From the closing of a beloved West End show to an incoming Dr. Seuss musical, here’s all the latest news in London theatre.
“And I am telling you I’m… going.” After dazzling West End audiences for over two years, the hit musical Dreamgirls is in fact heading out. The London production will give its final performance at the Savoy Theatre on 12 January 2019 before launching a UK tour. Tour dates have yet to be announced.
The Old Vic announces its autumn and winter productions for 2018! The line-up includes two world premieres, one UK premiere, and everybody’s favorite Christmas story. That’s right: Jack Thorne’s adaptation of A Christmas Carol, directed by Matthew Warchus, will be back to haunt your holidays again this year, with Stephen Tompkinson in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. In addition, the Old Vic will present the following productions:
- SYLVIA: a hip hop musical about women’s suffrage
- 17c: a multi-media production that combines dance and theatre, directed by New York choreographer Annie-B Parson
- Wise Children: adapted and directed by Emma Rice, from the novel by Angela Carter
- A Very Expensive Poison: a new adaptation of Luke Harding’s book, by Lucy Prebble, scheduled for sometime in 2019
Channing Tatum (voted sexiest man alive in 2012, let it not be forgot) is bringing his stage show Magic Mike Live to the West End starting 10 November. The production, based on Tatum’s loosely autobiographical movies Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL, features an acrobatic male strip show on a 360-degree stage. And no, you probably won’t get to see Channing Tatum strip: he’s co-directing the production with Alison Faulk. Casting hasn’t been announced yet, so we don’t know who will be doing the stripping, but we’ll keep you posted.
Broken Wings – the new musical from Nadim Naaman – will play this August at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. And we now have full casting: Nadim Naaman will lead the cast as poet Kahlil Gibran, starring alongside Hiba Elchikhe, Rob Houchen, Adam Linstead, Irvine Iqbal, Sami Lamine, Robert Hannouch, Nikita Johal, and Lauren James Ray. Plus, you can now buy the show’s concept album. Let us know what you think of it!
Cirque du Soleil’s Totem – a show that explores the evolution of the human species – returns to the Royal Albert Hall next January. Tickets are on sale now!
We already know that Mark Rylance will be playing the villainous Iago in Othello, but now we have full casting for the upcoming Shakespeare’s Globe production. Olivier Award-winner Sheila Atim (Girl from the North Country) will play Emilia: the ill-fated Desdemona’s faithful hand-maid. André Holland (Moonlight, Selma) will play Othello, the Moor of Venice, with Jessica Warbeck as his young wife Desdemona. Directed by Claire van Kampen, Othello begins performances 20 July.
“Oh, the places you’ll go!” Get ready for a wild time, because Seussical the Musical is headed to Southwark Playhouse, with an opening date of 27 November.
