YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL! BRADFORD PANTO LEGEND BILLY PEARCE RETURNS TO THE ALHAMBRA THEATRE IN CINDERELLA Cinderella – Alhambra Theatre, Bradford Saturday 9 December 2023 – Sunday 21 January 2024 Relaxed Performance – Tuesday 9 January 2024 at 6pm On sale to Bradford Theatres Friends Members, Group & School Bookers: Monday 13 March 2023 at 10am On general public sale: Monday 20 March 2023 at 10am Tickets: from £18 (inc booking fees) Call Box Office on 01274 432000 or visit bradford-theatres.co.uk
Pantomime will be making a magical return to the Alhambra Theatre this festive season as Bradford panto legend Billy Pearce returns for his 23 rd season. Tickets go on general sale on Monday 20 March for Cinderella which runs from Saturday 9 December 2023 to Sunday 21 January 2024 – grab the best tickets to the ball by booking early!
Billy Pearce first topped the bill of the Alhambra Theatre’s annual festive production in 1993, winning acclaim from critics and audience members alike, and has since solidified his reputation as the King of Yorkshire comedy. Side-splittingly funny, Billy will bring his trademark mad-cap comedy and boundless energy to the stage and will have audiences laughing in the aisles just like he does every year.
Cinderella will be produced by the world’s biggest pantomime producer and the team behind the 2022 production of Jack and the Beanstalk, Crossroads Pantomimes. The production will be packed full of the magical ingredients Bradford audiences have come to expect from their annual festive treat: laugh-out-loud comedy, stunning scenery, beautiful costumes and plenty of boos and hisses!
Chief Executive of Crossroads Pantomimes, Michael Harrison, said: “When you think about pantomime in Bradford you immediately think of Billy Pearce! He’s a comedy genius and has built a reputation for being at the top of the pantomime genre, delighting audiences for more than two decades. I’m thrilled to be celebrating his return to Bradford for another season. Cinderella is perhaps the most magical pantomime of them all, and our Bradford production will bring much magic and laughter to the Alhambra Theatre stage this Christmas.”
Talking about his return for a 23rd season, Billy Pearce said: “The Alhambra Theatre has to be the best place in the world to perform. Jack and the Beanstalk last year was an absolute joy! I’m so looking forward to Cinderella, which will no doubt be another fab panto with wonderful talented people entertaining the families of Yorkshire and beyond. What more could I wish for?”
Adam Renton, General Manager Bradford Theatres comments: “I’m sure that audiences of all ages will thoroughly enjoy another outstanding festive show in Bradford this year. It’s wonderful to be able to welcome back pantomime favourite Billy Pearce to the Alhambra Theatre; once again at the top of the bill of our annual panto, which promises to be bigger and better than ever before.
I’m very proud that the Alhambra Theatre’s pantomime draws visitors from all around the Bradford district, West Yorkshire and beyond – we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to share the panto magic with us and have the opportunity to create some wonderful memories.”
There is a performance for everybody this festive season: with signed performances on Thursday 14 December at 2pm and Sunday 14 January at 5pm; two audio described performances on Thursday 4 January at 2pm and 7.15pm; a captioned performance on Sunday 7 January at 5pm, and a relaxed performance on Tuesday 9 January at 6pm. The relaxed performance will welcome everyone who would like to see the panto in a less formal atmosphere.
Join Cinders as she goes from rags to riches, outwits her very wicked sisters and meets her Prince Charming. The clock is ticking, so book your tickets now!
Further casting for Cinderella will be announced later in 2023.
THE INTERNATIONAL SMASH HIT MUSICAL SIX WILL BE REIGNING OVER BRIGHTON THIS CHRISTMAS
MAKING IT’S ROYAL RETURN TO THEATRE ROYAL BRIGHTON FROM 19 DECEMBER 2023 – 6 JANUARY 2024
The multi award-winning musical phenomenon SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, will reign over Theatre Royal Brighton this Christmas from Tuesday 19 December 2023 to Saturday 6 January 2024.
SIX follows the six wives of Henry VIII as theytake to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.
Since its early days as a student production in a 100-seat room at the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the show has fast become a global musical phenomenon. SIX currently has productions playing on Broadway at the Lena Thorne Theatre, and on a North American tour. Meanwhile, back on home turf, the London production is now enjoying its third royal residence in the West End at the Vaudeville Theatre and the UK tour continues its nationwide sold-out reign.
SIX is a double Tony Award winner for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design. As well as winner of the WhatsOnStage Award for Best West End Show (2022 & 2023). Itwas nominated for five Olivier Awards including Best New Musical. Celebrating the global success of its songs with over 300 million streams and over 3 billion views on TikTok, the original studio album of SIX officially turned Gold, marking over 100,000 sales in the UK and was released on vinyl in 2022.
Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, SIX is co-directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. The design team includes Emma Bailey (Set Design), Gabriella Slade (Costume Design), Tim Deiling (Lighting Design) and Paul Gatehouse (Sound Design). The score features orchestrations by Tom Curran with music supervision and vocal arraignments by Joe Beighton. Musical Director Jennifer Deacon and UK Musical Supervisor Katy Richardson. Casting is by Pearson Casting. SIX is produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes and George Stiles.
SIX takes to the Theatre Royal Brighton stage from Tuesday 19 December 2023 to Saturday 6 January 2024. Members presale is open now with tickets going on general sale 10am Tuesday 7 March 2023 via ATGTickets.com/Brighton.
Images have been released of the cast of AIN’T TOO PROUD – The Life and Times of The Temptations in rehearsals:
Credit: Johan Persson
Credit: Johan Persson
The production stars Cameron Bernard Jones as Melvin Franklin, Kyle Cox as Paul Williams, Sifiso Mazibuko as Otis Williams, Tosh Wanogho-Maud as David Ruffin and Mitchell Zhangazha as Eddie Kendricks, opening at the Prince Edward Theatre from Friday 31 March2023. ainttooproudmusical.co.uk
The company is completed by Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Natalia Brown, Ryan Carter, Hannah Fairclough, Christopher Gopaul, Daniel Haswell, Naomi Katiyo, Akmed Junior Khemalai, Holly Liburd, Darnell Mathew-James, Simeon Montague, Posi Morakinyo, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Michael James Stewart, Toyan Thomas-Browne, Dylan Turner and Kevin Yates.
Credit: Johan Persson
Credit: Johan Persson
AIN’T TOO PROUD – The Life and Times of The Temptations, which won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography, is the electrifying new musical that follows the remarkable journey of the group from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. The rest is history – how they met, how they rose, the ground-breaking heights they hit, and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal is set to the beat of the group’s Grammy Award-winning music including the hits My Girl, Just My Imagination, Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone, Get Ready, Ain’t Too Proud to Beg and so many more.
Credit: Johan Persson
Credit: Johan Persson
AIN’T TOO PROUD has a book by Kennedy Prize-winning playwright Dominique Morisseau and reunites two-time Tony Award winning director Des McAnuff with Tony and Olivier Award winning choreographer Sergio Trujilio, whose previous collaborations include the Tony Award winning hit show Jersey Boys. It has Scenic Design by Tony Award nominee Robert Brill with Costume Design by Tony Award winner Paul Tazewell. Tony Award winning Lighting Designer Howell Binkley and Tony Award winning Sound Designer Steve Canyon Kennedy united once again following their success working together on Jersey Boys. Projection Design is by Drama Desk Award winner Peter Nigrini, Hair and Wig Design by Charles G. LaPointe. Music Supervision and Arrangements are by Kenny Seymour, Orchestrations by Drama Desk Award winner Harold Wheeler, Music Direction by Matt Smith and Casting by Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG.
Credit: Johan Persson
Credit: Johan Persson
AIN’T TOO PROUD is produced in the West End by Ira Pittelman, Tom Hulce, Stephen Gabriel and Jamie Wilson.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE SQUARES ANNOUNCES RETURN TO LONDON’S GARDEN SQUARES AND OPEN SPACES WITH TWELFTH NIGHT
Shakespeare in the Squares today announces their return to London’s garden spaces this summer with Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. This unique venture sees the company take a new Shakespearean production annually to the glorious garden squares and open spaces which make the London landscape. This year, they have added an additional week into the schedule with new venues now including Clitterhouse Playing Fields NW2, Kensington Square Gardens W2, Belgrave Square SW1, The Actors’ Church Gardens WC2, and Charlton House and Gardens SE7. The tour will cover 22 outdoor London venues, and 27 performances making 2023 its most ambitious season yet. The tour opens on 13 June at Arundel and Ladbroke Gardens, with previews from 7 June, and runs until 7 July.
Shakespeare in the Squares is a highlight of London summertime. Each performance is tailor made to its venue, offering a unique audience experience where no two shows are the same. The company works with the garden committees and other local organisations to create an intimate experience for each London community.
Founders of Shakespeare in the Squares, Sue Fletcher and Martin Neild,said today, “We are delighted to be embarking on our sixth annual summer tour and we are proud that Shakespeare in the Squares has become a well-established and much-loved part of London’s Summer theatre scene. We continue to spread our reach right across the capital and are excited to be performing in new venues from Belgrave Square, SW1 to The Actors’ Church Gardens, in Covent Garden, and Clitterhouse Playing Fields in NW2. We look forward to welcoming new audiences to a magical evening of theatre, music and dance in one of London’s beautiful gardens settings”
Patron of Shakespeare in the Squares, Dame Judi Dench commented,“I made my Broadway debut as Viola, so Twelfth Night has always been a very special play for me. I can’t imagine a more perfect choice for Shakespeare in the Squares: music, mischief, missing twins, and romance – all played out on balmy summer evenings in the heart of London’s enchanted gardens and squares. I much look forward to seeing their production and know they ‘will strive to please you every day.”
Shakespeare in the Squares presents
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Sioned Jones
Wednesday 7 June – Friday 7 July
Shakespeare in the Squares celebrates its sixth anniversary with a new production of Twelfth Night set in the 1920s, this glorious romantic comedy of mistaken identity follows the wonderfully complex and entangled lives of siblings Viola and Sebastian.
Sioned Jones directs. She is an actress and theatre-maker and has previously performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the company. As a director, her credits include Ljubljana Junction (Roborough Studios), Cocktail Conversation, Madame Life, Christmas Presence (Union Theatre), Basket (Edinburgh Fringe Festival) and Expectations (Oval House Theatre). As an actress, her credits include Small Change (Omnibus Theatre), Martha, Josie and The Chinese Elvis (Park Theatre), Bury The Dead (Brickdust Theatre/Finborough Theatre), Lettice and Lovage (Menier Chocolate Factory), Thirteen, Women Beware Women and All’s Well That Ends Well (National Theatre).
Shakespeare in the Squares is a not-for-profit touring theatre company that stages a Shakespeare play in London garden squares and open spaces for one night in each venue every summer. The productions are tailored to the individual garden spaces, and the company works with the garden committees and other local organisations to create a unique community celebration around the play.
Their aim is to provide a showcase for talented young theatre practitioners and to introduce audiences to the stars of the future. The actors are paid Equity recommended rates and the productions are innovative, exciting and of the highest professional standard. Productions are funded through a combination of ticket sales, grants and sponsorship from local businesses and organisations.
Legendary TV & film star George Takei, making his London stage debut in Allegiance, is hosting a Star Trek Night followed by a Q & A on 20 March at Charing Cross Theatre – and with only 200 seats, this intimate event is one no Trekkie will want to miss!
George Takei, the original and beloved Mr. Sulu from ‘Star Trek’, film and television star, activist and social media icon, is to making his London stage debut in the UK premiere of the Broadway musical inspired by Takei’s true childhood experiences, ‘George Takei’s Allegiance’.
Producers today announce a special performance for Star Trek fans, with a one-off Q & A with George after the show at Charing Cross Theatre, The Arches, Villiers Street, London WC2N 6NL
With only 200 seats available, this intimate event is one no Star Trek fan will want to miss.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor during World War II, California-born Takei and his family were placed behind the barbed-wire enclosures of United States’ internment camps along with 120,000 other Japanese Americans. He spent years of his childhood at Camp Rohwer in the swamps of Arkansas and at wind-swept Camp Tule Lake in northern California. At the end of the war, Takei’s family returned to their native Los Angeles. Inspired by this difficult chapter of American history, Takei developed the Broadway musical Allegiance, an epic story of love and heroism in which he starred alongside Tony Award winner Lea Salonga and Telly Leung in its record-breaking world premiere at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego in 2012. The show won multiple awards and was followed by a Broadway run in 2015-2016.
Now Allegiance gets a new and more intimate production for the UK, conceived specifically for the Off West End space at Charing Cross Theatre, directed and choreographed by Tara Overfield Wilkinson (director, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ UK tour, associate director/choreographer of ‘Come From Away’ UK). Joining Takei will be his Broadway co-star Telly Leung (Broadway’s ‘Aladdin’ and TV’s ‘Glee’).
‘George Takei’s Allegiance’ tells the moving story of Sam Kimura (Takei) as he is transported back nearly six decades to when his younger self (Leung) and his sister Kei fought to stay connected to their heritage, their family and themselves after Japanese Americans were wrongfully imprisoned during World War II. A powerful story told with great resonance and intimacy, ‘George Takei’s Allegiance’ explores the ties that bind us, the struggle to persevere and the overwhelming power of forgiveness and, most especially, love.
GEORGE TAKEI
George Takei is best known for his portrayal of Mr. Sulu in the acclaimed television and film series ‘Star Trek’. He is an actor, civil rights activist, social media mega-power, New York Times bestselling author, he originated the role of Sam Kimura and Ojii-Chan in the Broadway musical Allegiance and was subject of ‘To Be Takei’, a documentary on his life and career.
Takei’s acting career has spanned more than six decades, with more than 40 feature films and hundreds of TV guest-starring roles to his credit. He is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Actors’ Equity Association and Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
A community activist, Takei is Chairman Emeritus and a member of the Japanese American National Museum’s Board of Trustees. In recognition of his contribution to the Japan-United States relationship, in 2004, Takei was conferred with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, by His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan. Takei formerly served as chair of the council of governors of East West Players, the foremost Asian Pacific American theatre in the United States. He was a member of the US Japan Bridging Foundation Board of Directors; and he served on the Board of the Japan-United States Friendship Commission under President Bill Clinton.
With Takei’s expansion into social media, interest in his personal life grew. In January 2014, ‘To Be Takei’, a Jennifer M. Kroot documentary on George’s life and career, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival that January, and was later released in select cinemas across North America.
Among his many accomplishments is a Grammy nomination Takei shared with Leonard Nimoy, in 1987, in the Best Spoken Word or Non-Musical Recording category. He received a star on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame in 1986. And in 1991, Takei left his signature and hand print, in cement, in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.
In addition to the Broadway musical Allegiance, George’s theatrical credits include ‘Undertow’, winner of the Scotsman First Award at the Edinburgh Festival, and ‘The Wash’, written by Philip Kan Gotanda and presented in New York at the Manhattan Theater Club and in Los Angeles at the Mark Taper Forum. He performed in ‘Year of the Dragon’ at the American Place Theater in New York and in ‘Fly Blackbird’ at the Billy Rose Theater in New York and the Metro Theater in Los Angeles. In the UK, George played in a musical version of’ Snow White’ at the Dome Theatre, Brighton, he was the genie in ‘Aladdin’ at the Hexagon Theatre, Reading, and he was the Emperor of China in ‘Aladdin’ at the Central Theatre, Chatham. In 2017, Takei starred in a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Pacific Overtures’ directed by John Doyle at Classic Stage Company in New York City.
Takei is well known to longtime fans of ITV’s ‘I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!’ Takei participated in the eighth season of the series, entering camp on the 16th of November, 2008, and coming out 21 days later in third place, losing to runner-up Martina Navratilova and winner Joe Swash.
As an author, Takei’s first book, his autobiography, ‘To the Stars’, was published in 1994; and in 2012 and 2013 he published his second and third books, ‘Oh Myyy! There Goes The Internet’, and its sequel, ‘Lions And Tigers And Bears: The Internet Strikes Back’. The latter two books explored his forays on social media and the Internet, earning placement on the Amazon e-book and paperback best-seller lists in 2012 and 2013, respectively. His fifth book, the Eisner Award winning and New York Times bestselling graphic memoir ‘They Called Us Enemy’, was released in July 2019.
Takei’s social media dominance is best denoted by his numerous awards. Mashable.com named George a “social media superstar” on Facebook in 2012, where he currently has over 19.6 million combined fans. In 2013, Takei won the Shorty Award for Distinguished Achievement in Internet Culture. He has 3.4 million followers on Twitter, and posts on various social media platforms. He expanded his internet presence with the 2015 YouTube series, “It Takeis Two,” starring with husband, Brad Takei. The “reality” series shared the couple’s daily navigation of their world, with George’s vibrant sense of humour and Brad’s less-than-optimistic pragmatism. In 2015, Cosmopolitan Magazine named Takei “One of the Internet’s 50 Most Fascinating People.” Takei and his husband, Brad, were married at the Japanese American National Museum on September 14, 2008. The Takeis reside in Los Angeles, California.
Takei received both bachelor and master of arts degrees from UCLA (’60, ’64). In June 2019, Takei received the Distinguished Alumni Award in Theater from the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television (UCLA TFT). In June 2016, California State University, Los Angeles, presented Takei with an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters.
LISTINGS INFO
Sing Out, Louise! Productions presents
‘George Takei’s Allegiance’
Book by Marc Acito, Jay Kuo, and Lorenzo Thione Music and Lyrics by Jay Kuo
Directed & Choreographed by Tara Overfield Wilkinson
Musical Supervision & Orchestrations by Andrew Hilton & Charlie Ingles
Lighting Design by Nic Farman
Sound Design by Chris Whybrow
Casting by Sarah Leung Casting
Charing Cross Theatre The Arches Villiers Street London WC2N 6NL
LONDON • BRIGHTON • MANCHESTER • COVENTRY • NEWCASTLE • BATH • CARDIFF • SHEFFIELD • BIRMINGHAM • LIVERPOOL
Following a roaringly successful launch at the iconic Heaven nightclub in 2022, Musical Theatre Raves will head out on a UK Club Tour from 2 April this year, playing at venues across the country.
With Bangers from Barnum, Huge Tunes from Hamilton and Mash-ups from Mammia Mia!, this is the ultimate night out for musical theatre fans, Dancing Queens and wannabe Tony Maneros alike.
And why not channel your inner leading role, and dust off your dressing-up box? Sandys, Dannys, Annas, Elsas and Mormons are all welcome; this is your party!
This is a night to park your worries at the door and let loose. Sing and dance along to your favourite stagey songs with the volume set to loud in this epic theatrical party.
Featuring live cameos from guest West End stars, fan-favourite musical hits, lip sync battles and a full musical theatre DJ set, you’ll be grooving to the Greatest Showman and getting down to Six.
The first date on the Musical Theatre Raves 2023 tour is an Olivier Awards: Unofficial After Party on Sunday 2nd April @ 9pm.
Let’s face the music and rave.
Musical Theatre Raves is presented by Willy and Lambert Jackson.
RSC ANNOUNCE FULL CASTING FOR GREGORY DORAN’S 2023 PRODUCTION OF CYMBELINE
Saturday 22 April – Saturday 27 May 2023
Today (Monday 6 March 2023), the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) announce full casting for the upcoming production of Cymbeline, directed by RSC Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory Doran, which will run in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from Saturday 22 April to Saturday 27 May 2023, with press night on Wednesday 3 May.
This production of Cymbeline marks Gregory’s 50th show that he has directed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, and will be his last as RSC Artistic Director Emeritus. Cymbeline is also the last play in Shakespeare’s First Folio, which this year celebrates 400 years since it was first published.
Reflecting on his time as the Artistic Director of the RSC, Doran is also releasing a memoir charting his personal and professional journey. My Shakespeare: A Director’s Journey Through the FirstFolio (Methuen Drama) presents a detailed account of Doran’s experiences either directing or producing each of Shakespeare’s plays in the First Folio and is publishing on 20 April.
Gregory Doran, RSC Artistic Director Emeritus, said:
“2023 is the 400th anniversary of the publication of Shakespeare’s First Folio. Without the Folio we would not have half of Shakespeare’s plays today, including many of his most famous and loved works. This year we are doing five of them. We opened the year with the first play to appear in that miraculous book, The Tempest, and I am directing the last one in it, Cymbeline.
It happens to be my 50th production of the RSC, and I am delighted to be working on it with some long time collaborators: designer Stephen Brimson-Lewis, composer Paul Englishby, and movement director Síân Williams, as well as some familiar faces in the cast, many of whom I have had the privilege of working with on previous productions.
I have often wondered why Cymbeline is the last play in the Folio. It is listed under the tragedies, but it could just as easily have been placed in the comedies or even the histories as it is set Ancient Britain at the time of the Romans. Though its thrilling story threatens to end in tragedy, its astonishing denouement is full of joy. I think the compilers of the Folio put Cymbeline at the end of the book because it defies categories and won’t be pinned down- that is what makes it so exciting.
I am honoured to be opening Cymbeline as this year’s birthday play on Shakespeare’s birthday weekend, which coincides with the publication of a book. My Shakespeare: a director’s journey through the First Folio concludes with an epilogue as I set out on rehearsals for Cymbeline. When we open, I shall be able to say I have worked on every single play in that amazing life manual, Shakespeare’s First Folio.”
The company includes; Peter De Jersey as Cymbeline. Peter’s previous RSC credits include The Tempest, Imperium Parts 1 and 2 (West End), Antony and Cleopatra, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Odyssey, As You Like It, Troilus and Cressida, King Lear, A New Way to Please You, Last Days of Don Juan, Sejanus, Believe What You Will, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other theatre credits include The Threepenny Opera at the National Theatre, Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse, Sixty-Six Books at The Bush Theatre, Vernon God Little at the Young Vic and House of Games at the Almeida. Screen credits include Netflix’s The Sandman, Amazon Prime’s Wheel of Time, BBC One’s Line of Duty and ITV’s Broadchurch.
Alexandra Gilbreath will play The Queen. Alexandra is an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, where her credits include; The Provoked Wife,The Rover, Shakespeare Live!, A Midsummer Night’s Dreaming, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Twelfth Night for which she received an Olivier award nomination-for Best Supporting Actress, Merry Wives – The Musical, The Taming of the Shrew, The Tamer Tamed, As You Like It, Romeo and Juliet, The Winter’s Tale, Cyrano de Bergerac, Ghosts, The Country Wife, Love’s Labour’s Lost. Other theatre includes; The Sugar Syndrome at the Orange Tree; The Fever Syndrome, Mother Christmas at Hampstead Theatre Downstairs; The Lie at Menier Chocolate Factory; Dessertat Southwark Playhouse; The Wars of the Roses, Hayfever at the Rose Kingston; The Invisibles at the Bush;A Midsummer Night’s Dreamfor Hong Kong Philharmonic; The Village Bike, Disappeared at the Royal Court; Shallow Slumber, God’s Diceat Soho Theatre; Othelloat Sheffield Crucible; and Playhouse Creatures at Chichester Festival Theatre. Screen creditsinclude;Becoming Elizabeth, EastEnders, Father Brown, Casualty, WPC56, In Search of Shakespeare, Rites of Passage, Inspector George Gently, The Commander, The Waltz King, Happiness, The Project, Trial and Retribution, Midsomer Murders, Absolute Power, Life Begins, The Bill, Monarch of the Glen, Out of Hours, A Wing and a Prayer, The Art of Love, Lair, Warhol,Dead Babies, The All Together, A Hundred Streets and Tulip Fever.
Conor Glean will playCloten. Conor was last seen at the RSC in Gregory Doran’s production of Richard III. Previous RSC credits include Henry VI War of the Roses and Rebellion. Other theatre credits include While the Sun Shines at the Orange Tree Theatre, After Life at the National Theatre and One Night in Miami at Nottingham Playhouse. Screen credits include ITV’s Coronation Street.
Scott Gutteridge will make his RSC debut as Guiderius. Scott’s previous theatre credits include Under Milk Wood at the National Theatre and Curtain Up at Theatr Clwyd. Screen credits include Kenneth Branagh’s feature length film Belfast.
Mark Hadfield will play Pisanio. Mark’s RSC credits include Henry VI: Open Rehearsal Project, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, The Talk of the City, The Seagull, Twelfth Night, The Canterbury Tales, Tamburlaine, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Hamlet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Other theatre credits include; Sydney and The Old Girl and TheWeatherman at The Park Theatre, Vanya and Masha and Sonya and Spike at the Theatre Royal, Bath, Pinocchio, Therese Raquin and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other at the National Theatre, Road at the Royal Court, The Libertine at the Haymarket Theatre, and Richard III at the Almeida. Screen credits include Belfast, Outlander, Maigret, From the Cradle to the Grave, Trollied, Wallander, People Like Us, The Vice, Headless and Foyle’s War.
Amber James will play Imogen. Amber’s previous RSC credits include Troilus and Cressida, Antony and Cleopatra, Dido, Queen of Carthage and Titus Andronicus. Other theatre credits include Wendy and Peter Pan at Leeds Playhouse, Snowflake at the Kiln Theatre, A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Vassa at the Almeida, A Streetcar Named Desire for English Touring Theatre. Screen credits include Dodger, Vera, Ransom and Doc Martin.
Christian Patterson will play Belarius. Previous RSC credits include The Secret Garden. Other theatre credits include; The American Clock at the Old Vic, Peggy’s Song for National Theatre Wales; St Nicholas, Blackbird, The Dying of Today, Blasted at The Other Room; Oliver!at Theatre Royal Drury Lane; Journey’s End in the West End / UK Tour; Ying Tong in the West End, The Gondoliers, The Merchant of Venice, The Water Babies at Chichester Festival Theatre, Christian is an Associate Artist of Theatr Clwyd where his credits include Twelfth Night, Under Milk Wood, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Insignificance, All My Sons, Aristocrats, Rape of the Fair Country, Glengarry Glen Ross and As You Like It, My Country at the National Theatre, The Way of the Worldat the Donmar Warehouse, One Man, Two Guv’nors at the Torch Theatre. Christian is a founder member of Grand Ambition at Swansea Grand Theatre. Screen credits include; My Lady Jane(Amazon), The Pact(BBC), The English, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?, Industry, In My Skin(BBC), The Accident (Channel 4), My Country (BBC), Mr Selfridge (ITV), Mickey 17 and Pride.
Ed Sayer makes his RSC debut as Posthumus. Ed’s previous theatre credits include Uncle Vanya at Theatre de Fontainebleau, Richard III and Romeo and Juliet at Shakespeare’s Rose, York, Dear Brutus at Southwark Playhouse, The Winter’s Tale for Cheek by Jowl, Suppliant Women for Actors Touring Company and First Light at Chichester Festival Theatre. Screen credits include a recurring role in Netflix’s The Crown.
Daf Thomas will make his RSC debut as Arviragus. Previous theatre credits include Sid in For Once (Theatre Clwyd). Screen credits include; Y Swn(Swnllyd), Y Goleudy (S4C), The Undeclared War(Channel 4), Casualty(BBC 1).
Jamie Wilkes will play Iachimo. Jamie’s previous RSC credits include All’s Well That Ends Well, Richard III, The Two Noble Kinsmen, The Rover, Oppenheimer, The Shoemaker’s Holiday and Wendy and Peter Pan. Other theatre credits include; The Wind of Heaven at Finborough Theatre, The Edit on National Tour, The Diary of a Teenage Girl at Southwark Playhouse, The Comedy of Errors and Titus Andronicus at Shakespeare’s Globe. Screen credits include; ITV’s Finding Alice, Vanity Fair and Mr Selfridge, BBC Homefront and His Dark Materials, Chanel 4’s Catch 22 and Electric Dreams: Human Is.
The full company comprises; Jeff Alexander (Soothsayer), Adam Baker (Roman), Iwan Bond (Roman), Tom Chapman (Second Lord), Peter De Jersey (Cymbeline), Alexandra Gilbreath (The Queen), Conor Glean (Cloten), Scott Gutteridge (Guiderius), Mark Hadfield (Pisanio), Amber James (Imogen), Marcia Lecky (1st Gent/Lady/Mother), Jake Mann (Cornelius), Theo Ogundipe (Caius Lucius), Keith Osborn (Philario/Sicilius), Christian Patterson (Belarius), Ed Sayer (Posthumus), Daf Thomas (Arviragus), Barnaby Tobias (First Lord), Cat White (2nd Gent/Helen) and Jamie Wilkes (Iachimo).
Directed by Gregory Doran, Cymbeline has Design by Stephen Brimson-Lewis, Lighting by Matt Daw, Music by Paul Englishby, Sound by Jonathan Ruddick, Movement and Intimacy by Siân Williams, Puppetry Direction by Rachel Leonard, Music Direction by Ben McQuigg, Text and Voice Work by Emma Woodvine. Casting is by Helena PalmerCDG.
WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, today releases the first production images, by photographer Matt Crockett, of Alexia Khadime as ‘Elphaba’, Lucy St. Louis as ‘Glinda’, Caitlin Anderson as ‘Nessarose’, and Joe Thompson-Oubari as ‘Boq’.
From Tuesday 7 March 2023, Wicked will star Alexia Khadime (Elphaba), Lucy St. Louis (Glinda), Ryan Reid (Fiyero), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Morrible), Mark Curry (The Wizard), Caitlin Anderson (Nessarose), Joe Thompson-Oubari (Boq), Simeon Truby (Doctor Dillamond), Amy Webb (Standby for Elphaba), Lisa-Anne Wood (Standby for Glinda), Yuki Abe, Kofi Aidoo-Appiah, Conor Ashman, Jessica Aubrey, Joshua Clemetson, Fergus Dale, Effie Rae Dyson, Nicola Espallardo, Danny Fogarty, Ross Harmon, Kate Leiper, Nick Len, Jemima Loddy, Joshua Lovell, PaddyJoe Martin, Millie Mayhew, Harry Mills, Daniel Parrott, Aiesha Naomi Pease, Jeanie Ryan, Natalie Spriggs, James Titchener, Micaela Todd, Christine Tucker, Jaydon Vijn and Taela Yeomans-Brown.
Michael McCabe, Executive Producer of Wicked in the UK said: “We’re very proud to release these first images of our incredible new London principal cast. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to our Casting Director, Jim Arnold, for his tireless commitment to seeking out exceptional talent, and for his assistance and guidance in assembling this extraordinary company.”
“One of the most successful musicals of all time” (BBC News), Wicked is already the 12th longest-running production in West End history. The “hugely popular show” (The Times) has won over 100 major awards including three Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, eleven WhatsOnStage Awards, and a Grammy. Tickets are now on public sale until Sunday 7 January 2024.
Whilst continuing its West End run, Wicked will open a UK & Ireland Tour at the Edinburgh Playhouse on 7 December 2023, and then travel to Bristol Hippodrome, Birmingham Hippodrome, Bradford Alhambra Theatre, Southampton Mayflower Theatre, Liverpool Empire, Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Sunderland Empire, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre, and Manchester Palace Theatre.
Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman’s musical is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire and imagines a beguiling backstory and future possibilities to the lives of L. Frank Baum’s beloved characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, revealing the decisions and events that shape the destinies of two unlikely university friends on their journey to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Wickedhas music and lyrics by multi-Oscar and Grammy Award winner Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, The Prince of Egypt, Disney’s Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted). It is based on the multimillion-copy best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire and written by Emmy and Tony Award nominee Winnie Holzman (creator of the landmark American television series My So-Called Life). Musical staging is by Tony Award-winner Wayne Cilento with direction by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello.
Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone. Executive Producer (UK) Michael McCabe.
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire is published in the UK by Headline (the book is recommended for readers aged 16+). Wicked: The Grimmerie, a behind-the-scenes look at the musical by David Cote, is published in the UK by Hyperion.
The Apollo Victoria Theatre, Wilton Road, London, SW1V 1L
Joseph Charlton’s witty and incisive play portrays the evolution of a brilliant idea into a multi-billion-dollar ride-hailing app, laying bare the cut-throat and toxic workplaces and casualties as the money kept rolling in.
In a brisk 90 minutes, Charlton tells the story at breakneck speed, but even with a cast of three playing multiple roles, Katie-Ann McDonough’s slick and assured direction maintains clarity and tension. Hazel Low’s design, set in the round with a stylised table that matches the company logo works brilliantly with Annie May Fletcher’s sound design and Rachel Sampley’s lighting to represent boardrooms, cars and managing to infuse painful energy into the Vegas nightclub scenes.
The gripping story of development, global markets and stock market floatation unfolds from the point of view of the tech entrepreneur who came up with the idea for the app, a coder in the company’s London office, and a driver in Glasgow.
Shubham Saraf plays Tyler, the tech entrepreneur, overflowing with self-belief and ambition and willing to overlook the behaviour of his “brilliant jerks” – the men who get results and profits but go through life like entitled toddlers – and their frat-boy environments if it means he makes enough money to be a member of “the three comma club”. Saraf is frighteningly charismatic as Tyler, making you feel a little sorry for him when he loses control – until he shakes off this moment of honesty and recovers his bravado. Saraf also plays Craig, the manager (think millennial David Brent) of the London office where Sean (Sean Delaney) lands a coding job. Sean sees the ridiculous behaviour of the men in the team – calling him “Brother Sean” and meeting in the “dojo” – and the misogyny the women coders have to deal with. Sean goes along with the nonsense and becomes a go-between for the women, until one of the women betrays his trust and he experiences for himself exactly how heartless his workplace can be. Delaney’s quietly devastating performance is remarkable. Kiran Sonia Sawar plays Mia, a recovering addict who drives for the company in Glasgow. The driving is a lifeline for her – feeling all the energy that enters her cab, but the danger and temptation to take something are always there. Her backstory is revealed slowly, explaining her need to numb the pain, and Sawar’s nuanced performance has the audience rooting for this flawed but strong character craving connection.
The unsavoury shenanigans of those in management and high places are sadly familiar to us all, so the sense of inevitability and helplessness felt by the workers hits hard. But the production isn’t preachy or accusatory – it simply presents human folly in all its ridiculousness with a deft and light touch. There are some quieter, emotional scenes that are performed exquisitely by the cast, but the fast-paced show is mostly high-energy and upbeat. The resilience of those at the bottom of the pyramid represented by Mia, and their determination to establish their rights, raises hope for the future with Mia’s final speech. But Tyler gets the last word – with the depressingly accurate message that the market rules, and nothing will really change as long as these brilliant jerks keep producing money making ideas.
Clever, funny and frustratingly relevant, Brilliant Jerks is well worth a look.
It was a delight to watch the opening night of “The Grass is Greener” written by Hugh & Margaret Williams, a romantic comedy about the aristocratic owners of a country manor house, Victor, played by Tom Conti, and Hilary, played by Janie Dee, reduced to growing mushrooms and opening their corridors to the public in order to pay the bills.
Their marriage is tested by the attentions of an American millionaire, Charles played by Tristan Gemmill, who finds his way into their private quarters to offer Hilary an alternative to her role as the country manor housewife.
But how should Victor rescue his marriage? Ably supported by his butler, Sellars, played by Malcolm James and Hattie, Victor’s ex girlfriend played by Elizabeth Payne, he devises a plan full of cunning and wit to rescue their otherwise successful marriage without the need for arguments and recriminations so unsuitable for their aristocratic standing.
Hilarious from the start, Tom Conti delivers a torrent of rip-roaring one-liners, as only he could playing the drunken aristocrat, who despite his apparent demeanour was always totally in control. And so too the cast, so perfectly ‘typecast’ as charming, lovely and such funny characters prone to the occasional alcoholic beverage if it was offered.
You will laugh and you will leave with a big smile on your face, go see it.
