Curve springs forward to summer in Leicester

Published: 3 November 2012
Reporter: Steve Orme

Curve, Leicester Credit: Steve Orme

The spring and summer season at Leicester’s Curve is “packed with a truly varied range of productions,” according to artistic director Paul Kerryson.

He says, “It includes the explosive story of the legendary singer Piaf, the new production of Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty and the return of Kneehigh and the National Theatre.

“Our thriving Curve Young Company will present a thrilling season to provide a platform for local talent and, looking ahead to our 2013-2014 programme and following the huge international interest in England’s notorious king, we will also be presenting a new production of Richard III.”

Curve chief executive Fiona Allan adds, “As well as the gripping productions which Paul mentions, we’re especially looking forward to our first co-production with the Mercury Theatre, Colchester on Howard Goodall’s The Hired Man.

“We’re delighted to continue our relationship with De Montfort University, with which we will co-produce two Caryl Churchill plays, Fen and Serious Money.”

Local favourite Ceri Dupree will take to the stage with his one-man, 21-woman production The Ceri Dupree Show from 4 until 9 February.

Kerryson will direct a new production of Pam Gems’s Piaf in the Studio at Curve from 22 February until 16 March.

Curve associate director (participation and learning) Tim Ford will direct Fen from 28 February until 9 March before associate director (community engagement) Suba Das directs Serious Money from 1 until 9 March.

Curve and the Mercury Theatre, Colchester get together on The Hired Man, based on Melvyn Bragg’s novel, from 12 until 17 April.

Curve Young Company stages Shakespeare’s The Tempest from 27 until 29 June and The Dreaming, a musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, from 4 until 6 July.

Kerryson will also direct a Curve Community production of Sweeney Todd from 30 July until 11 August.

Visiting productions include A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Little Angel in association with Kneehigh from 29 January until 2 February.

Fresh from a West End run, Graham Linehan’s The Ladykillers tours from 5 until 9 February before Kneehigh and West Yorkshire Playhouse present Steptoe and Son from 12 until 16 February.

The music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons will rock Curve in Jersey Nights from 26 February until 2 March.

For the first time Curve will welcome opera to its stage when English Touring Opera performs Mozart’s Cosi fan Tutte and Simon Boccanegra by Verdi on 11 and 12 March.

The Official Agatha Christie Company stages a new production, Go Back for Murder, from 25 until 30 March before Matthew Bourne returns to Curve with the world premiere of Sleeping Beauty from 9 until 13 April.

The Woman in Black pays a chilling visit from 27 May until 1 June while Birmingham Stage Company tours with its adaptation of Roald Dahl’s James and the Giant Peach from 4 until 8 June.

The National Theatre, whose production of One Man, Two Guvnors started its latest tour at Curve last week, returns with Lee Hall’s The Pitmen Painters from 10 until 15 June.

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