LATEST NEWS – 28th JULY 2025

By: pHayward 28th July 2025

• MJ the Musical – will extend its run at the Prince Edward Theatre in London one final time until 28 February 2026 before heading out on tour starting in Asia in October 2026. A major UK tour will commence in 2027. The musical, which features more than 25 Michael Jackson hits, won the Olivier Award for Best Choreography and was also nominated for Best New Musical. MJ is written by Lynn Nottage and directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. Scenic design is by Derek McLane, lighting design by Natasha Katz, costume design by Paul Tazewell, sound design by Gareth Owen, projection design by Peter Nigrini and wig and hair design by Charles G. LaPointe. Musical supervision is by David Holcenberg, with orchestrations and arrangements by David Holcenberg and Jason Michael Webb.
• The Producers – at the Garrick Theatre from late August following a sell-out spell at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, where the production originated. Set to star will be Andy Nyman as Max Bialystock, Marc Antolin as Leo Bloom, Trevor Ashley as Roger de Bris, Raj Ghatak as Carmen Ghia, Harry Morrison as Franz Liebkind and Joanna Woodward as Ulla. All are reprising their roles from the original Menier run. Joining them are Alex Lodge (Storm Trooper), Kelsie-Rae Marshall (Hold-Me-Touch-Me), Megan Armstrong, Olly Christopher, Gabrielle Cocca (dance captain), Nolan Edwards, Michael Franks, Matt Gillett (resident director), Esme Kennedy, Sinead Kenny, Josh Kiernan (assistant dance captain), Kate Parr, Emma Robotham-Hunt, Pierce Rogan, Hollie Jane Stephens, Jermaine Woods and Ryan Pidgen (standby Max). It tells the tale of two producers attempting to win big by staging the worst musical they could imagine – only for it to turn into an unexpected hit. The production team includes director Patrick Marber, choreographer Lorin Latarro, set designer Scott Pask, costume designer Paul Farnsworth, lighting designer Tim Lutkin, sound designer Paul Groothuis, and wigs, hair and makeup designer Betty Martini. Gareth Valentine is musical supervisor and dance arranger, with Matthew Samer as musical director and orchestrators Larry Blank and Mark Cumberland. Lily Dyble is associate director, with Michaeljon Slinger as associate choreographer (US) and Anna Woodside as associate choreographer (UK). Harvey Ebbage is associate lighting designer, Simon King is associate sound designer, and John Reddel is assistant musical director, while Matt Gillett serves as resident director. The production team also includes production manager Patrick Molony, props supervisor Jamie Owens, costume supervisor Sabrina Cuniberto, orchestral manager James Gorman and keyboard programmer David Chin.
• Inspector Morse: House of Ghosts – the first-ever original stage adaptation of the iconic detective series opens at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 28 August 2025 before embarking on a major UK tour. The Melting Pot and Birmingham Repertory Theatre production will visit venues across the UK, including Richmond Theatre, Grand Opera House York, Theatre Royal Nottingham, Churchill Theatre Bromley, Grand Opera House Belfast, Theatre Royal Brighton, Lyceum Theatre Sheffield, Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, New Victoria Theatre Woking, Theatre Royal Norwich, Waterside Theatre Aylesbury, Playhouse Theatre Liverpool, Leeds Playhouse, Theatre Royal Newcastle, Festival Theatre Malvern, Festival Theatre Edinburgh, Milton Keynes Theatre, His Majesty’s Theatre Aberdeen, Theatre Royal Glasgow, and The Lowry Salford. The play follows Morse and his trusted colleague, DS Lewis, as they investigate the mysterious on-stage death of a young actress. What begins as a suspicious death inquiry soon takes a darker turn. The production is directed by Anthony Banks and written by Alma Cullen, who previously scripted several episodes of Inspector Morse for ITV. The long-running television series, starring John Thaw as Morse and Kevin Whately as DS Lewis, aired for 13 years and became one of British television’s most celebrated crime dramas, inspiring spin-offs Lewis and Endeavour. Joining previously announced Tom Chambers in the titular role will be actor and rapper Tachia Newall (Waterloo Road) as Detective Sergeant Lewis, alongside Teresa Banham (The Crown) as Ellen, James Gladdon (The Score) as Freddy, Spin Glancy (Forty Years On) as Justin, Josh Katembela (recent RADA graduate) as ensemble, Robert Mountford (Much Ado About Nothing) as Lawrence Baxter and Paul Kincaid, Olivia Onyehara (The 39 Steps) as Rebecca, Harriet and Ellen, Charlotte Randle (Vardy V Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial) as Verity, and Eliza Teale (Filumena) as ensemble.
• Coven – a new musical with music and lyrics by Daisy Chute and Rebecca Brewer, and a book by Brewer. Directed by Miranda Cromwell, will run from 31 October to 20 December 2025 at London’s Kiln Theatre. Set in 1612 in Pendle, Lancashire, the story follows Jennet, who as a child accused her own family of witchcraft. Two decades later, she faces accusations herself and must reckon with the legacy of the witch trials. The cast includes Allyson Ava-Brown as Nell and Elizabeth, Rachel Barnes, Gabrielle Brooks as Jenet, Shiloh Coke as Frances and Alizon, Rosalind Ford as King James, Penny Layden as Martha and Judge, Holly Mallett, Lauryn Redding as Rose, Kathryn Tindall, Diana Vickers as Edmund and Covell, Jacinta Whyte as Maggie and Jennifer Whyte as Keys. The creative team features Jasmine Swan as set and costume designer, Zeynep Kepekli as lighting designer, Helen Atkinson as sound designer, Jennifer Whyte as musical supervisor, Shelley Maxwell as choreographer, Laura Cubitt as puppetry director, Rosie Pearson for Pearson Casting as casting director, Tom Wright as dramaturg and Hazel Holder as voice coach.

LATEST NEWS – 21st JULY 2025

By: pHayward 21st July 2025

• The Red Shoes – 11 of the original cast of Matthew Bourne’s incredible dance interpretation of Powell and Pressburger’s seminal 1948 film which premiered in 2016, are returning for this 10th Anniversary production, performing the roles they created, possibly, for the last time. Opening at Mayflower Theatre on 10th March 2026 it will run in Southampton until 14th March. This is something that no New Adventures fan will want to miss! For Bourne, The Red Shoes was the culmination of a twenty-year ambition bringing a personal love letter to a life in theatre and dance. Playing Victoria Page are Ashley Shaw, Cordelia Braithwaite, Hannah Kremer and Holly Saw, alongside Andy Monaghan and Reece Causton as Boris Lermontov, Dominic North and Leonardo McCorkindale as Julian Kraster, Michela Meazza, Cordelia Braithwaite and Katrina Lyndon as Irina Boronskaya, Liam Mower, Will Bozier and Jackson Fisch as Ivan Boleslawsky and Glenn Graham, Liam Mower and Reece Causton as Grischa Ljubov. The Red Shoes has captivated audiences and inspired generations of dancers with its powerful tale of obsession, possession and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page lives to dance but her ambitions become a fierce struggle between the two men who inspire her passion. An intoxicating drama where life imitates art with fateful consequences.
• Noël & Gertie – Mayflower Southampton will premiere their new production at Mayflower Studios, Southampton on Friday 19th September where it will run until Saturday 27 September 2025. The show will then head on to Leicester Curve and The Grand Theatre, Blackpool. The play, written by Sheridan Morley about Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence, opened in London in 1983 and ran for nine years and in the US it featured Twiggy in the lead role. The story is full of wit, warmth, and nostalgia, Noël & Gertie explores the fascinating friendship between two of the 20th century’s most iconic figures, Noël Coward and Gertrude Lawrence. Audiences will be taken to the glamorous era of British theatre, celebrating the special bond between the playwright and the actress. Through a series of memories, the golden age of the West End is brought to life, where Noël Coward’s wit and panache for life meets Gertrude Lawrence’s elegance and grace. As well as highlighting their collaborative works, Noël & Gertie explores the personal chemistry that sparked their deep affection and fondness for one another. Noël & Gertie features numbers from many Noël Coward works including Private Lives and the classic song, Don’t Put Your Daughter on the Stage, Mrs Worthington. Join one of the most legendary duos in show business history for an evening of style and elegance.The production will star Gary Tushaw as Noël Coward and Rebecca Trehearn as Gertrude Lawrence. Gary Tushaw’s West End theatre credits include Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, The Mousetrap and Les Misérables, while among Rebecca’s many roles are in City Of Angels, Kiss Me Kate, Rags, Sweet Charity and Les Misérables. Gary and Rebecca will be joined on stage by Joey Hickman and Michaela Murphy, as actor-musicians. Joey Hickman is also the Musical Director in this production. The production is directed by Mayflower’s Associate Artistic Director Thom Southerland (Titanic The Musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Illusionist).
• Dear England – The National Theatre’s upcoming national tour of this record-breaking production will start of 2026 in Southampton at Mayflower Theatre on 13th January and run until 17th January. The Olivier Award-winning Best New Play, which broke box office records during its West End run that started on 20 June 2023 in the Olivier Theatre. Following its sold-out run, Dear England transferred to the Prince Edward Theatre, in the West End where it broke box office records and ran until January 2024, making way for MJ the new musical. Leading the cast in ‘the decade’s biggest theatrical triumph’ (★★★★ Daily Telegraph) will be David Sturzaker as England manager Gareth Southgate, with EastEnders and Mount Pleasant actress Samantha Womack playing the role of team psychologist Pippa Grange. Dear England is written by the multi-award-winning stage and screen writer, James Graham, directed by the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold, with set design by Es Devlin. David Sturzaker West End theatre credits include Journey’s End, To Kill a Mockingbird and Charles II, while Samantha Womack, best known BBC One’s EastEnders. She has also performed leading stage roles in the West End and on tour including the original Rachel in the 2019 production of The Girl on the Train, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and South Pacific. The background to the story will be familiar to every football fan – it’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. The England men’s team has the worst track record for penalties in the world, and manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land. The wider creative team for Dear England includes costume designer, Evie Gurney; lighting designer, Jon Clark; co-movement directors, Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf; video designer, Ash J Woodward; co-sound designers, Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons with additional music by Max Perryment. To coincide with the tour The National Theatre will run a year-long schools engagement programme inspired by Gareth Southgate’s ‘Dear England’ open letter that he wrote to England fans in 2021. This programme, which will prompt young people across the UK to reflect on their own place in history, just as the footballers in Southgate’s squad were encouraged to do, is in response to this year being the 80th anniversary of the Second World War. It will be delivered in schools across England with assemblies and workshops using spoken word and sound design to support students to share the hopes and aspirations they have for themselves, and other young people, 80 years from now. The resulting sound archive will form a unique 2025–2026 time capsule. Students will also be invited to see performances of Dear England during the tour. This year-long schools engagement programme is expected to reach over 10,000 young people. This national tour of Dear England is a co-production between National Theatre Productions and JAS Theatricals.

• Love Quirks: A New Musical – the cast has been announced for the UK premiere, which runs at The Other Palace Studio from 18 September to 12 October 2025. Directed by Cecilie Fray, Love Quirks was written by Mark Childers with music and lyrics by Seth Bisen-Hersh. The show began as a song cycle and explores the realities of modern relationships through four characters confronting their past and future. Lewis Bear Brown will play Ryan, Clodagh Greene will appear as Stephanie, Ayesha Patel will play Lili and Tom Newland will play Chris. The creative team includes set designer Bob Sterrett, costume designer Alice McNicholas, lighting designer Oliver McNally and musical director Tom Noyes.
• Richmond Theatre – has announced Helen George, Charlie Stemp and Basil Brush for this year’s pantomime Cinderella, which will run from 6 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. George, known for playing Nurse Trixie Franklin in Call The Midwife, will make her pantomime debut as the Fairy Godmother. Stemp having starred in 5 Palladium pantos will play Buttons and Basil Brush will appear as Baron Basil. Brush first appeared on television in 1963 and has been a pantomime regular for many years since.
• Magic at the Musicals – has announced the full line-up for its concert with The London Musical Theatre Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall on 28 September 2025. The concert will feature performances from a range of West End and touring shows, with newly announced productions including Hamilton, Les Misérables, Oliver!, The Phantom of the Opera, Matilda The Musical and Disney’s The Lion King. The line-up also features Mamma Mia!, Cabaret, Disney’s Hercules, The Producers, Starlight Express, Back to the Future The Musical, MJ The Musical, The Bodyguard and Tina – The Tina Turner Musical. Bristol Old Vic’s musical Starter for Ten will appear, with Mel Giedroyc starring as well as hosting the evening alongside Ruthie Henshall.
• The Sky Arts Awards – will be held at the Roundhouse in London on 16 September. The ceremony will recognise artists and productions from across Britain and Ireland. The awards launched last year as a development of the South Bank Sky Arts Awards and remain the only event that covers a wide range of cultural forms including classical music, comedy, dance, film, literature, poetry, opera, popular music, television, theatre and visual arts. Nominations for this year’s ceremony will be announced in due course. The ceremony will be broadcast on Sky Arts on the same evening.
• The New Diorama Theatre – in north London has announced two new shows for its autumn 2025 season. Ephemeral Ensemble will return to the venue with Uprooted. Timelapse will present Precipice, a new musical set across two timelines linked by a biomedical disaster and rising sea levels. The piece combines an electro-folk score with a story that connects past mistakes with future consequences. The musical was developed during the venue’s Intervention01 programme after the pandemic, which supported new collaborative work. The show has been created by Stu Barter, Rachel Bellman, Darren Clark, Annabelle Lee Revak, Shaye Poulton Richards and Timelapse artistic director Adam Lenson.Precipice runs from 11 November to 13 December.
• Sunny Afternoon – Sonia Friedman Productions and ATG Productions have announced the principal casting for the brand new tour of the musical based on the early life of The Kinks’ Ray Davies. The Olivier Award-winning musical features songs such as “You Really Got Me”, “Waterloo Sunset”, “All Day and All of the Night” and “Lola”. The show first opened at the Hampstead Theatre before transferring to the West End in 2014, where it ran for two years ahead of a tour in 2016. A tour was planned for 2020 before being postponed by the pandemic lockdowns. Danny Horn will now play Ray Davies, Oliver Hoare plays Dave Davies, Harry Curley plays Peter Quaife and Zakarie Stokes plays Mick Avory. Sunny Afternoon has music and lyrics by Davies with a book by Joe Penhall and original story by Davies. It is directed by Edward Hall and designed by Miriam Buether with choreography by Adam Cooper. Lighting design is by Rick Fisher with sound design by Matt McKenzie and musical supervision by Elliott Ware. Musical and vocal adaptations are by Ray Davies and Elliott Ware based on original Kinks’ recordings. The tour will kick off at Manchester Palace Theatre on 10 October, playing until 18 October. It’ll then visit Birmingham, Glasgow, Sunderland, York, Woking, Wimbledon, Swansea, Brighton, Alexandra Palace in London, Canterbury, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Leeds, Malvern, Torquay, Oxford, Richmond, Stoke on Trent, Stockton, Leicester, Blackpool, Edinburgh, Inverness, Liverpool, and Cardiff.
• Glorious! – will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a UK tour. The hit comedy by Peter Quilter tells the story of American socialite Florence Foster Jenkins, dubbed “the worst singer in the world.” Having played in the West End with Maureen Lipman in 2025, a film version starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant was made. Earlier this year, the Hope Mill Theatre presented a new production with Wendi Peters in the central role. It is this revival, directed by Kirk Jameson, that will tour the UK from February 2026 and see Peters reprising the role. The production will open in Poole from 9 to 14 February 2026, before visiting Eastbourne, Derby, Ipswich, Windsor, Liverpool, Barnstaple, Malvern, Oxford, Basingstoke, Guildford, and Darlington. Glorious! is presented by Thomas Hopkins, Craig Haffer and Sherry Wright. It has musical supervision by Nick Barstow, set and costume design by Ingrid Hu, casting by Harry Blumenau, lighting design by Mike Robertson, sound design and assistant musical supervision by Mark Goggins, Italian translation and dialect coaching by Judith Blazer, costume supervision by Lorraine Parry, wig design by Helen Keane and artwork by Feast Creative.
• Death on the Nile – the UK and Ireland tour will star Mark Hadfield in the role of Hercule Poirot. Lucy Bailey directs Ken Ludwig’s adaptation of Agatha Christie’s story, presented by Fiery Angel in association with Agatha Christie Limited. Set on a cruise under the Egyptian sun, Death on the Nile follows Poirot as he investigates a murder that interrupts a honeymoon voyage. The production marks the European premiere of Ludwig’s version, following previous tours of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express. The tour begins on 26 September 2025 at the Lowry in Salford, with a national press night on 9 October at Richmond Theatre. The run includes dates at Chichester Festival Theatre, Cheltenham Everyman Theatre, Malvern Festival Theatre, Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre, Glasgow Theatre Royal, York Grand Opera House, Sheffield Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Brighton Theatre Royal, The Alexandra Birmingham, Nottingham Theatre Royal, Dublin’s Gaiety Theatre, Belfast Grand Opera House, Norwich Theatre Royal, Cambridge Arts Theatre and will finish at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 23 May 2026.
• The Shawshank Redemption – will embark on a UK tour once again this autumn, opening at Theatre Royal Windsor on 3 September. Adapted by Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns and directed by David Esbjornson, the stage show is based on Stephen King’s 1982 novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption. The 1994 film adaptation starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, and was nominated for seven Academy Awards. Leading the cast will be Joe McFadden (2:22 A Ghost Story) in the role of the wrongly convicted Andy Dufresne, Ben Onwukwe (London’s Burning) as inmate Ellis “Red” Redding, and Bill Ward (Coronation Street, Emmerdale) as the corrupt prison warden Stammas. Onwukwe reprises his role from the 2016 and 2022 touring productions of The Shawshank Redemption. The company is completed by Graham Elwell (Bryan Hadley), Ashley D Gayle (Rooster), Jeffrey Harmer (Entwistle), Kyle Harrison-Pope (Tommy Williams), Kenneth Jay (Brooksie), Sean Kingsley (Bogs Diamond), Fernando Mariano (Rico), Aein Nasseri (Nelson) and Owen Oldroyd (Dawkins). The creative team also includes associate director Tim Welton, designer Gary McCann, lighting designer Chris Davey and sound designer Andy Graham. Presented by Bill Kenwright Ltd, the tour will visit Windsor, Darlington, Truro, Blackpool, Belfast, Manchester, Lichfield, Hull, New Brighton, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Poole, Bath, Peterborough, Billingham and Leeds.
• The Harder They Come – the UK premiere of the newly adapted reggae musical based on the Jamaican film will be at Stratford East where it will run from 13 September to 25 October. The production has been adapted by Suzan-Lori Parks and will be directed by Matthew Xia, marking a return to Stratford East where the original stage version opened in 2006. It follows Ivan, an aspiring singer who arrives in Kingston, Jamaica, determined to live out his dreams on his own terms and make it as a music superstar. The Harder They Come is presented by Stratford East in association with Washington Square Films, Joshua Blum and Bruce Miller. The book is by Parks, with songs by Jimmy Cliff and additional new songs by Parks. The story is based on the film produced and directed by Perry Henzell and co-written with Trevor Rhone. The cast includes Danny Bailey as José, Josie Benson as Daisy, Craig Blake as Ray, Madeline Charlemagne as Elsa, Natey Jones as Ivan, Jason Pennycooke as Preacher, Simon-Anthony Rhoden as Pedro and Thomas Vernal as Hilton. The ensemble features Chanice Alexander-Burnett, Lori Barker, Ashh Blackwood, Aisha Davis, Kage Douglas, Robert Grose, Lauren Azania AJ King-Yombo, Jack Matthew, Newtion Matthews and Marcellus Whyte. The creative team brings together Simon Kenny as set designer, Jessica Cabassa as costume designer, Ciarán Cunningham as lighting designer, Tony Gayle as live sound designer, Nicola T Chang as sound designer for effects and soundscape, Shelley Maxwell as choreographer and intimacy director, Gino Ricardo Green as video designer, Ashton Moore as musical director and vocal arranger, Benjamin Kwasi Burrell as orchestrator and music arranger, Luke Bacchus as assistant musical director and keys 2, Heather Basten as casting director, Dominique Hamilton as WHAM designer and supervisor, Claire Llewellyn for RC Annie as fight director, Aundrea Fudge as voice and dialect coach, Emily Aboud as assistant director, Claire Nicholas as costume supervisor, Andy Reader as production manager, Marie-Angelique St. Hill as company stage manager, Emily Davis as deputy stage manager and Emily Mei-Ling Pearce and Dynzell Muguti as assistant stage managers.
• One Day – a new musical based on David Nicholls’ 2009 novel will have its World Premiere at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh on 27 February 2026 and runs until 5 April as part of the Lyceum’s 60th anniversary season, the first programmed by new artistic director James Brining. The show is set on St Swithin’s Day (15 July, in fact!) across multiple years as a couple grow from students into adults. It was adapted into a solidly-received film in 2011, followed by a much-loved 2024 Netflix series. Olivier Award-nominee Jamie Muscato will play Dexter, while Sharon Rose will play Emma. The musical is written by David Greig with music and lyrics by Abner and Amanda Ramirez of Johnnyswim and additional material by Freya Catrin Smith. Max Webster directs. The creative team includes Carrie-Anne Ingrouille as choreographer, Rae Smith as set and costume designer, Bruno Poet as lighting designer, Simon Baker as sound designer, Nigel Lilley as music supervisor and arranger, Simon Hale as orchestrator and Stuart Burt as casting director.
• Black Power Desk – a new British musical will open at Brixton House on 1 September 2025 and will run until 28 September. Brixton House in conjunction with PlayWell Productions have announced the cast for the production. Rochelle Rose and Veronica Carabai play Celia and Dina, with Alexander Bellinfantie, Tomos Eames, Gerel Falconer, Fahad Shaft, Chanté Faucher, Alan Drake and Casey Bird completing the cast. Black Power Desk is Brixton House’s largest production to date and features an original score blending RnB, reggae, soul and ska performed by a live band. Written by Urielle Klein-Mekongo in collaboration with rapperturg Gerel Falconer, the production is directed by Gbolahan Obisesan with music by Ivor Novello Award winner Renell Shaw. Set in 1970s London and inspired by the Mangrove Nine and other Black British activists, the story follows two sisters navigating family ties, community struggles and the covert operations of a secret police unit inside New Scotland Yard. The full creative team includes Klein-Mekongo (book, lyrics and composition), Obisesan (director), Falconer (lyrics and rapperturgy), Shaw (music and composition), Gail Babb (dramaturgy), Natalie Pryce (set design), Jessica Cabassa (costume design), Prema Mehta (lighting design), Tony Gayle (sound design), Jade Hackett (movement direction) and Aisha Bywaters (casting director). The production is part of Brixton House’s Uprising Festival, commemorating 40 years since the Brixton Uprising that followed the police shooting of Cherry Groce. Following its run in Brixton, the production will tour to Warwick Arts Centre, the Lowry and Birmingham Hippodrome.

LATEST NEWS – 14th JULY 2025

• Disney’s High School Musical – Hope Mill Theatre and the Lowry are set to stage the first UK non-replica production of the musical, marking two decades since the film’s original release. The musical, which features a book by David Simpatico and music adapted, arranged and produced by Bryan Louiselle, will be co-directed by Hope Mill founders Joseph Houston and William Whelton. The production will run at the Lowry in Salford from 21 August to 13 September 2026. The venue’s Lyric Theatre will be reconfigured for the production, with an immersive basketball court setting that includes on-stage seating and an extended playing space. The musical will feature songs from the original movie, including “Breaking Free”, “We’re All In This Together”, “Get’cha Head in the Game” and “Stick to the Status Quo”. First performed in 2006 at Stagedoor Manor Summer Theatre Camp, High School Musical later received a professional staging at the Theatre of Stars in Atlanta and a US national tour by Disney Theatrical in 2007. It had its London debut at the Hammersmith Apollo in 2008 ahead of an extensive UK tour that starred Ashley Day in the first of his many headlining roles. Performances will run Wednesdays to Sundays in the first two weeks, then Tuesdays to Sundays from 8 September.
• The Enormous Crocodile The Musical – a new tour has been announced by the Roald Dahl Story Company. Following on from its opening at Theatre Royal Windsor from 8 August 2025, it will return to Regent’s Park from 15 August to 7 September 2025, and a festive run at the Lowry, Salford from 9 December 2025 to 4 January 2026. The 2026 tour will open at Theatre Royal Brighton on 27 March before visiting Kingston, Aylesbury, Poole, Newcastle, Cardiff, Shrewsbury, York, Nottingham, Bristol, Bradford and Glasgow. Originally developed by director Emily Lim, the production features a book and lyrics by Suhayla El-Bushra, music by Ahmed Abdullahi Gallab, and additional music and lyrics by Tom Brady. Toby Olié serves as co-director and puppetry designer, collaborating with Daisy Beattie on puppet co-design and supervision. The set and costume design is by Fly Davis while casting is handled by Annelie Powell, and choreography comes from Vicki Igbokwe-Ozoagu, lighting by Jessica Hung Han Yun, and sound by Tom Gibbons.
• The Woman in Black – is set to return for a UK tour. Susan Hill’s play, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from Hill’s novel, follows a lawyer convinced that a curse has been placed on his family by the spectre of the Woman in Black. He hires a young actor to help him recount his story, but as they delve into his past, the boundaries between fiction and reality begin to blur. The show was first staged in 1987 at a pub in Scarborough before transferring to the Lyric Hammersmith. It later moved to the Strand Theatre, then the Playhouse, before settling at the Fortune Theatre in June 1989. The production played in the West End for 33 years, running for over 13,000 performances at the Fortune Theatre before closing in March 2023. More than seven million people have seen the play in the UK since its premiere. John Mackay will star as Arthur Kipps, with Daniel Burke as The Actor. The tour will open at Storyhouse, Chester on 24 September 2025 and then visit Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, followed by a three-week run at London’s Alexandra Palace before continuing to Plymouth, Brighton, Richmond, and Bath. In 2026, the tour will stop in Darlington, York, Glasgow, Birmingham, Chelmsford, Oxford, Poole, Liverpool, Nottingham, Bradford, Peterborough, Malvern, Southampton and Guildford. The Woman in Black is directed by Robin Herford, with designs by Michael Holt and lighting by Kevin Sleep.
• Back to the Future the Musical – has unveiled its 2025/26 cast. Caden Brauch as Marty McFly, Brian Conley as Doc Brown, Maddie Grace Jepson as Lorraine Baines (from 13 August), Orlando Gibbs as George McFly, CJ Borger as Goldie Wilson and Marvin Berry, Alex Runicles as Biff Tannen, Talia Palamathanan as Jennifer Parker, Oliver Halford as alternate Marty McFly, and Liam McHugh as Dave McFly, Lee Ormsby as Strickland and alternate Doctor Emmett Brown, and Gracie Caine as Linda McFly. Billie Bowman is the Clocktower Woman, while the ensemble features Ryan Appiah-Sarpong, Jed Berry, Jabari Braham, Charlotte Coggin, Sia Dauda, Lauren Dawes, Alexander Day, Talia Duff, Helen Gulston, Thomas Inge, Stephen Lewis-Johnston, with swings Adam Margilewski, Anna Murray, Samuel Nicholas, Brian Ó’Muirí, Phoebe Roberts, Issie Wilman and Alexandra Wright. Cory English will return as Doctor Emmett Brown from 5 November 2025. The musical first opened in London on 13 September 2021, and this summer will be coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the original 1985 film. Performances began on Broadway in June 2023 and concluded there on 5 January 2025, with the North American tour continuing through to August 2025.
• Gwenda’s Garage – a new British musical from Out of the Archive in association with Sheffield Theatres, will premiere this autumn with runs at Sheffield Theatres’ Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse and Southwark Playhouse Borough. Written by Nicky Hallett with music by Val Regan, Gwenda’s Garage is set in 1980s Sheffield during Thatcher’s Britain and is inspired by the true story of a women-run garage founded in 1985 by three mechanics – Ros Wollen, Annette Williams and Ros Wall. Named after record-breaking racing driver Gwenda Stewart, the garage became a space for both car repair and women’s activism.Taking that story as a point of inspiration, the musical follows a group of women as they take on Section 28 and campaign for LGBTQ+ rights. The cast includes Nancy Brabin-Platt as Bev, Eva Scott as Carol, Sia Kiwa as Terry, Lucy Mackay as Dipstick, Georgina Coram as Feona, and Liz Kitchen in multiple roles. The creative team is led by director and dramaturg Jelena Budimir, with set design by Sarah Booth, costume design by Becky Graham, and sound design by Joe Dines. Musical direction comes from Val Regan, with Liz Kitchen as associate musical director. The band features Jude Holland on bass guitar, Richard Body on keyboard, Kitchen on drums, and Becky Eden Green on saxophone and clarinet. The lead producer is Jas Nisic, with Gabby Vautier as associate producer for imPOSSIBLE Producing. It runs in Sheffield from 15 to 25 October and then transfers to Southwark Playhouse Borough from 30 October to 29 November.

LATEST NEWS – 7th JULY 2025

• Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical – Secret Cinema has unveiled the full company for its latest staging which will run at Evolution London in Battersea Park from 1 August to 7 September 2025. The event marks Secret Cinema’s first London production since 2022 and the first of three planned summer events at the venue, with future productions for 2026 and 2027 to be announced later this year. The two-and-a-half-hour experience will bring Grease to life with a cast of 30 performing across multi-screen platforms in an immersive theatrical setting – said by the production to “blur the line between screen and reality.” The cast will include Mamma Mia! I Have A Dream semi-finalist Stephanie Costi, stepping into the role of Sandy, while Liam Buckland will play Kenickie and Lucy Penrose will return to play Rizzo, having taken on the role during the immersive production of the show in Birmingham. Joining them are Liam Morris, who leads the T Birds as Danny alongside Andilé Mabhena as Putsie, Darragh Rochford as Doody and Myles Thomas as Sonny. Donning Pink Ladies jackets are Toni Paise as Marty, Brooke Ramsay as Jan and Gerardine Sacdalan as Frenchie, who all appear alongside Imogen Kingsley-Smith and Jacob Stebbings as schoolmates Patty Simcox and Eugene Felsnic. Also in the company are Colleen Daley as Principal McGee, Julie Cloke as her secretary Blanche, and Rhys Owen as Coach Calhoun. David Fearn will appear as Teen Angel/Choir Master with Waylon Jacobs as television teen-dance show host, Vince Fontaine. The company is completed by the ensemble cast: Morgan Baulch, Dylan Blake-Colbet, Ziki Buswell, Erin Corfield, Leah Dane, Bella Donald, CJ Driver, David Heal, Reece Kerridge, Sunny Lee, Kelly Mbarga, Rose Mary O’Reilly and Aaron Shales. Audiences will step into the world of Rydell High, with live music, themed food and drink, and a summer fairground. The event will integrate the film with live performance, allowing audiences to experience the story in a fully interactive way. For the first time, ticket buyers have the ability to purchase either free-roaming seats or designated seating. “Join the Cast” seats will allow ticket buyers to learn choreography ahead of performances and join in with the cast during the show. The creative team for the production includes Matthew Costain as director, Tom Rogers as set designer, Jennifer Weber as choreographer, and Howard Hudson as lighting designer. Gareth Fry serves as sound designer, with Ian William Galloway as video designer. Casting is by Grace McInerny for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting. Steve Sidwell is music supervisor, while costume design is by Susan Kulkarni and Martina Trottman. Wigs, hair and make-up design is by Farida Ghwedar and Jessie Deol.
• Mean Girls The Musical – is heading out on a UK tour and will play Southampton at Mayflower Theatre from 11 to 16 January 2027. Meet The Plastics – Regina, Gretchen and Karen. They rule North Shore High and will burn anyone who gets in their way. Home-schooled Cady Heron may think she knows a thing or two about survival of the fittest thanks to her zoologist parents, but high school is a whole new level of savage. When Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a queen bee without getting stung. Expect iconic characters, razor-sharp wit, and killer songs. The stage musical had its world premiere in 2017 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C and opened on Broadway in April 2018 at the August Wilson Theatre to ecstatic responses, where it played to packed houses. The show then went on a hugely successful US tour in 2019 and recently completed a second US tour. It opened in the West End at the Savoy Theatre on 5 June 2024 and played until 8 June 2025. It has a book by Tina Fey, music and vocal arrangements by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, scenic design by Scott Pask, costume design by Katrina Lindsay, lighting design by Kenneth Posner, sound design by Brian Ronan, hair design by Josh Marquette, musical supervision/vocal, dance, incidental and additional music arrangements by Mary-Mitchell Campbell, orchestrations by John Clancy and dance and incidental music arrangements by Glen Kelly.
• Kinky Boots – Johannes Radebe will continue his success in his role of Lola in the hit musical when it transfers into the West End. It will mark his West End musical debut. The show will open at the London Coliseum on 17 March and continue until 11 July 2026. Kinky Boots features a book by Harvey Fierstein and a score by Cyndi Lauper. The production will be directed by Curve’s artistic director Nikolai Foster. Based on the 2005 film, the musical follows Charlie Price, who inherits a struggling shoe factory and teams up with drag performer Lola in an effort to save the business. The production is directed by Foster with choreography by Leah Hill, set and costume design by Robert Jones, Lola and the Angels’ costume design by Tom Rogers musical supervision by George Dyer, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Adam Fisher, casting by Harry Blumenau, wigs, hair and make-up design by Campbell Young Associates, with production management by Setting Line.
• Elf the Musical – will return to the West End for a limited ten-week season.It will open at the Aldwych Theatre, running from 28 October 2025 to 3 January 2026. The show previously ran at the Dominion Theatre in both 2022 and 2023, setting box office records on each occasion. It also had a 2014 run at the Marquis Theatre on Broadway, marking its first return to New York in over ten years and setting new weekly gross records. The production is directed by Philip Wm McKinley, with choreography by Liam Steel, set and costume design by Tim Goodchild, lighting design by Patrick Woodroffe, sound design by Gareth Owen, and video design by Ian William Galloway. Casting will be by Grindrod Burton Casting. A new set has been designed for the Aldwych Theatre by Goodchild to accommodate the venue’s dimensions. The production is presented by Temple Live Entertainment.
• Little Dancer – A New Musical In Concert – has announced full casting for its UK premiere at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on Sunday 27 July 2025. Tiler Peck, principal dancer with New York City Ballet, will play Young Marie van Goethem. She is joined by Julian Ovenden as Edgar Degas and Laura Pitt-Pulford as Adult Marie. New cast members include David Albury as Christian, Imogen Amos as Charlotte, Imogen Bailey as Antoinette, Josefina Gabrielle as Martine, Debbie Kurup as Mary Cassatt and Rohan Tickell as Corbeil. The ensemble features Derek Aidoo, Adam Crossley, Sebastian Goffin, Josie Harbertson, Jacob Hughes, Britt Lenting, Nell Martin, Gabriela Rodriguez, Holly Saw, Lowri Shone, Jessica Templeton, Gabriella Tooma and Jack Wilcox. Amy Ruggiero will cover Young Marie off-stage, with Simi Jolaoso and Ying Ue Li performing as soprano booth singers. Based on the story of the young ballerina who posed for Edgar Degas’ sculpture, the piece was previously seen in the US in Washington DC and Seattle. The musical is written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, with direction and choreography by Susan Stroman. The full creative team includes Beowulf Boritt (scenic design), William Ivey Long (costume design), Ken Billington (lighting design), Kai Harada (sound design), Doug Besterman and Larry Hochman (orchestrations), Sam Davis (musical supervision and dance arrangements), Shawn Gough (musical direction and conducting), Jeff Whiting (associate director), Ginger Thatcher (associate choreographer), Ben Davis (associate scenic designer), Donald Sanders (associate costume designer) and Sabrina Cuniberto (costume supervisor).
• To Kill a Mockingbird – is setting out on a UK wide tour. Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s seminal text was seen in the West End in 2022, going on to run until the summer of 2023. It was nominated for nine Tony Awards when it was first seen on Broadway, winning one. Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, published in 1960, explores racial injustice in America and features one of the most iconic characters in literary history – small-town lawyer Atticus Finch. Richard Coyle will return to the role of Atticus Finch, reprising the role he played to great critical acclaim in the 2022 West End production. Coyle will be joined by Anna Munden as Scout Finch, Gabriel Scott as Jem Finch, Dylan Malyn as Dill Harris, Andrea Davy as Calpurnia, Stephen Boxer as Judge Taylor, Aaron Shosanya as Tom Robinson, Oscar Pearce as Bob Ewell, Evie Hargreaves as Mayella Ewell, Richard Dempsey as Horace Gilmer, Sarah Finigan as Mrs Dubose, Phillipa Flynn as Miss Stephanie / Dill’s Mother, Harry Attwell as Mr Cunningham / Boo (Arthur) Radley, Colin R Campbell as Sheriff Heck Tate and Simon Hepworth as Link Deas, with Paul Albertson, James Mitchell, Jonathan Rubin, Cheryl Burniston, Charlotte Luxford, Oyin Orija, Tiwai Muza, Tom Brace-Jenkins, and John J O’Hagan. The production is directed by Bartlett Sher (The King and I) and will commence its tour at Leeds Playhouse, where the production will play 8 September to 4 October 2025, before moving to Nottingham Playhouse (7 to 18 October), Festival Theatre in Edinburgh (21 to 25 October), King’s Theatre in Glasgow (4 to 8 November), Theatre Royal Bath (11 to 22 November), Millennium Centre, Cardiff (25 to 29 November). Into 2026, the show will visit the Lowry in Salford (13 to 24 January 2026), Sheffield Lyceum (27 January to 7 February 2026), Bord Gais Theatre in Dublin (10 to 21 February 2026), Grand Opera House in Belfast (24 February to 7 March 2026), Theatre Royal Plymouth (10 to 14 March 2026), Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury (17 to 21 March 2026), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (24 to 28 March 2026), Birmingham Hippodrome (14 to 18 April 2026), Theatre Royal Newcastle (21 to 25 April 2026), Theatre Royal Norwich (28 April to 2 May 2026), Empire Theatre, Liverpool (12 to 16 May 2026), and Milton Keynes Theatre (19 to 23 May 2026). The creative team for the tour includes Louisa Muller (associate director), Miriam Buether (set designer), Ed Pierce (design supervisor), Ann Roth (costume designer), Jennifer Tipton (lighting designer), Scott Lehrer (sound designer), Adam Guettel (original score), Kimberley Grigsby (musical supervisor), Serena Hill (casting director), Campbell Young Associates (hair and wigs designer), Laurence Belcher (resident director), and Tavia Jefferson (cultural coordinator).
• Midnight at the Palace – casting has been announced for new musical inspired by the iconic and flamboyant drag ensemble, The Cockettes, it aims to dismantle the lines between art and showbiz, politics and performance and is written by Brandon James Gwinn and Rae Binstock. Starring Andrew Horton as Hibiscus, Baylie Carson as Sweet Pam, Gregory Haney as Sylvester, and Al Cammish as Scrumbly, they will be joined by Al Knott as Harlow, Jordan Walker as Link, Aaron Douglas as Irving, and Becky Sanneh as Dusty Dawn. It will open at Gilded Balloon in Edinburgh on 30 July where it will run until 24 August. Directed and choreographed by Paul McGill, also on the creative team are set and costume designers Allen and Adcock, sound designers David Beckham and Tony Gayle, lighting designer Adam King, musical director James Cleeve, casting director Sarah Leung, and producers Sing Out, Louise! Productions. General management is by Suzanna Rosenthal Productions.