ROBERT POWELL AND LIZA GODDARD STAR IN THE WORLD PREMIERE PRODUCTION OF SHERLOCK HOLMES: THE FINAL CURTAIN AT ROSE THEATRE KINGSTON

The World Premiere production of Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain embarks on a national tour from Wed 25 Apr, opening in Bath and starring Robert Powell (Holby City, The Detectives, Jesus of Nazareth) as the world famous detective and Liza Goddard (The Brothers, Bergerac, Take Three Girls) as Mary Watson. Directed by David Grindley, this brand new thriller is set to appear at Rose Theatre Kingston from Mon 14 - Sat 19 May.

Sherlock Holmes lives in retirement on the South Coast. He keeps bees, occasionally casts his fly fishing rod, even plays his Stradivarius when the rheumatism allows. All too aware that he’s older and slower, he’s concerned that he might have lost his touch, paranoid that he is an easy target for his enemies – there have been so many over the years. Some of whom play heavier on his mind, namely his arch nemesis Moriarty.

So when Mary Watson (wife of his former associate Dr John Watson) tracks him down to tell him she has seen her long-dead son, James, through the window of 221B Baker Street, apparently alive and well, Holmes is determined to solve the mystery and confront his own demons at the same time.

Chilling, gripping and filled with unforeseen twists and revelations, this new play featuring Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary super sleuth has been commissioned by Theatre Royal Bath from award-winning dramatist Simon Reade previously Literary Manager at the Royal Shakespeare Company.

This world premiere production reunites the dream team of Robert Powell and Liza Goddard following huge acclaim for their performances at the Theatre Royal in Alan Bennett’s.

Sherlock Holmes: The Final Curtain will be at Rose Theatre Kingston Mon 14 - Sat 19 May, see more here LINK

Tickets start from £10 and are available online, rosetheatrekingston.org, by phone, 020 8174 0090, or from the Box Office.

Tags: Theatre, What's on, Rose Theatre, Kingston

ROMEO & JULIET 3 - 24 February 2018

The award-winning* Guildford Shakespeare Company open 2018 with a site-responsive production of Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET, featuring HARRIET THORPE as the Nurse, staged in Surrey’s largest Georgian church, Holy Trinity Guildford.

HARRIET THORPE is one of Britain's best loved actresses, best known for her roles in ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS, THE BRITTAS EMPIRE, FRENCH & SAUNDERS, THE COMIC STRIP, and feature films CALENDAR GIRLS and AB FAB THE MOVIE. Her theatre credits include West End hits WICKED and MAMMA MIA!, as well as numerous appearances at THE NATIONAL THEATRE, most recently in Richard Bean’s GREAT BRITAIN.

GSC, now in their 12th year, specialise in creating visceral and immersive theatre experiences in non-theatre venues. “The nurturing of new audiences for Shakespeare is at the core of our work” continued Co-Founder Matt Pinches, “and this production will be absolutely perfect for that, whether they are young or old; whilst still giving seasoned theatre-goers a very special version of this powerful story”.

Embracing the same period as the church itself (completed in 1764), this production will highlight the beauty of the church’s architecture, bringing the impact of Holy Trinity’s ecclesiastical spirit to the forefront: accentuating the play’s themes of duty, passion and sacrifice. The black and gold Victorian Rood-Screen will be utilised to create Georgian-style cameos whilst also providing the perfect framing for Juliet’s candle lit tomb in front of the alter.

The late-Georgian period was a time when women were beginning to find their own voices in a male-dominated world, with inspirational figures such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Jane Austen and Mary Shelley rising to prominence. “Juliet’s determination to find her own happiness amidst a family dominated by her father, and the strict moral codes of upper-class society, will be given a very powerful voice with this particular setting”.
The title roles will be played RICKY OAKLEY and LUCY PEARSON. Lucy last worked with the company in 2015, playing Alice in their promenade production of Alice in Wonderland, staged to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the book’s publication, and Guildford’s links to Lewis Carroll.

Director/Designer team CHARLOTTE CONQUEST (NATIONAL THEATRE, SHAKESPEARE’S GLOBE) and NEIL IRISH (ENO, OPERA HOLLAND PARK, WATERMILL THEATRE) return to the company following their recent collaboration on GSC’s summer 5 STAR The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Joining them are MATT EATON (Sound Designer) and PETER HARRISON (Lighting). Original choral music is composed by MARY MCADAM.

For more information visit >>> www.guildford-shakespeare-company.co.uk

Tags: Theatre, ROMEO & JULIET, Guildford Shakespeare Company, Holy Trinity Church

ALICE IN WINTERLAND Q&A WITH SUSANNAH VAN DEN BERG ‘QUEEN OF HEARTS’

What made you keen to join the cast of Alice in Winterland?
I’ve seen a few Christmas productions at The Rose, as well as being involved in several community scratch choirs. I have always been impressed with the production values and the commitment and energy of the youth theatre. I was also excited about tackling a brand new script and original score, being involved in creating something new and fresh.

What is Alice in Winterland about?
The setting of the original books has been changed to during the First World War. Using elements and characters from the two books it’s essentially a coming of age story for Alice. Through her adventures in Wonderland she gains the strength and courage to deal with the trauma and responsibilities of reality.

Tell us a bit about your character. What are you most enjoying about playing The Queen of Hearts?
The Queen of Hearts is a delicious megalomaniac, rather like a modern day dictator. I’m finding her such fun to play because she has no limits. I have the ability to be as silly or outrageous as I like because my court allows me to get away with anything. Like anyone in great power, the chance of being overthrown is always present so I’ve chosen to rule by fear.

What particular challenges does this role present to you as an actor?
Vocally it’s a big role - lots of shouting “Off With Their Heads” - so sustaining that will be a big task. Delivering a pretty spectacular battle scene whilst wearing a massive dress is also going to be challenging!

Alice in Winterland, is based on Lewis Carroll’s timeless books, Alice Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Why do you think these characters have such an enduring appeal?
They’re magnifications of human nature - all elements we recognise in ourselves taken to huge proportions. They’re all things we could become.

The production sees a professional cast and a youth company perform together. What has it been like working alongside Rose Youth Company?
Really fantastic. They have such great energy and focus that could shame some other professional companies! Working with two separate casts is a joy as a performer as you get different performances to play off, meaning no show will be the same. The company really works as a true ensemble, they are generous to each other and there are no small parts. Slotting into a company like this is incredibly exciting.

Why do you think people should come and see Alice in Winterland?
The story is incredible and the families who come to see it will go on a real journey with Alice. There’s puppets, magic, monsters, a new script with an electrifying original score, some terrible jokes, beautiful costumes & scenery and snow... there’s definitely snow. Entertaining yet life affirming.

Alice In Winterland will be at Rose Theatre Kingston from Thu 7 Dec – Sun 7 Jan. Tickets cost from £15 and are available online, rosetheatrekingston.org, by phone, 020 8174 0090, or from the Box Office

Tags: Theatre, The Rose, Kingston

Interview with Andy Moss

How exciting is it to be doing Ghost - The Musical?
So exciting! I did a few things just after I left college but nothing of note so this is my first treading of the boards since then. I’m so excited but it’s also a bit nerve-wracking – not the idea of performing in front of an audience but because it’s such an iconic role. Patrick Swayze’s shoes are big shoes to fill, for sure, and my mate Richard Fleeshman did Sam in the original West End production and he was amazing too. So there’s a bit of pressure but we’ve not gone for a carbon copy of either the West End or Broadway versions.

What was it about this particular show that made you say yes?
Number one, I’m a massive fan of the movie. Number two, I’ve been dying to get back on stage for a while now. I love TV and stuff but there’s nothing so gratifying as doing a live show. Then number three, there’s the music. It’s by Dave Stewart from the Eurythmics and Glen Ballard who has produced loads of albums that I love as well. When I heard the songs I could hear all their influences in it so the whole package of having those guys on board, this iconic movie and the fact it’s a nice three-month tour sold it to me straight away.

You’ve done TV but what challenges does a stage show present?
The main challenge for me is to make sure my voice can sustain it every day. There are some big numbers in it and I’ve been in bands over the years so I can sing, but doing it every night across eight or nine shows a week is a tough prospect. You have to know when to belt it out and when to hold back and save your voice. Also everything has to be cued to a sound cue or a music cue or somebody else’s line or a lighting cue. I’m not used to that in TV. If we move the lines around a little bit because it seems more truthful they’ll usually buy it, but with this you have to be word-perfect. So it’s about trying to hit the marks for everyone else and trying to make it sound like you’re doing it for the first time.

You’ve also done rock concerts but is a musical a different discipline?
It’s so different. I like musicals, don’t get me wrong, but I’d never seen one and gone ‘My God, that’s amazing, I want to be in it’ whereas with this one when I heard the music I thought ‘That’s well good’. They told me they didn’t want a musical theatre singer and a musical theatre voice, they wanted one with a bit of something different to his voice – and hopefully that’s what I’ve been able to add to Dave and Glen’s music.

Why do you think this particular story means so much to so many people?
It’s the everlasting love thing, plus it came out at the beginning of the 90s and there hadn’t been many amazing stories like this. It has a bit of something for everyone in it. There’s the life-everlasting love story and everyone knows someone who has passed on and has that longing to see them again. Also it was when Whoopi Goldberg was at her peak as were Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. It had a stellar cast and the culmination of that with the fact everyone can relate to the story, because something similar has happened to them at some point in their lives, is why it resonates so strongly. That’s why people love the film and why they come and see the stage show, plus it’s almost nostalgic now, isn’t it?

Can you recall when you first saw the movie and what effect did it have on you?
I watched it with my mum and dad. It was like a Sunday family movie and it affected me because it’s when I started getting interested in ghosts and stuff. It was the first time I’d seen it in a film and it’s not there to be scary, it’s there for another reason that you don’t understand as a kid. So that’s the first time I started thinking about ghosts. Nowadays the shadow ghosts that come at the end of the movie to get the baddies aren’t that scary, but they used to scare me senseless.

What are you most looking forward to about the tour?
I’m looking forward to visiting towns and cities I’ve never been to. That’s going to be exciting, but I’m quite a homebody. If I go out partying or with friends I like to go home at the end of the night so it’s going to be a bit weird being away, but it’s part and parcel of the job and hopefully it will lead to other things like this. It’s got me so excited about acting again and it doesn’t just have to be on TV or in a film, I can go on tour and I go do it in another country. Hopefully this will be the gateway to other things. It’s a great show and a great part and I hope I manage to do it justice.

Mon 27 February – Saturday 4 March
Mon – Sat eves 7.30pm
Wed & Sat mats 2.30pm
Tickets from £17.90 fees apply

You can book tickets by calling the Box Office on 0844 871 7645 (fees apply)
Groups Booking Line 0844 871 7601 or online at www.atgtickets.com/woking (fees apply)
Calls cost up to 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge.

New Victoria Theatre, Peacocks Centre, Woking, Surrey, GU21 6GQ

Tags: Woking, New Victoria Theatre, Ghost

CAMBERLEY – Camberley Theatre Saturday 7 March 2015

From the Director, Producer and Choreographer of the Award Winning ‘Abba Mania’ Musical Starring the original ‘Frida’ from London’s West End!

Following a 4 month run in London’s West End, Strand Theatre in 2001 and successful International tours selling out theatres, stadiums and concert halls, this award winning, critically acclaimed Abba Tribute performer, producer, choreographer and director together with The Reunion Group, created “The ABBA REUNION Tribute Show”.

The 4 real members of ABBA have been saying for years that they will never reform so with this in mind the producers ( The Reunion Group ) decided that they would give the fans the next best thing! Not just another ABBA Tribute band.

Now in it's 10th year, the show has become Internationally recognized as one of the top world-class authentic ABBA experiences, not to be missed!

They have toured and sold out numerous prestigious UK theatres, plus India, Norway, France, Holland, Sweden with, East Africa, Latvia, Belgium, Germany, and Australia in place for 2015/2016

“The Abba Reunion Tribute Show” gives Abba fans, old and new, the opportunity to once again get together and re-live the addictive Abba phenomena that swept the airwaves and discos during the 70’s and 80’s in a truly feel good party style concert. From Mamma Mia to Dancing Queen, all of the hits are performed with unrivalled authenticity from both an audio and visual perspective complete with live band. There is a huge focus on the 1977 and 1979 live world tour footage plus the iconic pop video looks that feature the famous flamboyant costumes and dance moves.

This year sees a jaw dropping recreation finale of the Euro vision winning song, Waterloo.

Visually, the performers are transformed into the famous four Abba members, Agnetha, Benny, Bjorn and Anni- Frid ( Frida) by using top of the range professionally made wigs, make-up and hand made replica costumes. Each character has been studied by means of video clips, both live and studio performance, to mimic the movements and mannerisms enabling a more true to life presentation of how Abba really were.

Meticulous scrutiny and strict vocal tutoring have been applied to recreating the voices of Abba, especially the major differentiating qualities of the 2 female voices of Agnetha and Frida, who together, make the legendary Abba sound. From a musical stand point, again, careful attention to detail has been employed to create the complete Abba facsimile using only professional industry musicians.

In such a hugely over saturated Abba tribute market, quality, commitment, reputation and professionalism are of major importance when booking to see a show. With these factors in mind you can be totally assured that this band perform their superb replica concert show to the highest standards possible, making them ‘better than their rivals Bjorn Again’, Express and Star.

Tickets for The ABBA REUNION Tribute Show are available from Camberley Theatre
Box Office No: 01276 707600
Website: www.camberleytheatre.biz

Tags: What's On, Camberley Theatre, Abba, The ABBA REUNION , Tribute Show, Thaetre