Issue 7

Leading Ladies galore!

LET’S HEAR IT FOR THE GIRLS CYNTHIA ERIVO We talk to the Nun on the run

DANNY DENKMAYER From E4’s Playing it Straight Plus JACK WILCOX, SASHA REGAN, STAGE STATUS, & MORE

M (Prirntt) ISSN 2046-8792 (OO nline) ISSN 204 6-6-8806

THEATRE, LIFESTYLE AND MORE

ISSUE 7 // WWW.M-ISFOR.CO.UK

WELCOME!

A WORD FROM THE BOSS A n e w i s s u e ? ! Wo w. I d o n ’t k n o w w h a t t o d o w i t h m y s e l f .

I have excitement bursting from every pore.

AND you will be reading this either on your computer via PocketMags or on your lovely apple iPad/iPhone! How exciting is that?!

I t ’s b e e n M O N T H S s i n c e t h e l a s t i s s u e , a n d w e ’ r e v e r y s o r r y ; 2 0 11 w a s a b u s y, b u s y y e a r f o r u s a l l . I p ro d u c e d B E T W I X T ! at the Trafalgar Studios to much acclaim and we even e x t e n d e d t h e r u n . We ’ r e n o w w o r k i n g o n a n i n d e p e n d a n t f i l m version, which is very very exciting! And James has been working non-stop on a little-known musical called Matilda.

The magazine has grown quite a lot, with plenty of changes that we’re darn excited about, new team members, and more c o n t e n t t h a n e v e r - i n c l u d i n g o u r n e w l i f e s t y l e s e c t i o n ! We ’ r e all very proud.

O u r o n l i n e c o v e r a g e h a s g o n e u p t o o w i t h w w w. m - i s f o r. c o . u k b e c o m i n g p r e t t y b a d - a s s i n i t ’s o w n r i g h t ! V i s i t i t f o r interviews, videos, pics and much more.

We l l , I ’ v e w a f f l e d o n f o r a w h i l e . E n j o y # I s s u e 7 !

Chris :)

creative director CHRISTOPHER D. CLEGG chris@m-isfor.co.uk @chrisdclegg senior editor JAMES NOWELL james@m-isfor.co.uk @jcnowell editors PETER HOLLAND REBECCA WYNTER contributors ROB BARNETT KIRK JAMESON online DONAL FOLEY MARCUS HUBBARD BEN VIVIAN JONES ANTHONY LEE MEDINA

photography MATT CROCKETT @mattyc24 www.mattcrockett.com

with special thanks to THE FIELDING HOTEL, COVENT GARDEN www.thefieldinghotel.co.uk STUDIO PHOTO GALLERY www.studiophotogallery.com

CONTACT US twitter @m_isfor to work with m. or to discuss advertising and press email info@m-isfor.co.uk check out the all new M. online featuring interviews, videos and much more www.m-isfor.co.uk

CONTENTS 14. 22. 29.

34. 36. 45.

53. 66. 70.

8. Love Hate // 12. Side Stagey // 14. Cynthia Erivo // 22. Sasha Regan & The Union // 29.

Ginger ! // 34. The Out of Tow ners // 3 6 . Gi r l s o n To p / / 4 5 . On t h e R o a d / / 5 0 . On t h e Town // 53. Danny Denkmayer // 64.M-tube // 66. Stage Status // 7 0. Talent - Jack Wilcox

LOVE SM ASH. Awe some c ast, awe some ne w tu n e s b y Shaiman & W hittman, just plaing awe s o m e .

The SI NGI N’ I N THE RAI N Front of House d is p la y !

If you’re going to re plac e ‘ the shoe ’ , THAT’ S how y o u d o it!

Sam a ntha Bark s in the Le s M is film! You go Gle n Co c o .

K I S S ME K AT E to be stage d in Chic he ste r by Tre v or Nunn and Ste phe n M e a r That ‘ The Artist’ did so we ll at the O s c a r s

HATE GL E E ! We ’ re o v er it, and over the au to- tune .

T h a t t w o g l a sses of w ine at the theatre c osts ( on av e rage ) £18.

(Ra t h e r c o n t ro v ersially) @ w estendprodue r on twitte r, bitc hy c omme nts a b o u t a c t o rs were funny at first, but we ge t it, y ou don’t lik e the m.

T h e J - L l o c a r advert. urgh.

T h a t F ra n k O z doesn’t voice F ozzie Be ar in The M uppe ts mov ie

NO W AVA ILA BLE ON CD

TO PURCHASE A COPY VISIT: WWW.MOONHALFWAY.COM

SIDE STAGE(Y) KIRK’S TOP TIPS ON WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE WORLD OF MUSICALS. words by KIRK JAMESON

MOVE OVER GLEE From the US (naturally), comes the next sitcom to embrace all t h i n g s M T, b u t e x a c t l y h o w s t a g e y c a n o n e s h o w g e t ? S m a s h follows the creatives and performers of a new musical about the l i f e o f M a r i l y n M o n r o e a s i t i s m o u n t e d o n B r o a d w a y. N o t o n l y does it star everyones favourite ginger fag hag, Deborah Messing as the shows writer, but also features original songs by Marc Shaiman! Like Mz Monroe in practically any dress, our cup runneth over!

A FA C E L I F T F O R P H A N T O M Cameron Mackintosh sends another one of his stalwarts out into the world with a fresh face and this time it’s our dear Phantom who’s having a little work done. But fear not, this nip/tuck is very tasteful (think more Michelle Pfeiffer; less Joan Rivers) and let’s face it, at the hands of Matthew Bourne and Laurence Connor a b o t c h j o b i s f a r f r o m l i k e l y. To u r i n g t h e U K f r o m M a r c h .

HIGH ON HEELS If you’re a sucker for a bad ass diva with crazy vocals to back up that attitude, the iDolls are the trio for you. With a blend of jazz a n d d i s c o t h a t i s o h s o o n t r e n d r i g h t n o w, t h e s e g i r l s a r e t h e r e a l deal. Do what you can to see them live; they perform regularly about town including a monthly residency at Freedom in Soho.

F o r m o r e i n f o r m a t i o n , v i s i t t h e i r w e b s i t e ; w w w. t h e i d o l l s . c o . u k o r follow @the_Idolls.

H O W L U C K Y C A N Y O U G E T. . . ?

J u s t a s t h e O l y m i c s i s s e t t o c l o s e o u r b e l o v e d We s t E n d , s u r e l y Sunday 29th April 2012 will have the same affect on Soho, as it’s on this date all those “creative types” (myself included) will be flocking to witness three musical theatre legends reunited on stage. For one night only Chita Rivera, Ann Reinking and Liza Minnelli (I’m calling them Fosse’s Holy Trinity) will perform a s l e c t i o n o f K a n d e r a n d E b b ’s g r e a t e s t h i t s a t L o n d o n ’s Vi c t o r i a Palace in a special gala benefit. The event, which will also feature Maria Freidman and Bonnie Langford is in aid of the Ovarian Cancer Action Trust, meaning we can satisfy this most stagey of urges guilt free, as it’s for a good cause. Box Office: 0844 248 5000

YOU COULD BE JESUS T h i s S p r i n g A LW w i l l o n c e a g a i n s c o u r t h e c o u n t r y t o u n e a r t h a new talent and this time his quest is far more spiritual in nature; this search will result in the “crowning” of a new messiah for an arena tour of his rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. In addition to what will no doubt be a plethora of hilarious “Lord” references we can also look forward to a brand new panel of judges includi n g S t e v e B a l s a m o w h o p l a y e d t h e r o l l i n t h e We s t E n d . S u p e r s t a r screens on ITV this Summer! For all the latest follow @JCSTheMusical

CYNTHIA ERIVO TALKING TO THE NUN ON THE RUN ABOUT STEPPING INTO THE PLATFORMS OF DISCO DIVA DELORIS.

words REBECCA WYNTER photography MATT CROCKETT

DIVING

int o he r f ir st le ading role as D eloris Van C artier, ne w- kid- on- t he bloc k Cynt hia E viro is beamin g wit h e nt husiasm , gr at it ude and eager an ticip ation in wake of t he f ir st e ve r nat ional tour of S ister A ct. Cr am m e d in a m ake - shif t dre ssin g room on the roof of t he Am bassador ’s The atre - sq u ash ed b etwe e n re dundant f illing c abine t s, ab an d on ed p rogram m e s, and f or got t e n t he at r ic al trin k ets - C yn thia is a hum ble e pit om e c om pare d to th e deman d in g diva she plays on st age . Alt hough sat still w ith h er e ye s c lose d f or t he m ake - up ar t ist, excitemen t exube r at e s f rom he r hum an- c anvas comp osu re and she c ont inue s t o spe ak passionat e ly through lib eral lashings of lip- line r.

E ver sin ce a toddle r Sile nt Night solo, Cynt hia k n ew sh e had to be a pe r f or m e r. “I re m e m be r w hen I finish ed singing pe ople st ar t e d c lapping.

A t five years old I didn’ t know why t he y we re doin g it – I ju st k n ew it f e lt good. That gave m e t he b u g.” R ollercoastering t hrough role s, she e xc e lle d through sch ool and c olle ge , wit h only a haz y- ge nd ered F agin flaw ing t he list : “I had a be ar d at t he age of 14! Oliver! was a bit lim it e d at an all- gir ls school,” she chu ckle s, “ - and t he y we nt f ull out w ith th e eyeb row s t oo.” De spit e he r t e e ns spar kle d w ith You n g Vic and St r at f or d The at re Royal pe rformances, she d idn’ t be lie ve he r c hanc e s of st age school w ere stron g, so e nrolle d t o st udy M usic Psychology (w hich yes, on t he spot , she c an spe ll) . “I w as learnin g music t he or y, le ar ning what m usic d oes to the min d h ow it he lps how it hinde r s – but n on e of it w as as fulf illing as pe r f or m ing.” On re alisin g that th e w ro ng pat h m ay have be e n c hose n, a friend from Strat f or d The at re Royal e nc our age d an d coach ed C ynthia f or RADA, and wit h an audition p erformance of A Fine Line f rom Ave nue Q – a son g close to h er he ar t – t hre e ye ar s of t r aining commen ced .

“I’ve b een lu cky enough t o not st op wor king sinc e I left R A D A . I’ve only be e n out f or a ye ar and I started w ith a straight play – a Sim on St e ve ns play – and I thin k up to dat e t his [ Sist e r Ac t ] is probably a pin n acle in my care e r as an ac t re ss.” A nun- f lailin g romp of a mu sic al, Sist e r Ac t f ollows t he wac ky p lot lin e of a boisterous lounge singe r f orc e d int o a hiding after witnessing her mobster boyfriend killin g an emp loyer. The wit ne ss prot e c t ion progr am h id es her in a n u n ne r y, whe re she t ur ns t he c onve nt choir into sw in gin ’ singin’ sist e r s.

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I HAVEN’T BEEN TO A NUNNERY – OR BEEN CHASED BY GANGSTERS

D e sc r i bing her highest m ome nt, Cynthia ta lks of “ ha ppy te a r s” whe n w a s t o l d by Tony Aw ard Winn ing Dir e c tor Je r r y Za ks tha t she ’ d got the r o l e a f t er auditioning in front of him pe r sona lly. “ I t wa s him tha t got me c r y i n g a ctually, he said ‘it’s ok to be ha ppy’ a nd I bur st into te a r s. Tha t w a s t h a t. I w as just a hot mes s f or the r e st of the da y.”

F o l l o w ing in the footsteps of We st End a nd now Br oa dwa y De lor is Pa tina Mi l l e r, C ynthia has w orked h a r d with Za ks to br ing a diff e r e nt dime nsi o n t o the role, rather than just c r e a ting a n ide ntic a l c a r bon c opy. Alt h o u g h self-depicted as a “fresh De lor is” , she insists tha t a ge shouldn’t m a t t e r, “I don’t think D eloris ne e ds to be boxe d in a n a ge , she just ne e ds t o b e f u ll of confidence and tr uth.”

A d m i t t ing to an already unhe a lthy obse ssion with Donna Summe r, pr e pp i n g f or the role w as a persona l, a s we ll a s c a r e e r or ie nta te d, e xplor a t i o n : “ I haven’t been to a nunne r y – or be e n c ha se d by ga ngste r s,” she j o k e s, “– so I relied on rese a r c h, a nd liste ne d to a lot of disc o music o f t h e time.” A s a catholic he r se lf , Cynthia e xpla ins he r r e c a lling to C a t h o l icism to try to understa nd why De lor is c ould be pe r c e ive d a s d i sr e sp e ctful. H ow ever, insis ting the show is light he a r te d with no illm e a n i n g intended, she says: “ it’s kind of spe c ia l in tha t wa y a s it invite s e v e r y o n e w ho does or doesn’t be lie ve .”

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I’V E B E E N L UC K Y E N O UG H TO N OT S TO P W O R K I NG SI N C E I L E F T R A DA

P e r f o r ming alongside a lavish ing bundle of le a ding la die s, she de sc r ibe s h e r c a st mates as sim ple “in c r e dible ” . We st End pr os Julie Anthe r ton ( K a t e Monster) and L aurie Sc a r th ( Tr a c y Tur nbla d) pla y Siste r Ma r y R o b e r t and S ister Mary P atr ic k, a nd le ge nd of the sta ge a nd sc r e e n Ja c q u e line C larke plays S iste r Ma r y La z a r us. Mor e tha n just a Mothe r S u p e r i or on stage, C ynthia fondly ta lks of De nise Bla c k a s the mothe r o f t h e o nstage family: “She’s got a r e a lly good intuition. I f I ’ m not ha vi n g a p articularly good day – whic h isn’t of te n – she knows a nd she ’ ll b e t h e r e for m e. A nd she alwa ys give s me a kiss in the mor ning be f or e I g e t st arted. Wonderful.” A s f or the me n, Cynthia spe a ks simila r ly of Mi c h a e l S tarke, Monsignor O’ Ha r a , a s a “ big gia nt da d” a nd, giggle s on t h e m e n tion of baddie-playin g Ca vin Cor nwa ll, f lutte r ing he r e ye la she s i n m u sings of his deep deep voic e : “ oh my goodne ss it ma ke s the kne e s g o w e a k .”

W h e n n ot in her West E nd wig, Cynthia moonlights a s a singe r /songw r i t e r, com posing for variou s a r tists a nd pe r f or ming he r own ma te r ia l, m o st r e cently supporting A me r ic a n I dol Winne r Fa nta sia Ba r r ino a t the 0 2 I n d igo. Sharing exclusive ne ws with M, Cynthia r e ve a ls tha t she is c u r r e n t ly w riting a debut alb um, a nd will be r e c or ding it a f te r the tour.

L o v i n g to both perform as a music a l c ha r a c te r a nd a s he r r a w se lf , she c a n n o t choose betw een the two whe n a ske d: “ I love the both of the m j u st a s much because they b oth a llow me to e xpr e ss diff e r e nt pa r ts of m y se l f ,” she m uses, “one allows me to te ll a pr ope r stor y – some one e l se ’s – and the other allow s me to te ll my own.”

S i st e r a ct is n ow tourin g the UK. Visit www.siste rac tthe music al.c om f o r m o r e details.

A UNITED FRONT WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE UNION THEATRE words by KIRK JAMESON

Sarah Lark as Miss Mona in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas at the Union.

A LO T

can happen in 10 ye a r s, Ga r y Ba r low c a n be c ome “ th e h o t o n e ” ( n o one saw that com in g) , a Spic e Gir l c a n be c ome a n Olivie r Awa r d n o m i n a t e d actress (lets be fair, not e ve n she sa w tha t c oming) , but pe rh a p s m o r e i n t e r e s tingly, the dark chambe r of a Southwa r k via duc t c a n be c ome on e o f t h e m o st t a lked about venues in London. As the Union The a tr e e nte r s its mo s t ex c i t i n g y e ar yet, K irk Jameson ta lks to f ounde r a nd a r tistic dir e c tor, Sa sha Re g a n o n b u i l d i n g up a venue from scr a tc h a nd how r e d wine , toge the r with a l ittle p a t i e n c e c a n be useful w hen unde r ta king suc h a ve ntur e .

O v e r t h e p a st tw o years the U nion ha s e a r ne d itse lf ma sse s of pr a ise f r om both a u d i e n c e m e m bers and critics alike a nd with na me s like Rose ma r y Ashe , Anna J a n e C a se y a n d B everley K lien now to pping the bill the r e , it’s no wonde r tha t m o s t ev e n i n g s f i n d a queue of people tr ying the ir luc k f or r e tur ns. Those who d o n ’t m a k e a h a b it of catching things o n the f r inge ( sha me on you) c ould be f org iv e n fo r t h i n k i n g this sudden acclaim is some wha t une a r ne d, but in r e a lity, the ve n u e ’s o w n e r, S a sha R egan had been grinding a wa y f or a lmost 10 ye a r s be f or e th in g s re a l l y st a r t e d to take off. “I w as absolute ly kna c ke r e d a t the sta r t a nd c omplete ly s k i n t , ” sh e remem bers, “A h, the g ood old da ys! I ha d a te le phone , a f a x ma c h in e an d a d i a r y. I w ould sit for days in my little off ic e just wa iting f or some on e to ca l l . ” T h e se d a y s, of course, her phone doe sn’t stop r inging a nd it’s pr oba bly f air to s a y t h a t t h i s , in some part, is down to he r now r e nowne d a ll ma le pr e se nta tio n o f P i r a t e s o f P enzance in 2009; an ide a Sa sha a dmits c a me to he r in the pub, o v e r a l a rg e g l a ss of red. “I w as conside r ing some show ide a s with a nothe r yo u n g d i r e c t o r, ” sh e remem bers, “ and h e sugge ste d Gilbe r t a nd Sulliva n - I like d o in g s tu ff a t t h e U nion that people don’t e xpe c t us to do, so I the n sugge ste d that b y h a v i n g a n a ll-m ale cast it could br ing the pie c e to lif e ; Wine tr uly is the wa y f o rward!”

S h e w a sn ’t w rong, about the w in e or he r c onc e pt. The show won r a ve r e vi e w s , ev e n t u a l l y leading to an extend e d r un a t Wilton’s Music Ha ll. “ I c oul d n ’t b e l i e v e p e o ple’s reaction, I thou ght tha t we would a ttr a c t a sma ll c r owd b u t ev e r y o n e se e med to enjoy it,” she sa ys, “ I wa s most ne r vous a bout the Gilbe r t & S u l l i v a n e n t husiasts as I didn’t w ant to insult the m or do a disse r vic e to the wr ite r s , h o w e v e r, w e managed to w in them ove r by sta ying a bsolute ly tr ue to the sc or e a n d t h e sc r i p t . ” S o , a l l m a l e . “What’s the big dea l? ” I he a r you c r y. Af te r a ll, should one s th ir s t fo r q u e st i o nable drag ever need que nc hing the r e s a lwa ys Old Compton Str e e t an d u n t i l r e c ently the Palace T he a tr e ( Me ow! ) But tha ts whe r e Sa sha ’s de c is io n m a k i n g r e a l ly paid off. H er boys ( or gir ls, r a the r ) , would pla y the whole th in g co m p l e t e l y straight; N o w igs, fake boobs or e ve n ma ke up. I know wha t yo u ’ r e t h i n k i n g , “ S urely a hint of rouge? ” , but no; just a n hone st de live r y of a be a u tif u l s to r y, w i t h the ham m y acting left on the she lf ... or ba c k a t the Pa la c e ( Stop it! ) .

T h i s w a s n o quirky drag act reade r ; this wa s sophistic a te d the a tr e .

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I WAS ABSOLUTELY KNACKERED AT T H E S TART & COMPLETELY SKIN T It ’s n o t su r p rising then, that Pir a te s we nt on to win the title of be st off - w e s t en d p r o d u c t ion at the What’s O n Sta ge Awa r ds in 2010 a nd r e c e ive d ye t a no th e r t r a n sf e r t o the R ose T heatre in Kingston, se tting some thing of a tr e nd f or th e t h e a t r e ’s i n house productions, inc luding Sa sha ’s ne xt a ll ma le G&S I olan th e w h i c h a l so transferred to Wilton ’s in 2010. “ Ove r the pa st two ye a r s we h a v e m o v e d f i v e of our in house produc tions to ve nue s whe r e the a c tor s c ould be p a id p r o p e r l y ” , she says, bringing up pe r ha ps the only down side to he r ve nue rig h t n o w.

A l l a c t o r s w ho currently perform a t the Union wor k unde r a pr of it s h a r e co n t r a c t , m eaning (as the name sugge sts) , tha t it’s only whe n the pr oductio n m a k e s a p r o fit, they receive a fee; a point whic h c le a r ly f r ustr a te s Sa sha who h a s h i g h a d m i r a tion for both the actors a nd c r e w tha t pa ss thr ough he r door s. “ I wo u ld l o v e t o b e a ble to pay them all w ha t the y de se r ve ,” she sa ys “ a nd tha t is whe r e th e n e c e ssi t y t o transfer our productions c a me f r om. Bit by bit we a r e moving up th e l a d d e r u n t i l w e are in a place w h e r e we c a n a lwa ys pa y our a c tor s.” I t is wo r th m e n t i o n i n g though, that the best casting dir e c tor s, dir e c tor s a nd pr oduc e r s f r om th e i n d u st r y d o com e to see our w or k a nd some time s c ommitting to a month o n t h e f r i n g e c an rem ind those peop le of your ta le nt” she pr ompts, a point w h ic h t h e a t r e c r i t ic and U nion supporte r Ma r k She nton se e ms to a gr e e with. M a r k re g u l a r l y a t tends performances in the spa c e a nd ha s pr e viosuly c hr iste ne d it “ th e N a t i o n a l T h eatre of L ondon’s fringe ” . He a lso se e ms to r e c ognise the be n e f its fo r t h o se w ho w ork there; “T he Union is now on the ma p,” he sa ys, “ a nd off e r s i n v a l u a b l e experience and exposur e to a c tor s, who’ d f a r r a the r be doing wha t th e y l o v e ( a c t i n g ), than not, even if th e r e ’s no c a sh involve d.”

Sophie Isaacs in Godspell

Th e r e ’s a l so n o denying that just a s the Union off e r s a f a nta stic pla tf o r m f o r p erf o r m e r s, i t ’s also a place w here young c r e a tive s c a n c ut the ir te e th too a n d ju s t as t h e c a l i b r e of actors has increase d, so ha s tha t of the c r e a tive te a ms w o r k in g t h er e . M a r k S h enton continues “T he r e a r e some te r r if ic dir e c tor s, c hor e ogr a pher s a n d d es i g n e r s m a k ing great headw ay at the Union, inc luding Mic ha e l Str a sse n whos e w o r k i s co n si st e n t l y brilliant.” Michael most r e c e ntly dir e c te d a r e viva l of The Ba ke rs Wif e whi c h h e n o w adds to the string of hits he ’s ha d unde r the Union’s r oof ove r th e p a s t few y e a r s, i n c luding C om pany and Assa ssins ( Be st Pr oduc tion; Off We st End Aw a r d s 2 0 11 ) a n d d e s pite commitments else whe r e , he is a lr e a dy linke d to this ye a r s p r o g ram a t t h e U nion, demonstrating an unwa ve r ing suppor t f or the ve nue . “ The U n io n is es s e n t a i l l y a mini w est end venue,” sa ys Mic ha e l, “ a nd thr ough its pr ogr a mmin g h a s cov e r e d t h e d eath of rep theatre in this c ountr y. I t ha s r e a l he a r t a nd be c au s e its i n t i m a t e sp a c e dem ands truth from the a c tor, me a ning ba d ha bits a r e quic kly ex p o s e d and w o r k e d t hrough. A ny graduate would le a r n mor e thr ough one show the r e th e n d u ri n g a n e n t i re year of training.” he br a ve ly a dds, sugge sting tha t some time s th e r e are m o r e i m p ortant things to be earne d tha n a pr of it.

Desp i t e t h i s h o w ever, S asha seems f oc use d on moving out of the pr of it sha r e b r a c k e t wi t h h e r si g h t s firmly set on a large r ve nue ( bigge r a udie nc e s e qua l bigge r pr o f its to s har e ) a n d i n t he m ean tim e there are still ple nty of c onf ir me d pr oje c ts to look f o r w a r d t o t h i s y e a r t h a t w ill take place outs ide of the Union’s f our little wa lls. Pe r ha p s n o n e m o r e e x c i t i n g than the continued m o me ntum of he r a ll- ma le pr e se nta tions in the ir mo s t excit i n g t r a n sfer yet, dow n under!

Th i s A u t u m n , the U nion together with the Sydne y The a tr e Compa ny will p r e s e n t S as h a ’s P i r a t es of P enzance in an Austr a lia n tour, with pe r f or ma nc e s be ginn in g a t t h e C a n b e r r a Theatre in O ctober, so move ove r Pr isc illa , the r e ’s some ne w que e n s in t o w n a n d t h e se ones sing countertenn or ! “ I ’ m ta king a f ull Br itish c ompa ny out th e r e , ” S as h a b e a m s, “We’re all so excited! The gr e a t thing a bout the se tr a nsf e r s is th a t th e y g i v e m e t h e o pportunity to say than k you to those who ha ve wor ke d so ha r d with me o v er t h e p a st few years. It’s nice to pr ovide pa id wor k f or Br itish a c tor s in a t ime o f rece ssi o n . ” It ’s c l e a r t h a t Sasha’s loyalty to the pla c e whe r e it a ll be ga n a lso r e ma ins int a c t, a s t h i s S p r i n g sh e com es home to the Union a nd supplie s the de ma nd f or mor e o f h e r rei n v e n t i o n s. R eturning to G & S fo r inspir a tion, this time it’s Pa tie nc e tha t r ec e iv e s t h e a l l m a l e t r e atm ent and Sasha’s vision looks a s str ong a s e ve r. “ I ’ m going ver y W. I wi t h P a t i e n c e , its going to be all tw in se ts a nd pe a r l ne c kla c e s” she joke s. Like ma n y o t h e r s, i t w a s the fresh approach to a tir e d f or ma t tha t I f e ll in love with in S a s h a ’s p rev i o u s p r o d u ctions. H er staging a nd ima ge r y is nothing shor t of ic onic a n d e v e n whe n t h e a l l male angle is removed you’ r e le f t with a witty ye t se nsitive ha nd lin g o f m ate r i a l o v e r a hundred years old. Add to this the n, he r e xtr a or dina r y skill to c a s t t h e p r e t t i e st b oys and w hat’s not to like ? Sa sha ’s Pa tie nc e is se t to be a nothe r h u g e s ucc e ss f o r h e r and the U nion and will not doubt dr a g some thing onc e a t r is k o f b eco m i n g a m useum piece scream ing into the 21st Ce ntur y; a lbe it in high f a lse tto !

Pa t i e n c e ru n s u n til 10th March at the Union The atre . Pirate s of Pe nzanc e to ur s Au s t ra l i a i n O ctober 2012, follow ed by Babe s in Arms f rom April 18th till May 1 3 th.

ht t p ://www.u nio nthe a tr e . b iz F ol low Kirk o n tw itte r @ J a me s o n t w e e t s

WITH SPECIAL AGREEMENT OF BERNARD OLIVIER AND ALAIN DIERCKX SALLY HUMPHREYS PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

E WITH R T A E H E THE T LIVE IN V A E L U “YO ENT TO PARTNER. T N I E H T YOUR H T I W !“ Y HARMON MISSED ine

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MARCH Sat 17 Horsham, The Capitol

APRIL

Mon 16 Wed 18 Fri 20 Sat 21 Fri 27

MAY

Fri 4 Fri 11

01403 750220

www.thecapitolhorsham.com

Truro, Hall for Cornwall Leamington Royal Spa Centre The Theatre, Chipping Norton Jersey Opera House Basingstoke Haymarket

01872 262466 0845 2183540 01608 642350 01534 511115 01256 844244

www.hallforcornwall.co.uk www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk www.chippingnortontheatre.com www.jerseyoperahouse.co.uk www.anvilarts.org.uk

Croydon, Ashcroft Theatre Kings Lynn Corn Exchange

020 8688 9291 www.fairfield.co.uk 01553 764864 www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

NOW TOURING THE UK!

For more information and future dates visit www.marsandvenustour.com

THE FUTURE’S BRIGHT FLAME-HAIRED BEAUTY PETER HOLLAND DISCUSSES THE IMPORTANT ISSUE OF SEEING RED IN MUSICAL THEATRE. words by PETER HOLLAND

IT’S

t w enty bloom in’ tw elve, e ve r yone ha s be e n sc r e a ming a bout it since 2 0 0 8 !

Boj o h a s p r o m i s ed us a “summer to r e me mbe r ” , a nd a s ma ny of us slump into T h e n e w y ear, h i d i n g t h e tin of Q uality Street with the pr omise of no mor e c hoc ola te til l w e ’ v e l o s t o f f e w p o u nds, and started up a f itne ss r e gime we ’ ll ne ve r c ommit to, we a ll w a it in ant i c i p a t i o n o f what 2012 w ill bring.

Wi t h t a l k o f spice-y girls, chocolate f a c tor ie s, Ame r ic a n idiots, Mor mons, lots o f r a in and so m e g o o d old fashioned R agtime se t to a r r ive in London I sudde nly ha d a s tr a n g e t h o u g h t t h a t w o uldn’t go aw ay. A s I sa t twiddling with my dwindling ginge r loc ks I a s k e d m y s e l f t h e b u r ning question...

WH E RE A RE AL L T H E G IN G E R MUSI CAL STARS? ! ? ! !

Now b e f o r e y o u answ er, “w hat about Annie ? , or Pr inc e ss Fiona ? Or e ve n Muf a sa ? ” th e y are a l l c h a r a c t e rs, and one of them is a lion so doe sn’t c ount! All of a sudde n I f o u n d m y s e l f i n a b l i nd panic. Where w e’re a ll the f la me he a de d le a ds of the We st E n d , w h y d i d n ’t t h e l e a d ing lights of the w orld ha ve mor e pr omine nc e ? W HY ha dn’t I c o n tin u e d t o p e r f o r m a f t e r m y highly acclaim ed pe r f or ma nc e of The Ar tf ul Dodge r in ye a r n in e ? ! !

A qu i c k t h i n k brought up the obvious, Ginge r Rodge r s but she r e tir e d f r o m s h o w b u s i n e ss i n 8 7 a nd sadly died in 95, also a va st ma jor ity of he r wor k is n bla c k a n d w h ite , and li k e h a v i n g the only person in your f a mily with ginge r ha ir be ing your gr e a t g r e a t g ran- a b l a c k a nd w hite photo does nothing to r e st your mind tha t you don’t be lo n g to the milk man!

A qu i c k se a r c h o n the Internet came up with nothing, a f e w f a n site s f or Rupe r t Gr in t a n d even m o r e f o r a nti read head propaga nda *we e ps* but ha r dly a nything in suppor t o f th e red h e a d e d p e r f orm er! Maybe it’s some sor t of c onspir a c y? Ye t pe ople like Che r y l Co le and o u r e st e e m e d E ditor (ahem ) are tur ning r e d by c hoic e !

Turn i n g t o t w i t ter for research, the list gr e w quic ke r, Be tte Midle r, De bbie Rey n o ld s , Bern a d e t t e P e t ers (kind of), C arol B u r ne tt, a ll a bsolute le ge nds but whe r e a r e a ll th e u p com i n g st a r s, a nd the B ritish ones?

Crazy for You at the Novello

Hamlet the Musical

By n o w I ’ m l y i n g on m y bed breathin g into a pa pe r ba g, de spe r a te f or a f la sh of r e d , a h i n t o f o r a n g e , or a peek of straw berr y blonde , e ve n.

AN TO N Y RA P P sprung to m ind! O f c our se , the Cha r lie Br own of Br oa dwa y, a n d M a r k i n t ha t m u si c a l w here everyone is sin ging a bout Re nt, without a c tua lly pa ying a n y ! Bu t Rap p i s a l so f r om over the pond so why do I str uggle to f ind the Br itish guys a n d g ir ls i n t h i s sw a m p o f B londes & B runette s?

Th en m y h o u se mate hit the first nail on the he a d! “ wha t a bout the le a d f r om Ha m le t th e M us ic a l . ” Ja c k Shalloo of course a young Br itish guy who ha s be e n r e pr e se ntin g r e d s o n m u si c a l st a ges for quite some time now, he e ve n pla ye d a guy c a lle d Pe te in “D e p a rt u re L o u n g e ” . G reat name. My panic a tta c k sta r te d to subside a s I r e minde d my s e lf o f t h e b e a u t i f u l C assidy Janson of Aven ue Q f a me , she e ve n got to gr e e n up a s Elp h a b a in Wi ck e d - su d d enly the West E nd see me d a muc h br ighte r, mor e phosphor e sc e n t. L e t’s n o t fo rg e t t h a t o ther beauty from Avenue Q f a me who’s going me nta l a s Polly Ba k e r in Crazy f o r Yo u , C lare F oster. D oing the r e d- he a ds pr oud 8 shows a t we e k a t the No v e llo !

Th ere i s, o f c o u rse, endless am ounts of ginge r a c tor s out the r e . Be ne dic t Sa lte r w h o m ade h i s L o n d o n debut in B etw ixt! a t the Tr a f a lga r Studios is a r e d he a d a nd p r o u d , al on g w i t h h i s co-star E llen G reene, not to me ntion the ne w Dor othy, Sophie Eva n s a n d m any o t h e r c o u ntless mem bers of ens e mble s a c r oss the boa r ds.

Tak i n g a f e w d e ep breaths and looking a t the e mpty wr a ppe r s of the se c r e t Qua lity Str e e t t i n t h a t w a s u n d er m y bed, the question a ske d is why a r e the numbe r s of c oppe r to p p e d p erfo r m e r s h i t t ing the big tim e so low...

What’s n e e d e d ? A new show ? A nd be f or e you sa y “ ginge r s the music a l” it’s be e n d o n e , a h o r r i f i c a m o u nt of tim es, google it!

Th e p r o b l e m w hen trying to find a G inge r in the the a tr e is of c our se the m hidind b e h in g wi gs a n d b l a c k a nd w hite headshots. M a ybe the r e a r e mor e of us out the r e tha n we k n o w ?

M ay b e p e o p l e think it’s not safe to come out a s Re d a nd Pr oud?

Ei t h e r w a y a s I stare at the gym kit tha t lie s he a pe d in the c or ne r, whe r e it is lik e ly to s t ay f o r t h e r e st of the w eek (month) , ( ok, ye a r ) ! I think it would be just br illia n t if in 2 0 1 2 , Wi l l y Wonka, E lder K evin P rice , Don Loc kwood a nd of c our se Ginge r Spi c e w e r e al l p l a y e d b y t he flam es of the industr y...

Tom D a l e y c a n still steal focus in spee dos dur ing the summe r, the Que e n c a n ha v e a b ig p art y o n t h e T h am es but for me, star ting r ight he r e , r ight now, I wa nt to ma ke th e We s t En d r e d i n 2 0 1 2! Who’s w ith me?.....

@Peterjholland

Gingers! the musical..... seriously.

THE OUT OF TOWNERS words by ROB BARNETT

AS

the West E nd, and inde e d off - We st- End, c ontinue to e volve the ir o w n thriving creative identitie s, it’s e a sy to think of those f e w squar e m i l e s around L eicester S qua r e tube sta tion a s a se lf - c onta ine d the a tr ic a l b u b b le. B ut there are man y who gr a vita te to London’s be a ting he a r t a s r e l a t ive outsiders in a geog r a phic se nse , ye t still f e e l a de dic a te d pa r t o f t h a t c ommunity. R ob B arne tt pa ys tr ibute to the da y- tr ippe r s.

W h i l st West E nd theatre rema ins e a sily a c c e ssible to those ba se d within L o n d on itself, or provides a whistle - stop thr ill f or the millions of tou ri st s w ho pass by each year, it’s some time s e a sy to ove r look the f r e quen t d a y - trippers w ho factor in the time a nd e xpe nse of a he f ty c ommute a s p a r t o f their regular theatre e xpe r ie nc e .

We ’ r e talking about the ‘O ut of Towne r s’ ; those the a tr e e nthusia sts wh o t r a v el from miles around as f r e que ntly a s the y c a n to c a tc h a glimpse o f t h e l a test productions, lest the y should pa ss by without be ing se e n, or – e v e n w orse – w ithout leaving a la sting opinion.

Yo u ’ ll catch them em erging into Euston a t we e ke nds, milling towa r ds th e We st E nd, into D ress C irc le to pic k the la te st c omme r c ia l shoots f r o m t h e musical trees, then gr a bbing lunc h be f or e a ma tine e pe r f or ma nce o f w h atever it is they’ve ma na ge d to ge t tic ke ts f or tha t we e k. And, if i t ’s a “O ne N ight O nly” th e a tr e e ve nt, the y’ ll spla sh out f or ove r nigh t a c c o m m odation too (they wouldn’t wa nt to miss a nything, a f te r a ll) !

O f c ourse there’s great thea tr e a nd ta le nt to be f ound in the pr ovinc es t o o , and indeed the commute r is f or tuna te to e njoy the be st of bo th w o r l d s in this sense. B ut e ve n the r e c e nt BBC4 doc ume nta r y se r ie s ‘ T h e S tory of Musicals’ str uggle d to c onta in a se nse tha t – whe n it c o m es to B ritish m usical the a tr e a t le a st – the We st End f e e ls like hom e .

B u y i ng tickets in advanc e is a pr ic e y busine ss, so ove r time th e c o m muter learns the prudenc e of oc c a siona lly que uing a t TKTS with a m e n t al ‘w ish list’ to w ork thr ough, or of sta nding in r e tur ns que ue s f o r t h a t new show everyone’s just sta r te d ta lking a bout. This c a n e nd ba d ly o r r e ap dividends; the high s of ge tting a plum se a t a r e some time s off s e t b y b e ing the first person in the r e tur ns que ue to miss out. But r e a lly it’s a l l p a rt of the fun, and the y ke e p c oming ba c k f or mor e ; pla ying their p a r t in sustaining the art fo r m we love by c ha mpioning the la te st show s t o f a m ily and friends, or sha r ing the ir vie ws via online music a l the a tr e c o m munities.

S o i n our spirit of championing a ll a spe c ts whic h ma ke music a l the a tr e t h r i v e, M m agazine w ould like to pr opose “ a toa st to tha t invinc ib le b u n c h”: here’s to the O ut of Towne r s!

GIRLS ON TOP photography MATT CROCKETT words JAMES NOWELL make up AMII-ROSE STEWARD using dermalogica shoot direction CHRIS CLEGG

“Anyone who thinks that the way to move forward in this industry is to be rude, obnoxious and big headed - good luck!”

siobhan DILLON M olly - Gho s t

“I'm so lucky, I literally feel that all my Christmases had come at once. Of all the parts in the West End this is the one I'm most chuffed about getting to play”

"I like the saying ‘opportunity meets preparation’, I love that. I try and have a professional approach to what I do"

susie ALLMAN Sue - Dre amboats and Pe t tic o a ts

"Yes you have to have a life but also people have paid a lot of money to come and see the show so you have to look after yourself"

"Being on the road is great, I love touring as everyone becomes like a family...

Although scaling your shoes down is hard!"

hannah

GROVER Brook e - Le gally Blo n d e To u r

“You really have to look after yourself. It’s a privilege to play these roles and it’s a responsibility to do it properly and make sure you’re in good voice”

"In Thriller I was the only female with loads of hot boys; which was lovely"

zoe

BIRK ETT D i va - Pri sc i l l a Q u e en of the D esert

“I see it as being a member of a team we're all there for the same reason. I can't stand it if someone thinks they are better than somebody else because they've done an amazing role or two"

“As long as you make sure you come out of every audition knowing you've prepared and practised and done the best job you possibly could, then you can give yourself a massive pat on the back”

lucy may

BARKER J o h anna - Sw eeney Todd

“It’s amazing to think that maybe someone in the audience is feeling that same feeling I used to feel watching the shows when I was younger!”

C heck out www.m- isf or.c o.uk f or more f rom all t he g ir ls !

ON THE ROAD WITH

THE PUBLIC REVIEWS HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT’S GOOD TO CATCH AROUND THE UK. for more info go to WWW.THEPUBLICREVIEWS.COM

THE KING AN D I C urrently doing a tour of the r e gions is Cur ve , Le ic e s te r ’s critically a c c la ime d r e viva l of Rodge r s a nd Ha mme r s te in ’s 1951 Br oa dwa y music a l The King a n d I .

D irected by Pa ul Ke r r yson this la vish pr oduc tion ba s e d o n the true stor y of Anna Le onowe ns te lls how a Br itish g o v erness is br ought to the c our t of Sia m to tutor the K in g ’s m any Childr e n. I n the le a ds a r e Ra mon Tika r a m ( Bo mbay D rea ms, Je sus Chr ist Supe r sta r ) a s the King of Sia m and Jose f ina Ga br ie lle ( The Witc he s of Ea stwic k, Sw e e t Cha r ity) a s A n n a .

Arg u a b l y o n e o f the biggest touring pr oduc tions on the r oa d a t the mome nt, this c la s si c m u si c a l brings the quality of the We st End to your door ste p a nd with ins ta n tly re c o g n i sa b l e Musical T heatre standa r ds like Sha ll We Da nc e a nd Ge tting To K n o w You . F r o m c o lourful sets to athletic c hor e ogr a phy, the Fa r Ea st is br ought vivid ly to lif e in this stunning pr odu c tio n . http://www.the kinga nditour. c o . u k /

O LI VE R! On i t s f i r st n a tional tour in over a d eca d e , b a se d on the 1994 L ondon Pa lla dium pr oduc t i o n a n d t h e m ore recent T heatre R oy a l Dr ur y La ne r e viva l with r e a lity TV win n e r J od i e P r e n g e r, O liver! is back on tou r. This time sta r r ing Sa ma ntha Ba r ks ( r unn e r u p t o J o d i e i n “ I ’ d D o A nything”, and soon to sta r in the Le s Mis movie ) a s Na nc y, M e n Beh a v i n g B a d l y star N eil Morrissey in the jovia l r ole of ga ng le a de r Fa gin ( in M a n ches t e r ) a n d T he B ill star Ian F letche r a s the thr e a te ning Bill Sike s .

In t h e b i c e n t e nary year of D ickens’ b ir th, Olive r ! c ouldn’t be tour ing a t a mor e p o i g n a n t t i m e , w ith the sensational chor e ogr a phy a nd showstopping songs inc lu d in g Con si d e r Yo u r self, Where is L ove and Oom- Pa h- Pa h, this show r e minding us of w h a t a g re a t st o r y t e ller D ickens w as. With a tour ing c a st of ove r 30, you c a n gua r a nte e t h at t h e h o t t e st ticket in the N orth We st this month will be Olive r ! h t t p : / / o l i v e r t h em usical.com/

REASO NS TO B E C H E E R F U L F o l l o w i n g a n a c claim ed run in Ipsw ic h and L o n d o n i n 2 010, G raeae and the Ne w Wo l se y T h e a t r e’s R easons To B e C he e r f ul ret ur n s t o I p sw ich ahead of a nationa l tour, whi c h w i l l h i t the road in Spring 201 2.

Th i s c o m i n g o f age tale set in 1979 se e s Vi n n i e a n d h i s mates desperate to see I a n Dury a n d t h e B lockheads at the H amme rs m i t h O d e o n . Only one problem – the gig s ol d o u t w e e k s ago.

F eat u r i n g D u r y’s classic songs H it M e With Your Rhythm S t i ck ; P l a i st o w P atricia; S ex and D rugs a nd Roc k a nd Roll; Swe e t Ge ne Vinc e nt ; S p as t i c u s A u t i s ticus and the titular Re a sons to be Che e r f ul, this show is br ough t to lif e b y a c a st o f 1 3 actors and musicians.

Grae a e T h e a t r e C om pany has built a str ong r e puta tion on c ha lle nging pr e c onc e p tio n s o n d i sa b i l i t i e s a nd each perform ance will inc lude c a ptione d dia logue , BSL- inte r p r e te d s on g s a n d a u d i o description. 2012 w ill be a busy ye a r f or dir e c tor Je nny Se a le y, w h o h as r e c e n t l y b e en appointed co-A rtis tic Dir e c tor of the Pa r a lympic Ga me s Ope n in g Cere m o n y. http://www.r e a sonstobe c he e r f ulthe music al. c o . u k /

AV E NUE Q “W h a t d o y o u do w ith a B A in E nglis h? ” is the q u es t i o n n e w g r aduates find them selve s a sking e ve r y J un e a f t e r t h r e e years at U niversity, a nd one tha t ope ns t h e b u r st o f c o lourful m usical comed y tha t is Ave nue Q. It i s a p t t h a t f r e sh dram a graduate S a m Lupton ha s be e n cas t i n t h e p r i n ciple role of P rinceton , while pr e vious ens em b l e m e m b er K atherine Moraz ta ke s the le a d r ole of Kat e M o n st e r / L ucy the Slut.

Curre n t l y e n g a g ed on its second U K tour a f te r a longe rt h an- a n t i c i p a t e d 5 year run in the We st End, Robe r t Ma r x and Je ff L o p e z ’s hilarious puppet-ba se d music a l br ings the s ex i n t o S e sa m e S treet and the laughte r into le a r ning with s on g s su c h a s The Internet is for P or n, Eve r yone ’s a little bit Racist a n d S c h a denfreude.

If y o u a r e l o o k ing for a modern music a l tha t f e e ls f r e sh a nd ha s a ll the pr oduc t i o n v a l u e s y o u w ould expect in a West End show, the n ma ke sur e you ta ke a v i s i t t o Av e n u e Q . h t t p : / / w w w. a v e nueqthemusical.co.uk

S e e w h a t e l s e i s g o i n g o n around the UK at www.thepublicreviews.com

LIFESTYLE & MORE IN OUR NEW SECTION WE TAKE A LOOK AT MORE THAN JUST THEATRE; TV, FOOD, DRINKS, MUSIC, THE INTERNET, CINEMA AND MORE....

NOTHI NG I S SAFE FROM M !

ON THE TOWN T HE C OVENT GARDEN EDITION words REBECCA WYNTER We give you the lowdown of plac es to visit pre, and post-show when visiting the West End.

P R E -SH OWS SARASTRO A so p r a n o s vibrato from the The a tr e Roya l on D r u r y L a n e , S arastro is an A laddin’s de n of ve lve t fa b r i c s, e l a borate furnishings, and pa pie r- mâ c hé d d e c a d e n c e o f w itches and goblins. Live ope r a is w a r b l e d o n w eekends accompanied by the ba by gr a nd, s tr i n g q u a r t e ts entertain on w eek nights, a nd dine r s ca n si t d o w n at cosy tables in the minia tur e pr iva te t h e a t r e b o x es. h t t p : / / w w w. sarastro-restaurant.co m/ K O PA PA L o o k i n g a c r oss the seven dials in the wa ke of the C a m b r i d g e T heatre, the art deco f r e sh dé c or of K o p a p a i s a n ideal spot for an afte r noon te a , or light b i t e s b e f o r e perform ances. H omema de goodie s te mpt t a st e - b u b s o n the glass cake sta nds a nd the gr e e n ea r t h y c o l o urs of the exterior r e f le c t the da pple d t r e e s h a n g i n g over the alfresco ta ble s. Tr y a mulbe rry t e a w i t h a boiled-orange alm on d c a ke f or a bona fi d e t a n g y delight. h t t p : / / k o p a pa.co.uk/ B IL L S P R OD U C E S TOR E T h i n k f a r m house store meets 1940s pin- up a nd y o u ’ v e i m a g ined B ill’s Produce Stor e . Ne ste d in the s w a n k y n e w realms of St Martin’s Cour tya r d. She lve s ar e l i n e d w i th a multi-coloured arr a y of ja r r e d ja ms, fr u i t j u i c e s, and other techni-colour e d goodie s to m a k e a n y d r eamcoat jealous. Vin ta ge bits a nd bobs ru b s sh o u l d ers w ith w holesome fo ods, a nd the ga r de n p a t i o f r o n t e d eatery is only a hop a nd a skip f r om the S t M a r t i n ’s T heatre and A mbassador s The a tr e duo.

T h e y a l so d o fish-finger sandw hic he s to die f or ! h t t p : / / w w w. bills-w ebsite.co.uk/

CO FFEE F O XCROFT & GINGER L ook ing f or some whe r e to pa ss time be f or e a sh o w ?

T hen THI S ha s to be your de stina tion.

S traddling disuse d gym e quiptme nt, sof a s, stoo ls & more the ube r- tr e ndy e c le c tic de c or is e xc e lle d ( if possible ) by the f ood ( ha m & c he e se toa stie on f r ie d brea d is EPI C) a nd some of the be st c off e e in Lond o n . http://www.f oxc r of ta ndginge r.c om/

PO ST- SH O W S FOUNDATI ON U ndergr ound mix- ma tc h of booths, a llur ing light in g , and b r ic k wor ke d tunne ls; a ll it ne e ds is ‘ The Fr u g ’ and Swe e t Cha r ity might just pop up. Exotic dr in k s includ e nitr oge n c oc kta ils se r ve d with the mist s till bubbling off a nd f ood sups a r e displa ye d on r e c o r d them ed me nus. The da nc e f loor pa r tie s into the e a rly hou r s a nd who knows, ma ybe your Vittor io Vid a l c ould be sitting unde r the f a ir y- lit tr e e … http://www.f ounda tion- ba r.c o . u k / CIRCU S If you don’t wa nt the r a z z le da z z le to e nd a f te r a show, Cir c us is a glitte r ba ll of dr inks, f ood, a nd ta ble top c a ba r e t in the he a r t of the a tr e la nd. A s te e l and c hr ome white wa sh of spa c e - a ge e le ga nc e , th e tables a r e lite r a lly str utte d on by the e nte r ta inm e n t team with mor e se quins tha t you c a n sha ke a r hy th m stick a t. The spe c ta c le tur ns into a blur a s the e v e n ing gets la te r with the dr inke r s a nd da nc e r s f using o n the f l o o r. http://www.c ir c us- london.c o.uk/inde x. p h p ROADHOU SE E xitin g a showstoppe r c a n le a ve a udie nc e s wa n tin g to get up a sing, a nd whe r e be tte r to he a d to th a n R oadh ouse with its live ba nd ka r a oke . On the c o r n e r of cove nt ga r de n, this dine r- vibe ba r e nc ompa se s th e A m er ic a n 1950s with r e d booth se a ting a nd Ha r le y D avison suspe nde d a bove the ba r. Roc k out into th e midnight hour with a se le c tion of songs a nd ba r ma n tosse d c oc kta ils . http://www.r oa dhouse .c o.uk/c onta c t. p h p

As seen by ov er 700,000 people in Europe!

lion 50 Msilsold

book ide! worldw

i g Starring

N IAN HouGbyHTo Directeed y KATE GOLLEDGE

by best selling book Based on the

ation by English transl

JoHN GRAY

DS JAMES HUNTRO

by d for the stage Originally adapte

PAUL DEWANDRE

TES 2012 NG TOUR DA SPRIN

FEBRUARY Sat 4 Thurs 9 Fri 10 Sat 11 Tue 14 Thurs 16 Sat 18 Wed 22 Wed 29

MARCH Sat 17

APRIL

Mon 16 Wed 18 Fri 20 Sat 21 Fri 27

MAY

Fri 4 Fri 11

e.co.uk hplayhous www.norwic nge.co.uk cornexcha www.bedford aybarking.com adw www.thebro rham.co.uk www.galadu .com useharlow www.playho e.org.uk operahous www.buxton arena.co.uk www.albaneatre.org www.rosesth biz tre. hea leyt www.camber

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DANNY DENKMAYER photography MATT CROCKETT words JAMES NOWELL shot on location at the fielding hotel in covent garden www. thefieldinghotel.co.uk

Tw e n t y - o n e year old D a n n y D e n kmayer, f re sh f ro m E 4’s P laying it S t ra i g h t , j o ins u s for a shoot a n d a c h a t in C oven t G arden ’s F i e l d i n g H o tel. When w e talk to h i m t h e re are still three s h o ws l e f t a nd D ann y is still v e ry m u c h in th e run n in g.

So, Play ing it Stra ig ht is c urre ntly running on E4 , ho w hav e y ou f ound the e d it o f the programme c ompare d to a c tua lly be ing the re ?

We ha ve n’t se e n a nythin g , o n ly whe n it’s on TV. I wa s a b it w o rr ie d a bout how pe ople wo u ld c o me a c r oss but luc kily the peo p le th a t we r e dic ks a r e c oming a c r o s s like dic ks. I think the r e is o n ly so muc h you c a n e dit to ma k e a nic e pe r son look shit. Le t’s h o p e I don’t c ome a c r oss too b a d .

Did y ou ge t on with e v e r y o ne whilst out the re ?

Ye h mostly e ve r yone . M e a n d De a n got on r e a lly we ll, w e e v e n got the sa me ta ttoo ( P o i n t s t o t h e fish on his finge r… fish fin g e r ) .

Wh at w as the atmosphe re like during f ilming?

B eing a bunc h of la ds we a ll got on quite we ll, e spe c ia lly as the gay one s we r e ‘ pla ying it str a ight’ so didn’t w a n t to start argume nts. The r e wa sn’t muc h of a n a tmosphe r e a p a r t from the twins who kind of ke pt the mse lve s to the ms e lv e s .

We w ere filming f or 5 we e ks with only Sunda ys off so it w a s a bit aw kwa r d with the c a me r a s to sta r t but we got u s e d to them quick ly. I t’s not like Big Br othe r a s the y a r e in f ro n t o f you all the time , not be hind mir r or s.

I’VE GOT C*NT ON THE INSIDE OF MY LIP. IT DIDN’T HURT BECAUSE I WAS SMASHED

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THERE’S ONLY SO MUCH YOU CAN EDIT TO MAKE A NICE PERSON LOOK SH*T.

Yo u m e n t i o n ed your finger tattoo b e f o re , t e l l us abou t th e rest…

We l l I ’ v e g o t the F ish F inger one, Ca m e l o n m y toe….camel toe, and I’v e a l so g ot C *nt on the inside o f m y l i p . I t didn’t hurt because I wa s sm a sh e d and the C is fading s o i t l o o k s l ike U N T !

H o w l e g i t i mate w as the sh ow ?

Did a l l t h e guys taking part kn ow t h e se x u a l i ty of th e oth er cont e st a n t s, o r w as it very m uch a s e c re t ?

Ye h w e p r e tty m uch knew, you co u l d t e l l m o re or less. O ne thing t h e y d i d d o on the edit of the s h o w w a s t o m ake everyone come ac r o ss a s straight as possible.

P r o b a b l y t o keep the audience at h o m e g u e ssi ng.

A n d wh at’s next for you?

I d u n n o really! I’ve done m od e lling wor k be f or e but I a in’t got the br a in c e l l s t o be a law yer or anything. Mode lling is gr e a t be c a use it’s a lwa ys d i ff e r e nt. We’ll see w hat hap pe ns.

S o a f e w w eeks after ou r inte rv ie w it’s the f inal of Play ing it Straight, Ma t t a n d I are su re h e’s straight and Chris is c onv inc e d he ’s gay.

N e e d l e ss to say C hris w as right. Catc hing up with Danny af te r the f in a l sh o w w e find out that not only has he be e n hiding his se xuality but a l so a s ix mon th relationsh ip with f e llow c onte stant Be n, one of the t w i n s! T hey got together a w ee k into f ilming and had to ke e p it a se c re t t o e v e ry one. Stay tun ed for more f rom Danny and may be the winne r, D e a n , in a futu re issue of M...

YOU TUBE

1. D U ET - Miranda S ings and Co l l een B a l l i n g er / / 2 . S h i t L i z a M i n n el l i S a y s // 3. Tim Vin e - The Importan ce o f R eh ea r s a l / / 4 . J en n i fer H u d s o n - Tr i b ute W hitne y Houston 2012 Gra m m y Aw a r d s / / 5 . C H R I S T I NA B I A NC O as Céline D ion Th e A fte r Party // 6 . S a r a h va u g h a n - S en d i n t h e cl o w n s - 1 9 8 7 // 7. Tom Daley & Te am GB -- S ex y A n d I K n o w I t / / 8 . W H I T NE Y H OU STON - Gavin C ree l // 9. R ock o f A g es UK - E p i s o d e 2 - L i vi n ’ o n a P r a ye r

STATUS REPORT WE TALK TO JON HAWKINS ABOUT THE NEW ARTS BASED SOCIAL NETWORK, STAGE STATUS. words by JAMES NOWELL

S o , we ’ v e seen S tage Statu s being thrown around tw i t t e r/ f a c e book- w h at exactly is it?

S t a g e S t a t us is a y o u r p a ssi o n w ith Forums and Q&A. c a st i n g s, a n d find

new social networ k f or the a r ts. I t's a gr e a t pla c e to sh a r e online profiles , f e a tur e d a c tor s, e ve nt listings, gr oups, po lls , It is also a great pla c e f or pr of e ssiona ls to se lf pr omote , vie w services in the online busine ss dir e c tor y.

W h a t ’s t h e response been like so f ar?

T h e si t e t o ok off a lot quicker tha n e xpe c te d. The se r ve r c r a she d twic e a nd c o u ld n o t c o p e w ith dem and. It has no w be e n upgr a de d so it c a n ha ndle the ma ss e s .

O v e r 2 0 0 0 m embers joined in the 1st 2 we e ks of going LI VE. I ha ve b e e n o v e r w h e l m e d w ith the response. I t's gr e a t to se e pe ople still c a r e a bout o u r in d u st r y. S o much positive content is sha r e d e ve r y da y ove r the ne twor k.

W h e re d i d th e idea com e from , a nd how did y ou de v e lop it i n t o w h a t w e see now ?

A c o u p l e of years ago I started up a c ompa ny c a lle d Ela te Studio de sign in g w e b si t e s a n d m usic for actors and pe r f or me r s. I le a r nt ve r y quic kly tha t the a tr e s t i l l h a s su ch a huge follow ing. The vie w c ounts on we bsite s f or music a l p e rf o r m e r s w a s so im pressive. You f orge t tha t the a tr e s a r e f ille d with thousa nds o f p e o p l e e v e ry night of the w eek. Sta ge Sta tus is ne w, f r e sh a nd e xc iting. I t ' s a p l a c e w h e r e w e can all be proud of our pa ssion. Our industr y ne e ds some th in g to g e t e x c i ted about and that is wha t Sta ge Sta tus is f or me . I t still ve r y n e w, b u t I k n o w it w ill evolve and cha nge while it f inds it's f e e t. I t's e xc iting to b e a p a r t o f so mething everyone is talking a bout.

Wi t h g i a n t n etw orking sites like Twitte r and Fac e book, is the re a n e e d f o r anoth er one in an over- c rowde d marke t?

Yo u ' r e n o t gonna be logged into Sta ge Sta tus a ll da y a nd it will ne ve r b e a r e p l a c e m e n t for your other social ne twor ks be c a use it's diff e r e nt. Howe ve r y o u w i l l f i n d i t' s a great place to regula r ly c he c k into a nd se e wha t's going o n .

P e o p l e w a n t to know w hat' s happe ning in the a r ts. I t de pe nds on how you de f in e s o c i a l n e t w ork. Facebook is very pe r sona l a nd twitte r is shor t sha r p twe e ts o f w h a t e v e r c o mes to m ind. If you put those toge the r a nd a dd wikipe dia . The n y o u g e t S t a g e S tatus. T he community is unique a s e ve r yone is inte r e ste d in the same th i n g . T h e more people that join a nd sha r e . The mor e knowle dge tha t is sto r e d u p i n a l l t h e forum s, directory, b logs a nd site c onte nt.

Yo u ' re c u rr ently playin g B rad in Roc ky Horror, h a v e y o u b een w orkin g on S tage Status whilst on tour?

Ye p I a m c urrently touring G erma ny with The Roc ky Hor r or Show. I a lwa y s d o m y w e b design in the day w hilst a wa y so I a m use d to wor king on the r o a d .

S t a g e S t a t us is how ever a slightly la rge r pr oje c t to the nor ma l. I ha ve just a b o u t m a n a g e d t o keep it all going whilst a wa y. I f inish soon though so look in g f o r w a r d t o some quick internet a t home ! The r e is only so ma ny Sta r buc ks I c a n handle!

Wh a t ' s n e x t for you an d th e site?

I f i n i sh t h e tour A pril 1st so I w ill be ba c k to London a uditioning a nd tr ying to g e t a n o t h e r gig of some sort! I will a lso putting mor e f oc us into Sta ge Statu s t o d e v e l o p it further to m ake it bigge r a nd be tte r. I ha ve lots of ide a s f or th e f u t u r e ( I d on' t w ant to share them a ll on he r e a s it ma y spoil the sur pr ise ) , b u t m y f o c u s a t the moment is getting the wor d spr e a d a nd ge tting a s ma ny pe o p le i n t h e c o m munity as possible.

To f i n d o u t more, build your ow n prof ile , and inte rac t; go to www.stage stat us . c o . u k , a n d you can also dow n the app now f rom iTune s!

TA LENT JACK WILCOX photography MATT CROCKETT. grooming AMII-ROSE STEWARD using dermalogica

AGENT belfield & ward AGE 20 HEIGHT 6’1’’ SHOWS Singin’ in the Rain Wicked A Chorus Line TWITTER @Jack_Wilcox

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