Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theater. Show all posts

Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Door2Tour.com reports rise in sales for London theatre breaks

Door2Tour.com, the online travel company, has revealed that sales for its London theatre breaks are up 7% compared to the same period last year.

The provider of coach tours suggests that the rise in popularity could be because of sell-out productions such as new kid on the block, 'Matilda the Musical', and the continued success of Les Misérables, now in its 26th year. Last year, approximately 8 million people hit London's West End to see a musical of some sort. 

The success could also be attributed to the rise in popularity for West End plays with just over 3 million people seeing productions such as 'Frankenstein', 'Much Ado About Nothing', 'Noises Off', 'Two Guvnors' and 'Jerusalem' which had audiences queuing around the block just to get their hands on a ticket.

Rachel Jones, Online PR & Marketing Co-ordinator for Door2Tour.com said: "It just goes to show that even with all the doom and gloom surrounding the UK economy, our customers still want to treat themselves or others to London theatre breaks. We have certainly seen renewed interest in plays such as 'The Woman in Black' and 'Warhorse' since their respective big budget film releases. 

"We have also noticed that as the school holidays arrive, parents still wish to treat their family to a day out and this is where London theatre breaks are ideal as you get to see a bit of the city and finish with an entertaining evening at the musicals with the delights of 'Matilda', 'Shrek' and 'The Lion King' proving to be huge hits with families from across the UK."

Sometimes it’s not just a new show that attracts new audiences to the West End, sometimes it can purely be down to who is starring in it. Michael Crawford made his return to the West End when he starred as the Wizard in the (then) new musical 'Wizard of Oz' and that saw a huge rush in ticket sales. His role has since been taken over by Russell Grant who was extremely popular in the last series of 'Strictly Come Dancing'. Alfie Boe and Matt Lucas are due to star in 'Les Misérables' for a limited run in June 2012 which is sure to see a surge in interest from those avid fans of the show.

The popularity of reality TV Shows have also helped to attract new audiences to London's West End with shows such as 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' and 'How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?' attracting record numbers of viewers who in turn wish to see their winner perform in their lead role on stage.

Rachel concluded: "Although our customers are thinking very carefully about where their money goes and not necessarily wanting to travel too far, lately we have noticed that many are still looking to get away from it all to celebrate a special birthday or big anniversary. We have received numerous enquiries from people looking for a London break combined with a West End show to treat that special someone in their lives. It is without a doubt that London theatre breaks have been boosted by a host of new shows such as Singin' in the Rain' and 'Dreamboats & Petticoats' and a series of new stars freshening up the London stage."

www.door2tour.com

Sunday, 29 January 2012

The Chemical Brothers' 'Don't Think' Brings Festival Fever To Cinemas Worldwide In Dolby Surround 7

World's first concert film cinema release mixed in Dolby Surround 7.1
Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB) have announced that The Chemical Brothers—Don't Think, a film by acclaimed director Adam Smith, is the world's first concert film cinema release mixed in Dolby® Surround 7.1.

Filmed using 20 cameras at the band's 2011 headline show at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival, Don't Think was conceived to capture the Chemical Brothers' renowned fusion of visual and audio elements to give a fan's perspective of the show. The soundtrack, which was mixed by the Chemical Brothers, makes use of the improved panning, sound localisation, and enhanced definition provided by Dolby Surround 7.1's eight channels and four surround zones to realise the creative team's vision for the film. It has already been well received by the specialist music press.

"After 18 years of working on the Chemical Brothers' live show, we have finally captured it on film. You could almost say it's 18 years in the making," said Adam Smith. "I wanted to capture what it is like to experience the show from right in the middle of the crowd, as well as showing and combining the visuals featured in the show with the footage we captured on one night, to see how the music and visuals emotionally affect and connect with the audience.

"Mixing Don't Think in Dolby Surround 7.1 certainly helped us to achieve this like never before."

With over 45 feature films released or set to be released in the format to date and 3,400 cinema screens worldwide supporting the technology, cinemagoers are already experiencing the realism and immersive experience offered by Dolby Surround 7.1.

Along with Dolby Digital Plus and Dolby TrueHD, Dolby technologies deliver 7.1 surround sound experiences to consumers across broadcast, streaming, Blu-ray™, and home cinema systems, helping maintain the fidelity of the artist's creative vision, no matter how consumers choose to experience their works.

"Since its launch in 2010, Dolby Surround 7.1 has gained an impressive pedigree in helping content creators connect with their audiences through uncompromising entertainment experiences. As the world's first concert-film cinema release presented using Dolby Surround 7.1, Don't Think demonstrates another creative application for the technology as artists look for new ways to engage audiences," said Daniela Bischof, Product and Partner Marketing Manager, EMEA, Dolby Laboratories.

Once it is released on 1 February 2012, Don't Think will be shown on more than 500 screens in 20 countries.

FACTFILE:
The latest innovation from a pioneer in cinema sound, Dolby Surround 7.1 improves the spatial dimension of soundtracks and enhances audio definition. The result: full-featured audio that better matches the visual impact of movies.

With the ability for content creators to mix in a discrete 7.1 format, Dolby Surround 7.1 provides four surround zones to better orchestrate audio channels in a movie theater environment. The four surround zones incorporate the traditional Left Surround and Right Surround with new Back Surround Left and Back Surround Right zones. The addition of the two Back Surround zones enhances directionality in panning 360 degrees around the theatre.

Dolby is the global leader in technologies that are essential elements in the best entertainment experiences. Founded in 1965 and best known for high-quality audio and surround sound, Dolby creates innovations that enrich entertainment at the movies, at home, or on the go. For more information about Dolby Laboratories or Dolby technologies, please visit www.dolby.com.

Sunday, 15 January 2012

Sleeping Dogs

Drowning Fish Productions and The Impulse Company presents:Sleeping Dogs
By Brenda Gottsche
BARONS COURT THEATRE, Tuesday 31st January – Saturday 18th February 2012
PRESS PERFORMANCE: Friday 3rd February

‘Brenda Gottsche’s bright comedy drama... a gently provocative, highly enjoyable evening.’
Time Out (on The Fulham Jesus)

Doctor Roz is Britain’s fastest-rising celebrity shrink. Her radio show has ratings through the roof and her self-help books fly off the shelves. She’s got a great marriage to Leo, who has just written a best-selling crime novel, and a teenage son whose idea of rebellion is to find Jesus.

All seems well until Leo’s past begins to catch up to him, and, faced with blackmail from an old Australian acquaintance, he has to decide whether the truth is really the best policy or if he should just let sleeping dogs lie. Meanwhile, Roz’s carefully-crafted life begins to fall apart, first at home, then publicly on her radio show.

Sleeping Dogs is a sometimes funny, often moving play that asks the crucial question, ‘how much do we really know of one another?’

Brenda Gottsche, the playwright, divides her time between London and Sydney. Her first play, The Fulham Jesus, debuted at Barons Court in 2003 and has been performed in the USA and in Australia. Hot Property played at the Old Red Lion in 2005, andThe Max Factor at Barons Court in 2007. Her production company is Drowning Fish Productions.

Co-producing is The Impulse Company, founded by Scott Williams to celebrate the work of actors, writers, and directors. Originally from California, Williams has directed the world over, including Measure for Measure at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Ancient History at Hong Kong’s Caught in the Act, and Five O’Clock Angel starring Nichola McAuliffe, which played throughout the UK for over six months. The Impulse Company is expanding its reach with regular work in Paris, Sydney, New York, and Hong Kong.

The cast includes Barbara Hatwell (Anthea Dixon in Brookside) and Gregory Cox (Arcadia, National Theatre)

www.drowningfishproductions.com

Running Time: Approx 2 hours

Company Info

Written by: Brenda Gottsche
Directed by: Scott Williams and Dominique Gerrard
Design by: Philip Lindley
Lighting Design by: Luke Girling
Costumes by: Rachael Smith

Cast:

Leo Gregory Cox Alex Joel Dyer Roz Barbara Hatwell
Andy Andrew William Robb Anna Fiona Watson

Listings information:

Venue: Barons Court Theatre
Address: The Curtain’s Up, 28a Comeragh Road, London W14 9HR
Dates: Tuesday 31st January – Saturday 18th February
Price: £12 (£10 concs.)
Box Office: 020 8932 4747
Transport: Barons Court/West Kensington
Times: Tues-Sat 7.30pm, Sat 2.30pm, Sun 6.30pm