The Lowry unveils a great new season
September – December 2009
Innovation and inspiration are key to The Lowry’s No Boundaries season. Some of the North’s leading talent will be showcased in ground-breaking and absorbing theatre.
The Lowry production Fireflies, a love story set on a Salford housing estate, is among the highlights of a diverse Autumn/Winter season. The drama that takes place on The Lowry’s own doorstep has been directed by Noreen Kershaw from the Channel 4 hit series Shameless. Fireflies is penned by Kevin Fegan and stars Brian McCardie (The Damned United, Low Winter Sun and Rob Roy).
The audience will be at the heart of the action in two exciting new productions from theatre innovators Slung Low. They Only Come at Night: Resurrection, a theatre installation, takes over The Studio area and explains what happens when a celebrity book launch takes an unexpected twist. The audience is in the thick of the action again in Beyond the Front Line, a co-production with The Lowry, which gives an insight into a soldier’s life. It takes the audience on a journey through a large-scale, outdoor, total sensory experience, combining movement and multimedia with explosive narrative.
Salford is guaranteed a white Christmas this year as the spectacular stage musical White Christmas makes its North West debut at The Lowry. The dazzling musical is based on Irving Berlin’s classic 1954 movie and stars Aled Jones, Suzanne Shaw and Adam Cooper. With an ensemble of more than thirty and a dynamic 17-piece orchestra, this multi-million pound production is a must for all ages.
Two other shows focus on military life. The Royal Shakespeare Company present Days of Significance. Two young soldiers make the most of a drunken night out with friends in an English market town. Their bravado is soon crushed by their tour of duty and the civilian life they return to is as alien to them as the desert they left behind. Deep Cut is based on 18-year-old Private Cheryl James from Llangollen, one of four young soldiers who died from gunshot wounds at the Deepcut Barracks between 1995 and 2002. Deep Cut explores the way in which governments can stop ordinary people from finding the truth.
TV and theatre favourites Penelope Keith and Felicity Kendal feature in this Autumn’s glittering array of talent. Penelope Keith performs at The Lowry for the first time, prior to a West End run, in Entertaining Angels, a sharp-edged comedy. Felicity Kendal stars in George Bernard Shaw’s witty and provocative play Mrs Warren’s Profession.
Little Britain’sMatt Lucas and Chris New (Best Newcomer nomination, Evening Standard) star in Prick up Your Ears, the dark, funny and moving tale of Joe Orton, prior to it’s West End run.
Oscar Wilde’s gothic fable Dorian Gray becomes a darkly seductive dance theatre event in an adaptation by master storyteller Matthew Bourne. The classic story of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is injected with a large dose of Hip Hop energy by Bounce in the new show Insane in the Brain. Inventive set design, bungee-jumping breakdancers, film and choreography are set to music by Missy Elliot, Dizzie Rascal, Gotan Project, David Holmes and Cypress Hill.
The award-winning show The Pitmen Painters makes its North West debut. Inspired by William Feaver’s book, the play brings to life the story of the Ashington Group - miners from Northumberland who became celebrated painters. The Pitmen Painters is a humorous, deeply moving and timely look at art, class and politics. The hugely successful Irish company Druid Ireland return to The Lowry with The Walworth Farce, a remarkable and compelling play by Enda Walsh.
Gilbert and Sullivan’s famous comic opera Mikado is given a contemporary feel by Strictly Come Dancing judge, Craig Revel Horwood and Tony award-winning orchestrator Sarah Travis with their new show Hot Mikado.
F**king Men is a portrait of ten men searching for love, sex and intimacy in modern day America. This free-wheeling comedy of sexual manners is London’s biggest fringe success of recent years. Other side-splitting nights of comedy come from Pam Ann, Alistair McGowan, Simon Amstell, Ennio Marchetto and Stewart Lee.
Family favourite Birmingham Stage Company return to The Lowry with David Almond’s award-winning Skellig. When published, the eerie and magical book became an instant hit. There are lots of opportunities to hiss and boo and sing along when the fabulous family musical Bink and the Hairy Fairy arrives.
The Nu Burlesque Season includes everything from macabre ghoulish tales to magic, a freakshow and cabaret.
Christmas also sees the first-ever stage adaptation of Porridge. Seasonal shows with a difference include Simply Barbra, award-winning artist Steven Brinberg’s hilarious homage to Barbra Streisand including all her classic tracks. The Mediaeval Baebes at Christmas bring medieval texts and set them to original scores using medieval and classical instruments. Vocal trio The Puppini Sisters bring their Christmas special incorporating re-workings of wartime classics, imaginative arrangements of camp pop songs, specially re-worked Christmas classics and exciting new material.
Shows from the new brochure go on public sale via the box office (0870 787 5793) on Thu 2 July. Tickets can be purchased before this date by registering online with www.thelowry.com/mylowry
Posted on Thursday, 02 July 2009 under Press Theatre Press