Thursday, August 27

NEWS

Chatback Theatre’s If This Is Normal to be<br>published by Methuen as Liverpool date added to<br>the UK Tour
NEWS

Chatback Theatre’s If This Is Normal to be
published by Methuen as Liverpool date added to
the UK Tour

Chatback Theatre’s coming-of-age hit If This is Normal, will be published by Methuen next month and will be available at all venues during their UK tour this April. The news comes the team announce an exciting new stop at Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre. Critically acclaimed at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019 and VAULT Festival in 2020, the show follows a trio of teenagers navigating the no-man’s land between childhood and adulthood, complicated by unfiltered access to technology and pop-feminism. The full cast returns from the previous Edinburgh Fringe Festival and VAULT festival runs with Aoife Smyth as Alex (On Railton Road, Brixton Base; If I Can Get This Part Right At Least, Nottingham Playhouse), Isambard Rawbone as Madani (Midnight Hustle, Rogue Productions/ VAULT Festival, Ham...
Casting update for West End production of Jerusalem
NEWS

Casting update for West End production of Jerusalem

Producer Sonia Friedman announced that joining the previously announced Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook, who will reprise their celebrated roles as Johnny “Rooster” Byron and Ginger respectively in Ian Rickson’s production of Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, are Kemi Awoderu (Pea), Alan David (The Professor), Shane David-Joseph (Mr Parsons), Gerard Horan (Wesley), Ed Kear (Davey), Charlotte O’Leary (Tanya), Indra Ové (Dawn), Jack Riddiford (Lee), Barry Sloane (Troy Whitworth), Niky Wardley (Linda Fawcett) and Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Phaedra).  Kobe Champion-Norville, Jesse Manzi and Matteo Philbert will share the role of Marky and joining as understudies are Abigail Green, Amanda Gordon, Callum Sheridan-Lee, Greg Snowden and Anthony Taylor.  Final casting will be announced at a lat...
Transform Festival is back with a series of UK and World Premieres in Leeds
NEWS

Transform Festival is back with a series of UK and World Premieres in Leeds

Transform has established itself as one of the UK’s most innovative platforms for emerging talent and the delayed final wave of their 21-22 programme in April offers a series of world and UK premieres. Once again, the team offer productions taking place in iconic venues in Leeds with many in unusual and disused spaces that offer trailblazing co-curators a chance to create special events and experiences. The festival invites audiences from across Leeds and beyond to rediscover and explore the city and to connect with bold, brave, vivid and socially conscious performance by artists from across the globe. Leeds based artist Jamal Gerald made his name with Idol in Transform 19 and this year he presents the world Premiere of Jumbie he describes as a ritual for our sickened times. It’s ...
Old Friends celebrate Stephen Sondheim
NEWS

Old Friends celebrate Stephen Sondheim

Cameron Mackintosh has invited many of Stephen Sondheim’s old friends to join him in celebrating his extraordinary talents and legacy at the theatre which was recently gloriously rebuilt in Sondheim’s honor. The all-star cast for OLD FRIENDS so far includes Michael Ball, Petula Clark, Judi Dench, Daniel Evans, Bonnie Langford, Adrian Lester, Damian Lewis, Julia Mckenzie, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Paige, Clive Rowe, Imelda Staunton and Hannah Waddingham. They will be joined by a featured company of West End stars, currently being finalised. The evening, which takes place for one night only on 3rd May 2022 at 8pm, will be staged by Matthew Bourne and Maria Friedman with choreography by Stephen Mear and a 26-piece orchestra conducted by Alfonso Casado Trigo. Patrons can sign up for ...
South Pacific Announces Principal Casting
NEWS

South Pacific Announces Principal Casting

Jamie Wilson, Jonathan Church Theatre Productions and Gavin Kalin are delighted to announce that Julian Ovenden will star as ‘Emile de Becque’ throughout the Sadler’s Wells season and UK and Ireland Tour of the critically acclaimed, landmark Chichester Festival Theatre production of RODGERS & HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC alongside the previously announced Gina Beck as ‘Ensign Nellie Forbush’. Julian and Gina will be joined by fellow members of the original Chichester Festival Theatre company; Rob Houchen as ‘Lieutenant Joseph Cable’, Joanna Ampil as ‘Bloody Mary’ and Sera Maehara as ‘Liat’ The production opens at Manchester Opera House on 16th July 2022 ahead of a season at Sadler’s Wells, London from 27th July to 28th August 2022 and throughout the limited 10-week UK and Ireland Tou...
Full Cast Announced For UK and Ireland Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
NEWS

Full Cast Announced For UK and Ireland Tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group are delighted to confirm the full cast for the sensational brand-new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which begins a UK & Ireland Tour at Manchester Opera House on Wednesday 23rd March. Alexandra Burke will play The Narrator at select venues across the tour. Her many West End credits include the lead roles in The Bodyguard, Sister Act, Chess and Chicago, as well as starring as the Narrator in the celebrated production of Joseph at the London Palladium last summer. Alexandra first rose to fame winning The X-Factor in 2008, and has since gone on to sell over 5 million records. Linzi Hateley will also play the role at other venues. Linzi is an Olivier Award nominee and Theatre ...
New cast announced to try and get it right or wrong!
NEWS

New cast announced to try and get it right or wrong!

The Play That Goes Wrong, the Olivier Award-winning box office hit today announces a brand-new cast at The Duchess Theatre from Tuesday 5th April 2022. The new cast will include Tomisin Ajani as Trevor, Jo Ben Ayed as Dennis, Ashh Blackwood as Annie, Anya de Villiers as Sandra, Tendai Humphrey Sitima as Robert, Scott Hunter as Max, Oliver Mott as Jonathan, and Mikhail Sen as Chris. The company is completed by Roisin Fahey, Charlie Richards, Stuart Vincent, Emily Waters and Jack Whittle. The Play That Goes Wrong is blundering its way through its 8th year in the West End and is currently booking until April 2023. In August 2021 it became the longest running play at The Duchess Theatre (since the theatre opened in 1929) and is the longest running comedy in the West End. Awarded the 2...
Theatr Clwyd Announces World Premiere of New Musical – The Famous Five
NEWS

Theatr Clwyd Announces World Premiere of New Musical – The Famous Five

Artistic Director of Theatr Clwyd, Tamara Harvey and Executive Director, Liam Evans-Ford announce the world première production of brand-new musical The Famous Five in a co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre will open at Theatr Clwyd on 29th September with previews from 23rd September. Photo: Johan Persson Based on Enid Blyton’s multi-million-selling novels, Tamara Harvey directs this brand-new musical written by Elinor Cook, with music and lyrics by Theo Jamieson. Lucy Osborne designs with choreography by Annie-Lunnette Deakin-Foster, musical supervision by David White and Benjamin Holder, musical direction by Katherine Rockhill, orchestrations by Theo Jamieson, lighting by Johanna Town and video design by Ash Woodward. Tamara Harvey said today “I loved Enid Blyton’s sto...
Hedwig brings angry inch to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester
NEWS

Hedwig brings angry inch to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester

Cult musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch comes to Leeds Playhouse and HOME Manchester starring RuPaul’s Drag Race UK icon Divina De Campo De Campo plays the hedonistic genderqueer anti-heroine seemingly hellbent on destruction who embarks on a journey of self-discovery with her husband and roadie Yitzhak, played by Elijah Ferreira.     They are joined on stage by their live rock band ‘The Angry Inch’ led by Music Supervisor and Musical Director Alex Beetschen on keys with Frances Bolley on lead guitar, Isis Dunthorne on drums and Jess Williams on bass.     This production explores the origin of love, gender identity, resilience, and the freedom to be whoever you want to be.     “As a queer and trans director I’ve been wanting to pu...
Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming UK tour announces casting
NEWS

Harold Pinter’s The Homecoming UK tour announces casting

Full casting is announced for Harold Pinter’s Tony Award-winning masterpiece The Homecoming, directed by actor and director Jamie Glover, which will open at Theatre Royal Bath from 30th March 2022 before travelling to Cambridge Arts Theatre, Malvern Theatre, Leicester Curve, Theatre Royal Brighton, Newcastle Theatre Royal, and Theatre Royal York. Harold Pinter’s 1960s masterpiece is widely regarded as his finest play. This bleakly funny exploration of family and relationships has become a modern classic and winner of the Tony Award for Best New Play. Star of BBC’s Gavin & Stacey, Mathew Horne (Death in Paradise, Bad Education with upcoming credits including Newark, Newark and The Nan Movie), plays Lenny, Teddy’s enigmatic brother. Versatile actor, comedian and musician Keith A...