London Theatre News

Full casting announced for world premiere of Bitter Wheat at the Garrick Theatre

The complete casting for the upcoming world premiere of David Mamet's Bitter Wheat starring John Malkovich at the Garrick Theatre has been announced.Inspired by recent Hollywood scandals surrounding Harvey Weinstein and the #MeToo movement, Bitter Wheat follows Barney Fein, a Hollywood producer whose career falls from grace, left with a tarnished reputation.Alexander Arnold joins the cast, with previous theatre credits include Crushed Shells and Mud at the Southwark Playhouse and Four Minutes...

Samantha Womack to star in West End transfer of The Girl on the Train

As part of the production's national tour, it has been announced that The Girl on the Train will play at the Duke of York's Theatre for a limited engagement.Based on the 2015 novel by Paula Hawkins and adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel, the story follows Rachel Watson, a female commuter whose travels take on a greater importance as she finds herself a witness in a missing person investigation.Samantha Womack will play Rachel Watson in The Girl on the Train. Best known for...

Back to The Future to receive West End transfer in 2020

It has been announced that Back to the Future: The Musical will receive its West End premiere in 2020.Based on the award-winning 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox, Back to the Future follows Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown who travel through time in a modified DeLorean. The film features a soundtrack including 'The Power of Love' by Huey Lewis and the News and 'Johnny B. Goode'.The musical will open at Manchester Opera House on 20th February 2020, where it will play for a 12 week limited...

'Kenneth Lonergan weaves large ideas into everyday life': The Starry Messenger cast and director Sam Yates

The presence of Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer Kenneth Lonergan returns to the West End with The Starry Messenger, soon to open at the Wyndham's Theatre. Matthew Broderick will make his West End debut in the production as Mark, alongside Elizabeth McGovern in a production directed by Sam Yates, recently directing The Phlebotomist at Hampstead Theatre.First performed at an off-Broadway venue in 2009, The Starry Messenger follows an astronomy teacher, facing a rocky marriage and dealing with the...

Touching The Void to transfer to Duke of York’s Theatre

Following a world premiere production at the Bristol Old Vic in 2018 and performances earlier this year, Touching The Void will transfer to the Duke of York's Theatre, it has been announced.Based on Joe Simpson's 1988 memoir of the same name and adapted for the stage by David Greig, the play details real-life events of Joe Simpson and Simon Yates who scaled the previously unclimbed West Face of Siula Grande in the Peruvian Andes. As their lives quickly came into danger, Simpson and Yates have to...

Full casting announced to join Jason Donovan and Sheridan Smith in Joseph at the Palladium

Complete casting for this summer's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium has been announced.Joining the previously confirmed Jason Donovan as the Pharaoh, Sheridan Smith and West End debutante Jac Yarrow as Joseph are Richard Carson as Reuben, Michael Pickering as Simeon, Jack Wilcox, James Ballantyne, Joshua Steel, Femi Akinfolarin and Carl Spencer as the brothers.Vanessa Fisher, Casey Al-Shaqsy, Emily Ann Potter, Thalia Burt, Harriet Samuel Gray,...

Juliet Stevenson and Ria Zmitrowicz to star in Robert Icke’s The Doctor at the Almeida

Robert Icke will direct his new play The Doctor, which is freely adapted by Arthur Schnitzler's 1912 play Professor Bernhardi, at the Almeida Theatre in August, it has been announced.Schnitzler's play is set in 1900 Vienna, and explores antisemitism and Austrian-Jewish identity. It was banned in Austria until the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian empire, and was last performed in London at the Arcola Theatre in 2005.The play will star Juliet Stevenson, who starred in Icke's productions of Mary...

Casting announced for Noises Off at the Lyric Hammersmith

The full casting has been announced for the return of Noises Off to the Lyric Hammersmith, which will open at the off-West End theatre next month.First performed at the Hammersmith venue in 1982, Noises Off follows a play-within-a-play structure. Inspired by the stage directions, the play showcases the unpredictable nature of being backstage at a theatre.Noises Off is written by Michael Frayn. Commenting on the show's return to the venue, he said: "It's a great personal pleasure for me, of...

Team behind Bridge Theatre to open new venue in London’s King’s Cross

Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr are set to open their second commercial theatre venue in London, following their recent venture at the Bridge Theatre in London Bridge.Designed by Howard Tompkins Architects in collaboration with TAIT, the theatre will include a 600-sear flexible auditorium, based on the Bridge's current auditorium capable of "streamlined transformation between formats". It will have a foyer, featuring a café/bar open to the public during the day and during show times. The building...

Heartbeat of Home to transfer to the Piccadilly Theatre

Following a world tour and performances at the London Palladium in February, Heartbeat of Home will return to the West End for a limited run at the Piccadilly Theatre, it has been announced.Produced by the company behind Riverdance, Heartbeat of Home is a celebration of music and performances styles from around the globe. Blending Latin, contemporary, hip-hop and Irish dance steps, the production sets out to unite performers and audiences on an adrenaline-fuelled journey through dance.Concept...