Spring and autumn may be the busiest times for new shows in London, but this summer will still pack quite a punch with some big names, high-profile directors and a few surprises in store.

A range of musicals and plays will open in the capital over the next few months, including classic musicals from Stephen Sondheim (Into the Woods) and Rogers & Hammerstein (State Fair); starry comedy, including David Hyde Pearce and Joanna Lumley in La Bete, Jeff Goldblum in The Prisoner of Second Avenue and Simon Russell Beal and Jonathan Groff in Deathtrap); dance spectaculars (Burn the Floor), new musicals (Wolfboy), ambitious children’s drama (The Railway Children) and a terrifying new play (Ghost Stories).

MORE INFORMATION AND BOOKING

GHOST STORIES

Duke of York’s Theatre, from 25 June 2010

A truly terrifying theatrical experience written and directed by The League of Gentlemen’s master of the macabre, Jeremy Dyson, and Andy Nyman, co-creator and director of Derren Brown’s television and stage shows and star of Dead Set and Severance.

As three men gather together, each has an uncanny, chilling tale to tell. Ghost Stories played a hugely successful run at the Lyric Hammersmith before transferring to the Duke of York’s theatre in the West End. The show stars Nicholas Burns, David Cardy, Ryan Gage and Andy Nyman.

Strictly for theatregoers aged 16 and older. “A pant-wetter of a night. It’s terrifying” Daily Mail

Book tickets to Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London

LA BETE

Comedy Theatre, from 26 June 2010

American playwright David Hirson’s rollicking 1991 play, La Bete is a comic tour de force about Elomire (David Hyde Pierce – “Frasier”), a high-minded classical dramatist who loves only the theatre, and Valere (Mark Rylance – “Jerusalem”), a low-brow street clown who loves only himself. When the fickle princess (Joanna Lumley – “Absolutely Fabulous”) decides she’s grown weary of Elomire’s royal theatre troupe, he and Valere are left fighting for survival as art squares off with ego in a literary showdown for the ages.

Other cast include Stephen Ouimette, Lisa Joyce, Greta Lee, Robert Lonsdale, Michael Milligan, Liza Sadovy and Sally Wingert. The play is directed by Matthew Warchus and will run for a limited season at the Comedy Theatre before heading to Broadway.

Book tickets to La Bete at the Comedy Theatre in London

THE PRISONER OF SECOND AVENUE

Vaudeville Theatre, from 30 June 2010

Kevin Spacey’s Old Vic theatre company will produce its first West End show this summer, as a new production of Neil Simon’s 1971 comedy The Prisoner of Second Avenue comes to town. The play stars Hollywood actors Jeff Goldblum (Tall Guy) and Mercedes Ruehl (The Fisher King) for a limited season at the Vaudeville Theatre.

In the show Goldblum stars as Mel Edison, a man at breaking point. In the heat of a New York City summer his air-conditioning has broken, his neighbours won’t shut-up, his job is hanging by a thread and there are a gang of burglars on the prowl.

Terry Johnson, flush from his Tony success for La Cage Aux Folles on Broadway, will direct the show.

Book tickets to The Prisoner of Second Avenue at the Vaudeville Theatre in London

WOLFBOY

Trafalgar Studios, from 6 July 2010

Psycho-sexual musical thriller starring Daniel Boys (Avenue Q), Emma Rigby (Hollyoaks), Paul Holowaty and Gregg Lowe.

Wolfboy is a dark and disturbing tale of two troubled teenage boys locked in an asylum for their own good. Bernie has attempted suicide; David may or may not have the powers of a wolf. For them the outside world is a frightening place of abuse and violence. Bernie’s brother Christian and Cherry the young nurse on the unit, also hide secrets that surface in the night, when the moon is full.

This new musical premiered at the Edinburgh Festival fringe last year and has a book by Russell Labey, music and lyrics by Leon Parris and is based on a play by Brad Fraser. Labey previously directed New Boy at Trafalgar Studios in 2009, while Parris has won the Vivian Ellis Award for Best Musical, Really Useful Group Award for Most Promising Writer and the Cameron Mackintosh Bursary.

Book tickets to Wolfboy at the Trafalgar Studios in London

STATE FAIR

Trafalgar Studios, from 3 August 2010

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s charming musical follows the Frake family, farming folk on a trip to the 1946 Iowa State Fair. Whilst parents Abel and Melissa are hoping to win a few blue ribbons, their children Margy and Wayne are more interested in finding romance on the way.

Set against the colourful backdrop of America’s rural traditions, the Academy Award-winning score includes such Rodgers and Hammerstein classics as It Might As Well Be Spring and It’s A Grand Night For Singing.

The show has a book by Tom Briggs and Louis Mattioli, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Richard Rodgers.

Book tickets to State Fair at the Trafalgar Studios

BURN THE FLOOR

Shaftesbury Theatre, from 21 July 2010

Burn The Floor is a dance spectacular that has thrilled audiences around the world with its dynamic mix of Latin and ballroom dancing.

Now the West End is set to experience its fiery, passionate power as Burn The Floor comes to the Shaftesbury Theatre in London featuring special guest dancers Brian Fortuna and Ali Bastian, who wowed BBC audiences on Strictly Come Dancing last year.

First conceived as a special performance at Sir Elton John’s 50th birthday celebrations in 1997, Burn The Floor made its UK premiere two years later before setting off on a world tour.

Burn The Floor takes audiences on a journey through the passionate drama of dance, including the elegance of the Viennese Waltz, the exuberance of the Jive, the intensity of the Paso Doble as well as the Tango, Samba, Mambo, Quickstep and Swing.

Burn The Floor features the talents of 20 award-winning dancers from around the globe.

Book tickets to Burn the Floor at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London

DEATHTRAP

Noel Coward Theatre, from 20 August 2010

Deathtrap, the 1978 comedy thriller by Ira Levin, is set for a West End revival at the Noel Coward Theatre this summer.

Famously turned into a film by Sidney Lumet starring Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve, the play will feature acclaimed actor Simon Russell-Beale, (London Assurance), alongside US heartthrob Jonathan Groff (Glee, Hair the Musical), Academy award-winner Estelle Parsons and Claire Skinner (Outnumbered).

When good-looking young author Clifford (Jonathan Groff) turns up at best-selling author Sidney Bruhl’s Connecticut home with a brilliant new stage thriller, just at a time when Bruhl’s career has hit the skids, an ingenious murder plot is hatched.

The play is directed by Matthew Warchus, who won a Tony award last year for his production of God of Carnage, and has also directed La Bete at the Comedy Theatre.

Deathtrap is produced by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers (Brief Encounter, Equus, Calendar Girls).

Book tickets to Deathtrap at the Noel Coward Theatre in London

INTO THE WOODS

Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park, from 5 August 2010

Stephen Sondheim’s dark and humorous twist on the Brothers Grimm fairy tales, presented in the beautiful setting of the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park.

A talented cast includes Hannah Waddingham (A Little Night Music), Jenna Russell (Sunday In The Park With George), Helen Dallimore, Alice Fearn, Mark Hadfield, Beverly Rudd, Ben Stott and Michael Xavier.

Stephen Sondheim, who is 80 years old this year, is one of America’s greatest living composers of musical theatre, and his work includes A Little Night Music, Sunday In The Park With George, Assassins, Company and Follies.

Into The Woods is directed by Open Air Artistic Director Timothy Sheader, who directed last season’s popular production of Hello, Dolly!

Book tickets to Into the Woods at the Open Air Theatre in London

THE RAILWAY CHILDREN

Waterloo Station Theatre from 4 July 2010

A major new production of classic children’s story The Railway Children comes to London this summer in an exciting new venue at Waterloo Station. This new adaptation of E. Nesbit’s much-loved novel stars Marshall Lancaster, best known for playing DC Chris Skelton in BBC dramas Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars, and Caroline Harker, WPC Hazel Wallace in A Touch of Frost.

In a venue within the former Eurostar terminal at Waterloo station, Mike Kenny’s new production will start previews from 4 July and is booking until September. A specially built auditorium at Waterloo will feature seating either side of the original railway track, and makes use of the old Gentleman’s saloon carriage from the original classic film plus a period steam train from the National Railway Museum in York.

The show will star Caroline Harker as Mother and Marshall Lancaster as Mr Perks, with other cast including David Baron, Nicholas Bishop, Louisa Clein, Elizabeth Keates, Steven Kynman, Roger May, Blair Plant, Amanda Prior and Sarah Quintrell.

The show is directed by Damian Cruden with design by Joanna Scotcher and music by Christopher Madin.

Book tickets to The Railway Children at Waterloo Station in London

AUTUMN HIGHLIGHTS:

Passion at the Donmar Warehouse, from 10 September 2010

Les Miserables at the Barbican Theatre, from 14 September 2010

Yes, Prime Minister at the Gielgud Theatre from 16 September 2010

Birdsong at the Comedy Theatre, from 18 September 2010

Flashdance at the Shaftesbury Theatre, from 24 September 2010

Onassis at the Novello Theatre, from 30 September

Les Miserables 25th Anniversary Concert at the O2 Arena, 3 October 2010

Fela! at the National Theatre, from 6 November 2010

The Master Builder at the Almeida Theatre, from 12 November 2010

To see the full list and all details visit the Sunday Times Rich List

RANK 2010	RANK2009	NAME	WORTH	RISE/FALL	SECTOR
25	-	Edgar Bronfman and family	£1,640m	New	Inheritance and music
89	52=	Lord Lloyd-Webber	£700m	DOWN £50m	Entertainment and music
98	146=	Sir Cameron Mackintosh	£635m	UP £285m	Entertainment and music
129	101	Joanne Rowling	£519m	UP £20m	Novels and films
145	120=	Sir Paul McCartney	£475m	UP £35m	Music
190=	178=	Simon Fuller	£350m	UP £50m	Entertainment and music
272=	238=	Mark Burnett and Roma Downey	£240m	UP £5m	Television
336=	297=	Sir Mick Jagger	£190m	-	Music
346=	322=	Nigel and Trevor Green	£189m	UP £14m	Films
348=	322=	Sir Elton John	£185m	UP £10m	Music
354=	309=	Sting	£180m	-	Music
354=	510=	Arpad Busson and Uma Thurman	£180m	UP £75m	Finance and films
371=	322=	Keith Richards	£175m	-	Music
371=	333=	Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas	£175m	UP £5m	Films
398=	438=	Simon Cowell	£165m	UP £45m	Music
41=	28=	Clive Calder	£1,300m	-	Music
431=	406=	Jamie Palumbo	£150m	UP £20m	Entertainment
472=	388=	Sir Tim Rice	£140m	-	Music
472=	438=	Ringo Starr	£140m	UP £20m	Music
486=	406=	Sir Tom Jones	£135m	UP £5m	Music
523=	438=	Eric Clapton	£125m	UP £5m	Music
540=	600=	Roger Ames	£120m	UP £30m	Music
596=	492=	Robert Bourne and Sally Greene	£110m	-	Property and theatre
596=	492=	Barry and Robin Gibb	£110m	-	Music
596=	510=	Sir Ridley and Tony Scott	£110m	UP £5m	Films
627=	503=	Phil Collins	£108m	-	Music
633=	540=	Rod Stewart	£105m	UP £5m	Music
653=	540=	David Bowie	£100m	-	Music
688=	600=	Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne	£95m	UP £5m	Music and television
714=	600=	George Michael	£90m	-	Music
763=	657=	Charlie Watts	£85m	-	Music
763=	657=	Roger Waters	£85m	-	Music
763=	694=	Robbie Williams	£85m	UP £5m	Music
808=	694=	Chris Blackwell	£80m	-	Music
808=	694=	Sir Sean Connery	£80m	-	Films
808=	751=	Judy Craymer	£80m	UP £5m	Music
808=	751=	Robert Plant	£80m	UP £5m	Music
861=	742=	David Gilmour	£78m	-	Music
875=	843=	Tracey Ullman and Allan McKeown	£75m	UP £7m	Television
875=	793=	Brian May	£75m	UP £5m	Music
875=	793=	Jimmy Page	£75m	UP £5m	Music
911=	853=	Moya Doherty and John McColgan	£72m	UP £5m	Entertainment
923=	793=	Rowan Atkinson	£70m	-	Entertainment
923=	863=	Roger Taylor	£70m	UP £5m	Music
991=	986=	Chris Wright	£64m	UP £9m	Music
1001=	924=	Mark Knopfler	£62m	UP £2m	Music
1037=	1077=	John Deacon	£60m	UP £10m	Music
1037=	863=	Sir Anthony Hopkins	£60m	DOWN £5m	Films
1037=	924=	Engelbert Humperdinck	£60m	-	Music
1130=	1046=	Noel and Liam Gallagher	£55m	UP £3m	Music
1130=	1077=	Guy Ritchie	£55m	UP £5m	Films
1195=	1046=	Matthew Vaughn and Claudia Schiffer	£52m	-	Films and modelling
1233=	1077=	Nick Mason	£50m	-	Music
1233=	1077=	Van Morrison	£50m	-	Music
1233=	1077=	Sir Roger Moore and Kristina Tholstrup	£50m	-	Films
1233=	1077=	Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter	£50m	-	Films
1233=	1348=	Sir Cliff Richard	£50m	UP £10m	Music
1373=	1203=	Sir Michael Caine	£45m	-	Films
1373=	1296=	Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow	£45m	UP £3m	Music and films
1373=	1550=	John Paul Jones	£45m	UP £10m	Music
1470=	-	Dario Franchitti and Ashley Judd	£42m	New	Motor racing and films
1536=	1348=	Bernie Taupin	£40m	-	Music
1536=	1348=	Pete Townshend	£40m	-	Music
1536=	1348=	Hugh Grant	£40m	-	Films
1719=	1550=	Jay Kay	£35m	-	Music
1719=	1550=	Ken Berry	£35m	-	Music
1719=	1550=	Kylie Minogue	£35m	-	Music
1719=	1550=	Mick Hucknall	£35m	-	Music
1719=	1771=	Gary Barlow	£35m	UP £5m	Music
1825=	-	John Giddings	£32m	New	Music
1825=	1673=	Paul Smith and Sarah King and family	£32m	-	Films

To see the full list and all details visit the Sunday Times Rich List

RANK 2010	RANK2009	NAME	WORTH	RISE/FALL	SECTOR
5	5	Daniel Radcliffe	£42m	£12m	Film
7=	8	Keira Knightley	£28m	£1m	Films
10=	10=	Emma Watson	£22m	£10m	Films
12	16=	Rupert Grint	£20m	£11m	Films
14	-	Robert Pattinson	£13m	New	Film
16=	12=	Charlotte Church	£11m	-	Music
16=	16=	Katherine Jenkins	£11m	£2m	Music
16=	16=	Leona Lewis	£11m	£3m	Music
20=	26=	Cheryl Cole	£10m	£6m	Music
20=	14=	Katie Melua	£10m	-	Music
23	18=	Joss Stone	£9m	£1m	Music
24=	18=	Craig David	£8m	-	Music
31=	22=	Natasha Bedingfield	£6m	-	Music
36=	25	Amy Winehouse	£5m	-	Music
36=	26=	Duffy	£5m	£1m	Music
36=	-	James Morrison	£5m	New	Music
36=	26=	Jamie Cullum	£5m	£1m	Music
36=	-	Kimberley Walsh	£5m	New	Music
36=	-	Lily Allen	£5m	New	Music
36=	26=	Lily Cole	£5m	£1m	Fashion and films
36=	-	Nadine Coyle	£5m	New	Music
36=	-	Nicola Roberts	£5m	New	Music
36=	-	Paolo Nutini	£5m	New	Music
36=	-	Sarah Harding	£5m	New	Music

Tap Dogs at the Novello Theatre

At the National Theatre, a revival of Terence Rattigan’s After The Dance starts previews from 1 June 2010 featuring Benedict Cumberbatch, and Richard Eye directs Moira Buffini’s new play Welcome to Thebes from 15 June. Also starting on the 15th is Tap Dogs at the Novello Theatre, which returns to London starring hot song and dance man Adam Garcia.

Wartime land girls play Lilies on the Land begins previews at the Arts Theatre from 8 June, and at the Almeida Ruth Wilson stars in a stage version of Ingmar Bergman’s Through a Glass Darkly from 10 June.

The Old Vic sees the next of its Bridge Project plays start on 12 June, in a new Sam Mendes production of As You Like It starring Stephen Dillane and Juliet Rylance.

Sticking with the Shakespeare theme, the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park starts previews of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors on 24 June, and the following day the Lyric Hammersmith transfers its sell-out fright-night chiller Ghost Stories to the Duke of York’s Theatre.

Finally, all-star, Broadway-bound comedy La Bete opens at the Comedy Theatre from 26 June starring Joanna Lumley, Mark Rylance and David Hyde Pierce.

MORE INFORMATION AND BOOKING

AFTER THE DANCE

National Theatre, from 1 June 2010

With next year’s centenary of playwright Terence Rattigan fast approaching, expect to see a number of high-profile revivals of his work – both on stage and screen.

This new production of his 1939 play After the Dance is directed for the National by Thea Sharrock (The Misanthrope, Equus) and is a subtle expose of the hedonistic 1920s generation, dealing with themes of repression and love.

As the world races towards catastrophe, a crowd of Mayfair socialites party their way to oblivion. At its centre is David, who idles away his sober moments researching a futile book until the beautiful Helen decides to save him, shattering his marriage and learning too late the depth of both David’s indolence and his wife’s undeclared love. But with finances about to crash and humanity on the brink of global conflict, the drink keeps flowing and the revellers dance on.

Book tickets to After the Dance at the National Theatre in London

LILIES ON THE LAND

Arts Theatre, from 8 June 2010

Lilies On The Land is moving and funny portrait of some of Britain’s pluckiest, unsung heroes. This charming, gripping tale celebrates the Women’s Land Army during World War II – an extraordinary episode in Britain’s history. This play charts the personal journeys of four women who sign up to become Land Girls, determined to work backbreaking hours on the land in a bid to do their bit for the war effort.

Based on letters and interviews with the original Land Girls, these women, who are all from different backgrounds and torn from their families, must survive the hardships of farming and the pressures of war. The cast of this compelling play features Rosalind Cressy, Sarah Finch, Dorothy Lawrence and Kali Peacock.

Book tickets to Lilies on the Land at the Arts Theatre in London

AS YOU LIKE IT

The Old Vic, from 12 June

Part of the successful Bridge Project – a transatlantic collaboration between the Old Vic in London and the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York – this year sees Oscar winning director Sam Mendes direct Shakespeare’s As You Like It and The Tempest.

The company is led by Stephan Dillane, Christian Camargo, Ron Cephas Jones and Juliet Rylance.

As You Like It is Shakespeare’s pastoral romantic comedy that features Juliet Rylance and Michelle Beck as the heroines Rosalind and Celia, and Christian Camargo and Thomas Sadoski as Orlando and Touchstone.

Young British actress Rylance, the daughter of acclaimed actor Mark Rylance, has appeared on stage both in New York and London, including Shakespeare’s Globe. Dillane, who plays Jacques in As You Like It, returns to the stage for the first time since winning a Tony Award for Tom Stoppard’s The Real Thing.

Books tickets to As You Like It at the Old Vic Theatre in London

TAP DOGS

Novello Theatre, from 15 June 2010

Adam Garcia will return to the London stage this June in the Australian dance show Tap Dogs.

Tap Dogs is a worldwide hit that combines the strength and power of workmen with the precision and talent of tap dancing. The adrenalin-pumped cast of this award-winning show inject raw passion and power into the ultimate visual dance spectacular.

Adam Garcia started his career in 1992 in the Australian tour of Hot Shoe Shuffle – which transferred to the West End – and went on to perform in Grease, Saturday Night Fever, Wicked and as a judge on Sky 1 entertainment show Got To Dance.

Book tickets to Tap Dogs at the Novello Theatre in London

GHOST STORIES

Duke of York’s Theatre, from 25 June 2010

A truly terrifying theatrical experience written and directed by The League of Gentlemen’s master of the macabre, Jeremy Dyson, and Andy Nyman, co-creator and director of Derren Brown’s television and stage shows and star of Dead Set and Severance.

As three men gather together, each has an uncanny, chilling tale to tell. Ghost Stories played a hugely successful run at the Lyric Hammersmith before transferring to the Duke of York’s theatre in the West End. The show stars Nicholas Burns, David Cardy, Ryan Gage and Andy Nyman.

Strictly for theatregoers aged 16 and older.

“Brilliant and deeply unsettling” The Telegraph
“A pant-wetter of a night. It’s terrifying” Daily Mail
“Yes, I gulped and others screeched” The Times
“Hugely entertaining piece of theatre” The Stage

Book tickets to Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London

LA BETE

Comedy Theatre, from 26 June 2010

American playwright David Hirson’s rollicking 1991 play, La Bete is a comic tour de force about Elomire (David Hyde Pierce – “Frasier”), a high-minded classical dramatist who loves only the theatre, and Valere (Mark Rylance – “Jerusalem”), a low-brow street clown who loves only himself. When the fickle princess (Joanna Lumley – “Absolutely Fabulous”) decides she’s grown weary of Elomire’s royal theatre troupe, he and Valere are left fighting for survival as art squares off with ego in a literary showdown for the ages.

Other cast include Stephen Ouimette, Lisa Joyce, Greta Lee, Robert Lonsdale, Michael Milligan, Liza Sadovy and Sally Wingert. The play will be directed by Matthew Warchus and run for a limited season at the Comedy Theatre before heading to Broadway.

Book tickets to La Bete at the Comedy Theatre in London

An increasing number of West End shows are now playing on a Sunday, with much of the centre of London open for shopping, eating and entertainment all weekend.

Shows playing on a Sunday include Jersey Boys, the award-winning Broadway musical at the Prince Edward Theatre in London based on the music and lives of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons; Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre; Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre; Stomp at the Ambassadors Theatre; The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre; selected plays at the National Theatre; Australian dance sensation Tap Dogs at the Novello Theatre; terrifying Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre; and classic family story The Railway Children in an exciting new venue at Waterloo station.

New shows coming to London that will also feature Sunday performances include Andrew Lloyd Webber’s multi-million pound production of The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium, and Simon Russell-Beale and Jonathan Groff in Deathtrap at the Noel Coward Theatre.

SUNDAY SHOWS

Legally Blonde Jersey Boys Sundays at 3pm Sundays at 3pm BOOK NOW BOOK NOW Thriller Live Priscilla Sundays at 3.30pm and 7.30pm Sundays at 3pm until 5 Sept BOOK NOW BOOK NOW Stomp The Lion King Sundays at 3pm and 6pm Sundays at 3pm (2.30pm from 5th October) BOOK NOW BOOK NOW Tap Dogs National Theatre Sundays at 3pm Sundays – Times vary BOOK NOW BOOK NOW Railway Children Ghost Stories Sundays at 1pm Sundays at 5pm BOOK NOW BOOK NOW

]]> http://www.westendtheatre.com/2100/features/sunday-shows-in-the-west-end/feed/ 0 http://www.westendtheatre.com/1939/features/west-end-theatre-twitter-watch/ http://www.westendtheatre.com/1939/features/west-end-theatre-twitter-watch/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:39:02 +0000 admin http://www.westendtheatre.com/?p=1939

Keep your theatrical tweetings up-to-date with our West End Theatre Twitter Watch, including London shows, stars and talent and selected West End venues.

OUR TWITTER LISTS:

• West End Shows
• West End Stars
• West End Venues

Anything to add? Let us know what you’ve found by contacting us.

Also don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @westend_theatre

WEST END SHOWS

39 Steps at the Criterion Theatre: @love39steps

Avenue Q at the Wyndhams Theatre: @AvenueQ_London

Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace Theatre: @BillyElliotUK

Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre: @chicagolondon

Grease at the Piccadilly Theatre: @GreaseMusical

Hair at the Gieldgud Theatre: @hairmusicaluk

Jersey Boys at the Prince Edward Theatre: @JerseyBoysUK

Legally Blonde at the Savoy Theatre: @LBtheMusical

Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre: @Les_Miserables

Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre: @LoveNeverDies

Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre: @MammaMiaMusical

Oliver! at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane: @Oliver_Musical

Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre: @TheOperaGhosts

Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical at the Palace Theatre: @PriscillaBus

Sister Act at the London Palladium: @SisterActLondon

Thriller Live at the Lyric Theatre: @ThrillerLive

War Horse at the New London Theatre: @warhorselondon

Wicked at the Apollo Victoria: @WickedLondon

We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre: @WWRYlondon

Archive:

Hairspray: @HairsprayUK

WEST END STARS

Gavin Creel in Hair: @Gavincreel

Sheridan Smith in Legally Blonde: @sheridansmith1

Ramin Karimloo in Love Never Dies: @raminkarimloo

Kevin Spacey, Artistic Director at the Old Vic: @KevinSPacey

Duncan James in Legally Blonde: @Mrduncanjames

Alex Gaumond in Legally Blonde: @alexgaumond

Tamzin Outhwaite in Sweet Charity: @Mouthwaite

Jodie Prenger in Spamalot UK Tour: @Musicalmissy

Oliver Thornton in Priscilla Queen of the Desert: @oliverrthornton

Andrew Lloyd Webber, Composer of Love Never Dies and The Phantom of the Opera: @ALloydWebber

Simon Webbe in Sister Act: @simonwebbe1

Gareth Gates in Les Miserables (UK tour and Barbican): @Gareth_Gates

Richard Fleeshman in Legally Blonde: @RFleeshman

Ricko Baird in Thriller Live @freedomtown27

Jenny Seagrove in Bedroom Farce @springmeister

Katherine Kingsley in Aspects of Love: @katkingsley

Michael Arden in Aspects of Love: @michaelarden

Emma Williams in Love Story (Chichester): @Williamstweet

Nick Jonas in Les Miserables: @nickjonas

Camilla Kerslake in Les Miserables: @CamillaKerslake

Arlene Phillips, Choreographer @arlenephillips

Ute Lemper @UteLemper

Matthew Macfadyen: @a7mm

Kim Cattrall: @kimcattrall

Tamsin Greig: @Tamsin_Greig

Sir Ian McKellen: @THEREALSIRIAN

Ray Quinn in Dirty Dancing: @therealRayQuinn

Lauren Samuels in Grease: @Laurensamuels88

Hannah Waddingham in Into The Woods: @HannahWad

WEST END VENUES

Almeida: @almeidaTheatre

Barbican Centre: @Barbicancentre

Donmar Warehouse: @DonmarWarehouse

English National Opera: @E_N_O

National Theatre: @NationalTheatre

Old Vic: @OldVicTheatre

Open Air Theatre: @OpenAirTheatre

Royal Court: @RoyalCourt

Royal Opera House: @RoyalOperaHouse

Sadler’s Wells: @Sadlers_Wells

Shakespeare’s Globe: @The_Globe

Southbank Centre: @SouthbankCentre

Young Vic: @YoungVicTheatre

WEST END THEATRE

westendtheatre.com: @westend_theatre

It’s Awards Season so here’s our ongoing round-up of what’s winning. So far this year PLAYS have dominated the discussion and the gongs have gone to some high-profile celebrities, all adding some much needed sparkle to the West End’s award season. Afterall, why should Hollywood have all the fun? Here’s the latest on the Olivier Awards, What’s On Stage, South Bank Show and Critics’ Circle Awards. Up next are Broadway’s Tony Awards on the 13 June 2010.

TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS 2010

Best Play

In the Next Room or the vibrator play

Author: Sarah Ruhl
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten

Next Fall

Author: Geoffrey Nauffts
Producers: Elton John and David Furnish, Barbara Manocherian, Richard Willis, Tom Smedes, Carole L. Haber/Chase Mishkin, Ostar, Anthony Barrile, Michael Palitz, Bob Boyett, James Spry/Catherine Schreiber, Probo Productions, Roy Furman, Naked Angels

Red

Author: John Logan
Producers: Arielle Tepper Madover, Stephanie P. McClelland, Matthew Byam Shaw, Neal Street, Fox Theatricals, Ruth Hendel/Barbara Whitman, Philip Hagemann/Murray Rosenthal, The Donmar Warehouse

Time Stands Still

Author: Donald Margulies
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Nelle Nugent/Wendy Federman

Best Musical

American Idiot

Producers: Tom Hulce & Ira Pittelman, Ruth and Steven Hendel, Vivek J. Tiwary and Gary Kaplan, Aged in Wood and Burnt Umber, Scott Delman, Latitude Link, HOP Theatricals and Jeffrey Finn, Larry Welk, Bensinger Filerman and Moellenberg Taylor, Allan S. Gordon/Elan V. McAllister, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Awaken Entertainment, John Pinckard and John Domo

Fela!

Producers: Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Will & Jada Pinkett Smith, Ruth & Stephen Hendel, Roy Gabay, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Edward Tyler Nahem, Slava Smolokowski, Chip Meyrelles/Ken Greiner, Douglas G. Smith, Steve Semlitz/Cathy Glaser, Daryl Roth/True Love Productions, Susan Dietz/Mort Swinsky, Knitting Factory Entertainment

Memphis

Producers: Junkyard Dog Productions, Barbara and Buddy Freitag, Marleen and Kenny Alhadeff, Latitude Link, Jim and Susan Blair, Demos Bizar Entertainment, Land Line Productions, Apples and Oranges Productions, Dave Copley, Dancap Productions, Inc., Alex and Katya Lukianov, Tony Ponturo, 2 Guys Productions, Richard Winkler, Lauren Doll, Eric and Marsi Gardiner, Linda and Bill Potter, Broadway Across America, Jocko Productions, Patty Baker, Dan Frishwasser, Bob Bartner/Scott and Kaylin Union, Loraine Boyle/Chase Mishkin, Remmel T. Dickinson/Memphis Orpheum Group, ShadowCatcher Entertainment/Vijay and Sita Vashee

Million Dollar Quartet

Producers: Relevant Theatricals, John Cossette Productions, American Pop Anthology, Broadway Across America, James L. Nederlander

Best Book of a Musical

Everyday Rapture

Dick Scanlan and Sherie Rene Scott

Fela!

Jim Lewis & Bill T. Jones

Memphis

Joe DiPietro

Million Dollar Quartet

Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

The Addams Family

Music & Lyrics: Andrew Lippa

Enron

Music: Adam Cork
Lyrics: Lucy Prebble

Fences

Music: Branford Marsalis

Memphis

Music: David Bryan
Lyrics: Joe DiPietro, David Bryan

Best Revival of a Play

Fences

Producers: Carole Shorenstein Hays and Scott Rudin

Lend Me a Tenor

Producers: The Araca Group, Stuart Thompson, Carl Moellenberg, Rodney Rigby, Olympus Theatricals, Broadway Across America, The Shubert Organization, Wendy Federman/Jamie deRoy/Richard Winkler, Lisa Cartwright, Spring Sirkin, Scott and Brian Zeilinger

The Royal Family

Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove

A View from the Bridge

Producers: Stuart Thompson, The Araca Group, Jeffrey Finn, Broadway Across America, Olympus Theatricals, Marisa Sechrest, The Weinstein Company, Jon B. Platt, Sonia Friedman Productions/Robert G. Bartner, Mort Swinsky/Joseph Deitch, Adam Zotovich/Ruth Hendel/Orin Wolf, Shelter Island Enterprises, The Shubert Organization

Best Revival of a Musical

Finian’s Rainbow

Producers: David Richenthal, Jack Viertel, Alan D. Marks, Michael Speyer, Bernard Abrams, David M. Milch, Stephen Moore, Debbie Bisno/Myla Lerner, Jujamcyn Theaters, Melly Garcia, Jamie deRoy, Jon Bierman, Richard Driehaus, Kevin Spirtas, Jay Binder, StageVentures 2009 Limited Partnership

La Cage aux Folles

Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, David Babani, Barry and Fran Weissler and Edwin W. Schloss, Bob Bartner/Norman Tulchin, Broadway Across America, Matthew Mitchell, Raise The Roof 4 Richard Winkler/Bensinger Taylor/Laudenslager Bergrère, Arelene Scanlan/John O’Boyle, Independent Presenters Network, Olympus Theatricals, Allen Spivak, Jerry Frankel/Bat-Barry Productions, Nederlander Presentations, Inc/Harvey Weinstein, Menier Chocolate Factory

A Little Night Music

Producers: Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, The Menier Chocolate Factory, Roger Berlind, David Babani, Sonia Friedman Productions, Andrew Fell, Daryl Roth/Jane Bergere, Harvey Weinstein/Raise the Roof 3, Beverly Bartner/Dancap Productions, Inc., Nica Burns/Max Weitzenhoffer, Eric Falkenstein/Anna Czekaj, Jerry Frankel/Ronald Frankel, James D. Stern/Douglas L. Meyer

Ragtime

Producers: Kevin McCollum, Roy Furman, Scott Delman, Roger Berlind, Max Cooper, Tom Kirdahy/Devlin Elliott, Jeffrey A. Sine, Stephanie P. McClelland, Roy Miller, Lams Productions, Jana Robbins, Sharon Karmazin, Eric Falkenstein/Morris Berchard, RialtoGals Productions, Independent Presenters Network, Held-Haffner Productions, HRH Foundation, Emanuel Azenberg, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Michael Kaiser, Max Woodward

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Jude Law, Hamlet
Alfred Molina, Red
Liev Schreiber, A View from the Bridge
Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane
Denzel Washington, Fences

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Viola Davis, Fences
Valerie Harper, Looped
Linda Lavin, Collected Stories
Laura Linney, Time Stands Still
Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles
Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises
Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Chad Kimball, Memphis
Sahr Ngaujah, Fela!

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Kate Baldwin, Finian’s Rainbow
Montego Glover, Memphis
Christiane Noll, Ragtime
Sherie Rene Scott, Everyday Rapture
Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

David Alan Grier, Race
Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences
Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts
Stephen Kunken, Enron
Eddie Redmayne, Red

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Maria Dizzia, In the Next Room or the vibrator play
Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family
Jessica Hecht, A View from the Bridge
Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Jan Maxwell, Lend Me a Tenor

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Kevin Chamberlin, The Addams Family
Robin De Jesús, La Cage aux Folles
Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian’s Rainbow
Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim
Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music
Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away
Lillias White, Fela!

Best Scenic Design of a Play

John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family
Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter
Santo Loquasto, Fences
Christopher Oram, Red

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici, Fela!
Christine Jones, American Idiot
Derek McLane, Ragtime
Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

Best Costume Design of a Play

Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me a Tenor
Constanza Romero, Fences
David Zinn, In the Next Room or the vibrator play
Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Marina Draghici, Fela!
Santo Loquasto, Ragtime
Paul Tazewell, Memphis
Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Neil Austin, Hamlet
Neil Austin, Red
Mark Henderson, Enron
Brian MacDevitt, Fences

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Donald Holder, Ragtime
Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Wierzel, Fela!

Best Sound Design of a Play

Acme Sound Partners, Fences
Adam Cork, Enron
Adam Cork, Red
Scott Lehrer, A View from the Bridge

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles
Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!
Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music
Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

Best Direction of a Play

Michael Grandage, Red
Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall
Kenny Leon, Fences
Gregory Mosher, A View from the Bridge

Best Direction of a Musical

Christopher Ashley, Memphis
Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime
Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Bill T. Jones, Fela!

Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises
Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles
Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away

Best Orchestrations

Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles
Aaron Johnson, Fela!
Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises

Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis

*     *     *

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Alan Ayckbourn
Marian Seldes

Regional Theatre Tony Award
The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Connecticut

Isabelle Stevenson Award
David Hyde Pierce

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
Alliance of Resident Theatres/New York
B.H. Barry
Tom Viola

OLIVIER AWARDS 2010

Audience Award for Most Popular Show
Wicked
Music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Winnie Holzman at the Apollo Victoria theatre
Best Actress
Rachel Weisz
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor
Mark Rylance
JERUSALEM at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs and now at the Apollo theatre
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Ruth Wilson
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Eddie Redmayne
RED at the Donmar Warehouse
Best Revival
Cat On A Hot Tin Roof
Directed by Debbie Allen at the Novello theatre
Best Entertainment
Morecambe
By Tim Whitnall, at the Duchess theatre
Best New Play
The Mountaintop
By Katori Hall at Trafalgar Studio 1
Best New Comedy
The Priory
By Michael Wynne at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs
Best Musical Revival
Hello Dolly!
Book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, based on the play The Matchmaker by Thornton Wilder, at the Open Air theatre
Best New Musical
Spring Awakening
Music by Duncan Sheik, book and lyrics by Steven Sater, based on the play by Frank Wedekind, at the Novello theatre
Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment
Samantha Spiro
HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air theatre
Best Actor in a Musical or Entertainment
Aneurin Barnard
SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre
Best Supporting Performance in a Musical or Entertainment
Iwan Rheon
SPRING AWAKENING at the Novello theatre
Best Director
Rupert Goold
ENRON at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs and now at the Noël Coward theatre
Best Theatre Choreographer
Stephen Mear
HELLO DOLLY! at the Open Air theatre
Best Lighting Design
Burnt By The Sun
Designed by Mark Henderson at the National Theatre, Lyttelton
Best Set Design
Jerusalem
Designed by Ultz at the Royal Court Jerwood Theatre Downstairs and now at the Apollo theatre
Best Costume Design
Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert – The Musical
Designed by Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner at the Palace theatre
Best Sound Design
Spring Awakening
Designed by Brian Ronan at the Novello theatre
Outstanding Achievement in an Affiliate Theatre
The Royal Court for COCK
Jerwood Theatre Upstairs
Best New Opera Production
The Royal Operas TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
At the Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Opera
Nina Stemme
For her performance in the Royal Operas TRISTAN UND ISOLDE at the Royal Opera House
Best New Dance Production
The Brandstrup-Rojo projects GOLDBERG
At the Royal Opera House
Outstanding Achievement in Dance
Rambert Dance Company
For an outstanding year of new work
Outstanding Achievement
Michael Codron
Special Award
Maggie Smith

WHAT’S ON STAGE AWARDS 2010

Best Actress in a Play
Rachel Weisz
A Streetcar Named Desire

The CAPITAL BREAKS Best Actor in a Play
Jude Law
Hamlet

Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Miriam Margolyes
Endgame

Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Patrick Stewart
Hamlet

The BABY GRAND Best Actress in a Musical
Patina Miller
Sister Act

The SEE TICKETS Best Actor in a Musical
Rowan Atkinson
Oliver!

Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Jodie Prenger
Oliver!

Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Oliver Thornton
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The MOBIUS INDUSTRIES Best Solo Performance
Derren Brown
Derren Brown: Enigma

The LES MISERABLES 25th Anniversary Award for Best Ensemble Performance
On the Waterfront

The MILK TWO SUGARS Best Takeover in a RoleJohn Barrowman
La Cage aux Folles

The NICK HERN BOOKS Best New PlayJerusalem
by Jez Butterworth

The WALDORF HILTON Best New ComedyCalendar Girls
by Tim Firth

The SUPERBREAK Best New Musical
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The EMG Best Play Revival
A Streetcar Named Desire

The AMBASSADOR TICKETS Best Musical Revival
Oliver!

The SHAKESPEARE 4 KIDZ Best Shakespearean Production
Hamlet
RSC

Best Director
Trevor Nunn
Inherit the Wind at the Old Vic & A Little Night Music at the Menier Chocolate Factory & Garrick

Best Set Designer
Brian Thomson
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The WHITE LIGHT Best Lighting DesignerNatasha Katz
Sister Act

Best Choreographer
Ross Coleman
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

The DEWYNTERS London Newcomer of the YearDiana Vickers
The Rise & Fall of Little Voic

Best Off-West End Production
The Pirates of Penzance
at the Union Theatre

The BOOKING OFFICE Best Regional ProductionAdolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall

The GROUPLINE Best West End Show
Wicked

The AKA Theatre Event of the Year
The pairing of Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in Waiting for Godot

THE SOUTH BANK SHOW AWARDS 2010

Comedy
Presented by Billy Connolly

Winner: The Thick Of It – BBC2  – Armando Iannucci’s dark political comedy set in the corridors of the British government.

Home Time – BBC2
The Inbetweeners – E4
Dance
Presented by Royal Ballet principle Tamara Rojo

Winner: E=mc² – David Bintley – Birmingham Royal Ballet – David Bintley’s new ballet for the Birmingham Royal Ballet, named after Einstein’s theory of relativity, with force fields of dancers.

Diversity – Dance Troupe
Limen – Wayne McGregor – Royal Opera House
TV Drama
Presented by Rob Brydon

Winner: Red Riding – C4 – Adapted from David Peace’s cult noir novels, an ambitious, dark and thrilling trilogy of interlinking films set in Yorkshire in the 1970s and 80s.

Being Human – BBC3
Collision – ITV1
Pop
Presented by Jarvis Cocker

Winner: Florence + the Machine – Lungs (not in attendance – acceptance speech through VT) – Her soaring, epic vocals, quirky melodies and self-contained musical world, found in her debut and platinum selling album Lungs.

Frankmusik – Complete Me
The xx – xx
Visual Arts
Presented by Grayson Perry

Winner: Anish Kapoor – RA – Anish Kapoor‘s joyful mid career retrospective exhibition, including his shooting cannon, which by the end of the exhibition had fired over 20 tons of molten wax.

Richard Long – Tate Britain
Roger Hiorns – Seizure
Film
Presented by Rachel Weisz

Winner: Fish Tank – Academy-award winning writer/director Andrea Arnold’s second film, Fish Tank – set in Essex, is the story of Mia, a volatile 15 year old.

An Education
The Damned United
Literature
Presented by PD James

Winner: The Quickening Maze – Adam Foulds – A sympathetic and poetic exploration of John Clare’s madness.

Forest Gate – Peter Akinti
The Little Stranger – Sarah Waters
Opera
Presented by Rolando Villazon

Winner: Peter Grimes – ENO – David Alden’s coruscating production of Peter Grimes.

Into the Little Hill / Down by the Greenwood Side – Linbury Studio – ROH2 / The Opera Group / London Sinfonietta
The Fairy Queen – Glyndebourne
Theatre
Presented by Dominic West

Winner: A Streetcar Named Desire – Donmar Warehouse – The Donmar’s revival starring Rachel Weisz.

Jerusalem – Jez Butterworth – Royal Court Theatre
The Habit of Art – Alan Bennett – National Theatre
Arts Council England’s Diversity Award
Presented by Jo Whiley

Winner: Julie McNamara – Playwright and performing artist.

Jenny Sealey – Graeae Theatre Company
Clean Break – Theatre, Education, new Writing
Classical Music
Presented by trumpeter Alison Balsom

Winner: Nielsen; Inextinguishable – A cycle of concerts performed by The Hallé Orchestra and The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra – Two leading British orchestras, The Hallé Orchestra and The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, join forces for a cycle of symphonies by arguably Denmark’s greatest composer, Carl Nielsen.

City of Dreams: Vienna 1900-1935 –  Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen
Easter Reflections – The Sixteen
The Times Breakthrough Award
Presented by Sir Ian McKellen

Winner: David Blandy – for Visual Art

Alina Ibragimova – for Classical Music
Emma Fryer – for Comedy
Melissa Hamilton – for Dance
Carey Mulligan – for Film
Peter Akinti – for Literature
Daniel Kramer – for Opera
The xx – for Pop
Lucy Prebble – for Theatre
Suranne Jones – for TV Drama
Outstanding Achievement Award in association with The Dorchester
Presented by Sir David Attenborough

Winner: Melvyn Bragg

THE CRITICS’ CIRCLE THEATRE AWARDS 2010

Best New Play
Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth (Royal Court)

The Peter Hepple Award for Best Musical (new or revival)
Spring Awakening (Lyric Hammersmith and Novello theatre)

Best Actor
Mark Rylance in Jerusalem (Royal Court)

Best Actress
Rachel Weisz in A Streetcar Named Desire (Donmar Warehouse)

The John and Wendy Trewin Award for Best Shakespearean Performance
Jude Law in Hamlet (Donmar at Wyndham’s theatre)

Best Director
Rupert Goold for Enron (Headlong at Minerva theatre Chichester and Royal Court)

Best Designer
Christopher Oram for Red (Donmar Warehouse)

Most Promising Playwright
Alia Bano for Shades (Royal Court)

The Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer (other than a playwright)
Tom Sturridge in Punk Rock (Lyric Hammersmith)

Most West End shows produce learning packs and resources for children built around their show. These packs assist teachers in guiding children’s learning around key themes within the musical or play.

But it’s not only teachers who can make use of these useful publications. The education packs are readily available, and prove an excellent resource for parents, allowing a family trip to the theatre to live beyond the performance and become an interesting way for children to learn.

Activities within the packs are usually based on the characters, themes, music, history, story or original source material of the show. When combined with a visit to the theatre, the packs will help to captivate children’s imaginations and provide an inspiring learning experience.

The education packs are often linked to curriculum requirements, helping to engage pupils and act as a catalyst to learning.

Most of the large-scale producing houses in London, such as the National Theatre, the Royal Court and Shakespeare’s Globe, also produce a wealth of education information.

We’ve brought together below a range of resources for teachers and parents built around key West End shows and venues.

It now hosts an interesting mix of theatre, with a new season of plays and musicals starting this month featuring short runs of crowd-pleasing shows, from hilarious farce Daisy Pulls It Off, to play A Man of No Importance and fun musicals Naked Boys Singing and Nunsense A-Men.

The originalvenue launched in 1927 as a private members’ theatre to avoid the censorship of the Lord Chamberlain. In the fifties it was run by Peter Hall and hosted the London premiere of Samuel Becket’s Waiting for Godot.

The 347-seat venue is run under a partnership between Dominic Madden for theatre investment group Kingdom Entertainment Group and Wimpole Theatre and the facilities of the theatre include two newly refurbished bars – plus The London Cocktail Club, a pre and post theatre private members club.

Highlights of the current season include:

DAISY PULLS IT OFF

19 January – 6 February 2010

This riotous romp returns to the West End in Denise Deegan’s hilarious parody of jolly hockey sticks adventure stories set in a 1920s girls’ boarding school.

Save £6.50 on tickets – Book Now

NUNSENSE A-MEN

25 January – 25 March 2010

An hilarious spoof about the misadventures of five nuns trying to manage a fundraiser – with all characters played by male musical stars!

Tickets from only £13.50 – Book Now

NAKED BOYS SINGING

27 January – 27 March 2010
Returning to the Arts Theatre after a successful run last year, Naked Boys Singing! is a musical comedy revue featuring an original score of 16 songs celebrating the splendours of male nudity. Seven good-looking and talented male actors celebrate the glories of the naked male body through a series of catchy, pithy cabaret numbers, both funny and poignant. Please Note: Contains full male nudity. Age recommendation 16 years +

Tickets from only £13.50 – Book Now

A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE

10 – 27 February 2010

Chamber musical based on the 1994 film starring Albert Finney. The show won the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best off-Broadway Musical, and will run at the Arts from February 10 to 27 starring Olivier Award-winner Paul Clarkson.

Save £6.50 on tickets – Book Now

The West End’s longest running shows

Last month Disney’s The Lion King became the ninth longest-running musical in West End history. The show, which plays at the Lyceum Theatre, pushed Cameron Mackintosh’s hit production of Miss Saigon off the spot, when it played its 4,265th performance on 18 December 2009.

The Lion King is one of only five musicals in theatre history to play for ten years or more on both Broadway and the West End, and the Broadway production also stands as the ninth longest running musical on the Great White Way.

In London the show has been by more than 8 million people and has won a slate of international awards.

It has quite a way to go to beat the longest running musical on the West End’s stage, Les Miserables, which originally opened at the Barbican Theatre on 8 October 1985. The show is closely followed by Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, which is in its 24^th year in the West End – and still at its original venue, Her Majesty’s Theatre. Lloyd-Webber must be hoping his sequel to The Phantom, Love Never Dies, is as much of a success. And it’s looking good given that the show has already taken around £8 million in ticket sales, with previews not starting at the Adelphi Theatre until 20 February.

Of course, all of the musicals on the longest-running list pale in to insignificance compared to the longest-running show on the London stage: The Mousetrap, which opened on the 25 November 1952 at the Ambassadors Theatre and is still going strong 57 years later at the St Martin’s Theatre.

The West End’s longest-running musicals:

1. Les Miserables at the Queen’s Theatre – opened 8 October 1985 originally at the Barbican Theatre

2. The Phantom of the Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre – opened 9 October 1986

3. Blood Brothers at the Phoenix Theatre – opened 28 July 1988 originally at the Albery Theatre

4. Cats – opened 11 May 1981 at the New London Theatre and closed 11 May 2002

5. Starlight Express – opened 27 March 1984 at the Apollo Victoria Theatre and closed 12 January 2002

6. Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre – opened 18 November 1997 originally at the Adelphi Theatre

7. Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story – opened 12 October 1989 at the Victoria Palace Theatre, transferred to the Novello (formerly the Strand) Theatre October 1995 and closed 19 May 2002

8. Mamma Mia! at the Prince of Wales Theatre – opened 6 April 1999 originally at the Prince Edward Theatre

9. Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre – opened 19 October 1999

10. Miss Saigon at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane – opened 20 September 1989 and closed 30 October 1999

The West End’s longest-running plays or entertainment shows:

1. The Mousetrap at the St Martin’s Theatre – opened 25 November 1952 originally at the Ambassadors Theatre

2. No Sex Please, We’re British at the Strand Theatre – opened 3 June 1971 and closed 16 January 1987

3.  The Black and White Minstrel Show at the Victoria Palace Theatre – opened in 1962 and closed about 1972

4. Aldwych Farces at the Aldwych Theatre – opened in 1925 and closed in 1933

5. There’s A Girl In My Soup at the Globe Theatre – opened in June 1966 and closed in 1973

Book tickets to The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre in London

Save £19.50 on tickets to see Les Miersbales – the world’s longest running show – at the Queen’s Theatre