Spike Milligan

Shakespeare’s Globe has announced the cast of Much Ado About Nothing, directed by Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes (The Comedy of Errors, Globe), with Ekow Quartey and Amalia Vitale as Benedick and Beatrice.

They're back! Five years after two sell-out shows, “RADIO LIVE” returns to Chichester Festival Theatre on Saturday 20 January 2024 for another two irresistible performances.

The unique event that is Letters Live returned to the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate its tenth anniversary on 16 November. Since December 2013, it has appeared from Wilderness Festival to a refugee camp in Calais, bringing the joy and wonder of the written word to audiences all over the world.

South African performance artist Jemma Kahn and her seven kamishibai stories both start off appearing quite ordinary before revealing remarkable levels of sex, violence and all manner of delightfully sordid behaviour.

Writers behind some of the most critically acclaimed works over the last year were honoured at the Writers' Guild of Great Britain Awards 2023 ceremony, including Aamina Ahmad, David Edgar, Vivienne Franzmann, Rebecca Hall, Katie Hims, Adam Kay, Neil McKay, and Ben Power.

One of my favourite theatrical moments of the year at Theatre Royal Bath was Into the Woods: a trippy version of Stephen Sondheim's musical, thanks to Terry Gilliam's surreal Monty Python-esque imagination. This mind-bending show deserves space in the West End soon.

After Covid dealt a stuttering start to the year, 2022 brought some standout shows and performances. Here are some of our critics' highlights from the past twelve months.

2022 started with the UK fighting with Covid's Omicron variant, which was not really conducive to much theatrical mingling. However, much of the theatre world ralied, as it always does, to bring us some juicy shows and sparkling performances.

SPIKE is based on letters between Milligan and his BBC executives. Ian Hislop and his long-time writing partner Nick Newman have created an affectionate and beautifully staged portrait of the often-troubled mind of this comedy genius.

In a fabulously fast-paced and funny tribute to Spike Milligan, writers Ian Hislop and Nick Newman affectionately convey how the extraordinary Anglo-Irishman creates The Goon Show.

Fresh from the West End production of Moulin Rouge The Musical, West End leading lady and singing sensation Zoe Birkett will play Spirit Of The Ring alongside EastEnders’ Beppe Di Marco, Michael Greco as Abanazar. Joining them is CBeebies favourite Ben Cajee in the title role of Aladdin, returning favourites Tam Ryan as Wishee Washee and Ian Adams as Widow Twankey, Duane Gooden as the Genie, Ian Billings as the Notary and introducing Wolverhampton’s own Sofie Anné as Princess Jasmine.

All new rehearsal photos have been released for the UK tour of Spike. Check out the photos here!

​​​​​​​Full casting has been announced for SPIKE - the comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman that will be visiting Theatre Royal Brighton from Tuesday 11 to Saturday 15 October 2022 as part of a UK tour. 

Ian Hislop and Nick Newman’s new comedy, ‘Spike’, is coming to Darlington Hippodrome with a cast including Gavin and Stacey star Robert Wilfort alongside Mischief Theatre’s Patrick Warner and Jeremy Lloyd. 

Full casting has been announced for SPIKE - the comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman that had its world premiere at The Watermill Theatre Newbury in January, and will be touring the UK from 6 September.

Olivier Award-winning actor John Dagleish (Sunny Afternoon, Farming, The Third Day) will reprise his critically acclaimed role as 'Spike Milligan' this autumn, as SPIKE - the comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman that had its world premiere at The Watermill in January – tours the UK.

With the return of Salisbury International Arts Festival imminent, Artistic Director of Wiltshire Creative Gareth Machin today announces the line up the company's Autumn/Winter season.

All new rehearsal photos have been released for the world premiere of SPIKE, a new comedy by Ian Hislop and Nick Newman. The title role will be played by Olivier Award-winning actor John Dagleish, with Stephen Fry voicing the BBC Announcer at The Watermill from Thursday 27 January – Saturday 5 March.

Details have been announced for the spring season, running from January to May 2022, as well as the appointment of two new Playwrights in Residence.

Peter Medak, the director of THE GHOST OF PETER SELLERS, is Tom Needham's exclusive guest this Thursday on WUSB's SOUNDS OF FILM.