Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Announce Their

PRESS RELEASE

REGENT’S PARK OPEN AIR THEATRE ANNOUNCE THEIR 2020 SEASON

• Directed by Timothy Sheader, the 2020 season opens with 101 DALMATIANS, a newly commissioned musical with book by Zinnie Harris and music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge, based on the book by Dodie Smith • Kimberley Sykes directs Shakespeare’s ROMEO AND JULIET • Director Timothy Sheader reunites with Superstar choreographer Drew McOnie to rediscover Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre have today announced their 2020 season which opens with their first newly commissioned musical, 101 Dalmatians (16 May – 21 June), based on Dodie Smith’s iconic story set in the heart of Regent’s Park with book by Zinnie Harris and music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge. The production is directed by Timothy Sheader, with puppetry designed and directed by Toby Olié. Also confirmed are Katrina Lindsay (Set and Costume Designer), Liam Steel (Choreographer), Sarah Travis (Musical Supervisor and Orchestrator), Howard Hudson (Lighting Designer) and Tarek Merchant (Musical Director). Casting is by Jill Green, with children’s casting by Verity Naughton.

Kimberley Sykes then directs Romeo and Juliet (27 June – 25 July), Shakespeare’s timeless story of two young people torn apart by a divided society and forbidden love.

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is celebrated for their innovative approach to musicals, and the 2020 season concludes with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Carousel (31 July – 19 September). Featuring a score that includes ‘If I Loved You’ and ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, director Timothy Sheader reunites with Jesus Christ Superstar choreographer Drew McOnie.

Also during the season, Nicoll Entertainment presents Dragons and Mythical Beasts (11 August – 6 September), a new 50-minute daytime show written by Derek Bond and directed by Derek Bond and Laura Cubitt. From the team that created Dinosaur World Live, enter into a magical world of myths and legends in this fantastical new interactive show for all the family. ______

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, directed by Jamie Lloyd, ends its run at the Open Air Theatre on 21 September 2019. It is already the theatre’s highest grossing production and has played to audiences of over 72,000 across its seven week run.

The theatre’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar is currently in rehearsal in New York ahead of its North American tour, which launches on 1 October 2019. ______

Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre Memberships are now on sale, and Members’ priority booking for the 2020 season opens at 11am, Friday 13 September. Visit www.openairtheatre.com/membership for more information. Public booking opens at 11am, Friday 11 October.

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PRESS CONTACTS

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

Box Office 0333 400 3562* | openairtheatre.com Inner Circle, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4NU

Social Media Twitter: @OpenAirTheatre / #OAT2020 / #101Dalmatians / #RomeoandJuliet / #Carousel / #DragonsBeasts Facebook: RegentsParkOpenAirTheatre Instagram: @RegentsParkOAT

*Lines open from 9am - 9pm. A £1.80 per ticket telephone booking fee applies. For Dragons and Mythical Beasts a £1.80 per ticket booking fee applies for telephone and online bookings (no booking fee when purchased in person at the box office counter). ______

LISTINGS

101 Dalmatians A New Musical Book by Zinnie Harris, Music & Lyrics by Douglas Hodge Based on the book by Dodie Smith

Saturday 16 May – Sunday 21 June First preview: 16 May Press Night: Wednesday 27 May (7.45pm)

Performances: Tuesday – Sunday @ 7.45pm (gates 6.15pm) Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday @ 2.15pm (gates 12.45pm) No matinee 16, 20, 23 or 27 May | No evening performance on 17 or 24 May

TICKETS FROM £25 ______

ROMEO AND JULIET By William Shakespeare

Saturday 27 June – Saturday 25 July First preview: 27 June Press Night: Friday 3 July (7.45pm)

Performances: Monday – Saturday @ 7.45pm (gates 6.15pm) Thursday & Saturday @ 2.15pm (gates 12.45pm) No matinee 27 June | No evening performance on 2 July

TICKETS FROM £25 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s CAROUSEL Music by Richard Rodgers Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Based on Ferenc Molnar’s Play “Liliom” As adapted by Benjamin F. Glazer Original Choreography by Agnes de Mille

Friday 31 July – Saturday 19 September First preview: 31 July Press Night: Thursday 6 August (7.45pm)

Performances: Monday – Saturday @ 7.45pm (gates 6.15pm) Thursday & Saturday @ 2.15pm (gates 12.45pm) No matinee 31 July or 6 August

TICKETS FROM £25

______

Nicoll Entertainment presents DRAGONS AND MYTHICAL BEASTS By Derek Bond

Tuesday 11 August – Sunday 6 September

Performances: Monday – Wednesday @ 2.15pm (gates 1.45pm) Friday & Sunday @ 10.30pm (gates 10am) & 1pm (gates 12.30pm) Saturday @ 10.30am (gates 10am) No performances on Thursdays or Friday 4 September

TICKETS FROM £17 (£15.20 ticket + £1.80 booking fee per ticket; no booking fee when purchased in person at the box office counter)

TIMOTHY SHEADER DIRECTOR, 101 Dalmatians / Carousel

Timothy Sheader has been Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive of Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre since 2007.

For Regent’s Park: Hansel and Gretel, The Turn of the Screw (co-production with English National Opera; Olivier Award nomination, Best New Opera Production), Jesus Christ Superstar (Evening Standard Award winner, Best Musical; Olivier Award winner, Best Musical Revival; also at the Lyric Opera Chicago/Barbican/US Tour), A Tale of Two Cities, Running Wild (also UK tour), Peter Pan (Olivier Award nomination, Best Family and Entertainment), To Kill a Mockingbird (WhatsOnStage Award, Best Play Revival; also UK Tour/Barbican), The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Olivier Award nomination, Best Musical Revival), Crazy for You (Olivier Award winner, Best Musical Revival; also at the Novello), Hello, Dolly! (Olivier Award winner, Best Musical Revival; Evening Standard Award winner, Best Musical), Into the Woods (Olivier Award winner, Best Musical Revival/ available on Digital Theatre; also at Public Theater New York, Central Park).

Theatre includes: Barnum (Chichester); The Magistrate (National Theatre); Imagine This (New London); Hobson’s Choice, The Clandestine Marriage, Love in a Maze (Watermill); Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, The Three Musketeers (Bristol Old Vic); The Star Throwers, Unless (Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough); Misconceptions (Derby Playhouse); Streetcar to Tennessee (Young Vic); Achilles (Edinburgh Fringe First Award); Wild, Wild Women (Orange Tree); Arms and the Man (National Tour); Piaf, Sweet Charity (Sheffield Crucible; TMA Best Musical Award); My Fair Lady (Aarhus Teater, Denmark).

Opera includes: The Monstrous Child (Royal Opera House).

KIMBERLEY SYKES DIRECTOR, Romeo and Juliet

Theatre includes: Beryl (Octagon, Bolton); As You Like It (RSC/UK Tour); The Whip, Dido Queen of Carthage (Nominated for Best Director at UK theatre awards; RSC); Working (Royal Academy of Music); The Hate Play, Macbeth, Mark and the Marked (Box Clever Theatre); Whose Sari Now? (Stratford East); In the Solitude of Cotton Fields (Tristan Bates); Lomki (part of the Story Project, Southwark Playhouse); Diary of a Thief (King’s Head).

She has also directed new writing at Theatre 503, Tamasha, The New Diorama and Southwark Playhouse.

Work as Associate Director includes: Dream 16: A Play for the Nation (RSC); City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse); East is East (Trafalgar Studios).

As assistant director she has worked at The National Theatre, Headlong, West End and Kiln.

Kimberley trained at Rose Bruford College and the National Theatre Studio Directors course