Ian McKellen News

Anna-Jane Casey will be joining the UK and Ireland Tour of the pantomime MOTHER GOOSE as Cilla The Goose with Mairi Barclay, Becca Francis, Shailan Gohil and Laura Tyrer also confirmed to join the company

The final commission by Deborah Warner in her inaugural season as Artistic Director of Ustinov Studio will be ¡SHOWMANISM! A Concise Histrionic of Performance, devised and performed by Dickie Beau which will play the Ustinov Studio, Bath from 11 November to 10 December 2022.

All new photos have been released from the gala night of CABARET at the Kit Kat Club on Thursday 27 October. Check them out here!

Twenty one limited-edition prints of acclaimed caricature artist Al Hirschfeld – signed by the iconic stage and screen stars featured in the image – are being auctioned online to benefit Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, in partnership with Heritage Auctions, the largest collectibles auctioneer in the world.

Mel Giedroyc has pulled out of the forthcoming pantomime Mother Goose, starring Ian McKellen and John Bishop.

Olney Theatre Center’s remount of its 2021 hit Disney’s Beauty and the Beast runs November 9, 2022 - January 1, 2023, on the Mainstage. Jade Jones and Evan Ruggiero, who attracted national attention last year for their stereotype-busting performances in the lead roles, also return to star as Belle and the Beast.

Ahead of opening night this Friday (14 Oct), cast members from Birmingham Rep's upcoming production of Tartuffe headed out to Sparkhill's famous Stratford Road, where this new version of the classic comedy is set.

The Ian McKellen Theatre at Saint Stephens in Edinburgh will open in December with a stunning new ballet production of 'The Nutcracker' to Tchaikovsky's wonderful music by Olivier Award-winning director Peter Schaufuss.

Cahoots Theatre Company Ltd in association with Jamie Clark Theatre presents the UK premiere of William Humble's play Wodehouse in Wonderland, starring Robert Daws and directed by Robin Herford, on a UK Tour which opens at Malvern Theatres on 26 January 2023.  

The hit production TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL has announced that Kristina Love will join the West End production to share the title role with Elesha Paul Moses from 12 October 2022.

Ambassador Theatre Group Productions has announced a UK and Ireland Tour of the pantomime MOTHER GOOSE, starring Ian McKellen as Mother Goose, John Bishop as Vic Goose and Mel Giedroyc as the Goose.

Settlement was the word of the week on Broadway, with both the Rudin/SpotCo suit and JPP/Wagner Johnson lawsuits finding resolution through settlement - the latter is the subject of a new regular feature for this newsletter from our Industry Editor Cara Joy David.

A UK and Ireland Tour has been announced for the pantomime MOTHER GOOSE. The first of its kind to tour the country and play all the way to Easter!

The Mint Theater company will be presenting the American Premiere of Noel Coward's The Rap Trap, and the world premiere of Becomes a Woman by Betty Smith (A Tree Grows in Brooklyn).

Sir Ian McKellen will have a theatre named in his honour. The Ian McKellen Theatre at Saint Stephens in Edinburgh follows his acclaimed season of 'Hamlet', which was seen at the venue by a record-breaking 13,000 theatregoers at the Fringe.

Birmingham Rep has announced that following a smash-hit run in the RSC in 2019, the acclaimed and updated RSC production of Molière's classic Tartuffe will transfer to its spiritual home at the Rep this autumn, running from 14 October - 5 November.

Following a hugely successful award-winning online run, which was later broadcast on Sky Arts, Dame Maureen Lipman returned to the title role of Rose for a new production of Rose starting on the stage on which it was filmed. See photos from Rose's opening at Park Theatre here!

Olivier Award winner and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey will play Fiyero in Jon M. Chu's upcoming film adaption of Wicked. He joins the previously announced Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the two-part film adaption of the hit Broadway musical. Check out just a few video highlights of Bailey onstage!

It has been confirmed by director Jon M. Chu on Twitter, that Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey has joined the upcoming film adaption of Wicked as Fiyero. Bailey joins the previously announced Ariana Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba in the two-part film adaption of the hit Broadway musical. The films will be produced by Jon M. Chu, who also directed the film adaption of In the Heights.

The excitement continues to grow for this month's Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction as early online bidding begins today on dozens of unique auction collectibles and the first table participants are revealed.