Jessica Martin News

WEST END HEROES, hosted by Christopher Biggins, the hugely popular star of musical theatre, screen comedies, panto dame extraordinaire and one of Britain's best-loved TV personalities, again united the country's top military musicians with even more West End performers and productions in a dazzling showcase of show-stopping numbers, unlikely song mash-ups and stunning choreography and precision drilling to raise funds for the Help For Heroes charity. Scroll down for photos!

Christopher Biggins launched the 2015 West End Heroes gala concert at the Dominion Theatre with a little help from some military friends....

In an unprecedented move, the producers of the smash hit musical ELF, opening at the newly refurbished Dominion Theatre in the heart of London's West End, have bowed to overwhelming public and social media demand to introduce a more affordable ticket price to broaden the already wide demographic the show is attracting.  The new price brand of £30 for a limited number of tickets through the run becomes available at the Dominion box office by telephone and via the website from Sunday 6 September.  

The full cast for the London premiere of the smash hit musical ELF has been announced. The company is led by Ben Forster as Buddy, Kimberley Walsh as Jovie, Joe McGann as Walter Hobbs and Jessica Martin as Emily Hobbs, with Jennie Dale as Deb, Mark McKerracher as Santa and Graham Lappin as Store Manager. Also in the cast are Katie Bradley, Charlie Bull, Nicola Coates, Alex Fobbester, Anton Fosh, Charlotte Gale, Francis Haugen, Matt Holland, Tash Holway, Paul Hutton, Mark Iles, Ceili O'Connor, Debbie Paul, Joanna Rennie, Barnaby Thompson and Ed White. Harry Collett, Ilan Galkoff, Noah Key and Ewan Rutherford will alternate the role of Michael.

Michael Rose and U-Live, the producers of Elf The Musical, will be donating all ticket sales at the Gala Opening Night at the Dominion Theatre on Thursday 5 November to Alzheimer's Society. The London premiere of ELF will star Ben Forster, Kimberley Walsh, Joe McGann and Jessica Martin and will play a strictly limited 10-week season at the Dominion Theatre from 24 October 2015 to 2 January 2016.

The Daily Mail unveiled new photos of ELF stars Ben Forster and Kimberley Walsh in costume for their winter run at the Dominion Theatre. Scroll down for a first look!

Ben Forster, Kimberley Walsh, Joe McGann and Jessica Martin will star in the London premiere of ELF the smash hit musical at the Dominion Theatre from 24 October 2015 for a strictly limited 10-week season, ending on 2 January 2016, with a press night on Thursday 5 November.

According to the Daily Mail, Kimberley Walsh, who started out as a member of the group Girls Aloud, has joined the cast of ELF at the Dominion. Walsh made her West End debut as 'Princess Fiona' in SHREK THE MUSICAL in 2012.

Haven Theatre Company opens their 2014 - 2015 Season with the Chicago premiere of Catherine Trieschmann's Hot Georgia Sunday, directed by Marti Lyons, at The Den Theatre, 1333 N. Milwaukee Ave., November 22 - December 21. Previews are Saturday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. Opening night is Monday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. The regular schedule is Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. Regular tickets are $30, senior tickets are $25, previews tickets are $20 and industry/student tickets are $10. You can purchase tickets and get more information at www.haventheatrechicago.com.

Nominees for the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards have been revealed in a special episode of We Love Soaps TV. The ISAs celebrate the best in independently produced, scripted entertainment created for the Web.

When my Mom goes to see shows of mine that are on the edgy or weirder side she inevitably comes back with the comment, "That was interesting" afterward. Translation: not my thing and a little too weird. I, on the other hand, like a little weird in my theater especially when it culminates into a good message or "aha!" moment at the end. But while I was on board through Act One with the message and imagery in "Marisol", the inaugural production from newly hatched theater company The Collision Project, Act Two led me into a melange of overdone messages and just became kind of "interesting" for me.

Endangered Species Project is tickled to once again blow the dust off an undeservedly dusty script - the astoundingly charming family comedy, THE REMARKABLE MR. PENNYPACKER. Playwright Liam O'Brien honors, by reference and imitation, the great George Bernard Shaw, who died two years before PENNYPACKER's premiere. The play, O'Brien's only work for the stage, was founded on a true story that occurred in O'Brien's family.

Endangered Species Project is tickled to once again blow the dust off an undeservedly dusty script - the astoundingly charming family comedy, THE REMARKABLE MR. PENNYPACKER. Playwright Liam O'Brien honors, by reference and imitation, the great George Bernard Shaw, who died two years before PENNYPACKER's premiere. The play, O'Brien's only work for the stage, was founded on a true story that occurred in O'Brien's family.

Do you know what a paraplegic, a wolf, a fairy, two pregnant teens and a dancing hooker have in common? Neither do I! But that's what the current show "The Skriker" at the Erickson Theatre offered up in director Janice Findley's imagining of Caryl Churchill's creepy look at a world filled with magical spirits seducing young unwed mothers. And after seeing the show I can honestly say I STILL have no idea what they have in common.

Janice Findley Productions conjures up the mesmerizing world of Caryl Churchill's The Skriker in a signature theatrical event of the Halloween season, tonight, October 19 through November 11 at the Erickson Theatre (1524 Harvard Ave., Seattle). Led by director Janice Findley, choreographer Pat Graney, and lead actor Mary Ewald, The Skriker features a superb company of Seattle artists and performers in a work that is equal parts stunning theatre, evocative dance, and jaw-dropping visual art.

Janice Findley Productions conjures up the mesmerizing world of Caryl Churchill's The Skriker in a signature theatrical event of the Halloween season, October 19 through November 11 at the Erickson Theatre (1524 Harvard Ave., Seattle). Led by director Janice Findley, choreographer Pat Graney, and lead actor Mary Ewald, The Skriker features a superb company of Seattle artists and performers in a work that is equal parts stunning theatre, evocative dance, and jaw-dropping visual art.

Sometimes when directors revive old plays you wonder why they've done it. Mack & Mabel, currently playing at Southwark Playhouse, is not a classic crying out to be brought back to life, though being about the early days of cinema it is rather on trend.

Southwark Playhouse presents a major revival of the Jerry Herman/Michael Stewart Hollywood musical, Mack and Mabel, starring Norman Bowman as Mack and Laura Pitt-Pulford (who received rave reviews as Lucille Frank in Parade) as Mabel, directed by Thom Southerland and produced by Danielle Tarento. The show will run for an 8-week season at The Vault at Southwark Playhouse, now through Saturday, August 25. Press night is tomorrow, July 11 at 7.30pm. Get a first look at the revival in the production photos below!