We just can’t get enough of the wonderful world of *[The Wizard of Oz](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28217-the-wizard-of-oz)*. From the 1939 movie version of L Frank Baum’s novel to the numerous stage incarnations, it’s a tale that continues to fire our imaginations – and it’s certainly having a moment right now.

We are finally getting the big-screen version of *[Wicked](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/313-wicked-tickets)*, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande; the first part...

Experience wonderfully different productions inspired by 'The Wizard of Oz'

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From *The Wiz* on Broadway to the *Wicked* movie and *The Wizard of Oz* in the West End, this really is the year of Oz. Find out more about these productions.

Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’s *Death of England* plays will be performed together in the West End for the first time this summer at @sohoplace. 

The three state of the nation plays — *Death of England: Michael, Death of England: Delroy,* and *Death of England: Closing Time* — received their premieres at the National Theatre between 2020 and 2023 and each explores what it means to be British now.

Thomas Coombes (*Baby Reindeer, Luther: The Fallen Sky*) stars in *Death of England: Michael*,...

Paapa Essiedu to star in 'Death of England' trilogy at London's @sohoplace

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Essiedu will be joined by *Baby Reindeer*'s Thomas Coombes, Erin Doherty, and *Sex Education*'s Sharon Duncan-Brewster in Clint Dyer and Roy Williams’s trilogy.

Full casting has been announced for [*The Wizard of Oz*,](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/28217-the-wizard-of-oz) which heads to the Gillian Lynne Theatre this summer.

Allan Stewart (*Stones in His Pockets*) and Alex Bourne (*Annie, Hairspray*) will reprise their touring roles as The Wizard in the West End, when *The Wizard of Oz* concludes its UK and Ireland tour.

The musical, based on the iconic story by L. Frank Baum, will play a strictly limited season of 38 performances only at the...

Full cast announced for 'The Wizard of Oz' in the West End

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Allan Stewart and Alex Bourne will reprise their roles as The Wizard, joining Aston Merrygold as The Tin Man and The Vivienne as The Wicked Witch of the West.

Oscar, Olivier, and Tony Award winner Mark Rylance and *Succession*'s J. Smith-Cameron will star in a new production of Seán O’Casey's *Juno and the Paycock*, which opens at the Gielgud Theatre on 3 October, with previews from 21 September.

Rylance, who won an Olivier and a Tony award for his performance as Johnny "Rooster" Byron in *Jersualem*, will play ‘Captain’ Jack Boyle, while Tony nominee Smith-Cameron will make her West End debut as Juno Boyle. Tony and Olivier award winner Matthew...

Mark Rylance and J. Smith-Cameron to star in 'Juno and the Paycock' in the West End

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Mark Rylance will play ‘Captain’ Jack Boyle, while J. Smith-Cameron will star as Juno Boyle in Seán O’Casey's play, which is set during the Irish Civil War.

Todrick Hall will join the cast of [*Shrek the Musical*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24526-shrek-the-musical) this summer, which returns to London at the Eventim Apollo Theatre for a six-week run.

Singer-songwriter Hall, who has been cast as Donkey, shot to fame on the ninth season of *American Idol*, and is best known for judging *RuPaul’s Drag Race*. He has also starred in *Memphis, Waitress*, and *Kinky Boots* on Broadway and *Chicago* on Broadway and in the West End.

Hall has...

Todrick Hall to join cast of 'Shrek the Musical' in London

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Singer-songwriter Todrick Hall, who has been cast as Donkey, shot to fame on the ninth season of *American Idol*, and is best known for judging *RuPaul’s Drag Race*.

Jason Donovan will join the cast of [*The Rocky Horror Show*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/24473-the-rocky-horror-show-tickets) in the West End this September, as part of a wider UK tour. The musical will run at London’s Dominion Theatre for two weeks.

Donovan will return to the role of Frank ‘n’ Furter for the first time in the UK for over 25 years. 

Donovan said: "I am thrilled to dive into the exhilarating role of Frank 'n' Furter with a fantastic new cast and Timewarp with...

Jason Donovan to star in 'The Rocky Horror Show' in the West End

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*Neighbours* actor Jason Donovan will return to the role of Frank ‘n’ Furter in *The Rocky Horror Show* for the first time in the UK for over 25 years. 

New principal cast members have been announced for [*Tina – The Tina Turner Musical*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/8547-tina-the-musical-tickets) in the West End. The new Tina and Ike will begin performances from 25 June.

Karis Anderson (*Motown, All Or Nothing*), who has been playing the role of Tina Turner since June 2023, will share the role with new cast member Zoe Birkett (*The Witches, The Bodyguard, The Great British Bake Off Musical*). Olivier Award nominee Rolan Bell (*Memphis,...

New casting for 'Tina – The Tina Turner Musical' in the West End

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Karis Anderson will share the role of Tina with new cast member Zoe Birkett, while Olivier Award nominee Rolan Bell will join the musical as Ike Turner.

New casting has been announced for Lin-Manuel Miranda's [*Hamilton*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/20561-hamilton-tickets) in the West End. The new cast will have their first performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre on 17 June.

Alex Sawyer (*Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, Girl from the North Country*) will take on the title role of Alexander Hamilton, having previously been the alternate, opposite Jay Perry (*Back To The Future, Sylvia, Motown the Musical, Beautiful: The Carole...

'Hamilton' announces new casting in the West End

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The new cast of Lin-Manuel Miranda's *Hamilton* will have their first performance at the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End on 17 June.

Casting has been announced for [*Heathers the Musical*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/11652-heathers-the-musical), which returns to the West End later this month. The show will open at @sohoplace for a limited run.

Kevin Murphy and Laurence O’Keefe's musical about dangerous high school cliques was last seen in the West End in 2021.

The show will star Jenna Innes (*Les Misérables*), who returns as Veronica Sawyer. She is joined by Keelan McAuley (*Clueless, Grease*) as JD.

The titular...

Casting announced for 'Heathers the Musical' at @sohoplace

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ITV’s *I Have a Dream* finalist Esme Bowdler, Sedona Sky, and Daisy Twells are the musical's titular Heathers. Jenna Innes returns to the show as Veronica Sawyer.

Summer in London means one thing: it's musicals season! Sure, we have fantastic musical theatre in the capital all year round, but the sunnier months always seem to be a particularly exciting time for big song-and-dance shows – ideal for filling the school holidays with [family trips to spectacular productions](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/whats-on/family-kids).

You’ll find plenty of blockbuster West End entertainment this summer, thanks to the likes of *[Kiss, Me...

Top West End musicals to see this summer

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This essential list features all the musicals, from *Kiss Me, Kate* to *Hello, Dolly!*, that are perfect for a summer trip to the West End, whatever the weather.

Merry Christmas everyone! Find out the full cast of [*Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25620-dolly-partons-smoky-mountain-christmas-carol-tickets) in London. The Dolly Parton musical begins previews at [Queen Elizabeth Hall](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/queen-elizabeth-hall) on 8 December, with a press night on 13 December, and performances to 8 Jan. 2023. Book *Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol* tickets on London Theatre.

Robert Bathurst will play Ebenezer Scrooge. The *Toast of London* star’s theatre credits include the title role in *King Charles III* in Chicago. 

The cast includes Halle Brown, Iona Fraser, Richard J Hunt, George Maguire, Ediz Mahmut, Sarah O’Connor, Christopher Parkinson, Minal Patel, Annie Southall, Carole Stennett, Vicki Lee Taylor, Danny Whitehead and Mitchell Zhangazha. 

Daniel Lee, Alexander Quinlan and Samuel Sturge share the role of Tiny Tim. Elliot Marsden, George Menezes Cutts and Dereke Oladele complete the childrens cast.

Dolly Parton's adaptation of Charles Dickens' *A Christmas Carol* sets the story in 1930s East Tennessee. Ebenezer Scrooge owns a mining town but fails to recognise his employee’s hard work, eventually changing after he is visited by three ghosts. Dolly Parton will not appear in *Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol*. 

Alison Pollard directs and choreographs, with a creative team including set design by Scott Davis, costume design by Linda Roethke, lighting design by David Howe and sound design by Richard Brooker. 

*Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol* is at Queen Elizabeth Hall.

Book *Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol* tickets on London Theatre.

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png) ](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=25620&content_product_id=25620&venue_id=19)

*Photo credit: Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol in Boston (Photo courtesy of production)*

Robert Bathurst to play Scrooge in 'Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol'

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Genre: Musical (US and AUS)

Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol

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Please note that Dolly Parton is not appearing live in this production.

Set during the 1930s in the Great Smoky Mountains of east Tennessee, this heart-warming and truly unforgettable production imagines Ebenezer Scrooge as the owner of a mining company town, where his callous greed blinds him to the joys and gifts of the season.

As a Christmas Eve snowstorm approaches, Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who compel him to see life anew and discover that love is the greatest and most precious gift we have.

Dickens’ classic characters and Parton’s one-of-a-kind songwriting and storytelling expertise are certain to make this the most joyful Christmas event. Dolly Parton: ‘I’ve been busy writing new songs that I hope will bring some of the warmth, love and good memories that I have of Christmas time in the smoky mountains of my youth.’

Presented in association with Fiery Angel Entertainment.

Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol - LON - London Theatre

Buy Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol tickets showing at Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. Choose your own seats with the best availability at London Theatre.

Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol Tickets | Queen Elizabeth Hall | London Theatre

Charles Dickens and Dolly Parton come together for a country-infused *Christmas Carol* in London. Join Ebenezer Scrooge in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee.
See the European premiere of this warm, joyful Christmas musical.
God bless us everyone! Check out *Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol* in London today.

Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol - LON - TodayTix

How can you possibly reconceive still further *A Christmas Carol*, the Dickens title that seems on the verge of taking over London theatre at the moment? One unexpected answer is to hand it over to Dolly Parton, the singer-songwriter country music goddess last represented on the West End nearly 4 years ago with her stage musical, *9 to 5.*

But whereas that screen-to-stage transcription was a comparatively synthetic affair, [*Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol*](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/show/25620-dolly-partons-smoky-mountain-christmas-carol-tickets) is an unexpected delight. And whilst its overtly Christian nature may come as something of a surprise to London’s inevitably more secular audience, the show itself, and Alison Pollard’s deeply affectionate rendering of it, fairly brim with sincerity and heart.

I felt the odd tear moistening my eye well before the final reprise of “Circle of Love”, one of the many musical earworms in Parton’s score: and many will note the resemblance of that title to a certain time-honoured Disney song that taps into a similarly wide embrace. (The difference is that these lyrics specifically reference God’s love.)

The setting here are the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee during the 1930s —that’s to say rural Appalachia where the 76-year-old Parton was herself born into poverty. It’s “the season of generosity and charity,” but a crusty Ebenezer Scrooge (Robert Bathurst) is having none of it. 

Jacob Marley has died, and so Scrooge is busy serving foreclosures even as the locals await a blizzard: “It’s colder than cold,” both in the world at large and within Scrooge’s heart. On these chilly evenings just now, visitors to the South Bank will surely agree. 

The status quo is upended by the reappearance of Marley in the growly presence of a hard-working George Maguire — like most of the cast, the Olivier-winning Maguire juggles multiple roles. Three ghosts, it seems, will manifest within as many hours in an attempt to kick the nightshirt-wearing Scrooge into a newly engaged and empathic life.

There’s no one called Belle in this iteration, nor will you find satsumas or mince pies falling from above, as at the Old Vic. The references instead are to hayrides, maple syrup, and oatmeal served with raisins.

“People need Christmas, all people – even you,” an avuncular Ghost of Christmas Present (Minal Patel) informs our anti-hero, who is forced to confront his younger self before taking the second chance on life that he hasn’t thought could be possible. (The scenes of the older Scrooge re-examining his past put me rather improbably in mind of a honky-tonk version of Stephen Sondheim’s *Follies*.)

David H. Bell’s book may at times take the nearby availability of syrup a bit too literally, even if that liquid is seen here to contain not inconsiderable amounts of alcohol. You don’t expect this sort of adaptation to strive for Steinbeck-style verisimilitude about a citizenry under economic or even racial stress.

But taken on its own, openhearted terms, the show captivates throughout, buoyed aloft by music and lyrics from Parton that range from plaintive solos and duets to rousing company numbers with titles like “Good Time”: you get what it says on the tin but with more exuberance (and, may I say, better American accents) than I had anticipated.

Bathurst more often than not makes an agreeably bemused surveyor of Scrooge's life, while a firm-voiced Danny Whitehead does the bulk of the vocal heavy lifting as both the young Scrooge and the mother-less Fred, nephew to the senior Scrooge. There’s outstanding musicality from a clarion-voiced Sarah O’Connor, and I loved the *Fiddler On the Roof*-style side-of-the-stage presence of Corey Wickens as a purely fiddle-playing Ghost of Christmas Future.

Scott Davis’s set, hanging chairs and all, makes deft use of a tricky space: the [Queen Elizabeth Hall](https://www.londontheatre.co.uk/theatres/queen-elizabeth-hall) isn’t the ideal venue for theatre, which only redoubles this production’s achievements. (I liked the large box on view of Tide detergent, even if that washing powder wasn’t actually introduced, apparently, until 1946.) And given that musicals more often than not require change, it seems right that Scrooge only lets loose in song at the eleventh hour to sing the inevitable paean to self-transformation called – what else? – “I’ve changed.”

Spurious uplift in musicals runs all too rampant, but the sentiment here is fully earned as Scrooge learns the never-too-late value in acquiring a generosity of spirit. Those wondering where to begin that purchase could start by attending this show.

*Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol is at Queen Elizabeth Hall through 8 January. Book Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol tickets on London Theatre.*

[![LT - CTA - 250](//images.ctfassets.net/6pezt69ih962/1t6HRGmhlYl70k6PmR0mOZ/3caac861bc1d4233cd7844652c925623/LT-CTA-250.png)](https://ticket.londontheatre.co.uk/booking/calendar?product_id=25620&content_product_id=25620&venue_id=19)

*Photo credit: Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol (Photo by Manuel Harlan)*

'Dolly Parton's Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol' review — a country-infused seasonal delight warms the soul

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The building was originally opened in March 1967 by Her Majesty the Queen and this historic restoration was possible through generous support from Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund. Queen Elizabeth Hall reopened in April 2018 following almost three years of renovations with world class, environmentally-improved new facilities for audiences and artists. The building also houses Purcell Room — a smaller, more intimate space.


Robert Bathurst to play Scrooge in 'Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol'

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