Wilton's Music Hall - April to July 2017
Season preview
WILTON’S Music Hall has announced its April to July 2017 season and as Europe’s oldest surviving music hall it boasts an impressive programme packed with top independent theatre productions, classic musicals, the finest in modern music hall, cabaret and an array of live music.
To open the season, Wiltons welcomes back Ida Barr (April 5-6), who is treading the boards once more with her original and genre-defying mashups that are guaranteed to make audiences cry with laughter, jump to their feet and rap along with her.
From April 8 to April 22, Wilton’s is hosting the revival of the award-winning, critically-acclaimed Broadway musical How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Read more.
A night of tango and popular opera awaits with Violetta’s Last Tango (April 25-29). Audiences enter the world of tango diva Violetta, an ageing singer who lives out her dreams in the suburban Milongas of Buenos Aires. Opera singer Ann Lieback (in the title role) will be joined by award-winning tango dancers, with live music from virtuoso Cuban jazz violinist Omar Puente and his guest tango band.
Psychological awakening, greedy sisters, murderous storm clouds and unexpected camels – what more could you want from Dubai-Rostov-New York: Scenes from Contemporary Opera (May 4-6)? A showcase of contemporary talent, the National Opera Studio exhibits scenes from new works by three celebrated female composers, Joanna Marsh, Elena Langer and Errollyn Wallen, with the scenes interwoven with beautiful piano accompaniment from renowned conductor Mark Shanahan.
Flabbergast Theatre are presenting Boris and Sergey’s Astonishing Freakatorium (May 9-13), a dark foray into a freak show like no other. The puppet-clown duo take audiences on a macabre yet hilarious journey, following the story of Pierre le Petit Tete Gustav and his wildly deranged tap dancing companion Juan Tamino. Culminating in a spine tingling séance, where the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred, audiences will leave wondering what they have been witness to….
From the same weird and wonderful minds behind Boris & Sergey comes Tatterdemalion (May 11-13), an absurd and uproarious one man show which fuses puppetry, physical comedy and mime in a magical masterpiece. A beautiful and poetic journey set against a backdrop of Victorian aesthetics and dark humour, with more than a little silliness thrown in for good measure, this is physical comedy at its finest.
Othello, one of Shakespeare’s most timeless plays, runs from May 15 to June 3. Produced by ‘Shakespeare at the Tobacco Factory’ and English Touring Theatre, this is a contemporary re-setting of the classic tale, depicting the story of a Muslim general facing difficult decisions when employed by a Christian colonial power to lead their army.
A new take on the classic play that speaks to a diverse range of audiences, this Othello is especially pertinent against the backdrop of our current political climate.
The finest female jazz musicians in London take to the stage at Wilton’s in Tricity Vogue’s All Girl Swing Band (June 7) for a night of feel-good vintage music, toe-tapping tunes and energetic dance moves. Their entertaining mix of 20s, 30s and 40s swing plus catchy originals and retro arrangements of pop favourites will have audiences on their feet in no time, so grab your dancing shoes and get ready for a night of super swing fun!
Critically acclaimed cabaret satirists Bourgeois & Maurice make their debut at Wilton’s Music Hall with their out-of-this-world Edinburgh Fringe smash hit, How To Save The World Without Really Trying (June 8-10). Taking a critical yet hilarious look at the times we currently find ourselves in, this alternative cabaret duo combine fantastic vocals with spiky humour to showcase clever, biting satire at its finest. The self-titled ‘drag aliens’ provide belly laughs aplenty whilst looking high-fashion fabulous at the same time.
June 13 – 17 sees the premiere of an extraordinary new show, Song of Contagion, presented by The Grand Union Orchestra. Why do some diseases around the world attract media attention and effective treatment, while others equally devastating are virtually ignored? Is there a way of expressing this inequality through music? Grand Union’s composer/director Tony Haynes and distinguished epidemiologist Elizabeth Pisani have teamed up to offer an answer.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust, they have created a dramatic show, featuring the Grand Union Orchestra’s internationally-acclaimed jazz and world musicians and singers – in turns a deeply moving and exhilarating evening.
Top musical comedian Adam Kay takes to the Wilton’s stage from June 20-24 with his hilarious award-winning show The Remains of Tom Lehrer. Following sell-out performances in London’s West End, Kay is heading east, taking a fresh, contemporary look at Lehrer’s classics, as well as unearthing songs never before performed. Lehrer’s satirical songs have delighted and horrified audiences for decades, and Kay’s take on them will have audiences rolling in the aisles…
It is Paris in the 1930s and Suzy Solidor is the most painted woman in the world and thrilling her legions of fans nightly with her performances of erotic lesbian songs. All I Want Is One Night (June 27 to July 1) is an intimate look at Solidor’s life, taking audiences on a journey back to a night in her club at the height of her career, transforming Wilton’s into a heady cabaret club in the French capital for six nights. Past and present begin to collide as Suzy encounters previous lovers, artists, her absent father and finally as the last song plays out, her own demise.
OneTrackMinds (July 3 and 4) presents a thought-provoking and engaging way of thinking about the music we love, inviting an engaging panel of artists, musicians and thinkers to present the tracks that have most affected them and their lives. An entertaining cross between Desert Island Discs, The Moth Radio Hour and
Presented by Poet in the City, Ladies of the Left Bank (July 5) is a celebration of the revolutionary women who prevailed in Paris between the two wars, with Getrude Stein, HD and Mina Loy creating a hotbed of radical female experience. Be transported to the salons of the Parisian Left Bank as these revolutionary women are celebrated in their own words, with poetry performed by Lisa Dwan.
Experience the unique charm of Hong Kong with Hong Kong Episodes (July 7 and 8), which takes audiences on a cinematic musical journey around the city. Original music written collaboratively by jazz guitarist Teriver Cheung and composer Fung Lam melds with evocative imagery by architect Antony Lai to draw up four different chapters of this singular metropolis in the course of a virtual day: its cosmopolitan cityscape, fast-paced lifestyle, avenues for spiritual retreat, and colourful heritage and culture.
Hong Kong programming hub, Music Lab (July 10 and 11) brings together three bold performances – Fingerman, Beloved Clara and Smash. Music Lab provides innovative concert experiences exploring social and cultural issues, advocating the relevance of music on and off the stage. They bring a beautiful fusion of experimental classical piano, jazz and pop to Wilton’s for two nights only.
Miss Hope Springs returns on July 12 and 13 with her brand new show The Devil Made Me Do It. Playing the piano and singing songs from her award-winning, all-original, self-penned repertoire, Hope makes her triumphant return after a hugely popular run at Wilton’s in 2016, showcasing her sizzling blend of finger snapping pop, romantic rhumbas, sassy bossa novas and smouldering torch songs in this unique laugh-out-loud, move-you-to-tears show.
An evening of wine, music and summer fun awaits as Martin, Izzy & Friends’ Summer Cabaret (July 14) returns to Wilton’s following last summer’s midsummer cabaret and two sell-out charity gigs at the National Theatre. They bring with them their unique and fun blend of jazz, classical, pop, comedy and showtunes; all washed down with Pimms and summer cocktails. Martin, Izzy and Friends are a mix of professional and semi-professional performers as well as committed amateurs.
The kings and queens of swing are back and ready to party as Step Out With Swing Patrol (July 14) promises a night of guaranteed good times for everyone from complete beginners to old hands (or feet!) All are welcome for a taster class at 7pm, followed by fun and friendly social dancing until 10:30pm.
Following the popularity of 2016’s Songs of the Somme, the London English Song Festival returns to Wilton’s with Over There! (July 18 – 20), a dramatic, staged performance of song and poetry commemorating the American entry into World War One. An exploration of song and the spoken word, this boasts a stellar cast of singers accompanied by William Vann on the piano and readings from world-renowned actor Simon Callow. In addition to three evening performances, there are also two educational matinées for children.
Join Wilton’s piano-playing host for Carradine’s Cockeny Sing a Long (July 23), an uproarious evening of entertainment and your favourite songs. Music includes ditties from the Music Hall era, WWI and II, the West End stage and traditional popular songs from across the decades. It’s a good old-fashioned knees-up!
Sea shanty band, The Salts, are back at Wilton’s with Songs from the Sea (July 26), a rousing night mixing classics with original sea-faring numbers.
And finally, Pop Up Vintage Fairs London (July 27) are returning to Wilton’s for a day of fashion fun. Winners of “Best London Vintage Fair” for 2015, 2014 and 2013, as voted for by the public in The Vintage Guide to London Awards, they bring together vintage traders from all over the UK and Europe to create a fantastic pop up fair full of fabulous finds and hidden treasures. With live entertainment, cocktails and amazing vintage pieces from around the world, it’s not to be missed.
For more information or to book tickets, visit www.wiltons.org.uk/.