Nick Smurthwaite

2 weeks ago | thestage.co.uk | Nick Smurthwaite

ObituariesJohn Gale. Photo: Nobby ClarkProducer of the West End hit No Sex Please, We’re British and former artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre who gave early breaks to directors including Sam Mendes and Nicholas HytnerSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in. Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month. OR Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk. Remember Login

1 month ago | dramaandtheatre.co.uk | Nick Smurthwaite

Like all great musicals, Billy Elliot stands or falls by its narrative. Even before it opened in the West End to great acclaim in 2005, the show's producers and creatives knew they were backing a winner, as the 2000 film on which it was based had already won an army of admirers around the world. How could any theatregoer resist the premise of a motherless boy from a poor mining town in the North-East overcoming every obstacle and hardship to realise his dream of becoming a ballet dancer?

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Nick Smurthwaite

Anne Mayer. Photo: Leo CackettPublicist whose career spanned the performing arts at institutions including London’s Royal Court, the Young Vic and Opera NorthSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in. Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month.  OR  Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk.

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Nick Smurthwaite

Shirley Teece, who has died aged 89 after a long illness, was a well-liked light entertainment casting director in theatre and television in the 1980s and 1990s. Growing up in Holloway, north London, in the 1930s and 1940s, she attended Parliament Hill Girls’ School. She joined the casting department of ATV in 1969 and worked on programmes such as The Muppet Show, New Faces, The Tom Jones Show and The Golden Shot.

1 month ago | thestage.co.uk | Nick Smurthwaite

Jean Marsh. Photo: Craig SugdenStage and screen actor who also co-created two popular TV shows – Upstairs, Downstairs and The House of EliottSupport The Stage by registering or subscribingTo continue reading this article you must be logged in. Register or login below to unlock 3 free articles every month.  OR  Or subscribe from just £7.99 and get unlimited access to thestage.co.uk.