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Dateline:
7th July, 2002
RSC London Audiences
Fall
According to a report in "The Times", the first Royal Shakespeare
Company London season away from the Barbican is proving a financial
disaster. Attendance has been 45% at the Roundhouse as opposed to 60%
average at the Barbican and the loss of revenue could be as much as
£50,000. The company had a loss of £1.3m last year and the
loss is expected to rise to £2m this year.
Advance ticket sales for Much Ado, due to open at the Theatre
Royal, Haymarket, on 27th July, currently stand at 5%, but a company
spokeman dismissed fears, saying that London advanced sales are always
low, espcially in venues where they hadn't played before. But, he said,
audiences are willing to travel. "People like to find us in one
place, but they are also willing to find us in different places."
Mayall's Hitler
in Advert Row
A cinema advert in which Rick Mayall plays Adolf Hitler has aroused
anger among pro-single currency campaigners. The advert has Mayall as
Hitler saying, "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Euro", an echo of
the Nazi slogan, "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer". Lord
Janner of the Holocaust Educational Trust described the ad as "crass,
distasteful and totally inappropriate", but "No" campaigners
have called it harmless fun.
"Dan Dare"
Rights for NE Theatre
South Shields' Customs House has obtained the rights to create a musical
based on the boys' comic science fiction hero Dan Dare. The show will
be written by Performing Arts lecturer Tom Kelly with music by former
rock star John Miles. The two have previously worked together on a number
of musicals, including a version of Robert Westall's wartime children's
book The Machine Gunners which gained four stars from "The
Scotsman" at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe.
The show will be performed at the Customs House from 10th to 22nd March,
2003, just a few months before the launch of a new animated film, Dan
Dare, The Movie. Dan Dare was one of the most popular strips in
the 50s boys' comic "The Eagle".
In August the theatre will premiere another new musical, Fine! Fine!
Fine!, by TV agony aunt Denise Robertson, based on one of her own
novels.
The theatre, one of the success stories of the Arts Council's recovery
plan, has already taken over £5,000 in advance bookings for its
pantomime and is being cited as an example of best practice in community
arts development.
Divas at the Donmar
Actress and singer Janie Dee will be the first performer in the new
Divas at the Donmar season which launches on 5th August. Dee, currently
appearing in My One and Only at the Piccadilly and a Best Actress
Olivier winner for Ayckbourn's Comic Potential, will be followed
by Philip Quast, Kristin Chenoweth and Ruby Turner.
Vincent
to Transfer
Nicholas Wright's Vincent in Brixton, directed by Sir Richard
Eyre, is to transfer to Wyndham's on 29th July for three months until
26th October. The production received good notices when it had its world
premiere at the National in may. Dutch actor Jochum ten Haaf will reprise
his leading role but it is not yet know how many of the original cast
will transfer.
When the run is finished, the theatre will play host to the revival
of The Play What I Wrote.
Cambridge Launches
New Writing Festival
Hotbed, a new Cambridge new writing event jointly organised by the Menagerie
Theatre Company and the Junction CDC, opened on Friday 5th and will
continue through to 21st July. The festival features new plays by Tim
Etchells, Amanda Wittington, Steve Waters and Naomi Wallce, as well
as two plays for children, one a work in progress. There are also workshops,
discussions and forums.
Bond Joins Bean in
Macbeth
Samantha Bond will play Lady Macbeth in Edward Hall's production of
the Scottish play which opens at the Albery on 14th November. Sean Bean
plays Macbeth.
Rory and the Two
Johns Onstage
Impressionist Rory Bremner, John Bird and John Fortune are to appear
together onstage for the first time when they play a five week run at
the Albery from 30th September.
Madness Show Delayed
Our House, the musical based on the songs of Ska group Madness,
has delayed its opening. It will now open on 21st October at the Cambridge
Theatre. The first two previews have been cancelled: they will now begin
on 2nd October.
Index
A-F
Index G-K
Index L-Q
Index R-Z
News
Archive A-L
News Archive M-Z
Production News Archive
Please note that all three Archive
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