Month: August 2014

Cast Announced for David Hare’s The Vertical Hour at The Park Theatre

Off West End
David Hare The Vertical House Park Theatre

Park Theatre Artistic Director Jez Bond has announced the full cast for the first London revival of David Hare’s The Vertical Hour. Joining Peter Davison and Thusitha Jayasundera will be Cameron Cuffe in the role of Dennis Dutton, Pepter Lunkuse as Terri and Finlay Robertson as Philip. The play, which received its UK premiere at the Royal Court in 2008, will be directed by Nigel Douglas and opens on 25 September, with previews from 23 September, running until 26 October. Nadia Blye knows exactly what her stance is on Iraq. A former war reporter and Professor of International Relations at Yale, she has advised the President and seen action in Sarajevo and Baghdad. She is sure of her place in the world and her opinion of it. Until, that is, she meets an equally opinionated and lethally charming man – her boyfriend’s father – over a weekend in Shropshire. His … Read more

Jamie Lloyd Exits Back To The Future Musical

Back To The Future musical West End - Back To The Future musical tickets, News, West End
Back To The Future musical

It has been reported by Baz Bamingboye in the Daily Mail that Jamie Lloyd has withdrawn as director of the upcoming musical version of Back To The Future just as workshops of the show were due to be staged. Lloyd’s withdrawal is amicable and comes after disagreements with original screenwriter Bob Gale over the productions direction. Lloyd is reported as saying ” You absolutely have to believe in it or there’s not much point”. Originally expected to arrive in the West End in 2015, this development will push the project back until at least 2016. Watch this space for more developments. Read Baz Bamingboye’s Daily Mail Posting

Meet The Cast Of Twickeham’s Sweeney Todd

News, Off West End
Sweeney Todd Cast Twickenham

On the 10th September Twickenham Theatre launch their inaugural season with an intimate production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd. Olivier Award winner David Badella will play the razor-wielding madman Sweeney Todd with Sarah Ingram as his pie-making partner in crime, Mrs Lovett. Joining Badella and Ingram will be Shaun Chambers, Chris Coleman, Zoe Curlett, Genevieve Kingsford, Mark McKerracher, Mikaela Newton and Josh Tevendale. Twickenham Theatre’s Sweeney Todd will be Directed by Derek Anderson with Musical Direction by Benjamin Holder, Staging by Lee Crowley, Set Design by Rachel Stone, Costume Design by Olivia Ward and Sound Design by Joel Price. This spine chilling new production will turn Sondheim’s Victorian masterpiece into a claustrophobically close experience that will thrill and terrify. Sweeney Todd runs from 10 September to 4 October Book tickets for Sweeney Todd at Twickenham Theatre

Marry Me A Little Returns To St James Theatre Studio for One Week Only

News, Off West End
Marry Me A Little review St James Theatre

Following a critically acclaimed sell-out run this August, Stephen Sondheim’’s Marry Me a Little will return to St. James Studio for an extra week of performances from Monday 6 – Saturday 11 October 2014, it was announced today. Marry Me A Little pieces together a selection of songs by the undisputed master of the contemporary Broadway musical to tell a charming and bittersweet tale of love, loneliness and survival as a modern singleton. Told entirely through songs written early in Sondheim’s career or previously intended for his ground-breaking Broadway musicals including A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum, Company, Follies and A Little Night Music, Marry Me a Little is funny, moving and sophisticated musical as well as a fascinating look at “the songs that got away”. In this new interpretation, the first to be seen on the London stage in 17 years, the show finds two … Read more

Composer and Lyricist Sandy Wilson Passes Away Aged 90

News
Sandy Wilson

Composer and lyricist Sandy Wilson has passed away at the age of 90, his agent confirmed today. Born in Sale, Manchester, Wilson served in the Royal Ordinance Corps in Great Britain, Egypt and Iraq. While at Oxford, he wrote reviews for the Oxford University Experimental Theatre Club and then attended the Old Vic Theatre School on a production course. Most of Wilson’s work for the stage was material for reviews, such as Slings and Arrows with Hermoine Gingold, Laurier Lister’s Oranges and Lemons and See You Later which featured Peter Cook. In 1953 Wilson wrote The Boy Friend for the Players Theatre before it transfer to the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End and then to Broadway in 1954. The latter being notable for being the Broadway debut of Julie Andrews. Other works includes Caprice (1950), The Buccaneer (1955), Valmouth (1958), Pieces Of Eight (1959), Divorce Me Darling! (1964), As … Read more

Jamie Lloyd To Direct Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory

News, Off West End
Jamie Lloyd

Jamie Lloyd is to direct Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins at the Menier Chocolate Factory this Christmas. The show forms part of the venue’s winter season, which also includes Buyer and Cellar, by Jonathan Tolins, and An Evening with Joan Plowright. Fresh off his success with the Trafalgar Transformed season, and his productions of The Commitments and Urinteown which is now set to transfer to The Apollo Theatre, Jamie Lloyd is continuing to build a stellar reputation as a director of musical theatre. Assassins is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by John Weidman, based on an idea by Charles Gilbert Jnr.  It uses the premise of a murderous carnival game to produce a -style portrayal of men and women who attempted (successfully or not) to assassinate Presidents of the United States. The musical first opened Off-Broadway in 1990, and the 2004 Broadway production won five Tony … Read more

Meet The Altar Boyz

News, Off West End
Altar Boyz Greenwich Theatre

Hallelujah! Spread the good news, as the five boyz who will make the band lineup for the UK Premiere of Alater Boyz have today been revealed! Playing band members Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan and Abraham will be Liam Doyle, Jonny Fines, Jamie-Ray Hartshorne, Faisal Khodabukus and Alex Jordan-Mills. Liam Doyle is currently starring as Fiyero in Wicked (UK Tour). Other recent credits include Link Larkin in Hairspray (UK Tour) and Troy in High School Musical. Jonny Fines’ credits include Lift (Soho Theatre), Avenue Q (UK Tour) and The Sound of Music (UK Tour). Jamie-Ray Hartshorne has appeared in the premiere of new musical The Prodigals (Belgrade Theatre) and The History Boys (National Theatre). Faisal Khodabukus’ recent credits include I Can’t Sing (London Palladium), Dirty Dancing (UK Tour) and La Cage Aux Folles (Playhouse Theatre). Alex Jordan-Mills played Billy in the 2013 revival of Taboo (Brixton Clubhouse), and most recently played … Read more

The West End Goes Ice Bucket Mad

News, West End
Judi Dench Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge has become a viral fund-raising phenomenon being taken up by people around the world and the great and the good of the West End are no exception. Take a look at the casts and theatrical greats who have contributed. To support the challenge visit the Motor Neurone Disease Association’s Just Giving page or by texting ICED55 £5 (or any other amount) to 70070 (UK only). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm_XXA3K0gM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju5VxyM3S4o