Just days before the launch of its festive pantomime Sinbad the Sailor, Theatre Royal Stratford East’s artistic director Kerry Michael has unveiled further details of next year’s spring/summer season at the East London venue. Alongside the already announced European premiere of The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin, highlights of 2017 will include the […]
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Curtain Call – A Year Backstage in London Theatre – new photography book
A photographic glimpse behind the footlights of some of London’s leading theatre productions is the subject of the first in a series of new books. Curtain Call – A Year Backstage in London Theatre is the brainchild of photographer Matt Humphrey and actor/director John Schwab. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards and benefiting from […]
Mapping out new musical The A–Z of Mrs P – meet the writers
Henry Bird meets composer/lyricist Gwyneth Herbert and librettist Diane Samuels, the writers behind the brand new musical The A-Z of Mrs P (opening at the Southwark Playhouse on 24 February). The London A-Z, the map that has guided lost Londoners for almost 80 years, is said to have started life one night in 1935, when bohemian […]
Drunk with Drew McOnie – Interview
Drew McOnie is becoming one of the UK’s most sought after choreographic talents. Last year saw him collaborate with Matthew Bourne on an original piece for the Coronation Festival Gala at Buckingham Palace, and most recently he choreographed the new production of Chicago at Leicester’s Curve Theatre. Indeed he is now an associate artist at the […]
From Page to Stage’s Katy Lipson flies the flag for new musical theatre
Katy Lipson, producer of From Page to Stage at London’s Landor Theatre, talks about the future of musical theatre in the UK. Over the years, I have dedicated a lot of time and effort to new musical theatre. Primarily, this is because I love the genre – but also because in the material I see everything […]
Tonight’s the Night – interview with Ben Elton
Ben Elton’s career has spanned plays, novels, and a feature film, in addition to 30 years as a successful comic writer and performer on British television and the stand-up circuit. But Elton has always reserved a special place in his heart for musicals, having written three that feature music from such diverse talents as Andrew […]
Joseph – new animated movie version planned
Elton John’s Rocket Pictures will be producing an all-new animated feature film of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, in association with the Really Useful Group. Steve Hamilton Shaw of Rocket Pictures say: “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is one of the most popular musical experiences ever conceived. We […]
Introducing Glass Half Full Productions
Launched this week, Glass Half Full Productions is a new production company aiming to produce musicals, plays and comedy both in the UK and US in partnership with Just For Laughs Theatricals. CEO of Just For Laughs, Adam Blanshay (who won a Tony Award as co-producer on the Broadway musical Kinky Boots) has teamed up […]
The Prodigals – meet the team
The Prodigals is a new musical by Ray Goudie and Joe Harmston (who also directs), which runs at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry until 14 September. With its roots in the biblical tale of the Prodigal Son, it’s set in Afghanistan and tells the story of a father, Colonel Luke Gibson (Simon Bowman) and his two sons, Mike, a conscientious solder (Sam Ferriday) […]
Mark Carroll – Going Supernova
In addition to his career as an actor in West End musicals, straight plays and movies (his latest show has been Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre), Mark Carroll has written five musicals, the latest of which is entitled Supernova. Cameron Smith talks to him about what it takes to get a new musical produced […]
Sweeney Todd at West Yorkshire Playhouse
Headlining his first season of work as artistic director of the West Yorkshire Playhouse is James Brining’s own production of Stephen Sondheim’s and Hugh Wheeler’s musical Sweeney Todd, presented by WYP and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester for the Quarry stage (26 September–26 October). Brining has challenged himself to revisit his TMA Award-winning production of […]
Sondheim surprises Merrily We Roll Along cast
Rehearsals have begun for the West End transfer of the Menier Chocolate Factory production of Merrily We Roll Along and we hear a certain Mr Sondheim may have even popped in to surprise the cast yesterday. Directed by triple Olivier Award-winner Maria Friedman, previews begin at the Harold Pinter Theatre on 23 April. Opening night […]
Every Little Step She Takes
Broadway and West End actress Leigh Zimmerman is always true to the characters she plays, as Lisa Martland discovers. It’s hard to argue with Leigh Zimmerman’s record when it comes to musical theatre. Alongside a string of impressive TV and film credits, she has made a habit of playing and creating leading roles in Broadway […]
Q&A with Gavin Lee from Top Hat
You’ve been treading the boards for 20 years, can you describe your training and what difference it made when you were starting out? “I started dancing at the age of 9. My first classes were disco dancing… Well, it was 1980! When I was growing up I did lots of amateur dramatics and school productions […]
