London Theatre News

National Theatre to stream Benedict Cumberbatch's Frankenstein and launches virtual quiz

The National Theatre has announced the latest two productions set to be streamed online as part of its National Theatre at Home scheme, as well as a new quiz hosted by acting legends.Over the last three weeks, productions of One Man, Two Guvnors, Treasure Island and Jane Eyre were made available over consecutive weeks on YouTube and seen by millions of people.Tonight, on Shakespeare Day, Simon Godwin's production of Twelfth Night starring Tamsin Greig will be streamed.Next week, Danny Boyle's...

Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem to return to London in 2021 with Mark Rylance

UPDATE: Jerusalem starring Mark Rylance and Mackenzie Crook will open at the Apollo Theatre in April 2022. Find out more about Jerusalem in London here.Sonia Friedman has used social media to tease that Jez Butterworth's play Jerusalem is set to return to London next year.Directed by Ian Rickson, the play premiered at the Royal Court in 2009, and starred Mark Rylance as Johnny "Rooster" Byron, a wanted man who is being searched for by the council while his son wants to take him to the local...

Revealed: William Shakespeare’s best play as voted for by the public

To celebrate Shakespeare Day on 23rd April, we've been asking LondonTheatre.co.uk readers to let us know what they consider the definitive play by the Bard, and now, we can reveal the winner.William Shakespeare wrote 39 plays throughout his career, including 16 comedies, 11 histories and 12 tragedies which have been revived, adapted and performed countless times across the world.With such variation, deciding only one could have proved difficult. However, the public has spoken and a clear winner...

Earth Day: Five ways theatre can become more environmentally friendly

Each year, Earth Day rolls around and we take a step back to appreciate the planet, and become more aware of the ways we could do better.Well, it's theatre's turn to face the music. Theatres are set to be dark for months given the current coronavirus blackout, but that means there's no better time to consider changes which could be made to make theatre more sustainable. Rather than attempt to implement small-scale changes while productions are running, producers and theatre owners have an...

Les Miserables Staged Concert featuring Michael Ball available for digital download

From today, the all-star staged concert version of Les Miserables has been made available for digital download, with some funds being donated to Captain Tom Moore's NHS fund.The special production was staged in the West End last year, when the original West End production was closed at the Queen's Theatre for refurbishments to the building, and so a star-studded cast was assembled to take part in the limited-run production along Shaftesbury Avenue at the Gielgud Theatre.Starring Michael Ball,...

Friday Briefing: Creating art in lockdown, and James Graham taking Quiz to the screen

Every Thursday night at 8 pm, the country pauses for a moment and rightly stands to attention to applaud and cheer the work of medical and other essential workers who are keeping us safe and fed during this crisis. It reminds us of their selflessness in putting themselves on the frontline. We can all play our part, however, small, by simply participating; it was wonderfully rousing to see Rebecca Caine - the original Cosette in Les Miserables - leading her <a...

Quiz: Complete the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical lyrics

He may be one of the world's most renowned musical theatre composers, but in order to create his best work, Andrew Lloyd Webber collaborates with some of the best lyricists around to create his iconic scores. From Evita to The Phantom of the Opera to School of Rock and more, Webber and his collaborators have consistently created some of the most memorable songs written in modern times. But just how memorable? Test your knowledge of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals by completing the lyrics to some...

Quiz may have been the closest to a live theatre experience we can hope for right now

As theatre fans, there's always a buzz around the major broadcast of a stage-to-screen adaptation. Not only does it create a version of a play or musical you once adored on stage which can be experienced time and time again, but there's a great joy in drawing comparisons between what you experienced in the theatre, and how it's being presented on screen.Of course, it's a matter of subjectivity as to whether a TV production gets this right or not. But it's objective to say If James Graham is...

Jack Thorne's A Christmas Carol to return to Old Vic for a fourth consecutive year

UPDATE: It was confirmed on 8 October that A Christmas Carol will be livestreamed from the Old Vic. More information can be found here.Jack Thorne's adaptation of A Christmas Carol will return to the Old Vic later this year, with Charles Dickens' timeless festive tale set to delight London audiences for a fourth consecutive Christmas season. The production will return to the Old Vic from 21st November, with tickets on sale from next week.The festive story centres around Ebenezer Scrooge, a...

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera to be streamed online

Following the previous successes of the streaming of two of his musicals - Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - to homes worldwide for free, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber has announced the third production to be made available.Webber launched the YouTube channel The Shows Must Go On two weeks ago in the face of the coronavirus crisis forcing millions of people across the world to be placed under lockdown, unable to leave their homes.Theatres were closed in the...