Archive for the ‘Performing Arts’ Category

The Royal Shakespeare Company Annouces London Shows

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

The RSC come to London in December with Chief Associate Director Gregory Doran’s production of Twelfth Night at the Duke of York’s Theatre followed in February by Dunsinane by David Greig and The Gods Weep by Dennis Kelly at Hampstead Theatre.

Duke of York’s Theatre
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Gregory Doran

This production premieres in Stratford-upon-Avon in October with Richard Wilson making his RSC debut as Malvolio. It will then play a straight 10 week run at the Duke of York’s theatre on St Martin’s Lane from 19 December 2009 to 27 February 2010.

The cast includes Sam Alexander (Sebastian), Nancy Carroll (Viola), James Fleet (Sir Andrew Aguecheek), Alexandra Gilbreath (Olivia), Richard McCabe (Sir Toby Belch), Pamela Nomvete (Maria), Simeon Moore (Antonio), Jo Stone-Fewings (Orsino) and Miltos Yerolemou (Feste).

The production is designed by Robert Jones with Paul Englishby composing music, Martin Slavin designing sound and Tim Mitchell lighting. Doran will also direct a new stage version of Malory’s Morte D’Arthur in The Courtyard Theatre with the RSC’s current long ensemble in June 2010. Full details on www.rsc.org.uk. His recent production of Hamlet, with David Tennant in the title role, is to be broadcast in a TV version on BBC 2 later this year and will then be available for sale on DVD.
Public booking for Twelfth Night in London opens on 9 October.

Dunsinane
By David Greig
Directed by Roxana Silbert
10 February – 6 March 2010

David Greig’s Dunsinane is a vision of one man’s desire to restore peace in a country ravaged by war.

Late at night in a foreign land, an English army sweeps through the landscape under cover of darkness and takes the seat of power. Struggling to contain his men and the ambitions of his superiors, the commanding officer attempts to negotiate the unspoken rules of this unfamiliar country. This is Scotland in the eleventh century at the height of the fight for succession of the Scottish throne.

David is a playwright, screenwriter and theatre director born in Edinburgh. His play with music Midsummer, which he also directs, is currently one of the hits of this year’s Edinburgh Festival. His work has been translated and produced in almost every country in Europe as well as the US and Australia. His previous plays for the RSC include The American Pilot (2005) and Victoria (2000).

Roxana Silbert is an Associate Director for the RSC. She was previously Artistic Director of Paines Plough, Literary Director at the Traverse Theatre (2001-2004) and Associate Director, Royal Court (1998-2000). Recent productions include Orphans by Dennis Kelly (Traverse/Birmingham Rep/Soho), Roaring Trade by Steve Thompson (Soho) and Dallas Sweetman by Sebastian Barry (Canterbury Cathedral).

Cast to be announced.

The Gods Weep
By Dennis Kelly
Directed by Maria Aberg

11 March - 3 April 2010

Dennis Kelly’s The Gods Weep focuses on the life of a CEO whose global business may have grown to a scale that is uncontainable. Colm has taken a lifetime to build his empire. With brutal rigor he has shaped the world around him in his own image. As time moves on his decision-making abilities increasingly fail him and the world he has created begins to fracture. The power struggle that ensues reveals the corruption and unstoppable forces at work in a world where corporate greed and national security frighteningly overlap.

Dennis Kelly’s work for the stage includes Orphans (Traverse/Birmingham Rep/Soho. Fringe First & Herald Angel Awards 2009); DNA (National Theatre); Taking Care of Baby (Birmingham Rep/Hampstead Theatre); Love and Money (Manchester Royal Exchange & Young Vic); After The End (Bush Theatre, Traverse Theatre, Leicester Haymarket & UK Tour); Osama the Hero (Hampstead Theatre) and Debris (BAC, Traverse and Latchmere). He was awarded the Wolff Whiting Award for Taking Care of Baby and the Meyer-Whitworth Award for Osama the Hero

Maria Aberg directed Roy Williams’ Days of Significance for the RSC which embarks on a national tour this autumn following a successful run at the Tricycle Theatre. Her other work includes State of Emergency (Gate Theatre), Die Kaperer (Staatstheater, Mainz), Crime and Punishment (National Theatre), Gustav III (National Theatre of Sweden) and Alaska (Royal Court). She was Associate Director for the RSC’s productions of The Winter’s Tale and Pericles as part of the RSC’s Complete Works Festival.

Cast to be announced.
Both shows will be at Hampstead Theatre.

For all theatre study tour needs, you can visit the Select Travel website

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London Theatre Workshops

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

Select Travel will tailor your drama workshop taking you through various make-up techniques to special effects! Our workshops are led by professional makeup artists who demonstrate how actors are taught to make themselves up every time they play a new character.

The workshop leaders will teach students make-up techniques used in theatrical drama, from applying foundations through to highlights, shading, aging, hairpieces and wigs via a live demonstration on a willing volunteer.

Alternatively, one of our lecturers teaches students how to achieve a range of special effects for film and television. Your group will be shown how the artist uses latex and other materials to create false pieces, bruises, scratchs, scars, wounds and frothing blood effects.

Also included in the workshop is a practical session where pupils are able to create their very own latex wounds! See the transformation before your very eyes!

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Palais Garnier Paris

Friday, May 15th, 2009

Enjoy a visit to the Palais Garnier in Paris. The unrivalled décor and richness of architecture is second to none. Built at the end of the 19th century, this world-famous palace of marble and gold has a spectacular grand staircase and foyers richly decorated with paintings and sculptures which makes it a living art theatre. The magnificent room where the productions take place is decorated in red and gold and its ceiling was painted by Marc Chagall in 1964 with scenes of world renowned performances.

Allow Select Travel to enhance your visit to Paris. A professional guide will take you around this fantastic venue and will relate its historical and social aspects as well as its architectural splendour and its artistic life. The visit includes the library museum, the Rotonda and Glacier Gallery, the Grand Foyer and the theatre itself.

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Germany 2010

Monday, May 11th, 2009

For many group planners Germany and 2010 means just one thing; Oberammergau Passion Play.  While we,  like many, have some exciting packages available for this special event, there are some other equally deserving  reasons to visit Germany in 2010.   

  •  325th birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach.  Leipzig – the home of Bach hosts the Bach Festival in June 2010, celebrating his 325th birthday.
  • 200th Munich Oktoberfest in September 2010.
  • 300 years of porcelain manufacture in Meissen.  Since 1710 the first European porcelain factory has been producing the world-famous Meissen porcelain in its traditional form. Table services, figurines and accessories are still hand-crafted, painted and artistically decorated by hand in a range of styles by our specialist team at the factory. Meissen porcelain still remains today the model of European table and fine dining culture. The Meissen porcelain manufactory’s third centenary in 2010 will mark the start of the fourth century of Meissen manufacturing and will be celebrated with exhibitions, limited editions, celebratory events and gastronomy.  Groups will be able to see the traditional porcelain being made and decorated and this is definitely a must-see if you are planning a visit to the Saxony region. 

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Joseph Haydn 200th Anniversary

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

In 2009, the music world around the globe commemorates the 200th anniversary of the death of Joseph Haydn (1732-1809). Haydn started his career as a member of the Vienna Boys’ Choir, the city to which he also returned after working for the Princes Esterházy in today’s Burgenland and Hungary. In Vienna, he enjoyed his worldly fame for nineteen years.  To Mozart he was a fatherly friend, whilst Beethoven was his most famous student. Numerous sites in Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland and Sopron attest to the life of the then and now popular composer Joseph Haydn.

 Not only does the Vienna Musikverein contain some of the best concert halls, but also one of the biggest collections of music, which is the source of two Haydn exhibitions in 2009.  Haydn House, Mozart House and St. Stephen’s Cathedral are some of the original venues for Haydn’s concerts and performances in Vienna. Visit Haydn’s memorial in Mariahilfer Straße and see – or even hear! – Haydn at the historic Anker Clock!  Vienna has so much to offer for the cultural tourist – let Select Travel design your tour to your exact requirements, ensuring you avoid disappointment and miss nothing!

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Finchcocks Musical Museum

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Finchcocks Musican Museum is located in Kent, England.  It represents a wonderful collection of over 100 historical keyboard instruments, housed within a fine Georgian manor.   There are opportunities for private visits to explore the house, experience the collection of period instruments as well as view the exhibition of prints, pictures and costumes on the theme of the eighteenth century.  A traditional afternoon tea may be scheduled to accompany a keyboard receital.  A visit to Finchcocks features on many Select Travel tours designed for choir and other music tours of England.

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Bregenz Opera Festival

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

Music lovers from across the globe decend on the Austrian Alpine city of Bregenz every summer for one of the world’s finest opera festivals. Set against the backdrop of the beautiful Lake Constance, its a wonderfully informal festival suitable for both serious opera lovers and casual fans alike.

For the 2009 season, Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental opera Aida is to receive its first ever performance on the Bregenz Floating Stage. The story of the tragic love between the Ethiopian princess Aida - once brought to the Nile as a slave - and the Egyptian commander Radames was enthusiastically acclaimed at its premiere in Cairo in 1871. Since then Aida has gone on to become one of the most popular and most performed works in the opera repertoire.

An important scene in the latst James Bond movie Quantum of Solace takes place during an evening performance of the opera Tosca, in and around the stunning open air Opera building in Bregenz. The incredible stage, with its iconic enormous eye backdrop, was especially created for the Tosca performance, and according to the Bond producers, formed a perfect backdrop for an important scene in the Bond film. Whether you are a Bond follower or not, if you are planning a tour to central Europe which includes Lake Constance or Austria, be sure to ask Select Travel to include an evening performance at this unique theatre in its incomparable setting. After all…You Only Live Twice!!

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New Portrait of William Shakespeare

Monday, March 30th, 2009

A painting thought to be the only contemporary portrait of William Shakespeare has been unveiled and will be on display in Stratford-upon-Avon in the unique exhibition entitled Welcome to Shakespeare Found: A Life Portrait.  Up until now, the only two images are generally accepted as authentic representation of what Shakespeare looked like -  an engraving in the First Folio, of 1623, by Droeshout, and the bust in Holy Trinity Church, Stratford-upon-Avon. With the emergence of the Cobbe portrait, the world is presented with a contemporary portrait that has strong claims to represent the dramatist as he appeared to his contemporaries. The painting is on display at Shakespeare’s Birthplace Trust between 23rd April and 6th September 2009. Select Travel Service designs custom group tours for all type of theatre and performing arts groups. We highly recommend making time to visit the “real” face of Shakespeare as part of your itinerary.

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British Music Experience

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

On March 9th this year a brand new interactive music museum opened within the O2 bubble (formerly known as the Millennium Dome). This state of the art permanent exhibition features 22,000 sq feet of cutting edge audio-visual technology and coveted music memorabilia. Genuine music experiences include playing a variety of Gibson guitars, Baldwin pianos and Slingerand drums. Full educational programmes are also available for high school and college age students. Hundreds of British artists also feature including The Beatles, Iron Maiden and David Bowie. This is a truly innovative exhibition of interest to serious students of music to the casual visitor alike. Select Travel will be featuring visits to the BME as part of their performing arts tours of London.

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London Dance Festivals

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

London is home to some of the finest dance festivals in the world. Tango Fire features some of Argentina’s hottest stars in March and April. The Spanish invade with a Flamenco Festival at Sadlers Wells in March and the cha-cha-cha and ballroom steps feature at the Coliseum’s Spring Dance Festival. Select Travel features these and a broad range of other dance related tours in Britain and elsewhere in Europe.

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