Filmed theatre screenings and half-term fun at the Merlin

Kinky Boots the Musical, filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre London is strutting onto the screen at the Merlin with two screenings, on Tuesday 4th February at 7pm and Sunday 9th at 2pm. 

With songs from Grammy and Tony award-winning pop icon Cindy Lauper, book by legendary Broadway playwright Harvey Fierstein and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell, the musical is based on the film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth. 

Inspired by true events, it tells the story of two people with nothing in common – or so they think. Charlie (Killian Donnelly) is a factory owner struggling to save his family business, and Lola (Matt Henry) is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, the pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen! This joyous story celebrates both an unlikely friendship and an unexpected success. Tickets are £13, concessions £10.50.

The latest National Theatre Live screening, on Thursday 20th Feb at 7.00pm and also coming from London’s West End, is an inventive new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac  by Edmond Rostand, in a new version by Martin Crimp, directed by Jamie Lloyd and starring James McAvoy. 

Fierce with a pen and notorious in combat, Cyrano almost has it all – if only he could win the heart of his true love Roxane. There’s just one big problem: he has a nose as huge as his heart. Will a society engulfed by narcissism get the better of Cyrano – or can his mastery of language set Roxane’s world alight? This classic play will be brought to life with linguistic ingenuity to celebrate Cyrano’s powerful and resonant resistance against overwhelming odds. Recommended 15+, tickets £16, concessions £10.50

With half term only a few weeks away, young audiences can look forward to drama and puppetry from Tall Tree Theatre in Lily and the Albatross. Out in the wild and remote ocean is a small family on an old fishing boat who pass the time with exciting stories and merry music. The whims of the water control their daily routine but Lily finds herself gazing upwards, where birds swim weightlessly above her head before stealing the precious fish from the fishing nets. 

With the threat of the nightly storm and its whipping winds, the family must pull together, take a leap of faith and look beyond what they have always known to get themselves and their old boat moving again. 

Discover the legend of Great Captain Markham, join the family as they battle the elements and meet a gliding albatross, who flies in the face of the storm and gives Lily the nudge she needs to truly stretch her wings. Suitable for ages 5 up, Lily & the Albatross plays on Tuesday 18th February at 2pm. The running time is 50 minutes and the audience is invited to meet the puppets after the show. Tickets are £7.50 adults, £5.50 concessions.

There’s more family entertainment the following day (Wednesday 19th Feb) at 2pm, when there is a showing of the 2018 film Mary Poppins Returns, starring Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda and directed by Rob Marshall (cert PG). All tickets are £4.50.