Big Interview: Anna-Jane Casey

Anna-Jane Casey is currently starring as Violet Butterfield/French Char Lady in Flowers for Mrs Harris at the Sheffield Crucible.

Based on the novel by Paul Gallico the new musical is by Richard Taylor and Rachel Wagstaff. The show marks the final production Daniel Evans directs as artistic director of Sheffield Theatres. With the cast also including Clare Burt, Rebecca Caine and Laura Pitt-Pulford, Flowers for Mrs Harris runs until 4th June.

Later this year Anna-Jane will return to the Sheffield Crucible to star as Annie Oakley in a revival of Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun directed by Paul Foster with choreography by Alistair David. She has worked at Sheffield Theatres many times, previously appearing as Jenny in Company, Edith Piaf in Piaf and Charity in Sweet Charity.

Anna-Jane’s West End credits include: Forbidden Broadway (also Menier Chocolate Factory), Mrs Wilkinson in Billy Elliot, Lady Of The Lake in Spamalot, Velma in Chicago, Anita in West Side Story, Buffy/Dinah in Starlight Express, understudy Rizzo in Grease, understudy Narrator in Joseph and Rumpleteazer in Cats.

Just a few of her extensive credits include: Lottie in Mack & Mabel (Chichester/UK Tour), Miss Jones in How To Succeed In Business... (Royal Festival Hall), Jerry's Girls (St James Studio), Ella Peterson in Bells Are Ringing (Union), The Courtesan in The Comedy Of Errors (Regent's Park), title role in Aladdin (Hackney Empire), Maggie Hobson in Hobsons Choice & Mabel Normand in Mack And Mabel (both Watermill) and Dot in Sunday In The Park With George (Menier Chocolate Factory).

I recently spoke to Anna-Jane about her crazy busy life, why Flowers for Mrs Harris is such a different project for her and how she reacted when she was asked to do Annie Get Your Gun...

Before going into rehearsals for Flowers for Mrs Harris you had solo shows at the Hippodrome and Charing Cross Theatre, you did the 48 hour musical as well as various other concerts… and you also have Annie Get Your Gun lined-up for the end of the year. What is going on inside your brain?! 

Well at around ten o’clock at night my brain turns to porridge [laughs], my husband and I sit in front of the telly and I can’t function anymore. I really do believe that once you’ve had children, because you have to schedule your life like a military operation, you can apply so much more. Also… just to add more drama to my life I’ve got lots of concerts to do this summer – when you do these things they’ll tell you what the programme is, they send you the music and you have to learn it yourself so you turn up on the day and are ready to go. So I have lots of songs to learn. 

Richard Bean's The Nap extends run at Sheffield Crucible

It has been announced that Richard Bean's new comedy thriller The Nap has extended its run at the Sheffield Crucible Theatre.

The play opens on 15th March (previews from 10th March) and will now run until 9th April 2016.

The cast includes Mark Addy, John Astley, Chris Brailsford, Esther Coles, Dermot Crowley, Louise Gold, Youssef Kerkour, Ralf Little, Jack O’Connell and Rochenda Sandall.

Directed by Richard Wilson, The Nap has design by James Cotterill lighting by Johanna Town, compositions by Olly Fox and casting by Robert Sterne CDG.

Big Interview: Rebecca Trehearn

Rebecca Trehearn is currently playing Julie La Verne in Show Boat at the Sheffield Crucible.

Opening on 16th December (previews from 10th December), Show Boat is directed by Sheffield Theatre’s artistic director Daniel Evans who will succeed Jonathan Church as artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre next year.

Spanning 40 pivotal years in American history, Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II’s musical features musical numbers such as ‘Make Believe’, ‘Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man’ and ‘Ol' Man River’.

Rebecca starred as Molly in the 2013-14 UK tour of Ghost The Musical, having previously understudied the role in the West End production. She went on to receive tremendous acclaim for her performance as Oolie/Donna in City Of Angels at the Donmar Warehouse and played Marcy in the UK premiere of Dogfight at the Southwark Playhouse (a role she recently reprised for a one-off concert staging at the St James Theatre).

A few of Rebecca’s extensive theatre credits include: Martirio in Bernarda Alba (Union), understudy Jenny Cavilleri in Love Story (Duchess), understudy Rose Vibert in Aspects Of Love (Menier Chocolate Factory), understudy Elizabeth in Dirty Dancing (Aldwych), understudy Killer Queen/Meat in We Will Rock You (Dominion) and Cinderella's Mother/understudy Rapunzel in Into The Woods & Elizabeth in Whistle Down The Wind (both National Youth Music Theatre). 

I recently spoke to Rebecca about what makes Show Boat such an epic musical, why starring in Ghost marked a special part of her life and the huge response to the themes and issues in Dogfight…

How familiar were you previously with Show Boat? It hasn’t been done in the UK for a while!

It wasn’t new to me, I saw the black and white film and I think the colour one, which was made in the 50s, when I was really young. My dad loved it – he’s thrilled I’m doing it [laughs]! The songs are obviously standards, it would be hard to find somebody who didn’t know at least one of them. It wasn’t one of those shows I knew backwards and forwards so in some ways parts of it are new to me. It’s so exciting to be a part of it! As you say, it has been a long time since it was last done in the UK so it’s nice to be able to rediscover it.

Full casting announced for Pride & Prejudice at the Sheffield Crucible

Full casting has been announced for Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. The show opens at the Sheffield Crucible on 19th May (previews from 14th May) for a limited run until 6th June 2015.

Tamara Harvey directs with design by Lez Brotherston, lighting by Oliver Fenwick, compositions by Richard Taylor, choreography by Scott Ambler and casting by Lotte Hines.

The cast includes: Ronke Adekoluejo (Jane Bennet), Leona Allen (Kitty Bennet), Matthew Aubrey (Mr Collins), Michele Austin (Mrs Bennet), Adam Buchanan (Mr Bingley), Grace Chilton (Mary Bennet), Nell Hudson (Lydia Bennet), Isabella Laughland (Elizabeth Bennet), Emma McDonald (Georgiana Darcy), Abigail McKern (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), James Northcote (Mr Darcy), Sam Parks (Sir William Lucas / Mr Reynolds), Royce Pierreson (Mr Wickham), Corinna Powlesland (Mrs Gardiner), Ruby Thomas (Caroline Bingley), Howard Ward (Mr Bennet) and Eleanor Yates (Charlotte Lucas). They will be joined by members of the Sheffield Peoples’ Theatre to complete the company.

Sheffield Theatres announces new season

Artistic Director Daniel Evans has announced Sheffield Theatres' new season.

Isabella Laughland and James Northcote will lead the company of Tamara Harvey’s production of Pride & Prejudice this summer; which will be followed by the previously announced production of Lucy Prebble’s The Effect directed by Daniel Evans, and Sheffield People’s Theatre’s co-production with Slung Low of Camelot: The Shining City.

This September Freddie Fox makes his Sheffield Theatres debut as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet directed by Jonathan Humphreys, who returns to the theatre following his productions of Boeing-Boeing, The Village Bike and Happy Days.

Full casting announced for Crucible's Playing for Time starring Siân Phillips

Full casting has been announced for Richard Beecham's production of Playing for Time by Arthur Miller. The production runs at the Sheffield Crucible between 18th March (previews from 12th March) and 4th April.

The cast includes: Kate Adams (Helene), Noa Bodner (Esther), Pascale Burgess (Elzvieta), Imogen Daines (Etalina), Emma Darlow (Liesl), Holly De Jong (Schmidt), James Duke (Mengele / Kapo / Cellist / Paul), Amanda Hadingue (Alma Rose), Melanie Heslop (Marianne), Rebecca Jenkins (Varya), Kate Lynn-Evans (Mandel), Maeve O'Sullivan (Greta / Olga), Siân Phillips (Fania), Danny Scheinmann (Schmuel / Captain Heinz / Second Chess Player / First Trooper), Augustina Seymour (Paulette/ Music Captain), Christopher Staines (Commandant Kramer / 1st Chess Player / SS Guard / Kapo / Pianist) and Alexia Traverse-Healy (Mala / Tchaikowska). 

Completing the cast are 17 members of Sheffield People’s Theatre - the theatre’s intergenerational acting company from across the region. The show marks the Centenary of Arthur Miller's birth and the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.  

Full casting confirmed for Anything Goes; meet the cast

Following last night's gossip, producers of Anything Goes have confirmed full casting for the show's run at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield and UK Tour. 

The musical will star Debbie Kurup (Reno Sweeney, pictured right) and Matt Rawle (Billy Crocker) alongside Stephen Matthews (Lord Evelyn Oakley), Zoë Rainey (Hope Harcourt), Simon Rouse (Elisha Whitney), Hugh Sachs (Moonface Martin) and Jane Wymark (Evangeline Harcourt).

The cast is completed by: Michelle Andrews (Ensemble), Adam Dutton (Purser / Ensemble), Anouska Eaton (Angel), Jack Evans (Ensemble), Bob Harms (Ship's Captain), Victoria Hinde (Ensemble Angel / Purity), Lauren Jade (Ensemble / Angel Charity), Rebecca Jayne-Davies (Female Ensemble Passenger), Michael Lin (Ensemble), Nick Len (Luke), Dylan Mason (Ensemble), Joanna Lee Martin (Ensemble), Ryan Pidgen (Ensemble), Adam Rhys-Charles (Ensemble), Rohan Richards (Ensemble), Andy Yau (John) and Alex Young (Erma). 

Tom Edden, Hayley Gallivan & Ben Richards to star in Sheffield Crucible's Oliver

Full casting has been announced for a production of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The production, which runs between 29th November 2013 and Sat 25th January 2014, will star many West End favourites including Tom Edden (Fagin), Hayley Gallivan (Nancy) and Ben Richards (Bill Sikes, pictured right).

The cast also includes: Georgie Ashford (ensemble), Kathryn Barnes (ensemble), Andrew Bryant (Noah Claypole), Nick Butcher (ensemble), Adam Dutton (ensemble), Emilie Fleming (Charlotte Sowerberry), Bob Harms (Dr Grimwig), Victoria Hinde (Assistant Choreographer and ensemble), Kiara Jay (ensemble), Rebecca Lock (Widow Corney), David Mara (Mr Brownlow), Myra McFadyen (Old Sally), Rachel Moran (Bet), Harry Morrison (ensemble), James O’Connell (ensemble), David Phipps-Davis (Mr Bumble), Adam Rhys Charles (ensemble), Liza Sadovy (Mrs Sowerberry/Mrs Bedwin) and Chris Vincent (Mr Sowerberry).