StageDirections Issue 61 by Mousetrap Theatre Projects

February/March/April 15

StageDirections Issue 61

Dear Teachers, Welcome to Issue 61 of StageDirections, our last ever issue! It is with sadness we send you this last issue of StageDirections. The Teachers Preview Club was founded in Winter 1999 – 16 years ago – and over that time our dedicated members have been able to attend 1000’s of outstanding theatre productions in the West End, across London and throughout the UK. We have hosted 100’s of special members’ events, written many articles extolling the educational value of a huge range of theatre productions for both primary and secondary students and tried to keep you abreast of new theatre opportunities available to teachers. So many of you have been very loyal TPC members – some from the earliest days – so we will miss being in touch with you. We are closing the Club as we believe that with the huge number of theatre clubs, offers and ticket discounts now available through the internet, keeping the Club going was redundant. We also feel that as Mousetrap Theatre Projects has grown significantly in these past 16 years (now taking over 13,000 young people to the theatre annually through 18 access, creative learning and youth engagement programmes), we needed to focus on our core mission on developing theatre opportunities for disadvantaged young people and young people with special needs. We hope you have enjoyed many wonderful and exciting theatre visits through the TPC. In the next month, we plan to send you a list of available clubs, offers, and discounted ticket schemes so you can continue your theatregoing. We would also love for you and your colleagues to stay in touch with us through our website. If you work in London state secondary schools, visit www. mousetrap.org.uk to learn more about the range of Creative Learning Programmes we run for your students – as well as the opportunities we provide for them to attend theatre independently through theatrelive4£5 & westend4£10. We would also like to offer a very special thank you to the wonderful Mel, who has been our dedicated TPC volunteer for the past 6 years; we are delighted that she is staying with us to help with our adience development progammes. It has been a pleasure to run this Club and as we say our final adieu, we thank you very much for your support. Susan Whiddington (Director), Katherine Usher (Special Projects Manager & TPC Editor), Tracy Burke (Company Manager), Nancy Shakerley (Youth Engagement Manager) & Mel Lewis (TPC Volunteer). PS: Income generated by the TPC has supported our work over the last 16 years. If you believe in our mission to inspire and educate disadvantaged young people through theatre, you can help by making a donation. Just £10 would start a young person on their theatre journey with Mousetrap Theatre Projects. Visit the Support pages of our website and make a difference to a young life. www.mousetrap.org.uk > Support Us > Donate Thank you

Front Cover Image: Memphis at Shaftesbury Theatre. See Pg. 3 for offer & Pg. 6 for Special Event 2

An overview of Mousetrap Theatre Projects’ Work & Programmes Mousetrap runs 18 access and education projects in a variety of different settings:

Opening Doors Providing young people, specifically those with limited resources, support or a disability, the opportunity to attend London theatre, often as a first-time experience. theatreopeners theatrejourneys familyfirstnights envision stageseen stageXchange relaxedperformances

School group visits for mainstream secondary schools Theatre visits and free workshops for special schools Taking low-income families to the theatre for first time Making the West End accessible for visually impaired young people Making the West End accessible for deaf & hard of hearing young people Theatre visits and workshops for youth groups and non-school settings Special performances for families with children with special needs

Creative Learning Helping young people to engage actively with their theatre experience & to use theatre as an educational resource to invigorate learning and develop academic, social and personal skills. playthecritic stagebusiness tellingthetale actout mysterysolved stagesong powerplay explore nextstage

Critical thinking and writing skills for A-Level students An inside view of the ‘business’ of theatre, led by industry professionals Making and telling of stories; developing speaking and listening skills Bespoke performance skills projects Literacy project exploring the mystery genre for Yr.6 in primary schools Song composition, taught by professional composers and lyricists Bespoke, drama-based projects & workshops in Pupil Referral Units Theatre visit & bespoke drama workshops for special schools Developing employability skills for youth club members

Youth Engagement To encourage a legacy of theatregoing among young audiences by reducing barriers and enhancing their knowledge and understanding of theatre theatrelive4£5 westend4£10 Youth Forum

Offering young people, aged 15-18, to the access the West End for £5 Offering young people aged 19 -23, to access the West End for £10 An active group, taking a leadership role in supporting MTP (16-23 yrs)

West End

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory @ Theatre Royal, Drury Lane Tickets Days Dates Ages To Book

£20 (Booking fee applies) Monday - Thursdays @ 7.30pm Wednesdays @ 2.30pm 2nd February - 30th April Excludes 17th & 18th Feb, 7th, 8th, 14th & 15th April (Subject to availability) 5+ 0844 412 4650 and quote Teachers Preview Club Please have your TPC Membership No. on hand to book.

A chocolate garden, an army of squirrels and the curiously peculiar Oompa-Loompas must be believed to be seen in this gigantic new Olivier Award-winning musical. Download your free ‘Page to Stage Multimedia Resource’ from: charlieandthechocolatefactory.com/education. Developed with and for teachers, this pack offers insights into the creative process and how to bring this new musical to life in your classroom.

Made In Dagenham Tickets Days Dates Ages To Book

@ Adelphi Theatre

£20 (Best Availble) Monday – Friday @ 7.30pm 2nd February - 30th April 11+ 020 3725 7060 and STAGEDIRECTIONS MadeInDagenhamTheMusical.com

‘A breath of freshair. Funny, thoughtful & uplifting.’ Daily Express Inspired by a true story & based on the hit film, Made in Dagenham is the uplifting new West End musical comedy about friendship, love & the importance of fighting for what is right. Essex 1968. Like millions of other working women, Rita O’Grady is just trying to get her husband out of bed, get the kids off to school and get to work at the factory on time. But life is about to change forever when Rita leads her friends in a battle against the might of Ford. Funny, touching and timeless, Made in Dagenham shows how ordinary people can do extraordinary things when they stand together.

@ Shaftesbury Theatre

Tickets £25 (+ £2 booking fee per ticket & £1.50 transaction fee) No booking fees apply when you book in person Days Monday – Thursday @ 7.30pm Dates 2nd February - 30th April Ages 11+ To Book 0207 379 5399 quote Teachers Preview Club

In the underground nightclubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee, the soul of a new era is dawning as the first incredible sounds of rock ‘n’ roll, blues and gospel are emerging into the mainstream. Starring the Queen of British Soul, Beverley Knight (The Bodyguard) and West End star Killian Donnelly (The Commitments), with original songs by GRAMMY winner and Bon Jovi co-founder David Bryan, and a gripping true-life inspired story from writer Joe DiPietro, Memphis will leave you exhilarated by its explosive blend of electrifying music, soaring emotion and roof-raising energy. Memphis the Musical’s FREE multimedia education resource pack was developed with teachers and includes lesson plans in English and Expressive Arts as well as insights into America in the 1950s around which the story unfolds. Visit memphisthemusical.com/ schools to download your copy!

Shakespeare In Love

@ Noël Coward Theatre

Tickets £20 (Face Value £30) Days Monday - Wednesday @ 7.30pm Wednesdays @ 2.30pm Dates 2nd February - 25th March Excludes 17th-19th February Ages 12+ To Book 08444 825165 quote MOU (Lines open 9 - 6, Mon - Fri) Promising young playwright Will Shakespeare is tormented by writer’s block until he finds his muse in the form of passionate noblewoman, Viola De Lesseps. Their forbidden love draws many others, including Queen Elizabeth, into the drama and inspires Will to write the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet. Based on the Oscar-winning screenplay by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard, Shakespeare in Love has been adapted for the stage by Lee Hall (Billy Elliot). The production is directed by Declan Donnellan and designed by Nick Ormerod, the driving force behind the worldrenowned theatre company, Cheek by Jowl.

West End

Memphis

West End

STOMP

@ Ambassadors Theatre

Tickets £20 (£2.50 transaction fee applies) Days Monday & Thursday @ 8.00pm Thursday & Sunday @ 3.00pm Dates 2nd February - 30th March Excludes 15th - 19th February Ages 8+ To Book 0844 8112 334 quote Teacher Preview Club Valid Membership ID required when collecting tickets.

The multi-award winning show has a universal language of rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance. Eight performers use everything from Zippo lighters, plastic bags, bin lids and even the kitchen sink to hammer out an explosively feel good rhythm.

The 39 Steps Tickets Days Dates Ages To Book

@ Criterion Theatre

£20 (£2.50 booking & £1.95 telephone transaction fee) Monday – Thursday @ 8pm, Wednesday @ 3pm 2nd February – 31st March 2015 Excludes 16th – 22nd February KS3+ 0800 912 6959 Quote Teachers Preview Club Offer

Take a daring leap into the world of espionage, high drama and rip-roaring comedy with The 39 Steps. The wonderfully inventive Olivier Award winning show is a brilliant stage recreation of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller and features just four fearless actors playing 139 roles in 100 minutes of fast-paced fun and thrilling action. Follow the incredible adventures of our handsome hero Richard Hannay, complete with stiff-upper-lip, British gung-ho and pencil moustache as he encounters dastardly murders, double-crossing secret agents, and, of course, devastatingly beautiful women. Post show Q&As, Education pack and Theatre Workout Workshop.

Tickets Days Dates Ages To Book

@ Palace Theatre

£22.50 (Best Available) Tuesdays & Wednesdays @ 7.30pm 3rd February - 28th April All 0844 482 9676 and quote TPC Offer www.thecommitments.london use code TPC

The Commitments is ‘London’s five-star smash-hit musical’ (James Brown). The ‘sublime’ (Daily Telegraph) musical based on the classic BAFTA award-winning film, has been running for eighteen months at the iconic Palace Theatre in London’s West End. This multi-million pound production continues to play to packed houses, garnering rave reviews and proving to be Theatreland’s hottest ticket! A fabulous fun night out for all the family featuring over 20 great soul classics including: Night Train, Try A Little Tenderness, River Deep, Mountain High, In The Midnight Hour, Save Me, Mustang Sally AND MANY MORE. The show has been adapted from the novel by Booker prize winning author Roddy Doyle himself and is directed by award winning Jamie Lloyd (Macbeth starring James McAvoy, Urinetown and Richard III starring Martin Freeman)

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time @ Gielgud Theatre

Tickets Days Dates Ages To Book

£15 Monday – Wednesday @ 7.30pm 3rd February - 20th May Excludes 16th - 19th February & 6th – 19th April 11+ 0844 482 5165 quote Teachers Preview Club

Christopher, 15 years old, stands beside Mrs Shears’ dead dog. It has been speared with a garden fork, it is seven minutes after midnight and Christopher is under suspicion. He records each fact in the book he is writing to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington. He has an extraordinary brain, exceptional at maths while illequipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched and he distrusts strangers. But his detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a frightening journey that upturns his world.

West End

The Commitments

West End

The Phantom of the Opera @ Her Majesty’s Theatre Tickets £20 (Usually £41) Days Monday - Thursday @ 7.30pm Thursdays @ 2.30pm Dates 2nd February - 2nd April Ages 7+ To Book 01158 960 303 quote Teachers Preview Club Seen by over 100 million people worldwide, Cameron Mackintosh’s Brilliant Original: The Phantom of the Opera is the highest grossing musical of all time. Now in its 29th record-breaking year, this multi-award winning musical continues to captivate audiences at Her Majesty’s Theatre. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s mesmerising score along with jaw-dropping scenery and breathtaking special effects, magically combine to bring this tragic love story to life each night. Study Guide available to download on www.thephantomoftheopera.com

The Play That Goes Wrong @ Duchess Theatre Tickets Days Dates Ages To Book

£25 (Band B) Wednesday & Thursday @ 7.30pm 3rd February - 30th April Excludes 18th &19th Feb, 2nd-19th April 8+ 0844 482 9672 or online at nimaxtheatres.com Use code TPC

The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society attempt to put on a 1920s’ murder mystery, but as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong… does, as the accident prone thespians battle on against all the odds to get to their final curtain call. This brilliant new laugh out loud comedy performed by Mischief Theatre Company has broken box office records at the Duchess Theatre and has already be seen by Harrison Ford, Robert Lindsay, Ellie Goulding, Joanna Lumley and Paul Merton to name only a few! The Play That Goes Wrong is guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter! Workshops available (subject to availability) - Contact Kezia Lock: kezia@kennywax.com

Tickets

£20 (Upper Circle) *Transaction Fee Applies. 2 tickets only/purchase. Valid membership ID required when collecting tickets.

Days Tuesdays - Thursdays @ 8.00pm Dates 3rd February - 2nd April Excludes 13th - 22nd February Ages 14+ To Book 0844 871 7626 quote Teacher Preview Club www.atgtickets.com use code TPC Susan Hill’s acclaimed ghost story comes dramatically to life in Stephen Mallatratt’s ingenious stage adaptation. Now celebrating 25 terrifying years in the West End, Robin Herford’s gripping production is a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion and controlled horror.

Wicked

@ Apollo Victoria

Tickets £20 (Booking fee & Transcation Charges apply) Days Tuesday & Wednesday @ 7.30pm Wednesdays @ 2.30pm Dates 2nd February - 29th April Excl 17th & 18th Feb, 7th, 8th, 14th & 15th Apr Ages 7+ To Book 0844 871 3001 and quote Teachers Preview Club Packed with thrilling wizardry, dazzling costumes, an ingenious witty story and show-stopping songs, Wicked is an unforgettable, enchanting experience that is not to be missed. Enrich your visit to Wicked by downloading the New Education Resource from wickedthemusical.co.uk/activelearning. With lesson plans, activities and behind-the-scenes exclusives, the pack offers starting points and activities across the English, Arts and PSHE curricula.

West End

The Woman In Black @ Fortune Theatre

West End

War Horse @ New London Theatre Tickets £15 Days Monday - Wednesday Monday & Wednesday @ 7.30pm Tuesday @ 7.00pm Dates 2nd February - 20th May Excludes 16th - 19th February & 6th – 19th April Ages 8+ To Book 01158 960 303 and quote Teachers Preview Club At the outbreak of World War One, Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, is sold to the Cavalry and shipped to France. He’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in No Man’s Land. Albert, who remained on his parents’ Devon farm, cannot forget Joey. Though still not old enough to enlist he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. Based on the beloved novel by Michael Morpurgo, this powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness. At its heart are astonishing life-sized horses by South Africa’s Handspring Puppet Company, who bring breathing, galloping, charging horses to thrilling life on stage.

Special Event @ Memphis We invite you join us at the Shaftesbury Theatre for our next Teachers Preview Club Special Event...

Show Date Time Theatre Tickets Ages

Memphis Monday 13th April 7.30 pm Shaftesbury £25 14+

To Book

Email katherine@mousetrap.org.uk

Tickets include programme, drink and the post show Q&A You are welcome to book up to 4 tickets per membership

Tube To Book

Cockfosters or Oakwood 020 8292 9222 and quote Teacher Preview Offer Or email bookings@chickenshed.org.uk

12:one Tickets Dates Ages

2 Free Teacher Tickets Thursday 12th March @ 7.00pm 11+

Chickenshed’s highly acclaimed work uses the stage to celebrate diversity, and performance as a vehicle to tackle topical social issues. 12:one is a part of our Just Theatre season where we place questions of justice centre stage through two very different stories about people, relationships, personal loss and hope for the future as starting points for a wider discussion of social justice and fairness. These shows will provide a great platform for further discussions, especially for educational groups. 12:one is a courtroom drama in which a jury considers an apparently open and shut case. A teenager stands accused of the murder of her father. A guilty verdict would mean the death penalty in the world of the not too distant future – where prejudice has begun to cast a lengthening shadow over justice and its execution. Combining drama with music and song, the jurors deliberate and weigh the case against the girl, which initially might seem to be beyond question. However, one juror finds the courage to stand alone, to question the girl’s circumstances and the failures of society and the system to protect her. The accused’s life hangs in the balance. Will the jury reach a unanimous verdict, and what will it be? And what will be the repercussions for both the individual and society?

“as the mother of a brown boy…” Tickets Dates Ages

2 Free Teacher Tickets Thursday 19th March @ 7pm 11+

Chickenshed’s highly acclaimed work uses the stage to celebrate diversity, and performance as a vehicle to tackle topical social issues. “as the mother of a brown boy…” is a part of our Just Theatre season where we place questions of justice centre stage through two very different stories about people, relationships, personal loss and hope for the future as starting points for a wider discussion of social justice and fairness. These shows will provide a great platform for further discussions, especially for educational groups. “as the mother of a brown boy…”is a very personal and powerful true story about a mother who remembers the life and untimely death of her mixed race son, and his struggle for identity in a multi-racial society. This beautiful exploration of a young life told through dance, physical theatre, music and multimedia, looks at the truth behind an individual’s life choices, questions injustice within society and intolerance, but above all honours the value of relationships, love, and ultimately, hope. “as the mother of a brown boy…” was shortlisted for ‘Best Original Work by a Collective/Ensemble’ in the 2007 Total Theatre Awards and the ‘Freedom of Expression Award’ by Amnesty International at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. This critically acclaimed seminal piece of Chickenshed’s work brilliantly showcases our unique performance style.

Off West End & Around Town

Chickenshed

Off West End & Around Town

About Chickenshed Theatre Chickenshed is a company that makes beautiful and inspirational theatre. By bringing together people of all ages and from all backgrounds we produce outstanding theatre that entertains, inspires, challenges and informs both audiences and participants alike. Our vision is a society that celebrates diversity and enables every individual to flourish. We are a theatre, and so much more besides! We have been performing for over 40 years, and our inclusive creative process is renowned nationally and internationally. Our purpose-built venue plays host to a huge range of productions and activities across the whole year, offering a welcoming, creative hub to the community. We create in-house productions that take place on our main stage, the Rayne Theatre. We also present regular interactive shows for very young children, new and smaller scale work for adults and families in our intimate Studio Theatre and have a busy programme of live music and comedy events in the Bar. But that’s not all - we run weekly sessions for our Children’s and Youth Theatre members, Saturday and holiday activity workshops for 5-12s, with performance and singing workshops for adults too. We also offer a unique opportunity to learn and perform in a working theatre. We run three nationally accredited education courses at Foundation Degree, BTEC and BA level - and are rated ‘Outstanding’ by OFSTED. To find out more about Chicken Shed, visit www.chickenshed.org.uk

Tube To Book

West Brompton, Earl’s Court 0844 847 1652 or book online at www.finboroughtheatre.co.uk

The world premiere of

Harajuku Girls by Francis Turnly

Dates

Tuesday 24th February – Saturday 21st March Tuesday to Saturday @ 7.30pm Sundays @ 3.00pm & Saturdays @ 3.00pm (from 7th March 2015)

Tickets

£16 (Concessions £14) Tuesday eve £14 all seats, Friday & Saturday eves £16 all seats Prices until 8 March 2015

A new play set in Japan, part of the Vibrant New Writing programme On Jingu Bridge in Tokyo, teenage girls dress in Cosplay outfits for fun, fashion, and the fantasy of being someone else, but for Mari, Keiko and Yumi, their schooldays are over... In a race to escape from overbearing parents, stifling dead-end jobs and economic deprivation, they find their way to Kabukicho, a district of panty shops, love hotels and image clubs, where every aspect of the body and soul can be bought and sold. Only they can decide how far they’re willing to go. As the three young women grow up and apart, they tread a dangerously fine line between empowerment and victimhood as they struggle to pursue their dreams, despite the obstacles that society and tradition put in their way. A play about friendship, fantasy, and what it means to be free. Running Time Approximately 2 hrs including one interval of 20 minutes. Ages 14 + Other offers £10 for under 30’s - Tuesday to Sunday of the first week when booked online £12 for residents of Kensington and Chelsea on Sat 28th Feb when booked online

Gilbert and Sullivan’s

Princess Ida

Music by Arthur Sullivan, Libretto by W.S. Gilbert Libretto revised by Phil Willmott

Dates

Tickets

Tuesday 24th March - Saturday 18th April Tuesday to Saturday @ 7.30pm Sundays @ 3.00pm & Saturdays @ 3.00pm (from 4 April 2015) £12 preview seats (24th and 25th March) £16 (Concessions £14) Tuesday eves £14 all seats, Friday & Saturday eves £16 all seats Prices until 5th April

Part of Finborough Theatre’s Celebrating British Music Theatre series The first professional London production in over twenty years, containing some of Sullivan’s catchiest melodies and Gilbert’s wittiest salvoes in the battle of the sexes, this sunny, funny musical comedy concerns the marriage of two royal babies. It’s twenty years later and Prince Hilarion is keen to be reunited with his now adult wife, the Princess Ida. Unfortunately her quarrelsome father has hidden her away in a women’s only university where even the morning cock crow is managed by a talented hen. So Hilarion is forced to don a dress and even wield a sword to win his wife.

Off West End & Around Town

Finborough Theatre

Off West End & Around Town

Former Finborough Theatre Artistic Director Phil Willmott returns to direct this rare professional revival which will delight G&S aficionados and musical theatre fans alike. Running Time Ages Other Offers

Approximately 2 hours with one interval of 20 minutes All

£10 for Under 30’s - Tues to Sun of first week when booked online only £12 for residents of K&C on Sat 28th March when booked online only

I Wish To Die Singing Devised by Neil McPherson

Voices from the Armenian Genocide

Dates

Tuesday, 21st April – Saturday 16th May 2015 Tuesday to Saturday @ 7.30pm Sundays @ 3.00pm & Saturdays @ 3.00pm (from 2 May)

Tickets

£12 preview seats (21st and 22nd April) £16 (Concessions £14) Tuesday eves £14 all seats, Friday & Saturday eves £16 all seats Prices until 3rd May

The world premiere. Commemorating the centenary of the Armenian genocide, the world premiere of a documentary drama I Wish To Die Singing – Voices From The Armenian Genocide opens at the Finborough Theatre for a four week limited season on Tuesday, 21 April 2015 On the night of Saturday, April 24th 1915, the Armenians of Constantinople were snoring in a calm sleep – exhausted from their Easter celebrations – while in the Central Police Station a secret project was in motion...” The Armenian Genocide of 1915-16 was perpetrated by the Ottoman Turkish Government against the Armenians, a Christian minority in a Muslim state. One and a half million people died. The word ‘genocide’ itself was invented by Raphael Lemkin in 1943 to describe the events of 1915. Adolf Hitler used the Armenian Genocide as a direct inspiration for the Holocaust during the Second World War. To this day, the Turkish government refuses to admit that any genocide ever took place. Commemorating the exact centenary of the deportations that began the Armenian Genocide, I Wish To Die Singing – Voices From The Armenian Genocide is a controversial documentary drama uncovering the forgotten secrets and atrocities of a denied genocide – featuring eyewitness reportage, images, music, poetry from Armenia’s greatest poets, and verbatim survivors testimonies from one of the greatest historical injustices of all time. Running Time

Ages Other Offers

90 minutes with no interval.

16+

£10 for Under 30’s - Tues to Sun of first week when booked online only £12 for residents of K&C on Sat 25th April when booked online only

Tube To Book

Kings Cross or St Pancras 0844 871 7604 and quote MOUSETRAP

The Railway Children Tickets Dates Dates Ages

£20 (A,B & C areas) Tuesday & Thursday @ 7.30pm 17th – 31st March 2+

ALL ABOARD! The stunning adaptation of E. Nesbit’s classic novel The Railway Children arrives at London King’s Cross Theatre. Set in a new, purpose built 1,000 seat venue complete with state of the art heating system, this breathtaking show features a stage built around a real train track, and a beautiful 60-tonne locomotive that steams into the theatre to delight all ages. A truly unique theatrical experience, The Railway Children returns to London after winning the Olivier Award for BEST ENTERTAINMENT and sell-out seasons in its previous home at Waterloo. Don’t miss your chance to join Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis on the adventure of a lifetime as they tell the story of how they became The Railway Children.

Royal Court Tube To Book

Sloane Square 020 7565 5000 or www.royalcourttheatre.com & use code TEACHERS15

Fireworks by Dalia Taha Jerwood Theatre Upstairs Tickets Dates Ages

£15 Saturday 14th February @ 7.45pm 14 +

In a Palestinian town eleven year-old Lubna and twelve year-old Khalil are playing on the empty stairwell in their apartment block. As the siege intensifies outside, fear for their safety becomes as crippling as the conflict itself. Dalia Taha’s play gives us a new way of seeing how war fractures childhood. Perfect for drama students, particularly pupils studying international conflict, childhood in war, family relationships   Themes: family, conflict, freedom (An education pack will be available)

How To Hold Your Breath

Jerwood Theatre Downstairs Tickets Dates Ages

by Zinnie Harris

£15 Saturday 21st February @ 2.30pm 14 +

Embark on an epic journey through Europe with sisters Dana (Maxine Peake) and Jasmine (Christine Bottomley) as they discover the true cost of principles in this twisted exploration of how we live now. Starting with a seemingly innocent one night stand, this darkly witty and magical thriller by Zinnie Harris dives into our recent European history. Perfect for drama and English students, particularly pupils studying morality tales, Doctor Faustus, magical realism   Themes: morality, money, debt, freedom (An education pack will be available) 15

Off West End & Around Town

King’s Cross Theatre

Member Booking for Teachers Preview Club Offers • You are entitled to book two tickets per membership to preview productions. • All offers are subject to availability. • When booking your tickets, and often when collecting them at the box office, you will be asked for your TPC membership card. Tickets cannot be bought on behalf of others or transferred to them. • To log on to the website, you will need your username (firstname.surname) and a password. • To request offers in hard copy, please email tpc@mousetrap.org.uk with a PAPER POST TPC in the title, with your full name, membership number and postal address.

The Audience returns to the West End For sixty years Elizabeth II has met each of her twelve Prime Ministers in a weekly audience at Buckingham Palace. Both parties have an unspoken agreement never to repeat what is said, not even to their spouses.

sometimes explosive.

The Audience imagines a series of pivotal meetings between the Downing Street incumbents and their Queen. From Churchill to Cameron, each Prime Minister uses these private conversations as a sounding board and a confessional - sometimes intimate,

In turn, the Queen can’t help but reveal her own self as she advises, consoles and, on occasion, teases. These private audiences chart the arc of the second Elizabethan Age, from the beginning of Elizabeth II’s reign to today. Politicians come and go through the revolving door of electoral politics, while she remains constant, waiting to welcome her next Prime Minister. Kristin Scott Thomas will play the Queen in a new version of Peter Morgan’s The Audience. Stephen Daldry’s production will preview at the Apollo Theatre from 21 April 2015, with press night on 5 May 2015 and is booking to 25 July 2015. 10+ Group rate available www.theaudienceplay.com

Book great low prices at over 5000 hotels and discounts on a full range of London theatre and event breaks. To see the huge range of options available please visit www.superbreak.com To book call 0871 221 1199 16