Last August Nottingham Playhouse Theatre Company unleashed Beakermania on the theatre world with the world premiere of TRACY BEAKER GETS REAL. Now the country’s favourite teenage firebrand returns to the Playhouse as part of her major UK tour, which continues to play to packed houses the length and breadth of the UK. The musical, adapted from The Story of Tracy Beaker by the current Children’s Laureate Jacqueline Wilson, has proved an even greater hit than when it premiered last year. Playwright Mary Morris has added new dialogue and created several new songs in conjunction with composer Grant Olding, while David Newman has stayed on board to direct a largely new cast. Sponsored by Nottinghamshire adoption agency Forever Families, TRACY BEAKER GETS REAL at the Playhouse from Tuesday 19 – Saturday 30 June (Box Office: 0115 941 9419 or www.nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk).
The Dumping Ground rocks anew to the fury of Tracy Beaker, back from another failed foster placement. But then, she’s only waiting for her Mum to come back – from Hollywood of course! Tracy lashes out at everyone: Peter, Justine Littlewood, Elaine the Pain and new care worker Sheriff. Then, just as she looks set to find happiness with the "lady writer" Cam, her mum really does show up…
The irrepressible Tracy Beaker was launched on an unsuspecting world in 1991 in the first of three novels by Jacqueline Wilson: the third, the theatrically-themed Starring Tracy Beaker, was a best-seller last Christmas. Television brought her even greater fame through five years of The Story of Tracy Beaker – still CBBC’s highest-rating drama. Mary Morris received several BAFTA nominations for her scripts for the series and two awards for the feature-length spin-off The Movie of Me. Her stage adaptation has all the boisterous misbehaviour, wild fantasy and piercing emotional truth that fans will expect, but also a wide-ranging set of songs matching Mary’s witty lyrics with the lively melodies of Grant Olding, one of the brightest young talents in musical theatre. Among several new songs they added for this second tour are opening number Once Upon a Time (Beaker’s Back) and a duet for Tracy and Justine, Friends for Never.
Pippa Duffy plays Tracy Beaker. Pippa is used to combining drama with music, having trained at the Royal Academy of Music after her Drama degree, and already has a wealth of experience in plays, pantomimes and musicals. Andy Steed, meanwhile, stepped into the part of Peter at two days’ notice last autumn when the original actor broke a bone; he is well known as a past X-Factor finalist, one of Sharon Osbourne’s protégés. As Tracy’s "Hollywood Mum", Emma Thornett is no stranger to Tinseltown glamour, having appeared as a Catherine Zeta Jones lookalike in BBC2’s Double Take; she has also previously appeared at Nottingham Playhouse in Pal Joey. Alice Redmond of cabaret double act The Redmond Sisters returns as Cam, and Kirris Riviere as Sheriff, while Sally Okafor joins the cast as Justine Littlewood and Natasha Seale as Elaine the Pain. Alongside Director David Newman, the new tour reunites Designer Paul Wills, Lighting Designer Guy Hoare and Sound Designer Adam McCready, with David Randall taking over as Musical Director.
For full details of the other tour venues, a sneak preview of the show and more, see www.tracybeakertour.co.uk .
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