Author: Aeron James

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Andrew Lloyd Webber’s School of Rock – The Musical To Tour the UK and Ireland in 2021

School of Rock the Musical to go on 2021 UK Tour

School of Rock – The Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s smash hit, award-winning West End show, will go on a major UK Tour in 2021, opening at the Birmingham Alexandra Theatre on Saturday 13 February 2021.

Based on the hilarious hit movie, this new musical follows Dewey Finn, a failed, wannabe rock star who decides to earn a few extra bucks by posing as a substitute teacher at a prestigious prep school. There he turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band – sensationally performed live by the production’s young actors every night with roof-raising energy!

While teaching these pint-sized prodigies what it means to truly rock, Dewey falls for the school’s beautiful, but uptight headmistress, helping her rediscover the wild child within.

Featuring 14 new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber and all the original songs from the movie, this high-octane smash delivers face-melting guitar riffs and touching romance in equally awesome doses.

The production opened at the New London Theatre (now the Gillian Lynne Theatre) in November 2016 to 5-star reviews and widespread critical acclaim. It went on to win the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music. The Broadway production recently concluded its run at the Winter Garden Theatre with a US national touring production continuing. An Australian production opened at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne last October.

School of Rock – The Musical features new music written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Glenn Slater (The Little Mermaid, Sister Act) and a book by Julian Fellowes. It is directed by Laurence Connor (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, London Palladium 2019) with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter, set and costume designs by Anna Louizos, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by Mick Potter, music supervision by John Rigby with Matt Smith as musical director.

Andrew Lloyd Webber is the composer of some of the world’s best known musicals including Cats, Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Phantom of the Opera (which this year celebrates its 30th anniversary) and Sunset Boulevard.  In New York, School of Rock – The Musical, a stage version of the movie, is currently running alongside Cats and Phantom of the Opera, equalling Lloyd Webber’s previous record of three shows running simultaneously on Broadway.

His awards, both as composer and producer, include seven Tonys, seven Oliviers, a Golden Globe, an Oscar, the Praemium Imperiale, the Richard Rodgers Award for Excellence in Musical Theatre, a BASCA Fellowship, the Kennedy Center Honor and a Grammy for Best Contemporary Classical Composition for Requiem, his setting of the Latin Requiem mass which contains one of his best known compositions, Pie Jesu.  He owns seven London theatres including the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, the New London Theatre and the London Palladium.  He was knighted by Her Majesty The Queen in 1992 and created an honorary member of the House of Lords in 1997.  He is passionate about the importance of music in education and the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has become one of Britain’s leading charities supporting the arts and music.

School of Rock has a book by Julian Fellowes, for which he received a Tony nomination. Julian the creator, writer and executive producer of the worldwide hit TV series Downton Abbey, which has received 69 Emmy Award nominations, winning 15, including two awards for Fellowes.

Casting for the UK Touring production is to be announced.

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Aaron Taylor-Johnson & Steve Pemberton to star in West End Premiere of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Steve Pemberton to star in The Pillowman

Martin McDonagh, the multi Olivier, BAFTA and Academy Award-winning playwright and screen-writer responsible for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths and Six Shooter, is back in London’s West End this summer with his acclaimed iconic play,The Pillowman.

Performances begin at the Duke of York’s Theatre from Friday 24 July, for a strictly limited 12-week season. As a special initiative, the producers are also thrilled that they will be making tickets available for every performance on a ‘Pay What You Can” scheme.

With an all-star cast including Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Golden Globe Award winner, Nocturnal Animals) and Steve Pemberton (Bafta Award winner, The League of Gentlemen), Matthew Dunster directs the first ever West End production of Martin McDonagh’s electrifying and savagely funny Olivier Award-winning The Pillowman (its only previous UK run was at the National Theatre in 2003) at the intimate Duke of York’s Theatre for a strictly limited season.

“The Pillowman is a play that’s always been very close to my heart, in terms of its combination of the darkest of dark comedy with its exploration of the nature of story-telling itself. It’s a play that I haven’t wanted to have staged in London until I could find the perfect director and the ideal cast for it, and having worked with Matthew previously on Hangmen, and been an admirer of Steve and Aaron’s work for many years, I feel it’s the perfect time to find out what a whole new generation makes of this peculiar tale…”

Martin McDonagh, Playwright

In a totalitarian state a Writer is questioned by the authorities about a spate of murders that bear similarities to his short stories. Is this life imitating art or something more sinister? This black comedy widely regarded as one of the greatest plays of the past 25 years, examines the role of the artist in society and asks what price do we pay for freedom of expression.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s film roles include portrayals of a young John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, Count Vronksy in Joe Wright’s adaptation of Anna Karenina and James Frey in A Million Little Pieces. Recently starred in Doug Liman’s The Wall, David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King and the upcoming Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.  Additional credits include the titular character in the Kick-Ass Films, Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Shanghai Knights, Godzilla and Oliver Stone’s Savages. He was recognized with a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor and a BAFTA Award Nomination for Tom Ford’s thriller, Nocturnal Animals. Aaron Taylor-Johnson will play Katurian in The Pillowman.

Steve Pemberton is a member of The League of Gentlemen with Reece Shearsmith, Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson.  He co-wrote and appeared in Psyschoville and Inside Number 9.  His other television credits include: Good Omens, Worzel Gummidge, Doctor Who, Benidorm, Blackpool, Shameless, Whitechapel, Happy Valley and Mapp and Lucia.  His stage work includes playing Mr Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer at the National Theatre. Steve Pemberton will play Tupolski.

Matthew Dunster – who directed McDonagh’s award-winning Hangmen at the Royal Court, in the West End and about to open on Broadway – is joined on the creative team by Set and Costume Designer Anna Fleischle (Hangmen, Death of a Salesman, Message in a Bottle, Everyone’s Talking about Jamie) and Sound Designer Ian Dickinson (Hangmen, Company – West End and Broadway, Jerusalem and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time).

Empire Street Productions presents The Pillowman and are thrilled to be bringing this extraordinary play to London with a ‘Pay What You Can’ ticket pricing initiative across the whole run. James Bierman (Empire Street Productions) said,  ”I really hope that with this play, this cast and for this production, we can welcome both established and new playgoers into the West End, and that this pricing accessibility will give those audiences the thrill of live theatre at its very best.”

More information can be found on The Pillowman’s website.

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Be More Chill announces London extension at The Other Palace

Be More Chill Announces London Extension

The producers of the UK premiere of Joe Iconis’ mind-bendingly fun musical, Be More Chill, which premiered to great critical and popular acclaim last week, are delighted to announce a six-week extension.  It will now run at The Other Palace in London until Sunday 14 June 2020, making it the longest running musical at London’s The Other Palace.

‘Making my London debut as a musical theatre writer has long been a dream of mine and my experience with Be More Chill at The Other Palace has exceeded all expectations. I have been blown away by the response of audiences and the theatre community here in the UK and am ecstatic that we will be extending our run until 14 June. How thrilling that more people will now get to experience this production I am so proud of, populated by a genius cast of British unicorns. I look forward to returning this summer to see those brilliant creatures work their misfit magic once again.‘

Joe Iconis, Composer & Lyricist

Scott Folan plays the central character of Jeremy Heere, with Blake Patrick Anderson as Michael Mell and Miracle Chance as Christine Canigula.  Stewart Clarke plays The Squip, Eloise Davies is Brooke Lohst, Christopher Fry plays Mr Heere and Mr Reyes, James Hameed plays Rich Goranski, Renee Lamb is Jenna Rolan, Millie O’Connell is Chloe Valentine and Miles Paloma plays Jake Dillinger.  Understudies are:  Gabriel Hinchcliffe, Eve Norris and Jon Tsouras.

Millie O’Connell (Chloe Valentine), Photo Credit: Matt Crockett

Be More Chill is based on the groundbreaking novel of the same name by Ned Vizzini.  With original music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and a book by Joe Tracz.  

Be More Chill tells the atypical love story of a boy, a girl … and the supercomputer inside the boy’s head guiding him every step of the way. The boy is desperately trying to fit in. The girl’s longing to be noticed. And the supercomputer just wants to take over the world.

Renee Lamb (Jenna Rolan), Photo Credit: Matt Crockett

Since the 2015 Original Cast Recording was released by Ghostlight Records, millions of people streamed the album and formed a passionate community of Be More Chill fans, leading the musical to receive a Broadway production, and now this new London production.

When the 2019 Broadway Cast Recording was released by Ghostlight Records, it debuted at #2 on the Top Cast Albums Chart. Songs from the musical have now accumulatively garnered over 350 million streams, with the breakout track Michael In The Bathroom amassing over 31 million streams and 8 million YouTube views alone. Tumblr has ranked Be More Chill as the #2 most talked-about musical on their platform, behind only Hamilton.

Scott Folan (Jeremy), Blake Patrick Anderson (Michael Mell), Photo Credit: Matt Crockett

Joining Joe Iconis and Joe Tracz on the creative team are director Stephen Brackett, choreographer Chase Brock, set designer Beowulf Boritt, costume designer Bobby Frederick Tilley II, lighting designer Tyler Micoleau, sound designer Ryan Rumery and video designer Alex Basco Koch with wigs by Dave Bova. Orchestrations are by Charlie Rosen, vocal arrangements by Emily Marshall, UK Musical Direction by Louisa Green and UK casting is by Will Burton.  

Jerry Goehring and Lisa Dozier King are Executive Producers for the UK Production of Be More Chill.

Book tickets on The Other Palace’s website and find out more about the show on Be More Chill’s website.

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Cast Announced for Barn Theatre Production of Ben Hur

Ben Hur Cast Announced for the Barn Theatre

The Barn Theatre have announced casting for their upcoming Built by Barn production of the comedy Ben Hur by Olivier award-winning playwright Patrick Barlow.

The production, which runs at the award-winning theatre in the historic Roman town of Cirencester from 4 March to 18 April 2020, will star James Dinsmore (Great Expectations) as Edgar T Chesterfield, Liam Horrigan (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Daniel Veil, Devarnie Lothian (Grandpa’s Great Escape) as Omar Lord and Bronte Tadman (A Christmas Carol) as Crystal Singer.

Joseph O’Malley returns to direct, following his previous direction on the Barn Theatre’s successful productions of Hound of the Baskervilles and The 39 Steps. Bronte Tadman also returns to the Barn Theatre after appearing in their 2019 production of A Christmas Carol.

Based on the best-selling novel, General Lew Wallace’s Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ and the 11-time Academy award-winning 1959 film adaptation starring Charlton Heston, this stage adaptation asks the question: can four actors in an amateur theatre company pull off this epic tale? Will the backstage drama ruin the show? One thing that can be certain… audiences will be laughing uncontrollably by the end of the evening! 

Complete with chariot races, sea battles, and stage combat, Patrick Barlow weaves his compressed style popularised by The 39 Steps into one of the largest stories ever told.

This Built by Barn production marks the second time the award-winning theatre has produced a play by Patrick Barlow, following their successful 2019 production of The 39 Steps, which transferred to Theatre Royal Windsor in August 2019.

The production will feature choreography by Zac Nemorin, set design by Justin Williams (Soho Cinders), costume design by Penn O’Gara, lighting design by Sam Rowcliffe-Tanner and Justin Farndale and sound design by Harry Smith.

Book tickets on the Barn Theatre website.

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Come From Away Announces West End Extension

Come From Away Announces West End Extension

The Olivier and Critics’ Circle award-winning musical Come From Away celebrated its first birthday in the West End by announcing an extension through to 17 October 2020.

The joyous musical tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of 9/11, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed, and nerves ran high, but as uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

On 11 September 2001 the world stopped. On 12 September, their stories moved us all.

The company of Come From Away West End. Photo Credit: Craig Sugden

The multi award-winning musical continues sold-out, record-breaking engagements on Broadway, in Canada, in Australia, and on a 60-city North American Tour. A feature film adaptation is also in the works.

From Monday 10 February 2020, Come From Away welcomed new cast members in the West End, including Tarinn Callender (Bob and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others), Kate Graham (Diane and others), and Alasdair Harvey (Nick/Doug and others), with Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Sorelle Marsh, Micha Richardson and Matthew Whennell-Clark.

They join Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Mark Dugdale (taking over the roles of Kevin T/Garth and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J/Ali and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others), Emma Salvo (Janice and others), Cat Simmons (Hannah and others) and Chiara Baronti, Alexander McMorran and Jennifer Tierney.

Under the Musical Direction of Alan Berry (Keyboard/Accordion/Harmonium), the band includes Matt Bashford (Whistles/Irish Flute/Uilleann Pipes), Aoife Ní Bhriain (Fiddle), Oli Briant (Electric, Acoustic and Nylon Guitars), Ray Fean (Bodhrán/Percussion), Joey Grant (Electric Bass/Acoustic Bass), Justin Quinn (Acoustic Guitar/Mandolins/Bazouki) and Ian Whitehead (Drums/Percussion).

The company of Come From Away West End. Photo Credit: Craig Sugden

Come From Away features a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and is directed by Christopher Ashley, with musical staging by Kelly Devine, music supervision and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Gareth Owen, hair design by David Brian Brown, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and casting by Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG.

In addition to winning 4 Olivier Awards (London) including “Best New Musical”, and recently the Critics’ Circle Theatre Award for “Best Musical” (London), Come From Away has scooped multiple awards across North America:  the Tony Award for “Best Direction of a Musical”, 5 Outer Critics’ Circle Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding New Broadway Musical”, 3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding Musical”, 4 Helen Hayes Awards (Washington DC) including “Outstanding Production of a Musical”, 4 Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 4 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including “Excellence in Production of a Musical”, 6 San Diego Critics Circle Awards including “Outstanding New Musical”, 3 Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including “Best New Musical”, 3 Dora Awards (Toronto) including “Outstanding New Musical/Opera” and “Outstanding Production”, and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto).

The company of Come From Away West End. Photo Credit: Craig Sugden

Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC and Mirvish Productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada, all in partnership with Junkyard Dog Productions. Come From Away (NAMT Festival 2013) was originally developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam CT. The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle WA also provided development support. 

Come From Away is produced in the UK by Junkyard Dog Productions and Smith & Brant Theatricals. The European premiere of Come From Away was co-produced with the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre.

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Cast Announced for the World Premiere of Chloë Moss’ Run Sister Run

Casting has been announced for a new play by award-winning playwright Chloë Moss. Run Sister Run, a co-production between Paines Plough, Sheffield Theatres and Soho Theatre, explores the lives of two sisters and the different directions life takes them in as they desperately hold onto their unbreakable bond. 

The production is directed by Paines Plough co-Artistic Director Charlotte Bennett and the cast includes Lucy Ellinson (Macbeth, Top Girls), Helena Lymbery (Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear, His Dark Materials), Lucas Button (War Horse, The Butterfly Lion) and Silas Carson (The Captive Queen, The Comedy of Errors). The show will open at Sheffield Theatres on 27 February before transferring to Soho Theatre from 25 March. The production runs until 2 May.  ‘You can’t pick your family but if you could I’d still pick you’

Connie and Ursula are sisters, connected by the same beginning but heading in different directions. Spanning four decades up to the present day, nurture competes with nature as the pair navigate their unbreakable bond. From award-winning playwright Chloë Moss, this story of family, love and dependence asks who gets it right?

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Come From Away announces new West End cast

As the Olivier Award-winning “Best New Musical” Come From Away enters its second year in the West End,  it welcomes new cast members from Monday 10 February 2020. This joyous musical tells the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of 9/11, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed, and nerves ran high, but as uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

On 11 September 2001 the world stopped. On 12 September, their stories moved us all.

The multi award-winning musical continues sold-out, record-breaking engagements on Broadway, in Canada, in Australia and on a 60-city North American Tour. It has recently been announced that a tour of China will commence in Shanghai from May 2020, and a feature film adaptation is in the works.

The new cast of Come From Away in the West End will include Tarinn Callender (Bob and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others) Kate Graham (Diane and others), and Alasdair Harvey (Nick/Doug and others), with Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Sorelle Marsh, Micha Richardson and Matthew Whennell-Clark.

They join Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Mark Dugdale (taking over the roles of Kevin T/Garth and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J/Ali and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others), Emma Salvo (Janice and others), Cat Simmons (Hannah and others) and Chiara Baronti, Alexander McMorran and Jennifer Tierney.

Under the Musical Direction of Alan Berry (Keyboard/Accordion/Harmonium), the band includes Matt Bashford (Whistles/Irish Flute/Uilleann Pipes), Aoife Ní Bhriain (Fiddle), Oli Briant (Electric, Acoustic and Nylon Guitars), Ray Fean (Bodhrán/Percussion), Joey Grant (Electric Bass/Acoustic Bass), Justin Quinn (Acoustic Guitar/Mandolins/Bazouki) and Ian Whitehead (Drums/Percussion).

Come From Away features a book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein and is directed by Christopher Ashley, with musical staging by Kelly Devine, music supervision and arrangements by Ian Eisendrath, scenic design by Beowulf Boritt, costume design by Toni-Leslie James, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Gareth Owen, hair design by David Brian Brown, orchestrations by August Eriksmoen, and casting by Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG.

In addition to winning 4 Olivier Awards (London) including “Best New Musical”, Come From Away has scooped multiple awards all across North America:  the Tony Award for “Best Direction of a Musical”, 5 Outer Critics Circle Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding New Broadway Musical”, 3 Drama Desk Awards (NYC) including “Outstanding Musical”, 4 Helen Hayes Awards (Washington DC) including “Outstanding Production of a Musical”, 4 Los Angeles Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 4 Gypsy Rose Lee Awards (Seattle) including “Excellence in Production of a Musical”, 6 San Diego Critics Circle Awards including “Outstanding New Musical”, 3 Toronto Theatre Critics Awards including “Best New Musical”, 3 Dora Awards (Toronto) including “Outstanding New Musical/Opera” and “Outstanding Production”, and the 2017 Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award (Toronto).

Come From Away was originally co-produced in 2015 by La Jolla Playhouse and Seattle Repertory Theatre, and presented in 2016 by Ford’s Theatre in Washington DC and Mirvish Productions at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada, all in partnership with Junkyard Dog Productions. Come From Away (NAMT Festival 2013) was originally developed at the Canadian Music Theatre Project, Michael Rubinoff Producer, Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, and was further developed at Goodspeed Musicals’ Festival of New Artists, in East Haddam CT. The Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and the 5th Avenue Theatre in Seattle WA also provided development support. 

Come From Away is produced in the UK by Junkyard Dog Productions and Smith & Brant Theatricals. The European premiere of Come From Away was co-produced with the Abbey Theatre, Ireland’s National Theatre.

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The Turbine Theatre Announces Its 2020 Season

The Turbine Theatre in Circus West Village, the first chapter in the regeneration of the iconic Battersea Power Station, has announced an exciting and diverse Spring 2020 season, which includes the programming of a variety of new work and emerging talent from visiting companies, as well as the transfer of one of the Edinburgh Festival’s 2019 hit shows, #HonestAmy.

The full Spring 2020 season comprises of: The stage spectacular, Burlesque’d Live!, directed by Ashley Luke Lloyd and starring Kelsey Beth Crossley and Charlotte Gooch; hot off the back of a successful summer in the West End; Riot Act, a play exploring six decades of queer history; The Barn Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest; Warped Sacrifice, an original play with fast-paced movement sequences and a poignant soundtrack; Guy, an uplifting new musical by the creators of 2017’s much-hyped, multi-award-winning The Marriage of Kim K; CTC Company’s new hit show,  Identity; Westminster Cathedral Choir School’s brand new musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream; and Amy Booth-Steel’s heartfelt, one-woman show #HonestAmy, directed by Kathy Burke. 

The Spring 2020 season also includes the previously announced return of Paul Taylor-Mills’ MTFestUK, which runs at the theatre from 3 – 15 February. A celebration of new musical theatre from around the world, the festival’s 2020 musical line-up and casting will be announced in January 2020. 

I’m delighted that our Spring 2020 season is a celebration of new and emerging talent. This is one of the most important strands of our vision and integral part of the future of The Turbine and indeed the theatre landscape in London and beyond. 

We’ve got an eclectic line up which includes the award winning #HonestAmy which celebrated a sell out run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this year, directed by Kathy Burke. Alongside this, we’ve carefully curated a programme which features a number of visiting companies including contemporary dance, burlesque and a new production of The Importance of Being Earnest from the powerhouse that is The Barn Theatre. 

Paul Taylor-Mills, Artistic Director of the Turbine Theatre

In conjunction with the 2020 Spring season, The Turbine Theatre is proud to announce a partnership with Industry Minds, who will be running a variety of seminars and events at the theatre throughout the year. The seminars will run monthly at the theatre in order to provide more help and support for those in the arts, including creatives, students and families. 

The Turbine Theatre will host the Industry Minds Awards in September 2020, along with Artist Showcases and Live Podcast events throughout the year. These live podcast events have been hugely popular in the past and consist of chats to industry folk about mental health in the arts with a live audience, and a Q&A in order to keep the conversation open. 

Seminars will be overseen by Industry Minds‘ brilliant counsellor Mary Burch BEM. Further details and dates of the seminars will be announced in due course. 

Find Out More:  TheTurbineTheatre.com

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Matt Lucas Joins West End Cast of Les Misérables

Matt Lucas has stepped in to play the role of Thénardier in the new production of Les Misérables at the newly refurbished Sondheim Theatre in the West End.

Matt Lucas returned to the part on Monday 23 December 2019 for six weeks stepping in for Gerard Carey who, after strict medical advice, was told on the morning of the first performance on Wednesday that he would be unable to perform during this period in order to completely rest his vocal chords and avoid long-term damage to his voice. Gerard Carey is expected to return to the role on Monday 3 February 2020.

“Just as I was thanking the gods of the theatre for getting the spectacularly rebuilt Sondheim Theatre open on schedule with our brilliant new cast and production, we heard that our irrepressible Thénardier, Gerard Carey, would not be allowed to perform for several weeks due to a serious problem with his vocal chords. Though obviously a disappointment for him and all of us, I’m thrilled to announce that Matt Lucas has volunteered to abandon his Christmas plans and rejoin Les Mis as Master of the House after his recent triumph in the Staged Concert at the Gielgud Theatre. He will play alongside Josefina Gabrielle as Madame Thénardier while Gerard recovers and returns to the company in February.”

Cameron Mackintosh, Producer

Multi-Award winning comedian, screenwriter, actor and singer, Matt Lucas, recently reprised the role of Thénardier at the sold-out Les Misérables Staged Concert at the Gielgud Theatre, a role he previously played in the critically-acclaimed West End production Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre as well as in the show’s 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena.  His other theatre credits include Taboo at the Leicester Square Theatre and the touring production of Little Britain Live.  His film credits include Les Misérables Staged Concert, Sherlock Gnomes, Shaun of the Dead, Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through the Looking Glass, Gnomeo and Juliet, Bridesmaids and Paddington. On television his credits include Shooting Stars, Doctor Who, Pompidou, Come Fly with Me and The Wind in the Willows, as well as the BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning television show Little Britain with David Walliams.

The cast of Les Misérables at the Sondheim Theatre features Jon Robyns  as ‘Jean Valjean’, Bradley Jaden as ‘Javert’, Carrie Hope Fletcher as ‘Fantine’, Shan Ako as ‘Eponine’, Josefina Gabrielle as ‘Madame Thénardier’, Harry Apps as ‘Marius’, Ashley Gilmour as ‘Enjolras’ and Lily Kerhoas as ‘Cosette’. Rachelle Ann Go will return to the role of ‘Fantine’ for 7 weeks in the Spring and will take over the role next Summer.

They are joined by Kelly Agbowu, Ciarán Bowling, Richard Carson, Rodney Earl Clarke, Matthew Dale, Matt Dempsey, Harry Dunnett, Jessie Hart, Jessica Joslin, Sarah Lark, Georgie Lovatt, Ellie Ann Lowe, Luke McCall, Leo Miles, Claire O’Leary, Shane O’Riordan, Kathy Peacock, Sam Peggs, Mark Pearce, Emma Warren, Sake Wijers, Mared Williams and Samuel Wyn-Morris. 

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Full Cast Announced for UK Tour of Holes

The Children’s Theatre Partnership (CTP) and Royal & Derngate, Northampton are delighted to announce the full cast of the Nottingham Playhouse production of Holes, written by Louis Sachar and directed by Adam Penford.

The production will open at Royal & Derngate, Northampton on 24 January 2020 before embarking on a UK tour. The tour will visit, Nottingham Playhouse, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Coventry Belgrade Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Liverpool Playhouse, High Wycombe Swan, Norwich Theatre Royal, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre and Canterbury Marlowe Theatre. 

The cast includes Harold Addo, Leona Allen, James Backway, Joëlle Brabban, Jeremy Cobb, Rhona Croker, Gracey Davey, John Elkington, Ashley Gayle, Henry Mettle, Matthew Romain and Elizabeth Twells.

Holes will be directed by Nottingham Playhouse’s Artistic Director Adam Penford (The Madness of George III, Enemy of the People and Family Business). The rest of the creative team includes set and costume design by Simon Kenny, lighting design by Prema Mehta and sound design by Adam P McCready. The composer is Tom Attwood, puppetry director and co-designer is Matthew Forbes and choreography is by Emma Annetts. Guy Jones is the Associate Lighting Designer and Meghan Treadway is the Associate Puppet Director. The production is cast by Vicky Richardson. 

Holes is an inventive new stage show based on the multi-award-winning novel and blockbuster film of the same name. It is a thrilling off-beat comedy adventure which tells the story of Stanley Yelnats, who is born into a family cursed with bad luck and finds himself accused of a crime he didn’t commit.

Sent to a labour camp as punishment, he is tasked with digging one hole, five-foot wide by five-foot deep, every day. He is told it is to build ‘character’. But the tyrannical Warden is definitely hiding something. How will Stanley and his fellow inmates deal with her demands, her two cronies, plus the fearsome rattlesnakes and yellow-spotted lizards? And will Stanley and his new friends unearth what’s really going on?

Holes, written by Louis Sachar won the 1998 U.S. National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and the 1999 Newbery Medal for the year’s most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. Louis also wrote the screenplay for the 2003 film adaptation.

 Holes is the first production from CTP since the partnership announced three years of support from Arts Council England. CTP aims to produce new and exciting productions, created for a young and diverse audience. Previous CTP productions include the Olivier award winning Goodnight Mr Tom, Swallows and Amazons, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, Michael Morpurgo’s Running Wild and a new adaptation of The Jungle Book.