Film & Theatre
Milton Keynes Theatre reopens on with a selection of great shows
Milton Keynes Theatre has announced its plans to welcome back audiences from Sunday 25 July, providing step 4 of the government’s roadmap goes ahead as scheduled.
After being closed for 16 months, the lights will finally come up and the curtain will rise again, as audiences are welcomed back for a sensational season of world class entertainment. The theatre is known and loved for hosting a breadth of high quality productions from musicals and drama to opera and dance, and this reopening season doesn’t disappoint. The reopening season will include breathtaking acrobatics from Canadian circus company The 7 Fingers, seat-gripping suspense from Dial M For Murder and hit musical Waitress arriving fresh from the West End.
The return of live theatre also sees the return of Milton Keynes Theatre’s Price Promise ticket deals. Continuing the theatre’s commitment to making theatre affordable for all, a limited number of tickets will be available for some of the most popular shows for just £13.
Emma Sullivan, Theatre Director of Milton Keynes Theatre said today “We are over the moon to announce our plans for reopening this July! Our whole team have been touched by the support we’ve received from our community over the past few months. We’ve seen how much live theatre has been missed in the region and can’t wait to give the people of Milton Keynes some much needed entertainment in the safest way possible.”
Reopening shows at Milton Keynes Theatre
The first show scheduled to reopen the theatre will be from loveable singer Jane McDonald on Sunday 25 July, with her much anticipated ‘Let The Light In’ tour. From there it’s a summer of captivating cult hits starting with timeless musical, The Rocky Horror Show, from Monday 2 August. Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba stars as Brad Majors in the Filled with fun, frolics, frocks, and frivolity – it’s the perfect show to get the party started once again in Milton Keynes!
EastEnders’ Adam Woodyatt and Gaynor Faye lead a talented cast in Looking Good Dead, the new thriller from best-selling author Peter James. The brand new ‘edge of your seat’ drama will be playing from Monday 16 August. Just before the summer’s over, one of the world’s best-loved musicals, Grease, returns with Peter Andre starring as Teen Angel and Vince Fontaine from Monday 23 August. And Samantha Womack and Cameron Blakely star as parents of the kookiest family in town, The Addams Family, from Tuesday 31 August.
The theatre’s Creative Learning programme will return in September, offering activities & experiences which engage, educate and empower people of all abilities, ages, genders and races within the venue and local community.
Upcoming shows at Milton Keynes Theatre
JANE MCDONALD
SUN 25 JUL 2021
The BAFTA award-winning star always delivers phenomenal show along with her fantastic live band and backing singers. With stunning production and a new line-up of songs her Let the Light In Tour promises to be the best one yet.
LUTHER – LUTHER VANDROSS CELEBRATION
SUN 1 AUG 2021 The world’s premier show in celebration of ‘The Velvet Voice’ experience all the hits from his amazing career, culminating over 40 million album sales and eight Grammy awards including many of the greatest dance anthems and love songs ever written, fronted by international Luther Vandross tribute Harry Cambridge and his 10 piece band.
THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW
MON 2 AUG – SAT 7 AUG 2021
Ready to thrill you with fun and naughty moments, Richard O’Brien’s legendary rock ‘n’ roll musical, The Rocky Horror Show returns as part of a sell-out worldwide tour, having been seen by over 30 million theatregoers. Starring Strictly Come Dancing winner Ore Oduba as Brad and directed by Christopher Luscombe, The Rocky Horror Show is a guaranteed party and features timeless classics, including Sweet Transvestite, Damn it Janet, and of course, the pelvic-thrusting, show-stopping Time Warp.
THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN
SUN 8 AUG 2021
Get ready for all the hits, glittering costumes, dazzling dance routines and outstanding musicianship in this breath-taking live concert spectacular. Come celebrate our brand-new show for 2021 as we Reach Out and show your there Ain’t no mountain high enough with the biggest Motown party of the year.
Returning for the first time since 2019, this year sees the return of Wycombe Swan’s Summer Youth Project. Running since 1993, numerous participants have gone on to have successful careers both on and off stage. Join us on our next adventure! Build confidence, develop skills, have fun, and make long-lasting friendships.
About Wycombe Swan Summer Youth Project (SYP)
Over the two-week project, Wycombe Swan comes alive to the sights and sounds of 150 young people doing everything they can to put on a full-scale musical in time for curtain up!
Participants have the option of taking to the stage as a performer, or to make magic happen as part of the Technical Team.
All performances take place on our main stage in the 1,000 seated Wycombe Swan Theatre.
Only those wishing to have a principal/speaking role or be a dance captain need to audition.
Big Fish The Show
This year, the show is BIG FISH. Based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton.
AUDITIONS (FOR THOSE WISHING TO HAVE A SPEAKING ROLE): Sunday 22 May
DATES: Mon 15 to Sunday 28 August
AGES: 9-21 (performers). 14-21 (technical team)
PRICE: £190
It is our wish that no young person misses out due to financial constraints. For this reason, we offer bursaries of up to 100% so that anybody can take part.
TO APPLY, AND FOR MORE INFO: Visit https://wycombeswan.co.uk/Online/summerproject
APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday 13 May
Milton Keynes Theatre is delighted to announce its summer season of sensational entertainment!
Returning to the venue after a sell-out run in 2019 is the phenomenal Les Misérables, the musical often regarded as the most popular in the world. Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed production arrives in Milton Keynes on Tue 26 Apr for four weeks.
Northern Ballet share their take on the beloved literary classic The Great Gatsby from Tue 24 May, promising the most glamourous party in town.
From Mon 30 May, a whodunnit everyone can enjoy arrives fresh out the boardgame box and onto the stage. Cluedo is the new comedy thriller directed by Mark Bell, director of the award winning The Play That Goes Wrong, which will also be arriving in Milton Keynes on Mon 25 Jul.
Brining life and energy to the immortal songs of the late Jim Steinman and Meat Loaf is the rocking musical, Bat Out of Hell, from 14 June. With all the anthems you know and love, this show is set to be a crowd-pleaser for those inclined to rock ‘n’ roll.
From best-selling author David Walliams comes the Olivier nominated Billionaire Boy from Thu 30 Jun, a winner for the whole family!
Fancy yourself a decoder? Try to decipher the secrets, clues and riddles in The Da Vinci Code from Tue 12 Jul. The world premiere tour of the brand-new stage production stars Coronation Street’s Christopher Harper and Danny John-Jules (Red Dwarf, Death in Paradise).
Take a chance on the ultimate feel-good musical MAMMA MIA! as it returns to Milton Keynes on Tue 2 Aug. Set on a Greek island paradise, this musical is a story of love, friendship and identity, cleverly told through the timeless songs of ABBA. And from one musical legend to another, The Cher Show joins Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 9 Aug. Get ready to Turn Back Time in this outrageous new musical directed by Arlene Phillips (Grease, Starlight Express) and choreographed by Strictly’s Oti Mabuse.
Willy Russell’s moving Liverpudlian tale, Blood Brothers, then takes to the stage from Tue 30 Aug. Few musicals have been received with such acclaim as this multi-award-winning production which surpassed 10,000 performances in London’s West End.
Milton Keynes will be screaming Go, Go, Go Joseph this September when the sensational new production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat comes to the Milton Keynes Theatre for two weeks. The family musical which opens on Mon 12 Sep stars Alexandra Burke as the Narrator and Jac Yarrowas Joseph.
Milton Keynes Theatre continues its outstanding programme of one night entertainment this season. The hilarious Menopause the Musical 2 comes to the theatre on Sat 11 Jun. Enjoy an evening with world famous football manager Harry Redknapp on Tue 28 Jun. Strictly professionals Anton & Giovanni team up for an evening of song and dance with their show, Him and Me. And the tribute shows are back! For Rod Stewart fans there’s Some Guys Have All The Luck on Sun 31 Jul, and celebrating the music of Tina Turner is What’s Love Got To Do With It on Sun 4 Sep.
May half-term will see the return of our ever-popular Colourscape as well as the chance for children to discover the animals of Waddesdon with a brand new Birds and Beasts family trail.
In June, outdoor theatre will also be returning to Waddesdon’s lawns. Visitors can enjoy an evening of Shakespearean comedy as well as a performance of The Teapot Prince, a contemporary reimagining of a lost 18th-century ballet that hasn’t been staged for over 280 years!
Eythrope Garden Tour © Waddesdon, A Rothschild House & Gardens. Photo Paul Hewes
Eythrope Walled Garden Tour
Every Wed from 18 May – 19 Oct, 10.15am & 1.15pm
Discover the four-acre walled garden, glasshouses and orchard at Eythrope, the private Rothschild garden. Visits are by guided tour only and include a light meal with savoury and sweet elements inspired by the produce from Eythrope.
Adult £50. Includes a meal in the Manor Restaurant, free Grounds admission and shuttle bus.
Marchesi Frescobaldi is one of Italy’s most celebrated winemakers, and their global ambassador will be hosting a magical evening at Waddesdon.
An Italian Feast with Frescobaldi
Sat 28 May, 7pm
Marchesi Frescobaldi is one of Italy’s most celebrated winemakers, and their global ambassador will be hosting a magical evening at Waddesdon. Wine-lovers can sample a glass of Frescobaldi sparkling wine in the atmospheric cellars, followed by a delightful five-course dinner served with carefully-selected wines.
£99.50 per person (over-18s only)
Colourscape
May Half-Term Sat 28 May – Sun 5 Jun (inc Mon 30 & Tue 31), 10.30am-4.30pm
This May half-term, an immersive experience of colour, light, space and music lands on Waddesdon’s lawns. Returning to Waddesdon for its eighth year, Colourscape is for visitors of all ages and promises an extraordinary experience you will not forget.
Advance booking recommended. Adult £6, Child £4; plus normal Grounds admission applies.
May Half-Term at Waddesdon
Family Visitors on the South Front Parterre © Waddesdon Manor, National Trust. Photographer Chris Lacey
Birds and Beasts trail
Sat 28 May – Sun 5 Jun (inc Mon 30 & Tue 31), 10am-4pm
Enjoy fresh air and family fun this May half-term. Discover the animals of Waddesdon with a new outdoor Birds and Beasts trail, adventure in the Woodland Playground and then refuel with a delicious family picnic.
£3.50 per trail (inc souvenir), plus normal Grounds admission applies. One trail per child
Cellar visit and tasting
Every Fri, Sat & Sun from 15 Apr – 31 May, 12noon
Join one of Waddesdon’s wine experts for a short tour of the atmospheric wine cellars, which house over 15,000 bottles of Rothschild wine, before an informal tasting of two Rothschilds wines.
£7.50 per person (over-18s only), plus normal Grounds admission applies
What’s On at Waddesdon in June 2022
Cast of the Ballet des Porcelaines at the Cultural Services of the French Embassy, Villa Albertine’s headquarters at the Payne Whitney Mansion in New York City. Photo by Joe Carrotta
The Teapot Prince
Thu 16 & Fri 17 June, 6-9pm
A contemporary reimagining of the lost 18th-century French Ballet des Porcelaines—The Teapot Prince—will be performed in the fairy-tale grounds of Waddesdon Manor, bringing to life a story of magic, desire and exotic entanglement.
Tickets include a talk by the ballet company, exclusive access to the Manor’s west galleries and a chance to preview an Edmond du Waal display until 8.30pm.
Adult £32, Child £16
The Lord Chamberlain’s Men. Image © Lord Chamberlain’s Men
As You Like It – The Lord Chamberlain’s Men
Thu 23 June, 6pm gates open
One of the UK’s finest touring theatre companies, The Lord Chamberlain’s Men, invites you to join them once again for an evening of sparkling Shakespearean comedy in the grounds of Waddesdon Manor.
Adult £20.50, Child £11
Dinner in the Manor Restaurant © Waddesdon Manor, National Trust. Photographer Pascale Cumberbatch
Dinner with Gusbourne Estate Wines
Sat 25 Jun, 7pm
Celebrate the wines of one of England’s most renowned and innovative winemakers at Waddesdon. Enjoy a sparkling aperitif in the atmospheric wine cellars, followed by a delicious five-course dinner served with wines from the Gusbourne Estate’s wonderful portfolio.
£99.50 per person (over-18s only)
