London Theatre News

Be More Chill extends at The Other Palace to June 2020

Having opened at The Other Palace last week, Be More Chill will now play an extended booking period at the London venue. Be More Chill will now run at The Other Palace to June 2020, making it the longest-running musical in the theatre's history.The Other Palace stays chill The London transfer of Be More Chill began performances at The Other Palace on 12th February, with an official opening night on 25th February.With an initial booking period to 3rd May 2020, Be More Chill will now run at The...

Lizzie Bea: ‘It's important I'm a good role model for people coming to see Hairspray’

Anne-Marie Duff to star in world premiere of The House of Shades at the Almeida

Anne-Marie Duff will return to the Almeida Theatre to star in the world premiere of Beth Steel's The House of Shades. Blanche McIntyre will direct Steel's family drama set in working-class Britain, opening in May.Set over five decades of the lives of the Webster family, The House of Shades pinpoints the changes that have taken place in working-class Britain. As a family looks towards a hopeful future, they're also haunted by their pasts, where knives held by family members can cut the...

Kate Fleetwood to play Cruella De Vil in 101 Dalmatians

Initial casting has been announced for Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's upcoming production of 101 Dalmatians, a musical adaptation of Dodie Smith's original story.Opening in May, the musical has a book by Zinnie Harris and music and lyrics by Douglas Hodge to tell the story of a fashionista with a dislike for animals, who steals puppies from around London for their fur.Kate Fleetwood will play said character, Cruella De Vil, in Timothy Sheader's production. Her theatre credits include London...

Friday Briefing: Going beyond my critical zone and being honest in my reviews

Getting out of my comfort zoneFor over 40 years now (since I moved to London at the age of 16), I have so doggedly devoted myself to going to the theatre that I've largely missed out on life outside of it. I recently wrote here of discovering the joys of television, in which I said: "Thanks partly to being married to someone who does enjoy television, and partly thanks to the availability of programmes on Netflix and other streaming platforms, I'm now in the process of catching up on (some of)...

Giles Terera to star in Sammy Davis Jr. musical Sammy at Lyric Hammersmith

Dates and a venue have been confirmed for the much-anticipated Sammy Davis Jr. musical Sammy, which will star Olivier Award-winning actor Giles Terera as the legendary entertainer.With a book, music and lyrics by Academy and Grammy Award winner Leslie Bricusse - who is known for writing the likes of "Feeling Good", "Goldfinger" and "Pure Imagination", Sammy will tell the story of the life and career of Davis Jr., the American entertainer known for his hits such as "What Kind of Fool Am I?" and...

To Kill a Mockingbird starring Rhys Ifans extends run in the West End

Tickets have been released for the West End transfer of Broadway hit To Kill a Mockingbird as the run in London has been extended by two months.Based on the modern classic novel by Harper Lee, Aaron Sorkin's play tells the story about small-town lawyer Atticus Finch who is tasked with representing the defence during a high-profile rape case at a time when racism and prejudice is rife throughout middle America.It comes to London after Bartlett Sher's production wowed on Broadway when it opened in...

The Ocean at the End of the Lane to transfer to Duke of York’s Theatre

After a limited engagement at the Dorfman Theatre, The Ocean at the End of the Lane will transfer to the Duke of York's Theatre. Announced as part of the National Theatre's latest season, Joel Horwood's adaptation of Neil Gaiman's best-selling novel will be performed in the West End from October 2020, with tickets on sale next month.The Ocean at the End of St. Martin's LaneBased on the 2013 novel of the same name, The Ocean at the End of the Lane follows a man named Alex who is plunged into a...

Will producers have more faith in putting our British musical theatre stars in the spotlight?

The West End musical is in rude health: in 2018, musicals were seen by over 9 million people, spending more than £500m for the privilege (audiences for plays, by comparison, were seen by over 4 million people, spending some £167m; figures for 2019 are not available yet). No wonder that musicals occupy more West End theatres than plays do, and of course (with the golden exception of The Mousetrap), usually run for a lot longer than plays nowadays. While plays are typically booked for limited runs...

Full casting to star alongside Timothée Chalamet in 4000 Miles at the Old Vic

The full cast for the upcoming production of Amy Herzog's Pulitzer Prize-nominated play 4000 Miles at the Old Vic has been announced. They'll star alongside the Academy Award-nominated Timothée Chalamet in the play's London premiere.4000 Miles complete castPhillippine Velge will play Bec in 4000 Miles, making her Old Vic debut. She's previously starred in a production of Macbeth at Shakespeare's Globe and will make her film debut in Été 85. Velge is joined by Siu-See Hung as Amanda, with theatre...