Kerry Ellis & Brian May announce new UK tour 'Candlelit Christmas'

Kerry Ellis and Brian May have announced dates for their upcoming UK tour Candlelit Christmas.

The tour kicks off on 7th December in Dorking, with the final date on 23rd December in Guildford. 

Candlelit Christmas marks the pair’s sixth tour together since their first tour Anthems in 2011, which followed the release of their first album of the same name. 

The tour will feature new songs from the forthcoming second album Anthems II which the pair have been working on for the last year. Earlier this year Ellis and May toured Italy and Europe with their One Voice tour. 

Kerry Ellis & Brian May release new single 'Amazing Grace'

The first lady of the West End Kerry Ellis and Queen legend Brian May have released a cover of 'Amazing Grace'.

The single supports the launch of May’s Save Me Trust and Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue's campaign #AmazingGrace aimed at raising public awareness of the plight of our nation’s favourite wild animal, the hedgehog. 

This single has been rush released in support of Grace, the hedgehog. The single is avaliable now on iTunes. You can watch the accompanying video below. Ellis and May recently released 'Roll With You' which they wrote together for their upcoming album Anthems II. They've completed their Italian and European One Voice tour, with UK dates expected to be announced soon. 

Kerry Ellis & Brian May premiere band new song

Kerry Ellis and Brian May have premiered their brand new song 'Roll With You'. Written by Ellis and May, the number will feature on their upcoming album Anthems II and can currently be heard live on their European One Voice tour. Have a listen below!

An official release date for the album and details for Ellis and May's rumoured UK tour are yet be be announced. Queen legend Brian May spotted Kerry Ellis when she was in My Fair Lady at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane and invited her to audition for his musical We Will Rock You. After originating the role of Meat in the show, Ellis and May have gone on to work together extensively, both in the studio and on world tours.

Kerry Ellis & Brian May announce London concerts

Kerry Ellis and Brian May have revealed that they will play two London shows before heading off on their Italian and East European tours. 

The duo will premiere their One Voice concert at The Pheasantry in Chelsea on Tuesday 19th January 2016. The show will mark the reopening of The Pheasantry which is currently closed for refurbishment.

On 20th January Ellis and May will take to the stage at the Leicester Square Theatre, to perform as part of An Evening With Russ Ballard. The show will see Russ Ballard, who has written some of the most iconic rock songs of the past four decades, tell stories and answer questions from the audience whilst Ellis and May will acoustically perform some of his music.

Brian May & Anita Dobson get KINKY!

Yesterday (23rd December) rock god Brian May and his wife, actress Anita Dobson, made a special visit to the West End production of KINKY BOOTS at the Adelphi Theatre. 

May and Dobson dressed as Mr and Mrs Claus to hand out the company's secret santa presents, watched the show and even posed with the cast in a pair of kinky boots, proving that the sex really is in the heel! Check out some images and tweets from the day below:

Brian May & Kerry Ellis announce East Europe Tour

Legendary Queen star Brian May and the first lady of the West End Kerry Ellis have announced East Europe dates for their One Voice world tour (see dates below). 

Tickets for these shows will go on sale tomorrow (8th October). The duo have already announced dates for their Italian tour and UK dates are expected to be revealed shortly.

May, who recently toured the world with Queen and Adam Lambert, said: "I am delighted to be returning to Eastern Europe, where I have performed so many times since 1986. This will be a sort of 30th anniversary for me."

May and Ellis pair recently released their version of Ruth Moody's song 'One Voice' in April and are currently back in the studio working on a new album Anthems II. Speaking to West End Frame during a recent interview Ellis said: "Anthems I was obviously very big and orchestral, and then after that we did the acoustic live album which was completely different. I think the aim of Anthems II is a combination of the two. 

Brian May and Kerry Ellis announce Italian tour

Following their recent performance at the Arena di Verona which was transmitted live on TV, Brian May and Kerry Ellis will return to Italy next year with their new show One Voice: The Tour. 

The pair recently released their version of Ruth Moody's song 'One Voice' in April and are currently back in the studio working on a new album.

Writing on his website, May said: "This track is Art for Art’s sake. To me, it’s something I’m already proud of, with a magnificent vocal performance by Kerry Ellis, but also it has a crystal clear human message - 'You have a voice … your voice CAN make a difference'."

GOSSIP: Kerry Ellis & Brian May working on new album 'Anthems 2'

Kerry Ellis and Brian May have revealed that they are working on a new album. 

Following the release of their first album Anthems in September 2010, the pair are currently working on its follow-up Anthems 2.

Speaking to Simon Mayo during an interview on BBC Radio 2's Drivetime show on 10th June, May said: "We're working on Anthems 2. We're not going to rush it, but we have some good stuff already." 

Kerry Ellis & Brian May to release new single on Monday

Kerry Ellis and Brian May's brand new single 'One Voice' will be released next Monday (13th April).

The track is being rush released after the song's music video received thousands of hits within a few hours of being uploaded on YouTube. It will be avaliable from all digital partners.

May said: "This is probably the fastest turnaround I’ve ever achieved - in terms of getting from a finished mix to a new song being ‘out there’ - but we’re rarin’ to go, and decided to dispense with the formalities and throw our new track out there without a backward look.

Kerry Ellis & Brian May release new music video

Kerry Ellis and Brian May have released a music video for their version of 'One Voice'. The song was originally written by Ruth Moody, co-founder of The Wailin' Jennys. Watch the video below!

Writing on his official website, May said: "This probably the fastest turn-around I’ve ever achieved - in terms of getting from a finished mix to a new song being ‘out there’ - but we’re rarin' to go, and decided to dispense with the formalities and throw our new track out there without a backward look."

Full casting announced for Return to the Forbidden Planet UK Tour

Brian May

Full casting and dates have been announced for the upcoming tour of Return to the Forbidden Planet. 

The 25th Anniversary production is set to launch at the Brighton Theatre Royal on 20th January 2015. The tour has been extended to May 2015 to include new dates in Darlington, Edinburgh, Wimbledon, Leicester, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Blackpool and Manchester (click here for full tour dates).

The cast of actor-musicians features Steve Simmonds as Bosun, Sean Needham as Captain Tempest, Christine Holman as Science Officer, Greg Last as Navigation Officer, Mark Newnham as Cookie, Jonathan Markwood as Prospero, Frido Ruth as Ariel, Sarah Scowen as Miranda, Georgina Field as Anne Droid, Callum Hughes as Phil McCavity, Joseph Mann as Ewan Watami and Hannah Howcroft as Young Miranda. Queen's Dr Brian May will appear via video projection as the Newscaster/Chorus. 

GOSSIP: Brian May & Ben Elton working on We Will Rock You sequel

We Will Rock You sequel workshop cast & team
Photo Credit: www.brianmay.com

It was recently announced that We Will Rock You will end its tremendous West End run at the Dominion Theatre on 31st May 2014. 

Fans who were left reeling by the news will be delighted to hear that Brian May and Ben Elton have been working on a sequel to the musical!

May, Elton and We Will Rock You cast members presented a workshop performance of We Will Rock You 2 in London recently following two weeks of developmental work.

Writing on his blog, May said: "The news is leakily out there. We did it! We workshopped the SEEK [sequel]... To great acclaim in a tiny room in Belsize Park... After just two weeks insanely intense 24/7 work. The seed is sown! My thanks to all for the passion that everyone put in."

Kerry Ellis and Brian May announce 2014 Born Free tour dates

Kerry Ellis and Brian May will once again tour the UK in 2014 with their Born Free acoustic show. The pair will visit the Buxton Festival, Scarborough Spa, Grantham Meres, Bath Theatre Royal and Eastbourne Congress next February. Kerry and Brian previous toured with their Born Free show in 2012 and 2013. Their latest album 'Acoustic by Candlelight' was recorded live over several performances of the tour.

Kerry Ellis created the role of Meat in the West End production of We Will Rock You and went on to play Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway and in the West End. Throughout this time Brian and Kerry maintained a special musical partnership, with Brian producing Kerry's debut album ‘Anthems’ in 2010. Following the release of the album they announced their first UK Tour which began with two sold-out nights at the Royal Albert Hall.

Kerry Ellis & Queen's Brian May to release charity single

Coinciding with the start of their forthcoming, intimate UK concert tour, Brian May and Kerry Ellis are to release a new single, their version of Born Free, the Oscar-winning song written for the 1966 film. The single is being released to support the work of the Born Free Foundation, the global organisation which works to protect and conserve threatened species.

The single was recorded by Brian and Kerry having seen the work of the foundation at the Shamwari game reserve and rescue centre in South Africa’s Eastern Cape, and for their version, writer Don Black has specially re written some of the song’s original lyrics for Brian and Kerry.

Kerry Ellis and Brian May announce November UK Tour

Following the success of their album ‘Anthems’, and their previous UK tour, Queen guitarist Brian May and West End superstar Kerry Ellis are now gearing up for a brand new acoustic live tour, which will see them performing 11 gigs across the country this November.

The pair kick off the tour on 5th November at The Apex in Bury St Edmunds. They’ll then perform at venues in Brighton, London, Tunbridge Wells, Crawley, and more, before rounding off the tour in Wycombe’s Swan on November 19th.

Speaking of Ellis, whom he ‘talent scouted’ a number of years ago after watching her perform in a production of My Fair Lady, Brian May said: “Kerry is now acknowledged as a phenomenon, equally at home in musical theatre and rock. I was convinced from the moment we worked together on We Will Rock You nine years ago, that she was destined to be a worldwide star. The challenge was to develop songs and arrangements to allow that amazing voice to reach its true potential.”

Oliver Tompsett and Rachel Wooding to join We Will Rock You

Having recently celebrated its 10th birthday, and about to hit its 4,000th performance which is reached 20th September 2012, Queen and Ben Elton’s West End smash show “We Will Rock You” today announces new cast members in the lead roles of Galileo and Scaramouche to join the show from 8th October 2012.

Oliver Tompsett, having originated the role of Drew in “Rock of Ages”, moves across town to take over the role of Galileo from Noel Sullivan, who has played the role in the West End since February, following over 300 touring performances.

We Will Rock You to release 10th anniversary soundtrack featuring live cuts, remixes and alternative versions from the smash hit show!

Today We Will Rock You has announced via Twitter and Facebook that to celebrate the shows 10th anniversary it will release a special edition of the shows soundtrack! The special edition of the album will include a bonus disc of live cuts, remixes and alternative versions from productions across the globe! The album will be released on 15th October 2012 on CD and download. 

Meanwhile, back in July it was announced that We Will Rock You will embark on a world arena tour from early 2013. The world tour will see the show visit arenas in Finland, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Turkey, Bulgaria and the UK and Ireland in 2013. 

The multi million pound production will be heading to the Nottingham Trent Arena for it’s first stop in the UK on 27th March 2013 and on to Dublin on 4th April, before rocking around Europe and returning to the UK in May and June for dates at the Sheffield Motor Point Arena, the newly developed Leeds Arena, the Belfast Odyssey and the Newcastle Metro Arena. UK and Dublin tickets go on sale in Autumn 2012.

Queen And Ben Elton’s ‘We Will Rock You’ Announces 10th Anniversary World Arena Tour

A world arena tour of We Will Rock You will kick off in early 2013, while the run at London’s Dominion Theatre continues. The world tour will see the show visit arenas in Finland, Denmark, Holland, Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Turkey, Bulgaria and the UK and Ireland in 2013. Further dates in Japan, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia will be announced shortly.

The multi million pound production will be heading to the Nottingham Trent Arena for it’s first stop in the UK on 27th March 2013 and on to Dublin on 4th April, before rocking around Europe and returning to the UK in May and June for dates at the Sheffield Motor Point Arena, the newly developed Leeds Arena, the Belfast Odyssey and the Newcastle Metro Arena. UK and Dublin tickets go on sale in Autumn 2012.

On announcing the Arena tour, Queen’s Brian May said: “After our first 10 years in Rock Theatricality, this is the next giant step for WWRY - and the show will feature a brand new arena-size design - a big night out for all!”

The last WWRY UK tour visited six cities across 13 months. The tour sold over half a million tickets, setting and smashing box office records and was crowned the UK’s favourite show at the prestigious Olivier awards. The London production of the show has just celebrated its 10th birthday and it is the longest running musical ever staged at the West End’s Dominion Theatre, booking until October 2012. The show has thrilled over seven million people in the UK, and close on 15 million people in 17 countries worldwide.

The production is directed by Ben Elton, with Queen’s Brian May and Roger Taylor as music supervisors, Arlene Phillips oversees the musical staging and choreography.

“This show is all about legend,” says Ben Elton. “We take the legend of Queen and create our own fantastical story of young kids battling the might corporations who want to suppress their individuality and their love of music. They need a hero who can help them in their struggle, and we have two – the dreamer Galileo and the sassy rock chick, Scaramouche. Guess who ends up winning?”

Brian May adds: “The amazing bonus is that Ben's script subtly works as a metaphor too. People definitely come out of the theatre feeling that in a strange way they now know us, Queen, and our struggle, our journey.”

Producer Phil McIntyre said: “We are looking forward to taking this true Rock Theatrical out on the road again. We had standing ovations night after night around the UK last time and we can’t wait to see that happen again.”

DATES ANNOUNCED SO FAR

27 - 30 March Nottingham Trent FM Arena - 0844 412 4624

(Wednesday 27th at 7.30pm, Thursday 28th at 7.30pm, Friday 29th at 7.30pm, Saturday 30th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

4 – 6 April - Dublin 02 Arena - 0818 719 377

(Thursday 4th at 7.30pm, Friday 5th at 7.30pm, Saturday 6th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

30 May – 2 June Sheffield Motorpoint Arena - 0114 256 5656

(Thursday 30th at 7.30pm, Friday 31st at 7.30pm, Saturday 1st at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 2.30pm)

5 – 9 June Leeds Arena Phone No TBC

(Wednesday 5th at 7.30pm, Thursday 6th at 7.30pm, Friday 7th at 7.30pm, Saturday 8th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm, Sunday 9th at 2.30pm)

12 – 15 June Belfast Odyssey Arena - 028 9073 9074 

(Wednesday 12th at 7.30pm, Thursday 13th at 7.30pm, Friday 14th at 7.30pm, Saturday 15th at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

18 – 22 June Newcastle Metro Arena - 0844 493 6666

(Tuesday 18th at 7.30pm, Wednesday 19th at 7.30pm, Thursday 20th at 7.30pm, Friday 21 June at 7.30pm, Saturday 22nd at 2.30pm & 7.30pm)

CAST

The cast has not yet been announced and is unlikely to be announced until towards the end of the year. I would love to see Mazz Murray back as Killer Queen. She owns that role. On Twitter there has been a lot of demand for Sabrina Aloueche to play Scaramouche. She has completed two very popular runs as Scarmouche on the West End. Listening to her belting out Somebody To Love in an arena would be incredible.

Who would you like to see in the cast? Comment below...

Olivier Awards: My Review 2012

So last Sunday 15th April saw the 36th annual Olivier Awards... debatably the biggest night of the year in theatre land... and what a night it was! I have to say I loved it, apart from the dodgy technical issues with the red button coverage which I found very frustrating. So the event was opened with the cast of We Will Rock You with the legend that is Brian May! I thought the performance was great and loved the chemistry between Lauren Samuels and Noel Sullivan. However I didn't think Noel's voice was as strong, although I cannot really judge as I haven't seen him live.

When Sheridan Smith won best supporting role in a play I couldn't help but give her a little clap from my living room (how sad). She thoroughly deserved that award as her performance in Flare Path was incredible. When Crazy For You won Best Costume Designer I loved  Peter McKintosh's face, it was hilarious!

Amazing performance from Sharon D Clarke sining 'I'm Outta Hear' from Ghost the Musical. It was great to hear her adding in a few extra rifts and enjoying herself so much. I also loved how the cameras kept showing her reactions throughout the event, she comes across as a genuinely nice, hilarious person. 


The incredible performances just kept on coming, it was lovely to see all the Matilda's performing together. There confidence is just incredible, looks like they have been doing it for years! I am really eager to see the show now. It was also strange to see Betty Blue Eyes perform after it closed quite a while ago however I have to sat it was an incredible performance and made me want to see it! What a shame it's gone.


It was great to be able to watch the performances from the Covent Garden event during the interval. It was amazing to watch Rachel Tucker perform the Wizard And I, her betrayal is just so fresh! She truely is an incredible actress and definitely deserved to win our 'Best Performance Of A Song' poll last month. I liked watching her putting her all into the song as it is one she normally holds back on. Her 'melt' rift gave me goosebumps. It was great to catch a glimpse of Nicola Brazil performing with Jersey Boys and I think Ryan Collinson is the best Billy Elliot I have ever seen perform Electricity - and I have seen a lot! It was also the first time I have ever scene a person translating the performances in sign language at a live music event!


Les Miserables winning the the audience award was well deserved although I was slightly surprised as I did think Wicked would win as they have such a massive fan base! Seeing their performance has really made me want to see the show again, before the film is released and it is impossible to get tickets. Derren Brown was very humble to win best entertainment show, and it looked like he felt really out of place.

I loved Crazy For You's performance, they had such a massive cast who put on such a massive performance! I also loved Singing In The Rain's performance of  'Good Morning' which was the complete opposite! I love that old fashioned comedy style of musical theatre. Sophie Evans's performance of Somewhere Over The Rainbow was completely perfect. I saw her play Dorothy while she was understudying the role and it is great she has now taken over full time.


South Pacific's performance was OK but was slightly ruined by the fact half the microphones weren't working. Will Young's story completely flopped when he presented an award. It was a shame Sharon D Clark, Sophie-Louise Dann AND Nigel Harmon couldn't all have won Best Performance In A Supporting Role In A Musical. I like how the category is both male and female. I also thought it was a shame some audience members could be seen rolling their eyes when Shrek won an Olivier, I bet they haven't even seen the show.

I also think it was ridiculous Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy weren't nominated in the best actor and actress in a musical categories. Matilda deserved every single one of it's awards and the Matilda's acceptance speech was so cute, not going to lie, my eyes did fill up with water.

I didn't like the performance of I Know Him So Well however Elaine Paige's performance of Don't Cry For Me Argentina was genuinely amazing. She acted and meant every single work she sung - simply incredible. The Olivier's was a massive success, and apart from Ghost not winning anything I thought all the winners well deserving.

OLIVIER AWARDS: Click here to view the winners list
OLIVIER AWARDS: Click here to refresh your memory of who was nominated

---

I hope you are liking the new layout and sorry that it took me a while to write this review, I've had a very busy week. Would love you to comment with your views and opinions on the Olivier awards!