Stage: Alistair McGowan, Agatha Chrstie & Happy Days
With plenty of treats in store, Theatre Royal Brighton has announced its forthcoming season of plays, musicals and star vehicles coming to town in 2014
It’s a marvellous Christmas treat to have Theatre Royal Brighton’s opening season of 2014 laid out for us, like a tasty selection box, hands aquiver as to which tasty morsel to book first. There are some real gems, with top class companies and highly recognisable stars from the world of drama rolling into town to remind us how lucky we are to have Theatre Royal Brighton on our doorstep. Please do pick up a brochure with the full details to truly tuck in. In the meantime, here are a few gems we just couldn’t keep our hands off.
THE PRIDE
Groundbreaking director Jamie Lloyd’s critically acclaimed production of Alexi Kaye Campbell’s landmark play comes to Brighton, direct from its hugely successful West End run. Alternating between London of 1958 and 2013, The Pride is a hilarious and heartfelt play about courage, compassion and the fear of loneliness in life’s journey towards self discovery.
Tue 14 – Sat 18 Jan 2014
HAPPY DAYS – A NEW MUSICAL
Join your favourite ‘50s family the Cunninghams and the rest of the gang – Potsie, Ralph Malph, Joanie and Chachi – as they battle to save their beloved diner Arnold’s from demolition. Emmerdale star Ben Freeman plays The Fonz alongside Cheryl Baker as Mrs Cunningham and Heidi Range as Pinky Tuscadero. The show includes 21 original songs by Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning Hall of Fame songwriter Paul Williams (Bugsy Malone, Evergreen, Rainy Days and Mondays).
Mon 20 – Sat 25 Jan 2014
PETER JAMES’ THE PERFECT MURDER
Victor Smiley and his wife Joan have been married for a long time. But their marriage is in crisis and Victor has decided there is only one way to get Joan out of his life forever, but he’s about to get a nasty surprise. As a young Detective Roy Grace starts to investigate his very first homicide case, dark forces intervene and Grace begins to fear that nothing is quite as it seems.
Mon 27 Jan – Sat 1 Feb 2014
FALLEN ANGELS
Jenny Seagrove and Sara Crowe star as best friends Julia and Jane in a heavenly new production of Noël Coward’s divine comedy classic. With their passionless husbands away playing golf, a mutual long ago lover announces his intention to pay Julia and Jane an impromptu visit. All in a fluster, there’s clearly only one thing to do: pop open the champagne!
Mon 3 – Sat 8 Mar 2014
PYGMALION
A major revival of one of the best loved plays of the 20th century. BAFTA Award winning Alistair McGowan leads the cast in this centenary year production of Bernard Shaw’s enduring masterpiece. Professor Higgins has a bet that he can transform the manners and speech of a cockney flower girl and pass her off as a society lady. Full of Shaw’s trademark wit, style and humour.
Mon 17 – Sat 22 Mar 2014
THE DISHWASHERS
David Essex returns to the stage in this classic comedy by Morris Panych. When young Emmett was a city high flyer he was a regular customer in an upmarket restaurant. Now, thanks to a reversal in his fortunes, he is a dishwasher there. In this world of dirty dishes, soapsuds and despair, Emmett and his colleagues search for existential meaning with wit and humour.
Mon 24 – Sat 29 Mar 2014
Agatha Christie’s Black Coffee
Robert Powell is the new Poirot.A quintessential English country estate is thrown into chaosfollowing the murder of eccentric inventor Sir Claud Amory,and the theft of his new earth shattering formula.
Tues 27 – Sat 31 May
Theatre Royal Brighton,
08448 717650, www.atgtickets.com/brighton
