Samantha Womack News

Over the past eleven years family-run pantomime producers, Evolution Productions have built up a reputation for being the UK's number-one creators of bespoke high-quality pantos. The 2016 line up does nothing to disprove this.  The company, which is run by husband and wife team, former TV presenter Paul Hendy and Oxford graduate and former film production manager Emily Wood, will be presenting a festive banquet of seasonal shows across the country from then end of November 2016 to mid-January 2017.  The line up comprises Dick Whttington starring Stephen Mulhern (ITV's Catchphrase, Big Star Little Star) as Billy at The Marlowe in Canterbury, Peter Pan starring Emma Barton (Honey Mitchell - Eastenders) as Tinkerbell and Shaun Williamson(Barry Evans - Eastenders and himself in Extras) at The Hawth in Croydon, Sleeping Beauty at Lichfied Garrick Theatre starring Rebecca Keatley (CBeebies) as Fairy Moonbeam and the great dame himself Sam Rabone as Nurse Nellie, Snow White at The Lyceum Theatre Sheffield starring Wendi Peters (Coronation Street - Cilla Battersby- Brown) and Phil Gallagher(CBeebies - Mister Maker), Snow White at The Alban Arena St Albans starring Rita Simons(Eastenders - Roxy Mitchell) and Ian Kirkby (Dick & Dom In Da Bungalow), Cinderella at Theatre Severn Shrewsbury with panto favourite Brad Pitt and Peter Pan at the Octagon Theatre Yeovill starring supervillain Andrew Fettes as Captain Hook. 

The European premiere of The New Group's critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production, The Spoils, a razor-sharp new comedy written by and starring internationally acclaimed actor Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network, Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice), will transfer for a strictly limited season at London's Trafalgar Studios, from 27 May to 13 August, with press night on 2 June. 

Actress Sam Womack launched a project to create the new 400-seat Broadway Theatre in Letchworth Garden City this week, as part of a £4 million investment in the arts which also sees the opening of a gallery in the town.

As the curtain falls on the 2015-16 pantomime season, Evolution Productions announce record-breaking figures, demonstrating beyond doubt that the pantomime renaissance has come of age.  With The Marlowe Theatre leading the way with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs playing at 99.06% capacity with the number of tickets sold a stunning 95,685 (nearly double the city's population), box office figures over their seven shows across the country came in at 91% attendance, an increase across the board of 10.3% in financial terms on the previous year.

A major revival of Noel Coward's hilarious masterpiece, Private Lives will embark on a prior to the West End UK tour starring stage and screen stars Tom Chambers (Top Hat, Strictly Come Dancing) as the loveable and charming Elyot and Laura Rogers(Tipping The Velvet, An Ideal Husband) as the unconventional and vivacious Amanda, alongside Charlotte Ritchie (Call The Midwife, One Night in November) as Sybil and Richard Teverson (Downton Abbey) as Victor.

Award-winning composer Dougal Irvine (Departure Lounge, Teddy) and major entertainment agent Stuart Piper of Cole Kitchenn complete the faculty line-up for this year's Onstage Acts summer course. Dougal will lead a session exploring his own material, giving a unique insight into the mind of the composer, and Stuart will lead an exclusive and invalu- able Q&A session. They join previously announced Producer and Casting Director Danielle Tarento (Titanic, Dogfight), 2015 Olivier Award winner for Best Actress in a Musical Katie Brayben and the original creative team comprised of Paul Spicer, Julie Atherton (Avenue Q, The Last Five Years) and Musical Director Susanna Squires.

TV stars Rita Simons and Phil Gallagher were in Canterbury yesterday (Sunday) to launch this year's Marlowe Theatre pantomime.

The annual Lyceum pantomime offers a good mix of classic panto jokes and contemporary song and dance numbers.

The UK's most successful family run pantomime production company, Evolution Productions has announced its line up of bespoke high quality Christmas shows for 2014. The company, which is run by husband and wife team, former TV presenter Paul Hendy and Oxford graduate and former cinema commercial production manager Emily Wood, will be presenting a lucky seven of the best pantomimes across the country from then end of November 2014 to mid-January 2015.

Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) is currently transforming its Front of House areas by installing a number of stylish lounges and concept bars. Having invested more than £3 million in the roll out of 22 Ambassador Lounges and 10 premium bars so far, ATG has planned a further investment of £600,000 by the end of 2014.

Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director Daniel Evans today announces the final production in the Theatres' autumn season, the world premiere of Bryony Lavery's Queen Coal directed by Robert Shaw Cameron, alongside the news that in an unprecedented development for the company, they will take three of their productions in the forthcoming season on tour, enabling their work to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes have announced the cast of this year's much-anticipated family pantomime, Dick Whittington, ahead of its arrival on the Lyceum stage from Friday 5 December 2014 until Sunday 4 January 2015.

Scott Maslen, best known as Jack Branning from EastEnders, will star in Aladdin, this year's Marlowe Theatre pantomime.

JACK And The Beanstalk, which ended its run at The Marlowe Theatre yesterday (Sunday), was seen by a record-breaking number of people.

Jack And The Beanstalk cast members, including Samantha Womack and Phil "Mister Maker" Gallagher, will be turning on the Christmas lights in Deal at 7.30pm on Thursday (21 November).

THE MARLOWE Theatre has had a record-breaking first day of sales for its new season of shows.

The Ambassador Theatre Group Ltd (ATG) today announces that an agreement has been reached for global private equity firm Providence Equity Partners to become a major shareholder in the company, having successfully reached agreement for its seventh fund to purchase a majority share from current investors led by Exponent Private Equity.

Organisers of the Autism & Theatre - Inspiration Day 2013 on Monday 2 September at the Lyceum Theatre, London, attended by over 170 delegates from theatres and arts organisations across the UK, have reported the event to be a huge success.

TV star Samantha Womack was in Canterbury yesterday (Sunday) to launch this year's Marlowe Theatre pantomime.

The UK's largest theatre owner and operator, the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG), will pilot a groundbreaking technical apprenticeship programme in its theatres for the first time this year.