Menier Chocolate Factory News

West End musical phenomenon WICKED, which tells the incredible untold story of the Witches of Oz, has released the first pictures of Mark Curry as The Wizard. Actor and presenter Curry took over the role on March 25, alongside Emma Hatton (Elphaba), Savannah Stevenson (Glinda), Oliver Savile (Fiyero), Liza Sadovy (Madame Morrible), Sean Kearns (Doctor Dillamond), Daniel Hope (Boq) and Katie Rowley Jones (Nessarose).

Two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals has assembled five exciting teams to transform their diverse season of musicals from page to stage.

McCarter Theatre Center's Resident Playwright/Artistic Director Emily Mann and Managing Director Timothy J. Shields have announced Debbie Bisno as the theatre's new Resident Producer. Ms. Bisno, a Broadway producer with two decades in the commercial and non-profit theatrical arenas, assumes her new leadership role immediately. Ms. Bisno will be based in Princeton as an important member of the artistic team at McCarter, and she will maintain and expand McCarter's relationships in NY, regionally, and abroad. Her existing company, Bisno Productions, will continue operations in Manhattan.

Ruby in the Dust's Gatsby, which plays at the Union Theatre this April, is proud to announce the cast to their jazz musical adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's epitome of glitz, glamour and the end of the American Dream. The cast includes The Only Way is Essex star Ferne McCann in her theatre debut.

Malcolm Sinclair (Capt. Andy Hawks) and Chris Peluso (Gaylord Ravenal) will join original Sheffield cast members Gina Beck (Magnolia Hawks), Lucy Briers (Parthy Ann Hawks), Rebecca Trehearn (Julia La Verne), Emmanuel Kojo(Joe), Sandra Marvin (Queenie), Alex Young (Ellie May Chipley) and Danny Collins (Frank Schultz) in the West End cast of Daniel Evans' five star production of Show Boat.

Set in Atomic City, USA (otherwise known as Las Vegas), Miss Atomic Bomb at the St James Theatre transports its audience back to 1952. A time when atomic bombs were regularly tested in the desert outside of the city, it focuses on Utah sheep-farmer Candy, played by Florence Andrews in her first leading role.

The latest play from French sensation Florian Zeller, who has already enjoyed a pair of London hits with THE FATHER and THE MOTHER, is currently onstage at Menier Chocolate Factory. THE TRUTH is about two couples - their friendship, suspicion and deceit. BroadwayWorld has a look at the cast in action below!

She's won multiple Tonys for big, splashy, toe-tapping musicals, but Stro's current project is a nonmusical family dramedy off-Broadway.

The latest play from French sensation Florian Zeller, who has already enjoyed a pair of London hits with THE FATHER and THE MOTHER, is currently onstage at Menier Chocolate Factory. THE TRUTH is about two couples - their friendship, suspicion and deceit. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

The Old Globe just announced the complete cast and creative team of its production of Nick Payne's Broadway hit play CONSTELLATIONS, arriving April 9, directed by the Globe's own Richard Seer. BroadwayWorld is excited to report that Christian Coulson and Victoria Frings will star in the two-person play.

In Theatr Clwyd's 40th anniversary year, Artistic Director Tamara Harvey today announces her directorial debut - a major new production of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Never before produced by Theatr Clwyd, in the 400th anniversary year of Shakespeare's death this will also be Clwyd's 400th production. Much Ado opens on 14 June, with previews from 9 June and runs until 2 July.

The full cast is announced today for the first ever large-scale stage production of Evelyn Waugh's classic novel Brideshead Revisited, adapted by Bryony Lavery, touring this spring and summer in the 50th anniversary year of Waugh's death.

Theatre Royal Bath Productions and The James Grant Group are delighted to announce the pre-West End dates of STEPPING OUT by Richard Harris, starring Amanda Holden, Angela Griffin and Nicola Stephenson. Directed by Maria Friedman, the production opens at the Theatre Royal Bath, 12th - 22nd October followed by Richmond Theatre and Cambridge Arts Theatre (additional date to be announced).

59E59 Theaters will host the US premiere of TOAST, written by Richard Bean and directed by Eleanor Rhode. Produced by Snapdragon Productions, in association with Jagged Fence Theatre for the 2016 Brits Off Broadway festival, TOAST begins performances on Wednesday, April 20 for a limited engagement through Sunday, May 22.  Press opening is Wednesday, April 27 at 7 PM. 

London is never short of theatre temptations, whether splashy West End shows, epic dramas or bold fringe offerings. From Florian Zeller's latest to Branagh farce and a new atomic musical, here are some of this week's most eye-catching openings. Don't forget to check back for BroadwayWorld's reviews, and if you need more ticket-booking inspiration, here is last week's round-up.

Curtain Call has announced the publication of their inaugural book, which boasts never before seen photography from nearly 60 London theatre productions in 2015/16. CURTAIN CALL: A YEAR BACKSTAGE IN LONDON THEATRE, created by photographer Matt Humphrey and actor/director John Schwab, features an extraordinary collection of fly-on-the-wall backstage images, offering glimpses of big names like Benedict Cumberbatch, Nicole Kidman, Mark Rylance, Imelda Staunton, Kristin Scott Thomas, Mark Strong and Damian Lewis. Inspired by the 40th anniversary of the Olivier Awards, it's the first in a planned series of photography books.

Just after her appearance in FLOWERS FOR MRS HARRIS at the Crucible this summer, Anna-Jane Casey will return to the stage -- this time as sharpshooter 'Annie Oakley' in Irving Berlin's ANNIE GET YOUR GUN.

Sheridan Smith, star of the current West End production of FUNNY GIRL, turned to Twitter to announce that she would be unable to perform at last evening's performance. Today, producers of the musical issued the following statement on her absence

It's a hard life being an understudy. It's even harder when you're the understudy to a much-loved Olivier-winning star whose name is selling the whole show. That's the situation for Natasha J Barnes, Sheridan Smith's understudy as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl.