Open Door have unveiled the graduating actors selected to be part of Open Door Elevate,a brand-new initiative now in it’s third year, designed to help emerging talent from lower-income backgrounds as they enter the professional industry.
Kicking of their tour of FIREDANCE initially in February of 2020, Strictly Come Dancing professionals Karen Hauer and Gorka Marquez, like many creatives at the time, found themselves having to ground their show to a halt in response to the ongoing pandemic. Last year however, a couple of years on from the crisis, as we all emerged from the disruption, both were able to reignite the show’s unrelenting flames and bring it back to our stages. Showing no signs of slowing down, having both recently competed on the 2022 edition of Strictly Come Dancing, the dynamic duo have shown that they’re back with a vengeance, more so than ever. Due to tour from 23rd February, starting off at New Theatre in Peterborough before concluding its run on Saturday 1st April 2023 City Hall in Sheffield, Karen tells us more about the show’s inspirations, working with Gorka and what audiences can expect!
Fleeting yet memorable, a holiday romance cab add an unpredictable sense of excitement that elevates mood. Whether momentary, or the start of a promising connection, meeting that special someone whilst away is an added bonus. Nearly 40 years down and the tale of Frances Houseman – aka ‘Baby’ (Kira Malou) and dance instructor Johnny Castle’s (Michael O’Reilly) holiday romance entertains, Eleanor Bernstein’s iconic dance film Dirty Dancing returning to the stage. Adapted into a stage musical by Karl Sydow, in association with Lionsgate and Magic Hour, and kicking off a national tour at the Dominion Theatre, it’s fair to say the musical starts off the year with a bang!
Sound of the Underground is a tongue-in-cheek reality check for consumers of Drag Queen culture. This play-turns-cabaret brings together some of the best queer talent and presents them in their FULL drag selves. I attended with four of my queer friends and each one of us had our favourite that we’d previously seen on the queer London nightlife scene. (Mine is, of course, Sadie Sinner, creator of the Cocoa Butter Club and my unashamed celebrity crush.) It felt revolutionary just having these eight powerhouses at the “Rrrrrroyal” Court.
Courtesy of Helen Murray.
Established in 1978, Sundance is one of the world’s most recognisable film festivals. Celebrating 45 years of championing independent cinema, the festival continues to showcase the very best of filmmaking. Returning to the festival, after his film Bump was selected to screen last year, filmmaker and actor Maziyar Khatam presents Baba this year – the second instalment of his offbeat, comedy-drama short film series, a personal homage to his upbringing and Iranian-Canadian heritage. Currently screening at Sundance, Maziyar tells us more about the film winning Best Canadian Short Film at Vancouver International Film Festival, working with the creative team to realise the film and what he’s learned from creating it.
The Hitrz courtesy of Annie Kruntcheva
Enjoying a resurgence, currently dominating the airwaves, Grime has taken the world by storm. Artists such as Stormzy, Dave, Little Simz, Headie One, Ms Banks amongst others engaging a new age of listeners. Having both been instrumental in the Grime scene, legends Prince Owusu-Agyekum aka Rapid, who has written songs for critically acclaimed artist Tinchy Strider and artist Ebenezer Ayerh aka Slix look to nurture the next generation of Grime talent – whether they look to pursue a career on stage or of. Their organisation, Ruff Squad Arts Foundation having supported the stars of tomorrow since 2017. Getting ready to host Ruff Sqwad presents Lights Up as part of Certain Blacks’ Heroes Festival on 4th February at Rich Mix, the inspirational duo tell us more about the artists taking part and what to expect!
Hi Prince and Ebenezer AKA Ruff Sqwad, you’ll be hosting Lights Up on 4th Feb which forms Certain Blacks’ 9th festival titled ‘Heroes’ at Rich Mix. How are you feeling ahead of the event?
We are so excited and can’t wait for 4th February to come, so much young, hungry talent under one roof is definitely a night not to be missed!
Battersea Arts Centre will be welcoming people into the Freedom Tap Room to enjoy some warmth, a free meal and a drink this January, February and March. There will be a selection of books and board games available in the space, and additional members of the team will be on hand throughout the opening hours.
The full list of partners has been announced ahead of the Olivier Awards 2023 with Mastercard, which take place on Sunday 2 April at London’s Royal Albert Hall. Public tickets for the star-studded ceremony, widely considered the biggest night in British theatre, are now available exclusively to Mastercard cardholders via priceless.com.
Today New Diorama Theatre and Underbelly are announcing a renewed three-year partnership, relaunching their hit-making Untapped Award, originally developed in 2018 and aimed at discovering and supporting emerging theatre makers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. From 2023, Concord Theatricals also join the partnership, helping supercharge the support offered to diverse-led companies showcasing work at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Nouveau Riche – Queens of Sheba courtesy of Guy J Saunders
The ultimate question as to how and why we’re here is one that will forever intrigue mankind. Whether you don’t have an opinion, believe in religious ideas, spiritual ones, scientific ones, philosophical ones or a mixture of these, our outlooks on the world and how we perceive existence is in itself a powerful act. An exploration of what this looks like through the eyes of three dancers, Jules Cunningham’s how did we get here? ponders on the world beyond our immediate reality.
Courtesy of Camilla Greenwell.