We had the chance to interview Kym, who is playing the role of Alex – whilst she is appearing at the Alex in Birmingham

What makes Alex such a meaty role for an actress?

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.

Have you had to do any physical preparation?

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.

Wintershall presents
THE PASSION OF JESUS 2022

Good Friday 15 April

The Passion of Jesus Returns to Trafalgar Square

James Burke-Dunsmore Plays the Role of ‘Jesus’ for an 11^th 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 11^th 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. 

This year, The Passion will be performed at 12 noon and 3:15pm. Both will be livestreamed via Facebook (www.facebook.com/Wintershallplays) and will subsequently be available to watch on Wintershall’s YouTube channel ( www.youtube.com/user/wintershallplayers).

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

James L. Nederlander, Jamie Wilson, Hunter Arnold, 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

• FIRST CASTING NEWS ANNOUNCED TODAY
   
• AMARA OKEREKE WILL STAR AS ELIZA DOOLITTLE ALONGSIDE HARRY HADDEN-PATON AS HENRY HIGGINS
   
• DAME VANESSA REDGRAVE WILL PLAY MRS HIGGINS
   
• MAUREEN BEATTIE WILL PLAY MRS PEARCE AND SHARIF AFIFI WILL PLAY FREDDY EYNESFORD-HILL
   
• FURTHER CASTING WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON
   
• TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FOR THE STRICTLY LIMITED SEASON AT THE LONDON COLISEUM FROM 7 MAY TO 27 AUGUST FROM WWW.MYFAIRLADYMUSICAL.CO.UK 

Producers are delighted to announce the first casting news for Bartlett Sher’s award-winning production of My Fair Lady at the London Coliseum. Amara Okereke will star as Eliza Doolittle. Okereke was recently seen in the Almeida’s acclaimed production of Spring Awakening and she won the Stage Debut Award for her performance as Cosette in Les Miserables. She will be joined by Harry Hadden-Paton who reprises his performance as Henry Higgins which he originated at the Lincoln Center in New York and for which he received Tony and Grammy award nominations. Hadden-Paton has worked extensively on stage in both London and New York and is perhaps best known for his roles as Martin Charteris in The Crown (Netflix) and Bertie Pelham in Downton Abbey (ITV).

Also announced today is stage legend Dame Vanessa Redgrave who will play Mrs Higgins. Redgrave is returning to the West End stage for the first time since her appearance in The Inheritance in 2018. 

Joining her will be Maureen Beattie who will play Mrs Pearce and Sharif Afifi who will play Freddie Eynesford-Hill.

Further casting will be announced soon.

New York’s Lincoln Center Theater’s critically acclaimedand multi award-winning production of Lerner & Loewe’s much loved My Fair Lady 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, 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.

DEBBIE KURUP, DANIELLE STEERS & MILLIE O’CONNELL

TO PLAY CHER IN

THE CHER SHOW

UK & IRELAND TOUR TO OPEN APRIL 2022

“All of us invent ourselves.

Some of us just have more imagination than others.”
CHER

The producers of the brand new production of The Cher Show are delighted to announce that the role of Cher will be played by Debbie Kurup, Danielle Steers and Millie O’Connell. The production features the actresses portraying Cher in three different ways throughout her iconic career, with Debbie as ‘Star’, Danielle as ‘Lady’ and Millie as ‘Babe’.  Further casting is to be announced.

With book by Tony and Olivier Award-winning Rick Elice (Jersey Boys, The Addams Family, Peter and the Starcatcher), direction by Arlene Phillips (Saturday Night Fever, Starlight Express, Grease), choreography by Oti Mabuse (two-time Strictly Come Dancing champion) and costume design by Gabriella Slade (Six, In The Heights, Spice World 2019 Tour), the UK & Ireland Tour will open at Leicester’s Curve on 15 April 2022 and will continue through to 1 April 2023.

Debbie Kurup’s theatre credits include Bonnie & Clyde (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Queen Tuya in The Prince of Egypt (Dominion), Blues in the Night (Kiln), Sweet Charity (Donmar Warehouse), Mrs Neilsen in Girl From The North Country (Old Vic/ Noël Coward), The Threepenny Opera (NT), Anything Goes (Sheffield Crucible/UK Tour), Nikki Marron in The Bodyguard (Adelphi – Olivier Award nomination for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical), Velma Kelly inChicago (Cambridge/Adelphi), Sister Act (London Palladium), East (Leicester Curve), West Side Story (Prince of Wales), Tonight’s The Night (Victoria Palace), Rent (Prince of Wales/UK Tour), Fame (UK Tour), Guys And Dolls (Sheffield Crucible), Pal Joey (Chichester) and Boogie Nights (Savoy).

Danielle Steers’s theatre credits include The Empress in Aladdin (Theatre Royal, Plymouth),  Catherine Parr in Six The Musical (London), Zahara in the original cast of Bat out of Hell: The Musical (Manchester Opera House, London Coliseum, Ed Mirvish Theatre, Toronto, Dominion Theatre, New York City Centre), Carmen in Sweet Charity (Donmar Warehouse), Lead Shirelle in the original London cast of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), swing and cover Nikki Marron in The Bodyguard (Adelphi Theatre) and cover Killer Queen in We Will Rock You (International Arena Tour). Her debut album, The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be, was released in 2021.

Millie O’Connell’s theatre credits include Maureen in Rent (Hope Mill Theatre – WOS Award Nomination), Jeanie in Hair (Turbine Theatre), Chloe Valentine in Be More Chill (Shaftesbury Theatre and The Other Palace), Anne Boleyn in SIX: The Musical (UK Tour and Arts Theatre, London – Olivier Award nominated), Ensemble/cover Millie in Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK Tour), Ensemble/Understudy Annie in 42nd Street (Theatre Royal, Drury Lane), Ensemble/Understudy Peggy Sawyer in 42nd Street (Theatre Du Chatelet).

From a young child with big dreams, the shy daughter of an Armenian American truck driver, to the dizzying heights of global stardom, The Cher Show tells the incredible story of Cher’s meteoric rise to fame.  Cher takes the audience by the hand and introduces them to the influential people in her life, from her mother and Sonny Bono, to fashion designer and costumier Bob Mackie.  It shows how she battled the men who underestimated her, fought the conventions and, above all, was a trailblazer for independence. 

The musical is packed with 35 of her biggest hits, including ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’, ‘I Got You Babe’, ‘Strong Enough’, ‘The Shoop Shoop Song’ and ‘Believe’.  

With over 100 million record sales, an Academy Award®, an Emmy®, a Grammy®, three Golden Globes® and an award from The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Cher has influenced popular culture more than most.  Her on-screen career started in 1971 with her weekly television show that attracted 30 million viewers a week, and went on to include starring roles in iconic films from Moonstruck, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress, to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again!, which prompted the New York Magazine to realise “every single movie—no matter how flawless—would be infinitely better if it included Cher.”  Her ‘Farewell Tour’ became the highest grossing music tour in history – in true Cher fashion, she followed up her ‘Farewell Tour’ with two further sell-out, worldwide arena tours.  She is the only artist in history to have a number one hit in the Billboard chart for six consecutive decades; an achievement that caused Vogue to deem her “eternally relevant and the ruler of outré reinvention”.  She became known as the Queen of Reinvention. 

In the 1990s, she established The Cher Charitable Foundation to support causes around the world.  She has been a long-time donor and supporter of Habitat for Humanity, The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund and Keep A Child Alive, an organisation that helps to combat the AIDs epidemic.  Most recently, she co-founded Free the Wild to help rescue Kaavan the Asian elephant from Islamabad zoo.

Written by Tony Award-winning Rick Elice, The Cher Show made its debut on Broadway in 2018 in a production that earned two Tony Awards and delighted fans from around the world.  This new production will be the European premiere.

The Cher Show UK & Ireland Tour will have set design by Tom Rogers, musical supervision by Rich Morris, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Dan Samson, music production by Gary Hickeson, wigs, hair and make-up design by Sam Cox, associate direction by James Cousins, associate choreography by James Bennett and casting by Will Burton CDG.

The Cher Show UK & Ireland Tour is produced by ROYO with Fiery Angel, Cuffe & Taylor/LIVE NATION and Playing Field in association with Tilted, Aria Entertainment and JONES Theatrical Group.

Website: www.cheronstage.com

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram: @TheCherShowUK

TOUR SCHEDULE

15 – 23 April 2022                 Leicester Curve                                                                       0116 242 3595

                                             www.curveonline.co.uk                                                             on sale

26 – 30 April                          Sunderland Empire Theatre                                                    0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/sunderland-empire                       on sale

3 – 7 May                              Hull New Theatre                                                                     01482 300 306

                                             www.hulltheatres.co.uk                                                             on sale

10 – 14 May                          Sheffield Lyceum Theatre                                                       0114 249 6000

                                             www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk                                                    on sale

17 – 21 May                          Manchester Opera House                                                       0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/opera-house-manchester             on sale

24 – 28 May                          Belfast Grand Opera House                                                    02890241919

                                             www.goh.co.uk                                                                         on sale

31 May – 4 June                   Blackpool Opera House                                                          0844 856 1111

                                             www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk                                          on sale

7 – 11 June                           Nottingham Theatre Royal                                                      0115 989 5555 

                                             www.trch.co.uk                                                                         on sale

14 – 19 June                         Canterbury Marlowe Theatre                                                   01227 787787

                                             www.marlowetheatre.com                                                       on sale

21 – 25 June                        Plymouth Theatre Royal                                                          01752 267222

                                             theatreroyal.com                                                                       on sale

19 – 30 July                          Dublin Bord Gáis Energy Theatre                                            0844 847 2455*

                                             bordgaisenergytheatre.ie                                                          on sale

2 – 6 August                         Birmingham Hippodrome                                                        0844 338 5000*

                                             www.birminghamhippodrome.com                                            on sale

9 – 13 August                        Milton Keynes Theatre                                                           0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/milton-keynes-theatre                   on sale

16 – 20 August                     Southend Cliffs Pavilion                                                          01702 351135

                                             southendtheatres.org.uk                                                          on sale

23 – 27 August                     Cardiff New Theatre                                                                07925 659065

                                             www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk                                                   on sale

30 August – 3 September      Stoke Regent Theatre                                                             0844 871 7615*                                             

                                              www.atgtickets.com /venues/regent-theatre                             on sale

6 – 10 September                  Woking New Victoria Theatre                                                  0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-victoria-theatre                      on sale

13 – 17 September               Cheltenham Everyman Theatre                                               01242 572573 

www.everymantheatre.org.uk                                                   on sale

20 – 24 September               Dartford Orchard Theatre                                                        01322 220000

                                             orchardtheatre.co.uk                                                                on sale

27 September – 1 October    Glasgow King’s Theatre                                                          0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre                                on sale

4 – 8 October                       Aberdeen His Majesty’s Theatre                                             

                                             aberdeenperformingarts.com                                                   on sale soon

11 – 15 October                   Edinburgh Festival Theatre                                                     0131 529 6000

                                             www.capitaltheatres.com                                                          on sale

18 – 22 October                   Wolverhampton Grand Theatre                                              01902 429212

                                             www.grandtheatre.co.uk                                                           on sale

25 – 29 October                   Bradford The Alhambra Theatre                                              01274 432000

                                             www.bradford-theatres.co.uk/venues/the-alhambra-theatre     on sale soon

1 – 12 November                   Brighton Theatre Royal                                                           0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/theatre-royal-brighton                   on sale

15 – 19 November                 York Grand Opera House                                                        0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/grand-opera-house-york              on sale

22 – 26 November                Ipswich Regent Theatre

                                             ipswichtheatres.co.uk                                                               on sale

3 – 7 January 2023                Southampton Mayflower Theatre                                           02380 711811

                                             www.mayflower.org.uk                                                             on sale

10 – 14 January                    Northampton Royal & Derngate                                              01604 624811                                                

                                                      www.royalandderngate.co.uk                                                    on sale

17 – 21 January                     Liverpool Empire Theatre                                                       0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/liverpool-empire                           on sale

24 – 28 January                     Bristol The Hippodrome                                                          0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/bristol-hippodrome                       on sale

31 January – 4 February       Wimbledon New Wimbledon Theatre                                      0844 871 7615*                                            

                                                      www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-wimbledon-theatre                on sale

7 – 11 February                    Darlington Hippodrome                                                           01325 405405

                                             www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk                                             on sale

14 – 18 February                   Torquay Princess Theatre                                                       0844 871 7615*

                                             www.atgtickets.com/venues/princess-theatre-torquay              on sale

21 – 25 February                   Oxford New Theatre                                                                0844 871 7615*

                                              www.atgtickets.com/venues/new-theatre-oxford                     on sale

28 February – 4 March         Llandudno Venue Cymru                                                        01492 872000

                                             www.venuecymru.co.uk                                                            on sale

7 – 11 March                        Norwich Theatre Royal                                                            01603 630 000

                                             norwichtheatre.org                                                                   on sale soon

14 – 18 March                      Carlisle The Sands Centre                                                      0333 33 55055

                                             www.thesandscentre.co.uk                                                       on sale  

Further dates to be announced

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DANIELLE DE NIESE TO STAR AS ‘ELLE’ IN

LA VOIX HUMAINE

(THE HUMAN VOICE)

A FILM OF JEAN COCTEAU’S ONE-WOMAN PLAY SET TO MUSIC BY FRANCIS POULENC

PREMIERING ON BBC TWO THIS SPRING

“In spite of it all, we are connected by this telephone… this line is the last thing tying me to us”

Actor, singer and television personality Danielle de Niese will star as ‘Elle’ in a new film of LA VOIX HUMAINE, Jean Cocteau’s one-woman drama set to music by Francis Poulenc, shot on location in London and Paris.  Directed by James Kent (Aftermath, Testament of Youth), with Cinematography from Laurie Rose (High Rise, Rebecca) and designed by Peter Francis (The Father, The Children Act) the film will have its UK premiere on BBC Two in the spring.

With an orchestral score recorded at the Royal Opera House, conducted by Antonio Pappano, the film breaks new ground, with de Niese singing her entire role live on location for her film debut.  This technique allowed de Niese – a performer already known for her high calibre dramatic performances – the freedom to approach the work in a way that no live stage performance could ever allow, resulting in an innovative cross genre work of art.

La Voix Humaine is a theatrical tour de force – a work of less than one hour featuring only one performer, the character known only as ‘Elle’.  De Niese’s performance, captured in the intimate and claustrophobic setting of a single apartment, is the entire focus of the film. A silent observer of her desperate conversation, we witness her decline; a journey from hope and nostalgic memory of her love, to despair and finality of love’s end, over the course of one late afternoon via a single, suspenseful, often interrupted, telephone call with her departing lover.

Visceral, heart-breaking, and with extra ordinary intimacy and emotion, she takes us deep into her personal grief supported by some of Poulenc’s most beautiful and emotionally telling music.

Written originally in 1928, Cocteau was examining change that the technology of the telephone was to bring to humans and how they conducted their relationships.  Regarded as a career defining challenge, it has attracted many actresses and singers since it was premiered as a play in Paris in 1930, and then reimagined by his friend Francis Poulenc as an opera in 1959. Both had suffered relationship breakdowns in their lives and channelled their emotions into this work. It is now edging towards cult status with recent film versions starring Rosamund Pike (The Human Voice directed by Patrick Kennedy in 2018), Tilda Swinton, (The Human Voice directed by Pedro Almodóvar in 2020) and the stage version featuring Ruth Wilson (directed by Ivo van Hove), opening in the West End in 2022.

Danielle de Niese said, “I am thrilled to bring Elle to life for the cinema screen and to be collaborating with such a wonderful team of world class award-winning creatives. The piece, which is focused on a single psychological trajectory, feels like it was born for the film lens, not least because the entire work centres solely around the heroine. 

One of the most frightening lines in the film is: “If you didn’t love me and if you were clever, the telephone would become a terrifying weapon, a weapon that leaves no trace…that makes no noise.” This has never been more relevant than today where technology can be both a blessing and a curse- it can connect us but also isolate us. If you have ever felt isolated, misunderstood, led on, heart-broken, hopeful, desperate, desolate, nostalgic… I hope this unique film will resonate.”

Director James Kent said, “I want the audience to experience this opera in a unique way. La Voix Humaine’s searing emotion when viewed through the cinema lens is astonishingly powerful. Every moment of Elle’s thought process is inescapable. We become witnesses to her tempestuous evening as it heads towards its heart-breaking climax. The vulnerability of Danni’s performance was an extraordinary revelation to me and a testament to the intense preparation she undertook for this most demanding of roles. I am thrilled that such a large audience will feel the power of opera when devised for film – the harmonious marriage of concentrated emotion with the everlasting power of the movie close up.”

BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER: THE MUSICAL – PRODUCTION IMAGES

PHOTOS BY MARK SENIOR

THE WORLD PREMIERE OF

BUT I’M A CHEERLEADER: THE MUSICAL

WITH BOOK & LYRICS BY BILL AUGUSTIN AND MUSIC BY ANDREW ABRAMS

AT THE TURBINE THEATRE FROM 18 FEBRUARY – 16 APRIL 2022

Grabbing the pom-poms and playing the high school senior who just loves cheerleading, Megan Williams, will be Alice Croft. The rest of the cast is completed by Oliver Brooks (Dad/Larry), Edward Chitticks (Jared/Rock), Damon Gould (André), Tiffany Graves (Mary Brown), Jodie Jacobs (Mom/Lloyd), Lemuel Knights (Mike), Evie Rose Lane (Graham), Harry Singh (Jalal), Jodie Steele (Kimberly/Hilary), Aaron Teoh (Dolph) and Kia-Paris Walcott (Sinead).

Paul Taylor-Mills & Bill Kenwright, in association with Adam Bialow, by special arrangement with LIONSGATE® present But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, based on the LIONSGATE® motion picture, directed and story by Jamie Babbit and screenplay by Brian Wayne Peterson. First presented as part of MTFestUK 2019, this will be the first fully commissioned musical discovered at the new musical festival, to be presented on stage.

But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical, has book and lyrics by Bill Augustin, music by Andrew Abrams and direction by Tania Azevedo. Musical direction and orchestration by Josh Sood with choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento and set and costume design by David Shields.  Lighting by Martha Godfrey, sound design by Chris Whybrow and projection design by George Reeve.  This new musical will run at The Turbine Theatre from 18 February – 16 April.

But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical is the story of Megan, an all-American high school cheerleader who has the perfect life.

That is, until she finds out her friends and family suspect her of being a lesbian and send her packing to ‘True Directions,’ a rehabilitation camp to set her straight. It is at this camp, under the strict tutelage of headmistress Mary Brown that Megan meets Graham, a sexy tomboy who shows her exactly what her ‘true direction’ is. Hilarious, irreverent and full of heart, But I’m A Cheerleader: The Musical is a quirky coming-of-age comedy about sexual awakening and self-realization.

In celebration of the 20^th Anniversary of the motion picture, LIONSGATE® has released But I’m a Cheerleader: Director’s Cut with special features that include never before seen deleted scenes, an audio commentary, Jamie Babbit’s student film Discharge, and three new featurettes, including the “But I’m a Cheerleader Class Reunion” reuniting the cast for the first time in 20 years. The motion picture cast included RuPaul Charles, Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne, Cathy Moriarty and Michelle Williams. The Director’s Cut is available on Blu Ray and video on demand for rent or purchase (UK rating of 15 and US rating of Not Rated).

ALEXANDRA THEATRE, BIRMINGHAM – UNTIL SATURDAY 26TH FEBRUARY 2022.

REVIEWED BY NADIA DODD

4****

With a rocky start to their tour in Birmingham as some of the cast have been ill, so two performances were cancelled, it was great to see the actors on their first evening showing of the stage adaptation of the book by Peter James.

Fantastic to see the lead roles Tom Bryce (Adam Woodyatt, Eastenders) and Kellie Bryce (Laurie Brett, Eastenders) being reunited on the stage after being out of their Eastenders partnership for a while now. The story and action takes place at the Bryce household and the surrounding areas of Brighton, Sussex.

The family are having problems. Tom has over–extended the business to almost bankruptcy. This pushes the stress levels up of wife, Kellie, who we learn is a recovering alcoholic, compulsive cleaner and can quite easily spend money that the family don’t have. Teen son Max (Luke Ward-Wilkinson) is dreaming of getting away from the family rows to join his half brother who is currently on a gap year travelling the world.

When Tom brings home a USB stick that a passenger on the train ride home left behind one evening, he and son Max watch a crime unfold on the laptop that they then get deeper involved in as the days go by…. but is it all as accidental as it first seems?

The stage set up is basic and minimal as we jump between the Bryce house, the local police station and what appears to be a derelict warehouse where the crimes take place. Yes basic, but very clever how the stage is easily adapted to take the audiences mind to exactly where they want us to be led.

Peter James is the UK’s number one bestselling author of crime and thriller novels. I wouldn’t class this adaptation as a ‘thriller’ although there’s plenty of crime involved and would be suitable for teenagers to attend. There are some attempts to bring some humour into the script, mainly between the detectives investigating the crime, led by Roy Grace who fans of the novel will remember.

A gripping crime drama that does have a few twists at the end that you wouldn’t have been expecting, worth a visit to experience for yourself.

Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and
Glass Half Full Productions present

THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE

• REHEARSALS BEGIN FOR THE NEW UK TOUR OF ‘THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE’, WHICH OPENS ON 23 MARCH IN SOUTHAMPTON
   
• TWO-TIME DRAMA DESK AWARD NOMINEE AND YOUTUBE SENSATION, CHRISTINA BIANCO STARS AS LITTLE VOICE, ALONGSIDE SHOBNA GULATI AS MARI HOFF, IAN KELSEY AS RAY SAY, AKSHAY GULATI AS BILLY, WILLIAM ILKLEY AS MR BOO AND FIONA MULVANEY AS SADIE
   
• DIRECTED BY BRONAGH LAGAN, THIS BITTERSWEET COMEDY FEATURES MUSIC FROM THE GREATEST DIVAS OF ALL TIME INCLUDING EDITH PIAF, JUDY GARLAND, BARBRA STREISAND, MARILYN MONROE AND SHIRLEY BASSEY
   

Rehearsals have started this week for the new UK touring production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice by Jim Cartwright. Directed by Bronagh Lagan (Cruise, West End) and starring international YouTube sensation Christina Bianco (Funny Girl, Theatre Marigny Paris) in the title role alongside Shobna Gulati (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Coronation Street, Dinnerladies) as Mari Hoff, Ian Kelsey (Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors) as Ray Say, Akshay Gulati (East is East; The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Bolton Octagon) as Billy, William Ilkley (War Horse, UK/ International Tour, The Full Monty, UK Tour) as Mr Boo, Fiona Mulvaney (The Ferryman, West End; Silent Witness, BBC) as Sadie, and James Robert Moore (All That, Lion and Unicorn; Fanny & Stella, Above the Stag) as Phone Man. The company is completed by Anna Hale (London Road, Cuba Pictures/BBC Films) as understudy LV and Sadie.

The national press night for The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will be on Monday 11 April at Malvern Theatres.

In a role she was born to play, two-time Drama Desk nominee Christina Bianco will perform beloved ballads by icons such as Judy Garland, Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black live on stage, capturing their unique style through her extraordinary impressions. Just like LV, Christina is ‘the girl of a thousand voices’ and has performed to sold out crowds in New York and across the US. In the UK, she’s enjoyed extended runs headlining at London’s Hippodrome, Royal Albert Hall’s Elgar Room, Live at Zedel’s and The Charing Cross Theatre.  In 2019 Christina won great critical acclaim in the role of Fanny Brice in Stephen Mear’s production of Funny Girl at Theatre Marigny Paris, for which she was awarded the Trophees De Le Comedie Musicale.

Meet Little Voice and Mari Hoff. A mother and daughter central to the heart of this Northern fairy-tale, but as far apart in character as can be. Left to her own devices, Little Voice starts to embody the famous divas she plays on repeat, from Judy Garland to Shirley Bassey, and becomes an overnight sensation. With humour, heart and countless timeless classics all performed live on stage, ‘The Rise and Fall of Little Voice’ explores the highs and the lows of small-town dreams, family rivalry and finding your voice in a noisy world.

Cartwright’s tender and life-affirming play won both the Olivier award and Evening Standard award for Best Comedy when it premiered at the National Theatre in 1992 in a production directed by Sam Mendes which transferred to the Aldwych Theatre, starring Jane Horrocks and Alison Steadman. Horrocks later reprised the role of LV in a film adaptation also starring Brenda Blethyn, Michael Caine, Ewan McGregor and Jim Broadbent.

With Musical Director and Associate Sound Designer Eamonn O’Dwyer, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will feature set and costume design by Sara Perks, casting by Jane Deitch, lighting design by Nic Farman, Andrew Johnson as Sound Designer and Chris Matanlé as General Manager. The Rise and Fall of Little Voice is co-produced by Bonnie Comley and Stewart F Lane, Neil Gooding Productions and Tiny Giant Productions.

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will open at MAST Mayflower Studios in Southampton on 23 March 2022 and tour to The Capitol Horsham, Exeter Northcott, Malvern Theatres, Theatre Clwyd, Theatre Royal Brighton, Derby Theatre, Salisbury Playhouse, Liverpool Playhouse, Theatre Royal Wakefield, Crewe Lyceum Theatre, The Lowry Salford, Blackpool Grand, Mercury Theatre Colchester, Richmond Theatre, York Theatre Royal and Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham

DOMINIC POWELL’S MUSICAL REVUE THE LOVE REVUE TO RETURN TO LONDON’S PHOENIX ARTS CLUB ON 6 MARCH

STARRING MAIYA QUANSAH-BREED, BILLY LUKE NEVERS, NATALIE PARIS & KATIE RAMSHAW

Due to popular demand, Dominic Powell’s musical revue The Love Revue will return to London’s Phoenix Arts Club next month for a second performance on 6 March at 2pm.

The Love Revue stars Olivier Award-nominee Maiya Quansah-Breed (Six, Rent) and Billy Luke Nevers (& Juliet, Jesus Christ Superstar) with Olivier Award-nominee Natalie Paris (Six) and Katie Ramshaw (Scrubs to Sparkles).

The Love Revue is an eclectic collection of songs questioning and exploring fundamental contemporary beliefs surrounding love, relationships and identity curated by stage and screen creative Dominic Powell from works within his musical theatre repertoire.

Reworking elements of Powell’s original musical Date 1 to 10 (Landor Theatre), the musical revue is a melting pot of pop, R’n’B and musical theatre are stirred with dynamic poetry and readings as lovers Peter and Ruth encounter a sizzling adventure of heartbreak and discovery confronting fears from their past.

Tickets for the performances, from £15, are now on sale at the Phoenix Art Theatre’s website and box office.

Maiya Quansah-Breed reunites with Dominic Powell having been featured on the Original Studio Cast Recording of Powell’s musical CASES and performed in the Barn Theatrein Cirencester’s virtual concert, The Barn Presents: The Music of Dominic Powell, celebrating Powell’s work. Maiya Quansah-Breed received an Olivier Award nomination for her performance as Catherine Parr in the original cast of the musical smash-hit Six and has since gone on to appear as Mimi in Rent (Hope Mill Theatre), Laura in the West End premiere of Scott Alan’s song cycle The Distance You Have Come and the West End premiere of Drew Gasparini’s I Could Use A Drink (Garrick Theatre).

Billy Luke Nevers is currently a cast member of & Juliet in the West End and also recently appeared in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Dr Seuss’ The Grinch Musical! Live on Sky & NBC and I Could Use A Drink at Garrick Theatre. Further credits include: Bring it On (Southwark Playhouse), Spring Awakening (Curve, Leicester), The Color Purple in Concert (Cadogan Hall), An Intimate Evening with Kristin Chenoweth (London Palladium).

Quansah-Breed and Nevers have previously performed together in the West End in I Could Use A Drink at the Garrick Theatre and Roles We’ll Never Play at Vaudeville Theatre. The duo also performed their first joint cabaret at the Phoenix Arts Club in June 2021.

Maiya Quansah-Breed and Natalie Paris were both nominated for Olivier Awards for their performances in the original West End cast of Six. Katie Ramshaw and Maiya Quansah-Breed both performed in the Barn Theatre’s digital concert The Barn Presents: The Music of Dominic Powell.

Dominic Powell is a creative and producer for stage and screen with recent credits including CASES The Musical (The BRIT School), the CASES Original Studio Cast Recording and “The Barn Presents: The Music of Dominic Powell” (Barn Theatre). Dominic also curated interview series “In The Room” and concert “The Road to Prominence” for thespie.com and he has produced and premiered new writing across London in venues such as The Other Palace, Phoenix Artist Club, The Vaults, Cockpit Theatre, Park Theatre, Landor Theatre, Above the Arts and the Theatre Café. Dominic’s musical theatre repertoire is featured as part of New UK Musicals.