DISNEY today announced that its legendary musical, THE LION KING, will embark on its first ever UK tour, so that audiences across the country can experience the global phenomenon in their local theatres.

The award-winning show has been seen by over 65 million people worldwide since its Broadway premiere in 1997 and will soon welcome its 10 millionth visitor at the Lyceum Theatre in London.

Four years in the planning, Disney will launch a touring production of THE LION KING at The Bristol Hippodrome, opening on Thursday 6th September (previews from Friday 31st August 2012) where it will play a limited 11-week season. The production will then play the Palace Theatre Manchester which will include a Christmas season.

With a company of 52, THE LION KING will visit 10 cities in the UK & Ireland over two and a half years, with further dates to be announced.

The West End production of THE LION KING, now in its 13th triumphant year, will continue to play at London’s Lyceum Theatre where it has proved to be a consistent favourite amongst audiences. In 2011, THE LION KING completed its best financial year, smashing the industry record for highest annual gross box office in West End history.

THE LION KING UK tour will open at The Bristol Hippodrome and play:

Bristol –The Bristol Hippodrome- 6th SEPTEMBER – 17th NOVEMBER 2012 Previews from 31st August

Manchester – Palace Theatre, Manchester- 6th DECEMBER 2012 – 31st MARCH 2013 Previews from 1st December

“We continue to be thrilled by how UK audiences have enjoyed The Lion King in London, and have long wished to also share this production with audiences nationally.” said Thomas Schumacher, Producer and President Disney Theatrical Productions. “Following years of planning, and after receiving the counsel of some very smart friends in the British theatre world, we are delighted to be launching a production that conveys Julie Taymor’s epic vision and at a moment that feels absolutely right.”

Disney’s THE LION KING based on the beloved animated film which was recently re-released in digital 3D, was entrusted to Director and Co-Designer Julie Taymor to adapt the film for the stage. Taymor brought a vast array of disciplines to THE LION KING which draws upon her immeasurable experience of various theatrical styles and cultures to tell the compelling tale of Simba, the young lion cub, as he journeys through life and struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destined role of King.

The multi-award winning musical has now played in 15 countries on 5 continents and been translated into 6 languages. Taymor’s extraordinary vision has gone on to achieve phenomenal success on an international scale, enthralling audiences across the globe with the timeless story and universal messages of hope, community and the circle of life.

In addition to the record-breaking productions in London and New York, THE LION KING can currently be seen in Tokyo, Hamburg, Sapporo, Madrid and on tour in the US. The Lion King UK tour will be the 20th production to premiere internationally.

THE LION KING tour tickets go on general sale in Bristol on Wednesday 22nd February
Tickets are available to purchase in person at the Box Office from 8.30am
Or via the internet & telephone bookings line from 10am

BRISTOL
The Lion King hotline – 0844 871 3033
Website – www.thelionking.co.uk

THE LION KING goes on general sale in Manchester on Monday 27 February
Tickets are available to purchase in person at the Box Office from 8.30am
Or via the internet & telephone bookings line from 10am

MANCHESTER
The Lion King hotline – 0844 871 3004
Website – www.thelionking.co.uk

About Disney Theatrical Group

The Walt Disney Company is among the world’s most successful commercial theatre enterprises, bringing live entertainment events to a global annual audience of more than 19 million people in more than 50 countries.  Disney Theatrical Productions, which operates under the direction of Thomas Schumacher as part of Disney Theatrical Group, produces and licenses Broadway musicals around the world, including Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Elton John & Tim Rice’s Aida, TARZAN®, Mary Poppins, a co-production by Disney and Cameron Mackintosh and The Little Mermaid.

Other successful stage musical ventures have included several versions of Disney’s High School Musical which toured around the world, and the Berlin production of Der Glöckner Von Notre Dame, an adaptation of the Disney film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Disney also delivers live shows globally through its license to Feld Entertainment, producer of Disney on Ice and Disney Live!  Which for the past 30 years, has brought beloved Disney stories and characters annually, to millions of guests worldwide through productions such as Princess Wishes, Toy Story 3, and Mickey’s Magic Show. In addition, Disney licenses musical titles for local, school and community theatre productions through Music Theatre International.

The Lion King Lyceum Theatre Tickets

APP USERS: The Lion King Lyceum Theatre Tickets

6th February, 2012

Giggin4Good had its second showcase at The Actor’s Church in Covent Garden on Sunday night, following on from the highly successful event last summer. In the beautiful setting of the popular church venue (which I was last in for MADTrust’s A West End Christmas), a mix of established and emerging musical theatre performers came together to provide the gift of song; all for the worthy cause of raising funds for the Great Ormond Street charity.

I sat in on some of the rehearsals earlier in the day and heard enough to know this was going to be an unmissable night. Sadly, the snow did keep some of the audience away, but there were more than enough people turning up in anticipatory glee and I dare say they left feeling it had been more than worth it. Recent MTA graduate Ziggie Skyward (doing double-duty as stage manager) opened with a beautiful rendition of Lance Horne’s ‘Last Day On Earth’, more than cementing her growing reputation as a star on the rise. She was only the first of the stream of talent taking to the stage though.

There was a whole host of golden-voiced West End ladies batting for the girls last night. The petite Rosa O’Reilly may be small in stature but not in voice – she recently recorded a track for emerging writer Joe Sterling’s debut album which, when it’s released, is sure to blow listeners away. Then there was Victoria Hamilton-Barritt who nearly took the roof off the church with a lively performance of the classic ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade’. After all, it wouldn’t be true musical theatre without a bit of ‘Babs’. I was also hugely impressed by Alexia Khadime who, as always, was simply stunning in displaying the power of her voice, singing ‘Easy As Life’ and Beyonce’s ‘Listen’. Sabrina Aloueche’s ballad and host Annabel Lloyd’s ‘Flying Away’ from Scott Alan went down just as smoothly, but for me (and I suspect many of the audience too), one of the evening’s highlights was the ever-flawless Rebecca Caine with her exquisite performance of ‘Somebody Somewhere’, which followed a duet of ‘One More Kiss’ with her student Rosie Clarkson, whose soprano tones were just as breath-takingly beautiful.

The boys more than did their side proud though. It’s always a pleasure to find a new voice you enjoy and there were certainly a couple of them there last night. Joe Connor and David Brewis are two names to remember; Brewis in particular stood out by taking on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Till I Hear You Sing’, which will always be synonymous with Ramin Karimloo, but he more than stepped up to the challenge of the song. I’d also suggest looking up Shaun McCourt, who is currently touring with the UK production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat understudying the role of Joseph. He has a strong, rich tone to his voice and delivered an entertaining rendition of ‘Last One Picked’ from the musical Whoop-De-Doo. Standing out though were the boys from Legally Blonde. I’ve long enjoyed Ross Hunter’s distinctive voice and he belted out ‘Memphis Lives In Me’ with that renowned vigour, while Lincoln Stone showed what a powerful instrument he has with an inspired performance of ‘Anthem’ from Chess. There were also some great duets from former WWRY cast mates Sabrina Aloueche and Ross Hunter with ‘High Enough’ and a role-reversal of Wicked’s ‘Changed For Good’ from Joe Connor and David Brewis, as well as Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Nathan Amzi, and Twinnie Lee-Moore and Max Milner.

Two of the most special performances of the night for me were the debut performances of some songs from two new British musicals: Roundabout by Joe Sterling and Robert Gould and My Land’s Shore by Christopher J Orton and Robert Gould. I’ve heard the recorded tracks for Sterling’s debut album, a majority of which are from the concept musical, and would say he is right in there with the rest of the great composers emerging in the UK. Two of his songs were showcased: accompanying himself on guitar, Sterling performed ‘Those Eyes’, sung by Jonathan Eio on the album, while Christopher Orton performed his track ‘What We Are Here For’. They received a good response from the audience and deservedly so. Joe Sterling is definitely one to watch and there will be plenty of opportunities coming up this year to hear more of him.

The studio recording of Welsh musical My Land’s Shore is launched today, but people have already been talking about this one for months. I first became aware of it through covering one of the ensemble recording sessions and immediately saw something very special in it. The book and score are passionate, evocative and inspiringly moving: I’ve been backing it ever since. The musical also has a great line-up of names attached, led by former Valjean Jonathan Williams, most of which were at The Actor’s Church last night to spread the music to a wider audience, albeit in a more time-friendly medley format. Williams, alongside Kelly-Anne Gower, Sarah Lark, Laura Selwood (standing in for Rhiannon Porter), Christopher Orton, Gareth Richards, Alexis James and Joe Sterling certainly ‘made Wales proud’ with their spine-tingling performances – I was sitting with lyricist/book writer Bob Gould and Simon Greiff of SimG Production, who released the cast album, and we were all very proud indeed. My Land’s Shore gained even more support last night, with Rebecca Caine tweeting about how wonderful it sounded and audience members flocking to buy the CD after the concert. The momentum for this musical continues to grow and it is gathering support at speed as it snowballs along; with more and more calls for a stage production, it’s surely only a matter of time before we see it in the West End, where it undoubtedly belongs.

The winter showcase of Giggin4Good was another sure-fire success for its organisers, Emma Howe, Karen Howe and Hayley Guild, who all deserve praise for putting together such a superb event. Last year’s concert raised over £2000 for Great Ormond Street, so let’s hope they managed to do even better this time around. It was great to go along and I’ll be certain to attend any further events – I’d urge all of you to do the same.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Dianne is best known for her role as Galinda in Wicked the Musical alongside Kerry Ellis as Elphaba and has also appeared in numerous other musical productions,  such as She loves me (Chichester Festival Theatre), The 39 Steps, (Criterion Theatre), Sweeney Todd (Bridewell Theatre), The Beautiful Game (Cambridge Theatre), Taboo (Venue Theatre), Beauty and the
Beast (UK tour), Tonight’s the Night (Victoria Palace Theatre) and Cats (UK tour).

She is currently starring as young soprano Sophie de Palma in Terrence McNally’s fabulous play Master Class at the Vaudeville Theatre.

Despite her very busy schedule and a new puppy at home – a Labradoodle called Ludo – Dianne kindly took some time out to answer a few questions about herself and her career.

Have you always wanted to sing and act?
No, I wanted to be a writer, teacher or librarian – anything with books!  But I love my job!

Did anyone in particular inspire you or have you got any role models?
Judy Garland!

You are originally from Wigan but came ‘down south’ to train at the Guildford School of Acting. Did you enjoy your time there?
I had a great time at GSA, I did a lot of growing up there.

You began your professional stage career in the West End in 1997, in the hit musical Les Mis at the Palace Theatre. A brilliant show to make your debut in! You were part of the ensemble and also understudied and played Fantine and Cosette. What was that experience like for you?
Les Mis was a great experience, full of great performers to learn from, which is so important.

You subsequently appeared in numerous other musical productions, such as Sweeney Todd (Bridewell Theatre), The Beautiful Game (Cambridge Theatre), Taboo (Venue Theatre), Beauty and the Beast (UK tour), Tonight’s the Night (Victoria Palace Theatre) and Cats (UK tour). What are some of your highlights of your time as part of these productions?
Sweeney Todd was wonderful and challenging as we did it in promenade, and The Beautiful Game was great as I got to work with some heroes of mine.  Beauty and the Beast was like a little girl’s fantasy with those costumes!

I saw you as the good witch Galinda in the very popular (no pun intended!) musical Wicked back in 2008 and was really impressed by your fabulous performance. You played this demanding role for 3 years. Please share a memory or two.
I was very clumsy, I knocked off my tiara with my wand spinning, and accidentally slapped Kerry more than once!

You said in an interview a few years ago that you like to try new things. After playing G(a)linda, you decided to finally give straight plays a go and starred in the fast-paced and very funny play The 39 Steps. How did this compare to musical theatre?
It was liberating not to sing!  But I missed it by the end.  I learned a lot from working with the three actors about different approaches.

You are currently starring in another play as young soprano Sophie De Palma, in the new West End production of Master Class at the Vaudeville Theatre. In a nutshell: What is the play about?
The play is based on real master classes that were given by Maria Callas, played by the fabulous Tyne Daly.

Your character Sophie is the first student to experience Callas’ teaching methods. In your opinion, is Callas a ‘good’ teacher?
Yes, she is finding her way as a teacher, but has so much to share.

What do you think is the message behind Master Class that the audience should come away with?
To root everything in the truth.

I saw a German production of Master Class about 10 years ago and still remember how much I loved it. In your words: Why should people go and see Master Class?
People should see it either if they love Maria Callas, or if they don’t know Maria Callas.  It is a fascinating insight into an amazing life.  And it’s very funny too!

You are a fantastic singer. Would you like to do more opera singing in the future?
Baby steps!

You released your debut album “Little Stories” in 2010. Will there be a new album soon?
I am sure there will be.  I’d like to collaborate with my husband on one.

If you could go and see any West End musical or play tonight, which one would it be and why?
Crazy for You – because I love Stephen Mear and I have friends in it!

What is something embarrassing or unexpected that has happened to you on stage?
I often fall over.

What other roles would you love to play and why (in any musical/play)?
I’d like to do more Sondheim.  And I love Eastenders.  Hint hint.

Is there anyone you would really like to work with?
Sondheim!

You appeared in the West End edition of The Weakest Link in 2008 and came 4th – not bad! What was it like to be on this popular show?
It was one of the scariest moments of my life!

You and your husband got an adorable chocolate Labradoodle puppy called Ludo last September – you introduced him on Twitter. How is Ludo doing?
Ludo is the most beautiful dog in the world, and such a good boy!

What do you like to do to chill out?
Walk Ludo with my husband.

And anything else you might like to add, maybe a message to your fans?
Thank you for the huge support, even my random tweeting and gabbling nonsense at stage door is put up with!

Thank you very much for your time, Dianne and all the best for this run of Master Class!

Interviewed by Sandra Palme who you can follow on Twitter at @LondonTheatre2

Master Class Tickets

APP USERS: Master Class Tickets

Hannah Levane left our secondary school, Sydenham Girls, to attend the BRIT School of Performing Arts so she could follow her dream of becoming an actress. She had grown up in the world of theatre, taking dance and drama classes and regularly going along to West End shows, operas, ballets and plays: after once asking her mum if people got paid for doing this and finding out that yes, they did, she decided it was the path for her. She followed up her time at the BRIT School with training at the Arts Educational School, London and, from there, went into her first West End role covering Bess and Clara in Porgy and Bess at the Savoy Theatre. Whilst at college, Levane had played the roles of Addaperle (The Wiz), Rizzo (Grease) and had been one of the 12-strong cast of The World Goes Round, as well as work-shopping Soho Cinders with composing duo Stiles and Drewe – a nice preview to her West End career.

During her time on Porgy and Bess, Levane dislocated her knee on stage, an injury which could have put an end to her first professional stage job and even her dancing career. Thanks to the care of Cavin Cornwall though, Levane was back onstage in just six weeks and she hasn’t stopped since.

Her other theatre credits include The Girl in Blues In The Night (New Wolsey Theatre) and Tiger Lily in Peter Pan (Tunbridge Wells Theatre). West End audiences have been lucky enough to also have seen her playing Keisha in Flashdance at the Shaftesbury Theatre and Teacher/Alternate Killer Queen in the ever-popular We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre. She has also played Taylor on the national tour of High School Musical and performed at the 2011 Whatsonstage.com Awards.

Levane is now touring around the UK in the cast of Sister Act, playing the part of Michelle and understudying the lead role of Deloris. If anyone is going to the winter showcase of Giggin4Good at The Actors Church in Covent Garden on Sunday (5^th February), she’ll be there performing, as she did at their previous showcase.

Levane has many dreams after her time in Sister Act ends: she wants to do straight theatre; she wants to originate a role in a new production; she wants to write her own script; she wants to release an album; she wants to work in television and I’m sure there are many more to come. I’m also sure she’ll achieve them all. Levane is as determined as she is talented and most importantly, she has a great outlook on life that is carrying her along the road of success. In a recent interview she was asked what she had learnt from working in the profession, to which she replied, “I learnt that there is always someone else, always someone thinner and prettier, always someone who can belt higher or dance better, but I also learnt to value myself. I learnt to believe I have something special to offer. And with each audition I try to convey that.”

Sometimes life in the world of theatre disappoints, as when the production of Moby Dick at the Landor (which Levane was involved with) was cancelled just one week before its first preview, but sometimes it brings you the things you want: on the whole, I’d say Hannah Levane’s relationship with theatre has been a very happy one so far, and one which will continue for a long, long time.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Among the many questions answered: Is darts really a sport? What does NASCAR stand for? Why do Americans insist on calling a contest in which only they compete the “World Series”? What about wife carrying, extreme ironing and bog snorkelling? Which is more boring, baseball or cricket? Who invented curling and synchronised swimming, and why are they in the Olympics?

Whether it’s the ancient cavemen or the Classical Greeks, the Romans, the Elizabethans or the modern sports media, The Complete World of Sports (Abridged) brings you all the emotion, the drama and the scandal of sports…

Every sport ever played on every continent in the entire history of the world in under two hours!

Let the games begin!

Booking From: Tuesday, 17th July 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 25th August 2012
Matinees: Wednesday and Thursday 3pm, Saturday 5pm, Sunday 4pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 8pm
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

The Complete World of Sports Tickets

APP USERS: The Complete World of Sports Tickets

Arts Theatre
6-7 Great Newport Street
WC2H 7JB

Making her stage debut in Peter Pan at Richmond Theatre, Jodie followed this up by going to Off-Broadway where she sang Charles Miller songs to packed houses every night.

She made her West End debut in We Will Rock You before starring in the lead role of Serena in Fame at the Aldwych Theatre. Her stage credits include Little Shop of Horrors at the Duke of York’s Theatre as well as successful UK tours with Footloose The Musical.

Describing herself, Jodie says “I’m a woman of extremes”. Have a read of a brilliant interview with a fabulous actress who has a wonderful voice, and a great sense of humour.

When did you first discover that you like to sing?
I always sang because you just do, don’t you, everyone sings. I was in the choir in primary school but I then went to quite a religious secondary school and girls weren’t encouraged to perform. When I was about 15, that school closed down for one reason or another and I was moved to a secular school which was the best thing that ever happened to me.

I didn’t have loads of friends.  I don’t even remember why but I joined the drama group. I remember auditioning for the first school show and singing the line we had to sing for the audition. All the teachers just stood looking at me funny.  My mum came to pick me up from the auditions and they grabbed her and they said, “Has she ever been to singing lessons or anything?” My mum was, like, “no”.  They replied: “You need to send her to class ‘because she’s got something”. But even then I was a bit like, “nah”. I took theatre A level and I failed everything; every exam I took in theatre studies and singing and music. Music I dropped out of. I failed everything.

When I left school I went to work at Marks and Spencer. I still didn’t pursue music. I was doing some amateur dramatics and I really enjoyed it. It’s very difficult to think, “well I’m good enough to do this”. I don’t know when I realised, “I think I can make a career out of this”. I don’t think I ever did, I think it was all a fluke.

When was one of your earliest performances?
I was a little kid and we went to a holiday camp, one of those Haven Holiday Camps and my sister and I sang Starlight Express at the talent competition. I remember wearing these Andy Pandy striped dungarees. That was the first time I can remember getting up and singing. The first time I really performed was at a school show that I auditioned for – The Dracula Spectacular where I again played the comedy best friend, always the comedy best friend.  So I was about 15/16 when I first did a show.

You trained at the London School of Musical Theatre, what are your favourite memories of then?
I loved every single minute of every single day at LSMT. I’d done a lot of auditions for a lot of the schools, and none of them wanted me.  They all said no. Mountview gave me a conditional place, so that if someone had dropped out I’d have got a place. At LSMT I remember them opening the door of the building and going, “Hello Jodie” as if they already knew who I was. I was like, “I’m in”. I made a lot of friends there who I’m still friends with now. I did my first job for them when I left school. Every single minute of every lesson there was brilliant, I loved it.

Where did you make your professional debut?
When I left LSMT I got panto with Bonnie Langford in Peter Pan at Richmond Theatre.  I was playing Tinkerbell. That was my first stage role. At school I’d been doing gigs by then, gigging weekends at Bar Mitzvahs and stuff.  I got this job in panto.  But then the Head of Music at my school had written so many amazing songs – his name’s Charles Miller. His song book’s out and Julie Atherton’s done an album of his songs.  He got commissioned to do a song cycle of his songs Off-Broadway and he asked me to go out and do it.  I always count that as my first professional job. It was every night and we were performing in a theatre. It was sold out. It was brilliant.

I remember seeing pictures from then. At the time I thought “I must do stage make-up”! It was a tiny little cabaret venue and I’ve got a whited-out face, red dots in the corner of my eyes, fake lashes, I look ridiculous. I think that was my first pro-job.  As soon as I finished panto I went out and did that. It all goes round in a big circle because I now live with Bonnie Langford’s niece.

You made your West End debut in We Will Rock You in the Ensemble and Understudy for two of the lead roles of Scaramouche and Meat. What was it like performing in the show?
It was amazing. That’s a great job to start in. I think the only reason I got it was because I was a little bit like Hannah Jane Fox. We were both a little bit ‘awkward’. They were looking for an understudy for Hannah at the time. I remember going to see it and thinking, “I’m never going to get this, don’t be ridiculous”. This again is another full circle story; the guy I went to, to help me learn the song is now the musical director, we used to do amateur dramatics together (Stuart Morley) and now he’s the musical director of We Will Rock You. It was amazing. I did that first year as the Scaramouche/Meat understudy. I was the second cover and I was on all of the time. The more you go on, the better you get, the more you’re feeling it and the second year I got bumped up and I was both covers. I was on all the time as well. I loved it.

Do you have a favourite song from We Will Rock You?
Yeah. No One But You, from day one. I loved that song before I did that show. I was always a Queen fan, I’ve always been a rock fan. That song especially when you watch the documentary of when Freddie died and it’s the play-off song, it’s the credits song. When you associate it with really why they wrote it, it’s heartbreaking and a little bit country and I love a little bit of country.  It’s brilliant.

You starred as Serena in Fame at the Aldwych Theatre.  Does the musical resemble real life for actors?
Kind of, I think things are always taken from real-life. Drama school wasn’t like that for me. So yeah, that happens in Fame so that’s similar.
But otherwise no. It’s a really heightened version. Because my school was a one-year course, not a three-year course, I never had the intensity that everyone else had. Perhaps for people who do a three-year course it is, but not so much for me.

You were ‘standby’ Audrey to Sheridan Smith in Little Shop of Horrors, at the Duke of York’s Theatre, what was it like being a part of this classic sci-fi musical?

Little Shop of Horrors was one of the first shows I did at amateur dramatics. Then when I was 19 I did a workshop you used to be able to buy in The Stage, and James Powell who was directing it, he now directs Dirty Dancing, said to me halfway through the week’s run of this course you really remind me of Ellen Greene. That’s a massive compliment! I met her as well and I cried.  She was sitting down, I went to see Betwixt! and then we did the Dress Circle Benefit. I was very good friends with my agent and he said, “you’ve gotta go and meet her, you’ve gotta go and say something”. I was like, “I can’t, I absolutely can’t”. We had a photo and I burst into tears.

I was the number two. You always got that unfortunate feeling because Sheridan is such a super celebrity and the hardest working girl I have ever worked with. Literally she would film during the day and get couriered on a bike to warm up. She was couriered like a parcel from the studios filming Love Soup to come and do the show and be on it every night. She was a great girl. Then she partied with us at night. She was brilliant, brilliant. You’re always aware that the audience have come to see Sheridan.  So when I was on I was never 100% comfortable in it. They had such an intense rehearsal period at the Chocolate Factory, they always do. I was thrown in without the rehearsal that they’d had to bond with each other. It’s the only job I’ve ever done that I can’t honestly say I’ve loved as much as the others.

You were on tour with Footloose The Musical. What are the highs and lows when you’re on tour?
Twice I’ve been on tour with Footloose. I love touring. So for me it’s all highs. I get on very well with my mum and dad and I miss them terribly when I’m not there but I absolutely love that gypsy lifestyle.

I don’t know why. I have no ties here in London. I have no boyfriend. But, I’ve got a flat now so I’d really think twice about going on tour this time again. I love just packing my bags and seeing a different theatre every week and it being a different experience every week.  It really is.  You become so close on a tour, sometimes to your detriment but it’s a completely different experience.  I absolutely love it.

Where do you stay while you are on tour?
We get a list, a big fat folder and all the accommodation for every town is in this book. It’s updated monthly. What I’ve discovered from my experience, having toured three or four times now, the best way to do it is either to do it months in advance,  the day you get the job, six months before you leave for that tour, you either book those digs up then or you leave it to the night before you get there. They’re the best ways to do it. I’ve never had bad digs. Sometimes it’s a room in someone’s house. I stayed with a wonderful lady called the Reverend Wendy Huff in Bristol. She speaks nine languages. The church was next door. That was amazing. I also stayed in fantastic digs in Liverpool next to the stage door.

You’ve got to get good digs in Aberdeen because you’re so far from home.  I’ve had really good digs in Aberdeen, a lovely lady at the Allan Guest House. You basically get a big folder with the numbers of everyone, and every house and every hotel that might put you up and you phone them and you turn up.

How do the audiences on tour compare with the West End?
The further north you get the more crazy they are.  So anywhere north of Birmingham upwards you know you’re pretty much onto a winner.

The further north you go the more up for it they often are. But it varies. I remember doing Liverpool in the Footloose Tour I just did, I’ve done it twice and it was quite a bad week. They were quite quiet with us. Then you go to somewhere like Woking where you don’t think they’re going to be very responsive and they go nuts. So it’s different everywhere.

How would you describe your current roles of Regina and Candi in Rock of Ages?
Well.  Regina is crazy, she’s a protester. She’s almost like a hippy. Although the show’s set in the eighties it’s like I always imagine that her parents grew up in a commune, it’s the only explanation as to why she’s so nuts. She takes on every cause, even causes that aren’t her cause. I almost think growing up in that commune she wasn’t heard very much so she has to protest against everything just to get her voice heard. She’s anti-pulling down the strip, she’s anti-this, anti-that and she ends up having a fight with a bunch of Germans. In contrast Candi is a man! So I get a spectrum to play.

I get a very carb-friendly costume for the first part of the show. Then I have to take absolutely everything off.  Actually I’m much more comfortable out of my clothes. So as soon as I found out I was doing one of those scenes I was like, “yeah that’s better for me”. So I’m happy there.

Why should everyone go and see Rock of Ages?
Because it’s absolutely the best show in town of its genre. From the first time I heard the soundtrack until tonight I’ve never changed the way I feel about it.  It is the best job I’ve ever had.  It’s the funniest show I’ve ever seen. It’s the funniest show I’ve ever listened to. When I put it on for the first time, just the soundtrack, I howled. It’s fun.  No other show’s gonna serve you beer in the aisle.  If you’re not gonna go and see us go and see Matilda. Otherwise I think you go to see a show for it to be cathartic or to relieve you of your worries. I went to see Love Story and I absolutely lost itI can’t tell you what it feels like when you look out and everyone’s standing up already. So I think if you want to go and hear a bunch of great songs, an amazing band and the best vocalists in the West End, then ours is the show.

Backstage who are the comedians in Rock of Ages?
Simon Lipkin, he’s a clown and naturally funny all the time.  He’s an actual clown. Two of our boys are swings, Ian McIntosh and Jamie Muscato.  Ian is Fran’s cover and Jamie is the Drew cover. They are a little team and backstage they are the funniest pair ever.

How important is humour to you in your life?
Well it’s funny because I seem to always get cast as the comedy best friend part.  I’m not that funny, but you kind of end up in a niche. But yeah, it’s very important. I wouldn’t trade it in for being able to sing.  But if I could wish for one other thing it’d be to be funnier, definitely.

Do you look for humour in everything?
Yeah. I do sit and watch things and think, “that’s funny, how can you use that, how can you make that funny”.  Simon Lipkin’s the best person to watch. He’s brilliant at it, he watches himself in the mirror and he tries things out. He’s got no fear. I think that’s the key with comedy. It’s having no fear to try something. If it falls flat it falls flat.  It’s live theatre. You can try something different the next night, that’s the beauty of it. But it’s not as technical as singing. You know if you’re going for a note you’re gonna hit it or not. With comedy I think you have to be fearless and you have to just try stuff. I’m not quite there yet. But it is good I think to watch people do things.

Do you see yourself as a comedienne?
I see myself as a singer and that I can do funny stuff. But it doesn’t always land.

Who’s your favourite singer?
It’s a really hard question. Male – Neil Diamond. Not that I love every song, I just love his voice.  Female  – My top three would be, Carrie Underwood, I guess, I love her voice.  I guess, do you know what, sometimes someone can have a technically brilliant voice that can hit amazing notes but actually if you put someone like Liza Minnelli on, immediately she starts to sing you go, “I know who that is”. I think for that reason Liza (like we’re best friends I call her first name). Liza Minnelli and for the same reason Barbra Streisand. I kind of grew up listening to that. It’s a really hard question.  Oh, Stevie Nicks from Fleetwood Mac that’s a great voice.  Voices immediately you hear them you know who they are.  Pat Benatar. Oh that’s not a top three is it!

Who’s your favourite rock artist?
Aerosmith are definitely my favourite band and Whitesnake.  Aerosmith are the top definitely.  Then Mr Big, really old school and I’ve got the entire discography and there is not a bad song among them.  So that’s the order, Aerosmith, Mr Big, then Whitesnake.  I wasn’t a massive Def Leppard fan because I didn’t really know their stuff.  Then doing Rock of Ages I started listening to it and that’s brilliant as well. But I’ve always liked rock music

What’s your favourite rock song then?
Don’t Stop Believing.  Yeah, everyone’s favourite song.  I never get bored of hearing it.  I could cry every night when he goes, “and then there’s Drew and Sherrie”.

What is it like performing as Sherrie?
I’ve played Sherrie a few times now.  I love going on as Sherrie, I love it.  Who doesn’t love going on as the lead, sure. But it’s quite a lonely track. You don’t really see anyone backstage.  You only see who you see cast-wise on stage.  But as Regina I get to spend 60% of my show with the entire cast.  That makes my show. I love going on as Sherrie, I love it.  I love not having to shout every line I do.  It’s a gorgeous sing. I’m a lucky girl because I get to do both intermittently.

As Regina I do like a collective 12 lines. You know what I’ve never lost my voice so much as in this job because I shout so much. All my spoken lines are yelled.  Then everything I sing is up there but that’s exactly where I live, up there.  I’m a woman of extremes.  I’m happy to play loud.

Not sure if you drive or not, but what song do you sing in the car or at home?
I don’t drive.  I’m a hazard on the road.  I’ve had about 70 lessons.  My favourite songs at the moment – I’ve got three.  Funnily enough they’re all musical theatre.  Scott Alan’s Home and Shoshana Bean’s version of it. It is a big belty song. A Jason Brown song called There With You that he wrote for Natalie Weiss and it’s brilliant. It’s a really uplifting happy song about meeting someone and knowing they feel the same about you, blah, blah. And Don’t Stop Believing.  I absolutely love that song. I know it’s a cliché. I never get bored of hearing it, especially the original. I love it.

You went on a working holiday to Korea. Can you tell us about that?
I work for this amazing company called Livecom. They encourage communities to design things to make the community better. Essentially they have a big award ceremony, the whole world is involved and I sing for them over dinner.
I’ve been all over the world with this company. I’ve been to Canada, Prague, Spain, I’ve done a London one, China twice, Korea, so that’s why I went. The gig is 45 minutes and the rest of the week is a holiday.  So that’s why I ended up in Korea, singing Memory and Don’t Rain on My Parade and things like that. It’s an amazing charity. You want to see some of things they get up to.  They show you around, and you get to see the sights and cultural things. It’s brilliant. Places you’d never pick.

Have you got anything else planned with Livecom?
In 2012 we’re in Al Ain, just outside Abu Dhabi. I don’t like going on holiday because I get a fear of missing out. I was miserable the week I was away in Korea. Britney Spears and Alfie Boe came to see the show and I missed it!

So some quick fire questions:
Ice cream or ice lolly?  Ice lolly
Beach or shopping?   Shopping: groceries and home-ware
Australia or America?  America every time
Tour or West End?  West End
Michael Buble or Bruno Mars?  Bruno Mars absolutely
Twitter or Facebook?  Twitter
Bed of Roses or Dead or Alive?  Dead or Alive

And finally any message to say to your supporters?
Thank you for everything. I have never ever felt so supported and loved as I am now doing this job. It has made me feel like when they tell you what it’s all going to be like when you watch something like Fame, and you think “I want my musical career to be like that”, this is the one job that is that. This is the one job, with the people that I work with and the people that come to watch that I have really felt it. So thanks!

Many thanks Jodie for a lovely interview!

You can follow Jodie on Twitter @Show_Jo

Interviewed by Neil who you follow @LondonTheatre1 and on LondonTheatre on Facebook

Rock of Ages Tickets

APP USERS: Rock of Ages Tickets

There have been some great productions previewing in January which open officially this month: The Changeling (Young Vic Theatre) opens 2^nd February 2012, Master Class (Vaudeville Theatre) opens 7^th February 2012 and Absent Friends (Harold Pinter Theatre) opens 9^th February 2012. There is a lot more to come in the forthcoming days of 2012’s second month, which looks to be dominated by the drama and comedy genre, so keep your eyes peeled for these theatrical treats:

DRAMA

Stefan Golaszewski’s Sex With A Stranger began previews on 1^st February 2012 in the intimate space of the Trafalgar Studios 2. Produced by The Invisible Dot Ltd, Golaszewski’s play centres around the lives of three people at the point where they each entwine in a ‘cheerless morass of uncertainly, boredom, loneliness and empty lust’. Stage and screen star Russell Tovey stars as Adam, alongside Naomi Sheldon (Ruth) and Jaime Winstone (Grace). The combination of great writing and a stellar cast such as this one makes Sex With A Stranger an appealing way to spend an evening. It opens on 6^th February 2012 at the Trafalgar Studios 2 and runs until 25^th February 2012.

Director Josie Rourke made her West End debut with her production of Much Ado About Nothing (starring David Tennant and Catherine Tate) and now, in her first production at the Donmar Warehouse since taking over as artistic director, Rourke brings audiences The Recruiting Officer. This 1706 play of military manoeuvring and sexual strategies is ‘an unashamed celebration of love, lustiness and victory in battle and in the bedroom’ from playwright George Farquhar. It has a wonderful line-up of names attached, including Nancy Carroll (Silvia), Mackenzie Crook (Sergeant Kite), Mark Gatiss (Captain Brazen), Gawn Grainger (Mr Balance), Tobias Menzies (Captain Plume) and Rachael Stirling (Melinda), as well as the composing talents of Michael Bruce. The Recruiting Officer previews from 9^th February 2012 at the Donmar Warehouse, opening 14^th February 2012 and running until 14^th April 2012.

Bingo by Edward Bond begins its preview period on 16^th February 2012 at the Young Vic Theatre in co-production with Chichester Festival Theatre: ‘With the glory years of London behind him, William Shakespeare finds himself in a moral dilemma. Faced with the same situation as his greatest creation King Lear, what should he do with his land and his power?’ Bingo is led by the ever-brilliant Patrick Stewart in the role of William Shakespeare and also features the direction of Angus Jackson and music by Stephen Warbeck. It opens at the Young Vic Theatre on 23^rd February 2012 and runs until 31^st March 2012.

(The Royal Court Theatre also opens two great dramatic productions this month, with In Basildon (Downstairs) and Goodbye To All That (Upstairs)

COMEDY

Rebecca Wheatley stars in the one-person comedy Big Pants and Botox at the Arts Theatre this month. Produced by Goodnights Entertainment Ltd, Louise Roche’s comedy follows the ups and downs of Barbara’s birthday celebrations as she hits the big 5-0. It’s playing for two nights only, from 9^th-11^th February 2012, so I’d advise swift booking if you don’t want to miss out on this funny but poignant production.

Noel Coward’s Hay Fever comes (fittingly) to the Noel Coward Theatre, bringing with it the likes of Lindsay Duncan, Kevin McNally, Jeremy Northam and more in this top-class cast. Retired stage star Judith Bliss invites a young suitor to join her for a countryside getaway, but her novelist husband and their two children have similar plans, resulting in a series of ‘misjudged meetings, secret seductions and scandalous revelations’ in the house party they’ll never forget. Hay Fever is a Playful Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions collaboration, directed by Howard Davies. It previews from 10^th February 2012 and opens on 23rd February 2012, running until 2^nd June 2012.

In one of this month’s most hotly anticipated productions, All New People finally arrives on our shores. Directed by Peter Dubois, this comedic play centres around a depressed Charlie on his 35^th birthday, who finds his self-inflicted isolation invaded by the unexpected arrival of a parade of misfits with hilarious consequences.  Written by American stage and screen star Zach Braff (most popularly known for playing JD in sitcom Scrubs), he also stars here alongside Susannah Fielding and Torchwood’s Eve Myles. All New People previews at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 22^nd February 2012 and opens on 24^th February 2012, where it runs til 28^th April 2012.

(There is also stand-up comedy from Jackie Mason in Fearless (Wyndham’s Theatre), tragic comedy in The Devil and Mister Punch (Barbican Pit) and musical comedy from Ezra Axelrod with Songs From The American Motel (Leicester Square Theatre)

KIDS

Not to be left out, there is always something for the kids to enjoy in London’s West End and, this February, it is the ever-popular Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain. Proving to be a television favourite for kids and adults alike, this Horrible Histories theatre production from Terry Deary, Neal Foster and Ciaran McConville comes to the Garrick Theatre. Produced by Birmingham Stage Company and directed by Neal Foster, Barmy Britain explores the stories of some of history’s most famous ‘barmy’ people, from  Henry VIII to Guy Fawkes. Benedict Martin, Lauryn Redding and Jackie Trousdale star in the cast of Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain, which runs from 14^th February 2012 to 1^st September 2012.

NATIONAL THEATRE

Catering for both the drama and children genre’s of theatre, the NT’s production of Nicky Singer’s The Island deserves a special mention of its own here. Little Cameron is forced to spend a week on a deserted island of ice where, without the everyday distraction of technology and gadgets, he faces the limited options of either helping his mother with her scientific research or leaving camp to explore – but is it really uninhabited? The play is directed by Adam Penford and stars Rebecca Boey and James Cooney. It opens at the Cottesloe, National Theatre on 15^th February 2012 and runs until 25^th February 2012.

MUSICAL

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert closed its doors on New Year’s Eve after five years in the West End and this month, Singin’ In The Rain moves into their old home at the Palace Theatre. This classic musical is the story of privileged Don Lockwood, the silent movie star who has everything you could ever want. Life in Hollywood is about to change though: there are whisperings of a new kind of film emerging, where actors actually talk, dance and… sing. Singin’ In The Rain has an original screenplay and adaptions by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, with songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed. The Jonathan Church-directed production has a fantastic cast, led by Adam Cooper (Don Lockwood), Daniel Crossley (Cosmo Brown), Scarlett Strallen (Kathy Seldon), Katherine Kingsley (Lina Lamont), Michael Brandon (RF Simpson) and Sandra Dickinson (Dora Bailey/Miss Dinsmore) and features choreography by the fantastic Andrew Wright. Rumoured to be one of the most expensive productions to hit the West End in recent years, it’s sure to be the hottest new ticket in town. It begins previews this weekend on 4^th February 2012 and officially opens on 15^th February 2012. It is currently booking until 19^th September 2012.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Tickets for Sex With A Stranger.

APP USERS: Tickets for Sex With A Stranger.

Tickets for Big Pants And Botox.

APP USERS: Tickets for Big Pants And Botox.

Tickets for Hay Fever.

APP USERS: Tickets for Hay Fever.

Tickets for All New People.

APP USERS: Tickets for All New People.

Tickets for Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain.

APP USERS: Tickets for Horrible Histories – Barmy Britain.

Tickets for Singin’ In The Rain.

APP USERS: Tickets for Singin’ In The Rain.

The Sunshine Boys is a play by Neil Simon that was first produced on Broadway in 1972 and subsequently adapted for film and television.

Kings of comedy, Willie Clark (Danny DeVito) and Al Lewis (Richard Griffiths) aka The Sunshine Boys haven’t spoken to each other in years.

The play focuses on aging Al Lewis and Willy Clark, a one-time vaudevillian team known as “Lewis and Clark” who, over the course of forty-odd years, not only grew to hate each other but never spoke to each other off-stage throughout the final year of their act.

The stubborn Clark, who was not ready for retirement, resented the wiser Lewis for breaking up the act when he opted to leave show business. It is now 1972 and CBS has invited the pair to get together for a nostalgic show about the History of Comedy.

Clark is convinced by his nephew Ben to revive one of the old routines one last time. Much of the humor is derived from efforts to get the two cantankerous actors into the same room for a rehearsal, their differences of opinion once they reunite, and their high-spirited behavior on the actual broadcast.

The Sunshine Boys Tickets

APP USERS: The Sunshine Boys Tickets

Showing From: Friday, 27th April 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 28th July 2012
Matinees: Wednesday and Saturday 2.30pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm

Savoy Theatre
Savoy Court
The Strand
London, WC2R 0ET

Cameron Mackintosh took to the stage at the end of Tuesday night’s performance of Oliver! to confirm the casting, much to the shock and delight of Barks who is currently starring in the tour production as Nancy. Calling it ‘the most incredible moment of my life’, the small-town Isle of Man actress has since been inundated with congratulatory messages – and deservedly so. Samantha Barks is an incredibly talented girl and absolutely lovely with it: I couldn’t think of anyone who deserves this opportunity as much as she does.

Her journey from playing Snow White in her school play at the age of four to Hollywood film star has been a meteoric rise of success, ignited by the BBC talent show I’d Do Anything in which Andrew Lloyd Webber searched for a Nancy for his forthcoming West End production of Oliver! Barks came third in the show, but as seems to be the custom with these types of reality shows, being a runner-up has opened up plenty of doors. Still, Barks was hardly a novice to the world of performing: before appearing on the show, she had played roles in a variety of amateur productions and was training at the Arts Educational School, London. It was the stage of live television that really helped to thrust her into the spotlight though.

After I’d Do Anything, Barks was cast in the lead role of Sally Bowles in the UK tour of Cabaret, directed by Rufus Norris. The production took a new, racier direction and, at 18, Barks was a lot younger than previous incarnations of the character, but she received critical acclaim for her portrayal. She then moved on to join the West End company of Les Miserables, which is where her close relationship with the role of Eponine began. She spent a year at the Queen’s Theatre and quickly became an audience favourite, which led to her being asked to play the role in the 25^th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables at the O2. Barks has described the experience as ‘a dream come true’ and no wonder – performing such an iconic role alongside the likes of Norm Lewis and Alfie Boe would be a dream for many people. Despite such success, Barks has kept her feet well on the ground though, always finding time to help out others in the industry: she took part in the mini-tour of Direct From The West End (produced by Musical Ovation – Scott Garnham and Martin Neely); performed at a British composers cabaret at the Battersea Barge as part of the SimG Productions summer cabaret series and was a guest vocalist on Dougal Irvine’s debut album, duetting with the man himself.

She began touring with Oliver! on 10^th December 2011 – a nice accomplishment which highlights just how far she has come since first vying for the part of Nancy on the BBC. Now, Hollywood is beckoning and, as much as her life has changed since that show, it is about to take a much bigger turn in the road. Barks will be starring with such A-list actors as Hugh Jackman (Valjean), Russell Crowe (Javert), Amanda Seyfried (Cosette), Geoffrey Rush (Thernadier), Helena Bonham Carter (Madame Thernadier), Anne Hathaway (Fantine) and Eddie Redmayne (Marius). Nice company to be in. It has been thought that American country singer Taylor Swift would be playing Eponine in the Les Miserables film, but the surprise announcement of Barks’ casting has had many a musical theatre fan whooping for joy. Les Miserables’ popularity lies in the success of its musical theatre roots, so it is very fitting that this is being recognised in the film version. Original cast members Colm Wilkinson and Frances Ruffelle, who played Valjean and Eponine respectively have been offered roles in the film: Wilkinson will appear as the Bishop of Digne while Rufelle will play ‘the most fabulous whore’ in the Lovely Ladies scene. There are a number of further opportunities for musical theatre performers expected and with the addition of one of the lead roles going to musical theatre star Barks, each of these castings are a nice nod to musical theatre. They’re important too – if anyone has seen the film of The Phantom of the Opera you will understand why. I actually really like the film, but I can’t deny how much better it would have been with more accomplished singers in the lead roles (with the exclusion of Patrick Wilson, who actually is a Broadway performer).

It’s always nice to see a good person receive good things in return and this certainly pertains to Barks. At just 21, she has already achieved so much and it looks like her star is continuing to rise. I have no doubt that she is going to be just fantastic in the film of Les Miserables and with such a great cast being lined up, hopes are high for its success. Her accomplishment restores faith in this industry and everyone within it is thrilled to pieces for her. So once again, congratulations to you Samantha Barks – you’ve done us all proud.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Earlier this week Iqbal answered some questions about himself and his career. I hope you enjoy this fascinating interview.

You were born in Birmingham. How did your childhood help define you as a person?
Birmingham in the 70s and 80s was culturally very diverse with a clear division between the white majority and the largely black and Pakistani communities. Although part of a large extended family, I found myself not socialising enormously. My intellectual world was dominated by my older brother. He introduced me to the broadest spectrum of cultural experiences, from Opera, through Dylan to Shakespeare. We never had the money to go to live events, so most of my experiences were through recordings, radio and television. I knew enough to know that Birmingham was not then sympathetic to an international and socially/culturally nuanced sensibility. My appetite for these experiences made me hungry to leave as soon as was possible. Education was my only way out.

At Trinity College Cambridge in your late teens you were studying Mathematics and also had desires to be a professional cricketer. What was the motivation for the Mathematics and what are the highlights of your prowess at cricket?
My brothers were all scientists and had always engendered a curiosity and love of beautiful and elegantly expressed ideas. We debated ferociously and pushing the envelope of human knowledge seemed an heroic ambition. Mathematics, literature and music were all things that thrilled me. The most ‘useful’ one to train in seemed Maths at the time. There is always an element of compromise in these decisions – paths denied or deferred.

The cricket was fun and I was naturally talented. Just never spent enough real time training to take it as far as I might. I was selected for pre-season nets for the Blues side before my two years’ struggle with glandular fever and subsequent clinical depression. This disrupted my education to such an extent that I had to shift course and decided on Physics at Imperial College in London.

Coming up to your final year, you took time out from University and decided to return and study drama. What inspired you most to study drama and turn your back on your previous direction?
In brief (!), while suffering with depression I had serious voice problems about which I saw a therapist.  She suggested, after some work, that there was a ‘lovely’ voice in there and that I should do some Drama when I got back to university. This gave me a medical reason to do what I had been intimidated to do, while at Cambridge, despite it being one of my most cherished, though unacknowledged, dreams. The artists I had read about and admired came from a different world to me, seemed a different order of human; entitled, eloquent and poetic creatures. I felt completely excluded from any possible inclusion in their ranks.

Consciously, though, I told myself, I only started drama because it would be good for my voice and self-esteem..!

While at university, your first role on stage was The Priest in Twelfth Night where you became converted to theatre and wanted to direct their next production. You then directed and acted at the Edinburgh Festival. Can you describe your ‘theatrical journey’ during this time?
The experience of being in a rehearsal room where, as I was playing the priest, I had ample time to observe and minimal responsibility, was overwhelming and epiphanic. This was not at this point a question of the talent on display or the material. It was the generosity and playfulness of the process. The innocence of it all. Yet, this was in no way anti-intellectual or lacking in seriousness. Quite the opposite. It was for me the perfect model of how people should behave with one another and a tremendous image of political engagement, political with a small ‘p’ – the dynamics and consequences of our actions, our connection with others.

I have no idea why I felt confident enough to suggest the next play, Pinter’s The Homecoming, for the society and, more, put myself forward as director. Maybe simple, primitive passion. I loved the play. It disturbed me with its seductive violence and destructive humour. And I was fearless. This might have been an index of my ignorance.

This production started at the university and subsequently played at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. I went up to the festival for the next two seasons, was president of the drama society, ran festivals of drama at the university, was running a venue at the Edinburgh Festival, while also acting in productions there – the most exciting being a production of Ionesco’s Exit the King (I played King Berenger) that performed in Paris the evening he passed away!

As might be clear, Physics was the last thing on my mind and rather than waste anymore time, I left my course before the final year, to concentrate on making theatre.

After university you didn’t want to be typecast in stereotypical acting roles such as playing a “corner-shop Paki” which was available in TV roles. How hard was it to stick to your principles at the risk of not working?
I trained for a year at the Academy in Whitechapel. The only course I could afford. It was an extraordinary experience. I was part of an acting company that performed in Rep, new plays every three weeks, training half days and rehearsals with professional directors. It gave me a great insight into many genres and ways of working. No time for introspection.

I have always been motivated to work in Theatre and predominantly Classical theatre.  Epic stories, poetically told and muscular ideas properly interrogated. So, my thinking has never been too strategic. I was quite militant at the beginning of my career, making it clear to agents that I wanted to play in big plays at the big companies. This did not endear me, to a profession that has changed enormously in the last ten years. It is not now what it was.

So, I just made my own work. I set up my own company (Liberal Tongue Productions) and scrabbled around for money to put on shows wherever I could.  These were hard times and I often felt like a street fighter, but at the same time, I felt free from any need to please, the only compromise was material and this was often a spur to invention.

But this was work out of the eye of the mainstream and I felt it very hard to get any meetings with those that ran the companies that excited me. I needed another qualification. The decision to do the MA at Middlesex was both to do with this practical consideration and the need to just stop fighting and consider. To consider what I was doing and what others do… to consider why I wanted to do this, to what end.

You were in Tokyo at the Japanese Fellowship for Young Directors in 2005/2006. How did this time help you as a director?
I’d worked in Japan the previous two years and they had been inspiring experiences. The fellowship allowed me to deepen this experience. What I learned as a director is hard to quantify. All human experiences, one hopes, complicate and deepen one’s perception as an artist. To engage with work in another language and different aesthetic norms is valuable. One of the simplest things to communicate was my experience as an actor, working in the development of a new play, playing a lead where all of the other actors spoke in Japanese and I had 50% of my dialogue in Japanese.  What I realised in the playing was that where normally one would take cues from the text, the meaning in the words, I had to find the meaning in the music and breath of the dialogue. I had a paraphrased understanding of it but to catch the moments precisely I lent on the para-linguistic elements in the performances of my colleagues.

The other thing to mention is the experience of ritual in performance. Under-rated. These are not necessarily ancient things. They define rhythms of life, transactions, meaning making, that we employ, perhaps unconsciously, all the time.

What is the main reason for you wanting to direct rather than act?
Opportunity, at the moment. I think I’ve gone through phases where I like to take myself and all the fears that evokes, out of the picture and help others realise something. I love working with incredible actors. I enjoy the challenge. My actor’s sensibility is always useful to me as a director. I do, however, feel the ache to act again now. We will see!

You have directed at the National Theatre where it is considered that productions are “subsidised to experiment”. What type of productions would you most like to see there?
I think the profile of the work at the National is as healthy as I can ever remember it being. I would just love to be a part of its continually evolving narrative. I have never felt as fulfilled as an artist as when I was working there.  Perhaps only working on Broken Glass can compare.

Arthur Miller’s play Broken Glass is about archetypal confrontations and focuses on a Jewish couple, Phillip and Sylvia Gellburg, and is set in America in 1938. How did the story unfold with you getting to direct the play, firstly at The Tricycle and then the Vaudeville Theatre?
It was quite a simple professional engagement. Nick Kent had heard of a production of East Is East I’d just directed at the Birmingham Rep and was interested in me coming to work at the Tricycle. We had a meeting and, after asking me if I knew any great Asian plays I’d like to direct and my sighing a little and suggesting, gently, how much I would love to direct a Miller, particularly Broken Glass, it transpired they were seeking the rights. It just remained for me to convince him that I was the man to direct it and acquire an exciting cast.

The first letter I sent was to Tony Sher. We met for a long lunch at the Dirty Duck in Stratford, where we talked of our separate journeys to this place and how they chimed with the themes in the play. He warmed to me I hope and made the decision to do it at the Tricycle with no firm knowledge of any future life.

I think its subsequent reception and the added allure of Tara Fitzgerald helped persuade the producers to take the enormous risk of transferring such a delicate, complex piece to the West End. I’m eternally grateful to them and Nick for tirelessly working to get the support to make this happen.

Broken Glass is set in 1938, but what message to you think is has for society today?
Not to be complacent about the small injustices we allow in our personal relationships. To be vigilant about our responsibility to others and the consequences of our actions. On a micro level this is the DNA of political engagement. The sort of engagement, on a macro scale, that does not allow atrocities across borders to go unmarked.

Antony Sher who is Jewish, played the role of Phillip Gellburg opposite Tara Fitzgerald in Broken Glass. How do you balance stereotypical casting with who is best for the role?
I always try to cast the best actor, with some consideration of physical compatibility. I believe in the transformative possibilities of great acting. We only begin with a type that, in a great play, evolves, develops and ends by resonating for all types. You need actors that can sound these more profound depths. Ultimately, the most important contribution of drama is in the destruction of any simple classifications audiences have when they walk into our darkened rooms.

I have heard you mention that Arthur Miller is not given enough credit for “experiments in form”. As a director, how do you like to ‘experiment’?
My most important responsibility is to serve the play and make it as urgent, clear and as interesting as I can for an audience. Every time one asks a question of an actor or a designer, a genuine question, one is open to the new, the radical. I start as boldly as I can with these questions and follow the scent of answers as honestly as I can. My aesthetic impulse is for a more poetic form onstage. My instincts usually push me in this direction. But at some point, I have to edit the production, to make sense of the choices, to ensure coherence for an audience.

Experiment is an essential part of a process, only in that you refresh your methods and make strange that which may have become automatic. One hopes in this way to make the final choices that much richer.

You are now on tour in the UK with Snookered, a new play written by Ishy Din and produced by Tamasha. What can you tell us about this play and the cast?
Four British Muslim young men meet-up in a pool hall to remember they’re dead friend. It’s a yearly ritual involving toasts to the departed, a pool tournament and plenty of heavy drinking. This will be the last one.

It is a play about boys learning to become men.  It’s a play about friendships, about complex identities. It feels dangerous and funny. All the people in it feel completely real. I don’t think I’ve seen these characters ever represented as honestly as they are in this play.

The young actors I’ve assembled are extraordinary. They’re young and a little inexperienced but, despite a short rehearsal period, I’m incredibly excited by the possibilities.

www.tamasha.org.uk/snookered

Do you have an expected target audience for Snookered and why should people go and see it?
I don’t. I hope young Asians who haven’t seen much theatre will come and see it and identify with it and get excited about the experience of being in a theatre and seeing these stories represented so articulately on stage. But then I hope those who are from completely different backgrounds recognise the parallels with any young man’s struggle to make a significant imprint.  And one hopes we’re enjoyed by anyone who loves great new writing and excitingly staged productions.

Basically, I’d like this diverse audience for any new show that I do. However, this play is an opportunity. An opportunity to bring those into a theatre that have not been before and to represent an experience, for the initiated, that they might not have encountered.

You have a love of classical theatre, particularly Shakespeare and Arthur Miller. Are there any plays that are top of your list of ‘plays to do’?
I’d love to direct Titus Andronicus or Measure for Measure.  Of all Shakespeare’s plays the one I am most moved by and therefore most wary of is King Lear.

After Snookered, what more can we look forward to from you in 2012?
I’m directing Much Ado About Nothing, with Meera Syal as Beatrice, at the RSC and West End in late summer and, beyond that, I might be re-staging a delightful new musical version of The Importance of Being Earnest (we first staged it at the Riverside Studios, with Gyles Brandreth in December 2011).

Many thanks Iqbal for a fabulous interview! We wish you every success with Snookered and with future productions.

Interviewed by Neil who you can follow @LondonTheatre and LondonTheatre on Facebook

Snookered by Ishy Din
In association with Oldham Coliseum Theatre and Bush Theatre
2012 UK Tour: 2th Feb – 5th April
Oldham – Lancaster – Edinburgh
Wolverhampton – Oxford – London – Southampton

Tamara took time out this week to answer a few questions about herself and her career.

What were your first experiences of singing or dancing in front of an audience?
My first experiences in front of an audience were in my back garden! I used to get all the kids from my street, make up a show and then get all the parents to come and watch. Sometimes my mum would come home from work and find half the avenue on garden chairs in our back garden!

You trained at the Jenny Reeds School of Dance in Surrey and then at the London Studio Centre. What fun times did you have there?
To be honest, as a kid I didn’t have a great time, the other girls in my village dance school hated me. I would always be doing my own thing at the back of the class and in shows I had solos and the others didn’t like it, jealousy was rife, and so they bullied me a lot. But when I got to London there were hundreds of girls just like me! I lived in a flat with two other dancers and we had an amazing time living off pasta and merry-down cider!

Your first performance was in Dick Whittington at Woking Theatre; can you tell us about that time?
My stage debut was being a juvenile dancer in Woking panto where I played a baby chick in “Mother Goose“! But generally I did panto during college, as it was the only professional job we were allowed to do as it was over the Christmas holidays and I can’t tell you how much fun it was! Not to mention it was the first time I got paid for doing something I loved!

You performed in the pantomime Goldilocks in Southampton. Are you a great lover of the British Panto?
I loooooooooove panto. For us as performers it’s a chance to meet new friends and really have fun in the festive spirit. When you work in the West End you don’t get to have time off over Christmas so it kind of passes you by, but on panto you’re normally in a town far away from where you live, staying with all the other cast and it’s Christmas every day for two months sometimes! In my last panto I got to play Cinderella and that was a treat! I’m normally known for not being girlie so it was so much fun becoming a real princess and hey what girl doesn’t secretly want to be in those glass slippers!

You performed the lead role of Lucy in The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe at The Proteus Theatre. What are your favourite memories of ‘Narnia’?
This was my first lead role and to be honest my mum took me to the audition for fun so when I got the part that day I was ecstatic! My favourite part was going through the wardrobe!

Your television credits include Cinderella, TFI Friday, Eastenders and The Royal Variety Performance. How did you feel performing in The Royal Variety Performance and what is it like appearing in one of the country’s famous soaps?
Obviously it was very surreal seeing The Queen! It was just as surreal standing in the Queen Vic in Eastenders. It was like a dream for me… I have also NEVER been so nervous in my whole life! Everyone was so lovely and made me feel so welcome it truly was the best time. I only hope I can go back soon!

You performed in the Spirit of The Dance in the USA. Can you tell us about that experience?
This has to be the worst job I’ve ever done! Bar none! It was the worst company I’ve ever worked for and was a very physically painful job! We all had shin splints from the Irish dancing and the fact we were dancing on a CONCRETE stage! We weren’t allowed off for injury and we took Nurofen like Smarties!  I left the contract half-way through and got the first plane home!

You understudied and played Lamb Chops & Mabel Washington in Fame on a UK tour and at the Victoria Palace Theatre. What did you like most about Fame?
The dancing! The amazing choreography by Karen Bruce was a thrill to do every night. It was also the first show I went to see at college and said to my friend “I’m never going to be good enough to be in that” so when I got the job I think I cried for a week!

What are the good things and not so good things about being on tour?
The bad thing is living out of a suitcase. The good thing is you’re all away from home together so you really become a family.

Next on your career path was We Will Rock You where you understudied & played Meat and Scaramouche. What was your favourite song from WWRY and how did it feel performing in such an iconic show?
I think my favourite show by far! My favourite song was definitely “who wants to live forever”, as it is such a beautiful song. I stayed in that show for three and a half years so I must have enjoyed it eh? Most of all I loved performing with “Queen” and I got to sing backing vocals with them in the “UK Music Hall of Fame”. That was the night of my life!  At one point I was going through harmonies in a dressing room with Brian May, Roger Taylor, Paul Rodgers and Robbie Williams and thought wtf!?

You performed in Never Forget, a tribute to Take That. What is your favourite Take That song and are you a Take That fan?
My favourite Take That song is “Back For Good” but that’s only because it rained on stage during that song and I loved being rained on stage every night! I wasn’t a Take That fan before they reunited but I sure am now! Wow they came back with a vengeance!

You joined the cast of Legally Blonde The Musical in December 2009 and have played several roles including your latest one of Brooke Wyndham; which you have played for over a year. What can you tell us about Brooke and her part in the storyline?
Brooke Wyndham is a fitness instructor who is scared that telling people she’s had Liposuction will lose her whole career so ends up in prison for murdering her husband because she won’t tell her alibi to anyone but Elle. Elle then goes on to win her case and sets her free! Yay! It truly is the best part for me, she is strong , mouthy,  blonde, and  can kick her legs! I’ve had the time of my life playing her.

What is it about performing in Legally Blonde that you have enjoyed the most?
Being surrounded by such lovely people and the show itself is such a smiley happy energetic show and kind of rubs off on you, the building is a very happy place to be (normally)!

How physically fit do you have to be to perform the fitness routines in the show?
I guess you should be fit to do the skipping routines in the show but I’m the first person in McDonalds in between shows! I’m sooooooo unhealthy and I have a serious chocolate addition!

The musical has obvious comments about ‘blondes’. Do you think being blonde helps or hinders a woman’s career?
Well I’ve been both dark and blonde and so far blondes definitely have more fun! As for career, it doesn’t really matter, you’re either right for the part or you’re not.

Do you have any particular ‘superstitious’ routines that you have to do before a performance?
Nothing before performances but if I have an audition I can’t do it unless my mum rings or texts me “sparkle!” It’s something she used to say to me as a kid and now I absolutely cannot go into an audition until she’s said it, stupid huh?

What does your warm-up routine consist of?
We have ten minutes skipping warm, ten minutes general physical warm up and ten minutes vocal.

Legally Blonde is due to close on April 7^th; what are your plans once the show has closed?
Well unfortunately I leave earlier than everyone else, which is sad, but I will go out with a bang, probably get very drunk afterwards and not think about what’s next till that Monday morning! As yet nothing planned, but watch this space!

What do you like to do on a day off away from the stage?
I’m obsessed with Formula 1 so usually when the F1 season starts that’s where you’ll find me most Sundays glued to the TV watching the race, actually anything to do with cars is where I’m at outside of the theatre!

Do you prefer to spend time in the country or in the city?
I live in “the Green Belt” of Surrey so I guess I’m more of a country girl. I love London for work but I like to get out it of it afterwards.

Is there any message you would like to say to your Legally Blonde supporters?
Just thank you for being so amazing. I’ve had a tough time learning that I was leaving the show early and I can’t tell you how much you guys have helped and made me smile…

Thank you Tamara for giving us an insight into your career. Best wishes for the remainder of your time in Legally Blonde The Musical and  for the future.

Interview questions by Neil @LondonTheatre1 and on Facebook

Legally Blonde Tickets

APP USERS: Legally Blonde Tickets

The story is set between Tajikistan and England, and follows three characters forced to choose between their own freedom and that of each other.  The innovative stage scenery is split between the two countries and it works very well.

Without giving too much away from the plot, the play is as follows:

Benham, is a Tajik opium farmer who is desperately trying to do the best he can for his family in a country that has had its heart torn apart by civil war. Although in the eyes of his son Fariad, Benham is the master of his farm, the farm itself, in the family for generations, is essentially controlled by Benham’s paymasters, the drug barons.

The drug gangsters want the current opium crop and don’t want to pay anything for it, and Benham lies to them in order to save his family’s livelihood.

To prove the lie that Benham has told to his gangster masters, his son Fariad has to travel to England on a quest and return home with a “prize” in order to save his father, his family and the farm. During his time in England Fariad falls in love with a beautiful Spanish girl, (Jennifer) who works alongside him at a fast-food outlet.

And so the story unfolds…

Doubtless many people will go to see this play and come away with a different perspective about how each character is finding their own way in order to be free. The play is raw in its portrayal and this is its strength.

Rian Perle plays the role of Benham extremely well. Although he has a soft voice, he projects his dialogue very well, and his dilemma is plain to see. His constant struggle to retain his pride and keep his family’s tradition of working the farm, and in effect his own moral freedom, is a hard battle. To survive in such a war-torn country where criminals with guns rule the farmer’s lives is hard and perhaps Benham has the toughest task of all three characters.

Benham’s son Fariad is played by Indranyl Singharay, who delivers his dialogue in a commendable way, portraying the son superbly, who at first only sees a future on his father’s farm, but as a young man in a foreign country becomes torn in his decision making.  At the start of the story Fariad is a naive young man in his native country, perhaps without an established moral compass, and as the play develops he struggles to come to terms with what to do and what is right and wrong.

Rebeca Cobos is not only the producer but also plays the part of Rebecca, who is a ‘love-interest’ of Fariad’s. Cobos adds an extra pace to the play with her vibrant and dynamic performance. The interaction between herself and the other characters is at the heart of the play. An excellent performance.

Paul Micah’s evocative sound design and Ivan Capillas’ music create the perfect background for the dual ethnicity of the play, while Rick Limentani’s directing combines comedy and conflict to deliver an absorbing play.

A superbly written play that is well worth a visit!

http://www.freedomtheplay.co.uk/

Book tickets for Freedom the play at http://www.arcolatheatre.com/

First up is the cabaret at The Pheasantry, Chelsea this weekend: on Sunday 5^th February 2012, Jonathan Eio presents Love Love Love as a special early Valentine’s treat for all the loved-up couples out there. It will be a musical evening which features an eclectic mix of pop and musical theatre, 80s “cheese” and classic pop songs, all under the pink and fluffy theme of L.O.V.E.
Jonathan Eio is a musical theatre performer who has played the leading role of Melchior in the UK tour of Spring Awakening, along with roles in Sondheim’s Into The Woods and the workshop premiere of Based On A True Story. With panto season having only just passed us by, Eio was most recently seen playing Dandini opposite Jonathan Ansell in Cinderella. Eio is also a talented singer/songwriter who has provided vocals for the debut album of Joe Sterling and already released two solo albums of his own music: The Space In Between and New Beginnings – the audience can expect to hear a selection of these songs performed on the night. A couple of very special guests will also be joining Eio to lend their exceptional vocal talents to the cabaret. Jodie Jacobs has appeared in a range of West End shows, from Evita to We Will Rock You, and is currently a Rock of Ages cast member, recently winning the BWW UK Award 2011 for Best Supporting Actress. With a big personality to match her big voice, Jacobs will be a lively addition to the night – as will singer/songwriter Dan Clews, whose music has received substantial interest from national and regional radio, including BBC Radio 2. Completing the ‘triple threat’ of guests is Lauren Austin from the Stage 100 Award winning Musical Theatre Academy. So whether you’re looking to celebrate your love or just looking to be inspired, Love Love Love is certain to fulfil your heart’s desire.

The second cabaret I wanted to mention is that of Wicked star Chloe Hart. Chloe Hart And Co In Cabaret marks her debut as cabaret host on 8^th April 2012, in a celebration of new writing and contemporary musical theatre at Freedom Bar, Soho. Hart burst onto the West End scene in 2007 when she starred as Tracey Turnblad in Hairspray, which she followed up by joining the cast of the West End’s longest-running musical Les Miserables before moving onto her current job of lighting up the stage of the Apollo Victoria. She’s also been making a good name for herself by performing in a number of concerts and cabarets, including those of New York composer Scott Alan and last weekend’s Children of Eden concert at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Last Minute Theatre Tickets have previously interviewed Hart and a few weeks ago, I featured her in the weekly In Profile series on the website, which puts a spotlight on outstanding ensemble members of West End shows – something which she most certainly is with her impressively powerful voice. She’ll be inviting a few of her equally talented friends along to her cabaret too, which includes Lauren Samuels (Grease, We Will Rock You), Oliver Brenin (Wicked, 42nd street, imagine this), Thomas Sutcliffe (Wicked) and the amazing girls of dressing room 11, Gemma Atkins, Jacqueline Hughes, Charlotte Scott and Michelle Pentecost. The night will be raising money for cast mate Gemma Atkins, who is running the London Marathon later this year in aid of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation. Talented and charitable? How can any theatre fan refuse that combination?

Due to a previous engagement (and my prematurely cynical outlook on love), I won’t be able to attend Jonathan Eio’s Love Love Love cabaret unfortunately, but I’ve already put Chloe Hart and Co in the book. I hope to see some of you there and, for anyone who can make it Eio’s cabaret this Sunday, I’d ‘love love love’ to hear all about your experience.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

In its 26th Year at Her Majesty’s Theatre still playing to full houses (mid-week), Phantom of the Opera for the most part, was as enthralling as ever to watch. Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s beautiful score and Charles Hart’s evocative lyrics tell the story of the ‘ghost’ that haunts the Paris Opera House, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s famous 1911 novel.

The story begins in late 19th Century Paris on the stage of the Paris Opera House. The Phantom hides beneath the Opera House in a lonely existence, ashamed by his physical appearance. All in the opera company, fears him except for his young protégée Christine Daae, a beautiful, young soprano who comes from the Corps de Ballet to suddenly take over as lead vocalist, saving the opera’s opening night. The story tells of the intense love the Phantom holds for Christine and the lengths he will go to obtain her love in return.

As soon as the prologue is over the orchestra erupts into the overture. A twenty-seven piece orchestra under the direction of Adam Rowe make the music from this classic ever more impressive. The musicians rarely get mentioned in musical reviews but in this case you can’t fail to notice the brilliance exuding from the pit. Obviously, this is in most part credit to Lloyd-Webber but also to David Cullen who devised the orchestrations, winning him the notable New York Drama Desk Award.

Christine Daae (Sofia Escobar) excellently displays the vulnerability and desire her character should have in her relationship with the Phantom. Her effortless, classy soprano charms you from the start and although her native Portuguese accent creeps in at times, it is very endearing to the character of Christine. Her solo in Act 2 ‘Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again’ was a highlight of the show.

Earl Carpenter is currently playing the Phantom. He comes directly from performing the role of Khashoggi in the UK Tour of ‘We will Rock You’. At times he gave the vocal a little too much pop/rock quality but in Act 2 Carpenter came into his own, especially in ‘The Point of No Return’. Raoul, played by Killian Donnelly is Christine’s friend and love interest. The partnership between Raoul and Christine was, both powerful and emotive. Their duet “All I Ask of You” was moving and vocally superb.

The wit and comic timing of Gareth Snook and Barry James, who play the newly appointed Managers of the Paris Opera Company, stood out in all of their scenes. The Ballet Mistress, Madame Giry (Cheryl McAvoy) was excellently portrayed, as was the spoiled leading soprano Carlotta (Wendy Ferguson) disgusted she had been knocked from her post by the young and beautiful Christine Daae under the orders from the Phantom. Another highlight was ‘Prima Donna’, the skills of Lloyd-Webber and his team shines through in the musical/vocal arrangement of this song.

‘Masquerade’ at the top of Act 2 was colourful costume wise, yet the mannequins on the grand staircase placed there to swell out the ensemble crowd looked like they had seen better days. Rumor has it that the brand new touring production has a much larger ensemble, so hopefully there will no longer be the need for stuffed dummies.

The new touring production directed by Laurence Connor is due to open in Plymouth’s Theatre Royal in Feb 2012, thereafter touring the UK well into 2013. The promise of a larger cast, brand new choreography by Scott Ambler and the latest wizardry in theatre set design by Paul Brown, will hopefully continue it’s famed success improving yet further the show’s original production. All credit too must go to this West End phenomenon for even now, playing to packed houses 26 years after it first opened. In this day and age of musical theatre this is fast becoming a rarity, but this classic show is timeless, the genius musical score and charming love story is guaranteed to continuously draw in the audiences from all over the world.

The Phantom of The Opera Tickets

APP USERS: The Phantom of The Opera Tickets

The Phantom of The Opera Official website

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are great for theatre: they allow for shows and those within the industry to build an online relationship with their audience/fans, sharing comments and getting news out there. Their public, interactive properties are precisely what make them so popular, but it can also be a negative factor. Rumours circulate like wildfire and critical comments seem to pop up every day. It also means that some things which should probably stay private are aired out in the public domain for all to see – just like the recent Legally Blonde furore.

Following last weeks announcement that the hit musical is to close on 7^th April 2012 after three years at the Savoy Theatre in London’s West End, there was an eruption between cast members over one of the show’s roles. Tamara Wall, who is currently playing the role of ‘Brooke’ in the show, took to Twitter to express her views about the original ‘Brooke’, Aoife Mulholland, wanting to reclaim her role for the last eight weeks of the run. Wall, who was Mulholland’s understudy, took over the role in 2011 when Mulholland went on maternity leave. She has been playing the part for more than a year now and wanted to see out the remainder of the show’s run, which is understandable. What is not so understandable is why she posted a string of tweets about it. The online drama began when Wall broke the news on Twitter, writing, “It looks like I won’t be there for the last show. The original Brooke wants to come back from maternity! to do the last 8 weeks. Devastated does not come close to how I feel right now. I can’t believe that someone would do that to another person.” In another tweet, she added, “Played the part longer than her can’t believe she’s doing it, reiterate the producer tried their hardest to stop this.” In a tweet to a fan, which was swiftly deleted, she also referred to Mulholland as “nasty” for wanting to come back. Naturally, the news spread around Twitter and fans were quick to jump in with their own opinions – there was even a ‘twitition’ calling for Wall to be allowed to continue the role till the end. An article in The Mail didn’t help matters either, featuring a quote from Mulholland on the events:

“These outbursts and personal attacks on me are uncalled for, particularly as I have done nothing wrong. It was always my intention to return to work, so I am flabbergasted about what has happened. But I do not want to get drawn into a slanging match. I am upset that this has escalated across cyberspace, and I feel my silence in this matter is more dignified.”

I’m not here to say who is right or wrong in this – I can see why Wall would be upset, but as maternity cover, she was always going to have to give the role back to Mulholland at some point. The closure of Legally Blonde just aggravated the situation. It just seems to me that this was a private matter to be discussed and worked out behind closed doors, not through social networking sites and newspapers articles. People who don’t know the full details are involving themselves in something which is really none of their business and the whole debacle is being twisted into more than what it is. It’s not a debate on the rights of working mothers at all – it’s a contractual issue that has been blown out of proportion because of the unfortunate timing. It appears Wall realised the error of airing her views on Twitter, later thanking fans for their support but stressing to them that it wasn’t Mulholland’s fault.

The Sun newspaper provided another perfect example of the bad side of publicity yesterday, with its ‘romp’ story on Denise Welch. Gay theatre producer Tom Hopkins, who was one of the producers attached to last year’s cancelled production of Moby Dick at the Landor Theatre, claimed in the article that married Welch ‘turned him straight’ after a fumble in the back of a taxi cab. I don’t know what I found funnier, the ridiculousness of his story or the forlorn ‘victim’ photo he’d posed for. Welch may have been the one who was intended to come off looking bad in the story, but Hopkins is the one who has become a laughing stock. If this story was supposed to be publicity to raise his profile, it’s backfired spectacularly as nobody in theatre circles is going to take him seriously now.

Publicity is all part and parcel of the inner workings of having a successful show/career. It can do wonders for the theatre world – if used the right way. As with everything in life, positivity is always a better route than negativity: something to remember perhaps?

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Master Class is an insight into the life and loves of Maria Callas, the iconic opera singer whose turbulent private life and fiery temperament were as astonishing as her formidable talents. Inspired by her master classes of the early 70s, this is a riveting, hilarious and intensely moving portrayal of the sacrifice and heartache behind the artist, the diva and the legend.

Gerard took time out from the play to answer a few questions.

What were your first experiences in performing arts?
Mum and Dad used to perform in church parish variety shows, doing comedy sketches.  I fell in love with the theatre then.  I used to sit on the front row every night, and the MC used to invite me on stage to tell a joke, or sing a song.  I was a big hit with “We’re Walking In The Air,” from The Snowman.

You trained at Mountview. What are some of your favourite memories from there?
Meeting friends, some of which grew to be my very best friends.

What can you recall of your professional stage debut?
Laughter.

You created the role of Robertson Ay in Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Mary Poppins at Bristol Hippodrome and at the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End. How does creating a role compare to taking over a role?
I like to do both.  No performance is exactly like the one preceeding.  So, whether I am reinterpreting a role, or ‘creating’ it, there are the same challenges and the same rewards.

You performed as Historian and Prince Herbert in Spamalot at the Palace Theatre. What was it like performing in this fun Monty Python ‘spin-off?
Awesome.

You have performed in Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of The Shrew and Two Gentlemen of Verona, what do you like most about performing Shakespeare plays?
Shakespeare’s language.  It’s beautiful, poetic, and can be hugely funny.

What have you most enjoyed about performing at The Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park?
It’s a unique theatre, and a unique experience.  As an actor you get to develop certain skills that are not required for a theatre with a roof.  For example, once in Midsummer Night’s Dream, a fox came onstage and upstaged all of us.

You have performed in the television series Torchwood and also Soup. What do you enjoy most about acting on television?
Retakes!

You have recently appeared as Jack in the musical Ex at the Soho Theatre. What was it like performing in the show in a smaller venue where the audience are ‘up close’?
Scary, but exciting.  I like to see the whites of their eyes.

You are appearing as Stagehand in Terrence McNally’s play Master Class at the Vaudeville Theatre. What can you tell us about your role?
All of my scenes are with the brilliant Tyne Daly.  She’s a knockout.

Why should everyone go and see Master Class?
It’s essentially a play about art.  Terrence McNally uses the touchstone of Maria Callas to explore the importance of beauty and art in our lives.  It blends music, exceptional drama, and unexpectedly, lots of humor.  It’s a superb piece of theatre.

What do you like to do to chill out away from the stage?
Spend time with my beautiful girlfriend, Emma.

*****

Gerard Carey is playing the role of Stagehand. His previous theatre credits include The Invisible Man for the Menier Chocolate Factory, Spamalot at the Palace Theatre and The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park.  His television credits include Torchwood and Love Soup.

Interview questions by Neil @LondonTheatre1 and also on Facebook

Master Class Tickets

APP USERS: Master Class Tickets

I wasn’t there though.

This was something I was sorely disappointed about. I’ve been a supporter of Chris Passey for a long time, dating back to way before the album was released. I’ve interviewed him for another of the sites I write for, I was there for his album launch at Dress Circle – I even gave him a quote to use for its promotion. I’ve also thrown myself behind Anderson & Petty – we featured one of his songs in the December MADTrust concert, A West End Christmas and have plans to work with them further. Most importantly though, having supported them both and met them through that support, I now consider them both to be good friends, so to not be there on the night to cheer them all was a big regret.

Sometimes you have to pick and choose though. There is always so much to see and often not enough time to see it all. Regular theatre-goers will know just how hard it is to squeeze in everything you want, especially in this current climate where productions are staying open for less and less time. It feels like a new show opens every other week and though you may instantly declare that you are “definitely going to see that”, the reality is that something will probably get in the way. The two main enemies to the theatre fan are time and money. As much as you may have a passion for theatre and want to spend all your time immersed in it, life has other plans; there’s that pesky annoyance of having to go to work for one thing. For some, perhaps it is parenthood that gets in the way – I’m sure I’m not the only one who has ever had to turn down the chance of a night at the theatre because of a childcare issue. There are a million and one things that can crop up in the course of everyday life and before you know it, that window of opportunity has closed, along with the show you were so determined to see. Sometimes though, it’s that little empty wallet that makes the decision for you. If you’re going for the optimum theatre experience then you’re going to want premium seats in the stalls and you probably don’t want to go alone right? Straight away, we’re talking £130.00 – £150. Then when you factor in travel costs, perhaps grabbing a bite to eat beforehand, buying a programme, a drink… and at this point, your poor wallet is practically screaming at what one evening’s entertainment has cost you. That’s just one evening. If you are intending to see all those new and exciting-looking shows that are opening, then your wallet is probably going to end up slightly depressed.  It’s not even about seeing a variety of shows; some theatre-goers develop an attachment to a particular show and visit it on a weekly basis. There are, of course, plenty of very good ticket offers out there for most of those shows – thankfully. Being able to see a top West End show for as little as £12.50 is certainly a blessing. It’s always worth remembering as well that any hobby in life can be equally as hard on that wallet. If you’ve ever bought a season ticket for your favourite football team, you’ll undoubtedly know this. So really, the cost of theatre is relative to how often you go and how fussy you are about seating – handled smartly you’ll probably be fine. Just don’t overdo it.

The world of theatre is so much bigger than just the plays and musicals currently playing in the West End though. There are showcases, cabarets, concerts, fundraisers, one-night galas – and of course, all those off-West End productions. Already, I have a sizeable list of theatre-related events to see: some for work purposes and others simply to support and enjoy.

I love theatre. I love to write about, I love to talk about it and most of all, I love to see it. It would be easy to let theatre consume my life, but then other aspects would suffer. Yes, I am a theatre lover, but I’m also a sister, a daughter, a friend and most importantly, a mother. As much as I enjoy the world of theatre, my world has so much more in it. Being a mother comes first for me, every time, and if that means I have to sometimes turn down a theatre ticket, miss out on a theatre event or even let down a friend, then that’s what I’ll do. Being a theatre-goer can be a task of real dedication and there’s no doubt that it offers many rewards in return, but ultimately it has to be about balance. The reality of being a theatre-goer is that you just can’t see/support everything/everyone you want to: there’s too much out there. All you can do is try your best and be grateful for the things you do get to see.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

This isn’t a review of the concert, but just a big thank you to all of the cast creatives and crew who gave up their time to put the show on and help with the fundraising for such an event.

It is fair to say that all of the cast are West End stars, especially tonight where they shone very brightly indeed.

The magnificent Anton Stephans performed as Father, Louise Dearman as Eve and Oliver Thornton as Adam. I shall not mention any more of the exceptional cast as I would have to go through them all. Suffice it to say that they put on a stunning performance for an appreciative audience that probably had as many actors and celebrities in it as there were on stage.

Thank you West End cast for putting on this show and for those of you that missed it, maybe check out

http://childrenofeden.basekit.com/

Or visit http://www.justgiving.com/crohnsandcolitisuk/donate

Matilda The Musical

I went to see Matilda The Musical during its preview period and, fantastic as Carvel and the children were, there were plenty of other great performances too. The rest of the principal cast were brilliant, that goes without saying, but In Profile is not about them; In Profile is about shining that spotlight onto members of a show’s ensemble, who are sometimes overlooked by theatre-goers and not always given the recognition they deserve. This week, I’m pointing the spotlight on Tim Walton.

Tim Walton joined the cast of Matilda The Musical when it came to the West End’s Cambridge Theatre. He performs as part of the adult ensemble and has stage time as a teacher and the doctor who delivers baby Matilda too. His ‘Doctor’ role is in the opening section of the musical and certainly had me noticing him: Walton has great comic timing and expressions, but more than that, he has an extraordinary set of lungs on him and out of all the ensemble it was him who I would have liked to have seen featured more prominently in the show.

Growing up in South Africa, Walton studied musical theatre at the dance department of Pretoria Technikon. He performed in Evita, The King And I and West Side Story at the State Theatre, Pretoria and has also been involved in Hollywood Pinafore, Frogs and Fifty Million Frenchmen (Lost Musicals) and The Mikado, HMS Pinafore and The Parson’s Pirates for the chamber opera company Opera della Luna, which produces a wide variety of works in English. Matilda The Musical is hardly his first foray into the world of the West End musical though. Walton has played in The Woman In White, Starlight Express and Trevor Nunn’s 2001 revival of South Pacific for the National Theatre. He has also been in the original London cast for six West End productions: he was an ensemble member in Mamma Mia (1999); he was an ensemble member in The Witches of Eastwick (2000); he was an ensemble member for the musical adaption of Romeo And Juliet (2002); he played Travolta in Tonight’s The Night (2003) and he was an ensemble member in Wicked (2006); he was a swing in Love Never Dies and second cover for the role of Raoul Vicomte de Chagny. I unfortunately never saw him on stage as Raoul, but have read plenty of extremely positive comments about his performance from audience members who did. He’s also appeared in the television programme Kidnapped Abroad and directed the South African production of Ragtime. A friend of mine knew Walton from their days in South Africa and again, has told me many positive things about him. Talented and nice? Well…

Tim Walton has a good list of theatre credits to his name but, as of yet, no principal roles – something which I deem a travesty. Competition is fierce I know; there are hordes of talented performers lining up for principal parts, but Walton really needs to be seen in a prominent on-stage role soon. All good things may come to those who wait, but it’s been a long wait now. Still, I have no doubt that Tim Walton is a star and sooner or later, he’ll get his chance to shine.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Matilda The Musical Tickets

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The film adaption of War Horse is currently reducing cinema audiences to blubbering wrecks. One of the most widely successful plays to come out of the National Theatre, it is now receiving great critical acclaim on the big screen  and being hailed as another big hit for director Steven Spielberg. Soon to challenge War Horse for the claim to ‘Most Popular Stage To Screen Adaption’ though is The Woman In Black, which opens at UK cinemas in just two weeks time.

The Woman In Black is a terrifying piece of live theatre about a young lawyer whose work brings him to an isolated house in the small, desolated town of Crythin Gifford, where he finds himself confronted by a vengeful ghost known as the Woman in Black (for those who haven’t seen the play, I don’t want to spoil the experience for you with in-depth details). The Victorian fright-fest began life in literary-form with the publishing of Susan Hill’s original book in 1983. The first stage version appeared in Scarborough in 1987, playing at the Stephen Joseph Theatre-In-The-Round. It proved so popular that a West End transfer was inevitable and, two years later, it made its debut at the Fortune Theatre where it still plays today. Now in its twenty-fourth year, it is only second to Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap as the longest-running play in the West End.

The film adaption of The Woman In Black is led by stage and screen star Daniel Radcliffe in the role of lawyer Arthur Kipps. Radcliffe is famous in the film world for playing the title role of the boy wizard in the popular Harry Potter franchise, and famous in the theatre world for his respective West End and Broadway roles in Equus and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Funnily enough, I’m watching Radcliffe talk about the film on The Jonathan Ross Show as I write this – he tells Ross that it was the great story of The Woman In Black which attracted him to the role and describes it as, “A beautiful film, a scary film, and a British film to be proud of.”

As with any adaption, differences between the stage and screen version are par for the course. For the big screen, expect to see more scares and a much higher body count – this is Hammer horror after all. Radcliffe has shown himself to be nothing if not versatile in his acting career, although opinion concerning the versatility of his abilities is… divided. That’s a matter of personal taste however. He’s backed up by a stellar cast though which includes Liz White as the spooky spectre, as well as Radcliffe’s former Harry Potter co-star Ciaran Hinds. Directed by James Watkins (My Little Eye, Eden Lake) and with a script from Jane Goldman (Stardust, Kick-Ass), the combination of cast and creative looks to be a winning formula; pre-release reviews have been (mostly) favourable so far (the ‘mostly’ refers to The Daily Mail’s write-up, but arguably there’s not many people who actually take what they print to be true…).

As the newly-birthed 2012 is still finding its feet, War Horse and The Woman In Black are doing wonders for the theatrical genre of the stage play. The West End is all-encompassing and, despite what some may think, is more than just a home to musical theatre. Too often overlooked in favour of the musical, it’s nice to see the spotlight widening to include the stage play in its bright circle as well. Although yet to find a slot in my schedule to see War Horse in all its big screen glory, it is most definitely on my To-Do list and The Woman In Black will be right there alongside it when it’s released on 10^th February. Everyone enjoys being scared every now and then, and if the film of The Woman In Black is every bit as good as the play, then audiences are going to jump out of their skin with fright.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

When Colin loses his fiancée, his married friends invite him round for comfort over tea and sandwiches. As the tea starts to pour, it’s clear that trouble is brewing with a wickedly funny blend of jealousy, infidelity and barely concealed loathing. Tension starts to boil and maybe Colin isn’t the one who needs help… with friends like these, who needs enemies?

Absent Friends premiered in 1974 at the Stephen Joseph Theatre and received its London premier a year later at the Garrick Theatre. Sonia Friedman Productions has previously produced Ayckbourn’s The Norman Conquests which, following its sell-out run at the Old Vic, transferred triumphantly to Broadway in 2009.

Katherine Parkinson (Diana) is best known on television for playing Jen in the Channel 4 series The IT Crowd, a role for which she won the British Comedy Best Actress Award. She is soon to be seen on BBC 1 playing Conceptiva in The Bleak Old Shop of Stuff alongside Robert Webb. Her theatre credits include Pattie in Ayckbourn’s Season’s Greetings at the National Theatre, Lady Teazle in The School for Scandal at the Barbican as well as roles in Cock and The Seagull for the Royal Court and Other Hand and Flush for Soho Theatre. Her other television credits include Doc Martin, The Old Guys and The Great Outdoors. Her film credits include St Trinian’s II: The Legend of Fritton’s Gold, The Boat that Rocked, Easy Virtue and How to Lose Friends and Alienate People.

Reece Shearsmith (Colin), a quarter of the hugely successful award-wining comedy team The League of Gentlemen and co-creator and writer of the BBC’s Psychoville, has recently completed a run as Gilbert Chivers in Betty Blue Eyes. Previously he has been seen on stage in Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre, Comedians at the Lyric Hammersmith. Shearsmith also played Leo Bloom in The Producers at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane as well as Jacques in As You Like It at the Wyndhams’ Theatre and Yvan in Art at the Whitehall Theatre. His other television credits include the critically acclaimed Catterick (Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer’s BBC road trip comedy series), Channel 4’s Spaced and Horrible Histories. His film work includes Burke and Hare, The Cottage, Birthday Girl, Shaun of the Dead and The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse. in which he stared and co-wrote.

Elizabeth Berrington (Marge) was last on stage playing Bev in Mike Leigh’s Abigail’s Party at Hampstead Theatre and in the West End. She will next be seen on television playing Paula in the BBC 1 Christmas Eve comedy, Lapland. On television her more recent credits include food technology teacher Ruby Fry in Waterloo Road, Dr Who, Crimson Petal and the White, Psychoville and A Touch of Frost and well as playing Marie-Antoinette in the French and Saunders series Let Them Eat Cake. On film her credits include In Bruges, Nanny McPhee, A Cock and Bull Story, Onegin and Mike Leigh’s Naked and Secrets and Lies.

Kara Tointon (Evelyn) has most recently played Eliza Doolittle to great critical acclaim in Pygmalion at the Garrick Theatre alongside Rupert Everett and Diana Rigg. Tointon is best known on television for playing Dawn Swann in EastEnders, a role she played for four years. Other television roles include Bedlam, The Bill and Dream Team. Her film credits include The Last Passenger, The Sweeney and Just My Luck. Tointon was the winner of the 2010 Strictly Come Dancing series.

Steffan Rhodri (Paul) can currently be seen in The Kitchen Sink at the Bush Theatre. On television he is best known for playing Dave Coaches in Gavin and Stacey. His previous theatre credits include Clybourne Park for the Royal Court and Abigail’s Party for Hampstead and The New Ambassadors Theatres. Other TV includes roles in Crawford Park, Belonging, Wire In The Blood and Tales From a Pleasure Beach. His film credits include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Ironclad, Submarine and Ali G Indahouse.

David Armand (John) is best known for his roles in the TV sketch shows Sorry I’ve Got No Head and Fast and Loose, as well as The Peter Serafinowicz Show, Peep Show, Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show and The Armstrong and Miller Show. His stage credits include The Secret Policeman’s Ball at the Royal Albert Hall, Local for the Royal Court Upstairs and The Hollow Man: A Tribute and Live at the Lounge at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. His other television credits include How Not To Live Your Life and Pulling. His film credits include Elizabeth: The Golden Age and St. Trinian’s.

Jeremy Herrin is Associate Director of the Royal Court where he directed the UK premiere of David Hare’s The Vertical Hour as well as Richard Bean’s The Heretic and Polly Stenham’s award-winning That Face which subsequently transferred to the West End. His other recent theatre credits include Much Ado About Nothing starring Charles Edwards and Eve Best at Shakespeare’s Globe earlier this year and South Downs for the Chichester Festival Theatre. Herrin will direct Joe Penhall’s Haunted Child for the Royal Court opening in December this year and in 2012 he will direct Matthew Dunster’s Children’s Children at the Almeida Theatre.

Olivier and Tony award-winning playwright Alan Ayckbourn has written more than 75 plays, over half of which have been produced in West End as well as on Broadway. Ayckbourn was Artistic Director at the Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough from 1972-2009 and was an Associate Director at the National Theatre from 1986-88. He was awarded a CBE in 1987 and in 1997 was knighted for services to the theatre.

Absent Friends Rehearsal Photographs

Photographs by Marc Brenner

Elizabeth Berrington (Marge)

Kara Tointon Evelyn)

Katherine Parkinson (Diana)

Reece Shearsmith (Colin)

Steffan Rhodri (Colin)

David Arman (John)

]]> http://www.lastminutetheatretickets.com/blog/index.php/15173/absent-friends-cast-at-harold-pinter-theatre/feed/ 0 http://www.lastminutetheatretickets.com/blog/index.php/15158/geronimo-rauch-to-play-valjean-in-west-end-production-of-les-miserables/ http://www.lastminutetheatretickets.com/blog/index.php/15158/geronimo-rauch-to-play-valjean-in-west-end-production-of-les-miserables/#comments Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:40:17 +0000 missjulie http://www.lastminutetheatretickets.com/blog/?p=15158 more »]]> There have been some grumblings from a number of theatre-goers recently in relation to ‘safe’ casting, in which certain productions are repeatedly returning to the same actors. I understand their point. As brilliant as these established performers may be, the joy of theatre is that you are able to experience a new interpretation of a familiar role with every new actor who takes it on. Seeing the same people revisit a role again and again can sometimes make a show feel stale.

It looks like theatre-goers are starting to get what they want though.

At the 25^th anniversary production of The Phantom of the Opera, Swedish actor Peter Joback was introduced to audiences in the finale, singing alongside definitive Phantom’s Colm Wilkinson, John Owen-Jones, Antony Warlow and, of course, Ramin Karimloo. It was announced shortly after that Joback is set to take over the lead role of The Phantom in the West End production at Her Majesty’s Theatre in March 2012. Phantom fans have met the news with mixed feelings. While I think it’s a great move to cast a relatively new (to the West End anyway) actor in the wake of its twenty-fifth celebrations, I’m not sure yet as to whether his voice is suited to the role. I was left underwhelmed at the 25^th anniversary production, but that was only a brief snippet of course – not liking to critique someone before I’ve seen them for myself, I’ll reserve judgement until March. I do hope he does well here though. Breaking audiences out of this comfort blanket of familiarity they seem to have wrapped themselves in is something that must be addressed if the West End is to move forward, instead of stagnating.

If it turns out that Joback isn’t the man to help do this, I’m very confident that Geronimo Rauch is. It can be announced today that Rauch, who is currently playing the role of Jean Valjean in the Barcelona production of Les Miserables, will take over the same role at the Queen’s Theatre in London’s West End from 18^th June 2012.

Originating from Argentina, Rauch is no stranger to the Schonberg and Boublil musical: it was where he began his musical theatre career in 2000, covering the roles of Feuilly, Marius and Enjolras in The Opera Theatre, Buenos Aires. Following that, he managed to secure a role in another BA production, this time playing Doody in Grease. His singing talents were appreciated in wider circles than just musical theatre however. In earlier years, Rauch was a member of the group Voxpop, which performed Queen songs a capella and in 2002, he entered the TV talent show Popstars which was looking to find five singers to create a new band. Rauch was one of the five singers selected, becoming a member of the band Mambru. They were pretty successful for a few years (the first album went triple-platinum) but went their separate ways in 2005. After a string of solo projects, Rauch returned to the stage in 2007 for an amateur production of Jesus Christ Superstar in Argentina, playing the title role. From there, he went on to join the cast of Rent in Buenos Aires and it was during his run there that he was called up to play the role of Jesus again, this time in a professional production of JCS at the Teatro Lope de Vega in Madrid. The musical toured around Spain in 2009 and it was in that year that Rauch was nominated for the Best Actor award in The Musical Theatre Awards (previously named Premios Gran Via). After his acclaimed stint in JCS, Rauch moved on to Chicago at Madrid’s Coliseum Theatre, where he played the gender-reversed role of Mary Sunshine. His performance earned him another MTA nomination; for Best Supporting Actor this time.

Rauch came full circle in 2010 when he found himself back at Les Miserables, this time on the more prominent stage of the Theatre Lope de Vega where he’d already been so well-received in JCS. Instead of being an understudy, as he had been back in 2000, Rauch was now leading the musical as ex-convict Jean Valjean. Receiving rave reviews, Rauch has become something of a sensation in Madrid. He was invited to the 25^th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables at the O2 in London as part of their celebrations and last year, resumed his role as Valjean in the premiere of Barcelona’s production of Les Miserables. He is also one fourth of Poker de Voces, a power-house group of voices comprised of Rauch, Daniel Diges, David Ordinas and Ignasi Vidal. They performed a recent concert in Madrid, singing everything from opera to rock n’ roll and musical theatre.

So now, after pretty much conquering the theatre world over there, Rauch is heading across the sea to continue his success in London’s West End – I couldn’t be more pleased. I’ve followed Rauch for a while now and remain in awe at the range and purity of his voice. He is a phenomenal talent and I have no doubt that he is going to be a breath of fresh air for the West End. This is something he has been working toward for some time and I know how thrilled he is to have this opportunity – London’s theatre-goers should be too.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Returning this spring, the Company presents its take on one of Tennessee Williams’ most famous plays, A Streetcar Named Desire. Set in the stifling heat of New Orleans, fading Southern belle Blanche DuBois moves in with her sister Stella and her brutish husband Stanley in an attempt to flee her troubled past. But unconvinced by her pretensions and delusions of grandeur, Stanley sets out to destroy her.

Set to a specially commissioned jazz-inspired score by award-winning composer Peter Salem, performed by a live orchestra, Scottish Ballet have created an arresting fusion of drama and dance in collaboration with American theatre and film director Nancy Meckler and international choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.

Booking From: Thursday, 26th April 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 28th April 2012
Evenings: Thursday to Saturday 7.30pm
Running Time: 2 hours

A Streetcar Named Desire Tickets

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Sadlers Wells
Rosebery Ave
Islington, London
EC1R 4TN

She’s spent three decades working for everyone else through the miners’ strikes, local milk schemes and library closures and tomorrow she’s to have a community centre named after her – but her granddaughter thinks her boob job is more important…

On top of that, a BAFTA, impending divorce, redundancy and a very upmarket caravanette force Lorna to reconsider both the past and the future – for everyone.

What’s a woman to do? Accept everything that’s thrown at her, or become a fully paid-up member of the ‘awkward squad’?

BAFTA-winning Emmerdale writer Karin Young’s play The Awkward Squad is a state-of-the-nation comedy, taking a sideways look at the challenges faced by modern women of all ages.

Starring Charlie Hardwick (Val Pollard in Emmerdale), Barbara Marten (Casualty, Coronation Street, Brookside), Libby Davison (The Bill, Hollyoaks) and Lisa McGrillis.

Booking From: Tuesday, 6th March 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 7th April 2012
Matinees: Thursday and Saturday 3pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm
Running Time: 2 hours

The Awkward Squad Tickets

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Arts Theatre
6-7 Great Newport Street
WC2H 7JB

Written by Girls Night author Louise Roche, the show has been thrilling its audiences up and down the country since June.

Big Pants and Botox is a tremendous blend of powerful writing and acting, as it leads the audience onto the emotional rollercoaster that is Barbra’s 50th birthday celebration. As so often with Roche’s writing the blend of humour and poignancy is to the forefront, as Barbra lets us into her big secret.

So if you have to empty your bladder before joining the kids on the trampoline, if you know a prolapse has nothing to do with structural engineering, and that the word ‘piles’ does not have to be followed by the word ‘of’, then you’ll be amused, delighted and even comforted by Louise Roche’s new play.

Booking From: Thursday, 9th February 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 11 February 2012
Evenings: Thursday to Saturday 8pm
Running Time: 2 hours

Big Pants and Botox Tickets

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Arts Theatre
6-7 Great Newport Street
WC2H 7JB

The Leisure Society is a one-act morality play with absolutely no moral compass.

Recommended for ages 16 and over
Booking From: Tuesday, 28th February 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 24th March 2012
Matinees: Thursday and Saturday 3pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.45pm

The Leisure Society Tickets

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Trafalgar Studio Two
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2DY

In 1970s suburbia, Beverly and her husband Laurence are hosting a drinks party for their neighbours. There is plenty of alcohol, an array of cheese-pineapple savoury bites and olives, and Demis Roussos on the record player. But as prejudices are unmasked and tempers flare, the evening seems headed for disaster…

Mike Leigh’s classic comedy is directed by Lindsay Posner, who recently directed Noises Off at the Old Vic. Other credits include: Butley (Duchess), A View from the Bridge (Duke of York’s – Olivier nomination) and Fiddler on the Roof (Savoy – Olivier nomination). The role of the infamous Beverly will be played by Jill Halfpenny, who won an Olivier Award in 2011 for her role as Paulette in Legally Blonde (Savoy). Jill is also well known for her TV roles on EastEnders, Waterloo Road and Blue Murder.

Booking From: Friday, 2nd March 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 21st April 2012
Matinees: Saturday and Sunday 3.30pm
Evenings: Tuesday to Saturday 8pm
Running Time: TBC

Abigail’s Part Tickets

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Menier Chocolate Factory
51-53 Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RU

An evening of music, comedy, poetry and more in aid of Mane Chance Sanctuary and Shooting Star CHASE, hospice care for children and teenagers, at the iconic Savoy Theatre in London’s West End.

These fabulous stars of screen and stage will perform poetry, prose, songs and anecdotes on Sunday 26th February 2012, in what promises to be an evening to remember.

This performance is for one night only.
Booking From: Wednesday, 25th January 2012
Booking Until: Sunday, 26th February 2012
Evenings: Sunday 7.30pm
Running Time: TBC

Rockin’ Horses Tickets

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Savoy Theatre
Savoy Court, The Strand
London
WC2R 0ET

After wowing Sadler’s Wells audiences with their performances here in 2010 to celebrate NDT’s 50th anniversary, they are back to present an exciting mixed bill including Jiri Kylian’s award-winning Gods and Dogs, and NDT2 Associate Artist Alexander Ekman’s Cacti.

Gods and Dogs is Jiri Kylian’s 100th choreography for Nederlands Dans Theater. First performed in 2008 it has been described as ‘a work of rare beauty’ (Dance Europe) that explores the border between sanity and insanity.

At just 26 years old, Alexander Ekman is a big name on the European dance scene – his works are known for their clever ideas, fast-paced choreography and dry wit. A former dancer with NDT2 and Cullberg Ballet, he is now a highly-regarded choreographer.

The final work in the triple bill will be Paul Lightfoot’s Passe-Partout.

Booking From: Tuesday, 6th March 2012
Booking Until: Friday, 9th March 2012
Evenings: Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm
Running Time: 2 hours

Nederlands Dans Tickets

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Sadlers Wells
Rosebery Ave
Islington, London
EC1R 4TN

In 2010, Mambo 3XXI was nominated for both an Olivier Award and a TMA Award, while critics compared Cespedes to a young Twyla Tharp and declared the piece to be ‘an exhilarating, large-scale triumph’ (The Times).

Booking From: Tuesday, 29th May 2012
Booking Until: Friday, 1st June 2012
Evenings: Tuesday to Friday 7.30pm

Running Time: 2 hours

Danza Contemporanea Tickets

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Sadlers Wells
Rosebery Ave
Islington, London
EC1R 4TN

The revival is fortunate to have an exceptional cast of internationally acclaimed singers in these roles – Ildebrando D’arcangelo plays the quick-witted manservant and Simon Keenlyside his master – under the baton of Antonio Pappano, Music director of The Royal Opera for all but the final performance. While the attempts of Figaro to protect his betrothed Susanna from the designs of Count Almaviva provide the starting point, the action soon draws in the entire chateau household to reveal poignant undercurrents.

The setting of David McVicar’s production in 1830 – with sumptuous and realistic designs – provides the perfect backdrop for the unresolved tensions between the classes of Revolutionary Europe. Whether enjoyed for its wit and sparkle, its emotional depth or sheer musical pleasure, Le nozze di Figaro is one of the masterpieces of classical opera and makes a fitting conclusion for this Olympic Programme celebration of one of the greatest operatic partnerships.

Booking From: Saturday, 11th February 2012
Booking Until: Friday, 2nd March 2012
Matinees: Various dates and times
Evenings: Various dates and times

Le nozze di Figaro Tickets

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Royal Opera House
41 Covent Garden Piazza
London
WC2E 8RF

Umoja, meaning ‘togetherness’ in Zulu, unites 30 singers, dancers, drummers, marimba players and musicians, who represent the best of South Africa’s young performers, many of whom come from severely disadvantaged township backgrounds. The show enjoyed two astonishingly popular runs in the West End after its premiere in 2000 and has gone on to be seen by over four million people worldwide since then.

Originally created by Todd Twala and Thembi Nyandeni as a way of reminding a new generation of South Africans of their heritage, Umoja has gone on to win critical plaudits and collect multiple awards over the last decade.

Booking From: Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Booking Until: Sunday, 19 February 2012
Matinees: Saturday and Sunday 2.30pm
Evenings: Tuesday to Sunday 7.30pm
Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

Umoja Tickets

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Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street, Off Kingsway
London
WC2A 2HT

Fans and supporters of the cast will want to see their favourite actors performing right up to the final night.

The leading cast have made the roles their own and deserve the very best wishes for their final run-in.
Carley Stenson (Elle Eoods) Stephen Ashfield (Emmett Forrest), Natalie Casey (Paulette), Peter Davison (Professor Callahan), Ben Freeman (Warner), Tamara Wall (Brooke Wyndham/Shandi), Tricia Adele-Turner (Vivienne Kensington), Chris Ellis-Stanton (Grandmaster Chad/Dewey/Kyle), Lincoln Stone (DAD/ WINTHROP/ REPORTER), Gemma Sutton (Enid) – and the rest of the cast!

The production, now in its third year in the West End, opened in December 2009 at the Savoy Theatre and went on to win seven major theatre awards including the Whatsonstage.com and Olivier Awards for Best Musical and Jerry Mitchell winning the WhatsonStage.com Best Choreographer award.

The UK tour of Legally Blonde is to continue and according to press reports an Australian production of Legally Blonde is likely to open in Sydney later this year.

The film-to-stage show transferred from Broadway and premiered in London with Sheridan Smith playing the role of college sweetheart Elle Woods. She went on to win the Whatsonstage.com and Olivier Awards for Best Actress in a Musical.

Jill Halfpenny won the Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her part in Legally Blonde.

Carley Stenson, who took over the role of Elle Woods in July 2011, will continue until the show’s final performance. Stephen Ashfield will continue as Emmett, Ben Freeman as Warner and Peter Davison as Professor Callahan, a role he has played since the show opened at the Savoy Theatre.

The musical comedy, which premiered on Broadway in April 2007, is based on the 2001 Hollywood film in which Reese Witherspoon played California sorority girl Elle Woods who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School in an attempt to win him back.

Having seen Legally Blonde eight times I have to say that it is one of the best shows that I have seen in the West End, or anywhere come to that!

It has everything including fun, great choreography together with fabulous catchy tunes. When you go to see Legally Blonde you cannot help but watch the show with a smile on your face. You leave the theatre knowing that you have had a fun night out.

A sad loss for the West End and we wish the cast and creatives the very best for the remainder of the run and the future.

We have had the pleasure of interviewing several cast members of Legally Blonde The Musical and you can read about them here:

INTERVIEWS:
Carley Stenson, Alex Gaumond, Stephen Ashfield, Siobhan Dillon, Tricia Adele-Turner

Legally Blonde Tickets

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“There is something in our show for everyone, young and old.  Besides, if you don’t come, then it will be straight to the chokey!”

Emily made her professional stage debut as Little Cosette in Les Miserables. She has toured with Beauty and The Beast, Mary Poppins and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She has also starred as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz at Richmond Theatre and played the leading role in Snow White in Northampton.

Emily performed in Matilda with the RSC at Stratford upon Avon before coming to the West End with the production.

Earlier this week Emily answered some questions about herself and Matilda The Musical.

When did you or someone else discover that you had a talent for singing?
My Nana, she had a lovely voice and used to sing at her church. Whenever I used to stay with her we would always sing together. My family have always been very supportive.

What are some of your memorable moments from drama classes and productions while at school?
My school wasn’t very theatrical so I used to go to the local Am Dram company. The first production I was involved in was Singing in the Rain and I loved it. We had a performer who trained at Laine Theatre Arts choreograph the show, and I think it was during this time that I decided I really wanted to go there and train in musical theatre.

Can you describe some of your favourite memories from Laine Theatre Arts?
I was quite young when I went to Laines, 16 years old…. and I had never really been away from home. It was quite daunting. But I look back at my college time with really fond memories. We did some great productions such as Into the Woods, Evita and Sunset Boulevard. The training was very intense and hard work, but it is important to try and get everything you can out of college and then use it to your advantage when you leave.

When did you make your professional stage debut?
When I was 9 I played Little Cosette in Les Miserables, but I think my parents probably remember it more than me! I had no idea what I was doing. It was all a big game. I often wonder if the children in Matilda will feel like that when they are older.

You toured with Beauty and The Beast, Mary Poppins and Thoroughly Modern Millie. Can you describe your time on tour with these shows?
Thoroughly Modern Millie was one of my favourite jobs. I will always hold a candle for it. I loved the show and the choreography but more importantly I met some of my now closest friends on that job. Touring is like a little bubble, you get put in a cast with people, travelling all over the UK; they sort of become your family. Also it’s a great way to explore the country.

You performed in Hello Dolly in Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, what was it like performing in an open air theatre?
Really different, I loved it actually. We were really lucky on Hello Dolly because we had fantastic weather that summer, it only rained (heavily) twice. It is quite exciting dancing on stage and then all of a sudden it starts spitting and you can hear the popping sounds of the audience putting up their umbrellas! I would definitely like to work there again.

You also appeared in The Wizard of Oz at Richmond Theatre. What character did you play in this classic story?
I played Dorothy. That was a great role. I always loved the film growing up. The dog that played Toto was hilarious and very naughty, always chasing the lion’s tail! But he was adorable and definitely stole the show!

You performed in Matilda with the RSC at Stratford-upon-Avon before coming to London with the production. What was it like being at the start of something so special?
It was a fantastic experience on so many levels. Stratford-upon-Avon is such a beautiful place to work, especially at Christmas. It was really exciting, after all of our hard work rehearsing to get such a positive reaction. You can imagine we were all so happy when we heard that it got a West End transfer.

You perform as the Acrobat in Matilda. What can you tell everyone about your character and how does she fit into the storyline?
Matilda tells Mrs Phelps, the librarian, a story throughout the show about an Acrobat and an Escapologist who are deeply in love and have everything they could ever want but they do not have a child. Dennis Kelly, who wrote the script for our play has really captured Dahl in this story line, so it’s a lot of fun to play.

What is your favourite song and scene from the show?
I think it would have to be the song at the beginning of act two called “When I Grow Up” It is a lovely melody but the lyrics are genius. Tim Minchin wrote the music and lyrics for Matilda and in this particular song he really captures the innocence of what children think about growing up… “eat sweets everyday” “go to bed late every night”. I think it’s quite an emotional song and Peter Darling’s choreography is perfect for it.

What is it like backstage at Matilda?
Very busy! Lots of children!

Why do you think Matilda is such a successful show in the West End?
Matilda is such a great story. Roald Dahl was incredible at writing characters and stories with morals. I think Matilda is a feel-good show with a message and lots of different people can relate to it.

Why should everyone come along and see the show?
There is something in our show for everyone, young and old.  Besides, if you don’t come, then it will be straight to the chokey!

You have sung with The Spinettes at various venues. What can you tell us about the trio and their style of music?
We are friends that all perform in musical theatre. Our style is 1940/50s. We cover the old classics with a modern twist and the modern hits with a vintage spin. We like to be creative when we are not working on a show. It keeps us busy and we have lots of fun.

What more can we expect from The Spinettes?
We have had to put things on hold for a while and hand over to our Swing Spinettes. Melanie is in Chicago and Bonnie in Wicked, so it’s all go. But we look forward to performing again when we have a bit more time.

You were a lead singer at The Royal Gala Performance at the Wales Millennium Centre. How would you describe this experience?
It was very nerve-racking performing for the Queen, definitely an experience I won’t forget! It is such an incredible theatre. I was honoured to be a part of the opening.

What do you like to do on your days off?
I live in North London with my partner Tom. We are both foodies so we usually cook or do home things. I try to see my family as much as I can, I am quite a home bird at heart.

What message would you have for your fans and supporters?
I’m not sure I have any fans!! But I have lots of support from my friends and family. I love what I do for a career but my family will always come first.

Many thanks Emily for a lovely interview – best wishes for Matilda The Musical and the future.

Matilda The Musical Official Website

Matilda The Musical Tickets

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Interview questions by Neil who you can follow on Twitter @LondonTheatre1 or on Facebook

Crazy For You is a Gershwin Brothers musical, with a book by Ken Ludwig. It debuted on Broadway in 1992; a true testament to the song-and-dance musicals of the golden Hollywood era. The story centres around banker’s son Bobby Childs, who is sent to the town of Dead Rock, Nevada to foreclose on a theatre there. In brief: boy wants to be a dancer – mother wants him to follow the banking family tradition – boy is sent to small town in Nevada – boy meets feisty girl – boy falls in love with girl – boy pretends to be famous theatre producer to get girl – girl finds out – boy leaves – boy comes back – boy and girl live happily ever after. Well, that’s the gist of it anyway. It’s a real feel-good production with plenty of farce, plenty of singing and a whole lot of dancing. I went to see it shortly after its West End transfer and absolutely loved it. The cast, led by Sean Palmer and Claire Foster, were phenomenal and I’ve rarely had a more entertaining night at the theatre. I left there humming happily and resisting the urge to tap-dance down the Strand. So to hear that its run is being cut short is a real shame indeed.

Crazy For You was probably the most raved-about show in summer 2011, when audiences flocked to Regent’s Park to see it. News of its West End transfer was met with excitement and after it opened at the Novello, the word around town only got better. It was just the kind of show that was needed here. As seems to be the way nowadays though, good things don’t always last. Crazy For You only had a limited time at the Novello anyway: ABBA musical Mamma Mia moves there from its current home at the Prince of Wales Theatre in September. Still, that gave the show six more months – yet now it only has seven weeks. I would imagine that it’s that old nutshell of ticket sales that prompted this move; when a show is being talked about it sells well, but when that initial buzz dies down, even the best of shows can quickly become forgotten. It’s a disappointing reality that audiences today are fickle.

It’s not only the West End that has to deal with this turbulent nature of the industry though. Across the pond, certain Broadway shows are also facing a lack of faith but for one show, it happened before it had even begun. The musical Rebecca has had to postpone its Broadway opening until the next season, due to financial difficulties. Based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier, the stage musical has an original book by Michael Kunze and features music from Sylvester Levay. It was due to open at the Broadhurst Theatre in April and was to star former Love Never Dies co-stars Sierra Boggess and Tam Mutu, but with only two weeks to go until rehearsals, the shows producers ran out of time to raise the final 20% of the capital needed. Lead producer, Ben Sprecher, then made the decision to postpone Rebecca rather than compromise it by pushing ahead with the ‘grand and spectacular musical’ without full funding. Commenting on this shortfall, Sprecher said that, “it’s no secret that in this very negative economic climate, raising money for Broadway has become even more difficult and laborious than it has historically always been.”

Now more than ever, the focus is well and truly on money as to whether or not a show will survive.  Yes, if it isn’t selling then it can’t stay in a theatre, and if it has little hope of turning a profit then it can’t be expected to attract investors but sometimes a little faith and creative risk is needed. With the focus just on how much money a show pulls on, those are two things that are being buried.

On Broadway, a new production will often announce its cast and theatre dates before its financial arrangements are cemented in place. It works as publicity for the show and the buzz created can be used to draw in the investors they seek. Great if it works, but sometimes it backfires, as it has with Rebecca. It’s nothing new though, on either side of the Atlantic. Last year, the revival of musical comedy Moby Dick was cancelled just one week before its first preview at the Landor Theatre due to lack of funds. While audiences may be disappointed by the postponement/cancellation of a production, it’s much worse for the creative team and cast involved. The life of an actor is one of uncertainty as it is, but a show’s collapse creates a big fall-out for them. Some will have undoubtedly turned down other prospective work to do this particular role and others will have been relying on the wage it would bring them. Only a few weeks ago, Tam Mutu was tweeting about having found an apartment in New York in preparation for the run. Sometimes you just have to chalk it up to ‘one of those things’, but nevertheless, it cause undue disruption for those involved.

So with a premature goodbye to Crazy For You and a belated hello to Rebecca, the world of theatre continues to surprise – hey, that’s showbiz!

Crazy for You Tickets

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By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Come join the soiree and be taken away.

Acts include:
Stuart Black (Stand up Comic)
Paul Sweeney (Stand up/Musical Comic)
Nish Kumar (Stand up Comic)
Ben Target (Character Comic)
Misty Moores (Burlesque/Character Act)
Cherry White (Band)
Sheeps (Sketch Comedy Group)
all MCed by Tom Webb (All Over Nice Guy)

More acts to be confirmed.

Friday, 24th February 2012
Evening: Friday 8pm
Running Time: 3 hours

That Thing Tickets

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In a remote village in Eastern Europe, around 1900, the young Motl Mendl is entranced by the flickering silent images on his father’s cinematograph. Bankrolled by Jacob, the ebullient local timber merchant, and inspired by Anna, the girl sent to help him make moving pictures of their village, he stumbles on a revolutionary way of story-telling. Forty years on, Motl, now a famed American film director, looks back on his early life and confronts the cost of fulfilling his dreams.

How had a twenty-two-year old pretentious layabout made a discovery that would elude every other cinematic pioneer for years to come?

Please note: There are audio-described performances on Friday 2nd March at 7.30pm and Saturday 3rd March at 2.15pm.

There is a captioned performance on Wednesday 29 February at 7.30pm.

Travelling Light Tickets

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Booking From: Friday, 13th January 2012
Booking Until: Tuesday, 6th March 2012
Matinees: Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday 2.15pm. Sunday 3pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm
Running Time: TBC

Lyttelton
Southbank
London
SE1 9PX

She comments about the play: “There is a truth to Terrence McNally’s writing that hits home in a big way. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will give you something to think about.”

Graduating from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2008, Naomi then studied at The Juilliard School in New York.  She won the Juilliard Vocal Arts Honors Recital with her good friend and brilliant pianist Brent Funderburk. Their prize was a joint recital at Alice Tully Hall, at The Lincoln Center on Broadway. Master Class is Naomi’s West End debut.

Earlier this week Naomi took time out from her busy schedule to answer some questions about herself and Master Class. Enjoy!

You grew up in County Clare, Ireland. Can you tell us about your childhood there?
I would say I grew up in one of the most special places in the world, without realising it at the time.  The Burren is a very beautiful place to live.  My brother and I grew up free, wild and very happy, speaking both English and German.  Which turned out to be a big advantage for me later, when it came to singing as a career.

When did you first discover that you had a talent for singing?
Well, I think other people discovered it before I did, really.  My mother has a tape from when I was two years old singing little nursery rhymes in German with me, which I loved by the sounds of it.  Then I had a teacher in primary school  – Dympna Hyland – who would make me sing solo in our school choir, when my voice would shake like a leaf from being so nervous.  (An interesting circle happened there – Dympna went to college with Mary Brennan, who would later become my teacher when I went to study music in Dublin, and they are still very good friends.  Small world!)  But I suppose I first realised it myself after a term or two of singing lessons with my first teacher Archie Simpson.  I was 13 or 14 and I can’t describe it properly but it’s as though my life turned suddenly Technicolor.  I loved my lessons – they were the best part of my week and it felt so natural to sing, almost like a re-discovery rather than learning from scratch.  And I think a discovery like that comes from having a great teacher.
Archie is one of the most encouraging, inspiring people I have ever met, so to have him as a teacher was certainly one of the best things that’s ever happened to me.

So you began your vocal studies with Archie Simpson and graduated from the Royal Irish Academy of Music in 2008. What are some of your favourite memories from your training?
There are just so many great memories I have from those years!  I can describe Archie’s living room, where we had our singing lessons, to you in vivid detail – the light, Archie’s face, the sound of the piano, the smell of the sheet music.  Generally lessons would overlap and all the students would perform for each other, singing whatever song we were learning that week.  That felt like home to me.

I remember the two days I spent recording a Christmas album when I was fifteen with Archie and Roy Holmes, another mentor of mine.  We had a beautiful grand piano delivered to the lecture hall at the Burren College of Art and spent two long days recording eighteen tracks altogether, I think.  It’s so lovely to have that now – it was still a child’s voice at that point but you could hear the little bits of colour creeping in that would become my sound.

In Dublin, I remember being in college in Lieder class that was led by my teacher Mary, sitting and listening to students performing all of this wonderful music – Schubert, Strauss, Wolf, Mahler and being utterly enthralled.  Learning about tempo, how to keep a song moving, how to paint the words with your voice, how to spin out a note with a certain colour.  I have been truly blessed with teachers all along the way – in college Mary and Mairead Hurley, my repetiteur, taught me so much.  About language, programming and vocal colour and the detail that must go into a song.

And of course, I remember being nervous for big competitions and performances – not sleeping, feeling terrified, sometimes throwing up.  But it’s all a learning curve.  A mate of mine says it’s as though you make friends with it.  Nerves never go away but you learn to deal with them differently.

While studying at The Juilliard School in New York, along with Fiona Kelly and a colleague you set up a group called The Larks in The Clear Air. Can you tell us about that?
We set up “The Larks in the Clear Air” as a chamber music group with flute, voice and piano in order to promote the Irish song literature, of which there is a surprisingly vast repertoire.  The less well-known songs are not performed outside of Ireland often and we wanted to change that, bringing songs of both older and younger generations together in a program that reached out to people on a personal level.  There is heart and soul and humour in the Irish song literature; it’s some of my favourite music to perform in recital.

Along with your flatmate Fiona Kelly, you were two of the very few Irish students at Juilliard. How did you ‘fit in’?
Like a glove!  In fact, when I first came to Juilliard there were two more Irish students there – Paul Sharp and Jessica Costelloe.  Needless to say, all four of us became very close friends.  Paul and I were joined at the hip for the two years of our Masters Degree and then he left New York for London.  So I’m delighted to be living in the same city as him again for this job!  But, you know, New York is such a melting-pot of nationalities, I always felt welcomed and at home there.  And Juilliard is a lovely place – very warm and full of wonderful people.  We all made a lot of friends there.

Can you describe your Lincoln Center debut at Alice Tully Hall in 2010?
That was one nerve-racking night, I can tell you!  I won the Juillard Vocal Arts Honors Recital with my good friend and colleague Brent Funderburk, a wonderful pianist who just graduated from Juilliard last year.  Our prize was a joint recital at Alice Tully Hall, which is a wonderful, big concert hall at The Lincoln Center.  We planned our program of Duparc, Mahler and Irish songs and rehearsed until the cows came home before this recital!  We both put so much work into it and to walk onto the stage at Tully Hall, greeted by the cheers of all our colleagues at school was a very special moment.

You have performed in various iconic venues in Europe and in the US. What have been some of your favourite venues?
It’s all about acoustic and atmosphere, I would say, so at the top of the list would probably be Alice Tully Hall in New York.  I really enjoyed singing at St. Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh one New Year’s Eve and in Ireland, I loved St. Patrick’s Cathedral where I performed Elgar’s “The Music Makers” with the Trinity Orchestra.  The strangest place was possibly the European Parliament at Strasbourg.  And of course, smaller venues have another kind of charm to them.  In Co. Clare, there is the most gorgeous church in Ruan, where we recorded the Lismorahaun Singers album.  Small, beautiful and a glorious acoustic.

You were the First Prize Winner of the 2011 Concert Artists Guild Victor Elmaleh Competition, and also First Prize at the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition. How important is it to you to have your talent recognised in this way?
You know, even at the best of times, singing competitions can be high-pressure, high-stress events if you look at them in a certain light.  However, these two particular competitions, though high-pressure, were really such a joy to be a part of and it means a lot to me to have been awarded first place in them.  The Altamura/Caruso Voice Competition included competitors from Europe, Canada and the USA so I was bowled over when I won.  The Concert Artists Guild is an organisation that finds and promotes young musicians, giving them management and opportunities to perform in venues throughout the United States.  Truly wonderful!  For me, it means an opportunity to perform in recital on a regular basis, which is fairly unusual for a singer just out of school – usually you have to find your way in opera first.  I love to be on the recital platform; Brent and I have a great musical partnership and the next few years are going to be a lot of fun performing throughout the USA together.

Critics hailed your performance as “evocative, appealing and expressive” in The New York Festival of Song in their ‘Roadtrip’ concert at Alice Tully Hall. What did you enjoy most about the festival?
The Roadtrip concert was, in a word, epic!  The New York Festival of Song was founded by two pianists, Steven Blier and Michael Barrett.  Steve is a mentor of mine and to work with him on this concert, along with my colleagues from Juilliard was an adventure.  The concert took the form of a musical roadtrip around America, starting in New York and ending in LA.  What I enjoyed most about it?  I suppose it was finding a part of my voice that was not operatic, not even necessarily classical, but honest and clean enough to perform songs such as Randy Newman’s “Dayton Ohio, 1903”.  People sometimes ask me after they hear me sing opera – “Cool, but can you sing normally as well?”  Which, of course, is funny but there’s a truth in it too.  All of these folk songs and popular songs don’t necessarily need that operatic colour, so to find that style without the “classical” sound can be intimidating.  Karaoke for instance, TERRIFIES me.  Though I did have a go at Guitar Hero over Christmas and I may be conquering my fear. Slowly.

You are currently appearing as Sharon Graham in Terrence McNally’s Master Class at the Vaudeville Theatre. What can you tell us about your role?
Sharon is a young, aspiring opera singer who I believe wants nothing more than to impress Maria Callas with her singing.  So, I’m not going to give anything away here for those who haven’t seen the play yet, but let’s just say that things don’t go exactly as she planned they would.  The personality clash is terrific!  It is such fun to play and with the whole cast and production team as lovely as they are, it’s going to be a great few months, I can tell!

What in particular attracted you to this role and what was the auditioning process like?
This is my first professional job after leaving Juilliard and I have to say I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!  Stephen Wadsworth, our director, has been my acting teacher in New York for the past two years so to work with him on this is a gift – and I am learning so much every single day.  The audition itself was actually a lot of fun – which is something we all worked on in the Artist Diploma program at Juilliard – making the audition process fun, which is harder than it sounds!  What was also interesting to me was learning to sing this aria, written for a dramatic Verdi soprano, and finding new colours and abilities in my voice that I didn’t know were there, with my voice teacher in New York, Dr. Robert White.

The invisible fourth wall is broken down in Master Class. As a performer how do you cope with that?
In some ways it’s easier, as your reaction onstage will be somewhat determined by the audience response.  It certainly keeps you on your toes!  Also, it adds the reality of the master class situation – standing up and performing in front of a room full of people – that is so important to the play as a whole.  I love hearing the different ways in which the audiences respond to it night by night.

Why should everyone go and see Master Class?
Two words – Tyne Daly!  She is electric in this role as Maria Callas – I’ve never seen anything like it before.  She is moving, arresting, funny, phenomenal.  Not to mention, the rest of the cast is wonderful as well – you have two great actors already well-known on the West End scene – Dianne Pilkington and Gerard Carey – and two fantastic performers from the Broadway production – Garrett Sorenson and Jeremy Cohen.  All gorgeous people in real life too, by the way!  On top of that, this play speaks about art, artistry, music and life.  There is a truth to Terrence McNally’s writing that hits home in a big way.  It will make you laugh, it will make you cry and it will give you something to think about.  And it’s rip-roaringly funny too.

Master Class has a limited run until April 2012. What plans do you have for later this year?
In June I make my debut with Garsington Opera as the title role in La Périchole, an operetta by Offenbach, which I am very much looking forward to!  It’s a wonderful piece and Périchole is a fantastic character to play – full of life, charm and wit.  Following that, I am heading to Vermont to the Marlboro Music Festival for my second summer there – rehearsing and performing chamber music with some of the finest young musicians from around the world.  It was great to be a part of it last year so I can’t wait to go back.  Following that, I have a few recitals coming up in New York, including my Carnegie recital debut at Weill Hall in March 2013.

What advice would you give to any young performer considering a career in the arts?
Strive to be the best that you can be at what you do, but know that you are enough – just as you are.  It’s not always easy but if you have found something you love, just work hard, go for it and ENJOY THE JOURNEY!

What do you like to do on a day-off from performing?
Laundry!  And I love to watch movies, take walks, see friends, have a long and slow morning, do some yoga maybe if I’m feeling very inspired to be good, check out a new café or a bookshop.  But I am also determined to see London properly and go to a few museums while I’m here.  My mother will disown me if I don’t get some culture into me!

Many thanks Naomi for a great interview and best wishes for Master Class and the future!

Interview by Neil who you can follow on Twitter @LondonTheatre1 and Facebook

Naomi O’Connell Official Website

Master Class Tickets

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In 2011, the Oliviers were relaunched in a new partnership with Mastercard, which also saw the BBC cover the event on BBC Radio 2 and via the Red Button service. It was once again held at Theatre Royal Drury Lane – but not this year. The 2012 Olivier Awards are moving to the lavish surroundings of the Royal Opera House for the ceremony on 15th April, where the cream of the theatre world will gather to find out who the big winners of the past year are. Sweeney Todd stars Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton are to host the evening’s proceedings, while the audience nominees, presenters, stars of the British stage and invited guests look on from the auditorium.

In what I think is a brilliant move, the Oliviers are branching out even further this year. There will be a free public event in Covent Garden, hosted by Wicked star Louise Dearman and Magic 105.4′s Neil Fox, in which there will be a big-screen relay of the awards alongside live performances from some of the West End’s biggest shows. What is even more exciting however is that the Oliviers will also be going to New York. A select audience of New York’s cultural stars and the Brits who are currently entertaining fans across the sea will be joining in with all the fun of the night at a special event in New York City.

The Awards are presented by the Society Of London Theatre (SOLT) and its Chief Executive, Julian Bird, commented on his excitement about this extended celebration, in which he believes was a very good year for London Theatre, saying that he was, “delighted we have been able to extend our celebrations to New York, and this connection is particularly apt in a year in which we are working closer than ever with VisitBritain and London & Partners to deliver a warm welcome to theatre audiences during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The BBC will once again be championing the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award, which last year the public awarded to Queen musical We Will Rock You. Voting opens on 5th February, when it’s launched on Elaine Paige’s radio show. They will also be following the night’s events again through radio their radio coverage and Red Button. While it’s great that that those at home will still be able to follow the Awards, I’m sure I’m not alone in hoping they improve upon last year’s coverage. Although the Red Button service attracted 177,000 viewers, they failed to impress those viewers with the poor quality of the coverage, which saw vital moments of the on-stage ceremony being missed. The BBC issued an apology, which we can hope means that they’ve recognised where they went wrong and will – fingers crossed – have improved on it for this year’s event. The Tony Awards in America are broadcast live on television and watched by an average of 7 million people – we may have a way to go to catch up with that standard, but perhaps one day we’ll see the Olivier’s receive that kind of attention here in the UK.

The nominations for the 2012 Olivier Awards will be announced on 15th March at London’s Mayfair Hotel which, in another first, will be streamed live to the world through the Olivier Awards official website.

It’s the award event that every theatre fan looks forward to with eager anticipation. Last year, Legally Blonde and its then-leading lady Sheridan Smith were one of the night’s biggest success stories – the musical won three awards and Smith walked away with the ‘Best Actress in a Musical’ award, leading her to become known as the Queen of the West End. Who will be the big winners in 2012 though?

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

The announcement has whipped people up into a frenzy and you could almost hear the collective cheer of tenors all around the country – not everyone was so pleased by it though.

Lyricist Tim Rice, who collaborated with Lloyd Webber on West End hit Jesus Christ Superstar in 1972, has spoken out against the idea, calling it ‘tasteless’ and ‘tacky’. Rice has already made his feelings clear to Lloyd Webber, but with the formal announcement of the show, it appears that Rice’s objections have been well and truly overruled. So what exactly does Rice have against against casting ‘Jesus’ through a televised public vote?

“Andrew wants to rehash things all the time, but I really don’t think Superstar needs that tasteless reality television treatment. Those shows are relentlessly downmarket, which is fine if the show is a lightweight bit of fluff. I am fully behind an arena show, but I just don’t think you need another television series to do that.”

To be honest, I think that Rice makes a very valid point in his argument. JCS was the first musical I ever saw and it remains one of my favourites to this day. The musical, with its religious and political themes, is in a different category to shows such as The Wizard of Oz, which is a more mainstream popular and family-type production. JCS has its fun moments of course, but it is a heavier story than previous shows that have had this reality TV treatment: ‘Gethsemane’ – which is one of the all-time greatest songs, in my opinion – perfectly encapsulates the altogether darker themes which are present in the show. With its subject matter and the apparent glamourisation of a worldwide figure of worship, JCS caused controversy when it first premiered on Broadway, so it’s hardly surprising to hear that the move to ITV was caused by the BBC’s concern over viewer’s reactions. I would have thought that after the success of the revised Toronto production, which comes to Broadway this year, the arena tour of JCS would have no trouble attracting audiences on just the basis of its name alone. I’m pretty sure that there would be a very long queue of musical theatre performers keen to audition too.

That’s not to say that Lloyd Webber won’t find some amazingly talented singer to play ‘Jesus’ using the TV format – a horde of new musical theatre stars have been created through his shows, and not just the winners: Samantha Barks played Eponine in the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Miserables and is now touring the UK as ‘Nancy’ in Oliver; Rachel Tucker has been widely acclaimed as one of, if not the, best ‘Elphaba’s’ in Wicked; Siobhan Dillon has just taken over from Caissie Levy to play the lead role of ‘Molly’ in Ghost The Musical and Daniel Boys went on to tour with John Barrowman, as well as finding success in South Pacific and his award-winning role in Avenue Q. Those are just a few of the reality TV contestants who are now staple stars of the West End.

The main problem with using this format to cast the lead in JCS is the ease in which it could turn into a pantomime. The newspapers have already carried the headlines of ‘Lloyd Webber looking for Jesus’ or along those same lines, and Twitter has been awash with people laughing about hearing the line, ‘You could be Jesus’ on the show and voted-off contestants being strapped to a crucifix and elevated off the stage. There are so many opportunites for the show to trivialise and mock what is, at heart, a serious and deeply evocative production, something which also factored into Rice’s reluctance to see the role cast on TV. He commented that, “It opens up a lot of opportunities for spoofs and I think it would be ill-advised to have people voting for who should be Jesus,” adding that, “It sounds tacky and I really don’t think Andrew should do it.”

It’s hardly the first time the two have disagreed on something: they had early success with JCS, Evita and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, but their subsequent fall-out over ‘Tell Me On A Sunday’ is well known and it is only in recent years that they have ventured to work together again. Both have admitted that their relationship hasn’t fully recovered however, and probably never will. Still, both have also been very successful in their individual projects, which begs the question of who should have the power in this matter? JCS has Lloyd Webber’s music, yes, but it also has Rice’s lyrics. The two created the musical together, but now it would seem Rice’s contribution counts for nothing as far as Lloyd Webber is concerned. Is this right though? Surely, unless both are agreed, the TV show shouldn’t be going ahead? Perhaps that’s just my naivety showing through though… Rice does have one ace left up his sleeve however:

“They can’t cast the show without my approval. I have the right to veto casting so if Andrew casts it on TV and I didn’t like the person, I could say so.”

Rice has also written a letter to ITV, stating his position on the show.

It is clear that there are both positives and negatives to casting Jesus Christ Superstar through a TV talent search. Prior evidence from the earlier shows prove that they can find some truly superb unknown talent, and the interest they draw – from new audiences, not just musical theatre fans – is undeniable. Despite Lloyd Webber’s denials about them being publicity vehicles for his production, they clearly act as a great advertisement, with millions of viewers no doubt keen to buy a ticket to see the winner of the show (the winner they chose) in the respective West End musical. On the other hand though, this latest show is likely to attract ridicule due to its subject matter and does turn what is a two-thousand year old story (with some artistic licence of course) into light entertainment for the TV masses. With Rice also having publicly spoken out against the show, it doesn’t paint Lloyd Webber in a particularly good light that it is still going ahead. In my opinion, there really isn’t a need to go down this route to cast the role. One wouldn’t be amiss in suspecting the decision has been driven by money and the chance of some great publicity, more than a desire to find an unknown star. I’m sure there are plenty of people who agree with me – but they’ll still watch the show. We all know this and, more importantly, so does Andrew Lloyd Webber.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Ceili, who is currently a swing in the show, is one of the original members who will be saying goodbye to the land of Oz and walking down that yellow brick road for the last time. I first encountered her before her WOZ adventure though, in December 2010 when she was one of Hadley Frasers guests in Christmas With…Hadley Fraser and Friends, part of the SimG Productions Winter Cabaret season at the Waterloo East Theatre. She was part of a fantastic line-up, which included Rosalie Craig, Stuart Matthew Price, Sophie Smith, Warwick Lobban and Ramin Karimloo, as one half of his and Hadley’s folk/rock band ‘Sheytoons’. In fact, I actually met her nan first in the queue outside! She was very proud of ‘my  granddaughter who is going to be in The Wizard of Oz‘ – and rightly so. The classical tones of ‘Undercover Dorothy’ (Hadley’s story to tell…) sounded wonderful in the two songs she performed and her name has stuck with me ever since.

Ceili trained at the Arts Educational Schools, London and while there, performed in a number of theatre productions. As well as playing Demeter in the Christine Cartwright/Gillian Lynne production of Cats, she was also part of the ensemble for Jerry Springer: The Opera, directed by Gary Sefton. Roles in other shows include: Purple Rain (Sarah/Soloist); Iolanthe (Queen); The Pyjama Game (The Fairies Mae); Blue Moon (The Model) and ensemble credits in La Vie Boheim and Side By Side. In addition, Ceili has also been involved in workshops for The Nightingale, directed by Peter Addis and Perfect Pitch’s Super Alice Smith in 2009 – not forgetting her part in the choir of Paul Spicer and David Randall’s Christmas in New York.

In addition to her onstage experience, Ceili recently branched out into the world of producing as one third of the company, Conrow Productions, along with Aisling O’Connor and fellow Wizard of Oz-er Matthew Barrow. In November 2011, they produced an exclusive London concert of New York-based composer Jonathan Reid Gealt’s music. I was there at St Andrew’s, Holburn for the concert and was blown away, not only by the music, but the performers. Along with the man himself, some of the very best of the West End came along to sing, including Emily Tierney, John Addison, Jodie Jacobs, Katie Hall, Stuart Matthew Price, Danielle Hope, Caissie Levy, Jonathan Williams and Kelly-Anne Gower. Doing double duty, Ceili and Matthew also took to the mike to perform. It was a stunning night and Conrow Productions did a superb job pulling it all together.

With Ceili soon to be walking down the yellow brick road for the last time, what lies ahead for her? Well, you’ll just have to wait and see – it’s sure to be worth the wait though and definitely something to see.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Master Class, produced in the West End by Max Cooper, Maberry Theatricals, the Marks-Moore-Turnbull Group, Ted Snowdon and Sonia Friedman Productions in association with Morris Berchard, Scott M. Delman, Susan Dietz, Scott & Brian Zeilinger/The Broadway Consortium and the Manhattan Theatre Club, will run at the Vaudeville Theatre for 14 weeks only from 21st January to 28th April, with press night on 7th February 2012.  Set design is by Thomas Lynch, costume design by Martin Pakledinaz, lighting by David Lander, sound by Jon Gottlieb and wigs by Paul Huntley.

Terrence McNally’s play about Maria Callas takes audiences to one of her famous master classes, where, late in her own career, she dares the next generation to make the same sacrifices and rise to the same heights that made her the most celebrated, the most reviled and the most controversial singer of her time.

Multi award-winning Tyne Daly plays Maria Callas. She is best known on television for her portrayal of Detective Mary Beth Lacey in Cagney and Lacey, for which she received four Emmy Awards. For her roles as Maxine Gray in Judging Amy and Alice Henderson in Christy she received two Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama.  For the former she also won a Golden Globe Award.  Her many Broadway credits include Rose in Gypsy for which she won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Mme. Arkadina in The Seagull and Rabbit Hole. Daly’s film credits include The Enforcer, Dirty Harry, John and Mary and Telefon.

Dianne Pilkington will play Sophie De Palma.  Her theatre credits include She Loves Me for Chichester Festival Theatre, The 39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre, Glinda in Wicked at Apollo Victoria and Grizabelle in Cats and Belle in Beauty and the Beast on tour nationally.  Pilkington played opposite Benecio Del Toro in the film The Wolf Man.

Naomi O’Connell will play the role of Sharon Graham.  Having released a solo album at the age of sixteen entitled Christmas with Naomi she went on to train at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and the Juilliard School in New York. Her operatic roles at Juilliard include Transformations, Conception and Monteverdi’s Ottavia.  O’Connell was the 2011 First Prize winner of the Concert Artists Guild Competition and the Altamura/Caruso International Voice Competition.  She will make her UK professional operatic debut playing the title role in La Périchole for Garsington Opera in June next year.

Garrett Sorenson will play the role of Anthony Candolino.  An acclaimed opera singer who has appeared at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago and Houston Grand Opera, Sorenson has performed with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra and the Cleveland Orchestra, as well as the New York Philharmonic.  He made his Boston Symphony Orchestra debut in 2009 in a concert performance of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra.  His other recent opera credits include Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony at the Tanglewood Festival, Verdi’s Requiem at the Houston Symphony and Salome at the San Francisco Opera.

Gerard Carey will play the role of Stagehand. His previous theatre credits include The Invisible Man for the Menier Chocolate Factory, Spamalot at the Palace Theatre and The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park.  His television credits include Torchwood and Love Soup.

Jeremy Cohen will make his West End debut reprising the role of Emmanuel Weinstock which he played in the Broadway production.   In the US he has worked with the Roundabout Theatre Company, The Kennedy Center, Atlanta’s Alliance Theatre, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company and the New York Musical Theatre Festival.  As a Musical Director and Arranger, he composed the music for The Bowery Boys.

Writer Terrence McNally has won four Tony Awards for his plays Love! Valour! Compassion! and Master Class and his musical books for Kiss of the Spiderwoman and Ragtime.   More recent Broadway revivals of his plays include The Ritz and Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.  His other plays include A Perfect Ganesh, Corpus Christi, Lips Together and It’s Only a Play.  His most recent play, Golden Age, was featured in the Kennedy Center celebration of his work year.  For the musical theatre his other librettos include Catch Me if You Can, The Full Monty, The Rink, The Visit, A Man of No Importance and the opera Dead Man Walking.  McNally has also written a number of television scripts including Andre’s Mother for which he won an Emmy Award.

Theatre and Opera director Stephen Wadsworth has worked for Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera Covent Garden, Vienna Staatsoper, Edinburgh Festival, Nederlandse Opera, Seattle Opera and in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto and Santa Fe.  Wadsworth is the Head of Dramatic Studies at the Metropolitan Opera’s Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, the James S. Marcus Faculty Fellow and Director of Opera Studies at The Juilliard School, an artist in residence at the Aspen Institute, and a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Jeremy Cohen and Garrett Sorenson are appearing with the support of UK Equity, incorporating the Variety Artistes’ Federation, pursuant to an exchange programme between American Equity and UK Equity.

Dates: 21st January to 28 April 2012
Press Night: 7th February 2012 at 7pm

Master Class Tickets

APP USERS: Master Class Tickets

Vaudeville Theatre,
404 Strand, London,
WC2R 0NH

Performances: Monday – Saturday at 7.30pm, Wednesday and Saturday at 2.30pm
Running time: 2 hours 20 minutes including 1 interval

Website: www.masterclasstheplay.com

Instead, perhaps I should start with the cast. Fans of the musical will undoubtedly be keen to hear about the performances of the newest cast members, who joined the show in the last cast change in December 2011. Before I do , I feel it’s important for you to know that, although I was at the show primarily to review the current cast, it was also the first time I’ve seen Wicked so don’t expect to read any pontifications on its freshness or comparison to previous casts, as there won’t be any – which is perhaps a good thing.

Wicked is the untold story of the witches of Oz, going back to a time before Dorothy from Kansas – and her little dog too – dropped out of the sky. It follows the path of the Wicked Witch of the West (now revealed to be called Elphaba), from befriending Good Witch G(a)linda at university to her ‘death’ at the hands of Dorothy and a bucket of water. The central theme of Wicked is wickedness itself, and the question of whether someone is born wicked or made that way. The musical is hardly subtle in its approach as here, Elphaba is less the cackling ‘wicked’ witch we’ve see in The Wizard of Oz and more of a geeky animal rights activist. Throw in an unloving father and bitter sister, the ridicule and rejection she endures as a result of her green-skinned appearance and not forgetting a love triangle and the shattered illusion of her idol, the Wizard, and Elphaba suddenly becomes a much more sympathetic character. The Oz of Wicked is a place where backstage politics and corruption are rife: the good are wicked and the wicked are good.

Rachel Tucker has been widely praised for her portrayal of the persecuted Elphaba. I’ve heard her sing the show’s most popular song, ‘Defying Gravity’, on other occassions, but this was my first time seeing her perform in the role – she was just phenomenal. She has a complete understanding of who Elphaba is and lends her a depth and emotion which, coupled with her powerful voice, creates one of the most compelling stage performances I’ve ever seen. As good as she is, when  Gina Beck is added into the mix, the bar is well and truly raised. I’ve long admired the soprano tones of Gina Beck and here, she displays her wonderful acting abilities as well. As the conceited, image-obsessed G(a)linda, Beck is simply hilarious, but she also manages to make the audience see past the shallowness to the ‘good’ inside of her and, by the show’s end, the audience believe in her new-found strength and determination to make Oz a better place.

Matt Willis is also a sensation as Fiyero, the handsome prince who gains the affections of both girls. Best known as a member of boyband Busted, fans were dubious when his casting was first announced but Willis proves all of his critics wrong with his brilliant performance. He brings a very rock and roll Fiyero to the stage but as the love story with Elphaba progresses, he replaces that arrogance with a desperation and longing that endears the audience to his character. With the vocal abilities of his two female counterparts, it would be difficult for anyone to hold their own alongside them, but Willis does a superb job which, along with his sharp dancing, makes him a wonderful addition to the cast.

The three leads are fantastically backed up by the rest of the principal cast, with Adam Pettigrew’s Boq and Lillie Flynn’s Nessarose giving great performances. The ensemble are also on top form: all in all, there is not one weak link to be found.

Going by the reastion of the audience on the night, Wicked has not lost any of its appeal in the five years it’s been in the West End. Steven Schwartz has composed an excellent and diverse score, with fun songs like ‘Popular’ and ‘What Is This Feeling’ faring just as well against the big songs like ‘Defying Gravity’ and ‘No Good Deed’. Susan Hilferty’s costume designs and Eugene Lee’s set do a great job too in creating the spectacular overall effect of Wicked. There’s a lot of fun to be had to with the connections the show makes with its sister production, The Wizard of Oz. Most of the time it’s very cleverly done, but there are times when those connections are stretched to the limit – when trying to stitch together two stories though, it’s inevitable that there will be the odd loose thread along the seam.

Wicked is a highly entertaining show that possesses quantities of both humour and touching emotion and right now, it can boast to having a top notch cast. It delivers everything a West End show should so if you haven’t already, get down to the Apollo Victoria and see for yourself – you’ll be doing the ‘Galinda hair-toss’ in no time.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25) 

Get tickets for WICKED.

APP USERS: Get tickets for WICKED.

Zoe has appeared in West End shows including Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Thriller Live and more recently Respect La Diva. Having been a Pop Idol finalist in 2002, Zoe followed that up with chart-topping success with her number one hit Get Happy. Some of the leading venues that she has performed at include: The Royal Albert Hall, VE Day at Trafalgar Square, The Princes Trust, Buckingham Palace and in Las Vegas.

Earlier this week Zoe took some time out to answer some questions about herself and her career.

Was there anyone in particular who inspired you to want to sing professionally?
Yes, Whitney Houston, Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin. I listened to them religiously as a child!!

You trained at the Amanda McGlynn Academy in Middlesborough and the Lorraine Murray Dance School. What are some of your favourite memories during that time?
Favourite memories…. honestly… the sweet shop! Ha Ha we had a great sweetie stall that sold the best strawberry laces! So I couldn’t wait for break-time and also all the competitions I used to do, I loved competing.

You gained scholarships at the Stagecoach Theatre Arts College, and also at the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s National Youth Music Theatre. What was this like?
They were the greatest years. I learned so much from both schools, and was so lucky to get a scholarship. It was just amazing to be around other people just like you that wanted to perform, it really encouraged me!

You were the winning female contestant in Pop Idol in 2002 (with Will Young winning and Gareth Gates runner-up). What was it like performing in the show?
Every week was a different experience, it obviously got harder the more the competition went on, but I was so very young that I actually didn’t feel too much pressure. I’m really happy that I did it at that age and not now, as now I’d be much more nervous, as I’d be more aware ! It was like a little fun bubble to me at the time as I was just a child that loved to sing!

Get Happy went straight to Number 1 and you performed to over 250,000 fans on two national tours with 5 hits on the Pop Idol Big Band album which reached No.1 in the charts as well as the single Treat Me Like A Lady being a chart success in 2003. Can you express some of the feelings that you had at this time?
Being signed was one of the greatest feelings, something I’d always dreamed about throughout my whole life, and the fact that it had all come true felt like a dream!! The album was a great success and Get Happy is the song that I’ll be associated with for the rest of my life, and that makes me so proud!

You have sung at numerous high profile events including; The Royal Albert Hall, VE Day at Trafalgar Square, The Princes Trust, Buckingham Palace, Las Vegas, Tony Blair’s son Leo’s christening, to name a few. Could you describe what this incredible journey has been like for you?
It’s been mind-blowing but I have worked extremely hard to get to do all of these things, nothing has ever come to me easily but I don’t mind, it makes me want it more!!! I do often look back though and think WOW I’ve done some awesome things!!

During 2009 you made your West End debut in the original Cast of Priscilla Queen of the Desert playing one of the DIVAS alongside Jason Donavan at the Palace Theatre. What did you enjoy most about the show?
I LOVED being part of Priscilla. When I got offered the job I was crying my heart out and screaming my flat down!! It was a completely different new experience for me, I loved being officially called a DIVA, my mam calls me that anyway, haha. It was such a magnificent show to be part of, singing and hanging from the ceiling!!! Madness!!! And the cast were great!! Working with Jason Donovan and Tony Sheldon, wow, I learnt a lot that year!

You were the principle Singer in ‘What a feeling’ at the London Palladium with songs from films and the stage. What is it about that style of music that appeals to you?
Well a lot of the music in this show was Rock Pop and they are the type of shows I love to do… you probably wouldn’t cast me in Les Mis!! lol

You starred as Janet Jackson, the only female Lead in’ Thriller Live’ at The Lyric Theatre. How was that experience?
I’ve lived and breathed Michael Jackson my whole life!! I went to see him as a child and my whole flat in London is full of him!! He’s inspired me throughout my life, so singing his songs everyday was an honour!! I also got to perform in front of the Jackson family which was so surreal!!

As a celebrity contestant on ITV’s Sing If You Can which had 6.5 million viewers. How does performing on television compare to the stage?
Completely different. On television you can make mistakes and go back and do a re-take, ha ha. Live theatre you can’t escape!! Keith Lemon was the presenter on this too and he’s hysterical!

You performed in Respect La Diva at the Garrick Theatre. What was it like performing in the show and which were your favourite songs?
I loved this show! I got to be on stage singing with the legend Sheila Ferguson!!!! Motown Queen!! The songs were really challenging as a lot of them were big power ballads!! Which I do love to sing, but eight times a week was something else!! I got through it though, so pat on the back to my vocal chords!!

Who would be your personal favourite Diva of all-time?
Oooooh that’s hard… as a lot of artists have inspired me throughout the years, but definitely Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Ella Fitzgerald and Beyonce!!

In 2012 you are going on tour as Dionne in Hair with Amy Diamond & Gareth Gates. What excites you most about the show and being on tour with it?
I’m really excited to start Hair, I’m not in rehearsals yet so there’s nothing much to tell as yet, but it’s going to be a great sing for me, I love the songs I have in the show! And of course being back with my buddy Gareth Gates is going to be a great laugh as we got on so well during Pop Idol!

Is there anyone that you would really like to sing on stage or record with?
Alive today…. Definitely Beyonce!!!! I hope Dreamgirls the Musical comes over, I’d love to play her in that!

How do you like to warm up before a show?
I need a good 40 minutes warm-up, to warm-up my voice and lots of hot drinks!

How do you manage to make sure that you have time for yourself away from the spotlight? How do you chill out?
Hm! Me chill out… Honestly, I don’t. I like to see friends and eat good food, but that is very rare, I’m honestly constantly on the go! I’m sure I’ll slow down one day!!

Any message that you would like to say to your fans?
I would like to say just a big thank-you to everyone who has supported me throughout the years, seen me in shows, bought records and sent me fan mail, it means a lot!!

Many thanks Zoe for a brilliant interview. Best wishes for the Hair Tour!

You can follow Zoe on Twitter @Birko1

Interviewed by Neil who you can follow on Twitter @LondonTheatre1 or on Facebook

It’s not all doom and gloom though. Some may struggle and flounder in the sea of faces, but some find their way through and swim up to break the surface. When somebody achieves this, it is always something to be celebrated: Twitter was overcome with congratulatory tweets of triumphant glee when Shrek understudy Dean Chisnall was bumped up to play the role full-time after Nigel Lindsey left the show. Yesterday, the social networking site was over-run again with the announcement that Sophie Evans, alternate ‘Dorothy’ in The Wizard of Oz’ at the Palladium, will take over from current ‘Dorothy’ Danielle Hope, who leaves in the WOZ cast change on 5th February 2012.

The Welsh singer was one of the contestants on Andrew Lloyd Webber’s fourth reality casting show for the BBC, ‘Over The Rainbow’ – which, as I’m sure you’re aware, searched for a ‘Dorothy’ for The Wizard of Oz. Although the contest was won by Danielle Hope, runner-up Sophie Evans impressed ‘The Lord’ and was subsequently awarded the role of alternate. Now, it looks as though she’ll be walking along that yellow brick road for many days to come as she steps up to lead the hit West End musical.

In this current climate, when many people are of the belief that a celebrity name is the best way to ensure a show’s success, it’s always refreshing to see faith being put in someone within the musical theatre industry, especially if they’re not particularly well-known. Everyone who has a talent deserves the opportunity to showcase it, and Sophie Evans is now receiving hers. I hope this marks the beginning of an attitude change in the West End in concerns to casting choices. There’s nothing wrong with celebrity casting if they can perform the role to the same standard as a musical theatre performer – that should always be the primary focus. Getting bums on seats is all very well, but good word of mouth and actually getting them to come back is a lot more important. I love to see talent being rewarded, so I think that Evans’ casting is an applaudable decision. The BBC show aside, this will be her first real step into the spotlight. Something like that is a life-changer, so congratulations and the very best of luck.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Set against the brutal conflicts between the rebels and aristocracy during the French revolution and its parallel world in 19th Century London society. With well over 200 million copies sold, A Tale of Two Cities ranks among the most famous works in the history of fictional literature.

With Music by David Pomeranz and Book by Steven David Horwich and David Soames, John Cameron’s (Les Miserables) moving musical arrangements underscore Horwich’s compelling lyrics. Dramatically staged by the multi-talented Paul Nicholas, Dickens’s classic tale of love and sacrifice is brought to life in this stunning new musical.

A Tale of Two Cities Tickets

APP USERS: A Tale of Two Cities Tickets

Booking From: Thursday, 5th April 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 12th May 2012
Matinees: Saturday 4.30pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm
Running Time: TBC

Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches, Villiers Street
London
WC2N 6NG

Those who work within the theatre industry are also part of that lucky percentage of the population. Their days are often long and phyically/mentally exhausting and each one brings with it a degree of uncertainty – who knows if tomorrow will be the day you walk into the theatre to hear that your show is posting its closing notice? There’s also the demand that the fans put on their time. Considering all of this, along with the fact that most – except those few at the very top – will receive a pretty average wage, and you wouldn’t be amiss for wondering why they go through it. The answer is simple though: because they love it. I’m not an actor and I can’t sing, but I know the joy I get from writing and the rush I feel when an article is published and I know that there are people out there reading my words. Whether they agree with them or not is besides the point: they’re still reading it. Being on stage must be a similiar experience, but intensified tenfold. Standing there before an audience of thousands, putting everything you have into a performance and seeing that audience stand up and applaud you for it at the end – how can you not love that?

Actors are all about diversity and experimentation, and theatre offers many opportunities in that respect. There are so many roles, so many musical genres…it doesn’t even have to be musical theatre. The West End is booming with plays which are doing very well – just look at The Mousetrap. This need to stretch those acting abilities can also have the opposite effect though, with many actors fluctuating between theatre and other mediums such as TV. If you love to act and you choose to take a role in a musical theatre production, is that love of acting enough on its own or do you need to love musical theatre as well?

I interviewed Les Miserable’s Hadley Fraser last year, and questioned him on previous comments he’d made about not wanting to be typecast as just a musical theatre performer. He was quick to assure that he did enjoy working in musicals, but it wasn’t the be-all-and-end-all of his acting ambitions. Outside of ‘the job’, Fraser admitted that he didn’t listen to musical theatre as his musical interests lie elsewhere.

I know he’s not alone in this: I’ve encountered many other musical theatre performers who don’t spend their time outside of work going to other shows or playing cast albums at home. Should they be though?

Alfie Boe caused ripples of consternation in 2011 with comments he made on the radio, in which he confessed that opera “bores me stiff”. Opera may be his world when he’s up on stage performing it, but you won’t find him in the audience anytime soon. When he was on a young singer’s course at the Royal Opera House, part of it included going to watch Opera at Covent Garden – Boe would ‘take a pillow, find an empty box and lie down to go to sleep’. People were furious with Boe about it, but why? Okay, perhaps he should have taken a little more care with his words; it was hardly an ideal advert for the industry which pays his wages and he must have known the effect these throwaway comments would have. Still, where is the law that says you have to live and breathe the genre you work in?

Does it affect their performance? No. I’ve seen both Boe and Fraser onstage and loved them both. Once they step off that stage, it’s their business how they choose to spend their time. A teacher isn’t expected to go home and start lecturing next-door’s toddlers about World War II. A nurse doesn’t roam the streets after a hospital shift, looking for kids with grazed knees. A banker doesn’t go home and start gleefully counting how much money they’ve made – oh, wait.

My point is that, as much as you enjoy a job, it doesn’t have to take over your life. Many musical theatre performers are completely wrapped up in their world, and that’s great if it makes them happy. For those who have interests elsewhere, that’s great for them too. As far as I’m concerned, as long as they deliver on the stage then that is all that’s important.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)    

Part Three of The Story of Musicals began by looking at Lloyd Webber’s Aspects of Love, the musical which followed his global smash hit, The Phantom of the Opera. It transferred to Broadway one year after opening in the West End, but was not well received there by the critics; the New York Times’ critic, dubbed ‘The Butcher of Broadway’ for his scathing reviews, wrote that it was about as sexy as a trip to the bank – it closed eleven months later (ironically, an 11-month run today would probably be considered a success, not a flop). After such an onslaught of successful British musicals, the critics seemed almost gleeful to find one they could tear apart. That kind of success can’t last though; there is no recipe that can guarentee the perfect musical and, most of the time, the creatives are taken by surprise when a show takes off as it’s almost impossible to tell if an audience/critics are going to give it the thumbs up or not. Everyone is due a ‘flop’ at some point in their career and it was Lloyd Webber’s turn.

He wasn’t the only one looking to find a follow-up success: Cameron Mackintosh was working with Les Miserables writers Schonberg and Boubil on Miss Saigon, the musical which was inspired by a photo from the Vietnam War that Schonberg came across. Whenever someone mentions Miss Saigon, the first thing that comes to most people’s minds is the helicopter. A helicopter inside a theatre? Something like that had never been done before, but it was such a visually impressive set design (by John Napier of course) that it has become an iconic image of the show. It’s not the only thing people remember though. There was a major controversy over the show’s casting decisions when it made moves to go across to Broadway, mostly centred on the RSC actor who had originated the role of The Engineer in the West End, John Pryce: a white actor who was playing an Asian man. Cameron Mackintosh pulled the show after a particularly big row with US Equity, who eventually backed down.

Andrew Lloyd Webber wasn’t sitting by idly after Aspects of Love failed to impress the American theatre-goers. He focused his attention on Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, but went for a new approach which was to have long-running effects on London’s West End, to this day. Lloyd Webber decided to cast teen pop idol Jason Donovan in the lead role of ‘Joseph’, using the draw of his name to bring in an audience. It heralded in a new age of ‘stunt casting’, an issue that is very much a hot topic in modern times. Sometimes it worked: singer Cliff Richard profited on his name when he wrote and financed a musical of the novel Heathcliffe, which sold very well, despite being panned by the critics. Sometimes though, it didn’t work, as in the case of Faye Dunaway, who Lloyd Webber chose to remove from the LA production of Sunset Boulevard.

What worked phenomenally well in the 80s just wasn’t cutting it with the 90s’ audience. Melodramatic musicals were no longer bringing in a crowd, as in the case of another Schonberg, Boublil and Mackintosh production, Martin Guerre. So the West End did what it always does when something stops working: it evolved. Now, it appeared audiences just wanted to have fun when they went to the theatre – enter Mamma Mia. Working with ABBA band members Benny and Bjorn, producer Judy Kramer and writer/lyricist Catherine Johnson created the original ‘jukebox musical’, based on the back catalogue of ABBA songs. In a complete reversal, the musical’s story had to fit the songs, instead of writing songs to fit the story. It was a huge hit and transferred to Broadway, after almost being cancelled in the wake of the 11th September attacks. A few hours of fun away from the grimness of reality was something New York sorely needed however, and they were convinved to continue with rehearsals.

What Mamma Mia did though was to usher in a whole new style of musical theatre. Today’s West End has many jukebox musicals, from Rock of Ages (which recently opened) to Priscilla: Queen of the Desert (which recently closed). One which garnered enough success to match the level Mamma Mia set was the Queen musical, We Will Rock You. If it had stuck to the original idea of a Freddie Mercury biographical show instead of Ben Elton’s fictional story, who knows whether WWRY would have been more or less successful? If it had been up to the critics, WWRY would have been long gone – they hated it. Bad reviews can kill a show as easily as stepping on an ant, but the jukebox musical has a secret weapon in its arsenal in the form of a pre-existing fan base. Queen fans flocked in to see the show, and a performance by the cast at the Royal Variety Show, in front of millions of viewers, certainly didn’t hurt its chances. Still, it’s cases like these which cause you to think about the influence of the critic – look what they did to Aspects of Love?

The jukebox musical wasn’t the only new development in modern theatre though. Jerry Springer: The Opera was an explosive combination of low culture and high culture, mixing together two very different languages – but somehow, it worked, attracting first-time theatre-goers. The outrage of the general public after the BBC broadcast the show in its entirety was too much for it to overcome however, and it closed. Another new twist in the road proved easier to travel down though, with the arrival of the Disney production. They spotted a gap in the market and looked to expand their musical films for the stage, jumping on the commercial opportunity this could provide. The Lion King was, and is, a massive hit with audiences, with its innovative use of puppetry and popular familiarity – and more followed. Mary Poppins was next up, though this time, Thomas Schumacher (president of Disney Theatrical) had to work with Cameron Mackintosh, who owned the stage rights. It also featured the magic touch of UK composing team Stiles & Drewe.

London’s West End may not have been dominating the theatre world as it had in the 80s, but it wasn’t out of hit musicals just yet. The film-adapted musical of Billy Elliot not only had the foundling base of its film following, but the added bonus of the name of Elton John being attached. It was the original vision of Joan Littlewood’s work in the 70s that helped the musical find its gritty, British feet though, and it opened in 2005 to universal acclaim.

The West End continued to change, as Andrew Lloyd Webber turned the wheel further with his BBC reality TV shows, which originated with his search to find a ‘Maria’ for his production of The Sound of Music. Casting a lead role through the medium of TV was an unprecedented move, to say the least, but with the growing popularity of shows like The X-Factor, it was undoubtedly a very clever move. Not only did all four of the shows create new musical theatre stars – something sorely needed at the time - they reinvigorated the industry. With millions of viewers tuning in, it’s no surprise that ticket sales for The Sound of Music shot through the roof, but perhaps most importantly, it brought in a wider, younger audience. Musical theatre is not a widely valued art form. If a show like that brings more people to the West End, then it can’t be a bad thing. Of course, there were many arguments over whether the shows were in fact auditions, opposed to a publicity stunt to boost ticket sales, but the fact remains that they put a spotlight on the West End, and that’s ok in my book.

Today, the West End is a very different place to when The Story of Musicals began its journey. I’ve always believed though that musical theatre moves in an ever-changing cycle. We’ve been on top of the world and brought right back down again, but with the emergence of musicals such as Ghost (which is transferring to Broadway) and Matilda (which is sure to), the tide is starting to turn in our favour again. Cameron Mackintosh commented on the future of the British musical at the end of last night’s episode, saying that it is the writers who hold it in their hands. Jukebox musicals, Broadway transfers and film-adapted musicals have dominated the West End for some time now, but with the arrival of so many new talented British writers, the wheel is continuing to turn and slowly opening up that door for new writing to break through. What The Story of Musicals showed so wonderfully is that change is an integral part of the West End’s survival. It has continually evolved throughout the last thirty years and, I have no doubt, will continue to evolve for the next thirty – I, for one, can’t wait to see what surprises it brings.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

The original Richard Gordon novel, Doctor in the House is one of twelve Doctor books and is noted for its witty depiction of a medical student’s years of professional training. It remains a classic in its own right, based on Richard’s own anecdotes and experiences of pre-war medical school and has almost become a social document. The original Doctor In The House film made a star of Dirk Bogarde, and spawned six follow-ups and a TV series and was the most popular box office film of 1954.

Starring one of Britain’s best loved funnymen, Joe Pasquale and award winning star of stage and screen Robert Powell, Doctor in the House now takes to the stage for a national tour opening at The Churchill Theatre, Bromley on 20th March 2012. (Please see full tour list below)

Follow the inexperienced young medical student Simon Sparrow as he begins his five-year internship at St. Swithin’s Teaching Hospital. Continually running foul of the irascible head surgeon Sir Lancelot Spratt, Sparrow’s social life is spiced up when he is taken under the wings of two student repeaters, in the form of Tony Grimsdyke and John Evans, to farcical consequences. Doctor in the House has delighted audiences for generations and this tour is refereed by award-winning director Ian Talbot OBE, this is comedy at its very best; the doctor will see you now!

The cast also includes Emma Barton best known to television audiences as Honey Mitchell for three years in Eastenders, recently she played Lily in Annie at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and prior to that the lead role of Roxie Hart in the West End and UK tour of Chicago; Gay Soper was last seen in the West End in Lend Me a Tenor and Tom Butcher who played PC Steve Loxton in The Bill for seven years and Dr Marc Elliot in Doctors.

Joe Pasquale has continued to delight audiences with his live stand-up tours for almost 20 years and along the way he has voiced characters for Hollywood movies such as Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties and Horton Hears A Who! as well as for children’s television in shows such as Frankenstein’s Cat; he starred in The Muppets’ 25th Anniversary show, alongside the legendary Jon Voight, toured in several theatrical productions including Mel Brooks’ The Producers and Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead; he was crowned King of the Jungle in ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here and he has appeared in five Royal Variety Performances.

Robert Powell had a small role in the original version of The Italian Job playing one of the gang and for several years he continued as a television regular, with occasional forays into film, notably as Mahler in the 1974 film and as Captain Walker in the Ken Russell film version of Tommy. Following a successful second audition with Franco Zeffirelli he played Jesus Christ in the series Jesus of Nazareth and was nominated for a BAFTA award, and collected the TV Times Best Actor award for the same performance. Powell took the leading role of Richard Hannay in the third film version of The Thirty Nine Steps; almost ten years later a television series entitled simply Hannay appeared with Powell back in the role. He then agreed to a request from his old friend and golf partner, comedian Jasper Carrott, taking the part of an incompetent detective in a succession of sketches that formed part of Carrott’s TV series. The Detectives was so popular that it was turned into a sitcom. In early 2005 he became a regular in the UK TV medical drama, Holby City, where he remained for six years before departing to return to theatre.

Ian Talbot OBE was Artistic Director at Regents Park Open Air Theatre for 20 years and was awarded the OBE in 2007 in for his work there.  Other Theatre includes directing The Yeomen of the Guard (Savoy), High Society (Shaftesbury and UK tour), The Pirates of Penzance (West Yorkshire Playhouse and UK tour), Anything Goes (UK tour), Lend Me A Tenor (West End) and many overseas tours and pantomimes. Ian also performed in Regent’s Park and with the RSC.  In the West End, Ian played Max in Lend Me a Tenor (Gielgud), Stanley Gardner in Run for Your Wife (Duchess) and Sir Toby Belch in The Inner Temple (Globe). He co-starred opposite Michael Ball in Hairspray (West End).

DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE will be directed by Ian Talbot with designs by Paul Farnsworth and lighting designs by Jason Taylor and will be produced by Jamie Wilson for Doctor in the House Associates Ltd and Lee Menzies Ltd.

See website: www.drinthehouse.co.uk

TOUR DATES 2012                   VENUE
Tue 20th Mar – Sun 25th Mar     Churchill Theatre – Bromley
Mon 26th Mar – Sat 31st Mar    Theatre Royal – Windsor
Mon 2nd Apr – Sat 7th Apr        Malvern Theatres – Worcestershire
Tue 10th Apr – Sun 15th Apr     Royal Concert Hall – Nottingham
Mon 16th Apr – Sat 21st Apr     Kings Theatre – Southsea
Mon 23rd Apr – Sat 28th Apr     Venue Cymru – Theatre/ Arena/ Confer… – Llandudno
Mon 30th Apr – Sat 5th May     Chelmsford, Civic Theatre
Tue 8th May – Sun 13th May     Lyceum Theatre – Sheffield
Mon 21st May – Sat 26th May   Richmond Theatre – Richmond upon Thames
Mon 28th May – Sat 2nd Jun     Theatre Royal/ Drum – Plymouth
Mon 11th Jun – Sat 16th Jun     Grand Theatre – Wolverhampton
Mon 25th Jun – Sat 30th Jun    Theatre Royal – Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Mon 9th Jul – Sat 14th July       Colchester Mercury Theatre
Mon 16th Jul – Sat 21st July     Cheltenham Everyman Theatre

New (ish) productions come along all the time, especially in this fair-weather climate we currently seem to be living in. We may be keen to see them, but let’s be honest; how often do you get truly ‘spine-chilled’ by them? Ghost and Matilda were probably the only two big-hitting West End shows in 2011 to have that effect, and even they weren’t very original: Ghost had the benefit of an Academy Award-winning film (and that song!) behind it, and Matilda was based upon a book by one of the UK’s best loved children’s authors of all time. That’s not to say I’m knocking them, because I’m not; I’ve seen both productions and thought they were completely marvellous. My point is that, as brilliant as they are, they cannot claim to be ‘new’ and ‘original’.

One musical which can lay claim to being both of those things is My Land’s Shore. This new musical from Wales has much going for it: it has a gloriously rich score, it has an absolutely stellar cast attached and, most importantly, it is fresh. There are no familiar pop tunes or rock classics in My Land’s Shore and there are no films or books to turn to in advance – unless you pick up a Welsh history book. I’ve mentioned the musical in previous blogs and told you all about the Merthyr Uprising of 1831 which provides the backdrop to the story and its hero, Dic Penderyn, the first martyr of Wales, so I shan’t rehash them here. It’s no secret that I have a lot of time for Christopher Orton and Robert Gould’s creation; I’ve written about the MLS recording sessions I’ve been to and that I’ve been very vocal in my belief and support of the show.

Still, I have very good reason to be and soon, you will be able to find out for yourselves just why MLS gives me spine-chills. On the 6th of February, the My Land’s Shore cast album will be released. After months of teasing, fans will finally be able to own a little taste of the magic with this studio cast album which showcases a selection of songs from the musical, the score of which was described by renowned Britsh composers Stiles & Drewe as, “soaring, passionate and hauntingly melodic’. If that wasn’t enough for you, this powerfully moving score is performed by some top West End talent, such as; Killian Donnelly, Rhiannon Porter, Kelly-Anne Gower, Gareth Richards, Alexis James and Sarah Lark – all led by the superb Jonathan Williams, who was most recently seen wowing the audiences of the Queen’s Theatre as ‘Jean Valjean’ in hit musical Les Miserables.

My Land’s Shore is a musical which has been ten years in the making and now, it is finally ready to make its mark on the world. The album features sixteen tracks and is being released by SimG Records, the counterpart to the ardent supporter of new and unknown work, SimG Productions. Available to preorder on the My Land’s Shore website now, the My Land’s Shore team are offering another incentive to buy (if you needed one) – the first 70 people to pre-order a copy of the forthcoming album receive a MLS pin badge as a means of gratitude.

The night before the album’s release, the cast and creatives of My Land’s Shore will be performing a 30-minute set for the popular Gigging4Good cabaret at St Paul’s (The Actors) Church – so if you fancy a little taste-test before buying, this is the perfect way to do so.

Nobody can make you go along of course; just as nobody can make you buy the album. Honestly though, why wouldn’t you want to? I’ve become very close to the show and make no efforts to hide that. I love good theatre and so do you all, or so I imagine. I am fortunate enough to have procured a more prominent platform from which to voice my opinions, so if I come across something that I find to be as utterly special as this is, I want to share it with as many people as possible. Voila!

My Land’s Shore is ‘a musical gift from the nation of Wales’ and, in my world anyway, it’s considered rude not to accept a gift when it’s offered to you. So go on; take it and enjoy it as much as I have.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Inspired by the world of the Mujra dancers, who for generations have entertained the rich and powerful with a spellbinding mix of dance and song, Wah! Wah! Girls tells a passionate and playful story of love against the odds. Set against the vibrant background of the East End in 2012, these unstoppable girls uncover deep secrets and create unexpected dreams.

Written by acclaimed playwright Tanika Gupta (Fragile Land, Sugar Mummies) and directed by multi award-winning director Emma Rice (The Red Shoes, Brief Encounter), this extraordinary team of talents also includes co-director Pravesh Kumar (Britain’s Got Bhangra) and set and costume designer Keith Khan.

Featuring stunning dance sequences choreographed by Bollywood masterJaved Sanadi and leading Kathak choreographer Gauri Sharma Tripathi, set to a mix of classic Bollywood tracks and new music by composer Niraj Chag, Wah! Wah! Girls is a feast for the senses that draws audiences into the world of the modern British-Asian community. Let the pleasure begin! Wah! Wah!

Wah! Wah! Girls Tickets

APP USERS: Wah! Wah! Girls Tickets

Booking From: Thursday, 24th May 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 23rd June 2012
Matinees: Saturday and Sunday 2.30pm
Evenings: Tuesday to Saturday 7.30pm

Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street, Off Kingsway
London
WC2A 2HT

The My First… ballets by English National Ballet in partnership with English National Ballet School bring audiences their first taste of ballet through the magic of fairytales, captivating music and beautiful dance.

You can book My First Sleeping Beauty tickets and see this great production which is created by award-winning choreographer and former Royal Ballet Soloist Matthew Hart. He has created pieces for classical companies in the UK and abroad and previous work includes the witty and inventive children’s ballet Peter and the Wolf for The Royal Ballet School in 1995, which was revived in 2010 for the Royal Opera House.

APP USERS: My First Sleeping Beauty Tickets

Booking From: Tuesday, 3rd April 2012
Booking Until: Friday, 13th April 2012
Matinees: Various dates and times

Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street, Off Kingsway
London, WC2A 2HT

Although largely unknown today, Doctor Dee was the quintessential Renaissance Man. From astrology to alchemy and physics to philosophy, his thirst for knowledge was insatiable and, as a key advisor to Elizabeth I, he is credited with providing much of the intelligence which shaped ‘the British Empire’ established under her rule.

Dee also dabbled in the occult and, ultimately, this fascination destroyed him. Conned by deranged medium, Dee’s career ended in disgrace and sexual scandal and he died discredited and penniless.

This fascinating figure is bought to life by the extraordinary talents of composer and musician Damon Albarn, and director Rufus Norris. Albarn’s music is an ingenious mix of pop vocals, much of which he will perform live on-stage, with contemporary orchestral music played on 16th-century period instruments. Rufus Norris’s staging presents five centuries of English history and the three realms of earth, heaven and hell, with the virtuosic flare which has secured him a raft of awards and five-star reviews from London to Broadway.

Dr Dee Tickets

APP USERS: Dr Dee Tickets

Booking From: Monday, 25 June 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 7 July 2012
Matinees: Saturday 2.30pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm

The London Coliseum
St Martin’s Lane
London
WC2N 4ES

Russell trained at Warwick University and the Royal Academy of Music where he performed as Anthony in Sweeney Todd. In 2005 he was one of the finalists in the prestigious BBC Radio 2′s International Voice of Musical Theatre Competition.

He has appeared in many Off-West End shows including the award winning Best Off-West End Production of The Pirates of The Penzance at the Union Theatre, where he played the lead role of Frederick. Russell is now enthralling audiences in the hit musical Chicago.

I hope you enjoy what Russell had to say about himself and his career.

Who inspired you to start singing?
This is a bit embarrassing, but I think my inspiration came when I went to see Joseph in the West End for my 11th birthday. I guess most boys would want to have been Joseph, but I just wanted to be the Narrator. It was Linzi Hateley as the narrator and I was blown away by her voice. I used to sing all her bits from the show all the time and it drove my brother mad. He would sit on me till I stopped singing, so I would just go into the garden and carry on singing along to Linzi with my headphones on. It’s funny because I am now with the same agent as Linzi. Still not met her yet though. Probably for the best, I might get a bit speechless.

Can you recall any of your earliest performances?
I remember doing a production of Charlie and The Chocolate Factory for my local amateur group when I was a child, having persuaded my mum to drop me off at an audition. I wanted to be Charlie because I loved the book so much and I sang ‘Where is love’ from Oliver. To this day I don’t know where I got the balls from to do it because I had never sung before in front of anyone, but when you are young you don’t have any fear. Anyway, I got the part of Augustus Gloop! Ha! Always was a bit too well fed to play Charlie. I remember opening night very vividly because in the scene where we all entered the main doors of the chocolate factory, the man playing Willy Wonka opened the doors the wrong way, so there was just a small crack to get through. All the other children slipped through the gap and I was last. I had a fat suit on and I got stuck in the doors. It was mortifying, but they eventually dragged me through and the audience thought it was hilarious. I guess I have always liked a bit of comedy since.

You trained at Warwick University and the Royal Academy of Music in London. What are a few of your favourite memories from training and how did your training help prepare you for a professional career on the stage?
I have very fond memories of my training at the Royal academy. It’s an incredible place because you are surrounded daily by world class musicians and this becomes part of every project you do. I was lucky enough to play Anthony in Sweeney Todd as our final show and we had a full orchestra of some of the best young musicians around. It was an incredible feeling to sing with a full orchestra, something you don’t often get to do in the professional world. Also, I got the chance to work with some amazing people through the course. I was selected to sing for a masterclass with Julia Mackenzie. I have been a massive fan of her work ever since I got my first recording of Into the Woods, which she starred in. I decided to sing ‘No more’ from that show for the masterclass and it was such a thrill because she had me sit down cross legged opposite her and imagine she was Cinderella and I was singing the song to her. She was so supportive and I will never forget that moment. She gave me the best piece of advice I have ever had. She said, “Always keep your joy”.

In 2005 you were one of six finalists in BBC Radio 2′s International Voice of Musical Theatre Competition. What was it like taking part in the competition?
This was a wonderful opportunity to sing on BBC with a full orchestra. There really is nothing like the thrill of singing full pelt with that massive sound behind you. I have been very lucky and this was a highlight for me. I was fresh out of college, so a bit green and wide-eyed. The whole thing was just great. It made it all the more exciting that one of the judges in the final was Julia Mackenzie! Bizarre twist of fate, but I think I just sang everything for her and that helped with the nerves, a lot. I even sang Giants in the Sky as one of my final songs, and I had chosen this before I knew she was judging. It was a great feeling.

You toured in Scrooge (UK tour) as the Young Ebenezer and as Peter/Understudy Jesus in  Jesus Christ Superstar (Scandanavian tour). What do you like and dislike about being on tour and what are your favourite memories from these two tours?
I love being on tour! It’s very different to working in the West End because you are all away together and it tends to be much more sociable. You really make strong bonds with those people because sometimes it can get quite hard, especially if you are touring to a new venue each week or sometimes every other day in the case of Jesus Christ Superstar. So you all become a bit of a family. Some of my closest friends, I met on these tours. It’s also a great way to see the country, and other countries. I loved working in Sweden and Denmark on Jesus Christ Superstar. Amazing memories. It was made particularly special for me because I was playing Peter, so I got to sing a duet with Mary every night, played by Krysten Cummings. I had first seen her several years before in the original London cast of RENT and thought she was incredible, so to get to sing with her every night in my first job out of college is something I will cherish. I used to stand on stage each night before the show went up thinking, “I can’t believe I am here, I must never forget this”.

In 2010 you played the lead role of Frederick in The Union Theatre’s production of The Pirates of Penzance. The show won an award for the Best Off-West End production. What was so special about the play and your role?
This is one of my most cherished memories. It was just one of those times when everything comes together and falls into place and it all feels incredibly easy because the team are all heading for the same goal. Sasha Reagan is such an incredible lady and she wanted to take Pirates and make it fresh. By casting the show all-male it removed the need to find comedy and bizarrely it takes away the camp element so often associated with G&S. We played it totally straight, especially me because Frederick drives the narrative so he has to believe everything that is going on whole-heartedly, even when the plot takes some bizarre twists and turns. This was the challenge. We had such an amazing group of people on that show, both at the Union Theatre and at Wilton’s Music Hall. It is the hardest I have ever worked on stage (Frederick is rarely off), but somehow it is one of the easiest experiences I have had because it just worked. In fact, it is going to Australia later in the year. Very excited about that.

You have appeared in quite a few Off-West End theatres in various musicals and plays. What have been your most memorable experiences?
A couple of years ago I played the role of The Diva, in a new musical called Frank’s Closet. The writer, Stuart Wood is just brilliant. He is such a generous and modest man, and he had written something that is totally unlike anything I have ever seen. It was just a celebration of everything gay I suppose, but it had real heart and the music and lyrics were so clever. I got to play lots of iconic ladies, including Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, Ethel Merman and Karen Carpenter. So much fun. I think of it like some bizarre dream. I am still not quite sure if it actually happened.

You have performed in Chicago at the Cambridge theatre and now the Garrick Theatre. What can you tell us about the show?
I first saw Chicago with Ruthie Henshall and Ute Lemper about 2 weeks into its run at the Adelphi. I was in love with it. Those ladies were incredible together. The whole cast were incredible and the show has such style. Even now, I still adore the score, I never tire of it. The role I play now was played then by Charles Shirvell. What a star. His performance stayed with me and no doubt it informs what I do now, but hopefully I have made it my own too. I have such fun with it.

Why do you think Chicago is such a successful musical?
The writing is incredible. There is nothing like it out there for showing off the talents of the band and performers on a bare stage. It’s thrilling.

What is your favourite song in the show?
I LOVE to perform ‘Both Reached for the Gun’ every night. It is so much fun. Just makes me smile every time.

Do you have a particular warm-up routine for the show?
I don’t have a particular warm up exactly, but I did get a bit OCD about it at the Cambridge. I had this weird thing where I couldn’t set foot on the red carpet backstage that led to my entrance in the bandstand until a particular cue line, then I would do this funny dance on the red carpet before I enter. Thankfully there is no red carpet backstage at the Garrick so I have freed myself from this mad routine. Ha.

What is it like backstage in Chicago?
Lots of heat-packs, stretching, press-ups and pull-ups. Although I do none of these things. I can mostly be found doing a siren to get my voice ready or playing cards. I have never been in a show where each performer’s entrance carries such weight. It’s terrifying. Each time a new character is introduced to the show in the first half, the ball is handed entirely to that person. It’s just you on your own taking the stage. And I am last to enter, so the pressure is really on. It makes you raise your game.

Why should everyone go and see Chicago?
Because it is an iconic piece of work and it feels fresher than ever at the Garrick. I am having a ball. We have a great cast at the moment.

Has anything embarrassing or unexpected ever happened to you on stage that you would like to share?
Unfortunately, I once entered and fell over on stage at the Cambridge. It was full on. I enter from the bandstand up three steps and sing a very big note, but on this occasion I didn’t make it to the top of the stairs and had to leap to my feet to begin the song. It was utterly mortifying but very funny. I had tears in my eyes throughout the rest of the song because I was trying not to lose it. At least I gave the rest of the cast and the band a big laugh.

Do you have any career ambitions that you haven’t yet fulfilled?
It’s funny because my childhood dream was to perform in the West End. It never extended further than that. I just think I am very lucky to be where I am and hope that I continue to work, especially in new writing. My current dream is to get a nice house with a garden big enough to grow my own vegetables and keep chickens.

What is it that you like most about being a singer and an actor?
The camaraderie, the silliness, the feeling of singing and making people smile. I can’t think of many other professions where you can act like a child with your work colleagues every day.

If you could perform a duet with anyone who would it be?
Linzi Hateley!

What type of music do you like listening to?
At heart I love all music, but particularly, Radiohead, Bjork, Joni Mitchell. I am loving the new Florence and the Machine album at the moment and Lana Del Ray too.

If you had not become an actor, what career path might you have chosen?
No idea. Anything and everything, I am quite adaptable. I have a degree in English Literature, so I guess I might have become a writer. Something I still want to do in fact. But there is nothing I love more than the theatre.

What do you like to do to chill out away from the West End?
Sunday night is horror night in my house. I love a good horror with my mates in my lounge and some popcorn. I am also currently obsessed with my puppy, Buckley (he is a mini smooth-haired black and tan Dachshund). He is sitting on my lap as we speak. He chills me out. Love him so much. I named him after Betty Buckley. She is incredible.

Many thanks Russell for taking time out to answer some questions and best wishes for the future.

You can follow Russell on Twitter at @RustyPW

Chicago Musical Tickets

APP USERS: Chicago Musical Tickets

Interviewed by Neil who you can follow on Twitter at LondonTheatre1 and on Facebook

The inhabitants of the West End are no different. I spoke to some of your favourite West End characters to find out what their new year’s resolutions were and how they’re getting on with them:

The Phantom (The Phantom of the Opera)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“To get a bit more of a life really. Last year, I pretty much stayed at home and kept to myself. I was all about my work you see. I’m a composer.  It wasn’t doing me any good though. I’ve had a bit of a, well an obsession I suppose, with this soprano in the opera house, Christine her name is. I won’t go into details, but I did some things… I couldn’t help it; that voice! So beautiful, so pure… a perfect instrument. Oh how she inspires me. She sings and I hear glorious melodies in my head! Oh, my Christine…”

Um, so how’s the resolution going?

“…..It’s an ongoing process.”

　Inspector Javert (Les Miserables)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“To finally catch that convict, Jean Valjean. He’s been running from me for years now and I’ve had him within my grasp so many times, only for him to slip away again. Not this year though. I swear by the stars, this is the year I hunt the scum down and throw him back in that jail where he belongs! ”

How is your resolution going?

“I’ve gotten myself an informant here in Paris, a con-artist by the name of Thernadier. He’s tipped me off that Valjean is living here in my city, right under my very nose! As soon as the location of his whereabouts has been confirmed, he will be mine and I shall finally bring him to justice. He will learn that it is honest work and just rewards that are the way to please the Lord. Then….actually, I don’t know what I’ll do then. I’ve been a little fixated on this Valjean problem. Ah.”

　Roxie Hart (Chicago)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“Not to cheat on my husband. I met this guy, Fred Casely, and he made it obvious how much he wants me… I was attracted to him. Amos is incredibly dull, but he’s a good man and he does love me. Still, that Fred…”

How is your resolution going?

“I’m in jail and being charged with the murder of my lover. What do you think?”

Elle Woods (Legally Blonde)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“Oh my God, it was super awesome! My new year’s resolution was to go to law school. I know right? Me! It was part of my plan to win Warner back.Once I was a law student, he’d see like, how perfect we are for each other. That engagement ring was so mine!”

How is your resolution going?

“Well… I made it to law school! It hasn’t worked out exactly like I thought it would though. Everyone there is kinda mean and Warner – can you believe he’s engaged to this super bitch by the name of Vivienne Kensington? I mean, what kind of a name is that anyway? It’s okay though, us Delta Nu girls know how to get what we want. I just know we’re going to end up together.”

　Bobby Childs (Crazy For You)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“To make it as a dancer. My mother has been really pushing for me to follow her into the family banking business, but all I want to do is dance on stage! I know I’ve got what it takes, if Mr Zangler would only give me a chance to prove it… I was determined to audition for him and this time, I wouldn’t muck it up.”

How is your resolution going?

“I got the audition – but I mucked it up. Life’s strange though; I’ve ended up in this little town called Deadrock in Nevada where I was supposed to foreclose on this theatre, but instead, I’m masquerading as Mr Zangler and producing a show to save the theatre and win the love of this girl Polly. Is it to late to change my resolution?”

Shrek (Shrek The Musical)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“To get those damn fairytale creatures off of my swamp and back where they came from. I just wanted to be left alone. I was quite happy to spend my days  farting in my mud-bath and eating weed rat stew (I make a mean weed rat stew!) – oh, and scaring away the local villagers with my terrifying ogre ways. What more could I want?”

How is your resolution going?

“Well; the fairytale creatures are gone. But now I’m married - and I have this annoying talking donkey for a best friend, who comes over all the time. I still don’t like people on my swamp, but I don’t mind having Fiona here with me and, one good thing about being an ogre, is that I don’t have to deal with any in-laws! Nope. It’s just me and Fiona….and Donkey.”

Sophie Sheridan (Mamma Mia)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“To find my father. I’m getting married and I really wanted my dad to walk me down the aisle, but I don’t know who he is! Mom doesn’t like to talk about it though. She raised me all on her own. I love her, but I just had to find my dad.”

How is your resolution going?

“What have I done? I found my mom’s old diary and found out I had three possible dad’s, so I did something crazy; I invited them all to my wedding. I thought if I could get them here, I’d be able to tell which one was my dad, but it’s a disaster! They figured out why they were here, and  now they all think they’re my dad and that they’re going to walk me down the aisle tomorrow. What am I going to do?”

Matilda Wormwood (Matilda The Musical)

What was your new year’s resolution?

“I wanted to make my family better people. My dad isn’t a very good man; he cheats and he lies, and all my mum cares about is her dancing. My brother Michael isn’t very nice to me either. All they do is watch TV and yell at me. I read books about parents who tuck their children in at night, read them a bedtime story and tell them that they love them. I wanted to make my mum and dad like the ones in the books.”

How is your resolution going?

“I thought if I punished them whenever they did something bad, they might learn to be nice. Dad has green hair and a hat super-glued to his head, but he’s still cheating, lying and yelling at me. I’ll keep trying though. After all, ‘if you always take it on the chin and wear it, nothing will change’. That’s what I always say anyway.”

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Ross Hunter graduated from the Arts Educational School with a BA Hons in Musical Theatre and went straight into his first West End musical, joining the ensemble of We Will Rock You where he understudied the lead role of ‘Galileo’. Hunter has received much praise for his portrayal of the ‘Prophesised One’ and won over the fans with his powerful vocal ability. Let’s face it, Queen songs, brilliant as they are, are difficult to sing. There may have been only one Freddie Mercury, but many ‘Galileo’s’ over the years have certainly done him proud – I’d definitely include Hunter in that list. Hunter was a member of the We Will Rock You cast when they won the Audience Award for Most Popular Show at the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards. He racked up a decent number of theatre credits before We Will Rock You however, becoming involved in a number of productions and concerts and so forth. Hunter was one of the lead singers in the much-loved West End event, Jest End at the Leicester Square Theatre and was one of the ensemble members at Chess in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall. He has also played the roles of ‘Daniel’ in Today Is my Day at the Delfont Room, ‘Troy Bolton’ in High School Musical and ‘Colin Perks’ in The Railway Children. Add to that CV: ensemble and vocal captain in The Drowsy Chaperone; ‘Liam/John Lennon’ in the workshop of The Great Pretender; ‘Buttons/ensemble’ in the Wyvern Theatre’s pantomime production of Cinderella and part of the singing ensemble at the 2009 Whatsonstage.com Awards and, all in all, he’s gotten off to a pretty good start.

Hunter is still finding success in London’s West End; he is currently performing in Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre, where he plays the ensemble role of Lyle and understudies ‘The UPS Guy’ and the lead role of ‘Warner’. Having already been on for the character, he is once again finding himself showered with enough praise to literally bathe in it – and well deserved.

I’ve heard him sing live on many an occasion now. I’ve been at Show Off Piano Bar on a Friday night when he’s taken to the microphone, and I was there when he laid down the vocals on a track for an up-and-coming composer’s debut album, to be released later this year.

A regular on the musical theatre cabaret circuit, Hunter has also lent that extraordinary voice of his to several composer’s songs now, appearing on a number of different albums. If you happen to own a copy of Acoustic Overtures: The Songs of Dougal Irvine in your musical theatre CD collection, then you’ll have heard his unmistakable voice on a song that was written to help secure the rights to a big 2009 movie hit – the song was ‘The Morning After You Do It’. The movie, you’ll have to work out for yourselves. If you also happen to have Chris Passey’s Self Taught, Still Learning: The Songs of Chris Passey in that collection, then you can’t have failed to miss ‘Sin That I Am In’, a unbeatably infectious duet between Ross Hunter and Ghost The Musical’s new leading man, Mark Evans. Hunter can also be heard on the albums of Michael Bruce, Gareth Peter Dicks and Richard Beadle. He also features on the EP recording for Stand Tall, the anti-bullying musical which had a recent run at the Landor Theatre a few months ago.

At such a young age, Ross Hunter has already made quite a name for himself. With a long list of work credits under his belt that includes two of the biggest West End musicals, he is obviously doing something right. He is lucky enough to have a very distinctive voice, one which is big and impressive enough to ‘melt faces’ as it were. If he continues the way he’s been going, then he is carving himself a path straight to the top. Ross Hunter will be rocking the West End for many years to come.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

You can follow Ross Hunter on Twitter (@RossHunter1)

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www.LastMinuteTheatreTickets.com

Adam (Russell Tovey) snubs his girlfriend Ruth (Naomi Sheldon), and leaves her at home while he goes out for a mate’s birthday. Later that evening he picks up Grace (Jaime Winstone) at a club and gets the nightbus back to hers. Bleak, funny and excruciatingly accurate Golaszewski’s play locates the place where three lives – with all that has gone before, and all is yet to happen – entwine in a cheerless morass of uncertainly, boredom, loneliness and empty lust.

Both pieces contain a cruel twist, or rather a malign stroke of fate, that it would be a crime to give away but which add some exceedingly dark shadows, and both are superb on the subject of sex: frank, even graphic, but full of truth, tenderness and delight.

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Booking From: Wednesday, 1st February 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 25th February 2012
Matinees: Thursday and Saturday 3pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.45pm
Running Time: TBC

Trafalgar Studios
Whitehall
London
SW1A 2DY

“[Matilda the Musical] speaks of fighting the battles that should be fought, caring about others, honing your sense of justice and fairness and knowing when enough is enough.
It is about understanding that our children are far more interesting than just having pretty eyes or a good strong smile. It is about paying attention to the mind, seeing them as the individuals they are, giving them their space to grow but being there to catch them if they stumble.
As a matter of fact, I think we all need that, not just as children, but at any moment along the way, someone to see us, appreciate us and love us, for all we are.”

Melanie La Barrie is a singer and actress from Trinidad where she was a well-known and well-loved calypsonian and radio personality.

She now lives in London and has appeared in numerous musicals, such as Fame, Ragtime, Mary Poppins, Daddy Cool and Les Miserables.

Melanie has a great sense of humour and fantastic stage presence – and on stage is where is has always wanted to be, ever since she was a little girl in Trinidad singing into her hairbrush.

She can currently be seen surrounded by books and children in the new hit musical Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre, where she delights audiences as the kind and lovable librarian Mrs Phelps.

Despite her very busy schedule, Melanie has very kindly answered the following questions about herself, her career and Matilda the Musical. Enjoy this brilliant interview!

You grew up in beautiful Trinidad. How does being a singer/actress in Trinidad compare to life as an entertainer in London?
It’s anonymous in London. In Trinidad, I had been in the public eye since I was 8 years old. Therefore everything I said, did or wore was scrutinised and I was constantly under a microscope. In London it’s different. You can entertain over a thousand people nightly, get cheered mightily at the curtain call, then take the train home with the very audience who appreciated you. You can even eavesdrop while they talk about you, even as you are sitting right there. I’ve heard many interesting things about what people think of me on the train!

As a young girl, you would sing calypso music on stage. Do you still sing calypso songs and do you miss the Carnival?
I have not sung a calypso for 11 years. It is an art form that I still appreciate. It was my very first form of public expression, even though I was not the author of what I was expressing. I had songs written for me by some of my favourite artists in the world. Ask a Trinidadian about David Michael Rudder. I have sung his words and that makes me proud. Being a calypsonian wasn’t easy. I was protected and mentored by some and made to feel like an outsider by others. It is a very competitive art form, like most, I suppose, but more overtly so. You had to have tough skin. I didn’t. But I had good managers and mentors and friends in the older artists who were good to me.

When did you first realise that you wanted to sing and act?
It is so clichéd but I have always known that all I wanted to do was to be on that stage, to perform, to stand under the lights and the gaze. I performed on the table in the living room as soon as I could form words and hold a tune. Our house was not grand but it was the grandest performance hall I had ever known. My imagination was vast, I wish it still was. I sat in front of our picture window in our little house, in our not so well-off neighbourhood and created stories and stories and stories. And I wanted to tell the stories. Everything, the good, bad and indifferent, that happened in my life led towards me being on a stage. I did the thing with the hairbrush and the singing, I did the thing with the tin of hairspray and the Oscar speech, I did the thing where I pretended to be someone else for no reason at all. I did the thing with the one drama class after school and the drama teacher who told me I had no talent for acting. I would scheme and connive to get on that stage. I would even get good grades, for that was the deal struck between my mother and me if I wanted to step an inch of my body onto a stage. I was sensitive in all other areas, didn’t have many friends, had a little sadness I was carrying around inside of me, but I would do anything to get on a stage. It is where I have always felt, and still do feel the safest.

You are currently playing the librarian Mrs Phelps in Matilda the Musical – a role you have originated (you were part of the original Stratford cast last year). Please tell us about your lovely and caring Mrs Phelps. “Who” is she? What makes her tick?
There is nothing I can say about Phelpsy that Roald Dahl hasn’t already said. Matilda reads under her ‘watchful and compassionate eye’, she is ‘filled with wonder and excitement’. Those four attributes are the pillars of my performance. I am there for those children, I am there to show them that they are listened to, that they matter, that they are magnificent and wondrous and that I am a captive audience. Phelpsy is a lover of words. ‘Sit back and allow the words to wash around you, like music.’ she says. Thank you Mr Dahl, thank you.

People who have read your beautiful blog (http://seekingcat.wordpress.com/) know that you don’t seem to agree with the aphorism ‘never work with children’. You describe them as “wondrous beings” who you are “learning from [...] every day”. So you are very much enjoying working with all of the incredibly talented young actresses and actors? Please share a few thoughts with us.
Do you know what children do not do? They do not complain. They get up early, go to school, do all their extra curricular activities, come in for rehearsals, do homework, do the show, all the while smiling and chatting and making jokes. They make me want to be a better person when I’m around them. And when I fail at that, they forgive me wholeheartedly, because their hearts are gold and life is still an adventure and grown ups are funny with their stress and their striving. I salute them.

What are your favourite songs in Matilda?
Oh no, you will not get me to pick just the one, or even a few out of all of them. I love them all, they still, some of them, make me cry. They still make me marvel at the wonder of their cleverness. I shan’t be holding one up as a favourite, making the others feel that they are not as special, not as loved…

It’s ‘When I Grow Up’.

A lot of people have read Matilda the Novel or have seen Matilda the Film. Why should they go and see Matilda the Musical?
They should go see it if they choose to see it. They should see it for the remarkable script that Dennis Kelly has produced, following closely the ideas that Roald Dahl so neatly expressed in his book and extending seamlessly from that. They should see it for the cleverness, anarchy, tenderness and charm of Tim Minchin’s music. They should see it for the beauty of Rob Howell’s design, for the exquisite detail of Matthew Warchus’ direction. They should see it for the carefully formed and lovingly delivered performances of all the cast. They should see it for the magic and wonder of children. They should see it because everyone deserves to remember what it was like to fly on a swing.

In your opinion, what is the message behind Matilda the Musical that people – young and old –should come away with?
I wish I was as good with words as Tim and Dennis. ‘Naughty’ is my theme tune. The show speaks of fighting the battles that should be fought, caring about others, honing your sense of justice and fairness and knowing when enough is enough. It is about understanding that our children are far more interesting than just having pretty eyes or a good strong smile. It is about paying attention to the mind, seeing them as the individuals they are, giving them their space to grow but being there to catch them if they stumble. As a matter of fact, I think we all need that, not just as children, but at any moment along the way, someone to see us, appreciate us and love us, for all we are.

Apart from the role of Mrs Phelps, you also originated the West End roles of Mrs Corry in Mary Poppins and Pearl in Daddy Cool. Is this the best thing that can happen to an actor, being able to originate a role?
Do you know, I had not thought about it until now? It is a lovely thing to do because you are not held to any previous knowledge of how the part should be done. The person you create is intrinsically you, tied up in your movement, breath, voice. It is joyous to create a whole new person from nothing but thought. Everything becomes important, because you know it is being done for the first time. It is like watching a baby learn to walk. Each tentative step is exhilarating because you know pretty soon you’ll be running and who knows where you will go. And the creation never stops for as long as you are playing that part. You find, even months in, new ways of being, new ways of saying things, new levels of tone and colour. It just occurred to me that all three roles I played in my own accent as well. I have been very fortunate to have worked with very brave directors who decided to give me a chance.

Of course you can’t always be the first actress to play a role. You appeared as Madame Thénardier in Les Miserables in 2007/2008 – a character that has been played by a lot of brilliant actresses. How did you manage to make the role your own?
Again, good fortune smiled on me. Working with the director, Mariano Dietry, we went straight back to the source material, and sat for many hours scouring Victor Hugo’s tome for clues on what she was like. I was given the opportunity to create so much of my own Mme T., and with the help of a brilliant Monsieur, Chris Vincent, we managed to create a partnership that was exciting to us, filled with new detail that we had gleaned from the text. It was a joyous experience. Except for all the props!

So it is true that you are not too fond of props!
Hey, excellent segue. I hate them! With a passion! I drop things, break things, lose things, send them flying out into the audience. I’m rubbish with them, rubbish! I worry so much about it that I lose all faculty for simple things like walking.

What is something embarrassing or unexpected that has happened to you on stage?
Because I am likely to do something stupid at any given moment, I tend not to embarrass that easily. I fall over, have lost my costume (cue skirt falling to my ankles on the button of ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’), have walked out of my shoes, barged in on scenes that weren’t mine, forgotten my lines and adlibbed my way for minutes until finding my way back into the scene. So, no, not much embarrassing or unexpected ever happens to me on stage…

What other roles would you love to play and why (in any musical/play)?
I wish I could play Shylock or Mercutio, they would be tremendous fun. I wish I could wedge myself into anything that August Wilson has ever written. I wish I could be Mama Rose. It’s funny, growing up in Trinidad, it never occurred to me that there were shows that I could not be in or roles that I could not do, for one reason or another. I have now learned that lesson. But as I’ve said, I have always worked with brave directors so who knows what I will get a chance to play in my lifetime.

If you could go and see any West End musical or play tonight, which one would it be and why?
I would turn everyone out of the theatre and have a private performance of Jerusalem, for all the obvious reasons. I would also turn back the hands of time and go see Frankenstein, again for reasons so glaringly obvious that I won’t bother expanding. And then I would jet over to the States and go see Book of Mormon because I feel that death by laughing would be a good way to go.

You have also appeared in TV programmes (Casualty, EastEnders). Would you like to do more TV work?
Wouldn’t we all!

Is there anyone you would really like to work with?
I would love to work with Danny Boyle and Rupert Goold. I wish I could work with my friend Julia Sutton again, because you do not know craft and love until you have been in her presence.

What have been your career highlights to date?
Every opportunity that I get to do what I do is a career highlight. Acting is a fickle master; who knows how long he will love me for.

What are your long-term ambitions?
To breathe, to learn, to create and to love. Not necessarily in that order.

Many thanks for this brilliant interview, Melanie and all the very best for ‘Phelpsy’ and any future projects!

Photo courtesy of Martin Phillips

Interview by Sandra Palme (Twitter: LondonTheatre2)

Follow Melanie on Twitter: @melabarrie

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The Importance of Being Earnest, A trivial comedy for serious people is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14th February 1895 at St. James’s Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play’s major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways.

Contemporary reviews all praised the play’s humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde’s artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde’s most enduringly popular play.

Two girls earnest to marry, two gentlemen eager to respond, and one Lady earnestly hoping for cucumber sandwiches. Join Jack, Algernon, Gwendolen, Cecily and Lady Bracknell at the Theatre Royal Haymarket to discover the vital importance of being Earnest.

This hilarious and critically acclaimed production transfers to the West End following a sell-out at one of London’s most beloved fringe theatres, the Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington.

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Booking From: Tuesday, 31st January 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 11th February 2012
Matinees: Thursday and Saturday 2.30pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm

Haymarket Theatre Royal
Haymarket
London
SW1Y 4HT

In Richard Bean’s English version of Carlo Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy The Servant of Two Masters, sex, food and money are high on the agenda.

Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6,000 from his fiancee’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers.

Holed up at The Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple.

Directed by Nicholas Hytner

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Important Information:
Suitable for ages 14+
Booking From: Friday, 2nd March 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 15th September 2012
Matinees: Wednesday and Saturday 2.30pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm

Theatre Royal Haymarket
Haymarket
London
SW1Y 4HT

Gielgud Theatre

Mrs. Wilberforce – Marcia Warren, Professor Marcus – Peter Capaldi,  Major Courtney – James Fleet,    Louis Harvey – Ben Miller, Harry Robinson – Stephen Wight, One Round – Clive Rowe

An adaptation of the popular 1955 Ealing Comedy film of the same name, The Ladykillers is as sinister as the title implies. A seemingly docile, innocent elderly lady, Mrs Wilberforce, rents out her spare room to an amateur string quintet for rehearsals, unwittingly letting a gang of criminals into her Kings Cross home. Unbeknownst to her, they are planning a heist and intend to use her as an accessory. Through a continually evolving plot which twists and turns right up until the final moments, who will survive as the tables are turned?

The first thing to strike the audience as the curtain rises is the incredible set. Michael Taylor and his creative team are to be applauded for their innovative use of scenery and special effects. Mrs Wilberforce’s subsiding house is intricate, detailed and even rotates to reveal its outside, roof and more. The sound and music deserves a mention too as it creates the sinister atmosphere, as is befitting a black comedy, and builds the tension perfectly. The set and its design never failed to amaze me throughout.

We first see a delicate, timid Mrs Wilberforce describing the suspicious behaviour of a local shop-keeper to a long suffering police constable. It is clear this sweet old lady has had numerous ‘suspicions’ before, all having amounted to nothing as her age and her confused mind comes into play. Marcia Warren is wonderfully convincing in this role and deserves nothing but praise for her performance. No matter how extreme and border-line ridiculous the plot surrounding her became, she never once faltered. I believed her completely.

The Ladykillers has a broad range of villainous characters, each more extreme than the other, to create a highly amusing outcome. Mrs Wilberforce’s seemingly grateful and talented tenants consist of James Fleet playing the nervous Major Courtney, with an amusing bumbling nature and an even more amusing hobby, Stephen Wight as the crazy, pill popping, excitable Harry, and Ben Miller as the suspicious, old-lady fearing Louis. Finally, with great comic timing and a surprisingly caring nature, is Clive Rowe as the simpleton One Round.

This band of misfits is led by the enigmatic Professor Marcus, played by Peter Capaldi. Manipulative and charming, he dupes Mrs Wilberforce into believing the story shrouding the truth of their intentions. The Professor’s smooth exterior gradually cracks towards the climax of the play and we finally see him in a frenzy trying to keep everything from falling apart. Capaldi portrays this in a marvellous way with fantastic facial expressions and lots of comic moments.

Throughout The Ladykillers the Professor, and his band of ‘merry men’, are apparently magnets for disaster. Nevertheless, and this is what I most enjoyed, however panicked and frantic the characters become, they did not cross the line into pantomime. The fine line between farce and pantomime can often be blurred but The Ladykillers succeeded in maintaining the comic value without creating unrealistic caricatures. This success is a combination of excellent writing, direction and stage craft.

I really did laugh watching The Ladykillers, as did the rest of the auditorium. The audience were mainly of an older generation who perhaps remember the Ealing Comedies in their original form, but this play is by no means tailored toward that age range only. The vast majority of the British public will find The Ladykillers extremely funny for many reasons and I personally highly recommend it for an evening of comedy and entertainment. The plot twists and turns continually throughout, particularly in Act II, and the end result is charming. Of course, the details of which, I will not reveal.

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If you’ve been fortunate enough to get your show into an off-West End theatre, then well done you, that in itself is quite an achievement. The question is though, “Where do you go from here?” A small, unknown production will most likely be offered a 4-6 week run, or there-about . If that run is a success, then you’ll probably want to ensure that it lives on in some way, instead of being consigned to a needlessly early death – but how?  The obvious plan is to try for a West End run by running around town pitching your show to producers, although releasing a cast recording is also a popular option. Even if you do earn yourselves a West End run, chances aren’t high that your show is going to follow in the footsteps of giants Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera and run for 25 years or more. Another limited run is more like it. Then it’s right back to where you started, just with a bit more recognition perhaps. So what then? Well, one show has gone down a very different route in its quest for greatness.

After three years of development, which saw a short run at the King’s Head Theatre and a West End concert, In July 2011, Betwixt! finally had its moment in the West End spotlight with a 4 week run at the Trafalgar Studios 2, which was extended by three weeks to 10^th September 2011. Written and directed by Ian McFarlane, the ‘funny musical’ was based in New York and revolved around a struggling writer and his flamboyant roommate, who undergo an unexpected journey to a strange fantasy land. It featured a  superb cast, led by Stevie Webb (Departure Lounge), Ashleigh Gray (Wicked) and West End newcomer Benedict Salter, as well as former Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan and  stage and screen star Ellen Greene (Little Shop of Horrors, Heroes). With a story which included ex-crazed nymphs, hunchbacks, cross-dressing mutes, dancing reporters, enchantresses (of the evil-world-dominating variety) and a disembodied head with a Bavarian accent, Betwixt! certainly had a style all of its own and since its closure, has still managed to remain in the thoughts of its fans; which is another achievement right there. Now, the creative team are looking to take the show in another direction by producing an independent feature film.

Using crowd-funding website Indie GoGo, Betwixt! producer Christopher D Clegg and writer/director Ian McFarlane are attempting to bring the show to the big screen with a cast of combined TV and musical theatre actors (soon to be announced), as well as the added intention of releasing the movie soundtrack alongside it. On their funding page, Clegg says, “Producing new musical theatre is always tough, especially when it’s an original story such as Betwixt!, and turning it into a film is even more risky so we need your help to make the best film we can and preserve this great show.”

It certainly is a bold move. During its West End run, Betwixt! was something of a mixed bag, gaining itself an average of ‘three stars’ from critics. A reviewer on Thepublicreviews.com wrote, “The programme advises ‘don’t ask too many questions – just go with it’ when it comes to the plot, sage advice indeed.” Audiences seemed to unquestionably adore it however which, let’s be honest, is usually a far more accurate indication of a show’s worth. They’ve turned it into something of a cult classic among musical theatre fans, which could give the film a solid starting-off point. It also had the added bonus of receiving the stamp of approval from an array of famous faces, including Jenny Éclair, Alan Davies and the legendary Stephen Fry, who described the musical as “shatteringly brilliant”.

Clegg and McFarlane are hoping to bank a full $50,000 for the project and have given themselves until 2^nd April 2012 to raise the funds needed to make Betwixt! into a feature film. As is the norm for these fundraising resources, donations will be rewarded with a range of perks, the contents of which are dependant on the size of your donation. Betwixt! perks range from a handwritten ‘Thank You’ from the filmmakers and a film credit, to a walk-on role in the film and an invitation to the premiere – in between they also offer signed DVDs, CDs and posters, a meet-and-greet with the cast, associate producer credit and the chance to have tea with ‘Joan the Mute’.

Developing a small stage musical into a full feature film is no mean feat, and while Clegg and McFarlane’s ambition should be applauded, I expect they are going to find the road ahead to be a devilishly difficult one, littered with potholes. That being said, I wish them every success and who knows – this could change the way the fortunes of the small, unknown musical are made.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

To pledge funds to the Betwixt! film project, go to www.indiegogo.com/BetwixtMusical

Ghost The Musical opened at the Piccadilly Theatre in the West End in June 2011 where it has subsequently been playing to packed houses.  Siobhan Dillon and Mark Evans join Sharon D Clarke as Oda Mae Brown and Andrew Langtree as Carl who continue in the roles they originated on stage when the production premiered.

A timeless story about the power of love, Sam is trapped as a ghost between this world and the next trying to communicate with his girlfriend Molly through a phoney psychic in the hope of saving her from his murderer. Ghost, based on the Oscar® winning Paramount pictures film, features new music and lyrics as well as the classic Unchained Melody.

Ghost The Musical has music and lyrics by Grammy® award winning Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard as well as featuring the iconic song Unchained Melody.  Oscar® winning Bruce Joel Rubin has adapted his original screen play for the stage.  Set and costume designs are by Rob Howell, choreography is by Ashley Wallen with musical supervision and arrangements by Christopher Nightingale, illusions by Paul Kieve, lighting by Hugh Vanstone and projection design by Jon Driscoll.

Siobhan Dillon was a finalist in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first reality TV show How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?  She went on to make her West End debut as Patty in Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre and subsequently toured the UK in Can’t Smile Without You and Cabaret, in which she played Mandy and Sally Bowles respectively.  Last year she played the role of Vivienne in Legally Blonde The Musical at the Savoy Theatre and subsequently played Claire in Ex The Musical at the Soho Theatre.  On the radio, Dillon has performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra on Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night.  For the past few years Siobhan has been song writing and recording her solo album which has taken her all over the UK, Australia and America.

Mark Evans has been playing the role of Fiyero in the West End production of Wicked since February 2011 year. He has previously been seen on stage as Curly in the recent UK tour of Oklahoma!;  the leading role of Troy Bolton in the London production of High School Musical and as Brad Majors in the UK tour of the Rocky Horror Show.  His screen credits include Lake Placid 3 and Dead Hungry.  Evans also appeared on the BBC’s and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Your Country Needs You reaching the final.  A regular on S4C, he has appeared in Dechrau Canu Dechrau Canmol, Wedi 7, the Eisteddfod Annual Concert, The Sian Cothi Show, Noson Lawen, and The Big Welsh Talent Concert as well as the ongoing children’s programme Marcaroni in which he plays the title role. Mark has recently completed filming his own 1hr TV special. This year saw Mark Evans release his debut solo album on Sain Records – The Journey Home is a selection of 6 English and 6 Welsh language songs.  He also runs West End In Wales, a young person’s theatre initiative, started and funded by Mark over 5 years ago.

The cast, from 13th January 2012, comprises Siobhan Dillon (Molly Jensen), Mark Evans (Sam Wheat), Sharon D Clarke (Oda Mae Brown), Andrew Langtree (Carl Bruner), Ivan de Freitas (Willie Lopez), Adebayo Bolaji (Subway Ghost), Mark White (Hospital Ghost), Lisa Davina Phillip (Clara) and Jenny Fitzpatrick (Louise).  They are joined by ensemble and swing members Jaygann Ayeh, Paul Ayres, Darren Carnall, Samuel Edwards, Rebecca Giacopazzi, Emily Hawgood, Louise Lawson, Rochelle Neil, Michael Peters, Laura Selwood, Yemie Sonuga, Spencer Stafford, Philippa Stefani, Jez Unwin, Sally Whitehead and Mark Willshire.

Ghost, the highest grossing film in the UK in 1990, starred Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Tony Goldwyn and Whoopi Goldberg and was directed by Jerry Zucker. Winning two Academy Awards®, Bruce Joel Rubin’s script won the Oscar® for Best Original Screenplay and Whoopi Goldberg won the Oscar® for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.  The film’s iconic love scene at a potter’s wheel was famously performed to The Righteous Brothers’ Unchained Melody.

Ghost The Musical Tickets

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I’ve been behind Scott Alan’s work for some time now – and I’m hardly the only one. Alan has quite the following, on both sides of the Atlantic. Based in New York, he last visited the UK in November 2011 for the Diva’s Sing Scott Alan concert, which saw him joined on stage at the Arts Theatre by some of West End’s best female vocalists, featuring the likes of Alexia Khadime, Chloe Hart, Ashleigh Gray and Sharon D Clarke. Following the success of that concert, Alan will be returning to our shores later this year for a very special reason…

Having already released three very successful albums, Alan is now preparing to release his fourth, New York to London – LIVE. The album will feature of mix of Broadway and West End talent, made up of live recordings of the performances from his Birdland concert in New York this April, and a London concert that is currently still in the planning. Alan is clearly as excited about this as his fans are, having already hinted at what they can expect.

Confirmed to appear on the album is Kerry Ellis (Wicked), as well as West End/Broadway star Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies, Masterclass) and one of Alan’s closest friends, Shoshana Bean (Dear John Mayer). Alan has also been tweeting teasers about the songs some of the other artists will be performing, which includes Hadley Fraser (Les Miserables) sings ‘Take Me Away’, Stuart Matthew Price (Shrek The Musical) sings ‘Over The Mountains’, Natalie Weiss (Wicked)  sings ‘I’m A Star’ and Oliver Thompsett (Rock of Ages) sings ‘Kiss The Air’, the song that’s perhaps most synonymous with the name of Scott Alan. Other popular compositions ‘Free’, ‘Anymore’ and ‘Til Then’ will be included on the album and Alan will be performing himself, singing ‘Blessing’, ‘Ignited By A Dream’, ‘Love, Love, Love’ and of course, ‘Never Neverland’.

There are more guest vocalists to be announced, but for now, Alan is keeping the names under his hat. I can say though that he has approached Jennifer Holliday (Dreamgirls) and singer/songwriter Jazmine Sullivan to be a part of his New York concert, and our very own Ramin Karimloo (Love Never Die, Les Miserables). Fans can most likely expect to hear Annalene Beechey (Phantom), Mark Evans (Ghost) and Ashleigh Gray (Wicked) as well, being very good friends of his and regular guests at his London concerts.

Another exciting hint that Alan has given his fans is the prospect of one of them winning the opportunity to be involved in the live album; anyone, from anywhere. No further details have been revealed, but Alan recently tweeted that fans should get themselves a video camera and learn the lyrics for ‘I’m A Star’…

Scott Alan is currently working on new musical Home with book writer Christy Hall, which is aiming for a Broadway run in 2012. With everything he has going on this year already, it looks like 2012 is a good year to be a Scott Alan fan.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Last night, the second episode was shown, this time focusing on the Lloyd Webber and Mackintosh-dominated era of the ’80’s. It kicked off with the first musical Lloyd Webber did without lyricist Tim Rice; Cats. Cats really was a musical like nobody had ever seen before and it had its fair share of difficulties, including a creative team with little or no West End experience, choreographing the cat-like movements and mannerisms, Elaine Paige being brought in to replace the injured Judi Dench just three days before previews and problems with raising the capital for the show in the first place. As a ‘dance musical’ with no discernible storyline, Cats seemed a big risk for investors and no-one knew if it would be a big hit or a colossal flop – of course, it went on to most definitely be the latter. The crowning achievement of Cats is that it paved the way for the ‘Triple Threat’ musical: with a cast that sang, danced and acted, all at the same time, they set the bar higher for musical theatre shows and performers.

The popularity of the show also ushered in a new form of brand-marketing – Cats merchandise was everywhere! Now it’s the norm: we have hoodies, mugs, hats, key rings… even oyster card holders, and it all brings in a lot of money.

After Cats, came what would go on to be the third longest-running West End musical – although nobody would have believed it at the time. Blood Brothers started in a school hall in Merseyside and only lasted six months in the West End. Willy Russell’s musical about brothers separated at birth drew from the social divide between the rich and the poor that existed at that time and, while it was a relevant and relatable piece of theatre, it was also a change from the familiar and audiences just didn’t accept it. Today, with so many West End shows closing in their first year, it’s interesting to see that this problem of getting audiences to connect with the new and unknown is still around. I’ve always believed that the West End theatre scene is an ever-moving cycle. However, right now, film-adaptions and jukebox musicals are ‘in’ and original work is ‘out’, but times are a-changing and the day is coming for new writing to take back the West End. It just takes a little faith and imagination. It took Blood Brothers three UK tours to find its way back to the West End and when it did, it cemented itself as one of the biggest shows around; an achievement which still stands even now. It just goes to show that sometimes, all a musical needs is a little time to find its feet.

If Blood Brothers didn’t do so well in the 80’s however, there were plenty of other musicals which did. Lloyd Webber’s golden touch went to Starlight Express this time, the musical about trains which was performed by actors on skates – if Cats had seemed a risky venture, Starlight Express was perhaps even more so. Still, the combination of John Napier’s brilliant set design – which basically turned the Apollo Victoria into a roller derby – and the spectacle of the show was enough to wow the audiences and ensure success, although the critics were less than kind. The debate over intellectual content versus showmanship and spectacle is one which is still relevant today, as evident in the critic’s response to Rock of Ages. It’s a matter of taste I suppose but whatever your views, the fact remains that these musical extravaganzas sell tickets and as long as they continue to do so, they’ll stay open.

What Starlight Express also did is to attract a new type of audience, as appealing as it was to kids, the tourists loved it even more. Today’s West End is predominantly fuelled by tourism, but it wasn’t always so. With more and more new and popular British musicals emerging, the West End was starting to, not only match the strength of Broadway, but exceed it. In a reversal of circumstances, Broadway, which had once dominated the theatre world, was now being over-run as the British musical invaded. Shows like Evita, Cats, Oliver ruled the boards in New York and when Stephen Fry’s revival of Me and My Girl was a big West End hit and transferred to Broadway, it became the first British musical to win a Tony Award for choreography. If the theatre world thought that Britain was out of hits however, they soon found themselves sorely mistaken as we unleashed what was to be one of the biggest musicals the world has ever seen.

Life is all about chance. Andrew Lloyd Webber meeting Tim Rice, Willy Russell sneaking into that Manchester performance of Blood Brothers – and Alain Boublil going to see Oliver. It was the Artful Dodger that reminded him of the character of Gavroche in the famous 19^th century novel Les Miserables and led to him approaching composer Claude –Michel Schonberg about writing a stage musical about it. After Cameron Mackintosh heard the Les Miserables concept album the two released, he became involved and brought in the director of the time, Trevor Dunn, the connection to Les Miserables premiering at the RSC. After a long rehearsal and preview period, the critics were let loose: the news wasn’t good. It’s been suggested that they were just fixed against the RSC staging a musical, something which they seemed to have gotten over when Matilda first opened there. Whatever the reasoning behind the reviews, it wasn’t looking good for Les Miserables - until Mackintosh phoned the Box Office. Turns out, the audience loved it and, as with most shows, their voice spoke louder than that of the critics. Mackintosh made a comment on the documentary that “often the audience is ahead of the critics” and I agree wholeheartedly. Time and again, a show has been slated by the critics, yet the audience see something in it that the critics seem to be missing and they ensure that it stays alive. Debates over the relevance of the critic are raging all the time, with many theatre-goers believing most to be out of touch, writing subjective and needlessly-harsh reviews.

Today, Les Miserables is still going strong and shows no signs of its popularity waning. Now in its 26^th year, it overcame the negativity of the press to become a global hit and the longest-running musical of the West End. Musicals Time and Chess didn’t fare nearly so well however when they opened back then; Time over-reached itself and Chess’ problems arose from the complication of the story and timing issues. There was however, one more 80’s show which went on to become the most successful musical of all time: The Phantom of the Opera.

Probably the show for which Andrew Lloyd Webber is most famous for, Phantom was written for his then-wife Sarah Brightman, the soprano who originated the role of Christine Daae (after director Hal Prince made her audition). After failing to reunite with Tim Rice, Lloyd Webber brought in Charles Hart as lyricist and another successful writing team was born. For the first time as well, he went for star billing by casting Michael Crawford in the role of The Phantom, a character that was completely different to the one he was most known for in TV sitcom Some Mothers Do ‘Ave’ Em. Everything came together though on Phantom: the cast, the creative team, the story, the music… and it was a huge hit with audiences – the show was pre-booked for the first eighteen months, something previously unheard of for a West End musical. It celebrated its 25^th Anniversary in October 2011 and, along with Les Miserables, is one of the giants of the West End as it continues to sell-out night after night.

The 1980’s is when everything began to change for the British musical. With hit after hit, they established London’s West End as the theatre hub of the world and took over Broadway. The 80’s were all about taking risks however; shows like Cats, Starlight Express and Les Miserables were new and different and held no guarantees of success – but look what they did for British theatre. In a time where the West End is driven by the familiar and safe, the second episode of The Story of Musicals provides a very important message; one which needs to be heard. Safe and familiar is all well and good, but it doesn’t do anything for the reputation and development of the West End. Over-run with Broadway transfers, film-adapted musicals and jukebox shows, originality is something which it is sorely lacking. Producers and investors must have a little more faith and belief, and theatre-goers need to start opening their minds more because you know what – sometimes a risk pays off.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Most performers knew from a young age that they wanted to be on the stage. Maybe they were inspired by a particular actor or production, or maybe they just grew up with a love of singing – whatever it was that first sparked that interest, once the fire was lit it couldn’t be dampened. The hard part comes after they made that decision. Stretching ahead are the years of hard work and training, of rejection and self-doubt… but even before all of that comes the first tough choice that has to be made, where do you get started?

There are a multitude of theatre schools in the UK, each just as good as the next. There’s the Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD), The Guildford School of Acting (GSA) The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA)…the list goes on and on. So which one do you go to? Do you decide by geographical location? By reputation? By financial cost? Well, if you were to take the advice of theatrical newspaper The Stage, the school of choice is The Musical Theatre Academy (MTA).

The MTA has just been named the School of the Year 2012 in The Stage 100 Awards. It was set up in 2009 by principal Annemarie Lewis Thomas, who herself graduated from Middlesex Polytechnic with an honours degree in Performing Arts and has worked as an MD/Arranger on several London productions, regularly teaming up with Perfect Pitch. The concept behind the MTA was to create a school which concentrated solely on the area of musical theatre and focused on giving the students all the skills they would need to work in the industry in an intense, fast-tracked programme over two years, instead of the standard three. The MTA only accepts a maximum of 22 students per year, which allows them to add the personal touch to the course; something Lewis Thomas felt was an important factor in training.

Located at Holloway Road since October 2011, the MTA has full use of two dance studios, their own green room and a few soundproofed areas. When not being used, the MTA hire out the venue which, not only provides audition/rehearsal space, but also generates funds which are then put into the MTA Student Hardship Fund. One of their biggest appeals is that the school insists on only hiring members of staff who are currently working in the industry. A host of West End performers have visited the school to lead workshops with the students, and again, they left with nothing but praise for them. Kerry Ellis called the school “one to watch” after working with the students, adding that “the MTA really seems to have tapped into a new current way of thinking and teaching.” Sister Act’s Julie Atherton clearly agreed, saying that, “these students have a great attitude and have been excellently trained! The MTA definitely gets it right!!!” Composer Dougal Irvine, whose musical In Touch is receiving its world premiere at the hands of the MTA in June 2012, said it was a “privilege” to work with the students and believes they have benefited from the course structure, adding that, “they’ve got a great understanding of the shape of the business they are entering into and I predict great things from them and future graduates of this fine academy.”

The judging panel for The Stage’s 100 Stage Awards were all agreed in their decision to choose the MTA as the School of the Year, rewarding their “pluck” and their “excellence”, citing that, “within just a few years of opening, Lewis Thomas and her team have established themselves as a new force in drama training that is not afraid to approach things differently. The panel unanimously wanted to recognise their vision with this award.” With Annemarie Lewis Thomas leading the way, aided by a staff of industry professionals and the support of patrons Andy Barnes (Perfect Pitch) and actress Lara Pulver, the students of the MTA seem to be getting the best possible start to musical theatre life. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a number of the current and graduated students and have found them to be exceptionally talented and in possession of a great attitude to the industry. These ‘triple-threaters’ are going to be in musicals all over the West End in the coming years and as the MTA continues to produce well-rounded performers, I look forward to seeing more of them.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Northern Stage and Live Theatre in Newcastle Upon Tyne are thrilled to announce that they are joining forces to revive Alan Plater’s play Close The Coalhouse Door as a memorial production following his death in 2010. Directed by Samuel West, the production will open at Northern Stage on Wednesday 18th April, with previews from 13th April and will then tour the UK until June.

CLOSE THE COALHOUSE DOOR will tour the country whilst THE PITMEN PAINTERS, another Live Theatre production set in the mining community, continues to enjoy huge success in the West End. Writer Lee Hall, (best-known for his global smash hit musical Billy Elliot) has been commissioned to revisit the piece with a new ending and a new song to bring it up to date, especially as the play was written before the critical 1984-5 miners’ strike.

It was over forty years ago that Andrew Lloyd Webber teamed up with lyricist Tim Rice to create Rock Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar which, after a lukewarm Broadway debut, opening in London’s West End to great critical acclaim. The musical, which was last seen here in 2004 with a UK tour, has received a new surge of interest courtesy of the new Toronto production, which goes to Broadway later this year. Rumours of Lloyd Webber’s new plans for the hit musical have been swirling for months and as the new year gains ground, so too do these rumours. It seems work is underway for an arena tour which would start in America before coming over to the UK and that Lloyd Webber is looking to cast both the leading role of Jesus and treacherous disciple Judas through the medium of reality TV.

It’s not the first time the composer has used a televised talent contest to cast a role; in fact, this will be the fifth. Lloyd Webber has cast the lead for four of his musicals in this way, which started with The Sound of Music (How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?) and moved on to Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat (Any Dream Will Do), Oliver! (I’d Do Anything), rounding off with last year’s casting for The Wizard of Oz (Over The Rainbow). The highly successful programmes made stars of winners Connie Fisher, Lee Mead, Jodie Prenger and Danielle Hope, as well as a high number of the other contestants, such as Samantha Barks, Sarah Lark, Rachel Tucker, Siobhan Dillon and Daniel Boys, to name a few.   

Now, according to reports in The Sun, the fifth in the talent search series will air on ITV, instead of the BBC as in previous years, citing the Beeb’s apparent concerns about Christian viewer’s reactions as the reason. The newspaper also suggests that Steve Balsamo, the Welsh singer who portrayed the title role in the 1996 revival of JCS (and sings one of, if not the, best renditions of Gethsemane I’ve heard), will be joining The Lord on the judging panel on the programme.

The news of casting for Jesus Christ Superstar on TV has created quite the online buzz, certainly raising the excitement levels of a great deal of tenor singers. People have been having plenty of fun with it too, laughing over the thought of the “You could be Jesus!” line and speculating over the staging of the show – who wouldn’t want to see voted-off contestants attached to a crucifix and hoisted off into the rafters?

As one of my personal favourites when it comes to musical theatre, I’m enjoying witnessing this revival in the musical’s popularity. The role of Jesus is a tough one vocally, so I think it would be very interesting to see the level of talent that makes it through to the live shows. A new West End star could most definitely be uncovered which, cynicism about free publicity aside, is what these programmes are all about. They offer opportunities to undiscovered talent and if you look at how many former contestants are now working in the West End, it’s plain to see how they’ve changed the face of the West End: I, for one, am looking forward to seeing it changed again.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

A ballet in four parts, book Artifact tickets for a piece that features music by J.S. Bach and scenography, lighting, costumes and choreography all by William Forsythe. It is famous for the way it subverts the traditional physical principles of ballet and plays with audiences ideas about what ballet can be.

Artifact Sadlers Wells Tickets

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Sadlers Wells
Rosebery Ave
Islington, London
EC1R 4TN

Booking From: Thursday, 19th April 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 21st April 2012
Evenings: Thursday to Saturday 7.30pm

The ultimate in feel-good entertainment, Strictly Come Dancing Live features all the must-haves from the hugely popular BBC1 TV series. Stunning costumes, outspoken judges, dazzling dances from your favourite celebrity contestants and some brand new routines courtesy of the ever-popular professional dancers make this a must-see show that is sure to bring a smile to your face and beat away any winter blues.

Don’t miss your chance to experience the energy and excitement of Strictly Live.

Strictly Come Dancing O2 Tickets

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PLEASE NOTE: TICKETS FOR THIS EVENT WILL NOT BE SENT OUT UNTIL TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE

Booking From: Saturday, 28th January 2012
Booking Until:  Sunday, 29th January 2012
Matinees: Matinees at 2.30pm, Sunday 1.30pm
Evenings: Evenings at 7.30pm, Sunday at 6.30pm

The O2 Arena
Drawdock Road
London
SE10 0BB

A graduate of The Guildford School of Acting (GSA), Hart has been singing since the age of six when she would take over the karaoke mike at her parent’s Cornwall pub to belt out Celine Dion tracks. Her love of performing was given direction after watching Elaine Paige in the DVD of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats and realising that was what she wanted to do. She developed her natural talent at the Playrite Theatre School before attending GSA, graduating in 2008. It was during her time at GSA that she was invited to be part of the West End Chorus at the Royal Albert Hall for Chess In Concert, performing onstage with one of her self-confessed idols, Broadway star Idina Menzel. Speaking of that night in her recent interview with lastminutetheatretickets.com, Hart said “I have a slightly unhealthy obsession with Idina Menzel so I couldn’t believe my luck. I think I actually cried a bit! Everything about the experience was incredible.”

For a musical theatre student to perform with one of Broadway’s biggest stars is achievement enough, but landing a leading West End role as your first job out of school is an impressive feat of accomplishment. Hart was cast as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray at the Shaftesbury Theatre which, in 2009, she described as a scary prospect but added that, “at the same time it was a role that sits with me so well – she’s just like me but a few years ago.”

Hart played opposite Liam Tamne (Link Larkin), who is currently performing as Enjolras in Les Miserables; the show which was to become her second West End credit. She joined the ensemble in 2010 as Factory Girl and understudy to Madame Thenardier. It was during her stint there that I first came across Hart, at the Les Mis Gives…Again at the Delfont Room in May 2011, where she sang ‘Somebody To Love’. I was taken aback by the power in her voice and wrote in my personal blog at the time that I thought her to be an ‘underrated talent’, something which I’m pleased to say appears to be changing. Her talents have been sought after by a number of big names in the theatre world, including SimG Productions and American composer Scott Alan, who brought her in as a guest vocalist for Alan’s Divas Sing Scott Alan London concert, where she blew the roof off the Arts Theatre with her rendition of ‘Easy’. She also sung on one of the tracks for Chris Passey’s album and was involved in the A Night For Jennifer gala concert on 31^st October 2011, performing alongside a stellar line-up of West End stars, such as Ross Hunter, Steven Oliver-Webb and Gina Beck.

Now she’s sharing a stage with Miss Beck once again at the Apollo Victoria in Wicked, in what is a dream job for her. In a 2009 interview, Hart told how she wore a Wicked hoodie to a Hairspray event and named it as one of the shows she’d always wanted to be a part of (along with We Will Rock You). A proud Wicked ‘geek’, she has seen the musical more than ten times and, when speaking to lastminutetheatretickets.com, said of it, “Anyone who knows me, knows that it is my favourite show of all time. The music and the orchestrations are just phenomenal. It never fails to move me.”

Being able to perform in London’s West End, singing onstage with Idina Menzel and being a Wicked cast member – at the age of just twenty-four, she has already realised a number of her dreams and I have no doubt that she will get the chance to live out a few more in the years still to come. A long, glittering career stretches out ahead of Chloe Hart, remember the name now and you’ll save yourself time later on. Have a read of our interview with Chloe Hart from a few weeks ago.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

You can follow Chloe on Twitter: @ChloeSJHart

JANUARY – An Evening With Chris Passey and Friends

Midlands-based musical theatre composer, Chris Passey, released his debut album in November 2011 – Self Taught, Still Learning: The Songs of Chris Passey – which features eleven original compositions from his concept musical, Bridges. Passey’s songs are predominantly big, emotional ballads, performed on the album by some of the West End’s biggest stars, such as Liam Tamne (Les Mis), Simon Lipkin (Rock of Ages), Siobhan Dillon (Ghost), Ross Hunter (Legally Blonde) Mark Evans (Ghost), and more. With its soaring melodies and heartfelt lyrics, it’s no wonder Passey’s music has been so widely well-received; the album was named ‘The Best CD Release of 2011’ yesterday in an online theatre poll and has helped to establish Passey as one of the UK’s best and brightest young composers.

Carrie James Productions, the up-and-coming production company behind recent cabaret We’ll Meet Again, is celebrating Passey’s recent success (in collaboration with Big World Theatre Company) by presenting An Evening With Chris Passey and Friends at the Leicester Square Theatre on 22^nd January 2012. To help him showcase a selection of songs from the album, Passey has invited along some special guests: Stephen Webb, Nathan Taylor, Joseph Connor, Allyson Ava-Brown, Kieran Brown, David Brewis, Matthew Barrow, Nadine Cox, Ziggie Sky Ward and Danny Lane, supported by students from the MTA. He will also be joined by Mark Petty of exciting composing team, Anderson & Petty, with Kieran Brown and Shona White performing some of their work.  Speaking about the cabaret, Passey said, “I am overwhelmed and excited about the entire evening and can’t believe the amazing guests and friends that are involved, giving their time freely for charity and new musical theatre!”

Proceeds from albums sales are divided between Cancer Research UK and MS Society and An Evening With… is, along with raising awareness for both charities, donating all funds raised through the event as well. With so many reasons to come along, you can take your pick – just so long as you’re there.

FEBRUARY – Gigging4Good

Everyone loves a great musical gig, so if you’re organising one, why not do some good through it too? That is exactly what Giggin4Good aims to do with its seasonal cabarets. Its last event was the 2011 Summer Showcase, which featured the likes of Tim Prottey-Jones, the composer behind new musical  After The Turn at the Courtyard Theatre this month, and West End stars Liam Tamne (Les Mis), Alexia Khadime (Les Mis), Hannah Levane (Sister Act UK tour), Lincoln Stone (Legally Blonde), Victoria Hamilton Barritt (Flashdance) and George Ure (Wicked), who said of Giggin4Good, “It does exactly what it says on the tin. It offers a wonderfully diverse evening of entertainment in aid of a truly worthy cause”.

Now, Giggin4Good is coming back to St Paul’s (The Actors’) Church in Covent Garden once again with their 2012 Winter Showcase on 5^th February and it’s looking to be a corker. As they did in the summer, they are fundraising in support of Great Ormond Street Hospital – last year’s event raised a total of £2,000 for the charity. The wonderful performers mentioned above are returning to lend their vocal talents to the cause, but this time they’ve got some new faces to keep them company. Sabrina Aloueche, who was most recently seen playing Scaramouche in hit musical We Will Rock You, will be joining the party, along with Rock of Ages’ Twinnie Lee Moore, Rosa O’Reilly, Sarah Lark, Rosie Clarkson and Queen of the Sopranos, Rebecca Caine.

Giggin4Good also continues to support new writing by inviting singer/songwriter Joe Sterling along. Sterling, who is currently touring with The Jungle Book, is working on his debut album, which features guest vocalists such as Jonathan Williams, Rhiannon Porter, Jack Shalloo, Ashleigh Jones, Adam Bayjou and Killian Donnelly. You can hear three of the album tracks on the night, performed by Ross Hunter, Christopher Orton and Joe himself. Even more exciting though is the inclusion of the new musical, My Land’s Shore. From the creative minds of Christopher Orton and Robert Gould, My Land’s Shore has been in development for the past ten years and is finally making its mark on the theatrical world. It boasts a stellar cast which includes Jonathan Williams, Kelly-Anne Gower, Gareth Richards, Sarah Lark, Rhiannon Porter, Killian Donnelly, Alexis James, as well as a phenomenal ensemble. The CD of a selection of the musical’s songs is due for release in the next few weeks and at Giggin4Good, a thirty-minute slot has been presented to the MLS cast and creatives to showcase some of those songs. Gloriously rich music, powerful lyrics and some truly stunning voices –  and with the added bonus of the church surroundings and acoustics – you really don’t want to miss out on the experience of hearing the songs of MLS performed live in front of you.

MARCH – Rebecca Caine LIVE at The Pheasantry

Whether you are a fan of the theatre or not, you will have most likely heard the name of Rebecca Caine at some point. Best known in musical theatre circles for originating the role of Cosette in Les Miserables and playing Christine in The Phantom of the Opera opposite Colm Wilkinson, Rebecca Caine is equally celebrated for her contributions to the world of Opera.

Last year, she appeared at The King’s Head in a re-worked jazz-themed production of Italian opera The Coronation of Poppea by Mark Ravenhill and Alex Silverman and regularly performed with John Owen-Jones, Earl Carpenter and Matthew Camelle in The Three Phantoms concert tours around the UK. She was also involved in the Dress Circle Benefit Gala, performing with Jon Robyns and Frances Ruffelle for ‘A Heart Full of Love’ and a reprisal of ‘Think of Me’.

On 25^th March 2012, you can head down to popular cabaret spot, The Pheasantry, for a night with Rebecca Caine, who will be hosting a solo concert there. In this wonderfully intimate venue, you have the opportunity to experience her beautiful soprano tones up close and personal; an opportunity not to be missed. With her wicked wit, up-front honesty and performing numbers such as The Pole-Dancing aria from Anna Nicole – The Opera, it’s sure to be a highly entertaining night.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Day five also means we have the whole year stretching out ahead of us, filled with countless numbers of new theatrical productions to see. So let’s take a peek at what’s waiting for us in January’s theatre calendar.

Drama:

The 1944 play Huis Clos by French playwright Jean Paul Sartyre comes to the Trafalgar Square Studios, translated by Stuart Gilbert. Huis Clos, which has been performed under its English equivalent titles of In Camera, No Way Out, Dead End and No Exit, deals with the themes of life after death and punishment through its tale of three deceased people who are locked up in a room together. As the play unfolds, they discover “painfully and slowly, why they are brought together”. Produced by Donmar Warehouse and directed by Paul Hart, the one-act play has its first preview tonight, officially opening on 9^th January 2012 and running until 28^th January 2012.

Joining Huis Clos in the West End is Alan Bennett’s well-known play, The Madness of King George III. King George III was the third Hanoverian king of Great Britain, alas, most remembered for his lunatic episodes. Bennett’s play paints the ‘mad king’ as a very sympathetic individual, chronicling the dreadfully brutal medical care he underwent whilst his manipulative son and the politicians of the day battled for power, in between moments of both wit and melancholy. The Madness of King George III is produced by The Peter Hall Company Theatre Royal Bath and directed by Christopher Luscombe, with a cast which includes David Haig, Clive Francis, Beatie Edney and Madhav Sharma. It previews from 18^th January 2012 to 21^st January 2012, where it then runs until 31^st March 2012.

Musical:

Following on from the seasonal-themed Christmas With The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas, the Wyndham’s Theatre goes in a completely new direction with… The Rat Pack Live From Las Vegas! The popular musical production from Paul Walden and Derek Nicol for Flying Entertainment Ltd celebrates the life and music of three of the world’s best-loved performers: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. They sung, they danced and they entertained…now the 50s/60s are swinging back to the Wyndham’s on 9^th January 2012 and will be creating the Las Vegas ‘Rat Pack’ experience for audiences until 21^st January 2012. Mitch Sebastian directs and choreographs.

National Theatre:

Nicholas Hytner brings Nicholas Wright’s new play, Travelling Light, to Lyttelton, National Theatre. The NT production follows the life of Motl Mendl, who discovers a revolutionary way of cinematic story-telling. From his beginnings in a remote Eastern European village to making it as a big film director in Hollywood, it centres on Mendl as he looks back to his days of youth when the silent images on his father’s cinematograph first enthralled him and faces up to what his dreams cost him. The cast includes Damien Molony as Mendl, alongside Antony Sher, Lauren O’Neil, Colin Haigh, Mark Extance and more. Featuring music by the superb Grant Olding and video/projection designs from Jon Driscoll, Travelling Light opens for previews on 11^th January 2012; official opening night is on 18^th January 2012. The play runs until 6^th March 2012 and then embarks on a four-date UK tour. It will also be broadcast to UK/worldwide cinemas on 9^th February 2012 as part of the National Theatre Live project series.

At Olivier, National Theatre, they also have Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops To Conquer appearing for a for two-month run, directed by Jamie Lloyd. This comedic production focuses on the prospective love match of the affluent Hardcastle’s daughter and the son of an old friend. A case of mistaken identity sees that things don’t go quite to plan however, as “misdemeanours multiply, love blossoms, mayhem ensues”.  Complimented by the music of The Ringer Brothers, the play stars Steve Pemberton (Mr Hardcastle), Sophie Thompson (Mrs Hardcastle), Katherine Kelly (Kate Hardcastle) alongside Gavin Spokes, Cush Jumbo, David Fynn, John Heffernan and Harry Hadden-Paton. She Stoops To Conquer previews from 24^th January 2012, opens on 31^st January 2012 and then runs until 29^th March 2012.

Other notable mentions are the charity concert of Children of Eden and the dance extravaganza, Midnight Tango.

Children of Eden has music/lyrics by Stephan Schwartz and John Caird and, under Drew Baker’s direction, Ben Rogers’ design and Lizzie Gee’s choreography, is making a one-off appearance at the Price of Wales Theatre. The staged concert of the musical, which is loosely based on the story of Genesis in the bible, is raising awareness of Crohn’s Disease and donating all proceeds to Crohn’s and Colitis UK. The concert of this warm, profound and sometimes amusing production boasts a stellar West End cast, such as: Russell Grant; Oliver Thornton; Emma Barton; Gareth Gates; Anton Stephans; Brenda Edwards, Waylon Jacobs; Lauren Samuels, John Wilding and Kerry Ellis. You can see the concert version of Children of Eden at the Prince of Wales Theatre on 29^th January 2012.

Midnight Tango comes from the creative mind (and feet) of Strictly Come Dancing stars, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace. Produced by Arlene Phillips and Adam Spielgul, with Karen Bruce as director, Midnight Tango is set in Buenos Aires, in a down-town late night bar. It brings to life “all the drama, sensitivity and elegance of the tango”.  Accompanying the dancing magic of Simone and Cacace is vocalist Guillermo Rozenthuler and tango band Tango Siempre. Midnight Tango previews from 20^th January 2012 and opens on 31^st January 2011, where it runs til 31^st March 2012.

To all theatre-goers in January – it looks like A Happy New Year from the West End!

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Get tickets for The Rat Pack.

APP USERS: Get tickets for The Rat Pack.

Get tickets for The Madness of King George III

APP USERS: Get tickets for The Madness of King George III

Get tickets for She Stoops To Conquer.

APP USERS: Get tickets for She Stoops To Conquer.

Get tickets for Travelling Light.

APP USERS: Get tickets for Travelling Light.

Get tickets for Midnight Tango.

APP USERS: Get tickets for Midnight Tango.

The humorous, sexy, and thought provoking book is written by Carolyn Pertwee with music from Ivor Novello award winning David Martin; songwriter of’ Can’t Smile Without You. The plays and songs illustrate different aspects of life’s bitter sweet experiences and take us on a journey from the cradle to infinity. Albert is tired of being in limbo and wants to move on but is held back by Penny who is in denial, believing she is still alive and waiting for her big theatrical moment. Their story unfolds through the evening, weaving in and out of the events contained in A Bowl of Cherries, concluding with their own dramatic denouement.

This thoroughly entertaining revue is performed by eight versatile actors and musicians, and is devised and directed by Olivier Award nominated Andrew C Wadsworth. The songs and plays are instantly accessible as they chart life’s familiar dilemmas; A Bowl of Cherries has something for everyone!

Featuring Gary Wilmot and Claire Buckfield.

A Bowl of Cherries Tickets

APP USERS: A Bowl of Cherries Tickets

Booking From: Tuesday, 6th March 2012
Booking Until: Saturday, 31st March 2012
Matinees: Saturday 4pm
Evenings: Monday to Saturday 7.30pm

Charing Cross Theatre
The Arches, Villiers Street
London
WC2N 6NG

A new play by Owen Sheers, Directed by Stephen Rayne under the artistic auspices of Trevor Nunn.

The Two Worlds of Charlie F is a soldier’s view of service, injury and recovery. The play explores the consequences of both physical and psychological wounds, and the effects on others as the soldiers fight to win the new battle for survival at home. Taken from the personal experiences of the 30 wounded, injured and sick Service personnel involved, The Two Worlds of Charlie F is a darkly comic, authentic and uplifitng tale of survival.

‘Amazing, stunning, a got to do idea!’
Ray Winstone, Bravo 22 company ambassador

Tickets £10 – £55
Special Gala Tickets £150
Proceeds from all tickets go to The Royal British Legion and the Theatre Royal Haymarket Masterclass Trust. Please be aware that the performance contains strong language.

Performances on Sunday 22nd January 2012, 14.30 and 18.30
To book please call 020 7930 8800, Mon-Sat 10.00 – 19.00

https://tickets.trh.co.uk/ShowDatesCombo.aspx

It began by taking us back to post-war Britain, a time where the West End was suffering from a lack of outside influence and was stale, out-dated and unoriginal. An injection of new life was sorely needed and it was administered by our friend across the pond: America. The big and bold musicals coming out of Broadway, like Carousel, Kiss Me Kate and, most notably, Oklahoma were fresh, exciting and revolutionary in their presentation. The combination of song, dance and dialogue are the core ingredients of a modern musical but, until these American productions came along, they had never come together in such a fluid, cohesive manner that resulted in the complete MT package.

During this era of an American-dominated West End, it was the small productions like Salad Days and The Boyfriend that stepped up to represent the British musical. While they were well-received here however, Broadway didn’t share the same faith as we had in ourselves; the transfer of The Boyfriend to Broadway didn’t go well as the Americans rejected all input from its original creator and transformed it into a piece that was good for nothing much more than cheap laughs. Predictably, it was a flop. For the British musical to be taken seriously in America, a huge hit was needed to rebuild the West End’s reputation; that’s when Joan Littlewood and Lionel Bart stepped up to bat for us.

When something is not working, re-invention can be the solution to the problem. Littlewood had begun to change the idea that theatre was just for the elite with her work at the Stratford East Theatre and composer/lyricist Lionel Bart was doing very well as a songwriter in the increasingly popular music genre of Rock n’ Roll. Their collaboration on the ‘play with music’ production, Fings Ain’t What They Used T’be was a great success but, although things were starting to look up for British theatre, the phenomenon of American musical West Side Story was unrivalled in the late ’50-‘60’s. Bart’s retaliation to WSS was one of the defining moments of theatre in the UK though. If he had gone down the obvious route of attempting to emulate the success of WSS with a copycat production, the journey of the British musical may have been a very different one. Instead, he stuck with what he believed in and, inspired of one of our most infamous authors, Charles Dickens, created a very British (and very Cockney) musical that went on to become a classic piece of theatre that cemented itself in history: Oliver. On its opening night, the audience kept the cast on stage for twenty-three curtain calls – completely unheard of, even today! When it went to America three years later, it was the first true British musical (unchanged from the original show) to be a hit Broadway in many a year. In the early 1960’s, British theatre was riding high – but not for long. Half A Sixpence – written specifically for British music star Tommy Steele – was the last show to transfer to Broadway for a very long fifteen years.

The breakdown of the partnership between Littlewood and Bart didn’t help matters. Their last ever project, Twang, was riddled with problems even before it opened, with extensive rewrites and cuts that resulted in Littlewood walking out on the day before it opened in Manchester. It only lasted one month in the West End, closing after just forty-three performances. Bart, who had personally invested in the production, lost everything and never had another hit.

With nobody else there to take up Bart’s reins, it was America who again swooped in to keep the West End afloat. Hair instigated an evolutionary leap forward in the British theatre scene, bringing in a different type of audience and also by casting unknown actors, which created new West End talent(such as now-familiar names as Elaine Paige). As we are now living in an age where celebrity casting is becoming the norm, it’s certainly interesting to see the impact a cast of unknown performers can have – those who are of the belief that a show can’t succeed by its own merit alone could perhaps take note.

In 1970, a new partnership came along which was to change the face of British Theatre forever: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The concept album of Rock Opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, while not a big hit in the UK, did extremely well in America and led to the musical premiering there instead. The musical wasn’t as well received as the album however and could have sunk without a trace if it weren’t for British producer Robert Stigwell, who saw the potential in JCS and was insistent about bringing it back to our shores – a good thing too as it became a universal success when it opened here in 1972. Jesus Christ Superstar was the first musical I ever saw and I believe Gethsemane to be the greatest male solo song ever created. Without Stigwell’s foresight and determination, Lloyd Webber and Rice’s may not have gone on to become one of the most important writing teams in theatre history and the West End of today would have been a very different place. If you take away the musicals currently playing that have either Lloyd Webber or Rice’s name attached to them, it will give you an idea of what we could have missed out on. I know not everyone is a fan of ALW, but I still say he is a MT genius and, whatever you think of him, you can’t deny the enormity of the contribution he has given to British Theatre; Rice too.

Lloyd Webber and Rice did more than provide the West End with a little more credibility; until then, musicals were generally based upon plays or popular books. Then there was Evita. They also introduced the now well tried-and-tested method of the concept album as a way to test the waters with audiences and garner publicity. This has become an ALW signature move and many others have adopted it over the years; why wouldn’t they? It works. Every now and again, a musical will come along that changes theatre and pushes it along in a new direction: Evita was just one of them. Evita is important for many reasons, three of them being that: one, it made a star out of Elaine Page; two, it established Lloyd Webber and Rice as more than just one-hot-wonders and three, it became the first British musical to invade Broadway in the fifteen years since Oliver’s success there.

Of course, everyone is aware of the breakdown of their working relationship after that, when Lloyd Webber teamed up with lyricist Don Black on Tell Me On A Sunday. This, as with so many of the other twists and turns in MT history, shaped its future course – if you’re interested to find out how, then part two of three of The Story of Musicals is on BBC4 next Tuesday at 9pm. I suggest you tune in.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

Freedom is a tense and powerful drama, punctuated by dark humour and tragic romance, which will be performed at the Arcola Theatre, from Wednesday 25th January to Saturday 18th February 2012.
Press Night: Monday 30th January 8pm

This is a story divided between Tajikistan and England, told in split screen, following three characters forced to choose between their own freedom and each others: there’s Benham, an opium farmer, desperately trying to prove a lie he told to his gangster masters; his son, Fariad, who reluctantly travels to England as part of his father’s scheme, only to find that he likes the western way of life; and Jennifer, a damaged girl who falls for Fariad’s unorthodox charms.

The cast includes Rebeca Cobos, Spanish star of stage and screen, in her UK stage debut, whose “vibrant performance adds pace and comedy”, alongside acclaimed stage actors Indranyl Singharay and Rian Perle.

This is Limentani’s first play. A Cambridge University engineering graduate, he enjoyed success as a management consultant for an elite strategy firm before being accepted to the International Film School in Paris. He has written and directed several short films, and has won two awards for screenwriting as a result. Now Rick has turned his attention to the stage. “I think there’s a right way to tell every story,” he explains, “some stories are perfect for novels, some for animation, and so on. It was clear to me almost from the start that Freedom was meant for the stage. How could I fight that?”

Limentani and Cobos have a history of collaborating on projects, having completed award-winning short film Gemalogia in Madrid last year, which this year won the award of excellence at the Best Shorts Awards film festival in Los Angeles. After a successful tour of Freedom in the South East, they are now bringing the play to London, whilst also developing future theatre projects, and a feature film production.

Music composed by Ivan Capillas    Lighting Design: Andrew Brook, Paul Micah
Sound Design: Paul Micah    Costumes: Raul Amor of Un Burro de Cine
Production Manager: Rebeca Cobos, Melanie Beadel    Design: Miguel Cobos, Marija Coneva

LISTINGS INFORMATION:
Freedom
Arcola Theatre
24 Ashwin Street
Dalston
LONDON E8 3DL

Box Office: 020 7503 1646 or www.arcolatheatre.com

Wednesday 25th January to Saturday 18th February 2012
Mondays to Saturdays at 8pm
Saturday matinees at 3pm on 11th & 18th February
Press Night: Monday 30th January 8pm

Tickets: £16.00 (£12.00 concessions)
“Pay What You Can” every Tuesday,
Q&A with special guest every Wednesday
Special Valentine’s day surprise
Previews £10 from 25th January to 2nd February

www.freedomtheplay.co.uk
Press contact: Mel Beadel 07973877663, Email: mbeadel@hotmail.com
Quotes come from an independent review of the play by www.thepublicreviews.com

Since the Awards’ inception in 1989 the theatre critics, consisting entirely of respected and influential working journalists, have prided themselves on offering something unique on the packed theatre awards circuit: each member of the Drama Section independently casts their vote based on personal choice, free of any discussion or industry influence, ensuring a highly democratic voting process.

The ceremony itself is an important and well loved fixture in the annual theatrical calendar, with critics, creatives, performers and the media convivially coming together to celebrate the best of British theatre.

The ceremony is presented in association with Nyman Libson Paul Chartered Accountants, leading entertainment specialists; and supported by Delfont Mackintosh Theatres.

For press information and media accreditation, please contact Arabella Neville-Rolfe @ Target Live: arabella.neville-rolfe@target-live.co.uk / 0203 372 0961 / 07815025364 / www.target-live.co.uk

For event enquiries, please contact Catherine Cooper Events: awards11@catherinecooperevents.co.uk / 02074831181 / 07957168522

Notes to Editors

• Media access to the ceremony is by invitation only. Please contact Arabella Neville-Rolfe for further information.
• Other international and national awards are announced on the same day. An embargoed press release detailing the winners will be available in advance by prior arrangement.
• A full list of previous winners available on request.
• The Critics’ Circle, established in 1913, is a professional association of critics of drama, music, film, dance and art/architecture. Its objects are to promote the art of criticism and to uphold its integrity in practice, to foster and safeguard the interests of its members and to support the advancement of the arts. Admission to membership is by invitation of the Council. www.criticscircle.org.uk

If you’re planning to book tickets for something but haven’t yet, then one possibility open to you is to head down to the Landor Theatre. The off-West End venue is situated on the first floor of The Landor pub in Clapham and was one of the places to be in 2011, playing home to popular productions such as The Hired Man, Stand Tall and Ragtime, which has been nominated for Best Musical Revival in the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards. Now at the start of this new year, the Landor Theatre certainly means to go on with its current streak as it hosts the first anniversary of its highly-anticipated cabaret series, A Spotlight On…

Featuring a succession of one-night-only performances from an array of West End performers, A Spotlight On… has become a firm favourite of theatre fans due to the “quality of its artists and their uniquely honest performances.” Produced for the Landor by Andrew Keates and Theatrica Ltd, a different West End star has their moment in the spotlight each night as they share the stories and music that have held special meaning for them throughout their personal and professional life. The three-week run starts from Sunday 8^th January 2012 to Sunday 29^th January 2012 and includes nineteen of the West End’s most loved stars:

1)      Kim Ismay: Ismay has an extensive list of theatre credits, including roles in Sunset Boulevard, Cabaret, The Rocky Horror Show and Babes in the Wood, and has undertaken a number of UK tours (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Singin’ in the Rain, Grease and more). She is currently playing the role of Tanya in Mamma Mia at the Prince of Wales Theatre.

2)      Tim Driesen: Driesen has toured with Starlight Express, The Rocky Horror Show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Never Forget, in which he originated the role of Adrian Banks/Mark Owen. Recently, he appeared on the West End as Paul in Jet Set Go. Former Les Miserables and Blood Brothers cast member Kelly-Anne Gower will join Driesen as his guest for the night.

3)      Natasha Barnes: Barnes most recent role was as Princess Mia in the production of Stand Tall at the Landor Theatre. Previous theatre credits include Spring Awakening, Striking Twelve and Lend Me A Tenor.

4)      Anton Stephans: Stephans has previously worked on Porgy and Bess and Sweeney Todd and can soon be seen in the gala concert of Children of Eden. He also organised the 2010 concert Grateful after battling cancer.  

5)      Rosalind James: James has appeared in many musicals, such as Gone With The Wind, Oliver and Whistle Down The Wind, as well as playing Eponine in the 25^th Anniversary tour of Les Miserables.

6)      Stevie Webb: Webb is most known for his roles in Dougal Irvine’s Departure Lounge and last year’s production of Betwixt! and is a regular cabaret guest vocalist. He can next be seen in the new musical from Tim Prottey-Jones, After The Turn.

7)      Jeremy Legat: Legat has worked on many theatrical productions, including Beautiful Thing, Peter Pan and the West End hit, Wicked. Most recently, he sailed on the Queen Mary 2 with a group of fellow RADA graduates, where he played Hamlet in an abridged version of the renowned play.

8)      Matthew Gent: Gent is a regular host at Show-off Piano Bar on Friday nights in London and has worked on West End shows, Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera. He most recently appeared in The Hired Man at the Landor Theatre.

9)      Lucy Williamson: Williamson has worked in theatre for twenty years, appearing in such shows as Les Miserables (UK tour), Rent (UK tour), We Will Rock You and Thriller! In 2011, she was stand by to the role of Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow.

10)   George Ure: Ure played the role of Boq in Wicked and went on to perform in the European tour of Hair. In 2007, he was a finalist in the reality television programme, Britannia High, on ITV.

11)   Liz Robertson: Robertson has played Madame Giry in both The Phantom of the Opera and its sequel, Love Never Dies, recently resuming the role for the 25^th Anniversary production of Phantom at the Royal Albert Hall. Her work in other productions includes Hairspray, My Fair Lady, The King and I (US tour), Company and more.

12)   Andrew Derbyshire: Derbyshire was handpicked by Brian May to join the cast of We Will Rock You and since then has toured with the UK productions of Hollywood and Broadway and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.

13)   Carl Mullaney: Mullaney is currently performing in West End’s Les Miserables and hosts the late night Kinky Kabaret at Freedom Bar every Monday. He has previously appeared in Chicago.

14)   Kieran Brown: Brown has recently joined the cast of Wicked after previously appearing in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies. In October, he appeared in his debut solo cabaret at the Pheasantry. Prior to this, his theatre credits include Les Miserables, Over The Threshold and Laughter in the Rain (UK tour), as well as directing and starring in various productions for The Vienna Theatre Project.

15)   David Alder: Alders West End theatre credits include Les Miserables, Salad Days, Me and My Girl, Annie, High Society and more. He has also made appearances in other productions, such as The Pirates of Penzance, The Boyfriend, By Jeeves and Joseph.

16)   Beverly Klein: Klein has had roles in Sweeney Todd, Romeo and Juliet, Into The Woods, Fiddler On The Roof and, most recently, in Bernada Alba and The Kissing Dance.

17)   Leanne Jones: Jones made her West End debut as Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray, which won her an Oliver Award for Best Actress in a Musical. Other work includes Tick, Tick…Boom! and Beauty and the Beast.

18)   Lucy May Barker: Barker was one of the original cast members of Spring Awakening and has also had roles in Annie (UK tour), The Crucible, Earthquakes in London, most recently playing Joanna in the Chichester Festival production of Sweeney Todd.

19)   Clive Rowe: Rowe has a long list of theatre credits to his name, including Little Shop Of Horrors, Carousel, Company, Guys and Dolls, Chicago, Twelfth Night, The Fantasticks and The Ladykillers.

By Julie Robinson (@missjulie25)

For more information on A Spotlight On… go to the Landor Theatre’s website