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News: Dear Audience coffee table book announced

If you’re still writing your lists for Santa, then Dear Audience could be just what you’re looking for. A theatrical coffee table book filled with over 140 pages showcasing the Arts industry, with exclusive imagery, personalised letters to audiences and much more besides.

There’s a veritable who’s who of stage folk involved, from Sally Ann Triplett, Michael Xavier and Frances Rufelle to Oliver Tompsett, Linzi Hateley and Andy Coxon, and the book has been put together by Sophie Ross and Danny Kaan’s Digi Creative. Pre-orders can be made now and are guaranteed for Christmas delivery.

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News: November news aplenty

An unnecessary amount of theatre news exploded forth today, maybe everyone was just too busy watching CNN all of last week…  I’m just going to rattle through it all quickly to save everyone time.

Jason Robert Brown’s Songs From A New World will play the Vaudeville Theatre for a month from 5th February. David Hunter, Rachel John, Cedric Neal , Rachel Tucker and Shem Omari James, who all reprise their roles from the London Palladium gigs in October.

The previously announced Lynn Ahrens and Mike Ockrent’s A Christmas Carol has revealed its supporting cast around Brian Conley’s Scrooge. Lucie Jones, Sandra Marvin, Martyn Ellis, Cedric Neal, Jeremy Secomb, Matt Jay-Willis and Jacqueline Jossa will join him at the Dominion Theatre from 7th December. Continue reading “News: November news aplenty”

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An assortment of October theatre news

Full casting has been announced for Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch’s upcoming production of Misfits, an innovative new hybrid of live theatre and digital content, playing 12-22 November 2020. Bookers will purchase a ticket which will allow them the choice of watching the show be performed live onstage in front of a socially
distanced audience or streamed to their homes, right up until the day of the show.

Misfits intertwines four inspirational tales of Essex resilience to make an unmissable world premiere by four of the region’s most exciting playwrights: Anne Odeke, Guleraana Mir, Kenny Emson and Sadie Hasler and will be co-directed by QTH Artistic Director Douglas Rintoul and Emma Baggott. The cast is Anne Odeke, who is also writing part of the piece, Gemma Salter, Mona Goodwin and Thomas Coombes. Continue reading “An assortment of October theatre news”

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News: Songs For A New World in isolation

Rachel John, Ramin Karimloo, Cedric Neal and Rachel Tucker to perform Songs For A New World in isolation

It’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice… or take a stand… or turn around and go back. These are the stories and characters of today, the Songs for a New World. Starring Rachel John (Hamilton), Ramin Karimloo (Phantom of The Opera), Cedric Neal (Motown The Musical) and Rachel Tucker (Come From Away), this is the first musical from Tony Award winner, Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years, Parade, Bridges of Madison County). This moving collection of powerful songs examines life, love and the choices that we make.

Songs For A New World transports audiences through time and space to meet a startling array of characters – every one of them so different, but all representing our world today and our hopes for a new world… a better world.

Filmed entirely in isolation, this powerhouse cast will be directed by the brilliant Séimí Campbell (My Son Pinocchio – Southwark Playhouse), with music supervision by Adam Hoskins (Doctor Zhivago) and musical direction by Josh Winstone (The Last Five Years), who will be bringing this stunning musical together with the help of live musicians.

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The winners of the 9th annual Mousetrap Awards

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER AWARD:

WINNER – Laura Baldwin, as Dawn in Waitress
Sophie Evans, as Glinda in Wicked
Leah Harvey, as Hortense in Small Island
Miriam-Teak Lee, as Juliet in & Juliet

BEST MALE PERFORMER AWARD:

WINNER – David Hunter, as Dr Pomatter in Waitress
Laurie Kynaston, as Nicolas in The Son
Wendell Pierce, as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman
Jac Yarrow, as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Continue reading “The winners of the 9th annual Mousetrap Awards”

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News: line up for New UK Musicals launch concert

A fine array of West End stars will perform new musical theatre songs to celebrate the launch of NewUKMusicals.co.uk

You’ll of course be aware of New UK Musicals thanks to my recent interview with the site’s founder Darren Clark and he’s now called on some of his more famous friends to help him round off the launch in some style with an all-star concert on 23rd June, highlighting some of the best new musical theatre composers around. 

The cast includes: Rachel Tucker (Wicked, Come From Away), Tyrone Huntley (Jesus Chris Superstar), Rebecca Trehearn (Showboat, City of Angels), Zizi Strallen (Mary Poppins), Tori Allen Martin (The Season), Luke Baker (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie), Yazdan Qafouri (The Band, The Wicker Husband), Claire-Marie Hall (Operation Mincemeat), Harrison Knights (BBC One’s All Together Now), Molly Lynch (The Light in the Piazza) and award winning comedian Sooz Kempner. Continue reading “News: line up for New UK Musicals launch concert”

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Lockdown treat: 23 Elphabas and Glindas come together ‘For Good’

23 West End actresses who have played Elphaba or Glinda in Wicked have reunited to perform a stunning rendition of the show’s ‘For Good’ to support the Make a Difference Trust Covid 19 Emergency Appeal Fund to support those in the theatre community suffering hardship because of the coronavirus crisis.

Please consider donating either by texting “SUPPORT” to 70111 to donate £5 (UK ONLY) or donate any amount here

 

Heart vector created by starline – www.freepik.com

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News: line-up for week 8 of Leave A Light On

The lineup has been announced for week 8 of Leave A Light On.

West End stars Nicole Raquel Dennis, Lizzie Bea and Rachel Tucker will perform live-streamed concerts from their own homes.

The festival presented by Lambert Jackson Productions in association with The Theatre Café was started as a way to keep the West End in people’s minds during the lockdown. The initiative aims to not only to provide financial support for the performers involved, but also to provide entertainment for people in self-isolation. Stars including Cassidy Janson, Louise Dearman and Jordan Luke Gage have already performed to viewers in their own homes via the live-streaming service. 

Here is the full schedule for week eight:

THURSDAY 14th May
4:30pm Nicole Raquel Dennis
6:30pm Lizzie Bea
 
FRIDAY 15th May
6:30pm Rachel Tucker
 

Book your tickets here

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Winners of the 20th What’s On Stage Awards

A relatively controversy-free set of results for once, though sad not to see Waitress get any love at the 20th What’s On Stage Awards

Publicly voted awards often end up rewarding celebrity and/or social media pull rather than any sense of theatrical merit, so it is nice to see a more balanced set of results emerging from this year’s What’s On Stage Awards. & Juliet and Come From Away could both claim to have ‘won big’ with Dear Evan Hansen also nicking a couple of prize acting awards. This did sadly mean Waitress went home empty handed and I thought Mary Poppins might have scored at least another one award to go with Best Musical Revival.

On the plays side of things, the lack of a clear front-runner in terms of nominations resulted in a nice spread of recognition, topped off with Life of Pi nabbing the best new play and representing well for the regions, ahead of its West End debut in June. The only bum note comes with the continued lack of engagement with the concerns raised around Jewish representation in the recent production of Falsettos. Rewarding the show without recognising any of these issues (I don’t think WoS has published anything about it at all) feels like a thoughtless compounding of something which shouldn’t be swept under the carpet. We can all do better.

Best Actor in a Play, sponsored by Edwardian Hotels

Tom Hiddleston – Betrayal – Harold Pinter Theatre
WINNER – Andrew Scott – Present Laughter – The Old Vic
Matt Smith – Lungs – The Old Vic
Wendell Pierce – Death of a Salesman – Young Vic / Piccadilly Theatre
Laurie Kynaston – The Son – Kiln Theatre / Duke of York’s Theatre

Best Actress in a Play, sponsored by Tonic Theatre

WINNER – Claire Foy – Lungs – The Old Vic
Zawe Ashton – Betrayal – Harold Pinter Theatre
Hayley Atwell – Rosmersholm – Duke of York’s Theatre
Sharon D Clarke – Death of a Salesman – Young Vic / Piccadilly Theatre
Juliet Stevenson – The Doctor – Almeida Theatre Continue reading “Winners of the 20th What’s On Stage Awards”

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Nominees for the 9th annual Mousetrap Awards

The nominees for the 9th annual Mousetrap Awards are announced

These awards are voted for by young people, anyone aged 15-29 is invited to have their say as to who should pick up the trophies at the ceremony on Sunday 19th April. And while usual suspects Dear Evan Hansen, Waitress and & Juliet are leading the pack, it is nice to see such love for Small Island here too.

Mousetrap Theatre Projects strive to make London’s theatre scene accessible to young people, low-income families, mainstream and SEND state schools, and those with additional needs.

Voting is open until midnight on 23rd March via this link. Continue reading “Nominees for the 9th annual Mousetrap Awards”