NEWS ROUNDUP: 10 - 16 August

Another week, another round of news stories to recap; this week was my annual trip to Edinburgh for the Festival Fringe, and in the midst of sharing another series of reviews for the year, we also have another series of news updates to share, so let's get right to it...

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LAYTON WILLIAMS

West end and broadway actor to tour new concert production

To celebrate two decades since he first made his professional stage debut, Tony Award nominee Layton Williams, star of musicals such as “Billy Elliot”, “Everybody’s Talking About Jamie” and “Titanique”, is set to embark on a solo tour of the UK early next year, in a show entitled ”Layton Live”. The production will kick off with a previews performance at the Palace Theatre in Southend on the 30th of August, with the tour proper commencing at the Corn Exchange in Newbury on the 23rd of February, finishing with a performance at the Adelphi Theatre in the west end on the 4th of April.

Other stops on the tour will include Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birmingham, Cardiff, Harrogate, Poole, Inverness and Sheffield, and will be a concert-style show combining music, dance and storytelling, reflecting on Williams’ career and featuring songs and stories inspired by his work across stage and screen. Presale for all dates opens today, with general sale beginning on the 11th of August, and you can find out more, as well as book tickets for all venues, via the official Layton Live website.

THE LAST SHIP

Full cast announced for west end run of Sting's musical

The full cast for the upcoming west end run of Sting’s musical “The Last Ship” has been revealed. Joining the show’s writer on stage will be Declan Bennett (Gideon), Frances McNamee (Meg), Jackie Morrison (Peggy White), Lejaun Sheppard (The Wallsend Ferryman, 24th of September - 3rd of October), Cassiopeia Berkeley-Agyepong (Baroness Tynesdale), Matt Beveridge (Freddy Newlands), Joe Caffrey (Billy Thompson), Duane Gooden (Adrian), Hannah Richardson (Ellen) and Adam Strong (Davey). Lydia Bolton (Swing) is Dance Captain and Llandyll Gove (Swing) is Resident Director.

The Ensemble and understudy cast features Olivia-Mae Baker, Matthew Gent, Helen Hill, Ediz Mahmut, Matthew McDonald, Grant Neal and Emma Thornett; additionally, musician and singer Shaggy will play the Wallsend Ferryman on the 22nd and 23rd of September only. The show will run from the 22nd of September until the 3rd of October, in a strictly limited two week run at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, head on over to the LW Theatres website for more info and ticket sales.

HADESTOWN

UK release date confirmed for professionally filmed performance

Wait for it, it's coming! Following it's hugely successful launch in the USA, during which it broke the record for highest grossing cinema release for a musical proshot, the professionally recorded film of Anaïs Mitchell's musical masterpiece "Hadestown", starring the original five principals from the National theatre and subsequent Broadway transfer (Reeve Carney as Orpheus, Andre De Shields as Hermes, Amber Gray Persephone, Eva Noblezada as Eurydice, and Patrick Page as Hades), has announced its UK premiere date, with the proshot to be screened in cinemas all over the country this autumn.

The film was recorded in late February/early March last year, in the midst of a period of around 4 weeks during which the original principals all performed (with the exception of Page, who had ruptured his achilles, and only performed during the filmed performances; Phillip Boykin filed in the remainder of the time). It had its world premiere on the 8th of June at the Tribeca Film Festival, with a 24th of July cinematic release date in the USA, and is set to open in cinemas across the UK, as well as in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, on the 13th of October this year. Head on over to the official Hadestown film website, where you can find screenings near you.

CABARET

Newest casting for Sally and Emcee confirmed for west end revival

Life is a Cabaret for these new recruits, as we have now learned who will next be taking over as Sally and the Emcee in the west end production of “Cabaret”. Taking on the role of our master of ceremonies will be Skylar Astin (Little Shop of Horrors), with “Modern Family” star Sarah Hyland (The Great Gatsby) to step into the shoes of Fraulein Sally Bowles, both to begin performances on the 21st of September. Astin will perform through to the 12th of December, while Hyland will conclude her run on the 23rd of January.

It is to be the west end debut for both performers, who will take over from the departing Jamie Muscato and Joy Woods, with the former set to depart on the 19th of September, and the latter leaving on the 5th (Marina Tavolieri will play Sally between the 7th-19th of September). You can find tickets for all performances up to and including the 18th of September 2027 via the ATG website.

INTO THE WOODS

West end transfer announces its full cast

Following the announcement of its transfer to the west end early next year, the Bridge Theatre produced staging of James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's musical "Into The Woods" has revealed its full cast, with a mix of new and returning faces to the show. Reprising their roles from the run at the Bridge will be Kate Fleetwood as the Witch, Valda Aviks as Grandmother/Giant, Geoffrey Aymer as Cinderella’s Father, Jennifer Hepburn as Cinderella’s Stepmother/alternate Witch, Hana Ichijo as Lucinda, Julie Jupp as Jack’s Mother, Gabrielle Lewis-Dodson as Florinda, Gracie McGonigal as Little Red Ridinghood, and Jack Quarton as the Steward, with Jacob Fowler returning as a standby.

They will be joined by Simbi Akande (Hamilton) as Cinderella, John Dagleish (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) as the Baker, Fiona Finsbury (Phantom of the Opera) as Rapunzel, Lucas Koch (Cabaret) as Rapunzel’s Prince, Laura Pitt-Pulford (Standing at the Sky's Edge) as the Baker’s Wife, Keith Ramsay (Shucked) as Jack, Matthew Seadon-Young (The Baker's Wife) as Cinderella’s Prince/the Wolf, and Michael S Siegel (Fiddler on the Roof) as the Narrator. Hollie Aires, Sabrina Aloueche, Adam Robert Lewis, Sophie Linder-Lee, Toby Turpin and Elsie Watson all also join as standbys. you can find out more, as well as book tickets, via the official Into The Woods website.

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN

Stage adaptation of movie musical to transfer to the west end

A million dreams are about to come true, as Disney Theatrical Group have announced that the stage musical adaptation of “The Greatest Showman”, based on the 2017 film of the same name, is set to transfer to London’s west end, following a spectacularly successful, fully sold out run at Bristol Hippodrome earlier this year. The musical, with a book by Tim Federle, and score by EGOT winners Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, will open at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane during the spring of 2027, with exact details to be announced at a later date.

Initial casting has also been revealed, with the cast being led by Oliver Tompsett (A Knight's Tale) as P T Barnum, and Samantha Barks (Frozen) as Charity Barnum, as well as Ben Joyce (Shucked) as Phillip Carlyle, Vajèn van den Bosch (Wicked) as Jenny Lind and Malinda Parris (The Little Big Things) as Lettie Lutz, all reprising their roles from the Bristol world premiere. You can sign up for updates via the official Greatest Showman website.