The thought of heading into London for a theatre show may not be the most enticing prospect whilst the current sporting events are taking place. The city is bursting at the seams and transport is screeching to a halt… So why bother when some of your favourite theatre shows are touring various locations in the UK?! Here are some of our faves from the Door2Tour.com team…
Dirty Dancing
The much-loved record breaking smash hit musical, Dirty Dancing, is embarking on its first ever national tour. It will be going to various locations including Birmingham , Edinburgh, Sunderland and Liverpool. Join Baby and Johnny in this great love story which takes you back to 1963. It features hit songs from the movie soundtrack including Time Of My Life, Hungry Eyes, Hey Baby and Do You Love Me. Baby is the daughter of a prestigious Doctor and whilst on holiday with her family in the Catskill Mountains, she instantly falls for Johnny when she sees him dancing, and when his dance partner can’t continue with a job it is Baby who steps in to fill her shoes. Jill Winternitz will play Frances ‘Baby’ Houseman and Paul-Michael Jones will play Johnny Castle.
Calendar Girls
This inspirational stage show based on a true story, Calendar Girls, is moving out of London and hitting theatres all around the UK including Watford, Swansea, Tunbridge Wells, Belfast and Dundee. A group of remarkable women, members of a Yorkshire WI, fuel a worldwide sensation when they convince one another to pose for a charity calendar, revealing more than they ever imagined. The Calendar Girls dedicated the calendar to John Baker who had died the previous year from Leukaemia in 1998. The cast features Lesley Joseph, Kacey Aisworth, Camilla Dallerup, Helen Fraser, Sue Holderness, Deena Payne, Kathryn Rooney, Ruth Madoc and Kevin Sacre.
Sister Act
After its record breaking run at the London Palladium, Sister Act is taking to stages across the UK including Newcastle, Woking, Glasgow and Manchester. This smash-hit musical comedy from Whoopi Goldberg, based on the hit film attracted over a million people whilst based in the West End, and now it’s coming to a theatre near you! Deloris Van Cartier witnesses a murder and is put in protective custody in a convent. Whilst disguised as a nun, she makes the wrong impression on the convent’s strict Mother Superior. However, she turns the convent’s choir into the most amazing musical act and forms some unbreakable friendships. The gang that’s chasing her finds itself up against an unbeatable team of soulful sisters! The show will feature Denise Black as Mother Superior, Michael Starke as Monsignor O’Hara and Cynthia Erivo as Deloris Van Cartier.
Oliver
Following its raving success at the Theatre Royal, Oliver is embarking on a tour of the UK visiting locations such as Norwich, Plymouth, Leeds, Newcastle and Bristol. This beloved British musical is based on the Oliver Twist novel by Charles Dickens and is all about a boy who asked for more. Oliver is sold to an undertaker and runs away, eventually being found by the Artful Dodger who takes him to Fagin who recruits him in his gang and teaches him to become a pickpocket. The show contains famous songs such as Food Glorious Food, Consider Yourself, You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two, I’d Do Anything, Oom Pah Pah and As Long As He Needs Me. The all-star cast features some familiar faces such as Iain Fletcher and Cat Simmons.
Phantom of the Opera
The stunning Andrew Lloyd Webber production of Phantom of the Opera has been given a makeover by Cameron Mackintosh and is hitting theatres all over the UK, going to areas such as Leeds, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Southampton and Birmingham. The musical has been transformed with new costumes, new design, new staging and a new choreographer . The show reveals the story of the Phantom, hiding beneath the Paris Opera House in a mysterious existence. Ashamed by his physical appearance and feared by all, the love he holds for Christine Daaé is so strong that even she cannot resist. The Phantom is currently played by John Owen-Jones until the end of September then he is being replaced by Earl Carpenter, and Christine is played by Katie Hall.
Have you seen any of these shows on tour? Which one would you recommend and why?