Theatre Royal Bath will reopen on 3 December with a revised performance schedule for Oleanna and Copenhagen, the final two plays in the theatre’s Welcome Back Season.
David Mamet’s provocative drama Oleanna, directed by Lucy Bailey will star Rosie Sheehy and Jonathan Slinger, who replaces John Heffernan in the role of John. The play will now run in Theatre Royal Bath’s Ustinov Studio from 3 December to 22 December and again from 4 January to 16 January 2021. Reduced capacity at the Ustinov Studio will allow for an audience of 60 persons per performance.
The November run of Michael Frayn’s multi award-winning Copenhagen has been postponed until the new year when it will play Theatre Royal Bath’s Main House from 20 January to 6 February 2021. Directed by Polly Findlay it will star Haydn Gwynne, Philip Arditti, and in a change to original billing of Michael Gould, Malcolm Sinclair.
Following the latest lockdown measures in England, Curve has rescheduled The Color Purple in concert to Monday 1 to Saturday 13 Mar 2021. Sunset Boulevard in concert will now open slightly later than originally planned and run Friday 18 Dec – Saturday 9 Jan. Dates for Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual remain unchanged (Monday 25 Jan to Saturday 6 Feb).
Joining the previously announced Ria Jones as Norma Desmond and Danny Mac as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard will be a host of original company members from Curve’s award-winning 2017 touring production. Molly Lynch will reprise her role as Betty Schaefer, Adam Pearce returns as Max Von Mayerling, Dougie Carter as Artie Green and Carl Sanderson as Cecil B DeMille.
The Sunset Boulevard company will also include Benjamin Chambers, Owen Chaponda, Joanna Goodwin, Kristoffer Hellström, James Meunier, Gemma Naylor, Joanna O’Hare, Jessica Paul, Sam Peggs and Barney Wilkinson.
Led by the previously announced T’Shan Williams as Celie, original company members of Curve’s 2019 production of The Color Purple, including KM Drew Boateng, Owen Chaponda, Perola Congo, Danielle Kassarate, Anelisa Lamola, Karen Mavundukure, Rosemary Annabella Nkrumah, Landi Oshinowo, Simon Anthony Rhoden and Jo Servi, will also return to Curve’s stage next year. Due to prior commitments, Danielle Fiamanya is now unable to join as Nettie in the rescheduled performances.
Based on Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, performances of this evocative and life-affirming musical will be directed by Tinuke Craig, with a six-piece orchestra led by Musical Director Alex Parker. The team will be joined by Set Designer Alex Lowde and Choreographer Mark Smith.
Both productions of Sunset Boulevard and The Color Purple will be lit by Curve Associate Ben Cracknell, with sound design from Tom Marshall.
Memoirs of an Asian Football Casual will see award-nominated Leicester actor Hareet Deol reprise his role as Suf Khan in Dougal Irvine’s drama based on the real life of reformed Leicester football hooligan Riaz Khan, who will also rejoin the cast. Director Nikolai Foster will once again bring the 80s streets of Leicester to life on Curve’s stage, with design from Grace Smart. Lighting Designer Charlotte Burton and Composer Tasha Taylor Johnson also join the show’s production team.
Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes have announced the cast for Damian’s Pop–Up Panto! at the Crucible Theatre. Joining legendary Dame, Damian Williams, are comedian, presenter and internet dancing sensation Joe Tracini (CBBC’s The Dengineers, Hollyoaks), West End star Gemma Sutton (Gypsy, Follies, Girl From the North Country), Lucas Rush (Rock of Ages) and Deborah Tracey (Standing at the Sky’s Edge).
A festive fun-sized treat for the whole family, Damian’s Pop-Up Panto! is written and directed by regular pantomime producer Paul Hendy. Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes have produced the Sheffield Lyceum pantomime for 14 years. This year, the panto relocates across Tudor Square to the Crucible Theatre.
This season of Spooks struggles quite badly amidst all the upheaval of Series 3 in which in the entire original team departed Thames House. Tom’s identikit replacement Adam does well enough but somehow, something goes terribly wrong with the introduction of his wife and fellow spy Fiona (Olga Sosnovska). They sadly lack chemistry and their domestic drama just doesn’t translate well into the business of saving the country on a weekly basis.
