Tom Georgeson

The festive period is usually a time when we're told to look towards the future and forget about all of our troubles. The title Hope may be misleading for many, but the latest play by Jack Thorne to be staged at the Royal Court is a political production set around a group of Labour councillors struggling to deal with the financial strain currently being imposed upon local government.

How do you save 22 million pounds? Mark and Hilary, the leaders of the Council ,are about to find out.

Casting is announced today for Hope, BAFTA-winning writer Jack Thorne's first original play to be staged at the Royal Court. Hope follows Thorne's success with Glue and This is England '86 and reunites him with director John Tiffany after their celebrated production Let the Right One In, which transferred to the West End earlier this year.

Iain Glen will join Tamsin Greig and John Sessions in William Boyd's debut play, directed by Nina Raine, which opens at Hampstead Theatre at the end of February.

Iain Glen will join Tamsin Greig and John Sessions in William Boyd's debut play, directed by Nina Raine, which opens at Hampstead Theatre at the end of February.

James Macdonald returns to the Almeida to direct the world premiere of Christopher Hampton's new version of Ödön von Horváth's Judgment Day. Judgment Day will run at the Almeida from 3 September - 17 October 2009, with press night on 10 September. Set designs are by Miriam Buether with costume design is by Moritz Junge, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Chris Shutt and music by Matthew Herbert.

James Macdonald returns to the Almeida to direct the world premiere of Christopher Hampton's new version of Ödön von Horváth's Judgment Day. Judgment Day will run at the Almeida from 3 September - 17 October 2009, with press night on 10 September. Set designs are by Miriam Buether with costume design is by Moritz Junge, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Chris Shutt and music by Matthew Herbert.

James Macdonald returns to the Almeida to direct the world premiere of Christopher Hampton's new version of Ödön von Horváth's Judgment Day. Judgment Day will run at the Almeida from 3 September - 17 October 2009, with press night on 10 September. Set designs are by Miriam Buether with costume design is by Moritz Junge, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Chris Shutt and music by Matthew Herbert.

James Macdonald returns to the Almeida to direct the world premiere of Christopher Hampton's new version of Ödön von Horváth's Judgment Day. Judgment Day will run at the Almeida from 3 September - 17 October 2009, with press night on 10 September. Set designs are by Miriam Buether with costume design is by Moritz Junge, lighting by Neil Austin, sound by Chris Shutt and music by Matthew Herbert.

While attending the Sundance Film Festival, Collider.com Editor-in-Chief Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub bumped into legendary Monty Python member John Cleese while exiting a Starbucks. Cleese revealed to Weintraub that he is working 'in earnest' with his daughter Camilla on the stage musical adaptation of his classic film, 'A Fish Called Wanda'. The comic legend hopes to have it finished in the next two to three years and debut it in San Diego with the hope of the production continuing on to Broadway and London's West End reports the website.

The London Telegraph is reporting that John Cleese is currently working on adapting his 1988 popular film 'A Fish Called Wanda' into a stage musical with his daughter Camilla.