LATEST NEWS – 17th August 2026

PH: 17th August 2026

• Mean Girls – Jennifer Ellison will play Ms Heron/Ms Norbury/Mrs George in the award-winning musical when it resumes its national tour at Oxford New Theatre on 4^th January 2027 and moves on to Mayflower Theatre in Southampton from Monday 11^th January and then Newcastle Theatre Royal from 18^th January. Jennifer joins Emily Lane as Cady Heron, Vivian Panka as Regina George, Kiara Dario as Gretchen Wieners, Sophie Pourret as Karen Smith, Georgie Buckland as Janis Sarkisian, Max Gill as Damian Hubbard, Ben Oatley as Aaron Samuels, Karim Zeroual as Kevin Ganatra and Joshua Elmore as Mr Duvall. Charlie Barnard, Rebekah Bryant, Michael Dean-Wilson Savannah Ffrench, Fergie Fraser, Thomas Gotobed, Jenny Huxley-Golden, Trisha Kumar, Sadie Levett, Arjun Mudahar, Jessie Odeleye, Stefanos Petri, Charlotte Pourret, Jack Rose, Tori Louise Ryan, Lillia Squires, Jayd’n Tyrone and Chay Wills complete the company. Jennifer Ellison’s West End credits include Singin’ In The Rain at the Palace Theatre, Boeing Boeing at The Comedy Theatre, and Roxie Hart in Chicago at the Adelphi Theatre, Cambridge Theatre, as well as on a UK Tour and for the 10th Anniversary Gala. The musical Mean Girls 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, dance and incidental music arrangements by Glen Kelly and casting by Natalie Gallacher CDG for Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting.
• The Greatest Showman – Disney Theatrical Group has announced that its stage adaptation of the hugely succesful 2017 film will open in the West End at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in the spring of 2027 following the limited run of Jesus Christ Superstar. The show had a shakedown run at Bristol Hippodrome earlier this year and the production team are busy on readying the show for its World Premiere launch. The production features music by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, a book by Tim Federle, and is directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw. Initial casting has been announced and leading the company is Oliver Tompsett as P T Barnum with Samantha Barks as Charity Barnum. They are joined by Ben Joyce as Phillip Carlyle, Vajèn van den Bosch as Jenny Lind and Malinda Parris as Lettie Lutz. Further casting and the performance schedule will be announced at a later date.
• Educating Rita – will be revived this autumn at Curve Leicester. Directed by Cara Nolan, the Made at Curve production will play at the Leicester theatre from 26 September to 17 October. Alexandra Mardell will play the title role. Opposite her will be Dominic Mafham as Frank. The demanding roles will be covered by Helena Rimmer and Earl Carpenter, respectively. Set and costumes will be designed by Michael Taylor, with lighting design by Katy Morison and sound design by Jack Baxter.
• Into the Woods – the cast for the West End transfer of the Bridge Theatre’s multi-award-winning production to Noël Coward Theatre from 22^nd September 2026 has been confirmed. Joining the company are Simbi Akande as Cinderella, John Dagleish as the Baker, Fiona Finsbury as Rapunzel, Lucas Koch as Rapunzel’s Prince, Laura Pitt-Pulford as the Baker’s Wife, Jack Quarton as the Steward, Keith Ramsay as Jack, Matthew Seadon-Young as Cinderella’s Prince and the Wolf, and Michael S Siegel as the Narrator. They join Valda Aviks as Grandmother and the Giant, Geoffrey Aymer as Cinderella’s Father, Kate Fleetwood as the Witch, Jennifer Hepburn as Cinderella’s Stepmother and alternate Witch, Hana Ichijo as Lucinda, Julie Jupp as Jack’s Mother, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson as Florinda and Gracie McGonigal as Little Red Ridinghood. Hollie Aires, Sabrina Aloueche, Jacob Fowler, Adam Robert Lewis, Sophie Linder-Lee, Toby Turpin and Elsie Watson will serve as standbys. Directed by Jordan Fein, the Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine musical went on to win Best Ensemble or Cast and Best Designer at the 2026 Critics’ Circle Awards, followed by Best Musical Revival and Best Lighting Design at the 2026 Olivier Awards.
• The Last Ship – full casting has been confirmed for the West End limited engagement of the musical at Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 22 September to 3 October 2026, with Sting appearing in every performance and he will be joined by Declan Bennett (Gideon), Frances McNamee (Meg), Jackie Morrison (Peggy White), Lejaun Sheppard (The Wallsend Ferryman from 24 September to 3 October), Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong (Baroness Tynesdale), Matt Beveridge (Freddy Newlands), Joe Caffrey (Billy Thompson), Duane Gooden (Adrian), Hannah Richardson (Ellen) and Adam Strong (Davey). Lydia Bolton (swing) is dance captain and Llandyll Gove (swing) is resident director. The ensemble and understudy cast features Olivia-Mae Baker, Matthew Gent, Helen Hill, Ediz Mahmut, Matthew McDonald, Grant Neal and Emma Thornett. Shaggy is set to co-star as the Wallsend Ferryman in Sting’s musical for just two nights – 22 and 23 September. The global reggae icon will reprise his role opposite Sting as Jackie White in the reimagined 2026 adaptation of the musical. Produced by Karl Sydow, the new staging features a new book by acclaimed writer Barney Norris and is directed by Leo Warner, with set and video design by 59, a Journey studio. The show, which is inspired by Sting’s upbringing in the shipbuilding town of Wallsend, will also include newly written numbers. It draws on themes first explored in his 1991 album The Soul Cages, and follows a community facing the closure of their local shipyard.
• ATG Entertainment – the UK, West End and Broadway theatre company is about to change hands yet again. This time the 70 theatrical venues owned and operated by ATG will become part of the international Mari conglomerate having been sold after a short ownership by private equity firm Providence Equity. Mari own and operate TodayTix as well as operating a global portfolio of events and experiences across sports, art, entertainment and lifestyle. In the UK, these include Hyde Park Winter Wonderland and the Hampton Court Palace and Blenheim Palace Festivals. The founder and principal investor of Mari, said: “I’ve spent my whole career in entertainment. I’ve seen the industry reinvent itself many times, but live has only grown more powerful. Nothing connects great talent with audiences more directly. The ATG acquisition is a long-term bet on where live goes next.”

LATEST NEWS – 10th August 2026

PH: 10th August 2026

• Jeeves Takes Charge – concludes its run in the West End at the Charing Cross Theatre on 6^th September. It will then transfer to Mayflower Studios in Southampton where it will open on 29^th September ahead of a full national UK tour setting out in 2027. Adapted by James Duke, Edward Duke and Hugh Wooldridge, and starring Sam Harrison, this dazzling one-man adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse’s beloved Jeeves and Wooster stories sees Harrison play all twenty-two characters, including the indefatigable Jeeves, the much-loved Bertie Wooster, Florence Craye, Gussie Fink-Nottle, Bingo Little, Uncle Willoughby and Aunt Dahlia, in a bravura tour-de-force performance. Set in Wodehouse’s gloriously absurd world of country houses, terrifying aunts, engagements gone wrong and gentlemanly panic, Jeeves Takes Charge follows the hapless Bertie Wooster as his brilliantly resourceful valet Jeeves attempts to steer him away from disaster – and matrimony – at every turn.
• Cats – the new UK and Ireland tour will be presented by Michael Harrison for Lloyd Webber Harrison Musicals and will follow the record-breaking run of the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre revival, directed and choreographed by Drew McOnie, which continues in London until 19 September. The tour will open at Theatre Royal Plymouth on 6 October 2026 and will tour to Hull, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Llandudno, Glasgow, Nottingham, Canterbury, Sunderland, Aberdeen, Norwich, Belfast, Dublin, Oxford, Southampton, Edinburgh, Bradford, Liverpool, Woking, Cardiff, Milton Keynes and Newcastle, with performances scheduled through to June 2027. The touring company will feature Fin Adams (Alonzo), Kalisha Amaris (Old Deuteronomy), Carla Bertran (Electra and co-dance captain), Elliot Broadfoot (Bustopher Jones / Gus), Grace Burrows (offstage swing), Matthew Caputo (Skimbleshanks), Josie Chambers-Sims (Syllabub), Briana Craig (Rumpleteazer), Katie Dunsden (Bombalurina), Joshua-Samuel Freeman (Tumblebrutus), Regan Garcia (Pouncival), Aaron Jenkins (offstage swing), Hannah Joseph (Victoria), Taziva-Faye Katsande (Tantomile), Diante Lodge (Macavity), Shona Mairi Masson (offstage swing), Owen McHugh (George), Danny Nattrass (Mungojerrie), Millie O’Connell (Demeter), Andrew Parfitt (Coricopat), Dean Rickards (offstage swing), Nathan Rigg (offstage swing), Lucie-Mae Sumner (Jellylorum / Griddlebone), Laura Tyrer (Jennyanydots / Gumbie Cat), Jaydon Vijn (Rum Tum Tugger), Jack Wilcox (Munkustrap), Jet Yau (Mr Mistoffelees), Taela Yeomans-Brown (offstage swing and co-dance captain), and Patricia Zhou (Cassandra). Casting plans for the role of Grizabella will be announced later this year. The creative team includes set, costume and wigs designer Sami Fendall, lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound designer Adam Fisher, makeup designer Guy Common, intimacy director Ingrid Mackinnon, voice coach Fiona McDougal, associate director and choreographer Ebony Molina, fight director Kev McCurdy, casting director Will Burton and musical supervisor Alex Parker. Also on the creative team are associate lighting designer Lucy Adams, resident director and choreographer Josh Baker, associate set designer Tim Blazdell, associate sound designer Ollie Durrant, associate wigs and hair designer and supervisor Georgia Nosal and musical director Geraint Owen.
• Trainspotting The Musical – The world premiere production of the musical will close at London’s Theatre Royal Haymarket on 5^th September and will no longer embark on the planned UK tour which was scheduled to commence on 19^th October. Performer and resident director Keiran Brown said that the musical is just not selling. Edinburgh, of all places is stuck on 19 per cent sales, and that means the show is unsustainable. Ticketholders will be contacted by their point of purchase with full refund details.
• Million Dollar Quartet – will transfer to London this autumn following its run at the Barn Theatre in Cirencester. The production will play a limited season at new venue the Arts at Marble Arch, it runs from 4 September to 6 December 2026 following the last-minute postponement of Burlesque the Musical at the venue. The show dramatises the real-life meeting of Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley at Sun Records in Memphis on 4 December 1956, when the four musicians gathered for an impromptu jam session that became known as the “Million Dollar Quartet”. The score includes songs such as “Blue Suede Shoes”, “Fever”, “Walk the Line” and “Hound Dog.” Originally opening on Broadway in 2010, Million Dollar Quartet received three Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, and later transferred to London’s Noël Coward Theatre in 2011 before embarking on a UK tour in 2016 and 2017. It was previously staged at the Barn in 2022. Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, the musical has a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux. Darren Day will reprise his role as legendary record producer Sam Phillips, with the remaining London cast to be announced.
• Murder in the Cathedral – Orange Tree Theatre has announced the cast for their revival of T.S. Eliot’s classic which opens at Richmond’s St John the Divine Church on 19 October and runs until 7 November before transferring to Theatre Royal Bath from 10 to 21 November. Directed by Tom Littler with the theatre’s community director, Francesca Ellis. Joining the previously announced David Suchet as Thomas Becket are Mensah Bediako (as Third Priest), Ben Caplan (Second Tempter, Second Knight), Paul Hickey (Second Priest), Jyuddah Jaymes (First Tempter, First Knight), Michael Lyle (First Priest), Nick Sampson (Third Tempter, Third Knight), Jad Sayegh (Messenger) and David Yelland (Fourth Tempter, Fourth Knight).
• Othello – a new co-production between Northern Stage, HOME Manchester and the Citizens Theatre, in association with Royal and Derngate will open at Northern Stage on 11^th September and run until 26^th September before embarking on a tour which will run at HOME Manchester (30 September to 10 October), Royal and Derngate, Northampton (13 to 17 October), Theatre Clwyd (20 to 24 October), the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow (27 October to 7 November), Derby Theatre (10 to 14 November) and the New Theatre, Peterborough (17 to 20 November). Now set in Britain during the early 1980s against the backdrop of the Falklands War, Anthony Almeida’s production relocates Shakespeare’s tragedy to an isolated military outpost. Dwane Walcott will play the title role opposite Maanuv Thiara as Iago. Phoebe Smyth, making her professional theatre debut after graduating from LAMDA, will play Desdemona.They are joined by Rebecca Banatvala as Emilia, WhatsOnStage Award winner Grace Hodgett Young as Bianca, Chris Garner as Brabantio, Will Stanton as Cassio and Mattieu Sys as Roderigo. The creative team includes designer Natasha Jenkins, lighting designer Sinead Mckenna, sound designer Matthew Tuckey, video designer Erin Guan, movement, fight and intimacy director Giaele Mattioli, production manager Suzie Normand, costume supervisor Sara Mackenzie and casting director Karishma Balani.
• Peter Gill – playwright and director has died aged 86. Born in Cardiff in 1939, Gill initially trained as an actor before transitioning into directing at London’s Royal Court Theatre during the mid-1960s. In 1976, he became the founding artistic director of Riverside Studios in Hammersmith, converting an industrial warehouse space into a hub for theatre, dance, and film. He moved to the National Theatre as an associate director in 1980, and went on to establish the National Theatre Studio in 1984. Gill’s plays included The Sleepers Den, Over Gardens Out and Small Change, with later work including Cardiff East, The York Realist, and Versailles.
• Murder Before Evensong – the Watermill Theatre has announced the company for the world premiere of the play based on the novel by Richard Coles. The stage adaptation has been written by the venue’s joint CEO and artistic director Paul Hart alongside Shaun McKenna. The pair previously collaborated on The Lord of the Rings in 2023. Set in 1988, the story takes place in the village of Champton, where life centres around St Mary’s Church. The narrative follows canon Daniel Clement, his mother Audrey and his brother Theo as a murder disrupts the routines of the parish. As suspicion spreads through the community, Daniel becomes involved in the investigation, uncovering secrets within the village. Directed by Paul Hart, performances run from 25 September to 14 November 2026. The cast will feature Ian Hallard as canon Daniel Clement, Ajani Cabey as Alex de Floures and Harvey Porteous, and Caroline Gruber as Audrey Clement and Kath Sharman. Playing Bernard de Floures, Ned Thwaite and Edgy Liversedge will be David Hounslow, and Kate Russell-Smith will play Honoria de Floures, Dora Sharman and Anne Dollinger. Jaz Singh Deol takes on the roles of DS Neil Vanloo and Anthony Bowness, Julie Teal will play Stella Harper and Margaret Porteous, and Alex Wilson will play both Theo Clement and Nathan Liversedge.Also on the creative team are set and costume designer Ceci Calf, lighting designer Charly Dunford, sound designer Steven Atkinson, video designer Rachel Sampley, intimacy director Foxy, dialect coach Elspeth Morrison and associate director Lilac Yosiphon.
• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – presented by the National Theatre of Scotland in partnership with the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre will open with previews on 2 October at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, it then tours to the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, His Majesty’s Theatre in Aberdeen and Pitlochry Festival Theatre, with performances running until 7 November. The full cast and creative team for the new production adapted by David Harrower from Muriel Spark’s novel and directed by Vicky Featherstone will star Gayle Rankin in the title role. Joining Rankin are Maureen Beattie as Miss MacKay, Liberty Black as Mary Macgregor, Dyfan Dwyfor as Teddy Lloyd, Brian Ferguson as Gordon Lowther, Sophie Fortune as Joyce Emily, Tallulah Greive as Monica Douglas, Shreya Khaund Marshall as Jenny Gray and Bobby Rainsbury as Sandy Stranger. The creative team includes casting director Stuart Burt, casting for National Theatre of Scotland by Robyn Ferguson, set designer Chloe Lamford, costume designer Anna Orton, lighting designer Lizzie Powell, video designer Lewis den Hertog, sound designer and music composer Pippa Murphy, movement director Charlotte McLean, with music by Anna Meredith, and associate director Sally Reid.
• A Tale of Two Cities – a new production that features Terence Rattigan and John Gielgud’s adaptation from Charles Dickens’ classic novel, will be directed by Michael Fentiman. The production will have a premiere run at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury from 14 to 19 September 2026, before visiting Leeds Playhouse from 22 to 26 September. The UK tour will continue in 2027 with stops at Theatre Royal Bath (15 to 23 January), Cheltenham Everyman Theatre (2 to 6 February), Chichester Festival Theatre (9 to 13 February), King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (16 to 20 February) and Theatre Clwyd (23 to 27 February), with additional dates to be announced. The cast features Martin Bassindale as Stryver and Defarge, Scarlett Brookes as Miss Pross, Judge and Road Mender, Samuel Collings as Sydney Carton and the Marquis de St Evrémonde, Daniel Hickey, Jasmine Kerr, Jordan Loughran as Lucie Manette and the Seamstress, Roger Ringrose as Lorry and Gabelle, Ed Sayer as Charles Darnay and the Brother of the Marquis de St Evrémonde, Robyn Sinclair as Madame Defarge, the Attorney General and Patrol, Simon Startin as Barsad and Gaspard, and François Testory as Dr Manette and François. The creative team includes set designer Max Jones, costume designer Kinnetia Isidore, lighting designer Ben Jacobs, sound designer Richard Hammarton, composer Barnaby Race, video designer Nina Dunn for PixelLux, wigs, hair and make-up designer Susanna Peretz, casting director Helena Palmer, fight director Jonathan Holby, creative associate Audrey Brisson, associate director Pip Minnithorpe and dramaturg Leo Butler.
• Sea Change – a new musical will have its world premiere at Hippodrome’s Patrick Studio from 28 August to 30 August. Presented by British Youth Music Theatre, the piece is by Birmingham-based writers Will Jackson and Elinor Peregrin. Set in Blackwater Cove, the story follows the rare phenomenon of the Tidal Eclipse when Selkies of the sea are granted a week to walk upon land and live among humans. The music features folk melodies, sea shanties and ballads. Jackson and Peregrin first met at Birmingham Hippodrome at BEAM2025, a showcase for new writing. The musical boasts a cast of 36, including young performers from Birmingham.

LATEST NEWS – 3rd August 2026

PH: 3rd August 2026

• The Pianist – The full company has been announced for the world premiere of the musical drama at Mayflower Studios, Southampton, from 9 to 12 September, ahead of a transfer to Park Theatre in London opening on 15 October. Written and directed by Thom Southerland, the stage adaptation is based on the memoir by Władysław Szpilman, which inspired Roman Polanski’s Academy Award-winning film. Daniel Krikler will lead the production as Szpilman, who was not only a Holocaust survivor but one of Poland’s most celebrated composers and pianists. In support will be Rosalind Ford as Mother, Oliver Grant as Hosenfeld, TJ Holmes as Father, Mischa Jardine as Janina, Elżbieta Kalicka as Regina, Nitai Levi as Henryk, Melania Maggiore as Halina, and Max Roll as Gimpel/Majorek. The ensemble features Oliver Magor and Erin Rowlatt. Original compositions will be performed by a cast of actor-musicians, depicting the cultural life of pre-war Warsaw and its destruction during the Second World War, alongside new arrangements by Simon Lee. New lyrics come from an international group of writers and musicians, including two-time Grammy nominee Carol Connors, acclaimed songwriter David Batteau, jazz singer Wendy Lands and collaborator Jim Gillard, Grammy-nominated Michael Ruff, Szpilman’s son Andreas Szpilman, and award-winning lyricist Marcy Heisler. The creative team also includes choreography and movement direction by Karen Bruce, set and video design by Andrzej Goulding, costume design by Jonathan Lipman, lighting design by Robbie Butler, sound design by Gareth Tucker for Autograph Sound, musical direction by Malcolm Forbes-Peckham, assistant direction by Josh Whatsize, casting by Ginny Schiller and casting assistance by Ben Armstrong, and executive producing and general management by DEM Productions.
• Dog Man: The Musical – a new musical based on the worldwide bestselling book series from Dav Pilkey, the creator of Captain Underpants and Cat Kid Comic Club will be returning on tour in 2027 kicking off at Basingstoke Anvil on 5 February and then visiting Malvern Festival Theatre, Chester Storyhouse, Northampton Royal & Derngate, Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Guildford Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Blackpool Grand Theatre, Canterbury Marlowe Theatre, Southampton Mayflower Theatre and ending at Lichfield Garrick Theatre from 10^th June 2027. Best friends George and Harold have been creating comics for years, but now that they’re 10, they figure it’s time to level up and write a musical based on their favourite character, Dog Man, the crime-fighting sensation who is part dog, part man, and ALL HERO!! How hard could it be? Written by Kevin Del Aguila and Brad Alexander and Directed and choreographed by Jen Wineman.
• Donald – casting has just been announced for the UK premiere of the play penned by Stefano Massini, the writer of The Lehman Trilogy. The play will run at Theatre Royal Bath from 6 November to 5 December and traces the rise of Donald John Trump before his entry into politics, focusing on his work in property development, golf, hotels, media and reality television, and the period leading up to his presidency. Elliot Cowan will play the eponymous President of the United States, and will be joined by Oscar Batterham and Jo Herbert as the many other characters in the President’s life. Adapted and directed by double Olivier Award winner Sean Foley, the piece will play in the Ustinov Studio.
• Till the Stars Come Down – the full company for the regional premiere of Beth Steel’s has been revealed. The Olivier Award-nominated play will be staged at Nottingham Playhouse from 5^th to 26th September. Examining family dynamics during a wedding in a former mining town, Steel’s play first premiered at the National’s Dorfman Theatre in early 2024 before transferring to the West End. Set to star in the Nottingham production are Joe Alessi, who plays Uncle Pete, Leah Brotherhead as Maggie, AK Golding as Sylvia, the hopeful bride, Graeme Hawley as John, Ivan Ivashkin as the groom, Marek, Emma Pallant as Hazel, Sadie Shimmin as the outspoken aunt, and Howard Ward as Tony, the patriarch of the family. Ellie Daley, Anya Marshall and Amelia Yates will play the children Leanne and Sarah. The production is directed by Caroline Steinbeis.
• Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d – The Mill at Sonning has announced casting for its upcoming revival scheduled to run at The Mill at Sonning from 4 September to 31 October. Adapted for the stage by Rachel Wagstaff and directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, the play centres on Miss Marple as she investigates a death following a gathering at Gossington Hall, uncovering secrets within the village of St Mary Mead. Set to star as Miss Marple is Liza Goddard, perhaps best known for her TV appearances in the likes of Bergerac and Give Us a Clue. Her recent stage credits include The Croft, Noises Off and Relatively Speaking. Joining Goddard on stage will be Sara Crowe (as Marina Gregg), Annie Wensak (as Dolly Bantry), James Mack (as Chief Inspector Craddock), Saskia Strallen (as Lola Brewster), Paul Kemble (as Cyril Leigh/Assistant Director), Jane Quinn (as Heather Leigh), Elysia Showan (as Cherie), Martin Razpopov (as Giuseppe) and Lydia Kirton (as Ella Zielinsky).
• Three Men in a Boat – The Rose Theatre in Kingston has announced the full cast and creative team for the venue’s next production which will run at Rose Theatre from 18 September to 10 October. The new comedy is written by Al Smith, based on the classic novel by Jerome K Jerome, and features original songs by Tony Award nominee Grant Olding. It follows three friends – J, George and Harris – and a dog named Montmorency, who embark on a holiday trip up the River Thames. The cast will include Jonny Weldon (101 Dalmatians) as Jerome, Bronté Barbé (Kathy and Stella Solve a Murder!) as Harris, Richard David-Caine (The Witches) as George and Calum Donald-Bruce (Dinosaur World Live) as Montmorency. It will be directed by Christopher Haydon.
• Tristan and Yseult – casting has been confirmed for the Emma Rice Company’s adaptation of the 2003 piece by Kneehigh and Emma Rice, which was last seen on stage in 2017 and is now due to embark on a UK tour. The tour is co-produced with York Theatre Royal and Nottingham Playhouse. John Leader and Nandi Bhebhe lead the cast as Tristan and Yseult. They are joined by Matthew Churcher (as Frocin), Tom Fox (Morholt and Brangian), Jack Heydon (Love Spotter), Stephanie Hockley (Whitehands), Edward Rowe (King Mark) and Nigel Sudarkasa (Love Spotter). In the band are Pat Moran, Stu Barker, Harry Miller, Philippa Hogg and, as alternate for the New York run, Mary Johnson. It will begin performances at Theatre Royal Bath from 11 September and then it will visit Theatr Clywd, Mold (22 to 26 September), Citizens Theatre, Glasgow (30 September to 3 October), Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford (6 to 10 October), and Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (20 to 24 October), before playing in New York City at St Ann’s Warehouse in November. In the new year, the tour will recommence at Oxford Playhouse (26 to 30 January 2027), Nottingham Playhouse (9 to 13 February) and York Theatre Royal (6 to 17 April). The play is written by Anna Maria Murphy and Carl Grose.
• Six – has announced a new cast for the musical’s 2026-27 UK and international tour. The new company will take over from 22 September, opening at Edinburgh Festival Theatre before continuing across the UK and Ireland and a visit to the Grand Théâtre de Luxembourg from 5 to 9 May 2027. Joining the production are Sedona Sky as Catherine of Aragon, Eve Humphrey as Anne Boleyn, Billie Kerr as Jane Seymour, Tia Antoine-Charles as Anna of Cleves, Léa Desjacques as Katherine Howard and Amena El-Kindy as Catherine Parr. Rosie Itzel, Eve Parsons and Charlotte Anne Steen will serve as alternates, while Eve Knagg and Lara Vina Uzcatia join as super swings. The cast will be accompanied by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting, led by musical director Sara De Sanctis. The musical continues to play at the Vaudeville Theatre in London’s West End and the Lena Horne Theatre on Broadway. Internationally, the show is set to launch a new Spanish-language production in Madrid this September, return to Australia for a national tour, and begin a 12-week engagement in China later this year – featuring the current tour cast. The production is produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy and Andy Barnes, and George Stiles.
• The Last Ship – the musical will run for a limited engagement at Theatre Royal Drury Lane from 22 September to 3 October 2026, with Sting appearing as Jack White in every performance. For two nights he will be joined by Shaggy, the global reggae icon, who will reprise his role as the Wallsend Ferryman in the reimagined 2026 adaptation of the musical. Shaggy will perform on the first performance in the West End on 22 September and at the gala night the following evening. The remaining cast will be announced soon.
• Sunday in the Park with George – Ariana Grande has withdrawn from the 2027 Marianne Elliott musical revival revival ofSondheim’s musical which is due to open next summer at the Barbican. Directed by Tony and Olivier winner Elliott (Company, War Horse) it will be the show’s first major London staging in two decades.
• Underbelly Boulevard Soho – formerly known as the Boulevard Theatre has announced its closure. The theatre will close on 10 January 2027. Ahead of that, the venue will showcase its Edinburgh Festival Fringe transfer season in September, the London premiere of Off-Broadway musical parody Heated Rivalry in October and the return of circus show Sophie’s Surprise Christmas Party that will be the closing production. The theatre opened in October 2023. Across the three years, the venue has hosted over 1700 performances with artists including Steven Frayne (Dynamo), Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Michael McIntyre, Self Esteem, David Letterman, John Bishop, John Cleese, James Acaster, National Youth Theatre, Flo and Joan, Kiefer Sutherland, and Phil Wang.
• The National Theatre – has announced plans to mark five decades of its South Bank home. “Stories Start Here: 50 Stories for 50 Years” will feature personal stories from stars who have performed at the venue, alongside memories from Laurence Olivier, Peter Hall and the NT’s architect Denys Lasdun. They will be shared in a free installation outside the building and via the National’s digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, allowing people around the world to enjoy them. Inside, a story station will also dispense the short stories printed on eco-friendly paper at random so visitors can take away their own memento of the anniversary. Actors confirmed to be involved include Hugh Jackman, Lesley Manville, Lucian Msamati, David Oyelowo, Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter. In addition, a new apprenticeship named in honour of Denys Lasdun has launched to support the next generation of theatre-makers, craftspeople and technicians. For its first 13 years, the National Theatre was based at the Old Vic before moving into its first purpose-built home, which was under construction between 1969 and 1976. Designed by architect Denys Lasdun, the Grade II listed 250,000-square-foot building divided opinion at the time of its construction but is now widely regarded as a masterpiece of brutalist architecture.
• Aaron Tveit – The Tony Award-winning stage and screen performer will return to London for a one-night concert at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday 6 October at 7.30pm. He will perform a selection of songs from across his career, including material from productions such as Moulin Rouge! The Musical, Next to Normal, Chess, Wicked, Catch Me If You Can and Schmigadoon! (Tveit starred in the original Apple TV series), Les Miserables (Enjolras in the movie adaptation) alongside music that has inspired him throughout his life. Accompanied by a live band, the concert will also feature stories and reflections from throughout his career. Tveit won the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Moulin Rouge! The Musical and has previously appeared on the London stage in Assassins. Prior to his London visit he will be reprising his role as Christian in the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge at Broadway’s Al Hirschfeld Theatre from 18^th to 29^th August 2026.
• Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy – the full company has been announced the world premiere of the new play by Ava Pickett which will run at Stratford East from 3 September to 10 October 2026. Michelle Dockery and Laura Aikman will lead the cast playing the roles of Helen and Cee. Joining them will be Olivier Award winner Maimuna Memon as Dani, Gerard Monaco as Mario, Ethan Moorhouse as Messenger, Emma Monnickendam as Hermione, Jay Taylor as Marcus, Ellie Turner as Woman and Joshua-Alexander Williams as Luke.