BalletBoyz - The Talent at Nottingham P!ayhouse

If you are considering booking for Balletboyz -The Talent at Nottingham Playhouse tonight, I would highly recommend a visit.

I saw them at Derby Theatre in November 2013 and wrote this review. http://philloweactor.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/review-balletboyz-talent-derby-theatre.html.

Warwick Davis cover story with Sardines magazine

I'm extraordinarily pleased to announce that Sardines magazine are being gracious enough to publish not one but three of my theatre based articles in their forthcoming Spring/Summer edition out in May this year. There will be an article about my life as a theatre reviewer and why I do it, an article about The Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham and their theatre twinning adventures in Germany and finally; my major article is the cover story about the fantastic actor, Warwick Davis. I had the great pleasure of interviewing him half way through his national tour of the farce, See How They Run. Read how they had to take the wheels off a tea trolley to stop it falling into the front row and how fascinated the audiences are to see the Reduced Height Theatre Company's amazing to scale set of See How They Run plus lots of other amazing Warwick anecdotes and terrific pictures!

Sardines are publishing this interview with some brilliant photos from Warwick's wonderfully varied career so far in the Spring/Summer edition available from early May. Here is a sneak preview of the cover.

Sardines magazine is available through subscription and many other methods of purchase and all the details are at www.sardinesmagazine.co.uk.

Warwick's fantastic production of See How They Run is on tour at the following venues: Catch it while you can!

31st March - 5th April Wycombe Swan - High Wycombe

7th April - 12th April - Derby Theatre - Derby

14th - 19th April - Theatre Royal - Plymouth

22nd - 26th April - Darlington Civic Theatre - Darlington

29th April - 3rd May - Opera House - Manchester

6th May - 10th May - New Theatre - Cardiff.

Derby Theatre announces new Board member. Jane Claire

Derby Theatre is delighted to announce a new member of their Board,  the Executive Producer of English Touring Theatre, Jane Claire. 

Jane Claire

Jane has spent nearly forty years working in professional theatre. After a long and varied career in stage management working in regional,  fringe and West End theatres, Jane moved into producing. Following  nine years with the highly regarded touring company Shared Experience,  where she was responsible for numerous national and international tours, Jane became Executive Producer of English Touring Theatre in 2005.  She has been with the award-winning company for the last nine years  producing more than thirty productions touring throughout the UK.
Jane Claire said: “I am delighted to be joining the Board at what is a very exciting time for the theatre and the University.  I'm greatly looking forward to supporting Sarah and her team as well as having the opportunity to get to know Derby better.
Professor John Coyne (Vice Chancellor, University of Derby and Chair of Derby Theatre Board) said: "We are absolutely delighted that we have been able to attract to the board of Derby Theatre someone of the calibre of Jane. We have searched for a while to find a new Board member as it was important for us to have the right mix of experience, background and reputation. We have certainly come up trumps with Jane's appointment and we are looking forward to working with her as we take the Theatre forward in the next steps of its exciting journey." 
Sarah Brigham (Artistic Director, Derby Theatre) said: “I am thrilled that Jane will sit on the Theatre’s Board. Her wealth of experience, knowledge of the business and the wider theatre industry will be a real asset to us as an organisation. I am really looking forward to working alongside her, and the rest of the Board, to help shape the future of Derby Theatre” 

Gecko presents INSTITUTE. Promotion for Derby Theatre

Gecko presents INSTITUTE 
Derby Theatre Wed 2 – Sat 5 April 

“A ravishing display of theatrical fireworks…striking” The Guardian 
Following their highly acclaimed performance of Missing last year,  Derby Theatre is delighted to announce that the multi award-winning  physical dance theatre company Gecko, prior to a UK tour later this year,  will return to the Theatre this April with the premiere of their stunning  new piece, Institute. 

When the time comes, will anyone really care? Set in a warped world of  emotional compartmentalisation and treatment – where memories are  filed, relationships scrutinised and patient becomes carer and vice versa  – four people undergo a series of extraordinary physical ‘treatments’ as they struggle to prepare themselves for the outside world. But a Gecko world is never as it first appears... 

Gecko has a reputation for generating unique new worlds, exquisite stage-craft and breath-taking choreography. As well as being visually captivating. For Institute, audiences can once again expect ingenious design, featuring giant filing cabinets from which full formed memories, whole relationships and secrets are pulled out and filed away; visceral movement and intricate group choreography from the all-male cast; and moments of stunning tenderness and aching beauty that shine out from the shadows so brightly, they will leave you reeling.   

Amit Lahav (Director of Institute and Artistic Director at Gecko) said: “Institute will pull you in and take you on a voyage – your relationship with the word care will ultimately determine how that journey feels for you. The idea that society is becoming more fragmented, individualistic and desensitised is terrifying to me. I’m fascinated about what the implications may be if we don’t ask questions about the way we care for each other”

Institute is Gecko’s sixth creation in 10 years. With each new show they build on their established working methodology of physical exploration and theatrical invention.

Tickets: £10.50 - £23.50. For more information and to book tickets call the Box Office on 01332 593939 or online at www.derbytheatre.co.uk

Nottingham University - Phantom Of The Opera - review

 

 

Phantom of the Opera – a Nottingham University production

This student production running at the Nottingham Arts Theatre is a brave attempt at producing Lloyd Webber's most popular piece of musical theatre. It is not an easy show to reproduce and part of it's West End and world wide professional appeal are the show's magical and theatrical effects, lightening bolts, Operatic set pieces, a chandelier that crashes on to the stage, smoke and mirrors and a magical boat that floats through the labyrinthine tunnels under the Paris Opera House.

Musicality have wisely decided to be prudent in the effects department and have concentrated instead on producing some fine singing and acting from the performers and soaring music from wonderful eighteen piece orchestra. It works very well, despite a few first night dips in balance of the sound scape and lighting.

Simon Kale as The Phantom shows great sensitivity in the playing of the challenging role, making the most of the pathetic nature of the man and showed a very credible depth of character especially during the Phantom's most angst ridden, vengeful and tortured moments. His singing is superb throughout. This is a performance he should be very proud of.

The role of Christine Daae, played with sympathetic conviction by Elizabeth Jerjian, is beautifully sung and delicately acted with a natural sincerity and her scenes with Andrew Bond as her lover Raoul are tenderly handled, and equally so with the Phantom. Bond's performance is a stand out performance. Whilst the role doesn't really give the performer a lot of acting scope Bond conveys the romantic young man to perfection with some clear and confident singing.

Other stand out performances are Jenny Lake as the ambitious but thwarted dancer Meg Giry and a rock solid performance is given by Abby Hughes as her cane tapping domineering, strident Mother Mme Giry. Both carried their parts with enormous conviction.

Jack Scott -Walker and Kishan Soni are excellent as the new owners of the Paris Opera house, some good clear diction and very amusing in their scenes together, especially the scene with notes from the Phantom. Equally funny and comically expressive in their roles are Greg Link and Bethany Lamb as Piangi and Carlotta the spoilt Opera singers. Their fine singing voices are one of the highlights of a very good evening at the theatre ably directed by Alex McIntyre.

The whole ensemble work well together and are clearly enjoying the experience of performing Lloyd Webber's masterpiece and are accompanied throughout with confident playing of the difficult score by the orchestra.

The multi-functional set uses the Nottingham Arts Theatre space well with good use of the upper regions and sides. The dramatically flashing chandelier added authenticity to the piece as it is expected to be seen and almost a character on its own. The quality costumes were hired from the magnificent wardrobe of the nearby Lace Market Theatre.

All credit to the entire creative team for a super student production The Phantom of the Opera.

Phil Lowe.

News of See How They Run by the Reduced Height Company

Today I had the great pleasure of interviewing the charming and erudite Warwick Davis the founder and current producer of the newly formed Reduced Height Theatre Company. His company are currently touring a unique production of Philip King's classic farce - See How They Run. It is becoming a much talked about theatrical classic and selling out in many of its twelve venues as they tour until early May 2014. All of the reviews have been very positive. The audiences are loving it and recommending to family and friends alike. The tour dates can be found through this link. Don't leave it too late to book!

 

 

I am personally in great anticipation for the week of 7th April to 12th April when the show comes to Derby Theatre. The interview was arranged through this, my fave theatre in the East Midlands, and it will appear in May in Sardines Magazine along with Warwick on the front cover.

In brief Warwick was very keen to express that the show is definitely not about laughing at short people but within seconds the audience will be appreciating the often under used fabulous talents of trained actors and actresses that happen to be about four feet tall. He also discussed with me the practicalities of the wonderful set designed by designer Barney George (who also designed the recent Odyssey set for Derby Theatre) and how it has been adjusted to be realistic in scale to present the Reduced Height Theatre Company's production. We also spoke about his pre-fame experiences at school and at the Laine Theatre Arts School in Epsom. Warwick is one of the most positive people I have had the pleasure of interviewing for this blog and other media. He is an inspiration!



The talented cast of The Reduced Height Theatre Company.



For a recent update on Warwick please check out my other blogpost HERE.

Nottingham Playhouse great new season report

Nottingham Playhouse announces its new season of work for 2014

Despite recent cuts to its local government funding, Nottingham Playhouse is excited to announce its bold new season of work that includes three plays exploring ‘Time and Memory’ (involving a new commission), and a return of one of last year’s main stage successes, The Kite Runner, (touring nationally).

The Spring season has begun with Nottingham Playhouse’s five-way co-production, (Graeae, Birmingham Rep, New Wolsey and West Yorkshire Playhouse), of Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera. A ground breaking project that sees a fully integrated cast of disabled and non disabled actor musicians bring to life a production of uprising and dispossession, as relevant now as it was 85 years ago. The Threepenny Opera is touring until May 2014.

Orwell’s 1984, a critically acclaimed co production between Nottingham Playhouse and Headlong continued its success with its transfer to The Almeida. In May, 1984 opens in the West End (The Playhouse), London, before an anticipated national tour in the Autumn of 2014.

May sees the return of the neat festival, (Nottingham European Arts Theatre Festival), first launched in Nottingham back in 2011. neat14 will feature work from Spain, Croatia, Poland, Canada and Germany amongst many other countries. Nottingham Playhouse will once again be a key partner in hosting this ten-day festival. (23rd May-1st June 2014).

Launching neat 14 will be a major new community project- Mass Bolero; an eight-minute film involving the people of Nottingham. This mass participation event will see community groups, schools, organisations and individuals recreate Torvill and Dean’s iconic Bolero; paying tribute to two of Nottingham’s finest, with a powerful regional resonance.

Time and Memory season- September- November 2014.

In our Autumn season, we present three plays by British writers that all use two time frames to explore the impact of the past on the present.

In Time and the Conways, J B Priestley explores how the optimism at the end of WW1 is replaced by cynicism and discontent en route to the inevitable tragedy of WW2.

In Propaganda Swing, Peter Arnott's new play, (a co-production with the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry), tells the story of an American journalist remembering his time in Berlin during WW2 and his unwilling involvement in the Nazi propaganda programme.

Our final Autumn main stage production, (before our much- celebrated pantomime) is Arcadia. Tom Stoppard explores, with brilliant wit, how we can never fully understand the past and how the journey to the future is constant and unchangeable.

We will be complementing these plays with a programme of work by emerging artists, to be chosen after an open-call this spring, which will create a contemporary response to both the stylistic and political content of the season, using the Neville Studio and other spaces in the theatre.

Fiona Buffini, Nottingham Playhouse’s Associate Director, (National Theatre, RSC and a volunteer with VSO), will be making her Playhouse’s directorial debut with Time and the Conways, working alongside Linbury Prize winner, Madeline Girling who will be designing the set for Time and the Conways and Arcadia. Giles Croft directs Arcadia and Propaganda Swing is directed by Hamish Glen.

2014 will also see the expansion of our participation and engagement work.

Already working in the Neville Studio is the In House project, a collaboration with SEA (Services for Empowerment and Advocacy) working with socially isolated members of the community, many of which have experienced homelessness. After a twelve- week participation project, members of the group will present their piece of work in our Neville studio.

Nottingham Playhouse’s Youth Theatre will be performing Peter Shaffer’s Equus in the Neville Studio, Monday 11th- Saturday 16th August.

Ending the year will be the return of Kenneth Alan Taylor’s 31st pantomime, Sleeping Beauty; look out for a new dame, (it won’t be Kenneth Alan Taylor!)

Other highlights this year include:

Benjamin Zephaniah’s Refugee Boy, (A WYP production), Fri 28th and Sat 29th March
Richard Alston Dance Company’s Shimmer, Tuesday 29th April, as part of a powerful season of visiting dance.

Review of Swan Lake at The Theatre Royal Nottingham

Matthew Bourne's ground breaking and provocative re-imagining of the classical ballet piece Swan Lake was first staged at Sadlers Wells theatre in London in 1995. Historically it is the longest running ballet in the West End and on Broadway when it moved across the Atlantic and premièred to massive acclaim in 1998 in the USA. Since then the production has been shown on stages all around the world including, Turkey, Greece,  other major countries in Europe and in Australia, Japan and Los Angeles. The ballet has won over thirty international awards including three Tony's in the USA. It is now well documented that Matthew Bourne's main innovation was taking the female swans away as the corps de ballet and replacing them with aggressive, bare chested and powerful male swans in feathery breeches. It still works supremely well and one could say, has improved with age. The story has strong echoes of the traditional ballet and on one occasion Bourne has amusement by re-working a particularly difficult dance section usually performed by the tutu clad female corps as a frantic male dance. The whole ensemble works through this fresh and still new style Swan Lake with seemingly consummate ease. But then the grace of swans always shows as they glide effortlessly across the surface of the water with years and years of dedication and training powering them into action. As with swans so it is with this stunning ballet brought bang up to date.

This ballet demands extreme physical endurance and faultless technique and the dancers must be able to show a range of emotions that would easily grace a complex play like Hamlet. Because of the now famous male corps de ballet the work is sometimes mistaken for being all male. This is not the case. Bourne's ballet benefits from the top notch talents of both sexes. Swan Lake is about a prince who has lived a very restricted life bound up with unwanted royal duties and royal expectations and very little love – especially from his emotionally distant mother – the Queen. We assume the father figure is missing, particularly as the Queen openly flirts with the younger male members of the royal entourage. A superb performance from dancer Madelaine Brennan that moves from icy and distracted Queen to joyous then distraught throughout the evening.

When the prince (Simon Williams in a very moving and sympathetic portrayal) meets the main swan for the first time the flock are aggressive to him and, as swans are, very territorial. The emotional trigger for the story is that the swans are the same sex as the prince and psychologically represent qualities that he desperately wants to attain to. The prince character carries the ballet from beginning to end and his is the story of someone who is restricted in his life and needs love, not necessarily sexual love or even homosexual love but love that truly warms his heart and holds him tenderly in a tight embrace. A love that supports and encourages his needs. He is one confused prince, emotionally and sexually. These emotional needs are things he certainly doesn't get from his frosty mother or from his rather fake and fatuous girlfriend (Anjali Mehra – superb comic timing with a fine range of expression in dance and character) who thinks she has indeed met her prince. By the end of act one the audience are fully invested in caring about this lonely prince existing in his dull and repetitive royal world. To his mother, the erotically charged ice maiden Queen he is a major disappointment. But is she a villain? I think not as her character is just as entrapped as her unacknowledged son she constantly pushes away.

Bringing them both out of their tightly shut shells is the dynamic dancer Chris Trenfield as The Swan/Stranger. He is equally seductive in each role and the confusion that leads to madness in the prince's mind is well portrayed through the powerful music and dance especially at the superbly dramatic end. This re-working of a classic tale is the kind of ballet that you never want to stop. Matthew Bourne's touring production of Swan Lake is utterly flawless all the way through with surprise after choreographically dramatic surprise. The live orchestra is thrilling, the set design by Lez Brotherston is breathtakingly dreamlike and nightmarish in parts and Rick Fisher's lighting design and implementation is just astonishing in creating diverse mood after mood. No wonder New Adventures Swan Lake has won so many awards and one may wonder what Tchaikovsky would make of this jolting modern interpretation that began in 1875 as a small project to encourage small children to dance to some music about The Lake of Swans. I think he would very well approve – rather heartily. The Nottingham audience certainly totally appreciated the creative skills that  made Swan Lake such a triumph and demonstrated this with a standing ovation and several curtain calls.

Derby Theatre - an exciting new season.

Derby Theatre is delighted to announce its May – July 2014 Season.

From John Godber masterpieces to stage adaptations of iconic British cinema classics; top quality, award-winning touring productions to new, exciting and inventive youth and community theatre shows; original studio productions to a wealth of insightful workshops and from fabulous family theatre to the return of DEparture Lounge, next season offers a wonderful array of shows and events to tempt and tantalise the theatrical taste buds!

A Taste of Honey, on from Tue 29 April until Sat 10 May, is a Derby Theatre and Hull Truck Theatre co-production and is a stage adaptation of Shelagh Delaney’s 1958 hit. This touching tale of a young girl’s journey into adulthood stars Rebecca Ryan (Shameless and Waterloo Road) and is directed by Mark Babych, who directed Cooking with Elvis for Derby Theatre in May 2013.

Derby Theatre welcomes a host of top-class touring companies this summer including: Northern Broadsides with the deeply moving drama poised at the tipping point of war, An August Bank Holiday Lark, on from Tue 20 until Sat 24 May; the highly acclaimed, award-winning Headlong return again this season with Wedekind’s definite play about youth- caused riots, Spring Awakening, on from Wed 28 until Sat 31 May; London Classic Theatre make another welcome return to the theatre with the 50th Anniversary production of Joe Orton’s Entertaining Mr Sloane from Tue 10 until Sat 14 June and Northern Stage, as part of the first ever UK of Joseph Heller’s classic novel, with a stage adaptation of  Catch 22, on from Tue 17 until Sat 21 June.   

From Fri 27 June until Sat 12 July, Derby Theatre, in association with Paul Tyrer and Jamie Clark for The Booking Office, will present John Godber’s comical, bittersweet masterpiece, April in Paris, which was Olivier-nominated for Comedy of the Year when it premiered. Directed by Godber himself, this classic two-hander will feature two star names (to be announced soon) and guarantees to make you belly laugh and your heart melt.

Over the summer period, from Thu 24 until Sat 26 July, our Youth Theatre will present a stunning double-bill of plays each evening which are unified by the themes of freedom and sacrifice: The Willow Pattern, a classic tale of innocent, yet forbidden love, and The Chrysalids directed by Sarah Brigham, a powerful story set in the post-nuclear world, a place divided into ‘perfect’ humans and mutants.  

Derby People’s Theatre, which involves members of the public and community working alongside theatre professionals to produce a full-scale production, will present Pulse from Wed 30 July until Sat 2 August, a new play commissioned by Derby Theatre from local writer Sally Siner. Pulsating with life, death and other funny turns, Pulse takes a look at a day in the life of the fictional Derby Orb Hospital and is about, and for, a community to which we all belong. 

DEparture Lounge, a summer festival of fantastic fringe performances, returns again this year and promises to be a theatrical adventure like no other. Prepare to buckle up for an exciting ride from Thu 17 until Sat 20 July for this stunning showcase of theatre from some of the exciting companies and artists from across the UK before they depart for the heady lights of Edinburgh and beyond.

Studio shows next season offer a wide and varied selection of theatre including: Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company with a newly commissioned piece by local playwright, Andy Barrett, The Second Minute; Caroline Horton, who presented the fantastic Penelope RETOLD at Derby Theatre recently, will present, along with China Plate, her award- winning You’re Not Like The Other Girls Chrissy, a tender, comic portrayal of one woman’s experience of love and war; Johnny and The Baptists, an evening in the company of some of the UK’s hottest musical comedians; the edgy and moving one-man show which explores one of football’s biggest taboos, Away From Home; Derby Jazz, Corey Mwamba, Dave Kane and Joshua Blackmore with Sunday afternoons of Jazz music; the sell-out smash hit of the Edinburgh Festival 2013, Hidden; highly acclaimed Graeae with Signs of a Diva, which will include BSL signed songs, captioned text and audio description; Amanda Whittington’s poignant drama set in a mother and baby home in 1964, Be My Baby; award- winning comedy duo Heffernan & Fitch with their quirky sketch show-come-cabaret night Roll It In Sequins and Birmingham Repertory Theatre with Circles, a play which boldly explores violence on a generation of young women.      

Family shows include: Theatre Hullabaloo and Theatre Iolo with Luna, a starry night theatrical adventure suitable for  2 – 5 year olds, which sees Luna, the only moon in the sky, befriending a boy and together they go on an adventure of light and dark to help him overcome his fear of the night-time and A Transport and Unicorn production, 1001 Nights, a collection of some of the greatest folk tales ever told, perfect for ages 6+, brought to life in a fantastical and imagined world of kings, viziers and jinns.    

Other shows in the season include: award-winning Mike Bartlett’s 13, which will be presented by Second Year Theatre Arts students and the return of the ever-popular, locally-based Oddsocks with a double bill of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Twelfth Night.  

For children and young people, opportunities include: new Youth Theatre for 8-10 year olds; new Young Technicians for 11-19 year olds; Theatre Thinkers for 11-19 year olds; Easter three-day residency and Derby Theatre Summer School.   

For artists and participants, opportunities include: Writing Young People’s Theatre Masterclass with award-winning playwright, Mike Kenny; CPD on Directing with Artistic Director, Sarah Brigham; audition techniques, costume club and technical advice and training.  

Looking ahead to next season - also announcing…

Derby Theatre is also delighted to officially announce two productions for the autumn.
Antigone, a Pilot Theatre, Derby Theatre and Theatre Royal Stratford East Production, is a new adaptation of Sophocles’ play adapted by acclaimed playwright, Roy Williams. In the main house from Fri 19 September until Sat 4 October, Antigone will be placed in a contemporary setting to bring this timeless tale bang up to date and will be the perfect follow-on for our audiences from our recent production of The Odyssey, as another Greek classic adapted for a modern audience.

A Christmas Carol will be Derby Theatre’s big festive production for 2014/15. Neil Duffield’s vibrant adaptation of Charles Dickens’ treasured novel will contain all the sparkle, magic and ghostly goings-on of this much-loved Christmas story. On from Fri 5 December 2014 until Sun 4 January 2015, A Christmas Carol is a heart-warming, traditional must- see production for the whole family.

Bookings now being taken. 

Sarah Brigham (Artistic Director, Derby Theatre) said:  

“I'm delighted to be welcoming our audiences to another thrilling season at Derby Theatre.  We officially announce two exciting and very different co-productions.  A modern classic in A Taste of Honey directed by Mark Babych (who previously directed the hugely popular Cooking with Elvis for us last year) and the ever popular April in Paris with The Booking Office and John Godber.  With these two great, popular productions, alongside a quality touring programme from such companies as Northern Broadsides and Headlong, a Youth Theatre double bill and a Derby People’s Theatre production plus a wealth of other productions and opportunities to participate, I hope you’ll agree that there are many ways you can experience and be involved with the work we produce, present and programme at Derby Theatre, whether it be as an audience member, participant or both.” 

“I'm also delighted to formally announce and introduce two shows in our autumn season, new writing in the form of a new adaptation of Antigone by Roy Williams produced with Theatre Royal Stratford East and Pilot Theatre and our big Christmas production which I'll direct, A Christmas Carol which will have all the festive magic you would expect coupled with a heart-warming tale.”  
“We look forward to seeing you at Derby Theatre over the coming months”  

Season ticket More great theatre for less with the Derby Theatre Season Ticket. Book 3 shows and get 10% off. Book 4 shows or more and get 20% off. General ticket prices: £10.50 - £25.50, concession, group and school rates available. For more information, full season details and to book tickets simply call the Box Office on 01332 593939 or visit www.derbytheatre.co.uk  

At the Lace Market Theatre in April - Boeing Boeing and Till Eulenspeigel

The Lace Market Theatre in Nottingham, as part of its theatre exchange with two German theatre companies from Karlsruhe are presenting the classic 1960s farce Boeing Boeing by the renowned Jakobus Theater and Till Eulenspiegel performed by the members of Die Käuze theatre company.

Check out the shows and performance times HERE. Each show only plays for three performances so don't miss out!

Each show is in German and Boeing Boeing will have an English introduction and Till Eulenspiegel will be played with simultaneous surtitle translations in English.  I have had the privilege of seeing the Boeing Boeing show in August last year at the company's own venue in central Karlsruhe and can tell you that the audience are in for a treat with some very comical performances, sexy ladies, very confused men and well known songs (in English) related to flying. This very popular show has been a sell out in Karlsruhe. Actually, we are in for a treat and a half! Three performances from Monday 14th April to Tuesday 15th April.

 

Boeing Boeing by Marc Camoletti

 What happens if an ambitious architect is engaged to three flight attendants? What happens if one of the girls that was supposed to take off doesn’t do so, another one lands who wasn’t supposed to, and the third is happily enjoying a hot bath? What happens if a housekeeper, who is perpetually nagging, can’t cope with the situation and an old school buddy from southern France suddenly shows up? Farce at its best!

 



Till Eulenspeigel Reloaded is written and directed by Pascal Paul-Harang

Pascal Paul-Harang is a professional director and has had many theatrical successes, most recently with the Die Käuze production of Black Forest Girl - a German romantic classic musical.

                                                         Image for Till Eulenspiegel poster

Die Käuze describe the story of Till Eulenspiegel thus: We all like to believe that the great heroes and heroines of literature truly existed. Over hundreds of years, the story of one great hero has been put into countless words, music and pictures, keeping the medieval trickster alive in hearts and minds. Now the mad, breath-taking and ultimately tragic life of the ultimate prankster is being brought to life on stage in a most epic style - from his birth to his resurrection. It is to be performed in modern dress and looks great fun. Just don't look in his mirror!!!

 

This production with our German partners, Theater Die Käuze, will be in German with English surtitles. Performances are Wednesday 16th April and Thursday 17th April.



 

Nottingham Playhouse - a fabulous dance season ahead

My Nottingham Playhouse brochure for 2014 dropped on my door map yesterday and what an array of fabulous theatrical and modern dance goodies it held within.

My personal highlight of the year (a must see in my opinion) is the Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre - The Rite of Spring and Petrushka (Friday 2nd and Saturday 3rd May). It just feels and looks phenomenal.

In a programme rich with dance I would pick out BalletBoyz:theTALENT featuring ten exceptional male dancers in two exciting and explosive dance works by choreographers Russell Maliphant and Liam Scarlett. (Monday 31st March). Onward into the brochure I found that the Playhouse are to be blessed with the dance talents of Richard Alston Dance Company on (Tuesday 29th April). They are presenting three dance works, Shimmer, Illuminations and Madcap in the evening of modern dance.

On Wednesday 12th March, Sheffield based, Vincent Dance Theatre present Motherland and this promises to be a funny and moving show about 'having it all'. Motherland is billed as 'uncompromising yet utterly accessible' and has a broad appeal for both sexes through its potent blend of theatre, live music and dance. The New York Times called it "Astonishingly original."

Fancy a madcap dance cabaret? Then on Saturday 17th May Dance 4 along with Nottingham Playhouse present Hercules: A Dance Cabaret. The story of Hercules is told through hilarious dance routines and amazing speciality acts. It's a modern cabaret the whole family can enjoy.

U.DANCE 2014 are presenting shows over the weekend of Friday 27th of June until Sunday 29th of June. Nottingham Playhouse are hosting three distinct shows that will bring together hundreds of talented young dancers from across the UK. Visit www.u-dance.org for more information.

Ballet Black: For their debut at the Playhouse, the company are presenting a triple bill of new work with exciting ballets from two of Britain's best choreographers, Christopher Marney and Martin Lawrence. Plus, award winning dance maker, Arthur Pita creates Black Ballet's newest narrative ballet. Wednesday 2nd July.

More locally we have the opportunity to witness the dance talents of students at the Nottingham Theatre Dance School in their Showcase 2014. Produced by principal Jane Moreton, students from age 3 to adults will perform classical ballet, contemporary dance, modern dance, jazz dance, musical theatre and tap dance. Sunday 25th May

On Friday 20th and Saturday 21st of June the MADD college proudly presents their Gala Showcase featuring the talented students of their three year Professional Musical Theatre diploma course with a live orchestra. The show is directed and choreographed by leading professionals from the performing arts industry.

Finally, The Tracy Quaife Theatre Dance School will be showing their 'Dance Express 2014 and Variations 3 programme. This promises to be two days of superb entertainment choreographed and produced by principal Tracy Quaife. This show will be showcasing the young talented dancers and maybe Nottingham's young stars of the future.

For booking any of the dance events go to www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk or call the box office 0115 9419419