James L. Nederlander, Jamie Wilson, Hunter Arnold, Crossroads Live, Playful Productions and the English National Opera
present
the Lincoln Center Theater production of

LERNER & LOEWE’S
MY FAIR LADY
Book and Lyrics by ALAN JAY LERNER
Music by FREDERICK LOEWE
Directed by BARTLETT SHER

www.myfairladymusical.co.uk
@MyFairLadyUK

• NEW VENUES ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF BARTLETT SHER’S MY FAIR LADY
   
• FOLLOWING A CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED RUN AT THE LONDON COLISEUM, THIS SUMPTUOUS PRODUCTION IS NOW TOURING ACROSS THE COUNTRY
   
• LED BY EASTENDERS’ ADAM WOODYATT, THE CAST INCLUDES MICHAEL D. XAVIER, CHARLOTTE KENNEDY, HEATHER JACKSON, JOHN MIDDLETON AND TOM LIGGINS

Today further venues have been announced for the UK and Ireland tour of Bartlett Sher’s critically acclaimed and multi award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe’s much loved MY FAIR LADY. 

The sumptuous production will visit Sunderland Empire (1st – 11th February), Bristol Hippodrome (14th – 25th February), Birmingham Hippodrome (8th – 19th March) and finally Manchester Palace (22nd March – 1st April).

My Fair Lady recently opened at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford and today begins performances at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (6 – 30 October), before going on to visit Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (8 – 26 November), Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh (14 December – 7 January), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (12 – 29 January). 

“A Rolls Royce of a revival”

Evening Standard
 

“A joyous musical” 

Daily Mail
 

“A reminder of why we go to West End shows”

Sunday Times

The cast includes Michael D. Xavier as Henry Higgins, Charlotte Kennedy as Eliza Doolittle, Adam Woodyatt as Alfred P. Doolittle, Heather Jackson as Mrs Higgins, John Middleton as Colonel Pickering and Tom Liggins as Freddy Eynsford-Hill

They are joined by Dammi Aregbeshola, Bernadette Bangura, Joseph Claus, Jordan Crouch, Jamie Cruttenden, Francessca Daniella-Baker, Barry Drummond,  Bethany Huckle, Emma Johnson, Sinead Kenny, Jenny Legg, Rebekah Lowings, Carl Patrick, Tom Ping, Dominique Planter, Joseph Poulton, John Stacey, Joshua Steel, Oliver Tester, Adam Vaughan, Annie Wensak and Paul Westwood as the ensemble. 

Directed by Bartlett Sher, this sublime production, which premiered in the spring of 2018 at Lincoln Center’s Vivian Beaumont Theater, was the winner of the Tony Award for Best Costume Design,  5 Outer Critics’ Circle Awards including Best Musical Revival, the Drama League Award for Outstanding Musical Revival, and the Drama Desk Awards for Best Musical Revival and Costume Design.

Bartlett Sher’s spectacularly well-dressed production

The Times

My Fair Lady tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady”. But who is really being transformed?

With a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe, MY FAIR LADYboasts a score including the classic songs “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “On the Street Where You Live,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face.” 

“Thrilling! Glorious and better than it ever was! A marvellous and transformative revival.”
New York Times

Adapted from George Bernard Shaw’s play and Gabriel Pascal’s motion picture Pygmalion, Lerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY premiered on Broadway in March 1956, winning 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, and becoming the longest-running musical in Broadway history at the time. Following this success, the production transferred to London in 1958, where it played in the West End for five and a half years. 

MY FAIR LADY has seen many notable revivals and adaptations, including the acclaimed 1964 film starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, which won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Most recently on the London stage, Cameron Mackintosh’s 2001 revival at Theatre Royal Drury Lane won three Olivier Awards, and later toured across the UK and Ireland in 2005.

James L. Nederlander, Jamie Wilson, Hunter Arnold, Playful Productions and the English National Opera present the Lincoln Center Theater production ofLerner & Loewe’s MY FAIR LADY. Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe, sets by Michael Yeargan, costumes by Catherine Zuber, lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Marc Salzberg, hair & wigs by Tom Watson, UK music supervision by Gareth Valentine, UK musical direction by Alex Parker, musical supervision by Ted Sperling, choreography by Christopher Gattelli, directed by Bartlett Sher.

LISTINGS

My Fair Lady
www.myfairladymusical.co.uk
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Sets by Michael Yeargan
Costumes by Catherine Zuber
Lighting by Donald Holder
Sound by Marc Salzberg
Hair & wigs by Tom Watson
UK music supervision by Gareth Valentine
UK musical direction by Alex Parker
Musical supervision by Ted Sperling
Choreography by Christopher Gattelli
Directed by Bartlett Sher

Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin
Thursday 6 October – Sunday 30 October

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Tuesday 8 November – Saturday 26 November
 

Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh
Wednesday 14 December – Saturday 7 January

Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
Thursday 12 January  –  Sunday 29 January 2023

Sunderland Empire

Wednesday 1 – Saturday 11 February 2023

Bristol Hippodrome

Tuesday 14 – Saturday 25 February 2023
 

Hippodrome, Birmingham
Wednesday 8  – Sunday 19 March 2023

Manchester Palace
Wednesday 22 March – Saturday 1 April

DETAILS OF THE WATERMILL THEATRE’S 2023 SPRING SEASON

NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND – BRAND NEW ADAPTATION OF BILL BRYSON’S SMASH-HIT MEMOIR

THE WATERMILL YOUTH ENSEMBLE TO PRESENT THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS

THE FIRST MAJOR UK REVIVAL OR VISITORS – WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY BARNEY NORRIS

THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER– THE ORIGINAL VICTORIAN WHODUNNIT, ADAPTED FROM KATE SUMMERSCALE’S BEST-SELLING NOVEL

AN OUTDOOR PRODUCTION OF JANE AUSTEN’S MANSFIELD PARK CO-PRODUCED WITH ACCLAIMED ZIMBABWEAN COMPANY TWO GENTS EXPLORING CONNECTIONS TO NEW WORLD SLAVERY

BOOK ONLINE AT WATERMILL.ORG.UK OR VIA THE BOX OFFICE ON 01635 46044

TICKETS ON SALE TO FRIENDS OF THE THEATRE FROM WEDNESDAY 12TH AT 12PM

GENERAL ON SALE WEDNESDAY 19 OCTOBER AT 12PM

Artistic Director Paul Hart, Executive Director Claire Murray and the team at Newbury’s The Watermill Theatre today announce the programme of work from February to July 2023, a season with one major revival and four new adaptations that explores the deep joys and troubling complexities of life on our shores.

The season begins with a brand-new adaptation of Bill Bryson’s smash-hit memoir NOTES FROM A SMALL ISLAND, affectionately celebrating the quirks and eccentricities of British life., adapted by Tim Whitnall (Morecambe – West End, Best Possible Taste: The Kenny Everett Story – BBC4), directed by Paul Hart, designed by Katie Lias, and in association with Simon Friend Productions, Notes from a Small Island will run from Friday 3 February until Saturday 18 March.

The Watermill Youth Ensemble return with an adventurous reimagining of Lewis Carrol’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, adapted by Writer in Residence, Becca Chadder (The Poison Belt – Jermyn Street Theatre, Cabildo – Wilton’s Music Hall). The Watermill Youth Ensemble is a diverse group of talented local performers who take part in The Watermill’s weekly programme of activities for young people. Featuring captioning, audio description and integrated BSL, THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS will run from Thursday 23 to Saturday 25 March.

This is followed by the first major UK revival of Barney Norris’s award-winning portrayal of learning to live and love with dementia, VISITORS, set in his beloved rural Wiltshire. Also directed by Barney Norris (The Wellspring– Royal and Derngate, Nightfall – The Bridge Theatre), Visitors will run from Friday 31 March to Saturday 22 April.

THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER, based on the best-selling novel by Kate Summerscale and adapted for the stage for the first time by playwright Alexandra Wood (Silence – Donmar, Wild Swans – Young Vic) will run from Friday 5 May to Saturday 10 June. A dramatic tale of real-life murder that inspired the birth of modern detective fiction, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher is the original Victorian whodunnit.

The season ends with a brand-new co-production with acclaimed Zimbabwean company Two Gents (The Moors – Tara Theatre, Kupenga Kwa Hamlet – The Watermill and UK tour), which explores connections to New World Slavery in Jane Austen’s classic novel MANSFIELD PARK. An outdoor production touring first to rural locations in Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Wiltshire, Mansfield Park – directed and adapted by Tonderai Munyevu and Arne Pohlmeier – will complete its run at The Watermill gardens, from Wednesday 28 June to Saturday 8 July.  

Artistic Director Paul Hart said, “In this diverse combination of work we’re reinventing how we see ourselves as we explore and celebrate the life and history of our nation. With Bill Bryson’s acerbic observational wit, Notes from a Small Island invites us to see the UK afresh from the viewpoint of a critical friend, while in the topsy turvey world of Through the Looking Glass the relatable young Alice finds reality in absurdity. We’re ripping up Mansfield Park in collaboration with Two Gents Productions, uncovering buried conversations in a much-loved classic text. A brand-new production of Visitors takes on new resonance post pandemic as we assess the damage to individual lives and the impact on the care system, and domestic extremes are explored further in the first ever stage adaptation of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher which delves into a fascinating murder in Victorian England which led to a national outcry.”

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED

FOR UK PREMIERE OF

NEWSIES, THE AWARD-WINNING BROADWAY MUSICAL

IN A NEW REIMAGINED PRODUCTION

AT LONDON’S TROUBADOUR WEMBLEY PARK THEATRE

STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON FROM 29 NOVEMBER 2022

OPENING NIGHT THURSDAY 8 DECEMBER 2022 

The producers of Disney’s NEWSIES, the award-winning Broadway musical with music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Jack Feldman and book by Harvey Fierstein, are delighted to announce that Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (Emmett in Legally Blonde at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre for which he has received a 2022 Black British Theatre Award nomination) and Bronté Barbé (Oklahoma Chichester Festival Theatre, Beautiful UK Tour) will star as Jack Kelly and Katherine Plumber respectively in the UK premiere, opening at London’s Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre on Thursday 8 December 2022 for a strictly limited season, following previews from 29 November.  All preview tickets are priced at £30.

The full cast of NEWSIES includes Michael Ahomka-Lindsay as Jack Kelly, Moya Angela as Medda Larkin, Lindsay Atherton as Ensemble, Samuel Bailey as Specs, Imogen Bailey as Swing, Bronté Barbé as Katherine Plumber, Josh Barnett, as Race, Cameron Blakely as Joseph Pulitzer, Jack Bromage as Tommy Boy, Bobbie Chambers as Ensemble, Alex Christian as Buttons, Arcangelo Ciulla as Ike, George Crawford as Morris Delancey, Ross Dawes as Snyder, Joshua Denyer as Mush, Ross Dorrington as Splasher, Matthew Duckett as Crutchie, Kamilla Fernandes as Ensemble, Jacob Fisher as Albert, Jamie Golding as Wiesel, Damon Gould as Finch, Zack Guest as Swing, Jordan Isaac as Swing, Alex James-Hatton as Oscar Delancey, Clarice Julianda as Ensemble, Barry Keenan as Nunzio, Ryan Kopel as Davey, Sion Lloyd as Bunsen George Michaelides as Romeo, Mukeni Nel as Jo Jo, Joshua Nkemdilim as Elmer, Mark Samaras as Mike, Bradley Trevethan as Swing, Matt Trevorrow as Henryand Lillie-Pearl Wildman as Ensemble.

The role of Les will be played by Nesim Adnan, Haydn Court, Oliver Gordon and Ethan Sokontwe.

Based on a true story, NEWSIES is set in New York City at the turn of the 20th century. It’s the rousing tale of a ragged band of teenage newspaper sellers, who dream of a better life far from the hardship of the streets. After newspaper magnate Joseph Pulitzer hikes up the prices for his papers charged to the newsies, Jack Kelly rallies his fellow newsies in an attempt to protest the change, falling in love with young reporter Katherine along the way. These young newsies from across the city come together and rise up against the exploitation of wealthy publishing tycoons and fight for justice using the only power they have – solidarity. 

The original production of NEWSIES opened on Broadway in 2012 and was slated to play only 100 performances but went on to play over 1,000 performances before touring and winning two Tony Awards®, including Best Original Score. The original production was filmed live on stage and released in cinemas in 2017.

Now for the very first time, audiences in the UK have a chance to enjoy the thrill of one of the biggest Broadway hits of recent years. In an innovative and brand new production at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, theatregoers will be thrust right inside the action as the newsies dance, sing, jump and fly around the streets of a booming 19^th century New York City. 

NEWSIES will be Directed and Choreographed by Olivier nominee Matt Cole, with Set Design by Morgan Large, Musical Supervision, Dance Arrangements & Musical Direction by Nigel Lilley, Costumes by Natalie Pryce, Lighting by Mark Henderson, Sound by Tony Gayle, Orchestrations by Simon Hale, Performer Flying by John Maddox for Suspended Illusions Ltd, Casting by Lucy Casson, Children’s Casting by Jo Hawes,  Fight Directors Rachel Bown-Williams & Ruth Cooper-Brown for RC Annie, Associate Director Rachael Nanyonjo, Associate Choreographer Jane McMurtrie, Associate Musical Director Chris Ma and Production Management by Lee Batty and Andy Fox for Setting Line.

NEWSIES is produced by Tristan Baker & Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Gavin Kalin, Hunter Arnold, Kater Gordon and Dianne Roberts, by permission of Disney Theatrical Productions.

Website: newsiesthemusical.co.uk

Instagram: @newsies_uk

Facebook: @newsiesuk

Twitter: @newsies_uk

LISTINGS

Disney’s NEWSIES

Strictly Limited Season from 29 November 2022

Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

3 Fulton Rd

Wembley Park

London HA9 0SP

Performances: Wednesday-Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday & Saturday at 2.30pm, Sunday at 1pm & 5:30pm*

*no 2.30pm matinee 1 & 8 December, no performance 4 & 9 December, extra 7.30pm performances 5 & 13 December 2022

Christmas 2022/23 Performance Schedule

Monday 19 December                NO PERFORMANCE

Tuesday 20 December               7.30pm 

Wednesday 21 December          2.30pm & 7.30pm 

Thursday 22 December              7.30pm 

Friday 23 December                   2.30pm & 7.30pm 

Saturday 24 December              2.30pm & 7.30pm 

Sunday 25 December                NO PERFORMANCE 

Monday 26 December                NO PERFORMANCE

Tuesday 27 December               7.30pm

Wednesday 28 December          2.30pm & 7.30pm 

Thursday 29 December              7.30pm 

Friday 30 December                   2.30pm & 7.30pm 

Saturday 31 December              2.30pm 

Sunday 1 January                      NO PERFORMANCE 

Suitable for age 5+

CASTING ANNOUNCED

FOR THE EUROPEAN PREMIERE OF
DOLLY PARTON’S
SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHRISTMAS CAROL
A NEW MUSICAL

‘COLD FEET’ AND ‘TOAST OF LONDON’ STAR

ROBERT BATHURST

LEADS THE CAST AS

SCROOGE

AT THE

SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S QUEEN ELIZABETH HALL
FROM 8 DECEMBER 2022 – 8 JANUARY 2023

EXTRA PERFORMANCES ADDED

DUE TO POPULAR DEMAND

Producers Fiery Angel Entertainment and Red Tail Entertainment are delighted to announce casting for the European Premiere of Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol – A New Musical at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 8 December 2022 to 8 January 2023. Extra performances have been added on 22 and 29 December due to popular demand. www.dollyschristmascarol.com

‘Cold Feet’ and ‘Toast of London’ star Robert Bathurst will lead the cast as Scrooge. He is joined by Halle Brown, Iona Fraser, Richard J Hunt, Vicki Lee Taylor, Olivier Award winner George Maguire, Ediz Mahmut, Sarah O’Connor, Christopher Parkinson, Minal Patel, Annie Southall, Carole Stennett, Danny Whitehead and Mitchell Zhangazha. Playing the role of Tiny Tim will be Daniel Lee, Alexander Quinlan and Samuel Sturge. Also in the children’s cast will be Elliot Marsden, George Menezes Cutts and Dereke Oladele.

Robert Bathurst is a TV and stage actor best known for Cold Feet, Toast Of London, Joking Apart and Downton Abbey. He played John Le Mesurier in the biopic Hattie and Sergeant Wilson in Dad’s Army – The Lost Episodes. Numerous West End and touring theatre productions include plays by Chekhov, Shaw, Shakespeare, Wilde, Ibsen, Michael Frayn, Joe Penhall, Steven Thompson, Michael Wynne and Claire Luckham. In Chicago he played the title role in King Charles III by Mike Bartlett. With the ex-professional jockey Nathan Horrocks he wrote and directed The Fall, a film drama about jockeys. He devised and produces the staging of Love, Loss & Chianti by Christopher Reida two-actor play in verse with cartoon animation. He has written articles and book reviews on showbiz and horseracing and as a reader of audiobooks he won the Audie for Best Male Narrator in 2020.

Set during the 1930s in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, this heart-warming and truly unforgettable production imagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys and gifts of the season. As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by the spirit of his deceased business partner and three ghosts who compel him to see life anew and discover that love and family are the greatest and most precious gifts we have. Dickens’ classic characters and Parton’s heart-felt songs beautifully reimagine this timeless story in a whole new light.  

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol is an adaptation by David H. Bell, Paul T. Couch and Curt Wollan. The book is by David H. Bell with music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton.  It is produced by Fiery Angel Entertainment and Red Tail Entertainment.

Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol is directed and choreographed by Alison Pollard, with musical direction by Andrew Hilton. Set design is by Scott Davis, Costume design by Linda Roethke, Props design by Eleanor Kahn, Lighting design by David Howe and Sound design by Richard Brooker. The Assistant Director and Choreographer is Andrew Margerison, the Associate Musical Director is Leigh Stanford Thompson and the Associate Sound Designer is Kelsh Buckman Drudge. Casting is by Pearson Casting.

THE OTHER PALACE ANNOUNCES NEW MUSICAL

GLORY RIDE

BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS BY VICTORIA & TODD BUCHHOLZ

DIRECTED BY SHAUN KERRISON

AT THE OTHER PALACE
RUNNING FROM 14 – 16 NOVEMBER 2022

A new, original musical based on an amazing, true story from the Second World War, Glory Ride, will have its world premiere in the main theatre at The Other Palace as a staged concert for three performances this November. 

How did a Cyclist, an Accountant, and the Cardinal of Tuscany join forces to pull off one of the most remarkable rescue operations of the War? Glory Ride reveals the untold tale of an Italian Tour de France winner who uses his fame and his bicycle to save hundreds of children from Mussolini’s Fascists. The show takes place in Tuscany and features soaring, memorable songs, along with a witty book and comic relief.

Backed by members of the original producers of Jersey Boys, Glory Ride features some of the West End’s biggest stars and has developed through workshops in New York and Los Angeles featuring top Broadway talent.

Victoria Buchholz, writer, has said, “we call it Les Mis meets Ocean’s Eleven…This fascinating story could rewrite how the world remembers the Italian Resistance during World War II.”

Combining heist, history, humour, and humanity, Glory Ride transports the audience to the golden hills of Tuscany for a journey more timely today than ever before.

Featuring music, lyrics and a book by the daughter and father team Victoria and Todd Buchholz and direction by Shaun Kerrison, Glory Ride will play at The Other Palace from 14 November 2022 for three performances.

They have tanks. He has a bicycle. Pick a side.

CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR BALLO ARTHUR PITA’S LONDON PREMIERE OF TEN SORRY TALES  

Family entertainment for the October half term holiday

Ballo Arthur Pita presents

TEN SORRY TALES

By Mick Jackson

Directed & choreographed by Arthur Pita

Co-Commissioned by DanceEast and Sadler’s Wells

Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells, London

27 – 29 October 2022

Award-winning Director and Choreographer Arthur Pita returns to the Lilian Baylis Studio, Sadler’s Wells this month to present the London premiere of TEN SORRY TALES, a dance theatre production with live music on stage based on the book of short stories by Mick Jackson. Playing from Thursday 27 to Saturday 29 October with two shows daily, TEN SORRY TALES offers the perfect half term treat for children and adults alike (ages 8+).

The cast includes: Danielle Downey, Karl Fagerlund Brekke, Nathan Goodman, Frank Moon, Simon Palmer, Faith Prendergast and 
Joshua James Smith.

With music and lyrics by Frank Moon and Bev Lee Harling, designs are by Yann Seabra, lighting by Mark Doubleday and projections by Michele Cadei.

Celebrated for his surreal take on storytelling, Pita’s TEN SORRY TALES presents a collection of modern-day fables for the curious minded, combining dance, theatre, live music and song. From the child who sleeps for many many years, to the sinister sisters who prey on trespassers, and the boy who brings butterflies back to life, these tales are by turns inquisitive, moving, macabre and humorous. 

Presented by Ballo Arthur Pita, co-commissioned by DanceEast and Sadler’s Wells and supported by Arts Council England, TEN SORRY TALES was first performed at DanceEast, Ipswich in December 2019. Its 2020 London transfer was postponed due to the pandemic. 

Ballo Arthur Pita’s other critically acclaimed productions include: God’s Garden, The Little Match Girl which has enjoyed UK and international touring plus five Christmas seasons at Sadler’s Wells, The World’s Greatest Show and Stepmother/Stepfather. 

TuckShop & Trafalgar Theatre Productions present

RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE UK STARS

RIVER MEDWAY AND VICTORIA SCONE

TO CO-STAR IN DEATH DROP: BACK IN THE HABIT

TICKETS ON SALE

FROM DEATHDROPPLAY.COM

RuPaul’s Drag Race UK stars River Medway and Victoria Scone are to co-star in Death Drop’s new drag murder mystery sensation Death Drop: Back In The Habit, which begins a UK Tour in October. They will join a full drag supporting cast and previously announced: RuPaul Drag Race UK and Drag Race Vs The World star Cheryl Hole, RuPaul USA Drag Legend Willam and Drag King LoUis CYfer. Tickets are on sale now from DeathDropPlay.com

Kicking off on 27 October in Bromley, this laugh-a-minute production – written by Rob Evans and directed once again by Jesse Jones – will then sashay into Dartford, London, Wycombe, Cardiff, Crewe, Brighton, Blackpool, Sheffield, Leicester, Aberdeen, Nottingham, Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham until 18 March 2023, with further venues to be announced.

Death Drop: Back In The Habit sees a gaggle of fierce Nuns confined to their Convent. But their peace and tranquility is shattered by a serial slayer slashing their way through the sisters. With the help of an unexpected visitor from the Vatican, can Mother Superior and the rag-tag Sisters of St Babs save their convent, save souls, and save themselves?

As Drag Race UK recently returned to TV and continues to be BBC Three’s most popular non-scripted show, the popularity and fun of drag, combined with our Nations love of a murder mystery remains inescapable. Earlier this year on ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway Ant & Dec performed at the end of the show in full drag to an audience of 7.4m. Alongside the release of new murder mystery film See How They Run, that remained top of the cinema box office throughout September 2022, the popularity of the art of drag and murder mysteries remain a firm public favourite.

Death Drop: Back In The Habit – UK Tour 2022/2023

27 – 30 October Bromley: Churchill Theatre

1 – 5 November Dartford: Orchard Theatre

8 – 20 November London: Garrick Theatre

22 – 26 November High Wycombe: Swan Theatre

29 November – 3 December Cardiff: New Theatre

6 – 10 December Crewe: Lyceum Theatre

13 December – 24 December Brighton: Theatre Royal

3 – 7 January Blackpool: Grand Theatre

10 – 14 January Sheffield: Lyceum Theatre

17 – 21 January Leicester: Curve Theatre

23 – 28 January Aberdeen: Her Majesty’s

14 – 19 February Nottingham: Theatre Royal

7-11 February Liverpool: Everyman Theatre

23 – 25 February Glasgow: King’s Theatre

9 – 12 March Manchester: Opera House

13 – 18 March Birmingham: The Alexandra

* Willam will be performing in the production until up to and including Cardiff’s New Theatre

* River Medway will be performing in the production until up to and including Aberdeen’s Her Majesty’s Theatre

Twitter: @deathdropplay

Instagram: @deathdropplay

Facebook: Facebook.com/deathdropplay

Darkly comic Pickle returns to Park Theatre
this November after sold-out run
Monday 14th November – Saturday 26th November 2022
Park Theatre (Park90), Clifton Terrace, Finsbury Park, London, N4 3JP

After captivating audiences during its sold-out performances in May, Pickle returns to Park Theatre this November as part of the Make Mine A Double Festival. Writer Deli Segal (Ali & Dahlia, Pleasance Theatre) stars in this cheeky and authentic exploration of what it means to be a young Jewish woman in London today, in a tale brought to life by female-led Jewish creative team.

Ari lives at home in North-West London, where her life is dominated by overbearing parents, tradition and expectations. However, her daily life includes her job, going out – and, inevitably, the dating scene. Pickle follows Ari as she tries to balance Friday night dinner with drinks at the pub, JSwipe with Hinge, being Jewish and secular. This uproarious simcha of a one-woman show explores a young Jewish woman’s psyche as she navigates her two contrasting worlds with irreverent humour and heart. Expect smoked salmon, guilt and a large dose of self-deprecation as Pickle brings Ari’s vibrant world to life.

Pickle is written and performed by Segal, produced by Tanya Truman (Confessions of a Rabbi’s Daughter, The Other Palace; Tier Three Sisters, The Hope Theatre) and directed by Kayla Feldman (Swimming, White Bear Theatre; Dear Peter, Iris Theatre), all female Jewish theatremakers who strive to amplify Jewish voices on stage.

Deli Segal, writer and performer, comments, Pickle is all about one woman’s experience of
reconciling belief and tradition with change. I wanted to tell a story that explores being in the middle of both worlds and celebrates the parts that fit together, and those that don’t. The vibrancy, the spirit, the richness of culture, the humour of Jewish life – those things often get lost in the conversation. Pickle brings them all to the stage.

EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 15TH OCTOBER 2022

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

4****

Jim Steinman’s Bat Out Of Hell The Musical, literally roared into Liverpool last night, lining the street in front of the Empire Theatre with a parade of motorbikes, similar to the one featured on the front of the 1977 Bat out of Hell album. It was a wonderful tribute to not only the late, great Meat Loaf and talented composer Steinman but also set the scene for what was to be a memorable evening.

Bat Out Of Hell is a rock musical with music, lyrics and book by Steinman, based on the Bat Out Of Hell album by Meat Loaf. Steinman wrote all the songs, most of which are from the Bat Out of Hell trilogy albums. The musical premiered at the Opera House in Manchester in February 2017 and originally starred Rob Fowler (Mamma Mia, CATS, The Buddy Holly Story) as Falco and Sharon Sexton (Mamma Mia, Billy Elliot The Musical, Anything Goes) as Sloane, who performed in last night’s production.

The musical is a loose retelling of Peter Pan and follows Strat, performed by Glenn Adamson, the leader of ‘The Lost’, a group of rebellious teenagers who will forever remain 18, living underground in a dystopian setting. Strat has fallen in love with Raven, performed by Martha Kirby, daughter of Falco, the tyrannical ruler of Obsidian. This romance causes upset amongst ‘The Lost’ and Tink, performed by Killian Thomas Lefevre, seeks the same revenge as Raven’s father, Falco.

Bat Out Of Hell was always meant to be a musical and takes Steinman and Meat Loaf’s greatest hits and turns them into an exciting musical experience. All rock fans are familiar with the songs and Bat out of Hell has sold over 40 million copies, it reached its highest position in the USA Billboard chart earlier this year after Meat Loaf, Michael Lee Aday, passed away.

The cast is wondrously talented and the music sounds extremely good, giving the audience the chance to hear the songs they love, performed spectacularly. No surprise this musical has a worldwide fan base. The set design is impressive, Obsidian is brought to life, with Falco Towers standing out against the desolate and black background.

The musical ended with the audience in a standing ovation. A touching moment was when actor Rob Fowler encouraged the audience to take out their phones to record the last musical number and share it on social media, he stated that “Live theatre is back!”

Bat Out Of Hell is a ride full of adrenaline to hell and back! A must see for Meat Loaf fans!

Royal & Derngate, Northampton – until 8th October 2022

Reviewed by Ely King

5*****

Content warning: mentions of sexual assault and abuse

This cast is overflowing with endless talent

The Color Purple is a brutally honest portrayal of what life was like for many people of colour in the past.

Based on the well-loved novel written by Alice Walker, and the movie directed by Steven Spielberg, this musical adaptation is a modern masterpiece.

The production follows the tumultuous life of Celie (Me’Sha Bryan) from a young age as she navigates the twists and turns of being a black woman in the early 1900’s – prior to the Civil Rights Movement.

By the age of fourteen, Celie has already given birth to her second child as a result of being raped by her father (KM Drew Boatend), who ‘gets rid’ of them shortly after birth.

Before she even has a chance to begin to recover, she is shirked off into the hands of a brute of a man, Mister (Ako Mitchell).

Though Celie goes willingly, accepting her role in society, her headstrong sister Nettie (Aaliyah Zhané) is defiant from the get-go, proclaiming how she will be a teacher and have her own life.

It’s this defiance, and natural beauty, that catches the eye of Mister, and upon her rejection, he shuns her from his property – Celie assumes her sister has been killed by her husband.

With no sister for support, Celie succumbs to the ruthless torment and beatings that her husband bestows on her, never once complaining or questioning the mechanics of their relationship.

Thankfully, by the end of the show, Celie is once again surrounded by people who love and care for her and is finally truly happy.

Despite the show being incredibly heavy in places, there is still a sprinkling of comedy throughout. It is enough to help lighten the show in areas, but doesn’t detract from the storyline or make light of the story being told.

This delicate balance helps the show become the success that it is.

That, and the cast.

This touring cast are some of the most talented performers out there right now.

From start to finish, this performance is a sensational masterclass of talent.

Me’Sha Bryan and Ako Mitchell as Celie and Mister are true standouts of the performance, having the perfectly believable to-and-fro with some jaw-dropping solos.

Ako manages to even get the audience feeling sorry for him at parts of the show, which is a huge feat considering how cruel his character is portrayed.

Even though Me’Sha and Ako may be the leads, every single person in this cast has their well-deserved moment to shine.

These singers are so phenomenally talented, their vocals are borderline ethereal at times.

Two of the women who help Celie gain strength and independence are Sofia, played by Analisa Lamola, and Shug Avery played by Bree Smith. Analisa and Bree are incredibly talented, performing some show-stopping ballads effortlessly with an air of grace that commands the attention of the audience.

Whilst every single cast member deserves their own shout-out, honourable mentions have to go to Esme Laudat, Karen Mavundukure and Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah who play Jarene, Doris and Darlene respectively. The three women act like rogue narrators, stirring up gossip amongst themselves between scenes to help introduce characters and add that little bit more drama. Their characterisation is very reminiscent of The Muses from Hercules, or The Fates from Hadestown.

Although the women undoubtedly run this show, the men are no joke either.

The ensemble stars the incredible Joshua Clemetson and Ahmed Hamad (among others) who are the perfect light relief and sounding board for the women to play against.

The Color Purple is an invaluable and unforgettable piece of art and is a must-see for everyone.