We Are Animate’s slick and streamlined production of Richard II is both an enthralling introduction to Shakespeare and an exciting new version for those already familiar with the play.
The story of the isolated and indulgent Richard being deposed and replaced by Bolingbroke, who handily had a personal grievance to pursue that fit well with the English nobility’s need to rid themselves of a king who was becoming a liability, does not suffer greatly from being shortened. The plotting between the nobles and their hand wringing over whether it was right to remove a man anointed by God are removed, keeping the focus on the battling cousins and their closest allies and galloping through the story in 80 minutes. In lesser hands this would feel rushed, but director Lewis Brown includes musical moments and movement sequences to allow breathing space and also further the plot (Bushy’s execution, in particular, is beautifully choreographed).
The minimalist set painted red, white and black with two platforms on different levels manages to convey the power dynamic of each scene, with Richard relegated to sitting on the floor in the final scenes. The colours of the set are echoed in the costumes of the cast, indicating the loyalties of each faction. Even with less characters featured, some of the cast of eight play multiple roles, but there is no confusion as the costumes clearly show the different characters. The inclusion of only one of Richard’s favourites, Bushy, means that Aumerle (Harriet Barrow) becomes less ambivalent in the early scenes and more vocally Richard’s man, echoing and concentrating his father’s opinions on loyalty – giving greater meaning to his misguided decision to show ultimate loyalty to Henry in the final scenes of the play. Hilary Burns and Lizzy Dive bring an air of world-weary authority to Gaunt and York, and Daniel Ghezzi’s Northumberland has an air of menace that conveys the dubious plotting and selfishness behind the scenes brilliantly. This play depends on two strong leads, and this production doesn’t disappoint. Casting Fleur De Wit as Bolingbroke adds many layers, contrasting her calm and measured confidence with Richard’s emotional and capricious nature to skewer gender stereotypes of leadership. De Wit plays Henry with righteous anger always simmering, but controlled, and the only time she shows any freedom in her emotions is in the leadup to her fight with Mowbray. A beautifully judged performance. Michael Rivers could have chewed the scenery as Richard, but instead delivers a wonderfully nuanced portrayal of an entitled man-child. Rivers’ nails Richard’s casual arrogance and his disdain for those who do not play his games, making him equally funny and infuriating. The emotional outbursts and changeability are believable and even though Richard is a feckless king, Rivers ensures that the audience have sympathy for what is left of the boy that a life on the throne ruined.
Expertly abridged for maximum impact, We Are Animate’s Richard II is well worth a look.
New Theatre, Hull – until Saturday 26th February 2022
Reviewed by Anne Walker
5*****
Last night my son Joseph (13) and I had the pleasure of attending Hull New Theatre to see Acosta Danza 100% Cuban. This dance company was created 6 years ago by Carlos Acosta to harness and develop the young creative dance talent emerging in Cuba and what amazing talent there was to see in this captivating showcase. The ethos of the company is to produce dancers who can combine both classical and contemporary genres which results in action packed performances that explore the islands heritage of dance, rhythm and folklore.
Although the audience was not at full capacity, we were soon transfixed as the first of five pieces began. ‘Liberto’, choreographed by Raul Reinoso, refers to slavery, taking us on a journey of history, mythology and culture. This piece introduces us to two of the companies finest dancers, Zeleidy Crespo and Mario Sergio Elias. With solo moments on stage, they were mesmerising but when they came together as one their fluid movements were almost hypnotic.
The second piece of the night was ‘Hybrid’ choreographed by Norge Cedeno. Ten of the company’s dancers tell a story of the challenges of life on an island and journeys from darkness to light. Based on the myth of Sisyphus it shows the relentless struggle of life with a dystopian feel to the piece. Watching the dancers come together and move as one body was the highlight for me and brought a real feeling of power to the stage.
This led to a short interval where I was able to ask Joseph what he thought so far, he said he was so surprised at how easy the dancers made the difficult movements look, almost like it was no effort at all. Needless to say we were eager to watch the second half. This consisted of three more pieces, ‘Paysage, Soudain, la nuit’, choreographed by Pontus Lidberg, a real celebration of youth with a dreamlike quality. ‘Impronta’ choreographed by Maria Rovira. Zeleidy Crespo danced solo in this piece, representing the water from the most calm to the wild. Her muscular, long limbed body was beautiful to watch, changing from elegant to contorted. Finishing the show was the wonderful ‘De Punta a Cabo’ choreographed by Alexis Fernandez. This was certainly a rousing celebration of Cuban life and its contrasts. From the traditional to the modern, poverty and development. The backdrop to this number was a film of a Havana waterfront with the same dancers often mirroring the movements on stage and screen bringing a whole new dimension to the piece. The dancers costumes were street clothes, crop tops, shorts and trainers which made the piece all the more fun. We felt like we had come along on an evening out, being captivated with the dancing, flirting and sometimes fearless leaps and lifts of the company. Three dancers switched to point shoes half way through, switching up the modern feel with the more traditional. Coming to an end with clapping, whooping, somersaulting, pirouetting and a joyous finale.
Feeling exhilarated after our evening of watching theses amazing performers, we ended our evening with a short question and answer session with four of the dancers including the choreographer Raul Reinoso. This was a fantastic insight into the pieces, giving us a greater understanding of them and the work it takes to train and produce such a wonderful showcase.
We would definitely recommend 100% Cuban, keep an open mind and be ready to lose yourself in the enthralling music and movement.
The NDT were founded in 1959, by a group of dancers from the Dutch National Ballet, in The Hague (Netherlands), it has created a modern ballet style; a fusion of classical ballet and modern dance. The NDT2 was set up in 1978 for young dancers. The current company’s ages range from 20 to 26 and come from a wide range of countries not just the Netherlands.
The current UK tour started at Sadler’s Wells in February 2022, the last time they were touring in the UK was 2016. There are three pieces in the current tour, two of which new to the UK. The pieces explore current themes of loneliness, connection and death.
The Big Crying by Marco Goecke, written in response to the death of his father. The melancholy score composed by Tori Amos, is married with the sounds of roaring trains and the dancers’ screams, it finishes with a pared back version of REM’s Losing My Religion. The dancers create angular and mechanical moves and shapes in various groups and formations.
After a brief interval the second piece Simple Things by Hans van Manen, set to a soundtrack of modern piano, the accordion and Haydn. It is a complete contrast to the opening piece. The set is bathed in a deep blue light which sets off the dancers beautifully. The opening and closing pieces of music are a little difficult however they contrast with the longer middle section perfectly. The gentle piano pieces and the classical ballet moves are just lovely.
The final piece is Impasse by Johan Inger which opens with a trio of young dancers (Annika Verplancke, Austin Meiteen and Emmitt Cawley) and builds to a full cast finale. For me this was the strongest and most enjoyable piece. The music by French Lebanese jazz trumpeter and composer Ibrahim Maalouf was inspiring and perfectly complemented the piece.
An evening of energy and confidence, the company are young and athletic and clearly enjoy performing. It’s at times a challenging watch but one that lingers in your thoughts and in your mind long after the pieces have finished.
THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN returns to London this summer in a newly revised production starring Katie Ray as Rachel Watson, at Upstairs at the Gatehouse, Highgate Village, from Wednesday 8 June – Sunday 3 July 2022.
Based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and blockbuster DreamWorks film, this new stage adaption by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel tells the story of Rachel Watson, who longs for a different life, her only escape is the perfect couple she watches through the train window everyday, happy and in love, or so it appears. When Rachel learns that the woman she’s been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery in which she will face bigger revelations than she could ever have anticipated.
Katie Ray has recently finished starring as Mollie Ralston in long running West End hit, ‘The Mousetrap’, at the St Martin’s Theatre. Her other theatre credits include ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ (New London Theatre), The Sound of Music (London Palladium) and Million Dollar Quarter (UK Tour and Royal Festival Hall).
This new production will be directed by Joseph Hodges, with set design by Richard Cooper, lighting design by Seb Blaber, casting by Jay Gardner and produced by Gardner Hodges Entertainment.
Full creative team and casting are to be announced imminently.
Tickets are available from the Upstairs at the Gatehouse box office by phone on 020 8340 3488 or online at www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com.
You can find ‘The Girl on the Train’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @GirlonTrainUK
FULL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR MIKE BARTLETT’S BRAND NEW COMEDY SCANDALTOWN
Modern restoration comedy brings together a cast of 12 including Cecilia Appiah, Matthew Broome, Emma Cunniffe, Henry Everett, Richard Goulding, Luke Hornsby, Aysha Kala, Thomas Josling, Annette McLaughlin, Ami Okumura Jones, Chukwuma Omambala and Rachael Stirling
Written by Mike Bartlett and directed by the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s Artistic Director Rachel O’Riordan, Scandaltown has its world premiere at the Lyric, from 07 April to 14 May 2022.
Full casting is announced today for Scandaltown, a brand new comedy by Mike Bartlett (Doctor Foster, King Charles III) directed by the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’sArtistic DirectorRachel O’Riordan (Olivier Award winning Killology). The world premiere productionruns at the West London venue from 07 April to 14 May with opening night for press on 14 April. Tickets are on sale at www.lyric.co.uk
Scandaltown is a modern restoration comedy and irreverent satire, set in post-pandemic London, full of immorality, political hypocrisy and the machinations of a fame-hungry elite. It brings together a 12-strong cast including Rachael Stirling (The Bletchley Circle; Love, Love, Love – Lyric Hammersmith Theatre) as Lady Susan Climber, Richard Goulding(The Windsors, King Charles III) as Matt Eton and Emma Cunniffe (Queen Anne – RSC) as Aunty Julie and Rachel De Souza. Also confirmed are Cecilia Appiah (The Long Song – CFT) as Phoebe Virtue, Matthew Broome as Jack Virtue in his stage debut, Henry Everett (Antony and Cleopatra – National Theatre, The Memory of Water – Hampstead) as Peter Media OBE, Luke Hornsby (1917, Harlots) as Freddie Peripheral, Thomas Josling (Habeas Corpus – Menier) as Tom Double-Budget, Aysha Kala (BAFTA Breakthrough Brit, The Welkin – National Theatre) as Hannah Tweetwell, Annette McLaughlin (Matilda, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child) as Rosalind Double-Budget and Scrub, Ami Okumura Jones (EastEnders, Wendy & Peter Pan – Leeds Playhouse) as Jenny Bright, and Chukwuma Omambala (A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hecuba – RSC) as Sir Dennis Hedge and Kevin the Postman.
Rachel O’Riordan reunites with Mike Bartlett following a critically acclaimed revival of Love, Love, Love which opened in 2020 as part of her debut season as the Lyric’s Artistic Director.
Mike Bartlett, Writer, said: “I’m so pleased that Rachel’s assembled this amazing cast for Scandaltown. As a provocative play, with contradictory and absurd human beings at its heart, drawing on a restoration form, it’s going to be so much about performance. I can’t wait to start rehearsals.”
Rachel O’Riordan, Director, said: “I am delighted to be directing Mike Bartlett’s new play Scandaltown at the Lyric. Mike is one of our most exciting writers, with a huge heart. I was so disappointed when we had to cancel the run of Love, Love, Love due to Covid because audiences were having such a good time in our theatre. Mike wrote Scandaltown especially for our beautiful Matcham auditorium – the most beautiful theatre in London. I can’t wait to share this funny, bold new play with our audiences.”
“We are not virtuous, but neither are we cruel. We believe in simply: no shame.” When noble heroine Miss Phoebe Virtue receives worrisome news on Instagram that her twin brother Jack may be endangering his reputation in London Town, she decides she must visit herself, and investigate. Scandaltown is an irreverent satire for our times. Expect the finest couture, rakish behaviour, explicit hashtags and a party that will have all of London talking.
Set Design is by Good Teeth, Costume Design by Kinnetia Isidore, Lighting Design by Paul Keogan, Sound Design and Composition by Simon Slater, Choreography by Malik Nashad Sharpe, Wigs, Hair and Make-up Design by Susanna Peretz, Casting by Amy Ball, Consultant Dr Lloyd (Meadhbh) Houston, and Assistant Director Kwame Owusu.
Dreamgirls the Musical, like its namesake 2006 film, tells the story of the girl band The Dreamettes, in a story loosely based on the story of Diana Ross and the Supremes.
With book and lyrics by Tom Eyen and music by Henry Krieger, it tells the tale of the collective and individual careers of three sweet but fame hungry girls (big-voiced Effie, sassy Lorrell and beautiful Deena) who come to New York to launch their singing careers as the Dreamettes. They lose the fixed talent contest but acquire as manager a former car salesman, Curtis Taylor Jr. (Dom Hartley-Harris). The wheeler-dealer impresario signs the trio as backup singers for soul star James Early (Brandon Lee Sears).
In the first half, In front of our eyes, and with the help of Tim Hatley’s fluent, brightly lit setting and Gregg Barnes’ iridescent costumes, we watch them morph into a sophisticated pop act, ready to take on the charts. As the music industry develops a taste for a new sound, we see the girls’ star rise and Jimmy’s own decline. Through a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune, and the realities of show business. While the glitz and glamour of that world are in evidence, Dreamgirls does not shy away from its darker realities nor from the pitfalls of fame, which tests their friendships to the limit.
A special mention must go to Nicole Raquel Dennis who plays the iconic role of Effie White. Her stage presence was phenomenal and her vocals were impeccable. From the first shiver-inducing note of And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going, Dennis brings down the house with her desperate, emotionally driven offering which she delivers with bone-rattling volume Listen, I Am Changing and One Night Only were also phenomenal. The choreography of the show was slick, extravagant and showcased the cast’s impressive move sets; simply superb. Backdrops for the production was magnificent with frequent spectacular backdrop changes of concert halls, stages, and TV studios. But it’s not a one woman show: Paige Peddie is terrific as Lorrell, a girl never afraid to speak her mind, and Holly Liburd (covering for Natalie Kassange) is touching as Deena
Dreamgirls is about the price of success. Some of that price is familiar: broken love affairs, broken families, broken lives, but it is more than a piece of prodigious showmanship. The ups and downs of show biz, its heady success, its heartbreak and humiliation, are made appealing and moving. Dreamgirls is huge, incredibly noisy and with the emotional impact of a juggernaut. If you like sequins and sparkles mixed with the swinging 60’s and some big songs then this is the one for you
Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes today (25 February 2022) announced the return to the West End of The London Palladium Pantomime for a seventh year, with Dawn French and Julian Clary leading the cast in a brand-new production of Jack and the Beanstalk. For a strictly limited five-week run at The London Palladium, French and Clary will be joined by returning Palladium panto favourites Paul Zerdin, Nigel Havers and Gary Wilmot.
Dawn French said: “Roll up! Roll up! Much merriment and happiness and downright cheek and cheeks going to be happening onstage at The Palladium this Christmas with a brand spanky new Panto at last! We’ve waited two years to bring you Jack & The Beanstalk and I’m deblimminlighted to be part of it. See you there folks!”
Michael Harrison, Producer and Director of all seven London Palladium pantomimes said: “I’m thrilled to be welcoming Dawn French back to our panto, and can’t wait to be working with Julian, Paul, Nigel and Gary on what promises to be our biggest show yet! Jack and The Beanstalk marks the return of a full-scale spectacle to our Palladium Christmas season, and we’ve been working on new designs for the show over the past two years. We’ll be announcing more cast later in the year, and can’t wait to be back with all the glitz and glamour we know our audiences love.”
Once again directed by Michael Harrison,London’s GIANT panto will open on Saturday 10 December 2022, featuring lavish new set designs from Mark Walters and costume designs from Hugh Durrant created especially for The London Palladium. Priority booking opens at 10am on Monday 28 February 2022 (sign up at www.palladiumpantomime.com) with public booking opening Tuesday 1 March 2022 at 10am.
Actor, writer and comedian Dawn French, who made her Pantomime debut as Queen Dragonella in the 2018 production Snow White at The London Palladium,returns this year as Mrs Trot. Dawn is an original member of The Comic Strip and one half of the comedy duo French and Saunders. Dawn’s impressive career spans stage, TV, film and publishing and includes the multi award-winning BBC comedy The Vicar of Dibley, Murder Most Horrid, Coraline and Death On The Nile. Earlier this year, she announced her return to the stage with her show Dawn French Is A Huge Twat.
Julian Clary, Nigel Havers and Paul Zerdin have starred in pantomimes at The London Palladium since the 2016 production of Cinderella. Gary Wilmot joined the cast in 2017 and together they have performed in Dick Whittington, Snow White at The London Palladium, Goldilocks and the Three Bears as well as Pantoland at The Palladium twice.
Harrison’s production has choreography by Karen Bruce, with lighting designs by Ben Cracknell, sound designs by Gareth Owen and composition and orchestrations by Gary Hind
Gary_Wilmot photographed by Wolf Marloh
Jack and the Beanstalk is produced by Michael Harrison for Crossroads Pantomimes.As a producer in the West End his credits include The Drifter’s Girl, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Gypsy, The Bodyguard, Annie and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein. Crossroads Pantomimes is the world’s biggest pantomime producer and part of Crossroads Live, a global leader in the production of musical theatre and immersive entertainment experiences.
She’s multi-faceted, she’s quite a complex character and playing her in this day and age it’s more interesting, I think. I’ve read a lot of articles that Glenn Close did about the character of Alex and even then, back in the 80s, she was thinking that there’s more to Alex, she’s not just this psychotic woman. She’s got real issues and you can tell that she’s gone through something awful in her life. For me, it’s interesting to dig around in that and look at the vulnerabilities in her.
Have you rewatched the film?
I rewatched it a few weeks ago with my son, who had never seen it before. He was like ‘Whoah! Wow!’ It’s still quite scary but there are lots of different layers to Alex in it, and I think her behaviour would be viewed very differently now compared to in 1987. I think there’d be another conversation around it for sure. We’ve come a long way in terms of how we view mental health since then.
Is it daunting following in the footsteps of Glenn Close, who was Oscar-nominated for the movie?
No one can fill those shoes, can they? All I can do is my best with it and not copy her, but the script of the play is slightly different. It’s not exactly the same, it’s not scene-by-scene and word-for-word. There are subtle differences and you hear more from Alex about where she’s been. It’s hard to talk about without giving too much away but you get more of a sense of who Alex is and what her journey may have been.
Is there still a bunny boiling bunny scene?
[Laughs] Well, there has to be, doesn’t there? But I don’t imagine the audience will see anything graphic.
What challenges does the role present?
Every role you take on should have some challenge or other. You’re never going to be playing yourself, are you? With Alex, it’s all about trying to understand the character and trying to work out the journey she’s been on. Getting into that mindset is going to be quite tricky but I’m very much up for the challenge.
I’m in the gym all the time at the moment because there are certain scenes where I’m not going to be wearing very much, even if it’s just a short T-shirt. You always want to feel physically prepared for that kind of thing and not just that, it’s a big thing going on tour, going on stage every night, sometimes doing two shows a day. Keeping yourself mentally and physically well and healthy is important.
Can you recall when you first saw the film and what impact did it have on you?
It was probably in the 90s and I remember thinking how remarkable the cast were. Even the little girl; she had me in tears again when I was watching it the other week. The cast were astounding and they all played their parts brilliantly. The thing that used to annoy me about it, though, was that Michael Douglas’s character seemed to get off quite lightly. Alright, he got some acid thrown on his car but she ended up being shot in the bathtub. When you first watched it you forgot that he played a part in it all and he’d gone back for more. I found that quite vexing but, again without giving spoilers, it’s addressed a little more in how the stage version ends.
When were you last in a play and how is returning to the theatre?
The last time I was on stage was in Elf The Musical in 2019 and before that, it was Saturday Night Fever, which was before I joined Coronation Street in 2006. This is completely different because it’s a play, not a musical, and I’m excited about getting back out there and testing myself in front of a live audience. I’ve no doubt I’ll be nervous when I first go out on that stage but I’m hoping those nerves will dissipate.
Is Michelle from Corrie the role you’re most recognised for by the public?
It’s funny because most people just know me as Kym and I think that’s because I’ve been allowed to do so many different things. I’ve been very fortunate in my career. I started out as a singer, then moved on to acting, and I’ve done some presenting. I’ve been allowed to be a Jack of all trades. Yes, I’ve been known as a character in a series but I’ve also been known as just Kym as well.
You’ve been co-presenting the likes of the BBC’s Morning Live and For Love Or Money. What have you most enjoyed about that?
I’d had jobs come in after I left Corrie in 2019, then all of a sudden everything shut down and I wasn’t able to do any of them. When I was given the opportunity to do some presenting I was quite taken aback. I was like ‘Me? Really? Presenting? Why?’ but I was so grateful for the chance because it was keeping me busy at a time when a lot of people weren’t. I felt very lucky to have been given that chance and it’s been great because it’s given me another string to my bow and another skill set. I like meeting different people and I like the camaraderie on set. It’s still really scary going live every single day but that’s a normal response. It keeps you on your toes.
We also recently saw you in Kay Mellor’s The Syndicate…
That was brilliant as well. That was my first acting role since COVID restrictions had semi-lifted and they allowed actors to go back on set, but we were having tests constantly and everyone was wearing masks. It was a very different way of filming but we all said how wonderful it was to be back on set. Going back to that first job after lockdown is an experience we will never forget. It was great to be back doing the job we love doing, even under very different circumstances.
What are you most looking forward to about taking Fatal Attraction around the country?
It’s a fantastic play. It’s dramatic and sexy and at times chilling. Plus it’ll be so nice to just get out there in front of a live audience. Having theatre back again is just brilliant because I think everyone missed it. I remember walking through the West End and seeing tape across theatre doorways, and it really made me sad. I’m absolutely delighted to be getting back on stage and getting audiences back in.
The tour calls at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham. Does it have any significance for you?
I do the regional heats for the Pride Of awards in Birmingham so I’ve spent quite a lot of time there meeting their unsung heroes, which is always lovely. And I’ve always had a nice experience when I’ve been in Birmingham so I look forward to going back.
James Burke-Dunsmore Plays the Role of ‘Jesus’ for an 11th and Final Time
Wintershall Passions also taking place in Bishop Auckland and Worcester
Since its first performance in 2010, Wintershall has presented The Passion of Jesus in Trafalgar Square on Good Friday. The awe-inspiring full-scale re-enactment of The Passion quickly became a highly anticipated Easter fixture. With an enforced COVID-19 pandemic break in 2020 and 2021, Wintershall are thrilled to be bringing the Passion back home to London on 15 April 2022.
The story commemorating the day Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified by the Romans, two days before miraculously rising from the dead on Easter Sunday, is brought to life by a cast of over a hundred, dressed in full costume, along with horses, doves and a donkey.
The professional actor and artist James Burke-Dunsmore will play Jesus in Trafalgar Square for an 11th and final time. He is a specialist in large-scale outdoor theatre and has been involved with Wintershall’s plays since 1998, playing Jesus in both The Passion of Jesus and The Life of Christ and Archangel Michael and Herod in the Wintershall Nativity.
The rest of the Wintershall company is made up of volunteer actors and stage crew from in and around London and the South East.
Featuring realistic scenes and a moving crucifixion and resurrection, The Passion of Jesus is an unforgettable Easter experience, embracing those of all faiths and none.
Supported by the Mayor of London, the open-air production, performed in the shadow of the National Gallery, regularly attracts more than 20,000 people to its two performances.
2022 will see the Wintershall Passion performed in both Bishop Auckland and Worcester and Wintershall are committed to helping other towns and cities across the UK to stage The Passion in 2023 as part of their One Good Friday project, created to tell the story of Easter to a new audience.
The Passion play in London is directed by Ashley Herman and produced by Charlotte de Klee. The Wintershall Cast are famous for their epic re-enactments of stories from the Scriptures. They also perform the extraordinary Life of Christ at the Wintershall Estate in Surrey every June (21-25 June 2022) and the now-famous Wintershall Nativity each Christmas (14-19 December 2022).
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “I’m delighted that thousands of people will once again be able to witness the re-telling of the Easter story in Trafalgar Square. For more than a decade, The Passion of Jesus has brought together people from all backgrounds with its lasting message of compassion and courage. It has been an inspiration and source of strength to millions and its return is another great example that our capital is once again ready to host major events for Londoners and visitors from around the world.”
Wintershall producer, Charlotte de Klee said: “All of us at Wintershall are so excited to be coming back to Trafalgar Square on Good Friday to perform The Passion. It is a play that speaks not only to those of the Christian faith, but to those of other faiths and traditions and those that have no personal beliefs. Over the years the vast audiences the play has attracted stand as testimony to that fact. That it takes place in a world-famous space at the heart of the capital speaks much for the tolerance and diversity that is found in London. We hope many will join us in the square to watch this life-changing drama.”
Kenny Wax Family Entertainment in association with MAST Mayflower Studios Cast announced for 2022 UK tour of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World Friday 25th March – Sunday 17th July 2022
The exciting new cast has been announced for the 2022 UK tour of inspiring girl power musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World. This empowering stage adaptation is brought to life by an incredible all-female led cast and creative team, based on the book of the same name by Suffragette descendant Kate Pankhurst.
The new cast members for the Spring 2022 tour are Kirstie Skivington (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Apollo Theatre and The Crucible Sheffield; Jesus Christ Superstar, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; Bend It Like Beckham, Phoenix Theatre), Kudzai Mangombe (Malindadzimu, Hampstead Theatre), Elise Zavou (Red Riding Hood, Theatre Royal Stratford East) and Clarice Julianda (Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, UK tour). Returning to the show after the hugely popular (although devastated by Covid-19) tour are Renée Lamb (SIX, West End; Be More Chill, The Other Palace and Shaftesbury Theatre; Little Shop of Horrors, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre), Christina Modestou (SIX, West End; We Will Rock You, Dominion Theatre; In The Heights, Southwark Playhouse) and Jade Kennedy (The Snow Queen, Brighton Open Air Theatre; Billy Elliot, Victoria Palace Theatre).
Celebrated – and often forgotten – women from history are brought to life on stage, including Rosa Parks, Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart, Marie Curie, Mary Seacole, Frida Kahlo, Jane Austen, and Pankhurst’s own relative Emmeline. When inquisitive heroine Jade breaks away from her school trip to the local museum to peek at the Gallery of Greatness, she meets iconic women from the past, such as explorers, scientists, artists and secret agents. This thrilling musical is full of incredible characters, inspirational moments and a soundtrack that packs a popstar punch.
The creative team bringing this uplifting stage show to audiences across the UK consists of renowned dramatist Chris Bush (Pericles, National Theatre; Faustus: That Damned Woman, Headlong), with music by Miranda Cooper (Girls Aloud; Kylie Minogue) and Jennifer Decilveo (Miley Cyrus; Ben Platt) and live arrangements by Jen Green (Beverley Knight; Pixie Lott), director Amy Hodge (Mr Gum and The Dancing Bear – The Musical!, the National Theatre), designer Joanna Scotcher (Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe/Vaudeville Theatre), choreographer Dannielle Lecointe (Dick Whittington, the National Theatre), lighting designer Zoe Spurr (Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe/Vaudeville Theatre) and sound designer Carolyn Downing (Summer & Smoke, Almeida/Duke of York’s Theatre).
Incredibly inspirational, a battle call to women everywhere – ★ ★ ★ ★ Liverpool Echo
A pop-fuelled celebration of female empowerment – Norwich Evening News
A family-friendly, feel good show that will keep adults and children entertained throughout – Southern Daily Echo
