NEWS ROUNDUP: 19 - 25 May
- James Tradgett
- May 25
- 5 min read
As another jam packed week draws to a close, it's time once again to look back and recap the hottest theatre news of the past seven days.
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
West end transfer announced
Following a hugely critically acclaimed production in Chichester last autumn, it has been revealed that the David Eldridge adaptation of John La Carré’s novel “The Spy Who Came In From The Cold” is set to transfer to the west end this autumn. It originally ran from the 23rd of August until the 21st of September 2024 at the Chichester Festival Theatre, to huge critical acclaim.
The play will open @sohoplace on the 17th of November, and run until the 21st of February, with tickets now on sale. Jeremy Herrin returns to direct, and full cast has also been revealed. More information about the show and its cast and creatives, as well as how to book tickets, can be found on the Sohoplace website.
OPERATION MINCEMEAT
New live recording of"Dear Bill" released
A live recording of “Dear Bill”, recorded at the Fortune Theatre, was released earlier this week by the producers of the west end and broadway comedy musical “Operation Mincemeat”, written by SpitLip (David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, Zoe Roberts) and performed by Olivier winner and Tony nominee Jak Malone in the role of Hester Leggatt.
The song is one of the more emotionally significant and poignant moments of what is largely a comedic musical, and gives us a deeper insight into Hester’s history, and implied loss during war gone by. The track can be streamed now on all platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music, and "Operation Mincemeat" currently runs at both the Fortune Theatre in London (tickets) and the Golden Theatre in New York (tickets), with a world tour commencing in February 2026.
LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Major revival announced for Hope Mill Theatre
It has been revealed by Hope Mill Theatre that a major new revival of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s cult classic musical “Little Shop of Horrors” is set to open this autumn, in partnership with Thomas Hopkins Productions. This musical about Seymour and his man-eating plant returns to Manchester for the first time since the 2016 UK touring production.
With hugely popular songs such as “Suddenly Seymour” and “Somewhere That’s Green”, this new production of the musical, based on the 1960 black comedy film starring Jack Nicholson, will run at Hope Mill Theatre from the 29th of September until the 26th of November 2025, with further details, such as exact times and dates and casting to be revealed at a later date.
DREAM BALLETS
Full cast announced for Regent's Park production
The complete casting for the Rodgers and Hammerstein dance work "Dream Ballets: A Triple Bill" has been revealed, during which Julia Cheng, Shelley Maxwell and Kate Prince have re-imagined the dream ballet sequences from "Allegro", "Oklahoma!" and "Carousel", as part of Drew McOnie's first season as artistic director of Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.
Dancers Asmara Cammock, Jonadette Carpio, Paris Crossley, Jevan Howard-Jones, Hannah Joseph and Stuart Thomas will feature in Chang's take on Allegro. For Oklahoma!, choreographed by Maxwell, the lineup will feature Tanisha Addicott, Chris Akrill, José Alves Tania Dimbelo, Nahum McLean and Vanessa Vince-Pang. Finally the dancers Deavion Brown, Tommy Franzen, Nethra Menon, Hannah Sandilands, Elijah Smith and Malachi Welch will feature in Prince's interpretation of Carousel. The show will run at Regent's Park from the 19th to the 22th of June, with tickets and more information available from the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre website.
EVITA
Images released from the rehearsal room
The Jamie Lloyd Company this week released exclusive images from the rehearsal room for the upcoming revival of "Evita" at the London Palladium, starring Rachel Zegler. The images by photographer Marc Brenner capture exclusive insight into the rehearsal process for the production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, opening at the London Palladium on the 14th of June, and running until the 6th of September.
The cast also comprises Diego Andres Rodriguez as Che, and James Olivas as Juan Perón, Aaron Lee Lambert as Agustín Magaldi and Bella Brown as The Mistress / Alternate Eva. More information, as well as how to book tickets, can be found on the LW Theatres website.
THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
New UK touring stage production announced
Based on both the Patricia Highsmith novel and subsequent film adaptation rom 2000, it has been announced that "The Talented Mr Ripley" is set to get a new stage adaptation, that will tour the UK starting in autumn 2025, with initial dates and venues announced. It will open at the Everyman theatre in Cheltenham on the 4th of September, before playing Edinburgh, Birmingham, Woking, Oxford, Brighton, Bristol and Richmond.
The tour coincides with the 70th anniversary of Highsmith's original novel, adapted and directed by Mark Leipacher, and a west end run is planned following the tour, with further details, including casting, to be revealed at a later date. More information, including how to book, can be found on the official production website.
NEXT TO NORMAL
London cast recording to be released
It has been revealed that the Donmar Warehouse and Wyndham’s Theatre production of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey’s musical “Next To Normal” will release its full cast album next week, following the premiere of its filmed proshot on PBS. Next to Normal first premiered in 2008 off-broadway, before running on broadway in 2009, winning Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize.
The show made its London premiere in 2023 at Donmar Warehouse, selling out its entire run, before playing at Wyndham’s in summer and autumn of 2024. The cast comprised Caissie Levy as Diana, Jamie Parker as Dan, Jack Wolfe as Gabe, Eleanor Worthington-Cox as Natalie, Jack Ofrecio as Henry, and Trevor Dion Nicholas as Dr Madden/Dr Fine; the London cast album will release on the 30th of May across all streaming services.
RIDE THE CYCLONE
Cult musical to make UK premiere in autumn 2025
Hold on tight folks, “Ride the Cyclone” is finally making its way across the Atlantic, seventeen years after its world premiere in British Columbia. The 90-minute, one act musical was written by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell, and follows six teenagers who are killed in a rollercoaster accident and stuck in limbo, offered a chance to return to life by an enigmatic figure.
Ride The Cyclone opens at Southwark Playhouse Elephant on the 14th of November 2025, with official opening on the 19th of November, and will run through the festive period to the 10th of January 2026. The production will be directed by Lizzi Gee, with further details, including full casting, to be revealed at a later date. Tickets are now on sale from the Southwark Playhouse website, with preview performances being fixed at £18 per entry.
Comments