Pic: Eric Richmond
THEATRE
The School of Rock will be a blast at MK Theatre
Welcome to the school of hard rocks! Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker
A musical to raise your fists to, a sweet treat, and sunshine times remembering two of this country’s most-loved funnymen – Sammy Jones take a look at the month ahead in theatre land...
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f you read our feature last month, you’ll be if not, you’ll need to cross your fingers and call well-versed in the Dreamgirls story which up the box office in the hope of returns; tickets continues at MK Theatre, starring local lady to see the ‘deluded thespian’ are all sold-out. Natalia Kassanga. A show from the sublime Matthew Bourne It’s the first time the show, described by is an annual highlight at MK Theatre, and this one critic as ‘a glittering tour de force of disco year we are being treated to the sweet treat and soul,’ has toured nationally, and there’s still that is Nutcracker! (Feb 15-19). time to take a ticket before the curtain falls on Colourful and classy, it’s bursting with Bourne February 5, before something else musical, but brilliance, wit and magical fantasy. quite different, rocks up. Join Clara as she journeys through a The movie was marvelous and then School of shimmering, ice-skating wonderland to the Rock wowed the West End stage. kingdom of Sweetieland in the show which Now, the amps go up to 11 and the Jack takes its influence from the gloriously lavish Black smash – adapted for the stage by Hollywood musicals of the 1930s. Andrew Lloyd Webber (ALW) – arrives at MK As if Matthew’s choreography isn’t enough, Theatre (Feb 8) for a five-day stay. Nutcracker comes with Tchaikovsky’s score You’ll get a heap of new songs courtesy and costumes and sets by Anthony Ward. of ALW, all the tracks you want from the What a perfect show for Valentine’s week, or movie, and a band of clever kids in charge any week, come to think of it. of instruments. Morecombe & Wise have long since It’s a long way to the top if you departed this world, but they are part wanna rock ‘n’ roll. Or a short of the fabric of entertainment in journey to the heart of the this country. Keynes for your musical For the past few years, Ian comedy fix. Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens Over at The Stables, Count have been taking their show, Arthur Strong presents cunningly titled Eric & Ern to And This Is Me (Feb 11). the comedy masses – and they During the past 20 years return to The Stables this month Count Arthur Strong he has enjoyed 10 national for a two night stay (Feb 19 & 20). drops in at The Stables tours, 15 years of his multi-award Their performance is bursting with winning radio show and three series the comedy sketches that you know of his BAFTA nominated TV sitcom. If so well, and will evoke memories of those you’ve got tickets, you really will be laughing, but times on a Sunday night when everyone would 54
gather round the telly to share in the antics of the national treasures. This isn’t just any old performance – they really are superb. Accurate? They are spot on. It’s also worth pointing out that Ian and Jonty have been given the thumbs up from the estates of Morecambe & wise – the families even give the scripts their seal of approval before they are performed. “I have been fascinated with Eric Morecambe for as long as I can remember,” says Jonty. “I took on his persona at school and it never really left me. He was the funniest and loveliest of men. We both feel it’s a privilege to play Eric and Ernie and some people have said it’s like we’re channeling them - some nights it does feel like that.” Jersey Boys is working its way back to MK Theatre for a bumper stay (Feb 23-March 5). The story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons is jam-packed with all of those highvocal, huge hits; Sherry, Big Girls Don’t Cry, Oh What A Night, Walk Like A Man and... you get the picture. But while the vocal aces were in perfect harmony on the stage, away from the bright lights it was a different story... This show has won a whopping 65 major awards, and been seen by more than 27 million people worldwide, but this is more than just another jukebox musical; it’s a chance to learn the full story of the music-makers who went from New Jersey all the way to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. > Book in: The Stables: stables.org MK Theatre: atgtickets.com/ venues/milton-keynes-theatre
February 2022 | MK Pulse Magazine | 32,000 Copies delivered every month door to door across Milton Keynes
