Here’s your round-up of all the latest buzz in the world of London theatre. Enjoy!
Rhys Ifans will star in the West End transfer of To Kill A Mockingbird. Aaron Sorkin’s new play, directed by Bartlett Sher, comes to the Gielgud Theatre from 21 May 2020. The play is currently running on Broadway as well. More casting will be announced later.
Noah Thomas (pictured above) will step into the title role of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. From 6 January he’ll play Jamie New in the West End. Meanwhile, Layton Williams will take the show on a U.K. tour staring February 2020. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is currently playing at the Apollo Theatre.
Jane Horrocks and Karl Johnson join Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe in Endgame. Directed by Richard Jones, Samuel Beckett’s dark comedy will play at the Old Vic from 27 January 2020.
Courtney-Mae Briggs and Will Haswell join Back to the Future. Briggs, who starred in Hamilton on the West End, will play Jennifer Parker, with Haswell (The Braille Legacy, Jersey Boys) as Dave McFly. In addition, Aidan Cutler will play Biff and Emma Lloyd will play Linda McFly. The new musical is now fully cast.
The Bridge Theatre announces its 2020-2021 season, including productions starring Roger Allam, Colin Morgan and Simon Russell Beale. The lineup will include Paula Vogel’s They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (directed by Marianne Elliott), Caryl Churchill’s A Number starring Roger Allam and Colin Morgan, Philip Pullman’s The Book of Dust–La Belle Sauvage and Henrik Ibsen’s John Gabriel Borkman starring Simon Russell Beale. Casting for other productions will be announced later.
Ian Ashpitel and Jonty Stephens will play Eric & Ern in the West End. The two actors are known for their portrayal of the comedy duo Eric Morcambe and Ernie Wise. On 2 and 9 February 2020, they’ll return to the West End as Eric & Ern, performing at The Duke of York Theatre alongside Ruthie Henshall.
The Watsons will transfer to the West End. Currently finishing up its run at the Menier Chocolate Factory, Laura Wade’s play based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novel will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 8 May through 26 September 2020. Samuel West directs, with casting to be announced later.
Sandra Marvin and Kelly Agbowu will host the next Waitress karaoke night on 19 November. Marvin plays Becky and Agbowu plays Nurse Norma in the current cast.
Lee Knight will star in Coming Cleanat Trafalgar Studios 2. Joining him will be Elliott Hadley, Stanton Plummer-Cambridge and Jonah Rzeskiewicz. Adam Spreadbury-Maher directs the return of Kevin Elyot’s play, produced by the King’s Head Theatre. Coming Clean runs at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 9 January to 1 February 2020.
Shakespeare’s Globe announces casting for Swive [Elizabeth]. The world premiere of Ella Hickson’s play, directed by Natalie Abrahami, will star Nina Cassells, Abigail Cruttenden, Michael Gould and Colin Tierney. Exploring the relationship between beauty, sex and power in the reign of Elizabeth I, Swive [Elizabeth] runs at Shakespeare’s Globe from 6 December 2019 to 15 February 2020.
Follies is getting the movie treatment. Stephen Sondheim’s and James Goldman’s musical will be adapted into film format by director Dominic Cooke. Since Cooke received an Olivier nomination for the 2017 National Theatre revival of Follies, we’d say it’s in good hands.
National Theatre Live will broadcast Cyrano de Bergerac and The Welkin to cinemas.Cyrano, starring James McAvoy, will broadcast 20 February, with The Welkin on 21 May. If you’re in London, you can catch Cyrano live at the Playhouse Theatre and The Welkin at The National Theatre.
The news this week is short but sweet. Sweet as a slice of pie! Find casting details about Waitress, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Everybody’s Talking About Jamie–plus some exciting Fleabag news!
Sara Bareilles and Gavin Creel (pictured above) will star in Waitress. From 27 January 2020, Sara Bareilles will play Jenna and Gavin Creel will play Dr. Pomatter in the London production of Waitress, for a limited six-week run. The two recently played opposite each other in the Broadway production. Lucie Jones and David Hunter, the current Jenna and Dr. Pomatter, will return to the cast 9 March 2020.
Jac Yarrow and Jason Donovan will return to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium. The musical returns to London 2 July 2020 for a 10-week run, with Yarrow as Joseph and Donovan as the Pharaoh. The two will reprise their roles from the show’s 2019 run. Additional casting will be announced later.
Jac Yarrow in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Preeya Kalidas and Bianca Del Rio join Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. BAFTA and Olivier Award nominee Preeya Kalidas will play Miss Hedge from 17 November, with Roy Haylock (Bianca Del Rio) reprising his role as Hugo/Loco Chanelle from 9 December.
Afterglow extends. S. Asher Gelman’s play is now booking until 8 December at the Waterloo East Theatre. It’s original run was scheduled through 24 November.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge will appear in an in-conversation event at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall. Deborah Frances-White will join her to celebrate the publication of Fleabag: The Scriptures. The event takes place 8 December 2019.
Hope your Halloween was filled with all kinds of spooky theatre! Now catch up on all the latest news, including an exciting Broadway transfer, a Mary Poppins cast album, and more!
To Kill a Mockingbird will come to the Gielgud Theatre in spring 2020. Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel, currently playing on Broadway, will make its West End debut next year. Casting and exact dates have yet to be announced.
Mary Poppins will release a cast album. The new recording, featuring the current cast of the London revival, will release next year. Mary Poppins opened last week at the Prince Edward Theatre.
Dear Evan Hansen begins previews at the Noel Coward Theatre. Starring Sam Tutty, Lucy Anderson, Doug Colling, and Rebecca McKinnis, Dear Evan Hansen officially opens 19 November. The show is now booking until 2 May 2020, and just announced a weekly digital lottery to take place starting 13 November. Below, you can watch the newest Evan, Sam Tutty, perform alongside the stars of the show’s Broadway, U.S. Tour, and Canada productions.
David Hasselhoff joins 9 to 5 The Musical. Hasselhoff, known for his roles in Baywatch and Knight Rider, will join the production as Franklin Hart Jr. from 2 December to 8 February. 9 to 5 is currently running at the Savoy Theatre.
The Man in the White Suit will close 7 December. Performances were originally scheduled to end 11 January 2020. The comedy, directed by Olivier winner Sean Foley, features Stephen Mangan and Kara Tointon at Wyndham’s Theatre.
A new, female-centric adaptation of Doctor Faustus will star Jodie McNee and Danny Lee Wynter. Written by Chris Bush and directed by Caroline Byrne, Faustus: That Damned Woman will premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith from 22 January 2020 before touring in the spring.
Rachel Tucker will star in The Pirate Queen at the London Coliseum. Drew Baker will direct Alain Boublil’s and Claude-Michel Schönberg’smusical for a special concert performance on 23 February 2020, with proceeds to benefit Leukaemia UK. More casting will be announced later.
Vanessa Williams will make her West End debut in City of Angels at Donmar Warehouse. Directed by Josie Rourke, the production will also feature Rosalie Craig, Hadley Fraser and Rebecca Trehearn. City of Angels runs from March 2020.
Curtains will make its London premiere at Wyndham’s Theatre in December. Kander and Ebb’s musical (which premiered on Broadway in 2007 and is currently touring the UK) stars Jason Manford, Carly Stenson, Ore Oduba, Rebecca Lock, Samuel Holmes, Leah Barbara West, Alan Burkitt and Andy Coxon. Curtains runs at Wyndham’s Theatre from 13 December 2019 to 11 January 2020.
Musik, the new Pet Shop Boys musical, will come to London in February. A solo show with a book by Jonathan Harvey, the production will feature songs written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Musik will run at the Leicester Square Theatre from 5 February to 1 March 2020, starring Frances Barber.
Beverley Knight will star in new musical The Drifters Girl. Directed by Jonathan Church with a book by Ed Curtis, the musical tells the story of the stage manager of vocal group The Drifters. The show will premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal before transferring to the Garrick Theatre for 20 weeks from 1 October 2020. Knight stars as Faye Treadwell, stage manager of The Drifters.
The Mousetrap announces a new cast and extends booking through November 2020. The world’s longest running production will now feature Mitchel Baggott, David Boyle, Rob Edwards, Tom England, Max Gell, Vivien Keene, Victoria Lucie and Molly Roberts. Agatha Christie’s murder mystery is currently running at St. Martin’s Theatre.
Ruthie Henshall will play Cadogan Hall as part of her U.K. and Ireland tour. The star of Chicago, Les Misérables, She Loves Me and more will perform her solo show In My Life, singing highlights from her career as well as songs by Sondheim, Carole King, Victoria Wood, and The Beatles. Henshall comes to Cadogan Hall on 17 April.
The Canary and the Crow will transfer to Arcola Theatre. Middle Child’s Edinburgh hit musical about a working class black kid who gets accepted to a prestigious grammar school will play at Arcola Theatre from 16 January to 8 February 2020.
Whitney – Queen of the Night will return to London for a special Christmas performance. The Whitney Houston tribute show will play at the Savoy Theatre on 1 and 15 December.
The Wind of Heaven returns to London for the first time in nearly 75 years. Written in 1945, the parable/drama by Welsh playwright Emlyn Williams will play at the Finborough Theatre for four weeks from 26 November.
The Les Misérables staged concert will be broadcast live in the UK, Ireland, and the US on 2 December. The concert stars Michael Ball, Alfie Boe, Carrie Hope Fletcher, and Matt Lucas, among others. Tickets for the broadcast go on sale 4 November.
Special guest stars, thrilling new shows–we’ve got all that and more in the headlines this week. Plus, Mary Poppins is finally back in London! Catch up on all the latest West End news below.
Peter Andre will guest star in Thriller Live from 10 to 22 December. The award-winning pop artist (pictured above) will perform as the first in a series of guest stars the show plans to host during its final six months at the Lyric Theatre.
Jessica Chastain will star in A Doll’s House. The new production by Frank McGuinness, directed by Jamie Lloyd, will run at the Playhouse Theatre from 10 June to 5 September 2020.
Whoopi Goldberg and Jennifer Saunders will star in Sister Act. Whoopi stars as Deloris, with Jennifer Saunders as Mother Superior. The reworked version of the musical comes to the Eventim Apollo 29 July through 30 August 2020.
Lizzie Bea and Marisha Wallace join Michael Ball in Hairspray. Lizzie Bea, currently performing in the U.K. tour of Kinky Boots, will play Tracy Turnblad, with Marisha Wallace, known for Dreamgirls and Waitress, as Motormouth. Hairspray runs at the London Coliseum for 18 weeks from 23 April 2020.
Aimee Lou Wood, Rosalind Eleazar and Ciarán Hinds join Uncle Vanya. Wood, known for her roles in Sex Education and Downstate, will play Sonya, with Eleazar as Yelena and Hinds, known for her role in Girl from the North Country, as the Professor. Also joining are Dearbhla Molloy (The Ferryman), Anna Calder-Marshall (LOVE) and Peter Wight (The Birthday Party). Directed by Ian Rickson and starring Richard Armitage and Toby Jones, this new adaptation from Conor McPherson runs for 16 weeks from 14 January 2020.
Hannah Tointon joins the cast of Waitress from 2 December. Known for her roles in The Inbetweeners, Mr. Selfridge and Hollyoaks, Hannah Tointon will play Dawn in the London production of Sara Bareilles’ musical. Meanwhile, Lucie Jones has extended her run as the title character to 25 January 2020. Waitress is currently running at the Adelphi Theatre.
Hannah Tointon
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s Evita will transfer to the Barbican. The summer 2019 production will play at the Barbican Theatre for 8 weeks from 27 June 2020, with casting to be announced later.
Jeremy O’ Harris’ play Daddy will get its U.K. premiere next year at the Almeida Theatre. For its spring 2020 season, the theatre will also perform Mike Bartlett’s Albion, starring Victoria Hamilton, and new play The House of Shades.
The Boy Friend announces further casting for its run at the Menier Chocolate Factory. Joining Amara Okereke, Jack Butterworth and Janie Dee will be Tom Bales, Ryan Carter, Chloe Goodliffe, Matthew Ives, Bethany Huckle, Emily Langham, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson, Annie Southall, Peter Nash and Robert Portal. The revival runs from 22 November 2019 to 7 March 2020.
Cast of The Boy Friend at Menier Chocolate Factory
Robin Ince’s Sea Shambles comes to the Royal Albert Hall on 17 May. The sea-themed spectacular is slotted as The Cosmic Shambles Network’s biggest show ever. The Royal Albert Hall will transform into a virtual underwater playground, featuring special guests like oceanographer Dr. Helen Czerki, Naturalist Steve Backshell, comedian Josie Long and poet Lemm Sissay MBE.
Elliot Levy and Ellen Robertson will reprise their roles in Snowflake at the Kiln Theatre. The two starred in the production of Mike Bartlett’s play at Old Fire Station in Oxford. Joining them for the London transfer will be Amber James. Clare Lizzimore directs the play, which opens 16 December.
Mary Poppins began previews on Wednesday! The new production stars Zizi Strallen and Charlie Stemp at the Prince Edward Theatre, with an opening scheduled for 13 November.
Fall is the perfect time to experience live theatre, and luckily, there are plenty of fantastic productions headed your way. Take a look at the latest news in the realm of casting, new productions, and season announcements.
Moulin Rouge is coming to London! The Broadway musical is expected to make its London debut at the Piccadilly Theatre in March 2021. Casting has yet to be announced, but you can already register for tickets, which will go on sale in 2020.
Roger Bart (pictured above with Christopher Lloyd) joins Back to the Future the Musical. The Tony winner, known for his performances in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Producers and Young Frankenstein, will play Doc Brown in the 12-week run of the musical at Manchester Opera House. He joins the previously announced Olly Dobson as Marty McFly, with Hugh Coles, Rosanna Hyland and Cedric Neal also in the cast. After its Manchester run, Back to the Future heads to London.
Anita-Joy Uwajeh, Michele Austin and Adam Best join James McAvoy in Cyrano de Bergerac. Uwajeh will star as Cyrano’s cousin Roxane, with Michele Austin as the poet-baker Rageneau and Adam Best as Cyrano’s friend Le Bret. In addition, Eben Figueiredo will play Christian, with Tom Edden as De Guiche. Martin Crimp’s new adaptation of Rostand’s classic play runs from 27 November 2019 to 29 February 2020 at the Playhouse Theatre.
Karl Queensborough is the next Alexander Hamilton! The actor currently performing as the alternate for the title role in Hamilton will take center stage full-time starting 18 November. Joining him will be Emilie Louise Israel as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds, Trevor Dion Nicholas as George Washington, Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Aaron Burr, Sharon Rose as Eliza Hamilton, Emile Ruddock as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison and Carl Spencer as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton. From 4 November, Gavin Spokes will play King George. Current cast members Allyson Ava-Brown (Angelica Schuyler) and Jason Pennycooke (Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson) will continue in their roles.
Karl Queensborough
Nicholas McLean joins the cast of Wicked. From 20 January 2020, McLean–currently starring as Gary Coleman in the UK tour of Avenue Q, will play Boq in Wicked. Idriss Kargbo will give his final performance as Boq on 9 November, with George Ure returning to the role from 11 November to 18 January.
The Play That Goes Wrong welcomes a new cast on 5 November. The production will now star David Kirkbride, Ross Green, Ciara Morris, Milo Clarke, Michael Keane, Blayar Benn, Elan James and Ellie Morris.
Come From Away extends until 23 May 2020. The transfer of the Broadway musical just celebrated its 300th London performance and its 30,000th visitor.
La Cage Aux Folles [The Play] in English will make its world premiere at Park Theatre in 2020. The English-language adaptation by Simon Callow will form part of Park Theatre’s just announced 2020 season. Other productions will include Stephen Schwartz’s Rags the Musical, Bruce Norris’ Tony-winning Clybourne Park, and the anime-inspired The Garden of Words.
The Lion King will give away 2,000 free tickets. To celebrate its 20th year in the West End, the Disney musical will give out 2,000 free tickets for the 18 October performance. You can register for the chance to win free tickets here.
Neil Gaiman and Lenny Henry will appear in conversation at The National Theatre. On 18 December, the author will discuss his book The Ocean at the End of the Lane, which is currently being adapted for the stage. Tickets are on sale now.
Jermyn Street Theatre announces its upcoming season. The 2020 Season will mark the theatre’s first full year of programming in 25 years. Productions will include a new world premiere by Peter Gill, three Samuel Beckett plays directed by Trevor Nunn, an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando by Sarah Ruhl, and The Tempest starring Michael Pennington.
The Almeida Theatre announces full casting for The Duchess of Malfi. Joining Lydia Wilson will be Khalid Abdalla, Hadassah Allen, Leo Bill, Jersey Blu Georgia, Ioanna Kimbook, Michael Marcus, Ciarán Owens, Shalini Peiris, Jack Riddiford, Jethro Skinner and Kalungi Ssebandeke. Rebecca Frecknall directs John Webster’s revenge tragedy, which runs at the Almeida Theatre from 2 December 2019 to 25 January 2020.
New musical& Juliet releases a trailer for its upcoming West End run. Check it out:
Casting for Cinderella in concert is complete! Plus, we have news about a new drag panto version of the classic fairytale–and further casting details for the Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol. Catch it all below.
Mazz Murray and Jérôme Pradon join Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella in concert at Cadogan Hall. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, the one-night only event will star Christine Allado as Ella, Jodie Jacobs as Charlotte, Dean John-Wilson as Jean-Michel, Cedric Neal as Lord Pinkleton, Dianne Pilkington as Marie, Zoe Rainey as Gabrielle, Jac Yarrow as Prince Topher, Mazz Murray (Mamma Mia!, Chicago) as Madame and Jérôme Pradon (Miss Saigon, Jesus Christ Superstar) as Sebastian. Cinderella plays one night at Cadogan Hall on 20 October.
Emmerdale‘s Sandra Marvin joins the cast of Waitress. Sandra Marvin, best known for her role as Jessie Dingle on Emmerdale, will play Becky from 17 October. Marvin has also performed in Committee, City of Angels, Show Boat, Hairspray, Porgy & Bess and Ragtime. She replaces Marisha Wallace in the role. Waitress is currently running at the Adelphi Theatre, with Lucie Jones as Jenna and Joe Sugg as Ogie.
Rebecca Trehearn and Steven Miller join A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic. Jack Thorne’s adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic will star the previously announced Paterson Joseph as Ebenezer Scrooge, with Trehearn as Belle and Miller as Bob Cratchit. A Christmas Carol runs from 23 November at the Old Vic.
Paterson Joseph, Rebecca Trehearn and Steven Miller
Life of Pi will transfer to London in 2020. The Sheffield Theatres production of Yann Martel’s award-winning novel, adapted by Lolita Chkrabarti, will run at the Wyndham’s Theatre from 22 June 2020. Casting will be announced later.
Kevin Elyot’s Coming Clean returns to Trafalgar Studios. After its critically acclaimed, sold out run in 2018, the production will return to Trafalgar Studios 2 from 8 January to 1 February 2020.
Hartshorn – Hook Productions and Flavourology will present an immersive version of A Christmas Carol, complete with a Christmas feast. Starring Alexander Barclay as Scrooge and Jack Witham as Marley, the production is written by Alexander Wright and directed by Tom Bellerby. A Christmas Carol runs at Immersive LDN from 27 November to 5 January.
Park Theatre confirms casting for The Snow Queen. A family-friendly adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic story, The Snow Queen will star Frances Marshall, Ayesha Casely-Hayford, Esmonde Cole, Sarah-Louise Young, Justin Brett, Paula James and Matt Cavendish. Adapted by Charles Way and directed by Abigail Andersen, The Snow Queen runs at the Park Theatre from 4 December 2019 to 4 January 2020.
Park Theatre’s The Snow Queen
Jamie Cameron, Peter Hamilton Dyer and Indra Ové will star in #WeAreArrested. The Arcola Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company production, directed by Sophie Ivatts, is adapted by Ivatts and Pippa Hill from Can Dundar’s novel. A gripping political thriller, #WeAreArrested runs at Arcola Theatre from 18 November to 7 December.
Arcola Theatre also announces casting for Amanda Lomas’ Hunger. Adapted from Knut Hamsun’s psychological novel, the production will star Archie Backhouse, Katie Eldred, Kwami Odoom and Jessica Tomlinson. Directed by Fay Lomas, Hunger runs at Arcola Theatre from 25 November to 21 December.
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe are heading on a UK tour. The duo will perform at London’s O2 on 7 March 2020. Tickets go on sale 18 October.
A drag pantomime version of Cinderella will run at Trafalgar Studios this winter. Playing on December 15, 22 and 29, the production will star Baga Chipz, Sheila Simmonds, Keman Bob, Ophelia Love, Veronica Green, Baby and Holly Stars.
The Kiln Theatre announces three new production for its 2020 season. Along with Mike Bartlett’s Snowflake, the theatre will perform Antoinette Nwandu’s Pass Over (which previously ran off-Broadway and in Chicago), Hannah Khalil’s A Museum in Baghdad (with the Royal Shakespeare Company) and Richard Cameron’s The Glee Club.
Wilton’s Music Hall announces its 2020 season. The exciting lineup includes a new production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore, a mimed production about Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel, a Shakespeare comedy set to the music of Billie Holiday and Nina Simone, Benjamin Britten’s The Turn of the Screw and more.
The Evening Standard Awards will take place at the London Coliseum on 24 November. Co-hosted by The Evening Standard proprietor Evgeny Lebedev and the Editor in Chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour, the awards ceremony will be presented by Cush Jumbo, joined by Damian Lewis and Helen McCrory.
Trevor Nunn’s Fiddler on the Roof. Photo: Johan Persson.
Meanwhile, you’re running out of time to see Trevor Nunn’s critically acclaimed Fiddler on the Roof! The record-breaking production finishes its run at the Playhouse Theatre 2 November.
Be More Chill and High Fidelity are coming to London! Get all the details and catch up on other news in your weekly round-up.
Be More Chill is coming to London in February 2020. Joe Iconis’ hit musical, based on Ned Vizzini’s novel, sold out Off-Broadway in New York before transferring to Broadway and receiving a Tony nomination for best score. Now, Be More Chill will make its U.K. premiere at The Other Palace, from 12 February 2020. Casting will be announced later. Tickets go on sale 8 October.
Oliver Ormson will lead the U.K. premiere of High Fidelity. This musical about the 30-something owner of a record store, which played on Broadway in 2006, is now coming to London for the first time. Ormson, known for The Book of Mormon, will play record store owner Rob. Joining him will be Carl Au, Robbie Durham, Rosie Fletcher, Joshua Dever, Shanay Holmes, Eleanor Kane, Jessica Lee, Bobbie Little, Lauran Rae and Robert Tripolino. Tom Jackson Greaves directs. High Fidelity runs at the Turbine Theatre from 21 October to 7 December.
Luke Bayer and Millie O’Connell will lead the cast of Soho Cinders. Luke Bayer (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), and Millie O’Connell (Six) will star in this modern, gay romcom version of Cinderella. The production will also feature Lewis Asquith, Christopher Coleman, Ewan Gillies, Tori Hargreaves, Natalie Harman, and Michaela Stern. Directed by Will Keith, Soho Cinders runs at Charing Cross Theatre from 24 October through 21 December.
The Young Vic announces complete casting for Fairview. Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer Prize winning play will feature Naana Agyei-Ampadu, Donna Banya, David Dawson, Julie Dray, Nicola Hughes, Matthew Needham, Rhashan Stone and Esther Smith. Directed by Nadia Latif, Fairview runs from 28 November 2019 to 18 January 2020 at the Young Vic.
Olivia Olsen’s Stray Dogs will make its world premiere this fall at the Park Theatre. A play about the Russian poet Anna Akhmatova, Stray Dogs takes place during Stalin’s purges, when many young men are being sent to gulags–among them, Akhmatova’s son. Olivia Olsen stars as Anna, with Ben Porter as Isaiah Berlin and Ian Redford as Joseph Stalin. Directed by Robin Herford, Stray Dogs runs at the Park Theatre from 13 November to 7 December.
Stray Dogs at the Park Theatre
The Royal Shakespeare Company announces its 2020 summer season. The company will perform The Winter’s Tale, The Comedy of Errors and Pericles. After playing in Stratford-upon-Avon, all three productions will come to the Barbican from October 2020 to January 2021, with The Winter’s Tale going on tour in 2021.
The Boulevard Theatre announces its 2020 season. The new London theatre opening 24 October with Ghost Quartet has a number of productions set for next year. In January 2020, performances begin for the London premiere of Cormac McCarthy’s The Sunset Limited. The season will also include Lucy Prebble’s The Effect, Athol Fugard’s Hello and Goodbye and Billy Roche’s The Cavalcaders.
Superstar, Nicola Wren’s one-woman show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, will run at Southwark Playhouse for four weeks. The story of a girl struggling to step out of the shadow of her superstar brother (Chris Martin of Coldplay), Superstar will play at The Little at Southwark Playhouse from 26 November to 21 December.
Heathers is going on a UK tour! The recent London production directed by Andy Fickman will go on tour in 2020, with casting and tour dates to be announced later.
The news this week is all kinds of exciting–with plenty of new productions on the horizon and Olivier winning stars headed your way. Catch all the latest and greatest right here.
Toby Jones and Richard Armitage will star in a new production of Uncle Vanya in 2020. Oliver Award winner Toby Jones will play Uncle Vanya, with Richard Armitage as Astrov. This new adaptation of Chekhov’s play by Conor McPherson, directed by Ian Rickson, will run at the Harold Pinter Theatre for 16 weeks from 14 January 2020. More casting will be announced later.
Lesli Margherita will star in a concert production of Zorro at Cadogan Hall. The actress who won an Olivier for her performance as Inez in the musical will reprise her role for a one-night concert on 23 February 2020. Joining her are Emma Williams as Luisa and Ricardo Afonso as Zorro. Additional casting will be announced later.
David Mitchell will make his West End debut in the stage adaptation of Upstart Crow. Ben Elton’s adaptation of the BBC TV sitcom will run at the Gielgud Theatre from 7 February to 25 April 2020. Reprising his role from the TV comedy series will be David Mitchell as Will Shakespeare, joined by Gemma Whelan (Game of Thrones) as Kate. Olivier Award winner Sean Foley directs.
The Boy Friend at Menier Chocolate Factory announces casting. The revival of Sandy Wilson’s play, directed by Matthew White, will star Janie Dee (Madame DuBonnet), Tiffany Graves (Hortense), Amara Okereke (Sandy Wilson), Arian Edmondson (Lord Brockhurst), Issy van Randwyck (Lady Brockhurst), Dynal Mason (Tony) and Jack Butterworth (Bobby Van Husen). The Boy Friend runs at Menier Chocolate Factory from 3 December 2019 to 7 March 2020.
Soho Cinders, a modern, gay version of Cinderella, will play in London this fall. Olivier Award winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe (Becoming Nancy, Mary Poppins) have reframed the classic fairytale as a contemporary, gay rom-com musical. Directed by Will Keith, the production runs from 28 October at Charing Cross Theatre, with casting to come.
The original West End cast of Ghost Stories will reprise their roles this fall and winter. Simon Lipkin, Garry Cooper, Preston Nyman and Richard Sutton will all return for the thriller’s run at Ambassadors Theatre from 3 October 2019 to 4 January 2020. The London run will precede a UK tour starting in January.
Waitress extends until 28 March 2020. Sara Bareilles’ celebrated musical extends yet again. The show is now booking until 28 March at the Adelphi Theatre.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie extends through 29 August 2020. Plus, the show just announced an open casting call for the role of Jamie New. You can find more information about how to audition here.
Almeida Theatre’s The Doctor, starring Juliet Stevenson, will transfer to the West End. Adapted by Robert Icke from Arthur Schnitzler’s Professor Bernhardi, The Doctor runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 20 April to 11 July 2020. Olivier winner Juliet Stevenson plays Professor Ruth Wolff, with more casting to be announced later.
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe announces casting. Directed by Sally Cookson at the Bridge Theatre, the stage adaptation of C. S. Lewis’ classic book will feature Femi Akinfolarin (Peter), Shalisa James-Davis (Susan), John Leader (Edmund), Keziah Joseph (Lucy), Wil Johnson (Aslan/Professor Kirk), Laura Elphinstone (the White Witch/Mrs. Macready), Stuart Neal (Mr. Tumnus), Omari Bernard (Maugrim), Dean Nolan (Mr. Beaver) and Beverly Rudd (Mrs. Beaver). The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe runs at the Bridge Theatre from 9 November 2019 to 2 February 2020.
Kunene and the King will transfer to the Ambassadors Theatre in January. John Kani’s play, first produced by the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon, will play in London from 24 January to 28 March 2020. John Kani will reprise his role as Lunga Kunene, joined by Antony Sher, with live music by Lungiswa Plaatjies.
The National Theatre’s A Taste of Honey will come to the West End in December. Shelagh Delaney’s drama, directed by Bijan Sheibani, is currently on a UK tour. It will play a 12-week engagement at Trafalgar Studios from 5 December. Jodie Prenger leads the cast, joined by Gemma Dobson, Durone Stokes, Stuart Thompson and Tom Varey.
Graham Norton, Tom Allen and Michelle Visage will host this year’s West End Bares. The 10th anniversary performance, titled West End Bares: Stripped, takes place at Troxy on 13 October.
Michael Ball and Alfie Boe will release a new joint album on 1 November. The album will be called “Back Together.” The two West End and Broadway veterans are currently starring in Les Misérables – The Staged Concert at the Gielgud Theatre.
Kenneth Branagh’s Olivier Award winning The Winter’s Tale will return to cinemas this December. Starring Judi Dench and Kenneth Branagh, the production from 2015 will play in cinemas around the world on 4 December.
Wicked just celebrated 13 years on the West End! There was a special performance on Thursday to mark the event, complete with balloons and confetti. The show is now entering its 14th year.
As summer winds up and we head into fall, it’s comforting to know that there are lots of great productions to catch in the months ahead. Here’s your weekly round-up of all the latest news in the London theatre scene.
Cameron Mackintosh announces casting for Les Misérables at the newly restored Sondheim Theatre opening 18 December. The cast of the new production will feature Jon Robyns as Jean Valjean, Bradley Jaden as Javert, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Shan Ako as Eponine, Lily Kerhoas as Cosette, Gerard Carey as Thenardier, Josefina Gabrielle as Madame Thenardier and Ashley Gilmour as Enjolras. Rachelle Ann Go will play Fantine starting next summer.
Storme Toolis will play the title role in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. Her performance will mark the first time in West End history that a disabled actor has been cast in this play. The production will also star Clarence Smith, Lucy Eaton, Toby Stephens, Claire Skinner and Patricia Hodge. A Day in the Death of Joe Egg runs at Trafalgar Studios from 21 September to 30 November.
Michael Brandon, Brenda Edwards, Martha Watson, Danielle Hope and Clare Halse complete the cast of White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre. They join the previously announced Danny Mac and Dan Burton, both reprising their roles from the Curve, Leicester production. White Christmas runs at the Dominion Theatre from 16 November 2019 to 4 January 2020.
The cast of White Christmas at the Dominion Theatre
Blithe Spirit, starring Jennifer Saunders, will return to the West End next year. Directed by Sir Richard Eyre, this production of Noël Coward’s classic comedy will run for 6 weeks at the Duke of York’s Theatre, from 5 March to 11 April 2020.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will return to London next summer. After its sold-out run this year, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical will return to the London Palladium from 2 July to 6 September 2020. Casting has yet to be announced.
Sadler’s Wells announces its Spring 2020 season, which includes the world premiere of Message In A Bottle. This new dance theatre show by Kate Prince features Sting’s greatest hits. The season also includes a new Irish dance show from Michael Keegan-Dolan, a new production of The Rite of Spring, and the return of Adam Cooper in Singin’ in the Rain.
Message in a Bottle by Kate Prince
Phil Nichol and Melissa Jacques join the cast of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. From 30 September, the production welcomes back Phil Nichol, reprising his role as Hugo/Loco Chanelle from the original West End cast. Melissa Jacques, who has understudied the role of Margaret New for more than a year, will now take over the part full time. Other new cast members include Alexander Archer as Mickey and Tilly La Belle Yengo as Fatimah.
Arcola Theatre announces casting for the London premiere of Meet Me at Dawn. Zinnie Harris’ gripping drama inspired by the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice will star Jessica Hardwick and Marianne Oldham. Murat Databan directs. Meet Me at Dawn runs at Arcola Theatre from 9 October to 9 November.
The cast of The Prince of Egypt gathered this week to perform “When You Believe.” Check it out below! The new musical based on the Dreamworks film opens February 2020.
The Jermyn Street Theatre announces casting for Gail Louw’s The Ice Cream Boys. This political thriller set in South Africa will feature Andrew Frances, Jack Klaff and Bu Kuene. Directed by Vik Sivalingam, The Ice Cream Boys runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre from 9 October to 2 November.
The London transfer of A Prayer for Wings will feature an all-Welsh cast. Sean Mathias’ award-winning play will star Llinos Daniel, Alis Wyn Davies and Luke Rhodri, with Mathias directing. A Prayer for Wings comes to the King’s Head Theatre from 30 October to 23 November.
The Young Vic announces casting for Lauren Yee’s in a word. Directed by Dadiow Lin, the production will star Karl Collins (The Bill, Hollyoaks), Michael Elcock (A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre) and Jill Halfpenny (Coronation Street, EastEnders). A critically acclaimed drama about a woman dealing with her son’s disappearance, in a word runs at the Young Vic 23 October to 2 November.
Have you listened to the Dear Evan Hansen cast album enough times to star in the musical? Obsessed over photos of Jake Gyllenhaal in Sunday in the Park with George? Or maybe you’re currently rocking out to the recently released Moulin Rouge! songs.
We get it. That’s why we made this handy list of all the Broadway shows currently planning West End runs: from Falsettos to Moulin Rouge! If you can’t make it across the Pond, your favorite Broadway production may just be coming to you!
Falsettos isn’t exactly a direct-from-Broadway transfer: it opened on the Great White Way in 1992, when it won the Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score. But it was revived in 2016, when it was nominated for five Tony Awards.
Falsettos is about a dysfunctional Jewish family living in New York in 1979. Marvin, the father, leaves his wife for a man, and his wife (Trina) falls in love with the family psychiatrist (Mendel). Their son, Jason, is caught in the middle, and the family’s lesbian neighbors also feature. Meanwhile, Marvin’s lover, Whizzer, is diagnosed with AIDS.
Andrew Barth Feldman in Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. Photo: Matt Murphy.
Dear Evan Hansen may just be the most popular new musical of the decade. It won six Tony Awards on Broadway in 2017, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Orchestrations. Plus, the cast recording won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2018.
Dear Evan Hansen takes place at a high school in New Jersey, where a student named Connor has committed suicide. In a communication mix-up, a socially anxious teen named Evan Hansen tells everyone that he and Connor were best friends. Soon Evan, who never had any friends before, is the school’s hero and a viral sensation. Things get even more complicated when Connor’s sister falls in love with Evan.
Based on the classic French film about everyone’s favorite shy waitress, Amélie had a limited Broadway run in 2017, but it’s done very well for itself since then: with a UK tour and now an upcoming run at The Other Palace.
If you haven’t seen the movie (and why haven’t you?), Amélie is the story of a quiet, quirky girl with a big imagination and a desire to do good. When Amélie moves to Paris, she finds herself getting involved in the lives of her neighbors: a lonely painter, a woman still pining over her unfaithful husband, and a hypochondriac waitress. But when Amélie meets a quirky young photographer, she has to find the courage to pursue her own happy ending.
Be More Chill just ended its Broadway run in August. Joe Iconis’ Tony-nominated score was what got the show to Broadway in the first place: when, long after its production at a regional theatre in New Jersey ended, fans gave the album more than a million streams per month, the producers realized Be More Chill would live again. The Broadway run starred Will Roland, George Salazar, Jason Tam and Stephanie Hsu, but casting for the London run has yet to be announced.
Based on Ned Vizzini’s novel (Joe Tracz wrote the show’s book), Be More Chill tells the story of Jeremy Heere: a socially anxious high-schooler who takes a pill in order to “be more chill.” The pill implants a supercomputer in his head, and at first, things seem to be going well. Jeremy gets to be the popular kid, and even gets the attention of the girl he likes. But the computer has more sinister plans for Jeremy–and for his whole school.
Cast: TBA
When: 12 February to 3 May 2020 (possibility to extend)
Pretty Womanthe Musical just wrapped up its Broadway run. The production starred Samantha Barks and Andy Karl, with music by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance. Casting for the West End run has yet to be announced.
When businessman Edward Lewis hires Vivian Ward–a plucky prostitute–as an escort for a series of social events, he gets much more than he bargained for. The two quickly fall in love, only to discover that there are vast hurtles to overcome if they truly want to be together. Based on the 1990 film starring Julia Roberts, Pretty Woman is a comedic, modern take on the Cinderella story.
Cast: TBA
When: First preview 14 February 2020, limited engagement of 46 weeks
Where: Piccadilly Theatre
11 June 2020: Sunday in the Park with George
Jake Gyllenhaal in Sunday in the Park with George
Sunday in the Park with George opened on Broadway in 1984 and won the 1985 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, but the production coming to London next year is the Broadway revival from 2017. And, you lucky people, Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford will be reprising their roles from that revival when the musical comes to the Savoy Theatre next year.
Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George is about the pointillist painter Georges Seurat, with the title taking its name from his famous Sunday on La Grand Jatte. The musical hones in on Seurat’s struggle to balance art and love, then jumps into the future to Seurat’s descendant: an artist who finds himself caught in the same dilemma his famous ancestor faced generations ago.
Frozen just finished its first year on Broadway, and is still going strong, with Caissie Levy as Elsa and Patti Murin as Anna. The show is coming to London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane next fall, but we don’t have any other details. Tickets are not yet on sale.
Based on the popular Disney film, Frozen is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen. Queen Elsa of Arendelle was born with magical powers, but if she can’t learn how to control her powers, she may end up destroying her kingdom instead of ruling it. Meanwhile, her sister Anna is determined to help Elsa and bring spring back to Arendelle.
Cast: TBA
Where: Theatre Royal Drury Lane
When: Fall 2020
March 2021: Moulin Rouge!
Karen Olivo and Aaron Tveit in Moulin Rouge! on Broadway
It’s official! After opening to wide critical acclaim on Broadway, Moulin Rouge! is heading to the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre under the direction of Alex Timbers. Casting has yet to be announced.
Based on Baz Luhrmann’s ground-breaking musical film, Moulin Rouge! tells the story of a beautiful courtesan named Satine and a poor songwriter named Christian who fall head over heels for each other. But Satine, engaged by the Duke of Monroth, isn’t free to follow her heart, and Christian soon learns that playing with fire is dangerous. It all takes place amid the glittering backdrop of Paris’ most famous night club: the Moulin Rouge.
Cast: TBA
Where: Piccadilly Theatre
When: March 2021
Which Broadway shows do you want to come to London? Let us know in the comments!
This week: casting finally drops for the London production of Dear Evan Hansen, we now have a date and tickets on sale for Pretty Woman, and there’s a 101 Dalmatians musical in the works! And that’s not even all of the news this week! Happy Friday!
Pretty Woman announces dates for London production. The London transfer of Broadway’s Pretty Woman will open 14 February 2020 at the Piccadilly Theatre. Based on the romantic comedy, the musical features music and lyrics by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, with a book by Gary Marshall and J.F. Lawton. Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell directs. Casting for Pretty Woman will be announced soon.
Dear Evan Hansen announces full casting. Sam Tutty, who recently made his professional stage debut in Southwark Playhouse’s Once On This Island, will play Evan Hansen. Joining him is Rebecca McKinnis (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) as Heidi Hansen, Lauren Ward (Caroline, or Change) as Cynthia Murphy, Rupert Young (Merlin) as Larry Murphy, Jack Loxton (The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) as Jared Kleinman and Nicole Raquel Dennis (Waitress) as Alana Beck, with Lucy Anderson as Zoe Murphy and Doug Colling as Connor Murphy. Dear Evan Hansen runs at the Noel Coward Theatre from 29 October.
The Phantom of the Opera welcomes new cast members. Australian performer and singer Josh Piterman stepped into the role of the Phantom on 9 September, with Britt Lenting joining the cast as Carlotta and Richard Woodford as Monsieur André. The production is now entering its 34th year in the West End.
The newest Phantom of the Opera: Josh Piterman
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical extends until 27 June 2020. The production is currently running at the Aldwych Theatre starring Nkeki Obi-Melekwe and Ashley Zhangazha.
The Play That Goes Wrong extends until 1 November 2020. The show just celebrated its 5th birthday in the West End. Mischief Theatre’s The Comedy About A Bank Robbery is also now booking until 1 November 2020.
Mamma Mia! extends until 19 September 2020. Currently starring Mazz Murray and Lucy May Barker, Mamma Mia! is now in its 21st year on the West End.
Mamma Mia! London. Photo: Brinkhoff/Mogenburg
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announces its 2020 season. Productions will include a new 101 Dalmatians musical, Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s Carousel.
Dave Malloy’s Ghost Quartet announces casting. The production will star Carly Bawden, Niccolò Curradi, Maimuna Memon and Zubin Varla. Ghost Quartet runs at the Boulevard Theatre from 24 October 2019 to 4 January 2020, with an opening night on Halloween. The creative team behind the immersive London production of Sweeney Todd will helm Ghost Quartet, with Bill Buckhurst directing.
Sharon Osbourne and Danny Dyer will star in Nativity! The Musical. The production returns to London for its third year this December. Dyer returns as Harry Parker, with his daughter Dani Dyer as Polly Parker, Sharon Osbourne as Crystal Collins, Rylan Clark-Neal as the Critic and Simon Lipkin as Mr. Poppy. Scott Garnham returns as Mr. Maddens, with Ashleigh Gray as Jennifer Lore. Nativity! runs at the Eventim Apollo from 11 to 29 December.
Thriller Live will end its run at the Lyric while the theatre undergoes refurbishment. But never fear! Plans are in the works to transfer the show to another West End theatre, and in the meantime, the show is planning a number of events and star guests to celebrate its record-breaking 11-year run at the Lyric Theatre. Thriller Live will end its run at the Lyric Theatre on 26 April 2020.
The Duchess of Malfi, starring Lydia Wilson, is coming to the Almeida Theatre. Rebecca Frecknall’s new production of John Webster’s tragedy runs 10 December 2019 to 18 January 2020.
Park Theatre confirms casting for the world premiere of Eugene O’Hare’s black comedy Sydney & The Old Girl. The production will feature Miriam Margoyles, Mark Hadfield and Vivien Parry. Directed by Phillip Breen, Sydney & The Old Girl runs from 31 October to 30 November.
Miriam Margoyles in Sydney & The Old Girl
The Tiger Who Came to Tea returns to London this Christmas. Adapted by David Wood from Judith Kerr’s classic children’s book, the production stars Jocelyn Zackson, Stephanie Summers and David Scotland, and runs at Theatre Royal Haymarket from 9 December 2019 to 5 January 2020.
Dick Whittington and his Cat will star Tarinn Callender, Annette McLaughlin, Christina Tedders and Sue Kelvin. Callender, who debuted in the original London production of Hamilton, will play Dick Whittington. As previously announced, Clive Rowe will star as Sarah the Cook, with Kat B as Vincent the Cat and Tony Whittle as Alderma Fitzwarren. The production runs at Hackney Empire from 23 November 2019 to 5 January 2020.
And speaking of pantos, King’s Head Theatre announces this season’s panto production: The Nativity Panto – A Not-So Silent Night. The production will run from 29 November 2019 to 11 January 2020.
Welcome to your weekly news round-up. Catch all the latest in the world of London Theatre right here at From the Box Office.
Matilda the Musical announces new casting. Elliot Harper will play Miss Trunchbull, with Sebastian Torkia as Mr. Wormwood and, starting next March, Carly Thoms as Miss Honey. Tilly-Raye Bayer, Olivia Juno Cleverly, Alex Munden and Zoe Simon will share the title role, marking the 100th Matilda to be cast in the show. You can meet the new Matildas in the video below.
On Your Feet will return to London in 2020. The production just ended its run at the London Coliseum and is now embarking on a UK tour. Dates and casting for the London return have yet to be announced.
Waitress will hold its next Cast Album Karaoke Night on 25 September. Joe Sugg, playing Ogie from 9 September, and Marisha Wallace, currently playing Becky, will host the event.
Jeremy Secomb will star in Reputation. This new musical by Alick Glass, set in the 1930s, will make its world premiere at The Other Palace Studio in November. Jeremy Secombe (Sweeney Todd, Les Misérables) will be joined by Maddy Banks (The Band), Ed Wade (Fiddler on the Roof), Cory Peterson, Lauren Ingram, Charlie Dennis, Ashleigh Cavanagh and Eleanor Tollan. Directed by Warren Wills, Reputation runs 5 to 14 November.
Disney’s The Lion King will hold a gala performance on 19 October. Celebrating 20 years in the West End, the event will support the Elton John AIDS Foundation and the Royal Academy of Music. Tickets for the gala are on sale now through the show’s website.
Translations at the National Theatre will star Ciarán Hinds, Judith Roddy and Fra Free. Dermot Crowley, Ciarán Hinds, Seamus O’Hara, Judith Roddy and Rufus Wright reprise their roles from last year’s production. Joining them are Fra Fee, Jack Bardoe, Liádan Dunlea, Amy Molly and Julian Moore-Cook. Directed by Ian Rickson, Brian Friel’s Translations runs at the National Theatre from 15 October.
Judith Roddy, Ciarán Hinds and Fra Fee
Janie Dee will star in the European premiere of The Niceties. Eleanor Burgess’ play about an ambitious black student and her white professor runs at Finborough Theatre from 1 to 26 October. Janie Dee will star as the professor, Janine. Her past credits include the National Theatre productions of Follies and Carousel. Joining her will be Moronke Akinola as the student, Zoe.
The world premiere of Alice Birch’s [BLANK] announces full casting. Directed by Maria Aberg, the production will feature Ayesha Antoine, Shona Babayemi, Sophia Brown, Jackie Clune, Grace Doherty, Lucy Edkins, Zaris-Angel Hator, Zainab Hasan, Joanna Horton, Thusitha Jayasundera, Petra Letang, Leah Mondesir-Simmonds, Kate O’Flynn, Ashna Rabheru, Jemima Rooper and Taya Tower. [BLANK] runs at the Donmar Warehouse from 11 October to 30 November.
The Girl Who Fell will receive its world premiere at Trafalgar Studios next month. Directed by Hannah Price, Sarah Rutherford’s darkly funny play is about loss, guilt and snapchat. The production stars Navin Chowdhry, Rosie Day, Will Fletcher and Claire Goose. The Girl Who Fell runs from 15 October to 23 November.
Summer is winding down, but it’s not over yet! On 14 September you can catch Barry Manilow, Ramin Karimloo, Carrie Hope Fletcher and more at Proms in the Park. Meanwhile, we’ve got some exciting casting news for Ages of the Moon, Fast, Waitress and more! Catch it all right here.
BBC Proms in the Park will feature Michael Ball, Ramin Karimloo, Carrie Hope Fletcher and more. The concert will include songs from Les Misérables performed by Michael Ball, Shan Ako and Carrie Hope Fletcher. Les Misérables composer Claude-Michel Schönberg will also make a special appearance. In addition, the concert will feature Ramin Karimloo, Celinde Schoenmaker, Ben Forster and Jon Robyns (who will perform a song from Hamilton). Barry Manilow, Chrissie Hynde and Jack Savoretti will also put in appearances. BBC Proms in the Park takes place on 14 September in Hyde Park, with further acts to be announced later.
Sope Dirisu and Natey Jones join Death of a Salesman at the Piccadilly Theatre. Dirisu, who played Coriolanus at the RSC and appeared in Black Mirror on Netflix, will play Biff Loman. Jones, whose past productions include Small Island at the National Theatre and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, will play Happy Loman. Dirisu and Jones join a cast that features Wendell Pierce and Sharon D. Clarke in the lead roles, with Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Carole Stennett. Ian Bonar, Trevor Cooper, Joseph Mydell, Matthew Seadon-Young, Nenda Neurer and Femi Tomowo reprise their roles from the Young Vic. Co-directed by Marianne Elliott and Miranda Cromwell, Death of a Salesman runs from 24 October at the Piccadilly Theatre.
Joseph Marcell will star in Sam Shepard’s Ages of the Moon at the Vault Theatre. Best known for playing Geoffrey the butler on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Marcell has also appeared in productions at Shakespeare’s Globe. He’ll play Byron in Ages of the Moon, opposite Christopher Fairbank (Auf Wiedersehen, Pet) as Ames. Directed by Alexander Lass, the production runs 17 October through 24 November at the Vault Theatre.
Tamlyn Henderson joins the cast of Waitress. Known for his roles in the UK and international tours of Mamma Mia! and in the Australian productions of The Sound of Music and Les Misérables, Tamlyn Henderson will play Earl from 9 September. Peter Hannah, currently in the role, plays his last performance on 7 September.
Park Theatre announces full casting for Mother of Him. Joining Tracy-Ann Oberman will be Scott Folan, Simon Hepworth, Anjelica Serra, Neil Sheffield, Hari Aggarwal and Matt Goldberg. Evan Placey’s award-winning play, inspired by true events, runs at Park Theatre from 18 September to 26 October. Max Lindsay directs.
Caroline Lawrie will star inFast at the Park Theatre. Caroline Lawrie (Peaky Blinders) will play cult health professional Linda Hazzard, joined by Jordon Stevens (Harlots, Call the Midwife, Phantom Thread), Natasha Cowley and Daniel Norford. Written by Kate Barton and directed by Kate Valentine, Fast runs from 15 October to 9 November at the Park Theatre.
Caroline Lawrie stars in Fast at the Park Theatre
The Greatest Play in the History of the World comes to Trafalgar Studios 2. A sell-out from the 2018 Edinburgh Fringe, The Greatest Play in the History of the World will star Julie Hesmondhalgh, who takes us on a heartfelt journey through life, science, and love via the story of neighbors on a quiet suburban street. Written by Hesmondhalgh’s husband Ian Kershaw (Coronation Street, Shameless), and directed by Raz Shaw, The Greatest Play in the History of the World runs from 26 November at Trafalgar Studios 2.
Sandy Wilson’s The Boy Friend will get a revival at the Menier Chocolate Factory. A love letter to the musical comedies of the 1920s, The Boy Friend premiered in 1953 and later ran on Broadway starring Julie Andrews. This revival, directed by Matthew White, will run from 22 November 2019 to 7 March 2020. Casting has yet to be announced.
After more than three years and a total of 1,361 performances, Aladdin closed last Saturday (24 August). Taking its place at the Prince Edward Theatre from 23 October will be Mary Poppins. Get your tickets now!
Mary Poppins comes to the Prince Edward Theatre in October
George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man comes to the Bridewell Theatre this September. Directed by Peter Foster and featuring the City of London theatre company Sedos, the production will play from 17 to 21 September.
Almeida Theatre announces full casting for Vassa. Mike Bartlett’s play, directed by Tinuke Craig, will feature Samantha Bond, Alexandra Dowling, Arthur Hughes, Daniella Isaacs, Amber James, Danny Kirrane, Kayla Meikle, Cyril Nri, Lee Ross and Sophie Wu.
TGIF! As usual, here’s your weekly round-up of all the latest news in the London theatre scene.
The Everybody’s Talking About Jamie movie will premiere 23 October, 2020. The movie stars Max Hardwell as Jamie New, with Richard E. Grant as Hugo/Loco Chanelle, Sharon Hogan as Miss Hedges and Sarah Lancashire as Margaret New.
A musical called The Impossible Man, about Harry Houdini, is in development. Producer Kary Sydow (The Last Ship) and Federico Bellone (Mary Poppins) are currently working on the musical, which will feature stage illusions and a Hungarian-inspired score. The workshop is set for next year, with a world premiere planned for Detroit: the last city Houdini performed in.
Joe Sugg joins the cast of Waitress. The vlogger known on YouTube as ThatcherJoe, who also appeared on the 16th season of Strictly Come Dancing, will make his acting debut as Ogie in Waitress. He takes over the role starting 9 September.
Joe Sugg will play Ogie in Waitress
The Watsons at Menier Chocolate Factory announces full casting. The Chichester cast will reprise their roles, with Joe Bannister, Louise Ford, Grace Molony and Laurence Ubong Williams in the lead roles. Rhianna McGreevy joins the cast as Margaret Watson, with Isaac Forward, Sonny Fowler and Teddy Probets sharing the role of Charles Howard.
The Great Gatsby will transfer to an immersive 1920s pop-up bar. Starting 18 October, the immersive production of The Great Gatsby will run at 56 Davies Street in Mayfair. The new immersive space will feature a pop-up 1920s bar that opens in September.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong announces casting. The production from Mischief Theatre will star Romayne Andrews, Tom Babbage, Georgia Bradley, Connor Crawford, Katy Daghorn, Phoebe Ellabani, Ciaran Kellgren, Ethan Moorhouse, Oliver Senton and Patrick Warner.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
BIG the Musical cancels its first four performances due to refurbishment at the Dominion Theatre. The producers had hoped that they would be able to load their equipment into the Dominion Theatre early, despite the ongoing refurbishment work occurring. Unfortunately this has not been possible, so they have had to make the difficult decision to cancel the first few previews.
Afterglow will return to the West End this fall. S. Asher Gelman’s play recently ran at Southwark Playhouse for seven weeks. Now, it’s coming to the Waterloo East Theatre from 17 October to 24 November. Steven Kunis directs, with casting to be announced.
Sir Bryn Terfel will headline Love Classical 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall. The Grammy-winning Welsh bass-baritone will lead give a one-night concert on 17 April, as part of the Love Classical 2020 season. The season will also include a piano concert; an orchestral concert featuring the music of Beethoven, Mendelssohn and Saint-Saens; and an evening of choral classics by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and the City of London Choir.
Sir Bryn Terfel
The Royal Shakespeare Company announces casting for new musical The Boy in the Dress. The comedy musical about a star striker and fashion lover will feature Rufus Hound, Irvine Iqbal, Natasha Lewis and Forbes Masson. Further casting is yet to come. Adapted by Mark Ravenhill from David Walliams’ comedy, the musical includes songs by Robbie Williams and Guy Chambers. Gregory Doran directs, with performances starting 8 November.
John Godber’s This is not Right will premiere 2 October at Trafalgar Studios. John Godber directs, with Frazer Hammill and Martha Godber starring in this play about a young woman with an over-protective father.
Did you catch Sir Ian McKellen’s star-turn in Les Misérables? Last Saturday, in Newcastle, the actor popped in for a one-day cameo in the touring production. Looks like he enjoyed himself!
Happy Friday! We hope you’re having a great summer packed full of even greater theatre. Here’s all the latest news about casting, closings, and premieres.
Patricia Hodge joins the cast of A Day in the Death of Joe Egg. An Olivier Award winner known for her role as Penny in Miranda, Patricia Hodge made her West End debut in Pippin at The National Theatre. She has also appeared on Downton Abbey and A Very English Scandal. Starring Toby Stephens and Claire Skinner, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg runs at Trafalgar Studios from 21 September.
Joel Montague will replace Matt Cardle in Falsettos. Due to scheduling complications, Matt Cardle has had to pull out, but Joel Montague (Kiss Me Kate, School of Rock, Funny Girl, Urinetown) will replace him as Mendel. Falsettos makes its UK premiere at The Other Palace starting 30 August.
Peter Pan at the Troubadour White City Theatre will close 1 September. The National Theatre production of the play, adapted by Sally Cookson from J.M. Barrie’s classic novel, opened 20 July and will close earlier than expected.
Peter Pan at Troubadour White City Theatre. Credit: Steve Tanner.
Gatsby the Musical adds an extra performance night on 27 August. Due to the popularity of the concert performance, the show has added an extra night in addition to its performances on the 28th and 29th.
The New Zealand play Anahera will make its European premiere in London. Directed by Alice Kornitzer, Emma Kinane’s award-winning play will run for a limited season at the Finborough Theatre from 3 September. Anahera is about a Maori social worker who must help a grieving family when their 11-year-old son disappears.
Get ready to dream big, because Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is coming to Cadogan Hall for a special one night concert. And you know who else is coming to London for a one night concert? Tony Award-winner Stephanie J. Block! Find all that news and more in our weekly round-up.
Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s Cinderella will play a one-night only concert at Cadogan Hall on 20 October. The production will use the 2013 Broadway script, with a book updated by Douglas Carter Beane and additional songs from Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s other works. Casting has yet to be announced.
Stephanie J. Block will give two solo concerts in April. The Tony Award-winning star of The Cher Show will perform on 12 April 2020 at Cadogan Hall. Presale tickets will be available 30 August, with tickets going on sale to the general public 3 September.
9 to 5 the Musical will release a cast album. The album is currently in the works, with a release date to be revealed later. Meanwhile, the musical has extended through April 2020.
Dominik Tiefenthaler takes over as Emanuel Lehman
Dominik Tiefenthaler replaces Ben Miles in The Lehman Trilogy. Known for his roles in The Good Wife, Person of Interest, Blood Ties and Maybe Tomorrow, Tiefenthaler previously played the Janitor in The Lehman Trilogy. He will now play the role of Emanuel Lehman. The production runs through 31 August at the Picadilly Theatre.
Andrew Boyer joins the cast of Waitress. From 12 August, Boyer will play Old Joe, with Shaun Pendergast giving his final performance in the role on 10 August.
Cherelle Jay, Zara MacIntosh and Hana Stewart join the cast of SIX as alternate queens. They will join the production in October, replacing Vicki Manser, Grace Mouat and Courtney Stapleton. Watch the video announcement from the show’s Twitter below.
Florian Zeller’s The Son announces full casting for its West End transfer. Michael Longhurst’s critically acclaimed production will feature Amanda Abbington, Laurie Kynaston, John Light, Amaka Okafor, Martin Turner and Cudjoe Asare. The Son runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 24 August.
Dame Judi Dench will help reopen the Ashcroft Playhouse (previously known as the Ashcroft Theatre) with a special Q&A. Broadcaster John Hannam will host the Q&A on 16 September, joined by Dame Judi Dench and theatre critic Michael Billington OBE. They will talk about Olivier Award-winning actress Dame Peggy Ashcroft–in whose honor the theatre is being reopened. A limited number of tickets are available to the public, starting today.
This week, we’ve got all the latest news in London theatre for your perusal. Learn about new casting for Doctor Zhivago, Come From Away, 9 to 5 and more. Plus find out about the next Waitress karaoke night and what’s going on with that James McAvoy Cyrano.
Doctor Zhivago announces full casting for its UK concert premiere. Joining Ramin Karimloo as Zhivago and Celinde Schoenmaker as Lara Guishar will be Rhys Bailey, Maisey Bawden, Isabella Djuve-Wood, Emma De-Anne Edwards, Darcy Jacobs, Kelly Mathieson, Charlie McCullagh and Matthew Woodyatt. Doctor Zhivago will play at Cadogan Hall on 1 September at 2 and 6:30 pm.
David Thaxton joins Come From Away. Best known for playing the Phantom of the Opera and starring in Passion, Les Misérables and Love Never Dies, Thaxton will replace David Shannon from 9 September, playing Kevin T/Garth and Others. Come From Away, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical, is currently running at the Phoenix Theatre.
Further details have been announced for Cyrano de Bergerac starring James McAvoy. The revival of Edmond Rostand’s 1897 play will form part of Jamie Lloyd’s new season at the Playhouse Theatre. Directed by Lloyd, the production opens 27 November and will book until 29 February 2020. Tickets are expected to go on sale to the general public in September.
Chelsea Halfpenny will join 9 to 5 the Musical.
Chelsea Halfpenny will play Judy Bernly in 9 to 5 the Musical. Known for her roles in Emmerdale and Casualty, Halfpenny will make her West End debut in the role starting 2 September, when she will take over from Amber Davies. Bonnie Langford, Brian Conley, Caroline Sheen and Natalie McQueen will continue in their current roles.
The Prince of Egypt announces further casting. The lineup includes Joe Dixon as Seti, Debbie Kurup as Queen Tuya, Gary Wilmot as Jethro, Adam Pearce as Hotep, Tanisha Spring as Nefertari and Silas Wyatt-Barke as Aaron. They join Luke Brady as Moses, Liam Tamne as Ramses, Christine Allado as Tzipporah and Alexia Khadime as Miriam. The Prince of Egypt runs from 5 February 2020 at Dominion Theatre. Further casting will be announced later.
Mischief Theatre announces full casting for Magic Goes Wrong. The ensemble cast will include Bryony Corrigan, Roxy Faridany, Dave Hearn, Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, Jonathan Sayer, Nancy Zamit, Natasha Culley, Laurence Pears, Sydney K. Smith and Liv Spencer. Magic Goes Wrong runs from 14 December at the Vaudeville Theatre.
Lucie Jones and Marisha Wallace will host the next Waitress karaoke night on 14 August. Audience members will be able to sing one minute of any Waitress song onstage at the Adelphi accompanied by the show’s musical director.
Olivier winner Maria Friedman is set for a reading of new musical The Trojan Women. Adapted from Euripides, the reading will take place 9 August at Covent Gardens. The Trojan Women features a libretto by Ellen McLaughlin and music by Sarah Taylor Ellis.
Legendary theatre producer and director Harold Prince died Wednesday at the age of 91. The recipient of 21 Tony Awards, Prince directed the original production of The Phantom of the Opera, as well as productions of Company, Evita and Show Boat. He worked as a producer on musicals like Fiddler on the Roof and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
Here’s your weekly round-up of all the latest news in the London theatre scene. Find casting details for Tina, Mary Poppins, How Love Is Spelt, Phantom and more!
Mary Poppins announces additional casting. The West End return of Disney’s practically perfect musical will include Amy Griffiths (Mrs. Banks), Claire Moore (Miss Andrews), Claire Machen (Mrs. Brill), Barry James (Admiral Bloom) and Jack North (Robertson Ay). They join Petula Clark (the Bird Woman), Joseph Milson (George Banks), Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins) and Charlie Stemp (Bert). Mary Poppins runs at the Prince Edward Theatre from 23 October.
Aisha Jawando will take over the title role in Tina – The Tina Turner Musical. Starting 8 October, Jawando will play Tina Turner, as Nkeki Obi-Melekwe heads to Broadway to play Adrienne Warren’s alternate. Jawando has appeared in West End productions of Cinderella, Motown, Beautiful and The Lion King.
Noises Off will return to the West End from 27 September 2019 to 4 January 2020. Michael Frayn’s farce has played in locations around the world, including London’s Lyric Hammersmith Theatre. Now it’s back for a limited run.
Shan Ako and Lily Kerhoas join Les Misérables – The Staged Concert as Eponine and Cosette respectively. The production is now fully cast, with Michael Ball as Javert, Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Matt Lucas as Thénardier and Rob Houchen as Marius.
Michelle Collins (EastEnders, Coronation Street) will star in How Love Is Spelt at Southwark Playhouse. Joining her will be Nigel Boyle, Benjamin O’Mahony, Yana Penrose, Larner Wallace-Taylor and Duncan Moore. How Love Is Spelt opens 4 September.
Josh Piterman will play the Phantom of the Opera from 9 September. The Australian singer and performer will make his West End debut in the role. Joining him will be Danny Whitehead as Raoul, Britt Lenting as Carlotta and Richard Woodford as Monsieur André. The rest of the cast will continue in their roles.
Josh Piterman will play the Phantom starting 9 September
The Turbine Theatre’sTorch Song announces final casting. The production will star Matthew Needham, Daisy Boulton, Dino Fetscher, Rish Sha, Jay Lycurgo and Bernice Stegers. Torch Song runs from 22 August to 13 October.
Waitress extends at the Adelphi Theatre through 4 January 2020. Tickets are now on sale.
Dave Malloy will appear at Southwark Playhouse after the 19 September performance of Preludes. The Tony-nominated composer and writer will hold a conversation with Matt Wolf, free to audience members who have already purchased tickets for the evening’s show.
Clive Rowe will appear in Hackney Empire’s Dick Whittington and His Cat alongside Kat B and Tony Whittle. Rowe will play Sarah the Cook, with Kat B as Vincent the Cat and Tony Whittle as Alderman Fitzwarren. This year’s pantomime will run from 23 November 2019 to 5 January 2020.
It’s official, London is sweltering. With the sun set to scorch for at least the next couple of weeks, it can be hard to picture yourself doing anything other than slapping on the suncream and eating all the ice lollies you can get your hands on. If, like us, you’d still prefer to be out and about in the city, we’ve compiled a handy list of the top shows that you can go and enjoy in the comfort of an air conditioned theatre.
A new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s multi-award winning musical has landed in the London Palladium for a strictly limited summer run. No need to worry about feeling the Egyptian heat – the London Palladium has air conditioning to keep you cooler than a dip in the Nile. Book tickets now from £24.
Fast-paced and riotously hilarious, The Comedy About A Bank Robbery masterfully unites screw-ball comedy with real theatrical invention, and is guaranteed to have you rolling in the aisles. With air conditioning in the Criterion, it’ll be tears of laughter wetting your face, not sweat! Book tickets from just £11.80.
The record-breaking and top-rated television series Only Fools and Horses is now also a smash-hit, five star West End musical! Join Del Boy, Rodney and Grandad in this brilliant adaptation of the classic sitcom and cool off with the coolest guys that Peckham has to offer. Lovely Jubbly! Book tickets from just £18 this summer.
Tennessee Williams’s last great play comes to the West End for a limited run starring Clive Owen, Lia Williams, Anna Gunn and Julian Glover. Thrown together for one eventful night at a remote coastal Mexican hotel, the only rise in temperature in the Noël Coward Theatre will be from the actors’ chemistry. Book tickets now from £21.
Set in the sunny climates of the Mediterranean, it would be easy with the heatwave to forget that we’re in London at all! Luckily, the Novello Theatre is equipped to keep you cool while you channel your inner dancing queen with this classic jukebox musical. Book tickets for this West End classic from just £18.
This week, the much-anticipated Prince of Egypt musical makes its first casting announcement, and Paul McCartney is writing a musical! Find all that and more in our weekly round-up of the latest from London theatre.
A musical adaptation of It’s A Wonderful Life may be in the works…from Paul McCartney. Wait…what? You read that right. McCartney is currently partnering with Bill Kenwright to adapt Frank Capra’s classic 1946 film into a musical. Tony Award-winning writer Lee Hall is working on the book. It’s A Wonderful Life is eyeing a London opening in late 2020, but that’s all the information we have at this point.
The Prince of Egypt announces initial casting (pictured above). Luke Brady (Sweeney Todd, St. George and the Dragon) will play Moses. Liam Tamne (The Light in the Piazza) will play Ramses. Christine Allado (Hamilton) will play Tzipporah. Alexia Khadime (Wicked) will play Miriam. Directed by Scott Schwartz, The Prince of Egypt runs at the Dominion Theatre from 5 February 2020.
Toby Stephens and Claire Skinner will star in A Day in the Death of Joe Egg at Trafalgar Studios. This revival of Peter Nichol’s comedy will be its first staging in more than 15 years. Directed by Simon Evans, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg runs from 20 September.
Colin Salmon (James Bond, Master of None, Krypton) will star in The Time Of Our Lies for one night only on 2 August. For the remainder of the run, Daniel Benzali will play the lead role. Other cast members include Trang Le and Jessye Romeo. Directed by Ché Walker, The Time of Our Lies runs at the Park Theatre from 1 August.
Back to the Future announces further casting. Hugh Coles will play George McFly, with Rosanna Hyland (School of Rock) as Lorraine Baines and Cedric Neal (Motown the Musical) as Mayor Goldie Wilson. They join the previously announced Olly Dobson as Marty McFly. Back to the Future opens at the Manchester Opera House in February 2020 before transferring to the West End. Further details have yet to be announced.
Ghost Stories returns to the West End this October. A new production of the cult-classic horror show by Andy Nyman and Jeremy Dyson will play a 12-week run at the Ambassadors Theatre, starting 17 October, before embarking on a national tour. Tickets are on sale now.
The West End transfer of Touching the Void announces casting. Directed by Tom Morris, the production will star original cast members Fiona Hampton, Patrick McNamee and Josh Williams, joined by newcomer Angus Yellowlees. Touching the Void runs at the Duke of York’s Theatre from 9 November.
The immersive adaptation of The Wolf of Wall Street announces venue and casting. Based on the memoirs of stockbroker Jordan Belfort, the production will take place at 5-15 Sun Street, in a four-story building that will be renovated to recreate Belfort’s 1990s New York. The 16-person cast includes Oliver Tilney as Belfort, with Rhiannon Harper-Rafferty as his wife and James Bryant as his business partner Danny. The Wolf of Wall Street runs from 5 September.
Paterson Joseph will star in the Old Vic’s A Christmas Carol. Paterson, who has appeared in several National Theatre and RSC productions, will play Ebenezer Scrooge in Jack Thorne’s adaptation of the Dickens classic. The production runs at the Old Vic from 23 November, with further casting to come.
Lorna Brown, Raghad Charr and Yoi Fuller join the cast of Two Ladies at the Bridge Theatre. They join Zoe Wanamaker and Zrinka Cvitešić in this world premiere of Nancy Harris’ play, directed by Nicholas Hytner. Two Ladies runs from 14 September to 26 October.
The Man in the WhiteSuit announces full casting. Joining Stephen Mangan will be Kara Tointon, Sue Johnston, Richard Cordery, Richard Durden, Delroy Atkinson, Katie Bernstein, Ben Deery, Matthew Durkan, Rina Fatania, Oliver Kaderbhai, Eugene McCoy, Elliott Rennie and Katherine Toy. The Man in the White Suit opens at Wyndham’s Theatre 27 September.
Sue Johnston, Kara Tointon and Stephen Mangan
The world premiere of Anupama Chandrasekhar’s When the Crows Visit announces full casting. Running at the Kiln Theatre from 23 October, the play will star Ayesha Dharker, Bally Gill, Mariam Haque, Asif Khan, Aryana Ramkhalawon, Paul G. Raymond and Soni Razdan.
The Elixir of Love comes to the King’s Head Theatre. This new production of the classic opera, set in an Italian immigrant community in 1982 Wales, runs from 25 September to 26 October.
Disney’s musicals The Lion King, Aladdin, Frozen and Mary Poppins will take part in a Disney in the West End Summer Pop-Up. The event will take place in Covent Garden from 23 July to 1 September, and will feature plenty of free events and activities.
