Sam Mendes News

Happy Birthday, Sam Mendes! Sam Mendes is best known for whis work as the artistic director of the Donmar Warehouse, and his direction of the film American Beauty and the Broadway production of Cabaret on Broadway starring Alan Cumming. His production of Oliver! became the longest running show ever to play at the London Palladium. Additional stage credits includeTennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie, Stephen Sondheim's Company (which had the first ever African American 'Bobby'), Alan Bennett's Habeas Corpus and his farewell duo of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya and Twelfth Night, which transferred to the Brooklyn Academy Of Music and Gypsy on Broadway starring Bernadette Peters.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the two have officially signed on to lead the series created, written and executive produced by three-time Oscar nominee John Logan (HUGO, THE AVIATOR, GLADIATOR) and executive produced by Oscar winner Sam Mendes (American Beauty,Skyfall) and Neal Street's Pippa Harris (Revolutionary Road, Call The Midwife). PENNY DREADFUL, a psychosexual horror series, features some of literature's most iconic figures, and will begin production in London this fall.

Roundabout Theatre Company has announced the Broadway cast of The Winslow Boy, starring Tony nominee Michael Cumpsty as 'Desmond Curry', Academy & Tony Award nominee Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio as 'Grace Winslow', Alessandro Nivola as 'Sir Robert Morton' and Tony Award winner Roger Rees as 'Arthur Winslow'.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, just after the Supreme Court struck down California's Proposition 8 earlier this month, stage and screen star John Barrowman married his partner of 20 years, Scott Gill. Barrowman told the Mirror: 'I started welling up when we said our vows. It was the same with our civil partnership. I think it was because I never thought we'd be able to do it. Scott and I felt completely different after our civil ceremony, like we'd made a big step. But after this I feel very proud, happy and chuffed. It feels right.'

The Daily Mail reports that Kate Fleetwood and Anna Maxwell Martin will play KING LEAR's daughters Goneril and Regan, respectively, in the National Theatre's upcoming production of the Shakespearen tragedy. Olivia Vinall, who is currently appearing in the National's OTHELLO, will portray Cordelia.

The Hollow Crown, the lavish new series featuring four of Shakespeare's most compelling history plays will air as the season premiere of Great Performances beginning Friday, September 20 at 9 p.m. ET on PBS. Below, get a sneak peek at RICHARD II!

The full cast is announced for Chichester Festival Theatre's critically acclaimed production of The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui, which will open at the Duchess Theatre on 25 September with previews from 18 September. The production will once again feature Henry Goodman reprising his award-winning performance in the title role.

On Tuesday 16 July the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins, visited the Donmar Warehouse where he enjoyed an evening performance of The Night Alive, the latest play from Irish playwright Conor McPherson. After the production the President met the cast and crew of the production backstage before having his photo taken on the stage of one of London's leading producing theatres.

According to the Daily Mail, Josie Rourke's Donmar Warehouse production of Conor McPherson's THE WEIR will be transferring to Wyndham's Theatre in the West End, beginning January 16, 2014, for a January 22nd opening. The show stars Risteard Cooper, Brian Cox, Dervla Kirwan, Peter McDonald and Ardal O'Hanlon.

The F.U.D.G.E. (FRIENDS UNITED DEVELOPING GENUINE ENTERTAINMENT) Theatre Company will present their 12th Anniversary Season's production of Stephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics) and John Weidman's (Book) award-drenched, internationally acclaimed musical, 'ASSASSINS,' 'which will open tonight, July 12 at The Arsenal Center for the Arts Black Box Theatre (321 Arsenal Street, Watertown, MA) where it will play through Saturday, July 20.

Tickets for Bernadette Peters start at $49 and will go on sale Sunday, August 25 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets will be available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

Daniel Craig will once again return as the legendary British secret agent in the 24th James Bond film and Sam Mendes will also return to direct the screenplay written by John Logan.

Enrollment applications are being accepted now for Segerstrom Center's Six Days of Broadway summer musical theater camp, which returns to the Center's campus June 24 through July 7. Students will participate in week-long intensives that feature classes in musical performance, monologue interpretation, audition technique, scene work, dance and more. Tony Award nominee and Broadway/film star Erin Dilly returns to lead the program along with Broadway veterans Stephen Buntrock, Danny Gurwin, Hank Stratton and other guest instructors.

Ben Miles will play Thomas Cromwell and Lucy Briers will play Katherine of Aragon in the Royal Shakespeare Company's much-anticipated double bill of Hilary Mantel's Man Booker prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies, adapted by Mike Poulton.

The theatre programme for the Manchester International Festival 2013 has been announced. MIF13 commissions include: The Machine, The Old Woman, Macbeth, The Masque of Anarchy and The Rite of Spring.

Just last week, the Supreme Court struck down California's Proposition 8. The decision comes after the Court held hearings about the legality of the state's gay marriage ban in March. The decision will now allow gay marriage to resume in California, however it does not legalize it in other states. Stage and screen star John Barrowman just posted a video (below) announcing that he and partner Scott Gill would be taking advantage of their new rights by tying the knot. BroadwayWorld sends our congratulations to the happy couple!