By 2016, the richest 1% will own more than the rest of the world put together. In the UK over 30% of MPs attended private school, as did 70% of top judges, 62% of senior army officers and 25% of BBC senior execs – but only 7% of the population went to these schools. Despite being 51% of the global population, women hold just 22% of all parliamentary seats. 

Following in the footsteps of Endurance (Glasgow Commonwealth Games Festival 2014 production) The Women’s Creative Company are coming to together again to present a brand new piece of work examining what privilege and entitlement mean to them. As more people in society buckle under the pressures of inequality, this project asks when is enough, enough?

Privilege is a creative investigation into power and entitlement – what it means to us personally, how we use it when we have it, and what the human impact is upon those whose lives are affected by it.

With the support of Glasgow Life, The Robertson Trust and The Violence Against Women Implementation Group an exhibition created by women’s groups from across Glasgow will be presented alongside this performance.

Performances:

Weds 20th & Thurs 21st 7pm

Recommended for: 12yrs+

Duration: Approx. 70mins

An exciting competition entitled Opera Sparks 2018 has been launched for young people to compose three new short operas which will be performed by Scottish Opera’s Connect Company in 2018 to celebrate its tenth anniversary.

Open to those aged 26 and under who are Scottish or based in Scotland, the winning operas – which must be no more than 15 minutes in length – will be performed by members of Connect, Scottish Opera’s youth company, aged 14 to 21. Three composer/librettist partnerships will be awarded a cash prize of £3,500, and also receive mentoring support from members of the judging panel throughout the creative process. Scottish Opera’s General Director, Alex Reedijk, will convene the panel, made up of Derek Clark (Scottish Opera’s Head of Music), Olivia Fuchs (Opera Director), Christopher Gray (Director of Scottish Opera’s Connect Company) and Stuart Stratford (Scottish Opera’s Music Director). In addition, the winners will have the opportunity to attend rehearsals for Scottish Opera productions.

Those wishing to enter Opera Sparks 2018 must submit a one-page synopsis by Friday 29 July 2016 outlining the narrative for their work, plus a short biography and their portfolio, with recordings of any previous works for voice they have created. Concepts based on cross art form ideas, including the use of moving image, installations and within the electro acoustic genre will be welcomed. Submissions from individuals who wish to create both the libretto and score are also welcomed.

A short list of finalists will be invited to attend a pitch day in Glasgow on Saturday 1 October 2016 before the winners are announced.

Jane Davidson, Scottish Opera’s Director of Outreach and Education added: ‘Creating new work at all levels of performance is a key component of Scottish Opera’s artistic identity.  As Scotland’s only youth opera company, Connect is perfectly positioned to act as a developmental bridge for young artists wishing to make their mark on the art form – as makers and as performers of the future.’

Full details on the Opera Sparks 2018 competition deadlines, how to submit an application and where prospective applicants can find out more about the process, the Connect company and how the mentoring programme will work are available atwww.scottishopera.org.uk. In addition, introductory presentations giving more information about the competition will be held in Glasgow, London, and Manchester from 31 May to 3 June 2016.

The producers of Guys and Dolls are thrilled to announce Louise Dearman will be extending her dates and re-joining the critically acclaimed Chichester Festival Theatre revival production from Tuesday 7 June at the King’s Theatre Glasgow until the end of the UK tour. It was previously announced that the West End star would perform at all venues up until and including Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, Dublin. Louise(Wicked, Evita) will play Adelaide alongside Richard Fleeshman (Coronation Street, Ghost the Musical, Call the Midwife) as Sky Masterson,Maxwell Caulfield (Grease 2, Emmerdale, The Colbys) as Nathan Detroit and Anna O’Byrne (Love Never Dies) as Sarah Brown.

Credit: Johan Persson

Completing the cast are Jack Edwards as Nicely Nicely Johnson, Peter Harding as Arvide Abernathy, Anthony McGill as Lt Brannigan, Mark Sangster as Benny Southstreet, Melanie Marshall as General Cartwright, Craig Pinder as Harry the Horse/Joey Biltmore, Cameron Johnson as Big Julie, Christopher Howell as Rusty Charlie. The ensemble includes Eamonn Cox, Jamal Crawford, Jonny Godbold, Ross Lee Fowkes, Aron Wild, Kiel Payton, Matthew Whennell-Clark, Ruthie Stephens, Bethany Linsdell, Hannah Cauchi, Chloe Chambers, Danielle Stephen, Abigayle Honeywill and Lucy Ashenden.

Credit: Johan Persson

Nathan Detroit is desperate: he needs money for an illegal dice game, and he needs it fast. Not to mention a 14-year engagement with nightclub singer Miss Adelaide, whose patience is finally running out. Enter notorious gambler Sky Masterson, a guy who can never turn down a bet, and straight-laced missionary Sarah Brown, a doll with a heart of ice. Nathan’s wager is that Sky has to romance Sarah by taking her to Havana for dinner and in return he’ll provide a dozen ‘sinners’ for Sarah’s mission. Surely this is one bet Nathan absolutely can’t lose?

A joyous and vibrant celebration of Prohibition-era New York, Guys and Dolls first premiered on Broadway in 1950 and captured the optimism and energy of post-World War Two America. This hugely popular and multi award-winning musical, based on the colourful stories by American journalist Damon Runyon renowned for his vivid fictional depictions of the gamblers, hustlers and nightclub singers of New York, features some of Broadway’s greatest musical numbers including ‘My Time of Day’, ‘Luck be a Lady’ and the show-stopping ‘Sit Down You’re Rockin’ the Boat’. Guys and Dolls is directed by Gordon Greenberg with choreography by Cuban dancer and former Royal Ballet star Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright whose credits include Chichester Festival Theatre’s Singin’ in the Rain.

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

07 June – 11 June

Website: www.atgtickets.com

Box Office: 08448 717 648

Thousands of years after the Ruthless Romans, Savage Saxons & Vicious Vikings stormed ashore on the coast of Britain and the Gruesome Greeks competed in the first ever Olympic Games, you can relive those horribly exciting times by bringing your family to see Birmingham Stage Company’s brand new Horrible Histories stage shows coming to the Theatre Royal Glasgow from Tuesday 21 until Saturday 25 June 2016.

Horrible Histories present two brand new stage shows, Incredible Invaders and Groovy Greeks, and as with their previously hugely popular productions both feature actors and 3D Bogglevision special effects. Following their UK tour, they will then visit theatres further afield in Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Dubai during 2016.

In Incredible Invaders the Celts are crunched when the Ruthless Romans invaded Britain. Can crazy Caratacus save the nation? Hide behind Hadrian’s Wall and witness the Savage Saxons smash their way in. Can you stop King Alfred burning his buns? Discover who’s at Sutton Hoo and survive the Vicious Vikings as they sail into the audience. It’s a thousand year journey with Incredible Invaders.

Groovy Greeks takes us from savage Sparta to angry Athens to discover the truth about growing up in Greece. Take on the Trojans and pummel the Persians! Compete in the first ever Olympic Games and appear in the very first play!  Meet your match with the Minotaur and be zapped by Zeus! Hold on tight as you gate crash the gruesome and Groovy Greeks.

It’s history with the nasty bits left in.

Theatre Royal Glasgow

Tue 21 – Sat 25 Jun

Groovy Greeks: Tue 10.30am, Wed & Thu 1.30pm, Fri 7pm & Sat 2.30pm

Incredible Invaders: Tue 1.30pm, Wed & Fri 10.30am, Thu & Sat 7pm

Box Office 0844 871 7647 (bkg fee) Calls cost 7p per min, plus your phone company’s access charge.

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

Blackout is a shattering new production which tells the real-life stories of alcoholics and their rocky road through recovery. Written by Mark Jeary and directed by Paul Brotherston, it is scripted entirely from interviews with recovering addicts – including the writer – and is the honest, brutal, uplifting and often darkly comic truth.

Originally produced to critical acclaim in 2014 Blackout is back again but this time as a new production with an updated script, new interviews, new director, and new creative team.

Based on dozens of interviews conducted by writer Mark Jeary with fellow recovering alcoholics – all with different experiences of addiction and of recovery – the production aims to present a range of experiences related to alcohol addiction. Far from a social issues piece of theatre, Blackout is a hard hitting and strikingly staged piece with relevance to everyone in our society. Meet the woman who finds herself urinating off the top of the Scott Monument in Edinburgh, the man who nearly burns down a stranger’s kitchen and the mother who almost beats her son to death in a drunken rage.

TRON, GLASGOW

Tue 19 (preview) – Sat 23 April, 8pm

£10 / £7.50

0141 552 4267 / tron.co.uk

A passionate, interactive one-woman show about the Scots language using stories, memories, interviews and attitudes to challenge expectations and prejudices around minority languages, O is for Hoolet will be at Platform this Easter.

Language is personal. Nothing gets closer to our hearts. And yet, by its own nature, it’s always social. Who owns it? Who appoints it? Who governs it and why?

In this lively and detailed performance, Ishbel McFarlane portrays several historic Scottish figures and linguistic experts from Liz Lochead to Robert Burns. Audience members, prompted by a televisual bingo caller, read prompt cards addressing those famous alter egos and McFarlane at various stages and ages in her life. The revelations and stories challenge how we view the Scots language, and the ways in which it is taught and subdued to question the way forward for minority languages.

Ishbel McFarlane said: “Most of the world are essentially Scots speakers, people brought up using a language which is considered ‘lesser’ than the ‘real’ language of state. I want to encourage conversations about Scots language, and minoritised cultures. Why is it we put language varieties into a hierarchy? Why do we think a ‘language’ is better than a ‘dialect’? Why do people who would never discriminate against someone for the colour of their skin, openly discriminate based on their word-choice? I love to talk, and, delightfully for me, talking is a vital part of the solution. The way we talk and the way we hear is the heart of the matter. This is a universal issue. I’ve had people come up to me after shows to tell me that everything I said applied directly to their experience of northern France, or urban Boston. We think we’re in a unique situation, but we’re really not. Most of the world are essentially Scots speakers, people brought up using a language which is considered ‘lesser’ than the ‘real’ language of state.” 

@IshbelMcF | #HooletOnTour | ishbelmcfarlane.wordpress.com| https://www.facebook.com/ishbel.mcfarlane

Running Time: 75 minutes approx. | Suitable for ages: 14+

23 April Platform – Outskirts Festival

The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Glasgow, G34 9JW

6.45pm | £10/£7.50 (Festival Pass)
Box office: 0141 276 9670?
http://www.platform-online.co.uk

Internationally renowned singer, composer and actor DAVID ESSEX OBE has announced his first major tour in over four years. The King’s Theatre Glasgow is the only Scottish venue on his 21 date UK tour which will see him perform much loved hits spanning over his entire 50 year repertoire.

David first shot to fame when he went to an audition for the London production of the musical Godspell and was chosen by enthusiastic US producers for the role of Jesus. He received major awards and some ecstatic reviews which saw him lead a cast at the Roundhouse and then at the West End for two years.

Since then David Essex has enjoyed a remarkable career that has combined concerts, records, theatre, composing, films and television with striking success. He has written, recorded and produced albums that have sold millions of copies worldwide. He’s also had twenty-three Top 30 singles in Britain alone.

King’s Theatre Glasgow

Sun 13 Nov – Doors open 7pm, start time TBC

On Sale: Fri 8 Apr, 10am

Box Office 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee) Calls cost 7p per min plus your phone company’s access charge

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

Curtain Call: A Year Backstage in London Theatre is the first in a series of photography books by photographer Matt Humphrey and actor/director John Schwab featuring an extraordinary collection of fly-on-the-wall backstage photography from London theatre productions in 2015/16. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, in addition to exclusive backstage photography, Curtain Call also includes a foreword by renowned actor David Suchet and extended interviews with Chief Executive of The Old Vic Sally Greene,Artistic Director of the Royal Court Vicky Featherstone, casting director Jessica Ronane and actress Kate Fleetwood. The book is now exclusively available to pre-order from www.curtaincallonline.com

The Ruling Class, Trafalgar Studio © Matt Humphrey

Curtain Call is a new company founded and managed by John Schwab and Matt Humphrey, people who work in – and are passionate about – the world of theatre. Matt Humphrey and John Schwab were given unprecedented access backstage in London’s theatres and the book features never seen before photography taken on stage, in the wings and behind-the-scenes from over 50 productions including Hamlet at Barbican Theatre starring Benedict Cumberbatch, American Buffalo at Wyndham’s Theatre starring John Goodman, Damian Lewis and Tom Sturridge and The Audience starring Kristin Scott Thomas at the Apollo Theatre.

Gypsy, Savoy Theatre © Matt Humphrey

John Schwab said: “I am very grateful to all of the cast, crew, creative, production teams and agents that allowed us into that wonderful space that is backstage during a show. Having spent nearly 20 years on stage in London and around the world, it is an absolute pleasure to invite the public to take a glimpse at this magical world and gain an insight into what it’s like to be a theatre professional backstage during a London theatre show. I look forward to starting something that we hope will become an industry staple for both the theatre fan and professional alike.”

My Night Reg, Apollo Theatre © Matt Humphrey

Matt Humphrey said: “The backstage life of a production can be as intriguing, beguiling and choreographed as the show itself. I feel extremely privileged to have been allowed to photograph such an array of productions throughout the year, each of which has their own unique character. It has been a rewarding photographic challenge to shoot in low light and to combine reportage with portraiture. This book is a celebration of the expertise, diversity and extraordinary talent that characterise this thriving industry.”

Matt Humphrey and John Schwab met while working at the Old Vic Theatre in 2009 (John on stage, and Matt backstage). Together they founded Curtain Call in 2015, with a view to celebrating and promoting the work of cast, crew and creatives that work behind the scenes. As well as the book, they have been developing a database and networking website for the theatre industry, populated by exclusive visual and non-visual content.

Curtain Call: A Year Backstage In London Theatre is priced at £45 and available for pre-order from www.curtaincallonline.com.Curtain Call will also be available to purchase at the V&A and National Theatre bookshops from 28 March.

In association with the Citizens Theatre, joint Artistic Director of Vox Motus Candice Edmunds presents a new adaptation of August Strindberg’s Dance of Death in the Citizens Theatre’s Circle Studio next month from 22 April. Adapted by Frances Poet, designed by Graham McLaren and starring Tam Dean Burn, Lucianne McEvoy and Andy Clarke, Dance of Death brings together some of the best creative talents in Scottish theatre.

Strindberg’s pitch-black comedy-drama is an insight into the 25-year marriage of Alice and the Captain, which has become a bare-knuckle battle of vitriolic exchanges. Stranded on a drifting raft the couple play cruel mind games and wait to see who will be annihilated first. An old friend makes his way to their remote outpost and attempts to untangle the web of slights, lies and half-truths, uncovering the devastating effect their vitriol has had on his own family.

The warring couple are played by Tam Dean Burn and Lucianne McEvoy, who most recently appeared at the Citizens Theatre in Dominic Hill’s production of The Libertine in 2014. They are joined by Andy Clark, who also appeared in The Libertine as well as the Citizens’ recent co-production with Edinburgh International Festival Lanark.

Graham McLaren, outgoing Associate Director of National Theatre of Scotland and newly appointed co-Director of Abbey Theatre, Dublin, will design the show. His design credits at National Theatre of Scotland include A Christmas Carol, In Time O’ Strife and Tin Forest. Lighting will be by Simon Wilkinson, who has previously worked with Edmunds on Vox Motus’ Dragon and The Infamous Brothers Davenport as well as recent Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh productions The Weir and Caucasian Chalk Circle. New music will be created for the show by Luke Sutherland, whose wide-ranging career includes occasional membership of Glasgow post-rockers Mogwai and scores for National Theatre of Scotland’s Venus as a Boy and Whiteout by Barrowland Ballet.

Tickets are available now from the Citizens Theatre website citz.co.uk or by calling the Box Office on 0141 429 0022.

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, the critically-acclaimed stage adaptation of Alan Warner’s cult Scottish novel The Sopranos, by Lee Hall and directed by Vicky Featherstone is back by popular demand, returning to stages in Scotland and the rest of the UK, and touring for the first time to London and the USA in 2016. Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2015, and enjoyed a successful sell-out run at the Traverse Theatre, earning critical and audience acclaim, and picking up four awards before embarking on a sell-out Scottish tour and run at Newcastle’s Live Theatre.

Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour will receive its London premiere in summer 2016, at the Dorfman Theatre, at the National Theatre of Great Britain. This marks the National Theatre of Scotland’s return to the National Theatre in London, following the sell-out run of The James Plays, co-produced with the National Theatre of Great Britain in 2014 and touring again in 2016, as well as marking Vicky Featherstone’s directorial debut at the theatre.  Lee Hall and Live Theatre’s The Pitman Painters was co-produced by the National Theatre of Great Britain in 2009.

Alan Warner’s novel and Lee Hall’s musical stage play tell the story of six girls on the cusp of change. Love, lust, pregnancy and death all spiral out of control in a single day. Funny, sad, rude and beautifully sung, Our Ladies …. is a tribute to being young, lost and out of control, featuring a soundtrack of classical music and 70s pop rock, with music by Handel, Bach  and ELO including the songs Mr Blue Sky, Don’t Bring Me Down, Long Black Road and more.

Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre, collaborates with Lee Hall, (Shakespeare in Love, Billy Elliot and The Pitmen Painters), to create a wild and tender play meets gig about singing, sex and sambuca.

Alan Warner wrote The Sopranos in 1998, followed by its sequel The Stars in the Bright Sky which was long listed for the 2010 Man Booker Prize. He has written eight novels and is best known for Morvern Callar which was made into a film starring Samantha Morton in 2002. His most recent novel is Their Lips Talk of Mischief, published by Faber in 2014.

WATCH– The cast of Our Ladies sing ELO’s Mr Blue Sky, live from BBC Edinburgh Nights at Potterrow during the Edinburgh Fringe 2015.

Join the conversation: #OurLadies

The Lomond Auditorium, SECC, Glasgow (24 to 28 May 2016)

Dundee Rep Theatre (30 June to 2 July 2016)

The Palace Theatre, Kilmarnock (6 to 9 July 2016)

Can you recognise these iconic theatre scenes from a pile of bricks?

Travel and theatre break provider, National Holidays have recently commissioned model designer Elspeth De Montes from Azurebrick to recreate miniature theatre scenes out of toy bricks.

Elspeth built four of the most iconic theatre scenes which took over a month to complete, involving great precision and an incredible eye for detail.

Check out the pictures of these famous productions below…Dirty Dancing – The famous lift, capturing one of the most romantic moments in musical history, when Patrick Swayze lifts Jennifer Grey to the now-classic Time of my Life.

Les Misérables, Enjolras and his comrades storming the barricades.The gondola scene from the classic The Phantom of the Opera.The Lion King, the presentation of Simba at Pride Rock.

The Circle of Life loved by both children and adults alike, this emotionally filled scene pulls on the heart strings. 

To find out more about National Holidays and the theatre breaks on offer then visit the website here.

Antonin Dvořák’s rarely seen lyrical fairy tale for adults, Rusalka, is performed for the first time by Scottish Opera and for only the second time ever in Scotland, and it has been absolutely well worth the wait.

Intertwining the human world with an unearthly realm, Rusalka, a water nymph, longs to be human so she can win the love of the Prince who comes to bathe in the waters where she lives. Rusalka strikes a deal with the witch Ježibaba, who grants her wish but as with all true fairy tales, wishes come at a price.

The libretto by Jaroslav Kvapil is Czech to its core, written at the height of his powers, inspired by the fairy tales of Erben and Nemcova, as well as Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid and Friedrich de la Motte Fouqués Undine, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest European libretti and here under the baton of newly appointed Music Director Stuart Stratford, it truly has the power to move.

This production from Antony McDonald originates from Grange Park Opera in 2008 and sets the story firmly in the fairy tale realm. The atmospheric staging is filled with visual delights and changes from eerie forest glade to below stairs and the ballroom of the palace with aplomb. Lucy Burge’s innovative choreography compliments the production beautifully and its originality and humour are a treat.

The performances across the piece are universally deserving of praise: Anne Sophie Duprels’ Rusalka moves eloquently through all three stages of the character: other-wordly creature, mute human and exiled spirit. Sir Willard White delivers a show of strength as Vodník, Rusalka’s father, Peter Wedd is a solid Prince, Leah-Marian Jones’ is a gleefully evil Ježibaba and Natalya Romaniw is an eye and ear-catching foreign princess.

A five-star production in every way from Scottish Opera, catch it in Glasgow at the Theatre Royal on April 7th and 9th and at Edinburgh Festival Theatre on April 14th and 16th 2016.

Image credit: James Glossop

Following its successful White Christmas last November, Our Lady’s Musical Society will perform its new production Calamity Jane at Motherwell Theatre this November. With songs like “My Secret Love”, “Deadwood Stage”, “Windy City”, “Black Hills of Dakota” and many other familiar favourites it is sure to be another sell-out for this popular society.

Blue Skies from Our Lady’s Musical Society’s last production White Christmas.

The show, based on the classic Doris Day film, tells the story of the real-life Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok in mid-19th century Deadwood, South Dakota.

The club is on the lookout for new members – principals, dancers and chorus – particularly men, especially basses – with the talent and enthusiasm for musical theatre.

Rehearsals begin on Thursday 21st April, 7.15pm at Our Lady’s High School, Motherwell.

The Society will soon be holding open auditions for the principal roles, so all you budding Doris Days and Howard Keels, head for the website http://www.ourladysopera.org.uk for all you need to know. The Society, known for its welcoming nature and high production values, is open to everyone with the talent and desire for musical theatre, with or without previous experience. The company meets regularly on Thursday evenings and welcomes potential new and returning members.

On Saturday 9^th of April, the Citizens Theatre will host their biggest ever 50p ticket sale releasing an unprecedented 200 tickets for the upcoming co- production with the National Theatre of Scotland of This Restless House, a trilogy of new plays by Zinnie Harris based on the ancient Greek drama The Oresteia which runs from 15 April – 14 May. 

The Spring 2016 Season has seen the theatre release more 50p tickets than ever before and there will be a bumper sale of 200 50p tickets at 10am on Saturday for This Restless House. Normally 100 tickets are made available for each production, but with the This Restless House trilogy presented in two instalments a total of 200 tickets will be available at this sale. The production is directed by Citizens Theatre Artistic Director Dominic Hill, and is presented in two instalments over alternate evenings and in full on Saturdays from15 April until 14 May 2016.

100 tickets across 10 performances of each of the instalment of the play will go on sale at 10am on Saturday 9 April and the only way to grab these rock bottom priced tickets is in person at the theatre. Customers will be able to buy a maximum of two tickets for each instalment. 50p tickets for This Restless House are only available on the morning of the sale and must be paid for in cash.

Harris’ plays tell the bloody saga of a family torn apart by a succession of murders and betrayals. First performed in 485 BC, today’s audience will find that Dominic Hill’s production bring the universal themes of justice, revenge, loyalty, and the evolving relationships between teenagers and their parents to the fore in his trademark theatrical style.

Hill has assembled an award-winning creative team who have worked on some of his most distinctive productions includingBetrayal, Crime and Punishment, A Christmas Carol and Hamlet. A Cast of familiar faces from previous Citizens Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland productions will also be appearing on the Citizens’ stage including Adam Best (Hamlet, Crime and Punishment), Cliff Burnett (Lot and His God, Into That Darkness, A Christmas Carol, Hamlet, Let the Right One In), George Costigan (Crime and Punishment, King Lear), Keith Fleming (Vanya, Miss Julie, Dunsinane, Black Watch,Peer Gynt) and Anita Vettesse (In Time O’ Strife and Men Should Weep).

Hill marked his first season at the Citizens Theatre in 2012 with the revival of 50p tickets in celebration of Citizens Theatre’s historic reputation for offering world-class theatre at affordable prices. 50p tickets were first offered at the Citizens in 1976 when the theatre was under the leadership of Giles Havergal, Phillip Prowse and Robert David McDonald,  renowned in the 70s and 80s for their innovative productions. This innovative approach also encompassed a bold pricing structure with the belief that theatre should be accessible to all regardless of financial circumstance.

To this day Citizens Theatre continues to offer affordable tickets for a wide range of groups to encourage wider participation and engagement with theatre. Initiatives include £2 tickets with a Citizens Theatre Gorbals Card which is available to anyone with a G5 postcode, £2 tickets for the unemployed, and Deaf Theatre Club which offers £5 tickets to BSL interpreted shows for deaf patrons. In addition, all tickets for preview and Tuesday performances are available for a reduced price. In 2013 the Citizens Theatre was awarded ‘The Paul Hamlyn Club’ award in recognition of the theatre’s commitment to building sustainable relationships within its local community. This major grant of £500,000given by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation will ensure that the theatre can continue to widen its audience.

As well as at Saturday’s sale, tickets for This Restless House are available by calling the Citizens Theatre Box Office on 0141 429 0022 or by visiting citz.co.uk. Tickets start from £2 concessions.

Part 1: Agamemnon’s Return

Ten years previously, Agamemon sacrificed his daughter to the gods in exchange for fair winds in battle. Now he returns victorious from war with Troy to face his family and the terrible consequences of his actions.     

Part 2:  The Bough Breaks

Electra’s father, brother and sister are all dead or missing, and her beloved mother is inert with grief.  A familiar stranger opens her eyes to the truth behind her family’s past, forcing Electra to come face to face with her parents’ hideous flaws and driving her to an unthinkable act

Part 3: Electra and Her Shadow

As Electra is forced to confront the reality of a crime against nature, her world as she knows it begins to crumble. The curse that has haunted the family for generations looks as though it will never end.

Part 1 of the trilogy is presented in one performance, with Part 2 and Part 3 presented as a double-bill.

Audiences can choose to see This Restless House over two evenings, or immerse themselves in the trilogy in one day at one of the Citizens’ Trilogy Saturdays. A Trilogy Pass to see both instalments, either at a Trilogy Saturday or on different days is available for £30.

On Trilogy Saturdays, audiences will be able to attend special discussion events with members of the creative team to learn more about how this project has been brought to the stage. There will also be the option to pre-order a specially-selected meal box with a complimentary drink from the Citizens’ bar to enjoy between the performances.

In preparation for their innovative production of David Dawson’s Swan Lake, Scottish Ballet in partnership with NARS makeup invited some guests for a behind the scenes glimpse of the creation of the work which receives its world premiere this month.

Sophie Martin in rehearsal for David Dawson’s Swan Lake Image: Christina Reilly

David Dawson is a choreographer in demand throughout the world, and his work has been described as visceral and daring, always pushing dancers to their limits, challenging and extending the realms of classical technique. In the rehearsal room Dawson’s infinite eye for detail is clearly apparent, striving for perfection, making minute corrections to ensure his creative vision is represented on stage. Expect strength, darkness and precision as well as lyrical beauty when it premieres at the Theatre Royal.

Constance Devernay in rehearsal for David Dawson’s Swan Lake. Image: Christina Riley

From the rehearsal room to makeup; the creative artists at NARS have been challenged with creating the dual looks for the infamous black and white swans Odette and Odile. Dawson’s Swan Lake is more naturalistic and the makeup look reflects this, an easily wearable day look for Odette with a nude lip and with the mere change to a strong red lip colour – the dramatic look of Odile. The looks created are also durable and easily recreatable.

To achieve this stunning change for yourself the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil’s used were: Belle de Jour a flattering universal nude tone and Cruella a vibrant, classic red.

NARS Belle de Jour

NARS Cruella

The NARS counter in Frasers Department Store Glasgow offers comprehensive skin care and make up advice. Find out more here.

Scottish Ballet’s Swan Lake is at the Theatre Royal from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 Apr 2016, for more information, see Scottish Ballet’s own website. To book tickets see the Theatre Royal’s box office on 0844 871 7647.

In the atmospheric surroundings of Glasgow’s Woodside Hall, Psycho-like screeching strings from the barefoot orchestra clad in Edwardian garb and flashing strings of fairground lights, transport the audience back to turn of the century and the world of Dr. Caligari.

Taking as its inspiration the 1920 silent movie classic of the same name, Scottish Opera’s Connect company’s The Cabinet of Dr Caligari moves back in time to 1901 and resets the action to Glasgow instead of Germany.

Francis takes his girlfriend Jane and her best friend Ellen to the fair at Glasgow Green, among the fortune tellers and snake oil salesmen, in his Cabinet of Fate, Dr Gallagher presents a somnambulist, Cesare who can predict the future while in his sleeping state. When Cesare’s prophecy that Ellen will die that very night comes true, and Francis comes under suspicion for the murder, he and Jane begin to investigate with devastating consequences.

Under Julie Brown’s sure-footed direction, and enhanced by Lisa Sangster’s set and Kate Bonney’s lighting design, a comprehensive cast of characters colour the stage in Karen MacIver and Allan Dunn’s atmospheric and melodic work. The music and libretto are compelling throughout and its short running time (around 75 minutes) ensures that the audience is gripped from start to finish.

Despite the small size of the performance venue there are issues with projection from the young company who are often overwhelmed by the fine-sounding orchestra and dialogue is lost in several places, however, in the cast of 32 there are some stand-out performances which bode well for the future of opera in Scotland. Previous Scottish Opera Emerging Artists Andrew McTaggart and Sarah Power’s experience clearly shows, both delivering strong vocal performances as Caligari/Gallagher and Jane, the female chorus too are beautifully harmonious. Young tenor Glen Cunningham shows promise but needs to work on projecting his melodious voice and as Cesare, Daniel Keating Roberts provides novelty with his countertenor voice, but is somewhat lacking in his delivery.

Scottish Opera’s Connect programme provides the only opportunity for young Scottish musicians aged 14-21 to explore the world of opera and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari is the third world premier in eight years for Connect. The company’s commitment to innovation and the creation of new work must be applauded and if future works are of as high quality and as engaging and entertaining as Caligari then the future of opera in Scotland looks bright.

Since its first appearance at the Royal Court Theatre in June 1973, Richard O’Brien’s Rocky Horror Show has become the world’s favourite Rock N’ Roll musical. It has been performed worldwide for over 40 years in over 30 countries and has been translated into more than 20 languages. Director Christopher Luscombe created a stunning new production to celebrate the 40^th Anniversary and this critically acclaimed version of the classic show is back by popular demand, embarking on a year-long national adventure coming to the King’s Theatre Glasgow from Monday 8 until Saturday 13 August 2016.

X Factor finalist and star of the stage version of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, Diana Vickers will star in the role of Janet Weiss. Liam Tamne, who shot to fame in Series two of The Voice, has now been cast in the iconic role of Frank N Furter. Norman Pace of Hale and Pace is set to manage the proceedings taking on the role of the Narrator.

Diana Vickers (Janet) first came to public attention in 2008 when she was a finalist on The X Factor, before signing a record deal with RCA Records and getting a number one single and album. After her second album, Diana starred in the West End production of The Rise and Fall of Little Voice, for which she received excellent reviews from the press and the role won her the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Awards ‘London Newcomer of the Year’. She then went on to star in the West End production of Duck House alongside Ben Miller and Simon Shepherd.

Liam Tamne (Frank N Furter), trained at Laine Theatre Arts and is no stranger to the West End, having trod the boards as Raoul in The Phantom of the Opera, Link Larkin in Hairspray and Enjolras in Les Miserables. Liam was part of ‘Team Will’ in the second series of The Voice, after he wowed the judges during his blind audition.

Norman Pace, one-half of comedy duo Hale and Pace, has become an accomplished actor in his own right, with guest lead roles in BBC’sCasualty and ITV’s The Last Detective.  He made his West End debut as ‘Amos Hart’ in Chicago in 1999 and has since gone on to perform in the UK tours of Honk, A Slice Of Saturday Night, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Satin ‘N’ Steel, Breakfast With Johnny Wilkinson,Donkeys Ears, Our Man In Havana, Dry Rot, Charley’s Aunt, Annie Get Your Gun and most recently One Man Two Guvnors.

This musical extravaganza features all of its famous musical classics including Science Fiction/Double Feature, Dammit Janet and of course, the timeless floor-filler, The Time-Warp.

Rocky Horror Show

King’s Theatre Glasgow

Mon 8 – Sat 13 Aug

Mon – Thu eves 8pm

Fri & Sat 5.30pm & 8.30pm

Box Office 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee) Calls cost 7p per minute, plus your phone company’s access charge

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)     

Due to the injury of a cast member, the preview performances of This Restless House Part 1: Agamemnon’s Return on Friday 15 and Saturday 16 April have unfortunately had to be cancelled. 

Instead, the theatre will preview Part 1: Agamemnon’s Return on Friday 22 April and preview Part 2 & Part 3: The Bough Breaks & Electra and Her Shadow on Saturday 23 April.

 All other performances will run as scheduled.

 The previews of Part 1 on Tue 26 April and Parts 2 & 3 on Wed 27 April will go ahead as scheduled.

In this brand new show for 2016, Europe’s most successful Elvis Presley tribute artist – Lee ‘Memphis’ King – presents the ultimate tribute to The King, celebrating the unrivalled career of this musical legend.

Over the last eight years, King has toured One Night of Elvis playing to over a million fans and has headlined and sold out some of the most prestigious venues across the UK and Europe.

In this latest production, King portrays Elvis Presley at his peak from the legendary ’68 Comeback Special to The Vegas Years. Resplendent in the most authentic costumes from Elvis’ performances and backed by a world class orchestra and large screen projection, prepare to be taken back in time to the sound of Elvis in his heyday.

One Night of Elvis: Lee ‘Memphis’ King

King’s Theatre Glasgow

Sat 21 May, 7.30pm

Box Office 0844 871 7648 (bkg fee) Calls cost 7p per min plus your phone company’s access charge

www.atgtickets.com/glasgow (bkg fee)

Fear will hold you prisoner, hope can see you free.

Bill Kenwright presents a new stage production inspired by the classic film The Shawshank Redemption, based on the short novel by Stephen King and tickets are now on sale.

Based on the 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and The Shawshank Redemption, the play examines desperation, injustice, friendship and hope behind the claustrophobic bars of a maximum-security facility. The 1994 feature film, regularly voted Britain’s favourite ever movie, starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and was nominated for seven Academy Awards.

Mon 21 – Sat 26 November 2016, Theatre Royal, Glasgow

TKTS: Here

Image: Mark Yeoman