April 2007
Rachael is thrilled to announce her next exciting project. In June 2007, she will be appearing at Lichfield Garrick with her own theatre company, Central Line Touring, in Much Ado About Nothing.
The production promises to be a splendid blend of Shakespearean comedy and... jazz! The teasing Beatrice and Benedick find themselves placed in a beautiful 1930s art deco set playing out their tempestuous love affair, accompanied by the sounds of the 1930s.
"I'm absolutely thrilled about the project. Shakespeare and jazz are my two great passions. Central Line Touring has been establishing itself as a commendable theatre company over the last couple of years and this is our most fantastic project yet. I will be singing jazz standards as well as acting. It is a risk to do something so daring with the beloved bard, but I think it will be really special. It should be a fabulous, glamorous production!"
As Central Line Touring becomes part of the Garrick's rep company, look out for special performances of Rachael's 5-star, double award-nominated, one woman show, Bewitched.
July 2006
Rachael is touring Goldilocks and the Three Bears with the Chapterhouse Theatre Company. More information on this national tour, including a full schedule, can be found at their website.
June 2006
The weekend of 8/9 July 2006 Rachael will bring two of her original shows to the Buxton Fringe Festival. More details can be found on the gigs page.
May 2006
Rachael is to return to her first love -- classical theatre -- and will be taking the role of Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream. The production, by Big Adventures Theatre Company, is set in the 1930s and will be playing at the Robert Ludlam Theatre in Derby, 20-24 June. Tickets are available from the theatre box office. More details on the gigs page.
March 2006
Rachael Pennell Sings Cole Porter has been reviewed by Scott Yanow for the Los Angeles Jazz Scene magazine. More on the recordings page.
October 2005
Bewitched - a 5-star show: this new show, written and performed by Rachael, took audiences by storm and was awarded 5-star reviews (1) (2) by the critics as well as receiving award nominations at the Buxton Festival earlier this year. Bewitched cleverly combines the songs of Rodgers and Hart with the life story of Ruth Etting to give a truly bewitching experience. Now, the show comes to London! You can catch it at the King's Head Theatre in Islington on 18 and 19 December. There will also be a home-town performance at Nottingham's Lace Market Theatre a few weeks before on 25 November. More information on the gigs page.
August 2005
Following the success of the show Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter, Rachael has released a studio recording of this show. The album is available right now from Heard Music, and more information can be found on the Recordings page.
Further, at a recent performance in Buxton, Bewitched - The Songs of Rodgers and Hart, a show combining the songs of Rodgers and Hart with the story of singer Ruth Etting, was nominated for Best Musical Event and Rachael herself for Best Performance by a Musician.
July 2005
Rachael has issued a press release in PDF and Word formats.
May 2005
This summer, Rachael will be performing her new show, Bewitched - The Songs of Rodgers and Hart. The show takes the magical music from the golden era of Broadway and Hollywood musicals. It is an imaginative production that features Rachael with a jazz trio and a touch of dramatic narrative inspired by the songs, singers and spirits of the jazz age.
At the Edinburgh Festival, Bewitched... will be running at the C Venue Central, Edinburgh from 21-29 August. Curtain up is at 19.05 pm. For those in the Midlands, the show will also be performed for one night only at the Orchestra Pit, The Old Hall Hotel, Buxton on July 17th at 18.30pm.
More information can be found at the Buxton Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe websites.
April 2005
In June, Rachael makes a return to her theatrical roots and will be appearing in the premiere production of Howard Barker's new play The Fence, in the Main House at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. The play is to be performed by The Wrestling School, and will be touring nationally. See Rachael at the Birmingham Rep, 1st - 4th of June.
February 2005
| We are pleased to announce the tracklisting for Rachael's forthcoming album, I Fall In Love Too Easily. A compilation of tracks taken from her first two albums, it is to be released in March in the following territories: Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Thailand.
The tracklisting is to be:
Stay tuned to this website for more information about the new album and the chance to catch Rachael live in the Far East. |
January 2005
After the success of the Cole Porter tour in 2004, this year looks set to be even better! Two new albums are in production. Here, in the UK, Rachael's third full-length album, The Cole Porter Collection, is well underway.
A new market will soon have access to Rachael's dulcet tones. A new deal signed with Top2 Music in Singapore will bring the release of I Fall In Love Too Easily, a compilation with tracks taken from Rachael's first two albums. It is scheduled for release in March in several Far Eastern territories including Hong Kong and Thailand.
Finally, look out for details of the new show for 2005: Rachael Pennell in 'Bewitched', the songs of Rodgers and Hart.
September 2004
May-August 2004 saw the national tour of the 'Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter' show, beginning in the Spiegeltent in May and culminating in a wonderfully successful run at the Edinburgh Festival. National and international dates are now being booked for the winter and Rachael returns to the Spiegeltent in Oxford, in January for a series of musical evenings courtesy of Creation Theatre. There will be three new shows on offer:
as well as a chance to see the acclaimed Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter. Rachael will also be appearing in Corliss Randall's 'New Orleans Boogie Cabaret Spectacular'.
Finally, plans are underway for an exclusive limited edition CD of 'Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter'.
July 2004
For more information and media resources on Rachael's forthcoming appearances in Edinburgh, you can now visit the Porter Press web site.
June 2004
If you are in the West Midlands, you can hear Rachael talking about her Cole Porter show on the Late Show with Tony and Julie on BBC WM radio (95.6FM). The interview will be broadcast on Monday 7 June at 10 pm.
Edinburgh 2004
The show Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter will be coming to the Edinburgh Festival for one week only in August 2004. Rachael first opened the show in London at Pizza on the Park and it has been touring nationally, including the fantastic show at the Spiegeltent in Brighton. The show runs for just over an hour and it is quite simply a revue of some of the best loved tunes from Cole Porter's prolific songwriting catalogue. The songs were selected by Rachael for various reasons and the result is a show that sways, swings and touches the heart. There is a review of Rachael's live performance here.
The Venue
Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter will be running at the Augustine Studio, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh from Sunday 8 August to Sunday August 15. Curtain up is at 10.50 pm.
The Band
Rachael is accompanied by a fine live band. On the piano is Nigel Fox, the bass player is Steve Riddell and drummer Fred Harris keeps up the beat.
The Songs
Without giving too much away, here are some of the songs Rachael lends her talents to:
and a show-stopping rendition of Love For Sale.
Tickets
Please see www.edfringe.com for their extensive festival website and to purchase tickets from the Fringe office (box office opens June 2004). Alternatively, call 0845 226 2721, the Paradise Green Promotions Box Office at the Augustine Studio venue (box office opens July 2004). For further information on the show, sponsorship and advertising you may wish to mail porter_press@yahoo.com.
February 2004
Rachael will be the featured artist on Smooth Jazz with Peter Quinn. The show goes out on SAGA FM (106.6FM, East Midlands, England) on Sat 21 Feb, between 8 and 10 pm.
Also, look out for the new and greatly acclaimed show, Rachael Pennell sings Cole Porter, touring throughout 2004.
July 2003
If you are in Derbyshire or surrounding areas, you can listen out for Rachael on BBC Radio Derby on Sunday 3 August. Tune in to Memorable Melodies, hosted by Mike Carey, between 4 and 6 pm.
June 2003
The new album Bare 'n' Blue has received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. It has been featured on BBC Radio 2, Jazz FM, SAGA FM, Night Life Radio New Jersey and seventeen other national and local radio stations.
Due to this success and to increased demand for live performances, the Bare 'n' Blue tour will be extended with more national dates. Keep your eyes on this site for more details!
May 2003
May 2003 has arrived and so has the new album. Entitled Bare 'n' Blue, the record is available on Avid Records. Rachael celebrates the launch with two dates (6, 7 May) at Pizza on the Park, Knightsbridge, in the company of Jack Honeybourne and Enrico Tomasso.
February 2003
The follow up to Papa Said... will be released in early summer. Bare 'n' Blue is a fourteen track album consisting mainly of standards. The big band feel is absent and a more intimate, late night style is adopted. In keeping with her enviable pedigree of musicians, Rachael was lucky enough to work on this project with another stalwart of the British jazz scene, pianist Jack Honeyborne. As a veteran of bands such as the Joe Loss Orchestra and the Ted Heath Band, his musicianship, unique style and expertise in accompanying lady singers is very apparent. Joining them are John Day on bass and Ritchie Bryant on the drums.
Of the album, Rachael said, "I am very pleased with the way the album has turned out. I tried to create a romantic, emotive sound with just a little hint of mischief. The most important element in a song for me is the emotion and my ability to portray that. I hope I have done the songs justice."
An actual release date is unconfirmed at the moment but provisionally it is set for early May. Keep your eye on the site for details and subsequent live dates in the UK and abroad.