Showing posts sorted by date for query National Theatre. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by date for query National Theatre. Sort by relevance Show all posts
Thursday 2 February 2023
Full Tour Cast of Annie Revealed with Craig Revel Horwood, Paul O'Grady and Jodie Prenger and More
Michael Harrison and David Ian are delighted to announce full casting for the forthcoming UK and Ireland tour of their smash hit production of the musical ANNIE opening at Curve, Leicester on Saturday 25 February 2023. Joining the previously announced Craig Revel Horwood and Paul O’Grady, will be Scottish BAFTA winner Elaine C Smith and Jodie Prenger, all starring as ‘Miss Hannigan’ at various venues. Alongside them will be Alex Bourne as Oliver Warbucks, Paul French as Rooster, Amelia Adams as Grace Farrell, and Billie-Kay as Lily St. Regis. The title role of Annie is shared by Zoe Akinyosade, Harlie Barthram and Poppy Cunningham. They are joined by three teams of young performers who play the residents of Miss Hannigan’s orphanage.
Completing the cast will be Emily Barnett-Salter, Alistair Beattie, David Burrows, Sergi Ibanez, Rosalind James, Belle Kizzy Green, Ellie May-Wilson, Martin McCarthy, Phoebe Roberts, Lukin Simmonds, Matthew Sweet, Dawn Williams, and Tommy Wade-Smith.
*Full tour dates, including details of at which venues Craig Revel Horwood, Paul O’Grady, Elaine C Smith and Jodie Prenger star, are in the listings below. www.anniethemusicaltour.uk
Craig Revel Horwood is probably best known as a judge on all 20 series of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing. He returns to the part of Miss Hannigan having played the role to critical acclaim in this production in both the West End and on tour. His other West End Theatre credits include Munkustrap in Cats, Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and Harry in Crazy for You at the Prince Edward Theatre. Craig directed and choreographed Strictly Ballroom the Musical which is currently touring the UK and Ireland, and the 2016/17 tour of Sister Act the Musical, as well as the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour. He also choreographed the film Paddington 2.
BAFTA Award winning television, radio and stage star Paul O’Grady returns to Annie having first played the role of Miss Hannigan at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1998. His other theatre credits include playing the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and many pantomimes including Cinderella and Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium. On television he is best known as the host of ITV’s Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape, The Paul O’Grady Show, Channel 4’s Blind Date and BBC One’s Blankety Blank. He is also a highly celebrated writer, having written both autobiographical and fictional books and recently completed a 14 year run as a presenter on BBC Radio 2.
Elaine C Smith is perhaps best known for playing Mary Doll in the BBC comedy Rab C Nesbitt, as well as her role as Christine in the BBC sitcom Two Doors Down, for which she won a Scottish BAFTA for Best Actress in 2018. On stage she consistently headlines major pantomimes, having just finished her 13th year at Glasgow King’s Theatre. She played Cora in the original UK Tour and West End run of Calendar Girls as well as playing Susan Boyle in the UK tour of I Dreamed A Dream which she co-write with Alan McHugh.
Jodie Prenger recently joined ITV’s Coronation Street as Glenda Shuttleworth. Her West End credits include A Taste of Honey at the Trafalgar Studios. Oliver! at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, One Man Two Guvnors at Theatre Royal Haymarket and Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre. On tour she has appeared in Abigail’s Party, Shirley Valentine, Annie, Fat Friends, Tell Me on A Sunday and Calamity Jane. On television she has appeared in the BBC’s Shakespeare & Hathaway, Years and Years, Casualty and Waterloo Road.
Alex Bourne returns to Annie as Oliver Warbucks, having played the role both in the West End, Toronto and the UK Tour. His other theatre credits include Edna Turnblad in the UK Tour of Hairspray, Sam Carmichael in the UK Tour of Mamma Mia!, Khashoggi in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, Billy Flynn in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre and Lex Hogan in Eugenius! at The Other Palace. On film he can be seen in Sony Pictures’ Cinderella.
Paul French was most recently seen as TinMan/Hickory in The Wizard of Oz at Curve, Leicester. His other theatre credits include Kenickie in Grease at the Dominion Theatre and in the production’s UK Tour and Double J in Saturday Night Fever at the Peacock Theatre. On film he can be seen in Visualize Films’ Tomorrow Morning.
Amelia Adams has most recently been seen in the UK Tour of Friends! The Musical Parody. Her previous theatre credits include Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate for Welsh National Opera, Mary Delgado in Jersey Boys at the Piccadilly Theatre and on tour, Martha Burelli in The Rat Pack at the Haymarket Theatre and on tour. She has also appeared in the UK Tour of Hairspray and Spamalot both in the West End and on tour.
Billie-Kay recently appeared as Angel in Anything Goes at the Barbican and its UK and Ireland tour. She has also appeared as Dale Tremont in Top Hat at The Mill at Sonning and in 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. On film she has appeared in Disney’s Dis-Enchanted and Beauty and the Beast, and Sony Pictures’ Cinderella.
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search…
With its award-winning book and score, this stunning production includes the unforgettable songs ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’, ‘Easy Street’, ‘I Don’t Need Anything But You’ and ‘Tomorrow’.
ANNIE has Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin and a Book by Thomas Meehan. It is directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster with set and costume design by Colin Richmond, choreography by Nick Winston, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Richard Brooker.
The producers of Annie cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and holidays.
Completing the cast will be Emily Barnett-Salter, Alistair Beattie, David Burrows, Sergi Ibanez, Rosalind James, Belle Kizzy Green, Ellie May-Wilson, Martin McCarthy, Phoebe Roberts, Lukin Simmonds, Matthew Sweet, Dawn Williams, and Tommy Wade-Smith.
*Full tour dates, including details of at which venues Craig Revel Horwood, Paul O’Grady, Elaine C Smith and Jodie Prenger star, are in the listings below. www.anniethemusicaltour.uk
Craig Revel Horwood is probably best known as a judge on all 20 series of BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing. He returns to the part of Miss Hannigan having played the role to critical acclaim in this production in both the West End and on tour. His other West End Theatre credits include Munkustrap in Cats, Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane and Harry in Crazy for You at the Prince Edward Theatre. Craig directed and choreographed Strictly Ballroom the Musical which is currently touring the UK and Ireland, and the 2016/17 tour of Sister Act the Musical, as well as the Strictly Come Dancing Live tour. He also choreographed the film Paddington 2.
BAFTA Award winning television, radio and stage star Paul O’Grady returns to Annie having first played the role of Miss Hannigan at the Victoria Palace Theatre in 1998. His other theatre credits include playing the Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at the London Palladium and many pantomimes including Cinderella and Goldilocks and the Three Bears at the London Palladium. On television he is best known as the host of ITV’s Paul O’Grady: For the Love of Dogs, Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape, The Paul O’Grady Show, Channel 4’s Blind Date and BBC One’s Blankety Blank. He is also a highly celebrated writer, having written both autobiographical and fictional books and recently completed a 14 year run as a presenter on BBC Radio 2.
Elaine C Smith is perhaps best known for playing Mary Doll in the BBC comedy Rab C Nesbitt, as well as her role as Christine in the BBC sitcom Two Doors Down, for which she won a Scottish BAFTA for Best Actress in 2018. On stage she consistently headlines major pantomimes, having just finished her 13th year at Glasgow King’s Theatre. She played Cora in the original UK Tour and West End run of Calendar Girls as well as playing Susan Boyle in the UK tour of I Dreamed A Dream which she co-write with Alan McHugh.
Jodie Prenger recently joined ITV’s Coronation Street as Glenda Shuttleworth. Her West End credits include A Taste of Honey at the Trafalgar Studios. Oliver! at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, One Man Two Guvnors at Theatre Royal Haymarket and Spamalot at the Playhouse Theatre. On tour she has appeared in Abigail’s Party, Shirley Valentine, Annie, Fat Friends, Tell Me on A Sunday and Calamity Jane. On television she has appeared in the BBC’s Shakespeare & Hathaway, Years and Years, Casualty and Waterloo Road.
Alex Bourne returns to Annie as Oliver Warbucks, having played the role both in the West End, Toronto and the UK Tour. His other theatre credits include Edna Turnblad in the UK Tour of Hairspray, Sam Carmichael in the UK Tour of Mamma Mia!, Khashoggi in We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, Billy Flynn in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre and Lex Hogan in Eugenius! at The Other Palace. On film he can be seen in Sony Pictures’ Cinderella.
Paul French was most recently seen as TinMan/Hickory in The Wizard of Oz at Curve, Leicester. His other theatre credits include Kenickie in Grease at the Dominion Theatre and in the production’s UK Tour and Double J in Saturday Night Fever at the Peacock Theatre. On film he can be seen in Visualize Films’ Tomorrow Morning.
Amelia Adams has most recently been seen in the UK Tour of Friends! The Musical Parody. Her previous theatre credits include Lois Lane/Bianca in Kiss Me, Kate for Welsh National Opera, Mary Delgado in Jersey Boys at the Piccadilly Theatre and on tour, Martha Burelli in The Rat Pack at the Haymarket Theatre and on tour. She has also appeared in the UK Tour of Hairspray and Spamalot both in the West End and on tour.
Billie-Kay recently appeared as Angel in Anything Goes at the Barbican and its UK and Ireland tour. She has also appeared as Dale Tremont in Top Hat at The Mill at Sonning and in 42nd Street at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. On film she has appeared in Disney’s Dis-Enchanted and Beauty and the Beast, and Sony Pictures’ Cinderella.
Set in 1930s New York during The Great Depression, brave young Annie is forced to live a life of misery and torment at Miss Hannigan’s orphanage. Determined to find her real parents, her luck changes when she is chosen to spend Christmas at the residence of famous billionaire, Oliver Warbucks. Spiteful Miss Hannigan has other ideas and hatches a plan to spoil Annie’s search…
With its award-winning book and score, this stunning production includes the unforgettable songs ‘It’s the Hard Knock Life’, ‘Easy Street’, ‘I Don’t Need Anything But You’ and ‘Tomorrow’.
ANNIE has Music by Charles Strouse, Lyrics by Martin Charnin and a Book by Thomas Meehan. It is directed by Curve’s Artistic Director Nikolai Foster with set and costume design by Colin Richmond, choreography by Nick Winston, lighting by Ben Cracknell and sound design by Richard Brooker.
The producers of Annie cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and holidays.
photo credit: Matt Crockett
Thursday 26 January 2023
The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Tour), New Victoria Theatre | Review
New Victoria Theatre
Reviewed on Wednesday 25th January 2023 by Olivia Mitchell
★★★★★
One of the most moving and stunning pieces of theatre, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is currently making its way around the UK on a tour that is truly a must see. Based on Neil Gaiman's book with the same name, the play is a complex story which deals with the concept of memories and how we carry them with us, as well as forgetting them. A visual and emotional masterpiece, it's an intriguing tale which has many magical realism elements that are transferred to stage so well by Joel Harwood's adaptation and Katy Rudd's expert direction.
The show was originally staged at the National Theatre and many of their trademark features and overall aesthetic are completely woven through. From the start you are immersed in a world which is dark but enticing. Fly Davis' stunning set really embodies those childhood memories of imagining what spookiness lies just out of sight. A minimalistic moss covered design provides the backdrop for some moments of pure magic, where chiffon becomes an ocean and clever stagecraft movement (Steven Hoggett) is transformed into out of this world beings. There's also great contrast between the father's home which never truly feels complete since his wife passed and the nightmare world which is dark and loud.
The fantastical elements of the show feel strangely natural while still being awe-inspiring. Jamie Harrison's illusions are so well pulled off and are authentically magical and the balance of magic and genuine heartfelt moments is perfect.
Perpetually moving, the play perfectly captures grief and the painful fear that your lost loved one is being replaced and erased. These emotions are intensely portrayed not only through the action on stage, but via Jherek Bischoff's imposing and enchanting music which is utterly cinematic and combined with Ian Dickinson's sound design- so powerful. Alongside Paule Constable's lighting design, the whole thing is a masterclass is storytelling and theatricality.
As well as all of this, the cast of outstanding performers imbue every moment with sincerity and vulnerability. Keir Ogilvy really taps into the innocence of childhood whilst bringing to life the Boy who is struggling with the pain of losing his mother. As his Sis Laurie Ogden is fantastic at portraying her need to be loved and noticed through her's, and her families pain. Charlie Brooks fulfils that need as the chilling, omnipresent Ursula who is really what nightmares are made of. Trevor Fox as Dad has some really emotionally challenging scenes which are brought to life incredibly well. Finty Williams, Millie Hikasa and Kemi-Bo Jacobs have excellent chemistry as the Hempstock trio, and individually give wonderfully strong performances as well as coming together to provide some humourous moments. The rest of the ensemble work as one entity to bring the whole world to life with complete fluidity and power.
A spectacle of a show in the most quiet and beautiful way, The Ocean at the End of the Lane embodies everything that makes theatre so magical and is moving in all the best ways.
{AD PR Invite- tickets gifted in exchange for honest review}
Tuesday 10 January 2023
Aimee Lou Wood and John McCrea to Join Cast of Cabaret
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in London’s West End are delighted to announce that BAFTA Award winner Aimee Lou Wood will play ‘Sally Bowles’, Olivier Award nominee John McCrea will play ‘The Emcee’ and Nathan Ives-Moiba will play ‘Cliff Bradshaw’ from 13 February 2022 until 27 May 2023. kitkat.club
Aimee Lou Wood said today “I’ve wanted to be Sally Bowles since I was around 10 so this is really special. I’m unbelievably excited and having the greatest time in rehearsals. The production is so wonderful and I feel honoured to be stepping into this beautiful team of people!”
John McCrea said today “I’m thrilled to be taking on the iconic role of the Emcee in this ground-breaking production of Cabaret. It’s an absolute honour to be joining this amazing company of artists.”
Aimee Lou Wood is best known for her portrayal of Aimee Gibbs in all three series of the Netflix series Sex Education for which she won the BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance. She recently starred in the critically acclaimed film Living opposite Bill Nighy. Her stage credits include Sonya in Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre in the West End and Downstate at the National Theatre.
John McCrea created the role of Jamie New in the smash hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie at both the Sheffield Crucible Theatre and the West End’s Apollo Theatre. For his performance he was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical and won the Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics Circle Theatre Awards, the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actor in a Leading role in a Musical and the UK Theatre Award for Best Musical Performer. He recently appeared as Max in Daddy at the Almeida Theatre and his film credits include Artie in the hit Disney film, Cruella.
Nathan Ives-Moiba’s many theatre credits include As You Like It at the National Theatre, My Children My Africa at Trafalgar Studios, Our Country’s Good for Out of Joint, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, And Did Those Feet and Tull, all at the Octagon Theatre. For his performance in Tull, Nathan was nominated for the Best Newcomer at the Manchester Theatre Awards.
At certain performances, the role of Sally Bowles will be played by Emily Benjamin.
As a member of the original cast of this production, Emily has been a swing and understudy to the role of Sally Bowles since the show opened. Her other West End theatre credits include Bat Out of Hell The Musical at the London Coliseum and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe at the Bridge Theatre.
The final performance for Callum Scott Howells as ‘The Emcee’ and Madeline Brewer as ‘Sally Bowles’ will be Saturday 28 January 2023. Sid Sagar’s final performance as ‘Cliff Bradshaw’ will be Saturday 11 February 2023.
Between 30 January 2023 – 11 February 2023 the role of ‘The Emcee’ will be played by Matthew Gent and the role of ‘Sally Bowles’ will be played by Emily Benjamin. At certain performances the role of ‘Sally Bowles’ will be played by Sally Frith.
Matthew Gent’s West End theatre credits include Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre, The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre and Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre. His other theatre credits include Rags at the Park Theatre, The Queen of the Mist at Charing Cross Theatre, The Water Babies at Leicester Curve, The Carnival of the Animals at Riverside Studios and Taboo at Brixton Club House.
The cast also includes Vivien Parry as ‘Fraulein Schneider’, Richard Katz as ‘Herr Schultz’, Danny Mahoney as ‘Ernst Ludwig’ and Michelle Bishop as ‘Fraulein Kost’. The cast is completed by Gabriela Benedetti, Charles Croysdill, Laura Delany, Sally Frith, Matthew Gent, Ying Ue Li, Ela Lisondra, Chris O’Mara, Grant Neal, Hicaro Nicolai, Adam Taylor, Toby Turpin, Patrick Wilden and Sophie Maria Wojna.
The Prologue Company currently includes Rachel Benson, Ami Benton, Laura Braid, Reuben Greeph, James Hastings, Samantha Ho, Emma Holt, Liz Kamille, Andrew Linnie, Aine McLoughlin and Callum Sterling.
This unique production of Cabaret opened in December 2021 to critical and audience acclaim, widely praised as the ultimate theatrical experience. In April 2022 the production won a record-breaking seven Olivier Awards, the most for any musical revival in Olivier history. The production has also won three prestigious Critics Circle Awards and most recently the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Design for designer Tom Scutt.
One of the most successful musicals of all time Cabaret features the songs Wilkommen, Don’t Tell Mama, Mein Herr, Maybe This Time, Money and the title number. It has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by Joe Masteroff. Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood.
Cabaret is directed by Rebecca Frecknall, set and costume design is by Tom Scutt with choreography by Julia Cheng. Musical supervision is by Jennifer Whyte and musical direction is by Ben Ferguson with lighting design by Isabella Byrd and sound design by Nick Lidster. The casting director is Stuart Burt and the associate director is Jordan Fein.
Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is produced by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions and Underbelly.
Tuesday 1 November 2022
The ENO presents the UK premiere & operatic adaptation of the festive favourite film, It’s a Wonderful Life
This November, opening the festive season at the London Coliseum, the English National Opera (ENO) presents the highly anticipated UK premiere of It’s a Wonderful Life. Composed by Jake Heggie in 2016 with the libretto by Gene Scheer, this is an operatic adaptation of the 1946 Frank Capra Christmas classic film, sung in English.
A blended tale of fantasy and drama loosely based on Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey, a humble man of humble origins in a humble small town. Having sacrificed many of his own dreams to help others around him, George is driven to breakdown, only to be shown by his guardian angel how his life enriches his community in ways he could never imagine.
It’s a Wonderful Life is a family friendly opera, perfect for first-time opera goers of all ages. It is an all-singing, all-dancing tale of hope and redemption sprinkled with a smattering of festive magic. Tickets start from £10 for everyone, under 21s can access free tickets to all performances, and under 35s can sign up for huge discounts.
Jake Heggie is an American composer influenced by multiple styles; he often infuses gospel, jazz, and pop elements into his work making his operas accessible to audiences while challenging their understanding of what a traditional opera can be. Heggie is known as one of modern operas most exciting contemporary composers, describing himself as primarily concerned with exploring character. With George Bailey at the centre of It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s clear to see why this nuanced story appealed to Heggie where the banker’s emotional turmoil is at the heart of the story and key to the music.
Jake Heggie says:
‘I am over the moon that the ENO has assembled such an extraordinary cast and creative team for this fabulous new production at the London Coliseum. When creating It’s a Wonderful Life, Gene Scheer and I wanted to give audiences a memorable holiday experience, packed with lyrical singing, big ensembles, and the powerful emotions that opera can explore like no other art form. This show brings people together - especially during this festive season - and London audiences of all ages are in for a magical, moving, and astonishing evening of music and dance.’
Directing and Choreographing It’s a Wonderful Life is Aletta Collins, making her ENO directorial debut. A former Associate Artist at the Royal Opera House, Collin’s has directed and choreographed for opera houses across the UK and internationally, as well as theatres in the West End and Off-West End. Collins recently choreographed the BAFTA Award-winning British coming-of-age drama film, Belfast (2021), written and directed by Kenneth Branagh.
Conducting the award-winning ENO Orchestra and making her ENO debut in the pit is regular collaborator Nicole Paiement. Paiement has gained an international reputation for conducting contemporary works. She has served as the Artistic Director of the BluePrint Project at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where she has commissioned, premiered, and recorded works for many living American composers; and she is the founder and Artistic Director of San Francisco's Opera Parallèle where she has conducted many new productions.
‘Opera’s coolest soprano’ (The New York Times Magazine) and Australian-American actress Danielle de Niese makes her ENO operatic debut performing the role of Clara, George’s guardian angel. De Niese regularly appears on the world’s most prestigious opera and concert stages, and is a prolific recording artist and TV personality. She recently starred in the feature film of Poulenc’s one-women opera, La Voix Humaine, alongside Sir Antonio Pappano which premiered in Spring 2022 on BBC Two along with international cinematic release.
American tenor Frederick Ballentine will be making his role debut as George Bailey. He made his ENO debut as Sportin’ Life in Porgy and Bess and is returning to the ENO after performing as a soloist in the concert staging of Seven Last Words where he was ‘strong-voiced and ardent’ (Seen and Heard International), and performing the role of Nick in The Handmaid’s Tale during the 2021/22 Season. He will be making his second role debut this 2022/23 Season performing the role of Loge in Wagner’s The Rhinegold, for Richard Jones’ Ring Cycle.
British soprano Jennifer France returns to the ENO for her role debut as Mary Hatch Bailey. France made her ENO debut in Orphée during the 2019/20 Season. She recently performed as a soloist in concert for In This Brief Moment at Symphony Hall, Birmingham with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra where she ‘stole the show’ with ‘her impeccable diction and laser precision’ (The Guardian). France has performed at many of the leading opera houses both in the UK and internationally, including Bayerische Staatsoper Munich, Aix-en-Provence Festival and the Royal Opera House.
American bass baritone Donovan Singletary will be performing the role of Harry Bailey. Singletary is a recent graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Programme and he has been praised by Opera News for his ‘bright baritone’. He is returning to the ENO following performance singing Jake in the 2018 staging of Porgy and Bess. Joining him on stage is South African soprano Segomotso Shupinyaneng who is making her ENO debut performing the role of Harry’s wife, Helen Bailey.
Tenor Roland Samm, born in Trinidad and Tobago, is performing the role of Uncle Billy Bailey. Returning to the London Coliseum, he previously made his ENO debut in the 2018 production of Porgy and Bess in the role of Peter.
Bringing her ‘expressive’ and ‘sumptuous voice’ (The Guardian) to the role of Mother Bailey is British soprano Gweneth Ann Rand. Rand is currently an Associate Artist at Wigmore Hall and she was previously a Vilar Young Artist at the Royal Opera House. She is returning to the ENO following her performance as Serena in the ENO’s 2018 staging of Porgy and Bess, the title role in Aida, the Mother in Hansel & Gretel at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, and the Hen/Innkeeper’s Wife in 2022 production of The Cunning Little Vixen.
Making his ENO debut is American baritone Michael Mayes as Mr Potter. Mayes made an explosive international debut singing the role of Joseph de Rocher in Heggie’s Dead Man Walking to international acclaim in 2018 for Teatro Real and at The Barbican in London. He has performed for many of the leading opera houses both in the UK and internationally, including Houston Grand Opera House, Staatsoper Stuttgart, Seattle Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera.
As the Angel Quartet, British soprano Keri Fuge, who is making her ENO debut, will be joined on stage by current ENO Harewood Artists; German mezzo-soprano Idunnu Münch, South African tenor Zwakele Tshabalala, and British bass-baritone Ossian Huskinson. British baritone and former ENO Harewood Artist Alex Otterburn will be returning to the London Coliseum in the role of Ernie. The stellar cast will be joined on stage by the ENO Chorus.
Giles Cadle is the Set Designer, Gabrielle Dalton is the Costume Designer, Andreas Fuchs is the Lighting Designer, and Nick Lidster is the Sound Designer.
It’s a Wonderful Life opens on Friday 25 November for 10 performances: Nov 25, 29, 30 and Dec 3, 7, 9 at 19.30. Nov 27 and Dec 3, 10 at 15.00.
A fully staged Relaxed Performance will be on Wednesday 7 December at 11.00.
British Sign Language performance: Wednesday 7 December, 19.30.
Tuesday 16 August 2022
Cast Announced for World Premiere of The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical
David Hunter will star as Henry and Joanna Woodward as Clare and in the world premiere of The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical, based on the best-selling novel by Audrey Niffenegger and the New Line Cinema film screenplay by Bruce Joel Rubin. The new musical will premiere at Storyhouse in Chester from 30 September to 15 October 2022. The two-week season will precede a West End transfer, to be announced at a later date.
David Hunter's theatre credits include: Waitress (Adelphi and UK Tour); Kinky Boots (Adelphi); Once (Phoenix); One Man, Two Guvnors (National Theatre, Adelphi, UK Tour); Songs for a New World (Palladium); Tommy (Prince Edward); Seussical (Arts); The Hired Man (Leicester Curve and Colchester Mercury); Pub and Spinach (the Royal Exchange); The Mayor of Zalamea (Liverpool Everyman). His film and TV credits include: Nativity 3; Holby City and Doctors (BBC); Superstar (ITV). David’s pop/rock band Reemer had support slots, playing alongside The Feeling, Scouting for Girls and McFly on their full UK Arena Tour.
Joanna Woodward most recently understudied and played Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman: The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre & Savoy Theatre). Her other theatre credits include: Emily in Zombies: The Musical and Eulpha Miziam in Confessions (The Other Palace); Mary in The Life (Southwark Playhouse); understudied and played Carole King in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre); Margaret in Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be (Theatre Royal Stratford East); understudied Beth/Meg/KT in Merrily We Roll Along (Menier Chocolate Factory and Harold Pinter Theatre); Tinker Bell in Lost Boy (Finborough Theatre and Charing Cross Theatre); Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors (Kilworth House Theatre).
Also in the cast will be Aisha Davis (UK theatre debut, with previous theatre work in Kingston, Jamaica) as Dr Kendrick, Ross Dawes (Dennis Dupree in the UK Tour of Rock of Ages) as Henry’s Dad, Hiba Elchikhe (Pritti Pasha in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie in West End and Los Angeles) as Charisse, Stevie Hutchinson (UK and Chinese Tour of Ghost: The Musical and UK Tour of Oliver!) as Clare’s Dad, Tim Mahendran (Spring Awakening at Hope Mill Theatre) as Gomez, Sorelle Marsh (Vicky Monroe in Stand Up at the Floral Pavilion, Wirral, and Tessie in White Christmas at the Lowry Theatre) as Henry’s Mum, Benjamin Purkiss (Zorro in Zorro the Musical at Charing Cross Theatre and Hope Mill Theatre and Alternate Strat in Bat Out of Hell at the London Coliseum/International Tour/Manchester Opera House) as Jason / Mark and Alwyne Taylor (won the Manchester Evening News Best Actress Award for Once in a Lifetime, Company, Sweet Charity and Accrington Pals at the Library Theatre and was nominated for Manchester Evening News Best Actress Award for her role as Madame Arcati in Blithe Spirit at the Oldham Coliseum) as Old Clare. The actresses playing Young Clare will be announced shortly.
Henry and Clare’s love story is like no other and yet like all others; they meet, flirt, fight, love, marry... but all out of order. Henry is often and uncontrollably ripped out of time, because he suffers from a rare condition where his genetic clock periodically resets, pulling him into his past or future, vanishing before one’s eyes, never knowing where or when he’s going next. Except he knows he’ll always come back to Clare, at some point in time, dreaming of her time-travelling husband.
The Time Traveller’s Wife: The Musical weaves a heart-breaking and soaring original musical score by multi Grammy Award-winning composers Joss Stone and Dave Stewart with one of the most beloved novels of the last 50 years. All couples ask how to truly know one another, to trust, to commit, to build a family, to work at something bigger than ourselves. Not all of us are time travellers. How do you love across time?
With a book by Lauren Gunderson, original music and lyrics by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, additional music by Nick Finlow and additional lyrics by Kait Kerrigan, the production will be directed by Bill Buckhurst and designed by Anna Fleischle, with choreography by Shelley Maxwell, lighting design by Lucy Carter, illusions by Chris Fisher, video design by Andrzej Goulding, sound design by Richard Brooker, musical supervision & arrangement by Nick Finlow and orchestrations by Bryan Crook. Casting will be by Grindrod Burton Casting. It will be produced by Colin Ingram for InTheatre Productions, Gavin Kalin Productions, Teresa Tsai and Crossroads Live, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures.
Friday 5 August 2022
Sierra Boggess to Appear Live in Concert in Christmas at Cadogan Hall
Fourth Wall Live is delighted to announce that Olivier Award nominated Broadway and West End star Sierra Boggess will appear live in concert in ‘Christmas At The Cadogan Hall’ on Sunday 11 December 2022 at 2.30pm and 6.30pm. Tickets are on sale now www.fw-live.com/sierra
Sierra said today, “I’m thrilled to be returning to London to make music together at Cadogan Hall! The concert will feature songs that I love to perform, as well as some holiday music to celebrate the season!”
Sierra Boggess has been seen on Broadway in the Tony nominated musical School Of Rock, It Shoulda Been You directed by David Hyde Pierce, the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera, the revival of Master Class and The Little Mermaid, for which she received Drama Desk and Drama League nominations and a Broadway.com Audience Choice Award.
In the West End, Sierra’s theatre credits include Les Misérables, the 25th Anniversary concerts of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall and her Olivier Award nominated performance as Christine Daae in Love Never Dies.
Other New York theatre credits include the recent off-Broadway production of Barry Manilow’s Harmony, Manhattan Concert Productions’ The Secret Garden at Lincoln Center; the one-night-only concert of Guys & Dolls at Carnegie Hall opposite Nathan Lane, Patrick Wilson and Megan Mullally; the final Off-Broadway cast of Love, Loss, and What I Wore; and Music in the Air for City Center’s Encores! series. She also starred as Christine Daae in the Las Vegas production of The Phantom of the Opera. Across the United States she has been seen in Into The Woods, A Little Night Music, Ever After, Age of Innocence, Princesses, and the national tour of Les Misérables. Her Film and Television credits include Vulture Club with Susan Sarandon and the web series What’s Your Emergency, directed by Michael Urie.
Sierra’s recordings include School Of Rock, It Shoulda Been You, the 25th-anniversary concert of The Phantom of the Opera, the symphonic recording of Love Never Dies, The Little Mermaid, and Andrew Lippa’s A Little Princess. Concert appearances include the BBC Proms at Royal Albert Hall, Lincoln Center’s American Songbook series The Lyrics of David Zippel, The New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, and Broadway by the Year at Town Hall. Sierra has toured all over the world across Australia, Japan, Paris, and London with her concert show, which has been preserved live and released on CD, Awakening: Live at 54 Below. She recently released an album of duets with Julian Ovenden made during the pandemic entitled Together At A Distance. www.sierraboggess.com
Fourth Wall Live is an entertainment company that produces events, concerts and on-stage shows. In January 2022 FWL presented Bonnie and Clyde The Musical In Concert for two nights to a sold-out audience at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, starring Broadway favourite Jeremy Jordan. The concert broke Drury Lane box office records selling out a two-night run in less than six minutes. The concert was live captured for cinematic/streaming distribution, with its release to be announced in due course.
In 2022 Fourth Wall Live is delighted to be presenting Audra McDonald at the London Palladium, and Jeremy Jordan at Theatre Royal Drury Lane. FWL regularly presents concerts featuring stars of the West End and Broadway including Keala Settle, Jeremy Jordan, Matthew Morrison and Hannah Waddingham among others.
Fourth Wall Live was also a producer of Bonnie & Clyde the Musical which ran at The Arts Theatre in the West End for 13 weeks during 2022.
Friday 1 July 2022
Come From Away to Play Final Performance in West End on 7 January 2023
The multi award-winning London production of global hit musical Come From Away will extend in the West End from September until the end of the year before holding its final performance at the Phoenix Theatre on Saturday 7 January 2023.
By the time the West End company take their final bow, this critically acclaimed production will have played 1048 performances in London, 47 performances in Dublin and won many major UK theatre Awards including the Olivier, Critics’ Circle and What’s On Stage Awards for ‘Best Musical’.
The current London cast of Come From Away includes Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Mark Dugdale (Kevin T/Garth and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others), Kate Graham (Diane and others), Robert Hands (Nick/Doug and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J/Ali and others), Gemma Knight Jones (Hannah and others), Kirsty Malpass (Bonnie and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others), Emma Salvo (Janice and others), Lejaun Sheppard (Bob and others), with Chiara Baronti, Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Alexander McMorran, Sarah Morrison, Lucy Park, Jennifer Tierney and Matthew Whennell-Clark.
The Come From Away band includes Alan Berry (Musical Director/UK Musical Supervisor), Matt Bashford (Whistles/Irish Flute/Uillean Pipes), Aoife Mairead Ní Bhriain (Fiddle), Oli Briant (Electric/Acoustic Guitar), Justin Quinn (Acoustic Guitars/Mandolins/Bouzouki), Joey Grant (Electric and Acoustic Bass), Ray Fean (Bodhrán/Percussion), Ian Whitehead (Drums/Percussion), Huw Evans (Associate Musical Director), Andrew Barrett for Lionella Music, LLC (Electronic Music Design), Phij Adams (Associate Keyboard Programmer), Ryan Driscoll (Music Preparation), and David Gallagher (Orchestral Management).
Come From Away shares the incredible real-life story of the 7,000 air passengers from all over the world who were grounded in Canada during the wake of 9/11, and the small Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives.
Experience the joy, heartache and soaring music as the spirited locals and global passengers overcome their fears and a world of cultural differences to come together and forge friendships that will stay with them forever. The first female American Airlines captain, the quick-thinking town mayor, the mother of a New York firefighter and the eager local news reporter are among the many real characters caught at the start of the moment that changed the course of history, and whose stories became a true celebration of hope, humanity and unity.
The international hit musical has celebrated sold-out, record-breaking engagements on Broadway, in Canada, throughout Australia, and on a 60-city North American Tour.
The Come From Away creative team includes Irene Sankoff and David Hein (Book, Music and Lyrics), Christopher Ashley (Director), Kelly Devine (Musical Staging), Ian Eisendrath (Music Supervision and Arrangements), Beowulf Boritt (Scenic Design), Toni-Leslie James (Costume Design), Howell Binkley (Lighting Design), Gareth Owen (Sound Design), David Brian Brown (Hair Design), August Eriksmoen (Orchestrations), Pippa Ailion CDG and Natalie Gallacher CDG (Casting), Joel Goldes (Dialect Coach), Michael Rubinoff (Creative Consultant), Bob Hallett (Newfoundland Music Consultant), Shirley Fishman (Dramaturg) and Tara Overfield (Associate Director and Choreographer UK).
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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