The Lowry’s New Season
January – April 2012
From January 2012, the new season at The Lowry fuses the never-been-seen with sure-fire favourites and cements the Salford Quays venue’s reputation for staging the most extensive dance programme outside of London. However, top of the bill is a landmark collaboration between three of Greater Manchester’s finest cultural institutions.
Leonard Bernstein’s Wonderful Town (31 March - 14 April 2012) is a co-production between The Lowry, the Royal Exchange Theatre and The Hallé Orchestra and it promises to be a genuine highlight of the North West theatre calendar. It has all the ingredients to be a truly memorable experience at the theatre. The cast is led by 2011 MEN Award-winner Connie Fisher, winner of BBC One’s How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? She said:
“I have always enjoyed playing comedy and the part of Ruth is such a great comic role. As if that opportunity wasn't great enough, I also get to sing with The Hallé and work at The Lowry! Awesome!! I've always wanted to follow in Maureen Lipman's footsteps so here's my chance..."
Wonderful Town Launch (from L-R) Kenny Wax, Robert Robson, Mark Elder,Connie Fisher, Braham Murray and Edward Seckerson
It will be directed by Braham Murray OBE, Joint Artistic Director of the Royal Exchange Theatre, while the full force of the Hallé, conducted by its Music Director Sir Mark Elder CBE, will provide the orchestra. It’s the second time in recent months that The Lowry has collaborated with another Manchester arts organisation following the critically-acclaimed production of All the Way Home with The Library Theatre. Robert Robson, Artistic Director of The Lowry, is pleased to be entering into another artistic partnership saying:
“We are delighted for The Lowry to be a partner in this unique and exciting collaboration between three major arts organisations, staging large scale musical theatre of national significance.”
As well as Wonderful Town, The Lowry will be presenting even more masterpieces of musical theatre. The King and I (Tue 21 – Sat 25 February) will transport audiences from Salford to Siam with a lavish, spectacular production. There’s also the return of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s timeless musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (Tue – Sun 15 January) starring Keith Jack, the hugely popular runner-up of BBC series Any Dream Will Do.
Curve Theatre Leicester’s production of The King and I features a chorus of local children, sumptuous costumes, acrobatic dancers and an unforgettable score including Hello Young Lovers, Shall We Dance? and Getting To Know You. Double Olivier Award-nominee Josefina Gabriella will take to the stage as Anna, the British governess brought to the court of Siam to teach the King’s many children.
The King and I
Ramon Tikaram, who takes the role of The King, has stage and screen credits including BBC drama This Life, ITV soap opera Crossroads and the role of Rama in The National Theatre's 2002 adaptation of The Ramayana. He is perhaps best known to many as Qadim Shah in BBC One’s Eastenders.
This season The Lowry reaffirms itself as a regional hub for dance, reflecting this ever evolving artform in a programme with all the right moves. Dance Moves 2012 spans the classical to the cutting-edge with the most inspiring in local, national and international dance.
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! (Tue 20 – Sat 24 March) returns to The Lowry, for one week only, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. A fresh and charmingly irreverent interpretation of this traditional favourite follows the story of Clara’s bittersweet journey from a hilariously bleak Christmas Eve at Dr Dross’ Orphanage, through a shimmering, ice-skating winter wonderland to the scrumptious candy kingdom of Sweetieland.
Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker
The Lowry’s partner company Birmingham Royal Ballet bring a beautiful girl, a hideous beast, a golden ballroom full of animals, magical transformations and wild waltzes together to tell the timeless tale of Beauty and the Beast (Tue 24 – Sat 28 Jan).
On the cutting edge of dance, Hofesh Shechter and his young company prove themselves a leading force for exciting cinematic dance in their first full evening creation, Political Mother (Fri 27 and Sat 28 April). But before that, Blanca Li bring electro – a dazzling urban streetdance that mixes breaking, disco, vogue, popping and locking - from the streets of Paris to Salford for Elektro Kif (Wed 15 and Thu 16 February).
The Lowry’s drama programme puts audiences in the safest of hands with classic tales adapted by highly acclaimed companies. An Inspector Calls (Tue 31 January – Sat 4 February), a National Theatre production directed by Stephen Daltry (director of the films Billy Elliott and The Reader) combine epic staging, raw emotion and a sweeping score to tell the story of Inspector Goole’s investigations into the death of a young woman.
There’s even more from the National Theatre, as Nicholas Hytner (who also directed the recent smash-hit One Man, Two Guvnors) brings Nicholas Wright’s new play Travelling Light (Tue 13 – Sat 17 March) to Salford, starring the award-winning Anthony Sher. The Library Theatre also continue their residency in the Quays Theatre with D.H. Lawrence’s The Daughter-in-Law (Thu 23 February – Sat 10 March).
Internationally acclaimed all-male company Propeller return to The Lowry to bring fresh understanding to Shakespeare’s Henry V (Wed 8 – Sat 11 February) and A Winter’s Tale (Tue 7, Thu 9 and Sat 11 February). And as if that wasn’t enough, there’s more of the bard from the ever-popular Northern Broadsides, who bring their own take on Love’s Labour’s Lost (Tue 17 – Sat 21 April).
The Lowry’s partner company Opera North return with a season featuring betrayal, sacrifice, heartbreak, love, war and a slice of Hollywood. Bellini’s Norma (Wed 29 February and Sat 3 March) is one of the greatest Italian operas in history. It includes the mesmerizing soprano aria Casta diva, which made legends of both Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. Handel’s Giulio Cesare (Thu 1 March) is an opera with the colour, passion and epic sweep of a Hollywood blockbuster. And the much-loved Madama Butterfly (Tue 28 February and Friday 2 March) returns by popular demand.
Opera North: Madama Butterfly
Opera North have also announced its plans for the following season, which include a major new production of the blockbuster American musical Carousel by Rodgers & Hammerstein, at The Lowry Tue 22 - Sat 26 May 2012. One of the greatest scores ever written for Broadway, Carousel, was composed for large musical, vocal and theatrical forces, thus a natural choice for any major opera company. Carousel will be directed by Jo Davies (Ruddigore), and designed by Anthony Ward, (Peter Grimes, La Boheme and Gloriana); the musical director is Jim Holmes and the choreographer will be Kim Brandstrup, making his debut with the company.
Richard Mantle, General Director of Opera North, comments: “We are extremely excited to be presenting Carousel, which continues our commitment to this strand of musical theatre work, as part of core repertoire. In part this is a response to the financially challenging times in which we now find ourselves; though we have a good reputation for responding imaginatively to constraint and at the same time creating ambitious, high quality work which we are sure will capture the imagination and attention of as many people as possible. Carousel is a tremendous piece and I know that we will bring strong musical and theatrical values to one of the most successful musicals of the 20th century and at the same time create the potential for increased commercial revenue, including a London season, in the future.“
The Lowry is a proud partner to some of the best-known in British theatre, but is equally proud to provide a way in for fresh talent. The Studio programme helps to develop the work of up-and-coming artists, companies and writers from across the North West and beyond. The result is a showcase from new companies, 'NeverBeenSeen' productions and world premières each season. In the past year alone, The Studio has hosted 118 companies, from the best emerging local talent to international companies presenting their work in the UK for the first time. Porl Cooper, The Lowry’s Theatre Programmer/Producer said:
“Our ‘Developed with The Lowry’ programme goes from strength to strength, supporting and investing in the work of new artists and companies in practical ways, which seek to improve the quality of the work and its appeal, and then help to tour this work to other venues.”
Headlining The Studio programme is Geoff Page’s world première of No Sleep for the Haunted (Thu 8 – Sat 10 March) part of The Lowry’s ‘In Development’ strand which provides practical production support to companies and writers. Geoff Page’s brand new chilling musical unravels three classic tales from Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens and M. R. James. Come and be haunted! The Studio will also play host to The Library Theatre’s re:play 2012 (Mon 16 – Sat 28 January) reviving some of the best new work from Manchester’s thriving theatre scene.
There will be a slice of the Edinburgh Festival 2011, with a selection of Fringe First winners. The Table (Thu 2 February), provides adult puppetry, taking audiences on a visual journey to a ballet of disembodied heads, a briefcase full of pictures, and a tiny Moses full of lonely wisdom. The Lowry even brings theatre from the stage to your sitting room with Avon Calling (Fri 17 – Sun 19 February).
The Lowry continues to provide the best entertainment for all the family, starting a life-long love for theatre for children of all ages. This season we bring adaptations of the best-loved bedtime stories of today’s children. In The Tiger Who Came To Tea (Tue 10 – Sat 15 April) comes direct from the West End with a stunning adaptation of Judith Kerr’s book packed with oodles of magic, sing-a-long songs and clumsy chaos! Then The Gruffalo (Tue 17 – Sat 21 April) returns by popular demand in a magical musical adaptation of the best-selling picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.
The season also includes big names in stand-up comedy, including Jimmy Carr and Chris Addison, and music including Fairport Convention to former frontman of Mike & The Mechanics, Paul Carrack. The acknowledged master of psychological illusion, Derren Brown, brings his show Svengali, which promises a rollercoaster night of entertainment. There’s more dance from Strictly Come Dancing star Brendon Cole and a brand new show from the Chinese State Circus.
And in the galleries, visual and performing arts collide as a musical icon takes centre-stage as dance becomes the subject of photography. A Flash of light: The Dance Photography of Chris Nash (Sat 11 February – Sun 13 May) showcases Chris Nash’s fascination with movement, light, colour and composition. This dazzling exhibition contains over 100 stunning images cataloguing 30 years of contemporary British dance.
The House of Annie Lennox opens its doors on Sat 14 March – Sun 17 June 2012. This intimate exhibition explores the image and vision of one of the most successful female artists in UK music history. A selection of costumes will be shown alongside personal treasures, ephemera from political campaigns she has championed, and a specially commissioned video of Annie in conversation.
The Lowry Information & Box Office
Telephone 0843 2086005
www.thelowry.com
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays M50 3AZ
Twitter @The_Lowry
Facebook www.facebook.com/TheLowrySalford
Ends
For media enquiries, please contact Aimee Wood.
E: aimee.wood@thelowry.com
Tel 0161 876 2044
Pictures
Pictures of theatre events and exhibitions in Adobe RGB format are available to download from our image library. Visit www.thelowryimages.com. New users need to register by clicking on ‘register’ on the left hand side of the page, fill in the required information (which includes creating your own password) and click ‘create account’. You will then have access to images via the log-in page.
Notes to Editors
The Lowry celebrated its 10th anniversary on 28 April 2010 and has spent over a decade delighting, engaging and challenging both local and national audiences with the very best in visual art and performance. The Lowry Centre Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation and registered charity (no. 1053962). All income supports our world-class Theatres and Galleries programme, the care and display of the LS Lowry Collection and our life-changing Community and Education work. The Lowry’s Chief Executive, Julia Fawcett (www.thelowry.com/juliafawcett) was awarded an OBE for services to the Arts in the Queen’s 2010 New Year Honours list.