role as Anita in Victoria Wood’s dinnerladies and as Sunita, in Coronation Street.  She trained at Manchester University, Trinity Laban, Goldsmith’s College, London, Darpana Academy for Performing Arts, India and has a postgraduate in teaching dance from Middlesex University. Theatre credits include The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (UK Tour); Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith); Richard II (The Globe); Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (The Apollo Theatre and tour ); Daisy Pulls It Off (The Park); Anita & Me (Birmingham Rep/Touring Consortium); Grease (Leicester Curve); Mamma Mia International Tour 2015- 2016, Jon Godber’s April in Paris (Derby Playhouse/ National Tour); B!rth, Hunger for Trade, Come Closer Pretend You Have Big Buildings, Cafe Vesuvio (Royal Exchange, Manchester); How High is Up?,  The Jungle Book, (West Yorkshire Playhouse); dinnerladies, Girl’s Night (National Tour), The Vagina Monologues (Mark Goucher Ltd); Romeo and Juliet, Crazy Lady  (Leicester Haymarket, Contact Theatre ); The Mikado (New, Vic Stoke and Stephen Joseph Theatre) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Tara Arts/National Tour) , Moti Roti Puttli Chunni, Blaggers, and D’yer Eat with Your Fingers? (Theatre Royal, Stratford East). Film credits includeEverybody’s Talking About Jamie (New Regency/Film4/Warp Films); Finding Fatimah (British Muslim TV); Junkhearts, (Dir. Tinge Krishnan) and BAFTA award winning short film, Shadowscan (BFI/Channel4/Disruptive Element Films). She has also written and directed the critically acclaimed comedy show for young women The Masala Girls. Television credits include Brassic (Sky); Inside No 9 (BBC); My Name is Leon (BBC); Midsomer Murders (ITV); Murder They Hope (UKTV); 4Stories – On the Edge (Blacklight Productions); Doctor Who (BBC); Moving On (LA Productions); River City (BBC Scotland); Treasure Champs (CBeebies)  Casualty (BBC); Doctors (BBC); Coronation Street (ITV), Hold The Sunset (BBC), In the Club (BBC), Eastenders (BBC),  New Street Law (BBC), Magnolia (BBC), Paranoid (ITV1/Red/Netflix), You, Me and Them (UKTV Gold), The Slammer (CBBC), Jackanory (CBBC), Bedtime Stories (Cbeebies), Coming Up (Channel 4), Where The Heart Is (ITV1)and dinnerladies (BBC). As a panellist she was seen on Call My Bluff, Have I Got News For You, Countdown and was a regular on ITV’s Loose Women until 2014. She appeared in Best Home Cook and was a semi- finalist in Celebrity Masterchef for the BBC and has appeared in Soapstar Superstar and Stars in their Eyes for ITV. Documentaries include: RTS award winning, River Walks, BBC1, Empire’s Children, Channel 4, Back In Time For Tea BBC2, Disappearing and Discovering Britain, More4. Shobna has also worked extensively as a dancer and choreographer in regional theatres and also in community and education settings across the UK. Between 1992 and 1994 she was a dance animateur for Yorkshire and Humberside. She has written her critically acclaimed memoir, REMEMBER ME? Discovering my mother as she lost her memory, published by Octopus Books in September 2020. She is a Doctor from Bolton University, University of Huddersfield, and Sheffield Hallam, and is Chancellor of The Children’s University, Oldham.  She is also a Deputy Lieutenant for Greater Manchester.

Talia Palamathanan plays Pritti Pasha. Talia trained at The Brit School and part time at the Laura Bruce Dance Academy and Flawless Dance School. Her theatre credits include Stacey in Pump up the Volume for MTFest (Turbine Theatre), Lizbeth in Original London Cast of Cages (Riverside Studios), Becca/Understudy Pritti Pasha in Everybody’s Talking about Jamie (Original UK Tour, Ahmanson Theatre Los Angeles), Anne Margaret in Teenage Dick (Donmar Warehouse), West End Musical Celebration (Palace Theatre), Hortensia in RSC’s Matilda: the Musical (Cambridge Theatre). Her TV credits include The Late Late Show with James Corden performing with Everybody’s Talking about Jamie (CBS), Pav in Hank Zipzer (CBBC), and Children in Need performing with the cast of Matilda: the Musical (BBC). Her film credits include Everybody’s Talking About Jamie: The Film (Warp Films). Workshops include: Sharmina in Soho Dreams (The Lowry). Music Videos include: Michael Bublé & Idina Menzel ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’. Other Work Includes: Soho Dreams Cast Workshop Recording, The Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2019 with Drew Mconie & Cush Jumbo, Dancer in Flawless: Chase the Dream Tour, Various Hip-Hop/ Commercial dance works for Flawless, Aston Merrygold, Dance Proms & MOVEIT.

John Partridge plays Hugo/Loco Chanelle. John is a British actor, singer, presenter and writer. John initially trained in ballet at the Royal Ballet School and went on to train in musical theatre at the Bush Davies School of Theatre Arts and Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts. At the age of 16, John left college to join the cast of the original UK tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical CATS. He went on to join the West End production of the show at the New London Theatre, to star as Rum Tum Tugger. John was subsequently asked to play the role in the official film of the show, opposite Elaine Paige and John Mills. Other West End credits include: Zach in the London revival of A Chorus Line (London Palladium); Robert Martin in The Drowsy Chaperone (Novello Theatre); Gringoire in Notre-Dame de Paris (Dominion Theatre); The Fix (Donmar Warehouse) directed by Sam Mendes; Hawker/Captain Walker in Tommy (Shaftesbury Theatre); Grease (Dominion Theatre); Electra in Starlight Express (Apollo Victoria Theatre); and The Butcher in The Hunting of the Snark (Prince Edward Theatre), Taboo 20th Anniversary Concert (London Palladium) and Daryl Van Horne in The Witches of Eastwick in Concert (Sondheim Theatre). John most recently played Maitland in The Chalk Garden (Theatre Royal Windsor & Yvonne Arnaud Theatre); led the National Theatre & CAST Doncaster production of The Doncastrian Chalk Circle as Azdak; toured the UK as The Emcee in the Rufus Norris production of Cabaret; played Buddy in The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre); Turai in Tom Stoppard’s Rough Crossing (UK Tour); and Chief Superintendent Tanner in The Case of the Frightened Lady after having starred as Albin, who moonlights as star drag act Zaza, in a brand new version of La Cage Aux Folles. He played Billy Flynn in Chicago (UK Tour); Prospero in The Tempest (Northcott Theatre); John in Miss Saigon (UK Tour); Roger in Rent (European Tour); appeared in Black Goes With Everything (Churchill Theatre, Bromley); and Marilyn in Boy George’s musical Taboo (The Venue). Screen credits includes: Julius Caesar in African Queens (Netflix), Felipe in Involuntary Activist (Iris Prize/BBC); and the long-running and much-loved role of Christian Clarke in EastEnders (BBC, 2007-2016). A well-known TV personality, John was crowned Winner of Celebrity MasterChef (BBC); bared all on The Real Full Monty (ITV); was a judge on Taking The Next Step (CBBC); competed in Battlechefs with Marco Pierre White (Watch) and gymnastics show Tumble (BBC). John was a celeb judge on the hugely successful Over the Rainbow (BBC); regular guest host of The National Lottery Draws (BBC); and is frequent guest contributor on Jeremy Vine (Channel 5). John has worked with several rock and pop acts, including: U2, Pet Shop Boys, Kim Wilde, Neneh Cherry, Pete Townshend, Mica Paris and Ultra Naté. In 2009, John won the Inside Soap Award for the Sexiest Male and, in 2010, he was awarded the Entertainer of the Year Award at the annual Stonewall Awards ceremony. In 2013, John performed his first live one-man show Dames ‘n’ Dudes at The Matcham Room, Hippodrome. Following its success, John released Dames, Dudes + Cowboys Too, his debut album featuring original songs alongside classic covers. In 2018, he premiered his all-new live show John Partridge: Stripped at The Other Palace Studio. Following its success, he revived the show in August 2018 at Assembly Checkpoint, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, returning back to London for a final performance at The Pleasance. Following his Celebrity MasterChef win, 2020 saw the release of his debut book, There’s No Place Like Home.

TOUR DETAILS

The Lowry, Salford Quays

Thu 7- Sun 17 September 2023

Website: www.thelowry.com

[On sale]

Sunderland Empire

Tue 19 – Sat 23 September 2023

Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire

[On sale]

Nottingham Theatre Royal

Mon 25 – Sat 30 September 2023

Website: www.trch.co.uk

[On sale]

Bromley Churchill Theatre

Mon 2 – Sat 7 October 2023

Website: www.churchilltheatre.co.uk

[On sale]

Birmingham Hippodrome

Mon 9 – Sat 14 October 2023

Website: www.birminghamhippodrome.com

[On sale]

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Mon 23 – Sat 28 October 2023

Website: www.wmc.org.uk

[On sale]

Brighton Theatre Royal

Tue 31 October – Sat 11 November 2023

Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton

[On sale]

Leeds Grand Theatre

Tue 14 – Sun 19 November 2023

Website: www.leedsheritagetheatres.com

[On sale]

Blackpool Winter Gardens 

Tue 21 – Sat 25 November 2023

Website: www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk

[On sale]

Venue Cymru, Llandudno

Tue 28 November – Sat 2 December 2023

Website: www.venuecymru.co.uk

[On sale]

New Theatre, Oxford

Tue 12 – Sat 30 December 2023

Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford

[On sale]

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tue 16 – Sat 20 January 2024

Website: www.theatreroyal.co.uk

[On sale]

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre

Tue 23 – Sat 27 January 2024

Website: www.grandtheatre.co.uk

[On sale]

New Victoria Theatre, Woking

Mon 29 January – Sat 3 February 2024

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

[On sale]

Peacock Theatre, London

Mon 5 February – Sat 16 March 2024

Website: www.sadlerswells.com

[General on sale 27 March]

Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Tue 9 – Sat 20 April 2024

Website: www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

[On sale soon]

Empire Theatre, Liverpool

Mon 22 – Sat 27 April 2024

Website: www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire

[On sale]

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Mon 13 – Sat 18 May 2024

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

[On sale]

Further venues to be announced.

York Theatre Royal – until Saturday 18th March 2023

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

3.5***

I must admit that generally, every show I go to see I do not read anything about it before hand. I like to go into a theatre and watch any show with an open mind. With the title of The Time Machine, though I have never read the book I have seen the 1960 film adaptation numerous times, I thought I had a rough idea of what the show was going to be about, even with the added “A Comedy” adorning the posters a programme. I’d left my reading glasses at home and couldn’t read the programme until I got home if I had I would have had more idea what to expect.

Original Theatre are currently touring with The Time Machine and are playing at York Theatre Royal this week. Directed by Orla O’Loughlin and written by Steven Canny and John Nicholson, this show is marketed to be an adaptation like no other, when the world of science fiction and science fact collide, and mind-boggling things can happen.

This adaptation starts off as three actors, Dave (Hearn), Michael (Dylan) and Amy (Revelle), switch from performing The Importance of Being Earnest and attempt to recreate HG Wells The Time Machine after being cajoled by Dave, who is the great-great grandson of HG Wells. Things soon go off kilter with technical problems, lines outs of sync, sounds of falling props off stage, very “The Play That Goes Wrong” style of theatre. This all made sense once I read the programme and saw that Dave was one of the founders of Mischief Theatre, who are experts in this field.

Whilst Amy and Michael are trying to roughly follow the script, Dave realises he has his great-great-grandfathers original “Time Machine” and is soon convinced that time travel is real, what follows is mayhem, culminating in tragedy at the end of the first half. I must admit that this was all very confusing and though at times was funny I did truly wander what I was watching. The second half was equally just as whacky, but with audience participation and a lot more laughter. With everything else happening it was extremely entertaining and took the show to another level.

This show is well cast with the confident, enthusiastic and charismatic Dave owning the stage with his energetic physical performance. Amy is spirited in her role, often exasperated when things go awry. She gives a fabulous Cher performance, wouldn’t be out of place as a Cher tribute. Michael is certainly dramatical and not only manages to do an Irish jig but delivers a soliloquy from Withnail and I. They really owned the stage with their melodramatic performances and shared great chemistry.

This show is absolutely bonkers, plain crazy, and I wasn’t sure what I was watching at first, certainly not the traditional The Time Machine. We do get to see some characters from the book, the Eloi named Weena and a Morlock, the latter resplendent in a naff costume, with a lot of hair, but we are also treated to Cher, and keeping up with current affairs, Harry and Meghan make an appearance.

The Time Machine – A Comedy, takes you on a rollercoaster of a ride and really comes into its own during the second half. Full of time paradoxes, perfect for the sci-fi geeks. I do enjoy a bit of sci-fi and this didn’t disappoint. This is an adaptation like no other, that takes you on a hilarious and unexpected journey, one that you can’t help analysing afterwards.

Grand Theatre, Blackpool – until 17 March 2023

Reviewed by Debra Skelton

5*****

How Not to Drown was a different kind of theatre experience for me especially in the way ThickSkin Theatre portrayed a human story through multi-disciplined formats. The 90 minute production that has been adapted and dramatized by Nicola McCartney and innovatively directed by Neil Bettles certainly delivers a painful yet uplifting story that should not be missed.

Dritan Kastrati is a nine year old boy when he witnesses the destructive carnage of the Kosovan war with guns, dead bodies, and mass graves all around him. As a desperate act, his father decides to pay for his sons to be smuggled over to Britain starting with his eldest son Alfred and then Dritan who is aged eleven by this time.

He makes the journey all alone in the back of vans, trains and on boats arriving finally as a refugee in Britain and into their care system where he is regarded with suspicions eyes. Dritan is initially reunited with Alfred but is split from him due to suspicion of being involved in criminal activity and he has to contend alone once again with the revolving doors of foster care.

This story was first performed at the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh in 2019 produced with Tron Theatre and Lawrence Batley Theatre and developed with support from the University of Edinburgh.

This is a fast paced drama performed by Dritan Kastrati himself alongside four other actors (Ajjaz Awad, Esme Bayley, Daniel Cahill, and Samuel Reuben) each of whom play Kastrati at some point in his journey alongside other characters such as mafia bosses, family members and foster families. The acting is superb which helped to draw out different elements of Dritan’s personality, most notably for me is his defiant ”formal complaint” that he is being ripped off having “paid all inclusive” for the journey.

The production needs special thanks to Becky Minto for the set design which included a raised revolving platform that looked like a raft, multipurpose props (steel barriers also being used as beds and doors) which were used effectively in transporting the audience across many hundreds of miles of Dritan’s journey. Neil Bettles & Jonnie Riordan for choreography, Zoe Spurr for Lighting and Alexandra

Fay Braithwaite for Sound design which punctuated key moments as well as creating a subtle atmosphere of menace and a reminder that an eleven year old boy is constantly asking himself “are these people going to feed me, beat me or rape me?”

EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 18 MARCH 2023

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

J.B. Priestley’s timeless crime thriller, An Inspector Calls landed at the Empire theatre last night and since Stephen Daldry’s production in 1992, has won a total of 19 major awards, including four Tony Awards and three Oliver awards. It has played to more than five million theatregoers worldwide and is also one of the most popular modern texts studied in English Literature GCSE. An Inspector Calls is the most internationally, highly praised production in the National Theatre’s history.

Set before the First World War, in 1912, we join the prosperous Birling household, where they are celebrating an engagement. The merriment is halted by the arrival of an Inspector Goole, who announces that a young woman, Eve Smith who used to work in a factory owned by the arrogant and self-important Arthur Birling has killed herself. The Inspector asks questions to uncover the truth about each character’s connection to Miss Smith. In doing so, he forces the family members to self-reflect, in turn they end up confessing to a secret they hoped no one would ever find out and lapse into self-pity. The audience is taken on a journey and learns the timeline of events which led this young woman to her end.

The magnificent staging by Ian MacNeil is genuinely striking, adding to the moral socialist piece of theatre. It is when the family secrets are revealed and their preconceptions exposed that everything, literally comes crashing down. The set is reinforced by the menacing music by Stephen Warbeck contributing to the sinister atmosphere effectively.

This production features a stellar cast and their performances are outstanding with Liam Brennan as Inspector Goole (or Ghoule), dominating the stage even when he wasn’t talking. I was particularly impressed by Christine Kavanagh as Sybil Birling, she was commanding as the icy-hearted and self-justifying matriarch.

The play forces the audience to reflect on their own actions and potential consequences. It also highlights the importance of caring for one another and accepting social responsibility! If you have seen it before, then you have not seen it like this.

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until Saturday 18 March 2023

Reviewed by Steph Lott

5*****

This could be a very short review. In summary, it’s a blimmin’ marvellous production and you should buy a ticket now, without delay! However perhaps I should say why I think that.

Andy Dufresne has been given a double life sentence for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover. He says he’s innocent. Imprisoned at the notorious Shawshank facility, Andy quickly learns that no one can survive alone.

Andy becomes friends with the prison fixer Red and demonstrates his talents for accountancy, talents which come to the attention of the prison governor Warden Stammas. However, Andy is quietly plotting his ultimate revenge.

Based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, this production stars Joe Absolom (EastEnders, Doc Martin) as Andy Dufresne and Ben Onwukwe (London’s Burning) as Ellis ‘Red’ Redding.

This mesmerizing tale of unjust imprisonment, powerlessness in the face of cruelty, and, ultimately, hope and escape, has now been brought to the stage by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns. The production is directed by David Esbjornson, with design by Gary McCann and lighting design by Chris Davey. The set design is ingenious and the lighting evocative. I wondered how it would transfer to the stage, but it is just as suspenseful, mysterious and heart-wrenching as the Stephen King novella or the 1994 film starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman.

Joe Absolom and Ben Onwukwe deliver equally standout performances, but they are not alone. The whole cast are unforgettable, each in their own way. Mark Heenehan is both pompous and menacing as the cruel and corrupt Warden Stammas. Jay Marsh as Bogs Diamond and Leigh Jones as Rooster are truly vile and mindlessly brutal as the predatory “Sisters.” Coulter Dittman shines out as Tommy Williams. The whole cast are truly accomplished.

The play takes place over the course of 20 years and is of necessity a slow burn. But it never flags, and every word and action are flawless. The stage production of The Shawshank Redemption portrays an incredibly harrowing story but the message the play delivers is one of hope.

Festival Theatre, Edinburgh – until 18 March 2023

 Reviewed by Rachel Farrier

5*****

Unlike seemingly every member of the enthusiastic audience at the performance of Buddy that I attended, I thought I didn’t really know anything about the music of Buddy Holly, so was arriving to this musical with a ‘clean slate’ in terms of my expectations. It was clear from the opening bars of the show that I was surrounded by serious Buddy fans – ladies who might have been young when he was in his prime were bouncing on their seats with excitement, and the final half an hour of the show saw plenty of dancing in the aisles. It was clear that the audience last night loved every minute of it. There were a perhaps surprising number of younger folks in the audience too, and they were no less enthusiastic. 

And it turned out that although I thought I did not know  his music, I did actually know a lot of Buddy Holly songs  – such is the enduring nature of his appeal.

AJ Jenks put in a tremendous performance as Buddy the musician – a fabulous voice and seemingly endless energy brought Buddy Holly’s songs truly to life. All the cast members also performed as musicians throughout, which always strikes me as an incredible feat – all were incredibly impressive, but a special mention must go to Joe Butcher as Joe B. Maudlin who performed simply unbelievable acrobatic feats with his double bass – whilst playing it! 

The musical numbers were obviously the focus of the show, and there were certainly sections of dialogue which felt somewhat stilted and slow, but it was never long before another hit returned the energy to the stage, and some of the performances from the other ‘acts’ of the period were outstanding – Samuelle Durojaiye and Laura-Dene Perryman as Marlena Madison and Chantel Williams absolutely stole the show with their barnstorming set in the scene from the Apollo, Harlem. Miguel Angel as both Tyrone Jones and Ritchie Valens brought dynamism and humour, along with a magnificent voice. 

The youth and vitality of the whole cast only emphasised further the tragedy of Buddy Holly’s death at the age of 22, and there is an inevitable poignancy to any reflection on his life and music, but what a tribute this show is to him. The show had officially ended by the time I left the theatre but most of the audience were on their feet and still dancing the night away, unwilling to leave – indeed I wouldn’t be surprised if  they were still there now.  I for one am a new convert, and will looking up Buddy’s back catalogue on Spotify..

Initial casting announced for the world premiere of ‘Glory Ride’

‘Glory Ride’
Book, Music & Lyrics by Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz
Directed by Kelly Devine

Charing Cross Theatre
22 April to 29 July, 2023

GLORY RIDE, a new musical with Book, Music & Lyrics by Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz, directed by Kelly Devine (Olivier Award-winning choreographer of ‘Come From Away’), reveals the secret wartime heroics of Gino Bartali, one of the most beloved athletes of all time.

A Tour de France winner, in the 1940s he was considered the second most famous man in Italy – after Mussolini. His cycling achievements on the Alps and Pyrenees were legendary, but until recently, few knew that he risked his life by saving hundreds of people from fascism during World War II.

With his cycling career as a cover, Bartali cycled thousands of miles between cities across Italy. Hidden in the frame of his bike were falsified identity cards and other secret documents to help victims cross borders to safety. His bravery rescued hundreds of persecuted Jews and other refugees, many of whom were children. In 2013, Yad Vashem, Israel’s official memorial to the victims of the Holocaust, recognised Gino Bartali with the honour of Righteous Among the Nations.

GLORY RIDE transports the audience to the golden hills of Tuscany during the darkest days of the Second World War, with a story combining heist, history, humour, and humanity and a soaring new score.

Victoria Buchholz encountered the story of Gino Bartali while travelling in Tuscany and set out to put it to music as GLORY RIDE, working with her father, Todd, a best-selling author, inventor and senior White House economic adviser.

GLORY RIDE was developed through workshops in New York and Los Angeles featuring top Broadway talent, with sold-out staged concerts last year at The Other Palace Theatre in London.

Cast includes:

Josh St. Clair (as Gino Bartali). Josh’s West End credits include the original cast of ‘Frozen’ (as Grand Pabbie), Peter Kingsley in ‘City of Angels’, ‘School of Rock’ and ‘Wicked’, and the UK tour of ‘Kinky Boots’.

Amy Di Bartolomeo (Adriana Bani). Amy is best known for playing Catherine of Aragon in ‘SIX’ in the West End, Leibeswoosh in ‘Bat Out of Hell’ (West End & Toronto), Meat in ‘We Will Rock You’ (UK tour).

Fed Zanni (Major Mario Carita). From Medina, Italy, Fed’s recent credits include Basilius in ‘Head Over Heels’ at Manchester’s Hope Mill, Nikos in ‘Mamma Mia! The Party’ (O2), ‘The Twelve Tenors’ (European Tour) and Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’.

Daniel Robinson (Giorgio Nico). Daniel was Kurt’s Dad in ‘Heathers the Musical’ (The Other Palace), Nathan Detroit in ‘Guys and Dolls’ and Luther Billis in ‘South Pacific’ both (Kilworth House), ‘Kiss Me Kate’ and ‘South Pacific’ (Théâtre du Châtelet); ‘My Night with Reg’ and ‘Piaf’ (Donmar Warehouse).

Ruairidh McDonald (Felix). Winner of the Young Scottish Musical Theatre Performer of the Year, Ruairidh made his professional debut as Buggins in ‘Half A Sixpence’ at Kilworth House and was John in ‘Peter Pan and Wendy’ (Pitlochry Festival Theatre).

Ryan Bennett (Commander Graziani). Ryan was recently in ‘Heathers’ as Coach Ripper/Big Bud Dean/Kurt’s Dad (The Other Palace) and was Lurch in ‘The Addams Family’ (UK tour).

Peter Watts (Fantali). Peter’s credits include Macduff in ‘Macbeth’ (UK Tour), Antiochus in ‘Pericles, Prince of Tyre’ (Upstairs at the Gatehouse), Trinculo in ‘The Tempest’ and Bottom in ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ (both Nottingham Playhouse).

Jamie Coyne (Cosmo). James is a recent graduate of Guildford School of Acting. ‘Glory Ride’ is his professional debut.

Loris Scarpa (Lorenzo). Loris was Svec in ‘Once in Concert’ (London Palladium), ‘Rapunzel’ at The Watermill and played Tweedledum/The March Hare in ‘Alice in Wonderland’ (The Mercury Theatre).

Susianna Paisio (Rosetta). Susianna is an Italian actress and singer-songwriter based in London and Turin. Her stage credits include ‘La Conferenza degli Uccelli’m ‘Chotto Desh’ (Akram Khan Company),  ‘Song of the Earth’ (Edinburgh Festival, shortlisted for the Sustainable Practice Award), ‘Una Mendicante Cieca Cantava l’Amore’ (Teatro dei Sensibili, Milan) and ‘Sibilla in Il Postino dell’Arcobaleno’ (Teatro San Babila, Milan).

Steve Watts (Torello). Steve’s credits include ‘Passion’ at Hope Mill, Manchester, ‘As You Like It’ (West End and International Tour); ‘Macbeth’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Lady Be Good’ and ‘The Boy Friend’ (Regent’s Park).

Alice Spigariol (ensemble). Alice is a recent graduate of Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. Glory Ride’ is Alice’s professional debut.

Creative team includes:

Director Kelly Devine
Associate Director Ricky J. Hinds
Musical Director Dave Rose
Set, Costume & Video Designer PJ McEvoy
Lighting Designer Rob Halliday
Orchestrations Jen Green
Casting Director Harry Blumenau
General Management  Smart Entertainment
Italian cultural adviser Federico Bellone
Producers Glory Ride 2023 Ltd

Kelly Devine – Director

‘Glory Ride’ is Kelly Devine’s UK debut as a director. As a choreographer, she won the 2019 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Choreography for the West End production of ‘Come From Away’. Her Broadway choreography credits include ‘Rock of Ages’, ‘Rocky’, ‘Doctor Zhivago’, ‘Come From Away’ ‘Diana the Musical’ and ‘Escape to Margaritaville’. She was associate choreographer on ‘Memphis’ and ‘Jersey Boys’.

Todd Buchholz – Book, Music & Lyrics

Todd Buchholz is a novelist and economic historian. He was an original co-producer of ‘Jersey Boys’ and his novel ‘The Castro Gene’, a mystery about a megalomaniacal investor in the Rat Pack era, was named a finalist for the USA Best Book Prize. He provided audio narration for his recent books,’ The Price of Prosperity’ (HarperCollins), which was named a “must-read” by the Wall Street Journal and ‘Rush’ (Penguin), for which he was profiled in The Times in London. Todd served as a senior advisor at the White House and is a frequent commentator in The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal and has appeared on such HBO’s ‘Real Time with Bill Maher,’ PBS NewsHour, BBC Today, and National Public Radio.

Victoria Buchholz – Book, Music & Lyrics

Victoria Buchholz is the author of the play ‘Lockdown’, which has been performed at regional theatres in Southern California and New York, as well as by the Tisch School at NYU. She has served as an executive at Viacom and Royal Caribbean, has written for publications such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, and was a producer for ‘The Charlie Rose Show’ and Bloomberg Television. Victoria’s musical compositions include a set of contemporary pop songs under her stage name, Victoria Beachwood, as well as the score of ‘Law School Musical’, composed during her time at Stanford Law School.

Smart Entertainment – General Managers

Smart Entertainment provides general management, executive producing and consultancy services for the theatre and live entertainment sector. The experienced team have worked on over 100 productions in the last decade. Smart’s recent clients include Hartshorn – Hook Enterprises (including ‘Peaky Blinders: The Rise’, ‘Doctor Who: Time Fracture’, ‘Amélie’ and ‘The Great Gatsby’), ‘Grenfell: Value Engineering – Scenes from the Inquiry’, ‘Grenfell: System Failure – Scenes from the Inquiry’, London Musical Theatre Orchestra (including ‘A Christmas Carol’ at the Dominion, 2020), Rifco Arts, Talawa Theatre Company, Hackney Showroom and Northampton Royal & Derngate.

LISTINGS INFO

Glory Ride 2023 Ltd
presents
the world premiere of

GLORY RIDE
Book, Music & Lyrics by
Victoria Buchholz & Todd Buchholz

Directed by Kelly Devine

Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches
Villiers Street
London WC2N 6NL

Box office: 08444 930650

Saturday 22 April to 29 July, 2023

Performances:

Monday to Saturday evenings at 7.30pm

Wednesday and Saturday matinees
at 2.30pm

Prices:
from £25.00

Premium seats
add programme and glass of bubbly for only £7.50 extra.

A £2.50 booking fee applies to phone and internet orders;
no booking fee to in person over the counter sales.
A restoration levy  applies to all tickets

The box office is open from 2 hours before curtain time on performance days for in person sales

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter:
@GloryRideShow

Instagram
@GloryRideShow

Website
www.Gloryridemusical.com

MARK RYLANCE TO STAR IN THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

DR SEMMELWEIS IN THE WEST END

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Mark Rylance is a force to behold” Sunday Times

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“A smash hit” Mail on Sunday

★ ★ ★ ★

“A compelling new drama” Telegraph

★ ★ ★ ★ ★                        ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Sunday Times                                  Mail on Sunday

★ ★ ★ ★                  ★ ★ ★ ★                  ★ ★ ★ ★

Observer                            Daily Mail                          Guardian

★ ★ ★ ★                       ★ ★ ★ ★                      ★ ★ ★ ★

      Telegraph                            The Stage                   Broadway World

Mark Rylance returns to the West End this summer in Dr Semmelweis opening at the Harold Pinter Theatre on 11 July, with previews from 29 June, and running until Saturday 7 October. The critically acclaimed Bristol Old Vic production, directed by Tom Morris, opened in 2022, and sees Rylance reprise the title role.

Mark Rylance said today, “Here is a person who makes one of the most important discoveries in modern medicine – what we now call ‘Bacteria’ – and yet he is pretty much unknown because for forty years, until Louis Pasteur and Dr Lister make the same discovery, no one will listen to him.  Why?

“I was intrigued. The inspiration to act our story with a chorus of ballet dancers and a quartet representing the many thousands of mothers who perished unnecessarily, makes this a very powerful piece of theatre for me. I am thrilled to be reviving it in London at the Harold Pinter Theatre.”

With preview tickets from £10 and over 350 tickets a week at £25 or less, the production will play for a strictly limited 14-week run.

• Booking for National Theatre Members, Bristol Old Vic Members and ATG Theatre Card Members opens on 17 March at midday.
• To sign up for advance booking, please go to https://drsemmelweistheplay.com/ by 22 March – with tickets available from 24 March for those who have signed up, and for SFP Mailing List Members.
• Public booking opens on 31 March at midday.

Sonia Friedman Productions and the National Theatre present

the Bristol Old Vic Production of

DR SEMMELWEIS
By Stephen Brown with Mark Rylance

Based on an original idea by Mark Rylance

Directed by Tom Morris; Set and Costume Design by Ti Green; Lighting Design by Richard Howell
Choreography by Antonia Franceschi; Music by Adrian Sutton

“We are the doctors of the modern age. We are marching into battle.”

Mark Rylance returns to the West End as one of medicine’s greatest pioneers, maverick Hungarian doctor Ignaz Semmelweis – the man whose research could save many millions of mothers’ lives.

But what good is a discovery when it falls on deaf ears?

In Vienna, a city of artistic and scientific revolution, thousands of women are still dying in childbirth each and every year. Only Dr Semmelweis can see the invisible killer at work, but to stop it, he must convince his colleagues to admit culpability and approve change.

Damned by an establishment that questions his methods, his motives and even his sanity, Semmelweis is haunted by the women he has failed to save. Can he finally convince the greatest doctors of 19^th century Europe to accept his argument – and what will it cost him to make an almost impossible case?

Following a “smash hit” (Mail on Sunday), sold-out run at Bristol Old Vic, this “compelling new drama” (The Telegraph) directed by Tom Morris, featuring live music by Adrian Sutton and original choreography by Antonia Franceschi of Balanchine’s New York City Ballet, comes to the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End for a strictly limited run this summer.

In association with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Mark Rylance plays Dr Semmelweis. His theatre credits include Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe), Farinelli and the King (Shakespeare’s Globe/Duke of York’s Theatre/Belasco Theatre), Nice Fish (Harold Pinter Theatre – also co-writer with Louis Jenkins), Twelfth Night (Shakespeare’s Globe/Apollo Theatre/Belasco Theatre – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play), Richard III (Shakespeare’s Globe/Apollo Theatre/ Belasco Theatre), Jerusalem (Royal Court Theatre/Apollo Theatre/Music Box Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Actor and Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play, and Apollo Theatre 2022), La Bête (Comedy Theatre/Music Box Theatre), Boeing-Boeing (Apollo Theatre/Cort Theatre – Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play) and Much Ado About Nothing (Queen’s Theatre – Olivier Award for Best Actor). Rylance was the Artistic Director of the Shakespeare’s Globe for 10 years (1996-2006). His television credits include Wolf Hall – BAFTA Award for Best Actor and an Emmy nomination. His film credits include Institute Benjamenta, Bridge of Spies – Academy Award and BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor, The BFG, Ready Player One, Dunkirk, Waiting for the Barbarians, The Trial of the Chicago 7, The Phantom of the Open, Don’t Look Up, Bones and All, and The Outfit.

Tom Morris has been Associate Director at the National Theatre since 2004. He was Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic from 2009 to 2022, where he re-established the theatre’s programme after closure, conceived and directed two landmark festivals (Bristol Proms, festival of world class music and integrated digital technology in collaboration with Watershed Bristol and Universal Music, and Bristol Jam: Britain’s first festival of improvised performance). He also oversaw a major restoration and refurbishment of Britain’s oldest continuously working theatre – creating direct visibility from the street for the very first time. He was Artistic Director of BAC from 1995 to 2004 where he established the scratch developmental programme, restructured the organisation, set up and curated A Sharp Intake of Music, Playing in the Dark, the British Festival of Visual Theatre and the Sam Shepard Festival, and BAC Opera, where he produced Jerry Springer the Opera. His work as a director includes Juliet and her Romeo, The Meaning of Zong (with Giles Terera), Cyrano, King Lear, Touching the Void, The Grinning Man, Swallows & Amazons and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (all for Bristol Old Vic and/or West End/International tour), Monteverdi’s  L’Orfeo (Vienna Statsoper), Breaking the Waves (Scottish Opera/ Opera Ventures, EIF, Opera Comique, Adelaide Festival), The Death of Klinghoffer (ENO & Metropolitan Opera), Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (NT), War Horse (NT, Lincoln Center and world tour (winning numerous awards including Tony for Best Director, with co-director Marianne Elliott)), Disembodied, Newsnight: The Opera, Home, Passions, Unsung, Othello Music, Trio and All That Fall (all for BAC). Writing includes A Christmas Carol and The Nutcracker (Bristol Old Vic), World Cup Final 1966, Jason & the Argonauts and Ben Hur (all with Carl Heap for BAC), The Wooden Frock, Nights at the Circus and A Matter of Life and Death (all with Emma Rice for Kneehigh) and the libretto for Orpheus in Hell for ENO. Morris was founding Chair of the JMK Trust, is the current Chair of Complicité, has honorary doctorates from UWE and Bristol University, and an OBE for services to Theatre.

Instagram, Facebook & Twitter: @SemmelweisLDN

THEATRECRAFT IS BACK, FOR ITS 17th YEAR

AT THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

Monday 20 November 2023

www.theatrecraft.org

Save the date for TheatreCraft 2023, the UK’s largest free theatre careers event.Taking place at London’s Royal Opera House on Monday 20 November 2023, TheatreCraft is the place for young people to explore a huge range of offstage jobs.

Open to 16 to 30-year-olds, the day offers a unique glimpse into a wide range of non-performance careers from directing, stage management and producing, to marketing, lighting and costume design. Attendees can take part in interactive workshops and join backstage tours at the Royal Opera House and other West End venues. They can ask questions of leading industry professionals, explore a Marketplace full of arts organisations and training providers, network with your peers and potential employers and get one-to-one expert advice. All for free!

TheatreCraft continues to address the skills shortage in the sector, showcasing a range of offstage roles and allowing young people to highlight jobs they may not know existed. For young professionals already in theatre, workshops and conversations provide opportunities for career development and much food for thought, (last year we focused on sustainability, funding models and new technologies).

Registration will open later in the year, so pop the date in your diary and sign up to the TheatreCraft newsletter to be first to register for the event and book your workshops and tours. For anyone who can’t attend in person, we will also have a busy online programme.

TheatreCraft 2022 was attended by hundreds of young creatives, over 70 theatre professionals led workshops, talks and Q&A sessions, and 60 of the country’s top theatre companies, arts organisations and education providers exhibited in the Marketplace. In 2023, TheatreCraft will be even bigger!

TheatreCraft was founded by Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust (Masterclass) in 2003, and is now co-produced by Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust, Royal Opera House, Society of London Theatre and Go Live Theatre Projects.

Details of when registration will be open and the days schedule will be announced later this year.

Quotes:

“We are delighted to host TheatreCraft again this year, opening our doors to hundreds of young people as they explore the wealth of opportunities available to them in this exciting industry. So many talented people started their journey with Theatrcraft, and I look forward to seeing more follow in their footsteps as we work together to make the UK’s theatre industry the best in the world.” – Alex Beard, CEO of the Royal Opera House

‘We are really proud to be able to continue this flagship careers event for young people looking to join our theatre workforce. Finally back in full capacity, we plan to offer more workshops, tours, industry conversations and inspire the next generation of backstage workers. We are pleased to be able to join forces with new and existing oganisations to extend our reach and let young people know theatre has a place for them’. – Claire Walker & Hannah Essex, SOLT and UK Theatre

‘Our industry is full of people whose journey started at TheatreCraft. This year we will inspire another new cohort of young creatives, bringing them together with organisations where they can learn their craft and make brilliant theatre.’ – Clare Annamalai, Masterclass

‘This annual event provides an unsurpassed occasion for young people seeking a career ‘behind the stage’ to discover the huge range of opportunities the world of theatre has to offer. For anyone intent on a job in the theatre industry, this is a not-to-be-missed event!’ – Susan Whiddington, Go Live Theatre Projects

www.theatrecraft.org | @TheatreCraft | #TheatreCraft