Pick Me Up Theatre

Oliver Twist auditions are on Sunday 8th September from 9am - 1pm at 41 Monkgate York. Please email [email protected] for a time slot and the script. Choose a passage for one character only and be prepared to sing: In The Bleak Midwinter. If you can't make this date let us know and we'll arrange a different time. You can also send a video audition. Show poster with dates is attached. If you can play an instrument let us know. This wonderful adaptation of the Dickens novel is by Deborah McAndrew and was recently performed by Hull Truck in 2022. This festive version has a specially written score by John Biddle. The music and vocal tracks are also available. The show requires a cast of adults and children.

Pick Me Up Theatre's Christmas show @ Theatre at 41 2024 is Deborah McAndrew's brilliant adaptation of Charles Dickens' OLIVER TWIST. Written especially for the Octagon Theatre Bolton and recently performed by Hull Truck, Oliver Twist includes Christmas music and original songs written and arranged by Conrad Nelson. For a perusal script please email: [email protected] - open auditions. Actor musicians especially welcome!

Pick Me Up Theatre Independent theatre company based in York.

Don't forget NATIVITY! AUDITIONS TOMORROW! Children 12-4, Older teenagers and adults 5-8 - Good Luck! Register on the day. Sparkle & Shine! St Aelred's Community Centre, Tang Hall York.

NATIVITY! The Musical Audition Announcement!
Date: Sunday 7th July 12pm - 8pm
Venue: St Aelred's Community Centre Tang Hall York YO31 0PN

Show dates: 22nd - 30th November 2024 Grand Opera House York

Director/Choreographer - Lesley Lettin
Musical Director - Adam Tomlinson
Producer - Robert Readman

Children 12pm - 4pm
Adults 5pm to 8pm

Boys to prepare ‘Good News’
Girls to prepare ’Sparkle and Shine’,
Men to prepare ‘Duet for a BreakUp’,
Women to prepare ’Sparkle and Shine’.

The children will be asked to show us their talent, their speciality act as per the film. We’re not looking for perfection just fun, they’ll also be taught some choreography, and asked to read some script which they’ll be given on the day.

Call backs: 6pm - 10pm Tuesday 9th July.
Venue: St Aelred's Community Centre

Email:
[email protected] for score/script pdf

Link to libretto & Score:

https://www.pickmeuptheatre.com/nativity-the-musical-2024

What better way to spend a soggy Saturday than at our fabulous production of Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George! Adam Price is the pointillist artist Georges Seurat consumed by his work and real life wife Natalie Walker is his long suffering mistress, Dot. He just wants to paint she just wants to love…Watch the dramas unfold as he gets on everyone’s nerves!! Today is your last chance to see why our audiences have fallen in love with this show - don’t miss the matinee or evening at York’s Theatre@41. Tix https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Pix: Kevin Greenhill

Our Sondheim season continues with one of his earliest works, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM. 1962 winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
Set in Ancient Rome, we meet Pseudolus (a slave owned by the ridiculously handsome but naive Hero) who wants to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the heart of the girl next door. Based on the farces of Roman playwright Plautus, the show includes two of Stephen Sondheim's most famous songs: Comedy Tonight and Everybody Ought To Have A Maid.
Email: [email protected] to register your interest.

Last three chances to catch our hit production of Sunday in the Park with George! This Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece stars Adam Price as the pointillist artist Georges Seurat and real life wife Natalie Walker as his feisty but long suffering mistress, Dot. He wants to paint she wants to love…Watch the dramas unfold tonight and tomorrow - matinee and evening performances at York’s Theatre@41. Tix https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Pix: Kevin Greenhill

Come and see why audiences are loving our production of Sunday in the Park with George! This Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece stars Adam Price as pointillist artist Georges Seurat and real life wife Natalie Walker as his feisty but long suffering mistress, Dot. Theatre@41 tonight until Saturday 13. Tix: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Pix: Kevin Greenhill

REVIEW: Pick Me Up Theatre in Sunday In The Park With George, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York, until Saturday ****

FRENCH post-Impressionist painter Georges Seurat obsessed over every little last detail, making a point of everything.

The same applies to Robert Readman’s production of one of his favourite musical works, Stephen Sondheim and playwright-director James Lapine’s Sunday In The Park With George, a 1984 collaboration inspired by Seurat’s pointillist painting, Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of La Grande Jatte.

Two years in the making, that 1884-1886 work forms the wraparound artwork for Pick Me Up Theatre’s programme. Unfold it, and you find Sondheim’s lyrics to Finishing The Hat, the most significant song in capturing the artistic temperament and drive of Seurat and Sondheim alike.

Director-designer Readman has given Sunday In The Park With George a traverse setting within the black-box John Cooper Studio. At either end is a blank canvas for projections of such Seurat works as 1884’s Bathers At Asnières, an oil painting of a suburban, placid Parisian riverside on a monumental scale soon to be matched by Sunday Afternoon On The Island Of Grand Jatte.

Work-in-progress drawings by Kevin Greenhill (also the production’s photographer) depict Seurat’s sketches and character studies as Adam Price’s George (Seurat) is consumed by his craft of painting: a craft that brought him no monetary reward in a life curtailed by a fatal illness at 31, not one painting having sold before his death.

This is an exquisite directorial touch by Readman, happily and visibly restored to full throttle after “unforeseen circumstances” forced him to call off last autumn’s Halloween double bill at the Grand Opera House.

In between the two canvas bookends runs another strip of blank canvas, a walkway or catwalk to be peopled by all the figures in Seurat’s painting coming to life in the imagination of Lapine and Sondheim (much like Johannes Vermeer’s Girl With A Pearl Earring doing likewise in Tracy Chevalier’s historical fiction novel), as if the writers had eavesdropped on conversations in the park.

Host Readman has his audience seated to either side of the stage at circular tables topped with paper “tablecloths” decorated with dots. We feel like we are in the park too.

Dots are everywhere. Even Seurat’s long-suffering mistress/lover/muse is called Dot, a made-up name, it would seem, but typical of the wit at work in this fictionalised account of the months leading up to the completion of Seurat’s painting.

In a canny piece of casting, Readman has brought together real-life husband and wife Adam Price and Natalie Walker as his leads. They have performed as a duo and sang together in Pick Me Up’s Dad’s Army but this is the first time they have taken roles together in a musical, and their natural chemistry shines through their performance as the damaged central couple.

Dot wants Seurat to express his love, especially once she is pregnant, but he is drawn only to the canvas, to shining light on Parisian life, putting her only in the spotlight in the painting.

They sing beautifully, Walker especially in the ballads, Price in expressing his artistic modus operandi, his dot-dot-dot technique being matched at one point by the staccato notes emanating from musical director Matthew Peter Clare’s keyboard.

As Seurat alienates the French bourgeoisie, snubs his fellow artists and neglects his lover, we meet all manner of Parisian folk in the park: an Old lady (Beryl Nairn), who turns out to be his oft-exasperated mother; his cigar-smoking agent Jules (James Willstrop), who behind his back shows no enthusiasm for his work; Yvonne (Sanna Jeppsson), who is even more snobbishly dismissive; and Craig Kirby and Rhian Wells’s befuddled American couple, Mr and Mrs.

Look out too for Mark Simmonds’s haughty, Germanic Franz; Ryan Richardson’s surly Boatman; Neil Foster’s self-righteous Soldier and Alexandra Mather (a late replacement for the indisposed Emma Louise Dickinson) and Nicola Holliday as a pair of anything but angelic Celestes. Tracey Rea’s Frieda, Michael Tattersall’s Louis, Libby Greenhill’s Louise and Logan Willstrop’s Boy cut a dash too.

After the interval, the musical takes a turn for the more personal for Sondheim in a parallel modern story where Price’s Seurat becomes George, a ‘chromolume’ American artist as underappreciated and fractious as Seurat was in his lifetime as Sondheim “explores the reverberations of Seurat’s actions over the next 100 years”.

At the time, Sondheim was increasingly dischuffed by the reaction to his musicals, just as Woody Allen had a fan say “I especially like your early, funny ones” to Allen’s character, film director Sandy Bates, in 1980’s Stardust Memories when weary of critics giving that verdict on his later works.

This is a somewhat overwrought piece of point-scoring by Sondheim amid all the pointillism of Seurat, but archly amusing all the same, adding to the enjoyment of a superb performance by leads and supporting players alike, responding to Readman’s relish for the musical.

Will Nicholson and Adam Coggin’s lighting and sound is top notch, and Matthew Peter Clare’s palpably energetic musical direction brings out the best in his seven-piece band.

Readman’s design skills are always a strong suit, but particularly so here, full of playfulness and artistry, such as in the cut-outs of dogs from Seurat’s painting, later matched by black-and-white full size cut-outs of George part two in the American gallery in his suit, tie and pumps.

Do please spend Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday in the park with George. You’d be dotty to miss out.

Pick Me Up Theatre in Sunday In The Park With George, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York; 7.30pm plus 2.30pm Saturday matinee. Box office: tickets.41monkgate.co.uk.

Photographs: Kevin Greenhill

Come into the world of Narnia with Castaway Theatre Company this June. The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe is a magical musical based on the book by C.S Lewis. Go through the wardrobe with Lucy, Edmund, Susan & Peter to meet Mr Tumnus, The White Witch, Mr & Mrs Beaver, Aslan the Lion, Grumpskin and all the characters in the world where it is forever Winter. Beautiful music performed by Castaway's live band led by musical director Natalie Walker and guitarist Tom Hill, with design and direction by Robert Readman and Duncan Marwick. We are supported by our wonderful team of volunteers, member's families and the wonderful people from the Goole area, so don't miss this amazing spectacle in the magnificent Victorian Market Hall in Goole.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/castaway-theatre-company

Catch our leading man and lady Adam Price and Natalie Walker on Jorvik Radio this morning. Hear all about their lead roles as painter Georges Seurat and his mistress Dot in our production of Sunday In The Park With George. Tune into 94.8FM or tell Alexa to play Jorvik Radio! Theatre@41 until April 13. Tix: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/

Superb opening night for Sunday in the Park with George! Don’t miss Pick Me Up’s stunning production of the Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece. Adam Price plays the pointillist artist Georges Seurat and real life wife Natalie Walker plays the long suffering mistress, Dot. Theatre@41 from April 5-13. Tix: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Pix: Kevin Greenhill

We open tonight! Don’t miss Pick Me Up’s stunning production of Sunday In The Park With George. Adam Price stars as the controversial artist Georges Seurat driving all of Paris mad as he finishes his famous “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Natalie Walker - his real life wife - stars as the artist’s long suffering mistress Dot. Theatre@41 from April 5-13. Tix: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Pix: Kevin Greenhill

We open tomorrow - Sunday in the Park with George! Book now for Pick Me Up’s beautiful production of the Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece. Adam Price plays the controversial artist Georges Seurat driving Paris and his mistress (real life wife Natalie Walker) mad as he finishes his famous “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Theatre@41 from April 5-13. Tix: https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/
Pix: Kevin Greenhill

Final rehearsals for Sunday in the Park with George - we open on Friday! Pick Me Up has a special passion for Sondheim so do join us for this wonderful production of Sunday In The Park With George. The Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece follows the controversial artist Georges Seurat as he paints his famous “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Theatre@41 from April 5-13. Tix:https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.../0ec41414-4651-4081.

If you enjoyed our Sondheim concert you’ll also love our production of Sunday in the Park with George opening on Friday. And if you missed it then don’t miss this! The Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece follows the controversial artist Georges Seurat as he paints his famous “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Don’t miss this fabulous production at theatre@41 from April 5-13. Theatre@41, York. Tix:https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.../0ec41414-4651-4081.
Images: Kevin Greenhill

Last chance to catch these wonderful women on stage together in our roaring success of a show Sondheim We Remember! Matinee and evening performances today, Theatre@41 York. Oh - there are wonderful men too. We’ll post about them next! https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/seasons/be8fd14b-be20-411f-bc1d-25fce0f8ec85

https://charleshutchpress.co.uk/review-pick-me-up-theatre-in-sondheim-we-remember-theatre41-monkgate-york/

REVIEW: Charles Hutchinson's verdict on Pick Me Up Theatre in Sondheim We Remember, Theatre@41, Monkgate, York **** - charleshutchpress Facebook0Tweet0LinkedIn0 THIS cabaret r***e of songs from Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway shows, film scores and television specials will stand side by side with Pick Me Up Theatre’s production of Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1984 musical Sunday In The Park With George next week. Sondheim We Rememb...

Happy World Theatre Day!! And what a way to celebrate with OPENING NIGHT of our tribute show to the great Sondheim - We Remember. Showing all this week until Sat. You won't find a finer selection of songs performed by better singers...so get your tickets now!

https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/seasons/be8fd14b-be20-411f-bc1d-25fce0f8ec85

Rehearsing Sunday in the Park with George - the Sondheim/Lapine masterpiece following the controversial artist Georges Seurat as he paints his famous “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." Don’t miss this fabulous production at theatre@41 from April 5-13. Theatre@41, York. Tix:https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.../0ec41414-4651-4081.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/MVZfJ98CybystLfo/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Pick Me Up Theatre to perform Stephen Sondheim shows at the double at Theatre@41, Monkgate in March and April.
Full preview at www.charleshutchpress.co.uk

And these two wonderful women complete our cast for Sondheim We Remember. Pick Me Up's superb tribute concert to the master of the musical is at Theatre@41 from March 27-30. Book here:
https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.../be8fd14b-be20-411f...

Can you spot our cast of Sunday in the Park with George dotted about in this Seurat painting? “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” forms the backdrop to this musical masterpiece by Sondheim and Lapine - don’t miss it!
April 5-13. Theatre@41, York. Tix:https://tickets.41monkgate.co.uk/.../0ec41414-4651-4081.