Nick Parr and Ryan Philpott
Eastenders’ actor brings ‘Made in Southend’ theatre shows to the Palace Theatre
Westcliff-based Dickens Theatre Company has joined forces with the Palace Theatre on London Road to launch three seasons of theatre shows ‘Made in Southend’.
Producer, Actor and Westcliff resident, Ryan Philpott has long harboured the ambition to perform with his company at his home theatre.
Dickens Theatre Company have a national reputation for producing first-class shows, based on ‘curriculum texts’ under the banner ‘Revision on Tour’, including classics such as Macbeth, A Christmas Carol and Jekyll and Hyde. This work has visited theatres across the UK, but never in Southend – until now! Alongside this work, Philpott creates new shows and will be bringing a world premiere to the Dixon Studio this September.
Occasional Eastenders Actor, Ryan Philpott commented:
‘The Palace Theatre is a very special place for the Philpott family. I have spent so much of my life there, initially as an awe-struck kid watching shows with my parents in the 1980s and 1990s. Then as a teenager I performed with Southend Shakespeare Company in the Dixon Studio and I knew then that I wanted to be a professional actor. After training at LAMDA, I performed in rep at the Palace. Since we set up Dickens Theatre Company in 2015 it has been my ambition to bring our shows to Westcliff - and here we are, about to embark on a very exciting programme of classic literature stage adaptations, all ‘Made in Southend’.’
Nick Parr, Theatre Director at the Palace Theatre and the Cliffs Pavilion added:
‘I have known Ryan for a few years and we bonded during the pandemic over our ambition to see quality work that would take year 10 and 11 students into their local theatres to experience on stage the classic texts they were studying. When I joined Southend Theatres last year, Ryan was one of the first people I called. I am delighted that we can announce these three seasons of work at the Palace.’
Dickens Theatre Company and the Palace Theatre will present:
World Premiere
Charles Dickens: The Readings and The Rumours
Written & Performed by Ryan Philpott
Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 October 2024
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm
Saturday at 3pm
It’s 1866 and Charles Dickens is a Victorian Superstar. But away from the footlights, he bore shameful secrets and a lifestyle unbecoming of a Victorian gentleman. This world premiere delves into the clandestine affairs of the world’s greatest writer as Dickens’ life draws to its end. Recommended age 10+ years.
With Ryan Philpott
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/family/dickens-theatre-company-presents-charles-dickens-the-readings-and-the-rumours-tickets
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott with music by Paul Higgs
Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 November 2024
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30pm
Tuesday and Wednesday at 1pm
A joyously authentic staging of this Victorian classic. Two of Dickens’ closest theatrical companions find themselves trapped in the footlights’ glare. With the rest of the cast stuck on a train, actress Frances Ternan and Dickens’ faithful tour manager George Dolby take on the daunting challenge of portraying over 30 characters. But, who will play Scrooge?
With Ryan Philpott and Hannah Blaikie
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/family/dickens-theatre-company-presents-a-christmas-carol-tickets
Revision on Tour: Macbeth
by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott with music by Paul Higgs
Monday 10 to Tuesday 11 February 2025
Monday and Tuesday 7.30pm
Tuesday 1pm
The Bard’s bloodiest tragedy set against a backdrop of wars, witchery and treasonous plotting, Macbeth remains ominously relevant in the 21st Century.
With a cast of 6 actors
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/other/dickens-theatre-company-presents-revision-on-tour-macbeth-tickets
Revision on Tour: Jekyll & Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott with music by Paul Higgs Wednesday 12 February 2025
Wednesday 1pm and 7.30pm
1888. Victorian London is under attack. Within the thick Fitzrovia fog and dimly lamp-lit streets lurks an evil predator.
With a cast of 6 actors.
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/other/dickens-theatre-company-presents-revision-on-tour-jekyll-hyde-tickets
Producer, Actor and Westcliff resident, Ryan Philpott has long harboured the ambition to perform with his company at his home theatre.
Dickens Theatre Company have a national reputation for producing first-class shows, based on ‘curriculum texts’ under the banner ‘Revision on Tour’, including classics such as Macbeth, A Christmas Carol and Jekyll and Hyde. This work has visited theatres across the UK, but never in Southend – until now! Alongside this work, Philpott creates new shows and will be bringing a world premiere to the Dixon Studio this September.
Occasional Eastenders Actor, Ryan Philpott commented:
‘The Palace Theatre is a very special place for the Philpott family. I have spent so much of my life there, initially as an awe-struck kid watching shows with my parents in the 1980s and 1990s. Then as a teenager I performed with Southend Shakespeare Company in the Dixon Studio and I knew then that I wanted to be a professional actor. After training at LAMDA, I performed in rep at the Palace. Since we set up Dickens Theatre Company in 2015 it has been my ambition to bring our shows to Westcliff - and here we are, about to embark on a very exciting programme of classic literature stage adaptations, all ‘Made in Southend’.’
Nick Parr, Theatre Director at the Palace Theatre and the Cliffs Pavilion added:
‘I have known Ryan for a few years and we bonded during the pandemic over our ambition to see quality work that would take year 10 and 11 students into their local theatres to experience on stage the classic texts they were studying. When I joined Southend Theatres last year, Ryan was one of the first people I called. I am delighted that we can announce these three seasons of work at the Palace.’
Dickens Theatre Company and the Palace Theatre will present:
World Premiere
Charles Dickens: The Readings and The Rumours
Written & Performed by Ryan Philpott
Thursday 3 to Saturday 5 October 2024
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm
Saturday at 3pm
It’s 1866 and Charles Dickens is a Victorian Superstar. But away from the footlights, he bore shameful secrets and a lifestyle unbecoming of a Victorian gentleman. This world premiere delves into the clandestine affairs of the world’s greatest writer as Dickens’ life draws to its end. Recommended age 10+ years.
With Ryan Philpott
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/family/dickens-theatre-company-presents-charles-dickens-the-readings-and-the-rumours-tickets
A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott with music by Paul Higgs
Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 November 2024
Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at 7.30pm
Tuesday and Wednesday at 1pm
A joyously authentic staging of this Victorian classic. Two of Dickens’ closest theatrical companions find themselves trapped in the footlights’ glare. With the rest of the cast stuck on a train, actress Frances Ternan and Dickens’ faithful tour manager George Dolby take on the daunting challenge of portraying over 30 characters. But, who will play Scrooge?
With Ryan Philpott and Hannah Blaikie
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/family/dickens-theatre-company-presents-a-christmas-carol-tickets
Revision on Tour: Macbeth
by William Shakespeare, adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott with music by Paul Higgs
Monday 10 to Tuesday 11 February 2025
Monday and Tuesday 7.30pm
Tuesday 1pm
The Bard’s bloodiest tragedy set against a backdrop of wars, witchery and treasonous plotting, Macbeth remains ominously relevant in the 21st Century.
With a cast of 6 actors
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/other/dickens-theatre-company-presents-revision-on-tour-macbeth-tickets
Revision on Tour: Jekyll & Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson adapted and directed by Ryan Philpott with music by Paul Higgs Wednesday 12 February 2025
Wednesday 1pm and 7.30pm
1888. Victorian London is under attack. Within the thick Fitzrovia fog and dimly lamp-lit streets lurks an evil predator.
With a cast of 6 actors.
https://trafalgartickets.com/palace-theatre-southend/en-GB/event/other/dickens-theatre-company-presents-revision-on-tour-jekyll-hyde-tickets
Dickens Theatre Company
Since 2015, Dickens Theatre Company have been creating exciting stage adaptations of literary classics. Their performances breathe life into the stories, words and characters studied in the classroom. Dickens Theatre Company take great pride in giving young people their first taste of live theatre.
The company is based in Westcliff-on-Sea and is run by husband-and-wife team Ryan and Mel Philpott.
‘A Christmas Carol’ will tour in November/December 2024. ‘Revision on Tour’ (Macbeth and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde) will tour from January to April 2025.
In 2024 Revision on Tour visited major theatres across the UK including York Grand Opera House, Princess Theatre Torquay, Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, King’s Theatre Portsmouth, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Swindon Arts Centre, Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, the Alexandra Theatre Birmingham and London’s New Wimbledon Theatre.
Palace Theatre
The Palace opened in 1912 and retains all of the delightful Edwardian charm of its music hall origins including the sweeping grand staircase to the Circle, alongside many original features such as the regency-style domes on the boxes and the ornately decorated billboard frames on the proscenium arch. The Dixon Studio was added in the 1980s.
The Palace Theatre is managed alongside the Cliffs Pavilion by Trafalgar Theatres, part of Trafalgar Entertainment, on behalf of Southend-on-Sea City Council.
Revision On Tour – Macbeth Reviews
★★★★★
‘A superbly-entertaining way to present classic plays.’
https://www.theviewfromthestalls.org.uk/reviews
The View From The Stalls
★★★★★
‘Without doubt this combines fun, education and history’
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=845390857606389&id=100064064470561&rdid=MpUk5yEPRP2rD6yF
Apple Radio
★★★★
‘a unique way to bring compulsory GCSE texts to the stage’
https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/news/review-revision-on-tour-macbeth/58775
What’s On
★★★★
‘The concept is brilliant, a chance for GCSE pupils to see the essence of a play’
https://www.behindthearras.com/Reviewspr/2024/reviewsPRjan-mar24/macbeth-A04-24.html
Behind The Arras
★★★★
‘This show is perfect for current year 11s and year 10’
https://www.facebook.com/CultureBab
CultureBab
Since 2015, Dickens Theatre Company have been creating exciting stage adaptations of literary classics. Their performances breathe life into the stories, words and characters studied in the classroom. Dickens Theatre Company take great pride in giving young people their first taste of live theatre.
The company is based in Westcliff-on-Sea and is run by husband-and-wife team Ryan and Mel Philpott.
‘A Christmas Carol’ will tour in November/December 2024. ‘Revision on Tour’ (Macbeth and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde) will tour from January to April 2025.
In 2024 Revision on Tour visited major theatres across the UK including York Grand Opera House, Princess Theatre Torquay, Regent Theatre Stoke-on-Trent, King’s Theatre Portsmouth, Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, Swindon Arts Centre, Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, the Alexandra Theatre Birmingham and London’s New Wimbledon Theatre.
Palace Theatre
The Palace opened in 1912 and retains all of the delightful Edwardian charm of its music hall origins including the sweeping grand staircase to the Circle, alongside many original features such as the regency-style domes on the boxes and the ornately decorated billboard frames on the proscenium arch. The Dixon Studio was added in the 1980s.
The Palace Theatre is managed alongside the Cliffs Pavilion by Trafalgar Theatres, part of Trafalgar Entertainment, on behalf of Southend-on-Sea City Council.
Revision On Tour – Macbeth Reviews
★★★★★
‘A superbly-entertaining way to present classic plays.’
https://www.theviewfromthestalls.org.uk/reviews
The View From The Stalls
★★★★★
‘Without doubt this combines fun, education and history’
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=845390857606389&id=100064064470561&rdid=MpUk5yEPRP2rD6yF
Apple Radio
★★★★
‘a unique way to bring compulsory GCSE texts to the stage’
https://www.whatsonlive.co.uk/news/review-revision-on-tour-macbeth/58775
What’s On
★★★★
‘The concept is brilliant, a chance for GCSE pupils to see the essence of a play’
https://www.behindthearras.com/Reviewspr/2024/reviewsPRjan-mar24/macbeth-A04-24.html
Behind The Arras
★★★★
‘This show is perfect for current year 11s and year 10’
https://www.facebook.com/CultureBab
CultureBab