Paul Downham, Author at North West End UK

VAULT Festival left without a home for future festivals

17Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

VAULT Festival left without a home for future festivals

Following its triumphant return for the first time since the pandemic, VAULT Festival, the UK’s leading festival of live performance, has been advised by its venue-landlord, The Vaults, that it must find a new home for future festivals. VAULT Festival, run by not-for-profit charity VAULT Creative Arts, had repeatedly sought a long-term commitment from The Vaults, but the venue is instead looking at other more commercial projects which leaves VAULT Festival without a home for 2024 and beyond. Having run in the then-derelict tunnels in Waterloo since 2012, VAULT Festival has helped build the reputation of The Vaults over the past 11 years by bringing over 3,000 bold and brilliant shows to more than 400,000 audience members. VAULT Festival is recognised for being vitally important to th...

Love In Mind – Star-studded charity concert at Southbank Centre

17Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Love In Mind – Star-studded charity concert at Southbank Centre

A star-studded line-up of artists across classical, pop, jazz, and dance music join forces in a symphony of sounds to support the mental wellbeing of young creatives. An illustrious line-up of special guest artists including Grammy award-winning Clean Bandit, internationally recognised cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first ethnically diverse professional orchestra, award-winning jazz organisation Tomorrow’s Warriors, hitmaker Charlie Deakin Davies aka Charlieee and many more headline artists still to be announced, will join forces with Mark Rylance to take part in this special charity concert at London’s Southbank Centre to launch The Harvey Parker Trust. The night, which also includes performances from members of the National Childre...

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World returns to The Lowry for Christmas 2023

13Feb

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NEWS

Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World returns to The Lowry for Christmas 2023

Following a hugely successful UK tour, the kickass-pirational musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World is heading to The Lowry this Christmas, before heading out on tour into spring 2024. The hit show will enjoy a festive run in The Lowry’s Quays Theatre from Tuesday 5th December 2023 to Sunday 7th January 2024. This empowering stage show, based on the popular children’s book by Suffragette relative Kate Pankhurst, and adapted by Chris Bush (Faustus: That Damned Woman, Headlong; Pericles, National Theatre; The Band Plays On, Sheffield Theatres), comes from one of the producers of SIX. Featuring catchy original songs by hit songwriter Miranda Cooper (Girls Aloud; Sugababes; Kylie Minogue) and Jennifer Decilveo (Miley Cyrus; Ben Platt), Fantastically Great Women Who C...

Tim Rice: A Circle of Words – Wolverhampton Grand

10Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

West Midlands

Tim Rice: A Circle of Words – Wolverhampton Grand

Can you feel the love tonight? Well, you certainly could on Thursday (9th February 2023) in Wolverhampton, as one of Britain’s greatest lyricists - Sir Tim Rice - took to the stage of The Grand Theatre for a one night only spectacular. The audience relished at the chance to hear Sir Tim recount, first-hand, how he fashioned lyrics to some of the most famous Disney and musical theatre songs of all time. Rice has truly conquered the world of entertainment and he brought along his Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony (EGOT) statues to prove it. But, throughout an evening where we got to learn about the man behind the awards, his modesty really shone through. As well as acting as compère for the evening, Sir Tim sang some of his original lyrics to the tune of what would become ...

Time For a New Semester – Cast Announced For Heathers UK and Ireland Tour

7Feb

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NEWS

Time For a New Semester – Cast Announced For Heathers UK and Ireland Tour

Following its multiple West End runs, and continuing success at its home – The Other Palace, Heathers the Musical will embark on its highly anticipated UK and Ireland tour from 14th February 2023. Heathers the Musical will open in Windsor and visit cities throughout the UK and Ireland, including Liverpool, Nottingham, York, Birmingham, Norwich, Manchester, Dublin, Brighton, Bath, Leicester, Clywd, Cardiff and Glasgow. Full dates and venues can be found at www.heathersthemusical.com Making it beautiful in blue, Jenna Innes (Les Misérables) takes on the role of angst-ridden teen, Veronica Sawyer, and returning to the role of Jason 'J.D' Dean is Jacob Fowler (Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella). The Westerberg tour class of 2023 is completed by Verity Thompson (Cinderella) as Heath...

Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial announces UK Tour

7Feb

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NEWS

Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial announces UK Tour

Following a strictly limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End (6th April – 20th May 2023),Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial will tour to the following locations: WOKING New Victoria Theatre (26th May – 27th May 2023), LIVERPOOL Empire Theatre (28th May 2023), SOUTHEND Palace Theatre (30th – 31st May 2023), SALFORD The Lowry (9th – 11th June 2023) and BRIGHTON Theatre Royal (15th – 17th June 2023). The verbatim production opened on 15th November 2022 at the Wyndham’s Theatre where it played to packed houses and standing ovations. The trial that gripped the nation has been adapted from seven days of High Court transcripts by Liv Hennessy (finalist in the Paines Plough’s Women’s Prize for Playwriting) and directed by Lisa Spirling (Artistic Director of Theatre5...

West End superstars heading to Milton Keynes for 1 night only!

7Feb

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NEWS

West End superstars heading to Milton Keynes for 1 night only!

West End superstars: Lucie Jones, Ben Forster, Matt Henry MBE and Louise Dearman are part of the stunning cast line-up of this musical spectacular of the year, performing alongside a musical theatre orchestra conducted by the phenomenal John Quirk. This vibrant West End spectacular will cover the breadth of musical theatre from classic hits to ground-breaking new musicals including Chicago, Wicked, Cats, The Lion King, Waitress, Jesus Christ Superstar, Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman, The Phantom of the Opera and many more! As a prolific supporter of the West End for several years, the Alpha Family are thrilled to be bringing their uplifting and celebratory show direct from the best theatre district in the world to their home-city of Milton Keynes, showcasing the biggest, best and mos...

New play Animal to premiere at Hope Mill Theatre

6Feb

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NEWS

New play Animal to premiere at Hope Mill Theatre

Winner of the inaugural Through the Mill Prize and shortlisted for the Papatango Prize, Park Theatre and Hope Mill Theatre present brand-new play ANIMAL, exploring how disability, sexuality and lust co-exist for people who require round the clock assistance. Written by Jon Bradfield (Ghosted: Another F***ing Christmas Carol, The Other Palace Theatre; Missing Alice, BBC4) and developed by disability activist and equality trainer Josh Hepple, ANIMAL is an authentic, hilarious, and heart-breaking look at hook-up culture, navigating relationships and how they intersect with practical needs and social barriers for disabled people. The play tours to Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester, the Tobacco Factory in Bristol and Park Theatre in London. Christopher John-Slater (All of Us, National Theatre;...

2Feb

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NEWS

North West End UK are recruiting NOW!

From its launch locally in Manchester back in 2014, North West End UK has grown year on year (including during the pandemic when they diversified to review online theatre) and 2023 sees no sign of that growth stopping as they continue to cover more and more of the UK. Live theatre is more important than ever today and North West End UK strive to promote and review all forms of theatre performed from the smallest community hall up to the biggest arenas in the UK. To feed the appetite of producers, venues and PR’s, North West End UK is undertaking a huge recruitment drive and seeks new reviewers across the UK, and they need you! No experience is necessary, all that they ask is that you have a love for theatre, can commit to a deadline and write a balanced and honest review. Many of the...

First full scale production to play new ‘Southwark Playhouse Elephant’

1Feb

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NEWS

First full scale production to play new ‘Southwark Playhouse Elephant’

It's eleven o'clock in the morning in a council flat on the Walworth Road in London. In two hours' time, as is normal, three Irish men will have consumed six cans of Harp, fifteen crackers with spreadable cheese, ten pink biscuit wafers and one oven-cooked chicken with a strange blue sauce. In two hours’ time, as is normal, five people will have been killed. In a little over two hours' time, as is less normal, a further two will have met their maker. Southwark Playhouse is delighted to announce the full cast for its first major production to run at its brand new space in Elephant and Castle. The new space - Southwark Playhouse Elephant, is welcoming a revival of Enda Walsh's award winning The Walworth Farce as its debut full scale production, held in its 310-seat main auditorium. ...