Douglas Mayo

Douglas Mayo has had a life long love affair with musical theatre. He has authored several books on publicity and marketing for amateur theatre groups. He is in the process of developing a musical based on his original story concept.

Simon Blow Play Premieres At Old Red Lion

News, Off West End
The Past Is A Tattooed Sailor by Simon Blow at the Old Red Lion Theatre

Simon Blow’s debut drama The Past Is A Tattoed Sailor, will have its world premiere at London’s Old Red Lion Theatre in August 2016. This fiercely witty and bittersweet drama is fictional but drawn heavily from Simon Blow’s relationship with his great-uncle Stephen Tennant. Simon is the grandson of aristocratic architect Detmar Blow and scion of a family never far from the newspaper columns, and The Past Is a Tattooed Sailor is unique excursion into a lost world of sparkling aphorism and gloriously eccentric characters. Past and present are one in the sleeping manor house where Uncle Napier lives in an eternal doze. Upper class boy Joshua has sought out his great-uncle, long taken to his bed and drifting in memories of his glowing adolescence. Joshua is having his own roaring twenties with new builder boyfriend Damien, but the burden of class weighs heavy over the young man, and ghosts … Read more

Verbatim Play False Choices To Be Staged At King’s Head

News, Off West End
False Choices at Kings Head Theatre

A new verbatim play about suicide will be presented at London’s King’s Head Theatre as part of #Festival46, a festival of new work showcasing bold, ambitious and crucial voices in British Theatre. Matthew has just killed himself by jumping off Waterloo Bridge. 
Clara drowned herself on June 2, 1962. They meet in The Grey. False Choices is set in The Grey; the place people go moments after they’ve committed suicide. In The Grey, people make choices, understand their lives and find human connection. False Choices is the first play written by Megan Cronin. The play has been developed through workshops and shared readings at The Pleasance Theatre. Megan is part of the High Tide Writer’s Academy 2016 and the Young Vic Directors Program. False Choices will be presented at the King’s Head Theatre on 25, 29 and 30 July 2016. BOOK FOR FALSE CHOICES

Kerry Ellis and Ramin Karimloo To Headline Godspell Gala

Events, News, West End
Ramin Karimloo and Kerry Ellis to star in Godspell in Concert at St Paul's Church

Ramin Karimloo, Kerry Ellis and Preeya Kalidas will headline a concert production of Stephen Schwartz’s musical Godspell at St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden. The concert presentation will launch The British Theatre Academy, an organisation which has been set up to give young people who can not afford to access theatre theatre training the opportunity to work with top creatives in venues around the country. British Theatre Academy Artistic Director Matthew Chandler said: “I am delighted that Kerry, Ramin and Preeya are giving our kids the opportunity to work with such amazing, inspiring, world class talents. Godspell promises to be an unforgettable expeience for them all”. Godspell, will be directed by Dean Johnson with musical direction by Michael Bradley (Grey Gardens). The British Theatre Academy will also present The Secret Garden at the Ambassadors Theatre in July/August with over 300 performers taking to the stage. Godspell will be performed on … Read more

Sheridan Smith Returns To Funny Girl Tonight

News, West End
Sheridan Smith

The producers of Funny Girl at the Savoy Theatre in London have just released the following statement:- We are delighted to welcome Sheridan Smith back to Funny Girl this evening. It is currently planned that Sheridan will also play this Saturday evening (not matinee), and Monday to Saturday next week (excluding the Wednesday matinee and Thursday evening performances at which Natasha J Barnes will perform). From the week commencing 18 July, Sheridan is scheduled to perform Tuesday through Saturday, with Natasha playing Fanny Brice on Monday evenings. This schedule is subject to change, but we look forward to continuing to entertain audiences at the Savoy Theatre until our run ends on 8 October. Sonia Friedman, David Babani and Scott Landis, Producers of Funny Girl BOOK NOW FOR FUNNY GIRL AT THE SAVOY THEATRE BOOK NOW FOR FUNNY GIRL UK TOUR

Mark Rylance Returns To West End in Nice Fish

News, West End
Book now for Nice Fish at the Harold Pinter Theatre

Producer Sonia Friedman has announced the West End transfer of Nice Fish, the critically-acclaimed new comic play by Mark Rylance and Louis Jenkins. The production will be directed by Clare van Kampen who previously wrote Farinelli and The King. Nice Fish has played to Sold Out houses at the American Repertory Theatre at Harvard University, Cambridge and St Ann’s Warehouse in New York. It will transfer to the Harold Pinter Theatre for a strictly limited season in November 2016. n a unique collaboration with critically-acclaimed Minnesotan contemporary prose poet Louis Jenkins, Mark Rylance draws on his teenage years in the frozen winters and culture of the American Midwest. This beguiling new play follows an ice fishing expedition where the ordinary and extraordinary collide in a sublimely playful and profound way. On a frozen Minnesota lake, the ice is beginning to creak and groan. It’s the end of the fishing season … Read more

Little Shop Of Horrors UK Tour Casting Announced

News, Touring
Casting announced for Little Shop Of Horrors UK Tour.

Producers have today announced the full cast for the upcoming UK tour of Little Shop Of Horrors. As previously announced X Factor star Rhydian will play musical theatre’s infamous dentist Orin Scrivello DDS. Rhydian will be joined by Sam Lupton (Boq in Wicked, West End, Avenue Q, UK Tour) as Seymour, Stephanie Clift (Mamma Mia!, West End) as Audrey, Paul Kissaun (Calamity Jane, Fiddler on the Roof, UK Tours) as Mushnik, Sasha Latoya (Rent, Greenwich Theatre, Britain’s Got Talent) as Crystal, Vanessa Fisher (Hairspray, UK Tour) as Chiffon, Cassie Clare (Cats, West End) as Ronnette and Josh Wilmott (Spamalot, We Will Rock You, UK Tours) as Audrey II. The cast also includes Phil Adele, Stephanie McConville and Neil Nicholas. A charming, kooky and hilarious 1950s musical comedy, Little Shop of Horrors tells the story of Seymour, the assistant at Mushnik’s Flower Shop in downtrodden Skid Row, who becomes an overnight … Read more

Vanities Comes To Trafalgar Studios 2

News, Off West End
Book now for Vanities at Traflagar Studios 2

This Autumn, Vanities the musical will have its London debut on the 10th anniversary of the musical and the 40th anniversary of the play. Vanities is a hilarious and heartfelt story about three best friends growing up in Dallas at a time when image and style were more important than brains and ambition. Through a rich original score that blends girl group harmonies of the 60s and 70s with contemporary musical theatre, Vanities explores how these women’s warped view of the world shaped them for better and worse. It’s time to go back to 1963 and watch Mary, Kathy and Joanne obsess over their cheerleader routines, choose their sororities, plan their wedding outfits – because even though the President has been shot and America’s on the brink of a war, if the girls just stay popular and don’t lose their looks everything will be okay… right? Vanities will star Lauren … Read more

Prisoner Cell Block H Star Brings One Woman Show To King’s Head

News, Off West End
Amanda Muggleton stars in The Book Club at The King's Head Theatre

Award-winning Australian actor Amanda Muggleton is to bring her one-woman show The Book Club to London’s King’s Head Theatre for a limited four-week season from Tuesday 11 October 2016. Tickets are now on sale. Deb can’t quite shake the feeling there’s something missing in her life. Her kids have left home. Her husband is sport-obsessed. Meanwhile, she dreams of getting love letters in the post from Martin Amis. When her friend Trish pushes her to join the eccentric local book club, self-confessed bookaholic Deb decides there’s nothing to lose. Little does she know her fantasies will start to become reality…. Amanda Muggleton is one of Australia’s most versatile leading ladies. Born in Stepney, London, she emigrated to Australia in 1974. She is a two-time Helpmann Award-winner for her portrayal of Maria Callas in Master Class and another for the musical, Eureka. She has won other awards for The Book Club, … Read more