Matthew Kelly and the cast of Lend Me A Tenor pick up the winning trophy

The stage doors of the two theatres both empty out on to Winnett Street, and so battle commenced on the street between the Gielgud’s Lend Me A Tenor cast and the Queen’s Les Miserables during the break between their matinee and evening performances on Wednesday 13 July.

The Gielgud’s Lend Me A Tenor had originally challenged the Queen’s Les Miserables to the Tug of War, and after a best-of-three it was the Tenors who took the prize, with Matthew Kelly accepting the trophy on behalf of the Tenors.

The Tug of War was said to bring back happy memories of the annual Society of West End Theatre (now SOLT) West End bed race in Leicester Square. Could the Tug of War become an equally big event?

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An all star cast features BAFTA award-winner Peter Capaldi, James Fleet, Ben Miller, Clive Rowe, Stephen Wight and Marcia Warren as Mrs Wilberforce.

The story tells of an eccentric little old lady Mrs Wilberforce who lives alone with her parrots in a strange lopsided house in King’s Cross. Her life is turned upside down by the arrival of Professor Marcus and his four friends, who between them make up the most unlikely group of criminals. Planning the heist of a security van, they decide to use Mrs Wilberforce as cover and involve her unwittingly in the plot. Things do not go well and the Professor’s plan starts to unravel in spectacular and hilarious fashion.

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The Ladykillers comes to the Gielgud Theatre this November

Award-winning TV writer Graham Linehan (Father Ted, The IT Crowd) has penned the adaptation, which will be his first West End comedy. The play will be directed by Sean Foley (Play What I Wrote, Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress) and designed by Michael Taylor. Produced by the Liverpool Playhouse, the show will run at the Gielgud Theatre from 26 November 2011.

An all star cast will include Peter Capaldi, James Fleet, Ben Miller, Clive Rowe, Stephen Wight and Marcia Warren as Mrs Wilberforce.

The story tells of an eccentric little old lady Mrs Wilberforce who lives alone with her parrots in a strange lopsided house in King’s Cross. Her life is turned upside down by the arrival of Professor Marcus and his four friends, who between them make up the most unlikely group of criminals. Planning the heist of a security van, they decide to use Mrs Wilberforce as cover and involve her unwittingly in the plot. Things do not go well and the Professor’s plan starts to unravel in spectacular and hilarious fashion.

Peter Capaldi who is best known for his role as Malcolm Tucker in the television series The Thick Of It. James Fleet has played numerous TV, film and stage roles including Tom in Four Weddings And A Funeral and Hugo Horton in The Vicar of Dibley. Ben Miller is one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller. Clive Rowe’s credits include Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, and Feste in Twelfth Night at the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park. Stephen Wight won the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer in the Evening Standard Awards for his performances in Don Juan In Soho at the Donmar Warehouse. Marcia Warren has won two Olivier Awards for roles in Stepping Out and Humble Boy and is best known for playing Vera in TV sitcom No Place Like Home.

The 1955 Ealing comedy featured actors including Alec Guinness, Peter Sellars, Frankie Howerd and Katie Johnson and won two BAFTA awards and was nominated for an Oscar.

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The 1955 classic Ealing comedy is this autumn brought back to life on the stage in a production that will play at the Liverpool Playhouse from November 3rd – 19th, prior to opening at the Gielgud Theatre on November 26th with a press night on December 7th.

The Ladykillers tells the story of the eccentric little old lady Mrs Wilberforce who lives alone with her parrots in a strange lopsided house in King’s Cross. Her life is turned upside down by the arrival of Professor Marcus and his four friends, who between them make up the most unlikely group of criminals. Planning the heist of a security van, they decide to use Mrs Wilberforce as cover and involve her unwittingly in the plot. Things do not go well and the Professor’s plan starts to unravel in spectacular and hilarious fashion.

This stage production of The Ladykillers has been adapted by Graham Linehan who is best known for his work on the TV comedy series Father Ted and The IT Crowd. In partnership with Arthur Mathews, Linehan has also written for Harry Enfield, Smith and Jones, Alexei Sayle, The Fast Show and Steve Coogan. Linehan’s solo writing credits include work with Chris Morris on Brass Eye, Blue Jam and Jam and co-writing the first series of Black Books with Dylan Moran.

Director Sean Foley is a multi award winning stage director whose work in the West End includes Do You Come Here Often, Play What I Wrote, Ducktastic, Pinter’s People and Joan Rivers: A Work In Progress. Foley has also adapted and will direct The Painkiller which will star Kenneth Brannagh and Rob Brydon at the Lyric Belfast later this year.

The cast for The Ladykillers includes the BAFTA winning Peter Capaldi who is best known for his role as Malcolm Tucker in the television series The Thick Of It. He has appeared in over forty television series and films including most recently the ITV series The Suspicions of Mr Whicher.

Playing the role of Major Courtney will be James Fleet who is most famous for his role as Tom in Four Weddings And A Funeral and Hugo Horton in The Vicar of Dibley. He has also appeared in numerous stage productions including most recently Richard Bean’s The Heretic at the Royal Court.

The part of Louis will be played by Ben Miller, who is best known as one half of the comedy duo Armstrong and Miller, which has had more than ten television series since they formed in the late 1990s. Miller has also appeared in a variety of other TV series and films including Primeval (ITV), and The Parole Officer (with Steve Coogan) and Johnny English (with Rowan Atkinson).

Clive Rowe will play One Round. A hugely accomplished stage actor Rowe is also well known for his role as Duke in the BBC Children’s drama The Story of Tracy Beaker. His stage roles include Nicely Nicely Johnson in Guys and Dolls, and Feste in Twelfth Night at the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park. Clive has also become renowned for his pantomime dames as part of Hackney Empire’s celebrated Christmas pantos.

The part of Harry will be played by Stephen Wight. Stephen won the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer in the Evening Standard Awards for his performances in Don Juan In Soho at the Donmar Warehouse, he also appeared in Dealer’s Choice both at the Menier Chocolate Factory and in the West End and made his National Theatre debut in 2004 in Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads.

Finally the role of Mrs Wilberforce will be played by Marcia Warren who has won two Olivier Awards for roles in Stepping Out and Humble Boy. She has multiple stage and screen credits including most recently the TV drama Hattie.

Press night will be held on December 7th at 7pm

Release issued by: The Corner Shop PR

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Lend Me A Tenor is the uproarious new musical comedy which runs at the Gielgud Theatre from 2 June 2011.

The hilarious show features mistaken identities and unexpected romance and is based on the award-winning West End and Broadway hit comedy by Ken Ludwig.

The show stars award-winning actors Matthew Kelly and Joanna Riding alongside a cast that includes Damian Humbley, Michael Matus, Sophie-Louise Dann, Cassidy Janson, Gay Soper, Jane Quinn and Michelle Bishop.

It’s 1934, and the world’s greatest tenor Tito Merelli has come to Cleveland, Ohio, to save its Grand Opera Company by singing Verdi’s Otello. When he is unexpectedly incapacitated, Max, the opera director’s meek assistant, is given the daunting task of finding a last-minute replacement. Chaos ensues – including a scheming soprano, a tenor-struck ingénue, a jealous wife, shrimp gone bad and the Cleveland Police department.

This brand-new production is directed by Olivier award-winning director Ian Talbot (High Society, Anything Goes) and choreographed by Tony-nominated choreographer Randy Skinner (42nd Street, White Christmas).

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It’s 1934, and the world’s greatest tenor Tito Merelli has come to Cleveland, Ohio, to save its Grand Opera Company by singing Verdi’s Otello. When he is unexpectedly incapacitated, Max, the opera director’s meek assistant, is given the daunting task of finding a last-minute replacement. Chaos ensues – including a scheming soprano, a tenor-struck ingénue, a jealous wife, shrimp gone bad and the Cleveland Police department.

LEND ME A TENOR THE MUSICAL is a riotous, unpredictable explosion of mistaken identities and unexpected romance – based on the award-winning West End and Broadway hit comedy by Ken Ludwig.

Matthew Kelly will star as ‘Henry Saunders’ (Executive Director of the Cleveland Grand Opera), Damian Humbley will star as ‘Max’ (Henry Saunders’ assistant, and the opera prompter), Michael Matus will star as ‘Tito Merelli, ‘Il Stupendo’ (the great Italian tenor), and Sophie-Louise Dann will star as ‘Diana Divane’ (Prima Donna of the Cleveland Grand Opera). Further casting will be announced.

This brand-new production is directed by Olivier award-winning director Ian Talbot (High Society, Anything Goes) and choreographed by Tony-nominated choreographer Randy Skinner (42nd Street, White Christmas). The production is designed by Paul Farnsworth, with lighting by Tim Mitchell, and sound by Terry Jardine and Nick Lidster. The Musical Supervisor is Tony Award Winner Paul Gemignani and the Musical Director is Colin Billing.

LEND ME A TENOR THE MUSICAL is produced by Martin Platt and David Elliott, in association with Eileen & Allen Anes.

Release issued by: Target Live

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Joanna Riding in The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

The show will now end its run on 21 May 2011, rather than the original end date of 1 October. The new musical production based on the classic French movie opened on 22 March to lukewarm reviews.

One of the producers of the show, Daniel Sparrow, has issued a statement saying that, “Together with my co-producing team, we are immensely proud to have brought our production of The Umbrellas of Cherbourg to the West End following its run in Leicester earlier this year. However, despite consistently positive audience responses, for economic reasons we are having to close earlier than anticipated. To have worked with Emma Rice, Kneehigh, our hugely talented creative team, cast and company has been a privilege and as producers, our ongoing ambition to bring fresh, innovative and original work to the West End will continue to be pursued. Following positive interest in the show from the global theatrical community, plans for a UK tour and various international productions of Umbrellas are currently in discussion.”

Directed by Emma Rice the show stars Joanna Riding, Meow Meow, Carly Bawden and Andrew Durand.

Based on Jacques Demy’s 1964 film, with a score by Michel Legrand, the show tells the simple love story between a young girl (played by Carly Bawden) who’s mother (Joanna Riding) owns an umbrella shop, and a garage mechanic (Andrew Durand) who has to leave her for his military service.

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