» Theatre Royal Brighton new season
The spring season at Theatre Royal Brighton lives up to their promise of a West End by the sea
When the Ambassadors Theatre Group took over Brighton’s historic Theatre Royal they promised us a West End by the sea and with the release of a spring season glittering with stage and screen stars, they are setting out to prove it.
The highlights include: Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, both renowned separately for their film and TV work, and together in the X-Men films; Richard E Grant, the star of more than sixty films including the cult classic Withnail and I; Edward Fox, best loved for TV’s Edward and Mrs Simpson; Claire Bloom, whose career spans more than fifty years ranging from her definitive role as Ophelia for the RSC to Brideshead Revisited; Tamsin Greig (appearing with the National Theatre), whose films include Shaun of the Dead and Cuckoo but is best-known for her starring roles in Green Wing and Love Soup and John Savident, a highly regarded classical actor with the National Theatre also loved by millions for his portrayal of Fred Elliot in Coronation Street.
The season starts on Monday 5 January with Tons Of Money, an Ayckbourn adaptation of the classic farce with an all star cast including Caroline Langrishe, Christopher Timothy and Mark Curry. Tuesday 13 January sees the opening of Cabaret, the award-winning West End hit starring Wayne Sleep and Samantha Barks. Monday 19 January sees Daphne Du Maurier’s classic supernatural thriller Don’t Look Now and Tuesday 27 January Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sparkling family musical starring Craig Chalmers, one of the most popular finalists in the hit BBC series Any Dream Will Do.
Tuesday 3 February bop to The Blues Brothers Party featuring classic rhythm and blues hits made famous by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. On Sunday 8 February 4 Poofs and a Piano are promising an eclectic mix of song and dance, from jaunty re-workings of classic covers to their own comic observations of life in the noughties. That same week Ed Byrne returns with a blisteringly funny new one-man show about marriage, class, the youth of today and anything else that strikes him as humorous. Wednesday is Stephen K Amos, new comedy star and Thursday 12 February direct from Hollywood, Totally Looped is Mock The Week meets YouTube, an all-improvised show in which top comics dub new dialogue to old movie clips. Starring Phill Jupitus, Marcus Brigstocke and Joe Liss. From Friday The Russian State Ballet of Siberia returns with their magnificent fully staged production of Swan Lake.
Mon 16 February sees a treat for all musical fans with Little Shop Of Horrors. From Tuesday 24 February join SpongeBob, Patrick and their zany Bikini Bottom pals in a new musical about dreams, friendship and soaring to new heights.
From Wednesday 4 to Thursday 7 March beg borrow or steal a ticket to see Rambert Dance Company in a brand new programme, featuring Eternal Light, a major new collaboration between artistic director Mark Baldwin and composer Howard Goodall.
The following week William Douglas Home’s dotty and delightful comedy Lloyd George knew my Father depicts the English aristocracy at their most eccentric and stars Claire Bloom and Edward Fox.
A new play by Yasmina Reza opens on Monday 16 March. God Of Carnage played to packed houses in 2008 and proved one of the most successful plays in the history of West End theatre. It now comes to Theatre Royal with a first-rate cast including Richard E Grant, Lia Williams and Paul Ritter. And the stars continue to glitter in Waiting for Godot, Beckett’s classic play and the theatrical event of the year starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart. On Tuesday 31 March The National Theatre return with Gethsemane a new play by David Hare starring Olivier award-winner Tamsin Greig. Next a musical delight HMS Pinafore, starring John Savident, this seafaring smash-hit show performed by Carl Rosa Opera’s superb cast and orchestra is bursting with Gilbert’s brilliant satirical wit and packed with some of Sullivan’s most popular songs. Boeing Boeing, the Tony Award winning comedy and West End smash hit flies into Brighton with an all-star cast.
Tuesday 21 April sees a theatrical treat brought to you by the award-winning producers of Calendar Girls, Equus, The Play What I Wrote and ART, Brief Encounter recreates the world of Milford Junction with film, music and words to create a unique theatrical evening that has left critics and audiences overwhelmed by emotion, laughter and tears. And finally from Monday 27 April Seven Brides For Seven Brothers. A glorious romp with a brimful of hand clapping, effervescent energy, dazzling dance routines and sixteen smash hit show stoppers including: ‘Bless your Beautiful Hide‘, ‘Goin Courtin’ and ‘Wonderful Wonderful Day‘.
Call the box office 08700 606 650 (bkg fee) www.theambassadors.com/theatreroyal
