Belgrade Theatre and Mercurial Dance Announce Full Cast For Immersive Theatre Project READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Following the announcement of their site-specific performance festival Read All About It!, the Belgrade Theatre and Mercurial Dance have now revealed full casting for the project, which runs at the former Coventry Evening Telegraph Building 10-14 July.

Forming part of the Coventry City of Culture Trust's build-up programme in the lead up to 2021, this ambitious performance takeover encompasses two separate shows, both inspired by real-life stories from more than 50 years of Coventry history.

In Retold, Mercurial Dance take over the foyer area with an interactive, cabaret-style performance, uniting three skilled professional dancers with a local musician and composer, and four emerging dance artists.

Newly announced following recruitment from Coventry University and other regional universities and colleges, the supporting cast includes Annalise Cowan, Ines Carvalho, and Laura Hague. These emerging artists join professional dancers Lewys Holt, Ashley Jordan and Henry Curtis.

The show is directed and choreographed by Oliver Scott, with text devised in partnership with dramaturg Olivia Winteringham and the cast. Music is by Lucy Anne Sale, design is by Patrick Connellan and Abby Clarke and lighting is by Chris Munn and Rob Clews.

In City Final, the Belgrade Theatre's nine youth and community groups present a series of snapshots of local history, popping up throughout the building in an immersive journey through the decades.

The show will feature around 80 community performers, directed by group leaders Natalie Russo and Alice Williams (Arts Gym 50+) Naomi Wood (Canley Youth Theatre), Claire Procter (Middle Youth Theatre), Leon Phillips (Black Youth Theatre), Paul O'Donnell (Senior Youth Theatre) and Reena Jaisiah and Joshua Patel (Asian Youth Theatre), with support from Corey Campbell and Jonathan Grant, directors of the Belgrade Springboard Company Strictly Arts.

City Final is produced by Hannah Barker and designed by Patrick Connellan and Abby Clarke, with digital design by Shanaz Gulzar and Andrew Cardinal. The writer is Jennifer Farmer and the dramaturg is Ola Animashawun. Sound design is by Arun Ghosh and Laura Wardle and lighting is by Chris Munn and Rob Clews.

Read All About It! is part of the Coventry 2021 build-up programme (the Coventry Great Place Project, and is supported by Heritage Lottery, Arts Council England, Coventry University, University of Warwick, Coventry City Council and Coventry Business Improvement District.

Read All About It! runs at the Coventry Evening Telegraph Building Tuesday 10 - Saturday 14 July. Tickets are available to book by calling the box office on 024 7655 3055, or visiting www.belgrade.co.uk where prices are even cheaper.

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