Tuesday, May 7

NEWS

A Simple Tale of Love to play Camden and GM Fringe Festivals
NEWS

A Simple Tale of Love to play Camden and GM Fringe Festivals

Rude Raven Productions is a new production company set up by writer Sasha Ravencroft and this play will be its professional debut. Ravencroft has been involved in the arts for many years as a writer, actor and producer of a puppetry theatre company. A Simple Tale of Love is directed by Nicole Roberts Ryder for the digital recording for Greater Manchester Fringe, the live shows at Camden Fringe, and as it goes on its premiere tour. The play follows the relationship between Molly and a sinister stranger, JD, who holds a terrifying secret, and her life is never the same again. It is a story about a woman who has lost not only her confidence but also herself along the way. Cheated on by her vicar husband and bullied at work, Molly is broken and yet clutches on to hope. In order to carry...
Cast and creative team announced for world premiere of What’s New Pussycat?
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Cast and creative team announced for world premiere of What’s New Pussycat?

The full cast and creative team have been announced for the highly anticipated, brand new musical, What’s New Pussycat? An exclusive first look video and images of the cast in rehearsals have also been released today. Freely inspired by the novel The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, this romantic musical comedy reimagines Fielding’s classic tale in London’s swinging sixties and sets the story to the iconic hit music of Sir Tom Jones. Written by the Tony Award winning Joe DiPietro (Memphis The Musical), with a stellar creative team including director Luke Sheppard and legendary choreographer Dame Arlene Phillips, get ready for music, mods and rocking romance when the show enjoys its world premiere at The REP from 8th October – 14th November. The cast will include Dominic Andersen a...
Greater Manchester Fringe’s most iconic venue reopens this weekend
NEWS

Greater Manchester Fringe’s most iconic venue reopens this weekend

Iconic Salford pub The King’s Arms reopens its theatre in August with a series of themed live music Saturday Night Specials, after a massive refurbishment during lockdown.  The Bim Williams Quintet kick off the Saturday Night Specials with jazz on Saturday 7th August; folk with Irish band Quare Craic play on Saturday 14th August; there will be a funk and soul DJ on Saturday 21st August and jazz again on Saturday 28th August with the George Grundy Quartet. The current red brick building opened in the 1870s, replacing an earlier King’s Arms pub built in 1807 on the opposite side of Bloom Street. Tables and chairs have been added to the domed theatre space upstairs to make it COVID safe and create a cabaret feel.  A vintage vinyl record player, discovered during a clearout...
David Suchet: Poirot And More, A Retrospective
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 detect...
Five Star Panto Cast Join AJ & Curtis Pritchard in Cinderella!
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 fu...
Hope Mill Theatre presents A Celebration of Musical Theatre at Hope Fest
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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 ...
Mamma Mia! goes open air for the first time at historic Harewood House
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Mamma Mia! goes open air for the first time at historic Harewood House

Mamma Mia! fans have their only chance to see the record breaking show outside London at the first ever open air production at Harewood House . Casting has been announced for the ‘Mamma Mia! Under the stars’ shows from 13th to 20th August at the historic venue near Leeds. and it’s full of veterans of the London and touring shows, which have has seen by over 65 million people in 50 productions in 16 different  languages. Sara Poyzer plays Donna Sheridan, Nicky Swift is Rosie and Helen Anker returns as Tanya. The trio of possible dads are Richard Standing playing Sam Carmichael joined by Phil Corbitt as Bill Austin and  Daniel Crowder is Harry Bright. Younger cast members include Lucy May Barker as Sophie Sheridan with Toby Miles as love interest Sky and Jasmine Shen as A...
The Rise And Fall of Little Voice set to tour the UK in 2022
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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 ...
Leeds Playhouse announce Autumn/Winter season
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Leeds Playhouse announce Autumn/Winter season

Leeds Playhouse have announced their Autumn-Winter season including Wendy & Peter Pan as their blockbuster festive show. Families will be taken on an unforgettable trip to Neverland from 18th November to 22nd January as the cast fly around Ella Hickon’s adaptation of the J M Barrie classic retelling the story from the unique viewpoint of Wendy Darling. This year’s Leeds West Indian Carnival has been cancelled because of the pandemic, but the King & Queen event is still taking place on 27th August, and for the first time the Prince & Princess is staged a week before. Both shows will be a celebration of emancipation set to sweet sounds of the socabeats and steelpans as the carnival chronicles its 54-year history. Freedom Project from 10th – 18th September melds lived ex...
Unity Theatre, Liverpool announce more events in 2021 season
NEWS

Unity Theatre, Liverpool announce more events in 2021 season

Returning to Liverpool in the autumn of this year are critically-acclaimed companies such as Dibby Theatre, Paines Plough and Lung.Festival season also returns with events and week-long programme from Homotopia, BlackFest and DaDa.From midday on Thursday 15th July, audiences will also be able to book for the 10 new productions programmed through the second round of Unity’s Open Call.Applications also open for new producer training programme Level Up – part of Unity’s Creative’pool programme that provides over 300 Liverpool-based artists a year with training, opportunity and support.Available to book from midday on Thursday 15th July. Festivals, festive programme and the return of some of the UK’s favourite touring companies feature in the latest collection of productions announced by U...