Cunning Stunts

Feb 27 2015 | By More

Producers opens fire in Margate

Mel Brooks’ satirical musical comedy The Producers held its opening promotional bash in Margate this morning as a bevy of goose-stepping dancers strutted their stuff to Springtime for Hitler.

Jackboots in Margate. It can only be The Producers. Photo by Joe Pepler/REX

Jackboots in Margate. It can only be The Producers. Photo by Joe Pepler/REX

The production, staring Jason Manford, Phill Jupitus and Louie Spence, opens in Bromley next week and arrives in Edinburgh for a week-long stay at the Festival Theatre in a little under four weeks, on Monday 23 March 2015, as part of an 18-stop national tour.

As outrageous publicity stunts go, this one was up there with the most tasteless: apparently a bunch of real loony right-wing nutters were also in Margate this morning – going about the business of pushing their own style of racist tosh.

Unlike UKIP, The Producers is meant to be a joke. And it’s got much better songs.

Impoverished by a string of flops, New York producer Max Bialystock recruits timid accountant Leo Bloom to help him pull off Broadway’s greatest scam. They aim to produce the worst show ever and run away with millions, but they soon learn that show business can kick you in the teeth.

pumping at full volume

Comedian Jason Manford will be playing Leo Bloom with Cory English as Max Bialystock. Phill Jupitus and Ross Noble share the role of Franz Liebkind (Jupitus will be in Edinburgh) with choreographer and TV personality Louie Spence as Carmen Ghia.

"Gestapo-style hot pants, Jackboots and insignia" Tastless. Photo by Joe Pepler/REX

“Gestapo-style hot pants, Jackboots and insignia”. Tasteless. Photo by Joe Pepler/REX

The show’s great musical number, Springtime for Hitler, was pumping at full volume from the turret of a WW2 tank this morning, providing the soundtrack to the musical goose steppers – clad in what the publicist insisted on referring to as “Gestapo-style hot pants, Jackboots and insignia”.

Producer of The Producers Adam Spiegel commented, “We open the UK tour of The Producers in Bromley next week and Margate seemed a perfect place to start the promotion. I’m disappointed but not entirely surprised to see that UKIP are trying to hitch a publicity ride on the back of the show.”

Listing

The Producers
Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicolson Street EH8 9FT
Monday 23 – Saturday 28 March 2015
Evenings at 7.30 pm, Thursday and Saturday matinee at 2.30 pm
Tickets and furhter details: http://www.edtheatres.com/theproducers

The Producers on tour 2015:
7 – 14 March Bromley
Churchill Theatre
08448 717 620 Book online
16 – 21 March Manchester
Palace Theatre
0844 871 3019 Book online
23 – 28 March Edinburgh
Festival Theatre
0131 529 6000 Book online
30 March – 4 April Milton Keynes
Milton Keynes Theatre
0844 871 7652 Book online
7 – 11 April Southend-on-sea
Cliffs Pavilion
01702 351135 Book online
13 -18 April Brighton
Theatre Royal Brighton
0844 871 7650 Book online
20 – 25 April Birmingham
The New Alexandra Theatre
0844 871 3011 Book online
27 April – 2 May Bristol
Bristol Hippodrome
0844 871 3012 Book online
4 – 9 May Belfast
Grand Opera House
02890 241919 Book online
11 – 16 May Sunderland
Empire Theatre
0844 871 3022 Book online
18 – 23 May Woking
New Victoria Theatre
0844 871 7645 Book online
26 – 30 May Southampton
Mayflower Theatre
02380 711811 Book online
1 – 6 June Liverpool
Empire Theatre
08448 713 017 Book online
8 – 13 June Leeds
Leeds Grand Theatre
0844 848 2700 Book online
15 – 20 June Glasgow
Theatre Royal
0844 871 7647 Book online
22 – 27 June Aberdeen
His Majesty’s Theatre
01224 641122 Book online
29 June – 4 July Oxford
Oxford New Theatre
0844 871 3020 Book online
6 – 11 July Dublin
Dublin Bord Gais
0818 719 377 Book online
It's bracing in Marget. Photo by Joe Pepler/REX

It’s bracing in Marget. Photo by Joe Pepler/REX

ENDS

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