The Southwark Playhouse have announced the FORGE artist development programme, a programme that will support 4 exceptional emerging companies who will become attached to the Playhouse for 9 months, receiving free rehearsal space to R&D ideas, dramaturgical support from the Southwark Playhouse senior artistic team, free office space for producers and a week-long slot to platform a show in ‘The Little’ space to a paying audience. The scheme will also provide industry mentorship from established theatre professionals and bespoke workshops from the Playhouse team on a variety of key learning topics, to guide and empower them in this creative journey.
What motherhood looks like to all women differs, how this facet of humanity has been viewed upon throughout time, transforming with the times, the choice to become one the most important decision that a woman can make within her lifetime and therefore not taken lightly. There can often times feel like there’s a societal pressure to become a mother, throughout time women scolded for not becoming one – ignorant of the circumstances that influence that particular life decision decision – flippant comments not thought about having huge implications. A brave exploration of this, theatre maker Stephanie Ware doesn’t at all take herself seriously in Whoa Mama!, a humorous observation of self – femininity, motherhood and singledom through the gaze of a versatile, highly sought after acting career.
Imperative that the audience join in with Ware’s comical observations, Whoa Mama!, although zoning in on Ware’s story stresses a point of taking a look within ourselves to purely ask what makes us happy – whether that be starting our own families or making the choice not to.
Norwich Theatre, one of the leading cultural institutions in the UK, has released the findings of a survey that sheds light on theatre attendance patterns across Britain. In the survey of over 2,000 British adults, it was found that almost one in four Brits (24%) have never attended a theatre performance.
The survey aimed to understand the barriers that prevent people from experiencing live theatre, and when asked what would encourage them to go to the theatre more often over half of the respondents (55%) cited lower ticket prices.
To ascertain the extent to which this impacts the younger generation, respondents with children were asked how often they take their children to the theatre, which found that over half of families (54%) take their children to the theatre less than once a year, or not at all.
The UK’s only event celebrating the outstanding achievements and contributions of black artists to the nation’s vibrant and dynamic theatre industry, the Black British Theatre Awards (BBTA), has opened up nominations for this year’s awards and invites the public to submit their favourite black British theatre professionals for recognition.
The British public will be able to submit their nominations for awards across key categories such as Best Producer and Director, lighting and sound design, casting, Best Male and Female Lead in a Play and Musical, as well as Champion Awards such as Best Child Performer (under 16), LGBTQIA Champion and Disability Champion, via the BBTA website from 1 June to 31 July.
“It is crucial for us to be loud in our celebration of black talent in the British theatre industry as it not only amplifies the diverse voices that have made significant contributions to enriching the industry with unique and creative and cultural perspectives, but also to recognise the decades-long impact of black professionals’ artistic legacy in the UK while inspiring future generations of black creatives,” says Solange Urdang OBE & Omar F. Okai, Co-Founders of the BBTAs.
Contemporary R&B superstar PartyNextDoor announces the PARTYNEXTDOOR: Sorry I’m Outside Tour. His European tour announcement follows hot on the heels of his sell out multi-city US tour which concludes in August. The superstar will then make his way to the UK at the start of October with multiple stops across Europe including Ireland, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Norway before the final stop in Berlin, Germany on the 28th October at Columbiahalle.
The tour announcement follows PARTYNEXTDOOR’S long-awaited album PARTYNEXTDOOR 4 (P4), which was released Friday 26th April, along with the sultry music video for the standout track “For Certain.” PARTYNEXTDOOR: Sorry I’m Outside marks the R&B artist’s first tour since 2018.
TICKETS: Tickets will be available starting with various presales beginning on Wednesday, May 29th. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general on-sale beginning on Friday, May 31st at 10am local time. Tickets available from www.partyomo.com
An adaptation of two 1929 treatise established pre WWII, The Geneva Conventions, now consisting of four treatise and three additional protocols crafted post WWII in 1949 set out humanitarian conditions of those impacted by conflict, these being wartime prisoners, civilians and military personnel. In a time of increasing conflict post 2020 which saw the beginnings of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine in 2022, and the decades long tensions between Israel and Palestine resulting in the beginnings of the Israel/Hamas conflict in 2023 – with both conflicts still devastatingly dominating today’s world events, historically we’re at a critical point. Blank Productions mark the dark times that we’re in with Geneva Convention – a tale of what has been and sadly, what is to follow.
British rock royalty, You Me At Six, take their final lap of the UK and Ireland for their farewell tour, which kicks off on March 7th, 2025, at Dublin’s 3Olympia and includes their last ever show at OVO Wembley Arena on April 4th. Tickets go on general sale Friday 31st May at 9am via LiveNation.co.uk
Singer Josh Franceschi adds “We want to celebrate this with as many of our fans as possible. We’ve put in the work for 2 decades and i want this band to be remembered for being one of the good ones that came in, did their fucking thing, and fucked off before they got kicked out. The final date at Wembley is 20 years to the day of our first band practise! That’s going to be really special. We have been very lucky and i’m looking to forward to this final year. I’m just really having an amazing time. “
Over a career that spans 20 Years, You Me At Six had some amazing career highs including two Number One albums, world tours that saw them perform to thousands, streams that recently topped over a billion worldwide and faces that have graced the covers of multiple magazines across the globe.
These shows follow a triumphant few months touring the world for one final time and marks a celebratory end to their reign as one of the UK’s much loved rock bands. They play their final festival this weekend, at Slam Dunk in Leeds and Hatfield Park.
Due to phenomenal demand, rising star comedian Kane Brown extends his sold out, Don’t Listen To Me comedy tour until November 2024, announcing thirty new dates. Kane will be travelling across all corners of the UK. Tickets go on general sale Friday 31st May at 10am Via LiveNation.co.uk
“Kane Brown commands the comedy stage with an irresistible blend of warm, charismatic allure and electrifying, razor-sharp truth. His magnetic presence and seamless delivery captivate audiences, leaving them in fits of laughter and craving more. You haven’t truly experienced a comedy show until you’ve attended a Kane Brown performance. Kane Brown is the comedian’s comedian.” – Mo Gilligan
Don’t Listen To Me Tour
May 2024
Wednesday 15 Sheffield The Leadmill *SOLD OUT
Friday 17th Luton Hat Factory Arts Centre *SOLD OUT
Matthew Warchus, Director, Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical.
The Old Vic today announces that Matthew Warchus, following 11 years leading the organisation, will step down as Artistic Director in September 2026.
Appointed in 2015, Matthew, alongside the leadership team, has gone on to transform the theatre, increasing the number of shows each year and presenting popular and acclaimed Seasons of work that include new writing, refreshed classics, bold new musicals, dance theatre and shows for families. The Old Vic’s iconic building is now open day and night with transformed and newly accessible front-of-house, Stage Door and back-of-house spaces.
The Old Vic is one of London’s oldest, and largest, producing theatres, annually welcoming audiences of over 270,000 people and, in the 2022/2023 Season, achieving an extraordinary seated capacity of 91%. Despite receiving no regular public subsidy, the 206-year-old venue is committed to audience development and engaging people from all over the world. During Matthew’s tenure, the theatre has welcomed over 140,000 audience members for just £10 through the PwC Previews Scheme.
To date, his 10 Seasons of work have delivered 25 world premieres, West End and Broadway transfers, national and international tours, and achieved hundreds of award nominations including Olivier and Tony Award wins.
With over 900 million global streams and counting, self-taught songwriter/producer Artemas announces his global headline “you’re really early… the tour.” Fans can sign up for presale on his website before official on-sale next week. Pre-sale for the tour will go live Tuesday, May 21st at 10am local with official on-sale Thursday, May 23rd at 10am local HERE.
The 33-date tour will kick off on August 20th in Dublin, moving through major European cities including Paris, Berlin and Zurich before hitting North America. Starting October 1st in Chicago, the routing includes shows at Irving Plaza in New York and two nights at El Rey in Los Angeles. From there, Artemas will then travel to his hometown for a slew of shows in the UK before wrapping the tour up in Australia and New Zealand.
The announcement arrives on the heels of his current single “i like the way you kiss me” which has amassed over 520 million streams globally, while the video has over 27 million views. Taking over the charts too, it currently sits at #5 on Spotify’s Global Top 50 Chart, #3 on Billboard 200 Chart Ex-US and #23 on Billboard Hot 100. Internationally, the song reached #1 on the Germany Singles Chart and continues to stay in the Top 10 of the UK Official Singles Chart.
Continuing to build off the buzz of his mixtape pretty, featuring standout “if u think i’m pretty,” Artemas proves his staying power by being named “Artist to Watch” by the likes of Hypebeast, Ones to Watch and debuting on Zane Lowe’s “24 for ‘24” roster. DAZED magazine included him in their “new wave of artists changing the sound in London” feature, while he also has captured the attention of Billboard, CLASH, Line of Best Fit, UPROXX and more.
“you’re really early… the tour” ROUTING
8/20 – Dublin, IRE @ Academy
9/14 – Paris, FR @ Le Trianon
9/16 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg MAX
9/17 – Hamburg, DE @ Mojo Club
9/19 – Berlin, DE @ Huxleys
9/22 – Prague, CZ @ Roxy
9/24 – Cologne, DE @ Die Kantine
9/25 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix
9/27 – Munich, DE @ Freiheitshalle
9/28 – Zurich, CH @ Komplex 457
10/1 – Chicago, IL @ Outset
10/3 – Toronto, ON @ Great Hall
10/5 – Montreal, QC @ Theatre Fairmount
10/6 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10/9 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
10/12 – Washington, DC @ Union Stage
10/13 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
10/16 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade – Purgatory Stage
10/19 – Austin, TX @ Parish
10/23 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
10/26 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
10/28 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
10/29 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
11/6 – Glasgow, UK @ SWG3
11/9 – Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
11/10 – Birmingham, UK @ O2 Institute
11/11 – London, UK @ O2 Forum Kentish Town
11/21 – Melbourne, AUS @ Northcote Theatre
11/28 – Brisbane, AUS @ The Princess Theatre
11/30 – Sydney, AUS @ Metro Theatre
12/3 – Aukland, NZ @ The Powerstation
ABOUT ARTEMAS:
At 24-years-old, Artemas, has only been releasing music since late 2020 but is fast developing a distinctive alternative pop sound through his relatable songwriting and captivating melodies. The self-taught multi-instrumentalist and unashamed pop music fan is a student of the YouTube generation of songwriters/producers. Hailing from Oxfordshire, but now based in London, Artemas made the most of being restricted to his bedroom over the past couple of years, spending most waking hours during that time honing his studio craft. With release of his pretty mixtape earlier this year, led by single “if you think i’m pretty,” he garnered global attention with hundreds of millions of streams, while being named an Artist to Watch by both Hypebeast and Ones to Watch. Now, he continues his takeover with “i like the way you kiss me” zooming to over 520M streams, reaching #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard 200 Ex-Us chart.