Following acclaimed performances as Nancy in Oliver! and Miss Sherman in Fame the Musical, Shanay Holmes has released her debut studio album, ‘BECOMING’ today (16 October 2026).
Tag Archives | Shanay Holmes
Line-up announced for fifth Musical Con
The producers of the world’s biggest musical theatre fan convention Musical Con have unveiled the full programme for the popular event’s upcoming fifth anniversary celebration. Due to open its doors to musical theatre lovers once again at ExCel London on 17 and 18 October, Musical Con 2026 will include a special Beetlejuice Spotlight featuring the […]
Fame The Musical – Theatre Royal Plymouth
Fame The Musical continues at Theatre Royal Plymouth until 15 August 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ This story feels relevant and important, and I pray it sees a life beyond the Theatre Royal Plymouth.
Shanay Holmes in Concert – Cadogan Hall
Shanay Holmes in Concert at Cadogan Hall, London. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ Fresh from her award-winning West End run as Nancy in Oliver!, Shanay Holmes performed her first-ever solo concert at Cadogan Hall in London.
Regional news round-up – Fame, Back to the Future, Waitress, Little Shop of Horrors and more
Angela Thomas rounds up all the latest news in regional and touring theatre in the UK and Ireland.
Presenters and schedule for West End Live 2026
The presenters and the full schedule have been confirmed for this year’s West End Live as London’s Trafalgar Square prepares to once again be transformed into the ultimate open-air theatre on 20 and 21 June.
Black British Theatre Awards 2025 winners announced
Shanay Holmes, Beverley Knight and Jay Perry were among the winners at the 2025 Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs).
New Cabaret stars among guests of honour for Musical Con
Just under a month after they make their debut as The Emcee and Sally Bowles, Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada will be among the guests of honour at the fourth Musical Con next month.
Dates for Musical Con 2025
The producers of musical theatre fan convention Musical Con have confirmed the popular event will return for the fourth consecutive year this autumn.
Music Review: Oliver! – 2024 London Cast Recording
Oliver! – 2024 London Cast Recording (First Night Records). Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Please sir, we want some more!
Oliver! – Gielgud Theatre
Oliver! continues at the Gielgud Theatre, London, booking until until 29 March 2026. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ A marriage made in heaven between arguably Charles Dickens’ finest work, indubitably Lionel Bart’s – so many instantly recognisable songs – and the supreme Matthew Bourne as director-choreographer.
Black British Theatre Awards 2024 – the winners
MJ The Musical and West End Musical Productions’ Shanay Holmes and Chris Steward were among the winners at the 2024 Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs).
Musical Con 2024 – check out the schedule
The full schedule has been unveiled for Musical Con 2024 – the world’s biggest musical theatre fan convention which returns for the third consecutive year this weekend (19 and 20 October).
Star line-up revealed for Musical Con 2024
Over 700 special guests will take part in the world’s biggest musical theatre fan convention Musical Con when the popular event returns for the third consecutive year on 19 and 20 October 2024.
West End transfer for new production of Oliver!
Cameron Mackintosh and Chichester Festival Theatre’s new production of Lionel Bart’s timeless Oliver! will follow its summer debut in Chichester by transferring to the West End at the end of the year.
Matthew Bourne and Cameron Mackintosh re-conceive Oliver! for Chichester Festival Theatre
A major new production of Lionel Bart’s timeless Oliver! will feature in Justin Audibert’s first season as artistic director of Chichester Festival Theatre (CFT).
Musical Con 2023 – full schedule confirmed
The full schedule has been confirmed for the second Musical Con – the musical theatre-themed event which will turn ExCel London at Royal Victoria Dock into a haven for musical theatre lovers on 21 and 22 October 2023.
Cast and creatives for Sheffield’s Miss Saigon
Sheffield Theatres has confirmed the full cast and creative team for the first regional non-replica production of Boublil and Schönberg’s haunting musical Miss Saigon.
Dates and details are revealed for Musical Con 2023
When Phantoms walk the streets and Cats cosplayers crowd the Elizabeth line singing ‘One Day More’, you know what time it is. Musical Con, the West End’s official musical theatre fan convention, is back with over 70 West End stars joining fans at the ExCeL London on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 October 2023.
Second Musical Con planned for October 2023
Following an inaugural event that attracted over 10,000 musical theatre-lovers, the West End’s first official musical theatre fan convention MUSICAL CON will return to ExCel London next year.
Musicals Mash-Up 6-14 November 2022
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
First Musical Con – full schedule announced
The full schedule has been confirmed for Musical Con, the new musical theatre themed event which will turn ExCel London into a haven for musical theatre lovers on 22 and 23 October 2022. Ten thousand musical theatre fans and enthusiasts are due to attend the weekend event which will offer fans the opportunity to meet […]
More tickets available for first Musical Con
Extra tickets have been released for the UK’s first musical theatre fan convention Musical Con in response to high demand. Announced in April this year, the latest event from the team behind the popular West End Musical Drive-In and West End Musical Celebration, will turn ExCel London into a haven for musical theatre-lovers on 22 […]
Stars line-up for the first West End Musical Convention
Musical theatre fans will be able to celebrate their favourite theatrical genre in the company of a host West End stars this autumn at the first West End Musical Con. The latest event from the team behind the popular West End Musical Drive-In and West End Musical Celebration, will turn ExCel London into a haven […]
Booking for Get Up, Stand Up! extended into 2023 – first images of Michael Duke as Bob Marley released
The world premiere run of Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue has been extended for second time, taking the quadruple 2022 Olivier Award-nominated production through to 29 January 2023. The extension announcement coincided with the release of images of new lead Michael Duke (West Side Story, Manchester […]
West End stars celebrate Valentine’s Day with West End Musical Love Songs
An all-star line-up including Les Misérables stars Jon Robyns (currently playing Jean Valjean) and Shan Ako (who previously played Eponine), Wicked stars Emma Hatton and Nikki Bentley who both played the iconic Elphaba, Six stars Natalie Paris and Jodie Steele (who recently reprised her role as Heather Chandler in Heathers), Matt Jeans (Joseph, White Christmas) […]
Theatre rising stars recognised in The Stage 25 list
Twenty-five individuals or partnerships tipped to be future stars of the UK theatre industry feature on a new list unveiled to celebrate 25 years of the prestigious The Stage 100. Backed by titans of the theatre including Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cameron Mackintosh and Sonia Friedman, The Stage 25 is made up of 25 theatre-makers with […]
Cynthia Erivo and Danny Sapani to co-host Black British Theatre Awards
Grammy, Tony and Emmy Award-winner Cynthia Erivo and Black Panther, Star Wars and Killing Eve actor Danny Sapani will co-host the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs) on 21 November 2021. Commenting on the awards, stage and screen star Erivo said: “I am so proud as a Black British actress to return from Los Angeles to the […]
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical – booking period extended to autumn 2022
The world premiere run of Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical at the Lyric Theatre has been extended up to 18 September 2022. Produced by Playful Productions, Stage Play and Cedella Marley, the production which stars Arinzé Kene (Misty, Bush Theatre/Trafalgar Studios, Girl from the North Country, The Old Vic) as Bob Marley […]
Nominees for 2021 Black British Theatre Awards
The Color Purple – At Home, The Last Five Years and West End Musical Celebration are in the running for the Best Musical Production Award at the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards (BBTAs) next month. Following on from last year’s special socially distanced event at London’s Young Vic Theatre which was broadcast on Sky Arts, the winners of the third BBTAs […]
Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
Get Up Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical continues at the Lyric Theatre, London. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Getting truly under the skin of a music icon, translating that effectively to the stage and entertaining a West End audience was never going to be easy. Bob Marley, reggae superstar, political […]
Date set for West End Musical Christmas Live in London
The team behind the popular West End Musical Brunch events, the West End Musical Drive-In series and the hit West End Musical Celebration shows will return to London with another star-packed celebration of musical theatre this festive season. Featuring a cast of West End stars, a live band and a dance ensemble, West End Musical […]
West End Musical Celebration concerts to return to London
Following a successful six show run at London’s Palace Theatre, the organisers of the West End Musical Celebration concert series have announced a three-month residency at London’s Vaudeville Theatre. One of the first shows to reopen West End theatres in the summer, the star packed celebration of live musical theatre will be back on stage […]
West End Musical Celebration – Palace Theatre
West End Musical Celebration continues at the Palace Theatre, London until 13 June 2021. Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ I – like you, I’m sure – have spent the last 15 months sat at home, counting down the days until I would get ‘Defying Gravity’ belted directly into my face again. […]
Nimax’s Rising Stars Festival showcases the work of 23 producers making their West End producing debuts
Twenty-three young theatre producers are being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present their work in the West End for the first time. Their 17 productions – plays, musicals, concerts and one-off events – have attracted a wide range of performers from emerging talent to popular West End stars. The Rising Stars Festival will run from […]
West End stars to feature in Disenchanted digital production
A group of the West End’s rising stars will play fairytale princesses with a difference in a new digital production of Off-Broadway hit Disenchanted. Jodie Steele (Six The Musical, Heathers: The Musical) will play Snow White with Sophie Isaacs (Six The Musical, Heathers: The Musical) featuring as Cinderella, Grace Mouat (& Juliet, Six The Musical) […]
West End Musical Celebration concerts rescheduled
With indoor theatre performances not due to resume until 17 May 2021 at the earliest, the West End Musical Celebration – Live At The Palace Theatre concerts have been rescheduled to dates in June. Originally planned for October last year, the star-packed celebration of musical theatre and the return of live theatre will now play […]
Stars unite for Make A Difference Trust single to mark a year of closedown
Some of the most distinctive voices in the West End feature on a new charity single released to mark a year since UK theatres went dark. With representatives from every musical open in the West End when the curtains came down on 16 March 2020 along with artists from shows that should have opened in […]
West End Musical Drive-In Goes Digital – Stream.Theatre
West End Musical Drive-In Goes Digital, available via Stream.Theatre until 21 March 2021. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Anything that gives musical theatre fans the opportunity to see a live show in these endless days of deprivation is to be applauded even if, in this case, it involves driving to an […]
West End Musical Drive-In shows to be streamed online
Home-bound audiences will be able to get a taste of the initiative that brought a touch of musical theatre magic to a London car park with the release of digital recordings of the West End Musical Drive-In concerts via the stream.theatre platform. Featuring over 25 West End stars including Alice Fearn (Come From Away), Lucie […]
New dates and new look for West End Musical Celebration – Live At The Palace Theatre
The postponed festive show West End Musical Christmas – Live at London’s Palace Theatre has been re-scheduled and re-branded after the show was shelved due to the December Covid-closedown. Now re-titled West End Musical Celebration – Live At The Palace Theatre, the star packed celebration of musical theatre will now play the Palace Theatre from […]
Aimie Atkinson and Lucie Jones to headline last two West End Musical Drive-Ins
Waitress’ Lucie Jones and Pretty Woman’s Aimie Atkinson will be the headline acts at the final two West End Musical Drive-In performances. After three months of shows featuring a host of West End favourites, the initiative that brought a touch of musical theatre magic to a London car park will take its final bow with […]
Black British Theatre Awards 2020 to air on Sky Arts
Hamilton, Thriller Live and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical are in the running for the Best Musical Production Award at the 2020 Black British Theatre Awards in late October. Following on from last year’s inaugural live ceremony, the winner of the Best Musical category will be announced during a special socially distanced event at […]
High Fidelity – Turbine Theatre
High Fidelity continues at the Turbine Theatre, London until 7 December 2019. Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel High Fidelity has had a circuitous route in its various adaptations. Five years later, the story of slacker record shop workers discussing music and failing at relationships moved from North London to […]
Oliver Ormson leads the cast of Turbine Theatre’s High Fidelity
Oliver Ormson will take on the central role in the musical version of Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity when it receives its UK premiere at the newly opened London venue, The Turbine Theatre next month. Recently seen in the Kilworth House Theatre’s production of Cats and on tour in The Addams Family, Ormson will take the […]
The Bridges of Madison County – Menier Chocolate Factory
The Bridges of Madison County continues at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London until 14 September 2019. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ Jason Robert Brown’s musical adaptation of the best-selling novel by US writer, musician and photographer Robert James Waller (1939-2017) finally gets its long-overdue UK premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory. […]
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Kilworth House Theatre
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat continues at Kilworth House Theatre, Leicestershire until 9 September 2018. Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩ The canopies of Kilworth House Theatre open once more to the glitz of a night at the theatre, and what could be more glitzy than the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic Joseph? It is – […]
