Sweeney Todd at the Adelphi Theatre starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton
November 18, 2011
Following a sell-out run in Chichester, Jonathan Kent’s critically acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd transfers to London’s Adelphi Theatre for a limited season starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton.
Sweeney Todd starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton to play West End in March
November 4, 2011
The acclaimed production of Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd, which has been playing in Chichester to packed houses, will transfer into the West End in March 2012.
Starring Michael Ball as Sweeney Todd and Imelda Staunton as Mrs Lovett, the show will play at the Adelphi Theatre from 10 March 2012.
The show is directed by Jonathan Kent and designed by Anthony Ward.
LINKS
SIGN UP to our News Alerts service to be the first to hear about London theatre news and offers
STAGE SPY CHECK-LIST
- Show: Sweeney Todd
- Author: Stephen Sondheim, Hugh Wheeler
- Theatre: Adelphi Theatre
- Director: Jonathan Kent
- Stars: Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton
- Opens: 10 March 2012
- Original production: Chichester Festival Theatre, 24 September 2011
Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball in Sweeney Todd. Photo: Roy Tan
Last few days for Chicago as it closes at the Cambridge Theatre
August 21, 2011
Chicago The Musical is making its final razzle dazzle at the Cambridge Theatre this month before closing on Saturday 27 August 2011.
Jonathan Wilkes in Chicago
There are still special offer tickets available for the final few performances at the Cambridge Theatre, currently starring Jonathan Wilkes.
Supermodel Christine Brinkley recently made her debut in the London show after wowing Broadway with her performance as Roxie Hart.
Chicago opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 18 November 1997 and won the 1998 Olivier Award for ‘Outstanding Musical Production’. The show transferred from the Adelphi Theatre to the Cambridge Theatre in April 2006.
On the same day that the show closes in London, the original Broadway production will celebrate its 6,138 performance on the Great White Way, beating A Chorus Line’s record to make it the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history.
Chicago is based on the play by Maurine Dallas Watkins and has a book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The show’s entire original Broadway creative team staged the West End production including choreography by Ann Reinking in the style of Bob Fosse and direction by Walter Bobbie.
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre in London
VIDEO MEMORIES
Ute Lemper & Ruthie Henshall Perform ‘Hot Honey Rag’
VIDEO: Chicago memories: Ute Lemper and Ruthie Henshall in Chicago
August 21, 2011
Chicago closes at the Cambridge Theatre in London this month.
Ute Lemper and Ruthie Henshall in the original London cast of Chicago
Since the show first opened at the Adelphi Theatre on 18 November 1997 it has wowed millions of people in London.
Here we pay tribute to the show with some memories from the past. First up, the original stars of the London production, Ute Lemper and Ruthie Henshall, perform Hot Honey Rag.
SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Chicago at the Cambridge Theatre in London
VIDEO
Ute Lemper & Ruthie Henshall Perform ‘Hot Honey Rag’
James Corden Leads Original Cast In West End Transfer Of National Theatre’s Five Star One Man, Two Guvnors
July 12, 2011
NICHOLAS HYTNER’S PRODUCTION OF RICHARD BEAN’S NEW ADAPTATION, WITH SONGS BY GRANT OLDING, OPENS AT ADELPHI THEATRE IN NOVEMBER
NATIONAL THEATRE LIVE BROADCAST TO CINEMAS WORLDWIDE ON 15 SEPTEMBER 2011
Nicholas Hytner’s five star production of One Man, Two Guvnors will transfer to the West End for a 16 week run following its sell-out run at the National Theatre, subsequent UK tour and National Theatre Live cinema broadcast. Nearly 200,000 tickets go on sale on Thursday 14 July for performances at the Adelphi Theatre from 8 November 2011 – 25 February 2012. Press night will be on 21 November at 7pm.
James Corden, whose performance as Francis Henshall has been relished by critics and audiences alike at the National Theatre, will continue in the role for the West End run, joined by his ‘two guvnors’ Oliver Chris and Jemima Rooper, along with original cast members David Benson, Tom Edden, Martyn Ellis, Trevor Laird, Claire Lams, Fred Ridgeway, Daniel Rigby and Suzie Toase; with Owain Arthur, Polly Conway, Derek Elroy, David Hunter, Paul Lancaster, Gareth Mason and Clare Thomson.
Richard Bean’s adaptation, based on by Carlo Goldoni ‘s The Servant of Two Masters, with songs by Grant Olding, opened at the Lyttelton at the National Theatre in May. The production will tour to Aylesbury, Plymouth, Salford, Birmingham and Edinburgh before opening in the West End. One Man, Two Guvnors is also part of the National Theatre Live season, with a live broadcast to cinemas all over the world on 15 September 2011. One Man, Two Guvnors Associate Director is Cal McCrystal, designs are by Mark Thompson, with lighting by Mark Henderson, music by Grant Olding, sound design by Paul Arditti, fight direction by Kate Waters and choreography by Adam Penford.
In Richard Bean’s English version of Goldoni’s classic Italian comedy, sex, food and money are high on the agenda. Fired from his skiffle band, Francis Henshall becomes minder to Roscoe Crabbe, a small time East End hood, now in Brighton to collect £6000 from his fiancee’s dad. But Roscoe is really his sister Rachel posing as her own dead brother, who’s been killed by her boyfriend Stanley Stubbers. Holed up at the Cricketers’ Arms, the permanently ravenous Francis spots the chance of an extra meal ticket and takes a second job with one Stanley Stubbers, who is hiding from the police and waiting to be re-united with Rachel. To prevent discovery, Francis must keep his two guvnors apart. Simple.
Richard Bean’s plays include England People Very Nice for the National The Heretic, Harvest (winner of the 2006 Critics’ Circle Award for Best New Play), Honeymoon Suite, Under the Whaleback and Toast for the Royal Court and The Big Fellah for Out of Joint at the Lyric Hammersmith and on tour. He adapted David Mamet’s House of Games and wrote a new version of The Hypochondriac for the Almeida Theatre.
James Corden last appeared at the National Theatre in Nicholas Hytner’s original production of The History Boys, which transferred to Broadway, toured internationally and was adapted for the screen. Since then, his extensive television work includes the multi award-wining Gavin and Stacey, Horne and Corden (both of which he co-wrote) and Fat Friends. On film his credits include 3 Musketeers, Gulliver’s Travels, How to Loose Friends and Alienate People and Starter for Ten. Corden has also appeared on television co-presenting The Brit Awards and A League of Their Own as well as James Corden’s World Cup Live.
Since he became Director of the National in April 2003, Nicholas Hytner has directed Henry V, His Dark Materials, The History Boys, Stuff Happens, Henry IV, Southwark Fair, The Alchemist, The Man of Mode, The Rose Tattoo (with Stephen Pimlott), Rafta, Rafta… , Much Ado About Nothing, Major Barbara, England People Very Nice, Phèdre, The Habit of Art, London Assurance and Hamlet.
For the West End run of One Man, Two Guvnors there will be 400 tickets available at £15 or £12 for each performance. There will be no booking fees for tickets purchased from the National Theatre Box Office and See Tickets.
Following its run at the National Theatre, Nicholas Hytner’s production of One Man, Two Guvnors will tour the UK with its original cast led by James Corden visiting Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury (27 September – 1 October); Theatre Royal, Plymouth (4 – 8 October); The Lowry, Salford (11 – 15 October); New Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham (18 – 22 October) and King’s Theatre, Edinburgh (25 – 29 October).
Release issued by: Premier PR
LINKS
Love Never Dies to close at the Adelphi Theatre
June 17, 2011
Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s multi-million pound sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, has announced its closure in the West End.
Rumours have circulated for some time that the show, which is produced by Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group and is housed in one of the company’s theatres, jointly owned with the Nederlanders, was losing a significant amount of money and would struggle to continue unless it saw a sharp rise in box-office receipts.
The National Theatre’s hit new show One Man, Two Guvnors starring Gavin and Stacey’s James Corden will move in to the venue from mid-November 2011.
It is unclear whether Love Never Dies will continue with its international roll-out, including a production in Toronto and a Broadway opening.
The show did open last month in Melbourne to fair reviews, with the Herald Sun giving the show four stars but saying that, “While Love Never Dies sets a visual design standard that will be difficult to surpass, it is disappointing that the narrative and music fail to reach the same lofty heights”. Australian National newspaper The Age said that, “An inspired, often ravishing production for sure, though of a sequel that doesn’t make a strong enough musical or narrative argument for its own existence.”
Lloyd Webber wanted to the show to be completely revisited for the Melbourne opening, recruiting New Zealand director Simon Phillips to work on the show. The hope was that a good production in Melbourne could act as the template for future international productions.
Love Never Dies got off to a decidedly shaky start in the UK, with creative differences between the director Jack O’Brien and Lord Lloyd Webber, prompting the composer to close the show for four days in November 2010 to allow friend and producer Bill Kenwright to make a number of changes.
It had been rumoured that the show would close again for two weeks in September 2011, when the current cast was to change, to incorporate some of the changes made by Simon Phillips from the Melbourne production.
In May, Baz Bamigboye reported in the Daily Mail that Really Useful Group were struggling with £4 million loses from the show despite significant cost cutting.
Other shows that had been thought to be lining up for the Adelphi included a Robert Lindsay-led revival of Camelot directed by David Leveaux.
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Book tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London
RUMOUR CHECK-LIST
- Show: Love Never Dies
- Theatre: Adelphi Theatre
- Date closing: 27 August 2011
- Stars: Ramin Karimloo, Celia Graham, David Thaxton
- Composer: Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Director: Jack O’Brien / Bill Kenwright
Source: Daily Mail (17/06/11)
One Man, Two Guvnors – Round-up of Reviews
May 25, 2011
Reviews round-up for One Man, Two Guvnors at the National Theatre, starring James Corden.
James Corden in One Man, Two Guvnors
Nicholas Hytner’s production of One Man, Two Guvnors is a smash-hit for the National.
James Corden’s performance as Francis Henshall is relished by the critics, along with Oliver Chris, Jemima Rooper and the rest of the cast.
Richard Bean’s adaptation, based on by Carlo Goldoni ‘s The Servant of Two Masters, with songs by Grant Olding, will follow it’s National Theatre run with a UK tour and a West End run at the Adelphi Theatre, from November.
Read a round-up of One Man, Two Guvnors reviews, below.
DAVID THAXTON in Love Never Dies
March 17, 2011
Olivier Award winner David Thaxton in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies
Welsh actor David Thaxton won a Best Actor in a Musical Olivier Award in 2011 for his standout performance as Giorgio in Passion at the Donmar Warehouse.
And now he has followed Joseph Millson into the role of Raoul in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre – the composer’s follow-up to The Phantom of the Opera.
David trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Performances in the West End include playing Enjolras in Les Misérables at the Queen’s Theatre. He has also sang at the opening gala for the Wales Millennium Centre, and played roles in Trial by Jury, The Tailor’s Daughter, The Rake’s Progress, Sweeney Todd, The Cunning Little Vixen and Warchild.
He joins the cast of Love Never Dies alongside Ramin Karimloo as the Phantom, Celia Graham as Christine and Haley Flaherty as Meg.
LINKS
SPECIAL OFFER: Save on tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre in London
Cast changes: Love Never Dies, Priscilla
March 7, 2011
Major cast changes tonight, 7 March 2011, as Love Never Dies and Priscilla Queen of the Desert issue in new stars.
David Thaxton
Celia Graham
Haley Flaherty
LOVE NEVER DIES: The new cast starts tonight in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre. David Thaxton, who is nominated in this year’s Olivier Awards for his role in Passion, replaces Joseph Millson as Raoul, Celia Graham takes over from Sierra Boggess as Christine and Haley Flaherty will replace Summer Strallen as Meg. Ramin Karimloo stays on as the Phantom.
Mark Moraghan
Richard Grieve
PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT: It is also all-change over at the Palace Theatre as Richard Grieve takes over from Ben Richards tonight in the lead role of Tick in Priscilla Queen of the Desert. Richard’s past roles include Jonny Foster in Emmerdale, Dr Lachlan Frazer in Home & Away and Sam Kratz in Neighbours. Also joining the cast is Mark Moraghan as Bob the mechanic. Mark is best known for playing Owen Davies in Holby City. They join existing stars of the show Don Gallagher as Bernadette and Oliver Thornton as Adam.
LINKS
Love Never Dies – tickets and booking, special offers
Priscilla Queen of the Desert – tickets and booking, special offers
Photos: Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre
March 4, 2011
Production photos of Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre
Andrew Llloyd Webber’s LOVE NEVER DIES continues the story of ‘The Phantom’, who has moved from his lair in the Paris Opera House to haunt the fairgrounds of Coney Island, far across the Atlantic. Set ten years after the mysterious disappearance of ‘The Phantom’ from Paris, this show is a rollercoaster ride of obsession and intrigue…in which music and memory can play cruel tricks…and ‘The Phantom’ sets out to prove that, indeed, LOVE NEVER DIES.
LINKS
Books tickets to Love Never Dies at the Adelphi Theatre
More news about Love Never Dies
