An uplifting new play about the life of an everyday hero, and a timeless fairytale brought back to its origins will take centre stage at the New Vic Theatre in Staffordshire as part of the theatre’s autumn season.
- Marvellous – A brand new stage adaptation of Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin’s biography, created in conjunction with the man himself, will be brought to life in his hometown of Newcastle-under-Lyme (1-23 Oct 2021)
- New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins (the director behind Olivier award-winning family show The Worst Witch in the West End) takes the story of Beauty and The Beast back to its origins for an enchanting retelling this Christmas (26 Nov 2021 – 29 Jan 2022)
New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins said: “It’s been quite a while since we started working with Neil Baldwin on staging the story of his inspirational life. During that time his optimistic outlook and talent for happiness has rubbed off on us all. Being able to tell the story of our local hero here, in his hometown, at a time when we all need a bit of magic back in our lives, is a huge privilege.
“For our version of Beauty and the Beast, which we’ll stage at Christmas, we’ve gone right back to the original story – and found it full of surprising treasures. Its themes about kindness, about love, and about humanity all feel more important than ever. It’s exciting for me as a director to be able to share this ultimately uplifting story with family audiences: it’s so precious to us when families get to enjoy and be inspired by the magic of theatre together.”
The world premiere of Marvellous will tell the life-affirming tale of Neil ‘Nello’ Baldwin. Originally a BAFTA award-winning film broadcast on BBC Two, and then a book by Neil Baldwin and Malcolm Clarke, Marvellous is a brand-new play about the life of the extraordinary everyday hero, created in conjunction with the man himself. Combining a playful script with plenty of physical comedy and her inimitable directorial style, New Vic Artistic Director Theresa Heskins brings Nello’s story back to his hometown of Newcastle-under-Lyme from Friday 1 October to Saturday 23 October, animating this inspiring tale about how to realise your dreams – even when society tries to limit you with a label – on the theatre’s in-the-round-www.
The New Vic will then reunite the creative team who created their much-loved productions of The Snow Queen (UK Theatre Best Show For Children and Young People 2017) and The Prince and The Pauper, to bring to life a spectacular retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Returning to the original versions of the tale by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve and Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Theresa Heskins’ trademark theatrical invention will breathe new life into the story for a whole new generation, from Friday 26 November to Saturday 29 January.
Tickets for the upcoming season will be on sale from Wednesday 7 July at midday. Visit newvictheatre.org.uk for more information and to book tickets.
