Andrew Keates

Introducing George Kemp (Bridgerton, Netflix; Call My Agent, Netflix; The Trial of Christine Keeler, BBC) as Joe Orton, Diary of a Somebody will see Toby Osmond (Game of Thrones, HBO; Henry VIII and His Six Wives, BBC; Dead Souls, Monkhead Theatre) take to the stage as his mentor and partner, the actor and writer Kenneth Halliwell.

Introducing George Kemp (Bridgerton, Netflix; Call My Agent, Netflix; The Trial of Christine Keeler, BBC) as notorious artist and playwright Joe Orton, Diary of a Somebody will see Toby Osmond (Game of Thrones, HBO; Henry VIII and His Six Wives, BBC; Dead Souls, Monkhead Theatre) take to the stage as his mentor and partner, the actor and writer Kenneth Halliwell. 

The theatre formerly known as Tristan Bates, located just across the road from the Palace in the West End, has undergone a refurbishment and come out of the pandemic with a brand new name and snazzy facelift. Now called the Seven Dials Playhouse, it’s finally opened its doors again with a camp, compassionate story about hurt and acceptance that’s really a tribute to musicals at its core.

Joe Aaron Reid (Dreamgirls, Savoy Theatre; In the Heights, Kings Cross Theatre), Michael Walters (The Inheritance, Young Vic & West End transfer; Death of a Salesman, Royal & Derngate/UK Tour; The Sandman, Netflix/Warner Bros), Giles Cooper (Toast, The Other Palace; Henry V, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Duchess of Malfi, Shakespeare's Globe) and Nico Conde (Westworld, HBO Entertainment; El Inocente, Netflix) will join the cast of the highly-anticipated European premiere of Steve at Seven Dials Playhouse.

Following the European premiere of Steve which launched the exciting new Covent Garden venue, Seven Dials Playhouse will now present ground-breaking plays Diary of a Somebody and FOXES for the remainder of their Spring 2022 season.

Searing comedy Steve opens at Seven Dials Playhouse on 8th February 2022 for its European Premiere. Running until 19th March, Steve stars Tony Award nominee and Olivier Award-winner Jenna Russell opposite Holby City’s David Ames. 

Joe Aaron Reid (Dreamgirls, Savoy Theatre; In the Heights, Kings Cross Theatre), Michael Walters (The Inheritance, Young Vic & West End transfer; Death of a Salesman, Royal & Derngate/UK Tour; The Sandman, Netflix/Warner Bros), Giles Cooper (Toast, The Other Palace; Henry V, The Knight of the Burning Pestle, The Duchess of Malfi, Shakespeare's Globe) and Nico Conde (Westworld, HBO Entertainment; El Inocente, Netflix) will join the cast of the highly-anticipated European premiere of Steve at Seven Dials Playhouse.

Heartfelt, hysterical, and sharp-witted comedy, Steve has been extended until 19th March 2022 due to popular demand.  Marking the launch of this exciting new venue in Covent Garden, the long-awaited European premiere will run in London’s West End for two extra weeks this February.

As BroadwayWorld reported earlier this morning, theatres in London will shut down once again following Tuesday evening's performances. Theatres across the West End had begun reopening just last week, with Six being the first musical to reopen after being closed since March.

On Tuesday 19th November 2019, Her Majesty's Theatre will host Gloves Off - an afternoon of discussion surrounding the past, present and future of HIV/AIDS and its impact on the performing arts industry, hosted in drag by Wallis Depres and including special guests Andrew Keates, Susan Cole-Haley and Matthew Todd.

Yesterday, actress and teacher Jacqueline Hughes reached out on Twitter to ask for help with something near and dear to her heart. One of her students, young Charlie, was being bullied for his love of musical theatre.

At about half an hour into Michael Dennis' debut play Dark Sublime, the uncomfortable thought occurred to me that there was still two hours left to go. The piece had opened strongly with numerous jokes directed at the arts industry, but already it felt as if it had played its hand. Sadly, my fears were correct, and what followed was an uninteresting exploration of a woman haunted by the past.

Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) makes her West End debut alongside theatre titans Jacqueline King (Doctor Who, BBC; Spring Storm, National Theatre) and Simon Thorp (Hard Sun, BBC; Royal Shakespeare Company), esteemed actor and LQBTQ+ campaigner Sophie Ward (Young Sherlock Holmes, Amblin Entertainment; Jane Eyre, BBC Films) led by one of the most exciting up and coming UK actors Kwaku Mills (good dog, UK Tour; The End of Eddy, UK Tour).

Joining Marina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) as she makes her West End debut are theatre titans Jacqueline King (Doctor Who, BBC; Spring Storm, National Theatre) and Simon Thorp (Hard Sun, BBC; Royal Shakespeare Company), esteemed actor and LQBTQ+ campaigner Sophie Ward (Young Sherlock Holmes, Amblin Entertainment; Jane Eyre, BBC Films) alongside one of the most exciting up and coming UK actors Kwaku Mills (good dog, UK Tour; The End of Eddy, UK Tour). Stage and screen star Mark Gatiss (Sherlock and League of Gentlemen, BBC; The Madness of George III, Nottingham Playhouse) will be lending his voice to the part of Kosley, a hysterical talking computer, in this world premiere of Dark Sublime.

Stage and screen star Mark Gatiss (Sherlock, BBC1; Doctor Who, BBC1; The Madness of George III, Nottingham Playhouse; The League of Gentlemen, BBC Two and UK tour) will be lending his voice to the part of Kosley, a hysterical talking computer, in the world premiere of Dark Sublime. Gatiss joins the previously announced Martina Sirtis (Star Trek: The Next Generation) who will be making her West End debut.

Making her West End debut, Star Trek: The Next Generation star Marina Sirtis will take the lead in the world premiere of Dark Sublime. Further casting, including an iconic voice of Science Fiction, will be announced in 2019. Directed by Andrew Keates (As Is and Dessa Rose - Trafalgar Studios), Dark Sublime, the debut play by Michael Dennis, is a love-letter to British sci-fi television - both those that make it and those that adore it.

Today Arion Productions celebrates the 1st birthday of The Show People Podcast by releasing their 30th episode of their highly successful theatre podcast with special guest - performer and entrepreneur Scott Garnham.

Arion Productions has announced actor Annette Badland as their patron. She joins composer Howard Goodall CBE and playwright Martin Sherman as champions of the London based theatre company, under the Artistic Direction of Andrew Keates.

Host and Director Andrew Keates has been joined by two-time Olivier Award winner David Bedella on Arion Productions' The Show People Podcast. David talks about growing up in Gary, Lake Country, Indiana to a family who worked in the steel industry, his showbiz inspirations and challenges he faced during education, his first jobs as a performer - including spending ten years working in Chicago, appearing in the first Broadway production of Smokey Joe's Cafe, his frustrations with being perceived as being 'just a dancer' and why he left America after falling in love with a pastor that would end up seeing him folding towels as a hairdresser in Islington.