Wednesday 2 September 2020

16 Her-storical Facts That Didn't Make it into Six The Musical


Six the Musical isn't only full of absolute boppage, but also a fair few facts about the Queens we know and love. However, the 75 minute musical can't cover everything so here are sixteen herstorical facts you may not know...

1. Twenty one years Henry’s junior, Catherine Parr was actually named after Henry’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, to whom Catherine’s mother had been a lady-in-waiting.

2. Before marrying Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon was married to his elder brother, Arthur. Arthur died of a mysterious “sweating sickness” shortly after their marriage, leaving Catherine a widow at just 16 years old.

3. Between Arthur’s death and her marriage to Henry, Catherine served Henry’s father (Henry VII) as the royal ambassador to Spain, making her the first female diplomat in European history.

4. The day after Anne Boleyn’s beheading, Henry got engaged to Jane Seymour, Anne Boleyn’s lady in waiting. While she was publicly proclaimed queen, her coronation never went ahead due to an outbreak of plague.

5. Catherine Parr was a dedicated patron of the arts, and she encouraged the spread of Renaissance humanism. When Spanish scholar Juan Luis Vives wrote a book arguing that women had the right to an education, he dedicated it to Catherine.

6. As a young woman, Jane Seymour almost married William Dormer, the son of Sir Robert and Lady Dormer. However, William’s mother canceled their engagement because she thought Jane wasn’t noble enough.

7. Two months before her execution, Anne Boleyn helped pass the poor law which said that “local officials should find work for the unemployed”

8. Contemporaries held Holbein’s pictures to be accurate depictions of the girls—not flattering misrepresentations, as the legend came to describe them. However, both Anne of Cleves and her sister Amalia wore veils covering their faces most of the time, so it is believed that it was a struggle to get them to reveal themselves for portraits.

9. Jane Seymour divided opinions, with one courtier saying she was “not of much beauty,” whilst another named her “the fairest of all the king’s wives.”

10. Henry’s treatment of Catherine of Aragon after their divorce caused a major rift between Henry and his daughter, Mary. To help curb Mary’s resentment, Henry forbid the mother and daughter from communicating, but sympathetic servants secretly carried letters back and forth between them.

11. According to one legend, Henry wrote the famous, anonymous “Greensleeves” to seduce the woman who would become his second wife, Anne Boleyn.

12. Catherine of Aragon remained married to Henry VIII for 24 years. Their marriage lasted longer than all of Henry’s other marriages combined.

13. Catherine Howard was at least two, if not seven, years younger than Henry's daughter Mary, so she found it very hard to be a motherly figure

14. Catherine of Aragon spent her final days as the image of Catholic piety. Though she had access to all of Kimbleton Castle, she remained in a single room, fasting and praying. 

15. During his courtship with Anne of Cleves, Henry also considered her sister, Amalia! After Holbein returned and Henry saw both portraits of the women, he went with Anne over Amalia. Many historians agree that the choice probably had less to do with looks, and more because as the younger daughter, Amalia had less hereditary rights than her sister. 

16. Whilst still married to Anne, Henry began a flirtation with Jane Seymour, even giving her a locket with his own portrait inside!

So there you have it, sixteen facts about the Queens of the castle! Hopefully it won't be long until we can rock out like royalty at the theatre, but in the meantime, stay safe and channel your inner queen!

Friday 14 August 2020

Indoor Theatre Allowed To Resume From Weekend



It has been announced that from the weekend socially distanced audiences can return for indoor performances in theatres, music halls and other venues. Building on pilot success from a number of venues, including the London Palladium.

Oliver Dowden said that this is Another important step on the recovery of the arts, helped by the government's £1.57bn rescue package and that this government is #HereForCulture


This is a developing story

photo credit: FreePik

Monday 3 August 2020

A Stagey Guide to Singing... Rachel Tucker | Interview

Hello stagey people! Light seems to be shining at the end of the tunnel but there's still a distinct lack of theatre in our lives; so I thought today I would bring you a mini Q&A from the Rewrite This Story vaults. A while back I chatted to Rachel Tucker and asked her a few vocal technique related questions...


What are your go to warm ups?

I have a great warm up that a friend from New York introduced to me. A slow long warm up that slowly builds and is quite a classical warm up and it gets my break from my chest voice to head voice really smoothed out and warm.


You are the Queen of belting, do you have any tips? Do you change vowel shapes or anything like that?
It shouldn't really be the vowels you change it's the back of the throat. You can still sing the same vowel bright and belted with just some adjustment of the throat. It depends but I wouldn't really because it's nothing to do with the vowel shape, you should be able to belt any vowel or consonant. It's about the shape at the back of your throat. Space, space, space!


What are your tips for keeping your body and voice healthy?
Oh definitely to consume more water than you think is physically possible. Don't underestimate how much talking tires your voice, if you have a big sing just go on vocal rest, text friends and write things down. 

And steaming after a big sing for sure- about 45 minutes with a facial steamer with a mouth piece and it'll bring down any swelling in your throat down, it should be for 30 minutes... at least!


Thanks so much to Rachel for answering these questions way back when! Stay safe and stay stagey!

-Olivia
Editor of Rewrite This Story


Wednesday 22 July 2020

The Barn Theatre announce outdoor festival: BarnFest


The Barn Theatre in Cirencester has announced the launch of their first Summer outdoor theatre festival, BarnFest – Outdoor Theatre Festival, which will run from 25 July until 5 September.

The outdoor festival, which will be held within the grounds of Ingleside House adjacent to the theatre, will bring the award-winning theatre outdoors with entertaining productions catered towards the whole family ranging from children’s entertainment to re-imagined Shakespeare.

Giffords Circus star Tweedy the Clown will launch the inaugural BarnFest season with his new family entertainment extravaganza Tweedy: Al Fresco!

The season will be followed by Natasha Barnes and Vikki Stone in their musical mashup Funny Gals: A History of Women Being Hilarious In Musicals. The show explores the comedy music written for women in musical theatre.

Outdoor theatre company Illyria Theatre will be bringing three of their acclaimed productions to the festival: The Wind in the WillowsThe Emperor’s New Clothes and The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle.

Rosie Day, will star in her play Instructions For A Teenage Armageddon. The production, directed by Georgie Staight and featuring the voice of Maxine Peake as Sensible Scout Leader Susan, previously had a successful run at The Old Red Lion Theatre in London. Instructions For A Teenage Armageddon is co-produced by Studio POW and the Barn Theatre.

New theatre company SCOOT Theatre will bring their re-imagined production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a 60-minute retelling set within the world of cricket, to the festival. The production, directed by Joseph O’Malley, features a cast including past Barn Theatre actors Aaron Sidwell and Max Hutchinson.

The season will also feature two brand new co-productions from the Barn Theatre. The first will be a new production of Simon Reade’s play adaptation of Private Peaceful by Michael Morpurgo, directed by Alexander Knott, will run at BarnFest from 17th to 22nd August. The show is co-produced by Take Two TheatricalsBoxLess Theatre and the Barn Theatre.

A new production of the Kander & Ebb musical revue The World Goes ‘Round will complete the run as part of BarnFest. The production will be directed by Kirk Jameson with musical direction by Nick Barstow.

Iwan Lewis, Artistic Director said: “We’re back! I am absolutely delighted to announce that the Barn Theatre, under unprecedented circumstances, is launching its very first outdoor theatre festival, BarnFest. Since the government statement allowing outdoor theatre to take place just over a week ago, the team have worked tirelessly to bring together a month-long programme of events featuring everything from children’s entertainment to Shakespeare. So, there’s something for all the family. I’d like to assure everyone thinking of attending that your safety has been paramount in planning this event. All precautions have been taken to ensure you enjoy a safe and friendly festival environment and we cannot wait to have our audiences back at the Barn.”

The theatre will be adhering stringently to all government guidelines during the festival and have released further details and information regarding the venue and procedures to keep audiences, staff and performers safe on their website here: https://barntheatre.org.uk/barnfest/bfyoursafety

Grease UK Tour starring Peter Andre to return in 2021


The producers of the first new production in 25 years of Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey’s iconic musical Grease, are delighted that the show will tour the UK and Ireland in 2021. The musical was due to tour in 2020 but had to be postponed due to COVID-19.

Following his success starring in the UK and Ireland tour in 2019, Peter Andre will star in the 2021 tour at certain venues and performances (Plymouth, Cardiff, Bristol, Milton Keynes, Dublin, Liverpool, Bromley, Southampton, Nottingham, Manchester, Dartford, Canterbury and Birmingham). As well as reprising the role of Teen Angel, Andre will also play Vince Fontaine.

The 2021 tour will begin at Theatre Royal Plymouth, running from 22 – 30 January, and will then play Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff from 1 – 6 February, Bristol Hippodrome from 8 – 13 February, Edinburgh Festival Theatre from 16 – 20 February, Norwich Theatre Royal from 22 – 27 February, Milton Keynes Theatre from 1 – 6 March, Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Dublin from 16 – 27 March, The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 29 March – 3 April, Liverpool Empire from 5 – 10 April, Sheffield Lyceum from 12 – 17 April, Churchill Theatre, Bromley from 19 – 24 April, Stoke Regent Theatre from 3 – 8 May, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton from 11 – 15 May, Grand Opera House, Belfast from 18 – 22 May, Theatre Royal Nottingham from 24 – 29 May, Royal & Derngate Northampton from 31 May – 5 June, Palace Theatre Manchester from 7 – 19 June, The Orchard Theatre Dartford from 21 – 26 June, The Marlowe Canterbury from 28 June – 3 July, The Sands Centre, Carlisle from 6-10 July and The Alexandra, Birmingham from 12 – 17 July.

Andre said "I was so thrilled to have been returning to Grease this year as I had the most wonderful time last year working with our incredible cast and creative team. Sadly, this year's tour had to be postponed due to COVID-19 but I'm overjoyed that we can return in 2021. Grease is joyous and will truly allow you to escape to a different time, with show-stopping dance routines and some of the most iconic songs of all time. It's a show about solidarity and it celebrates friendship. As the song goes, We Go Together!"

Grease is directed by Nikolai Foster and choreographed by Arlene Phillips, with designs by Colin Richmond, orchestrations and musical supervision by Sarah Travis, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and 2021 tour casting by Kay Magson CDG, with original tour casting by David Grindrod CDG.

This new production of GREASE is produced by Colin Ingram, InTheatre Productions, Donovan Mannato, Playing Field, Hunter Arnold, Araca and Curve.

photo credit: Manuel Harlan

Spice World drive-in concert to feature Lucie Jones, Aimie Atkinson, Bronté Barbé, Danielle Steers and Zizi Strallen


Five West End stars will come together to perform a live concert of Spice Girls hits before a drive-in cinema screening of Spice World.

Presented at the Troubadour Meridian Water, the drive-in experience will start at 9pm on Saturday 1 August, with doors opening at 8.15pm.

Put together by producer Paul Taylor-Mills, the concert will feature Aimie Atkinson (Six / Pretty Woman) as Ginger, Bronté Barbé (Shrek/Beautiful) as Baby, Lucie Jones (Waitress/Rent) as Sporty, Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins/Strictly Ballroom) as Posh and Danielle Steers (Bat Out of Hell/Six) as Scary.

The performances are in a raised central location and relayed back to a giant cinema screen, giving everyone a great view wherever they park up.

Social distancing guidelines will be adhered to and updated in accordance with government guidelines for the performances, with cast, crew and audiences all observing protocols throughout the evening.

The concert has lighting by Andrew Exeter, sound by Dan Samson and choreography by Alexzandra Sarmiento.

Tickets are on sale now. There are ten free car tickets per showing for NHS and care workers, booked with the code NHSSTAFF. Valid ID must be presented at event.

Andrew Scott to appear in new play streamed live from the Old Vic


Andrew Scott will star in a new play streamed live from an empty Old Vic auditorium, for five performances in July and August.

Entitled Three Kings, the scratch performance of Stephen Breresford's piece is directed by Matthew Warchus. The play follows Patrick, a man who reflects on the role of his father in shaping his life following eight years of absence.

Warchus said: "I am hugely grateful to Stephen for writing this play specially for the Old Vic: In Camera series and to Andrew for agreeing to perform it. Their generous support of the Old Vic at this critical time and their spirit of adventure in joining us in this crucial fundraising experiment is enormously appreciated."

Tickets to watch the stream will cost between £10 and £40, with dates from 29 July to 1 August.

Following the performance on 1 August, the venue will stream a conversation between Scott and Dermot O'Leary. General booking opens 22 July.

photo credit: Michael Buckner/SHOWTIME

Monday 20 July 2020

Fanny and Stella musical to run at new open-air theatre in London


A brand new socially distanced open-air production of Fanny And Stella, a musical with Book and Lyrics by Glenn Chandler, the creator of ‘Taggart’, and Music by Charles Miller, is to be staged as the premiere production at The Garden Theatre in the newly refurbished beer garden of The Eagle.

Producer Peter Bull said: “We are taking baby steps as we venture into the brave new world of open-air socially distanced performances. We are only performing three shows a week initially but we aim to increase this after a successful launch.”

This hugely entertaining, relentlessly entertaining romp is based on bizarre events and real characters in Victorian London. Ernest Boulton and Frederick William Park were two young men who, in 1871, were put on trial in London for dressing as women and conspiracy to commit sodomy, a felony at the time. They dressed up as women (and were very good at it) for amateur theatricals, but when the show was over, and sometimes when there wasn’t even any show, as ‘Fanny and Stella’ they would frequent places of entertainment in the West End where men encountered men for sex and male prostitutes plied their trade. Park and Boulton were acquitted - an amazing victory for the time when sexual acts between men carried a sentence of two years - primarily because conspiracy could not be proved. Or perhaps it was because one had a father who was a judge, and the other a mother who swayed the court with her tears.

Upon their acquittal, Park and Boulton - as Fanny and Stella - along with their theatre company, take their story on the road. They hire a venue for “one night only” to tell their amazing true story of their lives, their trial, and their sensational acquittal. But are they in an ungiving age putting themselves on trial a second time?

The show will star Jed Berry as Ernest Boulton/Stella and Kane Verrall as Frederick William Park/Fanny. Further casting to be announced.

It has a first class creative team led by director Steven Dexter, with musical staging by Nick Winston, musical director Aaron Clingham, designer David Shields and casting by Anne Vosser. It is produced by Peter Bull for LAMBCO Productions.

Please note: face masks or coverings must be worn throughout the performance by socially-distanced audience members.

Concept album of new British musical Mascherato released on all streaming platforms


In the heart of 18th century Venice we meet Luca and Elena, and follow as they fall in love against the backdrop of the thriving carnival. However, the pair are torn apart as Venice sinks into war against the Ottoman Empire. When the conflict finally ends, and the empire proves victorious, the two lovers must fight against fate to be reunited. 

With music, lyrics, and original story by Michael Elderkin, and book by James Willett, this sweeping epic is ready to be experienced. Originally conceived by Elderkin in 2015, and following a successful workshop in 2017, the show has proven to be hugely popular. 

As such, and wanting to reach as wide an audience as possible, the show has been transformed into a concept album. Recorded with a stellar West End cast (including Rob Houchen, Katy Treharne, Jeremy Secomb, and Nathaniel Parker), a chorus of twelve, and a 22- piece orchestra in Abbey Road Studios – this lush and colourful score will take you on a journey through the mystery and magic that resides within the twisted labyrinth of Venice. 

A new British musical, Mascherato is now available on all music streaming services (iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, etc). 

Mascherato is a story of hope – of belief in something greater than ourselves and the importance of having faith that all will be well in the end. A message that the world as whole really needs right now.

Friday 17 July 2020

Indoor theatre performances allowed to resume from August 1st


It has been announced that from 1st August socially distanced audiences can return for indoor performances in theatres, music halls and other venues. Building on pilot success from a number of venues, including the London Palladium.

Talking at a press conference today, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "The timetable I am about to set out is conditional. It is contingent on all of us staying alert and continued success on controlling the virus."

"From 1 August, we will restart live indoor performances to a live audience subject to the success of pilots, and we will pilot larger gatherings, with a view to a wider reopening in the autumn...From October, we intend to bring back audiences in stadia and to allow conferences and other business events to recommence. These changes have to be made in a covid-secure way subject to pilots".

Johnson also announced new powers for local authorities, allowing them to cancel local events if there is a rising rate of transmission in specific areas.

The Prime Minister added: "We hope that by November at the earliest, if we continue to make progress, then it may conceivably be possible to move away from social distancing measures, such as the one metre rule. That is entirely conditional on our ability to keep the virus under control."

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden echoed these plans on social media, explaining that this is a progression into stage four of the plan for culture.

Frozen West End cast and company announced

The leading cast members and company of the West End premiere of Frozen have been revealed, as the show moves its premiere date to spring 2021.
Joining the previously announced Samantha Barks (Elsa) and Stephanie McKeon (Anna) are Obioma Ugoala (Kristoff), Craig Gallivan (Olaf), Oliver Ormson (Hans), Richard Frame (Weselton), and alternating the role of Sven, Mikayla Jade and Ashley Birchall; with Jeremy Batt, Cameron Burt, Lauren Chia, Laura Emmitt, Emily-Mae Walker (Bulda), Danielle Fiamanya (first cover Elsa), Hannah Fairclough, Matt Gillett, Joe Griffiths- Brown, Emily Lane, Justin-Lee Jones, Jason Leigh Winter, Jacob Maynard, Leisha Mollyneaux, Gabriel Mokake (King Agnarr), Sarah O'Connor (first cover Anna), Jemma Revell, Jacqui Sanchez (Queen Iduna), Jak Skelly (Oaken/Bishop), Jake Small, Isabel Snaas, Joshua St. Clair (Pabbie), Monica Swayne, and Anna Woodside. Further casting is to be confirmed.
Frozen, which has music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and book by Jennifer Lee, opened on Broadway in March 2018 and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Musical. It follows Elsa, who is gifted with ice-manipulating powers, and her relationship with her sister Anna as they try to run a nation.
The show is based on the highest-grossing animated film of all time, which was released in 2013 and won two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA. The sequel – Frozen 2 – was released last autumn.
The production, which will be presented at a refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane will be directed by Michael Grandage with choreography by Rob Ashford, set and costume design by Christopher Oram, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Peter Hylenski, video design by Finn Ross, puppet design by Michael Curry and musical supervision and arrangements by Stephen Oremus.
Michael Grandage said today: "We're thrilled to announce the company for Frozen – an incredibly talented group of people who will be creating the London premiere at the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane next spring. As theatres start to open their doors again, we look forward to celebrating the spectacle of this beloved story with audiences everywhere."

Wednesday 15 July 2020

Six The Musical Drive-In performances cancelled amid local lockdown concerns


The Guardian has reported that the recently announced drive-in UK tour of the hit stage musical Six, has been cancelled due to concerns about local lockdowns.
The concert tour, part of Live Nation Entertainment’s summer season, was due to begin next month and visit 12 cities, with performances staged at sites including airports and racecourses.
A statement from Live Nation said the Live from the Drive In concert series would no longer proceed as planned because “the latest developments regarding localised lockdowns mean it has become impossible for us to continue with the series with any confidence”.
Six’s producer, Kenny Wax, said on Wednesday afternoon: “We are so very disappointed to have received the news of the cancellation earlier today. The previous hour has been spent telling the 60 members of our company that the job they were about to embark on has disappeared. We thank them for believing that we could make this happen. We know that ultimately there is nothing more important than the safety and wellbeing of our company and the Six Queendom. We look forward to better times.”
Refunds will be issued directly to ticket holders within seven days.

David Hunter and Caroline Kay release online musical short created during lockdown having never met in person



West End star David Hunter and actor/singer-songwriter, Caroline Kay, have come together virtually  - having never before met in person - to write, perform, and record a new Musical Short, The Space Between.

Made using screen-recordings of live video calls over Zoom, FaceTime, and Whatsapp, The Space Between is a 13-minute musical story offering a glimpse into a couple’s difficult relationship through Lockdown.



David said “I’ve always wanted to write a musical, and I reached out to Caroline with the beginnings of an idea for a Lockdown creation.”

The two then agreed to collaborate and composed the piece by communicating solely via Whatsapp.

Caroline said: “Lockdown has affected all relationships in different ways and we wanted to explore what these effects might look like for one fictional couple.”

Hunter and Kay teamed up with composer and musical director, Nick Barstow (another creative whom neither of the pair have met in person!), as arranger and musical supervisor, Imogen Halsey (on cello) and connected with Joe Davison of Auburn Jam Music LTD who mixed and mastered.

The Space Between, will be released on Wednesday July 15 to raise funds for the Theatre Artists Fund, the emergency fund for theatre workers in need of urgent support due to the coronavirus pandemic set up last month by theatre and film director Sam Mendes.

Watch the isolation musical for free via this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jMCO4shFMI&feature=youtu.be


Audience members who can afford to make a donation to the Theatre Artists Fund are encouraged to do so.

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre to present Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert


Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is the first London theatre to welcome back audiences with 70 live performances in August and September, with venue capacity reduced to 390 seats, 30% of its usual capacity, together with new safety protocols

From 14 August, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre will produce a special concert staging of their production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar.

William Village, Executive Director said: “Following the government’s announcement last week that outdoor theatres may re-open, we have been working around the clock to find a way to open in August and September this year. With social distancing, seating capacity has been dramatically reduced to 390 seats (down from 1,256). This makes producing any large-scale show economically extremely challenging, particularly as we are an unfunded organisation. Nevertheless, both for us as a venue, and the industry as a whole, we believe it is incumbent upon us to do everything possible to re-open this year, and we’re delighted to announce this special concert staging of our award-winning production of Jesus Christ Superstar.

Of course, the safety of our audience, performers and staff remains of paramount importance to us. We will follow government guidance meticulously; measures to be introduced at the entirely open air venue include: reduced capacity, distanced performers, enhanced cleaning, one-way systems, mandatory face coverings, temperature checks, paperless and cashless systems and multiple hand sanitiser stations. All information will be set out clearly on our website and communicated with audiences in advance of their arrival.”

Running for six weeks from Friday 14 August until Sunday 27 September 2020, the concert will run for 90 minutes with no interval.

The creative team is: Will Burton CDG and David Grindrod CDG (casting); Lee Curran (lighting design); Tom Deering (musical supervisor); Barbara Houseman (associate director, voice and text); Drew McOnie (choreography); Nick Lidster for Autograph (sound design); Tom Scutt (design); Timothy Sheader (director); Kate Waters (fight director) and Denzel Westley-Sanderson (co-director). Full casting information will be announced in due course.


A series of one-off MOREoutdoor Mondays will also play throughout the run with comedy from Rob Beckett, Russell Brand, Jimmy Carr, Kerry Godliman, Judi Love and Russell Kane. 

Timothy Sheader, Artistic Director said: “It has been, and continues to be, an incredibly challenging time for everyone working in the theatre industry. Whilst the arts sector awaits details of how the government’s support package will be disseminated, I’m heartened that we have been able to start work again with a number of our colleagues and to employ over 140 people including 70 performers and freelancers, at least for a brief period this summer.

However, a clear and specific timeframe for the re-opening of the rest of our industry, together with the complete and safe removal of social distancing measures in all venues, remains critical to secure the future of the arts in the UK.”

Public Booking for Jesus Christ Superstar: The Concert, opens 11am, Tuesday 21 July 2020; Public booking for MOREoutdoor Mondays opens 11am, Thursday 23 July 2020