Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

12 – The Rainbow Monologues – Bombed Out Church

21Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

12 – The Rainbow Monologues – Bombed Out Church

Grin Theatre Company presented this unique and varied showcase of new LGBTQ writing at the closing night of the very successful little Liverpool Theatre Festival produced by Bill Elms. This was a beautiful evening of twelve new monologues that covered many areas of what it means to be LGBTQ and the superb cast (Holly Murphy, Alan Harbottle, Taylor Illingworth, Pam Ashton and Terence Conchie) invested lots of imagination, sensitivity and energy throughout. The show which was directed with great flair and detail by Dan Scott provided the audience with 12 characters in 70 minutes and there wasn’t a dull moment. I would love to see this come back to the stage because more people should definitely see this lovely piece of live theatre. I was particularly moved by the monologue St P...

Cabaret announces transformation of West End theatre

15Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Cabaret announces transformation of West End theatre

The KIT KAT CLUB in London’s West End will open its doors on 15th November 2021 with the musical CABARET starring Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony and Olivier award winner Eddie Redmayne as ‘The Emcee’ and Bafta Nominee and British Independent Film award winner Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’. • The Kit Kat Club takes over the Playhouse Theatre, transforming one of London’s most famous theatres with in-the-round auditorium and reimagined spaces. • Tickets go on priority sale at 8.00am on 19th July 2021 for both ATG TheatreCard Members and Underbelly Full Fat Members and at 12.00 noon for those who have signed up for priority booking. • There is still time to register for priority access from 12.00 noon online via www.kitkat.club • General on sale for the firs...

The original play NOIR is coming to Stream.Theatre from July 23rd

6Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

The original play NOIR is coming to Stream.Theatre from July 23rd

After a critically acclaimed try out production in Manchester in 2017, the original play Noir was set to return in 2020, but then the world stopped due to the pandemic. Out of wanting to keep theatre alive, actors acting and audiences enjoying, the writer/director and producers at Vertigo Theatre Productions, armed with only camera phones, gathered the cast safely in a giant warehouse to put up the production without an audience and film the show on those phones, and not just that, but film it in the style of a black and white movie. Noir is set in past New York and tells the story of Veronica Smart, a beautiful but manipulative woman who is married to a man unworthy of her love as she lives a life she never really wanted. After starting a new job at the local high school, Veronica mana...

53two launch charity auction to continue their journey in supporting underserved artists & developing their accessible venue

5Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

53two launch charity auction to continue their journey in supporting underserved artists & developing their accessible venue

In May, 53two opened the doors to its bar/café arts venue – a hub for creatives across Greater Manchester to meet, work and play together. At the end of June, their pop-up ‘Studio’ space was opened for theatrical and event bookings. The 60-seat studio space, designed to be a stop-gap, will house short-plays, new writing nights, intimate gigs and events until they can open their 150 seater venue early next year. Whilst they are open and functioning, they still have some way to go to make the venue as brilliant and accessible as they possibly can. For this, they’re looking to you! Manchester giants have donated auction items for you to view and bid on over the next couple of weeks. From Damon Albarn tickets at Manchester Central & Parklife Weekend VIP Passes, to Afternoon Tea i...

Full company of hit musical Come From Away announced ahead of 22nd July reopening

1Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Full company of hit musical Come From Away announced ahead of 22nd July reopening

As the multi award-winning Come From Away prepares to welcome audiences back to the Phoenix Theatre in London from 22nd July, the international hit musical announces two new members of the London cast and confirms the full Come From Away UK family, on and off stage. Gemma Knight Jones (Falsettos, Sister Act UK Tour, Hairspray UK Tour, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) will play Hannah and others, and Sam Oladeinde (Hamilton, The Book of Mormon, A Christmas Carol, The Prince of Egypt) will play Bob and others. They join the current London cast Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Mark Dugdale (Kevin T/Garth and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others), Kate Graham (Diane and others), Alasdair Ha...

West End transfer for Ralph Fiennes’s FOUR QUARTETS by T.S. Eliot

1Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

West End transfer for Ralph Fiennes’s FOUR QUARTETS by T.S. Eliot

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Royal & Derngate, Northampton are delighted to announce that Ralph Fiennes’s world premiere stage adaptation of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets will transfer to London’s Harold Pinter Theatre for 36 performances only from 18th November to 18th December 2021. This critically acclaimed production re-opened Theatre Royal Bath in May 2021, and launched Royal & Derngate’s Made in Northampton season as well as helping reopen theatres across the country by touring to Oxford Playhouse from 14th – 26th June Cambridge Arts Theatre 28th June – 10th July, Southampton MAST 12th – 17th July, Malvern Theatre 19th – 24th July and York Theatre Royal 26th – 31st July 2021 Nobel Prize winner T.S. Eliot is one of the giants of modern literature. Compelling, moving a...

1Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Ellen & Rigby Starts Tomorrow!

Liverpool’s Royal Court is back with a bang with a brand new show from Gerry Linford (Yellow Breck Road, The Menlove Avenue Murder Mystery). Ellen & Rigby is a great new comedy about two lonely people brought together in an unlikely way. Starring Royal Court favourites Lindzi Germain and Andrew Schofield and directed by Stephen Fletcher, the show begins when the odd couple meet at a vaccination centre. Lucky in life, unlucky in love, Ellen has been looking for a man. Now, thanks to the organisational power of the NHS, Joe Rigby has been dropped in her lap! A rock star who nearly made it in 1985, Joe has been living alone for so long that he didn’t realise that he was unhappy so it’s a good job Ellen arrived to let him know. He needs taking in hand (not like that, you dirty tic...

Full Casting Announced for Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

1Jul

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NEWS

Full Casting Announced for Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

The hit production of TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL will re-open at the Aldwych Theatre on 28th July 2021 following over a year of shutdown across the West End. Joining Aisha Jawando and Jammy Kasongo as Tina and Ike are Chanel Haynes who plays the role of Tina at some performances each week, Joe Evans as Record Producer Phil Spector and Lyricist Terry Britten, Irene Myrtle Forrester as Tina’s Grandmother GG, Francesca Jackson and Alice Bailey Johnson as Ike and Tina’s manager Rhonda Graam, Rhianne-Louise McCaulsky as Tina’s sister Alline Bullock, Matt Mills as Tina’s father Richard Bullock, Posi Morakinyo as Tina’s first love Raymond Hill, Garmon Rhys as Tina’s Manager Roger Davies, Joseph Richardson as record company Marketing Manager Erwin Bach and Madeline Appiah as Tina’s mother Z...

Casting & Extra Tour Dates Announced for Charlie & Stan

30Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Casting & Extra Tour Dates Announced for Charlie & Stan

Olivier and Tony Award-winning producer David Pugh, the renowned theatre company Told by an Idiot and Theatre Royal Bath Productions present the Silent Comedy CHARLIE & STAN, created by Told by an Idiot, written and directed by Paul Hunter, with an original piano score played live. It will open in Bath on 17th July, followed by a national tour. Due to the actor playing Charlie Chaplin in the original production becoming pregnant, Charlie Chaplin will now be played by Danielle Bird, joining Jerone Marsh-Reid as Stan Laurel, Nick Haverson as Fred Karno and Sara Alexander playing all the other parts, including Chaplin’s mother, and the piano! They will be joined by Reggie, making his stage debut as Scraps the Dog. Reggie will not play Sundays – somet...

Sonia Friedman Productions announce new dates for The Shark is Broken

30Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Sonia Friedman Productions announce new dates for The Shark is Broken

Sonia Friedman Productions is delighted to announce new dates for The Shark is Broken at the Ambassadors Theatre after the production was postponed last year due to the pandemic. Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s brilliantly funny play will now run in the West End from 9th October – 15th January. Tickets will go on general sale on Thursday 1st July at 10am. Current ticketholders will be notified of their new performance date by their point of purchase. Cape Cod, 1974: shooting on ‘Jaws’ has stalled. The film’s lead actors – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck on a boat, at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Awash with alcohol and ambition, three hammered sharks start to bare their teeth… A sell-out, critically acclaimed hit of the Edinbu...