WEST END ACOUSTIC and Agatha Christie Staged Readings Announced As Part Of Riverside Studios Christmas Season

Riverside Studios today announces further programming for its inaugural Christmas season in association with New Frame Productions, including an evening of unplugged performance with West End Acoustic featuring SIX's Maiya Quansah-Breed and Renée Lamb, Wicked's Nicholas McLean, Jesus Christ Superstar's Tyrone Huntley and Dear Evan Hansen's Oliver Award-winning Sam Tutty.

Additionally, New Frame Productions presents live staged readings of Agatha Christie's crime plays Spider's Web and The Hollow with cast including Sir Derek Jacobi, Jessica Hynes, Simon Callow, Kathryn Drysdale, Tom Hughes, Nina Sosanya, James Dreyfus, Laura Haddock, Valentine Olukoga, Samantha Bond, Angela Griffin and Matthew Kelly. All profits from the staged readings will be donated to the Theatre Support Fund+ and Acting For Others who offer financial and emotional support to theatre workers in times of need.

Interim Creative Director, Rachel Tackley today said "The last few months have highlighted to us how vital live performance is and at Riverside we really want to be able to share that experience with audiences just as soon as we are able. And what could be more thrilling than to be in the company of so many extraordinary artists. I can't wait!"

Producers of New Frame Productions, James Quaife and Robin Rayner added "We are thrilled to be able to have the opportunity to continue to present live shows to live audiences working in collaboration with Riverside Studios. It's both a privilege and an honour to work with so many talented people across all our shows this Christmas."

West End Acoustic

Musical direction by Chris Poon

On Tuesday 8 December, 8pm

For one night only stars of the West End, Maiya Quansah-Breed, Renée Lamb, Nicholas McLean, Tyrone Huntley and Sam Tutty are brought together for an unplugged celebration of all the most popular musicals, with musical direction by Chris Poon.

Maiya Quansah-Breed's credits include SIX: The Musical (Arts Theatre/UK tour - Olivier Award Nomination for Best Supporting Actress) and Rent (Hope Mill Theatre/Online).

Renée Lamb's credits include SIX: The Musical (Arts Theatre), Be More Chill (The Other Palace), Little Shop of Horrors (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre), Malory Towers (Bristol Passenger Shed/UK tour/Wise Children) and Ain't Misbehavin' (Southwark Playhouse).

Nicholas McLean's credits include Wicked (Apollo Victoria Theatre - Black British Theatre Award for Best Supporting Male Actor in a Musical), The Book of Mormon (Palace Theatre), Avenue Q (UK tour) and Sister Act (Gordon Craig Theatre).

Tyrone Huntley's credits include Jesus Chris Superstar (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre - Evening Standard Award for Emerging Talent), A Midsummer Night's Dream (Watermill Theatre), The View Upstairs (Soho Theatre), Dreamgirls (Savoy Theatre), Memphis (Shaftesbury Avenue Theatre), Homos, or Everyone in America (The Finborough Theatre) and Angry (Southwark Playhouse).

Sam Tutty's credits include Dear Evan Hansen (Noël Coward Theatre - Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical) and Once on this Island (Southwark Playhouse).

Chris Poon's theatre credits include Rent, The Astonishing Times of Timothy Cratchit (Hope Mill Theatre), Legend Trippers (The Other Palace), In the Heights (Bridewell Theatre), Timpson: The Musical (King's Head Theatre) and Nice Work If You Can Get It (Upstairs at the Gatehouse).

Agatha Christie At Riverside

A one night only, star-studded staged reading of Agatha Christie's greatest thrillers to support the Theatre Support Fund+ and Acting for Others.

Spider's Web

By Agatha Christie

Directed by Kirsty Patrick Ward

On Wednesday 9 December

Clarissa, wife of a diplomat, is adept at spinning tales of adventure but when a murder takes place in her own drawing room she finds live drama much harder to cope with.

Desperate to dispose of the body before her husband arrives with an important politician, she enlists the help of her guests. Hilarity ensues when they are interrupted by the arrival of wry detective, Inspector Lord.

Nari Blair-Mangat's theatre credits include Cyrano De Bergerac (Playhouse Theatre), Colour is too Sweet (King's Head Theatre), A Cord of Three Strands (RADA Festival), People, Places and Things (National Theatre/Wyndham's Theatre/Headlong), Macbeth (Manchester International Festival/Park Avenue Armory, NYC), Othello (Leicester Square Theatre), The Duchess of Malfi (The Old Vic) and Piaf (Vaudeville Theatre/Donmar Warehouse). His television credits include Temple; and for film Murder on the Orient Express, Cinderella, Spectre and Terry.

Nick Blakeley's theatre credits include The Claim (Shoreditch Town Hall/Paines Plough Roundabout), Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre), I Heart Catherine Pistachio (Soho Theatre/Yard Theatre), Brideshead Revisited (York Theatre Royal/UK tour), Hapgood (Hampstead Theatre), Comment Is Free, 24 Hour Plays (The Old Vic), The Last of the De Mullins (Jermyn St Theatre), Hard Feelings (Finborough Theatre), The Sunshine Boys (Savoy Theatre), 13 and A Woman Killed With Kindness (National Theatre).

Brian Bovell's theatre credits include Kingston 14 (Theatre Royal Stratford East). His television credits include Coronation Street, Jamie Johnson, Unforgotten, as series regular Leo Valentine in Hollyoaks, as series regular DC Rob Thatcher in The Bill, Gimme Gimme Gimme, Maisie Raine and South of the Border; and for film his credits include Love Actually.

Richard Clifford's theatre credits include The School For Scandal, The Game of Love and Chance, Amadeus (Folger Theatre), Heartbreak House and Playing For Wife (Chichester Festival Theatre). For film credits include Little Dorrit, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing, Love's Labour's Lost, As You Like It, The Fool, A Bunch of Amateurs, My Week With Marilyn and Jail Caesar.

Adam Gillen's theatre credits include Killer Joe (Trafalgar Studios), Amadeus, The Five Wives of Maurice Pinder (National Theatre), Wendy and Peter (RSC), Lotty's War (UK tour), Lee Harvey Oswald (Finborough Theatre), The School for Scandal (Barbican), The Door Never Closes (Almeida Theatre), A Taste of Honey (Royal Exchange Theatre), The Good Soul of Szechuan (Young Vic), The Lions Mouth and War and Peace (Royal Court Theatre). His television credits include Fresh Meat, Prisoners' Wives, This is Jinsy and as series regular Liam in Benidorm; and for film, Vita and Virginia and Funny Cow.

Jessica Hynes' theatre credits include Far Away (Donmar Warehouse), The Norman Conquests (The Old Vic/Circle in the Square Theatre - Tony Award nomination for Best performance by a Featured Actress in a Play), The Night Heron, The Priory (Royal Court Theatre) and Blithe Spirit (York Theatre Royal). Her credits for television include Years and Years, There She Goes (BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance), Twenty Twelve, W1A (BAFTA Award for Best Female Comedy Performance), Spaced and as series regular Cheryl Carroll in The Royale Family. For film, her credits include Paddington 2, Bridget Jones's Baby, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

Sir Derek Jacobi is a BAFTA award-winning, and Golden Globe-nominated British actor. His theatre credits include Don Carlos (Sheffield Theatres/Gielgud Theatre), King Lear (Donmar Warehouse), Romeo and Juliet (Garrick Theatre), The Tempest (Sheffield Theatres/The Old Vic), Cyrano de Bergerac (Barbican - Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Revival), A Voyage Round My Father (Donmar Warehouse), Twelfth Night (Donmar West EndOliver Award for Best Actor) and Much Ado About Nothing (Gershwin Theatre - Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play). His television credits include Last Tango in Halifax, I, Claudius, Doctor Who, Inside Number 9 and The Crown and for film credits include Gladiator, Gosford Park, Dead Again and The Tenth Man (Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special).

Matthew Kelly's theatre credits include BIG The Musical (Dominion Theatre), Of Mice and Men (Savoy Theatre - Olivier Award for Best Actor), Ripafratta (Royal Exchange Theatre), Amadeus (Wilton's Music Hall), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Garrick Theatre/Trafalgar Studios), Troilus and Cressida (Shakespeare's Globe), Lend Me A Tenor (Gielgud Theatre), Comedians (Lyric Hammersmith), The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Nottingham Playhouse/Lyric Hammersmith) and Waiting For Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket/Comedy Theatre). His television credits include Game for a Laugh, Stars in Their Eyes, After They Were Famous, Relative Strangers and Bleak House.

Gerard McCarthy's theatre credits include Tina The Musical (Aldwych Theatre), Stalking The Bogeyman (Southwark Playhouse), Beautiful Thing (UK tour), The Merry Wives of Windsor (Shakespeare's Globe), Saturday Night Fever (Apollo Theatre), and Mamma Mia! (Prince Edward Theatre). For television his credits include The Fall, Titanic: Blood and Steel and as series regular Kris Fisher in Hollyoaks; and for film his credits include Belfast.

Helen Monks' theatre credits include as writer include E15 (UK tour). For television her credits as an actor include Raised By Wolves, Upstart Crow, Inside No.9, The Last Kingdom and Genius.

Gloria Onitiri's theatre credits include Women Beware Women, The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare's Globe), Green Living, A Christmas Carol (The Old Vic), Chiaroscuro (Bush Theatre), Napoli Brooklyn, Jack and the Beanstalk (Park Theatre), Hadestown (National Theatre), Caroline, Or Change (Chichester Festival Theatre), The Grinning Man (Bristol Old Vic), The Stripper (St James Theatre), Clybourne Park (UK tour), The Bodyguard (Adelphi Theatre), The Tempest (Bath Theatre Royal), Takeaway (Theatre Royal Stratford East) and The Lion King (Lyceum Theatre).

Stephanie Siadatan's theatre credits include The Sound Affect, The Golden Needle and Detroit Become Human (Les Enfants Terribles), A Memory, a Monologue, a Rant and a Prayer (Lyric Hammersmith), Abdul (The Old Vic), Foiled (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), High School Musical (Hammersmith Apollo), Studio 66 (Roundhouse) and Murder in the Cathedral (International tour). Her television credits include Silent Witness, Emmerdale, Casualty and Holby City.

Kirsty Patrick Ward directs. Her theatre credits includes The Sweet Science of Bruising (Wilton's Music Hall), Groan Ups (Vaudeville Theatre), Exactly Like You (VAULT at Edinburgh Festival Fringe/The Vaults - Festival Spirit Award), Chef (Edinburgh Festival Fringe/Soho Theatre - Scotsman Fringe First Award), I'm Not That Kind of Guy, Mary Louise (The Vaults), Evita (MT4Uth, Belfast), People Like Us (Pleasance Theatre), Snow White (UK tour for The Old Vic), A Writer's Response to Owen Jones' "Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class" (Lyric Hammersmith), Present Tense (Live Theatre), Brave New Worlds (Soho Theatre), Life Support (York Theatre Royal) and Old Vic New Voices: The 24 Hour Plays (The Old Vic).

The Hollow

By Agatha Christie

Directed by Chelsea Walker

On Thursday 10 December

An unhappy game of romantic follow-the-leader explodes into murder one weekend at The Hollow, home of Sir Henry and Lucy Angkatell. Dr.Cristow, the Harley Street lothario, is at the centre of the trouble when, assembled in one place, we find his dull but devoted wife Gerda, his mistress and prominent sculptor Henrietta, and his former lover and Hollywood film star Veronica. As the list of romanic associations grows so does the list of potential suspects when someone is shot dead.

Nearly everyone has a motive but only one of them did the deed.

Samantha Bond's theatre credits include The Lie (Menier Chocolate Factory), Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre), Passion Play, Arcadia (Duke of York's Theatre), Amy's View, The Ends of the Earth, The Cid (National Theatre), A Winter's Tale, As You Like It (RSC), Man of the Moment (Shakespeare's Globe), Romeo and Juliet (Lyric Hammersmith). Her television credits include Home Fires, Outnumbered, Downton Abbey, New Tricks, The Queen - 1974, Larkrise to Candleford, Emma, Inspector Morse, Rumpole of the Bailey and Mansfield Park. She played Miss Moneypenny in four of the James Bond films (Die Another Day, The World is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, Golden Eye). Her other film credits include The Last Step, A Winter Prince and Bunch of Amateurs.

Simon Callow's theatre credits include Juvenalia (Edinburgh Festival Fringe), Waiting For Godot (Theatre Royal Haymarket), Equus (Trafalgar Studios), Amadeus (National Theatre) and Titus Andronicus (Bristol Old Vic). His television work includes Chance in a Million, Death in Paradise, and Angels in America; and for film his credits include Amadeus, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Shakespeare in Love and The Phantom of the Opera.

James Dreyfus' theatre credits include The Master Builder (The Old Vic), Harvey, Breakfast At Tiffany's (Haymarket Theatre), Candide, The Common Pursuit (Menier Chocolate Factory), The Vortex (Rose Theatre), Cabaret (Lyric Hammersmith), The Producers (Theatre Royal Drury Lane), Lady In The Dark (National Theatre - Olivier Award for Best performance in a Supporting Role), Elegies for Angels, Punks & Raging Queens (Criterion Theatre) and Eurovision (Vaudeville Theatre). For television, his credits include Absolutely Fabulous, Mount Pleasant, My Hero, Gimme Gimme Gimme and as series regular Constable Kevin Goody in The Thin Blue Line.

Kathryn Drysdale's theatre credits include Home, I'm Darling (Theatr Clwyd/National Theatre), The Ruling Class (Trafalgar Studios), The Recruiting Officer (Donmar Warehouse), A Sudden Loss of Dignity (Bush Theatre/UK tour), A Midsummer Night's Dream, Love's Labour's Lost (RSC), Catch (Royal Court Theatre), Far Away, Fen, 23:59 (Sheffield Theatres), Eliza's House (Manchester's Royal Exchange) and Billy and the Crab Lady (Soho Theatre). Her television her credits include Bridgerton, Plebs, as series regular Louise Brooks in Two Pints of Lager and Packet of Crisps and as series regular Natalie in Benidorm; and for film her credits include St. Trinian's and Vanity Fair.

Richard Fleeshman's theatre credits include Company (Gielgud Theatre), Ghost The Musical (Piccadilly Theatre), The Last Ship (UK tour), Legally Blonde the Musical (Savoy Theatre), Guys and Dolls (UK tour), A Damsel In Distress (Chichester Festival Theatre) and UrineTown: The Musical (St James Theatre). His television credits include All The Small Things and as series regular Craig Harris in Coronation Street.

Beth Granville is a writer and performer. Credits include the BBC Radio Wales comedy series Foiled, Age of Outrage, Welcome Strangers, The Leak and The Skewer by Jon Holmes.

Angela Griffin's theatre credits include Building The Wall (Park Theatre), The Captive Queen (Shakespeare's Globe), Stepping Out (Theatre Royal Bath), Breeders (St James Theatre) and One Man, Two Gunners (Theatre Royal Haymarket). For television her credits include White Lines, Waterloo Road, as series regular Lizzie Maddox in Lewis, The Dumping Ground, Brief Encounters, Wild Bill, as series regular Fiona Middleton in Coronation Street, Cutting It and Ordinary Lies.

Laura Haddock's theatre credits include When We Were Married (Garrick Theatre), Rutherford and Son (Northern Stage) and Famous Last (Orange Tree Theatre). For television her credits include White Lines, The Capture, Honest, Upstairs Downstairs, Da Vinci's Demons and Luther; and for film her credits include Guardians of the Galaxy I & II, The Inbetweeners Movie, Transformers: The Last Knight and A Wonderful Christmas Time.

Tom Hughes' theatre credits include Ticking (Trafalgar Studios), Versailles (Donmar Warehouse) and Sweet Nothings (Young Vic). For television, his credits include Victoria, The Game, Agatha Christie's Marple, Trinity, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll and Silk; and for film his credits include Cemetery Junction, About Time and Red Joan.

Adam James' theatre credits include Shipwreck (Almeida Theatre), Girl From The North Country (Noël Coward Theatre), Consent, 13, Blood and Gifts, Gethsemane (National Theatre), Enemy of the People (Chichester Festival Theatre), Bull (Sheffield Theatres/Young Vic), King Charles III (Almeida Theatre/Wyndham's Theatre), Rapture, Blister, Burn (Hampstead Theatre), French Without Tears (Orange Tree Theatre) and Now or Later (Royal Court Theatre). His television credits include Life, Doctor Foster, Home From Home, I May Destroy You, Band of Brothers and Miranda; and for film his credits include Johnny English, A Little Chaos and Murder on the Orient Express.

Valentine Olukoga's theatre credits include The Fishermen (Trafalgar Studios), The Suicide (National Theatre), Liberian Girl (Royal Court Theatre), Cape and Burning Bird (Unicorn Theatre); and for television his credits include Unforgotten.

Nina Sosanya's theatre credits include Frozen (Haymarket Theatre), Platonov, Ivanov (Chichester Festival Theatre/National Theatre), Elegy, The Vote, Privacy, The Vortex (Donmar Warehouse), Where's My Seat?, Apologia (Bush Theatre), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof (Novello Theatre), Love's Labour's Lost, Henry V (RSC), Fix Up, House and Garden, Antony and Cleopatra (National Theatre), Almost Nothing (Royal Court Theatre), The Marriage of Figaro (Royal Exchange Theatre) and Deadmeat (West Yorkshire Playhouse). For television her credits include Brave New World, His Dark Materials, Little Birds, Killing Eve, W1A, Twenty Twelve, Silk and Last Tango In Halifax; and for film credits include Red Joan, David Brent: Life on the Road and Love Actually.

Nia Towle's theatre credits include There Is A War, Men & Women Talking, Beast, Divided Britain (Southwark Playhouse); her credits for film include Rocketman.

Chelsea Walker directs. Her previous theatre credits include Hedda Gabler (Sherman Theatre), Cougar, Low Level Panic (Orange Tree Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (Theatr Clwyd/ Nuffield Southampton Theatres/ UK tour), Shudder (Soho Theatre), Yous Two (Hampstead Theatre), P'Yongyang (Finborough Theatre), Klippies (Southwark Playhouse), Chicken Dust (Finborough Theatre, Curve Leicester) and Lean (Tristan Bates Theatre).

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