News

Arthur Miller’s First Play No Villain Transfer To Trafalgar 2

News, Off West End
No Villain by Arthur Miller at Trafalgar Studios 2

Following it’s critically acclaimed sell-out world premiere at The Old Red Lion Theatre last year, Arthur Miller’s first ever play No Villain will transfer to Trafalgar Studios 2 in London’s West End playing from 14 June – 9 July 2016. Over six days during spring break 1936 at the University of Michigan, a twenty year old college sophomore wrote his first play, No Villain. His aim was to win the prestigious Avery Hopwood award and, more importantly, the $250 prize he needed in order to return to college the following year. Miller won the award, and the subsequent one, but the play was never produced. My first attempt at a play, rather inevitably, had been about industrial action and a father and his two sons, the most autobiographical dramatic work I would ever write. – Arthur Miller No Villain tells the story of a garment industry strike that sets a … Read more

Carrie Hope Fletcher and Shaun Williamson join The Cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang On Tour.

News, Touring
Carrie Hope Fletcher

Further casting has been announced for the UK tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Carrie Hope Fletcher (Les Miserables) will play Truly Scrumptious from 4th May until 2 October. Shaun Wiliamson (Eastenders) will play Lord Scrumptious/Barom Bomburst from 4th May until 21 August. Phil Jupitus (the Producers. Hairspray) who is currently playing the roles of Lord Scrumptious and Baron Bomburst returns to the show from August 24. Lee Mead (Casualty, Legally Blonde, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat) will play Caractacus Potts from 4 May until 18 September, with Jason Manford (The Producers, Sweeney Todd ) returning to the role, which he is currently playing, from 21 September. Martin Kemp continues as the Childcatcher until 24 April. Casting for further dates is to be announced. Ewen Cummins plays The Toymaker/Mr Coggins, with Sam Harrison as Boris and Scott Paige as Goran, and Kathryn Barnes, Rosanna Bates, Alex Louize Bird, Abigail … Read more

Theatreland’s Lights Dimmed in Memory of Michael White

News, West End
Nigel Planer, Michael White And Kate Moss at the Oliviers

Venues across London’s Theatreland will be dimming their lights on Wednesday 9 March in memory of Michael White, one of the theatre industry’s most influential producers, who has passed away at the age of 80. Before this evening’s performances commence, audience members and industry professionals will recognise the celebrated producer while lights are dimmed for two minutes as a mark of respect. The grand tradition, which is performed to honour theatre’s most prestigious and loved contributors, will take place across the West End at 19:00. White, the recipient of 2014’s Special Award at the Olivier Awards with MasterCard, produced more than 100 shows during a career that spanned more than 50 years across theatre, film and television. A legendary impresario, White’s theatre production credits include the West End premieres of The Rocky Horror Show, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and A Chorus Line.

Watch Out! The Gruffalo is back in the West End

News, West End
The Gruffalo at the Lyric Theatre, London

This July everyone’s favourite furry monster roars back into the West End in celebration of his 15th anniversary on stage. Tall Stories’ smash hit production of The Gruffalo, which first opened on the 12 May 2001, 18 months after the book was first published, returns to the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue from 6 July. Tall Stories’ The Gruffalo is based on the much loved picture book by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. The most fearsome creature that never was – but is – takes to the stage in this enchanting production combining songs, laughter and storytelling theatre with just the right amount of scary fun! Olivia Jacobs and Toby Mitchell from Tall Stories said: “Back in 1999, when we asked Julia and Axel if we could adapt their then little-known book The Gruffalo for the stage, we had no idea how things would turn out. The original 2001 tour involved … Read more

Glitz, Glamour and Gatsby at the Union Theatre

News, Off West End
Gatsby At The Union Theatre

To mark the tenth anniversary of Ruby in the Dust, the theatre company will be presenting their iconic production of Gatsby at the Union Theatre, where they had their first production in 2006. Gatsby has been specially tailored to suit the seductive environs of the Union Theatre’s intimate space. The characters of F Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby – the epitome of glitz, glamour and the end of the American Dream – come to life as they weave their way through the famous story and unravel the mystery that is Jay Gatsby. Gatsby was first presented by Ruby in the Dust in 2012 at the King’s Head Theatre, and again in 2013 at the Riverside Studios, and was greeted with sell out audiences on both occasions. Ruby In The Dust have gained a reputation for integrating original music into the text, and in their decade as a theatre company, … Read more

Provocative Edinburgh Hit The Curing Room Returns To London

News, Off West End
The Curing Room

The Curing Room by David Ian Lee, which caused a stir at the 2014 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and subsequently played a limited season at the Pleasance Islington, will return to London this summer with a four week run at the Vaults Theatre, Waterloo from 4 – 29 May. The Curing Room is a bold, daring thriller based on true events, in which the ensemble of seven male actors perform the show completely nude. Originally written and developed in New York with a series of workshops and public readings, The Curing Room marked its inaugural production in Edinburgh with the following cast, who will return to London: Rupert Elmes, Tom Holloway, Matt Houston, John Hoye, Harvey Robinson and Marlon Solomon. John Last will join the cast. Joao de Sousa said, “In spite of the moments of brutality and gore, The Curing Room is a beautifully staged production with an undercurrent of … Read more

McBurney’s The Encounter comes to Manchester this March

News, Regional
The Encounter at Home Manchester

The Encounter, Simon McBurney’s spell-binding solo performance for Complicite, the big hit of last year’s Edinburgh Festival, opens its UK tour at Home in Manchester. Threading scenes of his own life with details of National Geographic photographer Loren McIntyre’s journey, Simon McBurney incorporates objects and sound effects into this solo performance to evoke the depths of the Amazon rainforest. The show’s ground-breaking binaural sound (3D audio) design, by Olivier Award Winner Gareth Fry, is transmitted to the audience through provided headphones and plugs into the power of the imagination, questioning our perceptions of time and our own consciousness. The captioned performance on 17 March will trial Talking Birds’ The Difference Engine, a discreet new tool for making events and performances accessible to deaf or hard of hearing audience members through captioning to a mobile device – smartphone or tablet. Simon McBurney has created and acted in more than 30 productions … Read more

Critical revivals and London transfers for King’s Head Theatre spring season

News, Off West End
Strangers In Between

Following hot on the heels of an audacious winter season, the King’s Head Theatre will show two critical revivals plus London transfers for three Edinburgh Fringe success stories between April and July. After the success of Trainspotting, artistic director of the King’s Head Theatre, Adam Spreadbury-Maher returns to the director’s chair for Strangers in Between. First staged by Sydney’s Griffin Theatre Company in February 2005, Tommy Murphy’s play won the New South Wales Premiere literary award. Adam said: “I’m delighted to be bringing this brilliant play by one of Australia’s finest playwrights to audiences in London for the first time.” Before that, April will see the venue’s first full cabaret season, complete with on-stage tables and a pop-up bar to welcome hit cult musical Saucy Jacks and the Space Vixens, as well as a musical comedy taxidermy puppet show from avant-garde performance artist, Charlie Tuesday Gates; Sing For Your Life. … Read more