Ventoux, The Red Chair, Out of Order, Grease!, and Portrait
Ventoux – tour starts 2 March
Nottingham based 2Magpies Theatre present Ventoux which restages the dramatic Tour de France race on Mont Ventoux in 2000 between Lance Armstrong and Marco Pantani with real race commentary and film footage.
Armstrong, went on to win and then be stripped of his titles whilst Pantani died of an overdose four years later.
Ventoux is directed by Matt Wilks. Lance Armstrong is played by Alexander Gatehouse and Marco Pantani is played by Tom Barnes. Video is by Mad Adam Films.
The tours starts at Lancaster Arts then visits The Kirkgate Centre Cockermouth, Seaton Delaval Arts Centre Whitley Bay, PULSE presents New Wolsey Theatre Ipswich, Saltburn Community Theatre, Lion Salt Works Cheshire, Arts Centre Washington Sunderland, The Fallibroome Academy Macclesfield, The Bedales Olivier Theatre Hampshire, Swindon Arts Centre, The Courtyard Hereford, The Angles Theatre Wisbech, Pomegranate Theatre Chesterfield, The Grand Lancashire, Century Theatre Leicestershire, Pavilions Teignmouth, The Shelley Theatre Boscombe, Broadway Theatre Hertfordshire, The Theatre Chipping Norton, Square Chapel Halifax, Norwich Playhouse, The Courthouse Otley, Alnwick Playhouse Northumberland, University of Sheffield, Waterside Arts Centre Sale, Richard Whitely Theatre Giggleswick, Cambridge Junction, Salisbury Playhouse, The Haymarket Basingstoke, Cast Doncaster, Dixon Studio Essex, South Street Arts Centre Reading, Warwick Arts Centre Coventry, Lichfield Garrick, Nottingham Lakeside Arts, Hertford Theatre, The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre Hampshire, Conquest Theatre Herefordshire and Theatre Royal Margate.
The Red Chair – tour starts 3 March
Clod Ensemble have added additional dates to the tour of The Red Chair which sees the show visit the "Highlands and Islands" of Scotland.
The Red Chair is a contemporary take on folk and fairytale storytelling traditions written and performed by Sarah Cameron in a Scots dialect, directed by Clod Ensemble's Suzy Willson with music by Paul Clark.
The Red Chair opens at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow then visits Eden Court Inverness, Seaboard Centre Balintore, Aros Isle of Skye, Macphail Centre Ullapool, Gairloch Community Hall, Craignish Hall Ardfern, Traverse Theatre Edinburgh, Theatre Royal Dumfries and Dundee Rep Theatre.
Out Of Order – tour starts 8 March
The 2017 tour of Out Of Order marks 70 years in show business for its writer Ray Cooney.
Cooney's extensive credits include Run For Your Wife, Funny Money, Two Into One, Caught in the Net and It Runs in the Family.
This Westminster farce was originally titled Whose Wife is it Anyway and has been updated though as Cooney says "the basic premise of a philandering politician is as likely today as it was when the play was originally written!”
The cast is made up of ‘Allo ‘Allo's Arthur Bostrom, EastEnders' Shaun Williamson, Only Fools & Horses' Sue Holderness, Andrew Hall, Susie Amy, James Holmes, Elizabeth Elvin, Jules Brown and David Warwick. Completing the cast are Raphael Bar, Simon Murray and Kate Sawyer.
Out Of Order visits Yvonne Arnaud Guildford, Theatre Royal Brighton, Marlowe Theatre Canterbury, Richmond Theatre, New Alexandra Theatre Birmingham, Theatre Royal Glasgow, Hall for Cornwall Truro, Malvern Theatre, New Theatre Cardiff, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Manchester Opera House, Orchard Theatre Dartford, Sheffield Theatres, Churchill Bromley, Oxford New Theatre, Swansea Grand, Palace Theatre Southend and Nottingham Theatre Royal.
Grease! – tour starts 9 March
Hit 70s musical Grease! tours again from March having enjoyed ongoing success since its first outing.
Featuring the songs from the movie of the same name, including "You’re The One That I Want", "Grease Is The Word", "Summer Nights", "Hopelessly Devoted to You" and "Sandy", the show was voted the “No 1 Greatest Musical” by Channel 4's 100 Greatest Musicals.
The Wanted's Tom Parker makes his musical theatre début in the role of Danny Zuko alongside Over the Rainbow winner Danielle Hope as Sandy.
Strictly Come Dancing's Louisa Lytton plays Rizzo and Hollyoaks' Darren Day plays Teen Angel until 29 April.
Completing the cast are Tom Senior, Michael Cortez, Oliver Jacobson, Ryan Heenan, Callum Evans, Lauren Atkins, Rosanna Harris, Rhiannon Chesterman, Gabriella Williams and Ailsa Davidson.
The ensemble is made up of Charlotte Coggin, Anthony Hughes, Alessia McDermott, Natasha Mould, Anna Murray, George Olney, Rory Phelan and Grant Thresh.
The show is written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, and directed by David Gilmore.
Grease! opens at the Palace Theatre Manchester then visits New Theatre Oxford, Liverpool Empire Liverpool, Cliffs Pavilion Southend-on-Sea, New Wimbledon Theatre Wimbledon, Sunderland Empire, King’s Theatre Glasgow, Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, Birmingham Hippodrome, Bristol Hippodrome, Mayflower Theatre Southampton, New Victoria Theatre Woking, Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Dublin, Venue Cymru Llandudno, Princess Theatre Torquay, Milton Keynes Theatre, Edinburgh Playhouse, Regent Theatre Ipswich, His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Orchard Theatre Dartford and Grand Theatre Wolverhampton.
Portrait – tour starts 9 March
Portrait is written and performed by Racheal Ofori inspired by her own experiences as a young black woman.
Using music, poetry, humour and dance to look at identity and role models this fun and provocative play challenges cultural stereotypes.
Portrait is directed by Kate Hewitt.
The show visits South Street Reading, Brasshouse Smethwick, Wolverhampton Arena and Northern Stage Newcastle.