Musical Theatre star Zoe Birkett will host this year’s UK Theatre Awards, set to take place on Sunday 8 October at London’s Guildhall. The UK Theatre Awards are the only nationwide awards to honour and celebrate outstanding achievements in theatre throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by UK Theatre members.

Zoe has built an impressive career as an actress and singer and is currently in rehearsals for The Witches at the National Theatre, playing the role of Pippa. She has built a stellar reputation and garnered an array of rave reviews for her performances in an abundance of hit West End shows, including The Great British Bake Off Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Priscilla Queen Of The Desert, Hair, Rent and Tommy, as well as originating the female lead in in Thriller Live. Zoe has just finished starring as Rachael Marron in The Bodyguard UK Tour, and in 2022 she won the BroadwayWorld UK / West End award for ‘Best Supporting Performer in a Musical’ for her portrayal of ‘Arabia’ in Moulin Rouge! The Musical.

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A summer that has seen Greta Gerwig’s smash hit Barbie movie become the highest grossing movie of the year, the decades long phenomenon has enjoyed a new found resurgence worldwide. An embodiment of femininity held up for a long time in the mainstream, the world famous doll served as a symbol of beauty, a message ingrained from childhood. Channeling and dismantling this idea, Sabean Bea and Alanna Flynn craft Dolls & Guys, a Toy Story meets Spice Girls mash up adding to our millennial, feminist-centric theatrical landscape we’re currently in.

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The initial findings of the first ever UK Musicians’ Census are being released to the public for the first time today. The results are based on detailed information provided by nearly 6,000 UK musicians, making it the largest ever survey of its kind.

The first report provides a detailed insight into the demographic makeup of UK musicians, the barriers to career progression and economic challenges.

Earnings

The first Musicians’ Census found that 70% of professional musicians in the UK hold a degree or higher (50% have a music degree specifically), and 65% have been earning musicians for over 10 years.

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Following our initial Mindfulness Workshops organised in celebration of our 10th year, Megan Mattravers returns to deliver online workshops on Sunday 10th December 2023 and Sunday 7th January 2024 – with the idea of concluding the year on a positive note and seeing in the new year with good intentions. Timings are the same as before, 1pm/1:30pm with sessions lasting 30 minutes in total.

Our initial workshops included mindful writing – an exercise encouraging us to stay rooted in the present moment and pay attention to our 5 senses, and a body scan – an exercise again keeping us in the present moment (this is a scan of the body mentally, bringing awareness to any tensions within the body) and cultivating calmness. There were opportunities to share thoughts and feelings if you wanted to throughout, with participants feeling mentally energised for the week ahead.

With well-being at the forefront societally now, in a post pandemic world which sees us build anew, this is our contribution to hopefully cultivating a safe space to cultivate calm. If you’d like to take part in one or more of our workshops, send an email titled ‘Mindfulness Workshop’ to theatrefullstop@gmail.com stating what date/s and time/s you’d like to attend.

Any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me (Lucy Basaba) at theatrefullstop@gmail.com.

Scala Radio presenter Penny Smith and acclaimed tenor Alfie Boe have been announced as the hosts of Scala Radio Presents: Classics at Christmas. Presented by Scala Radio, this festive feast of Christmas classics and classical bangers performed by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be taking place once again at The London Palladium on Sunday November 26th at 3pm.

As well as hosting with Penny, Alfie will also be performing on the famous London Palladium stage, for an unforgettable afternoon of live music. Further Scala Radio friends and family will also be joining the line-up and will be announced soon.

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The 2023 Edinburgh International Festival has ended on a high, after 24 packed days of events from 2,500 remarkable and diverse artists representing 50 nations.

The programme was characterised by a high quality of art, presenting work from 130 Grammy nominated artists, 33 Grammy Award-winners, 14 Brit Award-winners, 6 Olivier Award-winners and 3 Venice Golden Lions awards. Artists also attracted significant worldwide media attention and positive reviews, with two-thirds of International Festival performances receiving four and five-star reviews.

With an unprecedented emphasis on a deepened audience experience, the 2023 International Festival reimagined how we interact with and appreciate live performance, through audio introductions, contextual demonstrations and discussions before and during performances, and bringing audiences and artists closer together through more informal, intimate performance environments.

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London Theatre Week, the highly anticipated performing arts celebration spotlighting dynamic musicals and award-winning plays in London’s West End, is extending until 10 September.

Locals and tourists alike will have the chance to beat those back-to-school blues by experiencing a wide-range of productions with reasonable tickets from £15, £25, or £35. Now in its fifth year, London Theatre Week is proud to have grown to a world-renowned initiative, meaningfully increasing accessibility to the performing arts since its inception. Having started with just 37 participating shows in its inaugural year, London Theatre Week has seen over 140 shows participate, performing across 85 local theatre venues, and has sold over 1 million tickets to audience members. Both new shows like Back to the Future and beloved classics like The Phantom of the Opera have taken part, bringing joy to audiences seeing high-calibre productions on offer in London’s glittering West End for a fraction of the cost.

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Classic hit ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ is an instantly recognisable pop/synth track transporting all back to the 80s, an energetic, iconic number that instantly gets you moving from The Communards, spent weeks at the no. 1 spot on the UK charts – a testament to the song’s popularity which is still enjoyed to this day. With co-vocals by soul/jazz vocalist Sarah Jane Morris, the band’s unique sound would go on to define the pop sound of the day. Renowned for her tenor/baritone range, Sarah Jane has paved a varied path throughout her career since, fronting bands The Republic and The Happy End and passing on her musical knowledge to future generations. Her latest project The Sisterhood a live choral performance narrating the lives of 10 iconic females musician including Nina Simone and Kate Bush. Set to play at Cadogan Hall on 6th October, Sarah Jane tells us more about her inspirations for creating the show, working with renowned guitarist Tony Remy to produce the show and how her extensive career has shaped her as an artist.

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The Rolling Stones come roaring out of the traps today with the release of their rocking single Angry. It arrives alongside the announcement of their hugely anticipated new album, titled Hackney Diamonds and released on October 20th. The exciting news was shared today by Mick, Keith and Ronnie at a special media launch event at the historic Hackney Empire, East London’s epicentre of pioneering art for almost 125 years. The launch was hosted by American tv star Jimmy Fallon and streamed worldwide via YouTube.

The 12-track album, for which full track list information will be revealed in due course, was recorded in various locations around the world, including Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Metropolis Studios, London; Sanctuary Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Electric Lady Studios, New York; and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios, also in New York.

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In total, comedy trio Foil, Hog and Arms have accumulated over 1 billion views online, an achievement within our digital age to be celebrated. Their sharp, viral comedic sketches attracting vast audiences in over 150 countries from the UK to the Middle East for over a decade now – the trio referred to as The Three Brothers in China. Admired by celebrities alike, including US comedy duo Key and Peele and renowned actress Emma Thompson, their popularity is clear to see – they all able to foster a sense of relatability that inevitably forges connection. An Edinburgh Festival favourite having sold over 26,000 tickets last year, they’ve enjoyed sold out runs at the New York Town Hall and Hammersmith Apollo. Ready to embark on a UK tour, starting off at the Theatre Royal Brighton on the 28th September and concluding at The Lowry Theatre on the 29th October – Foil, Hog and Arms present their latest live work, Hogwash– a fast paced mix of sketches, improvisation, audience participation and talking suitcases! Ahead of the tour, the trio tell us more about creating work for both live and online spaces and what to expect.

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