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. News editor Angela Thomas reports
Picture: Matt Crockett
Back To The Future – first relaxed performance announced
The multi-award-winning West End production of Back To The Future will play its first relaxed performance at the Adelphi Theatre on 12 March 2023.
Open to everyone, but specifically aimed at those who normally find it challenging to access and enjoy theatre. The performance will include reduced volume and lighting with a laid-back approach to audience movement.
Based on the Universal Pictures/Amblin Entertainment film, the brainchild of producer Colin Ingram and the creators of the much-loved time-travelling film series, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the critically acclaimed Olivier, WhatsOnStage and Broadway World Award-winning Best New Musical had its Covid-delayed opening night in London on 13 September 2021.
Now booking up to 23 July 2023, the hit West End production currently stars Cory English as Dr Emmett Brown alongside Ben Joyce as Marty McFly with Amber Davies as Lorraine Baines, Oliver Nicholas as George McFly, Jordan Benjamin as Goldie Wilson, Harry Jobson as Biff Tannen, Sophie Naglik as Jennifer Parker, Gary Trainor as Strickland, Will Haswell as alternate Marty McFly and Dave McFly and Emma Lloyd as Linda McFly.
Tony Award-winning actor Roger Bart will return to the production as Doc Brown on 5 January 2023 and will remain in the role in London until 20 March 2023 before heading for New York to lead the cast of the Broadway premiere production. As previously announced, performances at the Winter Garden Theatre are due to begin on Broadway on 30 June 2023 ahead of an official opening night on 3 August 2023.
Drury Lane concert date set for Samantha Barks
Samantha Barks will let Frozen’s Elsa go for one night in May 2023 when she takes to the stage of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane for a special show celebrating musical theatre from the last decade.
Featuring tracks from her most recent album Into The Unknown, the concert on 30 May will showcase the star’s vocal talents accompanied by a live band.
The singer/actress who first found fame as a finalist on the BBC TV talent show I’ll Do Anything, is best known for her acclaimed stage and big screen performances as Eponine in Les Misérables, playing the title role in Pretty Woman: The Musical on Broadway and taking centre stage as ice queen Elsa in the West End premiere production of Frozen.
The first studio release from new musical theatre label Westway, Into The Unknown features 12 tracks handpicked by Barks including ‘Heart of Stone’ from Six, ‘Let Me Be Your Star’ from SMASH (a duet with her Frozen co-star Stephanie McKeon) and the title track ‘Into the Unknown’ from Frozen 2.
Picture: Roy Tan
Return for Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet in 2023
Matthew Bourne’s acclaimed Romeo + Juliet will return in 2023 with a 12-week UK tour and a five-week summer season at Sadler’s Wells.
Directed and choreographed by Bourne, the re-imagining of the ultimate romantic tragedy received its world premiere in 2019, opening at Curve, Leicester and also playing a Sadler’s Wells summer season.
The first co-production between New Adventures and Sadler’s Wells, the 2023 tour will also launch at Curve, Leicester (3-8 July 2023). The tour will then visit The Lowry in Salford (11-15 July 2023), the Wycombe Swan in High Wycombe (18-22 July 2023) and Hull New Theatre (25-29 July) before dancing into Sadler’s Wells in London from 1 August until 2 September 2023. Further tour dates will be announced soon.
The passionate and contemporary re-working of the classic love story was created by Bourne and the entire New Adventures artistic team, including the company’s associate artistic director Etta Murfitt, set and costume designer Lez Brotherston, lighting designer Paule Constable and sound designer Paul Groothuis. New orchestrations of Prokofiev’s score are by Terry Davies.
Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival teams up with the Theatre Café
The Gaiety Musical Theatre Festival has announced a new partnership with London’s Theatre Café ahead of its eagerly awaited debut in April 2023.
Originally due to launch in May 2022, the UK’s first outdoor music festival dedicated to musical theatre will host a Theatre Café pop-up with an open-mic for festival-goers and themed drinks and merchandise stall in the theatre village.
Scheduled to take place in the stunning grounds of Ragley Hall in Alcester, Warwickshire on 30 April 2023, the multi-stage festival will star Marisha Wallace, Kerry Ellis, Lee Mead, Lauren Samuels and Sophie Evans, along with vocal group Collabro who will make one of their final performances at the event.
The stars will perform their favourite musical theatre songs on the Main Stage stars accompanied by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra. Further artists will be announced at a later date.
Picture: Manuel Harlan
More tour dates announced for Mog The Forgetful Cat UK tour
The Wardrobe Ensemble has announced further tour dates for its hit stage adaptation of Judith Kerr’s much-loved Mog The Forgetful Cat.
Directed by Jesse Jones and Helena Middleton, the first-ever stage version of the stories which began with the 1970 picture book Mog The Forgetful Cat, made its debut at Royal & Derngate in June.
As previously announced the Old Vic, Royal & Derngate Northampton and The Wardrobe Ensemble co-production will visit The Old Vic, Bristol Old Vic, Curve Leicester, the Lowry, Salford, Belgrade Theatre Coventry and Exeter Northcott. The world premiere production will now also visit Birmingham Rep Theatre and Worthing Theatres in 2023 with further tour dates to be announced.
Mog the Forgetful Cat was devised by Tom England, Joey Hickman, Jesse Jones, Helena Middleton, Hanora Kamen, Kerry Lovell, Jesse Meadows, Robyn Sinclair and Ben Vardy. Additional devising is by Tom Brennan, Emily Greenslade and James Newton.
Featuring a mix of live music and a menagerie of creatures, the creative team for Mog The Forgetful Cat also includes composer and musical director Joey Hickman, designer Laura McEwen, sound designer Beth Duke, lighting designer Rajiv Pattani and movement director Catriona Giles.
Suitable for ages three-plus, the production is based on the bestselling Mog picture book series published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Mog the Forgetful Cat will be performed at Bristol Old Vic from 14-18 February 2023, Curve Leicester from 21-25 February, Lowry Salford from 4-8 April, Birmingham Rep Theatre from 13-15 April, Worthing Theatres from 6-7 May, Belgrade Theatre Coventry from 30 May-3 June, Exeter Northcott from 16-18 June and The Old Vic from 11-29 July 2023.
New casting details for The Lion King tour
The crowd-pleasing touring production of Disney’s The Lion King welcomed 12 new members to the multi-national cast as the hit show continued to play a season at the Manchester Palace Theatre.
Already part of the company of over 50 actors, singers and dancers, Caribbean artist Kyle Richardson stepped into the central role of Simba from 11 December.
Changes from that date also included newcomers Alex Boomer as Ed and Candida Mosoma with current ensemble cast member Jorell Coiffic-Kamall moving into the role of Banzai and Tanisha-Mae Brown, Asmara Cammock, Zodwa Mrasi, Felipe Flores, Reece McKenzie, Aphiwe Nyezi, Peace Nzirawa and Ebby Sama joining the ensemble.
The newly announced cast members joined principals Matthew Forbes as Zazu, Jean-Luc Guizonne as Mufasa, Richard Hurst as Scar, Nokwanda Khuzwayo as Nala, Alan McHale as Timon, Thandazile Soni as Rafiki and Carl Sanderson as Pumbaa.
Drawn from 17 different countries, the UK & Ireland tour cast also includes: Khanyisani Beato, Tanisha-Mae Brown, Mamido Bomboko Souchu, Asmara Cammock, Bethany Chan, Tau-En Chien, Elisa Chou, Tevin Daniel, Lwandolwethu Dennis Bam, Tim Driesen, Felipe Flores, Oraine Frater, Adebunmi Gabriel, Brian Gilligan, Daniel Griffith, Gavin Hart, Caleaf Henson, Dillan Hope Suttle, Olivia Jones, Melvin Le Blanc, Reece Mackenzie, Zanele Mazibuko, Zodwa Mrasi, Zanele Ndlovu, Buhle Nkomo, Aphiwe Nyezi, Peace Runyararo Nzirawa, Ebby Sama, Cristiane Santos De Jesus, Francesca Thompson, Vuyelwa Laura Tshona, Ricardo Walker, Maria Yim and Bukiwe Zinganto.
Currently playing the tour’s only North West dates at the Manchester Palace Theatre where over 300,000 people will experience the lavish production by the time the season ends on 11 March 2023, the tour will then play seasons at the Sunderland Empire (16 March to 6 May 2023), the Bristol Hippodrome (18 May to 1 July 2023) and the Birmingham Hippodrome (6 July to 16 September 2023).
Full cast for Canterbury’s Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure
Jason Battersby will take on the title role in new production of Stiles and Drewe’s Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure at Canterbury’s Malthouse Theatre next spring.
The actor who appeared in the recent Chichester Festival Theatre production of Crazy For You will appear alongside David J Higgins as Captain Hook/Mr Darling, Natalie Day as Mrs Darling/Smee and Crissy Rock as The Storyteller with newcomer Madeleine Doody as Wendy Darling.
The role of John Darling will be shared by Max Garlick, Luke Jury, Lennox Friend, Lewis Aspinall and Joshua Farr (standby), with the role of Michael Darling shared by Jake McNally, Reagan Keane Dervish, Felix Anderson, Arthur Silva Gould and James Tyson (standby).
Presented by Gardner Hodges Entertainment, with permission from Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, the production will be directed by Joseph Hodges with choreography by Jay Gardner, set design by Alexander McPherson, lighting design by Seb Blaber and sound design by Phil Wilson.
Featuring a cast and orchestra of over 100 accompanied by high flying special effects, the production will play The Malthouse Theatre from 29 March until 16 April 2023.
Based on J. M. Barrie’s classic creation, Peter Pan – A Musical Adventure features music and lyrics by the award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe and a book by the late Willis Hall.
New British musical Kin – concept album released
Following two sold-out concert performances at The Other Palace earlier this year and the recent first full production at the Factory Playhouse in Hitchin, a concept album has been released for new British musical Kin.
Released through Spotify and Apple Music, the recording features Alex James-Hatton, Sophie-Rose Middleton and Ross Harmon.
Inspired by true events in a small US town in the 1980s, and written by Emil Dale and Stefan Kelk, the musical has already attracted over one million views on TikTok.
Produced by Emil Dale Productions Ltd, the creative team also includes musical director and musical supervisor Pete Mitchell.
First dates for An Evening With Tim Rice – Circle of Words
Multi award winner Tim Rice will take to the stage early next year for a special show celebrating the lyricist and author’s life and a glittering career that has taken him from the West End to Broadway and Hollywood.
Featuring Rice, the Duncan Waugh Band and West End Singers, An Evening With Tim Rice – Circle of Words will play the Royal & Derngate in Northampton on 6 February 2023, the Wolverhampton Grand on 9 February 2023, Malvern Theatres (Forum) on 10 February 2023 and Newcastle Theatre Royal on 12 February 2023. Further dates are to be announced.
Picture: Robert Day
Ninth West End season for The Tiger Who Came To Tea
The Olivier-nominated stage production of The Tiger Who Came To Tea will return to the Theatre Royal Haymarket next summer with a season commemorating the centenary of the birth of author Judith Kerr.
Adapted and directed by Olivier Award-winner David Wood, the musical play based on Judith Kerr’s much-loved book will return to the West End from 10 July until 3 September 2023. Casting for the family-friendly musical’s ninth West End season will be announced at a later date.
The Tiger Who Came To Tea will also return for a major tour of the UK and Ireland in 2023, opening on 31 January 2023 and touring until September 2023.
Often described as Britain’s best-loved picture book, Kerr’s creation has been charming children since it was first published in 1968, with five million copies sold to date. Wood’s stage musical version premiered in 2008 and has toured extensively both nationally and internationally. In 2012 the production was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Family Entertainment.
Sheridan Smith and Danny Mac to star in West End Proms show
Award-winning stars Sheridan Smith and Danny Mac will headline the West End Proms next summer.
The two genre favourites will take to the stage at Bedford Park in Bedfordshire alongside special guests and accompanied by The Novello Orchestra on 25 June 2023.
Curated and presented by Bedford Park Concerts (Cuffe and Taylor and Live Nation) and Lambert Jackson, the concert will feature songs from some of theatre’s best-loved musicals accompanied by a laser show and a firework finale.
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