NEWSROUND: Rylance Replaces Briers in Endgame

Although it was as a 'career-ending' performance, Richard Briers has just pulled out of Complicité's production of Endgame, in which he was due to star as Hamm against Adrian Scarborough as Nagg. Scarborough recently pulled out of the production citing an overly busy schedule (he is also preparing for Alan Ayckbourn's new play The Habit Of Art) and as Briers had taken on the role in order to work with Scarborough, he said he felt unable to continue.

Briers explained: "After much soul searching, I have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from Endgame. It was a long-held promise to play the role opposite Adrian. When that was no longer possible, I felt I had to leave the production although it meant losing the possibility of working with a great director and old friend, Simon McBurney. It is with great regret that I leave the company and wish Simon and Mark the best. I look forward to seeing the production when it opens at the Duchess."

Mark Rylance will take over the role, with Complicité co-founder and director Simon McBurney playing Clov for the duration of the run and Tom Hickey joining the cast as Nagg. Miriam Margolyes will still play Nell. The cast change means a later start for the production, which will now open on 2nd October for previews and run until 5th December. Full refunds are available.

Fans of parody musicals will be pleased to hear that Silence! the Musical, the unauthorized and hilarious parody of The Silence of the Lambs, will come to the Above the Stag Theatre from 19th January to 28th February 2010. The show, composed by Jon and Al Kaplan and with book by Hunter Bell, debuted at FringeNYC back in 2005. It will be directed and choreographed by Christopher Gattelli. You can find more information and music on the official website.

Exciting times too for Ruthie Henshall fans, as the Olivier Award winning actress has announced plans to join the upcoming Sound Of Musicals UK tour, featuring numbers from musicals including Mamma Mia, Kiss Me Kate, Les Miserables and West Side Story. Henshall will perform at the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester on the 28th December, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on the 29th, Symphony Hall in Birmingham on the 30th and the Barbican in London on the 2nd January 2010.

Been trying to figure out a way to get your kids into Shakespeare? Well, look no further, for Shakespeare 4 Kidz is turning Hamlet, that most complex of plays, into a 3D Musical. Yes, a 3D musical. The first of six film adaptations of a number of Shakespeare plays, it will be directed by BAFTA winner John Godber and produced by Mark Thomas at Elsinore Films. You can expect features such as cannon-fire that flies into the auditorium and a ghost that you can practically touch.

S4K's Julian Chenery, who will co-produce the series, said: "Creating a Hamlet for children was the ultimate test for The Shakespeare 4 Kidz Theatre Company and we are thrilled that the team of Mark Thomas, John Godber and Michael Cowan are able to help bring this unique idea to the big screen." S4K plan to follow Hamlet with Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. When Romeo & Juliet comes around, Elsinore have planned a TV show to help find the lead roles.

Lucky Robyn Peterson has had her Edinburgh Festival show extended to the West End. Her 'Catwalk Confidential' show, telling all about her years as a supermodel, will hit the Arts Theatre from 4th September until 3rd October. Developed in collaboration with director Tony Abatemarco, it follows Robyn's journey from the age of 16, as she gets sucked into the world of high fashion.

The Rose Theatre welcomes Judi Dench as Titania in its production of A Midsummer Night's Dream next month, nearly 50 years after she originated the role in director Peter Hall's 1962 RSC production - the two have worked together numerous times since. The production imagines Titania as something akin to an ageing Queen Elizabeth 1, similar to the role Dench took on in Shakespeare In Love over a decade ago. The Rose has struggled financially since its inception, so Dench's star pulling power could help it immeasurably. Booking opens on the 14th September, with the production running from the 9th February to 20th March.

Want more theatre news? Why not check out the BWW:UK homepage, where you can find details on the Royal & Derngate's Young America season, decide whether you think plans for an Amy Winehouse musical will ever come to fruition, read UK editor Carrie Dunn's BACKSTAGE column and catch up on our latest Edinburgh reviews.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride/Retna Ltd.

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