World premieres, major drama and comedy lined up Cast summer season

Major drama, dance, comedy and two world premieres are among the exciting new summer season line up at Doncaster's Cast theatre.
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Kully Thiarai, the founding director of the town venue this week announced the new April-July season of work, ahead of her departure this summer to become artistic director and chief executive of National Theatre Wales.

Under Kully’s leadership Cast’s programme of high quality work and genuine connection to the people and the town has put Doncaster firmly on the UK’s cultural map.

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Kully will be discussing Cast’s dramatic opening years, what it takes to run a theatre in the 21st century and the impact the venue has had on the town in a special fundraising event, Curtain Call: An exclusive evening with Kully and Friends (April 25). All monies raised will help support the inspiring work Cast does both on stage and in the community.

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In her time as director, Kully ensured that high profile national and regional companies and artists are a mainstay of Cast’s artistic programme.

For summer 2016, Cast will host two world premières as well as major drama and dance productions, music and comedy.

Patricia Rosario OBE (English National Opera) and Keisha Atwell (Memphis the Musical) star in the world première of new contemporary opera Clocks 1888: the greener (April 15-16), giving Doncaster audiences the chance to see the show before it plays London’s Hackney Empire.

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This epic new production brings to the stage East End immigrant life in Victorian England.

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Saddler’s Well’s Breakin’ Convention (May 7), the acclaimed international festival of hip-hop dance theatre, returns to Doncaster transforming Cast and Sir Nigel Gresley Square with live graffiti, DJs and hip hop dance events.

Marking the 200th Anniversary of Charlote Brontë’s birth, Northern Ballet, one of the UK’s leading ballet companies, come back to Cast to present the world première of Jane Eyre (May 19-21).

A critically-acclaimed revival of multi award-winning play Shadowlands (April 26-30) tells the extraordinary late in-life love story of CS Lewis, the famous author of The Chronicles of Narnia, starring Stephen Boxer (Humans, The Iron Lady), Amanda Ryan (The Forsyth Saga) and Denis Lill (Only Fools and Horses).

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Fresh from London’s top stages comes Shakespeare Untold (May 4), a double bill of the Bard’s classics; Dinosaur Park (9 June) the theatrical parody of Spielberg’s classic Jurassic Park; and direct from the West End comes The Gruffalo’s Child (June 16-19).

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Multi award winning Yorkshire singer Kate Rusby will be live in concert (May 29), singing a choice of her much loved classics with a selection of new songs from her latest album Ghost (2014).

Re-live the sounds and moves of prohibition New York City with Swinging at the Cotton Club (May 11); featuring the Jiving Lindy Hoppers, and Harry Strutters Hot Rhythm Orchestra with Marlene Hill and Megs Etherington on vocals.

The Big Band sounds of the 1940s are brought to live by The Nick Ross Orchestra in The Sounds of the Glenn Miller Era (June 10).

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Doncaster’s own Youth Jazz Association will play in Cast’s Main Space alongside Germany’s EKS Big Swing Band; marking the 27th anniversary of the European Partnership Charter between Doncaster and Herten and almost three decades of musical exchanges and collaborations.

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Doncaster-born cellist Anton Crayton plays an engaging programme of Haydn, Janáček and Brahms as part Marmen Quarter (May 28) in the young ensemble’s first concert at Cast.

The two day Yorkshire Silent Film Festival (July 6-7) celebrates timeless classics of the early cinema with screenings of a Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin Triple Bill; Harold Lloyd in Safety Last! and one of Hollywood’s silent masterpieces, the Phantom of the Opera.

Whilst the brand new Exhibitions on Screen series (May 15, June 12 and July 3) offers a unique chance to explore some of the art world’s finest paintings by Renoir and Monet on the big screen.

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The race is on for families and children as Northern Ballet’s Tortoise & the Hare (May 21) brings to life the much-loved Aesop’s fable. Mixing live real-time digital animation and live music, The Adventures of Walter Lemonface (June 1) offers interactive family fun.

Ticket’s for Cast’s Summer 2016 season are available from Cast’s Box Office on 01302 303 959 or online at Click here