Dennis to make WYP debut
February 5, 2009
The West Yorkshire Playhouse announced today that Les Dennis is to make his first appearance at the Leeds theatre in its forthcoming production of Bradford-born playwright JB Priestley’s When We Are Married. The production, which is to be directed by WYP artistic director Ian Brown, is a joint one with Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse that will be performed at the WYP between 4 and 25 April, before resuming at the Liverpool Playhouse between 30 April and 23 May.
Arts Council to fund free tickets for young people
December 18, 2008
Eleven theatres in Yorkshire are soon to receive grants from the Arts Council to fund free tickets. This will form part of a two-year national pilot scheme, the Free Ticket Initiative, whereby theatres will try to encourage theatregoing among those aged between 18 and 26.
WYP releases Spring/Summer season programme
December 5, 2008
The West Yorkshire Playhouse released its programme for the 2009 Spring/Summer season on Wednesday. Commenting on the approach that he and general director Sheena Wrigley took in assembling it, WYP artistic director Ian Brown stressed the need to give members of the public compelling incentives to spend their money on theatregoing in the prevailing economic circumstances. He also highlighted the fact that the programme will maintain many of the WYP’s established relationships with other companies and theatres, and its loyalty to its traditional aim of supporting theatre of especial northern interest, particularly by staging pieces by northern writers.
NBT nominated for MEN award
November 13, 2008
Northern Ballet Theatre has been nominated for the 2008 Manchester Evening News Dance Award for performances in the city. The Leeds-based company has earned the nomination for performances of NBT artistic director David Nixon and Patricia Doyle’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Manchester’s Palace Theatre between 14th and 17th May.
After his previous productions The Three Musketeers and Madame Butterfly were respectively last year’s winner and a 2006 nominee in the category, Nixon was delighted to make another shortlist. “NBT was founded in Manchester in 1969, and as the company celebrates its 40th anniversary next year it’s fantastic that we maintain our relationship with Manchester,” he commented. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream has proved very popular with audiences up and down the country and I’m delighted the production and the performances by the company in Manchester have been recognised by the MEN Theatre Awards panel.
Opera North wins TMA Achievement in Opera Award
November 9, 2008
Leeds-based Opera North has won the 2008 Theatrical Management Association (TMA) Award for Achievement in Opera for the second consecutive year. The company was given the honour for its Shakespeare Resounding season, which featured lauded productions of Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Romeo et Juliette.
After winning the award last year for Phyllida Lloyd and Richard Farnes’ production of Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes, Opera North triumphed again, withstanding stiff competition from Glyndebourne’s Hansel and Gretel, Scottish Opera’s A Night at the Chinese Opera and Welsh National Opera’s The Sacrifice. It was also honoured at the TMA’s annual Theatre Awards ceremony, which aims to recognise excellence in provincial theatre, in 2004, for its Eight Little Greats season.