Latest News

Lesley Garrett in Carousel – November 2008

The UK’s favourite soprano, Lesley Garrett, who made her musical theatre debut in 2006 playing the Mother Abbess in The Sound of Music, will return to the West End stage later this year in another Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, Carousel. The show opens for a short UK tour in September prior to a London transfer (venue and exact dates to be confirmed) in November.

Carousel is the poignant story of smooth-talking carnival barker ‘Billy Bigelow’ and his romance with innocent mill worker ‘Julie Jordan’. Of all their shows, this was Roger and Hammerstein’s personal favourite. Joining Leslie Garrett is Jeremiah James, from the internationally renowned recording group, TEATRO, as Billy Bigelow and Alexandra Silber, most recently at the Savoy Theatre in London in the award-winning production of Fiddler On The Roof, as Julie Jordan.

The Harder They Come transfers to The Playhouse Theatre

Reggae musical The Harder They Come transfers to the Playhouse from 23rd May. The production is based on the 1972 film, and has already enjoyed hugely successful sell-out seasons at both the Theatre Royal Stratford East and the Barbican.

Telling the story of Ivan, a country boy who dreams of becoming a reggae star, The Harder They Come features classic reggae tracks, including You Can Get It If You Really Want, Rivers Of Babylon and The Harder They Come. Ivan’s journey to make it in music is not an easy one, and the scene drives him to a fast and furious life as an outlaw, but he would rather die than kill his dream.

Chicago and The Phantom of The Opera extend

TTwo of the West End’s favourite and longest-running musicals, Chicago and The Phantom of the Opera, have announced extensions.

Chicago has added another five months onto its current booking period, taking its run at the Cambridge Theatre to 30 July 2009. Joining the cast on 2nd June is former Hear’ Say singer Suzanne Shaw, who recently won the ITV ice skating challenge Dancing On Ice.

The Phantom of the Opera, which has been running for 21 years, is now booking until April 2009. The show has also recently installed a new sound system, boasting 120 speakers throughout the auditorium. Commenting on the new technology, producer Cameron Mackintosh said: “Phantom had ground-breaking sound when it opened in 1986, and Andrew [Lloyd-Webber] and I have wanted for some time to give our sound system a complete update, so that our audiences could enjoy the most exciting theatrical sound in London.”

Eurobeat moves into Novello in September

Eurovision spoof musical Eurobeat will transfer to the Novello Theatre from 4th September 2008 after a 17 venue regional tour.
Eurobeat assigns audience members to one of ten competing countries and invites them to vote for their favourite contestants via text message. The show, written by Craig Christie and Andrew Patterson, premiered at last summer’s Edinburgh Fringe, where it won Best Musical Production in the inaugural Musical Theatre Awards.

Gone With the Wind to open at the New London in April 2008

Tickets are now on sale for Trevor Nunn's production of Margaret Mitchell's classic novel, Gone with the Wind. In a new musical adaptation of the classic love story with book and lyrics by Margaret Martin adapted by Trevor Nunn and Music by Margaret Martin, .Gone with the Wind will have its first performance at the New London Theatre on Saturday 5 April 2008, with press night on Tuesday 22 April and is initially booking until 27 September 2008. Set in 1860's Atlanta, Georgia, Gone with the Wind follows the story of the seventeen-year-old Scarlett O'Hara, the eldest of three daughters living a life of luxury on their father's plantation until the onset of the Civil War threatens their idyllic existence. Scarlett's incredible journey through both the war and the peace is mirrored in her turbulent relationship with Rhett Butler, whose actions always defy prediction. Their story spans ten years and mingles romantic ecstasy with tragic grief, as the life these people once knew disappears, for better or worse: gone with the wind. Gone with the Wind, published in 1936, is one of the best selling novels of the 20th century and won Margaret Mitchell the Pulitzer Prize. Three year's later in 1939, the film adaptation made box office history as the highest grossing film of all time and is still regarded as one of the greatest American classics.

Phantom celebrates 21 Years

The West End staging of The Phantom of the Opera, celebrates it's 21st Birthday on 9th October at Her Majesty's Theatre. Andrew Lloyd-Webber's phenomenal hit first continues to play to full houses nightly in London, New York and around the world. The Phantom of the Opera has been performed in more than 20 countries, including the USA, Japan, Canada, Austria, Germany, Sweden, Australia, Denmark, Hungary, Spain and Singapore. As Broadway's longest-running musical, the show has been honoured with over 50 major theatre awards, including seven prestigious New York Tony Awards, among them the Tony for Best Musical, seven Drama Desk Awards and three Olivier Awards. The Phantom of the Opera has grossed more than S$5 billion, making it Lord Lloyd Webber's and the world's most successful musical. Recently the film of The Phantom of the Opera thrilled cinema-goers around the world and a newly opened Las Vegas spectacular continues to enthrall audiences.

Julian Clary & Amy Nuttall join London's Cabaret

Julian Clary and Amy Nuttall have joined the cast of the West End revival of Cabaret which recently celebrated it's 1st Birthday. Clary replaces James Dreyfus in the role of the Emcee. He was last seen in the West End when he starred in Taboo as Leigh Bowery in 2002. Known for his comedy writing and performing, Clary first gained recognition through his stand-up routines and quickly became a household name in British comedy. After appearing on Channel Four's Friday Night Live in the late 1980s, he co-wrote and starred in his own top comedy series—Terry and Julian, Sticky Moments, & Sticky Moments on Tour—as well as two series and a Christmas special called All Rise for Julian Clary. His stage work includes starring in various pantomimes such as Dick Whittington in Northampton and Cinderella in Bristol. Amy Nuttall (Best known as Chloe in Emmerdale) replaces Kim Medcalf as Sally Bowles. Her stage credits also include Boeing-Boeing, My Fair Lady and the recent West End production of Guys and Dolls.

Chicago Celebrates a decade of Decadence in the West End

Chicago celebrates it's 10th Birthday in the West End with a special charity gala performance at the Cambridge Theatre on Wednesday 5 December. Proceeds of the evening will be in aid of Breast Cancer Haven and the Breast Health Institute. The cast for the evening will include original London cast members Ute Lemper, Ruthie Henshall and Henry Goodman, along with Brenda Edwards, Jennifer Ellison, Duncan James, Kelly Osbourne, Gaby Roslin, Frances Ruffelle, Claire Sweeney, Denise Van Outen and many more. The London production of has played to an audience of over 4.5 million people at more than 4,000 performances. The smash hit West End musical transferred from the Adelphi Theatre to the Cambridge Theatre in April last year. Chicago opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 18 November 1997 to rave reviews and immediately became a sell-out hit, winning the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for 'Outstanding Musical Production' as well as the 1998 Critics Circle Drama Award for 'Best Musical'. In addition to London, Chicago is currently playing in New York, and on tour in America and the UK, with forthcoming productions planned in Korea, Japan and Denmark.

Grease opens in the West End after TV search for the stars

Following the huge success of “How do you Solve a Problem like Maria” in casting the role of Maria in The Sound of Music, Simon Cowell is mounting a new reality television show called “You're the One That I Want” which will cast the roles of Sandy and Danny in the West End revival of Grease which should open in the Summer at an as yet unconfirmed London Theatre.

Some Like It Hot Musical Hits West End in Autumn

The stage adaptation of Billy Wilder's 1959 Hollywood film classic Some Like It Hot will return to London later this year. Though exact dates and a venue have yet to be announced, the major new production, directed by Broadway's Jerry Zaks, is confirmed to open in the West End in autumn 2007.

Elaine Paige to lead cast of The Drowsy Chaperone

Multi award-winning actress and recording artist Elaine Paige will return to the West End to take the title role in the Broadway smash hit musical, The Drowsy Chaperone. Directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, with music by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar, the five-time Tony Award winning musical will preview at the Novello Theatre from 14 May, with press night on 5 June and opening night on 6 June.

Fame reopens at the Shaftesbury Theatre on 8th May

Theatergoers can once again don their legwarmers and leap on top of taxis as Fame re-opens at the Shaftesbury. A year after closing at the Aldwych Theatre to make way for Dirty Dancing, Eighties screen classic, it opens on 8 May 2007 (previews from 4 May) for a limited summer season at the Shaftesbury Theatre, its fifth West End home.

Phantom 2?

Andrew Lloyd Webber has revealed he again considering writing a sequel to his hugely popular musical The Phantom of the Opera. Lloyd Webber mentioned the potential sequel when he appeared as a guest on his The Sound of Music co-producer David Ian's reality TV show to find the star of a Broadway production of Grease, You're the one that I Want. This is not the first time this has been mentioned as opera diva Kiri Te Kanawa performed a number from the Phantom 2 at Lloyd Webbers 50th Birthday some years ago but that was the last that was then heard of the idea.

The Lord of the Rings opens May 2007

After its premiere in Toronto, this new stage version of Tolkien's trilogy opens on 9 May 2007 in a new £10 million production at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.

The Phantom of The Opera celebrates 20th years

The show has collected over 50 awards including the 'Most Popular Musical Audience Award', voted by the public, in the 2002 Laurence Olivier Awards and is now the longest running show on Broadway; the 7,486th performance took place on 9 January 2006.

The Sound of Music opens with record advance

"The Tills Are Alive" as the first six months of the show are nearly sold out. Connie Fisher won the role of Maria and hearts of the public through the reality TV Show 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?'

Les Misérables becomes London's longest running musical

On 8 October 2006, Les Misérables celebrates its 21st birthday and becomes the world's longest running musical. The record had previously been held by Cats.

Dirty Dancing the fastest Selling show in West End History

The show has taken a record £11million in advance ticket sales, more than 240,000 tickets have been snapped up so far at London's Aldwych Theatre.