Sunday, February 26

Lucas Rush to play Mrs Meers in tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie

Michelle Collins has just finished playing Mrs Meers for the first six weeks of the run of the tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie starring Strictly Come Dancing's Joanne Clifton in the title role.  

The comedic but evil leader of a white slavery ring in China will now be played by Lucas Rush whose musical theatre credits include American Idiot and the Jesus Christ Superstar Live Arena Tour. 

Friday, February 24

Gary Barlow's musical The Band tour dates announced

Updated 26th February Five to Five are the newest stars of Gary Barlow's new musical, The Band, winning the public vote ahead of fellow finalists Drive and Nightfall on last nights's final of BBC's Let It Shine .

AJ Bentley, Curtis T Johns, Nick Carlsberg, Sario Solomon and Yazdan Qafouri
will be touring the UK for a year in the show, which kicks off on September 8th at the Manchester Opera House touring  to  July 2018 with dates across England, Wales and Scotland. Full List of tour dates with booking details here


 Hot on the heels of the triumphant and record-breaking opening of his musical The Girls earlier this week,  news of Gary Barlow's next musical The Band (based on the music of Take That) has just been revealed. 

The producers David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers are due to start work on it this Sunday following the finale of Let It Shine (the show to cast the band members) on BBC on Saturday night.  The new musical is written by The Girls  Tim Firth & with Take that as co-producers.  It is due to open in Manchester on 8th September with a view to transferring it into the West End.

More news to follow.

Tour of Cilla The Musical

Breaking news this morning is that Bill  Kenwright And Laurie Mansfield are producing  a tour of Cilla the Musical which  is based on Jeff Pope’s brilliant, three-part ITV drama Cilla that screened in 2014 and starred Sheridan Smith (who is currently starring in the tour of Funny Girl). Pope has adapted his screenplay for the theatre.Cilla's eldest son Robert Willis is executiive producer of the show. Apparently the musical was the last project Cilla gave her blessing to before she died at her villa in Spain in 2015.

Pope said: Essentially, it’s the story of a young girl from Liverpool’s ‘Scottie Road’ who aims for the stars and gets there, ‘but finds that it’s not all she thought it was going to be.

The show will concentrate more on the music than the TV programme did featuring Cilla classics including  Anyone Who Had A Heart, Alfie, You’re My World, Step Inside Love and Liverpool Lullaby. It will also cover  the early Merseybeat sound with groups like The Big Three, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, and some early Beatles numbers.

The tour will be directed by Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson with rehearsals running through August opening at Liverpool Empire on 7th September where it will run until September 16th. Willis said: It was a theatre my mother loved.  Before she became well known, she would wait by the stage door and ask for autographs. It will go on tour  with the possibility of a West End transfer.  Open auditions will be held in Liverpool this Spring (and elsewhere in the UK ) to find an actress to portray the young Cilla.

Tickets go on sale on Monday 27th February.

Thursday, February 23

Sister Act heading back to London?

Talking at a launch to promote the new film version of Beauty and the Beast legendary musical composer Alan Menken  has said he expects Sister Act to head back into the West End soon.

Saying: " Sister Act is coming back to the West End soon. The nuns play their own instruments!"

Craig Revel Horwood's production is currently touring the UK until 3rd September with Alexandra Burke in the lead role.

Wednesday, February 22

Michael Ball and Alfie Boe performing at Greenwich Music Time

Michael Ball and Alfie Boe are  to appear at Greenwich Music Time following the success of their platinum-selling album and tour Together which is due to go out on the road again in June. They are  one of the headliners for this summer’s Greenwich Music Time, which returns to the The Old Royal Naval College on June 30th 2017

Ball and Boe join Cliff Richard and Little Mix on the line-up for the week-long event (now in its fourth year) which takes place from June 30th – July 7th 2017.

Tickets for Greenwich Music Time with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe

Gary Barlow's The Girls extends booking period and adds Tuesday matinee

Following well deserved rave reviews from its opening last night, from Monday 27th February Gary Barlow and Tim Firth's award-winning new British musical, The Girls, will extend its booking period at the Phoenix Theatre (where it has broken box office records) to 15th July 2017, plus a Tuesday matinee will be added from 25th April.
In the West End the producers have made a commitment to there being no 'premium-rated' seats and no booking fees if tickets are purchased via the official show and theatre websites or direct from the theatre.

Monday, February 20

Katie Brayben, Tyrone Huntley, Oliver Savile, Sabrina Aloueche and More to perform at West End Live Lounge

L&M Productions will present West End Live Lounge at the Union Theatre on Sunday 19th March at 7:30 pm.    It will be the company's first concert with a  line up including Katie Brayben, Tyrone Huntley, Sabrina Aloueche and Oliver Savile and other West End performers singing renditions of some of their favourite songs from the world of popular music. Musical direction by Sam Coates and the compere for the evening will be Benjamin Vivian-Jones.

Katie Brayben won an Olivier Award for 'Best actress in a musical' for her portrayal of Carole King in the original London cast of Beautiful. Since then her credits have included Sarah in The Spoils alongside Hollywood talent Jesse Eisenberg (Trafalgar Studios) and Jackie in My Mother said I never should (St James Theatre).

Tyrone Huntley's  credits include Hairspray, Memphis, Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ Superstar for which he won the Evening Standard Theatre Award for his  performance as Judas at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. He is currently in the London cast of Dreamgirls playing the role of CC.

Oliver Savile can currently be seen playing Fiyero in the West End production of Wicked. His past credits include Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, Cats and Mamma Mia.

Sabrina Aloueche is no stranger to the West End Stage with credits including Eponine in Les Miserables and Scaramouche in We Will Rock You..

L&M Productions was set up by West End performers Leigh Lothian (Currently in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and Shaun McCourt (most recently seen in The Railway Children and the National's War Horse at the New London Theatre). This new venture was put together with a vision to raising money for those in unspeakable situations around the world. Each concert will donate proceedings towards a different cause with The UNICEF 'Syria Appeal' being the chosen charity for the first concert. Having seen such terrible footage of what is going on in this part of the world, both Leigh and Shaun wanted to do something to help these people in anyway possible and thus West End Live Lounge was born.

The full cast for the evening (subject to availabilty) are: Kelly Agbowu, Jamal Andreas, Marcus Ayton, Andrew Bateup, Arun Blair, Adam Bailey, Dale Evans, Gabriela Garcia,Natalie Green,  Lauren Ingram, Brady Issacs-Pearce, Sejal Keshwala, Laura Mansell, Iain Mattley,  Matthew Seadon-Young, Laura Tebbutt,Phoebe Street, Paul Wilkins, Gary Wood.



Ruthie Henshall and Trevor Dion Nicholas hosting Magic at the Musicals Royal Albert Hall in May

Updated 5th March: The show will be hosted by West End leading lady Ruthie Henshall and star of Disney's Aladdin, Trevor Dion Nicholas.
 
Presented by Magic FM and TBI Media, Magic at the Musicals returns to the Royal Albert Hall for one night only at 7:30 pm on Friday.10th May .

Following rave reviews last year, this brand new show, complete with 60 piece orchestra, will feature  performances from leading West End performers singing numbers from the  most celebrated shows including: Fiddler On The Roof, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, TINA - The Tina Turner Musical, Disney's The Lion King, MAMMA MIA! and  Matilda The Musical.

Casting news to follow. 

Casting and booking details for new 20th anniversary production of Stiles & Drewe's musical HONK!


A 20th anniversary production of Stiles & Drewe's HONK! the musical  returns to London this Easter  playing at the Union Theatre from  29th March – 22nd April 2017 (press night Saturday 1st  April)

It is a brand new actor-musican versionwith puppetry, illusions - and water guns. This heartwarming reimagining of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Ugly Duckling tells the story of Ugly, a plucky little bird who gets picked on by the other farmyard animals because he’s different. Pushed out of the flock, he embarks on an adventure across the marsh, meeting an array of characters who teach him that it takes all sorts to make a world, and that he is much more than just his fowl looks.

Ugly looks quite a bit different from his darling duckling brothers and sisters. The other animals on the farm are quick to notice and point this out, despite his mother’s protective flapping. Feeling rather foul about himself, the little fowl finds himself on adventure of self discovery all the while unknowingly outwitting a very hungry Cat. Along the way Ugly meets a whole flock of unique characters and finds out being different is not a bad thing to be.

Honk! has gone on to receive over 8,000 productions around the world, and is now returning to London in its 20th anniversary year for  the third time since its celebrated National Theatre production in 2000

British writing duo Stiles and Drewe’s other works include current West End award winning  Half a Sixpence, Mary Poppins and the soon-to-open The Wind in the Willows starring Rufus Hound at the London Palladium.

Honk! is produced Paul Virides & Lian Wilkinson for Dot By Dot Productions, directed by Andy Room, with Oli Rew as musical director, choreography by Lily Howkins,  designer Anna Reid with  puppet designer Phoebe Hill. The cast includes:

Glaswegian Liam Vincent-Kilbride plays Ugly,  making his London stage debut. He trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and has played Che in Evita and Mark Cohen in Rent.

Emily Goad (Maureen/Henrietta/Penny/Lowbutt/Pinkfoot). Previous roles include Rosemary in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Julie Jordan, Carousel.

Emma Jane Morton (Grace/Dot/Queenie/Mother Swann). Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Windsor), Leader of the Pack (Waterloo East).

Ellie Nunn
(Ida, Ugly’s mother). Shakespeare in Love in the West End, Lady Windermere in Lady Windermere’s Fan (King’s Head).

Robert Pearce (Turkey/Bullfrog/Jack Daw). Col. Chambers in The Glenn Miller Story (Tommy Steele No1 UK tour), Jitters in Hoods! The Musical, directed  by Craig Revel-Horwood, at the Arts Theatre.

Leon Scott (Drake, Ugly’s father). Thor in Norseome (UK tour), and Montano in Othello (Shakespeare’s Globe).

Sam Sugarman (Cat) was in Stephen Sondheim’s Road Show, Union Theatre, and Smee in Stiles & Drewe’s Peter Pan: A MusicalAdventure.

Anthony Drewe said: Hans Christian Andersen has been described as ‘a tall, ugly boy with a big nose and big feet, and when he grew up with a beautiful singing voice and a passion for the theatre he was cruelly teased and mocked by other children’. Sadly, cruel teasing and mocking is still prevalent today whenever someone is perceived as being ‘different’, and it’s not only children who perpetrate this injustice. Some truly ugly attitudes revealed themselves in the lead up to the Brexit vote, and recent events in the US have only served to shake our wonderfully diverse, multicultural society.
When George and I wrote Honk! it was, in part, in response to the reaction that my young mixed–race nephews were receiving at school, because their skin was of a different colour. But bullying is not limited to racial diversity. A recent study in the UK found that 45% of 13 to 18 year-olds have experienced bullying by the age of 18, with the majority saying the primary reason was their physical appearance. It’s a sobering fact that 1 in 10 teenagers bullied at school have attempted to commit suicide, and at least half of the suicides among young people are related to bullying. Sadly, it is true that the victims of bullying are most likely to become bullies themselves. Maybe one day this vicious cycle will be broken, then we will all have something to quack about.

I think the reason Honk! has enjoyed such success and been seen in so many productions around the world is that everyone can relate to the plight of an outsider trying to fit in – we have all felt it at some point in our lives. We wanted to write a musical about acceptance – a celebration of being different, where diversity is welcomed and embraced, and where everyone plays their own part in a multicultural community, albeit on a duck pond.

Friday, February 17

Rachel Tucker announces May & June tour dates

Rachel Tucker (Elphaba in the West End and Broadway productions of Wicked) has announced dates  for her UK tour which opens in Belfast in May.

The musical theare star rose to fame on Andrew Lloyd Webber's BBC show I'd Do Anything, has played the green witch in Stephen Schwartz's production for more performances than any other actress in the show's history. Her other recent theatre credits include Queen's  We Will Rock You at the Dominion, and Sting's musical The Last Ship on Broadway.

Her  solo tour will be  directed by her husband Guy Retallack, when she will be performing musical theatre songs as well as some jazz and soul.

The tour opens at the MAC Belfast on 13th May before moving to the Gate Theatre, Cardiff (19th May), Gala Theatre, Durham (29th  May), Grand Theatre, Lancaster (3th May), The Apex, Bury St Edmund's (31st May), Capitol Theatre, Horsham (3rd June), Live At Zedel, London (5th-7th June), and Pizza Express Live, Birmingham (9th and 10th  June).

Caroline Flack to join Tom Chambers in Tour of Crazy for You

It has just been announced that Caroline Flack is to  make her stage debut as Irene in the national tour of the Watermill Theatre’s acclaimed production of CRAZY FOR YOU. Caroline joins the previously announced Tom Chambers as Bobby. From the producers of “Sister Act” and “Nativity! The Musical”, the national tour of ”CRAZY FOR YOU” opens at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth on 17th August.

Prior to presenting, Caroline trained in musical theatre. She won the 12th season of “Strictly Come Dancing” in 2014. She currently presents  ITV’s Love Island with previous presenting credits including “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here NOW!” and “The Xtra Factor”. She has also presented “The X Factor”.

Peter Polycarpou and Tracie Bennett lead cast for Mrs Henderson Presents in Toronto

Peter Polycarpou is playing the role of Vivian Van Damm opposite Tracie Bennett in Mrs Henderson Presents when it tours to Toronto and plays at The Royal Alexandra Theatre from March 12th  to April 23rd.

The cast includes Evelyn Hoskins, Matt Slack, Matthew Malthouse, Adam Rhys Charles, Jenny Huxley Golden, Tricia Adele Turner, Kimberly Powell, Alex Delamere, Grace Mckee, Ross Carpenter, Fenton Gray, Piers Bate, Lucy Carter, Maria Garrett, Lauren Hall, Ross Carpenter, Mark Prendergast, Matthew Jeans,Tania Newton, Anne Smith, Simon Green and Piers Bate.

The Girls Cast Album?

According to Baz in today's Mail,  writer Gary Barlow, director Tim Firth and producers of The Girls David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers ,  are believed to be in discussions with Disney and Decca about collaborating on the cast album for the new musical , which opens on Tuesday and  is getting standing ovations and rave reviews while it previews at he Phoenix Theatre. 

Thursday, February 16

Samantha Barks, Tim Howar, Oliver Tompsett and Hannah Waddingham starring in The Sound of Musicals

A new tour of the The Sound of Musicals has just been announced with show-stopping numbers from musicals including Jesus Christ Superstar, Sunset Boulevard, Chess, Oliver!, Les Misérables, Jersey Boys, Evita, My Fair Lady and Chicago. They will be performed  four star soloists from the West End: Samantha Barks (Les Misérables), Tim Howar (Tonight’s the Night; Rock of Ages; and vocalist with Mike and The Mechanics), Oliver Tompsett (Wicked; Guys and Dolls) and Hannah Waddingham (Kiss Me Kate; A Little Night Music, Grease) accompanied by a live London Concert Orchestra conducted by  Richard Balcombe or Manchester Concert Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall.

The dates with booking links are:


Thursday 11 May 7.30pm – BIRMINGHAM Symphony Hall
Friday 12 May 7.30pm – MANCHESTER The Bridgewater Hall
Saturday 13 May 7.30pm – LONDON Royal Festival Hall 

Full casting for Fiddler on the Roof at Chichester this summer

Updated 25th May; The full cast joining the previosuly announced Omid Djalili and Tracy-Ann Oberman in Fiddler on the Roof at Chichester in July has been announced.

Chris Jarman (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) will play Lazar Wolf, Emma Kingston (In the Heights) will play Hodel and Liza Sadovy (Wicked) will play Yente.

They will be joined by  Louis Maskell (Perchik), Laura Tebbutt (Fruma Sarah), Jos Slovick (Motel), Simbi Akande (Tzeitel) and Rose Shalloo (Chava).

Completing the cast is Ryan Anderson, Leo Andrew, Andrew Boyer, Greg Castiglioni, Stephen John Davis, Nicholas Duncan, Luke Fetherston, Rosie Fletcher, Harry Francis, Victoria Hinde, Abigail Jaye, Lucinda Lawrence, Megan O'Hanlon, Sephora Parish, Pierce Rogan, and Matthew Woodyatt.

News has just broken that Daniel Evans' first Chichester season includes musicals featuring Sharon D Clarke, Omid Djalili and Tracy-Ann Oberman
 
From 10th July- 26th August (press night July 18th).  Daniel Evans will direct British-Iranian comedy actor Omid Djalili playing the title tole as Tevye- His  many credits include taking on the role of Fagin in Oliver! (West End). Tracy-Ann Oberman (EastEnders) is  Tevye’s wife Golde. in a new production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof. With a book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick it features classic number s including "If I Were A Rich Man", "Tradition" and "Matchmaker".

As previously announced Sharon D Clarke will make her Chichester debut in the Olivier Award-winning Caroline, or Change from 6th May-3rd June. 

Tickets for Fiddler on the Roof  (on sale 25th February
for friends and 4th March for general public)

Wednesday, February 15

First casting news for tour of Hairspray the Musical

The first casting news has just broken for the new tour of Hairspray the musical which is due to open at Cardiff Millennium Centre in August. 

Matt Rixon returns to the show as Edna Turnblad having played the role previously. His theatre credits include Cinderella (Richmond Theatre), Casa Valentina (Southwark Playhouse) and The Ladykillers (New Vic Theatre & UK Tour). TV credits include Tarantina Connections on Channel 4, Unique Species on Channel 5 and Henry VI Part 3 for the BBC.

Brenda Edwards returns as Motormouth Maybelle. She was  a 2005 X Factor semi-finalist with  theatre roles including Mama Morton in Chicago (West End), Pearl Pastor in Carmen Jones (Royal Festival Hall) and Killer Queen in We Will Rock You (West End and UK tour).

The show will be directed by Paul Kerryson with choreography by Drew McOnie, Ben Atkinson is Musical Director and Re-orchetrations, Ben Harrison is sound designer and Philip Gladwell is Lighting Designer with set design by Paul Moore and costumes by Takis.


Robbie Williams to perform again with Take That on Let It Shine final

Robbie Williams has  confirmed that  he will reunite with Take That on the final of BBC's Let It Shine when he appears  as guest judge on 25th February,  alongside Gary Barlow , Dannii Minogue and Martin Kemp and the public to  decide which band will be crowned the winners and appear in Gary Barlow's new West End musical The Band.
He will reunite with Take That, minus ex-member Jason Orange, for a one-off performance, as well as joining the talent show as a guest judge saying 'I'm looking forward to being back with Gary, Mark and Howard on Let It Shine and am excited to be a guest judge for the very special final,'
Apparently Gary is aiming to  make sure their reunion as a four-piece is a huge success and blows the audience away. He wants to finish off Let It Shine with a bang and he thought a Take That reunion to close the show was the perfect way to achieve it.

Robbie last reunited with Take That last November during a special one-off show to celebrate receiving the prestigious BRITs Icon Award.
Robbie has also  he would jump at the chance to rejoin former his former band mates for a reunion tour admitting he was 'really proud' of what the  group have achieved, describing himself as a 'floating member'.

Full cast joining Samantha Barks and Arthur Darvill in UK premiere of musical Honeymoon in Vegas concert

Updated 22nd February; The full cast joining Samantha Barks and Arthur Darvill for the London Musical Theatre Orchestra's concert of Honeymoon in Vegas has been announced. Simon Lipkin, who hosted this year's WhatsOnStage Awards, will appear as Buddy alongside Maxwell Caulfield (Tommy), Rosemary Ashe (Bea) and Nicolas Colicos (Johnny). The supporting roles will be played by Daniel Amity, Maisey Bawden and Hywell Dowsell. 

Samantha Barks and Arthur Darvill are to star in UK premiere of the musical Honeymoon in Vegas concert at the London Palladium at 7:30 pm on Sunday 12th March.

They will be accompanied by the 30 piece  London Musical Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Jason Robert Brown who composed the piece.

Samantha Barks is to take on the role of Betsy and Arthur Darvill will play Jack, with full casting to be announced son. The musical is based on the 1992 hit film which starred Sarah Jessica Parker and Nicholas Cage. It is the story of tells the story of mild-mannered Brooklynite, Jack, who haunted by the fear of a promise to his dying mother never to get married, avoids proposing to his new girlfriend Betsy. He finally summons the nerve and takes Betsy to Las Vegas only to have his plans compromised by a dashing gambler with an eye for luxury and Jack's new fiancée.
Barks is best known for playing Eponine in Les Miserables, in the West End, the 25th Anniversary Concerts at the O2, and in the 2012 film adaptation. Recent theatre credits include Cathy- Last Five Years (St James Theatre); the title role in the world premiere of Amelie - A New Musical (Berkeley Repertory Theatre), Mallory/Avril in City of Angels (Donmar Warehouse), Velma Kelly in Chicago (Hollywood Bowl) and Sally Bowles in Cabaret (UK Tour). Recent film credits include Interlude in Prague (Stillking Films), Bitter Harvest (Devil's Harvest Productions), The Canary (Pioneer Pictures), the voice of Miss Acacia in Jack & The Cuckoo-Clock Heart (EuropaCorp) and The Christmas Candle (Pinewood Studios). Samantha also recently toured launching  with her debut album.

Darvill  has had a wide and varied career. Theatre includes: Treasure Island (National Theatre), Once (NYC and UK), Our Boys (Duchess Theatre), Soft Cops (RSC), Doctor Faustus (Shakespeare's Globe), Been So Long (Young Vic), Swimming With Sharks (Vaudeville), Terre Haute (Trafalgar Studios, National Tour), Stacey (Arcola), Terre Haute (Edinburgh). Television and Film Includes: Legends of Tomorrow (Berlanti Productions), Danny and The Human Zoo (BBC), Broadchurch ( ITV), The White Queen (BBC), The Paradise (BBC), Doctor Who (BBC), Little Dorritt (BBC), He Kills Coppers (Ecosse), The Verdict (RDF), Untitled Robin Hood (Imagine Entertainment), Sex, Drugs, Rock N Roll (Lipsync Productions), Pelican Blood (Ecosse). Other work: He is also Artistic Associate and musican/writer in residence of The Bush Theatre and founding member of Fuego's Men Theatre Company

Tuesday, February 14

Casting for Off-Broadway musical and Second World War love story Yank!

Casting has just been revealed for Aria Entertainment's international premiere of Off-Broadway musical and Second World War love story Yank! which will run at Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre from 9th March to 8 April.

Leading the cast are Scott Hunter (A Chorus Line, A Midsummer Night’s Dream) and Barnaby Hughes (Grand Central, Damn Yankees). They are joined by Chris Kiely (Sunset Boulevard, Chess); Spencer Cartwright (Billy Elliot the Musical, Lady Macbeth Of Mtsensk); Benjamin Cupit (Beauty and the Beast, Eugeneus); Tom Pepper (Drifters, Crazy For You); and Lee Dillon Stuart (Rent, Les Misérables).

With Tom Lloyd (Parade, Dirty Dancing); Kris Marc-Joseph (Sister Act, Children of Eden); Mark Paterson (The Wedding Singer, Jerry Springer – The Opera); Luke Bayer (Twelfth Night, The 12 Tenors) and Sarah Louise Young (Casualty, Doctors).
Yank! is a moving gay love story with a book and lyrics by David Zellnik and music by his brother Joseph. The production will be directed by James Baker and co-produced with Ben Millerman from Mr Millerman Presents.

The creative team also includes musical director James Cleeve, choreographer Chris Cuming, designer Victoria Hinton, lighting designer Aaron J. Dootson, sound designer Chris Bogg and casting director Ben Newsome.

Buy tickets for Yank

Ben Forster staying on as Phantom until September

Ben Forster has extended his run as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty's Theatre.He won the ITV series Superstar in 2012, when Andrew Lloyd Webber was looking for someone to play the title role in  the UK tour of Jesus Christ Superstar.  He took on the role of the Phantom in February 2016, and will now play the character until 2 September 2017.

The show also stars Celinde Schoenmaker as ‘Christine Daae’ and Nadim Naaman as ‘Raoul’ who  are joined by Siôn Lloyd as ‘Monsieur Firmin’; Mark Oxtoby as ‘Monsieur Andre’; Paul Ettore Tabone as ‘Piangi’ and Daisy Hulbert as ‘Meg’. Also continuing their roles are: Lara Martins as ‘Carlotta’ and Jacinta Mulcahy as ‘Madame Giry’ with Harriet Jones as alternate ‘Christine Daaé’.

The full cast continuing until 2nd  September  is: Matt Blaker; Bridget Costello; Maria Coyne; Scott Davies; Hadrian Delacey; Morven Douglas; Ben Forster; Lyndsey Gardiner; Lori Gilchrist; Ryan Goscinski; Philip Griffiths; Hettie Hobbs; Lily Howes; Daisy Hulbert; Ellen Jackson; Harriet Jones; Richard Kent; Tim Laurenti; Adam Robert Lewis; Siôn Lloyd; Lara Martins; Luke McCall; Leo Miles; Fiona Morley; Tim Morgan; Paul Morrissey; Jacinta Mulcahy; Nadim Naaman; Mark Oxtoby; Danielle Pullum; James Roxby-Brown; Celinde Schoenmaker; Tom Sterling; Joanna Strand; Paul Ettore Tabone; Claire Tilling, Charlotte Vaughan; Victoria Ward and Georgia Ware


Friday, February 10

Full cast including Alex Gaumond to join Sharon D Clarke in Caroline, Or Change at Chichester

Updated 6th March:  Full casting has just been announced - joining Sharon D Clarke as Caroline Thibodeaux are Keisha Amponsa Banson (The Radio), Me'sha Bryan (The Washing Machine), Angela Caesar (The Moon), Alex Gaumond (Stuart Gellman), Nicola Hughes (Dotty Moffett), Teddy Kempner (Mr Stopnick), Beverley Klein (Grandma Gellman), Ako Mitchell (The Dryer/The Bus), Abiona Omonua (Emmie Thibodeaux), Gloria Onitiri (The Radio), Vincent Pirillo (Grandpa Gellman), Jennifer Saayeng (The Radio) and Lauren Ward (Rose Stopnick Gellman).


The fabulous powerhouse Sharon D Clarke, is to lead the company of the  musical Caroline, Or Change at Chichester’s Minerva Theatre from 6th May-3rd June this year.

Written by Tony Kushner and composer Jeanine Tesori the musical offers a pot pourri of  music including spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, Jewish klezmer and folk. Clarke will play the title character, who works as a maid in  Louisiana for the Gellman family . Set in 1963 with President Kennedy, with the Civil Rights movement and social change backdrops the show is about a woman who doesn’t like to compromise, in an era when change is happening very fast.

There was a  production at the Lyttelton in  October 2006,  which ran in repertory with Marianne Elliot's production of Thérèse Raquin to January 2007. The production did not transfer to the West End but did win the Olivier Award for Best New Musical.

Michael Longhurst, who directed the production of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus at the National, will direct Caroline,

Thursday, February 9

Hadley Fraser to star in Young Frankenstein at the Garrick later this year


Updated 21st April: Casting news just released  is that West End leading man HADLEY FRASER will play Dr Frankenstein, Bird of a Feather LESLEY JOSEPH is Frau Blucher, comedian  ROSS NOBLE is Igor, DIANNE PILKINGTON is Elizabeth, SUMMER STRALLEN is Inga  with  PATRICK CLANCY. Joining them will be Imogen Brooke, Matt Crandon, Nathan Elwick, Kelly Ewins-Prouse, Andrew Gordon-Watkins, Sammy Kelly, Richard Pitt, Harriet Samuel-Gray, Gemma Scholes, Emily Squibb, Aron Wild and Josh Wilmott with more names to follow.

Mel Brooks’ YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN comedy musical based on the Oscar-nominated smash hit movie will open in the West End at the Garrick Theatre on Thursday 28th September 2017, with a press night on Tuesday 10th October.

As previously announced, the production will open at the Theatre Royal Newcastle from 26th August-9th September 2017.

Young Frankenstein  is  the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic, when Frederick Frankenstein, an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory in Transylvania from Victor Von Frankenstein his deranged genius grandfather. But does he continue to run from his family’s tortured past or  stay in Transylvania to carry on his grandfather’s mad experiments reanimating the dead while falling in love with his sexy lab assistant Inga?

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is produced by Mel Brooks, Michael Harrison and Fiery Angel. Based on the 1974 film and co-written with Thomas Meehan, Brooks will once again collaborate with Broadway director and choreographer Susan Stroman for this  new production, bringing his and Gene Wilder’s classic movie to life on stage.

More casting new to follow.

Buy tickets for Young Frankenstein  

Thriller Live celebrates becoming 15th Longest Running West End Musical of All Time

THRILLER LIVE has just celebrated Becoming the 15th Longest Running West End Musical of All Time last  Saturday  after 3,358 performances at the Lyric Theatre. It has  smashed the record held by  "Jesus Christ Superstar", which opened in 1972.

They  celebrated starting their 9th year in the West End at an after show party with cake and champagne, where leading the cast on stage were Cleo Higgins, best known as the lead singer of 90s RnB pop group Cleopatra, and Haydon Eshun, who also marked his 2,545th performance which is believed to be the longest run ever by a lead role in a West End musical. Fellow lead vocalist, Reece Bahia (now 21) first saw the show aged 9, and decided there and then that he wanted to be in it! Last night some of the biggest cheers from the audience came after his spine-tingling rendition of "She's Out of My Life".

Also joining in the celebrations was original 2009 "Thriller Live" cast member Ben Forster, who went on to win Andrew Lloyd Webber's TV hunt for a star to play Jesus in his arena tour of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and is currently starring as the Phantom in "The Phantom of the Opera".

New effects have been added to the production, including spectacularly noisy, state-of-the-art turbo-charged smoke jets.
Thriller Live is currently the 7th longest running West End Musical still playing - but that will change again when Jersey Boys closes in March.

A Second Company is currently touring the UK until April.

Revival of Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Nicholas Thompson Productions and Tarquin Productions in association with the King’s Head Theatre are presenting a revival of the classic 1961 Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. It will return to London over 50 years after its West End debut when it plays Wilton’s Music Hall from 8th -22nd April with a press night on 11th April

Directed by Benji Speering, the production will star Marc Pickering (Les Misérables, Calendar Girls) as aspiring businessman J. Pierrepont Finch alongside Hannah Grover (Mamma Mia!) as his love interest Rosemary. The cast also includes Lizzii Hills (Toxic Avenger) and Geri Allen (Hansel & Gretel).

With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock and Willie Gilbert, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is based on Shepherd Mead’s 1952 satirical bestseller.

The original Broadway production won the 1962 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Book. The most recent Broadway revival in 2011 starred Daniel Radcliffe and John Larroquette who picked up a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.The creative team includes designer Mike Lees, musical director Benjamin Ferguson, choreographer Lucie Pankhurst and lighting designer Nic Farman.





Friday, February 3

Audra McDonald's Lady Day heading for West End in June

Multi  Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald is to  make her West End debut as the legendary jazz icon Billie Holliday  in LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at Wyndham's Theatre with performances beginning on June 17th  for a limited season through to September 9th . (press night 27th June).

This is the second  time she  has announced a West End production - the original run scheduled for seven months ago was postponed due to her unexpected pregnancy.

Prior to Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill this summer, Audra McDonald will perform four concerts at the Leicester Square Theatre hosted by Seth Rudetsky and featuring her husband Will Swenson as special guest from 12 to 15 April.

'LADY DAY' originally premiered on Broadway in Spring 2014 at the Circle in the Square Theatre. Spend an intimate evening filled with some of the most inspiring and moving songs ever written and hear the personal stories of Holiday's loves and losses through a turbulent but extraordinary life. With a glorious score featuring "God Bless the Child," "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," "Strange Fruit," "Crazy He Calls Me" and "Taint Nobody's Biz-ness,"