London Theatre News

Aisha Jawando to take over role of Tina Turner in West End musical

Aisha Jawando will take over the lead role in Tina - The Tina Turner Musical at the Aldwych Theatre later this year.Jawando, who is the current alternate Tina Turner playing the role on Monday evenings and Thursday matinees, will take over from Nkeki Obi-Melekwe, who is leaving the production to join the cast of the Broadway transfer which opens later this year.The musical premiered in the West End in 2018 starring Adrienne Warren in the titular role. Warren, will star in the Broadway premiere...

Broadway reviews: What the critics think of Moulin Rouge on Broadway

The stage version of Moulin Rouge!, Baz Luhrmann's musical romance set in the famous Parisian cabaret, was always bound to create a spectacle when it landed on Broadway. Updated for 2019, the musical version, which has a book by John Logan, features a number of contemporary hits from the likes of Adele, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and Katy Perry.Directed by Alex Timbers, the musical features a lavish, all-encompassing set at the Al Hirschfield Theatre, on which aspiring writer Christian (Aaron Tveit)...

Further casting announced for Mary Poppins return to the West End

Further casting has been announced for the upcoming West End production of Mary Poppins, which will run at the Prince Edward Theatre this summer.The stage musical adaptation, which has original music by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and a book by Julian Fellowes, of the classic Disney film returns to London having previously run here in 2004.Zizi Strallen has been previously announced in the titular role, a magical nanny who floats down to the home of the Banks family in London, having played...

5 Questions from Over the Pond: Nick Afoa & Bradley Gibson

This past weekend, Disney released its latest remake and it took home an almighty sum of £16.7 million during its first weekend of release at the UK box office alone! In case you've been sleeping under a (Pride) rock, we're talking about The Lion King, which assembled an all-star voice cast to re-imagine the 1994 animated classic using the latest in CGI technology. That cast includes the likes of James Earl Jones as Mufasa (reprising the role from the original film), Donald Glover as Simba,...

Lyric Hammersmith’s Noises Off to transfer to the West End starring Meera Syal

Lyric Hammersmith's revival of Micharl Frayn's comedy Noises Off will transfer to the West End's Garrick Theatre later this year.Starring Meera Syal, Lloyd Owen and Daniel Rigby, director Jeremy Herrin revived the play, which is set around a calamitous theatre production, which opened at the Lyric earlier this month.Syal, Rigby, Owen and Simon Rouse will star in the West End transfer, with further casting to be announced. Set during rehearsals, backstage at a performance, and then during a show,...

Andy Mace to play Grandad in Only Fools and Horses musical as Paul Whitehouse takes break

Paul Whitehouse will leave the West End production of Only Fools and Horses the Musical at the end of the week, as he takes a short break from playing Grandad before returning in 'several months' time'. Whitehouse wrote the production, which is based on John Sullivan's hit TV sitcom, with the creator's son Jim. It features a host of characters from the series, including wheeler-dealer Del Boy, his brother Rodney, and Grandad. While Whitehouse takes his break, Andy Mace will take over the role at...

Josh Piterman to lead new cast of The Phantom of the Opera in the West End

New casting has been announced for the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical The Phantom of the Opera, which heads into its 34th year in the West End.From 9th September, Australian singer Josh Piterman will play the titular Phantom at Her Majesty's Theatre. Many of his musical theatre credits come in hi Australian productions of West Side Story, The Last Five Years, Blood Brothers, and Beautiful - The Carole King Musical and Cats. His UK theatre credits include a national tour of Hairspray, playing Corny...

Cats: Twitter reacts to the trailer of Andrew Lloyd Webber musical movie

It's been hotly anticipated for years now, as a killer cast of Hollywood A-listers and acting greats was slowly assembled for the movie adaptation of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats. But our first glimpse of the animated film didn't quite see the Jellicle Moon shining bright. Released in the late hours of Thursday, the trailer gave us a first look at the likes of James Corden, Judi Dench, Taylor Swift, Ian McKellen, Idris Elba, Rebel Wilson, Jason Derulo and Jennifer Hudson in their feline...

Full cast announced for Les Miserables all-star concert at the Gielgud Theatre

A cast of over 65 members will star in the upcoming Les Miserables: All-Star Staged Concert, as the full company for the upcoming production at the Gielgud Theatre has been announced.Shan Ako and Lily Kerhoas will make their West End debuts in the production as Eponine and Cosette respectively, joining the previously announced cast including Alfie Boe as Jean Valjean, Michael Ball as Javert, Carrie Hope Fletcher as Fantine, Matt Lucas as Thenardier, Katy Secombe as Madame Thenardier, Rob Houchen...

Paul McCartney working on It's A Wonderful Life stage musical

Sir Paul McCartney is reportedly writing his first stage musical, an adaptation of the 1946 film It's A Wonderful Life, set to premiere in late 2020, it has been reported.Lee Hall - who wrote Billy Elliot and the recent National Theatre production of Network - is collaborating with the Beatles bassist on original music for the show, which will be produced by Bill Kenwright.The film, written and directed by Frank Capra, starred James Stewart as George Bailey, a suicidal man who is saved by the...