Saturday, April 30

Lucy Jane Adcock taking over as Miss Adelaide from Louise Dearman at some dates in Guys & Dolls UK tour

Lucy Jane Adcock has announced that she is temporarily taking over from Louise Dearman as Miss Adelaide in the UK touring production of Guys and Dolls.

She currently understudies Miss Adelaide in the West End production of the show and play her first performance on the tour on 3rd May at the Norwich Theatre Royal.

Louise Dearman is not able to do all the tour dates due to other commitments. She is scheduled to return as Miss Adelaide on 7th June when the show  opens in Glasgow and  will complete the rest of the tour which concludes in Woking on 30th July 2016 (she will not perform on 2nd, 15th or 16th July due to other commitments).

Lucy Jane Adcock's theatre credits include: understudy Mrs Wormwood in Matilda (Cambridge), understudy Pinky Tuscadero & Mrs Cunningham in Happy Days (UK tour), understudy Cassie in A Chorus Line (London Palladium), Top Hat (UK tour/Aldwych), Chicago (Cambridge), Mamma Mia! (Prince of Wales), Starlight Express (UK & Scandinavian tours), Fame (Aldwych Theatre), Tonight’s the Night (Victoria Palace) and Beauty and the Beast (international tour).

All Blacks rugby star Nicholas Afoa to star in The Lion King

Disney Theatrical Productions have just announced new cast members will join the London production of THE LION KING  at the West End’s Lyceum Theatre from 10th May 2016. With  changes in the ensemble, former All Blacks rugby star Nicholas Afoa is to take on the role of Simba.

Afoa made his stage debut as Simba in the Australian production of the musical  in 2013 and played the tole between 2013 and 2016 performing more than 860 times over that period. The opportunity to play the role in the West End production will bring Afoa to London for the first time.

The 30 yar old New Zealand-born performer had a promising rugby career with the All Blacks until he was injured andsubsequently trained for a theatre career, when nearly 20 years later he beat 400 other hopefuls to the role of Simba in the Australian production.

Other new cast members include: Etian Almeida, Jonathan Andre, Janique Charles, Zinhle Dube, Sandile Gontsana, Kwesi Jeffers, Stephanie Lo, Sadia McEwen, Khaya Maseko, Daniel Monteiro, Nosipho Nkonqa, Dominique Planter, Antoine Murray-Straughan, Kayode Salina and Ricardo Walker.

Wednesday, April 27

Jessica Martin to replace Denise Van Outen in Big The Musical starring JayMcGuinness, Gary Wilmot & Diana Vickers

Updated 6th October:  Producers announced today that Denise Van Outen  will no longer play Mrs Baskin, due to "unforeseen circumstances". Jessica Martin will now take on the role.

Martin's previous credits include TV such as Copycats and Spitting Image as well as Me and My Girl, Sunset Boulevard and Mack and Mabel on the West End.

Big the Musical opens at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on 5 to 12 November.Updated 3rd June:
The Wanted singer and Strictly Come Winner  Jay McGuiness is to lead an all star cast including Gary Wilmot, Denise Van Outen, Diana Vickers and Irwin Sparkes (former lead singer of The Hoosiers) in  the European premiere of Big The Musical  at the Plymouth Theatre Royal from November 5th-12th November  before transferring to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre in Dublin for a Christmas run ahead of a possible  West End opening next year.

McGuinness wll play Josh, Van Outen is  Mrs Baskin, Vickers is Susan Lawrence, Wilmot is George MacMillan and Sparkes will be Paul. 

Big is the  hilarious Broadway musical based on the classic movie which starred Tom Hanks. Josh Baskin is twelve-years-old and hates being little, until one night at the carnival the mysterious Zoltar machine grants his wish to be big. Now trapped in an adult’s body and alone in New York, he innocently tries to find his way around a grown-up world where it’s all work and no play. But whilst everyone around him tries to act their age, Josh just can’t help being himself. Maybe he’s going to end up teaching the real adults a thing or two…

Tickets on sale shortly.




Sunday, April 24

Sheridan Smith announces Funny Girl Cast Recording

Sheridan Smith has confirmed that an original cast recording of Funny Girl will be released imminently.At the triumphant opening night of the West End transfer, of show  the Olivier-Award winning actress  confirmed that an original cast recording will be released in the not too distant future with the cast gong into the studio in the 'next couple of weeks'.

"We're going to be doing a cast recording so we'll be doing that in the next couple of weeks or so which is exciting, it's going to be fun. The cast are brilliant in this, I have to say, they're so talented and lovely."

Jason Donovan and John Wilson on Michael Ball Radio show this morning

Michael Ball is  joined by Jason Donovan on his BBC Radio 2 Show from 11:00 am today. This year Jason toured the UK for his Ten Good Reasons and Greatest Hits tour.  On the Michael Ball show he will perform two of his old favorites live in the studio and look back on his career, from Neighbours to the West End. He is about to return to the  tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert

John Wilson (acclaimed arranger of iconic film scores and a main staple of the BBC Proms) also joins Michael in conversation. Together with his John Wilson Orchestra, he is famous for performing classic arrangements of MGM favourites including High Society, Singin' in the Rain and The Wizard of Oz. He looks ahead to this year's Proms and chats to Michael about his new live album, Gershwin in Hollywood.

Friday, April 22

Claire Sweeney to join Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Tour

Claire Sweeney is to  play the role of Baroness Bomburst in the tour of  CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG from 3rd August taking  over from Michelle Collins who leaves the production on 30th July.

Sweeney joins Lee Mead (Casualty, Legally Blonde, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) as Caractacus Potts, Carrie Hope Fletcher (LES MISERABLES, War of the Worlds) as Truly Scrumptious, Shaun Williamson (The Railway Children, EastEnders) as Lord Scrumptious/Baron Bomburst, Matt Gillett (Jersey Boys, Top Hat) as the Childcatcher and Andy Hockley (The Phantom Of The Opera) as Grandpa Potts.

Michelle Collins said: "I will be really sorry to leave the fantastic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang tour after my dates at the New Wimbledon Theatre and six months on the road. I love playing the all-singing and dancing Baroness Bomburst, but have been advised that the knee problem I have been managing along the way will not fully recover if I carry on for the rest of the 12-month tour. I wish Claire Sweeney every success when she takes over the role this summer."

Thursday, April 21

Mamma Mia! Cast Change announced

Linzi Hateley is to return to the role of Donna Sheridan in MAMMA MIA! at London's Novello Theatre from Monday 13th  June 2016. This is a role she has played twice before in London with her other recent theatre credits including  the national tour of Barnum, London Road (National Theatre) and LES MISERABLES (Queen's Theatre). She also appeared in the film version of London Road.

Also joining the cast of Mamma Mia! are Sanne Den Besten (LES MISERABLES, Queen's Theatre, London) as Sophie Sheridan, Richard Carson (Miss Saigon, Prince Edward Theatre, London; Wicked, UK & Ireland Tour) as Sky, Dugald Bruce-Lockhart (original member of the Propellor Theatre Company; David Cameron in The Three Lions, Edinburgh Festival and St. James Theatre; Richard Hannay in 39 Steps) as Bill, Jemma Revell as Ali, Amy Webb as Lisa, Filippo Coffano as Pepper and Jake Small as Eddie, with Sorelle Marsh playing the role of Donna Sheridan at certain performances. They will be joining Mazz Murray as Tanya, Jo Napthine as Rosie, Richard Trinder as Sam and Alasdair Harvey as Harry.

New to the ensemble will be Felipe Bejarano, Tabitha Camburn, Georgina Castle, Edward Chitticks, Louise Dalton, Ben Darcy, Rebecca Giacopazzi, Katy Hards, Jennifer Hepburn, Robert Knight, Rebecca McKinnis, Samira Mighty and Amy West, who will be joining Adam Clayton-Smith, Stephen John Davis, Craig Anthony Kelly, George Miller and Robbie Scotcher.

Monday, April 18

Casting announced for new tour of Dirty Dancing

The cast has just been announced for the new tour of Dirty Dancing which opens at the Blackpool Opera House in August. Lewis Griffiths will star as ‘Johnny Castle’, he has most recently played ‘Nick Massi’ on the UK tour of Jersey Boys. Other roles in UK tours include Ghost and Legally Blonde, and West End credits include Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Rent and Whistle Down the Wind.

Katie Hartland will make her professional musical theatre debut as she takes on the role of ‘Baby Houseman’, having graduated from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2015.

Carlie Milner will play  ‘Penny Johnson’. starting out as a member of the ensemble in 2014, she covered and subsequently took over the role of ‘Penny’ in 2015.

Julian Harries is Jake Houseman, Simone Craddock is Marjorie Houseman, Roger Martin is Max Kellerman, Jo Servi/Tito Suarez, Lizzie Ottley/Lisa Houseman, Michael Kent/Billy Kostecki with Greg Fossard/Neil Kellerman Tony Stansfield/Mr Schumacher, and Daniela Dobega/Elizabeth. Also joining the company are Gabby Antrobus, Imogen Brooke, Simon Campbell, Robert Colvin, Katie Eccles, Beth Highsted, Megan Louch, Ashley Rumble, Callum Sterling, Austin Wilks and Karl James Wilson.

Made in Dagenham musical to be revived in the autumn

The musical Made In Dagenham is to be revived for the first time this year with a co-production between the Queen’s Hornchurch and Ipswich’s New Wolsey  directed by the Queen’s artistic director Douglas Rintoul who said that that the show would be a ‘stripped back’ interpretation, cast with an ensemble of actor-musicians. It runs in Hornchurch from 26 August -17 September, before playing the New Wolsey from 21 September-15 October.

Made in Dagenham, starred Gemma Arterton and opened at the Adelphi Theatre in November 2014 closing  in April of the following year. It is based on  the true story of the female Ford factory workers who fought for equal pay in the late 1960s, and based on the 2010 hit film, Made in Dagenham has  a book by Richard Bean, music by David Arnold and lyrics by Richard Thomas. The show will be designed by Hayley Grindle with musical direction by Ben Goddard. Casting details are to be announced.



Friday, April 15

All star cast including Mel B & Paddy McGuinness announced for Snow White Panto

Being billed as "The World's Biggest Pantomime" Snow White is playing at the  Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham with an all  star cast led by Spice Girl MEL B as the Scary Queen, Take Me Out host and comedian PADDY McGUINNESS as Muddles the lovable court jester, who is joined by the Queen's Henchman, RYLAN CLARK-NEAL from  Big Brother and This Morning. Strictly Ballroom dance stars, VINCENT SIMONE and FLAVIA CACACE, will be appearing as the mysterious spirits of the mirror.

This is  the wickedly enchanting tale of Snow White with a twist which  takes you on a dazzling and spellbinding adventure into the Forest of Illumination complete with amazing special effects, a giant castle, 24ft high fountains, aerial acrobatics (relayed on a mega 10 metre wide TV screen) , a cast of over 100 plus many more festive surprises, the  show will run for a limited seven performances from 19-22 December at Birmingham's Barclaycard Arena and then move to Wembley SSE arena from 28th-30th December .

Tickets on general sale from 9am on 15 April 2016

Bryan Dick departs Chichester's Half a Sixpence

Bryan Dick who was to play the Kipps  in  Chichester Festival's summer production of  Half a Sixpence is no longer with this production as he is  remaining  with the company of Hobson's Choice starring  Martin Shaw which is currently on tour and transferring into Vaudeville Theatre for a limited season.

Dick plays Willy Mossop in the production. His past theatre credits include Seminar, Hampstead Theatre; School Play, Soho Theatre;Sliding With Suzanne, Out of Joint/Royal Court; The Alchemist, National Theatre.

Full Casting announced for The Go Between starring Michael Crawford

As  already reported, Michael Crawford is shortly to return to the London Stage in the  new musical,The Go-Between.

Other casting news so far is that he will be joined by Stuart Ward who played the lead role of Guy in Once the Musical on Broadway and Gemma Sutton, who replaced Lara Pulver in Gypsy opposite Imelda Staunton, who play a pair of illicit lovers Ted and Marian which  the younger version of Crawford’s character acts as a go between in their affair. Issy Van Randwyck will play Mrs Maudsley, one of the disapproving parents

The young Leo Colston will be played in alternation by Luka Green, William Thompson and Johnny Evans Hutchison.  The res of the cast are Mr Maudsley / 1st Cover Colston – Julian Forsyth, Trimingham – Stephen Carlile, Denys – Silas Wyatt-Barke, Stanton / Leo’s Mother / Eulalie – Jenni Bowden, Henry With 1st Cover Ted / 2nd Cover Denys / 2nd Cover Trimingham – John Addison, Marcus 1 – Archie Stevens, Marcus 2 – Matty Norgren, Marcus 3 – Samuel Menhinick, Understudy With 1st Cover Mrs Maudsley / 1st Cover Leo’s Mother / 2nd Cover Marian – Jane Quinn
Understudy With 1st Cover Marian / 2nd Cover Leo’s Mother – Jessica Duncan
Understudy With 1st Cover Mr Maudsley / 2nd Cover Colston – Robert Traynor
Understudy With 1st Cover Denys / 1st Cover Trimingham / 2nd Cover Ted – Michael Colbourne

Monday, April 11

Cast Changes Announced for In The Heights

A new cast has just been announced for award winning In The Heights which is running at the King's Cross Theatre until 30th October.

From tonight Christine Allado (From Here to Eternity, Here Lies Love) replaces Jade Ewen as Vanessa, Norma Atallah (The Sound of Music - Live) joins as Abuela and Jonathan Bishop (The Lion King) is Graffiti Pete from 15th April. 

Kimmy Edwards (Memphis) and Ryan Reid (Shrek The Musical) also join existing cast members David Bedella, Josie Benson, Vas Constanti, Lily Frazer, Sam Mackay, Sarah Naudi, Joe Aaron Reid, Cleve September and Philippa Stefani with Jocasta Almgill, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Michael Cortez, Gabriela Garcia, Reiss Hinds and Spin.


Buy tickets for In the Heights

Sunday, April 10

Mrs Henderson Presents to end its run in June

The Bath Theatre Royal new musical adaptation of Mrs Henderson Presents has just announced it is rnding its run on  18th June 2016 at the Noel Coward Theatre which is the end of its current booking period.  The show opened to mixed notices on 16th February and was booking until the end of the year.

The cast includes Tracie Bennett (Laura Henderson), Ian Bartholomew (Vivian Van Damm), Emma Williams (Maureen), Jamie Foreman (Arthur), Robert Hands (Cromer), Matthew Malthouse (Eddie), Samuel Holmes(Bertie), Katie Bernstein (Peggy), Lizzy Connolly (Doris), Lauren Hood (Vera) and Liz Ewing (Lady Conway).

The production features choreography by Andrew Wright, design by Tim Shortall, sound by Gareth Owen, costumes by Paul Wills and lighting by Ben Ormerod.

Wednesday, April 6

Kimberley Walsh to star in new Sleepless Musical?

According to the Daily Mirror, Girls Aloud Kimberley Walsh is to star in London's answer to Sleepless in Seattle having started rehearsal workshops for the production which is to be called Sleepless and based on the 1993 film starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.

The show had  successful world premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse in California, and according to the show’s producers over  $2,000,000 has been invested to date and to raise further front money financing they have established a crowd-funding page.

The show won’t be ready until at least the end of the year but Kimberley is being  trialled opposite possible male lead Tom Ellis, from TV’s Miranda series.

Kimberley was a  runner-up in Strictly four years ago, and has musical theatre credits from her 2011 run as Princess Fiona in Shrek The Musical and appeared in Elf: The Musical over Christmas.

Line Up Announced for Sunday at the Musicals

Sunday at the Musicals is a special one-night concert being produced by Paul Burton Productions and directed by Carole Todd in aid of the Royal Variety Charity. It will be held at the St James's Studio on Sunday 5th June at 7:30 pm and will feature female singers performing songs from past and present musicals, accompanied by Michael Haslam at the piano.

Hosted by Caroline Dennis the company includes: Bronté Barbé, Natasha J. Barnes, Helena Blackman, Suanne Braun, Emily Jane Brooks, Sabrina Carter, Samantha Dorsey, Alice Fearn, Lori Haley Fox, Katie Rowley Jones, Margaret Keys, Joanna Kirkland, Sarah O’Connor, Liza Pulman, Emma Ralston, Amy Ross, Rachel Stanley, Carly Thoms, Rebecca Trehearn, Marti Webb, Shona White, Lucy Williamson and Pippa Winslow

Tickets for Sunday at the Musicals

Stiles & Drewe new Wind in the Willows Musical to hold open auditions

Producers of Stile & Drewe's Wind in the Willows Musical are holding open auditions for principal roles and male and female ensemble members

Auditions will be held at The Lowry in Salford on 22nd April (Registration: 10am - 11.30am) and at Rambert in London on 23rd  April (Registration: 9.30am - 11.30am) with subsequent rounds held in London between April 25 and May 27.

Creatives are looking for strong character actors, with strong singing and dancing skills. All auditionees must register within the registration times and will need to be prepared to wait all day to be seen.

Applicants should bring piano-vocal sheet music for a musical theatre song which should be performed in a British accent. Applicants may not get to sing their entire song at this stage. A pianist will be provided and we cannot accept backing tracks.Applicants should bring a recent headshot and a completed registration form which can be downloaded with more details at www.windinthewillowsthemusical.com/open-auditions (paper copies will be available on the day).
All applicants must be available to travel to London for subsequent rounds of auditions between Monday, 25th April 2016 and Friday, 27th May 2016. This may result in several journeys to London to be seen by members of the creative team.

Rehearsals for the production take place in London with subsequent tour dates at Theatre Royal Plymouth, The Lowry, Salford and Mayflower Theatre, Southampton Applicants must be available  from Monday, 15th August 2016

Tuesday, April 5

Matthew Bourne announces his latest production The Red Shoes

At a press launch at the Savoy Hotel this morning Matthew  Bourne announced the   World Premiere of New Adventures latest production THE RED SHOES, opening at the Theatre Royal Plymouth on Monday 21 November with an eight week Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells from Tuesday 6 December 2016 to Sunday 29 January 2017. Press Night is Wednesday 14 December. Full tour schedule here

It will be based on the film by MICHAEL POWELL and EMERIC PRESSBURGER and the HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN fairytale with usic by BERNARD HERRMANN

 A  fairy-tale and Academy Award-winning movie, THE RED SHOES has seduced audiences and inspired generations of dancers with its tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion.Creating the coveted role of Victoria Page will be the Australian dancer and New Adventures Principal, Ashley Shaw. Ashley is currently wowing audiences around the UK and receiving rave reviews for her performance as Aurora in Matthew Bourne’s “Sleeping Beauty”. She has been dancing with New Adventures since 2009 performing many of the Company’s leading female roles including “Nutcracker!”, ‘Lana’ in “The Car Man”, ‘Kim’ in “Edward Scissorhands” and the title role in “Cinderella”. This will be her first created role in a new production.

 Matthew Bourne said today: “It has been a long held ambition of mine to bring “The Red Shoes” to the stage as a dance/drama. It is set in the theatrical world of a touring dance company. It is actually about dance and dancers, a world that we all understand so well. However, the film’s genius is to make that theatrical world at times surreal, larger than life and highly cinematic. My challenge will be to capture some of that surreal, sensuous quality within the more natural theatre setting. It has also long been an ambition of mine to bring the incomparable music of Bernard Herrmann to the stage. It has been fascinating to discover how much of this music lends itself to story-telling through dance and this production will, I believe, be the first full length ballet to celebrate his unique music.

 Matthew Bourne’s magical new adaptation of the legendary Powell and Pressburger film reunites him with his regular collaborators and New Adventures Associate Artists and the team that brought you the world wide hit, “Sleeping Beauty”; Lez Brotherston (set and costumes), Paule Constable (lighting) and Paul Groothuis (sound).

 This World Premiere is set to a new score arranged by New Adventures Associate Artist, Terry Davies using the mesmerizing music of golden-age Hollywood composer, Bernard Herrmann (most famous for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles and Martin Scorsese), whose work ranges from the witty and playfully robust to the achingly romantic and bittersweet.

Monday, April 4

Full details of Olivier Award Winners

The winners of the Olivier Awards 2016 with MasterCard were announced last night  at London’s Royal Opera House.
               
Hosted by two-time Oliver Award winner Michael Ball, the ceremony featured performances from Grammy and Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper, Michael Feinstein, Joe Stilgoe and Jack Savoretti. For the finale, the awards welcomed back 15 past Olivier Award winners including Maria Friedman, Ruthie Henshall and Jill Halfpenny who performed What I Did For Love from A Chorus Line (winner of Best New Musical at the 1976 awards)

The guests presenting this year’s awards were Uzo Aduba, Zawe Ashton, Dame Shirley Bassey, Matthew Bourne, Rob Brydon, Jessie Buckley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Adam Cooper, Paul Copley, Noma Dumezweni, Alfred Enoch, Luke Evans, David Gandy, Kit Harington, Emma Hatton, Lenny Henry, Eddie Izzard, Rory Kinnear, Beverley Knight, Lesley Manville, Julia McKenzie, James Norton, Vanessa Redgrave, Amber Riley, Juliet Stevenson, Savannah Stevenson, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Luke Treadaway, Zoë Wanamaker and Dame Barbara Windsor

The  show also included a live link to a free public Olivier Awards celebration on the ITV Stage in Covent Garden Piazza hosted by leading West End performers Carrie Hope Fletcher and Daniel Boys, where thousands of theatre-lovers enjoyed West End performances and a live big screen relay of the ceremony. ITV broadcast extensive highlights at 22:15 following the ceremony. The full ceremony will be broadcast on ITV3 on Monday 4 April at 23:00.


The winners are:

Best Revival/ Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at National Theatre, Lyttelton

Best Entertainment and Family/Showstopper! The Improvised Musical at Apollo Theatre

Best Costume Design/Gregg Barnes for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design/Anna Fleischle for Hangmen at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre and Wyndham's Theatre

White Light Award For Best Lighting Design/Mark Henderson for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Best Sound Design/
Tom Gibbons for People, Places And Things at National Theatre, Dorfman

Best New Opera Production/Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci at Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Opera/English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra for The Force Of Destiny, Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk and The Queen Of Spades at London Coliseum

Best Actor in a Supporting Role/Mark Gatiss for Three Days In The Country at National Theatre, Lyttelton

Best Actress in a Supporting Role/Dame Judi Dench for The Winter's Tale at Garrick Theatre

Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre/Pat Kinevane and Fishamble for Silent at Soho Theatre

Virgin Atlantic Best New Play
/Hangmen at Jerwood Theatre Downstairs at the Royal Court Theatre and Wyndham's Theatre

Best Actor/Kenneth Cranham for The Father at Wyndham's Theatre

Best Actress/Denise Gough for People, Places And Things at National Theatre, Dorfman

Magic Radio Audience Award/The Phantom Of The Opera

Best New Comedy/Nell Gwynn at Apollo Theatre

Best New Dance Production/Woolf Works by Wayne McGregor at Royal Opera House

Outstanding Achievement in Dance/Alessandra Ferri for her performances in Chéri and Woolf Works at Royal Opera House

Autograph Sound Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music
/In The Heights – Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Orchestrated and Arranged by Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman at King’s Cross Theatre

Best Theatre Choreographer/Drew McOnie for In The Heights at King’s Cross Theatre

Best Director/Robert Icke for Oresteia at Almeida Theatre

Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical/David Bedella for In The Heights at King’s Cross Theatre

Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical/Lara Pulver for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Best Musical Revival/Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

Best Actor in a Musical/Matt Henry for Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre

Best Actress in a Musical/Imelda Staunton for Gypsy at Savoy Theatre

MasterCard Best New Musical/Kinky Boots at Adelphi Theatre


Next year the Olivier Awards with MasterCard will be on Sunday 9 April 2017  in a new venue: the Royal Albert Hall.

Sunday, April 3

Nominees for todays' Olivier Awards

The nominees for today's 2016 Olivier Awards are (details of ceremony and TV coverage here)

Best Revival Of A Play-    Hamlet (Barbican Theatre)
-    Les Liasions Dangereuses (Donmar Warehouse)
-    Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (National Theatre, Lyttelton)
-    The Winter's Tale (Garrick Theatre)

Virgin Atlantic Best New Play
-    Farinelli And The King (Duke Of York's Theatre)
-    The Father (Wyndham's Theatre)
-    Hangmen (Royal Court & Wyndham's Theatre)
-    People, Places And Things (National Theatre, Dorfman)

Best New Comedy
-    A Christmas Carol (Noel Coward Theatre)
-    Hand To God (Vaudeville Theatre)
-    Nell Gwynn (Apollo Theatre)
-    Peter Pan Goes Wrong (Apollo Theatre)

Best Actor
-    Kenneth Branagh (The Winter's Tale - Garrick Theatre)
-    Kenneth Cranham (The Father - Wyndham's Theatre)
-    Benedict Cumberbatch (Hamlet - Barbican)
-    Adrian Lester (Red Velvet - Garrick Theatre)
-    Mark Rylance (Farinelli And The King - Duke Of York's Theatre)

Best Actress
-    Gemma Arterton (Nell Gwynn - Apollo Theatre)
-    Denise Gough (People, Places And Things - National Theatre, Dorfman)
-    Nicole Kidman (Photograph 51 - Noel Coward Theatre)
-    Janet McTeer (Les Liasions Dangereuses - Donmar Warehouse)
-    Lia Williams (Oresteia - Almeida)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
-    Mark Gatiss (Three Days in the Country - National Theatre, Lyttelton)
-    Michael Pennington (The Winter's Tale - Garrick Theatre)
-    Tom Sturridge (American Buffalo - Wyndham's Theatre)
-    David Suchet (The Importance Of Being Earnest - Vaudeville Theatre)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
-    Judi Dench (The Winter's Tale Garrick Theatre)
-    Michele Dotrice (Nell Gwynn - Apollo Theatre)
-    Melody Grove (Farinelli And The King - Duke Of York's Theatre)
-    Catherine Steadman (Oppenheimer - Duchess Theatre)

Best Director
-    Rob Ashford and Kenneth Branagh (The Winter's Tale - Garrick Theatre)
-    Matthew Dunster (Hangmen - Royal Court & Wyndham's Theatre)
-    Robert Icke (Oresteia - Almeida)
-    Jonathan Kent (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)

Mastercard Best New Musical

-    Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre)
-    In The Heights (King's Cross Theatre)
-    Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre)
-    Mrs Henderson Presents (Noel Coward Theatre)

Best Musical Revival
-    Bugsy Malone (Lyric Hammersmith)
-    Guys And Dolls (Savoy Theatre)
-    Gypsy (Savoy Theatre)
-    Seven Brides For Seven Brothers (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre)

Best Actor in a Musical
-    Ian Bartholomew (Mrs Henderson Presents - Noel Coward Theatre)
-    Killian Donnelly (Kinky Boots - Adelphi Theatre)
-    David Haig (Guys And Dolls - Savoy Theatre)
-    Matt Henry (Kinky Boots - Adelphi Theatre)
-    Jamie Parker (Guys And Dolls - Savoy Theatre)

Best Actress in a Musical
-    Tracie Bennett (Mrs Henderson Presents - Noel Coward Theatre)
-    Natalie Dew (Bend It Like Beckham- Phoenix Theatre)
-    Laura Pitt-Pulford (Seven Brides For Seven Brothers - Regent's Park Open Air Theatre)
-    Imelda Staunton (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)
-    Sophie Thompson (Guys And Dolls - Savoy Theatre)

Best Actor In A Supporting Role In A Musical
-    David Bedella (In The Heights - King's Cross Theatre)
-    Dan Burton (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)
-    Peter Davison (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)
-    Gavin Spokes (Guys And Dolls - Savoy Theatre)

Best Actress In A Supporting Role In A Musical
-    Preeya Kalidas (Bend It Like Beckham - Phoenix Theatre)
-    Amy Lennox (Kinky Boots - Adelphi Theatre)
-    Lara Pulver (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)
-    Emma Williams (Mrs Henderson Presents - Noel Coward Theatre)

Best Costume Design

-    Gregg Barnes (Kinky Boots - Adelphi Theatre)
-    Hugh Durrant (Nell Gwynn - Apollo Theatre)
-    Jonathan Fensom (Farinelli And The King - Duke Of York's Theatre)
-    Katrina Lindsay (Bend It Like Beckham - Phoenix Theatre)

White Light Award for Best Lighting Design

-    Neil Austin (The Winter's Tale - Garrick Theatre)
-    Natasha Chivers (Oresteia - Almeida)
-    James Farncombe (People, Places And Things - National Theatre, Dorfman)
-    Mark Henderson (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)

Best Sound Design

-    George Dennis (The Homecoming - Trafalgar Studios)
-    Tom Gibbons (People, Places And Things - National Theatre, Dorfman)
-    Christopher Shutt (The Father - Wyndham's Theatre)
-    Christopher Shutt (Hamlet - Barbican)

Blue-i Theatre Technology Award for Best Set Design
-    Hildegard Bechter (Oresteia - Almeida)
-    Es Devlin (Hamlet - Barbican)
-    Jonathan Fensom (Farinelli And The King - Duke of York's Theatre)
-    Anna Fleischle (Hangmen - Royal Court & Wyndham's Theatre)

Best Entertainment And Family
-    Alice's Adventures Underground (The Vaults)
-    Dr. Seuss's The Lorax (The Old Vic)
-    I Want My Hat Back (National Theatre, Temporary Theatre)
-    Peter Pan (Regent's Park Open Air Theatre)
-    Showstopper! The Improvised Musical (Apollo Theatre)

Best New Dance Production
-    He Who Falls (Celui Qui Tombe) (Compagnie Yoann Bourgeois - Barbican)
-    Romeo Et Juliette (Les Ballets de Monte Carlo - London Coliseum)
-    Woolf Works (Wayne McGregor - Royal Opera House)

Outstanding Achievement in Dance
-    Alessandra Ferri (Cheri and Woolf Works - Royal Opera House)
-    Javier De Frutos (for his choreography of Anatomy Of A Passing Cloud - Linbury Studio Theatre, Royal Opera House)
-    Sasha Waltz (for her choreography of Sacre - Sadler's Wells)

Best New Opera Production
-    Cavalleria Rusticana/ Pagliacci (Royal Opera House)
-    The Force Of Destiny (London Coliseum)
-    Morgen Und Abend (Royal Opera House)

Outstanding Achievement in Opera
-    English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra
-    Felicity Palmer (The Queen Of Spades - London Coliseum)
-    Antonio Pappano (Royal Opera House)
-    Tamara Wilson (The Force Of Destiny - London Coliseum)

Outstanding Achievement in Affiliate Theatre
-    Barbarians (The Clare, Young Vic)
-    Pat Kinevane and Fishamble (Silent - Soho Theatre)
-    Phil Dunster (Pink Mist - Bush Theatre)
-    Violence And Son (Jerwood Theatre Upstairs - Royal Court)

Best Theatre Choreographer
-    Carlos Acosta and Andrew Wright (Guys And Dolls - Savoy Theatre)
-    Drew McOnie (In The Heights - King's Cross Theatre)
-    Stephen Mear (Gypsy - Savoy Theatre)
-    Jerry Mitchell (Kinky Boots - Adelphi Theatre)

Autograph Sound Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music
-    Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre)
-    Farinelli And The King (Duke Of York's Theatre)
-    In The Heights (King's Cross Theatre)
-    Kinky Boots (Adelphi Theatre)

Casting announced for West Side Story at Kilworth House

Casting has been announced for the Kilworth House  production of the West Side Story .

Liam Doyle will star as Tony with Laila Zaidi as  Maria. Other leading roles will be played by Sophia Ragavelas (Anita), Justin Thomas (Bernardo), Benjamin Yates (Riff), Dermot Canavan (Doc/Krupe) and Nicholas Tizzard (Schrank).

The cast also includes: Aaron Ashley Parker, Jak Skelly, Jason Kajdi, Bruce Aguilar-Rohan, Ryan Lee Seager, Jordan Cunningham, Gregor Stewart, Matt Holland, Jon Reynolds, Bobby Windebank, Meg Astin, Lucy Glover, Sophie Ayres, Molly-May Gardiner, Annie Guy, Michelle Andrews, Naoimh Morgan and Charlie Johnson.

The show will run in the  Leicestershire venue in the grounds of the Kilworth Hotel from 31st May  until 17th  July.

Tickets for West Side Story

Stephen Ward musical to be revived

Tony Award winning lyricist and book writer Don Black has revealed in a recent interview that the musical STEPHEN WARD is being reworked for a revival. The musical has music by Andrew Lloyd Webber with  lyrics and book co-written by Black and Christopher Hampton. It opened in London in 2013 to mediocre notices and ran for almost four months.

Black explained what he thinks went wrong with STEPHEN WARD. "I think it should have opened quietly, somewhere like the Almeida or Donmar Warehouse, without any of the expectations of a big Lloyd Webber musical. It was also a bad title. But we've written a new song for it recently, so we're working on it again, and it will be unveiled in the next year or two."

Saturday, April 2

Details of Samantha Barks Concert Tour

West End leading lady Samantha Barks has announced dates for her new concert tour which starts in June to launch her new album which is now available for pre-order.

Barks will next be seen in the films BITTER HARVEST, NEW AMSTERDAM and CHOCOLATE CAKE and the upcoming Mozart film INTERLUDE IN PRAGUE. She recently led the Berkeley Rep premiere of the musical adaptation of AMÉLIE.

Her theatre credits include CHICAGO at The Hollywood Bowl, OLIVER! and CABARET on tour in the UK, and the West End's LES MISERABLES (as well as its 25th anniversary show at the O2). She also starred as 'Eponine' in Tom Hooper's film version LES MIS.


Friday, April 1

Latest ceremony details for this Sunday's Olivier Awards

 The stars will arrive on the Royal Opera House’s red carpet from 16:45 onwards for  the 18:30 ceremony. This year’s list of Olivier Award nominees includes Gemma Arterton, Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Cranham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Judi Dench, Mark Gatiss, Denise Gough, Preeya Kalidas, Nicole Kidman, Adrian Lester, Lara Pulver, Mark Rylance, Imelda Staunton, Tom Sturridge and David Suchet.

The guests presenting this year’s awards include Uzo Aduba, Zawe Ashton, Shirley Bassey, Matthew Bourne, Rob Brydon, Stephen Campbell Moore, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Adam Cooper, Paul Copley, Noma Dumezweni, Alfred Enoch, Luke Evans, David Gandy, Kit Harington, Emma Hatton, Lenny Henry, Eddie Izzard, Rory Kinnear, Beverley Knight, Lesley Manville, Julia McKenzie, James Norton, Vanessa Redgrave, Amber Riley, Juliet Stevenson, Savannah Stevenson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Luke Treadaway, Zoë Wanamaker and Barbara Windsor.

In a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, Joe Stilgoe and Michael Feinstein will be joined by Michael Ball, Sharon D Clarke, Daniel Evans and Leigh Zimmerman to also perform an exclusive 40th anniversary tribute to the Olivier Awards.

As previously announced, Grammy Award and Tony Award winner Cyndi Lauper will perform both on her own and in a unique collaboration. Kinky Boots, with music and lyrics by Lauper, is nominated for seven Olivier Awards.

Also as previously announced, Jack Savoretti will perform Sonnet 18 at the ceremony to mark the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. His performance will be introduced by Rory Kinnear, the last person to win an Olivier Award for a Shakespeare role.

The evening will feature exclusive performances from all four nominated productions in the Best Musical Revival category. Best Actress in a Musical nominee Imelda Staunton will open the show performing a number from the multi-Olivier Award-nominated show Gypsy. Casts from Bugsy Malone, Guys And Dolls and Seven Brides For Seven Brothers will also perform.

Additionally, all four nominees for MasterCard Best New Musical will be performing. Theatre fans can expect dazzling performances from Bend It Like Beckham, In The Heights, Kinky Boots and Mrs Henderson Presents.

The BBC Concert Orchestra will be playing at the ceremony, with orchestrations and original music by Music Director Larry Blank, and further orchestrations by Mark Cumberland.

Red carpet styling will be provided by Amanda Wakeley, Asprey and Chester Barrie.

In the UK, shortly after the ceremony, extended highlights will be broadcast on ITV at 22:15. The full ceremony will be shown on ITV3 on Monday 4 April at 23:00. Both broadcasts will be available on the ITV Hub for the following 30 days. The ceremony will also be broadcast live on Mellow Magic, Magic Radio’s new digital station.

International audiences will be able to watch the full broadcast of the star-studded ceremony on the Olivier Awards new YouTube channel from 22:00 (BST) on Sunday 3 April. (www.youtube.com/olivierawards)

In a free public event, musical theatre stars Carrie Hope Fletcher and Michael Xavier will host the ITV Stage in Covent Garden Piazza. This will also be available to UK and international audiences to watch live on the Olivier Awards’ YouTube channel from 17:00-18:30 BST. There will be performances from the shortlisted shows for the Magic Radio Audience Award – Jersey Boys, Les Misérables, Matilda The Musical and The Phantom Of The Opera – as well as star turns from Murder Ballad’s Kerry Ellis, American Idiot, Breakin’ Convention Hip Hop Dance Festival: Myself UK, and Pro-Motion and West End Blend Choir.

To keep up with the latest Olivier Awards with MasterCard news visit www.olivierawards.com.
The Olivier Awards 2016 with MasterCard – the most prestigious event in the UK’s theatrical calendar – has revealed further details of the star-studded ceremony, hosted by two-time Olivier Award winner Michael Ball on Sunday 3 April at the Royal Opera House.

Murder Ballad starring Ramin Karimloo and Kerry Ellis extends booking period

Updated 22nd August: it has just been announced that Murder Ballad has extended its run to 3rd December

Updated 17th June:  It has just been revealed that West End and Broadway star Ramin Karimloo has just joined the line up for Murder Ballad playing Tom.  This marks his  return to the London stage after starring in Les Miserables on Broadway. His West End credits include Love Never Dies, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables.

Norman Bowman has been cast as  Michael. Bowman’s previous credits include Les Miserables, Of Mice and Men, Henry V, Mack and Mabel, End of the Rainbow, Mamma Mia! and Parade.

Sam Yates and producer Daniel Hinchliffe  are readying their cast to perform a number from Murder Ballad this  Sunday, in Trafalgar Square, as part of the West End Live show

Updated 3rd June: Victoria Hamilton-Barritt (currently appearing in the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical In The Heights at King’s Cross Theatre)is joining Kerry Ellis in the UK premiere of the rock musical Murder Ballad at the Arts Theatre from September 29th and  until December 3rd. Natalie McQueen will alternate the role of Sara and understudy Narrator whilst Matthew Harvey will understudy Michael and Tom.

Producer Daniel Hinchliffe described the show as a love triangle ‘that goes wrong’. He added that both his leading ladies had recently become mothers for the first time.

Sara, Tom and Michael are three New Yorkers caught in a secret love triangle that could tear their lives apart. Life has not dealt any of them the cards they wanted, and Sara is stuck in the middle, torn between her downtown past and her uptown future. Is the one that got away really worth risking everything for?

But in the true tradition of all great murder ballads, when songs of love-gone-wrong are sung, blood must be spilled. The question is…by whom?

A downtown and off-broadway sensation, Murder Ballad was onceived in 2013 by Jonathan Larson Award winner and two-time Susan Smith Blackburn Prize finalist Julia Jordan with book and lyrics by Jordan and music and lyrics by indie rock singer/songwriter Juliana Nash, Murder Ballad is a steamy and fun thriller with a razor's edge.

Ellis's management, Soundcheck Group, have founded a production company to find appropriate vehicles for her, and this is their first show.

Tickets for Murder Ballad