Panto 2022
Gloucestershire’s premiere entertainment venue, The Everyman Theatre, has confirmed its headline sponsor for its much-anticipated annual festive pantomime, Dick Whittington & His Cat Tweedy. Investec Wealth & Investment (Investec), one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms, will support the in-house production of the popular family-friendly festive pantomime, which has become a much-loved local institution.
Investec, an existing sponsor of The Everyman Theatre, agreed a new three-year relationship in 2020 as the theatre’s Principal Partner. Investec’s Cheltenham office has pledged to fund a range of educational projects, run by The Everyman Theatre, to help young people across the county to access the arts.
The projects have to date included live streaming of The Everyman Theatre’s Studio Christmas Shows into local hospitals, enabling young children to enjoy some festive entertainment while in hospital over the Christmas period.
Investec has also supported the annual production of a new play aimed at primary school children, which has toured local libraries throughout the summer holidays, offering the chance to enjoy free entertainment that encourages literacy and reading. The theme for 2022 was STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) and the play ‘Malfunction! Malfunction!’, which was written and directed by The Everyman Theatre’s Community Arts Manager, Camille Cowe, played to capacity and received positive feedback.
Investec also continue to fund after-school drama clubs in schools highlighted in the Cheltenham Borough Council ‘No Child Left Behind’ report, run by practitioners from The Everyman Theatre. The aim of the clubs is to help disadvantaged children to develop core skills, boost their confidence and encourage them to participate more in school life. The funding from Investec enables The Everyman Theatre to provide these after-school drama clubs free of charge.
Tristan George, of Investec’s Cheltenham office, said: “We are proud to be a long-standing supporter, and Principal Sponsor, of our Cheltenham office’s local theatre, The Everyman. We are delighted to be extending our involvement with sponsorship of this year’s pantomime, which is always such a major event for our town and surrounding areas.”
Mark Goucher, CEO of The Everyman Theatre, said: “Our business relationships are an integral part of The Everyman Theatre as we work across the wider community to provide cultural outreach and education programmes.
The support of Investec for our 2022 pantomime is a superb new partnership, which will enable us to maintain our commitment to making theatre accessible for all, by helping to fund a range of options for panto audiences with specific needs, such as audio described performances for the visually impaired; captioned and British Sign Language performances for those with hearing impairments and “relaxed” performances for those with learning disabilities, such as autism or dementia.
Funding also supports our aim to keep ticket prices low for schools and to help provide educational extras, such as workshops, talks and tours.”
Dick Whittington & His Cat Tweedy will be showing at The Everyman Theatre from November 2022 – January 2023. This year the theatre has appointed two local charity partners, St James City Farm and Scrubditch Care Farm, and will help to raise money for these two charities via its recent 10-mile sponsored walk (which took place on 2nd October 2022) and collections donated by the audience during its pantomime performances.
To find out more about The Everyman Theatre see https://www.everymantheatre.org.uk/ To find out more about Investec see https://www.investec.com/en_gb.html
For further information, images, quotes or interviews, please contact melanie.jones@encorepr.co.uk
About The Everyman Theatre
The Everyman Theatre is Gloucestershire’s leading live entertainment venue, presenting a wide range of productions year-round, including ballet, opera, drama, dance, comedy, live music and a traditional annual pantomime. Opened in 1891, The Everyman Theatre is a Victorian masterpiece, with its magnificent, recently restored, main auditorium designed by esteemed architect Frank Matcham.
A registered charity, The Everyman Theatre is proud to offer a leading education, community and outreach programme, which includes a Summer School, Youth Theatre and Community Choir, offering people of all ages the opportunity to engage with the arts.
Investec – Pantomime Sponsor and Principal Partner of The Everyman Theatre
Investec, which has had an office in Cheltenham for over 40 years, provides bespoke and integrated financial planning and investment services for local clients. It has a strong corporate social responsibility ethos and is keenly aware of its broader responsibility to society, seeking to make a positive impact by focusing on initiatives that support local communities.
As one of the UK’s leading wealth management firms, Investec is trusted with managing over £44.4 billion (as at May 2022) of its clients’ money. Its wealth and banking teams work hard at providing Out of the Ordinary levels of service to clients and with an investment heritage dating back to 1827, Investec is built for the long term.
Investec Wealth & Investment Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is a member of the London Stock Exchange and the Investec Group.
Investec Wealth & Investment Limited is registered in England.
Registered No. 2122340. Registered Office: 30 Gresham Street. London. EC2V 7QN
About Scrubditch Care Farm – Pantomime charity
Set in a beautiful location with stunning views in open countryside, Scrubditch Care Farm provides meaningful farm-based activities for adults and young people with learning difficulties, challenging behaviour, or mental health problems.
Students perform a variety of activities including working with animals, growing vegetables, fruit and flowers, cooking and learning basic woodworking skills. The Farm also runs weekly ‘feel good farming’ sessions for people living with dementia or struggling with mental health and wellbeing.
Scrubditch Care Farm is a small registered charity, and the site is a secure and safe environment where students feel at home.
About St James City Farm & Riding School – Pantomime charity
St James City Farm & Riding School lies at the heart of one of the most deprived areas of Gloucestershire and offers a taste of the countryside to those who need it most as well as being a wonderful place to visit for families.
The City Farm & Riding School offers hands on practical farm experience and gives access to opportunities; acting as a gateway, building knowledge, experience and aspirations so city people can have fun, learn and benefit from interaction with animals and nature.
Run by ‘The Friendship Cafe’ - a registered local, charity, run mainly by volunteers – the farm provides a safe and welcoming space for volunteers of all ages and backgrounds.
The Great British Bake Off Musical heads to London’s West End following huge success at Cheltenham’s Everyman Theatre
Following a critically-acclaimed world premiere run at The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham during the summer, The Great British Bake Off Musical will transfer to London’s West End, opening at the Noël Coward Theatre, for a limited twelve-week run from 24 February to 13 May 2023.
Created in association with Mark Goucher Productions, (founded by Gloucestershire’s very own Mark Goucher, CEO of The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham), the Creative Director and Executive Producer Richard McKerrow, and the producers of the hit TV phenomenon, Love Productions, this musical comedy has perfectly reimagined the nation’s favourite baking show into a warm-hearted comedy musical. The Great British Bake Off was co-created by Anna Beattie and Richard McKerrow.
This adrenaline-fuelled, uplifting, funny new British musical which captivated the audiences at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham from 22 July – 6 August, is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh [Wind in the Willows, Half a Sixpence]. Award-winning West End and Broadway star John Owen Jones [Les Misèrables, The Phantom of the Opera] reprises his starring role as Phil Hollinghurst, the esteemed blue-eyed, silver-fox judge.
Mark Goucher, CEO of The Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham and of Mark Goucher Productions, said “Having won over the Cheltenham audience, I’m so thrilled that this talented creative team and cast are getting the opportunity to bring this new musical to the audiences of the West End. If you are a fan of the iconic Great British Bake Off on Channel 4 you will love it, and if you’ve never watched Great British Bake Off, you’ll be sure to tune in after seeing this.” The Great British Bake Off Musical features an original and clever score, written by multi-award-winning duo Jake Brunger, (book and lyrics) and Pippa Cleary (music and lyrics) critically acclaimed as “one of musical theatre’s most dynamic writing partnerships”.
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Inspired by the hit TV show, this showstopper musical follows the amateur bakers as they seek to impress the judges and battle their way to be crowned Star Baker. The audience are taken on a rollicking journey of tap-along songs and dance as the bakers face trials, tribulations, and baking failures along the way. Scott Paige [The Addams Family, Nativity!] reprises his role as a presenter along with the original cast of musical professionals who play the contestants; Claire Moore [Mary Poppins, The Girls, The King & I], Catriana Sandison [Evita, We Will Rock You], Charlotte Wakefield [The Boy In The Dress, Crazy For You, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang], Damian Humbley [Merrily We Roll Along, Hedda Gabler], Jay Saighal [Hedda Gabler, Romeo and Juliet, Richard III], Michael Cahill [Martin Guerre, Les Misérables, Starlight Express, Joseph], and making his West End debut, Aharon Rayner. More cast will be announced soon. The original creative team includes: choreographer Georgina Lamb, set, costume and cake designer Alice Power, lighting designer Ben Cracknell, sound designer Ben Harrison, orchestrations Tom Curran, musical supervisor Mark Collins, assistant musical director Chris Poon and casting director Jim Arnold CDG. Richard McKerrow,
Creative Director and Executive Producer, said, “Working on this new Bake Off musical with Mark, the fantastic team of creatives, cast and crew, has been a brilliant experience and thanks to this dedicated team I really hope we have created a musical that celebrates the spirit of the television show and will bring tears and laughter to a wide audience.” Prue Leith, judge on Channel 4’s The Great British Bake Off, said “I am thrilled to bits that The Great British Bake Off Musical is going to the West End. It is an uplifting, funny, heartfelt story, which will have you singing and dancing out of the theatre with a huge smile. A theatrical sweet treat. Just what we need right now.” If you didn’t catch The Great British Bake Off Musical in Cheltenham then now is your chance to experience the critically-acclaimed hit show in London’s West End. Tickets start from £20 and go on sale from noon on Tuesday 18th October, available to book here.
For further information, images or quotes, please contact Mel Jones melanie@encorepr.co.uk
Listings information
The Great British Bake Off Musical Noël Coward Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London, WC2N 4AU
24 February to 13 May 2023
