Noel Sullivan sharing role with Jason Donovan on Priscilla Queen of the Desert Tour

Jason Donovan is currently touring in Priscilla Queen of the Desert reprising the role of Tick/Mitzi he played in the West End.

Jason was due to leave the show on 4th May but has now extended his stay with Noel Sullivan taking over the role at certain venues. More details to follow but they will be sharing the role at the Southampton Mayflower Theatre with Noel Sullivan from  27th May-1st  June and Jason Donovan from 3rd-8th June.

Noel was in the pop band Hear’Say. His television credits include Gavin and Stacey and most  recently he played Galileo in We Will Rock You  in the West End and on a national tour. His other theatre credits include Nick in the national tour of Flashdance - The Musical and Danny in Grease in the West End.

Presale Tickets for Tim Rice's From Here To Eternity

The new musical From Here To Eternity which Tim Rice is co-producing premieres on 30th September and opens on 23rd October at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London's West End with tickets going on presale on 2nd April and general sale on 5th April.

Buy tickets for From Here to Eternity

John Owen-Jones & Ashleigh Gray join Gareth Gates & Rachael Wooding in Momentous Musicals Tour

Updated 6th June: Gareth Gates is  going on a four date tour of Momentous Musicals in July which he starred in when it  premièred at New Wimbledon Theatre last year. He is again joined by Rachael Wooding (We Will Rock You, Hairspray, Jersey Boys) and two performers who are new to the show - John Owen-Jones (Les Miserables, Phantom) and Ashleigh Gray (Wicked, I Dreamed A Dream, Taboo).

They will be supported by an ensemble including  Bronté Barbé/best known as a finalist in the BBC’s Over the Rainbow, Richard Lowe who originated the role of Lucas Lloyd in Loserville and  Mountview graduate Maggie Lynne.

The show opens at Wimbledon Theatre on Wednesday 17th July and will then tour to the Princess Theatre, Torquay on Friday 19th July, Bradford Alhambra on 22nd July and  Manchester Palace Theatre on Thursday 25th July.

This year’s show will feature new arrangements of classic and recent musical theatre songs including Let Me Be Your Star (Smash), What I Did For Love (A Chorus Line) and One Day More (Les Misérables).

24 Hour Easter Sale - Tickets for Musicals for Just £20

You can book the following tickets for West End musicals from lastminute.com  for just £20 from 10:00 am this morning (Wednesday 27th March) until 10:00 am Thursday 28th March.

Just click on the show to make a booking.

• Rock of Ages : Garrick Theatre Original Ticket Price - £39.50 Third Price Seat – Stalls, Dress or Grand Circle (may be restricted view) – Valid Monday – Thursday Evening 19.45pm and Friday Matinee 15.00pm Performances – from 27th March – 21st May – Excludes Friday and Saturday Evening Performances – Saving £19.50.

• Viva Forever! :  Piccadilly Theatre  Original Ticket Price - £45 Grand Circle Seat – Valid Monday – Thursday Evening performances 19.30pm and Friday Matinees 17.00pm – from 27th March – 24th May – Saving £25.

• Jersey Boys :  Prince Edward Theatre  Original Ticket Price - £22.50 Fifth Price Grand Circle Seat – Valid Tuesday & Wednesday Evening Performances 19.30pm only– from 1st April – 8th May – Saving £2.50.

• Burn The Floor : Shaftesbury Theatre  Original Ticket Price - £39.50/£31 Grand Circle Seats – Valid on all Performances - Monday, Wednesday, Thursday at 19.30 & Friday & Saturday at 20.00. Matinees Thursday at 15.00, Saturday & Sunday at 16.00 – from 28th March – 18th May – Saving up to £19.50

• Let It Be : The Savoy Theatre Original Ticket Price - £30 Upper/Dress Circle Seat – Valid for Monday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings 19.30pm and Sunday matinee 15.00pm and evenings 19.00pm – from 28th March – 23rd May – Excludes Friday and Saturday Matinee and Evenings – Saving £10.

• Ghost The Musical Tour : New Wimbledon Theatre Original Ticket Price - £37.50/£32 , Stalls/Dress Circle Seat – Valid Monday – Friday Evenings 19.30pm and Thursday matinee 14.30pm – from 2nd May – 10th May – Excludes Saturday 4th May – Saving up to £17.50.

• Momentous Musicals Tour : New Wimbledon Theatre Original Ticket Price - £25 Stalls/Dress Circle Seat – Valid Wednesday 17th July only 19.30pm – Saving £5.

Olivier Award Nominations for Musical Theatre

The following shortlist for musical theatre shows has just been announced for this year's Olivier Awards:

Best New Musical: Loserville, Soul Sister, The Bodyguard and Top Hat.  

Best Musical Revival: A Chorus Line, Cabaret, Kiss Me Kate and Sweeney Todd

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical: Adam Garcia, Kiss Me Kate:  Debbie Kurup The Bodyguard:  Leigh Zimmerman A Chorus Line and  Sian Phillips Cabaret

Best Actor in a Musical:  Michael Ball,  Sweeney Todd,  Alex Bourne Kiss Me Kate,  Tom Chambers Top Hat and Will Young Cabaret

Best Actress in a Musical:  Heather Headley The Bodyguard: Imelda Staunton, Sweeney Todd: Summer Strallen, Top Hat and  Hannah Waddingham Kiss Me Kate

BBC R2 Audience Award Billy Elliott, Matilda, Phantom of the Opera and Wicked!

The awards will be presented at the Royal Opera House on 28th April.

Elaine Paige Announces Olivier Award Nominations Today

Elaine Paige and Ruth Wilson join Ken Bruce live on BBC Radio 2 at 11:30 am this morning from the May Fair Hotel to announce this year's Olivier awards nominations for all of the categories,  including the four long-running West End shows shortlisted for the BBC Radio 2 Audience Award.

This year's Olivier Award Ceremony will be hosted by Sheridan Smith and Hugh Bonneville at the Royal Opera House on 28th April and will be broadcast live with red carpet coverage and performances from the show on BBC Radio 2 from 6:00 pm.

Tickets for Idina Menzel and Friends Concert

Idina Menzel is  recording a special concert for BBC Radio 2's  Friday Night is Music Night at the Hackney Empire on 24th April for which tickets are available. She will be joined by Elaine Paige.

Idina Menzel and Friends features songs from throughout her career with the help of some friends and the sixty piece BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Mike Dixon.

Idina received a Tony nomination for her Broadway debut performance as Maureen, in the original production of Rent. She then starred in the West End premiere of  Wicked!

Tickets for this concert can be purchased directly from the Hackney Empire Box Office online or by calling 0208 985 2424.

The concert will be broadcast on BBC Radio 2 on Friday 26th April at 8:00 pm

X Factor Christopher Maloney next Narrator in Blood Brothers?

Christopher Maloney was one of the finalists in the last series of X Factor and has also been touring with the show.

He is currently talking to Bill Kenwright about taking over the role of the Narrator (recently vacated by Marti Pellow) in his tour of Willy Russell's hit musical Blood Brothers.

Kirkdale born Maloney said  said: “I’m going back to London to meet him to do one-to-one script work. But it’s looking good. I love the musical. I remember bringing a friend to see it for his 21st birthday when it was in Liverpool at the Empire.The music is fantastic and the songs are unbelievable, but I love the story too.”

Maloney was a controversial finalist in X Factor with a lot of viewers saying he didn't deserve to be on the show but he managed to survive and reached third place before he was voted off.

lastminute.com 24 hour £24 tickets and meal deal sale

lastminute.com have a fantastic theatre tickets and meal deal 24 hour sale which starts at 10:00 am this morning and runs until 10:00 am tomorrow (22nd March).

For the amazing price of just £24 per person for the combined package price you can get tickets and a meal for the following West End musicals and nearby restaurants:

Burn the Floor	Cabana 2 course meal
Let It Be	Smollenskys Bar and Grill 2 course meal
Mamma Mia!	Kitchen Italia 2 course meal
Merrily We Roll Along	DSTRKT 2 course meal
Rock of Ages	Ruby Blue 2 course meal
Singin' in the Rain	Little Sicily 2 course meal
Spamalot	Fire and Stone - choice of any pizza
Stomp!	Pie and mash at Battersea Pie Station, Covent Garden
Thriller Live	Planet Hollywood 2 course meal
Viva Forever!	Grace or Ruby Blue 2 Course Meal

Just click on the individual link for the production or click here for a full list of all the deals.

Jennifer Ellison Making Early Exit from Singin' in the Rain

Jennifer Ellison recently opened as Lina Lamont in Singin' in the Rain at the Palace Theatre where she is meant to be playing the role until 1st September. But it looks as though she will be leaving long before then as she has just discovered she is five months pregnant and due to give birth in July.

It's a real shock for Jennifer as she was told by a doctor that there was only a small chance she'd conceive naturally again following complications from the birth of her son Bobby who is now three. But now she's pregnant again and didn't have a clue!

She said: I'm going to work as long as I can and go back to work as soon as I can. I'm staying active by doing 10-20 lengths in the pool and walking.

Last Jonathan Creek for Sheridan Smith?

As already mentioned, the quirky magician-tricks-fixer-cum-detective Jonathan Creek is returning to the BBC for a one-off 90 minute special over the Easter weekend. Alan Davies returns in the title role for Jonathan Creek: The Clue Of The Savant's Thumb and is again assisted by Sheridan Smith as fellow investigator Joey Ross.

It will be televised on Easter Monday 1st April on BBC1 from 8:30-10:00 pm.

I love Sheridan in this role but sadly this might be the last time she plays it as the  newly commissioned mini series which is due to be filmed in the autumn clashes with her appearing as Titania to David Walliams' Bottom in a A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Noel Coward Theatre in London's West End so the dates might not work.

Sheridan is one busy lady at the moment as she is about to start filming a BBC1 drama and is then going to Turkey to star in the film called Belly Dancing for Beginners.

Extra date added to Barbra Streisand Live! Concert in London

Updated 25th March: extra  date added at O2 on 3rd June. Tickets on sale 27th March.

It has just been announced that the Barbra Streisand Live!  concert tour will visit Europe this summer for four performances with additional dates and venues to be announced soon.

She will be appearing for the first time ever in Cologne and Amsterdam and returning to London and Paris for the first time in over six years.

The London date and venue is the O2 Arena on 1st June.  Tickets on pre sale tomorrow from 09:00  (21st March) and public sale from the 22nd.
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Barbra Streisand Live is an evening of timeless hits which Miss Streisand introduces with humour and banter.

She will be accompanied by a full orchestra with special guests Chris Botti, her son Jason Gould and sister Roslyn Kind:  all of whom performed on Barbra’s successful North American tour Back to Brooklyn last year

Love Never Dies Tour to Start Next February

At the Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years TV Special which was recorded last weekend the Lord said that Love Never Dies was being resurrected. And producers David Ian and Michael Harrison have now confirmed that they are in the process of  booking a 75-80 week tour starting in February 2014 and going into 2015 with a possible West End return at the end depending on its success.

The production will be based on the revised Australian version that opened in Melbourne in May 2011 before moving on to Sydney at the end of the year. This is the same version that was filmed for DVD release and also shown in some cinemas.

Michael Ball Back in the West End This year?

Michael Ball is hosting the  Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years TV Special which is being recorded this weekend to be shown on Easter Sunday.

His new album Both Sides Now has also just been released to coincide with an extensive UK tour of the same name which starts next month.

He has been interviewed on various TV and radio shows and is  dropping strong hints about a return to the West End at the end of this year.  He was in New York earlier this month meeting with Jerry Herman with the rumour being he was talking about a revival of Mack and Mabel.

The musical has a book by Michael Stewart and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman revolving around the fiery romance between Hollywood director Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand who became one of his biggest stars. With the use of flashbacks Sennett relates the glory days of Keystone Studios  when he discovered Normand and cast her in dozens of his early films.  It includes the classic numbers Movies Were Movies, I Won't Send Roses, Tap Your Troubles Away and Wherever He Ain't with some big dance numbers.

Latest news is that he'll know within the next couple of weeks if the show will go ahead, with a possible try out of town try out run in Manchester. Rehearsals could start as early as August for a West End opening in October

Other clues he has dropped is that it's an old show, with a big company and he will be dancing in it - all of which describes Mack and Mabel ... watch this space ....

It's Official: X Factor - It’s Time To Face The Musical!

I have already written about the X Factor musical, but in today's Mail Baz Bamigboye has provided more information.  The £6 million show will be titled X Factor - It’s Time To Face The Musical! and will open at the London Palladium next March (although the deal with the theatre still has to be officially signed).

Louis Walsh and Simon Cowell are characters in the show which will feature 19 new songs. There’s  a judge called Geordie, who is a former pop singer from the North-East, whose character is a cross between  Cheryl Cole and Tulisa  Contostavlos. The Louis Walsh character is  an octogenarian boy-band manager.

The writer Harry Hill said: ‘The show will at times be scathing, without being cynical. Although Cowell will feature in the musical, it’s not about him, it was stressed; and it’s not a spin-off from The X Factor, either".

The musical tells the story of  a teenage girl called Chenice who lives in a caravan in London with her grandfather who’s in an iron lung. They know nothing about The X Factor, because the iron lung blocks ITV’s signals. Chenice has a dog called Poundshop who comments directly to the audience. Hill said: "I think he’s a pit-bull".

Sean Foley will direct with Kate Prince (hip-hop dance company ZooNation) doing the choreography. Es Devlin who did the designs for the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony will design the sets: Hugh Vanstone will light it with Gareth Owen and Philip Bateman are responsible for music supervision and sound.

There have already been two workshops and casting will now begin in May with rehearsals due to start after Christmas. Prince will hold a dance workshop in May and some of the actors who took part in the workshops will be auditioned - including Alexander Hanson who played Cowell.

Book of Mormon Red Nose Day Gala Performance

Last night's show at The Book of Mormon was a special Red Nose Day Gala in aid of Comic Relief which is now in its 25th year and culminates with Red Nose Appeal Night tomorrow on BBC being televised from 19:00-22:30.

Lenny Henry introduced the gala which raised £200K for the charity with comedians  including Jack Dee, James Corden, Michael McIntyre, Tim Minchin, Simon Pegg and Rob Brydon in attendance. 

Also sporting red noses were Simon Cowell, David Walliams Kate Moss, Sadie Frost, Lily Allen, Claudia Winkelman, Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter and show creator Trey Powell.

Avenue Q Back in London

Updated 24th April: The incredibly popular puppet musical Avenue Q is coming back to London in  May with a new revival Upstairs at the Gatehouse in Highgate Village.

It opens on 16th May and runs until 30th June. It will be directed by John Plews with a cast including Cassandra Lee, Harrison Spiers, Josh Wilmott, Katie Bradley, Leigh Lothian, Shin-Fei Chen. Tim Frost and Will Jennings

Tickets for Avenue Q at The Gatehouse.

Singin In The Rain Tour

Updated 19th March:  It seems that venues are now being booked for the tour of Singin' in the Rain with it scheduled to play at the Manchester Opera House from 9th to 30th November:  Wales Millennium Centre over Christmas from 3rd December to January 5th 2014 and then move on to Sunderland Empire and the Edinburgh Festival Theatre.  More dates to follow.

With the new Singin' In The Rain cast being given six month contracts is comes as no surprise that news has broken that the producers of Singin’ in the Rain at the Palace Theatre are planning to close the show at the end of the current booking period on 1^st September.

With the current strong rumour that the Commitments (which is begin cast by director Jamie Lloyd and David Grindrod in Dublin at the moment) likely to open there in November.

The Chichester Theatre Festival  production of Singin' in the Rain opened in February 2012 and has been running for 18 months. Adam Cooper has been  playing Don Lockwood since the production opened  and Jennifer Ellison has just joined the cast as Lina Lamont.

Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years TV Special

Updated 18th March:  ITV has just recorded a 90 minute special to celebrate Andrew Lloyd Webber's 40 years in the business.

It was hosted by Michael Ball and  featured Nicole Scherzinger (singing Don't Cry For Me Argentina from Evita), The Bodyguard's Heather Headley (Cats: Memory) Myleene Klass (Bombay Dreams:Shakalaka Baby), Samantha Barks (Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall),  Sierra Boggess (Phantom:All I Ask of You duet with Michael Ball), Kimberley Walsh and  Denise Van Outen (duet Tell Me On A Sunday: Take That Look of Your Face with Strictly's Pasha dancing) and  Il Divo (finale appearance) performing special versions of some of Andrew’s greatest hits including songs from Cats , The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar (Tim Minchin, Ben Forster, Chris Moyles and Melanie C) and Tell Me On A Sunday. There was also a performance by classical guitarist Milos from Andrew’s new West End musical Stephen Ward which is about the Profumo scandal.

 Andrew Lloyd Webber demanded that the show be fun and action-packed saying: “I was flattered when ITV approached me about a 90-minute special, but I said I would only do it if it was not some po-faced tribute to a bloke who's about to collect his bus pass.I also said it must include the wet sari number from Bombay Dreams! I still don’t know what I’m letting myself in for, especially as Simon Cowell has filmed an interview for the show.”

John Kaye Cooper who is controller of entertainment at ITV said: “Andrew’s contribution to musical theatre is unrivalled.We are delighted to be celebrating his four decades in the West End with an evening that promises some spectacular performances and a deeper insight into the man himself.”

The cameras went behind the scenes film Andrew’s working life speaking to friends and colleagues, including Simon Cowell, Michael Caine, Alex Ferguson and David Essex.

The finale featuredMichael Ball singing Love Changes Everything accompanied by a chorus of children from London’s Highbury Grove School. Michael also interviewd Andrew and asked his followers on Twitter to send him some questions on what they would like to know. During this Q & A session ALW confirmed that Love Never Dies will return.

The show will be televised on Easter Sunday (March 31st) from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Latest on Andrew Lloyd Webber New Profumo Affair Musical

According to today's Evening Standard things are progressing on this new musical. The  project will reunite lyricist Don Black and playwright Christopher Hampton who were the team behind Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1993 Sunset Boulevard musical and last month a group of musical theatre actors including Alexander Hanson as Ward, Hal Fowler as Profumo, Iris Roberts  as Christine Keeler and Carly Bawden as Mandy Rice Davies. workshopped the score.

According to the Lord the politician John Profumo will only play only a minor role in the musical he is writing with his liaison with ex-showgirl Christine Keeler only taking up “about seven minutes of the narrative.”

 

The musical’s working title  is Stephen Ward (pictured) who is the a pimp who introduced Keeler to Profumo. 

Lee Mead September Concerts

Updated 14th March:  The Platform at Morecambe on 26th September added to Lee's dates.

West End star Lee Mead and his band are performing three one off concerts this Autumn on 27th September at Camberley Theatre:28th September in Bedworth Civic Centre and 29th September at Cheltenham Town Hall.

Tickets for Bedworth and Morecambe are already on sale.

Jersey Boys Cast Changes

From 12th March there is a cast change for The Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre.

Edd Post will play Bob Gaudio and David McGranaghan joins the cast as Nick Massi. Ryan Molloy will continue as Frankie Valli (with Jon Lee playing the role at certain performances) and Jon Boydon continues as Tommy DeVito.

The new cast  will feature new and existing members Will Barratt, Nicola Brazil, Rebecca Jayne Davies, Ben Evans, Chris Gardner, Lucinda Gill, Mark Halliday, Mark Isherwood, Ben Jennings, Tommie Earl Jenkins, Stuart King, Lucy Martin, Stuart Milligan, Jake Samuels, Michael Watson, Ben Wheeler and Gemma Whitelam.

Loserville's Aaron Sidwell Replaces Sid Owen in Carnaby Street Musical

Updated 11th March:  Sid Owen has pulled out of Carnaby Street Musical and is replaced by Aaron Sidwell. Owen has been pictured in Los Angeles where is he is spending time with his friend Adele who is reportedly introducing him to movie industry contacts in a bid for him to gain work in the USA.

The cast of the new tour of Carnaby Street the musical has added another soap star with Aaron Sidwell joining the show as Band Manager Jumpin' Jack Flash.  He played Steven Beale (the troubled eldest son of Ian)  in EastEnders and more recently originated the role of Michael Dork in the acclaimed West End musical Loserville.

Verity Rushworth (Donna Windsor-Dingle from Emmerdale, Hairspray and the Sound of Music) is Penny Lane,  Matthew Wycliffe (Jersey Boys, Buddy Holly Story) is Jude, Tricia Adele-Turner (Legally Blonde) is Jane, Mark Pearce (Ghost, Blues Brothers) is Wild Thing, Paul Hazel (Desperately Seeking Susan, Avenue Q, 5 Guys Named Moe, The Lion King) is Lily the Pink, Hugo Harold-Harrison (Priscilla, Fame, Grease) is Arnold Layne and Gregory Clarke (Chess, The Woman in White, Witches of Eastwick) is Al/Newspaper Seller.

The tour opens at Hackney Empire on 4th April before embarking on a UK tour which is currently booking until the end of June.

The Color Purple Musical at Menier this Summer

The European premiere of the Broadway musical version of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel The Color Purple will be presented at the Menier Chocolate Factory from 15th July to 14th September (previews from 5th July).

Set in the 1930s the musical tells the story with a score of jazz, ragtime, gospel and blues music, of black teenager Celie from her childhood to adulthood discovering the power of love and life in racially divided southern America. Casting will be announced shortly.

The production will be directed and designed by Tony Award-winner John Doyle (Road Show). It is adapted for the stage by Pulitzer Prize and Tony award winner Marsha Norman, with music and lyrics by Grammy award winners Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray.

The musical opened on Broadway in 2005 where it ran until 2008 and was nominated for ten Tony Awards.

Tickets go on sale to Chocolate Factory priority bookers from mid-day on 22nd April, and to the general public at 9:00 am on 1st May.

Full Cast for Tour of Ghost the Musical

The cast of the new tour of Ghost the Musical started rehearsals this week has jut been confirmed.

The part of Sam Wheat will be played by ex Loserville lead Stewart Clarke, Rebecca Trehearn is Molly: Wendy Mae Brown is Oda Mae Brown: David Roberts is Carl Bruner, Ivan de Freitas is Willy Lopez. Stevie Hutchinson is the Subway Ghost with the sisters Clara and Louise being  played by Karlene Wray and Keisha Atwell.

They will be joined by ensemble members Michael Cortez, Bradley Jaden, Luke Wilson, Gregor Stewart, Nick Hayes, Maeve Byrne, Amy West, Kimmy Edwards, Gabriela Garcia and Amy Webb with swings Livvy Evans, Michael Stewart, Robert Knight and Jaye Juliette Elster.

Sheridan Smith Nominated For Royal Television Society Award

Film, TV and theatre star Sheridan Smith is up for Best Actress at this year's Royal Television Society (RTS) Programme Awards. She faces stiff competition from "Accused II" stars Anne Marie Duff and Olivia Colman for the coveted prize.

Sheridan's career has gone from strength to strength in the past couple of years and she is constantly in work on good quality entertainment projects. The RTS nomination is for her portrayal of Charmian Biggs (wife of Great Train Robber Ronnie) in the acclaimed ITV series Mrs Biggs, in which she is pictured here.

The awards will be presented on March 19th at a ceremony held at the Grosvenor Hotel in London.

Julian Ovenden and Nigel Harman to join Downton Abbey

Filming began this week for the fourth series of Downton Abbey which rejoins the family six months after the funeral of Matthew Crawley, with his grieving widow still in shock at his sudden death and struggling to bring up their baby son alone.

The producers have just revealed there will be six new characters for the coming series including a world-famous opera singer (Dame Kiri de Kanawa), a sharp-witted schoolfriend of the Dowager Countess(Dame Harriet Walter) and a dashing aristocrat who befriends the grieving Lady Mary.

Two handsome young aristocrats played by Julian Ovenden and Tom Cullen will pay a visit to the stately home with producers dropping strong hints that one will attempt to mend Lady Mary’s broken heart.

Tom Cullen will play Lord Gillingham, an old family friend who first appears at a family party where Dame Kiri is performing.

Actor, West End and Broadway star Julian Ovenden plays aristocrat Charles Blake.  He certainly has the right pedigree for the part as an  an Old Etonian and Oxford graduate who sang for the Queen at her last birthday at a soiree at Andrew Lloyd Webber's stately home.

The servants will be joined by a “charismatic” new valet named Green played by EastEnders actor Nigel Harman. He is probably best known for playing Dennis Rickman (murdered husband of Sharon) in EastEnders as well as appearing on the West End stage as the dim witted and vertically challenged Lord Farquaad in Shrek the Musical.

Downton Abbey has already won nine Emmys, two Golden Globes, and a Screen Actors Guild Award will be back on ITV in September.

Rebecca Trehearn & Danielle Hope in Bobby Cronin Concrete Jungle Concert

On Sunday 24th March as part of the St James' Studio Cabaret Weekends, The Concrete Jungle Concert celebrates the release of Bobby Cronin’s new Studio Recording .

The Concrete Jungle has music and lyrics by Bobby Cronin, book by Bobby Cronin & Crystal Skillman and will be released on the Great White Wax label; produced by Burlington Productions in association with Nick Lloyd Webber & James D. Reid.

Cast members of the recording and confirmed to perform are Rebecca Trehearn (Abby), Danielle Hope (Katie) and Olivia Phillip (Claire). Other West End performers include Craig Mather (Simon), Cynthia Erivo (Vanessa),Matthew Barrow, Chloe Hart, Edd Post, Scott Garnham, Michael Pickering, Natasha Barnes, Sam Lupton and Ceili O’Connor with more  to be announced.

Musical Director will be George Dyer, with musical arrangements and orchestrations by Michael Haslam (MD on The Concrete Jungle album). The concert will feature songs from the album as well as a handful of tunes from Bobby’s other musicals including the 2012 Alec Baldwin Fellowship winning 'Til Death Do Us Part, W2ML, & Sunset City.

Tickets are available from £10.00 - £20.00 from the St James' Theatre website