Beauty and The Beast

The Roses Theatre - Tewkesbury

‘Would you make me the happiest man in the world and finally dance with me?’

Bringing a tale as old as time to Tewkesbury this festive season, The Roses Theatre's annual Christmas pantomime for 2023 is Beauty And The Beast — oh yes it is! 

Written by TV and radio comedy writer, Miranda Walker, the show promises catchy songs, comedy capers and a captivating story delivered by a diverse and talented cast of performers. 

Guaranteed to have audiences of all ages laughing until their sides hurt, this fresh twist on a beloved fairytale classic also aims to remind us that 'true beauty lies within'. 

Directed by Hannah Phillips, musical direction by Matt Faull, and choreographed by Amy Lawrence.

The Little Mermaid

The Mack - Mountview

‘What if home isn’t the place you were born? What if it’s a place you have to… discover?’

Based on the original classic story and the beloved 1989 Disney animation of the same name, this is the tale of a mermaid who, obsessed with all of the ‘stuff’ that sinks into the sea, yearns for a life in the world above the water’s surface… This inventive and surprising production for all the family features the iconic songs ‘Part of Your World’ and ‘Under the Sea’.

The Mountview Production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid
Music by Alan Menken | Lyrics by Howard Ashman & Glenn Slater | Book by Doug Wright
Based on the Hans Christian Andersen story and the Disney film
Produced by Howard Ashman & John Musker
and Written & Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements
Originally produced by Disney Theatrical Productions

Directed by Dan Herd
Musical Direction by Nicholas Chave
Choreography by Amy Lawrence
Set Design by Rhyannon Richardson
Costume Design by Katie Higgins
Lighting Design by Adam King
Sound Design by Adam Fisher

Snow White

The Roses Theatre

‘Reflex, Reflexa, on your stand, who’s the most beautious in the land?’

The classic tale of Snow White, brought up-to-date by BAFTA-winning writer, Maurice Gran (Birds of a Feather, The New Statesman) and Nick Wilkes (the Almost series), has amused generations from across the county over the last month, with a clever, laugh-out-loud script featuring an over-talkative interactive mirror, a troupe of high-spirited children toiling in Queen Malvinha’s silver mines and a joyous romance between IT guru Ted and eco-warrier Jim. Directed by Charlotte Peters, musical direction by Lee O’Reilly, and choreographed by Amy Lawrence.

Pinnocchio

Chichester Festival Theatre

‘Who wants to be the same as everyone else? It would be a pretty boring world if we were all identical. We’d have nothing to talk about. Nothing to argue about. And nothing to learn.’

Geppetto the boatmaker tosses aside a piece of wood; it’s only good for the fire. To his amazement, a voice answers him back. Geppetto picks up the wood and begins to carve – and a small wooden boy is revealed. A puppet, which he names Pinocchio.

And that’s when the mayhem begins. Pinocchio can’t stop getting into trouble, despite the best efforts of the Fairy and the Cricket to keep him on track. His intentions may be good – he truly wants to go to school like real boys and girls – but the temptation to discover the wonders of the world and make his fortune keep getting in the way.

Pinocchio encounters a host of fascinating characters, from Punch and Judy to the wily Fox and Cat and the strange Sea Monster, as he journeys to Wonderland and the world beneath the sea. But he discovers that it isn’t easy hiding the truth – especially when your nose gets longer with every lie you tell…

Chichester Festival Youth Theatre’s brand new version of this classic tale by Anna Ledwich had just 11 live performances in 2020 before it was streamed globally during lockdown. Dale Rooks’s darkly magical production now returns for Christmas 2021, with the revival directed by Bobby Brook.

Assassins

Mountview - 3rd Year Musical Theatre

‘Everybody's got the right to their dreams!’

A man sits in a storeroom on the sixth floor of a Book Depository in Texas waiting for John F. Kennedy’s motorcade to pass below. He rests his finger on the trigger, ready to join a line of men and women who have shot their way into the history books.

Assassins is a satirical and stylish look at why individuals reach for a gun when they feel their voice can’t be heard. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a roller coaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and inspire each other to perform harrowing acts. Clever, funny and thought-provoking, this is a musical about the power of the President, the lure of celebrity and the failure of the American Dream. 

Directed by Marie Crocker, this multiple Tony award-winning vaudeville style show is a modern classic. 

Uncle Vanya

Old Red Lion / UK Tour

‘Beauty alone has the power to move me now.’

Chekhov's tragicomedy in a bittersweet, multi-disciplinary new adaptation. 

Isolated and seemingly beyond help, the weary inhabitants of one country household plunge head over heels in lust when a beautiful stranger arrives. As the owner announces the estate sale for his own gain, the strains of repression and a chaste rural life begin to bubble among the hard-working occupants, until Uncle Vanya himself hits boiling point.  

Theatrical Niche's acclaimed physical theatre team, inspired by the rural bee art of Lily Hunter Green, create a uniquely artful version of this Russian masterpiece. Heartbreakingly funny, and hilariously dowsed in woe.

‘Beautifully played’ ★★★★ – BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL

‘Uplifting in its compassion and its humanity; coupled with a concoction of flutter-hearted highs and grief-stricken lows, romance, and tears.’ - CANTEBURY CULTURE

‘Director Nadia Papachronopoulou has succeeded, along with movement director Amy Lawrence, in developing a piece which considers and demonstrates the impact of the actions of one person on another.’ – LOU’S REVIEWS

A Doll’s House

UK Tour

'Nora, stop it - you're dancing as if your life depended on it!'

'It does!'

Mr & Mrs Helmer are the iconic power couple. They excel at work, staying on top, socialising. They excel at excelling. 

But as his autobiography rolls out around Christmas-time, it seems there are a few things that Mr. Helmer may not have mentioned in the foreword.

Working with some of the UK's leading Mental Health and Domestic Abuse charities, we use Verbatim interviews and emotive Choreography to rocket Ibsen's famous tale into a hugely relevant re-telling for modern audiences.

Exploring stigmas around gender expectations and mental health, this artful adaptation focuses on the impossible idolisation of one 'perfect' woman, by a man who walks with weights around his ankles.

"A Doll's House" showcases the play-writing collaboration of two of Theatrical Niche's founding members, as well as the direction of critically-acclaimed artist, Alice Sillett. This new production incorporates the words and intonations of mental abuse & mental health problem sufferers, giving Ibsen a resoundingly contemporary voice.

‘Utilising choreography by Amy Lawrence, the cast through movement and the spoken word indirectly give a context to the play’s 21st century world.’ ★★★★★ – BREAKING THE FOURTH WALL

'West End Worthy' ★★★★★ – COLCHESTER LIFE

‘The piece’s strengths lie in this collision of, as the company themselves put it, Verbatim interviews and Emotive Choreography. The choreography was indeed emotive and the use of real-life accounts of abuse and mental issues were creatively delivered and resulted in moving moments of physical expression and devastating recounts of cruelty.’ – LONDON THEATRE

Mary Stuart - The Musical

Mountview Academy

"Let her dare to seem the thing she is"

January 1587. Two Queens. Two Rivals. One English Throne. Mary Stuart Queen of Scots, imprisoned figurehead for revolutionaries and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I the Virgin Queen, face each other for the first and last time in this brand new musical adaptation of Schiller’s thrilling drama.

'Remarkable new work in development' - BRITISH THEATRE

The Winter's Tale

UK Tour

"A sad tale is best for winter"

Bears & Vagabonds presents their Monuments Tour adaptations of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale & Richard II.

The double bill of performances for the Monuments Tour, will be helping to raise money and awareness for their chosen charity The Mental Health Foundation.

'Stunning' - GOLDSMITHS

The Trackers Of Oxyrhynchus 

The Finborough Theatre

“I'm a God, Apollo, but I was tipped
On a rubbish tip inside this manuscript.
I’ve spent two thousand years asleep
On an Oxyrhynchus rubbish heap.”

In a new production commissioned by the Finborough Theatre, the rediscovery of Tony Harrison’s The Trackers of Oxyrhynchus in its first London production for nearly 30 years. Egypt, 1907. Two archaeologists, Bernard Grenfell and Arthur Hunt, are searching for ancient fragments of poetry and plays, next to an old rubbish heap. Until the Greek God, Apollo, descends from the skies…

'Their dancing has to be seen to be believed... Unmissable.'  ★★★★★ - REVIEWS GATE

'And with Amy Lawrence's vigorous choreography, it is a joy to hammer in the New Year with some robust clog-dancing' - ★★★★ FINANCIAL TIMES

'Choreography from Amy Lawrence launches the chorus of rampant satyrs into stirring clog routines — reviving hobnailed Yorkshire traditions and creating a kind of ancient Riverdance.' - ★★★★ DAILY MAIL

'[The staging] thanks to Amy Lawrence's clog choreography, carries a charge.' - WHATS ON STAGE

'This production shows great style, particularly in the rowdy and bawdy presentation of the Satyrs whose stompy tap-dancing rituals are carefully choreographed by Amy Lawrence to convey a real sense of danger and intimidation.' - REVIEWS HUB

'Amy Lawrence's full blooded choreography' - THE STAGE

Jack Frost

UK Tour

Jack Frost is brought to life through puppetry, dance, live music and enchanting storytelling. Meet our mischievous sprite as he takes us on a snowy adventure and spreads winter wherever he goes. Wrap up warm or you’ll catch him nipping at your toes!

www.moononastickproductions.com

purged

The Blue Elephant Theatre (Scratch Performance)

"There’s a special kind of comfort in thinking it could all end in silence."

You are now twenty nine. A few weeks ago, you attempted to stay twenty nine forever. You failed. Now words fail you. But you have to attempt to explain anyway. 

This is a story about the fragments of time that hide between words. The things on the fringes of your consciousness. The scenes that happen out of the corner of your eye. A compelling tale without an ending told to whoever’s around to hear it.

Catharsis in association with Underfoot present a heady, physical account of euphoria, redemption, and extremity. 

LYSISTRATA    

New Wimbledon Theatre

A stunning new adaptation of Aristophanes’ famous comedy. One woman’s fight to end the Peloponnesian war. The only weapon she has is sexuality... but she knows how to use it.

'This was real ensemble playing, every cast member demonstrating great physicality as they moved, fought and danced through the piece... A joy to watch' - THE FRINGE REVIEW

STILL THE BEATING OF MY HEART    

The Hen And Chickens Theatre

A selection of classic ghost stories, in a thrilling new adaptation by Theatrical Niche Ltd.

‘The most horrifying of tales have been hand-selected in an artfully choreographed production to both scintillate and terrify… exquisite physical theatre’ - Off West End

‘Amy Lawrence's swirling choreography for The Cold Embrace suits the Italian setting and the importance of the serpent ring given by the faithless lover to his intended bride.’ - WHAT'S ON STAGE

BLOOD WEDDING  

The Rosmary Branch Theatre

Loyalty and passion duel to the death in this world-famous triangle of the heart and dagger. A bride-to-be promises herself to a good and loving fiancé, but the sound of horse hooves at her gate tell of a previous love not yet forgotten.

‘Set in a dry and bleak area of Spain during the civil war, with music, dance and excerpts of Spanish… Blood Wedding has many beautiful and enchanting elements.’ - BARGAIN THEATRE

‘Mesmerising, urgent and dangerous ... one of the best versions I’ve seen’ - WHAT'S PEEN SEEN

THE TEMPEST

The Cockpit Theatre

Brought to life in-the-round through use of puppetry, dance and live folk music.

‘Presented in the round, this production places emphasis on music and physicality from start to end’ - What’s On Stage

‘The movement work which adds to the whimsical feel of the production…is slick and creates moments of real beauty and imagination’ - A YOUNGER THEATRE

‘This was quite an unusual rendition… using movement, dance, live music and puppetry… the combination lent a lot to the mystical, magical feel of The Tempest.’ - EVERYTHING THEATRE

Nights of Enchantment

The Etcetera Theatre

Trapped in a disused room in the Sultan's palace, the Princess and her cohorts tell each other stories of their childhood to keep their fear at bay. Each story takes us deeper into their world of magic and mystery, sultans and sorcery, and into a world where words have the ultimate power in matters of life and death.

‘A very enjoyable play, with brilliant dance, physical theatre, voice, puppets and masks’ - EVERYTHING THEATRE

‘All elements are smoothly and subtlety integrated, carefully woven into a delicate blend of song, dance and storytelling.’ - BARGAIN THEATRE

The Tsvarevich and the Wolf

The Etcetera Theatre

The small Tree Folk Theatre Company use song, dance, storytelling, puppetry and a few simple props to tell the old Russian fairytale of Ivan Tsarevich’s search for a firebird that has been stealing golden apples.

'Ethereal dance sequences… The Tsarevich and the Wolf is a beautiful, compelling story and a merry debut from a company I hope to see a lot more of in the future.' - EVERYTHING THEATRE

'It is testament to strong storytelling that I was left wanting more.' - CAMDEN NEW JOURNAL

The Second Shepherd's Play

The New Diorama Theatre

Three shepherds sit on a hill complaining about the weather, their sore feet and anything else they can think of. A weary stranger comes along asking to sleep by their fire and, being a generous bunch they let him stay for the night. However, little do they know their guest is actually notorious sneak-sheep-thief on the look out for a lamb to take home for his supper. Will the shepherds realize in time and rescue their flock? Or will the intruder make off with the woolly loot!

Aimed at introducing medieval theatre to a younger audience this adapted version of "the Second Shepherd's Play" by the Wakefield Master" used folk music, dance and puppetry to bring to life this mystery play that sees the shepherds from the Nativity story recast as a bunch of bumbling clowns set amidst a farcical story of theft and disguise. 

A Midsummer Night's Dream

The New Diorama

Chaos reigns in the forests outside Athens as gods wage war, lovers unite and the local am-dram troupe tries to find a decent spot to rehearse. An astonishing combination of some of Shakespeare's most hauntingly lyrical language and broadest humour this was Pell Mell's very first show. 

Set in the dazzling world of the 1920's and influenced by everything from the Ballet Russe to early jazz this sold out production brought music, mischief and mayhem to the Camden Fringe. 

Working with a range of contemporary artists we adapted Purcell's "The Fairy Queen" using the instruments and styles of the early 20th century to create masques interweaving music and dance throughout Shakespeare's text.

'A confident young cast stage a sexy 1920s take on Shakespeare' - HAM AND HIGH