UK Roundup – Lloyd Webber's Maria, Wicked, Ashlee Simpson

Criticism and controversy over the reality TV programme How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? – which will be made into a US version casting Danny and Sandy for Grease on Broadway next year – just grows and grows by the day. Trevor Nunn has now been added into the loop for those expressing distaste for the programme, which since its first transmission appears to show far less of the insightful process it seemed to initially promise and turned into a generic, reality TV show. Nunn told The Times that he was on board to direct the show but pulled out when hearing of the TV plans. Very influential columnist Baz Bamigboye (the UK's kinder version of Michael Riedel) also threw criticism on the show last Friday, leading Lloyd Webber to write a blog on his website - called Andrew Lloyd Blogger.

With message boards and national newspapers almost unanimously critical of the process, there are some important questions still regularly surfacing: why is Jeremy Sams - the director of the stage show – nowhere to be seen? Why do the contestants sing pop songs instead of musical theatre ones? Why is there no acting shown when the majority of the show is dialogue? What's the point in paying money to vote when Lloyd Webber has the final decision? Why is the loser of each week's show forced to sing 'so long farewell' to her fellow competitors? I don't have the answers, and no-one else seems to either. It's great, addictive reality TV (it's the first time I've set the video in years) but it is revealing a dark, untrue side to casting far too publicly.

Moving away from the TV show, and Lloyd Webber still dominates the news! He's announced that he is in Early Stages of adapting The Master and Margarita for stage. Though he has no collaborators yet, he informed the world on his blog that he was going to 'attempt the impossible' and turn the 'extraordinary novel.. into a stage musical, or more probably, an opera'. It is the latest in a long line of recent high profile projects for the composer; earlier this year he oversaw a new production of Evita in the West End, the Vegas production of Phantom and now The Sound of Music. How he finds time to still sit down at his piano is anyone's guess!

We're just a week away from the first preview of Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. Starring Idina Menzel as Elphaba, Helen Dallimore as Glinda and Nigel Planer as the Wizard, it follows months of anticipation; there has rarely been such a sense of event surrounding the run-up to the start, this is one show that seems to put its fans first too. I've been particularly hooked to actor Martin Ball's diary; some very amusing anecdotes and good video footage from backstage. Also in previews at the moment is Daddy Cool at the Shaftesbury Theatre. The Boney M musical had been put back from May but is now set to open on September 21st.

There's been a few good bits of leading lady casting lately. Tonya Pinkins will reprise her Tony-nominated role of Caroline in Caroline, or Change at The National Theatre from October. The actress, who originated the role on Broadway, completes full casting for the show, which will be directed by George C Wolfe. Joanna Lumley, of Absolutely Fabulous fame, is to appear in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard in Sheffield next year. As Madame Ranevskaya, the production marks Lumley's first return to the stage in over a decade. And finally, Eve Best will also appear in Samuel West's production of As You Like It in Sheffield, ahead of an RSC transfer. Best received numerous major awards for her performance in Hedda Gabler last year, including an Olivier.

Perhaps not on quite the same level of high-calibre casting – but still providing theatregoers with lots to talk about this week - is AshLee Simpson making her West End debut in Chicago. At 21 years old, Simpson could possibly be the youngest actress to play Roxie Hart yet. The younger sister of pop star Jessica Simpson, Ashlee herself has had a moderately successful career in music too. Her stint in Chicago – possibly pre-Broadway – comes hot on the heels of R&B star Usher's appearance on Broadway. Wendy Richard, from TV show EastEnders is also rumoured to be preparing herself to play Mama Morton over Christmas. Richard recently left the long-running programme as the longest-serving cast member.