Sheffield Theatres Adds QUEEN COAL to Season

Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director Daniel Evans today announces the final production in the Theatres' autumn season, the world premiére of Bryony Lavery's Queen Coal directed by Robert Shaw Cameron, alongside the news that in an unprecedented development for the company, they will take three of their productions in the forthcoming season on tour, enabling their work to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Queen Coal, by Bryony Lavery (Frozen, Beautiful Burnout) taking to the Studio stage from Thursday 30 October - Saturday 22 November, tells an intensely powerful story of an industry in turmoil and one woman's struggle at the front of the picket line. Directed by Robert Shaw Cameron, the production will be supported by Hill Dickinson Lawyers.

Sheffield Theatres' award-winning production of Tim Firth's musical comedy This Is My Family will be directed by Daniel Evans and will reopen the Lyceum Theatre from Thursday 9 - Saturday 18 October. This production will also see the company embark on its first solo tour.

In their second co-production with English Touring Theatre, Sheffield Theatres will begin a six-date national tour of Jonathan Munby's (Company) new production of the Shakespearean comedy, Twelfth Night on the Crucible stage from Thursday 18 September - Saturday 18 October.

Finally the company's Christmas show, Daniel Evans' production of the classic musical Anything Goes, will embark on a nationwide tour with Stage Entertainment following the production's run on the Crucible stage from Friday 28 November - Saturday 17 January.

In the Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield Theatres and co-producers Evolution Pantomimes present Dick Whittington from Friday 5 December - Sunday 4 January, a fun-packed family pantomime starring top TV actress and West End star Samantha Womack (Ronnie Mitchell in EastEnders), children's TV favourite Andy Day (CBeebies) and the hilarious Damian Williams returns as the Dame. This production is sponsored by East Midlands Trains.

The Lyceum Theatre also plays host this season to a packed programme of touring shows sure to delight audiences.

The sensational musical Rock of Ages blasts into town from Monday 27 October - Saturday 1 November, starring Ben Richards (Oliver!), Noel Sullivan (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and an array of classic rock anthems. The unstoppable smash hit Stomp (Tuesday 4 - Saturday 8 November) offers audiences a fusion of dance, percussion and comedy; the powerfully evocative and critically acclaimed The Woman in Black will send chills down spines from Tuesday 21 - Saturday 25 October, and the iconic musical Blood Brothers returns to Sheffield from Tuesday 13 - Saturday 24 January.

Lovers of dance will be thrilled by ballet this season as Northern Ballet stage their new adaptation of Cinderella (Tuesday 25 - Saturday 29 November) and Moscow City Ballet bring Swan Lake, to the Lyceum stage from Tuesday 6 - Saturday 10 January.

Audiences seeking comedy can enjoy a whole host of performances during the autumn season. Comedy legend Ken Dodd takes audiences through 60 Years of Happiness and Laughter on Sunday 16 November, while Edinburgh Festival Award-winner Bridget Christie (A Bic For Her, Friday 26 September) and Tim Key (Single White Slut, Monday 29 September) appear on the Studio stage. The Last Laugh Comedy Festival returns with a line-up including Rory McGrath and Philip Pope (Wednesday 8 October) and ITV The Chase's Paul Sinha (Wednesday15 October), while Sheffield's favourite comedy parody 6-piece ukulele band The Everly Pregnant Brothers perform on the Crucible stage (Friday 24 & Saturday 25 October).

Multi award-winning Theatre Ad Infinitum's Ballad of the Burning Star (Wednesday 17 - Thursday 18 September), Ade Solanke's tragic-comedy about a British-Nigerian family in turmoil, Pandora's Box (Friday 19 - Saturday 20 September) and Forced Entertainment's The Notebook (Friday 10 & Saturday 11 October), provide audiences with thought-provoking theatre this season, while David Mitchell (Monday 1 September), acclaimed author of award-winning novel Cloud Atlas; Paul Merton (Monday 20 October) and Michael Palin (Wednesday 22 October) talk through their careers on the Crucible stage.

Getting audiences into the festive spirit, The SnowmanTM comes to life on the Lyceum stage from Wednesday 19 - Sunday 23 November. This delightful stage adaptation from Birmingham Repertory Theatre is based on the book by Raymond Briggs and features Howard Blake's classic song Walking in the Air. Christmas also marks the return of tutti frutti and York Theatre Royal to the Studio, who will present their fantastical re-telling of Hans Christian Anderson's The Princess and the Pea (Wed 10 December - Sat 3 January) for everyone over the age of three!

Looking further ahead, audiences can also now book for the Regent's Park Theatre production of To Kill A Mocking Bird (Tuesday 27 - Saturday 31 January), Jeeves and Wooster in Perfect Nonsense (Monday 16 - Saturday 21 February) and Top Hat (Tuesday 24 February - Saturday 7 March). The Full Monty (Tuesday 5 - Saturday 23 May) returns to the Lyceum with an all new cast including Gary Lucy (Footballer's Wives), the National Theatre bring the critically acclaimed production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Monday 14 - Saturday 26 September), and Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre's record breaking production of Barnum starring Brian Conley in the lead role will light up the Lyceum Theatre from Tuesday 7 - Saturday 11 April.

Artistic Director Daniel Evans said today, "I am thrilled that Bryony Lavery has created Queen Coal for us. The impact of the miners' strike still resonates in the Sheffield City Region and this play examines the crucial role that women played during that intense period of British history."

"I am also delighted to announce the details of our tour for This Is My Family and our co-production of Twelfth Night with English Touring Theatre, as well as the news that with Stage Entertainment Anything Goes will go on to tour the UK following its run here in Sheffield. It's wonderful to know that we will reach so many more people with Tim Firth's hilarious new musical, Shakespeare's classic comedy and our revival of Cole Porter's musical celebration."

The full autumn season will go on sale to Sheffield Theatres' Centre Stage Members on Saturday 14 June and to the public on Saturday 21 June from 10.00am. For more details and to book tickets call the Box Office on 0114 249 6000 or visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk.

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