Wednesday, April 24

NEWS

Love is in the air as York Theatre Royal re-opens on Valentine’s Day
18Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Love is in the air as York Theatre Royal re-opens on Valentine’s Day

York Theatre Royal will open its doors again on Valentine’s Day 2021 with The Love Season, a season of plays from around the world embracing love in its many forms. Chief Executive Tom Bird said: “The Love Season is designed to remind us that human connection – love, sympathy, kindness, mutual understanding, warmth, equality – is what makes us the wonderful human beings we are. In 2021 we want to celebrate humanity, our own community and a sense of togetherness. We want to do that with words, music, dancing, film and even food! It’s going to be fun and we can’t wait.” The theatre will re-open on February 14th with a special event York in Love, currently being finalised. That will be followed by The Love Season (until April 21st) led by the debut tour of award-winning Coronation S...
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Everyman & Playhouse look to 2021 as new shows announced for spring
18Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Everyman & Playhouse look to 2021 as new shows announced for spring

Bold, innovative and brave theatre is back at the Everyman & Playhouse in 2021, as the theatres announce six exciting projects for spring. Among the season are local treasures, multi award-winning visiting productions and a Young Everyman Playhouse takeover of the Everyman auditorium. One of the stand out success stories for the theatres during the pandemic, Love Liverpool: An A-Z of Hope moves from a podcast to the Playhouse stage in April. Threaded together with new writing by Chloë Moss and directed by Nathan Powell, Love Liverpool Live will bring the original commissioned letters and real life stories submitted by the public, and create an on-stage love letter to Liverpool. Nathan Powell said: “I’m absolutely buzzing to be a part of this next chapter for Love Liverpool. Duri...
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Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol
18Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Leeds Playhouse launch digital performances of A Christmas Carol

As West Yorkshire stays under Tier 3 restrictions the team at Leeds Playhouse have been forced to offer A Christmas Carol as a digital screening. They’re now unable to welcome people into its Quarry Theatre to enjoy their annual festive spectacular, so they’ve teamed up with Yorkshire based company Pilot Theatre to film the production, which they were already planning to show for free in care homes, schools and hospitals across Leeds.  Now tickets priced from £10 for the first Playhouse At Home event are also being made available to the general public for five special online performances from 21st – 23rd December, giving audiences wherever they are a chance to safely see this adaptation of the Dickens classic by Deborah McAndrew. “Our vivid retelling of one of the best-loved stor...
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Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021
18Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021

The world premiere tour of Disney’s new stage musical Bedknobs and Broomsticks, will be ‘bobbing along’ to Leeds Grand Theatre next year for a five-week Christmas run from Wednesday 8th December to Sunday 9th January 2022. This stage version of the beloved 1971 Academy Award-winning film starring Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson, features songs from the Sherman Brothers, including Portobello Road, The Age Of Not Believing, The Beautiful Briny, with and a new book plus music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and Brian Hill. Based on the books The Magic Bedknob, or How to Become a Witch in Ten Easy Lessons and Bonfires and Broomsticks by English children's author Mary Norton, it’s the family friendly story of three orphaned children reluctantly evacuated from London to live with the myste...
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HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Still Life’ – Buy Art not Socks!
17Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

HUNCHtheatre’s ‘Still Life’ – Buy Art not Socks!

HUNCHtheatre celebrated their 2nd birthday earlier this year, but due to two lockdowns their creative wings have been severely clipped, which also means their income has reduced dramatically.   In spite of this, during the summer they used outdoor spaces such as an abandoned outdoor swimming pool for theatrical creations, they held outdoor readings, and performed their play ‘A Hero Of Our Time’ in a West End abandoned church in typical HUNCHtheatre style. Even though they have kept busy with these outdoor shows, they have also kept in touch with their Belarus branch by utilising online resources, and this is something that they dearly wish to continue, but without any funding from the state, they need help from their supporters, i.e. YOU! Artistic Directors Oliver Benn...
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New production images released for SIX at Lyric Theatre
12Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

New production images released for SIX at Lyric Theatre

SIX recently announced an 11-week extension to its West End season at the Lyric theatre to catch Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s smash hit before it returns to the Arts Theatre.SIX was the first musical to resume performances in the West End since theatres were closed down in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.SIX producers Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes and George Stiles say, “We have been thrilled and overwhelmed by the response for tickets. Audiences are obviously desperate to get back to the theatre. We hope that after several false starts we will be able to proceed in London and Salford as planned.”Writer and co-director, Lucy Moss, promises the Queendom that the new London production will be “the shiniest version of SIX yet!”SIX will perform 9 shows a week at the Lyric Theatre in...
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Boff and Daniel run away from it all
11Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Boff and Daniel run away from it all

These Hills Are Ours written by writer-performer Daniel Bye and Chumbawamba’s Boff Whalley exploring their mutual love of running and freedom gets its world premiere at ARC Stockton in January. The pair also celebrates the freedom to roam wild places and asks both of them what they’re really running from. For the last three years Bye and Whalley have been running a series of routes, from the centre of any place they found themselves in up to the top of the peak overlooking that city. Daniel then took off on one epic journey travelling more than twice as far as he’s ever run before. In story and in song this is the story of what they found out - about the relationship between city and country, between wild and controlled, about land ownership, about why we’re drawn to wild places ...
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Birmingham Hippodrome to extend Van Gogh Alive into January
11Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
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Birmingham Hippodrome to extend Van Gogh Alive into January

Following the huge success of hosting the UK premiere of Van Gogh Alive, Birmingham Hippodrome have announced they will be extending the experience until Sunday 31 January. Close to 30,000 attended in the opening few weeks after opening to the Public on Thursday 8th October. The Hippodrome was completely transformed to host the unique multisensory experience, extending the main stage an incredible 750sqm into the auditorium to create an open, immersive gallery space, giving the sensation of walking right into Van Gogh’s paintings. Fiona Allan, Artistic Director and Chief Executive at Birmingham Hippodrome said: “We are of course disappointed our doors have to remain closed for a little longer whilst Birmingham is in Tier 3, as we have been so proud of the fantastic response Van Gogh...
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The Nutcracker at Birmingham Repertory Theatre to be Live Streamed
11Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

The Nutcracker at Birmingham Repertory Theatre to be Live Streamed

Following news of Birmingham’s Tier 3 status last week, and ongoing uncertainty about what will be possible post 16th December, Birmingham Royal Ballet has taken the difficult decision to move their 2020 adapted version of The Nutcracker online. The magical Christmas production will be streamed live from The Birmingham Repertory Theatre on Friday 18th December at 7.30pm, giving audiences an experience as close to watching it live in the theatre as is possible. Birmingham Royal Ballet’s The Nutcracker at The REP will be available to watch as a livestream event at 7.30pm on Friday 18th December.  It will then be available to view as a video-on-demand recording from Saturday 19th to Thursday 24th December.  Video-on-demand sales close at midnight on 21st December but can be view...
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Production image released for A Christmas Carol at Leeds Playhouse
11Dec By Paul DownhamNo Comments
NEWS

Production image released for A Christmas Carol at Leeds Playhouse

New production images released today show the company of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, bringing to life Charles Dickens’ spine-tingling festive story. From ghost lights centre stage, the spirits emerge to share with miser Ebenezer Scrooge the true meaning of this festive time of year. It’s Christmas Eve in Victorian Leeds, but the cold-hearted Scrooge hasn’t shared an ounce of festive cheer. As the cold night draws in, four ghostly spirits take Ebenezer on a magical journey through his past, his present and his future, hoping to show him the error of his ways. With Christmas spirit, fun, music and magic at its heart, this timeless Charles Dickens tale is brought vividly to life. Adapted by award-winning, West Yorkshire born playwright Deborah McAndrew, A CHRISTMAS CAROL is directed by Leeds Pl...
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