Category: News & Features

David Tennant will star in a revival of C.P. Taylor’s GOOD. Olivier Award winning director Dominic Cooke reimagines the WWII-set drama, which will also star Fenella Woolgar and Elliot Levey. GOOD will play a 10-week run from 6 October at the Playhouse Theatre.

Carrie Hope Fletcher (pictured above) will star in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. Fletcher will play Cinderella in the new production at the Gillian Lynne Theatre. Directed by Laurence Connor, Cinderella begins performances 28 August, with tickets on sale in March.

Rufus Hound and Katy Brand join Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. The two comedian actors and writers will play Hugo/Loco Chanelle and Miss Hedge, respectively, from March. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre.

Jay McGuiness, Kimberley Walsh and Daniel Casey will star in Sleepless. The new musical based on Sleepless in Seattle will star McGuiness and Sam, Walsh as Annie and Casey as Walter. Joining them will be Harriet Thorpe as Eleanor, Tania Mathurin as Becky and Jake Sharp as Rob. Directed by Morgan Young, Sleepless runs from 24 March at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.

Jamie Parker and Chris Colquhoun join the cast of Robert Icke’s The Doctor. Directed by Robert Icke, the contemporary re-imagining of Arthur Schnitzler’s Professor Bernhardi will also feature Shelley Conn, Anni Domingo, Liv Hill and Millicent Wong, along with return alums Mariah Louca, Daniel Rabin, Joy Richardson, Naomi Wirthner and Hannah Ledwidge from the show’s run at the Almeida Theatre. Casualty runs 18 April through 18 July at the Duke of York’s Theatre.

Jeremy O. Harris’ Daddy announces full casting. The U.K. premiere will star Keisha Atwell, Rebecca Bernice Amissah, Jabari Braham, Katie Brayben, Alexander Hanson, David Jonsson, Ioanna Kimbook, John McCrea and Tanya Moodie. Directed by Danya Taymor, the Los Angeles-set melodrama runs from 30 March at the Almeida Theatre.

Sarah Brightman will return to London for a concert on 6 July. The internationally renowned singer and actress will perform at the historic Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich. Tickets go on sale today.

Cheyenne Jackson will make his U.K. debut at Cadogan Hall. The Grammy nominated actor, singer and songwriter will perform 28 June at 2:30 and 6:30 pm.

The West End transfer of The Watsons announces casting. Based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel, the production will star returning actors Sam Alexander, Sally Bankes, Jane Booker, Elaine Claxton, Tim Delap, Sophie Duval, Louise Ford, John Wilson Goddard, Grace Molony, Elander Moore, Paksie Vernon, Cat White and Laurence Ubong Williams. Ralph Davis joins them as Lord Osborne, with additional casting to come later. Directed by Samuel West, The Watsons runs 8 May through 26 September at the Harold Pinter Theatre.

Casting is complete for The Secret Garden at the London Palladium. Starring Lucie Jones, Ramin Karimloo and Jac Yarrow, the production will also feature Aoife Hughes and Darcy Jacobs sharing the role of Mary, with Finley Glasgow and Isaac Lancel Watkinson sharing the role of Colin. The rest of the cast includes Bianca Baykara, Adam J. Bernard, Lucy Drever, Louise Ellard-Turnbull, Ben Forster, Sejal Keshwala, Melanie La Barrie, Johndeep More, Michael Riseley and Celinde Schoenmaker. Directed by Nick Winston, The Secret Garden runs 4 April at 3 and 7:30 PM.

Let’s hear it for West End Broadway transfers! Pretty Woman: The Musical began performances this week at the Piccadilly Theatre. And Be More Chill started its run at The Other Palace.

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.

Brian Cox will direct the U.K. premiere of Sinners–The English Professor. Joshua Sobol’s two-hander play will star Nicole Ansari as Layla and Adam Sina as Nur. Sinners–The English Professor runs from 25 February at The Playground Theatre.

Hiran Abeysekera (pictured above) will star in Life of Pi at Wyndham’s Theatre. The actor originated the role in the production’s world premiere in 2019. He will be joined by Mina Anwar, Sagar Arya, Alex Chang, Fred Davis, Tom Espiner, Kirsten Foster, Daisy Franks, Raj Ghatak, Nuwan Hugh Perera, Romina Hytten, Sarah Kameela Impey, Tom Larkin, David K.S. Tse, Syreeta Kumar, Deeivya Meir, Habib Nasib Nader and Scarlet Wilderink. Directed by Max Webster, Life of Pi runs from 28 June at Wyndham’s Theatre.

Alexandra Silber and Corey English will lead Indecent at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Joining them will be Beverley Klein, Finbar Lynch, Molly Osborne, Peter Polycarpou and Joseph Timms. Directed by Rebecca Taichman, Paula Vogel’s Indecent runs from 13 March at the Menier Chocolate Factory.

Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel join the London production of Waitress. The pair joined the cast on 27 January as Jenna and Dr. Pomatter, respectively. And on 24 February, the two will host a post-show karaoke night. They will continue until 9 March, when Lucie Jones and David Hunter will return to reprise the roles. Waitress is currently running at the Adelphi Theatre until 4 July 2020.

The 10th anniversary revival of Clybourne Park announces casting. Directed by Oliver Kaderbhai, the production will star Michael Fox, Imogen Stubbs and Eric Underwood. Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park runs from 25 March to 2 May at the Park Theatre.

The Guild of Misrule’s immersive The Great Gatsby extends through 26 July. Created and directed by Alexander Wright, the show has extended due to popular demand. The Great Gatsby is currently playing at IMMERSIVE | LDN through 26 July 2020.

Disney’s Frozen delays priority booking. Priority tickets for the London transfer of Frozen were set to go on sale this week, but have since been delayed until next week. Frozen begins previews 30 October at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, with an opening night of 12 November.

Sister Act will now start a week earlier than announced. The London run of the revamped musical’s U.K. tour will play from 21 July through 30 August at the Eventim Apollo. Sister Act stars Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders.

Sony and Netflix will produce Matilda the Musical movie. Helmed by Matthew Warchus, who directed the original stage production, the movie is currently in the works, with no release date or casting announced yet. The film is expected to be released in theatres and on home video, followed by a streaming deal on Netflix.

Kerry Ellis will star in the workshop of new musical Legends of Arahma. An epic adventure of two clans at war, the musical will run at St. Paul’s Church, Covent Garden on 30 March.

Louise Dearman will perform in concert at Cadogan Hall. Known for playing both Glinda and Elphaba in Wicked, Dearman is set to give her biggest solo concert yet on 31 May at 6:30 pm.

The Royal Shakespeare Company announces casting for The Winter’s Tale. Cross-cast with The Comedy of Errors and Pericles, the production will star Joseph Kloska as Leontes, Kemi-Bo Jacobs as Hermione, Ben Caplan as Camillo, Amanda Hadingue as Paulina and Andrew French as Polixenes. Directed by Erica Whyman, The Winter’s Tale runs at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre from 28 March, with a line cinema broadcast on 10 June.

Comedian Paul Merton (pictured above) will make his West End debut as Wilbur Turnblad in Hairspray. Rita Simons (EastEnders) also joins the cast as Velma Von Tussle, with Jonny Amies (Sex Education) as Link Larkin. As previously announced, the production will star Lizzie Bea (Becoming Nancy) as Tract, Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad and Marisha Wallace (Dreamgirls) as Motormouth Maybelle. Directed by Jack O’Brien, Hairspray runs from 23 April at the London Coliseum.

Olivier Award winner Janie Dee will star in the London premiere of Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Inspired by Chekhov’s play of the same name, the production won the Tony Award for Best Play in 2013. Its U.K. premiere will be directed by Walter Bobbie (Chicago). Further casting will be announced later. Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike will play at the Charing Cross Theatre from 21 March to 16 May.

Molly Lynch and Oli Higginson will lead The Last Five Years at Southwark Playhouse. Lynch and Higginson will play Cathy and Jamie, respectively. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, the revival of Jason Robert Brown’s musical runs from 28 February.

Indecent announces initial casting. The company of the production will include Alexandra Silber, Peter Polycarpou, Beverley Klein, Molly Osborne, Finbar Lynch and Joseph Timms. Directed by the Tony Award winning Rebecca Taichman, Indecent runs at Menier Chocolate Factory from 13 March.

Alfred Enoch will play Romeo in Shakespeare’s Globe’s Romeo & Juliet. Known for his roles in How to Get Away With Murder and the Harry Potter films, Enoch will star in the new production, directed by Ola Ince, that runs from 14 April through 12 July. Further casting will be announced later.

Shakespeare’s Globe also announces its 2020 summer season. Productions will include Romeo & Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Antony & Cleopatra and Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The season will also include a two-day event called Globe 4 Globe: Shakespeare and the Climate Emergency, a symposium on Shakespeare and Race, a Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank production of Macbeth, and the family festival Telling Tales.

Mischief Theatre’s The Comedy About a Bank Robbery will close after 3 May 2020. The production is currently running at the Criterion Theatre, where it has played for four years.

Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize winning play In the Blood will kick off the Donmar Warehouse’s 2020 season. Directed by Ellen McDougal (Our Town), the production will begin 17 April. The season will also include Steve Waters’ The Contingency Plan, Nina Segal’s Assembly, and a new adaptation of Ruben Östlund’s film Force Majeure directed by Michael Longhurst. Casting for all productions will be announced later.

Magic Goes Wrong extends to 30 August 2020, with tickets on sale now. Co-created with magicians Penn & Teller, Magic Goes Wrong is the second production in Mischief Theatre’s residency at the Vaudeville Theatre.

Samuel Bailey’s Shook will transfer to the West End in April. The play, which premiered at Southwark Playhouse last year, will run at Trafalgar Studios from 8 April through 9 May. Directed by George Turney, the production will reunite the original company.

Angels of the North, a new comedy by John Godber OBE, will transfer to the West End in May. A companion piece to Scary Bikers, Angels of the North will star John Godber, Adrian Hood and Martha Godber.

Richard Gadd’s solo show Baby Reindeer will play in London before making its New York premiere. Baby Reindeer runs from 2 April through 2 May at the Ambassadors Theatre. The show premiered at Edinburgh Fringe last year, followed by a run at the Bush Theatre.

Rose Theatre announces casting for The Creature: [Frankenstein Retold]. Adapted for the stage by Ciaran McConville and directed by Lucy Morrell, the production will star Billy Brown, Eleanor Clark, Katherine Liley, Louis Mertens, Joshua King Milne, Frankie Oldham, Anna Pryce, Francis Redfern and Daisy Tucker. The Creature: [Frankenstein Retold] runs at Rose Theatre from 27 to 29 February.

Michael Ball and Alfie Boe will broadcast their concert to U.K. cinemas. Their show Back Together will play in 1,000 cinemas across the U.K. and Ireland on 28 and 29 March.

Lucie Jones’ upcoming solo concert will be released as an album. The one-night-only concert will play at the Adelphi Theatre on 16 February, with Lucie Jones joined by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra and special guests John Owen Jones and Marisha Wallace. Lucie Jones is currently starring as Jenna in Waitress. The album will release this spring.

SIX extends to 31 January 2021. The new musical will celebrate its first birthday in the West End at the Arts Theatre, with 90,000 seats for the event on sale today. And on 21 January, the show welcomes Sophie Isaacs as Katherine Howard.

Desi Oakley makes her West End debut in Waitress. Last Saturday, Waitress star Lucie Jones and her two understudies Olivia Moore and Sarah O’Connor were struck down ill. A concert was held on Saturday by the remaining cast members, and other productions over the weekend were cancelled. The producers then flew in Desi Oakley, who played Jenna in the U.S. tour of Waitress, to cover for Lucie Jones. She will continue in the role until Jones, Moore, and O’Connor recover.

Stephanie J. Block reschedules her London concert. Originally scheduled to play Cadogan Hall on 12 April, the Tony Award winning Broadway star will not perform on 30 August at 2:30 and 6:30 PM. Stephanie J. Block recently starred in The Cher Show on Broadway, for which she won a Tony.

School of Rock will give its final performance on 1 March 2020. Now in its fourth year on the West End, the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical won an Olivier Award for its score. A U.K. tour is planned for 2021. School of Rock is currently playing at the New London Theatre.

Louise Redknapp and Brian Conley will return to 9 to 5 The Musical. From 10 February, Redknapp will replace Caroline Sheen as Violet. From 2 March, Brian Conley will play Franklin Hart Jnr. David Hasselhoff gives his last performance in the role on 8 February. In the interim, Sean Needham will take on the role. 9 to 5 is currently running at the Savoy Theatre until 23 March 2020.

Thriller Live! will celebrate its 11th birthday with a singalong on 22 January. For one night only, audience members can sing along to their favorite Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 songs.

Shakespeare’s Globe announces full casting for The Taming of the Shrew and Women Beware Women. Directed by Maria Gaitanidi and Amy Hodge, respectively, both plays will be performed in the candlelit Sam Wanamaker Playhouse in February. The Taming of the Shrew will star Raymond Anum, Ryan Ellsworth, Mattia Mariotti, Evelyn Miller, Laura Moody, James Northcote, Jude Owusu, Paul Ready, Melissa Riggall, Vasilis Sarikis and Michelle Terry. Thomas Middleton’s Women Beware Women will star Paul Adeyefa, Daon Broni, Helen Cripps, Tara Fitzgerald, Stephanie Jacob, Wil Johnson, Simon Kunz, Gloria Onitiri, Rachael Spence, Thalissa Teixeira and Olivia Vinall.

Indecent will make its London premiere at Menier Chocolate Factory. Rebecca Taichman, who won a Tony Award for directing the play on Broadway, will also direct the London production of Paula Vogel’s play. Indecent runs from 13 March to 9 May. The Menier Chocolate Factory’s spring season will also include Habeus Corpus by Alan Bennett, The Watsons in the West End, and The Boy Friend in Toronto.

Dylan Wynford’s new musical The Throwaways announces casting for the workshop production. The performance will star Lizzie Bea, Francesca Forristal, Michael Hamway, Sahera Khan, Andrew Langtree, Siobhan O’Driscoll, Lawrence Smith and Courtney Stapleton. The workshop performance will play at The Other Palace on 31 January.

Jason Manford will return to host the 2020 Olivier Awards. This will be the comedian/actor/singer’s third time hosting. The Awards will take place on 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall.

The new production of Les Miserables opened Thursday at the newly refurbished Sondheim Theatre. Break a leg to the cast and crew!

A film version of Matilda the Musical is in the works! Matthew Warchus, the show’s original director, will helm the production, with filming expected to take place from August to December of this year. Casting will begin in April. The film will be produced by Working Title, the company behind movie-musicals like Billy Elliot, Yesterday and Les Misérables. No release date has been announced yet.

Pretty Woman: The Musical announces full casting. Check out the photo above of the company’s first day in rehearsal! Starring Aimie Atkinson and Danny Mac, Pretty Woman will also feature Rachael Wooding as Kit De Luca, Bob Harms as Happy Man/Mr. Thompson, Neil McDermott as Philip Stuckey and Mark Holden as James Morse. Pretty Woman runs at the Piccadilly Theatre from 13 February.

Andy Nyman joins Hello, Dolly! Nyman, who recently played Tevye in the Trevor Nunn production of Fiddler on the Roof, will play Horace Vandergelder. He joins the previously announced Imelda Staunton and Jenna Russell. Dominic Cooke directs. Hello, Dolly! runs at the Adelphi Theatre from 11 August.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella will make its London premiere at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in September. Directed by Laurence Connor, the musical replaces School of Rock at the theater, which will close 1 March. Cinderella will launch a tour in 2021. Casting for both the London production and the tour will be announced later.

Cirque du Soleil’s show LUZIA comes to the Royal Albert Hall on 12 January. This new production marks 30 years since Cirque du Soleil first swung onto the UK stage. A waking dream of Mexico, LUZIA runs at the Royal Albert Hall from 12 January to 1 March.

Alice Fern and a new company join Come From Away. From 10 February, Alice Fern replaces Rachel Tucker in Come From Away. She will be joined by Tarinn Callender, James Doherty, Kate Graham and Alasdair Harvey. Come From Away is currently playing at the Phoenix Theatre.

Park Theatre announces casting for the English translation of La Cage aux Folles [The Play]. Simon Callow’s English translation of Jean Poiret’s French classic will star Paul Hunter, Michael Matus, Syrus Lowe, Arthur Hughes, Sarah Lam, Peter Straker, Mark Cameron, Simon Hepworth, Louise Bangay, Georgina Ambrey and William Nelson. Directed by Jez Bond, La Cage aux Folles runs at Park Theatre from 12 February through 21 March.

The English premiere of Joseph Crilly’s On McQuillan’s Hill announces casting. The production will star Helena Bereen, Gina Costigan, Julie Maguire, Kevin Murphy, Declan Rodgers and Johnny Vivash. On McQuillan’s Hill runs for four weeks from 4 February.

One Jewish Boy will make its West End debut at Trafalgar Studios in March. Stephen Laughton’s two-hander starring Robert Neumark-Jones and Asha Reid played a sold-out run at the Old Red Lion Theatre last year. Directed by Sarah Meadows, the play runs at Trafalgar Studios from 10 March to 4 April.

Ian Hughes replaces Matt Lucas as Thénardier in Les Misérables. Lucas, who took over for Gerard Carey when the latter contracted pneumonia, sustained a back injury last week and is unable to continue in the role. Hughes, who recently played Thénardier in the U.K. and international tour of Les Misérables, steps into the role today (10 January). The new London production of Les Misérables is currently playing at the refurbished Sondheim Theatre.

Lucie Jones and David Hunter will host the next Waitress karaoke night on 15 January. The event will take place in partnership with Encore Tickets.

Helen Aluko and April Hughes will star in the world premiere of Lily Shamoon’s Lipstick. Directed by Ed White, the production runs at Southwark Playhouse from 4 to 28 March.

Riverdance‘s 25th Anniversary Show will play in U.K. cinemas 3 and 4 March. The event, screening in 400 cinemas across the U.K., marks the first time the show has played on the big screen.

The West End Flea Market returns 16 May 2020. After its highly successful debut last year, the event will take place again this year, at St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. Here’s your chance to shop for theatre memorabilia, signed posters, and specially made items.

The Wrong Man will run at The Other Palace in February. Ross Golan, best known as a pop songwriter who has written for artists like Nicki Minaj, Selena Gomez and Ariana Grande, will bring his musical The Wrong Man to The Other Palace as a solo show on 20 February 2020. The show recently played Off-Broadway starring Joshua Henry.

New musical It Happened in Key West will get a concept recording. The show has book, music and lyrics by Jill Santoriello, additional book and lyrics by Jason Huza and an original concept by Jeremiah James. Production of the concept album begins on 8 February 2020, with a release date scheduled for 31 July 2020.

The Almeida Theatre announces full casting for Mike Bartlett’s Albion. Joining the previously announced Victoria Hamilton will be Nigel Betts, Edyta Budnik, Wil Coban, Margot Leicester, Nicholas Rowe and Helen Schlesinger–all reprising their roles from the sold-out 2017 run. In addition, the cast includes Angel Coulby, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Dónal Finn and Geoffrey Freshwater.

It’s a new year! And that means new theatre! To help you get ready, here’s our list of some of the hottest productions coming to the West End this winter:

9 January: Rags at London’s Park Theatre

14 January: Uncle Vanya starring Toby Jones and Richard Armitage

22 January: Faustus, That Damned Woman adapted from Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus

27 January: Endgame starring Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe

5 February: The Prince of Egypt at the Dominion Theatre

7 February: The Upstart Crow starring David Mitchell and the cast of the BBC TV sitcom

12 February: Be More Chill (fresh from its Broadway run)

13 February: Pretty Woman starring Aimie Atkinson and Danny Mac

5 March: City of Angels starring Rosalie Craig and Hadley Fraser

5 March: On Blueberry Hill by Irish Laureate Sebastian Barry

21 March: Sleepless, A Musical Romance based on the film Sleepless in Seattle

Lucie Jones, currently starring in Waitress, will perform a one-night-only solo concert at the Adelphi Theatre. The concert is set for 16 February 2020, and will also feature the London Musical Theatre Orchestra.

And speaking of Waitress, the show will welcome newcomer Evelyn Hoskins and returning cast member Marisha Wallace in the new year. Hoskins (Assassins, Spring Awakening) will play Dawn from 25 January, with Marisha Wallace reprising her role as Becky from 6 January. Waitress runs through 7 March 2020 at the Adelphi Theatre.

Emilia Clarke will make her West End debut in The Seagull. Clarke, known for her roles in Game of Thrones, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Terminator: Genisys, Last Christmas and more, will play Nina. Directed by Jamie Lloyd, Anya Reiss’ adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s play runs at the Playhouse Theatre from 11 March to 30 May 2020.

Sophie Isaacs will join the cast of Six. Starting 21 January 2020, Isaacs, who formerly starred in Heathers and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, will play Katherine Howard. She will replace Vicki Manser, who leaves Six to tour with Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

Hannah Waddingham, Steph Parry and Emma Norman join The Pirate Queen. The three join the previously announced Rachel Tucker, Jai McDowall and Matthew Pagan in the charity gala performance of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s musical. The Pirate Queen runs 23 February 2020 at the London Coliseum, with proceeds to benefit Leukaemia UK.

The Wolf of Wall Street will close 19 January 2020. As it winds down, the immersive production will host a special New Year’s Eve After Party with DJs, aerial artists, a magician and a marching band. The Wolf of Wall Street is currently running at Stratton Oakmont (5-15 Sun Street).

On Blueberry Hill will transfer to London’s Trafalgar Studios this spring. Irish Laureate Sebastian Barry’s play previously ran in Dublin and Off-Broadway, starring Olivier Award winner Niall Buggy and David Ganly. Both actors will reprise their roles for the show’s London run. Directed by Jim Culleton, Blueberry Hill runs at Trafalgar Studios from 5 March to 2 May 2020.

Dominique Morisseau’s Pipeline will make its U.K. premiere at Arcola Theatre next year. The Off-Broadway drama runs 26 March to 21 May as part of the theatre’s 2020 season. The season will also include a brand new adaptation of August Strindberg’s The Dance of Death and 10 new plays by celebrated playwrights.

English National Opera announces its next two ENO Studio Live productions. A new production of Judith Weir’s Blond Eckbert will run 20 to 23 May at ENO’s Rehearsal Studios. A revival of Jonathan Dove’s The Day After will run 30 April to 2 May at Alexandria Palace Theatre.

The Jury, a new musical by Ashley M.A. Walsh and Amy Fletcher, will play in London this February. The production had its world premiere at the Brindley Theatre in Runcorn. Directed by Joseph Meighan, The Jury will run “Upstairs At The Gatehouse” from 4 to 16 February 2020.

Tomorrow is here! Les Misérables reopened the newly restored (and renamed) Sondheim Theatre on Wednesday. The re-imagined production stars Jon Robyns as Jean Valjean, Bradley Jaden as Javert, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Harry Apps as Marius, Shan Ako as Eponine, Lily Kerhoas as Cosette, Matt Lucas as Thénardier (from 23 December to 3 February), Josefina Gabrielle as Madame Thénardier and Ashley Gilmour as Enjolras. Rachelle Ann Go plays Fantine 2 March to 18 April, and again from 27 July. Directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, Les Misérables is now booking at the Sondheim Theatre until October 2020. You can catch a peak at the new production in rehearsals below.

This week–casting for Pretty Woman, Be More Chill, The Secret Garden and more! Catch all the latest news in the world of London theatre right here.

Aimie Atkinson and Danny Mac (pictured above) will lead Pretty Woman: The Musical. The transfer of the Broadway show based on the 1990 romantic comedy film will star Aimie Atkinson as Vivian and Danny Mac as Edward. Pretty Woman runs at the Piccadilly Theatre for a limited engagement of 46 weeks. More casting will be announced later.

Ramin Karimloo, Lucie Jones and Jac Yarrow will star in The Secret Garden at the London Palladium. The concert production of the musical will run 4 April 2020 at 3:00 PM and 7:30 PM. More casting will be announced later.

Be More Chill announces casting for its London run. The transfer of Joe Iconis’ Broadway musical will star Scott Folan (Mother of Him) as Jeremy Heere, with Blake Patrick Anderson (Closer to Heaven) as Michael, Renee Lamb (Six) as Jenna, and Millie O’Connell (Six) as Chloe. Joining them will be Miracle Chance as Christine Canigula, Stewart Clarke as The Squip, Eloise Davies as Brooke Lohst, James Hameed as Rich Goranski, Miles Paloma as Jake Dillinger and Christopher Fry as Mr. Heere and Mr. Reyes. Eve Norris joins the production as swing, with further casting to be announced later. Be More Chill runs at The Other Palace from 12 February 2020.

Hannah Tointon and Joel Montague will host the next Waitress karaoke night on 18 December. Waitress is currently running at the Adelphi Theatre.

Jim Carter will appear in conversation with Helen Mirren at the Kiln Theatre. Mirren will discuss her career on stage and screen in this special fundraising event that takes place 16 February 2020.

Theo James (Divergent) and Jonathan Slinger (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) join City of Angels. They will star alongside Vanessa Williams, Hadley Fraser, Rebecca Trehearn and Rosalie Craig in the transfer of the Olivier Award winning Donmar Warehouse production. Directed by Josie Rourke, City of Angels runs from 5 March 2020 at the Garrick Theatre.

Wendy Nottingham, Paul Eason, Elliot Liburd and Josh Barrow will lead the world premiere of James McDermott’s Time and Tide. The LGBTQ+ comic drama runs at the Park Theatre from 5 to 29 February 2020. Directed by Rob Ellis, the play features Wendy Nottingham (Vera Drake, Peaky Blinders, Mr. Selfridge) as May, Paul Easom (The Girls, Beyond the Rainbow) as Ken, Elliot Liburd (The Three Musketeers, Titus Andronicus) as Daz and Josh Barrow (The Outsider, Temple) as Nemo.

Hassan Abdulrazzak’s new play The Special Relationship comes to Soho Theatre. Synergy Theatre presents this timely new satire about the deportation of ex-prisoners from the U.S. Directed by Esther Baker, The Special Relationship stars Miranda Foster, Ricky Fearon and Duncan Wiseby. More casting will be announced later. The production runs at Soho Theatre from 26 February to 21 March 2020.

Get ready to party like a princess, with Broadway Princess Party and Disney’s Frozen–starring Samantha Barks–headed your way in the near future! Besides that, we’ve got brand new casting news for Rags, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, City of Angels and more. Catch it all right here.

Samantha Barks will star in Disney’s Frozen at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in October 2020. The star of the Les Misérables film and Broadway’s Pretty Woman, Samantha Barks has also performed in London productions of Honeymoon in Vegas and The Last Five Years. Frozen will go on sale to the general public 6 March 2020, with priority booking from late January 2020. Further casting has yet to be announced.

Broadway Princess Party, featuring Laura Osnes, Susan Egan and Courtney Reed, is coming to London. Hosted by Benjamin Rauhala, the show features Broadway’s original Cinderella, Belle and Jasmine singing every princess song in the book and sharing stories from Broadway and beyond. Broadway Princess Party runs at Leicester Square Theatre on 15 and 16 May 2020.

Carolyn Maitland, Dave Willetts and Sam Attwater will star in Rags at London’s Park Theatre. Directed by Bronagh Lagan (Little Women, Broken Wings), the production features Maitland (Ghost, Groundhog Day) as Rebecca, Willetts (The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love) as Avram and Attwater (EastEnders, Hollyoaks) as Bronfman.

The cast of Rags will also include Debbie Chazen, Alex Gibson-Giorgio, Rachel Izen, Samuel Jones, Jude Muir, Martha Kirby, Oisin Nolan-Power, Jeremy Rose, Arthur Boan, Angela Caesar, Adam Crossley, Drew Dillon, Matthew Gent and Natasha Karp. With a book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof), lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) and music by Charles Strouse (Annie), Rags runs at the Park Theatre from 9 January to 8 February 2020.

Nicola Roberts will make her stage debut in City of Angels. A BRIT Award-winning singer/songwriter, Roberts was a former member of the pop group Girls Aloud. Playing Avril/Mallory, she joins Vanessa Williams, Rosalie Craig, Hadley Fraser, Rebecca Trehearn and Marc Elliott in the transfer of the Donmar Warehouse production. Directed by Josie Rourke, City of Angels runs from 5 March 2020 at the Garrick Theatre.

Monsoon Wedding will come to London in 2020. The new musical based on Mira Nair’s 2001 film, played at Berkeley Rep in 2017. Co-directed by Nair and Stephen Whitson, the show features a book by Sabrina Dhawan and Arpita Mukherjee, with music by Vishal Bhardwaj and lyrics by Masi Asare, Susan Birkenhead and Jamshied Sharfiri. Monsoon Wedding will run at Leeds Playhouse from 17 June to 11 July 2020, then at London’s Roundhouse Theatre from 17 July to 29 August 2020. Casting will be announced later.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie announces a new cast for 2020. From 6 January 2020, the following cast members will join the show: Hiba Elchike as Pritti Pasha, David O’Reilly as Laika Virgin, Leon Craig as Sandra Bollock, Jordan Ricketts as Dean, Zion Battles as Levi and Keenan Knight as Sayid. Ebony Clarke joins as Swing/Dance Captain, with Joe Wolstenholme as Swing and Brian James Leys as Leys (Understudy). As previously announced, Noah Thomas will take over the role of Jamie New. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is currently running at the Apollo Theatre.

Soho Cinders extends and announces new casting. From 23 December, Michael Mather and Livvy Evans will replace Millie O’Connell and Luke Bayer in the lead roles. Also joining the production are Dayle Hodge, Hollie Taylor and Liam McHugh. Soho Cinders is currently running at Charing Cross Theatre through 11 January.

Improv comedy troupe Austentatious announces a 2020 residency at the Fortune Theatre. After a successful national tour and 2019 London run, the show will continue performances from 24 February to 27 July 2020.

Headlong’s new 2020-2021 season will feature August Wilson’s Jitney, Jack Thorne’s After Life and Chris Bush’s Faustus: That Damned Woman. Artistic Director Jeremy Herrin’s final season will also include Europeans: Dramas from a Divided Union and April De Angelis’ Mrs. Noah.

Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker! returns to London next Christmas. Tickets go on sale 10 February 2020 for a run at Sadler’s Wells in December 2020, with dates to be announced in January.

Magic Mike Live extends to 28 June 2020. The show has also changed its schedule to add more performances. Tickets for the new booking period are on sale now. Conceived by Channing Tatum, Magic Mike Live is currently running at The Theatre at the Hippodrome Casino in Leicester Square.

Happy Friday! Here’s all the latest info about new musicals, U.K. premieres, star casting, and more.

Sleepless, A Musical Romance will star Michael D. Xavier and Kimberley Walsh. The new musical, based on the movie Sleepless in Seattle, runs at the newly opened Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre from 21 March 2020. Directed by Morgan Young (Elf, White Christmas, Big), Sleepless will also feature Soo Drouet, Gay Soper, Alex Fobbester, Dylan Turner, Vicki Davids, Michael Carolan, Jobe Hart, Charlie Bull, Charlotte Gale, Matt Holland, Joanna Rennie, Tyler Smith and Annette Yeo. The musical has a book by Michael Burdette, with music and lyrics by Robert Scott and Brendan Cull.

It’s official. Rhys Ifans will play Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird. The London transfer of Aaron Sorkin’s Broadway play, directed by Bartlett Sher, opens in 2020. Further casting will be announced later.

Gary Beadle and Jasper Britton will star in Cormac McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited. The London premiere of Cormac McCarthy’s play, directed by Terry Johnson, will run at the Boulevard Theatre from 16 January 2020.

Helen Monks, Rob Rouse, Steve Speirs and Mark Heap join Upstart Crow. Based on the BBC TV sitcom, the play will star David Mitchell as Will Shakespeare, with Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) as Kate. Most of these actors will be reprising their roles from the original sitcom. Danielle Phillips, Jason Callender and Rachel Summers also join the cast. Adapted by Ben Elton, Upstart Crow runs at the Gielgud Theatre from 17 February 2020.

Dear Evan Hansen extends to 30 May 2020. The London transfer of the Broadway musical opened last week and is now running at the Noël Coward Theatre.

Wicked releases new tickets until 28 November 2020. The musical is currently booking at the Apollo Victoria Theatre for an open-ended run.

Afterglow extends through 22 December. The transfer of the hit Off-Broadway play has extended twice already, with this being the final extension. Afterglow is currently running at the Waterloo East Theatre.

The U.K. premiere of Pass Over will star Paapa Essiedu, Alexander Eliot and Gershwyn Eustache Jr. Antoinette Nwandu’s critically acclaimed play, directed by Indhu Rubasingham, runs at the Kiln Theatre from 13 February 2020.

Athena Stevens’ Scrounger opens Finborough Theatre’s 40th anniversary year. The world premiere of this new play by Finborough Theatre Playwright in Residence and Olivier Award nominee Athena Stevens will run at the Finborough Theatre for four weeks from 7 January 2020.

Opera Undone: Tosca & La Bohème announces casting. The double-bill will feature a repertory cast in two modernized, 60-minute adaptations of the Puccini operas. Fiona Finsbury and Honey Rouhani will share the roles of Musetta/Melissa and Tosca. Robert Barbaro, Philip Lee and Roger Paterson will share the roles of Rodolfo/Rod, Mimi/Luca, and Cavaradossi. Michael Georgiou and Hugo Herman Wilson will share the roles of Marcello/Marcus and Scarpia. Directed by Adam Spreadybury-Maher, Opera Undone runs at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 5 February 2020.

Closings, casting announcements, and more! Don’t miss a thing. Stay up to date on all the latest news in the world of London theatre with our weekly round-up.

Imelda Staunton will star in a new West End production of Hello, Dolly! Directed by Dominic Cooke, the production will co-star Jenna Russell as Irene Malloy, with choreography by Bill Deamer, costumes by Rae Smith, and music direction by Nicholas Skilbeck. More casting will be announced later. Hello, Dolly! will run at the Adelphi Theatre from 11 August 2020.

Waitress will close 4 July 2020. The Sara Bareilles musical will then embark on a U.K. tour before returning to the West End. Waitress is currently running at London’s Adelphi Theatre.

Joel Montague joins Waitress. Motague, who has starred in Falsettos, School of Rock and Funny Girl, will play Ogie from 2 December 2019. He replaces Joe Sugg in the role.

Helen Mirren and Mark Strong will star in a new adaptation of Oedipus. Produced by Sonia Friedman, the adaptation by Robert Wicke will play in the West End, with dates and venue to be announced later.

Timothée Chalamet and Eileen Atkins will star in 4000 Miles. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the London revival of Amy Herzog’s Pulitzer Prize finalist follows a 21-year-old named Leo and his 91-year-old grandmother, Vera, as they discuss grief and family. Chalamet will make his West End stage debut in the production. 4000 Miles runs at The Old Vic from 6 April 2020.

Jessica Hynes will star in the Donmar Warehouse production of Far Away. Lyndsey Turner’s production of Caryl Churchill’s play will also star Aisling Loftus and Simon Manyonda. Further casting will be announced later.

Faye Castelow, Felicity Davidson, Avye Leventis and Sadie Shimmin join Leopoldstadt. Casting for the production is now complete. Directed by Patrick Marber, the world premiere of Tom Stoppard’s new play runs at the Wyndham’s Theatre from 25 January 2020.

& Juliet releases cast album. The new musical’s original cast album drops today! For a sampling, listen to Britney Spears’ “I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman” performed by & Juliet stars Arun Blair-Mangat and Miriam-Teak Lee.

Roger Allam will lead a tribute show to celebrate Peter Nichols. Joining him will be Nigel Lindsay, Layo-Christina Akinlude, Laurence Belcher, James Harkness, Faith Omole, Elliott Ross and Grace Courtney. Directed by Peter Nichols’ grandson George Nichols, they will perform extracts from the playwright’s television and stage works. Peter Nichols: A Celebration takes place 27 November at Trafalgar Studios.

Footballers’ Wives – The Musical announces casting. Based on the TV series with a book by Maureen Chadwick and music and lyrics by Kath Gotts, Footballers’ Wives will star Simon Bailey, Natasha J. Barnes, Norman Bowman, Liam Doyle, Alice Fearn, Emma Hatton, Emmanuel Kojo, Wendi Peters and Dean John Wilson. The musical is currently in development, with a London showcase scheduled for 22 November.

Theatre Royal Stratford East announces Red Riding Hood as its 2020/2021 pantomime. Directed by Robert Shaw Cameron, with book and lyrics by Bryony Lavery and music and lyrics by Robert Hyman, Red Riding Hood runs from 21 November 2020 to 9 January 2021. Casting will be announced later.