Soho Cinders at Soho Theatre

Welcome back to Access London and Thank You once again for continuing to support Access for All to the Arts. This Summer, Stiles and Drewe's production of Soho Cinders Premieres at the Soho Theatre, located on Dean Street, in the heart of Soho.

"Edgy, fun and deliciously naughty, Soho Cinders celebrates the capital’s most colourful district and is set to get London’s temperature soaring this summer. When impoverished student Robbie becomes romantically involved with engaged Mayoral candidate James Prince, his lap-dancing step-sisters become the least of his problems! James and Robbie’s worlds collide forcing them to fight for their own fairy-tale ending in this hilarious, satirical twist on the classic Cinderella story. The potent mix of politics, sex-scandals and true love come together in this contemporary musical with an infectious score that you’ll be humming long past the stroke of midnight!"

The cast includes Michael Xavier @michaelxavierMX Amy Lennox @misslenn Tom Milner @thomaskmilner Neil McCaul, Suzie Chard, Beverly Rudd @BevRudd Gerard Carey, Raj Ghatak @RajGhatak Jenna Russell, Amanda Posener, Lewis Barnshaw @LewisBarnshaw Vivien Carter, Christopher Doyle, Julian Hoult @JulianHoult23 Lewis Kirk @LewisKirk Joshua Lovell @JoshuaLovell90 Nigel Roche, Philippa Stefani @PhilippaStefani And the voice of Stephen Fry @stephenfry

"Bang in the creative heart of London, Soho Theatre is a major new writing theatre and a writers’ development organisation of national significance. With a programme spanning theatre, comedy, cabaret and writers’ events and home to a lively bar, Soho Theatre is one of the most vibrant venues on London’s cultural scene." ACCESS INFORMATION: The Main Theatre has an infra-red system fitted and 5 headsets are available to borrow from the box office. Assistance dogs are allowed into the theatre and auditorium. Alternatively, staff can dog-sit during the performance (a maximum of 2 dogs are allowed per performance). The box office and bar are on the ground floor and have level Access from the street. From here, the other floors are Accessible to wheelchair users and those with mobility difficulties by lift. The lift can accommodate wheelchairs, scooters should be left in the foyer area. Seating is unreserved for Soho Cinders. However, if you need a wheelchair space or have any other Access requirements, please inform staff when booking tickets and seats/spaces will be reserved for you. There is space to allocate up to 7 wheelchairs in the front row, which is also the most suitable for anyone with impaired mobility. All of the staff are incredibly helpful. There are also Accessible toilets on the ground, 2nd and 3rd floors. Please note that the Soho area does have some issues with dropped kerbs and not all roads have them, so allow some extra time to get to the theatre. If coming from the direction of Shaftesbury Avenue, it is best to stay on the left hand side of Dean Street until opposite the theatre and then cross over just before it. The kerb here isn't completely flat but is still manageable. For more Access information, see the theatre's Access page HERE

Soho Cinders runs at the Soho Theatre until Sunday 9th September 2012. Performances are Tuesday-Thursday at 8.00pm, Fridays at 5.30pm and 9.00pm, Saturdays at 4.00pm and 8.00pm, Sundays at 4.00pm. Those with Access requirements can get a free companion ticket at the time of booking. Please ensure that you let the box office know of any requirements in advance. To book Access tickets, call the box office directly on 020 7478 0100. All other tickets can be booked online via the theatre HERE

The Sound Of Music & Kilworth House Theatre

Welcome back to Access London and Thank You for continuing to support Access for All to the Arts. Today's post focuses on a venue outside of London...Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire and its forthcoming production of The Sound Of Music.

"'The Sound of Music' is quite simply one of the most popular musicals of all time. As their final collaboration Rodgers and Hammerstein have created a true classic of musical theatre based on the heartwarming, true story of the Trapp Family Singers. Maria, a young nun in an Austrian convent regularly misses her morning prayers preferring to go to the hills to sing. Deciding that Maria is too high spirited and needs to learn something about the real world before she can take her vows, the Mother Superior dispatches her to serve as a governess for the children of the widowed Captain Von Trapp. Rodgers and Hammerstein's unforgettable score delivers some of the most memorable songs ever written for the musical stage including 'Edelweiss', 'My Favourite Things', 'Climb Ev'ry Mountain' 'Do-Re-Mi' and, of course, the title song. 'The Sound of Music' originally opened on Broadway in November 1959 and since then has gone on to touch the hearts of all ages around the world. Uplifting , fun yet always moving 'The Sound of Music' is an unmissable treat for all the family."

Running at Kilworth House Theatre, set in the beautiful grounds of Kilworth House, this is a show not to be missed this Summer. The Sound Of Music runs from the 21st August until the 16th September 2012. Evening performances start at 7.30pm Tuesday-Sunday, with matinees on Wednesdays, Saturdays and some Sundays. The fabulous cast for this production includes.... Helena Blackman (Maria) @helenablackman Rebecca Caine (Elsa) @RebeccaCaine Ian Knaur (Georg) Russell Wilcox (Max) @russwilcox Dom Hodson (Rolf) @DomHodson Jan Hartley (Mother Abbess) Hazel Gardner (Liesl) @IAmHazelGardner

Access Information: "The whole of the Kilworth House Theatre site including the car park is accessible for wheelchair usersand those with mobility difficulties. Within the auditorium there are four spaces on Row A reserved for wheelchair users. In each case there is a seat next to the wheelchair space for an accompanying person. We prefer to speak directly to the customer about their specific needs and allocate them the best seats available to serve these needs. There are reserved parking spaces for wheelchair users only and we have our own wheelchair available on request. Access between the Hotel and the Theatre: There is a well marked path between the hotel and the theatre suitable, if necessary, for a wheelchair. For clients with mobility difficulties we can provide transport by golf buggy between the hotel and the theatre entrance and vice versa, commencing one hour before and immediately after the show. Hearing Impairment: The theatre has installed an induction loop system for those who use a hearing aid. It is necessary to set your hearing aid to the T position before the performance starts. Assistance Dogs: Kilworth House Theatre welcomes assistance dogs and is happy to cater for their needs when attending a performance. Please notify the box office when booking to enable us to allocate the best seats available to serve their needs.

I found box office staff dealing with Access bookings to be extremely helpful. The Sound Of Music's Access tickets policy allows for a free companion ticket to be booked alongside the Access ticket. Access tickets need to be booked via the box office directly on 01858 881939 (Mon-Fri 10am - 4pm). For more information about Kilworth House Theatre, please see their site at www.kilworthhousetheatre.co.uk *Some text and images taken from Kilworth House Theatre website. Additional images from Rebecca Caine