Review: Cinderella at Darlington Civic Theatre

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuide and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide

Pudsey The Dog Learns New Tricks

Cinderella

Darlington Civic Theatre

Until Sunday 10^th January 2016.

The Darlington Civic crowd left with smiles on their faces as Cinderella’s coach rolled into town.

Cinderella is looking for love in this classic pantomime. She is being bullied by her ugly step sisters but she has a friend in Buttons. Meanwhile, over at the palace, the local Prince is looking for someone to marry who wants him for his personality rather than his status.

Cinders is performed by Ashleigh Butler who appears with her amazing sidekick Pudsey the dog. The star, who came to fame when she won the 2011 tv show Britain’s Got Talent, is very comfortable as the centre of attention.  Pudsey gets a number of opportunities to wow the audience and he never put a paw wrong.

Cinders Dad, Baron Hardup, is performed by Channel 4 Coach Trip’s Brendan Sheerin, who was clearly enjoying the role. He put a few coach references into the routines but they’d be lost on anyone not familiar with his tv show.

Providing the singing talent was X-Factor semi-finalist Niki Evans. Niki was both glamorous and charming as The Fairy Godmother. Her singing was one of the highlights of the show.

Buttons can be a tough gig as you have to narrate the story and orchestrate much of the audience participation. All round entertainer Matt Edwards uses his talent to get the audience to take part. He has a lot to offer the show and it seems a shame he didn’t do a few more tricks in the context of the show.

Alastair Hill has a chance to show off his singing ability as Prince Charming. He plays the role well and he is a suitable romantic target for Cinderella. Wayne Smith completes the double act as his servant Dandini.

  

Completing the line up of principal performers are Phil Corbitt and Danny Potts as the Ugly Sisters Mel & Sue. They were suitably grotesque. Their dislike of Cinders was made apparent without being too nasty. The audience were happy to boo whenever they came on.  They had numerous bright dresses to wear which helped them to stand out whenever they were on stage.

There are some great scenes in the Andrew Ryan directed show.  Prince Charming serenading Cinderella in the forest with Buttons playing gooseberry was wonderful fun.  The 12 days of Christmas was another fabulous comedy routine.

The show has a really talented dancing ensemble who never missed a step.  The dancing routines are completed with the lovely Joanne Banks Dancers. 

Unlike many North East pantos the show comes complete with a live band, who had their work cut out, especially on the 12 days of Christmas.

At 2 hours, it does not over run. Cinderella got the thumbs up from our 12 year old son who loved it. It is a traditional mix of love story, slapstick and songs.

This review was written by Stephen Oliver for the North East Theatre Guide from Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo

Read the original North East Theatre Guide preview of Cinderella here: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/preview-cinderella-at-darlington-civic.html

Tickets

Cinderella runs at Darlington Civic Theatre from Saturday 5 December 2015 to Sunday 10 January 2016. For tickets and more information visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk or call 01325 486555.

Preview: The Tommy Cooper Show at Darlington Civic Theatre

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuideand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide

 SO FUNNY YOUR TEETH WILL ITCH

The Tommy Cooper Show

Darlington Civic Theatre

Thursday 24 September 2015

Darlington Civic Theatre will be buzzing as the zany antics of comedy genius Tommy Cooper are brought to life with The Tommy Cooper Show on Thursday 24 September.

The Tommy Cooper Show features West End star Daniel Taylor (Blood Brothers) as Tommy Cooper, in the knockout performance of the year.

The show comes with a fabulous supporting cast, and all of your favourite jokes. Between the story, the gags and the magic, and Daniel’s incredible portrayal of showbusiness legend Tommy Cooper, this promises to be a very special show.

Gareth Jones (formerly Gaz Top) stars as Miff Ferrie, Tommy’s long suffering agent and manager along with Sharon Byatt as Tommy’s wife Gwen Cooper.

This production has the blessing of Tommy’s estate, and his daughter Vicky.

“Daniel Taylor is breath-taking as Cooper” British Theatre Guide

Tickets:

The Tommy Cooper Show is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Thursday 24 September.

Tickets* are £14 to £18

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.

Preview: Relaxed Cinderella at Darlington Civic Theatre

A CHILLED OUT EXPERIENCE AT THE PANTOMIME

Cinderella

Darlington Civic Theatre

Friday 8^th January 2016

Darlington Civic Theatre and Qdos Entertainment to present a specially adapted ‘relaxed’ pantomime performance of Cinderella on Friday January 8, 2016.

Darlington Civic Theatre and Qdos Entertainment are delighted to be bringing a specially adapted performance of the spectacular family pantomime, Cinderella, designed to welcome people with an Autistic Spectrum Condition, learning disability or sensory and communication disorders.

This relaxed performance will allow audience members to leave the auditorium and return at any time, light and sound levels will be specially adapted, and there will be a ‘chill-out zone’ outside the auditorium.

Audience members can talk as much as they like and there will be no expectation that the audience has to be quiet.

The special relaxed performance is on Friday January 8 at 2pm, tickets are £8.50. To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486555.

Starring in Cinderella will be Britain’s Got Talent winners Ashleigh and Pudsey alongside Brendan Sheerin from Coach Trip and Niki Evans from The X-Factor. Managing Director of Qdos Entertainment’s pantomimes division, Michael Harrison, said; “The success that Ashleigh and Pudsey have enjoyed since winning Britain’s Got Talent is tribute to the popularity and versatility of the act. Everyone from The Queen to the cinema-going millions have enjoyed Ashleigh and Pudsey’s tricks and routines, which will feature heavily in this year’s panto.”

Read the original North East Theatre Guide preview here. 

Tickets:

Cinderella runs at Darlington Civic Theatre from Saturday 5 December 2015 to Sunday 10 January 2016.

For tickets and more information visit darlingtoncivic.co.uk or call the box office on 01325 486555.

Preview: Brave New World at Darlington Civic Theatre

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuideand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide  

Full Cast Announced For Brave New World

Brave New World

Darlington Civic Theatre

Tuesday 10^th to Saturday 14^th November 2015

The full cast and creative team has been announced for the world premiere of a brand new stage adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s seminal novel Brave New World, presented by Touring Consortium Theatre Company and Royal & Derngate Northampton which comes to Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 November.

Brave New World, widely considered to be one of the finest and most prophetic dystopian novels of the twentieth century, bursts into life on stage in an adaptation by award-winning playwright Dawn King, directed by James Dacre and designed by Naomi Dawson, with original new music by the ground breaking British band These New Puritans.

Sophie Ward - Photo: Gemma Betts

Sophie Ward, whose extensive screen credits include TV series Land Girls, Heartbeat and Holby City, and films including Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Young Sherlock, will play ‘Margaret Mond’, the Regional World Controller for Western Europe (a character that was the male ‘Mustapha Mond’ in the original novel),. Her theatre work includes One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Go Back For Murder and Private Lives. Olivier Award-winning Abigail McKern, last seen in Northampton in A Tale of Two Cities and fresh from Shakespeare in Love in the West End, takes the role of ‘Linda’. The ensemble cast also includes Olivia Morgan (Macbeth, West End, The Taming of the Shrew,

Shakespeare’s Globe), William Postlethwaite (King Lear, Bath Theatre Royal, Collaborators, National Theatre) as John the Savage, Scott Karim (The Merchant of Venice, Shakespeare’s Globe, Great Britain, National Theatre) as Helmholtz Watson, and Gruffudd Glyn (Three Sisters, Young Vic, Hamlet, RSC) as Bernard. The cast also includes Theo Ogundipe as Benito, Samantha Pearl as Polly, James Howard as the Director and David Burnett as Henry.

The play is directed by Royal & Derngate’s Artistic Director James Dacre (The Body of an American, King John, Arthur Miller’s The Hook) with original music by These New Puritans, whose last album was described by Record Collector as “arguably the musical achievement of the 2010s so far.” It has been adapted for the stage by Dawn King, whose credits include the plays Ciphers and Foxfinder, and the BAFTA-nominated short film The Karman Line. The production is designed by Naomi Dawson, whose recent credits include The Roaring Girl, King John and As You Like It for the RSC, with Frantic Assembly’s Eddie Kay (The Pass, Royal Court, Othello, Frantic Assembly) as movement director. Lighting design is by Colin Grenfell (Black Watch, National Theatre of Scotland, The Mother, Theatre Royal Bath) with sound design by George Dennis (Regeneration, Royal & Derngate/Touring Consortium Theatre Company, Liberian Girl, Royal Court).

Video designer Keith Skretch also joins the creative team, with fight direction by RC Annie.

Tickets:

Brave New World is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 10^th to Saturday 14^th November 2015.

Tickets* are priced from £17.40

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk  

Tour: Darlington Civic Theatre

TAKE A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES AT

DARLINGTON CIVIC THEATRE

On Monday June 22 Darlington Civic Theatre is opening the doors for an exciting and informative look behind the scenes with a special Heritage Tour.

Theatres are amazing spaces, especially old ones. As soon as you walk in to any auditorium you feel the warmth and history of the hundreds or thousands of stars who have appeared on the stage, you can almost hear the echo of applause ringing around the building, the atmosphere of anticipation of the production you are about to see is almost tangible.

Imagine, then, the opportunity to get a glimpse behind the scenes - the areas you never get to see as a member of the audience. Stand in the wings and imagine your next big entrance in front of a sell-out audience, get the view of the theatre every actor gets when they walk on stage for the first time, see the technical areas and offices. Add to that the history of secret apartments, the dressing rooms (some of which are known to be haunted) and you have an exciting and informative tour of one of Darlington’s most wonderful and historic buildings.

See Darlington Civic theatre as you have never seen it before.

Tickets:

The Darlington Civic Theatre Heritage Tour will take place on Monday 22 June at 7pm. Tickets are priced £5

Preview: History Boys at Darlington Civic Theatre

A NIGHT OUT WITH THE BOYS

The History Boys

Darlington Civic Theatre

Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June 2015

Voted the nation’s favourite play, Alan Bennett’s multi award-winning The History Boys will visit Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June as part of the current UK tour.

Winner of over 30 major awards including the Olivier and Tony Awards for Best New Play, The History Boys is the story of a group of bright, funny and unruly sixth-formers in pursuit of sex, sport and a place at university. Their maverick English teacher is at odds with the young and shrewd supply teacher, whilst their headmaster is obsessed with results and league tables. Staffroom rivalry and the anarchy of adolescence overflow, provoking insistent questions about history and how you teach it.

Their A Levels may be over, but their true education is only just beginning. Widely hailed as one of the greatest theatrical events of the last decade, The History Boys is a hilariously funny and exceptionally

moving play about the true purpose of education.

The History Boys premiered at the National Theatre in 2004 directed by Nicholas Hytner, and helped launch the careers of many of its original cast members including James Corden and Dominic Cooper.

It went on to open on Broadway in 2006, with a film adaptation featuring the original stage cast released later that year. The History Boys also had two successful West Endruns, playing at the Wyndham’s Theatre in 2007 and 2008, and has won countless awards including the Oliver Award for Best New Play, Tony Award for Best Play, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play and Evening Standard Award for Best Play.

On The Web:

Website: www.selladoor.com

Twitter: HistoryBoysTour

Facebook: historyboysuktour

Tickets:

The History Boys is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 June. Tickets* are priced £15.80 to £24

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk  

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.

Preview: Avenue Q at Darlington Civic Theatre

LIFE SUCKS. BUT DON’T SWEAT IT, AVENUE Q ARRIVES AT DARLINGTON CIVIC THEATRE

Avenue Q

Darlington Civic Theatre

Tuesday 9^th to Saturday 13^th June 2015

Cross Sesame Street with the Muppet Show, give it a 14+ age rating and clap on a government health warning that too much laughter can make your sides ache and you’ve got Avenue Q.

The countdown has begun! With just over a week to go until award winning musical Avenue Q hits Darlington Civic Theatre, the venue is preparing to host the most unholy comic allegiance between humans and puppets the world has ever seen. Following massive success all over the globe and nearly five years of mischief, bad behaviour and political incorrectness in the West End, Avenue Q finally arrives in Darlington from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 June as part of its current national tour.

Avenue Q is a musical about the lively and off-the-wall characters on a downtown New York street trying to make sense of life’s burning issues: love, work, relationships, and, above all, just how are you supposed to pay the bills with a BA in English? Hilarious and uproariously entertaining with songs performed by a cast of hugely talented performers and puppets, Avenue Q is a musical like no other.

Avenue Q follows Princeton, a bright-eyed college graduate new to the area, as he desperately tries to follow his dreams and discover his ever-elusive purpose in life. A tiny bank balance, the distraction of a busty blonde, and a variety of weird and wonderful friends and neighbours lead Princeton on a story of self-discovery.

The show has enjoyed enormous success, both on Broadway and in London, proving to be the perfect, contemporary musical. Witty, rude and extremely funny, Avenue Q ingeniously combines a cast of humans and puppets who tackle subjects such as dating, racism, being gay and finding your purpose in life.

Tickets:

Avenue Q is at Darlington Civic Theatre from Tuesday 9 to Saturday 13 June. Tickets* are priced £19 to £30.50

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk  

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy.

Age recommendation 14+

Preview: Let’s Hang On at Darlington Civic Theatre

FOUR SEASONS IN ONE DAY

Let’s Hang On

Darlington Civic Theatre

Friday 5 June 2015

Let’s Hang On – celebrating the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is coming to Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday 5 June.

The award-winning production Let’s Hang On takes you on a musical journey through the prolific career of one of the most successful bands of all time – Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.

It’s easy to frequently name drop the big chart stars of the 60s such as The Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys but as their repertoire proves, The Four Seasons are still held in very high regard with countless hits and a multitude of songs used in hit films such as Grease, Dirty Dancing, and The Deer Hunter.

Dino Buttarazzi, Martin Peat, Scott Walker, Jay Harrison and Robin Maughan (who scales the falsetto heights previously set by Frankie Valli with remarkable ease,) truly capture the original magic of the Four Seasons. The atmosphere created is not only from their music but also their own unique sound, nostalgic mood, and electric feeling!

From the beginning in the early 50’s when Frankie first joined the group, the show takes you through hits such as December ’63 (Oh What A Night!), Beggin’, Sherry, Bye Bye Baby, Walk Like A Man, Grease, Rag Doll, Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Working My Way Back To You, Big Girls Don’t Cry, and many more, climaxing with a spectacular finale of, of course, Let’s Hang On!

Having only last year performed at the Royal Albert Hall for Frankie Valli himself, Let’s Hang On are undoubtedly one of the most authentic touring acts on the circuit and continue to prove they’re in a class of their own!

On The Web:

Tour Website: http://www.letshangon.co.uk/ 
Tour Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letshangonofficial 
Tour Twitter: https://twitter.com/letshangon 
Theatre Twitter: www.twitter.com/DarloCivic    
Theatre Facebook: www.facebook.com/darlingtoncivictheatre  

 

Tickets:

Let’s Hang On is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Friday 5 June. Tickets* are priced £21.50 and £23.50

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk  

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy

Preview: Jasper Carrott at Darlington Civic Theatre

JASPER CARROTT BACK ON THE ROAD

Jasper Carrott

Darlington Civic Theatre

Tuesday 2 June 2015

Jasper Carrott is back on tour bringing his inimitable comedy style to Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 2 June.

Jasper Carrott's Stand Up And Rock does what it says on the tin....

Bev Bevan & Jasper Carrott

Jasper is back to his very best....mic in hand regaling the audience with his inimitable stand up routines before introducing his musical compatriots that have been 'rockin' audiences all over the world.

Bev Bevan, as well as being Jasper's mate has rock star credentials that most dream of from the Move through ELO and has one of the finest bands around. Rockin' Berries lead singer Geoff Turton, celtic rock band Quills lead singer 'Joy' and the Bev Bevan band comprising some of the country's finest musicians.

So do not miss this unique show that gives the opportunity to see and hear great legendary artistes belt out a night of fantastic songs and Jasper back where he belongs......making us laugh!!

Tickets:

Jasper Carrott’s Stand Up and Rock is at Darlington Civic Theatre on Tuesday 2 June. Tickets* are priced £24 and £26.

To book contact the Box Office on 01325 486 555 or visit www.darlingtoncivic.co.uk  

*All ticket prices include a £1 restoration levy

Breaking News is the new EP from North East band Peculiar Disco Moves. The new video is a portrayal of celebrity life, where red tops will sell their Granny to get a picture of a Z-lister parking his car one minute, then drop him or her like an anchor in the sea the next.

See the new Breaking News video on this link here 

Follow Peculiar Disco Moves here