Who wants to live forever tour dates announced

Wh owants to live forever tour dates announced

 Writer, director, performer, poet and jazz singer Cheryl Martin is taking her Billie Holiday inspired show Who Wants to Live Forever? on tour this year, following the show’s success in Manchester last Autumn.

The hour-long, one-woman show told from the heart will be performed at theatres across the UK in March, April and May, visiting towns and cities throughout the North and South.

A jazz fantasy about loss, love and hope, set among the stars, Who Wants To Live Forever? combines science fact, real-world psychological observation and autobiography with lots of live jazz vocals to ask why some stars shine more brightly than others, human and celestial, and why people love to watch them falling.


It’s all channelled through the music of legendary African-American jazz singer Billie Holiday, the first star Cheryl wished on as a child.

The tour will begin on Thu 15 March in Oldham, before stopping off in Sheffield, London, Brighton, Leeds, Liverpool and finally, York.

Cheryl Martin explains: “My father had a really good jazz collection, lots of be-bop, Thelonious Monk, Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. Billie was my main influence, and I talk about singing along when I used to share a bunk bed with my little sister.

“In the show, I wonder why people are so fascinated by falling stars, both human and the real thing. I talk about how stars are formed and why I love to go camping and look at the stars.

“I also talk about my family, about my little brother and how he died. They told me a white guy was shooting into cars with Black people in them.”

Martin’s brother was hit, finally passing away 20 years later at the age of 39.

She adds: “Like my other show Alaska, Who Wants to Live Forever? ended up being about my own life because I didn’t know how to digest what happened any other way. Most people in society don’t talk about these things either, and people don’t know how to talk to you.

“The show is also very funny though. The truth of life is that nobody cries all the time.”

Who Wants to Live Forever? is directed by Darren Pritchard, with lighting and set design by Andrew Crofts and dramaturgy by Sonia Hughes.

A work in progress version was previously part of the 2017 PUSH Festival, the annual celebration of some of the North West’s most creative and exciting talent. The Dukes in Lancaster also provided a week’s residency for the show this September.

FULL TOUR LISTING

 

OLDHAM

Oldham Library

Thu 15 March 2018 @ 7pm

www.oldham.gov.uk/info/200395/find_a_library/722/oldham_library_and_lifelong_learning_centre

0161 770 8000

SHEFFIELD

The University of Sheffield

Tue 17 April 2018 @ 8pm

www.enableus.group.shef.ac.uk/

0114 222 0200

 

LONDON
The Albany, London

Wed 18 and Thu 19 April 2018 @ 7.45pm

www.thealbany.org.uk/

020 8692 4446

BRIGHTON

The Marlborough

Fri 20 April 2018 @7.30pm

www.marlboroughtheatre.org.uk/

01273 273 870

LEEDS
Slung Low

Sun 13 May 2018 @ 5pm

www.slunglow.org/

LIVERPOOL
Unity Theatre

Thu 24 May 2018 @ 8pm

www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/

0844 873 2888

YORK
York Theatre Royal

Fri 25 May 2018 @ 7.45pm

www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

01904 623568

TICKETS

For prices, check Box Office for details.