Leeds Grand Theatre will be beginning its Autumn/Winter Season later this month, welcoming a host of music, drama, dance and comedy - taking us right up to Christmas.
The Rocky Horror Show will be kicking off the season on Halloween, in goth-tastic timing! This favourite amongst the Leeds audience young and old, has been touring for over 40 years and shows no signs of slowing down and there are few shows where audiences dress up and join in on the scale of Rocky Horror. Audiences can expect fishnets stockings, basques, red lips, great music and a high energy show, as innocent sweethearts Brad and Janet stumble across Frank N Furter and his gang of strange yet sexy characters. Starring Coronation Street’s Charlie Condou as The Narrator and S Club 7 star Paul Cattermole as Eddie/Dr Scott.
Jason Donovan, who coincidentally played Frank N Furter at Leeds Grand many years ago, will be returning with a very different role in Million Dollar Quartet opening on Monday 7th November.
Million Dollar Quartet is based on the true story of the one-off, impromptu jamming session starring Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis that took place at the famous Sun Studios in 1956. Donovan takes the non-singing role of the legendary record producer and owner of Sun Studios, Sam Phillips who is credited with not only making each of the young men famous but also getting the four stars together for the only time. As Philips he narrates the story supported by outstanding performances from ‘Jerry’, ‘Elvis’, ‘Johnny’ and ‘Carl’.
Coming together to recreate the famous pottery scene, is Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding and Hollyoaks actor Andy Moss, in an all new production of Ghost The Musical; a love story featuring murder, deception, a ghost and a wonderfully over-the-top psychic. The production has music by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart and a script by the original film’s writer Bruce Joel Rubin.
Chicago, starring Eastenders’ Jesse Wallace and John Partridge with Emmerdale’s Hayley Tamaddon, is based on real life events back in the roaring 1920s. Nightclub singer Roxie Hart (Tamaddon) shoots her lover and along with cell block rival, double-murderess Velma Kelly, they fight to keep from death row with the help of smooth talking lawyer, Billy Flynn (Partridge) and overseen in prison by the corrupt matron ‘Mama’ Thornton (Wallace).
In 1997 a British film took the world by storm becoming one of the most successful British films ever made; the story of The Full Monty - about six out-of-work Sheffield steelworkers with nothing to lose - still resonates today. This stage production stars Leeds own actor, Horsforth boy Anthony Lewis (Emmerdale), Gary Lucy (Footballers Wives), Andrew Dunn (Dinnerladies), Louis Emerick (Brookside), Chris Fountain (Hollyoaks, Coronation Street) and Kai Owen (Torchwood).
The Commitments will be bringing the party atmosphere to Leeds in time for the festive season, bringing soul to The Grand on its first time out of London.
This is the story of a young working class music fan, Jimmy Rabbitte, who shapes an unlikely bunch of amateur musicians and friends into an amazing live act - the finest soul band Dublin has ever produced. Based on the film of the same name The Commitments is full of humour, soul and fantastic music. Starring Coronation Street’s Kevin Kennedy (Curly Watts) and cast from the original West End production including Brian Gilligan, reprising his starring role of Deco, and Andrew Linnie as Jimmy Rabbitte.
On Sunday 11th December, Radio 2’s Musical Theatre mogul Elaine Paige presents a ‘stripped down’ gig and on Monday 12th Rock Legend and Queen guitarist, Brian May teams up with another Musical Theatre star Kerry Ellis in for an evening of acoustic music in The Candlelit Christmas Concert.
Northern Ballet, The Grand’s resident company, will be taking their usual Christmas spot at the theatre and this year will present Beauty & the Beast bringing the classic fairy tale to life in a kaleidoscope of colour and set to a score played live by Northern Ballet Sinfonia.
For more information and to book tickets contact The Grand Theatre Box Office on 0844 848 2700
Or visit leedsgrandtheatre.com
< Back to the newsThe very best shows and musicals for the family at the old and prestigious venue. Tours of the theatre also available.
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