THEATRE

The Marriage of Figaro Girl from the North County

Pic: Matthew Murphy

A truly roar-some month

Pulse’s Sammy Jones walks you through the best of a bonkers busy month for productions...

It’s autumn, which means only one thing for Sussex’s Glyndebourne – the opera house is heading out on tour again.

They have three works for you at the start of the month; The Marriage of Figaro (Nov 1 & 4), La bohéme (Nov 2 & 5) and Mozart’s Requiem (Nov 3).

The last mentioned is a special concert of instrumental and vocal works, pairing music by French composer Joseph Bologne with that of his contemporary and rival, Mozart.

Mozart’s emotionally charged final work will take you from the darkness of the Day of Judgement through grief and loss to consolation and redemption.

Wolverton Gilbert and Sullivan Society are back in play with A Transport of Delights brimming with exciting and humorous novelty acts and familiar and famous music hall songs.

WG&SS will be joined for the performances – on November 11 & 12 – by the Wolverton Light Orchestra, transporting ticket-holders back to a 19th century Victorian Music Hall.

“You can expect exciting and humorous novelty acts as well as familiar and famous music hall songs,” they say, “Hiss, boo and cheer throughout an evening compered in the loquacious and sesquipedalian style exemplified by the late Leonard Sachs in ‘The Good Old Days.’”

Prepare to enjoy a ‘cornucopia of music hall marvels’ at Stantonbury Theatre.

In Wavendon, The Stables welcomes stand-up, singer-songwriter, actress and playwright (some people have all the talent, eh?) Clare Summerskill (Nov 12) who will combine her comedy and songwriting flair to reflect upon her long career as – in her words – ‘a professional lesbian.’

Warm and welcoming humour (which is often too close to the bone) will appeal to audience members of any age, sexual orientation or gender, as she gives her take on love and lust, marriage and divorce and middle-aged worries and wisdom. Go get stuck in – the snug of Stage 2 awaits.

Dom Joly’s postponed appearance at Stantonbury Campus with ‘Holiday Snaps – Travel and Comedy in the Danger Zone’, has been rescheduled for November 13.

The first UK tour of Girl from the North Country visits MK Theatre (Nov 15–19) taking audiences back to 1934, and the heartland of America. There, you’ll meet a group of wayward souls who cross paths in a time-weathered guesthouse.

Sister Act comes to MK Theatre this month

Standing at a turning point in their lives, they realize nothing is what it seems. But as they search for a future, and hide from the past, they find themselves facing unspoken truths about the present.

This uplifting story about family and love boldly reimagines the legendary songs of Bob Dylan, with celebrated writer and director Conor McPherson taking care of the story.

“To be associated with Conor is one of the highlights of my professional life,” said the legendary Mr Dylan, “It goes without saying the man is a genius for putting this thing together and I’m thrilled to be a part of the experience. My songs couldn’t be in better hands.”

The Tiger Who Came To Tea is one of the most wonderful books to fire up a child’s imagination, and now the tea-guzzling tiger is leaping out of the pages and onto the stage at MK Theatre (Nov 17-19) for a family show bursting with magic, sing-along songs and clumsy chaos. It’ll be roar-some!

If you are looking for a heavenly musical, you’ll find ‘nun’ better than Sister Act (Nov 21-26) which will raise the spirits and warm the soul. You know the film, but this stage adaptation boasts a cracking cast too – headed up by Lesley Joseph. Next month, she’ll depart Sister Act and take up a new ‘habit’; starring in MK Theatre’s panto.

Alun Cochrane presents Stuff and Nonsense at The Stables on November 18 with a show of stand-up material (Stuff) and high quality on the spot frippery, impro and crowd work (Nonsense).

Alun says the gig could include ‘stuff on funerals, free speech, or feminism, and maybe a bit or two on the muddled mess of modern masculinity.’

Pic: Pamela Raith Photography

Tudor girl power - SIX

We have to give a quick mention to Rosie Sings who will be at The Stables on November 24 with My Vagina’s Priceless. She’s coming back to her hometown of MK to explain the unfortunate sticky story of how she met her Prince. Now you want to buy a ticket, doncha?!

Last up this month, SIX (Nov 29 - Dec 3) delivers the royal success that brings Tudor Queens and Pop Princesses to you, when the six wives of Henry VIII hit the mic to tell their stories – 500 years of historical heartbreak boiled down into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.

> Book in: MK Theatre: atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes The Stables: stables.org Wolverton G&S: wolvertongands.co.uk Stantonbury Theatre: stantonburytheatre.co.uk