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WHAT’S ON OCTOBER – CITIZENS THEATRE TO STAGE TWO ONE-ACT PLAYS IN THE INTIMATE TRON

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  • The opening production of the Tron’s new season will be the Citizens Theatre double bill of Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett and a newly commissioned play, Go On by Scottish writer Linda McLean.
  • The Citizens Theatre double bill features the world premiere of Go On, commissioned as a companion piece inspired by the iconic Beckett play.
  • Directed by Dominic Hill, the plays star two leading actors of their generation, Niall Buggy and Maureen Beattie.
  • The thought-provoking pairing explores what happens when you dare to interact with previous and future versions of yourself.
  • Together, these stripped-back and intimate productions offer a raw and emotional experience.

In Samuel Beckett’s seminal Krapp’s Last Tape, an older man reflects on his youth. Sitting alone on his 69th birthday, Krapp (Niall Buggy) listens to a recording of his younger self, rewinding through his life with humour and heartache.  It is a revival of a production directed by Dominic Hill at Leeds Playhouse, also starring Buggy, which received critical acclaim when it first reopened in October 2020.

In Go On, Jane (Maureen Beattie) considers how an AI replacement might allow her to exist in the future. Sitting in her sleek kitchen, Jane teaches Jayne the essentials of her life, and the loves and losses that have shaped her. Written by Linda McLean as a companion piece to Krapp’s Last Tape, it is a raw and personal story.

The two plays speak to our own sense of mortality with a wry, dark humour as they look back on life and consider the future.  They provide perfect platforms for the acting talents of Maureen Beattie and Niall Buggy.

Irish actor Niall Buggy has worked extensively on the stage and screen in Ireland, the UK and the US. Some of his well-known roles include the lead in Brian Friel’s Uncle Vanya, for which he won an Irish Times Theatre Award, and Brian in Dead Funny for which he won an Olivier Award. More recent plays include Penelope by Enda Walsh, Krapp’s Last Tape at the Leeds Playhouse (directed by Dominic Hill), Beckett Trilogy and On Blueberry Hill by Sebastian Barry for which he won the Origin theatre award in New York.

Maureen Beattie has appeared in a huge range of performances across stage and screen and is well-known to Citz audiences as a friend and supporter of the theatre.  She recently appeared in the National Theatre of Scotland’s Scenes for Survival: Sore Afraid which was directed by Dominic Hill.

In a challenging time when the Scottish theatre sector has worked together to recover and the Citizens Theatre building continues its redevelopment, this is the ideal opportunity to welcome back both Citz and Tron audiences to indoor performances.

Dominic Hill, Artistic Director of the Citizens Theatre said:

“I am a huge fan of Samuel Beckett’s work and was very keen for Glasgow to see Niall Buggy’s heart-breaking performance as Krapp. At the Citizens we aim to look forward as well as back, so I also wanted to commission a new play to sit alongside Krapp’s Last Tape. Linda McLean’s fascination with the form of drama, her poetic voice and ability to find something epic in the everyday, made her the ideal writer to accompany Beckett’s extraordinary play. I am delighted to working with the wonderful Maureen Beattie for the first time on a stage play.”

Andy Arnold, Artistic Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Tron Theatre said:

“It’s such a joy that Tron Theatre will be open to the public again after so long an absence and what better way to mark this occasion than with the wonderful Citizens Theatre Company and their first ever performances on the Tron stage.  Can’t wait.”

Linda McLean, writer of Go On said:

“Krapp’s Last Tape is one of my favourite Beckett plays. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen it. I love the puzzle of it, the way it loops back on itself and adjusts our understanding of then and now and what matters. It demands that you be present and involved. It’s endlessly giving. When Dominic and I talked about a companion piece I knew I had something that would answer but instead of reassessing the past, this woman is training her AI for the future. I’m extremely happy to be working with Dominic again and I have wanted to work with Maureen Beattie for years so this is very special for me.”

KRAPP’S LAST TAPE WITH GO ON

A double bill of one act plays by Samuel Beckett and Linda McLean

Everyone talks to themselves…don’t they?  This thought-provoking double bill takes things one step further and explores what happens when you dare to interact with previous and future versions of yourself.

In Samuel Beckett’s seminal Krapp’s Last Tape, an older man reflects on his youth. Sitting alone on his 69th birthday, Krapp (Niall Buggy) listens to a recording of his younger self, rewinding through his life with humour and heartache.

In Go On,  Jane (Maureen Beattie) considers how an AI replacement might allow her to exist in the future. Sitting in her sleek kitchen, Jane teaches Jayne the essentials of her life, and the loves and losses that have shaped her.

Inspired by Beckett’s iconic work, Go On is the world premiere of a new play by one of Scotland’s most important voices, Linda McLean. Together, these stripped-back and intimate productions offer a raw and emotional experience that speaks to our own sense of mortality with a wry, dark humour.

Performances will take place at the Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HB.

Performance schedule (10 performances):

Thursday 30 September – 7.30pm (preview)

Friday 1 October – 7.30pm (preview)

Saturday 2 October – 7.30pm (press night)

Tuesday 5 October – 7.30pm

Wednesday 6 October – 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Thursday 7 October – 7.30pm

Friday 8 October – 7.30pm

Saturday 9 October– 2.30pm (audio described and captioned) & 7.30pm

 

Tickets are priced at £19 | £16 | £14.50

Previews are £10 and a limited number of tickets are available to Gorbals Card holders at £5 on non-preview nights.

Available from citz.co.uk or by calling the Tron Box Office on 0141 552 4267.

NEWS: Tickets for Over Lunan, a major live commission in the dunes of Lunan Bay are released.

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Tickets from £8 available to book here .

Commissioned by Hospitalfield and Arbroath 2020+1, Over Lunan is an extraordinary promenade performance in the dunes of Lunan Bay in Angus, Scotland. Created by Angus Farquhar, Creative Director of social action and arts organisation Aproxima Arts with dramaturg and former Artistic Director of Unicorn Theatre Purni Morell, this significant live commission blends an atmospheric ambisonic sound installation and live music with elements of public memorial. As darkness falls, audience members become immersed in one of Scotland’s most stunning coastal locations; in an unusual work that draws on the fragility of the natural world and ancient flood mythologies. This special open-air production running from 9 – 19 September (no performance on 13th) is designed to be enjoyed in a relaxed, socially distant environment.

Angus Farquhar has assembled an inspiring team to produce Over Lunan which includes Purni Morell as dramaturg and co-script writer, composer of electroacoustic music Andrew Knight-Hill, trumpeter and conductor Bede Williams, Director of Chapel Choirs at the University of St Andrews Claire Innes-Hopkins, musician and composer Cameron Sinclair with music recorded by the St Salvator’s Chapel Choir which is based at St Andrews University.

The team also includes Angus Farquhar’s long-term collaborator designer James Johnson and world-leading Assyriologist Nathan Wasserman.

Angus Farquhar said: “As we began to research the name Lunan through the location and the family name, we found some unusual thinking linking to Luna the Roman divine embodiment of the moon, then back further through time to Lu-Nanna, one of the Apkallu – ancient Mesopotamian demi-gods, half-human and half-fish who walked out of the sea to bring knowledge to humanity. Within these first creation myths, pre-biblical stories of a great flood began to appear in epic poetry. In the real world we find the remarkable story of the Storegga Slides which caused a gigantic tsunami that destroyed Scotland’s north east shores 8100 years ago. All this seems pertinent to the world now, with sea levels rising due to climate crisis and thousands dying as they cross the seas, trying to escape wars or in search of a better life.

“Over Lunan is Aproxima Arts first major production and we cannot wait to hear what local audiences – and those able to travel from further afield – think of the stories we’re exploring.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “EventScotland is delighted to be supporting Over Lunan through Scotland’s Events Recovery Fund as part of the celebrations for Arbroath Festival 2020+1 and in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21. As restrictions continue to ease it is great to see more live events starting to take place as they play an important role in our communities by providing both great entertainment as well as bringing social and economic change.”

Over Lunan is part of Arbroath Festival 2020+1, a 3-month long celebration of the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath which was postponed by a year due to the global pandemic. An apolitical festival championing the creativity in the region, Arbroath Festival will see the area busy across the summer months with live performances, cultural trails, exhibition and family events, all led by the local community.

Accompanying Over Lunan, a radio play produced by Steve Urquhart and written and directed by Purni Morell will premiere on Radio North Angus and Resonance FM this summer. It will explore the story of journalist Charlie Ross who spent a summer in Lunan Bay in 2015, investigating the area’s history and mythology, and the natural forces that have shaped this coast through millennia. He died before his work was complete, but his discoveries, including Lunan’s connection to the ancient cultures of the Middle East, are now brought to life posthumously in this radio play.

Tickets for Over Lunan go on sale at 10am on Wednesday, 30 June with a 33% discount for local audiences available. Those keen on making the event part of a bigger experience exploring the natural beauty of Angus are welcome to book a camping spot on Lunan Farm site here. For full FAQs, including information on accessibility, parking and how to get to Lunan Bay, click here.

The event is presented in celebration of Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21 and generously supported by the Scottish Government, EventScotland, Creative Scotland, William Grant Foundation and Garfield Weston Foundation.

 

NEWS: Bat Out of Hell makes Scottish premiere at the King’s this October

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Award-winning Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical, featuring Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf’s greatest hits, will be touring the UK and Ireland in 2021 and 2022, with the Scottish premier taking place at the King’s Theatre Glasgow from the 19 – 30th October. Tickets for the tour are now on sale.

The show, which blew audiences away in the UK, Canada and USA and given Jim Steinman’s masterpiece Bat Out Of Hell is the highest selling album of all time in Australia, will be performing throughout Australia in November 2021, and the production is looking forward to working with Paul Dainty President and CEO of TEG DAINTY.

Casting is to be announced.

Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical wowed critics and public alike when it played limited seasons at Manchester Opera House, London Coliseum and London’s Dominion Theatre from 2017 to 2019. The musical also ran successfully in Canada, Germany and at New York’s City Centre in 2019.

Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical won the Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards and was nominated for 8 WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical.

Producer Michael Cohl said today, “We’ve all been through a lot these past 15 months and we now need a really good night out with friends and family. Bat Out Of Hell – The Musical will give you the most fun night you can have in the UK and Ireland this year (with your clothes on)! People will once again be able to dance and sing along to these great Steinman songs. This musical was Jim Steinman’s life-long dream and he was incredibly proud of the love the show received from critics and audiences alike. This tour will be in memory of Jim.”

2021 – 2022 SCOTTISH TOUR LISTINGS INFORMATION

19 – 30 October              King’s Theatre Glasgow 0844 871 7615* www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

 

8 – 19 February               Edinburgh Playhouse     0844 871 7615*              www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh-playhouse

 

12 – 16 April      His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen www.aberdeenperformingarts.com

 

*Calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge

 

NEWS: Pitlochry Festival Theatre to celebrate the best of Mozart and Italian opera

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Scottish operatic stars, Katie Grosset and Colleen Nicoll, are set to captivate opera fans next week with four days of the best of Mozart and Italian opera, performed beside the River Tummel in the picturesque grounds of Pitlochry Festival Theatre.

Between 17-20 June, audiences will have the opportunity to relax and float away to the magnificent sounds of one of the greatest and most influential classical composers of all time – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Around the three Mozart concerts, Katie Grosset and Colleen Nicoll will thrill audiences, with three unforgettable performances of Italian opera, featuring the works of Puccini, Verdi, Vivaldi, Ponchielli, Rossini and Giordani and more, with something for everyone – from opera first-timers to consummate opera gurus.

Perthshire soprano, Colleen Nicoll has performed roles in numerous operatic productions including the title role in Handel’s Semele, Titania (A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Britten), Susanna (Le Nozze di Figaro – Mozart), Diana (Actéon– Charpentier), Yum (The Mikado – Gilbert and Sullivan), Giannetta (L’elisir d’amore – Donizetti), Lady Dunmow (A Dinner Engagement – Lenox Berkeley), Galatea (Acis and Galatea – Handel).

She sang the role of Titania in Britten’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Minack Theatre, including a special performance for HRH the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall. Colleen recently made two role debuts as Queen of the Night and Dido with the Scots Opera project, in world premières of new Scots Language translations of Mozart’s The Magic Flute and Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas.

 

Colleen Nicholl said:

“Growing up in Dunkeld I enjoyed many shows at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. When I was about 10 years old, I entered a competition to write a review of a play. I won the competition, and the prize was a backstage tour of the theatre. I was so excited and loved learning how it all worked behind the scenes! I also got to read my review out on the local radio station, and I remember telling the producer at the time that one day they would be able to see me perform at that theatre… and here we are, I kept my promise! 

 

It is a wonderful feeling performing to a ‘home crowd’ and I am delighted to be working with such a fantastic team and to be performing alongside Katie.”

 

Scottish mezzo-soprano, Katie Grosset trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, the Opera Studio Vlaanderen and at the National Opera Studio in London. Highlights in recent seasons include Mother Vixen in Fox-tot, Mezzo soloist in The Opera Factory and The 8th Door (Scottish Opera); Nightingale in The Nightingale and the Rose (Pegasus Opera); Olga in Eugene Onegin for Opera Bohemia; Roméo I Capuleti e i Montecchi for Pop-Up Opera; Second Lady in The Magic Flute for St John Opera; Shoushan in Tchouhadjian’s Gariné at Grimeborn; and Mercédès in Carmen for Nevill Holt Opera. Other notable engagements include Flora and Annina in La Traviata, Third Witch in Macbeth, Edith in The Pirates of Penzance, and the Opera Highlights Tour (Scottish Opera); and the title role in Xerxes (Byre Opera).

Katie Grosset said:

“Having toured Scotland very extensively, weirdly, I have actually never had the opportunity to perform in the beautiful town of Pitlochry. Having enjoyed many performances here as an audience member, I’m excited to be singing here with the incredibly talented Colleen.”

An Afternoon/Evening Celebrating Mozart will be performed on 17 and 20 June at 2pm and in the evening of 19 June at 7.30pm. An Afternoon/Evening at the Italian Opera will take place on 18 and 19 June at 2pm and in the evening of 20th June 7.30pm.

 

Tickets are priced from £18-£25. Capacity is limited for a safe, socially distanced, outdoor event.

 

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is keeping things flexible so audiences can too. They will honour no-hassle refunds and exchanges for any reason (including the weather!) if it is requested at least 24 hours before the performance time. So, audiences can book for summer with the confidence, that if plans change, their tickets and money can too!

Listings

An Afternoon Celebrating Mozart – 17 & 20 June at 2pm

An Evening Celebrating Mozart – 19 June at 7.30pm.

An Afternoon at the Italian Opera will take place on 18 & 19 June at 2pm

An Evening at the Italian Opera –20 June at 7.30pm

Bandstand, Pitlochry Festival Theatre

Box office and enquiries: boxoffice@pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com

Web: www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com

Programme

MOZART

DUET Prendero quel brunettino (Cosi)

Smanie Implacabili (Cosi)

Deh Vieni (Figaro)

Svegliatevi nel core (Cesare)

Lascia (Rinaldo)

Voi Che Sapete (Figaro)

Vedrai (Don G)

DUET Laci Darem (Don G)

 

INTERVAL

 

Queen of the Night (Flute)

Iris Hence Away (Semele)

Endless Pleasure (Semele)

Ombra Mai Fu (Xerxes)

S’altro che lacrime (Tito)

Torna di Tito (Tito)

DUET Ah Perdona il primo affetto (Tito)

 

ITALIAN OPERA

DUET Barcarolle 3min 40

Habanera (Carmen) 3 min

Quando m’en vo (Boheme) 2 min

Voce di Donna (La Gioconda) 3 mins

Sa per vorreste (Ballo) 2 mins 20

Seguidilla (Carmen)

Countess aria (Figaro) 2 mins

Laci Darem (Don G) 3 min 15

 

INTERVAL

 

Laudamus Te (Gloria)

A Quel Diner (La Perichole) 1 min 10

Cruda Sorte (L’Italiana) 4 min 50

Caro Mio Ben 3 min

En Vain Pour Eviter (Carmen) 3min 30

O Mio Babbino Caro (Gianni Schicci) 2 min

DUET Ah Perdona (Tito) 3 min 10

DUET Rossini Cat duet 3 min 10

For further information and tickets visit www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com

 

NEWS: AWARD-WINNING CHOREOGRAPHER ROSIE KAY RETURNS TO THE STAGE AFTER SIX YEARS

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A triple bill of solos, looking backwards and forwards at Kay’s personal experience as an older female in dance, will be performed at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh on Saturday 24 July.

21 years on from her first-ever solo show, Absolute Solo, which she performed in the 1999 Edinburgh Festival, and six years since last appearing on stage herself, Edinburgh-born Kay returns to performing with a triple bill of solos. Her new work, Adult Female Dancer, was created in the 2020 lockdown and explores the deep emotional connection between her life and dance. Now, as an older dancing female, she has something to say about the female body and the experience of being female and being on stage. Part autobiography, part socio-anthropological study, Kay uses ideas of performance, identity, sex, and gender to explore her new dancing spirit.

The triple bill also includes an archive film of the international award-winning Patisserie (1999) and Kay’s first public performance of Artemis Clown (originally commissioned by Eliot Smith Dance Company).

As part of making Adult Female Dancer, she completed a five-day ‘virtual’ residency at C-DaRE, (Centre for Dance Research at the University of Coventry), where she spent time thinking about her own life and her own body as the material. As well as looking at themes in her 1999 debut solo works, she revisited her 1998 university dissertation that explored female solo choreographers of the early 20th Century. Using these early influences, Kay has also been looking at core feminist texts and their relevance to today’s society. Partly autobiographical, part meditation on the need to dance, Kay uses ideas of performance, identity, sex, and gender to explore her new dancing spirit.

Rosie Kay said: “Going back on stage again, after a break of many years has been an extraordinary experience. I used lockdown as a chance to rediscover my body, adapt it to dancing again, and mined my own life to create a new solo that is part autobiography, part celebration of a life dedicated to dance. I don’t shy away from the big stuff; life, death, violence, pain, and childbirth all come up, but ultimately there is deep joy in a life given to art. I use the music of Bach, Morricone, and Patti Smith as well as my own voiceover to tell my story. I wanted to say something deeply personal about being a woman on stage, as well as have a universal message that anyone can connect to and enjoy. The whole triple bill weaves themes of sex, performance, identity and vulnerability. It is scary and exciting to be finally showing these works to the world!”

Rosie Kay stopped performing in 2015, after a career spanning over thirty years on stage and has been happy to be behind the scenes for the past five years choreographing her critically acclaimed works 5 SOLDIERS, 10 SOLDIERS, MK ULTRA, and Fantasia amongst others. However, she has felt the draw to perform again, which was reignited when she had to stand in for one of the 5 SOLDIERS dancers on the company’s tour of the USA in February 2020.

 

NEWS: Jane McCarry & Colin McCredie to star in new outdoor production of The Wind in the Willows

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Take a jaunt down to the banks of the River Tummel and join Mr. Toad, Mole, Ratty and Badger on their magical adventures in Pitlochry Festival Theatre must-see, family, summer stage production of Kenneth Grahame’s enduring story of friendship, courage, consequence, and bravery – The Wind in the Willows.

Adapted for the stage by Mark Powell and performed in the spectacular setting of the banks of the River Tummel, The Wind in the Willows, runs from 2 July – 12 September.

When Mole wakes up after a particularly long winter, the whole world has changed around her. The riverbank seems to be bursting with new faces, fads, and fears. Luckily for Mole, with new friends like Rat, Badger and Mr Toad motoring along for the ride through the Wild Wood, life will never be sleepy again!

Playwright Mark Powell said:

“It’s been a treat spending lockdown with Mole and her friends and working out how to celebrate their classic adventure in a contemporary way. Knowing that audiences are also coming out of hibernation to join the animals on an actual riverbank will give our Willows an extra special sense of celebration!” 

Directors Elizabeth Newman and Ben Occhipinti added.

 “We think it is safe to say The Wind in the Willows by the brilliant Scottish novelist Kenneth Grahame, is one of the most loved family stories ever to be told, and retold. The characters have captivated audiences in theatres, on our screens and through the radio for many, many decades. As soon as we started pondering making work outdoors, it felt like we almost had to do The Wind in the Willows. After all, our beautiful Theatre sits on a Riverbank. As soon as we decided to tell this story, we leapt to commission the wonderful Mark Powell to write the adaptation. Some of the finest work we have seen made for families has been led by Mark. His humour, his love of life, his love of people – little and big – shines in everything he writes. 

We also felt producing The Wind in the Willows would give us a brilliant opportunity to continue to connect with new and established audiences we reached during the festive period when we made The Magic of Christmas.  As we have said, people love the story and right now it feels vital that PFT creates work for people of all ages to come together and experience a fantastic tale that makes them laugh and offers them a truly joyful afternoon or evening on the Riverbank! 

Audiences can expect all their favourite characters, new music and songs, dancing and Mr Toad exclaiming gleefully ‘Poop! Poop!’ from his motorcar for everyone in Highland Perthshire to hear.”

The production’s exciting cast will feature Jane McCarry (Isa Drennan in Still Game, BBC Scotland, and Granny Murray in Me Too! CBBC) as Badger; Colin McCredie (Taggart, ITV and River City , BBC Scotland) as Toad; Alicia McKenzie (Quality Street, Northern Broadsides and Blonde Bombshells of 1943, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) as Mole; Ali Watt (A Christmas Carol, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) as Ratty; Richard Colvin (Sunshine on Leith, UK tour and A Christmas Carol, Octagon Theatre Bolton) as Weasel; Connor Going (Footloose, UK tour and The Choir of Men, US and Australia tour) as Otter and Kate Milner-Evans (Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre and Crazy for You, Jamie Wilson Productions) as Rabbit. All other roles will be played by the cast.

Co-directed by Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Artistic Director, Elizabeth Newman (Adventures with the Painted People and Faith Healer, Pitlochry Festival Theatre) and Associate Director, Ben Occhipinti (Blonde Bombshells of 1943 and Summer Holiday, Pitlochry Festival Theatre), The Wind in the Willows promises to be a real family treat this summer.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s determination to keep capacity safely reduced, and committed adherence to social-distances, reduces the potential for, and impact of, crowded spaces and any overwhelming busy-ness. The late, light nights of the Scottish summertime mean shows will never be in darkness and any chatter or loud sounds will be mitigated naturally by the outdoor acoustics. Anyone that feels the need to take some time out of a Riverside show can do so, and then return when they feel ready. The outdoor spacious setting in the Bandstand area allows the ability to move around more freely – and in the Amphitheatre at the interval, there is a beautiful setting to get some space if needed. Staff will always be on-hand wearing a name badge for any questions or help needed.

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is keeping things flexible so audiences can be too. They will honour no-hassle refunds and exchanges for any reason (including the weather!) if it is requested at least 24 hours before the performance time. So, audiences can book for summer with the confidence that if plans change, their tickets and money can too!

Tickets for The Wind in the Willows are priced from £9-£19. To book and for further information visit  www.pitlochryfestivaltheatre.com or call 01796 484626.

 

NEWS: Bedknobs and Broomsticks cast announced

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DIANNE PILKINGTON to lead the company as Miss Eglantine Price,

the role immortalised on film by Angela Lansbury

CHARLES BRUNTON to play Emelius Browne

New musical directed by award-winning theatre-makers

Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison

Scottish Premiere at King’s Theatre, Glasgow

For tickets and all information, see www.bedknobsonstage.com

Michael Harrison has announced the cast for Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which will make its world premiere as an exciting new stage musical this Summer on a major UK & Ireland Tour.

Performances begin at Newcastle Theatre Royal on Saturday 14 August 2021, a Scottish Premiere at the King’s Theatre Glasgow in November, with the UK Tour recently extended through to May 2022. The tour includes a 5-week Christmas season at Leeds Grand Theatre.

Dianne Pilkington will star as Miss Eglantine Price, the mysterious lady that the three orphaned Rawlins children are evacuated from wartime London to live with. Dianne’s West End credits include Les Miserables, Wicked, Mamma Mia and Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein.

Charles Brunton will play Emelius Browne. Charles starred in the iconic role of Miss Trunchbull in Matilda both in the West End and on Broadway. Other credits include Love Never Dies, Chess and Scrooge.

The rest of the company includes Mark Anderson, Jessica Aubrey, Georgie Buckland, Kayla Carter, Jonathan Cobb, Jacqui Dubois, Matthew Elliot-Campbell, Sam Lupton, Rob Madge, Vinnie Monachello, Nathaniel Morrison, Conor O’Hara, Sadie-Jean Shirley, Robin Simoes Da Silva, Emma Thornett and Susannah Van Den Berg.

The Rawlins children will be played by Dexter Barry, Izabella Bucknell, Haydn Court, Poppy Houghton, Evie Lightman and Aidan Oti.

Enter a world of magic and fantasy with Disney’s classic movie Bedknobs and Broomsticks. With the original songs by the legendary Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang), including Portobello Road, The Age Of Not Believing, The Beautiful Briny and new music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and book by Brian Hill, Bedknobs and Broomsticks will be brought to life by award-winning theatre-makers Candice Edmunds and Jamie Harrison.

When the three orphaned Rawlins children are reluctantly evacuated from wartime London to live with the mysterious Eglantine Price, they have no idea what adventures lie ahead. Upon discovering Eglantine to be a trainee witch, they join forces to search for a secret spell that will defeat the enemy once and for all. Armed with an enchanted bedknob, a bewitched broomstick and a magical flying bed, they encounter surprising new friendships on their journey from Portobello Road to the depths of the beautiful briny sea.

NEWS: Booking for Fat Friends – The Musical at the King’s is now open

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Following the success of its first outing, Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends – The Musical, returns to theatres, starring West End and TV favourite, Lee Mead.  This hugely entertaining musical is based on the hit TV show Fat Friends, that starred James Corden and Ruth Jones. Created and directed by the brilliant award winning Kay Mellor, (In the Club, Girlfriends, Band of Gold), whose latest hit series of The Syndicate has just run on BBC ONE and with original music and songs by Nicholas Lloyd Webber, Fat Friends – The Musical reunites our favourite foodie friends as they are put through their Zumba paces at their local slimming club, whilst Kelly fantasises about fitting into the wedding dress of her dreams.

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Mon 7 – Sat 12 Feb 2022

BOOK HERE

NEWS: Grid Iron Theatre Co. confirms the long-awaited staging of Doppler for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe

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Edinburgh-based theatre company Grid Iron is pleased to confirm that its site-responsive outdoor adaptation of Erlend Loe’s best-selling book Doppler will take place as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2021.

The play was originally scheduled to be presented at last year’s Fringe with the plans then pivoted to a digital sharing in light of the Covid-19 related restrictions. With only a few days of outdoor filming achieved due to Storm Francis, the Company had decided to instead produce a documentary film charting the story of the show and its production, Doppler – The Story so Far, which was released for free in March 2020 and watched by almost 10,000 people worldwide.

Grid Iron is also thrilled to reveal it is one of a group of 15 shows and five venues awarded first ever Fringe Artist and Venue Recovery Fund.

Judith Doherty, Chief Executive and Co-Artistic Director of Grid Iron Theatre Company said: “After this roller-coaster of a ride that was Doppler – from the seed being planted in Ben Harrison’s mind when he read the book almost 3 years ago and plans for a Festival 2020 run, through to a digital sharing and finally the documentary – we could not be more excited to announce our 2021 plans for a live, outdoor sharing of the play.

“We are so grateful to the Fringe for this grant because it will allow us to provide BSL interpreted performances as part of the run and other access materials to make sure that our audience, although small in number, can be wide in reach.”

Doppler is an adaptation of a satirical novel by a Norwegian writer Erlend Loe, translated to English by Don Bartlett and Don Shaw. It focuses on Doppler, a man who, following the death of his father, decides to abandon his family and move to the forest on the outskirts of Oslo. He is determined to live a life as far removed from his previous as possible but struggles to maintain his isolation as his existence garners a lot of unwanted attention.

Produced and presented strictly following Scottish Government’s safety guidelines, Doppler will be staged outdoors and feature a small cast of four. Further information, including venue, dates and cast, will be announced in due course.

Grid Iron are an Edinburgh-based theatre company who, following their incorporation in 1995 and their first show Clearance at the Traverse, Edinburgh, swiftly gained a reputation for creating high-quality, high profile shows. The Company went on to specialise in presenting shows in unusual locations. They are a new writing company who work in challenging sites that lend themselves especially well to Grid Iron’s taut production style. Occasionally they create work for the stage or use theatre buildings in a site-specific, promenade manner.

In 1997 Grid Iron produced their first full-scale site-specific production, The Bloody Chamber, their adaptation of Angela Carter’s Bluebeard fairytale, which they presented in famously haunted underground vaults beneath Edinburgh’s historic Royal Mile. It was the company’s first appearance at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and, by the opening night, the show had sold out for its entire three-week run. Awards: Herald Angel for Outstanding Contribution and Achievement in Theatre and Total Theatre Nominations for Best Newcomers and Best Design.

www.gridiron.org.uk

 

NEWS: Hit musical DREAMGIRLS to tour UK from December 2021

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Sonia Friedman Productions is delighted to announce that the first ever UK tour of hit musical Dreamgirls, which was due to start in 2020, will now open at the Liverpool Empire Theatre this December before visiting cities right across the country throughout 2022 and into 2023.

A full tour schedule and booking links can be found at dreamgirlsthemusical.co.uk.

Featuring the classic songs ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’, ‘Listen’ and ‘One Night Only’, this sensational, multi-award winning production of Dreamgirls had its critically acclaimed West End Premiere in December 2016 at London’s Savoy Theatre, 35 years on from opening on Broadway.

Meet The Dreams – Effie, Lorrell and Deena – three talented young singers in the turbulent 1960s, a revolutionary time in American music history. Join the three friends as they embark upon a musical rollercoaster ride through a world of fame, fortune and the ruthless realities of show business, testing their friendships to the very limit.

As previously announced, Nicole Raquel Dennis will play the role of Effie White in the UK tour of Dreamgirls. Her London stage credits include Alana Beck in the original West End cast of Dear Evan Hansen (BBTA winner – Best Supporting Actress in a Musical), the original West End cast of Waitress (Adelphi Theatre), The Book Of Mormon (Prince of Wales Theatre) and Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre).

A finalist on ITV’s The Voice in 2019, Nicole Raquel Dennis wowed viewers and judges at her blind audition, performing Dreamgirls mega-hit ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going’ alongside team mentor Jennifer Hudson. Hudson won an Oscar (Best Supporting Actress) for her portrayal of Effie White in the 2006 Oscar-winning motion picture adaptation of Dreamgirls which also starred Beyoncé Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx.

Nicole Raquel Dennis will play the role of Effie White in the Dreamgirls UK tour at certain performances with further casting to be announced soon.

This award winning production is Directed and Choreographed by Olivier® and Tony® Award winning Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon, Mean Girls, Disney’s Aladdin and Something Rotten!), with Set and Costume Design by Tim Hatley, Lighting Design by Hugh Vanstone, Sound Design by Richard Brooker, Hair Design by Josh Marquette and Music Supervision by Nick Finlow.

With Book and Lyrics by Tom Eyen and Music by Henry Krieger, with Additional Material by Willie Reale, the original Broadway production of Dreamgirls was Directed by Michael Bennett who Co-Choreographed the show with Michael Peters. The production opened in 1981 and subsequently won six Tony® Awards with the original cast recording winning two Grammy® Awards for Best Musical Album and Best Vocal Performance for Jennifer Holliday’s ‘And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going.’

The Original London Cast Recording of hit West End musical Dreamgirls is available via Sony Masterworks Broadway.

The UK and Ireland tour of Dreamgirls is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Greenleaf Productions, Fakston Productions, Rupert Gavin/Mallory Factor, Tulchin Bartner Productions, Griffin Dohr in association with 1001 Nights Productions, Steven Rivellino

LISTINGS

Dreamgirlsthemusical.co.uk | @Dreamgirls_UK

Edinburgh Playhouse 
18-22 Greenside Pl, Edinburgh EH1 3AA
0844 871 7615 | www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/
On sale 10am Tuesday 27 April 2021

Tuesday 30 August – Saturday 10 September 2022
His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen
Rosemount Viaduct, Aberdeen AB25 1GL
01224 641122 | www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/
On sale Tuesday 27 April 2021

Monday 10 October – Saturday 22 October 2022
King’s Theatre, Glasgow
297 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JN
0844 871 7615 | www.atgtickets.com/venues/kings-theatre-glasgow/
|On sale 10am Tuesday 27 April 2021

 

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