The highly successful partnership between Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre and London arts producer Aria Entertainment continues with a 2019 season that will include the UK premiere of a new version of the Broadway musical RAGS, the first UK revival of classic musical Mame and new British musical The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit, inspired by A Christmas Carol.
Directed by Hope Mill regular Bronagh Lagan (Little Women, Putting It Together), RAGS will play the Ancoats venue from 2 March until 6 April 2019 with a press night on 7 March.
With a book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler On the Roof), lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and music by Charles Strouse (Annie), RAGS is the story of a Russian immigrant who travels to America with her son in search of a better life. The show debuted on Broadway in 1986.
Presented by arrangement with MTI Europe, RAGS will be produced by Hope Aria in association with Matthew Hopton of Knockhardy productions.
Commenting on the plans to bring his show to the UK stage, Schwartz said: “I’m delighted that Katy Lipson and Hope Mill Theatre will be presenting our newly-revised version of RAGS – its first production. The show feels more timely than it ever has been, and my co-authors and I are enthusiastic about all the improvements we have made and excited to be sharing the show with the Manchester audience.”
Double Olivier Award winner Tracie Bennett will take centre stage in the first production of classic 1960s musical Mame since the original 1969 West End production which starred Ginger Rogers.
Following in the footsteps of Rogers, Angela Lansbury and Celeste Holm, Bennett will take on the role of the larger-than-life socialite who loses her fortune in the Wall Street Crash and is forced to work for a living for the first time in her life with comic results.
With a book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, the musical is based on the Lawrence and Lee-penned play Auntie Mame which in turn was based upon the 1955 novel by Patrick Dennis.
The musical opened on Broadway in 1966 with Lansbury, Bea Arthur and Frankie Michaels giving Tony Award-winning performances in the production which proved a hit with audiences and critics alike. A film version starring Lucille Ball followed in 1974.
Presented by arrangement with Tams Witmark, the Hope Aria production which will be directed by Nick Winston and will run from 27 September until 9 November 2019 with a press night on 3 October.
Allan Knee, the writer of Hope Aria’s 2017 hit musical Little Women, will return to the Manchester venue with The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit. Inspired by the much-loved characters created by Charles Dickens, the new musical features a book by Knee and music and lyrics by newcomer Andre Catrini.
Produced in association with Jana Robbins, Craig Haffner and Sherry Wright, the new musical will be directed by another Hope Mill regular, Jonathan O’Boyle (Hair, Pippin).
Announcing the new productions, Aria’s Katy Lipson said: “We are extremely excited to enter our third year as a producing venue with three incredible musicals, which we hope will cement us as a leading regional theatre in the UK landscape. It’s a huge honour to present the newly developed RAGS, working hand in hand with Stephen Schwartz, as well as welcoming back the works of Allan Knee to the Hope Mill and to have Tracie Bennett performing in our venue is a huge privilege.”
Angela Thomas
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