Friday, March 29

Tag: Jamie Harrison

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Hull New Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Hull New Theatre

Within two minutes of Bedknobs and Broomsticks hitting the Hull New Theatre stage on Tuesday evening, the stage setting fell apart. An almighty cock-up? No, just the most amazing and dramatic opening of any theatre production I have ever witnessed. It was breath-taking and the whole musical continued in the same vein throughout. Take a bow, set and illusion designer, Jamie Harrison, not forgetting the associate scenic and puppet designer Kenneth MacLeod (more of the puppets later). We in the packed theatre were transported to the dark years of the Second World War, hence the aforementioned stage setting collapse, the result of bombing on the London home of the Rawlins family. The three children, orphaned in the tragedy, are packed off to the safety of the countryside. Thirt...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Wolverhampton Grand
West Midlands

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Wolverhampton Grand

The iconic Disney film Bedknobs and Broomsticks has been adapted into a ‘magical musical’ with additional songs from Neil Bartram, and a new book by Brian Hill. Adapting a beloved film for the stage can be risky, but Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison navigate the challenges with some flair and ingenuity. Harrison’s clever design references the original film’s animations, which also influence Gabriella Slade’s costume designs and Sam Cox’s hair and wig work. The opening sequence cleverly situates the piece in London during the Blitz as the Rawlins’ children’s world explodes. Following a bomb blast their bedroom shatters, its fractured parts framing the stage providing a constant reminder of the reality of war. There is some clever theatrical magic as we see the Rawlins’ children evacua...
Bedknobs & Broomsticks – The Lowry
North West

Bedknobs & Broomsticks – The Lowry

Musical theatre in Britain is currently heavily influenced by Disney, with three shows (The Lion King, Mary Poppins and Frozen) playing in the West End at present, and 'Beauty and the Beast' arriving in Manchester next month as part of a national tour. Whether you think this is a good or bad thing, it shows no sign of dissipating with the next one off the production line, an adaptation of the much beloved 1971 film musical 'Bedknobs and Broomsticks'. It is fair to say that with a few minor tweaks, the House of Mouse could have another big hit on its hands. The original stories by Mary Norton, author of The Borrowers, were written in the immediate period after the Second World War and the story of the Rawlins children, Charlie (Conor O'Hara), Carrie (Isabella Bucknall) and Paul (Aidan O...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Edinburgh Festival Theatre
Scotland

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Edinburgh Festival Theatre

Disney first brought Bedknobs and Broomsticks to the silver screen back in 1971, starring the much-loved Angela Lansbury. With music from the legendary Sherman Brothers, it’s always quietly nestled itself amongst the firm family favourites. The announcement it was coming to the stage and its subsequent tour have sent the musical theatre world into a frenzy and it’s easy to see why. Set amongst the bombs of WWII, three orphaned children find themselves sent to the south coast as evacuees where they are taken in by Eglantine Price, a trainee witch in correspondence with the elusive Emelius Browne. She’s got a witchy idea to defeat the Nazis with an incredible spell, but she and the children need help from Professor Emelius to seal the deal. The gang of travelers soon realize that in orde...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Leeds Grand Theatre
Yorkshire & Humber

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Leeds Grand Theatre

Every year people gather round their TVs after stuffing their faces to watch the festive classics, and eternally popular among them is Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks offering a quirky mix of live action and animation starring theatre legend Angela Lansbury as yuletide fun for all the family. It’s the story of the grieving Rawlins orphans - Charlie, Paul and Carrie - who are evacuated from bombed out London to a village where they are taken under the wing of local eccentric and trainee witch Eglantine Price. They join Eglantine and dodgy magician Emelius Browne on a series of magical adventures before taking on a dark threat to the village. It is such a familiar fixture on our idiot boxes that it seems natural that the catchy Sherman Brothers tunes would eventually make its way to...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Sheffield Lyceum
Yorkshire & Humber

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Sheffield Lyceum

First, we had the spectacles that are The Phantom of the Opera, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Mary Poppins and now there is a new contender to the crown with more magical illusions than you can shake a magic wand at! From the very opening sequence we are inundated with illusion and magic from Illusion Designer Jamie Harrison and it doesn’t let up for one moment. The children in the audience gasp and the technically minded amongst us try to work out how it was done. From flying broomsticks to beds, magical moving clothing to magical magician’s tricks. Then there is Kenneth MacLeod’s puppets of mighty lions to neon fish and rabbits to ostriches, this production is nonstop wonderment with a sense of humour and more than a dash of panache! The 1971 Disney film classic staring Angel...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Palace Theatre
North West

Bedknobs and Broomsticks – Palace Theatre

Bedknobs and Broomsticks arrives in Manchester this week, the first of a trilogy of Disney productions to play at the Palace Theatre with Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King arriving in the next 12 months. Tonight’s show was truly a lesson in visual artistry with scene after scene making you question if your eyes really saw that? Countless illusions including a flying bed and fully functioning broomstick take centre stage alongside glorious puppets all illuminated by a stunning lighting design all knitted together with slick direction from Candice Edmunds. The shows website says “When the three orphaned Rawlins children are reluctantly evacuated from wartime London to live with the mysterious Eglantine Price, they have no idea what adventures lie ahead. Upon discovering Eglantine...
Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be the festive show at Leeds Grand in 2021
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...
Disney’s Classic Movie to Make World Stage Premiere in The UK
NEWS

Disney’s Classic Movie to Make World Stage Premiere in The UK

Today Michael Harrison announces that Disney’s Academy Award-winning movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks will make its world premiere as an exciting new stage musical. Performances begin at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Saturday 14th August 2021, before a UK Tour which includes a 5-week Christmas season at Leeds Grand Theatre. Tickets are on General Sale today, Friday 11th December. Please see www.bedknobsonstage.com Enter a world of magic and fantasy with Disney’s classic movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks. With the original songs by the legendary Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), including Portobello Road, The Age Of Not Believing, The Beautiful Briny and new music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill, Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be ...