Marianka Swain - Page 34

Lewis Griffiths' numerous credits include tours of Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde and Ghost - The Musical and Priscilla Queen of the Desert in the West End. He's now taking on the iconic role of Johnny Castle in Dirty Dancing, which begins a UK tour from this month.

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From the new Groundhog Day musical and Shakespeare in a department store to a highly anticipated Branagh performance, here are some of this month's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews…

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD has its official opening this week, with a special gala performance on Saturday 30 July, and production pictures have now been released. The eighth story in the Harry Potter series and the first official Harry Potter story to be presented on stage, is one play presented in two parts. Both parts are intended to be seen in order on the same day (matinee and evening) or on two consecutive evenings.  

Artistic Director of The Old Vic Matthew Warchus, composer and lyricist Tim Minchin, choreographer Peter Darling, and designer Rob Howell, four of the creators of the international musical sensation Matilda The Musical, have joined forces with writer Danny Rubin to collaborate on a new musical based on his 1993 hit film GROUNDHOG DAY. It's now in previews, with a press night on Tuesday 16 August.

Gunshots! Flames! Shirtless dancing hunks! And that's just the first five minutes. This eye-wateringly bombastic musical has all subtlety, production values and narrative logic of a Donald Trump rally. Thoughtful, incisive drama? Er, no. Winningly OTT kitsch with killer song delivery? Hell yes. Come for the copious dry ice and cheese-tastic effects - stay for the 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' encore singalong.

Actor Obioma Ugoala has appeared in numerous RSC productions, including Richard II, Henry IV Part 1 & II and Henry V, as well Holy Warriors at the Globe and The Physicists at the Donmar. His screen credits include Doctors on the BBC and Disney's upcoming live-action adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. He has recently joined the West End cast of Motown the Musical, playing soul legend Smokey Robinson.

Harry Potter mania grips London, while over the pond the States is seized by Hamilton fever. What do they have in common? Both originated in literary sources - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child in J.K. Rowling's book series, and Hamilton in Ron Chernow's historical biography. They're not alone, with other examples this summer including Breakfast at Tiffany's, now in the West End, Therese Raquin at Southwark Playhouse, and the return of Pride and Prejudice to Regent's Park Open Air. So, here are 10 of the best page to stage adaptations.

THE RED BARN, a new play by David Hare, based on the novel, La Main, by Georges Simenon opens in the Lyttelton Theatre on 6 October (press night 17 October).

Scottish actress Phyllis Logan has enjoyed a stellar career on stage and screen, with notable performances in Mike Leigh's Secrets & Lies and two British TV smash hits: Lady Jane in Lovejoy and, of course, eminently sensible housekeeper Mrs Hughes in Downton Abbey. She's returned to the stage to join Samuel West in Noel Coward's comedy Present Laughter - currently touring the UK.

Last year, Jon Brittain's Rotterdam had a successful and well-received premiere at Theatre503 - this month, it moves into the West End for a Trafalgar Studios run. Centring on Alice, who wants to come out as gay, and her girlfriend Fiona, who decides she wants to start living as a man, Adrian, it's only become more of a zeitgeist piece since its first stint. Jon discusses revisiting the play and trying not to mess it up…

On 5-7 August, the National Theatre's River Stage welcomes Latitude Festival as they venture from their established Suffolk base to bring a heady mix of music, theatre, dance and literature to the South Bank for an unforgettable weekend of performances.

Actor and musician Declan Bennett has successfully maintained dual, often intersecting careers as a singer-songwriter and musical theatre performer. He's had chart hits both with band Point Break and as a solo artist, and has tackled several iconic roles, including Roger in a US tour and Broadway run of Rent, Guy in the UK premiere of Once, and now Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar. This new production at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre celebrates 45 years since the show first opened, and the intimate, gig-like experience - with performers playing instruments - promises to be very different to the recent arena tour.

Punchdrunk have today announced a brand new production of their award-winning theatrical experience, SLEEP NO MORE, premiering in Shanghai this year. In December 2016, the doors will open to the "McKinnon Hotel" in the city's Jing'an District, ushering audiences into this visceral, tactile and darkly cinematic telling of Shakespeare's classic tragedy, Macbeth.

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, is pleased to release the first pictures of Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba), Carly Anderson (Glinda), Bradley Jaden (Fiyero), Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), Iddon Jones (Boq) and Emily Shaw (Nessarose), who will lead the UK/International Tour cast at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford from 20 July 2016.

Last night, Fiasco's version of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's INTO THE WOODS opened at Menier Chocolate Factory. The innovative production, featuring just 10 actor-musicians, previously played at New York's Roundabout Theatre to great critical acclaim, and the Menier run includes the original US cast. Into the Woods runs until 17 September.

Anyone who ever played 'shop' as a child, trading real or imaginary objects over a table, will experience a thrill of recognition at Fiasco Theater's stripped-back take on Sondheim and James Lapine's ode to and deconstruction of storytelling. That's what we get for the swiftly evoked bakery, and there's a dressmaker's dummy standing in for a tree, a feather duster and Christmas tree ornament for a golden egg-laying hen, a ladder for a mighty tower, a wooden crate for a throne, shadow play during the action sequences, and flapping pieces of paper as the ever-helpful birds.

The Edinburgh International Festival has released thousands of free tickets for the launch event of the city's summer festival season, the Standard Life Opening Event: Deep Time. Tickets are available from www.eif.co.uk allowing Edinburgh residents, visitors and tourists to book and experience the largest free, ticketed event of its kind in the UK, on Sunday 7 August at 10.30pm. A second limited release will be available on Monday 1 August, with a further very limited release on Saturday 6 August - the day before the event.

Alt-cabaret star Bridget Everett discusses her upcoming Soho Theatre show

Rufus Norris's National Theatre production of THE THREEPENNY OPERA by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill in a new adaptation by Simon Stephens will be broadcast live to cinemas around the world direct from the National's Olivier Theatre on 22 September at 7pm.

WICKED, the West End and Broadway musical phenomenon that tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, has released rehearsal pictures of Jacqueline Hughes (Elphaba), Carly Anderson (Glinda), Bradley Jaden (Fiyero), Steven Pinder (The Wizard and Doctor Dillamond), Kim Ismay (Madame Morrible), Iddon Jones (Boq) and Emily Shaw (Nessarose), who lead the UK/International Tour cast.