Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

David Suchet: Poirot And More, A Retrospective

28Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

David Suchet: Poirot And More, A Retrospective

Sir David Suchet makes his eagerly awaited return to UK stages in POIROT AND MORE, A RETROSPECTIVE this autumn. Following a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand in early 2020, the show will make its UK debut at The Watermill Theatre, Newbury on 5th October. David will retrace his steps as a young actor, visiting more than 20 theatres across the UK before a final performance at the Stockton Globe on 19th December. POIROT AND MORE, A RETROSPECTIVE looks back fondly at David’s illustrious career, sharing some of his most beloved performances in a new and intimate light. Geoffrey Wansell, journalist, broadcaster, biographer and co-author of Poirot and Me, will be joining David as interviewer in this unmistakably unique event. Join us in conversation with the actor behind the detecti...

Five Star Panto Cast Join AJ & Curtis Pritchard in Cinderella!

28Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Five Star Panto Cast Join AJ & Curtis Pritchard in Cinderella!

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre announced more magical casting for this year’s pantomime, CINDERELLA! Playing the title role of Cinderella is Kingswinford-born CBeebies presenter Evie Pickerill and Five Star’s lead vocalist Denise Pearson joins the cast as the Fairy Godmother. Denise and Evie star alongside the previously announced AJ and Curtis Pritchard as Prince Charming and Dandini from Saturday 4th December 2021 – Sunday 9th January 2022. Having grown up in Dudley, Evie has fond memories of Wolverhampton Grand. She performed at the theatre in her school days with West Bromwich Operatic Society before training professionally. On her return to the Grand and her first pantomime role, she said; “I’m so happy to be in my hometown for Christmas! Panto is always such fun...

Hope Mill Theatre presents A Celebration of Musical Theatre at Hope Fest

28Jul

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Hope Mill Theatre presents A Celebration of Musical Theatre at Hope Fest

Hope Mill Theatre’s summer festival of arts and culture will be closed with four nights celebrating the very best of musical theatre starring a cast of stellar stage performers. Written and conceived by Chris Burgess and directed by Kirk Jameson, A Celebration of Musical Theatre is a new show that will take audiences on a musical journey of song and dance featuring some of the best songs ever written for the stage. It has choreography by Tosh Wanogho-Maud, musical orchestrations by Nick Barstow and musical direction by Greg Last. The show will feature a selection of some of the best loved songs from the genre, including medleys of classics from Gilbert & Sullivan and Rodgers & Hammerstein, to more recent hits like You Will Be Found from Dear Evan Hansen. Other favourites s...

The Rise And Fall of Little Voice set to tour the UK in 2022

22Jul

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NEWS

The Rise And Fall of Little Voice set to tour the UK in 2022

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 S...

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

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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

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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

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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

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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...