The Stage Awards 2021 winners revealed
Nica Burns, winner of Producer of the Year Award, The Stage Awards 2021
We’re starting the day with some celebrations! The Stage has today announced the winners of The Stage Awards, reimagined this year to celebrate theatrical organisations who continued to create great theatre, show innovation, and help ensure theatre survives in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Winners included:
- Theatres of the year named – London Theatre: Kiln Theatre, Regional Theatre: Theatr Clwyd, Mold, and Fringe Theatre: Jermyn Street Theatre, London.
- Nimax Theatre’s Nica Burns wins Producer of the Year, praised for her determination to breathe life back into the West End by safely opening her six theatres to keep workers employed and audiences entertained.
- Simon Baker, technical director and digital producer at Wise Children, is awarded with the Achievement in Technical Theatre award for his groundbreaking approach to broadcasting live theatre.
- Theatre Support Fund + wins the Innovation Award, for its extraordinary fundraising achievements, raising over £600,000 for the theatre community with iconic campaigns such as The Show Must Go On!
- Belarus Free Theatre is recognised with the International Award for its continued political activism and artistic excellence.
- Three theatres also highly commended by the judging panel: Derby Theatre, Pitlochry Festival Theatre and Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
You can find the full list of winners here. Congratulations to all the well deserved winners, we are over the moon for you all.
The world premiere of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice will now switch to streaming online
Cast of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice in rehearsals (Photo by: Steve Ullathorne)
If you’re a fan of the classic Walt Disney movie (I most definitely am!), you’ll be pleased to know that the enchanting new British musical The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, is moving its world premiere from Southwark Playhouse to the streaming platform stream.theatre so you will now be able to enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, by Richard Hough and Ben Morales Frost, directed by Charlotte Westenra (‘The Wicker Husband’, Watermill, ‘I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change’ Chiswick Playhouse), will now be available from Tuesday 26 January until Sunday 14 February, 2021.
Producer James Seabright said: “We are sorry not to be able to present this wonderful new show to audiences as planned at Southwark Playhouse, but we are going to film it in the venue next week with broadcast quality cameras and then premiere it online. I commissioned it five years ago, and have loved developing it since then through a series of workshops and a West End concert presentation of an earlier version in 2017, which led to the invitation from Southwark Playhouse to premiere the show at their venue this month. I decided to press ahead with these plans with rehearsals up to Christmas and fit up and get-in since New Year despite the challenges presented by doing so during the COVID-19 pandemic, as I think this magical story of renewal and the importance of family is especially timely. However, the latest national lockdown leaves us with a show ready to perform which we are unable to share with live audiences. I have been inspired by the determination and resolve of our cast, creative team to make this possible whilst maintaining the highest safety standards for everyone on and off stage.”
Against the backdrop of the Northern Lights, a small town has been pushed to the brink of collapse in a bid for progress and prosperity. To rescue Midgard from certain destruction, father and daughter must heal their relationship and work together. This gripping family-friendly story sees brooms coming to life and love blossoming anew.
Acclaimed musical theatre writers Richard Hough and Ben Morales Frost have created this gender-swapped twist on the timeless poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which also inspired the Dukas symphony that memorably featured in the Disney film ‘Fantasia’. Click here to find out more!
The Theatre Artists Fund is open for its fourth round of applications
The pandemic has had a huge impact on not only our audiences but also theatre professionals across the UK who are unable to work due to theatre closures. Unable to claim through government support schemes, many are in need of urgent and critical support.
The Theatre Artists Fund, created to provide emergency financial support for struggling theatre freelancers is now open for the fourth round of applications until midday on Wednesday 13 January. The fund offers quick, efficient and easy access to individual grants of £1000, so far raising £4.8 million and providing 4,631 grants to theatre practitioners across the UK.
Click the button below to find out more!
& Juliet will return to the Shaftesbury Theatre in May with bookings now extended into 2022!
Whether you’re a die-hard fan and know every lyric, or you’ve had this show on your bucket list for a while, you’ll be pleased to know that & Juliet will be returning to the theatre from 28 May and with bookings now extended until 13 February 2022, you’ve got plenty of chances to see it!
& Juliet picks up where Romeo And Juliet leaves off. Romeo lies poisoned, Juliet awakens from her slumber, picks up the dagger and… decides to live. Off she sets to Paris with Nurse and her friends, a hilarious, comical journey of romance and self-discovery, accompanied by some of the biggest pop anthems of the past three decades.
This timely yet timeless tale of a young independent woman will have you boogying along in your seat to all your favourite chart tunes including [Hit Me] Baby One More Time, Everybody [Backstreet’s Back], Love Me Like You Do and I Can’t Feel My Face. & Juliet promises to be a vibrant new musical like no other.
Hit the button below to find out more about this epic show.
Almeida Theatre postpones forthcoming productions of The Maladies and Hymn
The Almeida have today released a statement with regards to its forthcoming productions.
“Following the recent lockdown announcement, unfortunately we need to postpone our forthcoming productions of The Maladies and Hymn.
“We are working with everyone involved in both productions to look at future dates and options, including the possibility of live streaming. The safety and wellbeing of all our staff and freelancers continues to be our top priority and we will review our options with that in mind, as well as following all the latest government advice.”
“In the meantime, we will continue to support the young people who engage with us through our Almeida Young Artist programmes and Almeida Academy remotely.”
You can stay up to date by visiting the venue’s website here.