Take That, co-producers of the new musical The Band, joined the show’s cast to perform on the roof of the Theatre Royal Haymarket, to launch the six-week West End run of the musical at the theatre this Christmas, from 1 December 2018 to 12 January 2019.
Tim Firth’s new musical The Band, with the music of Take That, opened at Manchester Opera House in 2017.
The musical stars Rachel Lumberg as Rachel, Alison Fitzjohn as Claire, Emily Joyce as Heather, Jayne McKenna as Zoe, AJ Bentley, Nick Carsberg, Curtis T Johns, Yazdan Qafouri and Sario Solomon, winners of BBC’s Let It Shine, as The Band, Faye Christall as Young Rachel, Katy Clayton as Young Heather, Rachelle Diedericks as Debbie, Sarah Kate Howarth as Young Claire, Lauren Jacobs as Young Zoe, Martin Miller as Jeff and Andy Williams as Dave.
David Pugh said of the West End transfer, “Our co-producers, Gary, Howard, Mark and Robbie, are totally chuffed that London’s glittering West End will see this award-winning production at the historic Theatre Royal Haymarket this Christmas season.”
The Band is a new musical about what it’s like to grow up with a boyband. For five 16 year-old friends in 1992, ‘the band’ is everything. 25 years on, we are reunited with the group of friends, now 40-something women, as they try once more to fulfil their dream of meeting their heroes.
Photo: Dave Hogan
At the end of this performance, a larger number of balloons were released. Balloon releases are harmful to the environment, to wildlife and to domestic animals.
It only takes minutes for the litter from balloon releases to suffocate, choke or strangle an animal, or days to cause a painful death from starvation. Organisations who oppose balloon releases include the Marine Conservation Society, RSPB, the RSPCA, the National Farmers’ Union, the Shark Trust, the Tidy Britain Group, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Scottish Natural Heritage, Tidy Wales, Tidy Northern Ireland, the Campaign to Protect Rural England, the Country Land and Business Association, Surfers Against Sewage, Clean Cornwall, county bird clubs, various Wildlife Trusts, the Bumblebee Trust, The Soil Association, The Waterways Trust, local councils and others.
It is also a criminal offence to litter, under section 87 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. A person is guilty of the offence if they throw down, drop or “otherwise deposit”, and then leave, any litter on land that is open to the air, including private land and land covered by water.
Shame on Take That and the theatre company for littering so carelessly!