Preview: Double Death at Darlington Civic Theatre

Spooky Thriller In Darlo

Double Death

Darlington Civic Theatre

Monday, September 29, 2014 - Wednesday, October 01, 2014

 

Talking Scarlet presents Double Death by Simon Williams.

  

Photo: Frazer Ashford

In an isolated house on the cliffs of north Cornwall the sibling rivalry between identical twins Max and Ashley Hennessy is coming to a murderous climax. They both know one of them must die, but, trapped in his wheelchair, Ashley knows the odds are now against him and he is in mortal danger – however does DI Fergus believe him?

Photo: Frazer Ashford

And can he trust Nurse Malahide, who has been employed to protect him? Poor Lalla, the twins’ aunt, is torn between the two boys: which of them is the victim and which is the psychopath? Perhaps they have done it again – pulled off the final  ‘switch’.

Photo: Frazer Ashford

Starring Brian Capron (Grange Hill, Full House, Coronation Street, Where the Heart Is), Tom Butcher (The Bill, Doctors, Casualty), Kim Tiddy (The Bill, Hollyoaks) and Judy Buxton (General Hospital, On the Up) in this gripping, unpredictable thriller..

A ticket will entitle you to a whole seat however you’ll only need the edge of it!

On The Web:

Website: www.talking-scarlet.co.uk

Twitter: https://twitter.com/talkingScarlet

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Talking-Scarlet

Tickets

Tickets Opening night £14.20, £15, £16.20, £17.80

Tue & Wed 7.30pm £17.50, £18.50, £20, £22,

Wed 2pm all seats £14

Discounts available

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

Preview: Top Hat at Sunderland Empire

Triple Olivier Award Musical Brings

The Golden Age Of Hollywood to Sunderland

Top Hat, winner of three Olivier Awards, for 'Best New Musical', 'Best Choreography', 'Best Costume Design' from its seven nominations and winner of the Evening Standard Award for 'Best Night Out', is on an epic 47-week UK tour, visiting 24 theatres nationwide calling at Sunderland Empire from 24 June - 4 July 2015.  Get ready to put on the glitz!

Based on the 1935 film of the same name, Top Hat is packed full of Irving Berlin’s greatest hits and brings the glamour of old Hollywood and tap-dancing magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers live onto the stage.

The production is very fresh – the world premiere opened in the West Endat the Aldwych Theatre in May 2012 where it played over 600 performances during its two-year run. Prior to the West End, the production previously enjoyed a sell-out UK Tour in 2011.

Jerry Travers, the famous American tap dancer, arrives in London to appear in his first West Endshow. Travers meets the irresistible Dale Tremont, the girl of his dreams, and follows her across Europe in an attempt to win her heart.  The result is an uplifting and hilarious romantic comedy celebrating 1930s song, style and romance, and dazzling with over 200 beautiful costumes and breathtaking dance routines.

Stepping into the shoes of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers in the lead roles of Jerry Travers and Dale Tremont, are Alan Burkitt and Charlotte Gooch, who both return to the show having previously performed these roles in the West End. They are joined by Clive Hayward who returns as Horace Hardwick, the role he played in the West End, Rebecca Thornhill as Madge Hardwick, Sebastien Torkia as Alberto Beddini and John Conroy as Horace’s valet Bates.

Performed by a cast of 29 and accompanied by 11 live musicians, this multi award-winning musical comedy includes Irving Berlin classics from the movie such as Cheek to Cheek, Isn’t It a Lovely Day to be Caught in the Rain and Top Hat, White Tie and Tails.  In addition, from Berlin’s 1200 strong back catalogue, a further ten numbers have been interpolated including well-loved favourites Let’s Face the Music and Dance and Puttin’ On the Ritz.

Nominated for four Academy Awards, RKO’s Top Hat was the most successful picture of the nine movies Astaire and Rogers made together. It premiered at the Radio City Music Hall in 1935 where it broke all box office records. Within a few weeks, all five songs from the film occupied the top five places on the American Hit Parade. It is still widely regarded as one of the greatest dance musicals of all time.

The screenplay by Dwight Taylor and Allan Scott has been adapted for the stage by Matthew White and Howard Jacques and is presented by arrangement with RKO Pictures LLC, Warner Bros Theatre Ventures Inc. and the Irving Berlin Music Company. 

Top Hat is directed by Matthew White and choreographed by Bill Deamer (Olivier Award winner for Best Choreography), set designs are by Hildegard Bechtler (Olivier Award nominee for Best Set Design), costume designs by Jon Morrell (Olivier Award winner for Best Costume Design), lighting design by PeterMumford, sound by Gareth Owen (Olivier Award nominee for Best Sound Design), new orchestrations by Chris Walker and musical supervision by Richard Balcombe.

Alan Burkitt started his career winning the All England Tap Dancer of the Year award. A member of the original West End cast of Top Hat at the Aldwych Theatre, Burkitt understudied the lead role of Jerry Travers for both Tom Chambers and Gavin Lee. He received rave reviews when he stood in for Lee on press night, a success story documented by Channel 4 for the TV series ‘The Sound of Musicals’. Other recent stage credits include: Singin’ in the Rain, Andy Lee in 42^nd Street(Chichester Festival Theatre), the Prince in Adam Cooper’s Shall We Dance (Sadler’s Wells), Cats (German Tour) and We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre).

Charlotte Gooch took over the lead role of Dale Tremont from Summer Strallen in the West End, performing alongside Tom Chambers as Jerry Travers. Gooch performed the lead role of Penny Johnson in Dirty Dancingin the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre and also in the original national tour. Other recent stage credits include: the lead role of Sandy in Grease(UK Tour), Cats (German Tour) and the workshop of Swing Time, dancing a duet with Anton du Beke.

Top Hat is produced by Kenny Wax, and his partners on the production are Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comley, Ted Hartley, Flora Suk-Hwa Yoon and Lee Menzies.

On The Web:

Website: http://tophatonstage.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TopHatOnStage

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tophatonstage

Ticket Information

Top Hat appears at Sunderland Empire Wednesday 24 June - Saturday 4 July 2015

Box Office: 0844 871 3022*

Groups 10+: 0844 871 3042

Online: www.ATGtickets.com/Sunderland

*Booking fee applies

UK Tour

21 Oct - 1 Nov WOLVERHAMPTON Grand Theatre

4 - 15 Nov NOTTINGHAM Theatre Royal

Tue 18 - Sat 29 Nov BRISTOL Hippodrome

Tue 2 - Sat 13 Dec GLASGOW Theatre Royal

23 Dec 2014 - Sun 4 Jan 2015 LEEDS Grand Theatre

Wed 14 - Sat 24 Jan CARDIFF Welsh Millennium Centre

Wed 28 Jan - Sat 07 Feb OXFORD New Theatre

Tue 10 - Sat 21 Feb MANCHESTER Opera House

Tue 24 Feb - Sat 7 Mar SHEFFIELD Lyceum Theatre

Tue 12 - Sat 23 May SOUTHAMPTON Mayflower

10 - 21 Mar BIRMINGHAM Hippodrome

31 Mar - 11 Apr NORWICH Theatre Royal

14 - 25 Apr CANTERBURY The Marlowe Theatre

28 Apr - 9 May PLYMOUTH Theatre Royal Plymouth

24 Jun - 5 Jul SUNDERLAND Empire Theatre

7 - 18 Jul WOKING New Victoria Theatre

21 - 26 Jul EASTBOURNE Congress Theatre

Previews: Darlington Take Off Festival Theatre

Theatre Treats for Young People in Darlington over October Half Term Holidays

    

Part of TakeOff Festival Handmade Talesat Central Hall in the Dolphin Centre on Thu 23 October at 10.30am & 1pm. A delightful and enchanting family show for the young and the young at heart. Handmade Tales is brimming with five original children’s stories and live music, exploring a land of lost things, magical kingdoms, supernatural dictionaries and a whole lot more! Watch as whole worlds burst out of a couple of cardboard boxes, as our lively ensemble and musician inspire anyone of any age to pick up a pen and start writing their own stories.

Recommended for ages 6-11 with tickets at £5

Educating Ronnie is also part of TakeOff Festival and will be performed in the Quaker Meeting House on Skinnergate in Darlington on Fri 24 October at 1.30pm & 7pm.

In 2002, Joe Douglas went on a gap year trip to Uganda. There, he made friends with Ronnie....Ronnie was 16, Joe was 18. They were both the eldest sons of large families. They both supported Manchester United.  Six months later, back in Manchester, Joe got a text:

‘Brother my sponsor has pulled out on me and I want to stay in school. Can you help? Ronnie x’

An astonishing true story performed by Joe himself, Educating Ronnie takes place over a decade: 4000 miles apart and thousands of pounds invested, it explores the murky processes behind bettering oneself in Uganda. Recommended age 12+ with tickets at £5

Civic at Central Hall at the Dolphin Centre - Me and My Cat? on Mon 27 October at 1.30pm & 4pm. Calling all Junior Detectives…Come and join Detective K as she sets off on an exciting and hilarious adventure, full of manga clues and mysterious events. But will she solve the mystery and return Nicholas to his own body in time? Using projection, puppets and bags of ingenuity, this is a fast paced, action packed story and oodles of fun. Featuring the voice of Roger McGough. Recommended age 6+ tickets £5.50

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

Review: Money The Gameshow at Hexham Queens Hall

What’s the value of money?

Money The Gameshow

Hexham Queens Hall

Until 25^thSeptember then on tour

The bursting of the banking bubble affected us all back in 2008. Trying to produce an entertaining production about the causes of a financial disaster may not appear to be the material of a riveting yet extremely entertaining production and yet Clare Duffy has managed to achieve the impossible. By merging the story of the mismanagement of extremely large sums of money with the format of an interactive game show Unlimited Theatre have produced some quality theatre.

The audience are split into two competing teams: the gregarious Queenie leads one team whilst the risk taking Casino takes the other. Suzanne Robertson uses her charisma to encourage the audience, in her Queenie team, onto the stage to take part in challenges. Stuart Ryan, as Casino, has the competitive streak to match that of his female counterpart.  By using a set of straightforward games, the nature of the various banking gambles are explained as each team tries to get its share of the £10, 000 of real pound coins that start the show on the stage. 

It is real credit to the actors that people are made to feel at ease and never pushed to do anything that they don’t want to do – this is an interactive show that is not about embarrassing anyone other than the bankers and fund managers in the story.

The set and the lighting help make the scene feel more like a tv game show set than a theatre.  Just like a show on the box, the pace is rapid helping the time to fly by.

The production is a startling reminder of the collective belief that money has real value and in the ability of the few to make rash decisions with the property of the many.  As the show draws the audience in, it is able both entertain and educate. This is a great production as it leaves you pondering the serious questions as you leave. The end product is a thoroughly entertaining evening of which Unlimited Theatre can be justifiably proud.

This review was written by Stephen Oliverfor Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Jo on twitter @jowheretogo, Stephen @panic_c_button or like Jowheretogo on Facebook www.facebook.com/Jowheretogo

Written and directed by: Clare Duffy

Assistant Director: Jenna Watt

Performed by: Suzanne Robertson (Queenie) and Stuart Ryan (Casino)

Designer: Rhys Jarman

Lighting Designer: Richard Godin

Sound Designer: Matt Angove

Original Music by: David Edwards

Stage Management by: Simon Perkins

An Unlimited Theatre and Bush Theatre co-production

On The Web:

Trailer: http://vimeo.com/93383644

Website: www.unlimited.org.uk

Twitter: www.twitter.com/untheatre

#moneygameshow

Tour Dates:

Bishop Auckland Town Hall – 22 September

Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Hexham – 24 & 25 September

Saltburn Community Theatre – 26 September

Seaton Delaval Arts Centre – 27 September

The Customs House, South Shields – 29 & 30 September

Arts Centre Washington – 2 October

Alnwick Playhouse – 3 October

ARC Stockton Arts Centre – 8 & 9 October

Hartlepool Town Hall Theatre – 10 & 11 October

For booking information see: http://www.unlimited.org.uk/performance-calendar/

Review: Wet House at Newcastle Live Theatre

“The only difference is that

we have the keys…”

Wet House

Newcastle Live Theatre

Until 11 October

Paddy Campbell’s first play was deservedly awarded three 2013 Journal Culture Awards and was given the status of one of the Guardian’s top ten plays of the year. We loved it at Jowheretogo but how will the latest run match up to the original?

Andy is a fresh graduate who decides to put his 2:2 in Art History to good use in the care industry. He ends up working in a Wet House – a place for the homeless that allows the residents to drink on the premises. Providing the care for societies’ forgotten people proves to be a challenge but Andy also has to deal with the staff who work there. The other key workers, Helen and Mike, have their history and their problems as they deal with drunks like Dinger, the heavily pregnant Kerry and new arrival Spencer.

Director Max Roberts has recognised the need to entertain and keep the light hearted moments in the mix. Add in a healthy amount of disturbing situations and it leaves the audience feeling like a ride on the old cork-screw.  This is a fabulous play to experience in the intimate surroundings of the Live Theatre.

The cast is terrific, Riley Jones plays the new member of staff well without being too wet and Eva Quinn is vibrant as the vulnerable Kerry. The one new comer to the cast is Simon Roberts who added a new dimension to the role of Spencer. Jackie Lye, as Helen and Chris Connel, as Mike, quickly draw the audience into their character’s complex issues. 

Once again it is Joe Caffrey who is phenomenal as the hopeless drunk Dinger in memorable moments such as trying to avoid a bath or singing the hits of Petula Clarke.  Dinger is one character that will make you laugh and cry in equal measure.

Wet House is a powerful drama with an awesome cast.

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

There will also be a discussion on Sunday 5^th October on Homelessness & Addiction:  Discussion with writer Paddy Campbell and a chance meet the team behind the show on Tuesday 7^th October.

The production will tour to Hull Truck (14-18 October) and Soho Theatre, London (22 October – 16 November)

Ticket Details:

Wednesday 17 September to Saturday 11 October

LOCATION: Main Theatre

SUITABILITY: 14+, contains strong language, scenes of violence and adult themes

TICKETS: £22-£10, over 60s concs £22-£10, other concs £15-£5

DURATION: Approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes including an interval

www.live.org.uk

Hull Truck:www.hulltruck.co.uk 

Soho Theatre: www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/wet-house

Review: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Newcastle Northern Stage

A first for our Theatre Blog... Victoria Ling, from 137 Imaging (www.facebook.com/137imaging)  is guest reviewer:

 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Northern Stage, Newcastle

Until Saturday 27 September

As I stepped into the Stage One of Northern Stage I was excited to see the famous play of which I have never read nor seen the famous film version, then 19:30 struck and a few minutes later we were told that the role of Big Daddy would be played by the actor Sean Murray who would be reading with script in hand (then later in a shorter role of Reverend Tooker – without script) This would be interesting.

So lights down and on with the play.

The set was all white. I guess symbolising the stereotypical big ranch houses of the Deep South, which is the setting of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof! The set also divides the main characters Brick and his wife Maggie’s bedroom from the rest of the house, for example we open the play with Brick having a shower then Maggie coming into the bedroom to get changed and both are in view of the audience.

Act one is basically Maggie in one long monologue after another asking for the love and a baby from her growing alcoholic husband Brick (Charles Aitken). Hats off to Mariah Gale (Maggie) for being able to pull this off without a single breath it seems which actually leaves the audience transfixed.  As the story unfolds though we see that Brick is drinking to get away from a house full of lies and backstabbing all on Big Daddy’s 65^th Birthday.

The entrance of Big Daddy (Murray) probably would have been best disguised as if the actor was to hold the script as if it were a newspaper as it would seem to appear on his entrance.  Let’s not take this little blip away from the projection in the acting from Murraythough as he gives a strong performance with a great support from Kim Cresswell’s busy-body Big Mama.  You could actually feel the emotions of Cresswell of wanting to believe Big Daddy only has a spastic colon rather than cancer.

The most powerful scenes are the one-to-one between father and son touching on how two men cannot just have a ‘powerful natural’ friendship without it being seen as homosexuality, and both Brick and Big Daddy show disgust at the lies in their lives.

Throughout the play we see fleeting in and out the neglected eldest son Gooper (Matthew Douglas) and his conniving wife Mae (Victoria Elliott) who also put in strong performances of trying to claim the cotton field ranch on the deathbed of Big Daddy. As a relief from monologues and fighting for estates the characters of the doctor (Kieron Jecchnis) and Reverend Tooker (hero of the night’s production Sean Murray) who actually go against the other characters of truth telling – and with truth the emotions from Big Mama rip raw (I think I even saw tears).

And I guess that what Tennessee Williams is telling us:

“Mendacity is a system that we live in – Liquor is one way out an’ death’s the other” and that “…victory of a cat on a hot tin roof ….(is) just staying on it…as long as you can…”

This review was written by Victoria Ling  for Jowheretogo PR (www.jowheretogo.com). Follow Victoria on twitter @LilVik or follow her photography on Facebook (www.facebook.com/137imaging)

Tickets:

Recommended Age: 12+

Friday 12 September – Saturday 27 September 2014

Times: 7.30pm, plus 2pm matinee on Saturdays and 6pm ‘straight from work’ performance Tuesday 16 September.

No performances on Sundays or Mondays.

Tickets: £24, £19.50 & £14.50 / Students & U21s £12

Box Office: 0191 230 5151

or online at www.northernstage.co.uk

Special Offer: MULTIBUY: You could save yourself a packet.

Booking to see more than one show dramatically reduces the cost of your tickets.  Sit in top-price seats without needing to shell out top-price cash. All you need to do is book your shows in one transaction. - See more at: www.northernstage.co.uk

Captioned performance Thur 25 Sept, 7.30pm

British Sign Language performance Fri 26 Sept, 7.30pm

Touch Tour Sat 27 Sept, 12.30pm

Audio Described performance Sat 27 Sept, 2pm

On The Web:

Website: http://www.northernstage.co.uk/whats-on/cat-on-a-hot-tin-roof

Twitter: https://twitter.com/northernstage

Facebook: www.facebook.com/northernstage