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Julian Butler
Julian Butler (born 15 Aug 1970) is an English composer, lyricist, and writer. He is best known for his work in children's theatre. Career Butler wrote the script, lyrics and co-wrote the music for ''Space Family Robinson'', a musical starring Hannah Waddingham. It premiered at the Pleasance Theatre, London in 2002. As a composer and lyricist, he has specialised in work for young audiences, most notably on the Charlie and Lola stage shows ''Charlie and Lola's Best Bestest Play'' and ''Charlie and Lola's Extremely New Play''. He has worked for Polka Theatre, providing music, lyrics and sound design to over 50 productions, including ''The Wind in the Willows'', Julia Donaldson's ''The Everywhere Bear'' and ''The Paper Dolls''. From 2003 to 2011, Butler was lead singer with rock band Viper Squadron, who released their debut album ''Attack of the Vapours'' in 2006. In 2011, he wrote music and lyrics for a new musical version of ''Red Riding Hood'' with Mike Kenny which premi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maidstone
Maidstone is the largest Town status in the United Kingdom, town in Kent, England, of which it is the county town. Maidstone is historically important and lies east-south-east of London. The River Medway runs through the centre of the town, linking it with Rochester, Kent, Rochester and the Thames Estuary. Historically, the river carried much of the town's trade as the centre of the agricultural county of Kent, which is known as the Garden of England. There is evidence of settlement in the area dating back before the Stone Age. The town, part of the borough of Maidstone, had an approximate population of 100,000 in 2019. Since World War II, the town's economy has shifted from heavy industry towards light industry and services. Toponymy Anglo-Saxon period of English history, Saxon charters dating back to show the first recorded instances of the town's name, ''de maeides stana'' and ''maegdan stane'', possibly meaning ''stone of the maidens'' or ''stone of the people''. The latt ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Space Family Robinson
''Space Family Robinson'' was an original science-fiction comic-book series published by Gold Key Comics. It predates the '' Lost in Space'' television series. Both are loosely based on the 1812 novel by Johann David Wyss (and similarly named movies) '' The Swiss Family Robinson''. Publication history ''Space Family Robinson'' was published as a total of 59 issues, from 1962 to 1982. The first issue was published in December 1962. In 1965, when Irwin Allen produced the primetime television show ''Lost in Space'', Gold Key's publishers noticed the similarities between the comic books and the show. They considered filing suit, but decided against it, as Gold Key was also publishing an Irwin Allen title, '' Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea''. The two companies reached an agreement that the comic could change its cover title to ''Space Family Robinson: Lost in Space''. The new title appeared starting with issue #15 (Jan 1966). The comic book was cancelled with #36 (October, 1969). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hannah Waddingham
Hannah Waddingham (born 28 July 1974) is an English actress, singer, and television presenter. She is known for playing businesswoman Rebecca Welton in ''Ted Lasso'' (2020–present), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and two Critics' Choice Television Awards for Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. She has also appeared in a number of West End musicals, including ''Spamalot'', the 2010 Regent's Park revival of ''Into the Woods'' and ''The Wizard of Oz'' as the Wicked Witch of the West, and has received three Laurence Olivier Awards nominations for her work. Waddingham's film work includes the film adaptation of ''Les Misérables'' (2012), the psychological thriller '' Winter Ridge'' (2018), the action comedy ''The Fall Guy'' (2024), and the action film ''Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning'' (2025). Other notable television roles include playing Tonya Dyke in ''Benidorm'' (2014), Septa Unella in the fifth season of the HBO series ''Game of Thrones'' (2015 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pleasance Islington
Pleasance Islington (also known as Pleasance London or the Pleasance Theatre) is a fringe theatre in Islington, London, opened in 1995. It is run by the Pleasance Theatre Trust and is the sister venue of the original Pleasance Edinburgh. It has hosted popular comedians including Michael McIntyre, Micky Flanagan, Mark Watson, Adam Hills and Mark Thomas. Ginger Johnson (drag queen), Ginger Johnson, the winner of the fifth series of RuPaul's Drag Race UK, was an Associate Artist of Pleasance Islington. Linus Karp and Joseph Martin of Awkward Productions, the theatre company behind Gwyneth Goes Skiing, are Associate Artists of Pleasance Islington in the 2023-2025 season. References Theatres in the London Borough of Islington Buildings and structures in Islington {{london-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Charlie And Lola
Charlie and Lola Sonner are fictional children created by the English writer and illustrator Lauren Child in 2000. They were introduced in a series of picture books and later adapted as animated television characters. Lola is an energetic and imaginative little girl; Charlie is her kind and patient older brother who is always willing to help Lola learn and grow. Charlie and Lola's parents, as well as their friends' parents, are often mentioned, but never seen. History The series' first book is ''I Will Not Ever Never Eat a Tomato'', published by Orchard Books in 2000. The U.S. edition was published in the same year by Candlewick Press, with the title: ''I Will Never NOT EVER Eat a Tomato''. For that first book in the series, Child won the 2000 Kate Greenaway All-Medal Trophy from the Library Association, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a British subject. For the 50th anniversary of the Medal (1955–2005) it was named one of the top ten winning ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polka Theatre
Polka Theatre is a children’s theatre in Wimbledon, London Borough of Merton, for children aged 0– 13. The theatre contains two performance spaces - a 300-seat main auditorium and a 70-seat studio dedicated to early years performances. Polka Theatre is a producing theatre which also tours shows nationally and internationally. The building also features a creative learning studio, a garden, an outdoor playground, indoor play area, exhibition spaces and a cafe. Polka Theatre is a registered charity number 256979 and an Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation. It is also funded by the London Borough of Merton and a number of private charitable trusts and foundations, individuals and commercial companies. History Polka Theatre started life as a puppet touring company in 1967 under the Artistic Directorship of Richard Gill. The theatre venue (formerly the Holy Trinity Halls in Wimbledon) opened on 20 November 1979 and was the UK’s first theatre venue dedicated e ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sound Design
Sound design is the art and practice of creating auditory elements of media. It involves specifying, acquiring and creating audio using production techniques and equipment or software. It is employed in a variety of disciplines including filmmaking, television production, video game development, theatre, sound recording and reproduction, live performance, sound art, post-production, radio, new media and musical instrument development. Sound design commonly involves performing (see e.g. Foley) and editing of previously composed or recorded audio, such as sound effects and dialogue for the purposes of the medium, but it can also involve creating sounds from scratch through synthesizers. A sound designer is one who practices sound design. History The use of sound to evoke emotion, reflect mood and underscore actions in plays and dances began in prehistoric times when it was used in religious practices for healing or recreation. In ancient Japan, theatrical events called '' kagura' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Wind In The Willows
''The Wind in the Willows'' is a children's novel by the British novelist Kenneth Grahame, first published in 1908. It details the story of Mole, Ratty, and Badger as they try to help Mr. Toad, after he becomes obsessed with motorcars and gets into trouble. It also details short stories about them that are disconnected from the main narrative. The novel was based on bedtime stories Grahame told his son Alastair. It has been adapted numerous times for both stage and screen. ''The Wind in the Willows'' received negative reviews upon its initial release, but it has since become a classic of British literature. It was listed at No. 16 in the BBC's survey The Big Read and has been adapted multiple times in different media. Background In 1899, at age 40, Kenneth Grahame married Elspeth Thomson, the daughter of Robert William Thomson. The next year they had their only child, a boy named Alastair (nicknamed "Mouse"). He was born premature, blind in one eye, and plagued by health ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Julia Donaldson
Julia Catherine Donaldson (; born 16 September 1948) is an English writer and playwright, and the 2011–2013 Children's Laureate. She is best known for her popular rhyming stories for children, especially those illustrated by Axel Scheffler, which include ''The Gruffalo'', '' Room on the Broom'' and '' Stick Man''. She originally wrote songs for children's television but has concentrated on writing books since the words of one of her songs, "A Squash and a Squeeze", were made into a children's book in 1993. Of her 184 published works, 64 are widely available in bookshops. The remaining 120 are intended for school use and include her Songbirds phonic reading scheme, which is part of the Oxford University Press's Oxford Reading Tree. In January 2025, Donaldson became Britain's best-selling author, surpassing J.K. Rowling by some 600,000 sales. Life and career Childhood Donaldson was born on 16 September 1948, and was brought up in Hampstead, London, with her younger siste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red Riding Hood
"Little Red Riding Hood" () is a fairy tale by Charles Perrault about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. Its origins can be traced back to several pre-17th-century European folk tales. It was later retold in the 19th-century by the Brothers Grimm. The story has varied considerably in different versions over the centuries, translations, and as the subject of numerous modern adaptations. Other names for the story are "Little Red Cap" or simply "Red Riding Hood". It is number 333 in the Aarne–Thompson classification system for folktales. Plot The story centers around a girl named Little Red Riding Hood, named after her red hooded cape that she wears. The girl walks through the woods to deliver food to her sickly grandmother (wine and cake depending on the translation). A stalking wolf wants to eat the girl and the food in the basket. After he inquires as to where she is going, he suggests that she pick some flowers as a present for her grandmother. While she goes in searc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike Kenny (writer)
2017 Mike Kenny (born in the Welsh borders, with a Welsh mother) is one of England’s leading writers specialising in young people’s theatre. He was included in the Independent on Sunday’s list of Top Ten Living Playwrights and his plays are performed regularly throughout the UK and all over the world. In 2000, he was Arts Council England’s first recipient of The Children’s Award for Playwriting for Children and Young People. His Olivier Award-winning adaptation of ''The Railway Children'' for York Theatre Royal, has had several successful revivals at Waterloo and Kings Cross stations, as well as at the National Railway Museum. The first production, directed by Damian Cruden, starred Sarah Quintrell, Colin Tarrant, Marshall Lancaster, Elizabeth Keates, Marcus Brigstocke and featured a working Stirling Single (GNR 4-2-2 No.1) steam locomotive on a real rail track. In Canada, it won the People’s Choice Award following its record-breaking run in Toronto. Mike also won ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David McAlmont
David Irving McAlmont (born 2 May 1967) is an English vocalist, essayist and art historian. He came to prominence in the 1990s as a singer, particularly through his collaboration with Bernard Butler. In the 2010s he returned to academia, working with the University of Leicester and the Architectural Association School of Architecture. Early years and Thieves McAlmont was born on 2 May 1967 to a Guyanese mother and Nigerian father. His mother was a nurse and his father, a law student. He, his mother and sister moved to Gorleston on Sea, Norfolk, where his education continued at Peterhouse Primary School. In 1978 the family departed the United Kingdom for Guyana. The family resided with his grandparents in Lovely Lass Village Berbice, and with his aunt in Wismar, Demerara, moving onto the East Bank of the Demerara River at Grove and Craig. In 1978, McAlmont scored well on his Secondary School Entrance Examination and attended the Queen's College, Georgetown, Guyana. David's educa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
