The Seagull, starring Emilia Clarke, announces full casting. Joining Clarke in Anya Reiss’ adaptation of the Chekhov classic will be Danny Ashok, Robert Glenister, Tom Rhys Harries, Daniel Monks, Tamzin Outhwaite, Patrick Robinson, Seun Shote, Indira Varma and Sophie Wu. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, The Seagull runs at the Playhouse Theatre from 11 March.
Zubin Varla and Robert Tripolino join Zorro in concert at Cadogan Hall. Varla (Fun Home, Ghost Quartet) and Tripolino (Jesus Christ Superstar) will play Don Alejandro and Ramon, respectively, in the one-night-only concert event. They join Lesli Margherita, Emma Williams and Ricardo Afonso. Zorro plays Cadogan Hall on 23 February.
Olivier Award winner Clive Rowe will play Eddie Souther in Sister Act. Rowe won an Olivier for his work in the National Theatre production of Guys and Dolls. The new production, starring Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders, kicks off its U.K. and Ireland tour 21 April, with a London engagement to follow.
Earl Carpenter and Daniel Boys complete the cast of The Pirate Queen. Carpenter (Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera) will play Dubhdara, with Daniel Boys (The Boys in the Band, Avenue Q) as Lord Bingham. The two join the previously announced Rachel Tucker, Hannah Waddingham, Matthew Pagan, Steph Parry and Emma Norman in the one-night only concert production. The Pirate Queen plays the London Coliseum on 23 February, with proceeds to benefit Leukaemia UK.
Norman Bowman and Jacqui Danworth will star in the world premiere of Indecent Proposal. The new musical is inspired by the Jack Engelhard book and 1993 film. Bowman (42nd Street, Murder Ballad) will play Jonny, with Dankworth (Into the Woods) as Annie. More casting will be announced later. Directed by Olivier Award winner Charlotte Westenra, with music by Dylan Schlosberg and a book and lyrics by Michael Conley, Indecent Proposal premieres 29 May at Southwark Playhouse.
The Shark Is Broken, a comedy about the making of Jaws, comes to the West End this spring. Guy Masterson directs, with Ian Shaw playing his father Robert Shaw, Demetri Goritsas as Roy Schedier and Liam Murray Scott as Richard Dreyfuss. A hit at the Edinburgh Fringe, The Shark Is Broken will come to London’s Ambassadors Theatre from 11 May through 18 July.
Magic Goes Wrong announces a new cast for this spring. From 31 March, Laurence Pears and Lauren Ingram join the cast as Sophisticato and Spitzmaus, respectively, with Tom Babbage taking over Sophisticato from 2 June. Sydney K. Smith joins as Mickey from 5 April, with Kazeem Tosin Amore as The Blade and Laura Kirman as the Bear from 7 April. Harry Kershaw joins as Mind Mangler from 5 May. Magic Goes Wrong is currently running at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Ghostlight Records will release a cast recording of Rags The Musical. Stephen Schwartz’s musical will get a recording for the first time since 1991, when the Broadway show released a cast recording through Sony. Rags is currently running at the Park Theatre starring Carolyn Maitland.
Maiya Quansah-Breed will star in a new production of Cases at The Other Palace. Featuring a revamped score and new songs, Cases will also star Sabrina Aloueche, Andrew Patrick-Walker and Adrian Hansel. Directed by Grace Taylor, Cases runs 31 March to 18 April at The Other Palace.
Austentatious announces a new weekly residency at the Fortune Theatre. The popular improv troupe will perform 24 February to 27 July 2020.
Saffron Burrows will star in a one-night-only staged reading of Lorien Haynes’ Everything I Ever Wanted to Tell My Daughter About Men. Directed by Tara Fitzgerald, the production will star Saffron Burrows (Mozart in the Jungle, You), Oliver Christ, Enzo Cilenti, Matthew Cooke, Charlie Field, Jonathan Firth, Jason Isaacs, Joe Sims and Belinda Stewart-Wilson. The performance takes place at The Globe’s Sam Wanamaker Playhouse on 20 February.
& Juliet announces a special sing along performance on 12 May. The new pop musical is currently running at the Shaftesbury Theatre through October 2020.
Gemma Lawrence and Huw Parmenter will star in the world premiere of Cordelia O’Neill’s Anything Is Possible If You Think About It Hard Enough. Directed by Kate Budgen, the production runs at Southwark Playhouse from 1 to 25 April.
Mamma Mia! The Party extends into 2021. The immersive experience is now booking until 28 March 2021 at the O2 London.
The Prince of Egypt is now in previews. Currently playing at the Dominion Theatre, the new musical adaptation of the animated film opens 25 February.
Dolly Parton’s 9 to 5 The Musical releases a live cast recording. Recorded during the production’s run at the Savoy Theatre, the album features Caroline Sheen, Amber Davis, Natalie McQueen, Bonnie Langford and Brian Conley. The recording is now available to stream and download. 9 to 5 is currently running at the Savoy Theatre.
Director and former Royal Shakespeare Company leader Terry Hands died 4 February at the age of 79. Hands helmed the musical adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie and directed countless productions at the RSC (with whom he worked from 1966 to 2001) and other venues. His accolades include two Olivier Awards and three Tony nominations.
