Felicity Varah Harding OBE, distinguished daughter of Samaritans founder Chad Varah and esteemed Honorary President of Samaritans, is set to make a special appearance at the Greenwich Theatre on October 5th, 2023. She will be attending We Are What We Overcome, a groundbreaking production that delves into the complexities of mental health through captivating stories and songs.

Felicity Varah Harding’s presence will be a testament to her enduring commitment to mental health awareness and support. As part of this event, she will extend her gratitude to the show’s visionary creator, Matt McGuinness. Recognised for his collaborative efforts with the suicide prevention charity, McGuinness has been actively involving local branches as a source of support at each venue on his impactful UK tour to fundraise and offer emotional support.

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Thursday 14 September: Today, the nominees for this year’s UK Theatre Awards have been announced. 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.

With nominees across the UK, this year’s shortlist showcases the creativity, originality and resilience of theatre. Leading the nominations, both with acknowledgements across five categories, are Lyric Theatre Belfast and Sheffield Theatres. Lyric Theatre Belfast’s nominations include Best Design, Best Director, Best New Play, Best Play Revival and Best Show for Children and Young People, while Sheffield Theatres is represented in Best Musical Production, Best Play Revival, Best Performance in a Musical and Best Performance in a Play.

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As the National Theatre prepares to mark 60 years of entertaining and inspiring audiences around the world on 22 October, a birthday present of 3,600 free tickets, 60 tickets for 60 performances in October, will be available for 16–25-year-olds to book for productions on the South Bank and in the West End. Productions include The Father and the Assassin, Death of England: Closing Time, The Effect, The Confessions, The Ocean at the End of the Lane and Dear England.

Tickets for the productions on all three stages of the National Theatre and at the Noël Coward and Prince Edward theatres in the West End will be made available to book for free via the National Theatre website on Monday 2 October from 12 – 6pm or whilst tickets last.

From the powerful exploration of oppression and extremism in Anupama Chandrasekhar’s The Father and the Assassin, to James Graham’s smash-hit new play Dear England, which tells the story of the England men’s football team under Gareth Southgate, there is a wealth of theatrical experience on offer for thousands of young people to experience for free.

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Globally renowned actor Brian Cox is the latest name set to join BBC Maestro’s online platform of world-class experts. His course, Acting, will shine a spotlight on how to deliver award-winning performances, capture — and hold — an audience’s collective attention, and embody a multitude of iconic characters. Brian’s dedication to his craft has garnered international and critical acclaim across six decades. A classically trained Shakespearean actor, his formidable performances as Logan Roy in Succession, Hermann Göring in Nuremberg, Detective Inspector Nelson in Rat in the Skull and the titular role in Titus Andronicus have earned him an Emmy, a Golden Globe Award, two BAFTAs, and two Olivier Awards.

Across his lessons, Brian will direct aspiring actors through practical exercises designed to help them master both stage and screen. Lessons will delve into character development, script analysis, and the essential techniques to take into their next audition. The course will include a discussion of the key components of acting, insights from a casting director, and a practical workshop led by Brian to help current drama students hone their craft.

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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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