Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Mr Benn celebrates 40 years on the small screen and opens at the Rose Theatre before embarking on a national tour

Mr Benn celebrates 40 years on the small screen and opens at the Rose Theatre

before embarking on a national tour

 

KENNETH WAX, NICK BROOKE AND AUSTIN SHAW PRESENT A TALL STORIES PRODUCTION

 

Mr Benn TT.jpg

 

THE EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF AN ORDINARY MAN

 

www.mrbennlive.com

 

Opens at the Rose TheatreKingston

18 – 21 May 

Wed 18th May 4.30pm (Press Performance) 
Thurs 19th & Fri 20th May 11.30am & 2pm

Sat 21st May 11.30am1.30pm & 4pm

 

Press tickets available for all performances at the Rose.

Contact Louise Gilbert on 0208 939 4052Louiseg@rosetheatrekingston.org

 

Based on the classic character written and illustrated by David McKee

 

Live on stage....as if by magic

 

'An envelope landed with a soft thud on the doormat. It was

an invitation – to a fancy dress party!'

 

The creators of The Gruffalo and Room on the Broom stage shows, present MR BENN, a brand new magical, musical production in celebration of the 40th anniversary of David McKee's much loved television series.

 

MR BENN, an ordinary man, lives on an ordinary street and makes the same ordinary journey every day to his ordinary office.  Until one day he receives an extraordinary invitation.

                

MR BENN's world is turned upside down when he stumbles across a small dusty shop overflowing with costumes. As if by magic, the Shopkeeper appears and shows MR BENN into a changing room. But this is no ordinary changing room – it contains a special door that leads to adventures… WillMR BENN ever be ordinary again?

 

Come to the show in your best fancy dress costume and share in the adventure.  This original musical adaptation of the much-loved TV series is perfect for everyone over the age of 4, with magic, plenty of laughs and a few surprises along the way.

 

MR BENN

·         Voted 3rd  in a BBC poll of 25 to 45 year olds of all-time favourite children's shows

·         Voted 6th in Channel 4's poll of the 100 greatest kid's TV shows

·         Voted 10th MOST FAMOUS TIME TRAVELLER  by THE TIMES

 

Tickets from just £10

Rose Theatre
Tuesday 18 – Saturday 21 May

Box Office 0871 230 1552

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

 

For further information, images and interviews please e-mailLouiseg@rosetheatrekingston.org or for the tour, nat@kennywax.com

……………………………………………

 

LISTING INFORMATION

 

EDINBURGH IMAGINATE FESTIVAL Brunton Theatre

Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 May

Box Office 031 665 2240

www.imaginate.org.uk

 

KINGSTON Rose Theatre

Tuesday 18 – Saturday 21 May

Box Office 0871 230 1552

www.rosetheatrekingston.org

 

ST ALBANS Alban Arena

Monday 23 – Thursday 24 May

Box Office 01727 844 488

www.alban-arena.co.uk

 

NORWICH Theatre Royal

Monday 30 – Tuesday 31 May

Box Office 01603 63 00 00

www.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk

 

LEAMINGTON SPA Royal Spa Centre

Wednesday 1 – Thursday 2 June

Box Office 01926 334 418

www.royalspacentreandtownhall.co.uk

 

NEWCASTLE Tyne Theatre

Saturday 4 – Sunday 5 June

Box Office 0844 493 9999

www.thejournaltynetheatre.co.uk

 

DARTFORD Orchard Theatre

Tuesday 7 – Wednesday 8 June

Box Office 01322 220 000

www.orchardtheatre.co.uk

 

EASTBOURNE Congress Theatre

Friday 10 – Saturday 11 June

Box Office 01323 412 000

www.eastbournetheatres.co.uk

 

CRAWLEY The Hawth

Monday 13 – Tuesday 14 June

Box Office 01293 553 636

www.hawth.co.uk

 

TUNBRIDGE WELLS Assembly Hall Theatre

Friday 17 – Sunday 19 June

Box Office 01892 530613 / 532072

www.assemblyhalltheatre.co.uk

 

 

 

SOUTHEND Palace Theatre

Tuesday 21 – Wednesday 22 June

Box Office 01702 351 135

www.palacetheatresouthend.co.uk

 

DARLINGTON Civic Theatre

Friday 24 – Sunday 26 June

Box Office 01325 486 555

www.darlingtonarts.co.uk

 

 

CANTERBURY Gulbenkian

Wednesday 29 – Thursday 30 June

Box Office 01227 769 075

www.thegulbenkian.co.uk

 

 

LICHFIELD Garrick Theatre

Saturday 2 – Sunday 3 July

Box Office 01543 412 121

www.lichfieldgarrick.com

 

TRURO Hall for Cornwall

Tuesday 5 – Wednesday 6 July

Box Office 01872 262 466

www.hallforcornwall.co.uk

URL As Above

 

READING Hexagon

Saturday 9 – Sunday 10 July

Box Office 0118 960 6060

www.readingarts.com

 

HULL Truck Theatre

Friday 15 – Sunday 17 July

Box Office 01482 323 638

www.hulltruck.co.uk

 

SKEGNESS Embassy Theatre

Monday 18 – Wednesday 20 July

Box Office 0845 674 0505

www.embassytheatre.co.uk

 

STOKE Regent Theatre

Friday 22 – Sunday 24 July

Box Office 0871 297 5454

www.ambassadortickets.com/Regent-Theatre

 

NOTTINGHAM Playhouse

Tuesday 26 – Thursday 28 July

Box Office 0115 941 9419

www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk

 

HAYES Beck Theatre

Friday 29 – Saturday 30 July

Box Office 020 8561 83.71

www.becktheatre.org.uk

URL http://www.becktheatre.org.uk/wrt-productions_details.asp?pid=5359

 

KING'S LYNN Corn Exchange

Monday 1 – Tuesday 2 August

Box Office 01553 764 864

www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk

URL http://www.kingslynncornexchange.co.uk/content.php?TSID=27571

 

 

THE CAST & CREATIVES


Shopkeeper:  Tim Hibberd

Number One:  Owen Guerin

Number Two:  Anna Delchev

Mr Benn:  Paul Curley

Understudy/ASM      Jesse Briton

Company Stage Manager Chris Fossey

 

Artistic Director / Director: Olivia Jacobs

Artistic Director / Creative Producer: Toby Mitchell

Designer: Isla Shaw

Lighting Designer: James Whiteside

Music and Lyrics: Jon Fiber, Robin Price,

Andy Shaw with Olivia Jacobs

Puppet Designer and Maker: Yvonne Stone

Puppetry Direction: Toby Olié

Illusion and Magic Design: Lawrence Leyton

Choreographer: Morag Cross

 

DAVID McKEE

Born and brought up in South Devon, David originally earned his living selling his humorous drawings to magazines and newspapers such as Punch,The Times Literary Supplement and The Reader's Digest. Later he began writing and illustrating books for children, which have since attracted a great many international prizes and, as well as the Mr Benn books, include such modern day classics as Tusk TuskNot Now Bernard and Elmer The Patchwork Elephant, an ongoing series of books with sales of over 5 million worldwide. It was during the production of the Mr Benn films that David became friends with film editor, later producer, Clive Juster and together they made animated films for children which David wrote and illustrated. The films were shot in a garden shed and edited in Clive's spare bedroom. They eventually set up King Rollo Films together and, along with Danish animator Leo Nielsen, for the next 25 years made a succession of internationally acclaimed TV series including King RolloThe Adventures of Spot and Maisy. David currently spends his time between book work and painting and between his studios in LondonParis and Nice.

 

TALL STORIES THEATRE COMPANY

Tall Stories Theatre Company is a registered charity, founded in 1997 by joint artistic directors Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell. The company has grown to become a highly acclaimed, internationally touring company.  We present old, new and timeless stories in fresh and exciting ways. Our productions tour to theatres, community venues and schools in the UK, Europe, North America and Asia. We aim to tell stories in a physical, visual style and our performances link music with movement and a lot of laughs.

 

Current projects include:

The Gruffalo's Child (UKGermanyAustralia)

Room on the Broom (North America)

The Snow Dragon (UK tour)

For more information,

see www.tallstories.org.uk

 

AUSTIN SHAW: PRODUCER

Austin Shaw qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1990 before realising that he wanted a more exciting life, and ran off to join

Polygram Filmed Entertainment, where he was involved in the financing of films such as Four Weddings & A Funeral and Priscilla - Queen of the Desert. In 1998 Austin set up Really Useful Films for Andrew Lloyd Webber, and produced shows such as Cats, Joseph and the AmazingTechnicolor Dreamcoat (winner of the Silver Rose of Montreux) and Jesus Christ Superstar (winner of an International Emmy). In 2004, he produced the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated movie version of Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. In 2006 Austin set up Peppermint Pictures to develop and produce film, theatre and television projects.

 

KW & NB Ltd: PRODUCERS

KW & NB Ltd has fast established itself as one of the country's leading producers of live theatrical entertainment for family audiences. Specializing in the stage adaptations of book titles for the three to seven age group, it has enjoyed great success with Michael Rosen's We're going on a Bear Hunt, Judith Kerr's The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler's The GruffaloThe Gruffalo's Child and Room on the Broom. Each of these titles has enjoyed West End seasons and will continue to be toured extensively. The Tiger Who Came to Tea opens at The Vaudeville Theatre this July. In May 2011 the stage adaptation of David Walliams' children's novel Mr Stink will tour around the country as the first ever scratch 'n' sniff show! Also in development is a Christmas show for families Adventures in Wonderland. Independently the Producers

Nick Brooke and Kenny Wax produce a range of plays, musicals, concerts and one nighters.

 

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