Published: 11 December 2012
If versatility is the sign of a good actor then Simon Russell Beale’s talent is undeniable. In the space of just six months, he has gone from Shakespeare’s honourable and… Read More
Published: 10 December 2012
Hit jukebox musical Rock Of Ages is set to take its big wigs and 1980s hits across London’s West End next year when it transfers to the Garrick theatre. The… Read More
Published: 7 December 2012
The National Theatre dominates the nominations for the 2013 What’s On Stage Awards with an impressive 25 nominations, while the new stage adaptation of The Bodyguard leads the way in… Read More
As it says on the posters splashed outside the Adelphi theatre, a bodyguard never lets his guard down. So it's somewhat of a surprise when musical theatre's newest star Lloyd… Read More
Scottish star James McAvoy will star in Jamie Lloyd’s production of Macbeth as part of a new programme of work at the Trafalgar Studio 1 next year. One of Shakespeare’s… Read More
Former A Little Night Music and Guys And Dolls star Kelly Price is to return to the West End from 4 February, when she joins the new cast of One… Read More
Published: 6 December 2012
There is little that warms the spirit of Christmas in me faster than the mention of Fezziwig's Christmas party. Dancing by lamplight, warm seasonal punch, the soft haze of happiness… Read More
The question on all lips when The Bodyguard's stage adaptation was announced was "Can anyone fill Whitney Houston's shoes?" The answer is unequivocally "Yes, Heather Headley can." That's not quite… Read More
Published: 5 December 2012
Last year we started a new Christmas theatrical tradition, quizzing some of the stars from a selection of festive shows about their yuletide passions and wintery joys. While we were… Read More
Amid the flurry of unconventional Shakespearean productions taking over the West End this year, Phyllida Lloyd’s production of Julius Caesar is undoubtedly one of the most unique. It is hard… Read More
Published: 4 December 2012
Funnily enough for a website devoted to one particular subject, there aren’t many things we like more than theatre at Official London Theatre. Baked goods occasionally come close, Nigel Slater… Read More
Published: 3 December 2012
In the final #TopHatChat of our series, the award-winning musical's leading man Tom Chambers answered your questions. Fans of Top Hat, Strictly Come Dancing and Holby City took to Twitter… Read More
Actress Charlotte Gooch celebrated becoming Top Hat's latest leading lady by taking to Official London Theatre's twitter account to answer your questions. The former Dirty Dancing star, who followed Summer… Read More
Mark Rylance will direct Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones in Much Ado About Nothing at the Old Vic next year as part of an eclectic 2013 programme, which will… Read More
Published: 30 November 2012
How would you react if you overheard a 7-year-old suggesting you were gay to his pint-sized pal? Would you ignore him and put it down to childish mutterings? Would you… Read More
Actor Kobna Holdbrook-Smith will star at the Young Vic for the fifth time when he leads the cast of Yoruba epic Feast in the new year. The actor, who previously… Read More
Olivier Award-winning director Michael Grandage opened today’s Theatrecraft at the Royal Opera House with a very personal speech in which he described the beyond the stage careers fair as “extraordinary”.… Read More
Lee Evans and Sheila Hancock will return to the West End next year when they co-star in new comedy Barking In Essex, which runs at the Wyndham's theatre from September.… Read More
Michael Elwyn, Nathaniel Parker and Rufus Wright will join Helen Mirren in the world premiere of The Audience next year when it opens at the Gielgud theatre. Playing three of… Read More
Published: 29 November 2012
The Lyric Hammersmith has announced its 2013 season for children, with everything from driving pigeons to unicorn rides on the menu. With a whole host of productions on offer for… Read More
It would be just delightful to review Room On The Broom solely in rhyme. Unfortunately, dear readers, I just haven’t the time. But theatre lovers fear not, head down to… Read More
Following its run at the Prince of Wales theatre, Let It Be will Twist And Shout its way across the West End to the Savoy theatre next year. The theatrical… Read More
We thought we were excited about Tony Award-winning musical Once coming to London, but these auditionees, desperate to win a starring role in the new West End musical, trump even… Read More
Published: 28 November 2012
Classic musicals are in the midst of somewhat of a revival, with Top Hat and Singin’ In The Rain still going strong in the West End and now, down the… Read More
One of the most treasured privileges of being a theatre journalist are those occasions when you’re allowed to cross the sacred space between the audience and what lies behind the… Read More
With Penelope Skinner’s recent adaptation of Aleksei Arbuzov’s The Promise and the impending opening of Peter Nichols’ Privates On Parade, the Second World War seems to be a popular topic… Read More
Published: 27 November 2012
Shakespeare’s Globe has announced that its new Jacobean indoor theatre will be named The Sam Wanamaker theatre in tribute to the venue’s founder and his original vision to create the… Read More
Published: 26 November 2012
In a rehearsal room in West London, sun streaming through the great glass walls, a group of performers has just been asked to "take a different urination shape". I didn't… Read More
Ever wondered what the witch from Room On The Broom does over Christmas, where the beautiful bird has flown from exactly or who the friendly frog’s best friend in the… Read More
Nicholas Hytner, Director of the National Theatre, collected two awards at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards yesterday. Hytner, who has been at the helm of the Southbank institution for nearly… Read More
Published: 23 November 2012
On The Road star Tom Sturridge and Downton Abbey’s Zoe Boyle will lead the cast of Polly Stenham’s forthcoming drama No Quarter, the playwright’s third play to premiere at the… Read More
Gemma Jones, Anna Madeley and Orlando Wells will hope to set spines a-shiver when they star in Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s new stage adaptation of Henry James’ spooky story The Turn Of… Read More
Published: 22 November 2012
Actresses Scarlett Strallen (pictured), Leigh Zimmerman and Victoria Hamilton-Barritt will be hoping to impress John Partridge when A Chorus Line opens at the London Palladium next year. The trio of… Read More
During today’s #TopHatChat, Ricardo Afonso took to Twitter to reveal everything from his all-time favourite role, the best place to eat in London and how he manages to balance being… Read More
Royal Opera House Chief Executive, Tony Hall, is to leave the flagship venue to become the new Director General of the BBC. He will take up the his new position… Read More
The Christmas opening at the Olivier; it's like the first mince pie of the season, warm, comforting and loaded with anticipation. This year the National Theatre breaks from the recent… Read More
Published: 21 November 2012
Hollywood star Jeff Goldblum will return to the Old Vic theatre to show off his hidden musical skills in the venue’s debut The 24 Hour Musicals Celebrity Gala on 9… Read More
Daniel Mays and Daniel Kaluuya will star in leading film director Joe Wright’s theatrical debut at the Donmar Warehouse next year, leading the cast of Arthur Wing Pinero’s classic Trelawny… Read More
Peter Gill will direct a rehearsed reading of John Arden’s classic play Sergeant Musgrave’s Dance at the Royal Court theatre on Sunday in memory of the late playwright.Taking place in… Read More
Politics is full of drama, but 11 Downing Street was arguably as dramatic as it has ever been last night as Olivier and Theatre Award UK winners, producers and supporters… Read More
Published: 20 November 2012
In the latest of our #TopHatChat Twitter takeovers, actor Martin Ball was on hand at the Aldwych theatre to answer your questions about life as an actor, his love of… Read More
As a graduate of the Royal Court’s Young Writers programme, Penelope Skinner’s 2011 play The Village Bike earned her an Olivier Award nomination when it premiered at the acclaimed Sloane… Read More
Published: 19 November 2012
Venus In Blue Jeans singer Mark Wynter will roll back the clock to the era when he was a pop chart regular this week when he joins the cast of… Read More
When Mark Rylance is on the cast list, there’s not many people whose role would be more eagerly anticipated, but if you’re universally declared as a national hero who hasn’t… Read More
Topping off the Royal Court’s West End season, Nick Payne’s Constellations is the only production from the three part season – which also included Laura Wade’s Posh and April De… Read More
For anyone who missed this summer's hot ticket as Mark Rylance returned to his former home at Shakespeare's Globe, winter comes with its own hot offering, Rylance's return to the… Read More
Published: 16 November 2012
Tu I Teraz (Here & Now), a play about immigration and family ties, is the latest production to be announced for Hampstead theatre's Downstairs space. The play, written by Nicola… Read More
Julie Atherton will leave her glass slippers behind at the Lyric Hammersmith this Christmas, swapping her pumpkin carriage for a new form of transport to star in new musical LIFT… Read More
Like Nick Dear’s last play, the National Theatre production of Frankenstein, The Dark Earth And The Light Sky features a man haunted by an unnerving, unseen presence, a man who… Read More
Jonathan Harvey’s award-winning play Beautiful Thing will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year with a new production at the Arts theatre starring Suranne Jones.Beautiful Thing, which will play from 13… Read More
A stunning cast, including theatrical knight Patrick Stewart, Olivier Award winner Tamsin Greig and Downton Abbey star Hugh Bonneville, will take to the St Martin's theatre stage this Sunday to… Read More
Published: 15 November 2012
From Life Is A Dream at the Young Vic to Racing Demon in Ipswich and from NHS The Musical in Plymouth to Much Ado About Nothing in Liverpool, actor Stephen… Read More
Former X Factor star Amelia Lily became the latest pop star to pop up in a West End show last night, when she joined Shrek The Musical for a special… Read More
Published: 14 November 2012
Faye Tozer, one fifth of Brit Award-winning pop group Steps, is to star in the world premiere of new musical The Tailor-Made Man next year. The tuneful tale of MGM… Read More
Actress Vivien Parry, who plays witty wife Madge Hardwick in Top Hat, was the second performer to face your questions in our #TopHatChat Twitter takeover. The Theatr Clwyd regular and… Read More
Following their collaboration on hit play Enron in 2009, writer Lucy Prebble and Olivier Award-winning director Rupert Goold have already proven their combined talents to have a startling result on… Read More
Published: 13 November 2012
Following its 15th anniversary season announcement last month, Sadler’s Wells has confirmed further productions for 2013 including the return of hit production West Side Story and ZooNation’s Some Like It… Read More
The Bush theatre has announced a new direction for its continued support of playwrights at the start of their careers, pledging that from 2014 a minimum of one unsolicited script… Read More
After three years and nine productions, the Donmar Trafalgar season is coming to an end. Alex Sims, Titas Halder and Simon Evans are the final trio of graduates from the… Read More
Published: 12 November 2012
The Evening Standard Theatre Awards shortlist has been announced with husband and wife team Adrian Lester and Lolita Chakrabarti both receiving nods for their roles in the Tricycle theatre’s current… Read More
Astounding annual ticket offer Get Into London Theatre will return next month, offering incredible cut price tickets for more than 45 of the capital's hottest shows. From 11 December, audiences… Read More
New West End musical Loserville has announced that it will end its run at the Garrick theatre on 5 January.The Elliot Davis and James Bourne-penned musical, which opened in the… Read More
Published: 9 November 2012
Irritable ogre Shrek and his band of festive fairytale companions left their enchanted world at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane last night to help publicise the work of homeless charity… Read More
Comedian Rufus Hound will take over from Owain Arthur as food-loving Francis Henshall in the West End production of National Theatre hit One Man, Two Guvnors next year.Hound, who is… Read More
American actors Gavin Creel and Jared Gertner will be bringing their LA-wowing performances in hit US musical The Book Of Mormon to the UK. The stateside performers, currently starring in… Read More
Daniel Lapaine, Kevin R McNally and Indira Varma will star in Conor McPherson’s new adaptation of The Dance Of Death, which plays as part of the final Donmar Trafalgar season… Read More
Published: 8 November 2012
We first met Summer Strallen six years ago, when she was starring in The Boy Friend at the Regent's Park Open Air theatre. Back then, she was just breaking out… Read More
The second half of the National Trust's Middle England-cheering name does not, it would seem, ring true to Alan Bennett. The History Boys writer's latest London show, always eagerly anticipated,… Read More
Tamsin Greig and Roger Lloyd Pack will appear in the forthcoming production of The Trojan Women, which opens at the Gate theatre later this month.Adapted by award-winning poet Caroline Bird,… Read More
Jean Webster’s 1912 novel Daddy Long Legs has brought about more screen adaptations than its fear-inducing winged namesake has legs, but John Caird’s new stage version, which received its UK… Read More
Published: 7 November 2012
Nothing says Christmas like a Dickensian winter. Throw in a few ghosts, a goose bigger than your average small boy and some parlour games, and you’ve got yourself a festive… Read More
For the first time ever, the public will be able to download or watch online four hugely popular Shakespeare’s Globe productions on Digital Theatre’s new performing arts platform, marking a… Read More
Published: 6 November 2012
With characters named after their skin tone and a set that looks like the brown section of a Pantone chart, it does not take long to grasp the politics behind… Read More
Barry McCarthy will star as Father Christmas in the Lyric Hammersmith’s forthcoming adaptation of Raymond Briggs’ festive classic. The first ever stage production of the hugely successful children’s picture book,… Read More
Musical theatre fans should make sure they're all Twittered up over the next month, as the stars of hit musical Top Hat will be joining Official London Theatre on the… Read More