Gabriel, At Last - The Etta James Story and Best Foot Forward
Gabriel – tour starts 28 March
Moira Buffini’s play Gabriel will have its 20th anniversary production when it tours from March to May.
Set in 1943 Nazi-occupied Guernsey, it is the story of Jeanne, a widow and mother responsible for the safety of her adolescent daughter Estelle and daughter-in-law Lily.
Amongst Jeanne's challenges are the advances made by the terrifying Commander Von Pfunz, and things become more difficult still when an amnesiac young man is washed ashore.
Paul McGann stars as Von Pfunz in his first UK tour with Belinda Lange as Jeanne.
Robin Morrissey plays Gabriel, Sarah Schoenbeck plays Lily, Jules Melvin plays Lake and Venice van Someren will play Estelle.
Gabriel is directed by Kate McGregor.
The plays opens at Richmond Theatre and then visits Liverpool Playhouse, Devonshire Park Theatre Eastbourne, Theatre Clwyd, Theatre Royal Windsor, Greenwich Theatre and Yvonne Arnaud Guildford.
At Last - The Etta James Story – tour starts 28 March
Vika Bull stars as the titular soul legend Etta James in this bio–musical which toured Australia with notable success and now makes its UK début when it tours in the spring.
At Last - The Etta James Story features a number of her best known songs including "Tell Mama", "Something’s Got A Hold On Me", "Sugar On The Floor", "I’d Rather Go Blind" and her signature song "At Last".
The singer continued to record and perform into her seventies after a fight with addiction. During her career she won six Grammy Awards and she has a star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
At Last - The Etta James Story opens at Liverpool’s Epstein Theatre and then visits Tramshed Cardiff, Assembly Hall Leamington Spa, Town Hall Birmingham, St George’s Hall Bristol, Assembly Hall Theatre Tunbridge Wells, Concorde Club Eastleigh, Cadogan Hall London, OPEN Norwich, Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, Corby Cube and Apex Bury St Edmunds.
Best Foot Forward – tour starts 30 March
Maeve Larkin’s new play about the history of Youth Hostelling is to be performed in Youth Hostels and other venues when it tours the UK.
Best Foot Forward will be directed by Marianne McNamara and has music composed by Kieran Buckeridge and directed by Rebekah Hughes. The cast has not yet been announced.
This will be Maeve Larkin's fourth play for Mikron Theatre Company and Mikron's 46th tour. Uniquely the Company tours on board a vintage narrowboat commissioning two shows a year each with original music. Their other show is In At The Deep End, a celebration of the RNLI.
The tour of Best Foot Forward visits The Leggers Inn Dewsbury, Wetherby Whaler Guiseley, YHA York, St Helens Central Library, Birch Community Centre Manchester, Millennium Gallery Sheffield, YHA Liverpool, Oldham Library and Lifelong Learning Centre, Emmanuel Church Gawber WI, Marple Senior Citizen’s Hall Stockport, The Swan Saddleworth, YHA Castleton Losehill Hall Hope Valley, YHA Ambleside Waterhead, YHA Boggle Hole Fylingthorpe, Stirley Community Farm Huddersfield, Victoria Hotel Nottingham, YHA Coalport Telford, Heart of England Pub & Restaurant Northampton, The Canal Museum Towcester, Parkside House Hotel Milton Keynes, The Grand Junction Arms Tring, Framfield Allotments Hanwell, Mudlarks Community Garden / Scott House Hertford, The Rising Sun Berkhamsted, The Three Horseshoes Winkwell, YHA Bath, YHA Eden Project, Bourne End WI, North Aston Village Green Bicester, The Trout Inn Lechlade On Thames, The Rowbarge Reading, Waterfront Café Benson Marina, The Plough Inn Abingdon, Alcester War Memorial Town Hall, Foundry Wood Leamington Spa Gilroy Community Allotment Site Wirral, Georgian Theatre Royal Richmond and Old Malton War Memorial Hall.
Check web sites for information regarding post–show Q&As, captioned, signed and relaxed performances, and age suitability. At the time of going to press, some dates may not yet be on sale.