Thomas Eccleshare News

Gary Naylor enjoys a varied programme at a theatre festival in rural East Anglia.

HighTide Festival Theatre will announce full casting for its 2013 season (see below for full details). Also HighTide is pleased to announce further 'In Conversation' events with writer and director Stephen Poliakoff CBE, and playwright and novelist Michael Frayn. Author and broadcaster Kate Mosse will conduct the conversation with Michael Frayn, whilst television presenter Rick Edwards will hostconversations with Stephen Poliakoff and (previously announced) Roger Michell.

Gary Naylor sees an old favourite updated and performed with panache.there

Sally Cookson's enchanting and inventive production of Cinderella: A Fairytale runs at St. James Theatre until 26 January 2013, with press night on 18 December 2012. The cast is Craig Edwards (Step Mother/ Father), Thomas Eccleshare (Prince), Tom Godwin (Step Brother), Lisa Kerr (Ella) and Lucy Tuck (Step Sister). Musicians are Adam Pleeth and Brian Hargreaves, playing Benji Bower's folk-jazz score. Get a first look at the production in the photos below!

Craig Edwards (Step Mother), Thomas Eccleshare (Prince), Lisa Kerr (Ella) and Lucy Tuck (Step Sister) will reprise their roles in Sally Cookson's enchanting and inventive production of Cinderella: A Fairytale, originally staged to huge acclaim at the Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol in 2011. They will be joined by Tom Godwin (Step Brother) in the production which begins performances at the St. James Theatre on 12 December 2012, running until 26 January 2013, with press night on 18 December 2012. Musicians are Adam Pleeth and Brian Hargreaves, playing Benji Bower's folk-jazz score.

Artistic Directors Steve Marmion and Max Roberts today announce the full cast for their joint new writing project UTOPIA, which is making its world premiere at Live Theatre on Thursday 31 May, before transferring to Soho Theatre on Wednesday 20 June, with opening night on Thursday 21 June. UTOPIA will star: Tobi Bakare (Greenland National Theatre; Crawling In The Dark Almeida Theatre and Gone Too Far, Royal Court Theatre); Laura Elphinstone (Top Girls, Chichester Festival Theatre/Trafalgar Studios; A Month in the Country, Chichester Festival Theatre and the film adaptation of The History Boys); Rufus Hound making his theatre debut, is most well-known for his regular team captainship on Argumental, Celebrity Juice, 8 Out of 10 Cats and Never Mind The Buzzc*cks; Pamela Miles (Darker Shores, Hampstead Theatre; Pygmalion, Theatre Royal Bath/Old Vic London and Lone Star Mark Three, Salisbury Playhouse); also making her stage debut Sophia Myles who is most well-known for her leading roles in film and TV including Tristan and Isolde and Spooks and David Whitaker one of the founders of Live Theatre, Newcastle, his theatre credits include The Pitmen Painters (Live Theatre/National Theatre/Broadway and West End) plus extensive credits for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Donmar Warehouse.