Friday, March 29

Tag: Theresa Heskins

Tom, Dick and Harry – Alexandra Palace
London

Tom, Dick and Harry – Alexandra Palace

Tom, Dick and Harry is a flamboyant, fun, family friendly version of what most people will recognise as The Great Escape. After extensive research, a more truthful, less Hollywood retelling is what this play gives its audience. The title, Tom, Dick and Harry reflects the research undertaken by the writers by using the code names given to the tunnels which the prisoner’s of war use in an attempt to escape German capture. Written by Michael Hugo, Andrew Pollard (both of which perform in the play) and director Theresa Heskins, the writing brings levity and humour to what could be a long and historically heavy play. The scenes can linger a little on humorous asides and there is a lack of tension in places but the pace picks back up in the group scenes. Set in the round in the beautiful Ale...
New Vic Theatre bring back old favourite Marvellous for their autumn season
NEWS

New Vic Theatre bring back old favourite Marvellous for their autumn season

By popular demand Staffordshire’s New Vic Theatre brings back the critically acclaimed Marvellous as part of their autumn season. Marvellous is the colourful life story of local legend Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin and returns to the in-the-round stage in September reuniting the original cast. The theatre then stages their Christmas show Alice in Wonderland to close their 60th anniversary celebrations from Saturday 18th November to Saturday 28th January. It’s adapted and directed by New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins and created by the same team who brought their productions of The Snow Queen which won the UK Theatre Award Best Show for Children and Young People in 2017, Treasure Island and last year’s Beauty and The Beast to life. Michael Hugo and Suzanne Ahmet in Marvellous 2 - C...
World premiere of Marvellous at New Vic Theatre
NEWS

World premiere of Marvellous at New Vic Theatre

Staffordshire’s New Vic Theatre will stage the world premiere of Marvellous telling the almost unbelievable story of Stoke City FC kit man, clown and all-round local hero, Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin. It is a wild ride through Baldwin’s colourful life filled with football stars, comedians, bishops, circus acts, budgies and even the Queen who awarded him a B.E.M. From the moment he was born, Baldwin knew he was destined to do wonderful things and so that is what he did. He joined a church choir then appeared on Songs of Praise, he hitchhiked across the country then became a famous clown, he went to see his local football team then became their kit man and this was a man who left school at 14 with no qualifications then received an honorary degree from Keele University. Credit: Andrew Bil...
Greatest second world war escape plan comes to the stage
NEWS

Greatest second world war escape plan comes to the stage

In 1944 76 allied prisoners of war escaped from Stalag Luft III and new play Tom, Dick and Harry tells their remarkable story. Tom, Dick and Harry were the codenames for three tunnels dug by the prisoners from many different nations deep under the camp’s barbed wire fence that were designed to support their mass escape. Newcastle-under-Lyme's New Vic Theatre and Kenny Wax Ltd are producing an original script co-written by Andrew Pollard, Michael Hugo and Theresa Heskins inspired by top secret information that was classified in the war archives until 1972. They will be debunking the myths while honouring the people who engineered the tunnels and their unrelenting resistance to their Nazi captors. “We’ll tell it as a really dynamic, vibrant piece of theatre that celebrates t...
New Vic Theatre Reschedule Opening of Marvellous to Spring 2021
NEWS

New Vic Theatre Reschedule Opening of Marvellous to Spring 2021

Marvellous, a brand-new play based on the life of local hero, Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin, was due to take to the stage in the theatre’s newly refurbished auditorium in September. However, due to the uncertainty around when theatres will be able to safely start rehearsals for shows and also reopen to the public for performances, the New Vic has taken the decision to reschedule the production to a later date and now hopes to stage this inspiring show in April 2021. Theresa Heskins, New Vic Artistic Director said: “A New Vic production like Marvellous takes months of planning, and many people are involved in its creation. From our in-house team to freelance actors and creatives, and of course Neil himself, it is a huge endeavour – and much of the work happens before we even start rehearsals...