Monster Calls, Revenge, Bang Bang!, Peppa Pig
A Monster Calls – tour starts 6 February
A Monster Calls is based on the Carnegie and Greenaway Medal winning novel by Patrick Ness, inspired by an idea from Siobhan Dowd.
In it, thirteen-year-old Conor is woken by something at his window. A monster has come walking to tell Conor tales from when it walked before but Conor must tell his own story and face his deepest fears.
Sally Cookson directs the full cast made up of Greg Bernstein, Kaye Brown, Raffaella Covino, Ammar Duffus, Keith Gilmore, Jade Hackett, Cora Kirk, Kel Matsena, Maria Omakinwa, Sarah Quist, Paul Sockett, Ewan Wardrop and Sam Wood.
The movement director is Dan Canham, the writer in the room is Adam Peck, the composer is Benji Bower and projection is by Dick Straker.
An extensive outreach and engagement programme is being provided alongside A Monster Calls. This will include discussions, workshops, an education pack and participatory activities and events. Kooth, a free and anonymous online counselling and emotional wellbeing support service for children and young people will be available in many areas.
A Monster Calls is an Old Vic production in association with Bristol Old Vic produced by Global Creatures, Jonathan Church Productions and Chichester Festival Theatre.
The play visits Chichester Festival Theatre, Nottingham Theatre Royal, The Lowry Salford, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Sheffield Lyceum, His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Kings Theatre Edinburgh, Malvern Theatre, Theatre Royal Norwich, Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, Theatre Royal Plymouth, Curve Leicester and Bristol Old Vic.
Revenge – tour starts 6 February
A new stage production of Revenge opens at Greenwich Theatre London prior to touring through to the end of March.
Robin Hawdon’s suspense-filled thriller sees the lauded and loved MP Bill Crayshaw return from a business trip to find his party agent has been killed. Was it a tragic accident or something more sinister? Mary Stewart is determined to find out, but what is her motive? Journalism, blackmail, seduction or… revenge?
The cast is made up of Jonathan McGarrity, whose credits include The Full Monty and A Christmas Carol and Coronation Street on television, and Kate Ashmead, whose credits include The Importance of Being Earnest, Educating Rita, and Wait Until Dark.
Louise Jameson directs and fight direction is by Dan Styles.
Revenge is produced by Martin Parsons for Crime and Comedy Theatre Company.
Following its opening at Greenwich Theatre, Revenge visits Wilde Theatre Bracknell, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Stafford Gatehouse Theatre, Shanklin Theatre Isle of Wight, The Lights Andover, Blackfriars Theatre Boston, The Atkinson Southport, Majestic Theatre Darlington, Gordon Craig Theatre Stevenage, Chelmsford Civic Theatre, Old Laundry Theatre Windermere, Mansfield Palace Theatre, Theatre Royal Winchester, Brewhouse Theatre Taunton, Tivoli Theatre Wimborne and Fairfield Halls Croydon.
Bang Bang! – tour starts 6 February
Tessa Peake-Jones, Tony Gardner and Wendi Peters star in a new farce written by John Cleese.
Bang Bang! is based on Monsieur Chasse by Georges Feydeau and marks Cleese's stage writing debut which mixes French farce and Fawlty Towers. Exeter Northcott Theatre artistic director and chief executive, Daniel Buckroyd, directs.
Set amidst the stylish apartments of Paris, Leontine finds that her husband, Duchotel, has been philandering whilst claiming to her that he has gone hunting. She vows revenge but when Duchotel’s friend arrives, just who will get caught in whose trap?
Expect door-slamming, trouser-dropping, and balcony-climbing chaos.
Dermot McLaughlin Productions, in association with Farces Galore Ltd presents the Exeter Northcott Production of Bang Bang! which visits Exeter Northcott Theatre, Theatr Clwyd Mold, New Theatre Peterborough, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, Wyvern Theatre Swindon, Palace Theatre Westcliff on Sea, Ashcroft Playhouse Croydon, Orchard Theatre Dartford, Devonshire Park Theatre and Festival Theatre Malvern.
Peppa Pig—My First Concert – tour starts 9 February
Peppa Pig—My First Concert, an introduction to music from Mozart to "Muddy Puddles" for children, returns following a successful tour in 2019.
This interactive show features a live orchestra and characters from popular animated television series Peppa Pig. Children and their families sing and dance along as Daddy Pig learns how to conduct an orchestra and enjoy their favourite songs as they explore the different sounds that the instruments make.
Creative director and principal flautist of British chamber orchestra Aurora and children’s concert specialist Jane Mitchell has worked with arranger Iain Farrington on the show to interweave Peppa Pig songs into classics by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Mozart and Grieg. The on-stage presenter is Evie James.
Peppa Pig—My First Concert visits Royal Concert Hall Glasgow, Whitehall Theatre Dundee, Usher Hall Edinburgh, Birmingham Town Hall, Leeds Town Hall, The Dome Concert Hall Brighton, Bridgewater Hall Manchester, Queen Elizabeth Hall London, St George’s Hall Bristol and St David’s Hall Cardiff.