Tuesday 19 February at 7.15pm & Sunday 24 February at 2pm
Based on the popular novel Don Quixote de la Mancha by Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote tells the story of the old hidalgo, who reads many chivalric romance novels. One day, with Sancho Panza as his squire, Don Quixote sets out on an adventure as a medieval knight to bring justice to the world and honour to Dulcinea, the lady of his dreams. The ballet has long been acclaimed for its virtuoso dancing and beautiful and technically demanding ‘vision scene’.
We thought it best to let Lemony Snicket from An Unfortunate Series of Events describe this one… “a play in which various characters argue, fall in love, get married in secret, run away to monasteries, engage in duels, and drop a gun on the floor, where it goes off and accidentally kills someone.”
Over the years La Forza has acquired a reputation for being cursed, following some unfortunate incidents. In 1960 at the Metropolitan Opera, the noted baritone Leonard Warren collapsed and died during a performance of the opera. The supposed curse reportedly kept Luciano Pavarotti from ever performing the opera and the tenor Franco Corelli to follow small rituals during performances to avoid bad luck.
Perhaps the most recognisable title of the season, the story of Romeo and Juliet is synonymous with both love and tragedy. Whether it’s been through studying Shakespeare’s text at school or watching a young Leonardo di Caprio, we’re certain you already know the story. It is a tremendous experience to watch the Royal Ballet perform this classic love story.
During the summer of 1947, country doctor Dr. Faraday tends to a patient at Hundreds Hall, where his mother once worked as a housemaid. The Hall, which has fallen into decline, is home to Mrs Ayres and her two children. After taking on the new patient, Dr. Faraday finds the Ayres family’s story will soon become entwined with his own, as strange things begin to occur in this stunning adaptation of Sara Water’s gothic-horror novel.
After they crash their UFO into his house, 12-year-old Luis embarks on a wild quest to help three tiny extra-terrestrials return to their huge mother ship in this charming animation.
Jack Black stars in this adaptation of John Bellairs 1973 Gothic-Fantasy novel. The magical adventure tells the spine-tingling tale of 10-year-old Lewis (Owen Vaccaro) who goes to live with his uncle in a creaky old house with a mysterious tick-tocking heart. But his new town’s sleepy façade jolts to life with a secret world of warlocks and witches when Lewis accidentally awakens the dead.
Professor Phillip Goodman devotes his life to exposing phony psychics and fraudulent supernatural shenanigans. His skepticism soon gets put to the test when he receives news of three chilling and inexplicable cases…
Disturbing visions in an abandoned asylum, a car accident deep in the woods and the spirit of an unborn child. Even scarier — each of the macabre stories seems to have a sinister connection to the professor’s own life.
When Ellen passes away, her daughter’s family begins to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry. The more they discover, the more they find themselves trying to outrun the sinister fate they seem to have inherited.
Want to treat your little ones to a trip to the cinema but worried about the noise they make? Why not come to our baby and toddler screenings…
Want to treat your little ones to a trip to the cinema but worried about the noise they make? Why not come to our baby and toddler screenings. A relaxed friendly environment that will put your mind at rest. These carefully selected films will have a softer volume level and a more relaxed atmosphere for parents and guardians.
For his keen instincts and fierce loyalty, Stubby is still recognized today as the most decorated canine in American history. This charming animated film tells this fascinating true story with genuine warmth.
Christopher Robin — now a family man living in London — receives a surprise visit from his old childhood pal, Winnie-the-Pooh. With Christopher’s help, Pooh embarks on a journey to find his friends — Tigger, Eeyore, Owl, Piglet, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo. Once reunited, the lovable bear and the gang travel to the big city to help Christopher rediscover the joy of life.
“An enchanting return to Hundred Acre Wood” (Metro ★★★★)
A special screening of Luis & The Aliens for your little extra-terrestrials!
After they crash their UFO into his house, 12-year-old Luis embarks on a wild quest to help three tiny extra-terrestrials return to their huge mother ship in this charming animation.
The countryside isn’t always calm and peaceful and the animals on this farm are particularly agitated: a fox who mothers a family of chicks, a rabbit who plays the stork, and a duck who wants to be Santa Claus!
There’s a merry mix up in the forest when Little Red Riding Hood cannot be found!
There’s a merry mix up in the forest when Little Red Riding Hood cannot be found! Luckily Robin Hood agrees to go on a quest to take some cakes and flowers to Grandma. Will he stay on the path or will he discover the big bad wolf who looks a bit like the Sherriff of Nottingham?
Garlic Theatre presents a funny, slapstick, glove puppet show with beautifully crafted puppets, clowning and gentle humour, ideal for ages 4-8.
“I don’t know where Red Riding Hood has gone, but I’m brave and strong!
I need to get these cakes to Grandma, so let’s hop along!”
When Little Red Riding Hood is nowhere to be found, the forest delivers a new hero in the form of Robin Hood. Will our favourite outlaw get the cakes to grandma or will old enemies in new disguises get in the way?
Mother
Have you seen Little Red Riding Hood? She’s such a lovely girl!”
Mother has been busy baking all morning but with Little Red Riding Hood nowhere to be seen will the cakes make it to grandma’s house?
Grandma
“I can’t wait for my cakes and flowers to arrive”
But when the Wolf comes knocking, will Grandma survive?
Poorly grandma has been tucked up in bed waiting for a visit from her lovely granddaughter Little Red Riding Hood but when there’s a knock at the door who has really come to visit?
Little John
Little John picks up his axe and goes marching through the wood
He’s off to give the Wolf its whacks and save Red Robin Hood!
Our favourite ‘Merry Man’ Little John has always had Robin Hood’s back but with a new baddie in the forest will little John save the day or end up as dinner?
The Sheriff of Nottingham
“I’m the Sheriff of Nottingham, no one beats me
If Robin can be Red Riding, then I’ll be the wolf you see…”
The naughty Sheriff of Nottingham tries to stop Robin Hood’s plans no matter the story. However, with the fearless Little John on his tail and a forest full of hidden dangers who will get to grandma first?
Miles Tredinnick’s successful career has spanned music, stage and screen, including working with comedy legend Frankie Howerd and as a writer on the hit TV series ‘Birds of a Feather’, now his comedy thriller Twist will be brought to the Bonington by regular visiting company Baroque Theatre.
We caught up with Miles to find out more about his career and what we have to look forward to when Twist comes to The Bonington on Friday 11th May.
Having a career that stretches from Music to Theatre and to TV, is there one you would put above the other?
No, they’re all important to me. Music was my first love but comedy was always something I wanted to write. So when I came to the end of my contract with MCA Records I dived straight in to writing stage plays and then later, TV sitcoms. Nothing is planned at all and it still isn’t. I just bumble along and work on the next project that interests me.
Given your legacy in the punk movement, are you happy to see Twist given a truly edgy, punk treatment by the Baroque Theatre Company?
Well there is a bit of crossover between the play and my band LONDON as some of the band’s songs are used but really the clever thing about TWIST is that although at its heart it is a traditional comedy thriller in the Deathtrap, Sleuth mode, the director Adam Morley has totally updated it with clever tech and other theatrical tricks. I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to spoil the surprises but what I can say is that if you love stage thrillers you’re going to love TWIST. It’s very edgy and at times disturbing and even scary. One minute you think it’s a traditional English farce and then it suddenly becomes Quentin Tarantino!
Are there any career highlights that you’re particularly proud of?
Yes, so many and they’re almost always ‘firsts’. The first time I held a record I had made (London’s EVERYONE’S A WINNER), the first time that I got the green light for a sitcom pilot (WYATT’S WATCHDOGS), the first TV script I worked on for Frankie Howerd (SUPERFRANK), the first night of TOPLESS (a comedy on a real open-top bus driving through the streets of London.)
How did you end up writing for Frankie Howerd?
I’d just got on the books of the agent Tessa Le Bars who also represented Frankie Howerd as well as Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. Frankie was looking for someone who could write farce as he wanted to bring UP POMPEII into the West End. I had just had a comedy published by Samuel French called LAUGH? I NEARLY WENT TO MIAMI! and Tessa showed it to Frank. Fortunately he liked my writing style and asked me to start writing scripts for him which I did.
You were asked by Frankie to write an updated version of the classic Up Pompeii! for the stage. Was this an easy process?
Well it was easy in as much as all the basics were there to begin with. Talbot Rothwell (the ‘Carry On’ writer) created the show and came up with all the wonderful characters’ names – Ludicrus Sextus, Ammonia, Nausius and Erotica etc. Sid Colin also wrote some excellent episodes. But remember that this was before YouTube and I didn’t have access to the episodes like you would now. I had to make do with some very faded photo-copied scripts that were lying about in Tessa’s office. Fortunately Frankie was around to ask questions about the show and he was insistent that it had to be a brand new original script and not three TV episodes cobbled together as is often the case in stage versions of classic sitcoms. Sadly he never appeared in it on stage but we did have a wonderful reading of the play at his Kensington home with Jeanne Mockford (who played Senna the Soothsayer in the BBC version) and him both reprising their roles. In fact, for some reason, Frankie hadn’t been able to get any other actors along and ended up reading about nine parts! He even ended up seducing himself at one point! It was hilarious.
You’ve continued to write for the stage, but Topless was written for and originally performed on-board a moving sightseeing bus, how did you come up with the idea for this?
After I had worked on ‘Birds of a Feather’ for the BBC I decided to take some time away from writing and got a job as a tour guide on a London open-top sightseeing bus. Then one weekend I slipped off a kerb and broke my ankle. As I was in plaster for about eight weeks there was no way that I could climb up and down the stairs on the bus so I ended up back in my flat with nothing to do. It was then that I came up with the idea of writing a stage comedy set on the open-top of a sightseeing bus and I called it TOPLESS. It was a one-woman show about a girl, Sandie, showing tourists the sights of London whilst at the same time having a nervous breakdown. It was originally going to be performed in a theatre but we couldn’t raise the money to put it on. We were just about to give up on the whole thing when the director Martin Bailey said why not do it on the bus! So when the guide says there’s Piccadilly Circus on your right, there is Piccadilly Circus on your right! It was a brilliant idea and total virtual reality. With the Big Bus Company we produced the show for two seasons. It was a lot of fun. Since that play I’ve also written TOPLESS IN PHILADELPHIA, and TOPLESS IN SYDNEY. A new one, TOPLESS IN LAS VEGAS will shortly be published. They all feature different tour guides showing you the sights of their particular city. I was fortunate to travel to some of these places and train the tour guides for Big Bus so the tours are exactly how you would experience them if you went there.
Will you be able to see the play on any of its dates?
If it was possible I’d be there every night but sadly that’s not practical. I shall try and catch as many shows as possible though. The cast led by Clive Greenwood is quite exceptional and includes Claire Bibby, Thea Balich, and Ellis J. Wells so try and catch it if you can!
Twist comes to The Bonington on Friday 11th May, book your tickets today to guarantee your seat
This weekend, the 90th Academy Awards will take place and we look forward to the fashion, faux pas and celebration of the creativity within the film industry when the world’s movie stars descend on Hollywood’s Dolby Theatre. However, no need to splash out on red carpet style and limousines because we’re bringing some of the Awards’ most nominated films to Arnold where you can watch them for as little as a £5.50 with a nice cup of tea and some ice cream.
Here’s our look at the Oscar nominees we’re bring to The Bonington over the coming weeks.
The Shape of Water – Winner Best Picture
Monday 12 – Thursday 15 March
Having already scooped a host of awards including two Golden Globes and two BAFTAS, acclaimed director Guilermo del Toro’s fairy-tale romance ‘The Shape of Water’ was up for a massive, thirteen Oscars, taking home four including Best Picture and Best Director.
Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, the film tells the story of Elisa (Sally Hawkins – Nominated for Best Lead Actress), a mute, lonely woman whose life changes forever when she meets the other-worldly aquatic creature held prisoner in the high security government facility she works in.
With an award winning soundtrack and nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Production Design you can expect the exhilarating fantasy storytelling synonymous with Del Toro.
Support comes from Octavia Spencer (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Michael Stuhlbarg and Doug Jones.
A real triumph for females in the movie industry ‘Lady Bird’ saw director and writer Greta Gerwig nominated for Best Director and Best Original Screen Play. Saoirse Ronan was also up for Best Actress, no stranger to Oscar nominations Ronan achieved her first nomination at the age of 14 for her role in Atonement.
The best-reviewed film of all time, according to Film Aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes, follows Marion McPherson, a California nurse, who works tirelessly to keep her family afloat after her husband loses his job. She also maintains a turbulent bond with a teenage daughter who is just like her — loving, strong-willed and deeply opinionated. A fantastic coming of age story.
With five BAFTAs and a host of Golden Globes already under its belt Martin McDonagh’s ‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ added two Oscars to its collection.
After months have passed without a culprit in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes (Frances McDorman – WINNER Best Lead Actress) makes a bold move, painting three signs leading into her town with a controversial message directed at the town’s revered chief of police. When his second-in-command, Officer Dixon (Sam Rockwell – WINNER Best Supporting Actor) — an immature mother’s boy with a penchant for violence — gets involved, the battle is only exacerbated.
Having already earned himself over ten awards, including a BAFTA and Golden Globe for his portrayal of war time leader Winston Churchill in Joe Wright’s ‘The Darkest Hour’ Gary Oldman took the Best Actor Oscar. The production of the film was also up for a host of awards including Best Production Design, Best Cinematography and Best Picture.
An undeniably exciting and beguiling account of Winston Churchill’s darkest hour in 1940, as Hitler’s forces gather across the Channel, poised to invade. With the wartime Prime Minister also up against a cabal of politicians who want to see him undone, this is a thrilling political period drama.
Daniel Day-Lewis was up for Best Lead Actor in what is rumoured to be his final role before entering retirement, in Phantom Thread.
Also nominated for best picture and Best Director, among others, the film is set in post-war London where celebrated designer Reynolds Woodcock (Day-Lewis) finds his world disrupted by love when he meets the strong-willed Alma (Vicky Krieps). An illuminating portrait of an artist on a creative journey and the woman who keeps his world running.
Margot Robbie was nominated for an Oscar for her portrayal of infamous Olympic figure skater, Tonya Harding who was embroiled in one of the most scandalous and infamous events in sports history. Allison Janney took home the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Harding’s acid tongued mother. A darkly comedic telling of the true story of how one of sport’s most celebrated female star’s legacy will forever be defined by her role in the ill-conceived attack on a fellow Olympic competitor.
Up for Best Original Song for the super catchy ‘This is Me’ it’s fitting that we will be screening a Sing-A-Long version of The Greatest Showman. This original musical celebrates the birth of show business in high style. Sensational, entertaining and definitely somethings to sing about!
On Tuesday 20th February the Bonington Theatre and Cinema launched its first baby and toddler friendly family focused cinema performance.
The screening was of Pixars new film Coco and the turnout was amazing! A large group came from Surestart Netherfield Children’s Centre which was coordinated by Amanda Williamson and the feedback from the group was really positive.
As this was the first baby and toddler screening, we weren’t quite sure how busy we would be, but wow, we nearly filled the room, not bad for the first performance!
January 2018 saw the biggest number of ticket sales to date for the Bonington Cinema, Arnold, with over 2,600 tickets sold.
Since the cinema opened we have gained popularity from local residents including many families and groups who make regular visits.
January included screenings of blockbusters such as Paddington 2, Star Wars and Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Sequel which included a Q&A after the film about climate change. The cinema also held a special dementia friendly screening of It’s A Wonderful Life at Christmas.
The record breaking month saw an increase of around 8.6% from the previous highest month, August 2017 and there are plans for even more screenings and events in the coming months, with the record set to be broken again this month!
A big thank you to everyone who came along and helped us acheive this record month.
This half term we have screenings of not one, but two animated family films at The Bonington cinema.
This half term we have screenings of not one, but two animated family films at The Bonington cinema. Acclamied animation studios, Pixar and Aardman have both released family friendly blockbusters, perfect for something to do over the half term break.
Early Man (U)
The latest animated comedy from Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit, Chicken Run)
A plucky cave man named Dug and his sidekick Hognob must unite their tribe against a mighty enemy — the Bronze Age.
“A gloriously funny tale of stone-age stragglers” (Telegraph ★★★★)
“Nick Park takes charge of this pun-filled plasticine adventure that hilariously sends up the Stone Age” (Radio Times ★★★★)
Despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, young Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colourful Land of the Dead.
After meeting a charming trickster named Héctor, the two new friends embark on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.
“Pixar’s vibrant, melancholic adventure is a refreshing return to form” (Guardian ★★★★)
