Menier Chocolate Factory News

Curve today announces the full cast for the world premiere of Sue Townsend's The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13¾ - The Musical. The cast includes Rosemary Ashe (Grandma), Cameron Blakely (Mr Lucas), Amy Booth-Steel (Miss Elf/Doreen Slater/Mrs Lucas), Neil Ditt (George Mole),Kirsty Hoiles (Pauline Mole) and Neil Salvage (Bert Baxter).

Tony Award nominee Annaleigh Ashford will bring back to 54 Below an encore performance of Annaleigh Ashford - Lost in the Stars February 11, 2015 at 9:30pm.

Ron Cook (Mr Selfridge, Henry V, King Lear, Hot Fuzz) as Sir Charles Gurney, Kathryn Drysdale (Suspects, Love's Labour's Lost, Tripping Over, Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps) as Grace Shelley, Joshua McGuire (Privacy, Posh, About Time, Mr Turner) as Dinsdale Gurney and Anthony O'Donnell (The Captain of Kopenick, Skyfall, Matchpoint) as Daniel Tucker, join BAFTA winning James McAvoy, as Jack, the 14th Earl of Gurney, in the first West End revival of Peter Barnes' satirical comedy, The Ruling Class, directed by Jamie Lloyd, Artistic Director of Trafalgar Transformed.

Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy HARVEY directed by Lindsay Posner, will open at Birmingham Repertory Theatre on 6 February, running until 21 February. First produced on Broadway in 1944 where it ran for four years, this new production stars James Dreyfus as Elwood P. Dowd and Maureen Lipman as his sister, Veta.

The Menier Chocolate Factory today announces the dates for UK premiere of Jonathan Tolins' Buyer & Cellar - this one man comedy was a major Off-Broadway hit in 2013. Buyer & Cellar opens on 19 March, with previews from 12 March, and runs until 2 May.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: It's a big night off-Broadway with 'ROMEO AND JULIET', 'NEVERMORE', DA and more beginning previews!

Following rumors earlier today that Jennifer Hudson would be making her Broadway debut in a revival of THE COLOR PURPLE, producers have now confirmed that the Oscar winner will indeed head to the Great White Way. Beginning next fall, John Doyle's critically acclaimed Menier Chocolate Factory production of The Color Purple, the landmark musical will come to Broadway with the Grammy, Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA Award winner in the role of Shug Avery, despite earlier reports that she'd be taking on the role of Celie.

According to the New York Post, Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson will soon make her Broadway debut in an upcoming revival of THE COLOR PURPLE. Produced by Oprah Winfrey, who also produced the original 2005 production, this version of the show started at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, directed by John Doyle. Michael Riedel writes that Winfrey called Hudson personally to ask her to play Celie in the musical.

Ten years after the last known sighting, Bat Boy will return to sink his fangs into the London stage in a brand new production in The Large at Southwark Playhouse from tonight 9 January to Saturday 31 January 2015. On sale now.

Artistic Director Daniel Evans today announces the full casting for the Sarah Kane Season.

Hampstead Theatre has announced that Shaun Evans and Miranda Raison will be joined by Bathsheba Piepe and Luke Neal to complete the cast of Peter Souter's comedy Hello/Goodbye.

Ian Gelder - Kevan Lannister in the epic TV drama series Game of Thrones - is to play Frankenstein director James Whale and Will Austin is gardener Clayton Boone, who becomes the object of Whale's obsession, in the world premiere of Gods and Monsters at Southwark Playhouse.

While perhaps not a vintage year, 2014 brought with it several theatrical delights and at least one colossal stinker. And as always, there was a handful of shows I wish I'd seen but never quite managed to.

Millikin University's Department of Theatre and Dance welcomes Tony and Grammy Award-nominated composer Andrew Lippa as this year's guest artist for Millikin's New Musicals Workshop Jan. 16-18, 2015.

Drama Desk nominee Christina Bianco (Forbidden Broadway) released a new video last week in time for the holidays full of celebrity impressions spreading holiday cheer. Check out the full video below!

The Muny announced today the directors, choreographers and music directors for the Muny's 2015 Season, which opens on June 15 with My Fair Lady. 'This is a thrilling roster of artists,' said Muny Artistic Director and Executive Producer Mike Isaacson. 'We look forward to bringing their vision and talent to our grand stage.'

It's Virgie's birthday, and at 84, she is bucking conventions with a very surprising trick up her sleeve. But always a more committed artist than mother, Virgie has not reckoned on her family and friends' determination to thwart her distinctly unusual birthday plans.

With her production of DOGFIGHT nominated Best Musical in the recent Evening Standard Awards (her leading actress, Laura Jane Matthewman won Best Emerging Talent), and with rehearsals underway for the European premiere of Jerry Herman's 1979 Broadway musical, The Grand Tour, which opens at the Finborough Theatre on January 1, producer Danielle Tarento today announces the world premiere of GODS AND MONSTERS.

Rare Moustache and First Light Theatre will present the London Premiere of luminary Canadian Playwright Michel Tremblay's "If only..." in a translation by Bill Findlay and Martin Bowman at the brand new Bread & Roses Theatre in Clapham from 6th to 11th January 2015.

Menier Chocolate Factory Artistic Director David Babani welcomes Jamie Lloyd's major revival of Stephen Sondheimand John Weidman's ASSASSINS as part of the theatre's 10-year anniversary season. Joining are Carly Bawden,Simon Lipkin, Mike McShane, Andy Nyman, David Roberts and Catherine Tate are Stewart Clarke, Harry Morrison ,Aaron Tveit and Jamie Parker.