Doctor Dolittle, Take On Me
Doctor Dolittle - tour starts 9 November
A new production of Doctor Dolittle stars Mark Williams at the first ten venues of the UK and Ireland tour that starts in November. His theatre credits include Fanshen, Doctor of Honour, As You Like It, Art, Toast and Tartuffe.
Alongside Williams is Fascinating Aïda’s Adèle Anderson as Lady Bellowes / Poison Arrow at the first six venues. Her musical theatre career takes in Follies, Into The Woods and Phantom Of The Opera.
Coronation Street's Brian Capron plays Albert Blossom / Straight Arrow at the same venues as Williams. Vicky Entwistle plays Polynesia, Mollie Melia-Redgrave plays Emma Fairfax and Patrick Sullivan plays Matthew Mugg for the entire tour.
Also in the cast are Femi Akinfolarin, Erica Jayne Alden, Lydia Bannister, Joel Bayliss, Evonnee Bentley-Holder, Jane Crawshaw, Emily Essery, Jacob Fisher, George Hankers, Catherine Hannay, Evan James, Leon Kay, Emma Lloyd, Owen McHugh, Ross Meagrow, Tom Norman, Emily Ann Potter, Ellie Seaton and Richard Vorster. The role of Tommy Stubbins will be shared by Harry Cross, Elliot Morris, Quillan O’Meara McDonald, Louis Parker, Elliott Rose and Thomas Ryan.
Doctor Dolittle is based on the film (which starred Rex Harrison); it has a reworked book, music and lyrics by double Academy Award-winner Leslie Bricusse. The songs from the film including "Talk To The Animals" are in the show.
Bricusse has stage writing/composing credits that include Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, Pickwick, Harvey, Goodbye Mr Chips, Scrooge and Victor/Victoria. Cinema writing / composing credits include Scrooge, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice and The Last Emperor.
The story of the eccentric Doctor Dolittle who goes off with his exotic menagerie in search of the happiness-inducing Giant Pink Sea Snail is told with puppetry. The original stories are by Hugh Lofting. Christopher Renshaw directs.
Doctor Dolittle opens at Churchill Theatre Bromley then visits The Lowry Salford, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, Newcastle Theatre Royal, Hull New Theatre, His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Royal & Derngate Northampton, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Alhambra Theatre Bradford, Bord Gáis Energy Theatre Dublin, The Marlowe Canterbury, Wales Millennium, Mayflower Theatre Southampton, Blackpool Winter Gardens and Birmingham Hippodrome.
Take On Me - tour starts 16 November
This is a new staging of Dante or Die's '80s-inspired show Take On Me, created by Terry O’Donovan and Daphna Attias with text by Andrew Muir.
Set in a local leisure centre, this play looks at the anxieties that underpin us as we strive for better versions of ourselves.
Performed in leisure centres with live musicians accompanying the action in the changing rooms, gym, an aerobics class and the pool, the audience is a fly on the wall.
The cast includes Fiona Watson and Sophie Gunn provides integrated BSL communication. At each location, there will be a different guest cast of local people rehearsed as part of a three-week programme of outreach and engagement.
The music, classic '80s hits including "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and "Flashdance", is performed by Eleanor Isherwood and George Hicks. Daphna Attias directs.
The production is presented in partnership with Lighthouse, Creative Arts East, Ideas Test, The Lowry, Ealing Council and South Street.
Take On Me visits Rossmore Leisure Centre Poole, Alive Oasis Leisure Centre Hunstanton Norfolk, Hoo Sports Centre Kent, Broughton Leisure Centre Salford, Everyone Active Acton Centre London and South Reading Leisure Centre.