London Assurance
London Assurance at the Olivier Theatre, London.
The brilliantly funny London Assurance was written by the Irish genius of London theatre Dion Boucicault in 1841 and created two of the great comic roles of the English stage, Sir Harcourt Courtly played by Simon Russell Beale and Lady Spanker played by Fiona Shaw.
Sir Harcourt Courtly is lured away from the epicentre of fashionable London by the promise of a rich and beautiful bride, Grace, several decades his junior. Arriving at Oak Hall, Gloucestershire, he marvels at this rural Venus until her charms are eclipsed by her hearty cousin, the foxhunting Lady Gay Spanker. Meanwhile his disguised son turns up in flight from his creditors and falls head over heels for Grace. When Lady Spanker discovers the young couple, she needs little prompting from the visiting chancer Dazzle to lead Sir Harcourt astray.
London Assurance will open at the Olivier Theatre (at the National Theatre) in London tomorrow, 2nd March 2010 – but only until June so for more information and to check availability for this comedy show go to London Assurance Theatre Tickets.
Women Beware Women
Women Beware Women at Olivier Theatre in April
Women Beware Women is the blackly funny, fast and ferocious tragedy from Thomas Middleton – where corruption will not go unpunished!
In the Italian court, where wealth secures power and power serves lust, the lascivious Duke can play wherever he chooses. He catches the eye of another’s exquisite bride, Bianca. Can a glance secure her fate, a bribe appease her husband?
Isabella’s father would marry her off to a rich young idiot, while Hippolito has won her trust and desires her truly. But he’s her uncle. These are her choices. If twice-widowed Livia conspires against her sex to gain a little clout, she’s only fighting to survive.
Women Beware Woman will open at the Olivier Theatre in London on 20th April 2010. For more information and to check ticket availability go to Women Beware Women Theatre Tickets.
Maria Pages Company
The crème de la crème of Spain’s flamenco talent are performing during Sadler’s Wells’ very special two week Flamenco Festival.
From Rafaela Carrasco’s bold, contemporary flamenco style to Maria Pagés’ emotional rollercoaster of a show and the maestros of flamenco, Rojas and Rodriguez, with their sublime company Nuevo Ballet Español , famed for their heart-racing sequences, this is a unique chance to sample some authentic Spanish flamenco at Sadlers Wells theatre in London.
Abbaworld Tickets
Tickets for Abbaworld at the Museum Court, Earls Court now on sale
Fully approved and supported by ABBA, ABBAWORLD is playing in London at Earls Court until 28th March 2010.
The hugely interactive experience will take visitors on a mind-blowing journey through ABBAWORLDS’ 25 rooms, bursting with exclusive music, footage, images and never-before-displayed memorabilia from the personal collections of the world’s most cherished pop icons; Agnetha, Benny, Björn and Frida.
An engaging introductory movie by critically-acclaimed film director Jonas Åkerlund will start the experience and a free audio guide will move visitors through the magical space at their own pace.
The phenomenon of ABBA will be brought to life with interactive highlights including Perform with ABBA, which will allow fans to get up on stage with their idols, as part of a stunning 3D holographic illusion.
Tretow MIX Challenge – a chance to mix things up and re-create the ABBA sound, the ABBA quiz which will test fans’ knowledge. There is also the opportunity to sing-a-long and dance with ABBA, plus a chance for fans to see themselves as part of an ABBA video.
Better still, as part of the ticket, all interaction will be recorded, so people can choose to access it later online at the Abbaworld website, allowing their experience to live on and on, just like the music.
On entry to ABBAWORLD, guests will have their photograph taken, this will appear during a number of the interactive features; fans will see themselves as part of ABBA album covers, posters and other iconic pictures.
For more information and to book tickets go to AbbaWorld Tickets.
Madness in Valencia
Madness in Valencia has just finished a sell-out run at the White Bear and now moves to the Trafalgar Studio Two theatre in London. This is a beguiling and hilarious pageant of love, madness and mistaken identity.
Floriano kills a Prince and flees. Erifila escapes an abhorrent arranged marriage. Uncertain of their futures they take refuge in Valencia’s famed asylum. Locked up with fools and physicians they become entangled in the convolutions of a glorious farce.
The Time Out’s Top Critics’ Choice and Show of the Week, Madness in Valencia, runs at Trafalgar Studio Two until 9th March 2010.
Whatsonstage.com Awards 2009
Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Sir Ian McKellen, Sir Patrick Stewart, Rowan Atkinson and X-Factor star Diana Vickers scooped prestigious theatre awards this week, voted for by the public in record numbers. Theatregoers voted online for their favourites across 26 different categories between December 2009 and January 2010. There was a record 46,000 voters who took part which was 11,000 more than the previous record set last year for the 2008 awards.
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s rival production of Hamlet, headed by former Doctor Who star David Tennant, was also a winner. Sir Patrick Stewart picked up two awards – best supporting actor in a play for playing scheming ruler Claudius in Hamlet and theatre event of the year award, shared with Sir Ian McKellen (X-Men) for Waiting for Godot.
Oliver! picked up three awards; the best Musical Revival category, Rowan Atkinson (Blackadder, Mr Bean) winning best actor in a musical for Fagin and Jodie Prenger (I’d Do Anything winner) receiving the best supporting acress in a musical award for her portrayal of Nancy.
Rowan Atkinson’s acceptance video told how he had tackled the role with some trepidation, having never sung in a musical before.
He said:
“This is absolutely great. I’m genuinely very pleased and very touched.
“When I embarked on this journey to play the part of Fagin in Oliver!, I did so with a degree of apprehension.
“I hadn’t been on the West End stage in 20 years and I had never sung in a musical – well, I’d never sung really.
“So it was quite a scary time, and what made it all possible was the warmth and accommodation and tolerance of the company of the production of Oliver!, all those actors, the adults and the children, and our directors and choreographers and designers, and, in particular, our director Rupert Goold for being so helpful to someone who was stepping with such trepidation into the project.
“Also, of course, the warmth and accommodation and tolerance of the audience who kindly came to see us.
“As this is more than anything an audience award – and the audience in the end, I think, is the most important element in any theatrical event – it really means something.
“So I’d like to thank you all sitting there very much indeed, but I’d also like to thank mostly all those who voted for me, and all those real people who spent real money to come and see the show. Thank you.”
Best West End show was taken by Wicked, which just won a very close vote with War Horse which was was the only play nominated in this category. Wicked is now in its 4th year at the Apollo Theatre in London and has been visited by over 2.5 million people, and taken over £90m in the UK.
Wicked’s executive producer Michael McCabe said in a statement:
“It has been an incredible year for West End theatre, and the productions that made the shortlist for this special award are proof of the diversity and quality that have helped maintain London as the world leader for live entertainment.
“We are therefore truly honoured that the public has chosen Wicked as London’s ‘best West End show’, and our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who voted.”
Priscilla Queen of the Desert received the highest number of awards with four, including Best Choreographer for the late Ross Coleman, Best New Musical, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Oliver Thornton and Best Set Designer for Brian Thomson.
Winning his fourth Whatsonstage.com award for Best Director was Sir Trevor Nunn for Inherit The Wind at the Old Vic and A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory.
Jerusalem won the very close battle for Best New Play, narrowly beating Enron. Jerusalem had 23.7% of the vote, with Enron taking 19.6%. With their recent transferrals to the West End, both productions have been very well received.
Diana Vickers (X-Factor) fought off competition from Lenny Henry, Jaime Winston, Nicholas Hoult, Patina Miller and Tom Sturridge to win the Best Newcomer category for her peformance in The Rise and Fall of Litte Voice.
However, Patina Miller did win the Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Deloris in Whoopi Goldberg’s Sister Act.
Best New Comedy award was taken by Tim Firth’s stage version of Calendar Girls, and Derren Brown beat Rob Brydon by only 10 votes to win the best solo performance.
Illusionist Derren Brown said:
“Obviously, I knew that I was going to win, but I wasn’t aware that I’d pipped Rob Brydon so closely at the last minute – I just found out that I won by 10 votes.
“So really this should go to both me and Rob, but it doesn’t; it goes to me as it turns out.”
John Barrowman (Touchwood) took the Best Takeover in a Role award for his return to the West End in La Cage Aux Folles. In his acceptance speech Barrowman said:
“I accept this on behalf of the entire cast and company of La Cage Aux Folles, particularly the Cagelles, who worked their butts off.
“Thank you very much.”
The full list of this years Whatsonstage.com Award winners are:-
- Best actress in a play
Rachel Weisz – A Streetcar Named Desire at the Donmar Warehouse
- The Capital Breaks best actor in a play
Jude Law – Hamlet, Donmar West End at Wyndham’s
- Best supporting actress in a play
Miriam Margolyes – Endgame at the Duchess
- Best supporting actor in a play
Sir Patrick Stewart – Hamlet, RSC at the Novello
- The Baby Grand best actress in a musical
Patina Miller – Sister Act at the London Palladium
- The See Tickets best actor in a musical
Rowan Atkinson – Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Best supporting actress in a musical
Jodie Prenger – Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- Best supporting actor in a musical
Oliver Thornton – Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace
- The Mobius Industries best solo performance
Derren Brown – Derren Brown: Enigma at the Adelphi
- The Les Miserables 25th anniversary award for best ensemble performance
On The Waterfront – at the Theatre Royal Haymarket
- The Milk Two Sugars best takeover in a role
John Barrowman – La Cage Aux Folles at the Playhouse
- The Nick Hern Books best new play
Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth – at the Royal Court Downstairs
- The Waldorf Hilton best new comedy
Calendar Girls by Tim Firth – at the Noel Coward
- The Superbreak best new musical
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert by Allan Scott & Stephan Elliott – at the Palace
- The EMG best play revival
A Streetcar Named Desire – at the Donmar Warehouse
- The Ambassador Tickets best musical revival
Oliver! – at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane
- The Shakespeare 4 Kidz best Shakespearean production
Hamlet – RSC at the Novello
- Best director
Sir Trevor Nunn – Inherit The Wind at the Old Vic & A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick
- Best set designer
Brian Thomson – Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace
- The White Light best lighting designer
Natasha Katz – Sister Act at the London Palladium
- Best choreographer
Ross Coleman – Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert at the Palace
- The Dewynters London newcomer of the year
Diana Vickers – The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice at the Vaudeville
- Best off-West End production
The Pirates Of Penzance – at the Union Theatre
- The Booking Office best regional production
Adolf Hitler: My Part In His Downfall – Bristol Old Vic & tour
- The Groupline best West End show
Wicked
- The Aka theatre event of the year
The pairing of Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart in Waiting For Godot.
Megan Mullally
Another first for the UK is internationally acclaimed acress Megan Mullally on stage at the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End, with her band, Supreme Music Program, for a very limited run of only 8 performances – opening on 16th February, until 21st February 2010.
The new show at the Vaudeville Theatre will include songs from her three albums (The Sweetheart Break-In, Big As A Berry and Free Again!) and previously unheard material. Although she has performed with the Supreme Music Program in locations such as The Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, The Seattle Symphony and the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, this is the first time she has toured with her band outside the US.
Holding The Man
Holding the Man is based on the award winning book by Tim Conigrave and is adapted for the stage by playwright Tommy Murphy. This is an hilariously funny, tender and moving play which follows the remarkable true life love story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo and speaks across generations, sexual preferences and culture.
Teenage love rarely runs a smooth course, but add a gay boy, and all-male school, Melbourne in the 1970s, a crush on the football team captain and this love could never be smooth! Despite all this the pair survive 15 years of all that can be thrown at them until the only problem that love can’t solve turns up to part them.
For more information and to check availability of Holding The Man, which opens at the Trafalgar Studios in London on 23rd April 2010, go to Holding the Man Theatre Tickets.
Not suitable for anyone under the age of 15.
Mrs Warren’s Profession
The question her daughter, Vivie, is asking is “what is Mrs Warren’s Profession?”. Felicity Kendall stars in one of Shaw’s most witty and provocative plays which was actually written in 1894 but not allowed to be performed until the 1920s.
Vivie is a prim young woman, with a Cambridge education and a generous monthly allowance. She has, until she has ambitions to go into “law”, never questioned what it is, exactly, that her monther does – how will she react when she finds out that her life has been financed by the oldest of all professions?
Mrs Warren’s Profession, which portrays the hypocrisy of Victorian society and its constrained morals, opens at the Comedy theatre, London on 16th March 2010.
To get more information, seating layout and check availability, go to Mrs Warrens Profession Tickets.
Lion King Dinner & Show Offers
The current dinner & show offers combining a ticket for The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre, London with a value of £35.00 and a pre-theatre 2-course meal at a choice of London restaurants.
Thai Square Strand, Livebait or Palm Court are all included in this offer, starting at £40.00 inclusive.
To get more information on these offers, and to check availability go to The Lion King Dinner & Show Offers.
