Rodgers And Hammerstein’s Allegro Gets European Premiere

Book now for Rodgers and Hammerstein's Allegro at Southwark Playhouse

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical Allegro is to get its European premiere a mere 70 years after it opened on Broadway. In 1905 in a small Midwestern town, the wife of a local doctor gives birth to a baby boy, Joseph Taylor Jr. Allegro chronicles nearly four decades in the life of this average Joe – through his childhood, from college dorm to marriage altar, and on to his own medical career; from the tranquility of his hometown to the hectic din of big city life and a mid-life discovery of who he is and what his life is truly about, ultimately learning the most important lessons of all – the value of family, that money isn’t everything and that home really is where the heart is. Written after Oklahoma!, Carousel and the film of State Fair, Allegro opened on Broadway with the biggest box office advance in Broadway history. This … Read more

Thom Southerland Appointed Artistic Director of Charing Cross Theatre

Thom Sutherland appointed artistic director if Charing Cross Theatre

It was announced this morning that Thom Southerland has been appointed as artistic director of Charing Cross Theatre. He has announced his first season of four musicals which will be kicked off by an encore season of his award winning production of Titanic which was originally produced at Southwark Playhouse in 2013 by Danielle Tarento. Tarento will now join with Steven M Levy, Sean Sweeney and Vaughan Williams to co-produce the entire Charing Cross Season. The rest of the Charing Cross season will comprise productions of Radio Times, Ragtime and Death Takes A Holiday. Thom Southerland will direct all the shows apart from Radio TImes, which will be directed by Ben Woolf. Steven M. Levy said: “Thom Southerland’s appoinment marks the start of an exciting, fabulous new chapter in the history of our theatre. As we turn into a full-time producing house we are thrilled to announce the appointment of … Read more

First Look At Sheila Hancock and Jenna Russell in Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens at Southwark Playhouse

BritishTheatre.com are pleased to be bringing you this image of Sheila Hancock as Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale and Jenna Russell as Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale in the eagerly awaited European premiere of Grey Gardens. Grey Gradens is based on the iconic documentary of the same name with music by Scott Frankel, book by Doug Wright and lyrics by Michael Korie, which tells the story of the spectacular ruse and fall of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s aunt and cousin. Starting in 1941 at an engagement party at Grey Gardens, the Bouvier’s mansion in East Hampton, Long Island, the musical tracks the progression of the two women’s lives from American aristocrats to reclusive social outcasts living in such squalid conditions, in a home overrun by cats, that the Health Department deemed the mansion ‘unfit for human habitation’. Grey Gardens is produced by Danielle Tarento and directed by Thom Sutherland. The show … Read more

Casting Announced For European Premiere Of Grey Gardens

Grey Gardens musical Southwark Playhouse

Final casting has been announced today for the European premiere of Grey Gardens the musical which will play at the Southwark Playhouse from Saturday 2 January – Saturday 6 February 2016. The musical Grey Gardens is based on the iconic documentary, telling real life rise and fall of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s aunt and cousin, Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale.  Starting in 1941 at an engagement party at Grey Gardens, the Bouvier’s mansion in East Hampton, Long Island, the musical tracks the progression of the two women’s lives from American aristocrats to reclusive social outcasts living in such squalid conditions, in a home overrun by cats, that the Health Department deemed the mansion ‘unfit for human habitation’. Joining the previously announced Olivier Award-winning West End stars, Sheila Hancock and Jenna Russell are: Billy Boyle, who has just finished two years playing Grandpa George in Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at the … Read more

Russell And Hancock Cast in Grey Gardens Musical

Jenna Russell in Grey Gardens

Olivier Award-winning West End Stars, Jenna Russell and Sheila Hancock, are to star in the European premiere of Grey Gardens. The musical will play a six week season at the Southwark Playhouse from 2 January 2016. Starting in 1941 at an engagement party at Grey Gardens, the Bouvier’s mansion in East Hampton, Long Island, the musical tracks the progression of the two women’s lives from American aristocrats to reclusive social outcasts living in such squalid conditions, in a home overrun by cats, that the Health Department deemed the mansion ‘unfit for human habitation’. Based on an iconic 1975 documentary, Grey Gardens, with Book by Doug Wright, Music by Scott Frankel, Lyrics by Michael Korie, tells the spectacular real life rise and fall of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’s aunt and cousin, Edith and Edie Bouvier Beale. Grey Gardens will reunite Danielle Tarento (Producer) and Thom Sutherland (Director), the award-winning team behind Grand … Read more

REVIEW: Pure Imagination, St James Theatre ✭✭✭

Giles Terera Interview

Bricusse’s output is so prodigious and so tuneful that only the tone deaf would not find lots of numbers here satisfying and delicious. Many will find something to enjoy in every song, and certainly Musical Director, Michael England, does a terrific job accompanying the singers with a six piece band (including England on piano) that does real justice to England’s arrangements. As ever, there could have been more strings to swell the underscoring, but that is a small quibble.

Dogfight in Concert at St James Theatre

Dogfight in Concert at the St James Theatre

Exactly a year after Dogfight’s acclaimed European premiere season ended at Southwark Playhouse, the original cast and creative team are to reunite for a special concert version of the musical in the main theatre at St James Theatre on Sunday 11 October. Dogfight was showered with praise by the critics and the production was nominated Best Musical and Laura Jane Matthewman named Outstanding Emerging Talent in the Evening Standard Awards. Dogfight also received three Off West End Award nominations including Best Musical, Best Female and Best Male, and it was shortlisted Best Off West End Production in the Whatsonstage Awards. Producer Danielle Tarento said today: “Dogfight was such a special project for everyone involved. Now we have a wonderful opportunity to reunite the Dogfight family to once more sing the magical score by Pasek and Paul and relive again the heartbreaking love story between Eddie and Rose. As the lyrics … Read more