HEADLINE NEWS

Old Vic Announces 2019/2020 Season featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Claire Foy, Matt Smith and MoreThe Waterloo venue has this week announced plans for its upcoming season. The lineup features a stage adaptation of Luke Harding’s novel A VERY EXPENSIVE POSION by Lucy Prebble, a short run of Duncan Macmillan’s LUNGS starring Matt Smith and Claire Foy, the return of Jack Thorne’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL for a third straight festive season, Alan Cumming and Daniel Radcliffe in a double-bill of Samuel Beckett’s ENDGAME and ROUGH FOR THEATRE II, and the London premiere of the musical adaptation of LOCAL HERO, with music by Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler.

Michael Ball Leads West End Return of HAIRSPRAY in 2020Ticket’s are now on sale for the West End return of the Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical HAIRSPRAY, opening at the London Coliseum in April 2020. Original London star Michael Ball reprises his Olivier Award-winning turn as Edna Turnblad whilst original creative team members Jack O’Brien and Jerry Mitchell return to direct and choreograph the revival. The new production runs at the London Coliseum to July 2020.

Musical Adaptation THE PRINCE OF EGYPT to Premiere in the West EndBased on the 1998 Dreamwork animated film, the stage adaptation of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT is to open at the West End’s Dominion Theatre in February 2020. Based on the Biblical story of Moses, the production features music from Stephen Schwartz (WICKED, PIPPIN) including the Academy Award-winning ‘When You Believe’. THE PRINCE OF EGYPT has a book by Philip LaZebnik, direction by Scott Schwartz and choreography by Sean Cheesman. Following previous runs in the US and Denmark, the piece arrives in London for a limited 32 week engagement at the Dominion.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge to Lead West End Premiere of FLEABAGIt was announced this week that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is to reprise her role in FLEABAG at the West End’s Wyndham’s Theatre. Penned by Waller-Bridge herself, the one-woman play originally premiered at Soho Theatre in 2013 before various runs including the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and a recent Off-Broadway production. The play was adapted into a critically-acclaimed BBC TV series starring Waller-Bridge alongside actors including Olivia Colman and Andrew Scott. The West End run will be final time Waller-Bridge will appear in FLEABAG, running only from 20th August to 14th September. Don’t hold your breath on getting tickets though, the entire run sold out only hours after being announced!

National Theatre’s HADESTOWN Leads this Year’s Tony Award Nominees

Hopping over the pond, nominees were announced this week for the 73rd Annual Tony Awards, honouring the productions that played Broadway in the 2019/2020 season. The musical HADESTOWN, which played at London’s National Theatre in late 2018, led the nominees with 14 nominations including Best Musical. Among other British nominees, James Graham’s INK and Jez Butterworth’s THE FERRYMAN, which both premiered in the UK in 2017, were nominated for Best New Play, whilst INK star Bertie Carvel received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Play. Other Brits represented include Laura Donnelly, Paddy Considine, Ruth Wilson, Rupert Goold and Sam Mendes.

Royal Court Announces New SeasonA year’s worth of new work has been announced for the Royal Court in London this week. The season opens with three new plays by Caryl Churchill, GLASS. KILL. BLUEBEARD. which will run together with direction by James Macdonald. Other highlights in the season include TOTAL IMMEDIATE COLLECTIVE IMMINENT TERRESTRIAL SALVATION by Tim Crouch, the return of Debris Stevenson’s POET IN DA CORNER, song project IS IN OUR BLOOD performed by Dutch singer-songwriter Wende, and THE GLOW a new play by Alastair McDowell and directed by Royal Court AD Vicky Featherstone.

ALSO THIS WEEK

Marianne Elliot’s new production of DEATH OF A SALESMAN, which began previews at the Young Vic this week, has announced an extension to July 13th.

New casting has been announced for the West End produciton of MAMMA MIA! Mazz Murray, who previously played Tanya in the musical, returns to the production to play the lead role of Donna in the show.

In related West End casting news, Maria Friedman and Anita Dobson return to the West End from mid-June, joining the cast of Trevor Nunn’s revival of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF as Golde and Yente at the Playhouse Theatre.

Over at the Gielgud Theatre, previous cast members Rob Houchen and Bradley Jaden join the cast of LES MISÉRABLES: THE ALL-STAR STAGED CONCERT as Marius and Enjolras respectively. They join a multitude of West End stars in the production including Alfie Boe, Michael Ball, Matt Lucas, Carrie Hope-Fletcher and John Owen-Jones.

Stephen Fry will embark on a UK tour of his new trilogy of plays MYTHOS. Following a run at the Edinburgh Fringe, the production tours to Salford, Liverpool, Birmingham, Oxford, Gateshead as well as a stop at the London Palladium.

REVIEW ROUND-UP

SMALL ISLAND (National Theatre)The Guardian ★★★★★
Telegraph ★★★★★
The Times ★★★★
The Stage ★★★
WhatsOnStage ★★★★

ROSMERSHOLM (Duke of York’s Theatre)The Guardian ★★★★★
Telegraph ★★★★
The Times ★★★★
The Stage ★★★
WhatsOnStage ★★★★

MAN OF LA MANCHA (London Coliseum)The Guardian ★★
Telegraph ★★
The Times ★★
The Stage ★★★
WhatsOnStage ★★

THIS IS MY FAMILY (Chichester Festival Theatre)The Guardian ★★★★★
Telegraph ★★★★
The Times ★★★★
The Stage ★★★★
WhatsOnStage ★★★★