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

An illustration of a man made of sticks running through a snowy scene past trees, rabbits, birds and a snowman.

FAMILY FAVOURITE STICK MAN RETURNS TO LONDON FOR 15TH ANNUAL FESTIVE SEASON ALONGSIDE FIRST SEASON IN SHEFFIELD

Based on the well-loved book by renowned author Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, perennial festive favourite Stick Man will simultaneously play in two UK cities this winter season.

THEATRE ROYAL WINDSOR ANNOUNCES ALL-STAR CASTING FOR THE MARQUISE

Theatre Royal Windsor, one of the only unsubsidised producing theatres to operate all year round in Britain, today announces the star casting for Noël Coward’s witty romantic comedy The Marquise. The show gets a vibrant 1930s twist in this new production originating at Theatre Royal Windsor , from Wednesday 27 May – Saturday 6 June 2026 , with a national press night on Monday 1 June , before touring to Oxford Playhouse (Tuesday 9 – Saturday 13 June), Theatre Royal Bath (Tu

PRODUCTION IMAGES RELEASED FOR WHO LET THE GODS OUT - RUNNING IN POLKA’S Y C CHAN THEATRE 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 production 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 7 Februar

BOYBAND AND X FACTOR WINNERS UNITE FOR LONDON PREMIERE OF POP ROCK MUSICAL WORLD’S GREATEST LOVER, DIRECT FROM NEW YORK DEBUT AND AWARD-WINNING EDINBURGH FRINGE RUN

Following its New York debut and an acclaimed, award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, the electrifying pop-rock musical World’s Greatest Lover transfers to London this spring. The production opens at The Other Palace on Sunday 12 April 2026, playing until Sunday 7 June 2026, with a national press night on Wednesday 22 April.

PARK THEATRE ANNOUNCES WHODUNNIT [UNREHEARSED] 4 - A WILD WEST IMMERSIVE TAKEOVER FOR 2026

Artistic Director Jez Bond, Executive Director Catherine McKinney, and the whole team at Park Theatre today announce further details of Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4, the next instalment of its hugely popular fundraising comedy spectacular, which returns from 11 May – 27 June 2026 with the most ambitious version yet.

UNEQUAL PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS HEARTSINK - A NEW BITTERSWEET MEDICAL COMEDY WRITTEN BY A FORMER GP, DIRECTED BY SEAN TURNER - RIVERSIDE STUDIOS

Unequal Productions presents Heartsink, a new bittersweet comedy written by former GP Farine Clarke, and directed by Sean Turner (Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse for England, The Play That Goes Wrong), which will play at Riverside Studios from 21 April – 10 May, with a press night on Friday 24 April.

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.

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.

FINAL GUEST STARS ALEX NEWELL, JOEL MONTAGUE AND CARRIE HOPE FLETCHER, PLUS FURTHER TRACK LIST INFORMATION ANNOUNCED FOR LOVE LIFE: WEST END UNITES AGAINST CANCER

The One For The Boys team are delighted to announce the final cast members joining their star-studded concert in London, alongside additional information on the setlists for the night.

SIX THE MUSICAL - NEW QUEENS ASCEND THE THRONE! AS SIX CONTINUES TO REIGN SUPREME AT THE VAUDEVILLE

The producers of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss's award-winning global smash hit SIX are delighted to reveal the new Queens who will take up their crowns in the West End from Tuesday 24 February, as the home-grown musical sensation continues its run at the Vaudeville Theatre, now booking until January 2027.

REHEARSAL IMAGES RELEASED FOR THE WORLD PREMIERE OF BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOL

With music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau and a book by Mona Mansour, directed by Michael Greif, Beautiful Little Fool tells the story of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald through the eyes of their daughter Scottie, as she rediscovers the lives and writings of her brilliant and tempestuous parents.

COUNTERMINERS, M&M ENTS AND THE PLAYGROUND THEATRE PRESENT THE WORLD PREMIERE OF SPANISH ORANGES - WRITTEN BY ALBA ARIKHA AND DIRECTED BY MYRIAM CYR

Star of classic James Bond film The Living Daylights alongside Timothy Dalton, Maryam D'Abo leads a stellar cast in this blistering new play as ‘Fiona Stedman’ alongside Jay Villiers as ‘Ivo’, with Arianna Branca as ‘Lydia Stedman’.

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Rehearsal images Images by Pamela Raith have been released for Victoria: A Queen Unbound at The Watermill Theatre.

Osborne House 1901. As Victoria faces the final days of her reign, she clings to her diaries, the carefully kept record of a life defined by love, duty and profound loss. Into this certainty comes her younger self, forcing the older Victoria to confront memories she’s chosen to bury and truths she’s chosen to forget.

A world premiere, from Daisy Goodwin, the creator of the novel and ITV drama, Victoria, this new play offers a fresh perspective on one of history’s greatest monarchs.

Yentl and Bentl a special event welcoming the LGBTQ+ community with a Q&A hosted by Ralph Bogard at Marylebone Theatre.

On 1 April, audiences can attend a special one-off queer night of Yentl at the Marylebone Theatre, celebrating all things LGBTQ+ in theatre, with an exclusive queer-focused post-show Q&A with the cast and director/writer Gary Abrahams hosted by the fabulous Ralph Bogard. The Q&A discussion is entitled “Understanding Queer Shame and our relationship to spirituality and religious orthodoxy”, and will go further into depth on the show’s queer themes.

Six The Musical (UK Studio Cast Recording) goes Platinum.

The producers of SIX are pleased to announce that the SIX the Musical (Studio Cast Recording) has been certified Platinum, with a limited-edition platinum vinyl pressing scheduled for release in Autumn 2026. Pre-order is available here: www.sixthemusical.com/london/music.

The certification was marked on Tuesday 24 March 2026 at a gala performance at the Vaudeville Theatre, celebrating the arrival of the new West End Queens.

Following the performance, the show’s writers, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, were presented with Platinum discs on stage by Matt Hemley, Editor of The Stage, joined by members of the current company. The presentation also recognised the contribution of the album’s creative team, including producer Sam Featherstone, orchestrator Tom Curran and musical supervisor Joe Beighton.

First recorded in 2018, the SIX Studio Cast Album features Renée Lamb (Catherine of Aragon), Christina Modestou (Anne Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour), Genesis Lynea (Anna of Cleves), Aimie Atkinson (Catherine Howard), and Izuka Hoyle (Catherine Parr).

Full cast announcement: Kathy Kiera Clarke stars with Aden Gillett, Vikash Bhai and Megan Marszal in Heartsink at Riverside Studios from 21 April.

Aden Gillet (The House of Elliott, BBC; The Doctor’s Dilemma, National Theatre, A Christmas Carol, RSC) will play ‘Dr Jeffrey Longford’. He is joined by Vikash Bhai (Limbo, by Ben Sharrock – BAFTA Scotland nomination; Girl Taken, Paramount+) as ‘Dr Roofi’, and Megan Marszal (Helloween, Amazon Prime; I Love You Michael, From Nadine, Riverside Studios) as ‘Suzie’. They join the previously announced Kathy Kiera Clarke (Derry Girls, Hat Trick Productions; Portia Coughlan, Almeida Theatre) as ‘Cara’.

Written by former GP Farine Clarke (London Zoo) Heartsink is a new bittersweet medical comedy directed by Sean Turner (Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England, The Play That Goes Wrong).

Production images released for Ottilie at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester

See a selection of production images of Jolene O'Hara in the title role. Photos by Alex Tabrizi.

The godmother of British blues began life in a terrace in Northern Ireland, a little girl who felt like an outsider. When the blues music drifted across from the American GIs up the road, Ottilie became obsessed: she’d found her tribe.

Sir Lenny Henry and Maz Evans become patrons of Polka Theatre

The announcement follows both artists’ recent creative collaborations with the venue. Maz Evans’ bestselling book Who Let The Gods Out was adapted into a new musical that has just finished its critically acclaimed run, while Sir Lenny Henry’s Olivier nominated The Boy With Wings received its world premiere at Polka last summer.

From Gordon Ramsay to Basil Fawlty: acclaimed chef takes charge of London’s most chaotic restaurant.

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience is delighted to announce that acclaimed chef Jonathan Bradley has joined the team as the new Head Chef at the President Hotel in London, ushering in a refined new chapter for the show’s much-loved three-course dining experience.

The newly revamped set menu includes:
- Tomato soup with basil oil (VE)
- Roast chicken with gravy, carrot purée, savoy cabbage, baby carrot and dauphinoise potato
- Sweet potato and courgette timbale (VE)
- Lemon and berries cheesecake with chantilly cream and fruits of the forest compote

Coronation Street stars Daniel Brocklebank and Faye Brookes to star in Double Double at the Barn Theatre, Cirencester.

In the role of Duncan will be Daniel Brocklebank, who played Billy Mayhew in ITV1’s Coronation Street from 2014 until 2026. He is also the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance in the multi award-winning Shakespeare in Love (Miramax). His theatre credits include As You Like It, Titus Andronicus, The Tamer Tamed and Lord of the Flies (Royal Shakespeare Company); The Importance of Being Earnest (Rose Theatre Kingston) and A Doll’s House (The Lowry).

Starring alongside Daniel will be Faye Brookes in the role of “Philippa”. Faye is best known for her role as Kate Connor in ITV1’s Coronation Street, for which she won a National Television Award. Her previous theatre credits include Chicago (UK and National Tour); Constellations (The Barn Theatre); Strictly Ballroom (UK and National Tour); and Shrek (UK and National Tour).

This revival of Double Double celebrates 40 years of the show, after its acclaimed debut at the Fortune Theatre in 1986.

Production images released for the first ever UK tour cast of The Choir Of Man.

Direct from the West End, the Olivier Award-nominated worldwide smash hit will take The Jungle to audiences across the country and Ireland with tickets on sale now for dates through to December 2026.

Set in on-stage pub The Jungle, THE CHOIR OF MAN is the best trip to your local you'll ever have. Here, a cast of nine (extra)ordinary guys combine beautiful harmonies and foot-stomping singalongs with world-class tap dance and soulful storytelling.

Production images by Mark Senior @mark__snr

Applications are now open for Bitesize Festival VII at Riverside Studios.

Riverside Studios today announces the return of its acclaimed Bitesize Festival for 2026, with applications now open for theatre-makers, filmmakers and visual artists to take part in one of West London’s most exciting platforms for new work.

Due to popular demand, Bitesize Festival returns bigger than ever with an extra fifth week. Running from 27 July – 30 August 2026, Riverside Studios will once again transform into a vibrant hub for bold new ideas, showcasing short-form theatre alongside a dedicated short film festival and a visual art exhibition from emerging and established artists alike.

Applications are open now and will close Tuesday 31 March at midnight. See the Riverside Studios website for more info.

Brainiac Live - the Olivier-award winning family show - returns to the West End this summer with a run at London's Garrick Theatre, 26 July – 30 August 2026.

More mischievous than ever before, the UK’s original and favourite family science show explodes on stage and takes audiences on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful. Watch from the safety of your seat as the Brainiacs delve fearlessly into the mysteries of science and do all of those things on stage that you’re far too scared (and definitely not allowed) to do at home.

Packed with thrilling experiments and mind-blowing demonstrations, the show is a fast-paced celebration of science that promises liquid nitrogen clouds, vortex smoke rings, exploding hydrogen balloons, spinning CO₂ chairs and plenty of spectacular surprises along the way.

Cast and creative team announced for I’m Every Woman – The Chaka Khan Musical.

Alexandra Burke (The X Factor, Sister Act, The Bodyguard, Curfew) and Jordan Frazier (Angelica Schuyler in Hamilton, West End) will share the role of Chaka on different performances - please see the schedule for details.

Joining them are Paige Peddie (The Lion King), Chanice Alexander-Burnett (Fantine in Les Misérables), Charlotte St Croix (The Tina Turner Musical), Maryla Abraham (Coming to England), Chrissie Bhima (The Tina Turner Musical), Sophie Earl (Lizard Boy), Duane-Lamonte O'Garro (Kinky Boots), Miles Anthony Daley (The Drifters Girl), Teddy Wills (Get Up Stand Up!), Chris Breistein (An Officer and a Gentleman), Samuel Sarpong-Broni (The Tina Turner Musical) and Peter Houston (Hamilton).

The new musical reveals the woman behind the icon and charts her rise to stardom. It has a book by Nia T. Hill, direction by Racky Plews, musical supervision by Mark Crossland, choreography by Ebony Clarke, set design by Sara Perks, sound design by Chris Whybrow, video design by Buckloop, lighting design by Zoe Spurr, costume design by Natalie Pryce, Hair, Wigs & Makeup design by JJ Wigs, casting by Debbie O’Brien, associate direction by Oliver Lidert, associate choreography by Simeon Beckett, production management by Toby P Darvill, and general management by Emily Obasohan.

The Lady Boys Of Bangkok bring their dazzling “Full Moon” Tour to Central London.

One of the UK’s most colourful and long-running cabaret spectaculars arrives in Shepherd’s Bush Green this summer, staged inside the company’s glamorous Sabai Pavilion – a custom-built, heated pink cabaret tent with table seating, plush carpeting and well-stocked bars. The show promises a dazzling night of music, comedy and high-energy performance inspired by Thailand’s vibrant cabaret traditions, featuring nine ladyboy performers, four male dancers and a drag host.

Derry Girls' Kathy Kiera Clarke will star as ‘Cara’ in Heartsink, a new bittersweet medical comedy written by former GP Farine Clarke and directed by Sean Turner, premiering at Riverside Studios 21 April - 10 May 2026.

What happens when a doctor becomes the patient…? Heartsink is a sharp, humane comedy that tackles ostensibly unfunny subject matter with wit and compassion.

Polka Theatre presents the premiere of The Rapping Princess opening this May plus accessible production of Tortoise And The Hare.

The Rapping Princess – Follow Princess Shiloh on a musical journey based on Hannah Lee and Allen Fatimaharan’s inspirational children’s book in Polka’s Adventure Theatre, 16 May – Sunday 21 June.

Tortoise And The Hare – a toe-tapping, laugh-out-loud retelling on the children’s classic story where every show includes creative captions, integrated BSL and audio description in Polka’s Y C Chan Theatre, 2 – 31 May.

Production shots released for Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s Yentl - now playing at the @marylebonetheatre

The international premiere of the award-winning, sold-out Australian production is now open in London and has released a selection of production shots by @manuelharlanphotography.

Full casting announced for Arthur Miller’s
The Price at the Marylebone Theatre, 17 April – 7 June 2026.

Double Olivier Award-winner Henry Goodman (Yes, Prime Minister, Fiddler On The Roof, The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui) stars as Gregory Solomon and is joined by Faye Castelow (Leopoldstadt, After the Dance, The Witch of Edmonton) as Esther Franz, Elliot Cowan (A Little Life, Da Vinci’s Demons, Peaky Blinders) as Victor Franz and John Hopkins (Dr Strangelove, The 39 Steps, Poldark, Midsomer Murders) as Walter Franz.

Brainiac Live tours the UK this spring.

After winning the 2025 Olivier Award for Best Family Show, the science sensation Brainiac Live will tour the UK this year following its recent festive run at Birmingham Town Hall, and prior to a West End season, with details to be confirmed.

More mischievous than ever before, the UK’s original and favourite family science show explodes on stage and takes audiences on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful. Watch from the safety of your seat as the Brainiacs delve fearlessly into the mysteries of science and do all of those things on stage that you’re far too scared (and definitely not allowed) to do at home.

World premiere of Dark Of The Moon to run at Charing Cross Theatre 18 May – 8 August 2026.

Originally written by Howard Richardson and William Berney while students at the University of Iowa in the early 1940s, the play Dark of the Moon is loosely inspired by the traditional Scottish ballad Barbara Allen. The story has recently re-entered the cultural conversation through references in the Stranger Things stage play The First Shadow and the final season of the hit Netflix series.

Full casting and creative team to be announced in due course.

Huge congratulations to ANRPR clients @polkatheatre for not one, but TWO Olivier nominations today.

The Boy With Wings adapted by Arvind Ethan David from the book by Lenny Henry, and The Firework-Maker’s Daughter adapted by Jude Christian from the book by Philip Pullman were both nominated in the Best Family Show category in the @olivierawards announcement earlier - meaning they hold half of the nominations in this field.

Wishing huge congratulations and luck to all nominees - see you all in April!

Italia Conti marks Women’s History Month and its 115th Anniversary by celebrating a legacy of female leadership

Since its founding in 1911, Italia Conti has been led by an extraordinary succession of women that have shaped its values, culture and enduring impact on the performing arts sector.

Italia Conti, Ruth Conti, Eve Sheward, Anne Sheward, Sam Newton and current CEO Hayley Newton-Jarvis together represent an entirely uninterrupted lineage of female leadership spanning 115 years. This legacy is not only rare within the arts sector, but central to the institution’s identity and longevity.

Family favourite Stick Man returns to London for 15th annual festive season alongside first season in Sheffield.

Based on the well-loved book by renowned author Julia Donaldson with illustrations by Axel Scheffler, perennial festive favourite Stick Man will simultaneously play in two UK cities this winter season.

Stick Man is returning to London's Bloomsbury Theatre from 3 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, and premiering at Sheffield’s Montgomery Theatre from 5 December 2026 to 3 January 2027.

This much-loved adaptation from Freckle Productions, the team behind Zog, Zog and the Flying Doctors and The Baddies, features a trio of top actors and is packed full of puppetry, songs, live music and funky moves, receiving rave reviews year after year.

Barn Theatre in Cirencester, are delighted to announce the final two additions to the 2026 Built by Barn season, with Million Dollar Quartet and a Built By Barn revival of The King’s Speech.

Directed by Jonathan O’Boyle, Million Dollar Quartet by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, which was first staged at the Barn Theatre in 2022, returns for an extended run this summer from Monday 15 June – Saturday 22 August.

Written by David Seidler, The King’s Speech will play at the Barn Theatre between Friday 9 October – Saturday 7 November

Newbury’s Watermill Theatre announce their first Dementia Friendly performance will be for the summer musical, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, on Thursday 16 July at 2.30pm.

Dementia Friendly performances create a relaxed, supportive environment for people living with dementia and those who support them. This is achieved through numerous means, including pre-show information to help prepare for a visit, and Dementia Friendly staff available for support before, during and after the show. During the performance, low-level lighting is used, and there are quiet spaces and a chill-out area which patrons are free to use. The performance is a relaxed and inclusive environment, where movement, noise, and different expressions of enjoyment are welcomed.

This Dementia Friendly performance forms another part of the Watermill’s extensive range of Access performances throughout the year.

Woolwich Works launches Big Bill’s Comedy Night – a new monthly home for grassroots stand-up hosted by rising star Bilal Rashid.

The night offers a raw, high-energy alternative to larger touring comedy showcases, creating space for risk-taking, sharp writing and up-close crowd interaction in the intimate Beanfeast space.

The first show on Friday 20 March features Junior Booker, Helen K, Olly Miller and Rob Moriarty

Next shows: 7 April, and 22 May, line ups tbc.

Rehearsal shots have been released for Kadimah Yiddish Theatre’s Yentl – opening this week at Marylebone Theatre.

Featuring cast members Amy Hack, Ashley Margolis, Claire Morrissey, Genevieve Kingsford, Kandice Joy and Michali Dantes,

📷 @mark__snr

Faulty Towers The Dining Experience will tour across the UK in 2026, following sell-out seasons across the UK and internationally.

Audiences can enjoy a quintessentially British experience as Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve up two hours of theatre, chaos and a 70s-style three-course meal in the most infamous hotel restaurant in British comedy history.

The tour begins in Manchester in February.

First Look! Production shots released for
Noël Coward’s Easy Virtue starring Alice Orr-Ewing, Michael Praed, and Greta Scacchi, and directed by Sir Trevor Nunn.

Written in 1924, Easy Virtue introduces us to Colonel and Mrs Whittaker, shocked and scandalised as they learn that their son, John, has, without any consultation, got married in the South of France. Even worse, he is soon to arrive at their country estate with his new bride, an American divorcée, Larita. She proves to be glamorous, witty, sophisticated and very much a modern woman ... everything that Mrs Whittaker is not. Larita’s cosmopolitan lifestyle causes tensions to rise and, in the process, hidden truths are revealed.

Now playing at The Arts Theatre, Cambridge, until 7 March

📷 Richard Hubert Smith

Smalltown Boy - Industry Presentation of Exciting New Wave Musical in London this Spring. Featuring an All-Star Cast of West End Talent, including Aimee Atkinson, Grace Mouat and Jo Foster

Smalltown Boy is a new jukebox musical set to the iconic sounds of the 1980s New Wave era, exploring love, rebellion, and the search for belonging. Set in New York’s East Village in the summer of 1983, the show follows a teenage runaway who flees suburbia and is swept into the city’s underground New Wave scene - just as the AIDS crisis emerges and the world around him begins to close in.

The invite-only industry presentation @sohoplace in London on Friday 13 March marks the next step toward a full commercial production, and features some of the West End’s best up-and-coming performers.

New promo images released for pop rock musical World’s Greatest Lover, featuring X Factor Winners Matt Terry & Dalton Harris, Union J’s Jaymi Hensley, 17:28’s Joaquin Pedro Valdes, and Leonardo Vieira And Alex Hayden.

World’s Greatest Lover brings together the most iconic romantics in history in a witty, irreverent and unexpectedly heartfelt exploration of love, desire and identity, asking what it truly means to be the greatest lover of all time.
With explosive choreography and a sensational pop-powered score, Romeo, Casanova, Cyrano de Bergerac and the Marquis de Sade collide in a wildly entertaining, no-holds-barred battle to uncover the truth about love.

World's Greatest Lover plays The Other Palace, 12 April – 7 June 2026

Theatre Royal Windsor, one of the only unsubsidised producing theatres to operate all year round in Britain, today announces the star casting for Noël Coward’s witty romantic comedy The Marquise. The show gets a vibrant 1930s twist in this new production originating at Theatre Royal Windsor, from Wednesday 27 May – Saturday 6 June 2026, with a national press night on Monday 1 June, before touring to Oxford Playhouse, Theatre Royal Bath, Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford and The Arts Theatre Cambridge.

The all-star cast features BAFTA Award-winning Juliet Aubrey as ‘The Marquise Eloise de Kestournel’, Simon Shepherd as ‘Raoul de Vriaac’, Tristan Gemmill as ‘Esteban el Duco Santaguano’, George Kemp as ‘Jaques Rijar’, Eva O’Hara as ‘Adrienne’. They are joined by Martin Carroll as ‘Father Clement’, Barnaby Tobias as ‘Miguel’, Lee Peck as ‘Hubert / Understudy Jaques and Miguel’, and Holly Smith as ‘Alice / Understudy Marquise’, James Smalley as ‘Understudy Hubert and Father Clement’, and Amy Utting as ‘Understudy Alice and Adrienne’.

Riverside Studios announces details of the first special events as part of their 50th Anniversary Celebration.

The programme includes Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Lenny Henry, Gyles Brandreth, and Goodness Gracious Me stars Nina Wadia, Sanjeev Bhaskar OBE and Kulvinder Ghir.

Tickets are now on priority sale to Riverside passholders. General sale will begin at 10am on Tuesday, 24 February via Riverside Studios website.

Cast announced for Poor, taking place at Belgrade Theatre from 1 May, after a run at the Gate Theatre Dublin.

Aisling O’Mara will play ‘Katriona’, and she is joined by Hilda Fay and Aidan Kelly. Sue Collins, John Cronin, Shauna Harris and Ben Morris will be the ensemble with Hollie Lawlor and Pippa Owens alternating in the role of ‘Younger Katriona’

Based on Katriona O’Sullivan’s best-selling memoir, Poor charts her extraordinary journey as she emerges from her childhood in Coventry and Birmingham marked by poverty, addiction and homelessness. Joining director Róisín McBrinn and writer Katriona O’Sullivan, Poor has been adapted by Sonya Kelly.

On sale now via Belgrade Theatre's website

FIRST LOOK! REHEARSAL IMAGES RELEASED FOR 2026-27 QUEENS OF SIX THE MUSICAL

AS SIX CONTINUES TO REIGN SUPREME AT THE VAUDEVILLE

SMASH-HIT WEST END SHOW NOW BOOKING UNTIL JANUARY 2027

The new Queens will take up their crowns in the West End from Tuesday 24 February, as the home-grown musical sensation continues its run at the Vaudeville Theatre, now booking until January 2027.

Adrianne Langley will play ‘Catherine of Aragon’, while Marisha Morgan joins the Queendom as ‘Anne Boleyn’. Jessica Aubrey as ‘Jane Seymour’, with Freya Karlettis as ‘Anna of Cleves’, Leesa Tulley as ‘Katherine Howard’, and Nia Stephen will make her West End debut as ‘Catherine Parr’.

They are joined by Tegan Bannister as Alternate ‘Aragon/Cleves’, Mary Elliott as Alternate ‘Boleyn/Howard’, and Ashlyn Weekes as Alternate ‘Seymour/Parr’. The company is completed by Super Swings Laura Baxter, Gabs Boumford and Imogen Rose Hart.

#sixthemusical #six #westend #vaudevilletheatre #rehearsalpictures #london #londontheatre

PRODUCTION IMAGES RELEASED FOR SPANISH ORANGES STARRING ACCLAIMED JAMES BOND ACTRESS MARYAM D’ABO RUNNING AT THE PLAYGROUND THEATRE

Counterminers, M&M Ents, and The Playground Theatre, are proud to share production photos from 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 runs at The Playground Theatre from Wednesday 11 February – Saturday 7 March.

#spanishoranges #playgroundtheatre #maryamdabo #playgroundtheatre #debutplay #london #theatreinlondon #londontheatre

HALF A MILLENNIUM APART: WEST END'S ANNE BOLEYN MEETS HER 1583 LIKENESS

On the eve of the opening of a major new exhibition, the actress who currently portrays Anne Boleyn in the West End stepped into the ill-fated Queen’s childhood home of Hever Castle, to come face-to-face with one of her earliest surviving images.

Thảo Therese Nguyễn, who currently plays Anne Boleyn in the hit West End musical Six, had a sneak peak of the newly re-dated Hever ‘Rose’ portrait at Hever Castle, ahead of the exhibition’s opening on Wednesday 11 February. Painted in 1583, the Hever 'Rose' portrait is one of the very few likenesses to depict Anne’s hands, and a ground-breaking new exhibition argues it was probably painted this way to disprove the idea she was a witch, and to prove she had five digits.

The portrait features in Hever Castle's Capturing a Queen: The Image of Anne Boleyn, a landmark exhibition bringing together over 30 likenesses and depictions of Anne from the 16th century to the present day.

Two women separated by 500 years yet bound by one of history’s most powerful stories.

#anneboleyn #sixthemusical #hevercastle #westend

BOYBAND AND X FACTOR WINNERS UNITE FOR LONDON PREMIERE OF POP ROCK MUSICAL WORLD’S GREATEST LOVER AT THE OTHER PALACE

DIRECT FROM NEW YORK DEBUT AND AWARD-WINNING EDINBURGH FRINGE RUN

STARRING X FACTOR WINNERS MATT TERRY & DALTON HARRIS WITH UNION J’S JAYMI HENSLEY, 17:28’S JOAQUIN PEDRO VALDES, WITH LEONARDO VIEIRA AND ALEX HAYDEN

Following its New York debut and an acclaimed, award-winning run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025, the electrifying pop-rock musical World’s Greatest Lover transfers to London this spring. The production opens at The Other Palace on Sunday 12 April 2026, playing until Sunday 7 June 2026.

Tickets go on sale today, 10 February, as the full London cast is announced, led by X Factor winners Matt Terry and Dalton Harris, alongside Union J star Jaymi Hensley and West End favourites Joaquin Pedro Valdes, Leonardo Vieira and Alex Hayden.

#worldsgreatestlover #newmusical #mattterry #daltonharris #london #londontheatre #theotherpalace

PARK THEATRE ANNOUNCES WHODUNNIT [UNREHEARSED] 4

A WILD WEST IMMERSIVE TAKEOVER FOR 2026

WITH RETURNING CELEBRITY GUEST SHERIFFS INCLUDING GILLIAN ANDERSON, EMMA THOMPSON, ADRIAN DUNBAR, JIM BROADBENT, SANDI TOKSVIG, SANJEEV BHASKAR AND HUGH BONNEVILLE – WITH MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED

Artistic Director Jez Bond, Executive Director Catherine McKinney, and the whole team at Park Theatre today announce further details of Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4, the next instalment of its hugely popular fundraising comedy spectacular, which returns from 11 May – 27 June 2026 with the most ambitious version yet.

Set in the lawless Wild West town of Graveside, Whodunnit [Unrehearsed] 4 will see Park Theatre transformed into a fully immersive world – taking over the entire building for the first time, from the street outside to the bars, foyers and both auditoria.

At every performance, a different celebrity will take on the central role of Sheriff – completely unrehearsed! Armed only with an earpiece feeding them lines moments before they speak, each guest must attempt to solve the murder, survive the mayhem and keep the show on track, while the audience watches events spiral in gloriously unpredictable ways. And yes, Sir Ian McKellen returns to lend his voice to the chaos.

#parktheatre #whodunnitunrehearsed #whodunnitunrehearsed4 #london #londontheatre #westend

UNEQUAL PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS HEARTSINK - A NEW BITTERSWEET MEDICAL COMEDY WRITTEN BY A FORMER GP, DIRECTED BY SEAN TURNER AT RIVERSIDE STUDIOS

What happens when a doctor becomes the patient…?

Unequal Productions presents Heartsink, a new bittersweet comedy written by former GP Farine Clarke, and directed by Sean Turner (Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse for England, The Play That Goes Wrong), which will play at Riverside Studios from 21 April – 10 May, with a press night on Friday 24 April.

“After years in practice seeing through a doctors’ eyes, I find myself on a crash-course as the patient, The view isn’t quite so attractive from this side, you’d be surprised to know.”

For GP Jeffrey Longford, a cancer diagnosis turns his faith in the medical fraternity inside out. Crossing the divide from confident clinician to frightened patient, challenges his professional certainties at every turn — from the way individuals are labelled by their conditions, to the ethical fault-lines surrounding assisted dying.

#heartsink #riversidestudios #unequalproductions #newwriting #london #londontheatre

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

MAISIE SMITH TO STAR AS AUDREY AT MANCHESTER’S HOPE MILL THEATRE – FRIDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2026 – SUNDAY 29 NOVEMBER 2026

JESSIE ELLAND TO STAR AS AUDREY AT LIVERPOOL PLAYHOUSE FROM THURSDAY 3 DECEMBER 2026 – SATURDAY 9 JANUARY 2027

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.

EastEnders legend and Strictly Come Dancing Finalist Maisie Smith will take to the stage in her first leading musical theatre role, starring as the iconic Audrey for the Manchester run at Hope Mill Theatre (Friday 25 September to Sunday 29 November, with a national press night on Wednesday 7 October). The production then heads into its spectacular festive season at the Liverpool Playhouse, where Jessie Elland will take over the role from Thursday 3 December to Saturday 9 January 2027, with a press night on Thursday 10 December. Joining them in both venues is beloved Brookside legend Michael Starke (Hollyoaks, Brookside, Sister Act, Hairspray), who will star as Mr Mushnik.

They will be joined by an outstanding West End cast, including Jed Berry as Seymour, Marcus Ayton as the voice of the monstrous Audrey II, and Benjamin Yates as the sinister and unforgettable Orin Scrivello, the Dentist.

Completing the iconic trio of streetwise narrators are Psalms-Nissi Myers-Reid as Crystal, Gabrielle Davina Smith as Ronnette, and Rio Maye as Chiffon.

#littleshopofhorrors #uktour #regionaltheatre #maisiesmith #jessieelland #thomashopkinsproductions

HENRY GOODMAN IN THE PRICE BY ARTHUR MILLER

DIRECTED BY JONATHAN MUNBY | MARYLEBONE THEATRE @thepriceldn

What is the price of the choices we make?

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.

On the eve of selling their late father’s possessions, two estranged brothers meet in a cluttered New York attic for the first time in years. What begins as a simple transaction becomes a fierce emotional reckoning, as decades of resentment, sacrifice and buried truth erupt into the open.

By turns darkly funny and devastatingly human, The Price is one of Arthur Miller’s most intimate and explosive dramas — a gripping portrait of family where memory, regret and emotional inheritance collide.

#theprice #arthurmiller #henrygoodman #marylebonetheatre #wildyakproductions #theatre #londontheatre

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

STARRING ACCLAIMED JAMES BOND ACTRESS MARYAM D’ABO

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.

Two artists. One marriage.

Fiona is a novelist on the brink of fame with a new book that blurs the line between fiction and confession. Ivo, once a celebrated actor, has been cancelled—and he suspects Fiona’s success may be built on the bones of his downfall.

Set over a single turbulent morning, this razor-sharp play examines the shifting power dynamics between love and ambition, truth and narrative, art and the people it consumes.

#spanishoranges #playgroundtheatre #counterminers #maryamdabo #jamesbond @spanishorangesplay @counterminers

The whole gang is here!
We had to mark the rare occasion of the whole ANRPR team together for the fantastic @one4theboys concert at Theatre Royal Drury Lane today.

A great lineup for a fantastic cause 🙌

#onefortheboys #lovelive #westendunitesagainstcancer #saysomething

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.

First staged in 2020, Freckle Productions’ adaptation of Zog has become a family favourite, delighting young audiences with its mix of live music, puppetry, and laugh-out-loud storytelling. With joyful songs by Joe Stilgoe, puppets designed by Little Angel Theatre, and direction by Ryan McBryde that brings Donaldson and Scheffler’s world vividly to life, Zog is a theatrical treat for all ages.

ZOG will be brought to life by an incredibly talented cast, with Samuel John Taylor as ‘Zog’, Jess Lobo as ‘Pearl’, Lotti Brogan as ‘Madam Dragon’ and ‘Governess’, Hugh Cotton as ‘Cedric’ and ‘Gadabout’, Lee Beka Harper as ‘Nell’ and Swing, and Daniel Noah as Swing.

#zog #zoguktour #freckleproductions #juliadonaldson #childrenstheatre #uktour #londontheatre #theatre

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