Preview: Sleeping Beauty at Sunderland Empire

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuide and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide. Read about JoWhereToGo and its PR and photography services here.

Sleeping Beauty

Sunderland Empire

9^th -31^st December 2016

Pantomime will return to Sunderland Empire with the enchanting tale of Sleeping Beauty from 9^th - 31^st  December 2016.

Sleeping Beauty is set to be another spectacular pantomime that promises to add a fairy tale touch to your festive season. Packed full of hilarious jokes, show-stopping song and dance, larger-than-life characters, colourful costumes, sparkling sets and amazing special effects!

The timeless story tells the classic tale of Princess Briar Rose who has a spell cast over her by a wicked fairy sending her into a deep sleep – but can the spell be broken by a handsome Prince and will there be a happy ever after?

Sleeping Beauty guarantees another Christmas extravaganza for all the family with Martin Dodd for UK Productions, the producers behind Peter Pan, Cinderella, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and this year’s gem of a pantomime Aladdin.

Ben Phillips, Sunderland Empire General Manager, said: “The response to pantomime at Sunderland Empire continues to be wonderful and we look forward to hosting another spectacular family pantomime from UK Productions in 2016.”

Star cast to be announced!

Tickets now on general sale

Tickets:

Tickets available from the Box Office on High Street West, via the ticket centre 0844 871 3022* or www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland*calls cost 7p per minute plus standard network charges. Booking and transaction fees may apply to telephone and online bookings.

Box Office: 0844 871 3022*

Groups 10+: 0844 871 3042

Online: www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland

*Booking fee applies 

Preview: Sleeping Beauty at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Follow North East Theatre Guide on Twitter at https://twitter.com/NETheatreGuideand on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NETheatreGuide. Read about JoWhereToGo and its PR and photography services here.

MATTHEW BOURNE’S SLEEPING BEAUTY  A GOTHIC ROMANCE REVIVED AT THE THEATRE ROYAL FOR 2 WEEKS ONLY

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Tuesday 5^th – Saturday 16^th April 2016.

The UK’s most popular dance company, New Adventures, returns to Newcastle Theatre Royal this Spring with Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, a gothic tale for all ages. This ground-breaking production heads to Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 5^th– Saturday 16^th April 2016.

Directed and choreographed by probably the ‘hottest’ choreographer in the world right now, Sir Matthew Bourne OBE,and from the UK’s most popular dance company, Sleeping Beauty is a revival of this new classic, giving audiences one more chance to see the final piece in the trio of Tchaikovsky masterpieces.  With sumptuous sets, costumes and evocative lighting, the audience will be transported in time.

Returning to the central role of Aurorain this first revival is rising star Ashley Shaw. Ashley recently played Lana in the triumphant revival of The Car Man, also played Kim in Edward Scissorhands, Sugar in Nutcracker! and the title role in Cinderella. Cordelia Braithwaite made her debut with New Adventures in Swan Lakein 2013 and has since featured in this year’s revival of The Car Man, covering the role of Lana. Cordelia makes her debut as Aurorathis season; her first Principal role with New Adventures.

Matthew Bourne’sSleeping Beauty premiered in 2012, and was the fastest selling production in the company’s history. Sleeping Beauty was created for New Adventures 25th birthday celebrations and completed Sir Matthew Bourne’s OBE trio of re-imagined Tchaikovsky ballet masterworks that started in 1992 with Nutcracker! and, most famously, in 1995, with the international hit Swan Lake. This dazzling production has won the hearts of thousands and smashed box office records across the UKand at Sadler’s Wells. 

The leading role of Leo will once again be played by Dominic North and Chris Trenfield who co-created the role in 2012.

Perrault’s timeless fairy tale, about a young girl cursed to sleep for one hundred years, was turned into a legendary ballet by Tchaikovsky and choreographer, Marius Petipa, in 1890. Bourne takes this date as his starting point, setting the Christening of Aurora, the story’s heroine, in the year of the ballet’s first performance; the height of the Fin-de-Siecle period when fairies, vampires and decadent opulence fed the gothic imagination. 

As Auroragrows into a young woman, we move forward in time to the more rigid, uptight Edwardian era; a mythical golden age of long Summer afternoons, croquet on the lawn and new dance crazes. Years later, awakening from her century long slumber, Aurorafinds herself in the modern day; a world more mysterious than any Fairy story!

Tickets:

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty appears at Newcastle Theatre Royal from Tuesday 5^th – Saturday 16^th April 2016 (Evenings: 7.30pm, Matinee: Thursday 2pm, Saturday Matinee 2.30pm). Tickets are from £17.00 and can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21 21 (calls cost 7ppm plus your phone company’s access charge).

Preview: Pantos at Playhouse Whitley Bay

Nine Weeks until Christmas!

Nine weeks until Christmas and what better way to spend the festive period with not one but two fantastic pantomimes at the Playhouse Whitley Bay!

With winter drawing in fast it’s almost that time of year again when ‘it’s behind you’ will soon be a deafening chorus at the Playhouse Whitley Bay. From Saturday 13^th December until Sunday 4^th January we will be hearing all about a “Tale as Old as Time” with Beauty and the Beast. But the magic doesn’t end there as we have Sleeping Beauty, presented by Whitley Bay Pantomime Society, brought to life between Tuesday 13^th and Sunday 18^th January!

Fast becoming North Tyneside’s festive tradition our Christmas Pantomime this year is Beauty and the Beast brought to you by Blue Genie Entertainment and for the 5^th year running will astound the whole family with its fantastic music, dancing and special effects. After the massive success of last year’s Peter Pan, Beauty and the Beast is already extremely popular and with this fantastic cast you can see why! Emmerdale star Roxanne Pallett plays Belle, Holby City and Hollyoaks favourite Jeremy Edwards is the villainous Gaston and who can forget the North East number one comic Steve Walls, back for the 5^thconsecutive year, as Idle Jacque the Jester.

One pantomime is never enough so our second is the brilliant Sleeping Beauty presented by the fantastic local group Whitley Bay Pantomime Society who last year celebrated their 50^th anniversary! This year, they’ll be performing one of the most traditional and popular pantomimes of all time as they guide you through the timeless story of how Princess Aurora. Who has a spell cast over her by a wicked Queen, that before her 16^th birthday she shall prick her finger and fall into a deep sleep. Can the spell be broken by a handsome Prince?

So come and join the fun at the Playhouse Whitley Bay this Christmas season, tickets are already selling fast so ensure to book your seats early to avoid disappointment!

Tickets:

Tickets are priced at: Beauty and the Beast £9 - £19, Sleeping Beauty £12 - £14

Playhouse Whitley BayBox Office (10am-4pm weekdays, 10:30am – 2:30pm Saturdays and Event days.)

Internet Site: www.playhousewhitleybay.co.uk

Group Bookings should call 0191 2606006

Accessible bookings should call 0191 2515484