Swan Song Archives - North West End UK

2Jul

By Rebecca CaseyNo Comments

North West

Swan Song – Unity Theatre

I have just returned home from Liverpool’s Unity Theatre, or for the purposes of this evening a high school back in 1997. Swan song is a metaphorical phrase for a final gesture, effort, or performance given just before death or retirement all I can say is that I truly hope that this is not Andrew Lancel’s swan song because he is outstanding in this role. I don’t quite know what I was expecting tonight but Lancel’s portrayal of the character was the polar opposite to any role you may have seen him in previously. Andrew has had a celebrated career including several leading roles in television. I personally can’t look at him without picturing his character from Coronation Street. I also saw him in the national tour of The Sound of Music last year in Blackpool. The guy seems to be able t...

21Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Dive Into Swan Song at The Dukes

Jonathan Harvey’s bittersweet comedy Swan Song travels to The Dukes in Lancaster this July, on a short northern tour. This revised version of Harvey’s play stars TV and stage actor Andrew Lancel (Coronation Street, Cilla: The Musical), is directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw (Coronation Street, Our Girl) and is produced by Bill Elms, Liverpool Theatre Festival’s Artistic Director. Set in Liverpool in 1997, the show follows Dave Titswell, a gay, middle-aged English teacher. He has a crush, but life, love and work are never straight forward for Dave. Will a school trip to The Lakes change things for the better, or make things decidedly worse? Swan Song will make audiences laugh, but equally pull at the heartstrings. Everyone knows someone like Dave – or could even...

Andrew Lancel In One Man Show By Jonathan Harvey To On Northern Tour In July

4May

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Andrew Lancel In One Man Show By Jonathan Harvey To On Northern Tour In July

Following its critically acclaimed sell-out premiere at Liverpool Theatre Festival in September 2020, Swan Song, a revised comedy by acclaimed playwright Jonathan Harvey, is heading out on a northern tour in July following its rescheduled February dates due to lockdown. Swan Song, a one-man play starring Andrew Lancel, is directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw and produced by Bill Elms. The play will open at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre for six performances over three nights, this will be the first live performances at the theatre since closing in March 2020. The show then moves on to reopen the Little Theatre in Southport, Dukes Theatre in Lancaster, and City Varieties in Leeds. All venues will adhere to the current restrictions set out by the Government and will have ...

Andrew Lancel In One Man Comedy By Jonathan Harvey Touring England In February

8Dec

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Andrew Lancel In One Man Comedy By Jonathan Harvey Touring England In February

Following its critically acclaimed sell-out premiere at Liverpool Theatre Festival in September, Swan Song, a revised comedy by acclaimed playwright Jonathan Harvey, is heading out on tour in February to coincide with LGBT History Month. Swan Song, a one-man play starring TV and stage actor Andrew Lancel, is directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw and produced by Bill Elms. The play will open at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre for six performances over three nights, this will be the first live performances at the theatre since closing in March. The show then moves on to The Atkinson Southport, Lighthouse Poole, Swan Theatre Worcester, Belgrade Coventry, Dukes Lancaster, City Varieties Leeds, and Capitol Horsham. All venue will present to socially distanced audiences and mor...

One-Man Comedy By Jonathan Harvey To Tour Starring Andrew Lancel

19Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

One-Man Comedy By Jonathan Harvey To Tour Starring Andrew Lancel

Following its critically acclaimed sell-out premiere at Liverpool Theatre Festival in September, Swan Song, a revised comedy by acclaimed playwright Jonathan Harvey, will commence a short tour this year playing at venues opening to socially distanced audiences. Swan Song, a one-man play starring TV and stage actor Andrew Lancel, is directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw and produced by Bill Elms. The play will open at Liverpool’s Unity Theatre for four performances over two nights, this will be the first live indoor performance at the theatre since closing in March. The show then moves on to Dukes Lancaster, Alty Fringe at the Garrick Playhouse in Altrincham, The Cresset in Peterborough and the Belgrade in Coventry. More dates are to be confirmed soon. Swan Song w...

8Oct

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Alty Fringe Announce Its All Star Festival Programme

Live Theatre returns to Manchester next month with a new Covid-Secure live arts event staged at the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse over 2 weeks. Alty Fringe will showcase the amazing talent from our region and beyond, with everything from live theatre, children’s shows, comedy, and live music. The festival was originally being staged from Monday 23rd to Sunday 29th November, however an extra week has now been added and will now end on Saturday 6th December with even more shows to be confirmed. Event Organiser Max Eden has been working with the Altrincham Garrick Playhouse to bring live theatre and the arts back safely to the community, by staging the ‘Fringe Style’ series of events. putting in place several Covid safety measures which include - reduced socially distanced capacity in th...

21Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

North West

Swan Song – Liverpool Theatre Festival

Award-winning writer Jonathan Harvey’s clever monologue was first performed at the Edinburgh Festival and Hampstead Theatre in 1997. Reimagined by Harvey for the Liverpool Theatre Festival, and under the direction of BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw, it stars Andrew Lancel as English teacher Dave Titswell in a world that is changing both inside and outside of his treasured classroom. Delivered over five segued acts, we humorously contemplate Dave’s lessons in life, garnered from his twenty five years in the teaching profession, as he is faced with the conundrum of whether he has now reached the end of the line or if a school trip to the Lakes will change things for the better. With liberal doses of good humour throughout, what we discover on the way as we navigate his overzealou...

Andrew Lancel To Open Liverpool Theatre Festival With One Man Comedy Play By Jonathan Harvey

6Sep

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

NEWS

Andrew Lancel To Open Liverpool Theatre Festival With One Man Comedy Play By Jonathan Harvey

Swan Song, a comedy by Liverpool playwright Jonathan Harvey, will open a brand-new theatre festival in the city next week marking the return of live outdoor performance. Liverpool Theatre Festival will take place between Friday 11th September and Saturday 19th September 2020 in the grounds of St Luke’s Bombed Out Church and will help to kick-start the return of theatre productions in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. Swan Song is a one-man play written by Jonathan Harvey and starring Liverpool actor Andrew Lancel. The play will be directed by BAFTA award-winning director Noreen Kershaw. The show is produced by Liverpool Theatre Festival, in association with Bill Elms Productions and Quarry Street. credit Matt Ford Swan Song will officially start the nine-day run of Liverpoo...