Animals and Children, Two Little Ducks, Tabby McTat, All About Me, Wise Children
The Animals and Children Took to The Streets – tour starts 5 October
Award-winning company 1927 revives its hit show The Animals and Children Took to The Streets.
It tells the story of the Bayou Mansions, a stinking tenement block, where curtain-twitchers and peeping toms live side-by-side and the wolf is always at the door—but what happens when newcomers arrive?
The cast is made up of Genevieve Dunne, Rowena Lennon and Felicity Sparks with voice of James Addie.
The show, which synchronises live music, performance and storytelling with films and animation, is directed and written by Suzanne Andrade with animation, film and design by Paul Barritt and music by Lilian Henley.
It is created by 1927, a co-commission by BAC, Malthouse Theatre Melbourne & The Showroom (University of Chichester) and produced by Joanna Crowley.
The Animals and Children Took to The Streets tours nationally and internationally visiting Theatre Royal Margate (as part of Margate Film Festival), Liverpool Playhouse, Nuffield Theatre Southampton, The Old Market Brighton, HOME Manchester and Lyric Hammersmith London with further UK dates to be announced.
Two Little Ducks – tour starts 5 October
Matt Abbott’s new poetry show Two Little Ducks tours alongside the publication of his first book by Verve—also called Two Little Ducks.
Wakefield-born Abbot has been inspired by his hometown's 66% Leave vote in the referendum and his experiences as a volunteer at the Calais Jungle refugee camp.
Using his wit and observational storytelling, Abbot's show explores the working class Brexit vote whilst exposing the bleak reality of the Calais refugee jungle.
An early version of the show enjoyed success at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Abbot is Poet-in-Residence at the National Coal Mining Museum of England and founder of the independent spoken word label Nymphs & Thugs.
Two Little Ducks visits Birmingham Waterstones, The Red & Green Club Huddersfield (Milnsbridge), Middlesbrough Little Theatre Club, Norwich Arts Centre, Southend-on-Sea Twenty One, Ware Arts Centre, Derby The Maypole Café Bar & Theatre, London The Albany, Margate Tom Thumb Theatre, Chew Magna Chew Valley Theatre, Cardigan The Cellar, Durham The Wabi-Sabi Academy, Leeds Seven Arts, Goole Castaway Theatre, Glasgow The Old Hairdresser’s, Leicester Upstairs at The Western, Clevedon The Theatre Shop, Coventry Albany Theatre, Bury The Met, Chester St Mary’s Creative Space and Wakefield Theatre Royal.
Tabby McTat – tour starts 5 October
Tabby McTat has been adapted from the book by Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler.
It tells the story of a busker's cat with the loudest of meows who gets separated from his best friend Fred using original songs and puppetry.
Alan Lane directs, with music and musical direction by Tristan Parkes.
Tabby McTat is presented by Freckle Productions and visits Winchester Theatre Royal, Swansea Grand Theatre, Webster Memorial Theatre Arbroath, E M Forster Theatre Tonbridge, Stephen Joseph Theatre Scarborough, Burnley Mechanics, Gala Theatre Durham, Radlett Centre Hertfordshire, Margate Theatre Royal, Southend Palace Theatre, The Berry Eastleigh, Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds, Lichfield Garrick, Newark Palace Theatre, Mansfield Palace Theatre, Lancaster Grand Theatre, The Core Theatre Solihull, William Aston Hall Wrexham, Lincoln Theatre Royal, Curve Theatre Leicester, The Swan Theatre Worcester, The Broadway Theatre Peterborough, Arts Depot North Finchley, Connaught Theatre Worthing, The Old Market Brighton and The Stables Wavendon.
It’s All About Me – tour starts 6 October
Joanna Lumley tours an intimate show talking of her career adventures that started as a model in London in the swinging '60s.
National treasure, activist, award-winning comedy actress and more, Lumley is best remembered for the roles of Purdey in The Avengers, Patsy Stone in Absolutely Fabulous and more recently as a travel adventurer.
On stage, Lumley will be joined by friend and producer Clive Tulloh, who will put forward questions from the audience.
It’s All About Me is presented by Phil McIntyre Entertainments.
The show visits Belfast Waterfront Hall, Dublin Bord Gais Theatre, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Newcastle Gateshead Theatre, Glasgow SEC Armadillo, Edinburgh EICC, Blackpool Opera House, Salford The Lowry, Oxford New Theatre, Bristol Hippodrome, Nottingham Royal Concert Hall, Cardiff Wales Millennium Centre, Cambridge Corn Exchange, Ipswich Regent Theatre, Sheffield City Hall, Southend Cliffs Pavilion, Leeds First Direct Arena, Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, York Barbican, London Palladium, Plymouth Pavilions, Coventry Warwick Arts Centre, Southampton 02 Guild Hall, Bournemouth BIC, Portsmouth Guild Hall, Leicester De Montfort Hall, Blackburn King Georges Hall, Brighton Dome, Northampton Derngate Theatre and Aylesbury Waterside Theatre.
Wise Children – tour starts 8 October
Wise Children is adapted from Angela Carter’s novel by Emma Rice as the inaugural production of her new company which takes the same name.
Wise Children is a company in residence at The Old Vic, London, where the play has its world première prior to touring.
Through the story of Nora and Dora Chance, twin chorus girls celebrating their 70th birthday, this is a celebration of show business, family, forgiveness and hope.
Wise Children is produced by The Old Vic, Belgrade Theatre Coventry, Oxford Playhouse and York Theatre Royal; it visits The Old Vic, Oxford Playhouse, Cambridge Arts Theatre, Bristol Old Vic, York Theatre Royal and Belgrade Theatre, Coventry.