Paul Ker News

The third annual Intelligent Theatre Festival brings new and exciting changes to this community playreading program. In past years, the Festival has been held over one or two weekends; in 2015 the Festival will run from April to June and will showcase new voices from around the community.

Tony Maudsley (ITV1's Benidorm) will play Edna Turnblad in the major 40-week UK tour of Hairspray which will open at Curve theatre in Leicester this autumn. He will be joined by TV and stage actress and presenter Claire Sweeney (Educating Rita, Guys and Dolls) as Velma Von Tussle, Olivier Award nominated actor and much-loved Blue Peter presenter Peter Duncan (BBC1 Tumble) as Wilbur Turnblad and British singer and West End performer Brenda Edwards (Chicago, We Will Rock You, The X Factor) as Motormouth Maybelle. Freya Sutton will reprise the role of Tracy Turnblad alongside established musical theatre performer Jon Tsouras (A Chorus Line) who will play the role of Corny Collins. Dex Lee (The Scottsboro Boys) will play Seaweed, Ashley Gilmour (Miss Saigon) will play Link Larkin, Lauren Stroud (Wicked) will play Amber, Monique Young (Top Hat) will play Penny, Karis Jack (Urinetown) will play Little Inez, Adam Price (Hairspray) will play Male Authority Figure, Tracey Penn (Made in Dagenham) will play Female Authority Figure and Layton Williams (Bad Education, Billy Elliot) will play Duane. Further casting will be announced in due course.

Ah, romance! The happy endings: dashed. The class reunion buffets: devastated. The rules: broken. The building staffs: flashed. But let's face it, who hasn't accumulated a little baggage by the time they're 30-something?

Miss Havisham's Expectations and Sikes & Nancy will play Trafalgar Studios (Studio 2), 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY from tonight 9th December 2014 to Saturday 3rd January 2015. Press Night: Friday 12th December, 7pm. These two London premieres, performed on the same evening at Trafalgar Studios, with Linda Marlowe (about to guest star in EastEnders) and James Swanton, are 'Dickens with a Difference'.

The Sound of Music has seen several UK tours and productions over recent years and the Curve has decided to produce yet another version of the show for its Christmas production this year. Some say it's been done to death and Bill Kenwright has just announced another tour featuring Danielle Hope as Maria but the Curve somehow always manages to find something fresh. Artistic Director Paul Kerryson leaves the Curve on a massive directorial high.

The Daily Mail reports that Laura Pitt-Pulford and Michael French are set to star as 'Maria' and 'Captain Von Trapp' in Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by Paul Kerryson at the Leicester Curve. The musical runs November 28, 2014 through January 17, 2015.

A new production of the international smash hit Hairspray will embark on a major UK tour in 2015/16. This big, bold and beautiful musical comedy will begin its UK tour at Leicester's Curve theatre on 9 September 2015 and will then tour to 29 venues across the UK, including a Christmas residency at Birmingham Alexandra Theatre in December 2015.

There's 36 hours to go until voting closes in this year's BWW:UK Awards - but can Miss Saigon hang on to the lead in all its categories?

Miss Saigon, Les Miserables and Urinetown are all leading the musical theatre categories in this year's BWW:UK Awards - with Saigon stars Eva Noblezada, Kwang-Ho Hong, Rachelle Ann Go and Jon Jon Briones all out in front in the performance categories.

Curve today announce casting for their production of The Sound of Music. Paul Kerryson will direct a cast including Emma Clifford (Baroness Elsa Schraeder), Michael French (Captain Von Trapp), Emma Harrold (Liesl Von Trapp), Mark Inscoe (Max Dettweiler),Laura Pitt-Pulford (Maria Rainer), Lucy Schaufer (Mother Abbess), Annie Wensak (Frau Schmidt), and Jack Wilcox (Rolf Gruber).

The Daily Mail reports that Laura Pitt-Pulford and Michael French are set to star as 'Maria' and 'Captain Von Trapp' in Rodgers and Hammerstein's THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by Paul Kerryson at the Leicester Curve. The musical runs November 28, 2014 through January 17, 2015.

Here are the current standings for UK / West End as of Sunday 12, October.

Miss Havisham's Expectations and Sikes & Nancy will play Trafalgar Studios (Studio 2), 14 Whitehall, London SW1A 2DY from Tuesday 9th December 2014 to Saturday 3rd January 2015. Press Night: Friday 12th December, 7pm. These two London premieres, performed on the same evening at Trafalgar Studios, with Linda Marlowe (about to guest star in EastEnders) and James Swanton, are 'Dickens with a Difference'.

Pianists & Artistic Directors Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg are thrilled to present the busiest season yet of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2014 at Colonels' Row on Governors Island, New York City.

Pianists & Artistic Directors Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg are thrilled to present the busiest season yet of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2014 at Colonels' Row on Governors Island, New York City.

Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg are thrilled to present the busiest season yet of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2014 at Colonels' Row on Governors Island, New York City. In a locale The New York Times has called a "Playground for the Arts," the aim of the Festival is simple: to present the highest quality live performances, and to bring free contemporary classical music to as many people as possible in a relaxed, fun, outdoor setting. The festival kicked off on Saturday, May 31st, with one of the most hyped and extraordinary bands to emerge in years, Dawn of Midi. Next up, Rite of Summer collaborates with New York Philharmonic's Very Young Composers to present New York: Harbor to the World, an exhilarating afternoon of world premieres, on **Sunday, July 13th.

Curve today announces the appointment of Nikolai Foster as the company's new Artistic Director. Foster takes up the position in January 2015, succeeding Paul Kerryson who steps down as Artistic Director at the end of this year, after 22 years in post.

Blair McMillen and Pam Goldberg are thrilled to present the fourth and busiest season yet of the Rite of Summer Music Festival, taking place Summer 2014 at Colonels' Row on Governors Island, New York City. Rite of Summer will present free outdoor concerts on four different weekends on beautiful Governors Island from Memorial Day until just after Labor Day. In a locale The New York Times has called a "Playground for the Arts," the aim of the Festival is simple: to present the highest quality live performances, and to bring free contemporary classical music to as many people as possible in a relaxed, fun, outdoor setting.

Hairspray seems to have been doing the rounds in the UK since it closed in the West End in 2010. It is a very popular show among audiences and although the last national tour is still fresh in our mind, the Curve's Artistic Director Paul Kerryson has decided his venue would do a brand new production. Some may say a good idea and others bad but regardless, the Curve is notorious for its phenomenal production values so personally I am very excited about this new offering.

Roulette presents the world premiere of Neil Rolnick's Dynamic RAM & Concert Grand, commissioned by the Fromm Foundation for Bang On A Can All-Stars pianist Vicky Chow.