Arena’s Clive Nolan lines up charity show for friend Ian Baldwin

Arena keyboardist Clive Nolan has revealed that he’ll perform his musical King’s Ransom with a full cast and crew next year for charity.

It’ll be performed at the Cheltenham Playhouse on Saturday, September 8, 2018 – and has been organised after his friend and live musical director Ian Baldwin was recently taken ill.

Nolan says in a statement: “This is a hard announcement to make, so I will try and be as clear as I can. The director of my recent musical shows and my friend Ian Baldwin is extremely ill. This will, at best, be his toughest battle.

“Some time ago before he ended up in hospital, when we were all blissfully unaware of the state of his health, Ian and I agreed that all the work that went into the debut stage performance of King’s Ransom really deserved more than one performance.

“I feel it’s time to make good on that, so I contacted all the cast and crew involved in the recent shows and asked if they would get involved. I received a unanimous ‘YES’ so we are going to do it!

Nolan continues: “King’s Ransom will be performed again, according to Ian’s vision of the show, at the Cheltenham Playhouse on Saturday September 8.

“We will do this to raise money for a plaque, which will become a permanent fixture in the Playhouse Theatre, and any more money raised will go to the Sue Ryder Hospice, which has been so important to Ian in recent weeks. Everyone is working for nothing so, beyond expenses, we hope to raise a decent amount of money.

“September 2018 may seem rather a long way away under the circumstances, but it was the earliest date we could pull all the elements together. Whatever the circumstances this show will happen… for Ian.

“We will perform King’s Ransom and there will hopefully be a few surprise extras that evening.”

Tickets are available from Caamora and direct from the venue.

Prior to the show, Arena will head out on their Double Vision tour throughout April and May next year where they’ll perform The Visitor album for the first time in 20 years.

Find a full list of tour dates below.

Arena Double Vision Tour 2018

Apr 20: St Helens Citadel, UK
Apr 21: Wath Montgomery Hall, UK
Apr 27: London Borderline, UK
Apr 28: Chepstow Winter’s End festival, UK
May 04: Zwolle Hedon, Netherlands
May 05: Aschaffenburg Colos-Sall, Germany
May 06: Verona Club Il Giardino, Italy
May 07: Augsburg Spectrum, Germany
May 08: Verviers Spirit 66, Belgium
May 09: Essen Zeche Carl, Germany
May 10: Pratteln Z7, Switzerland
May 11: Paris La Maroquinerie, France
May 12: Zoetermeer Boerderji, Netherlands
May 13: Nancy Chez Paulette, France
May 14: Rhine Hypothalamus, Germany
May 15: Warsaw Proxima, Poland
May 16: Poznan Klub U Bazyla, Poland
May 17: Copenhagen Ishoj Kulturcafe, Denmark
May 18: Gothenburg Musikens Hus, Sweden
May 19: Oslo Holm Gard, Norway
May 20: Trondheim Kimen Kulturhus, Norway
May 26: Quebec Auditorium Du Cegep FX Garneau, QC

Clive Nolan's Top 5 Rock Musicals

Artists

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.