London Theatre Weekly Round-up: Waitress heads to the West End and Duncan James joins Chicago!

What would it take to brighten your Friday? How about the announcement that Sara Bareilles’ Waitress is coming to London? Read this and all the other latest news in West End theatre.

Sugar, flour, butter! After three years on Broadway, Sara Bareilles’ hit musical Waitress is headed to the West End! The show will open at London’s Adelphi Theatre in spring 2019, (previews begin in February) with tickets on sale this autumn. Waitress will feature the first all-female creative team for a West End musical. Casting will be announced at a later date.

On Waitress‘ West End transfer, Sara Bareilles says:

“I cannot contain my excitement that we will be bringing Waitress to the West End!! This is a dream come true! And I must say, to be hosted in a theatre co-owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Nederlander Group makes this very sweet moment even sweeter. We are so proud of this beautiful show, and can’t wait to share the story of Jenna with a whole new audience and welcome them into the world of Waitress with open arms and plenty of pie.”

Waitress tells the story of Jenna: a pie-making genius trapped in a life she hates. Could an unplanned pregnancy, a handsome gynecologist, and a pie-making competition be the recipe for success Jenna craves? Or simply a recipe for disaster? You won’t know until you visit the Adelphi Theatre next spring!

Duncan James is the next Billy Flynn! The actor/singer will join the West End cast of Chicago from 10 September, taking over for Martin Kemp. On the screen, James has played Detective Sergeant Ryan Knight in Hollyoaks. On the stage, he’s appeared in Legally Blonde. In the early 2000s, James sang in the boy band Blue, which competed in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest.

The West End transfer of the Young Vic’s The Inheritance announces full casting. The majority of the Young Vic cast will remain with the production, with Jack Riddiford replacing Luke Thallon. The full cast includes: Hugo Bolton, Robert Boulter, Andrew Burnap, Hubert Burton, John Benjamin Hickey, Paul Hilton, Samuel H. Levine, Syrus Lowe, Michael Marcus, Kyle Soller, Michael Walters, and Vanessa Redgrave. Stephen Daldry directs. The Inheritance runs at the Noël Coward Theatre 21 September to 19 January.

The Inheritance banner London
The Inheritance, by Matthew Lopez, begins performances 21 September.

A new generation of actors are taking the UK by storm! In the upcoming UK and Ireland tour of Matilda The Musical, Sophia Ally, Scarlett Cecil, Annalise Bradbury, and Nicola Turner will share the role of Matilda. Meanwhile, you can always catch Matilda at the Cambridge Theatre if you’re in London.

Julie Burchill and Jane Robins’ new play in support of the Brexit Leave campaign — People Like Us — will make its world premiere at the Union Theatre this October. Written by two outspoken journalists, People Like Us is bound to turn some heads. Will you go see it?