Anthony Ward News

Nominees for the Olivier Awards 2013 pose on stage at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket for a celebratory group photo.

The National Theatre's production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time leads the list with eight nominations, followed by the toe-tapping new musical Top Hat receiving seven, and the West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre's revival of Sweeney Todd in close competition with six. Other stand-out nominations include The Audience and Kiss Me, Kate receiving five each, and Constellations, The Bodyguard and Twelfth Night with four.

When Oklahoma! was first produced on Broadway in 1943 it became the first smash hit for newly formed collaborating team Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II and also the first real book musical, preceded only by Showboat. It was a breakthrough musical, which when given a first-class production, is still, some 70 years later, without question, one of the greatest American musicals ever written. 'The Farmer and the Cowman' truly represents the philosophy of what America is all about, a unity and pride that is unmistakably individual. MTW's newest production is exceptional - by far one of the best to be staged in a very long time. Director Davis Gaines - his first direction - magnificently brings together an astoundingly talented cast now in Long Beach through March 3 only.

The best way to enjoy Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is take someone under 10 with you to see it.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an interesting show to define. Part musical, part children's spectacle, it ultimately settles as a big budget pantomime. It is a clever route for Roger Hodgeman to direct this show as its virtually non-existent script does little for both actor and audience. Everything in this production of Chitty is big and over dramatized, which for the most part works particularly effectively. There are moments and performances however, that aren't in sync with the collective pantomime energy on stage and these become particularly obvious throughout the show.

Producer Tim Lawson and acclaimed Director Roger Hodgman present CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG at Sydney's Capitol Theatre from 16 November 2012 and Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre from 30 January 2013. BroadwayWorld has highlights from the show below!

Chitty Chitty Bang Banghas opened in Sydney to rave reviews and the show will next open at Her Majesty's Theatre, Exhibition Street, Melbourne from 30, January 2013.

Producer Tim Lawson and acclaimed Director Roger Hodgman present CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG at Sydney's Capitol Theatre from 16 November 2012 and Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre from 30 January 2013.

CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, adapted for the stage from the MGM Motion Picture by Jeremy Sams and Ray Broderick with music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman will open at Sydney's Capitol Theatre from tonight, 16th of November. The show will be directed in Australia by Roger Hodgman and features sets and costumes by renownEd English designer Anthony Ward.

Michael Ball, Imelda Staunton, Peter Polycarpou and Lucy May Barker are all in front in their categories as performers, while Anthony Ward leads in design, Paul Groothius in sound design, Jonathan Tunick in orchestrations - with the show leading as Best Revival of a Musical.

Widely acknowledged as Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece, Sweeney Todd stars Michael Ball as the eponymous demon barber of Fleet Street and Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton as the devoted Mrs Lovett. Jonathan Kent's acclaimed production will have its final performance today, Saturday, 22 September.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's musical Carousel comes to London in August 2012, for just 35 performances, prior to appearing at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in 2013. Voted best musical of the 20th century by Time Magazine, Carousel features breathtaking dancing, and some of the most moving music ever written for the stage, including If I Loved You, June is bustin' out all over and You'll Never Walk Alone.

Sweeney Todd stars Michael Ball as the eponymous demon barber of Fleet Street and Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton as the devoted Mrs Lovett. Jonathan Kent's acclaimed production will have its final performance on Saturday 22 September. View the new artwork, just revealed for the show's final weeks, below!

Producer Tim Lawson and acclaimed Director Roger Hodgman today announced the star studded cast of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG who are all set to fly into Sydney's Capitol Theatre from 16 November 2012 and Melbourne's Her Majesty's Theatre from 30 January 2013.

Widely acknowledged as Stephen Sondheim's musical masterpiece, Sweeney Todd stars Michael Ball as the eponymous demon barber of Fleet Street and Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton as the devoted Mrs Lovett. Jonathan Kent's acclaimed production will have its final performance on Saturday 22 September.

Sweeney Todd the Musical just posted a new picture of Jason Manford in rehearsal for the West End production on its Facebook page. See the photo of Manford below!

So who's like a sneak peek of comedian Jason Manford as Pirelli in the current West End production of SWEENEY TODD starring Imelda Staunton and Michael Ball? Check it out below!

The West-End production of SWEENEY TODD, starring Michael Ball and Imelda Staunton, opened March 20 at the Adelphi Theatre, following its sell-out success at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Due to close on September 22, the show just released new artwork. Check it out below!

Royal Court Theatre Productions and Ambassador Theatre Group's rewritten production of POSH opened last night at the Duke of York's Theatre on the West End. Read the BroadwayWorld roundup of all the reviews below - updated live as they come in.