#new uk tour cast debut

[thexwives]

six blink 2 times if you are not okay

chaos is getting out of hand atp

[thoughtroomba02]

TS Film Thoughts Masterpost

As promised.

Let's start things off -

Breaking News - Headlines about the film

Dec 9 2022 - her film contract makes headlines

From what I can find, this is the first that anyone knows she is producing a film. There are no details released other than it's a script she wrote and she will be directing the film.

The next we hear is Dec 7, 2023 from the Tennessean --

It's been crickets, essentially. There are no public details I can find about the film anywhere including cast list, release date, content, ETC.

Interestingly, two days ago -- though uncertain of validity of source -

I don't have access to puck so cannot confirm what the article says; but this was recent! So; in theory, she finishes her Eras tour and moves directly in to film.

More on how Disney+ ties in our next section...

Who is Searchlight Pictures?

Created April 29, 1994 - formerly known as Fox Searchlight/under 20th/21st Century Fox

Biggest success: Slumdog Millionaire 187 Academy Ward Nominations with 46 wins; 5 Best Picture since 2009 117 Golden Globe Nominations; 51 wins 66 Screen Actors Guild Award Nominations; 55 wins 137 Independent Spirit Awards, 54 Wins

Other Notable Films: 12 Years A Slave; Black Swan; Napoleon Dynamite;

20th century fox, prior to the creation of Searchlight, was prominent in the specialty and independent films market in the 1990s; it carried this interest into Searchlight, at least initially.

In 2012, it was incorporated into Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. Barf.

On Dec 14, 2017 Disney put their first bid out on 21st Century Fox/Fox Searchlight. On March 19, 2019 the companies merged and Disney acquired Fox Searchlight; Fox News notoriously split independently. Disney dropped the name Fox; so now we have just Searchlight Pictures. There is also a Searchlight Pictures TV and shorts production, which for the sake of time I will not get into.

For Funsies, here is a short film (Jun 18 2019, after Disney acquired) produced by them called....LAVENDER. About a gay man who has a relationship with a married gay couple. Can't make it up.

Anyway, since merging with Disney especially, the company seems to be LGBTQ friendly.

And yes, Joe Alwyn has worked with Searchlight, with tweets I found dating back to 2018 with Searchlight UK. Make of that what you would like, I have no real objective commentary on the matter.

Taylor as a Director

She also directed the Long Pond Studio Sessions and Miss Americana.

Most of her directorial work has been since the Lover debut. Most of which is very queer coded/sapphic.. and again, make of that what you will.

Appearances/Pap Walks, ETC

Since her split from JA, we have seen her with multiple friends in the film industry. Among these: Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, Selena Gomez, Keleigh Teller, Miles Teller, Sophie Turner, Emma Stone...

And dare I say.... Travis Kelce, who seems to want to break his way into the entertainment industry?

(aside from this headline; his failed dating show, his podcast, his multiple PR deals like with ZenWater... etc. I rest my case).

We also know there has been some B roll footage taken at the Chiefs Games.

Additionally, the media coverage of this relationship has been an absolute f*cking circus; with constant headlines of the two and their "engagement" / relationship dynamics. On Taylor's end, we have had constant references to Bejeweled (where she Ghosts); including Keleigh Teller giving her the opal ring.

The Speculation

Yall, this is my opinion - you can agree, disagree, etc; but I have no insider information. Just thoughts.

She makes her film directorial debut with Searchlight - recently acquired by Disney, who is pro-LGBTQ; and is clearly in deep with business deals with them, as seen on Taylor Nation and her Eras Tour Film.

We have rumors of her beginning her film production at the end of the ERAS tour, along with knowledge of her currently with B roll footage from chiefs games. We have multiple highly papp'ed appearances with her + TK; but also with multiple film stars, including Blake Lively (still not over that photo), Sophie Turner (I do think there's altruism here tbh on TS's end), and Keleigh. If you believe Keleigh is her stand in invisible bride.... Holy shit. Between the opal ring shutdown of the media circus as well as her and TS literally taking a page out of TSHOEH and dressing in character...

My ultimate suspicion is that she's using actual experiences of her current life-highly papp'ed - to tell her story. And that Keleigh is her stand in muse in this film.

I also think the @spade-riddles we've been getting about a final act ending, etc, pertain to her film. I don't have evidence aside from speculation.

I rest my case. Enjoy this post and make of it what you will.

[colinodonoghue]

222aghoststory & colinodonoghue1: 🚨 MEET YOUR DUBLIN CAST 🚨 @shonabmx @birdspotting @colinodonoghue1 @thewhitmore will be taking #222AGhostStory to Dublin’s @3olympiatheatre this Summer, 21 June - 11 Aug. For a strictly limited run 🚨Do you dare to join us? Book your tickets now! Link in bio 👻📸 @seamusphoto

Colinodonoghue1: Woohoo!! So excited to be a part of this show!!

[Get your tickets here!!!]

Runaway Entertainment in association with 3Olympia Theatre presents

2:22 - A GHOST STORY

Shona McGarty, Jay McGuiness, Colin O’Donoghue, Laura Whitmore, Announced for The Very Special, Standalone Irish Production

The smash hit play by Danny Robins Makes Irish Debut At 3Olympia Theatre This Summer For a Strictly Limited Run

Directed by Matthew Dunster & Isabel Marr

“A slick, chilling, romp of a play” The Guardian

‘A modern classic’ Sunday Times

Producer Runaway Entertainment is delighted to announce the stellar cast for the critically acclaimed, smash hit, supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story opening at Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre this summer for its debut Irish performances.

Shona McGarty (Eastenders) will play Jenny, Jay McGuiness (The Wanted, BIG! The Musical, Rip It Up), who is currently on the UK tour in 2:22 - A Ghost Story, will play Ben, Colin O'Donoghue (Once Upon A Time, The Tudors, The Right Stuff, The Gray House) will play Sam with Laura Whitmore (Love Island, Finding Joy, Queenie, and Jenny in 2.22: A Ghost Story in her West End debut) stepping into the role of Lauren.

The very special, standalone Irish production, produced for Dublin’s 3Olympia Theatre, will open on Thursday 20th June 2024 with performances until Sunday 11th August 2024 - for a strictly limited run only.

Full list of performances below. Age Suitability: 12+ 

Tickets priced from €26.50 including booking fee and €1.50 restoration levy on sale now with Ticketmaster Ireland

2:22 - A Ghost Story began in summer 2021 at the Noël Coward Theatre, starring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser and Jake Wood, and where it won the WhatsOnStage award for Best Play. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre for 10 weeks from 4 December 2021. The production there starring Stephanie Beatriz, James Buckley, Elliot Cowan and Giovanna Fletcher completed its run on 12 February 2022. For the first season at the Criterion (May - September 2022) the cast was Tom Felton, Mandip GIll, Sam Swainsbury and Beatriz Romilly. In late September Laura Whitmore, Matt Willis, Felix Scott and Tamsin Carroll took over. 

The box office record-breaking run at the Lyric starring Cheryl, Jake Wood, Scott Karim, and Louise Ford, concluded its run on 23 April. The West End season at the Apollo Theatre starred Sophia Bush, Frankie Bridge, Ricky Champ, Clifford Samuel and Jaime Winstone, and set off on its UK tour in Autumn 2023 with Joe Absolom, Charlene Boyd, Nathaniel Curtis and Louisa Lytton in the cast. Current cast on the UK tour: Vera Chok (Lauren); Jay McGuiness (Ben); George Rainsford (Sam); Fiona Wade (Jenny).

2:22 is written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and is directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr; it’s an adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may or may not appear…

Danny Robins said: ‘I'm really looking forward to seeing how Dublin audiences respond to 2:22 this summer. The tour continues to be a great success and I can't think of a better place to round off the journey in 2024 than here with a brand new cast to be announced soon!'

What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth?

“THERE’S SOMETHING IN OUR HOUSE. I HEAR IT EVERY NIGHT, AT THE SAME TIME"

Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up... until 2:22... and then they’ll know.

2:22 - A Ghost Story features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound and illusions by Chris Fisher. Casting by Matilda James.

2:22 - A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon.  [source]      

[heartofsix]

Things I want to see in Six in 2024

This is a part-prediction, part-bingo, part-want, part-far-fetched-ideas-to-see-if-they-magically-become-true list of things I have in mind for Six in 2024. Please reblog and add your own let's be chaotic together. Enjoy:

UK Tour ends or gets a revamp

A more permanent crossover between Canada and the US productions (i.e. universal alts somehow cover in Canada officially)

Courtney Mack returns (bonus points if she debuts a 4th role)

Another cruise member debuts in a land production

A cancelled debut finally happens (i.e. Carly Mercedes Dyer, Shantel Cribbs, original Breakaway 2.0)

A change in the North American alternate system

Someone joins a production with little-to-no announcement

A new or majorly updated costume

Principal-to-alternate pipeline but on land

New US sit-down production (bonus points if it's Los Angeles) ((extra bonus points if it's majority professional debuts/recent grads cast)

Something with Natalie Pilkington or the Harriets

An original WE or BW cast member returns

New weird production (i.e. Amusement park production)

Another Bliss Seymour comes to land (after Caitlin, Gabriella, and now Wesley)

Bizzare emergency cover

Entirely new cast for UK Tour, Boleyn Tour, or Broadway

Canada extends and gets a cast change

All alternate show on Broadway

Someone from the last cruise casts goes straight into a land production

[carbonbeef]

'24-'25 Six UK Tour 2nd/3rd Cover Possibilities

Now that the Six UK Tour has released its cast for 2024-25, I, as someone who practically documents everything in spreadsheets, had to spend 3 hours listing out (and formatting in fancy tables) all the possibilities for the new Alternates' (Milly Willows, Erin Summerhayes, and Lorren Santo-Quinn) 2nd and 3rd covers.

I did this in two different ways, because genuinely in the magic that is the chaos of Six, know one knows what direction they'll go with coverage. I first listed the possibilities for if they follow the trend of the 2023-24 UK Tour cast (all three alternates cover all six roles, having two each of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd covers, a total of 10* possibilities...), and then I listed the possibilities for if they follow the trend of the current West End cast (the three alternates have two 1st covers and one 2nd cover, a total of 40* possibilities...). Both of which, I grouped into various categories with explanations as to why I grouped them and are more or less in order of likelihood (at least from my perspective).

*: please note, this is off a first glance, and while I'm confident I hit every possibility, I'm human and make mistakes haha. But nonetheless please let me know!

So without further ado:

Assuming Alternates Cover All Six Queens:

Group 1:

2nd/3rd covers take one from each of the other two alts (and Lorren is 2nd cover Boleyn)

Group 2:

Alt Coverage Groups Stay Consistent (Like the West End cast from 2021-22)

Group 3:

The rest of the options

Assuming Alternates Only Have One 2nd Cover:

Group 1:

Lorren's 2nd cover is Boleyn (which would make sense as she was principal Boleyn on NCL)

Group 2:

Given Milly covers two of the roles Izzy did not cover on NCL, this provides additional options where 2 out of 3 of the 2nd covers are roles Izzy did not cover on NCL (which, in my head, will likely be the three she will debut first)

Group 3:

The remaining logical ones (much like the current West End Alts), where one of each of the Alts 1st covers is another queen's 2nd cover

Group 4.1:

Both of Milly's 1st covers are 2nd covers (unlikely)

Group 4.1.1:

Same thought as 4.1, but at least all three 2nd covers are roles Izzy did not cover on NCL (less unlikely but more likely than the rest of Group 4)

Group 4.2:

Both of Erin's 1st covers are 2nd covers (unlikely)

Group 4.3:

Both of Lorren's 1st covers are 2nd covers (unlikely)

Like I said, this was made rather quickly, so if I missed a possible arrangement, please let me know and I'll update it! I feel like it's (obviously) too early to make any guesses, and I'm not familiar with a lot of these performers, but regardless of the outcome, the most confident guess I can give is Lorren will be 2nd cover Boleyn. Additionally, I genuinely feel that given this production is going to be international and not just in the UK, hopefully Six will learn their lesson (lol calling Natalie Pilkington in the Philippines now) and have the alternates continue the UK Tour alternate and West End (prior to the 2024-25 cast) alternate coverage system and have them cover all six roles, with an alternate costume for the 2nd and 3rd covers. But, at the end of the day, it's Six. Chaos will likely happen regardless haha.

I'm also curious if anyone else has any predictions on what the 2nd (and hopefully 3rd) cover system and distribution will be! We'll all probably be wrong (watch them do two 2nd covers and no 3rd covers somehow), but hey, speculation is one of the best parts of this show and fandom haha

[six-costume-refs]

Wig Changes: 2023-24 UK Tour

We’re only a few week into shows for the new UK Tour cast, but there’s already been several significant changes to the wig design. As always, here’s the breakdown.

Kenedy Small (Cleves) Samuel James, the wig maker, posted a photo of Kenedy’s wig around the time they would have finished it. It has some pretty significant departures from most Cleves wigs. The hair is braided back from the hairline to the crown and then left loose and curly. It’s very similar to Cassandra Lee’s Aragon look. By one of the late costume fittings, it had been loosely restyled with the same base style but with the loose hair pulled into the more typical faux-hawk style. By tech week, it was significantly restyled to the typical faux-hawk structure, with braids only on the sides. The curl pattern was also altered to create more defined curls. As shows started, the bulk of the curls were pulled forward and secured. This current look is fairly in line with most other Cleves wigs.

Lou Henry (Howard) Lou has very short hair, presumably too short to put up in a ponytail. To address this, they seem to have given her a front piece (pictured left). They've had this issue with a few Howards and usually solved it similarly; here's a post about how it works for Esme Rothero and Tsemaye Bob-Egbe. In a late fitting, her hair was pulled loosely back into the ponytail. By tech, it was pulled much more tightly back but with a bump in the front. By opening night, they had shifted it to a side part with a swooped bang style. In mid-May, they scrapped the hairpiece entirely and just slicked her hair back. The ponytail was also moved higher on her head, rather than sitting further back like it had before. I'm not sure what happened with her wig. It may be that her hair just grew out enough that they could style it that way, or they may have worked out a way to slick it back like they have for some prior actors' bangs.

Izi Maxwell (alt Boleyn) Izi's hair has mostly had length changes. The left photo is from tech and seems to be her own hair. The center photo is from her debut and she has a shorter back piece with a lighter tone. For her 2nd show, she’s worn a similar bob back piece. However, it has a slightly different color and cut than the one she initially wore in the left photo and seems to be either a different wig or an altered one.

[bestworstcase]

Hi, your blog recently convinced me to check out the wonderland musical for myself and I am still Going Feral over it. I just found out the uk tour is also on youtube, and I have Thoughts. The thoughts are bad. Why do people call this an improvement ???

AH YES. THE OK TOUR

rubs head

it’s been years and i’m still fucking mad about it. afaik the original plan was to revise the script based on the 2011 tryout that ran in tampa in january prior to the transfer to broadway, which was also a hot mess (being in a weird transitional state between prior iterations of the narrative, which among other things had alice as a bestselling debut author cracking under pressure to write a sequel, and the story as it was when it hit broadway) but was the same story, fundamentally, as the show has always been, and also had a lot of strong ideas and character beats and all that. like the 2011 tryout was a ROUGH draft, but a good one, so the chatter about going back to it for inspiration was all very exciting

and then literally a few months before the tour started they canned that script completely and brought in a new guy who, to put it GENTLY, clearly did not have the slightest respect for either the story he was revising or the source material that inspired it. and then the tour crashed and burned in disgrace because the producer scammed just about everybody else who touched the show in any professional capacity. it was BAD-bad.

i have no idea why anyone prefers the uk script other than bias towards the version they encountered first—granted the sample size is not great here given that there are, like, six of us but i’ve never met a fan of the broadway/earlier iterations that thought the uk tour was better. it’s… wonderland but with every narrative pillar that made wonderland wonderland gutted. the whole point of alice stetson is that nothing is wrong with her and the only thing that needs to change is she needs to forgive herself for being herself because herself is exactly who she wants to be!!! the whole point of the hatter is she’s the part of alice who hates alice and wants alice to not be alice anymore, and alice overcomes her by forgiving her and then letting her go!!! that’s the central conceit of the show!!! so of course uk!alice is a doormat who needs her twelve year old to parent her until she can be shoved through a magical plot device to hard reset her personality and the hatter is just some irrelevant weirdo who is the temporary villain by narrative fiat and could at best be described as alice’s narrative foil, kind of. Do Not Even Get Me Started On Jack He Makes Me So Angry

and they cut a nice little walk 

i mean full disclosure i did see the damn thing seven performances in a row and i had a blast because my god the script may have been a dumpster fire but the cast did their level best to make it a fun dumpster fire BUT STILL. why 😭

[aejiajia]

°•🍓 -> 📰 News!

Release date : October 5th, 2023

While we all anxiously await the news regarding the contract renewal of the BLACKPINK girls. The members themselves are out making moves.

The member Chaein recently posted on instagram pictures of glittery pink fabric with the fitting caption 'Pink'. Fans quickly noticed the striking resemblance the fabrics and styles had with the costume for Katherine Howard used in the British musical SIX.

The musical itself recently made it's debut in South-Korea in march, The UK tour cast giving the audience a beautiful performance until the Korean cast took over.

Many quickly added to the claims, saying that Chaein had gone to see a performance from the West End cast of the show when the BLACKPINK girls made their stop in London for their 'Born Pink' tour.

Others also added that in the most recent performance of 'Can We Talk Again', Chaein took to the stage with part of her hair dyed a vibrant pink, which is also used in the Katherine Howard costume, as it includes a high ponytail with most of the hair dyed hot pink.

Many say the action is bold, taking into consideration her rumored role and the recent scandals the five members were in during the 'Born Pink' tour and the recent Crazy Horse performance that Lisa took part in.

Others support the decision, saying that while it may be a rather bold move- they're excited to see Chaein's interpretation of the song 'All You Wanna Do'.

Many blinks are also questioning whether Chaein will perform with the Korean cast, or making her debut in Broadway or the West end. Saying that Chaein using English instead of Korean to caption the post, they assume she will be performing with an English cast.

What are your thoughts? Let us know!

[skippyv20]

Is the

@Telegraph

transition into OK magazine complete? Was this (lengthy) article part of a package deal? From the leaked letters saga to this?

My advice Don‘t bother reading. Nauseating sycophancy. Yards of it

Telegraph 

The meaning behind Meghan’s Montecito makeover

The Duchess of Sussex’s newly straightened and lightened hairstyle is a polished power move

ByAnnabel Jones,

 BEAUTY EDITOR AT LARGE24 April 2023 • 8:00pm

 anyone who knows the power of beauty to send a subliminal message, it’s Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. 

In her first public appearance since news broke that Prince Harry would be attending the King’s Coronation alone, Meghan debuted a newly straightened and lightened hairstyle set off with a flawless, glowing and minimally made-up complexion to introduce her friend and photographer Misan Harriman’s Ted Talk. 

Meghan said in her video message: “Our next speaker has an unmatched eye for a good photograph. I have experienced his talent first hand as he has captured many meaningful milestones for me and my family.”

Such milestones have so often been accompanied by a pivotal hair moment in her journey from actress to Duchess and now hopeful global power player, whether it’s breaking from royal tradition with her trademark “messy bun” on her wedding day, the sombre-yet-sleek scraped-back bun worn throughout her and Harry’s ill-fated South African Tour to the ultra-groomed hair and fresh skin she unveiled yesterday. 

Sombre yet sleek: the Duchess pulled back her locks during her and Harry’s ill-fated South African tour CREDIT: Getty

In the new video, Meghan appears to have coloured her hair a warm copper tone and it has been styled to be poker straight with soft, feathered layers which give shape and structure to her face. 

Meanwhile, her skin looks glowing, youthful and immaculate. It’s hard to be sure that Meghan has coloured her dark brown hair, as video lighting can cast a warm glow onto skin and hair, but Meghan’s apparent highlights give off a sunkissed effect that speak to the couple’s new life in sunny Santa Barbara.

To the untrained eye, the Duchess’s hair length (uber long) and texture (super straight) isn’t drastically different from her usual style, but she has a history of subtly changing her hair and makeup to make a statement at key moments. 

Since settling in Montecito, the Duchess has gradually shaken off her British regal style in favour of a minimal polished look that befits her new situation as a working mother of two and co-founder of non-profit foundation Archewell, which she runs with the Duke. 

Her new look alludes to the Gywneth Paltrow, polished chief executive school of thought rather than the beachy Californian look she adopted when she first moved back to the West Coast.  

Over the years, Meghan’s hair has evolved from the relaxed, laidback waves and barely there make-up she chose as an off-duty actress and during her courtship with Harry, to a more carefully thought-out part of her image which has switched-up as her role and circumstances have changed. 

Meghan’s trademark ‘messy bun’ while she was a working member of the Royal family CREDIT: Getty

Meghan’s new grown-up locks and understated Brandon Maxwell sheath dress depict a more discerning, power-dressing Duchess than the one who hid behind the two wispy tendrils that deliberately fell from her bun as a working member of the Royal family. It was a strategic style move that made her a relatable figure in a family steeped in tradition. 

“When we were preparing looks for life in the Royal family, as you’d expect, everything is structured, you can’t push the boundaries,” George Northwood, who spent two years tending to Meghan’s hair during her time in the UK, and who styled her hair for the evening of her wedding, told The Telegraph in

“And so, during our time together, we decided to create a more undone look to balance out the formal dress code, often including soft tendrils that ultimately became her signature messy bun.”

In July 2020, shortly after the royal couple stepped back from senior duties, the Duchess appeared on video for the Girl Up Leadership Summit with a similar hairstyle which Northwood said at the time represented “strength and a sense that she’s got everything sorted” adding that her straighter, longer hairstyle marked “a new chapter in her life without such strict protocols”. 

As for her glowing skin, Meghan has visited celebrity facialist Sarah Chapman over the years. For the Platinum Jubilee last year, Chapman told People magazine that she used products including vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, a hydrating booster and pep 8 (peptide) serum on the Duchess. 

Advertisement

“With Meghan, I wanted her beauty to shine at the events, so lots of hydration, oils and massage achieve that, and I also use an LED light treatment,” she told the US publication. 

Whatever the reason behind Meghan’s decision to reveal her glossy new makeover, the message is clear – this is a woman firmly in control of her own narrative. 

A timeline of Meghan’s hairvolution

Young Hollywood ingénue 

September 5, 2006

Big, voluminous curls were her style du jour when she was a briefcase model on Deal or No Deal CREDIT: Getty

Relaxed girlfriend

September 25, 2017

Meghan cut a casual figure in the early days of her relationship with Prince Harry CREDIT: Getty

Engagement blow dry

November 27, 2017

Meghan looked primed for the occasion when her engagement to Prince Harry was announced CREDIT: Getty

Wedding messy bun

May 19, 2018

Harry helps his new bride into the car as they leave Windsor Castle to head to their wedding reception CREDIT: Getty

Regal waves

June 9, 2018

Meghan during Trooping The Colour in summer 2018 CREDIT: Getty

On tour tendrils

October 24, 2018

Meghan opted for a relaxed approach during a tea reception in Suva, Fiji CREDIT: Getty

Sleek working Royal

September 25, 2019

Meghan during a visit to meet female entrepreneurs in Cape Town CREDIT: Getty

Sparkling departure

March 7, 2020

With Harry at the Mountbatten Music Festival at the Royal Albert Hall in 2020 CREDIT: Getty

The revenge updo

March 7, 2021

With Prince Harry during the now-infamous interview with Oprah Winfrey CREDIT: Reuters

Power chignon

December 6, 2022

In New York for the Ripple Awards in December 2022 CREDIT: Getty

All I can say is…trash be trash be trash be trash…🐼 thank you!

[fictionfromafar]

Back From The Dead by Heidi Amsinck

Back From The Dead

Heidi Amsinck

Muswell Press

Publication Date: 18 April 2024

It was shortly after the Covid Lockdown when I first picked up My Name is Jensen, the first of Heidi Amsinck's novels that would become the first in the Jensen Thriller series. While many of the Nordic Noir novels that I read are written by authors living in their respective countries which are then translated into English, this novel stood out as Amsinck is a Dane living in London and writing her novel in English. The story was a standout in other ways too, portraying the difficulties encountered by journalist Jensen (she has forbidden use of her first name) as she investigates the death of several homeless men on the return to her home city of Copenhagen. Creating not simply a complex main protagonist, but also a supporting cast including Jensen's on - off married lover Detective Inspector Henrik Jungersen, the novel was primed to become a series. Pleasingly Heidi Amsinck's debut became a success not just in the UK, but also in Denmark and since in several other European countries.

Somehow I appeared to miss the follow up story, 2022's The Girl in the Photo yet I do feel that this offers me a chance to opine on the strength of Back From The Dead as a standalone novel as well as part of a series. Although the story does recall events and reintroduce characters from the earlier books gradually from outset, I do believe that many readers would soon adapt to Jensen without further background information. As we encounter Jensen in Back From The Dead she appears to be reasonably settled by her own standards, in a new relationship and while there are cost cutting measures occurring at her newspaper, Jensen appears to be in favour. By contrast Jungersen's marriage is on shaky ground and while a planned trip to Italy offers the chance to spend some well earned time with his family, the discovery of a headless corpse in Copenhagen's harbour could potentially put that at risk - but equally might the detective's own reoccurring thoughts of Jensen.

In contrast to the snowy conditions of her debut, Copenhagen is experiencing a June heatwave when Jensen hears some concerning news about a friend of her's who has apparently disappeared. When her initial investigations reach a dead end she reluctantly contacts Henrik Jungersen for help. It soon appears more than likely that his body could well be that of her friend. Yet far more is at play than either of them realise and the repercussions of their involvement will deeply impact each of the main characters' professional and personal lives.

With short chapters often alternating between the two key characters, the book compels you to continue reading and there are some twists along the way, some of which I found more surprising than others. Back From The Dead will certainly find appeal with many crime fiction readers and also features some traits of Scandinavian crime fiction which many will feel comfortable with - successful capitalists are rarely good people, to name a familiar one. I found this a strong addition to the Jensen Thriller series, although the one aspect I might have liked more of would have been a greater flavour of the city of Copenhagen; which I did feel was more strongly felt in the debut. I do have to concede though that this is may well not be so much a factor for other crime readers. The ending leaves little doubt that the series will continue and I look forward to future developments in Jensen's story.

Many thanks to Muswell Press for an advance copy of Back From The Dead and to Anne Cater of Random Things Tours for inclusion on the blog tour. Look out for other reviews of this novel on the blog tour poster as shown below:

A Missing person … a headless corpse … Jensen is on the case. June, and as Copenhagen swelters under record temperatures, a headless corpse surfaces in the murky harbour, landing a new case on the desk of DI Henrik Jungersen, just as his holiday is about to start. Elsewhere in the city, Syrian refugee Aziz Almasi, driver to Esben Nørregaard MP has vanished. Fearing a link to shady contacts from his past, Nørregaard appeals to crime reporter Jensen to investigate. Could the body in the harbour be Aziz? Jensen turns to former lover Henrik for help. As events spiral dangerously out of control, they are thrown together once more in the pursuit of evil, in a case more twisted and, more dangerous than they could ever have imagined.

Heidi Amsinck won the Danish Criminal Academy's Debut Award for My Name is Jensen (2021), the first book in a new series featuring Copenhagen reporter sleuth Jensen and her motley crew of helpers. She published her second Jensen novel, The Girl in Photo, in July 2022, with the third due out in February 2024. A journalist by background, Heidi spent many years covering Britain for the Danish press, including a spell as London Correspondent for the broadsheet daily Jyllands-Posten. She has written numerous short stories for BBC Radio 4, such as the three-story sets Danish Noir, Copenhagen Confidential and Copenhagen Curios, all produced by Sweet Talk and featuring in her collection Last Train to Helsingør (2018). Heidi's work has been translated from the original English into Danish, German and Czech.

[sixcostumerefs]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CnPOH-xu4X2/?igshid=YWJhMjlhZTc= New Six casting call! Think this’ll be the 2023-24 Aragon and Boleyn tours or have those already been set in stone y’think, abd this is for 2024-25?

It’s just not that clear or definitive! Before I get started let me quickly mention that Six also had auditions for Bway/tours in Chicago in 2020 and in LA in 2021, and has also since announced open calls for Nashville and Orlando (I’d expect with more to come).

Two general categories of auditions:

1. General calls “for future replacements” if needed. The intent of these usually isn’t to cast for a specific production or role. It’s not even uncommon for shows to not even have open roles when doing a future replacements audition! The intent is instead to hold auditions so that they can see what actors are out there that might be a good fit for when they DO need replacements. Sometimes these are an Equity submission call, sometimes they’re non-Eq open calls; sometimes they’re held in NYC, sometimes they’re not. But “for future replacements” is just about seeing people for the future as they might need rhem, rather than casting a specific production or a specific cast change.

2. Auditions/callbacks for a specific cast, held when they need to cast/re-cast specific roles. These are often labeled on notices as “for immediate replacement” (which doesn’t actually mean that actors start rehearsals or debut immediately, just that they’re putting out a call with the intent of casting for the actual immediate future). Usually these are calls for agent/unrepresented actor submissions. Sometimes they can also be open calls, and Six did have these open calls for WE/UKT way back when, but we won’t see this style of open calls for the US/UK again.

So…Six is doing the first scenario: future replacements, not for immediate (ergo not inherently for a specific cast). More specifically, they’re doing an open call outside of NYC. That’s basically functioning as them going “okay, we’ve held enough auditions in NYC now that we know what actors here we might be interested in for the future, and now we want to see what types of actors/singers we might be missing from outside of NYC.” Sometimes that’s about finding new actors from up and coming theatre scenes, sometimes that’s about exploring musical theatre scenes outside of NYC, sometimes going to cities with performers who might have more of a background in pop/music than musical theatre, etc. Some shows hold non-NYC open calls intentionally in cities with a racially diverse population; often that’s to try and see more actors of a specific racial background, who may not have been able to move to NYC due to structural racism (etc) in the theatre industry, or who choose to stay in a city where the local theatre industry is known for being a little bit more accepting/diverse/does more shows that they’re passionate about often because of a cultural element. For example, The Wiz is holding open auditions in Atlanta, which is one of the US cities with the largest Black populations and a thriving theatre/film/arts scene that often heavily features Black actors/creatives, so them holding an audition there helps them check out that casting pool as well as NY! All around, these sorts of open calls are just all about expanding horizons and seeing who might be out there that they just don’t see in NYC!

For some examples: Nashville + LA are two huge music cities with a ton of artists who might also have a theatre background and be a great fit for Six. Both have some of the most elite college/university music programs which gives Six a chance to potentially see some up and comers (vocal performance or musical theatre) who might be a good fit for Six either now or in the future (Aryn Bohannon, Gabriela Carrillo, Madeline Fansler, Wesley Carpenter are a few of the queens who went to those colleges!). LA + Chicago are both incredibly diverse (both with immigrant populations and as popular destinations for Black Americans during the Great Migration) and Orlando is pretty diverse as well. Chicago is also known for having one of the most diverse and progressive theatre scenes (there’s a reason Six debuted there first!). Nashville is less diverse itself (although still solidly so), but is in a pretty central spot of the Southeastern US and within a few hours’ drive of several cities that serve as huge cultural and artistic hotspots for Black American. LA + Chicago both have larger musical theatre scenes, but they generally (not always) have less crossover with the NYC scene because of travel constraints so there are some great musical theatre actors in those cities who might be missed in normal auditions (Cassie Silva + Gabriela Carrillo are both LA-based, Keirsten Hodgens and most of the og NA Tour cast were Chicago-based).

All that to say….those open calls are just a few days, long enough for initial singing audition, a dance callback, and sometimes another singing round for the auditionees to sing from the show. That gives the casting team enough of a feel for the actor, their vibe, and whether or not they might be a good fit for the show in the future. But they can’t do chemistry reads and it’s not at all long enough to decidedly cast them in the show. So…if they DO think an actor is a good fit for the show overall, then that actor might be called into NYC in the future to join the audition process for a specific production and replacement timeline. If so, they’d be auditioning alongside anyone Six brought in from agent submissions plus any other actors called in from the assorted open calls. But that could happen any time - two days after the initial open call, three weeks after, six months after, two years after, all of the above? All completely in the realm of possibility. It just depends on if the production/roles they’re casting at any given moment could be a good fit for the individual actor. If you do get called into those production-specific callbacks, the rest of the process will the same as it is for the other actors there.

Re 2023-2024 or 2024-2025. No, 2023-2024 casts aren’t remotely cast yet. Last I heard Aragon Tour had started the super early stages of auditions but won’t be cast for a long time (the process almost always drags on for months). Boleyn Tour and Broadway each won’t start casting in earnest for probably 5-6+ months yet. Individual actors from these open calls could get called in for any of the above or even for 2024-2025 (I’d guess some of both, and some individuals will get called in for both). It’s really a huge toss up!

Sorry for the very long (and late) answer, but hopefully it answers your questions! I know that’s a ton and the whole thing is confusing, so if there’s anything that needs clarification let me know and I’m happy to clear it up!

[dxntloseurhead]

where you may know the new west end cast members from!

rhianne-louise mccaulsky (she/her)

she was most recently alline bullock/understudy tina in tina on the west end

she played rizzo in grease’s 2019 uk & ireland tour

she was an ensemble member and a cover for zahara in bat out of hell in london in 2018 and 2019 (the same production as danielle steers, vicki manser, collette guitart and courtney stapleton)

she was a swing and second cover nabulungi in the book of mormon on the west end in 2017

baylie carson (they/them)

they were most recently an ensemble member and understudied jo and bella in the australian tour of jagged little pill

they played bridget in the 2019 australian tour of bring it on (with phoenix jackson mendoza being in the same production as an ensemble member and cover danielle/nautica)

they’ve been in a number of other australian productions, with credits such as sheena in the boy from oz (alongside phoenix jackson mendoza as gabrielle/linelle and loren hunter as liza minelli), lila/cover girl in lazarus, and ermengarde in hello, dolly!

they competed on the voice australia in 2021, performing “bang bang” and “into the unknown” before being eliminated in the cuts

koko basigara (she/her)

she most recently played lorraine in jersey boys in london

she was an ensemble member and first cover jasmine in the west end production of aladdin from 2018 to 2019

she played allison in guys and dolls in manchester in 2017

from 2015 to 2017, she was an ensemble member and a swing in the west end production of beautiful: the carole king musical

monique ashe-palmer (she/her)

she was most recently an ensemble member and an understudy for nurse norma in the uk tour of waitress, a role which she also played in the west end production in 2020

she played kowalski in the 2018-19 uk tour of madagascar the musical, in which she was also an ensemble member, an onstage swing, and the dance captain

she played fairy everywhere in the pantomime sleeping beauty at the camberley theatre in 2018

leah vassell (she/her)

she made her professional debut in the summer of 2022, playing consuela in west side story at the 70th anniversary ljubljana festival in slovenia

besides that, she has only appeared in productions at arts educational schools, where she trained for her degree in musical theatre

[lightleckrereins]

Did you see the recent news? UK tour queens are going to be in Korea!! Do we think a UK cast change is around the corner?

I did. And I wasn't expecting that. Love it for them, but part of me would have prefered a SK cast to debut the show in their country (or at least not have the whitest cast six has outside of cruises at the moment).

As for cast change. Previous UKT cast change was in march and we know they do roughly year long contracts. I think the current cast either had longer contracts from the start or got an extension through SK and maybe a little longer. The tour has dates through october which means a new contract has to start and I don't expect everyone to stay. So cast change will probably happen in April. If there is a full cast change they could in theory do rehearsals while the tour is in SK and do cast change right after they come back. But recent six cast changes have had a few queens staying so I assume that will still be the case. If rehearsals start in early april cast change can be anytime from late april to early may.

[heartofsix]

Six the Musical Production Guide

Hey! I’m bored and there’s a lot going on with Six productions, so here’s a little guide with the different productions and what’s going on at the moment. Also be sure to check the Wiki as it has a ton of more info.

Current Productions:

West End: Running as normal! The current cast has been there since October 2022 and a cast change should occur in September/October/November!

Broadway: Running as normal! The current cast has been there since December 2022 and a cast change should occur in December!

UK Tour: Running as normal! The current cast will leave on April 23rd and the new cast will start April 25th (this coming week). Harriet Caplan-Dean (swing) will be staying with the new cast for a few weeks as they settle in. The new cast will also be performing in The Netherlands in September, like the current cast performed in South Korea. However there will not be a Netherlands production, it’s just a tour stop by the UK Tour cast!

North American “Aragon” Tour: Closing on July 30th in Portland! It’s very likely that the set and stuff will be used for the Canadian Production (see below), but will probably reopen in 2024. Jasmine Forsberg (Seymour) will be leaving on April 29th & Didi Romero (Howard) will be leaving on May 7th. Natalie Paris (Seymour) [OG WE Seymour] & Courtney Mack (Howard) [OG BW Alternate] will be their replacements!

North American “Boleyn” Tour: Running as normal! The current cast will leave on October 22nd & the new cast will start October 31st!

South Korea: Closing on June 25th! Heo Sol-ji (Howard) wasn’t able to debut with the other cast members in March due to an injury, but she might debut around April 29th (no confirmed date yet to my knowledge)!

NCL Bliss: Closing in May! No official date yet but we should be getting a new cast announcement soon where they’ll confirm the dates.

NCL Breakaway: New cast started in March and will be there until August 13th!

Upcoming Productions:

Canada: Opening on August 12th in Edmonton and moving to Toronto from September - November with a possible extension! As of *right now* it is just a sit-down production that’s playing in 2 cities, not an official tour. The Six accounts haven’t really addressed it (I think the @sixustour account on Instagram reposted a story about it) but it will be an all-Canadian cast, so not the Aragon or Boleyn tours. It’s possible that it could turn into a Canadian tour, maybe even referred to as the Seymour Tour, but as of right now it is just a sit-down production in Canada.

I know I come and go from Tumblr a lot, but I love doing these kinds of informational posts so let me know if you want more/have questions!

[unwrittenemmy]

So what is the new UK tour cover system?? It looks like they’re following after the current West End cast and varying up the second covers instead of keeping it as A/C, B/H, S/P. Of course, there’s always the possibility that Ellie pulled a Grace and debuted a third cover before her seconds.

[six-costume-refs]

Do you think it's possible that Danielle has a new set of second covers going into her second contract? The production team allowing her to not only hit swingo with Parr but also play several shows now as both Parr and Seymour seems odd.

It’s definitely possible! But there are also a few other factors that may have gone into play: - They may have wanted Danielle Rose to reach swingo so that she could effectively act as a swing if needed in the weeks after cast change. Natalie Pilkington did the same thing on the UK Tour after this most recent cast change. It can take a bit for the new alts to get settled in and with this cast change it seems like they were planning on waiting until weeks 2 and later for the alts to debut even 1st covers, so they might need coverage before Leah Vassell and Monique Ashe-Palmer are ready to debut. And even if Monique is 2nd Parr she obviously wouldn’t be ready to debut in the role for a while in a situation where that’s needed, so Danielle (even if she is 3rd cover) would still be ahead of her in priority.  - In a similar vein, Leah’s Parr costume seemed to not be quite done yet at cast change. That’s not bad; it lines up with the later debuts for the alts this time around. But with those later debuts, Leah learning Seymour first, and Leah not having a costume right off the bat for Parr, may be another reason why they had Danielle specifically debut Parr. - And Danielle’s recent Seymour/Parr shows also mostly seem to have been out of necessity. Roxanne Couch was in rehearsals and out of the show quite a bit, and in the last few weeks of shows Paisley Billings, Rachel Rawlinson, and Esme Rothero were often also out due to rehearsals, vacations, illness, etc.  Here’s a chart with the Seymour + Parr shows she played prior to cast change, and who we know was out when:

In theory Paisley Billings could have debuted as Seymour and Danielle could have performed as Cleves so they both did 2nd instead of 1st and 3rd, but presumably Danielle S + Paisley C was just the scenario that worked better overall! Could come down to who had the most recent rehearsal in each role, who was most comfortable, etc. And with the shows where Danielle is S and Rachel/Esme are Parr, she could have debuted as Parr but obviously keeping her in a role she’s already debuted is a safer choice.  

She also did this show after cast change:

Monique and Leah presumably weren’t ready to debut Aragon/Parr. Per the cover order it should have been Danielle Aragon and Esme Parr, but Danielle had just performed as Parr about two weeks before and hadn’t gone on as Aragon in a month.

In general the cover hierarchy is the rule of thumb but not always hard and fast. There are always other factors that are going to come into play, and there are a lot of times when it might seem like a certain actor should cover one role but is on for another instead.  TL;DR: I think it’s definitely possible that Danielle switched to Seymour/Parr, but I also think there are feasible explanations for all of her recent covers even if she’s still Aragon/Cleves.