Spring 2013AmbAssAdor TheATre Group

JAmes mcAVoY clAire foY Macbeth

secreTs & lieszoë wanamaker in passion play

JAson donoVAn desert fun

spAmAloT the hit musical comedy

hoTlisT! on the road with rocky

chic feet

michelin starred luxury

conTenTs 1 inTo The dArk murderous ambition and paranoia

in Macbeth starring James mcavoy

and claire foy

3 loVe And mArriAGe zoë wanamaker returns to the

west end for Passion Play

5 9 To 5 compeTiTion leave your daily grind behind

at the dollytastic new musical

6 kniGhTY kniGhT in days of old when knights were

bold - it’s Spamalot

7 The queen And i an encounter with royalty sparks some

lively comedy in Maurice’s Jubilee

9 deserT sonG Jason donovan unleashes his inner

diva in Priscilla Queen of the Desert

11 shock horror 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

for your feet

17 TAsTe sensATions a-list experiences for the

theatre-loving gourmet

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

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

Priscilla Queen of the Desert

of The besT

howard panter and rosemary squire

Topped The sTAGe 100 lisT for the

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.

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

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

sTep up The sTYle: pink studded

pussy cat pumps by marc Jacobs from liberty’s.

liberty.co.uk

sprinG

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

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

Le Manoir aux Quat’SaisonsThe Rocky Horror Show

The hiT musicAl comedY!

IntervIew

1 ATG Magazine / 2

the production, studied it at Gcse.

aged 15, mcavoy had a more

personal, even life-changing

experience when the actor

david hayman, who had

played lady macbeth

at the Glasgow

citizens, came to

his school to give

a talk. ‘that was

the first time i

really became

aware of Macbeth,’

he recalls, ‘as well

as the idea of acting

as something that

somebody might be

able to do one day.’

he duly saw several

productions - his first was

in leith ‘and i just remember

thinking that it was thrilling’. since

formulating the desire to play the part,

mcavoy has made sure not to see other productions.

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

to be bound into not doing something because i’m

worried that somebody else made a similar choice.’

it sounds as if, like macbeth, he knows a thing or two

about ambition.

foy on the other hand did not have the opportunity

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

ever get to play this part or do shakespeare. i wasn’t

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

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

not having the audience on her side: among several

feisty and even unpleasant characters, she has played a

spoilt young fascist sympathiser in Upstairs Downstairs

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

satire Hacks. ‘when i got the audition for Macbeth,’ she

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

her 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.’

to fit in with a predominantly scottish ensemble,

and her scottish husband, foy is attempting the accent.

not that mcavoy sees the scottish play written for

england’s scottish king James i as a scottish play.

‘it’s not got a scottish voice. it’s written for an english

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

shakespeare as brutal and violent, incredibly

superstitious, and that’s something that i do

believe is scottish.’ ■

Interview Jasper Rees Photography by Jay Brooks and Joanne Davidson

r

TrAfAlGAr sTudiosshAkespeAre’s

mAcbeThJamie 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 atatgtickets.com

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.

oughly how old are the

macbeths? we know

they have had at

least one child,

presumed dead, but

beyond that

shakespeare offers

no further clue.

such is the

trajectory of their

moral

degradation that

audiences, and

indeed casting

directors, tend not

to think of the

thane of Glamis and

his wife as still having

the bloom of youth on

their cheeks. thus the lead

role can happily be taken on by

someone in his 60s, as happened

with patrick stewart when the play was

most recently revived in the west end.

But now the hollywood star James mcavoy brings

the zip and springiness of someone known mainly for

playing callow young men in the likes of The Last King

of Scotland, Atonement and The Last Station. he turns

34 during his run in the role at the trafalgar studios,

and the latest king of scotland is joined in matrimony

to claire foy, who turns 29 in april but looks young

enough to have twice played teenagers in 2012: at the

royal court in mike Bartlett’s Love Love Love and in

the BBc drama White Heat.

mcavoy and director Jamie lloyd have been

cooking up this much anticipated reinvention of

Macbeth since they worked on Three Days of Rain

in the west end four years ago, but in fact the scottish

film star has had half an eye on Macbeth for nearly

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

Shakespeare Retold which punchily updated six of

the plays to the present day.

‘it was a fantastic experience,’ he recalls. ‘i was very

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

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

young macbeth because what you get is him and lady

macbeth perceived to be throwing away their future,

all through ambition. and it makes their loss all the

sadder when he delivers the ‘tomorrow and tomorrow

and tomorrow’ speech, which is an expression of utter

blackness and fatalism.’ foy concurs. ‘i had all these

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

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

Jamie Lloyd and James McAvoy

murderous AmbiTion & pArAnoiA in macbeth

sTArrinG JAmes mcAVoY & clAire foY

he is All scoTTishcourTesY 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.’

dArkInto the

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

duke of York’s TheATre 1 May - 3 August

Box Office 0844 871 7623

online booking at atgtickets.com

ATG Magazine / 4

Interview by Al Senter

interView

3

ow a sprightly eighty-five, peter nichols

can lay serious claim to being the oldest

working playwright in this country and

one of the consequences of survival into

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

than a decade ago, michael Grandage directed nichols’

joyous Privates on Parade at the donmar warehouse

and he recently chose to revisit the play at the noel

coward theatre. in 2000 Grandage went on to stage

Passion Play, nichols’ celebrated black comedy about

love and infidelity and now multi-olivier award-winner

zoë wanamaker leads david leveaux’s revival into the

duke of york’s. it must be irritating in the extreme to

watch yourself glide in and out of fashion but nichols

seems to have mellowed to the point where he can

strike a philosophical note about the considerable

number of new plays he’s written that

remain unperformed.

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

prequel to Privates on Parade set in india. there are

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

that are never put up.’

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

Sons) for the first time

since their award-

winning collaboration

on Electra at the

donmar warehouse.

the play has been

hailed as a modern

classic and in it

nichols aims for

a fluidity that

speeds the

audience from

one short

scene to

another.

he hit upon the idea of giving the central couple

James and eleanor an alter ego each.

‘i think that there must have been something of

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

he explains. ‘the alter egos in Passion Play represent

aspects of James and eleanor but they cannot talk to

each other until later in the play. they also contribute

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

end up unable to differentiate between the truth and

lies. the play is less about adultery, i think, than about

dishonesty and betrayal.’

nichols freely admits the debt he owes to Eros

Denied, a book written by the labour/sdp politician,

wayland young, in the genesis of Passion Play.

‘i was very taken with it,’ he explains. ‘in the book,

young talks about the repression of physical sex by the

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

that monogamy for most human beings is very difficult

to maintain and yet there are animals and birds that

mate for life. so it seems that neither promiscuity nor

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

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

been performed seems such a waste of my time.

But then i sometimes wonder if people want new

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

the flurries of snow on this January afternoon, the

thought occurs that nichols has been giving audiences

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

be nice to think that he could continue the tradition

with one of those new plays awaiting a summons

from the shelf. ■

n

Winner of Evening Standard Award - Best Play

infideliTY proVes A rich source of blAck comedY in peTer nichols’ paSSion play

Love& mArriAGe

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

the national theatre’s The Cherry Orchard.

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

performance in Electra at the Donmar warehouse and her

performance in Once in a Lifetime at the national theatre.

Zoë has received four tony Award nominations for Piaf!,

Loot, Electra and, most recently, the Lincoln Centre

production of Awake And Sing!

zoë WAnAmAker

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

COMPetItIOn

5

Terms & condiTionsone 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.

Win TickeTs for A feisTY, fun & fAbulous niGhT ouT ave you ever felt overlooked in your

workplace? have you ever been frustrated

as others get the look-in you deserve?

have you ever just wished that you

could string up your boss and give them a piece of

your mind?!

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

come put your feet up and leave the daily grind behind

with this hilarious tale of girl power, new beginnings

and sweetly served revenge.

when doralee, Judy and Violet can take no more

from their shamelessly sexist boss, the unlikely trio

unite to give mr hart a taste of his own medicine.

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

show boasts an acclaimed original score by dolly

parton, including the hit title song, of course!

we’re offering one lucky winner and three friends

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

where you’ll be treated to some well deserved luxury

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:

please return your answer on a postcard, not

forgetting your name and email address or telephone

number to alice Gimblett, the ambassador theatre

Group ltd., 39-41 charing cross road, london,

wc2h 0ar before friday 1st march 2013. ■

h

WorkinG 9 To 5, WhAT A WAY To mAke A

WomenhArd To belieVe This WAs eVer noT A musicAl. dollY pArTon’s sonGs GAllop ThrouGh: backwoodS barbie fiTs As Well As AnYThinG in sondheim times

★ ★ ★ ★ ★iT’s A dollY Good shoWsunday express

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

y Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen - gather

round. the award-winning hit musical

Spamalot gets topical this Spring

- jam-packed full of gags with new ones

added every day, this hilarious comedy has something

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

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

sillier 2012 production has issued a challenge to titled

theatregoers everywhere - hopefully including Baron

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, witch-

burnings (cancelled - health and safety), flying cows,

killer rabbits and French people. the show also

includes the nation’s Favourite Anthem Always Look

on the Bright Side of Life and eric Idle himself as

God (see small print)***

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

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

free ticket just by dressing up as a Knight and arriving

at the Playhouse at least one hour before curtain

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

business and those looking to bag themselves a ticket

must prove their mettle by including certain knightly

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

your gauntlets and go get em! ■

m

iT’s Spamalot -

The AWArd-WinninG

hiT musicAl

comedY!niGhT

AT Work

Essential gearfor Knights:

you must have at least four of the following: helmet, hood, chainmail,

armour, tunic, tabard, cape, gauntlets, shield

ATG Magazine / 6*** as a visual recording! As if they could afford this God-like comic in the current economic climate!

newS

plAYhouse TheATremonTY pYThon’s

spAmAloTStarring Stephen tompkinson

(appearing until 2 March)

Until 2 november 2013

Box Office 0844 871 7631

online booking atatgtickets.com

Terms & condiTionsActual 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.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★DAILY StAr SUnDAY

★ ★ ★ ★evenInG StAnDArD

tIMe OUt

Knighty

mAurice’s Jubileewritten 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 by Benedict Nightingale

Photography by Phil Tragen

he inspiration for the smash hit of last year’s

edinburgh Festival, Maurice’s Jubilee came

to nichola McAuliffe while she and her

husband were spending a long, dark, rainy

night driving from edinburgh to London. She’d been

thinking about the death of the utterly decent but

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

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

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

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

it materialise almost unchanged at the edinburgh

Festival.

there, it won rave reviews and McAuliffe herself a

best-actress award for her performance as the nurse

of the decent title-character who hopes to have the

Queen to tea. A surprisingly speedy success for the

hilariously funny but poignant piece McAuliffe had

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

hurry up finishing the play as the brochure advertising

it would soon be printed! Perhaps; but then McAuliffe

is an all-electric surprise herself.

is there a brighter, livelier person in the British

theatre? certainly, none is more versatile. as an actress,

mcauliffe’s credits range from the mad vagrant in alan

Bennett’s Lady in the Van to the three characters

arnold wesker wrote especially for her in his one-

woman Annie Wobbler, from the acerbic sheila sabatini

in tV’s Surgical Spirit to the lead in the rsc’s revival of

Kiss Me Kate, a performance that won her the olivier

award for best actress in a musical. as a writer, she’s

penned novels and plays why, she’s even worked

briefly as a theatre critic on the daily mail, which let

her acclaim a play whose quiet wit Maurice’s Jubilee

shares: Bennett’s History Boys.

mcauliffe feels that actresses get more

compartmentalised and typecast than their male

counterparts and takes relish in the variety of her roles:

‘i’ve never wanted to do the same thing twice. it doesn’t

interest me making a career of the comedy barmaid or

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

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

up the carpeted stairs in its middle.’

when we met, she was planning a new play,

wondering how to acquire the science for a projected

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

someone who firmly distinguishes acting (which

means getting an audience to see into a character)

from performing (which means flaunting one’s own

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

role she never intended to take. kika markham was

originally to play nurse katy, but got a major tV part at

the last moment, meaning that mcauliffe found herself

cancelling a foreign holiday and hurriedly becoming

the woman who tends Julian Glover’s Queen-

obsessed maurice along with sheila reid’s helena,

his doting wife.

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

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

middle-aged, younger than the 55 years wikipedia

inaccurately attributes to her, but is fascinated by what

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

concentrate on the first and second acts, meaning

youth and its aftermath. But age adds doubt, a

realisation that time is limited, and depth to the same

hopes, dreams and thwarted ambitions - ‘so for me

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

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

punters might think the play morbid, which it decidedly

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

funny stories, some told against herself? there was the

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

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

character as alcoholic, meaning she could write her

lines on the brandy bottle she was still clutching when

she finally slid down the proscenium arch. there was

the time when, playing the statue of Queen Victoria

in peter nichols’s Poppy, she fell asleep while upright,

astounding the rsc company that had turned round

to hear her sing about the responsibilities that

came with the crown she was wearing.

‘Gentle snores were coming from the statue while

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

the cast was shaking with laughter, and there was a

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

be here.’ that’s nichola mcauliffe for you: peppy,

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

IntervIew

7

T

TheQueen And iloVe neVer GroWs old in nicholA mcAuliffe’s spArklinG mauriceS’S jubilee

★ ★ ★ ★ ★A Triumph.SCOtSMAn

★ ★ ★ ★A Touch of AlAn benneTT in The sprY WiT. YesTerYeAr enGlAnd AT iTs besT.DAILY teLeGrAPH

★ ★ ★ ★A spArklinG Gem. A TouchinG loVe sTorY WiTh A TWisT in The TAil.InDePenDent

Julian Glover Sheila Reid Nichola McAuliffe

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.

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

ritain is caught in a surprise snowstorm

the day Jason donovan calls to talk about

his latest stage outing. But after a long

afternoon’s run through in central london,

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

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

the australian pop and soap star may have settled

for life in a cold uk climate, but professionally

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

of the Desert - the big-hearted, bigger-heeled tale

of three sydney drag queens that became Jason’s

most solid gold success since his run in Joseph and

the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat in the 1990s.

despite turning down a role in the original 1994

Priscilla film, Jason appeared in a spangling 450

performances of the musical at london’s palace

theatre between 2009-10. and now the show is

parking up at manchester opera house as part of the

Manchester Gets It First initiative before a nationwide

tour. it stars Jason as tick, aka ‘mitzi mitosis’, who

drags his queenly colleagues ‘Bernadette’ and

‘felicia’ on a road trip to alice springs - and

a hoped-for reunion with his eight-year-

old son.

what made Jason want to get

back on this bus? ‘rarely do you have

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?

‘i certainly understand now that judging is about

being honest and brave in your comments,’ he says

of the two experiences. ‘when craig (revel horwood,

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

respect craig. and craig respects hard work. if you

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

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

something, i like to commit to it.’

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

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

fellow westender denise Van outen and the stick she

got for being overqualified for a dance contest. ‘of

course, denise has a bit of experience. i was accused

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

a show like that. at the end of the day, louis smith

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

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

and while Jason might seem like musical theatre’s

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

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

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

was stephan elliott’s script which first attracted him

to Priscilla. ‘they talk about juke box musicals, but 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.’

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

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

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

‘i’m a big fan of england and its history and the public

have been extremely good to me. things happen here.

that’s not to say they don’t happen in australia. they are

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

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

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

interView

9

b

Featuringover 20 dancefloor classics including I Will Survive,

It’s Raining Men, Hot Stuff and

Go West

Jason Donovan

DesertsonG

The besT feel-Good shoW since mAmmA miA!sunday express

huGelY enTerTAininG, insAnelY GliTzYdaily teleGraph

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.

JAson donoVAn JourneYs To The heArT of fAbulous

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

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

Anniversary Production of The Rocky Horror Show

are products of that gruelling, elimination process.

I am having coffee with them and they are both total

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

series Superstar, a nationwide search for Jesus, guided

and judged by Lord Andrew Lloyd webber himself,

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

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

has a strong Cv - he has starred in west end shows,

Grease, Thriller Live and All You Need Is Love.

rhydian, who plays rocky, is now 29, a platinum

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

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

his rich baritone voice, and Cowell signed him up for

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

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

Grease, and sung with an impressive list of artists,

including Katherine Jenkins, Dame Kiri te Kanawa

and Bryn terfel.

was it a bit daunting being offered such sought-

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

‘the nerve-racking thing is that the audiences know

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

perfect role for me - and different in so many ways

from Jesus, which people associate me with - Jesus

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

rhydian didn’t let himself feel intimidated by

previous Rocky performers. ‘I auditioned for the

BACKStAGe

11

i

Feature by Victoria Kingston

The rockY horror shoWwritten 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

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.

ATG Magazine / 12

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

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

show - and particularly being directed by Christopher

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,

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

contestants get highlighted, and that’s good for their

careers, but also for the business itself.’

So, in terms of future roles, what burning ambitions

do they have? they both chuckle at this and start

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

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

Will Rock You, Joe in Sunset Boulevard, Chris in

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

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

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

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

Mis, Billy Bigelow in Carousel. My Boy Bill is one of

my party pieces.’

Yes, a lot of ambition there. But

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

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

else like it.’ Ben agrees. ‘richard

O’Brien grew up in a small town, and

he wrote this musical as an escape,

to express himself in an extrovert

way. It has become an escape for

audiences too. It means a middle-

aged man can stand at the bus stop

in stockings and suspenders and it’s

perfectly acceptable. He can say to

people - oh, I’m going to see The

Rocky Horror Show tonight - and

they will understand. It’s about

having 1,000 people in an

auditorium, who are on the

same page.’ ■

Ben Forster

Rhydian

t

fun, frolics And friVoliTY GuArAnTeed!

All New 40th Anniversary

PARTy ProductionShock

sTockinGs, suspenders, sTileTTos - GeT reAdY for rockY!

sTill The sexiesT & funniesT shoW in ToWn evenInG StAnDArD

*studio 2 has been made possible by a generous donation from christina smith

phoenix Theatre 0844 871 7629

midniGhT TAnGoeveryone’s favourite Strictly stars,

Vincent simone and flavia cacace

make a welcome return to the

west end.

savoy Theatre 0844 871 7687

leT iT beexperience the Beatles live in london.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ‘beatlemania is back!’ tony dibbon, magic 105.4

duke of York’s Theatre 0844 871 7623

The JudAs kissstarring rupert everett as oscar

wilde in david hare’s compelling

drama.

Trafalgar studio 2* 0844 871 7632

heminGWAY’s fiesTAa unique adaptation featuring live

jazz of ernest hemingway’s tale

of love, loss and decadence.

Trafalgar studio 2* 0844 871 7632

mYdidAewritten by Bafta award winner

Jack Thorne, mydidae transfers

to the west end following a highly

acclaimed run at soho theatre.

ATG Magazine / 14

atg tickets

book Your TickeTs online AT ATGTickeTs.com Your one sTop shop

harold pinter Theatre 0844 871 7622

old Timeskristin scott Thomas, rufus sewell and lia Williams star in harold pinter’s

seductive and compelling drama.

13

Apollo Victoria 0844 871 7615

Wickedthere 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.

fortune Theatre 0844 871 7626

The WomAn in blAckone of the most exciting and

gripping theatre events ever

staged. ‘a truly nerve-shredding experience’ daily mail

lyceum Theatre 0844 871 7615disneY’s

The lion kinGwith a cast of over 40 actors,

singers and dancers.

‘a beautiful dazzle of invention and imagination’ evening standard

piccadilly Theatre 0844 871 7630

ViVA foreVer!a fabulous, feel-good story of our

times, inspired by the songs of the

spice Girls.

playhouse Theatre 0844 871 7631

spAmAloTthe 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

The old Vic 0844 871 7628

The WinsloW boYlindsay posner directs terence

rattigan’s story of a father’s fight

to clear his son’s name.

The unforGeTTAble exciTemenT of

liVe TheATre - GeT inTo iT This sprinG

usinG ATGTickeTs.com As Your Guide

old Times 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.

once The musicAlexpect 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.

GhosT ‘Simply out of this world!’ sun

a roller-coaster ride of romance

with dazzling state-of-the-art staging

from inner magic circle member

paul kieve - on tour this spring.

donmar Warehouse 0844 871 7624

TrelAWnY of The Wellspinero’s love letter to the theatre,

directed by Joe Wright.

Trafalgar studio 1 0844 871 7632

mAcbeThstarring 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.

phoenix Theatre 0844 871 7629

onceWinner of 8 Tony Awards, a new

musical adapted from the oscar

winning film.

duke of York’s Theatre 0844 871 7623

pAssion plAYstarring zoë Wanamaker in peter nichols’ celebrated black comedy.

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.

book of mormon the smash-hit Broadway sensation

from the creators of South Park comes to london.

Winner of 8 TonY

AWArds in 2012 incl.

besT neW musicAl

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

‘i The book of mormon’ new york post

ATG Magazine / 16

IntervIew

15

style

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

Best The forecAsT is for briGhT And breezY

This sprinG

in shoe

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

cAsAmiA

ockenden mAnor

9 To 5 The MusicalPriscilla Queen of the Desert

GoinG out

perfect for dinner à deux.

ideAl pAirinG: liverpool empire (Phantom of the

Opera, Hairspray)

set in a handsome Grade ii-listed Georgian house in

leafy edgbaston, simpsons is renowned as the smartest

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

that draw people here; the outstanding anglo-french

cuisine, overseen by popular chef and industry mentor

andreas antona, is lovingly prepared from quality

ingredients sourced from the best regional suppliers.

on warm spring days, there’s a secluded landscaped

garden in which to enjoy pre-lunch drinks. typical

lunch delights from the constantly updated menus

include portland crab, Gressingham duck and silky

chocolate tart (£38 for three courses).

ideAl pAirinG: new alexandra theatre Birmingham

(Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Goodnight Mister Tom,

Midnight Tango)

famed the world over, raymond Blanc’s gastronomic

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

chiltern manor house situated in the picturesque

oxfordshire village of Great milton. one of the few

nestled in the heart of edinburgh’s old town, castle

terrace has established itself as one of the most

celebrated additions to scotland’s competitive dining

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

in paris and istanbul, presents modern British cuisine

influenced by french cooking techniques and an

appreciation of the best ingredients to come from

scotland’s natural larder. the three-course set lunch

menu is particularly good value at £24, with mains

such as scottish rabbit à la provençal or cassoulet

of ayrshire pork.

ideAl pAirinG: edinburgh playhouse (Priscilla

Queen of the Desert starring Jason donovan,

Ghost, Blood Brothers)

merseyside’s brightest culinary star, located in the

conservation village of oxton, stands out from the

crowd with contemporary french cuisine designed

to take diners on an adventure in taste, texture and

temperature. ‘we try to have our own touch, our

own twist to things,’ says chef-patron marc wilkinson,

whose signature six-course tasting menu - packed full

of innovative flavour combinations and eye-catching

presentation - is served in intimate surroundings

restaurants to retain its two michelin stars for an

impressive 28 years, le manoir remains a mecca for

gourmets seeking culinary voyages of intrigue and

discovery. painstakingly sourced by executive head

chef Gary Jones, are the freshest seasonal ingredients,

including organic produce grown on le manoir’s

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

modern french cuisine that is represented in exquisite

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

the most alluring flavours dreamt up by le manoir’s

50-strong team.

ideAl pAirinG: new theatre oxford (Soul Sister,

Joseph)

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

Gordon ramsay has enthused of the Bristol-based

brothers, Jonray and peter sanchez-iglesias, who are

behind the success of the small but perfectly formed

casamia. as the youngest chefs to be awarded a

michelin star in the uk, the self-taught duo has taken

inspiration from childhood memories and travels to

invent food using superlative British produce. But

beyond providing mouthwatering meals, casamia

adopts a Japanese tradition of reflecting seasonal

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

the result is a sensory experience in tune with the

seasons. lunch menus starting from £38 take guests

on an exciting journey through marriages of flavour

and texture captured in artfully plated dishes.

ideAl pAirinG: Bristol hippodrome (9 to 5,

Starlight Express, Priscilla)

head to one of the prettiest tudor villages in england

for expertly devised dishes incorporating the very

best that sussex has to offer. with the feel of a country

bolthole, ockenden manor in cuckfield beckons guests

to an elegant dining room affording sweeping views

across a lovely garden towards the south downs

national park. in this tranquil environment, head chef

stephen crane presents food that mixes innovation

and tradition, rooted in french classical style yet

maintaining a loyalty to locally sourced produce. look

out for popular plates such as sautéed langoustines

with crisp pork belly, fricassee of carlingford oysters

or saddle of Balcombe venison. puddings are equally

tantalising, featuring classics with irresistible twists,

from a warm plum clafoutis to a millefeuille of cox

apples and white chocolate and vanilla cream.

ideAl pAirinG: theatre royal Brighton (Maurice’s

Jubilee, Yes Prime Minister, Passion Play starring

zoë wanamaker)

cAsTle TerrAce

simpsons

17

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.

frAiche

le mAnoir Aux quAT’sAisons

SensationsTAsTe

Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons Oxfordshire

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