The big question in London theatre today is: Will “Love Never Dies,” the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” revive the composer’s faltering career? “Phantom” was in fact his last big hit and you have to wonder if a sequel will make the grade. “Love Never D[...]
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
March 1st, 2010 - 7:13 pm § in Uncategorized
Sister Act the Musical coming to the London Palladium
Sister Act The Musical at the London Palladium is a show you don’t want to miss. Produced by Whoopi Goldberg, star of the blockbuster Sister Act movies, this divine musical will keep you rolling in your seat. Sister Act features a score by eight-time Oscar winner, Alan Menken, eight-time Oscar w[...]
February 25th, 2010 - 6:45 am § in Uncategorized
Kim Cattrall and Matthew Macfadyen in Private Lives
Kim Cattrall, well-known for her role in Sex and the City as Samantha Jones has returned to London to star with Matthew Macfadyen in Noel Coward’s comedy, Private Lives. They play Amanda and Elyot, respectively, a divorced couple who meet again five years after divorcing and when both are on th[...]
February 24th, 2010 - 11:05 pm § in Uncategorized
The Little Dog Laughed
Resolutely American The Little Dog Laughed deftly satirises Hollywood’s eternal hypocrisy about sex, even today, as the play reminds us there are still no openly gay leading men in Tinseltown. Diane is a top Hollywood agent who wants to make a movie of a hit New York play about male lovers. She [...]
February 24th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
The future of arts funding
The theatre sector is concerned, and rightly so, about what might happen to central government support for the arts after the forthcoming general election. If the Tories will, can they be trusted? Will the scale of the public deficit mean the Labours will have to start taking back the grants offer[...]
February 24th, 2010 - 4:57 am § in Uncategorized
A Lamentable Tragedy
This is one of those theatre experiences that requires the audience to make an effort. Turning up for this site-specific show which is played out over two floor of an old motorcycle showroom could disappoint you if you don’t make the effort. There are some traditional elements to this ¬promena[...]
February 16th, 2010 - 2:57 am § in Uncategorized
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Judi Dench is back as Shakespeare’s Titania in Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Rose Theatre. She is no stranger to the role, having played it in school at York in the 1940s and also on stage and film for Peter Hall in the 1960s. Dench’s performance is brilliant. She gives weight to every wor[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Stomp extended six months
Stomp is extended 6 months. Tickets are now on sale to 19 December 2010 at the Ambassadors Theatre. The show opened at the Vaudeville Theatre in the West End in September 2002 and ran for 5 years, ending its run at the Vaudeville Theatre 23 September 2007. Stomp was then transferred to the Ambassa[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Toby Anstis Makes West End Stage Debut
Toby Anstis, Heart radio star presenter, makes his West End stage debut when he joins the cast Grease as ‘Teen Angel’ for a limited season from 25 January to 20 March 2010 at the Piccadilly Theatre. Toby Anstis presents the weekday mid-morning show on Heart, the UK’s largest commercial radio[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Major Theatre Openings This Week
The major openings in London – in the West End and further afield – this week are: OPENING, Monday 11 January 2010, Linda Marlowe’s acclaimed one-woman show The World’s Wife, adapted from the poems of Carol Ann Duffy, opens at Trafalgar Studios 2, continuing until 6 Februar[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Doris Day Provides Inspiration for a Sentimental Journey
Doris Day, Hollywood legend, provides the inspiration for A Sentimental Journey, a bio-musical. The title is from the singer’s first No. 1 chart hit. It will transfer for a four-week run, from 11 March to 4 April 2010. Doris Day was a very prolific and bankable screen actress in the 1950s and 19[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Dirty Dancing – At the West End
Dirty Dancing – West End Musical The movie Dirty Dancing, which starred Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, was released in 1987 and was a big hit. All the hit songs from the film’s soundtrack, including Do You Love Me, She’s Like The Wind and Time of My Life, are featured in the stage show, w[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Stars brave the weather for Legally Blonde
Despite the treacherous weather conditions in London, TV presenter Graham Norton, actor David Tennant and X Factor runner up Stacey Solomon attended the gala opening of Legally Blonde The Musical. Duncan James, who plays the lead in the stage show at the Savoy Theatre in London had his Blue bandma[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Smith to host WOS Awards
Legally Blonde star Sheridan Smith, who opened to rave reviews, will host the Whatsonstage.com Award Concert for the third year in a row. The winners in this year’s tenth annual “theatregoers’ choice” accolades will be announced at the ceremony. The concert is held in aid of this year’s [...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Marcus Brigstocke to come to the West End
The next comedian to hit the West End is Marcus Brigstocke, when he brings his new stand-up show God Collar to the Vaudeville Theatre for one week, from 4 to 11 February 2010. This follows a national tour last year. “There’s probably no God. But I wish there was. I’ve got some things I need [...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
A Christmas Carol Cancelled Tonight
Tonight’s performance (7 January 2010) of A Christmas Carol playing at the Arts Theatre, has been cancelled due to the illness of cast members Gareth Hale and also Brian Herring. Last night’s performance was also cancelled, though a representative of the show did reveal to Whatsonsta[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
The Lion King Breaks Records
Disney’s The Lion King ended 2009 by breaking two more box office records at the Lyceurn Theatre. The Lion King broke its previous record from 2008 by over £1.8 million, grossing over £32 million at the box office in 2009. It was the highest grossing year in the show’s 10-year history, despi[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 10:48 pm § in Uncategorized
Tracie Bennett to Play Judy Garland
Tracie Bennett, two-time Whatsonstage.com Award winner, will star as Judy Garland in Peter Quilter’s “play with music” End of the Rainbow, which runs at the Theatre Royal Northampton from 5 to 20 February 2010. It’s December 1968 and Judy Garland is about to make her comeback… again. In [...]
February 4th, 2010 - 4:33 pm § in Uncategorized
Really Old, Like Forty Five
Tamsin Oglesby’s new comedy can be difficult viewing. Watching Judy Parfitt’s Lyn fall into the grip of dementia is sickeningly painful. But amid the anguish there is a lot to laugh about and even more to ponder. Set some time in the near future when there are too many old people, too many you[...]
February 4th, 2010 - 3:56 pm § in Uncategorized
The Lion King now booking through 31 January 2011
Disney’s The Lion King has increased its booking period by 4 months – tickets are now on sale to 31 Jan 2011 at the Lyceum Theatre. Disney’s award-winning Broadway musical came to the West End with over 40 actors, singers and dancers in September 1999. It received good notices fr[...]
