Richard McCabe News

Two of musical theatre's biggest worldwide stars Matthew Morrison and Idina Menzel will be giving special solo performances at the 2013 Oliviers, while Michael Xavier will be co-presenting from the BBC Radio 2 Stage in the Covent Garden Piazza.

According to the Daily Mail, Helen Mirren will star as Queen Elizabeth II in The Audience when it transfers to Broadway this time next year.

The Audience, Peter Morgan's new play about the Queen's meetings with her prime ministers, has been nominated for five Olivier Awards this year.

The National Theatre's production of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time leads the list with eight nominations, followed by the toe-tapping new musical Top Hat receiving seven, and the West End transfer of Chichester Festival Theatre's revival of Sweeney Todd in close competition with six. Other stand-out nominations include The Audience and Kiss Me, Kate receiving five each, and Constellations, The Bodyguard and Twelfth Night with four.

Lizzy the corgi, the dog in West End's THE AUDIENCE, was replaced just days before opening night at London's Gielgud Theatre because she would not obey stage directions.

According to the Daily Mail, The Audience, starring Helen Mirren as Elizabeth II, has drawn an advance total ticket sales of nearly £5 million. The Mail is also reporting that there is 'chatter about it going to Broadway next spring for a limited run.'

Much of the furore surrounding Peter Morgan's The Audience concerns Helen Mirren's triumphant return to the role for which she won the Academy Award, in the movie The Queen (also scripted by Morgan), and rightly so; her performance is a tour de force, a master class of both voice and physicality

The Audience began previewing at the Gielgud Theatre on 15 February 2013, with press night on 5 March 2013 and is booking to 15 June 2013. Designs are by Bob Crowley with lighting by Rick Fisher, sound by Paul Arditti, music by Paul Englishby and video by Ian William Galloway.

Helen Mirren returns to the stage as The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's The Audience, with Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major, Rufus Wright as David Cameron and Edward Fox as Winston Churchill. Mirren recently chatted with BBC News about returning to the role in the new piece and you can watch the full interview HERE.

Joining Helen Mirren who plays The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's The Audience are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major, Rufus Wright as David Cameron and Edward Fox as Winston Churchill. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth is played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams. David Peart plays James Callaghan who is joined by ensemble members Jonathan Coote, Ian Houghton and Charlotte Moore. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the production below.

The producers of The Audience today announced Robert Hardy's decision to withdraw from the production. Hardy, 87, recently suffered a fall and cracked some ribs, yet continued to perform at all of the preview performances last week. Over the weekend he has decided that a schedule of eight performances a week over a long run is not sustainable and he has therefore reluctantly decided to stand down. The Producers would like to thank Robert Hardy for his extraordinary contribution to the production and they wish him a speedy recovery.

Internationally acclaimed actress Helen Mirren's performance as The Queen in the world premiere of Peter Morgan's THE AUDIENCE, directed by Stephen Daldry, will be seen by cinema audiences worldwide when National Theatre Live broadcasts the play live from London's Gielgud Theatre on June 13, 2013, with varying dates internationally and encore screenings throughout the summer. THE AUDIENCE reunites Mirren and Morgan after collaborating on the 2006 film The Queen, in which Mirren also portrayed Elizabeth II, winning the Academy, Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and BAFTA Awards for Best Actress for her performance.

According to the Daily Mail, The Audience, which just began performances in the West End starring Helen Mirren, will be filmed and broadcast live from the Gielgud Theatre for National Theatre Live on June 13, 2013. The production has already brought in nearly £4 million in ticket sales before its opening on March 5. The play is running through June 15.

Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in the world premiere of THE AUDIENCE are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major and Rufus Wright as David Cameron. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth will be played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams.

Joining Helen Mirren as The Queen in this world premiere are Michael Elwyn as Anthony Eden, Haydn Gwynne as Margaret Thatcher, Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill, Richard McCabe as Harold Wilson, Nathaniel Parker as Gordon Brown, Paul Ritter as John Major and Rufus Wright as David Cameron. The Equerry is Geoffrey Beevers and the role of Young Elizabeth will be played by Bebe Cave, Maya Gerber and Nell Williams.

The Audience will preview at the Gielgud Theatre from 15 February 2013, with press night on 5 March 2013 and is currently booking to 15 June 2013. Designs are by Bob Crowley with lighting by Rick Fisher, sound by Paul Arditti, music by Paul Englishby and video by Ian William Galloway. BroadwayWorld has a sneak peek at rehearsals below.

According to the Daily Mail, Helen Mirren has begun rehearsals for Peter Morgan's The Audience, about Elizabeth II. The play has already drawn a box office advance of £2 million, but regardless of popularity, The Audience must end its engagement on June 15 due to the Chichester Festival Theatre production of Private Lives, set to begin at the Gielgud Theatre on June 22.

Two further preview matinee performances (16 and 27 February 2013 at 2.30pm) have been scheduled for Stephen Daldry's production of Peter Morgan's The Audience.

Edward Bond's 1973 play BINGO opened last night at the Young Vic. See Patrick Stewart and Shakespeare and Richard McCabe as Ben Jonson in the photographs below, as well as afterparty shots featuring Sunny Ozell.

One of the most successful comedies in recent years, Antony Jay and Jonathan Lynn's Yes, Prime Minister has played to sell out audiences at Chichester Festival Theatre and the Gielgud Theatre last year followed by a UK wide tour this Spring and a run at the Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue.