London Theatre News

9 new shows to get excited about coming to London in 2019

There have been a whole host of major openings in the West End already this year, from musical staples like Waitress and 9 to 5 the Musical, to plays with major stars like Betrayal starring Tom Hiddleston or All About Eve with Gillian Anderson, which have both come and gone. There's still so much to come to London before the year is out, here's our round-up of the theatre shows in London you need to see before the end of 2019. Dear Evan HansenThe hit Broadway musical sent shockwaves through the...

First look photos of Jamie Lloyd's Evita at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre

Production images have been released giving a sneak peek at Jamie Lloyd's new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Evita, which opens at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre on Thursday.Lloyd's production stars Samantha Pauly as Eva Peron, alongside Ektor Rivera as Juan Peron and Trent Saunders as Tre. Click here to read more casting.Evita rounds-off this year's season at the Open Air Theatre, which included productions of A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hansel and Gretel, and Thornton Wilder's Our...

Reaction to death of legendary Broadway director Harold Prince

Tributes have been pouring in from the theatre community following the death Broadway producer and director Harold Prince, who has died at the age of 91. Over the course of his career, Prince won 21 Tony Awards - a record for an individual - as a director on musicals such as Company (1971), Follies (1972), Evita (1980), The Phantom of the Opera (1985), and Show Boat (1995), as well as his for work as a producer on productions such as A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1963), and...

New casting announced for 9 to 5 the Musical in the West End

Casting has been announced for the West End production of 9 to 5 the Musical, as a second production gears up to tour the UK.Amber Davies, the Love Island winner who made her West End debut in the musical in the role of Judy earlier this year, will play her final performance in the London production on 31st August before she joins the cast of the UK tour.Chelsea Halfpenny will join the cast in the role of Judy and make her West End debut in 9 to 5 from 2nd September. She began her acting career...

Top 10 London theatre shows opening this August

There may be plenty going on up in Scotland as Edinburgh's festivals get underway, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty to get excited about here in London this month. Our top picks for August include an ALW musical taken on by a visionary director, the return of a cult hero to the stage, and a celeb-stuffed concert of a West End favourite. Evita Regent's Park Open Air TheatreHot on the heels of his Harold Pinter season in the West End, Jamie Lloyd turns his attention to musicals as he puts...

Dates and ticket details announced for James McAvoy in Cyrano de Bergerac

Following previous news that James McAvoy will star as the titular character in an adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, performance dates and a venue have been announced for the upcoming production.The play will begin previews at the Playhouse Theatre on 27th November, and receive an official opening night on 6th December, with a limited engagement to 29th February 2020.Cyrano de Bergerac will mark the first production as part of a season of work directed by Jamie Lloyd at the Playhouse Theatre,...

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)...

Disney launches West End musical pop-up store in Covent Garden

Disney has launched its traditional summer pop-up shop in London's Covent Garden, celebrating their four current and upcoming musicals in the West End.Located at 21 Long Acre, visitors have the opportunity to examine costumes and masks from the current West End production of The Lion King, as well as get up close to the lamp from Aladdin, which currently plays at the Prince Edward Theatre, and play an original Aladdin Sega video game, housed in custom-built arcade machines.From the company's...

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...

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...