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BEST MAGAZINEMcNAUGHTONREVIEW 2006
‘A good ambassadorfor theatremagazines’
5
T H E A T R E | S T Y L E | F O O D
The Ambassador Theatre Group
Plus...
Michael Frayn
Festive fun with Tintin & Snowy
Office party - sorted
Little black dresses
Denise Van OutenRent remixed
GreaseYoung and gifted
Pantomime special Kim and AggieNigel HaversPaul Michael Glaser
Winter 2007
Autumn HighlightsPick of the crop this season
Getting the theatre message
across to young people has
always been a challenge but
social networks - both real and
virtual - are the key to spreading
entertainment news among
young individuals. Young people
live in a world where fluid
cross-fertilisation between
creative media - cartoons, visual
art, theatre, TV, film and games
- is commonplace. This Autumn,
the Ambassador Group pays
tribute to this fertile eclecticism
with a programme that will
appeal to the young.
Rent - opening at the Duke
of York’s Theatre this October is
a prime example of using media
crossover to benefit theatre
attendances. Some of the biggest
names in pop culture have been
assembled to create this new
production including William
Baker, the creative director
behind Kylie Minogue and the
visionary behind some of the
most iconic pop images of recent
years. In a canny career shift,
Baker now directs Denise van
Outen in a remixed version of
the Broadway hit musical Rent -
based on Puccini’s La Boheme.
He’s clearly aiming to appeal to
the ipod generation - for the first
time in West End history ATG
has adopted a £30 stalls general
admission policy similar to gigs
and concerts, and profiles for
the musical appear on social
networking sites such as
Myspace and Facebook, with
click-throughs to Ambassador’s
own ticketing website.
Over at the Piccadilly, the
new generation of musical stars
are having a ball in the ultimate
high school musical Grease.
Danny Bayne and Susan
McFadden were plucked from
youthful obscurity to play Sandy
and Danny and they now make
the live performances sparkle
night after night. ITV’s Grease
is the Word provided exposure
to a Saturday night prime-time
audience composed mainly of
young people. Like it or not,
Saturday night reality TV is
the new family viewing.
Back into the West End
just in time for Christmas
following a storming Autumn
tour is the acclaimed stage
version of Hergé’s Adventures
of Tintin. Colourful, imaginative,
funny, ingenious, energetic -
it’s everything that a large
scale theatrical spectacle
for young people should be
with the added distinction
of having genuine cross-
generational appeal. Expect
plenty of snow in this gripping
adventure set in the high
Himalayas.
And of course, all over the
country this Christmas young
people will be getting their
first taste of a uniquely British
theatre tradition - pantomime.
Some of the biggest names in
entertainment drop in to ATG
theatres for a sparkling bonanza
of festive fun - stars from the
US like Paul Michael Glaser and
Henry Winkler are joined by a
host of home-grown celebrities
from TV and film; the notorious
Kim and Aggie (How Clean is
Your House) in Brighton and the
dapper Nigel Havers in Richmond
plus Ross Kemp and Bobby Davro
in an Eastend-tastic panto
in Wimbledon.
Stop Press: Patrick Kielty stars
in A Night in November at the
Trafalgar Studios from 15 Oct
Photography by
Chris Ridley and
Paul Rider
Love the Look 1
Leggy, blonde, gorgeous
- Denise Van Outen
It’s Electrifying! 3
A dream come true - Grease
Reunion Blues 5
Michael Frayn on
Donkeys’ Years
All Good Fun 7
Kim & Aggie lark
about in panto
Himalayan 9
AdventuresTintin’s spectacular stage show
What’s On 11
in London
On Your Feet! 12
80’s nostalgia in Footloose
A Unique 13
ContributionSaving London’s historic theatres
Competition 14
Fiddler on the Roof
Gifts without Guilt 15
Extravagant, luxurious -
and green!
Front-Row Fashion 16
First night style
Team Time 17
Beano or bun-fight?
The office party
AMBASSADOR GROUP PRODUCTIONS
AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP LONDON THEATRES
Comedy Theatre 0870 060 6637 Donmar Warehouse 0870 060 6624 Duke of York’s Theatre 0870 060 6623
Fortune Theatre 0870 060 6626 Phoenix Theatre 0870 060 6629 Piccadilly Theatre 0844 412 6666
Playhouse Theatre 0870 060 6631 Savoy Theatre 0870 164 8787 Trafalgar Studios 0870 060 6632
AMBASSADOR THEATRE GROUP REGIONAL THEATRES
Theatre Royal Brighton 08700 606 650 Churchill Theatre Bromley 0870 060 6620 Kings Theatre Glasgow 0141 240 1111
Theatre Royal Glasgow 0141 240 1133 Milton Keynes Theatre 0870 060 6652 Richmond Theatre 0870 060 6651
Regent Theatre & Victoria Hall Stoke-on-Trent 0870 060 6649 New Wimbledon Theatre & New Wimbledon Studio 0870 060 6646
Ambassadors Cinemas Woking 01483 545945 New Victoria Theatre & Rhoda McGaw Theatre Woking 0870 060 6645
Online booking at www.theambassadors.com
Jessamy Hadley EditorPat Westwell, Jasper Rees, Mark Shenton, Benedict Nightingale, Victoria Kingston, Jonathan Croall, Kirsty WoodfieldBabette Kulik, Neena Dhillon, Debbie Plentie ContributorsSWD 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.
The Ambassador Theatre Group
T H E AT R E
S T Y L E
F O O D
2
3
1 The Eve Club
2 Grease
3 Footloose
1
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1
Interview
The millions of visitors who
wander through Times Square
every year have all seen the face,
and of course the limbs. It’s been
five years since Denise Van Outen
triumphed as Roxie Hart, but the
producers of Chicago are still
using a huge billboard image
of her to promote the show
in New York.
‘I’m told by the American
producers that they love the
image,’ says the proud occupant
of the poster. ‘Apparently Renée
Zellwegger when she was about
to do the movies went through
various pictures, chose mine
and said she loved that look.’
It’s quite a testament to an
actress who, despite attending
stage school and once appearing
in the chorus of Les Miserables,
only fell back on her training
after a disaster in her chosen
career. In the late 1990s Van
Outen became the leggy blonde
poster girl for gobby ladette
culture on The Big Breakfast.
But she took a right turn into
theatre after she found herself
at the helm as the ultimate
incarnation of bad-taste TV
crashed and burned.
Love the LookDenise Van Outen vamps it up in Rent
Interview by
Jasper Rees
Photography by
William Baker
Photograph of Kylie Minogue
and William Baker courtesy
of Rex Features
‘Chicago happened at a time
when I didn’t have any other
work coming in if I’m honest.
I was not employable in TV terms
because I’d worked on Something
for the Weekend, which wasn’t
one of my career highlights.
Being young and a bit naïve, I
wasn’t really aware of the effect
it would have. The networks
didn’t really want me to do
prime time. Every TV presenter
wants to get prime time. But
Channel 4 was always the really
cool channel to be on and you
wanted to be doing the late
night stuff. I wasn’t really
thinking long term, because
you don’t, do you? I was in
my early 20s.’
She had this idea that she
might slip into the cast of
Chicago unnoticed. ‘I didn’t
think this was really going to
change my career. For me it was
a natural thing to do. I had no
idea that people would pay any
attention. I thought I’d just be
able to do it quietly. I walked out
in my preview and there were
flashbulbs going off.’ Then came
New York, and in 2003 Van
Outen came of age as a theatre
performer when she took on the
taxing solo lead in Tell Me On A
Sunday for ten gruelling months.
‘I would have loved to have been
in it for longer. But physically it
was tiring. And there’s only so
many times you can be dumped
and cry before you start to go
home depressed.’
It’s thanks to musical theatre
that she has been able to return
to the televisual fold as an expert
panellist on How Do You
Solve A Problem Like Maria
and Any Dream Will Do, and
as a presenter on Grease Is
The Word in America. But after
four years the time has come
to return to the stage. In Rent
Van Outen joins ex-Sugababe
Siobhan Donaghy to breathe
new life into the hit 90’s New
York musical.
It is directed by William Baker,
who was the creative director
behind Kylie Minogue and the
visionary behind some of the
most iconic pop images of
recent years.
Taking its inspiration from
La Boheme, Jonathan Larson’s
raunchy tale of Lower East Side
Bohemians has been given a
facelift. Baker took to the
challenge with a missionary
determination. ‘A lot of musicals
in the West End are so uncool,’
he says. ‘When it was created
Rent was a piece of cutting edge
theatre. I just felt that the look
of it and the sound of it held the
show back. You can do so much
more with a powerful orchestral
pop score. I don’t like electric
guitars at all. You’re limited
to a particular rock sound. The
characters are not alien to me.
I’ve reworked them to bring it
up to date, which is what Rent
was supposed to be when it
came out. And when I cast it
I looked for people that had
inherent traits of the characters
within them.’
Van Outen plays Maureen,
a gobby bisexual performance
artist. ‘It’s quite a belty part,’
she says. ‘Maureen definitely
hasn’t got the vulnerability
and soft edge that Roxie has or
my character in Tell Me On A
Sunday. She’s a bit of a tough
woman. I can be tough when I
want to be. I’m starting to walk
around with a bit of attitude.
I walked to and from rehearsals
and I live in Hampstead, which
is a long walk, just to get my
fitness levels up, and I marched
like Maureen. I’m from Essex.
I’m tough. It makes a change.
I’m normally in stilettos.’
‘For me Chicago was a natural thing to do. I had no idea that people would
pay any attention. I thought I’d just be able to do it quietly. I walked out in
my preview and there were flashbulbs going off.’
Below: Luke Evans
and Siobhan Donaghy
Duke of York’s Theatre
RentRemixed for the 21st century
starring Denise Van Outen
directed by William Baker
Box Office 0870 060 6623
Online booking at
www.theambassadors.com
Kylie Minogue and William Baker
3
Interview
Actors may welcome the
spotlight but one of the hardest
things for them to accept is the
constant competition they are
subjected to before they ‘arrive’.
Nowhere has this been more
publicly amplified than in the
‘search for a West End star’
reality TV programmes over the
last two summers. For the new
production of Grease, now
playing at the Piccadilly Theatre,
it was the public who finally
decided that 19-year-old Danny
Bayne and 24-year-old Susan
McFadden were the ones they
wanted as the iconic figures of
Danny and Sandy.
‘I did the first audition on my
birthday, which was in February -
I remember spending it in the
freezing rain queueing up
outside a hotel’, recalls Susan
of the process that culminated
in a June TV show Grease is the
Word, ‘it was quite a long haul.’
Danny agrees: ‘The normal way
of auditioning is a lot shorter!’
This is borne out by Siobhan
Dillon, who is now Susan’s
understudy and who also plays
the role of Patty Simcox in the
production. She managed to get
It’s Electrifying!Backstage with the ambitious young stars of the West End hit Grease
Interview by
Mark Shenton
Photography by
Alessandro Pinna
4
down to the last three in last
year’s search for a Maria in The
Sound of Music, a process that
took the best part of six months;
whereas for Grease, she says,
‘I got called in to do an acting
and singing audition on the
Wednesday, was called back to
dance on Thursday, before being
offered the part on Friday - it
all happened in just three days!’
Siobhan points out that the
regular audition process is harder
as a result; ‘You only have ten
minutes to show what you can
do - whereas on TV, every week
you’ve got the chance to prove
something else!’
Now, of course, each has the
crucial job of proving themselves
live every night. It helps that the
audience are already on their
side, because they voted for
them: as Danny comments,
‘You know that you’ve got that
backing, and the exposure leads
to you having a kind of fan base,
so it’s really nice.’
Not that Danny, who oozes
self-assurance, doubts his own
talent - but neither does he
consider himself to have become
a ‘star’ in the process. ‘I don’t
see myself as a West End star -
yes, I am playing a lead role but
it’s only the start of my career.
I know that I am only young,
but I have so many goals for
myself that I set at a young age,
and I want to hit them all.’
Susan, who moved to London
two years ago hoping to break
into musical theatre after some
success at home in her native
Ireland, has also arrived at the
place she has been aiming for.
‘I worked a lot in Ireland and
went from job to job, but had
to give it up and start again from
the bottom here. I found an
agent and started auditioning,
and would get quite far each
time I did but didn’t get the part.
You have to have a thick skin
to get through it all.’
Then the Grease competition
came up, and she admits she
was initially reluctant, ‘but in
the end, I had been here for
just over a year, and I didn’t
know how much longer I could
keep trying - and this was an
opportunity, so why not take it?’
With her more famous brother
Brian - a member of the pop
group Westlife - she had gone
to stage school from the age of
four, so it was something she
was destined to do. ‘To get a
lead role in a West End show is
amazing - it has been a dream
of mine since I was a child. And
to have gone through what we
went through to get here makes
it even more amazing - the public
want me to be here, and that
means a lot more than being
chosen by a panel of producers.’
Having voted them into the
parts, the public are now voting
with their wallets and buying
record numbers of tickets. And
Danny thinks that the process
that has brought them there is
its own endorsement: ‘People
like Simon Cowell in The X Factor
are always going on about how
there are no stars around
anymore, and you’ve got to use
these shows to find people. I’ve
trained for this since I was eight
years old. So I was ready!’
No wonder he’s a winner -
he’s totally winning in person.
But how does he feel for those
that didn’t? ‘I can’t say I felt
sorry for the others because
it’s what I always wanted, but
obviously I gave my regards to
them, and when they came to
watch, they were over the
moon that I’d got it - there
was no bitterness.’
‘To get a lead role in a West End show is
amazing - it has been a dream of mine since I
was a child. And to have gone through what
we went through to get here makes it even
more amazing - the public want me to be here’
Piccadilly Theatre
Greasestarring Danny Bayne
and Susan McFadden
Box Office 0844 412 6666
Online booking at
www.theambassadors.com
5
Interview
When Michael Frayn was an
undergraduate at Cambridge’s
Emanuel College, he wrote a
column in the university
newspaper involving the
misadventures of an archetypally
dim student called John Plod.
This didn’t go down well with
his contemporaries, who decided
to punish him by throwing him
into the college pond.
‘The rugby club and the boat
club were so drunk that I heard
them coming - so I sported my
oak and kept my door shut,’
recalls Frayn in his wry, affable
way. ‘But then the history club
had their annual dinner and they
were slightly less drunk and
managed to get in before I heard
them and, yes, they threw me in.
It was humiliating. It would have
been slightly heroic to be
attacked by the boat club, but
the history club! It was like
being savaged by sheep.’
But as rampaging behaviour
goes, that scarcely compares with
the hubbub that ensues when
ageing graduates assemble for
a reunion at one of Oxbridge’s
‘lesser colleges’ in Frayn’s
Donkeys’ Years, the comedy
ReunionBluesPlaywright Michael Frayn remembers his undergraduate days
Interview by
Benedict Nightingale
Main photograph
courtesy of Rex Features
Production photograph
by Hugo Glendinning
6
that received its premiere
production in 1976, was
successfully revived in the West
End last year, and is now on
national tour. As the dramatist
remembers, it was inspired by
exactly such an ‘old members’
gathering’ at Emanuel itself.
It was surprising that he
went to it at all. He’d ignored
his college for the heady world
of undergraduate journalism,
literature and dramatics:
publishing articles and stories,
guest-editing Granta, writing
sketches for the annual
Footlights revue and getting a
degree in ‘moral sciences’, as
Cambridge calls its philosophy
major. Though he’s now an
honorary fellow, he hadn’t left
his address with Emanuel and so
didn’t know about the reunion
until he was rung up by one of
his few college friends, ‘a man
who I thought went into the
foreign service but actually
joined MI6, which wasn’t
surprising, since he was very
clever and loved deceit for
its own sake’.
His friend agreed that the
reunion would probably be dire,
but said that he and Frayn could
remain on the fringes, having a
laugh together: ‘But of course
he didn’t turn up, and there I
was at this gathering that was
pretty much as I imagined. But
there was a lot of port and
the next day I had the worst
hangover I’ve ever had before
or afterwards. I’ve never touched
a drop of the stuff since.’ Still,
that absentee friend was
commemorated in the pivotal
but elusive character of Roddy,
the glamorous graduate who
still obsesses his contemporaries,
but never actually appears in
Donkeys’ Years.
Frayn found it ‘agony’ to leave
the university. He quotes a friend
who had been so successful as
an undergraduate actor that
subsequently reaching the
heights in British advertising
seemed second-best: ‘You’re
never so famous as when you’re
at Cambridge.’ And the pain
was redoubled when he came
from Rome, where he’d spent an
idyllic summer with a girlfriend,
to start at the bottom on The
Guardian in Manchester.
What he mainly remembers
about that city is that it rained
and rained. But he enjoyed
his reporting and, even more,
writing the gloriously comical
columns that first made his
name and are now being
reprinted, along with the articles
about Cuba, Israel and other
places he later wrote for The
Observer. Novels followed,
and eventually plays.
Since his Footlights days
he’s written one of the funniest
farces ever in Noises Off and two
brilliantly rich and subtle plays
in Copenhagen and Democracy,
which are respectively about
Heisenberg, Bohr and the
A-bomb and the Stasi spy
who infiltrated Willy Brandt’s
government. And, in a curious
way, there’s a link between these
very different pieces. As Frayn
agrees, they all show people
attempting and failing to make
sense of inscrutable events and
impose order on the complexities
of life.
So Donkeys’ Years, which is
about chaos in high places and
on high tables, hasn’t dated.
If anything, it’s almost more
topical than in 1976, when it
seemed merely absurd that the
college Master’s wife, a character
originally played by Penelope
Keith, could be chairing a Royal
Commission on Obesity. Indeed,
Frayn has made only one major
change, and that involves the
episode in which a doctor
somehow sedates a beserk
graduate while himself suffering
from a hangover and trying to
see through one eye, since the
other has been blackened and
closed: ‘In the original version
it occurred offstage. What
was I thinking of? Offstage!
I can’t believe I missed such
an opportunity, Anyway, it
happens onstage now’.
Recently Frayn finished
another play, though he won’t
yet say anything about its
subject-matter or theatrical
prospects. And after that? Well,
in theory there could be more
plays, novels or even books on
philosophy, like his recently
published The Human Touch.
But he’s 74 and, he says, sort
of retired. ‘On the other hand,
I’m self-employed and how
can you retire when you
haven’t actually got a job?
So we’ll see.’
‘They threw me in. It was humiliating. It would
have been slightly heroic to be attacked by the
boat club, but the history club! It was like being
savaged by sheep.’
The cast of Donkeys’ Years
Donkeys’ Yearsby Michael Frayn
Starring Sara Crowe,
Ian Lavender, Norman Pace
and Patrick Ryecart
Churchill Theatre, Bromley
22 - 27 Oct
Box Office 0870 060 6620
Regent Theatre,
Stoke-on-Trent
5 - 10 Nov
Box Office 0870 060 6649
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
12 - 17 Nov
Box Office 0141 240 1133
Online booking at
www.theambassadors.com
Interview
7
Pantomime is not just our oldest
and most traditional form of
theatre, it’s also the most
colourful - and this year, the
Ambassador Theatre Group has
gathered together a kaleidoscope
of stars to grace stages around
the country; Paul Michael Glaser
(Starsky - swoon - for those of us
who used to love our weekly
fix of Starsky and Hutch in the
seventies); Nigel Havers (running
slow-motion through the sand in
Chariots of Fire); Henry Winkler
(TV’s Happy Days) reviving his
hugely acclaimed sell-out
performance as Captain Hook in
Woking and those TV divas Kim
and Aggie who march into dirty
homes and get them ship-shape
in the compellingly camp series
How Clean is Your House?
Paul Michael Glaser is exactly
the strong silent type we would
expect - perfect for Captain Hook.
Though he did some singing and
dancing in the movie Fiddler on
the Roof, he has never danced
on stage and has never seen a
panto. ‘But I am excited at the
challenge. I haven’t analysed
Hook’s inner personality, nor
done much preparation yet.
All Good FunSparkle, magic, larking about - it’s panto!
Interviews by
Victoria Kingston
8
Theatre Royal, Brighton
CinderellaStarring Kim & Aggie
and Laura Hamilton
7 Dec 2007 - 6 Jan 2008
Box Office 08700 606 650
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
Peter PanStarring Henry Winkler, Clare
Buckfield, and Andy Collins
7 Dec 2007 - 13 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6645
Milton Keynes Theatre
AladdinStarring Bradley Walsh
and Eric Potts
7 Dec 2007 - 20 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6652
Churchill Theatre, Bromley
Peter PanStarring Paul Michael Glaser
30 Nov 2007 - 13 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6620
New Wimbledon Theatre
Snow White and the Seven DwarfsStarring Ross Kemp
and Bobby Davro
7 Dec 2007 - 20 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6646
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
CinderellaStarring Jonathan Wilkes,
Shobna Gulati, Louise Dearman
and Andy Goulding
13 Dec 2007 - 13 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6649
Kings Theatre, Glasgow
Sleeping BeautyStarring Gerard Kelly, Karen
Dunbar and Dawn Steele
30 Nov 2007 - 12 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6648
Richmond Theatre
CinderellaStarring Nigel Havers
and Paul Zerdin
7 Dec 2007 - 20 Jan 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6651
I’m in at the deep end, but it’s
going to be wonderful.’
Best known for the
phenomenally successful TV
cop series Starsky and Hutch,
Paul didn’t hope for much at its
outset. ‘I never thought it would
make a whole series when I saw
the pilot,’ he laughs. ‘I took the
role because I wanted to see
some footage of myself on TV!
When it took off, I was both
mystified and terrified. Being a
so-called celebrity is intoxicating,
but also terrifying.’
The theatre is much more
down to earth. ‘Well, it is the
actor’s medium. What’s not to
like? You’re face to face with
the audience and you have a
very immediate and intimate
experience with them. Nobody
gets in between.’ I warn him
this will be particularly true in
panto, with booing and hissing.
‘That’s what I’ve heard - and I
will do my best to give them
good reason to boo and hiss.’
One member of the audience
at The Churchill, Bromley will
be Paul’s former partner in
crime, David Soul, who played
the smoothie Hutch. ‘Oh sure,
he’ll be out there. It’ll be great
to see him again.’
Another heart-throb in panto
at Richmond Theatre this year
is Nigel Havers, who will play
the well-meaning Baron, father
to Cinderella. Nigel has graced
our screens as a charming
aristocrat for several decades
(in real life, he is the younger
son of a Lord). He played a
murdering con-man in the TV
series The Charmer. ‘Yes, he was
a nasty piece of work. Quite
unrepentant - winking at the
camera.’ He has also played
numerous doctors. ‘I was in
the theatre audience once
and someone needed a doctor
urgently - everyone looked at
me. No, I said. I am definitely
not a doctor!’
In a career that has been
full-on since he started, Nigel
recently married and took a few
months off. ‘The first time ever
I’ve done that. It was wonderful
and I feel I never want to work
again. But I must!’ Is that, I ask
him, because of some internal
drive? ‘No,’ he says emphatically.
‘At this stage in my life, I’ll do
things if they’re enjoyable. And
this panto will be. I’ll have fun
with the Ugly Sisters - whether
it’s in the script or not. I shall
make sure of that. I shall lark
about really - and hope
everyone has a good time.’
Two Ugly Sisters determined
to have a good time in Brighton
this Christmas are Kim Woodburn
and Aggie Mackenzie, famous
for giving owners of dirty houses
hell. Kim was previously a high-
class housekeeper for a wealthy
Sheikh and Aggie is a successful
journalist. They enjoy a cult
following - mobbed wherever
they go. But why are such
glamorous ladies playing ugly
women? It doesn’t seem right.
‘This is an obvious role for
us to play,’ says Aggie.
Kim leans forward
conspiratorially. ‘I’m
gorgeous but Aggie
is a perfect Ugly Sister.
She’s had so much surgery to
her face, don’t let her fool you!’
We all break into loud laughter,
and Aggie continues undeterred.
‘I’ve never done anything on
stage - never learned a line.
But you know, I shall just do
my best and have a laugh.’
They’re obviously naturals.
Both Kim and Aggie have busy
lives and elements that destroy
the house beautiful. Aggie has
teenage children and Kim has
a strong-willed cat with no
remorse about leaving hairs
everywhere. So they wouldn’t
welcome a visit from the How
Clean is Your House team in their
own homes? They glance at each
other, horrified. ‘You’re damn
right I wouldn’t like it,’ says
Aggie. ‘If Kim and Aggie came
over, I would just keep all the
doors shut.’ Kim is equally
adamant. ‘If Kim and Aggie said
they were coming to my house,
I’d lock up the house and go
on holiday!’ Watch out Cinders
and watch out Brighton!
‘At this stage in my life, I’ll do things if they’re
enjoyable. And this panto will be. I’ll have fun
with the Ugly Sisters - whether it’s in the script
or not. I shall make sure of that. I shall lark
about really - and hope everyone has a
good time.’ Nigel Havers
Sponsored by
STOP PRESS!Ross Kemp, who played Grant
Mitchell, one of TV’s most
loved characters, joins Bobby
Davro for an Eastend-tastic
panto at the New Wimbledon
Theatre this Christmas!
9
Interview
The show is over, but the
company lingers on: it’s feedback
time at the Oxford Playhouse.
Having enjoyed a thrilling
matinee performance of Hergé’s
Adventures of Tintin, children
from the audience have gathered
eagerly in the front of the stalls,
ready to put their questions to
the actors, who sit before them
on the edge of the stage.
Many of the questions were
about the mechanics of this
huge theatrical speactacle, with
special reference to the Yeti,
aka the Abominable Snowman.
Was there a man inside? How
was the effect of his footprints
achieved? And what about his
voice? Others focussed on how
the climbing sequences were
done, did anyone get hurt,
why some parts of the story had
been missed out, and whether it
was difficult to stay in character.
All were answered informatively
and with humour...
The show, which has played
to great acclaim at the Young
Vic and the Barbican, is based
on Hergé’s book Tintin in Tibet,
adapted for the stage by director
Rufus Norris and playwright
Himalayan AdventuresDirector Rufus Norris talks about his acclaimed stage version of Tintin
Interview by
Jonathan Croall
Photography by
Johan Pearson and
Craig Sugden
Illustration courtesy of
Hergé Moulinsart 2007
10
David Greig. Vibrant and
colourful, hugely imaginative,
laced with humour and
abounding in energy, the
production manages supremely
well the tricky task of appealing
to children and adults alike.
Tintin the fearless young
reporter has of course been
a legendary character for
decades, and hugely popular
internationally. Created in 1929
by Hergé, the pen name for the
Belgian artist Georges Remi,
the cartoon adventures co-
starring Captain Haddock
and Snowy the faithful dog
are recognised as works of
art as well as wonderfully
entertaining stories.
After the Young Vic’s artistic
director David Lan had the idea
of staging a Tintin story, he
appointed Rufus Norris its
director and gave him an open
brief. ‘As a boy I was more of an
Asterix than a Tintin fan,’ Norris
confesses. ‘But my son read them
all when he was five or six, so
we had a complete collection.
I chose Tintin in Tibet because
it’s the one in which the most
happens to Tintin emotionally,
and the one with most depth.
It also had the most resonance
with Hergé: he had a breakdown
because of the break-up of his
marriage, and wrote the story
as a response to it.’
The story - Hergé called it ‘a
song of friendship’ - concerns
Tintin’s search for his Chinese
friend Chang, whom everyone
believes has been killed in a
plane crash in the Himalayas.
A dream convinces Tintin he
is alive but in peril, and with
Haddock and Snowy he sets out
to test this belief, encountering
along the way all kinds of
obstacles, human as well as
physical. Intriguingly, Chang was
based on a friend of Hergé, and
the story contains a prophecy
of what would happen later
in their lives.
Another reason for choosing
the Tibet story was its relative
pictorial simplicity. ‘In most of
the other books Tintin goes all
over the place with his
adventures,’ Norris explains. ‘The
colour range is enormous, and
would have been a real challenge
for the designer. Tibet is a much
more controlled palette, mainly
white and blue, so it’s possible
to honour Hergé more faithfully.’
The set by Ian Macneil is
cleverly constructed to give
a sense of the picture-frame
element of the original. The
stunning costumes by Joan
Wadge are beautifully realised.
‘We’ve been very fastidious
about them,’ Norris says.
‘Obviously we had hundreds
of costume drawings at our
disposal, and were lucky to be
able to see Hergé’s original
drawings in Brussels.’
He and David Greig have
only made slight adjustments
to the original story. The book
has plenty of humour, much
of it emanating from Captain
Haddock and the exploits of
Snowy, but they’ve put in a little
bit more here and there. They’ve
also added some attractive and
varied music, created by Orlando
Gough: a torch song in the Swiss
alpine hotel where the
story starts; a work
song for the
Sherpa guides
as they climb the
mountains; a
chant when
Tintin and his
friends reach
the monastery.
Norris was also attracted to
the story because it’s not gender
specific. ‘There are no guns, no
running around after baddies,
it’s all about friendship. Tintin
isn’t a macho character and
neither is he effeminate, so he’s
accessible to both sexes. I wish
there were more women in
the story, but the girls in the
audience seem as attentive as
the boys. Of course there’s also
the faithful, all-suffering Snowy,
who’s got enough anarchy in
him to misbehave, so everyone
loves him.’
There’s also the giant Yeti,
who is initially demonised,
but turns out to be a benign
character who plays a key role
in the story. His presence is
probably the reason why the
show is recommended for over-
sevens. Yet the four-year-old
sitting with me had no fear of
him, and was clearly entranced
throughout this wonderful
family show.
‘Vibrant and colourful, hugely imaginative,
laced with humour and abounding in energy,
the production manages supremely well the tricky
task of appealing to adults and children alike.’
Hergé’s Adventuresof TintinDirected by Rufus Norris
Theatre Royal, Brighton
16 - 20 Oct
Box Office 0870 060 6650
Richmond Theatre
23 - 27 Oct
Box Office 0870 060 6651
New Victoria Theatre,
Woking
6 - 10 Nov
Box Office 0870 060 6645
Playhouse Theatre, London
6 Dec 2007 - 23 Feb 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6631
Online booking at
www.theambassadors.com
11
What’s On Ambassador GroupLondon Theatresand Productions
Blood Brothers
Boeing-Boeing
Rent
Parade
Grease Stacy
Footloose
Fiddler on the Roof
A Night in November
Fanny & Faggot
COMEDY THEATRE 0870 060 6637
Boeing BoeingThe classic comedy by Marc CamolettiTranslated by Beverley CrossDirected by Matthew WarchusStarring Kevin R McNally, Jean Marsh, Neil StukeJennifer Ellison, Tracy-Ann Oberman and Elena Roger‘By many an air mile, the funniest show on the London Stage’ Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph
DUKE OF YORK’S THEATRE 0870 060 6623
RentRemixed for the 21st CenturyBook, music and lyrics by Jonathan LarsonDirected by William BakerStarring Denise Van Outen as Maureen
DONMAR WAREHOUSE 0870 060 6624
ParadeA new musicalBook by Alfred UhryMusic and lyrics by Jason Robert BrownCo-conceived by Harold PrinceUntil 24 November
FORTUNE THEATRE 0870 060 6626
The Woman in Black‘A brilliant spine-chiller’ The Guardian
PHOENIX THEATRE 0870 060 6629
Willy Russell’s BloodBrothers‘Brings the audience to its feet and roaring its approval’ Daily Mail
PICCADILLY THEATRE 0844 412 6666
GreaseStarring Danny Bayne as Danny and Susan McFadden as Sandy
PLAYHOUSE THEATRE 0870 060 6631
Footloose‘The happiest most electrifying hit show in town- go now’ Sky News
SAVOY THEATRE 0870 164 8787
Fiddler on the RoofStarring Henry Goodman Book by Joseph Stein
‘Shout it with delight: Fiddler’s back in town’ Evening Standard
TRAFALGAR STUDIO 1 0870 060 6632
A Night in NovemberStarring Patrick Kielty The hit comedy from the writer of Stones in his Pockets, Marie JonesFrom 15 October
TRAFALGAR STUDIO 2 0870 060 6632
Fanny & Faggot / StacyA double bill by Jack ThorneRalf Little stars in Stacy Until 27 OctFull season details; www.theambassadors.com/trafalgarstudios
Studio 2 has been made possible by agenerous donation from Christina Smith
12
OnYour Feet!Footloose - the Musical makes you feel like dancing
Fame - the Musical has been
parading its peripatetic pumps
around the West End for more
than a decade and Footloose -
the Musical now looks set to join
it in the popularity stakes. Since
claiming a place in the West End
last year, Footloose has already
returned to make a new home at
the Playhouse Theatre, and after
a Christmas break for Hergé’s
Adventures of Tintin, will return
there in the New Year.
Like Fame, it’s a teen-focussed
dance musical about American
high school kids and similarly
based on a popular film (starring
a famously loose-limbed Kevin
Bacon). And it has another key
factor in common: Karen Bruce
is director and choreographer of
both musicals. What’s the secret
of their success? ‘They remind
older audiences of their youth,
but they also connect to younger
people,’ she says. ‘Everyone loves
the movies, but we recreate
them for now. The clue to
making them work is to make
them cross over, so youngsters
can relate to them as well.’
Bruce, who has been
choreographer and assistant
director on the stage version
of another iconic film-to-stage
transfer for Saturday Night
Fever, won an Olivier Award for
her choreography of Stephen
Sondheim’s far more esoteric
Pacific Overtures, but enjoys
working in both fields. ‘They
can co-exist: they have to. I’m a
Sondheim freak, but if Footloose
can touch somebody in some
way, then we’re doing our job
right. Some people knock these
shows, but the music is great,
and people want to go and hear
it. If people come out knowing
they’ve experienced a feel-good
factor, then that’s theatre, too.’
With original screenplay writer
and lyricist Dean Pitchford on
hand to co-adapt it for the
stage with Walter Bobbie (who
directed the 1998 Broadway
version), and also collaborate
with composer Tom Snow on
new songs to augment some
of the film standards that
include songs by Jim Steinman
and Kenny Loggins, Footloose
both honours and expands
on its source.
And with the bass pumped
up and the expertly drilled
dances sizzling with testosterone,
Bruce’s production is full of the
kind of energy you not only
see but can virtually feel. As a
lonely outsider, Ren McCormack,
moves from Chicago to a sleepy,
reactionary backwater town
where all public dancing has
been officially outlawed - his
mission is to make a case for
the transformative powers of
dance, and the show is a
living testament to it.
Playhouse Theatre
FootlooseBased on the 1980’s film
starring Kevin Bacon and
featuring classic 80s hits
such as Holding Out for a
Hero, Let’s Hear It for the
Boy and Almost Paradise
Playing until August 2008
Box Office 0870 060 6631
Online booking at
www.theambassadors.com
Interview by
Mark Shenton
Photography by
Andy Bradshaw
News
A Unique ContributionTheatre’s role in the London economy
The Savoy Hotel on the Strand
provided the elegant setting for
a meeting of the International
Envoys for London this
September.
The seminar ‘Theatreland’s
Unique Contribution to London’
was hosted by Rosemary Squire -
President of the Society of
London Theatre and Joint Chief
Executive of the Ambassador
Theatre Group - and began
with a lively discussion on the
contribution made by theatre
to this rapidly growing sector
of the London economy.
Speakers included senior
representatives of the theatre
industry; Sir Stephen Waley
Cohen Bt, Vice President of the
Society of London Theatre and
Nica Burns, Chief Executive of
Nimax Theatres.
As well as giving an informed
insight into London’s unique
cultural offer and its significance
world-wide, the seminar also
explored challenges facing the
industry - chiefly the need to
maintain London’s historic
theatres, securing investment
to aid their restoration from
both private and public sources.
Following the seminar, guests
were invited to a performance
of the magnificent new musical
production of Fiddler on the
Roof starring Olivier award-
winner Henry Goodman as Tevye
at the adjacent Savoy Theatre -
and afterwards guests mingled
with the cast in the Upper
Circle Bar where drinks and
canapés were served. The
event was sponsored by
Groupe Chez Gerard.
Rosemary Squire said: ‘We
were delighted to welcome
the International Envoys to
the Savoy - and to have this
opportunity to put the case for
London theatre. The UK theatre
industry is the envy of the world
but many of our best-known
historic theatres need urgent
investment to secure their
future. With the London
Olympics on the horizon, it is
important that we continue
to raise awareness of arts and
culture and the part they have
to play in attracting visitors
to the capital.’13
News
Above: Sir John Egan,
Chairman (Inchcape,
Harrison Lovegrove),
Nica Burns, CEO
Nimax Theatres,
Rosemary Squire, President
Society of London Theatre
& Joint CEO Ambassador
Theatre Group,
Sir Stephen Waley Cohen Bt,
Vice President Society
of London Theatre
Henry Goodman in
Fiddler on the Roof
Photography by
Limelight Studios,
Chris Ridley and
Catherine Ashmore
CompetitionAn experience to treasureWin a night out at one of the best loved musicals of all time
14
critics and all agree: Fiddler
on the Roof is the must-see
production of one of the
best-loved musicals of all time.
Critics have hailed Olivier
award-winner Henry Goodman,
who stars as Tevye, as ‘superb’
and ‘sublime’ in a role he was
‘born to play’ and ‘achieving the
star status he so richly deserves’.
Winner of nine Tony Awards in
1964, this spectacular stage show
went on to become a smash-hit
Oscar-winning film and features
some of the most memorable
songs in musical history, including
Tradition, Matchmaker, Sunrise,
Sunset and the unforgettable
If I Were A Rich Man.
Two lucky winners can enjoy
a night to remember which
includes two best available seats
for the performance and a CD
of the cast recording of Fiddler
on the Roof.
To win tickets for this uplifting
musical, simply answer the
following question:
Q: How many Tony awards did
Fiddler on the Roof win in 1964?
Please return your answer, not
forgetting your name, address
and telephone number to Kirsty
Woodfield, The Ambassador
Theatre Group Ltd., 24 Neal
Street London, WC2H 9QW
before Mon 12 Nov 2007.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Two winners will be drawn at
random after the closing date.
Each prize includes two best
available seats per winner for
Fiddler on the Roof (Monday -
Thursday performances) at the
Savoy Theatre and are subject
to availability. The prize also
includes a CD of the soundtrack
of Fiddler on the Roof. Winners
will be notified before Monday
26 November 2007. Prize
is non-transferable and non-
redeemable for a cash value.
Not open to employees of
Ambassador Theatre Group
Ltd. Editor’s decision is final.
Photography by
Catherine Ashmore
Savoy Theatre
Fiddler on the RoofStarring Henry Goodman
Playing until 26 January 2008
Box Office 0870 164 8787
Online booking at
www.theambassadors.com
It’s unanimous. London loves
Fiddler on the Roof at the Savoy
Theatre! The production has
received rave reviews from both
London audiences and national
15
Style
Seboni
seboni.com
Snow Leopard Vodka
selected Waitrose stores
ocado.com
Jo Wood Organics
jowoodorganics.com
Trevarno Organics
trevarnoskincare.co.uk
Ocean
thamesandhudson.co.uk
Angel Linen
thenaturalstore.co.uk
Gifts that are ethical, eco-friendly or organic - yet oh so cool.
Gifts without GuiltCan you be green and stylish this Christmas? Definitely!
Jo Wood Organics from £45
This delicious, decadent but very
green line is made from exotic
plant extracts and essential oils.
Snow Leopard Vodka £30
If the delicate taste and stylish
bottle aren’t enough incentive,
part of the profits go to the Snow
Leopard trust to help save these
gorgeous and increasingly rare cats.
Angel Linen £60
Individually designed and handmade in England from beautiful
vintage French or English linen with antique mother of pearl buttons.
Seboni £29
Inspired by the sea, Seboni’s
essences are made from the
purest essential oils, free from
artificial fragrances and harsh
ingredients. Guaranteed to
refresh and uplift while
promoting a sense of well-being.
Ocean - Phillip Blisson and
Christian Buchet £39.95
A lavish collection of nearly 200
previously unpublished images of
that most compelling of nature’s
mysteries, the ocean.
Trevarno Organics From £10
These natural products are the ultimate in the discerning man’s
grooming regime. Rapidly developing a cult following.
16
Psst... Let us eat cake!
Ciel
ciel.ltd.uk
Adili
adili.com
Amana
amana-collection.com
Liberty’s
020 7734 9397
Meg Rivers
megrivers.com
All prices quoted are given
as a guide only and may
be subject to change
by individual retailers.
Feature by
Babette Kulik
Ethical fashion has become easier to find than ever and super stylish. Here’s a selection of little black
dresses that will take you from the theatre to an endless round of parties this Christmas - with a clear
conscience. Ciel dress A stunningly beautiful blend of hemp and silk with a pretty gathered neckline and
flattering angel sleeves £182. Pearl and sapphire necklace £350. Adili dress A twist on the classic wrap,
made with a gorgeous soft blend of merino wool £122. Amber and black bead two row necklace £195.
Amana dress A gorgeous silk panel dress, made of hemp and silk charmeuse. Very Audrey Hepburn! £95.
Chanel multicoloured beaded necklace £295. All jewellery pictured is vintage - available at Liberty’s
vintage section on the 1st floor.
Front-row fashionInspirational style for party girls
According to food writers Rick Stein and Tom
Parker Bowles, Meg Rivers’ cakes rock. Using
only top quality locally-sourced ingredients
including free-range eggs, ground almonds
rather than flour and a smooth ganache
filling - this wheat free alternative is perfect
for those who don’t like the traditional
version. Order now - £31.95.
The gift ofentertainment
GiftVoucher
An Ambassador Theatre Group Gift Voucher promises the excitement
of live performance - ballet, opera, musicals, drama and comedy - at
ATG venues in the West End or regionally. Alternatively, vouchers can
be used to buy a Friends Membership - a closer relationship with your
local theatre plus a year’s worth of special offers and Friends-only
events. Call 0870 060 6642 for details.
17
TeamTimeCelebrate 12 months of toil at a glittering office Christmas party
Cliveden House
Going Out
As seasonal as carols, crackers
and mistletoe, the annual end-
of-year office bash means it
really is time for Christmas. But
finding the right venue can be a
tricky proposition - there are so
many places to choose from in
and around London. So, to give
you a head start, we’ve selected
a handful of inspiring venues
guaranteed to help you usher
in the festive season with style.
Skylon
With the buzz that’s been created
around the Royal Festival Hall
thanks to its multi-million-pound
refurbishment, it’s not surprising
that the cultural centre’s flagship
restaurant has been picking up
accolades for both looks and
cuisine. What better place to
enjoy your Christmas festivities
than at Skylon - a restaurant that
combines echoes of 1950’s design
with striking contemporary
touches? Boasting superb views
of London’s skyline, the
restaurant offers formal dining
for up to 90 people, a relaxed
grill area that seats 120 and
a raised cocktail bar. Just as
importantly, Skylon’s Executive
Chef Helena Puolakka, previously
with Harvey Nix’s Fifth Floor,
serves up modern European
cuisine with British influences,
making the most of seasonal
ingredients.
Volupté Lounge
For something a little more
intimate in central London,
Volupté Lounge provides an
intriguing alternative. Ideal
for small office parties, this
fashionable venue harks back
to the days of vaudeville
extravagance, with its dimly-lit
cocktail bar, restaurant and
cabaret salon. Supper-club dining
is the order of the day, whether
you choose to come for lunch
or dinner. And while you’re
indulging in the Christmas
cuisine and authentic cocktails,
you’ll be entertained by jazz
bands, cabaret singers or 1920’s
flapper dancers. Worth booking
if you fancy Christmas with
a twist!
Cliveden House
If you want to avoid the familiar
issue of getting home after one
too many at the Christmas party,
then a luxurious hotel could be
the answer. Bringing a touch
of magic to the festive season,
Cliveden House in Berkshire
offers all the traditional
trimmings - a roaring fire, giant
tree, sparkling decorations and
torch-lit drive. Parties can take
advantage of the three-course
gourmet Festive Party Menu
throughout December, with
overnight accommodation,
English breakfast and access
to the hotel’s luxurious spa
facilities thrown in.
Royal Air Force Museum
Turn up the glamour by throwing
a 1940s-themed party at the
historic RAF Museum in north
London. Nostalgia abounds in
30 St Mary Axe
Skylon
Garden of Eden bar at The Eve Club
Skylon
020 7654 7800
skylonrestaurant.co.uk
Volupté Lounge
020 7831 1622
volupte-lounge.com
Cliveden House
01628 668561
clivedenhouse.co.uk
RAF Museum
020 8358 4848
rafmuseum.com
30 St Mary Axe
020 7071 5008
30stmaryaxe.com
The Grove
01923 807807
thegrove.co.uk
The Eve Club
020 7287 1991
clubeve.co.uk
18
The Battle of Britain Hall,
where large parties can enjoy
pre-dinner drinks amidst such
legendary planes as the Spitfire
and magnificent Sunderland
Flying Boat. Or select the Historic
Hangars if you’re looking for a
more adventurous option - here,
partygoers can fly with the Red
Arrows in a flight simulator
before dinner is served
underneath the wings of an
Avro Lancaster. Both halls come
complete with drinks receptions,
three-course menus, music and
decorations and, for show-
stopping additions, there’s also
the possibility of ordering a
swing band and look-alikes
for the evening.
30 St Mary Axe
Staying with the sky high theme,
it doesn’t get much more
prestigious than hiring out a
space on one of the top floors
of London’s most talked-about
building. Affectionately known
as The Gherkin, this city landmark
opens up its doors to private
parties in the evenings with a
split-level restaurant and bar
located 180 metres above the
capital. There are choices
available for parties of all sizes
from private dining rooms to the
mezzanine-level bar - all with
spectacular 360-degree views.
Christmas fare ranges from
sophisticated canapés - smoked
duck and seared peppered beef
are two examples - to three-
course dinners; just be sure to
savour a glass of Champagne
while you’re on top of the
world.
The Grove
Just 18 miles from London in
Hertfordshire, this chic five-star
hotel has the festive season all
sewn up with a variety of spaces
catering for between 15 and 500
people. The Grove Christmas
Party Nights, on selected
December evenings, allow you to
enjoy the company of colleagues
on a private table before joining
other revellers on the dance
floor. Other perks of this ‘party
within a party’ concept include a
Champagne reception, ice-cream
bar and novelties to ensure
the night goes with a bang.
The Eve Club
The best parties always have
an air of exclusivity so why not
take over one of Mayfair’s most
notorious clubs, the Eve? Once
a favoured nightspot with the
likes of Frank Sinatra and Judy
Garland, the club located to
new premises and underwent an
extensive facelift in 2003. Vying
for attention in the post-modern
1950’s interiors are the ice
sculptured bar, luminous glass
dance floor and Garden of Eden
VIP area, all features that promise
to give any Christmas event extra
sparkle. Canapés created by the
Italian chef, cocktails and DJ all
come with a selection of themed
nights in December, from
Moroccan Splendour to
Viva 70s glam.
The GroveVolupté Lounge
The Eve Club
Feature by
Neena Dhillon
The Grove
PS Why not combine
your office party with
a visit to the theatre?
For special group
rates contact the
Group Sales team
on 0870 060 6634