THEATRE THE ORCHARD
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MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER
SOME LIKE IT HIP HOP FRI 4 – SAT 5 OCT
AUTUMN 2019
£500,000 REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT UNVEILED AT ORCHARD THEATRE, DARTFORD A major redevelopment of The Orchard Theatre, Dartford will take place this summer, led by venue operator HQ Theatres. The project – initially funded by Dartford Borough Council and off-set by future reductions in the annual management-fee paid to HQ – will significantly enhance the customer experience; allow the venue to widen the range of shows and events on offer; bring access arrangements at the theatre up to modern standards and improve energy-efficiency. The £500,000 plan will see the entire auditorium stripped back, with brand-new seats installed in all areas of the auditorium. A reconfiguration of the seating layout will improve sightlines as well as increasing the capacity at the theatre to 1025. The plans will also deliver extra spaces in the auditorium for customers with access requirements. Brand-new motorized seating will be installed in the flat-floor area enabling the theatre to transition easily between seated and flat-floor events – in turn offering greater flexibility to visiting producers. The improvements will also allow a wider range of shows and events to be presented to Dartford audiences. Alongside the seating replacement and seat-plan reconfiguration other significant redevelopments to be undertaken include: • Installation of brand new house and auditorium lighting throughout the venue to improve energy efficiency;
• Orchard Theatre will close for 6 weeks allowing redevelopment to take place during Summer 2019; • New auditorium seating will be installed on all levels – increasing capacity and improving sight-lines; • Lighting and sound systems will be replaced and reconfigured using energy-efficient equipment; • Access improvements will create additional spaces for wheelchair users and access customers; • New seating configuration will transition easily from seated to flat-floor events; • Capacity will increase to 1,025 – an increase of 69 from the current capacity of 956.
• Upgrades to the building power supply to facilitate state-of-theart lighting equipment; • Installation of brand-new Robo-Spot follow-spot equipment, reducing the need for follow spots to be located within the auditorium and improving working conditions for operators; New carpets will be installed and cosmetic and decorative enhancements will be completed throughout the auditorium and foyer spaces. Lorna Strawson, Theatre Director at The Orchard Theatre, said: “We can’t wait to see the finished results and to unveil the wide-ranging improvements to our customers and to visiting producers.”
MON 27 JAN SAT 1 FEB
NEWS FLASH:
NEW SHOWS ON SALE!
• Reconfiguration and enhancement of the in-house sound system to improve audibility and to offer improved infra-red and audiodescription facilities;
TUE 25 - SAT 29 FEB
SAT 25 APRIL
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT THE MUSICAL
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THU 5 - SAT 14 SEPTEMBER
Joe McFadden interview by Holly Williams Were you a fan of the original movie of Priscilla? Did you know it well? I really loved it; I think it’s something everyone has an awareness of. I actually saw the production at the Palace in London years ago. It’s such a vibrant show, I remember being blown away by it, and especially by how great the music was.
MOSCOW CITY BALLET’S SLEEPING BEAUTY
Why do you think that this story has become such a cult classic?
Moscow City Ballet was formed in 1988 by the late distinguished Russian choreographer Victor Smirnov-Golovanov. A highly acclaimed ex soloist of the Bolshoi Ballet, Smirnov-Golovanov was committed to bringing his heritage of classical ballet in the Moscow style to audiences all over the world. Having first toured the UK in the early 1990s, the company continues to delight their thousands of fans in Great Britain and Ireland by visiting these shores each winter, including an annual date at Dartford’s Orchard Theatre.
There’s loads of things that really work, so many fantastic songs in there, as well as it being a great story. It was way ahead of its time; I think it’s one of the first pieces of drama that was centred around a trans person and that was discussing things like gay parenting. It’s completely timeless, as well as being super entertaining and joyous. It has all the best elements of a great musical. How is having Jason Donovan as your producer? It’s brilliant, he’s so knowledgeable about the show. He’s played it in the West End and on tour, and just having his input is brilliant because he’s been there, he’s actually played this part and I’m hugely in debt to him for getting the part because he really championed me. To have his seal of approval really means a lot, he’s been nothing but complementary and encouraging and it’s been fantastic.
THU 6 - SAT 8 FEBRUARY
A Moscow City Ballet audience enjoys the talent of a company of over 75 people. The company’s distinctive style endures both in production and rehearsal, and is due to the dedication of Smirnov-Golovanov’s widow, Ludmila Nerubashenko, who has been leading the company for several years and officially took the title of Artistic Director in April 2014. Nerubashenko is keen to maintain the company’s ethos: “We do not plan to change the style of our company or choreography. It was our mutual project with Victor, I plan to carry on in his foot-steps.”
Find 6 hidden words for a chance to win a pair of tickets! Please send your answers with the wordsearch to Michelle Cousins Marketing and Press Officer at The Orchard Theatre, Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED. Competition winners will be announced on 1 October 2019
PETER PAN
THE HIGH-FLYING PANTOMIME ADVENTURE SAT 14 DECEMBER - SUN 5 JANUARY Q&A With Steve McFadden You’re playing the lead in this year’s panto in Dartford as the villainous Captain Hook, why do you like starring in family pantomimes so much? Panto is definitely for families, which is why they are so fun to do. After spending most of my year in front of a camera it’s a great chance for me to perform in front of an audience made up of school kids, parents and young ones at a very special time of year, and it means I can take a step away from my on-screen character and have some fun with what I’m doing.
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What is your favourite scene from the Peter Pan storyline this Christmas and why do you think Dartford audiences will enjoy this year’s pantomime? The whole story is brilliantly adapted from JM Barrie’s original story, so it has everything; moments of comedy, sword fighting, flying sequences and the crocodile. I think my favourite scenes are on board the Jolly Roger though, where I fight with Peter Pan and get the most boos from the audiences. Have you starred in panto at The Orchard Theatre before and what are you most looking forward to in Dartford? I have, I was last there playing Abanazar in Aladdin in 2012, and had such a great time I’m looking forward to coming back. It’s a great theatre, I’m hearing great things about the renovations, and the audiences are really responsive, and will boo me loudly, that’s what it’s all about.
orchardtheatre.co.uk Ticket Office 01322 220000
FRI 27 MARCH - SAT 4 APRIL Showman will be Derren Brown’s first new stage tour in five years The content of Showman currently remains a closely-guarded secret but Derren said today: “All I can reveal is that the show will ultimately be about you, the audience member, because that’s what I find most interesting. There are some places I’d like to take the audience where we haven’t been before, and I always aim to have it deliver more than you’d expect. I’m excited to be at the starting point of that process. Getting it on the road will be my favourite part of the year.”
/The Orchard Theatre
@OrchardTheatre
theorchardtheatre
CURTAINS Starring Jason Manford
MON 25 - SAT 30 NOVEMBER GET TO KNOW JASON MANFORD Jason Manford hails from Salford, Lancashire. He is a stand-up comedian, writer, actor, radio and television presenter. He began his career in 1999, while working at the Buzz Comedy Club in Chorlton, Manchester. Jason was collecting glasses when a performer didn’t arrive for an evening set. Jason, who was 17, stepped in to fill the gap, an event which marked the beginning of his comedy career. Six gigs later he was crowned The City Life North West Comedian of the Year. After winning several smaller awards, Jason was nominated for the Perrier Award in Edinburgh in 2005 for his show ‘Urban Legends’. He shot to stardom as team Captain on Channel 4’s, ‘8 out of 10 Cats’ in 2007.
WED 13 - SUN 17 NOVEMBER Q&A WITH BILLIONAIRE BOY AUTHOR DAVID WALLIAMS What is it like seeing your books come to life?
THE BODYGUARD THE MUSICAL WED 8 - SAT 18 JANUARY Interview with Alexandra Burke For the few people not familiar, could you briefly explain the story of The Bodyguard?
It’s the most brilliant thing, seeing a book that you’ve written come to life either on television or on stage. You feel like a magician because what was in your head is somehow now all real, right in front of you, so it is a very exciting thing.
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If you’re not familiar with The Bodyguard it means that you were born after 1992, and you are very young and I am very jealous! The Bodyguard follows Rachel Marron, a Grammy award winning superstar singer and mother who encounters an intense stalker who will go to any lengths to get to her. Her team has to hire a new bodyguard to protect her. She discovers that there is more to life than fame and being a singer and she discovers how important love is. She’s a very loving and strong woman but she’s also very vulnerable. What is it about the role of Rachel that made you want to return to the show, having played the role both in the West End and on tour previously? I think what’s really exciting about the show is that it includes Whitney Houston’s catalogue of work which really makes the show. It takes me back to when I was a child and had a hairbrush in my hand and was always singing Whitney to my Mum. For me, the storyline never gets old. People always ask me if I get tired of performing the same show six times a week but I honestly don’t. It’s never the same show each night. It was also an exciting prospect to be singing Whitney Houston for a year, which of course will be tough but at the same time very rewarding. This show is my dream, you can’t beat the adrenaline of the end of the show when it hits the finale and everyone is on their feet, that feeling of knowing everyone has enjoyed the show.
If I gave you one billion pounds to spend however you liked and you had to spend it today, what would you spend it on? There’s one thing that Joe Spud, who is the billionaire boy, has in the book which is a water slide going down from his bedroom to a swimming pool. He just gets out of bed and goes straight down a water slide. That is something I don’t have and it really pains me. So if I had a billion pounds to spend today I’d get that water slide because water slides are so much fun. I love them!
COMPETITION Win a family ticket for 4 people to see David Walliams’ Billionaire Boy on its opening night From the award-winning West End producers of Gangsta Granny and Horrible Histories comes this amazing new production of David Walliams’ best-selling story at The Orchard Theatre in November. Joe Spud is twelve years old and the richest boy in the country! He has his own sports car, two crocodiles as pets and £100,000 a week pocket money! But what Joe doesn’t have is a friend. So he decides to leave his posh school and start at the local comp. But things don’t go as planned for Joe and life becomes a rollercoaster as he tries find what money can’t buy! You could win a family ticket for 4 to see Billionaire Boy on opening night, Wed 13th November. Just answer the question below: Which of these is NOT the title of a book by David Walliams? A. Billionaire Boy B. Bad Dad C. Magical Mom
Good Luck!! Please send your answers to Michelle Cousins Marketing and Press Officer at The Orchard Theatre, Home Gardens, Dartford DA1 1ED Competition winners for each show will be announced on 1 October 2019
orchardtheatre.co.uk Ticket Office 01322 220000
/The Orchard Theatre
@OrchardTheatre
theorchardtheatre
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COMEDY CRACKER FRI 6 DECEMBER
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noon After Tea
MON 9 DECEMBER
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Gimme Gimme
Gimme Gimme GIRLS! TUE 10 DECEMBER
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WED 11 DECEMBER