Angela Thomas catches up with the latest touring news…
BRING IT ON
The first UK and Ireland tour of the Broadway musical version of hit teen film Bring It On will culminate in a London festive season at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall.
Presented by Selladoor Productions, the Tony-nominated tale of duelling cheerleaders which is due to launch at the Birmingham Hippodrome from 2 until 6 June 2020, will take up residence in London from 9 December this year until 10 January 2021.
Vanessa Fisher will join the previously announced Amber Davies and Louis Smith. Davies will play Campbell, a role she previously played while training at London’s Urdang Academy, with Smith co-starring as Cameron and Fisher will play Danielle.
The cast is completed by Alicia Belgarde as Eva, Georgia Bradshaw as Nautica, Ayden Morgan as La Cienega, Samuel Wilson-Freeman as Steven, Chloe Pole as Skylar, Frances Dee as Kylar, Marvyn Charles as Twig, and Roshani Abbey, Jack Dargan, Matthew Dawkins, Jordan Isaac, Katie Lee, Gareth Moran, Biancha Szynal and Zinzile Tshuma.
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeff Whitty, Tom Kitt and Broadway lyricist Amanda Green), Bring It On is loosely based on the 2000 film of the same name written by Jessica Bendinger.
Following the Birmingham run, the production will then visit the Sunderland Empire (9-13 June), Milton Keynes Theatre (16-20 June), Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff (23-27 June), Stoke Regent Theatre (30 June-4 July); Hull New Theatre (7-11 July), Bradford Alhambra Theatre (14-18 July), Manchester Opera House (21-25 July), Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin (4-8 August), Theatre Royal, Plymouth (11-15 August), New Theatre Peterborough (18-22 August), Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (25-29 August), Glasgow King’s Theatre (1-5 September), Liverpool Empire (8-12 September), Her Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen (13-19 September), Theatre Royal, Brighton (22-26 September), Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham (29 September-3 October), Blackpool Grand Theatre (6-10 October), Malvern Festival Theatre (17-21 November) and Edinburgh Festival Theatre (24–28 November).
SISTER ACT
Stage and TV favourite Lesley Joseph is the latest high-profile addition to the star-studded cast of the new version of hit musical Sister Act which is due to begin touring in April.
The Birds of a Feather star whose recent musical theatre credits include touring productions of Annie and Calendar Girls will take on the role of Mother Superior alongside the previously announced Brenda Edwards as Deloris Van Cartier.
Joseph and Edwards will play all dates on the UK and Ireland tour with Clive Rowe joining them when the eagerly-anticipated newly-revised version of the hit opens in Leicester and visits Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester.
Due to launch at Curve, Leicester from 21 April until 2 May, the production visits Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Dublin, Cardiff, Ipswich, Stoke, Darlington, Liverpool, Nottingham and Milton Keynes.
As announced last year Whoopi Goldberg will play Deloris opposite Jennifer Saunders, making her musical theatre debut as Mother Superior, when the production reaches London in July.
Multi-award-winning US star Goldberg is due to play the irrepressible character she created on screen in two hit movies for the first time on stage at London’s Eventim Apollo from 29 July until 30 August. British comedy favourite Saunders will take charge as Mother Superior, a role Goldberg briefly played on stage at the London Palladium in 2010. Edwards will also appear as Deloris for selected performances in London.
SAY YES TO TESS
Tess Seddon’s autobiographical comedy Say Yes To Tess will open at Leeds Playhouse in March before touring the UK in the autumn. Presented by Leeds-based theatre company TheatreState in association with Leeds Playhouse, the new musical is inspired by Seddon’s own experiences when standing in the 2017 election as a candidate for the Yorkshire Party.
Featuring songs by Harry Blake, Say Yes To Tess will follow its November work-in-progress performance by returning to the Bramall Rock Void, Leeds Playhouse’s new studio theatre from 26 March until 4 April. Initial confirmed tour dates will take the show to Glasgow, York, Hull, London, Doncaster and Salford.
Describing the project Seddon said: “Harry and I met through Leeds Playhouse in 2017 and instantly had such fun playing around with all the mad things that had happened to me. It’s a strange thing turning your life into a musical! I’m so excited to be telling this unique Northern story and continuing this journey with Leeds Playhouse. At a time of huge political divides, I hope Say Yes To Tess will bring people together to reimagine the system no matter what Party they believe in.”
Self-confessed terrible singer Seddon plays herself alongside actors, singers and musicians Jonathan Dryden Taylor, Danielle Henry and Max Runham.
WAITRESS
Producers Barry and Fran Weissler and David Ian have confirmed the first dates for the first UK and Ireland tour of Broadway and West End hit Waitress. Launching at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin from 14-21 November, the tour will visit Bromley’s Churchill Theatre and Manchester Opera House this year.
In 2021 the tour will visit the Edinburgh Playhouse, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, Sunderland Empire, Hull New Theatre, Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen, Bristol Hippodrome, Eastbourne Theatres and Birmingham Hippodrome. Further dates and venues will be announced soon. Casting for the touring production will be announced at a later date.
Currently booking until 4 July at London’s Adelphi Theatre, Waitress is the first major West End musical to boast an all-female creative team. Based on the 2007 film written by and starring Adrienne Shelley, the musical features a book by Jessie Nelson and music and lyrics by Sara Bareilles. Tony Award winner Diana Paulus directs with choreography by Lorin Laterro.
HAIRSPRAY
Producers Mark Goucher and Matthew Gale have announced the full list of dates for the third major UK and Ireland tour of their highly successful touring production of the hit musical Hairspray.
As previously announced, following an opening run at Manchester’s Palace Theatre from 3-12 September, the tour will visit Bradford Alhambra Theatre, Blackpool Winter Gardens, Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Glasgow King’s Theatre, Northampton Royal and Derngate, Woking New Victoria Theatre, Liverpool Empire and Brighton Theatre Royal.
The tour will then extend into 2021 launching at Southampton Mayflower on 11 January and continuing on to Bristol Hippodrome, Edinburgh Playhouse, Inverness Eden Court, Ipswich Regent, Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Milton Keynes Theatre, Sunderland Empire, Sheffield Lyceum, Nottingham Theatre Royal, High Wycombe Swan, Plymouth Theatre Royal, Belfast Grand Opera House, Wolverhampton Grand, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre, Norwich Theatre Royal, Leeds Grand, Southend Cliffs Pavilion and finishing at Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham in May next year.
Directed by Paul Kerryson and with choreography by Drew McOnie, Hairspray boasts music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman and book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan.
SIX
Following sold-out performances across the country the successful UK tour of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ critically-acclaimed musical Six has been extended into 2021. Originally planned as a limited nine-month trip across the UK, the touring production of the rock-flavoured show in which the wives of Henry VIII take centre stage will begin its extended run with performances at the Oxford Playhouse for two weeks from 13 August.
The production which opened at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford in October last year will play new venues and make return visits including playing another Christmas season at The Lowry, Salford Quays from 1 December 2020 until 10 January 2021.
The tour is due to visit Wolverhampton, Brighton, Nottingham, Bromley, Southend, Mold, Sheffield, Dublin, Hull, Canterbury, Plymouth, Coventry, Leicester, Leeds, Newcastle, Southampton, Norwich and Birmingham.
Confirmed 2021 dates begin in Oxford, Milton Keynes, Kingston, Eastbourne, Bath, Cheltenham, Woking, Dartford, Northampton, Salford, Edinburgh and Newcastle. Further dates will be announced soon.
Currently playing to packed houses at Covent Garden’s Arts Theatre, the London production also recently announced another extension to the run taking the show up to January 2021.
Pictures: Tristram Kenton
SCHOOL OF ROCK – THE MUSICAL
Just days before the final West End performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Olivier Award-winning School of Rock – The Musical details were announced about the show’s first major UK and Ireland tour.
With the curtain going down on the show’s successful run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre, the producers have confirmed a touring production will launch at the Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham on 13 February 2021.
A hit with audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, the record smashing show written by Lloyd Webber and lyricist Glenn Slater with a book by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, was the first new musical from a British composer and producer to make its debut on Broadway.
School of Rock – The Musical is directed by Laurence Connor with choreography by JoAnn M. Hunter. The UK and Ireland tour of School of Rock – The Musical is produced by David Ian Productions.
Following the show’s Birmingham run the tour will visit Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Wimbledon, Ipswich, Cardiff, Milton Keynes, Dublin, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bournemouth, Manchester, Hull, Plymouth, Bristol, Stoke, Southampton, Eastbourne, Canterbury, Norwich, Wolverhampton. Woking, Dartford, Southend, Liverpool, Northampton, Llandudno, Sunderland and Oxford. Casting will be announced at a later date.
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