Barbershopera & Radio Chime at Trafalgar in Jan

A cappella musical masters and award-winning Edinburgh Fringe favourites Barbershopera will return to the West End’s Trafalgar Studios in the new year with their latest show.

Barbershopera: Apocalypse No! will play in Trafalgar Studios 2 from 13 January to 5 February 2011 (previews from 11 January) at 7.15pm with the West End premiere of another festival hit, The Fitzrovia Radio Hour, running alongside it nightly at 9pm.

Apocalypse No! is the Barbershopera company’s third show. In it, the barbershop quartet with a twist – one of them is a girl – tell the story of the confusion caused when God summons the four horsemen of the apocalypse and a primary school teacher named Beth shows up instead of Death.

Barbershopera has won the Best Lyrics trophy in the Musical Theatre Matters, sponsored by Whatsonstage.com, at the Edinburgh Fringe for the past three years, with Apocalypse No! scooping a second distinction this year for Best Book. The company’s last offering, In the Mane of the Father, transferred to Trafalgar Studios this past January.

All Barbershopera shows have been co-written by Rob Castell and Tom Sadler with collaborator and director Sarah Tipple. Castell and Sadler also perform them, with Pete Sorel-Cameron and Lara Stubbs.

In The Fitzrovia Radio Hour, the five-strong company who have also co-written the piece – Alix Dunmore, Jon Edgley Bond, Tom Mallaburn, Phil Mulryne, Martin Pengelly and Alex Ratcliffe – recreate the spirit of the 1940s by performing three live “rip-roaring” radio plays.

Ahead of the Edinburgh transfers, Horla’s family-friendly version of Charles Dickens’ classic A Christmas Carol has a festive season at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 21 December 2010 to 8 January 2011. It’s adapted by Joanna Volinska, directed by Alistair Green and designed by Tracy Waller, with original music by Jonathan Langford and Carole Carpenter.

** DON’T MISS our Whatsonstage.com Outing to BARBERSHOPERA: APOCALYPSE NO! – inc FREE poster, FREE drink at post-show cast reception, prize draw for a personalised a cappella ringtone & an additional £5 off The Fitzrovia Radio Hour – all for just £17.50!! – click here to book now! **