Assassins, The Menier Chocolate Factory

Catherine Tate is coming to the Menier Chocolate Factory as the lead role in the 90s Stephen Sondheim musical Assassins. But this is not your average musical: it opens with the Presidential anthem “Hail to the Chief” eerily distorted as it plays through the steam and whistles of a carnival calliope. Set in the shooting gallery of an American fairground emblazoned with “Shoot the President - win a Prize”, the production sees real life historical assassins take to the stage to uphold their “right to be happy” (i.e. the right to bear arms, protected by the US consitution). 
Expect demented hilarity that will send tears of laughter from streaming down your face, and yet have you half wishing you weren’t laughing at all, as the play examines giant American themes of the dark side of power and celebrity. It sounds truly bonkers, but under the award winning direction of Jamie Lloyd and with such a stellar cast, including such musical acting greats as Mike McShane and Carly Bawden, we trust this will be a spectacular night.
Tate is best known for her TV roles on Doctor Who and The Catherine Tate Show, but in fact she is no stranger to the stage, which is where she started with prestigious companies such as the National Theatre and the RSC. Her last major stage role in the UK was as Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing at the Wyndham Theatre in 2011, which she couldn’t have suited better. This is a woman at the top of her powers, using her comedy prowess to tackle intense subject matter in a role quite different from anything she has done before.