Had a busy week? No problem! Catch up on everything you missed in the world of London theatre. We’ll wait.
Alex Jennings joins the cast of The Light in the Piazza. A three-time Olivier Award winner, Alex Jennings has appeared in The Crown as David, Duke of Windsor; in Victoria as King Leopold; and in The Lady in the Van as Alan Bennett–in addition to numerous other stage and screen credits. Jennings will play Signor Naccarelli–completing the cast of The Light in the Piazza‘s London premiere. The musical runs at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall from 14 June to 5 July. Tickets are on sale now!
Christine Prades will reprise her Broadway role as Gloria Estefan in the London production of On Your Feet! Philippa Stefani (In the Heights, Ghost, Sister Act) will play the role at certain performances. George Ioannides (Mamma Mia!, Annie) will play Emilio Estefan, with Madalena Alberto as Gloria Fajardo and Karen Mann as Consuelo. On Your Feet! makes its national premiere at the London Coliseum from 14 June.
Dear Evan Hansen tickets go on sale Monday. On April 8 (if you hurry), you’ll have the chance to buy tickets for the West End transfer of this Tony Award-winning (x6) Broadway hit. Dear Evan Hansen begins previews 29 October at the Noël Coward Theatre. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting on those casting details….
Katharine McPhee will give her final performance as Jenna on 15 June. No details yet on who will be taking over for her, but we know someone will, because Waitress just extended until 19 October.
Anna O’Byrne and Gary Tushaw will lead the UK premiere of Amour at Charing Cross Theatre. The production will also star Alasdair Harvey, Elissa Churchill, Claire Machin, Keith Ramsay, Steven Serlin, Alistair So and Daniel Stockton. A musical fantasy by multi-award winning composer Michel Legrand, Amour runs 2 May through 20 July.
Extensions, extensions….
Wicked is now booking until 23 May 2020. The show just released 470,000 new tickets to the public.
Thriller Live extends to April 2020. Now in its 11th year on the West End, the show continues to break records.
The Comedy About a Bank Robbery extends. Celebrating its third birthday on the West End, Mischief Theatre’s hilarious production is now booking until 3 May 2020.
Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] announces casting. Park Theatre’s production will star a different guest performer each night, in a scripted murder mystery for which the performer has not rehearsed and has not received a script or any direction. The performer’s only tool will be an earpiece through which they’ll receive instructions as they try to solve the mystery. Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Judi Dench, Whodunnit will feature a stellar line-up of guest performers: Clive Anderson, Gillian Anderson, John Bishop, Gyles Brandreth, Marcus Brigstocke, Jim Broadbent, Simon Callow, Ronan Keating, Damian Lewis, Maureen Lipman, Joanna Lumley, Juliet Stevenson, Meera Syal, Catherine Tate, Tim Vine and Ruby Wax. Even more guest performers will be announced later!
Soldier of Orange will make its UK premiere in a 360-degree theatre in 2020. A Dutch musical by Edwin de Vries, Tom Harriman and Phillips Oland, Soldier of Orange is based on the story of a WWII Dutch resistance fighter. The musical will be performed in English in a special 360-degree theatre (with a rotating seat platform), which will be built later this year.
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ – The Musical will come to the Ambassadors Theatre starting 15 June. This feel-good musical about an intellectual yet misunderstood young teenager, based on the books by Sue Townsend, premiered at the Leicester Curve Theatre in 2015 before playing for six weeks at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2017. Casting is yet to be announced.
The Worst Witch will play in the West End for seven weeks this summer. Based on Emma Reeves’ children’s books, The Worst Witch tells the story of an accident-prone young witch simultaneously trying to pass her classes and save her future. The Worst Witch plays at London’s Vaudeville Theatre from 24 July to 8 September.
The Donmar Warehouse announces a new season. Under new artistic director Michael Longhurst, the new season will include David Grieg’s Europe, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Appropriate, Alice Birch’s [BLANK], Mike Lew’s Teenage Dick and Caryl Churchill’s Far Away.
Full casting is announced for Class. Making its London premiere at the Bush Theatre, Class will star Sarah Morris, Stephen Jones and Will O’Connell–all reprising their roles from the 2017 Dublin Theatre Festival production. Class tells the story of a struggling nine-year-old student and his parents, who must decide if they can trust their son’s teacher. Written by Iseult Golden and directed by David Horan, Class runs from 7 May to 1 June.
If you haven’t heard, Tina – The Tina Turner Musical‘s cast recording is out now! Who’s listening?
