Winner of two Tony Awards, the hit Broadway musical Falsettos–a hilarious, poignant story about a modern family–is finally set to premiere in the UK! Besides that, we’ve got news about changes to the 2020 Olivier Awards and plenty of casting details for exciting new productions. Read on!
Falsettos will make its European premiere at The Other Palace this autumn. The multi-award winning Broadway musical by William Finn and James Lapine comes to London at last: for a run at The Other Palace from 30 August to 23 November. Details on cast and creative are still to come, and tickets are not yet on sale.
John Partridge, Declan Bennett and Andy Mientus will lead The View UpStairs, a new musical, at Soho Theatre. The View UpStairs tells the story of a young fashion designer who unknowingly buys an iconic 1970s gay bar in New Orleans. He decides to bring the bar–now a burned down, abandoned space–back to life. Written by Max Vernon, the musical enjoyed a successful Off-Broadway run and multiple productions in the U.S. and Australia. This will be its UK premiere. Also in the cast will be Cedric Neal, Carly Mercedes Dyer, Gary Lee, Joseph Prouse and Derek Hagen. Jonathan O’Boyle directs. The View UpStairs runs 18 July to 24 August.
Magic at the Musicals will feature performances from Six, Waitress, John Owen Jones and Louise Dearman, among others. The concert plays at the Royal Albert Hall on 10 May, with a 60-piece orchestra and a stellar line-up of stars from West End shows. Other musicals featured will be Aladdin, Jesus Christ Superstar, School of Rock, Come From Away, Fiddler on the Roof, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Tina, Matilda, The Lion King and Mamma Mia! Ruthie Henshall and Trevor Dion Nicholas will host the concert.
Kiln Theatre announces full casting for Samuel Adamson’s Wife. This story about four couples from four different generations centers on a production of Ibsen’s A Doll House. The world premiere, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, will star Richard Cant, Karen Fishwick, Pamela Hardman, Joshua James, Calam Lynch and Sirine Saba. Wife opens 4 June at the Kiln Theatre.
Education, Education, Education–a smash hit from acclaimed theatre company The Wardrobe Ensemble–will transfer to the West End this summer. An award-winning musical that takes place in a secondary school in 1997, Education, Education, Education will run at Trafalgar Studios for four weeks from 31 May to 29 June.
Scary Bikers extends at Trafalgar Studios. Starring John Godber and Jane Thornton, the comedy about two friends who bike across Europe is now booking until 4 May.
King’s Head Theatre will present two one-act plays by Tennessee Williams for its 2019 Queer Season. Directed by Jamie Armitage, Southern Belles unites two one-act plays by Williams: And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens and Something Unspoken. The double bill runs from 24 July to 24 August.
The 2020 Olivier Awards will look a little different. The Society of London Theatre has announced that, in the future, they will replace the Best Comedy and Best Entertainment or Family categories with two slightly altered categories: Best Comedy or Entertainment; and Best Family Show. The latter will be chosen by a panel of five adults (three of whom will be theatre professionals, and two of whom will be members of the general public) and five children. The award for Outstanding Achievement in Music will now be known as Best Original Score or New Orchestrations.
