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ON YOUR FEET! the story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan congas into Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 April 2020.
 
Telling the inspiring true love story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan, ON YOUR FEET! charts their journey; from its origins in Cuba, to the streets of Miami and finally to international superstardom. It features some of the most iconic pops songs of the era, includingRhythm is Gonna Get You, Conga, Get On Your Feet, Don’t Want To Lose You Now and 1-2-3.
 
Directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde), with choreography by Olivier Award-winner Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys) and book by Academy Award® winner Alexander Dinelaris (Birdman), ON YOUR FEET! will star Philippa Stefani (Rent, In The Heights) as Gloria and George Ioannides(Annie, Mamma Mia, An officer and a Gentleman) as Emilio.
 
Gloria Estefan has sold over 100 million records worldwide and is the most successful Latin crossover performer in the history of pop music. In addition to her 38 number 1 hits across the Billboard charts, Gloria recorded the Oscar-nominated song Music of My Heart and has received numerous honours and awards over the course of her illustrious career. Emilio Estefan is a founding member of the pioneering Miami Sound Machine, who created a brand new Latin crossover sound, fusing infectious Cuban rhythms with American pop and disco. Combined, they have won a staggering 26 Grammy awards.
 
The Tony Award® nominated show ran on Broadway for two years, playing for over 750 performances; it is currently on a two-year US tour.
 
On Your Feet! is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Monday 23 to Saturday 28 April 2020
Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

​

Kander and Ebb’s landmark musical CABARET returns to Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 March 2020.


Directed by Rufus Norris and produced by Bill Kenwright, CABARET tells the tale of a young American writer, Cliff Bradshaw, and his relationship with English cabaret performer Sally Bowles. It features some of the most iconic songs in musical theatre, including Money Makes the World Go Round, Two Ladies, Maybe This Time and Cabaret.

John Partridge, winner of Celebrity MasterChef 2018, well known to TV audiences as EastEnders’ Christian Clarke, and one of West End theatre’s most prolific leading men (A Chorus Line, Chicago, La Cage Aux Folles) fronts this production as the enigmatic Emcee. Kara Lily Hayworth, best known for her critically acclaimed portrayal of Cilla Black in Cilla the Musical, will star as Sally Bowles, and the role of Fraulein Schneider will be played by singer and screen icon Anita Harris (Follow That Camel, Carry on Doctor, Grizabella in Cats (West End)).
 
Since its Broadway premiere in 1966 - and the famous movie version starring Liza Minnelli and Oscar-winner Joel Grey -CABARET has won a staggering number of stage and screen awards, including eight Oscars, seven BAFTAs and 13 Tonys. Norris’ production has enjoyed two smash hit West End runs and has picked up two Olivier Awards.
 
Cabaret is at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 3 to Saturday 7 March 2020
Book online at leedsgrandtheatre.com or call Box Office on 0844 848 2700

INTERVIEW: Cabaret's John Partridge speaks to Blog Up North about playing the iconic role of Emcee... 

The star of stage and screen tells us why he fought for his current role in classic musical Cabaret and why it might be the last chance to theatre fans to see him on stage.

Hi John. You’re touring in the UK in Cabaret. For anyone who doesn’t know the musical, what’s it about?
Cabaret is the story of a young novelist, Clifford Bradshaw, who comes to Berlin and meets Sally Bowles at the Kit Kat Klub. The story really unfolds from there. 

When you put it like that, it sounds like the set-up for a standard love story, but being set during the rise of the Nazis in Weimar Germany, there’s much more going on, isn’t there?
There is. It was written more than 50 years ago and it deals with extreme political themes: antisemitism, far-right politics, how far our political landscape can change in a short amount of time. To be taking this show around the country right now as our own political landscape is so volatile, delicate and fractured, feels extremely timely and relevant, maybe even more so than when the show premiered. 
It is so skillfully crafted. The story is so strong in this show that it could be a play on its own. It really is hard hitting; it is not what you expect it to be. You must expect the unexpected when you come to see Cabaret because it really is something else. When you leave the theatre it stays with you.

You’re playing the iconic role of the Emcee. How are you finding him?                             
He’s a showman, he’s an orator and he’s extremely fun to play. He is really a metaphor for the wider political climate in Weimar Germany at that time. We only ever see him in the Kit Kat Klub; a scene plays out and then I come on to educate, inform and entertain, to confirm to the audience what it is they’ve just seen. 
He holds up a mirror and reflects back not only what has been seen on stage, but also the audience’s reaction to it. The mirror I’m holding up right now is massively important. We should all be looking at ourselves and examining how we progress, not just here but with humanity in general, how we are able to still function as individuals with our own views, opinions and ideas, yet come together for the common good. There is something exhilarating about taking this show around the country right now. It’s quite extraordinary.

You deliberately asked the show’s producer, Bill Kenwright, if you could play this role. Why was that?
I turned 48 this year and the time was very much now. I had to grab this one. As an actor there are very few roles that you are absolutely right for. Most of the time you wear a wig, put on a costume and you make yourself fit. Sometimes that’s successful, sometimes that’s not so successful. But there are a couple, if you’re lucky, of roles that fit. I feel the Emcee is somebody I know well, somebody that I understand and somebody that my skillset, my life experience and my performance experience – the good, the bad and the ugly of it – I can wrap up in this role. That is very rare. 
And I lived in Berlin for 10 years. I know Berlin very well. I met my husband there. I speak German fluently. I’ve actually been to the Kit Kat Klub, which is still alive and well and fully functioning in the heart of Berlin. I have been on many occasions. So I bring all of that to this production too. I used every crayon in my pencil case, because I feel that that’s what I’m able to do.

How are you finding performing alongside Kara Lily Hayworth, who plays Sally Bowles, and Anita Harris, who plays Fraulein Schneider?

I think Kara is an amazing talent and in some ways she’s still undiscovered. She’s a beautiful actress, very naturalistic. Watching Kara and seeing her work in the rehearsal room, that’s when I thought “This girl is special.” She can listen, she can take the notes, she can apply the direction; you’d think that’s an easy thing to do, but it really isn’t. I think she’s very special and I think people will really love her performance as I do.
And my darling Anita Harris! People, I think, will be very surprised to see her in this role. It is an extremely moving performance and very different from what people will have seen her do in the past. I really feel this is one of the greatest portrayals of this role ever. I really do. 

There are rumours this might be theatre fans’ last chance to see you in a musical. Is there any truth in that?
The food side of my life has really grown since Celebrity MasterChef. My very first book comes out at the beginning of next year and I’m immensely proud of that. It’s called There’s No Taste Like Home. My food story has really helped me reconnect with myself and I’m keen to develop that side of my life. In order to do that, I need to invest time in it. Plus I’m married and I have a husband that I adore and I never see.
I went into Cats when I was 16 and now I’m 48. I’ve been doing this for 32 years. I’ve done over 20 West End shows. I’ve done over 30 major musicals. I’ve done a lot of it and touring is hard work. 
Also, I’ve been sober for over two years now. It has had a profound effect on me. In some ways I think I used to enjoy acting and performing because I enjoyed the escapism of it. I enjoyed being somebody else because I wasn’t sure who I was. In becoming sober, I have learned a lot about the person that I was running away from. I’ve realised that he’s not quite as bad as I thought he was. My desire to step into other people’s shoes and other people’s lives has lessened.
So I’m not saying I will never act again, but I’m taking my foot off the pedal. I am approaching my 50thyear, so I have to ask, “What do I want for the next 10 years of my life?” I at least want the option to examine other possibilities. In order to do that I need to give myself a little bit of time. 
But there is one other role that I am going to play next year. I can’t tell you anything about that right now... I’m really excited about it, though! 
 
 How do you feel about touring the North of England? 
(Cabaret is on tour in Chester, Hull, Sunderland, Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield) 

I’m a northern boy and once I get off the M1 and up the M6 I feel like I’m home. So that’s great for me. I love being there.

Welcome to Smile Club. Life’s so much better when you smile. Everyone knows that. So go on – give us a smile.
    
Set in a dystopian world in which a government drive exists to tame unruly women, Smile Club is a darkly comic one-woman show performed and written by Andrea Heaton (Fidget Theatre), with writer Adam Z. Robinson (Shivers, The Book of Darkness and Light.). Produced by Red Ladder Theatre Company and directed by Artistic Director Rod Dixon (Mother Courage and Her Children/The Damned United), this pertinent, thrilling and sharply satirical new play will tour nationally to theatres and community venues in March and April, opening at Leeds Playhouse on Thursday 5 March.
      
Smile Club follows Lisa, a Smile Club attendee. She’s been through it all and she now knows – beyond a shadow of a doubt – that nobody likes a girl who makes a fuss; nobody likes a girl who can’t take a joke. She also knows that life is simpler when you let things go. And she certainly has. All of it. Join Lisa as she presents the perks and rewards of being a Smile Club Member. Hear about her descent into dejection, rage, and bloody violence, before her remarkable transformation into the smiley, well-adjusted human you see before you today.
      
Writer and performer Andrea Heaton says: “Smile Club started as an idea from an anecdote from a friend about a man who wouldn’t allow a woman through the barrier of a train station until she’d given him a smile. It takes place in a dystopian near-future where women are routinely sent for smile treatment to correct their behaviour, wearing them down to the point of giving in and accepting the status quo. The play is inspired by movements such as MeToo and Everyday Sexism, as a way of voicing anger about the way women are treated, but it’s darkly funny and thrilling. We can’t wait for you to join the club.”
    
Red Ladder Theatre Company is one of Britain’s leading national touring companies, dedicated to producing high quality work which contributes to social change and global justice. It is a champion of new writing, particularly that which challenges or agitates and gives a voice to those who are often unheard on our stages. Through Red Ladder Localit tours quality productions into community spaces and non-theatre venues. Recent work includesGlory (UK tour) Mother Courage and Her Children (50th anniversary production); The Damned United(UK tour); The Shed Crew (world premiere production); Wrong ‘Un, The Parting Glass, The Life and Soul and Playing the Joker (Red Ladder Local).


Smile Club, Bramall Rock Void, Leeds Playhouse
5 – 7 March. Press night Thursday 5 March, 8pm
Box office: 0113 213 7700; leedsplayhouse.org.uk

Tour listings
Leeds Playhouse 5 – 7 March.
Theatre Royal Wakefield 8 March
Cast, Doncaster 11 March
Harrogate Theatre 12 and 13 March
Theatre Deli, Sheffield 14 March
The Dukes, Lancaster 17 March
Hunslet RLFC, South Leeds Stadium 18 March
Arts Centre Washington, Sunderland 19 March  
Square Chapel Arts Centre, Halifax 20 March
Rockingham Centre, Hoyland, Barnsley 21 March
Hawksworth Wood Village Hall, Leeds 24 March
Gipton WMC, Leeds 25 March
Shaw Lane Sports Club, Barnsley 26 March
Queen’s Mill, Castleford 27 March
St John’s Parish Hall, Barnsley 28 March
Grove Hall, Pontefract 29 March
Hull Truck Theatre, Hull 31 March
Lincoln Drill Hall, Lincoln 1 April
Torch Theatre, Pembrokeshire 2 April
Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristoli 3 and 4 April
The Cluntergate Centre, Horbury, Wakefield 5 April

Drawing inspiration from real historical events,Black Waters is an emotionally evocative new production from Phoenix Dance Theatre that explores the long-lasting effects of British colonial forces.
In the late 18th century, 130 slaves were thrown overboard from the Zong as the ship owners attempted to profit from their life insurance. More than 100 years later, Indian freedom fighters were incarcerated in the Kala Pani prison for speaking out against the regime. Black Waters reflects on these two moments in history, showing how people can find value, inspiration and hope in even the bleakest of times.
Co-choreographers Sharon Watson, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, and Shambik Ghose and Dr Mitul Sengupta, Artistic Directors of Kolkata-based Rhythmosaic, cleverly combine contemporary dance with Kathak dance – one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance, traditionally attributed to ancient travelling storytellers.
Sharon explained: â€œBlack Waters is not about recreating these two events through contemporary dance, but is an exploration of place, worth and belonging, which can often be conflicting for people of colour.”

Theatre review of Black Waters By Phoenix Dance at Leeds Playhouse, West Yorkshire 

Leeds-based theatre company TheatreState in association with Leeds Playhouse present SAY YES TO TESS, a new musical inspired by theatre-maker Tess Seddon’s real-life experience of standing in the 2017 General Election for the Yorkshire Party in Leeds North East. The production will open at Leeds Playhouse this March ahead of a major UK autumn tour. 


Recovering from a break-up that sent her back home to Yorkshire, 30-year-old Labour supporter Tess discovered the Yorkshire Party. Their seemingly eccentric fight for Yorkshire devolution and love of amateur dramatics made them perfect material for a play. But the more Tess researched, the more she found herself questioning the UK’s centralised power system and lack of meaningful representation, choosing to join them and stand herself.


SAY YES TO TESS is a hilarious first-hand account of our weird and wonderful democracy. Tess knocks on doors, speaks at hustings and begins to believe in her power to change things. Until she is told to drop out to protect Labour’s votes.


Written by Tess Seddon with catchy, original songs by Harry Blake and co-directed by the pair, this true story-turned-musical teeters between hilarious absurdity and powerful hope. SAY YES TO TESS is a fun, accessible and entertaining musical for people who don’t think politics is for them.


Leeds Playhouse Artistic director James Brining said: “We are really proud that this has been developed through Leeds Playhouse’s Artist Development programme, Furnace. Tess ran for election whilst undertaking her placement as Resident Director here at the Playhouse and it is fantastic to have been part of the whole journey and continuing that support and commitment to and progression for local artists in Leeds. SAY YES TO TESS explores prescient themes like apathy, political representation and independence with wit, originality and integrity whilst also being a great night out. It’s certainly got my vote!”


Tess Seddon said: "Harry and I met through Leeds Playhouse in 2017 and instantly had such fun playing around with all the mad things that had happened to me. It's a strange thing turning your life into a musical! I'm so excited to be telling this unique Northern story and continuing this journey with Leeds Playhouse. At a time of huge political divides, I hope SAY YES TO TESS will bring people together to reimagine the system no matter what Party they believe in."


This is a musical about hearing every voice.Notoriously terrible singer Tess plays herself alongside talented actors, singers and musiciansJonathan Dryden Taylor (The Butterfly Lion, Chichester Festival Theatre), Danielle Henry (My Brilliant Friend, National Theatre) and Max Runham (Reasons To Be Cheerful, Graeae) who play characters including her aggressive housemate, estranged father, theatre friends in London and ever enthusiastic Yorkshire Party members.


Set and costume design by Rūta Irbīte (previously shortlisted for Linbury Prize), lighting by Amy Mae Smith (There Are No Beginnings, Leeds Playhouse) and movement direction by Rachel Fullegar (Leeds-based GraceFool Collective) with Access Consultancy by Nickie Miles Wildin(Cutting It, Royal Exchange).


Each performance of SAY YES TO TESS will feature integrated audio description and touch tours are available for every performance if booked 24 hours in advance.
  
SAY YES TO TESS, Bramall Rock Void, Leeds Playhouse 
26 March – 4 April, Press night 27 March, 8pm
Box Office 0113 213 7700, Book online leedsplayhouse.org.uk

It is a truth universally acknowledged that there have been countless versions of Pride and Prejudice. But this is an Austen adaptation like no other.


Drawing on more than two-hundred years of romantic pop history, Tron Theatre Company and Blood of the Young’s unique take on a beloved novel – Pride and Prejudice* (*Sort Of) – comes to the Playhouse’s Courtyard Theatre from 25-29 February, bringing music and laughter to the Bennet sisters’ drawing room.


This is not just the story of Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Kitty and Lydia, their myriad romances and their meddling mother though. This is an irreverent reimagining by six young women with their own stories to tell.


Men, money and microphones are fought over in this affectionate all-female adaptation of Jane Austen’s unrivalled literary classic, presented by Leeds Playhouse and The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh. Written by Isobel McArthur and directed by Paul Brotherston, music, mayhem and raucous ribaldry replace the gentle romantic parlour games of the Regency original.


Let the ruthless matchmaking begin!

Drawing inspiration from real historical events, Black Waters is an emotionally evocative new production from Phoenix Dance Theatre that explores the long-lasting effects of British colonial forces.
In the late 18th century, 130 slaves were thrown overboard from the Zong as the ship owners attempted to profit from their life insurance. More than 100 years later, Indian freedom fighters were incarcerated in the Kala Pani prison for speaking out against the regime. Black Waters reflects on these two moments in history, showing how people can find value, inspiration and hope in even the bleakest of times.
​
Co-choreographers Sharon Watson, Artistic Director of Phoenix Dance Theatre, and Shambik Ghose and Dr Mitul Sengupta, Artistic Directors of Kolkata-based Rhythmosaic, cleverly combine contemporary dance with Kathak dance – one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance, traditionally attributed to ancient travelling storytellers.

Sharon explained: “Black Waters is not about recreating these two events through contemporary dance, but is an exploration of place, worth and belonging, which can often be conflicting for people of colour.”

Black Waters, Quarry, Leeds Playhouse
12 – 15 Feb. Press performance: Wed 12 Feb, 7.30pm
Box office: 0113 213 7700;leedsplayhouse.org.uk


MORE INFO... 



Sharon Watson is the seventh and longest-standing director of Phoenix Dance Theatre. She trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and was one of the first female Principal Dancers invited to join the then all-male award-winning Phoenix Dance Company. She toured with the company from 1989-97, returning in 2009 as Artistic Director. Sharon is a previous trustee of Matthew Bourne’s New Adventures and current trustee of The Place and Leeds Playhouse. She is also an artistic advisor for the Central School of Ballet. She is committed to improving diversity within the arts by supporting the creative voices of women and black and ethnic minority artists.


Shambik Ghose is a Dean’s Scholar from LeedsBeckett University and BA Dance lecturer at LeedsCity College. He has worked with, among others, the Royal Danish Ballet, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Beijing Dance LDTX, Dancecentrum in Sweden, Innoprom in Russia and India, and Attakkalari Biennial.  




Dr Mitul Sengupta is a National Scholar in Kathak Dance, awarded by the Indian Ministry of Culture, and a Fellow in Kathak Dance at the Kalakritti Sanskritti Foundation in New Delhi. A research scholar at the University of Calcutta, she has helped to raise the profile of movement therapy in India. She began dancing at the age of five, going on to train with great exponents of Kathak Dance, as well as leading lights in Classical Jazz and Classical Ballet. She is currently a teacher, choreographer and artistic director of Rhythmosaic School and Dance Institute.


Leeds Playhouse opened nearly 50 years ago. It is a cultural hub, a place where people gather to tell and share stories and to engage in world class theatre. The Playhouse makes work which is pioneering and relevant, seeking out the best companies and artists to create inspirational theatre in the heart of Yorkshire. From large scale spectacles to intimate performances, the Playhousedevelops and makes work for the stage, found spaces, touring, schools and community venues. A dedicated collaborator, Leeds Playhouse works regularly with other organisations from across the UK and engages with some of the most distinctive and original voices in theatre today
Through its Artistic Development programme Furnace, it develops work with established practitioners and finds, nurtures and supports new voices. It cultivates artists by providing creative space for writers, directors, companies and individual theatre-makers to refine their practice at any stage of their career.
The Playhouse’s sector-leading Creative Engagement team works with over 10,000 people aged 0 – 95 every year through a range of weekly workshops and exciting creative projects using theatre to open up possibilities, reaching out to refugee communities, young people, students, older people and people with learning disabilities. At the Playhouse there is always a way to get involved. 
Leeds Playhouse’s Spring/Summer 2020 season is taking place back in the redeveloped theatre following a £15.8 million transformation. The new building offers improved access to and around the theatre, a new city-facing entrance and a new studio theatre, the Bramall Rock Void.