Following the amazing success of the 2006 shows, The Blue Planet Live! – based on the award-winning BBC documentary The Blue Planet returns to the UK on an even more breathtaking scale in April 2008.

These truly captivating performances allow you to enter the dramatic underwater world of the oceans with a unique 2 hour edit of the countless awe inspiring scenes from the much loved programme. These scenes will be projected onto some of the largest screens ever used in the UK, with performances in:

The Manchester based event organisers, World Class Service, have teamed up with the BBC to produce The Blue Planet Live! based on the award-winning BBC documentary, The Blue Planet is returning to Manchester as part of its UK tour this time famous arched structure of Manchester Central (formerly G-MEX).

These spectacular performances allow you to enter the dramatic underwater world of the oceans with a unique 90 minute edit of the best of The Blue Planet projected onto some of the largest screens ever used in the UK and synchronised with Ivor Novello winner and film music legend George Fenton’s remarkable score. George Fenton, who’s other work includes the soundtrack to Gandhi, Cry Freedom, Dangerous Liaisons and the soundtrack to the BBC Planet Earth series to name but a few conducts Manchester Camerata in this epic show.

Kate Humble, presenter of some of televisions best-loved wildlife programmes such as Springwatch and Animal Park will be presenting THE BLUE PLANET LIVE! in London, Cardiff and Birmingham during April 2008.

Passionate about conservation and the environment, Kate has experienced the extraordinary beauty of the oceans first hand whilst filming and presenting programmes such as the forthcoming BBC Abyss series. Kate says, “I am delighted to be presenting The Blue Planet Live! in London, Cardiff and Birmingham. These stunning shows reflect the scale and beauty of the oceans and provide a unique way to celebrate and understand the need to protect what we have.”

We are delighted to announce that Kate Humble is now available for interview.
Kate Humble - Biography

Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement, The Other Boleyn Girl, Starter for Ten, Hawking, The Last Enemy) is coming to Manchester to present BBC The Blue Planet Live! at Manchester Central on April 20th.

Benedict took the lead role in the BBC One hit series ‘The Last Enemy’, as well as appearing as Scarlet Johansson’s husband in cinemas across the world in ‘The Other Boleyn Girl’.

Cumberbatch was nominated for a BAFTA for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking in the BBC adaptation of the physicist’s days at university. But it is a live concert, albeit a dramatic and theatrical one, which brings Benedict back to his own university town. Benedict is a graduate of Manchester University and is delighted to be returning to the city to present The Blue Planet Live!

Benedict says,

“I have fantastic memories of Manchester from my time here and to be able to bring this show is a real thrill for me. I’m really looking forward to being on stage at Manchester Central with 80 musicians and George Fenton. It’s a stunning production and for the audience, it’s a chance to see the best of The Blue Planet series on an enormous screen with the Manchester Camerata in full flow.”

BBC Press Office

Alistair Fothergill, Series Producer for The Blue Planet television series has said of the live shows:

“In creating The Blue Planet I wanted to take the viewers on a journey to a place that they had never been before, and to be emotionally moved by it. I am delighted that World Class Service has teamed up with BBC Worldwide to produce the live events in 2008 which capture the original spirit of the BBC television series. From the creatures of the deep to the awesome blue whale The Blue Planet Live! puts the audience in a moving and dramatic world at an immense scale.”

The 2008 The Blue Planet Live! tour is a truly unique opportunity for audiences to see these stunning sequences synchronised impeccably with George Fenton’s emotional and epic score for which he has been awarded BAFTA, Emmy and Ivor Novello awards. The show will also be conducted by the 5 time Oscar nominee himself who was recently awarded the Ivor Novello Academy Fellowship. George Fenton’s other acclaimed works include Ghandi, Cry Freedom, Dangerous Liaisons and Ken Loach’s

The Wind that Shakes the Barley, winner of the 2006 Palme d’Or to name but a few. George Fenton who has also composed the music to the BBC Planet Earth series has said of the shows:

“The Blue Planet Live! offers a unique and emotional ride, experiencing the story of life beneath the oceans on a theatrical scale. The show is presented in a way that heightens the drama, the fascination and, ultimately, the awareness and I very much look forward to the opportunity of taking the show to new audiences in the UK”.

The beautiful and atmospheric music will be brought to life by two magnificent full scale orchestras; in London and Cardiff by the BBC Concert Orchestra and for Manchester, Nottingham and Birmingham by Manchester Camerata.

One of the BBC Natural History Unit’s most successful brands of the last twenty years, The Blue Planet series was created in 2001 and has been sold to more than 140 countries, winning countless awards. Sir David Attenborough has said of the live shows,

“These concerts are not only a musical phenomenon; they also provide a stunningly visual and thought-provoking way of helping people to understand the oceans and the need for their protection.”

From the magnificent shots of majestic blue whales, right through to the weird and wonderful world of the deep, The Blue Planet Live! carries a message that goes beyond pure entertainment. The message for children and adults alike is to think and act with consideration.

World Class Service have also developed a unique partnership with The University of Manchester to deliver an educational programme in Manchester based around The Blue Planet Live! Julian Skyrme, its Head of Widening Participation, said:

“We are delighted to be teaming up with BBC Worldwide and George Fenton on these important events. Through a range of innovative activities and resources – both online and face-to-face – we plan to make exciting connections between The Blue Planet Live! and our world class research and teaching across the sciences and humanities, particularly in the marine environment and its ecology. Through this partnership, we will be able to reach out, inform and inspire scholarly curiosity in the educational issues The Blue Planet Live! raises among huge numbers of school and college pupils.”

To help reduce the environmental impacts of the show customers can choose to use Ticketmasters innovative new ticketing solution MobileTicket for shows at Manchester Central and Wembley Arena which allows ticket buyers to receive their event tickets directly to their registered mobile phone as a unique barcode that is valid for entry to the event therefore requiring no paper.

Howard Raynor, Managing Director of World Class Service has said of the show:

“We are proud to be bringing this spectacular show back to the UK. Having already thrilled audiences in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Montreal and Copenhagen it is returning to the UK on an even more breathtaking scale than before. Cutting edge developments in image and sound quality, combined with the awesome images and unforgettable score have allowed us to create an exciting new breed of event which we hope will move and inspire audiences.”

The Blue Planet Live! will create a truly extraordinary and unique opportunity to witness a moving portrait of marine life. -Ends-

Notes to Editors:

The Blue Planet Live! is brought to the UK by World Class Service. Tickets for The Blue Planet Live! will go on sale on Friday 26th October Ticket hotline: 0844 847 1665 (24 hours) www.theblueplanetlive.com

Tickets for all venues are available through: Ticketline: 0870 444 5556 www.ticketline.co.uk

Tickets are also available from the following venue box offices: Birmingham Symphony Hall: Box Office 0121 780 3333 www.thsh.co.uk Cardiff St David’s Hall: Box Office 029 2087 8444 www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk For Nottingham Arena: 0870 121 0123 www.nottingham-arena.com

For further press information please contact Louise Hargreaves at World Class Service, St James’ Building, 61-95 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 6EJ Tel: 0161 456 6007 email: louise@worldclassservice.co.uk

All images are available at a higher resolution upon request. The following must be used whenever the relevant images are used: Manta Ray © Michael Pitts 2001 Hammerheads © Floria 2001