This week we’ve had workshops and transfers galore, as well as many exciting cast announcements for upcoming shows. Check out the latest headlines from this week’s theatre news below.
Back to the Future Broadway Transfer and Initial Cast Confirmed
© Sean Ebsworth Barnes
The rumours had been flying around for a while now, but as part of the Back to the Future Day celebrations the details of the Broadway transfer for the blockbuster musical were finally revealed. The musical hit, based on the iconic film franchise of the same name, is set to debut Summer 2023 at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York.
Tony Award winner Roger Bart (currently appearing in the West End) will play Doc Brown, with Hugh Coles as George McFly. Both actors originated their respective roles when the show first ran in Manchester. Back to the Future will begin previews Friday 30 June, with opening night set for Thursday 3 August. Complete casting is still to be announced, and the West End production is set to continue booking at the Adelphi Theatre well into 2023.
Courtney Bowman joins Pretty Woman in the West End with additional cast changes announced
From Harvard at Regents Park Open Air Theatre to Rodeo Drive at the Savoy Theatre, Courtney Bowman is set to join the cast in the role of Kit De Luca from 15 November. In addition, Andy Barke will move into the role of Happy Man/Mr Thompson full time from the same date. The show is currently booking into 2023, with tickets on sale up to 2nd April. Tickets are available to purchased here.
New Concert Series Live at Lola’s musical chat show to run in December
A brand new concert series is set to run at Lola’s Underground Casino at the Hippodrome, which currently hosts the musical theatre singalong event Overtures on Saturday nights. Greg Barnett will host the first event, with guest performers Christine Allado (The Prince of Egypt), Hadley Fraser (City of Angels), Isaac Hesketh (Legally Blonde) and Carly Mercedes Dyer (Anything Goes) all set to participate. Featuring both conversation and performance, the evening will feature musical hits as well as pop, soul and jazz classics. The show runs on 8 December from 7pm with tickets available from Eventbrite.
Cast for Dirty Dancing in the West End revealed
Heading to Kellermans in from 21 January are the brand new cast of holiday makers of Dirty Dancing. Michael O’Reilly (West Side Story) and Kira Malou (Fame) will once more play Johnny and Baby, alongside Charlotte Gooch (Singin’ in the Rain) who returns to the role of Penny Johnson, Georgina Castle (Cinderella) as Lisa Houseman, alongside Lynden Edwards (A Little Night Music) as Jake Houseman, Jackie Morrison (The Last Ship) as Marjorie Houseman, Colin Charles (We Will Rock You) as Tito Suarez, Michael Remick (Follies) as Max Kellerman and Tony Stansfield (Little Women) as Mr Schumacher.
Joining them in Dirty Dancing for the first time are Danny Colligan (Les Misérables) as Billy Kostecki, Alastair Crosswell (Singin’ in the Rain) as Neil Kellerman and Lydia Sterling, making her West End debut as Elizabeth.
Completing the cast are Chrissy Brooke, Inez Budd, Lily Laight, Hollie-Ann Lowe, Callum Fitzgerald, Nathan Ryles, Joel Benjamin, Shaquille Brush, Carly Miles, Ben Middleton, Lee Nicholson, Ayden Morgan, Miles Russell, Tom Parsons, Morgan Burgess, Tom Mussell, Christopher Fry and Charlotte Coggin (who returns after making her surprise West End debut after working as an usher at the Dominion during the show’s last run). Tickets are on sale for the limited run now.
La Cage Aux Folles and Once On This Island musical revivals announced for Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre
Two exciting revivals have been announced for the Regents Park Open Air Theatre 2023 season. Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s much-loved musical Once On This Island will open the season with dates from 10 May to 10 June, directed by Ola Ince. This will be followed by Carl Grose’s Robin Hood: The Legend. Re-written (17 June to 22 July), directed by Melly Still. Artistic director Timothy Sheader will revive the seminal musical La Cage aux Folles (29 July to 16 September), with a book by Harvey Fierstein, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the play by Jean Poiret. The full creative teams and casting for all productions are to be announced, with full details about the complete season available on the Regents Park Open Air Theatre website.
Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial to be staged in the West End
It’s the social media trial of the century and it’s heading to the West End. A verbatim play, utilising seven days’ worth of legal transcripts, based on a very real and very dramatic legal battle between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy will be presented in the West End for one night only. The script is by Liv Hennessy (finalist in the Paines Plough’s Women’s Prize for Playwriting) and direction by Lisa Spirling (artistic director of the fantastic new writing venue Theatre503). Dates and venue are still to be announced, but we will be keeping an eye on this interesting piece!
The Mousetrap announces new cast and a special 70th anniversary performance in the West End
Celebrating it’s 70th anniversary in the West End next month, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap have this week revealed a brand new cast and a special midday matinee on the 25 November (the date of the 70th Anniversary). The new cast will begin performances from 21 November are Sara Lessore (The Tempest) as Mollie Ralston, George Banks (Coronation Street) as Giles Ralston, Jonathan Tynan-Moss (Doctor Who: Time Fracture) as Christopher Wren, Sarah Whitlock (returning from previous productions of The Mousetrap) as Mrs Boyle, Philip Childs (Long Day’s Journey Into Night) as Major Metcalf, Phoebe Sparrow (Downton Abbey) as Miss Casewell, Rob Pomfret (The Responder) as Mr Paravicini and George Jones making his West End debut as Detective Sgt Trotter.
The Mousetrap has also formed a two-year partnership with the National Literacy Trust, an independent charity working to give children the literacy skills to succeed in life. This partnership has brought to life the Young Mystery Writers programme with over 30 secondary schools in London and cities across the UK participating. Students will be given the opportunity to write their own mystery whodunnit short story which will be published as part of a celebratory anthology, along with a trip to the West End. Tickets are on sale now.
Nativity! The Musical announces casting for 2022 run at the Birmingham Rep
© Geraint Lewis
Nativity! The Musical is heading to Birmingham once again this Christmas, returning to the venue where it had its world premiere in 2017 with casting announced this week. Ben Lancaster will be taking on the role of Mr Poppy, with Billy Roberts as Mr Maddens, Daisy Steere as Jennifer and Cameron Johnson as the Hollywood Producer.
They are joined by Ralph Bogard as Lord Mayor/ensemble, Jamie Chapman as Patrick Burns/ensemble, Jemma Churchill as Mrs Bevan, Tom Hext as Mr Rye/ensemble, Matthew Rowland as Mr Shakespeare and Eliza Waters as TJ’s Mum/swing. Sydney Isitt-Ager, Callum Train, and Louie Wood are on-stage swings.
Fifty-four local children will also take part in the stage show, selected from across the Birmingham and West Midlands area. The show runs in Birmingham from Saturday 19 November to Saturday 7 January 2023 with tickets on sale now.
New musical following Les Misérables‘ Gavroche to be workshopped in New York
© Public Domain
Victor Hugo’s seminal novel Les Misérables is topic for yet another musical, with a brand new show to be workshopped in New York later this year. This new musical will follow street urchin Gavroche across the events of the 1832 June rebellion, as well as the actions of his two teenage sisters Éponine and Azelma. Bonnie Gleicher, who has appeared on Broadway, has penned the show which is directed in an invite-only workshop by Catie Davis with musical direction by Adam Laird. The workshop cast is expected to include performers from the likes of Beetlejuice, Mean Girls, The Music Man and more. Furture plans for the show are yet to be revealed.
The Phantom of the Opera extends West End run
© Johan Persson
The Phantom of the Opera, which is currently led by Killian Donnelly as The Phantom, has announced this week another extension of its West End run. The show is now booking through to 30 September 2023. The show, which tells the tale of a reclusive masked individual who haunts Parisian opera house, also stars Lucy St. Louis as Christine Daaé and Matt Blaker as Raoul. Tickets are on sale now.
New rock musical SuperYou to receive London workshop
A brand new superhero led musical SuperYou is expected to receive a workshop in London ahead of industry presentations in December. The musical follows a comic book artist who finds her own voice and learns to love herself when her own superheroine creations come to life. The show has had a preview performance this weekend at Musical Con, with performers including Vicki Manser (Six), Renée Lamb (Six), Tom Francis (& Juliet), Natalie Green (Les Misérables) and Lourds Lane who wrote the show. Cast and details for the workshop are yet to be announced, but this is one we can’t wait to hear more about!
The Great British Bake Off Musical West End Transfer and Casting Announced
© Manuel Harlan
That’s right, The Great British Bake Off Musical is heading to the West End. Based on the much-loved TV series of the same name, the show had its world premiere in Cheltenham over the summer, and is now going to be heading to the Noel Coward Theatre from 25 Feb 2023. John Owen-Jones (Les Misèrables, The Phantom of the Opera) will be reprising his role as silver-fox judge Phil Hollinghurst. Joining him will be Scott Paige (The Addams Family) as a presenter, Claire Moore (Mary Poppins), Charlotte Wakefield (The Boy In The Dress), Damian Humbley (Merrily We Roll Along), Catriana Sandison (Evita), Jay Saighal (Hedda Gabler), Michael Cahill (Martin Guerre) and, making his West End debut, Aharon Rayner. More cast will be announced soon.
Tickets are on sale now. Early bird tickets are available from £23 – £55, with prices rising after previews from £33 – £144.
