Welcome to Musicals Mash Up in which we catch up with lots of the week’s stories that haven’t yet appeared on the Musical Theatre Review pages. We hope you approve! News editor Angela Thomas reports
(L to R) Emily Lane, Isabella Glanznig Santos and Rebecca Botterill in Disney’s Frozen the Musical at Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London. Picture: Johan Persson © Disney
Disney’s production of Frozen extends again due to public demand
Disney Theatrical Productions has announced that their critically acclaimed production of Frozen is extending until 18 June 2023 due to public demand. With music and lyrics by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, book by Jennifer Lee, and directed by Michael Grandage, the production opened at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in August last year, and has been playing to capacity houses since, receiving seven WhatsOnStage Awards – the most of any production – and four Olivier Award nominations, including Best New Musical.
The cast is Samantha Barks (Elsa), Emily Lane (Anna), Djavan van de Fliert (Kristoff), Craig Gallivan (Olaf), Oliver Ormson (Hans), Richard Frame (Duke of Weselton); and alternating the role of Sven, Mikayla Jade and Ashley Birchall. With Rhianne Alleyne, Marianne Bardgett, Jeremy Batt, Danny Becker, Rebecca Botterill, Char Burnett (Bulda), Collette Coleman, Laura Emmitt, Davide Fienauri, Jemal Felix, Jordan Fox, Molly Francis, Matt Gillett, Ben Irish (Pabbie), Justin-Lee Jones, Aoife Kenny, Jordan Livesey, Joshua Robinson, Harriet Samuels, Jacqui Sanchez (Queen Iduna), Isabella Glanznig Santos, Jak Skelly (Oaken/Bishop), Kerry Spark (King Agnarr), Caitlin Tipping, Rodney Vubya, Anna Woodside, and Luke Fraser.
Frozen has scheduled the following access performances – Audio Described Performance (18 January, 7pm), Signed Performance (25 January, 7pm and 18 June, 5.30pm) and Captioned Performance (8 February, 7pm), and a Relaxed Performance (5 February, 1pm).
Picture: Michael Wharley
New dates added to Carrie Hope Fletcher’s debut tour
More dates have been added to award-winning actress Carrie Hope Fletcher’s debut solo tour due to phenomenal demand. Carrie Hope Fletcher – An Open Book will see the musical theatre star, author and vlogger play a series of unmissable theatre shows in May and June 2023, with new shows added in Oxford, Liverpool, Leicester, Milton Keynes, Southend, Bath and Glasgow.
Performing songs from her incredible West End and touring career, fans can look forward to hits from Heathers, Les Misérables, The Addams Family and many more, interspersed with chat about Hope Fletcher’s life and career.
Carrie Hope Fletcher – An Open Book 2023 tour visits St George’s Hall, Bradford (18 May); New Theatre, Oxford (19 May); Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (21 May); Theatre Royal, Norwich (22 May); London Palladium (25 May); Venue Cymru, Llandudno (27 May); The Lowry, Salford (28 May); Symphony Hall, Birmingham (29 May); City Hall, Sheffield (31 May); Empire Theatre, Liverpool (1 June); Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham (2 June); O2 City Hall, Newcastle (3 June); Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (4 June); De Montfort Hall, Leicester (6 June); Milton Keynes Theatre (7 June), Cliffs Pavilion, Southend (9 June); The Forum, Bath (10 June); and Theatre Royal, Glasgow (11 June).
Earlier this year, Hope Fletcher was named Best Performer in a female identifying role in a musical as the title role in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. Most recently, she has wowed critics in a new revival of Brecht’s The Caucasian Chalk Circle and is now preparing for her pantomime debut as the villain Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury.
Hope Fletcher has enjoyed an impressive career since her West End debut at the age of nine playing Young Éponine in Les Misérables. Since then, theatre credits include Fantine in Les Misérables: The Concert, Veronica in Heathers, Wednesday in The Addams Family, Éponine in Les Misérables, both Truly Scrumptious and Jemima in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Beth in Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds and Jane Banks in Mary Poppins. The actress is also a best-selling novelist.
Carrie Hope Fletcher – An Open Book is presented by Lambert Jackson, Live Nation and Cuffe and Taylor.
Heart Radio’s Pandora Christie to join & Juliet cast for one night only
Heart Radio star Pandora Christie will make her West End debut for one night only in the multi-award-winning musical & Juliet.
The presenter of Heart’s mid-morning show and Saturday night’s Club Classics show will take to the stage of the Shaftesbury Theatre to play multiple roles alongside the current cast on 10 November 2022.
Commenting on her live stage debut, Christie said: “I’m so excited to have been asked to make a guest appearance in this show. I’ve been dancing around the studio since the day I heard the news! Max Martin’s songs are literally the Heart playlist and there is no bigger fan of his legendary hits than me!”
Christie will be supported on the night by fellow Heart presenters and representatives from the station’s parent company who will join the audience.
Shaftesbury Theatre refurb – next phase details revealed
The next stage in the multi-million-pound re-development of the Grade 2 listed Shaftesbury Theatre has been unveiled. Aimed at transforming the largest independent theatre in the West End into a state-of-the-art 21st century venue, the details of the next stage in the £10 million plus redevelopment revealed by the ambitious project’s award-winning architects Bennetts Associates will include:
- The refashioning of the auditorium, providing separation between the Stalls and new spaces.
- The new 1911 Stalls bar, celebrating the theatre’s opening year. This new bar is approximately 26 metres long and seven metres wide and 3.5 metres below street level.
- The Taffner Suite for private hospitality, in honour of Don Taffner Sr.
- New toilets; 29 ladies, 23 gents and two accessible.
- Re-roofing to include energy efficient insulation.
- A state-of-the-art air conditioning system using heat capture to reduce energy costs.
- An overhaul of the historic ceilings including working platforms in the technical void above the dome ceiling.
- A lift that allows people with mobility difficulties to access the Stalls.
- Thirteen spaces for wheelchairs; with new removable seats that will eventually replace all seats throughout the auditorium.
- New stores, offices and a kitchen.
Undertaken as part of Camden Council’s West End project, the developments within the Shaftesbury Theatre building will be made alongside the redesignated Princes Circus which will be landscaped by Camden and will include a daytime delivery bay and an evening taxi rank. The changes place the theatre in a secure and safe environment where subject to the Borough’s consent, the theatre will create an outdoor food counter with a designated seating area.
Future developments costing half a million pound include replacing the Stalls ladies’ toilets and refurbishing and enlarging the Circle bar, to be renamed after Bertie Crewe, the theatre’s original architect. The Grand bar will become the Melville, named after the brothers who built the New Princes Theatre in 1911, and in the Royal Circle a new hospitality area named after the playwright and actor, Ray Cooney, who created the company that owns the theatre.
There are two further phases of major work planned in the years ahead, including redecoration, carpeting and reseating in the auditorium, and external repairs and improvements, the creation of a new main entrance opening onto Princes Circus and the installation of digital signage both above and below the canopy.
Cast and creatives for Metta’s The Little Prince
Metta Theatre has confirmed the full cast and creative team for new circus musical, The Little Prince ahead of its world premiere at the Taunton Brewhouse next month.
The company of talented actors and circus artists – who will perform alongside a 24-person strong local youth ensemble – will include Joshua Frazer who will play Prince, Rosalind Ford as Pilot, Tilly Lee Kronick as Rose/Fox, Hazel Lam as Fox/Rose, Ben Kaufman as Drunkard/Lamplighter/King and Freya Stokka as ensemble.
Written and directed by Metta’s co-artistic director P Burton-Morgan, with a score by Candida Caldicot, and set and lighting design by Metta’s co-artistic director William Reynolds, The Little Prince will play the Somerset venue from 6-30 December. To welcome those in the local area affected by the war in Ukraine, the season will also include a special Ukrainian captioned performance on 28 December.
Taking its inspiration from Antoine De Saint Exupery’s much-loved story, theatre fans were given a taste of the new musical last year with the release of a six-track EP of songs from the show written and recorded during the last lockdown accompanied by a short film featuring shadow puppetry produced in association with Little Angel Theatre.
The Real Houses of Codswollop at the Tabard Theatre
Lisa Gaye Wright’s new and original comedy spoof musical, full of toe tapping tunes, is being presented by Lgw Musicals at the Tabard Theatre in Chiswick, London from 30 January to 2 February 2023 (and London’s Bread & Roses Theatre from 6-8 February).
Nouveau riche hostess with the mostess and all round social climber Majenta has gone up in the world, and it sure has gone to her head. One upmanship and social currency is paramount to this drama queen, and so full of her own self importance, Majenta decides to hold a Botox party to flaunt her wealth, great big house and keep up with the Jones.
Frenemies old and new gather, as an eager to impress Majenta holds court, but despite the salubrious surroundings, and her best efforts, old resentments simmer to boiling, mayhem ensues and knifemares and chaos reign. This well heeled group of “ladies” with too much cash and brash and a distinct lack of good taste and decorum, revel in wel jel jibes, old rivalries and vengeful point scoring. Nothing is sacred as they bitch and bicker, and things go from bad to worse when an old acquaintance with an axe to grind joins the proceedings, determined to bait, shock and knock Majenta off her high and mighty pedestal. Funny quirky and full of parody and nonsense. Drama is guaranteed.
The Real Houses of Codswollop has a cast of three and was showcased at Bournemouth’s Little Theatre in June.
Benny & Joon musical to make UK debut with two London showcase performances
UK audiences will get their first look at a musical based on cult romantic comedy drama Benny & Joon with two showcase performances at The Other Palace ahead of a UK premiere production.
Based on the offbeat 1993 film, the musical features a book by Kirsten Guenther, music by Nolan Gasser and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein. Produced by Larry Hirschhorn with general management by Aria Entertainment, the two 75-minute performances at the London venue on 14 and 15 November will feature Andrew Samonsky and Hannah Elless as brother and sister, Benny and Joon with George Blagden as Sam. The cast will also include Christine Allado as Ruthie, Jak Malone as Waldo, Landi Oshinowo as Dr. Cruz, Simon-Anthony Roden as Mike and Eric Stroud as Larry.
First seen at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California in 2017, the musical’s original director Jack Cummings III, choreographer Scott Rink and musical director J.Oconer Navarro head the creative team.
Brand new single from Matthew Harvey released
British composer and performer of musical theatre Matthew Harvey is pleased to announce the release of his new single ‘Say the Words’, the title song from Matthew Harvey’s original new musical Coven, which is currently in development.
Matthew Harvey said: “The single is from an original musical I’m developing. I’ve been massively into 80s horror most of my life and have always felt the world could use an original musical that brings that era and style to the stage. The show, currently titled Coven, I think would be best described as Hocus Pocus meets Stranger Things; the story revolves around three witches who convince a young student to break the spell imprisoning them. Naturally, havoc ensues, all set to a rocking 80s soundtrack.”
‘Say the Words’ is sung by leading West End ladies, Roshani Abbey, Emma Kingston, Kayleigh McKnight and Courtney Stapleton.
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