The locale will serve as the set for a 9-episode show featuring classic musical theatre tunes. Created by producers Adam Blanshay and Ryan Woods, each chapter will include a different cast list of world-renowned performers, such as Matt Henry and Carrie Hope Fletcher for the pilot. Soon to be released in a pay-to-stream platform, the main goal of this project is to give artists, creatives and stage managers new employment opportunities until the venues can go back to their full capacity.
You can’t stop the beat! For a creative heart will always be creating. And a loving audience will always want to reunite with what we all love best. There’s only a month left until musicals are reborn in a new innovative way until venues are allowed to open again to its full capacity. Producers Adam Blanshay (Adam Blanshay Productions) and Ryan Woods (The Thesatre Café) have teamed up to carry out this upcoming online series starring some of the best-known theatre talent in the world.
With an already planned 9-episode season to be released soon after the pilot, each chapter will include a different cast list of theatre stars and feature 4 to 5 classic musical theatre songs. All of the shows will be shot at The Theatre Café and will be available through a pay-to-stream service on the venue’s website – allowing each user to watch them for an unlimited number of times. The main purpose of this initiative is to give new employment opportunities to artists, creatives and stage managers while the theatres remain close.
“With our UK leaders encouraging the theatre industry to think innovatively in order to endure these unprecedented times, Ryan and I were adamant about creating an eclectic digital platform where we could create an ongoing stream of engaging content for theatre fans all over the Globe throughout the continued theatre closures”, says Blanshay. “Myself and Adam had an idea to use the café as a kind of working set to bring theatregoers a live style production to then watch online”, claims Woods, “which so many have looked to during these recent times to stay connected with theatreland. The Theatre Café has remained committed to bring our audience the best quality content to watch online. We believe, with this fabulous team now assembled, we can produce something really special!”
The confirmed cast for the pilot episode includes Tarinn Callender (Come From Away, Hamilton), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Heathers, Addams Family, Les Misérables), Olivier Award Winner Matt Henry MBE (Kinky Boots, One Night in Miami), Lucie Jones (Waitress, Legally Blonde, X-Factor UK & Eurovision Song Contest 2017), Oliver Ormson (Back to the Future, Addams Family, Book of Mormon) and also Olivier Award Winner Jenna Russell (Merrily We Roll Along, Sunday in the Park with George). Four additional performers, known as ‘The Café Four’, will take part in every chapter too -playing a variety of supporting roles.
You can watch the upcoming episodes of The Theatre Channel, as well as check out further updates, on the following link.
First Night Magazine 