NEWS ROUNDUP: 20 - 26 April
- James Tradgett
- Apr 27
- 6 min read
Another week has passed us by, and another opportunity to look back on all of the most exciting news announcements to have come out in the past seven days…
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SOMETHING ROTTEN!
Marisha Wallace to reprise her role in full UK premiere
Further casting has been revealed for the upcoming fully staged European premiere of “Something Rotten!”, with Jason Manford and Richard Fleeshman, set to play the reprise of Nick Bottom and William Shakespeare respectively, being joined by Marisha Wallace (Once on this Island), who is set to reprise the role of Bea she played in the 2024 staged concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. The musical has music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, and a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell, originally premiering on broadway in 2015, winning one Tony Award from 10 nominations.
“Something Rotten!” will run at the Manchester Opera House from the 16th of June until the 19th of July, with tickets on sale from the ATG website, with further details, including the ful cast, to be revealed at a later date.
JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN
Kimberly Belflower play to transfer to the west end
Following a hugely successful, fully sold out run at the Royal Court Theatre, it has been revealed that Kimberly Belflower’s Tony nominated play “John Proctor is the Villain” is set to transfer to the west end next year. The previous run at the Royal Court, led by Sadie Soverall and Dónal Finn, began on the 20th of March, and ran for a limited 5 weeks, receiving rave reviews, including from this page, which you can read here. Prior to this, it ran at the Booth Theatre on broadway, in a production led by Gabriel Ebert, Fina Strazza, and Stranger Things actor Sadie Sink, each earning a Tony nomination for their respective performances.
The play will open at Wyndham’s Theatre, beginning performances on the 2nd of February 2027, and running until the 24th of April, in a strictly limited 12-week season. Full cast and creatives will be revealed at a later date, and tickets are currently on sale via the Delfont Mackintosh website.
FIGHTING WITH MY FAMILY
New musical, based on the Stephen Merchant film, in development
It has been announced that a brand new musical, based on the cult British wrestling film “Fighting with my Family”, written by Stephen Merchant, is currently in development. It is being produced by Merchant, in collaboration with Tilted Musicals, Seven Bucks Productions (co-founded by Dwayne Johnson and Dany Garcia), Kevin Misher, and Birmingham Hippodrome, and will be written by Jon Brittain (book & lyrics), Miranda Cooper (music & lyrics) and Nick Coler (music).
Further details about the musical will be revealed at a later date, and you can sign up now for updates via the official website site and social pages for the show.
ARCADIA
Old Vic production of Stoppard play gets west end transfer
It has been revealed by Sonia Friedman Productions that, following a critically acclaimed run earlier this year, the Old Vic revival of Tom Stoppard’s play “Arcadia” is set to transfer to the west end this summer. It will be directed by Carrie Cracknell (The Grapes of Wrath), with set design by Alex Eales (Dead Man Walking), costume design by Suzanne Cave (Arcadia), lighting design by Guy Hoare (A Doll's House), sound design by Donato Wharton (Nye), and composition by Stuart Earl (Sea Wall / A Life).
The revival will run at the Duke of York’s Theatre from the 20th of June until the 12th of September, with a press night on the 1st of July, and like at the Old Vic, the play will be performed with a handful of on stage seats. Tickets are now on general sale via the ATG website, having opened for presale for members earlier in the week, and casting will be announced at a later date.
HIT MACHINE
Noah Galvin and Josh Radnor to make London stage debuts
A new play by Jonathan Caren (The Recommendation) will open in London this summer, with US actors Josh Radnor (How I Met Your Mother) and Noah Galvin (The Good Doctor) to star, each making their London stage debuts in the production. The work, entitled "Hit Machine", was a finalist in Eugene O’Neill’s 2025 National Playwright’s Conference, and was selected for IAMA’s New Works Fest at The Working Theater’s inaugural Stage Left Festival; it will be produced by Spiral Stairs Entertainment, in association with Soho Theatre, BPM Theatrical and Kater Gordon.
Telling the story of two estranged brothers, who reunite and promptly butt heads over family, memory, and their shared, fragmented childhood, "Hit Machine" will have its world premiere at the Soho Theatre on the 8th of July, with a press night on the 14th of July, and it will run until the 15th of August, in a strictly limited 6-week engagement. You can find out more, as well as book tickets, via the Soho Theatre website.
AMADEUS
New revival starring Michael Sheen to open in the west end
The Tony winning best play "Amadeus" is set to have its first London return in over a decade next spring, in a cast led by Michael Sheen (Our Town) and Callum Scott Howells (Cabaret) as Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart respectively, the first time a Welsh pair have taken on the two roles. The play, written by Peter Shaffer and originally premiering at the National Theatre in 1979, tells of the fractured relationship between the two musical geniuses, exploring themes of the toxic influence of jealousy, intense artistic rivalry, and the pursuit of immortality through musical creation, though the play's historical accuracy is often cited as being patchy at best.
This new revival will be directed by Jeremy Herrin, and will play at the Noël Coward Theatre from the 17th of April until the 7th of August 2027, with more details, including further casting, to be revealed at a later date. You can find out more about the production, as well as book tickets, via the Delfont Mackintosh website.
CYRANO DE BERGERAC
Full cast announced for upcoming west end revival
The full cast to feature in the upcoming west end revival of Edmond Rostand’s “Cyrano De Bergerac” (in a new version by Simon Evans & Debris Stevenson) has been revealed. Previously announced Adrian Lester will be reunited with Susannah Fielding as Roxane, and Levi Brown as Christian, both reprising the roles they played at the RSC. They are joined by Joseph Christain as Edmond, Sunny Chung as Sister Claire/Madame Jodolet, Philip Cumbus as Le Bret, Greer Dale-Foulkes as Abigail, Rachel Dawson as Ann-Sofie, Oliver Grant as Jean, Scott Handy as Comte de Guiche, David Mildon as Jodolet/Carbon, Matt Mordak as Valvert/Pierre, Daniel Norford as Louis, Chris Nayak as Monfleury/Bernard, Christian Patterson as Ragueneau, and Josh Sneesby as Raphael.
Additionally, Robert Jackson joins the cast as Arnauld alongside Taiva Hove, Joshua Maduike and Elim Mapira, who will share the role of Small Boy. “Cyrano de Bergerac” will open at the Noël Coward Theatre on the 13th of June, where it will run until the 5th of September, and tickets are now on sale via the Delfont Mackintosh website.
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
KayCee Stroh to return to franchise at the Lowry
It has been revealed that original "High School Musical" actor KayCee Stroh is set to join the cast of the upcoming regional UK revival of the stage show, this time taking on the role of Ms Darbus, becoming the first actor from the franchise to portray two separate roles in different media. Stroh appeared in all three of the original HSM films between 2006 and 2008, playing nerdy hip hop enthusiast Martha Cox, and now returns to the franchise after almost two decades, in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the first movie starring Zac Efron. Stroh joins a cast led by Tobias Turley, Leonor Correia, Jason Donovan, Caitlin Tipping and Luke Bayer.
"High School Musical" is set to open at The Lowry's Lyric Theatre on the 22nd of August, where it will run until the 19th of September. Tickets for all performances are now on sale from the Lowry website, where you can also find more information, including about accessible performances.
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