Latest news with #OlivierAward-winning
Glasgow Times
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Here & Now musical brings Steps hits to Glasgow stage
The King's Theatre is set to host Here & Now as part of its UK and Ireland tour from September 16 to 20. Rebecca Lock will reprise her role as Caz, while Finty Williams and Blake Patrick Anderson return as Patricia and Robbie, respectively. River Medway, a fan favourite from RuPaul's Drag Race UK, is returning as Jem. Edward Baker Duly will play Max and John Stacey as Lesley. READ MORE: Glasgow's Lulu reveals dream to sing to former US President The principal cast is being joined by new faces, including Jacqui Dubois as Vel, Chris Grahamson as Gareth, and Rosie Singha as Neeta. Here & Now features Steps' most popular songs and a book by Shaun Kitchener. It is produced by the band and ROYO, with Pete Waterman. Rachel Kavanaugh is signed on as director, with Olivier Award-winning Matt Cole as choreographer and Matt Spencer-Smith as musical supervisor, orchestrator, and arranger. Set in the seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, the story unfolds on a Friday night. READ MORE: Megastar announces exciting Glasgow gig as part of arena tour But when Caz uncovers lies and betrayal on the shelves, her dream summer of love begins to unravel. The plot follows the characters' journey as they grapple with the possibility of losing happiness or cling to hope for a happy ending. Additional artistic contributors include Tom Rogers for set design, Gabriella Slade for costume design, Howard Hudson for lighting design, Adam Fisher for sound design, and Sam Cox for wigs, hair, and makeup design. The cast was selected by Will Burton at Grindrod Burton Casting. Further casting announcements will be made.
New Indian Express
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Unpacking Baggage
With tensions between India and Pakistan at an all-time high and the nation having just recently grappled with the possibility of an all-out war, perhaps now, more than ever before in recent memory, questions of war and the human consequences of it are increasingly close to us. In the play Bag Dancing, Imelda, a woman from Vienna, has experienced the worst of war and human suffering – the holocaust – and is now a 'bag lady' in the UK. She carries her life in her bags, and questions authority boldly. Neville is a young man who works at a homeless shelter while caring for his mentally ill mother. He believes that not everybody is meant to dream. But what happens when these two share their stories and form a friendship? This is what acclaimed Olivier Award-winning UK playwright, Mike Kenny's latest play seeks to explore. As director Ujwala Rao explains, the play tackles themes of war, displacement, classism, and mental health in a simple way. She says, 'They go around telling their stories and talk about things like war and mental health, but gently. It is not dealt in an overtly political way, but in a way that affects people's everyday lives.' This gentle approach, according to Rao, has been a gateway for parents to explain difficult subjects to their kids, 'There are many parents of children who've said that they find it hard to talk about things like war and displacement to their children but this play opens up a chance for them to address these things because children will then ask questions like 'what is war', 'why did she lose her home', and 'why were so many people killed?'.' Despite the central concerns, the play is not devoid of fun and whimsy, essentially aiming to leave audiences feeling optimistic while giving them food for thought. Rao attributes this to Kenny's writing, saying, 'Mike's writing is really engaging and there's a certain rhythm to it. I'm a fan of many of his plays, but with this one, especially, every girl or boy who reads or watches the play wants to be like Imelda and feels that they are like Neville. I love how Mike talks about some significant things with such humour and lightness,' she says, adding, 'Kids have been absolutely inspired by Neville and Imelda's friendship and come out feeling like changing the world, and you don't have to be in a position of authority to do so. The adults come out feeling warm and understood.' (The play is set to be performed at Bangalore International Centre on May 21 at 7pm. Entry is for all above age 8 and is free of cost. For more information, visit
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical to be performed in York in 2026
An award-winning musical is coming to York as part of a world tour. The Olivier Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated production, Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical, will be performed at the Grand Opera House in June 2026. The show tells the true story of a covert operation during World War II, Operation Mincemeat, which, in 1943, saw the Allied Forces make use of a particular "trick" in the pocket of a stolen corpse. The musical, described by a spokesperson as "equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper," was written and composed by British creative quartet, SpitLip. They said: "We wish to thank the audiences who continue to carry this show with love and enthusiasm. "Operation Mincemeat reminds us that in uncertain times, the bonds between allies are more important than ever - and that message feels especially relevant as we consider all the great nations in which our show will now have the opportunity to play. "This show continues to be the adventure of a lifetime, and we're wildly excited about what's to come." Operation Mincemeat began as a small production at London's New Diorama Theatre, and later had sold-out runs at venues including Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. It premiered in the West End on May 9, 2023, at the Fortune Theatre. Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical will be performed at the Grand Opera House from Monday, June 1 to Saturday, June 6, 2026. Tickets for the Grand Opera House performances will be made available for sale (date TBC) via
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Lauren Drew: 'Playing Celine Dion on stage is a lot of pressure'
When Lauren Drew was offered the role of Celine Dion in Titanique in London's West End, she did not have to think the Port Talbot-born musical star, a lifelong fan of the "queen of power ballads", it was a dream come described the Olivier Award-winning show as a parody of the 1997 film Titanic, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate said the role comes with "a lot of pressure," as she must deliver Dion's powerhouse vocals on the hit My Heart Will Go On. Drew began performing at a young age as a champion freestyle disco dancer, but it was during school that she discovered her passion for singing and trained at Neath Port Talbot College before earning a full scholarship to Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in up in a working-class family with limited means, Drew said she worked tirelessly to fund her dreams, taking on various jobs from the age of said her family "kind of sacrificed everything for me, so I do this for them".Now 32, she said she believed there was something special about her hometown, which has produced stars like Sir Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, and Richard Burton."I think the town naturally breeds very hardworking people," she added. Following acclaimed performances in Six the Musical and Legally Blonde, Drew has reached new heights of recognition in Titanique, with celebrity fans including Alan Carr and Amanda said audiences should expect a wildly different experience from the film it by Tye Blue, part of the team behind RuPaul's Drag Race, Drew said the show is "wacky, wonderful, and crazy" and "a real ride"."I need you to imagine a Titanic Museum, and Celine Dion crashes and she says, 'Oh, no, no, no'. This is not actually what what went down. I'll tell you what went down because I was there and this story is a fever dream," she added. The show also features Bad Education star Layton Williams, as the for Drew, a grounded performer playing an over-the-top diva, she said it was all about giving the audience a joyful added: "I feel like the world needs it right now. "You know, it's just kind of unapologetic, crazy joy. "And everybody, every single show, they're on their feet, every single time, without fail, it's just, it's so much fun," Drew said. In 2022, Celine Dion, widely known as the "queen of power ballads", revealed her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare autoimmune neurological disorder that causes severe muscle spasms. It affected her ability to sing and perform and led to her cancelling tour returned to live performance for the first time since revealing the condition at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, where she sung on the Eiffel her health struggles are not mentioned in Titanique, which takes a more playful, spoof-like approach to her legacy. Although Lauren Drew's portrayal of the 200-million-record-selling Canadian star is an exaggerated version, audience expectations remain said: "There is such pressure, because people love her so much, she's such a kooky person, but first and foremost, I know that people want the vocals, so I am living like a nun at the moment."Determined to "make sure people get what they expect" from someone playing Celine Dion, Drew has been "guzzling down litres of water" and studying countless videos to capture the star's signature said: "I was such a massive fan of her anyway, and I've been told over the years that I remind people of her, so it wasn't too far a stretch."I kind of have that bonkers energy quite naturally anyway."But I've watched a lot of videos, things that she does when she's on stage, the flick of her hand and the pound of her chest, and she's very dynamic, in everything that she does, and everything is very deliberate," Drew hard work paid off for her as she was recently nominated for an Olivier Award for Best Actress in a said she hopes her success will show people "not to limit themselves because they came from nothing". You can listen to full interview on BBC Sounds
South Wales Guardian
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Guardian
When is VE Day and why do we celebrate it in the UK?
It's no surprise that VE Day is being brought up in conversations as we head towards its 80th anniversary. Here's what we know about the celebration and why it's marked in the UK calendar. VE Day will take place on May 8, as it does every year - in 2025, May 8 falls on a Thursday. Celebrations are expected to take place across the country on and leading up to May 8. VE Day, short for Victory in Europe Day, is celebrated every year on May 8 to mark the day the Allies formally accepted Germany's surrender in 1945. Commemorations will mark the end of the war, including a Red Arrows flypast in London and a service at Westminster Abbey with members of the royal family. Street parties, an installation of 30,000 ceramic poppies and more are also expected. While the UK is being encouraged to enjoy celebrations, there is no bank holiday scheduled for May 8. It will instead be considered a normal day with celebrations taking place throughout the day and week. You can find out more about the government's decision to not schedule an extra bank holiday for VE Day in our article, linked below. Award-winning actors will star in a Second World War film released to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day. The National Theatre's short film will use connected stories to present intergenerational perspectives on the end of the war. Olivier Award-winning actor Julian Glover, who starred in the James Bond, Indiana Jones and Star Wars film franchises, will feature in The Next Morning screened on May 8. It was written by James Graham who wrote Dear England, a play about former England football manager Gareth Southgate. The film will also feature Sian Phillips, who won a Bafta for her role in I, Claudius, and Joseph Mydell, from the Academy Award-winning film Conclave. Recommended reading: Is VE Day a bank holiday as the UK celebrates its 80th anniversary? Full list of UK Bank Holidays for 2025 Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: 'It is absolutely right that we ensure that the stories of those who lived through and fought in the Second World War are remembered by generations to come. 'Through the National Theatre, the VE Day 80 concert and our UK-wide exhibition, we will bring to life the stories of those no longer with us so that the next generation are able to honour their sacrifice and recognise the legacy of peace that they fought to secure.' More than 12,500 people including Second World War veterans are expected to attend the VE Day 80 concert on May 8, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said.
