Thriller – Live, the Michael Jackson tribute show currently playing at the Lyric theatre, has extended its run by a further three months to 3 January 2010, taking it into its second year.
The show, choreographed by Gary Lloyd, is a music and dance celebration of the King of Pop, charting his musical journey from his days performing with his brothers in the Jackson 5 to the height of his solo fame. The cast of Thriller – Live – which now features former X-Factor finalist Maria Lawson – performs a string of hits including I Want You Back, I’ll Be There, Can You Feel It, Rock With You, Ben, ABC, Billie Jean and Earth Song.
The show is just one of several productions enjoying a fruitful stay in London’s Theatreland. Further tickets have been released for the highly anticipated production of Beckett’s Waiting For Godot, starring Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, which begins previews at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on 30 April and was initially booking to 28 June. Tickets are now available to 26 July.
The Royal Court is enjoying a surge in ticket sales thanks to its forthcoming production of Wallace Shawn’s new play Grasses Of A Thousand Colours, starring Miranda Richardson and Shawn himself. The darkly comic drama, which previews from 12 May, has extended its run in the Jerwood Theatre Upstairs by two weeks, taking it to 27 June.
Finally, at the Noël Coward, the current crop of Calendar Girls – led by Lynda Bellingham and Patricia Hodge – have confirmed they will stay in the show for a further four weeks, to 25 July, though the production itself is booking to 19 September. Like Waiting For Godot, Calendar Girls reported large advance bookings prior to its London opening earlier this month, which followed a UK tour. The show is replacing its Monday evening performances with an extra matinee on Thursdays from 28 May.
CB