Theatre Royal Bath
Main House
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel From Monday (28th November) to Saturday 3rd December, the world premiere stage production of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel visits the Theatre Royal with six evening performances and matinees on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
Directed by Lucy Bailey, the cast is led by celebrated stars of stage and screen Hayley Mills (Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, Whistle Down the Wind) as Evelyn, Paul Nicholas (Jesus Christ Superstar, Just Good Friends, Eastenders) as Douglas and Rula Lenska (Rock Follies, Coronation Street) as Madge.
Based on the Sunday Times bestseller which inspired the treasured film, the feel-good tale of love and adventure takes audiences on a journey to India with an eclectic group of British retirees as they embark on a new life.
The luxury residence is far from the opulence they were promised, but as their lives begin to intertwine and they embrace the vibrancy of modern-day India, they are charmed in unexpected and lifechanging ways.
Deborah Moggach’s joyous comedy about taking risks, finding love and embracing second chances, has been adapted for the stage from her bestselling novel These Foolish Things, which previously inspired the BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
The cast of 14 is completed by Tiran Aakel as Mr Gupta; Richenda Carey as Dorothy; Rekha Johncheriyan as Mrs Kapoor; Andy de la Tour as Norman; Shila Iqbal as Sahani; Kerena Jagpal as Kamila; Harmage Singh Kalirai as Jimmy; Eileen Battye as Jean; Nishad More as Sonny Kapoor; Marlene Sidaway as Muriel and Anant Varman as Mohan and Tikal.
Aladdin
The festive season opens at the Theatre Royal as the enchanting family pantomime Aladdin takes to the stage with West End and Emmerdale star Tom Lister as Abanazar, alongside Bath favourite Jon Monie as Wishee Washee and Eastenders’ Nick Wilton as Dame Widow Twankey.
Staged by UK Productions, the truly traditional family show runs from Thursday 8th December to Sunday 8th January.
Guaranteed to entertain both the young and the young at heart, Aladdin features a brand-new joke-filled script, written by Bath’s own allround panto legend Jon Monie.
One of the most popular pantomimes of all, the thrilling story of a boy, a lamp and a genie has kept audiences spell-bound for generations. Families can look forward to a fun-packed performance full of side-splitting comedy, singing, dancing, slapstick, dazzling special effects, beautiful costumes and plenty of audience participation.
Award-winning panto baddie Tom Lister stars as one of theatre’s favourite villains, Abanazar.
Tom is best known on TV as Carl King in Emmerdale, a part he played for 9 years before making a dramatic exit in 2012. On stage, he won Best Villain at the 2017 Great British Pantomime Awards for his role as Captain Hook; a part he reprised in 2021 in The Further Adventures of Peter Pan: The Return of Captain Hook. In the West End, he starred in a critically acclaimed production of the musical 42nd Street, which ran for two years and was shown in cinemas nationwide in 2019.
Jon Monie returns by popular demand to play Wishee Washee. Having now performed at the Theatre Royal well over 1,100 times since 1996, this Christmas marks his 20th panto season in his home city.
An actor, television presenter, award-winning writer and comedian, Jon has recently appeared on our screens in The Nevers, Moominvalley, The Outlaws and Showtrial.
Nick Wilton makes a welcome return to Bath to play Widow Twankey. One of the best Dames in the business, Nick has starred in the iconic pantomime role in theatres across the UK since 2000 and delighted Bath audiences in four previous pantomimes since 2015. The cast for Aladdin also features Alex Aram as Aladdin, Kaysha Nada as Princess Jasmine, Amy Perry as Spirit of the Ring, Michael Chance as Emperor, Maddison Tyson as Genie and The Dorothy Coleborn School of Dance.
Christmas Lunch and Carols By Candlelight
Also full of festive spirit, the popular Christmas Lunch event returns to Lansdown Grove Hotel on Wednesday 7th December at noon, starting with a light-hearted talk on the history of pantomime.
And on Saturday 10th December Theatre Royal Bath’s Fundraisers present Carols By Candlelight, as they celebrate nearly 40 years of fundraising with their final event, taking place at St Michael’s Church Without, featuring an inspiring evening of carols, seasonal music and a delicious supper.
Tickets for all performances are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www.theatreroyal.org.uk.
The Ustinov
ishowmanism!
Until Saturday 10th December, the uniquely talented Dickie Beau presents his brand-new performance ishowmanism! as award-winning Deborah Warner’s inaugural season as Ustinov Artistic Director concludes with a celebration of the art of performance itself.
From Greek theatre to Shakespeare, from clowns to curtain calls, expect revelations on everything you think you know about performance as live lip-syncing phenomenon Dickie Beau channels the voices of legends of stage and screen - Ian Mckellen, Fiona Shaw, renowned theatre director Peter Sellars (not the actor) - plus a host of writers, lecturers, journalists, teachers, impressionists, audience members and enchantingly unknown voices – in a love letter to the origins and orientations of performance through thousands of years of theatre history.
A live lip-syncing sensation, Dickie Beau dazzled Ustinov audiences this summer as the mercurial Ariel in Deborah Warner’s highly acclaimed The Tempest.
Now he delivers a live audio-visual treat which talks to audiences about art, about the world and about being human, directed by Jan Willem Van Den Bosch.
A Christmas Carol
Guaranteed to get audiences into the Christmas Spirit - in more ways than one, from Tuesday 20th to Saturday 31st December, A Christmas Carol appears at the Ustinov Studio.
The perfect Christmas treat, Dickens’
festive fable is brought to life by Olivier Award winner, Guy Masterson, veteran of many smash hit solo shows including Under Milk Wood, Animal Farm and Shylock during his thirty-year acting career.
Famed for his talent of bringing multiple characters to vivid life, Guy Masterson (inset left) becomes Scrooge, Marley, the Fezziwigs, the Cratchits, Tiny Tim et al in a riveting performance that will dazzle, enchant, and linger long in the memory.
Directed by Nick Hennegan, who has also adapted the original performance text by Charles Dickens for this production, A Christmas Carol features original music by Robb Williams.
Both an actor and a director, Guy Masterson has most recently directed the Olivier Award nominated West End hit The Shark is Broken. He returns to the Ustinov Studio following his sell-out success with A Christmas Carol in 2019. Tickets for all performances at the Ustinov Studio are on sale at the Theatre Royal Bath Box Office on 01225 448844 and online at www. theatreroyal.org.uk/ustinov.
The Egg
Five Children and It
Five Children and It makes a welcome
return to Bath’s Egg Theatre from Friday 9th December to Sunday 15th January, based on the children’s classic novel by E. Nesbit.
Family audiences can look forward to this exhilarating production, back in Bath by popular demand, presented by award-winning theatre makers Bucket Club.
Sent away to live in the countryside with their reclusive Uncle, five children discover a secret that’s been hidden away for centuries: a magical, mischievous and extremely grumpy Sand Fairy from the dawn of time called ‘It,’ with the power to grant spectacular wishes.
There’s just one catch.
As the children set off on a series of fantastic adventures, they soon learn that wishes can get you into a whole heap of trouble.
Perhaps a wish granted isn’t always the dream come true you might expect!
The stage production of Five Children and It is written by Marietta Kirkbride and directed by Nel Crouch. Featuring original songs and music written by David Ridley, this show is recommended for those aged 6 years and over.
Midnight Mole
From Friday 9th to Saturday 31st December, the creative team behind The Egg’s hugely popular Christmas show, Snow Mouse, presents Midnight Mole, a heart-warming adventure full of puppetry and music for younger audiences, aged 6 months to 4 years and their families. With a nod to The Cherry Orchard by Chekhov, audiences join Madame Ranevsky in her favourite place, the cherry orchard, where tonight she’s saying goodbye to it one last time before moving house. Under the light of the silvery moon, she plays with her nocturnal friends before Midnight Mole bursts from his mound to join her. With a fascination for found objects, Mole leads her on an adventure of rediscovery, above and below ground, which allows her to see her orchard afresh and embark on her new journey.
Midnight Mole is presented by The Egg and directed by Nik Partridge. Design is by Edwina Bridgeman and musical composition by Alex Vann.
Tickets for performances at The Egg are on sale at the Theatre Royal Box
Office on 01225 448844, The Egg on 01225 823 409 and online at www. theatreroyal.org.uk/whats-on.
The Mission
Racing Demon
Next Stage Theatre Company is proud to have had Sir David Hare (inset left) as a patron for over 20 years. A constant supporter and encourager of the company’s work, David has written to Next Stage to say: “Of all my plays, Racing Demon is one of two or three of which I am most fond.
“Any production is good news, but I am especially thrilled that the excellent Next Stage Company is putting it on. The play’s themes – of how to live either a good or a religious life, and how the two fit together – never seem to lose their topicality – and now least of all.”
Lionel Espy is struggling with waning faith, a sick wife and a hostile bishop. He faces losing his home through an enforced move to another parish to make way for the bishop’s chosen successor. Yet who can he turn to - who do you turn to if you’re struggling at work?
You can try talking to a God, of course, but it’s tricky when your faith is wavering, and both your congregation and bishop have lost confidence in you. Then along comes a younger, more charismatic rival.
Personality clashes and office politics are, Hare suggests, just as likely in the Church as anywhere else and the solutions just as difficult.
Racing Demon, written by Next Stage Theatre Company’s patron David Hare, is a challenging production that is not to be missed. Bob Constantine directs, with Brian Fisher as the Rev Espy.
Tuesday 29th November – Saturday 3rd December 7:30pm Saturday 3rd December Matinee 2pm. Tickets: £15 Concession £10 www.missiontheatre. co.uk/whats-on/2022/racing-demon.
The Gondoliers
The award-winning Bath G&S Society is delighted to be returning to The Mission with another of its highly creative and immersive productions.
The Gondoliers was Gilbert and Sullivan’s last major success when it opened on 7 December 1889, and it arguably takes the honours as the lightest and brightest of their creations.
It tells the story of Marco and Giuseppe Palmieri, two newly married Venetian gondoliers who discover that one of them, though it is unknown which, is the heir to the throne of the remote Kingdom of Barataria. The show boasts some of
Sullivan’s greatest musical hits and has all the classic topsy-turvy ingredients and characters of pantomimic proportions to make it a wonderful pre-christmas treat for all the family!
Tuesday 6th to Saturday 10th December, 7.30pm. Tickets: £15, concessions £8. https://bathboxoffice. org.uk/whats-on/the-gondoliers/ booking-useful-info.
Cold and Magic: Winter Baroque
Cold and Magic: Winter Baroque invites audiences to experience the music of 17th and 18th Century Europe, with a distinctly icy and mysterious tone.
Join countertenor Joe Levy accompanied on the piano by Leila Kermani, for a selection of Baroque pieces. You will hear the works of Handel, Purcell, Bach and Vivaldi, alongside lesser-known composers such as Lambert and Grandi.
Storytelling is an essential part of how we experience Winter, and has been for the span of human history.
Joe intertwines music and storytelling to give insight into the tales Baroque composers were trying to tell and to perhaps glean an understanding of European winters during the 17th and 18th Centuries. Some stories warn of the physical danger of dark and cold, others tell of mystery and magic, while many more serve to distract with drama, love and sorrow.
In a period of history often portrayed as elegant and restrained, Cold and Magic will seek to expose a different, more intriguing face of the Baroque world.
Sunday 11th and Wednesday 14th December 7.30pm. Tickets: £12, www. ticketsource.co.uk/joe-levy-music/ cold-and-magic-winter-baroque/emypxgb.
Burdall’s Yard
Real Soul Night
After many years of full dedication to the memories of the 50s, 60s soul music classics of legendary groups like The Temptations, The Four Tops and more... stars like Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Sam Cooke, Wilson Pickett, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder... O’rael (inset above) has singlehandedly toured round most of Great Britain with his interpretations of the sweet soul music created by Motown, Stax, and Atlantic at the highest points in the history of soul music.
Busking round the country, O’rael says: “By taking these wonderful memories through the streets, I am able to reach the older generations, the disabled and the less privileged - even young people and children alike who would ordinarily not be able to attend special events at big stages and venues”.
This time he is taking a journey to cosy venues like Burdall’s Yard in
Bath. A family-friendly venue designed to accommodate people of all ages and abilities, Burdall’s Yard is also wheelchair friendly, with always a great atmosphere.
Don’t miss the Real Soul Night! Thursday 8th December 4pm-6.30pm and 7.30pm to 10pm. Tickets: £10 at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/real-soulnight-tickets-467423986727?aff=ebds hpsearchautocomplete.
The Emperor’s New Clothes Sing, dance, and cry (mostly from laughter) in this vivid and outlandish Christmas show.
Owl on the Roof will tell an epic tale of betrayal, lust and pigs… the show is a story of unreasonable landlords, financial insecurity and saucy grandmothers.
Rent is going up. The Three Little Pigs and Little Red Riding Hood can no longer afford their houses. In fact, it’s not just them, all of Bristol is struggling to find somewhere affordable to live - all thanks to their landlord, the greedy Emperor.
The show features Owl on the Roof’s bold and homemade style: this will be a comedy rooted in clown and audience engagement. A pint in one hand and a sense of humour in the other is highly advised. Recommended 16+.
Friday 9th and Saturday 10th December 7.30pm. Tickets: £9 at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ owl-on-the-roof-theatre.
Plucky Devils
Sam Brown presents Plucky Devils, Bath’s very own guitar (and lute) club. Open to players of all ages and stages, the club exists as a friendly stage to air and share the music you’re working on.
It’s notoriously nerve-racking, but performing is one of the surest ways for us to become better musicians. Playing for others helps us to improve our playing, to get inspired, to hear new music - and even better, to hear familiar music in a new way.
Typically, our members play classical or Spanish guitar - and various lutes - but the club is open to anyone playing a solo acoustic guitar or lute (and, of course, to their supporting friends and parents).
Be you a complete novice, improving amateur or experienced player, you are most welcome to come along and share in our friendly circle’s music and applause. Sunday, December 11, 2-4pm. Entry is free, but a contribution towards costs is very welcome. For more information contact sam@sambrownsounds.com.