Chancellor Rishi Sunak has bowed to pressure from the arts world and unveiled a £1.57 billion lifeline for the UK’s theatres, venues and museums struggling to stay afloat in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic.
NEWS: Edinburgh Fringe & International Festival announce ‘heartbreaking’ decision to cancel world’s largest arts festival in 2020. Full quotes
For the first time in over 70 years, the five festivals that transform Edinburgh into the world’s leading cultural destination every August are not going ahead this year due to concerns around the covid-19 pandemic.
NEWS: West End production of Waitress has closed
The producers of Waitress have announced that the West End production at the Adelphi Theatre has closed. The multi-award-winning Broadway transfer had been originally booking until 4 July 2020, with Lucie Jones and David Hunter returning to the lead roles of Jenna and Dr Pomatter on 23 March.
NEWS: Theatre industry issues statement on Government aid for self-employed
A week after the UK Government announced its package for workers on the payroll, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has announced an economic relief package for self-employed workers and freelancers.
NEWS: RSC & Marquee TV announce online ’watch along’ of Twelfth Night to mark World Theatre Day
To mark World Theatre Day (Friday 27 March 2020), the Royal Shakespeare Company is inviting people to join a live ‘watch along’ from their living rooms on 11 April of a recording of their 2017 production of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night, featuring Adrian Edmondson as Malvolio and Kara Tointon as Olivia.
NEWS: National Theatre will stream NT Live productions for free via YouTube
A selection of much-loved National Theatre Live productions will be made available to watch on YouTube for free over the next two months.
NEWS: Olivier Awards’ Greatest Moments will be celebrated in special TV & radio programmes
ITV will broadcast a special Olivier Awards with Mastercard programme on 5 April 2020 at 10:15pm, in place of the 2020 Royal Albert Hall awards show which was cancelled due to coronavirus.
NEWS: Headlong & Century Films announce major new digital series of short plays
Award-winning theatre company Headlong, in association with the BAFTA-winning Century Films, have announced Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre From a State of Isolation, a major new digital project, bringing together celebrated playwrights to create a series of short digital plays, as a response to the current global crisis.
NEWS: SOLT issues update for West End theatre ticketholders
A statement has been issued by the Society of London Theatre (SOLT) on behalf of the major commercial West End theatre operators and the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR) to provide clear information for theatre customers in light of this week’s shutdown and help ease the unprecedented strain on box offices and ticket agents.
NEWS: Finborough postpones Hockey Mom & Women Without Men runs during coronavirus crisis
Amongst the rising tide of news about closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, London’s Finborough Theatre has postponed two of its forthcoming fortieth-anniversary-year productions, which had been due to run from this month until the end of July.
NEWS: The London premiere of Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike is postponed
Producers have announced that the London premiere of Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning Best Play comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, due to start previews at Charing Cross Theatre on 21 March 2020 will not now go ahead as planned. It will be rescheduled later in the year.
NEWS: Sheridan Smith will revisit her award-winning TV role in new Cilla The Musical tour
After much speculation, producers have confirmed that Sheridan Smith will revisit her award-wining portrayal of the late Cilla Black to star in Bill Kenwright’s stage production, Cilla The Musical, written by BAFTA award-winning writer Jeff Pope.
NEWS: Winners of the 10th anniversary Offies 2020 Awards are announced
Winners of the Offies 2020 Awards, held at Battersea Arts Centre, have been announced. It was the tenth anniversary year of the awards presented by Off West End.
WATCH: Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em stars Joe Pasquale & Sarah Earnshaw on why they couldn’t wait to reprise their roles
I laughed my head off watching Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em, and afterwards, got onto the wonderfully kitsch 1970s set myself to interview stars Joe Pasquale and Sarah Earnshaw and writer-director Guy Unsworth.
NEWS: Jon Culshaw will play Bill Bryson in stage version of Notes From A Small Island
Jon Culshaw will star as Bill Bryson in a brand-new stage production of Bryson’s award-winning memoir Notes From A Small Island adapted by BAFTA and Olivier Award winning playwright Tim Whitnall.
NEWS: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella previews are delayed to 9 October in response to the coronavirus crisis
Andrew Lloyd Webber announced today that the world premiere of his new musical Cinderella will now open at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre on 28 October 2020, with previews from Friday 9 October.
WATCH Sinners post-show Q&A video: How did Brian Cox approach directing his wife Nicole Ansari?
After a sold-out performance of Sinners, I was joined by writer Joshua Sobol, director Brian Cox and stars Nicole Ansari and Adam Sina about the development of this shocking play about a woman, about to be stoned to death, and her lover.
New post-show Q&A: Join Terri for Philip Osment’s last play Can I Help You?
As part of her ongoing post-show Q&A series, Mates co-founder Terri Paddock heads to London’s Omnibus Theatre tomorrow (6 March 2020) for the premiere of Can I Help You?, the final play by pioneering British theatremaker Philip Osment. Got any questions?
NEWS: Death Of A Salesman, Rosmersholm, Cyrano plus & Juliet lead the Olivier Awards 2020 nominations
The nominations have been announced for this year’s Olivier Awards which take place on 5 April 2020 at the Royal Albert Hall.
‘It is musically where the show really shines’: PRETTY WOMAN THE MUSICAL – West End ★★★★★
Suitably romantic and updated to make it feel more contemporary, Pretty Woman the Musical has plenty to recommend it in terms of music and characterisations to make for a feel-good show.