Liz Cearns

Although the West End is still waiting for a production of Dave Malloy's Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, his more recent creation, Preludes, has its UK premiere at the Southwark Playhouse.

'Measure still for measure': justice is still a tricky concept. Gregory Doran's insightful realisation of Shakespeare's notorious 'problem play' highlights Measure for Measure's enduring, perhaps even increasing, relevance.

Craig Lucas, Daniel Messe and Nathan Tysen's musical adaptation of the acclaimed film Amelie, which ran on Broadway in 2017 and now kicks off a UK tour, fills the Watermill's stage with the music, bustle and romance of Paris.

Fiddler On the Roof brings the Menier Chocolate Factory to the Playhouse Theatre. As the audience enters, the walls are bedecked with hangings as drab as most of the costumes - the wardrobe is black, save for prayer shawls and wedding garb.

Some shows might transfer or extend their run. The cast of Austentatious, however, have commenced a season's residency at the Fortune Theatre, and might thereby hope to introduce their improvised 'Jane Austen novels' to much of London's theatrical society. Their prospects seem favourable.

The Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aires have returned to London. This night of surprising variety, offers awe-inspiring escapism from the winter's chill and seems to be scheduled just in time for Valentine's Day.

The Other Palace was intended to be a 'space where writers and producers can try out and refine new work'. Showstopper! The Improvised Musical only seems to be aiming for half of this ethos. Alas, it seems doubtful that last night's Cream of Yorkshire will ever be further refined. Yet, the performers' wits and synchronicity are such that the result is quite incredibly refined - considering the whole show is spontaneously made up, based on prompts from the audience.

One of the most instantly noticeable things about War Horse is the diversity of its audience's ages: a children's book if enjoyed by many a parent or independent adult turned into a play and attended by schoolchildren, twenty-somethings and those, like Michael Morpurgo himself, who spent childhoods playing in the bomb sites created by the Second World War.

A year after its first run, Caryl Churchill's Escaped Alone returns to the Royal Court Theatre. This rather strange play is split between garden chit-chat and apocalyptic horrors, though directly juxtaposing or linking Churchill's two worlds seems naively simplistic. Its dual settings do lead to an odd overall effect; while individual moments shine, the piece as a whole seems stilted.

The Royal Shakespeare Company have burst back to the West End with their double bill of Love's Labour's - both Lost and Won. This pairing really is a remarkable achievement. Set in the summer of 1914 and the winter of 1918, director Christopher Luscombe has combined the charm and elegance of an Edwardian country estate with a wit, silliness and sense of play that would surely have made Will proud.

With their new season of site-specific work, Theatre of Europe have achieved the almost impossible: an original take on the world's most-performed play, Ibsen's A Doll's House.

It's been twenty years since Mark Ravenhill's notoriously titled Shopping and F**king was first staged at the Royal Court. In his foreword for the Lyric Hammersmith's anniversary production, Ravenhill describes the show's scandalous reputation - and its actual reception. 1996 audiences may have been - largely - ready to nod seriously at plays highlighting such 'issues', but this production, directed by Sean Holmes, seems aimed at a broader demographic than just the theatrical intelligentsia.

A one-person show - in this case performed with formidable skill by Lisa Dwan - Beckett's No's Knife is certainly an unusual choice by the Old Vic. Truly, though, this production is even more of an event in that it is the first time the text has actually been staged rather than just read aloud.

Eden Espinosa joins Max von Essen, Derek Klena, Natalie Weiss, Michael McElroy and the Broadway Inspirational Voices, and More in 'Raise Your Voice: A Cabaret for a Cure' to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Maury Yeston, the composer and lyricist best-known for Nine and Titanic, visited the West End a few months before the West End opening of his new musical, Death Takes a Holiday. Based on a film (which was based on a play) this story tells of how Death changed his perspective. He used to not quite understand why everyone he came to collect was quite so aggrieved to die, until he met a particular woman who allowed him to realise quite what makes life worth clinging to. The side effect of Death's occupation being, though, that he can't collect anyone else while he's so distracted - Death the person and death the concept take a break!  Maury was kind enough to discuss his musical background, some of his better-known works and his latest venture for the stage.

Genesis Future Directors Award recipient Bryony Shanahan directs trade, Debbie Tucker Green's sharp examination of our transactional world. See Me Now is a new show created and performed by those who have been, or currently are sex workers.

Why would a Baltimore-bred black man bond with buxom Broadway beauty Bernadette Peters? Find out as Larry Owens (Gigantic, A Strange Loop) explores music from the diva's extensive career on stage, screen, and record. Larry will be accompanied by the Andrei Strizek Trio (Andrei Strizek - piano, Jason Lang - drums, Tony Lannen - bass) and backed by The Bernadettes (Erika Conaway, Lily LaGravenese, and Tam Young). The evening features musical direction by Andrei Strizek and is produced by David Levy.

Following the huge success of the previous 'relaxed performance' of Mamma Mia! in 2013, the show's producers and Mousetrap Theatre Projects (MTP) have decided to present a second 'relaxed performance' of the smash hit musical Mamma Mia! at 6pm on Wednesday 16 November at London's Novello Theatre. The performance will be for families with one or more children with special needs. Relaxed performances are designed to provide an opportunity for people with autism, learning difficulties or other sensory and communication needs who require a more relaxed environment. MTP's long-term goal is to see regular relaxed performances in the West End. The Society of London Theatre (SOLT) is a great supporter of this project and both MTP and SOLT are working hard to try to ensure that relaxed performances become a familiar fixture in the theatre diary.

IAM Theatre Company has announced its fall production--the National Premiere of Pride and Prejudice - The Musical, to run at the Southside Theatre at Fort Mason Center from September 23rd to October 9th. Pride and Prejudice - The Musical, based on Jane Austen's famous novel, features lyrics and music by Marin County's two-time Emmy Award winning Rita Abrams, with book by best-selling San Francisco author Josie Brown. The show is directed by Lexie Papedo Gasparini. This will be the musical's first production in the United States since its recent world premiere in London.

Dare to Defy Productions will present 35MM: A Musical Expedition on September 30th and October 7th at 8 p.m. and October 1st and October 8th at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the Mathile Black Box Theatre in the Schuster Center.