Missed what’s going on in the world of theatre this week? Don’t worry, we’ve put together a list of all the biggest theatre news stories to hit the headlines in the last seven days. This time we’ve got final extensions, Off West End returns and cast recordings coming our way.
Final extension announced for The Great Gatsby Immersive Experience
Immersive Everywhere – led by Olivier Award-winning producers Louis Hartshorn and Brian Hook – have announced the final extension for London’s longest running immersive theatrical production The Great Gatsby. Adapted and directed by Alexander Wright, the experience will play at Gatsby’s Mansion within Immersive|LDN in Mayfair until 7 January 2023, which will be its final season in London. Will you be heading to the roaring twenties before it closes? Tickets are available to buy at www.immersivegatsby.com.
Cast recording for Rob Madge’s My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) release date announced
That’s right – the award winning show is being immortalised next month. Set to be released on 21 October – the same day the show opens in London’s West End at the Garrick Theatre – the cast recording for My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do?) will be available in physical form and on streaming services. An autobiographical tale based on Madge’s childhood and their attempts to stage a Disney parade, it feature original compositions by Pippa Clearly and direction by Luke Sheppard.
Singers Jessica Aubrey, Kayla Carter, Cleary, Oscar Conlon-Morrey, Isaac Hesketh, Jordan Lee Davies, Carl Man, Vinnie Monachello and B Terry will also appear in a single, We Will Be Loved Anyway, which will be released ahead of the cast recording on 7 October. Tickets are on sale for the Garrick Theatre production here.
But I’m A Cheerleader musical returns to The Turbine in October
One of our stand-out shows of the year, the hit musical adaptation of But I’m a Cheerleader will be returning to The Turbine Theatre in Battersea from 7 October with performances running through to 27 November. Casting for the return is still to be announced, but we’re expecting exciting things – from the response we have seen on social media since the announcement there’s a lot of other people excited about this show too!
Tickets are now available to buy from The Turbine Theatre’s website: www.theturbinetheatre.com
Nominees for 2022 Black British Theatre Awards revealed
The shortlist has been announced for this year’s Black British Theatre Awards, and it’s set to be an exciting year for all nominees. The awards celebrate Black excellence both on stage and in creative roles. The full shortlist can be found on the BBTAs website but there looks to be tough competition across every category! The awards themselves will be taking place on 16 October at the Lyttelton Theatre in London. Past winners include stars such as Ivano Turco (Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella), Lucy St. Louis (The Phantom of the Opera) and Jay Perry (Hamilton).
Full cast for From Here to Eternity revival announced
From Here to Eternity, set to open at the Charing Cross Theatre later this month, is one of the most highly anticipated revivals of this year. The show, based on the James Jones novel of the same name is set in the two weeks leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor comes from the creative team Tim Rice, Stuart Brayson, Donald Rice and Bill Oakes.
The full cast includes Jonny Amies (Hairspray) as Maggio, Jonathon Bentley (Mamma Mia!) as Prewitt, Desmonda Cathabel (winner of the 2022 Stephen Sondheim Society Student Performer of the Year) as Lorene, Leonard Cook (The Play That Goes Wrong) as Judson/Colonel Delbert/cover Holmes, Kyerron Dixon-Bassey (making his stage debut) as swing, Sarah Drake (Ordinary Days) as Female U/S Lorene and Mrs Kipfer, Dominic Adam Griffin (Identical) as Soldier/cover Warden and Bloom, and Cassius Hackforth (set to appear in a featured role in an unnamed Lucasfilm project) as Soldier.
The full cast can be found here and tickets are available to purchase from Charing Cross Theatre’s website: https://charingcrosstheatre.co.uk/
Casting for A Single Man at Park Theatre revealed
Based on the novel of the same name, A Single Man is a darkly amusing study of grief, love and loneliness that follows the life of college professor George as he grieves his late partner Jim. As a middle-aged gay Englishman living in the Los Angeles suburbs, he is an outsider in every way. Haunted by his past and unable to move forward, we follow him on one very ordinary day that turns out to be anything but.
The cast includes Theo Fraser Steele (The Crown) as George, Miles Molan (professional debut) as Kenny/Jim, Phoebe Pryce (The Tempest) as Female Paramedic/Mrs Strunk/Maria/Doris, and Freddie Gaminara (Light Falls) as Male Paramedic/Mr Strunk/Alex/Nurse/Bartender. Tickets are on sale now for the limited run from 19 October—26 November from the Park Theatre website: www.parktheatre.co.uk
A Christmas Carol at the Old Vic announces further casting
This week we’ve found out even more of the casting for the Old Vic’s run of A Christmas Carol. Joining the previously announced Owen Teale, as Scrooge, in the production will be Melissa Allan as Little Fan, Merryl Ansah as Jess, Raffaella Covino as dance captain/swing, Billy Cullum as Nicholas/swing, Roger Dipper as Bob Cratchit, Geraint Downing as Ferdy/George, Jenny Fitzpatrick as Ghost of Christmas Present/Mrs Fezziwig, Julie Jupp as Ghost of Christmas Past, Alastair Parker as Fezziwig, Dominic Sibanda as Fred, Sebastien Torkia as Father/Marley, Samuel Townsend as Young Ebenezer, Meesha Turner as Mrs Cratchit, and Lydia White as Belle.
Tickets are on sale now for performances between 12 November and 7 January 2023 from the Old Vic website: www.oldvictheatre.com
Broken Wings pro-shot headed for streaming service BroadwayHD
Another of the Overstudies favourites is coming to a streaming service near you! The critically acclaimed Broken Wings will be available to stream from 22 September. Filmed at Charing Cross Theatre earlier in 2022, the production stars Yasmeen Audi (Layla Bawab/Ensemble), Haroun Al Jeddal (Mansour Bey Galib), Lucca Chadwick-Patel (Young Kahlil Gibran), Soophia Foroughi (Mother), Alex Kais (Ensemble), Johan Munir (Bishop Bulos), Nadim Naaman (Kahlil Gibran), Ayesha Patel (Dima Bawab), Stephen Rahman-Hughes (Faris) and Noah Sinigaglia (Selma Karamy). You can stream the musical on www.broadwayhd.com.
The Phantom of the Opera to close on Broadway
Broadway’s longest running production The Phantom of the Opera is set to close its 35 year long run in February 2023. The production confirmed that the cast and crew were told prior to the announcement. It was also recently announced that a new murder mystery show set during a production of The Phantom of the Opera is due to be released next year, which you can read more about here.
The Phantom of the Opera continues to play indefinitely in London’s West End. That production has also been in the news this week, with its long-term home, Her Majesty’s Theatre, set to become His Majesty’s Theatre following the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. No timescale has been announced for the change.
We’ll be back next week with more exciting theatre news!
