NEWS ROUNDUP: 1 - 7 December
- James Tradgett
- 1 day ago
- 5 min read
December has arrived, decorations are appearing all around the country, and we have an abundance of holiday themed hot drinks wherever you go. How else are we going to welcome. in advent than by rounding up the most noteworthy of stagey stories from the past week!
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AMERICAN PSYCHO
Full cast revealed for Almeida return
The full cast of the Almeida Theatre revival of “American Psycho” has been revealed, the already sold out run will play from the 22nd of January until the 14th of March 2026. The cast comprises Emily Barber as Evelyn Williams, Daniel Bravo as Paul Owen, Jack Butterworth as Craig McDermott, Hannah Yun Chamberlain as Christine/ensemble, Arty Froushan as Patrick Bateman, Oli Higginson as Timothy Price, Kim Ismay as Mrs Bateman, Alex James-Hatton as Sean Bateman, Liz Kamille as ensemble, Anastasia Martin as Jean, Millie Mayhew as Sabrina/ensemble, Posi Morakinyo as David Van Patten, Joseph Mydell as Detective Kimball, Asha Parker-Wallace as Victoria/ensemble, Tanisha Spring as Courtney Lawrence, Samuel J Weir as swing, and Zheng Xi Yong as Luis Carruthers.
As part of a season that also includes productions of “A Doll’s House”, “Under The Shadow”, and “Cleansed”, “American Psycho” returns to the theatre where it first had its world premiere in 2013, in a production led by Matt Smith, Jonathan Bailey and Lucie Jones, later running on broadway, and is now back to where it all began 13 years later. You can find out more about the production, as well as other productions running at the venue, via the Almeida Theatre website.
"LOVE LIFE" CONCERT
Full cast announced for charity performance
The lineup of west end stars for the upcoming charity concert, to be staged at Theatre Royal Drury Lane during February, has been revealed, and will include Ramin Karimloo (Nine), Jordan Luke Gage (Saving Mozart), Lucie Jones (13 Going On 30), Ben Joyce (Hunchback of Notre Dame), Melanie La Barrie (Hadestown), Christina Bennington (Heathers), Giles Terera (Hamilton), Tom Francis (Sunset Boulevard) and David Thaxton (Roam). Diego Andres Rodriguez, Bella Brown and James Olivas all also appear following their respective appearances in Evita during the summer.
The concert will be performed on the 1st of February 2026 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and will serve to raise money for the men’s health charity “One For The Boys”. It will take place in the lead up to World Cancer Day, aiming to bring industry professionals and audiences alike together, in order to both raise funds and open up conversations about cancer and awareness for early detection. Tickets for the event are now on sale from the LW Theatres website.
UNFORTUNATE
Musical about Ursula the sea witch to return to London
Following three previous iterations of this Disney parody musical, "Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch", returning at the Lowry in Salford from the 9th of December, is set to have a fourth London run early next year. Originally premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019, this parody of Disney's "The Little Mermaid", focussing on the film's villain Ursula, has steadily built a cult following, returning to Edinburgh in 2022, after its original plans of a 2020 run were scuppered by Covid. Following this, a new production of the musical toured and had a run at London's Southwark Playhouse Elephant.
The musical features book and lyrics by Robyn Grant and Daniel Foxx, music by Tim Gilvin, and direction also by Grant. This new staging will feature brand new sets, costumes, material and characters, with. anupdated runtime of two hours including an interval. Following its run at the Lowry, it will then transfer to The Other Palace in London, where it will run from the 6th of February until the 5th of April. You can find out more, including how to book for both runs, via the Unfortunate production website.
BILLY ELLIOT
Beloved musical announces return, casting for young company
The original production of the Lee Hall and Elton John musical “Billy Elliot” is set to return, with a casting call having been put out for young performers to audition for the lead child roles. The search for Billy will be led by casting director Jessica Ronane, looking for boys aged nine to fourteen under five foot tall with an unchanged voice to audition for the roles of Billy and Michael, and girls aged nine to twelve under four foot eight from the North East of England are invited to audition for the role of Debbie. Tap and ballet experience is helpful but not essential for all roles.
"Billy Elliot" premiered in the west end twenty years ago, running at the Victoria Palace Theatre for eleven years, and simultaneously at the Imperial Theatre on broadway from 2008, the latter production winning a total of ten Tony Awards from fifteen nominations, one of the most successful productions in Tony Awards history. Further information will be revealed at a later date, and you can tap here to submit an application.
SOMETHING ROTTEN!
Further casting announced for full UK premiere
The bard has arrived on the scene, as joining Jason Manford as Nick Bottom in the full UK premiere of John O’Farrell, Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick musical “Something Rotten!” will be Richard Fleeshman (Here We Are) as William Shakespeare. Fleeshman featured alongside Manford in the staged concert of the musical at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane in August 2024, and both return for its full staged UK premiere at the Manchester Opera House in the summer, to perform from the 16th of June until the 19th of July.
Set in 1595, the musical telling the story of aspiring playwrights Nick and Nigel Bottom, and their rivalry with world renowned Shakespeare, by whom they regularly feel artistically eclipsed. It originally ran on broadway from 2015-17, where it was nominated for ten Tony Awards, winning for best featured actor (Christian Borle). Further casting for the Manchester production will be revealed at a later date, and tickets can be purchased via the ATG website.
HIGH SOCIETY
Cole Porter classic to be revived in London and on tour
Following recent revivals of "Anything Goes" and "Kiss Me, Kate!" since theatres reopened after the pandemic, the Barbican Theatre is set to make it a hat trick of Cole Porter shows by staging the lesser known, but equally revered musical "High Society" from next spring, with lead casting already having been confirmed. The production will run from the 19th of May until the 11th of July at the Barbican, with a press night on the 27th of May; this will be followed by a UK tour. Leading the cast will be Helen George and Felicity Kendal, the latter returning to the Barbican after appearing as Evangeline Hardcourt in the 2021 revival of Anything Goes.
Following its run in London, the show will then go on to perform in High Wycombe, Cardiff, Southend-on-Sea, Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Norwich, Salford, Bromley, Dublin, Canterbury, Nottingham, Eastbourne and Dartford. The musical is based on the Philip Barry’s play "The Philadelphia Story", as well as the 1956film it subsequently inspired, the latter featuring Porter's songs. Booking opens for members from the 8th of December, with general booking opening the following day, and you can find out more via the Barbican website.
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