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Waitress UK and Ireland Tour Announces Casting

21Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

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

21Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

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...

21Apr

By Alan Stuart MalinNo Comments

REVIEWS

Hymn – Sky Arts at Almeida Theatre

Lolita Chakrabarti’s thoughtful new play ‘Hymn’ was conceived with a live audience in mind. However, Blanche McIntyre’s recent production filmed under COVID-safe, socially distanced conditions at the Almeida Theatre, initially live-streamed and then shown this weekend on Sky Arts works perfectly in communicating the relationship between two men, Gill (Adrian Lister) and Benny (Danny Sapani). The play centres only on Gill and Benny, and opens with the funeral of Gill’s Father, Gus. Gill delivers the eulogy. Benny is also at the funeral. The two men meet, not at all by chance, and even though they are from vastly different social backgrounds, with different education and different prospects, this opens a course of events that draw the two into what becomes a powerful and emotionally charg...

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

21Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

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...

21Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

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

20Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

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

20Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

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

20Apr

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

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 ...

The Importance of Being Earnest – Lawrence Batley Theatre & The Dukes

20Apr

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Importance of Being Earnest – Lawrence Batley Theatre & The Dukes

Oscar Wilde’s wonderfully adroit and sharply observed comedy involving romantic mischief and the pursuit of love is reimagined and adapted by writer Yasmeen Khan. This digital co-production between the Laurence Batley Theatre Huddersfield and The Dukes Lancaster uses some film and video techniques throughout and the results are both slick and well-paced. Using the basic narrative of the original play, Khan, cleverly transfers the action of the story to modern day. Largely set in the world of the sitcom and social media, we follow the romantic misadventures of struggling actor Jamil/Earnest played by Gurjett Singh, Algy played by Tom Dixon, Gul played by Nikki Patel and Safina played by Zoe Iqbal. I must say that all four actors give tremendously energetic performances throughout a...

19Apr

By Luke StephensonNo Comments

REVIEWS

Private Peaceful – Barn Theatre

Last night I had the chance to review one of my favourite books Private Peaceful as performed by Boxless Theatre productions and Barn Theatre. The production was directed by Alexander Knott and Zoe Grain. Micheal Morpurgo’s book Private Peaceful is set in Devon during World War One. It is told from the perspective of Tommo Peaceful, played by Emily Costello. Who is the first female actress to play Tommo. Her performance that was described by Michael Morpurgo as “extraordinary.” Barn theatre say that “Private Peaceful tells the story of Private Tommo Peaceful, who looks back on his upbringing, his romance with childhood sweetheart, Molly and the terrible events that saw him taken from this idyllic setting and into the horrors of war”. Throughout the show it jumps between the pa...