National Theatre announces winner of 2021 nationwide New Views playwriting competition for young people
By PAUL JOHNSON
17-year-old student, Mackenzie Wellfare, from HSDC Alton in Hampshire has been announced as the winner of the National Theatre’s annual playwriting competition for 14–19-year-olds.
This year has seen more first drafts of scripts submitted to the competition than ever before, with the winning play, Perspective, selected from over 400 final entries from 74 secondary schools and colleges across the UK.
Inspired to write this play to share his own experience of autism as well as others’ Perspective by Mackenzie Wellfare explores the experiences of a teenage boy, Leo, with autism through his conversations with his best friend Shaun. Set in his bedroom, Leo’s big imagination fills the stage as he considers how the world sees him.
Perspective was selected from a shortlist of nine plays by a panel of judges including NT’s Head of Play Development Nina Steiger, playwright & screenwriter Beth Steel, playwright & performer Mojisola Adebayo and Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre Company.
The play was performed in a full production by professional actors at the National Theatre and was also streamed to participating schools across the UK in July before the end of termtime, alongside rehearsed readings of seven shortlisted plays as part of the digital festival of new writing. Following the production, Mackenzie also took part in a live streamed Q&A about his play alongside the director.
The digital festival also showcased the work of a group of D\deaf students from Eastbury Community School’s Alternative Resource Provision.
The students have taken part in playwriting workshops facilitated by Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre and have developed scenes exploring their experiences of the world. A selection of these scenes entitled Conversation Breakdown were directed by Jenny Sealey and performed as part of the rehearsed readings.
Mackenzie Wellfare said, “I’m so excited to have won! To have my play performed is just unbelievable and I can’t wait to see how it turns out! I want to show a perspective of Autism that I believe hasn’t been truly shown in modern media, and yet which some people experience every day of their lives.”
Jenny Sealey, Artistic Director of Graeae Theatre and member of the judging panel added, “Perspective has a matureness in its unpacking of the heart stuff. It’s an important play, beautifully simple in its mass of complexity.”
Nina Steiger, NT’s Head of Play Development and member of the judging panel, told us, “In what was a landmark year that took a particularly heavy toll on young people and the performing arts, it was thrilling for us to receive over 400 submissions from all over the UK. The final plays were about identity, imagination, and love and the bravery of expressing these elements of what makes us human, and perhaps what we’ve missed most in being together. That these plays were written at home in lockdown, developed with teachers and mentors over the difficult platform of group Zoom sessions, and that the voices in these plays nevertheless resonate with truthfulness, joy and life force is a testament to the importance of this programme and the self-expression it enables.”
This year the programme was delivered digitally through workshops with professional writers, a playwriting course and the opportunity to watch NT productions for free online, as well as a pre-recorded masterclass on writing for audio with Audible, the official Audio Partner of New Views. Students wrote their own original 30-minute plays, exploring topical issues from mental health and the pandemic to politics & relationships.
The seven shortlisted plays are:
In a Room with Gavin and Francesa
by Aran Grover
St Olave’s School, London
The Nursing Home
by Charlotte D’Angelo
Wimbledon High School, London
Childhood, War and Love
by Ellie Sharman
Ricard’s Lodge, London
Colour Inside the Lines
by Jamila Salim – Haberdashers’
Aske’s Boy’s School, Herts
Billionaire’s Row
by Joel Wall
Oxted School, Surrey
Bus Stops
by Mia Galanti
Lady Margaret School, London
Rose Coloured Glasses
by Nyah With
Southend School for Girls, Essex
FOREWORD
Sardines’ Editors, Paul and Fariba, pause to dream of getting back to normal, as well as celebrating Sardines’ first print edition in fourteen months.
SHIFTING THE GOALPOSTS
Susan Elkin asks some serious questions of how the theatre sector has suffered during the pandemic. And it’s not difficult to point the finger of blame towards Westminster.
ROADMAP TO REOPNING SURVEY
We bring you all the results of our most recent survey, where you gave us your thoughts on reopening our theatre doors to real-life audiences once more.
TAMARA von WERTHERN
The Performing Rights Manager at Nick Hern Books returns with her regular advice column. In this edition, Tamara prepares for the big return of amateur theatre.
HAMILTON AND ME – GILES TERERA
Giles Terera played Aaron Burr, the ‘damn fool who shot’ Alexander Hamilton in Lin Manuel Miranda’s biggest show in town, Hamilton. His new book is published on 1 June too.
DON’T CALL ME ‘LANDLADY’!
Chris Abbott speaks with Elaine King of Aberdeen about providing theatre digs to performers for the past forty years. Such providers used to be called ‘Theatrical Landladies’, but not now.
PLAYING THE WAITING GAME
We showcase the Theatrical Traders Association and get the lowdown on how the organisation is run, who its members are and how long it’s been going.
SCARAMOUCHE JONES – PICS
Our previous cover star was none other than Shane Richie (or Alfie Moon, depending on how old you are). We bring you a nice photo spread of his latest project, playing Scaramouche Jones.
ONE STEP BEYOND! No.1
Amateur Theatre companies throughout the country have all shown great resilience during the pandemic. Talisman Theatre in Kenilworth is one such example of how to keep things going.
THE KNIVES ARE OUT
Janie Dee, has worked in just about every inch of theatre there is. But now she takes on Am-Dram, and plays an amateur diva who normally gets the lead role… until a pro joins the society.
YOUR NEWS…
News stories relevant to amateur theatre-makers around the UK. Some stories are about amateur theatre, some professional and some youth/student/graduate.
Got a show to publicise or some news to share?
We give daily shoutouts on our Facebook and Twitter pages.
SENT TO COVENTRY
National Drama Festivals Association (NDFA) Council member and Chair of the All-Winners Festival sub-committee, Rod Chaytor, shares details of 2021’s event at Coventry’s Albany Theatre.
DIRECTING ONLINE – IN A WEIR-D WAY
Putney Theatre Company’s Ian Higham shares his positive experience in producing and directing Conor McPherson’s chilling lock-in ghost story, The Weir, for the Zoom screen.
ONE STEP BEYOND! No.2
Keith Orton of Caterham’s Miller Centre Theatre Company tells us all about how the society turned to film-making during the pandemic to keep members’ interests alive.
STRIKE UP THE BAND!
The world and his wife have announced a return to performing recently. While we can’t physically bring you details of every single professional musical theatre production, we’ve managed a fair few.
PLAYS, BOOKS & MUSICALS
New and re-released titles, many of which are now available for amateur performance. Full steam ahead!
Our regular up-to-date selection of recently published books as well as new or re-released plays and musicals, many of which are now available for amateur performance. As a result of the pandemicsome licensors are now offering special online-performance arrangements, so please get in touch with the appropriate company to find out more. Show listings are not proof that respective titles are available for amateur performance. Please make appropriate enquiries with respective licensors.
As Stella leaves her job at the shopping channel, Alex prepares for a night out, and Paula can’t stop thinking of the girl who’s gone missing, her face all over the news. Slowly the missing girl weaves her way through all their lives in the course of a very wet and wild night.
THE GRINNING MAN by Carl Grose, Tom Morris, Tim Phillips, Marc Teitler
Full-Length Musical, Dark Comedy / F5, M7 / Fantasy / 978 0 573 13220 9 / £9.99
A strange new act has arrived at Trafalgar Fair’s freakshow. Who is Grinpayne and how did he get his hideous smile? With the help of an old puppeteer, his pet wolf and a blind girl, Grinpayne’s tale is told. When word spreads across the capital, everything changes. Desperate to know the terrible secrets of his mysterious past, Grinpayne leaves his true love behind and embarks on a journey into an even crueller world – the aristocracy. The Grinning Man is a fairy-tale love story streaked with pitch-black humour, lashings of Gothic horror and swashbuckling adventure. It opened at Bristol Old Vic in 2016 to great acclaim and transferred to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios in 2017 where it achieved cult status and rave reviews. The musical premiered at Bristol Old Vic in 2016, with a production directed by Tom Morris. Following the success of the Bristol run, the show transferred to Trafalgar Studios in the West End from 5 December 2017.
Leonard and Violet, young, restless and in love, spend their first night together knowing it may also be their last. It’s 1942 and, in a hotel room in Bath, they dream of their future while preparing for Leonard’s departure to the war. But the bombs begin.
REASONS YOU SHOULD(N’T) LOVE ME by Amy Trigg
Monologues, Comedy / F1 / Contemporary, Present Day / 978 0 573 13260 5 / £9.99
This title is not currently available for performance. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application. For a long time I didn’t know how it’d work. Or what I’d be able to feel. People would ask me if I could have sex and I’d feign shock and act wildly offended whilst secretly wanting to grab them by the shoulders and be like “I don’t know, Janet!” Juno was born with spina bifida and is now clumsily navigating her twenties amidst street healers, love, loneliness – and the feeling of being an unfinished project. Winner of The Women’s Prize for Playwriting 2020, Amy Trigg’s remarkable debut play Reasons You Should(n’t) Love Me is a hilarious, heart-warming tale about how shit our wonderful lives can be.
SUE TOWNSEND’S THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13¾ THE MUSICAL by Sue Townsend, Jake Brunger, Pippa Cleary
Life’s pretty hard when you’re a 13¾-year-old misunderstood intellectual living in a cul-de-sac in 1981. With dysfunctional parents, ungrateful elders and a growing debt to school bully Barry Kent, Adrian Mole’s life simply couldn’t get any worse. So when luminous new girl Pandora joins Adrian’s class, things look set to change for our hapless hero. She immediately captures his heart, only for his best friend Nigel to steal hers… Based on the classic bestselling novel by Sue Townsend, this critically acclaimed West End musical brings Britain’s best-loved spotty teenager’s story to life for a new generation of theatregoers. Licensing fees and rental materials quoted upon application. Please submit a license request to determine availability. “…warm and joyful energy.” – Evening Standard “…the musical precisely captures the growing pains of a self-aware Leicester boy with literary leanings.” – The Guardian “Delightful” – The New York Times “endearing and thoroughly enjoyable…” – Independent “…a continual mood of unforced tongue-in-cheek freshness.” – The Telegraph
THE TWO WORLDS OF CHARLIE F by Owen Sheers
Full-Length Play, Drama / Large cast (smaller possible) / Contemporary / 978 0 571 31558 1 / £9.99
This title is not currently available for performance. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application. The Two Worlds of Charlie F. moves through the stages of service, from the war in Afghanistan, to dream-like states of morphine-induced hallucinations, to the physio rooms of Headley Court. All through the view of soldier Charlie Fowler’s service, injury and recovery. The play explores themes of physical and psychological injury and its effects on soldiers as they fight for survival. Drawn from the personal experience of the wounded, injured and sick service personnel involved, The Two Worlds of Charlie F. premiered at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, London, in January 2012 and toured nationally. It was revived for an international tour in 2014.
This title is not currently available for performance. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application. “So there’s a theory that we all have a finite number of heartbeats. We all have a billion heartbeats to live. Humans, cats, dogs, rats – all our hearts beat at different speeds but we all have the same amount. A clock with a billion ticks.” Inspired by the incredible true story of the last greater mouse-eared bat living in Britain, Vespertilio explores the tender romance between introverted bat-enthusiast Alan and Josh, the charming young runaway he meets in an abandoned railway tunnel. As their relationship develops, these two damaged men might fix one another. If only a little. Vespertilio is a story of love, loneliness and bats, an exploration of the difference between merely surviving and truly living.
This title is not currently available for performance. To be informed as soon as it becomes available in the future, please submit a license application. Upon return from his first tour of Afghanistan, 19-year-old Miles isn’t quite himself. Noises don’t sound the same. People don’t look the same. Pizza doesn’t taste the same. The harder he tries to act normal, the harder it gets to be normal. And all his loved ones’ attempts to help him just keep making things worse. The play oscillates between multiple timelines. We get to see glimpses of the child that was Miles Weppler before he signed up for the army, the man he’s become post war, and everything that happened in-between. We get an intimate view into what motivates a young man towards the military, and what motivates him to stay in the military, at any cost. Through the eyes of his therapist, he’s just a lost boy. Through the eyes of his girlfriend, he’s a stubborn and sometimes scary man. Through the eyes of his best friend, he’s paranoid. And through his not-so-best friend’s eyes, Weppler’s just a dick. Warheads is a punchy, urban drama based on a true story.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Book: Peter Parnell. Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature, The Hunchback of Notre Dame showcases the film’s Academy Award-nominated score, as well as new songs by Menken and Schwartz. Peter Parnell’s new book embraces story theatre and features verbatim passages from Hugo’s gothic novel. The musical begins as the bells of Notre Dame sound through the famed cathedral in fifteenth-century Paris. Quasimodo, the deformed bell-ringer who longs to be ‘Out There,’ observes all of Paris reveling in the Feast of Fools. Held captive by his devious caretaker, the archdeacon Dom Claude Frollo, he escapes for the day and joins the boisterous crowd, only to be treated cruelly by all but the beautiful gypsy, Esmeralda. Quasimodo isn’t the only one captivated by her free spirit, though – the handsome Captain Phoebus and Frollo are equally enthralled. As the three vie for her attention, Frollo embarks on a mission to destroy the gypsies – and it’s up to Quasimodo to save them all. A sweeping score and powerful story make The Hunchback of Notre Dame an instant classic. Audiences will be swept away by the magic of this truly unforgettable musical.
Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID – Book: Doug Wright. Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater
Based on one of Hans Christian Andersen’s most beloved stories and the classic animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid is a hauntingly beautiful love story for the ages. With music by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, and a compelling book by Doug Wright, this fishy fable will capture your heart with its irresistible songs including ‘Under the Sea,’ ‘Kiss the Girl,’ and ‘Part of Your World.’ Ariel, King Triton’s youngest daughter, wishes to pursue the human Prince Eric in the world above and bargains with the evil sea witch, Ursula, to trade her tail for legs. But the bargain is not what it seems and Ariel needs the help of her colorful friends Flounder the fish, Scuttle the seagull, and Sebastian the crab to restore order under the sea. Disney’s The Little Mermaid offers a fantastic creative opportunity for rich costumes and sets, and the chance to perform some of the best-known songs from the past thirty years.
Roald Dahl’s MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR. – Book: Dennis Kelly. Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin.
Rebellion is nigh in Matilda JR., a gleefully witty ode to the anarchy of childhood and the power of imagination! This story of a girl who dreams of a better life and the children she inspires will have audiences rooting for the “revolting children” who are out to teach the grown-ups a lesson. Matilda has astonishing wit, intelligence… and special powers! She’s unloved by her cruel parents but impresses her schoolteacher, the highly loveable Miss Honey. Matilda’s school life isn’t completely smooth sailing, however – the school’s mean headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, hates children and just loves thinking up new punishments for those who don’t abide by her rules. But Matilda has courage and cleverness in equal amounts, and could be the school pupils’ saving grace! Packed with high-energy dance numbers and catchy songs, Matilda JR. is a joyous girl power romp. Children and adults alike will be thrilled and delighted by the story of the special little girl with an extraordinary imagination.
Theatre book / 978 1 848 42999 4 / Special Offer – see cover story
‘One of the most joyous and clear-eyed approaches to playing a character that I have ever read… I am so grateful Giles took notes on his process and turned them into this book. I was already in awe of his performance; now I’m in awe of his humanity and attention to detail and willingness to share the hard work and magic that goes into it.’ Lin-Manuel Miranda, from his Foreword.
‘One of the most joyous and clear-eyed approaches to playing a character that I have ever read… I am so grateful Giles took notes on his process and turned them into this book. I was already in awe of his performance; now I’m in awe of his humanity and attention to detail and willingness to share the hard work and magic that goes into it.’ Lin-Manuel Miranda, from his Foreword Our latest cover star’s book is published on the same day as this new, back-to-print edition of Sardines. Make sure you read our interview with Giles Terera on page 14. When Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical ‘Hamilton’ opened in London’s West End in December 2017, it was as huge a hit as it had been in its original production off- and on Broadway. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, the show would go on to win a record-equalling seven Olivier Awards – including Best Actor in a Musical for Giles Terera, for his portrayal of Aaron Burr. For Terera, though, his journey as Burr had begun more than a year earlier, with his first audition in New York, and continuing through extensive research and preparation, intense rehearsals, previews and finally opening night itself. Throughout this time he kept a journal, recording his experiences of the production and his process of creating his award-winning performance. This book, ‘Hamilton and Me’, is that journal. It offers an honest, intimate and thrilling look at everything involved in opening a once-in-a-generation production – the triumphs, breakthroughs and doubts, the camaraderie of the rehearsal room and the moments of quiet backstage contemplation – as well as a fascinating, in-depth exploration of now-iconic songs and moments from the musical, as seen from the inside. It is also deeply personal, as Terera reflects on experiences from his own life that he drew on to help shape his acclaimed portrayal. Illustrated with dozens of colour photographs, many of which are shared here for the first time, and featuring an exclusive Foreword by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this book is an essential read for all fans of Hamilton – offering fresh, first-hand insights into the music and characters they love and know so well – as well as for aspiring and current performers, students, and anyone who wants to discover what it really felt like to be in the room where it happened.
15 Heroines by Various authors
Monologues / short plays / f15 max. / Various settings, can be simply staged / 978 1 848 42986 4 / £10.39 direct from the publisher
Fifteen inspirational women – queens, sorcerers, pioneers, poets and politicians – are given new voice in this award-winning series of monologues by exciting female and non-binary playwrights, inspired by Ovid’s The Heroines. These monologues can be performed as three complete productions, individually, or in any combination. “Compelling… sometimes funny, often moving, this is a phenomenal collection of monologues.” BritishTheatre.com
Chaos by Laura Lomas
Full-length play / Flexible – any size, any gender / Various settings, can be simply staged / 978 1 848 42987 1 / £7.99 direct from the publisher
A series of characters search for meaning in a complicated and unstable world in this symphony of interconnected scenes. Written specifically for young people as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival, it offers opportunities for a large, flexible cast, and can incorporate chorus work, movement and music. “Potent, beautifully crafted, with rich theatrical texture.” The Stage on Laura Lomas’ ‘Bird’
Little Wars by Steven Carl McCasland
Full-length play / F7 / Country home in the French Alps, 1940 / 978 1 839 04003 0 / £7.99 direct from the publisher
An enthralling, entertaining, and moving portrait of seven exceptional women. A dinner party during the Second World War unites a group of celebrated writers – including Agatha Christie, Dorothy Parker and Gertrude Stein – with a mysterious guest. With booze flowing, barbs flying, and the threat of global conflict looming, the guests are close to boiling point – and someone has a secret. “The script is smart and witty… admirably bold and asks big questions.” The Stage
Stuff by Tom Wells
Full-length play / F5, M4 / Various settings, can be simply staged / 978 1 848 42988 8 / £7.99 direct from the publisher
A funny, touching play about friendship and loss – and the way people try to do the right thing for their mates when there isn’t really a right thing to do. Written specifically for young people as part of the National Theatre Connections Festival, it offers rich opportunities for an ensemble cast of teenagers.
“Perceptive about the characters’ concerns and insecurities… Tom Wells clearly understands teenagers, so we really do believe what we are seeing” British Theatre Guide on Tom Wells’ ‘Broken Biscuits’
This collection brings together emerging and established scholars to explore fresh approaches to Shakespeare’s best-known play. Hamlet has often served as a testing ground for innovative readings and new approaches. Its unique textual history – surviving as it does in three substantially different early versions – means that it offers an especially complex and intriguing case-study for histories of early modern publishing and the relationship between page and stage. Similarly, its long history of stage and screen revival, creative appropriation and critical commentary offer rich materials for various forms of scholarship. The essays in Hamlet: The State of Play explore the play from a variety of different angles, drawing on contemporary approaches to gender, sexuality, race, the history of emotions, memory, visual and material cultures, performativity, theories and histories of place, and textual studies. They offer fresh approaches to literary and cultural analysis, offer accessible introductions to some current ways of exploring the relationship between the three early texts, and present analysis of some important recent responses to Hamlet on screen and stage, together with a set of approaches to the study of adaptation.
Shakespeare in the Theatre: Peter Hall – Stuart Hampton-Reeves
Peter Hall is one of the most significant and influential directors of Shakespeare’s work of modern times. Through both his own work and the management of two national theatre companies, the National Theatre and the RSC, Hall has promoted Shakespeare as a writer who can comment incisively on the modern world. His best productions exemplified this approach: Coriolanus (1959), The Wars of the Roses (1963) and Hamlet (1965) established his reputation as a director able to bring Shakespeare to the heart of contemporary politics. However, Hall’s career has been very varied, and sometimes his critical failures are as interesting as his successes. The book explores Hall’s work as a deliberate articulation of Shakespeare and national culture in the post-war years. The main focus is on his Shakespeare work, but critical attention is also given to non-Shakespearean productions, notably his 1955 Waiting for Godot (and his relationship with Samuel Beckett in general) and his 2000 Tantalus (and his work with John Barton), placing Hall’s work in its cultural and creative context. Setting Hall’s work against the post-war development of national culture, the book explores how his work with other writers and artists (including Beckett, Pinter and Barton) informed his approach to directing as well as his rehearsal methods and his approach to Shakespeare’s text.
Staging Britain’s Past Pre-Roman Britain in Early Modern Drama – Kim Gilchrist
Staging Britain’s Past is the first study of the early modern performance of Britain’s pre-Roman history. The mythic history of the founding of Britain by the Trojan exile Brute and the subsequent reign of his descendants was performed through texts such as Norton and Sackville’s Gorboduc, Shakespeare’s King Lear and Cymbeline, as well as civic pageants, court masques and royal entries such as Elizabeth I’s 1578 entry to Norwich. Gilchrist argues for the power of performed history to shape early modern conceptions of the past, ancestry, and national destiny, and demonstrates how the erosion of the Brutan histories marks a transformation in English self-understanding and identity. When published in 1608, Shakespeare’s King Lear claimed to be a “True Chronicle History”. Lear was said to have ruled Britain centuries before the Romans, a descendant of the mighty Trojan Brute who had conquered Britain and slaughtered its barbaric giants. But this was fake history. Shakespeare’s contemporaries were discovering that Brute and his descendants, once widely believed as proof of glorious ancient origins, were a mischievous medieval invention. Offering a comprehensive account of the extraordinary theatrical tradition that emerged from these Brutan histories and the reasons for that tradition’s disappearance, this study gathers all known evidence of the plays, pageants and masques portraying Britain’s ancient rulers. Staging Britain’s Past reveals how the loss of England’s Trojan origins is reflected in plays and performances from Gorboduc’s powerful invocation of history to Cymbeline’s elegiac erosion of all notions of historical truth.
Mark Ravenhill’s autobiographical radio play explores the way culture, high and low, impacted both his mother’s and his family’s lives. Starting an adult ballet class as the only male in the group sparks a memory of life through the eyes of Ravenhill, the playwright. As time intertwines through alternating perspectives we see his family at different stages of their life. From childhood dreams of being a dancer and performer through to the creativity that brings his parents together for the first time and into their old age, this is a deeply personal and resonate drama about the intersects of life and culture. Commissioned by Sound Stage, a new immersive audio theatre, designed by theatre-makers and leading technologists, giving audiences a unique and engrossing online theatre experience of new plays from the best in British theatre.
Set in London’s Soho in the 1980s, Cruise tells the story of what should have been Michael Spencer’s last night on Earth. Diagnosed with HIV in 1984, he’s told by doctors that he has just four years to live, so as the clock runs down, Michael decides to go out in style. As he parties and bids final farewells to his friends, the clock strikes zero and Michael… survives. With the gift of life, how can he go on living? Jack Holden’s debut play Cruise is a kaleidoscopic new monologue celebrating queer culture and paying tribute to a generation of gay men lost to the AIDS crisis. This edition was published to coincide with its West End production in May 2021.
Two men meet at a funeral. Gil knew the deceased. Benny did not. Before long their families are close. Soon they’ll be singing the same tune. Benny is a loner anchored by his wife and children. Gil longs to fulfill his potential. They develop a deep bond but as cracks appear in their fragile lives they start to realise that true courage comes in different forms. Featuring music from Gil and Benny’s lives, Lolita Chakrabarti’s searching, soulful new play asks what it takes to be a good father, brother or son. This edition was published to coincide with the world premiere at London’s Almeida Theatre in February 2021.
April, 1980. The British colony of Rhodesia becomes the independent nation of Zimbabwe. A born-free, Tonderai Munyevu is part of the hopeful next generation from a country with a new leader, Robert Mugabe. Mugabe, My Dad and Me charts the rise and fall of one of the most controversial politicians of the 20th Century through the lens of Tonderai’s family story and his relationship with his father. Interspersing storytelling with Mugabe’s unapologetic speeches, this high-voltage one man show is a blistering exploration of identity and what it means to return ‘home’.
Early one morning on Putney Bridge, three strangers’ lives collided for one fleeting second. Inspired by real events, Once Upon a Bridge weaves a tale about human triumph and frailty, about the power of destiny and chance, and why sometimes we choose to hate and other times we choose to dance. Commissioned by Ireland’s Druid Theatre and live-streamed from Mick Lally theatre in Galway, Sonya Kelly’s latest play received a string of excellent reviews for its bold intimacy and engaging story telling.
Orpheus in the Record Shop …and… The Beatboxer – Testament
Two new plays from acclaimed rapper and playwright Testament (Black Men Walking).
Orpheus in the Record Shop Orpheus is alone, playing tunes in his record shop. After a visitor leaves him an unexpected gift strange things start to happen and music, myth and reality collide. Together with Orpheus we go in search of something ancient, contemporary and hopeful.
The Beatboxer A beatboxer goes into a call centre to run a training day. But the bosses have ulterior motives for him being there. Testament takes inspiration from the classical Greek myth of Orpheus, in a show that fuses spoken word and beatboxing with the musicians of the Orchestra of Opera North. Published alongside his radio play The Beatboxer which was shortlisted for The Imison Award, BBC Audio Drama Awards, these two plays are inspiring pieces of contemporary theatre. Orpheus in the Record Shop was broadcast as part of the #BBCLightsUp season on BBC television in 2021.
Sadie has a one-night stand with the new office temp, Joao, but it develops into something much more serious when Joao reveals he’s in love with her. Sadie is flattered but she has a long history of terrible relationships. She wonders if it’s even possible for her to be happy in love? To answer that question, she calls upon her long dead uncle Red and her abusive ex-husband Clark, as well as her new therapist Mairead. Together they help her face some horrifying truths she’s kept hidden for too long. Lyric Theatre Belfast, in association with Stephen Rea’s Field Day Theatre Company, bring this powerful new play to the stage, to be broadcast on BBC Four as part of BBC Arts ‘Lights up’ for the new Culture in Quarantine Season – a celebration of British theatre, bringing newly-recorded staged productions from UK theatres to audiences across television, radio, iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Directed by Conleth Hill (Lord Varys, Game of Thrones) it stars award-winning actress Abigail McGibbon.
It’s a sunny, spring day in East London. On a street corner, two teenagers kiss. One of them is Toni. This is her first kiss. It makes her very happy.
But someone is watching. Someone who doesn’t care about her happiness at all. And they’re about to change Toni’s life… forever.
Philip Ridley’s thrilling new play is a startling exploration of identity, memory, love, and the lengths it takes someone to free themselves from the web of their past.
Shakespearean Wig Styling A Practical Guide to Wig Making for the 1500s-1600s – Brenda Leedham and Lizzee Leedham
Theatre book / 978 1 785 00882 5 / £16.99
The poetry and plays of William Shakespeare continue to provide inspiration for designers in all aspect of media. Shakespearean Wig Styling offers detailed historical guidance on the styles and fashions of the day, and guides yo through twelve different wig designs covering a wide range of archetypal Shakespearian characters. Each example offers different techniques to meet the needs of the design, from material, knotting and curling to the final styling choices. Covering both the Tudor and Stuart periods, there are clear instructions within each example for making wigs from start to finish and adapting from the universal full-lace foundation to create alternative foundations, including added support for complicated styles such as the fontange.
In addition, the book covers:
what to expect when working in the theatre or as a freelance wig-maker;
fitting your client, measuring and taking a shell;
methods for preparing the hair under a wig;
knotting facial hair, hairpieces, hairlines, napes and partings;
methods for breaking or dirtying down;
creating bald caps and receding hairline effects.
This comprehensive book is an ideal companion for the newly qualified wig-maker and all professionals looking for a detailed reference guide to hairstyles from the Shakespearean era.
Million Dollar Quartet – Colin Escott, Floyd Mutrux
Full Length Musical / F1, M7 / 1950s / Memphis, Tennessee, USA / Rock and Roll
Inspired by ELVIS PRESLEY, JOHNNY CASH, JERRY LEE LEWIS and CARL PERKINS The Tony® Award-nominated musical is set on December 4, 1956, when an extraordinary twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever. MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET brings that legendary December night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations that is both poignant and funny. Relive the era with the smash-hit sensation featuring an incredible score of rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, R&B and country hits, performed live onstage by world-class actors and musicians. Showcased numbers include ‘Blue Suede Shoes,’ ‘Fever,’ ‘Walk the Line,’ ‘Sixteen Tons,’ ‘Who Do You Love?,’ ‘Great Balls of Fire,’ ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,’ ‘Hound Dog,’ and more.
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical– Stephan Elliott, Allan Scott
Full Length Musical / F7, M9, Boy(s)1 / 1990s / Australia / Pop Rock, Comedy
Based on the popular 1994 film of the same name, Priscilla Queen of the Desert follows two drag queens and a transsexual who buy a run-down old bus (they call it Priscilla) and set out on a road trip across the Australian Outback when one of them, Tick, is invited by his ex-wife to perform his drag show at her far-away resort. However, Tick is hesitant to tell his friends, Bernadette (a former performing icon whose best days are behind her) and Adam (a rambunctious young troublemaker), his own personal reasons for taking the trip. During their journey, the trio encounters an array of Australian citizens.
All Shook Up – Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley. Book: Joe DiPietro
Full Length Musical / F5, M4, Flexible ensemble / 1955 / Various settings / Rock ‘n’ Roll
It’s 1955, and into a square little town in a square little state rides a guitar-playing young man who changes everything and everyone he meets. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy will have you jumpin’ out of your blue suede shoes with such classics as ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’ ‘Hound Dog,’ ‘Jailhouse Rock,’ and ‘Don’t Be Cruel.’
MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT A Socially Distant Concert-ish Version – Book, Lyrics & Music by Eric Idle. Music by John Du Prez
Full Length Musical Comedy / F1, M6, Many casting opportunities for female roles in the ensemble. / Middle ages / King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table / Various (Monty Python)
To address social distance restrictions during the pandemic of 2020, this “concert-ish” version of Spamalot is intended to be played to a socially separated audience by a cast of socially separated actors, appropriately placed. To avoid closely placed musicians and stage crew, TRW recommends the use the recorded full orchestration, StageTracks, and the scenic projections that were designed in collaboration with the original 2005 Broadway production.
Strike Up the Band! is our regular delve into selected productions from the professional musical theatre industry. With all restrictions still on target for being eradicated from 21 June it would seem that the entire West End has announced its intention to reopen. So let’s hope nothing changes that! This is a good thing for the amateur sector because wherever the pros tread, we amateurs are sure to follow. We can’t physically fit the entire UK show-list into these pages so, instead, here are some highlights for you. But with the industry still in a delicate state of flux we urge you to check any relevant websites before purchasing tickets.
HAMILTON
Reopening 19 August 2021 and booking until 13 February 2022
Victoria Palace Theatre, London SW1E 5EA hamiltonmusical.com / F, T & I: @HamiltonWestEnd Arguably the biggest show in town, produced in the West End by Jeffrey Seller and Cameron Mackintosh, Lin Manuel Miranda has written everything; book, music and lyrics. It just makes our latest cover star, Giles Terera and his new book, ‘Hamilton and Me’ even more relevant.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
Reopening 27 July 2021 booking to 13 Feb 2022
Her Majesty’s Theatre, London SW1Y 4QL thephantomoftheopera.com
/ F, T & I Andrew Lloyd Webber has bowed to public pressure and reversed Cameron Mackintosh’s decision to close the iconic, long-running show, thank goodness.
WICKED
Reopening 15 September 2021
and booking until 22 November 2022
Apollo Victoria Theatre, London SW1V 1LG www.wickedthemusical.co.uk / F, T & I: @WickedUK The show marks its 15th anniversary later in the year and will host a celebratory performance on 28 September 2021. Music and lyrics are by legendary composer Stephen Schwartz with a book by Winnie Holzman, based on the novel, ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West’, by Gregory Maguire. The show has played to over 10 million people in London alone and is the winner of over 100 major international awards.
Les Misérables – The Staged Concert
Reopened 20 May 2021, limited season until 5 September 2022
Sondheim Theatre, London W1D 6BA www.lesmis.com / F, T: @lesmisofficial & I: @lesmizofficial The pre-curser to the opening of the new production includes Jon Robyns as Jean Valjean, Bradley Jaden as Javert, Lucie Jones as Fantine, Gerard Carey as Thénardier, Josefina Gabrielle as Madame Thénardier, Shan Ako as Éponine, Harry Apps as Marius, Jamie Muscato as Enjolras, Charlie Burn as Cosette and, on certain dates, Dean Chisnall will play the role of Jean Valjean.
Disney’s THE LION KING
Reopening 29 July 2021, booking until 3 Apr (individuals) / 22 October 2022 (groups)
Lyceum Theatre, London WC2E 7RQ www.thelionking.co.uk / F: TheLionKingUK / T: @thelionking / I: thelionkinguk 14 new members will be included in the cast of over 50 actors, singers and dancers when it reopens its doors at the end of July. Julie Taymor’s internationally celebrated stage adaptation first opened on Broadway in 1997 and has entertained more than 100 million theatregoers in 25 productions worldwide. The London production has played to over 16 million people alone over the last two decades. When the pandemic hit it was the West End’s best-selling stage production and the sixth longest-running West End musical of all time.
Mary Poppins
Reopening 7 August 2021 and booking until 13 February 2022
Prince Edward Theatre, London W1D 4HS www.marypoppinsonstage.co.uk / F, T: marypoppins & I: marypoppinsmusical Cameron Mackintosh and Disney’s Olivier Award-winning production will see Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp reprise their roles as as ‘Mary Poppins’ and ‘Bert’ respectively. Timeless music and lyrics come from the Sherman brothers, with additional songs from Stiles and Drewe, and a Book by Julian Fellowes.
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Reopening 16 September 2021
and booking until 13 February 2022
Cambridge Theatre, London WC2H 9HU www.matildathemusical.com / F, I: MatildaTheMusical & T: @MatildaMusical Adapted from Roald Dahl’s much loved 1988 book, the RSC’s production premiered at the RSC’s Stratford-upon-Avon home in 2010, before transferring to the West End in October 2011. The story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a super-sharp mind, who dares to take a stand and change her own destiny, has been written for the stage by Dennis Kelly, boasts music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, and has been directed by the Old Vic’s artistic director, Matthew Warchus.
Only Fools and Horses The Musical
Reopening 1 October 2021 and booking until 26 February 2022
Theatre Royal Haymarket, London SW1Y 4HT onlyfoolsmusical.com / F: OFAHMUSICAL, T: @OFAHMusical & I: ofahmusical Paul Whitehouse will return to star as Grandad, alongside Tom Bennett as Del Boy and Ryan Hutton as Rodney in this 5-star musical extravaganza. The re-opening of the show will form part of this year’s 40th anniversary celebrations of the legendary BBC sitcom – which first aired in 1981.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CINDERELLA
Previews 25 June 2021, Opens 14 July 2021
Gillian Lynne Theatre, London WC2B 5PW www.andrewlloydwebberscinderella.com / F, T & I: @alwcinderella Apart from music by Lloyd Webber, the show has a book by ‘Killing Eve’ co-writer and Academy Award winning Emerald Fennell (Best Original Screenplay Oscar) and lyrics from David Zippel.
Come From Away
Reopening 22 July 2021 and booking until February 2022
Phoenix Theatre, London WC2H 0JP comefromawaylondon.co.uk / F, T & I: @ComeFromAwayUK Winner of every major Best Musical award when it opened in the West End in March 2019, ‘Come From Away’ tells the remarkable and inspiring true story of 7,000 stranded air passengers during the wake of 9/11, and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but as uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Previews 1 July 2021. Opens 15 July 2021
The London Palladium, London W1F 7TF www.josephthemusical.com / F: JosephAndTheAmazingTechnicolorDreamcoat / T & I: @josephmusical Alexandra Burke will play The Narrator in the celebrated musical, while Linzi Hateley – who was nominated for an Olivier Award for her performance as the Narrator, starring alongside Jason Donovon in the original London Palladium production – will perform again in the role on special dates. Jason Donovan returns to the role of Pharaoh while Jac Yarrow returns to the title role which earned unanimous acclaim and an Olivier Award nomination.
Dear Evan Hansen
Reopening 26 October 2021 and booking until 13 February 2022
Noël Coward Theatre, London WC2N 4AP dearevanhansen.com / F, T: @DEHWestEnd & I: dehwestend The 2020 Olivier Award-winning show for Best Musical will hold a special night in its first weeks of performances to honour mental health care workers and volunteers, who will be invited to attend as guests. The show opened at the Noël Coward Theatre in November 2019 and, apart from winning the Best New Musical gong, it also picked up two other Olivier Awards. The show’s now-iconic blue polo and arm cast are part of the permanent collection of the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC.
Hairspray the Musical
Previews 21 June 2021, Opens 29 June 2021
London Coliseum, London WC2N 4ES www.hairspraythemusical.co.uk / F, T: @hairspraylondon / I: @HairsprayLondon Les Dennis will now play the role of Wilbur Turnblad after Paul Merton was forced to withdraw from the pandemic-hit production due to other pre-agreed, long-term work commitments. Still in the show, Michael Ball, returns to his Olivier Award-winning role of Edna Turnblad while Lizzie Bea stars as Tracy Turnblad, Marisha Wallace takes on Motormouth, ex-EastEnder, Rita Simons is Velma Von Tussle and Jonny Amies plays Link Larkin.
TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
Reopening 28 July 2021 and booking until 26 June 2022
Aldwych Theatre, London WC2B 4DF tinathemusical.com/uk / F, T: TinaTheMusical & I: @tinathemusical The musical based on the life of legendary artist Tina Turner and produced in association with Tina herself. When the critically acclaimed production received its world premiere in April 2018 in London it subsequently broke all Box Office records at the Aldwych Theatre. Aisha Jawando and Jammy Kasongo are set to return to their pre-Covid roles as Tina and Ike Turner respectively.
AMÉLIE THE MUSICAL
Reopened 20 May 2021, limited season until 25 September 2021
The Criterion Theatre, London W1V 9LB ameliethemusical.com
F, T & I: @ameliethemusicaluk
ABBA MANIA
The Shaftesbury Theatre, London WC2H 8DP until 6 June 2021… and then touring until 30 October 2021 www.abbamania.com
F: AbbaMania T: @realABBAMANIA I: abbamaniaofficial Read our 5-star review from our visit to the Shaftesbury Theatre
Heathers the Musical
Opens 21 June 2021 for 12 weeks (Theatre Royal Haymarket SW1Y 4HT)
…then touring from 28 July 2021
www.heathersthemusical.com
F: heathersthemusical T: @HeathersMusical I: heathersmusical
Forever Plaid
1 – 27 June 2021
Upstairs at the Gatehouse, London N6 4BD www.upstairsatthegatehouse.com
F: UpstairsAtTheGatehouse / T: @GatehouseLondon The socially distanced production comes back once more to The Gatehouse. The blurb says: “This ‘Heavenly Musical’ is one of our favourites with its ‘square’ songs from the Fifties.”
THE LAST FIVE YEARS
17 September – 13 October 2021
Vaudeville Theatre, London WC2R 0NH www.last5yearsuk.com
F: L5YearsUK / T & I: @l5yearsuk Following last year’s run at Southwark Playhouse and a successful stream with stream.theatre the award-winning musical will play a limited season in the West End.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Previews 12 November Opens 8 December 2021
Piccadilly Theatre, London W1D 7DY moulinrougemusical.co.uk
F & I: moulinmusicalUK / T: @moulinmusicaluk The cast has yet to be announced and tickets are on sale (auditions on left). The show features a lavish, immersive set and follows aspiring writer Christian and dancer Satine as they fall in love.
CABARET
Opens in November 2021
The Kit Cat Club, London’s West End
Sign up for emails at kitkat.club
F: @kitkatclubLDN T: @kitkatclubLDN Oscar, Golden Globe, BAFTA, Tony and Olivier winner Eddie Redmayne as ‘Emcee’ and Bafta Nominee & British Independent Film winner Jessie Buckley as ‘Sally Bowles’.
Beauty and the Beast
Touring from 25 August 2021 www.beautyandthebeastmusical.co.uk
F: beautyandthebeastmusical / T: @BeautyMusical / I: beautymusical A re-imagined and re-designed new production of the Disney show sees Courtney Stapleton and Emmanuel Kojo preparing to play the iconic lead roles (see right); spectacular new designs and state-of-the-art technology fuse with the classic story.
Express G&S
23 June – 2 July 2021 (Pleasance Theatre, London N7 9EF)
…and touring until 15 September 2021 IOLANTHE
Touring now until 30 August 2021 www.charlescourtopera.com / F & I: charlescourtopera / T: charlescourt
THE LITTLE PRINCE
6-track EP and film now on YouTube – Online and from Little Angel Theatre N1 2DN www.mettatheatre.co.uk/little-prince819
F, T & I: @mettatheatre Written and recorded in lockdown, an album has spun into a short film retelling Antoine De Saint Exupery’s much-loved story using shadow puppetry.
MONDAY NIGHT AT THE APOLLO
14 June & 5 July 2021
Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7EZ thespie.com / F: thespie, T: @Thespie & I: thespie_ The June concert of the series will be performed in front of a socially distanced audience and simultaneously livestreamed to viewers at home via Thespie. Shan Ako, Arthur Darvill, Sophie Evans, Sandra Marvin and Oliver Tompsett. The July line up is still to be confirmed.
THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
Reopens on 1 July 2021, booking until 8 January 2022
Dominion Theatre, London W1T 7AQ www.theprinceofegyptmusical.com / F & I: PrinceOfEgyptUK / T: @princeofegyptuk Based on the classic DreamWorks Animation film, ‘Tracy Beaker’ star Clive Rowe will join the company as ‘Jethro’ for a limited engagement until 16 October 2021. The musical tells the story of how Moses delivered the Israelites from slavery.
MTFESTUK 2021
THE NEW MUSICAL THEATRE FESTIVAL
Digital UK tour until 4 July 2021
The Turbine Theatre, London SW11 8AB www.theturbinetheatre.com/whats-on/mtfestuk-2021 / F: TurbineTheatre, T & I: @turbinetheatre We had intended on running an interview we have done with Turbine Theatre’s Paul Taylor Mills but we’ve had to move it into the following issue due to lack of space.
THE SHOW MUST GO ON LIVE!
2 – 6 June 2021
Palace Theatre, London W1D 5AY www.theshowmustgoonlive.com
F & I: thetheatresupportfund / T: @theatre_support 18 West End shows and an all-star musical cast come together, hosted by Bonnie Langford & Trevor Dion Nicholas.
THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
7 – 19 June 2021
Curve Theatre, Leicester LE1 1SB www.curveonline.co.uk
F: CURVEtheatreLeicester T: @CurveLeicester
The Addams Family A MUSICAL COMEDY
Touring 17 August 2021 – 5 March 2022 www.theaddamsfamily.co.uk
F: TheAddamsFamilyUK / T: @AddamsFamilyUK / I: theaddamfamilyuk Samantha Womack and Cameron Blakely will revive their roles as Morticia and Gomez Addams, based on the characters originally created by Charles Addams. Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has grown up and has a shocking secret that only Gomez knows; she’s fallen in love.
ANYTHING GOES
23 July 2021 – 17 October 2021
Barbican Theatre, London EC2Y 8DS anythinggoesmusical.co.uk
F & I: anythinggoesuk T: @AnythingGUK Sutton Foster replaces Megan Mullally (injury) and reprises her Tony Award-winning role as she joins Robert Lindsay, Felicity Kendal and Gary Wilmot.
GREASE
Touring from 30 July – 27 November 2021 greasethemusicalontour.com
F: greaseUKTour / T & I: @greaseuktour With Nikolai Foster directing & Arlene Phillips choreographing, Peter Andre stars as ‘Teen Angel’ and Vince Fontaine at certain venues. Both Patrick Swayze & John Travolta appeared in the stage show, with Richard Gere understudying before starring as Danny Zuko in London.
HAIRSPRAY
Touring from 24 June 2021 – 2 April 2022 www.hairsprayuktour.com
F & T: @HairsprayUKTour / I: hairsprayuktour Brenda Edwards will star as Motormouth Maybelle while Norman Pace takes on Wilbur Turnblad and Alex Bourne will pop a frock to play Edna Turnblad. Paul Kerryson directs with choreography from the multi-talented Drew McOnie.
LES MISÉRABLES
Touring from 24 November 2021 –
14 January 2023 www.lesmis.com/uk-ireland-tour
F & T: @lesmisofficial / I: lesmizofficial Dean Chisnall plays ‘Jean Valjean’, Nic Greenshields, ‘Javert’ and Katie Hall takes on ‘Fantine’. If this giant of a show is coming to a town near you, make sure you see it.
BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL
Touring from 26 January – 30 July 2022 www.bringitonthemusicaluk.com
F: BringItOnUKTour / I & T: @bringitonuktour The tour follows a Christmas season at London’s Southbank Centre. The cast is led by ‘Amber Davies as ‘Campbell’ and Louis Smith as ‘Cameron’. Lin-Manuel Miranda co-writes music & lyrics.
JERSEY BOYS
Touring 25 November 2021 – 12 November 2022 www.jerseyboyslondon.com
F: JerseyBoysLondon / T & I: @JerseyBoysUK Famously remembering the music & inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons.
Matthew Bourne’s THE MIDNIGHT BELL
Touring 9 September 2021 – 27 November 2021 new-adventures.net
F: MBNewAdventures / T: @new_adventures / I: mbnewadventures
PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL
Touring 23 June – 30 October 2021 priscillauktour.com
F: PriscillaTourUK / T & I: @priscillatouruk Mark Goucher and Jason Donovan produce the glittering hit musical full of fabulous feathers and a non-stop parade of dance-floor disco classics.
ROCK OF AGES
Touring 19 August 2021 – 18 June 2022 www.rockofagesmusical.co.uk
F: rockofagesthemusical / T: @rockofagesuk The musical comedy lavished with over twenty-five classic rock anthems, including ‘Don’t Stop Believin’, ‘We Built This City’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’, ‘Here I Go Again’, ‘Can’t Fight this Feeling’.
WAITRESS
Touring 4 Sep 2021 – 20 Aug 2022 www.waitressthemusical.co.uk
F, T & I: @waitressuk Lucie Jones reprises her role as ‘Jenna’, Sandra Marvin plays ‘Becky’ and Evelyn Hoskins takes on ‘Dawn’ (right) while Matt Willis plays ‘Dr Pomatter’. Jones was previously in the West End production at the Adelphi Theatre.
SCHOOL OF ROCK The Musical
Touring 7 September 2021 – 13 August 2022 uktour.schoolofrockthemusical.com
F: schoolofrockmusical / T: @schoolofrockuk / I: Schoolofrockuk Based on the movie starring Jack Black, children are currently being auditioned for the onstage band. While 14 new songs have been written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, original favourites such as ‘Stick It to the Man’ have stayed. Julian Fellowes has written the book.
SOMETHING ABOUT SIMON
Touring 7 June – 11 July 2021 www.somethingaboutsimon.com
F: somethingaboutsimonconcerts
T: @SimonAbout / I: SomethingAboutSimon The life and music of legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon returns to the British stage this summer.
Dorian A Rock Musical
Streaming 4 – 26 June 2021 www.stream.theatre/season/127
F: RubyInTheDustTheatre / T: @_RUBYINTHEDUST_ / I: ruby_in_the_dust_theatre Following the success of Gatsby A Musical, filmed and streamed at Cadogan Hall, Ruby in the Dust now presents a rock adaptation of the Oscar Wilde classic for you to stream at home.
TELL ME ON A SUNDAY
Touring from 15 June – 16 November 2021 tellmeontour.co.uk / F & I: tellmeontour / T: @Tellmeontour Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s classic musical will get the Jodie Prenger treatment this year. It charts the romantic misadventures of a young English girl in New York in the heady days of the 1980s.
THE CHER SHOW
Touring 15 April 2022 – 18 March 2023 cheronstage.com
F & T: @TheCherShowUK / I: thechershowuk A trio of female power sees Arlene Phillips direct the show due to open next year while choreography comes from Strictly chamion Oti Mabuse and the all-important costume design is by Gabriella Slade (see right).
THE DANISH GIRL New Theatre Peterborough has been working with writers Katie Lam and Alex Parker and director Tinuke Craig to host a workshop of a new musical adaptation of David Ebershoff’s novel. There was of course also an Academy Award-winning 2015 film starring Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander – a fictionalised account based on the real life of Lili Elbe.
FOR TONIGHT
Concept Album – Summer 2021 www.fortonightmusical.com
F & I: fortonightmusical / T: @For_Tonight_ Music book and lyrics are by Shenelle Salcido & Spencer Williams, with additional book by Whitney Rhodes. The show is inspired by writer Spencer Williams’ three times great grandfather’s handwritten journal and blends traditional Welsh choral, indie-pop, folk and Romani-inspired melodies.
New musical production company Perfect Pitch and worldwide theatrical licensing house Broadway Licensing have announced a new partnership that will see the commission, development, production and licensing of four new British musicals. Perfect Pitch founders, Wendy & Andy Barnes are producers of ‘SIX’, Seven existing Perfect Pitch titles have joined the Broadway Licensing catalogue.
IN THE HEIGHTS
Released in cinemas 18 Jun 21
Trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g6c6dCuTW8
F: InTheHeightsMovieTH / T: @intheheights Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music and lyrics capture a world very much of its place but universal in its experience.
GET UP, STAND UP! THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL
Previews 1 Oct, Opens 20 Oct 21
Lyric Theatre, London W1D 7ES getupstandupthemusical.com
F & T: @GetUpStandUpLDN / I: getupstandupldn
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
18 – 19 June 2021
Shaftesbury Theatre, London WC2H 8DP www.shaftesburytheatre.com/shows/lady-chatterleys-lover / T: @LadyCMusical The new musical adaptation of D.H. Lawrence’s infamous literary classic.
MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY
Reopens 1 Oct 2021 …and currently booking until 3 Apr 2022
The O2, Peninsula Square, London SE10 0DX mammamiatheparty.co.uk
F, T & I: @mammamiapartyuk
Music Theatre International (MTI) – A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre
By PAUL JOHNSON
Theatrical licensor Music Theatre International (MTI) has announced updates to All Together Now!: A Global Event Celebrating Local Theatre.
The event means that schools and theatres around the world will be empowered to produce and perform locally an exclusive musical revue featuring songs from MTI’s beloved shows from 12-15 November 2021.
MTI’s All Together Now! will be entirely free-of-charge to license with no royalty or rental fees.
Participating organisations may license MTI’s All Together Now! as a fundraiser for their theatre and perform it live, streamed, or a combination of both over a long four-day period in November 2021.
A long list of renowned MTI authors, their estates and rightsholders are contributing songs from their iconic musicals to the revue including:
Stephen Schwartz
Lynn Ahrens & Stephen Flaherty
Cameron Mackintosh
Alain Boublil, Claude-Michel Schönberg & Herbert Kretzmer
Disney Theatrical Group
Frank Loesser
Alan Jay Lerner & Frederick Loewe
Tim Minchin
Jonathan Larson
Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman
Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley
Frank Wildhorn
Charles Strouse & Martin Charnin
Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich
…plus many more to be announced.
“None of this would be possible without the support of the authors we represent,” stated MTI’s President and CEO, Drew Cohen. “We are fortunate that so many of these composers, lyricists and rightsholders are embracing the idea of All Together Now!. I know that theatres around the world are eager to see the full list of songs featured in this new revue and we are working hard behind the scenes to create a memorable and inspiring show. We will be making more announcements in the very near future, but we encourage everyone to visit the event website as authors and their songs are added.”
The brand-new musical revue is being put together by a renowned creative team that includes librettist Timothy Allen McDonald (James and the Giant Peach, Between the Lines, Breathe!); director, choreographer and Associate Artistic Director of the York Theatre, Gerry McIntyre (Berkshire Theatre Group’s Godspell, The York’s Hallelujah, Baby!); director and choreographer, Racky Plews (American Idiot, Thoroughly Modern Millie); director Jeff Calhoun (9 to 5, Disney’s Newsies on Broadway); and MTI’s COO and Director of Education & Development, John Prignano.
“One of our goals in creating this revue is to not only showcase some of the most beloved songs in the musical theatre catalogue, but to also allow local theatres to make this show their own,” said the members of the creative team. “We’re dividing the revue into sections where we hope to have a couple of different approved song options. We are also creating different moments in the script where organisations can feature remarks from their leadership, local luminaries and public officials. The idea is for every group to put their own stamp on All Together Now! so it resonates with their audiences.”
“I’ve been blown away by the response from theatres so far,” said John Prignano. “Many theatrical organisations across the globe have already expressed their enthusiasm for the event and committed to performing the revue in their communities. Unlike some of our shows that may have geographical licensing restrictions, we hope that if there are multiple theatres in a certain area that they get together, pool their resources and potentially perform the revue as a fundraiser for all the groups involved. That’s one of the reasons the show is only available for performance from 12 – 15 November; we want everyone to experience the magic of musical theatre together as a community.”
“We really want to help everyone who makes theatre and everyone who loves theatre to celebrate theatre’s return together,” said Seán Gray, Managing Director, MTI Europe. “We want to remind the world of the communal happiness we generate through sharing the fruits of our passion on a stage and in an auditorium. We hope that this will be a wonderful way for us all to sing to the world as we have never sung before: we are back!”
In the UK, a passion for a return to live theatre is running high. Pamela Mackie of Dunblane’s Rubber Chicken Theatre in Scotland said: “We’ve kept really busy theatrically over lockdown – virtual shows, online rehearsals, remotely filmed showpieces etc. etc. etc. but there is nothing in the world that compares with coming together, live on stage to rehearse and perform musical theatre. To have the chance to celebrate the return of musical theatre not only with each other and our audience locally, but with our theatre family across Scotland, the UK and the world is just incredible.
“To give our performers young and old the chance to be a part of such amazing songs and musicals, and to know that so many people driven by the same passion for theatre are performing the same songs at the same time, will be a special moment. We can’t wait.”
Gary Redpath of the Belfast Operatic Society and AIMS Northern Region Chairman in Northern Ireland also can’t wait to get in on the act.
“Committees all across the province are taking brave decisions in order to get non-professional performers back to doing what they love. Through lockdown, music has been proven to provide a welcome release for participants’ mental health.
“Incentives like MTI’s All Together Now! will help to restore confidence in the performing arts and events industry for audiences in a post-Covid world, helping to kickstart the industry. As performance rights are being provided free of charge, committees are able to participate at a reduced risk to themselves, allowing more societies to get involved in what will be a landmark weekend for the performing arts.”
Further details on licensing and how groups can participate in this worldwide event will be announced in the coming weeks.
The National Youth Theatre REP Company’s first national tour, which has already started, will feature two new productions of classic plays: Orwell’s Animal Farm and Shakespeare’s Othello.
The productions are co-produced with Royal & Derngate as part of its Made in Northampton season.
While both productions are highly recommended, May’s initial dates in Northampton have passed and the NYT’s London dates are sold out.
This now leaves only one remaining venue for each play… Othello can be seen at Bolsover Castle, Derbyshire from 23-26 June while Animal Farm is still to play at Soulton Hall, Shropshire from 16-19 June.
The REP Season concludes with Ordinary Miracle, a new play by the Bryan Forbes. It play in London from 2-4 July at the NYT Workshop Theatre.
Following the easing of restrictions, which meant many after-school & weekend clubs could finally reconvene after over seven months of closures, students from across the UK reunited for their singing, dancing and acting sessions
“Without doubt, the pandemic has caused havoc on extra-curricular clubs over the last year, with many parents now seeing our performing arts classes as an antidote when their children have been socially isolated and glued to a computer screen for much of the day,” said Andy Knights, Stagecoach COO. “It’s vital that we reconnect and re-engage with our students and make the experience really enjoyable by showing them that Stagecoach is a place where they can have fun with their peers again.
“Our franchisees have done brilliantly to reopen their schools for in-person classes again; 99% are back in their venues and seeing a return to normality with students eager to get back to their classes. Across the network we have seen a 43% increase in demand for summer enrolments, compared to summer 2019, and a 25% rise in enquiries, with some franchisees having to introduce waiting lists due to the demand in their local areas.”
The Jack Petchey Foundation reflects on twenty-one years since its birth in 1999… Grant updates and great opportunities for your school/youth group!
By PAUL JOHNSON
The Jack Petchey Foundation’s Imapct Report is a new independent study into the difference the Foundation has made since it first started in 1999.
The basic points include:
Over 200,000 young people have gained a prestigious Jack Petchey Foundation Achievement Award;
Over 2.5 million people have attended a Jack Petchey Foundation event to celebrate young people and their achievements;
Over 10,000 leaders have been recognised and trained by the Foundation;
96% of education / youth sector leaders said they believe involvement in JPF programmes increases young people’s self-confidence and self-belief;
The researchers found that the Foundation’s work supports young people to develop new skills, raises their aspirations and improves their work ethic, resulting in them having a positive impact on society.
New Adventures has announced a brand-new training programme, Cygnet School, principally funded by The Dorfman Foundation.
The programme will be resident at The Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury for the next three years. Not to be mixed up with ‘Cygnet Theatre’ in Exeter which also happens to train tomorrow’s performers (who, I bet, are more than a bit miffed!), swans & cygnets are pretty synonymous with Sir Matthew Bourne. His all-male production of Swan Lake is the stuff of legend – whether you’ve seen Billy Elliot or not!
Matthew Bourne’s Cygnet School is a dance training programme for young people predominantly from backgrounds with limited access to arts provision and has been developed as part of New Adventures commitment to increase diversity in the sector and provide equity of opportunity.
This programme fills a fundamental gap between young people participating at a grass-roots level through their engagement work and those who progress onto vocational training. Believing that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, they are committed to changing this through the launch of Cygnet School.
The first cohort of twelve young dancers aged 12-24 from across the country will take part in an annual programme of monthly workshops and holiday residencies at The Marlowe Theatre launching in July 2021. Cygnet School will harness raw potential, enabling participants to develop a breadth of creative performance skills and a passion for dance to equip them with a range of skills and training to progress into the second year of Cygnet School training or onwards.
This might be through other New Adventures pathways including Swan School or other creative opportunities and vocational training across the dance sector.
Participants have been identified through New Adventures’ wider participation work including Sadler’s Wells Curtain Raiser, 2020 (residency and response piece to the production of The Red Shoes), Civil Blood, 2019 (performance partnership with Dance United Yorkshire and Studio 3 Arts, London), Romeo and Juliet auditions, 2019 (engaging eighty of the finest emerging artists aged 16-19 alongside professional dancers over thirteen UK cities) and Dancers in Residence, 2018 (entire school performance programme with William Patten Primary School).
New Adventures and The Marlowe are passionate about diversifying the dance landscape and removing barriers for those who typically struggle to access opportunities in the arts, from limited training opportunities at a young age to prohibitive associated costs. Given the detrimental impact the pandemic is having on opportunities to progress within the arts, they are more committed than ever to inspiring and providing clear pathways for young people to grow and succeed, regardless of background or their circumstances.
Matthew Bourne said: “This past year has highlighted an ever more urgent need to address the lack of accessible opportunities to enter the arts. New Adventures is passionate about diversifying the industry and celebrating talent from across a broad spectrum of backgrounds.
“The launch of Cygnet School is an important cornerstone in our commitment to increasing diverse representation within the arts. We are sincerely grateful to The Dorfman Foundation for their support and encouragement of this pioneering programme, and to The Marlowe Theatre for welcoming Cygnet School to their building.”
Deborah Shaw, Chief Executive of The Marlowe Theatre added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with New Adventures on this project and we are very much looking forward to welcoming the first Cygnet School cohort to our theatre in July. We are passionate about levelling up access to the performing arts and the impact of the pandemic over the last year has made this more important than ever.”
New Adventures is an Associate company at The Marlowe and this new three-year programme will see both organisations build on previous collaborations which have included; the Romeo and Juliet local cast (2019), Cinderella Curtain Raiser (2018) and Lord of the Flies (2014).
As amateur theatremakers we have to live with the burden of being tagged ‘hobbyists’, no matter how committed of ‘professional’ our approach to the arts might be.
But, if this really is the sum of all fears, perhaps this would be an appropriate moment to spare a thought for the myriad of professionals out there. The freelancers. Many of whom have had little or no financial support from the government or arts organisations since every theatre in the country closed their doors.
If the professionals have had a bad time of it during the pandemic, imagine what it must have been like if you were slap bang in the middle of an expensive drama course when Covid hit!? That’s exactly what drama and musical students have experienced. I mean. how does one graduate for a career that doesn’t exist?
Thankfully, there now appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel and theatre schools are (slowly) coming back to the thought that face-to-face teaching is essential for the country’s future generation of actors.
One school crossing it’s fingers for a return to some kind of normality this summer is the acclaimed Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, one of the UK’s leading establishments.
BOVTS is taking the bull by the horns and committing to a quartet of summer school courses in 2021. Here are the details to whet your appetites.
YOUR NEWS…
A GIRL IN A CAR WITH A MAN by Robert Alan Evans
THE GRINNING MAN by Carl Grose, Tom Morris, Tim Phillips, Marc Teitler
ONE DAY WHEN WE WERE YOUNG by Nick Payne
REASONS YOU SHOULD(N’T) LOVE ME by Amy Trigg
SUE TOWNSEND’S THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE AGED 13¾ THE MUSICAL by Sue Townsend, Jake Brunger, Pippa Cleary
THE TWO WORLDS OF CHARLIE F by Owen Sheers
VESPERTILIO by Barry McStay
WARHEADS by Tarek Skylar, Ross Berkeley Simpson
The Hunchback of Notre Dame – Book: Peter Parnell. Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Stephen Schwartz
Disney’s THE LITTLE MERMAID – Book: Doug Wright. Music: Alan Menken. Lyrics: Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater
Roald Dahl’s MATILDA THE MUSICAL JR. – Book: Dennis Kelly. Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin.
Hamilton and Me AN ACTOR’S JOURNAL by Giles Terera
15 Heroines by Various authors
Chaos by Laura Lomas
Little Wars by Steven Carl McCasland
Stuff by Tom Wells
Hamlet: The State of Play – Edited by Sonia Massai & Lucy Munro
Shakespeare in the Theatre: Peter Hall – Stuart Hampton-Reeves
Staging Britain’s Past Pre-Roman Britain in Early Modern Drama – Kim Gilchrist
ANGELA – Mark Ravenhill
CRUISE – Jack Holden
Hymn – Lolita Chakrabarti
Mugabe, My Dad and Me – Tonderai Munyevu
ONCE UPON A BRIDGE – Sonya Kelly
Orpheus in the Record Shop …and… The Beatboxer – Testament
Sadie – David Ireland
TARANTULA – Philip Ridley
Shakespearean Wig Styling A Practical Guide to Wig Making for the 1500s-1600s – Brenda Leedham and Lizzee Leedham
Million Dollar Quartet – Colin Escott, Floyd Mutrux
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – The Musical – Stephan Elliott, Allan Scott
All Shook Up – Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley. Book: Joe DiPietro
MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT A Socially Distant Concert-ish Version – Book, Lyrics & Music by Eric Idle. Music by John Du Prez
HAMILTON
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
WICKED
Les Misérables – The Staged Concert
Disney’s THE LION KING
Mary Poppins
MATILDA THE MUSICAL
Only Fools and Horses The Musical
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CINDERELLA
Come From Away
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Dear Evan Hansen
Hairspray the Musical
TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL
AMÉLIE THE MUSICAL
ABBA MANIA
Heathers the Musical
Forever Plaid
THE LAST FIVE YEARS
SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Hot Gossip!
CABARET
Beauty and the Beast
Express G&S
THE LITTLE PRINCE
MONDAY NIGHT AT THE APOLLO
THE PRINCE OF EGYPT
MTFESTUK 2021
THE SHOW MUST GO ON LIVE!
THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
The Addams Family A MUSICAL COMEDY
ANYTHING GOES
GREASE
HAIRSPRAY
LES MISÉRABLES
BRING IT ON THE MUSICAL
Matthew Bourne’s THE MIDNIGHT BELL
PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL
WAITRESS
SCHOOL OF ROCK The Musical
SOMETHING ABOUT SIMON
Dorian A Rock Musical
TELL ME ON A SUNDAY
THE CHER SHOW
THE DANISH GIRL
FOR TONIGHT
New musical production company Perfect Pitch and worldwide theatrical licensing house Broadway Licensing have announced a new partnership that will see the commission, development, production and licensing of four new British musicals. Perfect Pitch founders, Wendy & Andy Barnes are producers of ‘SIX’, Seven existing Perfect Pitch titles have joined the Broadway Licensing catalogue.
IN THE HEIGHTS
GET UP, STAND UP! THE BOB MARLEY MUSICAL
Lady Chatterley’s Lover
MAMMA MIA! THE PARTY
