NEWS ROUNDUP: 28th September - 4th October

After a week off last week to get some much needed recovery (during a thankfully fairly quiet week), we are back to recap the past week of news announcements, so let's dive back into it before things inevitably pick up again...

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HADESTOWN

New dates and venues added for first ever UK tour

Ahead of the launch of the first ever UK tour of Anaïs Mitchell’s 8 time Tony-winning musical “Hadestown”, five extra stops have been added to the schedule, with the tour now also set to perform in Southend, Northampton, Woking, Oxford and Wimbledon. The show began life as a mini-tour around Massachusetts and Vermont back in 2006, and was later released as a concept album in 2010 featuring Mitchell herself as Eurydice. Its fully staged development included runs at NYTW, in Edmonton Canada, and the National Theatre in London, before opening at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in 2019 to rave reviews.

“Hadestown” continues to run at the Lyric Theatre in the west end, currently in its third year in London, and the tour will launch at Leicester Curve in February 2027, and at present its 28-stop tour is set to conclude in November. Additionally, the filmed west end performance, featuring the five original broadway principals (Reeve Carney, Andre De Shields, Amber Gray, Eva Noblezada, Patrick Page), is set to premiere in UK cinemas this month, with tickets available to book from the 13th of October. Further details about the tour, including full cast and creative team, will be revealed at a later date, head on over. to the official Hadestown website to find out more.

RACHEL ZEGLER

Olivier winning star of Evita to have London residency

Newest west end darling Rachel Zegler, ahead of her return to Broadway in the spring, will once again take to the London stage in a new solo show, to be performed in the west end early next year, in her most intimate show yet. Zegler is of course no stranger to a circular stage, having made her Broadway debut in "Romeo & Juliet" at the in-the-round Circle in The Square back in 2024. She returns to broadway to reprise the role of Eva Peròn she first played at the London Palladium last summer, winning her an Olivier Award for best actress in a musical.

The residency, produced by Lambert Jackson Productions, is Zegler's fourth engagement in London in the past couple of years, following "Evita", "The Last Five Years" and her previous solo concert, all taking place at the Palladium, and will run for a strictly limited two week engagement, from the 5th - 17th of January 2027 at @sohoplace, with tickets having already sold out.

JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING

Tony winning play to return to London

Following its initial run earlier this year, the multi award winning play "Jaja’s African Hair Braiding", written by Ghanaian-American playwright Jocelyn Bioh, is set to return to London in early 2027. Teling the story of a Harlem hair salon on one of the hottest days of the year, the play originally premiered on broadway in October 2023, later transferring to London in March, running at the Lyric Hammersmith for a sold out six-week run, in a production directed by Monique Touko (Marie & Rosetta).

"Jaja’s African Hair Braiding" returns to Hammersmith on the 28th of January 2027, and will run until the 27th of February, with tickets now on sale from the Lyric Hammersmith website. Further information about the show, including full cast, will be revealed at a later date.

PADDINGTON

Second cast announced for Olivier-winning west end hit

There are some new faces joining Britain’s favourite bear on stage, as the producers of “Paddington” have revealed who will feature in the musical’s second cast. Taking on the role of Paddington will Abbie Purvis and Hassan Taj as on stage performers, both reprising their roles from the first year, with Sonny Monaghan joining the cast as Young Man/Paddington (voice and remote puppetry), taking over from the departing James Hameed. They’re joined by Cassidy Janson (Millicent Clyde) and Marc Pickering (Mr Curry), Samantha Bingley (Lady Sloane), Tarinn Callender (reprising his role as Grant), Haydn Oakley (Mr Brown), Sandra Marvin (Tanya), Charlotte Wakefield (Mrs Brown), Teddy Kempner (reprising his role as Mr Gruber), Linzi Hateley (Mrs Bird), and Alex Crandon (Hank the Pigeon).

The cast is completed by Esme Bacalla-Hayes, Sarah Benbelaid, Millie Gubby, Helen Gulston, Daisy Hanna, Jonathan Hermosa-Lopez, Jacqueline Hughes, Kellianna Jay, Kwame Kandekore, Sam Lathwood, Andilé Mabhena, Kate Parr, Billy Roberts, Hugo Rolland, Eugene Shire, Vicki Lee Taylor, and Kevin Tristan, with Freya Rose as the standby Paddington on stage -performer. "Paddington" continues performances at the Savoy Theatre, with tickets currently booking until February 2028 via the ATG website.

LITTLE DANCER

New musical to get full premiere in the west end

Following its concert staging at Theatre Royal Drury Lane last year, it has been announced that “Little Dancer, a new musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the team behind “Ragtime”, is set to have its full premiere at Theatre Royal Haymarket in the new year, with Olivier winner Julian Ovenden and Emmy winning NY city ballet principal Tiler Peck to both return to reprise their roles. They also joined by Laura Pitt-Pulford and Josefina Gabrielle, with further casting to be revealed at a later date.

The show will open on the 15th of February 2027, and will run until the 27th of March, in a strictly limited 6 week engagement, with a creative team that includes set design by Beowulf Boritt, lighting design by Ken Billington, costume design by William Ivey Long, and sound design by Kai Harada. Tickets are now on sale via the Theatre Royal Haymarket website, so get booking!

WILD ABOUT YOU

Initial casting announced for fully staged premiere

The principal cast have been announced for the upcoming London return of "Wild About You", a musical with a book by Dani Stoller and music & lyrics by Chilina Kennedy. Leading the line will be Jodie Steele (Heathers) as Olivia, Stewart Clarke (Cabaret) as Michael, and Alfie Friedman (Dorian) as Billy, as well as Danielle Steers (Hot Mess) as Jess, Bea Ward (Miss Saigon) as Scoot, and Cassandra McCowan (Stiletto) as female ensemble; additionally the creative team will include director Kristin Hanggi, and music supervisor/orchestrator/arranger Daniel Edmonds, with further casting and creatives will be announced at a later date.

The show will run at the Charing Cross Theatre from the 18th of January until the 10th of April 2027, following its initial sold out concert performances at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in March 2024 starring Todrick Hall, Jamie Muscato and Rachel Tucker among others. Tickets for the upcoming run are now on sale from the Charing Cross Theatre website.

CATS

Three different performers to rotate role of Grizabella

The producers for the upcoming UK tour of "Cats", in a production first seen at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, have announced the casting for the most iconic role of Grizabella in the show, with three west end leading ladies to share the role across the venues around the country. Louise Dearman, Alice Fearn and Rachael Wooding will each portray the part at different venues across the country, with the latter having already played the role during the show's run at Regent's Park. Wooding reprises the role in Hull and Manchester, with Dearman scheduled to appear in Plymouth, Birmingham, Bristol, Norwich, and Edinburgh, and Fearn to appear in Llandudno, Glasgow, Nottingham, Canterbury, Sunderland, Aberdeen, Belfast, Dublin, Oxford, Southampton, Bradford, Liverpool, Woking, Cardiff, Milton Keynes, and Newcastle.

They join a cast that also features Elliot Broadfoot, Millie O'Connell, Jaydon Vijn and Kalisha Amaris, with the tour set to open in Plymouth on Tuesday the 6th of October, and run through to July 2027. You can find full tour dates, as well as a full list of cast and creatives, via the official Cats website.