Press Release: Casting announced for West End return of Into the Hoods: Remixed, 23 October - 14 November 2015

[Jan McNulty]

ZooNation Dance Company

Into the Hoods: Remixed

Friday 23 October - Saturday 14 November 2015

Performances: Tue - Sat at 7.30pm, Sat at 2.30pm & Sun at 2pm & 6pm

Tickets: £15 - £38 (Under 16s half price)

Ticket Office: 020 7863 8222 or www.peacocktheatre.com

 

Into the Hoods: Remixed, the newly revamped version of the award-winning production that stormed the West End in 2008 returns to The Peacock from 23 October – 14 November 2015, under the direction of Sadler’s Wells’ Associate Artist, Kate Prince before embarking on a national tour in 2016.

 

ZooNation Dance Company uses its trademark narrative hip hop dance theatre style to tell the story of two school children, lost in the ‘Ruff Endz Estate’. The audience follow the children, who have been tasked by the Landlord to find an iPod touch as white as milk, trainers as pure as gold, a hoodie as red as blood and some weave as yellow as corn. Along the way, they meet DJ Spinderella, wannabe singer Lil Red, vivacious rapper Rap On Zel, budding music producer Jaxx and embark upon a storybook adventure into the heart of a pulsating community.

 

The original Into The Hoods received universal praise at two Edinburgh Fringe runs (2006/07) and during its West End run in 2008, winning a What’s On Stage Award for Best Ensemble Performance and an Olivier nomination for Best Theatre Choreography. Its success has had a huge impact on the profile of hip hop dance in the UK; the production became the first ever hip hop dance show to open in the West End and subsequently became one of the longest running dance shows in the West End’s history. The much-loved show returns to the stage with all the wit and charm of the original, but updated with new designs, new costumes, and a remixed soundtrack, ready for a 2015 audience.

Into The Hoods: Remixed features music from James Brown, Queen Latifah, Jay Z, Jennifer Hudson, Kool + The Gang, Salt n Pepa, Chemical Brothers, Kano, MC Hammer and new original work from Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde (Some Like it Hip Hop, The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party). The newly revamped show is once again directed and written by Kate Prince and features an updated creative team with musical direction by Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde, set design by Ben Stones, video design by Andrzej Goulding, costume design by Ben Stones and Russell Royer and lighting design by Andy Murrell. The production also features Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as associate director, Rowen Hawkins as associate choreographer. The full choreographic team includes Rowen Hawkins, Kendra Horsburgh, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Rhimes LeCointe, Shaun Niles, Kate Prince, Kenrick Sandy, and Mikey Ureta.

 

The 2015 cast features Some Like it Hip Hop stars Natasha Gooden as Lil Red and Duwane Taylor as Wolf. The cast also features Corey Culverwell and Mikey Ureta, former members of ZooNation Youth Company and Groove on Down the Road, who were finalists on Britain's Got Talent with their crew BoyBand. They will be playing the roles of Jaxx and the Giant. Newcomers to ZooNation include Jade Hackett as RapOnZel, Daryl Baker as Prince and Dutch dancer Lucinda Wessels as Spinderella. 

 

Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Kate Prince founded ZooNation Dance Company in 2002. In 2008 Kate choreographed the West End cast of Into the Hoods for a special performance for Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Concert in Hyde Park. In 2011 she wrote, directed and co-choreographed ZooNation’s production Some Like it Hip Hop which enjoyed a critically successful sell-out run and returned to London again the following year, before embarking on a UK tour and playing a third season at The Peacock in the Spring of 2013. In 2012 she collaborated with Felix Harrison, Josh Cohen and Danilo ‘DJ’ Walde to create the short film and the original music for The Holloway Launderette for the BAFTA and Channel 4 ‘Big Dance Shorts’. Kate’s most recent work includes, writing, directing and co-choreographing ZooNation’s productions Groove On Down The Road for the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Southbank Centre, and The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, which was the first hip hop dance piece to be commissioned by the Royal Opera House.

 

Kate was lead choreographer for the Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies in 2008 with dancers from ZooNation, CandoCo and the Royal Opera House. She has choreographed for two seasons of So You Think You Can Dance (BBC) and for the movie StreetDance 3D. She also choreographed a special performance at the Laurence Olivier Awards 2011 to music from West Side Story played by the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and the opening ceremony of the Tour de France 2007. Kate choreographed for the musical Shoes directed by Stephen Mear, Ballyturk at the National Theatre written and directed by Enda Walsh, and It’s A Mad World My Masters at the RSC directed by Sean Foley.  Last year she choreographed the West End musical I Can’t Sing! The X Factor Musical, working alongside writer Harry Hill and director Sean Foley.

 

Into the Hoods: Remixed is co-produced with Sadler's Wells and co-commissioned by Curve, Leicester and supported by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. 

Kate Prince is a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist and ZooNation Dance Company is a Sadler’s Wells Resident Company

 

 

Notes to Editors:

 

Listings information
ZooNation Dance Company
Into the Hoods: Remixed
Friday 23 October - Saturday 14 November 2015
Performances: Tue – Sat at 7.30pm, Sat at 2.30pm & Sun at 2pm & 6pm
Tickets: £15 - £38 (Under 16s half price)
Ticket Office: 020 7863 8222 or www.peacocktheatre.com

 

In 2016 Into the Hoods: Remixed will visit the following venues as part of a National Tour, Please refer to the venue websites for details of on sale dates and how to book.  

 

Wolverhampton, Wolverhampton Grand 25 – 27 February
Blackpool, The Grand Theatre                                                1 – 2 March
Dartford, The Orchard Theatre                                               8 – 9 March
Leicester, Curve                                                                      14 – 15 March
Truro, Hall for Cornwall                                                          18 – 19  March 
Sheffield, The Lyceum                                                            22 – 23 March
Brighton, Brighton Dome                                                        25 – 26 March
Southampton, Mayflower Theatre                                          28 – 29 March
Canterbury, Marlowe Theatre                                                1 – 2 April
Manchester, Manchester HOME                                            5 – 9 April

 

Into the Hoods: Remixed is made possible by strategic touring funds from Arts Council England. The ZooResidence Project which will use Into the Hoods: Remixed, to bring innovative dance to diverse audiences across the country.  Using live shows and digital outreach, the wider project will engage grass roots groups and local networks to involve local people as participants and spectators in wrap around audience engagement projects in 5 key locations. 

 

ABOUT ZOONATION

ZooNation is a groundbreaking hip hop dance theatre company, bringing together a professional dance company with training and performance opportunities for young people. ZooNation Dance Company was founded in London in 2002 by director and choreographer, Kate Prince. In May 2010 ZooNation became a Resident Company at Sadler’s Wells and Kate Prince became an Associate Artist.

 

The company’s main focus is creating pieces of full-length narrative hip hop dance theatre. These include the five-star, award-winning show Into the Hoods – which went on to become the first ever hip hop dance shows and one of the longest running dance shows in West End history. ZooNation’s next production, Some Like It Hip Hop, also received five-star reviews and several award nominations, touring the UK and playing in London for two West End runs. Groove On Down The Road, featuring ZooNation Youth Company (ZYC) aged 10-21 was commissioned by the Southbank Centre and played for two seasons at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Most recently, ZooNation created The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, for the Christmas season in the Linbury Studio. The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party was the first hip hop piece to be commissioned by the Royal Opera House, and was streamed live online, and made available on BBC iPlayer. 

 

ZooNation Dance Company has also performed at many major high-profile events including the 2008 Beijing Olympic and Paralympic Handover Ceremonies, Nelson Mandela’s 90th Birthday Celebrations in Hyde Park, the 2011 Laurence Olivier Awards and The Opening Ceremony of the Tour de France 2007. In addition to performances, ZooNation trains over 170 young people at their Saturday Academy in London. ZooNation Academy of Dance (ZAD) offers 4 to 21 year olds weekly classes covering a range of hip hop styles from locking and popping to breaking and nu skool, all taught by the company’s highly acclaimed dancers, and has recently announced a new partnership with Lyric Hammersmith to create ZAD West.

 

ABOUT CURVE
Curve is a spectacular state-of-the-art theatre based in the heart of the Leicester’s vibrant Cultural Quarter.

Opened in 2008 by Her Majesty The Queen, the award-winning building, designed by acclaimed architect Rafael Viñoly, offers a completely unique visitor experience.

 

Unlike any other theatre in the UK, Curve has no traditional backstage area. Audiences can enjoy the full theatre making process, peek behind the scenes and maybe even spot an actor or two dashing from the stage to their dressing room or enjoying a coffee in our Café. The curved façade is made from 1,192 tonnes of steel and 46000m² of glass.

 

Managed by Leicester Theatre Trust, Curve is a registered charity providing engaging world- class theatrical experiences for our local communities. It enable people of all ages and backgrounds to access, participate in and learn from the arts, nurturing new and emerging talent, and creating world-class theatrical experiences.

 

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS

Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. 

 

Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world-class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through hosting the National Youth Dance Company, its Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates.

 

Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells.

 

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.