Figures from across the entertainment industry, including John Cleese, Dawn French, Jason Manford, John Bishop and Lenny Henry, have been paying tribute to publicist Neil Reading, who has died at the age of 56 following a short illness.
Tag Archives | Jason Manford
Something Rotten! – Opera House, Manchester – An appreciation
Something Rotten! continues at the Opera House, Manchester until 19 July 2026. It really is excellent, more than worthy of a five-star appreciation.
Something Rotten! – the full cast
The full cast has been confirmed for this summer’s first fully-staged UK production of the award-winning Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten!
Marisha Wallace joins Something Rotten! cast
Double Olivier nominee Marisha Wallace (Guys & Dolls, Bridge Theatre, Oklahoma!, Young Vic) is the latest star addition to this summer’s first fully-staged UK production of the award-winning Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten!
Transmission date for National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals 2026
The BBC has confirmed the recording of the fifth instalment of the popular National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals will be broadcast on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on 28 March at 7.45pm.
National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals 2026 full line-up
The full line-up of musicals has been confirmed for the fifth instalment of the popular National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals later this month.
Jason Manford to star in UK production of Something Rotten!
Jason Manford will take the lead in the first fully-staged UK production of the award-winning Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten! next summer.
First fully-staged UK production of Something Rotten! announced for 2026
The first fully-staged UK production of the award-winning Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten! will be presented in 2026.
BBC transmission date for National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals 2025
The recording of the National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals 2025 will be broadcast on BBC One and available on iPlayer on 22 March from 6.50pm.
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals – AO Arena, Manchester
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals was reviewed at the AO Arena Manchester on 27 January 2025 and will be broadcast in the spring on BBC One, BBC Radio 2, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩
Something Rotten! In Concert – Theatre Royal Drury Lane
Something Rotten! In Concert was performed at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ We really hope this concert is the start of a successful longer life for the show, because Something Rotten! is actually something brilliant.
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals – AO Arena, Manchester
National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals at the AO Arena, Manchester. Performed on 22 January 2024, broadcast on BBC1 on 27 January and now available on iPlayer. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★
The Wizard of Oz – London Palladium
The Wizard of Oz continues at the the London Palladium until 3 September 2023. tour??
Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩
The National Lottery’s Big Night Of Musicals – AO Arena, Manchester
Was there any hankie big enough to disguise the tears when children and adults with learning difficulties, all members of David Stanley’s Music Man Project, joined Michael Ball during The National Lottery’s Big Night Of Musicals at the AO Arena, Manchester?
Jason Manford and Ashley Banjo to star in Palladium’s Wizard of Oz plus UK tour announced
Jason Manford and Ashley Banjo will be following the yellow brick road to the London Palladium this summer when Leicester Curve’s hit production of The Wizard of Oz arrives in London before embarking on a UK tour.
Henshall and Manford to reunite as hosts of Magic at the Musicals
Ruthie Henshall and Jason Manford will return as hosts for this year’s Magic At The Musicals at the Royal Albert Hall on 18 September 2022. Produced by TBI Media and Magic Radio, the popular annual event will once again feature performances from the casts of some of the West End’s biggest and best-loved shows with […]
CD Review: Theatre – Joe Stilgoe
THEATRE – Joe Stilgoe (Westway Records – Download and CD) Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Stilgoe’s ninth album, now on Westway Records, is a tribute to the theatre or, to be precise, to the great songwriters through the years (plus three new songs written by Stilgoe himself). Simon Callow appears on […]
Cabaret triumphs with seven awards at Olivier Awards 2022 while Back To The Future wins Best New Musical
The winners have been unveiled for this year’s Olivier Awards with Mastercard, British theatre’s biggest night, which took place at London’s Royal Albert Hall in London, hosted by Jason Manford. The biggest winner of the night was Cabaret, a revival of the 1966 Kander and Ebb musical which has transformed the West End’s Playhouse Theatre […]
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals – A0 Arena, Manchester
The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals at A0 Arena, Manchester, broadcast on BBC1 and BBC Radio 2, also available via BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Close your eyes, listen and you would swear it was Tina Turner belting out ‘We Don’t Need Another Hero’, ‘Simply […]
After two-year hiatus plans are revealed for the Olivier Awards 2022
Returning after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Olivier Awards 2022 will take place on Sunday 10 April at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Jason Manford. Returning after a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, this year’s event will be closely aligned with headline sponsor Mastercard’s sustainability focus, with the aim of […]
BBC to broadcast performances from National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals
Jason Manford will take charge of a star-studded celebration of musical theatre at the AO Arena in Manchester later this month. Featuring many of the nation’s most popular musicals, The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals on 24 January 2022 has been planned as a ‘thank you’ to National Lottery players who have helped support […]
Streaming return for hit A Killer Party
The UK premiere recording of new murder mystery musical A Killer Party returns to Stream.Theatre this week. Adapted for UK audiences, the show which was a lockdown hit in the US, is available as a nine-episode series for home viewing on stream.theatre until 28 November. The cast includes Jason Manford (Curtains, The Producers), Ben Forster […]
Ruthie Henshall and Jason Manford to host Magic At The Musicals
Ruthie Henshall and Jason Manford will host this year’s Magic At The Musicals when it returns to the Royal Albert Hall on 17 October 2021 Produced by TBI Media and Magic Radio, the popular annual event will once again feature performances from the casts of some of the West End’s biggest and best-loved shows. Commenting […]
A Killer Party – Stream.Theatre
A Killer Party is available to stream until 30 May 2021. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ A group of performers are called together for a themed murder mystery party. But when the lights go out, and then the host is found face down in the soup, has one of the actors gone […]
Ben Forster joins A Killer Party cast
Ben Forster (Jesus Christ Superstar, Elf The Musical) will complete the cast for the UK premiere of new murder mystery musical A Killer Party. Adapted for UK audiences, the show which was a lockdown hit in the US last summer, will be available as a nine-episode series for home viewing on stream.theatre from 19 April […]
Cast for workshopped new musical Daisy revealed
Jason Manford and Rachel Tucker will feature in the cast of a workshop production of new Irish musical Daisy next month. Manford (Curtains, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang) and Tucker (Come From Away, The Last Ship) will appear with the show’s creator, singer/songwriter and actress Caroline Kay (taking on the title role), with Jessica Cervi (The […]
Jason Manford, Rachel Tucker, Cedric Neal, Debbie Kurup & more are cast in the UK premiere of A Killer Party
Casting has been announced for the UK premiere of A Killer Party which will be released as a series of nine episodes to watch on-demand. The dates have now changed from the previous announcement to 26 April to 23 May 2020. The cast includes Oscar Conlon-Morrey (Only Fools and Horses, Nativity The Musical) as Shea […]
Don Black and Ian McKellen to be honoured in Olivier Awards 2020
The winners of the 2020 Olivier Awards with Mastercard will be revealed on 25 October 2020 during a special programme broadcast from the London Palladium on ITV at 10.20pm. Originally due to be held in April this year, the replacement for the usual Red Carpet event will be hosted as planned by Jason Manford and […]
Special show for Oliviers 2020 announced – 2021 awards likely to be shelved
The winners of the 2020 Olivier Awards with Mastercard will be announced on 25 October 2020 during a special programme broadcast from the London Palladium on ITV and Magic Radio. Originally due to be held in April this year, the replacement for the usual red carpet event will be hosted as planned by Jason Manford […]
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to go up for sale
The car that took centre stage in the successful 2015-2017 UK and Ireland tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang will go under the hammer in Staffordshire on Father’s Day (21 June 2020). With a guide price set at £6,000 to £9,000, the car that cost £175, 000 to build will be auctioned off alongside over […]
Online fundraising performance of Curtains announced
The UK producers of Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-winning musical Curtains have announced a live stream of the show on 14 April 2020 at 7.15pm with all profits going to Funds For Freelancers. In response to the current situation Paul Taylor-Mills (artistic director of The Turbine Theatre), Helen Clarkson, Sasha Regan and Sita McIntosh have […]
The Top 12 Olivier Awards Performances of the Last Ten Years
In lieu of an Olivier Awards ceremony this Sunday evening, ITV is broadcasting a compilation of their greatest performances instead. Just in case the choices don’t match yours, here are our top 12 favourite Olivier Awards performances of the last decade, in no particular order. With thanks to Ian Bowkett. 2019 – Jason Manford, Janie […]
‘Funny & resonant, definitely adult, very human’: Vikki Stone chats about new digital musical #ZoologicalSociety
Clare Walters writes: #ZoologicalSociety the concept album is released online today. Recorded by 13 musicians, eight chorus singers and a host of musical theatre stars, it’s a series of funny and resonant, definitely adult, very human stories of animals in a zoo. Writer, composer, actor and comedian VIKKI STONE, who wrote the album, explained to […]
Concept album for new digital musical #ZoologicalSociety
Northampton’s Royal & Derngate is releasing a star-packed concept album for new digital musical #ZoologicalSociety on Friday 27 March 2020 (the release was originally planned to coincide with a live concert performance at BEAM 2020). Written by multi award-winners Vikki Stone and Katie Mulgrew, #ZoologicalSociety is the first in a series of original music commissions […]
TV and radio specials to celebrate Olivier Awards
ITV will broadcast a special Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard programme on 5 April 2020 at 10.15pm in place of this year’s Royal Albert Hall show which was cancelled following the Government’s advice on social distancing. Hosted by Jason Manford, the hour-long Olivier Awards – Greatest Moments will take a look back at the last […]
& Juliet leads the Olivier Awards 2020 nominations followed by Fiddler, Dear Evan Hansen and Mary Poppins
New British musical & Juliet topped the list of Olivier Awards 2020 nominations with recognition in nine categories. Once again illustrating the range and diversity of musical theatre currently playing in the West End, the three shows to attract the most Olivier nominations are all genre favourites with Trevor Nunn’s revival of the classic Fiddler […]
Jason Manford to host the Olivier Awards for a third year
Comedian and actor Jason Manford will return to host the Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard at the Royal Albert Hall on 5 April 2020. Commenting on his third stint at the helm of the prestigious ceremony, the star of the current touring production of Kander and Ebb’s Curtains, said: ‘It’s great to be back hosting […]
Curtains – New Wimbledon Theatre and Touring
Curtains continues at the New Wimbledon Theatre, London until 18 January, then on tour until 11 April 2020. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Musical murder mystery Curtains resumed its UK tour in Wimbledon after an unexpected five-week West End run at the Wyndham’s Theatre, rushed in because of the premature closing […]
London season for new touring production of Curtains
Just a few weeks after the launch of the new touring production of Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-winning Curtains, the show’s producers have announced plans for a London premiere run this festive season. The production which launched at Bromley’s Churchill Theatre in October will take up residence at the Wyndham’s Theatre from 13 December 2019 […]
Curtains – Palace Theatre, Manchester and Touring
Curtains was reviewed at the Palace Theatre, Manchester and continues touring until 11 April 2020. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Rodgers and Hammerstein (or Hart), Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Lerner and Loewe may all be household names, but are Kander and Ebb? Yet John Kander and Fred Ebb gave us Cabaret […]
Ore Oduba and Carley Stenson join Jason Manford in Curtains tour
Former Strictly champion Ore Oduba will follow his theatrical debut in Grease by joining comedian Jason Manford for the new touring production of Kander and Ebb’s Tony Award-winning Curtains. Appearing at selected venues during the tour which launches this autumn, the BBC TV presenter will play composer Aaron Fox alongside the previously announced Manford (Chitty […]
Guys and Dolls – Royal Albert Hall
Guys and Dolls was performed at the Royal Albert Hall, London. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ The legendary Royal Albert Hall turned into musical comedy heaven for a weekend. Though the venue will never be the ideal venue for musical theatre, and there have been better productions lately of Guys and […]
Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall – Exclusive gallery of images
Hailed as the perfect musical comedy, Guys and Dolls is performed at the Royal Albert Hall this weekend with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and an all-star cast in a semi-staged concert directed by Stephen Mear (Gypsy, Singin’ in the Rain) and narrated by Stephen Mangan. And you are in for a treat because Musical Theatre Review’s official photographer Roy Tan has taken this fabulous […]
Lara Pulver and Stephen Mangan join cast of Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall
Lara Pulver, Stephen Mangan, Sharon D. Clarke and Paul Nicholas are the latest star names to be added to the cast of double Olivier Award winner Stephen Mear’s semi-staged version of the classic musical Guys and Dolls at the Royal Albert Hall next month. An Olivier Award winner for her performance in the hit revival […]
Live At Zedel announces over 100 shows for new season
London entertainment hub Live At Zédel at Crazy Coqs has unveiled a winter season packed with a record 110 shows covering a wide range of genres. Produced, once again, in partnership with Fane Productions Ltd, Live At Zédel’s programme of live music, musical theatre, comedy and cabaret includes solo shows from musical theatre leading ladies […]
Olivier Awards go primetime on ITV for the first time
UK television viewers will be able to watch highlights of this year’s Olivier Awards’ ceremony when the show is broadcast for the first time in a primetime slot on ITV on Tuesday 11 April from 8pm until 10pm. Following on from the prestigious event’s debut at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 9 April which […]
Inaugural Olivier Awards’ Be Inspired champions are announced
The Olivier Awards with Mastercard have announced its six inaugural ‘Be Inspired Champions’. Nominated by members of the public and theatre industry, these six individuals have motivated and inspired others with their love and commitment to theatre. The six champions will be invited to the ceremony on Sunday 9 April and will be presented with […]
Jason Manford will host the Olivier Awards 2017
Comedian and actor Jason Manford will host this year’s Olivier Awards with Mastercard. The 2017 awards are set to be the biggest yet, as they make their debut at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 9 April. Jason Manford is an award-winning comedian, broadcaster and actor. His stage credits include the multi Olivier Award-winning production of […]
Charlotte Wakefield and Jos Vantyler join cast of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Charlotte Wakefield and Jos Vantyler will join the the UK and Ireland touring production of classic Sherman Brothers musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang this October. Wakefield, who previously starred as Laurey in last year’s tour of Oklahoma!, will take over the role of Truly Scrumptious in the Music & Lyrics and West Yorkshire Playhouse production […]
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang UK and Ireland tour – first look at rehearsal images
Here’s a first look at rehearsal photos of the UK and Ireland tour of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, starring Jason Manford (Caractacus Potts), Martin Kemp (the Childcatcher), Michelle Collins (Baroness Bomburst) and Phill Jupitus (Baron Bomburst). The Music & Lyrics Limited and West Yorkshire Playhouse production of the much-loved Sherman Brothers musical starts its 2016-17 […]
