SOPHIE WARD & JOE McFADDEN

JOIN THE UK TOUR OF

AGATHA CHRISTIE’S THE MIRROR CRACK’D

UK TOUR OPENS 8 SEPTEMBER 2022

Sophie Ward and Joe McFadden join Susie Blake in the cast of the brand new production of Rachel Wagstaff’s acclaimed adaptation of Agatha Christie’s THE MIRROR CRACK’D. The production, directed by Philip Franks, will begin its UK Tour at Devonshire Park, Eastbourne on 8 September 2022.

THE MIRROR CRACK’D will star Susie Blake as Miss Marple, Sophie Ward as Marina Gregg, Joe McFadden as Jason Rudd, Veronica Roberts as Dolly Bantry, Mara Allen as Cherry Baker, Sarah Lawrie as Ella Zielinsky, Jules Melvin as Heather Leigh and David Partridge as Cyril Leigh.

In 1960s England, a wind of change is blowing through the land. It has even reached the sleepy village of St Mary Mead. There’s a new housing estate, which alarms the villagers as much as it intrigues them and, even more unsettling, a rich American film star has bought the manor house. Jane Marple, confined to a chair after an accident, is wondering if life has passed her by. Then there is a shocking murder, and Miss Marple must unravel a web of lies, danger and tragedy. This adaptation of Agatha Christie’s famous novel brings real emotional depth and psychological insight to a thrilling story of secrets, loss and revenge.

The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side was published in the UK in 1962 and adapted as a feature film, The Mirror Crack’d, in 1980, starring Angela Lansbury as Miss Marple, Elizabeth Taylor, Kim Novak, Rock Hudson and Tony Curtis.  On television, adaptations of the novel have starred Joan Hickson as Miss Marple in 1992 and Julia McKenzie as Miss Marple in 2011.

Susie Blake is best known for playing the Continuity Announcer in Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, as well as her regular roles of Bev Unwin in ITV’s Coronation Street and Hillary Nicholson in BBC’s Mrs Brown’s Boys. She has recently appeared in series one and two of Kate & Koji (ITV), Not Going Out (BBC One) and The Real Marigold Hotel (BBC One). Her films include Fierce Creatures and Nativity 3: Dude, Where’s My Donkey?!. Her theatre credits include Fisherman’s Friends: The Musical (Hall for Cornwall), Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em (UK Tour), My Fair Lady (Grange Festival), Grumpy Old Women Live 2 & 3, When We Are Married (West End), Pygmalion (Chichester Festival Theatre), Madame Morrible in Wicked (West End) and Belinda Blair in Noises Off (National Theatre).

Sophie Ward has most recently been seen in the BBC‘s A Very British Scandal opposite Claire Foy and Paul Bettany, BBC/HBO Max’s Troubled Blood – an adaptation of J.K. Rowling’s hugely popular novel of the same name, and This Sceptred Isle, playing the role of Rachel Johnson, opposite Kenneth Branagh’s Boris Johnson.  For the past four years, Sophie has hosted the European Diversity Awards and works closely alongside Stonewall.

Joe McFadden’s television credits include Raffaello Di Lucca in Holby City from 2014 to 2020, Alistair in Casualty in 2009, PC Joe Mason in Heartbeat from 2007 to 2009, Jack Marshland in Cranford, Dallas in Sex, Chips & Rock’n’roll, Prentice McHoan in The Crow Road and Gary McDonald in The High Road.  Theatre includes Priscilla-Queen Of The Desert, Torch Song Trilogy (Menier Chocolate Factory), She Loves Me (Chichester Festival Theatre), Rainbow Kiss (Royal Court Theatre), How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying (Chichester Festival Theatre), Aladdin (Old Vic Theatre) and Rent (Shaftesbury Theatre, London).  Joe was the winner of Strictly Come Dancing in 2017.

THE MIRROR CRACK’D will be directed by Philip Franks (Barnes’ People, The Haunting of Alice Bowles, The Habit of Art, The Croft and A Cold Supper Behind Harrods) and designed by Adrian Linford, with lighting design by Emma Chapman, sound design by Max Pappenheim and casting by Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG.

The UK Tour will be produced by Alastair Whatley and Tom Hackney for The Original Theatre Company. The Original Theatre Company recently won a Critics’ Circle Award for their outstanding contribution to British Theatre during lockdown, through which they produced acclaimed online productions of Sebastian Faulks’s Birdsong Online, Louise Coulthard’s Watching Rosie, Torben Betts’s Apollo 13: The Dark Side of The Moon, Philip Franks’s The Haunting of Alice Bowles and Peter Barnes’s Barnes’ People.  More recently, they have produced stage and hybrid productions ranging from world premieres of Frazer Flintham’s Into The Night to Ben Brown’s The End of The Night at Park Theatre, as well as tours of The Hound of The Baskervilles, Being Mr Wickham, The System, A Splinter of Ice, The Habit of Art, Invincible and Birdsong. Last week they announced their new playwriting festival ‘Originals’ in partnership with Riverside Studios, which opens at the end of June in London and online.

Website: www.originaltheatre.com

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @MissMarpleTour / @OriginalTheatre

TOUR SCHEDULE

8 – 17 September                   Eastbourne Devonshire Park                                       01323 412000

                                               www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk                                    on sale

20 – 24 September                 Darlington Hippodrome                                                01325 405405

                                               www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk                                on sale

27 September – 1 October     Cheltenham Everyman Theatre                                   01242 572573

                                                everymantheatre.org.uk                                               on sale                                              

4 – 8 October                         York Theatre Royal                                                      01904 623568

                                               www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk                                         on sale           

10 – 15 October                     Oxford Playhouse                                                         01865 305305

                                               Oxfordplayhouse.com                                                  on sale

17 – 22 October                      Mold Theatr Clwyd                                                       01352 344101

                                                www.theatrclwyd.com                                                  on sale 14 June

31 October – 5 November       Northampton Royal & Derngate                                   01604 624811

                                                royalandderngate.co.uk                                                on sale                                              

8 – 12 November                     Norwich Theatre Royal                                                 01603 630000

                                                norwichtheatre.org                                                       on sale

22 – 26 November                   Bromley Churchill Theatre                                            0343 310 0020

                                                churchilltheatre.co.uk                                                   on sale soon

28 November – 3 December    Southend Palace Theatre                                            0343 310 0030

                                                palacetheatresouthend.co.uk                                       on sale

Further dates to be announced

GARY BARLOW BRINGS A DIFFERENT STAGE BACK TO WHERE HIS STORY BEGAN

FRODSHAM COMMUNITY CENTRE TO HOST SPECIAL PERFORMANCES OVER 2 – 4 JUNE

TICKETS ON SALE TO FRODSHAM RESIDENTS* FROM 9.30AM THURSDAY 26 MAY HERE

GENERAL TICKET ON SALE FROM 9.30AM FRIDAY 27 MAY HERE

www.adifferentstage.show

★★★★★ A brave and beautiful retelling of his whole life story…a seriously emotional experience – Manchester Evening News

★★★★ Gary Barlow…proves himself a master of solo performance– The Scotsman

★★★★★ Barlow holds his audience rapt throughout…[he’s] a candidly open and honest storyteller – Edinburgh Evening News

Frodsham local, lauded singer, songwriter, composer and producer Gary Barlow, is heading back to his hometown for four very special performances of his critically acclaimed theatrical one man stage show. He’ll perform A Different Stage at the Frodsham Community Centre over 2, 3 and 4 June. Those with a credit card registered to a WA6 postcode* will be able to purchase tickets on Thursday 26 May, with general sale tickets available from Friday 27 May.

In A Different Stage, Gary takes audiences on a journey through his life story, which began in Frodsham back in 1971. A Different Stagepremiered at The Brindley, the award-winning theatre in Runcorn, Cheshire, in February to a rapturous reception and Gary has since played to sell-out audiences in Salford, Liverpool and Edinburgh. He’ll also take the show to Dublin, Newcastle, York and more, plus he’ll make his West End debut at London’s Duke of York’s Theatre in August.

A Different Stage performance dates announced today:

Frodsham Community Centre – Thursday 2 June

Frodsham Community Centre – Friday 3 June

Frodsham Community Centre – Saturday 4 June (matinee)

Frodsham Community Centre – Saturday 4 June (evening)

Gary said: “It’s been thrilling to perform ‘A Different Stage’ in so many wonderful places over the past few months, but to be able to bring this show to Frodsham feels incredibly special to me. I can’t wait!”

Created by Gary and his long-time friend and collaborator Tim Firth, A Different Stage sees Gary narrate the journey of his life alongside the music from his incredible discography. In a project unlike anything he’s ever done before, Gary will take the audience behind the curtain, with nothing off limits in this special performance.

Gary Barlow is one of Britain’s most successful songwriters and record producers. As part of the group Take That, he has won eight BRIT Awards and sold over 45 million records. Aside from his achievements with Take That, he has also co-written and produced music for other renowned artists including Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams.

In more recent years, Gary has also turned his attention to the world of theatre, composing the score for the hugely successful production of Finding Neverland; working alongside Tim Firth on  Calendar Girls The Musical; and collaborating with Tim and his Take That bandmates on The Band, a record-breaking stage musical currently being adapted into a feature film.

Theatr Clwyd, Yr Wyddgrug – until 4th June 2022

Reviewed by Julie Noller

5*****

Exciting times at Theatr Clwyd as the 1970s building undergoes a major refurbishment. Upon arrival you find yourself walking towards what feels like a wedding marquee, fear not it is the temporary hospitality area but on a sunny evening the windows open up to give amazing views of the Clwydian range highlighting the magnificance of the local area of which the theatre takes it’s pride of place within the local community. Huge congratulations to Theatr Clwyd for using a QR code generated programme that is accessible to everyone, reducing costs and aiding the environment.

We found ourselves within the outside dome, Theatr Mix. A rather funky little theatre which is prefect for any show where intimacy, small stage settings bring the audience so close to the actors you feel you can almost reach out and touch them. Celebrated Virgins I wasn’t sure what to expect, the only knowledge I had was from my friend Google, perhaps upon reflection this is wise because the story itself so cleverly written by Katie Elin-Salt and Directed by Eleri B.Jones. From the very first minutes it’s obvious you are going to be sucked towards the very soul of this story. Reminded that these very forward thinking ladies were no longer with us in body but very much so in spirit and that they certainly had aplenty. 200 years ago it was unheard of for a young lady to think for herself never mind break every unwritten rule of gentile society and seek to live their lives in romantic love with each other. Yet here we have Heather Agyepong as Sarah Ponsonby facing us, challenging us from her very first words. The very fact that we think we may know, words perhaps in our era we can say with ease but then in 1700s North Wales within the small rural area of Llangollen where the River Dee still flows, you just conformed to society within the constraints of your birthright.

I enjoyed being challenged, loved the humour. For above all else that connects us to history it’s the stories and the laughter. Sarah a shy, socially awkward youngster a description that wouldn’t be out of place today to many you meet. Sarah arrives in Ireland as a ward of Sir William (Sean Carlsen a man of many accents tonight) and Lady Betty (Emma Pallant) a couple who yearn on one hand an heir and the other a much loved child. Sarah is a replacement child close at first to Lady Betty but that bond slowly ebbs as Sir William takes an interest and encourages Sarah’s joy of gardening. That interest turns rather dark and disturbing, something I found intriguing is that all these changes are inferred, you don’t witness a great deal and it feels like our responsibility to establish the pieces of the story in our minds eye. Lady Betty becomes somewhat jealous or is it protective of Sarah and encourages her to attend school where Victoria John portraying Lady Eleanor Butler is an aide. The story moves on at pace throughout, we don’t need the nitty gritty detail we need the roller-coaster that life often is. It wasn’t a quick event that happened, they met, they fell in love and happily ever after. We must remember that these groundbreaking ladies were so far ahead of their time, but they faced fears, struggled with emotions. We must be thankful for those willing to not only break the rules they actually took the book and ripped it into tiny pieces.

I’m not here to retell the story for its plainly obvious these 2 ladies of Llangollen, hermetesses as they were labelled locally became a sensation of gossip, their story is built not by their own writings but the words of others, newspapers, we know that words can change from person to person.

The Second Act saw Emma Pallant take her part in portraying another strong woman as the ladys maid/servant Mary, reminding us with a great deal of humour and laughter that romance isn’t just roses grown in a garden. She was woken at 2am for the dash to the ferry, she carried the luggage, she continues to scrub the skid marks for life is real. On a whole the performances are polished and we the audience draw so much, it’s a story of life long love deep and forbidden. The story of strong women from those who yearn for the love of a child, a maid who feels the love of her mistresses not just as an employee but as family. To the modern day museum restoration and upkeep of Plas Newyydd at Llangollen. It is a reminder that girl power was never a Spice Girl invention but in fact has always been within every female regardless of birth right.

EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 28TH MAY 2022

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

Mischief’s Oliver Award winning, West End and Broadway hit comedy continues to entertain audiences around the world and is currently touring the UK for the fifth time. Last night the cast certainly provided the audience with plenty of belly laughs, as it premiered at the Empire Theatre.

Before the performance even started, we had our suspicions that not all was going to plan. As we were making our way from the bar, down the stairs to take our seat, a very well dressed man came running up the stairs towards us. He stopped in front of us, greeted us politely and continued running up the stairs past us. He looked a little bit distressed. When we took our seats, we noticed the production team walking around, asking the audience for their help in looking for their lost dog and a few minutes later a helpless stage manager attempted to secure a collapsing mantel piece on the set. This was hilarious and drew the audience’s attention, giving us a small taster of what we could be expecting throughout the evening’s performance.

This production is a farcical play within a play, and reminded me of ‘Faulty Towers’, everything that could go wrong, went wrong in the most delightful ways.

The talented cast play members of the Cornley Polytechninic Drama Society who is putting on (or attempting to put on) a 1920’s murder mystery, titled Murder at Haversham Manor.

For me the standouts of the evening included Edi De Melo, as Max the student playing Cecil and Harry Boyd as Chris, the newly elected Head of the drama society playing the part of Inspector Carter and the Director. Their charisma and charm on stage, drew in the audience, commanded their full attention and send them into fits of laughter.

The set (Nigel Hook) helped contribute to the majority of the catastrophes, from the misplacement of props, to the gradual destruction of the set by the end of the play.

I left the theatre with a huge grin on my face, listening to people around me cackling out loud and recalling their favourite part of the play. The Play That Goes Wrong really is a comical sensation!

Grand Opera House York – Saturday 21st May 2022.

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

4****

The Gruffalo is a well know children’s book, first published in 1999, by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. It was first adapted to stage by Tall Stories over 20 years ago and is still going strong to this day.

The story follows the escapades of Mouse, venturing into the deep dark wood on the hunt for hazelnuts. With just a map in hand, Mouse encounters numerous Predators within the wood, and being at the bottom of the food chain, has every right to be scared. But this mouse is no ordinary mouse!

Mouse has a vivid imagination and uses clever tricks to escape danger. Whilst following the map Mouse encounters the sly Fox, the eccentric Owl and finally the flamboyant Snake, the latter complete with maracas. Each of these animals has only one intention, after invitations to their individual homes, and that is to have Mouse on their menus. The cunning Mouse refuses each offer by concocting the Gruffalo, a gruesome creature with frightening features. After getting rid of all the Predators, Mouse is shocked to encounter a real Gruffalo and again must avoid being dinner.

The stage really does look like a deep dark wood, the kind you get in a children’s book anyway. Imposing, almost cartoonish trees setting the scene. The costumes are effective, with the upturn of a collar and whip out of a tail turn a person into a fox, a headband become ears, a bit of makeup and again a tail appearing from nowhere, to create a mouse, it is quite simple but very clever.

We don’t see the Gruffalo costume until later in the show, and he almost looked like a cuddly teddy, not scary at all. The children loved seeing him up on the stage though, I know my lot were excited to finally see him.

There are only three cast members, Aimee Louise Bevan as Mouse, Alastair Chisholm as all the Predators, Fox, Owl and Snake, and Aaron Dart as the narrator and The Gruffalo. They are all full of energy, filling the stage well and really brought all the characters to life. It was all very engaging, and had us all, both children and adults, joining in with the singing, roaring as loud as we could, pretending to be a Gruffalo. My three loved the interaction.

This show really does bring the book to life. Suitable for 3-7 year olds, it is a perfect introduction to the theatre. It was all such fun.

Richmond Theatre – until Saturday 28th May 2022

Reviewed by Liberty Noke

4****

The Rocky Horror Show has been loved by audiences all over the world for over 40 years and it is easy to see why. This naughty, sexy, scandalous show is a party from beginning to end.

It opens with the usherette (Suzie McAdam) on stage singing Science Fiction – Double Feature. Her costume was fantastic with her ice cream tray and blonde wig but this was only the beginning, she opened the curtain to reveal Brad (Ore Oduba) and Janet (Haley Flaherty) introduced by the narrator(Philip Franks). As the narrator speaks the audience use the well known talk-back lines to interact with him. The narrator was prepared for this and interacted perfectly even making topical references like to the Johnny Depp and Amber
Heard trial or Priti Patel.

Brad and Janet are clean-cut, ordinary people travelling home from a wedding. We watch them become engaged during their performance of Damn it, Janet which was fantastic. Their car then breaks down and they seek help at a nearby castle. They are greeted by Riff Raff (Kristian Lavercombe) who welcomes them inside to meet the other servants in the castle who all perform the Time Warp this song had the whole audience on their feet singing and dancing along, it was a really special moment to see the performers and the audience all having fun together.

We then meet the owner of the castle Frank N Further (Stephen Webb). Frank makes a spectacular entrance his presence is incredible and his performance of Sweet Transvestite was sensational. Frank really was the star of the show he had such command over the audience and his performance was outstanding.

The costumes in Rocky Horror are iconic, so much so that many of the audience attended wearing outfits inspired by them. This production was no different

I think my favourite thing about this show was the audience. The fans who had clearly seen it several times before and knew all the talk back lines to make the show funnier. The ones who brought props like a light to wave during the song “Over at the Frankenstein Place” and the ones who came in costumes so detailed you could hardly tell them from the actors on the stage. Seeing these people enjoy the show enhanced my enjoyment of it and was the highlight of my evening.

Brighton Fishing Museum Loft, 200 King’s Road Arches – until 4th June 2022

Reviewed by Sue Bradley

5*****

Betsy is produced by Something Underground http://www.somethingunderground.co.uk/

It was written and premiered in 2013 by multi-award winning Writer/Director Jonathan Brown.

In contrast to Something Underground’s other currently touring shows, which explore the culture of the sixties and seventies, this one-act, one-woman monologue (one third of The Well Trilogy of shows) brings us a truly believable account of what a woman of humble origins might have had to endure in the early 1820’s. The workhouse, part of Betsy’s past, is mentioned several times, and as a local audience, we understand that she’s referring to the Brighton workhouse, now Brighton General Hospital. Many local place names and familiar historical figures are mentioned (even thought the Betsy character herself is fictional), which brings her story to life even more.

The term “Emotional Rollercoaster” is often over-used but in this case it can only be wholly appropriate, as Betsy tugs on our heartstrings, whilst at the same time displaying the tough, streetwise character that she needed to be.

Betsy is played by Isabella McCarthy Somerville in a confident and assured performance, switching characters and accents with apparent ease. Daring the audience to judge her right from the start, she walked a fine line, addressing us as if daring us to respond, but never holding it for so long that we became uncomfortable.

It was a very demanding physical and emotional performance, but McCarthy Somerville never let up and held us riveted throughout. During this lengthy one act piece, there was no scraping of chairs, surreptitious phone checking or other signs of audience unrest. The only other sounds came from the clever soundtrack which provided just the right amount of ambience and occasional well-judged music.

The loft of the Brighton Fishing Museum provided an excellent venue and resonated with themes of the ocean that appeared throughout the play. Coming out into the light, close to the sea and the pier, the very areas that Betsy mentioned in her story, seemed a fitting coda to the piece.

This is one of the best and most convincing one-person shows I have seen in the Brighton Fringe. The final scene brought tears to the audience, and thoughts of more personal tragedies, as she evoked the heartbreaking scene that Betsy was faced with at the end.

OVER £45,500 RAISED AT THE ACTING FOR OTHERS

WEST END FLEA MARKET

Theatrical charity Acting for Others today announces that over £45,500 – nearly double the amount in 2019 – was raised at the West End Flea Market on Saturday 21 May held at St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, with thousands of people in attendance.

Top West End shows set up stalls full of theatrical goodies and special one-off items – which were on display for celebrity judges Christopher Biggins, Michael Ball and Golda Rosheuvel. Running stalls on the day were company members from Book of Mormon, Come From Away, Dear Evan Hansen, Hamilton, Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Life of Pi, Mamma Mia!, Moulin Rouge, Only Fools and Horses the Musical, Pretty Woman, Six, The Play That Goes Wrong, The Phantom of The Opera, and To Kill a Mockingbird. 

Taking the prize of Best Dressed Stall this year, for the second time in a row, was Only Fools and Horses. Their stall contained an array of delights including a Reliant Robin made of pompoms, Del Boy’s sheepskin coat worn by Tom Bennett in the original stage production, specially printed tea towels with signed photos of the cast backstage, a mini paddling pool to play Hook a Duck, and an acapella performance for the judges of Down to Margate from the show.

Biggins’ Bargains, the auction event hosted by Christopher Biggins, returned with items such as a show-themed can of hairspray signed by Michael Ball, a backstage tour to meet the cast of Hamilton, and a Pretty Woman dressing gown worn and signed by Danny Mac. These special prizes collectively raised hundreds of pounds for Acting for Others.

There were stars in the autograph tent taking selfies and signing posters and goodies for fans including Alice Fearn (Come From Away), Miriam Teak-Lee (& Juliet), Jordan Luke Gage (Bonnie & Clyde), and Strictly Come Dancing’s Anya Garnis and Pasha Kovalev, and there were long queues for Su Pollard’s fortune telling. Dames on the day were Terence Frisch, Wayne Morgan-Williams, and Jamie Steen. Refreshments were provided by The Theatre Café.

Merchandise, playbills and signed posters were also available to purchase from West End shows including & Juliet, Back to the Future, Cabaret, Frozen, Get Up, Stand Up, Heathers, My Fair Lady, The Drifters Girl, and The Lion King, as well as from historic productions spanning across decades.

Joel Marvin, Director of Fundraising for Acting for Others said today, “What an absolute joy it is to be back celebrating theatre, and to see the support for Acting for Others at this year’s West End Flea Market raising our biggest total to date. Having been put on hold by the pandemic, it was particularly special to be back with so many people who share our love of theatre. The appetite for the West End is well and truly back, with queues around the corner once again. A huge thank you to the shows, our judges and ambassadors that took part to make Saturday such a success, and to every single person that turned up and queued to get in. We can’t wait to welcome you all back next year!”

www.actingforothers.co.uk      

Twitter: @ActingForOthers / #WestEndFleaMarket

The stars become the extras in 25^th Anniversary Production of Stones in his Pockets by Marie Jones

A tour de force in comic showmanship, Marie Jones’s legendary award-winning play will explode once again into the Lyric Theatre where it all began almost 25 years ago. But this time it’s unlike you’ve ever seen it before as, with the help of technology – and a host of famous stars – Stones in his Pockets will be brought to life in a new way. 

Adrian Dunbar (Line of Duty), Conleth Hill (Game of Thrones, original cast of Stones in His Pockets), Siobhán McSweeney (Derry Girls), Tommy Tiernan (comedian / Derry Girls) and Tara Lynne O’Neill (EastEnders / Derry Girls) are amongst the stars of Northern Irish screen to become extras in this production which centres around a Hollywood blockbuster being filmed in Ireland.

Director Matthew McElhinney said:

“The idea was always to bring the movies to Stones.  The premise for Stones in his Pockets this time round, is the idea that the extras become the stars, and the stars become the extras. With that in mind, our two actors who play the extras in the play, they’re going to become the stars of their own movie at the end, and famous faces of Northern Ireland are going to become our on-screen extras”.

Producer of Stones in his Pockets, Iwan Lewis, who is also Artistic Director of Barn Theatre added:  “We filmed the stars of Northern Irish theatre, television and film.  They are the stars, but today, they’re going to be playing extras on the big screen”.

Filmed cameo roles include famous Northern Ireland actors, 

Adrian Dunbar                                   (The Crying Game / Line of Duty)

Conleth Hill                                         (Game of Thrones / Stones in His Pockets)

Saoirse Monica Jackson (Derry Girls)

Ian McElhinney                 (Game Of Thrones / Derry Girls)

Siobhán McSweeney                       (Derry Girls / The Holding)

Tara Lynne O’Neill                            (Eastenders / Derry Girls)

Kerri Quinn                                         (Coronation Street / Hope Street)

Tommy Tiernan                 (comedian / Derry Girls)

See if you can spot your favourite Northern Irish star on the big screen when you come along to the show! Stones in his Pockets plays at the Lyric Theatre, Belfast from Tuesday 7th June – Sunday 3rd July 2022. Tickets available online at www.lyrictheatre.co.uk or in person from Lyric Theatre Box Office – Tel 028 90381081. Follow @LyricBelfast.

NEW CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR

T I N A – T H E   T I N A   T U R N E R   M U S I C A L

FROM 29 JUNE 2022

The hit production TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL today announces new casting for the critically acclaimed production which continues at the Aldwych Theatre as rehearsals begin for the new Company. From 29 June 2022 Aisha Jawando and new cast member Elesha Paul Moses will share the role of Tina, with Caleb Roberts joining to play Ike. TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is currently booking to 18 December 2022.

Paula Kay joins to play Tina’s mother Zelma, Charis Alexandra joins asTina’s sister Alline Bullock,George Jennings joinsas Tina’s Manager Roger Davies, Irene Myrtle Forrester continues as Tina’s Grandmother, previous ensemble member Kelly Hampson will now play Ike and Tina’s manager Rhonda Graam, Gregory Haney will now play Tina’s father Richard Bullock, Cordell Mosteller joinsas Tina’s first love Raymond Hill, ensemble member Chris Grahamson will now play Record Producer Phil Spector and Lyricist Terry Britten and Joseph Richardson continues as record company Marketing Manager Erwin Bach.

Ensemble members are Megan Armstrong and Vanessa Dumatey, Thomas Sutcliffe who plays Carpenter, Turrell Barrett-Wallace who plays Tina’s son Ronnie and Joey James plays Tina’s son Craig, the Ikettes are played by Karis Anderson, Marie Finlayson and Natorii Illidge and swingsare Lauren Allan, Richard Appiah-Sarpong, Joshua Da Costa, Miles Anthony Daley, Livvy Evans, Imogen Rose Hart, Jaz Robinson, Brad Veitch, Saran Webb and Samuel J Weir. Final adult and children’s casting will be announced at a later date.

As well as playing the title role of Tina, Aisha Jawando’s London theatre credits include the title role in Cinderella at the Hackney Empire, The Life at Southwark Playhouse, Martha Reeves in the original London cast of Motown The Musical at the Shaftesbury Theatre, Beautiful – The Carole King Musical at the Aldwych Theatre, The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre, Fela at the National Theatre, The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre and Soul Sister at the Savoy Theatre.

Elesha Paul Moses ha shad a career in the music industry for over 25 years. She was mentored by Matthew Knowles, as well as Will.I.Am and Tom Jones while appearing on X Factor.  She has written and performed with the likes of house production duo Ku De Ta, superstar Lionel Richie and industry steadfast Nicky Graham and has backed Andy Abraham on his Eurovision performance. She is currently leading the two touring shows Whitney: Queen Of The Night and Tina: What’s Love Got To Do With It and has recently completed a successful tour in Denmark. 

Caleb Roberts studied at The Brit School and Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2017. He made his professional debut playing The King of France opposite Sir Ian McKellen in King Lear  at Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End.  His other theatre credits include Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre for which he won a Black British Theatre Award; I Think We Are Alone for Frantic Assembly, She Ventures and He Wins for the Young Vic Theatre and Richard III for Headlong.  His television and film credits include Stephen Frears’ A Very English Scandal and Petrichor.

The critically acclaimed production of TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL which is based on the life of legendary artist Tina Turner and produced in association with Tina Turner herself, received its world premiere in April 2018 in London and subsequently broke all Box Office records at the Aldwych Theatre. The Broadway production opened in 2019 and three productions are running in Europe in Germany, Netherlands and Spain. The North American tour will commence in Rhode Island this September.

Discover the heart and soul behind the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll at TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL, the undeniable mega hit in London’s West End. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, experience Tina Turner’s triumphant story live on stage as this exhilarating celebration reveals the woman that dared to dream fiercely, shatter barriers, and conquer the world—against all odds.

Directed by Phyllida Lloyd and written by Pulitzer Prize-winner Katori Hall with Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins, TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is choreographed by Anthony van Laast, with set and costume designs by Mark Thompson, musical supervision by Nicholas Skilbeck, lighting by Bruno Poet,sound by Nevin Steinberg, projection design by Jeff Sugg and orchestrations by Ethan Popp. 

TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL is produced in the West End by Stage Entertainment, Joop van den Ende and Tali Pelman, in association with Tina Turner.

LISTINGS INFORMATION

Theatre:                             Aldwych Theatre, Aldwych, London WC2B 4DF

Dates:                                currently playing to 18 December 2022

Performances:From 4 July 2022 the schedule will be Tuesday at 7pm, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm and Sunday at 3pm

Box Office:                          0845 200 7981

Website:                             www.tinathemusical.com

Facebook:                           TinaTheMusical

Twitter:                              TinaTheMusical

Instagram:                          TinaTheMusical