Wicked extended January 27, 2008
Posted by admin in : apollo victoria, wicked , add a commentWicked (Apollo Victoria) is now booking until 4th April, 2009.
Eden Plaza Hotel January 24, 2008
Posted by admin in : Eden Plaza, Hotels , add a comment
Valid for theatre breakshotel offer.
Holiday Inn for theatre breaks January 24, 2008
Posted by admin in : Holiday Inn , add a commentThe Holiday Inn hotels are one of the most popular bookings for theatre breaks probably because of the recognised name with consistently high standards all around the world and also because you can get some great deals by booking the best combination of hotel and show.
Often the best theatre breaks are organised by booking
theatre breaks midweek, but some great weekend theatre breaks bargains are there to be picked up as well if you choose a Holiday Inn together with a popular musical such as Blood Brothers, Dirty Dancing or Hairspray. No doubt there’ll soon be plenty of people going to see Oliver and staying in a Holiday Inn as well.
Holiday Inn Four Star Hotels in London
- Holiday Inn Regents Park ****
- Holiday Inn Bloomsbury ****
- Holiday Inn London Kensington ****
- Holiday Inn London Kensington Forum ****
- Holiday Inn Kings Cross ****
- Holiday Inn London Mayfair ****
Which Holiday Inn is closest to theatreland
If you want your hotel near to London’s West End Theatreland for convenience, then the best choice is probably the Holiday Inn London Mayfair. From here you could just walk down Piccadilly in a few minutes and be in Leicester Square itself.
Wicked Victoria Apollo Theatre January 22, 2008
Posted by admin in : apollo victoria, wicked , add a comment
Wicked is one of the most popular musicals in London theatre, still playing at the Victoria Apollo, one of the larger but also more modern venues. It’s a spectatcular show, with an elaborate set, outrageous costumes costumes, broomstick riding and flying monkeys, Some of the singing is very powerful too. The audience is mostly young and female, perhaps aspiring performers themselves which makes for a lively atmosphere in the Apollo which is near Victoria station, seperate from London’s main theatre area.
Chicago- Now Booking To February 2009 January 21, 2008
Posted by admin in : Musicals, news , add a commentChicago at the Cambridge Theatre is now booking right through till Feb 2009! The new booking period covering 28 July 2008 – 28 February 2009 will go on sale on Monday 28 January.
Chicago celebrated its tenth anniversary with a glamourous Charity Gala Performance on 5 December 2007. A true West End smash hit, Chicago transferred to the Cambridge Theatre in 2006.
Cast Changes
Bonnie Langford and Brenda Edwards will be playing their roles as ‘Roxie Hart’ and ‘Mama Morton’ for an extra 4 weeks until 24 February. Duncan James has extended his starring run as ‘Billy Flynn’ by two weeks until 10 February. Amra-Faye Wright and Paul Rider will continue to play the roles of ‘Velma Kelly’ and ‘Amos Hart’ until 24 February.
News about who is replacing the cast is not available as yet - watch this space!
Wicked Victoria Apollo Theatre January 20, 2008
Posted by admin in : apollo victoria, wicked , add a comment
Vaudeville change - The Importance of being Earnest with Penelope Keith January 18, 2008
Posted by admin in : Vaudeville, comedy, importance of being earnest , add a comment
Swimming with Sharks at the Vaudeville theatre ends on Saturday, January 19th to be replaced by Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of being Earnest” with Penelope Keith uttering the famous “handbag” line, in a piece of brilliant casting.
Cast: Penelope Keith, Janet Henfrey, Tim Wylton, William Ellis, Harry Hadden-Paton, Daisy Haggard, Rebecca Night, Maxwell Hutcheon, Roger swaine
Director: Peter Gill
Design: William Dudley
Lighting: Giuseppe di Iorio
Here is the famous dialogue:
Jack: Yes. The late Mr. Thomas Cardew, an old gentlemen of a kindly disposition found me and gave me the name of Worthing because he happened to have a first class ticket to Worthing at the time. Worthing is a place in Sussex. It’s a seaside resort.
Lady Bracknell: And where did this charitable gentlemen with the first class ticket to the seaside resort find you?
Jack: In a handbag.
Lady Bracknell: [closes eyes briefly] A handbag?
Jack: Yes, Lady Bracknell, I was in a hand bag. A somewhat large… black… leather handbag with handles… to it.
[pause]
Lady Bracknell: An ordinary handbag.
Lady Bracknell: And where did this Mr. James… or, Thomas Cardew come across this ordinary handbag?
Jack: The cloak room at Victoria Station. It was given to him in mistake for his own…
Lady Bracknell: [Shocked] The cloak room at Victoria Station?
Jack: Yes. The Brighton line.
Lady Bracknell: The line is immaterial.
[begins tearing up notes]
Lady Bracknell: Mr. Worthing. I must confess that I feel somewhat bewildered by what you have just told me. To be born, or at any rate bred in a handbag, whether it have handles or not, seems to me to display a contempt for the ordinary decencies of family life which reminds one of the worst excesses of the French revolution, and I presume you know what that unfortunate movement led to?
Gone With the Wind January 18, 2008
Posted by admin in : Gone With the Wind, Musicals, New London Theatre, news, theatre break , add a commentFor a damn fine theatre break this Spring you could do no better than join Miss Scarlett and Rhett Butler on their tempestuous journey in Gone With the Wind!
“Gone With the Wind will open in at the New London Theatre, Drury Lane on April the 22nd (pre-views from April 5th). Music and lyrics are by Margaret Martin. The show will be directed by the legendary Trevor Nunn. Nun will be working again with John Napier (of Cats and Les Miserables fame).
** Book Gone with the Wind theatre break tickets **
The Cast
US star Jill Paice will be playing Scarlett. It’s her first chance to play a full on leading lady, as until now, she’s always undertaken ingenue roles. Best known here for the role of Laura in the Woman in White in 2006 .She played the adult Cosette in the US national tour of “Les Miserables” and the role of Sophie in the Las Vegas production of “Mamma Mia!” There is some irony for fans of the film, in the fact that her most recent role has been in, Curtains… 
Edward Baker-Duly will play the dull but good Ashley Wilkes and Madeleine Worrall will be Melanie Wilkes, Scarlett’s rival for Ashley’s affections in Gone with the Wind
But never mind that, who will play Rhett?
That devilish cad who frankly didn’t give a damn, but who we all knew secretly truly loved Scarlett and was a far greater hero than the ‘milksop’ Ashley. Hugh Jackman’s name has been mentioned but no official announcement has been made yet despite rehearsals starting in mid February. Jackman played Curly in the Royal National Theatre’s production of Nunn’s Oklahoma! in 1998 . However he’s about to play the title role in the new Wolverine film which is supposed to be filming from early 2008 and following that playing Billy in a re-make of Carousel, so it seems rather unlikely he’ll be able to fit it in. I’ll update this post as soon as I can find out. You can be sure it will have to be someone really dashing as he’ll be competing with Clarke Gable at his caddish best.
Gone With the Wind - The Plot
“Gone With the Wind” is based on Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 novel and the later film of the same name. Let’s hope this one is more successful than “Scarlett,” which was made in 1970 and sank without trace. The story is set in Atlanta in the 1860s. This is the Deep South and soon the Civil War is raging. It will be interesting to see how they handle some of the more unacceptable aspects of the plot. The story starts with the seventeen-year-old Scarlett O’Hara, and here three sisters living a life of luxury on their father’s plantation until the death of their father and the onset of the Civil War turn their world upside down. Scarlett’s journey through the war and the humiliations of poverty lead her to become involved with the exciting but unpredictable Rhett Butler. The book tells their story over ten years as the life they all once believed so solid crumbles in front of their eyes.
The part of Scarlett will be incredibly demanding as she will be centre stage (both literally and metaphorically) for much of the time. The audience must take her to their hearts, as they see her transform on her journey from being a spoilt, demanding princess to finally being left with almost nothing.
There have already been some workshop productions of the new musical. Paice has been involved from the start and has had a chance to make her mark on the role of Scarlett. The production may be more like Nun’s triumphant hit ‘Nicholas Nickleby’ than a recreation of the film. Characters are likely to narrate much of the story as they did in Nickleby.
I can’t wait to see Atlanta burn! I do hope we don’t just get told it happened 
Producer Scrofani says:
“Our task in presenting the musical stage version of this epic combines our obligation to remain true to Margaret Mitchell’s original story and characters while also revealing its relevance to our lives today. Our hope is that this theatrical adaptation will cause our audiences to rediscover this timeless and rich story, while also providing each of them a meaningful and memorable experience.”
(source)
Yes, but will Atlanta burn???
Gone with the Wind opens on April 22nd
** Book Gone with the Wind theatre break tickets **
Rent - last chance to see! January 17, 2008
Posted by admin in : Musicals, news , add a commentSadly Rent- the Musical closes Feb 2nd but there are still just a few tickets available. You can even get a free hotel included in your ticket price if you can get away for mid-week theatre breaks in London.
It’s a shame the show is closing in London. It’s been a big hit on Broadway. However it closes in the States as well on July 8th. Here’s a gem from the Broadway production to tempt you:
Hairspray - Cast Changes - Ian Talbot to play Wilbur January 15, 2008
Posted by admin in : Musicals, news , add a commentIan Talbot, who last year gave up his position as artistic director of the Open Air Theatre, Regent’s Park, is to take on the role of Wilbur Turnblad in the hit musical Hairspray.
From Jan. 28 Mel Smith will step down and Ian Talbot will take over. He will join current stars Michael Ball (Edna Turnblad) Leanne Jones (Tracy Turnblad) and Ben James-Ellis (Link Larkin.) Ball, Jones and James-Ellis are all contracted to star in the show until Oct. 25 2008.
