Big news this week–including full casting for (you guessed it) BIG the Musical! Besides that, find out where you can catch film stars James McAvoy and Richard Armitage in upcoming West End productions, and if you haven’t yet, hurry up and book your tickets for Fiddler on the Roof–it’s closing soon!
James McAvoy will play Cyrano de Bergerac in a revival at the Playhouse Theatre. While dates and full details have yet to be announced, McAvoy will reportedly star in an adaptation of Rostand’s play written by Martin Crimp and directed by Jamie Lloyd.
Richard Armitage joins the production of Uncle Vanya at the Harold Pinter Theatre. Armitage will play Vastra in the production, which is a new adaptation of Chekhov’s play written by Conor McPherson and starring Toby Jones. Uncle Vanya opens January 2020.
BIG the Musical (pictured above) announces full casting. Lori Haley Fox will play Mrs. Kopecki / Miss Watson, and Edward Handoll will play Paul Seymour. Harrison Dadswell, Jamie O’Connor and Jake Simon will share the role of Young Josh, with Jobe Hart, Austen Phelan and Theo Wilkinson sharing the role of Billy. They join the previously announced Jay McGuiness, Wendi Peters, Kimberley Walsh and Matthew Kelly. BIG runs at the Dominion Theatre for nine weeks from 6 September.
Noel Sullivan will star as Dewey Finn in School of Rock. The Hear’Say singer will take over the role from Craig Gallivan on 19 August. From 8 October, Mark Anderson will play Ned Schneebly. Laura Tebbutt and Rebecca LaChance will continue in their current roles.
Rita Simons will play Miss Hedge in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. The EastEnders star will replace Faye Tozer, taking on the role from 5 August until 16 November.
Six extends and announces new casting. The musical will now run to 5 July 2020. Joining the cast as queens will be Courtney Bowman, Danielle Steers, Collette Guitart and Shekina McFarlane.
Ramin Karimloo joins Barbra Streisand’s Hyde Park concert. The West End and Broadway star will perform with Barbra Streisand, Richard Marx, Bryan Ferry, Kris Kristofferson and the Kingdom Choir on 7 July.
Mamma Mia! The Party announces casting. The immersive event at the O2 will feature Fed Zanni, Steph Parry, Joanna Monro, AJ Bentley, Julia Imbach, Elin König Andersson, Kimberley Powell, Pauline Stringer, Gregor Stewart, Linda John-Pierre, Allie Ho Chee, Molly Cleere, Jessica Spalis, Dawn Spence and Matthew Wesley. Performances begin 29 August.
Fiddler on the Roof extends for a final time. The Trevor Nunn production is now booking at the Playhouse Theatre until 2 November, at which point it will close.
Almeida Theatre’s The Doctor announces full casting. Joining Juliet Stevenson and Ria Zmitrowicz will be Oliver Alvin-Wilson, Nathalie Armin, Paul Higgins, Mariah Louca, Pamela Nomvete, Daniel Rabin, Joy Richardson, Kirsty Rider and Naomi Wirthner. Artistic Director Robert Icke’s final production at the Almeida Theatre, The Doctor runs from 10 August to 28 September.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announces full casting for Evita. Adam Pearce joins the cast as Agustín Magaldi, with the previously announced Samantha Pauly as Eva Perón, Ektor Rivera as Juan Perón, Trent Saunders as Che and Frances Mayli McCann as the Mistress. Evita has also added two matinee performances on 21 and 28 August. The production runs at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre from 2 August to 21 September.
The Time Of Our Lies at Park Theatre will star TV and film actor Daniel Benzali. Written by Bianca Bagatourian and directed by Ché Walker, The Time Of Our Lies tells the story of American historian, author and social activist Howard Zinn. The cast also includes Alvaro Flores, Wayne Gidden, Lanna Joffrey, Sophia Mackay and Claire Lebowitz King. The Time Of Our Lies runs 30 July to 10 August at the Park Theatre.
Blues in the Night announces full casting. The production of this Olivier and Tony nominated musical at Kiln Theatre will star Sharon D. Clarke, Debbie Kurup, Clive Rowe, Gemma Sutton, Aston New and Joseph Poulton. Blues in the Night runs 18 July to 7 September.
The Watsons, based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, will receive its London premiere this fall. Written by Laura Wade, The Watsons ask the question: what happens to characters when an author leaves their story unfinished? The production made its world premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre last year, and will run at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 20 September to 16 November.
Leopoldstadt, a new play by Tom Stoppard, will premiere in London next January. Set in 1900 Vienna, the play follows a Jewish family across half a century, drawing on the experiences of Stoppard’s own family. Directed by Patrick Marber, with casting yet to be announced, Leopoldstadt runs at Wyndham’s Theatre from 25 January to 16 May 2020.
Dave Malloy’s musical Preludes, about Sergei Rachmaninoff, will make its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse this fall. Based on the true story of Rachmaninoff’s hypnotherapy sessions–which helped the composer bounce back from a period of depression–Preludes will star Rebecca Caine (Les Misérables original RSC and London casts), Norton James, Georgia Louise, Tom Noyes, Keith Ramsay and Tim Walton. Directed by Alex Sutton, the production runs 6 September to 12 October.
Shakespeare Globe announces full casting for As You Like It. Returning to The Globe Theatre after last summer’s critically acclaimed run, As You Like It will feature Bettrys Jones reprising her role as Orlando, Jack Laskey reprising his role as Rosalind and Nadia Nadarajah reprising her role as Celia, with Sophie Stone as Jaques and James Garnon as Touchstone. The cast will also include Stacy Abalogun as Phoebe, Lily Bevan as Duke Frederick, Peter Bray as Oliver, Scott Brooksbank as Audrey, Simon Scardifield as Silvius, Kudzai Sitima as William and Tanika Yearwood as Amiens. As You Like It opens 7 August.
The Colours will come to Soho Theatre from 30 July to 17 August. A play created through interviews with patients, doctors, nurses and volunteers at a cancer center and hospice facility, The Colours features five people nearing the end of their lives, moving through fantasy, memory and reality. Directed by Max Barton, this original new musical will star Morfydd Clark, Claire-Marie Hall, Che Francis, Mark Knightley and Harriet Madeley.
Warheads at Park Theatre announces casting. Based on the story of writer and actor Taz Skylar’s best friend, Warheads illuminates PTSD in young soldiers. The production will star Taz Skylar, Lariza Clayton, Craig Fairbass, Hassan Najib, Joseph Connolly and Suli Breaks. Directed by Toby Clarke, Warheads runs at the Park Theatre from 15 August to 7 September.
Mike Bartlett’s play Snowflake will receive its London premiere this Christmas at Kiln Theatre. Olivier Award-winner Clare Lizzimore will direct this critically acclaimed play, which runs from 10 December 2019 to 18 January 2020. Casting will be announced later.
