A brand new production of Rex Pickett’s critically acclaimed and much loved novel and play Sideways will open at the St James Theatre for its UK and European premiere, directed by David Grindley (Daytona, Journey’s End, The American Plan). Sideways has a limited run from 26 May until 9 July 2016, with press night on 31 May and the full cast and creative team will be announced in due course.
Curtain Up: News from the last week in theatre, tickets on sale
In the theatre news round-up this week: Dreamgirls, The Painkiller, In the Heights and more.
NEWS: Fifties musical Forever Plaid runs at St James in April
Katy Lipson for Aria Entertainment and Guy James present
FOREVER PLAID
Directed and staged by Grant Murphy. Lighting design by Ben Rogers.
St. James Studio, London
5 – 24 April 2016
A very personal Holocaust memorial: The story behind The Pianist of Willesden Lane
My partner and I saw, and were deeply moved by, The Pianist of Willesden Lane when it had its London premiere at the St James Theatre last Friday.
THE PIANIST OF WILLESDEN LANE – St James Theatre
A MEMORIAL IN MUSIC This is a solo show, a memorial to a mother and to a generation. It is performed not by an actor but by the American concert pianist, Mona Golabek. Yet as a piece of theatre – … Continue reading →
NEWS: Catherine Tate & Dean John-Wilson lead Miss Atomic Bomb cast
Award winning star of TV and theatre, Catherine Tate (Assassins, The Catherine Tate Show, The Vote, Doctor Who) and Dean John-Wilson (Aladdin, Here Lies Love), who takes lead role in Disney’s Aladdin this summer, will lead the cast in the new musical comedy Miss Atomic Bomb, alongside musical theatre stars Florence Andrews (A Little Night Music, Annie Get Your Gun), Simon Lipkin (The Lorax, Assassins, Rock of Ages, Avenue Q) and Daniel Boys (Any Dream Will Do, Avenue Q, Spamalot) as it explodes into the UK for its World Premiere at the St James Theatre, Victoria, in Spring 2016. The production will be running from 7 March for a strictly limited five week season, with press night on 14 March 2016.
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS – St James Theatre
If you can’t face another panto (oh no you can’t) but want to share a treat with the young, this is one to head for: classic yet daft, constantly playful, even faintly educational if you insist (well, you could discuss Victorian Britain afterwards), and directed with holiday relish by Lucy Bailey.
From Pig Farm to Urinetown: Piss and sh*t and sustainability
The play Pig Farm, which is currently receiving its UK premiere at London’s St James Theatre, is written by American Greg Kotis, who also wrote the book for the Urinetown, the musical which also received its UK premiere at the St James before transferring to the West End last year. Attending Pig Farm’s opening last week, […]
From Pig Farm to Urinetown: Piss and sh*t and sustainability
The play Pig Farm, which is currently receiving its UK premiere at London’s St James Theatre, is written by American Greg Kotis, who also wrote the book for the Urinetown, the musical which also received its UK premiere at the St James before transferring to the West End last year. Attending Pig Farm’s opening last week, […]
PIG FARM – St James Theatre
“Ohhh Tim, you beautiful filthy boy!” cries Tina the pig-farmer’s discontented wife, succumbing drunkenly to some pan-banging draining-board sex. Filthy he is indeed, though not in the sanitized Fifty-Shades manner: the 17-year-old “work-release” farmhand from the local penitentiary is head to foot in pig-slurry.
NEWS: St James premieres Atomic Bomb musical & Pianist play
London’s St James’ Theatre today announces its spring 2016 season, comprising: the UK premiere of critically acclaimed Blitz-set play with music The Pianist of Willesden Lane, the world premiere of explosive new musical Miss Atomic Bomb and the first London revival for over 25 years of Charlotte Keatley’s award-winning debut play My Mother Said I Never Should.
LOOKING FOR LANSBURY – Touring
Everyone in the drama world respects the legend that is Dame Angela Lansbury, who turned 90 on Friday 16th October. So what better way to celebrate the great lady but to go and watch a specially written evening about her devised by Fiona-Jane Weston and Patrick Lambe.
Weekly Theatre Podcast: Mr Foote’s Other Leg, Pure Imagination
This week the London theatre bloggers discuss Mr Foote’s Other Leg, starring Simon Russell Beale and now transferring to the West End following a sell-out at Hampstead Theatre, Leslie Bricusse musical tribute Pure Imagination and Tamsin Oglesby’s Future Conditional at the Old Vic.
Pure Imagination: Leslie Bricusse on searching for the perfect song
How well do you know the work of composer-lyricist Leslie Bricusse? How many songs can you name by this living legend… apart from “Pure Imagination” (and the “Oompa Loompa” theme) from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. How about, for starters, Bond classics “Goldfinger” and “You Only Live Twice”, “If I Ruled the World”, “What Kind of Fool Am I?”, “The Candy Man”, “This Is the Moment”, “Can You Read My Mind?” (from Superman), “My Old Man’s a Dustman”, “The Pink Panther” and “Talk to the Animals” (from Doctor Doolittle)? And that really is, only for starters.
NEWS: #Piggate play? Stephen Tompkinson leads cast of Pig Farm
Dan Fredenburgh (Tom), Erik Odom (Tim), Charlotte Parry (Tina) and Stephen Tompkinson (Teddy) comprise the full cast for Pig Farm, running at the St James Theatre from 21 October until 21 November 2015, with press night on 28 October. Written by Tony Award® winning Urinetown The Musical writer Greg Kotis, Pig farm is being directed by Katharine Farmer, with design by Carla Goodman, lighting by Jason Taylor, sound by John Leonard, fights by Malcolm Ranson and casting by Kate Plantin CDG.
YOU WON’T SUCCEED ON BROADWAY IF YOU DONT HAVE ANY JEWS – St James Theatre
‘You won’t succeed on Broadway if you don’t have any Jews.’ This quote from the Monty Python musical Spamalot has inspired a new show, dedicated to celebrating the contribution of Jewish people to musical theatre over the last century. From Stephen Sondheim to Irving Berlin, Jule Styne to Burt Bacharach, I certainly had no idea so many great names in the industry came from a Jewish background. (Although if I’m honest, I can’t say I’d ever actually thought about it.)
NEWS: Urinetown writer’s play PIG FARM gets UK premiere at St James
Dead Posh Productions is thrilled to be bringing Pig Farm, by Tony Award®winning writerGreg Kotis, to the St. James Theatre for its UK premiere. Dead Posh Productions will be co-producing alongside Julian Stoneman Associates, who brought the smash hit Urinetown The Musical, by the same author and to the same theatre, before its transfer to the Apollo Theatre. Pig Farm …
NEWS: Full Casting Announced for Pure Imagination – St James Theatre
Final casting has been announced for the World Première of Pure Imagination, which celebrates the songs of Leslie Bricusse, one of the most prolific and well loved film and musical theatre songwriters of our time.
NEWS: McQueen, starring Stephen Wight, transfers to West End’s Haymarket
McQUEEN, which received its world premiere in May at St. James Theatre, where it broke box office records, will transfer to London’s West End, opening at the Theatre Royal Haymarket on Thursday 27 August 2015, following previews from 13 August, for a strictly limited season until 7 November.
THE DREAMERS – St James Theatre
The Dreamers might have fared better if it hadn’t been billed as a musical. It is hard to find a category for it – part centenary celebration, part video documentary, part community theatre, part contemporary oratorio about British participation in the battle of Gallipoli but since they don’t hand out Off West End awards for Worthiness, it’s not surprising critics dismissed it.