UK Roundup - Sondheim's Forum, Imogen Stubbs, Fuddy Meers review

Is the Duke of York's Theatre developing a curse? Let's hope not, but this week the early closing notice of The Holy Terror (starring Simon Callow) has become the second show running to close under a month. In the case of 'Terror', it perhaps wasn't as much of a loss as Calico, as the show had previously toured the UK, but two plays closing so close together, and at the same venue, is worrying for producers wanting to bring works to London. Holy Terror writer Simon Gray is currently in the final stages of his new play which is to be directed by Harold Pinter at the Birmingham Rep.

The National Theatre's production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum has announced full, exciting casting. Former Truly Scrumptious Caroline Sheen has joined the comedy as virgin Philia alongside a stellar cast including Phillip Quast, Hamish McColl and current Velma Kelly Tiffany Graves. The show is part of the National's Travelex season, where the majority of seats are £10, and is directed by Edward Hall.

The future of original musicals is to be tested this week in the opening of The Beautiful and the Damned on Shaftesbury Avenue. Starring Michael Praed, the male lead in the second section of Contact, the show was originally seen in Guildford - just outside London - starring John Barrowman. Due to Barrowman's commitments with Anything Goes, he's had to hand the role to Praed. The musical documents the life of F Scott Fitzgerald, writer of The Great Gatsby, and his wife Zelda. The title comes from a novel by Fitzgerald.

Imogen Stubbs, wife of Trevor Nunn, has turned her hand to writing. The actress, currently appearing in husband Nunn's production of Hamlet, has pulled all of her theatrical strings and will make her writing debut at the Gielguld Theatre in June. We Happy Few, based on the true life story of Henrietta Oaks, who ran a theatre company during the war, will be directed by her husband, designed by John Napier and star Juliet Stevenson. It follows Barbara Cook's one woman show, which follows Judi Dench in All's Well That Ends Well.

And finally, I managed to catch a performance of Fuddy Meers in its out of town tryouts last night. A review can be found on WestEndTheatreWorld or by clicking here.


To post a comment, you must register and login.