Ambassador Theatre Group News

Alex Gaumond (Matilda, Legally Blonde, We Will Rock You) will replace Rufus Hound as the newest conman on the block, Freddy Benson from tonight 11 November 2014 in the critically acclaimed and Best New Musical of 2014, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Rehearsals begin tomorrow, Tuesday, November 11, for the American premiere of Constellations, the acclaimed new play by Nick Payne, directed by Michael Longhurst, starring Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal (Nightcrawler, Brokeback Mountain) and two-time Olivier Award winner Ruth Wilson (BBC's and PBS' Emmy nominated 'Luther,' Showtime's 'The Affair').

Seline Hizli completes the cast for Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown joining the previously announced Tamsin Greig, Haydn Gwynne, Jerome Pradon, Anna Skellern, Ricardo Afonso, Haydn Oakley and Willemijn Verkaik. Additional cast includes Marianne Benedict, Holly James, Michael Matus, Rebecca McKinnis, Sarah Moyle, Alastair Natkiel, Nuno Queimado and Dale Rapley.

To coincide with Ayub Khan Din's critically acclaimed hit play East is East, directed by Sam Yates, and starring Jane Horrocks and Ayub Khan Din himself, there will be a range of Traf Extra events including a panel discussion on Diversity And The Arts and Stories Unplugged: An Open Mic Night, with further events announced in due course.

The new Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN will be recorded today, November 3, for a two-disc cast album to be released by PS Classics. ON THE TOWN, which features a book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, music by Leonard Bernstein, and is based on an idea by Jerome Robbins, is currently running at Broadway's Lyric Theatre (213 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036).

On last night's TONIGHT SHOW, Jimmy and guest Jake Gyllenhaal faced off against each other in the card game war where the loser faces wet consequences.

The Stage reports that technicians' union BECTU and the Society of London Theatre will meet at conciliation service ACAS next week to discuss an ongoing pay dispute.

The Producers of THRILLER LIVE today announced that The Voice finalist PRINNIE STEVENS will headline THRILLER LIVE on its national tour of Australia beginning in December this year in Perth then touring to Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.

BAFTA winning and Golden Globe nominated actor James McAvoy (Filth, The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, X-Men) returns to Trafalgar Transformed, following his performance in Jamie Lloyd's Macbeth, which launched the first Trafalgar Transformed season and earned him an Olivier award nomination for Best Actor, and for the production a nomination for Best Revival. McAvoy will play Jack, the 14th Earl of Gurney, in the first revival of Peter Barnes' satirical comedy, The Ruling Class, directed by Artistic Director, Jamie Lloyd. The production runs from 16 January to 11 April 2015, with press night on 27 January. Design is by Soutra Gilmour, with lighting by Jon Clark and sound by Ben and Max Ringham.

Lynne Meadow (Artistic Director) and Barry Grove (Executive Producer) announce recent recipients of the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Initiative commissions for Manhattan Theatre Club. The commissioned writers are Jeff Augustin (Little Children Dream of God), Courtney Baron (A Very Common Procedure) and Juliana Nash (Murder Ballad), Nell Benjamin (The Explorers Club), Madeline George (The (curious case of the) Watson Intelligence), Tom Holloway (And No More Shall We Part), Nathan Jackson (Broke-ology), Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (An Octoroon), Greg Pierce (Slowgirl), and Alexandra Wood (The Initiate).

ON THE TOWN has moments of classic dance, comedy and music, but it's the earthy country sailors who make this musical soar.

Alex Gaumond (Matilda, Legally Blonde, We Will Rock You) will replace Rufus Hound as the newest conman on the block, Freddy Benson from 11 November 2014 in the critically acclaimed and Best New Musical of 2014, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

The Daily Mail writes that Rufus Hound is leaving the West End's current production of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. Alex Gaumond will take over the role of 'Freddy Benson' on November 11 at the Savoy Theatre; in the meantime, an understudy will play the part.

THRILLER LIVE, a spectacular concert production that celebrates the music of the world's greatest entertainer, Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five has played in London's West End since 2009, and last month entered the record books as the 20th longest running musical in West End history.

Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director; Barry Grove, Executive Producer) and the Royal Court Theatre, by special arrangement with Ambassador Theatre Group and the Dodgers, just announced that two-time Olivier Award winner Ruth Wilson (BBC's and PBS' Emmy nominated "Luther," Showtime's "The Affair") will star opposite previously announced Oscar nominee Jake Gyllenhaal in the American premiere of Constellations, the acclaimed new play by Nick Payne, directed by Michael Longhurst.

Single tickets are on sale tomorrow at noon for Manhattan Theatre Club's upcoming Broadway productions of Constellations, the acclaimed new play by Nick Payne, directed by Michael Longhurst, starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Steppenwolf Theatre Company's production of Airline Highway, the new play by Lisa D'Amour, directed by Joe Mantello.

This week, two promising young professionals join the Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) on its pilot Graduate Scheme, a unique new initiative launched for the first time this autumn to develop the future leaders of commercial theatre.

West End star Tim Driesen leads the new UK and Irish tour of the Tony, Olivier and Grammy Award-winning Best Musical JERSEY BOYS, kicking off now in Birmingham. BroadwayWorld has photos from the tour launch below!

ON THE TOWN and TodayTix, the Broadway ticket app, just announced Broadway's first ever mobile lottery, offering $20 day-of tickets to the iconic musical comedy. The new Broadway revival of ON THE TOWN,directed by John Rando (Tony Award® for Urinetown) and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse (Emmy Award winner for 'Smash') officially opens on Thursday, October 16, 2014 at Broadway's Lyric Theatre (213 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036).

The New Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham, part of the Ambassador Theatre Group, certainly know how to organise a press launch! The UK touring cast of Jersey Boys gave the multitude of journalists, group bookers and specially invited guests a musical feast at the wonderful Jam House venue in the idyllic St Paul's Square in the Jewellery Quarter. The funky launch location was buzzing and impeccably organised by the theatre's Press Officer and her team. So well thought-out in fact, that they even had a portable box office set up in order to catch excited punters on their way out!