Olivier Award-winners Miriam-Teak Lee, Cassidy Janson and David Bedella will be among a largely unchanged cast when & Juliet makes its eagerly-anticipated return to the Shaftesbury Theatre from 24 September 2021. Best Actress Lee (Hamilton, On the Town) will return in the title role alongside Janson (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, Chess) who collected the […]
Tag Archives | Luke Sheppard
West End return for & Juliet in September 2021
Multi-award-winning new musical & Juliet will make its eagerly-anticipated return to the Shaftesbury Theatre from 24 September subject to the Government’s lifting of restrictions affecting the full capacity operation of theatres. Announcing an early autumn return for the show which envisions a happy ending for William Shakespeare’s Juliet, the producers thanked fans of the show […]
Hope Mill’s Rent to return in August 2021
Hope Mill Theatre’s hit production of Jonathan Larson’s rock musical Rent will return for live performances this summer. After playing just five performances in the short window before restrictions returned late last year, the production will play the Manchester venue for a strictly limited season from 6 August until 19 September 2021. Announcing the latest […]
& Juliet to return to the West End in May
Multi-award-winning new musical & Juliet is the latest hit West End show to announce plans to reopen in the late spring. Subject to the lifting of social distancing measures, the show which envisions a happy ending for William Shakespeare’s Juliet will return to the Shaftesbury Theatre from 28 May 2021 with its booking period extended […]
Rent – Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester continues to be streamed online on 4, 5 and 6 December 2020; 11, 12 and 13 December 2020; and 18, 19 and 20 December 2020. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ My colleague Nigel Smith reviewed this show when it opened in person at Manchester’s Hope Mill […]
Rent – Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
Rent at the Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester (Although Rent has been closed by the national Covid lockdown, it was recorded live and is available as an online streamed performance from 27 November to 20 December 2020). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ The creator of Rent, Jonathan Larson, saw parallels between Puccini’s […]
Hope Mill to release tickets to watch theatre’s sold-out Rent online
Home viewers will get a change to view selected performances of the sold-out run of Hope Mill Theatre’s highly-anticipated new production of Jonathan Larson’s Rent. With tickets selling out for the live theatre performances within 48 hours, the production will now be filmed and broadcast online to a strictly limited number of viewers over four […]
Palace theatre dates for The Show Must Go On charity concerts
The team behind the successful lockdown-launched Theatre Support Fund + will move their fundraising efforts on-stage with four star-packed special performances at London’s Palace Theatre next month. Presented by the Theatre Support Fund + and Take Two Theatricals, The Show Must Go On! Live At The Palace Theatre will be the first show to reopen […]
Cast announced for Hope Mill Theatre’s rescheduled Rent
West End favourites and 2020 graduates will feature in the 12-strong cast for Hope Mill Theatre’s highly-anticipated new production of Jonathan Larson’s Rent. Jocasta Almgill (& Juliet, Shaftesbury Theatre, Dreamgirls, Savoy Theatre) will play Joanne with Blake Patrick Anderson (Be More Chill, The Other Palace, Closer to Heaven, Above The Stag) as Mark, Ahmed Hamad […]
Transatlantic choir features on charity love letter to musical theatre
A 90-strong transatlantic virtual choir has been assembled to celebrate the magic of musical theatre in a charity video recording. Featuring members of the British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT), The Hollywood Film Chorale, The Pinewood Singers and West End musical performers, the recording of original song ‘Imagine A World That Didn’t Sing’ is now available […]
Cast to form bubble for Hope Mill Theatre’s Rent
The 12-strong cast of Hope Mill Theatre’s highly-anticipated new production of Rent will form a ‘bubble’ for the rescheduled run at the award-winning Manchester venue. Originally due to play a limited season from 31 July 2020, the team at Hope Mill has confirmed the production will now run from 30 October until 6 December with […]
Autumn dates announced for Hope Mill Theatre’s rescheduled Rent
Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre has announced rescheduled dates and the full creative team for its new production of Jonathan Larson’s innovative musical Rent. Originally due to play a limited season from 31 July 2020, with rehearsals scheduled to begin a month earlier, the venue has taken the decision to announce new dates (from 30 October […]
New musical features the hits of Tom Jones
A high-powered creative team has been assembled to bring a major new musical featuring the songs of national treasure Tom Jones to the stage. Luke Sheppard (In The Heights), the director of the current West End smash & Juliet will take charge alongside celebrated stage and screen choreographer Arlene Phillips and award-winning set designer Jon […]
Luke Sheppard to direct Hope Mill Theatre’s Rent
Luke Sheppard will return to Manchester’s Hope Mill Theatre this summer to direct a revival of Jonathan Larson’s innovative musical Rent. Returning to the Ancoats venue for the first time since his critically acclaimed production of Spring Awakening in 2018, the director of current West End hit & Juliet will take charge of the new […]
Casts announced for MTFestUK at the Turbine Theatre
A number of West End stars have been lined up to appear in each of the new musicals chosen to feature in the programme for Paul Taylor-Mills’ MTFestUK at the Turbine Theatre next month. Running from 3-15 February 2020 at the newly opened venue on the banks of the Thames in Battersea, the second MTFestUK […]
& Juliet – Shaftesbury Theatre
& Juliet is booking at the Shaftesbury Theatre until May 2020. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Jukebox musicals tend to get a bad rap. And to be fair, many such constructions deserve their poor reputations: plundering an artist’s back catalogue in order to appeal to fans, often with a wafer-thin book […]
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾: The Musical – Ambassadors Theatre
Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾: The Musical continues at the Ambassadors Theatre, London until 12 October 2019. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ To paraphrase another 1980s hit, it’s ’orrible being in love when you’re 13 and three quarters. But Sue Townsend’s comic novel The Secret Diary […]
New take on Shakespeare’s Juliet features Max Martin hits
Prolific pop hit writer Max Martin will produce and provide the music for a major new musical & Juliet that will envision a happy ending for William Shakespeare’s Juliet. Featuring rising theatrical star and award-winner Miriam-Teak Lee (Hamilton, On the Town) in the title role, & Juliet will use Martin’s modern pop hits to accompany a […]
Murder For Two – The Other Palace
Murder For Two continues at The Other Palace, London until 13 January 2019 Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Think Cluedo The Musical, with 13 characters played by just two actors, throw in an upright piano, a shot dead famous novelist, plenty of whodunnit red herrings and some rousing songs and there you have Murder […]
Billionaire Boy The Musical – NST City, Southampton and Touring
Billionaire Boy The Musical continues at NST City, Southampton until 6 January 2019 and then on tour. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ David Walliams’ children’s stories are familiar to many of us. Recently dominating the BBC’s family Christmas programming with highly popular screen adaptations, Walliams’ third book for children, Billionaire Boy, has […]
World premiere of Billionaire Boy musical – casting revealed
Ryan Heenan will take on the title role in the eagerly-anticipated world premiere stage adaptation of David Walliams’ best-selling Billionaire Boy which is due to debut in Southampton next month ahead of a UK tour. Heenan (Grease, UK and international tours, The Sound of Music, London Palladium) will play Joe Spud alongside Lem Knights (Priscilla […]
HELP! Get Me Out of This Musical – Youth Music Theatre UK – Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park Arts Centre, Bracknell
HELP! Get Me Out of This Musical was performed by Youth Music Theatre UK at the Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park Arts Centre. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ With book and lyrics by John Nicholson and music by Alexander Rudd, HELP! Get Me Out of This Musical tells the story of school bully Callum MacGregor, […]
Cast and creatives revealed for Hope Mill’s Spring Awakening
Manchester’s award-winning Hope Mill Theatre has revealed the cast and creatives for the upcoming revival of the Broadway hit Spring Awakening later this month. Directed by Luke Sheppard, the second of five in-house musical productions for 2018 from the successful partnership between Hope Mill and London arts producer Aria Entertainment is due to run from […]
Nuffield Southampton hosts world premiere of musical Billionaire Boy
A musical version of David Walliams’ best-selling Billionaire Boy looks set to be one of the highlights of Nuffield Southampton Theatres’ 2018 season. Announced as part of a season that includes inaugural programming for NST’s newly-built city centre theatre NST City, Billionaire Boy features music and lyrics by chart-topping song writer Miranda Cooper. Directed by […]
Hope Mill Theatre and Aria Entertainment reveal first shows for 2018
The world premiere of new British musical The Toyboy Diaries will be the first of three in-house productions in early 2018 from the highly successful partnership between Manchester’s award-winning Hope Mill Theatre and London arts producer Aria Entertainment. Running from 18 January until 10 February, The Toyboy Diaries was announced as part of a 2018 […]
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – The Musical – Menier Chocolate Factory
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – The Musical continues at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London until 9 September. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I was slightly depressed to learn, on entering the Menier Chocolate Factory for the musical version of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged […]
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ musical to open at Menier Chocolate Factory
A brand new production of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ – The Musical will opens at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory in Adrian’s 50th birthday year. Jake Brunger and Pippa Cleary’s musical of Leicester’s favourite teen has undergone a period of further development since its original production at Curve in […]
Murder For Two – Watermill Theatre, Newbury
Murder For Two continues at the Watermill Theatre, Newbury until 25 February before transferring to The Other Palace Studio, from 2-18 March. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ Musical parody is hardly a new initiative but in the hands of Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair it provides a quirky new genre of comedy. […]
Southwark Playhouse to host European premiere of Working
The genre-twisting Broadway musical Working, co-written by Stephen Schwartz, will receive its long-awaited European premiere at the Southwark Playhouse next year. Directed by Luke Sheppard (In The Heights), the new production of the ground-breaking show will play a limited season at the Southwark Playhouse from 2 June 2017 until 8 July with a press night on 7 June. […]
In the Heights extends run for third and final time
Olivier and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In the Heights – by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator of Hamilton – has extended its London run at the King’s Cross Theatre for the third and final time and is now booking until Sunday 8 January 2017. Joining the cast from Friday 16 September are Arun Blair-Mangat as Benny (Kinky Boots); Juliet Gough as Camilla (Matilda) and Stephanie Rojas as Carla (Wonder.land). Sarah Naudi, who […]
In The Heights – new cast members join company
New cast members are set to join the company of Olivier Award-winning musical In The Heights from tonight. Joining the cast are Christine Allado (From Here to Eternity, Here Lies Love) as Vanessa, Norma Atallah (The Sound of Music – Live) as Abuela and Jonathan Bishop (The Lion King) as Graffiti Pete (from 15 April). […]
Beyond the Fence – Arts Theatre
Beyond the Fence continues at the Arts Theatre, London until 5 March. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ The best story creations begin with a ‘what if’”, and it’s no different with musicals. What if a boy in a striking mining town develops a talent for ballet? What if a man steals […]
In The Heights extends run at King’s Cross Theatre for a third time
Initially booking for a limited four-week run, Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In The Heights has extended its run at King’s Cross Theatre for a third time, now booking for an additional six months until Sunday 30 October 2016. Tickets for the new booking period are on sale now. In The Heights returns to London following a critically acclaimed sell-out UK […]
First computer musical Beyond the Fence – Laura Jane Matthewson cast
Casting has been revealed for the world’s first ‘computer musical’, Beyond the Fence. Presented by Sky Arts and Wingspan Theatricals, Beyond the Fence will play at the Arts Theatre from 22 February to 5 March. Rehearsals are underway in London for this ground-breaking show, all of which is being documented for television in the documentary series Computer […]
World’s first ‘computer musical’ Beyond the Fence will play the Arts Theatre
2016. The computer revolution. In a world becoming ever more technologically advanced, and reliant upon computers, machine learning and artificial intelligence are rapidly and fundamentally changing every aspect of human experience. But how does technology affect art and the creative process? In a world first, Sky Arts and Wingspan Theatricals will explore this question by […]
In the Heights – King’s Cross Theatre
In the Heights continues at the King’s Cross Theatre until 4 January 2016. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ After making a splash last year, the return of In the Heights to the King’s Cross Theatre will have been eagerly anticipated by those who missed its short run at the Fringe-sized Southwark Playhouse (and, […]
In the Heights extends run at King’s Cross Theatre – see new images
The award-winning Broadway musical In the Heights, which is currently previewing ahead of an official opening next week, has extended its run at King’s Cross Theatre. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s lively hip-hop and Latin flavoured work was initially booking for a limited four-week season at the venue, but it has been announced that the production will now […]
In the Heights transfer – full cast revealed
Full casting is announced today for Tony Award-winning Broadway musical In the Heights, which returns to London in October following a critically acclaimed sell-out UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse in 2014. The production will transfer to King’s Cross Theatre on 3 October 2015 and is booking for a limited four week period until 1 November 2015. […]
Oliver! – Watermill Theatre, Newbury
Oliver! continues at the Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Newbury until 19 September. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ With embryonic rumours that Cameron Mackintosh has been trying to produce a film revival of Lionel Bart’s Oliver! and the previous national production having finished touring in 2013, it is as timely as Fagin’s collection of pocket […]
Interview – Luke Sheppard brings a new dimension to Oliver! at the Watermill Theatre
LUKE SHEPPARD, a young director with a varied – and critically lauded – handful of shows under his (relatively) newly-donned belt, talks to Musical Theatre Review’s Oliver Beatson about his latest production, the Watermill Theatre’s up-and-coming production of Oliver! In what looks to be Oliver! with a twist – the production (playing at the Newbury venue from 31 July to 19 September) will offer the theatre’s signature integrated-musician […]
Oliver! at the Watermill – full company revealed
The Watermill has announced its full company for its upcoming summer production of Lionel Bart’s multi-award winning musical Oliver!, opening on Friday 31 July and playing until Saturday 19 September. Directed by Luke Sheppard, this brand new production will bring an immersive and site responsive twist to Bart’s much-loved musical, with London’s murky Victorian underworld reimagined in and around the […]
The Watermill Theatre summer musical is Oliver!, directed by Luke Sheppard
The Watermill Theatre, Newbury’s summer musical will be a brand new production of Lionel Bart’s multi award-winning musical Oliver!, opening on Friday 31 July until Saturday 19 September (press night is Thursday 6 August). Tickets are on general sale from Monday 27 April. Directed by Luke Sheppard, The Watermill’s trademark actor-musicians will bring a new twist to Bart’s much-loved musical […]
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ – The Musical – Curve Leicester
The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ – The Musical continues at Curve Leicester until 4 April. Star rating: 4 stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Child actors who win plum parts like these are always going to be good, but 14-year old Joel Fossard-Jones – one of four Adrian Moles recruited for this world premiere production – has the audience on […]
Adrian Mole musical at Curve – full cast revealed
The full cast for the world premiere of Sue Townsend’s The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ – The Musical has been revealed by Curve, Leicester today. The cast includes Rosemary Ashe (Grandma), Cameron Blakely (Mr Lucas), Amy Booth-Steel (Miss Elf/Doreen Slater/Mrs Lucas), Neil Ditt (George Mole), Kirsty Hoiles (Pauline Mole) and Neil Salvage (Bert Baxter). The role of Adrian will be shared by Lewis Andrews, Sebastian Croft, Joel Fossard-Jones and Toby […]
Interview – Altar Boyz producer Paul Taylor-Mills is hitting the heights
PAUL TAYLOR-MILLS has an impressive list of directorial credits on his CV, but it is as a producer that he has been making his name during the last 18 months, introducing three Off-Broadway and Broadway shows – Bare – The Rock Musical, Into the Heights, and now Altar Boyz – to London Fringe audiences. Altar Boyz, […]
Terry Pratchett’s Soul Music – Youth Music Theatre UK
Terry Pratchett’s Soul Music is performed by Youth Music Theatre UK at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, Surrey, from 28-31 August. The Youth Music Theatre’s love-in with the rich, imaginative writing of Terry Pratchett, which began when Mort: The Musical played the Rose two years ago, continues with Soul Music, here a full-blown rock‘n’roll musical performed by an energetic, talented cast of 40, […]
Adrian Mole musical to premiere in Leicester next year
Leicester’s favourite teenager, Adrian Mole, will be the star of Curve’s brand new musical which premieres in spring 2015. With book and lyrics by Jake Brunger and music and lyrics by Pippa Cleary, this new musical adaptation of Sue Townsend’s best-seller will open on 17 March 2015, with previews from 7 March, and runs until 4 April (tickets are on […]
Lysistrata Jones – Guildford School of Acting
Lysistrata Jones was performed by MA Musical Theatre students from the Guildford School of Acting at the Ivy Arts Centre, Guildford. Following its success both Off and on Broadway in 2011-12, Lysistrata Jones received its European premiere courtesy of Guildford School of Acting, the Ivy Arts Centre being transformed into a basketball court for the purpose. The […]
Youth Music Theatre UK launches groundbreaking summer season
In its tenth anniversary year, Youth Music Theatre UK (YMT) launches a groundbreaking season of international work in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland to be produced during the summer of 2014. Youth Music Theatre UK is the leading music theatre company for young people aged 11-21, offering high standard training and mentoring and a proven way for […]
In the Heights – Southwark Playhouse
In the Heights continues at Southwark Playhouse, London until 7 June. Arriving on Broadway in 2008, In the Heights depicts the lives and loves of the residents of Washington Heights over three long, hot summer days. With music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegria Hudes, the score reflects the melting pot of […]
