South Pacific at Chichester Festival Theatre announces July opening starring Gina Beck and Julian Ovenden

Chichester Festival Theatre is due to reopen in July with Rodgers and Hammerstein's award-winning South Pacific with Daniel Evans directing  Gina Beck (Nellie Forbush), Julian Ovenden (Emile de Becque), Joanna Ampil (Bloody Mary), Keir Charles (Luther Billis) and Rob Houchen (Joe Cable) with  Iroy Abesamis, Carl Au, Rosanna Bates, David Birrell, Taylor Bradshaw, Bobbie Chambers, Danny Collins, Shailan Gohil, Adrian Grove, Zack Guest, Matthew Maddison, Sera Maehara (as Liat), Melissa Nettleford, Kate Playdon, Pierce Rogan and Clancy Ryan.

Set  on an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean during the Second World War, the musical features classic  songs including  "Some Enchanted Evening" and "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair". 

The show runs from 5th July to 4th September 2021 with one performance of the show  each week  socially distanced. There will be a Dementia Friendly performance on 1 September at 2.30pm. South Pacific will go on sale with a reduced capacity auditorium (approximately 900 instead of  1300), which will be increased if restrictions permit. It will also be streamed for remote audiences, with dates to be revealed.

The set and costume designer is Peter McKintosh with Ann Yee as choreographer and movement director.  Musical direction is by Cat Beveridge, with musical supervision by Nigel Lilley, orchestrations by David Cullen, lighting design by Howard Harrison, sound design by Paul Groothuis with additional arrangements by Theo Jamieson.

Priority booking is now open.  Public booking opens on Tuesday 6th  April at 10.00 am

Latest news on rescheduled dates for West End and touring Musicals

Updated 18th April 2021 : to help make things a little easier for you with the current Covid-19 guidelines we have listed all the latest updates we have  for upcoming and rescheduled West End  and touring musicals . 

 

Please check back regularly as we will be  updating this page on a daily basis as we receive more news 

 

WEST END MUSICALS

-  Andrew Lloyd Webber's new version of Cinderella starring Carrie Hope Fletcher at the Gillian Lynne Theatre  is now scheduled to open on 14th July 2021.

- A new UK production of Anything Goes from Tony-winner Kathleen Marshall  starring Robert Lindsay, Felicity Kendal, Gary Wilmot  and Megan Mullaney will open at the Barbican  with performances now scheduled to run from 23rd July - 17 October   2021

-  &Juliet at the Shaftesbury Theatre is now currently booking from 24th September 2021

-  Back to The Future - The Musical  had an out-of-town preview at the Manchester Opera House in 2020, will now begin performances at the Adelphi Theatre on 20th August 2021.

-  Chichester Festival Theatre has moved its 2020 season to this year

-  Come From Away has a new cast and is now booking at the Phoenix Theatre from 22nd July to 18th December, 2021.

-  Dear Evan Hansen reopening has been put back to 2021 with  new dates still TBA

-  Everybody's Talking About Jamie is planning to reopen with social distancing from 17 May 2021.

-  Frozen starring Samantha Barks as  ice Princess Elsa with Stephanie McKeon playing her sister Princess Anna now previews on 27 August 2021, with a press night on 8 Septembe.

 -  Hairspray the musical starring Michael Ball, Paul Merton, Rita Simons and Marisha Wallace  is now scheduled to  open on Tuesday 22nd June, with additional performances added until Wednesday 29th September. (The first four weeks of performances are planned to play with social distancing at reduced capacity.)

-  Hamilton the Musical  returns to London on 15th May 2021. Tickets now on sale.

-   Hello, Dolly! The new West End production  has been postponed until 2023 due to Imelda Staunton's Netflix filming commitments on the final two series of The Crown.

- Jersey Boys originally  scheduled for April at the Trafalgar Theatre will now begin performances from 28 July, ahead of an opening night of 10 August. It is initially booking until 2022

 -  Jesus Christ Superstar special concert staging is running at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre for 70 performances only from Friday 14 August for six weeks to 27th September. There will be  reduced capacity down to 390 seats

-  Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat starring Jason Donovan, Alexandra Burke  and Jac Yarrow at the Palladium  opens on 1st July with tickets now on sale

-  Les Miserables Musical  at the Sondheim has postponed its reopening until 29th May with tickets  now on public sale

- Les Miserables Staged Concert will play a limited run for eight weeks at the Sondheim Theatre in London's West End, from December 5th 2020.  Performances  have now regrettably been cancelled up to and including 14th  February 2021

-  Magic Mike Live Channing Tatum's show has announced plans to reopen from 21 May to 1 August 2021 at the London Hippodrome

-  Mamma Mia! at the Novello is booking from 25th August 2021

 -  Mary Poppins  at the Prince Edward Theatre is now booking from 22nd May-3rd October 2021 with tickets now on sale.

 -  Matilda The  Musical is booking from June 2021

-  Matthew Bourne's Nutcracker! 2020/2021 National tour and Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells   has been postponed until 2022.

-  Moulin Rouge the Musical has been postponed until late in 2021

-   Only Fools & Horses at the Haymarket is now booking from 1st October 2021

-  Phantom of the Opera has postponed its reopening until 21st July 2021 at Her Majesty's starring
Killian Donnelly in the title role with tickets now on sale.

 -  Pretty Woman the Musical returns to the West End this Summer in its new home the Savoy Theatre, with performances from 8 July 2021.

- Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's entire summer season will now run in 2021, including the Carousel revival. The  new 101 Dalmatians musical has been postponed until 2022.

-  Singin in the Rain' – The Sadler's Wells run  has been moved to July 2021, with tour dates now in 2022

-  Sister Act  Jamie Wilson and Whoopi Goldberg, the producers of Sister Act The Musical, have sadly come to the decision that it is impossible to open the show in London this summer and have postponed performances at the Eventim Apollo until 2022. The new dates for the production in London are 19 July  – 28 August 2022.This necessary change of date now means that Whoopi Goldberg will no longer be able to appear in the role of Deloris Van Cartier. 

Casting for the role of Deloris Van Cartier and all other roles for the London performances of Sister Act in 2022, together with casting for the new UK tour dates, will be made soon. 

-  Six the Musical is transferring into the Lyric and is now planning to reopen with social distancing from 17th May 2021.

-  Sunday in the Park with George starring  Jake Gyllenhaal and Annaleigh Ashford has  now confirmed it will not run  in the West End in 2021 with dates still  to be confirmed.
 
-  The Book of Mormon at the Prince of Wales Theatre is planninf to reopen on 12th July 2021.

-  The Drifters Girl new musical starring Beverley Knight has been postponed and will now run at the Garrick Theatre from 4th November 2021 to 26th March 2022.

-  The Lion King will return from Thur 29 Jul 2021 - April 2022 at the Lyceum

-  The Prince of Egypt  is currently booking  from 1st July 2021

-  Tina the Musical  is booking from 3rd June 2021 to 29th January 2022

-  Wicked! is booking from 3rd May until 27th November 2021.

 TOURING MUSICALS 

See at a glance which are the number 1 UK touring musicals with all their latest rescheduled dates.

- Ambassador Theatre Group announce pantos in Manchester, Bristol and Milton Keynes

-  Bat Out of Hell producers  currently rescheduling  tour dates to 2021/2

- Dirty Dancing is heading out on tour again in  2021 opening in the summer

-  Disney’s Beauty and the Beast new UK and Ireland tour is now due to  open in Bristol on 25th August.

-  A new UK & Ireland tour of Disney’s Bedknobs and Broomsticks is due to open at the Theatre Royal Newcastle from August 2021.

- Bring it On  the Lin Manuel Miranda musical will now play at the Southbank Centre’s Queen Elizabeth Hall in December, following eight performances at the New Theatre, Peterborough with more dates to come

- Chicago the Musical  has a new tour due to start next April with tickets now on sale

- Cilla The Musical starring Sheridan Smith has been cancelled

- Dreamgirls the musical tour scheduled for the beginning of 2021has been postponed with new dates to be arranged later in the year.

-  Everybody's Talking About Jamie tour dates have been rescheduled  for July 2021

 -  Footloose  tour  starring Gareth Gates and Darren Day will now begin in February 2022

-  Friends! The Musical Parody  has rescheduled some tour dates to 2021.

- Grease the Musical  starring Peter Andre has released rescheduled tour dates and now kicks off at end of July at Leicester

- Hairspray the Musical Tour - postponed until 2021.  New dates now on sale.

- Heathers the Musical - postponed until 2021.  New dates now on sale.

-  Les Miserables has some rescheduled 2021 tour dates on sale

- Mamma Mia! has announced new tour dates for 2022/23

- Matthew Bourne`s Nutcracker national tour and Christmas season at Sadler’s Wells  has been postponed until 2021/2022 with new dates now on sale.

- My Best Friends Wedding starring Alexandra Burke has added new tour dates

-  9 to 5 the Musical second tour of Dolly Parton's  hit musical  now begins in   June 2021 with new dates on sale and casting news to follow

- Priscilla Queen of the Desert is to restart touring in June 2021

-  Riverdance, the New 25th Anniversary Show will return to complete its tour of the UK. The show will visit 25 venues from 27th August 2021. All the 2020 tour dates have successfully been replaced and NEW SHOWS have been added

-  Rock of Ages has a new tour starting in July 2021 with tickets now on sale.

- School of Rock is to tour the UK from June

- Singin`in the Rain has announced rescheduled tour dates

- Six the Musical has rescheduled its tour dates and is now opening at Eastbourne Congress Theatre in March .

- Strictly Ballroom the new  tour of the Baz Luhrmann musical, starring Strictly Come Dancing's Kevin Clifton, has been postponed and will now open in Portsmouth at the end of September 2021.

 - Sunny Afternoon tour of the Kinks Musical has been postponed

- The Addams Family tour postponed until 2021

- The Book of Mormon tour  has rescheduled tour dates to 2021/2022.

- The Commitments tour of the Roddy Doyle Musical will now begin in late  2021

-  The Lion King tour has been postponed until March 2022

- The Osmonds - a New Musical Tour has announced an extensive UK tour which will open in 2022

- The Rocky Horror Show to tour again in May 2021 starring Ore Oduba as Brad

 - Thriller Live! the Michael Jackson musical has rescheduled some tour dates and added new ones to 2021

- Waitress Musical has  new dates on sale for the 2021 tour

- White Christmas has a new tour opening in October 2021 with dates now on sale

- We Will Rock You  has postponed its tour until 2022with more new dates added.

- Whitney – Queen of the Night  has rescheduled its West End date to December 2021


CONCERT TOURS

-  Collabro have rescheduled their Concert Tour 

 - David Essex has rescheduled his concert tour 

- Jane McDonald has rescheduled her Leave a Light On 

  - Ruthie Henshall has moved her In My Life Tour

- Michael Ball and Alfie Boe have announced their Together At Christmas 2021 Concert Tour 

- Gary Barlow has rescheduled his Music Played by Humans tour to November and December 2021

Monday Night at the Apollo announces new dates and more cast members

The  producers of Monday Night at the Apollo  have rescheduled its dates and also confirmed further cast members.

Hosted by Greg Barnett and featuring conversations and tunes, the series was originally set to commence this month with 10% of all ticket sales going to charity. It will now run at 7:00 pm on Monday 24 May, Monday 14 June and Monday 5 July while also being streamed for online viewers.
 

The distinguished line up of performers appearing in the shows include  Aimie Atkinson (Six, Pretty Woman), Declan Bennett (Jesus Christ Superstar, Once), Rosalie Craig (Company, City of Angels), Arthur Darvil (Once, Sweet Charity), Kerry Ellis (Wicked, Les Misérables), Hadley Fraser (Les Misérables, City of Angels), Cassidy Janson (& Juliet, Beautiful), Lucie Jones (Waitress, Rent), Renée Lamb (Six, Little Shop of Horrors), Cedric Neal (Chess, Mowtown the Musical), Jamie Muscato (Heathers, West Side Story), Julian Ovenden (Merrily We Roll Along, Showboat), and Layton Williams (Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Billy Elliot the Musical). The series has musical direction by George Dyer. The cast are subject to any availability issues, and any changes will be announced as they come. Line-ups for individual dates will come later this year.

Producers Greg Barnett and Hugh Summers said, We're so excited to be announcing revised dates and further cast for Monday Night At The Apollo. In light of the newly imposed national coronavirus restrictions, we feel it was the correct decision to postpone the original performances.

Buy tickets for Monday Night at the Apollo

Les Miserables new tour dates and casting news

The UK and Ireland tour of Les Misérables is to  recommence in November 2021 at Theatre Royal Glasgow before visiting Dublin, Salford, Hull, Bristol, Birmingham, Norwich, Canterbury, Leeds and Cardiff, with further dates to follow.

Casting news so far is that Dean Chisnall will play Jean Valjean, Nic Greenshields will play Javert and  Katie Hall will play Fantine, with further casting to be confirmed.

Sheridan Smith, Michael Ball, Elaine Paige , Lea Salonga , Layton Williams and Kerry Ellis among stars performing in MUSICALS: THE GREATEST SHOW

BBC Radio 2 and BBC One are offering  an incredible selection of music, programmes and documentaries over three days from Friday 29th January to Sunday 31st January, called   MUSICALS: THE GREATEST SHOW  hosted on radio and television by multi-award winning performer Sheridan Smith and featuring West End and international stars including Ramin Karimloo, Michael Ball and Lea Salonga,  performing songs from the musicals. With  further programming on BBC Four and BBC iPlayer.

With venues currently unable to open to the public, Musicals: The Greatest Show is a celebration of the nation's favourite songs and performers from the world of musical theatre. 

Beginning on 29th January and running over  the weekend, BBC Radio 2 Celebrates Musicals has lined up music, programmes and documentaries which will start at 5:00am on Friday with every song being played from the greatest stage and screen musicals up until 7:00 am plus  a national sing-a-long on Zoe Ball’s Breakfast Show. 

Musical stars will guest as hosts for Sounds of the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. On Sunday, musical theatre star Elaine Paige will reveal the  favourite song from a musical voted by the listeners, with more still  to come ...

Back on stage at the world famous London Palladium MUSICALS: THE GREATEST SHOW will be broadcast from 7:00 pm - 9pm on Sunday 31st January on BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds, and as a 75 minute show in February on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. It will be available on BBC iPlayer for a year after broadcast.

 Performers include:

    Amanda Holden & Sheridan Smith - I Know Him So Well (Chess)
    Nicole Scherzinger - Never Enough (The Greatest Showman)
    Josh Groban - The Impossible Dream (Man Of La Mancha)
    Elaine Paige - As If We Never Said Goodbye (Sunset Boulevard)
    Gavin Spokes - You’ll Be Back (Hamilton)
    Michael Ball -You Can’t Stop The Beat (Hairspray)
    Sheridan Smith - Don’t Rain On My Parade (Funny Girl)
    Ivano Turco - Only You, Lonely You (Andrew Lloyd  Webber’s Cinderella)
    SIX The Musical cast- SIX
    Ramin Karimloo -The Music Of The Night (The Phantom Of The Opera)
    MAMMA MIA! three London leads - Dancing Queen
    Aisha Jawando - Simply The Best (TINA, The Tina Turner Musical)
    Lea Salonga - I Dreamed A Dream (Les Misérables)
    Layton Williams - The Wall In My Head (Everybody's Talking About Jamie)
    Sam Tutty and members of the Dear Evan Hansen West End cast - You Will Be Found
    Nicole Raquel Dennis - And I Am Telling You (Dreamgirls)
    Kerry Ellis - Defying Gravity (Wicked)
    Christine Allado & Alexia Khadime - When You Believe (The Prince Of Egypt)
    Jac Yarrow with the public - Any Dream Will Do (Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat)

   

More casting with new opening date at Barbican and tour announced for Anything Goes

Further casting has been announced for the  West End revival of Anything Goes at the Barbican which will now preview from 5th June, with an opening night on the 17th  and running to 22nd  August. 

Following its London run It will also go on a very short tour to Dublin Bord Gais Energy Theatre (26 August -11 September) The Salford Lowry (15-25 September); the Southampton Mayflower (September 28 - October 2) and Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre (October 12-17 ) with tickets now on sale  and casting for the tour still to be revealed

Felicity Kendal  is making her musical theatre debut as Evangeline Harcourt with  Gary Wilmot as  Elisha Whitney who will join Megan Mullally (best known for playing Karen Walker in Will & Grace) will make her London musical theatre debut as Reno Sweeney with West End star Robert Lindsay  Mullally as Moonface Martin with more casting news to follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

West End Musical Christmas postponed and rescheduled to May

West End Musical Christmas Live at the Palace Theatre scheduled for  February has been  postponed due to Tier 4 restrictions and will now run for six performances from  6 - 9 May 2021 as West End Musical Celebration

 Eight West End stars  including Alice Fearn, Sophie Evans, Ben Forster, Shanay Holmes, Rachel John, Jamie Muscato, Trevor Dion Nicholas and Layton Williams will appear in "West End Musical Celebration" concerts at London's Palace Theatre . With special guests still to be revealed a portion of profits will also be donated to Acting for Others. (The Producers cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to availability) 

The line-up features the West End’s biggest stars including:

Alice Fearn - Beverly in ‘Come From Away’ and Elphaba in ‘Wicked’
Sophie Evans - Glinda in ‘Wicked’
Ben Forster - The Phantom in ‘The Phantom Of The Opera’, Jesus in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
Shanay Holmes - Rachel in ‘The Bodyguard’, Joanne in ‘Rent’, who was recently nominated for a Black British Theatre Award, and hosts the evening
Rachel John - Angelica Schuyler in ‘Hamilton’, Mimi in ‘Rent’
Jamie Muscato - Jason Dean in ‘Heathers’, Tony in ‘West Side Story’
Trevor Dion Nicholas - the Genie in ‘Aladdin’ and George Washington in ‘Hamilton’
Layton Williams - Jamie New in ‘Everybody’s Talking About Jamie’, Angel in ‘Rent’

Capacity at the Palace Theatre has been reduced to comply with COVID-19 Secure guidelines for social distancing plus robust risk mitigation. In addition to hand sanitation, face coverings and track and trace, other measures will include contactless tickets, temperature testing and the deep clean and sanitation of the theatre.

Buy tickets now for West End Musical Celebration

Sky Arts Freeview to feature Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet, Hamilton: One Show To Broadway, Billy Elliot: the Musical, The Wiz Live! and The Sound of Music Live! over next week

Sky Arts has revealed further programming on its Freeview channel for theatre fans.

On New Year's Day you can see Matthew Bourne's Romeo and Juliet at 12.20 pm, together with the documentary  Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles  a 09.55 am about  the iconic stage show. 

On January 2nd, Hamilton: One Show To Broadway behind-the-scenes will be available T 10:00 AM

On Sunday 3rd January Billy Elliot: the Musical is on  30th December  at 9:00 pm and again at on 3rd January at  12.15am, plus The Wiz Live! will be shown today at 9:00 pm and repeated on the 3rd at 11:00am, while the National Theatre's Jane Eyre will be available at 9.00 pm on that day.

Jesus Christ Superstar will be shown AT 10.00 PM on 4th January, while on the 5th The Sound of Music Live! is repeated. at 9.00 pm

News on planned reopening dates for Mary Poppins, Les Miserables, Phantom and The Book of Mormon

News of  West End Musicals planned 2021 opening dates:.

Mary Poppins has performances planned to start on 22nd May 2021 Tickets go on sale 20th December.

Les Misérables is planned to re-open at the Sondheim Theatre on Saturday 29th May once the Government has withdrawn social distancing and reached Stage 5 allowing full capacity audiences.

Previews of The Phantom of the Opera with Killian Donnelly in the title role are planned for 5th June , subject to social distancing measures being lifted. LW Theatres have already carried out extensive building work inside Her Majesty’s Theatre during the shutdown.

The West End production of The Book of Mormon is planning to reopen on 12th July 2021

Release date and featured performers on original cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella

The original cast recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella release date has been revealed as 16th April 2021

Listed as featured performers on the  recording are Sarah Brightman (The Phantom of the Opera), Helen George (Call The Midwife), Laura Baldwin (Waitress), Georgina Castle (9 to 5 the Musical), Sam Robinson (We Will Rock You), Gloria Onitiri (Hadestown), Adam Lambert (Queen + Adam Lambert) and Todrick Hall (Kinky Boots).They join the previously announced Carrie Hope Fletcher, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Ivano Turco.

The world premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new musical adaptation of Cinderella with a contemporary twist is  due begin performances at London's Gillian Lynne Theatre on Wednesday 7th April 2021, with previews from 19th March 2021

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change musical with all star cast streamed production announced

A new digital production of Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts' hit off-Broadway show I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change will be streamed from 28th-30th January 2021

It will star Trevor Dion Nicholas (Hamilton, Aladdin), Brenda Edwards (The X Factor, We Will Rock You), Alice Fearn (Wicked, Come From Away) and Oliver Tompsett (Kinky Boots, & Juliet)

The production has orchestrations by Doug Katsaros, direction by Kirk Jameson and musical direction by Nick Barstow.

The clever and witty musical revue is about the pitfalls and joys of romantic relationships played over 5,000 performances off-Broadway and has been produced all over the world but this virtual production is the first of its kind. Following the highs and lows of first dates, first loves, marriages, babies, in-laws, and growing old together, this hilarious and poignant show pays tribute to those who have loved and lost and to those who have dared to ask someone out on a date.

 The recommended age range is 16 plus, with some scenes of sexual nature and some strong language.

Tickets are on sale now via the London Coliseum website.

KINKY BOOTS MUSICAL TO BE STREAMED ONLINE FOR FREE this weekend

Kinky Boots The Musical, filmed live at the Adelphi Theatre, will be streamed online as part of The Shows Must Go On! YouTube channel for free from this Friday at 7:00 pm GMT for 48 hours. 

 
Starring Matt Henry as Lola and Killian Donnelly as Charlie Price. With songs from Grammy and Tony award winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, book by legendary Broadway playwright Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), and direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Legally Blonde, Hairspray), the musical is based on the film written by Geoff Deane and Tim Firth.

 

Charlie is a factory owner struggling to save his family business. Lola is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, this unexpected pair learns to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen.

Click here for the link to watch Kinky Boots