Sunday, May 31

NEWS

Greatest second world war escape plan comes to the stage
25Jan By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

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...
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Rent comes to Yorkshire
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...
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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...
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Cast announced for Macbeth at Leeds Playhouse
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...
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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...
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Pilot Theatre announce a national tour of The Bone Sparrow
11Jan By Paul ClarkeNo Comments
NEWS

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...
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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...
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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...
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2022 Pantomime announced for Blackpool Grand Theatre
2Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

2022 Pantomime announced for Blackpool Grand Theatre

It’s never too early to book your seats for next year’s magical family pantomime Sleeping Beauty at Blackpool Grand Theatre. Oh no it isn’t! And so, says the limited availability for this year’s incredible production! Wakey Wakey…. Don’t miss out on the spellbinding tale of Sleeping Beauty starring Grand panto favourite Steve Royle. Tickets go on sale on Friday 3rd December at 2pm… A beautiful Princess pricks her finger on a spindle wheel which has been cursed by the evil Carabosse at her 18th Birthday party. Can the Good Fairy's magical spell break the curse? The Princess can only be awoken by true love's kiss. Will she find her true love and live happily ever after? The fabulous family pantomime at Blackpool’s Grand Theatre is always a laugh-a-minute extravaganza with stunnin...
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Bugsy Malone gets first ever professional UK tour
30Nov By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Bugsy Malone gets first ever professional UK tour

Theatre Royal Bath Productions, Birmingham Rep and Kenny Wax present a revival of Lyric Hammersmith Theatre’s universally acclaimed, sell-out production of Bugsy Malone which will open at Theatre Royal Bath with performances from 2nd July 2022, followed by Birmingham Rep from 27th July 2022, prior to a major national tour including Southampton Mayflower from 30th August 2022, with further venues to be announced. The world-famous musical Bugsy Malone is based on the hit 1976 movie by Alan Parker whose long catalogue of films have won nineteen BAFTA® awards, ten Golden Globes® and six Oscars®. Packed with instantly recognisable songs from Oscar®-winner Paul Williams including My Name is Tallulah, You Give A Little Love and Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, Bugsy Malone is a masterclass of musical com...
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