WNO Madam Butterfly
Chicago features a star cast including Sheila Ferguson, Russell Watson and Faye Brookes
Pic: Richard Hubert Smith
THEATRE
Pic: Tristram Kenton
No ticket? Then you
‘carrn’t’ see Jimmy! Classic musicals, funny folks and a family of little piggies... Pulse’s Sammy Jones brings you this month’s theatre highlights.
T
he title of his current tour is Terribly Funny, but unless you are already booked in to see Jimmy Carr on his return to MK Theatre this month (March 6), you’ll not find anything to laugh about – tickets are rarer than a politician who didn’t enjoy a party or two during lockdown. Those who did move quickly to secure their seat are in for a treat and a half from the razorsharp master of merriment. Laugh for all of us, you jimmy-jammy ticket-holders! Chicago brings the razzle-dazzle decadence of 100 years ago to the stage (March 8-12). Housewife and nightclub dancer Roxie Hart murders her on-the-side lover after he makes threats to walk out on her. Roxie is desperate to avoid conviction, so she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, with the aid of Chicago’s most formidable criminal lawyer. It’s cold outside, but the temperature is guaranteed to rise if you check in for this steamiest of musicals. Taking on the iconic roles this time around? One time star of the Cobbles, Faye Brookes will be Roxie, while leading light of the West End stage, Djalenga Scott, is Velma Kelly. What your current theatre brochure won’t tell you is that Sheila Ferguson is also onboard as Mama Morton, and Russell Watson is playing Billy Flynn. A show with murder, greed, corruption, exploitation, adultery and treachery, and all that jazz, of course. Friends! The Musical Parody will be there for you (March 13). It’s the one about the typical day at New York’s only coffee shop, until an unexpected runaway bride enters the picture and kicks the whole gang out of second gear! 70
Welsh National Opera are on tour again, Rather than simply imitate Ross, Chandler, and ready for their annual visit to the new Monica, Phoebe, Joey and Rachel, this town with performances of Madam Butterfly is a good-hearted romp through some of (March 22 & 26), Don Giovanni (March 23 & the favourite moments from the show. It 24) and Jenůfa (March 25). simultaneously celebrates and pokes fun at Jenůfa is about to have a child out of the smash hit comedy from the ‘90s. wedlock but hopes to marry the father Uncensored and music-filled, but bereft of before the secret is revealed – but not if her any smelly cats, which is just as well. stepmother has her way, and her actions There’s a grand show for kids during half have terrible consequences for term (March 15/16) and we promise Jenůfa. The heart-wrenching tale we aren’t telling porkies! has engaged audiences for Peppa Pig is back with her more than a century. It will be Best Day Ever – she is going told in Czech with surtitles in on a special day out with English. George, and mummy and If you are heading to any of daddy pig, and it will be full of the WNO shows, you might fun adventures; from caves, like to check in for the predragons and dinosaurs to iceperformance talks too - worth creams and muddy puddles. asking about when booking. There are five performances Clive Anderson visits We’ll skip over to The Stables across the two days, promising The Stables at Wavendon (March 26) for a visit porcine perfection. by Clive Anderson with his first ever solo Forget reaching for the stars, and tour, Me, Macbeth & I, which he promises instead reach for the flag – you’ll need it for the will be ‘funnier than Shakespeare’s greatest Last Night of the Spring Proms (March 20) tragedy,’ and there is more smiley stuff a day which will feature music by Elgar, Strauss, later, with Andy Zaltzman who invites his Puccini and Rossini ahead of the finale with audience to submit topics, issues and gripes Rule, Britannia! and Land of Hope and Glory. for him to satirise to order. It makes for a truly unique show from the comedian, broadcaster and writer. Back at MK Theatre, We Will Rock You (March 28-April 2) crams 24 of Queen’s most-loved tracks into its two and three quarter hours, but with tickets nearly all mopped up by music fans months back, we’ll sign off for now. We’ll be back with a bumper crop of brilliant shows for April... > Book in: MK Theatre: atgtickets.com/ venues/milton-keynes-theatre The Stables: stables.org Peppa Pig and family arrive in town for their Best Day Ever
March 2022 | MK Pulse Magazine | 32,000 Copies delivered every month door to door across Milton Keynes
