Head to The Drive In this Halloween for the ultimate spook fest, featuring everything from cult classic Scream to modern-day thriller Us.
With vehicles spaced 2 metres apart, tickets scanned through your closed window, and sound broadcast straight to your vehicle’s speakers, The Drive In offers contact-free entertainment that you won’t want to miss this autumn and winter.
Save 50% on all films until the end of 2020. Tickets cost just £19.96 per car. Book now at fromtheboxoffice.com.
After launching regionally earlier this year, the stage adaptation of cult classic film Back to the Future is finally coming to London’s West End – and you can get your hands on tickets next week!
Back to the Future: The Musical is set to open at London’s Adelphi Theatre on 14 May 2021. Tickets will be going on general sale on Wednesday 16 September. Sign up here to be notified as soon as tickets are available.
The show originally opened to critical acclaim at the Manchester Opera House in February, but shows were halted soon after due to the pandemic.
Creators of the iconic 80s classic trilogy Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale adapted the story for stage. It is directed by the Tony Award-winning John Rando (Urinetown) and produced by Colin Ingram (Ghost — The Musical).
The West End show will feature music and lyrics by Emmy and Grammy Award-winning Alan Silvestri and six-time Grammy Award-winning Glen Ballard. It includes classic tunes from the soundtrack including The Power of Love and Johnny B Goode.
Christopher Lloyd, 81, who played Dr Emmett “Doc” Brown in the movie, and also starred in The Addams Family and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, said about the show coming to the West End: “I’m delighted that Back To The Future the Musical will be up and running in London in mid-May. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the show’s run in Manchester, so I’m excited to finally see it for myself.
“I’ve already heard some of the new songs and met many of the cast members, particularly Roger Bart who plays Doc, so I’m confident the stage version will be exactly what our fans have been hoping for. And, Great Scott, I can’t wait to hear Doc Brown sing!”
Gale said: “Bob Zemeckis and I are over the moon to finally be opening Back To The Future The Musical in the West End at the historic Adelphi Theatre, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience our show. I promise, everyone will be delighted with how we’ve translated the movie to the stage.”
Join our mailing list to be the first to hear when tickets for Back to the Future: The Musical are on sale. Sign up here.
Get your musical theatre fix with a trip to see Sleepless, an enchanting new romantic musical comedy based on the romcom classic Sleepless In Seattle. Socially-distanced performances are now playing at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre for a strictly limited season until 27 September.
Tickets available from only £17.25 on Saturday & Sunday. Book tickets now.
For film fanatics:
Bring back the nostalgia of the 1950s and the golden age of Hollywood at The Drive In.
Get up close and personal with more than 250 lifelike figures of your favourite celebrities at Madame Tussauds, with plenty of new additions for you to discover and enjoy in 2020.
Experience unrivalled 360 degree views over the city for up to 40 miles at The View from The Shard, the premium visitor attraction located at the top of Western Europe’s tallest building.
Tickets available from £37.40 on Saturday & Sunday. Book tickets.
Based in Greenwich, The Painted Hall offers one of the most spectacular and important baroque interiors in Europe. Tickets only £12 across the bank holiday weekend. Buy tickets now.
Test your skills, solve mysteries, and overcome both mental and physical challenges at The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience. Buy tickets from £66.
What’s on outside of London:
If you’d prefer to get out of the city, why not make a weekend of it with a trip up north?
Explore the world of Van Gogh with the immersive experience in York, take on the Crystal Maze in Manchester, or discover the story of British Music at the British Music Experience in Liverpool.
Tickets go on sale today for Doctor Who: Time Fracture, a new immersive theatrical event created by the team behind The Great Gatsby, the UK’s longest-running immersive show.
Officially licensed by BBC Studios, Doctor Who: Time Fracture will begin performances February 17, 2021 at Immersive | LDN, a former military drill hall dating back to 1890. Tickets are available through to April 21.
Featuring an original story arc, Doctor Who: Time Fracture will invite audiences to become immersed in the world of Doctor Who. Placed at the heart of the story, audiences will meet Daleks, Cybermen, Time Lords and many other strange and mysterious characters as they travel across space and time to discover amazingly realised worlds and undertake a mission to save the universe as we know it.
Working in collaboration with BBC Studios, the creative team includes director Tom Maller (Casino Royale, 28 Days Later), writer Daniel Dingsdale (Dark Tourism, Stardust), BBC consultant James Goss (Dirk Gently, Torchwood), production designer Rebecca Brower, and the creative team at Immersive Everywhere.
Writer Dingsdale said in a statement, “Drawing from the rich legacy of Doctor Who, which spans over half a century, we are creating an adventure that will entertain both fans that have immersed themselves in the show’s universe for years, and audience members who will walk in from the street having never seen an episode. It’s going to be an absolute blast.”
The production will adhere to the social distancing guidelines announced by the U.K. government this month.
If you have kids to entertain during the school holidays, you’ll be pleased to hear that a number of family-friendly activities are up and running throughout August! From chilled drive-in movie nights to thrilling theme park rides, there’s something for everyone to enjoy this summer. Here are our top 10 picks.
Head to Thorpe Park for a day of infinite thrills with over 30 rides, immersive events and exhilarating attractions. The park is open now – book one day entry tickets for just £33.
2. Enjoy live kids’ shows at The Drive In
No theatre? No problem! Thanks to The Drive In, you can enjoy the iconic drive-in experience, with live actors, classic cinema refreshments, and great entertainment – all from the safety and comfort of your vehicle.
The hit 90s TV show is brought to life in both London and Manchester. You and your team will run around madly, shout yourself silly, complete all sorts of tricky challenges and finish up in some lovely satin bomber jackets.
Take your kids on their first wild adventure at Chessington World of Adventure Resort. Book one day entry tickets online for just £29.50 (includes entry to the theme park, zoo & SEA LIFE Centre).
Your whole family can journey through Far Far Away as the stars of the show in this brilliantly bonkers interactive experience. Shrek’s Adventure reopens on 1st August. Book tickets from £20.
Dive in and explore an underwater world of glittering scales, waddling feet and razor-sharp teeth at the UK’s flagship SEA LIFE aquarium located on London’s popular Southbank. Reopening 1st August. Book tickets from £23.
Treat your family to the ultimate day out at the London Dungeon…if you dare! The home of scary fun invites you to live and breathe your way through London’s darkest history via a selection of scream-drenched stories and fear-inducing immersive experiences. Reopening 1st August. Book tickets from £24.
Get up close and personal with more than 250 lifelike figures of your favourite celebrities at Madame Tussauds, reopening 1st August. Book tickets from £29.
The London Eye is the most popular paid attraction in the whole of the UK. And no wonder – it’s the only view of the city that moves. Reopens 1st August. Book tickets from £28.
Create your ultimate day out with up to 5 of London’s unmissable attractions for one incredible price! Experience 3 attractions for only £50 and 5 attractions for only £90. Book tickets.
Spice up your summer with a live concert of Spice Girls hits followed by a screening of the iconic Spice World at The Drive In.
Award winning Theatre Producer Paul Taylor-Mills has assembled 5 of the West End’s most iconic leading ladies to perform in this special one-night-only concert.
Who are the Spices?
The performance will feature Aimie Atkinson (Six/Pretty Woman) as Ginger, Bronté Barbé (Shrek/Beautiful) as Baby, Lucie Jones (Waitress/Rent) as Sporty, Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins/Strictly Ballroom) as Posh and Danielle Steers (Bat Out of Hell/Six) as Scary.
When is it?
Presented at the Troubadour Meridian Water, the drive-in experience will start at 9pm on Saturday 1 August, with doors opening at 8.15pm.
Social distancing policy
The Drive In is fully contact-free. Sound will be broadcast straight to your vehicle’s speakers; information on how to tune in will be available on the day. The performances are in a raised central location and relayed back to a giant cinema screen, giving everyone a great view wherever they park up. Snacks and drinks are available to order through our mobile app, and will be safely delivered to your car by our team of 1950s drive in attendants.
With vehicles spaced 2 metres apart, tickets will be scanned through your closed car window – and we’ll be putting extra measures in place to ensure all our shows can be enjoyed in line with the latest government advice.
“The show will absolutely go on, just a little later than I’d hoped.”
ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Andrew Lloyd Webber and the Really Useful Group have pushed the premiere of Cinderellafrom this October to next spring. The new musical will now world premiere at the Gillian Lynne Theatre in London on Wednesday 7th April 2021, with previews from Friday 19th March 2021.
This highly-anticipated production is set to completely reinvent the classic fairytale. Featuring a brand new score by the legendary Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Oscar-nominated David Zippel, and a script by Emmy Award nominated Emerald Fennell (Killing Eve, A Promising Young Woman, Call The Midwife, The Crown).
Carrie Hope Fletcher (Les Miserables, Heathers, The Addams Family, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Mary Poppins) will play Cinderella, and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (The Wild Party, In The Heights, A Chorus Line, Flashdance, Grease) will play the Wicked Stepmother. Additional cast and creative team have not been announced.
Lloyd Webber said in a statement, “Whilst I continue to impress on the government that theatres can reopen safely based on the London Palladium model, it has become clear that we need to move the opening of Cinderella to next spring. My teams have been working throughout lockdown to prepare the show and are raring to go, but there are key elements, not least casting and the building of sets and costumes, that take months of forward planning and can only start as we get further down the road to normal. So the show will absolutely go on, just a little later than I’d hoped.”
From West End classics to modern hits, we’ve rounded up the hottest musicals playing in London next year. You can book as far ahead as September 2021 to guarantee the best choice of seats and prices. When it comes to musical theatre, it’s never too early to start making plans!
1. 101 Dalmatians at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Don’t miss this all-singing adaptation of Dodie Smith’s iconic kids’ novel at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre – an award-winning theatre and London landmark. The new musical has been rescheduled and is now running 15th May – 20th June 2021. Buy tickets from £30.
2. Only Fools and Horses at Theatre Royal Haymarket
The record-breaking and top-rated television series Only Fools and Horses undoubtedly holds a special place in the hearts of the British public. The iconic series has now been adapted into a brand-new, home-grown British Musical spectacular. Tickets are currently on sale up to 6th February 2021. Buy tickets from £18.
3. Sister Act! The Musical at Eventim Apollo
Academy® Award winning actress Whoopi Goldberg is back as Deloris Van Cartier with BAFTA Award winner Jennifer Saunders in the role of Mother Superior in the newly adapted, smash-hit musical. Sister Act! The Musical is now running at the Eventim Apollo from 20 July 2021 to 29 August 2021. You’ll find good availability w/c 20th July 2021. Buy tickets from £96.60.
4.The Lion King at Lyceum Theatre
Disney’s Academy Award®-winning beloved film is transformed into a magical theatrical experience that explodes with life in the rhythms of Africa. You can currently book up to 3rd July 2021. Buy tickets for The Lion King from £34.
5. Pretty Woman at Piccadilly Theatre
Experience one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time on the West End stage. Tickets are currently available up to 6th February 2021. Buy tickets for Pretty Woman from £18.
6. TINA: The Tina Turner Musical at Aldwych Theatre
Explore the story of a woman who didn’t just break the rules, but rewrote them – defying the bounds of age, race, and gender time and time again. The five-star smash-hit musical is booking to June 2021. Buy tickets for TINA from £12.
Following last year’s sell out pop-concert musical, SIX returns triumphantly to the Arts Theatre powered by an all-female band. The 75-minute celebration of sisterly sass-itude is currently playing until September 2021. Buy tickets from £28.75.
9. The Book of Mormon at Prince of Wales Theatre
This hilarious musical from Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the brains behind South Park) manages to simultaneously be incredibly rude, potentially offensive and unexpectedly endearing. The sell-out musical is currently booking through to March 2021. Buy tickets for The Book of Mormon from £23.
10. Wicked at Apollo Victoria Theatre
Transport yourself to a stunningly re-imagined world of Oz in WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical sensation. Tickets are currently available up to May 2021. Buy tickets from £26.50.
Hairspray will open at the London Coliseum next spring. Starring Michael Ball, Paul Merton, Marisha Wallace and Rita Simons, the production will open 22 April 2021 and play a limited 19-week engagement.
Sleepless, A Musical Romance, will premiere this September. The new musical will have a limited run from 25 August to 27 September 2020, and the Troubadour Wembley Theatre will use social distancing and follow COVID-19 guidelines for cast, crew and audiences. The musical is now booking.
Jay McGuiness and Kimberley Walsh star in Sleepless, A Musical Romance.
The Prince of Egyptreopens ticket booking from 2 November 2020. Tickets for the West End production are now on sale for performances until 4 September 2021. However, according to a statement, performances will officially resume pending UK government advice. As of now, all performances of The Prince of Egypt are cancelled until Saturday, 31 October 2020.
The Phantom of the Opera will undergo set repairs before reopening. The original production will replace many sets that have been in use since the show’s first performance 34 years ago. The Phantom of the Opera is currently closed until early 2021.
Giles Terera, Judi Dench, Anthony Hopkins, Chita Rivera and more will take part in Hello Harry! – A Celebration of 40 Years at Stage Door. Hosted by Terera, the event will also feature Beverly Knight, Eddie Izzard, Clive Rowe, Sharon D. Clarke and more. The concert honors West End legend Harry Gabriel: the Shaftesbury Theatre Stage Door Keeper for more than 40 years who won a special Olivier Award in 2017. Hello Harry! will stream for free on YouTube 15 July at 7:30 pm and will remain available to watch afterward.
Harry Gabriel. Credit: Ryan Eddleston.
Lockdown Theatre announces a live virtual reading of A Bit of Waiting for Godot. In association with The Royal Theatrical Fund, Lockdown Theatre will perform a live virtual table reading starring Robert Lindsay, Michael Palin and Joanna Lumley. Directed by Jonathan Church, the performance takes place Sunday 28 June at 7 pm.
The Barn Theatre announces a virtual concert of the music of Amies and Clements. Hosted by Barn Theatre producer Jamie Chapman Dixon, the concert will celebrate the music of composers Stephanie Jayne Amies and Teddy Clements, and will star Josh Andrews, Marcus Ayton, Adam Bailey, Rebecca Bailey, Cameron Bernard Jones, Esmée Cook, Hiba Elchikhe, Phoebe Fildes, Aidan Harkins, Lucy Ireland, Sam Otto, Evie Rose Lane, Jodie Steele and Bronte Tadman. The concert will be available to watch on the Barn Theatre’s Facebook and YouTube channels 27 June at 7:30 pm.
Curve Leicester and Really Useful Group postpone The Wizard of Oz until Christmas 2021. The production was originally scheduled for 2020, but will now run 27 November 2021 to 15 January 2022.
Andrew Lloyd Webber will reopen the London Palladium in July as a test. Inspired by the success of a production of The Phantom of the Opera in South Korea, the London Palladium will take precautions including hygienic door handles and temperature imaging. Andrew Lloyd Webber hopes to prove that theatres are capable of reopening.
Tickets forJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are now on sale. The production returns to the West End 1 July 2021 at the London Palladium, starring Jac Yarrow and Jason Donovan.
Small Island is streaming this week on National Theatre at Home. Adapted by Helen Edmundson and directed by Rufus Norris, this sold-out production from 2019 will be available for free streaming on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel until 25 June. Set in Jamaica and Britain in the 1940s, the production stars a 40-member cast that includes Leah Harvey, Gershwyn Eustache Jr. and Aisling Loftus. Watch it here.
Small Island, now streaming on National Theatre at Home
The Shows Must Go On! will broadcast Peter Pan Live! this weekend. From 19 June at 2 pm EDT, the NBC broadcast from 2014 will be available to watch for free for 48 hours on YouTube. Watch it here.
Ruthie Henshall announces new dates for her show In My Life. The intimate concert series will play Cadogan Hall on 19 March 2021. Henshall recently routed Australia with her show, which was scheduled to play the U.K. earlier this year. Current ticket holders will be contacted for a transfer or refund.
Horrible Histories: Barmy Britainwill perform 4 July in the parking lot of Powderham Castle. The show was originally set to run at the Apollo Theater.
SirCliff Richard, Guy Chambers and Bedouine join Royal Albert Home. The pop legend, songwriter, and Syrian-American folk artist will perform as part of the Royal Albert Hall’s streamed shows series. The event is free to watch, but donations toward the Royal Albert Hall are encouraged.
Cameron Mackintosh announces the delay of Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, Hamilton and The Phantom of the Opera until 2021. The productions will return as early as possible in 2021, with no exact date given yet. Ticket holders will be contacted by the box office or point of purchase, and offered a refund or credit voucher.
The film adaptation of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will now open 22 January 2021. The movie was originally set to premiere 23 October, 2020.
Max Harwood stars in the film adaptation of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Ian Holm, best known for playing Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings, has died. Holm was a veteran of the London stage, performing with the Royal Shakespeare Company and on Broadway and West End stages. He won an Olivier Award for his West End performance as King Lear in 1988. Holm died peacefully of a Parksinson’s related illness, surrounded by his family. He was 88.
The Shows Must Go On will stream The Wiz Live! this weekend. NBC’s live television broadcast from 2015 will stream for free on The Shows Must Go On YouTube channel. The Wiz Live! stars Shanice Williams, Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, David Alan Grier, Ne-Yo, Elijah Kelley, Uzo Aduba, Amber Riley, Common and Stephanie Mills. The show will be available for 48 hours starting 12 June at 2 pm ET. Watch The Wiz Live!here.
National Theatre At Home announces its final streaming productions. Over the next six weeks, the National Theatre will stream The Madness of King George, Small Island, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Les Blancs, The Deep Blue Sea and Amadeus. Each production will be available to watch for free on YouTube, for seven days. Find more info here.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie releases tickets for performances this fall. Tickets are now available for performances from 2 September 2020 at The Apollo Theatre. The show has also extended its booking period through 16 January 2021.
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie
Audra McDonald, Lea Salonga and Melissa Errico will perform on The Seth Concert Series. Seth Rudetsky’s concert series began 31 May with a performance featuring Kelli O’Hara, and will continue throughout June and July–with Jeremy Jordan on 14 June, Jessie Mueller on 21 June, Lea Salonga on 28 June, Melissa Errico on 5 July and Audra McDonald on 12 July. Each performance takes place at 8PM EST with a second showing Mondays at 3PM EST. Get tickets and more info here.
The RSC’s Macbeth and Hamlet will be broadcast on BBC 4. The Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2018 production of Macbeth, starring Chris Eccleston and Niamh Cusack, will air 14 June at 9:30 pm. The 2016 production of Hamlet starring Paapa Essiedu will follow on 21 June at 9 pm. Both are part of the Culture in Quarantine series.
Mamma Mia!Here We Go Again is coming to Netflix. Starting 26 June, the hit movie musical, a sequel to Mamma Mia!, will be available for the first time on Netflix in the UK and Ireland.
The National Theatre will stream The Madness of George III. Starring Mark Gatiss (pictured above), Adrian Scarborough and Debra Gillett, the production will be available for seven days from 11 June on The National Theatre’s YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the Tom Hiddleston-led Coriolanus is available for streaming this week. Watch it here.
The Old Vic announces dates for Lungs. The production starring Matt Smith and Claire Foy will run from 26 June to 4 July, with performances live-streamed from an empty theatre. Tickets go on sale at 12 noon on 10 June.
The Great Gatsby plans to re-open 1 October 2020. The immersive London production will re-open with venue capacity reduced, social distancing followed, and face coverings worn by audience members. Temperature checks will be taken for both audience and staff, with the venue being deep cleaned before and after each performance. The Great Gatsby will also offer a no-questions-asked exchange policy for current ticket-holders who cannot or do not wish to attend.
Tendai Humphrey Sitima and Hannah Edwards in The Great Gatsby.
One Night Records, an immersive music experience, opens this October. Playing at a secret London Bridge location, this new live event offers the chance to spend a unique night with friends or family in a safe, socially distant environment. One Night Records celebrates music history in a maze of hidden tunnels, with live music and a journey into the past. Get tickets here.
Aimie Atkinson, Lucie Jones and more will lead virtual concert The Music of Elliot Davis. The Barn Theatre presents a concert of the composer’s music featuring a cast that also includes Aaron Lee Lambert, Jamie Muscato, Aaron Sidwell, Jos Slovick, Luke Bayer and more. As part of the event, Elliot Davis will chat with Barn Theatre producer Jamie Chapman Dixon. The concert will be released on the Barn Theatre’s Facebook and YouTube channels on 6 June at 7:30 pm BST.
This Sunday, Cabaret at The Merc will feature The Prince of Egypt cast. Six members of the West End cast will perform on The Merc: Quarantine Edition, a live broadcast on The Merc Facebook page this Sunday, June 7, at 12 pm PST.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child suspends performances through 6 September. The London production at the Palace Theatre has cancelled all performances for the summer. Current ticket-holders will be contacted directly by their point of purchase.
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, London. Credit: Manuel Harlan.
Be More Chill cancels all remaining performances at The Other Palace. The musical shared the news over Facebook, hinting that it will resume performances in London once theatres re-open.
Ambassador Theatre Group suspends all performances until 2 August. ATG announced on Twitter that all their performances across the UK have been suspended until Sunday, 2 August. Ticket-holders will be contacted.
The Royal Shakespeare Company postpones The Winter’s Tale and The Comedy of Errors. Performances planned for this autumn and winter have also been postponed or cancelled. The Wars of The Roses Part 1 and Part 2 are postponed until autumn 2021. The Magician’s Elephant is postponed until winter 2021. The First Encounters with Shakespeare tour of Twelfth Night is postponed until 2021. The RSC Barbican annual residency for 2020 is cancelled. The West End production of Matilda The Musical will remain closed until West End theatres reopen. All other RSC events are cancelled, including RSC summer school.
Meanwhile, you can watch the RSC’s Romeo and Juliet on BBC Four this weekend. Bally Gill and Karen Fishwick star in the 2018 production, available to watch from 9 pm this Sunday, 8 June.
Karen Fishwick and Bally Gill in Romeo and Juliet.
The Pillowman is postponed until 2021. Martin McDonagh’s play was set to premiere this summer at the Duke of York’s Theatre, but will now open in 2021 instead. Further details and exact dates will be announced later. Ticket-holders will be contacted by their point of purchase.
The Original London Cast Recording of Amelie is now available. Find it here on your streaming platform of choice.
The Drive In will open 4 July 2020. A new drive in movie theatre is set to open in North London this summer. Offering socially distanced entertainment, the theatre will screen movies including La La Land, The Terminator, Dirty Dancingand more. Stand up comedy and live concerts are also in the works. Get all the details here.
Hairspray Live! will air for free via The Shows Must Go On. The YouTube channel will present the Hairspray Live! production from 2016 starring Maddie Baillio, Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, Ariana Grande, Derek Hough, Jennifer Hudson and Martin Short. Directed by Kenny Leon, Hairspray is available to watch for free for 48 hours from 7 pm today (Friday). Watch it here.
The 2020 season of BBC Proms will feature eight weeks of television, radio and online broadcasts. For the first night, a virtual orchestra will mark the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth. Special live performances will occur later in the season, with a grand finale on 12 September. The 2020 season opens 17 July on BBC Radio 3 and 19 July on BBC Four. Tapping into BBC archive footage as well as live performances from the Royal Albert Hall, the 2020 Proms will celebrate the past, reflect on the present and build for the future. You can find more info here.
The Jamie Lloyd Company postpones The Seagull and A Doll’s House. The Seagull starring Emilia Clarke, and A Doll’s House starring Jessica Chastain will both open as soon as possible after the theatre shutdown ends, with full casts and dates to be announced.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will return in 2021. The production has been rescheduled to begin 1 July 2021. Joseph will still run at the London Palladium, with stars Jason Donovan and Jac Yarrow returning from last year. Current ticket holders will be contacted.
Hello, Dolly! starring Imelda Staunton has been postponed to 2022. The show was originally set to open at the Adelphi Theatre this summer. The longer delay comes because Imelda Staunton is committed to shoot the fifth season of The Crown in 2021. Ticket holders will be contacted and offered a refund.
The Old Vic will stream Lungs starring Claire Foy and Matt Smith. Following a run of socially distanced performances of Duncan MacMillan’s Lungs, the Old Vic will produce a series of rehearsed play-readings, all streamed live from the Old Vic stage. Find more info here.
Claire Foy and Matt Smith in Lungs
James Graham’s This House is available for streaming on National Theatre at Home. The National Theatre production is available from now until 7 pm BST 4 June. Watch it here.
The Royal Shakespeare Company will broadcast Romeo and Juliet on BBC Four. As part of the Culture in Quarantine project, the production from 2019 will stream at 9 pm BST on 7 June.
David Tennant and Michael Sheen star in new BBC comedy series Staged. The show will be a six-part series filmed remotely, about the cast of a West End play suddenly furloughed. The cast will also star Georgia Tennant, Lucy Eaton and Anna Lundberg, with guest stars to include Nina Sosanya and others. Staged premieres next month on BBC One, with exact dates to be announced.
The London Cast Recording of Amélie releases 5 June. The album features Audrey Brisson and the original London cast.
Danny Becker and Lauren Samuels will lead a virtual production of The Last Five Years. The pair will perform Jason Robert Brown’s musical from lockdown using only what is available to them. The production will stream for three nights from June 25 to 27 at 7:30 pm BST, with a limited number of tickets, each costing £8, available per show.
Toby Jones and Owen Teale star in A Case of Mistaken Identity. Written by Gus Crotty and directed by max Elton, the production is now available via all podcasting platforms. You can also listen here.
Although theatres are still closed, there are plenty of ways to get your entertainment fix. One is The Drive In: a new movie theatre opening 4 July in North London. We’ve got everything you need to know about The Drive In below, plus info on how to get tickets!
What is the Drive In?
The Drive In is a new contact-free theatre in London. Hearkening back to the classic 1950s drive in movie experience, The Drive In will allow you to watch classic and modern movies from inside your own vehicle. Sound will be broadcast to your car radio, and social distancing will be strictly observed throughout.
How will The Drive In observe social distancing?
Vehicles will be spaced two metres apart, and tickets will be scanned through the closed window of your car. All tickets must be purchased in advance online. Snacks and drinks will be available to order via mobile app, and staff will deliver them safely in a contact-free manner.
What movies will play at The Drive In?
So far, the list of movies includes Dirty Dancing, Bad Boys for Life, The Terminator, 1917, La La Land, The Shawshank Redemption and Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Click here to get tickets!
The Drive In also plans to produce stand-up comedy and live concerts, with further details to be announced.
Where is the Drive In?
The Drive In is located just off the North Circular at Troubadour Meridian Water, Hawley Road, London.
Will discounts be available?
10 free car tickets for each performance will be available for NHS staff and care workers who book through The Drive In’s website and enter the code NHSSTAFF at checkout.
The National Theatre cancels all performances through July and August. The National Theatre building will remain closed to the public until 31 August. While the National Theatre is closed, productions from the theatre’s past will be available to stream for free on YouTube.
National Theatre at Home streams Gillian Anderson in A Streetcar Named Desire (pictured above). The Young Vic production which also stars Vanessa Kirby and Ben Foster is available from 21 until 28 May on YouTube.
Shakespeare’s Globe streams The Winter’s Tale for free on YouTube. Directed by Blanche McIntyre, this production from 2018 stars Will Keen, Priyanga Burford, Sirine Saba and Becci Gemmell. The Winter’s Tale is available until Sunday 31 May 2020. Watch it here.
The Winter’s Tale. Photo: Marc Brenner.
The Donmar’s Midnight Your Time extends until 27 May. The virtual production directed by Michael Longhurst and starring Diana Quick is available for free streaming on YouTube. Watch it here.
Christina Bianco, Matt Henry and more lead The Barn Theatre’s second virtual concert.The Barn Theatre Presents: The Music of Finn Anderson will celebrate the work of Scottish musical theatre composer Finn Anderson. The concert will feature Christina Bianco, Matt Henry, Joanne Clifton, Niki Evans, Claire-Marie Hall, Danielle Hope, Rebecca Jayne-Davies, Brienne Keller, Emmanuel Kojo, Nicholas McLean, Oliver Ormson and Ella Young. The virtual concert releases on the Barn Theatre’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter channels 23 May at 7:30 pm BST.
Burn Bright presents Better In Person: a series of short plays by women writers, broadcast over Zoom. Directed by Abigail Sewell, the plays will air live on Monday, 25 May. Sharon Small, David Yelland will star in Charlotte Jones’ play The Cardigan, with Cherelle Skeete and Temi Wilkey starring in Natasha Brown’s Mahoganie Jo. Arinder Sadhra and Naveed Khan will star in Sharmila Chauhan’s I’m Better In Person, Luke Barton and Kat Rose-Martin in Krystina Nellis’ Recipes and Debra Baker, Amba Rose Mendy and Timothy O’Hara in Tori Allen-Martin’s and Sarah Henley’s Options.
Ian McKellen, Elaine Paige, Carrie Hope Fletcher and more perform monologues to support entertainment professionals. A group of stars came together as part of the #ForTheLoveOfArts initiative to support arts professionals affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants also included Derek Jacobi, Sharon D. Clarke, Joseph Fiennes, Pearl Mackie and more. You can watch all the videos here.
Club 11 London cancels Stephanie J. Block’s Cadogan Hall performance. The concert, originally set for 30 August 2020, will be rescheduled in 2021.
Derren Brown’s Showman will tour the UK from February to July 2021. The popular illusionist and mind reader originally scheduled his tour for 2020.
West End LIVE will stream two highlights programmes on 20 and 21 June. The programming will replace the live event at Trafalgar Square, which has been cancelled this year due to COVID-19. The highlights programmes will feature the best of West End LIVE performances from the last five years. Both will be captioned and available for 24 hours.
National Theatre at Home announces its next line-up of productions. All will be available for free 7-day streaming on the National Theatre’s YouTube channel.
14 – 21 May: Barber Shop Chronicles by Inua Ellams
21 – 28 May: A Streetcar Named Desire starring Gillian Anderson
28 May – 4 June: This House by James Graham
4 – 11 June: Coriolanus starring Tom Hiddleston
Hamilton is coming to Disney+ 3 July! The Broadway show was filmed with the original cast at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in 2016. That cast includes Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton, Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton and Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr, as well as Daveed Diggs, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom, Jr., Christopher Jackson, Jonathan Groff, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Okieriete Onaodowan and Anthony Ramos.
Ramin Karimloo, Liz Callaway, Rob Houchen, Fra Fee, Louise Dearman and more will take part in online concert Kings of Broadway 2020. Celebrating the music of Stephen Sondheim, Jerry Herman and Jule Styne, the concert will premiere 31 May at 7 PM on the Quick Fantastic channel on YouTube.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre postpones its entire 2020 season. The 2020 season productions will now open in 2021, starting 15 May 2021 with 101 Dalmatians, followed by Romeo and Juliet and Carousel.
Sleepless postpones its London premiere to 25 August 2020. Based on the film Sleepless in Seattle, the new musical was set to premiere 25 March at the Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre. It will now run from 25 August to 3 October.
Almeida Theatre postpones Robert Icke’s The Doctor until 2021. The production will still star Juliet Stevenson, with further casting to be confirmed later.
Broadway on Demand will be available to UK audiences in June. This new, free (with paid-for premium services) platform will offer more than a hundred archive recordings, along with live concerts and other features. You can sign up for early access membership here.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Shows Must Go On will stream Cats on 15 May. The 1998 production starring Elaine Page, who originated the role of Grizabella in the West End, will be available for 48 hours on the YouTube channel from 7 PM BST today (Friday). And Andrew Lloyd Webber himself will provide live audio commentary, with two streaming options available: one with commentary and one without.
The Lyric Hammersmith will stream A Doll’s House for free on 20 May. From 2:30 pm to midnight BST on Wednesday, 20 May, you can watch the 2019 production on the Lyric’s YouTube channel.
Bristol Old Vic will offer free streaming on YouTube. Details, including dates, are yet to come, but among the shows offered will be the 2017 dramatized production of Handel’s Messiah, the Olivier Award winning A Monster Calls, and the musical The Grinning Man.
The Stratford Festival recently launched the Free Shakespeare Film Festival: a series of free recordings of past Stratford Festival productions available on YouTube. Productions currently available include King Lear, Macbeth and Coriolanus, with more shows including The Tempest and Romeo and Juliet to follow. Watch here and check out the schedule below.
The Show Must Go Online will perform Richard II this week. Catch the live Shakespeare performance over Zoom at 7 PM BST on Wednesday. Meanwhile, if you missed the performance of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars, you can still catch it here.
The Met Opera streams Verdi’s Rigoletto this weekend. Catch the performance of Verdi’s great tragic opera on Sunday, or tune in on Saturday to watch Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor.
Les Misérables -The Staged Concert is now available for digital download. Currently available in the UK and Australia, the download will be used to raise money for performers, musicians and the NHS. You can purchase Les Misérables -The Staged Concerthere.
The producers of Sister Act announced today that performances in London have now been rescheduled due to the current global pandemic.
Sister Act was due to open at the Eventim Apollo from 21 July 2020 to 30 August 2020. It is now rescheduled to open 20 July 2021 where it will play until 29 August 2021.
Current ticketholders for the London run have been moved into the same seats for equivalent performances by day of week for the 2021 run. Patrons will be able to use their current ticket for performances next year. Performance times remain unchanged.
The show will star the previously announced Whoopi Goldberg as ‘Deloris Van Cartier’ and Jennifer Saunders as ‘Mother Superior’. Further casting for the London run will be announced soon.
Whoopi Goldberg, who is also one of the producers of Sister Act, said today:
‘We are thrilled with the overwhelming support from people all over the world who have been buying tickets for Sister Act. We are all disappointed not to be able to do the show this summer, but Jennifer and I can’t wait to see you all next year’.
Producer Jamie Wilson said today:
Due to COVID-19, We have made the very difficult decision to reschedule our London run of Sister Act to 2021. By rescheduling the production exactly 12 months later to the same performance dates, meaning ticket holders keeping their same seats, we believe we have made the best decision open to us. I would like to thank the team at the Eventim Apollo, Whoopi, Jennifer and everyone involved with the show who has reworked their schedules to make this move possible. We can’t wait to open the convent next year and share this incredibly celebratory musical with you all’.
Sister Act is now running at Eventim Apollo from 20 July 2021 to 29 August 2021. If you didn’t get your hands on tickets the first time round, you’re in luck! There is good availability w/c 20th July – browse tickets here.
Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre announces the postponement of Romeo and Juliet. The production joins 101 Dalmatians, which will now open in 2021.
The Harold Pinter Theatre cancels The Watsons. The theatre hopes to reschedule the Jane Austen show for a later date.
The Royal Shakespeare Company launches a worldwide virtual Shakespeare celebration. The theatre invites audiences everywhere to create a unique Shakespeare interpretation and share it with the hashtag #ShareYourShakespeare, tagging @theRSC. Selected pieces will feature in the RSC’s global celebration of Shakespeare’s birthday on 23 April. You can find more info here. Meanwhile, watch this video of RSC actors performing “All the World’s a Stage” in lockdown.
The Old Vic postpones Local Hero. The new musical was set to premiere this summer. In a statement, Old Vic artistic director Matthew Warchus announced the postponement of the show, and confirmed that the theatre is working to reschedule both Local Hero and 4000 Miles, the latter starring Eileen Atkins and Timothée Chalamet. He also announced the return of Jack Thorne’s A Christmas Carol this November.
Hampstead Theatre extends its free digital streaming series. Nina Raine’s Tiger Country and Howard Brenton’s #AIWW: The Arrest of Ai Weiwei will be available to watch on demand on Hampstead Theatre’s website. Howard Brenton’s Drawing the Line is currently available through Sunday.
New Adventures announce A Festival of Classics. Starting 19 April, rare screenings and broadcast premieres will show on Sky TV, including Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and Romeo and Juliet, and Sadler’s Wells’ dance thriller The Car Man. Find more info here.
The Swan (Matthew Ball) and The Prince (Liam Mower) in Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake. Credit: Johan Persson.
MPTheatricals and The Other Palace will present a digital song cycle. Written by more than 60 composers from around the world, including Rob Rokicki, Benjamin Scheuer and Vikki Stone, the experience will be a live musical theatre trilogy exploring the different aspects of hope. Performers, choreographers, arrangers, animators and editors will bring the pieces to life. On Hope will stream on The Other Palace’s YouTube channel on 29 April, 6 May and 13 May at 7:30 pm. Find more info here.
No Limits, a new song cycle by Sam Thomas, will run at The Other Palace from 30 November. The production has been rescheduled due to the theatres shutdown, but the cast and creative team will remain the same. No Limits will star Aoife Clesham, Maison Kelley, Georgia Gagen, Luke Bayer, Bree Smith, Michael Mather and Katie Ramshaw. Amy Petts directs.
Judi Dench in conversation at the Orange Tree Theatre will be available for streaming. An exclusive 90-minute conversation from 2017, the video will be available for on demand paid streaming from 26 April. Find more info here.
The West End cast of Mamma Mia! put together a virtual performance of the show’s title song. Watch it below!
Stephanie McKeon will play Anna in the West End premiere of Frozen. She joins the previously announced Samantha Barks as Elsa, in a production directed by Michael Grandage. Frozen will reopen the newly refurbished Theatre Royal Drury Lane in October 2020. The two actresses met up several weeks ago and snapped this photo.
CurtainCall launches a series of live virtual performances starring Jenna Coleman, David Morrisey, Denise Gough and others. Presented through Zoom, these will be live, one-of-a-kind performances involving actors, creatives and technicians. Find more info here.
Happy birthday, Mamma Mia!The West End production just celebrated its 21st birthday. Check out our brand new video celebrating the hit musical’s legacy around the world.
Audible will release audio productions of A Streetcar Named Desire starring Audra McDonald and more. The 2020 Williamstown Theater Festival in Massachusetts will this year take place on the audio platform Audible. Audio productions will include A Streetcar Named Desire starring Audra McDonald, Bobby Canavale and Carla Gugino. Productions will be available globally on Audible. You can find more info here.
Hope Mill Theatre will stage an online concert of Rodgers & Hammerstein music. The theatre was planning to host the UK premiere of the Broadway version of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella before the COVID-19 shutdown. Now, a live-streamed concert featuring the music of Rodgers & Hammerstein is planned for Sunday 26th April at 7 pm, featuring West End stars like Maria Friedman, Louise Dearman, Sophie Louise-Dann and the cast of the cancelled production of Cinderella. A crowdfunder launched the same night will help raise money for the theatre to reopen after the shutdown ends.
Missing your theatre fix? Here are some of the top streaming options for the coming week.
The National Theatre streams Jane Eyre through 16 April. A collaboration with Bristol Old Vic, the five-star adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s classic is available to stream for free on YouTube. Find more info here.
Playbill will stream the Broadway musical Bandstand from 8 PM EST April 10. The first in a new series of Playbill streaming musicals, Bandstand will be available to rent via Playbill’s website, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting The Actors Fund. Available through April 17, the stream will also feature an interview with the stars of the show, Laura Osnes, Corey Cott and Beth Leavel, along with members of the Tony winning creative team. You can find more info here.
Andrea Bocelli will perform a solo concert on Easter Sunday. On 12 April at 6 pm, the Italian opera singer will perform in an empty Duomo, the historic cathedral of Milan, Italy. The concert will be able for streaming on YouTube at this link.
The Metropolitan Opera streams Roméo et Juliette, Cosi fan tutte and more. Catch the sumptuous Roméo et Juliette starring Diane Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo starting today. Or watch Donizetti’s Don Pasquale starring Anna Netrebko from 11 April. Mozart’s Cosi fan tutte (starring Kelli O’Hara) is available from 12 April. Highlights for the coming week include Rusalka starring Renee Fleming and Madama Butterfly. Find more info here.
Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award winning musical Curtains will stream 14 April. The musical mystery stars Jason Manford, Carley Stenson and Ore Oduba. The live stream begins at 7:15 pm, with the musical officially starting at 7:30. Profits will benefit Funds for Freelancers. Find more info here.
On Easter Sunday, Peter Michael Marino will stream Desperately Seeking the Exit. This show chronicles the making (and unmaking) of his West End musical Desperately Seeking Susan, which opened on the West End in back in 2007 and closed a month later. Find more info here.
Need a little boost? Watch this video of 70 West End stars performing Do You Hear the People Sing from their homes.
It’s day 456761 of lockdown and we’ve run out of Tiktoks, funny cat videos and new dance trends to try. It’s definitely time for some feel-good musical theatre tunes to lift our spirits! We dare you to still feel blue after giving these hits a go…
Come From Away The heart-warming tale of a community that comes together in the dark days following 9/11 seems a fitting soundtrack to lift our spirits while we’re social distancing. Featuring plenty of upbeat and catchy songs, Screech In will be the perfect track to get everybody up and dancing.
Dear Evan Hansen It’s the musical that has taken Broadway and the West End by storm, and now the Dear Evan Hansen soundtrack can serve as the perfect reminder that we are never as alone as we think we are. If you’re in need of some kind words, we recommend what is probably the most well known track, You Will Be Found, but Sincerely, Me is also a great song if you need a laugh.
Hairspray Quite possibly the best film adaptation of a musical (don’t fight us on this), it doesn’t get much more feel-good than Hairspray! Rather than choosing one stand-out song, we recommend putting this smash-hit soundtrack on repeat and turning the volume up as high as is socially acceptable.
Mamma Mia! It’s ABBA… it’s Meryl Streep singing ABBA… do we need any further explanation? If Meryl can’t make you smile, Pierce Brosnan could potentially at least make you laugh.
Kinky Boots It’s got sass, it’s got catchy tunes and it encourages us all to love ourselves a little more – the Kinky Boots soundtrack really does have it all! It’s impossible to be sad while listening to the feel-good lyrics of Raise You Up.
Funny Girl Barbra Streisand. That’s it. That’s all we need.
Jersey Boys There have been productions of this classic jukebox show in London’s West End, Las Vegas, Chicago, Toronto, Melbourne (and other Australian cities), Singapore, South Africa, The Netherlands, Japan, Dubai, and China for good reason! Who can resist singing along to the smooth tones of Frank Valli and The Four Seasons?
Hamilton This smash-hit sensation, brought to us by the creative genius that is Lin-Manuel Miranda, features some of the greatest lyrics in musical theatre history. And who knows, perhaps by the time we’ve finished social distancing, we’ll all be able to rap the soundtrack like a pro!
