Menier Chocolate Factory News

MCC Theater today announced complete casting for the American Premiere of the play The End of Longing, a new play written by and starring 'Friends' star Matthew Perry in his NYC playwriting and stage acting debuts.

West End leading lady Natasha J Barnes and recording artist Darius Campbell lead the cast of Funny Girl at The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury, in May.

Producer Jamie Hendry announced this morning that Denise Welch, Gary Wilmot, Craig Mather and Simon Lipkin will join Rufus Hound and Neil McDermott in the major new musical THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, which will open at the world-famous London Palladium. Scroll down for photos of the cast!

In 1944, Terence Rattigan substantially revised Less Than Kind at the behest of star theatrical couple the Lunts; the result was the less political, more overtly comic Love in Idleness. Now, Trevor Nunn – inspired by Dan Rebellato's introduction in a Nick Hern Books edition of the two versions – has synthesised them, to intriguing and largely successful effect.

With She Loves Me currently running at its home base, Travesties and David Baddiel: My Family Not the Sitcom taking up residence in the West End, and Funny Girl in rehearsals ahead of a major national tour, the Menier Chocolate Factory presents a major new revival of Terence Rattigan's Love in Idleness. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The New York Post took a look at the ladies leading Broadway from behind the scenes, among which was widow of Cy Coleman, who now holds rights to SWEET CHARITY. When interviewed, Coleman was quoted referencing a Broadway transfer of The New Group's production, starring Sutton Foster, in the works for next season. She says they're 'going to have a lot more brass.'

Following two successful stints at the Menier Chocolate Factory and Vaudeville Theatre last year, David Baddiel's rollicking comedy My Family: Not the Sitcom has transferred to the Playhouse Theatre for a limited season, running 28 March to 3 June 2017. Book tickets now from £15.50

The world premiere of a brand-new, one-man musical will be the first musical to be performed in Southwark Playhouse's Little space.

First footage is released today of Michael John LaChiusa's The Wild Party, which plays until Saturday 1 April at The Other Palace.

The European Premiere of the off-Broadway musical hit Pete 'n' Keely comes to Tristan Bates Theatre - a string of hits, a cast of two, 'Forever Plaid' meets 'I Do, I Do'. Katie Kerr (Little Shop of Horrors, Menier Chocolate Factory; Fat Pig, Comedy Theatre; Sweeney Todd, English National Opera) and David Bardsley (Titanic, Charing Cross Theatre; Guys and Dolls, National Theatre; The Fix, Donmar Warehouse) lead this award-winning musical, featuring unforgettable renditions of the era's popular favourites.

The Barrow Group has announced complete casting for the second show in their 2016/17 season, Henrik Ibsen's ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE, in a new adaptation by Seth Barrish and K. Lorrel Manning.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! This weekend's big news: PRESENT LAUGHTER, starring Kevin Kline, begins on Broadway tonight, and Samantha Barks and Arthur Darrell headline HONEYMOON IN VEGAS in London on Sunday!

Huntington Theatre Company, Boston's leading professional theatre, announces its 2017-2018 season. The Huntington has long been an anchor cultural institution of Huntington Avenue, the Avenue of the Arts, and will remain so on a permanent basis. The Huntington's upcoming season will include productions in the Huntington Avenue Theatre (known as the BU Theatre through June 30), and plans are underway to convert the theatre into a first-rate, modern venue with expanded services to audiences, artists, and the community. The 36th season will include four plays at the Huntington Avenue Theatre, as well as three plays at the Wimberly Theatre and one special event in the Roberts Studio Theatre, both located in the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA in the South End.

Final casting has been announced today for the world premiere of a major new musical, "The Braille Legacy", the thrilling, true, inspirational and epic story of Louis Braille, a young blind boy who wanted the same chance in life as those who see and ended up improving the lives of millions of blind people around the world.

The Menier Chocolate Factory received nine nominations for this year's Olivier Awards - a record for the company. The awards are across four productions - Travesties, currently running at the Apollo Theatre; Funny Girl, currently on an extensive tour of UK and Ireland; Florian Zeller's The Truth in a version by Christopher Hampton, and David Baddiel - My Family Not the Sitcom, which returns to the West End for a second run later this month.

Artistic and Executive Director, Paul Hart today announces the company for his new production of Twelfth Night continuing The Watermill Theatre's bold, ensemble driven approach to Shakespeare. Twelfth Night runs from 6 April to 6 May and in repertoire with Hart's 2016 production of Romeo + Juliet from 18 to 22 July. Both productions will tour nationally from Tuesday 16 May to Thursday 3 August

Anthony Head's diverse work ranges from popular TV series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Merlin, Little Britain and Doctor Who to theatre work like Ticking, Six Degrees of Separation and The Rocky Horror Show. He's currently starring as Sir John Fletcher in Rattigan's Love in Idleness at Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by Trevor Nunn; the run begins on 10 March.

Tony and Grammy Award-winning songwriter Duncan Sheik follows up  the successful UK run of his musical thriller American Psycho with Whisper House a haunting new musical that combines a thrillingly original rock score with a touching and beautiful tale about learning to embrace the unknown.

WP Theater (formerly Women's Project Theater), under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Lisa McNulty and Managing Director Michael Sag, has announced WP Theater's 32nd Annual Gala, honoring game-changing women with the Women of Achievement Awards. The gala will honor Emmy Award-winning actress and activist Debra Messing ('Will & Grace,' Outside Mullingar) and trailblazing media executive, President of BBC Worldwide North America, Ann M. Sarnoff.

THE GRUESOMELY MERRY ADVENTURES OF NELL DASH, AN IRREPRESSIBLY SENSIBLE CAPITALIST WITH A VENGEANCE is set for the Hudson Guild Theatre.