London Theatre News

West End theatre cancellations extended to 31st May due to coronavirus pandemic

Theatres in the West End will not open until the summer at the earliest, as the Society of London Theatre has announced the closure of all productions until 31st May.Performances were first suspended form 16th March following government advice issued by the Prime Minister asking social venues to close. On 20th March, performances were formally cancelled until 26th April.In a new statement, performances have been suspended until at least 31st May.The statement reads: "We are now cancelling all...

Cast recording of world premiere production of The Prince of Egypt released

UPDATE: The cast recording of The Prince of Egypt will be available in CD form from 20 November. An original cast recording of the world premiere of The Prince of Egypt has now been released, two months after the show made its debut at the Dominion Theatre. The musical's soundtrack features ten original songs written for the musical by Stephen Schwartz, who also wrote the music for the movie of the same name, with songs including "Deliver Us" and "When You Believe".Based on the DreamWorks...

Friday Briefing: Who should be winning Oliviers, and what happens to the Tonys?

This Sunday, the Olivier Awards should have been presented at the Royal Albert Hall, but of course, the ceremony's cancellation was one of the early casualties of the West End theatre shutdown that was implemented on March 16. SOLT, who run the awards, took a fast decision to cancel it the very next day. The ITV broadcast slot, which was to have run highlights of the ceremony on the night of the awards themselves, is now going to be taken by a programme that revisits the last decade of the...

Hairspray rescheduled to play London Coliseum from September

The planned upcoming production of Hairspray at the London Coliseum, which was set to open at the theatre starring Michael Ball in April, will now play the venue from September.Starring cast members Ball, Paul Merton, Rita Simons, Marisha Wallace and Lizzie Bea who were all set to appear in the original run, the musical will now open on 8th September, with previews beginning on 1st September and the run ending on 8th November.Ticket holders will have the option to move their tickets as a...

Five theatres streaming productions to watch at home for free in April

Usually, at the beginning of each month, we enjoy bringing you ten theatre shows we're most looking forward to opening in London over the next weeks. Unfortunately, with theatre doors closed for the foreseeable future, we're having to adapt and make do with what we've got.Just because theatres won't be on stage doesn't mean we shouldn't make and event of the performances on screen. With the National, Sadler's Wells and the Royal Court among some of the theatres beaming shows to our living rooms,...

Andrew Lloyd Webber launches free musical theatre streaming service

Andrew Lloyd Webber has launched a new YouTube channel that will stream a production of his musicals for free online every week, in an effort to keep people entertained while they are at home.Titled The Shows Must Go On!, a new production from the composer's repertoire will be made available for a 48-hour period every Friday at 7pm.The first production to be made available will be the 2000 adaptation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which starred Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman,...

Theatre productions to incorporate social distancing on stage when West End returns

In a display of solidarity, a number of West End productions have announced plans to incorporate social distancing on stage when theatres reopen their doors following the COVID-19 pandemic.To help flatten the curve of the pandemic, people have been asked to stay at home, in order to slow the spread of the virus, and therefore relieve the strain on healthcare systems. These measures have included the closure of theatres across the world, including in London's West End.However, to show support and...

Quiz: Can you spot the 25 musical theatre shows in this cartoon?

Every iconic show has a piece of iconic imagery, whether it be unmistakable artwork that's plastered across the West End, or an unforgettable moment created on stage. In our latest quiz, we're challenging you to find the 20 popular musicals, past and present, in our bespoke cartoon, featuring iconic artwork and moments from some of musical theatre's greatest shows. Click the image to get started, and you will have ten minutes to type in the 20 musicals as you find them. When you've completed the...

World Theatre Day: How well do you know your global national theatres?

Happy World Theatre Day! We're blessed in London to have the Royal National Theatre, three spaces producing world-class work, and right on our doorstep on the South Bank. However, there are some absolutely stunning national theatres all over the world, so we delved into the archives to find some, and put our readers to the test. Take the quiz below to see how well you can identify these theatres from across the globe. Safe travels! <iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="800"...

West End production of Waitress announces early closure

Producers have announced that the West End production of Waitress, which opened at the Adelphi Theatre last year, has closed.In a statement posted on social media, producers said: 'It is with great sadness that we announce the closing of our beloved London production of Waitress the Musical. As you'll be aware, we've had to temporarily lower the curtain at the Adelphi Theatre and it's now unlikely that the diner will reopen once this period of uncertainty is over.'If things do change and there...