The Autumn – Spring season at Park Theatre includes the London premiere of new musical Little Women, a work in progress showing of Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] by Harry Hill and Steve Brown, and a host of Christmas delights for every age and taste.
With a score by Grammy Award winner Jason Howland, Little Women (11 Nov – 19 Dec) is a timeless and captivating story of self-discovery, heartache, hope and everlasting love. Based on the book by Louisa May Alcott and with book and lyrics by Allan Knee and Mindi Dickstein, directed by Bronagh Lagan (RAGS The Musical, Park Theatre), Little Women follows the adventures of the four March sisters growing up in Civil War America.
For those that like their musicals more anarchic, Harry Hill and Steve Brown’s work-in-progress Tony! [The Tony Blair Rock Opera] (22 – 24 October) is the story of how one man went from peace-loving, long-haired hippy and would-be pop star to warmongering multimillionaire in just a couple of decades. A hilarious tragedy of political intrigue, religion, power and romance that plays fast and loose with the facts.
Christmas comes to the venue with comedy, cabaret and Cratchit (7 Dec – 8 Jan): two shows from Julie Clare Productions and a new reimagining of A Christmas Carol with the eponymous Bob being visited by spirits of his own. Cratchit was streamed from the Old Red Lion last Christmas under the title December, and now receives its live premiere.
‘Tis the season to be ‘Julie’ in Julie Madly Deeply (20 Dec – 1 Jan), a charming and cheeky cabaret from Sarah-Louise Young (Fascinating Aida, An Evening Without Kate Bush) about showbiz royalty Dame Julie Andrews. Park Theatre are seeing out the year with the Yes Queens (23 & 30 Dec) a late-night romp full of seasonal silliness from the female-led improv comedy ensemble, featuring top UK talent from Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Austentatious and Mischief Theatre.Completing the seasonal festivities is the riotous Five Little Christmas Monkeys (14 – 19 Dec), a show for children aged 2 – 6 from the makers of the smash hit Dogs Don’t Do Ballet.
Returning to Park Theatre with The 4th Country (12 Jan – 5 Feb) following Kate Reid’s Entropy (Script Accelerator 2019), Plain Heroines are a female led theatre company who make funny plays about difficult subjects. Set in 2019, it unearths a dark family history in a thought provoking look at modern Northern Ireland and who tells its stories. Also featuring this autumn/ winter are three relaxed Sunday morning sessions of classical music from the Ostara Chamber Players in Coffee, Croissant & a Concert (24 Oct, 14 Nov & 5 Dec)
Jez Bond, Artistic Director, said: ‘We can’t wait to bring the spirit of Christmas back to Finsbury Park with a top class selection of seasonal shows full of music, heart and laughter. There’s something for everyone to enjoy in our new season, with musicals, comedy, cabaret and drama in equal measure. It’s been fantastic to see audiences returning to our theatre and we need the support of booking audiences now more than ever as we strive to build a strong foundation for the future. We’ll be keeping some Covid safety measures in place over the winter so audiences can book with confidence and enjoy being back at the theatre for their Christmas treat.’
