PRODUCTION NEWS
FOLLOWING A RECORD-BREAKING BARBICAN SEASON, HIGH SOCIETY HITS THE ROAD!
The new High Society tour comes direct from a record-breaking season at the Barbican. High Society has broken the record for the highest grossing week for a musical at the Barbican, taking over £760,000 in a single playing week, and the highest grossing single performance. This record-breaking season is a testament to the phenomenal audience demand and timeless appeal of this beloved classic musical.
The full cast has now been announced for the UK tour of High Society, the five-star “Gorgeous, glamorous – this summer’s perfect party” (The Times). Joining the already confirmed company including Helen George, Freddie Fox (Slow Horses, House of the Dragon), Nigel Lindsay (Kiss Me, Kate), Julian Ovenden (Bridgerton, Downton Abbey), Malcom Sinclair (Pie in the Sky), David Seadon-Young and Naomi Pacquette are Carly Mercedes Dyer as Liz Imbrie and Josafina Gabriella as Mother Lord; completing the “diamond performances from a top notch cast” (Financial Times).
Producer Howard Panter said: “We are delighted that Carly Mercedes Dyer will continue with High Society for the UK tour, bringing her exceptional talent and charisma to audiences across the country. We are equally thrilled to welcome Josefina Gabrielle to the company whose extraordinary warmth, elegance and experience make her a wonderful addition to the cast. Together they will make this a truly outstanding company – I know audiences across the UK are going to love this glorious production.”
Six By Nico collaboration
In other High Society news, we partnered with Six by Nico to create the perfect pairing of exceptional dining and world-class theatre with The High Society Experience. With the campaign launching at New Theatre Cardiff, the pre-show package includes a 6-course tasting experience and welcome aperitif at Six by Nico and tickets to the show.
An artist’s impression!
Senior Campaigns Manager, Siobhan Simons, also arranged for Nathan Wyburn, an artist from Cardiff, to present a special portrait made out of coffee to Freddie Fox at the Barbican before the show ended it’s run there. Nathan was once a semi-finalist on Britain’s Got Talent and creates portraits using food, mixed materials, and well, anything else! He’s presented to King Charles, Mariah Carey, Cynthia Erivo, Kylie Minogue, Quentin Tarantino, Dame Shirley Bassey, and Prince William, to name just a few, and now Freddie Fox!
PRIVATE LIVES IN SYDNEY
Internationally acclaimed British actor Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington) and four-time Gold Logie Award-winning Australian star of stage and screen Lisa McCune (The King and I, South Pacific, Girl from the North Country) are to star together in the classic Noël Coward comedy Private Lives. This new production will premiere at Theatre Royal Sydney from February 6 2027 for a strictly limited season.
Joining them in the cast will be celebrated Australian actors Leon Ford (The Pacific, Elvis), Silver Logie Award-winner Claire van der Boom (Rush, Sisters of War) and multi-Helpmann Award-winner Julie Forsyth (Cloudstreet, Endgame).
“I’m thrilled to be making my Australian stage debut in Private Lives. Noël Coward’s writing remains as sharp, funny and insightful today as ever, and Elyot is a character I’ve always relished the idea of playing. To have the chance to bring this classic comedy to Australian audiences, and to work with such a talented cast is a genuine pleasure. I can’t wait to get to Sydney – my first visit to Australia! – and begin rehearsals for this brilliantly funny play”, said Hugh Bonneville.
Joint CEO and Creative Director Trafalgar Entertainment, Howard Panter, said: “We are delighted to present the world premiere of this new Australian production of one of the greatest comedies of all time, Noël Cowards Private Lives, at our own beautiful Theatre Royal Sydney. Starring the incomparable international actor Hugh Bonneville and Australia’s national treasure the magnificent Lisa McCune. For an exclusive 5-week season. A delight for all.”
Private Lives has also smashed Theatre Royal Sydney’s Box Office record for the highest first day ticket sales for a play since the theatre reopened!
Packed with razor-sharp one-liners, outrageous behaviour and enough romantic chaos to keep everyone on their toes, Private Lives is one of the funniest plays ever written. Since its sensational 1930 premiere, audiences have fallen in love with Coward’s wicked wit and unforgettable characters, while theatre legends including Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor, Maggie Smith and Alan Rickman have all taken on its iconic leading roles.
Featuring Noël Coward’s beloved song Someday I’ll Find You, an enduring classic which has been recorded by some of the greats including Mario Lanza, Doris Day, Perry Como and Julie Andrews.
This new production is helmed by internationally acclaimed British director Christopher Luscombe, an Associate Artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, whose work has graced some of the world’s most prestigious stages.
CEILIDH A NEW MUSICAL
Get ready for a night of joy, as the exhilarating new Scottish musical CEILIDH transforms Shoreditch Town Hall from 22 October until 13 November followed by a UK tour, taking this captivating new work to High Wycombe Old Town Hall, Eastbourne Winter Garden, Guildford G Live, Fareham Live and Bradford Live Ballroom, with more to be announced.
First opening in the UK at the Pitlochry Town Hall as part of Alan Cumming’s inaugural season at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre season, Alan Cumming, Artistic Director of Pitlochry Festival Theatre, said: “It’s only fitting that a show so beautifully entertaining and Scottish to its very core should start its journey here in Pitlochry, before it reels its way down to Shoreditch Town Hall and across the rest of the UK. It is a gorgeous, heartfelt story wrapped up in an unadulterated night of joy, dancing, music and pure Highland magic!”
Directed by Tony-Award winning director Sam Pinkleton, whose current hit Oh, Mary! is still selling out London and New York simultaneously, and new production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show has become the smash hit of the season on Broadway.
Proudly presented by Grove Entertainment, Barbara Whitman, Trafalgar Theatre Productions and Eilene Davidson Productions.
ROCKY HORROR HITS MELTING POINT IN PARIS!
As Europe sweltered through an intense heatwave and Paris recorded a June temperature of 40.9°C, audiences arriving at the Casino de Paris recently were already feeling the effects of the extraordinary conditions. Yet The Rocky Horror Show rose magnificently to the challenge, adapting to the extreme heat while still delivering the energy, humour and theatrical flair that audiences expect from this iconic production. The result was a testament to the resilience and professionalism of the cast and crew, who ensured the show went on despite the difficult circumstances. You can read the full review and report on this performance in Broadway World. It’s a fantastic review and a wonderful example of how live theatre can successfully adapt and thrive in the face of challenging conditions.
