Photos: Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words

Production Photos: Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words

As part of New Adventures’ 25th anniversary celebrations, Britain’s favourite choreographer presents a revival of his modern classic Play Without Words at Sadler’s wells Theatre.

Chelsea, 1965. Behind the privileged façade of domestic social order lies a struggle for power, territory and sexual domination. In a suave Chelsea home an urbane master and his beautiful fiancée welcome their new manservant, Prentice. What follows will change their lives forever. Sexy, chic and thrillingly original, this dance drama is a spellbinding carnival of seduction, intrigue and power.

Returning for its first revival as part of New Adventures’ 25th anniversary celebration, Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words was a critical and popular success when it was first produced by the National Theatre in 2002. It now makes its debut at Sadler’s Wells in a strictly limited four week season. Designer Lez Brotherston and lighting designer Paule Constable repeat their Olivier-nominated work and Terry Davies’ acclaimed jazz influenced score will be played live at all performances.

Play Without Words won the 2003 Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment and Best Theatre Choreographer.

Photos by RoyTan.

SPECIAL OFFER

SPECIAL OFFER: Book Tickets to Play Without Words at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre and SAVE £18

Photos: Matthew Bourne’s Early Adventures

Production Photos: Matthew Bourne’s Early Adventures

As part of New Adventures’ 25th anniversary celebrations, Britain’s favourite choreographer presents a triple bill of acclaimed early works that launched his career.

Spitfire ‘an advertisement divertissement’ was Bourne’s first hit in 1988, it hilariously places the most famous 19th century ballet showstopper in the world of men’s underwear advertising.

Town and Country from 1991 gave Bourne and his company their first Olivier nomination. Remembered as the piece that crystallised the Bourne style; gloriously witty and ironic, but also strangely moving and heartfelt. It explores notions of national character from a bygone era through the evocative music of Edward Elgar, Noël Coward and Percy Grainger, amongst others.

The Infernal Galop was inspired by icons of France in the 30s and 40s. This is France as seen by the uptight English imagination, with all the traditional clichés joyously paraded for our entertainment and climaxing in Offenbach’s inevitable Can-Can!

Early Adventures continues its UK tour until 30 June 2012 (see link below for details).

Photos by RoyTan.

LINKS

Tour info and booking website

Matthew Bourne’s Play Without Words at Sadlers Wells Theatre

Richard Winsor reprises his role in Matthew Bourne’s Olivier Award winning production of Play Without Words, returning to London to celebrate Bourne’s 25 years in dance.

Photos: Matthew Bourne celebrates 25 years with More4 film this Christmas

Photos: Matthew Bourne celebrates 25 years

Hard to believe but Matthew Bourne, one of the world’s great choreographers, is about to celebrate his 25th anniversary.

Through his Adventures in Motion Pictures and New Adventures companies he has created a wealth of magical dance productions that have fast become classics. His creations range from new interpretations of dance standards including Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Nutcracker, to acclaimed new work such as Play Without Words and Edward Scissorhands.

This Christmas Bourne’s incredible career will be celebrated on More4 as the broadcaster airs “Matthew Bourne’s Christmas” on 25th December at 9pm. Conceived by Bourne, the film promises to present a distinctive new way of presenting dance on screen.

Also this Christmas sees the return of Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!  to Sadler’s Wells for a limited seven week run to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

And with projects coming up including his new production of Sleeping Beauty for Christmas 2012 at the Wells and a “super-production” of his Lord of the Flies ballet at Sadler’s Wells in 2013 featuring male amateur performers from around the UK, Bourne shows no sign of slowing down.

Our official photographer, Roy Tan, has documented Matthew Bourne’s career for many years. Here he shoots the filming of Bourne’s Christmas special for More4.

Photos by Roy Tan

LINKS

More4 website: Matthew Bourne’s Christmas

Book tickets to Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells

Photos: Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells

Production photos of Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London.

How can it be that Matthew Bourne has been adding much needed dance sparkle into our lives for 25 years?!

Through his Adventures in Motion Pictures and New Adventures companies he has created magical productions of some of the best known dance classics including Swan Lake, Cinderella and The Nutcracker.

And this Christmas sees the return of Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker!  to Sadler’s Wells for a limited seven week run to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

Tchaikovsky’s glorious score and Anthony Ward’s imaginative sets and costumes combine with Bourne’s inspired choreography to create a fun and irreverent take on this Christmas favourite.

Also this Christmas More4 will air “Matthew Bourne’s Christmas” on 25th December at 9pm. Conceived by Bourne, the film promises to present a distinctive new way of presenting dance on screen.

And with projects coming up including his new production of Sleeping Beauty for Christmas 2012 at the Wells and a “super-production” of his Lord of the Flies ballet at Sadler’s Wells in 2013 featuring male amateur performers from around the UK, Bourne shows no sign of slowing down.

Photos by Roy Tan

LINKS

Book tickets to Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker at Sadler’s Wells

More4 website: Matthew Bourne’s Christmas

Hal Prince happy with new Phantom touring show?

We would love to know how Hal Prince feels about Cameron Mackintosh’s new touring production of The Phantom of the Opera, celebrating the show’s 25th anniversary.

Hal directed the original 1986 production of Lloyd-Webber’s show, which is still playing in London and New York and has grossed over $5 billion worldwide.

If you cast your mind back to 2010, Mackintosh suffered a very public falling-out with Trevor Nunn over the “re-imagining” of the 25th anniversary touring production of Les Miserables. Nunn, co-director John Caird and designer John Napier were said to be furious that new directors, Laurence Connor and James Powell, and designer Matt Kinleywere, hired to give the show a touring makeover, including ditching the revolving barricades as these were too costly and complex to tour. Presumably the same will happen to the falling chandelier in Phantom.

As with the Les Mis tour, Mackintosh has recruited director Laurence Connor to stage the new version of Phantom and has even cast his Les Mis touring leads, John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter, to share the role of the Phantom.

Mackintosh has been careful to suggest in the press that the tour has Prince’s blessing, with Variety in March revealing than an “agreement” had been struck with Prince for the all-new version. But a September interview with Prince in the Huffington Post asked him whether he would change anything about the show if he had the chance to revisit it. “No, I would leave it alone”, he said, “it works”.

The UK touring production, directed by Laurence Connor, will feature choreography by Scott Ambler, set design by Paul Brown and costume design by original designer Maria Björnson. The production will be overseen by Cameron Mackintosh and Matthew Bourne and will premiere at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in March 2012. In addition to John Owen-Jones and Earl Carpenter sharing the Phantom role, Katie Hall will play Christine.

LINKS

Book tickets to The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre

The Phantom of the Opera UK tour information

 

 

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! tickets at Sadler’s Wells

Matthew Bourne’s spectacular and much-loved production of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker returns to Sadler’s Wells this Christmas.

Christmas shows in the West End

London’s West End is always a fun place to be at Christmas – whether it’s for the Christmas lights along Regent’s Street and Oxford Street, ice-skating at Somerset House, shopping in a very festive Covent Garden or seeing Santa at Selfridges.

And this year’s London theatre scene is more festive than ever before, with a range of seasonal shows for children, families and adults. Here’s our selection of some of the West End’s Christmas theatre highlights.

Children-friendly family favourites this Christmas include a revival of the critically acclaimed production of Dickens’ classic tale A Christmas Carol at the Trafalgar Studios (from 21 Dec to 8 Jan). It’s also your last Christmas to enjoy the wildly successful production of The Railway Children in the ingenious setting of Waterloo Station, featuring a real steam train. E. Nesbit’s classic children’s story has thrilled audiences from the moment it opened in London, and must close on 2 January.

Making a welcome return to the Peacock Theatre this Christmas is The Snowman, the magical stage version of Raymond Briggs’ much-loved children’s book. Suitable for children aged two and upwards, this is a captivating mix of dance, stagecraft and music – including Howard Blake’s beautiful “Walking in the air”, and featuring a live orchestra.

There’s also Panto fun this year in the West End as CBBC presenters Dan and Jeff take a madcap ride through the best-loved panto stories in Potted Panto at the Vaudeville Theatre (10 Dec to 9 Jan). This funny new family show, that went down a storm in Edinburgh in the Summer, speeds through an incredible seven classic pantomimes.

For a bit of Glee-inspired fun then The Go! Go! Go! Show at the Leicester Square Theatre (until 30 Dec) promises lots of laughs and audience interaction for kids of all ages, in a story that sees five new pop stars battling it out, singing a series of brand new pop songs. Plus the intriguing sounding, sock-stealing ‘Fluffalope’ makes a guest appearance.

Much-loved cartoon characters are also making guest appearances in Theatreland this Christmas, notably The Gruffalo, who follows his monster-hit show last year with a run at the Garrick Theatre, featuring more songs, laughs and scary fun for children aged 3 and up (until 16 Jan). Also the chance to meet Santa Claus in a West End theatre comes in the shape of magical family show The Night Before Christmas at the Ambassadors Theatre, as his story comes to life in a new musical featuring songs, poems and story-telling (7 – 24 Dec).

If you fancy a great big Christmas sing-along this year then they don’t come much bigger than the Christmas Spectacular at the O2, which sees Myleene Klass present a rousing night of carols, traditional tunes and some cracking Christmas number ones on 23 December at the O2 Arena.

A wealth of dance productions promise to get you and your family into the festive spirit this year, including a brand new production of Matthew Bourne’s dazzling ballet Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells Theatre, set in London during the Second World War and played against Prokofiev’s haunting score (until 23 Jan). Also English National Ballet present a sumptuous new production of The Nutcracker at the Coliseum, created by Artistic Director Wayne Eagling to celebrate the Company’s 60th birthday (12 – 30 Dec).

Adult shows include a Christmas season for comedian Bill Bailey at the Wyndham’s Theatre, in his acclaimed show Dandelion Mind (until 8 Jan). Plus the stars of La Clique return to London with some new friends for La Soiree at the fabulously opulent new Southbank Big Top. Sexy and funny, this new show is full of awe-inspiring, spine-tingling, jaw-dropping and death-defying acts of circus and magic (until 30 Jan).

MORE INFORMATION

Listing of Christmas shows in the West End

Musicals this Christmas

Drama and comedy this Christmas

AND DON’T FORGET

• See the Oxford Street and Regent’s Street Christmas lights
• Go ice skating in central London at the London Eye Ice Rink, Somerset House Ice Rink, Winter Wonderland Hyde Park Ice Rink,
• Natural History Museum Ice Rink, Tower of London Ice Rink or the Broadgate Ice Rink.
• See the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, donated every year by Norway.
• Visit Santa in his grotto and shop at the same time at the Harrods Christmas Grotto and the Selfridges Santa Express.
• Enjoy a traditional German Christmas market in London at the Cologne Christmas Market on the Southbank until 23 December.

VIDEO: Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

A brand new production of Matthew Bourne’s dazzling ballet set in London during the Second World War and played against Prokofiev’s haunting score.

Book tickets to Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella
More information about the show
More information about the Sadler’s Wells Theatre

VIDEO

Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella at Sadler’s Wells Theatre

LINKS

Watch more videos on West End Theatre TV

Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella

A brand new production of Matthew Bourne’s dazzling ballet set in London during the Second World War and played against Prokofiev’s haunting score.

Next Page »