Shakespeare in the Squares today announces its 2017 production of Romeo and Juliet, directed by Tatty Hennessy, which tours to London’s squares and parks from 21 June to 13 July, with a press night at Norland Square on 27 June. The tour follows the company’s successful inaugural production of Much Ado About Nothing in summer 2016 which was performed to sell-out audiences in nine squares across London.
Founded by Sue Fletcher and Martin Neild in 2016, Shakespeare in the Squares is a not-for-profit touring theatre company that stages a Shakespeare play across London squares every summer. The productions are tailored to the individual garden squares, and the company works with the garden committees and other local organisations to create a unique community celebration around the play. The company aims to provide a showcase for talented young theatre practitioners and to introduce audiences to the stars of the future.
Shakespeare in the Squares’ new production of Romeo and Juliet, the most youthful, full-blooded and sexually charged of all Shakespeare’s tragedies, is situated in 1950s Naples. Full of paeans to the speed of young love, the rashness of quick violence and the heat of the summer, it is an exploration of the generational divide between the young and old, and the devastating consequences of blindly inherited feuds.
Shakespeare in the Squares today also announces Judi Dench as Patron of the company. Dench said, “When I first heard about Shakespeare in the Squares, my instant reaction was, ‘That is a marvellous idea; why hasn’t anyone done it before?’ To take William Shakespeare, whose timeless plays always have something important to say about the human condition, into idyllic gardens and other iconic spaces, offers a great opportunity to engage new and non-traditional audiences of all ages. It also provides talented young practitioners with a showcase to display their skills at an early stage in their careers, and the Company’s aim to do this is to be hugely welcomed. I am delighted to support this imaginative and ambitious initiative and hope that it will quickly spread far-and-wide.”
Photo by Matthew White
Tatty Hennessy recently directed The Snow Queen (Theatre N16) and Acorn (Courtyard Theatre). She has directed work for Pint Sized, Miniaturists, Theatre Renegade, Not Too Tame, and The Reversed Shakespeare Company. She is an associate director with Merely Theatre, a Shakespeare repertory company about to embark on their second UK and Ireland tour. She has been an associate director at the Lyric Theatre, Park Theatre and Shakespeare’s Globe, including The Duchess of Malfi in the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, and the world tour of Hamlet, which visited every country in the world over two years. She is also a playwright and graduate of the Royal Court and Lyric Young Writers’ Programmes.
SUMMER 2017 SCHEDULE
(further venues to be announced shortly)
All performances at 7pm
Wednesday 21st June Leinster Square, W2
Thursday 22nd June St James’s Gardens, W11
Friday 23rd June Elgin & Arundel Gardens, W11
Saturday 24th June Queen’s Park, NW6
Tuesday 27th June Norland Square, W11 (press night)
Last night (6 March 2017) in front of a sell-out performance, Carole King surprised the cast and audience when she made her second visit to see the West End production of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical. King was greeted with a standing ovation at the Aldwych Theatre as she took to the stage at the curtain call to congratulate the cast. Following her surprise appearance, she continued on stage by singing her classic hit You’ve Got A Friend in front of a thrilled crowd. King said:
“I was so excited to surprise the cast, they genuinely had no idea, nobody knew! CJ (Cassidy Janson who plays King in the musical) literally brought me to tears this evening with her performance of Natural Woman. She was who I was, she felt what I felt. She was me!”
Photography by Craig Sugden
To coincide with the show’s second birthday in London on Wednesday this week (8 March 2017) a further 130,000 tickets will go on sale taking booking at the Aldwych Theatre to 4 November 2017.
The Olivier, Tony and Grammy award-winning show opened in the West End in February 2015 when Carole King attended the Gala opening. Last month on 9 February 2017 celebrations took place at the Aldwych Theatre to mark both Carole King’s birthday and the production’s second birthday in the West End. In addition to the West End production, an extensive UK tour of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical will begin in September. In January 2014 Beautiful – The Carole King Musical received its Broadway premiere at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. A US tour began in September 2015 and an Australian production will open in Sydney in September this year.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is the untold story of her journey from school girl to superstar; from her relationship with husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, their close friendship and playful rivalry with fellow song-writing duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, to her remarkable rise to stardom. Along the way, she became one of the most successful solo acts in music history, and wrote the soundtrack to a generation.
The West End cast comprises Cassidy Janson in the title role, Matthew Seadon-Young as King’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, Lorna Want as song-writer Cynthia Weil, a role for which she won the 2015 Olivier for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical, Ian McIntosh as song-writer Barry Mann, Joseph Prouse as music publisher and producer Donnie Kirshner and Barbara Drennan as King’s mother Genie Klein.
They are joined by Gavin Alex, Georgie Ashford, Koko Basigara, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Ashford Campbell, Treyc Cohen, Natasha Cottriall, Michael Duke, Matthew Gonsalves, Jammy Kasongo, Leigh Lothian and Earl R. Perkins who play iconic musical performers and band members of the era and swings Derek Aidoo, Rosie Heath, Dominic Hodson, Emma Louise Jones, Jessica Joslin, Vicki Manser, David O’Mahony and Jaime Tait.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is based on the early life and career of legendary singer/ songwriter Carole King. Book is by Douglas McGrath with words and music by Gerry Goffin, Carole King, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The production is directed by Marc Bruni with choreography is by Josh Prince, set designs by Derek McLane, costume designs by Alejo Vietti, lighting by Peter Kaczorowski and sound by Brian Ronan. Orchestrations and Music Arrangements are by Steve Sidwell.
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical features the Carole King classics including So Far Away, It Might as Well Rain Until September, Take Good Care of my Baby, Will You Love Me Tomorrow, Up on the Roof, Locomotion, One Fine Day, You’ve Got a Friend, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and I Feel the Earth Move, along with hits from songwriters Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil like You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling, On Broadway and Uptown.
