Category: News & Features

Fra Fee will star in the new Irish musical Breakfast on Pluto. Written by Bob Kelly with music by Duke Special, the production will also feature Niamh Perry, David Ganly, Kate Gilmore and Rickie O’Neill, with full casting to be announced soon. Directed by Des Kenney, Breakfast on Pluto will play a seven-week run at the Donmar Warehouse from 2 October to 21 November.

Terry Gilliam will direct Into the Woods at the Old Vic. The screenwriter, director, actor, and former Monty Python member will helm a new production of Sondheim’s musical this winter, with more details to come.

Lucie Jones and David Hunter will return to Waitress. From 23 March, Jones and Hunter will reprise their roles as Jenna and Dr. Pomatter, respectively. They replace Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel, performing in the roles until 21 March. Waitress is currently running at the Adelphi Theatre until 4 July 2020.

Elton John and Jake Shears will hold a workshop for their musical about Tammy Faye Bakker. Directed by Rupert Goold with a book by James Graham, Tammy Faye: The Musical looks at the life of infamous TV evangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. With a workshop set for April, the musical aims to premiere at the Almeida Theatre in 2021.

The National Theatre announces full casting for Jack Absolute Flies Again. Directed by Thea Sharrock, this new comedy based on Sheridan’s The Rivals will star Laurie Davidson, Natalie Simpson, Caroline Quentin and Richard Fleeshman. Joining them will be James Fleet, Lisa McGrillis, Helena Wilson, Jordan Metcalfe, James Corrigan, Akshay Sharan, Tim Steed, Theo Cowan and Azan Ahmed. Written by Richard Bean and Oliver Chris, Jack Absolute Flies Again runs in the National Theatre’s Olivier from 15 April until 25 July.

Southwark Playhouse announces casting for The Beast of Blue Yonder. The play’s ensemble cast will star Jade Ewen, Mirren Mack, Rachel Bright, Unique Spencer, Steve Furst, Charlie Quirke, Lucy Gape and Tyler Conti. They will be joined by Joseph Drake, Mike Evans, Nat Johnson, Joseph Potter and Kyle Rowe. Directed by Wiebke Green, Philip Ridley’s dark comedy runs at Southwark Playhouse from 2 April to 9 May.

Bring It On: The Musical (pictured above) will play in London following its UK and Ireland tour. Inspired by the 2000 film, the production features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tom Kitt, lyrics by Miranda and Amanda Green, and a book by Jeff Whitty. The cast includes Vanessa Fisher, Amber Davies, Louis Smith, Alicia Belgarde, Georgia Bradshaw, Ayden Morgan, Samuel Wilson-Freeman, Chloe Pole, Frances Dee and Marvyn Charles. Bring It On runs at Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall from 9 December 2020 to 10 January 2021.

Clare Halse and Tyrone Huntley join Hello, Dolly!. Full casting is now confirmed for the new production at the Adelphi Theatre. Joining Imelda Staunton, Andy Nyman and Jenna Russell will be Clare Halse as Minnie Fay, Tyrone Huntley as Barnaby Tucker and Harry Hepple as Cornelius Hackl. Directed by Dominic Cooke, Hello, Dolly! runs 11 August 2020 to 6 March 2021 at the Adelphi Theatre.

Jenna Russell will play Edith Piaf in a new play at Nottingham Playhouse. Pam Gems’ play Piaf explores the French singer’s life through some of her most famous songs, including “La Vie en Rose” and “Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien.” Directed by Adam Pinford, Piaf runs from 8 to 23 May.

Arthur Darvill and Genevieve O’Reilly will lead Rare Earth Mettle. The world premiere of Al Smith’s brutal comedy will also star Carlo Albán, Ashleigh Castro, Marcello Cruz, Lesley Lemon, Giselle Martinez, Rachel Ofori, Golda Rosheuvel and Rick Warden. Directed by Hamish Pirie, Rare Earth Mettle runs at the Royal Court Theatre from 2 to 25 April.

Alice Fearn, Karl Queensborough, Adam Pearce, Sharon Rose, Rob Houchen and Tyrone Huntley will lead Children of Eden in concert at Cadogan Hall. Featuring a newly revised score, Stephen Schwartz’s and John Caird’s Biblical musical will run 3 May at 1:30 PM and 6 PM.

Moira Buffini’s new play Manor runs at The National Theatre this spring. Starring Nancy Carroll, Ben Daniels, Amy Forrest and Edward Judge, Manor also features Michele Austin, Peter Bray, Gillian Dean, David Hargreaves, Shaniqua Okwok and Eliot Salt. Directed by Fiona Buffini, the production runs 7 April to 15 July 2020.

Magic Mike Live extends to 13 September 2020. Tickets are now on sale direct from Magic Mike Live, with additional tickets going on sale next Wednesday.

Pretty Woman: The Musical opened Monday at the Piccadilly Theatre. Starring Aimie Atkinson and Danny Mac, the new musical is currently running until January 2021.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella pushes back its start date. The new production will now begin performances 9 October instead of in September. Opening night will be 28 October. Directed by Laurence Connor, Cinderella stars Carrie Hope Fletcher and runs at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

The Donmar Warehouse announces casting for In the Blood. The new production of Suzan-Lori Parks’ play based on Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter will star Nikki Amuka-Bird, April Koyejo-Audiger, Paul Bazely, Ginny Holder, Martins Imhangbe, Sinead Matthews and Sule Rimi.

Olivier nominations are in! & Juliet is leading the way with nine nominations, including Best New Musical, but Fiddler on the Roof and Dear Evan Hansen are close behind with eight and seven noms, respectively. In addition to & Juliet, contenders for Best New Musical are Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress, and Amélie. Nominated actors include Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Andrew Scott, Sharon D. Clarke, James McAvoy, Toby Jones, Hayley Atwell and Jac Yarrow. You can find the full list of nominees here. The 2020 Olivier Awards take place 5 April at the Royal Albert Hall.

The New York Metropolitan Opera Orchestra will come to London in 2021. Met Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will lead the orchestra on its first European tour in nearly 20 years. The orchestra will play at the Barbican Centre on 29 June 2021, joined by internationally renowned mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato.

Ivo Van Hove will direct a new stage adaptation of Stephen King’s The Shining. The Tony Award winning director, currently directing West Side Story on Broadway, is confirmed as director of the new play based on the horror classic, adapted by playwright Simon Stephens (Sea Wall, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, Heisenberg). Produced by Sonia Friedman, The Shining has yet to announce dates, venue, or casting.

The Prince of Egypt extends by seven weeks at the Dominion Theatre. The new musical based on the animated film opened Tuesday. Tickets are now on sale to 31 October 2020. Check out the brand new production photos below!

Be More Chill extends through 14 June, making it the longest running musical at The Other Palace. Joe Iconis’ sci-fi musical, previously on Broadway, opened 18 February at The Other Palace. The production stars Scott Folan, Blake Patrick Anderson, Miracle Chance and Stewart Clarke.

Dear Evan Hansen releases tickets to 27 June 2020. The West End transfer of Pasek and Paul’s Broadway musical is now running at the Noël Coward Theatre starring Sam Tutty.

Aisha Jawando and Jammy Kasongo join Tina – The Tina Turner Musical. From 17 March, Jawando will play Tina and Kasongo will play Ike Turner. Jawando, who originally played Tina’s sister Alline Bullock, has been with the company since the show’s world premiere in 2018. Kasongo, also a member of the original company, previously played Richard and Raymond.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Steve Pemberton will lead The Pillowman. Martin McDonagh’s play runs from 24 July at the Duke of York’s Theatre, with tickets available on a pay what you can basis. This is the show’s first West End run since The Pillowman played at The National Theatre in 2003. Matthew Dunster directs.

The Haystack extends at Hampstead Theatre. The world premiere of Al Blyth’s thriller will now run until 12 March 2020. Tickets are now on sale.

Angels of the North will transfer to London in May. John Godber’s comedy previously played at Theatre Royal Wakefield and Beverley’s East Riding Theatre. A companion piece to Scary Bikers, Angels of the North stars John Godber, Adrian Hood and Martha Godber. The production runs from 12 May to 6 June at Trafalgar Studios 2.

Ian McKellen and Mark Gatiss will appear onstage at The National Theatre. Elizabeth Day will interview actor, writer and producer Mark Gatiss and Ian McKellen will interview Armistead Maupin for part of The National Theatre’s Authors on Stage at the Lyttelton Theatre. The series will also see Sir Michael Parkinson interviewed by his son Mike. All three events take place in March.

Magic at the Musicals will return to the Royal Albert Hall on 3 May. The event will feature Lucie Jones, Jac Yarrow and others (yet to be announced) performing alongside a 60-piece orchestra. The program will include selections from & Juliet, Waitress, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Mamma Mia! and more. Tickets for Magic Radio’s Magic at the Musicals are now on sale.

Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel extend their run in Waitress. The pair will now play Jenna and Dr. Pomatter through 21 March, with Lucie Jones and David Hunter returning to the roles at that time. Waitress currently runs through 4 July 2020 at the Adelphi Theatre.

Jessie Buckley and Josh O’Connor will star in Romeo and Juliet at the National Theatre. Fisayo Akinade also features as Mercutio. Directed by Simon Godwin, the production set in modern Italy runs at the National Theatre’s Olivier Theatre from August 2020.

The new National Theatre season will also feature eight other productions, including Blues for an Alabama Sky, a play set in 1930s Harlem starring Giles Terera, and a new adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Emma Rice.

Kate Fleetwood will play Cruella de Vil in the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of 101 Dalmatians. Known for her roles in Victoria, Les Miserables, Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 and more, Kate Fleetwood has also appeared on stage at The Old Vic, The National Theatre, and on Broadway where she was nominated for a Tony Award. Based on Dodie Smith’s original novel, 101 Dalmatians is a new musical by Zinnie Harris and Douglas Hodge. Directed by Timothy Sheader, the production runs 16 May to 21 June.

Philippine Velge and Siu-See Hung complete the cast of 4000 Miles. The Old Vic production will star Timothée Chalamet and Eileen Atkins. Directed by Matthew Warchus, Amy Herzog’s 4000 Miles runs from 6 April.

Giles Terera will lead a new Sammy Davis, Jr. musical. Titled Sammy!, the musical is written by Leslie Bricusse and directed by Clarke Peters. Further casting will be announced later. Sammy! runs at the Lyric Hammersmith from July.

The 10th anniversary revival of Clybourne Park announces casting. The production will star Alisha Bailey (The Twilight Zone), Michael Fox (Downton Abbey), Maddy Hill (EastEnders), Andrew Langtree (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole), Richard Lintern (My Night with Reg), Imogen Stubbs (Alecky Blythe’s Little Revolution) and Eric Underwood (former Royal Ballet soloist). Directed by Oliver Kaderbhai, Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park runs from 25 March at Park Theatre.

A new Bob Marley musical will debut at the Lyric Theatre next year. Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical will star Arinzé Kene (The Lion King, Girl From the North Country) as Marley. Directed by Dominic Cook, the musical has a book by Lee Hall. Further casting and creatives will be announced later, with a run from 6 February 2021.

The Play That Goes Wrong announces a new booking period until 2 May 2021. Tickets are now on sale. The show is currently running at the Duchess Theatre.

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.