Sheffield Theatres Announces New 2023 Shows MISS SAIGON and WILDFIRE ROAD

Sheffield Theatres have announced two upcoming productions.

Wildfire Road

Produced by Sheffield Theatres and staged in the intimate and flexible Playhouse, this new play by Eve Leigh and directed by Laura Keefe is an environmental thriller about a highjacked plane and a disparate group of passengers who try to make sense of their situation as the world burns below.

Saturday 4 March - Saturday 18 March 2023 (Press performance: Wednesday 8 March 2023 at 7pm)

Miss Saigon

Sheffield Theatres will present a new production by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh, marking the first regional non-replica production of Boublil and Schönberg's hit musical retelling of Madame Butterfly set during the Vietnam war. Miss Saigon will be reimagined by Sheffield Theatres' Artistic Director Robert Hastie and RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau as co-directors, with design by Ben Stones and lighting design by Jessica Hung Han Yun.

Joanna Ampil, who has previously played Kim in the London, Sydney, UK touring and 10th anniversary productions of Miss Saigon, will be cast as The Engineer. Further casting and creative team to be announced.

Saturday 8 July 2023 - Saturday 12 August 2023 (Press performance: Thursday 13 July 2023 at 7.00pm)

Robert Hastie, Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, said:

'As we reach the culmination of our 50th anniversary year we are proud to announce new productions that continue our quest to give Sheffield audiences thrilling experiences they can only get in the theatre. A new production of Miss Saigon - the first in the UK to be given permission to explore new approaches to staging and casting since the original 1989 production - will light up the Crucible in Summer 2023. Anthony and I are thrilled to be co-directing Boublil and Schönberg's iconic show, and could not be more excited to be welcoming Joanna Ampil to Sheffield to play The Engineer.

And as ever at Sheffield Theatres the classic sits alongside the brand new, with a mind-bending new play from Eve Leigh taking audiences to new heights in the Playhouse, our flexible, intimate space recently renamed in honour of our founding designer, Tanya Moiseiwitsch.

With these new productions joining a packed season, Life of Pi playing in the West End, Much Ado About Nothing about to depart on a national tour, and Standing at the Sky's Edge arriving at The National Theatre in 2023, we are proud to be bringing the world to Sheffield Theatres and Sheffield theatre to the world.'

Anthony Lau, RTYDS Associate Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres, said:

'Robert Hastie and I are thrilled to be directing a new version of the musical, Miss Saigon. With one of the most extraordinary scores in musical theatre history, we are looking forward to offering a fresh perspective on a musical that so many people have an opinion on. We want this project to ignite conversation and Cameron has encouraged us to be bold and original in our approach. The subject matter compels us to delve sensitively and deeply into the complications of two cultures entwined. At a time when it feels like there is more division than ever in society, epic stories like this give us the opportunity to embrace nuance and complexity in exploring the human experience.'

Dan Bates, Chief Executive of Sheffield Theatres, said:

'The 2023 season combines everything we do so well at Sheffield Theatres - from nurturing new talent to re-imagining classic musicals.

At the moment, we are about to embark on a UK tour with Much Ado About Nothing, whilst having our two upcoming productions deep in rehearsals: the riotously funny Accidental Death of an Anarchist in the Playhouse and the climate crisis double-bill The Contingency Plan in the Crucible.

We continue to welcome more and more of our Sheffield community and those from further afield back to the theatre for a great night out and the team are in preparation for Christmas this year. Jack and the Beanstalk, our annual co-production with Evolution pantomimes, takes over the Lyceum whilst charming children's show Jack Frost and the Search for Winter runs in the Playhouse. We are incredibly excited to welcome back to the Crucible stage Standing at the Sky's Edge for the Christmas period, so our buildings will be brimming with potentially around 85000 audience members in the Crucible, Playhouse and Lyceum over the festive period.'

They join other productions previously announced for 2023. In the Playhouse Birds and Bees is produced by Sheffield Theatres and Theatre Centre. This brand-new play by Charlie Josephine, about the real-world consequences of virtual life and going viral, will be directed by Rob Watt (Human Nurture). Wednesday 25 January - Saturday 11 February 2023.

In the Crucible, will be a new production marking the 80th anniversary of Bertolt Brecht's popular play The Good Person of Szechwan, commissioned by ETT and co-produced by Sheffield Theatres, ETT and Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. This new version by writer Nina Segal is directed by Sheffield Theatres RTYDS Associate Artistic Director Anthony Lau (Anna Karenina). Saturday 11 March - Saturday 1 April 2023

2022 continues Sheffield Theatres' 50th Anniversary programme across its three theatres - the Crucible, Playhouse and Lyceum.

In the Crucible, Sheffield Theatres and Ramps on the Moon present Much Ado About Nothing which runs until Saturday 24 September 2022 before touring the UK. This is followed by Steve Waters' double-bill of climate emergency plays The Contingency Plan: On the Beach and Resilience from Friday 14 October - Saturday 5 November 2022. At Christmas, the critically acclaimed Sheffield musical Standing at the Sky's Edge by Richard Hawley and Chris Bush returns from Saturday 10 December 2022 - Saturday 21 January 2023 before transferring to The National Theatre in 2023.

In the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse, Accidental Death of an Anarchist by Dario Fo and Franco Rame, is given a sharp new adaptation by BAFTA-nominated comedian and writer Tom Basden (Plebs, Here We Go) and stars BAFTA-winning actor Daniel Rigby (Flowers, Black Mirror and Eric and Ernie) as The Maniac. It runs from Friday 23 September - Saturday 15 October 2022.

Sheffield's Lyceum Theatre continues to host some of the UK's best touring plays, musicals and dance. In December, Sheffield Theatres and Evolution Pantomimes will stage the GIANT family pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk. Starring Wendi Peters and legendary Sheffield Dame Damian Williams, this annual favourite will run from Friday 2 December 2022 - Tuesday 3 January 2023.

Tickets for Wildfire Road and Miss Saigon are on sale to Centre Stage Members at 10am Saturday 24 September 2022 and on general sale at 10am on Saturday 1 October 2022. Tickets for all 2022 productions, plus Birds and Bees and The Good Person of Szechwan in 2023, are on sale now.

Accessible performances are available on the majority of productions. Tickets can be booked through the Box Office in person, over the phone on 0114 249 6000 or at sheffieldtheatres.co.uk

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