Oz breaks Octagon records
The Christmas show at the Octagon Theatre in Bolton, a new adaptation of L Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz scripted by the members of the theatre's Incubate group of playwrights on attachment, was the best selling show in the theatre's history.
The production was directed by Elizabeth Newman who also runs the various new writing programmes at the theatre. She said, "The multi-talented cast and creative team, as well as our young company, who came from across the region, really brought this magical adventure to life in an exciting way."
The production, recreated by the same creative team, will be performed at Hull Truck Theatre next Christmas, running from 7 December 2012 to 19 January 2013.
The same team, again led by director Elizabeth Newman, will create a new adaptation of JM Barrie's Peter Pan for the next Octagon Christmas show which runs from 16 November 2012 to 12 January 2013; tickets are now on sale.
Ayckbourn's Norman Conquests at Playhouse
Liverpool Playhouse will present Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy The Norman Conquests in full this summer.
The three linked plays—Table Manners, Living Together and Round and Round the Garden—can be viewed in any order either on separate days or all together on special "trilogy days" which offer 15% off the ticket price and a packed lunch or special deals with local restaurants.
Directed by former Salisbury Playhouse artistic director Philip Wilson, the productions run from 25 May to 23 June.
Warning to take on Greenroom mantle
hÅb, the organisation that partnered Manchester's Greenroom for more than ten years before it closed last year, is carrying on the traditions of the former venue with a new venture called Word of Warning, described as, "a pop-up programme of new performance, coming to a Manchester space near you very soon".
Word of Warning will be a monthly sampler of double or triple bills consisting of previews of up and coming work from around the country, starting on 17 February at Zion Arts Centre in Hulme with Third Angel's new show What I Heard About The World.
hÅb director Tamsin Drury said, "There was a real sense of loss when greenroom closed and we want to bring back the essence of something that was so very Mancunian. We're not po-faced or exclusive—the work will be funny, touching, irreverent and moving and it's really for anyone who wants something a bit different, a bit challenging or a bit inspiring from their nights out."
Word of Warning is also working with Manchester's Contact Theatre to bring back artists Stacy Makishi and Brian Lobel, the fourth outing for three-day dance microfestival Turn and a new platform, Works Ahead, for developing shows by up and coming local artists.
For more information, see www.wordofwarning.org.
Coliseum seats all given away
As the refurbishment of Oldham Coliseum gets underway, all 585 seats have now been removed from the auditorium and donated to various projects around the country.
As we reported two weeks ago, three hundred of the seats were donated to a cinema restoration project in Lincoln. Of the rest, some will be used as part of a set at the Royal Exchange Theatre, some are being used by the Old Vic's Tunnels project in London, some have been used to reseat the auditorium of the Bike Shed Theatre in Exeter, some have gone towards a summer venue built by Chichester Festival Theatre made from "found" materials and six have been used by a music shop in Manchester for a Window display.
The Coliseum's next production, Taking Steps by Alan Ayckbourn, opens this week at Grange Arts Centre in Oldham.
Library Christmas Arabian Nights
Manchester's Library Theatre Company will be performing Arabian Nights as its next Christmas show in-the-round at The Lowry in Salford.
Adapted by Dominic Cooke and directed by Amy Leach, the production will run from 30 November 2012 to 12 January 2013. Priority booking opens on 13 February, while tickets go on general sale on 23 February.
FuelFest at the Unity
Liverpool's Unity Theatre will host a mini festival from producers Fuel, showcasing a range of new work from the UK.
Running from 17 February to 10 March, FuelFest will feature sound journey Ring directed by David Rosenberg, Sound&Fury's immersive Going Dark, Uninvited Guests' Make Better Please and Inua Ellam's Black T-Shirt Collection.
NW productions
Gemma Bodinetz directs A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams for Liverpool Playhouse, running from 17 February to 10 March.
Dance Touring Partnerships will present the first UK visit by director and choregrapher Blanca Li with Elektro Kif at The Lowry in Salford on 15 and 16 February.
D4L Theatre Company, which stages productions to raise money for charity, will perform Disney's Beauty and the Beast at the Robert Powell Theatre in the University of Salford from 16 to 18 February.
Anne Charleston, Mel Giedroyc and Hayley Tamaddon star in Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues at the Grand Theatre in Blackpool on 18 February.
Jonathan Larson's Pullitzer Prize-winning musical Rent, based on Puccini's La Bohème, will be performed by BA Musical Theatre students of Blackpool and Fylde College at The Dancehouse Theatre in Manchester from 15 to 17 February.
Showzam!, Blackpool's annual festival of circus, magic and new variety returns to the Grand Theatre and the Lawrence House Studio from 14 to 19 February featuring The Animals and Children took to the Streets, Star of Wonder, Circus Shorts, Ida Barr’s Variety Parade and Fireman Sam—Pontypandy Rocks.
Star of Wonder will also be at the Rose Theatre in Ormskirk on 13 February.
Also at the Rose, Thingumajig Theatre will presents Hullaba Lulu on 16 February.
Edward Lear's The Owl and the Pussycat will be performed by Hiccup Theatre at Waterside Arts Centre in Sale on 14 February.
At the Opera House in Manchester, Peppa and George are up to fun and games on a day out on Grandad Dog's boat in Peppa Pig's Treasure Hunt on 15 February.
MaD Theatre company takes us into the world of the kids' acting school in The Demise and Rise of Bunny Lamar at Waterside Arts Centre on 15 February.