Sheffield Theatre's 40th Anniversary
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Sheffield Theatres Launches 40th Anniversary Season

Daniel Evans, Artistic Director at Sheffield Theatres, has introduced the new autumn programme which includes special birthday celebrations for The Crucible Theatre’s 40th anniversary and an exciting production of Othello starring Clarke Peters of hit US TV series The Wire in the role of Othello and Dominic West as Iago.

Premiering in September, Othello will be Directed byEvans himself, who will also star in this Autumn’s production of Stephen Sondheim’s musical Company in the lead role of Bobby. This will be a double return to The Crucible stage for Olivier Award-winner Evans after appearing in The Tempest and being appointed Artistic Director for Sheffield Theatres.

The Crucible’s 40th Birthday in September will be celebrated though a variety of performances that showcase the theatre’s rich history and positively anticipates its future. The Sheffield People's Theatre will be launched this summer with open auditions for local residents aged 12+, with a view to nurturing the local talent and aspirations of creative people within the region. Its first production Lives in Art will be showcased in November; a humorous and moving comedy piece that looks at how art affects our everyday lives.

October will stage the Roundabout Season in partnership with Paines Plough Theatre Company. Featuring three new plays about real life subjects such as love, life and the world, Lungs and Untitled will be performed in-the-round in the Studio Theatre.

The celebrations will continue with Invisible Flock's Fanfared, an interactive experience to explore The Crucible’s history (Fanfare was the opening show at The Crucible in 1971), and The Crucible Celebrates a birthday party including a forum with alumni from the theatre’s past.

Other highlights include Hi-de-Hi!’s Su Pollard in Annie in October, Olivier Award-winning Tracie Bennett as Judy Garland in End of Rainbow; a heart wrenching story of Garland’s comeback performance which will run in November, and David Grindley’s multi award-winning production of R.C. Sherriff’s masterpiece Journey’s End; an autobiographical account from the First World War trenches, also running in November.

Another exciting first this season is the launch of East Midlands Trains 'First Time Fridays', which will enable first time theatregoers to The Crucible the opportunity to enjoy various productions throughout the birthday year - this season being Othello, Lives in Art and Company - for just 40pence. There will be 40 tickets available at this price for first time bookers each Friday.

The Lyceum stage will host an early festive run of Alan Ayckbourn’s classic comedy Season’s Greetings in October, with a well-known cast including ex-Eastender Glynis Barber.

The pinnacle of the festive season – the family pantomime – will this year be Sleeping Beauty, starring another soap-star; Coronation Street’s Liz MacDonald, also known as Beverley Callard. This will be produced by the same team who brought us last year’s successful Peter Pan; written and directed by Paul Hendy.

Tickets for all productions within the autumnal season go on sale at 9.30am on Saturday 18th June; available from the Box office in person, by phone on 0114 249 6000 or online at www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

- by Ruth Kilner

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