NEWS ROUNDUP: 23 - 29 June

With summer officially here, it's time to look back on the hottest news off the presses, and though there haven't been masses of announcements, there are definitely a couple of good ones!

BACK TO THE FUTURE

Maddie Grace Jepson to star in west end production

Maddie Grace Jepson

It has been revealed that TikTok star Maddie Grace Jepson is set to join the London cast of the Bob Gale, Alan Silvestri and Robert Zemeckis musical "Back To The Future", where she will play Marty McFly's mother Lorraine Baines, a role currently played by Sarah Goggin, and originated by Rosanna Hyland; this will mark Jepson's professional stage debut, as she joins previously announced Brian Conley (9 to 5) as Emmett Brown, and Caden Baunch who will remain in the cast as Marty McFly.

Jepson will join the cast on the 13th of August, her first performance coinciding with that of Conley, who will only perform for a limited 12-weeks, playing his final performance on the 3rd of November, after which current Doc Brown Cory English will return to the cast. Back to the Future this year celebrates its 40th anniversary, the original film having come out in July of 1985, and tickets for all performances up until January 2026, including the 40th anniversary show, can be purchased from the LW Theatres website.

SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

New in-house produced shows and youth programme

The full cast for The Trials

Two brand new limited run productions are set to be staged in late summer and early autumn at Southwark Playhouse Borough, first with a debut performance from their Young Ensemble of Dawn King’s “The Trials”, and then a restaging of Shakespeare’s classic comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” directed by Tony Hulse. The Southwark Playhouse Young Ensemble are a brand new theatre company for young performers from South London aged 19-25, and is a revival of the venue’s community group for this particular age range, set up by head of participation David Workman.

Their performance of King’s play, which was first produced at Donmar Warehouse, is the group’s debut production, and will perform from the 28th - 30th of August. Meanwhile Hulse’s new staging of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” relocates the action to 1900s London, where the Jenkins siblings try to stave off their boredom by staging a play. It will perform from the 5th - 27th of September, and there will be opportunities for 2000 children from local schools to see the play for free. More information and ticket sales can be found on the Southwark Playhouse website.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

New music video released ahead of tour

(L-R) Rosie Wooding, Lauren Jones, Beth Jerem

A teaser has been released by producers of the upcoming UK tour of Andrew Lippa's musical version of "The Addams Family", which features Lauren Jones, set to perform as Wednesday Addams, singing the song "Pulled" from the show; the video also features Beth Jerem on piano and Rosie Wooding on cello, with David Hornberger also playing cello on the studio recording. The full song can be found on the official YouTube channel for the production, as well as on the TheatreTradge instagram and TikTok pages.

The tour of The Addams Family will kick off at Birmingham Hippodrome, where it will play for three days before spending four weeks at Leicester Curve. This will be followed by runs at The Lowry in Salford, Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury and the Opera House in Blackpool. Joining Jones in the cast are Ricardo Afonso as Gomez, Alexandra Burke as Morticia, Lesley Joseph as Grandma, Clive Rowe as Uncle Fester, Nicholas McLean as Pugsley, Dickon Gough as Lurch, Dale Rapley as Mal, Jacob Fowler as Lucas, and Kara Lane as Alice. Tour and ticket info can be found on the official website for the production.

CHOIR OF MAN

West end show extends its run

Grab another drink lads, the choir are sticking around for a little longer! West end favourite "The Choir of Man" has extended into the new year, and will now be booking until the 4th of January 2026. The show, penned by Nic Doodson and Andrew Kay, with music by various artists, first opened at the Arts Theatre in 2021, following hugely successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe in Scotland, and Adelaide Fringe in Australia, and in spite of two hiatuses, first in 2022 during which Bonnie & Clyde had its first fully staged run at the Arts, and then in 2024 to allow for refurbishments, the Olivier-winning musical is still going strong.

The musical welcomes you to the Jungle, everyone's favourite night out at the pub, during which nine men take us on a journey of coming together, sharing experiences, laughs and tears, all to the music of renowned artists such as Guns 'n' Roses, Sia, The Proclaimers and The Kinks. The current cast comprises David Booth (bore), Jason Brock (romantic), Rob Godfrey (beast), Ifan Gwilym-Jones (maestro), Oliver Jacobson (barman), George Knapper (handyman), Benji Lord (joker), Paul McArthur (poet) and Bradley Walwyn (hardman), with swings Tom Carter-Miles, Toby Francis, Alex Mallalieu and David Shute. Tickets for all performances can be found on the Choir of Man website.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

Regional transfer announced for Hope Mill production

Official artwork for Young Frankenstein

It has been revealed that following its initial autumn run, the Hope Mill Theatre production of Mel Brooks’ musical “Young Frankenstein” will transfer to Liverpool Playhouse for the month of December, and into the new year. This production marks the continued expansion of what Hope Mill do, after several successful productions staged at other venues. This staging of Young Frankenstein is part of the 10th Anniversary celebrations for Hope Mill Theatre, which first opened its doors in November 2015, and has since become one of the UK’s most respected independent regional venues, especially when it comes to staging major mew revivals, with shows like RENT, The Wiz and Passion receiving huge critical acclaim.

This collaboration with Liverpool Playhouse will be the first time a Hope Mill production plays outside of its home of Greater Manchester; Young Frankenstein will run first at its home venue in Ancoats, Manchester from the 10th of October until the 30th of November, followed by a run in Liverpool from the 3rd of December to the 3rd of January, with tickets on sale for all performances. Manchester tickets can be found on the Hope Mill website, whereas you can purchase tickets for Liverpool on the Playhouse website.

THE LIGHTNING THIEF

Full cast announced for UK tour production

The full cast for The Lightning Thief

Brace yourself demigods, your cast for the upcoming UK tour of “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” have made themselves known! Vasco Emauz (Back to the Future) is set to star as Percy, joined by Kayna Montecillo (Starlight Express) as Annabeth, and Cahir O’Neill ([title of show]) as Grover. All three can be seen in the recently released trailer, to be found on the official Lightning Thief Instagram page.

Joining the trio are Simone Robinson (Coming to England) as Sally Jackson, Niall Sheehy (Miss Saigon) as Mr Bruner, Aidan Cutler (Back to the Future) as Mr D, Ellie-Grace Cousins (Mamma Mia!) as Clarisse, Paolo Micallef (cast during open auditions) as Luke, with an ensemble comprising Alex Anderton (pro debut), Abe Armitage (The Wizard of Oz), Joseph Connor (Sister Act), Ellouise Delooze (pro debut), Becca Francis (Iolanthe) and Amy McEvoy (pro debut).

The production will be directed and choreographed by Lizzi Gee (Groundhog Day), with musical direction by Will Joy (The Osmonds Musical). The Lightning Thief tour will kick off in Windsor this August, before travelling to Newcastle, Milton Keynes, Liverpool, Brighton, Stoke, Coventry, Bradford, Wimbledon and Portsmouth, with tickets now on sale for all performances. More info about the show and how to book tickets can be found on the show's official website.