Marianka Swain - Page 34

The Touring Consortium Theatre Company and Royal & Derngate Northampton are pleased to announce full casting for Charles Dickens' literary masterpiece A TALE OF TWO CITIES, opening at Royal & Derngate on Saturday 10 September 2016, with a national press night on Wednesday 14 September, and touring the UK until November.

HighTide Festival, internationally renowned for discovering some of the UK's best new playwrights and producing new plays, has today announced the full ancillary programme for the 2016 Festival (8-18 September) - its 10th anniversary. Spanning performance, music, visual arts, literature and talks, it also includes world premiere productions from new and established HighTide writers. For the full festival programme, visit www.hightide.org.uk

Ryan Molloy, Cassie Compton, Greg Oliver and Jack Donnelly star in the world premiere of the new British rock musical '27'. 

It's deja vu all over again, as the Matilda dream team reconvenes to bring the beloved Bill Murray-starring 1993 movie to stage. Serious expectations, then, but you wouldn't know it from this fearless, fleet-footed and impressively cohesive show - destined to be a smash hit because of, not despite, its glorious idiosyncrasies.

West End megastar Kerry Ellis got her break understudying Martine McCutcheon in My Fair Lady, and has since played leading roles in numerous hit shows, including We Will Rock You, Wicked, Les Miserables, Oliver! and Cats. She's also collaborated with Brian May on several albums and tours. Her next big project is the UK premiere of American musical Murder Ballad, alongside Ramin Karimloo, Victoria Hamilton-Barritt and Norman Bowman. Ellis plays Sara, torn between her poetry student husband and bad-boy bartender lover.

Artistic Director of the Old Vic Matthew Warchus, composer and lyricist Tim Minchin, choreographer Peter Darling, and designer Rob Howell, four of the creators of the international sensation Matilda The Musical, have joined forces with writer Danny Rubin to collaborate on a new musical based on his 1993 hit film Groundhog Day. The brand-new musical had its opening last night at London's Old Vic.

The path from screen to stage hasn't always been a smooth one, and celluloid success is no guarantee of musical triumph (just ask the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark team). But London is currently awash with popular medium-jumpers, from Aladdin and The Bodyguard to new musical Groundhog Day, which opened last night at the Old Vic. Here are 10 of the best screen to stage adaptations.

Direct from a 33-week UK tour and following sell-out hit shows Midnight Tango and Dance 'Til Dawn, Strictly superstars Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace will bring their final ever theatre show to the West End this autumn. Their most moving production yet, THE LAST TANGO, will open at the Phoenix Theatre on Thursday 22 September.

Following sell-out performances in 2013, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's acclaimed production of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, adapted for the stage by Simon Reade, returns this year to close the 2016 Summer Season ahead of a major UK Tour in September. Opening at the Churchill Theatre, Bromley, the tour will then visit Norwich, Cambridge, Salford, Leicester, Woking, Truro, Birmingham and Richmond, with further dates in 2017.

Snow White - The World's Biggest Pantomime, which was scheduled for 19-22 December at the Barclaycard Arena and 28-30 December at The SSE Arena, Wembley, has been postponed

Casting has been announced for THE AMERICAN WIFE, a new thriller coming to Park Theatre from 7 September - 1 October. Looking at the real human cost behind the war on terror and myriads of misinformation, the full cast includes: Julia Eringer, Vidal Sancho, George Taylor, Emilio Doorgasingh, Mitchell Mullen, Anne Wittman, Sanee Raval, Sophie Angelson, Lucia Henry Peragine and Sascha Petrou. The Press Night is Friday 9 September, 7pm.  

Sam Hodges, Director of Nuffield Theatre, today announces the cast for his world premiere production of Nick Dear's new play DEDICATION - SHAKESPEARE AND SOUTHAMPTON, which investigates the relationship between William Shakespeare and the 3rd Earl of Southampton. Tom McKay plays Shakespeare and Tom Rhys-Harries plays Henry Wriothesley, the 3rd Earl of Southampton. The production opens on 20 September, with previews from 9 September, runs until 8 October.

The Gate Theatre today announces that Ellen McDougall has been appointed as its new Artistic Director. McDougall, who takes up the position in March 2017, is currently an Associate Artist at the Gate, served as Associate Director for two years from 2012, and directed an acclaimed production of Idomeneus at the theatre in 2014. She replaces Christopher Haydon who leaves to pursue a Clore Fellowship and a number of freelance opportunities.

In addition to her recording career, Soul queen Beverley Knight has become a musical theatre star, beginning with her acclaimed performance as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard in 2013, followed by lead roles in Memphis The Musical and Cats. She's now returned to The Bodyguard for a new West End run of the show at Dominion Theatre.

The second instalment of LET THERE BE LIGHT, our new series showcasing some of Britain's best theatrical lighting designers, focuses on Neil Austin. His diverse body of work ranges from productions at National Theatre and collaborations with directors like Howard Davies and Michael Grandage to Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Birmingham Repertory Theatre and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, two of Birmingham's most iconic arts offerings, join together next month (September 2016) for the world premiere of COLD CALLING: THE ARCTIC PROJECT, a unique and captivating live performance piece.

Casting has been announced for first major revival of Caryl Churchill's BLUE HEART, nearly 20 years after its Royal Court premiere, co-produced by Tobacco Factory Theatres and the Orange Tree Theatre. Blue Heart brings them together to work again with key creatives David Mercatali and Angela Davies, who have worked on previous projects with both organisations. The play runs at Tobacco Factory Theatres 22 September-1 October, and at the Orange Tree Theatre 13 October-19 November.

The Lyric Hammersmith's critically acclaimed stage production of Sir Alan Parker's Bugsy Malone, directed by Sean Holmes, will end its scheduled run at the Lyric on Sunday 4 September 2016.

What A Nice Production has announced the cast for the London professional premiere of IN LOVE AND WARCRAFT, which will be performed at Theatre N16, Balham, in November.

Sheffield Theatres and English Touring Theatre today announce full casting for Phillip Breen's adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's classic novel LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER, which opens at the Crucible on 26 September before a UK tour to Oxford, York, Malvern, Salisbury, Brighton and Cambridge. Breen directs a cast including Hedydd Dylan as Lady Chatterley and Jonah Russellas Mellors. The company is completed by Aretha Ayeh, Will Irvine, Ciaran McIntyre, Eugene O'Hare, David Osmond, Rachel Sanders and Alice Selwyn.