New Festival and King’s shows on sale
Tickets for theatres “Friends” on sale from 10am Mon 13 Jan
Top Hat – coming to Festival Theatre in October. Photo © Tristram Kenton
By Thom Dibdin
Tickets go on sale today (Mon 13 January) for 16 new shows at Edinburgh’s Festival and King’s theatres.
The shows include major touring musicals such as Top Hat and Avenue Q, two Chekhov adaptations by John Byrne, and the ever-popular Edinburgh Gang Show. Tickets went on sale at 10am for “Friends” of the Festival and King’s theatres.
Tickets for all shows will go on general sale on Monday 20 January 2014 at 10am.
Tickets for this year’s King’s panto Aladdin, which runs 29 November to 18 January 2014, go on sale to friends and groups on Monday 3 February and on general sale the following week.
There are two productions from thrusting young company Sell A Door, which has both Avenue Q, the musical, touring in June and Alastair Cording’s adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s Sunset Song in October.
The first Byrne adaptations of Chekhov is his Uncle Varick, his version of Uncle Vanya first seen at the Royal Lyceum in 2004, and here touring in May in a revival by Rapture Theatre, which has been creating particularly interesting work in the last two years. The second is a new adaptation of the Three Sisters, in a production from the Tron theatre touring in October.
New kids shows include the Singing Kettle, on their summer tour with Fantastic Funfair (June) and a new touring production of Lauren Child’s Charlie and Lola (October).
Dance includes Scottish Ballet’s new touring double bill The Crucible and Ten Poems (October). From Canadian choreographer Helen Pickett comes the world premiere of The Crucible. Based on Arthur Miller’s 1953 Tony award-winning play, Pickett translates his dramatisation of the Salem witch trials with her inimitable style of dance language. Christopher Bruce’s Ten Poems is set to a recording of ten Dylan Thomas poems, read by Richard Burton.
Musical treats include 20th Century Boy (September), the musical based on the life of Marc Bolan, which is on a major UK tour before going to the West End, and the return of Patsy Cline – An Evening in Tribute (November) featuring stars of the West End production Patsy, Sandy Kelly, ‘Ireland’s queen of country music’, and George Hamilton IV.
Friends Membership for the two theatres costs £36 a year. Besides early booking it offers two-for-one tickets to opening nights of most King’s and Festival theatre shows and 20% off up-to two tickets for most other performances. Extra Friends Membership for £59 a year increases the number of discounted tickets to four. Friends also get various discounts and email newsletters.
Further details of Friends Members is on the EdTheatres website: www.edtheatres.com
Listing of New Shows on Sale:
Uncle Varick
King’s Theatre
Wednesday 7 – Saturday 10 May 2014
John Byrne, acclaimed author of The Slab Boys Trilogy and Tutti Frutti, and iconic Scottish painter (whose works include the domed ceiling of the King’s Theatre), relocates Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece Uncle Vanya to 1960’s rural Scotland in a play full of comedy, pathos, jealously, lust and some very dodgy chainsaws. Edinburgh theatre favourite Jimmy Chisholm (Para Handy, Take the High Road) leads a cast of great Scottish performers. Set against a sensational sixties soundtrack, arranged and performed by Dave “Wildcat” Anderson. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Edinburgh College: Cross Currents 2014
King’s Theatre
Wednesday 21 May, 2pm & 7.30pm
Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS) at Edinburgh College invite dance enthusiasts to their end-of-year production. Featuring the choreographic work of dance teaching staff from PASS and Dance For All, student dancers will showcase contemporary and jazz styles. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Avenue Q
King’s Theatre
Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 June 2014
Winner of the TONY Triple Crown for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Book, Avenue Q is part flesh, part felt and packed with heart. A laugh-out-loud musical that tells the story of a recent college graduate named Princeton who moves into a shabby New York apartment all the way out on Avenue Q. Sell a Door Theatre Company revive this critically acclaimed musical for a summer 2014 tour. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Pilrig Park: Going for Gold
Festival Theatre
Friday 13 June 2014, 7.30pm
Almost every talented youngster at Pilrig Park school has contributed to the show, working in an area of the arts which interests them; the choreography, costumes and sets are all put together by pupils and teachers. Details: www.edtheatres.com
The Singing Kettle: Fantastic Funfair
Festival Theatre
Sun 15 June 2014, 12pm & 3pm
Roll up, roll up for The Singing Kettle’s most amazing adventure yet! Set in the neon-coloured world of Big Wheels, Merry-go-Rounds and Helter Skelters, Anya, Kevin and Gary take a trip round the Fantastic Funfair. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Caitlin Moran
Festival Theatre
Friday 11 July, 7.30pm
Caitlin Moran explores what it is to be a woman, her take on feminism and anything else that happens to pop up. This up-close and (very) personal exploration, delivered in Caitlin’s irrepressible style, will take you on a roller coaster of hilarity and outrage. Details: www.edtheatres.com
20th Century Boy
King’s Theatre
Mon 22 to Sat 27 September 2014
Inspired by the life of rock legend Marc Bolan, 20th Century Boy explodes onto the stage nearly four decades after the iconic star’s tragic death. Featuring some of the greatest pop songs ever written, it tells the story of Marc Bolan and his band T.Rex, exposing some of the myths and taking the audience on a tearful, yet joyful, journey through Marc’s fascinating life. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Scottish Ballet: The Crucible with Ten Poems
Festival Theatre
Fri 3 & Sat 4 October 2014
Scottish Ballet brings an evening of great text to life this autumn as the stylistic language of American Playwright Arthur Miller and Welsh Poet Dylan Thomas come together in a powerful study of words in motion. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Top Hat
Festival Theatre
Tue 7 to Sat 18 October 2014
Direct from its tremendous success in London, winning three Olivier awards, this spectacular West End production brings the glamour of Hollywood’s golden age and the glorious, tap-dancing magic of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers to the stage in one of the greatest dance musicals of all time. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Sunset Song
King’s Theatre
Tue 7 to Sat 11 October 2014
Marking a hundred years since the start of the First World War, Sell a Door Theatre Company revives Alastair Cording’s faithful adaptation of Lewis Grassic Gibbon’s classic story, recently voted Scotland’s most popular novel of all time. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Charlie and Lola’s Extremely New Play
King’s Theatre
Sat 18 & Sun 19 October 2014
Charlie and Lola are completely excited to be coming to Edinburgh with their Extremely New Play – and this time they’re bringing along Sizzles the Dog! This magical mix of puppets, live action and music is based on the much-loved books by Lauren Child and the ever popular BBC TV Series. Details: www.edtheatres.com
The Three Sisters
King’s Theatre
Tue 21 to Sat 25 October 2014
Following his acclaimed adaptations of The Cherry Orchard and Uncle Vanya, John Byrne (Tutti Frutti, The Slab Boys) turns his attention to Chekhov’s tragicomedy about dashed hopes and unrequited love, in this brand new show for Tron Theatre Company.
It’s the not-so-swinging sixties in a Dunoon naval base. Three sisters, Olive, Maddy and Renee have spent the last eleven years looking longingly across the Clyde Estuary. Surrounded by military suitors, overbearing in-laws, and worthy Presbyterians, they yearn for London’s Carnaby Street and the love, culture and thrills they are denied in Argyllshire. Will they ever escape? Details: www.edtheatres.com
Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap
King’s Theatre
Mon 27 October to Sat 1 November 2014
A classic. A landmark. A legend. Following a sell-out run in 2012, The Mousetrap is back. The longest-running show of any kind in the history of British theatre – with over 25,000 performances – The Mousetrap is a play to be proud of. In her own inimitable style, Dame Agatha Christie has created an atmosphere of shuddering suspense and a brilliantly intricate plot where murder lurks around every corner. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Grupo Corpo
Festival Theatre
Tue 4 & Wed 5 November 2014
Brazil’s internationally acclaimed dance company make a welcome return to Edinburgh following sell out performances in the 2010 Edinburgh Festival. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Patsy Cline – An Evening in Tribute
King’s Theatre
Sun 9 November 2014
An evening of song, laughter and legendary stories is promised when you come along to this enthralling tribute to the music, life and times of Patsy Cline. It is some 50 years since Patsy left a great legacy of hit records. This wonderful show pays tribute to country music’s world-renowned superstar. Details: www.edtheatres.com
Edinburgh Gang Show 2014
King’s Theatre
Tue 18 to Sat 22 November 2014
The Edinburgh Gang Show returns to the King’s Theatre for another fabulous show week. With over 250 young people on the stage smiling and singing their hearts out the Gang Show is an amazing experience. Details: www.edtheatres.com
ENDS
