Friday, November 15

NEWS

After a dry spell, there’s magic brewing in the West End with Wonderment
NEWS

After a dry spell, there’s magic brewing in the West End with Wonderment

There’s magic brewing in the West End once more. A vaudevillian journey of illusion, with performers at the cutting edge of their art, Wonderment is set to astonish audiences this summer at the Palace Theatre. This fun night for all the family must be seen to be believed. Wonderment brings together some of the greatest illusionists live on stage in breath-taking displays of magic and illusion that will electrify, surprise and delight. Taking to the stage will be the multi-award-winning mind reader and TV star, Chris Cox, and the most talked about woman in magic, Josephine Lee. Chris Cox has sold out UK tours and runs at Fringe Festivals from Edinburgh to New Zealand, and is no stranger to the Palace Theatre as the Magic and Illusions Assistant for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child....
Waitress UK and Ireland Tour Announces Casting
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Waitress UK and Ireland Tour Announces Casting

Producers Barry & Fran Weissler and David Ian are delighted to announce casting for the first ever UK and Ireland tour of the smash hit romantic musical comedy WAITRESS opening at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 4th September 2021. The show will star Lucie Jones as ‘Jenna’, Sandra Marvin as ‘Becky’, Evelyn Hoskins as ‘Dawn’ and Busted’s Matt Willis as ‘Dr Pomatter’. Tour and casting schedule below. www.waitressthemusical.co.uk They will be joined by George Crawford as ‘Ogie’, Tamlyn Henderson as ‘Earl’ and Christopher D. Hunt as ‘Cal’. The company also includes Monique Ashe-Palmer, Amelia Atherton, Donal Brennan, Aimée Fisher, Nathanael Landskroner, Charlie Martin, Liam McHugh, Olivia Mitchell and Ben Morris. Further casting to be announced soon.  Lucie Jones reprises the role...
Birmingham Repertory Theatre announces autumn season programme
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Birmingham Repertory Theatre announces autumn season programme

Artistic Director, Sean Foley has today announced his programme for the 50th anniversary season of Birmingham Repertory Theatre in its current home on Centenary Square.  Tickets go on sale to Members from Monday 26th April and on general sale from 10am, Friday 30th April at www.birmingham-rep.co.uk    Opening the celebratory season, the smash-hit comedy-drama East Is East (4th - 25th September) returns home for its 25th anniversary Since premiering on The REP’s stage in 1996, East Is East has sold out three London runs, been adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film and become a modern classic of comic-drama. Rediscover this joyous play where it all began. This hilarious comedy follows George Khan as he strives to raise his family the proper Pakistani way but hasn’t c...
OLEANNA – West End transfer and tour for David Mamet’s provocative play
NEWS

OLEANNA – West End transfer and tour for David Mamet’s provocative play

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and Jonathan Church Productions’ critically acclaimed production of David Mamet’s highly provocative drama Oleanna, directed by Lucy Bailey, will tour the UK this Summer from 8th June, visiting Cambridge, Bath, Southampton and Malvern, before transferring to the West End’s Arts Theatre, London from 21st July to 23rd October 2021. The production will star Rosie Sheehy as Carol and Jonathan Slinger as John, reprising their roles from its sell-out run at Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio last December. When Oleanna opened nearly thirty years ago, it caused uproar amongst audiences from New York to London. Set on an American campus, a seemingly innocuous conversation between a college professor and his female student warps into a nightmare which threatens...
Brand new kickass-pirational pop musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World premieres this Autumn
NEWS

Brand new kickass-pirational pop musical Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World premieres this Autumn

The world premiere of a brand new kickass-pirational pop musical will burst into life at the Mayflower Mast Studio this Autumn as the Fantastically Great Women take to the stage to tell their stories. From the producer of SIX, this stage adaptation of suffragette descendent Kate Pankhurst’s award-winning picture book is written by celebrated dramatist Chris Bush (Nine Lessons and Carols, Almeida Theatre) and Number 1 hit songwriter Miranda Cooper (Girls Aloud, Sugar Babes). The incredible all-female creative team bringing this empowering new stage show to life is completed by Amy Hodge (Mr Gum and The Dancing Bear – The Musical!, the National Theatre) as director, Joanna Scotcher as designer (Emilia, Shakespeare’s Globe/Vaudeville Theatre), Dannielle Lecointe as choreographer (Dick Whit...
Barn Theatre and Arcola Theatre team up to co-produce the world premiere of A Russian Doll
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Barn Theatre and Arcola Theatre team up to co-produce the world premiere of A Russian Doll

The Barn Theatre in Cirencester and the Arcola Theatre in London have today announced that they will be teaming up to co-produce the world premiere of Cat Goscovitch’s new play, A Russian Doll. The play, which is based on a true story, follows twenty-something Masha as she becomes embroiled in the world of data and deceit as a member of Russia’s disinformation campaigns during the EU referendum. A Russian Doll, which will be directed by Nicolas Kent (All The President’s Men?, Another World), will run in Cirencester from 18th May – 13th June 2021*. Following the run in the Cotswolds, the production will open Arcola’s new outdoor space, Arcola Outside, in East London. The world premiere will feature design by Liz Da Costa, lighting by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner, sound and composition by H...
Top Magicians Line-up to Re-Open Liverpool’s M&S Arena
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Top Magicians Line-up to Re-Open Liverpool’s M&S Arena

Shone Productions are bringing a spectacular magic show, which is set to be the first performance of the year at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena this Summer to mark the venue’s post lockdown reopening. The show will form the first live programme taking place at the waterfront venue when Covid-19 restrictions are eased following 17th May. Liverpool-based producer James Shone is delighted to reveal that X-treme Magic will be staged on Saturday 22nd May at 7pm in The Auditorium at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena, and tickets are on sale now. This is no old-fashioned rabbit-out-of-hat magic, this show is a spectacle, designed to thrill with death-defying edge-of-your-seat stunts, grand stage illusions, daredevil escapology, and mind-blowing magic all within a fast-paced performance. ...
Contact Theatre’s beloved celebration of queer culture returns for 2021
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Contact Theatre’s beloved celebration of queer culture returns for 2021

Originally planned for February 2021, Contact can now reveal the new dates for the festival – 29th April – 1st May*. Queer Contact began over a decade ago and has since become a staple of Manchester’s queer arts scene. The annual Vogue Ball, is a riotous head-to-head display of skills from Vogue houses across the North West, has become a legendary event. In February 2020, Vogue Ball was the last live event to be produced by Contact before the pandemic forced theatres across the UK to close down. Tickets are already on sale for one of the highlights, a conversation with legendary TV writer Russell T Davies (It’s a Sin, Queer as Folk, Doctor Who) and It’s A Sin actor Nathaniel Hall. Nathaniel has already made waves in recent month around his activism on HIV, and together he and Davies ...
My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do to run at the Turbine Theatre for a limited time
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My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do to run at the Turbine Theatre for a limited time

My Son’s A Queer But What Can You Do, written by and performed by Rob Madge (Oliver!, Les Misérables) and directed by Luke Sheppard (& Juliet, In The Heights) celebrates the joy and chaos of raising a queer child, and runs at the Turbine Theatre for a limited run from 17th June until 03rd July. When Rob was 12, they attempted to stage a full-blown Disney parade in their house for their Grandma. As Rob donned a wig and played Mary Poppins, Ariel, Mickey Mouse and Belle, their Dad doubled as Stage Manager, Sound Technician and Goofy. Unfortunately, Dad missed all his cues and pushed all the floats in the wrong direction. Mum mistook Aladdin for Ursula. The costumes went awry. Ariel's bubble gun didn't even work properly. Grandma had a nice time though. Join Rob as they delve into t...
Theatre returns to Trafford as Waterside announces re opening date
NEWS

Theatre returns to Trafford as Waterside announces re opening date

Waterside, Trafford’s leading arts venue, is delighted to announce it is re-opening its doors for artists and audiences alike from Monday 17th May 2021 with an exciting summer and autumn programme of live theatre, music, visual arts, comedy, dance and spoken word. Highlights include its annual ten day Summer arts festival, Refract:21 (22nd – 31st July), outdoor productions of The Great Gatsby and Mr Stink, comedy nights with stand up stalwarts including Paul Foot, Mark Watson and Sofie Hagen and one off in conversation events with music legends John Lydon and Francis Rossi. Whilst the venue has faced inordinate challenges over the past year, Waterside has delivered a strong programme of online activity, engaging over 38,000 people with multiple digital performances and participatory eve...