FEATURES Archives - Page 8 of 11

Leeds Playhouse’s James Brining talks about staging A Little Night Music with Opera North

27Jun

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Leeds Playhouse’s James Brining talks about staging A Little Night Music with Opera North

Most people have heard the haunting Send In The Clowns but how many could say which musical it is from? Well, it’s just one of a bunch of brilliant tunes penned by Oscar and multiple Tony winner Stephen Sondheim for A Little Night Music that traces the complicated and interlocking relationships of several Swedish couples at the dawn of the twentieth century. Inspired by Bergman’s film Smiles of a Summer Night, Sondheim’s challenging score and an intelligent book by Hugh Wheeler offers genuine insights into the high and lows of human relationships. Leeds Playhouse’s Artistic Director James Brining was gearing up to direct A Little Night Music as his latest coalition with Opera North, but then the pandemic struck. Now the company including the legendary Dame Josephine Barstow ar...

Spotlight on Vagabonds: My Phil Lynott Odyssey

14May

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on Vagabonds: My Phil Lynott Odyssey

As theatres begin to re-open next week, Jermyn Street Theatre launch their ‘Footprints Festival’ running from 17th May to 31st July. The festival is a celebration of theatre and theatre makers and one of the must see shows of the festival, is Robert Mountford’s one man show ‘Vagabonds: My Phil Lynott Odyssey’. Read our interview with Robert Mountford to get a teaser of what we can expect from Vagabonds. To book the show go to https://www.jermynstreettheatre.co.uk/show/vagabonds-my-phil-lynott-odyssey/. Dates are 25th May 7.30pm, 28th May 9.30pm, 29th May 5.30pm and 3rd June 7.30pm. If you cannot get to Jermyn Street Theatre, the show can be watched online – see the theatre’s website for further information. What inspired you to write Vagabonds? There were ...

Amanda Huxtable talks about directing Decades which reopens Leeds Playhouse

13May

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Amanda Huxtable talks about directing Decades which reopens Leeds Playhouse

Leeds Playhouse kick off their 50th anniversary celebrations and reopen the doors with six short monologues written by a mix of new and experienced writers. Decades: Stories From The City takes a particular decade from across the Playhouse’s lifespan covering the 1970s to the 2020s, tracing how their home city has changed over that time. As this is their first set of shows after lockdown the Playhouse have also recruited a strong cast of directors, including Leeds Playhouse’s Artistic Director James Brining who is joined in the rehearsal spaces by Associate Director Amy Leach and RTYDS Resident Assistant Director Sameena Hussain, Evie Manning of Common Wealth Theatre and Theatre State’s Tess Seddon. The hugely experienced Amanda Huxtable directs Leanna Benjamin’s The Unknow...

Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice – Him & Me dance into Blackpool at start of their UK Tour

8May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice – Him & Me dance into Blackpool at start of their UK Tour

Brace yourselves for THE best night out in 2021 when two of BBC Strictly Come Dancing’s best loved professional dancers team up for an unforgettable tour - ANTON DU BEKE and GIOVANNI PERNICE - HIM & ME! Joined by a world class cast of dancers and singers, ANTON and GIOVANNI are coming together to put on the show to end all shows - the ultimate entertaining night out! The Ballroom King and the Jive Master bring you HIM & ME! - a true dance extravaganza for all ages. HIM & ME! is produced by Strictly Theatre Co. and directed by West End star Alan Burkitt. We are looking forward to welcoming you to Blackpool! Anton - Ah yes, Blackpool Opera House..it’s huge! Giovanni - Oh, it’s tremendous, so beautiful. Anton - We can’t wait to bring our show to the home of danc...

Scottish legend John Byrne is back with new radio play Tennis Elbow

26Apr

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

Interviews

Scottish legend John Byrne is back with new radio play Tennis Elbow

In 1977 the hottest ticket at the Edinburgh Festival was comedy drama Writer’s Cramp by new Scottish writer John Byrne and the three-hander went on to be a hit in London. It was the riotous tale of Frances Seneca McDade, who is being remembered by the Nitshill Writing Circle, and they seem oblivious that despite his public school swagger their mentor ended up being an utter mediocrity in all his many artistic endeavours. Now Bryne has returned to Paisley for a new radio play, Tennis Elbow, as the writing group gather once again to remember the life of McDade’s estranged wife Pamela played by Kirsty Stuart. “Tennis Elbow is the life story of a writer and artist as she makes her way through life and all of the characters that she meets on the way, the struggles that she has,” says ...

Spotlight on David Shopland and Shereen Roushbaiani, Co-writers of Saving Britney and Saving Britney: Prologue

1Apr

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on David Shopland and Shereen Roushbaiani, Co-writers of Saving Britney and Saving Britney: Prologue

A few months ago, Britney Spears superfan Jean was ready to tell the world her story Saving Britney, live from The Old Red Lion Theatre in the heart of Islington... until the government placed the country in lockdown. Jean has agreed to host a very special and exclusive Facebook Live session only available digitally via The Old Red Lion Theatre website. Join her as she attempts to make sense of the pop princess in the age of conservatorship, cyberbullying and the #MeToo movement in the pre-show Saving Britney: Prologue in advance of the live show co-devised by David Shopland and Shereen Roushbaiani. We caught up with David and Shereen to shed some further light on this exciting new play. Please follow the link for Saving Britney: Prologue tickets https://www.oldredliontheat...

28Mar

By Paul Downham1 Comment

NEWS, NWE UK Live

Bruce Joel Rubin celebrates 10 years of Ghost the Musical

On the 10th anniversary of the World Premiere of Ghost the Musical at the Opera House in Manchester, Oscar winning writer of the movie Bruce Joel Rubin sits down with our senior editor and Ghost the Musical super fan Paul Downham to discuss how the film transferred to the stage. https://www.youtube.com/embed/nSuL0ozzd00 Advertisement (contains affiliate links)

22Mar

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on Kristin Milward

In August 2020, playwright Andrei Kureichik witnessed the harrowing scenes of violence that unfolded following the protests against the rigged election results that enabled Alexander Lukashenko to be re-elected. Kureichik (who is a member of the Co-ordination Council of Belarus) decided to document events very much as things happened; in his play, that can be live streamed at home on Saturday 27th March at 7pm. This event is part of a series of monthly readings at The Cockpit giving voice to dissident writers past and present. To book tickets for ‘Insulted’ go to https://www.thecockpit.org.uk/show/dissident_voices. We talked to Kristin Milward who is co-directing and performing in the play, to learn more about it. Kristin, what inspired you to get involved with ...

Spotlight on Lucie Jones – Treason The Musical

10Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on Lucie Jones – Treason The Musical

We were delighted to catch up with Lucie Jones ahead of the online filmed concert of ‘Treason The Musical’ which runs from 12th March to 14th March 2021. Follow the link to buy tickets https://treasonthemusical.com/ The gunpowder plot and its celebratory derivative Bonfire Night is so popular in Britain. Can you tell us about your character Martha Percy and how she fits into the overall gunpowder plot? Martha is the wife of Thomas, one of the plotters. She is a simple woman who wants nothing more than to live a humble Catholic life with her husband and children. Martha doesn’t recognise Thomas when he returns from a trip to London (when the plot was hatched) and we see her battle with her emotions about this and her husband’s new ‘gang’, led by Catesby. ‘T...

Spotlight on Ricky Allan, Composer and Co-writer of Treason The Musical

9Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

Interviews

Spotlight on Ricky Allan, Composer and Co-writer of Treason The Musical

Remember, remember the 5th of November, for its gunpowder, treason, and plot We're here to tell you the rest of the tale, the one that history books forgot Guy Fawkes remains an anonymous figure, we have more to bring to the table It's time to meet the rest of the plotters, in our fiery musical fable We caught up with Ricky Allan to find out more about his new musical ‘Treason The Musical’. Filmed at Cadogan Hall, this concert version is available to watch from 12th March to 14th March 2021. To buy tickets go to https://treasonthemusical.com/ What inspired you to write/compose ‘Treason The Musical’? I have always been fascinated by the story and felt it had a natural theatrical flair to it which deserved to be explored. Whilst working on the Stran...