Thursday, January 9

NEWS

The Royal Ballet gets Doncaster Dancing
NEWS

The Royal Ballet gets Doncaster Dancing

This summer The Royal Ballet, in partnership with Cast and Doncaster Council, set themselves a mission to get Doncaster Dancing. The special project, a first for The Royal Ballet, has resulted in a unique community dance film called Doncaster Dances. The film premiered online on 15th September at 5.30pm on the Royal Opera House, Cast and Doncaster Council websites. The film celebrates individuals and community groups and is inspired by the choreography of Kenneth MacMillan’s ballet Romeo and Juliet, with synchronicity to today’s lockdown themes of love and separation, family, friendship and solidarity. The film also features Doncaster local and Royal Ballet dancer Charlotte Tonkinson and fellow Royal Ballet dancer Joseph Aumeer. Doncaster residents, primary schools, sports clubs, car...
We Were Having A Perfectly Nice Time at Omnibus Theatre
NEWS

We Were Having A Perfectly Nice Time at Omnibus Theatre

OffWestEnd-commended Conflicted Theatre are delighted to welcome audiences once again to Omnibus Theatre with the premiere of We Were Having a Perfectly Nice Time, a short dark comedy about loo roll, lost love at the bus station and knowing when to end a conversation. The production runs at the Common Room at Omnibus Theatre every Friday and Saturday evening from 2nd – 31st October, with the official press night being held on Saturday 3rd October at 7:30pm. We Were Having a Perfectly Nice Time is written by Pedro Leandro, with Evan Lordan directing. It is performed by Stephanie Booth and Hannah Livingstone. The show will have a socially distanced audience, making it the perfect show to return to theatres. Some people are inherently unlikeable. Some people smell bad. Some people have ...
UK’s leading touring theatre companies to join forces this autumn to present Signal Fires
NEWS

UK’s leading touring theatre companies to join forces this autumn to present Signal Fires

The UK’s leading touring theatre companies are uniting this autumn to present Signal Fires, a nationwide project inspired by one of the original forms of theatre – storytelling around a fire. Presented at a time when it is not possible to physically tour, 45North, Arcade, Beyond Face, Big Telly, Boundless, Eastern Angles, English Touring Theatre, Fen in association with Out of Joint, Fio in association with Tara Arts Fuel, Graeae, Headlong, Hightide, Kestrel Theatre Company, Kneehigh, Macha Productions, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, New Perspectives, Pentabus, Pilot, Paines Plough, SBC Theatre, Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Slung Low, Spare Tyre, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men and Yellow Earth Theatre (with more to be announced) are uniting for the first time, to ...
Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show opens at Leeds Playhouse
NEWS

Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show opens at Leeds Playhouse

imitating the dog and Leeds Playhouse are joining forces once again for the première of the raucous and dark Dr Blood’s Old Travelling Show. This show is part of Leeds Playhouse’s reopening season to safely reintroduce audiences to the live theatre experience. Directed and written by imitating the dog’s Co-artistic Directors Andrew Quick and Pete Brooks they open outside on Playhouse Square from the 7th – 8th October and tour until 24th October. imitating the dog bring all their theatrical and technical acumen to this unique outdoor live theatre experience creating a tale of mischief and immorality, drawing on classic horror movies and the traditions of carnival and medicine shows. It’s set in a mythical 'North' as Dr Blood and his motley crew tell a tale of the price paid for pur...
The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper (Just like that!) – Liverpool Theatre Festival
NEWS, North West

The Very Best Of Tommy Cooper (Just like that!) – Liverpool Theatre Festival

I backed a horse today at 20 to 1… it came in at 20 past 4 As a child I remember sitting with the family and on came this man in a fez he was funny and very silly his name was Tommy Cooper. I remember thinking I’d love to see this man live but sadly he passed away. So, when I saw that the Liverpool Theatre Festival had a Tommy Copper show, I jumped at the chance to go. Daniel Taylor a local Liverpudlian actor best known for his tenure as Sammy Johnstone in Blood brothers in both the tour and West End show was playing the Magician. Upon entering the St Luke’s Church venue, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I can tell you is that I didn’t expect what I saw. Daniel Taylor was the living embodiment of the late great Tommy Cooper. His voice, tone, mannerisms were nailed to a tee. ...
St Helens Announce Cast For Christmas Panto 2020 – Beauty And The Beast
NEWS

St Helens Announce Cast For Christmas Panto 2020 – Beauty And The Beast

St Helens Theatre Royal is thrilled to announce the full cast for its Covid-secure Christmas pantomime for 2020, the enchanting tale of Beauty And The Beast. Producers Regal Entertainments recently announced that the panto would still go ahead in St Helens this Christmastime, despite a change to the previously announced show. Beauty And The Beast will now run at St Helens Theatre Royal from Friday 11th December 2020 through to Sunday 3rd January 2021. Tickets are on sale now. The countdown is now on to bring Beauty And The Beast to life on stage in St Helens, with all the high production values and comedy that audiences have come to enjoy. The highly anticipated show is sure to be a popular choice this festive season, especially given the lack of theatre productions over the la...
The Lowry saves Christmas by announcing TWO huge shows
NEWS

The Lowry saves Christmas by announcing TWO huge shows

The Lowry in Salford has confirmed plans to go-ahead with not one, but two Christmas shows this November and December. The arts centre on Salford Quays will offer theatregoers the choice of the international smash hit musical SIX (27th November 2020– 10th January 2021) and family favourite The Gruffalo (12th December 2020 – 10th January 2021). Both shows were originally set to take place in the venue’s 450-seat Quays Theatre- but have now moved into the much larger 1,700-seat Lyric Theatre which can allow for 1m+ social distancing between each booking. All existing ticket holders for SIX and The Gruffalo are being contacted about the new arrangements. The new seating configuration allows for COVID-secure deep-cleaning of the auditorium between each performance and ensures zero ...
Hope Mill Theatre confirms RENT will go ahead this year and it’s set to be the hottest ticket in town!
NEWS

Hope Mill Theatre confirms RENT will go ahead this year and it’s set to be the hottest ticket in town!

Hope Mill Theatre has announced its hotly-anticipated revival of classic rock musical RENT will run to socially distanced audiences this autumn – with the 12-strong cast forming a ‘bubble’ for the duration of the show’s run in Manchester. RENT, directed by Luke Sheppard, was due to play at the venue in July, but the run was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The venue has been working hard and keeping updated with new guidance being released regarding inside performances and after much careful consideration are excited to announce the production is scheduled to go ahead as planned. Hope Mill Theatre will be operating with strict Covid guidelines in place in line with the Government guidance for the performing arts. This will include operating at 50% capacity per show with ...
York Theatre Royal pantomime goes uber local
NEWS

York Theatre Royal pantomime goes uber local

As venues are still locked down York Theatre Royal is taking its pantomime around all of the historic city’s 21 wards during December and January The Travelling Pantomime’s pop-up show will be staged in non-traditional locations from community halls to social clubs and sports centres with all venues and performances adhering to current government guidance on COVID-19. In an unusual twist audiences will have a say in which of three of the most popular pantomime titles they want to see - Dick Whittington, Jack and the Beanstalk or Aladdin. Award-winning pantomime writer Paul Hendy is writing three scripts with the actors performing whichever show the audience choose on the night. The Travelling Pantomime will feature a cast of local actors, including entertainer and magician Jos...
Crowd funder launched to create new The Wedding Present musical
NEWS

Crowd funder launched to create new The Wedding Present musical

Fans of indie legends The Wedding Present are being asked to back a new Crowdfunder campaign to create a musical based on songs from their 30 year career. It’s the brainchild of writer and director Matt Aston who met Tony Ereira, director of Leeds record label Come Play With Me at a Wedding Present gig last year, and he also loved the idea. “I first saw The Wedding Present in Derby in 1988, so you could say this musical is over 30 years in the making,” says Matt.  “I’ll always be grateful to my older brother and his mates for taking his little 15-year-old brother to his first ever gig. I got a t-shirt, a set of badges and a nosebleed. Not to mention a new favourite band.” Matt and Tony put the idea to Wedding Present main man and songwriter David Gedge, along with an earl...