La Bete set for opening

Star-studded opening night set for La Bete

The much anticipated revival of comedy La Bete will have its premiere tonight at the Comedy Theatre in London.

An all-star cast features US theatre and TV star David Hyde Pierce (Frasier), recent Olivier Award winner Mark Rylance (Jerusalem), and veritable national treasure Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous). The play is directed by acclaimed, Tony award winning director Matthew Warchus and will run at the Comedy Theatre for a short season until 28 August before moving straight to Broadway.

American playwright David Hirson’s rollicking 1991 play, is a comic tour de force about Elomire (David Hyde Pierce), a high-minded classical dramatist who loves only the theatre, and Valere (Mark Rylance), a low-brow street clown who loves only himself. When the fickle princess (Joanna Lumley) 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.

Book tickets to La Bete at the Comedy Theatre in London

ALSO OPENING THIS WEEK:

WOLFBOY

Thursday 8 July sees the opening of WOLFBOY at the Trafalgar Studios. This psycho-sexual musical thriller stars 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

Summer Theatre in the West End

New shows opening in London this summer

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).

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Great offers on West End plays

Fancy seeing a good play – and saving money?

The West End is having a bit of a Plays renaissance at the moment and to celebrate we have put together some great offers on the best drama and comedy in London.

LA BETE

Hotly anticipated, must-see production by critically acclaimed comedy by American playwright David Hirson.

Starring the extraordinary 2010 Olivier Award-winning actor Mark Rylance (Jerusalem, Boeing-Boeing), ‘the most exciting stage actor of his generation’ (Times), the wonderful Tony and Emmy Award-winning David Hyde Pierce (best known as Niles in the smash-hit sitcom Frasier), and one of the country’s most loved and popular actresses, the magnificent Joanna Lumley, this new staging is directed by the internationally acclaimed, multi-award-winning Matthew Warchus (God of Carnage, Boeing-Boeing, Art, The Norman Conquests).

When Princess Conti (Joanna Lumley) invites street clown Valere (Mark Rylance) to inject some bawdy fun and mischief into her staid acting troupe, she anticipates an exciting creative combination. But the troupe’s leader, Elomire (David Hyde Pierce), is an elitist and fervent lover of high-brow theatre who clashes with Valere – a gaudy comic and a fervent lover of …. well, himself.  So begins a gloriously witty and wildly hilarious battle of art and egos.

Written in 1991, La Bete was a huge critical success in London in 1992 and won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

BOOK NOW: Tickets from only £12 to see La Bete at the Comedy Theatre in London

GHOST STORIES

Direct from a sell-out season at the Lyric Hammersmith, comes Ghost Stories 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 this is one event not to miss this Summer.

Please be advised that Ghost Stories contains moments of extreme shock and tension. The show is unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. We strongly advise those of a nervous disposition to think very seriously before attending.

BOOK NOW: Save £13 on tickets to see Ghost Stories at the Duke of York’s Theatre

HOLDING THE MAN

LAST CHANCE to see this acclaimed play starring Kath & Kim’s Jane Turner.

Based on the much loved award winning book by Tim Conigrave, adapted for the stage by acclaimed playwright Tommy Murphy, Holding the Man is a hilariously funny, tender and moving play following the remarkable true life love story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo. It is a celebration that speaks across generations, sexual preference and culture.

BOOK NOW: Save up to £27 on tickets to see Holding The Man at the Trafalgar Studios

ENRON

One of the most infamous scandals in financial history becomes a unique theatrical event in ‘Rupert Goold’s brilliant production’ (Guardian). Mixing classical tragedy with savage comedy, it reviews the tumultuous 1990s and casts new light on the current financial situation. In what promises to be ‘an outstanding evening’ (ES), Enron is ‘the exhilarating answer to a $60bn question’ (Times). Inspired by real-life events and using music, dance and video, Enron is directed by Headlong Theatre’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold whose recent credits include the award-winning Macbeth and Six Characters in Search of an Author, King Lear, No Man’s Land and Oliver!

BOOK NOW: Save up to £11 on tickets to see Enron at the Noel Coward Theatre

SHIRLEY VALENTINE

Starring Meera Syal in ‘London’s Best Comic Performance’ (Time Out).

Meet Shirley: a middle-aged Liverpudlian housewife who talks to the wall whilst preparing her husband’s egg and chips.  She’s in a rut.  What has happened to her life?  When her best friend Jane pays for a holiday for two to Greece, she packs her bags, heads for the sun and starts to see the world and herself rather differently…..  Commissioned by the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool, Willy Russell’s Shirley Valentine premiered in 1986 directed by Glen Walford. In 1988, under the direction of Simon Callow, it opened in the West End, wining the Olivier Award for Best Comedy, and starring Pauline Collins, who went on to play Shirley on Broadway (winning a Tony Award) and in the 1988 film (winning a BAFTA Award and Oscar nomination).

BOOK NOW: Save £7 on tickets to Shirley Valentine at the Trafalgar Studios

AS YOU LIKE IT and THE TEMPEST

Award winning director Sam Mendes returns to the UK to direct two new productions as part of  The Bridge Project.

A stellar transatlantic lineup includes Michelle Beck, Christian Camargo, Ron Cephas Jones, Stephen Dillane, Juliet Rylance and Thomas Sadoski in an intriguing pairing of Shakepeare’s pastoral comedy As You Like It and his late masterpiece The Tempest.

BOOK NOW: Save £12 on tickets to see As You Like It and The Tempest at the Old Vic Theatre

DANIEL BOYS in Wolfboy

Avenue Q and Any Dream Will Do star Daniel Boys set for new challenge

Daniel Boys has come a long way from his 2007 TV debut on BBC One’s Any Dream Will Do. Lee Mead may have won the show, but Boys has gone on to prove that he’s got more than what it takes to forge a strong career in UK theatre.

His successful two-year stint in the West End’s Avenue Q, which earned him a 2009 What’s On Stage Award for ‘Best Takeover in a Role’, put him firmly on the “stars to watch” list. He has also performed in a number of concerts and events including a special guest artist on John Barowman’s UK tour, and is a regular on BBC Radio 2’s Friday Night is Music Night. 2009 also saw him release his debut album, So Close.

And now Daniel is set to appear at the Trafalgar Studios this summer to star in the psycho-sexual musical thriller Wolfboy (6 – 31 July), joined by former Hollyoaks star Emma Rigby and 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.

Book tickets to see Wolfboy at the Trafalgar Studios in London

EMMA RIGBY in Wolfboy

Former Hollyoaks star to thrill in Wolfboy

Former Hollyoaks star Emma Rigby is set to appear at the Trafalgar Studios this summer to star in the psycho-sexual musical thriller Wolfboy (6 – 31 July).

Emma Rigby, who is 20 years old and originally from St. Helens, won a Best Actress gong at the British Soap Awards in 2008 for her sensitive portrayal of a girl’s battle with anorexia.

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.

The cast also includes former Avenue Q star Daiel Boys, Paul Holowaty and Gregg Lowe.

Book tickets to see Wolfboy at the Trafalgar Studios in London

New shows this week

The Fantasticks, The Crucible, All My Sons and Dream of the Dog

New shows starting this week in the West End include long-running Broadway musical The Fantasticks, which began previews at the Duchess Theatre last night. Also previewing from last night is The Crucible, Arthur Miller’s play at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park. Another Arthur Miller play, All My Sons, gets its first night premiere on Thursday 27 May at the Apollo Theatre starring David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker. Also opening on Thursday 27 May is South African-set Dream of the Dog at the Trafalgar Studios starring Janet Suzman. Finally, previewing from this Thursday is Simon Gray’s play The Late Middle Classes at the Donmar Warehouse starring Helen McCrory, Eleanor Bron and Robert Glenister.

THE FANTASTICKS

Duchess Theatre, from 24 May 2010

The world’s longest-running musical finally makes it to London after first wowing audiences on Broadway 50 years ago. Since its debut in 1960 it has played in over 2,000 cities and towns in 67 countries worldwide, and now makes its UK debut at the Duchess Theatre in London.

This brand new production of the much-loved musical is directed by Amon Miyamoto, bringing a fresh visual, emotional and musical energy to the show. The Fantasticks tells an allegorical story about two neighbouring fathers who put up a wall between their houses to ensure that their children fall in love, because they know children always do what their parents forbid.

After the children do fall in love, they discover their fathers’ plot and each go off and experience the world. Finally, they return to each other and appreciate the love they had after learning to recognise their true feelings.

An impressive cast includes David Burt (Les Miserables, Chess, Taboo), Edward Petherbridge (The Woman in White ), Clive Rowe (Chicago, Caroline, or Change), Carl Au (High School Musical), Luke Brady (Nightfall), Hadley Fraser (Peter Pan), Paul Hunter (The Fahrenheit Twins),  and Lorna Want (Footloose The Musical).

Special Offer: Save £20 on tickets to The Fantasticks at the Duchess Theatre in London

THE CRUCIBLE

Open Air Theare Regent’s Park, from 24 May 2010

One of Arthur Miller’s greatest plays, The Crucible is set amid the Salem witch hunts of the 1600s, in which a community is divided by jealousy and superstition.

The cast of this powerful new production includes Patrick O’Kane, Emma Cunniffe, Emily Taaffe, Oliver Ford Davies, Lucy May Barker, Charlie Cameron, Philip Cumbus, Anni Domingo, Susan Engel, Christopher Fulford, Patrick Godfrey, Christopher Hunter, Bettrys Jones, Paul Kemp, Geoff Leesley, Alexandra Mathie, Gary Milner, Ellie Paskell and Malcolm Rogers. The director is Timothy Sheader.

Special Offer: Save £10 on tickets to The Crucible at the Open Air Theatre in Regent’s Park

ALL MY SONS

Apollo Theatre, opens 27 May 2010

All My Sons is Arthur Miller’s compelling story of forbidden love, loyalty, guilt and the corrupting power of greed, and marks the first great success of Miller’s influential career.

Acclaimed actors David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker return to the West End to star in the play, directed by Howard Davies.

In All My Sons, Joe Keller (Suchet) is alleged to have supplied World War II fighter planes with defective engines, leading to the deaths of innocent pilots, a crime for which his business partner took the fall. One of Keller’s sons, himself a pilot, is thought to have been killed in action. His mother (Wanamaker) can’t accept his death and equally can’t accept that her dead son’s fiancée has transferred her affections to her other son. The confrontations that ensue lead to the uncovering of a world-shaking family secret.

Director Howard Davies previously won a Laurence Olivier Award for his 2000 production of All My Sons, which was staged at the National Theatre.

Book tickets to All My Sons at the Apollo Theatre in London

DREAM OF THE DOG

Trafalgar Studios, from 27 May 2010

Oscar nominated actress Janet Suzman returns to London to star in Dream of the Dog, a rich and complex story set in South Africa. Dream Of The Dog takes an unflinching look at the twin mantras of the post-Mandela age, reconciliation and forgiveness, asking whether black and white can ever live together peacefully.

The cast includes Janet Suzman alongside Ariyon Bakare, Gracy Goldman and Bernard Kay, is written by Craig Higginson and directed by Katie McAleese.

Special offer: Save £5 on tickets to Dream of the Dog at the Trafalgar Studios in London

SPONSORED NEWS UPDATE:

If you live outside of London then your theatre trip may require an overnight stay. There are numerous London hotels to choose from, so check out Simon Seeks for reviews, offers and advice on London hotels.

London theatre tickets can be purchased from a number of sources including established ticket agencies such as UK Tickets, who offer a variety of shows including Wizard of Oz Tickets and Lion King Tickets.

Holding The Man – Save £17

Save £17 on tickets to see HOLDING THE MAN at the Trafalgar Studios in London
Offer valid Thursday and Saturday Matinees until 26th June

Based on the award winning book by Tim Conigrave, Holding the Man is an hilarious, touching and moving play that follows the true life love story of Tim Conigrave and John Caleo.

One of Australia’s most celebrated comic actors, Jane Turner, from the Australian TV hit Kath and Kim, makes her West End debut in the play.

The course of teenage love rarely runs smooth, but it is a white-water adventure if you are a gay boy in an all-male school in 1970s Melbourne with a crush on the captain of the football team. Still, despite the odds, Tim and John become close and for fifteen years their relationship survives everything life throws at it – the separations, the discriminations, the temptations, the jealousies and the losses – until the only problem that love can’t solve turns up to part them.

One of the most successful Australian stage productions in years, Holding the Man is running in London for a strictly limited period.

“A theatrical triumph’” - Variety

“Wickedly funny” - The Australian

Book now to save £17 on tickets to see HOLDING THE MAN at the Trafalgar Studios in London
Offer valid Thursday and Saturday Matinees until 26th June

Note: Contains adult themes and strong language – age 15+.

Agatha Christie's A Daughter's A Daughter – Half Price

Half Price tickets to see Agatha Christie’s masterpiece A Daughter’s A Daughter at the Trafalgar Studios in London: Tickets only £22.50 (normally £45) on Monday to Friday performanes

Written by Agatha Christie under the pen-name ‘Mary Westmacott’, this is the first full-scale production of this rare Christie masterpiece since its premiere in 1954, and is presented by The Agatha Christie Theatre Company, by special arrangement with the author’s estate.

A must for all Agatha Christie fans, and brimming with her brilliant wit, this gripping psychological drama tells the tale of a mother and her daughter as they strive to find happiness in 1940s Britain.

Returning home from the Second World War, Sarah convinces her mother to ‘live life to the hilt’, and ditch her fiance Richard. Meanwhile, Sarah has become involved with cad Lawrence and feels the need to marry him in order to please her mother. Will Ann and Sarah make life decisions based on the other’s wishes?

An all-star cast will be led by Jenny Seagrove (Absurd Person Singular, Pack of Lies, Judge John Deed) and Honeysuckle Weeks from ITV’s BAFTA-award winning series, Foyle’s War. The cast also includes Tracey Childs, who has just recieved huge critical acclaim in a sell-out run playing Martha to Matthew Kelly’s George in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at London’s Trafalgar Studios, and Simon Dutton who recently played Binkie Beaumont in Plague Over England at The Duchess.

Half Price tickets to see Agatha Christie’s masterpiece A Daughter’s A Daughter at the Trafalgar Studios in London: Tickets only £22.50 (normally £45) on Monday to Friday performanes

Major shows to close on 30 May

Sunset Boulevard, Spring Awakening, Shout and Joseph to all close on 30 May.

A number of major West End shows are closing this month – with only days left for theatregoers to catch them.

Despite astonishing critical acclaim, Spring Awakening at the Novello Theatre is to close early on 30 May. Spring Awakening had its European premiere at Lyric Hammersmith earlier this year, where the mix of Frank Wedekind’s classic story about teenage sexual discovery fused with teen rock garnered numerous five star reviews. Stephen Daldry’s 1992 National Theatre production of JB Priestley’s An Inspector Calls will go into the Novello from 22 September.

Also on 30 May, the successful production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy theatre will close. Directed by Strictly Come Dancing’s Craig Revel Horwood, the Watermill Theatre’s production stars Kathryn Evans and Dave Willetts.

Another Andrew Lloyd Webber show, Joseph, starring Gareth Gates at the Adelphi Theatre, will also close on 30 May. The production originally starred Lee Mead, winner of the BBC talent show Any Dream Will Do.

A day after these three shows close, Shout – the musical set in the swinging 60s starring Su Pollard – is closing at the Arts Theatre a month early on 31 May.

And finally, The Last Cigarette starring Felicity Kendal, Jasper Britton and Nicholas Le Prevost is to close early, with its final performance on 23 May. The show transferred from the Chichester Minerva theatre last month into the Trafalgar Studios.

Save £20 on discount tickets to Spring Awakening

Save £24.50 on discount tickets to Sunset Bouelvard

Save £15.25 on discount tickets to Joseph

Save £13 on discount tickets to Shout!

Save £20 on discount tickets to The Last Cigarette

Entertaining Mr Sloane – Review

The shock waves created by John Osborne’s seminal Look Back In Anger (1956) in the hitherto cosy post-war British theatre, had a mini boost two years later with the appearance of Shelagh Delaney’s in-your-face A Taste of Honey, and a seismic one six years after that with the arrival of an iconoclastic playwright bovver boy called Joe Orton.

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