NEWS ROUNDUP: 21 - 27 April

After a relatively quiet week, there was plenty to shout about this past week, with casting, new productions and international transfers being announced, here is a roundup of the past 7 days worth of stagey news.

MY SON'S A QUEER

Show to premiere at New York City Center

Rob Madge in My Son's A Queer (But What Can You Do?)

After a long wait, Rob Madge is finally taking their show “My Son’s A Queer (But What Can You Do)” to New York, where it will stage a strictly limited three-performance engagement at New York City Center. Initially slated for a broadway run at the Lyceum Theatre, this autobiographical musical work will finally receive its north American premiere this summer, with performances on the 13th-15th of June, and tickets are currently on sale from the NYCC website.

SIX THE MUSICAL

Show to be performed in Japanese with original cast

The original Japanese cast of SIX: The Musical

It has been announced that the west end will welcome the original Japanese cast of Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s musical “Six” this autumn, performing the show in Japanese (with surtitles) in a strictly limited run at its London home the Vaudeville Theatre. This is the first time Six is to be performed in a foreign language in the west end, however London is no stranger to non-English productions, musicals such as “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” and “The Sound of Music” have performed in other languages throughout the years, and of course there is a plethora of opera productions that are performed in Italian, German, French and Russian among others.

Making up the cast will be Sonim as Aragon, Meimi Tamura and Maho Minamoto alternating the role of Boleyn, Harumi as Seymour, Eliana and Marie Sugaya alternating the role of Cleves, Airi Suzuki and Erika Toyohara alternating the role of Howard, and Sora Kazuki and Ruki Saito alternating the role of Parr. The run of special performances will play during the week of the 4th to the 9th of November, and tickets will go on sale at 10am on the 30th of April from the Nimax website.

REINCARNATION BLUES

New musical to be workshopped in London

Official artwork for Reincarnation Blues

It was announced earlier today that a new musical based on Michael Poore novel “Reincarnation Blues” is to stage a closed workshop this week at the Other Palace Studio. The cast for the reading featured Noah Ricketts (The Great Gatsby, NYC) and Carly Bawden (Sylvia) as the two leads, joined by Wendy Mae Brown (Waitress), Keisha Amponsa Banson (School of Rock), Josie Benson (Mamma Mia!), Olly Dobson (Back to the Future), Billy Cullum (Little Shop of Horrors), Ahmed Hamad (The Boy in the Dress) and Luke Latchman (Sunset Boulevard).

With music & lyrics by Coyle Girelli and Ben Thornewill, and a book by Laura Zlatos, the workshop is part of a development process with the aim of a fully staged production in both New York and London; the show also performed a concert on the 31st of March in NYC. The workshop took place on the 24th of April at 2:30pm, with further plans for the musical to be announced at a later date.

GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR

Full cast announced for London premiere

The official poster for Good Night, Oscar

The full cast for the west end premiere of Doug Wright’s play “Good Night, Oscar” has been revealed, with previously announced Sean Hayes reuniting with broadway co-star Ben Rappaport, who played Jack Parr in the original cast on broadway. They are joined by Daniel Adeosun as Alvin Finney, David Burnett as George Gershwin, Richard Katz as Bob Sarnoff, and Eric Sirakian as Max Weinbaum.

Additionally, also returning from the show’s broadway run will be Max Roll, reprising his role as Understudy for Oscar Levant and Bob Sarnoff. Completing the cast are understudies Tashinga Bepete, Ben Butler, Charlotte Hunter, and Ryan Speakman. “Good Night, Oscar” will play at the Barbican Theatre from the 31st of July until the 21st of September, in a strictly limited summer run, with tickets for all dates now on sale from the Barbican website.

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM

Full cast for the Bridge theatre production revealed

The cast of A Midsummer Night's Dream

Nicholas Hytner's staging of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Bridge Theatre have revealed their full cast, previously announced JJ Feild, Susannah Fielding, Emmanuel Akwafo and David Moorst will be joined by returning cast members Paul Adeyefa as Demetrius, and Lennin Nelson-McClure as Mustardseed. Additionally, comprising the remainder of the cast are Hilson Agbangbe (Wonderboy) as Starveling, Bella Aubin (MacBeth) as Peasebottom, Jemima Brown (Why Am I So Single?) as Fairy, Nina Cassells (The Crucible) as Hermia, Kat Collings (The Lion King) as Moth, Ali Goldsmith (Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812) as Cobweb, Molly Hewitt-Richards (The Secret Garden) as Snug, Felicity Montagu (Pride & Prejudice) as Quince, Jem Rose (pro debut) as Snout, Dominic Semwanga (pro debut) as Flute, Lily Simpkiss (pro debut) as Helena, Divesh Subaskaran (Life of Pi) as Lysander, and David Webber (Small Island) as Egeus.

Completing the cast are Hollie Hales and Adam Cunis as understudies, the latter of whom also featured in the original run in 2019. A Midsummer Night's Dream will run at the Bridge Theatre from the 31st of May until the 20th of August, with press night on the 5th of June. Tickets can be purchased from the Bridge Theatre website.

PADDINGTON: THE MUSICAL

World premiere announced for the Savoy Theatre

The official poster for Paddington The Musical

Please look after this bear, as he’s coming to the west end! It has been revealed that “Paddington: The Musical” will open at the Savoy Theatre this November. Adapted from the much beloved children's books by Michael Bond, the Paddington musical has been teased since 2023, with McFly frontman and children's author Tom Fletcher writing the music and lyrics for the show, and a book written by Jessica Swale.

The show will open at the Savoy Theatre on the 1st of November, with tickets going on members presale on the 13th of May, and general sale opening on the 15th. Further details, including full cast and creative team, will be revealed at a later date, and more information can be found on the ATG website.

THE MAD ONES

Post-show performances announced

Poster for the Mad Ones post-show concerts

Sad the show’s over? The Mad Ones have got you covered! The Other Palace have announced they will stage a series of exclusive post-show performances every Tuesday following performances of “The Mad Ones”, with the full lineup for these having been announced. Lauren Jones (Scissorhandz) will perform on the 13th of May, followed by a double bill of Lois Mia Chapman (Roles We’ll Never Play) and Jordan Donnelly (Choir of Man) on the 20th, and finally Stevie Doc (Mamma Mia!) on the 27th.

“The Mad Ones” has music by Brian Lowdermilk, and a book and lyrics by Kait Kerrigan; the show is currently in rehearsals, performing at the Other Palace Studio from the 7th of May until the 1st of June in a strictly limited run, with tickets available through the Other Palace website.

35MM: A MUSICAL EXHIBITION

Revival to be performed at the Phoenix Arts Club

Official artwork for 35mm: A Musical Exhibition

The Phoenix Arts Club have announced they will stage a revival of Ryan Oliver Scott’s musical “35mm: A Musical Exhibition” this summer. The piece is inspired by a series of photographs taken by broadway photographer Matthew Murray, with a score that features pop and rock music, as well as contemporary musical theatre. The show first performed in London at the Other Palace in 2017, after having premiered in New York at the off-off-broadway venue Galapagos Art Space.

"35mm" will perform at the Phoenix Arts Club on the 7th and 8th of July, with performances at 7pm and 9:15pm on both evenings. Further details, including full cast, will be revealed at a later date, and tickets are on sale now from the Phoenix Arts Club website.