ADAM J BERNARD, TARINN CALLENDER, MATT HENRY & TOSH WANOGHO-MAUD

TO STAR AS THE DRIFTERS
IN NEW MUSICAL ABOUT THE ICONIC GROUP

BEVERLEY KNIGHT

TO PLAY FAYE TREADWELL, THE DRIFTERS’ LEGENDARY MANAGER

Hit songs include Stand By Me, Saturday Night at the Movies, Under The Boardwalk, Save The Last Dance For Me 
and Kissin in the Back Row of the Movies

Premieres in Newcastle before West End season at Garrick Theatre

Michael Harrison and David Ian are thrilled to announce today that Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud will play The Drifters in a brand new musical also starring Beverley Knight, which tells the remarkable story of one of the world’s greatest vocal groups and the woman who made them.

The Drifters Girl will begin performances in Newcastle on Saturday 9 October 2021, playing until Saturday 23 October. Performances at the Garrick Theatre in London start on Thursday 4 November 2021 (Press Night: Thursday 25 November 2021).

The Drifters Girl brings together a brilliant collection of performers to play the iconic group. Adam J Bernard exploded into the West End limelight when he originated the role of Jimmy ‘Thunder’ Early in Dreamgirls, for which he was awarded an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

Tarinn Callender originated the roles of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison in the West End production of the international musical phenomenon Hamilton. His other credits include the Olivier Award winning production of Come From Away.

Award-winning actor, singer, songwriter and artist Matt Henry won an Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance as Lola in Kinky Boots, for which he also received a Grammy Award nomination for the London cast recording.

As a finalist on the BBC’s The Voice, Matt’s performance of Ray LaMontagne’s ‘Trouble’ racked up over four million hits on YouTube and the original ‘Trouble’ re-entered the UK charts that week, testament to Matt’s performance.

Tosh Wanogho-Maud played Jimmy in the West End musical Dreamgirls. His other West End credits include ShowBoat, TheBookof Mormon and playing the role of Simba in The Lion King.

Beverley Knight will star as Faye Treadwell, the legendary manager of The Drifters, who, alongside her husband, fought for three decades to turn Atlantic Records’ hottest vocal group into a global phenomenon.

From the highs of hit records and sell out tours to the lows of legal battles and personal tragedy, The Drifters Girl charts the trailblazing efforts of the world’s first African American, female music manager and how she refused to ever give up on the group she loved. Thirty years, and hundreds of hit songs later, there is no doubt that Faye Treadwell was and always will be, The Drifters Girl.

With an incredible soundtrack of some of the most famous songs in history, including Save The Last Dance For Me, Under The Boardwalk, Kissin In The Back Row Of The Movies, Stand By Me, Come On Over To My Place, Saturday Night At The Movies and many more, The Drifters Girl will play for just 15 performances in Newcastle before transferring to London for a limited 20 week season.

Beverley Knight is the Queen of British Soul. She has enjoyed several Top 10 Albums, including the platinum selling Voice: The Best Of Beverley Knight. Her most recent solo album Soulsville was released in June 2016 and went straight into the UK Top 10. She was awarded an MBE by the Queen in 2007 for services to British music and charity, has won three MOBO Awards, and been nominated for Best Female at the Brit Awards three times and for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize.

Beverley has also made several, highly acclaimed performances in the West End. Her debut in London was in the star role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard in 2013. In 2014 she received an Olivier Award Nomination as Best Actress in a Musical for her much praised role of Felicia Farrell in the Tony Award winning hit show Memphis The Musical, and in 2015 she played the iconic role of Grizabella in Cats at The London Palladium. In 2018 she starred as Emmeline Pankhurst in much praised new funk and hip hop musical Sylvia at The Old Vic, for which she won a best supporting actress award at the inaugural Black British Theatre Awards.

The Drifters Girl, with abook by Ed Curtis, based on an idea by Tina Treadwell, and which is co-created by Beverley Knight, Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud will be directed by Jonathan Church, with set design by Anthony Ward, choreography by Karen Bruce, costume design by Fay Fullerton, orchestrations and musical supervision by Chris Egan lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and video design by Andrzej Goulding. Associate Director is Tyrone Huntley and Associate Choreographer is Myles Brown with casting by Stuart Burt and children’s casting by Jo Hawes.

The Drifters Girl is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.

THE DRIFTERS GIRL

LONDON SEASON INFORMATION|
Garrick Theatre
2 Charing Cross Road
Charing Cross
London
WC2H 0HH

Performance Dates

From Thursday 4 November 2021
Press Night: Thursday 25 November 2021
Booking through until Saturday 26 March 2022

Performance Times

Mon – Sat at 7.30pm; matinee Weds & Sat at 2:30pm

Tickets

www.nimaxtheatres.com
Box Office: 0330 333 4811

Beverley Knight is not scheduled to perform in The Drifters Girl from 17-22 January 2022

NEWCASTLE SEASON INFORMATION

Newcastle Theatre Royal
100 Grey Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6BR

Performance Dates

Saturday 9 – Saturday 23 October 2021

Performance Times

Tues – Sat at 7:30pm; matinees Thurs at 2:00pm & Sat at 2:30pm

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK @thedriftersgirl
TWITTER @thedriftersgirl
NSTAGRAM @thedriftersgirlmusical

For further information, please see www.thedriftersgirl.com

Domitius Production Collective presents:

Domitius

A brand new musical about infamous Roman Emperor Nero and his burning desire to be a performer, at any cost

Conway Hall, London, 6 – 8 August 2021

The world-wide debut of new musical Domitius comes to London for a strictly limited 6 performance run this August telling the story of Nero, and how his pursuit of the arts leads him to all the infamous decisions of his reign.

Thrust into power at the tender age of sixteen, young Roman Emperor Nero seeks life as a musician and performer, and passionately chases this dream, but a series of threats against his life may prove to be his final act. 1st century Roman history, politics and characters are brought to musical life through a contemporary score inspired by the 1970s and 1980s and a script laced with 21st century pop culture references and humour.

The Domitius Production Collective LLP is passionate about championing diversity in new original Musical Theatre both on and off-stage. The group hopes to push the West End towards positive change for their off-stage roles and encourage other young underrepresented writers and creators to take up the pen. Domitius has; a libretto by Henry Cao, music, lyrics and libretto by Lux Knightley (shortlisted for NCEM’s Young Composer Award 2021) and music and lyrics by Luke McCormick.

Composer and Librettist Lux Knightley said, “With the devasting affects the pandemic had on the theatre industry, we want to show independent creators that it is still possible to bring theatre back and also lead by example with diversity both on and off-stage. Diversity has improved in casts, but creative teams behind lots of West End shows still have a long way to go. We at Domitius are striving towards a future Musical Theatre industry where diversity not only exists in the public’s eye within a show, but also behind the scenes.”

Running Time: 2hrs (including interval) | Suitable for ages 12+

Company information

Librettist: Henry Gu Cao                                                          Composer & Librettist: Lux Knightley  

Composer & Conductor: Luke McCormick                                Directed by Lux Knightley & Luke McCormick

Choreographer & Production Assistant: Bethan Carys            Lighting design by Petr Vocka

Cast

Judy Blu, Stewart Briggs, Matt Colyer, Tom Driver, Mahalia Fontaine, Ben Gad-Briggs, Max Himmelreich, Hannah Kiss, David Malcolm, Reece Raymond and Nicolle Smartt

Listings information

6 – 8 August 2021

Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL

1pm and 7pm daily

£11 | www.domitiusmusical.com/tickets

Supported by Ecospot (www.ecospot.io), black female founded and owned cleantech company

BROADWAY STARS

LAURA OSNES AND JEREMY JORDAN

REUNITE FOR

BONNIE AND CLYDE

IN CONCERT

TUESDAY 18 JANUARY 2022

THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE

Broadway stars Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan reunite for a one-off performance of the cult hit musical BONNIE AND CLYDE IN CONCERT produced by Fourth Wall Live at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Tuesday 18 January 2022 at 7.30pm. Ticket presale opens on Wednesday 28 July at 10.00am, with general on sale Friday 30 July at 10.00am.

Presale sign up is available NOW www.bonnieandclydeconcert.com

A decade on from their Broadway run as the titular pair, Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan reprise their roles for the first time for a one-off concert performance of BONNIE AND CLYDE in the West End’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane. This marks the first time Laura and Jeremy have performed together in the capital, and Laura’s London debut.

Tony Award nominated performer, LAURA OSNES was most recently seen on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning musical “Bandstand” and on television in the Hallmark Channel’s original movie “One Royal Holiday”, following lead appearances in the network’s “A Homecoming for the Holidays” and “In The Key Of Love”. Her other Broadway credits include Cinderella in “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella”; Bonnie Parker in “Bonnie and Clyde”, Hope Harcourt in the Tony Award winning revival of “Anything Goes”, Nellie Forbush in Lincoln Center Theater’s “South Pacific”; and Sandy in “Grease”.

JEREMY JORDAN is best known for his Tony and Grammy-nominated portrayal of Jack Kelly in Newsies on Broadway, as well as his many roles on television including series regulars on CW’s “Supergirl”, NBC’s “Smash” and Disney Channel’s “Tangled.” Recently, he starred on Broadway opposite Kerry Washington in the provocative new play, “American Son”, and then reprised his role in the Netflix film adaptation. Additional Broadway credits include starring as Clyde in “Bonnie & Clyde”, Tony in “West Side Story”, and lead roles in “Waitress” and “Rock of Ages”. On television he has guest starred on “The Flash,” “Elementary” and “Law and Order: SVU”.

BONNIE AND CLYDE IN CONCERT has a book by Ivan Menchell (Blended [movie], The Cemetery Club, The Prince and The Pauper Musical), music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel), lyrics by Don Black (Tell Me On a Sunday, Sunset Boulevard, Mrs Henderson Presents) and is directed by Nick Winston (Rock of Ages, Fame, Chess in Concert, Royal Variety Performance) with musical direction by Katy Richardson (SIX, Rent, Jersey Boys). BONNIE AND CLYDE IN CONCERT is produced by Fourth Wall Live and co-produced by DLAP Group, Jason Haigh-Ellery and David Treatman Creative.

At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America’s most renowned folk heroes and the Texas law enforcement’s worst nightmares. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, Bonnie & Clyde is the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire country. The show features the songs “Raise A Little Hell”, “This World Will Remember Me” and “Made In America”.

When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame immediately set them on a mission to chase their dreams. Their bold and reckless behaviour turns the young lovers’ thrilling adventure into a downward spiral, putting themselves and their loved ones in trouble with the law. Forced to stay on the run, the lovers resort to robbery and murder to survive. As the infamous duo’s fame grows bigger, their inevitable end draws nearer.

Fourth Wall Live is an exciting new collaboration between boutique concert producer Club 11 London and theatrical producers DLAP Group. Having previously successfully produced Chita Rivera at Cadogan Hall together, the teams have now combined to bring audiences a plethora of international artists in concert at leading venues. Their most recent production, EUROBEAT – THE PRIDE OF EUROPE was loved by audiences and critics alike during its streamed season in May 2021.

hampsteadtheatre.com | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram 

#HTMEMORYOFWATER #HTMALINDADZIMU #BackOnStage 

HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES SHELAGH STEPHENSON’S OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING PLAY THE MEMORY OF WATER, DIRECTED BY ALICE HAMILTON, AND THE WORLD PREMIERE OF MUFARO MAKUBIKA’S MALINDADZIMU DIRECTED BY MONIQUE TOUKO 

• HAMPSTEAD THEATRE ANNOUNCES TWO NEW SHOWS FOR 2021 
   
• SHELAGH STEPHENSON’S OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING PLAY THE MEMORY OF WATER, WHICH ORIGINALLY PREMIERED AT THE THEATRE IN 1996,WILL RUN FROM 3 SEPTEMBER – 16 OCTOBER 2021 ON THE MAIN STAGE 
  
• ALICE HAMILTON WILL DIRECT THIS POIGNANT AND PAINFULLY FUNNY COMEDY HAVING DIRECTED THE 60^th ANNIVERSARY PRODUCTION OF THE DUMB WAITER, THE OLIVIER–NOMINATED EVERY DAY I MAKE GREATNESS HAPPEN AND PARADISE AT THE THEATRE 
  
• MALINDADZIMU, MUFARO MAKUBIKA’S DELICATE, WITTY AND EPIC NEW PLAY, WHICH EXPLORES A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER’S SEARCH FOR BELONGING, WILL PREMIERE AT HAMPSTEADDOWNSTAIRS, FROM 17 SEPTEMBER – 30 OCTOBER 2021 
• MALINDADZIMU WILL BE DIRECTED BY MONIQUE TOUKO WHO WILL BE MAKING HER PROFESSIONAL DEBUT  

• THE MEMORY OF WATER WILL REMAIN SOCIALLY DISTANCED WITH REDUCED CAPACITY FROM 3 – 25 SEPTEMBER.  THE THEATRE HOPES TO INCREASE CAPACITY FROM 27 SEPTEMBER BUT IS EXERCISING CAUTION SO THESE ADDITIONAL DATES WILL NOT GO ON SALE UNTIL CLOSER TO THE TIME  
  
• MALINDADZIMU WILL REMAIN SOCIALLY DISTANCED WITH REDUCED CAPACITY FOR THE DURATION OF ITS RUN 
• PUBLIC BOOKING OPENS FROM THURSDAY 29 JULY AT 10.30AM  

Hampstead Theatre is delighted to announce further live productions for 2021.  Shelagh Stephenson’s Olivier Award-winning play The Memory of Waterwill run from 3 September until 16 October 2021.  Alice Hamilton will direct this poignant and painfully funny comedy about conflicting memories, life and loss. The play originally premiered at the theatre in 1996.  Hamilton returns to Hampstead Theatre after her recent 60^th anniversary production of The Dumb Waiter and the Olivier-nominated Every Day I Make Greatness Happen and Paradise.   

The World Premiere of Malindadzimu by Mufaro Makubika will also run from 17 September until 30 October 2021 at Hampstead Downstairs.  This delicate, witty and epic new play, which explores a mother and daughter’s search for belonging and their struggle with a multicultural heritage, will be directed by Monique Touko who will be making her professional directing debut.   

Tickets will go on sale from Thursday 29 July at 10.30am at hampsteadtheatre.com. 

Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of Hampstead Theatre said:  

“I am delighted to be announcing The Memory of Waterby one of our pioneering female playwrights, Shelagh Stephenson.  This Olivier Award-winning funny, timeless and vibrant play offers three female actors great roles as sisters who come together and behave outrageously, sorting out their family home in the wake of their mother’s death.  

Downstairs, twenty-five years later, another Hampstead commission premieres.  Monique Toukomakes her professional debut as a director of Mufaro Makubika’s Malindadzimu, a beautiful investigation of dual identity told through the relationship between a mother and daughter.” 

Shelagh Stephenson, playwright of The Memory of Water said: 

“The Memory of Water has been on quite a journey since it premiered at Hampstead Theatre all those years ago.  I look back, and I see we were in a more hopeful place then.  So I’m happy it’s coming home in these dark, uncertain times.   I hope it brings laughter, and despite the subject matter, joy.  Alice Hamilton is  going to do a great job.  I can feel it in my bones.” 

Mufaro Makubika, playwright of Malindadzimu said:   

“I am so excited to be making my debut at Hampstead Theatre with Malindadzimu.  It is a play that questions belonging, and the concept of ‘home’ and I very much look forward to exploring these themes with Monique.” 

The Memory of Water makes a highly anticipated return to Hampstead Theatre twenty-five years after its World Premiere in 1996.  Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, Shelagh Stephenson’s poignant and painfully funny comedy is about conflicting memories, life and loss.  Following West End and New York transfers, Stephenson also adapted The Memory of Water into a film, Before You Go (2002), directed by Lewis Gilbert and starring Julie Walters, John Hannah, Joanne Whalley and Victoria Hamilton. 

Stephenson’s other plays include An Experiment with an Air Pump (Royal Exchange/Hampstead Theatre), Ancient Lights (Hampstead Theatre), Five Kinds of Silence (Lyric Hammersmith) and Mappa Mundi (National Theatre).  

Alice Hamilton returns to Hampstead following her 60^th anniversary production of Harold Pinter’s The Dumb Waiter (2020) and the Olivier-nominated Every Day I Make Greatness Happen and Paradise (both Hampstead Downstairs).  Other directing credits include Blood Wedding (Salisbury Playhouse) and While We’re Here (Bush Theatre).  She will be joined by designer, Anna Reid; lighting designer Johanna Town; composer and sound designer, Harry Blake with casting by Briony Barnett CDG.  The production has been supported with a philanthropic gift from Lin and Ken Craig, long-standing supporters of Hampstead Theatre. 

Malindadzimu by Mufaro Makubika is a delicate, witty and epic new play, set in Nottingham and Zimbabwe, which explores a mother and daughter’s search for belonging, their struggle with a multicultural heritage, and a haunting history that they cannot ignore. 

Malindadzimu, (“Hill of the Ancestral Spirits”) is situated in the Matobo National Park in south-west Zimbabwe.  It is considered to be a sacred place by locals.  Controversially, Cecil John Rhodes is buried on the summit of Malindadzimu. 

Malindadzimu isMakubika’s second play following his critically acclaimed Shebeen (Nottingham Playhouse/Theatre Royal Stratford East), which won the 2017 Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play.  Malindadzimu will be Makubika’s debut at Hampstead Theatre.

Monique Touko will bemaking her professional directing debut at Hampstead Theatre with Malindadzimu.  She will be joined by designer, Zoë Hurwitz; lighting designer, Matt Haskins and sound designer, Max Pappenheim. 

The Memory of Water will remain with reduced capacity and socially distancing from 3 September until 25 September.  The theatre hopes to increase capacity from 27 September but out of concern for audiences, staff and performing companies, it is exercising caution and will not be putting these dates on sale until closer to the time.   

Malindadzimu will remain with reduced capacity and social distancing for the duration of its run.   

In the event of either of the productions being postponed due to UK Government advice, full refunds or credit vouchers will be offered. 

Hampstead Theatre is currently staging Tennessee Williams’ The Two Character Playwhich will run until 28 August.  Sam Yates is directing this innovative, psychological thriller by one of the world’s great dramatists which originally premiered at the theatre in 1967.  Yates is making a highly anticipated return to the theatre following his Olivier-nominated production of The Phlebotomist (2019).  The World Premiere of Big Big Sky,by Tom Wells will run from 30 July until 11 September at Hampstead Downstairs.  This beautifully tender new play, which explores nature’s influence on love, friendship and family, will be directed by Tessa Walker, Hampstead Theatre’s new Associate Director.  Both productions are remaining as originally sold, with reduced capacity and social distancing for the duration of their runs. 

FOOTLOOSE THE MUSICAL

RESCHEDULED TOUR CAST ANNOUNCED

Following two critically acclaimed tours and huge popular demand, Footloose The Musical is back and better than ever! The musical which was postponed in 2020 is set to burst back onto stage in 2022 opening in the UK at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on 14 Feb following 3 weeks in Zurich before an extensive UK tour.

Selladoor Productions confirms today that the previously announced Darren Day will remain in the role of Reverend Moore and will be joined on stage by newly cast Dancing on Ice Winner and Theatre star Jake Quickenden.

Jake first hit our screens in The X Factor in 2012 and again in 2014 where he went through to the live shows followed by appearances on Chart Show TV, ITV’s Kellys Heroes, as a regular panelist on Big Brothers Bit On The Side and as a contestant on I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.  Following his win of the 2018 season of Dancing on Ice Jake has most recently been seen in hit TV show Hollyoaks. Jake is no stranger to the stage having performed in the title role of Peter Pan at Blackpool Opera House; also touring with the Dreamboys and appearing in Pantomime. He most recently starred in the acclaimed 50^th  anniversary production of Hair the Musical.

Jake says;

“I can’t wait to get out on Tour with Footloose, after such a strange and difficult time we will finally be able to join our friends and family in the theatre for a truly feel -good night out.  This show is packed full of amazing 80’s hits I can’t think of a better tonic for 2022”

Jake will join Musical Theatre favourite Darren Day in the production.  Following his first starring theatre role in Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Darren has enjoyed an extensive career in the West End including Summer Holiday, Copacabana and Grease.   Tours include Alfie, Carousel, Great Expectations, Godspell, The Rocky Horror Show, We Will Rock You and many more – most recently Mame, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Rita Sue and Bob Too and new musical Bumblescratch at the Adelphi Theatre,  Darren can be seen later this year in the role of Billy Flynn in smash-hit musical Chicago. His TV career has included roles in  Sky’s Stella, Hollyoaks and Holby City, as well as many presenting appearances. Darren was a finalist in the 2016 series of Celebrity Big Brother. Recent feature films include White Island, Name of the Game, Rudy and Demon Eye as well as The Krays – Dead Man Walking. Darren is also an established recording artist and has made guest appearances as a singer on a wide range of television shows.

Having been previously cast in the 2020 tour which was postponed due to Covid 19 Darren tells us;

“I am so delighted to be able to stay with the tour of Footloose for the 2022 tour. I was a teenager in the 80’s, which is such an impressionable age for movies and music. This is one of the most iconic films and soundtracks from my teenage years.  I can remember hearing Footloose on the radio for the first time and thinking… what a tune! I’m really looking forward to seeing you there”

City boy Ren thinks life is bad enough when he’s forced to move to a rural backwater in America. But his world comes to a standstill when he arrives at Bomont to find dancing and rock music are banned. Taking matters into his own hands, soon Ren has all hell breaking loose and the whole town on its feet.

Based on the 1980s screen sensation which took the world by storm, Footloose The Musical sizzles with spirit, fun and the best in UK musical talent. With cutting edge modern choreography, you’ll enjoy classic 80s hits including Holding Out for a Hero, Almost Paradise, Let’s Hear It For The Boy and of course the unforgettable title track Footloose.

Footloose The Musical will be presented by Selladoor Productions and Runaway Entertainment with casting by Debbie O’Brien, and will be directed by Racky Plews, with choreography from Matt Cole, musical supervision by Mark Crossland and design by Sara Perks with lighting design from Chris Davey and sound design from Chris Whybrow. Further casting will be announced soon.

Everybody cut loose for a night of dazzling excitement music and dancing! Tickets are on sale now – for full listings visit www.footloose-musical.com  follow on social media @FootlooseTour  #EverybodyCutLoose.

LISTINGS

Performance times and matinee days may vary – ticket prices may vary – please check website for details

14- 19 FEB – Plymouth Theatre Royal  – www.theatreroyal.com  01752 267222

21– 26 FEB – Brighton Theatre Royal – www.atgtickets.com/brighton   0333 009 6690

28 FEB – 05 MAR – Manchester Opera House – www.atgtickets.com/manchester  0333 009 6690

14– 19 MAR – Peterborough New Theatre  – www.newtheatre-peterborough.com 01733 852992

21 – 26 MAR – Stoke Regent Theatre – www.atgtickets.com/stoke 0333 009 6690

28 MAR – 02 APR – York Theatre Royal – www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk 01904 623568 – ON SALE SOON

04 – 09 APR – Cheltenham Everyman Theatre – www.everymantheatre.org.uk  01242 572573

11 – 16 APR – Blackpool Opera House – www.wintergardensblackpool.co.uk  0844 856 1111

18 – 23 APR – Birmingham Alexandra  – www.atgtickets.com/birmingham – 0333 009 6690

25 – 30 APR – Doncaster Cast  – www.castindoncaster.com 01302 303959

02 – 07 MAY – Southampton Mayflower  – www.mayflower.org.uk 02380 711811

09 – 14 MAY – Aylesbury Waterside Theatre – www.atgtickets.com/aylesbury 0333 009 6690

16 – 21 MAY – Malvern Festival Theatre – www.malvern-theatres.co.uk 01684 892277

23 – 28 MAY – Llandudno Venue Cymru  – www.venuecmryu.co.uk 01492 872000

30 MAY – 04 JUN – Cardiff New Theatre – www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk – 07925 659065

06 – 11 JUN – Sunderland Empire – www.atgtickets.com/sunderland – 0333 009 6690

13 – 18 JUN – Woking New Victoria – www.atgtickets.com/woking – 0333 009 6690

20 – 25 JUN Bradford Alhambra – www.bradford-theatres.co.uk  01274 432000

28 JUN – 02 JUL – Oxford New Theatre – www.atgtickets.com/woking 0333 009 6690

04 – 09 JUL  – Wolverhampton Grand – www.grandtheatre.co.uk 01902 429212

11 – 16 JUL  – Queen’s Theatre Barnstaple – www.queenstheratre-barnstaple.com 01271 316523

18 – 23 JUL – Edinburgh Playhouse – www.atgtickets/edinburgh 0333 009 6690

25  – 30 JUL – His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen – www.aberdeenperformingarts.com *

01 – 06 AUG – Glasgow Kings www.atgtickets.com/glasgow 0333 009 6690 *

15 – 20 AUG – Wimbledon New Theatre – www.atgtickets/wimbledon 0333 009 6690 *

* Please note Jake Quickenden will not be performing at these venues – star casting to be announced

Francesca Moody Productions, Soho Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth in association with Popcorn Group present

MUM
By Morgan Lloyd Malcolm

• CASTING IS ANNOUNCED FOR ‘MUM’, A NEW PLAY FROM THE OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING WRITER OF ‘EMILIA’ MORGAN LLOYD MALCOLM AND THE ACCLAIMED PRODUCER OF ‘FLEABAG’ AND ‘BABY REINDEER’ FRANCESCA MOODY.
   
• ‘MUM’ RUNS AT THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH FROM 30 SEPTEMBER – 16 OCTOBER BEFORE TRANSFERRING TO SOHO THEATRE FROM 20 OCTOBER – 20 NOVEMBER.

                                                       

Francesca Moody Productions, Soho Theatre and Theatre Royal Plymouth in association with Popcorn Group are delighted to announce Sophie Melville, Denise Black and Cat Simmons will appear in the world premiere of MUM.  This provocative and unflinching portrayal of early motherhood and mental health, written by Olivier award-winning playwright Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (Emilia, The Globe/ West End) and directed by Abigail Graham (soon to also direct Aladdin at Lyric Hammersmith) will run at Theatre Royal Plymouth from 30 September – 16 October before transferring to Soho Theatre from 20 October – 20 November where it will have a press night on Tuesday 26 October.

Sophie Melville, whose credits include Iphigenia in Splott (for which she won The Stage Award for Acting Excellence, the Wales Theatre Award for Best Female Performance and was nominated for an Evening Standard Award and a Drama Desk Award), Herding Cats (Soho Theatre), Pops (Roxy Theatre – for which she won The Stage Award for Outstanding Performance), the forthcoming Masks and Faces (Finborough Theatre) and on television Call the Midwife, The Pact and The Missing (all BBC) will play Nina.  Denise Black, widely known for her leading TV roles in shows such as Coronation Street, Emmerdale (ITV) and Queer as Folk (Channel 4) as well as many acclaimed theatre performances including The Cherry Orchard (Sherman Theatre – for which she won the UK Theatre Award for best performance in a play) and Deep Blue Sea (Chichester Festival Theatre) will play Pearl. The cast is completed by Cat Simmons, who most recently appeared on stage in Come From Away (West End), The Lady in the Van (Theatre Royal Bath) and One Love (Birmingham Rep) and whose TV credits include her long running role in The Bill (ITV), Killing Eve (BBC) and Vera (ITV) will play Jackie.

This unmissable world premiere is a collaboration between Francesca Moody Productions (original producer of Fleabag, the Olivier award-winning Baby Reindeer, Shedinburgh Fringe Festival which is soon to return for a second year and the forthcoming Leopards opening this September at the Rose Theatre) and writer Morgan Lloyd Malcolm (whose hit show Emilia won three Olivier Awards in 2020 and whose new punk musical play Typical Girls premieres at Sheffield Crucible this September).

Motherhood. No one can prepare you for it. No matter how much you tell yourself you can do it – can you?  Where’s the rush of love? When will you sleep again?  What if the thing you fear most is also the thing you crave?  All you wanted was one night of unbroken sleep, what have you done? 

Nina is a new mum and tonight is her first night off. Tonight is about pizza and wine and letting go. But Nina didn’t feel prepared for motherhood and isn’t sure she fits the job description. Nina feels like she’s losing her grip.

This thought-provoking, funny and honest new play shines a light on early motherhood, anxiety and mental health. MUM examines the pressures and complex emotions many women experience when they have a baby. At a time when mothers have been disproportionally affected by the pandemic, never has it been more pertinent to explore these issues.

MUM is written by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, directed by Abigail Graham, the associate director is TD Moyo, set and costume is designed by Sarah Beaton, lighting by Sally Ferguson, sound by Anna Clock and movement by Annie-Lunette Deakin-Foster.

Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and
Glass Half Full Productions present
THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE

A BRAND-NEW PRODUCTION OF JIM CARTWRIGHT’S THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE WILL EMBARK ON A UK TOUR NEXT SPRING OPENING IN SOUTHAMPTON ON 23 MARCH 2022.

SHOBNA GULATI WILL STAR AS MARI HOFF, IAN KELSEY AS RAY SAY AND TWO-TIME DRAMA DESK AWARD NOMINEE AND YOUTUBE SENSATION, CHRISTINA BIANCO AS LITTLE VOICE.

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.

Producers Katy Lipson and Glass Half Full Productions are thrilled to announce the UK tour of a brand-new production of Jim Cartwright’s The Rise And Fall of Little Voice directed by Bronagh Lagan (Cruise, West End).  Two-time Drama Desk nominee Christina Bianco, whose extraordinary diva videos have been viewed over 25million times on YouTube to great international acclaim, will play LV.  Shobna Gulati, whose work includes Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (West End/film), Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith), Coronation Street and Dinner Ladies will play Mari Hoff.  While Ian Kelsey, much loved for his many leading roles in the West End and on TV including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Doctors and Casualty will play Ray Say. 

The Rise and Fall of Little Voice will open in Southampton on 23 March 2022 and tour to The Capitol Horsham, Exeter Northcott, Malvern Theatres, Theatre Royal Brighton, Liverpool Playhouse,  Theatre Royal Wakefield, Crewe Lyceum Theatre, The Lowry Salford, Blackpool Grand, Mercury Theatre Colchester, Richmond Theatre and York Theatre Royal. For full dates and listings information please see ‘Notes to Editors’.

Further tour dates and full casting and creative team will be announced in due course.

From Judy Garland to Shirley Bassey, Marilyn Monroe to Billie Holliday, Christina Bianco will vividly bring to life performances from the great chanteuses in Cartwright’s tender and life-affirming play.  The Rise and Fall of Little Voice won both the Oliver 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, 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.

Meet Little Voice and Mari Hoff. A mother and daughter central to the heart of this Northern fairytale, 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 powerhouse ballads all performed live on stage, Cartwright’s timeless and iconic tale explores the highs and the lows of small-town dreams, family rivalry and finding your voice in a noisy world.

Christina Bianco made her West End debut in the Menier Chocolate Factory’s Forbidden Broadway (Vaudeville Theatre).  In New York she was nominated for Drama Desk awards for Application Pending and Forbidden Broadway; Goes To Rehab. Most recently she won great acclaim as Fanny Brice in the Théâtre Marigny Paris production of Funny Girl.  Described as ‘the girl of a thousand voices,’ she became a YouTube sensation when her impression videos were viewed by millions internationally and has performed on many major television programs such as The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Today Show.

Shobna Gulati became a household name for her roles as Sunita in Coronation Street and Anita in Dinnerladies.  She has performed extensively on stage and screen, most recently as Ray in the West End production and upcoming film of Everyone’s Talking About Jamie, Cinderella (Lyric Hammersmith) and as a presenter on Loose Women.  Her memoir Remember Me was published last year.

Ian Kelsey is well known for his many long-running TV roles as Dave Glover in Emmerdale, Dr Patrick Spiller in Casualty, Detective Inspector Richard Maynard in Blue Murder, Howard Bellamy in Doctors and Vinnie Ashford in Coronation Street.  On stage his leading roles include Legally Blonde (Curve, Leicester), Grease (West End/ Tour), The Shawshank Redemption (UK Tour), Chicago (West End) and Kes (West Yorkshire Playhouse).

Jim Cartwright is an international, award-winning dramatist, director and screenwriter and one of Britain’s most celebrated modern playwrights. His plays are consistently in production and have been translated into over 40 languages and have been performed in most major theatres of the world, including the West End, Royal Court, National Theatre and on Broadway. His theatre works include amongst many others, Road, Bed, Two, The Rise and Fall of Little Voice and more recently Raz, (Edinburgh Festival, Trafalgar Studios, London and nationwide tour). Among his extensive award-winning television and film works are; Road, Johnny Shakespeare, Vroom, Wedded, and most recently King of the Teds starring Alison Steadman, Brenda Blethyn and Sir Tom Jones.

The National Theatre’s original film Romeo & Juliet, with Josh O’Connor and Jessie Buckley, to be screened in cinemas for one night only on 28 September 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

‘National Theatre’s first film is an ingenious triumph’ (The Guardian) 

★ ★ ★ ★ ★    

‘The paciest, raciest Romeo and Juliet in decades’ (Daily Telegraph)  

★ ★ ★ ★    

‘The National Theatre has created a thing of beauty’ (Evening Standard)

The National Theatre today announces that its critically acclaimed original film Romeo & Juliet will be screened in cinemas for one night only on Tuesday 28 September. The film stars Josh O’Connor (The Crown, God’s Own Country) as Romeo and Jessie Buckley (Chernobyl, Judy) as Juliet, and will be available to screen across the UK and Ireland. 

Directed by Simon Godwin (Twelfth Night, Antony and Cleopatra), this new 90-minute version was filmed in 17 days in the NT’s Lyttelton theatre in December while it was closed due the pandemic. It was adapted for screen by Emily Burns. The film premiered on television earlier this year on Sky Arts in the UK on 4 April and PBS in the US on 23 April. This is the first time the film will be available on the big screen.  

Simon Godwin said: “When we came to make Romeo & Juliet as a film, we had always wanted it to succeed as well on screen as it ever would on stage. So it is the ultimate thrill for all the creatives involved that it is now having its chance to be seen on the big screen. Shakespeare, as Derek Jarman once said, would’ve loved cinema. I’m excited to imagine Shakespeare eating his popcorn watching his wonderful play lit up and brought to life on the big screen in such a dazzling way.” 

Romeo and Juliet risk everything to be together. In defiance of their feuding families, they chase a future of joy and passion as violence erupts around them. 

This bold new film brings to life the remarkable backstage spaces of the National Theatre in which desire, dreams and destiny collide to make Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy sing in an entirely new way. 

The cast also includes Ella Dacres as Peta, Fisayo Akinade as Mercutio, Deborah Findlay as the Nurse, Tamsin Greig as Lady Capulet, Ellis Howard as Sampson, Lloyd Hutchinson as Lord Capulet, David Judge as Tybalt, Adrian Lester as the Prince, Alex Mugnaioni as Paris, Lucian Msamati as the Friar, Shubham Saraf as Benvolio and Colin Tierney as Lord Montague. 

The Director of Photography is Tim Sidell (I Hate Suzie), with production and costume design by Soutra Gilmour, movement direction by Jonathan Goddard and Shelley Maxwell, fight direction by Kate Waters and original score by Michael Bruce.  

The Romeo & Juliet soundtrack will also be released digitally worldwide on Friday 6 August. 

Produced by David Sabel, who created the National Theatre Live programme at the NT, at Sabel Productions. Executive Producers are Rufus Norris, Director and Joint Chief Executive of the National Theatre; Dixie Linder, Cuba Pictures (London Road, McMafia); David Horn, Great Performances; Christine Schwarzman & Darren Johnston, No Guarantees; and Philip Edgar Jones, Sky Arts.  

Romeo & Juliet is a 1 x 90’ film, presented by Sky Arts, PBS and No Guarantees, produced by the National Theatre, in association with Sabel Productions and Cuba Pictures.  

Filming of Romeo & Juliet in the Lyttelton theatre was made possible thanks to the generosity of Graham and Joanna Barker, and Leila Maw Straus. With additional support from Monica Gerard-Sharp and Ali Wambold, and Shawn M. Donnelley and Christopher M. Kelly. 

Romeo & Juliet will be screened in select cinemas on Tuesday 28 September. For more information and to find your nearest venue, please visit ntlive.com  

Cambridge Arts Theatre, Cambridge – until 24 July 2021.

Reviewed by Steph Lott

3***

What would 2 spies who hadn’t seen each other for over 30 years talk about, especially when they had found themselves on opposite sides of the Cold War? This was what I was wondering before the start of A Splinter of Ice.

Ben Brown’s play, set in the living room of Philby’s 1980’s Soviet flat in Moscow, explores what might have happened on the evening of February 15, 1987, when Greene (Oliver Ford Davies) visited Philby (Stephen Boxer), with Philby’s wife, Rufa (Karen Ascoe), in attendance.

Before watching the play, I was unfamiliar with Greene’s past as an MI6 agent and I wasn’t aware that that Greene even knew Philby. The play focuses on the relationship between Greene and former spy Kim Philby, one of the infamous Cambridge Five, who fed military intelligence to the Russians whilst working for MI6. I also didn’t know that Greene worked under Philby during the Second World War and was one of the only ones who defended him after Philby was exposed as a double agent in 1963.

The play is a conversation between Greene and Philby. After such a long time apart and with so much that has happened, initially their conversation is mostly amusing, with snippets of trivia, such as whether Greene based Harry Lime, the villain of The Third Man, (played by Orson Welles)—on his former MI6 boss, and vague warnings about what questions Greene cannot ask Philby.

At the beginning I wondered if this would really have been what Greene would have talked about with his former friend and boss after so many years. There was a lack of drama. It seemed like we were never going to explore the darker, more complicated motives that Philby must have had to betray his country and I began to ask myself what the play was even about, really.

However, as I watched I reflected on the title of the play and its origins. Greene said that if novelists have a splinter of ice in their hearts, then spies have a whole icicle. They are an enigma, expert at dissimulation. So, when Greene went to visit Philby, with a possible offer from the British government to return home to Britain, having apparently been forgiven, how would Greene have started the discussion?

By the end of the play whatever doubts I might have had about the dramatic impact were swept away by the performances of Oliver Ford Davies as Graham Greene, Stephen Boxer as Kim Philby and Karen Ascoe as Philby’s fourth and last wife, Rufa, a Russian. They take us gently through the spy’s fascinating life, and the conversation between Greene and Philby, in natural, amusing and understated performances.

The impression I was left with was one of sadness. Philby died a year after the meeting with Greene. The USSR was broken up about 2 years after that. It is thought that in defecting Philby led a diminished life. He still believed in the Communist system but thought it was poorly led. He was not able to bring his family with him and it was some years before the Russians gave him anything to do. However Philby categorically believes that what he did was worth whatever penalty he paid.

Watching A Splinter of Ice was like looking through a window into a past world. I would recommend you go and take a look. The play takes some time to get to the point, but when it does it’s worth it.

World’s oldest surviving grand music hall, Wilton’s Music Hall announces stunning 2021 autumn season with a brand-new Christmas show

The world’s oldest surviving grand music hall Wilton’s Music Hall today announces its spectacular autumn season, welcoming the very best in theatre and music through its iconic doors in a true celebration of the arts.

Nowhere does festive magic better than Wilton’s and this year is no different as a brand-new Christmas show The Child In The Snow (26^th November – 31^st December) is brought to this historic stage for the very first time. A thrilling, eerie and ultimately uplifting adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s famous seasonal ghost story The Old Nurse’s Tale;  the same team who brought audiences the critically-acclaimed The Box of Delights are taking on a spine-chilling festive drama guaranteed to have you looking over your shoulder in the auditorium…. This is a ghost story – not suitable to those of a nervous disposition!

Unearthing little-known folk tales through 1927’s signature fusion of handcrafted animation and storytelling, Wilton’s is the perfect setting for the stylish, subversive and utterly unique Roots (5^th – 30^th October). From tales of tyrannical ogres to magic bird’s hearts to very, very fat cats, the show playfully considers the narratives of the past and how they might shape the stories of our future, with a live score involving Peruvian prayer boxes, donkey’s jaws, violins, and musical saws. A co-production by 1927, Edinburgh International Festival, HOME Manchester, Spoleto Festival USA, and Théâtre de la Ville Paris, it is a fascinating and visually stunning anthology of graphically glorious, twisted tales.

Audiences can stay in the grimy yet beautiful underworld with performances from cult band The Tiger Lillies and their show Love for Sale (14^th – 25^th September) as they reimagine the music of Cole Porter, uncovering the dark, despair and delirium that lies beneath the surface of Porter’s more romantic and mysterious works. Their eclectic fusion of pre-war Berlin cabaret, anarchic opera and gypsy music never ceases to shock, surprise, and entertain.

Internationally acclaimed singer Camille O’Sullivan has chosen Wilton’s for some of her first live performances since before lockdown began – the stunning Camille O’Sullivan Live at Wilton’s (16^th – 20^th November) will showcase her beautiful talents in a new show with a stripped back evening with accompanied on piano by the brilliant musician Feargal Murray. A rare opportunity to see the star in an intimate setting as she performs songs and stories of loss, love, joy, light, and darkness, choosing music from her favourite writers along with some new originals.

Following an acclaimed run at the Arcola Theatre’s Grimebourne, director Emma Jude Harris brings the extraordinary Cabildo (7^th – 11^th September) to Wilton’s. The opera, set in high summer in New Orelans, follows a battlefield tour group who have waded through swamps and hurricane damage to see where notorious pirate Pierre Lafitte was imprisoned in 1814. Captivated, one tourist imagines the story of Lafitte’s escape. Could it be that love was his key to freedom? Or is that just wishful thinking from Mary, whose honeymoon is turning out to be less romantic than she’d hoped…? Incorporating folk and Creole influencers, this adaptation is thrillingly re-conceived for the present to uncover the dark underside of the American Dream. Cabildo is one of the first operas by an American woman and the only opera by American composer Amy Beach.

It’s anarchic and surreal satire at its finest with Horse Country(28^th September – 2^nd October), presented by Flying Bridge Theatre and Rive Productions and directed by Mark Bell (The Play That Goes Wrong, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery). The show follows Sam and Bob, two clowns hunting the elusive nine of diamonds, talking capitalism to sea-lions and everything in between.

Be prepared for belly laughs with FRIEND (The One with Gunther) (8^th – 13^th November) as acclaimed comic actor Brendan Murphy reimagines the TV classic through the eyes of everybody’s favourite blonde barista . Following its hit Edinburgh Fringe debut, this is the London premiere of a hilarious, whistle-stop tour of all 236 episodes of the cult sitcom – in just one hour!

Holly Kendrick, director of Wilton’s Music Hall says “The arts have been through an incredibly tough time, and we feel very lucky not only to have our doors open again but to be programming such a brilliant line-up of work this autumn – we wanted our season to be a celebration of the diverse and stellar array of talent the UK has to offer, and we think it does just that. Wilton’s has always been a very special place to see a live performance, but our brand-new customised seats and enhanced acoustics in the auditorium mean that now the experience is better than ever before.”