Imelda Staunton Archives - North West End UK

4Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Old Friends celebrate Stephen Sondheim

Cameron Mackintosh has invited many of Stephen Sondheim’s old friends to join him in celebrating his extraordinary talents and legacy at the theatre which was recently gloriously rebuilt in Sondheim’s honor. The all-star cast for OLD FRIENDS so far includes Michael Ball, Petula Clark, Judi Dench, Daniel Evans, Bonnie Langford, Adrian Lester, Damian Lewis, Julia Mckenzie, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Paige, Clive Rowe, Imelda Staunton and Hannah Waddingham. They will be joined by a featured company of West End stars, currently being finalised. The evening, which takes place for one night only on 3rd May 2022 at 8pm, will be staged by Matthew Bourne and Maria Friedman with choreography by Stephen Mear and a 26-piece orchestra conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo. Patrons can sign up for...

Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake perform Talking Heads in Leeds and Sheffield

23Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake perform Talking Heads in Leeds and Sheffield

In a massive coup for Leeds Playhouse and Sheffield Theatres two of the nation’s best actors Imelda Staunton and Maxine Peake will be performing two of Alan Bennett’s Talking Heads monologues in his native Yorkshire. The transfers of Staunton in A Lady of Letters and Peake in Miss Fozzard Finds Her Feet from the Bridge Theatre are a show of solidarity with the two Yorkshire venues by the performers and the creative teams of these two pieces. For these performances, as at the Bridge, Alan Bennett has generously waived his royalty. During April and May while the Bridge Theatre was closed the London Theatre Company worked with the BBC to produce two of the iconic monologues, which were then broadcast on BBC One in June. Leeds Playhouse has already announced Connecting Voices, a coll...

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: A Lady of Letters – BBC iPlayer

25Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Talking Heads by Alan Bennett: A Lady of Letters – BBC iPlayer

In 1988 the BBC released the first six short Talking Heads monologue plays written by Alan Bennett. After their first outing on BBC1 they were adapted for radio and in 1991 were broadcast on BBC Radio 4. The second series was released for BBC2 in 1998 so thirty-two years on we will see if they stand the test of time. Originally performed by Patricia Routledge, Imelda Staunton has taken up the mantle in this re-make. Produced by Nicholas Hytner and Kevin Loader, the first scene is set in Irene Ruddock’s front room with the quintessentially British net curtains, which you can imagine are regularly twitching. Irene Ruddock or Miss Ruddock (no-one has called me Irene since my mother died), as she prefers to be called; is your typical nosy parker, poking her nose into the lives of others. W...

Hello, Dolly! – New production of the iconic musical is postponed

29May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hello, Dolly! – New production of the iconic musical is postponed

Michael Harrison and David Ian have announced that their new production of Hello, Dolly! is postponed. Hello, Dolly! was due to begin performances at the Adelphi Theatre in London on Tuesday 11th August 2020 for a 30-week season. New season details and all further information will be announced at a later date. Ticket holders do not need to do anything. The point of purchase will be in touch with ticket holders soon about refunds. Michael Harrison and David Ian said: “Whilst we are naturally disappointed that we aren’t able to stage the show this summer, we are completely committed to Hello, Dolly! Dominic Cooke’s new production is set to have a cast of 34 and an orchestra of 18 musicians. This, coupled with Rae Smith’s stunning new designs, means we do not want to compromise the...