American Musicals moving across the Pond

April 30th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in General News

Jonathan Larson’s ‘tick… tick… BOOM!’ and Jason Robert Brown’s ‘The Last 5 Years’ are coming to London this spring in a short series at the West End’s Duchess Theatre. The cast will consist of young and upcoming West End talent.

The fully staged productions will be running from the 6th to the 17th of May, with a short break on the 11th and 12th of the month.

The musicals will fill an expected gap created at the theatre following the early closure of Nicholas De Jongh’s ‘Plague Over England’.

The shows are presented by the team that ran the “Notes From New York” series last October at the Theatre Royal in Haymarket. The production did so well in fact that it sparked two extra performances, so it’s not surprising to see it being reworked for a new run at the Duchess.

Julie Atherton will star in both shows alongside Paul Spicer, Paul Keating and Leon Lopez. Atherton and Spicer also appeared in the October run of The Last 5 Years but the show promises to be reconceived in this run. Atherton starred in the original cast of ‘Avenue Q’ as Kate Monster and Lucy the Slut, as well as previously playing Sophie in ‘Mamma Mia!’

The Last 5 Years is an intimate musical that tells the story of the floundering relationship between Jamie and Cathy, a successful novelist and struggling actor, respectively. The play uses differing timelines to tell the story from both characters perspective, and interestingly only includes one scene in which the couple sing together – their wedding, which happens in the middle of the play. The show premiered in the UK in 2006 at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Tick… Tick… BOOM! Tells the story of a composer who is struggling with his career choice of moving into the arts. The play is set in 90s New York and is autobiographical of writer and composer, Jonathon Larson. The show premiered in the UK in 2005, also at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Tickets are priced at accessible rates between £10 and £30 for each production, or £50 for a season ticket to both.

Theatre Breaks in London

The last few years has seen a big increase in the number of cheap theatre breaks being sold online. A theatre break is a package deal, comprising of a ticket to see a show, and a stay at a (usually) top London hotel.

It is entirely possible that part of the reason for the rising popularity of such deals is the credit crunch. In times of financial hardship people still want to relax and be entertained, however they tend to look for the best deals possible. Like most purchases these days, the best deals an be found online.

Theatre Breaks in London tend to offer much better value than, say, a night at a decent hotel and a theatre ticket sold seperately, hence the raising popularity.

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Arts Council to spend £40m to fight recession – Theatre gets a Financial Break

April 29th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

There’s good news today for the theatre world and any cultural organisation worried about fighting off the effects of the continued recession. Arts Council England has announced a new fund of £40m which institutions can apply to for support over the next two years.

Trademarked the ‘Sustain’ initiative, the funds will reduce the council’s lottery balance quite severely. This balance is usually kept topped up in case any emergency injection of cash is needed into a large scale project.

Although the initiative which has been labelled Sustain might weaken the council’s ability to deal with such unexpected situations, it will make a real difference to many people.

Any art organisation can apply for the grant from the initiative. Grants will range from £75,000 to £3m – quite substantial amounts for any organisation. Priority will be given to organisations seen as vital in providing for the Art Council’s mission of ‘Great art for everyone.’ However, with a minimum payout set so high, it’s unlikely that any small organisations will see much benefit, especially those outside of the city.

ACE chair Liz Forman who announced the Sustain initiative also criticised the government’s decision to remove £4m of funding from the 2010/11 budget this week: “Of course we understand that the national debt has to be tackled, but a few million off the arts budget is going to make no appreciable difference to that task. On the other hand it could undermine years of creative and financial investment.”

ACE is responsible for many forms of cultural development which includes the theatre, photography, music and dance. Although the agency was financially prepared for far greater losses, they’ve still been hit quite hard. An ACE spokesperson warned that although no cuts in current funding would have to be made, the council may have to be more careful about new projects: “That is why, in implementing these cuts, we will not reduce our planned investment in the arts organisations we fund on a regular basis. Instead we will reconsider our existing and planned new projects and look to find savings there.”

Along with the Sustain fund, ACE have also announced an extra £4m for the ‘Grants for the Arts’ budget over the next two years and a £500,000 program aiming to bring artistic flair to empty retail spaces within towns.

Theatre Breaks

Theatre Breaks have are rapidly becoming one of the most popular ways to see a show, possibly in part due to the great value when compared to booking a hotel and theatre ticket seperately.

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Theatre Breaks – A wicked Night Out!

February 25th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

Going to the theatre is something many of us think about occasionally, but rarely actually get around to doing. The reason for this is simple: it can be an expensive night out, the best shows are in London where the transportation can be a nightmare and booking tickets is a time consuming and often confusing process. Many of us live too far away from London to simply travel for the day, but find the idea of booking a separate hotel and show in addition to navigating across the city a little too much hard work.

Enter ‘West End Theatre Breaks’, a site that provides everything you need to organise your theatre breaks without having to spend hours researching the lowest prices or best combination of deals. Theatre breaks in London become something that’s not only quickly organized but also incredibly cheap. The site has been working alongside theatre companies and some of London’s best and most affordable hotels for twenty years, so you can put your faith in their knowledge.

Of course being able to trust the site to book your theatre breaks doesn’t mean you can’t make your own decisions as well. Want expensive seats but a budget hotel? No problem. Want a top of range experience where money is no issue? The site can arrange everything in minutes. It’s also got a theatre plan and seating guide for shows and just about all the information about the hotels you’ll ever need. From each hotel page, you can find information from whether you’ll find a minibar in your room to how far away the hotel is from the show you’ve booked.

Cheap theatre breaks have never been so easy to arrange, so now is the time to stop thinking about going to the theatre and book some tickets to the best show in town!

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Cheap Theatre Breaks… For a Night to Remember!

February 15th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

Trying to think of that perfect gift for someone you care about can be difficult. You’ve tried everything from the most personal sentiment to the most obvious attempt to catch your partner’s attention, but sometimes it’s the simplest things that we enjoy the most. Perhaps the next time you want to surprise someone and show them what they mean to you, a visit to “West End Theatre Breaks” should be in order.

The site specializes in theatre breaks in London and has over 20 years of valuable experience dealing with both London hotels and theatre companies. Theatre breaks might not have been something that you’ve immediately considered as a present in the past, but you’ll quickly find they can be an ideal gift. Firstly, you can choose the show and show off that you know exactly what your partner will enjoy the most. Secondly, you get to spend the night in one of the most amazing cities in the world and thirdly – and perhaps a little sneakily – you get to do it all as well, so it’s even a treat for you!

Unfortunately booking theatre tickets is more complicated than going to the cinema, and London can be very confusing to people who don’t live there or visit regularly. West End Theatre Breaks can solve both of these problems in an instant, finding you not only the perfect show at a time that suits you, but also matching you up with a large choice of excellent hotels. Think of it like a package holiday, but instead of cheap flights you can find cheap theatre breaks!

The sites efficient design and years of experience in the industry mean that you’ll be booking tickets in minutes rather than hours, and you’ll have a full range of options to choose from explained in plain English. Where to sit, which hotels have the best range of facilities and how to plan your travel are all covered in a single website, so you don’t have to neglect your partner just to book them a present!

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Valentine’s Theatre Breaks

January 28th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

With free cash in short supply and Valentine’s day swiftly approaching are you going to be doing something special with the one you love? Westendtheatrebreaks is proud to offer the chance to take your loved one for a magical weekend at a price to make you smile.

Theatre breaks in London

For over twenty years Westendtheatrebreaks has been working with the finest hotels and the West End giants to bring a fantastic package at an amazing price. Not only does a theatre break take all the stress from planning a trip to London, but offers all the extras and options you’d expect from the premium service. Choose your show, choose the performance, choose your seating then choose your hotel. Cheap theatre breaks don’t mean you have to compromise on anything.

And, not content to offer great value every day, Westendtheatrebreaks regularly offer promotions that are literally show stopping. From as little as £74 you can see Willy Russel’s Blood Brothers and instead of waiting in the rain for cancelled trains, your three star hotel is just a short walk away. So put a big smile on your loved ones face this Valentine’s day and look online for theatre breaks in london.

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Weekend Theatre Breaks

January 20th, 2009 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

A trip to the capital has always needed a little thought and planning. It is well known that London is busy, expensive, difficult to navigate and when you finally arrive at your chosen destination- all the tickets are sold out. If this experience sounds familiar to you, maybe it’s time you looked at Theatre Breaks in London.

Weekend theatre breaks

If a trip to see a top show in the West End seems beyond your budget, organisational skills and patience you need to visit www.westendtheatrebreaks.com For twenty years they have been working closely with the theatres and hotels in the West End to bring a package to the aspirant visitor that will ensure the whole experience is affordable, enjoyable, stress free and concludes with a night in the top hotel of your choice.

Cheap Theatre Breaks

A top show in the West End will usually cost between fifty and eighty pounds, a good hotel will start from a hundred pounds. Westendtheatrebreaks offer Theatre Breaks from as little as seventy pounds. With just a few clicks all the hard work is done for you, you can choose the seats you want, the hotel – three, four or five star and be certain after the show you don’t have far to go to get a great nights sleep and a good breakfast before you have to return to the real world.

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Theatre Breaks – An Amazing Way to See a Show…

December 24th, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

‘Theatre break’ is the term given to a short break away, comprising of a ticket to a theatrical performance, coupled with a nights stay at a hotel. Such breaks are often thought to be expensive, but westendbreaks.com dispells this myth.
 

Weekend Theatre Breaks Need Not Be Expensve…


 
It is a shame that many people seem to think that a weekend theatre break is out of their budget. It is usually the case that a dedicated business can supply you with a complete theatre break package for less than many ‘third party ticket outlets’ would charge you for a tickets to a show alone.
 

Cheap Theatre Breaks…


 
Westendtheatrebreaks.com have been in the business for over 20 years, and are dedicated to offering the very best deals when it comes to cheap theatre breaks. Although their deals are cheap, this should not be confused with cheap quality! – westendtheatrebreaks.com uses top London hotels when the arrange their breaks, and have great prices due to their long history with the show houses and hotels of London.
 
For example, their site boasts theatre breaks based around the show ‘Spamalot’ by Monty Python, for as little as £55.
 
Most theatre breaks include a fully English breakfast the next day, meaning you should return home entertained, rested, and a few pounds heavier!!!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Theatre Breaks – A Great Way To See A Show!!!

October 1st, 2008 by admin | No Comments | Filed in Press Releases

theatre breaks
 
West Ends show tickets often sell out fast, meaning securing decent seats can be a chore. Westendtheatrebreaks.com gives its visitors the upper edge, by offering them amazing deals on theatre breaks to see top West End shows.
 

A theatre break is simply a ticket to a top show, with a hotel included. Even Breakfast in the morning is laid on.
 

If you enjoy a night at the theatre, but hate having to leave and go back to your normal life once the show ends, then a theatre break can be an amazing experience.
 

The great thing about theatre breaks is that once the show is over, you can be whisked off to a top London hotel, which only enhances the magic that you felt during the show, rather than killing it with the sudden shock when reality strikes as you broad a usually late train home!
 

London Theatre Breaks


Not Necessarily Expensive
 
Theatre breaks do sound magical, and indeed they are! – But in the day and age of the credit crunch, surely this is a luxury that most of us can ill afford? – Think again!
 

If you shop wisely, you can find some amazing deals out there! – Choosing a good website to buy your break from can make a huge difference.
 

Westendtheatrebreaks.com has been going for over 20 years, and during this time they have managed to secure some pretty amazing deals with all of the top West End theatres. What this means for you, is that through them you should be able to book a complete theatre break package at an amazing price.
 

For example, some top West End shows sell out fast, meaning one of the few ways to buy tickets is resorting to the ‘secondary ticket market’. Such tickets can, and frequently do, cost around £150 per adult. A complete package of a top London hotel, a ticket for the same Show and a full English breakfast can cost roughly the same amount if booked through westendtheatrebreaks.com
 
 

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