October 2007

JUDY CRAYMER PRESENTED WITH AN MBE

Judy Craymer, Global Producer of the smash hit musical MAMMA MIA! was presented with an MBE by HRH The Prince of Wales, at Buckingham Palace today. Craymer's guests at the ceremony were MAMMA MIA! author, Catherine Johnson and the musical's director, Phyllida Lloyd.

She, commented, "I'm so thrilled to receive this honour, and extremely proud of the recognition it brings to the extraordinary impact MAMMA MIA! has had on the music and entertainment industry worldwide. I'm so glad that my two great friends and collaborators could be with me on this very special occasion".

Judy Craymer has served as a role model for young people, working in many aspects of the theatre, film and television worlds to become of the most highly respected theatre and film producers working.

From West End and Broadway smash to global phenomenon, MAMMA MIA!, the musical based on the songs of ABBA, has already been seen by more than 30 million people in over 160 cities across the world. It has celebrated its 8th year in London and has just had its 6th birthday on Broadway. Productions of MAMMA MIA! employ more than 1000 people around the world, on stage and off and it has already grossed over $2 billion at the box office worldwide.

Craymer, is now producing the feature-film of the beloved musical MAMMA MIA! for Universal Pictures.

The film to be released next Summer stars Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters, Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper in this celebration of a mother, a daughter and three possible dads.

RENT - REMIXED -

A new version of Jonathan Larson’s RENT opens in the West End at the Duke of York’s Theatre, London in October 2007. Directed by William Baker, the creative team includes; Music Supervisor Steve Anderson; Designer Mark Bailey; Lighting Designer David Howe and Sound Designer Sebastian Frost.

Re-orchestrated and reworked by William Baker and Steve Anderson the celebrated creative team behind Kylie, this highly-anticipated, contemporary version of RENT has cast aside the grunge and guitars and is ready to take on the 21st century.

Based on Puccini’s La Boheme, RENT first opened at New York Theatre Workshop and immediately broke musical convention. It was hailed by the New York Times as the return of the musical that dared to take the culture's temperature and catch its tempo. Over a decade later, that temperature has changed; this production reinvents an iconic musical for a new generation.

The incredibly talented cast of RENT includes Denise Van Outen as Maureen, Siobhan Donaghy as Mimi, Luke Evans as Roger, Oliver Thornton as Mark, Leon Lopez as Collins, Jay Webb as Angel, Francesca Jackson as Joanne, and Craig Stein as Benny.

Denise Van Outen became a household name presenting Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast with Johnny Vaughn in the late 1990’s. She is know known to millions for her theatre and TV roles, appearing as Roxie Hart in both the West End and Broadway productions of Chicago, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Tell Me On A Sunday and as a guest presenter on ITV’s This Morning. She was also a panelist for the BBC’s prime time Saturday night programme, Any Dream Will Do.

Siobhan Donaghy was a founding member of the urban indie group Sugababes. Her second solo album, GHOSTS, has recently been released with great critical acclaim. As well as a thriving solo career Siobhan is also a talented and sought after DJ.

Luke Evans is known to many for playing the lead role in Boy George’s Taboo and has just finished performing in the West End production of Avenue Q. He previously starred in Miss Saigon as Chris and also appeared in Boy George’s fashion photography book B-RUDE.

Leon Lopez is known to millions for his TV roles, playing Jerome Johnson in Brookside and most recently Tanktop in Hollyoaks. He is a regular presenter on television and was runner up in ITV’s Soapstar Superstar competition. He has just completed the role of The Child Catcher in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and his new single Love Got In The Way is released in August 2007.

The cast also includes Ruth Augilera, Jamie Sampson, Antony Luperi, Earl Perkins, Lewis Griffiths, CJ Johnson and Philippa Stefani.

In a first for West End theatre, RENT will operate a general admission ticket policy similar to gigs and concerts. Tickets will be priced at £30 and will be allocated on a first come first served basis (compared with £55 for top price seats to other musicals). The production will also adopt a dedicated online and viral campaign, creating forums through websites, such as MySpace, Facebook and YouTube.

Howard Panter, Joint Chief Executive of The Ambassador Theatre Group says – ‘I am delighted to be producing RENT. This is a musical about young people and for young people. We have therefore chosen what we believe to be an appropriate new ticket policy which young people are using and understand.’

Rent is produced by The Ambassador Theatre Group, Tulchin/Bartner Productions and Michael Brenner.

www.myspace.com/rentremixed

Rent Listings

Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4BG
From Tuesday 02 October 2007 at 7.45pm
Booking until Saturday 05 April
Press night Monday 15 October at 7pm
Box Office 0870 060 6623

Performances
Mon – Sat (excl Fri) 7.45pm
Friday Late night 8.30pm
Matinees Friday 5pm & Sat 4pm

General Admittance Tickets
£30 (first come first serve seating)
‘Rented’ Seats £15, £25, £45 (allocated seating)

For further information, please contact Borkowski PR:
Ewan Thomson, T: 020 7492 0614 E: ewan@borkowski.co.uk
Amy Barder, T: 020 7492 0635 E: amy@borkowski.co.uk

Information for editors

William Baker – Director

William Baker is one of the most respected creative directors in the music industry. He has helped create and define some of the most distinctive pop imagery in recent years, inventing a new form of story based concerts with some of the best known artists in the music industry. He is best known for his long collaboration with Kylie Minogue for whom he was responsible for recreating her brand. The shows he has produced have re-established Kylie as one of the world’s leading live performers. William’s other clients include Westlife, Jay Kay, Shirley Manson, Bjork, PJ Harvey & Geri Halliwell.

Steve Anderson – Music Supervisor

As part of legendary remix team Brothers In Rhythm Anderson worked recreating songs for Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Sting and Paul McCartney. Amongst his production work includes The Pet Shop Boys, Take That and Lulu as well as writing for Britney Spears and producing new act RyanDan . He is probably best known as being the long term musical collaborator of Kylie Minogue, a role which began when he co-wrote and produced “Confide In Me” and led on to him being Musical Director for all of her live shows culminating in this years spectacular “Showgirl – Homecoming” as well as producing, writing and arranging songs for her albums and events such as the Sydney Olympics. He and William Baker have worked together since 1997.

Mark Bailey – Designer

Mark’s design for The Cuckoo’s Nest (Theatr Clwyd) has been chosen as the UK entry into the Prague Quadrennial this year and in addition to Rent he is currently working on The Snow Queen for English National Ballet opening in the Autumn.

He recently designed the set for Rise & Fall of the City of Mahoganny at Los Angeles Opera for director John Doyle, with whom he has worked regularly. Other recent work includes Hamlet (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre); the revival of Melody on the Move (English National Ballet at Sadlers Wells); The Rivals (Bath Theatre Royal/UK tour); ‘Varii Capricci’ for The Wright Occasion (in celebration of Peter Wright’s 80th birthday); The Importance of Being Earnest (Oxford Playhouse) and Vote Dizzy! (Soho Theatre). Other credits include Rat Pack Confidential (West End/Nottingham Playhouse) and The Threepenny Opera (National Theatre/Mobile tour). Mark is also Terry Hands’ Associate Artist at Clwyd Theatr Cymru.

80S DECADE IS THE STRONGEST NOSTALGIC ERA

60% of the UK admits to feeling happier in the 80s than in the noughties and one of the key reasons given was that they missed the great music from the era (16%) the most.

Almost 40% miss the popular culture of the 80s more than any other decade, followed by the 90s (24%) and then the 70s (20%). Fashion (56%), music (36%) and hairstyles (32%) are the top three things people most associate with the decade.

This research has been commissioned by Cadbury to mark the return of 80s nostalgic favourite Wispa – which 90% of people thought should be brought back from the 80s. The survey questioned 1,000 members of the UK public who were in the 80s a mixture of school children, housewives, workers and self-confessed ‘party animals’. Almost all respondents (96%) were fans of Wispa.

Whether playing with a Rubik’s Cube or watching Jim’ll Fix It, listening to ABC, Bananarama and Bucks Fizz, the Wispa re-launch is set to take the nation on a trip down memory lane. Wispa is the 80s food that people most want to see back (58%), ahead of Space Dust (19%), Pacers and Haunted House Spaghetti.

When questioned about what they would most like to bring back from the eighties music (22%) topped the public’s wish list, with 80s confectionery a close second (21%). Films (Brat pack movies) and TV (Hi de Hi, Jim’ll Fix It, Dallas, A-Team) are also much-missed icons of the era. Unsurprisingly the least popular things people want back from the 80s are politics and 80s-style perms.

For the first time ever, Cadbury has decided to re-launch a brand due to overwhelming consumer demand. Over 14,000 fans campaigned for its return on Facebook, with thousands more on other social network sites. Wispa, which enjoyed its heyday in the 80s, will return to UK shelves as a limited edition re-launch on 8th October.

Cadbury spokesperson Tony Bilsborough says;
“Wispa epitomises the all fun, retro and kitsch nostalgia that we love about the 80s. Wispa’s revival promises to take people back to a decade where Dallas and Dynasty ruled the airwaves and leg warmers, neon clothes and Bananarama were ‘de rigueur’.”

Described by respondents as velvety (55%), bubbly (48%) and fun (12%), Wispa remains an iconic 80s brand. Cadbury is also launching a microsite www.wispa.co.uk which pays homage to the Wispa era with a selection of interactive 80s themed games and activities.

For press information, interviews or visuals, please contact:

Borkowski PR 0207 404 3000 / Fax 0207 404 5000
Jodie Gee – 07852 898 910/ jodie@borkowski.co.uk
Sarah Jackson – 07968 838 856/ sarahj@borkowski.co.uk
Natasha Gould – 07920 092 018/ natasha@borkowski.co.uk

Notes to Editors:

· Wispa first appeared as a pilot scheme in the Tyne Tees area in autumn of 1981 and was rolled out nationally in 1983. Wispa Classic will be re-launched for a limited period from Monday 8th October 2007. Approximately 23 million bars will be produced at launch for an RRP of 42p per bar.

· 1,000 adults over the age of 25 were interviewed by 72Point an independent market research company

Most popular TV Shows from the 80s
· Grange Hill (13%)
· A Team (12%)
· Young Ones (12%)
· Spitting Image (9%)
· Jim’ll Fix It (8%)

Most popular toys from the 80s
· Rubix Cube (31%)
· Board games – e.g. Ker-Plunk and Mouse trap (19%)
· My Little Pony (8%)
· Care Bears (7%)
· Transformers (7%)

FONEJACKER

Fonejacker, the masked prank caller of the self-titled cult tv show,
will be launched his new DVD 'Doovde Series 1' with a signing session
at 5:15pm on Monday 8th October at the Virgin Megastore, Piccadilly
Cirucs

To 'fonejack' is to seize control of a telephone conversation by farce,
especially to divert it from reason and logic. Such is the case as the
'Fonejacker' speaks to unsuspecting members of the public under various
guises in an attempt to confuse or wind up the call recipient, always
resulting in hilarity.

A rare public appearance by the man behind the voices!

THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH

Punchdrunk and Battersea Arts Centre Present a Spectacular New Site-Specific Production:
THE MASQUE OF THE RED DEATH
From 17 September 2007

In a new co-production, experimental theatre company Punchdrunk and Battersea Arts Centre (BAC) present The Masque of the Red Death, a journey into the macabre world of a devastated land, inspired by the classic short stories of Edgar Allan Poe. Opening on 02 October, with previews from 17 September this production is directed by Felix Barrett and Maxine Doyle. This production is the first of three new Playground Projects for BAC.

The Masque of the Red Death is a spectacular performance installation featuring an extraordinary cast of thirty four performers, fantasy, illusion and surprise. The production incorporates material drawn from some of Poe’s most spine-chilling and enthralling tales.

Explore the four corners of Battersea Arts Centre and relive its Victorian origins as you weave your way through the Old Town Hall, from attic to basement, east wing to west wing, grand foyer to forgotten back rooms. On the way you’ll encounter poverty and squalor, opulence and wealth, the beautiful and the bizarre as Punchdrunk immerse the building in Poe's imagination.

Playground Projects are the largest initiative in BAC’s history. They aim to explore the relationship between performance and space through a programme of playful, critically engaging explorations with artists and audiences. BAC’s Artistic Director David Jubb will be working closely with Steve Tompkins (Haworth Tompkins Architects), who is responsible for some of the most interesting architecture projects in the UK, to help unlock the adventure and potential of BAC’s home, the Old Town Hall. For the past eighteen months, long before the success of the 2006 production of Faust, BAC and Punchdrunk have been meeting to develop the Masque of the Red Death as the first Playground Project.

The collaboration between David Jubb, Steve Tompkins and Masque director Felix Barrett will create an experience never before had in the familiar space of the BAC, inspiring more collaborations and participation in the arts. Punchdrunk is a deeply non-elitist company who encourage every audience member to experience the work on their own terms. This is one of the main reasons BAC wanted to work with the company at a time when the building was undergoing creative development and change.

Felix Barrett founded Punchdrunk in 1999 and has since directed 15 productions with the company at disused, historic and other sites across London and the south west of England. As well as Punchdrunk productions Felix has also directed opera for Greenwich and Docklands International Festival. Felix was the semi-finalist, alongside Maxine Doyle, for the place prize. Punchdrunk were recently presented with the Critics Circle Award for Best Design for their production of Faust, staged in a warehouse in Wapping last year.

Maxine Doyle is a Bonnie Bird Choreography Award-winner and recipient of a Year of the Artist commission from South East Arts. Maxine was artistic director of First Person 1996 – 2002. She also teaches part-time on physical theatre course at St Mary’s University College, Twickenham. Her association with Punchdrunk began in 2003 and she has co-directed, alongside Felix Barrett, such productions as Woyceck, The Firebird Ball, Marat/ Sade and The Yellow Wallpaper.

David Jubb is Artistic Director of BAC. Prior to arriving at BAC David was the founding director of Central School’s Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. In 1999, he joined BAC as a development producer, helping to form the Scratch Programme. Leaving BAC in 2001 Daivd established company Your Imagination producing the work of Ridiculumus, Kazuko Hohki and Toby Jones. He was made artistic director of BAC in 2004. He is also on the board of Kneehigh theatre Company.

Steve Tompkins’ portfolio includes the redevelopment of the Young Vic theatre (nominated for the Stirling Prize 2007) for and the Royal Court Theatre in London, The Egg children’s theatre in Bath, the South Bank Centre’s Hayward Gallery and The National Theatre Studio. Haworth Tompkins was formed in 1991 by architects Graham Haworth and Steve Tompkins. Their buildings are primarily influenced by the specific chemistry of individual places and cultural situations. What they have in common is an approach rather than a stylistic signature. Haworth Tompkins put enormous effort into understanding the nature of a site and the needs of a building's users, a process which often yields original or unconventional solutions. Sustainability and accessibility are other important criteria for which Haworth Tompkins have recently won specific design awards. Most of their completed buildings have won major design awards and have been published nationally and internationally.

Listings

The Masque of the Red Death is an indoor promenade performance lasting approximately 3 hours. The production takes place at BAC, Lavender Hill, London SW11 5TN. On Friday and Saturday nights tickets for The Masque of the Red Death include entry into The Red Death Late Nights, an after party with live music and dancing well into the night.

Evening dress recommended for both events

The Masque of the Red Death
From 17 September – 01 October:
Monday - Thursday £30 (£20 concession)
Friday - Saturday £35 (£25 concession) includes entry to Red Death Late Nights

Press Night: 02 October 2007
Booking to 12 January 2008
Entry times at 7.15pm and 7.45pm

Red Death Late Nights Only
9pm – 1am
21 September - 12 January
Friday - Saturday £15 (£10 concessions)

Book Online www.nationaltheatre.org/reddeath
Box Office 020 7223 2223
Minicom 020 7223 5311
www.bac.org.uk

Suitability: Adult content. Not recommended for those under 14 years of age.

For more information please contact
Ewan Thomson – 0207 492 0614/ ewan@borkowski.co.uk
Giles Cooper – 0207 492 0614/ giles@borkowski.co.uk

Notes to Editors

PUNCHDRUNK
Punchdrunk are pioneers of deeply immersive theatre in which audiences can experience live performance in extraordinary spaces. Audiences have complete freedom to explore and discover the action and the installed environment for themselves in their own time. The company’s epic version of Faust recently completed a 6-month sold out season in London and was winner of the Critics’ Circle Award for Best Design.

Punchdrunk are beneficiaries of BAC’s Supported Artist Scheme. The scheme selects individuals and companies that have shown special talent as theatre-makers and provides extensive help, support and inspiration for artists, allowing them to develop their practice and move their work in fresh directions. The ultimate aim of BAC's Supported Artist Scheme is to cultivate and support a generation of brave, exciting and innovative artists who are equipped with the knowledge, skills, creativity and passion to take the risks that are crucial to the future of theatre. Punchdrunk have been making work at BAC since 2005 with Scratch Commissions including The Yellow Wallpaper and On the Quest of a Wave.

In April 2007 Punchdrunk co-devised the performance installation Lord Bullingdon’s Last Cigar with YPT 3 (17-25 year olds) part of BAC’s Participate programme. This was used by Punchdrunk as a ‘Scratch’ in preparation for The Masque of the Red Death.

BATTERSEA ARTS CENTRE – The Future in the Playground Projects

BAC has been a hotbed of extraordinary talent since it was brought to life in 1982 by Jude Kelly. Over 25 years BAC has played a crucial role in the development of a range of artists who can now claim a national and international reputation for world-class work. Over this period BAC has supported and developed acclaimed artists such as DV8, Complicite, Kneehigh Theatre, Frantic Assembly, Improbable, Nigel Kennedy and Cheek By Jowl whose work now fills leading UK arts venues such as the National Theatre, The Barbican and The Royal Opera House. We have also played a crucial role in the early careers of a generation of TV and film stars such as French & Saunders, David Walliams & Matt Lucas (Little Britain), Paul Merton, Harry Hill, Mitchell & Webb, Toby Jones and Adrian Lester.

BAC faced a challenging start to 2007 when a funding crisis brought on by a proposed reduction in funding from Wandsworth Borough Council took the organisation and the arts world by surprise. WBC planned to cut its grant to BAC and charge a rent on the Old Town Hall that would have forced the organisation to move from its home of 25 years. However, with the considerable support of artists, audiences, local residents, politicians (including Tony Blair in PMs Question Time) the decision to cut the grant was reversed and BAC is now engaged in detailed negotiation over a new long lease on the building. It is hoped that further announcements about this lease will be made in November of this year.