Nicole Ackman - Page 6

Miss Nightingale manages to portray both the delicious naughtiness of 1940s wartime entertainment and the difficult and heart-breaking reality the performers lived off the stage equally well. Matthew Bugg's original musical has had a long journey to its current run at the Hippodrome Casino. This lovely piece produced by the husband-and-husband duo of the company Mr Buggs Presents offers something you don't find in the West End often enough: a beautiful gay love story set to charming music.

Rob Houchen is one of the three directors of the new event company called West End Does which has its first concert, The Magic of Animation, on 6 May. The Guildford School of Acting graduate is best known for playing Marius in Les Miserables, Fleet in Titanic, and his many concert performances. Houchen has also released two EPs, featuring covers and his own original music.

Larry Blank is a prolific composer, conductor and orchestrator. He's worked on shows on Broadway and across the States, including Sugar Babies, Phantom of the Opera, A Chorus Line and A Little Night Music, as well as contributing to orchestrations on films like The Producers and Chicago.

Following a UK tour, original 1950s rock 'n' roll musical Teddy has landed at The Vaults Theatre. It brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of a crumbling post-Blitz London and combines a live band, a talented duo of actors, and energetic dancing for an exciting show. The unique poetic language, written by Tristan Bernays, sets a beautiful rhythm and lends it an artistic feel.

Ruthless! the Musical is a delightfully irreverent piece that cleverly makes fun of 'show business' now playing at the Arts Theatre. The cast is full of talented comedic actresses and the role of Tina is a great showcase for a young girl. While not necessarily one for the family, it's certainly a great show for a fun night out.

The Royal Albert Hall's screening of the 2015 film Suffragette was followed by a Q&A with members of the film's creative team and women's rights activists as part of their 'Women and the Hall' programme. In association with Birds Eye View Film, the screening and Q&A highlighted the importance of films about women made by women and the connection between the Hall and the Suffragettes.

Jason Robert Brown is a composer, lyricist, and conductor known for his work such as The Last Five Years, Bridges of Madison County and Parade. The three-time Tony award winner is coming to the London Palladium on 11 April as part of BBC Radio 2's Friday Night is Music Night series along with special guests Norm Lewis, Betsy Wolfe, and Rachel Tucker.

BroadwayWorld UK writer Nicole Ackman shares her top picks for musicals that deserve a revival in the West End.

Lucy Noble is the Artistic and Commercial Director of the Royal Albert Hall, which is currently running a Women and the Hall programme. It celebrates the anniversary of the Representation of the People Act of 1918, which granted women the right to vote, and the Hall's continuing place in the women's movement.

Cathy Owen has done work across the UK, including Mother Courage and Her Children at the National Theatre of Wales. She returns to the title role of Cathy for its upcoming tour.

In the prologue of his new memoir, Unmasked, Andrew Lloyd Webber states, "Autobiographies are by definition self-serving and mine is no exception". It is true that the composer's nearly 500-page book can be seen as one long 'humble-brag', but it's also a fascinating glimpse into the business side of theatre. While much of the beginning details his bohemian upbringing, most of the book is dedicated to a detailed history of all his productions up to 1986.

You wouldn't expect that a play that opens with one of the leads dramatically faking his own suicide would be delightfully funny and yet Harold and Maude at the Charing Cross Theatre is just that. This quirky play is an adaption of the 1971 cult classic film of the same name and features some touching quiet moments alongside many laughs.

The 18th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards, held at the Prince of Wales Theatre, was a fast-paced ceremony with great performances and an enthusiastic crowd. The WhatsOnStage awards are unique because they are voted for by theatregoers online. While a few shows took home several awards each, no one show dominated enough to take the excitement away.

Molly Chesworth is currently starring as Josie in new musical Teddy on its UK Tour before its run at The Vaults in London. A 2017 graduate of the Oxford School of Drama, Chesworth is making her professional debut.

Somewhere a Gunner Fires at the King's Head Theatre is a haunting piece about the First World War and how it affected people from many nations and backgrounds. The Cavalry Theatre play follows six different characters in interweaving stories based on true events. This is the world premiere of the piece, which is written, directed, and starred in by Tom Stuchfield.

The Old Vic's The Divide is a gripping tale of repression and forbidden love in a dystopian society. This new play from Alan Ayckbourn is told in diary entries from sister and brother, Soween and Elihu. Annabel Bolton, an Associate Director at the Old Vic, brings this beautiful piece first seen at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August 2017 to life, combining sound, projections, and brilliant acting.

Collective Rage at the Southwark Playhouse is a provocative and surprising play about the female experience. This 'Play in 5 Betties' follows five women, all named Betty, as they express their sexuality and search for their purpose. This UK premiere boasts a talented cast that distracts from the play's sometimes heavy-handed edginess.

The Railway Children is a delightful show with beautiful music and a wonderful message about the importance of kindness. The concert staged at Cadogan Hall featured lyrics and a book by Katie Lam and music by Alex Parker, who also conducted.

West End Producer is one of the most popular but mysterious social influencers in the West End. He has been involved in the entertainment business his whole life and now both celebrates and pokes fun at theatre on his popular Twitter account and in his books. His second book, Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Going to the Theatre, is out now.

Beauty and the Beast in Concert at the Royal Albert Hall enhanced a wonderful star-studded movie by having its beautiful score expertly played by the Philharmonia Orchestra. This film is a great choice for a movie screening with live music because Alan Menken's score seems like it's meant to be heard with a full orchestra.