ATG Magazine Spring 2013

Ambassador Theatre Group

secrets & lies

zoĂŤ wanamaker in passion play

jason donovan

desert fun

spamalot the hit musical comEDy

hotlist! on the road with rocky chic feet michelin starred luxury

JAMES McAVOY claire foyMacbeth

Spring 2013

contents

spring

of the best

1

into the dark

Murderous ambition and paranoia in Macbeth starring James McAvoy

The first international retrospective of the extraordinary career

of David Bowie is at the V&A from 23 March. Featuring more than 300 objects including handwritten lyrics, original costumes, fashion, photography, film, video, set designs and Bowie’s own instruments. vam.ac.uk

and Claire Foy

3

love and marriage

Zoë Wanamaker returns to the West End for Passion Play

5

9 to 5 competition

at the Dollytastic new musical

Leave your daily grind behind

6 knighty knight

In days of old when knights were

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

bold - it’s Spamalot

7 the queen and i

An encounter with royalty sparks some

Step up the style: pink studded pussy cat pumps by Marc Jacobs from Liberty’s. liberty.co.uk BAFTA winning actor James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, X-Men) and CLAIRE FOY (White Heat, Hacks) star in Macbeth, Jamie Lloyd’s inaugural production in a season of work for Trafalgar Transformed - new productions designed for the reconfigured auditorium of ATG’s Trafalgar Studios. atgtickets.com

lively comedy in Maurice’s Jubilee

9 desert song Jason Donovan unleashes his inner

diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Howard Panter and Rosemary Squire

topped the Stage 100 list for the

11 shock horror

fourth year running this January. The list ranks the powerhouses of British theatre - and this year, the ATG Chief Executives shared the accolade with the National Theatre. ‘Rosemary and I are both humbled and delighted that The Stage continues to recognise that ATG is a great British success story,’ said Panter.

The raunchiest Rocky Horror Show yet

13 atg tickets

Your one-stop-shop for the hottest

tickets this Spring

15 best in shoe

From park to premiere - Spring style

The Rocky Horror Show

for your feet

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons

17 taste sensations A-list experiences for the

Ambassador Group productions / Ambassador Theatre Group LONDON Theatres Apollo Victoria 0844 871 7615 The Harold Pinter Theatre 0844 871 7622 Donmar Warehouse 0844 871 7624 Duke of York’s Theatre 0844 871 7623 Fortune Theatre 0844 871 7626 Lyceum Theatre 0844 871 7615 Phoenix Theatre 0844 871 7629 Piccadilly Theatre 0844 871 7630 Playhouse Theatre 0844 871 7631 Savoy Theatre 0844 871 7687 Trafalgar Studios 0844 871 7632

Spamalot at London’s Playhouse Theatre treats audiences to an array of surprise guests as Sir ‘Not Appearing in the Show’.

Those who have appeared in this taxing role so far include Heather Small (M People) and Richard Arnold (Daybreak, Strictly) . spamalotwestend.co.uk

The Hit Musical Comedy!

Escape the winter gloom and get set for Spring at a thoroughly British spa.

Chewton Glen, a world-renowned boutique hotel on the edge of the New Forest offers the weary worker aromatherapy saunas and crystal steam rooms alongside Europe’s largest hydrotherapy spa pool plus a range of fabulous treatments and therapies. chewtonglen.com

Ambassador Theatre Group REGIONAL Theatres Aylesbury Waterside Theatre 0844 871 7607 New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham 0844 871 3011 Theatre Royal Brighton 0844 871 7650 Bristol Hippodrome 0844 871 3012 Churchill Theatre Bromley 0844 871 7620 Edinburgh Playhouse 0844 871 3014 Leas Cliff Hall Folkestone 0844 871 3015 Kings Theatre Glasgow 0844 871 7648 Theatre Royal Glasgow 0844 871 7647 Grimsby Auditorium 0844 871 3016 Empire Theatre Liverpool 0844 871 3017 Palace Theatre & Opera House Manchester 0844 871 3018 Milton Keynes Theatre 0844 871 7652 New Theatre Oxford 0844 871 3020 Richmond Theatre 0844 871 7651 Southport Theatre & Convention Centre 0844 847 2380 Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall Stoke-on-Trent 0844 871 7649 Sunderland Empire 0844 871 3022 Princess Theatre Torquay 0844 871 3023 New Wimbledon Theatre & New Wimbledon Studio 0844 871 7646 Ambassadors Cinemas Woking 0844 871 7643 New Victoria Theatre & Rhoda McGaw Theatre Woking 0844 871 7645 York Grand Opera House 0844 871 3024 Online booking at atgtickets.com Jessamy Hadley Editor Pat Westwell, Jasper Rees, Al Senter, Benedict Nightingale, Nancy Groves, Victoria Kingston, Mark Bouman Neena Dhillon, David Bradbury, Alice Gimblett Contributors Shaun Webb Design Design and Art Direction John Good Print The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd 39 - 41 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H OAR The views expressed in this magazine are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd. Cover photograph by Jay Brooks / shootgroup.com

theatre-loving gourmet

R

Interview

oughly how old are the

the production, studied it at GCSE.

Macbeths? We know

they have had at

least one child,

Aged 15, McAvoy had a more personal, even life-changing experience when the actor

presumed dead, but

David Hayman, who had

beyond that

played Lady Macbeth

Shakespeare offers

at the Glasgow

no further clue.

Citizens, came to

Such is the

his school to give

trajectory of their

a talk. ‘That was

moral

the first time I

degradation that

really became

audiences, and

aware of Macbeth,’

indeed casting

he recalls, ‘as well

directors, tend not

as the idea of acting

to think of the

as something that

Thane of Glamis and

somebody might be

his wife as still having

able to do one day.’

the bloom of youth on

He duly saw several

their cheeks. Thus the lead

productions - his first was

role can happily be taken on by

in Leith ‘and I just remember

someone in his 60s, as happened with Patrick Stewart when the play was

He is all Scottish courtesy to his co-star. ‘The funny thing is you would never ever think the man is this movie star,’ says Foy. ‘He’s just so down to earth.

He could turn round to me and go ‘Your accent is shocking!’ I have to remind myself to actually stop looking at him.’

thinking that it was thrilling’. Since formulating the desire to play the part,

most recently revived in the West End.

McAvoy has made sure not to see other productions.

But now the Hollywood star James McAvoy brings

‘I thought I’d like to do this one day and I don’t want

the zip and springiness of someone known mainly for

to be bound into not doing something because I’m

it’s awful to say it but i can see what leads lady macbeth to do what she does. Her husband’s

destiny has been proclaimed and she says ‘You’ve got to meet it.’ Which women do all the time.

Into the

dark

Murderous ambition & paranoia in macbeth starring james McAvoy & claire foy

1

playing callow young men in the likes of The Last King

worried that somebody else made a similar choice.’

of Scotland, Atonement and The Last Station. He turns

It sounds as if, like Macbeth, he knows a thing or two

34 during his run in the role at the Trafalgar Studios,

about ambition.

and the latest king of Scotland is joined in matrimony

Foy on the other hand did not have the opportunity

to Claire Foy, who turns 29 in April but looks young

to be quite so strategic. ‘I never thought that I would

enough to have twice played teenagers in 2012: at the

ever get to play this part or do Shakespeare. I wasn’t

Royal Court in Mike Bartlett’s Love Love Love and in

longing for it.’ And yet, unusually for a young actress

the BBC drama White Heat.

in leading roles, she is at least familiar with the idea of

McAvoy and director Jamie Lloyd have been

not having the audience on her side: among several

cooking up this much anticipated reinvention of

feisty and even unpleasant characters, she has played a

Macbeth since they worked on Three Days of Rain

spoilt young Fascist sympathiser in Upstairs Downstairs

in the West End four years ago, but in fact the Scottish

and a ballsy tabloid editrix in Channel 4’s hacking saga

film star has had half an eye on Macbeth for nearly

satire Hacks. ‘When I got the audition for Macbeth,’ she

a decade, since he played the lead in a BBC series

confides, ‘it’s awful to say it but I can see what leads

Shakespeare Retold which punchily updated six of

her to do what she does. Her husband’s destiny has

the plays to the present day.

been proclaimed and she says ‘You’ve got to meet it.’

‘It was a fantastic experience,’ he recalls. ‘I was very

Which women do all the time.’

young. And that made me think, obviously this isn’t

To fit in with a predominantly Scottish ensemble,

Shakespeare’s text but it’s quite interesting having a

and her Scottish husband, Foy is attempting the accent.

young Macbeth because what you get is him and Lady

Not that McAvoy sees the Scottish play written for

Macbeth perceived to be throwing away their future,

England’s Scottish King James I as a Scottish play.

all through ambition. And it makes their loss all the

‘It’s not got a Scottish voice. It’s written for an English

sadder when he delivers the ‘Tomorrow and tomorrow

voice. But it is historically set in a place depicted by

and tomorrow’ speech, which is an expression of utter

Shakespeare as brutal and violent, incredibly

blackness and fatalism.’ Foy concurs. ‘I had all these

superstitious, and that’s something that I do

received ideas about what age she should be. It’s more

believe is Scottish.’ ■

depressing if they’ve got their whole lives to lead.’

For both actors, their first encounters with the play were at school. Foy, like many who will come to see

Interview Jasper Rees

Photography by Jay Brooks and Joanne Davidson

Jamie Lloyd and James McAvoy

TRAFALGAR STUDIOS shakespeare’s

MACBETH Jamie Lloyd’s inaugural production in a limited season for Trafalgar Transformed Starring James McAvoy Claire Foy Designed by Soutra Gilmour Until 27 April 2013 Box Office 0844 871 7632 Online booking at atgtickets.com ATG Magazine / 2

Interview Winner of

Evening Standard Award Best Play

Love

& marriage

infidelity proves a rich source of black comedy in peter nichols’ passion play

N

ow a sprightly eighty-five, Peter Nichols

He hit upon the idea of giving the central couple

can lay serious claim to being the oldest

James and Eleanor an alter ego each.

working playwright in this country and

‘I think that there must have been something of

one of the consequences of survival into

Coward’s Blithe Spirit in the back of my mind then,’

great age is that you are regularly re-discovered. More

he explains. ‘The alter egos in Passion Play represent

than a decade ago, Michael Grandage directed Nichols’

aspects of James and Eleanor but they cannot talk to

joyous Privates on Parade at the Donmar Warehouse

each other until later in the play. They also contribute

and he recently chose to revisit the play at the Noel

to the idea that once you start to lie continuously, you

Coward Theatre. In 2000 Grandage went on to stage

end up unable to differentiate between the truth and

Passion Play, Nichols’ celebrated black comedy about

lies. The play is less about adultery, I think, than about

love and infidelity and now multi-Olivier award-winner

dishonesty and betrayal.’

Zoë Wanamaker leads David Leveaux’s revival into the

Nichols freely admits the debt he owes to Eros

Duke of York’s. It must be irritating in the extreme to

Denied, a book written by the Labour/SDP politician,

watch yourself glide in and out of fashion but Nichols

Wayland Young, in the genesis of Passion Play.

seems to have mellowed to the point where he can

‘I was very taken with it,’ he explains. ‘In the book,

strike a philosophical note about the considerable

Young talks about the repression of physical sex by the

number of new plays he’s written that

authorities that seek to keep us in our place. I’d argue

remain unperformed.

that monogamy for most human beings is very difficult

‘I’ve written a sequel to Passion Play and a kind of

to maintain and yet there are animals and birds that

prequel to Privates on Parade set in India. There are

mate for life. So it seems that neither promiscuity nor

about eight that are ready to go into production which I’d like to see staged one day. Plays that lie on the shelf are not really plays; they are more like blueprints for buildings Passion Play’s much anticipated return to the West End reunites director David Leveaux (Arcadia, Betrayal) with Zoë Wanamaker (Harry Potter, BBC’s My Family and Miller’s All My

Zoë has appeared extensively in film and on television including the Harry Potter films and the award-winning BBC series My Family. Her work on stage includes Much Ado About Nothing, All My Sons with David Suchet and

3

monogamy is necessarily natural. If we repress our feelings, that is considered to be unhealthy but if we give way to them, we are haunted by guilt. Either way, we’re sunk!’

Perhaps the recent success of his Lingua Franca

that are never put up.’

zoë wanamaker

Zoë Wanamaker at the UK premiere of My Week with Marilyn in which she starred with Michelle Williams and Eddie Redmayne Photograph courtesy of Rex Features

in New York will lead to further investigations into the unperformed plays in the bottom drawer. Nichols is cautiously positive.

‘My plays have usually been successful and I’m not the sort of writer who simply crosses his fingers and hopes for the best. To have written work that hasn’t

Sons) for the first time

been performed seems such a waste of my time.

since their award-

But then I sometimes wonder if people want new

winning collaboration on Electra at the Donmar Warehouse.

The play has been hailed as a modern classic and in it

plays anyway.’

In dealing with some legal matters recently, Nichols came across the word ‘usufruct’ and he was intrigued to discover that it means ‘the power to enjoy’. As he enthusiastically waves goodbye from what must be a roof terrace, despite the freezing temperatures and

passion play Written by Peter Nichols Starring Zoë Wanamaker RICHMOND Theatre 12 - 20 April Box Office 0844 871 7651 theatre royal brighton 23 - 27 April Box Office 0844 871 7650

The National Theatre’s The Cherry Orchard.

Nichols aims for

the flurries of snow on this January afternoon, the

She has won two Olivier Awards for Best Actress; for her

a fluidity that

thought occurs that Nichols has been giving audiences

performance in Electra at the Donmar Warehouse and her

speeds the

‘the power to enjoy’ his work for five decades. It would

performance in Once in a Lifetime at the National Theatre.

audience from

be nice to think that he could continue the tradition

Zoë has received four Tony Award nominations for Piaf!,

one short

with one of those new plays awaiting a summons

Loot, Electra and, most recently, the Lincoln Centre

scene to

from the shelf. ■

duke of york’s theatre 1 May -3 August Box Office 0844 871 7623

production of Awake And Sing!

another.

Interview by Al Senter

Online booking at atgtickets.com ATG Magazine / 4

competition ★★★★★ it’s a dolly good show sunday express

Knighty night M

news it’s spamalot the award-winning hit musical comedy!

y Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen - gather

round. The award-winning hit musical

who isn’t a real bona fide Knight can still get their

But if you’re only a peasant - worry not. Anyone

Spamalot gets topical this Spring

free ticket just by dressing up as a Knight and arriving

- jam-packed full of gags with new ones

at the Playhouse at least one hour before curtain

added every day, this hilarious comedy has something

up. But don’t be fooled, being a Knight is a serious

for all ages - and now all classes. To celebrate the

business and those looking to bag themselves a ticket

2013 New Year’s Honours List, the new and even

must prove their mettle by including certain knightly

sillier 2012 production has issued a challenge to titled

articles as part of their costume (see list). So grab

theatregoers everywhere - hopefully including Baron

your gauntlets and go get em! ■

★★★★★ Daily star sunday

★★★★ evening standard time out

Sugar, Sir Bob (Geldof) and Sir Wiggo - a free ‘knight out’ to anyone from the New Year’s Honours list and anybody else who can prove that they are a Knight of the realm.

Based on Monty Python and the Holy Grail,

Spamalot tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and features a bevy (or possibly a brace) of beautiful show girls, witchburnings (cancelled - health and safety), flying cows, killer rabbits and French people. The show also

Essential gear for Knights:

you must have at least four of the following: helmet, hood, chainmail, armour, tunic, tabard, cape, gauntlets, shield

includes the nation’s Favourite Anthem Always Look on the Bright Side of Life and Eric Idle himself as God (see small print)***

9 to 5 the musical Written by Patricia Resnick Music and lyrics by Dolly Parton Starring Mark Moraghan Jackie Clune Natalie Casey Amy Lennox Bonnie Langford Featuring Dolly live from her desk in Dollywood Princess Theatre Torquay Mon 18 - Sat 23 February Box Office 0844 871 3023 Milton Keynes Theatre Mon 4 - Sat 9 March Box Office 0844 871 7652 Bristol Hippodrome Mon 18 - Sat 23 March Box Office 0844 871 3012 Full 9 to 5 tour details & online booking at atgtickets.com Terms & conditions One winner will be chosen at random after the closing date. The prize includes 4 tickets (Mon - Thu perfs only) to see 9 to 5 at the venue of your choice from the list above plus one bottle of champagne, show merchandise and two house programmes. Prize is subject to availability, non-transferable and non-redeemable for a cash value.

Not open to employees of Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd. Editor’s decision is final.

5

Women AT WORK

win tickets for a feisty, fun & fabulous night out

H

ave you ever felt overlooked in your

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Based on the popular 1980s film, this warm-hearted

as others get the look-in you deserve?

show boasts an acclaimed original score by Dolly

Have you ever just wished that you

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We’re offering one lucky winner and three friends

your mind?!

the best seats in the house at a venue of their choice,

playhouse Theatre Monty Python’s

spamalot

where you’ll be treated to some well deserved luxury

hard to believe this was ever not a musical. dolly parton’s songs gallop through: backwoods barbie fits as well as anything in sondheim times

Starring Stephen Tompkinson (appearing until 2 March) Until 2 November 2013 Box Office 0844 871 7631 Online booking at atgtickets.com

with complimentary champagne, programmes and merchandise.

To get your hands on this fantastic prize, simply complete the missing word in this line from the song 9 to 5:

Terms & conditions

Working 9 to 5, what a way to make a

Actual knights go free (ID required).

All knights must arrive no later than 1 hour before curtain up to book their tickets and all knights must be approved by theatre management in accordance with terms and conditions. Management reserve the right to refuse entry. Available only in person at the Box Office on the day. Tickets subject to availability.

Then 9 to 5: The Musical is definitely the show for you!

Come put your feet up and leave the daily grind behind

Please return your answer on a postcard, not

with this hilarious tale of girl power, new beginnings

forgetting your name and email address or telephone

and sweetly served revenge.

number to Alice Gimblett, The Ambassador Theatre

When Doralee, Judy and Violet can take no more

Group Ltd., 39-41 Charing Cross Road, London,

from their shamelessly sexist boss, the unlikely trio

WC2H 0AR before Friday 1st March 2013. ■ *** as a visual recording! As if they could afford this God-like comic in the current economic climate!

ATG Magazine / 6

Interview

is there a brighter, livelier person in the british theatre? certainly, none is more versatile.

it’s basically a love story, with nobody quite in love with the right person,’ McAuliffe says.

★★★★★ a triumph. scotsman

★★★★ a touch of alan bennett in the spry wit. yesteryear england at its best. daily telegraph

★★★★

Queen

Julian Glover Sheila Reid Nichola McAuliffe

THE

AND I

LOVE NEVER GROWS OLD IN NICHOLA McAULIFFE’S sparkling maurices’s jubilee

the woman who tends Julian Glover’s Queen-

Is there a brighter, livelier person in the British

obsessed Maurice along with Sheila Reid’s Helena,

theatre? Certainly, none is more versatile. As an actress,

his doting wife.

independent

McAuliffe’s credits range from the mad vagrant in Alan

‘It’s basically a love story, with nobody quite in

Bennett’s Lady in the Van to the three characters

love with the right person,’ she says. McAuliffe is still

Arnold Wesker wrote especially for her in his one-

middle-aged, younger than the 55 years Wikipedia

woman Annie Wobbler, from the acerbic Sheila Sabatini

inaccurately attributes to her, but is fascinated by what

in TV’s Surgical Spirit to the lead in the RSC’s revival of

she calls life’s ‘third act’. Drama, she feels, tends to

Kiss Me Kate, a performance that won her the Olivier

concentrate on the first and second acts, meaning

Award for best actress in a musical. As a writer, she’s

youth and its aftermath. But age adds doubt, a

penned novels and plays why, she’s even worked

realisation that time is limited, and depth to the same

briefly as a theatre critic on The Daily Mail, which let

hopes, dreams and thwarted ambitions - ‘so for me

her acclaim a play whose quiet wit Maurice’s Jubilee

writing about older people is far, far more interesting.’

shares: Bennett’s History Boys.

She’s a bit worried that, if she says more, prospective

McAuliffe feels that actresses get more

punters might think the play morbid, which it decidedly

compartmentalised and typecast than their male

isn’t. How could it be with an author as fond of fun and

counterparts and takes relish in the variety of her roles:

funny stories, some told against herself? There was the

‘I’ve never wanted to do the same thing twice. It doesn’t

time when, filling in at the last moment for a sick Dora

interest me making a career of the comedy barmaid or

Bryan as the fairy in a Christmas panto, she played the

being the spinster in a Poirot or a Morse. I’d rather take

character as alcoholic, meaning she could write her

risks, abseil up the outside of a building, than walk

lines on the brandy bottle she was still clutching when

up the carpeted stairs in its middle.’

she finally slid down the proscenium arch. There was

When we met, she was planning a new play,

the time when, playing the statue of Queen Victoria

it materialise almost unchanged at the Edinburgh

wondering how to acquire the science for a projected

in Peter Nichols’s Poppy, she fell asleep while upright,

Edinburgh Festival, Maurice’s Jubilee came

Festival.

sci-fi novel, and re-rehearsing Maurice’s Jubilee. As

astounding the RSC company that had turned round

to Nichola McAuliffe while she and her

There, it won rave reviews and McAuliffe herself a

someone who firmly distinguishes acting (which

to hear her sing about the responsibilities that

husband were spending a long, dark, rainy

best-actress award for her performance as the nurse

means getting an audience to see into a character)

came with the crown she was wearing.

night driving from Edinburgh to London. She’d been

of the decent title-character who hopes to have the

from performing (which means flaunting one’s own

‘Gentle snores were coming from the statue while

thinking about the death of the utterly decent but

Queen to tea. A surprisingly speedy success for the

personality), she can be relied on genuinely to act a

2,000 people were looking at me, every member of

Interview by

unfulfilled father of a man she’d once nearly married.

hilariously funny but poignant piece McAuliffe had

role she never intended to take. Kika Markham was

the cast was shaking with laughter, and there was a

And when the Queen’s jubilee year came into her mind

written in just three weeks after being told she’d better

originally to play nurse Katy, but got a major TV part at

part of my brain that was saying: this silence shouldn’t

Photography by

she turned to her husband, told him she’d an idea for

hurry up finishing the play as the brochure advertising

the last moment, meaning that McAuliffe found herself

be here.’ That’s Nichola McAuliffe for you: peppy,

a play, talked him through it - and in August 2012 saw

it would soon be printed! Perhaps; but then McAuliffe

cancelling a foreign holiday and hurriedly becoming

humorous, one of the theatre’s great originals. ■

T

Benedict Nightingale Phil Tragen

7

is an all-electric surprise herself.

a sparkling gem. a touching love story with a twist in the tail.

he inspiration for the smash hit of last year’s

Maurice’s Jubilee Written by Nichola McAuliffe Starring Julian Glover Sheila Reid Nichola McAuliffe Richmond Theatre Tue 19 - Sat 23 February Box Office 0844 871 7651 Theatre Royal Brighton Tue 26 February - Sat 2 March Box Office 0844 871 7650 new alexandra Theatre Birmingham Tue 5 - Sat 9 March Box Office 0844 871 3011 Churchill Theatre Bromley Tue 26 - Sat 30 March Box Office 0844 871 7620 For casting details and online booking visit atgtickets.com ATG Magazine / 8

Interview

Desert SONG

B

something, I like to commit to it.’

ritain is caught in a surprise snowstorm

the day Jason Donovan calls to talk about

Strictly is ‘pantomine but not as much as X-Factor’,

his latest stage outing. But after a long

says Jason, who admits to feeling ‘a little bit sorry’ for

afternoon’s run through in central London,

fellow Westender Denise Van Outen and the stick she

he is already home safe and dry for a Friday night in

got for being overqualified for a dance contest. ‘Of

with his family - long gone Jason’s partying days of old.

course, Denise has a bit of experience. I was accused

The Australian pop and soap star may have settled

of that too. But it’s about casting across the board for

for life in a cold UK climate, but professionally

a show like that. At the end of the day, Louis Smith

speaking, he is back in the desert - Priscilla, Queen

wasn’t a dancer - and he won. Denise was a dancer

i love how the story carries this show rather than just the music.

It has three really strong central characters, a great plot and some fantastic songs too. It’s a real journey. of the Desert - the big-hearted, bigger-heeled tale

and she didn’t. It’s more than just a dancing show.’

of three Sydney drag queens that became Jason’s

And while Jason might seem like musical theatre’s

most solid gold success since his run in Joseph and

ideal ‘triple threat’ - actor, singer, now dancer too - he

the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in the 1990s.

remains clear about his first love. ‘Acting is the thing

Despite turning down a role in the original 1994

I feel most comfortable with,’ he says, adding that it

Priscilla film, Jason appeared in a spangling 450

was Stephan Elliott’s script which first attracted him

performances of the musical at London’s Palace

to Priscilla. ‘They talk about juke box musicals, but I

Theatre between 2009-10. And now the show is

love how the story carries this show rather than just

parking up at Manchester Opera House as part of the

the music. It has three really strong central characters,

Manchester Gets It First initiative before a nationwide

a great plot and some fantastic songs too. It’s a

tour. It stars Jason as Tick, aka ‘Mitzi Mitosis’, who

real journey.’

drags his queenly colleagues ‘Bernadette’ and ‘Felicia’ on a road trip to Alice Springs - and

What made Jason want to get

hugely entertaining, insanely glitzy

back on this bus? ‘Rarely do you have

daily telegraph

a hoped-for reunion with his eight-yearold son.

a show where you not only established a character yourself but opened that show in town,’ explains the 44-year-old. ‘I was always sorry that I didn’t follow through with more time in Joseph - these opportunities don’t come around as much as falling into a role that other people have established.’

Since his last stint in Priscilla, he’s been far from idle, exercising his talents first as a contestant (and eventual finalist) on BBC1’s Strictly Come Dancing; more recently on the panel of Superstar on ITV1, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s search for a new Messiah. Which did Jason prefer: judging, or being judged?

Jason is feeling pretty chipper about things. Fresh out of a European tour of rock opera, War of the Worlds, he also guested at Stock Aitken Waterman’s massive Christmas gig, The Hit Factory, even duetting with old pal Kylie on ‘Especially For You’. ‘It was a big success,’ he smiles. ‘Kylie and I had never really done it live before!’

Now in his fifth decade, what keeps Jason trucking?

‘School fees,’ he deadpans. ‘No, I’m just someone who keeps going. This business has been quite good to me.

But I’ve worked very hard.’ Also, he adds, ‘I enjoy the good things and they don’t come cheap!’

Once upon a time, this might have meant something different - Jason’s early battles with drugs are well

the best feel-good show since mamma mia!

Featuring over 20 dancefloor classics including I Will Survive, It’s Raining Men, Hot Stuff and Go West 9

sunday express

Jason Donovan journeys to the heart of fabulous

documented - but these days, his luxuries are more salubrious: ‘I love holidays, I love spending time with my family and drinking good wine. I live in a nice house in central London and I like to come home and put on the fire.’

Does he ever dream of moving home to Australia

‘I certainly understand now that judging is about

on chilly days like this? ‘I’ve found a home here,’ he says.

being honest and brave in your comments,’ he says

‘I’m a big fan of England and its history and the public

of the two experiences. ‘When Craig (Revel Horwood,

have been extremely good to me. Things happen here.

Strictly judge) says something, he’s normally right. I

That’s not to say they don’t happen in Australia. They are

respect Craig. And Craig respects hard work. If you

just a little more removed.’ He pauses for a moment and

don’t dig deep in this business, you don’t get the

shivers. ‘But Australia is never going to go away, and

results. I’m the sort of person that when I do

yes, at this time of year, I do dream of the beach!’ ■

Jason Donovan

new theatre oxford 25 February - 2 March Box Office 0844 871 3020 edinburgh playhouse 4 - 9 March Box Office 0844 871 3014 new wimbledon theatre 11 - 16 March Box Office 0844 871 7646 New alexandra theatre birmingham 18 - 30 March Box Office 0844 871 3011 sunderland empire 8 - 13 April Box Office 0844 871 3022 bristol hippodrome 15 - 27 April Box Office 0844 871 3012 princess theatre torquay 29 April - 4 May Box Office 0844 871 3023 york grand opera house 13 - 18 May Box Office 0844 871 3024 empire theatre liverpool 20 - 25 May Box Office 0844 871 3017 regent theatre stoke-on-trent 10 -15 June Box Office 0844 871 7649 king’s theatre glasgow 17 -29 June Box Office 0844 871 7648 For casting details and online booking visit atgtickets.com Interview by Nancy Groves ATG Magazine / 10

backstage

richard o’brien wrote it in a week, i think. wouldn’t everybody love to do that - write a hit show in a week.

The songs are catchy, it’s a bit crazy and it’s still very left-field. There’s nothing else like it.

part, like everyone else, so I feel I have to go out there

counting on their fingers. ‘There’s quite a few,’ says

and do my best. I know I am very fortunate to be in this

Ben. ‘Jean Valjean in Les Misérables, Galileo in We

show - and particularly being directed by Christopher

Will Rock You, Joe in Sunset Boulevard, Chris in

Ben Forster

Luscombe.’ ‘He’s a lovely guy,’ says Rhydian. ‘and he’s a fantastic director too. So the show feels very fresh, because of him.’

Not surprisingly, both men are grateful to the talent shows that groomed them. ‘It gave me a profile which helped me to get into musical theatre, which is my passion. It was like auditioning on a bigger platform,’ Rhydian recalls. ‘Absolutely,’ Ben agrees. ‘In a normal,

fun, frolics and frivolity guaranteed!

two minute audition, they get no insight into the kind of person you are, what you can cope with. On the TV, they watch you grow and develop - and the final ten

Miss Saigon. I’m going to do them all, trust me.’ And

contestants get highlighted, and that’s good for their

Rhydian joins in: ‘I want to play Phantom, without a

careers, but also for the business itself.’

doubt. I relate to that character and I’m moved every

So, in terms of future roles, what burning ambitions

time I see the show. Sweeney Todd, anything in Les

do they have? They both chuckle at this and start

Mis, Billy Bigelow in Carousel. My Boy Bill is one of my party pieces.’

Yes, a lot of ambition there. But

Shock

All New 40th Anniversary

Party Production

ultimately, I ask them, what is the phenomenal appeal of Rocky Horror Show? The story of Brad and his fiancée Janet and their scandalous adventures in the castle of Frank N Furter, is packed with timeless songs (Sweet Transvestite, Damn It Janet and Time Warp), brilliant costumes, and bags of energy. It’s as popular as ever after 40 years - translated into over 20 languages and performed in over 30 countries. Why? ‘Well, I think it’s a masterpiece,’ says Rhydian.

‘Richard O’Brien wrote it in a week, I think. Wouldn’t everybody love to do that - write a hit show in a week? The songs are catchy, it’s a bit crazy and

Stockings, suspenders, stilettos - get ready for rocky!

still the sexiest & funniest show in town evening standard

11

else like it.’ Ben agrees. ‘Richard

t’s hard to argue with the merit of TV talent shows,

his rich baritone voice, and Cowell signed him up for

O’Brien grew up in a small town, and

when you learn that two of the stars of the 40th

a record deal the day after the final. He has starred

he wrote this musical as an escape,

Anniversary Production of The Rocky Horror Show

in three Albert Hall galas, appeared in a UK tour of

to express himself in an extrovert

are products of that gruelling, elimination process.

Grease, and sung with an impressive list of artists,

way. It has become an escape for

I am having coffee with them and they are both total

including Katherine Jenkins, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa

audiences too. It means a middle-

charmers. Ben Forster, who plays Brad, won the TV

and Bryn Terfel.

aged man can stand at the bus stop

series Superstar, a nationwide search for Jesus, guided

Was it a bit daunting being offered such sought-

in stockings and suspenders and it’s

and judged by Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber himself,

after roles in Rocky? ‘I was really honoured,’ says Ben.

perfectly acceptable. He can say to

and he then played the role in a UK and Ireland tour,

‘The nerve-racking thing is that the audiences know

people - oh, I’m going to see The

along with Melanie C, one of the judges. At 31, he

every line of it, so you can’t get it wrong. Brad is a

Rocky Horror Show tonight - and

has a strong CV - he has starred in West End shows,

perfect role for me - and different in so many ways

they will understand. It’s about

Grease, Thriller Live and All You Need Is Love.

from Jesus, which people associate me with - Jesus

having 1,000 people in an

Rhydian, who plays Rocky, is now 29, a platinum

doesn’t end up in stilettos, so that’s one difference!’

auditorium, who are on the

recording artist, who shot to fame on Simon Cowell’s

Rhydian didn’t let himself feel intimidated by

same page.’ ■

X Factor. Despite being a runner-up, audiences loved

previous Rocky performers. ‘I auditioned for the

Rhydian

t

Feature by Victoria Kingston

I

it’s still very left-field. There’s nothing

the rocky horror show Written by Richard O’Brien Directed by Christopher Luscombe Musical Arrangements

by Richard Hartley Starring Ben Forster Rhydian Roxanne Pallett Philip Franks Oliver Thornton sunderland empire 18 - 23 February Box Office 0844 871 3022 king’s theatre glasgow 25 February - 2 March Box Office 0844 871 7648 edinburgh playhouse 11 - 16 March Box Office 0844 871 3014 grimsby auditorium 18 - 23 March Box Office 0844 871 3016 opera house manchester 25 - 30 March Box Office 0844 871 3018 york grand opera house 8 - 13 April Box Office 0844 871 3024 richmond theatre 6 - 11 May Box Office 0844 871 7651 regent theatre stoke-on-trent 20 - 25 May Box Office 0844 871 7649 Churchill theatre bromley 27 May - 1 June Box Office 0844 871 7620 new Victoria theatre woking 24 - 29 June Box Office 0844 871 7645 milton keynes theatre 15 - 20 July Box Office 0844 871 7652 For casting details and online booking visit atgtickets.com ATG Magazine / 12

atg tickets

The unforgettable excitement of live theatre - get into it this spring using atgtickets.com as your guide

Apollo Victoria 0844 871 7615

Trafalgar Studio 1 0844 871 7632

Wicked

macbeth

Phoenix Theatre 0844 871 7629

Phoenix Theatre 0844 871 7629

midnight tango

once

Everyone’s favourite Strictly stars, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace make a welcome return to the West End.

Winner of 8 Tony Awards, a new musical adapted from the Oscar winning film.

Harold Pinter Theatre 0844 871 7622

Duke of York’s Theatre 0844 871 7623

Savoy Theatre 0844 871 7687

old times

the judas kiss

Experience the Beatles live in London. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘Beatlemania is back!’

Tony Dibbon, Magic 105.4

viva forever!

A fabulous, feel-good story of our times, inspired by the songs of the Spice Girls.

The Lion King

‘I The Book of Mormon’ New York Post

A roller-coaster ride of romance with dazzling state-of-the-art staging book of mormon The smash-hit Broadway sensation from Inner Magic Circle member from the creators of South Park comes to London.

Paul Kieve - on tour this Spring.

Piccadilly Theatre 0844 871 7630

Lyceum Theatre 0844 871 7615 Disney’s

★★★★★ ghost ‘Simply out of this world!’ Sun

Starring James McAvoy & Claire Foy. Directed by Jamie Lloyd.

Part of the brand new Trafalgar Transformed season. Shakespeare’s darkest tale plays out in a dystopian Scotland brutalised by war. Under a toxic fog, Macbeth begins his tormented struggle for power fuelled by ambition and paranoia.

There has never been a better time to experience ‘the hit musical with brains, heart and courage’ (Sunday Telegraph) as it flies into its seventh spellbinding year.

With a cast of over 40 actors, singers and dancers.

‘A beautiful dazzle of invention and imagination’ Evening Standard

Fortune Theatre 0844 871 7626

The Woman in Black One of the most exciting and gripping theatre events ever staged. ‘A truly nerve-shredding experience’ Daily Mail

Playhouse Theatre 0844 871 7631

SPAMALOT

The Award-Winning Hit Musical, jam packed full of gags with new ones added every day is now booking until 2 November.

This hilarious comedy for all ages includes the Nation’s Anthem ‘Always Look On The Bright Side of Life’.

‘Fantastic Fun’ Daily Express

y of 8 Ton Winner cl. in 2012 in s d r Awa Musical Best New

old times

once the musical

The first Pinter play at the Harold Pinter Theatre since it was renamed after the great man stars Kristin Scott Thomas, Rufus Sewell and Lia Williams in a seductive and compelling drama - directed by Ian Rickson.

Expect all the excitement and exhilaration of an Irish ceilidh live on stage in this new musical based on the much-loved, Oscar-winning film - a celebration of love, friendship and music.

Kristin Scott Thomas, Rufus Sewell Starring Rupert Everett as Oscar and Lia Williams star in Harold Pinter’s Wilde in David Hare’s compelling seductive and compelling drama. drama.

let it be

priscilla queen of the desert Join us for a journey to the heart of fabulous in this fresh and funny musical starring Jason Donovan.

Winner of 4 WhatsOnStage.com awards, the tour comes direct from the West End.

Duke of York’s Theatre 0844 871 7623

Donmar Warehouse 0844 871 7624

The Old Vic 0844 871 7628

Trafalgar Studio 2* 0844 871 7632

Trafalgar Studio 2* 0844 871 7632

the winslow boy

Hemingway’s fiesta

mydidae

PASSION PLAY

trelawny of the wells

Starring Zoë Wanamaker in Peter Nichols’ celebrated black comedy.

Pinero’s love letter to the theatre, directed by Joe Wright.

Lindsay Posner directs Terence Rattigan’s story of a father’s fight to clear his son’s name.

A unique adaptation featuring live jazz of Ernest Hemingway’s tale of love, loss and decadence.

Written by BAFTA award winner Jack Thorne, Mydidae transfers to the West End following a highly acclaimed run at Soho Theatre.

Book your tickets online 13

at atgtickets.com Your One Stop Shop *Studio 2 has been made possible by a generous donation from Christina Smith

ATG Magazine / 14

Best

style Interview

in shoe

the forecast is for bright and breezy this Spring

1 3 tone brogue From Dune dune.co.uk £80

2 pink studded high top trainer From Ash Footwear ashfootwear.co.uk £139 3 studded taupe leather boots with fluoro pink lace From Kurt Geiger kurtgeiger.com £220 4 orange plimsoll lace-ups From Victoria victoria-plimsolls.co.uk £30 5 green kid suede peep-toe shoe From Ash Footwear £149 6 floral plimsoll lace-ups From Victoria £30 7 pink Peep-toe with fluoro yellow shaped heel From Kurt Geiger £195 8 Men’s ikat fabric slip-on shoe From T & F Slack Shoemakers tandfslackshoemakers.com £235

9 yellow strappy sandal with espadrille wedge sole From Balenciaga selfridges.com £465 Tights and nail varnish from a selection at Topshop and Accessorize All prices quoted are given as a guide only and may be subject

to change by individual retailers

Feature by Mark Bouman 15

ATG Magazine / 16

going out Awaken your senses by indulging in a winning combination of Michelin-starred cuisine and first-class entertainment.

Simply follow the fine food and drink from one of our specially selected restaurants with a magical night at the theatre.

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Oxfordshire

Sensations TASTE

castle terrace

Theatre Royal Brighton Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Oxfordshire Fraiche Merseyside Simpsons Edgbaston

Nestled in the heart of Edinburgh’s Old Town, Castle

perfect for dinner à deux.

restaurants to retain its two Michelin stars for an

seasons. Lunch menus starting from £38 take guests

Terrace has established itself as one of the most

ideal pairing: Liverpool Empire (Phantom of the

impressive 28 years, Le Manoir remains a mecca for

on an exciting journey through marriages of flavour

celebrated additions to Scotland’s competitive dining

Opera, Hairspray)

gourmets seeking culinary voyages of intrigue and

and texture captured in artfully plated dishes.

discovery. Painstakingly sourced by executive head

ideal pairing: Bristol Hippodrome (9 to 5,

simpsons

chef Gary Jones, are the freshest seasonal ingredients,

Starlight Express, Priscilla)

in Paris and Istanbul, presents modern British cuisine

Set in a handsome Grade II-listed Georgian house in

two-acre kitchen garden. These form the basis of the

influenced by French cooking techniques and an

leafy Edgbaston, Simpsons is renowned as the smartest

modern French cuisine that is represented in exquisite

appreciation of the best ingredients to come from

restaurant in the Midlands. But it’s not just good looks

menus such as the five-course lunch - a distillation of

Head to one of the prettiest Tudor villages in England

Scotland’s natural larder. The three-course set lunch

that draw people here; the outstanding Anglo-French

the most alluring flavours dreamt up by Le Manoir’s

for expertly devised dishes incorporating the very

menu is particularly good value at £24, with mains

cuisine, overseen by popular chef and industry mentor

50-strong team.

best that Sussex has to offer. With the feel of a country

such as Scottish rabbit à la Provençal or cassoulet

Andreas Antona, is lovingly prepared from quality

ideal pairing: New Theatre Oxford (Soul Sister,

bolthole, Ockenden Manor in Cuckfield beckons guests

of Ayrshire pork.

ingredients sourced from the best regional suppliers.

Joseph)

to an elegant dining room affording sweeping views

scene, picking up a coveted Michelin star less than 18 months after opening. Chef-patron Dominic Jack, who honed his skills in his native Scotland as well as

ideal pairing: Edinburgh Playhouse (Priscilla

On warm spring days, there’s a secluded landscaped

Queen of the Desert starring Jason Donovan,

garden in which to enjoy pre-lunch drinks. Typical

Ghost, Blood Brothers)

lunch delights from the constantly updated menus

including organic produce grown on Le Manoir’s

ockenden manor

across a lovely garden towards the South Downs

casamia

National Park. In this tranquil environment, head chef Stephen Crane presents food that mixes innovation

include Portland crab, Gressingham duck and silky

‘We’ve got two little geniuses, my God can they cook,’

and tradition, rooted in French classical style yet

chocolate tart (£38 for three courses).

Gordon Ramsay has enthused of the Bristol-based

maintaining a loyalty to locally sourced produce. Look

ideal pairing: New Alexandra Theatre Birmingham

brothers, Jonray and Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, who are

out for popular plates such as sautéed langoustines

Merseyside’s brightest culinary star, located in the

(Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Goodnight Mister Tom,

behind the success of the small but perfectly formed

with crisp pork belly, fricassee of Carlingford oysters

conservation village of Oxton, stands out from the

Midnight Tango)

Casamia. As the youngest chefs to be awarded a

or saddle of Balcombe venison. Puddings are equally

Michelin star in the UK, the self-taught duo has taken

tantalising, featuring classics with irresistible twists,

fraiche

crowd with contemporary French cuisine designed

le manoir aux quat’saisons

inspiration from childhood memories and travels to

from a warm plum clafoutis to a millefeuille of Cox

invent food using superlative British produce. But

apples and white chocolate and vanilla cream.

own twist to things,’ says chef-patron Marc Wilkinson,

Famed the world over, Raymond Blanc’s gastronomic

beyond providing mouthwatering meals, Casamia

ideal pairing: Theatre Royal Brighton (Maurice’s

whose signature six-course tasting menu - packed full

oasis is to be found in a 15th-century, honey-coloured

adopts a Japanese tradition of reflecting seasonal

Jubilee, Yes Prime Minister, Passion Play starring

of innovative flavour combinations and eye-catching

Chiltern manor house situated in the picturesque

change not just in its menu but also in its décor.

Zoë Wanamaker)

presentation - is served in intimate surroundings

Oxfordshire village of Great Milton. One of the few

The result is a sensory experience in tune with the

to take diners on an adventure in taste, texture and temperature. ‘We try to have our own touch, our

17

9 To 5 The Musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert

castleterracerestaurant.com restaurantfraiche.com simpsonsrestaurant.co.uk manoir.com casamiarestaurant.co.uk hshotels.co.uk For full details of what’s on at all the theatres listed in the feature, visit atgtickets.com Feature by Neena Dhillon ATG Magazine / 18