MasterChef judge turned jazz pianist Jay Rayner leads an ensemble of topflight musicians through a vivid night of music at the New Vic in the spring, before the sensational Ballet Cymru return to the theatre with an adaptation of Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs from Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes.
Restaurant critic Jay Rayner will bring the very best of song-writing and jazz to the New Vic stage with his sextet on Wednesday 24 May. Audiences can expect blistering performances of iconic tunes from jazz greats like Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver and Dexter Gordon, through to song-writing legends including Tom Waits and Joan Armatrading. It all comes liberally seasoned with extraordinary, often outrageous, sometimes filthy stories from Jay’s life in the worlds of food and journalism. In 2022, celebrating ten years of gigging by becoming a sextet, Jay and his band – bassist Robert Rickenberg, saxophonist Dave Lewis, singer Pat Gordon-Smith, Guitarist Chris Cobbson and drummer Sophie Alloway – launched a new repertoire of arrangements of 80s chart hits which had jazz in their bones; songs by Sade, Matt Bianco, Everything But The Girl and more. This evening of music promises to delight fans of the jazz genre.
Then on Monday 5 June, the incomparable Ballet Cymru will bring the stories of one of the most popular storytellers in the world to life as they dance Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes set to music by composer Paul Paterson. Featuring glorious costumes and stunning video projections, this humorous production is a Ballet Cymru hit, and an exquisite classical ballet for adults and kids to experience alike. Following up their successful production of DREAM last year, this looks set to be another popular visit to Newcastle-under-Lyme for the company.
The shows join the already packed programme of one-night events at the New Vic for 2023 so far including performances from Tony Christie, Chris McCausland, Kate Mosse OBE, King For A Day: The Nat King Cole Story, and Cloudbusting: The Kate Bush Songbook.
Tickets for Jay Rayner’s Sextet and Ballet Cymru go on sale on Friday 2 June at 12pm. For more information and to book call the Box Office on 01782 717 962 or visit newvictheatre.org.uk.
