Showing posts sorted by date for query Heathers the Musical. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query Heathers the Musical. Sort by relevance Show all posts

Wednesday 23 February 2022

Francis Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage to Star in Bonnie and Clyde the Musical


DLAP Group are thrilled to announce that Frances Mayli McCann and Jordan Luke Gage will star as the titular Bonnie and Clyde in the West End premiere of the cult-sensation Bonnie and Clyde The Musical, opening at the Arts Theatre from Saturday 9 April 2022. 


Following the extraordinary reaction to her performance as ‘Bonnie’ in Bonnie and Clyde In Concert in January 2022, Olivier-Award nominated Frances Mayli McCann reprises the role in this full production at The Arts Theatre, performing alongside West End star Jordan Luke Gage as ‘Clyde’. 

 

They join the previously announced Natalie McQueen as ‘Blanche Barrow’ and George Maguire as ‘Buck Barrow’. The full company includes Cleve September as ‘Ted’ and Ako Mitchell as ‘Preacher’, Pippa Winslow as ‘Cumie Barrow/Governor Miriam Ferguson/Eleanore’, Gracie Lai as ‘Emma Parker/Stella’, Alistair So as ‘Sheriff Schmid’, Alexander Evans as ‘Henry Barrow/Deputy Johnson’, Ross Dawes as ‘Captain Frank Hamer’, Barney Wilkinson as ‘Bud/Archie’ and swings Charlie McCullagh and Annie Guy. Casting for the roles of ‘Trish’ and Young ‘Bonnie’ and ‘Clyde’ to be announced. 

 

Frances Mayli McCann is an Olivier Award nominated actress, who originated the role of ‘Kylah’ in “Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour”. Her other West End credits include ‘Heather McNamara’ in “Heathers” at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, ‘The Mistress’ in “Evita” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and ‘Eponine’ in the UK and International Tour of “Les Misérables”.

 

Jordan Luke Gage is best known for his portrayal of ‘Romeo’ in the Olivier Award winning “&Juliet” at The Shaftesbury Theatre. His other West End credits include ‘Strat’ in “Bat Out Of Hell” at The Dominion Theatre and ‘JD’ in “Heathers” at Theatre Royal Haymarket. His television credits include playing ‘Adrian Barber’ in ITV’s Cilla, and ‘Luc’ in Cucumber on Channel 4.

 

Natalie McQueen’s West End credits include playing ‘Doralee Rhodes’ in “9 to 5 The Musical” at the Savoy Theatre, “Wicked” at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and “Kinky Boots” at the Adelphi Theatre. Her other theatre credits include the UK tour of “Wonderland”, “Murder Ballad” at the Arts Theatre and “Starlight Express” at The Other Palace. 

 

George Maguire is the winner for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance as ‘Dave Davies’ in “Sunny Afternoon”. His other theatre credits include “35mm: A Musical Exhibition” at The Other Palace Studio, “Oliver!” at the London Palladium and the European tour of “Rent”. 


Cleve September is perhaps best known for his Olivier Nominated performance as ‘Philip Hamilton/John Laurens’ in the original West End cast of “Hamilton” at the Victoria Palace Theatre. His other theatre credits include “Jesus Chris Superstar” at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, “Annie Get Your Gun” at the Crucible Theatre, “In The Heights” at Kings Cross Theatre and “The Last Days of Troy” at The Globe Theatre. 

 

Ako Mitchell is an actor and filmmaker whose recent theatre credits include playing ‘Larry’ in “Indecent Proposal” at the Southwark Playhouse, ‘Bob Baker’ in “Wonderful Town” at Opera Holland Park, ‘Mister’ in “The Color Purple” at Curve and the Birmingham Rep and ‘The Moon/The Bus’ in “Caroline, Or Change” at the Chichester Festival Theatre and The Playhouse Theatre in London’s West End. 

 

At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America's most renowned folk heroes and the Texas law enforcement's worst nightmares. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, Bonnie & Clyde is the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire country. The show features the songs “Raise A Little Hell”, “This World Will Remember Me” and “Made In America”.

When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame, combined with a desperate need to lift themselves out of the endless banality and poverty of West Dallas, set them on a mission to chase their dreams. Their bold and reckless behaviour turns the young lovers' thrilling adventure into a downward spiral, putting themselves and their loved ones in trouble with the law. Forced to stay on the run, the lovers resort to robbery and murder to survive. As the infamous duo's fame grows bigger, their inevitable end draws nearer.

 

Bonnie and Clyde The Musical has a book by Ivan Menchell(Blended [movie], The Cemetery Club, Death Note The Musical), a Tony Award nominated score by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel), lyrics by Don Black (Tell Me On a Sunday, Sunset Boulevard, Mrs Henderson Presents). The production will be directed by Nick Winston (Director of the feature film Tomorrow Morning, MAME, The Royal Variety Performance) with Set and Costume Design by Philip Witcomb (Atlantis, Stones In His Pockets, MAME), Musical Supervision from Katy Richardson (SIX, Rent, Jersey Boys), Lighting Design by Zoe Spurr (Fantastically Great Women Who Changed The World, Hamlet at Theatre Royal Windsor), Sound Design by Tom Marshall (The Drifter’s Girl, Nativity The Musical, Curtains), Video Design by Nina Dunn (The Shark Is Broken, Lazuli Sky), Casting Director Jim Arnold CDG (Wicked, The Prince of Egypt), Musical Director Nick Barstow (The Last 5 Years, Zorro), Keys 2/ Assistant Musical Director Debbi Clarke Associate Director/Choreographer Megan Louch (The Bodyguard, Annie), Wigs Designer Darren Ware (The Rocky Horror Show, Matthew Bourne’s The Midnight Bell), Fight Director Kate Waters (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Constellations), Production Manager Phil McCandlish (Curtains, Rock of Ages), Orchestra Fixer Rich Morris (American Idiot, Jesus Christ Superstar), Costumer Supervisor Jemima Penny (Machinal, Richard III), Props Supervisor Lizzie Frankl for Propworks (2:22 A Ghost Story, Pretty Woman), Company Stage Manager Paul Deavin (Rock of Ages), Drums Zach Okonkwo, Violin Clodagh Kennedy, Bass Guitar Annie Blake. 


Further crew and band to be announced.  


photo credit: Darren Bell


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Monday 21 February 2022

Carrie Hope Fletcher Announces Debut UK Tour


Actress, author, vlogger and award-winning West End sensation Carrie Hope Fletcher is heading out on her first ever UK tour.

Carrie Hope Fletcher - An Open Book will see the musical theatre star play a series of unmissable theatre shows in May and June 2023.

Performing songs from her incredible career expect fan favourites including hits from Heathers, Les Miserables, The Addams Family and many more interspersed with chat about Carrie’s fascinating life and career.

Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday and are available from www.cuffeandtaylor.com

Carrie Hope Fletcher - An Open Book 2023
18-May Bradford, St George's Hall
21-May Southampton, Mayflower Theatre
22-May Norwich, Theatre Royal
25-May London, The London Palladium
27-May Llandudno, Venue Cymru
28-May Salford, The Lowry
29-May Birmingham, Symphony Hall
31-May Sheffield, City Hall
02-Jun Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
03-Jun Newcastle, O2 City Hall
04-Jun Edinburgh, Festival Theatre

Speaking about Carrie Hope Fletcher - An Open Book, Carrie said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be taking on my first ever UK tour.

“This is something I have wanted to do for some time and next year presents the perfect opportunity.

I absolutely adore being on stage and am fortunate to have performed across the West End and overseas, but there’s something very special about theatres around the UK so I can’t wait to get out on the road and visit these absolutely fantastic and beautiful venues.”

Currently wowing West End audiences in the title role of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella, Carrie - who has an impressive three WhatsOnStage Awards - has enjoyed a breath-taking career since her West End debut at the age of nine playing Young Éponine in Les Misérables. Since then Carrie’s theatre credits include Fantine in Les Miserables: The Concert, Veronica in Heathers, Wednesday in The Addams Family, Eponine in Les Misérables, both Truly Scrumptious and Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beth in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds and Jane Banks in Mary Poppins.

And when she’s not treading the boards of the West End’s biggest stages Carrie is also a best-selling novelist, Top 20 recording artist and respected vlogger with her popular self-titled music and vlog channel attracting more than a million views a month.

Carrie Hope Fletcher - An Open Book is presented by Lambert Jackson, Live Nation and Cuffe and Taylor.

Jamie Lambert, of Lambert Jackson, said: “Carrie Hope Fletcher - An Open Book presents an opportunity to take one of the West End’s most celebrated and successful leading stars to theatres across the UK.

“Not only will audiences be wowed by the stunning voice of Carrie, they will also get an insight into her incredible career and that is not to be missed.”

Cuffe and Taylor Director of Theatre Touring Ben Hatton added: “We are very excited to be presenting Carrie’s debut UK tour.

“She is the most wonderful musical theatre talent and so much more. Audiences will absolutely love this show.”

For more information about Carrie Hope Fletcher - An Open Book and to secure tickets head to www.cuffeandtaylor.com

photo credit: Michael Wharley
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Thursday 3 February 2022

Peter Andre to play Vince Fontaine in Grease at the Dominion Theatre


Peter Andre will make his West End debut playing the role of Vince Fontaine at certain performances in a new production of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical GREASE opening at the Dominion Theatre on Tuesday 17 May 2022, with previews from Tuesday 3 May 2022. GREASE is directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips. 

 

Dan Partridge (Link Larkin in Hairspray UK tour & Pepper in MAMMA MIA! West End) and Olivia Moore (Waitress at the Adelphi Theatre & Heathers at Theatre Royal Haymarket) will star as Danny and Sandy respectively, with Jocasta Almgill (& Juliet at Shaftesbury Theatre) as Rizzo, Paul French (GreaseUK tour) as Kenickie, Mary Moore (Little Women at Park Theatre) as Jan, Jake Reynolds (professional debut) as Doody, Lizzy-Rose Esin-Kelly (A Chorus Line at Curve) as Marty, Damon Gould (Pretty Woman: The Musical at Savoy Theatre) as Sonny, Eloise Davies (Be More Chill at The Other Palace) as Frenchie, Jessica Croll (Hairspray UK tour) as Patty Simcox, Katie Lee (Matilda The Musical at Cambridge Theatre) as Cha Cha, Ronan Burns (West Side Story at Curve) as Johnny Casino and Corinna Powlesland (An Officer and A Gentleman at Regents Park Open Air Theatre as Miss Lynch. Darren Bennett (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Savoy Theatre) will play Officer Mailie and Vince Fontaine at certain performances. 

 

They are joined by Jack Harrison-Cooper, Pearce Barron, Rishard-Kyro Nelson, Ellie Kingdon, Remi Ferdinand, Kalisha Johnson, Imogen Bailey, Kevin O’Dwyer and Carly Miles. Further casting is to be announced.

 

Peter Andre said “I'm beyond excited to be making my West End debut playing Vince Fontaine in Grease at the beautiful Dominion Theatre. Grease is such an iconic musical and we can guarantee audiences will have the most wonderful evening listening to songs we all know and love. We can't wait to see you there!"

 

GREASE originally opened in Chicago in 1971, followed by a move to Broadway in 1972, where it received seven Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical. During the show's eight-year run at the time, little known actors including Peter Gallagher, Patrick Swayze and John Travolta all appeared in the production, with Richard Gere understudying many roles before going on to star as Danny Zuko in the 1973 London premiere. GREASE was first performed at the Dominion Theatre in 1993 before transferring to the Cambridge Theatre in 1996. It returned to the West End, opening at the Piccadilly Theatre in 2007. 

 

The 1978 film adaptation starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John is the fourth highest-grossing live action musical of all time. The musical features beloved songs, including Summer Nights, Greased Lightnin’, Hopelessly Devoted To Youand You’re The One That I Want.

 

GREASE has designs by Colin Richmond, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and Richard Brooker, video and projection design by Douglas O’Connell and casting by David Grindrod CDG.

 

This production of GREASE is produced by Colin Ingram for InTheatre Productions, Donovan Mannato, Playing Field, Gavin Kalin, and Curve.

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Friday 5 November 2021

Bonnie and Clyde in Concert Full Cast and Company Announced



Fourth Wall Live is delighted to announce the full cast joining Broadway star Jeremy Jordan in the sell-out BONNIE AND CLYDE IN CONCERT at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 January 2022. www.bonnieandclydeconcert.com
 
Joining the previously announced Jeremy Jordan as ‘Clyde’ will be Olivier-nominated performer Frances Mayli McCann as ‘Bonnie’. The previously announced Laura Osnes is no longer performing in Bonnie and Clyde in Concert.
 
The principal cast is completed by West End stars including Olivier Award winner George Maguire as ‘Buck’, Natalie McQueen as ‘Blanche’, Trevor Dion Nicholas as ‘Preacher’ and Liam Tamne as ‘Ted’.
 
The cast is completed by Casey Al-Shaqsy (The Prince of Egypt, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) as ‘Stella’, Simon Anthony (The Wedding Singer, Ragtime) as ‘Cop/Bud/Archie/Deputy Johnson’ Gillian Bevan (Holby City, Into The Woods) as ‘Cummie Barrow/Eleanor’, Eloise Davies (Be More Chill, Grease) as ‘Trish’, Adrian Grove (Follies, Wonder.land) as ‘Henry Barrow’, Olivier Award nominee Debbie Kurup (Girl From The North Country, The Bodyguard) as ‘Governor Miriam Ferguson’, Matthew Malthouse (Matilda, Mrs Henderson Presents) as ‘Bob Alcorn’, Jeremy Secomb (Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera) as ‘Judge/Sheriff Schmid’, Russell Wilcox (Billy Elliot, Annie) as ‘Captain Frank Hamer’ and Julie Yammanee (Lazarus, Spamilton) as ‘Emma Parker’.
 
George Maguire is the winner for the Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his performance as ‘Dave Davies’ in Sunny Afternoon. His other theatre credits include 35mm: A Musical Exhibition at The Other Palace Studio, Oliver! at the London Palladium and the European tour of Rent.
 
Frances Mayli McCann is an Olivier Award nominated actress, who originated the role of Kylah in Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour. Her other West End credits include ‘Heather McNamara’ in Heathers at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, ‘The Mistress’ in Evita at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Eponine’ in the UK and International Tour of Les Misérables.
 
Natalie McQueen’s West End credits include playing ‘Doralee Rhodes’ in 9 to 5 The Musical at the Savoy Theatre, Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and Kinky Boots at the Adelphi Theatre. Her other theatre credits include the UK tour of Wonderland, Murder Ballad at the Arts Theatre and Starlight Express at The Other Palace.
 
Trevor Dion Nicholas’s West End credits include ‘George Washington’ in Hamilton at the Victoria Palace Theatre and ‘Genie’ in Aladdin at the Prince Edward Theatre. He also presents on Magic at the Musicals and appears as a panellist on ITV’s All Star Musicals.
 
Liam Tamne’s West End credits include playing ‘Ramses’ in The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre, The Light in the Piazza at the Royal Festival Hall, The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre, Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre, Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre and Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.
 
BONNIE AND CLYDE IN CONCERT has a book by Ivan Menchell (Blended [movie], The Cemetery Club, Death Note The Musical), a Tony Award nominated score by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, The Scarlett Pimpernel), lyrics by Don Black (Tell Me On a Sunday, Sunset Boulevard, Mrs Henderson Presents) and is directed by Nick Winston (Director of the feature film Tomorrow Morning, MAME, The Royal Variety Performance) with musical direction by Katy Richardson (SIX, Rent, Jersey Boys). The Assistant Director is Alexzandra Sarmiento (Hamilton, Message in a Bottle), Lighting Designer is Zoe Spurr (The Unreturning, Tiny Dynamite), Set and Costume Designer is Philip Whitcomb (Atlantis, Stones In His Pockets, Mame), Sound Designer is Tom Marshall (The Drifters Girl, Nativity! The Musical), Production Manager is Phil McCandlish (Rock of Ages, Elf), Company Stage Manager is Graham Harrison (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat), Deputy Stage Manager is Anne Baxter (Singin’ in the Rain, Spamalot), Assistant Stage Manager is Tom Fisher (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time), Dialect Coach is Charmian Hoare (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, War Horse) and children’s casting is by Keston and Keston (Nativity! The Musical, A Christmas Carol).  BONNIE AND CLYDE IN CONCERT is produced by Fourth Wall Live and co-produced by DLAP Group, Jason Haigh-Ellery and David Treatman Creative.

The band is made up of Assistant Musical Director Chris Poon (Keys 2), Kate Ingram (Reed 1), Hannah Lawrance (Reed 2), Kobi Pham (Guitar 1), Jack Pennifold (Guitar 2), Zach Okonkwo (Drums), Elliot Lyte (Fiddle)and Annie Blake (Bass).

At the height of the Great Depression, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow went from two small-town nobodies in West Texas to America's most renowned folk heroes and the Texas law enforcement's worst nightmares. Fearless, shameless, and alluring, Bonnie & Clyde is the electrifying story of love, adventure and crime that captured the attention of an entire country. The show features the songs “Raise A Little Hell”, “This World Will Remember Me” and “Made In America”.
When Bonnie and Clyde meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame, combined with a desperate need to lift themselves out of the endless banality and poverty of West Dallas, set them on a mission to chase their dreams. Their bold and reckless behaviour turns the young lovers' thrilling adventure into a downward spiral, putting themselves and their loved ones in trouble with the law. Forced to stay on the run, the lovers resort to robbery and murder to survive. As the infamous duo's fame grows bigger, their inevitable end draws nearer.

Fourth Wall Live is a live entertainment company that produces concerts internationally. It regularly brings Broadway artists to the UK, previous concerts include Broadway and TV regulars Laura Benanti, Sierra Boggess, Kelli O'Hara, Chita Rivera, Laura Michelle Kelly, Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Jeremy Jordan, Matthew Morrison, Erich Bergen, Eden Espinosa, Julia Murney and Cynthia Erivo. Other concerts include West End Stars solo concerts including Michael Ball, Matt Cardle, Kerry Ellis, Oliver Tompsett, Hannah Waddingham, Sharon D Clarke and Bonnie Langford. Upcoming productions at Cadogan Hall include Jenna Russell, Shoshana Bean, Keala Settle and Jessica Vosk.

Tori Amos’s musical The Light Princess was presented to critical acclaim, as a special one-off concert in the summer of 2018. Next year Bonnie & Clyde the musical concert will run for two nights to a sold-out audience at Theatre Royal Drury Lane starring Jeremy Jordan. 

Fourth Wall Live also regularly partners with the Hippodrome Casino, in November-December 2020 they produced 25 nights of socially distanced entertainment, proudly being the first live event post lockdown. The current season of Hippodrome concerts runs from September 2021 to December 2021 and features 20 nights of musical entertainment featuring Alice Fearn, Kerry Ellis, Hayley Tamaddon and David O’Reilly.Fourth Wall Live is committed to following all relevant UK Government Covid-19 guidelines, creating a safe working environment for our cast, musicians, creatives, crew and their families.
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Wednesday 3 November 2021

Heathers The Musical (UK Tour), New Wimbledon Theatre | Review


Heathers The Musical (UK Tour)
New Wimbledon Theatre
Reviewed on Tuesday 2nd November 2021 by Olivia Mitchell 
★★★★

Westerberg High School is back open and this time it's touring the UK, currently playing at the New Wimbledon Theatre. The show's popularity is evident from acclaimed Off-West End and West End runs in 2018, followed by another West End engagement this summer and a newly announced run at The Other Palace. The touring production embodies the same energy and will continue to provide Big Fun until the end of the year.

What works so well about this musical is that it doesn't take itself too seriously; the whole thing is melodramatic and larger than life, focussing on high school stereotypes that are highly stylised and humourous. Alongside this, Heathers does focus on some extremely dark issues such as suicide, sexual assault and bullying, and it does so pretty well, although at times it feels somewhat sloppily handled and it would be great if there were some sort of trigger warnings before the show or placed around the theatre to prepare people for some jarring moments.

However, Andy Fickman does a great job at directing this fast-paced black comedy, which alongside Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe’s book, music and lyrics provides an energetic and enjoyable night out. Ben Cracknell's lighting does an excellent job of packing the stage with colour and cleverly draws your eye to crucial moments as well as literally highlighting the Heathers in their signature colours and often bathing JD in a cool, eerie shade. David Shields' design effectively transfers us to each plot setting, whilst maintaining the school vibes which course throughout; and the split levels utilise the space as well as working to emphasise the hierarchies of the characters.



Phil Cornwell leads the band to bring the rock soundtrack to life vigorously, Dan Samson's sound design really shines and Gary Lloyd's choreography ties it all together, with some excellent work by the mile a minute ensemble.

As our protagonist Veronica Sawyer, Rebecca Wickes is a powerhouse force. Her vocals are sensational and she maintains her energy and intelligence from start to finish. Barely leaving the stage Rebecca is a joy to watch as she brings a wide array of emotion and has a self-awareness that is magnetic. Simon Gordon as the brooding bad boy JD has equal pull as he sweeps Veronica and the audience up with his suave mystique, only to reveal his true self as the show moves on. Simon's voice is perfectly matched to the role and the pair work brilliantly together.

The three Heathers are played boldly by Maddison Firth (Chandler), Merryl Ansah (Duke), and Lizzy Parker (McNamara). Liam Doyle and Rory Phelan as Kurt and Ram give stand out performances and have a fantastically humourous chemistry with one another. As Martha Dunnstock, Mhairi Angus is heartwarming and vocally outstanding, providing a real starring moment and some calm in an otherwise crazy show.

Overall Heathers is a musical which clearly delights audiences and is top-notch for a modern musical. It ticks the boxes of humour, angst, drama and generally being over the top and is well worth visiting as it tours the country.

photo credit: Pamela Raith

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Thursday 5 November 2020

Hiba Elchikhe Brings Together West End Performers For A New Musical Theatre Series


In collaboration with Nimax and The Theatre Café, West End performer Hiba Elchikhe is thrilled to announce a brand-new musical theatre based web series: Out Of The Darkness, Into The Spotlight.


Bringing a little bit of glitter to the grey, this three-episode series hopes to not only entertain, but shine a light on the performers who are keeping the West End alive, even during lockdown.


Hiba, who is currently starring in the West End hit Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, and who has created the series says “In a time of such uncertainty I am so excited to be able to bring together a spectacular group of freelance artists, that are representative of the UK.”  


Featuring a line up of stellar creatives, each episode shines a “spotlight” on something different: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Musical Theatre and Christmas. The first episode is set to premiere on November 18th, with the next two going live on November 25th and December 9th. Each episode will feature a different line-up of star performers, running at approximately 45 minutes and including a mixture of songs. Performers include: Danny Becker (Prince of Egypt, Aladdin), Courtney Bowman (Six, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Danielle Steers (Six, Bat Out of Hell), Hiba Elchikhe (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Brooklyn), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Les Misérables, Heathers), Sejal Keshwala (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Tim Mahendran (& Juliet, Spring Awakening), Grace Mouat (& Juliet, Six), Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Aladdin), Liam Tamne (Prince of Egypt) and Noah Thomas (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie).


As well as Maisey Bawden, Paul Bradshaw, Rhiane Drummond, James Gillan, Shanay Holmes, Rob Houchen, Melissa Jacques, Emma Kingston, Carl Man, Frances McCann, Scott Paige, Sharun Phull, Amy Trigg and Andrew Patrick Walker, with more to be announced.


Tickets are available from: https://www.thetheatrecafe.co.uk/2020/11/news-out-of-the-darkness-into-the-spotlight/


#IntoTheSpotlightConcert


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Friday 7 December 2018

In Conversation With... Sophie Isaacs | Cinderella | Interview

Fresh from starring in the hit musical, Heathers, Sophie Isaac's is getting festive and tackling Panto with Cinderella which opens tonight in Woking  at the New Victoria Theatre. Olivia sat down with Sophie for a festive chat...


You've just finished playing Heather McNamara in Heathers, tell us a bit about that...

It was possibly the best experience I've ever had. Seeing a job from workshops, then to a sold out run at The Other Palace and then transferring to the West End; to see a show develop from the start like that has been incredible and also, it's such a special show that I just adore it. 


Heathers has obviously already been on, but you basically created this version of Heather Mc yourself, so what was the hardest part?

Probably just getting to grips with the character and her journey because she starts off being a Heather, with the not nice aspect of that but her journey means her character changes throughout the show and her interactions with different people affect her. Especially with Veronica (Carrie Hope Fletcher) and that friendship, which really develops. So getting that journey is the most important in terms of making sure she had heart at the beginning, even though it was a little hidden, and gradually bringing that out. 


Did you get a lot of say in the changes in your production of Heathers?
Yeah, we were really lucky. The creative team were unbelievable; so gracious and open to us saying "it doesn't feel natural" but honestly, generally they knew what was right and what was best. They've been with the show for ten years but they were absolutely open to discussion and seeing what works and what doesn't.


Heathers audiences were very different in terms of their live reactions compared to other musical audiences, what was that experience like and do you think it prepped you for the interactive aspect of Panto?
Yes, Heathers was like a rock concert and it's nice because I now won't be put off by people suddenly shouting at me or cheering or being very very involved. We always said that the Heather's audience was the fifth Beatle and pantomime has the fifth Beatle as well, so it was very good prep. 

We didn't know how Heathers would land going from 300 seats at The Other Palace to the much bigger, Haymarket but it was bigger and better which was amazing.


So, Cinderella the Panto- are you excited?
Yes! I put the dress on today and I just cannot wait. The shoes are just stunning, jewelled everywhere, with a monster jewel on the front. I am possibly the biggest Christmas fan on the planet so any opportunity to get festive, I love!


What are your favourite parts of Christmas, do you have any traditions?
Of course the whole, advent calendar and chocolate for breakfast everyday thing. My favourite things are generally food related! Mulled wine, piggies in blankets, I love a buffet.... oh and love a mince pie! Just all of it! 

I was out of the country last year for Christmas and it was awful, I was just so sad cause I wanted to be here with my family so I thought to myself, "what's the most Christmassy thing I can do next year?" and here we are... Panto!


Are you a big Panto fan?
Yeah I love it, absolutely love it. I haven't been in one for years and years and years but the last one I saw was Cinderella. It was in Swindon and my friend was playing Cinderella so it's nice to be doing this now.


So why should people come and see Cinderella in Woking?
You should come to the Panto because it's an amazing night out, it's a time to have a lot of fun with your family; it's festive; there are jokes that mums and dads will get, and jokes that the children will get, so it's fun for all and I think it's going to be incredible!

Cinderella runs at the New Victoria Theatre until January 6th 2019

Interview by Editor, Olivia Mitchell

photo credit: Grahame Larter
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