Top Radio Names Swap The Airwaves For Stage Tour To Celebrate 50 Years Of Radio 4

Some of radio's most popular personalities are swapping the airwaves to go on tour in a brand new stage show during Autumn 2019.

Wireless Wise - A Celebration Of Radio 4 promises audiences an unforgettable evening of comedy and nostalgia, with a show packed with hilarious anecdotes, sketches and music spanning 50 years.

The show will feature Alistair McGowan, the Reverend Richard Coles, Garry Richardson and Charlotte Green, who have collectively been entertaining radio audiences for more than two centuries. The show will be hosted by Garry Richardson from the Today programme.

The tour will feature two special guests, Richie Webb from Radio 4's 15 Minute Musicals, and Joe Stilgoe, a regular on BBC Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night programme. Richie and Joe will appear at specified venues along with other surprise guests.

Wireless Wise - A Celebration Of Radio 4 was recently premiered to a packed out Storyhouse in Chester. Production images have now been released and tour dates announced.

The show will head to Nottingham in early October, before visiting Bury St Edmunds, High Wycombe, Eastbourne, Canterbury, and Bournemouth.

The full tour venues and dates are the Playhouse in Nottingham on Sunday 6 October; The Apex at Bury St Edmunds on Saturday 12 October; Wycombe Swan at High Wycombe on Tuesday 15 October; Devonshire Park Theatre in Eastbourne on Sunday 20 October; Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury on Sunday 3 November; and the Pavilion at Bournemouth on Wednesday 6 November.

Alistair McGowan is a cherished household name, a master impressionist, stand-up comic, actor, pianist, writer of sketches, articles, stage and radio plays. But he is still probably best known to British audiences for The Big Impression, which was one of BBC1's top rating comedy programmes over four years, winning numerous awards including a BAFTA. In 2017, Sony Classical released Alistair McGowan; The Piano Album, which went to Number One in The Official Classical Charts, reached number two in the Classic FM chart, and was John Brunning's Album of The Week.

The Reverend Richard Coles is sometimes described as "Britain's most famous Vicar", he is a regular presenter on Radio 4's Saturday Live and Radio 2. A colourful career saw Richard form the pop band The Communards in the 1980s. He's the only vicar to have had a Number One record, so he'll have plenty of tales to share from his extraordinary journey from popstar to priest, to Strictly Come Dancing and beyond.

Garry Richardson joined the BBC in 1974 and "here's Garry with the sport" has been heard on Radio 4's Today programme since 1981 - making him the longest serving member of the team and giving him a wealth of hilarious behind the scenes stories to tell. Garry is known for his racing tips which never win, and he famously got David Cameron to select two horses on his first day as Prime Minister. Garry is the regular presenter on 5 Live's Sportsweek, and has interviewed some of the world's most famous names, including an impromptu 15-minute chat with President Bill Clinton, live from Wimbledon's Centre Court.

Newsreader Charlotte Green was once voted the nation's favourite voice in a Radio Times poll, and is one of the country's most recognisable and cherished voices. Well-known for her warm tones, diction and poise, a fit of the giggles live on air made her a national treasure - with even Prince Charles thanking her for her "impossibly infectious giggling". With appearances on the News Quiz and The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, Charlotte is a great raconteur and can still be heard on Saturday evenings reading the football results on Radio 5 Live.

Richie Webb will appear in Nottingham and Bury St Edmunds. Richie is an established radio comedy writer, performer and producer with his Writers' Guild award-winning show 15 Minute Musical, a mainstay of the Radio 4 schedule. He also wrote, produced and performed three series of sitcom The Music Teacher, as well as his current project Mr Muzak, now in its second series. He has previously written and performed in multiple series of The Cheese Shop, Look Away Now, and The Bigger Issues for Radio 4, and nine series of Parsons and Naylor's Pull-Out Sections for BBC Radio 2.

Away from the wireless, Richie is a prolific composer and songwriter for children's television, and is best known for composing all 100 plus songs for the multiple BAFTA, Emmy, British Comedy Award winning Horrible Histories. As well as having a BBC Children's Prom dedicated to his songs at the Royal Albert Hall, he has followed the show to the big screen - composing the songs and score for the new Horrible Histories: The Movie.

Joe Stilgoe will appear at High Wycombe, Eastbourne, Canterbury and Bournemouth. Joe is an internationally acclaimed singer, pianist and songwriter, whose live shows are a mixture of virtuoso musicianship and breathtaking theatricality, combining on the spot improvisation with quick wit.

Joe has toured the world both with his band and a solo performer. He works extensively on radio and has hosted BBC Radio 2's Friday Night Is Music Night, as well as his own show on Jazz FM. He has guested on The Now Show and The Horne Section for Radio 4, and has appeared in the musical High Society at The Old Vic. Jo regularly enjoys sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

www.highfieldproductions.com/wireless-wise

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