Here is our weekly round up of stagey news, our 5* reviews, interviews, shows opening next week and ticket deals! Have a little scroll.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Top Theatre News Stories of the Week include:
We Will Rock You returns to London’s West End! The show will be the London Coliseum’s summer musical, running from the 2nd of June 2023 for 12 weeks. Over at the Duke of York’s Theatre, Sheridan Smith will be returning to the West End, starring in Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine from the 17th February for 12 weeks. Back to the Future the Musical announces its first ever relaxed performance, which will take place on the 12th March 2023 tickets are available here. Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial will move to the Ambassadors Theatre for a strictly limited run from the 6th April 2023, due to popular demand, tickets and info can be found here. The final 3 performances at Wyndham’s Theatre are now sold out!
In Off West End news, The Old Vic announced the return of Groundhog Day! The critically acclaimed musical, directed by Matthew Warchus, with book by Danny Rubin, and music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, will return with a 12 week run from the 20th of May 2023. Andy Karl will reprise his role as Phil Connors. In sad news this week, Hampstead Theatre announced that due to their 100% cut in arts funding, the theatre will need to change direction and can no longer continue solely as a new writing theatre. Consequently, Roxana Silbert has stepped down as Artistic Director. Help support the theatre by booking a ticket to their current production, Sons of the Prophet – tickets are from just £10!
To end on a lighter note, there was also a great casting announcement re. The Wicked Movies – Keala Settle will be starring as Miss Coddle and Aaron Teoh, who you may have seen in But I’m A Cheerleader earlier in the year will be starring as Avaric!
Oh, and it’s time to vote in the WhatsOnStage Awards again!
REVIEWS OF THE WEEK
Our 5 Star Shows of the Week
MATTHEW BOURNE’S SLEEPING BEAUTY
‘Sleeping Beauty is an absolute triumph…utterly delightful, a visual and auditory feast. This is the reimagining fairy tales for contemporary audiences at its absolute best.’
– Jenny
NEWSIES
‘This 120 year old story sends an important message with a flair of extraordinary dancing – seize your day and go see it!’
– Jill
A CHRISTMAS CAROL-ISH
‘The script is bonkers but so tight, and moves with such pace and verve under Matt Peover’s uncompromising direction. To achieve this level of self-awareness and ‘shoddiness’ requires so much craft, and every component is tight as a screw. I want the Christmas album immediately!’
– George
INTERVIEWS OF THE WEEK
Amy caught up with Tendai Rinomhota, who is currently starring as Amanza in Theatre Royal Stratford East’s 2022 Pantomime – Cinderella. You can read the interview here!
SHOWS OPENING NEXT WEEK
MOST ANTICIPATED
Sons of the Prophet – Tony Award-winning Stephen Karam makes a highly anticipated return to Hampstead following his multi award-winning, box office smash-hit, The Humans. ‘The absolutely wonderful new comedy-drama’ (New York Times), Sons of the Prophet makes its European premiere having been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize. Opening night is Monday 12th December at Hampstead Theatre, and tickets are from just £10 for this play, which is running until the 14th of January.
Dolly Parton’s Smoky Mountain Christmas Carol – Dickens gets a Tennessee twist in an all new musical with a soundtrack written by the Queen of Country herself. Opening night is this Tuesday, 13th of December at Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre. The show is on until the 8th of January 2023. Tickets are from £18.50 (concessions save 25%!).
As You Like It – The Bard’s glorious romantic comedy comes to the brand new West End Theatre, @sohoplace. With an all-star cast including; Josie Rourke stars Leah Harvey (Foundation, The Wonderful World of Dissocia) as Rosalind, Rose Ayling-Ellis (EastEnders, Strictly Come Dancing 2021 winner) as Celia making her West End debut, Alfred Enoch (Harry Potter films, Red, West End) as Orlando, Tom Mison (Sleepy Hollow, Watchmen) as Touchstone and Martha Plimpton (The Good Wife, Sweat, West End) in the role of Jaques. Opening night is Wednesday 14th December, the show is running until the 28th of January 2023. Tickets are from £20.
Watch on the Rhine – Lillian Hellman’s masterpiece political thriller come to the Donmar Warehouse, starring Patricia Hodge. This timely revival by director Ellen McDougall isn’t one to miss! Opening on the 16th of December, the show is running until the 4th of February 2023. Tickets are from just £10!
CHRISTMAS SHOW OF THE WEEK
Our Christmas Show of the Week is Five Children and It, which is on at Theatre at the Tabard now. Adapted by Louise Haddington from the classic children’s book by E. Nesbit, author of The Railway Children, Five Children and It is a magical, festive production for the whole family. Tickets are from just £15.50!
FRINGE THEATRE
Here’s a little round up of the Fringe Theatre that is exciting us most this week.
Britney: Friends and Nothing More is coming to Soho Theatre following a sold-out Edinburgh Fringe run. The comedy sketch duo and best pals Britney are back. Running from the 12th-22nd December, Tickets from £16.
Nice Jewish Boy is coming to the Hope Theatre. A tragic comedy about a clash of identities. When Josh is gifted his worst nightmare on his 19th birthday, he must confront what haunts both his synagogue services and Grindr hookups. Running from the 13th – 17th December, all tickets are £10!
The Grotto is coming to Drayton Arms Theatre. Directed by award-winning Matthew Parker and featuring the award-winning Laurel Marks & Toby Hampton; you are disrespectfully invited to abandon your tradition and revel in the gore of this dark & delicious comedy treat. Running from 13th- 30th December, ticket are £16.
TICKET DEAL OF THE WEEK
The Official London Theatre Sale is LIVE. With tickets for great West End shows for just £10!
Get £15 tickets to La Clique here! And read our 5* review here!
REVIEWS TO EXPECT NEXT WEEK!
Next week you can find us at Soho Theatre for Jazz Emu: You Shouldn’t Have and Lesbian Space Crime, Kings Head Theatre for Harry’s Christmas, the Apollo Theatre for Derren Brown – Showman, Eventim Apollo Hammersmith for Circus 1903, The Southbank Centre for Dolly Parton and the pantos; Sinderfella and Potted Panto! (this is subject to change, and more may be added!).
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
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- A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503 - PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE - GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, High Tide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE - CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH
Drum roll please…(Cue a literal drum rolling across the stage.) The Lyric pantomime is one of traditions with the return of many well-loved jokes and skits. Costumes and sets are all made at the Lyric itself by Good Teeth, with set pieces being reused year on year. This year Cinderella gets the Hammersmith makeover, with some success. The costuming is fun and vibrant, with the ugly stepsisters’ equine pyjamas and hoop-skirted ball gowns giving all the wrong kinds of extra you need for those characters. Cinderella’s on stage dress transformation is magical and really well-timed. The Dame, Lady Jelly-Bottom’s, outfits … More CINDERELLA – REVIEW – LYRIC HAMMERSMITH - INTERVIEW – LINUS KARP – DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY
Amy catches up with Linus Karp ahead of his performance of Diana: The Untold and Untrue Story, at London’s Clapham Grand. Linus and Joseph of Awkward Productions are also the masterminds behind the new show Gwyneth Goes Skiing. Hello Your Majesty/ Candle Entrepreneur, how are you feeling coming back from a hugely successful fringe and triumphant tour across your kingdom, ahead of performing in front of 700 of your loyal subjects, and before (the list never ends!) opening a brand new show, which has recently gone viral? Exhausted, exhilarated and alive. We’ve had the most ridiculous year – I feel … More INTERVIEW – LINUS KARP – DIANA: THE UNTOLD AND UNTRUE STORY