|
Once again, the New Theatre, Cardiff has a whole host of top quality entertainment this Summer. An inspiring programme of drama includes 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD starring Rula Lenska and William Gaunt, MY BOY JACK written by and starring David Haig and the wonderful black comedy DINNER with Stephanie Beacham, Gaby Roslin and Louise Jameson. Musical entertainment this season comes in the form of the international smash hit BLOOD BROTHERS starring Linda Nolan alongside Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s West End success TELL ME ON A SUNDAY with Faye Tozer taking over the role made so famous by Denise Van Outen. This Summer’s selection of dance begins with Northern Ballet Theatre’s haunting and romantic adaptation of SWAN LAKE and continues later in the season when the New Theatre Youth Dance Summer School in partnership with Diversions presents SUMMER CUTS. There’s family entertainment this summer with two magical productions, TOM’s MIDNIGHT GARDEN and the New Theatre Community Musical PIRATES!. And of course, no season would be complete without WELSH NATIONAL OPERA performing another collection of world class productions. Looking ahead to the Autumn, comedy is provided by LENNY HENRY while Jerome Flynn stars as Tommy Cooper in JUS’ LIKE THAT!. The New Theatre is pleased to welcome back The Wales Theatre Company in October performing a Shakespeare Trilogy. There is also the return of the sell-out success CHICAGO and Orbit Theatre present WEST SIDE STORY. Not forgetting this year’s spectacular pantomime, CINDERELLA starring Dave Benson Phillips and Danny La Rue. The season opens on Tuesday 8 June with 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD a tender, bittersweet comedy starring Rula Lenska and William Gaunt. This is the extraordinary true story of Helene Hanff, the unreserved New York writer who orders books from an unfashionable London shop. She becomes increasingly more brash as she gets closer to Frank Doel (William Gaunt) who deals with her correspondence. It’s not only a moving story of a couple who are drawn together through their love of literature even though they never get to meet. It’s also a social chronicle of post-war to post-Beatles Britain as the play spans 22 years in the lives of Hanff and Doel. Northern Ballet Theatre returns to the New Theatre from Tuesday 15 June with David Nixon’s exciting new adaptation of SWAN LAKE. This haunting and romantic production explores the themes of sexual awakening and the mysticism of swans and water. Set to Tchaikovsky’s timeless and soulfully melancholic score SWAN LAKE promises to be another memorable NBT production. The eloquence of David Nixon’s choreography, combined with the dramatic abilities and technical prowess of the company’s talented dancers, brings fresh, emotional relevance to this captivating story of betrayal and all-encompassing love. A new drama, written by and starring David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral, The Thin Blue Line), comes to the New Theatre from 21 June. MY BOY JACK is a powerful and moving story of the tragic life of one of Britain’s most prolific poets, Rudyard Kipling, particularly the dilemma facing him at the outbreak of World War One. Fiercely patriotic, he is resolved to send his teenage son to the trenches. But his dogged determination rips his family apart, and leaves the writer torn between his two great passions – his love for children, particularly his own, and his devotion to King and Country. Willy Russell’s international smash hit musical BLOOD BROTHERS makes a welcome return to the New Theatre from 28 June until 10 July. Hailed as one of the best musicals of all time, BLOOD BROTHERS has triumphed around the world, scooping seven Tony nominations with its tale of twin boys separated at birth in Liverpool and reunited by a twist of fate to face a mother’s haunting secret. Linda Nolan stars as Mrs Johnstone. From Thursday 15 July, the New Theatre is delighted to present its community musical PIRATES!. People from all over Cardiff have been working together to create this brand new family show written and directed by David Baxter. This merry voyage of swashbuckling, songs and surprises promises to be a treat for the whole family, an action-packed romp across the oceans. An all-star cast meet around the table in the National Theatre production of DINNER from 20 July. Starring Stephanie Beacham, Gaby Roslin and Louise Jameson this is a deliciously black satirical comedy on that ever-recurring theme, the dinner party from hell. First seen at the National Theatre in 2002, Moira Buffini’s comedy DINNER has recently completed a successful West End run. Another West End hit musical this summer comes in the form of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Don Black’s spectacular success TELL ME ON A SUNDAY. From Monday 26 July, Faye Tozer stars in this one-woman show charting the romantic upheavals of a British girl at loose with her emotions in New York. With a score including Take That Look Off Your Face, Unexpected Song and Tell Me On A Sunday, this funny, poignant and moving show tells the tale of one woman looking for love. The magic of TOM’S MIDNIGHT GARDEN provides entertainment for the children this summer holiday. From 3 August with daily performances at 2.30pm and 7pm, the whole family cannot fail to be enthralled by this magnificent adventure. Philippa Pearce’s 1950s classic about a boy’s nightly voyage to a Victorian past is here brilliantly adapted for the stage by David Wood. WELSH NATIONAL OPERA’s final season at the New Theatre runs from Saturday 11 September until Saturday 2 October and includes a new production of ARIADNE AUF NAXOS by R Strauss, alongside Puccini’s TURANDOT and IPHIGÉNIE EN TAURIDE by Gluck. Looking forward to the Autumn Season, Jerome Flynn stars as Tommy Cooper in JUS’ LIKE THAT! from Tuesday 12 October. The Wales Theatre Company returns to Cardiff from 18 October with a SHAKESPEARE TRILOGY : Cymbeline, Twelfth Night and The Merchant of Venice. Cardiff’s own Orbit Theatre present one of the best loved musicals of all time WEST SIDE STORY from 26 October. LENNY HENRY appears for one night only with “So Much Things To Say” on 31 October. CHICAGO, which sold out in 2002, is back at the New Theatre for two weeks from 8 November. Finally, from 11 December 2004 to 22 January 2005, CINDERELLA, this year’s annual family pantomime stars Dave Benson Phillips as Buttons, and Danny La Rue as the Fairy Godmother. Making welcome returns to the New Theatre pantomime are Powys and Jones, Capital Gold’s Tony Wright and, of course, the Olive Guppy Olivettes. Summer and Autumn performances interpreted in British Sign Language are MY BOY JACK (Saturday 26 June 2.30pm), BLOOD BROTHERS (Saturday 3 July 2.30pm), CHICAGO (Saturday 20 November 5.30pm) and CINDERELLA (Saturday 15 January 2.30pm, Sunday 16 January 1.00pm and Tuesday 18 January 7.00pm). On Saturday 12 June at 2.30pm 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD will carry a live Audio Description for visually impaired theatre-goers as will BLOOD BROTHERS (Saturday 10 July 2.30pm), TOM’S MIDNIGHT GARDEN (Saturday 7 August 2.30pm), WEST SIDE STORY (Saturday 30 October 2.30pm) and CINDERELLA (Friday 21 January 7.00pm and Saturday 22 January 2.30pm). These performances are interpreted or described by Erika James. Tickets for all these shows are on sale now from the New Theatre Box Office on Cardiff (029) 2087 8889 or online at www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk. |
| New Theatre Cardiff web site: |
| Julia Barry e-mail: jbarry@cardiff.gov.ukj |
Tuesday, May 11, 2004 |
Older news
stories have been carefully archived.
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999