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Virtual West End choir performs Do You Hear The People Sing? from Les Misérables

Over 70 performers from top West End shows have come together to record a special version of Do You Hear The People Sing?, reminding us that ‘even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise’.

Watch video here

With an introduction from Christopher Biggins and a voiceover by Lesley Joseph, the video encourages viewers to donate to theatrical charity Acting For Others if they are able, to help provide financial and wellbeing support to theatre workers in these difficult times – or donate to support NHS workers and volunteers.

#HearTheWestEndSing @westendsingsuk

www.officiallondontheatre.com

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Theatre is facing its biggest peacetime threat

I could cry. I have.

Broadway is dark for a month, a closure that is much longer than the few days that shows shut after Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Analysts say that this could cost anywhere from $250 to $500 million – depending on when officials allow for public gatherings again.

Of course, regional theatres are closed “until further notice,” and the number of advance tickets and income has dropped by 92%. Last month one medium scale venue shifted £4,000. This week the total box office takings were £30.

The theatre world shifted overnight.

BECTU have stated that more than 70% of freelance workers are worried that they will not be able to pay bills. Furthermore, a staggering 47% of freelancers have confirmed that 100% of their work has been cancelled.

Thankfully, today the Government announced that they are setting up a back-of-a-fag-packet coronavirus job retention scheme. Grants will cover 80% of the salary or retained workers, up to a total of £2,500 a month,

The West End shut down has now been extended to April 26, “whilst we wait for further clarity from government,” says the Society of London Theatre.

As venues across the nation cancelled performances and locked the doors in the wake of coronavirus, organisations have asked audiences to donate and book advance tickets, following the government’s warning this week to avoid theatres and public gatherings.

Ticket holders should wait to be contacted by their point of purchase, rather than attempt to contact customer service teams, who are systematically working to contact all affected customers.

The size of this is staggering.

Elsewhere, Lambert Jackson productions have come up with a way to keep theatre lovers entertained as coronavirus brings things to a halt. They have teamed up with Theatre Café for a live-streamed series of concerts, Leave a Light On beginning on March 23, with 3, 45-minute concerts performed each day. Viewers will be charged £7.50 per performance.

Surely those with little to no income should be able to access a free concert?

Theatre Cafe’s Chief Operating Officer, Ryan Woods assures me that as soon as they have got a few under their belt they will look at implementing this.

What irks me about Leave a Light On, though, is that even if compassion fatigue has never been more of a problem, why are organisers prepared to break social distancing recommendations to earn money? I’m not sure west end stars need the exposure or income; it seems like a quick buck for everyone.

Which I hope doesn’t sound like I’m diminishing the efforts of all involved.

Bryony Kimmings - I’m a Pheonix ... Bitch!

Bryony Kimmings – I’m a Pheonix … Bitch!

There are moments when generosity and humanity from the industry simply overwhelms me. See: Bryony Kimmings, who has called on fellow theatre-makers to donate money to those who are in need and playwright Luke Barnes who has set up the Liverpool Artists Coronavirus Fund.

So, in circumstances as bleak as these, we need laughter, compassion and entertainment. It’s become clear to me that we must make fundamental changes to absolutely everything we do.

Mind you, theatre’s greatest strength is also its biggest medium; the emphasis is as much on evocation as experience. And, of course, a communal experience.

What can I personally do to make this all more bearable?

I have written to Rufus Norris to ask him to consider unlocking the National Theatre Collection so we can all safely watch the watch the very best of British theatre during this difficult time.

I’ve included some links and theatre resources below. (you’re welcome).

Listen, we will find a way through this ongoing crisis.

Stay well.

Theatre Helpline: 0800 915 4617, advice@theatrehelpline.org

ArtsMinds: artsminds.co.uk

Theatre Resources For Isolation

Compiled by Ollie Jones (oliver.jones@york.ac.uk) – with thanks to too many people to mention for suggestions and links!

*starred items require institutional log in – usually there is a log in [by institution] option which takes you to the York Shibboleth system (or equivalent if at another institution)

Comment permissions are set to open for all. Please feel free to add suggestions!

Read:

Watch:

Full shows:

  • The Show Must Go Online – The actor Robert Myles has set up a reading group for professional and amateur actors to perform Shakespeare’s complete plays in the order they’re believed to have been written. The first livestreamed reading, on YouTube, will be The Two Gentleman of Verona on Thursday (19 March).
  • Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – After more than 1,000 productions, the Showstoppers improv crew are some of the quickest wits in the biz. So it’s no surprise that when they were faced with a West End closure they live-streamed a performance. Watch their custom-made, never-to-be-repeated impro musical on Facebook.
  • Viral Monologues – Twenty actors perform new monologues written just for them in this initiative. The performances will be shared online every 15 minutes on Tuesday night (17 March) and there’s some top talent involved, including comedian David Cross, actors Rachel Dratch and Andre Royo, and writers David Lindsay-Abaire, Stephen Adly Guirgis and Monique Moses.
  • Since U Been Gone – Teddy Lamb was due to present a Trans Take Over at London’s Bunker theatre this week as part of its now suspended Power Share season. So they have uploaded a version of their musical fringe hit about losing loved ones and finding your own voice.
  • Bubble – Is this the short-term future of theatremaking? Bubble, a play set entirely on Facebook, uses a cast of European actors who never met in person, rehearsed over Skype and filmed on their cameras. Theatre Uncut release the production, written by Beats playwright Kieran Hurley, on 23 March. Theatre Uncut — Events
  • 5 Soldiers – Rosie Kay’s extraordinary 5 Soldiers: The Body is the Frontline was staged in army drill halls around the UK but since its live stream is still available online you can watch it from the comfort of your own sofa. Performing in close quarters to a score that mixes punk and opera, Kay’s phenomenal company bring home the horror of combat and disarm audiences.
  • Girls Like That – London’s Unicorn theatre has a world-class reputation for theatre for young audiences and its production of Evan Placey’s Girls Like That gripped the roomful of teenagers I watched it with in 2014. It’s online in full and offers a raw account of adolescent anxiety, slut-shaming and self-belief. In-your-face theatre that stays in your mind.
  • Le Patin Libre – Think dance on ice and you’d imagine sequins and staggering TV celebrities but the Canadian troupe Le Patin Libre has taken the artform into a new dimension. In their double bill Vertical Influences, the skaters turned the rink into a mesmerising stage slowly decorated by the patterns cut by their blades.
  • Woke – LIVR is a subscription service that enables you to catch up on theatre in 360-degree virtual reality. Pop your smartphone into the headset they send you and experience a range of shows including Apphia Campbell’s Fringe First award-winning show Woke, which interweaves the stories of Black Panther Assata Shakur and the 2014 Ferguson riots.
  • John Leguizamo’s Latin History for Morons – Self-isolation may mean that many of us will use living rooms to both teach children and watch theatre. An opportunity to combine the two can be found courtesy of the super-charismatic John Leguizamo – an inspirational tutor if ever there was – whose one-man Broadway show Latin History for Morons is on Netflix.
  • My Left Nut – This is cheating as it’s a TV series but BBC3’s superb comedy drama is based on one ofthe most uproarious and affecting fringe theatre shows of recent years. It’s based on Michael Patrick’s own teenage experience of a medical condition that left his testicle “so big you could play it like a bongo”. Wince.
  • Rosas Danst Rosas – Love dance? Need to exercise at home? Then join the queen of Belgian avant-garde performance Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker as she talks you through how to perform her 1983 classic Rosas Danst Rosas. All you need is a chair, a bit of legroom and enough space to swing your hair.
  • Dead Centre have released the recording of ‘Lippy’ (2013ish) – link here: https://vimeo.com/253790281 and password is context
  • For Katie Mitchell/opera fans, the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich is streaming her recent production of ‘Judith’ until 26 March. Link here: https://operlive.de/judith/

Other video resources:

Theatre-related programmes and features on streaming services:

Listen:

Search for podcasts using your favourite app…

  • Beyond Shakespeare is broadcasting a series of lunchtime readthroughs of non-Shakespeare early modern plays. Check out their twitter page for updates: https://twitter.com/BeyondShakes
  • Pursued by a Bear – by Exeunt Magazine
  • AdLib – York Theatre Royal’s podcast
  • Pod4Ham –  a song by song examination of Hamilton
  • Hamiltcast – a no-stone-left-unturned exploration of the groundbreaking show Hamilton, its multilayered musical treats and its cultural impact. https://www.thehamilcast.com/
  • Royal Court Playwright’s Podcast – Simon Stephens interviews 40 playwrights
  • David Tennant Does a Podcast With…
  • NT Talks – 10 years of talks with actors, directors and more recorded at the National Theatre
  • Curtain Call Theatre Podcast – spotlights current shows through wide-ranging interviews, which give listeners a detailed sense of what it takes for a show to come together. https://curtaincalltheatre.libsyn.com/
  • “Variety’s Stagecraft” – a deep gold mine of searching interviews with actors and other theater professionals about their Broadway and off-Broadway endeavors. https://broadwaypodcastnetwork.com/podcast/varietys-stagecraft/
  • Playing On Air – contemporary one-act play performed by actors like Adam Driver, Audra McDonald and Michael C. Hall, followed by a conversation with the creative team. https://playingonair.org/?
  • ‘Off Book: The Black Theatre Podcast’ – features conversations between the hosts and a selection of guests from all walks of theatrical life, including actors, costume designers and writers. https://soundcloud.com/off-book-theatre-podcast
  • BBC podcasts: In Our Time, The Life Scientific, Infinite Monkey Cage, Desert Island Discs, From Our Own Correspondent, Friday Night Comedy, You’re Dead to Me, Forest 404
  • Other non-theatre recommendations: Guilty Feminist, Global Pillage, The Best Pick, 99% Invisible, Ologies, Reply All
  • RTE Radio Drama. Radio plays from Ireland’s national broadcaster https://www.rte.ie/drama/radio/
  • BBC 4 Radio Drama https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04xxp0g

Exeunt’s list of Distractions, inspirations, projects and more (http://exeuntmagazine.com/features/covid-19-resources-uk-theatre-freelancers/)

Other resources

For any teachers of drama who have had to hastily convert their teaching to online platforms, this Google Doc has some excellent, drama-specific resources and advice:

Teaching Theatre Online: A Shift in Pedagogy Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak – https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i-keJ_frOOEUa50CLAdz86hq5CxQwBQ2T4hbSI2nYdM/mobilebasic?fbclid=IwAR11cVZdw4DXEZqNCgOwYn_swxIhlHfsWXF9tMu9-7aiKfQljSyecFGkfnI

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2019 Box Office figures released by Society of London Theatre

Society of London Theatre

The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) has released 2019 ticket sales data for its member venues, which include all of the commercial West End and London’s major subsidized theatres.

The figures reveal an annual London theatre audience of over 15.3 million – nearly 1 million higher than Broadway – filling a record 80.7% of available seats and generating £799m in box office revenue.

Highlights from the data:

  • Attendances of 15,315,773 (down 1.4% from 2018)
  • Gross revenue of £798,994,920 (up 4.3% from 2018)
  • Average ticket price paid £52.17 (up 5.8% from 2018)
  • VAT generated for the Treasury of £133,165,820
  • 80.7% of available seats filled (up from 77.5% in 2018)
  • 18,364 performances (down 1.8% from 2018)

Plays saw a nearly 3% rise in audience numbers, while musicals dipped by just under 2%. This reflects the fact that four of London’s largest musical houses – the Dominion Theatre, the London Palladium, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and the newly renamed Sondheim Theatre – were dark for a significant proportion of the year, in some cases to carry out significant renovation projects. A total of 371 dark weeks in 2019, compared to 207 the previous year, explains the small drop in overall attendances.

Kenny Wax, President of SOLT, said:

‘These figures demonstrate the buoyancy of London’s theatre industry and the city’s status as the world’s leading theatre destination. Our major theatre owners and producers continue to present world class work, while investing in their historic venues to give audiences the best possible experience.

Audiences remain hungry for a quality live experience, evidenced by the unprecedented percentage of seats filled in 2019. The theatre industry is committed to offering a wide range of affordable tickets, alongside discount schemes, school outreach projects and SOLT audience development initiatives like Kids Week and New Year Sale. It is fantastic to see that over 5 million* tickets were available in the commercial West End at £40 and under last year, with only 1.1% at £150 and above.’

SOLT 2019 attendances and revenue by genre (with percentage comparisons to 2018):

GenreAttendanceRevenue
Musicals9,292,940 (-1.77%)

 

£522,692,585 (+3.72%)
Plays4,291,734 (+2.73%)£179,762,530 (+7.47%)

 

Other (opera, dance, performance, entertainment)1,731,099 (-8.43%)£96,539,805 (+2.08%)
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Brand-new musical Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Story announced today starring Arinze Kene

Bob Marley
  • Producers today announced the world premiere of a brand-new musical which tells the remarkable story of iconic artist Bob Marley will open at the newly refurbished Lyric Theatre in London’s West End next year. The production will begin previews on Saturday 6 February 2021, what would have been Marley’s 76th birthday
  • Taking inspiration from Marley’s visionary lyrics to tell his extraordinary personal story, and featuring an electrifying mix of his hits played live, Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Story is brought to the stage by the Olivier Award-Winning team of writer Lee Hall and Director Dominic Cooke
  • The Production will star Arinzé Kene as Bob Marley
  • With unprecedented access to Marley’s catalogue, the musical will feature Marley’s greatest songs performed live by the cast including No Woman No Cry, Exodus, 3 Little Birds, Get Up Stand Up and many more
  • Tickets for the production will go on sale on 21 April 2020. Registration for priority booking is now open at Getupstandupthemusical.Com.

Cedella Marley (Bob Marley’s daughter) said:  “Our father’s music means so much to so many people around the world, we’re beyond thrilled to be able to bring it to both fans and new audiences alike in a new way led by the stellar team of Lee Hall and Dominic Cooke, and starring the fantastic Arinzé.  As a family we feel that our father would be proud to know that his legacy is a source of creative inspiration and continues to bring people together.”

Following a hugely successful workshop in 2019, producers Playful Productions, Stage Play and Trim the Wind are delighted to announce that Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Story, the definitive new musical featuring Bob Marley’s iconic hits played live on stage, will begin previews in London at the newly refurbished Lyric Theatre on Saturday 6th February 2021.  Brought to the stage by a multi award-winning team, Lee Hall’s (Billy Elliot The Musical, Network) book takes direct inspiration from Marley’s visionary lyrics to tell his extraordinary personal story as an artist, the production will be directed by Dominic Cooke (Follies, Clybourne Park) and star Arinzé Kene (Misty, Girl from the North Country).

Tickets will go on sale on 21 April 2020 and there is a website (GetUpStandUpTheMusical.com) where people can sign up for priority booking.

Arinzé Kene said: “I feel absolutely honoured to be able to take on this role. It is not only an honour to be able to spread Bob Marley’s message further, but to get to be him for a little while is a lifelong dream come true. I grew up on his music and his mantra and he has been one of my role models since I was a child. I feel as if he’s in my DNA. He’s the man, I love him.”

–

Listing:

GET UP, STAND UP! THE BOB MARLEY STORY
Lyric Theatre
29 Shaftesbury Ave
London
W1D 7ES

First performance Saturday 6th February 2021
GetUpStandUpTheMusical.com
Box Office Number: 0330 333 0088

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The Shark is Broken will play a strictly limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End

Ian Shaw. Photo Nick Driftwood

Cape Cod, 1974: shooting on JAWS has stalled. The film’s lead actors – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck on a boat, frustrated by foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Awash with alcohol and ambition, three great white sharks start to bare their teeth…

The Shark is Broken reveals the hilarious and moving behind-the-scenes drama on one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.

Sonia Friedman Productions has announced its second production at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2020. After a sell-out, critically acclaimed premiere at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s brilliantly funny play will arrive in the West End from May 11th. Tickets will be on general sale from £10 this Friday.

The Times ★★★★★
“Did I mention waves? Get ready for this play to make some. Do they need a bigger boat? Actually, I think they are going to need a bigger theatre — and soon.”

Metro ★★★★★
“This play packs plenty of bite.”

The Telegraph ★★★★
“Something unexpectedly profound and emotionally serrated lurks below the apparently frothy surface of this dive behind the scenes of the making of JAWS.”

The Arts Desk ★★★★
“This play deserves a life beyond the Fringe; yes, they’re going to need a bigger theatre”

The Stage ★★★★
“An intoxicating combination of behind-the-scenes gossip and contemplation of the nature of popular art.”

LISTINGS

Sonia Friedman Productions presents
The Shark is Broken
Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon
Directed by Guy Masterson
Set and Costume by Duncan Henderson
Lighting by Neil Austin & Jamie Platt
Sound and Music by Adam Cork
Video by Nina Dunn

Ambassadors Theatre
West St, London WC2H 9ND

First performance: 11th May 2020
Final performance: 18th July 2020
Opening Night: 19th May at 7.30pm
Performance schedule: Monday – Friday at 7.30pm; Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm and 7.30pm

http://www.sfpattheambassadors.com/
0843 904 0061
Tickets from £10

Facebook: facebook.com/SFPAmbassadors/
Twitter: @Shark_Broken @SFPAmbassadors
Instagram: @sfpambassadors

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Rachel Tucker to join COME FROM AWAY cast on Broadway

Come From Away

It has been announced today that Rachel Tucker, who is leaving the four-time Olivier® Award-winning West End production of Come From Away, will be joining the Tony® Award-winning Broadway production later this year.

Following an incredibly successful year in the West End, which has included receiving Best Supporting Actress nominations at the Olivier® and WhatsOnStage Awards, Rachel Tucker will be leaving the West End after her final performance on Saturday 8 February 2020. She will then go on to take over the roles of Beverley, Annette and others from Becky Gulsvig, at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, from Tuesday 3 March 2020.

Rachel Tucker’s Broadway debut came in March 2010 when she took over the role of Elphaba in Wicked, which she played for two and a half years at the Gershwin Theatre and then later reprised in 2015-2016. In between, she originated the principal character of Meg Dawson in Sting’s debut musical The Last Ship (Bank of America Theatre, Chicago/ Neil Simon Theatre, Broadway). She has toured venues in the UK and US with her own live performances and has released two solo albums.

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

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

As previously announced, the new cast of Come From Away in the West End will start on Monday 10 February 2020, as the production enters into its second year at the Phoenix Theatre. The full company will include Jenna Boyd (Beulah and others), Tarinn Callender (Bob and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Mary Doherty (Bonnie and others), Mark Dugdale (Kevin T/Garth and others), Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others) Kate Graham (Diane and others), and Alasdair Harvey (Nick/Doug and others), Jonathan Andrew Hume (Kevin J/Ali and others), Harry Morrison (Oz and others), Emma Salvo (Janice and others) and Cat Simmons (Hannah and others) with Chiara Baronti, Ricardo Castro, Stuart Hickey, Alexander McMorran, Sorelle Marsh, Micha Richardson, Jennifer Tierney and Matthew Whennell-Clark.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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COME FROM AWAY West End new cast announced

Come From Away
Come From Away Cast

Front row l-r: Stuart Hickey, Mark Dugdale , Tarinn Callender
Back row l-r: Ricardo Castro, Micha Richardson, Matthew Whennell-Clark, Alice Fearn (Beverley/Annette and others), Kate Graham (Diane and others), James Doherty (Claude and others), Sorelle Marsh, Alasdair Harvey (Nick/Doug and others)
Photographer credit: Craig Sugden

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LISTINGS

COME FROM AWAY

Website | Twitter | Facebook  | Instagram

Phoenix Theatre
Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0JP

Performance schedule

Monday to Saturday at 7.30pm

Wednesday and Saturday matinee performances at 2.30pm

Box office details

Website www.ComeFromAwayLondon.co.uk
Telephone 0844 871 7615
Prices from £15

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Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella to open at Gillian Lynne Theatre in London, Late Summer 2020

Cinderella

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s highly anticipated Cinderella will open at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London’s West End, with performances beginning in September 2020, producers have announced today.

The production, a complete reinvention of the classic fairytale, is based on an original idea by Emerald Fennell, the Emmy Award nominated lead scriptwriter of the second season of international smash hit Killing Eve, with a brand new score from the legendary composer.

Fennell’s new film A Promising Young Woman, that she has written and directed and which stars Carey Mulligan, will open this Spring.  As an actress she played Patsy Mount on the BBC’s Call The Midwife and currently depicts Camilla Parker Bowles on the Netflix hit The Crown.

The show’s lyrics are from David Zippel, a multi-award winner for Broadway productions including City of Angels, The Goodbye Girl, The Woman in White and Liza at the Palace, as well as for work on film including Disney’s Hercules and Mulan, both of which received Oscar nominations.

 Cinderella will be directed by Laurence Connor, with choreography from JoAnn Hunter, who previously partnered on School of Rock and the recent, sold out production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at The London Palladium.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I have long wanted to write my own version of Cinderella but could never find a take on the classic story that really grabbed me.  Emerald Fennell has written something truly exciting and original, and the moment I read her outline I knew I’d found my latest collaborator.  I’m very pleased to be working with David Zippel, a hugely witty lyricist, once again.

I’m also excited to be reunited with Laurence and JoAnn, who I loved creating School of Rock with and who delivered a knock out Joseph last Summer at The London Palladium, where it rightfully returns in June.”

All further creative team and cast announcements regarding Cinderella will be made at a later date.

 School of Rock The Musical will complete its hugely successful run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre on Sunday March 1, having played more than 1400 performances, before heading out on a major UK Tour in 2021. All tour dates and further information will be announced in due course.

Seen by over 1.3 million people, the West End production of School of Rock, based on the hit movie comedy starring Jack Black, received widespread critical and audience acclaim when it opened in November 2016, going on to win both Olivier and Whatsonstage.com Awards.  Since opening the show has also welcomed over 100 young actor musicians to the kids cast of the show, who play their instruments live at every performance.

 School of Rock opened in London following a triumphant Broadway premiere in 2015.  The New York production ran for more than three years and also embarked on an 18 month US tour.  The show is also currently playing in Sydney, following dates in Melbourne, Brisbane, Auckland, Korea and a multi-city tour of China.  This extensive Australasian tour will continue into 2020 with dates across the region and a major UK tour will launch in February 2021.  Standalone productions have also played in Italy, Brazil and Israel with runs in Argentina, Spain, South Africa, Mexico and Germany planned.

Andrew Lloyd Webber further said: “I’ve been thrilled by School of Rock’s success around the world, especially in the West End.  I’m very glad that so many kids have seen the show and been inspired to pick up an instrument and take up music after seeing what our young performers do live every night.  There are local language productions now planned around the world, and I’m particularly keen to see the Chinese kids band rock out in due course!”

Following School of Rock’s departure from the Gillian Lynne Theatre, owners LW Theatres will carry out internal upgrade work to the building including the addition of more toilets, refurbishment to areas of the auditorium and Front of House, as well as the potential increase in seating capacity on the circle level of the theatre.

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Death of a Salesman, Sharon D Clarke: “There is space for us to tell the stories that we want to tell – not just the stories we feel we have to tell.”

Sharon D. Clarke
Sharon D. Clarke hasn’t changed. That is, admittedly, something of a loaded statement. Obviously, she has changed. This year cemented her as UK theatre’s biggest superstar. Whether it is musical or play she always delivers the goods.

Earlier this year, Sharon received acclaim for her Linda Loman in Marianne Elliott’s and Miranda Cromwell’s sell-out revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic. This Loman family is black, which casts their drudgery in pre-civil rights American in a whole different light. She stars alongside Wendell Pierce as husband Willy Loman.

Her CV is prolific on stage and screen; with appearances on Doctor Who and Holby City as well as stints in The Lion King (as Rafiki) and We Will Rock You (originating the role of Killer Queen). Furthermore, in 2014 she won an Olivier Award for James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner at the National Theatre. In 2017 she picked up an MBE.

And earlier this year, she won one of the most coveted Oliviers: Best Actress in a Musical for playing the lead in the glorious revival of Tony Kushner’s civil rights musical Caroline, or Change – first at Chichester, Hampstead and then in the West End. She also found time to star in Blues in the Night at Kiln Theatre.

Sharon D Clarke, Blues in the Night –photo by Matt Humphrey

Sharon D Clarke, Blues in the Night –photo by Matt Humphrey

We are talking on the phone, Sharon is in her dressing room at the Piccadily Theatre, London where she is embarking on a 10-week run. The first question I ask, though, is a reference to her recent appearance in Elton John biopic Rocketman:

What were you like as a child, Sharon? She bursts out laughing. “As a child?” Clarke says slowly. “Chatty. I was a very sociable child. My school report actually said: ‘would do better if talked less.’ I was the child that other people came to with their problems; I was the girl in the loos telling the other girls that they were actually having a period. Problem solver, outspoken and lively.”

Clarke brings bluesy, fragile heartbreak to her Linda. How would she describe the character? “Linda’s all-consuming love for her husband is her biggest weakness and her biggest strength. From a woman’s point of view, she’s dealing with three very immature men: Willy and her two sons Biff and Happy. She’s also fighting to keep her family together.”

“These are the types of roles that I would have never had been seen for historically”, she insists. “To be able to get inside this play; a seminal piece of American literature, is a privilege. The way I see it is that Lynda is the glue within the family, her drive is supporting her husband because he’s not able to support himself emotionally and her concern for him keeps her going. She’s terrified for him every time he leaves the house. But I would say that she’s a very strong, ferociously loyal and loving wife and mother,” Clarke says.

Death of a Salesman in the West End Rehearsals - Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

Death of a Salesman in the West End Rehearsals – Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

I ask what question people ask her most when she talks about this Death of a Salesman, produced by Elliott & Harper, Cindy Tolan and The Young Vic. “I would say nearly everyone asks me what difference does it make through the eyes of an African American family? How does it change the show? In answer to that question, it absolutely heightens and deepens the words,” she explains. “There are more things that leap out of Miller’s text that make more sense. For example when Willy demands his bit on the side to go back into the bathroom because it would have been illegal for a black man to have an affair with a white woman, Or when you’re boss who is calling you kid it takes on a different connotation – it is all representative of the glass ceiling – you look at this Loman family and from the outside they would have been doing well as they have a mortgage, a car and Willy has a job. But it would never go further as the world was never ready for that at that time.”

Death of a Salesman in the West End Rehearsals - Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

Death of a Salesman in the West End Rehearsals – Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

I ask Sharon what it was like having two directors. Clarke considers this for a moment. “I wasn’t sure at first. But I found it to be a treat and a dream,” she begins. “Marianne and Miranda work on different aspects of the show and actually that works really well. For them, it’s not a new collaboration and they already have history (both worked closely on last year’s gender-swapped Company) and a unique shorthand. Sometimes they’ll finish each other’s sentences. As an actor you know that you are in safe hands with those women.”

We talk about theatre-making as a constant quest. Has Salesman taken her further along the path she needed to go? “I think every show does that. There is a whole new generation seeing this production, which is vital. It’s about finding more in your craft and discovering something that stretched you and challenges you so that you’re not jaded, or bitter and twisted,” Clarke says.

Caroline, Or Change has announced it will transfer to Broadway next year, with Clarke reprising her role. I ask her if she is excited to be making her Broadway debut. “Of course, I am,” she gasps. “Wow, that is such a wonderful opportunity and such a joy. I’m going with a show and it will be my fourth time doing it. So, it doesn’t necessarily allow me to be as nervous as I could have been,” she explains. “But I’m under this woman’s skin. I feel that I know Caroline and can do the character and that story complete justice.”

Sharon D Clarke in Caroline, or Change

Sharon D Clarke in Caroline, or Change

“What is especially exciting is Tony Kushner’s actual maid, whom Caroline is based on, is still alive and she might be able to come to see the show. That is giving me goose bumps right now just talking about it.”

Clarke is aware how rare it is for a black woman, like herself to be in a position of power in the industry, and she is determined to use her influence to tell stories that might not otherwise be heard. “I’ve been very lucky,” she says. “For me, as a performer it’s vital that we hold a mirror up to society and continue to tell these stories and there is space for us to tell the stories that we want to tell – not the stories we feel we have to tell.”

With that, it’s time for Sharon to clear off and perform for a sold-out audience at the Piccadilly. Before she goes, I ask how she stays positive in a turbulent world. “Let’s live the best lives that we can live,” Sharon decides. “Since the EU Referendum, with the ongoing uncertainty with Brexit, and especially what’s happening across the pond with the other guy…” she continues, “mankind needs to wake up. We seem to have forgotten that we’re all here sharing this planet.”

Death of a Salesman Trailer

Death of a Salesman is at the Piccadilly Theatre, London until 4 January 2020 

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IAN McKELLEN ON STAGE British theatre charities announced

Sir Ian McKellen shaking his bucket
  • £3 Million raised for venues throughout the UK
  • Ian Mckellen’s ground-breaking theatre journey returns to the West End this weekend
  • 10 charities named to receive all profits for the West End run

Following an unprecedented, sold-out tour which raised £3 million for 80 theatres throughout the UK, Ian McKellen’s 80th birthday theatre journey continues with a return to London for 80 further performances at the Harold Pinter Theatre from tonight, Friday 20th September.

All profits to the West End show will be donated to 10 charities which raise vital funds for a cross section of people involved with the arts; from young theatre makers just starting out to retired theatre professionals and people with disabilities working in the industry. They include Denville Hall, English Touring Theatre, Equal People, King’s Head Theatre, Mousetrap Theatre Projects, National Youth Theatre, Ramps on the Moon, Royal Welsh College, Streetwise Opera and U Can Productions.

A limited availability of tickets is still available via www.ianonstage.co.uk

Ian McKellen says:

“Having raised essential funds for regional theatres, I am delighted to bring this show to the West End where the beneficiaries will be British theatre charities selected by those involved with the daily running of the show.”

LISTINGS

IAN MCKELLEN ON STAGE
With Tolkien, Shakespeare, others… and you!
Presented by Ambassador Theatre Group Productions
Directed by Sean Mathias
www.ianonstage.co.uk
www.atgtickets.com

Harold Pinter Theatre, Panton Street, London SW1Y 4DN

Performance schedule*

First performance: 20th September 2019
Last performance: 5th January 2020
Tuesday to Saturday at 7:30pm
Sunday at 3:00pm

*Performance on 1st November at 2:00pm
*No performances from 2nd – 7th November

*Christmas schedule:

23rd December at 7:30pm
24th December at 3:00pm
25th December No performance
26th December No performance
27th December at 7:30pm
28th December at 7:30pm
29th December at 7:30pm

Tickets from £10 at www.ianonstage.co.uk or www.atgtickets.com

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