It’s been another busy week in the world of London theatre and we have got plenty of exciting stories and pictures to share with you today! From new castings in London’s biggest shows to special celebratory events and Oscar winners coming to the West End – read on for everything you need to know.
Wicked announced new casting this week, complete with pictures to tease us of the upcoming shows! Alice Fearn and Sophie Evans stay on as Elphaba and Glinda, with David Witts (Eastenders) and Chris Jarman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) stepping into the roles of Fiyero and Doctor Dillamond. You can see them on stage from Monday 23rd July and check out the pictures below for a little preview of what’s to come.
There’s excitement over at the Lyric Theatre this week: Thriller Live! will soon be celebrating its 4000th performance! To mark this record-breaking number of West End shows, the production has teamed up with the Prince’s Trust and will be holding a charity gala night on Wednesday 12th September. Names are yet to be announced, but the show promises to deliver some major guest stars exclusively for the occasion – watch this space!
The Pinter at the Pinter season has added yet another glittering name to its impressive line-up this week. In case you hadn’t heard, ‘Pinter at the Pinter’ is a celebration of the one-act plays of the late Harold Pinter, put together by Jamie Lloyd and including some very special guests. It will run at the Harold Pinter theatre for six months, and includes a selection of big names, from Paapa Essiedu to Eastenders bad boy Danny Dyer.
Now, Oscar-winner Mark Rylance has been added to the line-up; for just two nights (October 2nd and 4th), he will be on the Pinter stage, but not to perform in the plays. Instead Rylance will be delivering the infamous lecture, ‘Art, Truth and Politics’, which was given by Pinter himself when he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2005. For tickets to what is sure to be a fantastic evening of iconic theatre, head here.
The Old Vic’s new production of ‘A Monster Calls’ had its press night this week, and by the sounds of it, there weren’t many dry eyes by the end! General consensus of the reviews is that you’ll need tissues. – and plenty of them. Critics are in general agreement that the production, which had a sold-out run in Bristol before heading to the West End, is a success, and they were impressed with Sally Cookson’s latest adaptation of the much-loved novel. Excited to see and judge for yourself? Get tickets here. Check out the thrilling latest trailer below:
Finally for this week’s round up, the Natural History Museum has announced that it will be constructing a purpose-built theatre, with 350 seats, especially to house a play about the historic voyage of Charles Darwin. The show, which will be called The Wider Earth, will tell the story of his voyage on HMS Beagle and how it inspired his theories of evolution. A combination of science, history AND theatre – sounds pretty good to us!
I am waiting for September to see my next musical. Lion King is coming to Charlotte and I am seeing the show. I after all rely on touring productions due to not living close to NYC. At least, my hometown is a popular stop for shows.
Wicked- that show has been part of my life for 12 years now. Seen it once on Broadway and three times on tour. It sparked my love for musicals so it changed me “for good”. My latest cast, my 4th cast, has been my strongest cast I ever saw.