Marianka Swain - Page 51

Two girls, five boys, mind-blowing beatboxing, breathtaking harmonies, superlative arrangements, stunning choreography, visual technicolor and one helluva show. GOBSMACKED! is set to blast into London this Summer as the brand new a cappella show takes over The Udderbelly on the Southbank in June and July.

Last week, the Bush Theatre joined forces with theatre company Look Left Look Right to present devised original work THE NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECT. Local Hammersmith & Fulham residents, who collaborated with writers Molly Taylor and Samuel Wood on the piece, performed four sold-out shows at the former BBC Television Centre building in Shepherd's Bush, attracting an audience with over a third local residents and over 15% students/under-26s.

The West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's SCHOOL OF ROCK: THE MUSICAL will begin previews at the New London Theatre on October 24, with opening night on November 14. It's initially booking until February 12, 2017, and public booking opens on May 25.

Ahead of its West End premiere at the Prince Edward Theatre, rehearsal images for ALADDIN have been released today. The new Disney musical previews from May 27, opening on June 15, and is booking till October 1. Dean John-Wilson stars as Aladdin, alongside Jade Ewen as Jasmine, Broadway cast member Trevor Dion Nicholas as Genie, Don Gallagher as Jafar, Peter Howe as Iago, Irvine Iqbal as the Sultan, Nathan Amzi as Babkak, Stephen Rahman-Hughes as Kassim and Rachid Sabitri as Omar.

The world premiere of Mike Bartlett's darkly comic new play WILD, directed by James Macdonald, will star Jack Farthing, Caoilfhionn Dunne and John Mackay. The production previews from June 10 and runs until July 16 on the Hampstead's main stage.

It has been officially announced today that Nigel Lindsay will join the West End cast of GUYS AND DOLLS for a limited time, playing Nathan Detroit in the Phoenix Theatre production May 26-June 26. He takes over from Richard Kind, whose last performance is May 22. Lindsay last played the role in the West End run of Michael Grandage's 2005 Donmar Warehouse production.

The Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company's ROMEO AND JULIET is now playing at the Garrick Theatre, with press night on May 25 and a cinema broadcast on July 7. Joining Richard Madden and Lily James as the titular lovers is revered actor Derek Jacobi as Mercutio. The production is co-directed by Branagh and Rob Ashford, with the broadcast directed by Benjamin Caron.

First casting is announced today for Broadway musical Side Show, which receives its UK premiere at Southwark Playhouse. Louise Dearman and Laura Pitt-Pulford will play conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton in the brand new production, which runs October 21 to December 3, with a press night on October 26.

Casting has been announced for the Union Theatre's final show in its current home. THE RISE AND FALL OF LITTLE VOICE stars Charlotte Gorton (Memphis, Viva Forever!) as Mari Hoff, Carly Thoms (Thoroughly Modern Mille, Sound Of Music) as LV and Ken Christiansen (Lord Of The Flies, An Inspector Calls) as Ray Say, with Glenn Adamson as Billy, Mandy Dassa as Sadie and James Peake as Mr Boo/Phone man. Alastair Knights directs.

Full casting has been announced for musical BUGSY MALONE, which returns to the Lyric Hammersmith for a limited 12-week run following the critically acclaimed, Olivier-nominated 2015 production. Starring a diverse range of talented young performers aged nine and over, the lead roles will be performed by three different casts in rotation. Several members of 2015 production are returning, alongside talented youngsters making their professional debut.

Jude Law returns to the stage in April 2017 to star in the world premiere of OBSESSION, a stage adaptation of Luchino Visconti's 1943 film. It's part of Ivo van Hove's Toneelgroep Amsterdam Barbican residency, which also includes the return of their ROMAN TRAGEDIES and a double bill based on Ingmar Bergman films. All four plays will be directed by van Hove.

Full casting is today announced for the world premiere of the new musical GROUNDHOG DAY, which previews at the Old Vic from July 11 with a press night on August 16. Carlyss Peer will play Rita Hanson, alongside the previously announced Andy Karl in the role of Phil Connors. Eugene McCoy plays cameraman Larry, and the ensemble cast includes Leo Andrew, David Birch, Ste Clough, Roger Dipper, Georgina Hagen, Kieran Jae, Julie Jupp, Andrew Langtree, Vicki Lee Taylor, Emma Lindars, Antonio Magro, Carolyn Maitland, Kirsty Malpass, Lisa Mathieson,  Jenny O'Leary, Leanne Pinder, Mark Pollard, Damien Poole, Jack Shalloo, Andrew Spillett and Spencer Stafford.

CUTTIN' IT, a devastating new play by Charlene James, tackles the urgent issue of female genital mutilation in Britain. It's directed by Gbolahan Obisesan and stars Adelayo Adedayo (SOME GIRLS) and Tsion Habte. As part of the A Nation's Theatre Festival, it runs at the Young Vic's Maria May 20-June 11, and then plays at Jerwood Theatre Upstairs as part of the Royal Court's 60th anniversary season (June 23-July 13), Birmingham Repertory Theatre (June 14-18), Latitude Festival (July 15), Sheffield Crucible (July 20-23) and The Yard (July 26-30).

The September 2016-February 2017 Orange Tree Theatre season will feature the first major revivals of Caryl Churchill's Blue Heart and Somerset Maugham's last play Sheppey, as well as a new play from Zoe Cooper, the English language premiere of Roland Schimmelpfennig's Winter Solstice, and an Elinor Cook adaptation of children's story Extra Yarn.

Black Theatre Live's fourth touring show will be Britain's first all-black HAMLET. This co-production with Watford Palace Theatre and Stratford Circus Arts Centre is directed by Jeffery Kissoon and will tour from September 2016. The eight-venue consortium's previous productions include Macbeth, She Called Me Mother and The Diary of a Hounslow Girl.

Award-winning playwright David Greig has announced the details of his first season as Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh, Scotland's largest producing theatre. The 2016/17 season features 11 main stage productions, including the revival of an iconic political play, a new twist on Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, Caryl Churchill's A Number, and a large-scale production featuring the citizens of Edinburgh.

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From two buzzy Shakespeare productions and satirical opera to dance at the Old Vic, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews…

Coinciding with International Dance Day, Latitude Festival has announced its dance line-up for this summer. Sadler's Wells returns to the Waterfront Stage for a ninth year, with highlights including an excerpt from !VAMOUS CUBA! and Hofesh Shechter's THE BAD. Latitude has also announced that the Jane Horrocks-starring IF YOU KISS ME, KISS ME joins the theatre line-up, and Louis Theroux will be in conversation with Adam Buxton.

David Haig, Luke Norris and Daniel Kaluuya star in the revival of Joe Penhall's BLUE/ORANGE at the Young Vic, directed by Matthew Xia. The production runs May 12 to July 2, and works from a slightly updated version of Penhall's Olivier Award-winning play. Blue/Orange, which centres on a man confined to a psychiatric ward, examines race, ethics, sanity and prejudice in a sharp state-of-the-nation examination. For more information and to book tickets, visit www.youngvic.org

Zoe Wanamaker stars in Nick Payne's new play ELEGY at Donmar Warehouse, which opens tonight. She's joined in the cast by Nina Sosanya and Barbara Flynn, and directed by Donmar artistic director Josie Rourke. Elegy imagines a very-near future in which radical and unprecedented advances in medical science mean that it's now possible to extend life.