Barbara Jefford News

Death is not the end - at least, if there is a journalist on hand to tell the world of your deeds. Michael Coveney is best known for his work as a theatre critic at the Daily Mail, Financial Times, The Guardian and Observer alongside which he wrote a series of obituaries covering many of the most famous actors of the last century.

Russell Grant, star of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing and one the country's best loved celebrities, is to star as the mysterious and sinister Mrs Meers in the UK fringe premiere of the six-time Tony Award-winning tap dancing musical, Thoroughly Modern Millie.

As we exclusively reported on Friday, Russell Grant is to take over as The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium after Michael Crawford's departure next month.

The Wizard of Oz's latest newsletter tells us that Michael Crawford's replacement will be announced shortly but until that time the casting is 'strictly confidential' - so does that mean the Strictly Come Dancing star is in the frame to take over?

Russell will appear alongside Gareth Gates, Kerry Ellis, Oliver Thornton and Brenda Edwards in the Biblical-inspired musical Children of Eden, by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz and John?Caird, which is being revived in the West End for one night only in a spectacular star-studded charity gala at the Prince of Wales?Theatre on Sunday 29 January.

The Museum of Modern Art recognizes the achievements of Roman Polanski with a complete retrospective of the filmmaker's works, September 7-30, 2011, in The Roy and Niuta Titus Theaters. Over the course of a half century, Polanski has become widely recognized as one of the premier international filmmakers, directing films in Poland, England, the U.S., Italy, and France and working with distinguished actors such as Jack Nicholson, Adrien Brody, Catherine Deneuve, Mia Farrow, Ben Kingsley, and Nastassja Kinski.

The winners in the ninth annual Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers' Choice Awards, the only major UK theatre prize-giving decided by the public, were announced today (Sunday 15 February) at a glittering, star-studded evening at the Prince of Wales Theatre.