REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL - THE MUSICAL

WARNING: THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS GRATUITOUS USE OF IAN DURY LYRICS

Knock me down with a feather!

Paul Sirett’s new musical production REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL takes to the stage at:

The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich (14-16 October)

Theatre Royal Stratford East (22 October-13 November)

(both near Essex in case you couldn’t tell)

Set during a time of political change and economic hardship, a top class cast and ascorching live band pay tribute to Dury’s anarchic spirit and propel this riotous skiddling, diddling, bled-white, died-black coming of age tale.

It’s 1979. Ian Dury and the Blockheads’ new single REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL (Part 3) is climbing the charts. Labour has just lost the recent election to the Tories. Vinnie and his mates are big Ian Dury fans and they’d do anything to see him at the Hammersmith Odeon. They don’t have tickets and the gig’s sold out - but then

events take a surprising turn….

Written by Olivier-nominated theatre writer Paul Sirett (Come Dancing, The Big Life,Bad Blood Blues, A Night In Tunisia) and directed by Jenny Sealey MBE (Artistic Director, Graeae. Bent, Blasted and Signs of a Star Shaped Diva) REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL is a co-production between The New Wolsey Theatre, Theatre Royal Stratford East and Graeae - the country’s flagship disabled-led theatre company.

No strangers to first night nerves every one night stand, the cast for

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL:

Nadia Albina as Janine

Stephen Collins as Colin

Stephen Lloyd as Vinnie

Daniel McGowan as Dave

Garry Robson as Bobby

Karen Spicer as Pat

Choosing not to have a fool in their six-piece band, red-hot live musicians Mat Fraser, Robert Hyman, John Kelly, Daniel McGowan, Nixon Rosembert and Paul Sirett pay tribute to Dury’s anarchic spirit performing hits including ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’, ‘Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll’, ‘Sweet Gene Vincent’, ‘Spasticus Autisticus’ and ‘Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick’. Too nutty to be naughty, during the run up to the performances REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL will be gathering together as many people and organisations as possible to support the production by asking them to supply their own 3 REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL.

Dr Martens - the legendary footwear brand - have given some real eyeball pleasers supplying especially donated pairs of DMs that celebrities and other supporters of Graeae and REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL will decorate with their “3 Reasons To Be Cheerful”. The customised footwear is sure to be something to appeal to every woman, every man and will be on display at both theatres during all show days.

Members of the public will also be encouraged to submit their own personal “3 Reasons To Be Cheerful” via the REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL microsite www.reasonstobecheerfulthemusical.co.uk and a campaign via Facebook to join in with the hundreds of others submitted by celebrities and supporters of the show. These “Reasons” will all appear within the Random Reason Generator - an exciting on-line arcade style application where the users can call up a Reason To Be Cheerful to help brighten up their day and bring smiles to their faces.

Upload your Reasons to be Cheerful at:

www.reasonstobecheerfulthemusical.co.uk

The Reason IS To Be Cheerful!

For Additional Press information & images:

Graeae Theatre Press Office: Anne Mayer

Tel: + 44 (0)20 7254 7391

Mb: + 44 (0)7764 192842

Email: annemayer@btopenworld.com

Graeae General Press Office:

Angie Klein

Graeae Tel: + 44 (0)20 7613 6900

Mb: + 44 (0)7939 158 696

Email: angieklein@blueyonder.co.uk

Clare Woodcock

Mb: + 44 (0)7976 373206

Email: clare@clarewoodcock.com

Theatre Royal Stratford East Press Office:

Corinne O’Sullivan

Tel: + 44 (0)208 279 1120

Email: cosullivan@stratfordeast.com

The New Wolsey Theatre Press Office:

Claire Treadwell

Tel: + 44 (0)1473 295914

Email: ctreadwell@wolseytheatre.co.uk

Editors Notes

Full biographies on cast written in the style of Dury song lyrics and the creative production team for REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL can be emailed on request and are housed on the website www.reasonstobecheerfulthemusical.co.uk

GRAEAE, a disabled-led theatre company, produces world-class theatre showcasing the skills of actors, writers and directors with physical and sensory impairments. In their 30 years they have developed an enviable reputation for producing thrilling and innovative work.

Graeae is a force for change, breaking down barriers, challenging preconceptions and boldly placing disabled artists centre stage.

Creative team biogs

  

PAUL SIRETT is a playwright and dramaturg. As a playwright, his work includes the Olivier nominated ska musical THE BIG LIFE, which opened at Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2004 and had two successful runs there before transferring to the West End in 2005. Paul has had a long association with Theatre Royal Stratford East, where his plays include BAD BLOOD BLUES, A NIGHT IN TUNISIA, WORLDS APART, CRUSADE and JAMAICA HOUSE, COME DANCING. Other Sirett plays have been seen throughout the UK and his collection of literary awards is equally impressive. In addition, Paul is a musician who is a member of the band for REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL.

JENNY SEALEY has been Artistic Director of Graeae since 1997. Recent productions for the company include SIGNS OF A STAR SHAPED DIVA by Nona Shepphard (2010/ Stratford East and extensive tour); WHITER THAN SNOW by Mike Kenny (2009/Unicorn Theatre and tour); BLASTED by Sarah Kane; FLOWER GIRLS by Richard Cameron (co-production with the New Wolsey, Ipswich) and STATIC by Dan Rebellato with Suspect Culture. She has just directed her third show for the Greenwich & Docklands International Festival in June 2010; THE GARDEN is part of a new strand of outdoor performance initiatives being developed by Graeae with Circus Space and Strange Fruit, the Australian sway pole company. Jenny was awarded an MBE in January 2009 and was appointed Artistic Advisor of Unlimited, the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme.

ROBERT HYMAN’s many credits as Musical Director include THE BIG LIFE at theApollo (West End) and COME DANCING by former Kinks front man Ray Davies for Theatre Royal Stratford East, where he has worked since 1998. Robert is also a conductor, composer and arranger of note with over thirty scores to his credit. He is Musical Director to Theatretrain, a group of young people who play major venues all over the world. Last year he made his debut at the O2 in London conducting a choir of 4,000 and this year repeats the experience with a choir of 6,000.

THE NEW WOLSEY THEATREWARNING:

The New Wolsey Theatre, Ipswich is as a regional theatre with a national reputation for the quality, range and reach of its work and for embracing cultural diversity in the widest sense. The theatre is central to the creative life of Suffolk and seeks to expand the horizons of audiences and artists by presenting a programme designed to entertain, enrich and challenge. The New Wolsey’s programme reflects the diversity of British culture and its Creative Learning department links the theatre and the local community by developing projects of the highest quality, maximum diversity and greatest possible accessibility.

Civic Drive, Ipswich, IP1 2AS

Box Office 01473 295 900

Groups 10+: 01473 295 902

www.wolseytheatre.co.uk

14 Oct – 16 Oct 2010 7.45pm

Sat 16 Oct matinée 2.30pm

Tickets: £8.50/£14.50

Matinée flat rate £8.50

THEATRE ROYAL STRATFORD EAST

Both inspires and is inspired by its vibrant, young and diverse East London community. The theatre has always been passionate about developing new talent; encouraging writers, performers, directors and other artists to break the mould of contemporary theatre.

Gerry Raffles Square, London, E15 1BN

020 8534 0310

www.stratfordeast.com

22 Oct - 13 Nov 2010

Tue - Sat 7.30pm

Sat 6 Nov matinée 2pm

Tickets

22/23/26 Oct £10

Tue - Thu & Sat mat

£12/£17 (concs £7/£12)

Fri & Sat eve

£15/£20 (concs £10/£15)