The BBTAs have revealed the 2020 Black British Theatre Awards nominee list, voted almost entirely by the public and representing some of the finest work by Black performers and creatives in UK theatre. The 2020 awards ceremony will air on Sky Arts this autumn, as part of the channel’s free to air line-up.
NEWS: Cameron Mackintosh tells Evening Standard West End Phantom is being ‘shut down’
In a candid self-penned article in the Evening Standard, producer Cameron Mackintosh has revealed that he and Andrew Lloyd Webber have been forced to “sadly permanently shut down” the iconic West End production of The Phantom of the Opera as a consequence of the Coronavirus crisis.
NEWS: The Stage Debut Awards will be back as an online ceremony
The Stage Debut Awards will return on 27 September 2020 as a virtual ceremony.
‘It is emotional to watch from start to finish’: HAMILTON – Disney Plus (Online review) ★★★★★
Spectacularly unique and filled with passion, this filmed version of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton is exquisite to watch – no matter how many times you have seen it.
NEWS: Cameron Mackintosh announces West End closures until 2021, starts redundancy consultations
Cameron Mackintosh has delayed the return of his West End productions of Les Misérables, Mary Poppins, Hamilton and The Phantom of the Opera until as early as practical in 2021.
Decade Round-Up: The Musicals
And so here it is… my top 10 musicals of the decade. It turned out to be a slightly emotional journey. But it turns out musicals meant a lot in that time and I’ll fight anyone who says musicals aren’t a serious artform.
NEWS: Karl Queensborough leads new cast of Hamilton in London, more tickets released
As the West End production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s HAMILTON enters its third year at the Victoria Palace Theatre, new casting has been announced and further tickets have been released, with bookings now being taken through to 28 March 2020.
NEWS: Record theatre box office figures are boosted by the performance of hit musicals like Hamilton
Society of London Theatre (SOLT) and UK Theatre have released data for ticket sales across their member venues in 2018. The figures reveal a combined audience of over 34 million and ticket revenue of nearly £1.28 billion, from a total of 62,945 performances over the course of the year in the West End and across the UK.
‘Theatre has been the lodestar’: A Top 10 of Theatre in 2018
“The inheritance of wisdom, community and self” – Matthew Lopez. Each year, around March, I think of a brilliant way to start the Best of the Year list. Each year, around December, I forget it. In the year when football nearly came home and the UK has been stuck on a political pause, theatre has been the lodestar.
The Best Theatre & Performances of 2018
Normally I do two of these – Top Ten Shows and Top Ten Performances – but this year I’m combining the two – plus some sundry other awards.
NEWS: Big wins for Company, Hamilton & the National Theatre’s Antony & Cleopatra at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2018
The winners of the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards have been announced, with double wins for the National Theatre’s Antony & Cleopatra and the West End productions of Company and Hamilton.
‘We dream in the dark’: The power of Hamilton track ‘The Room Where It Happens’
The Hamilton track ‘The Room Where It Happens’ stands up well as a track to listen to on the cast recording, but something really special happens when you watch it being performed.
NEWS: National Theatre leads the Evening Standard Theatre Awards with 14 nominations
The shortlist for the 64th Evening Standard Theatre Awards has been unveiled. The winners will be announced on Sunday 18 November at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Mark Shenton views the week of openings, interviews & latest lists… in the West End & on Broadway
News, reviews, interviews and farewells of the week in London, New York and the regions, including social media influencers, Pinter in the West End and more.
NEWS: Ten new cast members join the London cast of Hamilton as the show enters its second year
Ten new cast members will be joining the London company of Hamilton which is going into its second year at the Victoria Palace Theatre. The production is booking to 30 March 2019.
‘The production’s biggest success is its excellent cast’: HAMILTON (LEWIS) – King’s Head Theatre
Hamilton (Lewis) by Fiona English and David Eaton, freshly returned from Edinburgh to the King’s Head, tells the somewhat less epic story of – you guessed it, British Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton.
Post-Edinburgh Mark Shenton offers his round-up of the week ahead in London & New York
Mark Shenton rounds up the latest news, reviews, podcasts and more from London and Broadway, including Prince Harry at Hamilton and Lin-Manuel Miranda at Southwark Playhouse.
Hamilton – mastery in patient creative development
If Lin-Manuel Miranda takes six years from first song to full show for Hamilton, then it encourages me greatly when I keep telling new writers and new creative to take their time.
‘We are a powder keg about to explode’: Why is Hamilton so popular and so relevant to Britain today?
So if this period of American history doesn’t potentially have a wide appeal, in the first instance, and the context is a major British loss… Why is Hamilton so popular and so relevant to Britain today?