London Theatre News

Theatres allowed to open in May in latest Coronavirus roadmap, says Prime Minister

UPDATE: Boris Johnson has stated that theatres can open from 17 May. Find out more about London theatres reopening here.Following Boris Johnson's speech in the House of Commons this afternoon, details have been announced for the future of live entertainment, which includes West End theatres. This comes ahead of a press conference taking place at 7pm tonight, 22 February. Speaking about the four steps which have been planned to take England out of lockdown, Johnson confirmed that theatres will be...

Musical theatre graduates to star in Cadogan Hall concerts

As the Coronavirus pandemic has halted the training of performing arts students and graduates, a series of concerts have been set up to celebrate their resilience. 40 performers will take part in the concerts, available to watch from 26 March - 4 April.The musical theatre concerts will allow young artists to showcase their talents. The events will be hosted by Six stars Grace Mouat and Courtney Bowman, as well as Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Fiver's Luke Bayer.The line up includes: Abel...

‘Girl on an Altar’ to be streamed, starring Adjoa Andoh

A new season of work at the Kiln Theatre has been confirmed. As well as online panel discussions, a livestreamed reading of Girl on an Altar will take place, available to watch on 5 March.The Kiln Theatre's artistic director Indhu Rubasingham said: "As we continue to work on reopening it is important we keep finding ways to connect with our communities. It is vital in these difficult times that we continually look at how to support and engage with the pathways into theatre careers."The premiere...

‘Vanara’ world premiere musical to open at Hackney Empire

Hackney Empire will be home to the world premiere of a brand new musical. Titled Vanara, the mystical musical will play at Hackney Empire from 22 - 31 October, and will be the first musical at the off-West End venue since theatres shut in March 2020.Set on another planet, Vanara follows two tribes who are locked down in battle. One tribe knows how to use fire, with their rivals trying to acquire the skills. It's down to one woman if she protects her life or burns it down.Vanara blends...

Meghan Markle steps down as Royal Patron of the National Theatre

With news that The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be returning as working members of the Royal Family, Meghan Markle's position as Royal Patron of the National Theatre has now ended. In a statement from the National Theatre "the National Theatre is very grateful for the support offered by the Duchess of Sussex throughout the course of her patronage. The Duchess championed our work with communities and young people across the UK and our mission to make theatre accessible to all."A new royal...

Wendi Peters to star in ‘You Are Here’ UK premiere

UPDATE: In a tweet from Southwark Playhouse, You Are Here will now play at Southwark Playhouse from 17 May - 12 June.A brand new musical will reopen Southwark Playhouse in April, starring Wendi Peters. Inspired by the 1969 moon landings, You Are Here will hold in person performances as well as a one-off livestreamed performance during its run.Written by Brian Hill, You Are Here follows Diana, a Chicago housewife who watches Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon. Seeking excitement, a...

‘BKLYN - The Musical’ digital revival to stream in March

An online revival of BKLYN - The Musical will premiere next month, it has been announced. Filmed at London's Ugly Duck space, BKLYN will be available to stream from 22 March - 4 April, with a plethora of West End stars taking part.BKLYN tells the stories of multiple street performers, whose lives intersect on the streets of New York City. Sharing tales with each other, they discover an inner story of a young girl in the USA finding the father she never knew. First performed on Broadway in 2004,...

‘Six’ extends Lyric Theatre run to August 2021

UPDATE: New information added 5 May.The West End run of Six will continue at the Lyric Theatre into the summer, it has been announced. The British musical will stay at the Lyric Theatre to 29 August, with Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical now opening at the Lyric in October.In a tweet from the production, Six will reopen at the Lyric Theatre on 21 May, which was teased by Nica Burns when speaking to Radio 2.Casting for the Six reopening is to be announced. Before the show was forced to...

'Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical' postponed to October 2021

In the same week that Sister Act and Good have postponed their London runs, Get Up! Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical is the latest show to be pushed back. The Bob Marley world premiere production will now begin at the Lyric Theatre in October, with performances scheduled to 3 Apr. 2022.In a tweet from the production, the musical is delayed until social distancing is lifted. They have confirmed they are "busy behind the scenes getting ready to welcome audiences to this uplifting show and the...

Can artificial intelligence algorithms alone write a play?

Writing a play often takes months, maybe years of work. After this, a show is often developed and workshopped until it is performed in front of an audience. But, what if writing a play was made easier? The world premiere of the first play, titled AI: When a robot writes a play, written entirely by artificial intelligence (AI) will premiere on 26 February.Created by Czech Centre London in partnership with Prague's Švanda Theatre, their upcoming AI play is written entirely by a robot. It's been...