IN THE WINGS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

This is your backstage pass to the latest announcements, press releases, entertainment news, and exclusive features. Dive into behind-the-scenes stories, performer highlights, and venue spotlights—this is where the magic of our shared creative journey unfolds.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

STAR CASTING AND FULL COMPANY ANNOUNCED FOR THE LONG-AWAITED MAJOR UK REVIVAL OF LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS DIRECTED AND CHOREOGRAPHED BY TONY AND OLIVIER AWARD – NOMINATED CARRIE-ANNE INGROUILLE

Thomas Hopkins Productions, SAMS Entertainment and Haffner Wright Theatricals, in association with Hope Mill Theatre, today announce casting for a major new revival of Little Shop of Horrors. This thrilling production is set to become one of the most electrifying musical events in the UK, standing proudly alongside today’s biggest blockbuster revivals.

HENRY GOODMAN IN THE PRICE BY ARTHUR MILLER DIRECTED BY JONATHAN MUNBY AT THE MARYLEBONE THEATRE

Arthur Miller’s searing family drama The Price comes to the Marylebone Theatre in a powerful new production starring double Olivier Award winning Henry Goodman (Yes, Prime Minister, Fiddler On The Roof, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) as ‘Gregory Solomon’. The production plays from Friday 17 April 2026 until Sunday 7 June 2026, with a national press night on Thursday 23 April.

REHEARSAL IMAGES AND NEW GRAPHICS RELEASED FOR SPANISH ORANGES AT THE PLAYGROUND THEATRE

Counterminers, M&M Ents, and The Playground Theatre, are proud to announce the world premiere of Spanish Oranges, the debut play by Alba Arikha, Samuel Beckett’s goddaughter, with direction from Myriam Cyr to take place at The Playground Theatre in West London next year. Spanish Oranges will run at The Playground Theatre from Wednesday 11 February – Saturday 7 March, with a press performance on Monday 16 February.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR THE UK AND IRELAND TOUR OF ZOG TRAVELLING ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND THROUGHOUT SPRING/SUMMER 2026 AND ENDING WITH AN AUGUST RESIDENCY AT LONDON’S CADOGAN HALL

Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved story Zog flies back onto the stage for a major UK and Ireland tour this year, followed by a special summer season at London’s Cadogan Hall from 2 – 23 August 2026.

ITALIA CONTI ANNOUNCES 115TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS FOR 2026 WITH LAUNCH OF NOËL COWARD SCHOLARSHIP

Italia Conti, one of the UK’s leading and longest-established performing arts institutions, has announced that it will mark its 115th anniversary in 2026 with the launch of the inaugural Noël Coward Scholarship, alongside new charitable funding designed to widen access to professional training in acting, musical theatre and dance.

POLKA THEATRE ANNOUNCES NEW ARTISTS TO TAKE PART IN ARTIST DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ‘CATAPULT’

Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive Helen Matravers, Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive Lynette Shanbury, and the whole team are pleased to announce the artists chosen for the theatre’s Artist Development programme, Catapult.

BELGRADE THEATRE COVENTRY 2026 SPRING/SUMMER FAMILY SHOWS INCLUDING THERE’S A MONSTER IN YOUR SHOW, THE GRUFFULO, AND THE DETECTIVE DOG

Artistic Director Corey Campbell, Interim CEO Emma Flatley, and the whole team at the Belgrade Theatre Coventry are delighted to reveal details of their forthcoming spring and summer family shows.

CLIVE ROWE TO DIRECT AND STAR IN THE 2026 HACKNEY PANTOMIME JACK AND THE BEANSTALK - SATURDAY 21 NOVEMBER – THURSDAY 31 DECEMBER

CEO Chris Sudworth and the whole team at Hackney Empire , is pleased to announce that “panto royalty” (The Times) Clive Rowe will return to the Hackney Empire stage for Jack and the Beanstalk in 2026, with performances from Saturday 21 November – Thursday 31 December 2026. Join happy-go-lucky Jack on an epic adventure after he sells his family’s beloved cow for a handful of magic beans, setting off a chain of events that leads high into the clouds. As Jack climbs up th

YENTL - THE AWARD-WINNING AUSTRALIAN PRODUCTION ANNOUNCES FINAL CASTING FOR INTERNATIONAL LONDON PREMIERE

After a series of triumphant, award-winning, sold-out Australian seasons — including a five-star run at the Sydney Opera House — Yentl, Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s bold and acclaimed new adaptation of Isaac Bashevis Singer’s story today announces its final casting for its international premiere at Marylebone Theatre from 6 March 2026 for a strictly limited run until 12 April with a press night on 11 March.

REHEARSAL IMAGES RELEASED FOR WHO LET THE GODS OUT RUNNING IN POLKA’S Y C CHAN THEATRE FROM SATURDAY 7 FEBRUARY UNTIL SUNDAY 22 MARCH 2026

Polka Theatre’s Artistic Director and Joint Chief Executive Helen Matravers , Executive Director and Joint Chief Executive Lynette Shanbury , and the whole team are pleased to share rehearsal images for Who Let The Gods Out – a hilarious brand-new stage musical based on the first adventure in the brilliant ‘Who Let The Gods Out’ series, with book and lyrics by the series’ bestselling author Maz Evans. The show will run in Polka’s Adventure Theatre from Saturday 4 October un

FIRST LOOK! PRODUCTION IMAGES RELEASED FOR 'BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOL' STARRING DAVID HUNTER, LAUREN WARD AND HANNAH CORNEAU - PLAYING NOW AT SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH UNTIL SATURDAY 28 FEBRUARY

Producers today release new production images from Beautiful Little Fool, the brand new musical which opened at Southwark Playhouse Borough last week and holds its national press night this Thursday 22 January.

SIR TREVOR NUNN RETURNS TO THE ARTS THEATRE CAMBRIDGE – THE STAGE THAT LAUNCHED HIS CAREER OVER SIX DECADES AGO – TO DIRECT NOËL COWARD’S EASY VIRTUE

Co-Chief Executives Rachel Tackley and Victoria Beechey, and the whole team at The Arts Theatre Cambridge are thrilled to announce casting for their first in-house production, since their reopening after Phase One of their transformational redevelopment project.

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Production images released for Million Dollar Quartet at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester until 22 August.

On the night of December 4th 1956, four men walked into a recording studio in Memphis and made musical history. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley were brought together by pure chance for a jam session which would go on to shape the trajectory of rock ‘n’ roll music across the world.

Production photos by Alex Tabrizi, featuring Darren Day, Connor Payne, Christopher Erasmus, Joe Bence, Jenay Naima and the rest of the cast.

Cast announced for Alice In Wonderland, returning to London this summer, at both Riverside Studios and Soho Theatre Walthamstow.

The production will feature Ailsa Erskinem, Kate Malyon, Clare Brice, Honey Gabriel, Sean Garratt, Tom Giles, Skye Hallam, Thomas Hewitt, Grace Hussey-Burd, Daniel Page and Sophie Wilkinson.

Adapted by Penny Farrow and directed and designed by Nate Bertone, with co-direction and movement by Eva Sampson, this "delightfully imaginative retelling" (Broadway World) brings Lewis Carroll's much-loved classic to life with lighting by Jack Weir, sound by Ella Wahlström, and puppets designed by Chris Barlow and Nate Bertone with puppetry direction by Katriona Brown.

Polka Theatre announces Kalee Talvitie-Brown appointed as new chair of the board.

Kalee is a former strategy partner at PwC where she held a number of senior leadership roles. Her work focused on advising boards of private and public sector organisations as well as charities. Kalee brings deep expertise in strategy, transformation, and people leadership. For 8 years she was a Trustee at the PwC Foundation, which is focused on promoting social inclusion and sustainable development in the UK. She was also Vice President of the Management Consultancies Association. Kalee has lived and worked in multiple countries, including Finland, Russia, Belgium and the US, before settling in Wimbledon with her family. All four of her children have enjoyed theatre at Polka, and she enjoys the theatre herself and is a Patron at the Royal Academy of Arts and the V&A.

Italia Conti, one of the UK’s longest-established performing arts institutions, has announced an evolution of its senior leadership structure as the organisation continues its 115th anniversary year celebrations and enters a new phase of development.

Bradley Hawkins will move from his current position of Co-Principal to become Principal of Italia Conti, with Hayley Newton-Jarvis moving from her dual role as CEO and Principal to focus solely on her position as Chief Executive Officer. The revised structure is designed to further strengthen the organisation’s strategic leadership as Italia Conti continues to expand its higher education provision, industry partnerships and long-term vision for performer training.

Daniel Krikler will star as Wladyslaw Szpilman in the new musical stage adaptation of Szpilman’s internationally acclaimed memoir The Pianist, the inspiration behind Roman Polanski’s Academy Award-winning film.

Written and directed by Thom Southerland (Titanic the Musical), The Pianist will run at Park Theatre, London, from 15 October to 28 November 2026, with a national press night on Thursday 22 October. Before its London opening, the production will play a limited run at Mayflower Studios, Southampton, from 9 to 12 September 2026.

Zog returns to Cadogan Hall in 2026 with a Royal afternoon tea – in partnership with the Rubens at the Palace

Freckle Productions is delighted to introduce their partnership with The Rubens at the Palace, part of the Red Carnation Hotel Collection, to celebrate the return of Zog to Cadogan Hall in August 2026. Running from 2 – 23 August 2026, Zog arrives in London for the summer holidays, following a major UK and Ireland tour, marking the sixth year that Freckle Productions have presented a summer residency at the iconic venue.

Taking part in Kids Week 2026, the production will work with the Society of London Theatre’s initiative that allows children to attend participating shows for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult.

Rehearsal images released for Million Dollar Quartet at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester.

Photos of the rehearsal room featuring Darren Day, Connor Payne, Christopher Erasmus, Joe Bence, Jenay Naima and cast and creatives.

📷 Alex Tabrizi

Polka Theatre announces shows and workshops for the whole family over the summer holidays.

Arthur will headline this Summer on Polka’s main stage, the Y C Chan Theatre, in a co-production between Polka Theatre and The Egg, Theatre Royal Bath, created by Bucket Club. From Saturday 20 June – Sunday 9 August, join the adventure in a magical new play with original songs, based on Arthurian legend and the quest for a better world, recommended for ages 6-12 years.

Flock Theatre Makers’, There’s a Tiger in the Garden will be this Summer’s Adventure Theatre show, running from Wednesday 8 July - Sunday 9 August, following sold-out, highly acclaimed tours. Using puppetry, imaginative design and music, Lizzy Stewart’s Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winning book is brought to life for children aged 3 – 7 Years.

The producers of SIX are delighted to announce that the West End production has extended its reign at the Vaudeville Theatre, with tickets now on sale for performances until Sunday 28 November 2027.

The announcement follows a remarkable period of continued international success for the home-grown British musical, which began life as a student production at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and has since become a global phenomenon.

Woolwich Works has announced an uplifting summer programme of community events, family entertainment, music, dance, craft and culture, offering audiences of all ages the chance to connect through shared experience in one of South East London’s most distinctive cultural and entertainment spaces.

Throughout the summer months, the Royal Arsenal venue will host a wide-ranging programme that brings together free regular events, participatory workshops, family shows, music-making, community celebrations and relaxed social gatherings — from singing groups and stitch nights to quizzes, karaoke and interactive theatre for younger audiences.

Riverside Studios announces full programme for Bitesize Festival VII. 27 July – 30 August 2026.

As Riverside Studios celebrates its 50th anniversary, the iconic arts centre today announces the full programme for Bitesize Festival VII, its annual festival championing the next generation of artists. Running from 27 July – 30 August 2026, this special edition marks five years of Bitesize Festival with its biggest programme to date: five weeks of theatre, comedy, cabaret, dance, spoken word, live music, visual art and short film, featuring more than 50 performances, events and screenings across the venue.

Programme includes the second edition of the Bitesize Short Film Festival (21 – 23 August), the Bitesize Festival Art Exhibition (6 July – 31 August), a One Day Music Festival (15 August), culminating in The Bitesize Awards (30 August).

First Look! Production images released for Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Watermill Theatre, running until 13 September.

Delve into the hearts and imaginations of eccentric inventor Caractacus Potts, his children Jeremy and Jemima, and Truly Scrumptious as they set off on an audacious adventure in a car with a big personality.

Photos by Pamela Raith

Extra performances added for Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4 at Park Theatre following phenomenal demand. Two final performances added on Sunday 28 June at 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Plus, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Dockery, Romesh Ranganathan, Angela Griffin and Milton Jones join final roster of celebrity guest sheriffs.

Rehearsal images of Hot Mess released starring Danielle Steers as Earth and Morgan Gregory as Humanity.

Producers Vicky Graham, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Aria Entertainment are delighted to release rehearsal images by Pamela Raith for the return of multi-award-winning 5-star new musical Hot Mess, running for a strictly limited season at The Other Palace from 13 June to 6 September 2026.

Hot Mess is a high-energy original romcom that reimagines the climate crisis as a turbulent love story between Earth and Humanity.

SIX, the global musical phenomenon, releases its first song in Spanish ahead of its premiere in Madrid, Spain, this September.

Ex-Wives / SIX is officially available on all digital platforms now. A Spanish-language mash-up of two of the musical’s biggest anthems, these two key songs that capture the energy, humor, and irreverent attitude of this production created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss.

Recorded by the new Spanish cast of SIX The Musical, the single serves as a first taste of the sound that the Queendom will bring to Spain ahead of its premiere at the Teatro Gran Vía in Madrid this September.

Belgrade Theatre Coventry announces details of 2026 autumn/winter season
including new co-production with Leeds Playhouse Sirens; The National Theatre’s The Rise And Fall Of Little Voice;
and co-production with Paines Plough and Traverse Theatre, After Party.

Artistic Director Corey Campbell and Interim CEO Emma Flatley said“We’re incredibly proud to be bringing such a wide-ranging and ambitious programme to our audiences over the coming months, from bold new co-productions and powerful new writing to major touring drama, live music, comedy and family entertainment. This season reflects our continued commitment to telling stories that resonate with our communities, championing new voices and creating unforgettable shared experiences on our stages. We’re especially excited to be included in the National Theatre’s Nationwide programme and to be working with partners including Leeds Playhouse and Paines Plough, while also continuing to develop and premiere new work made here in Coventry. We look forward to welcoming audiences to the Belgrade Theatre for another exciting season.”

Onsale to gold+ members now
Onsale to members and members+: Friday 29 May
General onsale: Friday 5 June

As The Watermill Theatre gears up for its summer musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the team announce that the production will be dedicated to Chris Boulton, the Chief Executive of Greenham Trust who passed away earlier this year, and celebrates the wealth of local support that is powering this epic summer adventure.

During Chris’ time at Greenham Trust, he supported the theatre both professionally and personally. This included large-scale outdoor performances for hundreds of community participants; a fully accessible strand of the Watermill’s outreach provision helping everyone to engage with the arts, and Careers through the Arts (in partnership with the Corn Exchange) which encourages and enables young people to develop life-long, transferrable skills through the creative arts. Following Greenham Trust’s support of Jesus Christ Superstar last year, Chris supported the Watermill to secure a grant in support of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, enabling the theatre to offer 6 local primary schools a series of bespoke workshops and contributing to a production which features 26 local children along with 16 actors, five of whom are embarking on their first major professional production since graduating.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang runs from 26 May to 13 September.

Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award winner Christine Lahti will make her London stage debut this summer in her acclaimed autobiographical play The Smile of Her, for a strictly limited engagement at Marylebone Theatre from 10 July to 29 August 2026.

Funny, furious and achingly personal, this extraordinary work traces a woman’s journey from 1950s suburban America to the heart of a changing world, confronting family mythology, misogyny, ambition, motherhood and the cost of being “a good girl.”

Performed by Lahti herself in a tour-de-force role, The Smile of Her is a bold, deeply human exploration of the stories we inherit, the voices we silence and the fight to reclaim ourselves.

Production images for the world premiere of new musical Dark of the Moon have been released.

Based on the classic 1941 play by Howard D Richardson and William Berney, the show is playing at Charing Cross Theatre until 8 August 2026.

The cast is led by Glenn Adamson and Lauren Jones.

📷 Tom Bowles

Polka Theatre announces new shows for their 26/27 autumn/winter season.

World premiere highlights include:
- Toto - a strong-willed donkey follows their dreams, in a new musical from the book by Ximo Abadia
- Rebel, Rebel - celebrating female voices past and present and the importance of standing up for your beliefs
- Colours, Colours Everywhere – new stage adaptation of the Julia Donaldson & Sharon King-Chai book

Plus, further shows to complete the season and previously announced festive productions Peter Pan and Antarctica.

17-year-old Jacky Zhang wins 17th Sheepdrove Piano Competition at Newbury Spring Festival.

Seventeen-year-old composer and pianist Jacky Zhang has been named winner of the 2026 Sheepdrove Piano Competition at Newbury Spring Festival, becoming the youngest winner in the competition’s 17-year history.

A student at the Royal College of Music and finalist in BBC Young Musician 2024, Zhang was awarded the First Prize of £3,000, donated by the Sheepdrove Trust, following the final of the competition held as part of this year’s Festival programme.

As part of the prize, Zhang also gave a recital at Newbury Corn Exchange on Monday 18 May as part of the Festival’s Young Artist Lunchtime Series.

The Comedy Store arrives at Woolwich Works as part of major new comedy programme.

Woolwich Works has announced a packed new comedy programme for 2026, bringing together acclaimed stand-ups, Edinburgh Fringe previews, grassroots comedy nights and major live platforms in a season that blends established names with some of the UK’s fastest-rising comic talent, including:

Comedy Store - Woolwich Works
Garrett Millerick and Jonny Pelham
Sara Barron and Cecily Hitchcock
Big Bill’s Comedy Night
Eric Rushton and Stuart Goldsmith
Will Adamsdale
and Scummy Mummies

Congratulations to Sarah Middleton and Polka Theatre for their Fringe Theatre Award for Dweeb-a-Mania!

Full cast and creative team announced for
Million Dollar Quartet at Barn Theatre, 15 June – 22 August.

Joining the previously announced Darren Day, are Connor Payne, Christopher Erasmus, Joe Bence, Joey Bradick, Jenay Naima, Geraint Downing, and Josh Haberfield.

On the night of December 4th 1956, four men walked into a recording studio in Memphis and made musical history. Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley were brought together by pure chance for a jam session which would go on to shape the trajectory of rock ‘n’ roll music across the world.

Dark of the Moon release new track ‘Certified Rockstar’ ahead of opening at Charing Cross Theatre next week!

Fans of @glenn_adamson_ come find your new fave song!

#darkofthemoon @darkofthemoonthemusical_uk @charingcrossthr #newmusical

Casting announced For Hot Mess: A New Musical London summer season at The Other Palace.

Producers Vicky Graham, Birmingham Hippodrome, and Aria Entertainment are delighted to announce casting for the return of multi-award-winning 5-star new musical Hot Mess, running for a strictly limited season at The Other Palace from Saturday 13 June to Sunday 6 September 2026.

Returning to the role of ‘Earth’ is Danielle Steers (Just for One Day, Six the Musical, Bat Out of Hell) following her acclaimed performances in the show’s sell-out Edinburgh Fringe premiere and subsequent Southwark Playhouse transfer. Joining the company as ‘Humanity’ is Morgan Gregory, whose recent theatre credits include The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical, UK tour, Back to the Future, original West End cast at the Adelphi, 42 Balloons, Lowry, and Newsies, Troubadour Wembley Park.

Also joining the company are Mia Quimpo (Pippin, Upstairs at the Gatehouse) as cover ‘Earth’ and Nathan Shaw (Mamma Mia! The Party, and The Rocky Horror Show UK and International tour) as cover ‘Humanity’.

Full casting for Our Man In Havana starring Call The Midwife’s Jack Ashton, Bob Barrett, Jodie Steele, and Leon Ockenden.

Star casting for Clive Francis’ adaptation of Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana. This new twist on the classic opens at Theatre Royal Windsor from Wednesday 1 July – Saturday 11 July 2026, before embarking on a UK tour.

Jack Ashton (Call The Midwife, BBC; Lockerbie, Sky) will star as ‘Wormold’, with Bob Barrett (Holby City and Father Brown, BBC) as ‘Voice 2’, Leon Ockenden (Waterloo Road, BBC; Mr. Selfridge, ITV) as ‘Voice 3’ and Jodie Steele (Heathers The Musical, London & New York; Malory Towers, BBC) as ‘Voice 4’ - together they play over 30 characters to bring 1950s Havana vividly to life.

Rehearsal images released for the Watermill Theatre's summer musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

Featuring the cast: Tasha Chu, Mark Curry, Sameer Dhanjee, Theo Diedrick, Christian Edwards, Reuben Greeph, Georgie Hales, Mairi Ikegami, Javai James, Maya Khatri Chhetri, Lydia Louise, Samuel Morgan-Grahame, Sam Pay, Josh Rosewood, Susannah van den Berg andn Alexander Zane Goran.

The production will run from Tuesday 26 May to Sunday 13 September.

📷 Pamela Raith

Olivier Award-winning Jeeves Takes Charge returns to London in a new production, playing the Charing Cross Theatre 13 August – 16 September.

Adapted by James Duke, Edward Duke and Hugh Wooldridge, and starring West End, Chichester and RSC favourite Sam Harrison, this dazzling one-man adaptation of P.G. Wodehouse’s beloved Jeeves and Wooster stories sees Harrison play all twenty-two characters in a bravura tour-de-force performance.

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