Emma Cann - Page 2

An exciting new partnership between Sadler's Wells, Birmingham Hippodrome and the Lowry Salford is bringing international dance companies to the UK for the very first time, offering financial and creative support to artists who may not otherwise have been able to make the journey. Vamos Cuba, from the creators of Havana Rakatan, is one such production. 

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap truly is a theatrical phenomenon. The enduring popularity of this classic whodunnit story is unprecedented; its mixture of drama, horror, comedy and farce appealing to audiences of all generations, despite changing social conditions and artistic trends. Now a tourist attraction in its own right in London's West End, The Mousetrap has been running for over 63 years and poses its audiences a dual mystery: who is the murderer, and what makes this play such a runaway success?

2 Faced Dance Company's Run is an evening of dance presented by three female choreographers, featuring three new works from the company's artistic director Tamsin Fitzgerald, Prague-based Lenka Vagnerova and the first BENCH commission recipient Rebecca Evans. All three pieces - danced by 2 Faced Dance's all-male company - explore human choice and our decision to take flight or fight the darker side of humanity. Themes of fear, paranoia and evil resonate throughout the evening, which feels particularly poignant given the current political instability. 

It seems as though every popular musician has been the subject of a jukebox musical, and so it is not surprising that the story of Buddy Holly has been explored in Buddy. Touring the UK and seen at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, this musical follows passionate, impulsive Buddy on his struggle to break free of country music and make his name as a rock and roll star, concluding with his early death in a plane crash - the day the music died. 

There's a buzz of excitement in the air whenever Kneehigh Theatre are in town; their joyful, anarchic style combined with a strong emphasis on storytelling is popular with all ages. The Cornwall based company go from strength to strength, building international renown at a remarkable pace. With resident director Emma Rice now at the helm of Shakespeare's Globe, Kneehigh's reach and influence seems set to grow even further. 

As the celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death draw to a close, the Birmingham Royal Ballet present the anticipated new creation from David Bintley, The Tempest. The Tempest has fascinated David Bintley for over 20 years. After two decades of research and exploration, he finally presents his long-held Shakespearean dream after finally finding the right composer in Sally Beamish. 

The cult musical, Little Shop of Horrors, has long been a favourite amongst cinema and theatre fans alike. Following an unlikely beginning - a low budget Sci-fi B movie shot in just two days - Little Shop of Horrors was turned into a musical by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, turning this quirky part horror, part comedy into an enduring success. 

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater tour the UK for the first time in 6 years, presented by the amazing Dance Consortium. Hailed by the US Congress as "a vital American cultural ambassador to the world", the company perform original works by the late Alvin Ailey - including his most famous and critically acclaimed piece Revelations - as well works by more contemporary choreographers who contribute to the company's repertory. 

Jamie Wilson and the Leicester Curve's new production of Sister Act contains all of the ingredients for a smash-hit musical: a star director, a celebrity lead, a well-known, beloved story based on a popular film, and a plethora of sequins and catchy tunes.  Based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act follows the story of Deloris Van Cartier, an aspiring Philadelphia club singer. When Doloris witnesses her mobster boyfriend Curtis commit murder, she rushes to the police and old high school friend, Eddie, hides her in the one place she surely won't be found: a convent. The Mother Superior abhors Deloris' outspoken and extravagant nature. However, Deloris soon forms a close bond with the other sisters, transforming their pitiful choir with soul and funk versions of their usual hymns. When the convent choir's growing popularity puts Deloris' safety at risk, the sisters and even Mother Superior risk everything to protect her. 

One of the world's most famous cars has flown into the Birmingham Hippodrome this week, in the form of Ian Fleming's spectacular musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Based on the beloved film of the same name, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang sees struggling inventor Caractacus Potts swept away on an extraordinary adventure with his children, Jeremy and Jemima, and the beautiful Truly Scrumptious. 

The Olivier Award winning musical Sunny Afternoon swung into Birmingham's New Alexandra Theatre with a burst of sixties excess, rockstar brawls and real rock 'n' roll.  Based on the true story of The Kinks, their early days as a struggling rock band, their huge success and the tumultuous story of their front man, Ray Davies, Sunny Afternoon is a jukebox musical with real grit and heart. The story zips along at a healthy pace, with snapshots and vignettes of the band's life deftly strung together with songs from their back catalogue. The musical opens with one of The Kinks' very first gigs - a hilarious debacle where the London boys rock up at a very conservative Home Counties dance - and progresses to show their first number one 'You Really Got Me', on-stage fights, a tour of America which results in their eventual ban from the country, contractual difficulties, and a their enduring triumphs with songs such as 'Sunny Afternoon' and 'Waterloo Sunset.' 

The celebrated St Petersburg Ballet Theatre returns to the London Coliseum to present the world premiere of Her Name Was Carmen starring Irina Kolesnikova 23 – 28 August 2016. I caught up with Irina weeks before the production begins to talk about this brand new ballet, which has been created for her.  You enjoyed a glittering London season in 2015. How do you feel to be returning to the UK? For me it is a special season. There is a difference between coming to London with ballets you have already danced many times such as Swan Lake or La Bayadere and dancing at a premiere. At the moment I spend a few hours at a time in a studio. The process of creating new choreography requires that. I am really looking forward to the premiere, although, of course, I am really nervous.

The Australian Ballet return to the London Coliseum this summer with the UK debut of Alexei Ratmansky's Cinderella, created on the company in 2013. Sleek, surreal and contemporary, there is no trace of a pumpkin or any talking mice in this new adaptation of the classic fairy tale.

In the mid-west American town of Bomont, a small tight knit community are suspicious of any new-comer, and especially streetwise Chicago teenager Ren McCormack. Ren has moved from Chicago with his mother Ethel after the sudden departure of his dad. Eager to move on from his recent loss and keen to spread his wings in a new town, Ren's dreams of a new start are dashed when he discovers one curious fact about Bomont County; rock music and dancing are illegal.

Every year, the Birmingham Hippodrome bring a blockbuster West End musical to the UK's second city; a brilliant tradition eclipsed only in size and scale by their annual pantomime. Their 2016 offering is Mamma Mia, bringing the azure blue skies of Greece to the typically grey British summer in Birmingham.

The Birmingham Royal Ballet's Shakespeare celebrations continue this week as they conclude their Birmingham season with a Shakespeare Triple Bill, consisting of Jessica Lang's new Wink, José Limon's The Moor's Pavane and David Bintley's The Shakespeare Suite. Three contrasting dance styles and very different interpretations of Shakespeare's work combine to emphasise his enduring broad appeal, as well as the versatility of the Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers.

Ahead of The Australian Ballet's visit to the London Coliseum this July, Emma Cann chats to corps de ballet dancer Shaun Andrews about his life in ballet and the prospect of the UK tour.

In a landmark year packed with Shakespearean productions to celebrate the 400th birthday of the Bard, the Birmingham Royal Ballet perform John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew for the very first time. This adaptation is faithful to Shakespeare's source material; three suitors to the beautiful Bianca (Hortensio, Lucentio and Gremio) bribe Petruchio to woo and wed her elder sister, the shrew Katherina. Independent and tempestuous, Katherina finds her match in Petruchio and begrudgingly agrees to marry him.

The Northern Ballet's latest production is Jane Eyre, directed and choreographed by Cathy Marston. Celebrating Charlotte Brontë's 200th birthday, Jane Eyre brings together a ground-breaking female author, choreographer, composer and, of course, the central character of Jane. 

To celebrate their 70th anniversary, Welsh National Opera returns to the Birmingham Hippodrome to perform Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci; the same operas the company performed for their debut performance. A novice opera-goer, I was intrigued to experience the opulence and spectacle of the WNO