Robert Hastie Announces First Season as Artistic Director at Sheffield Theatres along with News of New Pricing Initiatives

10th November 2016

Robert Hastie today announces his inaugural season as Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres with an exciting programme of world class theatre to both challenge and delight audiences.

  The season includes a searing Shakespearian thriller, two world premières, the return of Sheffield People's Theatre and a chance to journey down the Yellow Brick Road. Tickets for all productions go on sale to Centre Stage members on Saturday 19 November and on general sale on Saturday 26 November at 10.00am. The theatre has also announced new pricing initiatives, with the removal of transaction fees, lower priced seats across the season and a pledge to offer drama or performing arts students in Sheffield the opportunity to experience live theatre on the Crucible stage for free. Robert Hastie said today, -I am delighted to introduce my first season of work as Artistic Director of Sheffield Theatres. I have been in Sheffield for a few months now and I have been overwhelmed by the warmth of the welcome I've received. This is a great city and I feel privileged to take on the artistic leadership of two of its most iconic buildings. Like many people here, I was greatly saddened by the recent death of founding director Colin George, and reminded that his legacy is the pride this city takes in its world class theatres.  This season is about great plays that say something about all of us - our lives and loves, the leaders we choose, and the families we don't. Our doors are open to everyone and in uncertain and divisive times, the importance of spaces where we can come together to share stories and debate ideas has never been greater. Our theatres are places where we can hear other points of view and discover more about the strangers we live alongside. Everyone is welcome. They are safe places and they are thrilling places. We've dropped our lowest ticket prices and there are 10,000 £15 tickets across the season. We're also scrapping our booking fees. And we are saying to young people with an interest in theatre and to the schools they attend: we share your passion and we support it. If you study drama or performing arts at GCSE or A-level in Sheffield, you can come to the Crucible for free. The idea of culture and creativity having a vital place in education is under sustained attack. I do not accept that, and we will do everything we can at Sheffield Theatres to inspire and nurture a passion for theatre in our city's young people. It's vital that we put our money where our mouths are about the value of live performance." The season begins with Robert Hastie's directorial debut on the Crucible stage, Shakespeare's searing thriller Julius Caesar, from Wednesday 17 May Saturday 10 June.  A hero returns from battle, and the people take to the streets. But not all the voices of the city are raised in celebration.  Some are whispering dissent, and some are foretelling disaster. When the majority choose a dangerous leader, what should the honourable citizen do? Julius Caesar will take to the stage at the same time as Sheffield is embarking on its first mayoral elections, a perfect moment to reflect on the way we choose our leaders. Its cast will reflect the diversity of the city and the editing will give it a tone and pace akin to House of Cards and Game of Thrones, whilst celebrating this classic play as the original and the best thrilling drama. In the Studio, Hastie continues Sheffield Theatres' commitment to nurturing new talent.  The season begins with Kate Hewitt, winner of the first Royal Theatrical Support Trust Director Award, directing the regional première of Nina Raine's powerful family drama Tribes from Thursday 29 June Saturday 22 July.  It tells the story of Billy, a deaf boy in a hearing family, who falls in love with Sylvia, a hearing girl from a deaf family and asks questions about the tribes we form within our families, but also within the communities we create for ourselves. Sheffield audiences' appetite for new writing will be satisfied with two world premieres. The first, What We Wished For (Wednesday 19 Saturday 22 July), will be written by Chris Bush (A Dream, The Sheffield Mysteries) for Sheffield People's Theatre.  Emily Hutchinson, Creative Projects Manager at Sheffield Theatres and director of this year's A Dream, will again direct a cast of over 80 members of the community on the Crucible stage, in this heady mix of myth and magic, set in a castle for retired fairy tale characters. In the autumn, Robert Hastie directs the world première of Of Kith & Kin (Thursday 14 September Saturday 7 October). Written by former social worker Chris Thompson, this play looks at the issues arising when a gay couple father a child with their best friend acting as a surrogate and she then changes her mind about handing the baby over. Of Kith and Kin is a co-production which will start in Sheffield and then transfer to the Bush Theatre in London. Great classics will also feature later the year when two of the country's most exciting directors, Sam Yates (Murder Ballad, East Is East) and Tamara Harvey (Pride & Prejudice), bring Desire Under the Elms and Uncle Vanya to the Crucible and the Studio stages respectively.  Desire Under the Elms (Wednesday 20 September Saturday 14 October) is a haunting and erotic tragedy from Nobel Prize winning playwright Eugene O'Neill. Uncle Vanya (Wednesday 18 October Saturday 4 November) is Chekov's poignant comedy, beautifully adapted by Peter Gill and brought to the stage in a collaboration with Theatr Clwyd. Finally, Christmas 2017 takes us down the Yellow Brick Road on an amazing technicolour trip to the Emerald City. Robert Hastie directs The Wizard of Oz from Thursday 7 December Saturday 13 January 2018, the family favourite, packed with a host of iconic characters and classic songs including Somewhere Over the Rainbow and We're Off to See the Wizard. Guest Productions The Lyceum Theatre also hosts a variety of thrilling productions in 2017 including Patrick Hamilton's enthralling drama Gaslight (Monday 20 Saturday 25 February) starring Kara Tointon (Strictly Come Dancing, EastEnders), Rupert Young (Merlin) and Keith Allen (Comic Strip presents...); Willy Russell's heart-warming comedy Shirley Valentine (Monday 24 Saturday 29 April) starring Jodie Prenger (Oliver!, Spamalot) and Roald Dahl favourite Fantastic Mr Fox (Tuesday 2 Saturday 6 May). Fans of musicals can party like its 1985 with Ray Quinn (Dancing On Ice), Ruth Maddoc (Hi-de-Hi) and Roxanna Pallett (Coronation Street) in The Wedding Singer (Tuesday 18 Saturday 22 July); have finger-clicking fun with The Addams Family (Tuesday 12 Saturday 16 September) and enjoy Tom Chambers (Top Hat, Strictly Come Dancing) in the feel-good Gershwin classic, Crazy For You from Tuesday 7 Saturday 11 November. In a bid to welcome even more people through its doors, Sheffield Theatres has also announced a series of pricing initiatives. In response to customer feedback, from Saturday 19 November, there will no longer be a booking fee charged on tickets for shows at the Theatres.  Additionally, 10,000 tickets, for the newly announced Sheffield Theatres productions will be available at a lower price of £15.00, with a greater choice of seating and pricing available to early bookers. Students studying drama or performing arts at school or college in Sheffield are also being offered free tickets to experience productions on the Crucible stage. The new season of shows go on sale to Sheffield Theatres' Centre Stage Members on Saturday 19 November, and will be on general sale to the public from Saturday 26 November at 10.00am. Visit sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call 0114 249 6000 for more details.

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