NEWS ROUNDUP: 14 - 20 July
- James Tradgett
- Jul 21
- 5 min read
Our stagey summer is around the halfway point, and we have had plenty of exciting news to keep our appetites thoroughly whetted, here are the highlights of a particularly jam packed week of theatre news!
THE ADDAMS FAMILY
New production photos released
The producers of the recently opened tour of Andrew Lippa’s “The Addams Family” have recently released new photos from the production, the show stars Lauren Jones as Wednesday, Jacob Fowler as Lucas, Ricardo Afonso as Gomez, Alexandra Burke as Morticia, Lesley Joseph as Grandma, Clive Rowe as Uncle Fester, Nicholas McLean as Pugsley, Kara Lane as Alice, Dale Rapley as Mal, and Dickon Gough as Lurch (with Lee VG taking over the role of Lurch from Blackpool).
The touring production opened at Birmingham Hippodrome, and will play in Leicester for four weeks finishing on the 10th of August, before playing in Salford, Canterbury and Blackpool. You can find out more, including full cast & creatives, tour dates and how to book tickets, from the Addams Family website.
EVERY BRILLIANT THING
Extension announced, Minnie Driver to star
It has been revealed that Minnie Driver (White Rabbit, Red Rabbit) is set to return to the west end stage this autumn, appearing in the Duncan MacMillan and Jonny Donahoe play “Every Brilliant Thing” at @sohoplace. The play has been extended by four weeks, with Driver appearing in all performances from the 13th of October until the 8th of November.
The show opens on the 1st of August, with the first four weeks of performances being shared between writer Donahoe and acting legend Lenny Henry, followed by four weeks in September split between comedian Sue Perkins and rising star Ambika Mod; tickets for all performances are available now, and you can find out more and book tickets from the sohoplace website.
HOT MESS
New musical gets a London transfer
It has been announced that new Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote musical “Hot Mess” will make its London debut this autumn, following runs in Birmingham and Edinburgh in the summer. The show will star Danielle Steers (Six) and Tobias Turley (White Rose), and is set to run at the Pleasance Courtyard during the Edinburgh festival fringe from the 30th of July until the 25th of August.
Its run in Scotland will be preceded by two performances at the musical's producing house Birmingham Hippodrome on the 24th and 25th of July; it will then later run at Southwark Playhouse Elephant from the 16th of October until the 8th of November, in a strictly limited three week run. Both performances in Birmingham are sold out, but tickets for all performances across Edinburgh and London are still on sale!
(book for Edinburgh)
(book for London)
ONE DAY
Lead cast annouched for world premiere
Lead casting for the new musical “One Day”, based on the David Nicholas 2009 novel, has been revealed, with Dexter to be played by Jamie Muscato (The Great Gatsby), whilst Emma will be portrayed by Sharon Rose (Hamilton). The show was written by David Greig, with music and lyrics by Abner and Amanda Ramirez, and additional material by Freya Catrin Smith; it will be directed by Max Webster, and co-produced by The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh and Melting Pot.
The show’s story, set on St. Swithin’s Day and told over the course of several years, is about a couple who grow from students into adults. The book was original made into a 2011 film, and later a 2024 Netflix series. The musical will have its world premiere at Edinburgh Royal Lyceum Theatre, running from the 27th of February until the 5th of April 2026, with press night on the 11th of March. Further casting will be revealed at a later date, and tickets for all dates from the 12th of March onwards are available to purchase from the Edinburgh Lyceum website.
MATILDA
Jon Robyns to join west end cast
Switching the roaring twenties for a British primary school, Jon Robyns is set to join the west end cast of Tim Minchin's musical "Matilda" this autumn, where he will star as tyrannical, terrifying headmistress Agatha Trunchbull. Set to celebrate 15 years since it first premiered in December, Matilda is a staple of the west end theatre scene, having played at the Cambridge Theatre since October 2011, winning seven Olivier awards from ten nominations, including for best new musical, with the four original Matilda actors sharing the award for best actress in a musical.
Robyns will be joined by two new young performers sharing the role of Matilda, with Edie McCaig and Emilia Shefford joining current stars Suki Hillier and Mia Rogers. Also joining the cast will be Sid Boyle, Ava Evangelista, Freya Fulford, John Johnson, Theo Kamande, Kanaho Kurihara, Albie Lambert, Kennedy-May Mcleary, Savannah McDowell, Mason Mingle, Lola Smith, Huxley Syers, Orla Vellacott, and Jihyun Yoon, who share the respective roles of Alice, Amanda, Bruce, Eric, Hortensia, Lavender, Nigel, and Tommy. Matilda runs at the Cambridge Theatre, and you can purchase tickets from the LW Theatres website.
THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY
New musical by Passenger to transfer to the west end
It has been revealed that, following a successful world premiere run at the Chichester Festival Theatre, new musical “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry”, with a book written by Rachel Joyce and a score by indie musician Passenger, is set to transfer to the west end in 2026. It ran in Chichester from the 5th of May until the 14th of June this year, with a cast featuring Mark Addy (Hangmen), Jenna Russell (Hello, Dolly!) and Jack Wolfe (Next To Normal).
A single from the soundtrack entitled “Song For The Countryside”, featuring Passenger and Wolfe on vocals, has also been released to stream and download following the announcement of the transfer. Further details about the show, including venue, exact dates and casting, are to be revealed at a later date.
HADESTOWN
Jack Wolfe to make his broadway debut at the Walter Kerr
In a double whammy of Jack Wolfe related news, it has been revealed that the star of Next To Normal and Shadow & Bone is set to make his broadway debut this autumn in the Anaïs Mitchell folk musical “Hadestown”, where he will play the role of Orpheus. Joining him in the cast will be Morgan Dudley (Jagged Little Pill) as Eurydice, Kurt Elling (Grammy-winning jazz singer) as Hermes, Rebecca Naomi Jones (Stereophonic) as Persephone, and Paulo Szot (Here We Are) as Hades.
This is the first time ever that the broadway production has had a full principal cast change, as often performers in the show have departed in drips and drabs, as the original broadway cast all left separately over the course of around two years. The five new performers will begin performances at the Walter Kerr Theatre on the 2nd of September (Wolfe will not perform the 9th - 21st of September), with Ali Louis Bourzgui as Orpheus, Phillip Boykin as Hades, Danier Breaker as Hermes, Lana Gordon as Persephone and Myra Molloy as Eurydice all to play their final performance on the 31st of August. Ticket for all performances at all productions can be purchased through the Hadestown website.
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