2023 sees the 30th anniversary of Hull-born musician Mick Ronson’s untimely death in 1993 at the age of just 46.
It is also the 50th anniversary of the final Ziggy Stardust performance, and the release of the album ‘Aladdin Sane’ on which Ronson played such a pivotal role alongside David Bowie. To celebrate Mick’s life and the immense contribution he made to popular music with his fellow Spiders from Mars, the sell-out stage production ‘Turn and Face the Strange’ is playing a series of anniversary shows at Hull New Theatre.
The cult-hit show Turn and Face the Strange – the story of Mick Ronson will be performed at Hull New Theatre on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 December 2023, with a matinee on the Saturday.
Tickets for the show are now on sale at www.hulltheatres.co.uk or by phone on 01482 300306
Turn and Face the Strange tells the story of Hull-born Mick Ronson, who played alongside David Bowie as one of the Spiders from Mars, and became a world-famous musician, arranger and album producer.
The production features a string quartet of classically trained musicians and a stellar line-up of rock musicians who played with Mick Ronson and David Bowie, including Keith ‘Ched’ Cheesman (The Rats), John Cambridge (The Rats & The Hype) and John Bentley (Squeeze with Jools Holland). They offer unique stories and memories of knowing Mick personally and playing on-stage alongside him. The musicians also include Kristian Eastwood, Bobby Joyce, Annabel Etheridge & Phil Keech, who recreate the iconic soundtrack of a generation that still reverberates today.
The stunning multi-media show was originally commissioned as part of Hull’s City of Culture year playing to sell-out audiences at the Freedom Centre in August 2017, followed by further sell-out runs at Hull Truck Theatre in 2018, 2019 and 2021. In August 2018 a specially adapted version of the cult show opened the new Spiders from Mars stage at the annual Humber Street Sesh Festival wowing an audience of thousands. In 2022 the Centre for Contemporary Storytelling received 2 Northern Enterprise Awards for ‘Best Cultural Heritage and Theatrical Entertainment Production Company’ with Director Rupert Creed being awarded ‘Freelance Theatre Director of the Year’.
Written by Garry Burnett and ‘Made in Hull’ writer Rupert Creed, Turn and Face the Strange showcases a vivid stage design by Ed Ullyart, powerful film content by Anna Bean, and stunning lighting by Jason Addison.
Rupert Creed says: “We’re delighted to bring the show back and stage it at Hull New Theatre in this special anniversary year. It’s fitting that Mick’s music and his spirit will be celebrated on a stage that does justice to the scale of his achievement. We’re looking forward to rocking full houses of fans as a special treat in the run-up to Christmas. We’re also very pleased to be partnering with University Quarter Hull (UQ) and MRN digiprint, who are supporting us in this production, along with Doubletree Hilton who are offering discounted rooms for visitors to the city and show.”
Garry Burnett says: “Turn and Face the Strange has made a remarkable journey since 2017, from a modest-sized hall in an East Hull community centre to the premier theatre venue in the region. It is fitting in the 30th year since Mick’s passing that we honour him in this prestigious Hull venue. We are all very proud and looking forward to performing the show again on a stage which has seen so many legends appear before. We look to welcoming old and new audiences from all around the world in this special anniversary year. ”
In 2021 the show’s drummer John Cambridge released his book ‘Bowie, Cambo and all the Hype’ which details John’s career as Bowie’s drummer in the Hype, and the crucial role he played in recruiting Mick Ronson to play with David Bowie.
In 2022 the show’s writers Rupert Creed and Garry Burnett released a new biography of Mick titled ‘The Mick Ronson Story’ that details his life and music career from his early years with the Hull band ‘The Rats’, international stardom with Bowie in the seventies, and his post-Bowie period as an influential album producer.
Both books are published by McNidder & Grace, and signed copies will be available to buy at the shows.
You can find out more about the show at www.turnandfacethestrange.co.uk and www.ccstory.com