DIARY

from Dluxe Leicestershire Spring 2020 Issue 40

PLANET EARTH LIVE

[the diary ] <<<

We do seem to be living in hyperreactive times now and people feel more ready to be offended than before. As an audience member myself, I don’t have that need to agree with everything the comic is saying.

” “

ROMESH ROMESH

RANGANATHANRANGANATHAN

On his last nationwide tour, the monstrously successful Irrational, Romesh Ranganathan was pondering whether he has an irrational viewpoint on the world or whether that can be attributed to absolutely everyone else. This time around, he’s putting together The Cynic’s Mixtape in which he offers perspectives on the world that are partly incredulous and wholly hilarious writes Brian Donaldson.

“I enjoy puncturing the common point of view,” admits Romesh. “Sometimes I agree with it but often the common acceptance of certain things is based on facts that I find irritating, so I undermine that and deliberately say things, not to simply be provocative but because I like the reaction to them.”

As well as taking his views on tour, Romesh’s recent TV credits include a second series of his Sky One sitcom, The Reluctant Landlord, presenting duties on The Ranganation, Judge Romesh, and The Misadventures Of Romesh Ranganathan. Away from the small screen, you can read his memoir, Straight Outta Crawley, or hear his award-winning podcast, Hip Hop Saved My Life, in which his most recent batch of guests have included rapper Kano, singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka and documentary-maker Louis Theroux.

And now, the man who was also recently voted by The Guardian as the 17th best comedian of the 21st century, is out and about across the UK with his barnstorming new live show which he explains is divided into two distinct parts. “The first is looking at different issues such as the environment, a bit about the Liam Neeson thing, and how people respond on social media to the deaths of celebrities which is something I find quite weird. I remember sitting with a friend when Whitney Houston died and he was agonising about what he was going to post online. I said, ‘you don’t have to worry about that, it’s not your business; the world is not waiting to hear what you’re going to say.’ People end up making these events about themselves.”

In part two of The Cynic’s Mixtape, Romesh zeroes in on more personal material, focussing on the relationship he has with his wife and their three children, and fretting about his own existence. Which sounds heavier than it actually is. “I got a medical when I turned 40 as I started to worry about my own mortality not for myself but in terms of my kids. Before, when I was going to the gym or staying on top of fitness, I’d do it for some sort of vanity reason; I’ve long since abandoned that and have accepted that I’m never going to look good. So the second half is about my reaction to that medical. My wife and I are very happily married but we’ve got to that point where we’re set in our ways a bit. That’s the nub of it.”

Romesh acknowledges that we live in interesting but testing times, with the terrain of stand-up comedy one where every utterance a comedian makes comes under extra scrutiny. “I don’t feel the need to agree with the person I’m watching to enjoy what they’re doing. In his last Netflix special, Dave Chappelle said a lot of stuff that I don’t agree with but it doesn’t stop me laughing about it. Similarly, I’m a massive fan of Bill Burr and in his most recent show he’s pretty full on about feminism and how male feminism isn’t a thing. I follow the logic of what he’s saying and I do find it funny while not necessarily agreeing with him. We do seem to be living in hyper-reactive times now and people feel more ready to be offended than before. As an audience member myself, I don’t have that need to agree with everything the comic is saying.”

Romesh works from the standpoint that there will always be someone who doesn’t agree with what he’s trying to say in his comedy, but as long as he has worked hard on the material, can justify it from every angle and gets the big laughs, he knows he’s on the right road. “When I start performing material for the first time, that’s when I might offend people or push it too far, because I perhaps haven’t expressed what is definitely a good idea elegantly enough. So you play with it, and when the laugh for something is big enough you know that you’ve found an acceptable line through that way of thinking. But I never write something and think I can’t do that because I don’t want to get into trouble for it; I tend to just write what I think. I am guided by the laughs.” As he takes his Cynic’s Mixtape around the country, those resounding laughs are following him wherever he goes.

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Ben Hart: Wonder 29th March at Curve Expect his most mindblowing and exciting magic in a show that shines a light on magic, life, the universe and the darkest corners of your imaginations. With the simplest of props, using the objects and minds of the audience, Ben Hart conjures an altogether new kind of magic.

Sam Fender 30th March at De Montfort Hall Sam Fender celebrates his debut album hitting number one with news of a new headline tour in Spring 2020.

Northern Ballet: Cinderella 31st March – 4th April at Curve Escape into an enchanting winter wonderland with Northern Ballet’s beautiful reimagining of Cinderella.

inhabit this divided wasteland that some of us call the United Kingdom.

5th April at De Montfort Hall It has been a while, but the multi-award-winning Welsh comedian is back, with a brand new live show. In a seven-year break from standup, a lot has happened to Rhod. Almost all of it s**t. And just when he thought he’d hit rock bottom, he met a bloke... called John.

The Habit of Bit 6th – 11th April at Curve Exploring friendship, rivalry and heartache this play is about a fictional meeting between two of the 20th century’s most remarkable artists, poet W. H, Auden and composer Benjamin Britten. Starring Matthew Kelly and David Yelland, this multilayered masterpiece examines the joy, pain and emotional cost of creativity.

Russell Watson 8th April at De Montfort Hall Singing sensation Russell Watson performs an intimate concert of career highlights. Russell will be joined on stage by his live band and choir to celebrate 20 years since his debut album The Voice was released.

Russell Howard 10th & 11th at De Montfort Hall Following the critically acclaimed sold out arena leg of his tour, Respite, Russell Howard returns with his biggest globe-spanning standup tour to date. Riding high on the success of his Sky One show, The Russell Howard Hour, and his global smash Netflix special, Recalibrate, Russell is back on stage where he belongs, making sense of a world that’s spinning out of control. brand new show - Ian Waite and Vincent Simone….ACT TWO, after the roaring success of their five star rated 2019 tour!

What’s Love Got To Do With It 11th April at Loughborough Town Hall Tina Turner fans should get ready to party as the smash hit touring show What’s Love Got To Do With It? is heading out on the second year of its massive UK tour.

Ruthie Henshall: In My Life 12th – 14th April at Curve Ruthie Henshall is back in the UK with a new intimate show, In My Life. In My Life premiered at the Sydney Opera House in June and went on to tour Australia playing to packed houses and a slew of five-star, rave reviews.

The Simon and Garfunkel Story 15th April at Loughborough Town Hall Direct from a week-long run in London’s West End at the Vaudeville Theatre, a SOLD OUT worldwide tour and standing ovations at every performance, The Simon & Garfunkel Story is back!

Magic of Motown 2nd April at De Montfort Hall Music fans are invited to the biggest party of the year as the unstoppable Magic of Motown show steams into town!

Mark Thomas: 50 Things About Us 8th April at The Y Theatre In his new show 50 Things About Us Mark Thomas combines his trademark mix of storytelling, standup, mischief and really, really well researched material to examine how we have come to

Ian Waite and Vincent Simone 10th April at Loughborough Town Hall The Ballroom Boys double act Ian Waite and Vincent Simone are set to return in 2020 with a

Oi Frog and Friends! 15th – 19th April at Curve Join FROG, CAT and DOG in this new action-packed stage adaptation of Kes Gray and Jim Field’s bestselling books. Expect songs, puppets, laughs and more rhymes than you can shake a chime at.

can shake a chime at.

Chris Ramsey 16th April at Loughborough Town Hall Critically acclaimed comedian Chris Ramsey is hitting the road for his biggest ever

stand-up tour in 2020.

Jack Dee: Off The Telly 17th April at De Montfort Hall Join Jack Dee for an evening of entertainment (food and beverages not included) in his new stand-up tour. Leicester Vegan Festival 18th April at Athena 80+ fantastic stalls, world food caterers, exciting cookery demos, inspirational talks, interactive workshops, yoga

Elbow 23rd April at De Montfort Hall Having built a deserved reputation as one of Britain’s best live bands, these theatre shows are a rare opportunity to see Elbow in more intimate

and more!

Sister Act 21st April – 2nd May at Curve Now set in 2020, this sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, sisterhood and music tells the hilarious story of the disco diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a murder. Under protective custody she is hidden in the one place she won’t be found – a convent!

Iain Stirling 22nd April at Loughborough Town Hall Iain Stirling (Love Island and Taskmaster) is taking his ‘extremely funny’ (Telegraph) comedy back on the road for his biggest ever nationwide tour, following his 2018 sellout smash U OK HUN? x.

settings. David Baddiel 24th April at De Montfort Hall Following his five-star Oliviernominated hit My Family: Not The Sitcom and the return to number one of his seminal football anthem, Three Lions, David Baddiel comes back to the stage with a brand new one-man show, Trolls: Not The Dolls.

Leicester Wine & Spirit Festival 25th April at Mercure Leicester The Grand Hotel From the people who brought you Leicester Dram Fest, the first Wine & Spirit festival will have something for everyone to enjoy !

Maggie May 28th April – 2nd May at Curve An extraordinary play about an ordinary Leeds family, balancing the challenges of daily life whilst living with dementia. A heartfelt story of hope by award winning playwright Frances Poet, Maggie May is an inspiring new play with love, laughter and music.

Dial M For Murder 4th – 9th May at Curve Tony Wendice is a jaded ex-professional tennis player who has given it all up for his wife Margot. But Tony’s mind soon turns to revenge as he discovers his wife has been

THE OLIVIER AWARD - WINNING SHOW DIRECT FROM THE WEST END

26 – 30 MAY

‘REALITY MEETS FAIRYTALE FANTASY... EXHILARATING’ The Guardian

F R O M T H E N O V E L BY PATRICK NESS INSPIRED BY AN IDEA BY SIOBHAN DOWD

‘HEARTBREAKING, SPECTACULAR, SOARING. A MONSTER HIT’ The Times

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unfaithful. Aiming to commit ‘the perfect crime’ Tony becomes tangled in the web of his own making. the 21st century and will completely immerse you in the extraordinary and elemental power of its music and dance. Now, 25 years on, both new and devoted fans of all ages will once again fall in love with the magic of Riverdance – the original, the best.

photo by David Angel

The Spring season is truly upon us as Loughborough Town Hall hosts another packed programme of shows and performances from the world of entertainment and theatre. What’s On at Loughborough Town Hall

The season is packed with some of the hottest comedy talent around, kicking off with multi-award winning comedian Russell Kane for what will be a phenomenal third visit as part of his current national tour. Packing more energy than a Duracell factory, Russell’s RS Turbo laugh engine will motor through love, family and life - once again proving that the fast and the curious amongst us, see more stuff, and get more done.

Further into the season, they are joined by Rich Hall, whose comedy/music locomotive keeps on rollin’. Ever-evolving, ever-changing, Rich’s combination of keen acerbic stand-up combined with spit and sawdust alt-country lyricism is a win-win when the show rolls into Loughborough in June.

Live music takes its place within the programme too, as Town Hall launches the ultimate 80s throwback experience! Expect big hair and even bigger tunes as they present an evening full of classic 80s feel-good, sing-a-long anthems, including live performances from 80s Mixtape, featuring the powerhouse vocals of Laura Broad (Britain’s Got Talent Semi Finalist) and three of the UK’s finest musicians! The Big 80s Night Out will have you dancing all night long!

Further into the season, audiences are sure to be thoroughly entertained by Folk sensation Kate Rusby, as she presents a wide range of much-loved classics from her back catalogue stretching over her two decades of music making together with a selection of fresh new songs from her new album.

There’s plenty for our younger patrons to enjoy too throughout the season too, as Peppa Pig’s Best Day Ever gets everybody ready for a road-trip full of fun adventures, from castles to caves, dragons to dinosaurs and ice-creams to muddy puddles! Prepare for the brand new Peppa Pig live show packed full of songs, games and laughter!

And for fans of Strictly Come Dancing, Town Hall welcomes previous professional dancers from the hit BBC show Ian Waite and Vincent Simone in their brand new tour The Ballroom Boys – Act 2. With beautiful costumes, gorgeous lighting and world class routines including the Viennese Waltz, the Foxtrot, the Rhumba and of course…there has to be another incredible Argentine Tango routine by the master!

Joel Dommett 6th May at Loughborough Town Hall Join Joel as he brings you bang up to date on his life since his last live show!

Clive Anderson: Me, Macbeth and I 8th May at De Montfort Hall The host of Whose Line is it Anyway, Loose Ends and Talks Back takes to the road with this much-anticipated first ever solo tour, in a one-man show guaranteed to be funnier than Shakespeare’s greatest tragedy.

In Conversation with The Sopranos 23rd May at De Montfort Hall For the first time in the United Kingdom, Steven Schirripa (Bobby ‘Bacala’), Michael Imperioli (Christopher Moltisanti), and Vincent Pastore (‘Big Pussy’ Bonpensiero) will take us behind the scenes of the legendary show - the laughs, the dramas– not to mention the countless theories about the show’s controversial finale.

Room on the Broom 26th – 31st May at Curve Jump on board the broom with the witch and her cat in Tall Stories’ fun-filled adaptation of Room on the Broom, the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

Riverdance 19th – 21st May at De Montfort Hall The 25th Anniversary show catapults Riverdance into

Lost in Music: One Night at The Disco 5th June at De Montfort Hall This show boasts a sensational live band, incredibly talented cast and stunning vocals and is sure to have you dancing in the aisles! So, come dressed to impress as we celebrate the golden age of Disco!

A MONSTER CALLS: Holly Williams talks to PATRICK NESS AND SALLY COOKSON

Sometimes, a story feels like it belongs to one person, who lets us in on it. But sometimes, a story is a shared thing – passed on, transformed, evolving. Always growing, and finding new shoots, new roots. So it’s proved with A Monster Calls which comes to Curve, Leicester from 26 – 30 May. Patrick Ness’s young adult book was published in 2011, with illustrations by Jim Kay; Ness won the prestigious Carnegie medal, and Kay won the Greenaway award. It was made into a movie starring Liam Neeson in 2017, and then adapted for the stage by Sally Cookson at the Old Vic in London in 2018. Now, that production is being revived for a country-wide tour, with an all-new cast.

A Monster Calls is about Conor, a 13-year-old boy who knows his mother is seriously ill – and whose fear grows when no-one will really talk to him about it. Then late one night, a monster pays him a visit: the enormous, ancient yew tree in his garden comes ferociously to life, and begins to tell Conor a series of harsh fables, that ultimately help him face the truth of his situation. As a meditation on our fear of loss, our inability to discuss death, and on the power of storytelling to help us make sense of the world, Ness’s book struck an almighty chord. But A Monster Calls really starts before even Ness: he inherited Conor from fellow YA author, Siobhan Dowd, who had outlined the plot to her agent – but died of breast cancer before she was able to write it. “Siobhan wrote all her books knowing that her breast cancer was terminal; this was going to be her next book, but she passed away sooner than expected,” recalls Ness. “My editor, Denise Johnstone-Burt, didn’t want the idea to disappear.”

Still, when she approached Ness, his initial reaction was to say no. He didn’t want to write a memorial, an earnest tribute. But then a central image of the book – the moment when Conor comes out of a dream to discover he’s smashed up his grandmother’s living room – came to Ness, fully-formed. That image “felt really right”, he recalls: “it had everything this story needs at its heart: the anger, the frustration, the transgression. I said ok: I’ll do this if I can do exactly what [Dowd] would have done, which is let the story grow wild, and see where it goes. And they said yes!”

For Ness, it was as if Dowd had passed a baton to him so it’s unsurprising that Ness was so willing to pass the baton again, to Cookson. He was a fan of her theatre work, which often takes a resourceful, highly imaginative devised approach to adapting literary works, having seen her productions of Peter Pan and Jane Eyre.

Cookson had quite the personal journey with the book herself. A friend recommended it, and she’d devoured it over a weekend. “I instantly knew that I wanted to turn it into a piece theatre,” she says. “It packs such an emotional punch. It’s a story that celebrates stories, but it also gets under the skin of what we do as a society when it comes to talking about important stuff – which is close up. And it’s also such a beautiful, fantastical, magical story as well, it’s got all the elements I love.”

So she was heartbroken to discover that the theatre rights were not available and continued to carry her copy of Ness’s book around with her. About a year and a half later, Matthew Warchus – artistic director of the Old Vic – invited her in to discuss making a show. He showed her a list of potential books to adapt – and top was A Monster Calls.

Not that it is an entirely obvious choice for the stage – one of the main characters is a monstrous walking yew tree, after all. But that’s just the sort of challenge that appeals to Cookson. “I like a book that’s got a hundred challenges,” she admits.

The material has proved powerfully intense on stage; the show is a tear-jerker, but it’s never sentimental, rather unleashing the same sort of elemental emotions as the book. “I think it was cathartic for the audience, watching this story all together,” says Cookson. “We realised that the audience didn’t want to leave the auditorium straight after, and so we kept the house open.” says Cookson. “And we’ll do that on tour as well, so people can just collect their thoughts or discuss it with the people they’ve come with, or with people they don’t know. That happened every night of the run – and it was a very special thing.”

[spotlight ] <<<

PLANET EARTH LIVEPLANET EARTH LIVE

PLANET EARTH LIVEPLANET EARTH LIVE

its visually breath-taking insights and now EMMY® award winning BBC series in 4K play the remarkable music by Oscar winner its visually breath-taking insights and now EMMY® award winning BBC series in 4K play the remarkable music by Oscar winner The scale of its creative ambitions made major headlines, using innovative camerawork to capture everything from tracking lions hunting in Namibia, primates

navigating the jungles of Madagascar, through to the dramatic trials of a baby marine iguana racing for its life.

Set a decade on from the initial series, the award-winning programme casts a memorable spotlight on just how fragile our remarkable global ecosystems are.

Its core narrative of valuing and sensing the urgency for protecting our environment served as a key companion to the equally compelling Blue Planet II, which laid bare the plight of our world’s oceans.

Such was the impact on consumers’ level of awareness, it led directly to major shifts in global corporate and government environmental policies.

Following in the show’s footsteps, Planet Earth II is set for a similarly grand live UK arena tour featuring a 4K LED screen supported with music by Hans Zimmer performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic orchestra.

As the event’s host Liz Bonnin, who has presented primetime BBC series including Horizon, as well as the Blue Planet Live, explains, it’s a hugely emotive venture.

“It hasn’t really quite sunk in that I’ll be involved with this, so to be stepping out as part of the tour for this and getting to see it all on a gigantic screen with a full orchestra playing as well - I think I’ll be quite emotional,” she remarks of the project. “I believe it’s going to have quite an impact, and it will be a great medium for both entertaining and educating people about the issues that it addresses.

“People are much more aware of what is happening to our planet now – which we’ve seen through young people fighting for their future,” adds the presenter. She has not been afraid to tackle difficult issues, such as with her recent Drowning In Plastic screen series.

As Liz reveals, there has been an incredible amount of work placed into bringing audiences closer to the natural world than has ever before with Planet Earth II.

Its finely realised storytelling has been particularly highly praised, leading to the programme winning several BAFTA awards, as well as gaining Emmy honours.

“It was just a game-changing series with some iconic moments that stay with you, like when you see creatures like the marine iguana which was incredible, so getting to see them on the on the big screen is going to be an amazing experience,” adds Liz of the upcoming tour, which showcases the key highlights from the series. We have two pairs of tickets to give away. For your chance to win visit www.dluxe- magazine.co.uk Good Luck!

The 43-year old presenter, who has a master’s degree in animal biology, admits she has enjoyed a very fortunate career with opportunities to travel the world and test her skills and knowledge to their fullest extent.

As far as Planet Earth II is concerned, she says one of its magic ingredients is the narration by Sir David Attenborough, whom she praises for continuing to lead the way for nature documentaries into his 90s.

“I’ve met Sir David on a few occasions now, and I will never forget the first time I saw him about 12 years ago when he was talking at an event – I was a bit star struck, but it was great to go on to discuss some of those programmes like Blue Planet with him.

“He was my hero when I was growing up. He went from production work into inventing natural history programming with the BBC. There really is nobody else like him and I doubt there ever will be again. He’s not just a national treasure, but one for the whole world.”

As for her own early experiences, she says that she was fortunate to grow up with her sister in rural French surroundings near Nice, which proved influential in forging her love of the natural world. Having the chance to communicate her clear passion for nature through her work is something that she finds especially rewarding.

However, Liz is under no illusion of the major challenges facing our environment, which she believes series such as Planet Earth, and Sir David’s latest BBC series, Seven Worlds, One Planet can have a dramatic influence on how we treat our environment.

Liz adds: “We are facing an existential crisis in terms of the effects that human behaviour is having on the planet. We have reached a tipping point in terms our impact, and one of the things that I am most astounded in relation to this is by the fact that petrochemical companies are just seemingly carrying on as if it is business as usual.

“I believe we can make a difference, but we need to be aware of the facts of what is happening to our planet, and how we can change. I think series like Planet Earth can both move and inspire people.”