THEGAYUK

Tag: Theatre News

All the latest breaking theatre in the UK. Browse The THEGAYUK’s complete collection of features and commentary on theatre in the UK.

  • EVITA is returning to the West End

    Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s EVITA returns to London’s West End for a strictly limited season.

    Opening on Tuesday 16 September at the recently refurbished Dominion Theatre, the musical considered by many to be Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s masterwork will play for 55 performances only in the West End, with musical theatre and pop icon Marti Pellow playing Che, and extraordinarily talented newcomer Madalena Alberto in the title role.

    With more than 20 major awards to its credit, and the Oscar winning film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, Evita has become iconic. It features some of the most memorable and best loved songs in musical theatre, including Don’t Cry For Me Argentina, On This Night of a Thousand Stars, You Must Love Me, and Another Suitcase in Another Hall. Evita charts the story of Eva Peron, wife of former Argentine dictator Juan Peron, from her humble beginnings through to the extraordinary wealth, power and iconic status which ultimately led her to be heralded as the ‘spiritual leader of the nation’.

    Marti Pellow, one of music’s most respected artists, plays Che, a character who reflects the voice of the Argentine people – linked to Eva by destiny; he brings conflict to the story of Eva’s rise to fame. For over 30 years Marti Pellow has enjoyed global success as the lead singer of Wet Wet Wet, as a solo artist, and now as one of the UK’s most acclaimed and respected leading men of musical theatre. Starring roles include The Witches of Eastwick, Chess, Jekyll & Hyde, Chicago and Blood Brothers. As a solo-singer, recording artist and with Wet Wet Wet, Marti Pellow has enjoyed virtually unrivalled chart success, with over 25 hits and three of the UK’s biggest number one singles, including the seminal Love Is All Around. In 2013, after 20 years apart, Wet Wet Wet reunited for a sell-out arena tour.

    Madalena Alberto’s musical theatre credits include the role of Piaf at the Curve Theatre and Fantine in the 25th Anniversary production of Les Misérables. Other roles include Lucy in Jekyll and Hyde, Carmen Diaz in Fame, Sam in Over the Threshold and Sonia in Godspell. The Portuguese singer-songwriter’s first album Don’t Cry For Me will be released to coincide with the opening.

    LISTINGS NEWS:
    ADDRESS – Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Rd, London W1T 7AQ
    DATES – Tuesday 16 September – Saturday 1 November 2014
    TIMES – Mon – Sat @ 7.45pm, Thu & Sat @ 3pm, Mon 22 Sept @ 7pm
    TICKET PRICES – £25 – £65; Under 16s, £10 off top three prices Mon – Thu & Sat Mat
    BOOKING INFORMATION – www.dominiontheatre.com / 0845 200 7982

  • Birmingham Drama School ‘Comes Out’ To Challenge Homophobia

    Birmingham School of Acting (BSA), part of Birmingham City University, is addressing gay preconceptions in a new theatre production where characters are scrutinised for being ‘straight’, in a society where everyone else is gay.

    Devised and performed by Outspoken, a company of graduates and students from BSA’s Applied Performance course, ‘Heterophobia’ tells the story of Ryan, a 15 year-old heterosexual male who is trying to ‘come out’.

    Tom Craig, who plays the role of Ryan and graduated from BSA in 2013, said “’Heterophobia’ is a really powerful piece as it makes you realise just how unfair sexuality prejudices are and the troubles that young people can feel are placed on them when expressing their sexuality.”

    The theatrical performance, developed in collaboration with Birmingham Hippodrome, sees Ryan develop feelings for classmate Alice and is later exposed to cyber bullying when peers learn that Ryan is heterosexual and attracted to someone of the opposite sex.

    The production follows on from the recent outrage and anti-gay climate at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi and a report released earlier this year by Youth Chances warning that a generation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face a mental health crisis, with the neglect of LGBT issues by schools contributing to an environment of hostility of fear.

    Hannah Phillips, Course Director of Applied Performance at BSA and Director of ‘Heterophobia’, said: ‘The findings from the Youth Chances survey were very concerning, revealing that more than half of young gay people have suffered mental health issues and 40% have considered suicide. The School Report by the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity Stonewall, revealed that homophobic bullying is still widespread in schools, with three in five young people who experience homophobic bullying saying that teachers who witness the bullying never intervene. The development of social media means that this bullying then continues online out of school hours.

    ‘’Heterophobia’ is an urban musical which has been made to engage young people with these complex and sensitive issues and challenge normative stereotypes through spoken word, MC, dance and live video projection. ‘Heterophobia’ explores the ‘coming out’ of a heterosexual young male in a gay world, switching the roles of the oppressed and the oppressor!

    ‘Getting audience members to view this situation from another angle may help them to understand the impact that this type of bullying can have on young people.’

    ‘Heterophobia’ incorporates interactive digital technology and a fusion of art forms – dance, drama, original songs, film and animation, performance poetry and spoken word, as well as providing a new model of audience participation by welcoming spectators to explore and engage with the stage and set before each performance begins.

    Also featuring in ‘Heterophobia’ are two members of Antics Dance Crew, who appeared in Sky 1’s ‘Got to Dance’ and radio and television presenter Joanne Malin, who has recorded a mock news broadcast to be included in the production.

    Performances take place at Birmingham Hippodrome on Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April, with tickets priced at £5. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

    Approx. running 70 minutes running time.

    Schools performances (aimed at Key Stages 3, 4 & 5): Thursday 3 April at 1.30pm and Friday 4 April at 10.30am.

    Public performances: Thursday 3 and Friday 4 April at 7.15pm

  • THEATRE REVIEW | Dreamboats And Petticoats, UK Tour

    ★★ | Dreamboats And Petticoats

    Dreamboats and Petticoats transports the audience back to the early 1960s where two young friends, Bobby and Ray, spend their evenings at the youth club hanging around with the local band. Bobby auditions for the role of lead singer but is beaten to the role by Norman, the new guy in town and a suave ladies’ man, brimming with self-confidence. Bobby has a crush on Sue, Sue has a crush on Norman and Laura, Ray’s sister, has a crush on Bobby. With the announcement that there is a national song writing contest on the horizon and every one dying for fame and fortune, their lives, loves and song writing partnerships are played out against a belting Rock ‘n’ Roll soundtrack.

    This jukebox musical has been successfully packing out theatres both in the West End and around the country for a number of years and upon watching it, you can easily see how it appeals to its target audience and how the sense of nostalgia and the sentimental glance back to the 60s, resonates with those who lived through the time. The show references those things from the audience’s childhood and serves as a nod to more carefree days where the lure of American culture beckoned and music was breaking new ground.

    The show itself is bursting with a relentless barrage of classic Rock ‘n’ Roll songs – around 40 in total – and it’s hard to deny that the selection of songs are balanced in terms of the upbeat numbers and the ballads. Songs such as “Let’s Dance”, “Bobby’s Girl”, “Do You Wanna Dance”, “Let’s Twist Again”, “C’mon Everybody” and “Teenager In Love” all make an appearance and do get the feet tapping. The songs were impressively performed by the on stage band, with many of the cast playing numerous musical instruments and a couple of the songs being accompanied by enjoyable ensemble pieces.

    There were, however, a number of flaws in the show. The predictable plot and clichéd characterisations were paper thin and served mainly as a link from one song to another. The production of the show was very basic, with a largely static set, minimal props and uncomplicated choreography; the volume of the music far outweighed the vocals for the majority of the show and the microphones for the cast were frequently tuned on after they had started their lines. The show came across as a cabaret performance and you had to wonder whether putting the story to one side and having a musical revue of Rock ‘n Roll songs, in the same vein as “Thriller Live!” would have been a better idea.

    But despite its basic appearance, the appeal of this show is the nostalgia for an older audience and the music. For those who like Rock ‘n’ Roll, they will enjoy the almost constant musical numbers. The show does finish with a mini concert which had the audience on their feet and the resounding cheers and applause suggested that the audience had thoroughly enjoyed the show as a whole. However, this show sadly lacked style and substance over and above a decent band and a soundtrack of classic songs.

    The show is currently at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre until Saturday 18th January 2014 (details can be found here www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk) before continuing on its national tour. Details of the tour can be found at www.dreamboatsandpetticoats.com

  • THEATRE | Victor / Victoria

    VICTOR/VICTORIA starring Anna Francolini as Victoria Grant/Count Victor Grazinski

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