UK Theatre Network

UK Theatre Network is delighted to bring another one of our great competitions for theatre tickets, courtesy of the nice people at  Ambassadors Theatre Group.


GLASGOW

22nd November is the night when you and a friend have the chance to win two tickets to see Hormonal Housewives.  



To win, send an email to editor@uktheatre.net with 'Hormonal Housewives' in the subject and the answer to this question:

Which famous Scottish TV personality is starring in Hormonal Housewives ?


LONDON



The Rose Theatre in Kingston Upon Thames, have a family ticket (worth £70 - two adults, two children) to attend The Snow Queen for any of the following performances:  Fri 2 Dec 7pm, Sat 3 Dec 7pm,  Mon 5 Dec 7pm,  Tue 6 Dec 7pm,  Wed 7 Dec 7pm. 

Email editor@uktheatre.net with Snow Queen in the subject, and give the answer to the following question.

Who is the author of the classic fairy tale "The Snow Queen" ?

 
Standard competition rules apply. Judges decision is final. Both competitions close  on November 5th 2011. Entry to both competitions is free and the first winner to be picked at random from a list of correct emails, will win the prizes on offer. 

Click on our site for more details of these shows and others.  www.uktheatrenetwork.com 

 

 

 

Noel Sullivan came to our attention in 2001 as one fifth of the Popstars winning group Hear’say.  Since then he’s popped up in TV cameos but concentrated on musical theatre roles on tour and in London’s West End.  This year he plays the lead role of Galileo Figaro in the UK National Tour of the Queen and Ben Elton musical “We Will Rock You”.

 

How does playing Galileo Figaro compare to other theatre roles you have experienced?  It’s been a massive undertaking because of the scale of the role compared to others that I have played.  I’m really pleased to land this role because I know that they have never cast a ‘name’ in the role of Galileo before.  I feel like I’ve earned my stripes in the industry and this role represents serious progress for my career.

 

The songs are massive in terms of range and impact; how do you keep your voice in condition when you play 8 shows a week?  I have to look after myself because the role is as much a lifestyle as a job in terms of keeping my voice healthy.  I occasionally do ’24 hours of silence’ but I’ve found my voice getting stronger in the tour and it’s easier to maintain.

 

The tour runs until January 2012 reaching just under 1 million fans in that time.  How does it feel to reach so many people with your performance?  It’s amazing.  Those numbers are huge and I’ve never been on a tour for this long.  It’s daunting in a way … but it becomes possible when you take each venue and each performance one at a time.

 

Cardiff is the next UK city stop!  Are you excited?  I can’t wait.  For me, it will be a personal highlight because I feel that The Millennium Centre is one of the finest venues that we have to offer as a country and this will be my first time as the lead in a show of this scale coming home. 

 

Which songs get the best reaction for you?  Some are just blatantly obviously brilliant like “I Want To Break Free” where you can almost feel the audience enjoy it from the off.   As a singer “Who Wants To Live Forever”, “We Are The Champions”, …  and more are amazing to perform and have a range that you just don’t get in any other shows.  They’ve not been written for a tenor or a baritone, they’ve been designed for Freddie as a rock song, so they are unique.

 

Describe the audition process.  I was petrified by it all!  I did six auditions and an acting workshop onstage at the Dominion Theatre with Ben Elton.  That was quite a big deal because I remember him as a stand-up and comedy writer for TV when I was younger.  In the finals I sang in front of 35 people on the panel including Brian May and Roger Taylor.  Massively nerve wracking but ultimately satisfying when you land the role.

 

Its 20 years since the untimely death of Freddie Mercury and almost 9 years since WWRY opened in the West End.  What do you think drives the undying popularity of Queen’s music?  The songs are all so dramatic and each one has a brilliant hook or an amazing arrangement.  I said to Brian May that, as a kid, with my choral background, I really admired his arrangements.  He replied that having watched me go through the Hear’say process he would never imagined that I was the kind of guy who would come up to him to say I admired his arrangements!

 

You shared the stage with Brian May a couple of weeks ago as he surprised Glasgow fans with a special guest appearance … what was going through your mind as you sang your last note?  I couldn’t believe my eyes.  It was one of those moments that makes all the hard work and disappointments of your career worthwhile.  And there was a feeling from the audience that I have never experienced before.

 

Do you feel “under pressure” performing Queen songs?  Yeah! Even just from a financial level, there is so much money behind this show.  The technical support in the form of sound, lighting and effects is a level above what you would expect to see on a national tour.  But also the music … when you are singing those songs live there is a sense of responsibility … these are like ‘fabric of the nation’ songs.

 

Are you enjoying the experience in Glasgow? I really think that there are only a few places in the country where people go out with an attitude where they want to have a good time.  Glasgow is one of those places.  When you perform here, it feels like an event.

 

Do you get any time to relax or socialise when on tour?  I try to cram it in!!  It is really tempting with a cast that are so young and have a lot of fun … but you also have to have the responsibility on your shoulder that you’ll be knocking out those notes again tomorrow night.

 

You’ve had some quite diverse experiences since your 2001 talent show breakthrough on Popstars.  I saw you on Gavin and Stacey the other night!  Any particular highlights for you?  This part is definitely a career highlight for me and particularly sharing the stage with Brian May.  My first West End lead as Danny Zucco in Grease is up there and I got to sing with Cat Stevens on his Moonshadow tour … I should make a list of legends I want to work with …!

 

Any ambitions that you can tell us about?  I would really love it if I had the opportunity to play Galileo in the West End.  I have committed wholly to theatre this year.

 

http://www.wewillrockyou.co.uk/tour/

Jenny Douglas is the 19 year old from Edinburgh who reached the quarter-final stage of the BBC’s “Over The Rainbow” search for Dorothy in 2010.  She has joined the national tour of the Queen and Ben Elton musical “We Will Rock You” in the role of “Meat”.  The show tours until January 2012.

 

What has your last year been like?  A bit mental!  I left high school, I went to college, I dropped out of college to appear on “Over The Rainbow”, I auditioned for We Will Rock You, I got the part and now I’m exactly where I wanted to be!  I think to myself … “how did that happen??”.

 

How did you feel about joining the cast of such a hugely popular show?   I don’t know how to put it into words … it was an amazing feeling.  I saw the show with my mum a year before joining the cast.  I was brought up on Queen music and I said to her “wouldn’t it be great if I could do that”.  I can really feel what the audience feel when the first number, “Innuendo” starts because I was in the audience not so long ago!

 

Do any of the songs in the show have a special meaning for you?  So many songs … I used to watch a Queen video that had music videos and backstage footage all the time!  I know exactly what Freddie wore in each of the songs!  I really love “No-one But You”, not just because I sing it … because it is a moving tribute to the greats of rock who died young.  The Glasgow audiences have reacted really strongly to that song – you can hear an “aww” out loud!  The audience can really add to the performance.

 

Have you been starstruck since you started the tour?  When Brian May and Roger Taylor came to the opening of the Glasgow show, that was something special.  When Brian played Bohemian Rhapsody onstage, we were all around him bowing “we’re not worthy” and I was actually greetin’, I was so happy!  I was inches from him.

 

Are Brian and Roger actively involved with the production?  Yes, they were involved in the audition process, they support the show on the press nights and events and I believe they have a strong say in casting decisions.  It really is their show.

 

Meat couldn’t be more different from Dorothy … which of the roles is a more natural fit?  I wouldn’t have auditioned for Dorothy if I didn’t think I could do it but Meat is more suited to me as a performer.  I see myself as a singer first and I can really sink my teeth into her songs.  I do bring a bit of my boldness and bossiness to the role – I didn’t realise I could be like that!  Meat takes that to the extreme, though.

 

You previously toured with “Any Dream Will Do” finalist, Keith Jack.  Did that experience help you?  Wow … that seems like ages ago!  Not directly, the tour was ‘here and there’ while I was at college so I didn’t have to leave home for long.  But Keith has been a great support to me through the auditions and a great friend.  One thing that I did learn to appreciate was that an audience pays real money to be entertained and Keith is such an amazing performer, I learned a lot from him.

 

Do you have any plans to record or release music in the future?  Not at the moment.  My “Pops” (my dad) would love that.  That’s what I really wanted when I was younger but I found a passion for acting and costumes and character voices so I’m happy in theatre for now.  I’ve written songs and I really admire artists like Adele and Ellie Goulding.  I’m only 19, though, and my voice is still developing so you never know …

 

What’s next for Jenny Douglas?  Denmark!  We tour to Copenhagen and Herning before continuing the UK tour in Cardiff!

http://www.wewillrockyou.co.uk/tour/

The smash-hit musical collaboration between Queen and Ben Elton rocks into Glasgow this week for a month-long run at the city’s King’s Theatre.

 

The show premiered in 2002, achieving the enviable feat of combining 24 of the world’s best loved rock songs with a musical narrative that was engaging and entertaining in equal measure.  Set in a future world where musical instruments are banned and the only permitted music is “programmed”, the story takes the dumbed down x-factor inspired music era to a logical conclusion where rock has become legend.  Enter dreamer Galileo (Noel Sullivan) who ‘want’s to break free’ from this musical oppression and rebellious Scaramouche (Amanda Coutts) as his ‘somebody to love’ – you’re getting how this works!  The thing is, as fantastic as the story is, it all works very well because the show is bound together by some of the greatest songs every written, and characters are broadened by the keen wit of one Mr. Elton.

 

From a production standpoint, the show doesn’t disappoint.  Music is authentically reproduced with sound production and quality of players worthy of Queen’s legendary live performance reputation.  With Brian May and Roger Taylor actively involved with the tour, we couldn’t expect any less!  The show is very high tech (this is rarely a good thing on a touring production) but every queue was executed precisely with lighting, sound effects, dialogue, music and video all smoothly synchronized.  Mark Fisher’s production design had a real ‘wow factor’ throughout, Willie Williams’s lighting was possibly the best touring set I’ve ever seen and Arlene Phillips’s choreography showed great contrast between the Ga Ga and the Bohemian dancer groups adding an extra character dimension.

 

But even with all of these production superlatives, the show was still stolen by the performances onstage.  Noel Sullivan (of “Hear Say” fame) got a chance to show off his skills as a rounded actor as well as an incredibly talented vocalist hitting every Freddy Mercury inspired note.  Amanda Coutts blew the audience away with a powerful vocal performance and a highly likable comedic character.  These two were wonderfully supported by a talented cast including Jonathan Wilkes (Khashoggi), Ian Reddington (Pop) and local lass, Jenny Douglas (Meat).

 

People will be rushing ‘headlong’ for these tickets putting the box office ‘under pressure’!  Book today.

 

WE WILL ROCK YOU

Kings Theatre, Glasgow

Tuesday 18th January 2011 – Saturday 19^th February 2011

Performances: Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Wed and Sat mats 2.30pm

Ticket Price:  £17 - £41.50

Booking Line: 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee) Groups and Schools 0141 240 1122

Website: http://www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow  (bkg fee)

Photo by Chris Beach

Prepare to split infinity and meet the mind of God!

 

 

More Light by Snoo Wilsonis a serious but comedic play, last produced in 1987 at the Bush Theatre. Wilson pays homage to the surreal and abstract - magic, creativity, and sexual activity are shown to be capable of releasing immense energies that can rupture the structures of the status quo, opening up new possibilities.

 

The philosopher, mathematician and astronomer Giordano Bruno was burnt at the stake as a heretic in 1600. It is said that he was executed for his Copernicanism and his belief in the infinity of inhabited worlds. In Snoo Wilson’s play he still haunts the dreams of the Pope. In these dreams Bruno enters various exit rooms, one of them a British heaven, governed by an eternal Queen Elizabeth I who is accompanied by her master of revels William Shakespeare.  Shakespeare, a woman now by choice to escape the Queen’s attentions, is writing „Love’s Labour’s Lost“ once again and uses Bruno as a character – Berowne. Also present are Dr. John Dee and his assistant Edward Kelly who try to make contact with the angels by using a complex numerical code. Dee knows that Bruno, although under the protection of the Queen, is not safe yet and might still be burnt as a heretic. Bruno is indeed closely pursued by the Pope who uses every trick in the book to lure Bruno back to Earth so he can be executed. Dee suggests that a consummation with Queen Elizabeth will protect Bruno. However, the barmaid is also interested in Bruno and her father is the God of Wine.

 

The production is a satirical take on Shakespeare and there are elements of commedia dell’arte and broad comedy. I especially enjoyed the chemistry between Jackson wright and Neil Chinneck in the scenes between Giordano Bruno and the Pope. The seduction scene between the Queen (Cassandra Hodges) and Bruno is another highlight.

 

Trifle Productions stage the intriguing play in the atmospheric Rose Theatre. Spectators are advised to dress for the occasion as it will get quite chilly in the archaeological site. There are blankets available, just in case.

 

Until 4 December 2010   

Mon to Sat, 7.30 pm

The Rose Theatre, Bankside

56 Park Street

London

SE1 9AR

Box Office: 020 7261 9565

www.rosetheatre.org.uk/

www.trifleproductions.com

Matt Devitt’s production of Ladies Down Under revisits Amanda Whittington’s characters from Ladies Day, a play about four Northern lasses from a fish packing factory in Hull who win half a million pounds on an accumulator at Ascot.  The ladies are brought back together again as they embark on a soul searching trip to Australia with their winnings. The characters of Pearl, Jan, Linda and Shelley are easily bought into, as long as you buy the full set.  Together they are a dynamic, but as individual characters they would possibly fade.  The play relies heavily on stereotypes, particularly in its male characters, which gives it its humour.  Simon Jessop and Oliver Seymour-Marsh give a humorous presentation as camp flight attendants and go on to play an array of recognisable characters. Seymour-Marsh plays an enthusiastic surfer and a spiritual bushman traveller.  Jessop is an ageing, stoned British traveller and Joe, the boyfriend of Jan from the factory who is disillusioned with his trip of a lifetime to Australia which he began the year before.  In a colourful climax, two fantastically gregarious drag queens dominate the stage.  Jessop, slightly unsure on his heels performs beautifully executed poses as Koala Bare and Seymour-Marsh is just as at home in his thigh high boots performing gay anthems as Bondi Bitch as he is in his bush man boots giving lessons in life to all.

 Amanda Whittington has concentrated on taking the characters to a new place in this sequel. Thrown together in unfamiliar surroundings their personalities clash and truths are revealed, the ladies are forced to look deeper at themselves and into their lives back home.  One by one they are confronted with their faults and fears and each one follows an arc of discovery. Diana Croft sustains the negativity of the babbling, unconfident Jan, who complains constantly about her bowel problems and her lack of faith in anything, including her relationship with Joe.  Helen Watson is warm and compelling in her role as Pearl who, hiding a secret, looks for adventure and new experiences however small. Lucy Thackeray brings freshness to the character of Linda, a timid do-gooder who is happier giving her money to others rather than spending it on herself. Sarah Scowen begins slightly caricature as Shelley, overdressed in garish designer wear, desperate for fame and recognition, but softens as she opens up about her past, even if it is to a complete stranger in the bush.  The plot is laden with coincidences and flukes, but ultimately this is the play’s charm, making it easy to watch and accessible. All that is asked of the audience is to suspend their disbelief, sit back, relax and enjoy.

Matt Devitt  has chosen a minimalistic set designed by Claire Lyth, which enhances the emphasis of character rather than place. Quick scene changes take place smoothly in darkness with pictures of Surfers Paradise and Uluru projected onto the back wall to create a sense of location and an effective use of lighting creates atmosphere.   

Each character undergoes a transformation.  The overriding question of, can money make you happy, looms over the whole play but the conclusion that it gives is slightly confused.   It certainly seems to be an aiding factor in all their cases but I had the feeling that that wasn’t the aim.  The characters had to go on a trip which would give them the space to assess their lives and the outback was a perfect setting, but these characters would never have done this without their winnings. Ultimately this was a fun production with the underlying significance being friendship and humanity, which takes you from laughter to tears and back again... and again.

CAST

Jan Diana Croft
Joe Simon Jessop
Shelley Sarah Scowen
Tom Oliver Seymour-Marsh
Linda  Lucy Thackeray
Pearl Helen Watson

Director Matt Devitt
Designer Claire Lyth

 

DATES, TIMES AND PRICES
Fri 27 Aug | 8pm | Preview £14
Sat 28 Aug | 8pm | Preview £20 | £16.50 conc
Tue 31 Aug | 7.30pm | £20 | £16.50 conc
Mon - Thurs Perfs | 8pm | £20 | £16.50 conc
(7.30pm on Tue 31 Aug)
(no performance on Mon 30 Aug)
Fri - Sat Perfs | 8pm | £23
Matinees | Sat 4 Sep | Thurs 9 Sep | 2.30pm £14

Photograph by Nobby Clark

Camp Horror is a cleverly funny, multi layered parody of the teen horror movie. By multi layered I refer to the use of the ‘play within a play’ concept.  This isn’t just a play within a play, it’s a play within a play within a play, all nicely tied up with easy to recognise characters, who not only provide the music on a variety of instruments, but eagerly perform a collection of stay in your head songs that weave the story along its twisted, creepy road.  

So, to the story; take the teen horror recipe, a group of teenagers including the geek, the cheerleader, the jock, the disturbed teen and the joker, put them in a scary place i.e. a deserted island, invent a killer with a deformity, in this case a stutter, and throw them all together in a situation they can’t get out of, in this case a raging storm that brings the bridges down and cuts off the telephone lines.  Led by their teacher, Mr Reynolds, played by Julian Littman (also responsible for the musical direction), the group rehearse their school musical, a teen horror, but real life begins to mirror the play. Francesca Loren and Oliver Seymour-Marsh are Chrissie and Josh, the young couple in love, usually destined to be the survivors in the horror movie, or at least the last to go. Seymour-Marsh is reminiscent of Danny Zucco complete with the cheeky side glances and the cigarette emerging precariously from the lips and Loren plays a sweet, naive rich girl. Performing her solo with guitar, she rendered the audience totally silent.  Kate Robson-Stuart was brilliant with the violin, captivating in her energy as she moved around the stage with confidence as the bimbo, Mel. Pam Jolley’s take on the disturbed Leanne was hilarious as she morphed into a possessed eccentric. I could watch Matthew Quinn all night playing the freak, he was so convincingly disturbing, his hunched frame stooping over the girls, leering at the thought of touching one of them.

All the elements were there, the clichés, “Wait here, I’ll be right back”, the characters, the situations, “Oh no, the lights have gone out, the bridge is down and we’ll have to go down to the dark cellar to find the only phone”, some pretty funny lyrics and a set that almost incorporates the audience; I wasn’t in the Queen’s, I was in a dingy, disused horror theatre. The only element that didn’t particularly work was the attempt at audience participation; maybe they were preoccupied with Oliver Seymour-Marsh’s sudden sway in character, probably one of the funniest moments, but hard to judge as there were quite a few. The Heather Brothers have thought of everything, Bob Carlton has brought the package together with some really talented actor- musicians, the audience are kept in suspense until the last scecne and the twist at the end isn’t just a twist, it’s a twist within a twist. Camp Horror is as camp as a horror can be.

 

See my interview with the Heather Brothers on: http://www.uktheatre.net/magazine/category/4260

21 May – 12 June

Camp Horror

by The Heather Brothers

 

Previews: 21 and 22 May at 8pm          First Night: Mon 24 May at 7.30pm

Performances: Tue–Sat at 8pm            Matinees: Sat 29 May and Thurs 3 & 10 June at 2.30pm

Audio Described & Signed Performance: Sat 29 May at 2.30pm

The Queen’s Theatre, Billet Lane, Hornchurch RM11 1QT

Tube: Hornchurch                                Tickets: £13.50 - £22

Box Office: 01708 443333                    Website: www.queens-theatre.co.uk 

CAST

Chrissie- Francesca Loren

PJ- Matthew Quinn

Leanne- Pam Jolley

Mr Reynolds- Julian Littman

Jasmine-Sarah Scowen

Matt-Elliot Harper

Stu-Joe West

Mel-Kate Robson-Stuart

Josh-Oliver Seymour-Marsh

Eddie-Alex Marshall

 

 

Director- Bob Carlton

Set and Costume Designer-Mark Walters

Musical Director-Julian Littman

Lighting Designer- Matthew Eagland

Sound Designer-Rick Clarke

Choreographer-Emily Parker

 

 

 

 

The Heather Brothers

This week sees the premiere of teen horror musical parody, Camp Horror at the Queen's theatre, Hornchurch and I am looking forward to being among the audience.  As a taster of what's to come, here is an interview with the writers, Neil, John and Lea Heather. This interview was held during rehearsals.

What factors do you consider when deciding whether a play will be a musical? Could you explain the creative process involved in composing a musical?

We generally try and come up with a good story first. We sit around bouncing ideas off each other. We chat about books, films or politics and drink a lot of tea!
If we feel the idea would work better with songs, then we try and create a musical. Dialogue also comes second to plot. Because we started out in life as songwriters, we also spend a lot of time on lyrics. We write the first line of a song, then sit down with our thesaurus and rhyming dictionary to find something to rhyme with it. 

Camp Horror is a comical parody of the teen horror movie.  Do you think that musical theatre lends itself more to humorous productions? Does singing and dancing take some of the seriousness away from a play or does it enhance it?

Camp Horror is kind of different - the problem we set ourselves was how we maintain the believability once the killing started... we feel we cracked it.
The show is packed with 14 original rocking songs which are all really catchy. The music is all deliberately upbeat, which we found to be a great comic way to offset the horror elements. How fun is it to have happy tunes set to someone being slaughtered!
Camp Horror is a light-hearted comedy, so the songs, music, singing and dancing very much enhance the humour and the story.  

Does the humour come naturally once you begin writing?

Yes... we love writing funny lyrics. Our philosophy is if it makes us laugh, then hopefully it can make others chuckle too.  

How was your idea for Camp Horror first formed? 

We have always loved horror films and couldn’t get enough of flicks like Psycho and Homicidal Maniac. We were in Massachusetts about five years ago working on a couple of horror movies we’d written and thought it’d be a great idea to put a horror film on stage... then we thought it would be better to make it a musical... and better still a comedy musical.
There is an overkill of horror movies at the moment. We thought it would be refreshing to take this further and create something with lots of laughs, songs, twists and turns, featuring a group of young people.
It has been a long, long process – there were many rewrites and we spent a lot of time on lyrics - so we are thrilled it is now finally ready for audiences to enjoy.
 
Do you have an audience in mind when you begin writing?

We always write shows we would like to see and we enjoy witty, character-based situation comedy.
Camp Horror has something for all ages. Our fresh-faced cast of teen pin-ups play a host of familiar characters who young people will know and love from TV and film – the cocky guy, the cute cheerleader, the geek, the kooky girl, the joker, the hippy chick… and of course, the poor old tired school teacher!
Mums, Dads, Nans and Granddads will also recognise these characters because they went to horror movies as teenagers too; it’s just the clothes that are different! It doesn’t matter what year it is, the formula of the horror movie hasn’t really changed for generations. If it still entertains, it still works! So even if your teenage years are a distant memory, you can relive the fun and frights of your youth whilst enjoying a great rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack!

To what extent do you like to be involved in a production? Do you prefer to have more input or let the director and cast put their own stamp on your plays?

We like to be around during the first production. Things sometimes need to be changed, lines cut, etc.  So we like to be on hand for all that.

Do you attend rehearsals? How do you feel about the development of Camp Horror at the Queen’s in Hornchurch? Will you be in the audience during the run?

Yes, we will certainly be watching the production and we have been attending rehearsals at the Queen’s every day. We are thrilled to report that Camp Horror, under the direction of Bob Carlton, is turning out brilliantly! It is a hugely entertaining and fun night out, which will take people out of their lives for a few hours.

This cut to the chase… production brings you a large young cast of super-talented         actor-musicians with enormous amounts of energy. They are not only fantastic actors, singers and dancers, but amazingly, also provide a live soundtrack to the show by playing their own musical instruments on stage.
We also have a truly incredible set – the Queen’s stage has been completely transformed into the darkest, creepiest theatre you’ve ever seen and it also brings audiences much, much closer to the action than ever before – everyone will just have to come and see it!

Camp Horror is very different to what people are used to - as far as we know, there isn’t a musical comedy in theatre quite like this one.

 

QUEEN AND BEN ELTON’S “WE WILL ROCK YOU”

ANNOUNCES SECOND UK TOUR

UK Tour to kick off again in late 2010, while the record-breaking run at London’s Dominion Theatre continues

Following the huge success of the 2009 regional tour of the smash hit Queen and Ben Elton musical, ‘”We Will Rock You” comes the announcement that the show will return to the road in 2010.

The production will be rocking across Scotland, visiting Glasgow from 18^th January to 19^th February 2011, Aberdeen from 8^th June to 2^nd July 2011 and Edinburgh from 29^th November 2011 to 7^th January 2012.  (NB: GLASGOW DATES ON SALE 10 MAY 2010)

 

The production is returning to Edinburgh with an impressive legacy after it sold out its 10 week run at the theatre, as well as shattering the box office sales records by grossing more than £400,000 in one week, which broke all records for any production at the Playhouse Theatre since the millennium. The show will be visiting Glasgow and Aberdeen for the first time.

On announcing the new dates, Queen’s Brian May said: “The touring production of WWRY has taken our show to new places in more ways than one!  The London show thunders on, and continues to delight audiences, but the touring cast and band have brought a new interpretation and style all of their own. It's a tonic!”

Last year’s tour of the acclaimed production visited six cities starting in March 2009 and coming to an end in style at Dublin’s O2 Arena at the end of January 2010.  The tour sold over half a million tickets, setting and smashing box office records.

The London production of the show is now in its eighth year and it is the longest running musical ever staged at the West End’s Dominion Theatre and is now booking until October 2010. The musical has so far been seen by 11 million people in 17 countries and is also due to open in Utrecht (Netherlands), Sweden (Stockholm) and Berlin (Germany) this year.

The production is directed by Ben Elton, with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors and Arlene Phillips overseeing the musical staging and choreography.

Writer Ben Elton has fashioned a hilarious futurist comedy around more than 24 of Queen’s biggest hit songs delivered in a show that boasts the scale and spectacle that marked Queen’s live performances. 

 “This show is all about legend,” says Ben Elton. “We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the might corporations who want to suppress their individuality and their love of music.  They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo and the sassy rock chick Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?”

Says Brian May: “The amazing bonus is that Ben's script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey.” 

Says producer Phil McIntyre: “We are looking forward to taking this true rock extravaganza out on the road again. We had standing ovations night after night around the UK last year and we can’t wait to see that happen again.

The touring production reaches local UK theatres carrying with it an impressive legacy: when it first became news that one of Britain’s most phenomenally successful comedy writers Ben Elton was teaming up with legends of rock, Queen, for a musical there was much speculation on what such a unique collaboration would turn out. Especially when screen icon Robert de Niro became so impressed after attending the original workshop that his company Tribeca came on board as American partner.

We Will Rock You – not just a show, but a promise!

We Will Rock You UK Tour 2010/11/12:

Tickets on sale now - Theatre Booking Details:

Glasgow King’s Theatre

Tuesday 18th January 2011 – Saturday 19^th February 2011

Performances: Mon – Sat 7.30pm, Wed and Sat mats 2.30pm

Ticket Price:  £17 - £41.50

Booking Line: 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee) Groups and Schools 0141 240 1122

Website: http://www.ambassadortickets.com/glasgow  (bkg fee)

NB: GLASGOW DATES ON SALE 10 MAY 2010

Aberdeen, His Majesty’s Theatre

Wednesday 8th June 2011 – Saturday 2^nd July 2011

Performances: 7.30pm plus 2pm Thursday and 2.30pm Saturday matinees

Ticket Price: £15 to £40.50, plus £1bf

Booking Line: 01224 641122

Website: boxofficeaberdeen.com

Edinburgh Playhouse

Monday 29th November 2011 – Friday 7^th January 2012

Performances: Mon- Sat @ 7.30pm, Wed & Sat @ 2.30pm

Ticket Price: £17.00 - £43.50

Booking Line: 0844 8447 1660

Website: www.edinburghplayhouse.org.uk

 

OFFICIAL WEBSITE -  www.wewillrockyou.co.uk/tour 

Further Queen information - www.queenonline.com

The tour is a Phil McIntyre Entertainment presentation with Queen Theatrical Productions.