Saturday, November 16

NEWS

Production Images Revealed for Heathers The Musical
NEWS

Production Images Revealed for Heathers The Musical

Greetings, salutations and welcome to the West End 2021 class of Westerberg High.    Leading the cast in the highly celebrated return of Heathers the Musical in the West End is Christina Bennington (Bat Out Of Hell) in the role of high school geek Veronica Sawyer and Jordan Luke Gage (& Juliet) as the dark and moody teen, Jason “J.D.” Dean.   In the eponymous roles of ‘The Heathers’ is returning cast member Jodie Steele (Six) with her critically acclaimed portrayal of ‘mega bitch’ Heather Chandler, alongside Bobbie Little (Jesus Christ Superstar) as Heather Duke and Frances Mayli McCann (Evita) as Heather McNamara.    They are joined by Joaquin Pedro Valdes (Ram Sweeney), Lauren Ward (Ms. Fleming/Veronica’s Mother), Madison Swan (Martha Dunnstock), Ros...
Dive Into Swan Song at The Dukes
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Dive Into Swan Song at The Dukes

Jonathan Harvey’s bittersweet comedy Swan Song travels to The Dukes in Lancaster this July, on a short northern tour. This revised version of Harvey’s play stars TV and stage actor Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street, Cilla: The Musical), is directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw (Coronation Street, Our Girl) and is produced by Bill Elms, Liverpool Theatre Festival’s Artistic Director. Set in Liverpool in 1997, the show follows Dave Titswell, a gay, middle-aged English teacher. He has a crush, but life, love and work are never straight forward for Dave. Will a school trip to The Lakes change things for the better, or make things decidedly worse? Swan Song will make audiences laugh, but equally pull at the heartstrings. Everyone knows someone like Dave – or could even...
Manchester theatre company grows from audience of dozens to potentially thousands thanks to live stream performance
NEWS

Manchester theatre company grows from audience of dozens to potentially thousands thanks to live stream performance

A theatre company’s latest live stream production will see it broadcast to potentially thousands of people worldwide – including the play’s writer 8,500 miles away. Only four years ago Elysium Theatre Company, which has bases in Manchester and Durham, was putting on its first play in front of just dozens of people at the Assembly Rooms, Durham. But its latest offering – Hello and Goodbye, by South Africa’s leading playwright Athol Fugard – will be filmed and streamed across the internet for the world to see, when it is performed at Northern School of Art, Hartlepool, at 7.30pm on Wednesday 23rd June. It will star Manchester-based actor Hannah Ellis Ryan, and fellow Elysium co-founder Danny Solomon. Hannah also runs Hope Mill Theatre in the city and found fame in Coronation Stre...
Socially Distance with Shakespeare at The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse
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Socially Distance with Shakespeare at The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The Altrincham Garrick Playhouse continue their new socially distanced season with The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) opening on Monday 21st June for 6 nights only. Following on from the hugely successful The Last 5 Years the Garrick once again opens its doors to socially distanced audiences to provide a bit of theatrical relief to the residents of Altrincham and beyond. Tickets are still available for all performances, however booking in advance is strongly recommended. Every Shakespeare play in approximately 75 minutes! Yes, that’s right! All 37 plays in just 1 act! Photo: Barry Purves An irreverent, fast-paced romp through the Bard’s plays, “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)” was London’s longest-running comedy having clocked a very palpa...
Full Cast and Creative Team Announced For the 60th Anniversary Production of Happy Days at Riverside Studios
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Full Cast and Creative Team Announced For the 60th Anniversary Production of Happy Days at Riverside Studios

Anthology Theatre, in association with Riverside Studios, announces full cast and creatives for the 60th anniversary production of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece Happy Days, directed by Trevor Nunn. Simon Wolfe plays Willie, joining the previously announced Lisa Dwan as Winnie. Completing the creative team are designer Robert Jones (Fiddler on the Roof, Quiz), lighting designer Tim Mitchell (Upstart Crow, Kinky Boots), sound designer Johnny Edwards (Moorcroft), production manager Matt Towell (Waitress, Come From Away), and costume supervisor Kate Hemstock (The Full Monty, We Will Rock You). The production opens on 20th June at Riverside Studios, where the playwright rehearsed Endgame in 1980 and Waiting for Godot in 1984, with previews from 11th June, and running until 25th July 2021. ...
Barn Theatre’s 2021 Reopening Season Announced
NEWS

Barn Theatre’s 2021 Reopening Season Announced

The Barn Theatre in Cirencester have today announced their full 2021 Reopening Season, which includes the 25th anniversary production of Marie Jones’ Olivier award-winning tragicomedy Stones in His Pockets (27th July – 22nd August) and the world premiere of Simon Reade’s actor-musician adaptation of David Copperfield (28th September – 6th November) with the Christmas spectacle The Brothers Grimm Present: Cinderella running over the festive season from 16th November 2020 – 2nd January 2021. The season will also see An Elephant in the Garden return to the Barn from 31st August – 11th September following its award-nominated digital run earlier this year as well as the previously announced run of the Olivier Award-winning comedy Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (15th June – 10th July)...
The Three Musketeers – attempted by FoolHardy
NEWS

The Three Musketeers – attempted by FoolHardy

This classic swashbuckling tale is brought to life in a mix of audio play and animation. Add to that a sprinkling of “behind the scenes” moments as the company present their production “Live” online. It is guaranteed to raise a smile. Alongside the main tale there is a sub story of a small theatre company putting on the audio play. This makes room for some of the comedy as the script writing by David Du Lesley (played by Anthony Eden) gives rise to issues from the cast and guest Narrator Robert Lindsey has plenty to say to the hapless Director/Writer/Actor David. There are also humorous topical references relating to online meetings. These fleeting nods are eased in beautifully without referring to the “current situation”.  Although the animation is billed as optional, it adds a...
Ian McDiarmid in the World Premiere of Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table
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Ian McDiarmid in the World Premiere of Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table

Wiltshire Creative, Malvern Theatres, Sheffield Theatres and HOME in association with MGC today announce Ian McDiarmid in the world première of Julian Barnes’ The Lemon Table, directed by MGC’s Artistic Director Michael Grandage. The production, which McDiarmid has adapted for performance, opens at Salisbury Playhouse part of Wiltshire Creative on 15th October, with a preview on 14th October, before touring to Sheffield Theatres; Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford; HOME Manchester and Malvern Theatres. In The Lemon Table, Julian Barnes brings his unsentimental, wryly comic, perspective to the complicated business of ageing, with its attendant, and often bizarrely, fluctuating emotions. Olivier and Tony Award-winning Ian McDiarmid and Michael Grandage have collaborated to bring The Lemo...
Groundbreaking children’s theatre company Theatre-Rites celebrate 25th anniversary
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Groundbreaking children’s theatre company Theatre-Rites celebrate 25th anniversary

Casting has been announced for the return to the stage of Theatre-Rites, the highly acclaimed children’s theatre company who celebrate their 25th anniversary this year. Amplifying diverse voices from a team of international collaborators, The Global Playground will premiere at the Manchester International Festival and online this July. The cast is comprised of acclaimed dancers Jahmarley Bachelor (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, ZooNation; Mariposa: A Transgender Tragedy, Denada Dance), Annie Edwards (A Kate Prince Company; ZooNation), Kennedy Junior Muntanga (Phoenix Dance Theatre; Chotto Xenos, Akram Khan Company) and Charmene Pang (Iceland Dance Company; Isadora Now: A Triple Bill, The Barbican). They are joined by puppeteer and actor Sean Garratt (A Christmas Carol, National Theatr...
Full Casting Announced for The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber
NEWS

Full Casting Announced for The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Leicester’s Curve theatre has today announced the full cast and production team for its Made at Curve production of The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, a celebratory reopening concert featuring the songs that made the musicals and memories from the extraordinary life and career of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Running 7th to 19th June in Curve’s transformed auditorium as part of the theatre’s upcoming socially distanced season, the production will be directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster. Bringing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s songs to life will be Madalena Alberto (Evita, Dominion Theatre), Jessica Daley (An Officer and a Gentleman, Curve and UK tour, Over The Rainbow, BBC), Tim Howar (The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre), Shem Omari James (Songs For A New World, London Palladi...