New open-air theatre, The Lavender Theatre, to open on a lavender farm in Surrey

Just a stone’s throw from London and set amidst rolling lavender fields, the Lavender Theatre will open for its inaugural summer season this July in Epsom.

The 250-seat open air theatre will be home for an annual season of plays and musicals with a truly elegant backdrop. Based at Mayfield Lavender in Surrey, the theatre has been co-founded by director Joe McNeice (producer/director of ‘DIVA: Live From Hell!)’ and Mayfield owner Brendan Maye.

The inaugural season will open with Irving Berlin’s classic musical ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ from July 17, with new direction and choreography by Simon Hardwick (‘My Fair Lady’).  

The launch of the theatre will see the completion of a £2m+ investment into the Epsom site, which already boasts a coffee bar, shop, and a full service glasshouse restaurant due to open alongside the theatre this summer.

“This will be more than just a visit to a theatre,” Joe McNeice said today, “Audiences will be able dine in our glass house restaurant underneath Mediterranean citrus trees, or grab a picnic to enjoy among the blossoming rows of lavender as the sun begins to set, before taking their seats in our covered auditorium to watch a show under the stars. We think it’s going to be a truly special experience.”

Since opening in 2006, the Mayfield Lavender Farm in Banstead has grown into a major summer
destination for tourists and locals in South London, and this year the team are opening the gates to a theatre at their sister location in Epsom.

Lavender Theatre Artistic Director Joe McNeice worked behind the scenes at London’s ‘Immersive Great Gatsby’, and was Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Visitor Services Manager until 2022, after graduating from the University of York in 2018.

“The whole place looks incredible, just walking about the site is a real treat for all the senses,” McNeice added, “so our shows have to compliment their surroundings and match the sophistication that the natural landscape has set for us.”

Speaking of his plans for ‘Annie Get Your Gun’, Simon Hardwick said: “The show will be a rip-roaring staging of the well known Broadway musical in a very raw and kinetic production that evokes the energy of Buffalo Bill’s original touring celebrations of the Wild West. The Lavender Theatre will be a dream destination; an environment in which to enjoy a West End-standard production under a hazy summer sky.”

The theatre, privately funded and managed by Lavender Productions Ltd., will produce its own shows with plans to see the summer season expand year on year with diverse and engaging programming.

McNeice said: “With no public funding or grants to help us achieve this mammoth project, we are relying solely on our Box Office income to build the Lavender Theatre into a profitable business, but we believe that creating a new producing theatre, a proper landmark location for the arts in Surrey, is something worth the investment, for both the local community and the wider industry.

“I’m really passionate about developing new shows, particularly musicals. The location is perfect because it’s actually very close to London, but far enough away to have its own identity, which will give us the opportunity to develop work without the vast expense and pressure that comes with opening new shows in the capital. It’s an incredibly exciting opportunity. There’s a lot to be said for Zone 6!”

Tickets for the inaugural season are on sale today at lavendertheatre.com.

Casting for ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ and news of other events in the inagural Lavender Theatre season will be announced soon.

How to get there:

With trains running to the nearby Epsom Downs station every 30 minutes from London Victoria, the theatre is easily reachable via public transport.

Social media:

lavendertheatre.com

Twitter: @lavtheatre

Instagram: @thelavendertheatre

Facebook: facebook.com/lavendertheatre

Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 4th February 2023

Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau

5*****

Agatha Christie is like visiting an old friend. I thoroughly enjoyed The Mousetrap years ago in London, so a rare chance to see it’s 70th Anniversary Tour (I know!) in Malvern, was too good to pass up.

The play is set in a newly opened guest house welcoming its first visitors. A sumptuous set greets us, setting the period and mood perfectly. It looked good enough to be on film, let alone the stage! Our leading lady Joelle Dyson (playing Mollie Ralston, half owner of said establishment) enters and takes off her dark coat, light scarf and soft felt hat just as a radio announces that the police are looking for someone seen fleeing from a local murder scene wearing a dark overcoat, light scarf and soft felt hat. Timed to perfection by Ms Dyson we are drawn to these items at each mention, immediately putting her under suspicion. This device is used wittily several times, as every person visiting is wearing almost identical garments.

We are given an interesting range of suspicious characters: the sinister foreigner, the respectable general, a disagreeable old lady, an excitable young man, a mysterious and evasive young lady, a recently married couple in whose residence the murderous fun unfolds and also, of course, the investigating police officer (where would Poirot have been without Japp?).

Much of the audience attention would have rightly been on the two Marquee names: Todd Carty (Major Metcalf) and Gwyneth Strong (Mrs Boyle) and they did shine as expected. But don’t take your eyes of the rest of this exceptionally talented cast, all stars in their own right who did an outstanding job. I will make special mention of Elliot Clay (playing Christopher Wren with childlike abandon) and Kieran Brown (playing Mr Paravicini, at once both hissable and charmingly seductive). I hope both roles were as much fun to play as they were to watch.

Having everyone snowed in is a device Agatha used on a number of occasions – most notably in Murder On The Orient Express – and I can see why. It creates a palpable tension. Couple this with fantastic acting and you have a surefire winner. Slowly but surely the house becomes ever more cut off, just like the phone … and once the second murder occurs the suspicion and finger pointing ramps up several notches

It’s easy to forget that Christie pieces are period dramas. As such, they often fall into several traps; they can be quaint, they can have staid acting (everyone awfully plummy with some “cor-blimey” thrown in for “the help”) or they can be melodramatic. Tonight’s production was none of these. It was perfectly paced and beautifully acted with a natural ease and suspenseful drama that does all concerned in the production a great deal of credit. In fact I would say it was honed to perfection!

I could go on about how good tonight’s performance was but would run out of superlatives. I will confine myself to advising you not to miss this opportunity to catch this most famous show locally. If you see nothing else this Wintry season, see this.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK TOUR OF

CAKE
THE MARIE ANTOINETTE PLAYLIST
A PARISIAN DANCE GIG IN ONE ACT

WITH A MULTI AWARD-WINNING CREATIVE TEAM

WRITTEN BY MORGAN LLOYD MALCOLM

WITH DIRECTION & CHOREOGRAPHY BY DREW McONIE

TOURING FROM 
DATES 18 MARCH – 29 APRIL 2023

The brand-new musical, come gig, come ballet is from some of the most exciting figures in modern British Theatre, with an Olivier Award winning creative team including Olivier Winner’s Drew McOnie(In the Heights; Jesus Chris Superstar) and Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Emilia – The Globe) 

Cake will be venturing on a UK tour from 18 March 2023, starting at the MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton.  

Casting will include, fresh from her magical run as Mary Poppins on the West End, Zizi Strallen (she/her) stars as Marie Antoinette, with Renée Lamb (she/her), Catherine of Aragon from the original cast of SIX, starring as Jeanne.

The cast is completed by B Terry (they/them) as Nicole, Travis Ross (he/him) as Cardinal with Ope Sowande (he/him) and Megan Bryony Gibbs (she/her) as the ensemble and Lukas Hunt (he/him) and Amie Hibbert (she/her) as swings. 

Cake combines music with 18th century France to retell a story that sparked a revolution. When Marie Antoinette married King Louis, her reputation was already tarnished by gossip. But when she is implicated in a crime to defraud the crown jewellers of a diamond necklace, it is not just her reputation at stake, but the monarchy and France itself.

Originally commissioned by Paul Taylor-Mills (Heathers & In the Heights), Cake promises to re-define our expectations of what a musical can be.

Paul has said, “We are delighted to be partnering with 5 of the leading regional theatres to present a development production of this brilliant new show. I first commissioned this at The Other Palace five years ago and am delighted to be working with some of the best theatre makers in Drew McOnie, Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, Tasha Taylor Johnson and Jack McManus. The show started life at our first MTFestUK and it’s great to see it come to production.”

Cake is written by Morgan Lloyd Malcom directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie with songs by Tasha Taylor Johnson and Jack McManus, casting by Will Burton CDG and based on an idea by Paul Taylor-Mills.

Soho Theatre – until 11 February 2023

Reviewed by Claire Roderick

4****

Willy Hudson’s autobiographical story is a beautiful, bloody queer mess that will make you laugh, cry and squirm in equal measure. Following a bad breakup, Willie returns to his childhood home – but not until we have a brilliantly bombastic sci-fi rock opera opening number depicting the relationship.

Willy’s interpretation of his parents’ responses to his breakup are coloured by shame and anger, the source of which doesn’t become clear until a box of childhood belongings sends us back in time to 2000 and Willy buying Robbie Williams’s album. Growing up in a charismatic church and hearing that homosexuals will burn in hell doesn’t sit too well with his growing fascination for the censored video for Rock DJ and the photos of Robbie’s bum.

Recognising the damage to himself and his relationships that stemmed from teenage years of being judged (and so judging himself) as sinful and wrong, Willy is back for revenge – and a church Easter egg hunt provides the perfect opportunity.

Willy Hudson’s writing is as funny, imaginative and clever as ever, full of emotion, honesty and a devilish twinkle, and his performance is out of this world. The scenes where he relates petty family feuds over the best seats for watching Doctor Who are a heart-warming joy, with Weeping Angels appearing on stage to represent the monsters in his own story – not killing him, but feeding on his energy with devastating effect. Director and dramaturg Zach James allows Willy’s story to unfold in a seemingly organic, chaotic musical spectacular that sweeps the audience along through time and space to the bloody carnage of Willy’s longed for confrontation and the exhausted aftermath.

Susanne Dietz’s video design, Jai Morjaria’s lighting and Tom Foskett-Barnes’s sound and music work together to create funny, thrilling and uncomfortable moments of magic. Anna Orton’s kitsch tin foiled set and the stagehands popping on and off with props has a hilariously ramshackle feel, but also makes explicit the fact that Willy can’t come to terms with his past or create a show on his own, needing friends and allies to help him through. A fabulous, frenetic extravaganza that shouldn’t be missed.

Malvern Festival Theatre – until Saturday 4th February 2023

Reviewed by Julie Bellerby

5*****

This much loved Agatha Christie’s play is touring to celebrate the 70th Anniversary, which first premiered on 25th November 1952.

It shows that this well written play transcends the passing of time and continues to be a classic favourite for theatre goers.

Monkswell Manor, a remote countryside guesthouse is the setting for this play. Upon the arrival of a police sergeant the guests are horrified to discover that a killer may be in their midst and one by one their secrets start to tumble out into the open.

The stage set was excellent, appearing quite believable that you were in the entrance Hall of Monkswell Manor. Directed by Ian Talbot and Denise Silvey along with Producer Adam Spiegel, this is a first class production.

It is impossible to highlight any one actor who excelled more, with such a strong team of actors with excellent experience on stage. It was a pleasure to submerse myself in the play, having little to bring to your attention of any negative views.

Mollie Ralston played by Joelle Dyson, was very energetic on stage, the character showed many different emotions, as you had an insight into her past which Joelle performed amazingly and left you feeling very sad for her, with the guilt of her past.

Laurence Pears playing Giles Ralston, Mollie’s husband, gave an admirable performance , with Gwyneth Strong as Mrs Boyle. Todd Carty as Major Metcalf, I enjoyed his interpretation of the Major. Mr Paravicini played by Kieran Brown, executed his one liners perfectly, very amusing. Helped by Elliot Clay as Christopher Wren, Joseph Reed as Detective Sargent Trotter, and Essie Barrow as Miss Casewell, completed the line up.

As always the audience is asked by a member of the cast at the curtain call not to give away the end of the play, a tradition that has turned a staggering number of theatre goers into willing accomplices to this murder.

Aylesbury Waterside – until Saturday 4th February 2023

Reviewed by Julia Spargo

3.5***

North Dublin in the late 1980s. Jimmy Rabbitte is a young music fan, approached by two of his friends who ask for advice on what songs they should perform as a synthesizer duo. Jimmy advises them to ditch modern songs and pick soulful, ageless ones instead. He holds auditions and puts together The Commitments, “the hardest working band in the world”, who reach success within Dublin before imploding due to infighting and ego-clashes.

Roddy Doyle’s jukebox musical is thin on plot, but exploding with great hits. It begins with a Christmas party scene, the cast performing Proud Mary in a drunken karaoke, but what followed was a frenetic twenty minutes of farcical action and very little dialogue. It was almost dizzyingly rushed. There is no doubt the score is fantastic; a collection of Motown and Memphis Soul hits, but for me the female singers who appeared in the first rehearsal scene are what held the show together. Bernie (Sarah Gardiner), Natalie (Maryann Lynch) and the incredible Ciara Mackey as Imelda really captured my attention with the ease of their performance. “Chain of Fools” was outstanding. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. They looked like they were really enjoying themselves, and I felt this was missing from the rest of the cast. Yes, The Commitments is a musical based on in-fighting within a band, but I felt like the connection with the audience was missing. Hit after accomplished hit was belted out, but I was left wanting. The whole show could have done with more dialogue and fewer fight scenes, to ensure the audience understood and cared about the characters. Only during the encore did it all come together for me. James Deegan as Deco really allowed his personality to join him on stage. He was cheeky, funny; there was banter with the audience. The audience were on their feet and loving the favourites “Try a Little Tenderness” and “Mustang Sally”. The cast were performing as a cohesive band and their enthusiasm bounced off the stage.

The set throughout the musical was used to excellent effect; various doors opened to either reveal a bar, Jimmy’s house, or a band rehearsal in a garage. Only five extra musicians were involved; for the most part, all performers were playing their instruments live on stage. James Deegan impressively carried off one number while eating a bag of chips. Everybody left with a smile on their face. As a man in the lift after the show commented to me, “How else would you prefer to spend a Monday night?”

Yvonne Arnaud – until 1^st February 2023

Reviewed by Heather Chalkley

4****

Critically acclaimed writer John Godber has resurrected Teechers, originally written and performed in the 80s. A bittersweet comedy that carries a political message, sadly as relevant today as it was back then. Highlighting the divide between the haves and have nots in the UK education system, now amplified by the pandemic, Godber keeps you laughing by seeing through the eyes of three state school leavers and a teacher battling to keep drama alive as a valid subject. A poignant moment captured near the end is the fear and sadness in the faces of the students and drama teacher, as they finally leave Whitewall Academy, breaking the cocoon of their bond.

The players begin the show sat amongst the edge of the audience and running around the auditorium, in the high jinks you would expect from fully charged 16 year olds. Throughout the performance, they switch back and forth between different characters, sometimes being the person and other times being the student pretending to be the person! You will be forgiven for occasionally loosing track, in between the belly laughs. The music and dance performances gets you smiling and right into that moment in time.

Salty (Michael Ayiotis) is a great friend to Hobby (Terenia Barlow) and Gail (Ciara Morris), teaming up with them to fall in love with drama and the drama teacher Miss Nixon (Terenia Barlow). Ayiotis is hilarious in his caricature of Mrs Parry, the would-be thespian head teacher. Barlow slips in and out from Hobby to Miss Nixon with ease and clarity. Morris is fabulously funny in her portrayal of teachers Ms Whitham, Dr Basford and Jackie Prime, whilst her main character Gail manages to dodge the amorous advances of a fellow student. You will find the character of these teachers in every secondary school, warped by a system under siege, completely committed to their profession.

The creative space formed by Miss Nixon (Barlow) and the permission to expand and explore their imagination is an oasis for the students, giving them hope and confidence, possibly even dare to believe in themselves. The students realisation of the situation is brought right to the fore in the scene with Salty (Ayiotis) and Miss Parry (Barlow). Salty is expressing his frustration in his questioning of the fairness of a two tier education system. Godber has found a great vehicle in humour to convey a strong message, leaving the audience under no illusion.

PERFORMANCES ANNOUNCED FOR THE

23^RD ANNUAL WHATSONSTAGE AWARDS

WhatsOnStage today announce the initial line up for the 23^rd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards on 12 February 2023 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. The concert opens with a specially composed number by Alex Parker and Katie Lam, featuring choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouilleand performed by the hosts Courtney Bowman, Laurie Kynaston and Billy Luke Nevers.

The first half will look back on the best of 2022 with performances from Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, Bonnie and Clyde the Musical, My Fair Lady, and a special take on Billy Elliot; with the second half looking forward with a number from The Great British Bake Off Musical, a tantalising medley, and some exclusive performances to whet the appetite for what’s to come later this year.

Leading this year is My Neighbour Totoro with 9 nominations – Mei Mac for Best Performer in a Play, Best New Play, Best Direction for Phelim McDermott, Best Musical Direction/Supervision, Best Lighting Design, Best Set Design, Best Sound Design, Best Video Design and Best Graphic Design. The next best nominated straight play is Good with 5 nominations, including 3 acting nominations for David Tennant, Sharon Small and Elliot Levey.

The critically acclaimed Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!,  which transfers to the West End in February, leads the musical categories, with 8 nominations – Best Supporting Performer in a Musical for Marisha Wallace, Best Musical Revival, Best Director for Daniel Fish and Jordan Fein, Best Musical Direction/Supervision, Best Casting Direction, Best Lighting Design, Best Sound Design and Best Video Design. Other top nominees in the musical categories were both Almeida Theatre productions, directed by the company’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold – Spring Awakening with 6 nominations, and Tammy Faye, the most nominated new musical, with 5 nominations.

THE NOMINATIONS IN FULL:

BEST PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL sponsored by TICKX                                  

Courtney Bowman, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Katie Brayben, Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre

Divina De Campo, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester

Jordan Luke Gage, Bonnie & Clyde the Musical, Arts Theatre

Frances Mayli McCann, Bonnie & Clyde the Musical, Arts Theatre

Charlie Stemp, Crazy for You, Chichester Festival Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A MUSICAL sponsored by NEWMAN DISPLAYS                         

Jocasta Almgill, Grease, Dominion Theatre

Lauren Drew, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Paul French, Grease, Dominion Theatre

Natalie McQueen, Bonnie & Clyde the Musical, Arts Theatre

John Owen-Jones, The Great British Bake Off Musical, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

Marisha Wallace, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

BEST PERFORMER IN A PLAY sponsored by SINE DIGITAL                                           

Jonathan Bailey, Cock, Ambassadors Theatre

Jodie Comer, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre

Carrie Hope Fletcher, The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Rose Theatre Kingston

Mei Mac, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Rafe Spall, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre

David Tennant, Good, Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST SUPPORTING PERFORMER IN A PLAY sponsored by EDWARDIAN HOTELS LONDON (Official Hotel Partner) 

Jade Anouka, Cock, Ambassadors Theatre

Gwyneth Keyworth, To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre

Elliot Levey, Good, Harold Pinter Theatre

Natasha Magigi, The Clothes They Stood Up In, Nottingham Playhouse

Sharon Small, Good, Harold Pinter Theatre

Greg Tannahill, Good Luck, Studio, Mercury Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse and Yvonne Arnaud Theatre

BEST TAKEOVER PERFORMANCE sponsored by TANDEM MARKETING                                                 

Lauren Byrne, Matilda The Musical, Cambridge Theatre

Erin Caldwell, Heathers: The Musical, The Other Palace

Joel Harper-Jackson, Cock, Ambassadors Theatre

Lucie Jones, Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre

Reuben Joseph, Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre

Ben Joyce, Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre

BEST PROFESSIONAL DEBUT PERFORMANCE sponsored by AKA                              

Tomisin Ajani, The Play That Goes Wrong, Duchess Theatre

Joe Locke, The Trials, Donmar Warehouse

Oliver Nicholas, Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre

Aharon Rayner, The Great British Bake Off Musical, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

Nadine Shah, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare North Playhouse

Djavan van de Fliert, Frozen, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

BEST NEW MUSICAL sponsored by TRAVELZOO                              

Bonnie & Clyde the Musical, Arts Theatre

The Great British Bake Off Musical, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham 

Identical, Nottingham Playhouse and The Lowry Salford

Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre

The Band’s Visit, Donmar Warehouse

The Osmonds: A New Musical, UK tour

BEST MUSICAL REVIVAL sponsored by CONCORD THEATRICALS                              

Billy Elliot, Curve, Leicester

Grease, Dominion Theatre

Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

My Fair Lady, London Coliseum and tour

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre

BEST NEW PLAY sponsored by TICKETMASTER                                

A Different Stage, Duke of York’s Theatre and tour

Best of Enemies , Young Vic and Noël Coward Theatre

Eureka Day, The Old Vic

My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre

To Kill a Mockingbird, Gielgud Theatre

BEST PLAY REVIVAL sponsored by AUDIENCEVIEW                                                      

Blues for an Alabama Sky, National Theatre

Cock, Ambassadors Theatre

Good, Harold Pinter Theatre

The Caucasian Chalk Circle, Rose Theatre, Kingston

The Crucible, National Theatre

The Seagull, Harold Pinter Theatre

BEST WEST END SHOW sponsored by DEWYNTERS                                       

Back to the Future: The Musical, Adelphi Theatre

Hamilton, Victoria Palace Theatre

Les Misérables, Sondheim Theatre

SIX, Vaudeville Theatre

The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre

Wicked, Apollo Victoria Theatre

BEST REGIONAL PRODUCTION sponsored by MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL                               

Billy Elliot, Curve, Leicester

Crazy for You, Chichester Festival Theatre

The Great British Bake Off Musical, Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Hope Mill Theatre

The Book Thief, Octagon Theatre, Bolton

The Osmonds: A New Musical, UK tour

BEST OFF-WEST END PRODUCTION                                                     

Anyone Can Whistle, Southwark Playhouse

But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, The Turbine Theatre

DIVA: Live from Hell!, The Turbine Theatre

Millennials, The Other Palace Studio

RIDE – A New Musical, Charing Cross Theatre

Ruckus, Southwark Playhouse

BEST CONCERT EVENT                                               

Chess, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

Jeremy Jordan, Theatre Royal Drury Lane

SIX in Concert, Hampton Court Palace

Stephen Sondheim’s Old Friends, Sondheim Theatre

The Witches of Eastwick, Sondheim Theatre

Treason , Theatre Royal Drury Lane

BEST DIRECTION sponsored by LOVETHEATRE                                 

Dominic Cooke, Good, Harold Pinter Theatre

Daniel Fish and Jordan Fein, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

Nikolai Foster, Billy Elliot, Curve Leicester

Rupert Goold, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre

Phelim McDermott, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Indhu Rubasingham, The Father and the Assassin, National Theatre

BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION/SUPERVISION                                                         

Daniel Kluger, Nathan Koci and Tom Brady, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

Nigel Lilley and Tarek Merchant, The Band’s Visit, Donmar Warehouse

Stuart Morley, Georgie Francis and Elliot Mackenzie, Whistle Down the Wind, Watermill Theatre

Bruce O’Neil and Matt Smith, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Ted Sperling and Gareth Valentine, My Fair Lady, London Coliseum and tour

Sarah Travis, Steve Sidwell and the company, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, UK tour

BEST CASTING DIRECTION                         

Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre

Stuart Burt, The Seagull, Harold Pinter Theatre

Anji Carroll, Marvellous, New Vic Theatre, @sohoplace

Natalie Gallacher for Poppa Ailion Casting, Legally Blonde, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

Jacob Sparrow, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

Anne Vosser and Jo Hawes, Identical, Nottingham Playhouse and The Lowry, Salford

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY                                

Fabian Aloise, Bring It On: The Musical, Southbank Centre

Maxine Doyle, The Burnt City, Woolwich Works

Ellen Kane, A Chorus Line, Curve Leicester

Lynne Page, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre

Susan Stroman, Crazy for You, Chichester Festival Theatre

Arlene Phillips, Grease, Dominion Theatre

BEST COSTUME DESIGN                                            

Evie Gurney and Richard Mawbey, The 47^th, The Old Vic

William Ivey Long, Crazy for You , Chichester Festival Theatre

Katrina Lindsay, Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre

Melissa Simon-Hartman, Much Ado About Nothing, Royal Shakespeare Theatre

Gabriella Slade, The Cher Show, UK tour

Catherine Zuber, My Fair Lady, London Coliseum and UK tour

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN sponsored by WHITE LIGHT                                     

Neil Austin, Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre

Nic Farman, The Book Thief, Octagon Theatre, Bolton

Jessica Hung Han Yun, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Jack Knowles, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre

Tim Lutkin, The Crucible, National Theatre

Scott Zielinski, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

BEST SET DESIGN sponsored by PREEVUE                                          

Jon Bausor, Into the Woods, Theatre Royal Bath

Es Devlin, The Crucible, National Theatre

Robert Jones, Murder on the Orient Express, Chichester Festival Theatre

Morgan Large, Sister Act, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith and tour

Tom Pye and Basil Twist, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Ben Stones, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester

BEST SOUND DESIGN sponsored by STAGE SOUND SERVICES                                   

Neil Bettles, Blood Harmony, Traverse Theatre

Annie May Fletcher, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester

Tony Gayle, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Paul Groothuis, Into the Woods, Theatre Royal Bath

Adam Fisher, The Band’s Visit, Donmar Warehouse

Drew Levy, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

BEST VIDEO DESIGN                                                   

Luke Halls and Zakk Hein, The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, Bridge Theatre

Douglas O’Connell, Identical, Nottingham Playhouse and The Lowry, Salford

Finn Ross, Spring Awakening, Almeida Theatre

Finn Ross and Andrea Scott, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

Joshua Thorson, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!, Young Vic

Max Spielbichler, Best of Enemies, Young Vic and Noël Coward Theatre

BEST GRAPHIC DESIGN sponsored by HEXAGON PRINT                               

AKA, Tammy Faye, Almeida Theatre

Bob King Creative, My Fair Lady, London Coliseum and tour

Felicity McCabe and National Theatre Graphic Design Studio, The Crucible, National Theatre

Muse Creative Communications, The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage, Bridge Theatre

Studio Doug, Prima Facie, Harold Pinter Theatre

Toshio Suzuki and Dewynters, My Neighbour Totoro, Barbican Theatre

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UK & Ireland premiere of Disney’s WINNIE THE POOH THE MUSICAL

Created and directed by Jonathan Rockefeller

Featuring music by The Sherman Brothers

with additional songs by A.A. Milne

Rockefeller Productions, in partnership with ROYO and in association with Disney Theatrical Productions, are delighted to announce the full cast for Disney’s Winnie the Pooh.

The UK and Ireland premiere will begin performances at London’s Riverside Studios (Hammersmith) from 17 March, with an official opening on 26 March. The show will then tour the UK and Ireland until September 2023. Tickets for Riverside Studios and the UK & Ireland Tour are now on sale.

Sharing the role of Winnie the Pooh in London will be the previously announced Jake Bazel (who originated the role in New York) and Benjamin Durham (Young Frankenstein). Benjamin will play the title role on tour. The much-loved characters of Eeyore, Piglet, Rabbit, Owl, Kanga and Roo will be brought to life by an ensemble of performers, including  Laura Bacon (Britain’s Got Talent, Star Wars), Harry Boyd (The Play That Goes Wrong, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story), Alex Cardall (Evita, The Osmonds: A New Musical), Chloe Gentles (Mamma Mia!, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), Lottie Grogan (Smurfs Save Spring: The Musical, The Lips for Puppets with Guys) and Robbie Noonan (Avenue Q UK Tour, Jack and the Beanstalk).

Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a new adventure is about to happen.  A.A. Milne’s beloved characters,Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin and their best friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Rabbit and Owl (and Tigger too!), will all arrive on stage in a beautifully-crafted musical stage adaptation.

In a new story from the Hundred Acre Wood, this fresh stage adaptation is told with impressive life-size puppetry, exciting new stories and featuring characters that have played iconic roles in the lives of children for generations. Accompanying the modern narrative is an original score by Nate Edmondson, featuring some of the Grammy award-winning songs written by the Sherman Brothers for the original animated features, including Winnie the Pooh, The Blustery Day, The Wonderful Thing About Tiggers and Whoop-De-Dooper Bounce, plus A.A. Milne’s The More It Snows (featuring music by Carly Simon) and Sing Ho in a new arrangement.

Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Adaptation is developed and presented by renowned family entertainment creator Jonathan Rockefeller (whose spectacular puppetry is omnipresent in the acclaimed productions of The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show, Paddington Gets in a Jam and Sesame Street the Musical).

Inspired by the beloved books by A. A. Milne and the classic Disney featurettes, the production was welcomed in New York in 2021, where it broke theatre box office records for the largest advance, with rave reviews where it was called “Enchanting!” (Time Out); “Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation is magical, sweet as honey, and full of humor. It’s a wholesome, delightful, enchanting piece of theatre,” (BroadwayWorld); “A perfect reintroduction to live theater. It’s a captivating adventure with spectacular puppetry,” (Mommy Poppins); “Charming and whimsical stage show that Pooh surpasses every expectation I had for it,” (The Laughing Place); “Winnie the Pooh is delightfully first-rate,” (Theatre Pizzazz); “Irresistible. ‘Winnie the Pooh’ is sweeter than honey,” (DC Metro Arts); “An hour of bountiful joy,” (New York Theatre Guide); “Mesmerizing and lifestyle puppets and original Sherman Brothers tunes, the beautiful new Winnie the Pooh musical is must-see,” (Theatrely); “The wonderful thing about musicals is that musicals are wonderful things. The New ‘Winnie the Pooh’ Musical Is Sweeter than Honey,” (Toy Insider).

Website: winniethepoohshow.co.uk

Facebook: @WinnieThePoohShowUK

Twitter: @WinnieShowUK

Instagram: @WinnieThePoohShowUK

TO CLOSE ON 29 APRIL AFTER FOUR YEARS –

THE LONGEST RUNNING SHOW IN THE

200+ YEAR HISTORY OF THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET

TICKETS ON SALE FROM

ONLYFOOLSMUSICAL.COM

The smash-hit Only Fools and Horses The Musical is to close at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on Saturday 29 April after four incredible years – making it the longest running production staged in the Theatre Royal’s 200+ year history.

Starring comedy giant Paul Whitehouse as Grandad, the show has played over 1,000 performances to more than 750,000 people since opening in February 2019. Based on John Sullivan’s iconic and record-breaking television show, this home-grown West End musical spectacular – featuring cherished material from the TV series – is written by Whitehouse and John Sullivan’s son, Jim Sullivan.

Paul Whitehouse said: “It’s been an unbelievable four years for the whole cast of the Only Fools musical. We’ve consistently played to packed houses and received standing ovations night after night – the audiences have been incredible. I’m committed to six months filming from May onwards, so it felt the right time to say ‘Bonjour’ to Del and the gang… for now. But we are planning a UK tour – more details to be announced later this year – and we hope to bring the show back into the West End at some point in the future. But for now, there are just three months to get a ticket to see us at the Theatre Royal. Bonnet de douche!”

Directed by Caroline Jay Ranger, the show opened in the West End to an array of fantastic reviews from critics and fans alike: The Sun awarded five stars, hailing it “One Del of a show!”; the Daily Mirror said it was “a treat for Trotter fans” in their five-star review; The Sunday Times bestowed four stars and remarked that “Only Fools is a blast from our wide-boy past. A hearty stage adaptation of the 1980s BBC television comedy”. Evening Standard also awarded four stars, complimenting the “unashamedly British night out. A jubilant lovely jubbly!” While the Daily Mail urged its readers to “raise a glass of Tittinger to Del Boy and Rodney as Only Fools and Horses storms the West End!”

Starring alongside Paul Whitehouse in this hilarious show are Tom Bennett (Del Boy) and Ryan Hutton (Rodney). The cast also features many of the hugely popular TV characters: Ashleigh Gray plays Raquel; Nicola Munns plays Marlene and Cassandra; Craig Berry plays Boycie; Lee VG plays Trigger; Adrian Irvine plays Denzil; Danny Bayne plays Mickey Pearce and Danny Driscoll; Andrew Bryant plays Mike The Barman and Tony Driscoll. Completing the cast are Christopher Arkeston, Marion Campbell, Wesley Charles, Leanne Garretty, Ian Gareth Jones, Chris Kiely (also Resident Director), Danny Lane, Andy Mace, Melanie Marshall, Gemma Maclean, Darryl Paul and Mark Pearce.

So join the Trotter family for one last knees-up, as they take a trip back to 1989 where it’s all kicking off in Peckham. With musical contributions from Chas n Dave, the beloved theme tune as you’ve never heard it before and an array of brand-new songs full of character and cockney charm, you’re guaranteed to have a right knees-up! Only Fools and Horses The Musical is a feel-good family celebration of traditional working class London life and the aspirations we all share.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“One Del of a Show!”

The Sun

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“Viva, Hooky Street. C’est Magnifique! A treat for Trotter fans”

Daily Mirror

★ ★ ★ ★

“Call it comfort food for our troubled times, this show serves up some lovely jubbly”

Metro

★ ★ ★ ★

“Only Fools is a blast from our wide-boy past.

A hearty stage adaptation of the 1980’s BBC Television comedy”

Sunday Times

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre Royal Haymarket

Box Office: 020 7930 8800

Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7:30pm. Wednesday and Saturday matinee at 2:30pm

Website: OnlyFoolsMusical.com

Twitter: @OFAHMusical