WHAT’S ON AT THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH THIS HALF TERM
Are you looking for ideas of what to do over Autumn half term? Theatre Royal Plymouth have got numerous shows for you and your children to enjoy throughout the week, from 22 – 30 October.
Tickets for these are all available on the TRP website.
Bugsy Malone (6+), The Lyric, 18 – 22 October
Prohibition era, New York. A city full of mobsters, showgirls and dreamers. Rival gangster bosses Fat Sam and Dandy Dan are at loggerheads. The custard pies are flying and Dandy Dan’s gang has gotten the upper hand since obtaining the new-fangled “splurge” gun. Now, Fat Sam and his bumbling buffoons are in real trouble!
Enter Bugsy Malone, a penniless one-time boxer and all-round nice guy. All Bugsy really wants to do is spend time with his new love, Blousey, but will he be able to resist seductive songstress Tallulah and stay out of trouble long enough to help Fat Sam to defend his business…?
Alan Parker’s world-famous movie which launched the careers of Jodie Foster and Scott Baio, becomes a spectacular theatrical experience for the very first time on tour in this revival of the universally acclaimed Lyric Hammersmith Theatre production. Packed with instantly recognisable songs from Oscar winner Paul Williams including My Name is Tallulah, You Give a Little Love and Fat Sam’s Grand Slam, Bugsy Malone is a joyously uplifting masterclass of musical comedy!
A Dead Body in Taos (12+), The Drum, 18 – 22 October
Kath Horvath is found dead in the New Mexico desert. With her body is a message for her estranged daughter Sam:
‘Do not grieve. I am not here.’
Traveling to the small town of Taos, Sam discovers her mother has become embroiled in an unsettling deal with FutureLife, a multinational biotech corporation promising digital immortality.
Now Sam has an unimaginable chance to rebuild their broken relationship. But first, she must decide whether she can finish what Kath has started.
From the writer of The Night Manager, David Farr, comes an unsettling new science fiction, exploring how artificial intelligence is altering our understanding of death, consciousness, and the soul.
Justin Live (3+), The Lyric, 25 October
Come and see CBeebies superstar and children’s favourite Justin Fletcher live on stage in an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza.
Justin Live is a fabulous show for all the family packed full of well-known songs, lots of dancing, hilarious comedy and plenty of slapstick fun!
Famous for his BAFTA Award Winning appearances in hit programmes including Something Special, Justin’s House, Gigglebiz and Gigglequiz, Justin Fletcher MBE is bringing his very own spectacular show to the Theatre Royal Plymouth in 2022.
EKO, The Drum, 26 – 29 October
EKO is the third composition in an ongoing body of work staged in darkness created by New York based artist Kurt Hentschläger. The series started with the 2017 installation SOL, and the 2019 installation SUB.
EKO is performed live in the splendid void of total darkness. Erasing the audience’s perceptual boundaries, the absolute absence of light is interrupted for only fractions of seconds with bursts of micro-animated geometric forms emanating from a hidden in the dark LED wall display. Returning again to darkness, abundant retinal afterimage impressions unravel within each viewer’s eyes, slowly fading and fusing with the surrounding darkness until the eventual next eruption of light.
EKO starts in ~15minutes of complete darkness, with no light events, amidst an abstract surround sound-scape, best imagined as a form of vortex / maelstrom, enveloping the audience. After this initial blackout period the work’s sound-scape attunes to the fragile nature of the ghostly retinal afterimages. The piece’s ambient electronic soundscape delicately diffuses through the space with occasional infra bass density.
La bohème, The Lyric, 27 October
One cold Christmas Eve, four penniless artists – a painter, a musician, a poet and a philosopher – have their lives changed forever when they are unexpectedly visited by their neighbour Mimì, looking for candlelight. Rodolfo opens the door to be hit with a love at first sight that burns brighter than a flame.
Months later, their youthful passion is challenged by the harsh realities of life when Mimì becomes gravely ill. Rodolfo and his friends try their best to look after her but can his love prevent tragedy?
La bohème is a tale of love, loss, rebellion and freedom and is one of opera’s most adored stories. WNO’s timeless production paints a vivid portrait of bohemian life in Paris at the turn of the 19th century, enhanced with atmospheric projections and Puccini’s gloriously romantic music. It’s guaranteed to touch your heart and make you fall in love with Rodolfo, Mimì and their friends time and time again.
Sung in Italian, with surtitles in English
The Makropulos Affair, The Lyric, 28 October
What if you could live forever?
The enigmatic diva Emilia Marty looks younger than her years. The secret of her youth, a magical elixir of life taken centuries ago. For over 300 years she has lived many lives – moving across Europe, changing her name and breaking hearts along the way – as she chases a desire to be the greatest singer of all times. But as the elixir starts to wear off will she become desperate to find the recipe for her eternal youth?
Prepare to be engrossed in one of opera’s most thrilling mysteries as The Makropulos Affair leads us on a journey to reveal the real identity of this intriguing woman. Conducted by WNO’s Music Director Tomáš Hanus, Janáček´s intensely dramatic score only adds to the mystery, leaving you wondering whether immortality can really bring happiness, or is it just a curse?
Sung in Czech, with surtitles in English
Migrations, The Lyric, 29 October
We love to spread our wings but what are the consequences?
The desire to broaden our horizons is a natural one, but for many, it is a necessity to improve on circumstances. However, the result of doing so often has unintended consequences.
Through a series of parallel storylines, Welsh National Opera’s new opera explores the highs and lows of migration: from the migration of birds to the sailing of The Mayflower over 400 years ago; from the story of an Afro-Caribbean slave in Bristol to the experience of Indian doctors working in the NHS.
The versatility of the music, composed by British composer Will Todd (Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland), is unlike anything ever performed at WNO, and adapts to the setting and mood of each narrative, written by six writers from diverse backgrounds. An expanded WNO Orchestra is joined by a cast of 100 performers, including WNO Chorus, a gospel choir, Bollywood dancers and a children’s chorus.
This is an epic drama on a huge scale, an unmissable live experience.
Sung in English, with surtitles in English
Play Opera Live, The Lyric, 30 October
Welsh National Opera’s fun and interactive family show, Play Opera LIVE is back, and this time we’re going Jurassic.
In a roarsome show that is both entertaining and educational, sing, dance and clap along to some of our favourite pieces of music from stage and screen.
Set sail on the high seas with Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman; escape to the mountains with Grieg’s instantly recognisable Hall of the Mountain King and walk alongside dinosaurs with John Williams’s epic Jurassic Park Theme.
In an afternoon that’s suitable for all ages, meet members of WNO Orchestra, learn fun facts and enjoy great music in a relaxed setting.
Get up close and personal with some more dinosaurs with Steve Pickett’s Dinosaur Rumpus, based on Tony Mitton’s ever-popular children’s book, Bumpus Jumpus Dinosaurumpus, featuring vivid video projections and original narration by our wonderful presenter Tom Redmond.
A WNO family experience wouldn’t be complete without free foyer activities which include a treasure hunt, face painting and more. Join us from 1pm.
