Still No Idea – tour starts 1 August
Lee Simpson directs Lisa Hammond and Rachael Spence in Still No Idea which was first seen at London's Royal Court Theatre in 2018.
Written by Lisa Hammond, Lee Simpson and Rachael Spence, Still No Idea follows Lisa and Rachael as they try to create a show. With no ideas, they turn to the great British public for help.
The show is part-verbatim theatre, part-confession, part-comedy sketch show. It is performed in a relaxed environment; a sensory synopsis and a story synopsis are available.
Still No Idea is presented by Bunny in association with Ellie Keel Productions and Traverse Theatre.
The show visits The Bunker London, Unity Theatre Liverpool, SICK! Festival The Lowry, Farnham Maltings, Norden Farm Centre for the Arts Maidenhead, Stantonbury Theatre Milton Keynes, The North Wall Oxford, New Theatre Royal Portsmouth, South Street Reading, The Quarterhouse Folkestone, Tobacco Factory Bristol, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Traverse Edinburgh and South Bank Centre London.
Blood Brothers – tour starts 5 August
Mega hit Blood Brothers, written by award-winning playwright Willy Russell, tours again, with Lyn Paul reprising the role of Mrs Johnstone.
This will be Paul's 'farewell tour' in the role which she has previously played at London's Phoenix Theatre and on tour. Her other stage credits include Cabaret, Taboo and Footloose—the Musical.
Willy Russell's writing credits include Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine and Our Day Out.
Blood Brothers is directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright with musical direction by Kelvin Towse; it is presented by Bill Kenwright.
The show opens Cork Opera House then visits Canterbury The Marlowe, Liverpool Empire, Cardiff New Theatre, Birmingham Hippodrome, Derby Theatre, Hull New Theatre, Grand Opera House York, Crewe Lyceum, Hastings White Rock Theatre and Dartford Orchard Theatre.
Nigel Slater’s Toast – tour starts 19 August
The play based on television chef Nigel Slater's award-winning autobiography starts a tour in August.
The book is adapted by Henry Filloux-Bennett whose work won him the CAMEO award for Best Book to Stage adaptation.
Slater is a bestselling cookery writer, food columnist for The Observer and presenter of nine television cookery series.
Toast has previously been presented at The Lowry Salford, the 2018 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and The Other Palace, London. It has also been made into a film.
Nigel Slater’s Toast is directed by Jonnie Riordan.
The play visits Lawrence Batley Theatre Huddersfield, Oxford Playhouse, Southend Palace Theatre, Northern Stage Newcastle, Malvern Theatres, Royal & Derngate Northampton, Salisbury Playhouse, The Lowry Salford, York Theatre Royal and Crewe Lyceum Theatre with further dates to be announced.
Black Men Walking – tour starts 27 August
Eclipse Theatre’s Black Men Walking tours for four months with this tour taking in venues in Scotland.
The story, which is inspired by a real-life walking men’s group in Sheffield, is set in the Peak District; as the men walk, they explore what it means to be black and British.
Black Men Walking was conceived by Eclipse with Leeds-based rapper, singer, producer and performer Testament and mixes prose, poetry and original music.
Dawn Walton directs a cast made up of Tonderai Munyevu, Dorcas Sebuyange, Ben Onwukwe and Patrick Regis.
Black Men Walking visits Bernie Grant Arts Centre London Tron Theatre Glasgow, York Theatre Royal, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Perth Theatre, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Crucible Studio Theatre Sheffield, Nottingham Playhouse, Oldham Coliseum Theatre, Midlands Arts Centre Birmingham, Watford Palace Theatre, Beacon Arts Centre Greenock and Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough.
The Entertainer – tour starts 27 August
Shane Richie stars as Archie Rice in The Entertainer.
Richie is known as a television show host and has also appeared in television drama such as the BBC's Oliver Twist and We’re Doomed: The Dad’s Army Story, as well as EastEnders.
On stage, his credits include Grease, Everybody’s Talking about Jamie, The Perfect Murder and Not Dead Enough.
Richie is joined by Diana Vickers as Jean Rice, Sara Crowe as Phoebe Rice, Pip Donachy as Billy Rice and Christopher Bonwell as Frank Rice.
This production, which for the first time resets the period of John Osborne’s classic, is directed by Sean O’Connor. The action now takes place in 1982 with a backdrop of the Falklands War; originally the action takes place in 1957.
The Entertainer is a co-production between Curve, Anthology Theatre, and Simon Friend Entertainment.
The play opens at Curve Theatre Leicester then visits Milton Keynes, Malvern Festival Theatre, Plymouth Theatre Royal, New Victoria Theatre Woking, Eastbourne Theatres, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Coventry Belgrade Theatre, Theatre Royal Brighton, Manchester Opera House, Bromley Churchill Theatre, Cheltenham Everyman, Shrewsbury Severn Theatre.
Two Trains Running – tour starts 31 August
English Touring Theatre and Royal & Derngate present Two Trains Running by August Wilson.
The action is set in Pittsburgh in 1969, a period of racial tensions and social upheaval; at this critical time in American history, a controversial new president sits in the White House.
Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Wilson also wrote The Piano Lesson, Seven Guitars, Gem of the Ocean, Jitney and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
This revival of Wilson’s American classic is directed Nancy Medina with Geoff Aymer, Emmet Brown and Derek Ezenagu in the cast.
Two Trains Running visits Royal & Derngate Northampton, Nuffield Southampton Theatres, Oxford Playhouse, Cast Doncaster, New Wolsey Theatre, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre and Derby Theatre.
Check web sites for information regarding post-show Q&As, captioned, signed and relaxed performances, the use of smoke/haze and flashing lights, and age suitability. At the time of going to press, some dates may not yet be on sale.