EURIPIDES

MEDEA

in a version by Ben Power

WED 22 JAN – SAT 1 FEB

Directed by Craig Shelton

“This modern day Medea is a tragic force to be reckoned with; alive with complexity and psychological astuteness. The play's tragic force emerges strongly and the production's climax seems better suited to modern tastes than Euripides's original."

Michael Billington, The Guardian

“Intimate, intense and visceral, with a good balance of mortal lust and divine influence, with a powerful central character, this new version of Medea is potent ancient drama with sharp psychological observation, dark humour and plenty of bite.”

London Theatre.co.uk Review 2014

Medea, written by Euripides, but presented in this contemporary version by Ben Power, was staged with great impact at the National Theatre in 2014 with the late Helen McCrory in the lead role.

Power brings the ancient tale into contemporary relevance, exploring themes of betrayal, revenge, and the consequences of unchecked passion.

The story follows Medea, a foreigner in a land that rejects her, as she navigates the aftermath of her husband’s betrayal and abandonment. She exacts an horrific revenge, that shakes the very foundations of the society that has rejected her.

A timeless tale of love, betrayal, and vengeance, that resonates just as powerfully today as it did over two millennia ago.

A non-professional production in association with

MAGALLAWAY LIMITED FSO BEN POWER

SWING THAT MUSIC

Join the UK’s hardest swinging band Down for the Count All-Stars for “one hellova celebration of vintage music” (TimeOut London) – it’s time to Swing That Music!  

Described as “a breath of fresh air on the swing scene” (Twinwood Festival) Down for the Count are regularly found in jazz clubs across the UK and abroad (Ronnie Scott’s London, Le Caveau de la Huchette Paris), at festivals including London Jazz Festival, and on BBC Radio. Now they are bringing the sounds and feels of the best jazz clubs to theatres around the country – with an electrifying show full of incredible energy, musicianship, and their own signature wry wit and humour.  

In the band’s new show for 2025, you’ll hear instrumental songs from the likes of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Glenn Miller, vocal classics from singers such as Nat ‘King’ Cole, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, and original arrangements of jazz standards penned by musicians in the band.

Down for the Count recreate classic tunes from the Swing Era, but this is no mere nostalgia trip – the band perform each song in their own unmistakeable style, breathing new life into the best vintage music. Combine that with the band’s top class instrumental solos, sublime vocal performances, and irresistible warmth and joie de vivre, and you get a show that will leave you feeling uplifted and wanting more. 

“Awesome!!!” Michael Bublé 

“My first impulse on leaving Cadogan Hall in the wake of a standing ovation on Sunday evening was to ask permission to lay 10 stars on this outstanding gig rather than the usual five.” Jazz Journal 

All tickets £28

CONSTELLATIONS

By Nick Payne

Directed by Sue Moore

WED 26 Feb – SAT 8 March 2025

A love story with infinite possibilities

“Every choice, every decision you’ve ever and never made exists in a unimaginably vast ensemble of parallel universes”

So says Marianne, in this dazzling play that feels alive with ideas, action and fizz, but is balanced with stillness and depth. A drama about time and memory, about death and grief, playful and profound, comic and mournful. It asks big questions..but also feels weightless and fun”.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian

This play started at the Royal Court, then headed to Broadway, where it had a rapturous reception and back to the West End for a revival in 2021 with multiple casts.

This is a play about science, about bees, but at its heart it is first and foremost a wonderful love story.

Suppose that life exists in a multiverse -- a set of parallel existences that contain infinitely different outcomes. The possibilities in our lives are, quite literally, endless. Every possible event that could happen, does happen, in one universe or another. And if two lovers meet, every possible happy ending and heartbreak that could happen, will.

Marianne, a physicist, and Roland, a beekeeper, meet at a party. They hit it off, and go for a drink; or perhaps they don’t. They go home together, or maybe they go their separate ways. Perhaps Marianne is in a relationship with someone else, perhaps Roland is. Maybe she breaks his heart, maybe he breaks hers. Perhaps they come together and their love story can finally take root and grow, or perhaps it will be tragically cut short. Nick Payne’s beautiful play, Constellations, explores how even the smallest change in our lives can dramatically alter the course we take. It is a spellbinding exploration of love, science and the infinite possibility for

heartbreak or hope.

This amateur production of “Constellations” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd.

www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

SPRING AWAKENING

WED 2 APRIL – SAT 12 APRIL 2025

MAIN HOUSE

Book & Lyrics by Steven Sater

Music by Duncan Sheik

Based on the play by Frank Wedekind

Director: Chris Gilbey-Smith

Musical Director: James Suckling

"This multi-award winning musical about the chaos, confusion and agony of adolescence shines a piercing beam of light into the way that the adult world simultaneously ignores and suppresses young people."

Sarah Crompton, What’s on Stage.

Spring Awakening feels raw and dangerous and honest in a way few musicals really are…. a howl of adolescent rage that sings like an angel, a teenage riot that floors you with its beauty and power

Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out.

Spring Awakening is based on an expressionist play written in 1891 by Frank Wedekind where its dramatic roots are anchored. The themes of the piece speak with loud contemporary clarity about the trials, pain, tears, and exhilaration of the teen years. Winner of 8 Tony awards and an Olivier award for Best Musical, Spring Awakening tells a story of adolescent anarchy and the rite of passage to adulthood, set to one of the most electrifying and admired scores of the 21st century. A group of teenagers – silenced and controlled by a censorious society – discover a new world of feeling and freedom outside the classroom, with both beautiful and heartbreaking consequences.

This non-professional production is presented by arrangement with Music Theatre International. All authorised performance materials are also supplied by MTI