NEWS ROUNDUP: 8 - 14 December
- James Tradgett
- 11 hours ago
- 6 min read
Though we are into the period where the volume of festive shows and pantomimes is at its peak, don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about the rest of the year, so here’s a helping of stagey news tidbits from the last week!
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OPERATION MINCEMEAT
Cast announced for first world tour dates
The full cast for the upcoming world tour of SpitLip’s Olivier and Tony winning musical “Operation Mincemeat” has been revealed, with some familiar faces returning after their time at the Fortune Theatre. Reprising their roles from the west end will be Christian Andrews (Hester), Seán Carey (Charles), Charlotte Hanna-Williams (Jean) and Holly Sumpton (Ewen), who are joined by Jamie-Rose Monk (Romeo & Juliet) as Johnny Bevan. Completing the cast will be understudies Katy Ellis (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Georgina Hagen (Only Fools & Horses), Jordan Pearson (Back to the Future), and Morgan Phillips (The History Boys).
The musical continues to run both in the west end and on Broadway, the latter featuring the original cast of David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Jak Malone and Zoë Roberts. The world tour will start its mission on the 16th of February, with its first stop being the Lowry in Salford, where the musical had its earliest development. Tickets for all UK dates are now on sale, and you can find out more via the Operation Mincemeat website, you have your orders agents!
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND
West end concert to play, with cast announced
Come see why they tell the story, as the award winning Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty musical “Once On This Island” is set to be revived in the west end for one night only, in a special concert performance at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane early next year, with tickets now on sale for the performance. Principal casting has also been revealed, with Tony Award winner and star of "Glee" Alex Newell reprising the role of Asaka, which they performed in the 2018 broadway revival at Circle in the Square.
Newell will be joined by Casey Al-Shaqsy (Hamilton) as Andrea, Wendy Mae Brown (Waitress) as Mama Euralie, Dujonna Gift (Two Strangers…) as Ti Moune, Waylon Jacobs (Freaky Friday) as Armand, Melanie La Barrie (Roam) as Papa Ge, Ako Mitchell (Mean Girls) as Tonton, Cedric Neal (Hadestown) as Agwe, and Jamael Westman (Hamilton) as Daniel. Ensemble will include Elliot Broadfoot, Jerome Lincoln, Lindo Shinda and Tamara Tare, with further casting to be revealed at a later date. You can find out more, including how to book, via the LW theatres website.
CABARET
New lead performers announced for west end musical
Don't tell mama, but there are two new faces set to join the cast at the Kit Kat Club in the new year, following the departure of Reeve Carney and Eva Noblezada. Taking on the role of Sally Bowles will be west end favourite Katie Hall (Les Miserables), whilst performing opposite her as the Emcee will be Busted star Matt Willis (Waitress), both. of whom commence their run in the west end from the 26th of January. The show, which has music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and a book by Joe Masteroff, is currently in its fifth year at the Playhouse Theatre, having first opened in 2021 starring Eddie Redmayne and Jessie Buckley.
The Rebecca Frecknall directed revival became the joint most successful musical production in the history of the Olivier Awards, taking home seven awards, at the time a standalone record for a musical revival. Continuing to play to packed houses, Hall and Willis are the 13th pair to lead this fully immersive show, and you can buy tickets for all of their performances via the ATG website. (note: Willis will not appear on the 18th of March, or the 26th-28th of March, during these performances the role of the Emcee will be played by Joe Atkinson)
HADESTOWN
Joy Wielkens to take over as Persephone from January
In the first ever Netherlands to west end transfer, original Dutch cast member Joy Wielkens is set to reprise her role of Persephone in "Hadestown" at the Lyric Theatre, taking over from the departing Nicola Roberts, who plays her final performance on the 18th of January. the show ran at the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam, Netherlands, from the 20th of June until the 6th of September 2025, with a cast that also comprised Claudia de Breij and Maarten Heijmans sharing the role of Hermes, as well as Jeangu Macrooy as Orpheus, Sara Afiba as Eurydice, and Edwin Jonker as Hades.
Wielkens will begin performances at the Lyric Theatre on the 20th of January 2026, joining the continuing Desmonda Cathabel (Eurydice), Chris Jarman (Hades), Cedric Neal (Hermes) and Dylan Wood (Orpheus). Further information, including the entire cast and how to book tickets, can be found via the Hadestown website, with tickets currently available for all performances up until the 27th of September 2026.
KENREX
New music video released ahead of opening night
Ahead of its press night on the 10th of December at the Other Palace, a new music video of the song “Dead End Road” was released by the producers of the Jack Holden and Ed Stambollouian play "Kenrex", as performed by the show's co-writer and performer Holden, and musician John Patrick Elliott. The song is one of fifteen tracks that feature in the play, all of which are also now available to stream and download on all music streaming services, as well as on CD, which can be ordered here. You can find the music video by tapping or clicking on the photo above.
Directed by Stambollouian, "Kenrex" is a one person show that tells the true story of Kenrex McElroy, who spent the final years of his life terrorising the people of the small town of Skidmore, Missouri, continuously getting away with a flurry of crimes due to his slippery lawyer, whom always manages to get him out of the charges...until the townspeople are finally pushed too far. Don’t miss this critically acclaimed true crime thriller that sold out its runs in both Sheffield and at Southwark Playhouse, for which tickets can be purchased via the Other Palace website.
THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY
Full cast announced for west end transfer
The full cast for the upcoming west end transfer of “The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry” has been revealed, joining the already announced Mark Addy, Jenna Russell and Noah Williams in this ensemble cast will be Craig Armstrong, Jenna Boyd, Daniel Crossley, Nell Martin, Nicole Nyarambi, Peter Polycarpou, Gleanne Purcell-Brown, Ashley Samuels, Maggie Service, Madeleine Worrall and Timo Tatzber. The cast is completed by swings Gemma Atkins, Olivia Foster-Browne, Ediz Mahmut, and Edwin Ray.
With music and lyrics by Passenger, and book by the original story writer Rachel Joyce, the show first premiered at the Chichester Festival Theatre in May this year, and will transfer to the Theatre Royal Haymarket in the new year, where it will run from the 29th of January until the 18th of April. Tickets are now available for all performances via the venue’s website.
HOT MESS
Jack Godfrey and Ellie Coote musical releases cast album
Following its enormously successful runs in Birmingham, Edinburgh, and at Southwark Playhouse Elephant, Jack Godfrey and Ellie Cootes’ musical “Hot Mess” has today released the full cast album. It features 13 tracks from the show, as performed by Danielle Steers and Tobias Turley as the personifications of earth and humanity respectively. The release comes after several of the tracks from the musical were mde available to stream and download earlier in the year.
The musical was one of the biggest hits of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it performed a four week run at Pleasance Courtyard to sellout crowds, yielding countless five star reviews (including from this page). This new cast album includes contributions from the show’s co-orchestrators Godfrey and Joe Beighton, and is available now to stream and download, though a physical release has yet to be confirmed.
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