seeing theatre in a new light
If you are (or know anyone who is) aged 15-24, you’ll definitely want to know about Go Live Fortnight.
This year, Go Live Fortnight takes place from February 1st until February 14th. By signing up to the scheme (it’s free to join), you can gain access to a special presale for more than 10 shows, as well as exciting workshops, tours and a few more surprises to be revealed…
For more details, and to sign up, visit Mousetrap Theatre Projects’ website here
Christmas is a time when many of us like to get out and see a show with our special friends and family, and song and dance often feature high in the sort of entertainment we seek out, to match the exuberant and cheery feelings many feel about the holiday season.
For those of you who may prefer celebrating from home, I have picked out a few things you can see online, which I think you may enjoy in this time when we relax and indulge ourselves a little.
Still on BBCiPlayer (for UK licence-holders) is the big musical ANYTHING GOES. Filmed live at the Barbican in London, this major new production of the classic musical comedy features an all-star cast led by renowned Broadway actress Sutton Foster with Cole Porter’s timeless songs and a sprinkling of dance, including a good bit of tap.
If tap is really your thing, you’ll enjoy this rarely-seen and recently rediscovered documentary, first broadcast in the UK on Channel Four in 1983, MASTERS OF TAP- with contributions from legends such as Will Gaines, Honi Coles and Chuck Green.
FOSSE/VERDON was a great series about the relationship between legendary choreographer Bob Fosse and his second wife, the dynamic performer Gwen Verdon. In eight parts, and boasting great performances by Sam Rockwell and Michelle Williams, with a guest spot by Lin-Manuel Miranda, it’s well worth your holiday time.
For fans of classic tap, you can’t go wrong with Ann Miller, Guinness World Record holder as the fastest tapper in history (for many years). There’s a nice new print of a long-unavailable Miller movie, TIME OUT FOR RHYTHM from 1941 currently on YouTube. It’s a very lumpy but passable musical, but definitely worth seeing for Ann’s numbers (starting at 24:15) which are delightful, especially the number she does with comedy character actor Allen Jenkins, in what I believe is his only dance routine on film – and its enormous fun! (Find it fast by going to 37:07). Foghorn-voiced Jenkins was one of the group of Irish-heritage actor/singer/dancers who worked their way up, through being chorus boys on Broadway in the 20s and then onto Hollywood in the 30s, whose number included close friends such as Pat O’Brien and James Cagney.
And if you’d like to know more about my personal (and Fred Astaire’s) top tap stars, the Nicholas Brothers, you can see a great biography of them below with lots of clips of them in action. If you watch nothing else, jump to the end, at 49:43, where they project their movie routine LUCKY NUMBERS from 1936 behind them, while performing it perfectly almost 60 years later. I saw this routine live when they performed it at the all-star gala STAIRWAY TO THE STARS in November 1989 at the London Palladium, and it absolutely brought the house down. Enjoy!
Happy Holidays to you all!
This August, KIDSWEEK is back, and tickets are now on sale!
A great way to save money on over 40 of London’s most exciting shows, KIDSWEEK lasts all through August. This year, there are 250,000 tickets included in the promotion, but please be aware the most popular shows get snapped up quickly, so take a look as soon as you can!
When an adult books a full price ticket, they can take a child (aged 17 or under) with them for free! Further children’s tickets can be booked at half price, so it’s a great way to treat the family that costs less than you thought!
Shows featured this year include My Fair Lady, Anything Goes, 101 Dalmatians, My Fair Lady,Back To The Future The Musical, Disney’s Beauty And The Beast, Dear Evan Hansen, Disney’s Frozen, Disney’s The Lion King, Mamma Mia, Mary Poppins, Matilda The Musical,The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe,The Play That Goes Wrong,The Tiger Who Came To Tea, Wicked…..and lots more!
Please be aware that not every performance will have the option of discounted tickets, so it’s best to start looking with a few dates in mind.
You can find more details about the shows featured this year, and book tickets here
VAULT Masterclasses are a brand new, unique series of practical, fun workshops for beginners. A chance to unlock your creativity, learn directly from leading artists and try something new in a safe, welcoming environment.
SUNDAY FEBRUARY 6TH at 2.00pm – An Introduction to Improv
Step into the world of improv comedy with Free Association! In this introductory workshop you’ll learn practical tools and techniques to get started, tap into your creativity and have the the confidence to create improvised scenes with other people. Prepare to be playful, learn plenty and have fun.
Naomi is a highly experienced improvised comedy performer and actor. She is Head of Creative Development at leading London Improv Theatre The Free Association, where she has been teaching and performing for seven years. She is also a founding member of critically acclaimed fivesome SORRY, alongside Liz Kingsman, Alison Thea Skot, Sophia Broido and Lola-Rose Maxwell. SORRY have performed sell-out shows at VAULT Festival, The Pleasance, Battersea Arts Centre and more. Naomi has also performed improv internationally in Chicago, Berlin and NYC.
Tickets and more information here
WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 9th at 6.00pm – An Introduction to Stand Up Comedy
Ever wanted to step up to the mic and try stand up comedy? In this two hour introductory session, Dec Munro (co-founder of Angel Comedy’s The Bill Murray) will share his years of industry experience. Learn the basics of joke writing, how to create a comedic persona, what makes a great comedy performance and have a go yourself!
Dec Munro is a co-founder of the Bill Murray pub (Chortle’s Best London venue 2020). He’s directed shows that have won awards at the Edinburgh Festival and been seen around the world. He’s worked on stand-up sets that have been on Live at the Apollo, Conan, Netflix specials, Mock the Week and Radio 4.
Tickets and more information here
After a flurry of shows announced earlier last year, I felt it was time to revisit the wonderful Little Angel Theatre’s programme of online shows for younger audiences.
Here are some of the shows currently available on their YouTube channel – check out the individual listings for making puppet instructions at home and games to play.
TOADSTOOL TALES: TRUFFLE’S IN TROUBLE is a 15-minute show presented by Little Angel Theatre Puppetry Intern Jessica Shead. A performance aimed at children ages 0-3.
The safe comfort of Mossy Glade in the deep forest is disrupted as a band of merry mushroom friends have one of their own snatched away! Penny and Shaggy embark on an adventure into the great unknown to rescue Truffle, encountering many exciting characters, environments and obstacles along the way. Will they be able to use their wits to save the day and return home to Mossy Glade?
DON’T WORRY, LITTLE CRAB is a five-minutes long show from Folded Feather, presenting a puppet-filled version of Chris Haughton’s ‘Don’t Worry, Little Crab’ book, and is currently available.
Little Crab and Very Big Crab live in a rockpool. Today, they’re going for a dip in the sea. “This is going to be so great!” says Little Crab. But then Little Crab catches a first glimpse of the water… Oh. The waves! They’re ENORMOUS. “JEEPERS!” Will Little Crab be brave enough to go in?
For ages 3 and over, FANTASTICO is by Ruby Saide and Jessica Shead and presented by Little Angel Theatre.
Elephant is tired, and just in need of a good sleep for 10 minutes or so. His old armchair is comfy but worn out, and he can’t sit down without it making twingy-twangy noises. Determined to get a good sleep, Elephant sets out to find the perfect chair to nod off in. He is lucky enough to get help from his neighbour Anteater and a friendly Kangaroo, who guide him through a series of chair disasters! Despite all the mishaps, Elephant finally returns home to find he had the best chair all along. This is a musical and playful adaptation of Sean Taylor’s work. This show will be available indefinitely.
Although all these wonderful shows are free to watch, please consider making a donation to the Little Angel Theatre which does unique and vital work in helping younger children to access the joy of theatre. A donation of any amount will help them to keep producing work which will keep future generations of theatregoers entertained whilst they are very young. Thank You.