NEWS Archives - Page 31 of 82 - North West End UK

9Feb

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Birmingham Rep Announce Free Open Day

Birmingham Rep are offering members of the public a chance to take a peek behind the scenes at the city’s only premiere producing theatre with a free Open Day on Saturday 26th February. The full day of activities for all the family will take members of the public behind the scenes of Birmingham’s famous theatre, the only large-scale theatre in the city that builds all of its own productions on site from scratch, including huge sets and beautiful costumes. From 10am-4pm, families can enjoy backstage tours, workshops, performances, technical demonstrations, heritage talks plus the chance to purchase incredible garments in The Rep’s costume sale. Artistic Director, Sean Foley and Executive Director, Rachael Thomas said; “We are thrilled to be throwing open our doors and inviting the ...

Casting announced for new version of Kes at Bolton Octagon and Theatre by the Lake

31Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Casting announced for new version of Kes at Bolton Octagon and Theatre by the Lake

Casting has been announced for a new version of Barry Hines’ northern classic Kes co-produced by Bolton’s Octagon Theatre and Theatre by the Lake in Keswick. It’s set in a 1960s working-class Yorkshire mining town depicting the struggles of 15-year-old Billy Casper. Bullied and neglected, life isn’t easy for Billy, but when he finds Kes, a kestrel hawk who he cares for and trains, it gives Billy a passion and freedom that has been missing in his life. This stage version is adapted by Robert Alan Evans, and will be directed by award-winning theatre director and one of The Stage’s 25 Theatremakers to watch in 2022, Atri Banerjee. A trio of performers will star in this poignant coming of age story with Jake Dunn will make his professional stage debut playing the role of troubl...

Greatest second world war escape plan comes to the stage

25Jan

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Greatest second world war escape plan comes to the stage

In 1944 76 allied prisoners of war escaped from Stalag Luft III and new play Tom, Dick and Harry tells their remarkable story. Tom, Dick and Harry were the codenames for three tunnels dug by the prisoners from many different nations deep under the camp’s barbed wire fence that were designed to support their mass escape. Newcastle-under-Lyme's New Vic Theatre and Kenny Wax Ltd are producing an original script co-written by Andrew Pollard, Michael Hugo and Theresa Heskins inspired by top secret information that was classified in the war archives until 1972. They will be debunking the myths while honouring the people who engineered the tunnels and their unrelenting resistance to their Nazi captors. “We’ll tell it as a really dynamic, vibrant piece of theatre that celebrates th...

25Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Rent comes to Yorkshire

With the biopic of Jonathan Larson’s life tick, tick…BOOM! winning huge critical acclaim it’s just the right moment for his Tony winning masterpiece Rent to head out for a short tour of Yorkshire. Bite My Thumb are based in the white rose county and following their tour of Little Shop of Horrors are now tackling Larson’s emotional tale of a group of impoverished young artists struggling to survive at the end of the millennium in New York’s rundown East Village. Full of classic songs the show ran for 12 years on Broadway as the idealistic bohemians fell in love, found their voice and lived for today as the AIDS crisis raged around them. “We won’t be playing with the staging too much this time,” says director Nathan Winn, “Rent is about the music, the passion and the beautifully raw...

Northern Ballet announce 10 city autumn tour

24Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Northern Ballet announce 10 city autumn tour

Northern Ballet have announced a 10 city autumn tour will visit 10 cities revising The Little Mermaid and The Nutcracker, plus a première of new work Three Short Ballets 2022. The season will open with performances of Three Short Ballets 2022 at Leeds Playhouse featuring three world premières by choreographers Dickson Mbi, Stina Quagebeur and Mthuthuzeli November. This new work will also be performed at the Linbury Theatre in London in October / November. Throughout September and October, The Little Mermaid will tour to Sheffield, Belfast, Southampton and Newcastle. This timeless classic fairy tale was David Nixon's last full-length work for the Company before announcing his retirement as Artistic Director in 2020. Photo: Emma Kauldhar It’s set to a Celtic-inspired score...

17Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Cast announced for Macbeth at Leeds Playhouse

Something wickedly good is coming to Leeds Playhouse as Macbeth makes its way to the Quarry stage with a diverse cast. Director Amy Leach’s teams up once again with Designer Hayley Grindle’s to offer a raw and visceral vision of Shakespeare’s thrilling tragedy as ambitious northern warrior Macbeth does whatever it takes to gain the throne. Tachia Newall, already well-known to Playhouse audiences from his standout role as Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet in 2017 and from appearances in Waterloo Road, Coronation Street and the recent hit movie Dune, is Macbeth. Lady Macbeth is played by Doncaster actor Jessica Baglow, who fans of the TV hit Gentleman Jack will recognise as lady’s maid Rachel Hemingway. The rest of the 11-strong cast include Adam Bassett, who was Asso...

Free courses for deaf and disabled people at the beginning of their theatre careers

17Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Free courses for deaf and disabled people at the beginning of their theatre careers

Deaf and disabled artists interested in pursuing careers in directing, producing and writing can apply for free courses being offered by Leeds Playhouse and Sheffield Theatres in association with Ramps On The Moon. They are joining forces to host three introductory courses led by experienced theatre professionals. The writing and producing courses will both take place at Leeds Playhouse. The writers will be led by Leeds-based artist Leanna Benjamin, the new Artist for Change and Writer in Residence at the Playhouse, and Furnace Coordinator Rio Matchett, who plays a key role in the Playhouse’s artistic development programme. The course for aspiring producers will be led by Leeds Playhouse Agent for Change Paul Wilshaw, and Freelance Producer Ben Rothera. Photo: Antony Robling Th...

Pilot Theatre announce a national tour of The Bone Sparrow

11Jan

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Pilot Theatre announce a national tour of The Bone Sparrow

Pilot Theatre have adapted Zana Fraillon’s The Bone Sparrow about a Rohingya refugee boy who has spent his entire life living in a detention centre in Australia. The Bone Sparrow has been adapted by Shakthi Shakthidharan, who is an Australian writer, producer, composer and director for screen and stage of Sri Lankan heritage and Tamil ancestry. It’s directed by Pilot Theatre’s Artistic Director Esther Richardson. It’s story of Subhi, a refugee who was born in an Australian detention centre to a mother who had fled violence in her Burmese homeland. Subhi’s world is confined by the fences of the detention centre in which he lives, but through stories, relationships, and encounters, a wider but not always comfortable world emerges. The Pilot Theatre production has also been de...

Cast announced for An Adventure at Bolton Octagon

10Jan

By Paul ClarkeNo Comments

NEWS

Cast announced for An Adventure at Bolton Octagon

A cast of four has been announced for Vinay Patel’s An Adventure which opens the 2022 spring season at Bolton Octagon from Friday 4th to Saturday 26th February. It’s a work spanning seven decades and three continents following the journey of a husband and wife as they leave India in the 1950s in search of a better, more exciting future. The husband and wife, Rasik and Jyoti, will be played by Esh Alladi and Saba Shiraz who is making her professional debut. The story is by award-winning writer Vinay Patel, whose writing credits include Doctor Who and Murdered By My Father. They’re joined by Manchester actor Daon Broni as David and Jessica Kaur will also make her professional stage debut playing Sonal and Joy. The production will be directed by Kash Arshad and designed by 201...

To Kill a Mocking Bird announces casting

7Jan

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

To Kill a Mocking Bird announces casting

Barry Diller and Sonia Friedman announce the full cast for the West End production of To Kill a Mockingbird. Joining the previously announced Rafe Spall (Atticus Finch) are Harry Attwell (Mr Cunningham/Boo Radley), Amanda Boxer (Mrs Henry Dubose), Poppy Lee Friar (Mayella Ewell), John Hastings (Bailiff), Simon Hepworth (Mr Roscoe/Dr Reynolds), Laura Howard (Miss Stephanie/Dill’s Mother), Lloyd Hutchinson (Link Deas), Gwyneth Keyworth (Scout Finch), Tom Mannion (Sheriff Heck Tate), David Moorst (Dill Harris), Pamela Nomvete (Calpurnia), Jim Norton (Judge Taylor), Patrick O’Kane (Bob Ewell), Jude Owusu (Tom Robinson), Harry Redding (Jem Finch), David Sturzaker (Horace Gilmer) and Natasha Williams (Mrs Dubose’s Maid), with Helen Belbin, Laurence Belcher, Paul Birchard, Ryan Ellsworth, Rebecca...