Brian Blessed, Joanne Heywood and More Set for Rose Theatre Kingston's THE SNOW GORILLA, Now thru Jan 5

This Christmas Rose Theatre Kingston and Bor Productions will come together to produce The Snow Gorilla. Circus and storytelling will merge to create a hugely entertaining spectacle for the whole family with a touching love story at its heart. The Snow Gorillawill preview from tonight 29 November. British actor Brian Blessed will be the voice of the snow gorilla.

Sunny always dreamed of running away with the circus, but he could never have imagined the extraordinary adventures that awaited him there. Captivated by the spectacular sights and sweet smells, Sunny finds an unlikely friend in The Mighty Gor and strives to win the heart of the Ring Mistress' beautiful daughter as he is embraced by this new, eccentric family of performers. But when he stumbles upon the circus' dark secret, a mysterious figure threatens Sunny's newfound happiness.

Cast will include Joanne Heywood (Grace & Favour), Lucy Hope-Borne (An Evening of Dirty Dancing), Ciaran Joyce (The Story of Tracy Beaker, Torchwood), Dominic Leeder (War Horse, West End) and Nicholas Maude (The Bodyguard, West End).

Jerry Gunn, Executive Producer at the Rose Theatre said "It quickly became clear that Steve Bor and the Rose shared a vision for a family Christmas spectacular in the Rose's auditorium; with its curved walls and high ceiling it is perfect for circus and aerial performance. We quickly realised this production would be a wonderful opportunity to collaborate on a spectacular and original family show this Christmas."

Rose Theatre Kingston is known for working with internationally renowned theatre companies and directors to create and present world class productions that are accessible to all. The Snow Gorilla will make full use of the theatre's beautiful circular auditorium to evoke a magical circus world for its audience to escape to this Christmas.

Bor Productions is a family run Production Company founded by Steve Bor in 1986. Bor will bring his expert knowledge of circus to the main stage where a vibrant mix of dancers, circus acts and musicians will blend with the actors to create a unique Christmas show for the whole family to enjoy.

The Snow Gorilla has been especially created for the Rose Theatre stage by the theatres creative team, adapting an original Bor concept. Steve Bor commented "After initial conversations with the Rose Theatre we soon began collaborating with actor/director Tudor Davies again to develop the initial idea. Tudor has a great reputation for writing brilliantly funny and heart-warming scripts particularly for pantomime productions."

The Snow Gorilla will run until the 5 January 2014 and tickets are on sale now. For more information on the show and the rest of the Rose Theatre Kingston season visit www.rosetheatrekingston.org or call Box Office on 0844 4482 1556.

Rose Productions & Bor Productions present THE SNOW GORILLA, A Family Christmas Spectacular, Fri 29 Nov 2013 - Sun 5 Jan 2014. PRESS NIGHT: Mon 2 Dec, 7pm. Regular run: 1.30pm, 5pm & 7pm performances. Tickets from £8 to £27; Rose Loyalty: £19 best seats available Mon-Thu. Box Office: 0844 4482 1556 (bkg fee): Mon - Sat 10am - 8pm (6pm non-performance days); Sun - one hour before the show. No fees are payable when booking in person at the box office. An additional £1 per ticket booking fee and £1.60 per booking transaction fee are payable when booking online and by phone.

Concessions: Only one discount per ticket, subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. No discount on pit cushion prices. Over 60, unwaged, entertainment union, children under 16yrs and students £3 off.

Groups: Groups of 10+ enjoy generous discounts on some shows and a specially discounted price for some midweek matinees.

Access: Patrons with disabilities enjoy half price tickets. The Rose is a fully accessible organisation and we welcome everyone.

Audio described:
Sat 14 Dec: touch tour 12.30pm, performance 2pm
Sat 21 Dec: touch tour 12.30pm, performance 2pm

TheatreSign:
Sun 15 Dec, 5pm

There is Blue Badge parking in High Street and Rose car park.

Rose Theatre Kingston aims to serve the population of Kingston, South West London, Surrey and beyond by entertaining and engaging audiences. Rose Theatre's beautiful 900 seat circular auditorium is situated in the idyllic Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames, its circular design brings great intimacy and epic scale to all the productions that appear here. The Rose works with internationally renowned theatre companies and directors to create and present world class productions that are accessible to all. Its education and community programmes ensure the theatre is for everyone, from all ages and tastes. We are proud to work closely with our volunteers from Kingston and South West London who are an integral part of the Rose community. www.rosetheatrekingston.org

Bor Productions is a family run Production Company based in London. Founded by Steve and Kim Bor in 1986, they have created shows for theatres, cabaret, hotels, casinos and luxury cruise ships all over the globe. Production credits include: Rhythm of the Night at Conrad Jupiter's Theatre in Australia and eight highly acclaimed productions at the Royal Palace Theatre in France. At the same time, Bor Productions have been providing dance ensembles and complete show packages for hotels and casinos. They have also produced classical and musical theatre productions, and a number of family productions and children's shows. www.borproductions.com