Just announced: details of McFly's Tom Fletcher new Musical The Christmasaurus

At a special preview earlier today McFly musician, performer and writer Tom Fletcher announced that his musical based on his first bestselling children's novel The Christmasaurus is coming to London's Eventim Apollo from 21st-28th December.

The musical is based on Fletcher's 2016 novel of the same name, which was nominated for the Children's Book of the Year and follows the life of young boy's  adventures across the North Pole.

The Christmasaurus takes place  on Christmas Eve and is  a story about the magical adventures of a boy named William Trundle and a most unusual dinosaur called the Christmasaurus. There are sleigh bells and singing elves, Santa Claus and flying reindeer, music and magic.  It’s a tale about adventure, family, friendship and discovering that the impossible might just be possible…

Directed by Derek Bond and adapted for the stage by Miranda Larson. the show will  feature music, animation, magic with Tom Fletcher being joined on stage by Carrie Hope Fletcher, Matt Willis, Harry Judd and Giovanna Fletcher. It will  feature sleigh bells, dancing elves and a special appearance from Saint Nick - the biggest star in the world; Santa Claus, accompanied by his singing and dancing Elves and of course, The Christmasaurus! Tom has written new original songs for 'The Christmasaurus Live' which makes him the first ever bestselling author to bring their book to life through music.

On Tuesday December 13th, there will be an exclusive musical preview of 'The Christmasaurus Live' on this year's Royal Variety Performance.

Judd and Tom Fletcher are both members of the band McFly, while Willis performed in Busted. The trio combined to form a supergroup, McBusted, which toured the UK from 2013 to 2015. Willis' further stage credits include Wicked, Flashdance and Footloose. Carrie Hope Fletcher's previous stage credits include Les Miserables and The Addams Family, which is about to conclude a UK tour, while Giovanna Fletcher made her concert debut in a one-off performance of Alan Menken's A Christmas Carol at the Lyceum Theatre last year, also starring Carrie Hope Fletcher.

Fletcher has also announced that The Christmasaurus will be adapted into an animated feature film, directed by Michael Gracey (who makes his directorial debut with The Greatest Showman on Earth which opens this Christmas and stars Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron).

Buy tickets for The Christmasaurus

Peter Pan, As You Like It and Little Shop of Horrors to be presented at Regents Park Open Air Theatre next year

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre has just announced its 2018 season which will feature the  return Peter Pan, a musical version of As You Like It and a new production of Little Shop of Horrors.

The 2018 season will mark the London return of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's musical, Little Shop of Horrors from 3rd  August to 15th September. Maria Aberg (Dr Faustus, RSC, Fantastic Mr Fox) will make her Open Air Theatre directorial debut, with design by Tom Scutt, musical supervision by Tom Deering and lighting design by Howard Hudson. The film version, directed by Roger Corman, went on to receive two Academy Award nominations when it premiered in 1986. The show features classic songs including "Suddenly, Seymour", "Skid Row (Downtown)", and "Dentist!".

The new season will open with JM Barrie's Peter Pan (17th  May-1th5 June). Directed by Timothy Sheader and Liam Steel. The production is a revival of the 2015 Olivier Award-nominated run to mark the final year of First World War Centenary Commemorations.

Max Webster will  direct a reimagining of William Shakespeare's As You Like It (6th- 28th July), with original music by former Noah and the Whale frontman, Charlie Fink (The Lorax). Webster directed Twelfth Night at the same venue in 2014, where the classic was reimagined for those aged six years and over.

Priority Booking for 2018 opens 11:00 am on 8th November ; Public Booking opens 11:00am on  6th  December.

Full cast announced for The Grinning Man

Full casting has been announced for the West End production of The Grinning Man which  runs at Trafalgar Studios from 18th  December to 17th February with previews from 6th December.

Sanne den Besten (Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!) joins the cast as Dea, best friend of lead protagonist Grinpayne. She is joined by  Mark Anderson (The Toxic Avenger), Julie Atherton (Avenue Q), Jim Kitson (Much Ado About Nothing), Sophia Mackay (The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin) and Amanda Wilkin (Hamlet). Completing the company are James Alexander-Taylor, Christina Bloom, Jonathan Cobb, Leo Elso, Claire-Marie Hall, and Loren O'Dair.
 

The new members join four principal returning cast members: Louis Maskell (My Fair Lady, West Side Story) leads the cast as Grinpayne (the show's hero): Julian Bleach (St George in the Dragon, Shockheaded Peter, The Tempest):  Sean Kingsley (Les Misérables, Billy Elliot) and Ewan Black (Sleeping Beauty, The Merchant of Venice) .

Directed by Tom Morris (War Horse), artistic director at Bristol Old Vic, the new musical is based on the novel The Man Who Laughs by Victor Hugo, and is about a new act at the Stokes Croft fair - a hideously beautiful man. The show opened at Bristol Old Vic in December 2016, picking up a nomination for Best Regional Production at the WhatsOnStage Awards.


Tickets for The Grinning Man

Casting announced for UK premiere of Rothschild & Sons musical

Casting has just been announced  for Jerry Bock, Sherman Yellen and Sheldon Harnick's musical Rothschild & Sons runs  at the Park Theatre from 29th January to 17th February, with previews from 24th  January.

Reprising the roles they created in New York is Tony Award-nominee Robert Cuccioli as Mayer and Glory Crampton as Gutele. They are joined by Gary Trainor - most recently  Dewey Finn in School of Rock - as Natan Rothschild. The cast also features David Delve, Richard Dempsey, Tom Giles, Tom Lloyd, Kris-Marc Joseph, Joanna Strand, Tony Timberlake and Stephen Webb.

Inspired by the book The Rothschilds by Frederic Morton, The musical is  directed by Jeffrey B Moss aND  tells the story of Mayer Rothschild and family and their rise from Jewish ghetto to the heights of European prominence. tHE musical premiered on Broadway in 1970 and ran for 505 performances. It was revived by Lonny Price in 1990. This reimagined version includes several songs never heard before.

Cuccioli makes his London theatre debut and is best known for his performance in Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway, for which he received a Tony nomination. His other Broadway credits include Les Miserables and Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark.

Crampton's Broadway roles include Christine in Phantom of the Opera, The Fantasticks, Hello Dolly and Guys and Dolls. Alongside School of Rock, Trainor's work includes Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, I Can't Sing and The Shawshank Redemption.
 

The production will have musical direction by Ben van Tienan (Funny Girl, UK tour) and choreography by Denis Jones (Mary Poppins, Paper Mill Playhouse).

Tickets for Rothschild & Sons

Sheridan Smith to tour next year

Star of West End smash hits including Legally Blonde and Funny Girl, Sheridan Smith has announced a UK concert  tour for 2018 that will see her visit cities including:

10th April    Gateshead, The Sage   

13th April    Liverpool, Philharmonic Hall
16th April    Manchester, Bridgewater Hall    

17th April    Blackpool, Opera House
19th April    Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall  
22nd April   Norwich Theatre Royal

24th April    London, Royal Albert Hall  

26th April    Edinburgh, The Playhouse

29th April   Cardiff, Wales Millennium Centre

Tickets for the tour go on sale at 09:00  next Friday 3rd November .She will be performing some of her favourite songs, as well as tracks from the new record. There is also a special programme about her life and career to be aired on ITV at 9:00 pm on 5th November.

Pre-order the album here and you will receive an email and a unique code to access the presale, which opens on Wednesday 1 November at 09:00.

Sheridan, who won Oliver Awards for her roles in hit musical Legally Blonde and the 2012 production of Terence Rattigan’s Flare Path, has also previously won a BAFTA TV award for her role in Mrs Biggs (playing Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs’ wife), and a National Television Award for playing ‘60s pop icon Cilla Black in the acclaimed TV dramatisation about the singer’s life.

Sheridan was last seen in the West End in Funny Girl, playing the iconic role of Fanny Brice, a role which brought global fame to the legendary Barbra Streisand 50 years earlier and boasts some of the most famous solo numbers in musical theatre history, such as People and Don’t Rain on My Parade.

ENO to present Chess the Musical next April

Baz Bamigboye has reported in the Daily Mail this morning that Chess the Musical , by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus presented by the English National Opera is due to run at the Coliseum for the first time in 30 years for five weeks only from 1st  May until 2nd June 2018. Tickets go on sale from 3rd November at 10:00 am with previews scheduled to begin on April 26th .

This new West End production, featuring English National Opera’s award-winning Orchestra and Chorus, will be directed by Laurence Connor, whose recent credits include School of Rock and Miss Saigon on Broadway and in the West End, Les Misérables on Broadway, and the international Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour. Choreography is by Stephen Mear. This is the fourth production in collaboration with ENO by Michael Linnit and Michael Grade.

The production will  feature a 48 piece orchestra with casting currently underway. It is not yet known  whether this concert is related to a potential Broadway revival of the show.

Chess tells the story of  a romantic triangle between two players in a world chess championship, and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. Although the protagonists were not intended to represent any specific individuals, the characters personalities are loosely based on those of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer and the oddity of the Merano championship in the musical is based on the similar oddities which occurred during the 1978 World Championship between Korchnoi and Anatoly Karpov. The musical contains some powerful classic numbers including I Know Him So Well, One Night In Bangkok, Anthem and Heaven Help My Heart.

The show opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End in 1986 where it played for three years. A much-altered US version premiered on Broadway in 1988, but ran for only two months. It last toured he UK in 2010/2011 when it was directed by Craig Revel Horwood.

Buy tickets for Chess the Musical

Kinky Boots set to tour next Autumn

Tony and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical, Kinky Boots, is to go  on a UK  tour appropriately starting in  Northampton from September 2018. Casting and additional dates and venues have are yet to be confirmed.

According to Baz in today's Mail the London production of Kinky Boots will continue.  It is currently booking until 8th September 2018 

With a book by four-time Tony® Award-winner Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), and songs by Grammy® and Tony® winning pop icon Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots has won three Olivier Awards for Best New Musical, Best Costume Design and Best Actor in a Musical as well as  the London Evening Standard BBC Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical.

Inspired by true events, the musical moves from a gentlemen's shoe factory in Northampton to the glamorous catwalks of Milan. With the factory's future hanging in the balance, Charlie Price is struggling to live up to his father's expectations and continue the family business. Help arrives in the unlikely form of Lola, a  performer in need of some sturdy new stilettos.

Ashleigh Gray, Oliver Tompsett, Evelyn Hoskins & Sue Kelvin complete cast for Musicals Unsung Concert

The producers of ‘Rachel Tucker: Live at Zedel’ and the hit concert series ‘West End Switched Off’ have announced a  new concert -  Musicals Unsung - which brings you songs that have not made it to the final cut from the  golden age of Hollywood  to the latest  Broadway shows 

The concert is on 1st November at 9:15pm at The Crazy Coqs, and the full line-up of West End talent  includes Oliver Tompsett (We Will Rock You, Rock of Ages, Wicked), Ashleigh Gray (Wicked, Cool Rider), Evelyn Hoskins (Carrie, The Sound of Music Live, Spring Awakening) and Sue Kelvin (Wicked, Barmitzvah Boy). Musical Direction is by Kris Rawlinson

The concert will feature songs that have been cut from films and shows including Frozen, Wicked, The Little Mermaid, The Last Five Years, Carrie, and Little Shop of Horrors

Tickets for Musicals Unsung

New School of Rock Cast Announced

A new London  cast for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical School of Rock  started rehearsals today. It includes alternate Stephen Leask (pictured) who will now lead the cast in the the role of Dewey Finn from 15th November.

Alan Pearson will play Ned Schneebly, with current ensemble member Michelle Francis playing Patty Di Marco, Craig Gallivan will play the alternate Dewey Finn and Florence Andrews will continue as the school’s principal Rosalie Mullins.

Stephen Leask’s previous theatre credits include One Man, Two Guvnors at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, Troilus and Cressida for the Royal Shakespeare Company and Potted Panto at the Vaudeville Theatre.

The cast also features ensemble members Nick Butcher, Cassandra McCowan, Jessica Louise Parkinson, Andy Rees, Cameron Sharp, Jake Sharp, James Smoker, Wendy Somerville, Andrew Spillett, Hannah Stratton and Alex Tomkins with swings, Paul Kemble, Laura Medforth, Billy Mitchell, Tasha Sheridan and Joshua St. Clair.

New Dusty musical tour dates announced

The first dates and venues have been announced for the upcoming tour of Dusty, new musical about Dusty Springfield, starring Katherine Kingsley

Directed by Maria Friedman, the show is based on the authorised biography of the singer. Dusty  will open at the Theatre Royal Bath next June  before touring the UK.

Londoner Springfield began her career in the 1950s and became one of the world's most loved singers.The script has been written by Jonathan Harvey, and will feature classic songs including "I Only Want to Be With You", "Son of a Preacher Man" and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me".

The original book about Dusty Springfield originates from notes and memoirs of the late singer's close friend and manager Vicki Wickham as well as conversations with her lifelong personal assistant Pat Rhodes and her record company executive Tris Penna.

Katherine Kingsley's previous theatre credits include Marlene Dietrich in Piaf (Donmar), Christine Colgate in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (Savoy Theatre London, Manchester Opera House and Aylesbury Waterside Theatre), Helena in Michael Grandage Company's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (Noël Coward Theatre), Lina Lamont in Singin' In The Rain (Palace Theatre London and Chichester Festival Theatre) and The 39 Steps (Criterion Theatre). On screen credits include the film Genius as well as appearances on The Bill, Casualty and Bad Education.

 More tour dates and casting news to follow.

Meera Syal is new Miss Hannigan in Annie at Piccadilly Theatre

British comedian, writer, playwright, singer, journalist, producer and actress  Meera Syal will be taking over the role of Miss Hannigan from Craig Revel Horwood in the West End production of Annie the Musical  

She rose to prominence as one of the team that created Goodness Gracious Me and became one of the UK's best-known Indian personalities portraying Sanjeev's grandmother, Ummi, in The Kumars at No. 42. 

She is also well known for her roles in Doctor Strange and Doctor Who and was last seen in the West End in Romeo and Juliet (2016). Syal joins the cast from November 27th  to February 18th when the production is due to end its run .

Time announced when Sheridan Smith starring in David Walliams' Ratburger on Sky One

Updated 6th December:  It has just been announced that Sky One’s David Walliams adaptation Ratburger will premiere on Christmas Eve (Sunday December 24th) at 6:00 pm.

Sheridan Smith is to star alongside David Walliams on Sky One over the Christmas season  in an adaptation of Ratburger which is one of his stories.

The  Little Britain comedian will star as Burt - a burger van owner who covets  Zoe's new friend - a dancing rat. Sheridan Smith plays Zoe's stepmother, who hates her. 

Here Sheridan is pictured wearing  a fat suit with Walliams. As you can eee from the image, the  pair resemble Roald Dahl's The Twits or Harry Enfield characters Wayne and Waynetta Slob . 

Directed by  Mark Lipsey, Ratbuger also stars Talia Barnett as Zoe, Mark Benton, Nigel Planer and Charlotte Marsh. It is a comedy drama about  a young  girl who makes friend with a rat. She has a stepmother that despises her, a dad who's never around and who suffers at the hands of Tina Trotts, the school bully. Her only chum is Harry, until she discovers a baby rat in her bedroom. She calls him Armitage and they quickly become firm friends.

She soon discovers he's no ordinary rat - he  can dance - and sets out to show off her rodent pal's skill at the school talent show but her stepmother and shifty burger man Burt have other ideas, which include throwing Armitage into the mincer and putting rat burgers on the menu.


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Dreamgirls cast changes just announced

Amber Riley will make her last performance as Effie  in Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre on 18th November, with new Effies Marisha Wallace, Moya Angela, and Karen Mav alternating the role from 20th November. Angela played the role during its North American revival tour. Wallace joined the show earlier this year, while Mav made her professional debut as the character in London last year.

Other cast changes from 20th November  include  Tosh Wanogho-Maud (currently first cover Jimmy) playing James Thunder Early and Brennyn Lark as Deena Jones. Asmeret Ghebremichael will continue to play Lorrell Robinson, with Joe Aaron Reid continuing in the role of Curtis Taylor Jr. Joining them will be Durone Stokes as C.C. White, Delroy Brown as Marty and Kimmy Edwards as Michelle Morris.

The new cast of Dreamgirls will also include Michael Afemaré, Callum Aylott, Georgia Bradshaw, Jabari Braham, Ashford Campbell, Sanchia Amber Clarke, Nicole Raquel Dennis, Nicole Deon, Rhiane Drummond, Ashlee Irish, Emma Louise Jones, Ashley Luke Lloyd, Samira Mighty, Jayde Nelson, Aston New, Sean Parkins, Kirk Patterson, Rohan Pinnock-Hamilton, Ryan Reid, Rohan Richards and Joshua Robinson.

The show has also extended its booking period  to June 2nd 2018.

Lead announced for Tina Turner musical

At a press conference pop legend Tina Turner has just announced that Adrienne Warren will be portraying her in Tina the Musical which starts  previews at the Aldwych Theatre next March.  

Warren's previous credits include Shuffle Along at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway, for which she received a Tony nomination. Her other US theatre credits include Bring it On the Musical at St James Theatre, Dreamgirls at the Apollo Theatre, which was followed by a National Tour, and The Wiz at Encores City Centre.

Warren said “Growing up watching Tina, I knew how to shake my hips before I could tie my shoes! I am so grateful to our creative team and producers for entrusting me with this responsibility. I say responsibility, because I am a Tina Turner fan first. I am elated, honoured and humbled. Meeting and working with Tina is and will always be one of the great moments of my life. Can’t wait to see you in London!”

Tina Turner, speaking at the show's launch event, said “It has been my joy to introduce Adrienne today. From the moment I met her at our last workshop I saw her exceptional talent. Playing this role will require immense physical and emotional commitment, and bravery too. We are thrilled to have found Adrienne, and I very much look forward to spending more time together and developing a special friendship I know will grow even stronger as we prepare the production for the Aldwych Theatre. We can’t wait to welcome her to the show.”

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Matilda tour cast announced

The adult cast for the UK and Ireland tour of Matilda has just been announced. 

Tim Minchin and Dennis Kelly's award-winning show will begin at Leicester Curve on 5th  March 2018 with  Craige Els in the role of Miss Trunchbull (a part he played in the West End for three years) Carly Thoms as Miss Honey, Sebastien Torkia as Mr Wormwood and Rebecca Thornhill as Mrs Wormwood.

The rest of the adult cast are Joe Atkinson, Peter Bindloss, Oliver Bingham, Emily Bull, Matthew Caputo, Samara Casteallo, Matt Gillett, Michelle Chantelle Hopewell, Sam Lathwood, Steffan Lloyd-Evans, Charlie Martin, Anu Ogunmefun, Taylor Walker, Adam Vaughan and Dawn Williams.

Craige Els (Miss Trunchbull) has previously appeared on stage in Timon of Athens, Antigone and The Cherry Orchard(National Theatre) and on screen in Ripper Street, The Bletchley Circle and Call The Midwife. Further theatre credits include Victoria Wood's That Day We Sang (Royal Exchange, Manchester), Mamma Mia! (Novello), Oklahoma!(Chichester Festival Theatre), The New Yorkers (Sadler's Wells), Never Forget (West End and tour) and Spamalot (West End). Craige has also appeared on the big screen in films such as The Imitation Game, Joe Wright's Anna Karenina and Simon Connelly's Hamlet.

Carly Thoms (Miss Honey) most recently starred as Natella/Ludvica in The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Greenwich Theatre). Other stage roles include LV in The Rise and Fall of Little Voice (The Union Theatre), Miss Dorothy in Thoroughly Modern Millie (Adelphi), the title role in Cinderella (Hackney Empire and De Montfort Hall), Lucy in Ushers (The Charing Cross Theatre) and Liesl in The Sound of Music UK Tour.

Rebecca Thornhill (Mrs Wormwood) is an Olivier Award-nominated actress with an illustrious musical theatre background. Rebecca's previous stage credits include lead roles in From Here To Eternity (Shaftesbury), Mary Poppins(Prince Edward and USA tour), Chicago (Adelphi), Ragtime (Piccadilly), Witches of Eastwick (Prince of Wales and UK tour), South Pacific (UK tour), Beauty and the Beast (Dominion) and Les Misérables (Palace and Denmark). In addition to her credits in the West End, Rebecca has appeared at the National Theatre in Singin' in the Rain (for which she was nominated for an Olivier Award) and played Gertie in Trevor Nunn's production of Oklahoma! opposite Hugh Jackman and Maureen Lipman.

Sebastien Torkia (Mr Wormwood) has a wide range of theatre credits which include the original West End casts of La Cage Aux Folles, Guys and Dolls, Saturday Night Fever, Martin Guerre and Grease. Other roles include Sweeney Todd(West Yorkshire Playhouse and Royal Exchange, Manchester), Ed in The Lion King (Lyceum), A Streetcar Named Desire(Bolton Octogan),
Women Beware Women (National Theatre), Eddie Ryan in Funny Girl (Chichester Festival Theatre), Greg Gardner in A Chorus Line (Sheffield Crucible), Maugrim/Giant Rumblebuffin in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Steve in Singin' in the Rain (national tour), and Rodgers and Hammerstein'sCinderella in Japan.

The child cast is still to be announced
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Cast announced for The Wizard of Oz at Sheffield Theatres

Sheffield  Crucible Theatre has just announced full casting details for their  Christmas production of The Wizard Of Oz which starts previews on 7th  December ahead of an opening night on 13th  December running until the  already extended  20th  January 2018 in response to popular demand.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie star Gabrielle Brooks will return to Sheffield  to take on the central role of Dorothy. She will be joined by: Catrin Aaron (Little Voice, Cat On a Hot Tin Roof at Theatr Clywd) as Miss Gulch/Wicked Witch; Jonathan Broadbent (The Tempest, RSC; Hamlet, Rose Theatre) as Zeke/Lion; Ryan Ellsworth (Henry V, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre; Antigone, The Old Vic) as Professor Marvel/The Wizard Of Oz; Andrew Langtree ( Groundhog Day, The Old Vic; Treasure Island, Birmingham Rep) as Hunk/Scarecrow; Michael Matus (The Phantom of the Opera, Her Majesty’s Theatre; King Lear, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Uncle Henry/Oz Doorkeeper; Sophia Nomvete (Wind in The Willows, Noises Off  UK tours) as Aunt Em/Glinda; and Max Parker (Matilda, Cambridge Theatre; Guys and Dolls, Savoy Theatre and Phoenix Theatre) as Hickory/Tin Man.

Completing the ensemble will be Simon Anthony, Piers Bates, Myles Brown, Collette Coleman, Claire Doyle, Glen Facey, Samantha Hull, Blythe Jandoo, Fergal Mcgoff, Jo Lucy Rackham, Michael James Stewart, Charley Vincent, Rhiannon Wallace and Charlotte-Kate Warren.

 

Buy tickets for the Wizard of Oz 

Stomp to close in January

Stomp has been in the West End since 2002, and was booking until April of next year, but it has just been announced that  the production will now close at the Ambassadors Theatre on 7th January 2018 ending its 15 year run.

The show opened at the Vaudeville Theatre in 2002 and went on to transfer to the Ambassadors in 2007.  Stomp celebrated its 15th birthday last month.

Creators of Stomp Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas say this is not the end of Stomp in London: "We want to emphasise that we don't consider this the end of Stomp here; we actually feel it's going to be good for the show to take a break, reconfigure, reinvent and return at some point in the future in a different London venue, where we can present the show in a way that is more in keeping with its original ethos."

In 2018, the show will continue to tour throughout the globe, with dates already confirmed for Paris, Beirut, Prague, Lisbon and Milan, as well as a Dutch tour, a German tour, an Indian tour, an Italian tour, an Australian and New Zealand tour and a French tour. 

You can currently save up to £26 on ticket prices on this multi-award winning show where rhythm, theatre, comedy and dance come together with  eight performers using everything from plastic bags,  dustbin lids and even the kithen sink to hammer out an incredible beat.

Madagascar Musical to tour the UK next year

Madagascar the Musical (based on the animated Dreamworks classic) is to tour the UK from next July starting at Wimbledon Theatre.

The new  show will add new musical numbers to the existing story.With a book by Kevin Del Aguila and original music and lyrics by George Noriega and Joe Someillan, the show is directed by Kirk Jameson. It  revolves around a group of animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, and Gloria the Hippo at a central New York zoo. Dissatisfied with their lives in the city, they are then shipped unexpectedly to Madagascar.

The current list of tour dates with booking links can be found here

More dates for the tour and casting will be announced in due course.

Michael Xavier, Rachel Tucker to make guest appearances at Barricade Boys Christmas Cabaret

Updated 13th November: Just announced - Each night the Barricade Boys  will be joined on stage by a West End star as follows:

• Tuesday 5 December: Gary Trainor
• Wednesday 6: Oliver Saville
• Thursday 7 December: Michael Xavier
• Friday 8 December: Nadim Naaman
• Saturday 9 December (matinee): Rachel Tucker
• Saturday 9 December (evening): Simon Bailey
• Monday 11 December: Liam Tamne
• Tuesday 12 December: Jon Robyns
• Wednesday 13 December: Caroline Sheen
• Thursday 14 December (matinee): Killian Donnelly
• Thursday 14 December (evening): Sabrina Aloueche
• Friday 15 December: Emily Tierney
• Saturday 16 December (matinee): Shona White
• Saturday 16 December (evening): Sophie Louise Dann
• Monday 18 December: David Shannon
• Tuesday 19 December: Luke Kempner
• Wednesday 20 December: special TV and film star guest to be announced
• Thursday 21 December (matinee): Laura Pitt-Pulford
• Thursday 21 December (evening): David Thaxton
• Friday 22 December: Jacinta Whyte

Stars of Les Misérables, THE BARRICADE BOYS - Scott Garnham, Simon Schofield, Kieran Brown & Craig Mather - are holding Christmas party featuring classics such as ‘White Christmas’, ‘Santa Claus Is Coming To Town’, ‘Winter Wonderland’, ‘Rockin Around The Christmas Tree’ and many more... with a three-week season, THE BARRICADE BOYS CHRISTMAS CABARET at The Other Palace from Tuesday 5th - Saturday 23rd December. Press night is Thursday 7 December at 8.00pm.

 The Barricade Boys are also embarking on a short UK tour in March.

THE BARRICADE BOYS have played nearly every major role in musical theatre from ‘The Phantom of The Opera’, ’Wicked’ and ‘Billy Elliot’ to ‘Jersey Boys’, ‘The Sound Of Music’ and  ‘Les Misérables’. Produced by Sisco Entertainment Ltd with Musical Supervisor James Doughty. Musical Director Noam Galperin.

Buy tickets for The Barricade Boys Christmas Cabaret

Hayley Tamaddon to star in new tour of Thoroughly Modern Millie

Hayley Tamaddon is to play  the lead role in the new tour of  Thoroughly Modern Millie, which starts at Richmond Theatre on 27th March next year.

Tamaddon is best known for her roles in Emmerdale, Coronation Street and for winning the fifth series of Dancing on Ice. Her theatre credits include Roxie Hart in Chicago, The Lady of the Lake in Spamalot, Janet in The Rocky Horror Show, A Chorus Line (Sheffield Theatres) and Mamma Mia (West End). More  casting and tour dates to be announced.

Based in 1920s New York, the musical  tells the tale of a Kansas girl determined to make it in the Big Apple.

Thoroughly Modern Millie won six Tony Awards and is based on the 1967 Academy Award-winning film. The show will be  directed and choreographed  by Racky Plews with musical direction from Rob Wicks.

Casting announced for Jersey Boys Tour

Casting has just been announced for the Tour of the Jersey Boys which kicks off in Birmingham on 16th December.

Michael Watson will be playing Frankie Valli, Simon Bailey will be Tommy De Vito, Declan Egan will be Bob Gaudio and Lewis Griffiths will be Nick Massi. Michael, Simon, Declan and Lewis have all previously performed their roles in JERSEY BOYS to great acclaim: Michael and Simon in the West End, Declan in the West End and Australia, and Lewis in the first UK and Ireland tour. Dayle Hodge will return to the production to play Frankie Valli at certain performances.

The cast also includes Joel Elferink as Bob Crewe, James Alexander Gibbs as Joey, Mark Heenehan as Gyp DeCarlo, Karl James-Wilson as Norm Waxman, Arnold Mabhena as Barry Belson, Phoebe May Newman as Francine, Olive Robinson as Lorraine, James Winter as Hank Majewski and Tara Young as Mary Delgado. Completing the cast will be Peter Nash, Dan O’Brien, Stephen O’Riain and Amy Thiroff.

Casting announced for concert staging of the Railway Children

There will be a  a one-off concert staging of musical adaptation of The Railway Children at the at Cadogan Hall at 18:30 on Sunfay 21st January.

Alex Parker and Katie Lam's adaptation follows the duo's staging of Smiles of a Summer Night and South Pacific at Cadogan Hall. The Railway Children a Musical is adapted from E Nesbit's classic children's book about Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis as they move to the countryside with their mother following the disappearance of their father.
 

Starring  Rebecca Trehearn as Bobbie with Paul Baker as Mr Perks, Rob Houchen as Peter and James Bolam as the Old Gentleman. The rest of the cast includes Deborah Crowe (Mother), Emma Harrold (Phyllis), David Birrell (Father), Maggie Service (Mrs Perks), Jonathan Dudley (Jim/Mr Szezcpansky) and Jack McCann (Mr Connolly).

The new musical adaptation will be performed by 24 members of the Alex Parker Orchestra and directed by Jordan Murphy.


Tickets for The Railway Children 

Casting for Imagine This at the Union Theatre

Casting has been announced for the Union Theatre’s production of the musical Imagine This  which returns to London later this month, almost 10 years  after its first performance in the West End.  With music by Israeli-American composer Levy and American theatre and film lyricist Goldsmith, the musical debuted at Plymouth Theatre Royal in 2007 ahead of a West End run at the New London Theatre in 2008. The production  will be directed by Harry Blumenau and play the Union Theatre from 25 October-18 November with an opening night on 27 October.

The full cast includes  Nick Wyschna as Daniel Warshowsky (Eleazar); Lauren James Ray as Rebecca Warshowsky (Tamar); Daniel Noah as Leon (David); Abbey Addams as Sarah (Naomi); Gareth Davies as Adolph Warshowsky (Caesar); Shaun McCourt as Adam (Silva); Rob Hadden as Otto (Rufus); Rebecca Ferrin as Lola (Salome); Richard Dawes as Jan (Aaron); Robert Wilkes as Izzy (Pompey); Conor Anderson as Jacob/S.S. Officer; Jonny Muir as Captain Blick; Lily de-la-Haye as Hannah Warshowsky; Laurel Dougall as Esther; Albert Linsdell as SS Officer/Roman Soldier and Andrew Cannon as SS  Officer/Roman Soldier.

Set in Poland in 1942, the musical follows the fortunes of a group of actors as they stage a play in the Warsaw ghetto to inspire hope within a community overshadowed by the horror of Hitler’s Germany. But  with rumours of a Final Solution in the air, their play merges with the reality they are trying to escape and a dramatic love story unfolds. It  is a story about ordinary people facing impossible choices and making heroic decisions.

The Union’s Sasha Regan will produce with choreography by Kevan Allen,  musical direction by Alex Williams, musical supervision by Lee Freeman and design by Justin Williams.

Buy tickets for Imagine This

Groundhog Day returning to London?

GROUNDHOG DAY is currently being revised with hopes for a return to the West End according to the Daily Mail.  Director Matthew Warchus and other executives connected to the production said they would do more work on the show adding some new songs from Tim Minchin, and re-writing Danny Rubin’s book.

 

No date or theatre has been announced for the London transfer. An 18-month National US Tour has been scheduled for  next year.

The production when opened at the Old Vic last year and played a sold-out run, but the Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical  did not fare so well in New York  playing  just 176 performances and closing in  September  2017.

Groundhog Day tells the story of Phil Connors (played Andy Karl), who is a disgruntled big-city weatherman mysteriously stuck in small-town America reliving the same day over and over and over again. But when he gets to know associate TV producer Rita, he discovers that a day of second, third and fourth chances just might bring him the promise of a lifetime. It's a classic boy meets girl... boy meets girl... boy meets girl story.

The King and I starring Kelli O'Hara and Ken Watanabe heading for Palladium next June

According to the  Daily Mail, the  Lincoln Center Theater's production of THE KING AND I starring  Kelli O'Hara  as Anna Leonowens and  Ken Watanabe as the King of Siam is heading to the  London Palladium next June for a limited 14-15 week run.

Producer Howard Panter has also announced that following the run in the UK he intends to take the show to Japan, Korea, Australia, and more  It is currently on tour in the US
 

The  Lincoln Center Theater's Tony-winning production  played its final performance on Broadway on June 26th, 2016. Their  production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's The King and I has a cast of more than 50, with choreography based on Jerome Robbins original with classic songs including Getting To Know You; Hello, Young Lovers; Shall We Dance?; I Have Dreamed; and Something Wonderful in their  original orchestrations.

Set in 1860's Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the  tempestuous relationship and love to which neither can admit which  develops between the King Mongkut of Siam and British schoolteacher Anna who the King brings to Siam to  be a governess his many wives and children as part of a drive to modernize his country.

The musical premiered in  1951, at Broadway's St. James Theatre and  ran for nearly three years, making it the fourth longest-running Broadway musical in history at the time.

Louis Walsh to play Hollywood Producer in Nativity the Musical tour in London

Jamie Wilson, Entertainment One , Ramin Sabi and the Belgrade Theatre Coventry are delighted to announce Louis Walsh in his stage debut guesting as the ‘Hollywood Producer’ in Birmingham Repertory Theatre’s production of ‘NATIVITY! THE MUSICAL’ when the tour visits  London’s Eventim Apollo from 13th to 17th  December.

Louis is best known as judge on the  ‘The X Factor’ which he has been a part of since the show's inception in 2004. As well as appearing on the ‘The X Factor’ Louis has also appeared on ‘You're a Star’, ‘Popstars’ and ‘Popstars: The Rivals’. Louis has also guest judged on ‘Britain's Got Talent’  and on The ‘The X Factor USA’. Prior to this, Louis managed Johnny Logan, Boyzone and Westlife, three of Ireland's most successful pop artists in the 1990s and 2000s.

Louis Walsh said ‘I am thrilled to be joining the cast of ‘NATIVITY! THE MUSICAL’ in London this December, I am a great fan of the films and I can’t wait to get started as the ‘Hollywood Producer’ to see if the class of St Bernadette’s, really have the X Factor’.

Producer Jamie Wilson said  ‘The company and I are delighted that X Factor judge Louis Walsh will be joining us for the World Premiere in the guest role of the ‘Hollywood Producer’. We can’t wait to see Louis’s judging talents in this spectacular Christmas show. Louis is a fantastic addition for the London run of the tour and we are all looking forward to the production appearing at the iconic Eventim Apollo’.

Cast announced for West End Christmas Concert at St Paul's Covent Garden

Updated 24th November:  the line up has just been announced - the evening will be hosted by Christopher Biggins, who will be joined by Lesley Joseph.

A sparkling spectacle of stars and song, will feature some of the top West End shows including Kinky Boots , Five Guys Named Moe, Young Frankenstein, Phantom of the Opera, Lion King and 42nd Street who will be raising the roof with their unique interpretation of Christmas songs both contemporary and classic. Also joining the line-up are the West End Christmas Singers.

The show will feature Jane Milligan, Cedric Neal, Julie Legrand, Maria Kesselman, David Shannon Lucy O'Byrne, Robert Bannon Carolyn Maitland, Alasdair Harvey, Gemma Sutton The Mellor Sisters, Jo Napthine, Shona White, Julie Atherton, Janique Charles, Christopher Howell & Jasna Ivir . They will be joined by The Royal Academy of Music Post Grads, the Big Noise Gospel choir and our very own MAD Ensemble and West End Christmas Choir

The Make A Difference Trust has been restoring the spirit of Christmas since 2003, with a concert uniting casts and stars of West End shows  to celebrate  the festive season with mix of music and verse.  

The 2017 concert will again be held at the Actors' Church St Paul's Covent Garden.  This year it is on 3rd December with doors opening at 7:00pm for a 7:30pm concert with performers to be announced.  Tickets for this annual event sell out very quickly.

Buy tickets for A West End Christmas

Kristin Chenoweth announces meet & greet before Palladium Concert

Emmy and Tony Award-winning actress and singer Kristin Chenoweth will take part in a special ‘meet & greet’ with her fans two days before her concert at the London Palladium on 20 October.

The first come, first served event will take place at 3:00 pm on 18th  October at London’s Theatre Café in Shaftesbury Avenue. It will give fans the chance to meet the stage and screen star and receive a signed photograph.

All Or Nothing Small Faces Mod Musical to move into Arts next year

All or Nothing - The Mod Musical, based on the music and story of Small Faces, is to run in the West End next year at the Arts Theatre for a limited period from 8 February to 11 March, with previews from 6 February.

The show has also announced the release of a cast recording featuring Small Faces hits including "Whatcha Gonna Do About It", "Tin Soldier", "Lazy Sunday", "Here Comes the Nice", "Itchycoo Park" and, of course, "All or Nothing".

All Or Nothing is currently touring  until 11th November. It is written and directed by award-winning actress Carol Harrison, telling  the story of four young kids in East London, forming a band and making it, big time. Before long, the joys of fame wear off, and their lives become steeped in jealousy and betrayal.

All or Nothing will star Harrison as Kay Marriott, alongside Chris Simmons as the older Steve Marriott, with further casting to be announced. Harrison is best known for her roles in EastEnders and Brushstrokes, while Simmons has starred in The Bill.

Tickets for All or Nothing at the Arts Theatre

Disney's Frozen Musical to reopen London's Theatre Royal Drury Lane?

The news is that Andrew Lloyd Webber is seeking planning permission for a £35 million scheme to restore one of the West End’s oldest theatres - the  Grade I listed Theatre Royal Drury Lane  to its Georgian glory.

Lord Lloyd-Webber, whose Really Useful Theatres Group owns the venue, has applied to Westminster council for permission to strip away later alterations to reveal Benjamin Dean Wyatt’s original designs.

Drury Lane has one of the most complete Georgian theatre interiors in the UK and the proposals would see Dean Wyatt’s foyer, rotunda, grand staircases and saloon opened up to the public. Capacity would fall from 2,250 to 2,023 to allow for better sightlines, more comfortable seats and better legroom. Cramped seating is a regular grumble among West End theatre-goers, with most of the venues built in Victorian or Edwardian times.

So it comes as no surprise that this morning the Daily Mail's Baz Bamigboye is reporting that the Broadway-bound stage adaptation of Disney's Frozen is already eyeing a run there in London's West End. Baz reports that the producers are  in the early stages of looking at  West End theatres for the musical  with the Theatre Royal Drury Lane,  "of interest" for the show.The production would re-open the theatre following extensive renovations through 2020.

This Broadway-bound Frozen, a full-length stage work told in two acts, is the first and only incarnation of the tale that expands upon and deepens its indelible plot and themes through new songs and story material from the film's creators. Like the Disney Theatrical Broadway musicals that have come before it, it is a full evening of theatre and is expected to run two and a half hours.

Michael Grandage (is to direct Caissie Levy (Ghost) as Elsa  and Patti Murrin (Wicked) as Anna in Disney's Frozen the Musical which is playing a try out at the Buell Theatre in Denver until 1st  October before heading for the  St James Theatre, New York where it previews from  22nd February 2018.The musical is based on the Oscar-winning Disney film, with  music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and a book by Jennifer Lee. It also has design by Christopher Oram whose previous work includes the Kenneth Branagh season at the Garrick Theatre and the RSC's Wolf Hall, for which he won the 2015 Olivier and Tony Awards.

Based on the 2013 film written by a trio of Oscar winners, Frozen features music and lyrics by the creators of the film score Kristen Anderson-Lopez (Up Here, Winnie the Pooh, In Transit) and EGOT-winner Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, The Book of Mormon, Up Here) and a book by Jennifer Lee (Zootopia, Wreck-It Ralph), the film's screenwriter and director (with Chris Buck). Frozen won 2014 Oscars for Best Song ("Let It Go") and Best Animated Feature.

Alice Barlow and Michelle Gayle to join Son of a Preacher Man UK tour next year

Alice Barlow and Michelle Gayle will be joining the cast of the tour of Son of a Preacher Man from the 16th January 2018 playing  Kat and Alison.  They will be taking over the roles from Debra Stephenson and Diana Vickers who are leaving the tour at the end of this year.  they join the tour from 12th February and 3rd March respectively.

Barlow is best known for her roles in Coronation Street, Hollyoaks, and Drifters, while Gayle's acting credits include Grange Hill and EastEnders, and as a singer has achieved six top 20 hits.

Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country featuring the music of Bob Dylan to transfer to the Noel Coward Theatre

Conor McPherson's Girl From the North Country, which features the music of Bob Dylan, has announced a West End transfer.

Written and directed by McPherson, the production premiered at the Old Vic in July and continues to run there until 7th October when it moves to the Noël Coward Theatre from 11th January to 31st March with previews from 29th  December 2017.

It is set Dylan's home town of Duluth, Minnesota in the midst of the Great Depression and is named after a track Dylan wrote in 1963 called Girl From The North Country.

It is set in a guest house, focusing on the family who run it.  They are a  family adrift, their future on a knife edge. Lost and lonely people drifting through rooms of their guesthouse. But Nick Laine thinks he’s seen a way out…

It includes songs spanning the five decades of Dylan’s career — featuring classics  Like A Rolling Stone, Forever Young, Make You Feel My Love and Time Out Of Mind, as well as tunes that people probably don’t have in their Dylan collections. ‘There’ll be known songs, and unknown songs. But they’re all great songs.’ The show’s instruments and arrangements will have a Thirties feel. The on-stage band will use steel guitars, harmoniums, mandolins and harmonicas.

The original cast included Ciaran Hinds, Shirley Henderson, Ron Cook, Debbie Kurup, Sheila Atim and Arinzé Kene – confirmation of casting for the West End transfer is yet to be announced.

Book tickets for The Girl from the North Country

Ronan Keating & Joe McElderry lead stars in Mane Chance Sanctuary charity gala

Ronan Keating an Joe McElderry are among the stars supporting the Mane Chance Sanctuary charity in a one off gala of of songs, comedy  and variety, at the Phoenix Theatre on 19 November at 7:30pm,

They are joined by  pop star Amelia Lily, ventriloquist America’s Got Talent winner Paul Zerdin, chart-topping singer-songwriter Sandi Thom and superstar soprano Margaret Keys. With Jake Quickenden, Marti Webb, Patti Boulaye, Beau Dermott, Joe McGann, Virginia McKenna, Jenny Seagrove from the world of music, theatre, TV and entertainment. Supported by a live on-stage band. With all profits to Mane Chance charity.

Mane Chance is a beautiful sanctuary is dedicated to the rescue and recovery of abused and abandoned horses, and their subsequent mentored interaction with disabled and disadvantaged children and young adults. Improving lives, well-being and rehabilitation, the results for children and animals alike are often extraordinary and can be life-changing. 

Buy tickets for the Mane Chance Sanctuary Charity Gala 

Full Cast announced for LMTO's Concert Version of A Christmas Carol

Updated 22nd November:  the final cast members have just been announced : Olivier Award nominee Sophie-Louise Dann (Lend Me A Tenor / Made In Dagenham / Bend It Like Beckham The Musical / The Girls) as Mrs Fezziwig, Glenn Carter (Jersey Boys / Jesus Christ Superstar) as Marley, Nicholas Colicos (Kiss Me Kate / Mamma Mia! / The Producers) as Mr Fezziwig, Rebecca Lock (Mary Poppins / Mamma Mia!) as Mrs Cratchit and newcomer Cameron Potts as Fred Anderson / Young Scrooge.
 
The concert includes the LMTO Chorus comprising of Paul Bradshaw, Christopher Cameron, Lucy Carne, Elissa Churchill, Beth Clarence, Rhiannon Doyle, David Fearn, Owen Gardiner, Austin Garrett, Barry Keenan, Laura Messin, Terri O’Ryan, Rebecca Ridout, Tim Southgate, Charlotte Vaughan and David Zachary.
Updated 2nd November: further casting has just been announced - Lucie Jones (Rent, Legally Blonde) plays  Emily and the Ghost of Christmas Future:  Hugh Maynard (Miss Saigon) is the Ghost of Christmas Present, Gemma Sutton (Gypsy) is the Ghost of Christmas Past and Michael Xavier (Sunset Boulevard) is Bob Cratchit. Further casting is still  to be announced.

After sold-out performances last year, London Musical Theatre Orchestra return to the Lyceum with this musical based on Charles Dickens' festive classic, with music by Menken (Aladdin), lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime), and a book by Ahrens and Mike Ockrent.

LMTO is an orchestra dedicated to musical theatre. The group was founded in June 2015 and has gone on to play concert versions of shows including Mack and Mabel, Candide and Honeymoon in Vegas, at venues across the capital from the Palladium to Cadogan Hall.London Musical Theatre Orchestra's concert version of A Christmas Carol sold out last year It is returning  to the Lyceum Theatre in London for two performances only on 11th and 18th December.

It will again star award-winning actor Robert Lindsay as Ebeenezer Scrooge. Based on Charles Dickens' festive classic, A Christmas Carol has the full Broadway treatment with music by Alan Menken (Aladdin, The Little Mermaid), lyrics by Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical), and a book by Ahrens and Mike Ockrent (Crazy For You, Me and My Girl).

The full cast is soon to be announced.

Buy tickets for A Christmas Carol