London Theatre Weekly Roundup: Summer and Smoke closing, Ingrid Michaelson musical in the works, and more!

Happy New Year! We’ve got all the news on soon-to-close productions, incoming shows, and more.

Summer and Smoke, Rebecca Frecknall’s critically acclaimed revival of Tennessee Williams’ classic, will close 19 January, as previously announced. That means you only have about two weeks left to catch this production starring Patsy Ferran and Matthew Needham.

Ingrid Michaelson is working on a musical based on Nicholas Sparks’ novel The Notebook. Bekah Brunstetter, an NBC writer and producer (This Is Us) will write the musical’s book. No details yet on any Broadway or West End engagement.

Beast on the Moon will play the Finborough Theatre in February. Directed by Jelena Budimir, this will be the first London production of Richard Kalinoski’s play in more than 20 years. The cast includes George Jovanovic, Zarima McDermott and Hayward B. Morse.

Beast on the Moon London
Beast on the Moon at the Finborough Theatre, London

Thirteen Days is coming to Leicester Square Theatre on 17 March. A musical by multi-award-winning composer and lyricist Alexander S. Bermange, Thirteen Days is set against the backdrop of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, with a score informed by a number of musical styles. Directed by Dominic Shaw, this gala concert performance will feature a cast of West End stars–to be announced soon.

The world premiere of Cougar, a play about climate change, will star Mike Noble and Charlotte Randle. Written by Rose Lewenstein, Cougar runs at the Orange Tree Theatre from 1 February to 2 March–with an all-female creative team led by director Chelsea Walker.

Don McKay, who originated the role of Tony in the London premiere of West Side Story, has died at age 93. He passed away 27 December in Manhattan, where he’s lived for the past 20 years.

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A new year means new shows! We can’t wait to catch the London transfers of Broadway’s acclaimed Come From Away, which premieres at the end of January, and Waitress, which begins previews in February. And we’re excited to welcome back Tom Hiddleston in Betrayal, which opens at the Pinter in March. That’s just a small taste of what’s to come. Here’s to a whole new year of great London theatre!