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London Theatre Magazine online: April edition

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Immerse yourself in London's theatre world with our digital flip-through of the April edition of London Theatre Magazine, including interviews, reviews, and insights.

*Doctor Who*'s Ncuti Gatwa and Sharon D Clarke are set to star in a new production of Oscar Wilde's comedy *The Importance of Being Earnest* at London's National Theatre. The production will open on 20 November.

Wilde's play will be directed Max Webster (*Macbeth, Life of Pi*), who is making his National Theatre debut.

The cast includes Richard Cant (*Stan & Ollie, Mary Queen of Scots*) as Reverend Canon Chasuble, Sharon D Clarke (*Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, Doctor Who*) as Lady Bracknell,...

Sharon D Clarke and Ncuti Gatwa to star in 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in London

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Oscar Wilde's famous play about false identities will be directed by Max Webster, who is making his National Theatre debut. Performances start on 20 November.


The party's over soon. [*Priscilla The Party!*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/37378-priscilla-the-party) will close in London, playing its final performance at HERE at Outernet on 26 May.

Adapted from the Academy Award-winning film and multi-award-winning musical, both titled *Priscilla,  Queen of the Desert*, *Priscilla The Party!* tells the story of three friends who go on a road trip seeking fame and fortune.

*Priscilla The Party!* allows audiences to either stand on the dance floor...

'Priscilla the Party' to close in London

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The immersive production adapted from the hit film *Priscilla, Queen of the Desert* and same-named musical has played at HERE at Outernet since 3 March.

New British musical *Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)* has extended performances by seven weeks at the Criterion Theatre in the West End. The show is now booking until 31 August.

Jim Barne and Kit Buchan's musical transferred to the West End earlier this month, following a sold-out, extended run at London's Kiln Theatre.

The production stars Olivier Award winner Sam Tutty (*Dear Evan Hansen*) as Dougal and Dujonna Gift (*Hamilton, Caroline or Change, Motown: The Musical*) as Robin....

'Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)' extends performances through August 2024

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Olivier Award winner Sam Tutty and Dujonna Gift star in this adorable two-hander by Jim Barne and Kit Buchan. Performances have been extended to 31 August.

Again! Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch… Again! God, I hope I get it… Originally devised, directed, and choreographed by Michael Bennett with a score by Marvin Hamlisch, the 1975 musical *A Chorus Line* returns to London this summer in a fresh production directed by Nikolai Foster and starring Adam Cooper and Carly Mercedes Dyer.

Cooper plays Zach, the domineering director-choreographer casting the chorus for a new Broadway musical who puts the hopefuls through the wringer – physically and...

Learn all about the history of 'A Chorus Line' in London and New York

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The iconic musical plays at Sadler's Wells this summer in an exciting new production starring Adam Cooper and Carly Mercedes Dyer.

A musical version of a chick flick? With spectacular fashion shows, epic backstabbing and a diva who’ll chill your soul, it could well be groundbreaking. *The Devil Wears Prada* struts into the West End this autumn. With an original score by Elton John and a cast led by Vanessa Williams and Matt Henry, start planning your outfit for the most stylish show in town! 

Based on the bestselling novel by Lauren Weisberger and the film starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, protagonist Andrea “Andy”...

Everything you need to know about 'The Devil Wears Prada' in the West End

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Elton John's musical version of the hit novel and film arrives at London's Dominion Theatre this autumn, starring Vanessa Williams and Matt Henry.


We’re spoiled for choice when it comes to shows in London, and it can be hard to keep up with everything that’s opening – we all have busy lives and it isn’t possible to fit everything in. Fortunately, second chances do sometimes arise!

A whole host of plays and musicals are being reprised in the West End this spring and summer, from celebrated musicals to classic drama and exciting contemporary writing. If it’s a show you’ve loved before, different cast members and venues can provide a whole...

Catch these incredible theatre shows as they return to the stage in London

From *Sister Act* and *Hadestown* to *Standing at the Sky's Edge*, there's a wealth of fantastic shows coming into town – so don't miss out!

Make a joyful noise! West End favourite [Lee Mead](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/lee-mead) will join the cast of [*Sister Act*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28926-sister-act) at the [Dominion Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/dominion-theatre) this June.

Mead is best known for his West End performances in *Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Legally Blonde*, [*Wicked*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/313-wicked-tickets), and, most...

Lee Mead to join 'Sister Act' West End cast

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The London theatre veteran will join Ruth Jones, Alexandra Burke, and more in the musical based on the hit movie, which currently stars Beverley Knight.

The magic returns! [*My Neighbour Totoro*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25389-my-neighbour-totoro-tickets), the stage adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's beloved same-named Studio Ghibli movie, will transfer to the West End in 2025. The [Gillian Lynne Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/gillian-lynne-theatre) will host the 34-week run from 8 March to 2 November 2025. Opening night is 20 March.

*My Neighbour Totoro* follows two sisters, Satsuki and Mei, who move to the...

'My Neighbour Totoro' sets West End transfer

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Following two seasons at the Barbican Centre, the acclaimed play adapted from the classic Studio Ghibli film will play a 34-week run at the Gillian Lynne Theatre.

All hail Macbeth! *Macbeth*, starring [David Tennant](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/david-tennant) in the title role and Cush Jumbo as Lady Macbeth, will play in the West End this autumn, with performances running at the Harold Pinter Theatre from 1 October to 14 December.

The production comes to the West End from a critically acclaimed premiere at the Donmar Warehouse in fall 2023, with the entire original cast returning. Alongside Tennant (*Doctor Who*) and Jumbo (*The Good...

David Tennant and Cush Jumbo-led 'Macbeth' to transfer to the West End

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The critically acclaimed production played the Donmar Warehouse in 2023, also starring Tennant and Jumbo, and will now have a two-month run in the West End.

Nicholas Hytner’s immersive production of [*Guys & Dolls*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25504-guys-and-dolls-tickets) has announced its final extension at London's Bridge Theatre. The show will now run until 4 January 2025.

The production, which opened at the theatre in March 2023, recently won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for Arlene Phillips with James Cousins.

*Guys & Dolls* stars Owain Arthur (*The History Boys, One Man, Two Guvnors, The Lord of the Rings*) as Nathan Detroit, George Ioannides (*An Officer and a Gentleman, Annie, MAMMA MIA!*) as Sky Masterson, Timmika Ramsay (*Moulin Rouge!, Cinderella*) as Miss Adelaide, Celinde Schoenmaker (*Howard Goodall's Love Story, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera*) as Sarah Brown, and Jonathan Andrew Hume (*Come From Away*) as Nicely-Nicely Johnson.

Niall Buggy plays Arvide Abernathy, Cornelius Clarke plays Lieutenant Brannigan, Cameron Johnson plays Big Jule, TJ Lloyd plays Rusty Charlie, Ryan Pidgen plays Benny Southstreet, Tori Scott plays General Cartwright, and Dashaun Vegas plays Harry the Horse.

The rest of the cast includes Iroy Abesamis, Katie Bradley, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Filippo Coffano, Eamonn Cox, Kamilla Fernandes, Alex Given, Lucie Horsfall, Dominic Lamb, Siân Nathaniel-James, Saffi Needham, Sophie Pourret, James Revell, Nathan Rigg, Pierce Rogan and Samuel Routley, Charlotte Scott (Co-Dance Captain), Hollie Jane Stephens, and Dale White (Dance Captain, Fight Captain).

*Guys & Dolls* has music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows, with choreography by Arlene Phillips with James Cousins, musical supervision and arrangements by Tom Brady, set by Bunny Christie, costumes by Bunny Christie and Deborah Andrews, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Paul Arditti, orchestrations by Charlie Rosen, associate direction by James Cousins and Lily Dyble, fight direction by Kate Waters, and wigs, hair and make-up by Campbell Young Associates.

Book [*Guys & Dolls* tickets](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25504-guys-and-dolls-tickets) on London Theatre.

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=25504&content_product_id=25504&venue_id=76&product_type=show&qt=2)

*Photo credit: Owain Arthur and Timmika Ramsay in Guys & Dolls. (Photo by Manuel Harlan)*

'Guys & Dolls' extends performances through January 2025

Guys and Dolls Owain Arthur and Timmika Ramsay 1200 LT Photo Credit Manuel Harlan

Ages 5+. Under 12's are not allowed in the standing area. Under 16's in the standing or seated areas must be accompanied by an adult. Children aged 5-11 must watch from a seat with an adult. Children under 5 will not be admitted.

Guys & Dolls - LON [25504]

Genre: Musical

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Production image of Guys & Dolls in London featuring Timmika Ramsay in the role of Adelaide.

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Production image of Guys & Dolls in London featuring ensemble cast and Jonathan Andrew Hume in the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson.

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Production image of Guys & Dolls in London featuring Owain Arthur in the role of Nathan Detriot and George Ioannides as Sky Masterson.

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Production image of Guys & Dolls in London featuring Celinde Schoenmaker in the role of Sarah Brown.

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Production image of Guys & Dolls in London featuring Owain Arthur as Nathan Detroit, Jonathan Andrew Hume as Nicely Nicely Johnson, and other cast member.

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Luck be a lady tonight! Be swept up with the thrills of Manhattan and Havana all in one night. *Guys and Dolls* tickets are available on London Theatre now.

__[This is for *Guys and Dolls* seated tickets. Book *Guys and Dolls* standing and stage tickets here.](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/27637-guys-and-dolls-standing-and-stage-area)__

Don’t expect a traditional *Guys & Dolls* at the Bridge Theatre. Expect to be thrown into all the action: join all the characters as they walk the New York streets, sip a cocktail at the Cuban bars, and take a trip to the Salvation Army. The Bridge Theatre comes alive with this sensational retelling, with London Theatre hailing it “the jackpot of musical revivals.”

When booking *Guys & Dolls* tickets, you can choose to watch the action unfold in seated sections or in the pit.

Did you know the *Guys & Dolls* is based on short stories? Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows adapted Damon Runyon’s gangster tale “Blood Pressure”, and triumphant love story “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown”. Plus, there’s a jazzy score, with songs including: “Luck Be a Lady, “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat,” “A Bushel and a Peck,” and “Adelaide’s Lament.” 

### What is *Guys & Dolls* about?

The *Guys and Dolls* musical follows Nathan Detroit, a Manhattan gambler who needs to find a new location for his crap shooting games, pronto. He’s helped by Sky Masterson, who takes a chance on Nathan, settling their deal on a bet: Nathan bets Sky that he can’t take a woman of his choosing on a date. But as they meet their “doll,” Sarah Brown, the odds of falling in love go down until it’s almost inevitable.

Tickets to *Guys and Dolls* are available now. Book your *Guys and Dolls* tickets on London Theatre today.

Guys & Dolls [SEATED] - LON - London Theatre

Sit down, you're rocking the boat! Be taken to the streets of Manhattan and the Havana bars all in one night. Nicholas Hytner directs an immersive, all-encompassing Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre, a musical first for the venue. Get *Guys & Dolls* tickets on London Theatre today.

Broadway’s glossiest love story comes to life in spectacular fashion at *Guys & Dolls.* In this adaptation, the story will take place across the entire auditorium. Audiences can imagine they're walking the streets of Manhattan and sipping on a drink in the bars of Havana all in one night. 

London Theatre hailed that the revival "a jackpot... it manages to be both the most exhilarating version of Frank Loesser’s musical, and also the most nuanced." Hear all the classics like “A Bushel and a Peck,” “Luck be a Lady,” and Miss Adelaide’s song, “Adelaide’s Lament" with refreshing vigour.

## What to Watch For: 

- Did you know that *Guys & Dolls* is based on short stories? Damon Runyon’s works inspired the *Guys & Dolls* musical, notably two tales: “Blood Pressure” and “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown.” Sarah Brown is a Save-A-Soul Sergeant who unexpectedly falls in love with Sky Masterson. 
- If you’re seeing *Guys & Dolls* in London, then get ready to step into the musical. *Guys & Dolls* at the Bridge Theatre will be an immersive production. Choose to sit in the tiered seating, or book a standing ticket in the pit. Don’t worry, you won’t be rocking the boat.
- *Guys & Dolls* won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. However, he didn't receive the prize: Abe Burrows's suspected Communist sympathies by the House of Un-American Activities Committee meant the decision was vetoed. Nobody won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama that year.

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I unlocked £25 Standing Rush tickets for Guys & Dolls on @TodayTixUK! https://www.todaytix.com/london/shows/25504?share=unlock

Guys & Dolls - LON - TodayTix [SEATED]

Luck be a show tonight! Book your tickets to see this vibrant tale of gamblers, showgirls, and unlikely romances in 1950s New York City. Frank Loesser's sweeping score continues to delight audiences over seventy years later.

Guys & Dolls - LON - Box Office

Buy tickets for Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre in London. Find official theatre tickets to Musicals with Box Office.

Guys & Dolls Tickets | Box Office

Would luck be a lady for Nicholas Hytner? His much-hyped, immersive production of *[Guys & Dolls](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25504-guys-and-dolls-tickets)* is set to run for six months at the [Bridge Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/the-bridge-theatre) — a significant gamble. Well, I’m delighted to report that he’s hit the jackpot with this jubilant revival, which somehow manages to be both the most exhilarating version of Frank Loesser’s musical I’ve seen, and also the most nuanced. 

That combination is thanks to an ingenious staging, building on the Bridge’s previous immersive Shakespeare productions. The audience is in the round, partly seated. The standing audience, gathered in the centre, gets thrillingly close to the action, with hydraulic platforms shooting out of the floor all over the place and neon signs descending from the ceiling.

Bunny Christie’s design basically dances more than the cast. It creates boundless staging opportunities for Hytner: whether it’s a central platform for a big Hot Box number, or a large zigzagging path across the auditorium, or several separate mini-stages acting as different locations. It matches the energy of this heightened, Damon Runyon-styled New York City, and allows for lightning-fast scene changes (occasionally the set-up for the next scene cuts into the current one, as ushers nudge the promenading audience around, but that can hopefully be ironed out over the run). 

It creates a dynamic audience experience, far removed from the previous rather tired West End outing for *Guys & Dolls*. There’s pre-show fun (you can get a rakish hat or a pretzel from a street seller), and immersive elements during the show itself: you might be handed a Save-a-Soul Mission leaflet, or a streamer to wave, or have your drink nicked by a cheeky gambler. It all climaxes with a euphoric dance party, with cast members sticking around to boogie and take selfies with fans. It’s an inspired way to make theatre feel relevant and accessible.

But, as with the similarly thoughtful revivals of *Cabaret* and *Oklahoma!*, this isn’t just audience pandering. Thanks to the intimacy and nimbleness of this set-up, Hytner can also mine the show for psychological detail. 

*Guys & Dolls* is that rare show in which the book is the equal of the score, and this production so joyfully lands all of Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling’s zingers and larger-than-life, deliciously named characters, while also giving them dimensionality.

Crucially, it addresses the inherent misogyny. [Marisha Wallace](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/stars-on-stage/marisha-wallace)’s Adelaide is no ditzy, marriage-obsessed dupe, who eventually guilts reluctant long-time fiancé Nathan into settling down with her. Instead, this is a couple desperately, carnally in love with each other, however, it’s Nathan who has the mental block. Daniel Mays (mostly known for his screen work, but making a phenomenal musical theatre debut) emphasises how Nathan relishes his status as the ultimate fixer, always staying one step ahead of the law. What happens if he stops running? 

The pair of them bring impressive comic chops but also an inherent sadness to their big rows, especially the wonderfully absurd sequence in which Adelaide admits she’s invented a brood of children for her concerned mother (Mays’s pique that Nathan is just an assistant manager in this fiction is priceless). 

Duet “Sue Me” — often a throwaway gag — is a masterclass in acting through song, supported by the blocking: they grow more physically distanced with each bitter exchange, while still achingly emotionally attached.

Wallace also avoids the easy humorous route with “Adelaide’s Lament,” dropping the exaggerated pronunciations in favour of framing the number as a gentle confession, aimed at the audience right beside her — one friend speaking to another. But she’s just as capable of amping up her performance in the steamy Hot Box stripteases (no coyness here), in which she owns her power and sexuality. 

In contrast to these warring veterans of love are the newly met, opposites-attract pair: Celinde Schoenmaker’s robustly dedicated missionary Sarah and Andrew Richardson’s charmingly insincere gambler Sky. Again, this is framed as an equal journey, not just as a woman who needs to lighten up. 

If anything, the exquisitely clarion-voiced Schoenmaker is the driving force: in “If I Were a Bell” she seems as drunk on life as on rum, tearing open Sky’s shirt and, following some Gene Kelly lamppost swinging, falling into his arms and swimming through the air. When they meet in song, their harmonies intertwine like a warm embrace. 

The boyish Richardson, a smouldering, Clive Owen-esque presence, actually feels like the lost one of the pair. This mainly works nicely, although both performance and vocals need more projection. There’s also one bewildering misstep: the introduction of a stereotypical gay club in Havana. It gets around the tired trope of a feisty Latina starting a catfight, and a bisexual Sky is a fascinating idea, but it’s never actually developed.

I also would have liked more explosive choreography here (the Cuban sequence begins with dancers scattered in the crowd — less impactful at a distance), but Arlene Phillips and James Cousins’s grounded, organic movement is otherwise invigorating, and the visible band gives us a glorious version of Loesser’s peerless score. Plus there are numerous scene-stealing supporting turns: Cedric Neal’s Nicely-Nicely, lending gospel fervour to “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat”; Mark Oxtoby’s fast-talking Benny; the perfect sight gag of Cameron Johnson’s giant Big Jule.

Most joyfully, the happy ending feels earned. Wallace and Schoenmaker’s “Marry the Man Today” isn’t an expression of dubious making-do, but a dawning realisation — by two shrewd women knocking back shots together; fabulous — that there’s nothing certain about life or love: “You’ve simply gotta gamble”. And when it pays off, as Hytner proves, the rewards are boundless. 

*Guys & Dolls at the Bridge Theatre through 2 September. Book Guys & Dolls tickets on London Theatre.*

[![Book Tickets CTA - LT/NYTG](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/3qAtGOdQq9x3k1WcHlaJnw/90ece91bbe47ed07e142c2e43c7a7a3f/BookTickets-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=25504&content_product_id=25504&venue_id=76)

*Photo credit: The cast of Guys & Dolls (Photo by Manuel Harlan)*

'Guys & Dolls' review – Nicholas Hytner hits the jackpot with this exhilarating immersive revival

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Read our five-star review of *Guys & Dolls* starring Marisha Wallace at the Bridge Theatre, currently playing through 2 September. Get *Guys & Dolls* tickets on London Theatre.

Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr spearhead the Bridge Theatre. Having worked together at the [National Theatre](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/national-theatre) for over a decade as artistic and executive directors, Hytner and Starr formed the London Theatre Company as part of their efforts to open the largest Off-West End commercial theatre. The 900-seater auditorium is very adaptable and allows shows to be presented in end-on, thrust and promenade formats. 

Production aside, the theatre was praised for its abundance of ladies toilets and its on-site kitchen which, among other things, provides treats freshly baked on site during the interval. 

In 2017, the theatre's inaugural season included a new Richard Bean play *Young Marx*, starring [Rory Kinnear](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/rory-kinnear) and Oliver Chris, *Julius Caesar* starring Ben [Whishaw](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/ben-whishaw) and David Calder, and a new play by Nina Raine about the life of JS Bach starring [Simon Russell Beale](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/actor-profile/simon-russell-beale).

Notable plays at the Bridge Theatre include *The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,* as well as *My Name is Lucy Barton* and *Straight Line Crazy* — the latter two both transferring to New York.

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Nicholas Hytner’s immersive production recently won the Olivier Award for Best Theatre Choreographer for Arlene Phillips's work with James Cousins.


'Guys & Dolls' extends performances through January 2025

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