News: THEATRE ROYAL CELEBRATES NEW FACILITIES

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THEATRE ROYAL CELEBRATES NEW FACILITIES WITH ‘ROYAL’ OPENING BY ‘THE QUEEN’!

Double award-winning Newcastle Theatre Royal has officially unveiled its £600,000 backstage refurbishment by inviting ‘the Queen’ along to perform an official ribbon cutting ceremony.

Actress Susie Blake as “The Queen”

with Theatre Royal Chairman Ged Bell

Photo: Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com

The grand unveiling comes just as the theatre is celebrating a double national award win for its welcoming atmosphere. Newcastle Theatre Royal was named the My Theatre Matters! UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre of 2015 in the UK Theatre Awards, in association with Smooth Radio and was also presented with the Technical Theatre Awards’ ‘Receiving Venue Team of the Year’ just this month.

Actress Susie Blake as “The Queen”

with Theatre Royal Chairman Ged Bell

Photo: Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com

Staff at the theatre, decided that having ‘the Queen’ on stage all week in hit comedy Handbaggedwas too good an opportunity to miss and asked actress Susie Blake, who plays the role, if she would pop along in costume to officially unveil the newly refurbished facilities.

Susie Blake as The Queen

with Kate Fahy as Mrs Thatcher

Photo: Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com

Susie Blake, posing as ‘the Queen’ said: “It is particularly lovely to be performing the official opening of the backstage refurbishment following the recent announcement that Newcastle Theatre Royal has been crowned the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatre 2015. Looking at these marvellous new facilities for the visiting actors it is clear to see why that accolade has been awarded.”

The backstage refurbishment has seen the theatre invest £600,000 in improved Dressing Room facilities, stripping out and renewing all the Dressing Rooms, the Band Rooms for musicians, the laundry, wardrobe and wigs rooms, and improved access and facilities for disabled performers. The ground floor has also been reconfigured with a striking new Stage Door area, and a brand new Green Room, with TV, wi-fi and a football table, and a kitchenette so visiting actors eat and relax in comfort.

Susie Blake as The Queen

with Kate Fahy as Mrs Thatcher

Photo: Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com

Newcastle Theatre Royal’s Chief Executive, Philip Bernays, added: “It’s great fun to have ‘the Queen’ here for our official opening ceremony today, but on a serious note the investment in our backstage facilities plays an important part in being able to attract the finest companies to the Theatre Royal so that our audiences can enjoy top quality theatre.

“Visiting actors regularly comment on how wonderful the team is here at Newcastle Theatre Royal and we are very proud of that reputation as a friendly and welcoming place for them to come; this is now backed up by our recent double award win, which is wonderful. Now our first class personal welcome is matched by our facilities and we hope that all of our visiting companies will enjoy the comfort of the new surroundings we provide for them.”

‘The Queen’ was joined at the official ceremony by ‘Margaret Thatcher’ played by fellow actress Kate Fahy and the pair posed for comedy shots in the new Green Room at Newcastle Theatre Royal while putting the new facilities to the test.

Actress Susie Blake as “The Queen”

with Theatre Royal Chairman Ged Bell

Photo: Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com

The two actors, who play the lead roles in the award-winning comedy Handbagged, will be using the facilities for real all week as the hit comedy plays to Newcastleaudiences. Handbagged is Moira Buffini’s celebrated new comedy, which speculates on what the Queen and Margaret Thatcher really talked about behind closed palace doors. When the stiff upper lip softened and the gloves came off, which one had the upper hand?

Read the North East Theatre Guide Review of Handbagged: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/review-handbagged-at-newcastle-theatre.html

Photography by Joanne Oliver for www.JoWhereToGo.com photography. Follow Jowheretogo on Twitter https://twitter.com/JoWhereToGo& Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo.   

Tickets:

Handbagged plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday 31 October. Tickets are from £12 (save 50p per ticket when you book online) and can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.

Review: Handbagged at Newcastle Theatre Royal

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

When Two Ladies Clash

Handbagged

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until 31^st October 2015

During the 1980s, the Queen and Margaret Thatcher both had very public personas. It is easy to believe you’d know what it would have been like to meet either of them. As they both lived their lives in the full glare of the tabloid-driven world, they both had a lot of different reasons to remember that decade. Handbagged is an amusing look at the events of that 11 year period from 1979 when Mrs Thatcher was elected as Prime Minister. Moira Buffini has penned a play that imagines how these two ladies interacted as major world events unfolded.

The small cast of six consists of two Queens and two Mrs Thatchers. Emma Handy and Sanchia McCormack battle out the weekly meetings over biscuits and sponge cake whilst Susie Blake and Kate Fahy offer the audience their more private thoughts, occasionally with hindsight. Susie in particular has a wonderful range of one liners to deliver with superb comic timing.

A huge range of roles from Dennis Thatcher, members of the cabinet and world leaders to Mrs Regan and Neil Kinnock, are played by Asif Khan and Richard Teverson. The slick, and sometimes less than slick, changing of roles gives the show the feel of a light entertainment show on tv rather than a serious historical theatre production. It is, however, Asif’s character that points out some of the major issues about living in the 80s, from the strikes to unemployment and from Libyan air strikes through to the unrest over the poll tax. Though the serious news of the time is flagged up, the general direction of the play never loses the light touch and it usually finds the funny side of the story.

From the very beginning the play smashes the fourth wall as Mrs T and the Queen address the theatre audience. Their casual asides frequently causes the Theatre Royal audience to laugh. From the moment the Queen drags a chair across for Margaret to use the lighter tone is set. The show portrays both the likely view held at that time, for example Dennis Thatcher’s less than politically correct observations, and a more current analysis.

Based upon the speculation in the press at that time, the conversations are believable. The way the 2 women felt about each other is also in keeping with public perception. As Head of State, the Queen was unable to express any displeasure in public, but her Christmas speeches often outlined her view on society based upon a Christian viewpoint. Perhaps such views can come across as socialist too and one can imagine how irritating the Prime Minister found that.

The play is also good at quickly filling in the younger members of the audience on the background to some significant events, such as Rhodesia, which they may not be fully aware of. The 1980s were a time of a contracting empire and a change in the political order. Both ladies were acutely aware of that though this does not stop them trying to score points against each other.

The show comes across as both friendly and light hearted and yet not dismissive of the serious issues. It doesn’t set out to trivialise but it retains a strong sense of humour.  Strong acting the all six coupled with acute sense of comic timing makes this a very entertaining show.

One is very amused!

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: http://nomorepanicbutton.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/preview-handbagged-at-newcastle-theatre.html

Tickets:

Handbagged appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 26th – Saturday 31st October 2015. Tickets from £12 (pay 50p less per ticket when you book online).

Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21, (calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.

Preview: Handbagged at Newcastle Theatre Royal

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 Olivier Award-Winning Comedy Handbagged Set For Newcastle

Handbagged

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Monday 26^th – Saturday 31^st October 2015.

Direct from the West End, the smash hit comedy Handbagged is set for Newcastle Theatre Royal’s stage from Monday 26th – Saturday 31st October, when the relationship between two of the country’s strongest women is explored.

Handbagged - Susie Blake & Kate Fahy

Handbagged opens the clasp on the relationship between two giants of the 20th Century. The monarch - Liz. Her most powerful subject - Maggie. Two enduring icons born in the same year. One destined to rule, the other elected to lead. But when the stiff upper lip softened and the gloves came off, which one had the upper hand? Moira Buffini's celebrated new comedy speculates on that most provocative of questions: What did the world's most powerful women really talk about behind closed palace doors?

                              

Handbagged first premiered at the Tricycle Theatre in 2013 where it enjoyed a sell-out 7 week run, winning the Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre (2014) and nominations for Best New Comedy and Best Ensemble Performance at the WhatsOnStage Awards (2014). The production transferred to the West End on 9 April 2014 where it ran for a strictly limited 17 week season and received an Olivier Award nomination for ‘Best New Comedy’ 2015.

Susie Blake

Susie Blake plays ‘Q’. Her many West End theatre credits include: When We Are Married (Garrick Theatre), Grumpy Old Women Live 2: Chin Up Britain (Novello Theatre and on tour), Madame Morrible in Wicked(Apollo Victoria), Noises Off(National Theatre, Piccadilly Theatre and UK tour); The Shakespeare Revue for the RSC (Barbican, Vaudeville Theatre and UK tour).

Kate Fahy plays ‘T’. Her theatre credits include: After Electra (Tricycle Theatre); The Goat(Almeida/Apollo Theatres); Grace, Goucho(Hampstead Theatre); and two years at the Everyman Theatre, Liverpool. Recent television credits include: The Marriage of Reason and Squalor, The Suspicions of Mr Whicher and film credits include: Archipelago, The Living and the Dead - for which she received best actress and best supporting actress awards.

Emma Handy plays ‘Liz’.  Her theatre credits include: Miss Julie (Chichester Festival), Thursday (Adelaide International Festival), The Boy Who Fell Into a Book(Soho Theatre, London Olympics 2012), Flare Path (Haymarket Theatre), Edward Gant’s Amazing Feats of Loneliness (Headlong),. Television and film includes: Wire in the Blood Series 2-7 and Velvet Goldmine.

Asif Khan plays Actor 1. His theatre credits include: Love, Bombs & Apples, Kabaddi, Kabdaddi, Kabaddi (Arcola); Multitudes (Tricycle); The Nutcracker, The Snow Queen (Unicorn); Queen of the Nile (Hull Truck). Television credits include: The Dumping Ground; Doctors; Dark Matters; Spooks; The Liquid Bomb Plot; Casualty and Going Postal.

Sanchia McCormack plays ‘Mags’. Her theatre credits include: The Broken Heart, Comedy of Errors (Shakespeare’s Globe); Minotaur (Theatre Clwyd/Polka).Television includes: The Tunnell; Doctors; Broadchurch; EastEnders; Big Bad World; Coronation Street; Law and Order.

Richard Teverson plays Actor 2. Theatre credits include: The Winslow Boy (Old Vic), The Doctors Dilemma (National Theatre), Cause Célèbre (Old Vic), After The Dance(National Theatre), The 39 Steps(Criterion Theatre). Television credits include: Downton Abbey, Coalition, Jamaica Inn, The Bletchley Circle, Spies of Warsaw, Dancing On The Edge, Upstairs Downstairs, The Roman Mysteries, Poirot-Five Little Pigs. Film credits include: Brideshead Revisited and Workhorse.

Moira Buffini’s plays include Wonder.land, a musical with Damon Albarn, for the Manchester International Festival and National Theatre, Women, Power And Politics for the Tricycle Theatre, Welcome To Thebes and Dinner for the National Theatre. Her screenplays include Tamara Drewedirected by Stephen Frears, Jane Eyre directed by Cary Fukanaga, and Byzantium directed by Neil Jordan. She recently directed her first short film, Father.

Indhu Rubasingham, Artistic Director of the Tricycle Theatre, directs. For the company, her work includes Multitudes, The House That Will Not Stand, Red Velvet (Tricycle/ St Ann’s Warehouse New York, Evening Standard Award and Critics’ Circle Award). She also received the Carlton Multi-Cultural Achievement Award for Performing Arts and in 2010 she jointly received the Liberty Human Rights Arts Award for The Great Game: Afghanistan. She was previously Associate Director of the Gate Theatre, Birmingham Rep and the Young Vic.

Designs are by Richard Kent, with lighting design by Oliver Fenwick, and sound design by Carolyn Downing. The production is presented by Eleanor Lloyd Productions, Tricycle London Productions and the Touring Partnership.

Tickets:

Handbagged appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Monday 26th – Saturday 31st October 2015. Tickets from £12 (pay 50p less per ticket when you book online).

Tickets can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21, (calls cost 7p per minute plus your phone company’s access charge) or select your own seat and book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk.