Jac Yarrow News

The fabled date is getting nearer!  For months, May 17 has loomed large in the calendar of London theatreland as the signal for playhouses to reopen their doors after a five-month lockdown - a period of closure that has, of course, been much longer in New York for the simple reason that London theaters did at least flicker partially to life last autumn.

Alexandra Burke will join the cast of Joseph and the Amazing Techniolor Dreamcoat when it resumes performances this July. 

May 17 has long held near-sacrosanct status in and around London theatreland. That's the date earmarked for a return to live performance, albeit to limited audiences, with a further diary entry worth marking of June 21 (the summer solstice no less) when all restrictions on social contacts will be removed and playhouses may - one stresses the word may - be allowed to return to something resembling pre-pandemic capacity.

March is the month in which both Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim celebrate their birthdays and on the same date (March 22), albeit 18 years apart. To mark the occasion, we are givng over four weeks to honour some of their finest moments on the London stage, taking each composer in turn to fete five memorable productions and then five outstanding performances. And so, below are five Lloyd Webber stagings that I shall long remember, several of which (COVID permitting) may be back amongst us in due course.

Just last week, BBC Radio 2 and BBC One aired  Musicals: The Greatest Show- a celebration of the nation's favorite songs and performers from the world of musical theatre. Hosted on radio and television by multi-award winning performer Sheridan Smith, it put the songs, the shows, and the stars, back on stage at the world famous London Palladium. 

BBC Radio 2 and BBC One have announced a show direct from the West End, the US and beyond, featuring a glittering cast of UK and international stars performing songs from the musicals in Musicals: The Greatest Show.

BBC Radio 2 and BBC One have announced a show direct from the West End, the US and beyond, featuring a glittering cast of UK and international stars performing songs from the musicals in Musicals: The Greatest Show.

Celebrating the very best of pantomime, with comedy in abundance and big show-stopping numbers, this star-filled extravaganza will play to a socially distanced audience for three weeks only.

Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended a special performance of The National Lottery's Pantoland at The London Palladium staged for key workers.

The National Lottery has announced it will host a special one-off performance of this year's pantomime at The London Palladium for key workers and staff from frontline lottery-funded projects.  

Tonight, the Olivier Awards will be announced in a special online broadcast. We'll be updating the list of nominees LIVE throughout the evening.

Elaine Paige will join the cast of Pantoland at The Palladium for the three-week festive run beginning 12 December 2020, which sees pantomime return to the world-famous The London Palladium for a fifth consecutive year.

This Christmas, Julian Clary will take us on a magical trip to Pantoland at The Palladium.  Performances will begin at the world-famous theatre on 12 December 2020 running until 3 January 2021, with tickets on sale from 10am today.

Hurrah for the green shoots in our beleaguered industry. Lots of venues are mounting new shows and bringing back our favourites over the next few weeks and months - albeit with social distancing and safety measures in place. Here are some of the live theatrical goodies on offer.

This Christmas, Julian Clary will take us on a magical trip to Pantoland at The Palladium.  Performances will begin at the world-famous theatre on 12 December 2020 running until 3 January 2021, with tickets on sale from 10am today.

This Christmas Julian Clary will take audiences on a magical trip to Pantoland at The Palladium!

A new season of shows will return again every weekend from mid-August.

The Shows Must Go On has brought the theatre home every weekend throughout lockdown, entertaining millions of theatre fans. The YouTube channel will continue to release show clips over the summer but will be taking a brief hiatus from full shows before returning with all-new seasons of exciting shows to entertain audiences at home, while theatres are closed.

Today's top stories: BroadwayHD will stream a free Falsettos sing-along, and more!

Ticket bookings for the 2021 production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, will open this Friday at 10am!