THINGS TO DO, PEOPLE TO SEE AmbassadorTickets.com AmbAssAdor TheATre Group summer 2011 Kristin Scott Thomas Bard to the Bone Simon Callow Incoming! It’s Dame Edna South Pacific - Summer’s Hottest Ticket Legally Blonde Urban escapes Sun, sea... and style
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Things To do, people To see AmbassadorTickets.com
AmbAssAdor TheATre Group summer 2011
Kristin scott ThomasBard to the Bonesimon Callowincoming!it’s dame edna
South Pacific - summer’s
hottest Ticket
Legally BlondeUrban escapes sun, sea... and style
of the
best1
2
3
1 South Pacific
2 DameEdnaatthe NewWimbledonTheatre
3 Legally Blonde The Musical
south seas sensation 1Allaboardforthegreateststagemusicalever
The power of love 3Ghost The MusicalsweepsintotheWestEnd
AmbAssAdor theAtre Group London theAtres Apollo Victoria08448717615comedy theatre08448717622donmar Warehouse08448717624duke of York’s theatre08448717623Fortune theatre08448717626Lyceum theatre08448717615phoenix theatre08448717629piccadilly theatre08448717630playhouse theatre08448717631savoy theatre08448717687trafalgar studios08448717632
AmbAssAdor theAtre Group reGionAL theAtres Aylesbury Waterside theatre08448717607theatre royal brighton08448717650churchill theatre bromley08448717620Kings theatre Glasgow08448717648theatre royal Glasgow08448717647milton Keynes theatre08448717652richmond theatre08448717651regent theatre & Victoria hall stoke-on-trent08448717649new Wimbledon theatre & new Wimbledon studio08448717646Ambassadors cinemas Woking08448717643new Victoria theatre & rhoda mcGaw theatre Woking08448717645online booking at Ambassadortickets.com
Alexandra theatre, birmingham08448713011bristol hippodrome08448713012edinburgh playhouse08448713014Leas cliff hall Folkestone08448713015Grimsby Auditorium08448713016empire theatre Liverpool08448713017palace theatre & opera house manchester08448713018new theatre oxford08448713020southport theatre and convention centre08448472380sunderland empire08448713022princess theatre torquay08448713023York Grand opera house08448713024online booking at atgv.co.uk
JessamyHadleyeditorPatWestwell,JasperRees,NatalieAnglesey,AlSenter,NancyGroves,BenedictNightingale,VictoriaKingston,MarkBouman,NeenaDhillon,DavidBradbury,BenPrudhoecontributorsShaunWebbDesigndesign and Art directionJohnGoodprint
the Ambassador theatre Group Ltd39-41CharingCrossRoad,LondonWC2HOAR
‘The Best Rodgers & hammerstein in a generation’WashingtonPost
‘This is ravishing, breathtaking theatre’Variety
2
feelthelovetheaudiencehas
forthisstory,’Brucebeams.‘I
rememberpitchingtheideafor
themovieasamixtureofghost
storyandmurder/mysterytobe
greetedbylooksofhorroronthe
producers’faces!Howeverwhenit
becameaglobalbox-officesmash
in1990andIwontheOscar,they
changedtheirtune!I’veloved
everyminuteofthisexperience.’
Forlegendarymusicianand
GoldenGlobewinningsong-writer
DaveStewart,who’ssoldover75
millionrecordsincludingsmash
hitslikeSweet Dreams,Here
‘Whatamarvellousreception,’
enthusedOscar-winningscreen-
writerBruceJoelRubinasthe
glittering,star-studdedaudience
roseforastandingovationatthe
worldpremiereinManchester
ofGhost The Musical-priorto
itsarrivalintheWestEnd.
Theeuphoriccastwelcomedon
stagethecreatorsofthismagical
newmusicalwhichhasbeenthree
yearsintheplanning.Takingthe
curtain-callattheAmbassador
TheatreGroup’sbeautifully
refurbishedManchesterOpera
House,aswellasBruce,were
thecomposersandlyricistsDave
StewartandGlenBallard.While
multi-Tonyaward-winningdirector
MatthewWarchusrushedback-
stagetocongratulatethecast.
Thepedigreeofthecreative
teamisofthehighestcalibre.
Screen-writerRubin(Jacob’s
Ladder,Deep Impact,Stewart
Little 2,My LifeandThe Time
Traveller’s Wife)wrotethe
screen-playfortheHollywood
film.He’salsoresponsiblefor
thestageadaptation.
’Ifeltquiteemotionalonthat
stagebecauseyoucouldactually
interview
Interviewby
NatalieAnglesey
Photographyby
SeanEbsworthBarnes3
Comes The Rain AgainandWould
I Lie To You,thecollaborative
processhasbeenstimulating.
’SixtimesGrammyAward-
winnerGlenBallardisone
ofmyfavouritecollaborators
because,likeme,he’sacreative
musicianwillingtoexplore
newthings.’
Stewartrecollects,‘I
photographedDemiMooreon
thepromotionaltourforthefilm
andI’mconvincedthatthisstory
ofeternallovehasworld-wide
appealbecausepeopletoday
arestillsearchingforaspiritual
connection.’
Forsoap-starturnedsuper-star,
21yearoldRichardFleeshman
(Coronation Street’sCraigHarris)
playingthemaleleadina
brand-newmusicalfulfilsa
cherishedambition.Heleftthe
LondoncastofLegally Blonde
totakethemaleleadofSam
Wheat,playedbyPatrickSwayze
inthefilm.
‘Thisroleisadreamcometrue,’
Richardenthuseswhilebeing
mobbedbyautograph-hunters
outsidethetheatre.‘Thesongs
arewrittenbytwomusicalheroes
ofmine.DaveStewartwroteso
manyhitsfortheEurythmicswhile
GlenBallardcomposedBelieve
for Polar Express,Ordinary Miracle
for Charlotte’s Web,A Hero Comes
Home for BeowulfandAlanis
Morissette’sJagged Little Pill
album.Theirmusic’srightup
mystreetandfitsinbeautifully
withthestory.’
Thecovetedroleofpseudo
psychicOdaMaeBrown,which
wonanOscarforWhoopi
Goldberginthemovieversion,
isplayedbycharismaticSharon
DClarke.Awell-knownfigure
inmusicaltheatre,mostnotably
inWe Will Rock YouandThe
Lion King,she’sover-joyedat
Ghost’s receptioninManchester.
‘Everynightisadelighton
stage,’Sharonlaughinglyadmits.
‘Oda’sagreatcharacterinareally
entertainingwhodunitwithterrific
music.Icouldn’tbehappier.We’ve
hadstandingovationseverynight
andfingerscrossedthesame
willbetrueforLondon!’
ProducerColinIngramisequally
enthusiastic.‘We’vestayedasclose
4
totheoriginalfilmaspossible
withMagicCirclememberPaul
Kieve’sincredibleillusionsand
RobHowell’sbreath-takingdesigns
whichmorphfromonelocation
toanothertakingsetdesignto
awholenewlevel.Butpeople
whohaven’tseenthefilmare
alsoenjoyingit!’
Amidsttheafter-showbuzz
oftheworldpremiereDave
Stewartremainsquietlyconfident.
‘Musically,Ilovethevarietyof
styleswe’veincorporated.Caissie
Levy,whoplaysMollythefemale
leadandRichardhavesome
powerfulballadswhileSharon
hasabig,funkynumberand
agreatgospelsong.
‘Manchesteristhehomeof
musicalsanddiscerningaudiences
havegivenusthethumbsupbut
we’renotrestingonourlaurels.
We’realreadyintalkswith
theatresonBroadwayandin
Australiabutfornowwe’re
concentratingonLondon.’
Couldthisshowbethenew
jewelinthecrownofthe
AmbassadorTheatreGroup?‘I’m
convincedithasglobalappeal,’
Daveinsists.‘Butmyimmediate
hopeisthat,althoughthereare
poignantmoments,audiences
willenjoytheexcitingmusical
journeyaswellasfindingita
uniqueandupliftingtheatrical
experience.Judgingbyreactions
sofar,thisiconiclovestorystill
hasapowerfulresonancetoday.’
piccadilly Theatre, london
ghost The Musical StarringRichardFleeshman,CaissieLevy,SharonDClarkeandAndrewLangtreeBoxOffice08448717630OnlinebookingatAmbassadorTickets.com
We’ve stayed as close to the original film as possible with Magic Circle member paul Kieve’s incredible illusions and Rob howell’s breath-taking designs which morph from one location to another taking set design to a whole new level.
‘’
The power of loveGhost The Musical makes a dazzling arrival in the West end
HHHHH ‘it lives up to the hype. Jaw-droppingly amazing. ghost is no apparition - it’s the full five-star package and then some’ ManchesterEveningNews
‘stunning special effects. superb performances. A magical musical’ LiverpoolEcho
i think that everyone can relate to Betrayal since most people will have had experience of either betraying or being betrayed... the eternal triangle is an archetypal situation.
‘
’
dangerous liaisonsThe inimitable Kristin scott Thomas
Book your tickets online at AmbassadorTickets.com 7
What’s on
Apollo viCToRiA 0844 871 7615
WickedDiscovertheincredibleuntoldstoryoftheWitchesofOz.Winner! Most Popular ShowLaurenceOlivierAwards2010
phoenix TheATRe 0844 871 7629
Blood Brothers ‘Exhilarating. One of the best musicals ever written’SundayTimes
in the pinkLegally Blonde - painting the town pink from glasgow to Torquay
Broadway,attheshow’stry-outs
inSanFrancisco.‘Therewere
standingovationsfromthefirst
performance,’hesays,‘butIwill
neverforgetafterourfirst
SaturdaymatineeLauraBellBundy
(theoriginalUSElle)surrounded
byatleast200girlswantingtoget
herautograph.Iknewthenwe
hadcreatedanElleWoodsfor
thestagethatwouldbearound
forawhile.’
Ofcourse,Ellealreadyhada
fan-basefromtheoriginalLegally
Blondefilm,starringReese
WitherspoonastheCalifornian
WhenBroadwaydirectorJerry
MitchellapproachedSheridan
Smithatthe2009OlivierAwards
totalkLegally Blonde The Musical,
neitherpartydreamttheywould
bebacktwoyearslatercollecting
theirownOliviersforBestMusical
andBestActressinaMusical
respectively.ButsuchistheLegally
Blondephenomenon,conquering
theWestEndinmuchthesame
wayasitsheroine,ElleWoods,
conquersHarvardLawSchool-
withwit,charmandabig
thumpingheart.
Theshowhasbeenseenby
morethanhalfamillionpeopleat
London’sbeautifulSavoyTheatre,
withmanyaudiencemembers
returningagainandagaintosee
Elle’sjourneyfromValleyGirlto
Valedictorian.Andnowanewcast
istakingitoutontouracrossthe
UK,paintingtownspinkallthe
wayfromGlasgowtoTorquay.
AswellasthreeOliviers,Legally
Blondehasalsowonfour
Whatsonstage.comawards,voted
forbythepublic.Whatisthe
show’ssecret?
Mitchellsaysheknewhehad
ahitonhishandsevenbefore
sororitygirlwhoheadstoHarvard
towinbackthedoofusboyfriend
whodumpedherforbeingmore
MarilynthanJackieO.Butin
writingtheirmusical,Laurence
O’Keefe,NellBenjaminand
HeatherHatchtookallthebest
linesfromthemovie-‘Omigod,
Warner!Itotallyforgotyougo
here’-beforeaddingnewzingers,
wrappedupinascorethatranges
fromR&BballadrytoRiverdance
pastiche,butneverforgetsthe
taleitistelling.
‘Atitscore,Legally Blondeisa
lovestoryaboutanunderdogwho
succeeds,’saysMitchell.‘Thatis
somethingwealldesire!Butgood
writingisgoodwriting.Anyshow
willplayagainandagainifithas
astorythatisrelatableandwell
toldandcontinuestosurprisean
audience.’
CarrieDunn,UKeditorof
broadwayworld.com,agrees.Dunn
haslostcountofthenumberof
performancesshehasseen.‘It’smy
gotoshow,mypick-me-up,’she
says.‘Morethananyother,it’sa
feel-goodshow.Peopleusethe
wordsfeel-good,lightweightor
fluffylikeit’sabadthing.Butthe
joyofLegally Blondeisreallyhard
tofightagainst.Eventhecritics
lovedit.’
NevermindtheGreekChorus
ofDeltaNu.WhenLegally Blonde
opened,itwasthecriticswho
turnedintocheerleaders.
‘Omigod!’criedCharlesSpencer
inTheTelegraph.AndCaroline
McGinninTimeOut.AndPaul
TaylorinTheIndependent.‘There
aren’tmanyBroadwayshowswith
songsthatmakereferencetothe
philosophyofThomasHobbesin
intricatelyrhymedstanzas,’wrote
Taylor.‘I’mlikesototallygoing
again.’
He’snottheonlyone.AsElle
sings:‘Evenapersonwhoissmart
canlistentotheirheart.’Andthey
don’tgetmuchsmarterthan
StephenFry,whotweetedafterhis
firsttrip:‘JustseenLegally Blonde.
AsgoodashowasI’veEVERseen...
and@LegBlondeUKTour)more
than5000followers.DidMitchell
everdreamlittleMissWoods
wouldinspiresuchdevotion?
‘Ihavealwayshadabitofpink
inmyblood,’hesmiles.‘It’sone
reasonIfellinlovewithElle
WoodsandLegally Blonde.Ialso
sawanopportunitytotellastory
toyoungpeopleaboutrespect
andlove.AndforthatIam
gratefulandproudtobring
thismusicaltosomany.’
feature
9
it’s my go to show, my pick-me-up. More than any other, it’s a feel-good show. people use the words feel-good, lightweight or fluffy like it’s a bad thing. But the joy of Legally Blonde is really hard to fight against.
‘’
savoy Theatre
legally Blonde The MusicalStarringSusanMcFadden&LeeMeadBoxOffice08448717687OnlinebookingatAmbassadorTickets.com
on Tourliverpool empire*8-16JulyBoxOffice08448713017
in the pinkLegally Blonde - painting the town pink from glasgow to Torquay
Broadway,attheshow’stry-outs
inSanFrancisco.‘Therewere
standingovationsfromthefirst
performance,’hesays,‘butIwill
neverforgetafterourfirst
SaturdaymatineeLauraBellBundy
(theoriginalUSElle)surrounded
byatleast200girlswantingtoget
herautograph.Iknewthenwe
hadcreatedanElleWoodsfor
thestagethatwouldbearound
forawhile.’
Ofcourse,Ellealreadyhada
fan-basefromtheoriginalLegally
Blondefilm,starringReese
WitherspoonastheCalifornian
WhenBroadwaydirectorJerry
MitchellapproachedSheridan
Smithatthe2009OlivierAwards
totalkLegally Blonde The Musical,
neitherpartydreamttheywould
bebacktwoyearslatercollecting
theirownOliviersforBestMusical
andBestActressinaMusical
respectively.ButsuchistheLegally
Blondephenomenon,conquering
theWestEndinmuchthesame
wayasitsheroine,ElleWoods,
conquersHarvardLawSchool-
withwit,charmandabig
thumpingheart.
Theshowhasbeenseenby
morethanhalfamillionpeopleat
London’sbeautifulSavoyTheatre,
withmanyaudiencemembers
returningagainandagaintosee
Elle’sjourneyfromValleyGirlto
Valedictorian.Andnowanewcast
istakingitoutontouracrossthe
UK,paintingtownspinkallthe
wayfromGlasgowtoTorquay.
AswellasthreeOliviers,Legally
Blondehasalsowonfour
Whatsonstage.comawards,voted
forbythepublic.Whatisthe
show’ssecret?
Mitchellsaysheknewhehad
ahitonhishandsevenbefore
sororitygirlwhoheadstoHarvard
towinbackthedoofusboyfriend
whodumpedherforbeingmore
MarilynthanJackieO.Butin
writingtheirmusical,Laurence
O’Keefe,NellBenjaminand
HeatherHatchtookallthebest
linesfromthemovie-‘Omigod,
Warner!Itotallyforgotyougo
here’-beforeaddingnewzingers,
wrappedupinascorethatranges
fromR&BballadrytoRiverdance
pastiche,butneverforgetsthe
taleitistelling.
‘Atitscore,Legally Blondeisa
lovestoryaboutanunderdogwho
succeeds,’saysMitchell.‘Thatis
somethingwealldesire!Butgood
writingisgoodwriting.Anyshow
willplayagainandagainifithas
astorythatisrelatableandwell
toldandcontinuestosurprisean
audience.’
CarrieDunn,UKeditorof
broadwayworld.com,agrees.Dunn
haslostcountofthenumberof
performancesshehasseen.‘It’smy
gotoshow,mypick-me-up,’she
says.‘Morethananyother,it’sa
feel-goodshow.Peopleusethe
wordsfeel-good,lightweightor
fluffylikeit’sabadthing.Butthe
joyofLegally Blondeisreallyhard
tofightagainst.Eventhecritics
lovedit.’
NevermindtheGreekChorus
ofDeltaNu.WhenLegally Blonde
opened,itwasthecriticswho
turnedintocheerleaders.
‘Omigod!’criedCharlesSpencer
inTheTelegraph.AndCaroline
McGinninTimeOut.AndPaul
TaylorinTheIndependent.‘There
aren’tmanyBroadwayshowswith
songsthatmakereferencetothe
philosophyofThomasHobbesin
intricatelyrhymedstanzas,’wrote
Taylor.‘I’mlikesototallygoing
again.’
He’snottheonlyone.AsElle
sings:‘Evenapersonwhoissmart
canlistentotheirheart.’Andthey
don’tgetmuchsmarterthan
StephenFry,whotweetedafterhis
firsttrip:‘JustseenLegally Blonde.
AsgoodashowasI’veEVERseen...
and@LegBlondeUKTour)more
than5000followers.DidMitchell
everdreamlittleMissWoods
wouldinspiresuchdevotion?
‘Ihavealwayshadabitofpink
inmyblood,’hesmiles.‘It’sone
reasonIfellinlovewithElle
WoodsandLegally Blonde.Ialso
sawanopportunitytotellastory
toyoungpeopleaboutrespect
andlove.AndforthatIam
gratefulandproudtobring
thismusicaltosomany.’
interview
11
Interviewby
BenedictNightingale
Photographyby
AndyWeeks 12
Trafalgar studios
Being shakespeare DirectedbyTomCairnsStarringSimonCallowBoxOffice08448717632OnlinebookingatAmbassadorTickets.com
HHHH ‘Callow and shakespeare: a brilliant combination’TimesNo1Criticschoice
HHHH ‘The audience were on their feet applauding this singular triumph’DailyExpress
HHHH ‘fantastic Mr Callow is bard to the bone. A genuine tour de force’DailyMail
plenty.Ittellsussomethingabout
boyhoodinJacobeantimesand,
transcendingthat,aboutboyhood
now.AnditshowsShakespeare’s
understandingofwhatitmeans
tobeaboyandaparentaswell
ashisgeniusforcharacterisation
anddialogue.
Allthatisatthecoreofashow
inwhichShakespeareisverymuch
theboy,youth,citizen,actorand
dramatistfromthelower-middle-
classMidlands.Indeed,theoriginal
titlewasThe Man from Stratford,
adeliberatelydefiantriposte
totheeccentrics,snobsand
conspiracytheoristswhothink
thatthedryFrancisBaconorthe
EarlofOxford,whodiedbefore
Shakespeare’sgreatestplays
appeared,wastheauthorof
HamletandLear.‘Asifnobody
fromasmallprovincialtowncould
possiblydoanythingofvalue,’
expostulatesCallow.‘Well,my
answertothatisthatJesuswas
TheManfromBethlehem.’
‘Ourcontentionisthatbefore
walkingtoLondonhestayedin
Stratfordbringinguphisyoung
family.Certainlyheknewanawful
lotaboutordinarylife,about
kitchensandbeinginthenursery
andstrugglingtomakeendsmeet.
Myfeeling,whichJonathanshares
verymuch,isthatwhathe’s
Bard Watchingsimon Callow’s new show puts shakespeare centre stage
childrenmurderedanddeadmen
walking’.Sowhenhewasthinking
ofafollow-uptothesoloshows
he’dalreadybasedonWildeand
Dickens,whatwriterfittedthe
billbetterthanthegreatbut
unpretentiousElizabethan‘whose
charactersaresofullyimagined,
sopreciselyexpressed,sotrue
youfeelhemusthaveseenand
knownthem’?
Theobviousproblemwasthat,
whilewehaveplentyof
informationabouttheouter
Shakespearewhobecame
successfulandrich,bought
Thoughhehastaken
Shakespeare’ssonnetsinaglorious
joblotallovertheworld,Simon
Callowhasplayedrelativelyfew
Shakespearecharacters:the
lovelornOrlandoinhisyouth,an
interestinglyromanticTobyBelch
earlierthisyear,littleelse.Well,
compensationhasnowcomein
theone-manplaythatheandthe
scholarJonathanBatehavejointly
devised.MarkAntony,Hamlet,
Romeo,Juliet,Macbeth,Learand
Bottomareamongthe40men,
womenandchildrenhe’sbringing
brieflybutpertinentlyalivein
Being Shakespeare,whichwas
oneoftheEdinburghFestival’s
successeslastyearandpreviews
attheTrafalgarStudiosinJune.
Callow’sloveofShakespeare
datesfromway,wayback.In
My Life in Pieces,thewonderfully
readable‘alternative
autobiography’hepublishedlast
year,hedescribessittingonthelap
ofthemotheroftheheadmaster
oftheschoolwherehisown
motherwassecretary,listeningto
Macbethontheradio,andbeing
thrilledby‘battlementsand
blastedheaths,witchesandkings,
propertyandsoon,weknowlittle
abouttheinnermanexceptwhat
canbeinferredfromtheplays.
Dickensleftazillionletters,as
Callowknowstohiscost,sincehe’s
nowwritingashortbiographyof
thenovelist;Shakespeare,none.
Sohecouldn’toptforthekindof
soloshowhehasdislikedsince
seeinganunnamedactorbase
oneonMelvilleandMoby Dick
feelingitwaslike‘afavourite
unclegoingbeserkataChristmas
party’.Hewouldn’tpretend
actuallytobeShakespeare,still
lessstartbyplonkinglyannouncing
‘IwasbornonApril231564’.
Insteadhe’dbecomewhathecalls
a‘shapeshifter’:anarratorwho,
withoutswitchingcostumesor
attemptingfunnyvoices,would
‘changeinfrontofyourveryeyes’
asheembodiedcharactersand
deliveredlinesthatilluminated
thenarrative.
Sincetheshow’sframeworkis
Jacques’famousspeechaboutthe
sevenagesofmaninAs You Like It
-whiningschoolboy,soldier,lover,
slipperedpantaloonandall-that
meansevokingchildhoodatthe
start.Callowgivesuspoordoomed
Mamilliusatplaywithhismother
HermioneinThe Winter’s Tale,an
extractthat,likeeverythinginthe
show,isintendedtoachieve
actuallydoingislovinghiswife.
She’sanolderwoman,shebecame
pregnant,hemarriedexceptionally
young.Thatsuggestsitwasa
passionateliaison.Yes,itcould
havebeenashotgunwedding,
butwe’vegonetheromanticway.’
That’saprettycontentious
assumption-inhisone-man
ShakespeareshowIanMcKellen
cynicallydaredhisaudienceto
nameasinglehappymarriage
inalltheplays-butitreflectsthe
goodnatureofCallowandindeed,
ofhisandBate’splay.They
don’tneglectthedarkstuffbut
theywanttheiraudiencesand
especiallynewcomersto
Shakespearetoleavethetheatre
feelingthat,farfrombeingan
inaccessiblegenius,theImmortal
Bardistheirfriendandmore
thantheirfriend:
‘Wewanttoputthehuman
dimensionintoShakespeare.We
wanttogivethemsomeonewho
wasaperson,notascholarora
greataristocrat.Wewantthem
tomeetShakespearetheartist,
ShakespearetheElizabethan,
Shakespearetherepresentative
ofmankind,Shakespeareas
Everyman.Wewantthemtofeel
whatit’sliketobeShakespeare.’
When he was thinking of a follow-up to the solo shows he’d already based on Wilde and dickens, what writer fitted the bill better than the great but unpretentious elizabethan ‘whose characters are so fully imagined, so precisely expressed, so true you feel he must have seen and known them’? ’
‘
Heislookingforwardto
meetinghisyoungco-stars.
AnnaWilliamson,awell-known
children’sTVpresenter,willplay
prettyAlice(letushopeDame
Ednadoesn’tsufferfromgirlie
jealousy!)andDickwillbeplayed
bySamAttwater,ofHollyoaksand
Eastendersfame.Howsafehe’ll
befromtheattentionsofthe
amorousDameEdnacanonly
beguessedat.
Onething’sforsure-there
won’tbeadullmoment.Bring
iton,Possums!
TheNewWimbledonTheatre
hasareputationforscooping
megastarsforitsannualpanto,
butthisyear,atruegigastar,the
iconicDameEdnaEverage,willbe
flyinginfromherSydneymansion
tostarinDick Whittington.She’s
alreadyachatshowhost(she
hasinterviewedCherandSean
Connery!),journalist,children’s
bookillustrator,Broadwayand
WestEndstar,painter,beauty
expert(shegivestipsonher
website)andfashionguru.
She’satruehouseholdname.
Overtheyears,DameEdna
hastransformedherselffrom
suburbanAustralianhousewife
toflamboyant,glamorous,
outspokenforcetobereckoned
with.Shetellsitlikeitis.Callit
liberating,callitterrifying-there’s
noignoringher.Sherevelsinher
superstarlifestyle,butshehasn’t
forgottenherAussieroots.
Carryinghertrademarkgladioli,
shestillgreetsaudienceswith
thatjoyous,‘HelloPossums!’
Pantoisouroldestformof
theatre.Foreignersoftendon’t
understandtheaudienceshouting
outandthecross-dressing.Buxom
Damesareplayedbymen,who
areabitonthegrotesqueside,
plasteredwithheavymakeup,
withapenchantforslapstick
humour.ThetraditionalDame
ofthepantoisSarahtheCook,
playedbyveteranEricPottswho
isalsodirecting.Therewillbe
plentyoftimefortheDames
tocomparenotesaboutfrocks,
hatsandspecs.
Withhercelebritycomforts
backhomeinsunnySydney,what
hasluredDameEdnaawayfroma
Christmasbwarbieonthebeachto
ashiveringseasoninSW19?‘Being
astrangertopantomime,Iam
lookingforwardtoallthefunand
frolicsandmeetingallofyoulovely
littlepossumsofLondon.Butmost
ofall,thethoughtofguidingDick
WhittingtontobecomeLordMayor
ofLondonthrillsme.Ididtheexact
samethingforBorisJohnsonnot
longago.’
DameEdna’screatorandalter
ego,BarryHumphries,played
thetheatrein1960,whenhe
starredasUndertaker
MrSowerberry
intheworld
premiere
ofOliver.
Attention possums!Watch out Boris - dame edna’s in town!
Aylesbury Waterside Theatre
diCK WhiTTingTonStarringJonathanWilkes
&GillianWright
9-31Dec2011
BoxOffice08448717607
Bristol hippodrome*
peTeR pAnStarringDavidHasselhoff
10Dec2011-8Jan2012
BoxOffice08448713012
King’s Theatre, glasgow
sleeping BeAUTyStarringKarenDunbar
&KeithJack
2Dec2011-8Jan2012
BoxOffice08448717648
Manchester palace Theatre*
CindeRellAStarringLouieSpence
&SuzanneShaw
3-31Dec2012
BoxOffice08448713018
Milton Keynes Theatre
AlAddin9Dec2011-15Jan2012
BoxOffice08448717652
Richmond Theatre
CindeRellAStarringJennyEclair
9Dec2011-15Jan2012
BoxOffice08448717651
new Wimbledon Theatre
diCK WhiTTingTonStarringDameEdnaEverage,
SamAttwater&AnnaWilliamson
9Dec2011-15Jan2012
BoxOffice08448717646
new victoria Theatre, Woking
peTeR pAnStarringSteveMcFadden
&HarryDerbidge
9Dec2011-15Jan2012
BoxOffice08448717645
Fullcastingdetailsand
onlinebookingat
AmbassadorTickets.com
*Onlinebookingat
atgv.co.uk
Featureby
VictoriaKingston
Photographyby
GregGorman 1413
thisambitiousyear-long
projectculminatingina
weekofperformancesatthe
TheatreRoyalGlasgowinMarch.
WilliamGolding’sadventure
onthedarksideofhumannature
hasparticularresonancefor
teenagers.Thestoryofagroup
ofboysabandonedonadesert
islandwhobegintocreatetheir
ownruleswhiledarksuperstitions
anddisturbingritualstakehold
isapowerfulone.Inthisnew
adaptation,theactionistransferred
fromdesertedislandtodeserted
theatrewhereorderbreaksdown
andbloodisspiltastheboys
grapplewiththe‘beastwithin’.
‘Ifjustoneboycomesthrough
thiswholeyear,throughallthe
workshopswedid,throughthe
selectionstageandthroughthe
rehearsals-goesonstageand
realises‘thisisme.Thisiswhere
Iwanttobe...’andgoesforit...
wellthatwouldbetremendous.
Butifeveryonewhotookpart
throughouttheyearwentaway
withsomething-amomentthey
reallyenjoyed,abitofnew
informationaboutthemselvesthat
cameasasurprise...thatreally
wouldbeeverythingRe:Bourne
aimstodo’saysMatthew.
There’sbeena
thrillingadventure
inGlasgowthisSpring.
Agroupofboyshavebeen
givenalife-changingopportunity
-pluckedfromplaygroundsand
schoolgymsaroundGlasgowto
takepartinchoreographer
MatthewBourne’slatestpieceof
dance-theatre-Lord of the Flies.
DespiteTV’sprime-time
love-affairwithdance-Strictly,
So You Think You Can Danceand
Britain’s Got Talentcometomind
-changingteenageboys’
perceptionsoftheartformwas
alwaysgoingtobeachallenge...
enterMatthewBourne.
‘Thiswillbethefirstmajor
initiativeformycharity
Re:Bourne,whoseprincipalaim
istoexpandtheaccessibilityand
understandingofdance-theatre
andtoencouragewidespread
participationindance’says
Matthew.‘Iamparticularlyhappy
thatthisprojectisaimedatyoung
menandwillhelptoliftthestigma
thatisstillsometimesattachedto
theirinvolvementindance.’
Thechoreographeriswell
knowntoaudiencesacrossthe
country-hiscompanyNew
Adventureshavehadphenomenal
successwithSwan Lake,
Nutcracker!,The Car Manand
Edward Scissorhands.Andnow
he’stakenthecreativeteam
behindthesesuccesses,asmall
groupofprofessionaldancersand
putthemtoworkwith15Glasgow
ladsagedfrom11to21.
GlasgowTheatres’Creative
Learningteamjoinedforceswith
NewAdventures,West
DunbartonshireCounciland
CreativeScotlandtomanage
lad CultureA boy’s own adventure in glasgow
Photographyby
RichardCampbell
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