REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE’S MOREoutdoor SUMMER 2022 EVENTS ANNOUNCED

·       COMEDIANS DANIEL KITSON, GAVIN OSBORN and TIM KEY CONFIRMED

·       BERK’S NEST and CANNED LAUGHTER PRESENT TWO COMEDY FUNDRAISERS IN SUPPORT OF THE TRUSSELL TRUST

·       BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE and BAC BEATBOX ACADEMY PRESENT FRANKENSTEIN: HOW TO MAKE A MONSTER

·       SPECIAL EVENTS INCLUDE AUSTENTATIOUS and LE GATEAU CHOCOLAT

·       THE LUNA CINEMA PRESENT OUTDOOR SCREENINGS OF STAR WARS: EPISODE IV – A NEW HOPE and SPIELBERG’S WEST SIDE STORY

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have today announced MOREoutdoor events as part of their 90^th anniversary season.

Daniel Kitson returns to the stage for the first time in two years with three gigs (Sunday 19 June, 24 July, 21 August). Performing with or near Gavin Osborn, it’s entirely unclear what the “thing” is they’ll be doing. It may involve them both being on stage at the same time, winking at each other, giggling or taking turns to do a nice little dance for everyone. Lovely.

Following sold-out gigs in 2020 and 2021, Berk’s Nest and Canned Laughter present two all-star comedy fundraisers in support of The Trussell Trust’s London food banks (Sunday 12 June). Suzi Ruffell hosts a 5pm early show, which also includes Sukh Ojla and Brett Goldstein, with Chloe Petts hosting an 8.30pm late show, featuring Ria Lina and Kerry Godliman. Full lines-ups to be announced in due course.

Tim Key (Alan Partridge, The Witchfinder) brings his 5-star show Mulberry to the Open Air Theatre (Sunday 19 June), with ruminations about the great indoors and a bit of stamping around. Oh, and a velour tracksuit, continental lagers and some “poetry”.

Austentatious: An Improvised Jane Austen Novel, is the award-winning smash-hit comedy – as seen in the West End and heard on Radio 4. Inspired entirely by a title from the audience, a new Jane Austen novel will be performed in period costume with live musical accompaniment. Swooning guaranteed (Sunday 31 July).

From Battersea Arts Centre the BAC Beatbox Academy present Frankenstein: How To Make A Monster (Monday 8 August). Part electrifying gig, part thrilling theatre this powerful and poetic show pushes the power of the human voice to its expressive, musical and rhythmic limits. Reimagining a world of modern monsters and taking musical inspirations from Pachelbel to The Prodigy, Frankenstein will leave you asking: Who are the monsters we fear? Who created them? And how the hell did they just do that with their voices?

Le Gateau Chocolat makes his Open Air Theatre debut with his delicious Raw Cacao (Sunday 14 August). Sitting at the profound intersection of William Shakespeare and Maya Angelou, Raw Cacao is an exploration of intimacy; an invitation into the most hallowed of spaces – the chamber where one transitions from performer to person, asking “who are we when no one is watching?” Lurching from pop to opera via folk song, musical theatre, disco and more, this is a mixtape of who Gateau was, who Gateau is, and who Gateau hopes to become.

An annual Open Air Theatre favourite, The Luna Cinema present two incredible outdoor cinema events, both classics in their own right. With the night sky the backdrop to the galactic civil war, experience George Lucas’s Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (Sunday 26 June) in a 45^th anniversary screening, followed by Steven Spielberg’s multi-award-winning new take on West Side Story (Sunday 18 September). With an epic score featuring ‘America’, ‘Maria’, ‘Tonight’ and ‘Somewhere’, this phenomenal movie musical is one not to miss in the glorious surroundings of a Royal Park.

Priority booking opens 11am, Friday 22 April 2022

Public booking opens 11am, Thursday 28 April 2022

For more information about Priority Booking, visit openairtheatre.com/join

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s 90^th Anniversary season also includes Legally Blonde (13 May – 2 July) directed by Lucy Moss and 101 Dalmatians (12 Jul – 28 Aug), a newly commissioned musical written by Douglas Hodge (music and lyrics) and Johnny McKnight (book), from a stage adaptation by Zinnie Harris, based on the book by Dodie Smith. In a second commission from the theatre in 2022, Antigone (3 – 24 September) by Barber Shop Chronicles writer Inua Ellams after Sophocles, is directed by Max Webster and co-directed by Jo Tyabji.

GREGORY DORAN TO STEP DOWN AS RSC ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) announced that Gregory Doran will step down as Artistic Director from today after 35 years with the Company including the last ten years as Artistic Director. Gregory will begin rehearsals next week for Richard III with Arthur Hughes in the title role and will remain with the Company as Artistic Director Emeritus until the end of 2023. 

As Artistic Director Emeritus Gregory will lead specific projects and direct a production in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre as part of the celebration of Shakespeare’s First Folio in 2023, this will be his 50^th production for the RSC. Gregory will also deliver ongoing training for artists on voice and verse throughout the year.

The search for the new Artistic Director will be conducted by the Non-Executive Board and details for applicants and the process will be available HERE from Friday 29 April. Erica Whyman, who has been Acting Artistic Director since September 2021, will continue this role during the search.

Gregory was announced as Artistic Director in September 2012 and his first production as Artistic Director opened in September 2013 when he reunited with David Tennant, directing him in the title role of Richard II in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre. The acclaimed production transferred to the Barbican Theatre, London and was the first RSC production to be seen live in cinemas around the world.

Speaking about his decision Gregory said:

‘It has been a real privilege to be a part of the amazing team leading this great Company for this last decade of challenge and achievement. And to work through the entire canon of plays in Shakespeare’s First Folio in time for its 400th anniversary next year. We have made many strides in making our theatre more inclusive, accessible, diverse and accountable, but there is always more to do and I wish whoever succeeds me joy in continuing that work. I am honoured to have been granted the title of Artistic Director Emeritus until the end of 2023’.

Gregory has led the Company through the journey of Shakespeare’s canon throughout his decade as Artistic Director. As well as being performed live on stage, the productions have been screened in cinemas worldwide and shared free with schools across the UK as well as extensive accompanying resources. He championed the Company’s nationwide activity working alongside 12 Partner Theatres and their communities including a strong network of Associate Schools.

In his 2018 production of Troilus and Cressida he collaborated with virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. The production boasted the RSC’s first equally gender-balanced cast in a Shakespeare play on the main stage, and the first disabled actor to play a leading Shakespeare role for the Company with deaf actor Charlotte Arrowsmith as Cassandra. 

Gregory has directed Measure For Measure (2019), the revival of his celebrated puppet Masque Venus and Adonis (2017) and King Lear with Antony Sher in the title role (2016).  He led the Company’s digital innovation with a ground-breaking production of The Tempest with Simon Russell Beale created with Intel and in association with Imaginarium Studios.  Henry V (2015), Henry IV Parts I & II which went on an international tour to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong prior to a month-long residency at New York’s Brooklyn Academy of Music, joined by Richard II.

In 2016 Gregory directed Shakespeare Live! broadcast on the BBC and which marked the 400^th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death.  Many RSC alumni joined the line-up including Ian McKellen, David Tennant, Judi Dench, Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart and Paapa Essiedu alongside the Company’s President HRH The Prince of Wales. The performance was nominated for a 2017 BAFTA for Best Live Event.

Other productions include the world stage premiere of David Walliams’ The Boy in the Dress in 2019, Death of A Salesman with Harriet Walter and Antony Sher, and The Witch of Edmonton with Eileen Atkins in the title role.

In June 2012 Gregory received the Sam Wanamaker Award from Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, an annual award that recognises and celebrates work which has increased the understanding and enjoyment of Shakespeare. He delivered the 2016 Richard Dimbleby Lecture, which was broadcast on 16 March 2016 to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death

Gregory nurtured new voices across all RSC activity and during his leadership The Other Place re-opened, under the direction of Erica Whyman, as a hub for new writing.  The iconic RSC Costume Workshop was redeveloped and restored re-opening in 2021, an example of the craftmanship that exists and is at the core of the RSC.

Gregory led the Company through the Covid-19 pandemic alongside Executive Director, Catherine Mallyon.  Work during this time of theatre closure included co-directing the streamed open rehearsal project of Henry VI Part I alongside Owen Horsley and in-conversation streamed events for Talking Shakespeare with many RSC alumni including Ian McKellen, Harriet Walter, Patrick Stewart, Paterson Joseph and Adjoa Andoh. The Winter’s Tale was reimagined for the screen, filmed in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and broadcast on BBC Four, then on iPlayer, and The Comedy of Errors performed outdoors in the specially created Lydia and Manfred Gorvy Garden Theatre.

Shriti Vadera, RSC Chair added:

‘Greg’s unparalleled knowledge of Shakespeare’s plays has created many memorable productions on our stages over a 35-year span that marks an extraordinary contribution to the RSC, not least as Artistic Director in the last 10 years. He has generously supported many artists at all stages of their careers and has championed young people’s learning and literacy through our unique School and Learning programmes. 

‘Along with Catherine Mallyon and Erica Whyman, he has recently steered the Company through the most difficult of times ensuring that we continued to support our audiences and the communities we work with and are now emerging from the pandemic with resilience. I am delighted that Greg will continue to work with the RSC as Artistic Director Emeritus throughout 2023, the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio. On behalf of the Board and the many stakeholders of the RSC, I would like to express our deep gratitude to Greg’.

Catherine Mallyon, RSC Executive Director further added:
‘Much will be said about Greg’s extraordinary artistic contribution to the RSC, so I want to focus on the personal. Greg is the most wonderful colleague. The humanity we see shining through Greg’s work on stage is also what we experience every day. From a kind word to an incisive intervention, Greg has always taken the time to see us all as individuals. It has been a joy and an inspiration to work alongside Greg and I thank him with all my heart for being such a generous and supportive professional partner’.

West End superstars unite to launch Musical Con –
the UK’s first ever musical theatre fan convention
Saturday 22nd – Sunday 23rd October 2022
ExCel London, Royal Victoria Dock, London E16 1XL

Brand new for 2022, thousands of musical theatre fans and enthusiasts will come together under one roof for the first time for a weekend-long celebration of musicals at the iconic ExCeL London.

Ambassadors for the event are West End superstars Aimie Atkinson, Kerry Ellis, Alice Fearn, Ben Forster, Jodie Steele, Trevor Dion Nicholas, Omari Douglas, Shanay Holmes, Jenna Russell and Layton Williams. Kerry Ellis says, It’s such a fantastic idea. I don’t know why it hasn’t been done before.

Over 30 special guests have also been announced, including musical theatre supergroup SVN (Millie O’Connell, Natalie May Paris, Grace Mouat, Alexia McIntosh, Jarneia Richard-Noel, Maiya Quansah-Breed), Kelly Agbowu, Jocasta Almgill, Luke Bayer, Nikki Bentley, Lauren Byrne, Maddison Bullyment, Tarinn Callender, Lauren Drew, Hiba Elchikhe, Emma Hatton, Sophie Isaacs, Cassidy Janson, Aisha Jawando, Idriss Kargbo, Emma Kingston, Bobby Little, Carl Mann, Jason Pennycooke, Laura Pick, Karl Queensborough, Jon Robyns, Sharon Rose, Charlie Stemp, Ivano Turco, Michael Xavier & Mitch Zhangazha. Many more special guests will be announced throughout the year. Ben Forster says, This is our chance to say thank you to everyone who has ever bought a ticket to see us in a show.

Over the weekend, fans will have the opportunity to meet the stars, celebrate the shows, and learn from the pros as never before. And it won’t just be the stars taking centre stage – everyone is invited to join in with an epic cosplay competition, fan meetups, musical lip-sync battles and show sing-alongs. Ambassador Layton Williams says, This is from us. For the fans. It’s a place you can come, be fabulous, be free, and be yourself.

The convention will be every musical theatre fan’s fantasy. The Main Stage will be where fans enjoy unique performances, surprise cast reunions, interviews, Q&As, discussion panels and show spotlights. At Stage Door they can get up close and personal with their stage faves with meet and greets and photo and autograph opportunities. Theatreland will host interactive show experiences, a marketplace full of stalls selling fandom merch and memorabilia, shops selling musical theatre clothing and accessories, and even a musical theatre themed café. In the Backstage area, enthusiasts will enjoy an extensive selection of musical theatre workshops, masterclasses, and talks run by the cast and creatives of the shows. They can learn about getting into musical theatre and network with schools and colleges. There is even a competition to find the UK’s next musical theatre star with a chance to perform on the main stage!

A full programming schedule will be announced prior to the convention. Alice Fearn says, There will be so much to see. So much to do. It’s going to be great!

West End Musical Productions (West End Musical Drive In, West End Musical Celebration) organise Musical Con with the support of the Society of London Theatre (SOLT).

Emma De Souza, Head of Marketing and Communications for SOLT, says: ‘We are delighted to support this incredible convention which we look forward to becoming a staple of the West End’s annual events calendar, celebrating our world-leading theatre industry and its devoted audience.’

Jenna Russell says, Let’s celebrate the joy that is musical theatre!

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 IMAGES OF AMARA OKEREKE AS ELIZA DOOLITTLE AND HARRY HADDEN-PATON AS HENRY HIGGINS ARE RELEASED TODAY.
   
• A BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO FROM THE PHOTOSHOOT HAS ALSO BEEN RELEASED.
   
• DIRECTED BY BARTLETT SHER, THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED AND MULTI AWARD WINNING PRODUCTION FEATURES A CAST OF 32 AND A BAND OF 36 MUSICIANS FROM THE ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA’S AWARD-WINNING ORCHESTRA PLAYING FREDERICK LOEWE’S RAVISHING SCORE
   
• FIRST PREVIEW ON 7 MAY AND OFFICIAL OPENING ON 18 MAY
   
• TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR THE STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON AT THE LONDON COLISEUM UNTIL 27 AUGUST FROM WWW.MYFAIRLADYMUSICAL.CO.UK 

New images of Amara Okereke as Eliza Dootlitte and Harry Hadden-Paton as Henry Higgins have been released today along with a behind the scenes video captured at the photoshoot. Amara and Harry star in Bartlett Sher’s critically acclaimedand multi award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe’s much loved My Fair Lady which will transfer to the London Coliseum for a limited summer engagement in what will be the first major West End revival of the show for 21 years. The season comes as part of the ongoing celebrated tradition of summer musicals at the London Coliseum. The perfect way to celebrate London’s theatre scene as it blossoms once more after the pandemic. Performances begin on 7 May 2022 with an opening night on 18 May 2022

Tickets are on sale now from www.myfairladymusical.co.uk

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. The London production will feature 36 musicians from the English National Opera’s award-winning Orchestra playing Frederick Loewe’s ravishing score making it the largest orchestra in the West End.

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, Crossroads Live, 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, musical direction by Gareth Valentine, musical supervision by Ted Sperling, choreography by Christopher Gattelli, directed by Bartlett Sher.

UK TOUR DATES FOR NEW SHOW WHICH SHINES

SPOTLIGHT ON ‘QUIET BEATLE’ GEORGE

Daniel Taylor takes acclaimed Something About George – The George Harrison Story on the road ahead of Edinburgh Fringe

A new music show highlighting the incredible talent of the late Beatle George Harrison is set to embark on tour dates across the UK after being premiered in Liverpool.

Something About George – The George Harrison Story, which pays tribute to the man dubbed the “quiet Beatle”, was met with acclaim by both audiences and critics when it closed the Liverpool Theatre Festival last September.

Now West End performer and musician Daniel Taylor is set to take the show on the road on a seven-date tour this summer ahead of a two-week residency at the Edinburgh Fringe.

It will be performed as a one-man, one-act festival version for one week at the Assembly Festival Gardens in Coventry, UK City of Culture and then at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it will be at the Assembly Festival for two weeks.

And a new full two-hour show, with visuals, soundscape and set design will be performed at the other venues – with Danny Taylor joined by three other top musicians to create a fab four band.

The tour opens at The Haymarket Basingstoke on Thursday 9 June before moving on to The Beggar’s Theatre Millom (11 June), St Helens Theatre Royal (16 June), Epstein Theatre Liverpool (18-19 June), Coventry Assembly Festival Garden (21, 23 and 25 June), The Mill Arts Centre Banbury (30 June) and King’s Hall Ilkley (8 July). It will then perform at the atmospheric The Bijou in Edinburgh from 4-18 August.

And the 2022 dates will be followed by an even more extensive tour which is planned for 2023.

Featuring beautiful songs like My Sweet Lord, Something, and Handle With Care, Something About George showcases Harrison’s incredible solo material and music from rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys which was made up of Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Tom Petty. And any show celebrating one of the Fab Four just has to include a few classics from The Beatles. From heartbreak to hedonism and song writing to success, Something About George celebrates a life that was anything but quiet.

This remarkable tale comes from the creators of the critically acclaimed production Something About Simon – The Paul Simon Story, which was a smash hit when it was premiered at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre in 2018. The show went on to triumph at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019, where it was chosen for a residency at the Fringe Encore Series at the SoHo Playhouse in New York City, where it playedsix sell-out performances. The show was also part of the programme at the inaugural Liverpool Theatre Festival in 2020.

Something About George stars Liverpool-born West End performer and musician Daniel Taylor telling the story of George Harrison.

Daniel is an award-winning actor, producer, and director. He trained at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. He has also produced, directed, and performed as Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (both for the Epstein Theatre, Liverpool).

He has previously played John Lennon in the award-winning Lennon Through A Glass Onion; Sammy in Blood Brothers; and appeared at the very first Liverpool Theatre Festival in his show, The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper.

Daniel Taylor said: “We had a fantastic response when we premiered Something About George in Liverpool last autumn, and now I’m thrilled to be able to share George Harrison’s incredible story with audiences in Edinburgh and right across the country.

“After all his achievements, George is still one of the most underrated songwriters that has ever lived, and this is a perfect chance to celebrate and shine a spotlight on his musical genius.”

Something About George iswritten by Jon Fellowes, who co-produces show alongside Liverpool-born singer songwriter Gary Edward Jones and theatre producer Bill Elms. Collectively, the trio are Something About Productions, the creative team behind the hugely successful Something About Simon – The Paul Simon Story.

Something About George is not a tribute show as we know it. It is one musician authentically honouring the music of another, utilising all the tools at his disposal.

Co-producer Gary Edward Jones added: “It’s now 20 years since George Harrison passed away – but his remarkable story and timeless music lives on.

“We feel privileged to be able to highlight the legacy he left behind. We’re excited to share this journey with audiences on this inaugural UK tour and are sure they will leave the show knowing more about George and his incredible life.”

Website:         www.somethingaboutproductions.com

Facebook:       /somethingaboutproductions

Instagram:      /somethingaboutproductions

Twitter:           @SomeAboutProds

SOMETHING ABOUT GEORGE LISTINGS

The Haymarket, Basingstoke

DATE: Thursday 9 June 2022

TIME: 7.30pm

PRICE: £25 (includes booking fee)

01256 844244

www.anvilarts.org.uk

The Beggar’s Theatre, Millom

DATE: Saturday 11 June 2022

TIME: 8pm

PRICE: £22

01229 775677

www.beggarstheatre.com

St Helens Theatre Royal

DATE: Thursday 16June 2022

TIME: 7.30pm

PRICE: £25/£23 concessions

01744 756000

www.sthelenstheatreroyal.com

Epstein Theatre, Liverpool

DATE: Saturday 18 June-Sunday 19 June 2022

TIME: 7.30pm

PRICE: Stalls £26/circle £24

0844 888 9991

www.epsteintheatre.co.uk

Assembly Festival Garden, Coventry

DATE: Tuesday 21, Thursday 23 and Saturday 25 June 2022

TIME: 7.30pm

PRICE: £13.50/£12.50 concessions (21,23 June) £15/£14 concessions (25 June)

0131 623 3033

www.assemblyfestivalgarden.com

The Mill Arts Centre, Banbury

DATE: Thursday 30June 2022

TIME: 7.30pm

PRICE: £20

01295 279002

www.themillartscentre.co.uk

King’s Hall, Ilkley

DATE: Friday 8 July 2022

TIME: 7.30pm

PRICE: £27 (includes booking fee)

01274 432000

www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/venues/kings-hall-ilkley

The Bijou, Assembly Festival, Edinburgh

DATE: Thursday 4-Thursday 18 August 2022

TIME: 2.30pm

PRICE: From £9.50

0131 623 3033

www.assemblyfestival.com

Tickets on sale on Thursday 5th May.

Sunderland Empire – until 23 April 2022

Reviewed by Andrew Bramfitt

4****

Enter the fantasy world of magic and make believe in this 4 star production.

Adapting a much loved animated film, let alone a Disney classic, is always going to be a challenge. You can do so much on screen which defies logic, physics or simple understanding; let’s be honest, that is what makes such movies appealing to everyone, yet the current tour of Bedknobs and Broomsticks manages to create all the mystery, magic and danger of the original 1971 Disney movie right before your eyes.

Right from the opening scene, which, without any words being spoken begins the story of 3 London children (Charlie, Carrie and Paul) who, having lost their home and their parents during the Blitz, are bundled up, put on a train and transported away. The scene changing as they move from the war torn capital through the hustle and bustle of panicked evacuation and out to the serene calmness of the countryside is stage craft at its very highest.

On reaching their designated ‘safe house’ the children soon realise their patron is more than just an eccentric lady; she is a trainee witch. Dianne Pilkington as Eglatine Price is wonderful in the Angela Lansbury role; kind yet direct, fantastical yet recognising the children need to remain grounded. In proving her abilities to doubting Charlie she turns him into a rabbit using the The Turn-a-Man-into-a-Rabbit Spell (Filigree apogee pedigree perigee), wonderfully effected using puppets and prosthetics. Cue the next step in her development and her first flight on her broomstick. This is simply magical; again, the staging and effects are better than any CGI as you can see it happening right before your eyes.

In a desire to use her magic to help end the war without further bloodshed, Ms Price realises the one final spell she needs is missing from her tome of magic and so back to London they must go to find the other part of the book, currently held by small time street illusionist Emelius Browne (Charles Brunton). Time for the Bedknob, bewitched by a Travelling spell (Hellebore henbane aconite glow-worm fire and firefly light) by Ms Price, and yet more wonderment as the bed begins to fly, it too defying gravity in the most magical of ways. Gone are obvious wires and strange pulleys, the flying scenes in this show will have you transfixed in trying to see how they do it.

From London, and with Mr Browne in tow, they venture to the land of No Pee Pol and seek an audience with the King, a majestic lion (another brilliant puppet akin to Lion King or War Horse). On the way Browne and Price take part in an underwater version of Strictly Musicals, great dancing but sadly for some in the audience, a little too long to keep their attention.

Emboldened with the necessary final spell – Substitutiary Locomotion (Treguna mekoides trecorum satis dee), they return back to the house and begin to enchant a new army of objects to take the place of people just as the invasion begins.

A wonderfully told story, though possibly a little too long for younger members of the audience; the original movie runs at 97 minute however this production returns it back to the original 2 hours 15mins.

Yvonne Arnaud, Guildford – until 23 April 2022

Reviewed by Antonia Hebbert

4****

Dapper in velvet jacket and pink socks, Barry Humphries takes us on a tour through his long and colourful life, beginning in the suburbs of Melbourne in the 1930s (yes, it has been a long life). Early in the show he confides that the stage feels like his safe place – it’s where he can be ‘alone at last’. And he can still work a crowd – there were moments when it felt as if he might have lost the thread of whatever anecdote he was telling, but he always caught us in the end with a laugh-aloud, sometimes shocking, punchline. Latecomers and people in the front row beware – he is still the master of the catty putdown.

With an ornate gilt-framed screen for photos and videos, an armchair, and a pianist providing occasional background music, Humphries talks about his childhood and his parents, who come across as baffled by their son, but supportive, sort-of. How could they have known that genteel mid-20th century Australia would be such a goldmine of comic material for their boy? We hear about Humphries’s early acting career, and taking Twelfth Night on a tour of small towns, where he and his fellow actors met a lot of lady mayoresses … who eventually evolved into Dame Edna Everage. Dame Edna also owes quite a lot to Humphries’s mum. It’s somehow deeply satisfying to learn that Mrs H described smart social events as ‘hats and glads’ – meaning gladioli.

In the second half we see several clips of Dame Edna, who seems to have effortlessly spanned different eras – one moment we see her with Michael Parkinson and a very young Elton John, the next she is with Charles and Camilla, and an aspiring, over-talkative MP called Boris Johnson. The one thing they have in common is that they are generally collapsing into helpless giggles under the full fire of Dame Edna’s comic genius. Clips of his Les Patterson character lead Humphries in a swift mood-change to talk about getting through alcoholism, which almost destroyed him. There are other moving moments too, such as when he talks warmly about Emily Perry, who played Dame Edna’s downtrodden companion Madge.

Barry Humphries arrived in England with just a few pence in his pocket. His life and career have been incredibly rich, with some dark material that is barely touched on here. This show must be a highly edited version, but it’s charming, clever, rude, riveting and funny. My favourite line was one about modern comedians, who – but no, you have to hear it from the man himself.

EMPIRE THEATRE, LIVERPOOL – UNTIL SATURDAY 30TH APRIL 2022

REVIEWED BY MIA BOWEN

5*****

When it comes to the Golden Era musicals, Cole Porter’s Anything Goes is the ‘Crème de la crème’. It premiered in 1934 on Broadway, has been revived several times in the United States and Britain and has been filmed three times! This musical has long been a popular choice for schools and community productions. ‘Anything Goes’ docked at the Empire Theatre this week, as part of its nation wide tour, bringing with it a sense of nostalgia. This production has a mixture of timeless songs, toe tapping choreography, a wow-factor set and a larger the life assemblage of characters.

Set on a luxury transatlantic ocean liner bound from New York to London. Junior broker, Billy Crocker (Samuel Edwards) is a stowaway, in love with sweet debutante Hope Harcourt (Nicole-Lily Baisden), who is engaged to aristocratic Lord Evelyn Oakleigh (Haydn Oakley). Evangelist-turned-singer Reno Sweeney (Kerry Ellis) and Public Enemy Number 13 Moonface Martin (Denis Lawson), aid Billy in his quest to win Hope.

Leading lady Kerry Ellis stands out as Reno Sweeney, making the intense dance routines and singing, look effortless. Supporting Ellis, is Simon Callow, as Billy’s boomingly funny boss and Yale man, Elisha and Bonnie Langford as Hope’s self absorbed and status obsessed mother, Evangeline. Samuel Edwards, as Billy and Denis Lawson as Moonface, has the audience cackling, with their mistaken identities and bad disguises. The promiscuous Erma (Carly Mercedes Dyer), Moonface’s acquaintance, brings plenty of energy and cheeky chemistry to the stage and she performs one of my favourite songs of the evening, Buddie Beware.

Derek McLane’s set design and Jon Morrell’s costumes makes you feel like you have been transported to the 30’s with their vintage stage magic. The live orchestra adds to the glitzy bygone era atmosphere.

Anything Goes is a deliriously, defiantly and de-lovely Golden Age musical, All aboard!

Sheffield Lyceum Theatre – until Saturday 30th April 2022

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

5*****

I was fortunate to be able to review at the wonderful, ornate, and historic Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield. This is my first visit, and maybe not my last. I was there to review the most talked about show that’s out there, the global sensation that is SIX The Musical. SIX’s reputation is obviously spreading as the theatre was packed. If you haven’t heard about it, it is a thoroughly modern retelling of the lives of King Henry VIII’s six wives. Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, it is a musical comedy presented as a pop concert. First presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017 it has gone on to conquer the West End and Broadway.

After an ensemble piece, “Ex Wives”, the wives of Henry VIII decide to have a competition between themselves to see who has endured more and suffered most at the hands of Henry. Each wife takes turns telling their story, through song and dance, to find out who is going to be the winner and become the group’s lead singer.

Catherine of Aragon (Chloe Hart) was loyal to Henry but couldn’t produce a male heir. After over 20 years of marriage, he wanted an annulment and to ship her off to a nunnery. Divorced! Anne Boleyn (Jennifer Caldwell) complains about Henry’s infidelity, but after trying to make him jealous, is executed for her supposed infidelity. Beheaded! Jane Seymour (Casey Al-Shaqsy) dies just after giving birth to Henry’s only legitimate male offspring. Died! Anne of Cleves (Grace Melville) is shipped over from Germany after Henry sees her portrait. When she arrived, he was not impressed, but still went through with the marriage. Very shortly afterwards it was annulled, and she had a very generous settlement. Divorced! Katherine Howard (Jaina Brock-Patel) is only very young when she catches the king’s eye. A short while after marrying she is accused of adultery. Beheaded! Catherine Parr (Alana Robinson) is the last of the wives. Survived!

This is a story that gives The Queens a voice, they certainly didn’t then. What starts out as acts of one-upmanship, soon turns into sense of cohesion, supporting each other and thinking what could have been.

All six queens were magnificent, each remarkable in their own way. Hart had a great, powerful voice, Caldwell was hilarious with her northern accent and comments about losing her head, Al-Shaqsy delivers an impassioned touching performance. Melville plays centre stage to the most bizarre and hilarious part of the show, Haus of Holbein. This was very techno, with florescent glasses and clothing, all delivered with German accents. Brock-Patel was the pop princess, full of sass and Robinson is the icing on the already perfect cake, giving us sense of female empowerment and solidarity. The Queens are joined and accompanied on stage by the amazing all-female band, Ladies in Waiting, they had the venue rocking.

The costumes and hair were just stunning. Leather, studs, and spikes were everywhere. The costumes did have a look of Tudor but with a very contemporary twist, and I loved the little slots they had for their microphones.

What a show it was, fabulous songs, set and costumes. This show is energetic, full of sass, but poignant at the same time. I think I have learnt more about Henry VIII from this than I did at school. Perhaps they should include this show as part of the curriculum? Certainly, it would be more engaging.

At only 80 minutes long, there is no interval, it is over far too quickly, but boy does it pack a punch. I wouldn’t necessarily describe it as a musical, it certainly isn’t your traditional one that is for sure, it has the feel of a concert, with fab songs and great performances, one you wouldn’t want to miss.

If this comes to a theatre near you make sure you book early. I’ve had a look at tickets for York in October, as that is closer to home, and virtually every single ticket has been sold already! One not to be missed.

York Theatre Royal – Thursday 21st April 2022

Reviewed by Michelle Richardson

5*****

CBeebies superstar and children’s favourite Justin Fletcher is touring the UK with an all-singing, all dancing extravaganza and is gracing the York Theatre Royal stage for four shows over two days. He has been a mainstay of children’s television for over 20 years and is adored by generations. I was lucky enough to take my three grandchildren, ages 3, 4 and 5, a bit of a challenge on my own I must say. They were also eager to catch a glimpse of Mr Tumble, especially the youngest one.

The stalls and dress circle were packed with excited children, accompanied by parents and grandparents. Straight from the off the whole audience were engaged, counting down for Justin to appear onstage. When he did arrive on stage he got a big cheer, everyone was so happy to see him. He was joined on stage by four animated performers, Bex, Honour, Reece and Nico. They were what you would expect from children’s entertainers, excitable, full of energy and excellent support for Justin.

Full of slapstick fun, cream pies, and old favourites of “Head, shoulders, knees and toes”, “Hokey cokey” and “Music man”, much to the delight of all. Makaton was also used during the show, just like he uses on television. It was lovely to see the children getting involved in signing.

The show is 1 hour and 40 minutes long, which includes a 20-minute break. This sounds quite long for little people, but it certainly didn’t feel like it. The show managed to keep the attention of my lot and the vast majority of the audience. The first act is the longest, full of singing, rhymes, silliness, and laughter. The second act had more of a party feel to it, a true celebration.

Justin really appeared to be enjoying himself on the stage, he loves entertaining, and the children love him. He’s like a cuddly teddy. Though he didn’t slip into our favourite persona, Mr Tumble, it didn’t matter. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves, my oldest just couldn’t sit still, he absolutely loved it, as did we all.

Justin Live only has a few more shows this Spring before returning to the stage in the Autumn. A must see for all fans of all his numerous television shows and I hope he carries on entertaining another generation of children.